Authors notes: Hope you enjoy the next installment, I decided to extend this in to a three-shot!

Warnings: fem!Naru (not-yaoi) , seriously unprofessional counseling

He grinned at her from across the table. "Don't you feel better?"

"How could I possibly feel better, hm?" She didn't return the smile, heck, she didn't even look at him. Her big blue eyes flickered from the television to her phone.

"I figured since we spent a day doing what you wanted to do you'd be feeling pretty fantastic."

She tapped on the screen of her phone and stared at her husband through narrowed eyes. "My idea of a nice day does not entail blowing a days wage on counseling, Sasuke."

"I like when you say my name," He winked and traced his bottom lip with his tongue.

"Don't be stupid." She couldn't help but crack a small smile, annoyed or not — the man was incredibly sexy.

"See, right there!" He exclaimed, pointing a finger at her before poking her affetionately on the forehead. "All I want is that smile, we don't need to be coached by a complete stranger, Naruto."

"You heard what he said though, right? We're in a costant battle for domina-"

"Yes, a constant battle for dominance," Sasuke mocked.

"You don't take any of this seriously, do you?" Naruto exhaled deeply, resting her chin in her palm.

"No I don't, do you wanna know why?"

"Sure." She rolled her eyes, expecting some idiotic joke of a response.

"That's just what we do," He said, catching her gaze and grabbing hold of her free hand to stroke it lovingly. "We banter, we compete with another, most importantly though — we love each other. Maybe we don't fit the mould of a normal couple, but what is normal?"

Naruto leaned back in her chair, almost out of breath. Was he being...serious?

"I–I, uh—"

"Speechless, Naruto? That's something I never thought I'd witness."

And then he ruins it.

"I was beginning to think you had a soul, sweetie." She cocked her head to the side, pulling a smile that stunk of fakery.

"Wrong again, darling." He smirked, his obsidian eyes sparkled with cheek.

"We love each other, there's no question there. There's passion — obviously. But, sometimes I feel like we drift, we lose ourselves and one day we might lose the other. I don't want you to run away from me." Naruto spoke lowly as she rubbed her tired eyes, somewhat glad she had aired out the dirty, stinky laundry, but frustrated she had come across as vulnerable.

"You needn't be concerned with anything like that. It's my pleasure to be with you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't quite frankly," He nodded his head slowly, almost agreeing with his own words, his grip on her hand tightening — he never wanted to let go. "Even in some crazy parallel of a world where I did run, you'd be the only person who could ever bring me home."

"Damn right!" Naruto fist pumped the air with enthusiasm. "Nothing can escape the clutches of Naruto, (da)ttebayo!"

Kakashi had woken with an incredible migraine — one that surpassed and destroyed the worst of the worst, then reared its ugly head and spat on it. His mouth overflowed with the taste of cigarette buds and a thick phlegm from last nights drinks. He was utterly and completely wrecked.

The only source of energy that fueled him was that of a long–black cup of coffee with thrice the amount of sugar than his usual. He nursed on his caffeine for half an hour —too lazy to pick the mug up, he lapped it up with his tongue instead. This type of genius can't be taught in schools.

He couldn't stand the mere thought of heading in to work today, he couldn't stand the thought of talking to shit–head upon dip–shit, one after the other for the rest of the day. He held his pounding head in his hands, hoping to cry and release the built up cocktail of emotions — nothing. Damn.

It was then the sound of stampeding feet abused the corridor outside his apartment. The sound of children racing down the flights of stairs, the poor suckers that were their parents who had to run after them, all the whole trying not to trip down the steps. The echo of sloppy kisses from the loved up couples parting ways to go to work — it made him nearly gag and want to cry right there and then.

Every day he listened, every day he sat in his pricey apartment, on his pricey furniture, feeling worthless and no more than a five dollar bill. He was on his own, completely alone — he was bitter, he was angry, he was cold.

No warmth could warm, no wintry weather could chill him. (1)

He questioned himself more often than not. How can an unmarried man — scratch that, a man who hasn't had a girlfriend in years, possibly mend a marriage? How can a man who is miserable wish happiness upon the likes of others? He can't.

He ran through the memory of his last session, the day he met the most infuriating couple he'd ever been face to face with. He had told them they had serious flaws, and they did. But, he observed them, their underlying affection, their way with each other. It hurt him to know that such careless, selfish people could find such happiness and he couldn't. He feared he never would.

He would much rather bring them down, make them as miserable as he is, rather than allow them to feel something they clearly didn't deserve. But, he did!

"I'm so unprofessional." The silver haired man whined, smacking his head against the side of the wall.

(1) - a line from A Christmas Carol