Hey there! This chapter I think I am going to blame all the OCCness that I'm paranoid about on Sasuke's fever, Naruto's memory loss and Kakashi's lack of sleep lol. Stay tuned though... Can't you feel the storm approaching? Somethings bound to happen soon after all this nothing right?

Just while I'm here, HUGE smoochy thank you's again to Marcab who is a massive inspiration to me and is pretty much the reason this story is happening. I absolutely couldn't do it without her. She's the one who deals with all the behind the scenes stuff with me and she's just a beautiful person. She's a fantastic writer, so much so that it makes me green with envy so I would REALLY recommend checking out her ridiculously amazing stories, both Tides and Ebbs of Honesty and The Sun and the Rainfall. Reading them is pretty much essential to being a fan of our boys. Complete SasuNaru wins. ^_^

Thanks to all my readers and especially reviewers, you know who you are, you guys make my day. Little balls of sunshine every one of you ;P

Enjoy~

When Naruto woke he kept his eyes shut. Something told him not to move, not to open his eyes just yet. Just wait.

A sigh and the presence of someone next to him, the feeling of something coming closer. The blonde's heartbeat quickened slightly. And then, slowly he felt his hair lift and warm fingers slide between the strands on his forehead. His heartbeat settled somewhat as he realized who it was and where he was but it still skipped a little nervously within it's steady pace. Naruto stayed still as gently the fingers rubbed his hair between them and brushed them tenderly off of his forehead. When they skimmed his cheekbone he tried not to let his breath hitch.

Why was he being touched this way? Why wasn't it strange? Was he letting it happen?

Because somehow he felt... somehow he felt... it was hard to think and hard not to let a lazy sigh slip as heat and skin flashed accidentally across his eyelashes. It was almost as if he was feeling somewhere deep inside, that this person deserved what little comfort he could find... Somehow... this was fine... Somehow it was very right to let this person have this; it was fine to have him near... It was nice. His touch was nice.

A thumb ghosted over his funny whiskers and across his lips. It was so difficult not to part his mouth into a gasp at the whisper light touch. Warmth fluttered in the blonde's stomach. His fingers twitched where they lay on top of his stomach beneath the thick blanket. The pads of the other's fingers were warm as they smoothed Naruto's eyebrows and then returned to his hair, combing it back off his face and working tiny tangles out among the thinnest strands of the downy hair near his ears. And then it was gone. But still Naruto didn't open his eyes. He didn't know why but staying asleep seemed like the best idea. The breathing so close was short and shaky with fever or emotion.

"I miss you Dobe," said a voice close to the blonde. Naruto remained perfectly still and continued to breathe evenly through his nose, working without a trace to keep his face emotionless in case those ninja eyes could see in the dark.

"You're here but you're not... Everything you do is so the same and so different and to be honest it scares me..." Sasuke's voice trembled and Naruto wanted to bite his lip.

"I miss you," he said again. For a long while there was nothing else but the whoosh of both of their breathing. Sasuke didn't get up and leave. He didn't touch Naruto anymore. There was a knot in Naruto's chest.

Sasuke coughed loudly and that was when Naruto chose to stir. He wrinkled his nose at the sound for effect like it was that that had woken him and opened his eyes, blinking sleepily as they slipped into focus meeting Sasuke's presence lying next to him in the dark on the floor.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice sounded panicky. Naruto kept pretending.

"What time is it?" he asked softly.

"Dunno," replied the other boy. "Early." There was a definite tightness to his voice. Naruto drew his blanket further around his shoulders wishing he understood more.

"How's the fever?"

"Settling." Naruto blinked a few more times and lifted his head to prop it up on one hand.

"What are you doing on the floor Sasuke san? It's not warm enough to be down here when you're sick."

"I'm hot. The floors cold," replied Sasuke simply and quickly. Naruto sensed something else. Something to do with how Sasuke had been touching him. Was he lonely? Did he have a bad dream? …Both?

"Are you alright?" asked Naruto as he reached out to touch Sasuke's forehead that was clammy with sweat and still flushed with his fever. Sasuke huffed in protest at his action.

"You're still hot."

"Yeah…" There was a silence.

"Why are you awake Sasuke san?"

"Couldn't go back to sleep."

"What woke you up?"

"Nothing special." Naruto frowned a little but let it pass.

Of course Sasuke san wouldn't tell me something like that….

Would he tell him though?

A wave of jealousy at his old self made Naruto's breath catch in his throat. How stupid was that? How could you be jealous of yourself?

"I miss you…"

Naruto shook the thought away.

Sasuke hacked out another crippling cough.

"Ok?"

"Yeah."

More silence. It was making the smaller boy uncomfortable. Silence felt wrong. Even with Sasuke. He decided to be direct.

"Did you… have a bad dream or something Sasuke san?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about…"

A huge rush of frustration and longing for his memories overcame the boy with no past.

Naruto wanted them more than ever. For Sasuke, for himself, he wanted them so he would be able to know. He hated Sasuke's quick, curt answers. But it wasn't fair for him to be hurt by them when it was he who was the one being insensitive.

The only thing Naruto had determined for definite was that in the past he and Sasuke had understood each other and now that Sasuke felt he was different, he wouldn't tell him anything; tried not to show him anything. Uchiha Sasuke was still so far away and even though he had said "you can come with me", even though he was letting Naruto know that staying next to him is what he wanted… He was still holding back.

Yesterday the blonde had decided that it was fine that way. That he would keep on keeping on and things would get better…

Right now he didn't believe that so much. Sasuke face that he could now see a little in the dark was hurt and unguarded for once. From where Naruto watched him he was a little pile of warm flesh watching him without words. Probably exhausted from the fever. He looked strangely small and soft. Naruto hated to hurt him anymore.

The blonde no longer knew how to feel. Now what was the right choice? Keep on keeping on? Or… or….

Or what?

He lay back down to think.

"Ne. Sasuke san?"

"Hmm?" He sounded tired. What the smaller teen was about to say might shock the sick boy but it was worth knowing. For the sake of not having the ridiculous feeling of jealousy toward himself, for the sake of not hurting Sasuke anymore, or anyone else for that matter.

"Do you think…? I mean… Is there a way to find my memories again?"

Shock. Naruto tensed. Definite shock.

…

Sasuke's eyes widened and he sat up. The world swooned and then righted itself.

What.

How.

Why.

What was going on?

How did Naruto know that's what the raven haired boy had been thinking about? How?

Sasuke's feverish mind couldn't process properly. He wasn't sure whether he should smile or cry. He wasn't sure of anything now. He couldn't think straight at all.

Questions.

Questions.

Questions.

All swirling in his head as he stared at the other boy.

Suddenly Naruto knew everything.

He knew Sasuke had had a bad dream. He knew that. He asked about it. How did he know? How did he know about it? Did he know the contents of the dream too?

Did he know about how he had been standing in that ocean of blood again? How usually he and Naruto stood back to back with it raging around them and how usually because the other boy was there it was bearable.

Did he know about how usually they stood and breathed together as one, so in sync that Sasuke could feel their shoulders rise and fall against each other in perfect time? Did he know that this time Naruto wasn't there and he had been alone? Did he know how Sasuke had panicked? Did he know how they had been torn apart?

Did he know about the two of them in that sea of blood from years gone by? Their blood stained bodies? Their blood stained bond? Their Blood Stained Breaths….

Could he sense it as soon as he awoke?

Naruto knew. Even after sleeping the small amount he had and waking up feeling he had enough of his defenses back after being stripped of them hours before, Sasuke was still defenseless inside this moment. Naruto had seen inside him somehow?

"Sasuke san?" Naruto's voice ventured and the blue of his eyes shone dimly in the gloom. Sasuke tried to gather himself.

Calm down. Calm down. The fever's really gotten to you. What a state you are Uchiha. Calm down. Breathe.

"Naruto. I…" he started

"You don't want to?"

"Wha?"

"You don't want to get them back…?" Sasuke swallowed with difficulty and lay back down seeking safety in the coolness of the floorboards against his cheek.

I do but it was me who was supposed to ask about that, he thought. They lay side by side. Fever swept Sasuke's body. His head pounded. He wanted to go back to sleep.

"Sasuke san. I'll be honest because otherwise maybe we won't go anywhere," said Naruto. "I want to get my memories back. Its not nice not knowing anything. If someone can take away memories, shouldn't there also be a way to get them back? Yes or no?" Sasuke opened his mouth and closed it again.

"Yes," he murmured. Naruto breathed out.

"Will you help me Sasuke san? Yes or no?"

"Yes."

Both boys fell silent. Sasuke shivered under Naruto's gaze.

"Sasuke san."

"Naruto."

"Are cold?"

"A little."

"Why don't you scoot over here then if you're not getting back on the bed? You'll get sicker if you stay there without a blanket." Naruto suggested to the drowsy, sick boy next to him. Sasuke breathed in slowly. Naruto knew almost everything right now. He knew how Sasuke needed someone near.

What he didn't know was that Uchiha Sasuke never indulged such weak needs, even when he was sick and so far it had been pretty much acceptable to do anything. Touching Naruto earlier… He hoped the other boy hadn't been awake. It had been completely spur of the moment but it had felt so good to feel him.

However. Uchiha Sasuke was never weak enough to be vulnerable enough to be coaxed into bed with someone else.

"I'm fine here Dobe," he muttered. "I'm fine here…"

As he slipped Sasuke felt warmth at his cheeks and in his hair. He felt someone smoothing his eyebrows. Before he let sleep have him again he heard someone murmur "lets have pancakes for breakfast" and he nearly tried to summon the energy to reply "with banana and chocolate chips" just to see what the reaction might be. Sasuke fell back to sleep to the sound of Naruto's familiar and unfamiliar breathing pattern.

…

Kakashi had been sitting in that tree with his binoculars, watching through the window that had forgotten to have its curtains drawn, as long as the boys had been in the house. He'd been tailing them since he picked up on them leaving Naruto's house. His legs were numb. The Hokage had told him this morning that he had a mission coming up. He had six days of keeping an eye on the boys and then he had a whole day briefing and then a whole day training session before he left on his mission. So far watching his two kids had been fairly easy after he had concluded that Sasuke's fever was nothing to be too worried over.

It was about 4: 30am. At 2:30 am Sasuke had jolted upright in bed, panting and in quite a state. He'd curled himself into a little ball on his side for about half an hour. It had been hard for Kakashi to sit and watch Sasuke through the night vision binoculars in his after-nightmare state for that time. At approximately 3am Sasuke unfurled and got up and lay down next to where Kakashi could only assume Naruto was lying. The bed blocked the view of the other boy but from his the angle the tree gave him he could still see Sasuke's face. Again it was hard. Because Sasuke thought no one was watching and his face had been so open. The jounin had rarely seen him like that. After about another half an hour Naruto had woken and his head had come into view as he sat up. He then lay back down and Kakashi zeroed in with his binoculars to read Sasuke's lips. Nothing much was said. He assumed that Naruto may have been the one doing most of the talking. Sasuke didn't want to say much, or couldn't say much.

As their team leader sat and watched he'd read two consecutive "yes"s on the young Uchiha's lips and smiled to himself. He wondered whether Naruto had played the yes/no game. He used to do that all the time before he lost his memories whenever he wanted a straight answer from Sasuke who would give elusive responses just to annoy the blonde. Kakashi wondered how having that used on him again made Sasuke feel…

Kakashi checked his watch. Ten minutes had passed. He checked his binoculars. Sasuke looked like he was asleep. Naruto probably was too. Sneaking closer, he jumped from the tree and landed without a sound. A few long strides nearer and he could see into Sasuke's bedroom window and over the bed.

Naruto was snuggled up in the top half of a blanket with his hand reached out, his fingertips near Sasuke's face. Half of the blanket was kicked over Sasuke's feet. The Uchiha was lying on his side breathing evenly. His face looked peaceful. Kakashi pondered again what Naruto's side of the conversation had been like. Before the yes's this slightly horrified look of surprise had passed over Sasuke's features. An important expression, so hugely open and un-Sasuke-ish. Maybe they would talk about it again when they woke and Kakashi would be able to lip read what was causing the young ninja to make such a face.

His cool breath froze in the air before him and rose for half a second in a transparent curl. It was an unusually cold night for Konoha. Kakashi shivered and leapt back into his tree, settling down to wait for sunrise.

…

Daybreak came all too quickly. Kakashi had fallen asleep and by the time he had woken the sun had already risen and if one of the boys had cared to look out the window they would have seen him there in the tree as plain as day. He congratulated himself on his great ninja alertness…

But the boys were no longer in Sasuke's room.

Kakashi switched positions, making a loop around the Uchiha house to the window in the kitchen above the sink. The Uchiha's had trees in the most convenient places and this one had foliage that provided the perfect hiding place but also a clear view into the kitchen. Kakashi wondered if that hadn't been an accident…

This time he could see both boys. Sasuke was at the stove, half visible as he stood off to the side with a set of cooking chopsticks in his hand. He was inside the window frame enough to read lips though so that was fine. Naruto was sitting at the table out from the kitchen watching and waiting. Kakashi focused on their lip movements and began to pick up the conversation.

:What's for breakfast?

:Pancakes. You asked for them right?

:Ah… Yeah, I had them at the hospital so I was thinking I'd like to have them again. Can you make them?

:Yeah. I'm putting banana and chocolate chips in them.

:Weird but ok.

Sasuke flipped in silence for a while making a neat pile of pancakes. He'd make a great housewife one day. The jounin smiled sadly. Or he'd make a good husband…

The pancakes came to the table and Sasuke sat opposite Naruto. Both young males started eating. After a while Sasuke spoke again.

:I'm not going to spoon feed you.

:What? I'm eating by myself just fine. What are you talking about!

:I'm not talking about the food baka!

Naruto's unimpressed face and Sasuke's irritated one. Nostalgic.

:I'm talking about your memories. I'm not going to spoon feed you.

Ah, so Sasuke had made his move last night? But Kakashi hadn't seen it. Did he miss it? Or could it possibly have been… Naruto?

:Oh.. Well I have to get them back on my own then?

:I'm going to help. I can take you to places that you feel a lot about and stuff…

:And that's not spoon feeding me?... Where are we going first?

:… You'll have to wait and see.

:You haven't got that far have you Sasuke san?

:You'll have to wait and see.

:Sure sure.

It was going to be a very long six days of observations if there wasn't even a plan yet, Kakashi could tell already. Sasuke definitely wouldn't let Kakashi come along on his own free will, not while he was trying to pry open Naruto with his own sentimentality… So he'd have to follow the pair secretly.

A very long, possibly painful six days indeed.