It had been a few hours since Naruto had went to sleep. Sasuke was diligently working, trying to get his homework done even though tomorrow was a school holiday. From the corner of his room, he expectedly heard a soft whimpering sound. He looked up from his work and he knew the source was Naruto. Sasuke slowly got up from his chair and walked over to the bed. He climbed up to the top bunk and sat next to Naruto's scuffling form. The blonde was crying and whispering...

'Please... Please don't hurt me...'

Sasuke looked at Naruto in sympathy. Naruto turned towards Sasuke's side and curled up into a tiny ball and started shivering. Sasuke gently laid his hand on Naruto's bony shoulder and shook it steadily. Naruto refused to wake up and curled himself further. The raven then reached out to Naruto's head and tenderly rubbed his blonde head, in comfort. Naruto's sob ceased after a few minutes and he snuggled further into the pillows. Sasuke smiled at the adorable scene. He turned around to see the time. It was past six o'clock. The raven decided to wake the sleeping blonde.

"Hey, Naruto. Wake up." Sasuke softly whispered.

"Hmm..." Naruto hummed in response.

The raven just shook his head and shook the dobe's shoulder.

"Wake up idiot. Ramen's ready." He smirked.

Naruto slowly opened his blue eyes, drowsiness evident in his eyes. He sluggishly sat up on the bed and turned towards Sasuke, rubbing the drowsiness in his eyes.

"Dinner's ready?" Naruto asked softly.

Sasuke just smirked,

"No dobe. Needed to wake you up to take your medicine."

Naruto crossed his arms to his chest and puffed out his whiskered cheeks.

"Liar!"

Sasuke climbed down to his bed-side table and took out a pill each from the bottles. He walked into is washroom and took a bottle of water and went to Naruto. Sasuke climbed back up to the blonde and silently handed him the pills and water.

"Here. Take this. Dinner is probably ready by now anyway."

Naruto took the pills and drank them. After gulping down the water, he sat there silently with Sasuke by his side. Naruto was resisting the urge to talk to Sasuke, to act normal like those years. Those years, 6 years ago. He wanted to ask the raven so many things but one question stood out the most and before he could stop himself...

"Sasuke? Do you hate me?" Naruto asked absentmindedly. A few seconds of silence stretched between the two and the blonde realised exactly what he had asked. The rush of heat rose up to his cheeks and his eyes widened. The blonde turned his face away from the ravens, obviously not wanting him to see him.

Sasuke's mouth opened and stayed ajar for a few seconds. He was trying to figure out what to say. What exactly could he say?

'I been hurting him for all these years and now... it's completely different. It's so confusing for him to understand. One day I bully him and the next day I'm acting like a friend. But I can't tell him... I can't tell him that I love him.'

"I could never hate you Naruto... Please don't ask me why I did what I did. I promised you I would tell you everything when I'm ready and I will. Just not now dobe." Sasuke softly whispered, looking at Naruto in pleading eyes.

A few more silent minutes where shared before...

"Do you hate me, Naruto?"

Naruto closed his eyes and small tears rolled down his thin face. He climbed down the bunk stairs and walked to the door. Sasuke looked at Naruto in hurt and pain, knowing what Naruto's answer is. Before the door opened...

"It wouldn't hurt as much as it does if I did..." Naruto whispered and left. Sasuke was left alone, sitting on Naruto's bed and his heart broke in guilt. Naruto was still hurting, the pain was still fresh and the wounds were still bleeding. Sasuke got down and walked after Naruto.

Walking down the stairs, he could hear his father's voice and Naruto's. He saw his father and the blonde talking. His mom was by the blonde's side, stroking his head.

"Um... Good evening Fugaku-san." Naruto said softly, bowing down in respect.

"As to you too. Good to see you are recovering so well. Are you settled in Naruto?" Fugaku asked, looking down at the blonde.

"Ah yes!... Um, thank you for allowing me to stay. I am very grateful." Naruto nervously answered.

Fugaku smiled and nodded in welcome.

"Let's have dinner. There are things we need to discuss." Fugaku said and walked to the dining table. Laid there was different, big bowls of ramen. Naruto's eyes widened in happiness.

"Thank you Mikoto-san!" Naruto exclaimed in glee. Mikoto smiled amusedly.

"Go eat and after I'll need to change your bandages."

Sasuke walked in and Mikoto turned to him.

"Ahh dear. Have your dinner." Mikoto sat next to her husband at the table and served a bowl for herself.

Everyone was sitting down having dinner. Itachi was not home as he was still working on a case back at the office. The older raven was juggling many different cases, including Naruto's one which Fugaku will also be taking on, in arresting Minato Namikaze.

Naruto was guzzling down all the ramen, eating two- three bowls in a minute. Sasuke just stared in amazement. Fugaku was silently and gracefully eating his ramen when he suddenly said,

"Naruto, there are things we need to discuss about your cas-"

"Fugaku, not now. Naruto is still getting settled in his new home. Save all the business discussions when he is ready too to talk about it." Mikoto said sternly. She looked towards Naruto and smiled excitedly.

"And anyway, tomorrow Naruto, Sasuke and I shall go shopping. We need to buy clothes and necessities!" She grinned. Sasuke felt an anime sweat drop form at the side of his head.

"But-" Fugaku tried to say before getting interrupted.

"But nothing dear! This discussion shall be postponed until it is necessary." She glared at her husband. Fugaku shark back in fear and resumed to eat his dinner, reminding himself not to go against his wife.

All the while Naruto was staring at the scene in front of him in amusement and sadness, wishing his childhood would have been like this.

'But at least now... I have something like a family.'