Author's Note: Welp, I just uploaded episode 1 of the epilogue, and I hope you all liked it! If you're reading this I'm assuming you did, or are just wanting closure, either works for me, but I hope you liked it. Anyway, this is the last of the epilogue, but as I said in the last part, their will be a continuation series at some point, so please follow this story if you want to know when that is released! Also, if you haven't yet, check out my Christmas story, Avoiding the Holidays. It isn't Christmas anymore, but I would love everyone's opinions on it. The Naruto and Sasuke characters are much different in that story, at least I think so. Anyway, enough babbling (again). Please, Favorite, Follow, and Review. And of course, Enjoy!

Episode 2: Some Helpful Advice

Naruto had been right. He hadn't gotten any sleep that night, nor had he gotten any sleep for the past week. Even worse, he could feel his relationship with Sasuke being strained. He was suddenly reminded of the feeling he had towards his relationship with Hinata, and that terrified him. He didn't want his relationship with Sasuke to be so strained, but he didn't know what to do to fix it. He'd made it clear that he didn't want their relationship to be known about, and Sasuke had been understanding, not doing anything that might draw attention, but it seemed like he was getting tired of it. Sasuke wasn't someone with much patience, and Naruto knew he was spreading it thin to make him happy. Even knowing that, though, Naruto didn't know how to make it better. Of course he wanted to be more affectionate with Sasuke, but his fear was holding him back.

Kiba and Ino may be accepting, but Neji and Sakura were still quite upset, Neji more so, and of course Hinata was still a mess whenever she saw Naruto. Neji also made it a point to hurl an insult at Naruto whenever the chance arose. It wasn't always about his sexuality, but they all hurt, because Naruto knew where they came from. Sasuke still seemed to be ignoring Neji, and that made Naruto feel even worse. Sasuke was clearly still angry at Neji, but that meant there was no one in the house for him to talk to except for Naruto, and as he said before, their relationship was becoming strained. Sasuke had taken to hanging out at Gaara's to see Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo, and Naruto felt like he was being stabbed in the chest whenever Sasuke would walk over there, not telling Naruto, or just giving a simple 'bye.'

This time it was Naruto who had gone over to Gaara's. When he got there, Gaara was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels. It didn't seem like anyone else was home, and Naruto took the opportunity to relax.

"So where is Sasuke?" Gaara asked after a few minutes. Naruto sighed, allowing a frown to form.

"Hanging out with Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo."

"He's been here a lot lately. You wanna tell me why? I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like those three idiots," Gaara said, still looking at the T.V. Naruto fidgeted for a moment before relenting.

"I think Sasuke is getting tired of me. I told him I didn't want anyone to know about us, and while he seemed okay with it before, he's clearly losing his patience." Naruto had confirmed Gaara's suspicions about his and Sasuke's relationship only a day after he returned to his dorm. He knew he could trust Gaara not to tell anyone.

"I thought Sasuke looked a little frustrated," Gaara said, and Naruto cocked his head in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Before Gaara could answer, the front door opened and in walked Sasuke and Gaara's roommates.

"Oh, hey Naruto," Suigetsu said, waving. Naruto waved back, looking over at Sasuke, who was staring at him. After a moment he sighed and turned to the other three.

"Well I better get going. I still have some homework to do." Naruto frowned, but said nothing as everyone said bye and Sasuke left. He was almost certain Sasuke didn't have any homework, and knew the other man was just avoiding him. What was he supposed to do?

"See?" Naruto said when the other three moved upstairs. "He can't even look at me. What if he dumps me, or finds someone else?" That thought terrified Naruto. Everything he had been through would be pointless if Sasuke left him.

"Well just tiptoeing around him isn't going to do anything. Go talk to him. Ask him what he's feeling. You know, what you do when your significant other is upset," Gaara both looked and sounded exasperated.

"You're right. I just need to be open and talk to him," Naruto said, nodding his head. "I think everyone else should be gone for the day, so I'm going to go now. Thanks, Gaara." Gaara nodded and Naruto waved goodbye before heading back to his house.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called when he walked in. It was silent, and Naruto walked back to their room. Sasuke was lying in bed, facing away from the door. He had headphones in, and Naruto slowly walked up, not wanting to startle him.

"Sasuke?" he asked, reaching out and nudging his shoulder. Sasuke rolled over and looked at him with a blank stare pulling out one headphone.

"What's up?" Sasuke asked. Naruto fiddled with his fingertips before sitting on the bed, looking at his hands.

"Uh, I think we should talk, because it's been really weird lately, you know?" Naruto glanced up at Sasuke before looking back down. "Something is clearly not working," Naruto finished, unable to say more.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Naruto chocked at Sasuke's words and he instantly felt his heart tear at the thought.

"Of course not!" Naruto said, eyes wide and scared. "Why would I ever do that?" Naruto watched as Sasuke bit his lip, looking away.

"I just think, we should talk about what's going on, because, you've been avoiding me, and I feel like you're angry at me," Naruto forced out. Sasuke was now glaring at the wall, and Naruto wasn't sure why he was so upset.

"It's not like I want to avoid you," Sasuke finally said. "How am I supposed to hang around you when you won't even let me touch you? Or hold your hand?" Sasuke looked back at Naruto and the hurt in Sasuke's eyes shocked him. "I don't want to break up, but you don't seem interested at all."

"Of course I'm still interested in you," Naruto argued, brows furrowing. How could Sasuke even think that?

"That's hard to believe. You asked me not to do anything in front of the others, fine. But you won't even let me touch you when we are alone, too afraid someone might come in. It's like you don't even want to touch me. Did I do something wrong, that first time? Because it seems like you have no interest in having sex at all. I'm going crazy not being able to touch you and you don't seem to be bothered at all." Naruto was speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Finally, he was able to get something to come out. "Sasuke, of course you didn't do anything wrong. You were amazing. I'm just, afraid of something happening again, like before…with Gaara." Naruto said, his heart rate picking up and his stomach twisting into knots.

"That isn't going to happen," Sasuke said.

"How do you know?" Naruto countered, a bit desperate. "How do you know someone isn't going to walk in here while we are together? How do you know they won't freak out like before?"

"Because this isn't high school!" Sasuke yelled, eyes angry. "Jesus Naruto. How many times does everyone have to tell you they don't care if you're gay?" Suddenly Naruto heard the front door open and he quickly shushed Sasuke. This only made Sasuke angrier.

"What will it take for you to understand that no one cares about your sexuality? Do you want me to come out? Will that make it easier?" Sasuke's words made Naruto feel sick and he leapt forward, latching onto Sasuke's arm as he began to stand.

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto hissed, trying to keep his voice down. Sasuke just pulled his arm out of his grasp and swung their door open, marching out to the living room where everyone but Hinata was gathered.

"Excuse me, everyone," Sasuke called, leaving no room to be ignored. Everyone quieted down and turned to look at him, confusion written across their faces. It wasn't often that Sasuke initiated a conversation with them. "I thought I should let you all know that I'm gay." Naruto watched with baited breath as everyone stared in shock, Sakura and Ino's mouths dropping open.

"Seriously?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nodded.

"I never felt the need to tell you, but it seems to have become necessary. If any of you have a problem with that, you can fuck off." Naruto watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across everyone's faces and when he looked at Neji, he felt his throat constrict as he locked eyes with the other man. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes spoke volumes. He didn't look surprised like everyone else, and the fact he was looking at Naruto meant he knew. Naruto wasn't sure how to feel about that, but Neji just silently left, not saying anything.

"Well, I have to say, I never expected that," Kiba said, a grin in place. "Congrats man." Kiba patted Sasuke on the back before walking into the kitchen.

"Man, why are all the good ones always gay?" Ino cried, pouting. Sakura frowned, and looked somewhere between hurt and embarrassed. Once Ino stomped off, Naruto could see Sakura saying something to Sasuke, but he couldn't hear what it was. Sakura just nodded before following after Ino.

When Sasuke came back into the room, he smirked. "Happy? Now if one of them walks in on us, it won't be a surprise." Sasuke took a step towards Naruto, reaching out for him, but Naruto immediately took a step back, feeling sick. This was all too much for him.

"How could you be so selfish?" Naruto asked, anger marring his face. Sasuke just glared at him and dropped his hand.

"I think I've earned the right to be a bit selfish," Sasuke growled before storming out of the room. Naruto groaned and flopped back on Sasuke's bed, twisting and turning in frustration. Sasuke was seriously mad at him, but he was mad too! He was allowed to be angry, wasn't he? Sure, Sasuke had a point, but still, he couldn't rush how Naruto felt.

After lying in bed for an hour, mulling it over, Naruto finally got up and went to find Sasuke. He wasn't in the kitchen or living room, and Naruto was sure he wouldn't be upstairs. Maybe he had gone back to Gaara's? Naruto quickly grabbed his phone and keys and walked over. When he walked in, Gaara was still watching T.V, only now Kankuro and Suigetsu were with him.

"Hey, is Sasuke here?" he asked. All three of them turned to him and shook their heads. "Well do you know where he is?" Again, they shook their heads. Now Naruto was getting irritated. "Well could you text him? He isn't going to answer me." Suigetsu nodded and pulled out his phone.

"You two having a lover's quarrel?" Suigetsu asked with a laugh. Naruto instantly blushed, glaring at Suigetsu.

"Oh yeah, I know. I've known the guy since middle school. I know when he's pining for someone." Naruto blushed again and continued to frown, remaining quiet. He didn't have time to argue with the other man. After a moment, Suigetsu's phone buzzed and Naruto waited with baited breath.

"He says he's at the Blue Bull," Suigetsu said, looking at Naruto with an amused smirk. "He also said not to tell you." Naruto ignored Suigetsu's laughter and thanked them before leaving. It would take him about twenty minutes to walk to the bar from Gaara's. Naruto hadn't realized it had gotten that late and the sun was already beginning to set. Hopefully Sasuke hadn't gotten too drunk yet. He'd decided to apologize to Sasuke, and if he was too drunk he might not remember it, or accept it. Sasuke was right, he shouldn't be letting his one bad experience ruin any future ones. He still wasn't ready to be so open about it, but he could try and work on his fear of being caught.

Naruto took a deep breath before opening the door to the bar. He looked around the open room, hoping to see Sasuke soberly sitting at a table. He didn't. Rather, he saw a suspiciously familiar dark-haired man cozying up to a blonde stranger at the bar. Naruto's whole body stiffened and he made a b-line for the bar.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto growled, pulling Sasuke away from the other man. Sasuke stumbled as he was yanked, but turned to face Naruto, cussing. It was easy to tell he had already drank too much. His eyes were glassy and heavy, and his cheeks were pink.

"Oh, Naruto. It's called 'whatever the hell I want.' You should try it sometime," Sasuke said, laughing.

"Who's this guy?" the blonde man asked. He stood from his chair to face them, and Naruto stiffened, looking at the man with a glare. The other man was quite fit, and had hard muscles showing under his long sleeve shirt. Naruto didn't like him one bit.

"My boyfriend," Sasuke said, putting a finger to his chin and chuckling. "Though, I guess it's in name only," Sasuke said, using the arm Naruto wasn't holding to reach for a drink on the bar and down it.

"I think you've had enough," Naruto said, reaching for the glass, only to have it pulled away from him. Sasuke held it away from him, glaring angrily.

"Yeah, I have, but not of this," Sasuke hissed, yanking his arm away from Naruto and quickly finishing the drink. "If you won't touch me, I'll find someone who will." Sasuke turned back to the other man and brushed his hand across his chest. Naruto saw red and once again pulled Sasuke back, yanking him into his own body.

"Hey!" the blonde man yelled, taking a threatening step forward. "He clearly doesn't want you, go home."

"I am. Let's go, Sasuke," Naruto growled, trying to pull Sasuke along with him. Naruto felt Sasuke trying to fight him, and he turned around, mouth open in the middle of a yell. SLAP! Naruto was shocked by the hard smack that met his cheek. Sasuke had used his free arm to land the blow. Naruto wasn't sure if the room had grown silent or if the sound of the slap was just echoing in his ears and drowning everything else out.

Sasuke's glare was rather ferocious as he ripped his arm free and shoved Naruto away from him.

"Don't treat me like your property," he growled, appearing infinitely soberer than he had a second ago. "Nor like a damn dog. I don't follow orders, and I sure as hell am not going to follow you around and wait patiently for your attention," Sasuke hissed. Naruto was frozen, unable to figure out what to do.

"Sirs, if you are going to fight, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Naruto's head snapped over to the bartender, the man's eyes staring at him uncomfortably. Shame and embarrassment engulfed Naruto in an overwhelming tidal wave and he could feel his skin crawling with the eyes of silent onlookers.

"I'm—I'm sorry," Naruto quickly mumbled out, not sure whether it was aimed at Sasuke or the bartender, or all of the patrons still watching him. He ran out of the bar as his chest started to constrict, anxiety making it hard to breath. He gasped as he continued to run, heading towards town rather than the university. He was vaguely aware of the onset stages of a panic attack and Naruto quickly found a bench in front of a closed storefront to collapse on before he toppled to the ground.

His mind was bombarded by thoughts and images, a new one popping up every time he shoved one away. None of them really even made sense, jumping from memory to memory, as if just trying to torment him with all the mistakes he's made in his life.

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" Naruto jumped at the deep voice and looked up to see a man with long, wild red hair looking down on him. He had an umbrella in his hand, and it was only then that Naruto realized it was raining. Naruto just stared in silence, not able to speak as he focused on trying to breath. Finally, unable to hold back, he sobbed and shook his head rapidly, squeezing his eyes shut and resting his head on his knees.

"Woah there! Don't start crying too, you'll choke yourself," the man said, taking a quick step forward, covering Naruto with his umbrella. Naruto couldn't stop his sobs and shook his head, forcing words through his constricted throat.

"I'm…fine," Naruto heaved out, shaking his head. Now he was breaking down in front of some random stranger. The night couldn't get worse. Naruto just wanted to be alone and die.

"You are literally sobbing in the rain at an abandoned park," the man said, and Naruto couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his chest.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Naruto admitted. He looked up again at the man, wondering who he was.

"What's your name?" the man asked, taking a seat next to Naruto, still holding the umbrella. Naruto tried to wipe his eyes, not sure if it was all his tears or the rain that made his cheeks so wet.

"Naruto."

"Kurama," the man said. Naruto looked oddly at the man.

"That's kind of a weird name," Naruto said before he thought about it. The man barked out a laugh.

"Quite insolent, aren't you," the man said, smirking at Naruto. Naruto could feel his cheeks heat up once more in embarrassment, the feeling rekindling his shame from before. Tears began to fill in his eyes and Naruto once again tried to wipe them away.

"I am. Sorry," Naruto said pathetically. He was a brat. A selfish brat through and through. The man remained quiet as Naruto continued to cry, his sobs not quite as violent as before, but still painful. Naruto wasn't sure how long the man sat there listening to his crying, but when he finally felt himself calm down, exhausted by his tears, the rain had stopped, and the man had his umbrella closed and leaning against the bench next to his feet.

"You done?" the man asked. Naruto looked up to his face to see him leaning with his head back, resting on the bench, facing up with closed eyes.

"You aren't…some pervert, are you?" Naruto asked, eyeing the man in confusion. The man chuckled, turning his head to look at Naruto, but not lifting it from the bench.

"Only sometimes," he said. "But that's between me and my partner." Naruto made to stand, but was stopped by the man laughing and lifting his head.

"Don't be so scared. You aren't my type."

"Then why are you sitting here with me?" Naruto asked, still not sure whether it was safe to stay or better to run.

"Because you seemed lonely."

Naruto rolled his eyes and glared at the ground. "Maybe that was on purpose," Naruto grumbled out.

"Not alone. I said lonely," the man said, stretching out the word. "There's a big difference." Naruto remained silent, unsure of how to respond. "And I thought," the man continued, sighing as he heaved himself up and extended a hand. "I know a bit about that, maybe I can help." Naruto looked at the man's extended hand in surprise.

"Let's go for a walk," the man said, smiling softly. Naruto hesitated, before reaching out and accepting the hand. The man yanked him up with a surprising amount of strength and began to walk. Naruto took a quick glance around before following cautiously. They started to walk around the park along the small side walk. Naruto hadn't realized how late it had gotten. All the shops were closed or closing and no one was on the streets due to the rain.

"Now, why so lonely?" Kurama asked finally. Naruto frowned.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Does it have anything to do with that remarkably clear, hand-shaped bruise forming on your cheek?" Kurama asked, and Naruto reflexively reached up, covering the mark. Naruto felt his chest tighten at being reminded of Sasuke's slap.

"I'm quite good at sniffing out problems," Kurama said. He carried the umbrella over his shoulder, walking casually with his other hand in his pocket. "I take it you and your girlfriend had a fight?"

Naruto stiffened a moment. "My…my, boyfriend," Naruto said, looking away. He expected the other man to shrink back, but all he heard was a sigh.

"Ah, so the plot thickens." Naruto looked up in confusion to see the man smiling lightly and nodding. "I know a thing about that too," he said. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You seem to know a thing about a lot of things," Naruto mumbled.

"Yes," Kurama laughed. "I do. I've been around the block a few times." Naruto frowned, looking at his feet as he shuffled along.

"He was drunk. He probably won't remember hitting me anyway," Naruto finally mumbled out after a few minutes of silence. Naruto was startled when Kurama grabbed his arm, stopping him mid step and looking down at him sternly.

"Now stop there. If he is abusing you—"

"No!" Naruto cried, realizing what he'd said. "No, it isn't anything like that." Kurama continued watching Naruto's face suspiciously, but finally nodded, releasing Naruto's arm and continuing to walk.

"Then what happened?"

Naruto wasn't sure why he felt like talking to the strange man, but a warming comfort filled him as he confided in him. "We had a fight, and he went to the bar. By the time I went after him he was already drunk. It's my fault, really. I was being, what did you call me?"

"Insolent?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding sadly. "He was there with another guy, and I got angry and tried to make him leave with me, so he slapped me."

"And why was he there with another man?" Kurama asked. He wasn't being pushy, and the surprising warmth and care in his deep voice made Naruto feel protected. Even so, Naruto felt his earlier panic begin to stir as he recalled the past few hours. He didn't know how to tell Kurama what had happened, or even how far back to begin. Finally, he decided on the very beginning, from when he first started having feelings for Sasuke. He tried to cut out anything irrelevant, but by the time he had finished speaking, they had circled the park three times and the moon was creeping higher in the sky. Naruto wondered what time it was, and why the man was still listening.

"I see, so you are afraid of being caught like you were with your friend, and it prevents you from being intimate with him."

Naruto nodded. "It isn't that I don't want to, I just…every time Sasuke tries to get close to me I think back to that moment, and all the fear and confusion comes flooding back." Kurama was silent for a moment as he took in Naruto's words. Naruto chewed his lip nervously while he waited for a response.

"Naruto, you suffered something extremely traumatic. Not only were you forced to confront your sexuality for the first time, in a public way, but you were both verbally and physically assaulted as a result of it. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone would fare any better in such a situation."

"Yeah, but everyone knows I'm gay now, so it shouldn't matter, right? That's what Sasuke says."

Kurama shook his head with a frown. "Sasuke doesn't understand the severity of what happened. From the way you describe him, he seems like a pretty confidant person, and I doubt he has ever felt the same fear and anxiety you are now. While I can understand where he is coming from, guilting you into anything will only make things worse. You need to talk to him, properly, without any yelling, and explain to him what's going on."

"But I've told him already!"

"No, you've told him only that you are afraid of being caught. You need to explain why you are afraid."

"But I don't know how." Naruto could feel tears of frustration creeping their way into his eyes but this time he held them back, refusing to cry anymore that night. Kurama nodded and gave a comforting smile, which seemed a bit odd on his face.

"Just be honest, and explain what you are feeling, even if it doesn't make sense. Emotions are messy, Naruto, and even if you can't make sense of them, you have to trust that Sasuke will understand." Naruto nodded, and before he knew what he was doing he was wrapping his arms around Kurama and pulling him into a tight embrace. Kurama was a few inches taller than Naruto, but Naruto was broader, so it made the hug a bit awkward, but Kurama didn't seem to mind.

"Now who's the weirdo?" Kurama chuckled, pulling back. "hugging a stranger in the middle of a dark park." Naruto laughed and shoved Kurama's arm.

"You just listened to me ball my eyes out and confess my life's story to you, I don't think we are strangers anymore."

Kurama nodded. "I suppose that's true. Though it is late. I think it's best you scamper off back home and sort things out." Naruto nodded, pulling out his phone and looking at the time.

"Holy shit!" Naruto cried, shoving his phone in his pocket and looking back at Kurama. "I really gotta go. Thanks again. I'd probably still be sobbing on that bench if it wasn't for you."

"Not a problem. Here," Kurama said, handing Naruto a card. "My number is on there. Let me know how everything works out. And I'll be more than happy to give Sasuke a good smack if he needs the extra help." Naruto laughed, taking the card and thanking him again before running off. It was already creeping on one in the morning and he had to get back to the dorm before anyone started to worry. He was a bit upset no one had texted or tried to call him to see where he was but considering he had run off to Tsunade's for three weeks, he couldn't be surprised. Naruto was just thankful that Kurama turned out to be a really nice guy, if a bit odd, instead of a creepy pervert, which considering the time, was more likely.

When he made it back to the dorms it was a quarter to two and Naruto had yawned four times in the past two minutes. It had been a stressful day, and Naruto just wanted to fall in his bed and pass out, but his nerves at confronting Sasuke were keeping him awake. He slowly unlocked the door and crept his way inside, trying to be as quiet as possible. He tiptoed to his and Sasuke's room, glancing at the stairs as if someone would appear to yell at him. With a sigh, he opened the door to his room before a silent gasp caught in his throat. Sasuke was curled up on Naruto's bed, on top of the covers in just his boxers, clutching Naruto's pillow. An odd mixture of warmth and guilt filled his chest and Naruto wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with him, but he couldn't. At least not tonight, not yet. Not until he and Sasuke could talk. He could still feel the fear wiggling under his skin at the chance of being walked in on, so Naruto just grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and threw it over Sasuke before climbing into said man's bed and falling asleep. Tomorrow was Friday, so neither he nor Sasuke had classes while most of the others did, so it would be the perfect opportunity to talk.

When Naruto woke up the next day he was surprised to hear the shower running. Considering how drunk Sasuke had been, Naruto had expected him to still be passed out in his bed. Or, considering it was Sasuke, Naruto considered the possibility he would have woken up early and run off before Naruto even stirred. Naruto was glad neither were true and he walked out into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat while he waited for Sasuke to get out of the shower. He didn't hear anybody moving around the house and considering it was nearly eleven, everyone should either be at class or out doing weekend activities. The only person he was concerned about was Hinata because her classes were all in the afternoon, but he kept reminding himself that she always stayed in her room anyway. Besides, he couldn't chicken out, especially not because of Hinata. It would only make him feel guiltier if he allowed her to interfere with him and Sasuke.

After a quick bowl of cereal Naruto walked back to his room to see Sasuke walking out of the closet in just sweatpants and a towel around his neck. There was a shirt in his hands but when he saw Naruto he froze stopped before putting it on. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Sasuke beat him to it, a flash of embarrassment and shame flitting across his features.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Naruto asked. He had taken a seat on the edge of his bed while Sasuke walked to his own.

"About hitting you," he said, not meeting Naruto's eyes. "And for…you know, sleeping in your bed." Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"It's okay Sasuke. I was being a real ass, and…I don't," Naruto paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I don't mind if…if you sleep…in my bed." Sasuke looked up in surprise, the small blush that had been forming on his cheeks vanishing. Naruto took a deep breath, gripped the edge of his loose basketball shorts, and swallowed thickly, trying to prepare him for the talk ahead. While Naruto was a very open and relatively emotional person, he was also very guarded and hated coming off as vulnerable or weak. This was going to be really hard for him, and he just hoped he didn't mess it up.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Sasuke finally asked, and it was only then that Naruto realized his eyes were closed and he was trembling. He quickly nodded his head and opened his eyes. He couldn't bare looking Sasuke in the eyes, so he stared at the floor instead.

"Not—not really." Sasuke was silent as he waited for Naruto to continue, and if Naruto wasn't so scared he would smile at him gratefully. After a few more minutes, Naruto spoke again. "After…after I ran out of the bar last night, I met this guy," Naruto paused, glancing up at Sasuke, and seeing the unveiled fear and pain in his eyes, Naruto quickly shook his head. "No, it wasn't anything like that! I was," Naruto paused again, looking back at the floor as embarrassment filled him once more. "I was really upset, and crying, and Kurama—that's his name—wanted to know if I was okay. He was really nice, and I ended up talking to him for a while in the park. I told him about everything that has been happening—please don't be mad," Naruto quickly added, glancing up. But seeing no anger in Sasuke's face, he quickly looked down and continued. "And, he gave me some advice. He said I should be honest with you about how I've been feeling. Not that I've been lying or anything!" Naruto quickly added. "But, I haven't been telling you why I'm feeling this way. Does that make sense?" Again, Naruto looked up at Sasuke, waiting for conformation, and after a few tense heartbeats, Sasuke nodded, his features soft. It seemed like he could tell how hard this was for Naruto, and he was thankful.

"When…" Naruto stopped, memories of that fateful day causing his heart to pound and skin to feel warm and clammy. "When I kissed Gaara, I was," Naruto, paused, taking a shaking breath. "Really scared. I had never wanted to kiss a guy before, and then suddenly, after meeting you, it was," Naruto glanced up into Sasuke's eyes, "as if that was all I could think about. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought, if I kissed a guy, my mind would realize I wasn't into it, and everything could go back to normal." Naruto watched as Sasuke tensed. "But, I liked it. It didn't feel wrong, or gross. Maybe a bit awkward, because it was Gaara, but it was like a breath of fresh air. I got a glimpse of what it was like to be with another guy. It wasn't that it was so different from kissing a girl, but it was like having a cramp finally relax." Naruto shivered, looking at Sasuke to see his reaction. His expression was empty, but not cold. Naruto wondered if hearing about his kiss with Gaara bothered him, but he continued anyway. "But then Neji and Hinata came in, and…and…" Naruto struggled, remembering how Neji had yelled at him and attacked him. Sasuke nodded, his expression a bit more pained, and Naruto sighed gratefully.

"I was terrified, Sasuke. It was my first experience with a guy, and what should have been something comforting and eye-opening, became anything but. It was like getting a kitten and then watching it drown." Sasuke frowned at the image, and Naruto hoped he was beginning to understand. "Everything about what happened was shitty. I felt like an abused animal. Just the thought of getting caught being intimate with a guy makes my entire body ache and my stomach feel sick because all it does is bring up memories of that day. The pain, the confusion, you don't just forget that, Sasuke. Being in this room reminds me of it. Getting close to you or touching you, even thinking about touching you, makes my heart race and I can't stop feeling like I'm going to be attacked any second for even considering being with a guy." By now Naruto's face was turning red and tears had begun falling from his eyes. He was only vaguely aware of the shock and concern that appeared on Sasuke's face as his vision blurred. Even so, he continued on.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I really like you, and I don't want you to hate me, or feel like I don't want you. I don't want to feel this way, and I hate that the thought of kissing you or holding you makes me want to hide. Just standing here thinking about it makes me feel sick, and I don't want to be like this anymore, but I don't know how to fix it. I'm so, so sorry…" Naruto's tears quickly turned into gasps and sobs and suddenly Naruto felt arms wrap around him. He jumped in fear, the sudden thought of being attacked crossing his mind before Sasuke's calm voice filled his ears.

"Naruto. Naruto, it's okay. You don't need to apologize. I should be the one apologizing," Sasuke said, running his hands up and down Naruto's arms to try and calm his tremors. "I should have realized how traumatizing that was for you." Sasuke pulled Naruto's head over so he could sob into his bare chest. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. I should have been more understanding."

Naruto shook his head and attempted to speak through his crying. "No, I should have said something. How were you supposed to know when I wouldn't tell you? It's all my fault."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulders and pulled him back, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "Nothing is your fault. Not what happened before, and not this. It doesn't matter if you told me or not. I should have known anyway. Naruto, I don't want you to feel scared or uncomfortable with me. I guess I just thought that after we had sex at the party, everything was fine. I was being stupid."

Naruto laughed, wiping at some his face. "I never thought the day would come when I'd hear you say that," Naruto joked, lifting his head to smile at Sasuke. He was still gasping a bit, but he was beginning to feel much better after letting all of that off his chest.

"Yeah, well it's true. But don't get used to it," Sasuke said, smirking warmly. After a few moments of light laughter, Sasuke looked seriously at Naruto.

"I really am sorry, and I promise not to push anything on you. I was being childish, and it wasn't fair. We can wait as long as you want," Sasuke said, and his sincerity nearly brought a new round of tears out from Naruto.

"No, I don't want to wait. The only way to overcome this fear is to confront it," Naruto said with determination. Sasuke's eyebrows raised in surprise, and Naruto blushed, shrinking back down a bit. "Just, you know, a little at a time."

Sasuke nodded and slowly moved his head forward. Naruto could feel his heart pound in fear, wondering if Sasuke was going to kiss him, but instead, he just rested their foreheads together and gave a small smile. "That sounds good to me."