A frail, fragmented figure stands before me. His dull eyes, sparkling with tears, stare into mine. His jaw lowered into an inaudible gasp, his chin trembling with repressed sobs.

It takes everything within me to stop my tears from falling.

"Naruto... Why?.."

Why? Why did this have to happen? Why do I have to watch this person stand atop a building, all hope having emanated away? Why did such a pulchritudinous flower have to be treated like a weed, poisoned by those around him?

Yet his eyes hold a look that causes my gut to twist. No flame of life could be found; no sign of hope.

"I need to do this. I need to do what they always wanted."

Fists clench.

"No! You don't need to do this! Please... Step off of the rooftop."

Naruto shakes his head, eyes fixed on the ground.

"I do need to do this. This is what everyone needs."

With a lurch, I race forward, feet blurring with movement. My arms restrict Naruto's movement, as his legs dangle in midair.

"That's not what I need... I need you." Spoken as soft as a gust of wind, the mutter was barely discernible. Yet Naruto's face still spins to meet mine, eyes shining with crystalline blue.

With a sob, he breaks down within my arms, heart-wrenching cries muffling within my shirt. I pull him closer as we collapse to the ground. Two beings that have been treated like waste throughout their lives. Two beings that have constantly ached for another's care. Two beings with the same inner demons.

And so we kneel, hunched over. My lips mutter unintelligible words of comfort, his cries begin to filter out. We begin, for the first time in our lives, to dream of a better future. One where we can finally bathe in the comfort of another.

Author's Note: I'm going to write one really short chapter and then that will be the end of this book. I feel like I made the characters very OOC, so sorry if that irked you. Anywhooo, I'll see you at the end of this book! (^v^)