I just want to take it off of you

A single, thin ray of light, sparkling with swirling particles of dust fell upon a sleeping Naruto, his breathing slow and deep with the peace that a good dream brings, a soft smile tilting his unconscious features. Sasuke tightened his hold around the blonde's waist, his ear pressed against Naruto's firm back, listening intently to the steady, rhythmic beating of his boyfriend's heart. A heart that, Sasuke hoped with everything he was, belonged to him.

Sasuke kept his eyes closed though he had woken from a restless sleep nearly half an hour earlier, savoring the feeling of holding the sleeping Naruto. He sighed deeply, turning his head to press his face into the other's back, inhaling his sweet, musky scent. I want to be able to hold him like this always...

The thought slightly startled Sasuke, for he had forbidden any sort of selfish ideals the day that Naruto had locked himself in his room, leaving a pleading Sasuke in the hallway to listen to the soul-wrenching sobs that filled the otherwise empty house.

"Naruto... Please," Sasuke pleaded, his palms flat against the cold, wooden door. "Just... Talk to me, please." His throat and chest felt tight as he pressed his forehead into the wood, desperately searching for the right words.

"Stay the hell away from me, fag!" Came the screamed reply, slightly muted by the wall between them, though obviously laced with devastation and self-hatred. "This is all your fault!"
Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat, wincing at the cruel name coming from someone he cared deeply about. Though he knew that the accusation Naruto threw at him was wrongly placed, Sasuke groaned and let his fist pound once against the door, wanting nothing more than to take this away from the already self-conscious teen.
"Naruto... I'm so sorry." He begged, straining to make his voice heard over the heart-broken cries coming from Naruto. "Please, open the door." Sasuke sub-consciously tried the handle, fully expecting it to refuse to turn. To his surprise, it opened with ease, swinging wide into the room to reveal a shuddering blonde ball, huddled tightly into the far corner. If Naruto noticed the door opening, he didn't show it, instead gasping for air through deep sobs. Sasuke hesitated before crossing the short distance to Naruto, slowly sinking into a crouch to place a hand lightly on Naruto's shaking shoulder. Naruto flinched away from the raven-haired boy's touch, pulling his knees closer to his chest, a horrible, gasping sound ripping from his chest.

Sasuke's pain-filled eyes flooded with tears at the hurting blonde's response to his touch, yet instead of standing to leave as his brother had when Sasuke discovered his own orientation, he ignored Naruto's protests and wrapped his arms tightly around his shuddering frame, his voice echoing the vow Itachi had made -and broken- years earlier.

"I won't tell anyone."

Sasuke's arms tightened around the still-sleeping Naruto and he pushed away the painful memory. Naruto had come to terms with being gay, to an extent, and Sasuke should simply be thankful he was here with the person he cared so deeply about.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft groan rumbling from Naruto's throat as the blonde turned to face Sasuke, Naruto's mind struggling to accept that it was way too late in the day to still be asleep. A light smile brushed across Sasuke's lips as his deep, black eyes met Naruto's newly opened blue ones.

"Good morning, blue eyes." He mumbled softly, raising a hand to brush his fingertips across the blonde's cheek-bone. Naruto blinked once before letting his mouth spread into a grin, slipping his own arms around Sasuke's waist.

"You let me stay." Came the joyful reply, referring to how Naruto had slipped into Sasuke's bed later that night claiming that his room was "too cold". Sasuke rolled his eyes lightly, softly running his fingers through Naruto's soft, blonde hair.

"Did you really think I'd let you freeze?" Sasuke chuckled softly, pressing his forehead to Naruto's. The blonde chuckled, his grin turning cocky.

"Of course not. How could you refuse sleeping with this?" He raised a hand to gesture to his nearly-bare torso, an eyebrow raising as if to challenge a negative response.

Sasuke rolled his eyes yet again, leaning up to slowly press his lips to the corner of Naruto's mouth. "Oh please, Uzumakii." He drawled, biting the edge of his lip. "If I remember correctly, it was you who came begging to me." Naruto flushed at the slight innuendo, though in truth, they had yet to do anything more than soft kisses. Sasuke chuckled lowly, ruffling the stammering blonde's hair and pulled away, sliding from the bed to pull on a simple black t-shirt. Naruto shook his head and pulled back the covers to climb out of the bed as well, a long yawn forcing its way from his throat.

Sasuke began to untie the string of his sweatpants to change before freezing as he became conscious of a pair of eyes watching him. He glanced up to see Naruto grinning slightly, an eyebrow raised at the raven-haired teen.

"Well don't stop on my account." Naruto teased, crossing his arms while letting his eyes travel down Sasuke's lean frame. Sasuke flushed deeply, turning to the smirking blonde with a scowl.

"How about you go get changed in your own room?" He suggested firmly, mirroring Naruto's position.

"Oh no, I think I'm quite comfortable right here for now. Please, continue." Naruto replied, biting his lip to suppress a grin, leaning back against the wall. The flush on Sasuke's cheeks darkened and he grabbed a pillow from the bed, throwing it hard at the blonde's head.

"Get out, you pervert." He growled menacingly, crossing his arms firmly over his chest. A laugh burst from Naruto's chest as he held up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright." He laughed, quickly crossing to the scowling teen to place a hand on the side of his throat, leaning up to brush his lips against Sasuke's cheek. "You know I'm waiting for you."

Sasuke watched as the chuckling blonde flounced from his room, his smile gaining a hint of sadness at the memory of the promise he made to Naruto.

"I'm waiting for you too."