Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Warning: Yaoi
Pairing: NaruSasu
Summary: It's been three months since Sasuke left for a mission. Is Sasuke the one they reported dead? What about Naruto sitting home alone? Will his world fall apart or will Sasuke be there to break his fall?

Hey there,
I'm back and in the mood for writing. I will be releasing chapter 12 of Deceptions really soon so keep an eye out for that. In the mean time I will leave you with this. Enjoy!

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Lonely Nights

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Sasuke walked through the door to see Naruto. He was asleep on the couch. Sasuke could tell that he had been practically living on the couch. There was mess all around it and nowhere else. He smiled; the blonde boy was so adorable when he was sleeping. He looked like a child. So innocent and pure.

When Sasuke had been finished with him that first night the poor boy was nothing pure. He had been tainted by Sasuke's needs, Sasuke's love. Sasuke knew that Naruto loved him, or at least cared about him. He wasn't sure if it really was love. That word was taboo in this apartment. Sasuke didn't want Naruto thinking that he loved him as much as he did. It would hurt more if he left him. Yes, the boy could assume but then it would be pain of his own making. He wouldn't be able to blame it on Sasuke. Sasuke didn't want Naruto to hate him. Especially not after what they had been through together.

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Naruto loved Sasuke; and even though he knew that he wasn't allowed to say it, that didn't mean that he didn't. He had never felt this way about anyone in his whole life and it almost hurt. Sasuke had taken some of the pain away and he had thought about leaving while Sasuke was gone. Something stopped him though. The first time that they had given into each other… it had been a night that neither of them would forget. Naruto kept remembering that night. Ever since, their contact had been almost mechanical.

It made Naruto feel like leaving during the night when Sasuke was sleeping. He didn't want to hurt him like that though. How would Naruto feel if Sasuke left during the night? He would be devastated. The blonde boy had thought about leaving and then coming back to see if Sasuke cared.

When Sasuke had left for the mission it had been proof enough. He'd had a look in his eyes like he just wanted to hug Naruto forever.

Never let go.

When Naruto saw that he had kissed Sasuke lightly and then wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke's neck. The blonde boy heard a sigh and felt two arms snaking around his middle to hold him close. Then they tightened. The embrace lasted for what seemed like an eternity and neither wanted to let go. It was when Sasuke left that he had heard something that he didn't think that he was supposed to. A mumbled jumble of words that oddly sounded like "I love you"…

Naruto heard the door close. The click of the lock. The sound that he would remember everyday until the day he saw Sasuke again.

He knew that he would regret not saying those three unspeakable words louder. He knew that he would crave Sasuke's touch until his last breath. And he knew that Sasuke would come home to him. He'd find a way back to Naruto. No matter what.

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Now it was three months later and Naruto woke up on the uncomfortable couch. It was the only place that he could sleep. He couldn't stand lying in the bed thinking about Sasuke. It was hard since that was where they both slept. It was like violating something sacred.

A sacred something that he did not want to violate.

Naruto could feel the kinks in his body. One painful one in his back and then some in his shoulders and arms. He groaned as he got up. When Sasuke got back he was going to have a serious talk to him about getting a new couch.

The blonde hobbled into the kitchen; filled the kettle with water and turned it on. He then went into the bathroom to freshen up. Sasuke was supposed to be home any day now.

The kettle started whistling and Naruto walked back out to the kitchen to pour the boiling water into the instant raman. He hated waiting three minutes to eat the raman but it was the best that he was going to get at the moment.

Sasuke hated raman and didn't like having it in the cupboards all the time. He always said, if you're going to have raman then why not get the best you can. He meant Ichiriki's (1). Sasuke took Naruto out for raman a lot because he had the money and the respect.

Not many people respected Naruto anymore since he had claimed Sasuke for his own. It didn't matter how many times the two of them explained to people that it was Sasuke who made the first move on Naruto. They all blamed the poor blonde anyways. Sasuke would not stand for it when he was here so the villagers all went behind his back and dared Naruto to tell on them.

He never did.

He wasn't a push over or anything but Naruto didn't need Sasuke all the time. He could take care of himself.

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The food was long gone and Naruto was on the couch watching TV. It was the only thing he really did anymore. He would get assigned to a mission and then come back home and couch potato. He didn't really like that phrase either. Naruto hadn't showered in a few days now but he didn't care. There was no one to look good for.

He'd just gotten news about the mission that Sasuke was on. Someone died and many others were injured. He couldn't bear to think that Sasuke had gotten hurt or even killed. Naruto hated thinking negatively. It always led to his imagination taking things far beyond realistic.

Naruto was still mulling things over when his eyes started to get heavy. He could feel himself falling asleep. He didn't really want to sleep. He didn't want to do much of anything so Naruto let himself fall asleep.

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Sasuke walked through the door to see Naruto, asleep on the couch. Sasuke could tell that he had been practically living on the couch. There was mess all around it and nowhere else in the apartment. He smiled; the blonde boy was so adorable when he was sleeping. He looked like a child. So innocent and pure. (2)

Sasuke crept over to where his lover slept. It looked as if he hadn't showered in days. He'd fix that; but first he needed a shower, and he couldn't wait.

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Running water? What the hell is going on? Is someone in my apartment? Is someone showering in my bathroom? What the hell?

Naruto got off the couch and winced from the kinks in his body. They were getting worse.

Nervously he grabbed the doorknob. But it wasn't there. Naruto could see someone standing in front of him in just a towel. His eyes slowly moved up his body. It looked kind of like...

"Sasuke?" Naruto couldn't believe it. Was it really him?

"What?" Sasuke said sounding annoyed.

"What are you so grumpy about?" Naruto asked almost sounding offended.

"I come home and you're asleep. It looks like you haven't showered in months and the living room is a mess. You're a mess," Sasuke said with false attitude.

"If I'd known that you were coming home today I would have cleaned up," Naruto said looking down at his feet. He seriously had to think about cutting his toe nails one of these days.

"You should have showered every day and cleaned up the place. You knew that I would be home any day," Sasuke said in a soft and quiet voice. "What's wrong Naruto?" he said when he saw the look on the other's face.

"I thought you were killed or hurt. I didn't want to lose you and I didn't want to give myself false hope that you would be coming home fine."

"I did come home fine."

"That's not the point."

"What is the point then?" Sasuke said tilting Naruto's chin up.

His head fell right back down. "The point is I thought I lost you. That would've killed me. My life has no purpose if you're not in it, because Sasuke, I love you. And I don't care if you don't want me to say it. I was just so scared that you were gone."

Everything was silent for a moment.

"Look at me Naruto. Don't be ashamed." Sasuke said holding Naruto's face up with more force. "Naruto..." Sasuke pulled him into a hug because Naruto was silently crying.

"Don't cry Naruto, I love you too."

Naruto looked up into those eyes that he fell in love with and could see that Sasuke meant it with every fibre of his being.

The kiss that sealed their confessions was so full of passion that they had to catch their breath after they broke apart. That day marked the end of their mechanical relationship. Passion was the only thing that the two were thinking about as Sasuke pulled Naruto into the shower. And it was the only thing that Naruto was thinking about as he pulled Sasuke into their bedroom.

-- Owari --

(1) I'm not sure if that's how you spell it or not. If it isn't please tell me and I'll fix it.

(2) Doesn't that sound familiar? That was the first paragraph of the story. Good job to anyone who noticed!

Okay so that was a cute one shot right? I hope you liked it. I thought that it was good.

Please review and tell me what you think. I have more ideas for one shots stored away on my account so if you want them then I'll finish them off too!

Thank you to everyone who read this story.
-Asuka-chan