Hey guys, I'm back. I told you I've never drop a fic and here you are: The next installation in the Stay-Remain series. School is now starting to calm down (considering it's basically over except I have three more exams left to write) and I've put this on my writing list for the summer so hopefully I'll be updating regularly over the next four months.

I warn you I am continuing the flashbacks and flash-presents (I'm making that a term) in the same manner as I did in the last chapter. They will be unexpected and triggered by one sentence, there will be no line breaks or anything so they might be disoriented but that is the initial effect of this technique. I like fragmented plots, I'm sorry but this is a skill I'm starting to develop so I'm using it when appropriate.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter Three:

Iruka sat on the stool of Ichiraku Ramen next to Naruto. He was fidgeting rather badly for someone his age but he didn't know what he should do. Just earlier that day, Naruto had come into his office and dropped into his chair with a loud sigh. When he inquired what was wrong with the younger man, all Naruto said was if they could go to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch. There was no way Iruka was rejecting this offer with the way Naruto was acting.

"Naruto?" Iruka finally asked. "Are you okay?"

Naruto didn't look up from the ramen he was currently playing with. That was an even stranger for the blonde's normal behavior. Usually, the ramen set in front of Naruto only had a split second before it was vigorously inhaled.

"Naruto...?" He prodded once again, trying to encourage Naruto to look at him.

With a soft sigh, Naruto placed his chopsticks down and turned to look at his mentor. It was the first time Naruto had looked up at him all day. Iruka's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Naruto's deep bags underneath his eyes and the exhausted look about his eyes as well as posture.

"Is everything all right?" Iruka was obviously very worried about Naruto but he didn't want to push anything. Naruto had been happy for so long that it was strange to see him back to the depressive state Sasuke had left him in before.

Naruto was silent for a moment. He didn't want to come out with it but he guessed there was no other way. "I saw Sasuke at the theatre last night."

Iruka's eyes almost widened in shock but he forced himself to remain composed. "Oh? Did he say anything to you?"

"Yeah... we talked... had a somewhat normal conversation."

"Well that's not too bad-"

"I think he's dating someone..."

Iruka paused, taking in this information and comparing it to how Naruto was behaving. "That's good isn't it. You're dating someone, he's dating someone... Isn't it a good thing that you're both moving on?"

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. He was clearly angry with himself now. "Yes. Of course it's a good thing but why..."

"Why do you feel like it's a bad thing?" Iruka asked intelligently.

Naruto sighed once more. He knew the answer, he just didn't want to admit it. "Because I'm jealous..."

Now it was Iruka's turn to sigh. "Naruto. It's only natural for you to feel that way after you've gone six months without so much as a word from him. You're shocked at the change. You shouldn't dwell on it so much."

"I know..." Naruto did understand that it was completely logical but everything seemed to be against him right now. "But..."

"But nothing Naruto." Iruka hated being blunt but when the occasional called for it... "You have to move on. Stop being nostalgic for something that never existed."

Naruto rounded on his mentor, eyes full of anger and offense. He could not believe Iruka had just said that. "What do you mean 'never existed'?"

Iruka hadn't meant to get such a reaction out of Naruto with his words, but what he said was the truth.

"You keep looking back on the past and remembering how good things were with Sasuke, how much you loved him but you keep forgetting that Sasuke wasn't good to you. With everything he put you through... Naruto... you're better without him so stop trying to recapture a love that didn't exist."

Naruto's eyes frowned but a hint of anger remained. "I never forgot how much he hurt me. I can never forget how much of a wreck I was when I was with him." But he also couldn't forget how happy he was when he was in Sasuke's arms. He couldn't forget those first few weeks when they're first met and how Naruto was the happiest person in the world. He couldn't forget how much he wanted to be with him and how great a life they could have had together if Sasuke hadn't been married.

Iruka's eyes never averted from Naruto as they ate in silence for the next few minutes.

"I asked him to move in you know." Naruto said randomly, staring at his ramen.

"Gaara?" Iruka beamed, glad at the change in conversation. "That's great! How did he-"

"No... not Gaara."

Iruka's eyes narrowed in confusion before it dawned on him. "Naruto-"

"Back when I first met him... after six weeks actually... before I moved into Grams old house. I had asked Sasuke to move in with me."

Naruto sat contemplative for a moment, staring at his ramen. Iruka was observing him cautiously. He didn't want what he was thinking to happen, not again. Naruto had been through enough of this.

"So... I'm confused." Naruto continued in a less serious, somber voice. "Why... if after only six weeks I can ask someone to move in with me... but now... Gaara asked for us to move in together after being together for six months... and I can't say yes. Sure it's the same number but there are a hell of a lot more days in months than there are in weeks. It makes no sense!"

Iruka's was slightly taken aback from Naruto's emotional flip. Just moments ago he had been depressing and solemn, now he was expressing his confusion in a comical and eccentric manner.

"I love Gaara... Iruka, I really do. He's so good to me and I love being around him. He's the reason I... he's the reason I know what a functional relationship is supposed to be like. Without him... I wouldn't have gotten the courage to break things off with Sasuke."

Naruto sank back into his depression, poking his ramen with his chopsticks.

"From what I hear... Kiba was the one-"

"Well yeah... he was. He kept me alive and functioning but he'd been saying the same things for a year. They start to wear off if they're from the same person ya'know. But Gaara, he didn't even know, still doesn't know and yet... him being there, him wanting to be with me... and only me... that clicked."

"Then what's the problem?" Iruka asked cautiously, taking the last bite of his ramen.

"I... I don't think... well... I'm not..."

"Ready?" Iruka chimed in, helping the stumbling blonde with his lack of words.

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed in realization. He wasn't ready to take the next step with Gaara. He was still healing and he needed time to sort things out. Especially these new things...

"Maybe if I never see him again, then I can move on."

Iruka's eyes practically frowned at him in disapproval. It was a bad idea to think that avoiding the problem could make it go away, Naruto should know this.

"I know... stupid idea..." Naruto grumbled, taking his first real bite of his now cold ramen. "I just wish... I just wish I knew how to deal with this. I mean, god, did he ever really love me?"

Sasuke's eyes opened wide at this new question. He'd handled the other ones as calmly and as straight forward as possible, but this new question caused his heart to practically stop beating in his chest.

"Naruto... I..."

"It's a yes or no answer, Sasuke. Just like the rest of them." Naruto bit his lower lip but he refused to let his eye contact with the raven break. It killed him and he wanted to look away but he had to make sure that Sasuke knew he was serious.

"But it's more complicated than that, Naruto."

"You're married, you're gay and this isn't an affair... I don't think it could get any more complicated than that, Sasuke." Naruto cried. Attempting to keep his composure and not lose his temper was becoming incredibly difficult the longer he watched the raven haired man squirm in his living room.

"I love you more than I've loved anyone on this planet." Sasuke spoke in one breath, his eyes staring intensely into Naruto's wavering cerulean eyes. "But-"

Instantly Naruto broke eye contact, looking down. He had been so happy when Sasuke returned his love with exuberance, despite how well he contained it, but he couldn't take any buts. He couldn't imagine how someone could proclaim his love so deeply, so sincerely, but have something contradicting how he felt.

"I also love my wife... and I'm..." Sasuke trailed off, searching himself for the words that wouldn't come to him. It was as though the universe was punishing him for putting them all in this position and now they were holding any redeemable words that he could use hostage.

Here it comes, Naruto thought. He loves his wife and he's going to return to her because he has to be faithful... he can't hurt his wife whose hand he took and whose vows he honored. Instead he had to hurt Naruto. It was simply a fling and he should have never stepped out of his closet.

"I'm just so confused..." Sasuke finally sighed, burying his face in his hands.

Naruto's head jerked up and his eyes were immediately upon Sasuke. "What?"

"I don't... I don't know what to do, Naruto." Sasuke mumbled.

"Sasuke..." Naruto spoke softly. He wanted to move in front of the raven and take him in his arms. He wanted to comfort the man he could tell was honestly hurting inside but he stopped himself, telling himself that he was hurting just as much as Sasuke and that Sasuke was the one who caused this. He didn't want to blame the man he loved but, to be honest, it couldn't have really been anyone else's fault... could it?

"Naruto... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doing this to you... I just..." Sasuke rose his face and Naruto could tell he was restraining tears as best he could. "I love you. And meeting you felt like I'd finally found myself. Being with you was the best thing that ever happened to me and I... I just don't want to give you up."

Naruto averted his eyes, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. His breathing quickened and he felt his heart speed up to an unmatchable rate.

"I..."

Sasuke moved forward to kneel on the floor in front of Naruto, taking his hands into his own. Naruto tried to struggle and remove his hands but Sasuke gripped them tightly, forcing Naruto to glance down. The intensity and determination in Sasuke's eyes stunned the blonde. The little breath that remained in his lungs has disappeared and he couldn't break away.

"Naruto... I don't think I can give you up."

Instantly Naruto let out a shaky breath which quickly turned into cries of mixed emotions that he was unable to decipher. He couldn't tell if he was happy, sad, disappointed, angry or any other emotions that would seem appropriate for this type of situation.

Naruto's head had dropped so that he wasn't looking at the raven anymore, but rather his lap. That didn't stop Sasuke from being able to lift one of his hands to gently caress the blonde's cheek. This only caused further tears to pour from Naruto's eyes. He didn't know how much more he could take this. He knew how incredibly wrong this situation was but he couldn't stop himself from wanting the man before him. In just a few weeks he'd become everything to him and he didn't think he was capable of loving anyone more than he was in love right this moment.

Slowly, gradually, and cautiously he could feel Sasuke moving closer to him, matching his height. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and as Sasuke lifted his cheek and his breath feel upon his lips, Naruto suddenly blurted out:

"Leave your wife."

Sasuke's actions stopped dead in their tracks and he pulled away from the blonde. He couldn't see his face but Naruto could only imagine the amount of shock written in his eyes.

"What?" Sasuke asked, clearly taken off guard.

After taking a deep, long breath, Naruto sighed and he allowed his eyes to open and instantly connect with Sasuke's confused and stunned darker orbs. Formulating his words, Naruto bit his lower lip before continuing.

"If you... If you leave your wife. Then we can be together."

He knew it was wrong and he punched his metaphorical self in the gut for every word he spoke but he couldn't help it. He loved this man and wanted to be with him. Naruto didn't know this woman who was his wife, and what would a heterosexual woman want with a gay man? Sure he's been a good husband so far but eventually she'd get suspicious when he started redecorating the living room in better taste than she could have ever come up with. And the sex, the sex couldn't be as good as Naruto had been having sex with Sasuke. Clearly this was a better option.

"Naruto... I..."

"That's the only way, Sasuke." Naruto spoke as calmly as possible but his anxiety was leaking through. "Do you love me or not?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue with Naruto again but he stopped himself when he heard Naruto's question. "I do... I really do."

Naruto nodded, biting his lip and speaking before he lost all composure. "Then what's it going to be?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke began, uncertain at first as he searched himself before he proceeded slowly. "You can't ask me to leave my wife."

He broke. Everything in Naruto snapped at that very moment and he stood up suddenly, nearly knocking Sasuke back from the force. The blonde glared down with the tears he'd been holding back now streaming freely down his cheeks.

"Can't I?" Naruto almost screamed into the near empty space of his apartment. Sasuke moved back and went to stand up but Naruto stepped forward and stopped him. For once Naruto wanted the higher ground in this situation. "You're gay, Sasuke! Your wife, needless to say, does not have a fucking penis!"

"Naruto." Sasuke chided gently, only further upsetting the blonde.

"Don't you even, Sasuke! I am not going to be scolded for telling the fucking truth! For fuck's sake, Sasuke!" Naruto cried out, running his hands through his hair and bringing them down in a tense movement, locking his arms at the elbow and gripping the air with his fingers. "What the hell am I to you if I'm not an affair?"

Sasuke, as slowly as possible, got to his feet and stood to meet Naruto's height. This time Naruto didn't try to stop him from standing, he simply glowered at him through the tears, gripping his hands into tight fists at his sides.

"I... Naruto... I've never thought of this as an affair."

"You're sleeping with a man behind your wife's back! What else could it be?"

"Sakura has had nothing to do with our relationship."

Naruto winced at the name, sorry that he'd ever heard it. Before he could at least think of her as an oblivious wife who would benefit from leaving a gay husband... But now... Now he knew she was real. Now he couldn't deny his involvement and intrusion into their relationship. Sure, Sasuke was probably always gay and he'd started to figure it out, which is why he was in the gay bar last night, but Naruto was the one to make him realize this. Naruto was his first, first gay relationship and first affair, and he... he had just asked him to break the heart of this woman. How could he wish this kind of pain upon another living human?

"When I'm with you," Sasuke continued, attempting a step forward, "she doesn't exist."

Naruto's eyes widened in offense and he immediately shoved Sasuke back. "How can you say that! She's your wife, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's eyes contorted in confusion. "But you... you asked me to leave her."

"I know I did!" Naruto cried, covering his eyes with his hand so he didn't have to look at Sasuke anymore. "I just... I never realized that... that this will hurt her too."

Again, Sasuke tried moving forward. "It won't hurt her, Naruto. She doesn't know about this."

"But she will! Eventually she'll figure it out Sasuke, and I can't be with you when you're with her! I'm not going to be that person, Sasuke. You can't make me be that person..."

Naruto sighed as his energy waned. Fighting this person who he loved so much was becoming more difficult by the moment and the closer Sasuke moved, the less Naruto wanted to fight him. With Sasuke's outstretched hand hovering intensely close to his arm, Naruto wanted nothing more than to fall into Sasuke's arms and have the raven hold him tightly, telling him that he loved him.

"I don't want you to be that person, Naruto." Sasuke whispered tenderly, placing his hand on Naruto's arm and caressing softly.

"Does that mean...?" Naruto lowered his hand and allowed himself to trail off, hoping that Sasuke would complete his sentence in the way that would benefit himself. It hurt him to imagine Sakura's reaction to this but... it would happen eventually right? Eventually Sasuke would need to come out as gay and break his wife's heart, right? So why couldn't it be now, right now, before their marriage continued any longer and caused Sakura more pain?

"Just give me time, Naruto. Can you do that?" Sasuke asked, lifting Naruto's chin to gain proper eye contact.

Naruto sniffed back all tears, and breathed deeply as he gazed into his lover's serious eyes. "Do you love me?"

"Yes, Naruto. I love you." Sasuke answered without hesitation.

"And you want to be with me?"

Sasuke nodded, a small, reassuring smile gracing his lips. "More than anything."

"So... you'll leave your wife... to be with me?" Naruto spoke cautiously, both for himself and for Sasuke. He hated himself for asking this but to more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Yes he was hurting this woman by taking her husband, but she would lose him eventually anyway and the sooner... the less it would hurt.

The raven took a deep breath, averting his eyes as he considered all his options before looking back and connecting their gazes once again. "I... I will."

Once more Naruto broke out in tears, but not the same angry, frustrated and broken tears he was experiencing before. These were tears of relief, relief that he didn't have to give up what he'd found during those six weeks.

Gently, Sasuke's hand reached to cup his face and his thumb stroked the flesh below his eyes, removing the tears that fell. Naruto laughed into the tears as Sasuke enveloped the blonde in a tight embrace and Naruto reciprocated.

"I should have known..." Naruto murmured as he twirled the ramen in his bowl with his chopsticks. "From the very beginning... I should have known."

Iruka sighed as he reached over, gripping Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Naruto." Although Iruka had never condoned the affair, he legitimately sympathized with Naruto's situation and how much the blonde had suffered because of this man. Naruto was like a son or a little brother to Iruka, and he was protective of the kid, giving him enough cause to file Sasuke Uchiha in his seriously dislike folder.

"It's not your fault that you couldn't see through his lies, Naruto."

"I know..." The blonde dropped his chopsticks and pushed the bowl away from him, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose when he felt the tears coming on too strong.

"Sometimes... you just can't tell when someone is lying when they tell you that they love you." Iruka continued, trying to take as much blame off the blonde as he could.

"I love you, Naruto..." Sasuke whispered sweetly into Naruto's ear as they cuddled on the couch, attempting to watch a movie that they knew they would never finish. (1)

"Hey blondie!" The raven haired man called from the kitchen, drawing the other man to the doorway to greet the rain-drenched man. Naruto chuckled at the sight of Sasuke as a drowned rat standing in his kitchen. (2)

"I'll get you a towel." Naruto turned around to get a towel from the bathroom but he was stopped as his lover wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into a cold, damp hug.

"You're freezing! And you're getting me wet! Let me go!" The blonde laughed, struggling halfheartedly against Sasuke's embrace.

But Sasuke didn't release him, instead he pulled him closer and kissed the nape of his neck before breathing onto the blonde's ear. "I love you."

"No..." Naruto shook his head into his hand, disagreeing with Iruka's words. "I know that part wasn't a lie..."

The blonde stood up and took the money for both of their lunches out of his wallet, placing it on the counter with a generous tip. He turned away from his mentor, meaning to head back to his car but he stayed there for a moment.

"That part... that feeling... there's no way that could have been a lie."

Iruka sighed loudly and shook his head as he watched Naruto walk back to his car. His eyes glanced over at the barely touched ramen in Naruto's bowl and he couldn't stop himself from thinking something bad was going to happen. Considering Naruto's earlier statement... it probably was better if Naruto never saw Sasuke again.

Six bullets exited the barrel of the Smith & Wesson pistol, landing directly in the center of the target at the end of the firing range.

Sasuke sighed as he took the ear muffs down, allowing them to rest around his neck.

"Nice shooting." Sasuke's mentor spoke from behind him, nearly startling the raven if he didn't have such skilled composure.

"Do you always need to sneak in out of nowhere?" Sasuke asked, obviously frustrated and still armed.

Kakashi chuckled to himself as he studied Sasuke's body language from above his book, which was currently and always in his hand at work. "You don't spend much time in the firing range. I figured you could use an ear."

Sasuke stared back at Kakashi's calculating eyes before putting the ear muffs back in place. "You guessed wrong."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, placing his book down and pulling the ear muffs from off Sasuke's head before he could properly aim his gun for the new target.

"What do you want, Hatake?" Sasuke growled with his back to the silver haired man.

"You're avoiding something." Kakashi stated. "Now talk."

Sasuke grumbled to himself as he turned his gun over in his hand. The choices were simple. On one hand, he could aim at his target anyway and damage his eardrums a little bit. On the other hand, he could turn around an put a few rounds in his intruder's chest. And, of course, on Kakashi's hands there was the option of putting the gun down, turning around and having a civil conversation with his mentor.

He sighed as he put the gun back into its holster and turned around to face Kakashi's expectant face.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked simply.

"Yes and no." Was Sasuke's clipped reply.

"You want advice?"

"Not really."

"Let it go." Kakashi advised, despite Sasuke's rejection. "I know you love him but you fucked up and he's moved on."

"But there's still-"

"A spark? A connection?" Kakashi asked and Sasuke gritted his teeth and averted his eyes, confirming Kakashi's words. "There always will be, Sasuke. But sometimes you just need to move on."

"You're suggesting I should just forget about him?" Sasuke snapped, glaring at his mentor and his unbelievably cliche advice.

"No, but you can't wait for him, Sasuke."

Sasuke breathed deeply, averting his eyes once more as he reached into his holster and pulled out his handgun. "Just watch me," he spoke as he turned to the target and fired three rounds into the dead center of the target.

Kakashi shook his head in disapproval but he knew there was no sense in arguing with the raven haired man at this point. Perhaps he would try to reason with him later, when Sasuke wasn't armed.

"What else?" He asked, referring to Sasuke's mixed answer.

"Sakura." Sasuke stated simply without turning around or lowering his handgun, despite the fact that he was no longer planning to shoot the target.

"How is the ex-wife?" Kakashi asked cautiously yet in a light tone. Sasuke never enjoyed seriously discussing Sakura, especially around the precinct because she was a well known visitor by Sasuke's side. She was cheerful and always brought them some sort of baked good to keep them going. It was a tough subject for everyone really, and several of Sasuke's co-workers lost a certain level of respect for him because of it.

"Not quite an ex yet." The guilt over their situation slowly crept into Sasuke's voice. He was torn up over how many people he'd hurt with his affair and the damage he'd done to his best friend refused to subside. Sakura hadn't deserved this kind of live... but, even though it was Sasuke's fault for lying to both himself and Sakura, it didn't make this divorce any easier for either of them.

"She hasn't signed the divorce papers?" Kakashi asked curiously. Surprised that Sakura was still clinging to this relationship. Sure they were best friends before this, but he figured any woman who was cheated on would want to distance themselves from the cheater as quickly as possible.

"No..." Sasuke sighed, finally lowering his pistol. "And I don't feel like I have the right to go over there and ask her to."

"Give her time." Kakashi suggested, this time not so sure of himself. Women weren't a very familiar subject for him.

Sasuke groaned inwardly at that response. Time, all people talked about was time. Things will get better in time, in time you'll stop waiting on Naruto, in time you'll accept your position. Sasuke was beginning to hate time and the fact that it brought him further and further away from the best times of his life... Away from his time with Naruto... Away from when Sakura was his best friend... and towards sadness and depression and guilt and self-loathing... and being completely and utterly alone.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" Sasuke asked the one person who was left that still gave him the time of day.

Kakashi stood there silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Again, these types of talks weren't his speciality and he wished there was someone else who could act as Sasuke's mentor since childhood when these serious conversations came up, but he always tried his hardest to give the younger answers that would benefit him.

"She might... one day." Kakashi answered as honestly as possible. He didn't know Sakura that well, having transferred after their had dissolved their marriage but considering her generous and caring behavior and how well he had been told they worked together in the past... Kakashi believed that one day she might be able to forgive him.

"I really hope she does." Sasuke exhaled slowly as he uncharacteristically rung his hands together. Lately he'd been so completely far from himself, losing his personality because he was constantly thinking about how much he missed the people he loved. He wanted to turn back time and realize that he was gay before he proposed to Sakura. That way they could still be friends and when he met Naruto... they wouldn't have had to have the kind of relationship that they had. But everything was messed up now... and it was all his fault. And all he wanted was to have his lover back in his arms and his best friend by his side.

(1) In case this was confusing, this was a small memory that Naruto is consciously remembering at that moment.

(2) Again, if it was confusing, this memory is separate from the couch "I love you" memory and is a memory from a different day or month when it was raining. It's an additional memory in the "I love you"'s from Sasuke memories that Naruto is consciously remembering to think over whether Sasuke loved him or not.