It was a nice day out. Not too cold, between the clouds you could sometimes catch a ray of sun and then the nice add of a breeze sweeping through the leafs on the trees, making them rustle and tremble, creating a nice tune to drown out some of the other sounds.

Sasuke rather listened to that then the soft gossiping voices that weren't here for the right reasons or the kids running around, not quite grasping what was going on. Then there were the tears that sometimes silently streamed over people's faces and sometimes went accompanied by a lot of noise. The one that got to Sasuke the most was the soft whine coming from the dog he once hated so much. He still didn't like Akamaru much, but this was heart breaking. Dogs shouldn't outlive their owners in Sasuke's opinion. It wasn't how this was supposed to go.

Dark eyes swept through the crowd once more, trying to avoid the casket as much as possible, and then his eyes found him. The familiar mop of bright blond hair, a bit too noticeable on such a grim occasion and still Sasuke welcomed it with open arms. That was the person that would get him through this day. Because he couldn't do this alone. Losing someone was too painful to begin with and it wouldn't be the first time that Sasuke found himself on a graveyard, ready to bury someone. Maybe he was a lot older now, but still it brought back memories he didn't really want to remember.

Today would not be about the past. Today would be about the present and Naruto's and his future. But how to start a conversation here? So many days had Sasuke tried to prepare for this, come up with a whole conversation they were supposed to have, but moment supreme it all felt a bit different. Words didn't seem right anymore, didn't hold the right meaning for what this all meant. But what was he supposed to say then?

Eventually the crowd was starting to quiet down and it seemed someone was going up to say some words about Kiba, the one this was all about. So Sasuke couldn't wait any longer under that tree, hiding from the one he needed to see the most. Naruto had not once glanced around to see if Sasuke was coming, so he was definitely not expected. Strange how they had drifted apart so much already that they wouldn't go to their friend's funeral together. Or both were perhaps too stubborn.

Pushing himself of the tree Sasuke slowly walked towards the tiny wooden white chairs, looking as uncomfortable as they were. Picking the right line he passed several people rather awkward and then finally came to the empty seat beside Naruto.

Still the blonde didn't look up or acknowledge Sasuke in any way. Fresh tear marks stained his face and his blue eyes seemed rather empty. His face was pale and his skin looked as this as paper. Gaara had not been lying when he said Naruto wasn't doing so well. Mostly he noticed when he reached for Naruto's hand, holding it tightly as the ceremony started, the thin fingers barely able to weave through his own. A soft squeeze to his hand let Sasuke know that Naruto knew he was here and had appreciated the gesture, even if it was only meant as a friendly one.

Sweet words were then spoken about Kiba, the family taking you on an adventure as they told stories about his life and how beautiful it had been. Often breaking bones, because he was never careful. Trying to ride his dog when he was only eight years old. How even after losing his father he stayed strong and made sure that his mother never felt alone. Even if Kiba had been a cocky, stubborn kid, he had one of the kindest souls out there, always taking care of others needs before his own.

And then as Kiba's mother broke down in tears, Sasuke slowly blinked them free as well, knowing that feeling all too well. Young kids weren't supposed to lose their parents, but parents should never outlive their kids. It was not how life was supposed to go. Kiba should've been here, telling all of them what bullshit this was and then proceed to try and hit on every girl that was not direct family. Maybe even pick out some guys that caught his attention. And Akamaru would happily join him, barking at the people that rejected Kiba and licking the hands of people that were nice.

Letting his eyes move away from the casket again, Sasuke stared off over the cemetery. All those headstones weathered away, forgotten, or adorned with flowers, still loved. How long had it been since he last visited their graves?

A soft squeeze pulled his attention back to Naruto and as he glanced over, their eyes met for the first time that day. The soft blue seemed more vibrant now, more alive, even when the rest of Naruto's face was so fragile. His lips parted to say something, but Naruto beat him to it, saying something very unexpected. 'When do you want to go?'

Sasuke's breath got caught in his throat. You could think this was about leaving the funeral early and just ditching this place, but he knew that wasn't what Naruto meant. Because the blonde apparently knew him better than Sasuke had expected. But when did he want to go? 'Tomorrow,' he answered softly, his eyes closing, letting out the last few tears in a steady flow. He needed to see them tomorrow and it would be easier this time, because Naruto would be there too.

Naruto responded with a not and let his eyes slide back to the front. Everyone had said something that had wanted to and now everyone could say their goodbyes before the casket was going to be lowered down into the grave. A line was already forming and seats were emptying quickly, but neither males were in a hurry to get up as well.

Their hands still linked they watched how person after person threw down a flower and whispered words to Kiba that were only meant for them to hear. At some point Naruto leaned his head against Sasuke's shoulder and they both sat in silence, watching how the line got smaller and smaller until almost everyone was gone. It was their time now, but still they both didn't feel like standing up. They hadn't seen their friend in such a long time and then they would see him in such a different way. But when only Kiba's mother and sister remained, it was time to say goodbye.

Sasuke stood first, slowly pulling along Naruto who was practically trembling on his legs. The blonde had lost a lot of weight again and definitely didn't look healthy. Sasuke had to support him as they walked or rather shuffled towards the casket. 'When we get home you're going to eat a lot of ramen and I don't want to hear any complaints,' Sasuke heard himself say and only then realised what that had meant.

Blue eyes shot up and they stared at each other for the longest moment. First a sliver of a smile formed on Naruto's lips until his face turned saddened. A frail hand reached up and cupped Sasuke's face, a thumb sliding over a pale cheek. 'As long as it's barbeque pork,' Naruto retorted, trying to joke about it, but failing with his expression.

It still meant so much and Sasuke just had to turn away, couldn't look at Naruto anymore as he tried to blink the fresh tears away. Naruto was coming home with him again. He wouldn't be alone in that too crowded house. Finally it wouldn't feel as empty anymore. Sasuke only replied with a nod, not trusting his voice at this point.

That was when they reached the casket and finally they could see Kiba resting peacefully. His eyes were closed and it almost seemed like there was a content smile on his lips, as if this had been the moment he had been waiting on. His skin had lost most of its tan, his disease making him paler and paler. His cheeks looked hollow. Almost everything about him was just too thin. This wasn't the Kiba they had known and yet it was. They could still see flashes of him in there.

Carefully Naruto released Sasuke's hand and stepped forward, taking his own private moment to say goodbye. Naruto's back shook for a moment as he released a sob and Sasuke had to supress the urge to go up to him and give him much needed comfort. This was something Naruto had to do alone, just like he would have to.

And all too soon it was Sasuke's turn. Naruto stepped out of the way, rubbing his sleeve over his eyes and looking off into the distance. Reluctantly Sasuke moved forward then, putting his hands over the edge of the dark wooden casket. First he just stared at Kiba, waiting for him to jump up and tell them all this was a joke. The cruellest joke Sasuke had ever heard of, but hey, Kiba just had a weird sense of humour, right?

Before Sasuke even realised it, he was crying again silently. The saying goodbye part was the hardest about this all. It made everything so final and irreversible. But it had to happen, because never being able to say goodbye eventually gets to you more. So he took a shaky breath, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself and let the words form in his head.

'Thank you for everything, Kiba. If it hadn't been for you, Naruto and I wouldn't be together anymore.' They probably wouldn't have been together for a long time. Kiba had always seemed to be there whenever Sasuke needed the reassurance. 'And I promise I will never let him go again. Next time I won't need you.'

With one last pat on a too cold shoulder Sasuke stepped away from the casket and turned around towards Naruto, seeing how the blonde was slightly smiling and almost appeared happy. It made Sasuke's heart skip a beat and his eyes widen, because this was what he had missed so much. That look that told him how much Naruto truly loved him. Because he knew and had always known that. But at some point you just don't believe anyone can love you like that.

'Let's go home, Sasuke,' Naruto said softly, his hands reaching forward, asking for the raven to grab them. And of course Sasuke did, making Naruto smile even brighter. 'And never leave again.'

They didn't need to say more or talk things over. Or maybe they should have, but neither wanted to at this point. They just wanted to be happy and enjoy their moments together just this once. No more drama, no more pain. All they needed was the other and a comfortable house where they could crawl up against each other and just enjoy… life.

Hand in hand they left, one in a too big of a black tux, hanging around his thin frame, the other dressed to perfection. An odd pair to see maybe, but it didn't matter. Because their hands would be linked together forever, moving forward in the good time and the bad times, in sickness and in health.

"Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you can't replace

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

And I will try to fix you"

...

Characters © Masashi Kishimoto

Song by Coldplay - Fix you

Let me know what you think!

Thank you for the journey this whole story has been and thank you for sticking with it for as long as it took. Almost an entire year... It may seem like a very open ending, but I don't feel like an epilogue will do this story any good.

I have loved this story a lot. Of course all the reviews, follows and favourites help a lot, but the emotional rollercoaster it has been was just amazing. I've felt the things you've felt and hopefully everything came across right. Hopefully this was the bitter sweet ending I wanted to give it.

I hope we'll see each other again. The pairing grew on me, so I might just come with a story again if I come up with the right plot.

Thank you for everything

...

Edit: If you really liked this story, make sure to check out my latest and finished SasuNaruSasu story: Crossing the Distance! I will most likely turn that story into a book in the near future :)

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Love, Dana