Summary: This was my little daydream after reading ch 698.

Warning: Shounen Ai (Boy x Boy)

Disclaimer - After ch 698 I rejoice that Kishimoto owns Naruto and no one else.

Author's note - These were just scenes in my head after reading the manga... and I wanted to put them down. Not really a story, more of a drabble. I feel all floaty and romantic.

- xXx -

Naruto felt at peace as he looked at his best friend lying next to him on the battle field. They had both lost consciousness for a while, as well as an arm, but it didn't matter. Those were small things, of no significance.

It was a miracle that they hadn't bled to death. But that was the smaller of the miracles that had occurred in their final battle.

Their eyes locked as they lay in the dirt, the hands they no longer had seeming to hold each other.

Sasuke had laughed when he realized he had lost.

And cried when he realized what he'd won.

They would never be apart now. After all the years and all the hurt and all the fighting. Finally, they had both realized the truth.

There was no breaking this bond. Sasuke's pain was Naruto's. And Naruto's was Sasuke's.

They had shared so much pain. Now... now maybe they could share happiness.

Summoning what little strength he had, Naruto turned his body towards his friend. His soul mate. His right hand was gone, but with his left he reached over and lightly brushed a lock of Sasuke's hair away from his face. Sasuke turned and pressed his cheek further into the touch. Naruto felt the residual dampness of the tears Sasuke had shed when he realized Naruto would not turn away from him. That nothing Sasuke had done or ever could do would break that bond.

They breathed out, both slipping again into unconsciousness, but Naruto was sure he had heard his name on Sasuke's lips. When Kakashi and Sakura arrived they were puzzled to see Sasuke's face nuzzled into Naruto's open palm, small smiles on the two powerful shinobis' faces despite their grave injuries.

. . . . . . . .

Naruto awoke as they were being brought into the hospital in Konoha. Tsunade was there directing that guards be set on Sasuke, and to place them in separate rooms.

"No," Naruto had said, his voice faint with exhaustion and blood loss. "I need to stay with him."

Tsunade hesitated, clearly afraid of what could happen, but Naruto had simply looked at her and smiled. "It's ok, Granny... I brought him back. It's ok now."

. . . . . . .

When Naruto woke, the room was dark. He was in a hospital bed, his wounds cleaned. He looked and saw a second bed in the room, a familiar form resting in it in similar condition.

His body screaming in protest, Naruto levered himself out of his bed and staggered over to the other's bedside.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, a statement of relief that he was here, that they had not been separated.

Black eyes opened, and locked onto his.

Without a word, Naruto slipped into the small bed beside the person he loved most in life.

Sasuke shifted turning his body slightly into Naruto's. They rested together in the quiet of the small room on the white of the sheets.

This was how it was meant to be. All the pain that they had endured up to this point was worth it for this single moment.

Naruto turned his face towards Sasuke and found his gaze waiting. The bed was small, allowing little space between their faces. The soft warmth from their breath connected them. With only a small movement, they leaned towards each other, their lips brushing slowly, softly together.

It wasn't their first kiss, but it was the one they would always remember.

Their heads fell back on the single pillow, too tired to move further, but their eyes said all there was to say before they slowly drifted back to sleep.

Whatever came next, they would always be together.

- xXx-

The end.