Disclaimer: All original Naruto characters, settings, plot etc. are the

property of their Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement is intended and I make no profit from this story.

'No…' Sasuke stared at Naruto blankly, uncomprehending. 'No? Why the hell not?' Sasuke hadn't even done anything wrong as far as he was concerned. Naruto had known that he was having trouble with the issue of reviving his clan since they had first gotten together, he'd always respected that, and now – when he finally chose the blond over his own families wishes – the dobe rejected him? And the worst part was…he didn't even feel angry. He was trying really hard to dig up an overwhelming rage to allow him to shout. But there was nothing…just a dull, thudding pain, matching his rhythmic heartbeats.

Naruto stared at the love of his life, watching the cold, blankness of his expression, and he wondered why he'd said no. but truthfully, he knew the answer completely. For once, though, the fox didn't agree. Kyuubi was wholeheartedly for this marriage. He didn't see the problem that Naruto did. Naruto might have felt proud that he was being smarter than his bijuu, but he didn't have much chance to feel it before Kyuubi's roar nearly split his skull in two.

Then he was gripping the sheets that much tighter, fighting the tears that much more, and feeling everything that had been kept from him for what seemed like so long. He muffled a gasp, biting his lip to keep from screaming. He was lucky though, because he knew now that Sasuke had not cheated on him, he knew that Sasuke really did love him. But…he also felt the pain of that 'no', he felt the heartache and longing, the urge to take Sasuke into his arms and never let go. He saw what the fox had done. He knew that he would never have been able to say 'no' with this much emotion swimming around inside him, waiting to burst.

Lucky he'd already said it then.

"Why?" Sasuke's voice wasn't cold, and sharp like Naruto had been expecting, like Sasuke had wanted it to sound. It was weak and the barely contained trembling made the situation so much worse for them both. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes away from the bed sheets. Naruto couldn't keep his eyes from Sasuke's emotionless face, his mask, one much worse than he'd ever seen it; even those black ebony pools were clouded with a blankness he was terrified of.

When Naruto didn't answer, Sasuke thought he'd lose it. "Why, Naruto?" and this time it was more firm, more angry. But not enough. Not the way he wanted it to sound. It was too weak. He was too weak. What was he doing? Practically groveling at the blonde's feet. Well…he wasn't…yet. But Sasuke could feel the urge, the swelling inside him waiting to be freed; to burst from him and cry and beg and plead for Naruto to take him back. He had to keep his cool. Focus.

Naruto schooled his features into a tightness; determination that Sasuke had only seen once before; 'don't run away from me' he could almost hear Naruto's voice, unbroken and childish over the sound of a waterfall. He wanted to cry - Pathetic.

"You don't want me Sasuke-" Immediately The raven's head snapped up, this time the anger shone through.

"Yes. I Do."

But Naruto shook his head. "You don't." It looked as though the Uchiha was going to speak over him again so he snarled his frustration – feeling some of the built up emotion pouring through him in the form of anger. "You don't!" He said again, more firmly.

"You want a family, Sasuke. More than you want me you want that. So we'd get married, we'd be happy for a while. I'd believe that you'd love me more than anything. But you'd leave, because I'm not enough for you am I? You have to stubbornly reach for something that will never come back, all the fucking time!

"Why do you push this fucked up family thing? What did you're family ever do for you anyway? They pushed you so hard to be like Itachi," Sasuke flinched at his brother's name, but Naruto continued regardless. "That you lost what little childhood you could have had. They pushed your brother so god damned much that he went insane! And now, even from the grave, they are controlling you like a puppet! We can never be happy! Never be together as long as you hold onto something that's gone! Dead! Let them go Sasuke!" Tears poured down scarred cheeks as Naruto screamed the words at the boy in front of him.

For a moment Sasuke looked so innocently afraid, so alone and terrified and suddenly Naruto wanted to take everything back. He was immediately worried for the boys health; he looked so young, so scared and broken. What if he'd done serious damage by saying all that? Sasuke had a psychiatrist so that must mean he wasn't completely mentally stable as it is. But then he saw it; Sasuke's eyes turned to steel and he went from looking like a small child to a raging dragon –a fire breathing one who was out to murder millions.

His lips pulled back and he stared at Naruto like he was dirt; as if he was nothing; worse than nothing. The Jinchuuriki could feel himself choke on the air he breathed as Sasuke looked on at him with such loathing. Sasuke was out the bedroom door in an instant, leaving the blond feeling so abandoned and isolated that he thought he'd die. Right then and there. He couldn't hear the fox inside him, couldn't think of the world around him, couldn't see or hear anything, not even the beat of his dying heart.

He knew he was crying; he knew he was hysterical, he could almost feel the shivering of his body and the rawness of his throat as his screams tore through him. Every muscle in his body seemed to clench against the onslaught of unbearable pain. What had he done?

He might have been numb, blind and deaf, but someway, somehow, he managed to feel as he was shoved harshly onto his back, instinctively he struggled, his senses coming back to him at the threat, he bucked against the pressure atop him and felt himself role against the pressure of what could only be another body. He wrestled with it the best he could through his hysterics, battling for his freedom, he felt so trapped.

He was knocked completely into consciousness as his entire body hit something extremely hard. The floor he realized. The mass on top of him was Sasuke - still bearing that furious face, the one of loathing and hatred and disgust. Seeing the one he loved looking at him that way only made him start screaming again, agonized choruses of raw, bleeding sobs racked his body, making them both shake.

"Damn it!" Above him, Sasuke roared, his expression twisting into a depth of revulsion Naruto had never seen him wear. Naruto screamed louder.

"Stop it!" A punch, aimed beside Naruto's head, cut all sound off. His pale arm swing down again. Again. Again. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" he wailed angrily. Naruto stared up at him, he wasn't afraid of the Uchiha; but he was weary of what he'd do to himself – the floor wasn't exactly weak and Sasuke's arm and fist bled profusely as he continued to smash it against the ground.

Desperate for a way to stop the actions, Naruto reached out for the raven, but his hand was caught and twisted above his head as Sasuke yelled hatefully at him. It was now that he saw. Now that he realized. The animosity, the detestation was not aimed at him. Sasuke was angry at himself, the arm by his head was not being held harmfully; there was no pain; only a strange gentleness that seemed so out of place coming from someone holding such a negative attitude.

"Idiot! You idiot! Why the hell do you think I'm here! I made my choice the moment I walked in here! No! I made it before that! No! I've always known! All I've done for as long as we've been together is make excuses to avoid leaving you! To avoid doing what I thought I had to do! Well I was wrong! I didn't need to do anything! As you pointed out, I don't have a family to abide by their rules! I don't have anyone to tell me what to do! And do you know what Naruto…sometimes I'm actually glad!" He laughed in a way that didn't sound completely sane. Naruto flinched away from him slightly as he laid his head down on the broken floor by his own face.

"If they weren't dead." His voice had calmed now, it was mellow, almost tired. "If they hadn't pushed Itachi so hard that…! I wouldn't have become your friend. I might not have been placed on your team. I wouldn't have felt the way I do for you. I would have been forced to marry some girl – a distant relative – and I would have lived my life with nothing but rules to guide me."

He lifted his head to look into Naruto's eyes; the words he'd planned to say spilling from his lips the way they should have in the beginning. "I came here today to tell you that I love you. To show you that you are enough. I don't really know how I let things go so far…how I…messed with your head so much that you turned so…! So insecure. I realized that maybe everyone is right. No, they surely are right. Perhaps my family really would just want me to be happy now. There is nothing I can do for them now, really, I can't revive them, and I can't rebuild the clan. You know what? I don't even like children." Naruto's eyes widened slightly, his mouth going dry.

"You…don't?" He asked meekly.

"No. All I need is you Naruto. I don't want anything else in the way! And nothing's going to get in the way." With that he lowered his face towards Naruto's, their lips meeting in the middle; both thrust their emotions into the kiss. Pouring their frustrations, desires and fears into their passionate lip-lock. Hoping that the other could feel the love and devotion and injury of such a battle of hearts. Hoping that now they could be happy. Hoping...

Minutes later found Sasuke in Naruto's arms, the two of them staring up at the ceiling as they calmed themselves down. Everything was quiet now, only their breathes and their heart beats could be heard in the silence. It seemed almost too peaceful, too calm. Sasuke feared rejection was on its way, he shuddered with fright, trying in vain to pummel all his weaknesses.

Naruto though, was elated, he thought he'd never be happier…well, perhaps that was an understatement, but now that they'd blown off some steam everything seemed so clear to him. Of course he'd marry Sasuke. He loved him. Of course the bastard wouldn't leave him. He needed him too much. So he took a deep breath, sighed, and hugged the boy lying on his chest tighter to him as he answered from his heart.

"Yes."

Wow, this was a really fast update from me hehe. It's short, but I hope that's not so bad. I just really couldn't stop myself from writing it immediately. And I had to stop there. It was just too perfect a place to stop.

Thanks to everyone who has done my poll. It's going to stay open until I finish this story, so to the readers who haven't voted yet, please do. It'll really help me out, plus it's you guys who might be the ones reading it, you never know.

Thankies for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Xx..xX