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Chapter 15: Anxiety

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Sasuke woke up feeling cold all of the sudden. With a slight jerk, he pushed his body forward, forcing himself awake.

"Sasuke...Stay..." The younger frowned and turned his head downwards, seeing a shivering form of his father. By the looks of it, his father has not been asleep for the night. Worry built up in the pit of his stomach. Immediately enveloping his father in a warm embrace, he whispered a small "Good Morning".

Not getting a reply, Sasuke found himself gazing on terrified blue eyes dotted with tired red veins marring the almost perfect beauty.

"Naruto?"

The older male seemed to have snapped out of his trance and flashed Sasuke as a cheerful grin.

"Oh! Sasuke! You're awake!" He jumped out of the bed enthusiastically. "Wait, I'll make you breakfast. Stay there!"

Once the door was closed and Naruto was gone, Sasuke's frown deepened. Naruto was unusually cheerful and pretentious today. Not to mention his voice seemed strained and shaky. Sasuke closed his eyes and played the entire event last night. All they did is give in to their passion and expressed their love in such a way that no words are needed. And he was certain that they welcomed the experience. He was sure that both of them wanted and yearned for each other.

He was at loss as to what to do. Has he been dreaming when he saw his father's cowering form beside him? If not, what other explanations can there be?

Determined to find out, he rose to his feet and crept downstairs and into the kitchen. What Sasuke saw pierced his heart and forced him to shed a tear.

There was his beloved Naruto, leaning on the sink and crying in sorrow. Slowly making his way towards his father, he placed a comforting hand on the other's right shoulder.

"Papa?" Naruto shook his head upon hearing his son's voice. Quickly wiping the tears away from his eyes, he broke away from Sasuke's touch and started to prepare their breakfast. Sasuke could only stare at his father's back and sighed. Figuring that his father would not speak to him in this moment, he made his way to the living room and entertained himself with television.

The hours seems to drag on agonizingly for both men. Isolated in their own different worlds, with each battling out their inner demons and self-erected walls of defense. But it was Naruto who brought them out of their solitude. Plastering a cheery smile on his face, he jumped in front of Sasuke and grabbed the remote from his hand.

"Now, now... I'm disappointed with you Sasuke. You should know that Televisions in the morning are bad for kids." Naruto broke the isolation that threatens to open Sasuke to his own destructive thoughts. The timing was perfect.

Touched by Naruto's cheeriness, although fake, Sasuke rose to his chair and licked Naruto's left cheek, who in turn blushed.

"Well, if you have just entertained me in bed this morning, I wouldn't find other source of entertainment. And with a growing "adult" like me, being denied of entertainment in the morning is very much boring, don't you think?"

Naruto stared at him, red tainting his cheeks and his tongue fighting with words, his mind on overdrive at the meaning that Sasuke's words carry. How dare the bastard talked about that when they went at it like dogs in heat last night!

"You—you... I... Oh forget it. Let's just eat breakfast." Naruto sighed in defeat and went to their dining room. Sasuke followed with an arrogant smirk on his face and seated himself across his father. The two ate in silence.

The two of them enjoyed the peace and silence. But unfortunately, they would find out that from here onwards, they can never really find true peace.

And this time, it was Sasuke who broke the peace.

Faking a cough, Sasuke drummed his spoon thrice on his plate, signifying he wants to say something. This seemed to get Naruto's attention as he stopped eating his beloved ramen.

"Sasuke?"

He was met with a serious look.

"Care to explain what's with the drama this morning? Eh? Dobe?"

Naruto was shocked. Sasuke's teasing face was immediately replaced with an annoyed and angered one.

"Drama? What are you talking about?" This statement only added fuel to the fire. Sasuke rose and slammed his palm on the table.

"Don't play dumb with me, usuratonkatchi! I woke up with you spacing out, then a fake cheerful attitude and finally I found you crying on the kitchen. Now you act like NOTHING has happened. What's with all this drama? You've never acted like this before and I, as your lover and son has the right to know why."

Sasuke stopped himself when he saw his father tensed. He knew he went a little bit too far. And knowing Naruto, his emotional self might just be too sensitive right now. Sasuke cursed himself as he saw Naruto sighed, bangs covering his eyes with a shadow.

After a brief pause, his father's shaky voice filled the silence.

"Gomen, Sasuke."

"Is that all you have to say?" Naruto stood up and left the room. However, Sasuke's hand stopped him.

"No, dobe. You're going to explain it to me and you're doing it now. Spit it out!" Sasuke shook Naruto's frame repeatedly in frustration. However, he was met with silence.

Patience running out, an unknown anger boiled up within him. Losing his self-control, he slammed Naruto on a nearby wall and pushed him up by the collar.

"Dobe... I'm warning you." His eyes flashed red in anger, which served to cause fear for his father.

Naruto shut his eyes, unused to the way Sasuke acted at the moment. Then he felt warm lips covered his own. It was the last of Sasuke's attempt to lose his anger. And for the moment it worked. Naruto let out a sigh when Sasuke dropped him.

"Sasuke... Please.... I want some time alone." Naruto begged, tears leaking out of his face.

Sasuke's look softened and his anger immediately vanish.

"Listen, Naruto. I cared about you. We are connected, as proven by what we did last night." His father blushed at that. "And that's the reason why I wanted to share whatever you have. Your smile, your happiness, your body-- and even your pains and sufferings."

Wrapping his father in a warm embrace, he draw circles on his father's back in a soothing manner. Placing Naruto on a sofa, he allowed his father to rest his head on his lap.

This action seemed to have lifted the hazy cloud that covered Naruto's vision ever since last night. Seeing things in a clearer way, he looked up to Sasuke and leaned in to the feel of Sasuke's smooth hand running across his hair.

"Sasuke? What happened?"

The other ceased all movement and tensed for a moment. But he visibly relaxed and resumed running his hand through Naruto's hair.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I shouldn't have done that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Errr... You mean you don't remember?" Sasuke shifted and leaned closer to his father. The older male simply shook his head and pulled Sasuke closer.

"Sasuke..."

"Hn???"

"Promise me that you would never leave me. Should we be separated, promise me you won't ever forget me. Can you do that?"

Sasuke frowned. What an odd request coming from his father. But seeing no harm in it, he shrugged his shoulder and pulled Naruto to his lap, embracing him from behind.

Whispering to his father's ear, he smiled and tighten his hold.

"Of course, Naruto. I would never forget you."

"Thank you Sasuke."

"Hn. As long as you would promise the same for me, too." Sasuke smirked as he felt the other pouted.

"No fair. It wasn't conditional."

"Just do it, papa." Naruto's pout transformed to a grin and nodded as he leaned his head back to his son's chest.

"I promise, Sasu-chan."

Hearing a growl from behind him, Naruto sweat-dropped and looked behind him.

"Dobe. Now let's go back to bed."

"Bastard. I'm not sleepy. Hey! Are you listening to me?"

Sasuke smirked as he carried his father back to his bedroom.

"Sleep, Naruto. You need it."

"Bastard!" But despite the sharpness of his voice, Naruto has no intent to fight as he felt his eyelids getting heavy, slowly the land of dreams and sleepiness pulling him into a restful sleep.

Sasuke grinned as he felt his beloved father's even breathing. Not wanting to disturb his father, he slowly laid himself beside his father. He was about to pull their blankets, a soft beeping was heard from his right.

Turning abruptly at the source of noise, he saw his father's laptop. Not wanting to disturb his resting father, he opened the laptop himself. He thought that he would relay the message to his father once he's awake. After all, they gave themselves to each other last night and has become one. No secrets would ever destroy their relationship now.

But as he opened the lid and read upon the newly received e-mail, he almost dropped the laptop. Color draining from his face, he quickly closed the laptop and went back to his father, holding the man in the tightest embrace he could muster. He was afraid that even for just a moment, he and his father would come to separate.

And faintly, Naruto's voice keeps echoing in his troubled mind.

"And if ever we are separated, promise me you'll never forget me."

Shuddering at the thought, he leaned closer to his father, and buried his face into the man's neck.

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To be continued....

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