The Madness And The Damage Done

by JustHereForCoffee

With Sasuke gone, Naruto has set up a life for himself and tried to move on from the scars his friend left him - both physical and emotional. But a chance meeting sends Naruto head first back into the struggle to save his friend, and into an underworld he had no idea existed in his city. AU Naruto/Sasuke fic in modern setting. Warning guys, this one's a slow burner.

9. Chapter 9

NF Chapter 9

Naruto exhaled slowly, straining his arms to complete the push up. His hands in a diamond shape, lined up with the centre of his chest, made the basic exercise hard enough that he was having problems finishing this rep. Lowering himself down one final time, he shakily locked his elbows, completing the set, panting. He collapsed to one knee almost immediately, head bowed to the floor. It must have looked like he was praying.

Grabbing his t-shirt, discarded halfway through his routine, he wiped the sweat from his face, slinging it around his neck as he got up to stretch. This was the most productive thing he'd done since Jiraiya had told him not to leave the flat: after two days, in which he'd only received a brief text telling him to stay put, Naruto had been pretty bored. He wandered to the bathroom, absent-mindedly picking bits of fluff and debris from the carpet off his sticky skin.

As he stripped off and fired up the shower, he lamented the state of his flat. Compared to the rest of it, the floor was practically spotless. Although having Sasuke as an unexpected guest a few months ago had spurred him to increase both his fitness and standard of living, it had ground to a halt rather fast; the pure physicality of Jiraiya's new training meant he was too tired to do anything after a session, much less clean. For now, the fitness alone would have to do.

Naruto hummed contentedly as the hot water washed over his tired body. He stretched out his neck once again, his shoulders knotted and tense. Gradually the heat soothed them, uncoiling the tightly wound muscles, his deep breaths becoming more shallow and relaxed. He decided he'd take his time today, really try to enjoy his shower. But it wasn't to be: the exercise high was a brief spike before the reality of the situation brought his mood crashing down again.

He was under house arrest because a maniac may or may not have threatened his life.

Towelling himself off, Naruto frowned as he wandered through the bomb-site that was his flat: dirty clothes and dishes everywhere, a cupboard he couldn't even open due to clutter, and a dining table covered in absolute crap. It took until the end of the first day before he'd realised it, but being forced to stay here had really shown Naruto how little he actually enjoyed being in his flat alone. At first he chalked it up to the simple removal of his freedom; it had been a while since Naruto had last followed any rules but his own. But as the day wore on, the discontent only grew. He figured he'd play some Xbox, maybe watch a movie, try to distract himself a little.

After all, it's not like I've got anything better to do.

Naruto paused for a moment, then looked around the messy flat again. He almost laughed at his own idiocy.

"Nothing to do, huh?" He said to no one in particular. "Time to get to work."

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Naruto sighed as he straightened up again and leaned the mop against the bathroom sink, stretching his lower back out. A good three hours of tidying and chores had stiffened him up somewhat, but it was totally worth it: there'd been a lot to do, and he'd made a great start.

First was the pile of dirty clothes in the corner, overflowing the plastic basket, spilling over the floor and blocking entrance to the small cupboard in the corner. It wasn't that he'd never washed those clothes, just that he'd never quite got to the bottom; a load of washing would go on, but more would accumulate before the last load air dried. It was all he could do to get it down to the top of the basket before it started overflowing again.

The easiest solution he could think of was taking it all down to the big industrial machines in the laundry down the road, getting it washed and dried before hauling it back up to his flat. It went against Jiraiya's instructions, but he was going crazy cooped up in the flat. Besides, he needed some food too: having not planned for anything remotely like this, his stocks were running low. So, his washing basket piled precariously high, he had decided to risk life and limb by stepping outside.

After the initial feeling of paranoia wore off, Naruto had been very happy to be outside again. Suddenly Jiraiya's worries seemed irrational, and his encounter with Orochimaru played out like something from a dream. These sorts of things didn't happen to him: he was just a normal guy. They only happened in films and books, to fictional characters.

And to people like Sasuke.

He put the thought out of his mind as he approached the laundry. He liked this particular place: after Kiba had tripped with a pasta bake and completely ruined one of Naruto's pillows, the lovely Southern Asian couple that owned it had stayed in late attempting to save it. And when it had turned out that it was well and truly fucked, they hadn't charged him for it. While they were being spun, Naruto did a quick food shop and started collecting all the rubbish, emptying bins, clearing under his bed, and wiping down the kitchen. Hoovering and mopping was next, the tiny bathroom in particular needing it.

Naruto smiled at his handiwork after his back gave a satisfying crack, picking up the dirty mop water and throwing it down the sink. A bit haphazardly, however, as some almost splashed on his newly cleaned floor.

This place will never stay clean for long, Naruto thought as he wandered back through to sort out the living room cupboard.

In truth, he'd been putting off the closet: when he'd first moved in, he'd shoved some boxes in there to sort out later and promptly forgotten about them. Now, finally 'later,' it felt like a mammoth task. He changed his music to something that would get him more pumped – an electronic artist Shino had introduced him to called Savant – and opened the cupboard for the first time in years.

The first thing he noticed was the shit-ton of cobwebs: a few spiders scuttled off to corners trying to escape the unusual intrusion of light on their homes. After disposing of them (caught in a glass and thrown outside, he found killing them distasteful), Naruto pulled out the boxes and got to work. It was a strange snapshot of his life three years ago: he found clothes he thought long since lost, knick-knacks he hadn't the heart to throw out, and-

Naruto wasn't sure how he'd forgotten about the box labelled 'Sasuke.'

He carefully put down the snow globe Hinata had got him from the Christmas market and sat in front of the box. After Sasuke had left, it had fallen to Naruto to gather what little he'd left behind. Not that there had been many personal items in the sparsely-decorated flat to begin with: whenever Naruto was invited over it always felt so cold, the minimalist furnishings stylish but always the bare essentials.

He needn't have even opened the box; he could recite from memory what was in it. There were a few older items of clothing, including a blue t-shirt Sasuke always used to wear. On top of the clothes, neatly folded at the bottom of the box, would be his schoolwork. He highly doubted Sasuke would need it again, but Naruto had decided better safe than sorry. Picture frames were stacked next, the empty ones particularly telling of the mind-set Sasuke had been in that day; photos of his mother and father were gone, but no others were deemed important enough. And Itachi's… Naruto had found it facedown, the glass broken.

Naruto had thought about putting the one of Sasuke, Sakura and himself up in the flat, a little something Sakura had thought to buy him one birthday. He ultimately decided against it. It'd probably just make him miss his friend more.

The last few things had always confused him slightly. There was a white linen parcel, carefully wrapped with kanji neatly written across its length. Naruto had never opened it out of respect for his friend, but had always been curious: the delicate, slender words seemed slightly familiar, but he'd forgotten almost everything Sasuke had ever taught him about the language.

The other was an old necklace Sasuke had always worn. It was a delicate stylised leaf, intricately wrought with silver. Too delicate, perhaps: a large crack ran through it, not quite breaking the slender swirls. Naruto hadn't ever seen him without it before the day he'd left, so the fact that he'd leave it, broken, was always puzzling.

Naruto didn't quite know what compelled him to do so, but he carefully unpacked the contents of the "Sasuke" box and placed them on the dining room table. There it was: for the longest time, these five neat piles were all he had to remember his friend. And he'd buried it in a cupboard.

Looking at it all made Naruto feel guilty. It wasn't just literally this stuff had been in the cupboard, so to speak; he'd been putting the thought out of Sasuke out his mind for years. It had become a taboo subject amongst his friends, divisive as it was painful. But none of them wanted to talk about it, at least not with Naruto.

Realistically, of course, he knew there wasn't much he could do. He was just a kid when it had happened, and even now he still felt like the same obnoxious teenager. And it wasn't like he'd been idle: he kept checking missing person's reports and, in his darker moments, obituaries. Short of scouring every square inch in a city of half a million, there wasn't much he could do that the police hadn't already.

The cold reality of the situation didn't help, however. No matter how much he told himself differently, he always arrived at the same conclusion: you didn't do enough.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair. The vicious cycle of guilt and rationality was exhausting as it was painful. He decided a drink wouldn't be out of the question: he'd earned one.

Pushing himself wearily up from the chair, Naruto padded towards the kitchen. He tried to focus on the positives – his flat was clean for once, after all – but it all kept coming back to that same thought.

You didn't do enough for him

Dropping into a squat, he popped open the cupboard next to his oven. It was too small to be of much use, but was just tall enough for most bottles of whisky. Reaching past the miniatures he'd acquired to broaden his tastes, his hand dithered between two bottles. Auchentoshan or Glenmorangie?

Deciding he was in the mood for the sweet, moreish flavour of the Auchentoshan's American oak, he rinsed out a whisky tumbler. His thoughts always seemed to wander towards whisky whenever Sasuke was on his mind: the two were inexorably linked now. And it had quickly become his drink of choice for a quiet night. The amber liquid always relaxed him. He uncorked it, breathing deep as the fumes escaped. He loved that smell.

He almost dropped the bottle as three loud knocks rang against his door.

His immediate thought was that Jiraiya had finally got back to him. But as he started to cross the room doubt filled his mind. Didn't Jiraiya say he'd call ahead? And the heavy hammering was a far cry from Jiraiya's usual knock, more delicate and… even, he guessed. Naruto paused, unsure what to do. He'd never been in this type of situation before, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Fortunately, the decision was made easy for him.

"Naruto? Come on… I know you're home." A familiar voice slurred, accompanied by another, more half-hearted knock.

Naruto sighed, relieved that he wasn't about to be murdered. It was half a second before that was replaced with further worry.

Sasuke was very drunk. Again.

Wrenching open the door, Naruto saw his friend slumped against the doorframe, face pressing into the green-painted wood, eyes closed. As the door's vibrations jarred him, he cracked one eye open and slowly smiled a lopsided grin.

"Heeeeey…"

He was a complete mess: his hair was dishevelled, and barely-scabbed cuts adorned his pale face and neck. He wasn't wearing a shirt for once, just a plain white t-shirt and faded black jeans, small holes peppering the tatty material. On his forearm, a thick bandage was strapped securely, tight against his alabaster skin and raised veins. Several plasters were dotted about his arms and hands, one particularly noticeable on his pinky finger as his hand gripped the doorframe tightly.

He looks hurt… mind you, the amount he's drank, I don't know if he can even feel pain.

He rolled his eyes and hauled Sasuke upright, dragging him into the flat.

"You," Naruto grunted as he threw Sasuke into an armchair. "Are going to be the death of me. Do you just get summoned every time I open a bottle of whisky?"

"You know there's a type of Japanese alcohol ghost? It's called a shōjō, and-"

"Yeah, sounds like you." Naruto said curtly, cutting over the end of Sasuke's sentence.

Sasuke leaned back, two fingers to his temple. "You're upset." It wasn't a question.

"Maybe because you only ever show up rat-arsed and end up trashing my flat. I don't even know if you're gonna leave through the door this time!" Naruto felt guilty almost immediately, but he was too highly-strung to deal with a drunk, belligerent Sasuke. Not tonight.

"To be fair, that almost never happens."

He seemed to have the good sense to shut up as Naruto threw him a withering look. "Seriously though, Sasuke," He sighed, finally pouring from the open bottle in front of him. "Is seeing me so bad that you have to be smashed every time?"

"No," Sasuke replied quickly, before pausing. "I… don't like putting you in danger, Naruto. But when I've had a few drinks… it seems like a better idea."

Naruto snorted as he ran a tall glass under the kitchen tap. "Well newsflash, you're not doing a very good job – Jiraiya's put me on house arrest cause your boss threatened me at work." He thrust the glass of water at Sasuke, almost spilling it over them both. "Drink this. I'm not enabling you tonight."

Sasuke took the glass without complaint, avoiding Naruto's gaze. "Naruto, I… I'm sorry. I should never have involved you in any of this. I shouldn't have had that drink with you; I shouldn't have come here, tonight or the last time; I shouldn't have let Orochimaru find out about you. It was selfish. But all I came here to say was that you don't need to worry. I fixed it." He smiled, but it seemed strained. "He won't bother you anymore."

That threw Naruto, his anger slowly ebbing away. "But… how? Orochimaru doesn't strike me as the type to just give up."

Sasuke finally took a sip of water. "Just trust me. He won't be bothering you anymore."

"But-"

"I said drop it!" The outburst was as loud as it was sudden; Sasuke's jaw was set, his dark eyes inscrutable before they quickly left Naruto's, sliding into his lap before closing them.

An uncomfortable pause extended between them. After the initial shock, Naruto coolly sipped his whisky, patience tested as he tried to wait for Sasuke to make the first move.

For once.

It worked: Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, the hard edge seeming to leave them. "I'm sorry Naruto." He sighed, putting his glass down. "Please, can we just not talk about this tonight?"

Naruto was going to argue the point, but as he looked at his friend again it struck him just how defeated Sasuke looked. Shoulders slumped, elbows leaning on his knees. He looked like a man broken.

Suddenly, Naruto felt extremely guilty: Sasuke hadn't asked him to jump headfirst back into his life. He'd done that himself. Not that he regretted it for an instant, but the blame lay squarely on his shoulders.

This life's breaking him. And it's up to me to pick up the pieces.

Naruto sat down opposite Sasuke, placing his drink on the table next to the water. "It's like this for you all the time, isn't it?" He asked quietly.

Sasuke didn't look up, but gave a small nod.

"Well I guess I can understand why you're so high maintenance," Naruto laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit. He reached his hand out and put it on Sasuke's bicep; it was tensed hard, the muscles like steel under the soft fabric. "Look, if you say I'm gonna be okay, I believe you. But don't give me this 'I shouldn't have dragged you into this' shit. I might not sound it sometimes, but I'm really grateful you're back in my life."

Naruto thought he could see a small smile on Sasuke's face, the skin under his hand softening slightly. Encouraged, he continued. "And whatever you've done, we can make it right, okay? Even if it takes time."

Sasuke sighed, gently removing Naruto's hand. "I've told you before, Naruto. Some things can't be forgiven. After today, I know what I really am. I'm making my peace with that. But I…" He trailed off, noticing something next to Naruto. "Wait, what's that?"

Naruto's eyes snapped to his left, to the table. As soon as he saw what Sasuke had, he felt himself blush. He'd left all of Sasuke's things neatly laid out.

He couldn't think of anything to say. "Oh. That."

"Is that my stuff?" Sasuke asked incredulously, looking genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, I mean, I was tidying, and it… it was in the cupboard." He finished weakly, pointing at the still-open door. As embarrassed as he was, Naruto was grateful that Sasuke seemed to have derailed that last train of thought: it didn't seem to be going anywhere nice, but a nagging question kept prickling at his mind.

What the fuck happened to Sasuke today?

Sasuke, meanwhile, looked utterly confused. "Why did you have my stuff in your cupboard?"

"Well someone had to take it." Naruto provided unhelpfully. He tried to explain himself better. "The stuff you left. You know, at your old place."

This seemed to amuse him. "The only reason I didn't throw all this out with the rest of it was that you arrived before I could." Sasuke stood up, his balance questionable for a second until he caught himself and meandered over to the table. "The fuck's this… my old schoolwork? Why would I possibly need this, Naruto?"

As humiliated as he was, Naruto could only shrug. Sasuke flipped through some of the old clothes, nodding. "I was gonna dump these at a charity before I left…" He trailed off as he picked up the white linen package. "Naruto…?"

"Hmm?" He responded absent-mindedly, still dying slightly from embarrassment.

"Why didn't you open this?"

Naruto was a bit taken aback. "What? Cause it'd be wrong, opening your stuff without permission. Besides," he added, scratching his jaw. "It looked like a present."

Sasuke stared for a second, eyes slightly unfocused, before he burst out laughing. "Naruto, you idiot," he grinned, the wide smile a rarity on his usually solemn face. "How many times did I teach you how to write your own damn name in Japanese?"

Naruto, for a moment or two, was distracted by the smile: it completely changed his friend's face, all the sadness, the hurt melting away. It wasn't often Naruto would see that smile, back in the day. Even more rarely now, it seemed. Then Sasuke's words sunk in.

"Wait, that's for me?" He spluttered, causing Sasuke to laugh even harder. Looking at the letters again, he supposed it did look familiar.

"Yeah, this was your eighteenth birthday present. I even left it next to the keys so you'd find it. I suppose it'll count as your 21st now." He tossed it over to Naruto. "Here, dickhead. Open it."

He caught the package, staring at the neatly inked kanji for a second. It did seem familiar, but all the letters reminded Naruto of was the late nights he'd spent at Sasuke's, demanding to learn how to at least write the basics. When he'd finally relented, Sasuke had been a patient teacher, somewhat surprisingly. But evidently none of it had stuck.

Naruto carefully unwrapped the soft linen, trying not to tear the delicate fabric. Inside was a plain white wooden box. Popping open the lid, he was rather surprised at what was inside.

Resting in the burgundy velvet was a short, dagger-like knife. It was cast entirely in silver, black leather tightly gripping the handle. Naruto gingerly picked it up; it was heavier than he'd expected, but not sharp. The blade itself was very thick in the middle, coming down to a point at the edges in a straight, angular fashion. Kanji were inscribed down its length in a sharp, stylised hand, the same word but a totally different application from the one on the package. Naruto now recognised it enough to say it was his name.

"It's called a kunai," Sasuke helpfully supplied. "It's a ninja tool."

"Wow." Naruto was almost lost for words. "Thank you, this is amazing. Yeah, I recognise it now: one of the dudes from Mortal Kombat has one of these on a rope."

Sasuke seemed to be trying his best to repress a sigh. "That isn't entirely… accurate. These were mostly used for knocking holes in walls. Although in times of war, a farmer could fashion one out of a masonry trowel to protect themselves. Kind of like a makeshift weapon."

Naruto's face fell a bit. "So… you got me a trowel?"

Sasuke didn't appear phased. "First off, I got you a hand-crafted, solid silver, custom-commissioned kunai. You're welcome. And second – bear with me." He smiled that sly half-smile Naruto had become so accustomed to, but soon became quite serious. "I had every advantage you didn't. For the longest time, I didn't see that. I didn't just grow up with training; I grew up loved, with a family. You didn't have any of that. But goddamn, you gave it your all."

Sasuke walked over to Naruto, his long, pale fingers lightly brushing Naruto's as he took the gift out of his hands. "If I'm a katana, made for combat, designed for fighting and nothing else… you're a kunai; you're made to help people, not hurt them. But, if you need to defend something you love…" Sasuke suddenly flicked the glinting tool, his finger slipping into the open ring pommel and spinning into an underhand grip, the dull edge at Naruto's throat. That cocky smile returned. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Naruto was amazed: the sheer amount of thought Sasuke had put into this gift was incredible, his description so heartfelt and flattering. He felt a wide, stupid grin spread across his face as Sasuke lowered the weapon, carefully handing it back to him.

This is how Sasuke sees me, Naruto realised. Through all the pain of the last few years, the uncertainty of the last few months, this was one of the only things he could be sure of. It was a rush of emotions: happiness, pride, relief… but at the same time, the way he spoke about himself said much more about Sasuke's state of mind than any direct questions Naruto had ever asked.

He sees himself as a weapon, nothing more…

Naruto didn't have the ability to put his gratitude into words; instead, he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Sasuke in a silent embrace. Sasuke stopped dead, his whole body stiffening initially. Then, with a sigh, he relaxed, his arms fitting around Naruto's back.

The moment lasted for a few seconds before they broke apart. This close, Naruto couldn't help but notice Sasuke's eyes. They seemed… different: maybe there was a warmth to those coal depths that hadn't been there before; maybe the hard edge had slipped slightly, his cold façade finally wearing thin.

Or maybe you're projecting.

Either way, Naruto reasoned, he felt he ought to say something. "You know you're more than just a weapon, right?"

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek, avoiding Naruto's eye. "If you say so."

Naruto was determined not to let this one rest. "Hey, I mean it: katanas are badass and all, but they can't save idiots from getting run over. You remember that?"

"I think I'd find it hard to forget breaking my leg pushing you out the way." He replied, his tone sullen.

"Exactly. And that was after a week of me being a little shit." Naruto smiled, clapping his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Anyone would have done the same. My body just… moved on its own." Sasuke shrugged Naruto's hand off. "I'm not some bloody hero."

"Well you were to me." The words were out of Naruto's mouth before he could stop them. He instantly turned beetroot, his ears red-hot. It wasn't untrue, but Naruto found himself loath to admit just how much he had looked up to Sasuke.

Sasuke seemed surprised too. "Oh." He said, not quite managing to keep the corner of his lip from twitching into a smile. "Thanks, Naruto."

"Yeah, don't mention it." Naruto tried to laugh it off.

There was a slight pause, until a loud growling broke it. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, one slender hand at his abdomen. "Evidently," he said, giving an embarrassed smile. "My stomach is displeased."

"Jesus, that was loud." Naruto laughed, glad something had broken the moment. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I-" Sasuke started, before being cut off once again by another rumbling. He sighed, but good-naturedly. "You know, I might have to take you up on that. It might just start digesting itself."

Naruto padded through to the kitchen, shaking his head. "It's no wonder you're completely trashed, dude. Did you not eat before you started? Rookie mistake."

"Trust me," Sasuke said, following him and leaning on the breakfast bar. "When you develop a tolerance like mine you need every advantage you can get."

Naruto cracked open the fridge, scanning the shelves. "Right, let's see… Oh! The perfect thing!" Naruto pulled out two steaks, holding them up to his friend. "How does a steak sandwich sound? Perfect food for metabolising all that shite you've got sloshing around in there."

"You don't have to cook, I can have something small."

Naruto waved him off. "Nah, you need a proper meal. Besides, according to Chouji these are the best thing when you're smashed."

The corner of Sasuke's lip curled. "Doesn't Chouji suggest steak for everything?"

"Well yeah, but this time he's right." Naruto laughed. He felt a little guilty as he grabbed a knife and chopping board: he'd got the steak to make for Jiraiya when the all-clear was sounded, but he reasoned that Sasuke needed it more.

Sasuke wandered away from the breakfast bar, picking up his water and leaning his hip against the back of the couch. Naruto started cutting the meat into long strips after setting a pan to heat.

"How do like yours done?" He asked. Not getting an answer, he looked up mid-slice.

Sasuke was frozen, glass halfway up to his mouth, eyes wide and fixed on the chopping board. He was shaking, the glass vibrating ever so slightly in his thin hands. The other was gripping the edge of the sofa so hard that it looked like he might leave permanent dents.

"Hey, Sasuke! You okay?"

Sasuke blinked hard a few times and swallowed but his eyes didn't move from the steak. "Yeah… yeah. Yeah I'm good. A-all the alcohol just… hit me at once. I'll be fine."

Naruto frowned: usually Sasuke wasn't that shaky. He'd seen him slurring, but he was always so sure of his words. Naruto didn't think he'd ever heard his friend stutter before. But, he reasoned, the man had drank a lot. "Okay dude," he replied, going back to cutting the meat. "So, how do you want it done?"

"Rare." Sasuke replied quickly, but seemed to change his mind. "Actually… medium. Medium-well. No blood."

Naruto nodded to himself, taking quick glances at his friend every so often. He was breathing heavily, jaw set, biting the inside of his lip again. His explanation was plausible, Naruto thought: he remembered one particular night when he'd drank far too much and suddenly had to sit in the corner and concentrate on not dying. This seemed, different somehow.

"Don't let Chouji hear you say that. He's always going on about how the pink of a rare steak is perfect with just that little trickle of blood." Naruto remarked, gesturing with the knife without looking at him. "In fact, he'd probably throw you out of the-"

Naruto was cut off by a startling crash, jumping and accidently cutting himself. "Fuck," he yelled, looking up to see just what had happened.

Sasuke had dropped the nearly-full pint glass and evidently it had bounced off the couch, depositing its contents all over the upholstery before smashing into a thousand glinting fragments on the floor. The man himself was leaning heavily on the couch, as if his legs couldn't support him anymore. Naruto rushed over, grabbing some paper towels and trying to mop up as much water as possible.

"Jesus, Sasuke, at least get to a chair if you think your arse is gonna collapse." He looked back, frowning. "You okay?"

Sasuke, eyes closed, nodded, one hand inside his shirt, patting his right side. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm…" He trailed off as he checked his fingers, frowning.

Naruto was worried: this didn't seem like normal behaviour, even if the man had drank half the city dry. Abandoning the couch – it was looking like it'd take some time to dry out – he walked over to Sasuke, still staring at his fingers. And then Naruto saw the blood.

Sasuke, still leaning against the couch for support, muttered a wobbly curse as he lowered his hand, thin trails of blood running down his fingers. That wasn't the source, however; that was readily apparent as a crimson stain spotted his white shirt, slowly spreading and soaking through at his side.

"Fuck!" Naruto yelped again, his voice cracking. For a second he stood frozen, no worldly idea of what he should do.

Sasuke waved it off unconvincingly, but it was obvious he was quite distressed. "It's just a graze… Big, but skin-shallow. Honest. I'm okay."

"Shit, okay," Naruto tried to breath, grabbing Sasuke and guiding him over to the same chair he'd last been deposited in. He tried to channel some of Sakura's medical expertise. "Right, I need to have a look at it. Get that shirt off."

"Naruto I'm okay, I-"

"Shirt. Off."

That'll be the Sakura influence…

As Sasuke pulled the t-shirt over his head, Naruto grabbed his first aid kit, slamming it onto the table in his haste to see just what was wrong with his friend. A white bandage extended around his chest, holding a large dressing in place. At least it had held it until a minute previously, when it had evidently slipped and exposed a part of whatever lay beneath. Preparing himself for what might be underneath, Naruto knelt on one knee, cut the bandage off and gently removed the sodden dressing.

He breathed a sigh of relief: for once, Sasuke didn't seem to be understating his injuries. It was just as he said, a large area of skin had been scraped off his ribs but nothing too serious. It was quite deep for a graze, a bit gruesome as several layers of skin showed through, but nothing Naruto hadn't seen before. Blood ran freely, uninterrupted by the gauze, painting solid red tracks down Sasuke's ashen skin.

"I told you it wasn't bad," Sasuke remarked flippantly, but his voice was still a bit shaky.

Naruto ignored him, grabbing an antiseptic wipe from the kit. "Did you clean it properly?"

"I had a shower."

"Jesus dude," Naruto shook his head. "Do you want it get infected? That shit can be really nasty."

Although not looking at the other man, Naruto could tell he'd rolled his eyes. "Don't lecture me, Naruto."

Naruto shuddered. "You haven't had to listen to Sakura tell her war stories. Fucking gruesome."

Sasuke sighed, seeming to relent. "You're right. I'm sorry. Here, I'll do it myself."

"After the shit-show you made of it last time? And you're gonna need one of my shirts if you're staying over, and you're not getting blood on my stuff." Naruto shook his head again as he got to work, dabbing gently at the graze.

Naruto knew just how bad the antiseptic was on open wounds, but to Sasuke's credit he didn't show any signs of pain. "Staying over?" He asked, seeming confused.

Naruto paused for a second, speaking slowly as he concentrated on the task at hand. "Yeah, I'm not letting you go home like this. First off you're a fucking wreck, don't try to pretend otherwise; second, I wanna make sure you're okay in the morning." He glanced quickly up at Sasuke. "No arguing."

He smirked. "Yes nurse."

Naruto ignored that comment as he finished cleaning the abrasion itself. As gently as possible, he traced over the hard muscle of Sasuke's abdomen, wiping all the blood away. The other man sat still as any stone as the cloth was delicately traced over his ribs and side, Naruto trying to be as thorough as possible. Getting a new dressing, he pressed the gauze against the wound, spots of blood quickly soaking into it as the raw new skin stuck to the dressing.

A new bandage and some medical tape were next, Sasuke lifting his arm as it went around his back. "Hey… thanks Naruto." He said quietly as Naruto slowly wrapped the bandage. "Thanks for caring. I'm not worth all this."

Securing the dressing in place, Naruto didn't answer for a second as he knelt back down next to his friend, leaning his forearm on Sasuke's thigh as he appraised his handiwork. Looking up, he smiled slightly. "Sasuke Uchiha, you are the single worthiest person I've met. Or at the very least, the most worthy in this apartment."

Sasuke did his little laugh-exhale, smiling despite himself. "But come on dude, seriously," Naruto continued. "Don't ever tell yourself you aren't worth it. This… this whole thing has fucked you over in the worst possible way. But you're still the same person. A good person. Nothing can change that. Not in my eyes anyway."

Something intense passed between them. Naruto found it hard to make sense of, a whole rush of feelings, a confusing whirlwind. Sasuke could feel it as well, Naruto could tell: he hadn't imagined it earlier, there was something different in Sasuke's eyes, the same vulnerability that he'd first seen the fateful day they'd reunited. This close, Naruto found himself inhaling the other man's distinct smell. Whisky and smoke mixed with a more familiar smell, one that brought Naruto back to a time when they were younger; throughout everything, the distance, the years, that scent hadn't changed. It brought Naruto incredible comfort.

For a long time they stared at one another, unmoving, this wordless exchange seeming to touch both of them on some profound level. Naruto thought about all the things the man in front of him must have seen, all the hurt, the secrets, the very nature of his life tearing him to pieces every day. And despite all that, despite all he did to shut himself away, to protect himself, to shield himself from more hurt… he was still the same person that had left. And it made Naruto feel fifteen again.

After all this… he's still my Sasuke.

Sasuke then very suddenly leant forward and kissed him.

Naruto, completely stunned, froze. It was only the most brief of kisses before Sasuke pulled away, knocking over the chair as he stood up shakily and backed away, hand to his forehead. Naruto, who had been leaning on his leg, lost his balance and fell onto his ass, almost hitting his head on the table.

"I-I'm so sorry Naruto." Sasuke stuttered, blushing, his eyes wide. "That was a mistake, and, and- God, I'm so sorry."

Naruto was still struggling to process this sudden turn of events, sitting on the floor with a distant expression on his face. "Right…"

Sasuke's face was flushed, colour being brought to his normally cool complexion. "I've had too much to drink, and…" He trailed off and walked to the other side of the room, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get like that when I'm drunk. I'm so, so sorry."

Naruto, still not having moved, furrowed his brow. "No, it's okay. I understand."

In truth, he absolutely didn't. He found the words coming out his mouth like some sort of reflex; his conscious mind seemed to have jammed, like a broken computer spitting out the same error message again and again.

Sasuke kissed me.

He blushed as it properly sunk in. His friend had kissed him! Sasuke was still stammering, but Naruto wasn't listening, the red creeping up his neck.

Sasuke KISSED me.

Naruto was snapped from his thoughts by a loud popping sound, making him jump. As disoriented as he was, it took him several seconds to realise what it was: he'd set a pan to heat for the steak, the oil reaching boiling point as it spat and bubbled.

He scrambled up from his spot on the floor, almost hitting his head on the table for a second time, running to the kitchen and practically throwing the steak into the pan before he accidentally started an oil fire. He busied himself with the cooking, throwing two baguettes into the oven to heat, tossing the steak so it cooked evenly, trying to get his thoughts in some sort of sensible order. Sasuke, meanwhile, had gone quiet, leaning against the far wall while resolutely looking out the window.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called, wincing as his voice cracked again.

"Hmm?"

"Can you bring my drink over?"

He obliged wordlessly, not only bringing him the whisky but topping it up a bit from the bottle, adding a single ice cube from Naruto's freezer. Naruto appreciated the gesture, flattered that he'd both made the effort and remembered his whisky preference – no matter how distasteful he found the addition of ice to a single malt.

And that's not the only flattering thing, right?

"Huh, nice." Naruto commented as Sasuke placed the squat glass by the hob, trying to dispel some of the tension, as well as his own strange thoughts. "I could get used to having a butler."

Sasuke didn't say anything, hopping up on one of the breakfast bar's seats in silence. Naruto didn't know what to say as he plated everything up, gingerly cutting open the now-warm baguettes.

What the fuck do you say when your friend randomly kisses you?!

Naruto awkwardly handed Sasuke his sandwich, receiving a quiet thanks in return, before he realised that his friend was still shirtless.

"Oh shit, you need a shirt." Naruto exclaimed, still rather flustered. "Hang on."

He grabbed the first clean thing he could find and brought it back through to the kitchen. In the half minute he'd been gone, Sasuke had demolished most of the sandwich, slowly nodding as he chewed.

"Hungry much?" Naruto laughed as he picked up his own and tucked in.

Sasuke nodded more vigorously, taking quite a few seconds to swallow the large mouthful he had. "This is amazing."

"Damn right."

They finished in silence, Naruto grabbing his whisky and taking a deep drink. He'd had some time to think over "the event" in the past few minutes, and seemed to have got over the shock. He looked at his friend, the worried frown on his brow, and decided to pour him a small dram.

Right, let's sort this out here and now.

He slid the glass across the counter, Sasuke deftly catching it and swallowing at least half in one go. "Okay," Naruto started, looking his friend in the eye. "I will acknowledge that was… unexpected."

"Look, Naruto, I-"

Naruto interrupted, holding up one finger. "Let me finish. It's a bit weird, not only my friend kissing me, but another dude. I mean, I'm not into guys, I'm not gay. But we all do stupid things when we drink, and I'd be flattered if any girl did that; it'd be hypocritical not to feel the same just cause you're a guy."

Sasuke took a deep breath. "So… we're good? You're not freaked out?"

"We're good." Naruto smiled. "Come on, you know I don't care about who you prefer to stick your dick in."

"I know, but…" Sasuke scratched his head through messy hair, his expression downcast. "Lots of people say that. In practice… some folk care a lot more than they profess. Especially when you kiss them."

"Can't say I wasn't a wee bit taken aback ," Naruto laughed, trying to put his friend at ease. "But it's okay. I certainly don't think this changes anything between us."

Sasuke gave a strained smile. "No, I'm sure it doesn't."

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Naruto woke to a piercing beeping noise. He groaned, slowly coming to, sighing as it abruptly shut off. He was still half-asleep, his body curled up against something extremely comfy. He could feel a dopey smile stretch across his face, until the events of the last night began replaying themselves in his head and he realised what position he was in.

He was spooning Sasuke.

Naruto jumped, scooting back to his side of the bed. He must have got into that position in the night; back when he and Hinata were dating he'd often find himself waking up tangled in her arms. It was one of the more awkward sleeping habits of his.

Sasuke groaned, one hand rubbing his eyes, the other holding his phone. He squinted, bleary-eyed at the phone, before swearing softly. Staggering out of the bed, he almost fell over immediately. Putting one hand out to steady himself, he regained his balance, slowly walking over to his trousers. Casually, he stripped the borrowed t-shirt and pyjamas off and dressed, yawning.

After their food, they hadn't stayed up long; Sasuke had started to crash, and after all the stress Naruto wasn't far behind him. His couch waterlogged after Sasuke had spilled almost a full pint of water over it, they'd been forced to share a bed. As soon as Sasuke's head hit the pillow he was out, snoring quietly on his front. Naruto had found himself awake for much longer. He hadn't wanted to upset his friend, but since they'd kissed Naruto was feeling profoundly odd. Looking at him sleeping, Sasuke had seemed smaller, more innocent.

Shirtless, Sasuke turned to face Naruto. "Sorry, I didn't wanna wake you. I've got a meeting, and… I hate to ask, but could I borrow a shirt?"

Naruto ran a hand down the side of his face, sitting up and yawning. "Ye… yeah. Wardrobe, far right. It's black, will that do?"

Sasuke nodded, taking it from the hanger and starting to button it up. "Wait!" Naruto yelled groggily. "I gotta check the bandage."

He was, of course, waved off. "It's fine, no bleeding. You did a better job than I had, that's for sure. Thanks"

Following him to the living room, Naruto filled the kettle, intending to make himself some coffee. "What time is it?"

Sasuke checked his watch as he laced up his boots. "7.10."

"What? In the morning?"

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow by ways of an answer.

Naruto grumbled as he grabbed the instant coffee from a cupboard. "Making me get up early… you want some coffee?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I never quite got the taste."

"You learn to love it. Here's to our legal narcotic!" He said dryly, raising his empty coffee mug.

The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched as he smiled for half a second, looking through his phone. "Okay… if I leave now I'll make it in time. Here, do you have a pen and paper?"

"I have a pencil from Ikea and what appears to be part of my electric bill, is that good enough?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes but took them anyway. "You're quite the comedian this morning."

"And the rest of the time, obviously. Nah, I dunno. I'm in a good mood." Sasuke looked at him quizzically. Naruto shrugged. "I had a good time last night. It's good seeing you Sasuke."

Sasuke's face lit up, one of those genuine full smiles that always amazed Naruto. "And you, Naruto. Here." He handed Naruto a number scribbled onto the torn-off corner of the bill. "That's my permanent number. I don't always have the phone on me, but drop me a line. I… I was wrong to try and protect you. You can make your own decisions, and if you want me in your life… well, who am I to argue?"

Naruto grinned. "Good to finally hear you talking sense, idiot. I'll text you, yeah?"

Opening the door, Naruto watched Sasuke depart down the stairs, lingering for a second. He heard the street door slam, then silence. He almost felt like he was waiting for another twist, for something akin to the "detectives" he'd had to deal with last time Sasuke was round. But there was nothing to hear but the harsh cry of seagulls in the early morning, and the busy sounds of the street outside, the city gearing up for another day.

Shutting the door he grinned. This was the best he'd felt in a long, long time.