Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Sorry for the long wait. I've been... doing things. :shifty eyes:

"He's... dead?" Sasuke looked at Kakashi in disbelief.

The silver-haired angel sighed, "Ever since he was placed in jail after your death, he had been wracked with guilt. He loved you and knowing that he was the one who killed you... it drove him crazy. Just last summer, he killed himself."

Sasuke cut off the information on how his brother was able to commit suicide, his thoughts swirling around violently in his head, He loved me... he tried to quit using drugs for me... and he killed himself because he felt so bad... Aniki...

Naruto couldn't even pay attention to the conversation anymore. All he could think about was the fact that Sasuke's death was really his fault... not Itachi's. He had always blamed the older Uchiha for killing his best friend, for killing the one person who loved him... but in reality, he was the one who took away the small boy's life.

Holding back his pained and guilty tears, Naruto wrapped his arms around himself, trying to tell himself that it's wasn't done on purpose, It was an accident... I didn't know I was draining his life away...

"Uzumaki-kun?" Kakashi asked, "are you alright?"

Choking on a sob, hot tears slipped down tan cheeks. Feeling all eyes suddenly on him, his emotions let loose. He tried to look away from the obsidian eyes that belonged to his best friend, but he couldn't, "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke...!" he sniffed, "Sasu-nii..." he whispered, "I blamed Itachi for your death all these years... when it was my fault!"

"Naruto--"

Standing up, Kakashi straightened his clothes, "I think I should leave. There's some things you two must work out between each other. But before I go, I want to tell you that everything I just explained, it all leads up to why your wings are rotting away. Because you weren't meant to die, only half of your soul went to Purgatory, while the other half stayed here, by your grave site. Because you're gaining back all of your memories and feelings, your self that resided in Purgatory began to fade away, making your spirit self here on Earth stronger. Sasuke, if you choose to keep your memories, you'll lose your wings and stay attached, as a spirt, to the living world for eternity."

The man opened the door and stepped out.

"Either way, I don't believe you can be with Uzumaki-kun. The dead will never be able to come back to life, nor will they be able to live alongside them either," he then shut the door, leaving a shaking Naruto and Sasuke behind.

Bending down, Sasuke placed his hands on the blond's quivering shoulders, "Naruto-listen to me..." he didn't really know what to say. He couldn't be with Naruto no matter what. So, he could either give up his memories and emotions and become an angel again, or he could keep them and fade away, only to watch his friend continue on with his life, never being able to communicate with him.

"I killed you!" Naruto hissed, his blue eyes red from tears, "I should be the one dead, not you! Y-You had an entire life ahead of you... You were going to grow up and get married, have children..." he choked on a sob.

"I wouldn't have gotten married..." the raven spoke quietly, forgetting all about his brother. He just wanted to stop the blond's tears, "why would I get married when you were the one I loved?"

Naruto buried his head against Sasuke's shoulders, his arms wrapping around the teen's neck, "W-we were so young... how could that have been true love...?" he asked, shaking.

Sasuke pushed Naruto away gently, looking into damp eyes, "Because I still love you now..." he smiled softly, "dobe."

Laughing through his tears, Naruto smiled, "I-I love you too, Teme..." but then he began crying again, "and I... I don't want to lose you..."

"You won't..." Sasuke pressed his lips against the blond's forehead, "no matter what happens... I'll always be with you," he knew he sounded like a sappy romantic, but when the one you love the most is in pain... you can't help but say the most sickly sweet things.

xXxXx

"I-I can't do this!" Naruto whined as he held the pocket knife in his hand, Sasuke lying on the couch, his wings bare and limp. He had stopped crying an hour ago, the sadness disappearing when Sasuke began whispering the most sweetest things into his ears. There was a small remainder of sadness, but there was more fear now.

"Dobe, I'll be fine. Just cut them out," Sasuke said, "cut the skin around the wings, then cut through the bone that connects them to the shoulder blades."

Naruto gulped, slowly moving the knife forward, hesitently pressing down, the blade sinking into the skin, blood oozing out. He cut around the wings, more crimson liquid flowing down the back and ribs.

Sasuke closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at the horrid pain, "I'd appreciate it if you went a little faster."

Pulling up, the flap of flesh lifted and Naruto could see muscle and bone. Moving the knife to the part where wing bone met the shoulder blade, he began cutting until it was detached, the extra limb falling to the floor, drops of blooding seeping into the carpet.

"O-only one more..." the blond kept himself from looking at the open wound, his heart beating violently. After five minutes, he was able to detach the second wing as well.

Sasuke groaned in pain, "The wounds will close within a few hours... just wrap me up in bandages until then."

Nodding, Naruto ran to the bathroom.

xXxXx

A week passed since the talk with Kakashi and the removing of Sasuke's wings. The Uzumaki apartment had gone back to normal, Naruto and Sasuke going back to their daily routines of the raven following the blond to school, Naruto taking his medicine during his lunch, then after school, they'd spend some time together.

Sasuke's back had completely healed, too. There was nothing there now but smooth ivory skin and two barely visible scars. He knew that troubles were going to head his and Naruto's way soon, but he wasn't going to bring anything up when with the teen. He decided he was just going to be happy with the blond until the time came...

"That stupid dance's tonight," Naruto commented as they walked to school together, Sasuke free from wearing a long coat, "I totally forgot about it until now. I bet you all of my money that Ino's going to flip when I tell her it slipped my mind," he grinned.

Sasuke smiled lightly, "Do you usually go?"

"Nah, it's not my thing."

Sasuke thought about it. He had never experienced a dance, but Kakashi did teach him a few things about dancing a while back. And since he didn't have that much longer to spend with his dobe, he decided that maybe going with him would be quite fun.

"If I asked you to go with me... would you accept?"

Naruto flushed, "Wh-what?"

"I want to go to the dance at your school, and I want you to be my date," Sasuke smirked and held out his hand, "will you be my beautiful partner tonight?"

The blond frowned, but then bursted out into a wide smile, taking the raven's awaiting hand, "I'd love to. But I am not a damn uke! Much less a beautiful one!"

"I never said--"

"But you asked me out! The seme does the asking!"

Sasuke shook his head and chuckled, wrapping his slender fingers around a tan palm.

xXxXx

"He asked you to the dance?.!" Ino squeeled and giggled, "Oh my god, I'm so getting your first dance with him on tape!"

Naruto blushed and grumbled as they walked to the blond's apartment, Sasuke long gone. Naruto had told the raven to go visit Kakashi or something while he talked about some "important" things with Ino. Sasuke has just snorted and gone on his merry way.

"Well... I know how to dance and I definitely know how to party... But Ino, what if all the dancing and stuff effects how my medicine works? My doctor said that I should move and jerk around too much."

"Oh, you'll be fine! You're getting better at controlling your problem these days," she smiled, blue eyes shining, "and I think I have to thank Sasuke-kun for that, don't I? Hmmm, have you two had sex sex yet?"

Naruto sputtered, "N-no! I mean... um, well, do you think he knows what... sex is?" he laughed nervously, "seriously, Ino! He didn't know about any of that stuff when he was little and I don't think they have sex in Purgatory... ew, dead people," he grimaced.

Ino laughed and laced her fingers together behind her, "Why don't you ask him?"

"..."

"What?" the girl pouted.

"Do you know how embarrassing that would be?"

"Well, if he doesn't know what sex is, then that'll be the perfect time to explain it..." she gasped, "or you can use that to your advantage and totally be the seme!"

Naruto grinned, "That could work to."

"But you two will deal with that later," she patted the boy on the back, "what we have to deal with now is your wardrobe. I think we should put you in an Armani suit."

"I-I can't afford that!"

Ino giggled, a sly smile on her face, "I know someone who happens to have one that they never use."

"Oh, and who is that?" Naruto asked, suspicious.

xXxXx

Naruto looked at himself in the mirror, an Armani suit on; the color a deep black, the tie a dark blue, "I didn't know Shikamaru had a closet full of these."

Ino sat on the blond's bed, her legs crossed, "Yep, I was surprised myself. But I must say, you look dashing," she laughed, "I bet even my cheerleading squad'll be after you tonight."

"Sasuke'd scare them off," Naruto grinned, "yosh! I think I'm ready to go!' and as luck would have it, Sasuke entered the home just a second after the statement was made. He raced out into the living room and stopped suddenly, his blue eyes wide with surprise.

Sasuke stood there in a suit as well, but he didn't look hot like Naruto, he looked handsome and beautiful at the same time, his usually spiked hair down and reaching mid-neck.

Sasuke held back an uncharacteristic blush, "Kakashi said I would have to dress nice... so he and Iruka bought me a suit."

"Sasuke-kun, you're so pretty!" Ino cooed and ran to the boy, her thin fingers running through his silky black tresses, "I think you two might win the night's 'best couple'!" she giggled, hearts floating around her, "but you two should leave! I still have to go home and get my dress on!" she gave them both a hug good bye before opening the door and running down the concrete steps.

Smiling, Naruto spoke first, "You look good."

"I know, don't I?" Sasuke replied with a smirk.

Naruto frowned, "Teme, I should've turned you down when you asked me to go with you!"

"You should've, but you didn't," Sasuke stated, taking the blond's hand, "now, let's go. Iruka said it's best to get to dances early because of the traffic."

Naruto smiled, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach, "Y-yeah... let's go..."

I know, it's short, but I'll make it up next chapter! I promise! Lemony goodness!

Please review!