I'm very sorry that this took a while. For what felt like the longest time I was suffering from writers block and absolutely nothing would come at all! BUT! Its over! Thanks for waiting, enjoy!

When Naruto woke again he was lying on his side facing a window. It was cooler now; the hot mugginess and the painful burning gone. The steady breathing of another person rose and fell against his shoulder blades as they lay back to back. Naruto blinked sleepily. He was at Sasuke's...What time was it? He tried to retrace the previous events of the day.

The light had fading away when he had started heading over the unfamiliar side of the village, searching for Sasuke. He remembered going through all the empty houses calling for him before coming to the big one at the end. By that time it was dark. He'd passed out not long after that with Sasuke's hands on him. He blushed a little at how pathetic and needy he had sounded at the time. But how long had he slept for?

"Teme?" Naruto rolled over and stared into the dark.

"Dobe." Sasuke was awake.

"What time is it?"

"Dunno," replied the other boy. "Early."

"Turn over, it's weird talking to your back," said Naruto, reached out and poking him in what felt like his shoulder. Sighing, Sasuke turned over. The blonde could see his silhouette now, his eyes becoming accustomed to the black of the room.

"What is it?" asked a tired voice. Naruto faltered. He didn't really have anything to talk about but sleeping facing Sasuke's back felt wrong. He waited... Sasuke breathed out. There it was; his sweet warm breath. Sasuke didn't even like sweets, it was so strange. Naruto closed his eyes. He wanted to fall asleep again with it.

"What do you want?" asked Sasuke again.

Nothing. I want nothing. He let his eyes close again.

"You know," murmured Naruto, eyes still closed, deciding that if he didn't talk he was in danger of being hit or insulted. "One of my favorite things now is sleeping next to someone else. I really love it..." There was a sudden moment where the blonde tensed, thinking Sasuke might taunt him for saying something like that but it passed when the other boy breathed in and then back out.

"What are you talking about, "someone else"? The only one you've ever slept next to is me," replied the Uchiha, quoting Naruto's his words back.

Then I love sleeping next to you, the blonde replied internally, pulling his face in a soft pout to mask his thoughts even though probably couldn't see him very well.

"I still love it."

Sasuke was silent for a while.

"Love," he said after a long time. "What do you think that is?" Naruto opened his eyes.

"Shouldn't you know a little more about that than me, Teme?" he asked. An image of Sasuke's mother, the beautiful Uchiha san that he had seen doing her shopping sometimes came to mind. She was so gentle looking, her smile so soft and pretty. She must have loved Sasuke so much... And Sasuke, Sasuke must have loved her so much... Naruto's eyes widened and suddenly he felt Sasuke's stare, cold and glaring.

"Ah, sorry..." he said softly, shrinking away from the Uchiha a bit. He had to admit that was rather insensitive of him. The tension eased and there was silence between them again. Again, it was Sasuke who spoke first.

"I think I've forgotten what it feels like." Naruto blinked at Sasuke's shadowed form. He was lying on his side so that they could both fit on his single bed.

"I don't think you can forget that kind of feeling, Teme," stated Naruto into the dark. "I mean, it's not like you don't have things you love now right? Don't you love Team 7?" Sasuke stayed quiet.

"You love Sakura chan and Kakashi sensei and me a bit don't you? We're like a family now." Naruto's eyes flicked back and forth across Sasuke's face that was only just visible.

"A family? Not really. If we were a family you would have a crush on your own sister and Kakashi is hardly a father figure," replied Sasuke, snorting softly through his nose. Naruto could feel him smirking, but the air between them felt a sad and lonely. He frowned.

"It's not like that," Naruto said forcefully, and then continued more softly. "For me, family isn't being related and having the same blood. It's the people who are the most precious to me, and right now, Team 7 is my number one." Sasuke tensed beside him.

This was all much too serious for the hyper active, happy go lucky blonde. Sasuke was never this serious, never this personal, but the thing that was most wrong was the face Naruto knew Sasuke was wearing. He'd never seen the face on his friend, but he knew it, he'd felt it, his own features had twisted into the same face many times. A look of pain and unbearable loneliness. But Sasuke had never made that face in front of Naruto before. It made the smaller boy anxious. He wanted Sasuke to end the conversation with one of his 'discussion stopper' remarks that Naruto never had a comeback to.

"Besides I don't know about Sakura and me anymore, I mean she's more like a protective, kind of violent mother hen than a sister don't you think? Sure, she's cute but super scary when she's mad!" said Naruto, trying to lighten the air.

"Yeah," said Sasuke distantly. It just wasn't working. The raven was still quiet and Naruto felt him pulling away. Not physically; his body was still close, he hadn't moved in a while, but he was pulling away. His heart was moving, withdrawing. It made the blonde uneasy.

"You're such a lonely guy Sasuke!" said Naruto suddenly. "Saying you don't know what love is... I know you love tomatoes for sure!" He finished in a laugh, grinning at Sasuke through the gloom. Sasuke laughed too; his small, confident laugh that he always did, the note of superiority weaved into it as always. Back to normal. Thank goodness.

"How do you even know that?" he asked. Naruto closed his eyes and smiled and then opened his mouth and continued like the other boy hadn't spoken.

"It's ok if you're a lonely guy though. Because that means you're all mine. Mine to beat up and tease whenever I want. I don't have to share you with anyone."

Sasuke was silent again and Naruto lay still next to him with his eyes closed, a strange kind of warmth filling his chest after saying that.

All mine... Sasuke was his, right? His rival, his best friend, his precious person. It was fine that he didn't want to share him with anyone else, because it was only natural to want to be closer, especially for Naruto. Sasuke was his very first bond. This warmth that he always felt when he was with Sasuke; even when they were fighting, it wasn't a lie. Without meaning to, he had reached out to the other boy a long time ago. Without meaning to, their hearts had grown closer together. They couldn't help it. More and more he wanted him and Sasuke to be like this. They barely ever fought over anything serious anymore and even though he was cold most of the time, Naruto knew better. Other people didn't know, but Sasuke could be gentle, in his own way. It was through lies and an annoyed face and sometimes he was pretty violent about it, but it was still gentleness.

Iruka sensei had once told him something about close team mates who had fought together being able to hear each others thoughts.

Ne, Sasuke, I wonder if you can hear me. Did you know that you're actually my absolute number one precious person?

Naruto waited. A dim light was creeping under the curtains, dawn was breaking. Sasuke's breath touched him again and Naruto watched him as his face lightened with the soft sunrays, life coming to his deep eyes making them smolder as he watched Naruto watching him.

"Want to eat?" asked Sasuke. Naruto laughed lightly.

"Yeah," he replied. I guess you didn't hear me, he thought as they climbed out of bed. But that's ok, because I don't think I really want you to know that yet...

…

Sasuke fingered the pocket on the front of the plain apron.

"Hurry up, Teme!" called Naruto who was sitting at table behind him. Sasuke scowled out at the window in front of him like it was the one yelling at him, rushing him. He sighed. His body felt heavy; like he needed to go back to bed. Unused to being awake earlier than the sun, the raven haired Uchiha was feeling drained. Lucky they didn't have training today and he had all day to recuperate before the festival.

He and Naruto were in the Uchiha house kitchen and after an argument over what to eat for breakfast; ramen versus actual food which resulted in Sasuke being slammed against the wall in the name of miso ramen and then Naruto being beaten. Sasuke had won and was cooking breakfast.

"An apron? What are you, a woman?" taunted Naruto from the where he was sitting cross legged on the chair closest. Sasuke snorted.

"Who are you calling a woman, you with your big blue eyes?" he retorted without turning to the boy. He tossed the food in the pan.

"What was that you bastard!"

All the gentle words from the bedroom were gone. The nature of their conversation made Sasuke feel light headed. He repositioned his fingers on the cooking chopsticks.

"You're all mine..." What was with that? They had both said odd things. But none of the things said had been mean or hurtful. It had been strange but... nice, or some kind of feeling like that. He wondered what had come over him, and Naruto for that matter. Had they both just been tired, or had they got caught up in the soft atmosphere that seemed to arise lately when they were close to each other? Sasuke frowned.

"Foods ready." He pulled the pan off the stove and began to divide it into two portions. His own was bigger of course. Sasuke set the meal on the table and sat down opposite his blonde teammate.

"Itadakimasu?" said Naruto, staring at the food like he'd never seen a full, proper breakfast before.

"Baka," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto wolfed down his food after the first taste. Sasuke slowly ate his, his eyes lowered to his meal, watching Naruto through his eyelashes. The other boy was daydreaming, staring at the paper door that lead to the big garden out the front. Was it really ok to leave him as he was? The seal... just what was going on with it? Kakashi had taken Naruto to the hospital but Sasuke guessed no one there and probably no one in all of Konoha knew much about Naruto's seal. Why did the pain come and go? This morning Naruto was completely different to how he was last night. Last night he had been a wreck, crying and throwing himself at Sasuke, clutching him desperately.

The moment their bodies touched Sasuke had understood. Naruto's arms wrapped around him, his fingertips pressing hard against his side. He got it, he could feel it and that blue was no longer unknown. Naruto was scared; the feeling was probably just as overwhelming as the pain itself. Naturally, his heart had weakly yearned for the comfort of having someone near. Sasuke knew the feeling well, although he has never indulged it.

He remembered lifting them both, Naruto couldn't move, he just slumped against Sasuke, loosening his grip so that he could fall back. When Sasuke has put his hands on him the heat coming of the boy almost made him recoil. He was much hotter than last time. Sasuke had watched his eyes fall closed as his mouth opened into words that never that formed. Eventually he had cooled down, although it had taken much longer for the raging, unseen fire under his fingertips to disappear. Sasuke had then carefully rolled him over with a habitual, exasperated sigh and curled up next to him, covering them both with the comforter. Somehow, Naruto had ended up in his bed. Again.

But this morning the boy was fine, acting like it never happened. Sasuke watched him openly for a moment, lifting his eyes properly. Naruto's blue eyes were unfocused, his face sitting in his palm, leaning lazily on the table top. There was a small bruise from Sasuke's fist on his jaw. Dark eyes traced him slowly. He was wearing the same black t-shirt and orange pants that he had been when he had shown up last night, his forehead protector and bright jacket were missing. Sunbeams from through the window by the sink caught in his blonde hair, making it shine golden. Naruto was a bit breath taking, the air surrounding him while he was so calm was soft and gentle. Sasuke finished his last bite and was still watching Naruto's unguarded face when he turned to him, his mouth open to say something but no words ever came when he met his rivals gaze.

Neither said anything as Naruto's blue held Sasuke's black. Sasuke couldn't look away. He didn't even care that he had being caught staring. Naruto's expression was surprised; his eyes widened a little, cheeks slightly pink. His lips were parted. After a long moment Naruto blinked and Sasuke looked away, letting out his breath. There was silence between them but it lacked the awkwardness that should have hung heavily on it. Sasuke breathed in through his nose, trying to work out why it hadn't been strange. Why had staring at Naruto and being stared back at by him for an inappropriate length of time, felt so normal. It had been like that lately. At the inn in the bath, in bed and then last night and this morning. Every time their actions had been wrong, out of character, but right and expected at the same time. It made his head spin a little.

"I need a kimono for tonight," said Naruto, speaking up first. "Can I borrow one?" Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, frowning. Half opening his eyes, he gazed at his empty bowl, distracting himself with thoughts of the new subject. He needed one too; he hadn't had a new kimono since he was a kid...

"I don't have any, but you have money. Go buy one," Sasuke replied flatly, his indifferent mask sliding up over his features.

"Lets go buy them together ok Sasuke?" the blonde said. The raven looked up. Naruto was grinning stupidly, waiting for an answer like a child, like an idiot... The raven wondered for a second if Naruto had had the same stream of thoughts he had had a minute before. Or was he just unaffected by everything... The thought smacked Sasuke in the chest, he was breathless and he had to work hard to keep his face smooth. Am I the only one who is getting flustered over this? Naruto's eyebrows twitched.

"Later," replied Sasuke, turning his face away. Naruto sat back in his chair.

"When?"

"Later."

"Why?"
"Because I said so."

Naruto pouted but they left it at that.

The two boys spent most of the morning at Sasuke's, lying on the veranda that ran all the way around the Uchiha house. Sasuke dozed in the sun; recuperating, but Naruto, who couldn't sit still, didn't stay on the veranda long, and even though he had had just about as much sleep as Sasuke, still seemed to have energy. The blonde boy took a long walk around the house, hunted through the fridge in vain searching for ice blocks, went looking for kimonos incase Sasuke had been lying and then sat next to the small pond in the garden watching the orange and black fish. Sasuke kept his eyes closed most of the time but sometimes opened them to watch Naruto's face. His unguarded expression while he was at the pond was fascinating. He sat back on his haunches with the tips of his fingers dipped into the pond, smiling happily and laughing softly when the fish came and sucked on his fingers. His behavior was completely different to the normal Naruto, but it wasn't unlike him either.

In between his little activities, Naruto would come back to the edge of the veranda and Sasuke would feel him watching him. The raven pretended to be asleep. At times, the blonde would stay for a while, sometimes silently creeping onto the veranda to lie next to Sasuke or sit by his side. Other times he would only stop for a short time and then leave again to amuse himself in some other way while he waited. He never said anything. Maybe because Sasuke was 'sleeping'.

The sun had moved so far it was almost overhead when Sasuke got up from the veranda. Naruto sighed and scowled at him for sleeping so long.

"Can we go now?" asked the blonde haired boy as the other came to stand next to him by the pond that Naruto had come back to for the third time. Sasuke didn't reply immediately. For a moment he just watched two fish; one dusty black and one brilliant orange, dance around each other. Their tails swished and Sasuke looked up and then turned.

"We can go now," he said, heading back inside.

…

Naruto walked behind Sasuke as they entered the heart of the village. It was bustling by this time and they had to push their way past a few people occasionally. The blonde boy smiled happily as he watched Sasuke's back, observing the way Sasuke's slim arms swung as he walked. Usually the boy wore shorts and walked with his hands in his pockets so Naruto had rarely seen him walk with his arms by his side. Today he wore light three quarter pants and a wide necked, navy shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back. His pale limbs made small, graceful swings; skimming his hip bone from time to time.

Naruto was wearing the Uchiha crest as well. After thoroughly hunting through Sasuke's wardrobe for something without the red and white fan because Sasuke didn't want him to wear it, and coming up empty handed, Sasuke had lent him a shirt with the smallest crest on it. Naruto fingered the print on the bottom corner of the shirt near his hip. The shirt was a bit too big; the seam that his shoulders should have extended to was a little uncomfortable against his arm and the hem at the bottom fell lower than it would have on Sasuke. Wearing Sasuke's clothes made Naruto's heart to a funny jump. Today they weren't ninja; neither was wearing his forehead protector. Today they weren't rivals. Today they were just two ordinary people. It was nice.

"Welcome!" called a woman from the far side of the room as they entered the shop. There were kimonos everywhere.

"Need a kimono for the festival?" she guessed, smiling gently at the two boys. Naruto smiled back. "Right this way." She directed them with a firm push.

Naruto stood self consciously waiting outside a curtained corner for Sasuke to finish trying on a kimono that the shop lady had picked out for him. He had never been in this shop before. Next to where he was standing, a boy was admiring himself in the mirror, turning this way and that to see the green kimono he was wearing from all angles.

"Going to the festival?" asked Naruto, smiling at the boy as he caught his eye.

"Yes!" replied the boy energetically, giving him the thumbs up and flashing him a wide smile. Naruto struggled to suppress a huge grin as he got a good look at the boy. His hair was cut evenly in a bowl cut and was a glossy black; his eyes were very round with thick eyelashes. Above the dark eyes were the thickest eyebrows the blonde had ever seen. He was a bit of a sight. Naruto wondered if he was a ninja too.

"I saw a very beautiful girl come in the gates from her mission the other day so I am hoping to see her there and win her heart!" continued the boy as he turned back and began preening himself.

"I see," said Naruto. The conversation didn't go any further than that because at that moment the curtain pulled away and Sasuke came out.

Naruto took a step back to get a good look at the Uchiha. In the navy blue, nearly black kimono Sasuke looked even taller. Naruto was a little awestruck. Suddenly there was something very different about Sasuke; the air around him had changed. Naruto whistled.

"That one suits you Teme," he said. Sasuke lifted his chin and smirked making Naruto's heart miss a beat. He looked so superior; like royalty, his pale skin glowing against the dark garment. It was impossible not to stare at him. Naruto decided that he had been wrong before. Sasuke was definitely most beautiful in a kimono. The boy's whiskered cheeks flushed slightly as he stared openly.

"Sasuke, you're kind of...I mean I..."

"Good, good!" called the shop lady, surprising both ninja as she bustled over with another kimono and pushing Naruto forward making him yelp.

"It seems like all you ninja are off missions because of the festival today so I have a lot of customers. Get your friend to help you with tying it; he seems to know what he's doing." She nodded at Sasuke. The curtain swept in front of him, cutting him off from Sasuke and Naruto stood helplessly with the orange kimono in his hands, not quite sure what to do.

…

Sasuke didn't talk to the green boy while he waited. He just stood feeling painfully nostalgic in a kimono. Distractedly, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. Naruto came out and Sasuke looked up.

"You really are a Dobe aren't you?" muttered Sasuke, his brows furrowing as Naruto stumbled around, half wearing the kimono. He smacked the Naruto on his blonde head and then proceeded to properly do up the kimono. When he was done he turned the boy around by his shoulders and gave him a long scrutinizing look.

"D-does it look good?" asked Naruto quietly, his eyes averted to the floor. Sasuke hesitated and then replied just as quietly.

"Y-yeah, it does.."

They paid and left the shop wearing the kimono because Sasuke refused to do Naruto's up again later.

"Let's stay at yours again tonight," called Naruto as he tripped in his newly purchased wooden geta.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"Fine!" Naruto tripped into step with him and grinned up at him. Sasuke turned his face away. Naruto was actually stunning in the bright kimono. The colour set his blue eyes off, making them dance with hot blue flames. With his wild blonde hair and the orange of the material he was like a clumsy ball of sunshine, stumbling along by his side. Sasuke felt himself redden. They must look like a real pair walking together. One in deep blue and one in vibrant orange. The young Uchiha couldn't help but think of the two fish in his pond; dusty blue-black and brilliant bright orange.