Um all I can say is that its taking me a while to upload other stuff since I'm rewriting Be Kinder, I was debating whether to finish the rest of this story in one chapter but chose not to since I would have rushed things, which would result in a story that progresses unrealistically. I am planning to update this story more often since its reaching the turning point.


Fear.

Death.

Bird.

Shadow.


The silence of the whole house seemed off, to Naruto it seemed to echoe emptiness. No one was there except for Sasuke and him.

It was lonely and dark.

Even when both Iruka and Kakashi are absent in their house, the was still very lively despite the lack of attendance.

Birds seemed to enjoy nestling close to Naruto's house, Pakkun was always needy for attention by nudging Naruto, sunlight would leak in, the soft laughter and screaming of reckless children would be audible from the open windows; even at night the crickets would be lovingly sharing their tunes with the moon.

To Naruto, Sasuke's house was a good reflection of silence and isolation. Naruto was used to lively noises, so the house he stepped into seem so dull in comparison. So lonely.

It made Naruto strangely uneasy being in such a gloomy atmosphere, it seemed almost familiar in a way.

Occasionally Naruto would hear someone whisper "Don't abandon me." Whenever Naruto found himself uncomfortable to how quiet and sullen the whole house was.


When the soft crying ended in the showers, Naruto delicately dried off Sasuke with a towel (though he was extremely hesitant because he wasn't sure what a human usually does with a naked person) needless to say, he wasn't used to taking care of humans and tucked the unconscious Sasuke to bed after clothing him, leaving Naruto to his thoughts as he took a chair to place it across from Sasuke.

Naruto wondered if Itachi was actually bitter about the accident, to Naruto he understood Sasuke's regret on a rational level, but surely he knows Itachi must be worried about him. They were each other's only family left.

But what did Naruto know about family anyway? His eyebrows furrowed when he remembered "…you can't ever become a human."

That's true, Sasuke might have been angry at the time when he spat those burning words, but they were the truth.

No matter what shape Naruto could take, clothes he wears, and mannerisms he displays, it's the cold hard truth he will always be a metal machine shaped and programmed to imitate humans.

Those words were the first to ever succeed in causing such turmoil inside him.

There was nothing of him that was human, his appearance was also a artificial projection.

Naruto was born from fire and metal. That just wasn't human.

Even though he had gotten this far, gaining a human body was the impossible step.

Then he began to trail to the fact that time would decompose a human body in what would seem like a lifetime to a mortal, to Naruto it would seem like a mere passing day.

Images of Kakashi and Iruka dead mixed into his thought process. He stopped thinking about it immediately. Suddenly he didn't want to think about death anymore.

But now he understood, if only a little; When Naruto spoke of Gai in such a blunt manner, it must have recalled unpleasant memories of Sasuke's parents. That was possibly why Sasuke had switched his attitude so quickly, he was upset.

The new found understanding of human nature, fascinated Naruto; he found that humans were so complex because of their entanglement of one another. Emotions were the core of every word and action when it came from humans.

Although Sasuke was distant and often appeared to be stone cold, the reality was that his heart was emotionally sensitive, which resulted in blocking others from getting close to his heart, pushing away any affection from outsiders.

Such complexity was compelling to Naruto. But the fascination quickly turned to an unreachable dream. Naruto was created to mimick humans, but there was a fine line he could never cross; becoming human was the impossible. Humans were made up of the same materials, but each a very different mammal in numerous ways, while a machine is the same as the next, nothing unique, nothing important.

He was only artificial .

"…you're not worth a thing."

"Am I really worth nothing…?" Naruto found himself asking, pondering the words of Sasuke; Naruto recalled that moment, his response was out of impulse, as if he was angry, the words had escaped his mouth before he could control the tone and emotion, expressing frustration, as if he was capable of such a thing. He purposely lashed back at Sasuke, but he didn't understand why or how he could have lashed at someone, to develop such a thing as a temper.

Perhaps his programming was in need of a fix and an update, otherwise, all of it would mean that he- "I didn't mean it." A tired voice mumbled, a shade more withdrawn than usual.

Naruto turned his head to Sasuke, his eyes open, revealing evening black eyes with specks of regret in them.

"...What I said earlier today." His eyes glancing to the side, away from Naruto, dark eyes contained shame.

Naruto could only offer a thoughtful stare with silence as a reply. Sasuke never usually apologized, he was always so quiet and prideful, but this was new.

A low rumble from the thunder interrupted the peace, as if the sky was growling in objection to this silence.

The only time a prideful person would admit their fault is when they realize they might lose everything if they didn't become honest.

From Naruto could tell, it seemed that Naruto was the only thing Sasuke had left the way Sasuke reacted to the risk of Naruto leaving; the threat of losing him created a sense of desperation.

Pain. Sasuke was frightened of pain, and that fear was what made him choose loneliness over the option of human company.

Naruto's fingers became unsteady till he gripped the edge of his shirt to calm his hands. Somehow Naruto wanted to apologize. Not just for his words, but also for the hardships Sasuke must have gone through growing up. Someone needed to apologize.

Somehow the idea of Sasuke suffering for all these years made Naruto experience discomfort in his chest like before, only it was tight and it was difficult to speak.

"I'm also sorry." Naruto finally said, beginning to take action in hopes of repairing any fresh damage in their relationship. No more pointless suffering, enough was enough.

"I said something that must have upset you. I realize this, and I wanted to apologize." Said Naruto in a soft huff, blue eyes filled with anxiety when they glanced up to meet Sasuke's complex dark ones.

"To apologize…" Sasuke repeated, thinking carefully to Naruto's words, wondering if Naruto comprehended that he had stated he 'wanted' to do something out of desire and not out of logical information.

Do machines have the capacity to desire? Or do humans simply lack the capability to accept something they don't understand?

Naruto nodded in patience, waiting for Sasuke to give an answer.

However the neutral expression of Sasuke's face made it difficult to react appropriately for Naruto.

Do something. Anything. Naruto encouraged in his thoughts, wanting the tense air to loosen up.

Sasuke's shoulders relaxed once Naruto nodded, his eyes was an abyss of conflict and slowly softened into a serene polished texture as he settled back to a calm mindset; he was baffled how the mere presence of Naruto lifted any negative motions inside him, filling it with a tingling burn in his chest and fingers that drew out bursts of emotions contrasted to being sent spiraling down a hole of heavy emotions.

"I was never mad at you." Sasuke replied, his roundabout way of accepting Naruto's sincere apology. Luckily Naruto didn't miss the tone of forgiveness in Sasuke's absence of sound created a stiff air, something was still off. Boldly, Naruto decided to ask Sasuke a personal question, in hopes of settling a stronger foundation of their friendship.

"What were your parents like?" Naruto asked with blunt force, surprised at himself for his abruptness. Thinking back on it now, was kissing on the lips an action you participated with friends? If it wasn't, what would that make him and Sasuke? Friends? Close friends?

...Lovers? Platonic ones?

Sasuke's eyes widened and switched to meet Naruto's face, his eyes darting around Naruto's face before he began to tense, his eyes freezing as he withdrew himself away from Naruto. He wasn't prepared to enter that area of personal information, nor would he ever be willing to share it.

Thunder cackled above them, the ceiling rumbling in response.

Lightning followed the sounds by flashing moments of bright light in the clouds, glowing for brief second.

Sasuke opened his mouth to reject the golden blond's question until Naruto added "Never mind. Don't force yourself to answer."

The android was no idiot, Sasuke's jaw clenched, his eyes became hard, and his body language became cautious; Naruto had stepped on another sensitive area.

Quickly he tried to ease the mood by adding reason to his earlier question, to prevent a possible argument to ensue, he never meant to be nosy.

"You see, humans require and adult figure to properly learn since humans can't make the correct decisions until their frontal lobes develop when they are twenty. I simply want to hear what it's like to have two parents to learn from, to..." Naruto hesitated before continuing, the blank stare of Sasuke's made him hesitate. Was this anxiety?

"Be human." He finished, his eyes staring deep into Sasuke's.

It dawned on Sasuke that Naruto never meant to offend him, that Naruto was only trying to learn, always trying to better himself to prevent any future mistakes. So he swallowed any bitterness that rose to the tip of his tongue that was waiting to escape in the form of hurtful words, he brought back his hardened expression to give him a sense of control as he would answer Naruto's question.

"My mother was like any other mom. She was sweet, patient, and well mannered." Sasuke softly explained, his voice mildly happy from the nostalgia.

"Rather pretty, she never raised her voice unless she was serious or severely angry. When I was little, I'd always cry when she scolded me, but I always knew she wanted the best for me."

By now Sasuke felt the bitterness begin to claw up his stomach when he began to think of his father, but slowly faded into a slight ache in his chest.

"My father was a different story, he was… harsh, cold-cut, and distant…" His fingers clenched, his father was always strict and harsh, but he was a good father. Sasuke just wished he could have told him before he died.

"Only he did have his warm side that revealed itself once in a while, like on someone's birthday, a wedding, and when both me and my brother graduated into high school." A tight smile pulled its way to Sasuke's lips, though small, Naruto saw it as a sign of regret. Regret for never appreciating what he had until he lost it, his father loved him, but he was too naive and selfish to even recognize that.

"They were good parents, at the time I believed they always saw my brother first before me, but I now I've realized that they loved both of us."

Although the dark feeling in his intestines stopped, he nearly shook from remembering the feeling when he was told that his parents were gone for good.

It had been less than five minutes since he started, but his sentences made his body feel worn out like a withered plant even though he was resting in bed, it was likely the incident in the shower played a role in his fatigued state; which he was thankful it was Naruto that settled him in bed. Naruto would never call Sasuke weak. Because he was a machine.

Or was that just an excuse? Sasuke found himself forgetting that Naruto wasn't human, to Sasuke the feeling he got being around the blond was a sense of contentment and stability; he would always trust Naruto no matter the situation.

Naruto decided that switching topics would be a good idea, acting out of what could have possibly been identified as remorse. "What's it like to live as a human?" He finally asked, not expecting a clear answer since it would have differed from who he asked, but somehow, Sasuke's opinion mattered.

Sasuke only smirked, offering an arrogant expression as he clutched the thick blanket, still bable to feel his nails dig into his palm, his eyes were scrunched in melancholy and bitterness.

"Painful." He answered, voice mildly unsure what else to describe a human's life.

Naruto looked up to him, his glassy eyes seeming to glow with something unusual.

"That's a rather vague answer." Naruto deadpanned, voice laced with mild disappointment. Naruto knew it was better than nothing, but it seemed he was looking for a more philosophical answer.

Straightening his back for a better look at Sasuke, he took note of Sasuke's seemingly better condition, as his eyes traced around Sasuke's pale skin, he met eyes with him, taking notice of the faint scarlet color in his cheeks.

A fever? Wondered Naruto, already locating the local pharmacy in case he needed to take a trip there for medicine.

"I realize that you idiot." Sasuke snapped, sitting up since met eyes with Naruto. Naruto's eyes were vibrant as polished sapphire in a nest of lively blue fire, it was overwhelming to stare into such open eyes, the clarity in them made Naruto's naivety obvious.

Sasuke felt his head buzz with a tingle, his cheeks feeling a bit heated from a random burst of bashfulness, his heart accelerating like a ball being dropped.

Faster and faster his heart drummed on, Sasuke anxious as to what would happen when the ball reaches the ground, it was unusual for Sasuke to suddenly feel so conscious of himself, normally he didn't care, he should have cared even less since he wasn't with any 'human', but instead he felt self-conscious with how Naruto looked at him. But he couldn't look away, the clearness of his blue eyes was mesmerizing.

Naruto, programmed to be observant to human behavior, noticed Sasuke's uncomfortable expression, and assumed that his presence caused this discomfort.

It's been an emotional day for him… I'll leave it up to him if he wants to clarify, I'm being rude by staying any longer. Naruto concluded, despite his programming; his data was written to accept straight answers, Naruto honestly didn't like the idea of pushing Sasuke.

He was satisfied with the way things were.

Sasuke finally broke away the visual connection, his expression suddenly blank, making it difficult for Naruto to read him. The brunette laid back down to shuffle deeper under his blanket so he could turn his back to Naruto, presumably going to bed.

Taking as a cue that he should go home, Naruto walked hesitantly to the door, resisting the weight that seemed attached to his feet, he brushed it off as low power since it seemed his battery was damaged by the alarming depletion rate.

Naruto could only walk forward in a silence, unsure what to say to announce his departure in a lighthearted way when the mood was heavy and gloomy.

A hand reached for the cold metal knob, Naruto turning his head to Sasuke, mouth opening to say something, but paused instead.

Maybe he should smile? Or maybe he should shut up and leave, or maybe Sasuke still wanted him here since it was still raining heavily. His fingers touched the icy copper knob before Sasuke called him.

"Naruto." The voice echoed, resembling a soft tone like a child's. Fearful almost, to the idea of being alone.

The reluctant android turned to see Sasuke's back, only it was farther away to the side of the bed than it was initially, the open space was enough for another person. Staring at the broad back, Naruto asked "Do you want me to…join you?" He knew his question was a risky one to ask since Sasuke was sensitive when it came to his pride, he understood that their relationship was still a bit fragile and unbalanced, that impulsive assumptions could lead to disaster, but he couldn't stop himself from asking immediately, as if he wanted to stay.

There wasn't any answer, but Naruto knew Sasuke wasn't asleep. Reviewing the evidence that proved Sasuke was no longer angry with him, Naruto slid in the bed slowly, expecting for Sasuke to reject him when he settled his weight on the bed, but was surprised to hear no protest from Sasuke, taking it as a good sign.

Perhaps he did fall asleep… Naruto wondered, later throwing out that assumption since Sasuke mumbled under his breath "Idiot get in already…" The mumble was soft as a breath, no human could ever hear him, but Naruto's heightened senses easily caught his sentence. Sasuke must have realized his mistake and tensed. Feeling he was hovering above the danger zone, Naruto settled to withdraw and just leave.

Sometimes humans are obscured to realize what they really need, in this case, Sasuke deserved some time by himself.


The shuffling of the sheets alarmed Sasuke with Irrational fear of being alone. If Naruto left... Sasuke would be alone, he wouldn't be able to handle it, he needed Naruto with him.

Naruto reached to pull the blanket off so he could quietly exit the house. The moment Sasuke felt the movements of Naruto's departure, he impulsively grabbed him. His thoughts still muddled.

Sasuke still felt so raw and violated from his breakdown, he didn't want to be alone, everything was cracked and crumbling. He had enough of the emptiness that ate away his life.

Time and time again, Sasuke was fine allowing people, words, and emotions to slip by him, fading to nothing. But this time, his pride crumbled, finally allowing his arms to reach out to prevent this one thing from disappearing from his life.

No more. Sasuke's arms tightened around Naruto, pressing closer to inhale scent of Naruto's body, feeling comfort from the artificial being that offered him sincerness he was denied for years since he lost his home.

I love you. He realized, understanding his reason for clinging to Naruto, the need to keep the blond by his side. Conceiving the pain, the impulsive actions, and his wavering demeanor. Naruto was the first to ever touch his heart, and care for it, as if he was a precious egg, to be nurtured and cared for.

Love. This was love. Sasuke loved Naruto, and Naruto must have loved him, even if he wasn't aware of it, and it didn't matter if this was romantic or platonic, Sasuke loved Naruto.

Sasuke could only viewed this as a tragic thing, to love someone meant grief in the future; he knew too well that Naruto would at some point leave him. But this fact didn't stop him from hanging on to Naruto.

Don't leave me...Please.


I'm sorry.


Naruto's process blanked out for a bit, the warmth from Sasuke's body was overwhelming, he could almost say it was tempting to embrace Sasuke back, but he understood it'd be inappropriate to do so, his hands paused right before they touched Sasuke's back, he almost hugged him without even realizing it.

He wasn't human.

I don't have a right to return the affection, I'm not made of carbon, or oxygen. It would be too cruel to hug him, it'd be a lie.

Slowly he closed his eyes, allowing Sasuke to press against him until his heart calmed down, savoring the moment of affection; but chose to ignore the screaming remorse he felt stir inside him.

He couldn't and wouldn't allow himself to get closer.

"Sasuke." He whispered, almost afraid of shattering the moment, but had decided enough was enough, the time for him to leave was now, he needed to put some distance between them, Sasuke was emotionally weak and that was the only reason why the ebony haired man desired him to stay. It nearly broke Naruto's heart to turn away from Sasuke now, if only he had one.

Silence.

But there was a response in Sasuke's breathing, quickening by half a second.

Although it wasn't much, it encouraged Naruto to treat it as if he gave an audible answer, making sure to clear when he spoke to suggest as compromise since Sasuke seemed determined to keep Naruto from exiting.

"Wouldn't it be better if I slept somewhere else? Or leave…?" The android suggested, his voice gentle and diffidently reserved, giving a soft expression to calm the raven.

No response, though Sasuke's eyebrow moved 0.2 millimeters by twitching.

Instead of getting discouraged, Naruto continued.

"I've caused you to become hysterical, I should not remain with you any longer for tonight, your body is exhausted and requires sleep in order to recover." Naruto reasoned, feeling something unpleasant stir in his stomach to the idea of leaving Sasuke, it made him restless; never mind the urge to console Sasuke, Naruto just couldn't be gentle anymore.

But Sasuke didn't say anything. Not a word.

The silence was unnerving, pushing Naruto to add another comment "Besides…" Naruto hesitated before continuing.

"I'm a cold machine, I'm not soft or warm."

"No." Sasuke replied, a little muffled as he pressed closer into Naruto.

"You're warm enough for me."

Opening his mouth to object, Naruto couldn't deny Sasuke anymore; his hand rested on Sasuke's head to stroke through the soft, rich locks of ink colored hair.

Both never moved from the bed, and neither spoke another word that night.


I never said goodbye.

I'm sorry.