The Sasuke Sitter

--

Sasuke was amazed and yet petrified at the mere thought that he was now a father; the father of his beloved's children. He was in a state of awe because he never thought that he would live to see the day. Of course, he wanted to grow old with Naruto and cherish him far after death, but this was a miracle, pure and simple. It went above and beyond his expectations, and those were the taking in a couple little ones from the local orphanage if Naruto had the need to become a mother; thinking on it now Naruto would probably want to anyway being an orphan himself. He knew what it was like.

After falling in love with the blonde he had accepted that his bloodline would die with him and Itachi; to him the trade was a fair one. He would get Naruto, and he…he was more than enough to satisfy the desires in the black eyed boys blackened heart. Though, here she was, a beautiful baby girl. Full of energy and had an extraordinary likeness to her mother; and she was his. And here was he, the sleeping child whom he'd missed out on ever meeting; ever seeing, ever holding, but he loved him. And he too was Sasuke's. That was extraordinary to him.

The raven was also petrified; fear struck him dumb, struck him like the rains wet. Because like father like son; what if he was just like his father, a cold hearted, old fool? If not anywhere else, inside the home he wanted to be firm and unyielding, the man of the household, but also kind to his children, and to his love. He needed to make sure that they knew that he did in fact love them, respect them. Both deserved no less and much, much more then he could ever give.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy; raising a child and opening his heart to her. Don't get him wrong, he loved her with all of his heart, but since he had been shut off for so long he wasn't sure how to know for certain that she knew that. She knew his love for her so much that when she was older she would stake her life on it.

Well, he couldn't hold her in the same fashion that he held Naruto, and really, that was the only way he knew how to show affection. He would spend time with her and make himself a part of her life; so familiar that she took him for granted. That would be the day, but would it be enough? Sasuke guessed that he would have to ask Naruto and his family for some pointers. Pointer number one—how in the hell had he done it all?

Suddenly, when their visit was steadily coming to a close Sasuke didn't want to go, he didn't want to leave this little meadow where his son was buried. He knew everything about Naruto's past now; he had no qualms, no disappointments, but he had no clue how to proceed, he didn't have any good examples of a good father to mold himself into. Uchihas were good at everything, exempting parenting. He remembered his own father being a favorite picking, impersonal, heartless son of a bitch. If his daughter ever felt like he had back then—like she had to somehow earn is love—he would be forced to shoot himself because she didn't have anything to earn, she had it all already. He was proud to be her father, more proud then he had ever been in this whole lifetime of his.

Angry though, he was also angry. Angry that he had to leave in the first place, despite all of his good reasons. Screw Orochimaru he would have gotten to witness this birth of his babies. And maybe, just maybe, his son would still be…alive.

From the circle of his arms Naruto tried to leave. Sasuke growled and pulled him back down into his lap. There was no way he was letting the blonde go, he wasn't ready to step out of this field, he wasn't ready to try and rack his brain for ideas of how to do right by his family.

"We come and visit every weekend," the blonde whispered feeling the reluctance his loves body. "Besides we have things to do."

"Like?" Sasuke inquired, letting his beloved slip away and without him he grew slightly cold. Naruto gathered up the empty plastic bags, Hajime's presents—until she told him to put those back because they belonged to her brother—and the scrapbook which he handled with the most care. It was made of memories, might as well have been made of glass.

"Like," Naruto drawled, "cleaning the house, and going to Tsunade's later to decide your punishment.

"Screw cleaning the house," Sasuke muttered lying back on his son's grave. He received a light swat on his leg for his mild language in front of their child; Naruto didn't want her to pick up any nasty habits, not from the home at least. "And Tsunade already read me my rights last night after I put you to bed." He said nonchalantly. Still in his heart of hearts he would be content to lie here for a while longer, even though the wind was becoming piercing, and think. He knew for sure that he wasn't going to leave Naruto; he couldn't do that again, no matter what the circumstances might be. He just wouldn't do that; end of story. But what if because he wasn't able to make himself a decent father Naruto packed up their kid and walked out on him. What is for this Sai person? He had managed to worm his way in to the blonde's heart, deep enough to break it. It was much less harsh then the wounds that he, himself, had inflicted on that vital organ.

Right now, in that moment, all he needed was for Naruto to come and lie with him for a minute or two and he would be reassured. That was all it would take.

"Really?" The smaller boy asked closing the lid on the picnic basket and latching it shut. Then he crawled back to Sasuke now that everything was put up. Hajime was busy saying her lengthy goodbyes to her brother; they would have a good five minutes before they would have to move at all. So, Sasuke got his wish, the blonde sprawled out across his chest, the older laced his finders through the soft hair and began to massage the boys scalp. "What did she say?"

The raven smirked kissing his blonde head. "I'm confined to your side until you release me—"

"Good luck with that," Naruto snorted.

"—but she's sent a baby sitter to make sure that I don't rape you again." He scoffed.

"You didn't rape me the first time!" The blonde shrieked somewhat under his breath. He didn't need Hajime asking him what the word 'rape' meant, he couldn't handle that when she was only three years old. The raven shook his head at the statement as if he didn't believe the blonde boy, not even a little. Naruto hit his chest, playfully, but with just enough force to captivate Sasuke's full attention. "You didn't rape me. I wanted it just as much as you did," blue eyes searched black ones to investigate them and see for himself that there was no more doubt. "Okay?"

Rolling over he trapped Naruto underneath him. "You too good."

The blonde didn't agree, but he let it go because he didn't want to get into another pointless argument, especially not one that he would lose. "You love me."

"That I do," the raven breathed lovingly, kissing his tan beauty's neck.

Naruto shivered despite himself at the lips at his throat, when they touched his skin felt like molten lava, in these instances he wasn't even sure what cold really meant when he felt like he was going to melt. He tugged on Sasuke's sleeve to get him to pull away. "Who's the sitter?" he inquired somewhat flustered and lazy. He already had a suspicion that his father had volunteered eagerly at that to keep both eyes firmly planted on the two. And he wouldn't hesitate to reprehend Sasuke for touching Naruto somewhere he didn't find appropriate, like kissing him lightly on occasion, or just the simple act of holding him for longer than a friend hugging period of time. Though, in the long run it wouldn't be to terribly awful if it was him. Sasuke and Naruto could live with it until Tsunade vetoed the motion for a sitter and they sent him packing.

"That asshole, Sai," Sasuke huffed quite unhappy with the overall decision. Of all the people that were qualified, why him? Although he could hardly wait to rub it in the boys face that he had failed to win the blonde boy's heart despite his valiant efforts; Naruto had still chosen him. Right now though his dobe seethed with anger and shook with vengeance. So much so that he was practically vibrating and gripping onto Sasuke's jacket for fear of hurting one of them; this was the kind of emotion that Kyubbi thrived off of.

He didn't want Sai in his house ever again, especially not as the appointed person to watch them like a hawk as they tried to begin their solitary life together and be a family. The black haired boy wouldn't like it if they touched at all, he would tell Tsunade false things just to keep them apart so that he could try once again to pry his way into Naruto's heart like he had for the past two years. It would be hell.

"Never mind him. He's nothing. I'll kill him if he tries to keep me from you." Naruto relaxed some, but he kept his hold on Sasuke. He had seen them both fight before, and taking into consideration that Sasuke had greatly improved his game Sai would have the fight of his life and for it too. Naruto had no doubt that Sai could hold his own for awhile, but in the end Sasuke would be the victor unless Sai got extremely lucky.

His nuzzled his head into Sasuke's chest; since he was here he was sure that everything would be just fine. "Come on slow pokes, let's go home!" Hajime stood over them hands on her hips.

"She's right," Naruto whispered pulling out of Sasuke's arms regretfully he got up and dusted off some of the grass that had clung to his pants and coat. Then he outstretched his hand to his love who had rolled back on his back and watched him with soft eyes—who knew the eyes of a killer could become so loving. Sighing he got up on his own and only took the hand when he was on his own two feet and intertwined their fingers. The blonde turned to face him and said in a hushed voice, "I missed you," like he had in the beginning. Sasuke squeezed his hand.

Naruto was surprisingly joyous considering he was standing before his son's grave, but the day before last he had lost both of his Sasuke's. Yesterday one had come back to him, for him, and no one but him. It was a new beginning.

He grabbed the picnic basket quickly before he forgot it like an absentminded idiot. Sasuke didn't protest against him carrying the thing because he knew that Naruto would hand over the basket under the right sort of pressure, but he wouldn't be happy about it.

Hajime stamped her foot, "Hurry up!" The blonde shot their daughter a look. "Pleeeease?!"

"Sure baby!" Naruto yelled back and stepped forward so that Sasuke could take her hand as well, but she avoided him when he outstretched his hand. Instead she lifted up her arms to Naruto wanting to be held by her mother.

"Here," Sasuke said taking the picnic basket from the blonde and letting him go. Naruto swooped up his daughter, his wide smile changing into a sloppy kiss upon her cheek. She rested her head on his shoulder while they walked, Sasuke—still wanting to be able to physically touch his love—rested a hand at the small of his back. Their daughter was asleep soon after they started their trek; it was near her naptime anyway. They came out of the thicket and made their way home in a complete and comfortable silence. It was just like that day on the dock when they were five and didn't know the others name. They didn't want to fill up this time with useless, embarrassed words, they'd much rather drink in each other's presence.

When they reached the porch littered with various toys and things Sasuke asked gently, "Can I take her to bed?" Naruto already had the door open and was half way inside when he stopped dead in this tracks. He smiled back at his…boyfriend…

"Sure," he said. "I'll unpack the basket." Sasuke dropped what he was holding and carefully took his daughter—his flesh and blood—from her mother as if she was made of glass and should be handled as such. Thankfully, she was a very heavy sleeper. She didn't stir, not even when she reflexively held onto her father, like she already knew subconsciously that she belonged to him. He was already dreading the day he would have to give her away. Naruto watched the scene a quiet smile on his lips, enjoying the way that they were; father and daughter. Then he picked up the discarded basket and headed into his home before Sasuke.

The raven went to the purple bedroom, and Naruto ascended to the kitchen proceeding to unpack their garbage from the meal they had shared at the grave site, and the much-loved scrap book he had received a little over two years ago when he went through that rough patch with his family. He was pleased that he had it; it had made the explaining so much easier since Sasuke could see the last four years for himself. His stomach tangled around itself once more though, when he started to think about confronting Sai.

He didn't want to have to deal with the lying bastard ever again; much less did he want him to live with him and his love. How could that man have said to love him for so long? And yet too casually lie for his own selfish intentions, in turn making the blonde lose that much more hope. Sasuke had left for Naruto, to protect him from any harm that would have come to him had the older boy stayed. But to blatantly disregard the blonde's feelings and call those actions love was appalling. He had said that he wanted what was best for the blonde, apparently not. That note would have made Naruto so happy…and when in love isn't that other person happiness the only thing that matters.

Soon enough, because he had done so much thinking, he finished unpacking the picnic basket like a robot. He tucked it back in its place up above the washer and dryer. Gently, he took the scrap book so that he could return it to the safety of his bedroom, neatly on his book shelf where is could quietly collect dust from this day forward; it was almost downright depressing to retire it after it had been a constant companion through the most trying of times.

Naruto was still pretty shook up about the whole Sai-lying deal; it was so inconceivable that he would lie to him. He dreaded facing the man who had grown on him and against all odds had a hold on a specific place in Naruto's heart, maybe not the same sort of spot that Sasuke had or his daughter but it was pretty significant. The blonde used to believe that he could trust him…with anything.

When he passed by the bathroom he heard something strange—a loud, worn out sigh and the dressing or undressing sound of material rubbing together. Trying to clear his scenes he honed them in to find the chakra signature and realized that it was one that he recognized. Uh-oh, this was it.

He opened the door with one eye open, that way if the other was getting nekkid he could close it really quickly and pray to God that he didn't come away with any unwanted mental images infused in his memory bank. He breathed a sigh when he saw that Sai was dressing instead of the opposite, at the moment he was pulling a shirt over his wet head.

It was unfair that he was here, that Tsunade had assigned him of all people to be their sitter…Naruto wasn't happy with him, and Sai wouldn't be happy with them. Especially since Naruto had let Sasuke into his home so willingly, only wanting to know why, but beyond that he was just glad that all his waiting had paid off. Oh no, Sai wouldn't be pleased; Naruto was delighted.

"Hey! Short stuff!" Sai zoned in for a hug. Naruto was stiff as a statue when the older wrapped his arms completely around him, and pressed his lips to his cheek. Naruto tried to wipe it off with the back of his hand. He couldn't keep himself from glaring. "That only rubs it in." The blonde made a face. Sai just laughed and released him. "Guess what? Tsunade said that I get to stay here with you for a while to keep my eyes on some kid with a record that you've taken in." Sai was beaming at the thought of a long-term stay in the boy's house, no matter the circumstances. "Isn't that great?!" A wide grin covered his face, one that went from ear to ear.

Naruto snorted, "No!" With just enough volume for the black haired boy to hear him loud and clear; Sai's smile all but disappeared at the scowl on that perfect face.

"Oh, baby, are you pissed that I missed Hajime's birthday. You know that I would've given everything to have been here." Lies; Sai was trying to be sincere, that was the worst of it. He had said the wrong thing or the right thing had he intended on adding fuel to the fire of Naruto's wrath.

Naruto fumed, "I am not your baby!" The only thing that kept him from completely letting himself go and screaming at the man who stood before him was the fact that his daughter had just gotten to sleep and he didn't want to run the risk of waking her up, not when it usually took so long to get her to go to bed in the middle of a beautiful afternoon; she wanted to be up with the sun. "I don't belong to you!" He stabbed Sai in the chest, right where his heart was…literally, with his index finger.

"Well," Sai smirked, smoothing the spot on his chest where Naruto had poked him, "not yet."

"Not ever!" Naruto lashed out. His fist clenched in tight balls prepared to hit that pale cheek if he really felt it was necessary, and, boy, was he beginning to think it was. "I refused to belong to you!" He spat. Sai flinched away as if he had collided with the blonde boy's fist.

Sai sighed running a hand through still wet hair. "Do you really think that this is that time, Naruto?" The boy shrugged a small shoulder tick. Why not now? Like later would be any better, more than likely it would be worse. "Fine," the older boy snarled. He was slightly confused by the others sudden defensiveness. "Why don't you just give in already? I love you! Apparently much more then the man you endlessly wait for, the man who's not coming back! I would do anything for you!" Sai was tiered; he no longer wanted to repeat this argument. It always left him broken for days.

"Yeah?!" Naruto clenched his jaw, also sick of the fight. "Like lie? Like sacrifice my happiness for your own? Like break my heart, again, when you could've healed it all? But you didn't, you bastard!"

Sai was exasperated and on the verge of pulling his hair out. "What are you talking about?!" He was yelling now with no concern as to where Hajime was and whether or not she was asleep. He knew when her nap time was, he knew almost everything about them and their daily habits. He had been on the inside for so long. Naruto had believed in him…

"The note," his voice wavered. "That's what I'm talking about, damn you!"

Crestfallen, Sai took a step forward and attempted to cub Naruto's cheek. His heart broke into tiny fragmented pieces when the blonde slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!" Tears welled in his blue eyes.

"What's going on?" A voice boomed that was unfamiliar to Sai. There was another raven in the cramped bathroom. The other looped his arms around Naruto and pulled him close glaring at Sai intimidating. What was incredible to Sai was that the blonde didn't resist, in fact he slumped over onto the new comer and buried his beautiful face in the raven's jacket. Sai wanted, had always wanted, to hold him like that. How was it that someone else got granted his wish?

They were almost exactly that same height. So Sai stood proud, puffed out his chest and snarled, "Who the hell are you?" He didn't miss Naruto's smile out of the corner of his eye…it was a little ray of sunshine peaking through the clouds. The other stuck out the hand that wasn't keeping his love steady.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sai all but fell to bits and pieces there on the linoleum floor. Bitterly and stinging with hatred, the black haired boy took his outstretched hand and they shook with snarky smiles on their faces. "If you ever hurt my Naruto again; I'll kill you." Those eyes flashed red and he squeezed Sai's hand with the intentional showing of strength. Sai could feel his bones grinding together. Then he let go, the black haired boy knew he was no match; he had never been any sort of match compared to him. Naruto, the boy who should've just fallen into his arms, had been so very faithful. Who knew what the man had tapped while he was in the clutches of someone that evil.

Sai remembered his mission and smirked. "No problem, sir," he leered. But it was hardly a sign of respect. He had the upper hand; he could give Tsunade some false information, things Naruto couldn't vogue for. He could incriminate some evidence, falsify some photographs and make it appear like Sasuke was slapping his kid around.

"Don't," said Naruto. "Don't even think about it." Sai gave him an annoyed look; like a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Don't say anything that I'll make you regret. Remember, it'll be your word against mine." Naruto's face was hard, but his words were soft. "I know you're not a liar, Sai…" just then the oldest felt like dropping to his knees and beg for Naruto's forgiveness. Considering what he had done to him, how he had lied to the blonde boy and wounded him so deeply. He hadn't stuck the knife in Naruto's heart; he had done nothing to pull it out either like a true friend would have.

Black eyes reflected his inner turmoil. He knew what he had done was wrong. He understood how he had put himself on a very short leash, and for what pay off? He had reached his goal. Naruto's sprit had been all the more shattered by his actions, but the boy had waited patiently by his window for the love of his life—of his whole existence—to come waltzing through the Konoha gate just to see him, if only one last time. Besides, Naruto had told him that all along, that he would always love Sasuke…no matter what. Sai had never had any hope. It was a pointless, selfish wound he had inflicted.

…Plus, the blonde had ended up finding out about it anyway.

"Do you want it?" Sai asked and smiled lightly at the small twinkle in those blue eyes, and as the younger twitched a smile onto those so very kissable lips. Maybe they could still be friends somehow. He would take any chance to stay somewhere in Naruto's heart, even if it wasn't exactly the place where he wanted to be. Staying by the blonde's side was all that mattered now. Considering what he had done, and why, he shouldn't be asking that much. Sasuke had done pretty harsh things too, to the blonde, but he hadn't done those things for his own personal gain. He wanted to just hug the boy with the same sort of affection the other raven was showing him now and not be refused. Sai knew how impossible his requests were, the wishes he wished though they were futile and would never be granted, no matter how many brownie points he earned. The black haired boy had only ever done more harm than good, and Sasuke, the god like man standing before him, had gotten to this angel before him.

Naruto bobbed his up and down as if it were pulled by a puppeteer. Did he want to see it? What kind of a question was that? The man whose arm was around his waist now, also waiting for his reaction, hadn't forsaken him. Of course, he wanted viable proof of that.

"Well, let me out of the bathroom, and I'll go to my apartment and get it." Sai scratched the back of his neck and then stepped up to the blonde. He couldn't stop the pang of jealousy that rippled through him and settled in his stomach as hatred when Sasuke pulled Naruto close to his side and the young boy didn't struggle at all to get away like he had always done with him. Quick hugs and small, petty signs of love were all that he was permitted; even that was regulated and controlled. He despised how he had become nothing special to the blonde, not even after all of this time.

He tried desperately not to let it affect him much since there was nothing more he could do about it; unless he wanted to get into more trouble.

Sai came even closer to him since Sasuke had pulled him father away, he took a tan hand in his own and pressed his lips to it, ignoring the predatorily growl that erupted from the raven. "I know it means nothing, but I'm sorry that I hurt you. That was never my intention." Then he darted out before Sasuke charged and killed him. Against his will he would go and reveal the small, stupid shred of paper that would mark the destruction of all the hope he had ever had if winning the blondes heart. He couldn't obtain something so beautiful when it already belonged to another.

It wasn't the first time the black haired boy felt like falling to his knees and weeping, but it was the first time his own heart felt so heavy and hard while thinking about doing so. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed on. Fists were clenched when he shut the door behind him, thus ending what had never begun.

The blonde stood in the bathroom leaning all of his weight on Sasuke, who held him and whispered sweet nothings in his ear in an attempt to calm him down some. He was hurt. Yes. He was still so infuriatingly angry. Yes. Did that give him the right to break someone else's heart? No. He hadn't stopped to even think about filling the black haired boy's shoes. If Sasuke was in love with someone else, how could he guaranty that he wouldn't turn around and do exactly the same thing if only to keep a small, dim flicker of hope for himself to move in on that wounded and hurting heart of his. He had no right to be as hateful as he had been, especially since he hadn't been nearly as angry with the raven when he had confronted each other, and Sasuke had left a lasting impression on the empty space in his chest. Much more then this buzz of slight aggression.

He was a hypocrite. He could've helped it even if his brain and heart kept trying to coax him into thinking that it was all okay, and really…it wasn't. It wasn't, and couldn't have ever been. If only Sai hadn't been in love with him, then he didn't think he would feel so bad about all the things he said. All the same he had wanted to hurt Sai, to cause him pain, to cut him as deeply as possible when he found out about the note; about the lies.

…And yet, the older had just backed down. That distant look in his eyes was the very same one that he had witnesses almost every single day when he had first met the text book boy all of those years ago. Part of him was deathly afraid of that because of his outburst he had made more of Sais progress take a turn for the worst and go backwards. That would be terrible, he had worked so hard, too hard to slowly but surely peal that shell away from him and get him to show actual emotions for it all to be for nothing. Naruto felt as though he had put all of that promise in the ground and with meaning to, too.

He didn't want to lose another good friend over something, anything no matter how serious the whole situation was to the blonde. Other than this recent fact Sai had been so very constant with him in every aspect. Hajime absolutely adored him, ten times over when he breathed his pictures to life for her. Naruto used to think that it had to be magic when he did that. Pure magic.

It still was.

Fearing for his life would have been better then fearing for a friendship that he had just broken all on his own; once upon a time he remembered telling Sai that the note wouldn't change anything. He had meant that he would always wait for Sasuke. The blonde boy had kept true to his word in the second part of that statement, but to the first…not so much. A sense came over him and he felt like a lying, cheating bastard. Twice over what he had accused the black haired boy of being.

Saying that the note, no matter what happened in that decollate apartment, wouldn't change anything was such a lie. A complete and total false statement because it had changed lots of things. Not finding any sort of goodbye had dwindled his hopes by a landslide. He had still waited, of course, but with much less faith then before. And if Sai had revealed it to him immediately he would have been thrilled. It would have mattered, and it mattered now. Because of that piece of paper he had just caused one of his best friends harm, he had hurt another person who tried to love him as best they could.

God, his heart stung.

At least he had these strong arms around him, to hold the parts of him that were falling apart together, and to keep him at the very least conscious and in the present. He wasn't having any of those ghastly flashbacks. The raven smelled pretty nice too, better than he had before he had taken a shower. His scent was musky and sexy, something distinctly him. Although despite the distraction his mind still wandered to that look in Sai's eyes when he realized who the arms surrounding him belonged to, and that he had smiled at the distraught expression he found there. It had been cruel and unnecessary.

"Is Hajime still asleep? I didn't wake her did I?" Naruto asked hesitantly as he burrowed his face into Sasuke's side. He expected to have more misery befall him because of one point in there he had been screaming at the top of his lungs, without any thought of awaking his sweet angel. She was hell to get to bed at this time of day. Right now, he was really dumpster diving.

Sasuke shook his head no and began to drag/carry the melancholy boy to the living room and out of the cramped bathroom where the younger had already spent too much time brooding and thinking over his previous actions. Brooding was the raven's spatiality; he couldn't very well have his dobe pass him up in that aspect. "She slept through the whole argument," he said lightening up the blondes shoulders a bit. "I would have come to your rescue sooner, but she didn't want to let go."

Naruto giggled openly at this, he loved the image of Sasuke trying to pry the young girl's arms from around his neck as it replayed itself over and over again in his head. "That's good; I would've felt worse if she had woken up." He stared sheepishly at his shoes.

The raven said nothing. He did not know what words would comfort him, not when he was on the verge of losing another friend all because of him. And he hated himself for it; without trying he was still uprooting the blondes friendships and disrupting the ebb and flow of his everyday life. His departure and the note had left the boy in shambles, he began contemplating the pros and cons if he hadn't wrote one at all. Though, it would have been more cowardly of him if he hadn't left anything and disappeared into the night without a trace. He pulled the blonde to the couch and sat with him there.

"Do you want the TV on?" Sasuke asked his extremely distraught dobe that rested restlessly at his side having to fiddle with something different every two seconds. The raven slung an arm over his shoulders and held him close. "Hm? Do you? While we wait?"

"No," Naruto bit his lip, and Ramen jumped into his lap. "There's probably nothing good on right now anyway." He ran his fingers through Ramen's candy colored fur absentmindedly. "What—how long is the note?" His legs created a steady tempo on the side of the couch. Ramen laid his head down and lapped at the ravens fingers; he avoided the dog and petted Naruto's face and hair instead.

Shrugging, the ravens said. "Not long," he remembered the thing clearly, and how pathetic he had felt because of it. "Four lines and eight words. Not long at all." He explained a cold hearted border line disgusted edge to his voice. Halve of his mind thought to run out now, catch Sai, take the note from him, and go somewhere secret to rewrite it. A beautiful, romantic, and long lyric that rhymed; that's what he'd turn it into, if only he could get a hold of it. It would be far more interesting and a smidge more of what his loved deserved. Naruto would know it wasn't authentic though, even if it did have all that lovey dovey mush squishing out of its sides. It would be uncharacteristic. Sasuke wasn't sure if he would even think something up that was like that.

Looking down at his dobe's angelic face, he came to the conclusion that no words, not even ones of love, could explain how he truly felt about the blonde. The concept of a note in general had been a stupid waste of his time, better than nothing, but practically useless since Naruto hadn't found it anyway.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said shyly, pushing Ramen off of him and laying his head in the ravens lap.

"Hm?" He grabbed a pillow and put it under his loves head to make him more comfortable, and things less awkward if something came up. Then, he raked his large hands through the blonde hair.

"Why do you think I didn't find the note the first time? I mean, I didn't exactly look for it when I woke up—I didn't know you were…gone yet—but I should have noticed something. Shouldn't I have? …I think I should have…"

"Don't know. I left it on the bedside table. Maybe it got moved somehow." Sasuke guided his fingers over his loves face. Naruto's eyes slid closed and he sighed; his breath was hot and muggy on Sasuke's hands.

"Maybe. The window was open when I woke up." Naruto sighed again, and nuzzled into the ravens abdomen. "It shouldn't get me so excited since you're here now, but it does…and I-I don't know why." Sasuke said nothing, that vile piece of paper didn't get him excited like it did to Naruto who was buzzing in his lap. It had been a sign of weakness. He hadn't the guts to verbally explain anything to Naruto. To Sasuke that one shred of paper was a complete and total cop out; he could have done by the blonde better had be truly loved him. But he hadn't done anything better. That's what killed the raven within his heart that he couldn't love anyone more then he loved Naruto.

It was over and done now, though, no use brooding about it. Like Naruto had pointed out, he was here now. He could show his love to Naruto properly. He didn't need a note to do his bidding.

The blonde practically shot up and out of his lap when the front door rand sending chimes throughout the house. The raven didn't know why Naruto was so excited either. He was here now and that had to be all that mattered. Apparently, not when his love needed a note to prove that there was, in fact, a note and therefore solidifying that there was some truth to his story. It wasn't all that important. Sasuke still hated the coward inside of himself that had made him write it in the first place. To Naruto, for some reason, it was important so Sasuke continued to say nothing.

Upon entering the living room, Sai—their sitter for God knows how long—gave him an evil eye and tilted his head upward; a small, almost insignificant sign of disrespect. Sasuke didn't give him the time of day, only over exaggerating the motion of putting his arms around Naruto's waist when he came to sit back down. He was pleased when he got a stiffening, unsettling reaction out of Sai.

"So?" Naruto asked, jumping out of his skin. He attempted to play up the nonchalance, although he was failing miserably. "Where is it? You didn't lose it, right?" He leaned on the raven to his side, wringing his hands in his lap. Really to have proof of a goodbye, no matter the word count would have a huge impact on his heart. He had always known that Sasuke was going to come home; he just needed reassurance that he had, and always planned on, coming home for him.

And he could probably leave that silly notion go that Sasuke was going to leave him once more. If there was something that said that he hadn't wanted to go then, then that had to mean that he had no intentions of joining any other cults now and Naruto could start to let him in more. Into a permanent place into his home, and maybe—sooner than he had originally thought—back into his bed. This was just a step closer to trusting him by just his word, and his word alone. If he could manage to do that then he would be able to have faith that Sasuke wasn't going anywhere.

He didn't say any of this out loud though; Sai wouldn't want to be a part of that.

The black haired boy took a small scrap of wrinkled paper out of his pants pocket. He looked at it with so much contempt and so much loathing that the youngest in the room almost expected it to combust under the pressure and be lost in the flames. A clenched jaw and fist showed his reluctance to hand the thing over to whom it had originally belonged.

He outstretched it to Naruto who took a hold of it quickly, but Sai still had a grip on it; on his last hope of winning the blonde for his own. "Let go!" Naruto whispered and Sai jumped back as if Naruto had downright bit him. Blue eyes went worried and a bit wide when he thought back on what he had just said. He hadn't meant it like that, like Sai should let go of him…or maybe he had. He didn't know. All he knew was that this whole situation was weighing too heavily on him; he never wanted his and Sasuke relationship to cause anyone harm. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, not a time wrought with agony. Not for someone who the blonde did care about very much; he wasn't in love with him, but he did love him like a brother or a very dear friend.

It hurt to see in plain sight the effects of abandonment in someone else…abandonment that he caused. His own heart sent a pang throughout his entire body at the thought that he was the source of that sheltered look harbored on Sai's face; the very same one that he used to hate when the older boy had showed up on his doorstep. Flickers of emotions occasionally broke through that mask; like a dog that drew back to lick its wounds.

The note suddenly weighed a million pounds in his hand, and soon it drew him away from his thoughts of Sai and how much pained he had inflicted on him over the years—enough pain to drive him to do something desperate.

This was it, the last remnants of a goodbye he had never known about until mere hours ago. His palms grew sweaty, but he wasn't able to open it all the way by himself, he held it to his face now and stared it down like it was his greatest enemy; one that he needed to be wary of. Sai's and Sasuke's eyes remained on his, both wondering where all that excitement ran off to. Sasuke had the audacity to squeeze him close to his side without ever trying to make the older jealous, but oh, how he had succeeded in doing just that.

Sai's gaze filtered down to his hands and he stared at them incredulously; they were just as empty as the rest of him. He looked up at Sasuke's hands, which were full. He began to burn with the flames of unshed tears while his throat closed up on him. It was such a shame…he was such a shame.

And to top it all off he didn't even feel like he had the privilege of sitting in another man's house; the house of his foe. So he swayed uneasily from foot to foot, refraining from shivering at the cold gusts of wind that passed straight through the holes in him. He was waiting…waiting for all hope to be lost…he waited for doom to crash over his head…thus the ultimate ending of all the things in his life that mattered. Death; when had the prospect of it become to relieving?

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, Naruto turned and placed it in Sasuke's hand their fingers brushing together. "Read it to me." He said tenderly since he couldn't do it alone.

The blonde rested his head on Sasuke's shoulder, and placed his heart safely away in the raven's chest. He then stayed quiet and still until Sasuke began. Sai couldn't believe that he was being subjected to this; his love's love for another man. Cuddling and staring openly at each other as if nothing else existed; made the black haired boy sick.

Only with slight hesitation did Sasuke open the note and read it aloud. "Dearest Naruto. Wait for me. Love always-Sasuke." When finished he kissed the blondes watery blue eyes and held him.

Sai's breath was lost in his lungs when Naruto smiled, a real, true smile. It was like nothing he had ever laid eyes on before; he was a light that out shinned fucking cosmic anomalies. It was so bright…so beautiful…so…not his. That face, that smile, and that heart didn't belong to him. He had never laid any sort of claim on something…so, unreal and intangible. But, it should have been all his.

Sai would swear that he could faintly hear his heart shattering and splintering in his chest.

Naruto smiled now because everything in the raven's story lined up, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Sasuke had kept to his word, and would probably do the same in the future.

"Thank you," the blonde boy that he had begged for so un-shamefully whispered, not to Sai, but to the man who wrote it. "Thank you."

"Momma!" Naruto bolted up and ran to his daughters cry leaving the two men at a standoff. Sasuke broke the silence.

"I understand that it wasn't your intention to hurt him," Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "And that's fine because he seems to have forgiven you. But, I think you still may not understand that he's mine."

An arrow straight through his heart.

--

I didn't like this chapter one bit. I felt as if I were repeating myself just to have the story progress and have the chapter be that much longer. It was bad. Please REVIEW and boost my self esteem and you'll probably get more than one chapter out of me this summer.

By the way, there were only two reviews last chapter. I was disappointed. I have received up to four reviews on each chapter up to this point. I thank those who did review, you caused this chapter to come out now instead of a month from now.