A/N: It's an epilogue, so it's light on detail. Question. How many of you are screaming over the last chap? :D

Epilogue

Sasuke stayed where he was until ANBU came and ushered him through the tunnel. He was dry-eyed by then. Once outside the barricade, he was courteously asked if he needed an escort home. He walked away without answering.

Itachi was hobbling around the kitchen, heating soup when he got home. He looked up when Sasuke entered, ready to comment on how quickly he was back, then got a good look at his brother's face.

"Son of a bitch," Itachi barked. "He dumped you, didn't he. Here I thought you'd be gone for days, getting your brains screwed out, and the fucker went and dumped you instead." He slammed the pot of soup on the stove and tottered around the bar island until he was in front of Sasuke. "Want me to step to him? Say something?"

Sasuke couldn't speak. His eyes were dark, sunken wells of voiceless grief.

Itachi roughly pulled him into an awkward, one-armed hug, and Sasuke finally screamed. He screamed and screamed, and he and Itachi went tumbling to the floor as Itachi lost his balance; he'd thrown his cane aside in order to grab Sasuke in both arms. They stayed on the floor.

"I gotcha, kid," Itachi said over and over. It didn't help, not at all, but it was all he had. He knocked Sasuke's cap off and buried his face in the mop of thick hair. "I gotcha. Godammit, Sasuke." The kid's grief was enough to put him in his grave, it ripped at him so.

The next day, Sasuke asked for money. He took what Itachi gave him, went to a printing shop, and commissioned five huge yearly calendars in the form of wall posters. He waited while they were printed up, took them home, and proceeded to tack them up side by side along the wall opposite his bed. He used a sheet of sketchpad paper to fashion an abbreviated calendar of what remained of December, and stuck this over the first calendar. He then took out the black felt-tip marker he'd also bought that day, and marked off day one on December's calendar.

Itachi, watching from the doorway, said nothing. Sasuke spoke to him anyway. "He said five years. Fine. I'll show him I can wait that long."

"Five years is a long time." Itachi eyed the row of calendars. "What are you going to do in the meantime?"

In January, Kakashi brought the list of new applicants to The Academy in for Naruto's signature. Almost immediately, he saw both Sasuke and Itachi's names. Naruto's pen hovered over the signature line, dripping ink. "Isn't Itachi a bit old?" was all he said.

"Cut off age for Genin is 25," Kakashi replied. "Itachi's 23. I'm told he and Sasuke passed the entrance exam with flying colors."

Naruto signed the document and set it aside. Kakashi soon had him distracted with other things.

In June, both brothers graduated to no small amount of shock. No one had ever mastered the arts so quickly, or so thoroughly. Kakashi was called away from his duties as advisor to personally train Itachi and Sasuke in the use of Sharingan pursuant to that year's Chuunin exam. Sunagakure was hosting it this year, but Naruto heard afterward that the brothers had dominated. They re-entered The Academy, this time to study for the rank of Jounin.

Summer. Almost a year since he'd met Sasuke, and still the boy was just behind every thought in his head. The pain swelled, instead of lessened, and sometimes he thought, no he knew, that he wouldn't be able to go on without seeing Sasuke. He would sit in whatever dark corner happened to be available at the moment, and run through the breathing exercises Iruka had taught him. Iruka had said these anxiety attacks would come often at first, and then taper off. Naruto was still waiting for them to taper off. While he was caught in them, he felt perilously close to violence and mayhem.

Time passed. He met with ambassadors, pursued relationships with foreign dignitaries, and continued his sessions with both Kakashi and Iruka. These two had taken to living in the Hokage apartments located in the Hokage building, in order to be near Naruto at all times; Naruto rarely went home. Too many memories. It came as a shock to him to learn of Kakashi and Iruka's relationship, but once he did, he found he had all sorts of questions. The book Sasuke left behind was brought up, and there were a few evenings of ribald talk that covered a wide range of positions, preferences, enhancements, and toys.

Then too, there was Kiba.

Sometime that July, Kiba began hanging around the Hokage building. He'd be there when Naruto left in the evenings, and sometimes he waved. Naruto waved back after the first few times. This progressed to brief farewells, which were followed by intermittent exchanges of stilted pleasantries. By the end of August, Kiba had begun accompanying Naruto on his walk to the barricade. People invariably waved merrily to the Hokage, used to seeing him now, and Naruto usually waved back.

In September, The Uchiha brothers were tested for Jounin status. They passed. Soon after, Moegi came storming into work one day and slammed Naruto's morning coffee down on his desk.

"What the fuck!" Naruto cursed as coffee splashed him.

Moegi turned to face him with her hands on her hips. "I'll tell you what. It's well-known that ANBU all live in barracks at the northern edge of town. No one is allowed in that compound except ANBU."

Naruto used his Hokage robe to mop up the dark mess on his desk, staining the material badly; he'd always hated it. "So?"

"So some asshole by the name of Uchiha Itachi broke in last night!"

"What do you mean some asshole?" Naruto sat in his chair. "You know very well who-"

"Yes! I know him! Can we get back to my point, please?" she nearly screamed.

Naruto sipped his coffee.

"He broke in, with the help of his miserable brother, to…get this: ask me out."

Naruto choked.

"I know!" Moegi nodded vehemently. "Unbelievable, right?"

"Who'd want to go out with you?" Naruto sounded genuinely puzzled. "You're awful."

Iruka had declared Naruto much improved when it came to his social skills, but had further opined that Naruto would probably never be completely normal. Now was blatant evidence of this fact.

Moegi's face went white with rage. "What?"

Oblivious, Naruto continued to sip. "I mean, I like you of course, but-"

Moegi waved him to silence. "I told him ANBU only date ANBU. And then I punched him. He was escorted from the compound. Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to have him charged and incarcerated?"

"I have that meeting today with Grass Country's second in command. Can you-?"

Moegi did scream then.

Sasuke and Itachi were accepted to ANBU before the year was out. They were both away on missions when Kakashi contacted Naruto at home one evening. He woke him from a deep sleep, in fact. When Naruto made it into town, and was sitting behind his desk, Kakashi came right to the point.

"Three ANBU teams, and Hyuuga Neji are holding a man outside the city gates who claims to be Uchiha Madara."

Naruto was fully awake instantly. "And is it?"

Kakashi inclined his head. "There's no doubt."

They both looked to the wall calendar. It was precisely a year since Naruto's proclamation had been issued. "I never thought he'd turn himself in," Naruto mused. "He must have feared me finding him. That's telling, wouldn't you say?"

"Unquestionably."

Naruto went out and verified Madara's identity.

-oOo-

Madara looked no worse for wear. He inclined his head respectfully when Naruto stood in front of him. "Rokudaime," he said. "As you can see, I've honored your wishes. It is my hope that you and I can negotiate a peace treaty-"

Neji held one of Madara's arms, and two ANBU agents held the other. While Madara was trying to worm his way into Naruto's good graces, Naruto calmly stepped forward, grasped a handful of his luxuriant hair, and dug his thumb and forefinger into Madara's eye sockets. He perfunctorily scooped out both eyes, to Madara's screaming horror, and everyone else's profound shock, and handed them to Kakashi. "That takes care of any Genjutsu he might have released," Naruto said matter-of-factly. He raised his voice to be heard over Madara's continued shrieks and howls. "Find out where the Uchiha brothers are. Get them back here. And lock Madara up. I want his chakra drained hourly." He was already turning away.

When the screams continued, Naruto turned back to Madara and asked Neji and the agents to hold him still. They did. Naruto pried Madara's jaws open and ripped out his tongue. When the sounds continued, he shattered Madara's throat with a blow of his fist. "Have Sakura or Ino make sure he's able to breathe until the Uchiha brothers make it back." He dropped the tongue in Kakashi's other hand, then went back to his mountain.

With the exception of Madara, those present watched his retreating back with the utmost awe and respect.

The following day marked a year since Naruto told Sasuke they were over. He didn't leave his house. Iruka came that night and said the brothers had made it back to the city that morning. They were now locked away with Madara.

"He can still scream," Iruka finished uncomfortably. "Itachi's seeing to that."

"Just tell me when Madara's dead," Naruto said.

-oOo-

That bit of news was awhile in coming. Itachi made sure Madara lasted twelve days in payment for his time in Akatsuki's clutches. He let Madara live for an additional seventeen days to avenge each year he and Sasuke had been on the run. Then, when Madara was at the end of his rope, Sasuke slowly stabbed him thirteen times, just as Madara had done to their mother.

Iruka reported this in mid January. "He's dead?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

Naruto reached for a report and scanned it. "Good. Feed his remains to the pigs."

"Itachi asked that I express his thanks in helping him keep Sasuke safe and exacting vengeance."

"Bring me lunch on your way out," Naruto said. He reached for another document.

"Ramen?" Iruka asked hopefully. "Remember, I used to buy you-"

"Anything but that."

Right, Iruka thought. Naruto never touched ramen anymore. And he never referred to the Uchiha brothers if he could help it, or allowed them to be discussed in his presence anymore than was necessary. Iruka waited for the day Naruto would admit that he wasn't getting over Sasuke, but the one time he'd brought the subject up, Naruto had regressed quite badly. There had been blood… He would not make that mistake again.

Kiba asked Naruto to dinner one evening in February. It wasn't until Naruto was enjoying a fine meal and a hearty laugh in Kiba's apartment that he realized the date. Valentine's Day. That gave him pause. Kiba had been a good friend since he'd taken office. Never pushy or insistent, but always ready with good, engaging conversation. He seemed to know when Naruto wanted to be alone, and when he wanted company. He knew when to talk, and when to keep silent, and for a long time this reminded Naruto unbearably of Sasuke.

But there the similarities stopped. Kiba was a man. He didn't bend to Naruto's wishes, even if he was sensitive to Naruto's moods. They disagreed on political matters, ate different things, and had different interests for the most part…but he was still very comfortable to be around. In fact, Naruto found the differences interesting. And the attraction he'd felt to Kiba so many years ago was somehow still there. Now it was matured.

It was nothing like what he felt for Sasuke. Naruto could not remember ever being physically attracted to Sasuke. He'd just loved the boy all at once for his manners and other qualities. His physical appearance had never had anything to do with that love, not beyond a simple acknowledgement of his youthful beauty. Kiba, on the other hand, awakened things in Naruto's gut with his wide shoulders, and powerful arms. His voice was rough, his hands were large, and his gaze was unflinching. Kiba knew what he wanted.

That night, after the realizations hit, Kiba picked up on the changed mood, as usual, and asked outright, "I can back off. I don't want to, but I will if you want me to. Do you?"

It had taken a long time for Naruto to say, "No."

Later still, with the dinner things still on the table between them, Kiba had leaned over and touched his lips to Naruto's.

Moegi began missing work. It wasn't that noticeable at first. A day here, a day there. Naruto asked if she was sick, especially given the high color on her cheeks, but she always said no. This behavior increased until she missed a whole week in May. Naruto sent Kakashi to find out where she was, and was stunned to be informed, by Kakashi, that Moegi hadn't been seen for the whole week.

Naruto sent out every available ANBU agent to scour the country far and wide. As Sasuke was ANBU, it was him who came forward and said that Moegi had moved in with him and Itachi. Naruto, hearing all this through Iruka, expressed shock that any agent was allowed to live outside the barracks. Iruka then reminded Naruto that Itachi had resigned from ANBU some months ago. Right after killing Madara, in fact. That didn't explain why Sasuke was allowed to live with his brother, Naruto snapped, to which Iruka had shrugged sheepishly.

"Sasuke's something of a favorite," Iruka said delicately. "And I believe the ANBU captain has…an interest. I think Sasuke requested to stay with his brother and the request was granted."

Naruto went ballistic. Iruka made himself scarce, vowing to have Sasuke moved to the barracks immediately if that was what he wanted. Naruto bawled that if he ever saw Iruka's face again, he'd cleave his head in two.

-oOo-

Later that night, Iruka complained to Kakashi while they were in bed.

"He's making such great strides in every other area except this one. Something in him refuses to let Sasuke go, while outwardly the boy has ceased to exist for him. Nothing I do seems to help. He's not getting any better. What do you suggest?"

Kakashi thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "I don't know." When Iruka tried to re-hash the subject, Kakashi covered his body with his own, and swallowed the complaints in a lengthy kiss.

The next morning, Naruto stared at the marriage license on his desk with ill temper. Beneath it was Moegi's resignation letter. He signed both, then called Iruka into his office and made his apologies as best he could. Iruka said he was forgiven.

-oOo-

Later that month, Naruto hired one ANBU agent to spy for him. He brought back the intel that their captain was actively pursuing Sasuke, and that Sasuke had yet to rebuff the advances. At the end of that week, Naruto brought Kiba to his home on the mountain. Kiba stayed the weekend.

The following January, more than two years since taking office, Naruto received a funny little blue card from a messenger boy. It was an invitation to the celebration of one Uchiha Ichiro's birth. Naruto set the card upright on his desk and told Kakashi to send an extravagant gift on behalf of the Hokage's office.

And so the days and months passed. By fall of that year, after months of spending the night, and waiting for the right signal, Kiba finally approached Naruto sexually. It was all right at first. There was kissing, and touching, and the general comfort they felt around each other. There was even the kick of a mutual attraction. But when Kiba tried to take it further, Naruto pulled back in shame and embarrassment. Kiba tried again and this time Naruto stopped him for real. "I can't," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

Kiba didn't want to let it go. "I can submit, Naruto. I can submit to you, if that's what you need."

Naruto met his eyes. "It's not what I need."

Kiba nodded. He knew. The boy's smell was all over this house, but he'd hoped. He'd hoped so desperately. Without a word, he got up, gathered his clothes and belongings, and headed for the door.

"Kiba-"

He turned in the doorway.

Naruto couldn't stand the hope on his face. "It kills me that you waited this long, only to find out that I can't give you what you need. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Kiba tried to smile. "Yeah. Me too."

-oOo-

Naruto did not see him again. Two days later, he was forced to sign a request for an eight-year mission in Earth Country. Kiba's name was the only one on the request.

December. Days before the third anniversary of becoming Hokage, a young boy no older than fifteen applied for the position of assistant. Naruto declined in favor of an old, white-haired Jounin. When Kakashi complained to Iruka about how the boy was vastly more qualified, Iruka merely shook his head. "He had black hair and eyes," he told Kakashi. "The boy never had a chance."

Sasuke was summoned to the captain's office one morning before sun-up. Once there, the captain said in no uncertain terms that either Sasuke accepted certain advances, or he was done in ANBU. Sasuke turned in his mask and uniform immediately, packed his belongings, and submitted his resignation. He was knocking on his brother's door two hours later.

-oOo-

There was the stumpy, uneven patter of small running feet. Ichiro came screaming, banging on the door since he was too short to reach the knob. Moegi's sleepy voice was heard a moment later, followed by Itachi's angry shout from the back of the apartment. "Doesn't that kid ever sleep?"

"Sasuke!" Moegi's face brightened at seeing her brother-in-law. "Fuck, it's early! What-" she saw the box on the floor behind him. "Shit."

Sasuke shouldered his way in and pecked her sleep-warmed cheek. "Nice to see you too, sis." He had to turn sideways to fit past her huge stomach.

"Sot-tee, Sot-tee!" Ichiro's way of saying Sasuke's name never failed to make him grin. He scooped up the toddler, now 18 months old, and threw him in the air. Ichiro squealed.

"Jeeeezuz," Itachi groaned. He entered the living room and flicked on the lights. "What in blazes is all this fucking noise?"

"Futtin noy!" Ichiro mimicked. He pointed proudly. "Sot-tee!"

Itachi smiled immediately, though his frown remained. "So I see. 'Sup?" He bumped shoulders with his brother.

"What's up is that your brother is apparently moving in with us," Moegi yawned. She kicked Sasuke's box into the living room, too pregnant to bend and lift it.

"Ichi's got your room," Itachi pointed out. "And what, you quit ANBU?"

"Sort of." Sasuke bounced his squealing nephew. "Captain finally said if I don't put out, I need to get out."

"I'll kill him," Itachi said. This threat was spoiled by a yawn and the fact that his hair was a wild mess.

"Nah, who cares," Sasuke said. "And don't worry about my room. I can take the couch. That is, if you don't mind?" He looked back and forth between Moegi and his brother.

It was still strange seeing his brother with anyone, but Sasuke couldn't deny that they were perfect for each other. They'd fought like cats and dogs at first, but eventually they calmed down. And then Moegi had gotten pregnant, and that had put the fire out of the majority of her temper. She was a good ten years his brother's senior, but Itachi made her so happy that she looked fresh and radiant, even eight months gone with their second child. If his presence disrupted that in anyway…

"'Course you can stay, bro." Itachi looped an arm around Moegi's neck and patted her stomach. "Means we got ourselves a free babysitter for Ichi and the new one here."

Later that morning, Sasuke was going through his few belongings, looking for something specific. He found the rolled up posters that had lately graced his room at the barracks, and lined them up one by one on the living room wall. When they were hung in place, he took out his trusty felt-tip marker and marked off the day. It was June 1st. More than three years had gone by, but there were still so many days left… his eyes tracked sideways, counting them.

At that moment, he knew without a doubt that he couldn't do it. He could not wait five years. It was pointless. He'd learned what he'd needed to learn a long time ago. He was not about to waste another second on this bullshit.

Abruptly he reached forward and tore the posters down. He tore them in half, tore them again, and continued tearing until there was nothing left but tiny shreds. When he turned around, he found Itachi and Moegi watching him silently. Even Ichiro watched him with big black eyes.

"I'm done waiting for him," was all he said. Ichiro ran forward to play with the poster shreds.

Three weeks later, Moegi gave birth to a little girl. Nothing else was remarkable about that day other than the fact that Naruto received a parcel. It was waiting on his doorstep when he left his house that morning at 9 o'clock. When he opened the bag, he found a brown paper bag inside. Inside that were two large Styrofoam cups of fresh ramen, piping hot.

He stared at them as if he'd never seen such a thing, then stared wildly around the clearing. He threw his senses open wide, but there was no one. Only ANBU down by the barricade. Almost afraid, Naruto set the cups on the porch, backed away, then drove his Windracer at breakneck speed down the mountain. He confronted the agents on duty, saying an intruder had gotten in and that they were all fired unless they found out how.

Needless to say, the mountain was a kicked anthill as it was searched from top to bottom. No one was found. The agents swore that no one had gotten past them. They were replaced.

-oOo-

The next morning there was another delivery. And the next morning, and the next. Each time, agents scoured the mountain afterward. They even spent the night outside Naruto's door, wide awake and vigilant. Naruto opened his door the morning after that and found the ramen sitting on the porch between the two agents, and the agents themselves senseless with Genjutsu. He went back to keeping the agents outside the barricade.

-oOo-

At the end of the week, Naruto swept all the old, rotting cups of ramen off his porch and into the trash. He brought that morning's fresh delivery into his kitchen, opened it, gobbled it without batting an eye, and told the agents down at the barricade that nothing was out of the ordinary and that things were back to normal.

Iruka later said that was the first time since seeing Naruto on his mountain over three years ago that the man looked to be at peace. Kakashi declined to comment, but also noticed how Naruto seemed positively placid.

"Is anything wrong?" Iruka asked as the second week of this behavior came to an end. "I know there was some business about an intruder a couple of weeks back, but then all of a sudden you seemed to change. And you're coming in to work an hour later than usual."

"I've taken to eating breakfast at home," was all Naruto said.

By now, of course, Naruto knew what was going on. The knowledge left him almost giddy. He hadn't thought about it at the time, but the deliveries three years ago had come for a certain amount of time before stopping for about a week. After that week, there had been pounding on his door, and then-

But no, that was getting ahead of himself. He wished he knew how many days the ramen had been delivered. He was sure the one doing the delivering had the number memorized.

It was no use waking up early to try and catch the deliveries as they were being made, either. That would spoil things. Still, Naruto would be sitting in his living room from 6 am, to 8:45, and never sense so much as a mouse. All of a sudden he would know the ramen was there, pull open his door, and bring it inside. He never saw anyone, not even a shadow, and there was never a sound. He would eat, sniffing the outside of the containers to try and catch any scent the deliverer may have left behind. Nothing. And then he'd eat, clean up, and be off to work.

Itachi rolled his eyes as both Ichiro and little Kayo screamed their heads off. Moegi was sleeping. It was 8 am and his handy little babysitter was out, as usual.

Sasuke came in an hour later. "Where the fuck do you go every morning," Itachi demanded. He thrust Kayo at him, and took little Ichiro to the potty. "These kids always start screaming the second you leave the house, and I got work in three hours. I need my fucking sleep." There was the sound of the toilet flushing, and then Itachi stormed out of the bathroom holding his son.

Kayo became quiet as soon as Sasuke shoved the warmed bottle into her mouth. Itachi soon had sweetened rice porridge prepared, and sat down to feed his son. There was blessed silence in the apartment. Kayo, barely six weeks old, dropped off to sleep as soon as she was full. Ichiro burped when he was done eating, then reached fussily for his uncle. There was an awkward exchange of kids. Itachi went to put his daughter back down in her crib, and Ichiro snuggled against Sasuke's chest.

"He's going back to sleep," Sasuke said in surprise. "It's too early for his nap, he just woke up."

"He's teething again." Itachi dropped back into his chair at the table and looked at Sasuke. "You were the same way. Extra naps and diarrhea whenever you teethed."

"Oh." He watched his nephew falling asleep in his arms. "What's it like for you? Having a family, I mean. Is it strange at all?"

Itachi considered it as he stared at his son. "Sometimes. Sometimes it's a drag, but most of the time it's a blessing. And it's not all that hard. Not being a father, anyway. The father part's old stuff. Not too much different from raising you, to be honest."

Sasuke smiled. "This is what I was like?"

"Fuck, no. You listened to me. I told you to be quiet, you were quiet. I told you it was sleep time, you went to sleep. That creature you're holding? Forget it. I've re-named him The Unholy Terror. Now the husband stuff…that's harder. I kept wondering if I was going to be a good partner and understanding. I try, but I told Mo from the jump how I'd lived. Told her if I miss social cues and junk that it wasn't me ignoring her. I just didn't know. Told her I needed for her to be up front and just tell me what she needed from me and things would be fine."

"And?"

"And nothing," Itachi shrugged. "She agreed. Though she did add that a woman likes it when a man intuits what she wants and when."

"I see. What kinds of things does she want?"

Itachi waved a hand. "Ah, that's mostly sex. Once I got the hang of…women, I thought all were like Mo. She sucks me dry, man. But then I found out that women in their thirties…"

Sasuke listened and stared in fascination. "She was your first woman?" he asked in shock.

Itachi snorted rudely. "Like I had time to hunt up pussy before Akatsuki was dead."

"And you're happy with her? Even though you guys fight sometimes?"

"Never been happier. And trust me, sometimes you need a good fight. If she can put up with my scars and my nightmares, I think I can handle her temper. Listen, enough of that. I want to talk about you."

"What."

"Where you go every morning. You think I don't notice you buying ramen across the street?"

"And? What of it."

"I don't want to see you hurt again, Sasuke. It kills me when you're in pain. And this, whatever you're doing-"

"Itachi, please. I'm grown. I can make my own decisions and handle the consequences of them."

"Fine, fine. Whatever. Don't come crawling to me this time, though. I'm going back to bed." He stood up, took Ichiro, then turned back to Sasuke. "Any thoughts on what you want to do next week? Big day."

"I got plans."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

The week with no ramen came. Naruto had to remind himself to breathe and go about his business normally. He was successful for the most part, but his anxiety attacks returned full force, and no amount of breathing exercises could calm him down. At the end of that week, he called Kakashi and Iruka into his office as he was stacking papers on his desk. "I'm taking a personal day tomorrow," he announced.

"You're shaking," Kakashi noted. "Are you ill? I can send for Sakura."

"No, I…no." Naruto smoothed his sweaty hands down his thighs, and stood. "I might take the next day off as well, depending. You can handle things here, can't you? Good, well…I'm going now. Good night."

Iruka and Kakashi stared out the window, where bright sunlight showed that it was just past noon.

Once home, Naruto cleaned his house from top to bottom, then proceeded to wait. He didn't sleep that night.

What if he doesn't come?

It was a thought he couldn't shake. Just like he couldn't shake the memory of the boy who'd followed him around this very same house. He'd tried, and tried, and tried until he'd finally realized that it was no use. He couldn't even take the advice he'd spouted to Sasuke when he'd left him that day in the snow. He didn't get better with time, the ache did not fade, and though he wasn't weak the way he'd been that first time he couldn't let Sasuke go, he was nevertheless too in love to get over him. It had taken him a long time to realize this.

He'd told Sasuke he couldn't live without him. His feelings hadn't lessened one bit since that reckless declaration, but now at least he had some perspective. Instead of the feelings swallowing him whole and calling up all manner of jealous hysteria, now he'd grown enough to be able to contain the feelings. He hadn't been able to before. They burned hotly in his heart now, refusing to be extinguished. And now that Naruto had stopped denying them, they suffused his entire being.

So he waited. He was ready to love, strong enough now to do so properly.

But the knock didn't come.

-oOo-

He waited all morning. All afternoon. And all evening. He'd been awake and waiting for over twenty-four hours. At last, when it was nearly midnight, he stood stiffly from his armchair.

There was a furious pounding on his door.

Oddly enough, he didn't answer it. He stood in his living room, sure he'd fallen asleep and was dreaming. But the pounding continued, thunderously rattling the entire door in its frame. He drifted to the door in a daze, still loathe to believe in miracles. He opened the door, and-

It wasn't Sasuke.

It was some tall, broad-shouldered man with long, spiky black hair tied off his face, into a ponytail that hung down his back, and large…black…eyes…

Naruto took a disbelieving step back, running his eyes slowly up and down the height that was no more than an inch and a half shorter than his own, if that. There was a thin silver chain around the man's strong neck, and on it hung a tiny red and white pendant…

"Sasuke?"

The man grinned and the world ended for Naruto in an implosion of sparks.

Sasuke enjoyed the reaction. Naruto looked poleaxed. Gorgeous, the same, but completely floored.

He drank in the sight of him. Naruto actually looked younger. Nothing major, but the worry lines he remembered were smoothed out somewhat. Everything else was the same. He was just as broad, and still in possession of that magnetic blue gaze. Sasuke cleared his throat. "Can I come in?"

Naruto was brought crashing back to the present at hearing that voice. It was the same, just slightly deeper. He stepped back, allowed Sasuke to pass, then closed the door. When he turned, Sasuke was right there, facing him.

Sasuke got right to the point. "Today's my birthday. If fact, I would have been here sooner, but Itachi and Mo threw me a surprise party and I couldn't get away. Now that I'm twenty-one, and officially an adult, I've decided that my first decision as such will be to take what I want. Which is you.

"I'm done waiting, Naruto. I know why you ended it. I can't say I agree, but I understand. You wanted me to see what else was out there, to be sure that you were the one I wanted. I didn't need that lesson; I grew up out there, and I knew that all I wanted was you. And if you wanted me to learn how to control myself, well, I'm sorry, but I'm never going to be able to control my feelings for you. Want to know what else I learned? I-"

"No," Naruto rasped. "I really don't."

"Well, maybe you-"

"I love you. I've been in love with you, and only you, for years, and I've learned that nothing is going to change that."

Sasuke swallowed hard. "Really?"

"Really."

"You mean that?"

"Yes."

"No more waiting or pushing me away?"

"No."

"Well, good, because…I'm sort of hopelessly gone over you too. Like, uh…I've never been into anyone else."

"Likewise."

"No? I thought you and Kiba…?"

Naruto shook his head.

He and Sasuke stared at each other for a long time. It was awful, and exhilarating, and unbelievable, and frightening. Sasuke cracked his knuckles nervously. Naruto waited in complete stillness.

Finally, the tension was insupportable, and Sasuke dropped his head in a sheepish nod. "Yeah…I guess I'll go, now. I just wanted to get that out. I guess I'll…visit sometime." He tried to step around Naruto to reach the door, and was gently shoved back.

He caught the hand Naruto had on his stomach out of reflex, and then Naruto yanked him forward by his shirt, and they hit the door hard enough to crack the thing as they kissed and kissed forever.

There were no words. Words were insufficient to either contain or express their reunion. It was… unparalleled by anything they'd experienced, together or apart.

Their faces pressed heatedly together, learning new textures, remembering old ones. Limbs were re-discovered, differences measured, new strength tested. Hard hands rubbed, equally callused and strong, and stubbled jaws touched and slid across each other. The long hair was pulled, the powerful throat exposed, the manly new smell learned and memorized.

A rolling, tumbling, throbbing, frenzied exploration of what was theirs and had been given to no other. They were exclusive unto each other. Their love was unspoiled. And now, returned and well-met with its missing counterpart, it was stronger, more potent with the added maturity of separation and the wisdom they'd acquired to understand their connection at last.

They were connected. They belonged together and to each other, and there was quiet, joyful recognition of this at long last.

There was a shared cry as they became one, but then all was silent, fervent, timeless motion as they finally found home within each other's pulsing bodies.