Finally. After two years. My muse took that long to go on a break.

If you're still here, well done. No words can describe how I feel. X0

Dozo.

Be My Friend?

10

Kakashi rushed into his village leader's office, his hitai-ite missing and his tall shirt collar – it also doubled as his mask – barely covering his face. His hair was still mussed in much needed sleep and his clothes rumpled from said sleep. "He's awake?"

Tsunade mused at him for a long moment – the man before her fidgeted horribly as he stood before her, finally realizing in discomfort how he probably looked before the elder – and finally decided to spare him his dignity with a flourishing, "Yes, Uchiha Sasuke is awake."

Once again, Kakashi became the ball of excitement that had bounded into her office. Tsunade sighed. The man had become as bad as one of those pups he liked to summon. Of course, this meant that he would be running off without a second thought-

"Jounin Hatake Kakashi," the full address had him freeze to attention immediately in habit. Tsunade couldn't help the smile on her lips as she watched his rigid posture. "Please present yourself in a proper manner before visiting at least. It is unbecoming of someone of your rank."

There was a sheepish, "Yes, Hokage-sama," and then Kakashi was gone.

Sakura very nearly punched a hole through her shared apartment with Lee when the messenger came. It was only Lee's strong arms around her that managed to save said messenger's life. The terrified genin, however, only remembered the – passionate; well, in his impressionable fourteen-year-old mind – kiss Sakura had pressed on his virgin lips. It was ironic that none of Lee's usual exclamations of youth fell from his lips as he gave the dreamy-eyed youth a hard stare in return. It didn't last long though.

Sakura had pulled him down to give him her real passionate kiss, after all.

Naruto was content for the first time in his short life. Sure, there were still problems that he had to settle – the most pressing being Kiba's mysterious disappearance – but at the moment he had the person he cared for the most in his arms. It was enough for him. Naruto glanced down at the dark head pressed against his shoulder as it mewled and turned sleepy eyes towards him. "Naruto…?"

"Slept well?" Naruto returned instead and watched with a fond smile as Sasuke nodded, then sighed.

"Hn…don't get too comfortable, dobe. I'm still half-asleep…and tired…and in shock… Of course I would want to—"

"Cuddle?"

A sleepy glare. "Find someone familiar to ground me. Uchiha don't cuddle."

"Of course they don't, teme. 'Cause that's not what you're doing, anyway," Naruto grinned and wrapped his arms around the slightly smaller male. Sasuke barely stiffened and instead leaned into the cuddle – excuse me – familiar hold. "You're still tired. Go back to sleep."

"Hn…"

Naruto watched again as dark eyes fluttered close. The smaller male in his arms shifted once, and then fell still in sleep. Naruto leaned over to press his face into the dark mess of hair and breathed in the scent of Sasuke. Although Sasuke at the moment was not yet truly the prickly Sasuke from their ANBU days together, he was beginning to return to it.

When asked, it seemed that he knew what had happened throughout his 'disability'. He knew that Neji and Shino had died during his last mission, that he had not been of sane mind and that Naruto had been taking care of him afterwards. He knew too of a disembodied shadow coming after him and taking Kiba away. He had understood when Tsunade wanted to keep him still in the hospital for further observations and understood that he was to continue staying with Naruto in case he lapsed back into his previous state. Naruto's hold around Sasuke tightened. Naruto knew that Sasuke would not really be the same Sasuke from before – he would be mellower, softer; more timid – but Naruto would love Sasuke even then.

Naruto's blue eyes widened at the discovery of the warm, protective feelings bubbling up inside him. He- He—

"Is he still sleeping? I thought he woke…?" Kakashi's anxious voice broke through Naruto's storm of thoughts. He blinked his blue eyes dumbly at the older male for a moment, taking in the still wet hair and rushed appearance.

"Uh- Yeah, he did – wake up, I mean – uh, he's uh, asleep again – I mean, he went back to sleep. Yeah. That's what he did."

Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow in question. "And what's wrong with you? Had some life-changing revelation or something?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the direct hit Kakashi had unknowingly given him. He felt his face flush but hoped his tan would hide it – hopefully. "Um, haha, no! What makes you think that? You're funny, Kakashi! Haha. Um."

Kakashi's eye now held a gleam of mischief that made Naruto regret his horrific acting. Naruto could already see his mouth opening under his dark mask—

"Sasuke-kun…!" Sakura's excited voice – as well as the excited slam of the room's door opening – thankfully interrupted further questioning. She bounded into the room but paused as she finally noticed Naruto's frantic attempt to cover the sleeping Sasuke's ears. She apologized sheepishly under Naruto's glare. Lee smiled as he entered at a more languid pace – which was more like a light jog, really – behind his girlfriend.

"Good morning! I see Sasuke's not awake yet despite being told that he was!" Lee stage whispered his greeting and wrapped his arms around Sakura. "Well, since we're awake already, we shall wait patiently."

Naruto forced a grin on his face. It was fine, really, to have familiar faces surrounding the newly revived Sasuke – except that Naruto needed some alone time to think. And he would not leave his- his—

"Love."

"No!"

The room's occupants, which had increased by a meager two with Tenten and Hinata's arrival – which, of course, Naruto had not noticed at all whilst lost in his shell-shocked mind – stared at him in varying states of surprise. The two newcomers looked confused; Sakura and Lee looked quite affronted, though Sakura was more indignant; and Kakashi was amused. Naruto glared darkly at Kakashi. He swore there was a knowing smirk under the stupid mask. He yelped when Sakura knocked him hard over the head. "What the hell was that for, woman?"

Sakura's ire grew at the blond's obliviousness. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes as her collected emotions from the day began overflowing. "Woman— How dare you! And- And especially after that— If you hated us being together, you could have said so earlier! Y- You idiot!"

Lee wrapped his arms comfortingly around his girlfriend as she began to sniff. His large eyes were disappointed as they stared at him. "Yes, Naruto. It hurts that you are against our love. Although I still regard you as a friend, I cannot see what you have done to my one true love—"

"Why is Sakura crying? What's going on? What happened?" Ino's voice cut across Lee's solemn speech and Naruto was almost grateful. He spied Shikamaru and Chouji edging in behind her, wary of the events happening in the smallish room. He began to regret their coming when the 'truth' was made known. Naruto winced at her tongue lashing about his 'lack of loyalty' – and how did that get there? – eyes growing wide in bewilderment.

"Wait! What's going on? I've never— I mean- I wasn't even thinking about anyone else's love but mine—"

The silence was abrupt. Naruto clamped his mouth shut and began wishing that he was suddenly invisible – he still would not leave Sasuke, after all. Ino's blue eyes, a few shades darker than his own, peered suspiciously at him. "You have no idea what we are talking about, do you?"

Kakashi's highly amused coughing – that was assuredly not infectious – interrupted them. "Maa maa, I think we all understand now that Naruto had been speaking from his mind to his heart. Let's leave him alone to figure his thoughts for his newly-found love. Though, I wonder who he may be…"

Naruto glared at the jounin again and cursed the man's sharp intuition. Naruto would have given in to the childish snarl if the body still in his arms had not shifted. He looked down and was lost in the dark eyes staring sleepily up at him. "Why is it so noisy…?"

It was a long time before Naruto found any peace.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously as he dropped the bag of clothes onto the floor of his small apartment. Sasuke closed the front door and surveyed the place silently. He was familiar with it but it was still the first time he was seeing the blond's house – with his sanity intact. He continued his survey, touching the familiar furniture and just soaking in its warm familiarity, as Naruto cleared his throat.

"Um, this is our- I mean my- uh, well, this is going to be our- ah, your home. Uh, I mean—"

Sasuke smiled at the blond's clumsy attempts at not being awkward. It was rather quaint, really. Sasuke sighed. He must still be rather out of it if his thoughts still ran in that direction. Then again, with my thoughts full only of the Naruto from my recent memories…I might never be able to return to'normal'.

"It's okay. I don't mind staying with you," his smile became a smirk. "For the time being, at least."

Naruto's sputter of disbelief was enough to quell the growing doubts for the moment. It was now almost two weeks since his discharge and Sasuke was getting rather used to life in the 'Uzumaki household'. He smiled wryly at the domestic name as he served breakfast absently. He scowled suddenly at the thought of himself acting the wife to a lazy husband. "Oi, dobe, hurry your ass…out…"

Sasuke flushed at the sight of the half-naked Naruto leaning casually against the kitchen table. His grin was cheeky as he leaned across the narrow table to grab his plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. "You called for me, sweetheart?"

Sasuke stepped back into the kitchen hurriedly to grab the mugs and coffee. You should never let anything so delicious wait for the coffee. Of course, he meant the eggs and bacon. Right.

Breakfast was peaceful – Sasuke was starting to get used to Naruto's casual flirting and their overall familiarity towards each other; there were still times when Sasuke would feel lost without Naruto's warm presence, though this mainly happened at night and with decreasing frequency – as was the rest of the day. It was only strange that it was so…normal.

And it was only normal to forget about something that should not really exist.

The room was dark, the slitted blinds allowing only the barest of moonlight to pass through. The rays fell across the room's sleeping occupant like an ethereal blanket. Where it fell across the pale skin, the skin seemed to glow. A sudden soft sigh and the restless movements of the rays were the only indications of the teen sitting up. Dark orbs stared out blankly through darker lashes. Someone was calling.

Come…

The teen padded softly off his bed and was soon in the living room. He seemed to barely register the cold of the night. His eyes were eerily blank.

…My sweet…

His steps were slow even as he reached for the front door. Someone was calling.

Come to me…

Pale fingers grabbed the chilled doorknob. The lock had somehow been turned. All he needed to do was to answer—

"What are you doing, Sasuke?"

The dark eyes fluttered into awareness at the warm hands that had so suddenly grabbed his. He blinked again at the tanned hands, it seemed much larger than his paler ones, and looked up to its owner. His eyes mirrored the confusion and absently registered the concern on the blond's face. "Naruto? What—"

Sasuke shivered, aware of how cold he was only then. For once, he didn't push away when the blond wrapped his long arms around him. The larger body was warm and comfortable. It was only when said blond lifted him easily to cradle him protectively did Sasuke curse the other for growing taller and brawnier than him. He still couldn't – and wouldn't – protest though. The blond's hold was secure and Sasuke felt so, so tired…

Naruto smiled softly when he realized that the Uchiha in his arms had actually fallen asleep. As he tucked in the quietly snoring raven he couldn't help but leave a small peck on the pale brow. He was fortunate that the raven was too deep in sleep to notice the intimacy. At the same time, he worried. For Sasuke to still be needing such deep unconsciousness meant that he still lacked healing. Naruto set his lips grimly. He would just have to consult Sakura, or even Tsunade, the coming morning.

So deep he was in his thoughts that he didn't sense the angry glare from just outside Sasuke's window. The stupid blond had stolen its sweet again! But it will get it back.

Oh yes it will.

To Be Continued.

Oh, and if you check my profile, you can find some links where I attempted to draw the cover of this story. (And a bit of my other fanfic, Voices of a Distant Star.)

Just saying.

- Asukann