Disclaimer: Naruto is copyright to Kishimoto Masashi

Warnings: Shounen-ai, het, angst


Pairings: SasuNaru, implied SakuSaru, NaruSaru

 Notes: I have the strangest feeling that Naruto is hideously OOC.
This plot had quite firmly wedged itself in my head and wouldn't go away. Thus, I wrote.

Writen for the Temps Mort parallel scenes challenge.

Enough


At age 16, Naruto was content. He wouldn't say he was happy, because things weren't perfect. They never were. But things were good enough, so he was content.

He lay sprawled out on the ground, resting his head on Sasuke's lap, soaking up the late evening sun. Soaking up being in the other's company, not having to say anything. Just... being with him.

'I don't love you, you know.'

The words surprised him slightly, but Naruto let a lazy smile cross his face. 'I know you don't. I don't love you either.'

'Liar.'

Leaning his head back, Naruto could see that the other boy didn't believe him. He laughed. 'But nobody knows that.'

And it was true, because nobody knew for certain. To most people, they were just close friends and teammates. To people who knew them better, like Sakura, Iruka or Kakashi, there was something between them that couldn't quite be identified. Kakashi watched them train together with the hint of a smile underneath his mask. Sakura never commented when they went off together for long walks or to train privately together. But if anybody knew, they didn't say anything.

So as far as Naruto could tell, only the two of them knew, and that was just fine by him.

He heard Sasuke's quiet laugh. 'Don't think so much.'

Before he could think of a retort, Naruto was being firmly kissed by his rival.

Yes, life was good. Not perfect, but good. And that was enough.

=========


At age 21, Naruto was content with life. He couldn't say he was happy, because things had happened that meant that he wouldn't quite ever be truly happy. But things were fine enough as they went.

He'd practiced for this day so much that he didn't need to consciously think about the dance steps; they just happened. In his arms, he was holding the most beautiful girl he knew.

As much as it hurt, he didn't love her.

'I don't love you, you know,' he whispered, voicing his thoughts.

Sakura tightened her arms around him and smiled. 'I know you don't.' That had been one of the conditions he had set. I care for you a lot, but I can't say I'll ever be able to love you. But I care. Can you live with that?

'I don't love you either.'

And she'd agreed to his proposal, because they both knew they loved the same person, who was now too far away for either of them to reach.

'Liar,' she whispered, smiling because they both knew he was telling the truth. 'But nobody knows that.'

Because it wasn't obvious. People saw them as happy, childhood sweethearts. They saw them grieving for the loss of a friend. Perfect, happily adjusted. Naruto didn't know if it was that they didn't see, or that they didn't want to see, or that he and Sakura had fooled everybody.

Not everybody. Some people who knew them well, like Kakashi and Iruka gave them careful looks, but didn't say anything.

Maybe it was just as well.

'You're thinking too much,' Sakura whispered into his ear, making him shiver and remember Sasuke saying those same words 5 years ago.

But really, it wasn't fair to Sakura to think of Sasuke. Not today. Not on their wedding day.

On the outside, they were the perfect couple. Inside, they were both wishing for the same person. They didn't love each other, but they cared, and that was enough.

~owari