disclaimer: not mine

warning: yaoi and this probably wont make sense.

A/N: long chapter to make up for it beign late...my bad.

In dreams come reality

He awoke to darkness, with dawn impending. He turned on his side, where he saw the form of his sleeping lover. Naruto's chest rose and fell with each gentle breath he took. His lips titled up ever so slightly into a child's smile. It astounded him, really, even in his sleep Naruto smiled, unknowingly. He reached out and gently stroked the blonde's cheek, as if frightened his touch would set the boys skin alight. Naruto's skin felt smooth underneath his fingertips, even his whisker like scars were smooth. Naruto whimpered softly, unconsciously moving towards his hand, his smile widening as he slept.

He sat up, taking in his surrounding. The window on his right looked over the backyard he could see a lone figure, a child, playing in the grass. A woman sat watching her son playing, the long strands of her hair falling carelessly around her seated body. He tore his sore eyes away from the beautiful sight back to look around the room. It had suddenly gotten much darker, colder. He looked to his side, but where Naruto should have been lay nothing, not even the ruminants of where his blonde had been sleeping. It was if he hadn't even been there to begin with. His heart sank as he got up and walked out of his bedroom.

The scenery around him was not that of his childhood home as he stepped out into the empty corridor, its walls laden with thick black paint, door after door appeared to his side. The brass on the door knobs shone with a silver incandescent with moonlight. He ignored them. He knew full well what lay behind the doors.

He continued down the hallway, tuning out the screams and cries for help as he walked. Coming to a long stairwell he haltered for a second before descending each step carefully. When he got to the bottom, he saw him sitting on the windowsill staring out into the backyard, from looking at his reflection he could see the man smiling.

"There's my family" the man whispered, as if speaking to himself more then he was speaking to him. "My reason for living…have you got a reason? To keep going on? Or is killing all you can do?" his words turned from loving to loathing in a matter or seconds. Every word was spat out like venom.

"I have…" he stopped.

"You have him, I know. But do you really love him?"

"Of course I do"

"The boy who brings you hope your sole reason for living, your tie to your mortality. Is that what he truly means to you? You live for him and yet your life is hidden from his view. He's saving someone, loving someone he doesn't even know."

He tore his eyes away from the males reflection to the woman, seated upon the grass her flowing hair descending down her back like a vale. The woman's eyes refused to meet his, the shadows cast from the darkness of the scenery hid her face from his view. He was thankful. She watched the child playing across the yard, his head bowed and form hunched over as he started playing with a lone frog.

He sighed, looking away. "It can't be helped…" he knew he was lying, and from the sound of the older male's laughter, he knew as well.

"Can not be helped? Could my death not have been prevented? Could the lives of my wife, of so many others not have been saved?" he winced, such a vindictive tone did not belong on a man with such beauty…such resemblance to… "He disserves better than you. And you know it that is why you do not tell him. You're scared he'll leave you. Like so many others have done. If he knew the truth what do you think he would do? Carry on loving you?"

"Leave me be" he shook his head defiantly; his hands gripping the side of his face, covering his ears "leave me alone!"

The man chuckled again, his voice sounding more and more unlike his own. The male turned in his seat staring straight at Sasuke. He found himself flinch under those eyes and take an unconscious step backwards.

"No, no, no Sasuke. We will never let you be" the male's face twisted into his brothers. His wrists bled uncontrollably by his side as he smirked and continued. "You're too weak to fight us off. You've always been so weak and vulnerable little brother. Love has done this to you your hate has faded making you the pitiful little child you were back then. You could not save mother and father and now you can not even save yourself from your own dreams. What makes you think you can protect him, hm?"

He growled his brothers face taking up another person's form. The perfect mirror image of himself stared at him, his lips twisting into a malicious smile.

"What makes you think little Sasuke…that he would want you? Poor little Sasuke, still has so much to learn"

"Shut up!" he yelled at himself, his whole body beginning to shake with rage…no, not rage…with fear.

"Little, little Sasuke. What have you done?"

He scowled and turned towards the open door to the back yard. Before he had even begun thinking about going out into the yard his feet unconsciously moved towards the door, it was only when he was outside, amidst the trees and foliage did he relies where he was and where his feet were taking him. He walked towards the small child. Still crouching and playing with a frog, his feet making a squelching sound as he walked through the mud and god knows what else until he reached the child, a foot or less behind him.

He could barely make out the figure amongst the darkness and because of his awkward crouching position, but Sasuke really didn't need to. He knew who he was.

The small child picked up the frog, cradling in his tiny hands as he got back to his feet and turned towards him.

"It's dead" the child paused for a moment, looking down at the dead creature laying on the palms of is hands, "why does it die?"

"I don't know"

"Will I die?"

He looked away from the child, whispering "…everyone dies"

The child titled his head slightly, the wisps of his hair moving across his forehead and across his eyes. Sasuke's hands tightened at his side. "Everyone…"

"Will you kill me? Like you killed the others? Well…" the child's voice deepened, into that of a teenage male, "will you…Sasuke?"

As Sasuke turned around, eyes wide from shock of the question, the boy was gone, the scenery changed. He found himself at the bottom of the long stairwell, it's rails glistening in the moonlight. Frightful he began a quick sprint up the stairs and once again down the hallway, his legs giving way underneath him as he ran he collapsed onto the floor only to get back up and begin running again. He reached the end of the corridor, reaching out to the door knob he quickly turned it and yanked the door open with such force he almost pulled the door off of its hinges.

He stared.

Instead of his bed stationed in the middle of the room, a chair lay in its place. A dark shadowy figure sat on the chair, 3 others surrounding it. The three smiled as he entered the room, one offering him a knife which he took without really thinking. He approached the lone seating figure with caution.

A head of blonde unruly hair came into his view, golden strands shinning under the rays of the moonlight.

"sss – a –sshh" Naruto looked up, his golden skin stripped from his face leaving a mask of muscle and bone, his eye sockets empty. His mouth opened as he again tried to speak, but only succeeded in spitting out blood, his tongue missing.

Sasuke stared at his ruined face.

He had done this…all this agony Naruto had endured was because of…of him? He screamed.

He awoke suddenly into a sitting position. His hands shaking on his sweat drenched lap, his hair clung to his forehead and cheeks. Streaks of tears and sweat ran down his skin, glistening like diamonds under the moonlight. Warm tanned arms wrapped around his shaking form embracing him, mesh of blond hair stroked the side of his cheek.

"It's okay" Naruto whispered softly, refusing to let him go, "its okay, Sasuke"

Sasuke fell into his shaking hands, his nails digging into his sweat drenched skin trying to avert the pain elsewhere, anywhere, but his heart.

"What have I done?"

"What? Sasuke you've done nothing"

Sasuke shook his head, growling under his breath. He was losing control, this can't happen, not now. What has become of him? How did he get so…so weak?

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice trembled as he pulled himself away from Sasuke, "Sasuke please, please tell me. Your…you're a good person you haven't done anything wrong" Naruto voice cracked as tears flowed from his frightful eyes.

Sasuke turned away from him, pushing the covers off of himself and getting out of his bed. Without making eye contact with Naruto he quickly dressed himself (his cloths being in a rucksack by the side of his bed) and walked out of the room.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto seated himself down onto a swing that had been built underneath a tree, the shadow of the tree cooled down his sun heated skin as a gentle wind began playing over through his hair. He rocked himself back and forward on the tiny swing, which in all honesty, was probably just a little too small for him to sit in comfortably. His feet rocked back and forth gently, making no effort to pick up speed or height.

The park they arrived at was fairly large; it consisted of a small jungle gym, an area that consisted mostly of sand, some benches - that had become a refuge for the tired and lazy parents and for the heavily pregnant- an obstacle course and slide as well as a set of swings. It was still fairly early in the morning when they arrived, the park was located a block or two away from the Uchiha mansion so Naruto had insisted they walked and set out just after 9 in the morning.

He stared into the distance where Sasuke was standing waiting patiently, or as patiently as an Uchiha could, at the back of a small line of children and parents waiting for their ice-creams to be handed to them. Sasuke's body weight would occasionally shift from side to side, his arms firmly crossed over his chest, a sign showing the Uchiha's patients wearing thin. Naruto's sky blue eyes traced the small fan imprinted on the back of the Uchiha's dark purple almost blue shirt and found himself caught between frowning and smiling.

He remembered what Kiba had said to him once, that Sasuke was half Japanese, and that his name meant 'fan'. So it was only logical that the fan be the Uchiha clan's symbol. And Sasuke wore it well. Not that Naruto knew of such things, pride for one's heritage, having to wear the symbol that your deceased parents (and even brother) once wore and living up to such an influential name as Uchiha (Naruto had googled 'Uchiha' shortly after he and Sasuke began their little war to see if he could find anything to use against the raven. Unfortunately he found nothing). He knew nothing of living up to one's name. His lips tugged downwards slightly. Having been separated from his parents at the tender age of 4, he really couldn't remember anything about them; he could barely remember what they looked like before…the 'incident'. However hard he tried to keep their faces pure and untouched, he always seemed to only remember what they looked like laid out on the cold metal table of the mortuary, their faces bruised, cut and drenched in dried blood.

And he found himself wondering if he made them proud, if they had lived and he had not been given away to the orphanage would they approve of the path he'd walked along, his choice of friends? Would they approve of Sasuke?

He had tried so hard when he was younger, when he had lived in various orphanages, care homes and with many different and sometimes strange foster families to live up to his family name. To do what he thought his parents would want him to do, to live the life they thought they could not give him. But like most things in his life, he messed up. As a child he was clumsy, perhaps a little too hyper and always, no matter where he was or how hard he tried not to, getting into trouble with the adults and getting into fights with the other kids. He wanted more then anything for someone to be proud of him, to show them that he was worth their time and effort and that he was not a 'waste of space'.

Naruto lurched forward, knocking him out for his musings and almost off of the swing. He pouted, rubbing the newly forming bump on the back of his head as he turned his angry eyes onto the cause of said bump.

"Bastard what did you do that for?!"

"You looked like you were in pain"

"In pain? You fucking asshole I was just thinking…" Naruto continued his voice becoming strangely shrill for a teenager – strike that- a male teenager.

"Exactly"

"Yea – hey wait! Are you calling me an idiot, huh bastard?" his lips pursed, "your a fucking asshole ya know, you could have given me brain damage"

"Can't get what you already have" Sasuke smirked.

Naruto scowled, launching himself forward fist raised ready to wipe the smirk right off of Sasuke's arrogant face. Sasuke's smirk only seemed to widen as he side stepped Naruto's poor attempt at hitting him and grabbed the blonde's wrist, placing his other free hand on Naruto's waist. He seated himself on the swing Naruto had previously been seated on, using his hand on his lover's waist to pull the blonde down with him and onto his lap with a rather feminine squeak of surprise.

"I would think that you would used to this by now, moron"

"Shut up…I hope you get stuck" he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as Sasuke's hands snaked around his midsection, "hey, hey where's my ice-cream!"

Naruto, fearing the worse for his creamy desert, began wiggling in the Uchiha's grasp looking from side to side with such speed his face became a blur of blue, yellow and light tan brown. After a frantic search his head came to a halt, his eyes growing wide and watery by the second as he looked down at his creamy, strawberry sauced and sprinkled desert, sprawled on the ground covered in mud and ants.

He felt like crying. His ice-cream, his sweat, sweat, vanilla flavored, strawberry syrup covered with sprinkles ice-cream. Such a sight should not be allowed to be seen by any teenage male with the mental age of a four year old. It just wasn't right.

"If you want one so badly, go get one" Sasuke mumbled, he didn't understand why he had to get the blonde idiot the damn thing in the first place.

"You're paying asshole"

"Naturally" Sasuke sighed.

Naruto bounced – literally- off of Sasuke's lap, turning on his heel he grinned and held out his hand awaiting eagerly for the Uchiha's money. Sasuke again sighed, pulling out his wallet he handed the money over. As soon as the bills were within his grasp he happily walked off towards the ice-cream truck.

When he joined the small line of chattering children he looked over his shoulder, childishly poking his tongue out at Sasuke. He knew Sasuke would have glared at him and again insulted both his intelligence and mental state. He would have, had he been looking at him. And a rather red faced disgruntled looking father hadn't been standing in his way.

"You little brat" the man mumbled.

Naruto spotted the little girl tugging at her father's long t-shirt and decided it best not to call the man an asshole. However much he wanted to.

"Sorry sir." He laughed sheepishly simultaneously ribbing the back of his head. "There's been a mistake I didn't know you were there" he continued to laugh before noticing the man still scowling at him. He dropped his arm and pouted, turning back towards the ice-cream truck.

Once he received his ice-cream, politely thanking the man Naruto walked back to where he had left Sasuke, the raven still looking of into the distance. Naruto stopped and looked in the general direction his boyfriend was looking in since he left.

He could see…nothing, at least nothing of significance. He squinted. He thought, for a second, he saw a giant shadow, his eyes watching him through the darkness of the trees. He frowned and continued his walk back towards Sasuke. His mind was probably playing games on him after all he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. He was probably just a little tired.

"Sasuke?" he asked, the Uchiha's eyes never once faltered from whatever had caught his attention. Naruto tired again, "Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed, "Come on"

"What?"

"We're leaving"

"But we just got here. Sasuke, you promised whatever I wanted to do you would do, and I want to stay here"

"Stop being such a child" he stated, but there was no amusement in his tone. As he turned away from the thing that had caught his attention and looked up at the blonde Naruto found himself flinch under the stare of his lover.

Fear and anger flashed back and fourth in his eyes the two emotions fighting for dominance as Sasuke tried to push them to the back of his mind, with little, if any effect. Natural light hit his eyes in a way that gave them an endless look and, if Naruto titled his head to the right, made them look almost red, crimson. Like a deep pool of blood.

"I told you not to think too much, you'll overload your brain and I'll be the one who has to clean up the mess."

"Bastard" he pouted trying to bring some form of normality back into his momentary lapse of concentration. He moved his head slightly away from Sasuke, closing them as he crossed his arms over his chest.

A pale hand gripped his chin and titled his head skyward causing his closed eyes to immediately open, staring into dull obsidian eyes Naruto felt his heart sink. So much pain. He could see and feel so much pain in those eyes, a blade cutting, grating, tearing through him, ripping his skin, separating his insides. He could feel the pain dance through him, setting his insides on fire. An ounce of what he knew Sasuke had to be feeling, he wanted to douse that fire, both inside him and inside Sasuke, to put away the pain and torment, lock it in a cupboard at the far reaches of his mind and throw away the key.

Sasuke ran his thumb gently over the blonde's pursed lips before taking them with his owns. He watched as Naruto's eyes gently shut though he kept his open, watching the others face closely, the blonde's eyebrow's furrowed in an concerning manor instead of a confused one, wrinkles appearing on his eyelids and at the corner of his eyes as he fought back what Sasuke could only assume to be tears. Sasuke wrapped the blonde in his arms, pulling him closer as Naruto simultaneously wrapped his arms around his neck.

As they parted Naruto buried his face into the Uchiha's shirt, his arms remaining around Sasuke's neck keeping him from pulling back. He didn't want to look into Sasuke's eyes but a part of him, the sentimental part that had formed and grown since he'd met the raven, wanted him to never let Sasuke go, it told him to burry this moment in his memory and so he did. Though he didn't know why, but didn't question it.

"Come on, moron. I can't walk with you hanging off of me"

"Carry me asshole" Naruto whined childishly, rubbing his nose against Sasuke shirt.

Sasuke simply sighed and obliged, picking Naruto up by his thighs he secured the younger teens legs around his waist as Naruto snuggled into his shoulder. He loved the way he could fit so easily into Sasuke's arms, how Sasuke almost effortlessly lifted and carried him like he weighed a feather and the way Sasuke's body felt against him, his hard body pressed tightly against his own, he felt secure and protected like Sasuke was his wall barricading him from oncoming threats.

"You need to stop eating that shit you call food, it's making you fat"

Naruto remained silent as Sasuke started back down the road. He stared off into the undergrowth and trees, staring straight into eyes as yellow as a sunflowers petal, eyes that had no iris or pupils, just yellow. His face obscured by the darkness and distance. But Naruto could see, just as clear as day, he was staring directly at him not even bothering to hide or look away when their eyes met.

"You see him, right"

"Yea…who is he?"

"His name is Zetsu, he's a part of the Akatsuki but you already knew – a little at least – about them" Naruto guiltily stayed silent, "I'm no fool Naruto, I know Kiba told you I work for them"

"…Who are they?"

"Later. I'll tell you later" Naruto took that as a promised and decided to drop his questions.

"You hungry?" Sasuke dark velvet voice rung through him, sending involuntary shivers up and down his spine then…his stomach growled.

"Ramen?" he spoke up, hope dripping from his suddenly chirpy voice. He pushed himself backwards as to give Sasuke his best puppy dog look.

"No"

"Please?"

"No"

"But-"

"No"

"sasu-"

"No"

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temples hard enough to leave marks there when he was done. He glared from behind his hand at Naruto who kept happily eating his food, sometimes not even bothering to swallow before he clumsily scooped in another large mouthful of noodles.

Naruto caught his look his grin spread across his face faster then fire on gasoline.

"Thanks Sasuke!" the blonde chimed, half of his food spilling out of his mouth and down his chin.

Sasuke rubbed his temples harder as he gestured for the waitress, a young brunette, over to their table.

"What would you like sir?" she said, taking out a small notebook from the apron tied around her waist.

"Sake" he groaned.

"Hey! Hey! Sasuke you can't order that!" Naruto yelled, again sharing his half chewed food with however was watching, which, Sasuke had to say, was just about everyone within a 5 meter radius. He pointed at him and turned on the waitress, "he's underage!!"

She stared at the blonde boy for a second before turning to Sasuke, then back towards Naruto before going back to Sasuke studying the male's features. "Looks old enough to me, kid"

"What!"

"I'll be back in just a moment sir" she nodded before leaving behind a reclining door marked 'private'.

Sasuke allowed himself a small smirk of victory as Naruto gawked at him, giving him full view of the half chewed ramen left in the blonde's mouth.

"Naruto swallow." The blonde continued to gawk, his food slowly dripping down his chin and back into the bowl nestled in front of Naruto "Naruto. Swallow"

Naruto snapped out of his momentarily lapse into stupidity and swallowed what was left of his food, using the back of his hand to wipe away the half chewed noodles and broth from his chin.

"If you're having sake so am I!"

"No"

"Why?"

"You're too young"

"So are you!"

Sasuke again began to rub his abused temples in a vein effort to ward of his oncoming headache. He had already given into Naruto and bought not only his ice-cream – strike that – two ice-creams (both of which ended up on the floor) and then given in for a second time and not only found a Japanese styled restaurant to suit the blonde's culinary tastes but bought the junk Naruto wolfed down as if it were his last meal and look where it had gotten him. Not only was he going to become bankrupt by the end of the meal but he had a headache as painful as Mount Fuji is grand.

He looked up staring at his blonde companion. A sad look crossed the blonde's face as he stared down at the broth in his bowel tapping his chopsticks on the surface of their table.

"If it means that much to you"

"No…it's not tha – it's just you said, you said that today would be a 'pleasant' day and we would get to spend some time together, but" he turned away, looking out of the open bay window, "we've done nothing but fight"

"I'm sorry, I'll try harder. I didn't mean to spoil your day" Sasuke's words did nothing to brighten his mood, if anything the complete lack of sincerity in his voice only dampened his mood. Seeing that man, that Zetsu earlier had shaken something within him and Naruto didn't know what or why. He just knew that Sasuke was on a slippery slope and he wasn't about to stop anytime soon, he could see it in his eyes, their dying light made him worry and the pain he felt from them hurt him. He could feel the pain as if it were his own.

"I'm sorry Naruto" Sasuke, for the umpteenth time today, snapped him out of his musings. He looked up. He could see Sasuke was trying, trying to be calmer and sincere and if he listened closely his tone softened if only for that one sentence. Naruto couldn't help but smile.

After eating another 3 bowels of ramen and downing two bottle's of sake both males exited the restaurant after paying and tipping (Naruto insisted) the waitress. Naruto grabbed a hold of Sasuke's hand as the walked along side one another down the street. Sasuke glaring at anyone who dared to sneer or…well he just about glared at everyone.

Everyone seemed to keep well away from them, when they walked down the pathway other pedestrians either went inside one of the buildings or shops or crossed the road and onto the other sidewalk if only to cross again after a few feet radius had distanced them from Naruto and Sasuke. Whether it was because of the Uchiha's glare or some other reason Naruto ignored them. They weren't what mattered to him.

Naruto's smile hadn't faltered since it appeared on his face, if anything it grew. He still was more then slightly confused at Sasuke's lapse back into his stoic and asocial personality but he didn't think about it. If he thought about it, it would dampen his mood and that would make the raven worry and then they'd fight and Naruto, though he did enjoy grating the Uchiha's nerves, didn't want to fight with him. He'd done so much fighting in his life, physically fighting for his pride and his estranged parents pride and fighting to get acknowledged by his peers and teachers even if all they did was degrade and humiliate him, he didn't want to fight with someone he loved.

And he was hoping that maybe, just maybe, his mood would be contagious and by the end of the day Sasuke would take the stick that had miraculously re-lodged itself in his ass.

He watched the raven carefully from the corner of his eyes, he could see dark bags lining his eyes, highlighted from the lights both natural and manmade, his eyes were red rimmed and brows angled down. He'd lost his scowl though, his lips thinned into a straight line. His eyes, though, still held the same red tint to them as Naruto study his features. Naruto pouted and poked the ravens side with his spare hand, his boyfriend merely grunted and flinched slightly.

Naruto's pout formed into an angry scowl as he tried again, this time harder, jabbing the other male in the kidneys with his fore and middle fingers. Sasuke this time did turn to him, his lips tugged down as he haltered his steps.

"What?"

"I'm bored" he moaned using his free hand he began rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Sasuke sighed, his eyes cast down as he began rubbing at his temples Naruto noticed he'd been doing that a lot lately, but didn't comment.

Sasuke groaned, he was beginning to run out of ideas of things to do and places to go. Truefully there wasn't much to do. His home town was pretty much segregated from everything, a part from the park and the restaurant all Sasuke could think of was the cinema located a few miles back and the cemetery, a place he'd spent most of his childhood at. Neither places sounded very enticing to him.

There had been someplace else, though, something he'd seen in the paper this morning before Naruto had aroused from his sleep and demanded they go to the park. But the more he thought about this place and how Naruto would drag him around, ranting and raving in his ear and bouncing on the balls of his feet, the more enticing the cemetery sounded.

He gave up and decided, if there was one good thing he could do for the blonde today, it would be to take him there. Even if he, himself wouldn't necessarily enjoy being there.

Naruto looked up at him, with impertinence glinting in his blue eyes.

"Well?" he drawled out, his hand moving to make a circle in the air as he continued to stare up at him.

"Come on" was all he got before he was yanked forward with such force and surprise, he almost lost his footing as he tried to catch up to Sasuke's longer impatient strides.

"Hey! Where are we going? Asshole, don't drag me! I can walk ya know!" but Sasuke had tuned him out as best he could.

They took a left at the next corner, Naruto trying his damn hardest to try and slow Sasuke down while simultaneously pouting and cursing the older male. It was a look only Naruto could achieve. The look that showed he was pissed off but also showed his innocence and childlike façade. It amused Sasuke. Amused him to the point that it annoyed Naruto.

Sasuke had no right to be amused!

The walked along the sidewalk, the other pedestrians busying themselves with other things, chatting, window shopping and talking, loudly, on their cell phones, all trying their hardest in pretending they weren't there.

Sasuke's stride slowed down slightly, allowing the blonde to take in the scenery. Just like Sasuke had said, the town wasn't big, smaller in fact then the town close to Konoha boarding school. It had no mall and no big, extravagant eye-catching restaurants, stores and buildings. It was just, simply, a quant little community town where everyone minded their own business and brought food and cakes to their neighbors. But still Naruto could sense their hostility towards them, more so, amazingly towards Sasuke then himself. He would catch the odd sneer as they passed those who refused to move out of their way or cross the street just to avoid them, some even uttered 'Uchiha scum' when they were within ear range but farther down the sidewalk so they couldn't just turn around and hit the bastard.

He looked up at his boyfriend, clasping his hand a little tighter as he did so. He bit his lip and turned back towards the sidewalk, his eyes cast downwards. He wanted to ask why? But as soon as the question entered his head, he found his answer.

The Uchiha massacre, they were bitter to the fact that such a terrible thing, an unseen occurrence happened where they lived. Where they felt safe.

They turned another corner and down a small, dimly lit, even in broad daylight, alleyway, reaching the end they carried on forward, crossing the road and turning to the right. As they passed a bakery, the sweet smell of freshly made bread and icing and cinnamon wafted through the air. Naruto halted in his step and toke in a long drag of air, relishing the smell. It reminded him of his mothers cooking, before she burnt it. A sad look crossed the blonde boy's features as he caught himself before he remembered things he'd rather keep locked away in the closet.

Sasuke noticed the look and leaning down placed a gentle kiss on top of the boys' mess of blonde hair.

Naruto smiled and leaned into the other males touch. If there was something, one thing, he could say for certain, one thing that he could say he loved about Sasuke, if asked it would be that somehow he knew everything about him, inside and out, and whenever he was down, even when he put on his most vibrant smile Sasuke could sense that it was fake and comfort him. Even if in the beginning his form of comfort was insulting him and making a fool out of him whatever way possibly. He loved the way Sasuke would look after him, without insinuating that he was weak. Loved that he was always there. Loved a lot of things about him, but there was always a dark cloud loaming over that love, something unseen and something deep lying in Sasuke's past, something he was unwilling to elaborate on. Their love, it felt so fragile and Naruto was afraid to touch it thinking that the pressure of his fingertips would cause it to disintegrate, shatter like a window that had just had a rock thrown through it.

And knowing this and knowing he was left in the dark about a mountain of things –Akatsuki, who they are and why he's working for them, why he was kept in the dark deliberately, why Sasuke kept a gun under his pillow his hand never wavering from the safety and the trigger- knowing everything and at the same time nothing Naruto was still willing, by just being near the raven and taking him back, he was willing to sacrifice everything, his heart lay underneath a ton of bricks held together by a single rope line that was ready to break at any moment.

Love, he concluded, was fucked up.

He felt wind blowing through his hair and caressing his scared cheeks, making the hairs on the back of his neck shoot up saluting the sky. He blinked a couple of times then noticed he could no longer smell the bakery and come to think of it wasn't he standing on a pavement only moments ago? Cause all he could see was…

"damnit bastard put me down!!" he groaned, thrashing his arms up and back down onto the Uchiha's back, simultaneously wiggling around on Sasuke's shoulder and trying, trying really, really hard, to kick the bastard. Sasuke grunted as his foot connected with his stomach and abruptly dropped Naruto back onto the pavement, headfirst.

Despite the pain, Naruto grinned and got back onto his feet watching with more than necessary amusement as Sasuke nursed his injured stomach. He was aiming for his groin but beggars can't be choosers.

Sasuke growled and Naruto took that as an indication to run, and run he did. Sasuke quickly gaining behind him. He grinned as he looked over his shoulder, reminding Sasuke of a Chesher cat at the same time reminding him of just how young, how innocent Naruto truly was and how beautiful he looked. He felt his lips twitch, the first smile he'd found himself making in a long time. The first truly happy smile he'd never have in the company of any other person a part from Naruto, however small the gesture was.

Ahead of him Naruto seemed to come to an abrupt halt. Sasuke slowed into a jog before stopping behind the blonde, looking over his shoulder at what had grabbed his attention. He didn't like what he saw.

Beams of joy and happiness and of hyperactivity seemed to flow off of the boy a foot in front of him and Sasuke once again wondered why in god's name why he would bring Naruto, Naruto of all people to a…

"A fair!!" the boy whooped, almost punching him in the chin as he literally jumped for joy.

Naruto was just about to make his way into the gathering crowds and towards the cotton candy machines when a hand gripped his wrist, spinning him round so he now stood face to face with an angry looking Uchiha. But then again when was Sasuke ever not angry?

"Don't run of moron" he grumbled, "if you get lost I'm leaving your ass here and you can freeze for the night, got it?" Sasuke's tone of voice gave Naruto the impression it really wasn't up for discussion, but he tried.

"There's no way you'd leave me" he fluttered his eyelashes, flirtatiously moving closer to the taller male. "You'd miss me too much"

"Your right, I would really miss the headaches, the noise, would miss having money in my wallet, the smell of ramen, the arguments, the-"

"Alright!!" he bellowed, "I get it."

Sasuke's left hand snaked around his waist and pulled the younger closer to him.

"But I would miss the sex"

Sasuke blinked once and then another time for good measure, he watched Naruto storm away from him, his feet stomping on the ground as he went. Sasuke rubbed his sore jaw and knew there'd be a mark there later. Maybe if he'd known Naruto would hit him, and hit him hard, he wouldn't have said anything. But than again, that wasn't likely. He shrugged and followed his growling lover, carefully looking around the crowded stalls and booths, down the shallow alleyways that formed between them and behind him as he went. Call it paranoia, but he knew someone was watching him and seeing Zetsu earlier at the park made him all the more suspicious that others were watching too.

The question he had to answer was why?

Naruto had haltered in his stride and waited for Sasuke to join him, when the raven finally stopped by his side he didn't say a word but continued knowing he would continue to follow him. He looked to his left and right as he walked, looking at the various different game stalls, one where you had to throw balls at a pyramid of bottles, another had hoops, one even having a kind of fishing theme where, he glanced over the shoulder of the small child keeling down in front of a tub of water and fishing, held a fishing net but instead of a net there was white paper, he decided he wanted to have a go. He didn't even look at Sasuke as he held out his hand and pouted.

Sasuke seemed to linger for a while before sighing and handing over the correct amount of money into Naruto's open palm.

"Don't you have your own money?" he deadpanned.

"Yep"

"You gunna spend it?"

"Nope"

"Why?" he growled.

"Because you're the bastard, so you pay." It didn't make sense but Sasuke let it go.

"Plus you have more money than I do."

Naruto paid the old man crouched down on the other side of the basin of water and fish and grinned as he was handed the paddle in whish he was supposed to capture a fish. He crouched, unconsciously mimicking the man in front of him and rolled up his selves to his elbows. He licked his dry lips, leaving his tongue pointed skywards at the corner of his mouth and study the fish. Sasuke's eyes rose slightly.

"You his babysitter?" the stall man asked, raising his chin slightly to look up towards the other male.

Sasuke scoffed, "kind of"

"Shut up bastard! I'm concentrating!!"

"Little loud ain't he?"

"You have no idea"

"He usually speak to you like that?" the man's own eyebrow raised but Sasuke didn't take head to it, his eyes were trained on the boy in front of him, his arms crossed and formed slouched slightly to the left.

"Usually" he answered, "it differs at times, but it's usually 'bastard' the moron here can't think of anything else good to say that's worth a comeback"

"But bastard fits you well, no need to think of other names"

"Hn"

A total look of concentration swept across Naruto's face, his eyes focused on one fish, a bright orange and old one, he followed it like a hunter would follow its prey, his arm hover just slightly over the water casting a shadow over the fish. He yelled as he scoped up the little fish and brought it to the surface a look of total victory on his face.

And then, the paper broke.

Naruto's eyes followed the fish as it seemed to fall in slow motion, his mouth wide and eyes following its lead. The small splash of water sprinkled over both his face and Sasuke's shoes as the little fish re-entered the water and began swimming once more around its habitat.

"This games a fucking rip off!" he bellowed pointing a finger at the grinning male, "I want my fucking money back, you jerk off! It's rigged I tell ya!" Sasuke was just about to remind him that it was his money when Naruto abruptly stood and began ranting again. "Who gave you the right to take money from poor innocent people! The fuck do you think you are mister! You cheap-skated me!! Jackass!"

Sasuke sighed nudging past his raving boyfriend and handing over some money to the man, kneeling down he rolled up his selves just as Naruto had done and took the paddle from the 'jackass' and looked for the fish Naruto had tried to catch. Finding it with ease he dipped the paddle into the water and scoped it out, holding it out to the man who smiled and yelled ("we have a winner") before bagging the fish in ready made bags and handing it back over to Sasuke.

Naruto just scowled, "I still say he's a cheating asshole" he grumbled and walked off.

By the end of the day Sasuke had accumulated two teddy bears, one normal sized with a red and white bow tied around its neck the other at least 5 times its height and weighed a ton. Three candy pacifiers tied around his neck, a half eaten cotton candy stick, another untouched cotton candy bag, both irritably pink in color. A mood ring, that was too sizes too small for his finger and most certainly was black at this point in time. Another small teddy of some Disney character, a balloon shaped swan, again this was irritably pink, that adorned his head and another helium balloon tied to his wrist. And apparently a hole in his pocket. He had gotten sick on his shoe's (Naruto apparently couldn't hold down three hotdogs, half a cotton candy, two burgers and be fine on a rollercoaster) he'd torn his trousers at the knees and on his left leg near his crotch. He had been forced on all, and he meant all, the rides, the roller coasters, the bungee jump, the small kid's rides (Naruto was fine he was still small enough to fit into the fucking things) the Ferris wheel and even the love tunnel. Naruto had seen three different fortune tellers each telling him three different fortunes (one even saying he was looking for a fine young woman and she was just beyond the horizon and how in the course of their love making would conceive a baby boy, she had blushed and stuttered as he left telling her he was gay and his boyfriend might not like the allegation she was making saying that he wanted to screw a girl "the jealous bastard"). The blonde had also gotten into (and Sasuke was counting) three fights, each starting because someone had shouted out 'look at the little gay blonde' or 'damn I'd like some of that ass'. Naruto didn't care if it was true he had to hit them on principle. Sasuke truly didn't care, he was glad he had hit them because if he hadn't Sasuke sure as hell would have.

But despite himself, he was beginning to relax, his muscles less tense and his mind less fogged by thoughts and memories. Though his guard remained up, he still looked around him whenever he and Naruto stopped to eat or to queue up for a ride, he sometimes, in the love tunnel he certainly did he didn't like the fact that they were on a small unstable boat in the dark and alone, would grip his gun that he kept in his belt tucked neatly under his shirt. He knew they were here, he knew they were watching and he had discovered why.

They weren't keeping an eye on him, they were watching Naruto. And Sasuke didn't like that one bit.

Naruto turned to half face him and smiled, his most shit eating smile.

"Say anything, anything Naruto" he growled through gritted teeth, "and I swear on what ever mother fucking deity up there who obviously hates me, you'll regret it"

"Language Sasuke, there's little children about." He looked thoughtful for a moment and Sasuke knew he was up to no good, "I think they think, you're one of those clowns, ya know the ones that hate their jobs"

"Moron" he said, but there was no amusement in his tone.

"Stuck up asshole" Naruto scolded half heartedly, poking his tongue out to add to the insult.

Sasuke had the sudden urge to throw the giant teddy bear at him, but fought it. Barely.

Naruto seemed to sigh and walk back towards him, his face looked grim, his eyes downcast. He gave in and asked, "What's wrong?"

Naruto fidgeted before answering, "there's someone watching me" he fidgeted a little more, casting a cautious look around the area and missing the complete look of shock that adorned Sasuke's features for a brief moment. "Someone's been watching me all day, I can feel their eyes on me, ya know? I'm probably just paranoid" he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness.

"Moron" the raven whispered.

"Hey! Sasuke look over there! A psychic cool!"

"Naruto, no" before Sasuke could even argue Naruto had already begun to walk over to a small, purple tent, a sign with the words 'psychic: contact the dead or have you future told' haphazardly tied above the small entrance, blocked by strands of beads.

He groaned and walked to catch up to the obviously naive blonde as he disappeared through the beads.

Sasuke pushed aside the beads and peeked into the dimly lit room, he could see Naruto waving him over towards a small rounded table barely 10 inches from the floor. He cautiously looked over his shoulder before entering, the beads jingling as he let go of them and caused them to crash into one another. He reached the blonde, who had quite frankly made himself at home plopping down on one of the two purple colored with gold embroidered into the silk fabric of the cushion. Sasuke remained standing. He didn't believe in psychics and thought after the fortune teller ordeal Naruto didn't either but then he had been wrong about his lover before. There were just some things he didn't know and what went on in Naruto's head (truthfully he didn't want to know what went on in there) was one of those things.

They waited for 5 minutes before Sasuke started to become impatient and wanted to leave, although he didn't exactly want to be there in the first place either.

Just as he was about to leave a woman with blue hair tied in a net bun stepped out from beyond another stream of beads hanging in a doorway in front of them. She noticed Sasuke standing and offered him a seat as she too sat down in front of Naruto. Sasuke declined. He had a feeling he knew her from somewhere, had seen her face but couldn't put his finger on where.

"You two have a heavy chemistry" she stated looking straight into Naruto's eyes, "I can see it in your eyes child, you love him don't you?" Naruto promptly blushed and began rubbing the back of his head.

"And you" she turned her attention towards Sasuke and he, instinctively glared at her, she didn't seem to care that he was not only looking down on her from his standing position and the fact he was trying to set her alight with the intensity of his glare. "You love him, correct?"

He growled and felt himself tense.

"Love is not a neutral thing" she stated, not entirely to herself but not to Naruto and Sasuke either, "in a relationship there is often one who loves the other more, one who cares more for the other. He loves you boy" she looked at Naruto again, "he loves you, but in this case it is you who loves him more, you who is the glue to the relationship."

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little sadden by that comment.

The woman turned back to Sasuke. "There is blood on your hands, child" she smiled, a wicked knowing smile.

Sasuke again growled, the only warning Naruto got before he was being dragged by his wrist out of the tent and back towards the streets. It was an hour before they got back to the Uchiha house, in silence. Naruto went into the kitchen were Sasuke had dumped his stash of cotton candy and candy pacifiers along with whatever they had won during the day. He seated himself down at the table and waited for Sasuke to come back downstairs, after his shower.

He began picking at the back of cotton candy halfheartedly, his cheek resting upon his hand as he stared through the window and into the garden.

The words the lady in the tent had said to him, had obviously spooked Sasuke, he hadn't said a word, hadn't even tried to get Naruto to share a shower with him, he just walked up stairs without a word. It worried Naruto, but not more than what the woman had said.

On the way back he had been reminded of the night before, of Sasuke's nightmare and of his words.

"What have I done?"

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard someone enter the room until he was suddenly embraced from behind, water from Sasuke's body soaked through his shirt and onto his head.

"Naruto you love me right" his grip tightened around the younger males' chest, to the point where Naruto was beginning to find it hard to draw in air.

"Sasuke-"

"You won't dissert me…no matter what? No matter what I may have done?"

"Sasuke I don't understand. What have you done?" the question had been bugging him since he had woken up in the middle of the night to Sasuke tossing and turning a look of pure fright etched onto his normally clam features, but he'd pushed it aside, but obviously just like him Sasuke had remember the night before.

But as he turned around in Sasuke's arms and stared into his eyes, he thought maybe he was better of not knowing.

to be continued...