Title: Grazed Knees
Summary: AU Sasuke and Naruto grew up together.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 7: Twenty-six years old.

"I just feel like our relationship is coming to an end," Naruto told his best friend - Kiba Inuzuka - while staring into a half-full bowl of ramen.

Kiba wolfed down the rest of his meal, licked his lips and looked at his blond-haired friend. It just wasn't right for Naruto to be miserable, it didn't suit him. "It makes sense... You've been with him for how long now?"

Naruto answered immediately, "Eight years, two months." He gave Kiba a sad smile. "What am I supposed to do, Kibs? He spends all his time at work or at business lunches. I feel like I'm only there to cook him a meal when he gets home and warm the bed."

"Maybe he really is just busy with work?"

"No... He's been working there for the past three years and it's only recently that he's started staying late. It's like he's avoiding me... Fuck, I can't even remember the last time we had sex-"

Kiba cut in with a horrified expression, "Too much information there, Blondie!"

Naruto gave him a desperate look, ignoring Kiba's interruption completely. "What do I do?"

"Hm," Kiba brought a finger to his chin in thought. "Confront him? Read his text messages? Go to his work and find out what he's doing?"

Naruto's phone beeped with a message. He flipped it open and read it. "It's from him. He wants me home for dinner tonight... He said it's important," Naruto murmured looking up at Kiba with a terrified expression. "He's going to break up with me..."

Kiba gave his friend a sympathetic smile. "If he does break up with you... He's an idiot."

Naruto returned the smile with a somewhat watery one of his own. "T-Thanks Kibs."

"Tadaima," Naruto called out as he entered the apartment. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen but before he could investigate Sasuke steered him towards the dining table and sat him down in one of the chairs.

Sasuke leant over his blond lover, kissed his cheek and whispered, "Okaeri."

Naruto watched as the dark-haired boy disappeared into the kitchen before returning with two plates of food. He set one of the plates in front of Naruto and one in front of himself. He seated himself in the opposite chair and opened a bottle of wine. "We need to talk..."

The blond lowered his gaze, staring at the varnished wood of the table. "I know."

Sasuke seemed surprised, lowering his knife and fork and glancing over at the quiet blond. "You do?"

Naruto snorted, rolling his cerulean blue eyes. "You think I didn't see this coming? You've been staying out late, acting secretive..."

"Then you already know that I-"

"Want to break up with me?"

"-Want you to marry me?"

They both stared at each other, shocked and confused by what the other had said. Sasuke was the first to speak, voice shaking slightly. "Y-You thought I was going to break up with you?"

Naruto fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth and shrugged his shoulders. "You don't come near me anymore, Sasuke... You stay at work late every night and on your days off you have business lunches with people I don't know... I feel alone."

The chair screeched across the wooden floorboards as Sasuke stood up and crossed the distance between himself and his lover. "You idiot," he whispered, kneeling on the floor next to the watery-eyed blond's chair. "I was out late looking for the perfect ring. I only avoided you because I was scared you would figure it out..."

"So... You're not leaving me?" Naruto looked down at Sasuke, tears slipping down his sun-kissed cheeks.

Sasuke wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Not ever... Shall we do this properly?" He fumbled in his pocket and retrieved a ring box, he opened it and revealed to Naruto a beautiful ring with a small blue gem.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered with a small smile.

The raven-haired boy gave a nervous smile of his own. "Marry me, Naruto."

"Is that a question or an order?"

"Naruto."

"Of course I'll marry you... I love you."

"I love you, too. Forever."

Owari

Author's note:

There you have it, the last chapter. I know this story might seem a little bit 'so they had two chapters as lovers' but there WAS an eight year gap between the getting together and the getting engaged.

I was going to do this last chapter VERY differently with a whole lot of angst and fluff but I changed my mind because I wanted to keep this story as un-angsty as possible. The original chapter would've had a character death or an almost character death so you guys should be happy I changed my mind ;)

Wow, talk about a fast update! I had one chapter left and I reeeaaaaaaally wanted to get it uploaded and 'completed' asap.

Thanks everyone who reviewed this story. Want something else to read? My two priority stories atm are: Learn to be Lonely and Lessons in Love

Love you all! OMG I found Waldo