The walk back to the dorms should have been quiet. The rain had stopped. The air was cool and soft against their skin. But Sasuke’s pace was stiff, too fast, hands balled in tight fists at his sides.

Naruto could tell something was wrong long before Sasuke said anything. Or rather — before Sasuke tried not to say anything.

They reached the stairwell. Sasuke stopped abruptly. His breath hitched — barely audible, but enough for Naruto to hear. Naruto stepped closer. "Senpai?"

No answer. Just rigid shoulders and shallow breathing.

Naruto moved around to see his face — that was when he noticed it. The red eyes, the trembling jaw, the way he kept looking down to hide it. A single tear slid down before Sasuke could wipe it away. Naruto’s chest tightened. "Hey… hey."

Sasuke shook his head sharply. "Don’t. I’m fine."

But his voice cracked on the last word. And Naruto couldn’t hold back anymore. He reached forward carefully, gently cupping Sasuke’s arms. "You’re not fine. And that’s okay."

Sasuke’s breath broke — a quick, shaky inhale, like he’d been holding it for too long. His whole body felt like a stretched wire ready to snap. Naruto stepped closer. "Talk to me. Please."

Sasuke tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead, his fingers curled into Naruto’s shirt — unconsciously, desperately — like he was reaching for something solid before he drowned. Naruto didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around him.

Not forceful. Not demanding. Just warm, steady, and real.

For a moment, Sasuke stood frozen in the embrace, breath trapped. Then, as if the tension finally collapsed all at once, he pressed his forehead into Naruto’s shoulder — shoulders shaking, muffled breaths breaking into soft, quiet sobs he’d been holding back for far too long.

Naruto held him tighter, one hand sliding up to the back of his neck, rubbing slow circles. "You don’t have to pretend with me. Not tonight. Not ever."

Sasuke exhaled a trembling sound — almost a whimper — fingers gripping Naruto’s shirt even harder, as if afraid he’d disappear. "I’m… tired. The words came out broken, honest.

Naruto’s heart twisted painfully. "I know. I’m here."

Sasuke didn’t respond with words. Instead, he leaned fully into Naruto, letting the weight of everything fall forward — trusting him to hold it.

And Naruto did. He held him like he was something precious. Something worth protecting. Something he would never let fall. Softly, Naruto whispered into his hair, "You’ve been carrying too much alone. Let me carry some of it with you."

Sasuke trembled again — but this time, he didn’t pull away. He clung closer, burying his face deeper into Naruto’s shoulder, letting himself break only because Naruto was there to put him back together.