AN: Yosh! Im back, heres another chappie to keep you peeps on your high … The Song? I do believe I have one, CESARIA EVORA feat TANIA LIBERTAD "HISTORIA DE UN AMOR"… check it out… pertaining really to the last chapipe and this I guess… lol cheers!

Sasuke woke with a slight whimper. His side was throbbing in unholy anguish. He was lying on his back, in Naruto's sun filled room. He turned his head to the right, and there was the blonde, still sound asleep and completely out of it. He was surprised he could sleep, whit the brightness of the light; he was sure it must be close to noon.

He watched for a while as the light played on Naruto's hair, lighting it on fire, and brightening the soft locks that lay askew on the pillows.

For the sweet moment, he didn't feel all that happy; and the realization why hit him just as fast. In that moment, everything from the previous night returned twofold. And he winced as he remembered his actions. Only now could he study himself and realize what a total asshole he had turned out to be. But then….

Then it had been different, mostly because each and every word that Sai had said was true, right down to a T. And a bit, a very small part that shouldn't have been there at all was the fact that Naruto had slept with Sai.

Most of his anger wasn't because of the blonde at all, it was anger at the truth that had been spoken. He had accepted his help too easily, but what choice did he really have? Naruto was the only option out of the gutter and into fulfilling his wish. And the fact that the blonde haired god beside him was quite possibly the most honorable and compassionate soul helped him adjust.

He'd make sure that one day, he'd return the favour threefold; he wasn't the kind to take anything laying down. If there was one thing that his long forgotten father taught him it was that… pride, and not standing out in a crowd. He'd been taught early in his life that blending into the crowd produced exceptional results… he'd been forcefed that lesson… and he was going to return that favour as well.

It was so ironic actually, he thought as his eyes flew about the sleeping form beside him; Naruto was like a burning torch in the night, completely out there, blinding people with his brightness and vigour. It was a part of his bubbly personality. But he had seen something there yesterday, before his mind was clouded by a red haze of anger. There was a raw edge to Naruto that he didn't let people see, and he'd caught it in the fit of anger Naruto had shown to Sai… It proved that Naruto could be cruel at times, even if he regretted that after; he had a dark streak that he undoubtedly used in his profession.

They had had similar starts, Naruto said, he wondered now how much of that was true… Naruto didn't know anything besides the fact that Sauske had lived on the streets; apart form that, Naruto knew nothing. And Sauske wasn't going to go around sharing. He'd buried his past, and he wasn't going to go around digging graves up just yet. The time would come, he supposed, when the dead would rise on their own. And then he'd open the door to hell… he now had the chance to do it. Where before he was stuck on the streets, he now could…

He supposed in a way, Naruto couldn't choose a worse person to pick to save, he was destined to one day hurt him. And right now, looking at the peaceful dreamy expression, he really didn't want that to happen…

Naruto turned in his sleep, and Sasuke saw the almost black bruise on the rib. He gasped, realizing that his flailing form the night before had indeed caused damage.

He hissed and couldn't believe he'd done that. Had he really been so far gone? Yes, ha had been… and he hurt the one person he'd never want to.

Sitting up and wincing slightly, he examined his handiwork and cursed. For two reasons, one, that looking at this form above and in the light made it look twice as bad, and two, because Naruto looked goddamn sexy, with his pants riding very very low on his delectable hips.

He was hovering over him instantly, mindful of any stronger moves to avoid further pain. He kissed around the dark patch, hand reverently hovering over the bruised skin. His kisses were butterfly soft. He regretted those marks with his very being.

Naruto mumbled something in his sleep and twitched lightly, but he didn't wake up. Sasuke got up off the bed and walked into the bathroom, he looked around, finding cream that was supposed to help with healing. It was his, but he guessed right now, that didn't really matter; the pain in his side was a dull throb again, and as long as he could move he didn't want to drug himself up too much; god knows, he couldn't keep his temper in check when he was on them.

He popped into the kitchen, and after some hunting found some vinegar. He grabbed a bowl and filled it with warm water, and poured some of the sour substance into it. He brought that into the bedroom, mindful not to spill it on the floor, he propped it on the nigh table.

Back in the bathroom, he brought in bandages, hospital tape, cream and a small face cloth he fished out of one of the drawers. He sat himself sideways on the bed and with a sigh got to work. The images from last night flashed in front of his eyes like a movie as he worked. He dipped the rag in the lukewarm water and oh-so-gently traced it over the bruised, swollen skin. He knew form experience that the swelling and bruising would go down quickly after using it. And for once, he was glad that he was street smart, where wasting money on overpriced drugs was impossible.

Naruto winced slightly and Sasuke froze, he didn't want to wake him up but he had no way of judging how painful that was, so all he could do was proceeding with utmost caution. He turned around, and rinsing the cloth he let it hang on the side of the bowl. He wrinkled his nose at the distinct smell, it reminded him of what not long ago was his life.

He let the moist skin dry and popped open the cream, squirting a fair amount onto his fingers and gently applying it to the skin. He turned around to bring up the bandage when his hand was grabbed by the wrist. He looked up quickly to meet cerulean orbs, steadily watching him.

"Let me finish this." He mumbled, sounding stupid even to himself. He should have apologized, but that was somehow even stupider to him now.

Naruto let go, his arm falling very close to Sasuke's thigh. The raven ignored it, unrolling the gauze instead and folding it into four parts. He cut the bit off, and placed it over the evidence of his unleashed fury.

He drifted again, wondering how strong Naruto really was, because managing to hold him down was a feat yet unreached by anyone he knew. He also blamed his wounds, but was more glad that they prevented any further damage on his part.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Naruto poking his thigh with a finger until the blonde strengthened his attack. He looked at him again and saw the blonde smiling… well, smirking was a better way to put it, but there was warmth there that a simple jest didn't have.

He was halfway through cutting snippets of tape and applying them around the gauze, and he didn't remember doing any of it. He looked at his hands now, and hated himself for the strength he couldn't show.. not in a way Naruto could… The blonde built with strength, while all he knew how to do is destroy with it.

He had finished, and not knowing what to do with his empty hands, he ran a thumb beside the patch; Bending over to place a small kiss on that same place.

xXx

Naruto's eyes went wide at the very unmanly and submissive gesture from the raven. He would never in his life expect to wake up and see the raven hovering over his wound like a protective mother hen. He had tried very hard not to wake him, and to his credit, it wasn't his touches that woke him… It was that disgusting smell…

"what the hell smells in here?" he rasped out, looking around and trying to raise himself to his elbows to better see. A sharp pain on the side reminded him that movement wasn't something he had a right to exercise fully just yet, and he winced very slightly without realizing. Sasuke didn't miss a beat.

"Vinegar…" he mumbled again, "for the …swelling… it works really well on bruises and…swelling." Sasuke had never found something so hard to say before.

Naruto spotted the bowl and rag. "Oh." he sniffed at himself and grimaced.

He made to get up and Sasuke looked like he was about to say something. He lifted a brow and the raven gave up, sighing and looking away.

Naruto didn't know what to say, he didn't want to make it any more awkward than it was; but he didn't fancy having his ribs cracked either. He stood in front of him now, hands in pockets, dying to go grab a pain killer for the pain. But he needed to make the kit see.

"Thank you."

xXx

All Sasuke saw were the large, bare feet, as Naruto stoof in front of him. He didn't dare look up, guilt eating him alive more than ever. What he had done was impossible to forget. It wasn't a serious injury, he knew, but because he had done it for no reason to a person that switched his life around in a day.

When he heard the soft "thank you" he wanted to punch him again. He looked up, into Naruto's soft eyes, and all he could find the mind to say was; "are you an idiot?"

That took the blonde aback, he sure as hell wasn't expecting something like that coming his way. "I most likely cracked your ribs, caused you a concussion for no other reason that I was slightly out of it and miserable and you fucking thank me?"

"you fixed it."

"I covered it Naruto, you can hardly call it fixing… I covered up my shit and you thanked me for something you should trhow me out for." He glared at him now, fully and unafraid. Angry at the blonde's goodness and stupidity.

"I can't throw you out… you live here." Naruto said that about as nonchalantly and in such a way, as if he was explaining to a child that the sky is blue.

"Don't fucking do that Naruto… don't treat me like I'm someone who I'm not… because I don't fucking deserve it!" he was yelling now, up on his feet and ignoring the fucking pain in his side, which only egged his anger on. "Im no one, trash you hear me? I'm no one and you took me in, and tried to make me seem like someone but really, its like that band aid you have on there isn't it? I'm fucking broken, bruised and I am a very bad person Naruto… trust me when I tell you, you made a mistake taking me in." he couldn't stop himself, all his musings from that morning came rushing back in an avalanche of words; he couldn't stop himself.

"I'm exactly like that bruise on your chest you put a patch over me but I'm still good for nothing and I hurt you and you don't even know and I wont be able to do anything about it just like I can't now and… and…" He looked around for any idea to come, but it looked like the fountain had run dry.

Naruto was just standing there, unmoving and waiting for him to finish. He was observing him as if nothing in the world had happened. "The bruising will heal you know," he finally spoke, putting a palm to the patch… "Its been well taken care of and it wil heal, faster than you could even imagine." He smiled at the bewildered face Sasuke had on. "Im starving… let's eat ne?"

He walked out then, into the hall and a couple minutes later, Sasuke could hear him clattering around, starting to make breakfast. He shook his head, unable to believe how quickly the blonde decided to step out of the situation.

He followed him, and stopped at the entrance, crossing his arms and sighing in defeat. "What can I help with?" he caved in, walking up to Naruto and the counter, eyeing what he had taken out to prepare.

Naruto flashed him a brilliant smile, "get the coffee set."

AN: There ya go.. another pointless fluff chappie… Thanks a thousand fold for the reviews.. I don't answer all, but I do read them and mah heart goes out to ya all! ^.6