{"id":160,"date":"2021-08-31T19:43:25","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T11:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/?p=160"},"modified":"2023-06-25T09:54:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T01:54:45","slug":"through-the-dark-of-the-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/160\/","title":{"rendered":"through the dark of the night"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sasuke awoke with a fright and was sweating all over despite the cold winter season. He sat upright in his bed and waited for his breathing to even out. It had just been a dream, he told himself. Just a dream or maybe nightmare was more appropriate in this case.<\/p>\n<p>When his heart rate had settled down he got up out of his bed and headed to the bathroom to splash his face with some water. Part of him hoped the water could cleanse him of his bad dreams, but he knew that was wishful thinking. <\/p>\n<p>As he climbed back into bed he glanced at his phone. It was nearly 3am. Sasuke laid back in his bed and watched the ceiling. He hoped he could get back to sleep but at the same time was afraid to. He wanted a full night\u2019s rest for once with no horrible dreams. Was that really too much to ask?<\/p>\n<p>He wasn\u2019t tired one bit, so he turned his bedside light on and grabbed his phone. There was one person he knew who would be awake at this time and coincidentally was the only person he wanted to be awake. He opened his texts and typed away a message to Naruto.<\/p>\n<dl class=\"imessage\">\n<div class=\"out\">\n<dt>Sasuke<\/dt>\n<dd>FIFA?<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"in\">\n<dt>Naruto<\/dt>\n<dd>sure! VC?<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"out\">\n<dt>Sasuke<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"emoji\">\ud83d\udc4d<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<p>Naruto was a freelance web developer which meant he had a lot of autonomy and choice over his working hours. He was a bit of a night owl\u2014claimed he got more done late at night and into the early hours of the morning. He had been Sasuke\u2019s best friend since college. <\/p>\n<p>Although they had different fields\u2014Sasuke in business, Naruto in computer science\u2014they had both enrolled in the same elective in their first year\u2014 a literature class. They initially considered each other with reservation, but little did they know what was in store for them. It had been a literature class with a professor they could never forget. Kakashi Hatake, the professor who badly sang the whole 5 minutes of Adele\u2019s <em>Hello<\/em> upon their first lecture. He also had some\u2026 interesting interpretations of what certain movie scenes were symbolic of. Needless to say, Naruto and Sasuke were equally weirded out and bonded over the awkward experience.<\/p>\n<p>Their friendship had developed fast and Sasuke had found himself appreciating just how effortless and easy everything was with Naruto. He was so bright and happy and he always had time for Sasuke, always checking in on him. Sasuke\u2019s other friendships were good, too, but none of them felt like the one he shared with Naruto. None of them made his heart beat fast like Naruto did\u2026 which was eventually how Sasuke realised that, hey, maybe these feelings mean something else. Maybe, just maybe, he liked Naruto more than he expected.<\/p>\n<p>A year had passed since they\u2019d both graduated college and Sasuke had long come to terms with his feelings for Naruto. But that didn\u2019t mean he had shared them, no. That was the one thing he hadn\u2019t shared with Naruto.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke turned on his PS4 and put on his headset, joining the voice chat as he did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSasuke!\u201d came Naruto\u2019s voice in the headset.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke smiled. Naruto was always genuinely excited to hear from him. The feeling was mutual, though.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey Naruto,\u201d Sasuke said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s up? Not able to sleep again?\u201d Naruto asked.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke hummed and joined the game Naruto had set up. \u201cSomething like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was silence and then Naruto said, \u201cYou can talk to me whenever you want or need. You know that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was a hint of a smile on Sasuke\u2019s lips. \u201cI know. I appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood,\u201d Naruto said. \u201cSo are you ready to get destroyed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke chuckled. \u201cBring it, Uzumaki.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naruto was always the best at distracting Sasuke. His laughter alone was comforting enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014 <\/p>\n<p>Sasuke was lost. He was in some kind of labyrinth and it was really dark. He could only just make out the shapes in front of him. Every so often he heard a giggle and it was really starting to freak him out.<\/p>\n<p>He stepped forward, stretching his arm out to feel his way around. He came into contact with something soft and ripped his arm back. He had established that the labyrinth walls were made of bricks, so he definitely should not be feeling something soft.<\/p>\n<p>Then there was another giggle. Closer this time. Sasuke turned on the spot but it was no use, it was just getting harder and harder to see.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTime to go, Sasuke,\u201d said a voice. They giggled right after.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke started running, but it was no use. He kept running into deadend after deadend. There was no clearance in sight.<\/p>\n<p>But then everything lit up, so brightly that it took a few seconds for Sasuke\u2019s eyes to adjust. Sasuke nearly had a heart attack as he saw a young child with no face. The child was wearing a yellow dress with no shoes and was wielding a large knife effortlessly, despite their small frame. Sasuke didn\u2019t recognise anything about this child. What was happening? Nothing made sense.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke stepped back and stepped back again. He made to run but the ground surface was uneven and he fell backwards. The last thing he saw was the child coming at him with the knife. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to hit.<\/p>\n<p>But it never did. Confused, Sasuke opened his eyes. He immediately wished he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>In front of him was Naruto, blocking the child\u2019s way to Sasuke. Only, the child had thrust the knife into Naruto. Sasuke\u2019s eyes were wide in horror. There was blood everywhere. Naruto\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto glanced back at Sasuke and smiled. \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re safe, Sasuke,\u201d he said and then his head flopped to the side. He was dead. Naruto was dead.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014 <\/p>\n<p>Sasuke awoke to the real world with panic in his eyes. That wasn\u2019t the first time he\u2019d had a nightmare where someone sacrificed themself for him, but this one had left him significantly shaken, especially since it had been Naruto. He knew Naruto was alive and okay but he needed to hear his voice. He needed to be reassured by the man himself.<\/p>\n<p>With trembling hands, Sasuke picked up his phone from his bedside table. It was 2AM this time. He brought up Naruto\u2019s number and pressed call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSasuke?\u201d Naruto said, picking up the phone after two rings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey,\u201d Sasuke said, but as much as he tried he couldn\u2019t get rid of the shakiness in his voice. <\/p>\n<p>Naruto clearly heard it, too. \u201cWhat\u2019s happened? Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cY- yeah. Just wanted to hear your voice. Everything\u2019s fine.\u201d Though everything did not sound fine and Sasuke hated himself for being so vulnerable. He was a grown adult! He should be able to deal with this alone. <\/p>\n<p>Obviously not happy with Sasuke\u2019s response, Naruto said, \u201cI\u2019m coming over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. It\u2019s okay, Naruto. I\u2019m fine,\u201d Sasuke said, his voice more stable this time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine. Prove it to me when I get there,\u201d Naruto said. Sasuke had forgotten just how stubborn his best friend was. This was an argument he knew he wasn\u2019t going to win. He conceded early.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke sighed. \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreat! See you in 15,\u201d Naruto said and hung up.<\/p>\n<p>Just as promised, Naruto rocked up at Sasuke\u2019s house 15 minutes later. <\/p>\n<p>As soon as Sasuke opened the door, Naruto tackled him into a hug. When Naruto pulled back he, still holding Sasuke\u2019s shoulders, looked right into Sasuke\u2019s eyes. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. Fine. Just like I told you on the phone,\u201d Sasuke said, trying his best to dismiss Naruto\u2019s concern and appear unaffected. It clearly wasn\u2019t working though, if Naruto\u2019s second hug was any indication.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome on, I brought some hot chocolate stuff over,\u201d Naruto said, picking up his bag and leading Sasuke to the kitchen. \u201cAnd I know you hate sweet stuff, but don\u2019t worry you\u2019ll like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke sat at his kitchen counter as he watched Naruto go about making the hot chocolates. He looked cozy in his thick sweater, sweatpants, scarf and beanie. Too cozy. Sasuke grabbed Naruto\u2019s scarf and beanie, placing the latter on his own head. Naruto just resumed making them hot chocolates. It was wild seeing how well Naruto knew his kitchen, he was almost as familiar with it as Sasuke was himself. It brought a little smile to Sasuke\u2019s face. <\/p>\n<p>Naruto set out two mugs and glanced across at Sasuke. \u201cWhat\u2019s got you smiling, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing,\u201d Sasuke said, a bit too quickly. He tried to school his face into a neutral expression but Naruto had always been able to see right through him.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto raised his eyebrow. Sasuke didn\u2019t like when Naruto gave him that look. Like he could read Sasuke\u2019s mind. Because they both knew he pretty much could.<\/p>\n<p>After Naruto finished stirring the contents in the mug, he pushed one across the counter top to Sasuke.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke took one look at the mug he had pushed across to him. \u201cThat\u2019s not hot chocolate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naruto rolled his eyes. \u201cDuh. You hate sweet stuff. So I\u2019ll have hot chocolate and you can have tea. But it\u2019s some fancy brand that Sakura recommended I try.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Sasuke said. Naruto being thoughtful was nothing new but still, Sasuke couldn\u2019t hide the small smile on his lips.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDrink up,\u201d Naruto said as he brought his mug to his lips. Sasuke did as he was told but recoiled as he burnt his tongue. Naruto laughed and moved around the kitchen counter so he could sit next to Sasuke.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke frowned at his tea. \u201cYou\u2019re the one who said to drink up!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t think you actually would. Not straight away,\u201d Naruto said, amusement clear as day in his blue eyes. \u201cSorry.\u201d But he hardly looked apologetic. Sasuke just rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo,\u201d Naruto said and nodded at Sasuke\u2019s television. \u201cMovie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure\u2014on the condition that we\u2019re not watching something ninja-related,\u201d Sasuke said. Naruto was obsessed with ninja movies, to the extent that he could quote every single line in many of them. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoo. You choose then,\u201d Naruto said as he placed his hot chocolate on the coffee table and made himself comfortable on the sofa. Sasuke turned off the lights and followed, choosing to sit on the other end. <\/p>\n<p>As soon as the opening credits started, Naruto quirked an eyebrow. \u201cGodzilla Vs. Kong? Really?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou got something better?\u201d Sasuke said.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto grinned. \u201cOnly ninja movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Sasuke said, cutting him off quickly. Naruto laughed softly. That was a sound Sasuke could never get sick of. <\/p>\n<p>The film didn\u2019t really capture Sasuke\u2019s attention. He\u2019d just put it on because it was the first option that came up. He had other things on his mind, like that stupid dream. But he continued to let Naruto think the film held his interest.<\/p>\n<p>About 25 minutes in, Naruto used his foot to poke Sasuke\u2019s ankle. Sasuke had been staring straight at the television the whole time but hadn\u2019t processed even one minute of it. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTired?\u201d Naruto asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA bit,\u201d Sasuke responded. He didn\u2019t want to admit just how tired he was because he wasn\u2019t ready to fall back to sleep. He feared those dreams would return.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto smiled and waved Sasuke over with his hand. \u201cCome here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke hesitated. \u201cWhy?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>With a roll of his eyes, Naruto patted the space next to him. \u201cKeep me warm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oh. <\/p>\n<p>Trust Naruto to be too clever. He knew that Sasuke would be more inclined to do as he asked if it was to benefit Naruto instead of himself. In this case keeping Naruto warm. Sasuke chuckled but nevertheless moved closer to Naruto. He would play along. Even if he was pretty sure Naruto was doing it for Sasuke\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n<p>He sat leaning into Naruto\u2019s side and Naruto wrapped his arm around him. He was so warm that Sasuke was tempted to call him out for his blatant lie. He didn\u2019t, though. He knew Naruto was naturally affectionate and only sought to comfort Sasuke, which Sasuke was not opposed to at all. The warmth that spread to him had him practically melt into Naruto\u2019s side.<\/p>\n<p>They carried on watching the film like that. It was comforting and just felt right being held by Naruto. He could get used to it.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke fell asleep. And for the first time in ages, it was peaceful. Nothing in his dreams to scare him. He awoke feeling well-rested for once. How long had he been out? How long into Sunday was it? Sasuke glanced at the clock on the adjacent wall. It was just a little after 11AM. <\/p>\n<p>He saw that Naruto had adjusted their positions and put a blanket over them. They were both lying on their sides and Sasuke could feel Naruto pressed into his back with his arm over Sasuke, keeping him close, somewhat protectively. It made something flutter in Sasuke\u2019s chest. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re awake,\u201d came Naruto\u2019s voice from behind him, his voice a bit raspy from sleep. Naruto made no attempt to move from their positions. \u201cDid you sleep well?\u201d And something about his voice just made Sasuke feel safe and reassured, like everything was going to be okay.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke grabbed hold of Naruto\u2019s hand that was over him and laced their fingers together. Maybe it wasn\u2019t so bad being vulnerable. Maybe he could let Naruto in. He swallowed. \u201cYeah. Best sleep I\u2019ve had in a long time,\u201d he eventually said, quietly. <\/p>\n<p>Naruto squeezed Sasuke\u2019s hand. \u201cI\u2019m glad.\u201d Sasuke was grateful that Naruto never tried to pry or talk about Sasuke\u2019s dreams. Just having him there by his side was all the help Sasuke could ever want. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo. What\u2019s for breakfast?\u201d Naruto said, sitting up.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke sat up and stuffed a cushion into Naruto\u2019s face before getting up off the sofa. \u201cFor you, nothing. But I\u2019m having toast.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cToast is good,\u201d Naruto said.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke entered the kitchen and popped some slices of bread in the toaster, enough for both of them, before filling up the kettle and flicking it on. <\/p>\n<p>He was looking in his fridge for what he was going to top his toast with when he felt a hand on his hip and Naruto pressed up against his back, his chin on Sasuke\u2019s shoulder. Oh. Sasuke\u2019s heart was beating fast. This was new. Is this something they did now? Sasuke knew how physically affectionate Naruto was but he\u2019d never done this before. Though, Sasuke supposed, they had never cuddled in their sleep together either, until now.<\/p>\n<p>A small smile graced Sasuke\u2019s lips. He felt his face heat up at their close proximity. He composed himself as he grabbed a tomato. <\/p>\n<p>Naruto reached out and grabbed the strawberry jam before Sasuke closed the fridge door. He stepped back from Sasuke and immediately Sasuke missed Naruto\u2019s warmth.<\/p>\n<p>The toast popped as Sasuke got out two plates. He had an avocado left on the kitchen counter, so he decided to have that with the tomato on his, much to Naruto\u2019s disgust. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrawberry jam is so much better,\u201d Naruto insisted, spreading his toast. He inspected the jar which had been barely touched. \u201cWhy do you even have this if you don\u2019t eat it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor idiots like you who actually like the stuff,\u201d Sasuke said. He glanced at Naruto whose eyes were already on him, watching. Sasuke quickly looked back at his toast, hoping his face wasn\u2019t as red as it felt. <\/p>\n<p>Could he be any more obvious? He had liked Naruto for a long time and had no problems keeping it under wraps. But now Naruto had shown some physical affection and Sasuke had liked it a bit too much. So much that he didn\u2019t want it to stop. Naruto made him feel safe. Happy. Loved. But\u2026 Sasuke frowned. He had to remind himself that Naruto probably made a lot of people feel that way. Sasuke wasn\u2019t special.<\/p>\n<p>He took a bite from his toast and could still feel Naruto\u2019s eyes on him. \u201cIt\u2019s rude to stare, you know,\u201d Sasuke eventually said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know,\u201d Naruto said. It didn\u2019t deter him one bit. \u201cIt\u2019s fascinating, though. Seeing your brain go a million miles a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of us has got to use their brain,\u201d Sasuke said, deflecting.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto, persistent as ever, stepped towards Sasuke and poked him in the forehead. \u201cWhat is going on in there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke huffed. \u201cNothing interesting.\u201d It wasn\u2019t like Sasuke could just admit that he was thinking about Naruto in a non-platonic way.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto stepped back and grabbed his second slice of toast. \u201cIf you want to talk about it, I\u2019ll always be here to listen. But if you\u2019d rather not, that\u2019s cool. I\u2019ll still be here. Can\u2019t get rid of me that easily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How did Naruto always know exactly what to say? Sasuke took a bite of his toast. As he chewed on it he considered the consequences of telling Naruto how he really felt about him. Would it ruin their friendship if Naruto didn\u2019t feel the same? Likely not. They were best friends, after all. Naruto wasn\u2019t a jerk. He\u2019d once been asked out by his friend Hinata and while he hadn\u2019t been interested in her romantically, he\u2019d put his best foot forward in making sure their friendship stayed intact. <\/p>\n<p>However, there was no denying that Sasuke confessing might make things a bit strange or awkward. And what would be the point of telling him when Sasuke was pretty sure the feeling was not mutual. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere, you\u2019re doing it again,\u201d Naruto said.<\/p>\n<p>And well, Sasuke had never really been one for self-preservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like you. A lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, fuck. He\u2019d done it now.<\/p>\n<p>As much as Sasuke wanted to turn his head and pretend he\u2019d said nothing, some masochistic part of him was more invested in seeing Naruto\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n<p>Naruto dropped his slice of toast and was wide-eyed. \u201cYou what?\u201d Naruto said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not repeating myself,\u201d Sasuke said.<\/p>\n<p>And then Naruto\u2019s face slowly transformed from one of shock to one of glee. His smile was big and bright and the corner of his eyes were crinkled. Before Sasuke knew it he was being enveloped into a hug by his best friend\u2019s strong arms. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like you too, idiot,\u201d Naruto said.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke leaned back, but Naruto\u2019s grip was unrelenting. He needed to clarify what he meant before he misunderstood Naruto. \u201cI have feelings for you, Naruto. Not of the platonic kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naruto\u2019s grip loosened. He pulled back, looking Sasuke in the eyes. \u201cYea and I\u2019m telling you the feeling is mutual. I\u2019ve liked you from day one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke frowned, still skeptical. \u201cYou have? And all that time you\u2019ve been fine just being my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course,\u201d Naruto said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been content to be your best friend. As long as I\u2019ve got you in my life I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke smiled. That sounded familiar. Familiar because it was the exact same way Sasuke felt.<\/p>\n<p>But now\u2026 Sasuke could feel his cheeks burning as he took in the full implications of Naruto\u2019s comments. Naruto felt the same way. The feeling was mutual!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou idiot,\u201d Sasuke said, but the fondness in his tone belied the words he spoke. <\/p>\n<p>Naruto grinned. \u201cWe\u2019re both idiots.\u201d He stepped back and grimaced, looking down. His foot had landed on the toast he\u2019d dropped. \u201cOkay, I\u2019m the bigger idiot,\u201d he said as he bent down to clean up the mess. Sasuke chuckled and dropped a roll of paper towel on Naruto\u2019s head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m gonna shower first,\u201d Sasuke said before making his way to the bathroom. He couldn\u2019t hide the smile on his face. What a turn of events.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014 <\/p>\n<p>Once they had both showered, Naruto joined Sasuke on the sofa. Sasuke was preoccupied on his phone reading an email when Naruto pressed a kiss to his cheek. \u201cHey, Sasuke.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke locked his phone and looked over at Naruto. His cheek tingled where Naruto had kissed it. \u201cMm?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou wanna go out with me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke looked at Naruto and considered the question for a few moments. Of course he wanted to, but Naruto was fun to tease. \u201cOnly if you don\u2019t subject me to more ninja movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey! I thought you liked me!\u201d Naruto whined.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, but that doesn\u2019t extend to your taste in movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naruto sighed. \u201cFine. No ninja movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That got a laugh out of Sasuke. The fact that Naruto was willing to give up ninja movies spoke volumes, believe it or not. \u201cYou idiot. Yes I\u2019ll go out with you even if that means watching ninja movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naruto\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cOh. Good. Can I kiss you now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke&#8217;s response? Naturally, he pulled Naruto in by the collar of his t-shirt and pressed his lips to Naruto\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>It was everything and more.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014 <\/p>\n<p>As for the nightmares? They didn\u2019t immediately stop; Sasuke hadn\u2019t expected them to. However, they did decrease in frequency when Naruto was around.<\/p>\n<p>The first nightmare that Naruto had been present to witness was a week into their new relationship status. It was the weekend and Sasuke was spending the night at Naruto\u2019s. He\u2019d fallen asleep in Naruto\u2019s arms halfway through the movie they were meant to be watching. He didn\u2019t know what Naruto heard from him, he just remembered Naruto gently waking him up and reassuring him everything was okay. <\/p>\n<p>Sasuke understood that his nightmares were most likely a result of all the trauma he\u2019d experienced growing up, but what he didn\u2019t understand was how nonsensical they were. There would be people or places he had never seen or situations he had never experienced before. He had tried explaining one nightmare to Naruto but struggled to articulate it. Naruto had listened and pulled him close. He had said they didn\u2019t have to make sense to be any less frightening.<\/p>\n<p>When Sasuke decided to start speaking with a therapist, Naruto was behind him all the way. It was a long process, but slowly the nightmares became fewer and fewer. Sasuke didn\u2019t think he would ever completely get rid of them, but he could take comfort in the fact Naruto would be there for him through it all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan\u2019t get rid of me that easily,\u201d Naruto had once said and just like every other promise Naruto had made, he stood by it and didn\u2019t go back on his word.<\/p>\n<p>Sasuke loved him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sasuke&#8217;s nightmares may never go away, but neither will Naruto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[18,40,63],"fandom":[20],"rating":[3],"ship":[21],"class_list":["post-160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-m-m","tag-modern-au","tag-nightmares","tag-soa-exchange","fandom-naruto","rating-teen","ship-sasunaru","wpautop"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160\/revisions\/163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=160"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=160"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloverso.me\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}