Your Choices, My Pain

Your Choices, My Pain Ch. 5

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It was rather early in the morning when Naruto finally began to stir and he winced as his head was pounding and he opened his mouth slightly in an attempt to mutter something but only a pained noise came out as the movement caused a blinding pain to shoot through his face. As memories of the evening before came back to him he felt a bit of panic take him over. He tried to push himself up off the bed though an intense wave of dizziness and nausea hit him and he had no choice but to lay back down and curl up on the bed, whimpering softly. He had been in quite a mess the night before, but now he looked even worse as large deep purple bruises covered his face and there was swelling that made his cheeks puff out more then what was normal. He looked horrible to say the least.

Sasuke had been in the process of changing the bandages on Naruto's injuries when the blonde awoke. The raven could hear the exclamation of pain all the way from the bathroom and he dropped everything he was doing and rushed into the bedroom. he saw Naruto try to get up and rushed to the bed and sat down. "It's ok." he said quietly to the blonde. "You're safe, no one will hurt you. I'm right here." He ran a comforting hand down his friend's arm and then his fingers ran through golden locks.


Naruto's sleep blurred eyes spotted a raven-haired form come towards him and for a moment he thought it was Sai and fear gripped him as he tried to move away from him as Sasuke sat on the bed, though he paused when he heard Sasuke's voice, his foggy mind a bit confused on why Sasuke was near when Sai absolutely wouldn't tolerate him. It took him a few moments to realize that it was Sasuke who was sitting next to him and that Sai was nowhere near him. He began to relax after that. And though his head was exploding with pain, he didn't stop Sasuke from petting his hair, he needed the comfort.

He felt tears begin to leak from the corners of his eyes as he closed them before opening his mouth slightly. " S..Sas..uke...I..." he started but winced at the pain it caused him. He chose to not continue, it was just too painful. He reached up however and one hand gripped onto the front of Sasuke's shirt, he needed to just hold onto the raven for the moment to convince himself that he was really there and that he was safe.

Sasuke's heart clenched at Naruto's desperation for his physical touch and he lay on the bed once more and gently wrapped his arms around the blonde. He continued to lightly stroke the man's arm and hair as he spoke. "Don't say anything, It's ok. You're safe... He'll never hurt you again I swear." He felt tears prickle in the back of his eyes but tried to hold them back. He had to be strong for Naruto and couldn’t break down.

Naruto settled down and he was able to curl up to Sasuke's form, sighing softly. He glanced at the Uchiha, his blue eyes shining from the tears before he closed them again, finding the early morning light hurt his eyes and he just felt like going back to sleep.

Sasuke closed his eyes as well, letting a tear accidently slip but was glad the blonde had his eyes shut. "I need to change the bandages for you... It'll hurt a little but I promise you can go back to sleep when I'm done, ok? And Sakura's coming over to look at you and I asked her to bring to bring some pain medication."

Naruto frowned just slightly at Sasuke's words but he nodded in reply, knowing that it needed to be done so he would let Sasuke do it. Though he wasn't sure if he wanted too many people knowing what happened to him but he guessed that letting Sakura come wouldn't be too bad. He needed some medical attention and he didn't really want to go to the infirmary so Sakura was the next best thing.

Sasuke lightly kissed Naruto's hand in a comforting gesture before making his way from the bed and the warmth and headed back into the bathroom. He retrieved the fresh bandages and wetted a soft washcloth with warm water before grabbing the soap and heading back into the bedroom.

Sitting down again, Sasuke gently began the task of cleaning the wounds once more. They weren't as bad as the night before, even if they looked horrible. At least they wouldn’t get infected. He flinched every time he heard a whimper from his friend and quietly made an apology each time a sound left Naruto's lips.

Finally he was finished and the bandages were applied one more. He lay back down with the blonde after putting the soiled bandages in the garbage and taking the washcloth back to the bathroom. "Go to sleep now... I'll be here." was all he said before he wrapped his arms around Naruto once more.

Naruto felt that same desperation to be near Sasuke showed itself once more and as the Uchiha curled up beside him and held onto him, Naruto clung to the raven and gripped onto his shirt. He sighed and closed his eyes, comforted by Sasuke's presence as he let himself drift off to sleep.

It was about an hour later when Sakura came to look at Naruto and Sasuke watched as she worked. She raged over Sai’s behavior as she worked to heal Naruto to the best of her abilities. How someone who was supposed to love Naruto could do that to the poor blonde was beyond her knowledge. She muttered death threats as she bandaged up their friend and profusely apologized for not being able to do more. She mentioned that numerous bones were broken along his right cheek and jaw and she did her best to at least set them before trying to mend them. Unfortunately some fragments of bone were too small to locate and there really was nothing she could do about that, not without surgery at least.

Sasuke didn't like to think about having to bring Naruto into the hospital... but if it was necessary, he'd really have no option. After the pink haired woman left, Sasuke settled back down on the bed and noticed Naruto's blue eyes were open. He ran fingers through Naruto's hair as he looked at his best friend. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, knowing the answer but needing to hear Naruto's voice all the same.

Naruto had been awake for part of the healing session with Sakura, he had just preferred to pretend that he had been asleep and it wasn't till she was gone that he opened his eyes, glancing at Sasuke as his best friend entered the room. “ I'm...alright...it hurts..but it isn't like before," he said softly, glad that he could at least talk now without it hurting too bad. His face was still somewhat painful but it wasn't quite as bad as before, it was mostly bruising now save for the small fragments that were left. He hoped that Kyuubi's healing abilities would take care of those...but he wasn't sure so he guessed they'd have to wait and see.

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. He had never experienced anything like this before and didn't really know how to handle it. He desperately wanted to confess everything to Naruto at that moment; to tell the blonde how much he loved, and had always loved him... But he knew it probably wouldn't be a good idea, he didn't know how fragile of a state Naruto was in mentally. "Will you stay with me; at least for a little while? I promise I'll take care of you, I'll give you whatever you want, even if it’s just emotional support."


Naruto’s blue eyes blinked slowly at Sasuke as he spoke and he gave a soft sigh before he nodded a bit. " S...Sai...told me to...not come back until I can...stop lying to him..." he said softly, " I..I didn't mean to..It was just an accident.." He frowned heavily and gripped onto Sasuke again as tears welled up in his eyes. He was still scared....he didn't have anywhere else to go; anywhere else to stay but Sasuke's place. But when Sai found out where he was...he was scared of what he'd do. He hadn't thought that Sai would ever hurt him to the point that he had.

Sasuke held Naruto as the blonde clung to him. "You shouldn't go back at all. Is it really worth it? Do you love him so much that you're willing to go through this all the time? He needs help Naruto... he's not going to stop." He pulled Naruto back to look into his best friend's eyes. "Even if you cut me out of your life... He'll just find something else to manipulate you... He'll always hurt you." Sasuke knew Naruto probably wouldn't accept his words, but it was the truth and the blonde had to realize it.

Naruto rested against Sasuke as he sniffled softly. He closed his eyes as he listened to the Uchiha before frowning once again as Sasuke pulled away so he could gaze down at him. He opened his eyes before shaking his head. " I...I don't know...what to do..." he said softly. He was conflicted...he loved Sai a lot but he didn't know if he could go back now and not fear that something would set him off. He had fallen in love with the gentle, affectionate Sai; not the one that his lover had become.

The spiky haired raven didn't know what he could say to convince Naruto. "He doesn't love you... please, I don't want to see you get hurt like this again. I... can't stand it." Tears threatened to leave the Uchiha's eyes and he willed them back but they didn't want to listen as a few escaped. He buried his head in the blonde's chest, not wanting to show his weakness. He knew Naruto wouldn't care... but all the same it was just a natural thing to do.

Naruto gazed at Sasuke as he spoke and he could see the tears that threatened to fall shining in his dark eyes and as Sasuke buried his face into his chest, Naruto frowned as he kept his arms wrapped around the dark haired man. He wouldn't draw attention to the tears as it was apparent that Sasuke didn't want him to see him crying. He stroked his friend’s dark silken locks gently and sighed. " I..I'll stay here with you..for a while... " He said, still unsure of what he was going to do. But he could take some time to think about it.

The raven collected himself and looked up at Naruto again. "Thanks." was all he said and lay his head on the pillow once more. "Are you hungry at all? I can make you some soup or something." It wasn't hard to fall into conversation with Naruto, they'd shared many over the years and he felt comfortable enough to be open, at least conversation wise.

Naruto gave a slight smile as he looked at Sasuke, gazing at him as the raven lay next to him. He felt rather content laying here with Sasuke, it had been such a long time that he hadn't seen him and it was like his soul was at peace. He wondered how he'd be able give him up again if he went back to Sai. He didn't want to think about it at the moment so he pushed it from his mind for now; he'd deal with it later.

At the mention of food his stomach gave a little growl and he blushed softly though it was hard to really see with the bruising that was still on his face. " Guess I could eat something..." he said.

Sasuke smiled as a bit of the old Naruto showed itself and he couldn't help but lean in and kiss the blonde's forehead. "Do you want to lay on the couch in the living room? It'll probably be better than being in here all day."

Naruto felt his cheeks heat up a bit more as Sasuke leaned in and kissed him lightly. He thought about what Sasuke said for a moment before he nodded. " I guess so..." He didn't mind either way but at least if he was on the couch he'd be closer to Sasuke as the raven made him something to eat.

Nodding, the Uchiha sat up and helped Naruto to do the same. Luckily nothing below the blonde's neck was hurt so it wasn't too difficult for Naruto to move or walk. He took it slow though, knowing that Naruto's concussion would probably have given him a headache and he held onto the blonde's arm as he led him through the hall and into the living room.

The raven gently helped Naruto onto the couch and made sure he was comfortable before bringing the warm blanket he had slept with the night before out to him. It was still raining outside, a steady fall that made a soothing sound against the windows and as such it was rather cold even with the heat on.

Naruto made it to the living room with Sasuke easily enough and settled down on the couch. He sighed and curled up on the couch, smiling once Sasuke brought him out the blanket to cover him up with. "Thanks Sasuke…" He felt a bit chilled when he wasn't covered up. He hoped he wasn't getting sick on top of everything. He wasn't sure how long he had been laying in the rain.

The raven nodded and leaned over the back of the couch to look at the blonde. "What kind of soup would you like, I have stuff to make pretty much whatever you want." He smiled then. He couldn't help it around Naruto. He used to always have to hide his joy at being around the blonde, always believing that having friends was a weakness. Now that he knew better, it felt nice to be able to have the person you care about know that you’re happy to be with them.



Naruto gazed up at Sasuke and he smiled as he saw Sasuke smile. He always liked when Sasuke smiled, in the past it had been a rare sight to see and he had always felt blessed to be able to see it and even now when it happened more often he still cherished each time he could see it. " Mm, well I always liked Miso....and with extra pork if you have it." he said.

Sasuke chuckled lightly but nodded. “I’ll get started.” He headed into the kitchen and did what he did best, cook. He made enough for both of them and it didn’t take long for the whole house to smell like the blonde’s favorite food. Sasuke had decided last minute to add the ramen noodles, knowing Naruto loved them. Of course he wasn’t as obsessed as he used to be in his youth, but the craving was still there, he could always seem to tell when Naruto wanted it.

Naruto settled into the couch to enjoy lounging as Sasuke cooked for him. It wasn't long before the scent of ramen noodles filled the air and his stomach began to growl more loudly in anticipation for his favorite meal.

It was nice to have someone cook for him...he had to admit that. He knew Sai would never do it for him... Not that he minded cooking for him. As he thought about things he started to dose off lightly, snoozing for a while as he waited for his meal to be ready.

Sasuke was just adding the finish touches to the large bowls of ramen in front of him, sliding an egg onto the tops of both bowls before setting said bowls on a tray with handles on the sides for easy carrying. Next he poured two cups of hot black tea, his favorite, before setting them on the tray as well. He wasn't sure if the blonde liked that particular tea, but it was what he loved on a rainy day.

Carefully, he picked up the tray after adding two pairs of chopsticks and brought it into the living room and set it down on the small coffee table. He noticed upon entering that Naruto had fallen asleep and really didn't want to wake him but he knew the blonde was hungry and he didn't want his friend to have to eat cold ramen.

Shaking the blonde gently, Sasuke leaned over him so he could speak quietly, helping to get him out of sleep. "Food's ready." was all he said but ran a hand up and down Naruto's arm in a comforting gesture.

Naruto roused out of his light sleep at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He blinked open his blue eyes before he blushed lightly at the fact that he'd fallen back to sleep. He smiled up at Sasuke as the raven ran his hand up and down his arm and he couldn't help the slight shiver that moved through his body at the contact.

He sat up on the couch so he could eat, taking in the scent of the ramen before licking his lips a bit. "Mm...it smells delicious..." he said before he took the chopsticks and began to eat. He knew it would be good, the lunches Sasuke made him had always been delicious and this was no different. He took his time eating, savoring the food as he glanced at Sasuke. " Better then Ichiraku's..." he said and smiled.

"I try." Sasuke smiled as he too ate his ramen and savored it's flavor. He normally didn't eat ramen and appreciated it all the more when he did make it for himself. "I hope you like the tea... I wasn't sure what kind you liked, I would have asked, but it was already made." He hoped he wasn't seeming too nice to Naruto... he didn't want to think he was pitying the blonde, far from it. He was just doing his best to be a good friend; something he felt he owed Naruto many years in coming for all that he'd put the blonde through in the past.

Naruto made soft noises of approval as he ate before he took a sip of the tea Sasuke had made him and nodded. " Hm..Its good.." he said and licked his lips before he continued eating. Every so often he felt a sharp jab in his cheek or jaw and winced slightly but didn't really worry too much about it and continued eating. "I enjoyed the lunches you made me also...it’s no wonder your restaurant is so popular." he said softly.

Sasuke set down his cup of tea and sighed. "I guess... I don't know, I'm happy where I am and everything, I just feel like there's still something missing in my life." He looked at his friend. "I thought I was finally going to be at peace with everything." He took a bite of food before continuing. "Sorry I'm loading this all off on you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke as he spoke, frowning before he shook his head. " No...It’s alright...w..We never get to talk like this..." he said softly, " I don't mind listening." It was rare to hear Sasuke talk about how he felt and to really open up so he wanted to hear all he had to say. "You can tell me anything Sasuke....it will never be a bother."

The spiky haired raven smiled back at his best friend. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, he had to tell him, at least some of it. "Did you know... ever since we were young, I've always felt a connection with you that went deeper than friendship?" He looked down into his rapidly cooling tea. "I know it may be hard to hear now... but I've always wanted to be more than a friend to you, I just never knew how to say it. And then I left..." he cut it off there, knowing that Naruto would understand what he meant.

Naruto gazed at Sasuke as he spoke and listened to what the raven had to say. He felt a soft flush move over his cheeks at the raven’s words. He understood exactly what he was saying. Some may think that he was a bit dense but he was smarter than many gave him credit for. "S..Sasuke I...." he started before he paused for a moment, silent as he tried to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "I..I've always felt that way too....that you and I were connected." he continued, looking down at the bit of ramen he had left in his bowl. "It’s why I chased you for so long...and why I didn't give up on you..." he said softly. He always knew he had feelings for Sasuke; it was what made it so hard for him when Sasuke left and though he never did give up on getting the raven back, he had fallen for Sai before the Uchiha had returned. And after Sasuke had come back..He tried to push down his feelings for him and be content with just friendship.

Sasuke set down his tea and moved closer to the blonde. He placed a hand on Naruto's thigh as he spoke again. "I want to be with you.... more than anything. It hurt so much to know that you were with..." He couldn't say the name, still too angry at the man. "Seeing you two together all the time, and knowing I couldn’t have you... I've already lost so much and then you on top of that...."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke's hand as it rested on his thigh and he didn't pull away from the touch. The feel of his hand there was rather nice actually and part of him wanted to feel Sasuke's hands touch him in other places, but he was still conflicted about everything.

He tilted his head up slightly to look at Sasuke, chewing his lip. " I...I just..Don’t know what to do Sasuke..." he said softly.

The Uchiha sighed then, removing his hand from Naruto's leg and grasping his hand instead. "Leave Sai... you don't need any of that... I can treat you like you deserve to be treated, like someone that deserves everything in the whole world. You mean a lot to me." He took a breath, not wanting to get emotional, that's the last thing he needed. "It's up to you in the end, but I really hope you'll give me a chance..."

He thought about everything that had happened since the day he had left Konoha, all the mistakes he'd made, all the assumptions... He'd officially lost every person who loved him when he killed Itachi, not knowing the truth about the man until after the fact, something that had really shaken him to the core. But with Naruto... he almost felt like it was a second chance, to show someone how he truly felt about them and not hide under every assumption, fear, and lie that had been fed to him. Naruto was the one he needed now...

The blonde glanced down at Sasuke's hand as it took his and he squeezed it gently in his own. " I..I'm just....so scared Sasuke...." he said softly, " You mean everything to me...but I'm scared of what he'll do to you....you can't use your shinobi skills..." He frowned before he shifted himself closer to Sasuke, leaning his head against his chest. " I wouldn't be able to live with the fact that you got hurt because of me..." he said softly.

The raven wrapped an arm around Naruto's shoulders, loving the close contact and leaning them both back against the couch. "Nothing will happen to me... What about you? You can still use your skills... Although with as much use as you've had with them lately, you might want to train a little." He smiled, trying to make the blonde feel better. "I could always talk to Tsunade... Maybe she can do something to help him..." He let Naruto's head stay where it was as he stroked the blonde locks. "We'll figure something out."

Naruto sighed as he let himself sink into Sasuke's warm body as he felt the raven's arms wrap around him and blanket him in a loving embrace. He closed his eyes as Sasuke stroked his hair and purred as he gripped his shirt with one hand. " Hm...I hope so..." he said softly. He did feel rather content and safe in Sasuke's arms.

He did still cared a lot for Sai....his feelings for him wouldn't just disappear just like they had never disappeared for Sasuke but even he was beginning to see that he couldn't keep going the way he was with Sai, even if he promised never to hurt him again....he'd made that promise numerous times before.

"Don't worry about it for right now. You don't have to decide anything... just think about what I said." Sasuke took a chance and leaned down to gently press his lips against Naruto's slightly swollen ones. Despite the bruising, Naruto still looked as good as he ever did in Sasuke's eyes.

The kiss didn't last long at all, just a soft brush of lips, more of a comforting gesture than anything else. It sent electricity through the raven nonetheless and he couldn’t help but smile to himself at the feeling that coursed through him. It was something that he had never really felt since he was very young.

Naruto sighed before he was surprised by the soft feel of Sasuke's lips pressing gently to his own. His blue eyes blinked at Sasuke and he flushed deeply before Sasuke pulled his lips away. He licked his lips and shivered a bit, the brief kiss sent a feeling of… something through his body. He had to say that he liked it...a lot and he wanted more.

It was the same feeling that had sparked through him the first time he and Sasuke had kissed. Though that kiss had been accidental all those years ago..But it was really then that he realized what he felt for Sasuke.

He bit his lip before he shifted his weight and got up onto his knees and put himself face to face with Sasuke before he leaned in to press his lips against the raven’s once more, his hands resting on the arm of the couch behind his best friend.

The spiky haired raven's eyes widened at Naruto's boldness but then immediately closed them in pleasure as the blonde's lips moved over his. It felt amazing to finally have what he always wanted, and he couldn’t help but let a soft moan escape as he wrapped his arms around Naruto, pulling his friend down onto his lap.

Naruto sighed softly as he too let his eyes slide closed as he leaned his body against Sasuke's. He purred against Sasuke's lips as he heard that soft moan escape the raven, that noise causing a shudder to move down his spine. He couldn't imagine hearing anything that sounded better then that noise. He settled down into Sasuke's lap at the raven's arms moved around his body and let his lips part slightly. His tongue sneaked out to gently tease along Sasuke's bottom lip before it retreated again, his hands moving to rest on either side of Sasuke's face. For the time being he let himself forget about the conflicting thoughts in his mind and just let himself become lost in the feel and taste of Sasuke, though perhaps he shouldn't be leading Sasuke on like he was....but he couldn't help it, he was just drawn to the Uchiha.

The raven's breathing picked up as he felt Naruto's tongue slide against his lip. He let his tongue mimic the blonde's, even if the other's tongue had already retreated. He felt Naruto shaking and Sasuke was a bit worried that he may be hurting the other, Naruto having just started to recover. Reluctantly he pulled back with a satisfying smacking sound before he looked into the blonde's beautiful eyes. "Am I hurting you? I don't want you to be in any pain..."

Naruto never felt anything like this with Sai and it took his breath away. Once Sasuke pulled away, he panted softly and licked his lips, his eyes opening halfway to gaze at the raven. He shook his head at Sasuke's question before he placed his hands on Sasuke's chest, resting his forehead against the other man. “No...It… felt perfect..." he said softly.

Sasuke couldn't help but seal their lips once more with Naruto's statement. It was everything he had wanted to hear since he was thirteen and now that he had it... he really didn't know what to do. It was like he was some inexperienced virgin.

Sasuke was never one to dwell on things, his sexual partners were one... When the raven had left Konoha, he really had no authority and as a child fresh into puberty, it was only natural to seek out the desires you were feeling. Sasuke was no virgin by any form of the term and now, kissing Naruto, finally having what he had always wanted, he regretted every one of his one night stands.

Naruto sighed as Sasuke once again brought their lips together and he let himself sink into it once more, purring against Sasuke's lips. He parted his own once again, this time inviting Sasuke to venture inside. He wanted to know what it was like to fully taste Sasuke. And it was so easy to lose himself in it all and he could tell that he was already becoming addicted to Sasuke, his taste....his smell...everything about him. He felt as if he'd finally found a piece of him that had been missing for such a long time...like he was finally whole.

Sasuke took the opportunity Naruto gave him and slowly let his tongue sink into the blonde's mouth, caressing Naruto's tongue with his own and this time moaning lowly at the pure ecstasy it brought. He couldn't help but run his hands down Naruto's chest and underneath the blonde's shirt to caress the soft skin; it was just too perfect.

As good as he had imagined it would be, it was so much better to have Sasuke's tongue push past his lips. He groaned softly in the back of his throat, the sound muffled by Sasuke's mouth as it covered his. It was pure bliss. He moved his tongue against Sasuke's, curling around the invading muscle as Sasuke's taste took over his mouth, tickling his taste buds.

Naruto gasped and shivered beneath Sasuke’s touch. He arched his body into those hands, into the feel of those warm fingers as they teased over tanned flesh and seemed to ignite a fire deep inside his gut, a fire that threatened to engulf him completely.


Sasuke slowly maneuvered himself and Naruto so the raven was flat on his back on the couch and the blonde sat atop him, lips still locked to the other. The position was much more intimate and Sasuke couldn’t help but let his hips rock against Naruto's, his length already growing in his tight pants. At this realization, Sasuke pulled his lips away from his friend and looked at him again. "Wait... what is this leading up to? I can wait as long as you need.. Or go as slow as you need, but I have to tell you right now that if you don't stop me, then I won't." The raven prided himself on telling the truth and this was no exception. It was a very important situation and delicate as well; he had to be careful and not ruin anything.

Naruto shifted on top of Sasuke and held himself above the raven slightly, his hips still resting flush with Sasuke's. He felt an intense heat building between him and the other, a heat he'd never felt with Sai..Even at the beginning. He hadn't known it could feel like this. He panted more heavily this time when Sasuke pulled away and he opened his eyes go gaze down into endless black as he caught his breath. His lust clouded mind cleared a bit and he gave a soft sigh. He wanted to continue...so badly...but perhaps they were taking things a bit too quickly. He still had a lot to work out. " I..I guess we should...slow down a bit..." he said softly, his hands resting on Sasuke's stomach lightly as he sat up.

Sasuke sat up as well but kept the blonde in his lap and his arms around his friend. He leaned into Naruto and rested his head on the man's shoulder. "I love you..." he whispered. It wasn't something he said to just anyone, he rarely said it at all; only uttering those words to three people in his whole life; his parent's and his brother. Now to say it to Naruto was a big step for him and he really hoped the blonde didn't hate him for saying it... he had to get it out. The raven began to tremble in anticipation as to what Naruto would say in response, he was about to apologize when the blonde spoke.

Naruto smiled as he leaned into Sasuke, his own arms going around the raven as Sasuke's head rested against his shoulder. Though Sasuke's words were unexpected, it shocked him really and his blue eyes widened. He was silent though his mind was going a mile a minute, a bit overwhelmed by the confession. It took him a few minutes to compose himself a little before he spoke. " S..Sasuke..I..." he started, wondering what to say to that...but...as the thought about it all came clear, the answer was simple. " I love you too Sasuke....I always have... “He said softly, moving his hand to stroke Sasuke's hair, his fingers moving through his dark silken locks.

The young Uchiha smiled at that answer, his heart soaring with utter happiness. He really hadn't expected Naruto to say it to him as well, not at first at least.

Sasuke didn't say anything more for a while as he held Naruto, just content with having the blonde in his arms. A thought came to him though, he still had to work. He didn't open the shop today and he was sure people were wondering what was going on. Now he wished he had hired someone else for these situations.

He frowned and ran fingers through golden locks before speaking. "I have to open the restaurant tomorrow. I kept it closed today because of what happened but I can't do it two days in a row... Do you think you'll be ok here by yourself? I'll come back every few hours to check on you." He really hated the thought of leaving Naruto all alone after what happened, even if he was coming back later at night after he closed, he didn't want to be the whole day without Naruto.

Naruto closed his eyes as he rested against Sasuke, just enjoying the raven's presence and although Sasuke didn't say anything for a bit, he knew that he was happy and content and he himself was too. He was glad that he could make Sasuke happy....he felt that the raven deserved it even more then himself, with everything Sasuke had suffered in his life. And he realized now that he couldn't give up Sasuke....they would both be miserable if he did and he knew Sai would never allow him to keep his relationship with the Uchiha. He couldn't hurt Sasuke again by cutting him out of his life.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Sasuke's voice and he pulled back slightly to gaze at Sasuke before he nodded. “Yea, I'll be fine...you don't need to worry about me...” he said and smiled.

Sasuke nodded but still had his doubts. What if Sai came to take Naruto back? He would obviously know where the blonde was. Where else would Naruto go? "Just remember... it’s ok to fight back, you know... just in case." He locked worried eyes to Naruto's and leaned forward to kiss him again. "It would be so hard if I lost you to him again..."

Naruto gazed into Sasuke's dark, worried eyes before he rested his forehead against the raven’s. It would be just as hard on him if he tried to stop seeing Sasuke again... No, he wouldn't do it again; it was too painful for both of them. If Sai came back for him, he knew what he'd have to do. He smiled at Sasuke and his hand moved to stroke the raven's cheek gently. "I'll be ok...I promise."

Sasuke nodded, trusting in Naruto's abilities. Despite what some said, Naruto was a great and powerful shinobi, a lot of equally powerful people knew that; his brother included... It did hurt a bit, knowing that something so horrible had to happen to bring them together, but things could only get better. The raven wasn't one for optimism, but he had a good feeling...

Naruto leaned in and kissed along Sasuke's jaw before he rested his head against the other’s shoulder, content to just rest against Sasuke for the rest of the day. It was really the only place he wanted to be at the moment. He gave a bit of a yawn and closed his eyes, finding himself getting a bit drowsy once again now that he'd eaten.

The spiky haired Uchiha followed suit, resting his head against the side of the couch, feeling like he hadn't slept in days. He knew hard times would be coming, for now he was content to have Naruto in his arms at last. He fell asleep with those thought running through his mind and the feeling that he was now fully complete.

TBC

Finally right???? They finally got together XD Well… sort of. At least their feelings are out in the open. Stayed tuned for more XD