AN: *Laughs at myself" welp! here you go. NC-17.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Naruto grunted as he reached overhead into the closet, pushing aside a box in his search. "Where is that," he muttered to himself. He paused when he found an unfamiliar box instead. He managed to get a grip on it and pulled it closer before lifting it and taking it out. It was a simple dark pinewood keepsake box with a silver latch on it. It looked to be maybe four inches tall, maybe ten inches wide and at least eight inches deep. His curiosity got the best of him and his careful undid the latch and slowly opened it with a soft snap. His eyes fell on a familiar glass globe that he remembered giving to Minoru as a Christmas present, a couple of film canisters, and some photographs; one of Iruka and Kakashi and another candid photo of him and Minoru. A smile tugged on his lips when he found a pictures of when they were younger. A shuriken was underneath the photographs, but the envelope he found under it made him pause. He swallowed when he carefully pulled out the sealed worn envelope, on it was written Naruto.
"Naruto, have you seen –," Minoru froze when he found his husband with the keepsake box he kept half-heartedly hidden in the top shelf of their shared closet. He swallowed nervously when he noticed the envelope the older man holding. His eyes darted between the envelope and the cerulean eyes that looked like he was just was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing, "What are you doing?" He tried asking in a casual tone, but there was a note of unintentional panic.
"I – uh –," Naruto gestured to the closet, "I was looking for something when I came across this…I'm thinking it's yours…" he trailed off and gingerly put the envelope back into the box. Minoru moved closer and gently took the wooden box from him, a fond smile found his lips as he looked at its contents. Midnight blue eyes met his, almost apologetic.
"Let's just say…you're not the only one with a letter," he said and offered the older man a smile. Naruto looked from him, to the box and then back, "I take it with me when I leave on solo or long-term missions," he explained briefly, closing the box with a soft snap and redid the latch.
Naruto hesitated, "Since when?"
Minoru's smile softened, "Since I started taking solo missions."
Naruto nodded in understanding and moved his gaze back to the closet almost distractedly.
Minoru studied him, "What were you looking for?" he asked curiously.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow and looked at Minoru who was giving him a curious look, "Oh!" he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, "I – uh – I don't remember," he forced a laugh. The gentle hand on his shoulder directed his gaze back to Minoru who gave him a knowing look.
"I…I know we don't talk about this," Minoru said softly, almost as if he didn't want to talk about it, "It's an unspoken understanding between us, but sometimes…I do think that this kind of conversation is important…"
Naruto sighed softly and looked down at the box Minoru was still holding, "I know." He would be lying if he said that he didn't try to avoid it. Especially since they've had their shares of close calls, and like Minoru said, it was an unspoken understanding between them.
"When you're away…it's like I've told you," Minoru smiled, "I just know that you'll come back, I always did, even before us. I knew you would always come back home. I never knew why, but I just never worried. I've just always believed in you. I always will." He dropped his gaze to the box in his hand, and swallowed at the memory he allowed to rise to the surface, "Even when…you came back home hanging on by a thread…" his gaze met the older man's solemn expression, "I just…I want you to remember, that whatever happens, I will always do my best to come back home to you."
Naruto swallowed through the emotion that seemed to tighten his throat, his eyes locked with the softly glowing pair, "I know. Every time you come home; I'm reminded me of that. And I want you to remember that too, Minoru."
"I hope that…I never make you go through something like that…those days that you were in the hospital, when everyone was telling me that the likelihood of you waking up was low, I didn't believe them – I couldn't –," he closed his eyes at the feeling that raised in his throat, "I just knew you would wake up. You had to wake up. Because - The thought of – "
Naruto instinctively pulled the younger man into an embrace when he choked on his words. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I'm sorry…" he pulled away to look at him. Minoru shook his head and solemn eyes met his, "I've never really asked you about that time…I didn't want to make you talk about something so painful. Part of me thought that if you did want to talk about it you would," a small smile tugged on his lips, "But, knowing you…"
Minoru let out an ironic chuckle, "If it were up to me, I would never think about it again, but…" he let out a sigh, "This sort of conversation…"
"Is important," Naruto finished, "Although difficult." Minoru slowly nodded, his brows furrowing slightly, and moved to replace the wooden box back in the closet. A hand slipped into his and the younger man led him to the bed, he took a seat next to Minoru who sat facing him, a leg over the edge of the bed, "Minoru, you don't have to."
Minoru shook his head. It had been a few years since the incident. Since he felt all that anger and frustration towards Sasuke. Felt a sort of pain he would have never imagined. And thinking about it now felt like it happened just yesterday. "Naruto…those days in the hospital, waiting for you to wake up, were…I've never been so scared. I kept telling myself that you were going to wake up, that you had to wake up," he swallowed, and dropped his gaze, not being able to handle the solemn look in the blue eyes that were normally glinting with joy and happiness, "I didn't know what to do. The thought alone…the thought of losing you…it just – it hurt so much." He looked up when the sun kissed hand in his squeezed his gently, reassuringly, "I – I don't think you know just how much -," he broke off when his voice betrayed him. The hand in his moved to cup his jaw, and he naturally leaned it's comforting touch.
"I do," Naruto said softly, "Because…I don't think you know just how much I love you. Just how much of a part of me you are – linked or not. Like you, I don't worry when you're off on a mission. I'm confident in your skills and knowledge, I mean, I did train you," the statement earned him a smile from his husband. There was a moment of silence, an unspoken statement between them, but Naruto knew that this conversation, as much as they both hated and avoided it, was something they both needed to do. They both needed to hear, "No matter what happens to me, Minoru, I will always be with you…" The glow in the younger man's eyes pulsed before they shut in understanding. The younger man moved to straddle him, arms around his shoulders, his head buried in the nape of his neck.
"I love you," Minoru said against skin, moving to cup the older man's face and locking their gaze, "I love you, with everything that I am. And my love for you will outlive me."
Tears stung Naruto's eyes but they were chased away with a tender kiss.
Two months later…
Minoru sat behind the mission room desk, distractedly doodling on a scrap piece of paper. He glanced up at the clock on the wall across the room and frowned when it had only been fifteen minutes since he last checked. He was somewhat regretting agreeing to the closing shift, but he wanted the distraction. It had been a little over five weeks since Naruto left on a mission. He normally didn't feel restless like he did now, but the timing of their conversation and then him leaving threw him off a bit. He tapped his pen on the desk and leaned his chin on his hand.
Just thirty more minutes, he mentally told himself and then rubbed his eyes when he realized that that meant that he would be going back to their empty apartment, "Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" he muttered to himself.
Part of him was glad that he was alone during the last hour, but on the other hand, it was making time drag. He tapped the pen on the desk and looked at the doodle of the bird and proceeded to frown. He wasn't worried. He was for whatever reason restless. He hadn't been sleeping well, his mind kept wandering to a certain blonde, he even caught himself doing things like cooking without the stove on.
His sigh echoed in the empty mission room.
He looked up at the double doors and narrowed his eyes, and slowly stood.
Naruto let out the deepest sigh as he pushed open the doors to the mission room, grateful that he made it before closing. His thoughts were to turn in his report, get home, shower, and get into bed with his husband. He stopped in his tracks when he found said husband standing behind the desk, looking directly at him, "Hey! – " The speed at which Minoru closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace nearly took him by surprise. The bruises that complained, however, made themselves known.
Minoru pulled away when Naruto winced, "Oh crap – I'm sorry! Are you hurt?"
Naruto smiled and shook his head dismissively, "Just a bit banged up, nothing to worry about." Midnight blue eyes studied him for a moment before Minoru leaned in and sealed their lips together in a tender kiss. As tender as it was though, it sparked something in Naruto that made him forget the bruises that throbbed when he pulled the younger man closer.
Minoru remembered where they were when the doors unceremoniously swung open. He flushed when an amused Genma looked between them, his senbon following the curve of his grin.
"You know what," Genma took a step back with a chuckle, "My report can wait 'til tomorrow." He refrained from saying anything else because the caught-in-the-headlights look Minoru had on his face was priceless.
Minoru's flush reached his ears as the doors swung closed, the last image he saw was the little suggestive wink his uncle Genma gave him.
Naruto looked from the double doors to his flushed husband, "Well then…how much longer until your shift ends?"
Minoru blinked and then looked up at the clock, "Another fifteen minutes."
It was the longest fifteen minutes Minoru had to endure. Especially when he encouraged Naruto to go home and do what he wanted to do, that he was close behind.
Minoru broke his record for how fast he closed up that night.
Naruto was fresh out of a shower when Minoru walked into the bedroom. He looked from under the towel that was over head and noticed how midnight blue eyes gave him a once over, pausing on the healing bruises on his chest and shoulder. Minoru closed the distance between them and lips softly kissed the bruises before sealing over his. His exhaustion was instantly replaced by a need and longing that resurfaced. He pulled away to strip Minoru out of his shirt, and worked on taking off his pants as his mouth closed over that pale throat. The moan that elicited out of the younger made him groan.
They lost themselves in each other, in their teasing, their touches, their kisses. As much as they wanted to take their time with each other, they found themselves too eager. Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of the younger man above him as he rode him, moaning and panting for air. He couldn't take his eyes off of him when he raised his knees for leverage and thrust up into him, making him sway forward and catch himself on his hands near his head. He gripped his husband's hips like a vice when his orgasm washed over him nearly taking him by surprise, cursing when Minoru came with him, the resulting contractions making his hips buck.
Minoru panted for air as he hovered over Naruto, a smile tugging on his lips when lazy cerulean eyes opened to look up at him, an equally lazy smile growing on the older man's lips. He leaned back and his eyes fell on the still angry bruises, and for some reason, his mind provided the fact that it was the same side and location as before, when he barely came back alive. And as if reading his mind, a sun kissed hand directed his gaze back to the cerulean pair.
"I'm right here," Naruto said softly, and the dark eyes flickered at him, the dark brows knitted together, "I'm right here, I'm okay." He gingerly rolled them over, when he noticed Minoru's breath hitch. He braced himself on his good side and cupped the younger man's jaw, "Hey," he said with a reassuring smile, "it's okay. I'm right here."
Minoru shook his head, "I'm sorry – oh, God, I'm sorry – I don't know what's gotten into me," he pressed a hand to his forehead, "I don't – I've been feeling off," he sighed, "I'm sorry, it must have been the timing of everything."
"Were you worried about me?" Naruto said in a teasing voice, earning him a mock offended look. A chuckle vibrated through his frame, "I'm okay," he reassured, threading his fingers through the dark locks, "I'm right here."
Minoru nodded and wrapped his arms around Naruto, pulling him closer, "I know. I always knew." He felt Naruto smile against his skin. He felt the older man relax against him, and even further when he threaded his fingers through the blonde locks. It didn't take Naruto long to relax into sleep, his deep breaths ghosting along his skin. He smiled as he gingerly kissed the sun kissed forehead, and easily followed him into slumber.
The restless thoughts were gone.