48Sorry it took so long, but I had a minor writers block on this one... Thank you so much for the reviews!
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The young Uchiha didn't get it. As he placed the flower on the coffin, he had cried so much. No one would be coming back. No one would be around to comfort him; he would only have himself as company. The unfamiliar feeling of loneliness was surrounding him, drowning him. His presence was nothing more than a reflection in the mirror in his black eyes.
Yet, he was graduated from the academy, and he was now a gennin. No emotion was graced on his features; he didn't feel like showing these emotions. Only strangers and people, who came to him for his surname, would see his emotions. Sasuke didn't want that, he wanted his family to see his emotions, to praise him for graduating. But no one was home to greet him back in the big mansion. No one to praise him, to congratulate him.
He wanted his family and friends to see his emotions, no one else. But since there was no family or friends left, he wouldn't show his emotions. Simple.
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Sasuke looked at the teacher sitting beside him. He had been a good friend of the family, knew his parents and came to visit on birthdays. Little Sasuke blinked as the man smiled to him. Sasuke slowly smiled back, wondering if he could tell about the pain he felt to this man.
"Ne, sensei, what do you feel when you look at me?" he asked. The man looked confused at him for a second before he ruffled through the black hair. "I feel very happy, that you're smiling, Sasuke." Sasuke smiled at the answer, showing that he was satisfied with the man's words. But as soon as the man turned around, waving at him before he disappeared around the corner. A scowl appeared on the raven's face. He clutched his shirt, snorting at the hollow pain in his chest.
As the boy looked into the mirror, he saw the scars covering his body, his dark eyes, and the sight of darkness as the sound of silence was beating on his ears, deafening him. His face read no emotion, the way his body moved was indifferently. He slowly wondered if he could even care to let someone into his heart. Wouldn't it bring even more pain? Could he even feel the flame filled with warmth in his heart once again?
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"Why are you smiling?" the words left his mouth before he could even stop it. The question had haunted his mind for too long and now desperately wanted to escape. The blond boy turned around, a smile still decorating his face. "Because I'm happy. Know what that is Sasuke-teme?" he said in a taunting way.
Sasuke looked away, he had known what it was, of course, who didn't? But somehow the feeling seemed so distant, so far away. The blond boy, tilted his head to one side, his expression turning serious. "...Sasuke-teme?" he asked. The raven shook his head. "never mind, forget what I asked."
He could feel the eyes of the other 13 year old, stinging in his back. But he didn't really care, his mind wondering of to another world.
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"Happy birthday, Sasuke!" The blond shouted in his face as Sasuke flinched at the loud voice. "…my birthday was yesterday, dobe."
Naruto frowned at the nickname, but dropped it deciding that he would give his best since it was for Sasuke's birthday, even though he was a day to late. "anyway, here's your present. I didn't know what to give you so it took me all day yesterday…" he pushed the present in Sasuke's hands and ran off, before Sasuke could say anything, not that he had been planning to.
He took the present to his mansion and opened it, carefully placing the blue wrappings aside. He took the lid of the box, blinking at the contents of the box. Sasuke reached for the thing and pulled it out of it, giving it a closer look. It was a walkie-talkie. Sasuke looked into the box, expecting the other lying there, which wasn't the case. The raven frowned, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of the blond.
"Hey Teme!" suddenly filled the room and Sasuke let the thing fall on the table. "Teme…?" "…Naruto?" he asked, picking up the walkie-talkie. "Hey, it really works!" Naruto laughed and Sasuke wondered silently why he had a dobe like that…who wouldn't check their present to see if it works?
"Happy birthday, Sasuke! Your now 17 years old!" Naruto sang with a broken tune. Sasuke stayed silent and then sighed. "what the hell is the meaning of this, dobe?"
"Just so you won't be lonely when I'm not around your house. This way we don't have to go to each other's house just to tell something. I kind of figured that if you wanted to talk to me," Naruto continued, ignoring the comment of Sasuke "who would want to talk to you?". "and this way, you don't have to go to the other side of town to do it."
"…whatever. You're not going to bother me every 5 minutes are you?" he sighed. Naruto snickered. "I knew you would like my present." Sasuke admitted it, it had been a nice gift and it would make him feel less lonely…but still, his heart didn't beat as strong as he had hoped. And still no emotion decorated his face.
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Sasuke let his fingers slide over the pictures, slowly looking at his smiling face, knowing it was a fake one. Suddenly, his cold body was surrounded by warmth as Naruto wrapped his arm around the boy. "you're cold Sasuke."
'I'll always be. From the outside to the roots of my whole being.' He thought, not even moving as Naruto made himself comfortable. Sasuke shivered a little bit as his body realized how cold he really was. Placing the photo album beside him he glanced to the mirror standing in the corner of the room. It felt like it was watching them and Sasuke saw his own cold eyes. He moved his hands, laying them gently on Naruto's arms. "why are you doing this?" Sasuke asked, looking away from his reflection.
The raven frowned when the blond snickered in his neck, making him shiver again. "to warm you up of course." Sasuke's eyes moved to the blond hair, before looking away again. "why?" "Because you're empty." Naruto replied, his embrace tightening around the raven. Sasuke didn't oppose to the answer. "Because it feels like I'm hugging a hollow, cold space rather then you, Sasuke.
Because I don't want to lose you." Sasuke's eyes drifted to mirror, locking with blue eyes. Naruto's gaze was directed at him and Sasuke swallowed, not even trying to look away. He just couldn't. "I don't want the Sasuke I know to disappear in this cold darkness while I love him."
Sasuke opened his mouth, but somehow his broken words couldn't leave as Naruto's word's pierced through him. Naruto's hand moved up to Sasuke's neck, gently grabbing his chin. With a swift movement he directed Sasuke's head to the side, making the raven lose contact with his eyes. Sasuke whimpered, his grip on Naruto's arm tightening. He could feel the hot air on his neck and goose bumps appeared. "I love you, Sasuke. Don't ever let the darkness in your heart forget that. No matter how cold your being is, you whole existence is; don't ever forget that I'm here.
I'm the deafening sound of the silence.
I'm the black light in the darkness.
I'm the freezing flame of your warmth.
I'm the empty feeling of you emptiness."
Sasuke let out a soft whimper as Naruto's hands traveled over his body, spreading his fire-like touches. Naruto kissed the seal on his shoulder blade. "I'll be here, no matter how lonely you are, no matter how cold you are. I'm here. Right here."
Naruto released his grip on Sasuke's chin and Sasuke turned around, sitting on Naruto's lap. His black orbs looked into Naruto's eyes, his hand cupping Naruto's face. "You're not lying." Sasuke breathed, the sentence whispered, afraid that it would show any sign of his hesitation. Naruto gave him a smile.
"why would I lie to you, Sasuke? Why would I want to brake something that's so fragile? Something so pure that's it cursed with its whole existence?" Naruto leaned in, kissing Sasuke gently on his lips. "I love you."
God, how could he even think? How could he even think about his broken mirror when a new reflection was in front of him? When a path was laid out for him, ready to walk on? Who was he, to bring himself down, when someone like Naruto was his friend, his lover, his rival, his whole being?
"…I can feel your love, Naruto."
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Phew, done. :) Thank you so much for the reviews and hoped you enjoyed this little story!