Part 3

Before they even entered the apartment, Sasuke used an app on his phone to turn a light on inside. They'd taken a bus to Hollywood, where Sasuke lived in some fancy historic apartment complex that was only a few blocks north of the Walk of Fame.

"I dunno why, but I'm kinda surprised you live in Hollywood," Naruto commented as he followed Sasuke into a very clean and spartan studio apartment.

It wasn't the smallest studio he'd ever seen in LA. In fact, it might as well have been a one-bedroom since there was an alcove for a bed (it just had no door), and the doorway was rather wide. There was a Japanese-looking sliding door attached to the closet. The living space wasn't anything special, but Naruto thought it rather comfortable already. There was a black leather couch with some red throw pillows, a red TV console, black coffee table, and a couple of lamps. The walls were white except the one behind the couch, which was red brick. It had a fairly wide window, too, that looked down on the street. They were only three flights up. No fish in sight yet, but maybe it was hiding in the bedroom along with Sasuke's comic book collection.

"It's a fairly affordable area and close to work," Sasuke replied. "It's not as bad as you'd think."

"I guess I don't have much of an opinion. I live in Inglewood."

"With two roommates," Sasuke responded before disappearing into the kitchen.

While the other man was out of sight, Naruto nosed about, but there was nothing to get into, and he wasn't going to go snooping through another man's bedroom. He decided to follow Sasuke into the kitchen, where he found him sorting through the mail they'd picked up downstairs.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Sasuke asked. "Help yourself to the fridge. There's water, soda, beer, though I'd advise against you drinking alcohol."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the mother hen speech, but couldn't disagree. He opened the refrigerator, which did have a couple of photos on it, and grabbed a water.

"Did you want anything?" He offered.

"I'm fine," said Sasuke. "For now."

While he was ripping open an envelope, Naruto shut the fridge door and glanced at the two photos being held up by magnets from Tucson, Arizona, and Buffalo, New York.

"You like to travel much?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked over at him. "My brother bought those on some work-related trips. There used to be more, but I cleared them out. He thinks it's funny to buy me souvenirs wherever he goes."

"I think that's kinda nice."

"You wouldn't think so if you were sent a package filled with over 100 magnets, shot glasses, cheap picture frames, keychains, and change purses."

"Man. What is wrong with your brother?"

"The jury's still out," Sasuke answered and tossed the mail into a basket next to the microwave. "Well, I have some work to do, but you're welcome to watch TV or, like I said, video games."

"Heh, okay. I mean. If you don't think I'll bother you."

"I'll put on headphones if you get too loud."

"I'll be quiet," Naruto replied, almost defensively. "It's not some high-tech set up, is it?"

"I think even you can manage it," said Sasuke. "But I'll get it started. Everything's on one tablet. It controls the TV, consoles, lights, air conditioning."

"Oh, wow. The perks of livin' alone, I guess. And knowin' about gadgets."

Sasuke shrugged. He passed by Naruto and went over to the TV, opened the cabinet below it, and pulled out a tablet. He switched it on, tapped a few buttons, and everything lit up.

"Pretty cool," said Naruto.

Sasuke gave him some brief instructions on how to use it, but it was pretty self-explanatory and well-labeled. Left alone, he set his bottle on a coaster since they were there, and because he thought Sasuke might be the OCD-type given the antiseptic state of his apartment. It was the first time he'd been alone since the rooftop, not that Sasuke was more than 10 feet away. He set the TV to some random channel for now and kept the volume low. But then he began to think, too much. That feeling hadn't disappeared just because Sasuke had pulled him back from the ledge. Some might call Sasuke a hero, but is that what Naruto thought? There'd been reasons he'd wanted to end his life, and all the situation tonight did was delay an outcome Naruto had deliberated on for well over a month before finally attempting it. People who'd known him as a kid would've never suspected him of being suicidal. He couldn't say his childhood had been amazing; rather, it had been traumatic. Yet, he'd always adopted a happy-go-lucky type of attitude to either hide the pain he felt inside, or to dissuade others from digging too deep. When he'd first started to feel depressed, he knew it wasn't right. He'd reached out to the few friends he'd had, including his ex-girlfriend. No one took him seriously, and all that told him was that in his 28 years of life, he hadn't formed the type of connections that mattered. No one cared.

Alone in his room one night, early in the morning hours, he'd even tried some suicide text hotline—they put him on hold, long enough that he gave up and figured, once again, that no one gave a shit. If a suicide hotline didn't give a fuck, he figured his number was up. As a person who believed in signs, all of the ones he'd experienced as of late pointed in one direction.

A light beading of sweat broke out on his skin, particularly his cheeks and forehead. It suddenly felt humid despite the air conditioning being set to 75 degrees. Naruto tried to focus on the TV program, but his concentration had deteriorated so much he couldn't follow the plot or the conversation happening between the two people on screen. The clothes he wore were making his skin itch. As the events of tonight fully hit him, he started going into full-blown panic mode. All he wanted to do was get up quietly, so that Sasuke wouldn't notice, and bolt out of his apartment. To where? He didn't know. What was next for him?

If he left, could he try throwing himself in front of traffic or a train? Is that what he still wanted? What was the point if no one cared? The only person who'd attempted any kind of intervention was a complete stranger, a grumpy and strange one at that. He hesitated at first, caught in indecision, and then slowly rose from the couch. He left the TV on since it would drown out the sound of him leaving. As he made his way across the living room, he knew he'd have to pass by Sasuke's bedroom. Naruto had walked toward the door, his hand on the knob, when all of a sudden his body moved of its own accord. He turned right, took a few steps forward, and stood in the entrance to the bedroom. It wasn't more than a handful of seconds before Sasuke noticed him standing there. The other man removed his headphones, glancing his way.

"Everything okay?" Sasuke's gaze was cautious as it roved over him, head to toe.

"...No?" Naruto's voice cracked.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke turned the swivel chair so that he was facing him.

"I…" Naruto's gaze went a little frantic, bouncing all over the room. "I don't… know?"

"What can I do?"

"I… honestly… have no idea, Sasuke… but… I think… I need real help."

"Should I take you to the hospital? Do you think you'll hurt yourself?"

"I…" Naruto, heart beating fast, held his hand over it. "I can't stop thinking… about doing somethin'... I just want these thoughts to stop? I don't… know how to make them stop."

"Naruto, if it's that serious you should—"

"No!" Naruto shouted, without having meant to. "No," he said more softly this time. "I…"

He watched Sasuke shut off the computer. It made him feel guilty.

"No, don't," Naruto insisted. "I didn't mean to fuck up your night. I'll just go back to my apartment."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Like I believe that. It's fine, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes narrowed; it was the first time Sasuke had addressed him by name.

"I'm not saying I understand your particular situation or thoughts," Sasuke continued, "But I do have experience with mental illness. You aren't a bother or a burden. I have the time to sit and listen to you, and you're welcome to stay here as long as you need."

Naruto stared at him and took in a deep breath before asking: "Why?"

"It's the right thing to do, isn't it?" Sasuke stood and came around the bed. "It's not guilt or anything nefarious. Do you really want to go?"

"I—" Naruto didn't know what to say. "No. I… don't think I should."

"Okay then."

"But—"

"It'll help if we can find something to distract you, or if you're ready to talk about it, we can sit down and have that conversation. That is, if you want to share it with me."

"Heh… you…" Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Almost sound like a therapist."

"My mother and father were both psychiatrists."

"Were?" He asked, but cringed since he instantly regretted asking.

"It's... just myself and my brother now," Sasuke answered.

"Oh." Anxious, Naruto wet his lips. "I'm sorry to hear about that, Sasuke. Really."

Sasuke waved it away. "You don't have to worry about it. Do you want some coffee?"

"Uh. I wonder if caffeine would be good, but water is fine. I still have that one you gave me. No, maybe coffee?"

"I'll make a pot, and you can decide later if you want any."

"Okay." Frowning, he scratched one of his cheeks. "Sorry for being indecisive."

"You don't need to keep apologizing. Now, let's go in the other room, and we can talk. If you don't want to go home, you can have my bed, and I'll take the sofa."

"I couldn't—"

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was firm, authoritative, so he shut up. "Stop worrying about inconveniencing me. I want to hear about it; I want to help if I can. It's fine. I promise."

Naruto, eyes stinging, slowly nodded in answer. Before he could embarrass himself by crying, Sasuke walked away. He stood a moment, glancing at nothing in particular and only a few seconds away from an apparent mental breakdown. Was it worse to have persistent depressing thoughts or the overwhelming feelings that came from someone being willing to listen? Someone was making time for him when people in his closest circle hadn't lifted a finger.

Who was this person? Was it really okay to lean on him? Why did it make him so sad that someone finally was willing to help?

He didn't know.

After all, he hadn't known what to do for a long time. The only thing he'd been able to decide on in a long while was going to the roof of that building. But, here was this tiny bit of emotional relief, a glimmer of hope, though Naruto thought it unlikely to last. Still, he trusted and followed. Perhaps Sasuke was his last hope as unfair as it was to pin that on someone.

That childlike part of himself, however, wanted to believe maybe Sasuke showing up had been a sign, and, as previously mentioned, Naruto was a whole-hearted believer in signs.


While Sasuke sat on the sofa, sipping at his coffee, Naruto sat beside him—a conservative amount of space between them—holding onto his water bottle. It was half-empty, and he kept squeezing it out of anxiousness. Eventually, Sasuke leaned over to snatch it out of his hands.

"Sorry," Naruto murmured.

"It's fine," replied Sasuke. "Just annoying."

Naruto managed a laugh. "You really have no problem sayin' whatever's on your mind, do you?"

"Not especially, but I've been told it's a problem."

"Told?" Naruto asked. "By who?"

"Whom."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Told by whom?"

"Supervisors for one," Sasuke answered irritably. "During employee reviews. My brother. Friends." He set the plastic bottle on the coffee table. "Partners."

Naruto cocked his head to the left. "That aside. I think it's nice. I mean, yeah, you're pretty blunt, but I never have to guess what you're thinkin'. At the moment, it's refreshing. I get these… paranoid thoughts, y'know? Like, I've been really insecure lately, wonderin' what people really think. I think that's why I ended up resigning. Besides the stress of the job, my boss was really… kinda one of the last straws for me. For a day or two, I thought maybe I'd simply find somethin' else, but… I started to realize I didn't have my shit together anymore and freaked, I guess. I didn't… see the point? Besides payin' rent and bills. I had money saved, but…"

"That would be difficult. You've got no job, and you said you recently broke up with a girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Naruto, leaning forward, settled his elbows on his thighs and rested his chin on his clasped hands. "I really liked her, but it became clear she didn't like me near as much."

"How long had you been together?" Sasuke asked.

"Not quite a year."

"That's a long time. I take it you two decided not to remain friends?"

"No," he answered bitterly.

Sasuke nodded. "That's a lot to handle on your own at one time. Your family?"

"I… don't really have any. Parents died when I was young. I got kicked around from foster home to foster home 'cause I didn't have any immediate family. There were some foster siblings I stayed in contact with for a while, but a lot of 'em got involved in drugs. Taking them, sellin' em. Some are in jail."

"I see."

Naruto looked over at him; Sasuke appeared sympathetic, but his gaze was low, directed at the corner of the coffee table.

"Not to change the subject," he broached, "But, it seems that despite it just bein' you and your brother, you seem successful. Well-adjusted and all that."

Sasuke scoffed. "I wouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"Sorry—" He sat up straight. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't." The other man shook his head. "Just think it's amusing you've spent all night with me and somehow believe me to be well-adjusted."

"I guess." Naruto's brow furrowed. "You helped me. Saved my life I guess I should say, and are still tryin' to help me even though we don't know each other. That makes you a decent person in my book. In fact, I don't know that there are many people like you on this whole damn planet."

"That's probably for the best," Sasuke replied. "But we aren't talking about me."

"Ah, yeah. Sorry."

"Enough with the apologizing." Sasuke threw him a look of irritation. "I'm not judging you. Like I told you, I did what I did because the timing was right, and no one would just let another person jump off a building if they could prevent it. It just happened that way. My body… just moved."

"That, you realize, is… anyway, I won't talk about it anymore. But, I think I can say it means somethin' to me, and I do think it says a lot about you, but I won't push it."

"Sounds good." Sasuke's tone sounded clipped, so Naruto sighed and returned to slouching, his hands lying flat in his lap.

Naruto fidgeted, not knowing what to say and angry with himself for annoying Sasuke.

"I apologize," Sasuke said after a few minutes. "I… don't like talking about myself."

"It's okay. My fault for bringin' it up. Wasn't any of my business."

"It's fine." Shifting, Sasuke pulled one leg over the other, crossing them. "I lost both parents at a young age and was basically raised by my sadistic older brother. He dropped out of college in order to get a job so that he could support the both of us. Though I didn't want to go at first, he'd saved up money for me to attend school. I went, moved around, and ended up here."

Naruto held back a gasp. "That sounds rough."

"I don't… remember a lot of it. I was young."

He nodded. "Still. So, the two of you are close?"

"We are and aren't," Sasuke replied. "Our circumstances growing up made us close, but we see the world very differently, Itachi and I. We fight as much now as we did then. Maybe more."

"What's it like," Naruto wondered aloud, "Havin' an older brother?"

Sasuke's face puckered before he answered succinctly: "Claustrophobic."

Naruto laughed. "Is he a lot older than you?"

"Five years and a month."

"I bet that month makes a big difference," Naruto joked. "And you said he has a daughter?"

"He does. A slip up in his early 20s with some on-again, off-again girlfriend. She wasn't a very fit mother and didn't want kids, so my brother has full custody of her."

"Wow. Parents not wanting their child? I've seen it, but it still blows my mind. What's she like if you don't mind me askin'? Your niece, not the shitty mom."

"She's a lot like my brother," Sasuke pronounced slowly, and then he smiled. "However, I'd say she's much more mature and her sense of humor is less sociopathic."

"The way you keep talkin' about him, makes me curious what he's really like in person."

"'Really like'?" Sasuke repeated. "You don't trust my opinion?"

"No, no, I do," Naruto gestured frantically with one hand. "I just think he sounds ornery, y'know? Like, dunno, doesn't a big brother pick on you some, out of affection?"

"Maybe. He was brother and parent for so long, he probably got confused himself."

"Ah. Maybe so." Naruto nearly put his foot on top of the coffee table only to remember he was a guest. "And now he has a kid, too, so he really is a parent. Is he a good dad?"

"Yes." Sasuke, turning to him, looked completely confident in that. "He dotes on her. She's smart, kind, articulate, but not a snob at all. Like I can be."

"You can be a snob?" Naruto asked, then gave it consideration. "I…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Uh… I mean… I just think it's your general expression. Very… "

Sasuke's other eyebrow lifted.

"I'm gonna shut my mouth now." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Your parents were psychiatrists?"

"They were. Sometimes they invited clients into our home. I remember some of them, I guess. I remember my parents talking about cases, reading psychology books aloud. They used to talk to me like I was a patient sometimes, instead of their child, but I don't remember much."

Naruto thought that was plenty and itched to ask more since that was his way, but also figured he'd already pushed the limits of his curiosity as far as he could with the other man.

"What about you?" Sasuke asked.

"Heh. Where to start?"

"Wherever you want. How's your ankle, by the way? Need any ice?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I forgot." Naruto glanced down at it. "I'm fine. Only sore. How's your jaw?"

"It's fine. Hardly felt it," Sasuke teased. "You… have no family?"

"I guess not." He kept staring at his feet. "Like I said. Only the few foster sisters and brothers that are left."

"How?"

Naruto raised his eyes from the floor. "'How' what?"

"How did you do it? Not having any family." Sasuke's eyes met his. "How did you survive the loneliness?"

Naruto gave a sad smile. "Dunno. I was lonely, but I always tried to put up a front. I had a few good friends, but for whatever reason, they kind of… would disappear one by one. If I dated, it was a lot of short-term relationships except the last one. Sakura was her name."

Thinking about her brought Naruto's mood down even further.

"What sucks is, up until then, I'd never really tried. I didn't have a family, a mom, people who truly cared about me in general, so I hadn't understood what a relationship was like. I mean, how you should treat someone. I kinda knew what a guy is supposed to do. I tried to make her happy, make her laugh, open the car door, but I never felt good enough for her. She had gone to college, I hadn't. She was really smart. Very pretty. She'd laugh at my jokes, which was nice."

"So, what happened?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto twiddled his thumbs. "She cheated on me. With some friend from college."

"Ah."

"Heh."

Naruto observed the changes in Sasuke's face—the furrowed brow, the way his mouth pinched in thought, and the slight flush to his pale cheeks (which is why it was so noticable).

"Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, man," he said.

"It's not that," Sasuke murmured. "I'm just finding it relatable."

"Really?" Naruto was surprised. "You've been cheated on? I woulda pegged you as the cheater."

Sasuke's gaze narrowed. "Pardon me?"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Naruto waved his arms in front of him. "More like you don't expect good lookin' people to get cheated on. Although, I guess there's Beyonce and Jay-Z. He's pretty ugly. You'd think ugly people would appreciate havin' a good lookin' partner."

"Or," Sasuke interjected. "Because they aren't exceptionally attractive they've always had low self-esteem, so they cheat in order to feel validated."

"Wow, you really were raised by psychiatrists. Maybe you missed your calling."

"In case you haven't noticed. I'm not very good with people."

"You've done alright by me," Naruto praised. "And workin' in IT, you're helpin' people."

"Because I have knowledge about how to fix computers. Fixing people is a bigger responsibility."

"True." He heaved a sigh, having lost his train of thought. "Oh right, family. Parents died when I was a baby. Don't remember 'em, don't have anything to remember 'em by except their names, I guess. When I wasn't in some shitty foster home, I was forced to stay in a facility run by the state, which… despite most of us bein' dysfunctional little assholes, wasn't that bad. I mean it wasn't good, but better than some of the homes I ended up in, which if I had to guess, totaled about," Naruto counted on his fingers, "Ten? Twelve?"

"Jesus, is that even possible?" Sasuke gasped.

"And when I was of legal age, I had a guy that worked there that was good to me and hooked me up with a job. He died a few years later in a car accident. But was kinda like a father to me."

Sasuke looked pensive. "Have you… considered seeing a professional? I mean, have you?"

Naruto scratched under his chin, humming as he thought about the question. "There were counselors at the state-run place and I'd had case workers. But, not, like. Since then. No."

"I think you should consider it," Sasuke urged. "That's a lot for one person to deal with on their own. That's already more than most people handle in their lifetimes."

"Maybe. But I guess I always thought, well, hey at least I'm not in some war-torn country somewhere, gettin' shot at everyday or bein' recruited as a teenage soldier."

"That's a matter of survival," said Sasuke. "Horrible, also. But if you have the resources to make your life better, you should take advantage of them. Don't you think, if those people could choose a different life, they would? You have a choice. If you want to take it."

"Ah, you're jumpin' right into the 'get some help' talk, aren't you?"

"You tried to jump first," Sasuke replied and, thinking he was very funny, smirked again.

Naruto laughed at his sheer audacity. "God, sometimes you come off so… concerned, and then you say shit like that! It's horrible, but also really hilarious."

"I can only be serious for so long." Sasuke brushed some wayward hair out of his eyes.

He'd been looking off for a moment, too. Naruto followed his gaze (to the kitchen).

"I want to ask," continued Sasuke, "Why now? After everything you've endured, what finally caused you to decide to take your life tonight? Why the roof?"

"Hmm." Naruto fidgeted with his hands. "If I had to say, a whole series of events. My failed relationship being one of my last attempts at, I dunno, trust? Normality? After that, I wondered if I was ever meant to be happy? Maybe I wasn't meant to be here at all? No one would notice or care, and I'd spent a lot of time workin' in that building. Other things sounded too messy or too easy, but jumpin' off a building takes guts, and I—" Naruto shrugged. "It sounded kinda nice? Freefalling like that. Like flying. And once you jump, there's no goin' back. Splat! And it's over."

"I don't know about you," said Sasuke. "But that sounds a terrible way to go."

"Is it?" He hadn't thought so at the time.

"What if someone saw you on the way down, or you landed on someone or their car? You could traumatize someone for life."

"Oh." Naruto put his socked foot on the coffee table. "I hadn't thought of that, but I'd try to aim for the concrete. And there's not a lot of foot traffic around that time. As for seein' me fall…? They probably wouldn't notice? I don't know. Jesus, Sasuke! If people stopped to consider all those things, they wouldn't be tryin' to take their lives in the first place."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You're not wrong. I wouldn't go so far as to say suicide is selfish since the circumstances that drive a person to do it can create tunnel vision, but there's nothing wrong with people considering the effects it would have on others. Especially if it prevents them from harming themselves. Hindsight, however, is 20/20."

"Yeah," he conceded and yawned. "I guess I figured there was no one who'd care."

"Tired?" Sasuke asked.

"A little." He cracked his neck. "Emotionally drained to say the least."

"I think that's understandable."

Naruto began to feel awkward after a pause. "I should… probably get goin'?"

"You don't have to," Sasuke responded. "You're welcome here as long as you'd like. Like I said, you can have the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, no, I couldn't put you out like that—"

"Honestly, it's less hassle than having to drive you home, and I'd feel better all around if you did. That way, if you're having a hard time and need to talk, I'll be here."

"But, why?" He asked, dumbstruck. "Why go that far for a complete stranger?"

"Besides the fact you were there in front of me?" Sasuke rubbed his hands over his slacks, looking embarrassed. "It's… what my parents would want me to do, I suppose. And… it seems the human thing to do."

"I'm not even sure, in this day and age, what the human thing is anymore."

"It has become a rather foreboding moment in history," Sasuke agreed. "But it won't always be this way even if, right now, it feels like it's going to go on forever. So, what do you say?"

"Is it really okay?"

"Of course."

"Then… I guess I'm in your care for the night, Sasuke." Naruto, though he felt guilty, smiled lop-sidedly at him.

"You don't have to say it in such a sordid way." Sasuke eyed him suspiciously.

"Heh, sorry. I just… I've never met someone so willin' to help another person they hardly even know. It's confusing, but I really am appreciative."

"It's nothing," said Sasuke. "You can take a shower, too. I'll find you some spare clothes."

"...Thanks."

The other man got up from the sofa, apparently going to find him some clothes as he'd promised. Naruto didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. If there were more people in this world like Sasuke, would he have felt differently about his own life? If they'd met by chance in this building and become friends? He didn't think it was likely given their personalities were so different, but there was something reassuring about it. Naruto used to be like that, too, until being betrayed or used so frequently left him broken and worn down emotionally. Having not had parents, he didn't even know if he was supposed to be this way. Or, if he'd been selfless so frequently later on in life simply because he was starved for affection and attention while growing up. It made him want to please people, but it also made him a doormat at times. He'd definitely learned at least that much from his relationship with Sakura.

When Sasuke returned, he held a pile of clothes which he offered to Naruto. Blinking, Naruto stared as if he didn't recognize the items.

"Naruto?"

He shook his head and stood up from the couch. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"I'll show you to the bathroom. The shower might be more than your brain can handle." Sasuke abruptly walked away from him and headed toward the bedroom.

Naruto, without thinking, huffed and chased after him. "I know how to work a shower, Sasuke!"

"We'll see, idiot."

"Bastard," he mumbled. "I take back what I said earlier!"

"Like I care," Sasuke replied, but his tone was light. "Take as long as you need, idiot. I'll be out here working, trying to avoid my brother's phone calls."

"Aw, man. You're so mean to him. I'll talk to him if you want."

"I'll consider it," said Sasuke. "If only because it would piss him off."

Naruto chuckled. "It's the least I can do considerin' everything you've done up until now."

"We'll see how you feel after your shower. Until then," Sasuke opened the door to his small but nicely decorated bathroom with a standing glass shower and sparkling white tile.

"You like blue, huh?" Naruto asked, noticing the dots of blue accessories in the space. Blue towels, washrags, toothbrush, floor mat.

He watched as Sasuke turned on all the various switches for the shower. It also adjusted the lighting outside of the shower and within it.

"You sure like your tech stuff, huh?" Naruto asked.

"It interests me, yes. Now, to turn it off, just flip these two the opposite way." Sasuke pointed at a couple of the knobs inside the shower.

"Got it." He nodded.

"Alright. I'll leave you to it."

Sasuke left, and Naruto, for at least two minutes, stood there with all of Sasuke's clothes in his arms. For some reason, he brought them to his nose and sniffed.

"Smells good."

He set the clothes down on the edge of the sink and carefully got out of his clothes. They smelled of sweat. He tossed them on the floor by the shower. The mirror was already beginning to fog, and while leaning against the sink, he wiped it with his hand.

Naruto stared at himself in the mirror. Is that really what he looked like? Dark bags, sunken cheeks, bloodshot eyes. Sleep sounded good right about now, but a hot shower sounded even better. Opening the shower door, Naruto walked inside and groaned as soon as the water hit his chest. The pressure was ridiculously amazing. He felt spoiled. Sasuke was spoiling him. He was almost ashamed to admit how good it felt, but it was the truth.

How could he ever make it up to Sasuke? How did someone return a favor like this?

He didn't know, but even if it took a lifetime to figure it out, Naruto was willing to give it a try.


TBC

(just one more)