Hello! Another one-shot in between writing my other, multi-chapter, fan fictions. It may seem like I've abandoned them, but I haven't. Aside from that, I'm also working on some other stories I want to post here, mainly sasu/naru, but have decided that I shouldn't until I finish writing them. Well, on with this.
It's another Sasu/Naru one-shot. I love this pair, I think they're perfect.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. However, I do own the plotline of this fan fiction.

Warnings: m/m, slash, BL, slight angst, some violence.

Fear Not

"You're going to kill me one day," Naruto told him, looking up into those black, black eyes. They drew him in, pulled him deeper and drowned him in their depths. There was no escaping them. He could not. The more rational parts of his mind wanted to escape, to run away. But he could not, because most of his heart wanted to stay captive in these arms.
"Hn." Was the familiar answer. It was obvious, painfully so, that he was nothing more than a mere toy that Sasuke could entertain himself with. People like Sasuke were on a whole different league. They took what they wanted and threw away what they didn't without a second thought or any consideration of other people that may be involved. Selfish rich bastards. Naruto hated all of them.
And yet, somehow, he's fallen in love with the biggest bastard of them all. He'd known it would do him no good. He'd told himself that he would never let it happen. But it did. It just did, and he fell so hard that his heart broke and threatened to shatter. If only he could turn back the wheel of time. But that wouldn't help because Naruto was sure of it; he would fall in love with Uchiha Sasuke all over again.
He was in no delusion that Sasuke loved him. He didn't. He may care for Naruto to some extent but Naruto had no doubt that if Sasuke becomes bored of him, he would be easily discarded.
It hurt so much that, sometimes, thinking of it made it hard to breathe. But he could not bring himself to leave Sasuke. Naruto was a coward, in all truth, and a crybaby deep inside. Of course he couldn't tell that to Sasuke. The bastard would only mock him.
Naruto knew his end from the moment he realized he was in love with Sasuke. But as he felt Sasuke's lips on his skin, his hands caressing him everywhere, Naruto wanted to cry out to the world that it was so unfair. Slowly, bit by bit, he was dying inside and Sasuke didn't care. He should've gotten used to it by now. From the moment he was born no one really cared about him but he survived. Toughened up by reality and life, Naruto made it to the age of twenty one. He was doing fine. He was a survivor by nature.
But then Sasuke came along and Naruto was doomed.
Long after Sasuke was done, and fell asleep embracing him, Naruto looked at him. This beautiful porcelain face, the half-moons of his eyelashes. He just wanted to stay in Sasuke's embrace forever.
When morning came Sasuke was already gone, off to work, and Naruto woke up by himself, again. He brushed his teeth and slowly got dressed. There was something different about this morning that he couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was the fact that Sasuke had left his slippers near the bedroom door instead of leaving them underneath the bed like he usually did. There was an unwashed cereal bowl in the kitchen sink and a forgotten carton of milk. Forgotten. Sasuke always washed his dishes after he ate, if he ate alone, and he never forgot anything. Something was off but Naruto had no idea what.
An hour later he was out of the apartment and was headed to Shikamaru's. Shikamaru might know something because Shikamaru knew everything, even things he didn't want to know. So Naruto showed up at his door and smiled brightly as his friend grumpily let him in. "It's way too early, Naruto," he complained. Naruto liked being with Shikamaru. His friend was a genius but unlike other geniuses he knew, Shikamaru wasn't an arrogant bastard. They watched clouds together and he listened to Naruto as he talked about this and that and the fact that Sasuke forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. Shikamaru seemed to know something and reluctantly revealed what he knew.
"Don't do anything stupid, Naruto. Sasuke is involved with someone that's difficult even for the great Uchiha Sasuke." Of course, that made Naruto want to do something stupid.
"Who is it? Shikamaru, what's going on?!" apparently, one of Sasuke's men got himself involved with a man named Tobi. "Tobi's dangerous, far more dangerous than any man you've ever met, Naruto. And he wants Sasuke dead." Shikamaru realized his mistake right after he said those words. He watched with horror as Naruto grabbed his cellphone and dialed a number, probably Sasuke's. There was no answer. Naruto tried contacting Neji, because Neji was always with Sasuke, but he didn't answer either. Naruto tried again and again but without success. Shikamaru tried to calm him down but the look in his friend's eyes was frantic, lost in panic. Two hours went by with no word from Sasuke when suddenly Naruto's phone finally rang. It was an unknown number.
"Uzumaki Naruto. If you want to save Sasuke go to Naruto Bridge. Please save him."
Naruto was gone before the other person hung up. He didn't think, couldn't think. The only thing on his mind was that he needed to save Sasuke, somehow. When he reached the bridge after more than one hour drive, he saw them. Men in black, formal yet dangerously so. There was no sign of Sasuke. A man stood there, amongst the others. Red eyes, black hair. Something was not right.
"Uzumaki Naruto. I'm glad you could join us." He said and the next moment Naruto was beaten and shoved and kicked and then tied like a sack of potatoes. He had no idea what was going on. "Where is Sasuke?" he croaked and tried to look around with swollen eyes. Snickers. Why were they laughing? "Sasuke is obviously not here. How pathetic."
Sasuke was not here. Relief, like a giant wave, flushed over him. Sasuke was somewhere else, somewhere safe! He wanted to smile but his face hurt. The man grabbed Naruto's hair and grabbed his head backward. He looked into Naruto's eyes with his bloodshot eyes. "Now we're going to call Sasuke and tell him that his little pet is with us. Won't that be just great?" Naruto managed a little laugh. Clearly, his captors knew nothing about Uchiha Sasuke. The man didn't like Naruto laughing. "Why do you laugh?" he asked and made Naruto laugh even harder. "What are you trying to get? A ransom? Because I promise you that you'll get nothing," he spat at the man. "Obviously you haven't done your homework. Uchiha Sasuke couldn't care less about someone like me. He won't come even if you threatened to kill me." For a moment there the man seemed surprised but that moment was quickly gone and a sinister smile replaced it.
"Oh? Then we'll have to see if it's true, won't we?" he said and pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number.
"Hello Sasuke-kun. It's your favorite uncle speaking." Uncle! Naruto stared at the man in disbelief. "I have something that belongs to you. A cute little pet with blue eyes and rosy lips. The cutie pie says you'll never come for him and I say you will. That is, if you don't want to search for his body parts. After I let my men rape him, I'm going to cut each of his limbs one by one and carve my name on each one of them. So you better hurry and come to Naruto Bridge before it's too late. Bye-bye!"

The man suddenly laughed. It was crazy and maniacal but oddly enough, Naruto wanted to laugh along with him. How could he have been so stupid? Why hadn't he listened to Shikamaru when he told him to wait and think? Why didn't he think? So many questions and regrets that would bring him nowhere. Nothing mattered anyway because he put Sasuke in danger. Naruto knew it was his end. If this man, Sasuke's uncle apparently, was going to stick to his words, then it was Naruto's doom. Because Sasuke would nev-
"Sasuke…"
And there he was, Uchiha Sasuke, dressed in his business suit looking as impeccable and stoic as ever.
"Tobi," Sasuke greeted the man that captured Naruto. No, Naruto thought, no. No! Why have you come here?! He wanted to shout but Sasuke's gaze was colder than ever. 'Shut up, Dobe!' his eyes said.
"Hello Sasuke-kun. Aren't you happy to see me?"
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked. Tobi laughed. "Isn't it obvious? I want what's been taken from me. I want what is mine to take. I want your life, Sasuke."
"Release Naruto."
Tobi looked down at the broken form of Naruto and smiled wickedly. "I can't do that," he said. "See, Blondie here was so much fun to play with! I just can't give him up just like that. You'll have to give me your life in return." There was a long silence. Neji, behind Sasuke seemed ready to jump into action, as was Kakashi. But Naruto was focused on Sasuke. What would he do?
"Che. As if."
Naruto closed his eyes. His ears heard the sound of waves crashing on the shore. This bridge… this bridge was where he'd once saved Sasuke's life, in another lifetime. Even then, he realized, he was ready to sacrifice his life for Sasuke. And now it was the same thing all over again. But this time, Naruto knew, this time he would die. His mind told him so and his heart told him so and Naruto could do nothing but believe them because for the first time they were agreeing on something.
He couldn't really understand what happened next but suddenly he could see everything so clearly. Sasuke's figure standing just across of him, Tobi pulling the gun out in such a fast motion that Naruto had no time to think. How he gathered the strength to jump then, was beyond his understanding, but he did just that.

No one expected that. No one expected him to do that and so the bullet, that shot out of the muzzle of the gun so perfectly, hit him right where it was supposed to. No time to change course, no time to hesitate.

And suddenly the sky seemed so perfectly blue. The wind caressed his cheeks, bringing with it scents of the past. The aroma of the first bread he'd ever eaten, the crisp scent of autumn leaves. And with these memories came others and Naruto was surprised when he remembered other things, things he'd never remembered before.
His mother. She had red hair, long and soft. He could see her now, a little blurry but there all the same. Her smile was soft and she sang to him, lovingly. Her delicate hands caressed his face and he could almost feel her carrying him in his arms. She had loved him. She had cared. So, maybe it was alright to leave this place. He could meet her again, for sure. He'd tell her that he was sorry for forgetting, that he loved her and missed her.
"I want to go…" he whispered to the wind "beyond the stars. Please take me with you…" he had no strength to move, no strength to speak louder above a whisper. But it was alright, his mother could hear him. She held him in her arms like an angel.
There was blood coming out of his mouth but he didn't notice. His body began to slide over the edge of the bridge. Someone screamed but Naruto could no longer make out words. It became cold then, and his body was being pulled down by gravity and when he fell down he could still hear people shouting and what sounded a lot like gunshots, until he hit the water.
'It's ok, Naruto.' He told himself. 'Sasuke is safe." And with that last thought he closed his eyes.

-o-o-o-o-

When he opened his eyes again he was in a place he didn't know. There was bright sunlight streaming through a large window to his right and he had to blink a few times in order to adjust to it. He was inside a large room with white walls. 'Am I dead?' he wondered. He tried to move but found it nearly impossible. His limbs refused to listen to him. So he fell back on his pillow and sighed. The door suddenly opened and a pink haired woman entered.
"Sakura?" he croaked. His voice was so hoarse. Sakura looked up at him with shock and then smiled gently at him and poured him a glass of water. "Good morning Naruto. You're finally awake!" Finally? "You've been in coma for a week. We… we thought you'd never wake up…" her voice broke down and so did she. She collapsed on his shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably. He brought up his arm and hugged her as tight as he could. He still didn't understand but he hated seeing her cry like this.
"I'm awake now, Sakura-chan." He said gently. She wiped her eyes and sniffed at him.
"You baka! You absolute moron! Don't you ever do something like that again, Naruto, or I'll kill you myself!" She bellowed at him. He blinked at her. "So, I'm not…dead?" Sakura looked like she really wanted to punch him.
"Baka! Baka! Baka!" She shouted. "I'll kill you Naruto! You're such an idiot! Why did you go and do something so stupid?"
Naruto smiled warmly at her. "I wanted to save Sasuke…" he whispered. She sighed.
"Baka, Sasuke was fine. He didn't need you to save him." And that, somehow, hurt him. It was the truth, though.
"I know," he looked away. "Sasuke doesn't need me. I just wanted to do something for him, just once." A hand ruffled his hair. He looked up to see Sakura smiling at him.
"You're so dense, Uzumaki," she said. "I'll call Sasuke, let him know you're finally awake."

-o-o-o-o-

Naruto was gone right after Sakura left. There was no way he would stay to meet Sasuke again. He couldn't do it again. He managed to get himself out of the hospital bed and escape but he couldn't, just couldn't see Sasuke again.
He's given Sasuke his all. Everything that was Naruto's and that was Naruto, belonged to Sasuke now. Heart and body, they belonged to Sasuke. The only thing Naruto had left was his soul and he was so scared to lose that too, that he ran away. How could he face Sasuke again, knowing that he's done so much for Sasuke, even given up his own life for him, and also knowing that Sasuke would still be the same? Still wouldn't care.

A couple walked past his bench and he looked away. It didn't feel right to look at them.

"There you are."
Naruto turned so fast that he became dizzy and would've fallen if not for two strong arms that caught him in time. "S-Sasuke!" he cried. The man looked at him, his face as unreadable as ever. His arms held Naruto firmly against his chest.
"You can let go now," Naruto said. "I'm fine." But instead of letting go, Sasuke leaned down and buried his face in Naruto's hair. Naruto stilled, too surprised to move. Sasuke inhaled, breathing deeply. "Naruto…" he whispered and his voice was trembling. It was so out of character that Naruto didn't know what to think or how to react. What was wrong with Sasuke? "Sasuke… are you ok?" he asked hesitantly. "Maybe, you should sit down." But Sasuke didn't move.
"Naruto. Naruto…" he kept on whispering in a shaky voice, his embrace tightening with every utterance of Naruto's name.
"Sasuke, you're holding too tight…" Naruto said and finally Sasuke loosened his hold on him but didn't let go. Naruto's eyes met Sasuke's and they stared at each other. Naruto was confused. At the moment he could see so many things in Sasuke eyes, but mostly, he saw relief. Then Sasuke gently bumped his forehead against Naruto's and closed his eyes. Naruto could feel Sasuke's soft breaths on his face, could see each and every eyelash. His heart skipped a beat and then Sasuke opened his eyes. Obsidian eyes, so deep that Naruto could drown in them. This time, there was more to these eyes than just black depths. Heartbeat speeding up, he dared not believe what his eyes showed him, what Sasuke's eyes showed him.
"Dobe, don't ever do something so stupid again. Get it?" Sasuke voice was still a little shaky and Naruto listened in amazement because, really, it was amazing. Sasuke had never lost control in his life, not once had Naruto heard Sasuke's voice so… unrestrained. Never had he seen him so… expressive. Could it be that Sasuke…?
"Sasuke, what's wrong?" he asked, touching the other man's face. Sasuke grabbed his hand and held it right there, against his cheek. "I thought I lost you…" his voice was so small that Naruto almost didn't hear it. But he did and Naruto's heart fluttered and his stomach did a funny back loop.
"I wanted to save you…" he said, quietly. Sasuke looked up at him and there was slight anger in his gaze. "Don't ever do something like that again, Dobe!" And Naruto was pulled into Sasuke's embrace once again. "What if I had lost you? What then, Naruto? How would I have been able to go on then?! You haven't thought of that, have you?"
"I… thought you didn't care…" Naruto admitted quietly. It was shocking to see shock in Sasuke's eyes. Then Naruto regretted saying those words because Sasuke's eyes became hard as steel and he let go. "Sasuke…?"
"I can't believe you just said that." Confusion flooding him once again, Naruto blinked.
"But, Sasuke, you… you never show that you do…" he whispered to Sasuke's back. Such a strong back! So confident and prideful. Sasuke didn't say a thing and just stood there, watching the people go by.
"I am not sorry for what I did, and I won't apologize," Naruto said quietly. "I love you, Sasuke. It's the simple truth." He watched, to see if there would be any reaction from the other man, but there was none. It hurt. "When I got that phone call telling me that you were in trouble, I didn't hesitate. I got to the place. When I realized I was going to be used as bait, I felt so stupid at first! 'Sasuke is smarter than that, stupid!' I told myself. 'He won't be caught that easily'." At this point, Sasuke turned to look at him but now Naruto looked away. "After that I felt relief. They wanted a ransom and I laughed at their faces because I knew there was no way you would fall for that. I knew you wouldn't come. But then, for some reason, you unexpectedly showed up and I was terrified." He ran a hand through his blond locks and sighed. Sasuke remained silent. "I was terrified because now there was a chance that you'd be hurt, maybe even killed and I couldn't let that happen. Or rather, I decided that I wouldn't let that happen. When Tobi drew the gun and shot I had not time to think. I jumped." Naruto suddenly chuckled, earning a glare from Sasuke which was ignored. "It was so quick that at that moment I felt nothing, not even pain. Suddenly all the colors became so vivid. The sky became so blue that it almost hurt my eyes. Almost. Then I fell, I think, off the bridge and into the sea and I could still hear voices shouting and gunshots. But all I could think about was that you were safe. 'Sasuke was safe'."

Naruto sighed again and closed his eyes. The wind was soft upon his cheeks. It ruffled his already messy hair and playfully tingled him.

"Why did you run away?" Sasuke's voice was as it has always been; stoic, hard and emotionless.

"I ran away because I was afraid of meeting you again, of seeing you."

"Why?"

Naruto shook his head slightly. How could he convey his feelings to Sasuke? Would Sasuke even understand? Taking the chance, Naruto spoke: "I gave you everything, Sasuke. My body and my heart. Everything that is mine and everything that is me, belongs to you, do you know that Sasuke? The only thing I have left that is mine alone, is my soul. I was afraid that if I saw you again, you'll take even this from me and I'll just be a walking dead man. Don't you know that I've already become a shadow, Sasuke? I don't want to be. I want to be the Naruto I was before I met you. I may not have had much back then, but I had my body and my heart. I was happy, I was content." His heart became a collection of a thousand little drums and they were beating frantically in his chest. Sasuke finally sat down on the bench. "Were you so unhappy with me?" he asked, not a trait of emotion on his face. Naruto shook his head. "No," he said "I was happy with you. So happy that I could die. I thought it was enough. I thought I could do it, that I could be happy just by being with you. But I was wrong." His eyes became clouded. "Slowly, bit by bit, I could feel myself dying inside. Because, no matter how much I loved you, you never loved me back. Yes, you may have cared a little but it was never love." Sasuke didn't say anything. To Naruto he seemed like a convict in a courtroom, who has finally realized that he'd been caught. Guilt. "You shouldn't have come looking for me, Sasuke. Please let me live my life in peace. I have nothing left I can give you." Naruto tried to get up then, but a strong arm stopped him. When he looked down, surprised, he was met with Sasuke's dark eyes and what he saw made him hesitate. "Please, sit back down, Naruto." Sasuke never sounded so emotional before. Granted, it was small and not very clear, but Naruto heard it all the same; the plea, the emotion. So he sat down and looked at the young man beside him.
"Why do you want me to stay, Sasuke? Isn't it time you let me go?" To this, Sasuke suddenly pulled Naruto close to him in a tight embrace. It was so unexpected, and so unlike Sasuke, that Naruto could only blink in surprise.
"Never," Sasuke whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I don't know how to express my feelings. I don't know how to deal with my feelings or anyone else's. I thought my actions alone would have been enough to show you how I really feel but I was wrong, that or I haven't made my actions clear enough." Naruto snorted. The man was obviously teasing Naruto by hinting that he was thick-headed. Sasuke smirked. "Don't ever leave me, Uzumaki Naruto. You should know that I… I love you." The silence that followed was kind of awkward, and very much filled with emotions; surprise, disbelief, joy.
"You do?" Naruto had to make sure. Sasuke nodded and it was all he could do before Naruto broke in tears and it was messy and wet and noisy and silly and it made Sasuke panic, because, hell! He didn't know what he had said wrong now and how to deal with a crying Naruto, until Naruto put his arms around Sasuke's neck and kissed him as if his life was depending on it. Sasuke responded just as enthusiastically and it was hot, it was burning, it was everything that they did not know coming into light. It was a new understanding of one another, it was two souls connecting to each other.

"I'll kill you if you make me say that again, Dobe." Sasuke said. Naruto grinned up at him. "It's ok. I'll be happy to die just to hear you say that again."

-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this light reading. Don't hate Sasuke, he's just a little kid who has been deprived of love. Besides, for those of you who don't read the manga (and this is a little spoiler) Sasuke is worth your love.

-HairoM.