Sorry it's late again, I've been busy as usual. I'm gonna try to wrap this up ASAP, so stay tuned!

WARNINGS: Some cussing, Light mature situations (that means non-graphic sex, people!) Overly-sickening fluff..?

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Naruto felt so peaceful as his mind took the first step of waking up. It was the step that you knew you were awake, but you kept your eyes closed anyways since you were so relaxed, almost hoping you'd fall back asleep into that peaceful slumber...

As he lay there, too content to actually conjure the first thought of the day, he could feel the sun's rays warming on his skin. It felt so nice...so soothing...the blankets contributed to the warmth he had now, as well as the figure laying next to him-

And then suddenly, realization hit him, and suddenly he didn't feel so warm anymore.

Trying not to throw himself in panic mode, he silently listened to the man spooning him breathe against his neck, causing him to shiver every once in a while. Wincing as he shifted and pain shot through his lower body, he slowly, inch by agonizing inch, moved away from the body sharing the bed with him. After he was free from the Uchiha's grasp, he slowly crept out of bed, not wanting to awaken the other and have to deal with the confusion.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Naruto froze in place, that voice haunting his ears. Daring to turn back, he stared at the naked figure in his bed, eyes still closed but speaking to him with humor in his voice.

"I'm not that much of a heavy sleeper, stupid."

Though Naruto had every reason to fear the hound, he couldn't help but respond. "Don't call me that."

It was silent for a few minutes, as Sasuke opened his eyes and regarded the blond carefully. After sitting up in bed and leaning against the frame, he spoke again. "Can your pride not handle such an insult?"

"No...but only my friend called me that name, and I don't see the same friend in you any longer."

"...I see." The taller man stood up from bed, not seeming to notice his own nudity as he strode towards Naruto. Said fox tensed, wondering if he was about to get punished for saying such things...

But the Uchiha merely brushed past him, murmuring, "Well, I'll be taking a shower now."

Leaving Naruto to stand in the middle of his floor, wondering just what the hell was going on.

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Two figures stood in a clearing. It would of been peaceful, but both their presences seemed to have silenced the woods, as if their aura alone could provoke fear. One seemed to be concentrating, the other was focused on him.

"Master, I think I may have a lead here.."

The snake man grinned. "Very well. I give you permission to find them, since you will be able to travel much faster than both of us."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"...Show no mercy."

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Naruto sat atop of his hill with his kimono wrapped around him, staring down into the valley and trying to sort out all this mess in his head. Why did Sasuke not kill him? Didn't he hate him...? It was all very confusing.

He wanted to focus on the problem, but it was very hard to with the soft wind blowing, carrying the sweet smell of the forest through the air. The sun was starting to set, turning the sky a pale orange. It was truly breath-taking, and he couldn't help but relax at the feel, the sight, the sound, the taste, the feel of it all.

To him, this was his paradise.

That is, until a smell approached. Already knowing who it was, he sat there quietly, not reacting as a figure sat next to him. They didn't even speak for a few minutes, just staying in the awkward silence of it all. And for some strange reason, be it instinct or common knowledge, Naruto knew this was going to get emotional soon. Whether it was he or Sasuke who would break down, he didn't know. Both of them could express themselves when the time was right.

After a second, he felt soft fingers pull and massage at one of his ears, he jerked back, opening his eyes to stare at the hound, who faced him with an impassive look. Pissed off, Naruto finally spoke, "Why the hell am I even here?"

An eyebrow was raised, apparently he needed to elaborate.

Finally turning away, he muttered with an air of anger and simple confusion, "Why don't you just kill me? I don't get you."

More silence. At first the fox wondered if the raven haired man was even listening. After a second, the kitsune sighed, staring quietly up at the sky, a few birds passing by to spread their song. It was strange, the world around him was so happy, yet he could seem so miserable.

Naruto nearly jumped at the sound of Sasuke finally acknowledging him.

"I wanted to hate you. Almost every inch of my being felt like you were to blame for my brother's death, even though the logical side of my brain insisted you wouldn't be able to hurt anything."

The fox wondered sullenly if the other was insulting him, or complimenting him.

"It just..." The hound sighed, staring peacefully out at nothing. "It was easier to deal with it if I had someone to blame. There was no one to blame other than you, and so my negativity grew until I was blinded by revenge. I..." his voice quieted."...I honestly thought I could, and would, kill you with no hesitation."

The blond had no doubts in his mind about that.

Finally their eyes met, and Sasuke spoke softly, spoke in a tone Naruto hadn't heard in years, and it was hard to keep back the tears at the sincerity and tenderness of his words, "But then I saw you again...yesterday, when you were out on your porch."

Naruto was surprised. He thought the other had arrived around the time he attacked. he was hiding out and spying on him then...?

"I watched you, and I immediately knew I dare not kill you."

"But why?"

Ivory fingers suddenly hesitated to find themselves intertwined with tan ones. "Our connection...I felt it awaken. I knew if I killed you, my spirit would break and I would have nothing to live for. But even though I realized this...so many years spent building up anger, and I felt cheated, and I couldn't break that sensation away." He broke his gaze away for his next words, ashamed apparently. "I decided I had to cause you some harm, in order for me to try and get over this. And so later that night I broke into your house, and...raped you."

He almost expected anger to bubble up at this information, but the fox felt nothing negative about this discovery. "Sasuke..."

In response, he shook his raven haired head. "I harmed you, and now that the anger is gone, I only feel sick and remorse. I...understand if you hate me, and I'll...leave you be."

There was a deep silence as those words were absorbed in. In the silence Sasuke tried not to cry, but he failed, he just felt too sorry for himself and for his ex-lover. So instead he kept his head down, hiding the evidence.

But two warm, soft hands grabbed his cheeks and gently forced him to look up. Though he felt like he didn't have the right to, he would never deny Naruto anything now, and so he turned to focus on the other's face...

...alarmed to find tears there too.

And words weren't needed. The love expressed through those sky blue eyes told the hound that he was forgiven, and without hesitation, they pulled each other into a slow, soul-melting kiss.

Suddenly overwhelmed by the romance and emotion they shared like this only when they were younger, they suddenly were hungry for more, but not in an animal-like, lustful way. They kept it slow, but they did lay back on the soft grass and wrap themselves into each other, hoping to meld into one and never be separated again.

The sun soon turned the sky a red gold, and the birds were beginning to quiet, leaving the wind to howl softly to the two reunited lovers. And like the sky around them, they took their time, slowly using their hands and mouth to memorize their partner's bodies all over again. And just as the sun started to spill over the horizon, Sasuke found himself with his own kimono pulled open, laying there with a shaky body, while Naruto, who had been nude under his kimono, sat atop him and placed tender kisses all over his face as he sheathed the hound's want into his warm body.

"Oh, Sasuke.."

"Naru..."

And even then they took it slow, achingly building up the pleasure bit by bit, Naruto slowly grinding down onto the body beneath him while a hand gently and lovingly worked his own need over. Though sweaty and mad with pleasure, they didn't even have the urge to fuck. It was as if this was simply a way to confirm their relationship and bind them together, to share their love and pleasure together to ride out until the end. A combining of two lost souls.

And that's all that mattered to them at the moment.

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People from many of the fandoms I've worked with know me as a big sap. As I've said to many, "Me and fluff just go good together." So, that was my overly flufftastic part of the story, and I doubt there will be another scene this mushy...So enjoy it!

And I added the naughtiness because I just love tender, make-up sex.

Aha, a quick funny note: Isn't it strange that I come up with smart words like "meld", yet most of the time I check dictionary dot com because I'm always like "wait a minute, I know this word, but I'm not sure if I'm using it right." Lol, smart, but forgetful. That is what I am. :D

R/R!