Okay, for those of you who actually read this story, I'm back! I've gotten a lot more writing experience over the past couple of months and I am so ready! I can't believe all the typing errors I made in the previous chapters. Hopefully, you will like this one a lot better. The next chapter will be considerably longer than this and the others. Let's do this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I wish I did.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Naruto shuffled around the house for the next few weeks, eating little, saying close to nothing.

Sasuke hated to see him liked this, so cold and untouchable, but nothing he did helped.

Sasuke offered to take him out somewhere, but he freaked at the mention of leaving the house for anything other than a mission. He went out and bought him his favorite manga but he just tossed them on the bookshelf and forgot about them.

He was worried. Naruto was losing weight and he wasn't getting enough rest.

Sasuke mounted the stairs with a heavy heart, tray of food in his hands, hoping that Naruto might eat.

Sasuke knocked softly on the door. "Naruto?"

No answer.

Sasuke opened the door, setting the tray on the side table. "Naruto, are you in the- Naruto!"

Naruto was curled up in the corner, crying his heart out.

"Oh, Naruto..." Sasuke approached the blonde, reaching out for him.

"No! Stay away from me, Sasuke! Don't touch me!" Naruto shrieked, shaking uncontrollably.

"Naruto, you know I won't hurt you." Sasuke whispered sadly.

"That's what Iruka-sensei said and look what happened."

"Naruto, you can trust me. Come back to me. I miss you. You're not the only one who got hurt! How do you think I feel? The man I love was raped! I keep saying that if only I had been here, if only I could've protected you... It's my fault that you're like this, terrified and sick. Naruto, you're so thin you're scaring me. I've let you stay in this room but I'm starting to regret that-"

"Sasuke, I don't think I'm ready to do that."

Sasuke sighed. "That's not what I mean. I want to be with you, but I want to wait until you're ready. Naruto, I regret letting you stay here all day long because I'm terrified that the next time I walk through the door you'll be dead."

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered an apology.

"Naruto, I didn't tell you that to make you feel worse. I told you that so you'd know that you aren't alone. I'm afraid, too. I want us to do this together, start on the path of recovery." Sasuke gladly noticed that Naruto had stopped shaking. Extending his hand to the blonde, he smiled. "So what do you say? One step at a time?"

Naruto stared uncertainly up at him before placing his palm in Sasuke's. "Yeah... I think I can do that."

Sasuke pulled him to his feet, embracing him. "We can do this. Together, we'll have a new start."

Naruto laid his face in the curve of the Uchiha's neck. "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Sasuke... please... make love to me."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I am so evil. I was planning on a long chapter, like I write in my GaaNaru, but I wanted to end in a cliffie. Sorry! But, never fear, I'm writing the next chapter on this now.