Sasuke sat in quietly in the dark bedroom, at least, all the way up until the front door closed. Sneaking out once it was clear; he genuinely began to tail Naruto from the tall, leafy palm trees of the desert. Some would consider this stalking; however, between two ninjas in love, this was perfectly normal. Well, normal being if one were to reference Ninja Love According to Sasuke Uchiha. Keeping his body in perfect stealth the entire way, Sasuke ducked between various leaves and branches. While under unsuspected watch, Sakura and Naruto spoke in front of the hotel. When the woman hugged Naruto's arm, it was nail-bitingly irritating. When Naruto removed himself from Sakura's womanly grasp, it was as if the hero had saved the day enough to put both Sasuke's mind and heart was at ease. This was until Naruto had stopped to lean against the very same tree from where Sasuke was crotched. Looking up into leaves and darkness, the blonde held his arms up. "If you jump from there, I bet I could catch you."

Sasuke's back arched liked a cat as his hair stood on end. Begrudgingly, he hopped down like a much like one as he landed on his feet like a feral beast. There was a glare toward Naruto from behind the round frames from both annoyance and embarrassment. Smirking, Naruto had to laugh and shake his head. "How long have you been following me?"

"If you don' know, that's your own damn fault." Crossing his arms over the kimono-covered chest, Sasuke tilted his head in a rebellious manner. The blonde only continued to laugh and mock his overzealous lover.

"Worried I wouldn't be coming back? I came back last time, right? What makes you think I wouldn't come home now, huh?" Naruto had changed his tone to sound a bit more agitated, scratching the back of his head. "You're a piece of work." Sasuke, startled at Naruto's attitude, frowned. Dropping his arms as to his sides, he bit his bottom lip while looking away, simply stared at the ground in silence. Feeling a twinge of guilt vibrate in his chest. Naruto took a step forward. "Hey, come on. You have to give me some credit here..." Sighing, he moved to put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He leaned in closet to inspect the turned away face, trying in vain to get Sasuke to look at him. When the looks and gently shaking failed, Naruto pulled Sasuke close into a hug. Still, Sasuke's arms didn't come up to embrace him back. The saddened face was still turned away, feeling even more foolish.

"I love you, Sasuke." At least those words began to make the Uchiha's guard drop. "I love Sakura too and I was in love with her once. I'm not going to lie to you about that and you know it anyway." Sasuke slowly started to turn to look at him as his hands started to come up but they didn't touch Naruto just yet. With each passing word, the hug grew stronger and even more desperate. "No one is more important to me than you. I wish Sakura the best with Gaara, even if she doesn't go through with it. That's not going to change anything between me and you, right?" Sasuke sighed, his hands moving to grab the back of Naruto's shirt, finally hugging him back.

"So you say."

Naruto laughed a bit, putting Sasuke's body in a bear hug. Lifting him off of his feet, his arms crushed Sasuke's down to his side. Sasuke cried out in a grunt, unable to wiggle out of the squeeze as he was spun around. "What are you talking about, Sasuke? She's after you, remember? Are you going to run off with her and leave me behind?" Sasuke made the face of a wet cat, nearly hissing in response.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Of course not!" His arms flexed, breaking free of the hold. Pushing Naruto against the palm tree, he pinned the blonde by the shoulders who only smiled with soft eyes, obvious teasing.

"So you say", he mimicked Sasuke's earlier response. Both men were panting lightly, as fighting was often an exhaustion of their strength. Even with a small bout, they had not been holding back. Maybe, if they tried hard enough, they could blame the dry air for losing their breath so easily. Sasuke was first to lean in, his eyes gently closing as he kissed lover. Inside, they both knew that the hot air had nothing to do with it. The heat of the night had little to do with the heat of their bodies and hearts. This sweltering flame that grew, only when they were together, was hotter than any desert sun.

Moving a hand to Sasuke's face, Naruto cupped it gently so that his thumb could caress Sasuke's soft, pale cheek. Touching foreheads, Sasuke's eyes looked down again. His own hand went to his face, gently placed and holding onto Naruto's. Moving to nudge and kiss Sasuke's forehead, Naruto smiled. "You have no self-confidence." He got a huff in response before being allowed to continue speaking. "You think I'm going to leave you? Just as I got you? You're crazy, man." Sasuke looked up, his eyes softened.

"Aren't you tired of me yet?" Laughing, Naruto just shook his head.

"No. Never. Never ever." The gentle kisses continued to cover Sasuke's face, making the man's glasses go askew on his nose. The lens fogged over from the hot breath against his skin. Gently pushing away, Sasuke took Naruto's hand almost at timidly as a girl would touch her first crush. It would have been sweet had Sasuke not started to crush Naruto's fingers into submission. Practically dragging, Sasuke led the way up the path to their house. Naruto broke free, giving Sasuke a playful swat before running ahead. Back and forth, they continued their childish game of tag. Passing the house, they continued to chase each other around the over the fence. Finally, one after another, they jumped up to the roof of the barn. Naruto sat down on the wooden slated rooftop, staring up at the clear night sky. Sasuke followed, sitting down next to Naruto to look up as well. They didn't have much, but they had peace and each other. For now, that was the most important thing for both of them. Their bodies naturally bent like swaying branches to lean on one another. With their fingers, they touched and locked them together. There was a silent promise that was being renewed that night; to stay together, no matter what.

-The End of Story 1