Peace.

A silence filled the room as Naruto lay with Sasuke, eyes heavy and almost drifting back into sleep. Sasuke stroked the base of the small blonde's neck, it was instinctual for him somehow to both calm the scared boy and make himself feel content. Naruto was snuggled against Sasuke's chest still, and his breathing returned to normal once more. Sasuke tightened his hold on the boy with the arm he had draped over his back, and rested his head slightly on top of Naruto's. Something strange came over him, a feeling welled up inside of him and he had a sudden urge to kiss the blonde's forehead, but as he moved his head Naruto spoke.

"I can hear your heart beating."

Sasuke stopped, and looked down at Naruto, his ear was pressed to his chest, but his eyes were closed. He smiled and pulled Naruto to him more, and felt the smaller one's heart beat against his lower chest.

"And I can feel yours."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up at Sasuke, eyes shining, but filled with emotion. They clouded slightly with something easily read as confusion.

"Sasuke... what's going on…?"

The dark haired boy raised an eyebrow, there was something going on? He noticed nothing, he had been to absorbed in the peaceful time they were having together, and the feeling inside of him triggered by Naruto.

"I don't understand, what do you mean?"

The smaller boy's eyes diverted from Sasuke's gaze and he fidgeted a little, but made no effort to get away from Sasuke's hold. He was quiet for a moment, and then hesitantly spoke up, his voice betraying the fact that he was choosing his words very carefully.

"I mean.. what's going on.. here. With us. Right now. It's… not strange, for some reason I feel like part of me wanted this all along… but… how come?"

Sasuke paused, then gave him the most honest answer he could.

"You told me you didn't want me to go, so I thought I would lay with you. After that…it just felt so natural to be close to you like that, so that's what I did. A part of me wanted to comfort you I guess…"

The small blonde brought his eyes to meet Sasuke's, and suddenly the confusion left, the dark eyes that met his were not cold as he remember they had been all the time, but warm and filled with emotion. Naruto's hand moved slightly and then took Sasuke's in it. He intertwined their fingers, and then looked at them, then back at Sasuke's face and asked as he blushed.

"Is that… uncomfortable for you?"

Sasuke smiled as Naruto blushed a deep pink, looked at their hands together, and then back at Naruto.

"No. It's the most comfortable I've been in a while apart from this."

He untwined their fingers gently and then wrapped both arms around Naruto tightly, until there was no space left between them. He scooted down a little so they were face to face and then looked Naruto in the eyes. The pink on the blonde's face had blossomed into a magnificent crimson, but the eyes gazing softly back at him were now filled with a long forgotten feeling that had just been awakened inside of Sasuke.

"Naruto, I missed you… so much."

Naruto threw his arms around Sasuke's neck and hugged him as tightly as Sasuke held him, his whiskered cheek resting on Sasuke's, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. He inhaled Sasuke's scent, so familiar, but somehow different after all their years apart, it still made him feel comfortable and at peace. Sasuke's warm body was relaxed, and wrapped mostly around Naruto as they embraced among the covers of the futon. Suddenly Naruto pulled away and looked at Sasuke.

"I don't know if this is okay... but…"

He leaned back in and timidly placed his lips upon Sasuke's cheek, sweetly kissing him. He lingered as Sasuke leaned into the kiss, but then pulled away, his blush remaining, but now only a pink flush once again. Sasuke gazed at him, so Naruto was still clumsy at something at least. He smiled more, and then stroked the blonde's cheek once more, then he leaned in and kissed him on his small, soft lips. The remaining arm holding Naruto pulled him closer to Sasuke again, giving the kiss more force. Naruto readily kissed back, his heart pounding inside his chest as his mind was clouded.

The kiss lasted a whole minute, then Sasuke pulled away gently and looked at Naruto, both now blushing a light pink but watching each other carefully. Sasuke spoke again.

"I don't know if that was okay, but… I hope it was, because… I'd like to do it again."

Naruto grasped the front of Sasuke's shirt and said quietly.

"It was okay. I… I liked it… because it was you. Sasuke, I-"

"I love you."

Naruto froze as Sasuke said so easily what he had been struggling to come out with. Only just reunited and their whole relationship had changed rapidly. What had happened to the two boys who competed for everything, who were the bickering brothers of Team 7? What happened that two best friends now loved each other more than anything in the world?

Naruto now fully understood what had driven his undying need to bring Sasuke home all these years. An unspoken love between the only person who ever understood him and he understood in return, No matter how many times Sasuke had called him a dobe over the years, he had never really minded, it was like a secret endearment that they silently both knew about. They had wordlessly agreed to protect each other, each keeping it in their own way. Something tugged at the back of Naruto's mind, the Kyuubi had brought the memory of the Valley of the End back into his mind. Suddenly Naruto wanted to cry. Tears sprang to his eyes and Sasuke became alarmed at once.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

Naruto suddenly burrowed into Sasuke's chest, tears falling freely as he wept without shame into the chest of the person he loved. He couldn't speak for a few moments, but then managed to voice his current thoughts.

"I-I almost died… but-but-I was beginning to think about what I would do If I never found you again. If I could never be with you again. I just… I was scared that I'd die without ever seeing you again."

Sasuke's smile faded as he frowned sadly, he wrapped his arms around the boy that fit so well in his arms and stroked the back of his neck again as he spoke to him.

"It's okay. I won't let you die. I'm here now, I was always going to come back to you, no matter what I needed to do. Wherever you are is my home, and it feels good to be back."

Sasuke nuzzled the boy's head as he felt Naruto's arms tighten around his neck. He shifted his body so that he was laying on his back and Naruto was slightly on top of him, face still buried in his chest, but now more comfortable. He wrapped the covers around the small blonde and himself so they were almost trapped together. He stopped stroking the small of Naruto's neck and gently took his chin in his fingers, bringing the upset boys face to his own.

The watery blue eyes were surrounded by red, the path of the tears that had already fallen still wet on his face. Sasuke's features softened as he looked upon the adorable boy he held in his arms, then he brought his face closer to his own slowly, until their lips met once more.

This time the kiss was anything other than timid, Naruto pressed against Sasuke from above, kissing him passionately as if he would disappear if he didn't. In reply, Sasuke's tongue hungrily pryed at Naruto's closed lips, gaining entry almost immediately and being met by Naruto's, welcomed, not being rebuked. Sasuke's tongue moved in an expert way, playing with Naruto's eagerly with rhythmic massage-like motions.

In the midst of the passion, Sasuke moved and shifted so Naruto was now lying on his back while Sasuke was on top of him, pinning him with his arms on either side of Naruto's head. Naruto's hands wrapped around the back of Sasuke's neck and pulled him down on top of him more, Sasuke's knees supporting most of his weight so as to not crush the delicate smaller boy. The kiss lasted what seemed like forever to the two boys as they realized they were absolutely crazy for the person they were wrapped up in.

They finally parted from each other, and gazed at each other in silence, then Sasuke laid down slightly on top of Naruto, and laid his face next to the golden locks of the one he held so tightly. Naruto moved so his ear rested on Sasuke's chest and he listened to his heart beat, content. Together they drifted off towards the blurry state of sleep. But before they crossed the final barrier to rest, Naruto's small voice spoke, barely audible amongst their calm breathing.

"Sasuke… lets go home…"