As Long as it Feels OK

/*AN: Sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out, I had it written within a couple days of chapter10 but I hated what I had and decided to scrap it before I could embarrass myself.*/

*DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in Naruto. If you have a problem with male/male content then you probably shouldn't read this story as it will eventually be coming to that.*

/*Another note about when this was written. I wrote this before I found out that Garra was the new Kazekage and that Akatsuki was successful in removing the shukaku from him, so please ignore the discrepancy.*/

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Lexicon:

Domo Arigato; Thank you very much
Arigato; Thank you
Teme; bastard

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The two boys sat rather awkwardly on Naruto's couch across from the television. While it was serving as good background noise, neither boy was really giving it much attention, their minds were occupied with the other resident of the large seat.

Naruto's thoughts ran rampant with the many things he'd rather be doing on the couch. Memories of the dream flooding his brain with many wonderful, dirty thoughts. At the forefront of these thoughts was, that tongue disappearing between the cheeks of his rear and the many things that could come from that. He was fighting with everything in him to keep from reacting to the images floating in his head.

Naruto could smell Sasuke, his interest, his curiosity, his nervousness, “Ne Sasuke?”

“Hai?” Sasuke turned to look at the blond, happy that the awkwardness of the situation was no longer being ignored.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, just got a lot of things on my mind.”

“Anything I can do?”

Sasuke was quiet for a long time before smiling a bit, “Yeah. What's it like... Having the Kyuubi inside?”

Naruto showed his classic fox-grin that made Sasuke smile in return, “Wanna see it?”

The brunet was now confused, “See what?”

“The seal.”

Sasuke blinked, Naruto lifted his t-shirt to show the swirling seals around his belly button. Sasuke blinked again before he reached out and touched the pale markings with his finger tips. Naruto twitched and the brunet looked up at him slightly worried, “It doesn't hurt does it?”

The blond just laughed, “It tickles.” The smile found it's way back onto Sasuke's face and he allowed his hand to flatten on the markings. He took in the texture of the slightly raised skin, it felt almost like an old scar.

Sudden realization dawned on Sasuke's features and his hand stopped as his head jerked up to meet blue eyes, “This is what you were doing!” When Naruto only looked confused he elaborated, “At the Valley of the End; it was the Kyuubi that allowed you to fight so hard for so long!”

Naruto smiled slightly as color flooded his cheek, “Yeah. In desperate situations Kyuubi helps me out... Actually, when we were fighting Zabuza and Haku in the Wave Country, Kyuubi helped me defend you....” He paused and looked down, “When you passed out and everyone thought you were dead, Kyuubi helped me to take revenge.” Sasuke still hadn't removed his hand, a fact not lost on the blond. He was finding it harder to resist rubbing against his team mate.

“Defend me? You hated me then, didn't you?”

“I never hated you...” He swallowed deeply. “I... I've always felt this way about you. When we were younger it was mostly admiration. To me you had everything, you had people that loved you, you had strength and ability, you were good in school; and of course at that time I didn't know what the “Uchiha Tragedy” was, so to me you had it all. I was angry at how you acted; you seemed to hate everything, but as we traveled together you opened up, you became my closest friend... You defended me on our first real mission, and you always pushed me to become stronger. Over time, you became less of a rival and more of someone I looked up to. Then, when you left for Orochimaru and Sakura said that I was the only one that could bring you back... I began to realize that I looked up to you for a completely different reason than just a training partner... It was suddenly my worst nightmare to loose you. That's why I fought so hard to bring you back.”

He looked at Sasuke to gage his reaction. He was yet again unreadable, the same as he had been in the hospital so he plunged on, “But when we got back and you started looking up to me, I didn't know what to do... So I pushed you away, I denied how I felt, I kept what was obligatory for a team member, but I was afraid of what would happen if you found out how I felt for you...”

Naruto was still looking at Sasuke, hoping for a positive response when it happened. Sasuke's hand started rubbing again. The heat quickly traveled from the blond's belly to his groin, Sasuke's black eyes were boring deep into his soul as he purposefully ran his hand over the seal under the blond's pants.

“Ano...” Naruto groaned low in his throat.

“What? This is what you want, isn't it?”

Blue eyes were suddenly clear again, “No.”

“No?”

“No, I want you to feel the same. I want to be able to show my affection whenever it pleases me, I want to be able to curl up with you and love you. I don't just want to be fondled and caressed.” Naruto's eyes were hard and a crease had appeared between his eyebrows. Sasuke just blinked at the blond, he had nothing to say to that, there was nothing he could say.

“Sasuke, why did you kiss me in the hospital?”

The brunet lowered his eyes as a blush ran over his cheeks, “I... didn't believe you and... as far as I know... people always kiss the same, I would know if you were telling the truth by your kiss.”

“Ah...” Naruto reached out and hooked his tanned hand through black locks behind Sasuke's head and pulled his face closer, “Did you like it?”

Sasuke swallowed and pulled back. He leaned against the arm rest with his eyes shut for a few minutes while Naruto waited patiently. The pale boy cleared his throat before beginning, “Remember that first night on our mission when I told you about Naruko?” The blond just nodded. “Well... I wasn't lying, everything about your feminine self, it's what I've always dreamed of in a girl. The girls in Konoha are always about manipulating and conniving, Naruko was more like you, now for obvious reasons. Your attitude, the way you'll never lie and you'll take what you want so long as it doesn't harm anyone else. You give up on nothing, you're making me realize that these traits are more important than physical features or ninja techniques...”

The blond blinked, “What are you trying to say?”

Sasuke took another deep breath, “I'm not sure, really. I mean, I still want to be with someone that has those traits, but I can't get passed the fact that while you can provide children, you're still male. This information that you've been denying your feelings for me, gives me more to think about as well. Maybe I feel the same way?

“When I came back from Orochimaru, I realized that you were much more powerful than I could ever be in that state of mind. I wanted nothing more then to become more powerful so I could defeat my brother, that's all I had wanted. You on the other hand enjoyed what freedom we were given and let power come to you instead of forcing it on yourself. Sure you made Jiraiya train you so you could bring me back, but you didn't demand more than what was physically possible at the time. So when I came back I wanted to learn that attitude from you, I wanted to be able to take things in stride.”

“So, we're okay then? You don't hate me for what's happened?”

“No, I don't hate you. I'm quite sure that I never could. You brought me back into the light, you gave me friendship when everyone else in this village thought that I had betrayed them in the same way that Itachi had. You showed me how to enjoy my life, that it shouldn't only be about getting stronger. I suppose in a way, you gave me back the life I'd lost when Itachi killed everyone. I'll always be in debt to you. This is just one more thing to bring us closer.”

The blond leapt at the other boy, throwing his arms around his neck and burying his face in the crook of Sasuke's neck, “Domo Arigato.” He was laughing and crying at the same time, his body shaking, knowing he was right in assuming that he wasn't going to be alone, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy.

Sasuke laughed and wrapped his arms around Naruto's back, “Relax, I'm not going anywhere. While I don't promise that anything will come from this baby, besides an heir for me and family for you, I'm not going to leave you. Even if Naruko were real, I could very well be in the same situation with her as I am with you so it is just as much my fault as it is your's.”

Naruto sat back and smiled, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his palm, “Arigato. You don't know what it means to me. This is what I've dreamt of the most. Not so much the carrying a child part, but the having a family part. Kinda like the saying, 'It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.' You had a family, you know what you've been missing, what you'll gain from this; I've never had a family, our team and Iruka are the closest I've ever had, like I told you at the Valley of the End. Nothing will ever make me happier.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips chastely against the Uchiha's cheek.

Sasuke grinned and ruffled Naruto's hair in a friendly gesture, “You're welcome, Dobe.”

Naruto scowled then smiled, “My name's not Dobe, teme.” He settled against the opposite armrest of Sasuke and turned back to the movie. “Oh yeah, I promise not to throw myself at you now that you know how I feel either. If you choose to pursue things between us then it'll come on it's own. But don't think I'm just gonna sit idly by either, I'm gonna win you because I never loose.”

Sasuke just barked out a laugh but gave no response. He simply settled back and watched the rest of the movie. Everything had been discussed and set in its proper place so things would be okay.

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“Ne, feel free to come back any time.” The blond held the door open for Sasuke. “I have to see Tsunade tomorrow so she can check on my chakra levels and all,” He rolled his eyes here. “but if you want to train tomorrow I'll come find you, okay?”

Sasuke nodded and smiled. He seemed lost for a moment before he darted in and planted a quick kiss on Naruto's cheek, “See ya later, Dobe.” He was already walking away, waving over his shoulder, with the smirk unseen by the blond.

“My name's not Dobe, teme!” He slammed the door, collapsing against it and slid down to the floor for a good sit. It had been a good evening, the food had been delicious, the parts of the movie he'd seen had been good, and everything was as back to normal with Sasuke as they could be. All he had left to do was figure out a way to make himself stand out from the rest of the people claiming to be “in love” with Sasuke. He supposed carrying the Uchiha's child did give him a bit of unfair advantage though.

He stood and padded towards his bathroom stripping himself of his clothes as he went. He turned on the hot water in the shower and drew the curtain closed before stepping under the spray. “Blackness, blackness, blackness.” He chanted his mantra quietly to himself as the hot water rinsed stress from his body. Clearing his mind, allowing no thoughts to enter, he was able to step out of the shower clean of body and mind.

Grabbing a towel he dried his hair as he moved towards his bedroom. Being that it was only across to main room, he had to stand for a few seconds, while he dried off before he could sit on the edge of his bed. The damp towel was thrown carelessly onto the floor and Naruto flopped back onto the mattress with a giant grin on his face.

“Hey Kit!” A deep voice echoed inside his head.

“What?” The blond bit out.

“They're coming for us. They heard you'd been injured on your last mission, they think we're in a weakened state. They're coming for us.”

Blond eyebrows drew together and he pushed himself onto his elbows, “Who is?” Silence echoed for what seemed an eternity before a single word echoed through the blond's head.

“Akatsuki.”

He sat bolt upright, “What do you mean they're coming for us? When? How long do I have? Should I go to Tsunade-sama? Should I tell Sasuke or Ero-sennin?”

“No, you have time. I don't know how long, but you have time. They're a ways away now, it's more then just Itachi and Kisame this time. They know Konoha is strong, they know you're strong. Someone was watching your fight at the Valley of the End, he saw what you and Sasuke are both capable of. There are five.”

“Five?” Silence answered him... “Five.” He lay back on the bed again, repositioning to rest his head on the pillow. He'd have to tell Tsunade tomorrow. He'd have to ask if he should tell Sasuke that Itachi was coming for him. He'd have to find out where Gaara was, if he was still near Konoha after their mission, he'd be in danger too. Heaving a deep sigh he rolled onto his side and looked at the moon rising over the tops of the roofs.

If he was going to become Hokage, he couldn't let this bother him, but he couldn't fail to report it either. He'd simply have to become stronger so he could defend himself when the time came. He'd tell Tsunade in the morning, and if Tsunade agreed, he'd tell Sasuke as well. He'd ask the Uchiha to help him prepare for Itachi's arrival.

They'd wanted to kill him together since Naruto dragged Sasuke back to Konoha, only they'd never planned on there being five. They would need to train harder then ever before, even if Naruto's abilities were limited. He wouldn't give up without a fight, he wouldn't loose before he'd even begun to live his life, he wouldn't go back on his word.

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