A/N: This chapter was betaed by the lovely fangirlandiknowit! Thank you my lovely! I love you so much, you're so awesome!
From Which We'll Rise
Part VII: Family Taka
As they crossed the Vast Desert of Solitude, Naruto's mind was all over the place from the things he had experienced in Suna, the conversation he had had with Gaara and the new awareness of the things he had seen in Sasuke's heart.
Not to mention that he had admitted out loud that he loved Sasuke. Not as a friend, not as a brother, but as all that and a lot more.
Naruto couldn't even explain it himself, but if there was a truth that he knew about himself, this was it, unquestionably.
But… he had told Hinata that he loved her and this made him feel like an absolute wreck. Now he understood what it meant to love, but back then, he hadn't. Hell, two months ago he still hadn't known what real 'love' was.
And now, he loved Sasuke.
If he told Sasuke that he loved him… wouldn't that be wrong? What kind of meaning would it have, then? He couldn't put Sasuke and Hinata on the same level anymore, because now he knew the difference, and it was nothing short of astronomical.
Still, he cared for Hinata. She was his first lover, the first person he had known to be so completely devoted to him that she disregarded everything else, and while Naruto couldn't completely say that he understood or agreed with this way of being and thinking, there was no denying that it made him feel grateful and more than a little special. They were good together and she was good to him. She was the kind of girl his family would approve of, and the kind of girl he had always imagined he'd end up with. But… was it really that kind of love?
Now, he didn't know anymore. No, for sure, it wasn't the same thing.
Although, in all honesty he had always pictured that it'd be Sakura in Hinata's position. But Sakura had chosen Sasuke and had blatantly refused him, and Naruto could only be a fool for so long.
Naruto wasn't like her, blindly chasing after a love that would probably never be corresponded.
Well, but she was, at last, getting a bit of what she wanted, Naruto considered, looking at his travelling companion from the corner of his eye as they silently walked side by side.
Just out of pity, and probably, fear of being alone, Sasuke had finally indulged her.
And Sasuke loved him in spite of everything. And yes, he loved Sasuke back. Looking at all the people that meant the most to him in the world, regardless of how much he loved them, no-one had this much impact on him and no-one could make him feel things the way Sasuke did. And all those sensations, all those feelings, the intensity and the passion that travelled between them, the sheer energy… Just thinking about Sasuke made shivers of longing run down his spine. There was anger between them, yes, and resentment, too, but there was also trust and companionship and that raw lust he was sure he had never known before. He didn't even think about the things he did to or with Sasuke. Just one look was enough to set him on fire and the tension was never slow building like with Hinata, it simply exploded between them and the only thing they could do was act upon it.
He loved every second of it. Never in his life would he have guessed that he'd need to be physical with someone as much as he needed air in his lungs.
Sasuke's presence felt like home, no matter where that 'home' was. He felt at ease, content and fulfilled. He felt like just having Sasuke by his side was all he needed to be happy.
He was in love with Sasuke, that much was obvious, but at the same time, the term seemed far too simple. Sure, he loved being intimate with him, but it was so much more than that.
The emotional connection they had was unique and something he'd never have with anyone else. No-one in the world would ever understand him the way Sasuke did.
The only person who had understood his loneliness. The only one able to erase it completely. He felt whole when they were together, even if they were arguing and just being assholes.
That was what their love felt like, and it was different from the love he had for Sakura, for Hinata, and for Konoha.
They loved each other to the point where they felt like they didn't need anybody else.
But that was not how it was supposed to be, was it? Naruto had always needed a lot of people around him. His goals had always involved growing up to be strong and rightfully acknowledged by his own village. He had been so lonely throughout his life that he had struggled hard to end that same loneliness by whatever means it took. It was because of this that he didn't understand Sasuke's need to be alone.
Now, he understood it a little better. Sasuke didn't want to be alone, he just didn't want to be with people, but he wanted to be with Naruto because Naruto was his 'home'. Just like Naruto felt like he didn't need anybody else, so did Sasuke. It wasn't wrong, and yet…
He was sure Sasuke could feel his scrutinizing eyes on him, but instead of throwing a nasty remark, he just let him look without looking back.
Was them being together like this even healthy? Naruto pondered, chewing on his lower lip. It wasn't like he didn't want to – in fact, he was sure he had never been happier in his life – but… Could he even… do it? After all he had struggled to achieve, after his determination to reach his goals…
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his desire to have Sasuke was as strong as his dream to become Hokage. But Sasuke didn't want to be in Konoha, and Naruto couldn't for the heart of him force him to stay anymore – he knew it would be of no use.
So his only option was to leave the village as well and go with him. Spend his days like this. It didn't look bad now that he knew what Sasuke was up to, but again, was this something he'd be willing to do for the rest of his life?
He loved Konoha. He loved his friends. He loved teaching the kids at school. He loved Ichiraku and Hinata and Sakura and his dreams.
Whenever he looked at Sasuke, though, he couldn't help but think about how easy it would be for him, right now, to leave it all behind. But, even if being with Sasuke wouldn't mean that he'd leave Konoha for good, it still made him feel like a cruel person towards the village and his girlfriend.
And… what about Sakura? As Sasuke had said, they weren't exactly a couple, but she'd still feel betrayed, he was sure. He couldn't bear the thought of her hating them after everything they had gone through together.
He loved Sasuke with every fibre of his being, there was no doubt about it. It seemed so easy to think it freely now that he had come to terms with himself. Gaara had put his mistakes to light and Naruto had been angry, but by thinking about it deeply and by sparring with Sasuke he had been forced to see things as they were. He had let Sasuke go out of fear and ignorance, and that same ignorance could've made him lose him forever. Now he wondered if he had gotten together with Hinata to, as Gaara had said, run away from how he felt about Sasuke.
Why had he told her that he loved her when he knew nothing about it in the first place?
How could he now even begin to tell Sasuke that he loved him when he had already said it to someone else without its proper meaning?
How would it feel for him, to say it to the person he cherished the most in the whole world? How would it feel, for Sasuke, to hear it? Would it build everything from scratch and heal them, or would it completely make them fall apart?
I'm such a fool…
They had been travelling for a few days, mostly in contemplative silence that, for once, Naruto appreciated, considering how much shit he had to sort through in his head. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, and Sasuke didn't seem too bothered by the lack of conversation either, so neither really tried to talk more than necessary. Strangely enough, this seemed to have lightened the mood between them considerably.
Naruto didn't ask Sasuke where they were going – it wasn't like he cared anyway – but they had been in Wind Country for a while. The air was becoming more humid the more they walked, so he guessed they'd be reaching a vegetated area soon. He was hoping they'd find some civilization, or at least a place where there was enough water for them to fill their canteens and properly wash themselves up. Also, he was looking forward to getting some proper rest somewhere he didn't wake up filled with sand, not to mention that they were running out of food.
Glancing at Sasuke, he noticed the other male looking at him, which caused his heart to do a funny thing inside his chest. Naruto simply swallowed hard and shook his head from side to side. Sasuke's eyes narrowed but he looked away.
Naruto all but sighed. What was going to become of them now?
000
As soon as Naruto spotted vegetation he felt an immense relief and excitement wash over him. Hopefully they'd find water soon and they could set up camp for a couple of days to wash their clothes and get some rest. Also, he didn't know about Sasuke, but he was dying for some meat.
It was the middle of the day on their (probably) fourth day of traveling since leaving Suna – Naruto wasn't even bothering to count anymore – when they entered a rather dense forest. Sasuke estimated that they were about two days away from the Bear Country. Neither had much money on them, so they'd probably need to stop by the City of Shack to find jobs and a place to stay for a while before entering Bear. Sasuke claimed that he wanted to study it for a while since he had heard from Kakashi that he was looking into finally creating steadier bonds with the land.
They soon realized that the water was very scarce even in such a place, but after spending a couple of hours searching around, they found a small spring running, and even though Naruto could easily cross it merely by jumping to the other extremity and that it was only deep enough to cover his feet, it was still better than nothing. The water seemed clean enough for consumption as well.
The weather had become surprisingly hot and damp, the sky a dark grey that could barely be seen over the dense foliage of the threes over their heads.
Naruto didn't feel like starting a fire with how hot it was, but it would be the only source of light they'd have during the night, so it wasn't like they had any choice. They put their things close to the spring and immediately divided tasks between them before nightfall; Naruto leaving to find some food, Sasuke being in charge of getting wood for the fire and getting things ready for the night.
Naruto managed to hunt a couple of weird animals that were probably some sort of exotic rodents and a few berries he had never seen before but that he was sure Sasuke would be able to tell if they were edible or not.
When he got back to their camp, a small bonfire was burning and their dirtier clothes were already washed and hanged on branches. For a while, he and Sasuke skinned and cleaned the poor animals together in silence before sticking sharp sticks through them and putting them to cook over the fire. Night was upon them and the time was finally perfect for them to wash themselves up as the food cooked.
Together they stripped completely and threw their dirty clothes to the side. Naruto removed the bandage from around his right arm, and from the corner of his eye, he watched as Sasuke removed his own. For a few seconds, he simply allowed himself to watch the other male's figure, vaguely admiring the pale scarred skin and the strong muscles. Sasuke had a handsome face that one could even go as far as calling beautiful, and even though his gestures were always precise, elegant, even, there was a harshness to the lines of his well-defined body that was powerful and intimidating. It was a man's body Naruto was looking at, and a man who, physically, was a bit bulkier than him. Even without an arm, Sasuke was a stunning warrior.
That body, Naruto considered, excited him as much as it demanded respect, and it was a feeling he didn't know how to deal with.
The two of them immersed their feet in the running spring and crouched down – the water wasn't as cold as Naruto had first assumed, which was good. Both were pretty smelly and had sand and dirt in all sorts of inconspicuous places.
They washed up most of the dirt as thoroughly as possible while sharing the small bar of soap Sasuke had brought from Suna. Naruto hated washing his hair with soap because it always left his hair feeling rough and even messier than it usually was, but it was better than nothing and it felt wonderful to finally smell of something that wasn't body odour and dust.
In silence, they agreed to wash each other's backs. They both knelt on the stony bottom of the spring in spite of it being slightly uncomfortable, Naruto with his back to his friend. Sasuke rubbed a bit of the soap all over Naruto's back before placing it on a stone at the edge of the spring. Slowly, he ran his hand over Naruto's shoulder blades in circular gestures, moving upwards to rub slightly at his left shoulder, then to do the same to his right one. Naruto allowed himself to relax into the touch, his chin connecting with his chest, enjoying the simple intimacy willingly provided by his lover.
Inhaling deeply, he then released a small pleasurable moan as that hand slid up and down his spine. Even like this, he loved it when Sasuke touched him, and always resented that the moments when he did it willingly were very rare.
He let out a small complaint as Sasuke gathered water in his hand and, several times, poured it over his back to rinse the soap.
Once this was done, behind him, Sasuke shifted and the hand disappeared to be replaced by a firm chest pressed to his back. Sasuke touched his right upper arm, and instinctively, Naruto tensed when he felt a mouth breathing in his ear. For a moment there, he thought that Sasuke was going to say something, so he waited, anxiously holding his breath, until he felt a pair of lips being gently pressed to the curve of his neck and Sasuke's hand was running slowly down his wet arm.
Sweet heavens… is he…
He could feel the wet tips of Sasuke's hair on his shoulder as more kisses were gently pressed up his neck, and with his heart fluttering pleasantly inside his chest, Naruto all but leaned his head to the side, more than happy to receive the surprising display of affection.
Sasuke reached his ear again and placed a small peck in the cartilage. Then, he gave it a playful lick with the tip of his tongue that had Naruto squirming a bit and biting on his lower lip to prevent the loud moan that was about to escape him.
They hadn't exactly been physical while in the desert, which was why he found his body responding rather quickly.
Sasuke's fingers moved again, this time to run through Naruto's hair in an almost calculating way, the sensations to his scalp making the blond lean back again his friend, his head coming into contact with his shoulder. "Your hair is growing rather nicely," Sasuke whispered in Naruto's ear in a way that was definitely suggestive. "I like it better like this."
"Then I won't cut it," Naruto promised.
There was no way Sasuke couldn't see his proudly erect cock in full display from the position they were in, and quite frankly, he too, could feel the other's erection poking at his lower back.
The sky had darkened and night surrounded them. But they could see well enough with the fire not too far from them.
With a hand, he reached behind him to grip at Sasuke's thigh with an impatient huff. "I don't want to ruin the mood, but the food is going to burn if we don't turn it," he said resignedly. No matter how horny he was, they couldn't exactly afford to ruin food in their current situation.
Sasuke pressed a kiss to his temple and Naruto could feel him smirking. "You should go make sure it doesn't burn then," he said. "Just get your ass back here when you're done."
In spite of his unwillingness, Sasuke's words held a hidden promise to them that Naruto was bent on making sure he would keep.
Taking a deep breath, he moved away from Sasuke's touch and got up, water dripping from his body as he made his way to the fire, his cock bobbling as he went. The air was still warm so it felt too good on his wet skin. Quickly, he turned the rodents only to realize that he had done so just in time because the side in contact with the fire had just been on the verge of starting to burn.
When he turned around, he found Sasuke sitting on the edge of the spring, twisting whatever he could of his hair to remove the excess of water from it, so Naruto wasted no time in making his way back to him. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and his head followed him as Naruto walked around him and moved to straddle his thighs, winding his arms around his neck.
Sasuke placed his hand over his waist, tilting his face upwards so his lips could meet Naruto's waiting ones.
So… maybe this is what love really is?
Naruto didn't think he had ever been this focused while being intimate with Sasuke. His heart was beating so fast it hurt, and there was a dizziness in his head that made him feel like he was relaxed, and yet, his eyes couldn't leave Sasuke's – taking in every single expression that flickered through those powerful, gorgeous features – and his senses hypersensitive as if abnormally aware of every single contact they shared.
Naruto tilted his head to the side as Sasuke pressed slow, languid kisses along the side of neck, his single hand gently caressing the small of his back. Naruto's hands travelled from Sasuke's shoulders down to his chest, gently and carefully, making sure he properly memorized every single contour of what he was feeling. Under his palms, Sasuke's nipples were small and soft, but hard and they made him feel slightly ticklish, but the sensation was also strangely arousing.
Considering how close they were, their prominent erections came into contact more often than not, poking at their desire to an almost unbearable level.
Naruto wasn't used to this kind of slow exchange of affections, so his body wanted nothing more than to brutally seek for release in the arms of his lover as fast as humanly possible. That was how things between him and Sasuke had been before, but for some reason, things had turned out like this.
The slow exploration was new to them, and while it felt simple, it also brought a level of intimacy Naruto hadn't known before.
He was aware of everything. Of how gentle Sasuke's kisses were, of how hot their bodies felt together, of the eager sounds of their breaths, of the scars he could feel beneath his fingertips…
When Sasuke captured his mouth, he could taste him like never before – that divine essence that he knew well but that he rarely had time to properly enjoy – and could feel the softness of his playful tongue.
Naruto had no idea if Sasuke was a good kisser or not. Compared to Hinata he was certainly more coordinated but also more aggressive, and Naruto loved it. Their mouths fit perfectly, lips sliding together with the same untamed desire that had no possible comparison.
Naruto's hands moved to cup Sasuke's face, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones lovingly as they kissed and their tongues met. Sasuke's fingers tensed on his skin in a rather possessive way.
With a gentle suction to Sasuke's lower lip, Naruto pulled away, panting slightly and feeling ecstatic that his lover was also breathing hard.
He looked into Sasuke's eyes and found them looking back. There were so many things in those endless pools of darkness that he found himself mesmerized and breathless, his chest tight.
I love him…
Yes…
That was what he was feeling right now, Naruto realized, slowly tucking a bit of hair behind Sasuke's ear and watching those gorgeous features longingly. That desire to possess and be possessed. The simple need to let go and forget about everything and everyone and just give into those painful, wonderful feelings that were theirs alone.
He wanted Sasuke in ways he had never wanted anything or another person before.
It wasn't just lust, or even just longing. He still didn't know what it was, but at least he knew he was deeply, madly and hopelessly in love with that man. Maybe he had always been.
No, he was sure these feelings weren't recent at all.
I almost died for him…
Without him I…
Sasuke's hand moved up his spine gently, almost as if guessing the path his thoughts were taking in that precise moment. Then, Sasuke turned his face to the side and kissed the palm of his hand gently and Naruto bit down on his lower lip.
There were things he had been thinking about for a while now – things he had tried to forget, things he wanted to ignore because they made him feel guilty. But the thought wasn't exactly new, and the more time passed and the more he opened his heart, the more these thoughts assaulted him, becoming unbearable.
Especially because, now, he was sure of what he wanted to do.
I can't do this anymore…
I shouldn't do it but I want to… I want it to be him…
No… it has to be him.
Sasuke's eyes were intense when they looked back at him, and when Naruto ran a thumb over his open mouth, those lips captured it to close around it as he sucked.
Feeling the inside of Sasuke's mouth and the texture of his hot moist tongue on the digit made Naruto take a sharp intake of air.
He felt hot and desperate. He wanted so many things he didn't know how to even begin going about them.
He had thought about this. When the desire had first reached him it had overwhelmed him, but it didn't shock him as much as he had expected because… well, he was sure that it was what he wanted. From then on, every single time he had been intimate with Sasuke he had known that he wouldn't hesitate if things were to go that way. He wanted it. His heart wanted, his body… there was no uneasiness, no feeling of wrongness of misplacement, just something he wanted to do.
"Sasuke," he whispered, his voice weak with desire. He shifted his hips so his cock could collide more forcefully with Sasuke's in a clear demand for more. "I wanna… I really wanna have sex with you."
Sasuke's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed. Since Naruto didn't know how to interpret it, he decided not to panic yet.
Sasuke bit lightly on the thumb before letting it slip from his mouth. He licked at his lips, eyes watching Naruto's features calmly. He brought his hand to the side of Naruto's neck. "You already have sex with me," he said, his voice giving absolutely nothing away.
"That's not what I mean," Naruto said, shaking his head from side to side and grabbing for Sasuke's wrist. "You know that's not what I mean."
"Yeah," Sasuke said. Clearly, he had no intention of talking about the subject more, but he didn't seem upset or angry, and Naruto was just glad to get that out of his chest.
It wasn't like he needed an answer, or a reciprocation. Surely what having sex meant to him was a million miles away from what it meant to Sasuke at this point, and he was fine with it. Whether Sasuke would want to do it with him or not didn't matter. What really mattered was that Naruto knew for sure what he wanted to do and that Sasuke himself was aware of it. It made him feel at peace with himself, as if some deep hidden mystery about himself had been solved.
"You're not freaking out?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.
To his credit, Sasuke smirked at him. "Am I really supposed to be scared of you wanting to fuck me?" he teased. "I'm a Shinobi; that's the last thing I'd ever freak out about."
"I didn't say I wanted to fuck you," Naruto corrected, making a thoughtful face. "I said I wanted us to have sex."
Or, to be very honest, he hadn't thought about it that far yet. He didn't even know about that kind of sex with a female, let alone with another man. But he wasn't worried. If they had to do it, they would. They had been very impulsive from the beginning, and things were still very blurry when it came to their future together, so it was okay.
He loved Sasuke, so no matter what, it was okay. It wasn't about any of that, at all.
Sasuke eyed him contemplatively, his hand moving to run his fingers through Naruto's rebellious fringe that had gotten bigger and tended to fall to his eyes. Naruto could see the desire in his eyes and feel the still very obvious erection he sported, but somehow, he knew that the actual sexual vibe had passed, at least for now. "We should get dressed and get something to eat," Sasuke replied, easily changing the subject. "Plus, you're heavy as fuck and I have rocks and sticks sticking to my ass right now."
"Well, we can't have that ass being tortured can we," Naruto teased, leaning down to peck the lips already awaiting for his. "But you'll have to make it up to me later."
They'd be fine. Sasuke wanted him, too, but this was a dangerous ground they were stepping on and they were both very aware of this.
They couldn't push each other to their limits anymore or everything would be ruined.
And Naruto wouldn't allow it to happen.
000
The City of Shack was a beautiful, well-kept and lively place built near the seaside. The weather was sunny but not exactly hot thanks to the cold, salty breeze brought by the ocean that seemed to carry with it marine scents that followed them everywhere. Naruto had to admit that he was excited about being surrounded by civilization once again. He loved the noise, the sound of people talking and laughing and just the life that emanated from such places. Lots of different faces and new places to see and discover.
He couldn't help but be reminded of Konoha and wondering how things were going back there. Vaguely he considered writing – someone was bound to be worried about him and Sasuke since it had been a while since they had left – but he wasn't sure who to write to. Hinata would be the obvious choice, but he was sure that Tsunade and Iruka would also like to hear from him.
When he asked for Sasuke's opinion, he was expecting some sort of nasty remark. Instead, Sasuke told him that sending a letter to Kakashi might be the wisest choice since he could easily talk to all of them and no-one would be offended considering he was the Hokage, after all. Naruto was happy about this and decided to write home as soon as they settled in.
They took a few walks around the large city to see what it had to offer and what they could possibly do with themselves to earn some money. They attracted quite a bit of attention since they looked like obvious travellers no matter how much cleaner they were compared to the previous day. Sasuke's Katana strapped to his back also drew attention, and yet, no-one seemed to find this particularly threatening. Bear Country had a Shinobi village, so Naruto guessed that these people were used to it.
Finding physical labour was never difficult, but for Sasuke it was. He was strong and very capable in many ways, but there was only so much a one-armed man could do. They thought it was best to work together since they were in an unfamiliar environment, but it was easier said than done. Sasuke didn't seem very upset by this, however, silently assessing his surroundings.
After a few hours of quick exploration, though, Sasuke came to an abrupt halt and stretched his arm to the side to make Naruto stop.
"What is it?" Naruto asked worriedly, noticing the frown marking Sasuke's features. He couldn't really understand if the other male looked displeased or vaguely concerned but it unnerved him all the same.
"Taka," Sasuke said blandly, shaking his head from side to side. "They're close by."
"Who?" Naruto inquired confusedly.
"My team," Sasuke explained, looking at him with sharp, strangely bright eyes. "The people that were with me after I sealed Orochimaru. They helped me get to Itachi."
Naruto tried to focus his attention on sensing the people around him and indeed, not too far away he could definitely spot three particular chakra signatures that weren't all that unfamiliar to him.
Realization dawned on Naruto. "You mean, those guys that were with you during the war? And that girl you tried to kill?"
Naruto had been blunt on purpose, and it amused him to see the slight twitch of irritation in his friend's eyebrow.
"Yes, dumbass, precisely," Sasuke replied coolly. "If I noticed them, I'm one hundred percent sure that at least Karin has sensed me by now."
"So?" Naruto inquired, shrugging his shoulders. "They were your teammates at some point, aren't you glad to see them?"
"I haven't seen them since the war," Sasuke admitted, to Naruto's surprise. "And the three of them are still together, apparently."
Naruto didn't understand why Sasuke spoke as if this shocked him on some level, but personally, he was feeling rather excited. It wasn't as if he even knew anything about Sasuke's team, but in a way, he wanted to – after all, those people had travelled with him and followed him to a war that didn't concern them, so they had to have some sort of bond with him. Naruto remembered well the orange-haired man whose name he didn't recall, but Sasuke had seemed protective of him back then.
Surely, Taka had some sort of meaning for Sasuke, and that made Naruto curious. They never really talked a lot about what Sasuke had been up to in those years he had been away, so this was a great chance for him to know more about it.
"We should go meet them, then!" he said excitedly, offering Sasuke a huge grin.
Sasuke scowled at him. "I'm not even sure they want to see me at this point," he said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Then, he sighed, his frown becoming heavier. "Never mind, they're coming anyway. And fast. We should probably start walking."
He grabbed for Naruto's wrist, bent on starting to walk away as fast as possible but Naruto didn't budge.
"Sasuke, there's no way we're going to run away from your friends!" he said, prying his wrist free for the strong grasp. "I mean, come on! I'm sure they'll love to see you after so long!"
"Friends is a strong word to use in this situation," Sasuke hissed impatiently.
"Don't be like that," Naruto pleaded. "I really want to meet them properly if they meant something to you at some point."
If he didn't know better, he would almost swear that a flash guilt made an appearance in Sasuke's features. "Look, we don't…"
"Sasukeeeeeee!"
Sasuke sighed again and actually pinched the bridge of his nose. "Here we go…"
Naruto didn't even have time to look for the source of the obvious female voice because next thing he knew, Sasuke was leaping to the side and someone was promptly throwing themselves at the now empty spot where he had been and ending up face down on the ground. Naruto blinked confusedly at the familiar long mop of red hair at his feet, realizing that the girl had probably been trying to tackle Sasuke.
"I don't even want to know if you were trying to strangle or hug me, Karin," Sasuke said impassively to the girl, who slowly got to her hands and knees. Naruto noticed that her glasses had somehow flown away and landed a few meters from there, so he rushed to pick them up for her.
"I was probably going to do them both since you deserve it, you heartless prick!" he heard the girl say in an angry, sort of whiny voice. "Where the hell have you been all this time?!"
When Naruto turned around, he saw Sasuke crouching down to help Karin get to her feet and felt the urge to smile. The girl eyed him with visible resentment and yet, there was no hatred in her eyes. She was as cute as he remembered, Naruto noticed as he walked over to them, but her clothes were… well, she was wearing these super tiny green shorts and a black sleeveless top that left her belly completely exposed. She was quite the hottie, Naruto admitted, but Sasuke didn't seem impressed.
Just as Naruto was approaching to hand her glasses back, she jumped at the Uchiha, putting her arms around him, so he stopped. Sasuke looked at him, clearly uncomfortable with the physical intimacy but not pulling away either, indulging her. Naruto could only grin softly.
She was clearly another one of his devoted fans.
"Your arm!" she said, pulling away with tears in her eyes, looking at Sasuke from up and down. "What the hell happened to your arm?!"
"That was actually my fault," Naruto intervened, with a goofy laugh, catching the girl's attention for the first time. "I lost mine, too, but I got it back. Sasuke is an ass, so he didn't want his."
"You're… Naruto…" Karin said, only vaguely surprised to see him there. She accepted her glasses with a nod. "I almost couldn't believe it when I felt your chakra next to Sasuke's."
"Yeah, we're just on a small journey together," Naruto muttered, not sure how to interpret her words.
"Yo!" The three looked to the side to see a white haired man carrying a plastic bag approaching with his hand up, followed closely by the large man Naruto remembered from the war, the one with the orange hair. Naruto didn't remember him being this tall, though – the man was… big, and yet, his features were gentle and his eyes were calm.
Eagerly, Naruto looked at Sasuke, to see how he'd react to seeing the rest of his teammates, but Sasuke simply watched their approach with his usual stoic expression.
"Suigetsu, Juugo," he greeted nonchalantly, with a small nod of his head. "It's been a while."
"It sure has!" The white haired guy, Suigetsu, said, with a large, nasty grin. "We heard you didn't stay in Konoha, so we've been looking all over for you, man!"
"Look, he lost his arm!" Karin yelled, pointing dramatically at Sasuke. Then, she turned to him with an adoring look. "But don't worry, you're still as gorgeous as ever! Although, you could use a haircut."
"Sasuke…" Juugo's voice was soft, almost boringly bland, and yet, Naruto could hear the fondness (and relief?) in the man's voice at saying the name. "We're glad you're alright."
"Of course I'm alright," was all Sasuke said, not without a bit of an arrogance Naruto almost felt annoyed by before realizing that this was probably a very awkward situation. Sasuke had left his friends after the war and he probably never expected to see them again – or better, hadn't even expected them to want to see him again, let alone think that they might've been looking for him for all this time.
Knowing they still cared for him probably shook him to his core. He clearly didn't even know how to deal with such a situation so he played the uncaring asshole. But as he looked away from Juugo's soft gaze, Naruto understood that it was quite the opposite. Sasuke felt at loss for what to do. They had mattered to him but he had thought that they wouldn't want anything to do with him. Or maybe it was because he was expecting them to be like this that he hadn't wanted to confront them.
"And you came with the hero, huh?" Suigetsu noticed, eyeing Naruto with interest. "Did you two run away together or something?"
"They're on a journey, you fucking idiot!" Karin explained irritably, clenching her shaky fists in front of her face as if to stop herself from punching the guy. She quickly composed herself and turned to Naruto and Sasuke, looking frighteningly sweet. "What are you guys doing around here? Do you have a place to stay? You should stay with us, we have so much to talk about!"
"No, we…" Sasuke was saying, but Naruto quickly cut him.
"Actually, we got here today and were just looking for a place to stay and jobs since we're low on cash," he said with a large smile that made the girl blush and simply beam at him.
"Ah, Naruto…" she said, sweetly, eyeing him appreciatively from head to toe. "I didn't remember you being this handsome."
"For fuck's sake, Karin, keep your knickers on, woman," Suigetsu retorted, with a disgusted expression. "You can't possibly need to get laid that often…"
Juugo elbowed him rather roughly and Karin gasped in outrage.
It was Naruto's turn to blush while Sasuke simply raised a questioning eyebrow.
"We have a place outside of the city," Juugo said calmly, easily dismissing the subject. "We would be glad to have you both around for as long as you wish, free of charge. Also, we have a business going on, you could join us for the time being if you wished."
"What kind of business?" Sasuke asked, suddenly interested, which Naruto found rather amusing.
"Well, you'll have to come with us to find out," Suigetsu said mysteriously, winking at him.
"Please come with us!" Karin begged, grabbing Naruto forcefully by the collar of his t-shirt and pouting. "For old times' sake, you and Sasuke need to come!"
Naruto looked at his friend with a pleading, expectant expression that he truly hoped Sasuke would understand – Naruto thought that this would be a good chance for all of them to get to know each other and for Sasuke to re-kindle his friendship with his team.
To his joy, Sasuke ended up sighing in resignation. "Fine," he agreed, with a vague wave of his hand. "It's not like we have another choice for the time being."
Karin jumped in excitement and threw herself at Sasuke's neck to hug him, an action that he didn't respond to and that made him inhale deeply as if praying for patience.
"Sweet," Suigetsu said with a pleased smirk, and even Juugo nodded, smiling slightly.
Naruto couldn't be happier – they had a place to stay, and in the company of people that had been close to Sasuke at some point. He couldn't wait to hang out with them properly, and even though Sasuke looked like he preferred to be anywhere else at that particular moment, Naruto could feel the gentle sense of contentment coming from him.
Certainly, this would be a good experience.
000
"We've been with Orochimaru since the war ended," Karin explained. "It's not like Taka had anything else to do anyway, so the three of us stuck together."
At the end of the day, the five of them were in the middle of the forest and Juugo was currently performing a series of very complicated hand seals Naruto tried hard to follow but couldn't seem to memorize for the life of him.
"We actually helped him rebuild a couple of his biggest hideouts," Suigetsu proceeded casually. "I have no idea what he's going to use them for, and I don't really care. But anyway, once he stopped needing our help he dismissed us and gave us this place as a reward. You'll see that it's not much, but it's a roof."
Juugo slammed both his hands on the ground, and with a loud 'puff' noise, what seemed to be a wooden trap door emerged from the earth. Carefully, he brushed the leaves and dust from it before pulling the iron handle to open it, revealing a set of stairs that lead to some sort of underground.
Karin was the first one to descend, followed closely by Suigetsu, Sasuke behind them with Naruto almost glued to his back. Juugo was the last one to enter, closing the trap door behind them and doing another set of hand seals to close it again.
The stairs led to a long and dark corridor, so Karin gathered a bit of chakra in her hand to provide a bit of illumination. They all walked in silence for a while, time during which Naruto looked around to find the obvious patterns of the walls that identified the place as having been Orochimaru's. He almost shuddered, hoping that the actual place they'd be spending time at wouldn't be as bland and as hostile-looking as he remembered from the hideouts he had come across.
Thankfully, they stopped in front of an iron door that Suigetsu opened with a large key and yet a new set of seals, and as soon as the inside was revealed, what was presented to Naruto almost made him moan.
The place was very small and had obviously been built inside some sort of cave, with low stony walls and a tiled floor, but it still looked cosy and comfortable enough. On the wall to the right, one could see a small kitchen area equipped with a necessary set of blue cabinets next to a tiny but useful black stove. There was no refrigerator, but Naruto could tell that this was because they obviously didn't have electricity, if the torches hanging from the walls were any indication. On the left wall, Naruto could see a door (the bathroom, Karin had said), as well as a neatly folded large futon next to a large dark blue wardrobe. There were no tables or any sort of decoration for that matter, but Naruto appreciated it all the same. Facing them on the other side of the room, there were two large and thick glass doors that allowed a lot of light to illuminate the place during day time. That was the entrance of the 'cave', Naruto assumed, and what closed it from the outside world to make it liveable.
"Well, this is home," Suigetsu said in a pleased tone after having removing his sandals, now placing the bag of groceries he was carrying on the counter as the rest of the group took off their own shoes. "We have a toilet but no shower stall or anything like that. We always keep water in a bucket inside the bathroom, though."
"There is a waterfall not too far from here," Juugo informed calmly. "We can access it through the veranda and it's very secluded. If it's cold we'll just heat up some water up here. The stove works with gas but it can also be used with wood."
"And we have our own private beach!" Karin said excitedly, pulling Naruto by his arm and dragging him towards the glass doors. "Look! Isn't the view gorgeous?"
From there, Naruto could definitely see the sea beyond all the vegetation below. He noticed that if one were to open the glass doors, they'd find a wooden platform that served as some kind of balcony. A little to the left he could see a makeshift set of natural stone stairs that led a path downwards into the woods bellow, and probably to the water falls and beach that Juugo and Karin had mentioned.
The view was amazing and peaceful, and for some reason it made Naruto feel a sense of happiness he couldn't explain.
Taka were a simple bunch that immediately made Naruto feel at home. He wasn't shy in answering the questions Karin and Suigetsu threw at him, also asking his own curious ones. The three talked loudly and he found it kind of funny how Karin was always telling the white haired man to shut up. Juugo and Sasuke worked on making dinner, and from the corner of his eye, Naruto could see them talking quietly to each other and wondered what kind of bond those two had. Juugo was a gentle, calm creature and for some reason, this seemed to fit with Sasuke's personality in an odd, interesting way.
Since there was no table, they stretched a table cloth on the ground and knelt on colourful cushions to share a simple meal of grilled meat and white rice.
Naruto was glad to listen to the obviously short version of how Sasuke had met the individual elements of Taka and how they had come together to search for Itachi. He hoped that later, when they were all more familiar with each other, they could tell him more details about their travels with Sasuke.
Sasuke was mainly silent throughout the tales, but he didn't seem particularly upset either.
Then came to light the 'business' Taka ran, which consisted of them being freelance Shinobi in Shack.
Shack wasn't was a Shinobi city, and neither was it ruled by a system of Kage. Instead, it had a council of people who worked under the Country's Daimyo's orders. Still, there was a lot of crime going on, and Bear Country, while not too far from it, didn't really offer any help. They did have a security system that severely lacked what the Shinobi system could offer. So Taka had made a deal with the Daimyo and the council and they often took on several important missions, be them related to protection of high politicians, information scavenging, transportation of high value goods or even taking down threats.
They didn't have missions every single day of the week, and they got paid depending on the level of danger of said missions, so while they didn't make enough money to be rich, they were faring off well enough to actually save money in case things got dire someday. They said Naruto and Sasuke could help them with the missions and they'd share their money with them.
Naruto didn't know much about Taka (that had once been called Hebi, as well) but he was impressed. Three people that were very different from each other were apparently living in a way that led him to believe that they somehow intended on staying together for an awful amount on time. Which was… odd. And they lived in quite an intimate environment, too.
He tried to check if there were any pairings in there. He could definitely sense some kind of thing going on between Suigetsu and Karin even though Karin kept verbally flirting with Sasuke and Suigetsu spent a lot of time making fun of her, which angered her beyond belief. Juugo just seemed… not interested in anything in particular since he was too quiet.
Naruto couldn't help but be curious about those three and the past of Taka.
Did Sasuke and Karin ever get involved? It didn't seem that way, though, but Naruto didn't know much about Sasuke's sex life. Did Suigetsu – who was kind of a person who was a lot into physical contact from the way he enjoyed being in Sasuke's personal space – have something going on for Sasuke?
Why was Juugo so obviously attached to Sasuke?
Vaguely, he wondered how things would've been if Sasuke was still among them. It wasn't like Naruto felt jealousy, no. He was just curious and confused. There were so many things he didn't know about Sasuke, and he wanted to know them all. He wanted to be part of it – past, present, and future.
He just hoped Sasuke would let him in.
000
"Be honest with me," Naruto asked well humouredly. "Are you even a tiny bit happy that we're here with Taka? I mean, I know I forced it, but if you're genuinely angry we can always leave tomorrow and stick to the initial plan."
He and Sasuke were sitting down on the floor of the balcony outside of the 'cave', their backs leaning on the closed glass doors as they enjoyed the warm night and appreciated the wonderful starry night sky. Behind them, Karin and the other two males were cleaning up the house and getting things ready for the night. Naruto wondered if they could detect that something was happening between him and Sasuke because they had easily dismissed them while they worked – or maybe he was just being paranoid.
Oddly enough, he didn't really care about what they could possibly think of it.
"No, it's fine," Sasuke said, with a sigh. "I am… happy that we're here. I didn't think I'd ever see them again, to be honest, let alone be welcomed."
"They all seem fond of you," Naruto said, with a smile that made Sasuke roll his eyes.
"I released them from Orochimaru's clutch, and I chose them to help me get to Itachi," he said. "They have all saved my life on various occasions. They're a reliable bunch and they were very faithful."
Naruto's smile grew. "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd talk about someone like that. I'm so proud of you. You're actually talking about feelings."
"Speaks the guy who used to talk his mouth off and yet has been keeping quiet about this whole situation," Sasuke accused, even if there was no actual resentment in his voice now.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "Don't be mean," he said, with a pouting expression that he quickly changed so he was smiling again. "I'm really happy to be here with you, you know. I know there's a lot going on between us but, right now, no matter what, there's no place I'd rather be."
Sasuke looked at him from the corner of his eye.
"It's your turn to be honest," he said, stretching his legs out ant crossing them at the ankles. "I think I deserve it after confessing to something very private."
"You didn't' exactly say a lot, though," Naruto pointed out teasingly. "But yeah, fine. I'll talk because there are things I've been keeping bottled up."
He was glad to find Sasuke's expression changing to one of amusement. "By all means, hold nothing inside."
"Alright, then," Naruto conceded with a thoughtful nod of his head. Looking at Sasuke's curious expression, he couldn't help but smile sheepishly. "I'm crazy in love with you."
As he had already expected, Sasuke merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow that made Naruto laugh. "I know, I know. You said you didn't feel that way about me, and I get it."
Taking a deep breath, he leaned his head back against the glass, looking up at the stars. "I understand that saying that I'm 'in love' is banal. It feels too simple, yeah, because it doesn't explain at all how I feel about you. But I guess there's also a lot of truth to it, so it kind of fits."
At this, Sasuke heaved a sigh. "Well, at least you're beginning to understand it," he said quietly.
Turning his head to the side, Naruto noticed that Sasuke was watching him. For a while, the two looked at each other in silence, both their hands resting on the ground between them, close enough to touch, but not really coming into contact. He could feel Sasuke's fingers tapping the ground in a slightly impatient fashion.
Fascinated by the simple beauty of Sasuke's features, Naruto wondered if his precious person would accept his touch or reject it if he did try to hold his hand. He really wanted to right then. In a way, it annoyed him that Sasuke had to be so difficult with such insignificant things, but at the same time, he knew how fragile things were between them, and honestly, the challenge that the Uchiha was as a person was one of the things that lured Naruto to him the most. He liked never knowing what to expect, no matter how well he thought he knew him.
Chewing on his lower lip, Naruto dared to move his hand a bit, the tip of his middle finger brushing lightly against Sasuke's thumb almost shyly. It seemed ridiculous that he felt this way about a fucking hand when he and Sasuke had done far more intimate things, but he couldn't help it. It always felt different when they weren't being taken over by their immediate urges.
"Did you…" Naruto asked, looking down at their hands and watching as Sasuke's fingers stilled without really moving away from the touch. "Did you know that this would happen to us? Back then… before we fought and after…"
"You should already know by now that I have a difficult time trusting or even liking people easily," Sasuke whispered tonelessly, and Naruto felt him looking down at their hands as well. "You have always been on another level from Sakura, or even Kakashi. Regardless of how much you annoyed me with your stupid plans or how much we bickered and competed against each other…"
Sasuke stopped himself, his thumb moving of its own free will to brush against Naruto's finger carefully. "It's not like I knew that things would go like this, exactly. But for me, considering who you are in my eyes, I guess I automatically accepted that anything could happen as far as the two of us were involved. After my first journey I understood that, if you would ever want it, this could be an outcome I wouldn't reject."
In spite of himself, Naruto felt his cheeks catch fire. It was stupid, but he did feel a little embarrassed at the blunt revelation coming from someone as stoic as Sasuke. He couldn't help but feeling this giddiness whenever Sasuke talked about this kind of stuff.
"Gaara said that he had been expecting this kind of outcome from the beginning," he said, with a small chuckle. "Now I wonder if more people were predicting this. I wonder if they were surprised that I didn't go with you the first time."
His voice faltered unexpectedly and he swallowed hard. Lifting his chin up to meet Sasuke's eyes, he found them full of empathy, which made his heart thump brutally inside his chest.
I love him…
Sasuke placed his hand on top of his and Naruto lost his breath.
"Does your heart beat like crazy when we touch like this?" he couldn't help but ask, not really knowing what to do with the wave of feelings the simple touch caused inside of him.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in an almost evaluating way that wasn't hostile at all, just… appreciative. "It does," he confessed calmly, squeezing Naruto's hand in his.
It hurts…
"I wish… I wish I had seen this before," Naruto muttered, not without a bit of regret. "I wish I hadn't been so scared of you… of us."
Turning his hand upwards, he was overcome with joy when Sasuke spread his fingers slightly so Naruto could easily slip his own between them.
Sasuke's fingers, Sasuke's hand in his… it wasn't something he'd ever forget, and not something he wanted to let go of, ever.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Sasuke muttered. There was a strong intensity to his eyes that Naruto found himself immensely drawn to. "You are mine, Naruto. No matter what or who you choose; no matter where you go."
Naruto felt his whole body spasm at those words, not because they shocked him, but because they were something he knew to be true. In the past, he had never thought about his feelings for Sasuke like he had been doing in the last few weeks, but now that he did, he understood that this wasn't new at all, even if it felt like it was because now he could identify them and know what they meant.
His voice got stuck in his throat and came out a bit hoarse. "Sasuke…"
"Maybe you don't know it yet," his friend proceeded, his tone firm as if not allowing contradiction. "Maybe you don't even accept it in spite of your silly claims of being 'in love'. But the day will come when you do."
In spite of himself, Naruto dragged himself closer to Sasuke, twisting his body a bit to face him without letting go of his hand.
"You scare me when you talk like that," he whispered, bringing his face closer to Sasuke's until they were a breath away from each other and enjoying the tension, the simple excitement that being this close and sharing something so deep brought. "Not a bad kind of scared, though."
Sasuke's fingers tightened around his. "I'm simply stating a fact neither of us can escape," he whispered back, also adjusting his position ever so slightly so he could tilt his head to the side, the sides of their noses brushing against each other. "That's what you need to understand."
"I do." Slowly, Naruto broke the distance between them only enough to brush his lips over Sasuke's as he spoke. "And I don't think I want to escape it, anyway."
Against him, Sasuke smiled. "You'll regret those words, someday."
"Somehow, I highly doubt it."
"Hn…" Without warning, Sasuke pressed his lips fully to Naruto's in a way that got his heart beating like crazy. "You're as naïve as ever."
"No," the blond panted, his free hand reaching out to grab the back of Sasuke's neck. "I'm just not scared of how you make me feel anymore. After all, we belong to each other, right?"
He didn't give Sasuke the time to reply, though, because he was kissing him now in a voracious way, demandingly prying those lips open with a tongue and revelling when the other male responded with as much fervour. Sasuke didn't seem to care about what the three people behind them could think of what they were obviously seeing, and if Sasuke didn't care, then Naruto didn't either.
Because Sasuke was his. And he knew now that he belonged to Sasuke as well. Regardless of who came in between them, regardless of who claimed to love them… it had always been about them, and it would probably always be about them.
The thought was exhilarating as much as it was terrifying and it made Naruto feel like a bundle of exciting shit.
He had been the biggest fool.
Sasuke was turning him into someone he didn't think he'd ever be – a selfish and possessive individual who wanted nothing more than to quell his own whims and desires.
He pressed himself more to Sasuke, wounding his arm around his neck and deepening the kiss, devouring that mouth that had become such a simple source of pleasurable perfection for him.
Who was he trying to fool? He had always been selfish when it came to Sasuke. He had always wanted Sasuke's attention, Sasuke's friendship, Sasuke's understanding. He had taken upon himself the mission of saving Sasuke, first on Sakura's behalf, yes, but it hadn't taken him long to realize that he needed it, too, to the point where he hadn't wanted anyone other than himself to save Sasuke.
He had been willing to die with him, regardless of what it would make other people feel.
And now, Naruto, who was always chastising his best friend for not wanting bonds, was so focused on Sasuke that, in his heart, he knew he was easily able to leave everything behind for him.
There was no doubt in his mind that this craving was beyond his control and it would drive him crazy.
He feared it would break them both sooner or later. It had to. Something like this was just…
Is this even right?
Is this even healthy?
"Naruto," Sasuke murmured against his mouth, panting heavily. "I wanna have sex with you, too."
Naruto could only moan pitifully and kiss him again.
Fuck.
TBC…
Rayvinfay: Thank you so much, I love you too! Thank you for all the support, I can't thank you enough ;_;
Tracy: It's so weird, because I thought that the chapter with Gaara would be a boring one, but apparently you guys loved it, so I'm really happy! I had a lot of fun writing it, and it was interesting seeing things from Gaara's POV. I really love Gaara, he's such a great, well developed character, seriously. Kind of like Glenn from The Walking Dead xD I mean, he's a secondary character but you are very aware of his growth and of who he was and who he's struggling to become, and it's amazing. Sasuke and Naruto are like… going through hell. Even in those scenes where we see them being all lovey-dovey or sharing a deep moment, they're dying inside. But they're also happy, so when I write them I try to make the reader not underestimate anything that happens between them. They're like ticking bombs right now, and so is their relationship. In all truth, I really need to be impulsive at times, but what I really want is for them to take step after step perfectly conscious of what they're doing and the repercussions it will have. They're opening up to each other, but they are also holding a lot of things back. I thank you dearly for the wonderful words of approval, I never really understand what I do to deserve it since I feel this story in a different way from the readers, but thank you! I'm very flattered, seriously. And, as you have seen, this chapter isn't too heavy emotionally ;) The next one might be a bit more intense, trust me ;)
Shane: Thank you! Gaara has… special feelings for the both of them for different reasons. He's envious of what they have but still wants them to be happy. He is empathising more with Sasuke at this point because they are both 'alone' and both share a love for Naruto that is kind of… how can I explain it… unfulfillable, so to speak. But he loves them to the point where he wants them to be where they belong, so he wouldn't want to be in the way of them. It's kind of complicated to explain, but I guess it'll be more obvious further down the road :)
HB: Thank you! As I said to Tracy, Gaara's feelings are the same for both Sasuke and Naruto, just caused by different things. And yes! Gaara wants them to be together because he knows that's where they belong and what they need to be happy. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Not as exciting as it probably could be, but I was ecstatic about writing about Taka so… I hope you liked it! Thank you for the support!
Twistedimages (chapter 4): Thank you so much! I did chose to write this fic because of the horrible ending that 'Naruto' had. I mean, yes, this is an SNS fic, but mostly I needed to bring many of the bonds that we have seen in the manga back to life, especially Naruto's and Sasuke's. Because those bonds seemed to have been thrown to the bin and I can't have that. Which is why I chose to introduce Gaara, Taka and will continue to do so with other characters. It breaks my heart how the team 7 dynamics have been so disgustingly destroyed because of pairings. So thank you, I'm glad I'm getting the message across!
LongTimeFan (chapter1): OMG, thank you so much! I'm really glad you chose to read instead of scrolling past it, and hopefully you are enjoying the fic as you read :) I know it's kind of an emotional turmoil that just keeps escalating, but that's how I work. I love creating that kind of insightfulness in the readers, it helps them empathise with the characters and creates a sense of reality I think is essential. Hehe. I'm constantly praying that my readers will have the courage to keep reading :) Thank you so much for the wonderful review, and I hope you enjoy the fic!
Alright, so, a quiet chapter, I'd say? Next chapter: More Taka + Naruto knows Karin is an Uzumaki + sexual tension.
OMG. Taka. My passion is back. I'm so glad that I introduced those three to the story, it just made me feel so… accomplished. In spite of everything, I really liked Taka's dynamics and I do think that Sasuke has had a bond with them in spite of him trying not to get attached. So, yeah. I'm a happy person.
I hope you all liked the chapter! Did you guess what's going to happen real soon? Did you get what's happening with Taka right now? Can you guess what might happen in the future?
My head is spinning with new ideas! I'm so frustrated but excited! This fic was supposed to be like a five part or something, but nooooo, I just have to go and make it long. *sigh*
Anyway, as usual, thank you all for the love and constant support!
See ya next time!
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