Naruto and Sasuke walked through the door to Naruto's apartment. Sasuke looked around, there were crumbled pieces of paper on the floor and red stains on the floor. Sasuke looked at the counter top and saw the blade. He looked down at the floor, the blood stains were right beneath it, he cringed. He walked up to Naruto and embraced him. Naruto buried his head in Sasuke's chest.
Sasuke slipped Naruto's jacket off and turned his wrists to look at them. Sasuke's hands started shaking, letting Naruto's arms go. Naruto looked up at Sasuke, Sasuke couldn't avoid his gaze. Sasuke cupped his face in hand and kissed him softly. Naruto put his jacket back on quickly. Sasuke rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Are you crying?" Naruto asked. "No…I stopped myself." Sasuke whispered. "Why?" Naruto whispered. Sasuke embraced Naruto suddenly and held him close. "Naruto…" Sasuke cried. Sasuke unzipped Naruto jacket and slid it off of him once again. Naruto looked up at him. Sasuke turned Naruto's wrists over and let the tears spill. "This is what I did to you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked down in shame. "I did it to myself." Naruto said. "I pushed you this far." Sasuke said, tracing the scars with his fingers.
/~***~\\\\\
Sasuke let hot water run over him in the shower, so much was happening around him. He was afraid for Naruto, he was a lot more fragile now. But he knew he was still Naruto, stubborn and a fighter. Sasuke chuckled, Naruto got what he wanted in the end of all of this, Sasuke was home.
Sasuke stepped out of the shower and dried his hair messily with a towel. He slipped on a pair of pajama pants Naruto let him borrow, they hung loose on his hips. He walked into Naruto's living room, he was sitting on the couch in pajama pants and boxers, eating a cup of ramen. Sasuke knew he was still in there. "You look relaxed." Sasuke said. Naruto looked up, his mouth full of noodles and his jaw dropped, noodles spilling back into his cup. Naruto blushed and turned his head away quickly. He stirred his noodles carelessly, trying to avoid Sasuke's bare chest and messy hair. "It's honestly been a while." Naruto said. Sasuke sat next to Naruto on the couch and draped an arm around his shoulder. "So what now?" Naruto asked. "What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, looking at the blonde. "I'm worried about the others." Naruto said, slurping noodles. "I'm not." Sasuke smiled. Naruto looked at him and smiled. "Typical Uchiha." Naruto giggled. Sasuke kissed him suddenly, he pulled away and looked into Naruto's eyes. "I'm not because I have you, and that's all I was ever worried about." Sasuke said. Naruto kissed him. "Let's get some sleep." Sasuke said, standing up and extending his hand to Naruto. Naruto took it and they walked back to his bedroom.
"I didn't really clean up before I left…that's why I didn't want you coming in here earlier." Naruto said as he turned on the light. The covers were balled up on the bed, there was shattered glass all over the floor, dishes lined the bedside tables, and bloody rags were on the floor next to the bed. Naruto frantically rushed to clean everything up. Sasuke stopped him when he tried to run past him to the kitchen with a handful of dishes, embracing him. "Sasuke…" Naruto whispered. "I'm just so glad you're here." Sasuke whispered, brushing Naruto's cheek with his thumb. They smiled at each other. "I'll take the dishes, you make the bed." Sasuke said. Naruto handed him the dishes and ran to make the bed.
Sasuke dumped the dishes in the sink and stared at the countertops. He grabbed a washcloth and doused it with hot water and soap. He scrubbed the countertops and the floors, trying to rid of the dry blood, Naruto's blood. He didn't know when he started crying, but tears dropped down on to his hands while he was scrubbing. Naruto was watching from the doorway, he knew Sasuke was beating himself up and he hated that. Naruto was the one who couldn't handle it, the old Sasuke would have criticized Naruto for being so weak, but they had both grown so much. "Sasuke…please stop." Naruto said. Sasuke looked up quickly, wiping his tears away quickly. "Sasuke, I was weak, I couldn't handle it, that isn't your fault." Naruto said. "No, I'm the weak one Naruto." Sasuke said. Naruto just looked at him. "I'm a coward, who ran away from my problems instead of facing them." Sasuke said. "And these…" Sasuke began, turning Naruto's wrist over, "These are a result of you being strong for far too long." Sasuke said. Naruto couldn't believe how much Sasuke had matured, how much more understanding he was, it brought tears to his eyes.
Naruto lead Sasuke back to the bedroom and they lie down next to each other. Sasuke brought Naruto close and Naruto gladly accepted the invitation. "This is just the beginning of a whole new chapter for us Naruto." Sasuke said. Naruto stayed silent. "And as long as we have each other, we never have to hurt again." Sasuke said. Naruto leaned up and kissed him. "I'm scared." Naruto said. "Don't be, I'm here." Sasuke smiled. Naruto lie his head down on Sasuke's chest and soon fell asleep. Sasuke stroked his hair and let Naruto's even breaths lull him to sleep.
