29: Intimate Spin-Off: Sun & Shadow

The house was quiet. A small, nondescript place on the outskirts of the village, tucked away where no one would think to look for two ghosts.

Naruto dropped onto the couch with a huff, kicking off his sandals, stretching out like he owned the place—because, in a way, he did.

It had been his idea to stay, to keep protecting Konoha from the shadows, even if the village no longer remembered him. Sasuke had agreed, of course.

Because where else would he go?

Sasuke stood by the window, arms crossed, watching the last traces of daylight fade beyond the treetops. This had become their routine. Quiet, unspoken understanding. A house that felt like theirs. Naruto taking up too much space, Sasuke pretending he minded.

"You're brooding again." Naruto's voice was lazy, teasing.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't brood."

Naruto chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Whatever you say."

The silence stretched between them, familiar, easy. Outside, the wind rustled the trees, and somewhere in the distance, laughter echoed from the village. A world that no longer knew them.

Naruto sighed. "Kinda weird, huh? Us… here."

Sasuke turned his head slightly. "You regret it?"

Naruto scoffed, turning his head to look at him, blue eyes catching the dim light. "You really gonna ask me that again?"

Sasuke held his gaze. Naruto's expression was softer than usual, something unguarded slipping through the cracks. Something warm.

Naruto licked his lips, a quick flick of his tongue over the bottom one, and Sasuke's chest tightened, pulse jumping in a way he didn't want to acknowledge.

He had spent years burying things—this—underneath duty, anger, war. But now, with no battles left to fight, no revenge left to chase, all that remained was Naruto.

And the way his body responded before his mind could catch up.

Naruto must have noticed something shift because his teasing grin faltered, replaced by something quieter, more intense. He sat up,

elbows resting on his knees, gaze locked onto Sasuke's like he was trying to figure him out.

Sasuke swallowed. His throat felt dry.

Then Naruto moved.

Slow. Unhurried. Like he was giving Sasuke time to stop him. He didn't.

By the time Naruto was standing in front of him, close enough that Sasuke could feel his warmth, could count the freckles dusting his cheeks, he knew—this was inevitable.

Naruto's voice was quieter when he spoke. "You gonna run this time?"

Sasuke exhaled through his nose, something like a laugh. "No."

A small smirk tugged at Naruto's lips. "Good."

And then he kissed him.

It wasn't careful.

It wasn't hesitant.

It was years of tension snapping all at once, fingers twisting into fabric, bodies pressing together, the sheer force of it stealing the breath from Sasuke's lungs.

Naruto's hands found his jaw, holding him there, keeping him close like he was afraid Sasuke might disappear. But Sasuke had nowhere else to go. No reason to go.

His hands slid down, grasping at the hem of Naruto's shirt, feeling the solid warmth of him, the way his breath hitched against his lips. And then Naruto was laughing, breathless and disbelieving.

"Damn," he murmured, pressing his forehead against Sasuke's. "Took us long enough."

Sasuke huffed, fingers tightening against his waist."Shut up."

Naruto grinned. "Make me."

And Sasuke did.

The quiet between them stretched, filled only by the soft sound of their breaths. Naruto's fingers brushed against Sasuke's skin—hesitant, as if afraid this might all slip away if he moved too fast.

Sasuke exhaled, tilting his head slightly, pressing their foreheads together. He could feel Naruto's heart pounding, steady and real, syncing with his own.

"You're warm," Naruto murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

Sasuke swallowed, his fingers tightening where they rested against Naruto's back. "So are you."

Naruto huffed a quiet laugh, but it wasn't teasing.

It was soft, almost disbelieving. "I used to think… no matter what, you'd always leave."

Sasuke's chest tightened. He let his hand trail up to cup Naruto's cheek, running his thumb along the sharp line of his jaw. "I thought I had to."

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into the touch. "And now?"

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "I'm here."

Naruto's breath caught, and for a moment, he didn't say anything. He just looked at Sasuke, searching, as if memorizing the moment—the way their bodies fit together, the way Sasuke's gaze didn't waver, didn't turn away.

Then, in a voice quieter than before, Naruto admitted, "I don't know what I'd do if you left again."

Sasuke's fingers slid into Naruto's hair, tugging gently until their lips were a breath apart. "I won't."

Naruto let out a slow, shaky breath. Then he kissed him again, soft this time, lingering, like he was trying to hold onto every second.

Sasuke let himself sink into it, let himself believe—because it was true.

He wasn't running anymore.

And neither was Naruto.

The room was quiet except for their breathing, heavy and uneven. The space between them no longer existed—Naruto's body pressed against Sasuke's, warm and real, anchoring him in the present.

Sasuke hadn't realized how much he needed this. How much he needed Naruto.

Naruto traced a hand down his back, slow and deliberate, fingers splayed like he was memorizing the shape of him.

His breath was warm against Sasuke's shoulder, his lips brushing against skin as he whispered, "You're still here."

Sasuke swallowed, closing his eyes.

Naruto's hands trembled slightly as they slid up his back, pressing him closer, as if afraid he'd disappear.

"I thought—" He stopped, shaking his head, pressing his forehead against Sasuke's.

"I don't care what the world remembers. I don't care if they don't know what we did. As long as you do."

Sasuke exhaled slowly, letting his hands slide over Naruto's shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin, the steady pulse beneath his fingertips.

"I know," Sasuke murmured.

And he did.

Naruto pulled back just enough to look at him, his blue eyes soft, open in a way Sasuke had never seen before. It staggered him, how much emotion Naruto carried in that gaze—how much love.

Neither of them said it. Neither of them had to.

Sasuke cupped Naruto's face, ran his thumb over his cheek, feeling the way Naruto leaned into the touch. No more battles, no more running. Just this.

When Naruto kissed him again, it was different. Slower. Softer. A lingering promise in every brush of lips, every shared breath.

Sasuke lost himself in it, let Naruto guide him, let his own hands wander over familiar skin, mapping out every scar, every place that made Naruto shiver.

There was no rush. No desperation. Just the quiet,

aching certainty that they were exactly where they were meant to be.

Together.