A/N: I'm not quite sure myself as to what this is, but I hope it's something you enjoy. (Hint: Naruto's POV).

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I never will.

Warning: Shounen-Ai. SasuNaru. Slash. You no like, You no read.

The Quiet.

At this point, it would be incredibly foolish, If I fell for you. I'm never falling for your tranquil or your quiet laugh or your hidden charms. Or the way you fall asleep listening to the rain with a half-finished cup of coffee in your hands. I know you still want to join the forces but you don't want to force a decision on anyone either. You feel lucky enough to be accepted into society after what you did but I'd still stand for your wish, whatever it may be. But don't be foolish and think it's because I like you or anything…My emotions aren't that trivial.

But this'll never see the light of day. But when I think about it, you prefer to remain in the dark these days, not that I have anything against it. So you might come across it…I'll keep this secret safe.

I'm not admitting anything, I don't feel for yo but I do feel for you, it's a sickening disease. I thought Sakura-chan would've helped me with it. I thought wrong. She found something better in life. I'm happy for her. All because I know what a pain you can be. Just sitting at home all day, I almost never see you moving. I know your eyes aren't the best of what they used to be but don't you want to have visions? There's so much to see If I add colours to your vision..

Really, there's not much to do. Every time I come home I find you dozing off like a purring cat on the windowsill. I swear your padding of dainty feet across the house goes unheard and it's like I live with a Ghost. But I don't use the Sage mode because I can perk my ears and just feel your hands when they find me. Because if I don't let you find me upon arrival, then, I won't get to hear a coarse whisper of my name – It's why I think you should speak up more…I could make you voice those emotions.

I can't help but smile, but I'm not happy. Because I see you rush with that uncertainty and it forms a crease between your brows until my positive response eases it. I can practically see the relief flood through you veins and it makes my heart sink. It's not raining everyday but it's raining when I'm with you. I wish I could be the sky that touches your beautiful skin with each tiny drop of rain.

I was told that you don't like the rain but I beg to differ. No one believes me though. I see you tracking the patterns and burning midnight oil over it and straining your remaining optical nerves over it. It's not like you're blind but you prefer to keep them reserved. But who do you wish to see? Is it not me?...

I know you brother is dead, but, won't you heal now…Or let me heal you.

That's right, I can do so much for you. But I can't fall for you. I shouldn't, …should I?

I don't think it's wrong; it's just the line I'm not supposed to cross. Besides, it'd be rude not considering your feelings. But you don't talk to anyone else and maybe I'm selfish but being the only person around you gives me hope. It gives me doubts that stay even after I wake up next morning. Then I find myself hoping a positive response, when one day your hands reach mine when I come back home. And my fingers slip through the spaces between yours. As they're meant to be.

I want to tell you so much but you hardly speak anymore. The silence has grown too much lately. Even the clinking of dinner plates draws you in time for our meals. Now who do I call out to?

Besides, I'm hoping you know that already. But I don't deserve you. Aren't I the reason you ended up this way anyway? But this isn't why I'm living with you. Well, maybe at first it was my haunting guilt that chased me until I arrived at your doorstep for a late night cup of tea. But I never left, did I?

From then on, It was like that day I saw you sitting alone by the lake. We never shared words, but we both knew. Then this shall be enough, us two sharing something more than words but less than words. This isn't loneliness if we can be alone, together.

Scratch that. It's been countless hours and days with the endless sound of rain. I can't take it anymore. How can you live with this quiet? I seldom hear your soft breathing when we're sitting a table apart, my legs grazing yours underneath. I don't even want your touch I just want to break the silence. I'd rather talk with my fists than you not say anything at all. God knows how much you're keeping inside. Let it out already, will you?

…

It's raining again. I know I came later than usual today almost not guilty on doing it purposefully. I couldn't sneak around and wait near the house because you'd feel my presence with your heightened senses. I can't even trust myself around you anymore, before we break I want to break our silence without me shouting.

I tell you that Kakashi kept me late for advanced briefing on some odd mission. I tell you I'll be returning in more than just a couple of months. I tell you all this in hopes that you'll stop me when I'm leaving. More so, because I'm scared you won't be sitting there when I come back. I know you'll manage fine on your own but … I tell you but I'm holding back so much because you haven't let go of my shirt ever since you hugged me. I hear you mumble something and you drag me towards your room. I follow quietly with hooded eyes, as you lead me by my hand. You take off your bandages that cover your eyes but you don't open them yet. I wonder what you're waiting for but I'll wait.

I'm numb of feelings when you shrug off your jacket and throw it on that chair from where I usually watch you sleep. It feels like a strange violation right then. By the time, you hold my face in your lithe hands I know where this is headed. I can't say anything anymore; this isn't what I wanted from you Sasuke. Without thinking, I had voiced those emotions and I see you still for a second whilst I grab your shoulders with my warm hands. You're wrong.

I know I'm wrong too but I go with it for now. I grit my teeth and wrap my jacket around your shoulders, ignoring the fact that my name is like a phrase on the tip of your tongue. The crack of thunder outside lightens the dark room where I see you still standing frozen. Your hands now limp on either side. I whisper a small goodbye and I walk away.

I step outside and look up to the crying dark skies. I do turn around before I leave with a bag packed in my hurry to leave our house. It's pouring down hard now but I'm glad I gave you my jacket. I can make out the orange even in the grey and blurriness. I squint and shield my eyes to see because I wonder if you'd cry for me. Cause I never saw you but it's raining away, I wouldn't be able to tell. I shout for you to go inside but you keep standing just outside the threshold clutching my jacket around you. I give you a last smile, but I'm not sure if you saw it.

…

It was a mistake. I don't know what I was thinking, leaving you like that. Sure, what I felt for you wasn't lust but I did crave for your touch just the same. I tell Kakashi I can't do it and trace my footsteps back to the village. It's been a few worthless days and long nights where I tried to get the image of you out of my head, all in vain. My teammates, masked as they were, told me to rest more. But I couldn't possibly sleep over this restlessness.

So before I went too far and before it was too late, I had to return, to you.

I bet my teammates were baffled by my sudden absence and now I owe kakashi a sincere apology but you're more important. I run with all my left energy, I couldn't get much sleep anyway. As days pass and the village draws near, I curse myself. But even more, I'm hoping you're still there – sitting by the window, or basking under the sun in that small garden, or sleeping with your arms stretched out as if you're reaching for something.

I know I'm out of breath as I reach the village entrance, my red eye stare is enough to get me by no questions asked however. I revert the kyuubi mode and try to catch my breath as it's starts pouring down. Why is it raining again? I step closer and closer to the Uchiha compound as my feet splash through puddles. I'm running again as I my senses catch the smell of blood even in the downpour.

I run drenched in that rain shouting your name until I find you. The bandage around your eyes is gone, my jacket is crumpled, soggy near your bare feet. Why're you staring into the skies? I close the short distance between us, and my hands find their way around you. You're dumbfounded, aren't you? I'm glad 'cause I'm too full of feelings and lacking air to say anything yet.

My eyes are cleared of all shades of crimson when your arms close around me. I pull you back by your shoulders and wipe the remains of blood from your cheeks. I want to say so much and punch you at the same time but I just feel overjoyed that I can't stare back into your eyes, even in this rain.

Come to think of it, it was raining – when we fought and you left; when you fought your brother and he left you... But just this once, I want to make you remember something with this rain that you feel happy about. Something to replace all that haunts your nights and keeps you awake and not feeling.

In that short moment, I watch your Sharingan eyes before I lean close and whisper something I wanted to say all along. Something I denied even though I knew it was no use doing it. You blink back from the rain and stare right at me but I close my eyes after seeing your brown ones and capture your lips in a kiss. For a while, I can tell you're at a loss of what to do and I coax you slowly with my hands in your drenched mop of hair pulling you tighter against me. I don't mind. So maybe I always wanted you this close; even when you were just within my reach.

"I'm home." The words escape my lips when they're not against yours. I don't understand the look you give me but then you smile and welcome me home; like I always wanted you to.

EPILOGUE:

"Naruto.." It's been ages since I heard you call my name. So I don't really mind you shouting it in the rain, I can just laugh along and shout with you. After your fifth cry, I clamp your mouth shut and watch your fingers trying to pry my hand away. Ah, that glare is back but my hands can tell apart your tears from the rain. You close your eyes in defeat but I dodge your punches and kiss your eyelids while my hand slips from its previous hold. I watch you with curious eyes as the tip of your tongue darts out to lick your lips, even in this pouring rain, and my smile breaks into a hearty laugh until we start sneezing. I shelter you as we head inside where you give me orders in your trembling voice. It's just the cold, you tell me. And it's my fault as I'm reminded by you, again and again. And I agree.

A/N: I feel like I'll be rewriting this sometime soon but I'm happy with the way it is now. Consider it a unique form of art. I'd love to know what you think about it. Thank you for reading. :]