Title: Shugo Tenshi
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is lonely and depressed. He tries to find peace in death but his attempt to take his own life is stopped by a boy with blonde hair. Just who is this mysterious boy? Why is he so familiar to Sasuke?

I don't really own Naruto but a girl can dream, right?

Chapter 2

A thin, delicate sheet of ice covered the school-yard, causing several students to slip and slide as they headed home for the evening. It was cold - as was to be expected in the winter months - and the blonde couldn't help but shiver against the harsh wind, listening to the loud crunching of his shoes against the frost-covered grass below him as he walked home. If the dingy apartment building could even be considered a home, that was. Naruto felt a pang of sadness as he thought about the home where he was no longer welcome. Had it really been twenty-one years? Time seemed to fly by so quickly on Earth. Soon his latest charge - his last charge - would die and Naruto would have nothing left to live for. Not that he was really alive now.

"See ya tomorrow, Naruto!" Sai called to him with a genuine smile stretched across his thin lips.

"Bye!" Naruto called back with a half-hearted wave.

Sai Hino was Naruto's latest/last charge. He was an orphaned boy who was destined to follow the wrong path. Naruto's job was to stop him from being corrupted by evil. So far he was doing a good job. Sai used to be socially inept but after Naruto had befriended the lonely boy he'd soon changed for the better. But, despite being Sai's best friend and secret Guardian, Naruto couldn't spend every second of every day with him and that left him with a lot of free time on his hands.

Trudging through the ice, Naruto tried not to think too much about the lonely night that lay ahead of him. The lonely years.

"Hey! Naruto!"

Naruto turned quickly on his heel, slipped on the ice and almost ended up landing on his butt. Luckily the owner of the voice had grabbed his arm just in time and kept him from falling. "You're such an idiot," the raven-haired man snorted with amusement.

"Sasuke?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise, ignoring the insult for once. When he was sure he wouldn't lose his balance, he pulled his arm back. "What the Hell are you doing here?"

With cheeks tinted pink from both embarrassment and the cold, Sasuke averted his dark gaze to the ice-covered ground and shrugged. He tried to come up with a half-decent excuse but the only thing he could think of was, "I was just... Walking."

Naruto raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Right. So you're a twenty-one year old man who just happened to be walking through a school-yard." The blonde couldn't help but smirk ever so slightly. "Is there something you're not telling me, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared.

"You know... It begins with P and ends with phile..."

Dark eyes rolled. Naruto wasn't sure if it was out of amusement or annoyance. "Idiot."

"Bastard!"

"Dobe..."

Silence.

Naruto hated the way his mind would blank completely every time he heard the familiar affectionate nickname. His heart would leap at the possibility of Sasuke remembering him - even if it was only subconsciously - but then he remembered that Sasuke could never remember him. And it hurt so badly that Naruto was sure his heart was crumbling to dust inside his chest. Perishing in the flames of Hell. Because no matter how much Naruto tried to move on with his life - or what was left of it - his heart would never allow him to. If Sasuke was to burn in Hell for all of eternity, Naruto's heart would surely burn with him.

Sasuke's brow furrowed at the pained expression that momentarily appeared on Naruto's face. "Naruto?" He reached out a hand to lightly touch the younger boy's shoulder. Blue eyes widened but the blonde couldn't move away fast enough.

In the brief moment that they connected, Sasuke could feel all the pain and suffering and anguish that Naruto had been cursed to suffer with for the rest of his life. An entire life flashed before his eyes but it made little sense to him - images, sounds, smells, feelings... It stirred something deep inside his memory but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't reach it. He couldn't unlock the memories.

Naruto stepped back and Sasuke stared at him, confusion written all over his face. He wanted to question Naruto - because something told him that Naruto knew the answers he was looking for - but the sorrow which shone clear in the depths of blue stopped him. Instead he found himself opening his arms to the blonde and embracing him tightly in his arms, sharing with him the pain and nonsensical images.

For the first time in almost twenty-one years, Naruto allowed himself to cry openly.

xx

Naruto blinked a couple of times in confusion after opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings. His eyes were sore and he could feel the dried-up tears clinging stubbornly to his cheeks. He reached a hand up to brush away the silvery tracks.

"I've never seen somebody pass out from crying too much before," Sasuke commented lightly.

"I don't... I never normally break down like that in front of people..." Naruto muttered, chewing on his bottom lip and looking away in embarrassment.

Sasuke shifted slightly in his chair, drawing Naruto's attention back to him. The blonde wanted to smile at the irony. Just over a week ago it had been him sat in that same chair, watching over Sasuke as he slept. "It's so strange..." Sasuke mused, staring at the blue-eyed boy intensely.

"What is?"

"I've only spoken to you a handful of times and yet..." He trailed off, searching for the best way to express his feelings.

Naruto's frown was barely visible as he threw the blankets off himself and hopped out of the bed. "Have you got any ramen?" He asked, purposely interrupting Sasuke's speech. He didn't want to hear what Sasuke had to say. He didn't think he could stand to hear him speak about how familiar Naruto was. If only he knew the truth.

"...It feels like I've known you forever." Sasuke sighed. He stood up and followed the blonde who'd disappeared into the kitchen, hunting for noodles. "Why do you always do that?" He demanded, frustration clear in his voice.

Sasuke watched as Naruto's back tensed and he paused in his search for ramen. "Do what?" He asked, playing dumb.

"Run away when the conversation actually starts to mean something," Sasuke replied bluntly. He hadn't forgotten Naruto's hasty exit the last time they'd met. It was beginning to turn into a habit.

"I don't-"

"You do! Don't bother lying. You know everything about me and I know nothing about you!" Sasuke snapped, his temper getting the better of him.

Naruto took a deep breath before turning to face Sasuke. His expression was guarded, a calm mask which concealed any emotions the blonde might be feeling. Sasuke felt slightly uneasy as he glared defiantly at the masked face. "That's the problem..." Naruto admitted.

Sasuke's frustration only increased and he found himself sighing in exasperation, tugging his fingers through dark locks of hair. "Why don't you ever make any sense to me?" He wondered.

Naruto closed the cupboard door, ramen forgotten. "I should go..." He made to walk by Sasuke to the front door but only managed a few steps before he was stopped by fingers gripping his arm tightly. Naruto looked up at the man in confusion. "Sasuke... What-"

"No. I won't let you walk away again until you explain."

"I can't-"

"You don't have a choice," Sasuke said firmly. He dragged Naruto by the arm to the living area and pointed him in the direction of a sofa. Naruto scowled at him but sat down.

Sasuke seated himself on the armchair opposite Naruto, dark eyes searching Naruto for something the blonde wasn't sure of. "Naruto..." He whispered, the name little more than a breath of air on his lips.

Naruto smiled faintly. "Sasuke." The name sounded as desperate as a prayer. He wanted to tell Sasuke everything... But he couldn't. He was already going against the terms of his punishment just by talking to him!

"Why are you so familiar to me?"

"How did you know where to find me today?"

They both stared at each other. Neither was willing to be the first to answer. Finall, after what felt like hours, Sasuke gave in. "Your uniform. You were wearing it last week."

Naruto nodded his head. He'd thought as much. "I suppose I owe you an answer now, right?" Sasuke nodded. "It's kinda obvious really. What reasons can you think of for a person being familiar?"

"Because I'd met them before?" Sasuke replied, brows furrowing in confusion. His eyes widened a fraction as he saw Naruto smile. "I've met you before then?" He tried to think of places where he might have met the blonde in the past but came up with nothing.

"...Yes." Naruto stood up from the chair. He was done answering questions. "Don't waste time trying to figure out when and where. You don't remember me and it's for the best that it stays that way."

"But I want to remember you," Sasuke said, surprising himself.

"Why?" Naruto challenged.

He knew the man wouldn't be able to give him an answer - the answer was locked away deep in his memory. Sasuke fell silent and Naruto took the opportunity to leave. "Don't try and find me again until you can answer that question," Naruto said before disappearing out of the door.

Naruto knew he shouldn't encourage Sasuke to try and remember him but he couldn't help himself. He loved Sasuke and although a part of him was terrified of the consequence another part of him - a greater part - was desperate to be remembered. To be loved.

The memories weren't gone forever. They were just locked away in the back of Sasuke's mind waiting to be restored. Naruto had the key to unlock them, he just didn't know how to use it yet. Whether he should use it.

xx

Weeks passed and Naruto heard nothing from Sasuke. He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Naruto knew it was for the best that Sasuke remained clueless to their past but that didn't stop the pain in his chest, ripping him apart slowly from the inside. What would've happened if Sasuke did remember him? They would only be able to spend a short amount of time together before being caught. A sigh slipped through Naruto's lips as he realised he would give up anything just to have an hour with his lost love. The consequences didn't matter.

"You've been acting kinda strange lately."

Naruto looked up at the voice and his blue eyes met coal black. Sai was similar to Sasuke in looks - they both had dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. So many similarities and yet so many differences too. "Have I?" He voiced. His mind drifted once again to thoughts of Sasuke and the next thing he knew, Sai was close - too close - and getting slowly closer. Dark eyes stared at him intensely and Naruto swallowed nervously. "S-Sai?" He blurted, trying to scramble back but finding himself to be pressed against a wall.

Sai licked his suddenly dry lips and a pink blush formed on his cheeks. He backed away from the wide-eyed blonde. For as long as he could remember, Sai had been crushing on Naruto. There was a connection between them which drew Sai to him like a moth to a flame. "Naruto-" He started.

Naruto interrupted. "I know what you're going to say. Don't say it. I don't love you. I won't grow to love you in time. I'm in love with somebody else." The blonde tried hard not to wince at his own cold, blunt words. He knew it was better to stamp out any feelings Sai had now before they grew too deep. He was a Guardian, assigned to watch over his charge from Earth and it was unsurprising that Sai would confuse the bond between them for love. Naruto cared deeply for the other boy but he could never love him. His heart was taken, broken but still taken.

There was a beat of silence before Sai asked softly. "Who do you love?"

"Does it really matter?"

"...No." More silence stretched out between them. "Does this person love you back?"

Naruto's gaze fell upon the dark-haired boy and he shook his head, face blank but eyes filled with pain. "I think he did once but even back then I wasn't completely sure. People like him aren't supposed to love others. Now he... No. He doesn't love me now. He can't love me."

For a moment it looked as though Sai were about to apologise. Instead he simply sighed and muttered, "Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could choose the person we fell in love with?"

Naruto gave a soft snort. "Damn right it would be easier."

xx

"Naruto!"

The blonde turned and raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired man stood in front of him. "Sasuke?" He was determined not to get his hopes up but he couldn't help the tiny smile that played on his lips just at the sight of him. It had been so long since they'd last spoken. Naruto missed him. "Have you worked out the answer yet?"

Sasuke shook his head distractedly. "You love me."

"What?"

"You. Love. Me."

Naruto stared at him, unsure what to make of Sasuke's words. Had he really come here just to tell Naruto something he already knew? Something which tore him apart every day he lived without Sasuke? "That doesn't answer anything..."

Sasuke smiled, there was laughter in his eyes that Naruto hadn't seen in a long time. "I can see it in your eyes when I talk to you. I felt it when I touched you. I've never had someone feel for me so strongly but you appear out of nowhere and I... I can't even think straight. My brain might not remember you but-" He placed his palm over his chest, directly above his fast-beating heart and looked Naruto in the eyes. "-this part of me certainly does."

"You're insane..." Naruto whispered, staring at the hand which was still pressed against Sasuke's chest.

"I must be," Sasuke agreed. "I don't even know who you are and yet just being near you makes me feel like my heart is about to explode."

"That would be kinda messy," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke rolled his dark eyes. Much darker than Sai's. "Dobe." He brushed his fingers over a tan cheek and gently placed his lips over Naruto's own. He wasn't sure why he did it, what it would lead to or even if it would lead to anything at all but he knew one thing. His heart and soul recognised the blonde even if his mind didn't, his feelings for him were still there even if his memories weren't.

Pulling away from the kiss, Sasuke chuckled at the dazed look on Naruto's face. "I'll see you around, kid."

It was a promise.