Chapter 10 Enjoy :)

Making Itachi calm down had taken a while. Telling the whole story had taken even longer. In the end Itachi decided not to report or kill him. They were brothers after all. He did hit him a couple of times before he left though.

Telling someone else had been hard. It was good to finally get it out, but it forced him to remember and go through everything that happened again. Remembering the good days was a bitter sweet experience.

Itachi had left an hour ago and Sasuke was now standing in the doorway to the guestroom.

I'm never going to be able to forget you, am I?

Admitting this to himself made some pieces inside him fall into place. There was just no way he could forget the blonde boy. If he had to be honest with himself he didn't want to either. The months with him had been some of the happiest in his grown up life. He just wished they could have lasted. He felt a burning longing inside of him, as embers lying dormant for very long, but still just as heated if not more. Though they had not been together, time had matured his feelings for Naruto. Now he allowed himself to see them for what they were. Not a silly little crush or an attraction. No, they were so much more.

But he is just a kid. There's still four months till he's eighteen-

All thought stopped. Four months? How long had it been since he left him at the foster home? He counted on his fingers. A year and ten months.

Maybe?

Maybe it was time to get some closure.

- Four months later -

"Sasuke are you all right?"

"Huh? Yes of course Neji. Why do you ask?"

"Your tie is knotted wrong and you've been fidgeting for last thirty minutes." Neji said with a deadpan voice.

"Oh, it is, sorry." He untied and tied it again, not noticing that he made the same mistake. "Sorry, but what were we discussing?"

"If you are too distracted to focus on your work, you should take a day off." Neji snapped. Just because they had become friends it didn't mean Neji acted any less professional than before. He expected the same of Sasuke and had thought Sasuke would get out of gaga-land if he said something.

To his surprise the dark haired male got up and left.

"Yes, you're right I should go home…" he muttered as he opened the door.

What the..? They were in the middle of a meeting; he couldn't just leave like that. Neji sighed and let it go. No point in dragging him back when he was so out of it.

It was the tenth of October. Naruto's birthday. The day he would turn eighteen. Since society now deemed the young man fit to make his own decisions, Sasuke had decided to do so as well. So he was going to visit him. Today.

Damn. Shit. Fuck.

He had a tendency to curse when nervous.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, what am I going to do? This is the worst idea ever. What am I going to say to him? Will he be mad? Or maybe he doesn't care much anymore?

I was just one of many to leave him behind. Fuck, that only makes it so much worse. He believed in me, I can't imagine how much it must have taken him to do so.

No, he probably got over me. Maybe he has forgiven me? He might even be a little happy to see me?

That last thought was crushed before it could spiral out of control. There was no need to get his hopes up.

He looked at the neatly wrapped present on the backseat as he got into the car. He was giving Naruto a phone since he wanted it to be something the boy might want to keep, even if his feelings towards Sasuke were less than pleasant. It was with a prepaid service plan for the next year. A gift too expensive to be thrown away, by a boy who had nothing. Or at least Sasuke hoped that was the case.

He got into the car, but it took some time before he turned the engine on. He was nervous to a point of numbness and he felt physically ill. How often hadn't he imagined doing just this? Driving to the foster home, where Naruto would be waiting for him. The blonde would sneak into his car, and they would drive off without ever looking back.

Two years. He had been a shadow of his former self for two whole years. Was he a coward for not visiting Naruto until this very last moment? Probably. Should he have acted differently? Maybe. Maybe not. He wished he knew.

He got the car in gear and left the parking lot. The drive there seemed much shorter than the other two times he had been there. Though it had been a long time ago he clearly remembered the route. He had dreamed of driving to the foster home, but the dream had ended before he got there. It had been a reoccurring dream, but he never made it all the way to the foster home. He always woke up with his heart pounding in his chest alone in his bed.

He passed the Konoha city sign. Then he drove into the forested area and at last arrived at that damned parking lot. He turned the engine off, but didn't make a move to get out. He tried breathing deeply, counting to ten, finding his 'happy place' and all that other crap.

None of it could calm him down.

His breathing was shallow and quick.

Oh God, don't let me have a panic attack and faint like that freshman in high school…

His hands clenched and unclenched around the steering wheel. He could hear the faint 'thump, thump' of blood being pumped through his veins. Giving up on calming himself he opened the door and went out.

I'm here earlier than planned. Maybe he's not even back from school yet. I wonder if Iruka will mind-

His thoughts swirled around in his mind. He tried to concern himself with all the small worries that could be done something about. Not the big ones that were out of his hands.

He walked along the hedge and through the entrance gate in a trance. When the big building got into view he swallowed with difficulty. He kept walking until he was right in front of the door. Then he stared at the doorbell as if it was some kind of mystery.

A doorbell. It was such a homely thing, not something that fit in with his image of a foster home. Then he pressed it with shaking hands. He heard feet running towards the door from inside, and braced himself. He startled when the door was torn wide open.

A brown haired boy in his early teens stood in the door opening looking at him with curious eyes. He was given a once over and then the boy said with surprise:

"You're not the plumber."

"What? No, I'm not." He answered confused. "I'm here to see Naruto. Do you know wer-"

"Oh, the boss!" The boy said with a huge smile on his face. "Sure thing." The boy turned around and yelled up the stairs; "Naruto! NARUTO!"

"What is it Konohamaru?" A very, very familiar voiced yelled back and sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. It was deeper, but he recognized it.

Oh God, I can't. It's been so long.

It hurt and pulled at him, and his heart wanted to leap up those stairs, but his legs wouldn't budge. He was shocked about, just how much of an effect it had on him to hear the blonde's voice again.

"There's someone here to see you!"

"What?! Who?"

Konohamaru sent him a quick glance and yelled back. "Office guy in a suit."

Office guy?! I'm not some stranger you little shit! He knows me! Fuck I should have introduced myself-

"Oh! Let him in, he must be a social worker." Then loud thumps were heard as Naruto ran down the stairs. When he came into view Sasuke's heart went into his throat.

"He's here to make sure tha-" The blonde stopped dead in his tracks halfway down and gaped. His hand gripped onto the stair railing tight enough to make his knuckles white and his eyes were comically wide.

"Naruto." Sasuke tried to smile, but his lips trembled. "I'm sorry that it's been so long, I just wanted to-"

He never got to finish his sentence, because the now full grown Naruto, stormed down the remaining steps and slammed right into him. He was held so tightly that it was impossible to breathe. Naruto buried his head in Sasuke neck breathed in sharply. Sasuke felt hands dig into his back, and brought his own arms around Naruto holding tightly.

He felt nothing but the warm body clinging to him for dear life. In that moment there was happiness so intense it was painful. This was how it should be. It was right.

I'm never letting you go again. Never. I promise Naruto.

Naruto tried to silence small choked sobs by pressing his face to Sasuke's chest.

"It's all right." Sasuke whispered. "I'm sorry Naruto, I'm so sorry. I won't leave again."

At his words Naruto came back to his senses and pulled slightly away from him. Blue tear filled eyes stared at him for a moment. Then he felt a sharp pain in his right foot. "You left!" It was Naruto who stomped on it forcefully. "You goddamned bastard! Leaving me here, deciding everything On. Your. Own."

Each word was punctuated with a hit to his chest. Naruto held onto him, but kept hitting and cursing at him at the same time, while anger replaced the momentary shock and happiness. Sasuke felt a sense of vertigo and quickly came to the realization, that no, he had not been forgiven. Quite the contrary.

"What in the world is this ruckus going on out here!" A male voice yelled from another room and Iruka stormed in. "Naruto! What are you doing?!"

Iruka hurried over and tried to pull Naruto off Sasuke. A flicker of panic showed in the blue eyes and Naruto stopped hitting and clung onto Sasuke with all his strength instead. Confused but somewhat pleased at the change Sasuke brought his own arms around Naruto and held him. It reminded him a little too much of how they had parted ways, to be comfortable.

"No! don't you dare do this again!"

"I won't! I promise I won't, relax Naruto!"

Iruka stepped back, to give them some space and Naruto seemed to relax a little though he still had a death grip around his waist.

"I didn't come here today, just to up and leave again."

"Then why are you here? I thought- I dunno what I thought. But you didn't even come to see me. I was so sure that…" Naruto trailed off and hiccupped lightly again.

It tore at his heartstrings to see Naruto so upset, but he decided to dwell in happiness for another moment. Forgiven he may not be, but missed that was for sure.

But what had he come here for? He wanted closure, but expected to see Naruto living life just fine without him and most likely angry or indifferent towards him. Now a whole series of new possibilities opened up.

"I guess… I just wanted to see how you were doing. Wish you happy birthday. Say hi."

Naruto sniffled one last time and slowly loosened his grip. He kept a hold on Sasuke's shirt, as if to prevent him from running away. He blinked a few times with glassy eyes, looking a bit confused.

"You were just going to say hi? And then what?"

"Uhh well, I didn't really think that you would…" he made an unsure motion with his hands. "I wasn't sure you'd be happy to see me."

Naruto's eyes widened a little. "Oh."

Iruka cleared his throat next to them. "Do you want to continue this in my office?"

They suddenly became aware of not only Iruka and Konohamaru staring at them, but also about ten kids looking down from the stairs and peeking from the room next door. They both blushed and Naruto took his hand and let him through another door not occupied by curious bystanders.

Iruka followed and closed the door behind them. The foster care worker tried to look stern for a moment, but couldn't help smiling. Naruto might be loud and boisterous at times, but after Sasuke had left him at the foster home, Iruka had never seen him cry again. To see the youth express so much emotion again… He had no doubt about how much the raven haired man meant to him.

"Why don't I leave the two of you here for a few minutes so you can sort it out between you? I'm sure you have a lot to talk about after so long."

"Thank you Iruka."

The door closed with a click and they were left alone in the room. Together again after two long years. For a moment neither of them said anything, they simply looked at each other. Naruto had grown and was the same height as Sasuke now. His shoulders were wider, his jaw more square and the muscles on his bare arms more defined than before.

"You've grown up."

"Yeah, I guess I have." Naruto looked a little embarrassed at the comment as if not comfortable in his own skin yet. "You haven't changed much though."

"No I guess not."

Silence settled between them again. Questions were hanging in the air, but neither wanted to voice them out loud. They had been apart for so long and it would take more than a warm welcome to get them back where they left it off. There were so many things they both wanted to know, but were to start?

Why did you leave Sasuke?

Why didn't you visit me?

Why are you really here now?

What is going to happen?

Can we go back..?

It became decidedly awkward until Sasuke forced himself to break the silence with one of the 'safe' questions.

"So, what are you going to do, now that you're an adult?"

"Well Iruka says that I should finish high school, but I was thinking about getting a job."

"What kind of job?"

"Dunno. Construction work or some other manual labor, if I can't get anything else. It pays pretty well. I've also been trying to find a place to get an apprenticeship as a mechanic, but haven't got any luck so far." He shrugged and fidgeted.

Sasuke nodded. He was in no position to say anything about the boy's choices. He had given away that privilege a long time ago, if he had ever had it. He asked another less safe question;

"Where are you going to stay?"

"You know the apartment complex behind the old Town Market?"

You mean the ghetto-like place in the worst part of town? Of course I know where it is, it's exactly where I would want you to be the least.

He couldn't help but cringe at the thought. Staying at the foster home or not, Naruto was still an orphan with no one to help him in life.

"Yes, I know that place."

"It's not that far, from where you work. Maybe… If you would be okay with it… I could come and eat lunch with you again some time?"

It was so horrible formal that both of them felt the urge to cringe. They had never been like this towards each other before; their relationship had been relaxed at most times, and only awkward at the end. Formal? No, just no. Sasuke was a little sad that Naruto felt he had to be careful around him now.

"You can have lunch with me any time Naruto. I know it's been a long time and that I wasn't really fair to you in the end… but I really hope that we can... I don't know, meet some times." He shrugged feeling unsure of what to say. "I missed you, you know."

Naruto swallowed heavily and looked down at his feet. "Yeah, well, I was kinda pissed off at you to be honest." He laughed nervously.

"Nothing new there. I think the two of us are pretty good at getting at each others' nerves. bBut I definitely deserved it this time around." Sasuke said with a smile, feeling how they slowly got back to their usual banter. He put his hands in his pockets and pulled them out again. It was hard to keep still, when all he wanted to do was to bring the young man back in his arms.

"I was actually about to pack all my stuff, when you came…"

"Oh."

"Yeah I should probably get it done; I need to clean up and be outta here by five." The blonde began walking towards the door. "Iruka is going to be back any minute no-"

Sasuke grabbed a hold of his arm. He had learned the hard way that always waiting for the next opportunity wasn't always the wisest choice.

"Naruto." Their eyes met and Sasuke saw how Naruto inhaled sharply. "You can always come and stay with me again."

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but Sasuke nervously kept talking; "Only if you want to of course, I'm not implying that you can't take care of yourself or anything like that. Even if it's just for a short time, until you find a place to work or-"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Sasuke let go of him as if burned. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay. Sorry, I don't know why I'd assume-"

"Sasuke." Naruto stopped him from going into another rant. "I was mad at you. But only for a while."

Naruto let his fingers run through his blonde hair and his gaze fell to the ground again.

"I- I missed you too, you know. If we started living together just like that … You already made it clear that you didn't want it to be that way between us and I can't promise I wouldn't want…" His cheeks heated. "I can't promise that I wouldn't want… more."

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Chapter 11 and half of chapter 12 is already written, but before I can continue writing there's something I need to know. Will anyone object to this story going from T-rated to M?

I don't know if I should just let things go their way, or blank out some of it, and write a short sequel instead.

?