One shot. First time writing about these 2 so be kind. --U
Pairing: None.
Rating: PG-13

A Second of Silence

Naruto is never quiet. He is always talking, always loud, always so damned annoying. Sasuke has always wished Naruto would be quiet for just one moment. Just one second so he can hear himself think.

But now, as he watches him from the top of a tree, he sees. Yes, he sees, Naruto. And he is quiet. The boy with the stupid-looking scarred face, the boy with the stupid blond hair and the stupid stupid smile and loud – oh gods, truly loud – obnoxious mouth was in the clearing, standing. But not smiling. Most of all though, neither was he loud.

Sasuke has gotten his wish and Naruto is silent and now Sasuke can hear his thoughts and now he wishes, wishes Naruto would snap out of it and run around, clumsily throwing shuriken and scream loudly at everyone and everything. But Naruto doesn't.

He doesn't want to hear this. Hear this silence. Because Narutos' silences have always said more than his words.

Sasuke never speaks. When he does, words like Dobe, Baka, and Aho all come out like a gentle, polluted stream. Naruto wishes Sasuke could perhaps expand his vocabulary a little bit. Just once he'd like to have a semi-decent conversation with the teme.

So now, as the two of them stand in the clearing, Naruto is surprised. He opens his mouth to say something along the lines of What are you doing here, bastard? But he stops. He doesn't know what stops him. But he does.

Naruto still hasn't got his wish. Sasuke's still quiet. He still doesn't speak and Naruto wants to punch him in his face and tell him to shut up. But then again, he can't. Because Sasuke never speaks.

But this is different. This is very Different. Because Sasukes' stupid god forsaken silences have never said so much before.

Naruto is just standing there and Sasuke is surprised the boy hasn't said anything yet. He's aggravated now. Say something, Dobe.

Because in truth – really, honestly – Sasuke doesn't like the thoughts that are running through his head. Thoughts about a brother he once-upon-a-time had. Thoughts about a father and a mother. An aunt. An uncle. A few more. Thoughts about an entire clan. Mostly though, he remembers pain and he remembers sorrow.

So it turns out, Uchiha Sasuke doesn't really think. He remembers.

A thousand and one things flash through Sasuke's eyes and Naruto sees. He is suddenly embarrassed that he saw. Yes, he saw. He's so embarrassed – and why, he wouldn't be able to tell you – that he's seen, that finally he manages a scowl, a pout and to turn away from Sasuke. He even manages to murmur a Get the hell away from me, teme.

But his words hold no conviction. The conviction he's always laced his words with because he had to sound good to himself. After all, if he didn't believe in them no one else would.

This time though, there's none of that. Naruto doesn't believe his own words. Though it may not be the first time this has happened, it certainly is the first time he's let it show.

And what Naruto had seen in Sasuke's eyes, Sasuke has heard in his voice.

What Naruto sees and what Sasuke hears are just the same.

Naruto sees a desperation, a sadness and a longing. Things that are too familiar, too raw and too real for his liking.

Sasuke hears a boy with nobody, a boy with no family and a boy with no friends to speak of. A boy that is too much like him, too much like who he wishes he wasn't and too much like his reality.

Naruto has seen it. He saw it, he really did.
I'm alone. I'm alone. I'm alone.
Is what he's seen.

Sasuke has heard it. He heard it, he really did.
Stay with me, for a while? Just for a while. A little while.
Is what he's heard.

A second of silence and Naruto's seen it all.

A second of silence and Sasuke's heard it all.

So they turn away from each other now and Sasuke smirks and Naruto scowls and they leave each other to be alone.

Sasuke feels a smile forming on his face. He lets it come. There's no stopping it anyway.

Naruto tries to smile. He manages it in the end. There it stays.

And later on, what they've seen and what they've heard, they'll keep it to themselves. What they've seen and what they've heard, they'll keep it in the dark recesses of their minds.

And much later on, what they've seen and what they've heard, they remember. Standing in front of each other, one with the intent to kill, one with the intent to bring the other back; they'll remember.

Because what they've seen and what they've heard, they've kept deep inside their hearts.