Might as well consider this a songfic for When You're Gone by Bryan Adams & Melanie C. Few weeks ago, I heard it random on the radio and I remembered how I love it, yet I hadn't listened to it for years before. And then this was born. Was just lazy translating it to English...but now it's here. Un-beta'd again, so blame all mistakes on me - MikoGoddess is busy with her life. *thumbs up* ;P Huggles, girl! ... Um, oh yeah, please review!


He was walking around aimlessly in his apartment again, all night long. Of course he should have been sleeping, and he did try too – after all, he knew well enough that such "night shifts" only turn him into a zombie the following day; and he did make a promise to him too about not staring at the ceiling, completely void of dreams… Well, he wasn't actually staring at the ceiling though. He was leaning on the railing of the balcony, watching the late night passers-by – of whom there wasn't a whole lot –; he was surfing the channels, trying to find something worthy to watch in the idiot box; he was practicing his aim with a kunai, chucking it into the door, over and over again; he was listening to music and wanted to read, but since the only things he found interesting enough were his several pieces of manga which he all read a dozen times, he decided upon sitting at his computer and looking for some porn. But that didn't last long either: all the pop-ups and adverts made him lose his patience rather quickly… Altogether though, he managed to engage his attention and pass time quite nicely.

"BULLSHIT!" He suddenly yelled into the night, to no one in particular, hitting the desk with a clenched fist.

He had to admit: he was bored. He was bored out of his mind, and he couldn't even concentrate on anything, since all he could think of was him. He sighed and glanced at the calendar: only five days now.

- x -

It was pointless, willing his phone to ring. No call, no message, no email. From anyone. For days. Not really a surprise, seeing how all his friends were away on missions – something he did not forget about, but still… He was tired of being alone. It was too long and he wasn't the type to cherish solitude anyway. That's why he usually did his pranks to have some fun, but for a while, not even that could cheer him up. Mainly because he could only have "cracked his jokes" to strangers – although some of his teachers and masters were in Konoha, somehow they didn't qualify as valid targets.

He turned the radio on, but it seemed that everyone was purposefully requesting songs that reminded the boy of him. So, he gave another to the TV. Not as if he could have paid attention, but at least it generated a kind of background noise that didn't make him want to smack his head into the wall.

Four more days.

- x -

18 … is it? Yeah, I think … 18 July … Tuesday

I guess, it's really at times like this that I realize I'm in love. When he's not around. Days go on, one after the other, and I don't even know if it's a workday or weekend… The nights are fucking long. I'd sleep, but I simply can't, and I can't even find anything to do, so I just go on being bored… Everything just seems so bad. But, it's only another three days!

- x -

"Hey, kid, wouldn't you rather want something to eat?" The owner asked, surprised. "There's a discount on miso-ramen today, y'know…"
"Gah, your ramen tastes like shit, old man… I want sake!" The boy said indignantly.
"But …"
"Geez, what's wrong with your hearing? I said, I want sake! Or is my money not good enough for you?"
"Okay, okay… Sure, in a second…"

There was no way he could have explained why he was drinking. He's never been known to, and he certainly wasn't about to get hooked on it either. But it was a fact that even his favorite food didn't appeal to him as much as even just a few days ago. Which was extremely strange, considering how many bowls he could eat otherwise in one go – the chef always complained about he had to start preparing another batch when he left. Actually, he's always had ramen for breakfast as well as for lunch and for dinner, something that have earned him a few worried glances sometimes. It never bothered him of course: he figured if it's been all right since he could remember, it wouldn't make him sick later on either.

After he gulped down quite a few shots of the drink, he swept the table clean, the bottle and the glass shattering to pieces on the floor.

"Argh, I can't even get drunk here…" He muttered as he stood up and left.

He was only slightly dizzy, nothing more intense in his head, not even his walking ability was affected by the amount of alcohol he consumed. Not even getting home took more time than usual.

Two days to go.

- x -

He's been wandering up and down the streets, without the slightest idea of which part of Konoha he could be, just trying to spot a place, without any audiovisual junk around, to sit down. Or at least, to run into a friend or two, but he had no such luck. Not even Konohamaru crossed his paths, although he was convinced that the kid had a special thousandth sense to find him anywhere, anytime. What's more, even strangers seemed to be of one kind only: those that irked him to no end. Cuddling couples, slowly trotting gramps, and grannies feeding birds and chattering about totally senseless things…

"It huuuuuuuuuuuuuurts, I'm going insane!" He whined loudly, pulling his hair, as he plopped down on a bench next to a small fountain. "Whatever did I do to deserve this pain?"

The people around him stared with wide eyes, making an uneasy feeling to creep into his mind. He looked up, miffed, and asked the question that almost made him pathetic:

"What now? One can't even miss his boyfriend?"

'Tomorrow…tomorrow!' He thought.

- x -

At last. Today was the day. The end of loneliness, the end of boredom, the end of aimlessness. This hyped him up with so much enthusiasm and energy that he didn't mind carrying out a peculiar plan: during the morning, he went to shop for groceries – only to occupy the kitchen around noon. Of course, wasn't about to actually cook and bake, the only thing he thought he could do was sushi: even if it didn't turn out good enough, he was sure that the effort will be welcome by him.

And then it him: he should add a little extra to spice it all up. By the time the food was prepared and all the ruins cleaned up, he really had to hurry: the arrival was due any minute. He peeled off his clothes, lay on the table and tried to arrange the small rolls on his body to present a nice picture.

And then he waited. And waited more. But there was still no sign of him.

The food and the lukewarm early evening air however soon started to send pleasant waves into his brain: with a few quiet moans, he tried to shift his body so as not to feel contact at least there, but it was all in vain. If anything, it helped his penis to get even harder, to the point where he couldn't take it anymore and had to touch himself. And of course, as he was stroking his cock, the carefully placed rolls all rolled off him – but that was the last thing on his mind when a few minutes later he shot his load all over himself, panting, his face red.

He heard the key in the lock just as he was trying to prevent the pearly white drops from dribbling on the table. The door opened, but the boy was unable to actually enter the apartment: his feet rooted into the floor at the sight of his quickly breathing, glistening boyfriend – who got on his own feet immediately.

"SASUKE!" He exclaimed, latching himself onto his lover, nuzzling into the boy's neck. "I missed you…soooo much!"

"…Naruto?" The raven managed to blurt out, his mind blank.

"Hm?"

"You're dirtying my clothes," he stated simply, trying hard not to think of what with. "Besides, I was only away for a week."

"For a freakishly long week!" The blonde said, disentangling himself and flailing his arms. "And…and…and…what's up with calling my love juice dirt, teme? As if your clothes weren't dirty anyway…and…and…you didn't even miss me?"

It seemed like the corners of Sasuke's lips curved up in a small smile at his sweetheart's antics as he gently touched the blonde's chin.

"Of course I did. Very much." He said quietly and planted a soft kiss on Naruto's mouth.