Disclaimers: Naruto isn't mine. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, angst, & delicious yaoi lemon.

Like Night and Day

Chapter 32

~

Naruto was never the same after that.

None of them were.

Sasuke and Naruto once seemed like polar opposites. Despite Naruto's sad life and obvious loneliness, everything about him seemed to resemble the day. His hair shone like it was a descendant of the sun, his skin freckled and golden- as if coated in honey. His eyes were a beautiful bright cerulean, like a sky you'd lay back and watch pass by in midsummer.

In contrary of his friend, Sasuke's pale moonlit skin, long ebony hair, and cold black eyes embodied the night. It was what made the Uchihas so irresistible. Because the night was a time of shadows and mysteries, of sordid truths and tempestuous lies, and Sasuke was often shrouded in secrecy, in darkness.

Yes, the two seemed so incredibly different.

Or rather, they used to.

Naruto no longer smiled the way he used to. His sky-blue eyes always seemed on the verge of rain, and his skin had grown pale. Even his long golden locks seemed to lack their luster. Now, Naruto also preferred the night. He wanted to be just as lost and consumed by it as the rest of them, to be left unseen and unnoticed.

Few seemed affected by Naruto's sudden change. They noticed, and some were curious about its origin, but it didn't truly matter. Not to them at least.

It did matter to Sasuke though.

He missed the smile, even if it was often fake. Every time he saw it, it would fill his chest with so much warmth. The feeling was indescribable, and he wanted it back. Even when he couldn't act on his feelings, when he stayed away to avoid seeing Naruto get hurt because of him, Sasuke at least had that. Naruto used to light up his entire world.

He missed that.. he missed him.

The Naruto he had known for so long just wasn't there anymore. This Naruto was so different now. He's changed.. and yet Sasuke's love for him has not.

Even with a fallen smile and cold blues, the mere sight of him still made his knees weak and his heart tighten. He adored the blonde. And if he couldn't find the light on his own, Sasuke would help him.

Which is how he had also come to change.

If Naruto was consumed by the shadows of his traumas, the least he could do was provide some warmth in the dark, a light to make his way back to.

Because he would.

He had to.

~

Sasuke ran over to the blonde and pulled him down from the picnic table he was perched on and into his outstretched arms. He gave him a light squeeze, then pulled back to look at him. Naruto met his gaze, but he still looked so far away…

I'll get him back.

He gently cupped the blonde's face, rubbing his thumb against his cheek as he offered a small smile.

Someday.

"I talked to Tsunade" he said softly. "She finally gave in. We can leave, Naru."

Sasuke swallowed back the tears gathering in the back of his throat and let his smile widen instead. After weeks of practice, he had finally figured out how to make his fake smile look as convincing as Naruto's. Though it was still hard to tell if it worked on the blonde it was meant for, it definitely worked on the rest of the village.

Many seemed incredibly uneasy with it, which only encouraged the raven to do it more.

"How long.." Naruto finally replied, his voice low and flat.

"A few years if we want."

Something bloomed in those summer eyes. It was small, but it was the first hint of life Sasuke had seen in quite some time. "Really..?"

Sasuke's fake smile melted down into a real one. "Really." He let his hands fall to his side and slowly linked them with Naruto's. "Where do you want to go?"

Naruto dropped his gaze down to their linked fingers, and at first Sasuke thought he was going to pull away from him. It wouldn't completely surprise him- Naruto has struggled with affection after.. after everything that happened. But he didn't pull away. Instead, he offered the slightest of smiles and gave Sasuke's fingers a small squeeze.

Obsidian eyes widened, and a single tear managed to escape, sliding a smooth path down his face. Naruto looked up in time to see it fall.

"Naru.." Sasuke breathed. His voice snagged in his throat and his lips closed.

Naruto leaned close, ever so slowly.

Sasuke's heart slammed violently against his chest, fighting to break free and take flight. He wanted so badly to take Naruto in his arms, to embrace him and kiss him gently, passionately, with all of the feelings brewing inside of him. But he didn't. He wouldn't. Not yet.

He knew Naruto, more now than he ever did before.

And he knew he wasn't ready.

That didn't mean he was any less surprised when the blonde rose to the tip of his toes, his eyelids closing, lashes fluttering lightly as he kissed his cheek.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes as he dropped back down on his heel, his lips wet with Sasuke's tears.

"Sorry" Sasuke said, quickly wiping at his face, "you just surprised me.."

"Sasuke."

The raven paused and looked down at the blonde. "Yeah..?"

"Let's go."

Sasuke studied the blonde for a moment, making sure he was sincere, that he was ok with this, that he still felt safe with him. "Where?"

"Doesn't matter" Naruto said quietly, "just as long as you're there."

Sasuke smiled and kissed the top of the blonde's head. Naruto might be different after all of the trauma he faced, his mind on the verge of truly breaking, but he had managed to hold on. He was still here. And Sasuke was a big part of that.

After that day, when Sasuke had found Naruto in that cell with.. After that, Naruto didn't want to leave Sasuke's side. He had been the one to interrupt what was happening, the one who helped him make it stop. Naruto knew what his fate would have been if Sasuke didn't show up when he did. So, while he couldn't really handle being touched by him, by anyone really, he didn't want to part from him either.

Sasuke didn't want to leave the blonde's side either, so it wasn't a problem.

Naruto has been living with him ever since. In separate rooms, of course, though there were many nights when he would jolt awake to the sound of Naruto's terrified screams. On those nights, Naruto would be terrified of being alone, and yet too afraid to let Sasuke get close. Not left with a whole lot of options, Sasuke would pull up a chair and grasp Naruto's hand as he slowly fell back to sleep. And then Sasuke would just watch him- smoothing back his hair when he wasn't awake to flinch from it, tracing the lines in his hands without making him tremble, kissing his temple without being responsible for putting horrible images back inside.

Sasuke realized right away that being back in Konohagakure was difficult for the blonde- he had been tormented and violated by these people too, and he couldn't escape the memories when it was right there in front of him. When Sasuke suggested they leave, Naruto had finally met his eyes again. But the life that had returned to those bright blues quickly faded when Tsunade rejected it.

She claimed to care about his well-being, but it was hard not to see it for what it really was. She didn't want the Nine Tails to fall into someone else's hands. Her and her council of hateful elders didn't see the traumatized human being, the person suffering each and every fucking day. No, they saw a jinchurki. One that they could manipulate and use to defeat their enemies and protect the very place that was so determined to destroy him.

It was selfish and cruel, and Sasuke made sure the the entire village knew it.

And because it was Sasuke, people began to sympathize and speak out with him. Something they would never have done for Naruto in the past. Sasuke found that a hint of a smile, a warm token of his appreciation, was well-received by many, especially the shinobi closer to his age. He refused to give any sort of attention to Sakura, but he did offer it to a few of his peers. Kiba and Shikamaru were some of the first to show up and speak out. They didn't know the whole situation, but they did know that Naruto was suffering, and that it was wrong to allow it to continue. Sasuke was truly grateful for Kiba. He had taken it upon himself to get other shinobi to band together with them and, because of their support, it worked.

It was a side of Kiba he had never known because, like Naruto and Sasuke, Kiba had changed.

He had only joined the rescue mission as a shinobi- always eager to prove himself, to follow orders and save others. But after seeing Naruto in Sasuke's arms, bloodied and battered and who knew what else, Kiba realized how wrong he had been to just constantly look the other way. And he was confident that his partner would feel the same way.

Soon, a handful of sympathizers became a rallying cry that the Hokage could no longer ignore. Finally, finally, Naruto could be heard.

And now, he was free.

He could finally escape the cruelty of this village and its horrible people, from the memories that followed him everywhere he went. He deserved a better life, and now he'd have one. Sasuke would make sure of it. So that one day.. one day he could see his beautiful blonde dazzle in the sun again.

He raised their clasped hands and pressed them close to his chest, offering his heart. Knowing, one day, Naruto would accept his offer. In the meantime, he would wait by his side, a light to help him find his way through the darkest of nights.

"Umm.. Sasuke..?"

The raven looked down, pulled from his musings. "Hm?"

"I know where I want to go" Naruto said quietly.

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow, then gave a small smile. Progress. This is progress. He gave Naruto a gentle pull and the two started to head back home. "So.. where do you want to go?" he prodded. "We can go wherever you want-"

"I want to see Sai."

Sasuke paused mid-step. "Sai.."

His blonde gave a small nod. "Yeah."

Sasuke swallowed back all of the protests that rushed up his throat and ignored the sharp stab of jealousy that went through his gut. Instead, he plastered on that practiced smile and nodded back.

"Great" he said between clenched teeth.

"Let's go see Sai."

Author Note:

And that is the end of Like Night and Day.

I hope you enjoyed the journey, managed through the angst ok, and enjoyed the ending. I'm sorry if it hurt your heart at times, and I'm sorry if you are disappointed that the journey has come to a close.

Don't worry~ there will be many more stories, and Cinnamon is invited to every last one.

Take care lovely readers~

Xoxox