Light our Shadows

Ch 25: Hold me

Naruto walked down the village streets side by side with his husband. Despite Sasuke having insisted that he wanted to head back, it seemed he also wanted to prolong their time away all the same. Their pace was slow but Naruto didn't mind the sluggish saunter. Sasuke's footsteps were silent as ever not so much as a print left behind from his step while his own scratched against pebbles sifting dirt with each new stride.

It was getting quieter and darker the further they got from the city center. The lively bar and night time shops all faded into the background. The sounds of bustling nightlife replaced by chirping crickets and other nocturnal insects. The shop lights traded for dancing fireflies and twinkling stars in the sky.

One of those many stars decided to sail across the sky in a glittering arc before the Kage's eyes.

"Sas-hey a shooting star! Quick! You've gotta make a-" Naruto's head whipped to his right in soft excitement. However, he was rewarded with the picturesque view of the moonlit lake instead of his husbands pretty side profile. There was nothing but empty space where his husband should be. He frowned his final word. "...wish."

Dotted pupils trembled to foxlike slits. A wave of glowing red washed over blue irises.

Where'd Sasuke go?

Naruto went still. He paused to take in his surroundings. Kurama's eyes saw better than his at night. He was thankful for that. The dark shadows of night becoming clear as day with the fox's vision. In the back of his mind, he'd sort of noticed Sasuke's breathing had gotten light but Naruto had just assumed he was doing a breathing exercise or was challenging himself to be extra sneaky to get his mind off things. He didn't think he'd wandered away.

Had Sasuke felt ignored by him? Had he tried to talk and he-No, no. He hadn't said a word since the bar. He was sure. Had he-no-He hadn't felt him teleport and Sasuke wouldn't have just left him so where-He panned his view downwards to the small dock at the bottom of the slew of stairs.

Oh.

There he was.

The shadow kage was sitting at the edge of the dock, head bent towards the pitch black water. The Hokage let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He must have veered off when they got to the stairs. Naruto's eyes reverted to their normal shape and color. Sasuke was safe. Mini heart attack averted, his hand lowered back to his side. He doubled back down the path a ways til he reached the top stair. He made his way down to Sasuke, taking in the state of him the closer he got. It wasn't good.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was gentle as he came up behind him and reached out to place a hand on his husband's shoulder. "You okay?"

"I don't know." Sasuke admitted, fingers brushing at the ash still fresh on the dock. He had no doubt it was from all his younger self's fireball training. "I don't even know what I'm doing over here..." Sasuke murmured his head leant on Naruto's shoulder as the blonde slunk down beside him. "...after the massacre I used to come and sit here for hours because I didn't want to go home to an empty house. Now..."

"Now it's the opposite." Naruto finished. He understood, even if Sasuke didn't quite get it himself. "Do you want to sit here for a while?"

"Mm, Maybe for a bit?" Sasuke gazed out at the water. It was seemingly endless in the dark pitch of night. The sky's stars mirrored in the waters reflection.

"We can do that, Angel." Naruto pressed a kiss to Sasuke's head. The Uchiha shut his eyes as Naruto wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He took comfort in the warmth of the embrace.

It went quiet. Nature putting on a symphony to combat their silence.

"I'm really proud of you, you know..." Naruto's voice cut through the noise of the water lapping at the dock's edge.

"Naruto..." Sasuke sighed face turning to nuzzle into the blonde's neck. Long blonde spikes tickled his face at the action. He didn't bothering opening his eyes. He was tired.

"No, no I mean it, Sas." Naruto took his left hand. "Being with your family...I know how hard it is for you. How much you must be hurting being back here. Especially with how they treat you...I..I almost lost it myself back there a few times. Kurama was all for clawing your Dad in the face. You should've heard the things he was snarling. He's really grown to love you, you know."

"Well, he feels everything you do. How could he not? I give pretty good head."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, you do." He rubbed Sasuke's thigh. Though Sasuke's bedroom skills were really only part of the reason the fox liked his husband. There was more to it than just that. "Want me to risk getting my pants a little wet? Could roll them up and kneel on the water? Suck you off? I give you pretty good head too, you know. You look like you could use a little stress relief."

"No thanks." Sasuke denied. "My brains not as connected to my dick as yours is." Sasuke placed his free hand on top of Naruto's. "But I appreciate the offer. Honestly, I appreciate everything you've been doing for me. I mean if you weren't here with me I..." Sasuke shut his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. "...I  might've done something...unforgivable."

"You'd have been okay." Naruto insisted.

"You sound sure."

"I am. I've always believed in you, Sasuke. That's never going to change." Naruto squeezed Sasuke's hands. "Not ever. You know that don't you?"

"I don't deserve that level of unwavering belief." Sasuke denied. "I'll only disappoint you...just like I do them."

"No." Naruto denied. "Sasuke no." Naruto hugged his husband tight. "You know what you don't deserve? You don't deserve to have your feelings stamped on at every turn because no one in your damned family can be straight with you about what's going on. You don't deserve to feel like a failure because your fathers a shitstain of a person. You don't deserve even a quarter of the crap that you've had to live through."

Sasuke's hands came up to cling to Naruto's back. His black nails clutching at the fabric. He hugged Naruto just as tightly.

"I would change it all in a heartbeat if I could. I'd risk everything. Us, the future...all of it...But you were right. We don't have the time that change truly needs to take hold." Naruto sighed. "The best we can do is view the time we have like a gift."

Sasuke couldn't argue against the statement. He knew it was true. Even if he didn't want it to be. The two stayed in their embrace as the moonlight glimmered down on them from above.

Naruto wasn't going to let go until Sasuke was good and ready.

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Full disclosure this chapter got rewritten so many times over and i'm not super in love with it? Idk I feel like nothing happens, but I'm posting it anyways cause I just don't want to keep rewriting it. It's been over a week and I refuse to fall into a little creativity crater I can't crawl out of. Need to keep going lol. So anyways tell me what you think of this chapter and stay tuned for the next one! Tiff out! Peace!