Disclaimer: The summary is adopted from Dashboard Confessional's song, Currents. Characters are Kishi-sensei's. I own zilch.
Speculations and second-guessing be damned. He knew it was true right at the moment he opened his front door and looked into her eyes. The light on those pale orbs was diminishing into capitulation and, even more so, sorrow. She didn't even have to utter a sentence.
Nor did he. He faced it with nothing sort of a breakdown, just a quiet acceptance, knowing already that this was to be expected. He nodded as she motioned to come inside, and the next moment she cascaded on his embrace. He got his face buried in her fragrant hair and he wanted to kiss her every teardrop away before it was too late, so she let him be.
Long enough it took for him to discover this newfound feelings. Her confession did leave a deep imprint on him that he had to mull over it for quite some time indeed, careful not to show his confusions to anyone in the vicinity. Especially her.
At first he thought what he felt was merely a great appreciation towards a comrade. He was flattered, of course. And he owed her his life. He figured he'd tell her this after all. But when he was battling Madara over the countless lives he had shed to get to him, the only image dominated his mind was her face. He wanted to live, would stay alive for her. He refused to die without giving her an answer now that he was sure of it.
As he emerged victorious to see she was still alive, standing and waiting with that grateful relief, he walked to her and, without even pausing for break, kissed her right then and there. He would have announced to the entire joint shinobi army of his feelings had he not already collapsed from exhaustion.
Years that followed the event was the happiest of his life. He was human; he loved and was beloved. Since then, there had been some kind of silent agreement between his fellow shinobis not to openly speak of their relationship. Her cousin knew, of course. All Neji gave him was a nod, but Naruto could also see trust in those concrete eyes. And it was more than enough.
He loved her so much that when she asked him to wait, he complied. She was precious beyond compare and she deserved that. He never asked for anything more than what they were having.
But right now, as she drew back from his breath, grazing against his ear was the unperturbed plea of willingness,—take me within you, tomorrow will be no more. Her father had decided. Tomorrow the world was ending; she would be someone else's. Her words erased all his doubts.
On the sheet sticking of sweat and tears, she was curling and delicate like a porcelain newborn baby. He was almost afraid to merely touch her. She clutched him, unyielding, whispering to keep going, teeth digging and nails clawing at his damped skins. She was pouring her entire body and soul for him, like she did back then in the face of death. Like she had been doing all her life.
She had done so much for him. She was his life and he was hers.
Now that they had become one entity, there was no way he'd retreat without a fight. He was the goddamned Naruto—he'd fix this.
She was hesitant at first once he revealed his intention. Sure, that was reasonable; even though he never really had a real family, he understood her attachment towards them, despite everything. Yet she knew that it was not something to negotiate over. After all, he had done everything but push her to do something against her wishes. His patience was only a fragment of examples.
They were now a being. Separating them would be like ripping a part from a whole. If he was the only one she needed in order to breathe, there shouldn't be any need for any other reasons.
He was not demanding anything but now she was more than sure. She told him she was staying with him come hell or high water, and with her everlasting kiss she gave him her consent.
Why the moon had chosen to turn red at this exact moment Naruto did not know, but he figured it was how it commiserated; while hidden deep inside him something flared up to life with a sneer, the moon leered back.
The proceedings were quiet and relatively smooth now that Neji was no longer there. Most were asleep, and the guards didn't stand a chance. He'd long learned not giving put to the lust of rampage—it was always messy in the end. He could her hear voice in his head though she was merely watching from afar. That's how much unified they were.
He thought of Itachi and felt a hint of pity for that bastard for having to be in this position and massacre his own blood. He was lucky that his circumstances made everything so much easier. He licked his lips to the piquant taste of crimson once belonged to that high and mighty clan leader, now a crumpling heap at his feet. Yes, he was liking it a lot.
Eventually there was only one thing left to do.
With one swift movement he set the entire compound ablaze. He marched back to her waiting arms with a satisfied smile. All was done.
The dancing auburn light was a sinister flicker on his glossy ocean eyes and far beyond the curdling screams and the crackle of crisped flesh they walked with their hands entwined, no longer separable.
end.
A/N: ...don't usually do this. 8}