A/N: If I said this one wouldn't be Naruto centric, I'd be lying. This song fic stars Taylor Swift's song; Tied Together With A Smile. It is a song that I feel fits Naruto in many ways and I hope I will be able to portray those ways accurately here, so just bare with me guys. A side note; I will be very emotional while writing this because this is a song that fits me all too well, so you can diss the one shot if you wish, but not the song because that would just be cruel. Anyway, Enjoy and review if you have the time.
I guess it's true that love was all you wanted…
Seems the only one who doesn't see your beauty
Is the face in the mirror looking back at you
You walk around here thinking you're not pretty
But that's not true, cause I know you...
Cerulean eyes stare at the face in the mirror as if seeing a monster. The whispers the villagers say loud enough so that they know he can hear them, those same words spoken over and over in his presence, seem to have been sinking in little by little no matter how determined he was to prove them wrong. Touching the single pane of glass and tracing the whisker scars that are reflected back at him, the blonde suddenly snarls and punches the glass, shattering it and denting the medicine cabinet behind it. Glass shards and blood fall to the floor and he sighs softly as he pulls his fist back and grabs a pair of tweezers before picking the glass out. Ignoring the stinging in his bloodied knuckles and the pounding on his front door, he calmly starts doctoring his hand. The bathroom door is soon thrown open and a pair of intense onyx eyes look the towel-clad blonde over before landing on the harmed appendage.
His smooth, deep voice has an edge of worry to it, though the raven headed teen would never admit it even at kunai point. "Naruto, dobe, what did you do this time?"
Dulled cerulean eyes flicker to the one shadowing his doorway, and a voice that lacks its usual exuberance answers quite calmly, "Are you blind teme? The glass is on the floor, the medicine cabinet no longer has a mirror, and my knuckles are being bandaged. Somehow, I don't doubt even a brain-dead oaf could piece that one together. Why would you want to know anyway? It's not like anyone could care less that the monster of the village got a boo-boo."
Hold on, baby, you're losing it
The water's high, you're jumping into it
And letting go... and no one knows
That you cry, but you don't tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one
And you're tied together with a smile
But you're coming undone
Shocked, Sasuke takes a very un-Uchiha moment to gape at him before glowering and grabbing the dobe after the bandaging is complete. "Who the hell do you think you are saying that Naruto!? You don't speak for everyone; you don't know how everybody feels because you're too dense to see it! What about Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura and me huh? We all care about you, so what about us?"
Naruto roughly pushes him away and huffs softly in disdain, "Iruka-sensei I can believe, but Kakashi-sensei has you teme! You're his favorite and you're the only thing Sakura seems to care about! You can shoot her down and say nasty things to her any time you like and yet when I ask her an innocent question or say something slightly ignorant or annoying, I get pummeled! She thinks of me as an annoyance, and Kakashi-sensei just—Ugh!! And what about you? I only heard praise from you on my skills when we completed that waterfall country mission. Any other time you're saying things that make it seems as if you think I'm below you, so what about you huh!?" Moving past him, the blonde storms off to his room and gets dressed, leaving the semi-stunned Uchiha standing there.
I guess it's true that love was all you wanted
Cause you're giving it away like it's extra change
Hoping it will end up in his pocket
But he leaves you out like a penny in the rain
Oh, cause it's not his price to pay
Not his price to pay...
They eat the breakfast Sasuke prepared once he'd snapped out of his momentary shock in silent contemplation until Sasuke decides to speak up. "There was a D-ranked mission or two where we were gathering garbage from the river and the current swept you down to the waterfall when you slipped on a slick rock. I caught you before you could fall to the bottom of the falls." Seeing that Naruto only snorted softly at that, Sasuke lets a slight, but very real smile curve his lips and knows that the other teen is listening as he continues.
"Our first mission, I goaded you to make sure you didn't freeze up on us. We worked as a pair when Kakashi was caught in Zabuza's water bubble since Sakura was useless as she always was back then. Your plan to distract him was genius and no one but the two of us knew what was really going on. We helped each other back to Tazuna's house when we stayed out late training our chakra control. I could've left you behind without a second thought, but I didn't. When you were so drained of Chakra that you slept later than us, Kakashi let you sleep in so you would be at the top of your game. He could've told us to wake you up, but he didn't. I took senbon directed at you when we fought Haku without a second thought and I defended you as much as you defended me, but you still beat me when it came to who protected whom the best. I know I can trust you with my life Naruto, if that experience in the forest of death and that fight with Gaara when he was transforming is any indication. Somewhere deep down, you know you can trust me with your life too. Those eyes of yours see everything, yet they miss the fact that your precious people care for you just as you care for them. As for Sakura, that wasn't just me she was defending during the chuunin exams when we were both out cold."
Naruto looks up at him and gives him a piercing look. "Everything you've said is true, I'll admit that, but Sasuke that mark on your neck from Orochimaru makes you a wildcard. You yearn for the power to destroy your brother and Orochimaru offers it for the price of your body. He is a vile creature who lives forever by snatching bodies and using the power they already have as well as the power he nurtures within them. How do I know that you won't try to kill me or Sakura for that matter, just for the power you thirst for to destroy Itachi? I consider you my best friend and yet with that mark on you, I'm bracing myself for the day you'll stab me in the back for the lust of power. I may play a dobe once I step out that front door, but I'm not one. You say that my eyes see everything and yet miss so much when you yourself didn't even notice that my idiotic hyperactivity is an act until recently. Then you come up in here and want to talk to me about not seeing what's right in front of you? I know Hinata likes me, but Kiba loves her whereas I only consider her a dear friend. I want her to notice Kiba and her true feelings for him. She doesn't really want me for her boyfriend; she loves me as a friend and inspiration. Even Shika agrees with that. Sakura needs to shift her gaze from you to Lee because she's only crushing on you. You're sexy and handsome and you've got a good personality to boot, but you two wouldn't last as long as a relationship between her and bushy brows would! And suddenly I'm the only one who can't see what's right in front of his face!? Tell me something all mighty and powerful Uchiha, did you even care to notice that Iruka and Kakashi are lovers? They have been for almost a year now."
Sighing, Sasuke looks at the table top, just to have a reason to look away from those dulled, yet intense cerulean eyes that were boring into his own dark ones so fiercely. "You make a valid point Naruto, but the further I get from you, the closer to Orochimaru I will be. You keep me centered and give me a reason to stay. As much as I hate it that you keep growing in power and strength, if you'd take time out from distracting Sakura from me so she could turn her attentions elsewhere, I'd actually enjoy training with you… letting you be my sensei. No matter what I do to make myself stronger, I'm weakened by my lust for power and vengeance. I am an avenger Naruto, you can't change that. You are the container of the nine-tailed fox and I can't change that, but no matter what those ignorant assholes say, you are not a monster. You are a beautiful person whose eyes light up when something or someone makes you happy or when you laugh, they spit fire when you're upset or angry, and they turn unbearably sad when you think no one is watching. Your smile can light up the room and bring a bit of sunshine into anyone's day. You may get annoying and obnoxious at times, but you're funny and goofy and just… lovable and I'm jealous of that because it's something I'll never be able to do in a million years. You affect people's lives Naruto and it's always for the better. Only, lately we've all noticed that that smile of yours is the only thing holding you together. That facade you put up to hide behind is fading because you believe what the villagers are saying behind their hands."
At the widened cerulean eyes, he only continues, "You can't hide forever dobe, I promise you that. It's impossible because someone will always find out where you're hiding. You're hiding behind a mask that doesn't fit you anymore and I know you've got to be tired of acting so foolish when you're better than that. So stop it you baka before you sink further into whatever depression made you punch your medicine cabinet mirror this morning. If you don't let go of the mask and become who you really are and who you want to be, then you'll lose yourself to the fear that you'll be seen as a monster by all of us instead of just the villagers. Besides, who cares if you scare those idjits anyway? It'll be fun to see them wet themselves. They need to be knocked down a few pegs more than what you did for Neji… and me."
Hold on, baby, you're losing it
The water's high, you're jumping into it
And letting go... and no one knows
That you cry, but you don't tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one
And you're tied together with a smile
But you're coming undone
Clear cerulean eyes begin to water and Sasuke soon finds himself with his arms full of one lithe tanned body topped with golden blonde hair that rivals the sunshine one even the brightest day. Taking the quiet sobbing into account, he wraps Naruto in a tight, comforting embrace and rests his chin on one shivering shoulder, letting him cry all he needs to. And even shedding a few silent tears for the pain both constantly live with.
It was amazing, Naruto thought, that he couldn't see before that Sasuke cared so much about him. The pain and heartache and pure undeniable suffering he'd endured for so many years seemed to fall away as Sasuke simply held him and let him get all the pent up emotion out. Now he knew why it felt so right to be with Sasuke like this and why it was so much fun to rile the teen up and fight with him. He knew now more than ever why he could always be content with silence when with Sasuke and why he enjoyed it when they actually talked about things. He was a mess, and even his smile wasn't able to tie him together this time, yet somehow, Sasuke was always enough.
When Naruto was able to look at him again, Sasuke merely smiles and wipes his tears away before giving him a soft kiss. Pulling back, his voice is a little clogged with emotion as he says simply, "I love you Naruto."
Said Uzumaki manages a real smile that brings life to his eyes and makes them sparkle as he too wipes away the tears on Sasuke's face. Ignoring that little voice in the back of his mind that demands to know what the other had been crying silently with him for, he wraps his arms around Sasuke's neck. "Wanna know a secret Sas?"
Sasuke smiles. "Hn, maybe…" he gives in to the awesome power of the puppy pout. "What is this almighty secret dobe?"
Naruto grins happily, "I love you too teme."
And when they went to look for the two missing members of team 7, Kakashi and Sakura found them quite happily making out on Naruto's lumpy old couch. Aside from having to catch the fainting Sakura, Kakashi was both amused and exasperated. Really, it was about damn time they confessed, but couldn't they pick a time when they weren't supposed to be meeting their team mate and team leader for the next mission?
The water's high, you're jumping into it; And letting go... and no one knows; That you cry, but you don't tell anyone……; And you're tied together with a smile, But you're coming undone….
A/N: I probably butchered that one, but halfway through I got an odd idea that made it turn out a lil happier than I wanted it to… I wanted it to be angsty and this is what I got… Sigh, it's what a drag. Sorry for the tiny bit of Orochimaru bashing there. My only problem with him is his tongue… For some reason that seriously freaks me out. Other than that, I appreciate his evil genius though he does tend to be a sore loser. Anyways, I hope I didn't goof up too bad here and I hope someone enjoyed this. Review if you've got the time, I'm not going to demand it or beg for it, just do it if you have a moment.