I've loved you since I've known you

Wow! I had 12 reviews for my first chapter! Way more than my first fic! Yay! You all made my day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yay! I have been grinning all day like a complete moron.

Please review and let me know what you think! Also, I have no one to proof read anything I write, so if any one is interested in helping me out, getting a sneak peak at future chapters, let me know! Thanks again for making me feel SOOOOO WONDERFUL!!! You all are great and deserve all sorts of great stuff that unfortunately I don't have to give to you, but hopefully a second chapter will help ease that...


Chapter 2


“Sasuke!?! What the hell? This is not a mess, it’s not even dirty!” Naruto walked into the living room and tossed his backpack on the floor next to the couch. He looked around the room. Maybe it needed vacuuming, but that was about it. Some straightening up of the few things Sasuke actually had in the apartment. The blond quickly walked to the kitchen.

“Sasuke.”

“Dobe.”

“There are two bowls, a spoon, and a glass in your sink.”

“I know. The place is a mess.” Sasuke smirked at his friend. He had actually just wanted to hang out. He just liked to push the blonde’s buttons when given a chance. “Well, then it won’t take us too long then, will it?” His mouth curved up into a small smile.

Naruto pushed his sleeves up. “I’ll wade through this mess, and you can clean the living room, how’s that work for you?”

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” Sasuke turned to go fetch his vacuum. Naruto turned to the sink and grabbed the sponge from the behind the faucet and squeezed some dish soap onto it. I’ll just hand wash them since there’s not much here, he thought. He grabbed a bowl and got to work.

Sasuke stopped by his room on the way to finding his vacuum and noticed that he had a few dishes in his room. He grabbed them and went back to the kitchen. He walked through the doorway and was about to speak when he found himself speechless. Naruto’s back was to him, and he was quietly singing to himself. Sasuke couldn’t make out what the song was, but it sounded beautiful. He leaned against the door frame and watched the blonde. Naruto stood in front of the sink, gently swaying back and forth as he sang and washed. He was dressed in a white button-up and jeans. His shirt was untucked and the sleeves rolled up to reveal slender, tanned forearms. Around his neck was a necklace made of wooden beads and orange stones, a gift from Sakura for his last birthday. He was never without it.

His hair is getting long, thought Sasuke. It reached the collar of his shirt in back, shaggy all around, as always, but now it looked sexier somehow. ~Did I really just think that?~ He blushed slightly. He had to admit, his friend was rather handsome. He continued to watch the blonde clean.

Naruto knew that Sasuke was in the kitchen. Not that he had any super powers or anything…he had a pair of eyes. Sasuke’s reflection was clearly visible in the window when Naruto had glanced out it. ~What is he doing?~ He watched as Sasuke’s cheeks turned pink. For some reason, this made him really happy. He grinned and continued to watch the dark-haired boy watch him.

The late afternoon sun cast its rays through the window, the golden light outlining Naruto’s form. Sasuke stood there, breathless, as he stared at the man in front of him. Sasuke had never really thought of Naruto as a man, until this moment. The sunlight surrounded the blonde, and Sasuke was drawn to the strong shoulders, toned arms, and radiant, masculine beauty of the man that stood before him.

Naruto put a bowl on the rack to dry and reached for the glass. He washed it was he looked at Sasuke in the window. His beautiful black hair shone in the afternoon sun, and his pale skin seemed to glow from some internal light source. He did look like he was glowing. He was smiling, something he rarely did, even in Naruto’s presence. He is gorgeous when he smiles. He watched as Sasuke slid a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs back. Now he would see Sasuke’s eyes, beautiful, that strange black that he had never heard of anyone ever having, except for Sasuke. He seemed to like that though, that this was a trait unique to his friend. He began rinsing the glass, and realized that he should speak up or they were likely to stay there staring all night.

“Are you going to bring those over here, or do I have to come over there and take them from you?” he said softly.

Sasuke’s heart fluttered when Naruto spoke to him. ~How did he know I was here?~

“I can see your reflection in the glass, Sasuke.”

~Oh, great. Now he knows that I have been staring at him like a lovesick school girl…but if he knew I was there, why didn’t he speak up?~ Sasuke’s heart jumped. ~Maybe…~

Sasuke walked over to stand next to the blonde. He set the dishes in the sink, not making eye contact with his friend. “Sorry, I guess there were a few more.”

“It’s no problem. Let me put this on the rack to dry and I’ll quick get those.” He grabbed the glass and moved to set it on the rack, but cracked in his effort to keep hold of it. The glass sliced through his left hand, blood welling out of the cut.

“Naruto!” Sasuke grabbed a towel off of the hook and pressed it into the blonde’s hand.

“It’s okay, Sasuke. I don’t think it’s that bad. I’m sorry about your---” he stopped when he saw the look on Sasuke’s face. “Really Sasuke, it’s not that bad…I don’t think it’s that deep…” he said, as he lifted the towel to look at it. “’Tis but a flesh wound.”

All color had drained out of Sasuke’s face. “It’s not funny, Naruto! You could have been hurt a lot worse. Do you know how much that just scared me?” He was breathing shallowly, and Naruto began to get worried. He reached out and touched Sasuke’s shoulder.

“I’m okay. Just get me a band-aid and it’ll be good as new.” He gasped as Sasuke wrapped his arms around his waist and put his head on Naruto’s shoulder. “You could cut your wrist…you could have cut a finger off…” he whispered.

Naruto put his good hand around Sasuke’s shoulder and rubbed his back tentatively. “Shhhh. It’s okay. I’m okay.” ~What the hell? Is he actually worried about me?~ He pulled back and reached out to brush some of the dark bangs off of his friend’s face. “Let’s go find some bandages in the bathroom, okay? Then maybe it’s time to go watch a movie and relax.”

Sasuke nodded. He grabbed Naruto’s good hand and pulled him to the bathroom. He opened a cabinet and pulled down some gauze patches and wrap.

“Sit on the counter and run some water over that. Make sure to wash it out,” he instructed. Naruto hopped up and did as he was told, not wanting to upset the raven-haired man pacing, holding the supplies in his hands, fists turning white. He let his hand sit under the warm water, flushing it clean, and watched as Sasuke sat down on the edge of the tub and held his head in his hands, elbows propped on his knees.

~He looks so vulnerable like this~, Naruto thought. ~And also downright cute. What?~ Sasuke had on his button-up white shirt as well, a dark blue tie loosened and hanging down under his unbuttoned collar. Jeans and blue converse sneakers finished the ensemble, making him a downright handsome man. He was tall and lean, muscular, but not bulky. His dark hair hung down over his fingers. ~I think I would do anything to make him smile right now~.

Naruto turned off the water and blotted his hand dry with a towel Sasuke had given him. He waited for Sasuke to give him the bandages, but Sasuke was lost in his own thoughts. Naruto slid off the counter and stood in front of the other man, but still Sasuke did not stir. Naruto kneeled down in from of him and gently reached out with his uninjured hand to grab one of Sasuke’s. Sasuke looked up, his fingers entwining with Naruto’s without even a thought. Naruto smiled and squeezed his friend’s hand.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey,” Sasuke whispered back.

“I really am okay.”

“I know. I don’t know why I freaked out like that. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“I just couldn’t stop thinking about everything worse that could have happened…” he whispered again. “If you had been really hurt…” he closed his eyes. “My heart won’t stop pounding.”

Naruto let go of Sasuke’s hand to press his own against Sasuke’s chest. Black eyes popped open again, and a heart raced even faster. “You’re right. It’s really going. You need to calm down.”

“I know…I was just…”

“Worried?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I do anything?”

“Let me see your hand.” Naruto sat down on the rug underneath him and set his cut hand in Sasuke’s outstretched one. Sasuke set Naruto’s hand in his lap to open a gauze patch. Both men blushed, and concentrated hard on anything but the hand in Sasuke’s lap. He gently pushed the patch against Naruto’s palm and began to wind the wrap around it. He taped it up and held Naruto’s hand a moment longer before looking the blonde in the eyes.

“Good as new, huh?”

“Sure is. Thanks.” Naruto stood up, and impulsively leaned down to place a kiss Sasuke on the cheek. Blushing fiercely, he quickly headed toward the living room. “Let’s start the movie, huh?”

“Uh, sure. Be right there,” Sasuke said, raising his hand to his cheek. The skin tingled, and a shiver ran down his spine. He slowly stood and made his way to the couch. Naruto had put the movie in and was sitting back on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.

“Do you want anything from the kitchen?” Sasuke asked.

“Well, we should probably have popcorn, because you can’t watch a movie and not eat popcorn. So of course, we’ll need something to drink too.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Sasuke walked into the kitchen and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. While it was popping, he went to the fridge and grabbed a cherry coke and a ginger ale. He grabbed the popcorn and poured it into a bowl, and carried the goodies into the living room. He blushed lightly as he sat down next to Naruto. It wasn’t a large couch. Sasuke liked it because he thought it was cozy. That was when he was the only one on it. He shifted to edge as much as he could.

“I won’t bite you, you know. Get back here so we can share the popcorn.” Sasuke did as he was told. He knew better than to get between the blond and food.

“It’s chilly in here. Do you have a blanket?”

“Yeah, hold on.” Sasuke reached over the side of the couch where he had his favorite flannel quilt hidden.

“Here, I’ll go grab another one,” he said standing.

“Don’t be retarded. This one is huge, we can share.” He held the blanket up and waited for Sasuke to get situated.

“Okay, are we ready?”

“Yep. Popcorn, check. Drinks, check. Remote, check.” Sasuke counted off on his fingers.

“Oh, what did you grab me?”

“Cherry coke.”

“You hate cherry coke. I thought you would never let that stuff into your house. Didn’t you say that?”

“Well, it’s your favorite, so…”

Naruto blushed and stared at the television. “Thanks, Sasuke,” he said quietly. “Ready to start?”

“Yes.” He hit play on the remote.

They watched the movie, hardly eating because they were so impressed with the film. Sasuke finally bent over and set it on the floor so that they didn’t have to hold it on their laps anymore. Every few minutes, one would look at the other and color would rise to their cheeks.

On the screen, Mei walked through the field of flowers, reminding Jin that he had promised to take her to such a place. Sasuke watched as a smile lit up Naruto’s face as Jin rode through the field, collecting flowers for Mei. He smiled because Naruto did. I love his smile. It is so bright. Why did I not notice it before? He looked back at the television quickly when he saw Naruto begin to turn to him.

“They’re going to fall in love, Sasuke, aren’t they?” he whispered.

“Yeah, dobe.”

“I hope they do.” The blonde returned his attention to the movie. Me too, thought Sasuke, suddenly hoping for it with all his being. He turned his attention back to the movie as well, eager to see if they would, in fact, fall in love.

When they watched Mei cut the ropes around Jin, setting him free, Sasuke felt a hand tighten its hold on his thigh. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He looked over to see that Naruto’s eyes were watery and he gaze was frozen to the screen. Sasuke slid his fingers through blonde’s and held them firmly. Naruto’s mouth curved into a sweet smile as his grip tightened as well.

“Why doesn’t she just go with him?” he whispered as he watched Jin ride away. His voice quivered slightly. “She loves him, right?”

“Yes, she does.”

“Oh…” Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when Mei jumped on her horse to go after Jin, and sharply sucked it back in when she took a dagger in the chest. Sasuke watched a tear slide down Naruto’s cheek. He reached over without thinking and gently rubbed it away with his thumb. The blonde’s heart began to pound when he felt his friend touch his cheek. He did not realize that tears had fallen until that moment. He looked at Sasuke, a lump forming in his throat. “Why…”

Sasuke felt a sudden need to comfort his friend. He reached over and pulled Naruto closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Naruto leaned into him and rested his head on Sasuke’s chest as they watched Jin and Leo fight, swords clashing, blood on the snow. When Mei stood up and tried to save Jin, Naruto gasped and clung to Sasuke tighter. Sasuke squeezed back, trying to get as close to the blonde as he possibly could.

The ending credits began to roll, but neither of the boys moved. They clung to each other still, each in their own thoughts. Sasuke unconsciously raised his arm to run his fingers through Naruto’s hair. ~It’s so soft.~ He cheek was resting on the blonde’s head, and he took a deep breath. ~He smells like outside, trees and fresh air~.

Naruto’s breath caught when he felt Sasuke’s fingers touch his hair. He didn’t move a muscle as the fingers gently combed through his hair. His head was lying on Sasuke’s chest, and his hand on his side, grabbing a handful of his friend’s shirt. He let go and smoothed it out.

Now it was Sasuke’s turn to gasp as he felt the warm hand spread out on his side. His heart began to race and nerve endings seemed to spark where Naruto splayed his fingers.

Naruto was surprised to hear Sasuke’s heart suddenly go double time. As Sasuke slid his fingers down Naruto’s neck, the blonde grasped Sasuke’s side tighter. He listened as Sasuke’s heart seemed to beat impossibly faster. He gently raised his hand up and slowly danced his fingertips along Sasuke’s side, moving slightly towards his abdomen. He listened as Sasuke began to breathe shallowly, a low moan rising from his throat. Naruto slowly raised his head so that he and Sasuke were face-to-face. Sasuke’s eyes were closed, his face flushed as Naruto pressed his hand against the other boy’s shirt again, feeling the warmth radiating from the skin underneath. He smiled as Sasuke squirmed a bit under his touch.

Sasuke opened his eyes to see a pair of hazy blue eyes looking back. The blonde had a sweet smile plastered on his face. His eyes were still a bit watery from watching the movie. Sasuke frowned slightly when Naruto withdrew his hand to swipe at his cheeks.

“Sorry about the waterworks, Sasuke, you know how I get when---” He was interrupted when Sasuke leaned in to place a gentle kiss on the blonde’s lips. Their hearts pounded as Sasuke continued to kiss Naruto softly, sighing when Naruto slid his hands through his hair and kissed him back just as softly.

They parted, breathing shallowly, faces flushed, eyes sparkling. Then they thought about what they had just done, and immediately looked anywhere else. Naruto found an extremely interesting fuzz ball on the blanket, while Sasuke became completely engrossed in a spec of dust he could see on the table. Finally Naruto spoke up.

“It’s getting late. I should probably get going.” He pulled the blanket off his legs and stood.

“It’s too late for you to walk home. You can have the guest room tonight.” Sasuke blushed again and looked away, waiting for the blonde’s reply.

“Okay,” Naruto said softly. “Do you have something I can sleep in?”

“Yeah, follow me.” Sasuke stood and turned off the T.V. and lights before heading down the hallway to the bedrooms. He went to his dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt.

“This okay?” He froze when he felt Naruto right behind him, reaching an arm around him to grab the clothes. Sasuke immediately turned around and pulled Naruto to him, reaching one hand up to hold the side of his face and leaned in to kiss the blonde again. The clothes hit the floor as Naruto’s arms slide around Sasuke’s waist, his hands traveling up Sasuke’s back. Sasuke held tightly Naruto’s lower back as he ran his thumb along Naruto’s jaw, plaging kisses all over the blonde’s lips. Naruto kissed back gently, fingers stangling in the hair at the nape of Sasuke's neck.

Slowly they pulled away again, opening their eyes to look at each other. Each boy blushed even more brightly, and they both leaned down to pick up the clothes Naruto had dropped, hitting their heads together. They stood and grinned sheepishly at each other. They walked to the hallway and Naruto crossed to the door on the other side. He turned to Sasuke and smiled softly.

“See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, dobe.”

“Goodnight.”

Two doors shut and two boys crawled into their respective beds. Each lay in silence and thought about the events of the evening, sure that sleep would not come that night. In minutes, each was out like a light, small smiles gracing their faces.