It was early evening on a Saturday, and Sasuke was cleaning around the apartment. The temperature had dropped, and according to the weatherman at the local station, the forecast called for sleet. Naruto had been out most of the afternoon, running errands and, likely, getting into trouble with Kiba. Ollie was circling the kitchen island, watching Sasuke as he pulled out dishes from the dishwasher and placed them in the cabinets. Once he was finished in the kitchen, Sasuke vacuumed the living room, which sent the cat scurrying for the bedroom and into the closet. After he was done vacuuming, Sasuke folded some laundry and, just as he'd discovered a pair of Naruto's boxers mixed up with his stuff, his cell phone started to vibrate. He picked it up, figuring it was Naruto, except it was Kiba's number showing. Maybe Naruto had left his phone somewhere and was calling with Kiba's phone; it wouldn't be the first time.

"Hello?" He answered.

"...Sasuke? It's Kiba."

"What's up?" He asked cautiously. There was something off about Kiba's tone, and it set him on edge.

"Um. I don't want you to panic or anything, but I'm on my way to your apartment to pick you up."

"Kiba. What's going on?"

"Naruto's been in an accident - "

Sasuke's knees seemed to give out as he took a seat on the bed.

" - And, I don't know much. He was with me earlier today at his Dad's, and then he said he was gonna head to your guys' apartment. I was still at his Dad's when Minato got a call from a policeman who was at the scene. The ambulance's already taken him to the hospital. Minato's on his way there, and I thought I'd come and get you. I'm a few minutes away... Hey Sasuke, are you still there?"

Sasuke hunched over, a single finger tracing back and forth anxiously across his bottom lip. "Yeah..." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm still here. H-how is he, do you know? What happened?"

"Not sure. I think the road was slick and someone wasn't able to stop at the light, so they T-boned him on the driver's side. Minato ran out the door as he was explainin' to me and told me to go get you. Okay, I'm about to your apartment now, so I'll have the car right by the stairs."

"I'm on my way out," said Sasuke, ending the call.

He got up fast, grabbing only his wallet and keys from the dresser. He slipped on a pair of shoes and snagged his jacket from off the coat rack by the front door. It slammed on his way out. He put his coat on as he hurriedly made his way down the stairs. He could see Kiba's car at the bottom of the steps. The night was gray and dreary, a drizzle of rain falling. Sasuke got in the car.

"Hey," greeted Kiba. He looked nervous. "It'll be alright. I'm sure he's fine. You know Naruto. Nothin' can touch that guy."

Sasuke strapped on his seat belt. He'd barely heard him. There were about a million things running through his head, and the chaos driving those thoughts was compounded by the urgency he felt at needing to see Naruto. If it had been a minor accident, Naruto would've called him. So, that he'd had to receive a call from Kiba made him consider nothing but worst case scenarios. As they drove out of the parking lot, the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach only grew. Any stop they had to make at a sign or light incensed and frustrated him. While he quietly endured it, Kiba shouted and cursed at the traffic. Below the dread and anxiousness, there was a tiny bubble of guilt. Naruto'd been on his way to their apartment. Coming to see him. Had he been rushing?

What could he have done or said to prevent it from happening?

Again, his stomach clenched, and he put his fist to his lips to try and keep the bile from rising.

"It'll be okay, right?" Kiba asked again as the hospital came into view.

Sasuke regarded him briefly but didn't have an answer to give. Kiba was pale, his grip on the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles had turned red and splotchy. It felt like he should try to comfort Kiba, but he couldn't think of anything to say. As soon as they parked near the entrance to the emergency room, the both of them instantly raced out of the car, running past a parked ambulance and in through the automatic sliding doors. Breathless, Kiba shouted at the receptionist in broken gasps while Sasuke clarified in a much calmer voice (than he actually felt) who they were looking for.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he said, while the fingers of the woman behind the computer clicked across the keyboard.

"Are you his family?" she asked, reading something on the screen before she raised her eyes to meet his.

"No...," he answered slowly. "His father should be here already."

"Well, he's in with the doctor right now, so you'll have to wait until Mr. Uzumaki's father comes to get you."

"What?" asked Kiba, who was leaning over the counter trying to get behind it to see the screen. "I might as well be his brother and this guy here is his boyfriend. Are you sayin' we can't go see him?"

Kiba's voice was loud and carried over to the waiting room, causing a few people to look their way. The woman glanced at Sasuke, gave him a sympathetic look, but said: "I'm really sorry. It's the hospital's policy not to allow anyone but family or an emergency contact, and it appears Naruto's emergency contact is Minato Namikaze."

"Yeah," said Kiba. "That's his Dad. Shit, well can you let him know we're here? Minato'll come out right away."

"Of course. I'll have a nurse page him. Until then, if you just want to take a seat in the waiting room."

Sasuke put his arm on the counter. "Can you at least tell us what sort of condition he's in?" He looked her in the eye, and then added, "Please."

She nodded, her fingers again clicking across the keyboard. "I can tell you that surgery wasn't required, but beyond that, it's not in the computer yet."

Kiba only grew more agitated, but Sasuke grabbed him by the arm.

"Thank you very much," Sasuke said, and dragging Kiba away, found them a couple of seats.

"That is so fuckin' irritating," Kiba complained. "At least you should be able to go back there if I can't. That's retarded."

"I'm sure if it was serious, Minato would've left a message or been out here waiting for us."

"He should be out here even if it's not serious!"

"Keep your voice down," Sasuke scolded. In the meantime, he kept eyeing the doors, expecting Naruto to walk out at any second to reassure him that he just had a few scratches.

"Sorry," said Kiba. "It's just..." He sighed. "Sorry. I'm sure you know how this feels, but it's so... Fuck."

Sasuke gave the other man a sidelong look. Kiba had his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together, and a deep wrinkle in his brow. Sasuke leaned back in his own chair and lifted his gaze to the fluorescent lights above their heads.

"So now what?" Kiba asked.

Still staring up at the lights, Sasuke replied in a gruff voice, "We wait."


They waited 15 long minutes before Minato walked through the doors, spotted them, and came over to where they sat. Sasuke got to his feet first, and then so did Kiba. Minato looked anxious still, but he smiled at them reassuringly. He put one hand on Sasuke's shoulder and the other on Kiba's.

"He's doing fine. He's asking to see you both, but the doctor's putting his arm in a sling, and they have to do a few stitches. He's got a concussion, and he's a bit sore. He's worked up about the lady who hit him. I guess she didn't fair as well and is in surgery. Give it maybe 15 minutes, and I should be able to get you both in there to see him."

"Figures he'd be worried about the person who hit him," muttered Kiba.

Minato ruffled Kiba's hair, and then he looked at Sasuke, expression serious.

"Sasuke," he said. "Naruto wants me to specifically tell you that he is okay. He was upset he couldn't call you directly. So, let's all just sit here until they're done. Assuming Naruto won't barge out on them beforehand. Do you want anything from the vending machine? Some chips or some soda while we wait?"

"No way. I still feel like I'm gonna throw up," said Kiba.

Sasuke had to agree. Plus, being in hospitals always made him incredibly uncomfortable.

"Well, I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee," announced Minato. "That boy's gonna be the death of me." He headed toward the vending machines at the other end of the room and through one of the doors.

Sasuke and Kiba shared a glance. Kiba attempted a smile.

"At least he's okay. Sounds like he's pretty banged up, huh? Still gonna love him if he's ugly now?"

Sasuke didn't have the heart to find that funny even though he knew Kiba was simply trying to lighten the mood. He couldn't relax until he got to see and talk to Naruto in person. In fact, he was finding it incredibly difficult standing here in the waiting room when all he wanted to do was rush through the doors and find him. He knew that it could've been much, much worse. Eventually, the both of them sat back down in their chairs, Minato joining them soon afterward. It was calming to have him around as he sat on Sasuke's other side.

"You know, there's nothing worse than when something happens to your child and feeling like you have no control over it. When the police called and said there'd been an accident," he paused, lowered his head, and gripped his coffee with both hands, "I think I moved on instinct. I'm glad that Kiba went to get you. I really wasn't thinking about anything else as I ran out the door. Naruto was insisting I call you as soon as I saw him. It was the first thing out of his mouth - "

Sasuke bowed his head, tilting it away from Minato so that his hair fell over his eyes and hid most of his expression.

" - But, even though I saw that he was mostly okay, just to see him with a few bruises and scratches..." Minato stopped speaking and hummed thoughtfully. "He knew you'd be worried and upset, so we'll go see him soon."

"That idiot shouldn't be worried about me," Sasuke mumbled.

"I think given the circumstances, he couldn't help it."

Sasuke glanced over at the older man, knowing he was referring to his parents' accident. It wasn't as if the parallel hadn't entered his mind. However, it would figure that Naruto would worry more about him than his own injuries. Maybe he was a bit emotional at the moment, but Sasuke was starting to feel annoyed at his boyfriend for being so selfless. It meant that sometimes Naruto cared more about other people than himself. That didn't bode well with Sasuke because, for him, Naruto was the priority in his life. It had nothing to do with Naruto being insecure - it was just his instinct to put others before himself. Maybe it was part of the reason Sasuke liked when he could spoil Naruto a bit, be attentive, make Naruto understand how much he meant to him. How much he loved him.

Finally, the doctor emerged from the emergency room, briefly consulted a nurse at the reception area, and then walked directly to them. He nodded at Minato, at Sasuke, and at Kiba. He was an older man with long, bushy salt and pepper hair that was pulled into a ponytail.

"We've finished with the sutures. He has two broken fingers on his left hand and a wrist sprain. The swelling on his eye should go down in a day or two. He can come in after about a week to have the stitches removed. The concussion isn't too serious, but it'll be good if he's monitored over the course of the evening. I don't think it'll be necessary to keep him overnight; however, if he complains of any light-headedness, memory loss, or severe nausea, then call or bring him into the emergency room right away. I've called in a prescription for some pain medication."

"So, can we see him now?" Kiba asked.

The doctor nodded. "Yes. You can see him now. He's getting dressed and should be discharged shortly."

Sasuke felt a huge relief. Minato thanked the doctor, and the three of them followed him through the winding hallways until they reached Naruto's room. The door was partially open. The doctor knocked, and they all heard Naruto reply with a "Come in."

Just as the door opened, they saw that one of the female nurses was helping Naruto button his shirt. Sasuke'd caught a glimpse of a large bruise on Naruto's left side. It was roughly the size of a shoe print, and as he turned around to greet them, Sasuke's lips parted a little as he took in Naruto's condition. It looked like someone beat the shit out of him.

"Oh Jesus," said Kiba, "You look awful."

"Thanks a lot, jerk," said Naruto, although he did appear self-conscious.

The nurse helping him simply smiled and excused herself. Naruto told her thanks as she squeezed his uninjured wrist. She also smiled sweetly at Sasuke as she passed him by on her way out. Naruto sat on the edge of his hospital bed. There were machines nearby, beeping and blinking. The TV in the corner of the room was on but the volume muted. Naruto was staring at him, uncertain and nervous maybe. Sasuke wished there weren't so many people in the room, but he also couldn't seem to get his feet to move either. There was a gash above Naruto's left eye. That same eye was also a blackish-purple and swollen enough that it was shut halfway. Two of his fingers were wrapped, and his arm was in a sling; his wrist was bandaged. Those were just the injuries Sasuke could see.

The doctor was the one to break the silence. "Well, Naruto. Do you feel like you're ready to go home?"

"I was ready to go an hour ago." He shifted on the bed, and Sasuke observed the way he winced. "How's Mrs. Walker doing, do y'know? Is she out of surgery?"

"She's in recovery, but everything went fine."

Kiba went to Naruto and sat by his side on the bed. Again, Naruto gazed at Sasuke. He couldn't explain why, but seeing Naruto bandaged and bruised was... difficult. It seemed safest to keep quiet and stand there, or else...

"Well, your paperwork is at the desk, so whenever you're ready to go, you can. I'll expect to see you next week to get those stitches out. You might want to have someone stay with you tonight, just to make sure the concussion hasn't caused any serious damage."

"D'ya hear that? You could be even more brain damaged than before," said Kiba. He bumped - very lightly - against Naruto's shoulder. Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke felt bad that Kiba, even if it was obvious he was faking it, could pretend like nothing had happened. Sasuke should've been the one trying to make Naruto feel better.

"I'll be staying with Sasuke tonight at the apartment," Naruto said, glancing right at him, his eyebrow raised. "If that's okay."

"Of course it's okay," Sasuke replied in a low, almost hoarse tone. Naruto nodded, continuing to watch him.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair. Naruto, take care of yourself. I have a feeling that the nurses around here are going to miss you." The doctor laughed when Naruto protested profusely and looked embarrassed. The older man excused himself from the room, and Minato followed after him to ask a few questions.

There was an awkward moment when Kiba kept glancing between the both of them since no one was speaking. He fidgeted uncomfortably and then said, "Uh, I'll go with your Dad for a sec."

"Alright," said Naruto. "Do you mind gettin' me a bottle of water while you're out there, too?"

"Sure thing." Kiba stood and left the room, closing the door behind him, giving them some privacy.

Naruto, favoring his left side, got up from the bed and walked over. He didn't have his shoes on, only socks, which left him at least an inch or two shorter than Sasuke. The corner of Naruto's mouth seemed to quiver, and as he came even closer, Sasuke could see he had a cut on his bottom lip.

"See, I'm alive," said Naruto in a near-whisper.

Almost immediately, Sasuke wrapped his arms around him, as gently as he possibly could. He rested his forehead on Naruto's shoulder, turning his head so that his nose grazed Naruto's neck. He breathed in his scent. Naruto was warm. He put an arm around Sasuke's waist.

"Sorry that I worried you," he told Sasuke.

He shut his eyes at Naruto's words and placed a kiss at the dip above his collarbone, then another at the base of Naruto's neck.

"I wanted to call, but my goddam phone got smashed up in the accident and - "

"Shut up." Sasuke held him more tightly. He held on for as long as it took to make his brain process that Naruto was alright, that everything would be okay. "We'll talk about it at home. I don't want to talk about it yet."

"Okay," Naruto replied softly, and with his right hand, he took hold of Sasuke's chin, turned his face to the side, and gave him a lingering kiss to his cheek. "You're cold."

"You're warm."

Naruto offered a lop-sided smile. "Can you still love a guy who looks like this?"

Barely, the corner of Sasuke's mouth curled, too. It took a fair amount of effort, though.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a yes," said Naruto. "Is it really that bad?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You know it could've been a lot worse."

"But it wasn't," Naruto replied calmly. "Just a sprain and a few bruises and scratches. It's nothin' compared to the lady who hit me. I mean, the truck took most of the impact, so her car got totaled - "

"Naruto," Sasuke cut him off, "You'd have sympathy for the devil if he had a good excuse, but I'm not nearly as forgiving. Right now, I'd rip her to pieces if I saw her, so the last thing I want to do is talk about whether she's okay or not."

Naruto frowned, but he didn't argue.

"Let's get your shoes on," said Sasuke. "Where are they?"

"In the cabinet."

Sasuke found the dirty pair of sneakers and brought them to Naruto. He helped him get them on. Naruto balanced with his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke draped Naruto's coat over his shoulders and then, pressing up against him from the front, nudged Naruto backward until he was forced to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Sasuke...?"

Sasuke shook his head, bracing himself by putting his hands on either side of Naruto, who remained quiet. Intently, he watched Sasuke.

After a little longer, he breathed in deeply. "Alright," he told Naruto and gently helped him up again. "Let's go."


Once Naruto was discharged, Minato drove the two of them back to the apartment. Kiba had gone to the nearby Walgreen's to pick up the prescription and the mint chocolate chip ice cream Naruto had pined for. Naruto was sitting up front with his Dad. Occasionally, he'd glance at the rearview mirror to sneak a peek at Sasuke until he finally had to tell Naruto to cut it out.

"I can't help it," said Naruto. "You look like you're gonna pass out."

Sasuke tried not to be offended. "What do you know? You're the one who's probably suffered brain damage."

"Rude. Is that somethin' you should tell a guy who just got in a car accident?"

"Naruto, would you stop harassing your boyfriend. You probably gave Sasuke a heart attack."

"I'll make it up to him," Naruto mumbled.

"You don't have to make up anything to me," Sasuke replied. "I just won't let you out of my sight anymore."

Minato chuckled, but Naruto scoffed.

"Like I'd ever leave you behind, Sasuke."

Sasuke wasn't so sure, so he leaned against the seat and sighed, staring out the window. It wasn't long before they were at his apartment complex. He got out on the passenger's side and opened Naruto's door, but Naruto batted him out of the way.

"I'm not a cripple," he complained. Sasuke ignored him, and as Naruto got to his feet, Sasuke put an arm around his waist to make sure he didn't slip on the slick pavement. Minato followed behind them as they (carefully) went up the stairs together. Sasuke had his keys in his coat pocket, so they didn't have to wait very long out in the cold. When they were inside the apartment, Ollie cautiously approached them. He seemed especially interested in Minato. The cat's fat, furry face cocked to the side inquisitively.

"Hey Ollie," said Naruto. "You remember Dad, yeah?"

The cat's head tilted to the other side, ears perking at Naruto's intonation. Sasuke guided Naruto to the couch. He felt some relief to at least have Naruto safe at home where he could keep an eye on him. He almost asked Minato if he wanted anything to drink - water, tea, coffee - except he really (selfishly) didn't want him to stay any longer than he had to. He wanted to be alone with Naruto. It was like he couldn't snap out of his shock until it was just the two of them.

"You were cleaning, weren't you?" Naruto murmured, glancing around the apartment and noticing the lines left in the carpet by the vacuum.

They sat side by side on the couch, arms barely touching. The little bit of contact was what Sasuke needed. Minato took a seat in the chair.

"Sorry you're stuck with the burden of watching over my son," Minato said with a smile. "Are you sure you want him? Because I can just as easily take him back home. You know how he gets when he even has the slightest fever. He likes to be babied."

"Daad," Naruto whined. "I do not like to be babied." He looked to Sasuke for confirmation, but all he did was arch an eyebrow in response. "Shut up. You're supposed to be on my side."

Sasuke regarded him seriously. "I want to take care of you."

"See," Naruto told his Dad. "It's no problem. It's just a concussion. I've seen it happen in TV shows all the time. We'll hang out, play video games, watch paint dry. The usual."

"Sounds fun," said Minato. "I'll call and check in a little later, and Kiba should be here shortly. So, before it gets too crowded, I guess I'll leave you in Sasuke's hands." He stood up from the chair. Sasuke got up, too, in order to see him out. Very briefly, as he began to walk away, he felt Naruto's fingers graze the lower part of his back. He almost stopped, but, instead, he continued with Minato to the door, opened it for him, and assured him that he would call in case anything happened.

"Bye, Dad," Naruto said from the couch. Minato waved goodbye, and Sasuke shut the door.

They were finally alone.

Sasuke turned around. He stood in the entranceway, staring at Naruto. Naruto stared back. He looked as if he was about to say something, but Sasuke's phone went off inside the pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out, figuring it was Kiba, but it was Ino.

"This is probably for you," he said and, going over to Naruto, handed him the phone.

Naruto took it, saw that it was Ino, and answered. "Hello?"

He was looking at Sasuke while listening to her. Sasuke was about to walk away to give Naruto some privacy when Naruto suddenly grabbed the front of his sweater and held onto it. Naruto answered all of Ino's questions without elaborating too much about the details other than to reiterate several times that he was fine and that he was back at the apartment. When Ino seemed to have calmed down - apparently Kiba had exaggerated to her about the shape Naruto was in - she finally let Naruto go with the promise that he would talk to her tomorrow when she stopped by to check in on him.

When the conversation ended, Naruto set the phone on the couch. He still had a hold of Sasuke's sweater.

"Wanna talk?" he asked Sasuke.

"I let you get broken."

"Sasuke," he tugged at the sweater and smiled at him, "You didn't let me get broken. It was just an accident. These things happen."

"Of that I am well aware."

Suddenly, there was a series of knocks at the door.

"S'probably, Kiba." Naruto let go of him.

Sasuke looked at him a little longer, hating that swollen, puffy black eye the most, and then he went to the door to let Kiba in before he tried to break it down. Kiba trudged in through the door with his muddy shoes on, but he didn't make it very far before Naruto reminded him to take them off.

"Oh yeah, forgot," Kiba muttered as he kicked them off, hard enough that they thudded against the wall. He had a couple of bags in his hands. He held one up. "Got you your ice cream and then I figured you might wanna chill out and watch some movies, so I rented a coupla things from the Redbox.

Naruto hobbled over to where they stood. He seemed pleasantly surprised.

"Really?"

Kiba chuckled. "Don't look so surprised. I do nice things for you on occasion."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, but I guess I'm just used to Sasuke doin' that sorta stuff." He was standing right beside Sasuke, their arms touching, and considering he was smiling, it was obviously meant as a joke. Except, Sasuke didn't find the comment very funny.

"Well, don't go gettin' any ideas. I'll leave the rest of the caretaking to Sasuke. Especially since he's already givin' me the evil eye."

Naruto glanced at him. Sasuke wasn't particularly aware of his expression at that very moment, but he did recognize a gleam of amusement flashing in Naruto's eyes.

"That's just his natural expression, Kiba."

"Uh huh. Somehow I doubt it. So, do you want me to get you a bowl of this ice cream before it starts meltin' all over the place?"

Abruptly, Sasuke grabbed the plastic bag from his hands. "You'll just make a mess. Why don't you sit here and make sure he doesn't do any more damage to himself while I'm gone."

"Haha, yeah. Good idea," said Kiba, while Naruto grumbled a bit.

In the kitchen, while he was scooping the ice cream into a bowl, he was left to think about the various sides Naruto showed. To the doctor, to Kiba, even to his Dad, Naruto had the tendency to never show that he was upset or bothered. That Sasuke got to see those sides of Naruto, he knew, meant a lot. It was sometimes difficult to watch Naruto pretend. He knew why he did it. Naruto didn't like to worry anyone, and despite what Minato had said about Naruto liking to be babied... the truth was that it could be exceptionally difficult, even after nearly a year of dating, to get Naruto to ask for something if he needed it. Maybe Sasuke shouldn't talk, because he could be the same way, too.

But...

He didn't realize he sighed as he pulled out a spoon from one of the drawers (and a napkin because Naruto had a tendency to be messy). It didn't even occur to him to offer Kiba any. When Sasuke walked into the living room carrying the bowl, he saw Naruto lifting his shirt up and Kiba investigating that bruise on his left side.

"Ah, don't touch it, asshole," cried Naruto as Kiba poked at he bruise.

"That's so gross. Reminds me of that time in college when we played that one baseball game with the frat from Galena? And you slid into home and got that huge-ass strawberry on your thigh. That thing was there for, like, a month!"

"It wasn't that long," said Naruto, "but yeah, I remember."

As Sasuke approached, they both glanced at him. Naruto let his shirt slide down.

"He's got that look again," said Kiba, and he had the audacity to smirk.

"I don't have a look," he replied and handed Naruto his bowl of ice cream.

"Oh, really? I guess that means you'd be okay if I stayed to watch a movie?"

When Sasuke didn't immediately reply, Naruto nudged him with his elbow.

"Don't be a jerk," said Naruto.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Do what you want."

"C'mon. Don't be like that. I'm fine. Everything's fine, okay? Would you two stop worryin' about me?"

"No." Kiba and Sasuke answered at the same time.

"Well, whatever. I know I'm fine, and so I'm gonna sit on this couch and eat my ice cream and, oh, your phone is ringin', Sasuke."

"You might as well answer it," he said. "It's probably for you."

"Yeah, but he's run out of hands to answer it with." Kiba went to the couch and picked the phone up. "Oh, it looks like it's your brother." He handed it over. "Want me to answer?"

"Absolutely not," said Sasuke, snatching his phone out of Kiba's hand.

Kiba snickered. "Touchy. This side of Sasuke's pretty funny, eh?"

"Hilarious," Naruto said dryly.

Sasuke answered the phone. "What do you want?" He cocked his head slightly, looking at Naruto, who rolled his eyes at him.

"Anyway," said Kiba. "I wasn't really gonna stay. You look like you'll survive, but I'll come over with Ino tomorrow to check in on ya."

Sasuke was half-listening to his brother as he watched Kiba give Naruto a hug (Sasuke had to hold the bowl of ice cream as they did so). Naruto followed Kiba to the door. Sasuke set the ice cream onto the coffee table and took a seat on the couch.

"You sound distracted," said Itachi. "Is everything okay? Speaking of which, I texted Naruto earlier to ask him something in regard to what he thinks you'd like for Christmas."

"Why don't you just ask me?" Sasuke replied irritably.

"Because I like texting him. He's amusing to talk to. And way more personable than you ever are on the phone."

"Wonderful, well. He's escorting Kiba out, but after that, he can explain to you what happened today since you two are such good friends."

"What's this? You're not getting paranoid again, are you, Sasuke? Naruto tells me you think I'm trying to steal him away from you."

"Shut up," he snapped. "I've never said anything like that, and he was obviously joking."

"Obviously," said Itachi, "Since I didn't inherit the homosexual gene. Even though that hasn't seemed to stop your boyfriend."

Sasuke hunched over, rubbing his forehead. "Really, why did you call?"

"Mostly just to bug you. Tell me, did something happen?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly, watching Kiba and Naruto talking together still, "Naruto got in a car accident."

There was a long, distinct pause on the other line.

"...I see. He's alright?"

"Yeah. Hold on a second." He got up, went down the hallway, and into the bedroom. "It's just... some bruises and scrapes, a sprained wrist, broken fingers, a concussion." Sasuke took a seat in the desk chair, unconsciously spinning it left and right while staring at a line of light caused from a glare off the laptop screen.

"It could've been worse."

Sasuke tilted his head. "That's what I said."

Itachi sighed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said automatically.

"I can tell. Well, knowing Naruto, he's probably highly conscious of what this means to you. Just, make sure you don't do what you do sometimes."

"What's that? What do I do?"

"Shut down, close off."

"I'm not closing off," he retorted, slightly defensive.

"Right. You know I understand how you feel, Sasuke, but you're going to have to get over it. I think it'd be strange, though, for Naruto not to recognize that his accident was serious."

"Yeah, he's blown it off so far, but that's Naruto."

"Anything else?"

"No. Well, maybe." Sasuke ran his thumb over the curved arm of the chair. "I guess I would've thought... should anything ever happen to him...?"

"Hm...?"

"I feel... surprisingly angry."

"Angry at him or the accident...?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know."

"Have you tried talking to him about it yet?"

"People keep calling and showing up. There's been no time."

"He's not just yours. Other people care about him, too, and while I'm sure Naruto wants to soothe your insecurities, he's also worrying about the other people he cares about, so that they won't worry too much over him."

"I understand that," he replied impatiently.

"You're being snotty."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What did you call for anyway?"

"I wanted to hear your voice. It'd been so long. You know your ill humor and sarcasm always make my heart swell."

"I'm glad you can take pleasure in my misery."

"I always do. Would it bother you very much if I asked to speak with Naruto for just a few minutes?"

"Would it really matter to you if it did bother me?"

"No, not really, but I thought it was the polite thing to say."

"Hn. Make it short."

"Of course. I wouldn't ever desire to prolong your misery more than I could possibly help it..."

Sasuke leaned forward and poked at the laptop screen, staring at the imprint the pad of his finger left. "I'm sure. Hold on. I'll go see if he's managed to get Kiba to leave yet."

Indeed, Naruto had because, as Sasuke walked into the living room, Naruto was sitting on the couch, watching a commercial for Allstate car insurance. He glanced up as Sasuke came in.

"Itachi wants to talk to you," he said and handed him the phone.

Naruto's brow lifted as he took it. "Hey, Itachi. S'up?"

Sasuke remained standing, his arms crossed to his chest.

"Ah, so he told you. Yeah. The roads were kinda icy, and this lady couldn't brake in time at a light so she hit my side of the truck." He was looking at Sasuke as he spoke. "Heh. I dunno about that, but I'm alright. Just a few bumps. I'm not in pain anywhere, I don't think."

Sasuke's brow arched in curiosity. It was always... the slightest bit unnerving when Itachi and Naruto spoke because they did get along so well, and in a way that could sometimes make him jealous. Not because he was truly paranoid about anything (at least not of anything other than Itachi being smart, interesting, and funny). Sasuke wanted to be all that to Naruto and be the only one to be all that, but they were brothers, so their humors and temperaments were fairly similar. Although, Itachi remained calm in all situations and always thought five steps ahead. Sasuke could be like that, but he also had the tendency to lose his cool under certain circumstances.

He would not become jealous right now.

Even though Itachi was the last obstacle to finally getting Naruto alone.

As he roused from his thoughts, the next thing he heard was Naruto saying: "Constipated."

Sasuke blinked at him.

"Hm. Worried, I guess," Naruto said into the phone.

He stared, knowing they were talking about him.

"I know," Naruto said softly, and gesturing with a slight raise of his chin, he beckoned Sasuke closer.

He hesitated at first, but then Sasuke went obediently to him, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Naruto leaned forward and rested his head against Sasuke's stomach. He put both hands on top of Naruto's head, fingering through his hair in gentle movements. He could hear Itachi's voice coming from the phone, but it wasn't clear enough that he understood. He didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation anyway.

"Yeah, the phone got smashed so I didn't get that." Naruto chuckled quietly; Sasuke felt his warm breath through the sweater he wore. "Mm. I'll shoot you an email later or somethin' if that's okay."

Sasuke moved and tilted Naruto's head up by the chin. Naruto's eyes met his - or, well, the one that was a little less swollen. Sasuke frowned as he took in the black eye and cuts and scrapes and stitches. Then he smoothed Naruto's hair back on the top, using his hand to keep it in place. Looking at Naruto somehow made him feel strange. Whether it was melancholy, he wasn't sure, but it was a little like heartbreak. There were also twinges of fear that kept continuously cropping up, followed by flashes of his parents. Just fragments of when he'd found out what had happened to them, their funerals, the gravesite where they were buried in the family plot. He could hear his mother's laugh quite clearly and imagine her smile. He could hear the sound of his father's voice as he said his name...

"Sasuke?"

Apparently Naruto had said his goodbyes to Itachi. He still had the phone in hand. Sasuke took it from him, turned it off, and set it on the table.

He forced himself to smile. "What did Itachi have to say?"

"Hm. Not much." Naruto pressed the flat of his right hand to Sasuke's thigh.

Sasuke looked him in the eye and spoke in a serious tone, "I love you."

Naruto blinked first and then slowly smiled.

"Don't look so happy about it," he told him sternly. "It means I'm also upset."

"I know you are, but I'm really okay. I'm not especially traumatized - "

"Well, I am," Sasuke responded more angrily than he'd meant.

"Okay," Naruto replied. "We can talk about it."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Naruto's lips pressed together. "You're being contradictory."

"Of course. I'm conflicted." He needed to change the subject. "Did you finish your ice cream? I wouldn't want Kiba's good deeds to be wasted."

"Sasuke," Naruto said firmly, enough that it got his attention. "Kiba cares about me, too, alright? As much as you do, so I don't want you to just... brush aside his feelings."

Sasuke felt sort of hurt by that, but he couldn't argue he'd been selfish so far and run everyone else out just so that he could get Naruto alone - but for what purpose? To comfort him or to be comforted?

"Your sling is crooked." Sasuke pulled at the strap, and Naruto grabbed for his hand and held it.

"I'm not going anywhere," Naruto told him.

Sasuke looked at him for a minute, having to swallow down the bite of pain that stirred up.

The corner of his mouth, he knew, trembled. "We're not about to have a Good Will Hunting moment, are we?"

"Heh, where I hug you and tell you 100 times that it's not your fault?"

"Something like that."

Naruto squeezed his hand.

"Well, it's not your fault," he said to Sasuke and cleared his throat. "And..." The grip he had on Sasuke's hand increased. "Neither was what happened to your Mom and Dad."

Sasuke's instinct was to pull his hand away, but Naruto held it tight.

"I'm fine," he said in a small voice.

"You're not fine. But it's okay not to be fine. I don't expect you to be fine. I feel really guilty that out of all the stupid ways I could've hurt myself that I get into a fucking car accident. It was the first thought that flew through my mind when that goddam airbag hit me in the face. I thought: Fuck, Sasuke is gonna kill me if I die in a car accident."

"You're stupid to feel guilty for that, you moron. I'm just happy that you're alright." He took hold of Naruto's face, careful of the cuts and bruises. "What would I do without you?" he asked in a gentle tone of voice, skirting his thumbnail under the swell of Naruto's bottom lip. "Would you leave me alone here? I would've thrown myself off a roof and followed you."

"That's exactly why I'd never let anything happen to me."

"You can't control that."

"I can control it. I can do anything I want. I promise you that even if I was to die, I'd come back from the dead. I swear it, Sasuke." He grinned one of those grins that made Sasuke's heart stop. Unconsciously, his hand went to cover it. "Something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Well, it's not like I have a pet cemetery to bury you in."

"I'll come back," Naruto said again.

"If you don't, I'll follow you."

"You should learn some patience. There's probably paperwork I'd have to fill out, so just as I'm comin' back you'll be goin' the other way, and we'll constantly be missing each other."

"Sounds like a plot for a really terrible romantic comedy."

"That's why we should avoid it at all costs. I wouldn't want for us to turn into a cliché." Naruto sighed. "My head's startin' to get fuzzy."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. "Does it hurt? Do you feel sick?"

Naruto yawned. "No, just tired. It's been a long day."

Sasuke touched the back of his hand to Naruto's forehead, checking for a fever. "You feel a little warm. Did you take your medicine yet?"

"No," Naruto said stubbornly. "'Cause I'm not in any pain."

"I'll go get you a glass of water." Sasuke started to move, but Naruto slipped a finger into his left jean pocket, keeping him from going.

"Can I tell you somethin' without you gettin' too upset?"

"Of course."

"I mean... we've both lost parents. I know I still have my Dad - "

"It's not a contest," Sasuke said, frowning.

"Shh. But, I mean. I think Mom watches over me and stuff, and I'm sure she had a hand in me not bein' as hurt as I could've been... I guess what I want to say is, uh... ?"

Sasuke's eyebrow arched.

Naruto shook his head, smiled, and let go of Sasuke's pocket. "Nevermind."

"I'm pretty sure you won't get away with not finishing your thought, but let me get you your medications first, hm?" He smiled at Naruto for a breath and tucked some stray strands of blond hair behind his ear. "Do you want me to run a bath for you? Then maybe we can watch the movies Kiba rented."

"You'll take care of me?"

Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunching up a bit. "Yeah. I'll take care of you."


After he made Naruto take his meds (which was almost as difficult as getting the cat to take his), Sasuke drew a bath for him, carefully helped Naruto undress, and stepped into the bath with him. Naruto moved to the one side, Sasuke to the other.

"You're bein' awfully quiet, Sasuke."

He glanced up. He'd been thinking. Without his clothes, there were a lot more injuries to be seen. It just seemed like the entire left side of Naruto's body was one big bruise. He had his arm up out of the water so that the cast on his wrist wouldn't get wet. The two broken fingers were wrapped tightly together.

Naruto nudged him with his foot. "This is startin' to get really depressing."

Sasuke took in a deep breath and attempted a smile. "Sorry. It's... harder than I imagined to see you like this."

"It's probably no different than how you looked after those guys beat you up in Seattle."

"True," he reached over his shoulder for the washrag he'd set there. "But that's different."

Naruto scoffed. "How is that different?"

"Because... I can take care of myself. It didn't matter if I was all busted."

"I'm not busted," retorted Naruto. "The bruises will go away, the arm will heal and so will the fingers, right? But what happened to me was an accident, what happened to you is unacceptable, and if I ever find those guys, I'm gonna kill them. That's besides the point, though. It'd be just as easy for me to say the same thing, but how can I ignore the way this is obviously makin' you feel?"

Sasuke lowered his eyes as he dipped the rag into the water and rung it out. "You know how I feel?"

"I know what it feels like to watch someone you care about be in pain and suffer, yeah." Naruto shifted in the tub, causing the water to splash.

"I know," he replied quietly. "I didn't mean it like that." Sasuke grabbed the soap and rubbed it into the rag. He got to his knees and inched forward in the water until he was kneeling between Naruto's legs. "Sit up a bit."

Naruto obeyed, the corners of his mouth quirked as he watched Sasuke.

Sasuke leaned over him and washed his neck and shoulders. Avoiding the bruise and the gash above his eye, Sasuke wiped down his face, moving rather slowly across those childhood scars on Naruto's right cheek.

"So serious," Naruto whispered. His hand moved. He pressed just the tips of his fingers to Sasuke's stomach. "You're shaking."

"I'm trying to concentrate," he said gruffly.

Naruto went quiet for a while, long enough for Sasuke to continue washing the front side of his body - down his chest, his stomach, his legs, and his feet.

"I think this is what happened at the Last Supper," Naruto said suddenly when Sasuke was cleaning each one of Naruto's toes (and in between them).

"That would make me Jesus," Sasuke replied. "I'm pretty sure that's fairly blasphemous."

"Saint Sasuke." Naruto chuckled. "Honestly, I can see it. You'd make a good martyr. Too bad I'd never let you sacrifice yourself."

Sasuke hummed as he leaned back while inspecting Naruto's ankle, which appeared swollen. "That's not really your choice to make."

"I s'pose not."

"Do you think you can get onto your knees?" Sasuke asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Naruto smirked.

Sasuke gave him a look. Naruto rolled his eyes and, slowly, with Sasuke's help, he shifted onto his knees. Sasuke put one arm around Naruto's waist and pressed close until the front of their bodies were nearly flush. Sasuke scrubbed his neck and back. He felt Naruto's teeth start to scrape across the curve of his shoulder.

"Naruto..." he warned.

"What?" Naruto said in a husky voice. "You're naked and pressed against me." His arm wrapped around Sasuke, his right hand cupping Sasuke's ass.

"Behave," Sasuke said in a low voice as he dragged the rag down Naruto's crack. "It's not going to happen."

Naruto scratched his nails up Sasuke's back. "I dunno if I ever recall a time when you've denied me sex."

"I wouldn't under normal circumstances, of course." Sasuke dropped the rag and planted an apologetic kiss to Naruto's shoulder. He tried to sit Naruto back down into the water, but he continued to hold on tight.

"You haven't even kissed me yet tonight," said Naruto.

"It'll hurt if I kiss you. Your bottom lip has a bad cut."

Naruto squeezed him harder. "I don't care."

Sasuke snorted. He turned his head, brushing his nose against Naruto's temple. "Don't pout."

"You were poutin' earlier," he grumbled.

Sasuke sighed deeply as he placed his hand to the back of Naruto's head, combing his fingers upward through his hair. He hugged Naruto, his arms loose about him so that he wouldn't hurt him. Then he put his hand between them, flat to Naruto's chest, and forced him to sit back down in the water. He cradled the back of Naruto's head and one of his shoulders as he helped him. Naruto's legs went around his waist, hooking onto the backs of his thighs.

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed. "I'm fine."

Sasuke stared at him. Naruto reached up to push his hair to the side, and Sasuke moved into the gesture. He leaned in to kiss a corner of Naruto's mouth. Turning his head a little, Naruto caused their lips to brush. Sasuke began to move away, but Naruto held him in place.

"Don't," he said against Sasuke's lips. "It won't hurt if you kiss me... Even if it does... if it's you, I don't mind. Please."

Sasuke's lids fluttered halfway closed. "You're trying my patience..."

Naruto chuckled. "You should be used to it." He brushed his lips to Sasuke's again and dug his heels further into the backs of Sasuke's thighs. "Love me..."

Sasuke took Naruto's chin in his hand and lifted it. "I do," he said and kissed him softly, feeling lightheaded from being in the warm bath. He felt Naruto's fingers winding their way through his hair.

Before he knew it, they were no longer kissing. Sasuke had his forehead pressed to Naruto's shoulder, with Naruto's arm holding up and supporting him.

"It's okay," he heard Naruto whisper while his hand moved in soothing circles over his back. "It's gonna be alright, Sasuke."

The tears... where had they come from?

It's gonna be alright, Sasuke.

How long had he wanted to hear that and believe it?


They'd both changed into comfortable clothes - Naruto in a t-shirt and sweats and Sasuke in a hooded sweatshirt and plaid pj pants. Kiba had rented Lawless and The Campaign. Naruto, in an attempt at being sensitive to Sasuke's mood, insisted on the comedy. Sasuke made some popcorn and put it into a bowl for them to share. Ollie was curled up in Naruto's lap, purring more loudly than usual tonight. To be perfectly honest, Sasuke was feeling emotionally drained, so he was secretly thankful for Kiba's thoughtfulness. The lights were off. It was just the two of them (plus the cat). Naruto had already checked in with his father, who reported that the woman who'd hit him had come out of surgery alright. After hearing the news, Naruto seemed especially upbeat and conscientious of Sasuke's... feelings. Naruto in a good mood meant that he was extremely affectionate. It would've been hard for anyone to tell he'd been in a major accident only a handful of hours ago.

By the time the movie was over, it was 10.30. They remained sitting on the couch, watching the credits roll.

"I thought that was pretty funny," said Naruto.

"It was okay."

Naruto let out a sigh. "I'm wiped. Ready for bed?"

Sasuke turned to look at him. "Yeah."

"You're not gonna wear all that to sleep, are ya?"

Sasuke smirked. "Maybe. It's not like anything is going to happen."

"Harsh." Naruto smiled warmly. "It's not like I'm gonna ravage you. There's not much I can do with one arm. At least it's my left wrist. This way I can still jerk off."

"Not tonight, but any other time I'd be happy to help you out there. I like when you say ravage."

"I know you do. I could still ravage you if I really wanted to, but I'm willing to respect your feelings on the matter."

"Why, thank you. That's very thoughtful of you, Naruto," he said dryly, but with a quirk to his lips.

"How do you feel?"

The line of his mouth thinned. "Better." And when Naruto raised an eyebrow, he added, "Thanks."

"For what?"

He half-shrugged. "Putting up with me."

"I don't really think of it as 'putting up with you'. I like when you let me be there for you." He leaned over to kiss Sasuke on his cheek. "I think Ollie's fallen into a coma." Naruto scratched the cat at the scruff of his neck.

Sasuke picked the sleepy cat up and put him on the floor. He helped Naruto to his feet and turned off the TV. Still holding onto Naruto's hand, he led the way down the hall and into their bedroom. While Naruto went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, Sasuke slipped his sweatshirt off and started pulling back the covers. He checked his phone for messages, but not wanting to respond to anything unless it was an emergency, he turned it off and set it beside his laptop.

Naruto came out of the bathroom, covering his mouth as he yawned. Sasuke watched him as he got into bed and under the sheet. He went to turn off the light and close the door. Somewhere by the foot of the bed, he paused and listened. It seemed so quiet.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called to him. "Did you get lost on your way back to the bed?"

"Hardly." Sasuke snorted and dragged his knee up onto the corner of the mattress, crawling the rest of the way to his side. He slipped under the sheet, pulling the comforter up to cover the both of them.

"What a day, huh? Who knew I could be so high-maintenance? Heh."

Sasuke didn't reply right away, but after a minute or two, he rolled onto his side, facing Naruto in the darkness. His lips parted, and he paused before he spoke, "I'm scared."

"Huh?" Naruto shifted. "Of what? Why?"

He rubbed his lips together. "You, I think."

"Okay..." Naruto moved closer, clumsily getting onto his side. He lay his right arm across Sasuke's stomach, warm fingers curling at his waist. He breathed in deeply, taking in Naruto's scent. Sasuke closed his eyes. Naruto's lips brushed his cheek, and then he planted feather-light kisses to his cheek, his jaw, and his chin. "What should I say to you?"

He shook his head once. "...I don't know." He hated the way his voice cracked.

"Sasuke," said Naruto and hugged him tight, burying his face against Sasuke's neck. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I wish this wouldn't have happened. I hate how much somethin' I did has upset you."

"It wasn't you," he replied, sounding frustrated. "You didn't do anything. I know that. But I hate that there are things I can't control. I don't want to see anyone I care about get hurt again... I..."

"I know," Naruto whispered. "You can't control everything. That sucks to hear, but that's just the way it is, and I know it's an annoying thing to say, but things happen for a reason. I love you, Sasuke. That won't change. How much have we been through together already? How much more will we go through? No one knows what's gonna happen, and if we sit and worry about all the things that could go wrong in life, we'd just... be too scared to do anything. That's not really the way anyone should have to live."

Sasuke's sigh was shaky as he reached for Naruto's hand at his waist and held it in his, lacing their fingers. "I see why I never wanted to get close to anyone after my parents died. It would've been too much to have to lose someone again. When I met you," he squeezed Naruto's hand, "It just seemed like you were a force of nature. Nothing could touch you..."

"Hey, I wouldn't let anything or anyone touch me but you, alright? It's a few scrapes that are gonna heal in a matter of weeks. I've been in way worse accidents before we even met - "

"Oh, that's what I want to hear."

"Shut up." Naruto dropped his head down to rest it on Sasuke's shoulder. "What's great about what we have is that we trust each other, don't y'think? So, trust me that when I say I won't leave you or hurt you, that I won't. You think I don't worry about the same things? I was such a fuckup after my Mom died, and I'm glad you'll never have to see that side of me. I learned a lot from that time, and if anything, it's made me stronger."

"But I'm not like you," Sasuke argued. "I get angry. I wouldn't trust myself should something happen to you... or Itachi."

"If you won't trust yourself," said Naruto, "Trust me."

He turned his head and kissed Naruto on the forehead. "Love me," he said quietly, mouthing the words against Naruto's skin. "Love me even though I'm scared and flawed and I may shut down on you sometimes. Please don't ever give up on me, Naruto."

"Never," Naruto promised resolutely. "I remember Mom used to say to me: 'When people are protecting something truly special to them, they truly can become as strong as they can be'. It took me a while to understand that, but I think, y'know, in wanting to protect someone you love, you become a stronger, better person. I mean, you lost so much, Sasuke. No one would blame you for not wanting to have to go through that again. The thought of losing you... I can't even imagine. It's like, before we met, I walked around as only half a person, but when I'm with you, I feel complete. Spiritually, I guess you'd say. And, not to be morbid, but if I was to die, I don't think that that's a bond even death could break."

Sasuke let Naruto's words sink in, somewhere deep inside his heart where he hoped they'd fill all those tiny cracks that had formed over the years. For Naruto's sake, from the instant he'd understood how he'd felt about him, Sasuke had wanted to become a better version of himself and always move forward rather than backward. He wanted to believe Naruto was strong enough to keep him on such a path. He wanted to be strong enough to do it on his own, too. Naruto's high expectations of him, however, could sometimes make him feel... overwhelmed. Intimidated even. Yet, at the same time, he felt so lucky that someone as bright and warm as Naruto could ever be attached to him. How could something be so elating and terrifying at the same time?

But then Naruto's mouth was covering his in a reassuring press of the lips. Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand to cup the side of his face and return the kiss. He tried to convey everything he felt through it, feeling Naruto's response in every suck or gentle nip at his lips.

"Sasuke..."

"Hm...?" He still held the side of Naruto's face in his hand.

"I love you. I want to be in love with you like this forever. I only wanna make you happy. As happy as you make me all the time."

"I suppose that might be okay," he replied, thumb brushing across Naruto's cheek. "Who knew you were such a romantic, Naruto? It's pathetic yet surprisingly endearing how soft you are."

"I can't help it. I'm an emotional person. You make me especially crazy, I think. But," he tilted his head to the side, "In a good way."

"I have that much of an effect on you?"

"Don't act so surprised. You know y'do."

"It's hard to imagine," he said, carefully choosing his words, "That you could feel as much for me as I do for you."

"Well, duh. I do."

"You said 'I do'. I guess that means we're married."

Naruto snorted. "I guess so."

Sasuke got up on his elbows, Naruto moving up at the same time. Sasuke held onto him and kissed him until he was nearly out of breath.

"I don't want a fancy wedding," Sasuke told him, smirking placidly.

"Me neither. We should spend our money on the honeymoon."

"Where shall we go?"

"Hm. Don't mind. Anywhere with you would be okay by me. Anywhere you want to go."

Sasuke gave him another lingering kiss. "I'll hold you to that, Uzumaki."

"If we're gonna get married, I think it's okay for us to be on a first name basis. We already have pet names for each other, too. I can call you bastard, and you can call me idiot."

"I hardly refer to you as an idiot."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. You'll take my last name, won't you? You'll be Mr. Sasuke Uzumaki. Naruto Uchiha sounds too much like a Japanese superhero."

"I see that you're becoming giddy with the idea of being my wife, so maybe we should just go to sleep, think it over a little. Sleep on it."

"Me? Your wife? Hm. Well, that's somethin' to think about. Maybe we can take turns bein' the wife, just like how we take turns - "

Sasuke covered his mouth before he could ruin the moment. Naruto's eyes narrowed at him, full of genuine mirth.

"Don't look at me that way. It's dangerous." He removed his hand.

Naruto waggled his eyebrows. "You wanna take advantage of me, don't you?"

"A little," Sasuke replied. "But I'll restrain myself."

"Yes, you're so very reserved. That must be the Japanese in you."

Sasuke smirked. "Play your cards right, and you can have a little Japanese in you, too."

"Little?" Naruto scoffed. "Don't sell yourself short, wife of mine."

"Hn. Cute."

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so even though I look like Quasimodo."

Sasuke laughed. "It's not that bad." He grabbed for a strand of hair framing Naruto's face and tugged at it before pushing it behind his ear. "I guess you could always blindfold me the next time we do it. Then I'd never notice."

Naruto punched him in the shoulder. "Bastard."

Sasuke smiled up at him. "Idiot."