"Memories are the treasure of time"

Naruko opens the door and is faced with the familiar blue wallpaper of the apartment. It was one floor but to them, it was perfect. Or at the very least, it used to be perfect.

"Sasuke, what do you think?" A younger Naruko stands in front of the raven with her arms wide, presenting the apartment. "It may be small but I think it's perfect."

"Hn."

"Teme! At least give a proper reply!" She frowns at the Uchicha only to have him smirk at her.

"If you think it's perfect, then that's enough reason for me, dobe." The answer made Naruko blush a deep scarlet. The blonde made her way to the raven only to hit him.

"But what if you don't like it? I want to move in a place where you would like! Surely you must have a place in mind!"

The young man lets out a rare smile. "There is a place I would like to stay…" Hearing this made the girl smile. "… it would be wherever you are." This made the said girl blush harder.

"T-Teme!"

"Dobe."

She found herself walking down the familiar rooms, looking at all the photos and all the stuff left. They were all there, untouched like she had left them. The room itself was what she used to preserve the memory, his memory. Everything was the way it was, painfully reminding her as if it was just yesterday.

Lost in her own memories, she hadn't even noticed that her feet took her to their room. Stopping at the door, she shakily opens the room and a flood of memories came crashing to her.

Another sneeze comes from the room and Naruko, the self-proclaimed 'nurse', makes her way in.

"Teme, what did I tell you about working too hard?" She asks as she squeezes the wet towel and places it on the head of the teme. "Now you've gotten sick. Again."

The raven murmurs something but the blonde doesn't understand. She then leans on the bed, sitting on the floor. "Ne, Sasuke, what did you say?"

The latter turns red but the blonde just shrugs it off thinking that it was the effect of the fever. Checking the wall clock, she fetches something from the drawer. "Fine then, don't tell me. Take your medicine!" She helps Sasuke sit up and then hands him a glass and some pills. "Also, I made soup! So just stay here while I go get it."

As she makes her way out, the Uchicha whispers. "I just wanted to get you a nice gift for your birthday." Unbeknownst to him, the blonde heard that one.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Look!" Naruko runs to her boyfriend and he was stood there alarmed.

"What is it?! What happened?!" He asks in a frantic voice. He was then confused when the blue-eyed blond bursts out laughing.

"I got the results of my exam and I passed!" She then hugs him tightly as he returns the hug.

"Quite the achievement for you, isn't it?" And she swears she hears the smirk in his voice. Don't ask her how but she just does.

"Mou! Don't be mean! Be happy for me!" And he swears he hears the pout in hers.

"I am. I'm proud of you." Sasuke admits much to the surprise of Naruko.

"R-really?"

"Didn't you just tell me that I had to be, dobe?" He stares at her and Naruko stares back. She stares because he emphasized the last word. After a few moments, Naruko snaps out of it.

"Meanie!"

As she cries on the bed, hugging her knees, she hears the door open. She knows he's there and as much as she would have preferred him not to see her like this, she had no choice at the moment.

He then proceeds to hug her tightly and she cries on his shoulder. They were like that for a long time, no words, only needing the presence of the other.

After a few more minutes, Naruko decides to tell him but she had a feeling he already knew but she had a feeling too, that she needed to tell someone. "J-Jiraiya-jii-chan, h-he di-died! A-and I was th-there b-but I couldn't d-do anything! I just l-let him d-die…" She cries harder but she just couldn't stop.

"S-Sasuke, they k-kidnapped m-me and he ca-came to save me b-b-but…!" She screams as she holds on to him, and he just sat there comforting her without saying a word. "W-why am I so useless?! I just stood there and watched as he died! I let him die! I let him die, Sasuke!" She was pounding her fists against his chest and he took it all.

He hugs her harder and soon, the punching ceased but her tears continued. "Tsunade-baa-chan, she was so so so sad but she told me not to worry, that he was in a better place. Is he in a better place?"

"He is."

They stayed there again but this time, Naruko's cries seemed to come to an end.

"Sasuke…"

"Hn?"

"Promise me you won't leave me. Please. I won't be able to take it if you left."

"I won't go anywhere. As long as you're here, I'll protect you. I'll stand by you. I won't leave you alone."

And those were the last words she heard before she drifted off to sleep.

Those words seem to echo in her head as she stood in the room they shared. They room that created all kinds of memories; from the passionate nights and days to the days of being lazy and just enjoy having the other with them.

Before she knew it, she was crying. She was crying again as if the tears that he wiped away that night came back. "You promised you wouldn't leave. Why did you break it, Sasuke?"

She went in, opened the closet that still had his clothes and pulled out his favourite jacket. She placed it around her being bathed in his scent, the scent she missed. She may seem crazy… and she is.

She starts up his laptop, which miraculously still worked. She opens different folders and files but one certain folder caught her eye.

Naruko

Without hesitation, she clicked it. Whether it was sadness or regret, she couldn't tell as she stared at the monitor filled with their photos. Some would be of her but most of it was them.

She clicks on photos, taking her time to remember each the moment captured from the camera lens. The photos made her cry but they also brought a bittersweet smile to her face. The one that made her cry the most was their old picture. It wasn't taken when they got together; it wasn't even taken when they were fine with each other.

It was a photo taken when they hated each other at the age of 14, when they were arguing. The younger Naruko had her hands on his desk and she was glaring at the Uchicha while the younger Sasuke just reciprocated her glare together with that annoying smirk. To anyone, it would appear as it was, two young teens arguing but to her, it was something special.

Call her sentimental but you could see it if you look hard enough, the tiny differences that meant more than words could ever express. But these differences, they weren't hidden to her eyes. They were the first thing she noticed.

If you look hard enough, you could see that Sasuke's eyes did seem frighteningly cold and unfeeling but there was a bit of warmth in them. If you look hard enough, you could see that even though Naruko was glaring at him, her lips turned up even the slightest bit.

As much as she wanted to send that photo over to her phone, she found herself holding the urge back. This was Sasuke's laptop and she already invaded his privacy by opening it. He never let her look at it, never even let her use it.

"Sasuke, can I borrow your laptop?" Naruko asks sticking her head through the bedroom door.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's mine."

"Ever heard of sharing is caring?"

"I don't care."

"Okay then." She gives up knowing that it would be pointless. So she just runs to the nearest computer cafe.

"Sasuke, I really need to borrow your laptop."

"No."

"You already said no the last time!"

"So?"

"Let me borrow it this time!"

"No."

"Why not?" She pouts.

"I'm busy." He smirks.

"Ugh! Sometimes you are just insufferable!" She leaves the room.

"But you love me!" He calls out to which she shouts, "unfortunately!"

To be honest, she missed those days when they would argue over the smallest of things to the biggest of things.

She shuts down the computer and then makes her way out of the room. Before she does leave the room, she takes one more look. She takes one more longing look trying to memorize everything, trying to remember everything. Even if she knew she did memorize everything, she had to know what it was without him in it.

It has been a year since that day and every single day, the pain feels like it was just yesterday. Every day, the wound feels fresh, the pain feels raw. When he left, he took a part of her with him, a part that he filled, only to take it away.

Realizing she was still wearing his jacket, she places one foot back in the room making her way to the bed. She was about to leave it there but then again, another memory pushes its way in.

"Naruko!" A voice yells from their room.

"What?" She responds from the living room.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave your clothes on the bed?" The voice reminds her and as if it flicked a switch, Naruko finally remembered.

"Ah! Sorry Sasuke, can you put it in the basket?" She apologizes and receives a sigh in return. She laughs to herself on how organized her boyfriend is.

"I can hear you laughing, dobe!"

"You were meant to, teme!"

As if hearing his voice scolding her, she turns around, heading towards the cabinet. She puts it back it after having difficulty seeing as the closet was small. Pushing the jacket in, it manages to slip but the force of her push seems to have shaken the cabinet. Something small falls down on her, rubbing her head, she looks down, only to see a box. A tiny velvet box.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She yells to no one in particular. She feels the tears come again and she doesn't even remember when they stopped. "You have got to be kidding me." She says again only this time, it was weaker.

Having an internal debate on whether or not to open the box, her mind says 'no, it'll hurt you more.' But her heart says 'open it, to answer your questions.' In the end, like all her decisions, her heart had one.

Picking up the tiny box, she found herself opening it.

"S-Sasuke wanted to marry m-me?" And there sat a small ring in the box. It was a simple ring with a diamond in the middle. That was it, not needing other stones to adorn it or to beautify it. It was simple but it was beautiful. It was perfect. "Stupid teme."

So she smiles sadly as she takes the ring and places it on her left, next to another ring. The first ring was flashy. Yes it was beautiful but Naruko didn't like it. The second ring pales in comparison but to her the second one meant so much more.

It does mean more to receive it-even if she never did-from the man you love rather than receive it from someone through an arranged marriage.

She takes the second one off but instead of putting it back in the box, she takes off the necklace Sasuke gave her and there she placed the second ring, dangling next to the fox pendant.

As if finding strength to go on, she leaves the room finally being able to close the door behind her. She walks down the hallway, looking at each frame carefully, reliving each moment represented in the photo. Some were of both of them, the others consisted of their friends but some contained their family. There were even baby pictures.

Naruko laughs at the picture she managed to get from Sasuke's mom. She continues to look at it but just continues to laugh harder.

"What are you laughing at?" Sasuke asks her appearing from the kitchen.

"Oh, nothing." She looks at the photo and then to Sasuke and then she laughs again.

"It doesn't sound like nothing, let me see." The raven says getting closer to the blonde.

"No!" Naruko laughs while denying his order.

"Let me see." The Uchicha pushes.

"Nope!" She denies it again.

"Let me see or else." In his eyes was an unmistakable glint that stood for mischief.

Naruko's eyes widen and she hides the picture behind her. In a whisper, she says, "you wouldn't."

"Try me." And that started the staring contest. As usual, Naruko was the first one to look away.

"…Fine, but promise me that you won't get mad."

"Sure." He shrugs not really caring.

"Sasuke, promise me!" The blonde yells while pointing a finger towards the boy.

"Fine, I promise."

"Okay…" She says as she slowly hands Sasuke the picture and then sits there bracing herself for what was about to come.

"Naruko… Where did you get this?" Sasuke asks while slowly but surely turning red. Instead of answering, she just bursts out laughing once more much to Sasuke's embarrassment.

And if you were wondering, in that picture was a baby Sasuke, a very naked baby Sasuke in the bathtub glaring at the camera.

She laughs again recalling the memory.

After sometime, her trip down memory lane seems to almost come to a close. She stood in the living room, taking one last wistful look. She sees the sun set from the wide windows of the apartment and she remembers that that view was one of the factors why she wanted to live here. And she still does.

She was slowly drowning herself in awe at the beauty of the sunset. She finds herself staring at the way the different colors start to paint the sky, mingling with each other until fully blending into one color. She finds herself watching the way the sun was slowly sinking, leaving the stage open for the moon. Upon seeing the sun set, she then instinctively looks at her wrist.

She traces the small tattoo of the sun. It was barely there, but it was still there. Sasuke has one too, but instead of the sun, it was a small tattoo of the moon. She remembers the conversation they had dearly.

"Naruko, you know, sometimes you remind me of the sun." He suddenly says as they were watching the sunset.

She finds herself laughing a bit. "Where did that come from?" She asks but then she also tells him, "Well, you remind me of the moon."

"Quite a cliché conversation this will turn out to be."

"No, carry on." Naruko urges the raven that had his arms wrapped around her. To her, this was already heaven. "I want to hear it."

"You are like my sun because back then, I would always look out and feel the warmth of the sun. I would always think how nice it might be to feel all warmed up but being the cold kid I was, I always thought it would be impossible. Somehow, I found myself thinking what it would be like to find the person that would be like my very own sun. I was lonely back then so I always loved the light the sun had to offer. Now, I'm glad I found my own sun and she illuminates my world like no other." He finishes.

"My turn!" The blonde says excitedly after hearing Sasuke's speech. "You are like my moon because you just are. When I was younger I always walked alone. Sure, there were people here and there but they never really stayed with me. When I would walk late at night, only the moon kept me company because the stars always seemed out of my reach. So I would always talk to the moon hoping that one day, the moon will reply. As a child, it was a silly wish but now, I think it wasn't so silly at all. I finally got my reply."

"Then our kids will shine like stars." He offers and she agrees.

"Yes they would be. They would be a role model to others so that they would follow their dreams. If I thought that they were unreachable, maybe our kids will change that." She states and the raven nods his head.

"Speaking of kids, how many do you want?" The younger Uchicha asks his girlfriend.

"Two. A boy first then a girl." She readily answers back.

"Only two?" He asks again and there was a bit of disappointment in his voice and Naruko caught it.

"How many did you want?!" She asks him while looking at him with wide eyes. He never answers the question because he just ended up laughing.

That night, Naruko had dreamt about a little army of mini Narukos and Sasukes.

There were so many things they never got to do and it was unfair. They had all those plans but they never came to fruition. As sad as that was, she thinks it was really unfair but life is unfair. Who was she complain that her life was unfair? Well for instances, she was human. So was Sasuke. Sasuke had a brilliant future up ahead so sometimes, she can't help but question it.

Why him and not her?

She was happy and couldn't she have gone with him too? Then they would both be at heaven happily living with their kids. But no, life was unfair. Life was also reality. The painful reality.

Sometimes, she wishes that it wasn't reality, that all of this was a terrible dream and that she would soon wake up but don't we all wish for that? That everything was a dream?

As the sun sets, she turns to leave the apartment, saying goodbye once more and taking one more look. It really is hard, to say goodbye. But what was harder was saying goodbye knowing very well that there will never be another hello. Yet for her the hardest was not even being able to say goodbye, leaving them hoping for another hello.

Naruko smiles as she lets one stray tear fall from her eye. "This is emotionally and mentally exhausting."

So this is it. And it hurts a lot. It hurts a fucking lot. Before her very eyes, her life with Sasuke played out in a flash like a movie and somehow, it made her feel lighter.

She wishes to remember the way it all felt. She wishes to forget. She wishes for it to never leave her, the memories they shared.

"Thank you Sasuke."

And as she closed the door, it may be just her mind fooling her, it may have been just the wind but just hearing his voice saying those words made it worse and she found tears pooling in her eyes.

"Dobe." It may have been illusion but to her it was real.

"Teme." And she finally closed the door.

"There are words that no matter how short, mean a lot more."

A/N: So this is a one-shot :)

Naruto doesn't belong to me, so late disclaimer...?

Anyways, thanks for reading!

Tell me what you think, maybe?

-LuceyLacie-