A/n - Hey readers! (If I still have any, lol) I am so sorry for the extremely long hiatus. I know I promised updates ages ago and failed to follow through, but I was cut off for the net for quite a few months and when I got it back, it was November, and November for me means NaNoWriMo (It's a thing where you have to write a novel with the deadline of a month) and when I was finished with that, school and reality and stuff hit me like a ton of bricks. BUT I HAVE RETURNED! I may get distracted, but I will ALWAYS update eventually. Count on that. So, sorry again for the long wait...Now back to Naruto and Sasuke.

'Please don't stop until my heart no longer screams.'

Love: In Theory and Practice - Chapter Six

Katherine Wheel

Gaara watched through Ino's small living room window – oblivious to the thumping music and people yelling around him – as Sasuke drug Naruto out from the alley they'd been hiding in for the last ten minutes or so and took off in the direction of their apartment.

Anxiety curled in his stomach, along with a protectiveness that was near predatory.

He turned from the window, ignoring Kiba, who called out to him loudly and went to hunt down his jacket.

The only reason he'd come was to keep an eye on Naruto, and now that Naruto was gone there was no reason to stay. He was no social butterfly and had no desire to become one.

All he wanted to do was go home, climb in bed and leave figuring out Naruto's problem to tomorrow, when he hadn't been up for twenty some hours straight and could think clearly. Getting Naruto to focus long enough to have a conversation would be hard, but it had to be done.

Things couldn't continue this way.

Gaara entered Ino's bedroom, relieved to find his coat piled amongst a dozen others on her huge mattress. He reached for, but stopped dead. Something annoyingly bright was radiating in his peripheral vision.

He turned his head.

Naruto's hoodie lay amidst the other jackets, just a sleeve peaking out, but Gaara knew it was his. No one else here had taste that bad.

Gaara's heart rate kicked into double-time.

Neglecting his own coat, he yanked the sleeve and pulled Naruto's hoodie free. He fished in the pocket, and was so relieved when he found nothing that the emotion left his body in an audible sigh. He almost relaxed, but had to be sure.

He unzipped the hoodie and looked on the right side. This hoodie was just like all the others Naruto owned – modified by Iruka. The tiny pocket was pretty much unnoticeable to those who didn't know it was there, the zipper spanning no wider than a two or three inches.

Gaara's heart hammered in his ribs as he stared at it. The lump answered the question for him, but he had to be sure. Sure that Naruto hadn't stuffed something else in there, that there was really a problem.

He unzipped the pocket and pulled out a small, flat metal case.

He popped it open, revealing a dozen little blue pills.

Well fuck.

Naruto's head was buzzing as Sasuke pulled him through the dead streets of Konoha. He didn't know if it was Sasuke or the Sake, but he was enjoying the sensation.

Hehe, Sasuke or Sake. He giggled. Or, or, Sasuke AND Sake. That sounded like a good combination.

Maybe it was the Sake.

Sasuke's hand was warm, clenching his own so tight in his grip that Naruto was pretty sure he was losing feeling in it.

He didn't mind.

Sasuke was touching him. Willingly touching him. No, better than that. He'd touched him first, kissed him first. He'd instigated this time.

He wanted this, too.

The grin that spread across Naruto's face could have made a blind man shield his eyes, it was so bright.

His toe caught on a crack in the sidewalk and he stumbled, losing his footing. He was pretty sure he was going to meet the concrete soon, but his reflexes were too slow to get his hands up in time to shield his face.

Sasuke's arm caught his torso just in time and he pulled Naruto upright, scowling. Naruto worked to right himself, his head still humming and grinned widely at Sasuke. His arm had repositioned itself around Naruto's waist, making them dangerously close to one another.

"Hey," Naruto whispered, vaguely aware of Sasuke's warm breath brushing his cheeks. Sasuke was glowering at him, but Naruto didn't care. He leaned in closer, inhaling Sasuke's scent deeply. Sasuke stiffened, then relaxed again.

He smelled like coffee and sweat. Naruto didn't know if love had a smell, but if it did, he was pretty sure it would smell like Sasuke.

"Watch where you're walking, idiot." Sasuke chided him, but his expression had softened and his voice didn't have that hostile edge to it. Naruto ignored that, aware only of the fact that he didn't have his shirt on and he could feel Sasuke's arm, warm against his lower back.

"Come on." Sasuke dropped his arm and took Naruto's hand again. Naruto squeezed it tightly, hardly daring to believe that it was Sasuke's hand. That Sasuke had gotten jealous. Really jealous. Had pulled him from a party and pushed him against a wall and kissed him and told him he was...

Naruto's inebriated brain almost couldn't process the out poor of emotion that was coming from his heart.

Sasuke unlocked the door to their apartment with ease and tossed the keys on the counter, flicking on the light and shutting the door behind them. Naruto squinted and blinked rapidly. His entire body was tingling.

How much had he drank, anyways?

"What are you doing?" He slurred at Sasuke, who was rummaging around in the kitchen loudly. Naruto rubbed his now Sasuke-free hand with his other one, missing the feel of his skin. He stumbled in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sasuuuke?" Sasuke's back was to him, his spiked hair sticking up in every direction as he pulled something out of the cabinet.

"Go sit down. I'm making you coffee."

Naruto snorted. "I don't neeeeed coffee, Sasuke." How come Sasuke didn't know that? Why was he always fussing over Naruto? Naruto huffed out a breath. He didn't need someone to look after him, he had Iruka for that. And Gaara. And Shikamaru. And Ino. And Kiba. And Hinata...

That isn't what he needed Sasuke for.

"I don't need coffee, Sasuke." Naruto repeated, unsure of whether he'd said that already or just thought it. He closed the small distance between them and snatched the pot Sasuke was filling out of his hand, dumping it out and leaving it the sink. Sasuke glowered at him. Naruto glowered back.

"You're drunk." Sasuke deadpanned.

"I'm aware." Naruto said, his hands finding Sasuke's hips. He pressed his hips against Sasuke's. The sharp intake of breath he got in response made him grin, satisfied. He ran his nose along curve of Sasuke's neck, breathing deeply, pressing closer.

A chill ran through him.

He was close. So close to Sasuke. He was touching Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't resisting him. Wasn't freaking out. He was so, so close to Sasuke.

But it wasn't close enough.

Naruto lifted his head and licked Sasuke's earlobe, testing. Sasuke moaned deeply, his head tilting back slightly. Naruto's grin broadened.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," He mumbled, leaning into him until every crevice of their bodies was aligned, until he was sure if he put any more pressure on the raven haired boy they would merge into one person, ceasing to be two different people, until they became a completely different being. Something deep and tangible and breathtaking.

Until they were the same.

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice was shaky and low. The sound of it made Naruto shiver again. Sasuke raised his hands from where they'd been resting on the counter and put them on Naruto's hips.

Yes, yes, yes. This is what Naruto wanted from Sasuke. He wanted Sasuke to acknowledge him. To touch him. To take him and mold him and define him and make him into someone who wasn't Uzumaki Naruto, that one art prodigy from Konoha U. Make him into someone who wasn't Uzumaki Naruto, the guy everyone wanted to be around. Someone who was Uzumaki Naruto, the fucked up kid from that foster home.

He wanted Sasuke to make him into someone real.

Sasuke pushed Naruto back gently. Naruto looked up, baffled.

What the hell?

"Go sit down. I'll be out there in a minute."

Naruto considered him for a moment, before stumbling to the living room. Relocating was probably a better idea anyways. Throwing down on the kitchen floor was probably not the most romantic scenario for their first time together.

He fell onto the couch face first, listening to Sasuke banging around the kitchen for several minutes before he repositioned himself so he was on his back.

Waiting.

Waiting, waiting, waiting. Always waiting on Sasuke.

He could wait forever.

For Sasuke.

It seemed like an eternity to Naruto, but Sasuke emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. He sat it down on the coffee table and then settled onto the couch. The far end of the couch. Away from Naruto. They weren't even touching.

No, no, NO. Naruto's shook his head at Sasuke. That was all wrong! Geesh, Sasuke must really be nervous or something.

Naruto scooted over until he was only a few inches from Sasuke. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest and his palms were sweating and the thrumming in his head was louder than ever.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed. The name felt so good when it left his lips, filling his heart with sensation, touching every part of him. It was so right. Sasuke was so right. "Sasuke, I love you."

Sasuke's eyes snapped up from his hands, wide and surprised and then they narrowed slightly. He licked his lips. He looked like he was thinking hard about something.

"Do you really?" He asked finally, looking at Naruto with an expression the blonde couldn't decipher. Naruto nodded emphatically.

"Yes, Sasuke, YES!" Naruto nearly shouted. "Forever! I've loved you forever. Or at least, I think I have. I didn't know. But I know now. I do. I love you, Sasuke. Love, love, love." Naruto giggled, feeling like a teenager confessing to a crush for the first time.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto thought if he'd been standing, that expression would have made him fall to his knees. He loved it when Sasuke smirked.

Sasuke raised a hand and reached toward Naruto. Naruto scooted closer, leaning into the touch. When Sasuke's hand ran through his hair, he shivered violently. Sasuke's hand rested on his collarbone and the warmth of it was enough to drive Naruto mad.

Naruto leaned in and caught Sasuke's lips. Sasuke was still, but Naruto pressed against him, licking Sasuke's bottom lip slowly with his tongue.

Sasuke groaned, his mouth opening. Naruto plunged his tongue into his mouth, kissing him desperately, his hands rising to Sasuke's hair as he climbed on top of him. Sasuke was kissing him back. Hard. Just as desperately.

Naruto ground his hips against Sasuke's and Sasuke let out a sharp gasp that rushed into Naruto's mouth. Naruto devoured it. He could devour all of Sasuke. Dive inside of him, pull him from the inside out, devour him whole

They kissed and kissed and kissed and Naruto was so hot, so desperate to prolong it. His entire body was thrumming with the desire to become one with Sasuke. Not just physically, but in every way. Just as he was Sasuke's, he wanted Sasuke to be his.

His hand found Sasuke's belt and startled fumbling with it when Sasuke stopped him and sat up.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. The buzzing in his head was duller now, a mild hum. He could feel himself slowly becoming more sober. Very slowly.

"Too much," Sasuke panted. "Too soon." Sasuke met his gaze with guarded eyes. "And you're drunk."

"So?" Naruto didn't see what that had to do with anything.

"Drink your coffee, Naruto." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and looked away. Naruto glowered at him.

"I don't want coffee, Sasuke. I want you. I've always wanted you."

Sasuke met his gaze again. "What do you mean?"

Naruto fell back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, which had started to spin dangerously. "Since before I even met you, I've wanted you, Sasuke. To know you. To be near you. Close to you."

Naruto licked his lips. Some part of him knew he shouldn't be telling Sasuke this, that this was dangerous territory, things he shouldn't admit.

"Since before you met me?" Naruto covered his eyes with his arm to block out the spinning ceiling. Sasuke's tone was indecipherable, just like the rest of him. Naruto tried to think through the thick haze on how best to explain it.

There was a loud knock on the door. It shattered the tense silence like a clap of thunder in an empty desert. Sasuke got up to answer it.

Naruto sat up and then realized that was a very bad idea. The apartment shifted violently around him and he leaned forward, his head beneath his knees.

"Give it to me, I'll make sure he gets it." Sasuke was saying, Naruto lifted his head as much as he dared to stare at the door. He could just make out Gaara's spiky red hair over Sasuke's shoulder.

Gaara? What was he doing here?

Naruto's head was pounding and his stomach was bubbling as sobriety hammered itself upon him, the numbness of his drunken stupor receding. With a clear head, panic erupted in his chest.

His bare chest.

He'd left his hoodie at Ino's.

His pills were in his hoodie.

Gaara was at the door.

The dots connected so quickly in Naruto's head that he was on his feet in a flash, pushing Sasuke gently behind him.

"Hey, Gaara, what's up?" He asked as casually as he could manage. The world was still shifting violently around him, nausea rolling in his stomach.

Gaara stared at him for a moment and Naruto didn't like the look one bit. It was Gaara's 'we need to have a very serious and long conversation about how badly you just fucked up' look. "You forgot this." Gaara said finally, extending his hand. Clutched in it was Naruto's hoodie.

Naruto sighed in relief and took it from him, clutching it to his bare chest.

"Thanks." He said sincerely, so relieved his entire body relaxed. Then tensed up again. There wasn't even time to run for the bathroom before he was hunched over, throwing up all over Sasuke's immaculate floor.

Sasuke shut his laptop and rubbed his temples. He couldn't focus. His eyes were heavy from staring at the screen and his head was pounding. He ran a hand through his hair.

Now was not the time for him to be working on revising his novel. Too much had happened in too little time. His mind was filled to breaking point with images from earlier in the evening. Naruto on that Sai guy's lap, Naruto against the wall in the alley, Naruto on top of him on the couch, Gaara and the weird exchange he and Naruto had had with the hoodie...

Naruto's words came back to him. "I want you. I've always wanted you."

What had he meant by that, exactly? Since before they met? Sasuke didn't understand but there was a feeling in his chest, like someone was clenching their heart in their hand, that was threatening to overwhelm him.

Shut up, he told himself. Now was not the time to get paranoid. Naruto had told him, blatantly and flat out, that he loved him. Sasuke should be focusing on that, not repeating the conversation in his head to sort out the subtext.

He sat his laptop down on the coffee table and turned off the living room light, walking through the dark to his bedroom.

He stood in the doorway for a few moments, staring at the lump that was Naruto. Moonlight fell into the room from a gap in the curtains, illuminating it enough for Sasuke to see Naruto's wild mess of bright blond hair and the rise and fall of his chest.

Something inside of Sasuke found the sight impossibly beautiful. It didn't matter that Naruto had been slobbering drunk, that he'd said things he didn't understand, that he'd thrown up all over the floor and Sasuke had had to clean it up.

All that mattered was that Naruto was asleep, in Sasuke's bed, curled beneath Sasuke's covers, in Sasuke's apartment. It didn't matter that Sasuke's emotions were so mixed up he didn't know what was what anymore. It didn't matter that he didn't know Naruto's secrets.

Naruto was his and that was enough for Sasuke.

For now.

To Be Continued.