Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this fanfic.

Warnings: Fluffy Stuff! ^_^

Hello! Oh my god it's been forever! I'm sorry this took me so unbelievably long. Funny how work tends to zap all your free time away huh? Anyways, I apologize for long wait, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it. I'm pretty happy with it. J Hopefully you all enjoy it as well.

~Amour et Baisers~

"Seems like every day you cross my mind

Even after such a long, long time I'm still thinking about the way you smile

Tares me apart to know that it won't ever be the same again

No it won't ever be the same again."

Stupid…he was so stupid. What was he thinking? That's just it, he obviously wasn't. Of course Naruto didn't want anything but friendship from him now…not after everything that's happened. He was battling cancer for crying out loud.

Sasuke shuffled dejectedly through his house and up the stairs to his room. Taking off his jacket, he tossed it haphazardly onto the floor, not even bothering to hang it up. The rest of his clothes didn't fare much better as Sasuke stripped down to his boxers and stretched out on top of the cool sheets of his bed.

Sasuke knew he shouldn't have even dared to hope for more. He knew that, but…the more time he spent around the blonde, the more time he wanted with him. He found himself falling back into old routines exceptionally easy for someone who had been gone for eight years.

"Not really sure what I'm doing back here, or why I stayed away for all those years

I guess I had to try to find myself, now I'm the only one to blame

No one else can ever make it all go away, or make up for all my mistakes."

Really, what did he expect would happen? That Naruto would welcome him back into his life with open arms? No, he knew that was just wishful thinking. Sasuke sat up and rubbed his face in his hands. Why was he letting this bother him so much? After all, he was the one who had ended things. It had been his decision to leave. He didn't regret that decision…at least not entirely. If he hadn't gone to Sound City, he would never have gotten all the opportunities that had come his way, and he certainly wouldn't be running his own company. No, he didn't regret the decision to leave…just the people he left behind.

"Now I'm sorry that I left you, I can't go back, I can't change anything, I'm sorry that I said so-long, I never meant to hurt you, sorry I waited so long."

What would his life be like if he had done things differently? Would he and Naruto still be together? Would they be happy? Would Naruto still be sick? It was so easy to picture an alternate universe in which he and Naruto would have their happy ending. He would have his business and Naruto would be a successful artist. They would live in a decently sized house; big enough for Naruto to have his own studio and Sasuke to have an office, but not so big that it took away the "homely" aspect of it. Their kitchen would be completely stocked with ramen and tomatoes, and they would have a hot tub in their back yard.

He knew it was all very unrealistic…but hey, a guy could dream couldn't he? It would have been one hell of a life; he knew that much for certain.

"If I could do this all over I'd wanna go back, I'd wanna go back. If I could only start over, I would take it all back, I would take it all back for you, I would take it all back for you." (1)

Sasuke's eyes drooped, sleep finally catching up with him. He drifted off to thoughts of beautiful blond spikes and what ifs: a deadly combination.

In the blink of an eye, seven hours came and went, and although he just shut his eyes, Sasuke found himself lazily blinking them open again. He glanced at his bedside clock to confirm that it really was morning and time to get up. Unfortunately, it was exactly 6:30am. He had an hour before he needed to pick Naruto up, which gave him just enough time for a shower and some breakfast.

Just as promised, Sasuke showed up on Naruto's doorstep precisely at 7:30. Jiraiya invited him in, saying that Naruto would only be moment. Sasuke smiled and gave the blonde a brief wave as he watched him finish tying his shoes.

"Good morning, how are you today?" Sasuke asked, trying to avoid eye contact.

"As good as I can be, I guess. I'm not really looking forward to going back to treatment, but what can ya do?" Sasuke nodded sympathetically.

"Well, I guess we should probably get going." Naruto bid farewell to Jiraiya and hoped into the passenger side of Sasuke's car.

As they were driving, Sasuke couldn't help but cast glances at the blonde next to him. He noticed that Naruto had a book in his lap.

"What book are you reading?" Naruto glanced down at the cover before looking over at the driver.

"Journey to the Center of the Earth."

"Jules Verne, eh? I'm impressed that you're into classic literature." Sasuke commented. Naruto laughed softly before responding.

"I'm not actually, I'd much rather spend my time on a good comic book than an actual novel, but it was my mom's favorite book, so I figured I'd give it a try."

"I think I remember you telling me that once before."

"I probably did. I've actually been trying to read this book since I was about ten years old. To this day, I've never been able to get past chapter 16. But, I figured this is as good a time as any to try and finally finish it. Three hours a day sitting in a hospital can get pretty boring with nothing to keep you occupied."

"I bet. What chapter are you on right now?"

"I just finished chapter five."

"And how long ago did you start the book…again?" Naruto laughed, and sheepishly carded his fingers through his messy blond tresses.

"About three weeks ago." Sasuke laughed. He was honestly surprised that he had gotten to chapter 16 before. Naruto never had been much of a reader, so that was a pretty big achievement for him.

"Do you think that guy knows his blinker is on?" Naruto asked quietly, studying the Subaru in front of them. The car's signal light had been flashing for at least a mile now and he'd made no move to turn or merge into another lane.

"I would assume not." Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"Maybe it's a demonstration." Naruto suggested. Sasuke's forehead scrunched in confusion.

"A demonstration…of what, how not to drive?"

"Exactly, he's demonstrating how practically anyone can get a license these days." Naruto's voice deepened as he impersonated a driving instructor.

"Run a red light during your test? Oh, that'll cost you a point, but seeing as how you used your signal light to merge in the middle of the intersection, I guess I'll overlook that mistake and give you your license anyway. Run along now, and don't forget, you are the most important person on the road. Everyone else must yield to you, so feel free to blow off stop signs and speed through roundabouts." (2) Sasuke laughed, though he had to admit, he was slightly alarmed at how true those statements actually were.

After that, they drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Neither really having anything they wanted to say. Sasuke turned on the radio, wanting a little background noise. He wondered if Naruto's taste in music had changed at all over the years. An upbeat pop song began pouring out of the speakers. Naruto's eyebrow visibly twitched, before he promptly started re-tuning the stereo. After flicking through about twenty different stations, he finally settled on one that he liked. Without holding anything back, Naruto began belting out the lyrics, apparently forgetting he wasn't the only one in the car.

"Photogenic, come and get it. You can have it. Take it all!

Schizophrenic, so sadistic, I don't know, I don't know

Politicians, in condition; dyin' for a curtain call

Counter culture, full of vultures, bet you think I'm what!

We're goin' all out, but get 'em up, get 'em up

And if they wanna take a picture

Tell 'em I don't give a fuck!"

Sasuke chucked quietly to himself as he watched the blond bang his head around like he was trying to give himself whiplash.

"No one needs you after all. That little social scene, it's just a hate machine.

No one's here to take your call, and now your self-esteem, ain't what it used to be

You've inspired the birth of ignorance; the death of innocence

Guess whose back and mad as hell? The nowhere kids that wished you well." (3)

Nope...Naruto's tastes were exactly the same now as they were eight years ago.

Sasuke pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and found a spot that wasn't too far away. He and Naruto walked into the building together so Sasuke could see where to pick the other up later. The receptionist greeted Naruto by name, and told him his treatment was ready for him, and he could go back right away.

"My chemo goes till eleven, so if you could be back here around ten till that would be good." Sasuke nodded his understanding.

"Should I just wait for you here in the lobby?"

"Yeah, that's where Jiraiya usually waits." Naruto waved and walked through the door out of sight. The receptionist called him over so he could sign Naruto in and confirm his own identity. Apparently Jiraiya had already called ahead to inform them that Sasuke would be dropping off and picking up Naruto. After the required paperwork was taken care of, Sasuke headed out to take care of a few measly chores around town until he needed to pick Naruto up.

He picked up some groceries, bought a new pair of jeans and some deodorant, got the oil changed in his car, and still had time to kill. He was just deciding on whether he wanted to get lunch or not, when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Sasuke…is that really you?" Sasuke turned around and came face to face with Sakura Haruno. He ran his eyes over her small form, noting how she had changed over the years. Her hair was still a ridiculous shade of cotton candy pink that strangely suited her for whatever reason. She was a good deal taller and carried herself with a bit more confidence than before.

"Hi Sakura, how's it going?" He asked. They ended up grabbing a cup of coffee at a nearby shop so they could catch up with each other.

"It's been a while, how have you been?" Sasuke looked up from his cappuccino at Sakura's question.

"I've been pretty good, working a lot, but what can you do?" He returned. She smiled and laughed a little.

"What is it you do now?"

"Oh, I'm the CEO of Sharingan Enterprises. We build and distribute computers internationally."

"Wow, that's awesome. Congratulations, but really, I always knew you'd go far in life." Sasuke smiled, but felt a little awkward accepting her praise. He never seemed to be able to tell people what he did, without it sounding like he was bragging.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Well, currently I'm working to get my RN. I only have about two months left."

"That's great Sakura; I think nursing really suits you." Sakura blushed lightly at the compliment. He wasn't surprised that the atmosphere was a bit awkward. After all, back in high school, it was a well-known fact, that Sakura had had a rather large crush on the Uchiha. Unfortunately for her and all the other females in the school (only exaggerating by a miniscule amount) he wasn't interested. It didn't help that he was a bit of a jerk either. He was at that stage in life, where he knew he could have anyone he wanted, but didn't particularly want anyone per say. So he spent his days playing the whole catch and release game. Sakura was unfortunate enough to have been one of many to take a big-ass bite out of the bait. Sasuke had led her on just to break her heart in the end. Naturally though, Naruto was there to pick up the pieces. As these things tend to go, before too long, Sakura's affections had transferred over to Naruto. They spent five long months together before Naruto figured out he preferred hot dogs to tacos.

Sasuke felt bad for how things had ended up for her, but there wasn't a lot he could do about it now. She seemed to be relatively happy with the life she currently had, and that's really all that mattered. Once they had finished their coffee, Sasuke excused himself so he could go and pick up Naruto. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the slightly uneasy look Sakura gave him after he had announced his plans.

"Are you two seeing each other again?" Even though quite a few years had passed, Sasuke knew that Sakura still resented him for hurting both her and Naruto.

"No, I'm just helping out a friend in need." He gave a small, sad smile. The more times he said the word 'friend' in conjunction with Naruto, the fouler it tasted in his mouth.

"Just an inch or so, I expect to still have a full head of hair by the end of this…okay Sakura?"

"I got it, I got it Naruto. Don't freak out so much, just sit down." Naruto sighed heavily, but obeyed none the less. He sat down on a make-shift "salon chair" that Sakura had fashioned in the living room of her apartment. Before Sakura had wanted to be a nurse, she had wanted to be a hair stylist, and was always looking for heads of hair to experiment…ahem, practice on. Naruto being the selfless guy that he was, agreed to let Sakura trim his hair one stormy evening. Sasuke watched amusedly from the sidelines as Sakura began to snip off little tufts of golden hair from his best friends head. It had been a little over two weeks since he had confessed his attraction for the blonde idiot, and so far their relationship hadn't really changed much. If anything, it had just become a little awkward and tense, but nothing too drastic, which he was thankful for.

At first Naruto wasn't sure how he felt about being in a relationship with his best friend. With that kind of situation, there are always those annoying questions like: "What if I find that we're only compatible as friends?" or "What if it doesn't work out and we end up hating each other?" that make a person hesitant to just dive in head first with a full blown intimate relationship. Plus, there was the fact that he was still technically dating Sai. There were too many factors involved to make a hasty and slightly impulsive decision. He knew how he felt about the raven, but he wasn't at all sure about how to proceed.

"Ouch! What the hell Sakura?" Naruto rubbed at the back of his head where Sakura had just viciously yanked a strand of hair from.

"If it's a problem, get rid of it." She shrugged.

"So, when you have period cramps you just get rid of your uterus?" Naruto questioned disdainfully.

"Shut your face Naruto, you're gay, you don't get to talk about my uterus." Sakura laughed. Sasuke smirked at their playful banter, but was rather thankful when Sakura had finished with Naruto's hair and went to prepare dinner.

Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen and out to the two guys in the living room; their eyes glued to the television screen as they mashed buttons on their controllers.

"Sweet, I just learned a new word of power." Naruto cheered.

"I hate all these stupid Draugr Death Lords! I always thought that when you die, you're supposed to stay dead." Sasuke complained. He glared at the blonde beside him who was currently laughing at his expense.

"Dude, have you ever checked out the awesome glitch in Whiterun?" Naruto asked.

"No, not yet, but I did find the invisible chest outside of Solitude."

"Nice one."

"Damn! Fucking frost troll just killed me." Sasuke sighed and resisted the urge to chuck his controller across the room.

"Haha, you can beat Draugr Death Lords, but you can't beat a simple Frost Troll?" Naruto mocked. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and shut off his game system. (4)

"Apparently." He watched Naruto's character battle his way through a bandit stronghold for a few minutes, but eventually, his gaze drifted from the screen to the blonde on the couch beside him. The dull light of the living room gave Naruto's bronzed skin a soft glow. His eyes accented by the harsh reflection of the TV. His eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration as he played his game. Sasuke watched his nimble fingers push and glide over the buttons and analogue sticks. Surprisingly, it was quite the erotic sight.

Sensing Sasuke's intense gaze, Naruto self-consciously turned to see what the other wanted.

"What?" He asked, a light blush dusted his cheeks. Sasuke seemed to hesitate before answering.

"Nothing, just watching you." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed at the answer.

"Well, watch the screen; it's a much better view." He admonished. Naruto's button mashing ceased as a cool finger gently glided across his jaw and turned his face to look at its owner once more. Sasuke's heavy-lidded eyes were shining with some unknown emotion. Naruto's breath hitched in his chest as thin lips began moving closer towards his own.

Sasuke moved in slowly, giving Naruto time to pull away if he wanted to. He had no intention of forcing the blonde into a situation he was uncomfortable with…but at the same time, if he didn't make the first move, he was fairly certain, a 'first move' would never happen. With that thought in mind, it was better to just do it and hope for the best, after all, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission…right?

Naruto could easily pick out the resolve in those beautiful onyx eyes, and wished his own cerulean pools could mimic that determination. Unfortunately, his thoughts were having a hard time coming to an agreement within his head.

'I should kiss him….no I shouldn't…yes I should...no absolutely not…why exactly not? What if this happens? What if that happens? His lips look so soft…What lips where? Those lips there! Their coming closer…oh god what should I do? Flee! No stay! This anxiety can't be good for my heart! Maybe I should eat some cheerios! No, idiot, that's for high cholesterol! Oh no…oh no, their almost touching! What about Sai? It's just a kiss right? It's not technically considered cheating! Yes it is you moron, only cheaters think that way! Kiss him…don't kiss him…kiss him…don't kiss him...eenie meenie miney moe should I stay or should I go? Too late, their touching…oh…oh, that's nice, maybe…maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all.'

As hard to believe as it is, Naruto's thought process slowly shut down as Sasuke's lips captured his in a soft kiss. He engaged the blonde in slow, tender movements, trying to prolong the moment as much as possible. It felt too unbelievable to be real, and he feared at any second, he would be brought back to a reality where this wasn't really happening. Taking a risk, he slowly slid his tongue across Naruto's lips, asking for permission to go a bit further. He couldn't help the sigh that slipped out as, with the slightest bit of hesitation, Naruto's lips parted and welcomed Sasuke's tongue in to play.

"Do you guys want chips and salsa with the pizza?" The boys jerked away from each other at the sound of Sakura's voice. Sasuke cursed her existence as he turned back to the television screen. Naruto's fingers slid over his lips, still tingling from their previous activities. He looked over his shoulder at Sakura who was clearly feigning ignorance. Finding his voice, he finally answered her question.

"Could we have ramen with the pizza instead?"

Sasuke had arrived right on time to pick Naruto up from the clinic. After signing out, he helped the blonde out to his car, and secured him in with the seatbelt before going around to the driver's side of the car. He realized that chemo was not supposed to be pleasant, but he was starting to wonder if it was doing more harm than good. He looked over to where Naruto had his head resting against the door. He looked so pale and exhausted…a stark difference from their drive to the hospital. Sasuke let the radio play softly in the background as he slowly drove back to the blonde's house.

Jiraiya, hearing their approach, opened the door for Sasuke and Naruto. He helped the younger man haul the nearly unconscious blonde up the stairs and into bed. He assured Sasuke that this was normal. He explained that Naruto's body reacts differently depending on the dosage of Cytoxan and that they always up the dosage at the beginning of the cycle.

After Naruto was all tucked in, and sleeping soundly, Jiraiya turned to leave the room.

"I'll be right there." Sasuke quietly told the older man. Jiraiya nodded in understanding before heading back downstairs to finish folding the laundry.

Sasuke kneeled down beside the bed…he couldn't get enough of that beautiful face. He openly stared at the blonde's relaxed features in a way that he knew he couldn't do when the other was awake. Delicate eyelashes fanned out along closed eye lids, tickling tanned cheeks. Sasuke couldn't stop himself from gently tucking a few loose strands of golden hair back behind rounded ears and then softly tracing the straight slope of Naruto's slender nose. He allowed his thumb to brush over the scars decorating the blonde's cheek. With a heavy heart his thumb moved, ever so hesitantly across plush, pink lips. Sighing, he removed his hand and folded his arms on the bed; resting his head there. His eyes never left Naruto; he watched as the lips he once knew so well parted slightly, sucking in a deeper breath. He knew he shouldn't, but his body obviously didn't agree with that statement as he was already leaning forward.

For the first time in eight years, Sasuke ghosted his lips across the other man's. He wasn't prepared for the heavy ache this action created in his chest. It had been so soft and swift that he shouldn't have been able to feel it the way he did, but it was enough to confirm his fears.

Sasuke Uchiha was in love with Naruto Uzumaki.

He knew right then and there that he could not go another day without him…

He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that wouldn't be able to live in a world without him…

A single, silent tear trickled a path across his pale cheek. Stealing another soft kiss, Sasuke vowed it would not be his last.

(1) Sorry – Art of Dying.

(2) Haha, Right? I had so much fun ranting about this.

(3) Nowhere Kids – Shinedown.

(4) A virtual brownie to anyone who knows what game this is.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Unfortunately I cannot give you any idea on when the next chapter will be coming out, but I'll do my very best to get it out in some sort of timely fashion. (knock on wood) Reviews would be lovely…please and thank you! Which reminds me, Thank you everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed this last time around. You all make my days much sunnier! See you all next time! ^_^