AN: Here's chapter two! Sorry it took so long! I got side-tracked and I was in a contest that needed my full attention xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do own Akira and Saru though :P

Glancing at the clock while sitting in his English 101 class, Sasuke allowed a sigh to escape his lips, his head slowly lowering until it rested comfortably against his folded arms, his attention focusing again on his brown-haired teacher, his eyes closing briefly as a memory from this morning tugs at his mind.

~Flashback~

The blaring alarm clock continued to ring, even after Sasuke had pushed the snooze button.

Or did he push it?

Groaning and flipping onto his side, Sasuke blinked his eyes at the neon-green numbers that stared back at him.

Seven-thirty, curling up into a tighter ball, Sasuke allowed his eyes to close once more and slowly felt his body relax.

Until a sudden small body jumped on his bed and began to shake him roughly.

"Sasuke get up! It's time to get up! Wakey wakey!" Sasuke's brows furrowed in agitation as Naruto continued to shake him, his small fingers poking his side from time to time when he would pause in his shaking, a smirk slowly spread across Sasuke's his lips as an idea comes to mind.

Sitting up and in one fluent movement Sasuke towered over a suddenly very still Naruto, his bright cobalt-blue eyes staring at him in a mixture of fear and curiosity, reaching forward and slowly shifting until he was on his knees Sasuke's lips twitched slightly.

He began to tickle Naruto.

His squeals of laughter filling the apartment as Sasuke continued, Naruto's small body withering from side to side as he tried to get away, ghosting his fingers over the exposed skin on Naruto's stomach, Sasuke felt a genuine smile tug at his lips.

Ghosting fingers along the small flailing arms and legs Sasuke pulled back and glanced at the clock, seven-thirty six, chuckling softly he releases his 'captive' and stretches his arm lazily above his head, Naurto's quiet giggles filling the room as he slowly sat up. His tanned cheeks flushed red, his eyes bright and clear as a cloudless summer sky, a bright smile on his lips as he watches Sasuke stretch.

"I'm up now, what do you suggest we do?" He asked softly, Naruto's head tilted to one side, shifting until his bare feet touched the cool wooden floor, Sasuke rose and reached down to pick the silent blonde in his arms.

"Pankcakes?" He asks quietly, his arms automatically locking around Sasuke's neck as they exit the bedroom and take the three steps until they reach the bathroom door, opening the door Sasuke lazily kicks it closed and moves towards the sink, his eyes blinking slowly as a yawn escapes his lips.

"What kind of pancakes?" He asked curiously, tapping Naruto's nose twice as he tugs open the mirror to grab his toothbrush and toothpaste, Naruto's arms released and Sasuke half-turned to place the little boy on the toilet, noticing wide cobalt-blue eyes watching him.

Tugging another spare toothbrush and handing it to him, Sasuke squirts out a small amount of toothpaste for his toothbrush before doing the same for Naruto, plopping the brush into his mouth Sasuke raises an eyebrow in question.

"It's just-I never-I've never been asked what kind of pancakes I want…Normal ones with bananas and maybe…a strawberry?" He hesitantly asks, ducking his head and sticking his green toothbrush in his mouth and beginning to brush, his left hand clutching the sink's side, Sasuke slowly begins to brush his teeth, his eyes lingering on the now dark-purples bruises on Naruto's arms before focusing on his reflection.

Why is he so hesitant to ask for things?

Why the bruises? Who would hurt such a bright, kind child?

Shaking his head and pushing down the anger that spiked in his chest, Sasuke continued to brush his teeth, wondering if leaving Naruto alone would be a good idea or not.

Sasuke blinked and watched as his teacher passed his row with a large stack of papers in his hands, his head tilting as he sat up straighter and accepted the sheets handed to him, taking one and passing the rest on Sasuke scanned the words on the page.

Schedule for the end September and beginning of October

15/19- Narrative story week (Prompt is written on the board, make sure to copy it before you leave)

23/26- Essay's on the story we read last week (Animal Farm) Explain why the story was written, what's the meaning behind the plot, must be a least 5 or 6 pages single spaced.

29/30- SRP -please bring a book for these two days- and begin the plot for the story that you intend to write that doesn't involve the book you read. This book is for inspiration only, you may use the narrative stories if you so wish.

October: *First three weeks I'll be out for the surgery I mentioned in August, I'll be out until my doctor allows me to come back. Class will resume if they can find a substitute and if they can't then class is canceled until my return, we'll continue where we left off.*

Sasuke lowered the page and opened the black folder labeled 'English' and slipped the sheet in front of the notes he'd made for his SRP story, his right hand coming up to his mouth as a yawn escaped his lips, his eyes closing for a moment as silence filled the English classroom.

"You seem tired Sasuke" A soft voice came from behind him, opening his eyes and turning his attention to the speaker, his lips twitching at the clear sign of irritation that greeted him, teal-green eyes narrowed as pale fingers ran through crimson-hair in agitation.

"And if I am?" He states with an arched brow, reaching for his jacket that sat bunched up beside him, a snarl escaping his lips as fingers tugged at his hair.

"I was wondering, why you didn't answer last night. At first I thought you'd passed out at home or you'd fallen asleep at Kakashi and Iruka-sensei's apartment or something" Sasuke scowled at Gaara, his pale fingers tugging his messenger bag off from the ground and into his lap, a snort escaping his lips as he began to pack his things.

"The fact that you know where I was means you're either stalking me or just like to annoy people by asking them if I've been there" He states blankly, standing as the bell rings, turning and making his way out of the aisle Sasuke begins to make his way down the steps only to pause when a hand lands on his shoulder and tugs.

"I only asked them because you tend to go off and either forget to tell us or avoid telling us so we were just looking out for you is all" Gaara states with a roll of his teal-green eyes, his hand falling to his side as he moves forward, Sasuke blinks and follows his head tilting as he exits his English classroom and followed Gaara until they reached the middle of the Main building.

"Don't worry so much, I'm fine I just…lost track of time and didn't hear my phone go off. I'll see you at lunch" Sasuke offered a half-wave and turned down the right hall, heading towards his PS111 class, tugging his phone out he unlocked the screen and checked the time.

Nine o'clock

Sighing and slipping it back into the pocket of his jacket, Sasuke continued down the hall, his mind wondering back to Naruto sitting curled up on the old-leather sofa, a small smile tugging at his lips as he enters his class and takes his seat near the back, his bag landing on the floor by his feet before placing his jacket on top of it.

Three and a half hours until lunch.

Tugging out a notebook and pencil Sasuke focuses forward and ignores the other students that pile into the room, their murmurings filling the silence as they search for their seats, obsidian eyes focusing out the window at the darkening clouds that rolled across the sky.

I'll be back soon Naruto, let's just hope it doesn't rain on my way back. Sasuke thought as a hush fell over the class; the door closing caught his attention, turning to face the front he watched as Kurenai-sensei turned on the PowerPoint projector and placed the first panel. Cracking his neck before lifting his pencil, Sasuke opened his notebook and began to write down the words before waiting for the next slide.

This was going to be a long class.

~1:05pm: Lunchroom~

Pausing before the first spoonful of soup reached his lips; Sasuke glanced around the lunchroom and felt the coldness from before fill his chest, the quiet murmurings of Gaara and Neji fading slightly as a familiar haze of indifference began to tug at him.

His eyes closing as a dull pain began to mix with the chill that filled his chest, his right hand unconsciously gripping the spoon tighter while his left tightened it's hold on his knee where it rested, a hiss of pain escaping his lips.

Not again.

The world snapping back into focus, the silence from beside him catching his attention, his eyes shifting to face a pair of worried teal-green and pale eyes watching him, a breath escaping his lips as he unclenches both hands and places his spoon in his bowl.

Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head roughly to dispel that haze that still lingered, he'd been out of the haze since yesterday and the sudden thought of returning to it was...frightening.

Naruto.

An image of the smiling blonde filled his vision for a moment, his lips twitching unconsciously into a smile, bright cobalt-eyes almost shimmering with their intensity, whiskered-tanned cheeks stretched into a happy grin, small tanned hands reaching up as if to be picked up.

Warmth filled his chest so suddenly that a low whimper escaped him.

The haze completely vanishing as Naruto's laughter from earlier filled his head and brought a smile to his lips.

"Sasuke?" Neji asked hesitantly, Sasuke glanced at his friend and offered a small smile, his right hand lifting his spoon and slowly bringing it to his lips; he glanced at his two friends and watched them share a look before returning to their lunches.

"Did either of you two write down the prompt for the narrative story? It slipped my mind" Sasuke stated softly, ripping his cheese bread and adding it to the soup, the sound of papers rustling filled the silence around their table, a sheet of paper is placed in front of him and Sasuke tilts his head at the prompt written in neat handwriting.

"Tell a story involving a boy/girl and a small animal he/she finds near their home" Neji reads from across the table, blinking and slipping his cell out he unlocked his screen and easily found his 'NotePad' and typed the prompt in the empty document before saving and slipping his cell back into this pocket.

"Doesn't seem too hard, you want to see the list so you'll already know what to do?" Sasuke asked with an arched brow, finishing the rest of his soup and standing to leave his tray and empty bowl near the exit, turning and making his way back towards the table he plops back onto his seat and tiredly rubs his eyes.

"I'll find out next block anyway, mind if we drop by later? It's been awhile since we've been to your apartment" Neji asked while smoothly slipping a piece of Gaara's chicken free and placing it into his mouth, Gaara glanced up once he'd put his papers away and felt his left eye twitch.

"Don't steal my food" He states blandly, lifting his fork and beginning to eat again, Sasuke snorts softly as Neji smirks and stands to throw his now empty chicken soup bowl away, the bell ringing signaling that lunch was over.

Sasuke rose from his table and picked his bag up and made his way out of the lunchroom, heading back towards where he'd come from, passing by his PSY101 class and entering his SOC101 and taking his seat, Gaara and Neji slipping in and taking the empty seats on either side of him. Their teacher Anko-sensei placed up the first slide of the day's lessen, the thunder that crackled through the sky caught Sasuke's attention for a moment, his head falling to rest of the cool wood of his desk momentarily.

"Hurry up and get in here or so help me I'll add an essay to this PowerPoint!" Anko-sensei shouted out into the hall at the few students she'd spotted in the hall, Sasuke straightened and tugged out his black binder labeled 'Soc101' and flipped to a new section and labeled the first sheet with what was on the first screen.

~4:02 pm~

Pausing in the lobby his apartment complex Sasuke removed his favorite navy-blue jacket and sighed at the small puddle it was creating on the checked flooring, rolling his eyes he made his way towards the elevators and allowed his eyes to close.

Reaching his floor Sasuke paused half-way down the hall when he spotted his neighbor standing in front of his door, his head tilting when he could hear quietly shuffling of…pans? Echoing through the door.

"Is there a problem Watashi-san?" Sasuke asked, smiling when the brown-haired women spun and blinked her eyes slowly, she spun back half-way and gestured to his door, the sounds of pots and pans shifting around had Sasuke attention now too.

What is Naruto doing? He blinked when the sounds stopped and silence filled the hall, Watashi-san turned to fully face him and arched a brow.

"What's in your apartment Sasuke-kun? It's been going on since around three. Is there someone inside?" She asked curiously, her emerald green eyes shimmering with amusement, Sasuke shifted the strap of his back higher on his shoulder before answering his now grinning neighbor.

"No, I found a kitten yesterday night and brought him here. It seems he doesn't like being alone for long period of time, I'm sorry for the disturbance." Sasuke stated softly, the laughter that filled the hall caught his attention as Watashi-san nearly doubled over in her laughter.

"Oh don't you fret Sasuke-kun, I won't say anything to the Landlady so don't worry about it. I am curious though and forgive me for being so noisy but I heard child's laughter this morning when I headed down for work and was wondering if it's a child instead of a kitten?" Sasuke offered a nod and moved forward to unlock his door, Watashi-san taking a step closer as the door slowly opened and the faint sound of the TV filled the air momentarily.

Sasuke opened his mouth to call out but paused when he caught sight of Naruto as he emerged from the bathroom.

Wide cobalt-blue eyes meeting amused, tired obsidian.

"Papa!" Naruto chirped happily, running straight forward, a grin on his lips as he felt the emptiness evaporate at the sight of Sasuke. His small arms reaching up as he neared the smiling man, Naruto glanced to his right and came to a halt, his smile fading and arms lowering as he noticed the woman standing beside his tired looking friend.

The woman took a step forward and slowly lowered herself until she was kneeling on her knees, her lips turning in a gentle smile, Naruto took a step back and fisted the black high-color of his pajamas in his fists, he glanced up when he noticed Sasuke was slowly placing his dripping jacket on the coat hanger.

"This is Watashi-san Naruto; she's our neighbor from across the hall. She's also one of the teachers that teach at Konoha Elementary, want to say hi?" Sasuke quietly asked, Naruto glanced between him and Watashi-san and shook his head vigorously, he trusted Sasuke but not this lady, his fists tightening as a small whimper escapes his lips.

"Sasuke-kun….those bruises…where did you find him?" Watashi-san asked softly, as she shifts and sits cross-legged on the wooden floor, Naruto takes another step back and lowered his gaze, his attention shifting back up when the soft sounds of footsteps filled the apartment, his arms automatically reaching for Sasuke as he drew closer.

"Well you see Watashi-san-" Naruto yelped when Sasuke suddenly ducked and scooped him up, a small violet bag flew through the air and bounced against the far wall and slowly rolled on the wooden floor, blinking rapidly Naruto focused a now standing Watashi-san he tightened his hold on Sasuke's neck.

"What have I told you about being so formal Sasuke-kun, you can call me Saru-san you know." She huffed crossing her arms and lifted her chin, Naruto blinked and couldn't contain the giggle that escaped his lips, he instantly quieted when emerald green eyes focused on him.

"-Saru-san I found him in the alley behind Ichiraku and couldn't leave him there…I haven't asked where he came from because it doesn't seem he's ready for that yet" Sasuke stated quietly, his hand gently moving up and down Naruto's spine, relaxing Naruto dropped his head on Sasuke's shoulder and watched warily as Watashi-san blinked and brought a hand up to cup her tanned cheek in thought.

"Strange…Naruto-kun may I ask how old you are?" She asked softly, bending down to grab the ball that had rolled back towards her, Naruto blinked his suddenly heavy eyes and lifted his head to focus on Sasuke, a nod and encouraging smile had a smile spreading across his lips again.

"Seven ma'am" He stated quietly, his eyes closing briefly as a yawn escapes his lips.

"I see…do you plan to keep him Sasuke-kun?" Naruto stiffened and pressed his nose closer to Sasuke's neck, his body beginning to tremble as images of returning to that place flashed through his mind, he stiffened instinctively when he felt Sasuke's hand land on his shoulder and whimpered softly when the warm hand fell away just as quickly.

"I'm not sure to be honest. I brought him here to help him and try to see where he came from…I'm a college student with the goal of getting a degree in Criminology, it'd be hard to balance that with a small child. You won't…tell anyone will you?" Sasuke asked quietly, his gaze focusing on the now frowning older woman, the low whimper from Naruto catching his attention as she takes a small step forward.

"No I won't. But Sasuke-kun you'll have to figure out where he came from or things could get messy. It's a pleasure to meet you Naruto-kun, good evening" Sasuke glanced down at Naruto as Saru-san bows and turns on her heel, his small body relaxing as she makes her way towards the door. Silence filling the air as he thinks, the low rumble of thunder jerking him to ask the question that had been bugging him since he mentioned going clothes shopping with the little blonde.

"Where could I go to get him some clothes? These are an old pair of mine and as you can see there a bit too big for him" he glanced up and blinked at the fond smile that Saru-san had on her lips, she slipped her shoes on and turned back to the door.

"There's a little store right beside Konoha Library, it's called Otaku Centrics. I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun" Saru offered with a wave of her hand as she gently closed the door behind her, Sasuke blinked and allowed his bag to drop to the floor, the feel of Naruto's small fingers tugging on his shirt drew his attention from the commercial on toothpaste that he'd allowed his attention to focus on.

"We're gonna' go buy me clothes?" He asked quietly, his cobalt-blue eyes blinking slowly as his other hand rubbed at them, Sasuke felt a smile tug on his lips as he turned and made his way towards his room, tickling Naruto's stomach on the way.

"Yes. Just let me change my semi-soaked shirt" He offered quietly, tickling the exposed bit of stomach, Naruto's happy giggles filling the silence as Sasuke opened his room door and gently pulled Naruto from where he rested against his left shoulder, with a smirk on his lips he lifted the blonde higher and teasingly tapped his long fingers against Naruto's side.

"What are you doing?" He questioned with a tilt of his head, Sasuke's lips twitched again as he leaned forward and gently tossed Naruto in the direction of his bed, his laughter echoing off the walls as Sasuke moves towards his closet and gingerly tugs his gray t-shirt over his head.

"Since it's colder outside with the rain you'll have to do with a scarf for now. Ready?" Sasuke asked after tugging a dry black T-shirt over his head, he turned and found a grinning blonde lunging at him, ducking and catching Naruto's right ankle and left wrist Sasuke effortlessly spun him around until he was leaning on his back. Tugging a navy-blue scarf from his sock drawer Sasuke left his room and made his way back towards his front door, Naruto comfortably secure on his back, his small arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Your warm" Naruto stated quietly, his cheek resting against his shoulder, Sasuke smiled and leaned down to slip his black boots on and his white pea coat, Naruto sliding off to tug his worn white sneakers on before climbing back on Sasuke's back.

"You are too; now let's head out before it gets colder" Sasuke stated softly, standing and moving towards his front door, leaving the low hum of the TV to fill the silence, slipping out and shutting the door behind him Sasuke pulled out his key and locked his door before turning and making his way towards the elevators.

"You're not in trouble are you?" Naruto asked softly, his warm breath ghosting across Sasuke's neck, Sasuke slipped inside the open doors and adjusted his hands as he shifted so Naruto higher against his back, a smile spreading across his lips as the elevator jerked into motion.

"No don't worry. Hey Naruto? What's your favorite animal?" Sasuke asked curiously as they reached the bottom floor, shifting Naruto's weight to one hand –not that he weighted that much- Sasuke slipped his scarf off and draped it across both their necks before tightening it as they exited the main doors. Naruto's small body pressed closer to his own as a frigid breeze blew around them, Sasauke scanned the street quickly before taking off in a jog taking a right instead of running through the alleyway, he hated how quickly the weather of Konoha could quickly shift.

"Hm…foxes!" He cheerfully chirped as they paused at an intersection, his now slightly shivering body pressing closer to Sasuke's body, hefting Naruto up again Sasuke jogged across the main street and took a left when he reached the other side, his eyes scanning the store names as he passed them.

He was grateful that the rain had stopped while he was speaking with Saru-san.

Pausing when he came across a rather large store named 'Otaku Centrics' Sasuke quickly slipped inside and smiled when he felt Naruto's body relax and a content sigh escape his lips, glancing around he notices the various rows of clothes, shoes and other accessories that filled the room, his attention focusing on the rows of shoes that were near the back. Lowering himself Sauske unwrapped his scarf and smiled when Naruto slid off and took his right hand, standing Sasuke glanced at the torn white sneakers and tapped Naruto's nose twice before speaking.

"What size shoe are you?" He asked, his head tilting to the side when Naruto shrugged his shoulders, an index finger sheepishly scratching a whisker-marked cheek, Sasuke snorted softly and pointed to the rows of shoes in the back, his other hand slipping his scarf into his coat pocket. "I'll be over there looking for shoes, go search for clothes and see which you like. Any specific color you want?" He asked as he took a step forward, Naruto's small hand tightening it's hold as they continued forward, pausing at the sign that separated 'shoes' from 'clothes' Sasuke released Naruto's hand and gently ruffled his surprisingly soft golden spikes as he turned to his task. He paused when he heard a quiet shout from Naruto before he spun and took off into the rows of clothes.

"Orange!" Sasuke shook his head and began his new task, scanning the rows of shoes in search of an orange pair while his mind ventured to the essay he had to write, Naruto's answer having given him an idea, smiling softly he continued to search, finding the perfect pair of blue-orange sneakers on the top shelf of the last row just as a unified yelp filled the air.

Spinning on his heel Sasuke absently wondered when he'd grabbed the box before he'd moved towards the sound, his eyes scanning the rows until he found a familiar stock of blonde hair within the middle of the shirt section, reaching forward with his free left hand Sasuke's mouth opened to demand an answer from the person who had ran into Naruto-

-only to pause when he found a familiar looking girl sprawled out on the gray-carpeted floor, item's of clothing scattered around her as she gingerly applied pressure to her right ankle.

"I-I didn't mean to-I'm so-sorry!" Naruto choked out, his face ducking into the collar of his shirt, Sasuke crouched down and dropped the box before leaning forward and wrapping his arms across the small shaking shoulders, his chin moving to rest atop the spiky crown of blonde hair.

"Take a deep breath." He quietly instructed, wondering absently when he'd grown so accustomed to having this little boy with him, his forced those thoughts away when he felt Naruto's small body shudder as he breathed in before releasing.

"It wasn't his fault; I was mentally taking stock of clothes while heading down the halls and didn't look down as I walked. I heard the bell but wasn't fully expecting customers, I'm sorry" The girl offered softly, her right hand falling away from her ankle, Sasuke winced when he noticed the already forming bruise over the faded one she'd already had, Naruto's quiet whimper averting his attention once more.

"Don't be afraid, I know her from school. She's very kind and gets along with my two friends, relax and let's apologize okay?" Sasuke quietly stated, squeezing Naruto's shoulders before standing again and moving towards the still fallen girl, his lips twitching when she focused her emerald green eyes on him.

"Laugh at me and I swear I'll tell them about that time the time we went out for drinks and you got so wasted you ran down the streets shedding clothes until you were only in your boxers" She hissed out, her hand reaching to grab the one Sasuke was offering, his eyes narrowing in irritation as he helped her to her feet, releasing his hold the moment she reached for him with both her arms.

"You dare tell them and I'll let loose that little secret that you confided in me during one of our weekly drink nights" He shot back quickly, smirking when her pale face seemed to drain of what little color it had, he glanced down when small hands tugged at the end of his coat, Naruto gesturing to the gaping girl.

"Did you break her?" He asked worriedly, moving forward and gently tugging on the end of her black-gray shift, Sasuke blinked as he watched Naruto attempting to wake the still gaping girl, he relaxed when he realized that this was the first time Naruto attempted to touch another adult beside him, he smiled when she blinked her eyes rapidly.

"You wouldn't dare. May I have your name little one?" She asked gently, her right hand reaching down to gently ruffle Naruto's hair, Sasuke watched with amazement as he allowed it, a giggle escaping his lips as he pulls back and flings both his arms out at his sides.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Can I know your name?" He asked as he lowered his arms and reached down to pick up the discarded box, a grin spreading across his lips as he spotted the shoes, Sasuke smiled again when small arms encircled his legs and tightened.

"Mae Akira at your service" She offered with a solute and a grin, Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave Naruto's head a quick pat before focusing his attention on the rows of clothes around them.

"Would you happen to have clothes in orange, white, black, green and…blue?" He asked as Akira attempted to lower herself to reach for the dropped clothes, a giggle escaping when Naruto hopped forward and began to pick up the clothes, pausing to hand each up before returning to picking up another.

"Yes, the shoes Naruto-kun has in his hand come with a jacket and for pants I can grab a pair that I think will match a black shirt would go under the jacket of course. Wanna go pick out a scarf?" She asked as she hung the pair of pants in her hands, lifting up a pair and nodding her head in approval before thrusting it into Sasuke's hands.

"Yeah!...i mean…if I can" He stated quietly, glancing back and smiling hesitantly at Sasuke, blinking his eyes and again began to wonder where Naruto had come from, nodding his head he watched as Naruto shot off in the direction of the scarf's.

"You don't want to ask him where he come from is that it?" Akira quietly offered, Sasuke continued to watch Naruto scan the rows of scarf's, he turned to his friend and offered a one-armed shrug.

"That and I can't…I don't know. I found him in the alley behind Ichiraku and took him out before I even thought of the situation. I saw the bruises and wanted to demand he tell me where he got them but he looked so tired and hungry…I couldn't do it and now I can't-" He paused mid-sentence and clenched his jaw shut, Akira reached forward and tugged on his left cheek twice before pulling away.

"You don't want him to leave but he is a minor Sasuke, are you willing to fight a custody battle for a child you met just last night? I know he's broken you free from the shackles of that had you being a emotionless zombie since High School but are you willing to fight for him?" Sasuke smiled and reached down as Naruto bounded over to them with a grin on his lips as a white scarf held tightly in his other hand.

Sasuke blinked when the answer instantly flared to life in his mind, his attention diverted to the now bouncing blonde that held the scarf in front of the Headmaster.

"Found one! Erm…Akira-nee? Can I go try on a few clothes that I found before we collided?" Naruto asked as he tugs a few shirts and pants into his arms, Sasuke arches a brow and watches out of the corner of his eye that Akira nods her head and gestures to the fitting rooms near the back.

Blinking when emerald green eyes focused on him, Sasuke turned his attention away from the closing door, Akira's waist length half raven-black hair and half crimson-hair swaying behind her as she leans down to rub at her ankle again.

"Want me to look at it? Iruka-sensei's taught me a few things" He offers, crouching down and reaching forward to examine the now violet bruise decorating the pale ankle, humming softly as he gently probes the spot with his index and pointer finger Sasuke glances up when a hiss escape's Akira's lips.

"He still volunteers at the Hospital when he's off?" She asks, reaching down the lift her abandoned black ballet flat into her hand, Sasuke nods in agreement as he continues to scan the swelling area with narrowed eyes, the sound of a door opening catching his and Akira's attention instantly.

Naruto stepped out into the quiet shop with his finger twisting nervously; Sasuke rose and opened his mouth to give his opinion. The navy-blue with orange jacket he now wore, his legs covered by navy-blue jeans and the shoes he'd picked out, the white scarf wrapped around his neck-

-Only to frown when Akira squealed happily and clapped her hands together, Naruto's lips spreading into a grin as he spots them, racing forward he weaves through the rows of clothes and tackles them both to the ground, Sasuke taking most of the fall.

"You're so cute!~" Akira squealed out, her hands skimming the clothes as a giggle escaped her lips as she began to tickle Naruto, wincing when Naruto's elbow jammed into his ribs, Sasuke rose up onto his elbows and choked when Akira's weight suddenly shifted and a pair of warm lips gently pressed against his forehead before withdrawing.

"Don't look so made at Akira-nee, Papa…what did you do Akira-nee?" Naruto asked as he scrambled off Sasuke with a smile, Sasuke rose and dusted off his coat, tugging his scarf from his pocket and wrapping it around his neck.

"That's how I say hi to Sasuke-kun and his two friends. I'll grab some other clothes and drop them off tomorrow if that's okay, it's only….six now but my ankle is killing me and I hear it's supposed to rain again. I'll catch you soon Naruto-kun, behave for your Papa okay?"Akira giggled softly as she bent down and pressed a kiss to Naruto's forehead, Sasuke turned and moved towards the front door, waiting for Naruto to catch up.

"Will you be able to get home?" Naruto was asking as Akira guided him towards the door, Sasuke watched as she limped slightly as she did so, glancing up when a clap of thunder light the sky Sasuke mentally began counting their chances of reaching home before the storm hits.

Home.

Sasuke blinked when the warmth in his chest flared at the thought, his attention snapping to Naruto as his small hand slips into his own, a smile fighting to break free.

"You see the top floor is my home so I'll be fine Naruto-kun. Now off with you before you get drenched, I'll bring the bill with me tomorrow!" She shouted as Sasuke lifted Naruto into his arms and dash from the storm, the first raindrops breaking through the gray blanket.

~10 minutes later~

"Shoes off and coat on the rack" Sasuke instructed as he shut the door to his apartment, his boots slipping off as he focused on a happily humming Naruto.

He slipped his new shoes off and placed them beside Sasuke's his bare feet wiggling against the wooden entrance way with a giggle, he rose and slipped his jacket off and attempted to reach for the hooks above him. A pout crossing his lips when he only grabbed air, Sasuke smiled and slipped his coat and scarf off and hung them on the middle hook, glancing down he scanned the empty wall beside the coat rack and smirked.

"Can't reach papa!" Naruto whined out, crossing his small arms over his chest, Sasuke smiled and reached for the first hook and with a flick of his wrist snapped it off, the gasp from the small blonde brining a smile to his lips as he crouched down and pointed to the wall that was opposite the small space between where they'd place their shoes.

"I'll make you a place so you don't have to reach so high" He stated softly, reaching forward and angling the gold hook just at Naruto's height before effortlessly jamming it into the wall, rising to his feet Sasuke glanced at Naruto and felt a grin spread across his lips as Naruto reached forward and placed his jacket on his new hook.

"Yay! Papa…what's for dinner? I'm hungry!" Naruto protested as they made their way towards the kitchen, Sasuke tapped his chin as he opened his fridge and checked what he could cook; smirking when he found a small bottle of spaghetti sauce he closed the door and turned to the oven.

"How would you feel about spaghetti and meatballs?" He asked as he placed the bottle near the stove and reached down to tug out two pans, placing them on the stove he turned on the first burner and turned the tap on and filled the first pan before placing in on the now heated burner.

"Yeah! Mind if I go watch TV till it's done?" Naruto asked from the entrance of the kitchen, Sasuke turned back to the fridge and tugged out the pack of meat and turned back to his task, he glanced at Naruto and offered a nod, opening the packet he watched as the blonde turned and plopped on the leather couch with a sigh.

"Wash out before we eat okay? I might need your help for a project I have to do" Sasuke stated softly, turning on the second burner he dumped the meat in and poured a bit of oil on top before placing a metal lid over it, SpongeBob's opening theme filling the apartment as Sasuke continued to cook.

After fifteen minutes, the sudden sounds of feet running against the wooden floor catching his attention as he mixed the now cooked spaghetti with the meat and sauce Sasuke glanced up and found himself face to face with a smiling Naruto.

"I can help you with homework? Cool! Oh! I washed my hands" Sasuke smiled and filled the plates he'd pulled from the cabinet while the spaghetti cooked and filled them before sprinkling a bit of cheese on top.

"Alright, now be careful and go slow. Let's not have an accident like Patrick tends to" Sasuke stated firmly, handing the small of to two plates to Naruto, sitting beside the blonde Sasuke felt his body relax as Naruto happily dug into his food.

"Thanks Papa! Welcome home!" Naruto stated during his bites of food, his attention on Spongebob as the storm continued rage outside, Sasuke slowly ate his food and felt sleep tug at his mind as the continuous pitter patter of the rain continued outside.

He blinked when he noticed one of two things.

One, Naruto had been calling him Papa since he'd come home from school. The strange thing was that Sasuke didn't feel strange having Naruto call him this…it made him feel warm inside.

And two, that he'd just been told 'Welcome Home' by the small blonde as if it was the normal thing to do, he hands absently tightening around the fork and plate he held, swallowing he allowed his hands to relax, his eyes blinking rapidly to keep the unexpected tears from slipping free.

He glanced to his left and found Naruto watching the screen was wide eyes, a smile on his lips.

He found that he wanted it to be this way…that this was just somehow meant to be.

This was the time he'd spent in his apartment since he'd bought it, a smile tugging at his lips as he reached down and lifted Naruto into his lap.

Welcome home. He smiled and rested his chin atop the blonde crown of hair and leaned back against the cushions, Naruto's small head resting against his chest as a giggle escapes his lips, allowing his eyes Sasuke focuses on the warmth filling his chest before slipping his eyes open and focusing on the screen as Spongebob and Patrick begin their newest 'task' from Mr. Krabs.

AN: So here it ends! Any ideas of what the story Sasuke wants to write? Why did he ask Naru what his favorite animal was? Find out next chapter!~

Let me know how I did? Please? Thanks!