The Boy

Chapter 9: Missed You

Naruto was cleaning up what he could after he'd left Sasuke to his bath. The brunette was now asleep in his room wearing a clean pair of black cargo sweatpants while Naruto straightened things out. He couldn't fix the TV or the broken mirrors all over the place but he could at least clean up the pieces and make it look decent. 

It was near 10 o'clock at night when he finished and crashed on the couch. His head was propped up on a cushion while he rested on his stomach with one arm hanging off to touch the floor and the other arm dangling over the arm rest. He had to change into one of Sasuke's white buttoned shirts and old gray fleece shorts since he'd dirtied his own clothes in the process.

~oOOo~

Sasuke awoke to the overpowering smell of frebreze and dove. The blond had not only cleaned but he washed almost everything.

He sat up in bed with a terrible headache. It was dying down but wow was that something he wasn't use to. Sasuke got out of the bed and headed out his room. He figured what he thought he was dreaming was actually real this time.

Naruto had come to pull him out of his rut again.

He walked into the living room then over to the couch. He took a moment to check out the living room. The TV was busted and some of the pictures had been taken down but it was a hell of allot better than the way it was before. He leaned over the back of the couch to see his angel asleep. He definitely looked better now from before.

He leaned over a little more and kissed the blond on the right side of his face that was exposed.

Naruto giggled and swatted his hand at his face before going back to sleep.

Sasuke chuckled softly to himself. He then left to check the whole house. Everything he'd trashed out of rage was cleaned up and some were even fixed like the picture frame of his parents.

He looked along the picture shelf and stopped when he didn't see his most precious one.

Naruto snapped awake instantly to being jerked up on his side to face Sasuke.

"What did you do with it!?" the raven demanded while holding on to Naruto's shirt.

"D-do with what?" the blond faltered as he tried to get Sasuke to let him go.

"The picture of us during that winter wher-"

"You still remember tha-"

"Where is it please?!" the raven demanded again with a pleading look in his eyes.

Naruto shook his head and pulled the picture out of his shirt pocket. The frame was completely broken so he kept it. He didn't think Sasuke would care for it that much.

Sasuke took hold of the picture and then sat on the floor between the couch and glass coffee table in Indian style.

The picture was of a smiling 19 year old Naruto standing on a short stone rail bridge with his arms outstretched against the light velvet-purple sky that clashed with his dull purple jacket.  A happy 20 year old Sasuke was standing on the ground next to him holding his right outstretched hand to help balance with the snow on pause all around them.

They'd gotten a stranger to take that picture for them.

 "Sasuke why's it so special to you?" the blond asked as he rolled onto his back on the couch.

"Remember how I was always alone during the holidays despite my dad? This was our first winter together. You had made it so special to me even though it wasn't that serious..." Sasuke traced a thumb over the picture.

Naruto covered his face and turned over on his side to hide.

Sasuke frowned when he saw him do that. He thought maybe he'd brought back a bad memory.