It all felt so familiar. Here he was again, nine years later, standing in the same white room while police crowded the hallway. Last time, it had been his brother offering soft assurances, but this time his father was the one by his side, his hand firmly on his shoulder.
Sasuke couldn't look when they wheeled the corpse in. He didn't want to see the white cloth covering body. It would be too much.
"Come, Sasuke," his father urged gently. "He would want you to be by his side."
Silently the raven nodded. When the ambulance arrived, Sasuke had been forced to the side in the commotion. Police and doctors alike swarmed the scene in a desperate attempt to be useful.
But now, things had calmed and the hospital room was empty save for Iruka. There was plenty of room for Sasuke.
When the door opened, the first thing Sasuke noticed was how pale Naruto looked. The normally tan skin was dimmed with sweat and fever. Thick bandages were wrapped around his blonde hair, a bit of red seeping through on the right side of his forehead.
"God, Naruto," the Uchiha breathed.
He felt guilt, he felt pity, but most of all Sasuke felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Naruto was here, breathing, alive. It was all Sasuke could do to walk over to the chair before his legs lost power. He sank down and grabbed the blonde's hand, limp but warm.
It felt like eternity, sitting in that chair. The room remained clear except for Sasuke and Iruka, and they never spoke. Every now and then a doctor or nurse would walk in to check the charts, but they never stayed long. The whole time Sasuke couldn't let go of Naruto's hand.
**********Scene Change**********
It was a terrible dream. He was standing in a room, blood staining the carpeted floor. Naruto was on the floor, dead, a perfect, round hole right through his head, and Sasuke could hear laughter echoing through the apartment. Kushina's face seemed to be everywhere, laughing.
"Hey, teme, wake up."
The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to pull Sasuke from the nightmare. Blinking, he opened his eyes to find he wasn't in a room covered in blood. He was in the hospital, with a very much alive Naruto.
And, it seemed, a very much awake Naruto.
"You were crying," the blonde wheezed.
"That's because I have to be in here with you, moron," Sasuke rebutted roughly, wiping at his wet cheeks. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," the blonde replied. "As soon as I opened my eyes Iruka rushed off to get me some water, and I'm not exactly sure where he ended up. That man has no sense of direction."
Sasuke recognized the attempt at humor, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. Not when there was so much to say.
Naruto saw the look in Sasuke's eye. Play time was over. "What happened? What happened after she drugged me?"
"The police had you surrounded. They made it to the room right when she had the gun to your head. One of the SWAT shot her before she could shoot you," Sasuke explained. The tears were threatening to come again, but he held them back.
"So she's dead?"
Sasuke gave a nod. "I saw the body. They wheeled it right past me while I was waiting for you."
Naruto didn't speak. How could Sasuke expect him to?
Suddenly, Naruto was crying. "I know I should be happy. I mean, the woman tried to kill me, but I still can't help feeling so terribly empty. I really am an orphan now."
Without thinking, Sasuke leaned forward and pulled the blonde as close as the machines would allow.
"You're not. You have Iruka, and that man loves you more than anything else in the world. And you have me," he whispered gently into the bandaged ear.
"I have you?"
The question was quite, and Sasuke wondered is Naruto even meant to ask it.
"You have me," Sasuke assured him, "and you always will. I will never let you be alone again."
Naruto pulled back, and for a moment Sasuke thought he had pushed the blonde too far. The he saw Naruto shift over and pat the space beside with him.
"I'm tired," Naruto explained sheepishly, "and I do believe I interrupted your nap."
Sasuke grinned before climbing in next to him. It was awkward, with so little room, but eventually they adjusted where Naruto was resting halfway on Sasuke's chest.
"Hey Sasuke?"
"Hn."
Naruto pinched his arm.
"What dobe?"
"Can I tell you something?"
"It's a free country."
Again, Sasuke received a harsh print.
"I'm serious, teme," the blonde grunted.
Giving a slight chuckle Sasuke began to run his hand through the un-bandaged part of his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."
"Do you remember when I told Sakura I wasn't looking for a girl?"
Sasuke felt like he was going to choke. "Yes."
Naruto turned slightly so that he could lean up to face Sasuke. "This might seem out of nowhere, and I'm really sorry if it makes you uncomfortable after everything you've done, but I'm so sick of lies."
Sasuke couldn't look away from Naruto's firm gaze. He was tired of lies, too.
"You can tell me," the Uchiha assured him.
"I guess almost dying does something for perspective," Naruto started quietly. "It gives you time to think, and I thought about you. I thought about how angry I was at you, for not telling me the truth."
Sasuke started to say something, to apologize, but Naruto cut him off.
"Then I remembered that we were just kids. How could you be expected to do anything other than what you did? And really, no matter what happened, I could never really stay mad at you. Even when we were kids, I would have forgiven you."
Sasuke didn't know what to say, so he remained silent and waited for Naruto to continue.
The blonde looked away and nervously played with the hem of his blanket.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that whatever happens, I always want you in my life, Sasuke. I love you."
Naruto was still starring awkwardly at his lap, so Sasuke gently put his hand under the boy's chin and lifted until once again they were facing each other.
"Good," the raven replied with a smile, "because I always want to be in your life."
He leaned forward until this lips touched.
**********Scene Change**********
Iruka could barely breathe when he finally swung open the door to his son's hospital room. He had left under the assumption that he remembered exactly where the cafeteria was, but within minutes he found himself in the maternity ward. If it hadn't been for his son's nice homeroom teacher with the eye-patch who had come to wish his student well, Iruka would still be wandering aimlessly.
Why did they make the hospital so big?
So finally with his prize, Iruka rushed in to be with his newly awakened son, but the minute he saw the bed he knew the ice wasn't what the boy needed.
Curled up in the small bed were his son and his son's best friend. Naruto was on Sasuke's chest and Sasuke's arm was wrapped around the blonde. For two juniors in high school, they looked unfairly cute.
Even since he got the call from Sasuke, Iruka had worried over how his son would be able to heal from everything. Not just the physical injuries, but beyond. How could he heal a child who had been so hurt?
Looking at the two boys, Iruka thought that maybe it wouldn't be too hard getting Naruto back to his bubbly self. Maybe they would be ok.
**********Scene Change**********
"So where are we going?" Naruto asked, sliding into the car. "Isn't it a little cold for soccer?"
The weather had begun to drop, and for a southerner like Naruto it felt like the arctic. Even with the sun shining in the sky, dark cloud with a look of snow loomed on the horizon.
"Just trust me," Sasuke said with a grin. "Let's just say it's a little present from your teammates."
Naruto laughed and leaned back to get comfortable for the drive. It had been three weeks since Kushina and two since his discharge from the hospital. He hadn't returned to school. Iruka decided to have him just start winter break early, and Sasuke went over every day after school to help the blonde keep up with the class work he missed.
They pulled up next to the soccer field.
"What is this?" Naruto asked as he got out of the car.
Sasuke almost had to laugh at the blonde's face. Naruto stared at the players warming up on the field in shock, and the look only intensified and a red-head walked up to him.
"Long time no see Naruto."
"Gaara!"
Immediately the blonde ran over to embrace his friend, and despite the boy's normally stoic personality he couldn't help but hug back. Gaara had received a call from Iruka after Naruto woke up in the hospital. The fear of almost losing his best friend still haunted him.
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked. Looking at the field again he realized that Gaara wasn't the only visitor. "What are all of you doing here?"
"You owe us a championship," Gaara explained easily.
"Didn't you already play that?" the blonde asked.
"That wasn't a fair game," Kiba yelled, running up from the circle of Konoha players. "We didn't have our two stars."
Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, and the raven gave him an encouraging smile. Yes, his friends cared about him. They had done this for him.
"Well then, let's play!"
The game kicked off. Naruto hadn't lied when he said Suna would be a tough opponent. Sasuke was nearly swamped by Kankuro and other Suna defenders and, Naruto had his hands full with Gaara's quick ball work.
And the whole time, Naruto couldn't stop smiling. Both teams played at their highest level, so invested in the game that they didn't even notice the cars pulling up.
By halftime, the field was surrounded by spectators. Parents and friends cheered their support, hopping around to keep warm in the cold weather.
The game was tied. Only two minutes remained on Shikamaru's stop watch, and Konoha had the a corner kick. Naruto took the kick. He planted his foot and swung with all his might, sending the small sphere in a perfect arch over the heads of the defenders. It was like a magnet, pulled directly to one Sasuke Uchiha. He came out of nowhere, running in a loop around his defender to come in perfect alignment with the ball.
He headed it, and the ball crashed against the net.
There was no time for Suna to retaliate. Cheers from the players and spectators rang out across the field. Those on the sidelines came running over to congratulate the athletes, and in the mass of people, Sasuke ran over to grab Naruto and pull him close.
"I have one more surprise for you," the raven whispered.
The blonde couldn't imagine anything more. To be surrounded by his old and new friends was more than enough.
"Sasuke…" he started, but the Uchiha cut him off with a quick peck on the lips.
"Just trust me," Sasuke whispered with a wink.
Sasuke detangled them from the crowd and began to pull Naruto toward the almost empty bleachers. Sitting on the top bench were Iruka and Kakashi (a situation Naruto found awkward, but adorable nonetheless), and beside them where two men that the blonde never thought he would get to see again.
"I once told you that I had a general idea where my brother was. Turns out mother knew exactly. She helped me contact him," Sasuke explained.
"Hello, Naruto," Itachi greeted with a smile, but Naruto didn't even look at him. He was too busy staring at the red-haired man beside him.
"Kyu?"
Naruto's voice shook. He couldn't help but be hesitant, afraid that at any moment this would all play out into some sick joke.
"Yeah, Naru, it's me."
And then Naruto was in his arms. The elder clung to his little brother for dear life, tears seeping down his cheeks as well.
"God, Naruto, I am so sorry. I read in the paper you where dead, and I knew she did it. I knew. I couldn't believe when Itachi told me you were still alive. I looked all over for you," Kyuubi rambled. "And then I heard she came back. Fuck, Naruto, I…"
"It's OK," Naruto assured him, pulling back to look Kyuubi in the eye. "I'm here. I'm alive. And we're together again."
As the two Namikazes had their moment, Sasuke stood to the side with his own brother.
"We finally fixed it," Itachi said, ruffling Sasuke's hair. "You did good."
"Hey, knock it off," Sasuke protested, swatting Itachi's hand away. They stood quietly for a moment, watching the reunion in front of them. "I missed you."
Itachi glanced at his brother in surprise. "I missed you, too, Sasuke."
"Mother wants you to come back home. I wouldn't mind that either."
The elder sighed. "Father wouldn't like that."
"It was Father's idea to ask you," Sasuke rebutted, proud at the shock in his brother's composed features.
"Let's be a family again," Sasuke suggested.
"I don't think I could live there anymore," Itachi admitted, but seeing his brother's smile begin to slip quickly added, "but I think it might be a good idea for me to perhaps get my own place in Konoha. Besides, I don't think Kyuubi is going to want to be away from Naruto anytime soon."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And this affects your place of residents how?"
Itachi gave him a playful poke on the forehead. "Come now, foolish little brother. Surely you don't think I tracked that crazy Namikaze down for a way to pass the time, do you? He was a convict on the run- not exactly an easy man to find."
"You wanted to tell him about Naruto?" Sasuke tried weakly.
"That wasn't the only thing I wanted to tell him."
Sasuke just shook his head. "I suppose it makes sense. We Uchihas only settle for the best."
The Uchihas hadn't noticed when Naruto and Kyuubi stopped hugging and walked over. Naruto curled himself into his boyfriend's side, leaning his head into the crook of Sasuke's shoulder while Kyuubi silently slipped his hand into Itachi's.
"Indeed we do, Sasuke."
Well…that is the end. Hopefully it was satisfying. If not, I apologize for wasting your time.
The only real note I want to add is why I added the ItachixKyuubi at the end. From chapter one I knew I wanted to bring them back in at the end, complete the family and all, but I never intended to make them a couple until now. I do like that pairing, but sometimes I wonder if it's a little weird for brothers to date brothers.
In this case, I decided to do it for one particular reason: It gave Naruto a good reason to keep staying with Iruka. I worried that with Kyuubi back it would only make sense for Naruto to move in with him, but I didn't want to leave Iruka without his adopted son. Hopefully with Itachi in the picture, it would make sense that Kyuubi was more willing to let his little brother live somewhere else so he could be alone with his love.
Perhaps I'm over thinking this completely, and that wasn't a concern at all, but either way there's my reasoning.
So for the last time: I do not own Naruto.
No flames.
Peace out.
