Author's Note: thank youuu so much for the lovely comments, Kat.


Naruto gripped the covers wrapped around him tighter as he woke slowly, his senses beginning to filter through his surroundings.

The warmth of the blanket laid on him, the brightness of the sunlight shining in through the window.

His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes cracked open as a realization struck him.

'Something's missing.'

He reached up to rub his eyes, trying to think though the sleep-induced fog over his brain.

'What isn't here?'

His fingers slowed their movement as his vision came into focus, his mind finally offering an answer to what, Who, was gone.

'Sasuke'

He turned his head to look around the room, pushing himself to a sitting position in bed.

"Sasuke?"

His heartbeat quickened as he heard only silence.

Naruto flung the covers off of himself, stepping out of bed and onto the floor.

"Sasuke??"

He walked to the bathroom, peeking inside the doorway.

'Where is he? He would've told me if he was going somewhere, right?'

Naruto stood in the center of his apartment, turning in a circle as his eyes roamed over it.

'You know what that means...'

His heart raced faster as his eyes searched.

'No sign that he was ever here in the first place...you dreamed all of it'

Naruto's heart felt like it skipped a beat.

"No, no. There's no way."

'We've had dreams like that before...it's the only way you could ever have him...'

He could feel the sense of horror creeping into the back of his skull.

"No! I didn't dream all of that...it was too much...too real..."

'Are you suuuure?'

He pressed his hands to his head tightly, trying to think through the panic swallowing his mind.

"There's gotta be a sign...where...Where?!"

Naruto's eyes snapped to the bed.

He rushed forward, snatching the pillow up off the bed, inhaling deeply as he brought it to his nose.

His own scent filtered through, the smell of his laundry soaps, and-

'There it is'

"Sasuke."

Naruto's heartbeat began to slow and calm, as he kept his nose buried in the pillow.

'Sasuke's unique scent. He's been here. I didn't dream a fucking thing...'

He dropped the pillow to the bed, running his fingers through his hair and letting out a deep breath.

'Now that I know I'm not losing my mind...where the hell is he?'

He turned around and resumed his search more calmly, stepping forward as his breathing relaxed.

His eyes roved over the cabinets and counter top, the doorway and the couch.

Naruto walked by the sink, a small square of white on the floor catching his eye.

He breathed out a sigh, muttering to himself.

"I'm such an idiot..."

The Uzumaki leaned down to pick up the piece of paper, flipping it over to the side it'd been written on.

He was greeted with the sight of familiar handwriting, far more elegantly penned than his own had ever been.

"Naruto, I have to go handle a few things, but I'll be back with dinner before late. I love you."

His lips curled into a wide smile, his thumb drifting gently over"I love you"on the page.

'I got an I love you from Sasuke Uchiha, in writing. I think I wanna get this framed...'

Over the last few days, since Sasuke had said that first "I love you, Naruto" and crawled into bed with him, and they'd kissed and held through the night and into the morning, he could hardly believe everything that'd happened.

'It does feel like a dream, an incredible, awesome dream...'

It was the happiest he'd felt in years.

'But...i've...neverreally felt a feeling like this. I've loved Sasuke for...well, since before I even knew what that word really meant. Butthis,loving and being loved back...i don't even have the words...'

Naruto sighed happily and sat the note on the counter top, grabbing up the frog-shaped salt shaker nearby and setting it on the note to keep it in place.

He settled his hands on his hips, foot tapping against the floor.

It was then that he noticed the deafening silence in his small apartment.

He hadn't spent much time alone in the days since he and Sasuke had gotten together.

Naruto made a popping noise with his lips, turning around after a moment and opening the dented door of his fridge, taking inventory of its contents.

He pulled out a carton of milk, checking the date on it quickly and then bringing it to his lips.

He gagged as the sour milk flooded his mouth, rushing to the sink and spitting it out.

The Uzumaki cast an annoyed look to the carton in his hand, tossing it in the trash bin spitefully.

He winced and spit in the sink.

"Okay, I gotta get out of here and do something, anything."


The young man seated behind the mission assignment desk gave a polite smile as Naruto walked up.

"Can I help you, mister Uzumaki?"

"Yeah, can you set me up with a mission? Just something simple, D-Rank, y'know."

"Um, sure. We have plenty of those."


Naruto drug the paintbrush in his hand in firm strokes across the wooden boards comprising the fence in someone's front yard.

He wiped away at the sweat building up on his forehead, noticing the curtains pull back on a window in the house a short distance away.

His free hand came up in a wave as he smiled.

The curtain shut quickly.

He sighed as the smile on his face faded off.

Naruto dipped the brush into the can of white paint, refocusing on his task.

His mind wandered as he moved the brush back and forth over the wood.

'Heh, I can still remember bitching about having to do this years ago, so desperate to see "real action!" and "be a true ninja!"..'

Nostalgia mixed with a helping of shame washed over him along with those memories.

'Agh, I was such a brat back then...'

He'd thought for sure that he knew what it truly meant to be a ninja back in those days, but he had been completely clueless.

'I'm not even entirely sure I know what it truly means to be a ninja now, yet I've learned so much in the years since then.'

It had been quite a while since Naruto had even gone on a proper ninja mission.

'And I don't know if it's been too long, or not long enough...'

Some paint dripped onto his finger, his hand moving to wipe it off on his pants leg without a thought.

'It isn't usually considered a good idea to stick someone with a death wish in the field. And it wasn't that long ago that I had one of those...'

His hand slowed its movements, his grip tightening on the brush.

'I...i don't feel like I want to die anymore, though. That means I'm better, right? It's just...am I...all the way better?'

He stood still, eyes locked on the half dried paint, staring more at the space in between atoms than the work he'd done.

His hand twitched, and he realized he didn't have an answer to the question he had posed.

Naruto breathed in deeply, reaching up to massage lightly at his forehead.

He shook his head, attempting to clear it of the thoughts he'd conjured.

"Okay, time to put on the finishing touches."

He turned around to grab at another brush, shocked into stillness as he was doused with paint.

Naruto stood, mouth dropped open, paint dripping off of his arm and chest.

His head turned slowly, eyes following the two small children running off down the street, pausing in their strides only to look behind at the paint-soaked Uzumaki and giggle before they kept on moving.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, paintbrush slipping out of his hand and clattering to the ground beside him.


Naruto looked down at his shirt as he walked down the street, eyeing the paint splattered all over it.

His jaw clenched as he remembered the image of those two little brats running off, laughing at him.

'Part of me wants to go hunt the little bastards down, and dunk them in a paint bath of their own. But the other part of me knows I probably would've done the same thing when I was that age...'

He sighed tiredly.

'I just wanna go back home now.'

He slowed his pace as he walked by a grocery shop, remembering the spoiled milk in his fridge.

Naruto glanced down at his paint-covered outfit, hesitating slightly.

'Ah, screw it. Just a quick trip into the store, then I'll go home.'

He walked through the propped-open doorway, eyes going straight to the chilled products section as he did.

Naruto had been in here a couple times before. He'd dealt with the same cashier each time, a pleasant young lady who smiled and spoke politely to him.

He grabbed the milk off of the chilled shelf, walking back towards the front of the store.

A small magazine-rack near the checkout counter caught his eye, and he paused to look it over.

'Ooh they've got the newest batch of comics out...'

He went to reach out and pick up the comic before a loud shout stilled him.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing in here?"

Naruto turned to look, an older man with a foul expression stepping out from behind the counter and walking towards him.

"I uh, I'm just buying a couple things.."

The older man stepped up to Naruto, far too close for the Uzumaki's liking.

"The hell you are. I don't sell toyou.Now get the fuck out of here."

Naruto was shocked at the sheer amount of venom lacing the older man's tone, and he took a step back.

"I didn't do anything wro-"

The young shinobi flinched as the carton of milk was snatched out of his hand.

"Did I stutter? Get out of here!"

Naruto started stepping backwards, mouth opening and closing as he searched for words.

"I didn't- just..."

As he retreated backwards, his foot caught on something he couldn't see.

He swung his other foot back to compensate, but he missed the dip in the floor, nothing but air meeting the bottom of his shoe.

Naruto felt his momentum carrying him backwards, his legs and feet feeling tangled beneath him.

He realized then that he was falling, with nothing near him to grab onto as he fell backwards through the doorway of the shop.

His back connected hard with the ground, the air knocked out of him briefly.

He stayed still on the ground for just a moment as the pain radiated out from his shoulders to the rest of his back.

Naruto noticed the people stood frozen on the street out of the corners of his eyes.

Then he moved quickly, scrambling to his feet and standing as fast as he was able to.

He could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up as embarrassment flooded through him, multiple sets of eyes boring into him.

Naruto forced himself to look up, taking in the sight of so many people on the street, practically all of them staring him down.

They all had variations of the same expression. Fear. Bitterness. Judgement.

Anger overtook the embarrassment in his gut.

"What? What are you all looking at?!"

His voice shook slightly, and he tried his best to steady it as he spoke.

A few pairs of eyes looked away at his words, but the majority remained, locked on him.

Looking at him like he was something,a monster, not a person, not even human like them.

He felt the anger rising in himself, carrying words out of his throat with force.

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!!"

He started stepping towards them, and it was then that they finally broke their gazes on him, moving out of his path like water around a rock.

He sped up his pace once they were out of his way, his strides carrying him down the street faster and faster.

The last few minutes replayed in his mind as he ran, their eyes and faces filled with hatred, flashing in his mind.

The brief spike of fear he'd felt at the old man shouting at him in the store, the way the carton of milk had been snatched out of his hand.

Anger and sadness washed over him, tears welling up and spilling out of his eyes.

His vision was blurred with wetness, but he knew every one of these streets well enough to run them blind.

But Naruto knew that no matter how far he ran, he would never be able to escape their hatred. They'd treated him differently his entire life, and nothing he'd done had ever changed that, even though he had always fought so desperately to earn their respect.

He slowed his pace and stepped into an alleyway between buildings, leaning against the brick wall as he dug his fingers into his palm, trying hard to slow his racing heart.

'I just wanna go home.'

He felt trapped, like the world was closing down on him, crushing him.

'The world doesn't want you. No one does.'

He shook his head at the thought, trying to ignore the tears on his cheeks and the feeling of absolute loneliness creeping into his heart.

'That's not true. There are... there are people who care about me. People who have fought for me. Iruka. Jiraiya. Tsunade. Sakura. Kakashi. Sa... Sasuke.'

He closed his eyes tightly, forcing more tears out as he pictured Sasuke's note.

Naruto spoke firmly into the empty alleyway, a spark of warmth in his heart flaring against the sorrow.

"He loves me. And I love him."

He clenched his fists and raised his voice higher.

"I deserve to be loved. I'm worth it. I am not a bad person, no matter what you people think of me. My name is Naruto Uzumaki!!"

His voice cracked, ever so slightly.

"And I won't give up."


Naruto focused on his breathing, keeping it slow and deep as he sat in bed, his legs folded underneath him.

His eyes felt damp and sensitive, and his heart had the same overworked, overwhelmed feeling it always got after a panic attack.

Emotional exhaustion consumed him.

He'd resisted the urge to go looking for Sasuke earlier, retreating home and crawling into bed instead.

Naruto had needed Sasuke's presence desperately in that moment, but the idea of wandering around the village with red eyes and his still-damp cheeks led him to dismiss the idea in a heartbeat.

So he waited.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting alone in the silence of his apartment, but it felt like hours.

The sun's fading glow coming in through his windows supported that guess.

Sasuke would be back. He said he would be back, and Sasuke didn't make a habit of saying things he didn't mean, so. He'd be back.

Except.

'What if... what if whatever he had to do today keeps him late? What if he isn't able to come back tonight?'

The thought of being alone in his apartment through the night, surrounded in darkness and quiet, it rattled him.

Naruto had spent so many nights of his life that way. He didn't want to be alone tonight, not on this day, not on this stupid, shitty day.

His mind began to race slightly, but it stopped suddenly at the sound of his apartment door shutting gently.

"Naruto? Are you here?"

Naruto felt the tightness in his chest loosen at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

He let his eyes fall shut for a moment as relief flooded through him.

"Naruto?"

Sasuke's voice was closer this time, and the Uzumaki opened his eyes and looked up as the bedroom door creaked open.

"Are you in he-..."

Naruto took in the sight of the Uchiha, seeing the concern that crept onto his face as he looked at Naruto.

"Sasuke..."

His voice drifted out, tinged with emotion.

Sasuke stepped across the floor quickly, kneeling on the bed and settling his hands on Naruto's shoulders as he spoke.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto reached up to cover Sasuke's hands with his own, eyes welling up as he saw the concern in the Uchiha's eyes and heard the worry in his typically stoic voice.

"I just... I had a bad day."

Almost as soon as he'd gotten the last word out, tears spilled down his cheeks.

Sasuke's expression crumpled as the blond cried, and he moved closer, arms wrapping around Naruto tightly.

Naruto cried into the fabric of Sasuke's shirt, his own arms gripped firmly around the Uchiha.

Sasuke rubbed gentle circles over Naruto's back, speaking quietly by his ear.

"It's all okay, Naruto. I'm here."

Sasuke held him as the tears spilled, Naruto's crying calming after a few minutes.

The Uchiha's voice slipped out quietly, his hands still gently stroking down Naruto's back.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

The Uzumaki nodded into Sasuke's chest, clearing his throat slightly.

"I uh.. I was feeling antsy this morning, so I took a D-Rank mission, a fence paint-job. While I was working, these two little runts came up and tossed a can of paint on me. I dunno what was more annoying, that I ended up with more paint on me than the fence, or that I was oblivious enough to let 'em sneak up on me in the first place..."

Sasuke's hand drifted to the back of Naruto's head as he spoke, fingers slipping through his hair softly.

"Then, on the way home, I stopped at that new grocery store that opened a little while back. The... the owner, I guess he was, shouted at me, and told me to "get the fuck out", so.."

He could feel Sasuke's fingers slowing their movements, a slight, almost unnoticeable twitch in one of them.

The Uchiha's free hand clenched into a tight fist.

"But the worst thing was... when I woke up this morning, and I noticed you were gone, i thought.. I thought you were gone, that the last few days had been a dream and.. I was all alone again."

Sasuke pulled back slightly, lifting his hands to the blond haired shinobi's cheeks, his thumbs wiping away at tears and sliding gently across his whisker marks.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to scare you... I just, damn it. I should've woken you before I left."

"No, it's okay. It's not your fault. You just wanted to let me keep on sleeping. It's..sweet.You'resweet..."

Naruto's fingers curled into Sasuke's shirt, the blue of his own iris staring into the Uchiha's charcoal black.

Naruto's eyes drifted to his lips as he spoke.

Sasuke curled an arm around Naruto's back, pulling him closer as he spoke.

"You're mine... and I'm yours."

The Uzumaki leaned forward, closing the short distance between them and pressing their lips together.

They held each other tighter as they kissed.


Even as he drifted slowly out of unconsciousness, Naruto could feel the pleasantly warm weight settled across his chest.

His eyes opened, taking a few moments to adjust to the morning sunlight.

He looked down, lips curling up into a sleepy smile at the pale arm draped across his chest.

Naruto turned his head to watch the sleeping Uchiha next to him, eyes roving over his handsome face.

He lifted the hand off of his chest slowly, bringing it to his lips.

Kissing gently at Sasuke's palm, the image of Chidori lightning dancing between his fingertips came to mind.

Naruto planted a soft kiss on each finger.

One of Sasuke's fingers moved, sliding along Naruto's bottom lip.

The Uzumaki looked beside him again, dark eyes open and watching him intently this time.

Two smiles shone brighter than the morning sunlight.


Naruto watched Sasuke from his seat at the table, as the Uchiha moved around the small kitchen, heating up the dinner they'd forgotten the night before for breakfast.

Sasuke spoke without turning away from the stove.

"How would you feel about going to see Sakura and Kakashi today?"

The question caught Naruto off guard slightly.

"Um, like, to train?"

Sasuke paused his movements and looked over his shoulder as he replied.

"No, just to meet up and hang out."

Confusion slowed Naruto's thinking process, and he took a moment to try and decide if Sasuke was joking or not.

"Uhh... I mean, yeah, that'd be nice. I haven't seen either one of them in a few days anyway."

Sasuke nodded, a slight smile at his lips before he turned around and resumed making breakfast.

"Good, I'll go make sure they're free for the day and know where to meet us once we're done with breakfast."

Naruto nodded along, even though Sasuke couldn't see it.

He tapped his fingers on the table as breakfast sizzled in the pan.

"... You think you've got time for a shower before you leave?"

Sasuke's movements slowed, and Naruto's lips widened into a grin.


Naruto closed his eyes as the hot water spraying out of the showerhead washed over his face, letting out a pleased sigh as steam rose in the bathroom.

Arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him against a firm, soaking wet chest.

Sasuke kissed at Naruto's neck, lips sealing and sucking hard to mark his skin.

Naruto bit his lip, grinding his ass back against Sasuke's slick hardness, feeling the Uchiha's moan on his neck.

Naruto spoke, words drifting out distractedly.

"We're.. gonna be late..."

Sasuke spoke against his shoulder.

"Don't care."

Naruto grinned and moaned.