When He's Scared, Protect Him.

Lightning danced across the sky of Konoha later followed by a roar of thunder as the rain pelted against the ground and anything in its way. The villagers and animals of Konoha long ago retreated to their shelters hoping to escape what was soon to come. Shops and restuarants closed early for the owners knew nobody would be foolish enough to come out in this weather.

Except one.

A tall, dark figure bulted across the rooftops, leaping over signs and ducking below trees that were too low. The harsh wind, bringing with it leaves and other pieces of debri, blew into the figure's face, making him lose his footing. Thinking quickly, he took out his kunia, stuck it into the rooftop, and swung his body around, regaining his footing, never once losing his momentum. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching his destination, especially not a stupid breeze and some weak twigs. Squinting his eyes, the figure realized he was getting closer to the end of his long journey as the large building came into his view.

The Uchiha Manor.

Jumping into the tree that shadowed the Manor, the figure skillfully opened the window. Not that he forgot his keys to go through the front door, he just didn't feel like fumbling in the dark to find the damn key hole. Silently he slipped into the room, taking notice that this was...used to be his parents room. Careful not to disturb any of the articles that once belonged to his parents, the raven quickly left the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

Upon entering the hallway, Sasuke, by instinct reached out for the nearest light switch. Learning quickly that the power was out, he made his way into the kitchen. Out of pure memorization of the blueprint of his household, he turned the corners and flew down the stairs expertly toward the kitchen, never once bumping into or falling over any objects. Opening the draw and rumaging through it, he found a candle and a match box, he set the long thin candle on counter. After making sure the candle found its balance, he gracefully swipt the match on the designated area, making the match's flamable side come to life. After coal black eyes narrowed so that they may get accustomed to the new source of light, he lit the candle. Rapidly waving his right hand to put out the flame of the match, he then ran it under water to make sure it was out.

Grabbing the candle off the counter, he looked around the kitchen to make sure nothing was out of place. A small smile came across his face as the remembered the events that took place in this kitchen with his lover. Now that he thinks about it..

Where was Naruto?

Leaving his sandles in the kitchen, he went in search of the blonde. Judging by how dark and how tired he was, it had to be around midnight. Not that Naruto shouldn't be asleep at this hour, its just that no matter how late, or early Sasuke would come home from a mission, his blond would always be the first one that blurred his vision. Countless times, Sasuke would tell him not to wait up for him, but Naruto refused to listen. Once the dobe stayed up so late, that the moment Sasuke walked through the door and Naruto had arms were around him, the idiot collapsed in his arms, dead tired with a small smile plastered on his face. No matter what, he'd always be there to greet Sasuke on his arrival back at home. So what makes tonight any different?

Going back up the stairs, Sasuke went toward the bedroom that he and Naruto shared. Walking into the bedroom, Sasuke didn't see anything out of place...which immediately put him on alert. Everything was were it would be, but nothing is were it should be. The sheets should have at least looked like somebody had been in them. Maybe Naruto was on a mission? No, because he would have left a note of some sort. And plus Naruto's ANBU fox mask was still hanging on the door handle were it would be, but it should be hanging on the hook in the closet were Naruto didn't have to look at it. The bedroom was too clean, nothing of his or Naruto's was on the floor, where the dobe should have forgotten it there.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, something was wrong. Very wrong. Taking a kunai from the pouch on his right leg, he carefully took in his surroundings. Where was Naruto? Did he go over to Iruka and Kakashi-sensai's house? Was he with Tsunade-sama? Did he go out and get ramen? No, not even Naruto was that stupid. Sasuke's racing thoughts were interrupted when he heard a small noise come from the bathroom. The grip on his weapon tightened as he made his way toward the bathroom door. Twisting the knob slowly to not make any sort of noise, Sasuke opened the door to see what was inside. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary..

Thunder Roared

Thats when he heard it again.

Sniffling, crying, sobbing. The weapon in Sasuke's hand dropped to the floor as he raced to the edge of the bathtub and his eyes grew wide with shock. There in the tub curled in a small ball was his dobe, his blonde, his lover, his Naruto. The blonde was shaking violently with his hands over his ears and tears seaping out of his tightly closed eyes. Sasuke didn't know what to say or do. What happened? Was he attacked? The raven growled. If Naruto was attacked, there will be hell to pay. Sasuke looked his blonde over, he didn't see any blood or bruisings. But he couldn't see the crying blonde's entire body.

Placing the candle on edge of the sink, Sasuke bent down to gently put one arm under Narutos legs and the other to support his back. Easily lifting Naruto out of the tub, he instantly getting worried that the blonde didn't even acknowledge his pressence. He was still shaking violently, crying, and had his tanned hands over sensitvie ears. Turning around and grabbing the candle, careful not to burn his precious blonde, he made his way back to the bedroom. He hissed when some of the hot wax dribbled down his hand, but quickly shook it off, his hand was not the problem, Naruto was.

After setting the candle down in the candle holder that was on perched on the nightstand, he gently placed the blonde on the bed, who immediately curled back up into a ball. Never had Sasuke seen Naruto look this vanuable, this fragile. Did his blonde not know that he was here? Checking again, Sasuke looked the blonde over, making sure to check every part of his flawless sun-kissed tanned skin for any sort of bleeding or bruises of the sort. Lifting up Naruto's shirt to check to see if the seal was the one that was causing Naruto's misery. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Sasuke reached out to crying blonde.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said, gently trying to call out to the boy. No answer. His lover continued sobbing and shaking. Sasuke did not understand. Not knowing what else to do, he gently grabbed Naruto's hands calling out to him again. Naruto feeling his hands being pulled away, instantly tried to bring them back to cover his ears, but Sasuke held a firm grip. Lightning flashed outsite lighting the entire room, and soon a loud roar of thunder echoed, shaking the house. Suddenly Naruto started thrashing around, kicking his legs, and throwing his head back. Soft whimpers escaped from his lips. Realization quickly dawned upon the Uchiha. Naruto was scared! No, scared was an understatement.

Naruto was terrified.

But of what? Quickly trying to calm down his petrified lover before he hurt somebody or himself, Sasuke laid himself over Naruto, pinning his struggling arms between both of their bodies and trapping Naruto's flailing legs under his. Sasuke made a face as he realized that his clothes were still soaked from the rain. His clothes clung to him like a second skin. Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasuke looked down at the blonde he was currently trying to sadate. Naruto was panting heavily trying to regain control of his breathing. Red tinting his cheeks. Ocean blue met coal black.

"Sas-sa-Sasuke..?" Naruto studdered, obviously shocked that that raven was on top of him, forcefully holding him down. Slowly Sasuke let go of Naruto's hands, but did not remove his body from his. Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes, it was still evident that he was scared, but it seemed that he had calmed down. Even is it was just a little. Sasuke brought is hand up to gently stroke Naruto's whiskered cheek and softly kissed his lips; his way of telling that he was really there. Lean arms flew tightly around the raven's neck smashing him against the smaller body below him. He could hear shaky jumbled words of what sounded like his name. Seeing that there was no other option, Sasuke just let Naruto cry. Shifting so he could lay down beside his paranoid lover, Sasuke wrapped both arms around his lover's smaller frame pulling closer to his slightly bigger body. Sasuke then brought his hand hand up to caress through Naruto's golden spikes, soothing him. It wasn't before long that Naruto's breathing had evened out. Curious, Sasuke looked down at his golden lover. He was slightly surprised to find him asleep. His cheeks held a light pink tint to them and his eyes were a little puffy, evidence of what happended only moments before.

After holding Naruto a little while longer, he decided that he needed to get out of his wet clothing before he caught something. Ever so carefully, he slowly untangled himself with Naruto. He then draped the orange and black stiped comforter(1) over the sleeping form, before going off for a hot shower. Not before he took one last look at the figure sleeping in the king sized bed. He then preceded to step into the bathroom for his very well needed hot shower.

Sasuke didn't take long in the shower for the fear that Naruto would wake up and not see him, thus having another spazz attack. Turning toward his dresser, he quickly got dressed in a navy blue tank and some lose fitting gray sweat pants. When he was finished with his task he crawled back into the bed close to Naruto wrapping his arms back around his dobe closing his eyes.

"...Sasuke?" Naruto's quiet whisper broke through the night. As a reflex, he tightened his grip on Naruto.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Sasuke said with his eyes still closed.

"No, I'm just glad you're home." Naruto said snuggling even closer to Sasuke's natural body heat. Then all was quiet, except for the small breathing sounds Naruto was emitting.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said, opening his eyes and looking down at Naruto, breaking the silence. "What happended to you back there? I was at a loss what to do..or what to say. I was worried that I couldn't reach you." It was the truth, he was worried. He'd never seen Naruto in a position like that, looking so...broken. Like all hope was gone. He felt Naruto tense within his arms as if his blond could read his thoughts. He instantly ran a sooting hand down his back to calm him.

"Sorry about that Sasuke." Naruto started. "It's just that, when I was young, at the orphanage and all through my childhood, I never had anybody to tell me that a storm was...you know, just a storm. There was nobody to tell me that it wasn't going to hurt me or try to take me away." He drew in a quick shakey breath, his hand around the fabric of Sasuke's shirt tightened. "Sasuke, it was terrifying."

Sasuke silenced Naruto from saying anything else by mashing him more into his body. "Oh Naruto.." Sometimes, Sasuke forgots that Naruto was an orphan. He, himself was an orphan too, but not from birth. He had had parents, a family, it wasn't as long as he wanted but he had enjoyed the pleasures of having one. He remembered his Mother's loving touch and his Father's stern voice. Even Itachi's smile. All of that was gone now, but nether the less, he still remembered. Naruto, on the other hand never experienced any of that. He never had a Mother to soothe him, to kiss his scraped knees after a day in the park or to sing him sleep. He spended his first stages of life in an orphanage where his caregivers(2) didn't give a damn about him. They probably just laughed when he was scared of the thunder and lightning. Sasuke involuntaryly let out a low, dangerous growl.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice snapped out of Sasuke's nonexistant flashback. "I'm sorry, you think it's silly for me to still be afraid of that, huh?"

"No. It's something that was out of your hands, Naruto and I understand that." Sasuke said. "I just wish I would have returned home sooner, I had known that was how you felt." Naruto was about to interrupt him. "Shh, Naruto. It's ok. I don't ever want you to feel helpless like that again. As long as I am living, I will protect you, that includes big scary storms." He received a half-hearted jab in the ribs from Naruto with a whispered, "Bastard."

Sasuke smiled at his lover. "I love you too." He then placed a soft kiss on Naruto's forehead. "Now, it's time to sleep. You and I both need it since we have been awake all night." Sasuke tightened his hold around Naruto ready to close his tired eyes..

"Sasuke...?"

"Yes." Was a tired reply

"Thank you." A small smile was spread across the two faces. Then both drifted off to an effortless sleep.

And it continued to rain.

Oh meh gosh!

I am so very, very, very sorry! I fell bad for abondoning my story like that. Its just that so much stuff has happened over these past hundred months! _

In all honesty, I wrote this like in September...I think. I wrote it right before Hurricane Ike hit Texas. (Which left me without power for two terrible weeks.) But I just had to edit a lot of unneeded stuffs out because I rewrote the conclusion like twenty million times! And it got me like uber fustrated to I left it alone...for months... _

Well now I'm back! Oh check yes!

As for this chapter, I was afraid that Naruto turned out too girly, but then I just threw it out the window. (1) I thought it was a very cute compromise with the orange and black comforter. Took me forever to spell that word right (2) Did anybody ever wonder why "Caregiver" and "Caretaker" mean the same thing? Or maybe it's just me.

Important Notice: I noticed that I got lots of people who added this story to their favorites/story alerts. With that said, I would love for you guys to leave a review too, you know? I got like 20 favorites alerts and only 4 reviews. I would be oh so very helpful to leave reviews to let me know what I can improve or like major typos and whatnot. So please R&R

By the way! I'd like to thank my lovely Beta, Faydora! She's amazingly amazing!! Love you Faydora.