Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Home ❯ Coming Home ( One-Shot )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

TITLE: Coming Home
WORDS: 5,254
RATING: Mature, smutty, grr-argh. [Look Ma! Adult Content!! Three years later, I finally work to earn the hate XD]
PAIRINGS: narutoXsakura[Xsasuke] A threesome fic with only two people coupling. Odd, I know ^^;

WARNINGS: Spoilers? Invariably none. This is an unnecessary part to a much bigger brainchild. However, there are two points, wherein I shouldn't, I change the P.O.V. It happens. Get over it.

AUTHOR NOTES: Dedicated to Symon, my bestest beta, because he bought me a "The Postal Service" CD I've been writing to for months. Suggestive as it may seem to dedicate het-porn to a boy, it also dedicated to him because he endured my rather clinical explanation as to exactly how bad 'bad-porn' can be and somehow he doesn't hate me for it. I mean, if that didn't make him want cut off his dick outright, than he's well on his way to being a proper pervert. Ugh, I shut up now.

DISCLAIMER: Kishimoto-sensei, Shonen Magazine and all sorts of people at VIZ own Naruto and the premises therein. This is a work of fan-created fiction intended solely for amusement. No infringements intended.

====
"I want to take you far
From the cynics in this town
And kiss you on the mouth
We'll cut our bodies free
From the tethers of this scene
Start a brand new colony
Where everything will change
We'll give ourselves new names
Identities erased
The sun will heat the ground
Under our bare feet
In this brand new colony,
Brand new colony
+
Everything will change...
Everything will change..."
-The Postal Service, Brand New Colony
====

+

Coming Home

+

Time is a remarkable thing to measure by. It had been a year since Team Kakashi had made the Uchiha Compound their safe zone, their base of operations, their one place to always return to. Small in comparison to the time they'd been apart, or the measure of youth they'd first spent together as a Genin Cell. Returning to Konoha was one thing but it wasn't until this particular occasion that Sakura felt like returning to this place was coming home.

+

Mind-numbed with exhaustion, her body sagged visibly, aching and bruised from another successful solo mission. Her talents called her away from her teammates more often than she'd have liked. Her medic-gifts were a veritable waste on the Uchiha Prodigy who managed to mimic her every healing Jutsu within the first three months of their cohabitation and the blond Jinchuuriki* who could wait out his most lethal wounds with the same raw determination he approached everything.

Occasionally, it felt downright gratifying to be required for her Shinobi talents even though it meant distancing herself from her precious people. Plus, it made it more obvious they valued her for more than a tool of combat.

An odd product of this epiphany; as she was passing through the arches of her home she noticed that she was not being targeted, attacked or sabotaged in anyway. It was common enough for the three flatmates to use the compound, in its entirety, as a training ground.

The use of her most valuable Jutsu, a knot tying them by psyche, announced her return long before she had climbed the front steps. And yet the Uchiha hadn't bothered to add more then the average amount of exploding notes to the front porch pillars. Those were easily avoidable, just like making certain to step over the third and seventh boards that always creaked under her weight. Also her fireball companion wasn't barreling at her at full speed, challenging her to spar or tell of his mission exploits or crowing his delight at her return. And though she missed the competitive familiarity of these rituals, she felt more at ease by the lack of them.

They knew she was approaching but opted instead to leave her a clean house, a bento box with a note of instruction, and warm bath with a change of clothes. She could nearly have cried in relief. Leaving was getting harder each time.

It would feel this way upon returning; she'd swear to never accept an assignment that kept her away for more then a day. It never happened that way but it didn't deter her Inner-Self from making the same stubborn declarations at each return.

She eagerly kicked off her sandals at the door, grateful to finally be able to get out of her uncomfortable laymen's gear. She would take heavily weighted Shinobi vestment's any day over the fragility of commoner garments, except most times her solo missions called for her to perform medical treatment for Ninja in enemy territory, deeply incognito. That meant schoolmarm, roaming priestess and nurse wear from time to time, whatever worked. As much as she wanted to take advantage of her roommates good turn, she felt too tired physically to even peel off her clothes, nevertheless eat or bathe. She longed only to curl under duvet covers, embellished by the warmth of a sturdy mattress and sleep with her bedmates for comfort. She tugged open the bento and popped a chilled piece of shrimp into her mouth before placing it in the fridge for later consumption.

Along the length of the hall she began to unfasten ties and buckles that held her shuriken-laden coat together. It was terribly nice to feel both vulnerable and peaceable, truly unguarded. Just the feel of homecoming was certainly more comforting than any bath.

She paused at the bedroom door sensing their presence within, not because she'd felt a threat but because she hadn't felt anything at all. Certainly, they were within; the ties that entwined their senses so fully made it obvious. But there was something familiar and yet exceptionally different from times before. Edging further, she pushed the door open with no sound and searched the shadows for confirmation.

They were asleep. Naruto and Sasuke in bed, bare to the waist a far as she could see, wrapped in pools of white material, collapsed and tangled in the careless manner that deep sleep entails. Her bright eyes softened at the sight. It was priceless. They were too toned and strong for this to seem particularity sweet or cuddly, or tawdry even. Yet there was innocence there; the way Naruto, as was his habit, clung to things in his sleep. People mostly, like his unconscious-self was making up for a lifetime of being kept always at arm's length. Sasuke's arms were draped in a loose embrace, not entirely intentional, snaking around Naruto body to hold him close but not confining. His face was turned to the side, with his chin resting on Naruto's crown and Naruto's cheek and ear pressed close to Sasuke's chest, undoubtedly monitoring the beating heart therein. More than likely they'd fallen asleep talking, arguing in the way that they did, pretending they didn't want to be anywhere near each other and in the process exhausting one another to a comfortable standstill. In their sleep though, they reached for the other, they reached for acceptance, comfort and warmth that had been deprived of them for a lifetime. It was endearing, it was the personification of everything she'd missed while she was away. But more importantly it was something not to be taken for granted.

Sakura smirked to herself, padding bare foot across the room to the closet where she removed her coat, guards, and shuriken holster from under her ankle-length skirt, along with her hidden pouch and a number of scrolls. Feeling lighter already from more than just divesting, she reached into the top shelf of the closet and searched for an instrument of sudden necessity. She hoped it wouldn't be perceived as a betrayal of trust, she just couldn't forgive herself is she let this opportunity go to waste.

Turning back to the bed she watched them both still and at peace, memorizing ever detail as best she could before she brought it all crashing to an end. She sighed smilingly, bringing the optic viewer up to her gaze and pressed the knob. With a pop and a flash, Sakura grinned and bolted for the door.

+

Sakura made it to the end of the hallway before a knee met her tailbone and sent her full-speed into the wooden paneling of the wall. She panted around a laugh and clutched the camera to her chest, protected and treasured. She smiled when Sasuke yanked her around and pinned her to a standstill.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," she greeted him casually; staring up at his observing and impatient expression while sleep still clouded his hard gaze.

"Tch-" he muttered in annoyance, glaring for a moment, than blinking his bewilderment. He was always quicker with reflexes than actually thinking. "What the hell, Sakura?"

She reached between them and pulled up the offending instrument, her trusty Polaroid camera with a snapshot, only recently taken, spewing forth. Smirking up at him, she slouched out of his death-grip into the wall and extracted the photo. She flicked it in the air till it dried and became visible. Sasuke gave her a dry look, but the arch of his brow showed minimal interest on viewing what developed.

Sakura barely had a chance to make out how well the photo had come out when Sasuke snatched it out of her fingers, turning it over so he could analyze what had been worth disturbing his rest.

Still confused, he stood back, studying the photo for hidden meaning and glancing at Sakura over its edge, expectantly. He blinked, recognizing Sakura had gone into full-pout mode, and that she was still sooty from travel and hardship. Instantly he regretted having slammed her into the wall, that couldn't have been fun considering, although he would never admit that sort of thing aloud. But with her he never needed to. As expected, she hadn't shown much of an interest in her well-being. Instead she was consumed with the snapshot that she plucked out of his grip.

"Mine," she said in a stubborn but playful voice, "I get to." She flipped the photo back to get a good look at it; her expression changed from being childish into something altogether different in the blink of an eye. She softened considerably as her eyes regarded the simple image like it held the most valuable thing in the world to her and the smile that pressed into her pale lips barely contained the emotions she was resolute to restrain.

Sighing, he realized two very important things; 1) she was homesick and 2) she was home. With his left hand Sasuke reached up and ran his calculating fingers through her lengthening cherry mane, securing messy strands behind her delicate ear, admiring the way her smile lengthened at his attention. With his other hand he grabbed the camera out of her hold and put both speed and distance between them. Sakura glanced up at him from the end of the hall, her lower lip jutting out with a practiced pout, her fist angled against her hip in annoyance.

Sasuke merely slid back into the doorway of the kitchen, bringing the camera up to obscure the challenging smirk as he took aim.

Before she had a chance to react another change had taken place. Unlike Sasuke, who was boxer clad, Naruto stood, bright blue eyes bleary with sleep, dauntingly in the bedroom door, completely unclothed. Sakura face-vaulted, not quite sure at what was expected of her but entertained at the sudden change of events. He seemed to be thinking rather deeply although hazed over with unrest. While he was calculating, Sasuke had started to snap photos; first of Naruto which caused him to growl, second of Sakura who stood bewildered at the opposite end of the hall. Sasuke seemed remarkably unfazed by the two, fully dedicated to his position as photographer. If she was going to need mementos for her long trips away he was going to be certain she had plenty of them.

Naruto glanced around one last time, eyes focusing slightly, ignored his rival and targeted Sakura with an intent and playful glare.

"You took away my pillow," he accused, pointing at her dead-center, just before he charged. Sakura barely managed a squeak of surprise before the demon-endowed teen grabbed her by both arms and yanked her upright, tossing her easily over one shoulder and bolted back to the bedroom.

Sasuke followed slowly a few steps behind, watching it all through the optic view.

+

Sakura laughed uncontrollably when Naruto unceremoniously dumped her onto the mattress only to quickly smother her with his entire weight. He took only the briefest second, while prying her arms apart, to glance at the photo in hand before scrunching up his face in disinterest as he tossed it off the foot of the bed. Sakura complained slightly, propping herself up on her elbows and reached after it. Naruto used the access this gave him to pull apart the tie-strings of her skirt and pin her at an awkward angle, half turned away, neck exposed and struggling ineffectively to push off his advances. His rough hands pressed against her abdomen, shifting under her black dress shirt, determined and gripping at her breast through the fabric of her bra. Sakura squirmed, momentarily distracted from her attempts to reclaim the photo, trying once more to maneuver from under Naruto's mass. Her breath quickened audibly when his tongue made fast work at her neck, teeth pulling at her shirt collar, hands kneading urgently at her sensitive chest; it was just enough incentive to convince her to abandon her earlier interest. Reaching between them, Sakura tried to unbutton her blouse. Naruto shook his head in negation, grabbing hold of her narrow wrists and pinned them at her sides.

"Don't," he said.

Sakura leaned her head back into the mattress trying to see him and understand his demand. His blue eyes were so clear and attentive, determined and caring all at once. She held still, waiting for him to advance again; he brought his hands back to her chest, ran them over the fabric of her not unflattering dress-shirt. It clicked suddenly; she smiled welcomingly and leaned up slightly to kiss his ready lips.

+

There are things that come with a longstanding companionship. Unspoken promises, reflective nuances, memories of tiny things shared that maintain over time.

Sasuke had once confessed to her, over dinner, very plainly and with no ulterior motive, that he thought she was the most breath-taking Kunoichi he ever had the privilege of knowing. It was a compliment like nothing she'd ever received because it wasn't intended on being one at all. Over time he'd found quiet ways of showing her his acknowledgment of her strengths but he rarely spoke of having value for her otherwise. Sakura had flushed deeply under his admission and made certain not to bring it up again, or else he might deny ever having said it or, worse yet, she might make him regret it.

But Naruto had been there, silently observing the two while devouring his Cup Ramen with the ease of long practice. The exchange had not gone unnoticed and it made his competitive streak pop up as well as his want to be considered necessary in her eyes. Acknowledgment all around was essential to their center and Naruto would be damned if he wasn't going to get in some for himself. After finishing their meal and clearing away the dishes, Naruto immediately took her gently by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen doorway, effectively blocking Sasuke's retreat. He confessed in no uncertain terms that in his eyes, he 'always' thought Sakura to be the most beautiful 'woman' alive. Sakura blushed quickly and her expression broke into a wide-grin, acknowledging his admission and at that same moment having Sasuke's early comment solidified. She'd leaned up then and kissed him thoroughly and greedily, letting every inch of her gratitude for both boys show on the touch of her lips.

+

It was a silly thing, barely even considerable as a fetish, but Naruto loved to see her as a 'woman' although it wasn't so surprising in the grand scheme of things. After all she had always been his ideal. Under him with her swell of breast bound in the most common garments of a bra and shirt, her leg fettered by the soft red cotton fabric of her wrinkled skirt, his eyes washed over her hungrily, and his hands traced lines of curves and muscles unseen. She loved having the ability to make him so happy with something so little and so genuinely her own.

Sakura sat up slowly, Naruto leaned back to make room for her, regarding her coyly, pleased with her willingness to comply. She brought herself up to eye level, pulling closer still and wrapped her legs around him. She reached up with both hands, cupped his face gently and kissed him as softly as she could without forgetting that he was both naked and willing, confined between her folded legs. Somewhere behind closed eyes the pop of a flash bulb could nearly be heard. She could have imagined it, because Naruto hadn't seemed to notice the sound, instead he tilted his head, gradually deepening his kiss.

With the press of lips and taste of teeth over tongues Naruto's hand balled into a tense grip, promising and threatening, against her sides. Sakura chose not to acknowledge his building tension. She resolved herself to kissing Naruto languidly and thoroughly with a gently placed finger pressed against the scars outlining his high cheekbones. She smiled against the appreciative growl he gave when her tongue dragged deliberately slow against the roof of his mouth. Tired or not, when doing something as simple and self-gratifying as laying into a flatmate you simply found the time.

He tasted, as always, of crispness she could only ever describe as Naruto. It was clear mountain water and spring breeze all at once. It was refreshing even as it heated and she took her time to savor it, not entirely blocking out the fear that one of these times might be the last time, one of the missions might be THE mission.

Naruto's nature made tasting her apprehension an aphrodisiac. It couldn't be helped. The predator in him made him want to devour her. The lover in him made him want to prove those fears wrong. While she was hard at work marauding his mouth he found a gap in their embrace and expertly slipped his hand unseen between her folds. Sakura gasped and shuddered at the intrusion. Naruto was unapologetic at the brashness of this maneuver just as the moisture she secreted provided incentive to carry on. Her motion became artless and desperate as she pushed herself further, wrapping her legs tighter, pulling herself further onto his lap. Her mouth worked to encourage him, entice him and call to him. She murmured his name between gasping breaths, she mewled softly and pleadingly for him to fill her, for him to fuck her, for him to do something other than just touch her. Naruto, at the best of times, could prove exasperatingly stubborn and nothing Sakura uttered dissuaded him from finding that one clever spot, that pinnacle center that made her lose her last remnants of control.

At one point, she dropped her head to his shoulder in defeat, dedicating herself to simply holding tight to what was liable to be a lengthy endeavor and then he'd brushed upon it. Her body tightened within and without, she stiffened upright and found a reserve of vitality in her. She could nearly make out the devilish grin he awarded her before he inserted a second finger and then a third. His accuracy was deadly, and Sakura found herself on the receiving end of his most crippling technique to date. Her nails, though trimmed short, dragged hard angles from his shoulder into his scalp. Unabashedly she bucked forward to meet his thrusts until every inch of her trembled with release.

Again, her head dropped to his shoulder, only on the other side. She kissed him where she saw the marks she made disappearing. Naruto breathed deeply beside her, around her, enveloping her. More than words or promises, he could tell from the pheromones she gave off while wrapped around him that she belonged to him. Her scent, he decided then and there, was probably the most addictive drug there was, and the most healing as well. If there were ever something in this life strong enough to steal her from him it would be tragic because, although he seriously doubted anything in this world to be that powerful, Kyubi included, he knew he was addicted and simply could not live without her.

Clumsily she kissed his ear and jaw line, tired and appreciative. The fist long ago tightened at her back had yet to release. It was wrapped in the ties that held her skirt closed and in the hem of her dress shirt. Letting her go was never an option, but making her see that was always a joy. When she shifted back to push off him, Naruto held her tight. When she looked down at him questioningly, his eyes softened. She stiffened in confusion and whispered if he was all right. He kissed her before the statement was finished. It wasn't a chaste kiss and she was caught off guard by it. With the one hand at her back and the other now over her hip he shoved her down onto his cock. The noise she gave off was strangled and passionate and lost against his tongue. Her attempt at composure or control was lost with his determined measures. With every dragging motion, with his white-knuckled grip, with every shallow breath, he was making her his own. It carried in the air, their scents intermingling, their breaths quickening, the silent locking of heavy gazes.

In the tangled attempt to press closer, to come together, Naruto pinned her against the headboard. Throwing a hand over her head she reached blindly for something to support. His eyes were centered, dilated, focused, intent on keeping her gaze as long as he could. He looked feral but not bestial. Sakura thought he never looked more beautiful then when he looked at her that way. Using the slightest leverage granted her by the terrain she met his thrusts and angled him further, faster and harder into her. His hands, strong and struggling, gripped the outside of her thighs, pressing over her skirt, actually sorting the fabric, because he loved her not just as teammate but as a woman. He was so silly that way.

When he could stand it no longer, he crushed hard against her, launching his teeth into neck and suckling hard at the vital point, the one that always caused her to tense throughout. She arched against him, her climax pulling him over and she could almost swear she saw lightening behind her eyes lids.

It was damn good to be home.

+

"You miss me?" she whispered teasingly, unwrapping her legs from around his waist.

"Clearly," he smirked in reply, kissing her loudly on the cheek, a greeting of some sort.

She made a face of discomfort and squirmed abruptly. Naruto eased back, releasing his grasp on her slightly.

"You all right?"

Sakura pushed further out from him, grunting loudly as she kneeled on the bedspread, practically tearing her too-confining shirt off her heated limbs. "Hot" she complained, her relief voiced at finally being able to strip. Someone snickered, she couldn't be certain whom. It was all well and dandy that Naruto liked her dressed as a girl or that Sasuke appreciated her form as a soldier, but finally home, she wanted nothing more than to be unfettered, asleep and preferably not alone.

Sasuke flung the camera by the strap overhead to the post-coital blond lounging at the headboard. Then his quick hands assisted in easing off her bra and pulling her long skirt entirely off. Before she had a chance to make a grateful reply, Sasuke's calculating touch worked Chakra into the small of her back where a bruise had formed, thoroughly aggravated by her and Naruto's playtime. Sakura hissed at the sudden contact and quieted at the obvious healing intentions his touch brought. Her mussed and sweaty hair obscured the grin of satisfaction, as she all but lay limp across Sasuke's lap, curled up for a long rest. She may have been a girl but Sasuke wasn't any gentler with Sakura than he was with Naruto, which was to say, not gentle at all. He gripped her hard by the shoulder and rolled her off of him, shoving her to the center of the bed. She winked and grinned at him, not minding the treatment because it was accustomed. She lifted her right arm invitingly and made certain to flash him her most alluring grin while she angled herself to make room. With a sigh and a shrug and a not entirely hidden smirk he glanced to the top of the bed. Naruto fiddled with the camera in a confused but intrigued sort of way. Sasuke eased back toward her, guiding hands pulled him to lie against her, her right arm made a comfortable enough pillow and he easily complied.

At the foot of the bed, which wasn't such an uncommon place to end up occasionally, Sakura slid closer against him. His arms wrapped around her naked waist, bringing them tightly against one another. Sleep was nearing, it could be sensed in the air, in the fabric of the sheets tangled under them, it was evident in the pillows strewn to the floor and in the hooded expression they each shared. The placement of limbs articulated this as well; in the way comfort can only be fully express in skin. Angles of hips and abdomens, smooth and heated, arms, biceps, breastplates, ribs, collars, all these points where it should jut and point, making it impossible to be a human pillow, were always made softer and more pliable when pressed into a lovers skin.

Sasuke leaned his head into the crook of her neck, his hard mouth pressed immobile into the turn of her cheek. He kissed her face, delicately, no moisture, no sound or suction to it, but just the impression of his lips alongside her ear and cheek, pressed into her careless bangs. As with all his affection, it was impeded, not timid just restrained, the way he always held himself off from wanting too much, but wanting just the same. The gesture said the same thing all of Naruto's activity had, but then Naruto always liked showing off. Her eyes closed involuntarily while a contended smile spread across her face. It felt perfect or rather, picture perfect as Naruto exemplified with another pop and a flash. Twin glares met his cheeky fanged grin, while he pulled the exposure out of the camera.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, equal parts threatening and sleepy.

Sakura's eyes widened, recalling her earlier goal. She shot up and quickly turned to lie on her stomach, crawling further to the edge.

Sasuke mumbled something like '-my pillow-' sounding vaguely forlorn. Sakura chose to ignore this, instantly caught up with the display under her fingertips.

The bed shook with Naruto's weight while he dropped to the right of her, peering over her shoulder before he placed her camera safely on the ground, as he added his newly taken Polaroid to their growing collection.

Even in the dark, details obscured, angles blurred and displaced, you could very well tell who they were and what they were doing. Sakura's mouth fell open at the sight, her conscious mind chided that they must have killed-off her film, but her Inner-Self reminded 'what a way to go'. Her fingers danced greedily over the images, trying to secure her right to them. There were three that stood out to her as especially captivating.

Sasuke and Naruto together, asleep in bed, at peace. Even now the image made her eyes soften and her heart tighten slightly.

A nude Naruto modestly wrapped in Sakura's skirt clad legs, her fingers splayed over his cheeks, kissing one another, tenderly. The image itself seemed sweet save for the fact that she knew at that moment his hard-on had been pressed hungrily against her inner-thigh and the fingers of his right hand were working at her with a feverish pace. Well, maybe not at that moment, but they were just about to. Looking it over it made her breath catch a bit, the smile on her lips becoming a bit more predatory.

The third image, Naruto placed on top of her selection. Sakura and Sasuke, in the photo they appeared nude to the waist. The placement of arms was ideal enough, covering her breast to make the image vaguely modest. The angle was close and a bit tilted and blurry, giving a it hovering appearance. Her contented smile captured was flattering but what really caught her attention was Sasuke's face. Always handsome but tilted as it was his jaw looked delectable, his lips pressed to her flush skin, his midnight locks tangled expertly with her candy colored mane. She discovered, not too remarkably, that his eyes were open, just slightly, barely notable between his thick lashes, but in the space between the red of Sharingan could be seen. He'd been watching her, watching her being made content by his small attention.

She pressed the photos together, gripping them tightly in her hands. Eyes closed, she whispered, "I want these."

Naruto watched her profile and smiled at that. It didn't matter whether she meant the photos or the people within them or the things they defined, she wanted it all. Idealistic as it was, not leaving this place again would be the best. But missions would come up again, they always did. This time she would have keepsakes. At first glance they seemed decent enough to carry, not too scandalous to have on hand or secreted away in one of her many hidden pockets, but then if someone who knew them better, someone like Ino were to get a hold of them . . . well, Ino in particular would cream her panties and fall over in a faint, but then that was just Ino's way.

"I think I'll take these then," Sasuke said suddenly, reaching down and scooping up a number of them at once, making for himself a neatly organized pile of rather naughty images. Sakura glanced at some of them over her hands and flushed with embarrassment.

Naruto standing naked in the hall flew by quickly, followed by a rather fetching shot of his backside while he had her pinned up against the headboard. There was one taken disturbingly close up to them, her tongue seeming remarkably long as it met with Naruto's in mid air, as they had broken away from a rather determined kiss. All she could think was 'how had Sasuke gotten that close without her even noticing'.

"Sure you don't want one?" Sasuke asked off-handedly, lifting them toward Naruto, speaking as airily as one would while trading cards. Naruto and she glanced at it at the same moment, Naruto smirked and Sakura reddened further, then determinedly turned her back and eased back onto the bed.

There she had been, captured so perfectly, mid-climax, hands fisted in Naruto mane, arcing painfully off of the headboard and into him, sweat glistened neck craned back where his pointed kisses left markings in their wake. Of course, she'd heal them by morning, but it was something to see his mark on her skin like that, like a tattoo or a seal of some sort. Something definitively Naruto etched into her skin, captured permanently by Sasuke's quick and observant eyes.

"Nah, thanks," Naruto replied after a thoughtful pause, then shrugged and dropped down onto the mattress beside Sakura.

"I don't need pictures to know what I got," he said through a yawn, Sakura eyes flicked over to him, grateful and bright. He smiled back, yanking the sheets from the top of the bed to cover them both.

"Suit yourself," Sasuke answered, concluding his assortment, and then joined them. He hadn't even tried to hide the unabashed pride in his voice, more characteristic than his hard smirk, at his unseen involvement in this whole ordeal.

Sakura smiled at the photos she pressed to her chest, just under her collarbone; close enough to feel the impression of each individual exposure, like a security blanket. Sasuke quickly retook his position, arms enclosing her, head pressed against hers, only this time staring up at the ceiling, waiting for Naruto to settle. It always took Naruto longer to situate himself, because he always feared if he in anyway made them uncomfortable, they might ask him to leave. They never would, but something in his adolescent-born insecurities made him take extra care to making certain everyone was tucked in and curled up comfortably before he would turn himself to the task.

Senses, habits, acceptance; over time it was a familiarity unspoken. Teammates, flatmates, lifemates, all measured up to one thing in the end. It meant Home.

+

Footnotes:
*Jinchuuriki [Demon Vessel]
**Bento [Japanese Lunchbox]
If I have to explain what a 'Jutsu', 'Shinobi', 'Chakra' or 'shuriken' are you have no right to read this fic. Simple as that.