The gentle rays of morning sunlight filtered through the binds of the window of the room. Peering at the sole occupant laying awake on the bed, the sunlight shyly caressed their skin.

Blond locks of hair scattered across the sheets as cerulean eyes gazed listlessly at the ceiling above them. Blinking quickly as if to ward something off, the blond folded his hands on his chest, heaving a sigh.

Why was he holding on still? The blond asked himself, just as he had done multiple times in the past. He wanted to leave, to move on. To abandon this doomed bond. Yet, yet he stopped, each time he turned back.

Turned back to give him another chance, to give them another chance. To see if he could hold on.

Just as he had done for the past four years. But now? Now he wasn't so sure if he could continue to hold on anymore.

Gently caressing the beautiful and cherished wedding band on his fourth finger of the left hand, the blond traced his intertwined design.

The design was of intertwined leaves, just as he had hoped for them to be intertwined forever.

But now, he could do this anymore.

He didn't have the power to give, give and just- give.

For four years, he had just given to their relationship without receiving anything meaningful in return.

All he had gotten in these four years was nothing but materialistic possessions. Something he cared not for.

What he wanted, he desired, was something he was never given.

Uzumaki Naruto was not happy. Not how he had thought - hoped - he'd be.

He wasn't, running a tired hand on his face, the blond ninja glanced at the crumpled sheets beside him. Tracing the faint residual warmth with his hand, he swallowed thickly, feeling emotions he had been feeling a lot lately.

Hopelessness, despair and desperation.

Had it been the past, he would have continued to give and give in until he had enough love for both of them to go by. He would have remained deprived without complaint.

But not anymore, not when he had tasted the sweet posion, the deadly nectar of his other half's affection.

His burning love. He couldn't.

More often than not, he felt as though he was living alone. Taken for granted, his presence in their home was acknowledged but not attended. He was just there.

Existing. Meaningless.

As if all of his efforts for love, for affection has been nothing but a joke. A sick, twisted joke.

Furiously rubbing away his tears, Naruto let out a quiet breath. These tears came all too often these days.

On some days, he could drift by. Yearn, wish, hope. On others, he wished he could leave it all behind.

He had been married to him for four years, their affection for each other had been perhaps, fleeting, but they had been - maybe - impulse enough to tie the knot, fasten the lock and throw the keys in the river.

And here he was now, wishing he could find the key, open the lock and run.

But- but he was still in love. Burning from it. Feeling pained from it.

He had been so, so sure that Itachi loved him. And love the Uchiha did, he had seen it. But now, he could be so sure, not anymore. Definitely not when his presence was barely noticed.

Not when his own husband didn't spare him a glance or two. As if these past four years has worn him out.

However, Naruto knew one thing for sure, Itachi was not cheating on him. Not when he knew the Uchiha to his very core.

But it would have been better, better for him to have cheated on Naruto then doing what he did.

What he did to Naruto who was touch-starved, deprived of the affection he had craved for years.

It would have been better to get Itachi's indifference, the indifference he was so used to.

He had given but never once received. He was tired. But then, the Uchiha decided to give him a hope.

A hope had ruthlessly crushed unknowingly. His already fragile heart shattered to pieces.

Naruto blamed him, but at the same time. He didn't.

He couldn't.

Naruto cried and cried until his tears dried, until he could not breath. He cried at the rememberance, the warmth.

That's enough, he couldn't do it anymore.

What was the point of being committed a relationship which was dead in all but the name of it?

He had had enough. He could not hold on. Not when it wasn't a question of him alone.

Naruto had made a lot of tough decision on his life, his career as a shinobi. But this, this-

-was the toughest of them all.

Swiftly climbing down the cold sheets, he made his way to the bathroom, feeling his stomach turn.

Ugh.

Half an hour later, Naruto stood at the kitchen counter, stirring his cup of black coffee, running his fingers through his knotted hair which he hadn't bothered combing.

The ticking of clock, accompanied by the sound of crickets and clinking of spoon against the cup continued for sometime.

With a sigh, Naruto gently caressed his stomach, pinching the bridge of his nose, inhaling the scent of coffee in the apartment which held no sign of his ANBU husband.

Most likely left for a mission. His mind supplied absently.

Now that he had finally made up his mind, he found it a lot easier to follow through it despite the unwilling welling at the bottom of his hurt.

They had been in love after all.

What was the reason, he had been in relationship with Itachi - the perfect Uchiha - again? Was it the physical appearance?

Indeed, Itachi had been the finest specimen the Uchihas and Konoha had to offer. But Naruto's attraction to the man hadn't been his face, his appearance or even his to die for body.

It was his heart, the kindness, the gentleness and his demeanor had been Naruto's fall.

They were all the things Naruto could see less and less in the man after their marrige. Had it been their relationship that had been the cause of it? Had the Uchiha married him unwillingly?

Not a chance, Itachi had been the one to propose to him. He couldn't have been unwilling.

And had he been unhappy with the marrige the same way Naruto was, he would have cheated on him, perhaps. Because he could get anyone.

Girls would trip on their feet just to spend a night with him. And in case of unhappy marriage, he would have taken the chance wouldn't he?

Naruto didn't know. Shaking his head, he jerked his left hand slightly, upon feeling a tingle crawl on it.

Incidentally, the wedding band that had been on his finger securely for four years, slipped with ease. Falling on the counter, spinning fof a while before settling on the surface with a clatter.

Watching the ring slip off his finger, Naruto felt a painful tug in his heart but made no move to put it back on. Letting it sit in a place it did not belong.

But then again, it perhaps never belonged on his finger either, did it?

Taking in a shaky breath, the blond ninja turned away, walking back to his-their room with tears streaming down his face, hands shaking on his sides.

Perhaps it was for the best after all.

As much as it hurt him, suffocated him to admit it.

The pain never quite went away. It just dulled with the passage of time. But now, it was back, hurting him with full force once more.

At the night fall, the apartment was dark, no lights were turned on. What was the use of illuminating a place which would witness the darkening of a relationship?

The end of a tale.

Sitting on the couch, Naruto faced the door, awaiting the man he had loved for far too long.

He felt inevitable nervousness wrecking through himself. But he held on, taking a deep breath. He had to do it. It was now or never.

He could turn back now. Not when he had hardened his resolve with so much effort.

Tears still fresh, sobs dying in his throat, Naruto waited. As much as he wished that their love didn't reach such a sorry conclusion. He had had enough and he hoped that so had Itachi.

He had to do it. Not just for himself. But for the one who hadn't breathed yet.

He could not sentence them to the same radio silence, the icy coldness, he had gotten used to.

The clicking of the door unlocking pulled Naruto out of his vexed thoughts. The newcomer his - perfect, perfect Uchiha - husband quietly stepped in. His cold face never moved even as his eyes showed his surprise at the sight of Naruto sitting alone in the darkness.

"You are awake?" He asked, closing the door behind him, putting away his shoes.

"Yes." Naruto answered simply, feeling too drained yet pumped up. "Welcome back."

"You should have gone to sleep." Itachi muttered coldly, turning to walked to their room. Not sparing the blond another look. "I'm leaving for a mission anyway."

"How long?"

"Hm?" Itachi turned around, looking at his better half with a trace of askance.

"How long will it take you to come back?" Naruto explained, repeating himself as he stood up, walking towards the switches.

"A month at most." Now fully turning around, the Uchiha looked at his husband, feeling the ominous oddness of his behaviour.

Reaching out to turn on the switch, Naruto whispered so softly that Itachi almost missed his words.

"That's too long, I don't think I can wait that long."

With a snap, the lights turned on.

Squinting at the sudden brightness, Itachi looked at his husband who resumed sitting on the couch.

Finally, he could see the blond's worn out expression, his eyes were red and puffy as though he had cried.

Something inside him cracked a little, a sharp ache rising in his heart. What was going on? All these years, he had never once seen Naruto sad, much less cry.

Did he do something wrong?

Itachi frowned wanting to go closer to his better half. He almost took a step closer but then nearly stumbled at the sight of two stacks of paper on the coffee table.

The bright red that stung his eyes read-

"Petition for Divorce"

The speed at which he looked up at Naruto was frightening. All his doubts, his questions died the moment his eyes fell on the tear-streaked face of his husband.

"A month is too long, Itachi," Naruto bit out, stubbornly keeping his eyes fixed on the divorce papers. "Why don't you sign these before going? I've signed mine, dattebayo," he whispered.

Standing tall in front of him was the perfect Uchiha, the husk of the man he loved.

"What do you lack, do you need something Naruto?"

Naruto snorted, tears falling relentlessly as he answered, his hand reaching out to caress his stomach.

"All those things you can give me. I could care less," he whispered, raising his head to meet Itachi's eyes, for the first time in years, he could see something in them. "And what I do need, desire, you have no way of giving me, Itachi."

"I can't hold on, not anymore." He admitted, pressing on his stomach. "I would have lived with your coldness if it was just me. But I can't. I'm sorry. I am sorry for trying so hard Itachi. I must have annoyed you, bothered you. Isn't that why you never stay?" He asked softly. "All these years that we have been married you never gave me what I truly needed. The only time was on our wedding night. Now looking back at it," he paused. "Was marrying a correct decision, I wonder. I've loved you and love you still, but my tolerance has limit Itachi."

Itachi walked over to him, his cold onyx eyes never leaving Naruto's.

"I am sorry," Naruto sobbed softly. "I feel pained every time you're around. Knowing that the affection I crave isn't what I can get from you. It hurts, it hurts to keep trying. Itachi--" his breath hitched. "--it hurts so much. I would have loved with your coldness had I not gotten your warmth, not felt your love once more."

Itachi paused, wanting to hold his husband's hand.

"I don't know if you meant it but," Naruto wiped his cheeks. "But all these years, despite being able to conceive, I never got pregnant. Why? Because the only time we were intimate was on our wedding night!" He sniffled. "I craved so much. But you couldn't - you wouldn't - give me the only thing I wanted, needed. Itachi, I want your love, not all the material stuff you give me. They mean nothing to me."

Itachi's heart felt like it was stabbed at the sight of his gorgeous husband crying for the first time for him to see.

Who knew how much he wept behind his back?

How could he do this? How could Itachi end up hurting the only person he hand sworn never to? How could he break the promise he had given him.

"But now," Naruto continued, not minding his silence, firmly this time. "I can't do this anymore. I have to leave. I don't want our child to grow up thinking he isn't loved."

What? Itachi felt his world come to a screeching halt.

"What?" He whispered softly, voice coloured in disbelief.

"Yes, he is the reason I am finally taking this step." The blond nodded, seeing his husband's face. "Itachi, this is doomed. I don't want to be the one to give my all anymore. I want our child to grow up loved even if it means he will never know who his other father is. I want you to not fight me for the custody when he is here."

"How?" Did you..

Naruto smiled, his smile was tinged with bitterness. "One month ago, you remember you came back drunk?"

Tentatively, the Uchiha nodded, he did not remember anything the night entailed. All he knew was the next day, Naruto had started behaving distantly as if he was afraid of something.

"You... We.. we, did it that night. You made love to me. Made me feel loved after so long."

What? How could he not remember that.

"That's when I conceived." Naruto went on it say, sobs wrecking through his body. "And now, Itachi, it shattered me. Left me to pick the pieces of myself. So I think it's better for us to end this farce. Once and for all."

He didn't want that. Neither did Naruto.

But he was so hopeless and it was Itachi's fault. For taking him for granted. Not giving him what he desired the most-

Love, warmth, devotion.

He was the one who broke him. He was so focused on being the perfect Uchiha his family wanted, that he forgot who he was, who he had been, who he loved.

How could he salvage this?

His eyes filled with tears that has always been seen as weakness. His vision blurred.

No. He didn't want this conclusion. He would salvage this fight for what he wanted, what they wanted.

Itachi had never been a man of words, he spoke less to anyone and everyone. He preferred to let his actions speak for him.

So he did what he could. What he should have done a long time ago.

Standing on his knees, the Uchiha held fast onto Naruto's hands even though his grasp was careful, probing.

Despite his demand of getting a divorce, the blond Jinchuuriki didn't stop his husband. Oddly still at the touch.

Tentatively, Itachi let his lips touch Naruto's forehead in a gentle kiss. Seeing the blond make no move to push him, he continued, kissing his beautiful eyes, his cheeks.

Stopping at his lips, the Uchiha gazed at Naruto's face, gouging his reaction before leaning in to capture his lips.

The blond made a quiet noise of surprise, his eyes flew open. He wanted to tell Itachi to stop.

He didn't want, he didn't need false hope. His heart ached as Itachi's scent, his warmth rushed to him.

He wanted this so badly.

Itachi wanted to do this, to apologise through his actions. He could care less for the mission. He had a husband to shower with all his love.

He kissed and kissed as any ounce of struggle - if any at all - left his husband until he was kissing back, gasping against him.

Itachi kissed him wanting to pour his heart out. His hands found their way to Naruto's waist and flat stomach. One hand held his waist while the other caressed his belly.

He couldn't believe that a life was taking shape in there, in a broken heart.

Holding his husband closer, Itachi wished he could make them one. Pulling back to give Naruto time to catch his breath, Itachi whispered against his skin, trailing soft kisses on his neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chanted like a mantra. "Allow me to fix my wrongs, allow me to mend your heart."

Despite his mind screaming at him, Naruto let himself nod. Be carried into the room-

-Their room.

He let Itachi please him, soothe him. He let the man kiss every bit of himself, he let the Uchiha into his body. Thrust into him with incomparable gentleness.

The same way he had done that night while being drunk out his mind. His gentleness that night mirrored tonight.

That night had been his raw love, his searing affection and tonight, tonight was the night Itachi his heart melt, let his soul be shaped.

Every kiss, every thrust, every whispered promise was an oath Itachi took. And oath Naruto felt.

A promise to mend his broken heart, to make up for all the ones he had broken before.

And for once, Naruto's heart stopped aching.

┈♔◦☓◦☙◦♔◦☙◦☓◦♔┈

Inspired by XxOtaku-himexX 's "You Are Not Alone" a gorgeous piece of art really.