Flowers, tattoos and I love you's

33. hyacinth*

Hey guys! It's been a while huh?

I've been writing this since October 2nd but I kept having trouble writing it and the lack of time because of college was definitely not helping :(

But to make up for it, this chapter is around 10k

Enjoy :)

TW: Anxiety/Panic attack; ED

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Naruto's calloused fingers gently combed through Sasuke's soft, jet-black hair, his own sigh filling the quiet room as he realized Sasuke had fallen asleep in his arms. His heart felt heavy, still aching from the raw vulnerability his boyfriend had shown moments earlier.

Hearing those words—Sasuke's fears, his deep feelings of inadequacy, and the weight of his parents' rejection—had shattered Naruto.

What hurt most was the helplessness. He couldn't dismiss Sasuke's thoughts as mere exaggerations or words said in frustration. As much as he wanted to insist they weren't true, that his parents loved him deeply, he knew he couldn't lie. There was too much evidence against it, too many wounds that Sasuke had carried for too long.

If they truly loved him, they wouldn't have torn him down with their harsh words. They wouldn't have treated him with such cold indifference for seventeen years.

Naruto hadn't even met Fugaku and Mikoto yet, but he already despised them. The mere thought of them made his blood boil. How could they be so blind? How could they fail to see the incredible, kindhearted person Sasuke had become?

Naruto knew how much Sasuke tried—how he bent over backward, sacrificing his own happiness in desperate attempts to earn even a fraction of their approval. Watching the hurt on his face when they didn't acknowledge his efforts was unbearable. It made Naruto want to march up to them, yell at them, shake them until they finally realized the amazing, beautiful human being they had raised.

His gaze shifted to the clock on Sasuke's desk, and he winced. It was getting late. If he stayed any longer, there was a real risk that Itachi might barge in to check on his brother. The older Uchiha was already suspicious, and Naruto knew Itachi would leap to all the wrong conclusions if he found them like this. As much as it tore at him to leave, he couldn't risk putting Sasuke in even more trouble.

"I love you." Naruto murmured softly, giving his sleeping beauty one last squeeze. He pressed a series of gentle kisses on Sasuke's forehead and trailed them behind his ear, brushing lightly over the nearly healed tattoo there. Carefully, he lifted Sasuke's leg draped over his own, doing his best not to disturb him. The raven-haired boy hummed faintly in his sleep, oblivious to the blond's efforts.

He then stretched his free arm toward the plush toy sitting just behind Sasuke, managing to grab it while still holding his boyfriend close. With the toy in hand, he risked sliding his arm out from under Sasuke's head, moving with all the precision of a surgeon. When the other didn't stir, Naruto carefully positioned the raven's head onto the pillow, though his ears didn't miss the quiet, displeased sound he made, almost as if he instinctively knew what was happening.

Reluctantly, Naruto got off the bed, watching as Sasuke shifted in his sleep. One of his arms lazily reached out, as if searching for him. The blond quickly placed the plush toy in the empty space he left behind, holding his breath as Sasuke instinctively wrapped his arms around it, hugging it to his chest. The blond Uzunaki let out a soft sigh of relief, glancing around for his shoes.