Sasuke had noticed a long time ago that, for years, the concept of love had changed and been altered time and time again, never staying the same and differing upon perspective and point of view. It was never a set-in-stone notion, and theories such as "love" often bothered him. The word, nor the emotions it was often associated with, could be based on facts or backed up by simple logic. It was something both foreign and confusing to him; for those reasons alone, he tended to avoid it. He watched it from a distance, observing the idiocy of romance and couples with ever- shifting relationships, trying his hardest to understand what love meant.

It was true that he was only eighteen years old, and he supposed that he had every right not to really understand the meaning. Sasuke, however, was widely known for his intelligence, and while other kids his age grasped the concept of love so easily and without hesitation, it was an annoyance that he could not do the same. Granted he had never been a follower and he often found his classmates' perception and judgment nearly always miscalculated and biased by a multitude of insignificant factors, Sasuke still did not like being left behind. If his peers thought it was so simple, then at his level of maturity and aptitude, it should not have been so difficult for him.

So he told himself for quite the while, until it was unjustly rubbed in his face that he, still, did not know of love's meaning when the dreaded date came rushing around the corner. It snuck up on him without him even realizing, and before he knew, the infamous Day of Love was almost upon Konoha High School.

Of course, the entire school buzzed excitedly with talk of plans and flowers and the various dramas revolving around each couple's problems or, worse, lack-of. Some were just too happy for their own good and enjoyed the new, once-a-year excuse they received to splurge on their "love." For others, it was a good opportunity to start over and get back on track. Therefore, for Sasuke, it was merely another chance to study and try to solve the mysteries of the human mind.

Naturally, this was not how his admirers viewed the holiday.

Usually, his "fan-girls," as onlookers often deemed them, were useful only because they were tools he could use in his learning process. It was always odd and interesting to see how they would react to him, what they would do for his attention, and it was a never-to-be-solved mystery as to why they constantly strived for his affection, or for a term more commonly spoken: love. The truth was, Sasuke would not know how to offer his love even if he had any to give, but his admirers never seemed to grasp the concept, so he had given up long ago.

Obviously, these hordes of girls would do everything within their power to capture his attention on this special day, and so he was usually given a small period of time when he could relax. In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, his "girls" were all busying themselves with their individual surprises and gifts, never actually having time for the real thing until that horrible day. So, Sasuke made the most of his break and took the time to do as much research as possible on the subject.

He started by asking the one female he could possibly deem a friend. Yes, she harbored the same near-obsession as the rest of the student body, but as previously mentioned, her affections did not actually cross the line into mental illness. It was safe enough to approach her. She would not pass out or become hysterical, or she had not yet at least.

It was easy enough to find her. She usually spent her time alone, away from the rest of the girls during their free period, because in all honesty, she was not very popular. Her ongoing rivalry with one of his much blonder, much more in-your-face fans had earned her a low social ranking with most of the school. However, her contentment with that role had earned her a slight score of respect with Sasuke, as it set her apart from the others in a commendable manner. So, he approached her in the library, as he had no problem spotting her; her brightly colored hair had never helped her social status either.

"Hey, Sakura," he called out coolly, and she whipped around with an immediate smile on her face. Her short pink hair swished about her face, drawn back only by a red ribbon, framing her heart-shaped face and almond-carved green eyes.

"Yeah, Sasuke?" she replied, an attempt to act neutral, but she hardly managed to appear any less than extraordinarily thrilled. Ignoring her unreasonable enthusiasm, he came closer to her as to not talk so loudly and leaned against a bookshelf casually.

"If I ask you a question, will you give me a completely honest answer?" he asked, not at all curious or unknowing of what her answer would be. It was obvious she would reply with what would most clearly please him.

"Of course I would, Sasuke!" she exclaimed, defeating the purpose of why he had moved so close to her in the first place. Still, she did not seem to notice, even when he sighed and the librarian shot them a stern glance. "I would never lie to you!"

"Tell me why people like Valentine's Day so much," he responded, realizing a moment later that what he had said was, technically, not a question. He frowned at his fault, but Sakura wasted no time in rushing into an answer.

"Why, Sasuke, it's the most romantic day of the whole year!" she yelled, clapping her hands and staring at him with eyes suddenly too large for her head. "It's the one sure-fire day when everyone you know is in a romantic mood! Everyone is always so happy and the whole day is full of happiness and love and chocolates! It just makes you smile and laugh. How can you not love Valentine's Day? It's just such a wonderful thing to celebrate!"

That was not the first time he had heard the word love referred to feelings of happiness, the actions of smiling and laughing. It was a peculiar thing, as most of the couples he had analyzed used the word love so loosely and were constantly seen fighting, in tears, gossiping about each other, driving each other crazy, and doing everything possible to make happiness a non-existent thing. Could it be possible that love was something that could only be achieved after passing through levels of tests? If you were not good at this "love," then your attempts to produce the emotion would only lead to a failing result? Instead of happiness, you would conjure anger and spite. It made some sort of sense, he supposed.

The next person he asked was someone who was so flamboyantly in love with love itself, it would have been foolish not to ask. He was always ranting on about how amazing love was, so he had to know a little something about the topic, right? He was a sort of self-proclaimed love master, because it was practically the only thing he ever talked about. By talk, however, Sasuke meant shout at the top of his lungs while spurting tears in every which direction.

Again, it was not an issue in finding this one young man, because he happened to attend the same gym as Sasuke. He had graduated a year earlier, but the outrageous individual still greeted Sasuke passionately every time they happened to run into each other. Since he was the only male Sasuke knew with a bowl-shaped haircut, and the only human in general who made it a daily habit to wear green spandex jumpsuits, it took a matter of seconds to find him in the weight room.

"Lee," he greeted simply, offering a short nod, which was little compared to Lee's. He turned to Sasuke with wide eyes and a full-out grin sketched onto his face like a cartoon character.

"Why, if it is not Sasuke!" he yelled happily, leaning forward to embrace Sasuke warmly. He did not seem to mind when Sasuke did little to respond to the friendly gesture, and instead looked even more excited when he pulled away and beamed even brighter. "What can I do for you this beautiful day, my dear friend? Would you care to work out together today?"

"Actually, I was on my way out," he cut in smoothly before Lee could shout anything else. "I just wanted to ask a quick question, as long as you'll answer honestly."

"Why, of course I will!" he cried, almost indignant at the thought of being insincere. He looked as if Sasuke had told him he would be facing a grizzly bear as he stuck out his chest bravely, preparing to face whatever Sasuke had ready for him. "What is this question of yours, Sasuke?"

"Well, I was just wondering what you thought of Valentine's Day," he stated, and felt the slight furrow of his brow when he realized that he had failed again to ask a question as he had intended. However, Lee needed no further encouragement to answer the unasked question.

"What do I think of the most youthful and love-filled day of the year?" he screamed, nearly at the top of his lungs. Sasuke noted several odd looks sent in their direction and skillfully adverted his own gaze. It was not hard, considering Lee was currently clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes, much like Sakura had, he noticed, once Sasuke compared the two images. "Why, it is the best day out of all three-hundred sixty-five days, or sixty-six if you think about the leap years."

"Yes, I know how the calendar works," Sasuke said, almost impatiently despite his calm demeanor. It did little to faze Lee, and the colorful person went on to describe just what it was he thought about February the 14th.

"Oh, I just love Valentine's Day!" he shouted, and succeeded in surprising Sasuke, something people rarely did, by twirling merrily a couple of times on the spot. "The air itself is full of love and youthfulness on that day! Even the oldest of lovers can enjoy the joyful youth that comes with Valentine's Day! It is the day where loves are revealed and loves are embellished and where love fills us up to the brim. It is the day of love, the day of youth!"

Youth, huh? That was a new one to add to Sasuke's list, but maybe it made sense in its own way. Could being in love make you feel youthful in the sense of being younger? Sasuke doubted this was what Lee meant. No, Sasuke had been given the impression that by "youth," Lee had meant love made one have the sensation of being able to do youthful things. It tied in with the theory of love bringing happiness, as it made you feel younger in the way of giving people the ability to be spontaneous, fun, and enjoying the day with a special someone as you would not have before.

Well, Sasuke had not really gotten far, but he was honestly running out of people to interrogate. His stretch of friends did not make a long list, merely due to the fact that he disliked people in general. It annoyed him that he did not have a third source of information to turn to, but any other names that came to mind would have been an overall waste of time. Most would maul him with affection for even mentioning love in their presence and others would have little to say on the subject.

So, he was stuck with what he had by the time Valentine's Day finally hit its mark on the calendar and came to life for the eighteenth time since Sasuke's birth. The day started as it normally would, with him waking up to his brother's soothing voice and proceeding to the bathroom to take a shower. Everything was impossibly normal when he brushed his teeth, gelled his hair, and got dressed. When he strolled into the kitchen, however, he was bombarded with twenty bouquets of different colored roses and an extremely exasperated older sibling.

After eating and gathering his things for school, however, the same thing happened when he went out to his car. Like every year, his car was littered with gifts and notes and flowers and candies. Glad his brother had woken him up earlier than usual, Sasuke went about clearing off his car and what had been left in the driveway until it was safe for him to drive. Once he climbed in, though, he was slightly stunned, and impressed, to find that one girl had somehow managed to get a box of chocolates inside his car. That was rather odd, since he locked his car, but he thought nothing of it as he went to toss the box into the back seat.

His next step was to then pick up his one and only friend. Though he had a character that was more unlike Sasuke than possibly imaginable, the two had been drawn together since Pre-K and had been attached at the hip ever since Sasuke had defended the sun-kissed boy from a group of teasing older kids. The conflict had ended in both rivalry and a remarkably powerful friendship. His friend did not have the same luxuries as Sasuke and his brother, having been born into a different lifestyle with his adopted parents, but they were both orphaned and had experienced the same pains in childhood. They had a bond neither of them really could, or cared to, understand.

"'Morning, loser," he acknowledged as the blonde slipped into the passenger's seat. He did not even flinch as he set his bag onto the floor and moved to buckle his seatbelt.

"Good morning, asshole," Naruto replied, smiling his weird close-eyed smile that made the jagged scars on his cheeks twitch strangely. Sasuke turned, grabbed the box he had previously thrown behind him, and produced them to Naruto.

"Want them?" he offered, quirking an elegantly swept eyebrow at his friend. It was a question that called for an answer, one Naruto would give whether he resisted or not. However, his friend seemed to be a particularly good mood today, and even Sasuke's never-dying air of superiority could not bother the rebellious blonde, it seemed. "Would've left them at home with the others, but they actually figured out how to get into my car this year. Didn't see them until I was on my way."

"Ah. The robots are getting smarter, huh?" Naruto laughed, and then squinted at the box curiously, lips thinning in speculation. He then wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Nah, I hate dark chocolate. It's too bitter."

"It's dark?" Sasuke repeated in a state of almost-surprise, bringing the box into his view. True enough, in gracefully scripted scarlet letters imprinted on the side of the box, it did indeed claim the assortment of small chocolates to be made of 75% cocoa, more natural and healthy than most sweets. It was not common for most people to like, as it was even bitterer than regular "dark chocolate." "That's weird. I've gotten a lot of chocolate, but never any I actually like."

"Well, duh," Naruto scoffed, making a clear show of his disgust at Sasuke's tastes on his face. "That stuff leaves the nastiest aftertaste in your mouth. There's, like, no sugar at all!"

"Exactly," Sasuke retorted, giving his friend a classy smirk as he set the chocolate back on the back seat. He then set the car in drive and continued on toward the school. "That's the point. You know I hate sweets."

"Yeah, I know, you're a freak," Naruto answered, rolling his eyes. After a pause, he pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke's face, close enough that Sasuke could feel the vibrations of heat and energy emanating from the digit. "You know, that's the only reason you never have any skin problems! You never eat any sweets!"

"Or excessive grease or fat," Sasuke added with a roll of his eyes. With a short glance toward his abnormal friend, he pushed the offending finger away and quirked his eyebrow curiously again. "Like you have any skin problems anyway."

"I used to," Naruto claimed, then grinned and ran his hands through his hair as if posing for a photo shoot. Sasuke frowned at him, but the blonde continued his cocky behavior. "But not anymore. I know I'm a sexy beast now. No need to tell me, Sasuke."

"Good to know, because I wasn't intending to, dumb ass," Sasuke replied coolly with a small playful smile of his own. Naruto could not help his grin, even as he glared.

"You should learn to shut up sometimes, bastard," he said, which succeeded in drawing a full-out laugh from Sasuke. As a morning person, he was always in a good mood before facing his school's student body.

"Says the person who never has nothing to say," Sasuke scoffed, but only received a proud smile from Naruto's side of the car as an answer.

It took some effort on both Sasuke and Naruto's part to evade the Uchiha Fan Club's Valentine's Day efforts. By first period, Sasuke could not have been more grateful to take a seat in his least favorite class: English. English, of course, was always associated with literature, thus poetry, and so he had no doubt that he would suffer some sort of love-related experiment with his teacher and classmates. Beside him, Naruto shifted uncomfortably, receiving small bits of affection from girls compared to Sasuke. Over the years, he had learned to deal with it gracefully, but Sasuke knew it still bothered him to no end that he was always "outdone." The only thing that could make it better was the fact that Naruto knew Sasuke was not enjoying it any more than he was. Finally, the bell rang, and everyone was forced to take a seat.

"Okay, I know everyone is excited about the day, but we all need to behave ourselves," the teacher said carefully as she moved to the front of the room. "However, in honor of the holiday, I want to start out the class with this fun little love test I found online."

Despite the attention it brought, Sasuke was inclined to protest. He did not bother raising his hand, though he doubted the teacher minded considering he was an Uchiha. His brother had received the same treatment years before.

"Is that really necessary?" he asked, proud that it came out in the form of question as he had intended it to. "I mean, we're still in school, regardless of what day it is. Shouldn't be learning something?"

"Killjoy," Naruto muttered under his breath, resulting in a couple of giggles, but mostly breathy, disappointed sighs. However, the teacher provided a solution that brightened even Sasuke's day.

"Actually, I've made sure that we're all learning a little something from this exercise," she said, smiling, almost as if she had expected Sasuke's mood-killing question. "This is a love test that is psychologically proven to be about ninety percent accurate. So, all you need is a piece of paper and a pencil. That's it. Now number your paper from one to eleven."

As Sasuke followed the instructions quickly, he found that he was actually a little excited. This was a logical, fact-based test about this "love!" Were some of his questions actually going to be answered? He was a little nervous about the "psychological" part, because that indicated the test was going to be personal, but if that was what it took to understand the meaning of love, he would endure stepping out of his comfort zone.

"Alright, now write a number from one to eleven in the space next to number one," she directed, and then went on, "Do the same thing for number two. Write the first number that comes to mind. Don't think about it, though. The first one that you think of."

Well, that seemed pointless. Shrugging, Sasuke marked the first space with the number "1" and then went to put the number "2" in the second. It was logical enough, seeing as it was chronological. How it concerned love, he was not sure, but he supposed he would go along with it.

"Okay, this is where it gets pretty interesting," the teacher said, smirking at the class happily. "Write down the first name of a person you know in the third space. Do it again for the seventh space."

Shrugging, Sasuke complied, tracing out the letters of Naruto's name first, and then proceeding to do the same for Sakura's second. Naruto was his best friend, so it was pretty obvious that it was where he belonged, and Sakura sat right in front of him. Her hair was distracting enough, it was difficult not to think of her when all he had to do was look up and get a frightening image of bubble gum and cotton candy stuck in his head for the rest of the day.

"Now, think of names for the spaces of four, five, and six and write down their names," the teacher proceeded. Glancing down at his paper, Sasuke realized the next name he thought of was again, Naruto's. This time, he raised his hand good-naturedly, though only half-heartedly. "Yes, Sasuke?"

"Can we write the same name down twice?" he asked, and noticed the surprised looks from the classroom. "Because the name from before came to mind again…and you said to go with the first one you thought of."

"Oh, yes, that's perfectly acceptable," she answered, nodding. "If you think of the same name twice, that's the name you should put. Otherwise, the results will be skewed."

No need for skewed results, Sasuke figured. Turning back to his back, he put down Naruto's name on the fourth line, marked the fifth with his brother's, Itachi, and then wrote down Kakashi upon instinct for the sixth. Kakashi was a long-standing friend of the Uchiha family and had been there for Sasuke when things had gotten rough, especially whenever he and Itachi fought. It had happened a lot when Sasuke's parents first died, and the younger Sasuke had obtained a lot of wisdom, knowledge, and advice from Kakashi.

"For the last four lines, write down the titles of any songs you think of," she said, shrugging and pacing at the front of the classroom. It was obvious she was trying not to look at any papers as she might do during a real test. "These can be any random songs you like or dislike, your favorites, what reminds you of love, what you heard on the radio. The first four songs you can think of. This is where the scores are a little inaccurate, but it's fun to do anyway."

That was easy. Sasuke was big on music, and it took only a few seconds to write down a couple of songs from the top of his head. The first was "Everything" by Lifehouse. The song was inspiring and it struck him as a beautiful piece of music he listened to daily. The second was a song he had heard on the radio with Naruto, something that was annoyingly stuck in his head since he did not enjoy some of the same music as the blonde: "Three" by Britney Spears. Pop irritated him to no end, what with the fake electronics and the lack of originality, but the song was buried in the back of his mind.

Next, he wrote down "Rock Your Soul" by Elisa, simply because it was a good song and happened to pop into his head. The last came through more easily than he thought it would and hardly took any thought at all: "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen. He stared at his paper for a second before shrugging and settling back in his chair. When he caught Naruto peering over at him, he sent him a smirk and folded his paper in half so his answers were covered. The blonde scowled at him, but Sasuke refused to let Naruto see what he had written down. The privacy or embarrassment did not bother Sasuke. He just liked annoying Naruto sometimes.

"Okay, everybody ready to see what your answers mean?" the teacher said, and the class responded excitedly. "Alright, well the numbers are an estimation of how many people you are going to tell about this test."

Sasuke blinked and looked down. He was going to tell one to two people about his results? Well, considering he only had one real friend, that was a reasonable guess. He was going to let Naruto in on it eventually. There was a chance he would mention it to Itachi or Kakashi, but besides that, he supposed it was pretty accurate.

"Now, for the names you put down in the third and seventh spot," the teacher said, looking extremely pleased with herself, or maybe with the rising anticipation in the classroom. "The first person you thought of is supposed to be the person you are in love with. The second it a person you like, but the relationship isn't strong enough to work out."

Sasuke blinked. Well, yeah, he liked Sakura. She was a respectable girl with good morals and a nice work ethic. She was attractive, made good grades, and had decent enough character, but he only saw her as a friendly acquaintance to be completely honest—wait. He abruptly jerked his head down to his paper in stunned silence. All thoughts went totally blank.

"Oh, look, the test says I love Sasuke!"

"Yeah, well, if you listened, maybe you'd say it right! I'm in love with him! That's way more serious!"

"Both of you are delusional! I love Sasuke way more than you two! He's the only name I put down for the entire list! See, Sasuke?"

None of it registered in his mind, nothing but the six neatly printed letters spelling out Naruto's name in the third space…and the fourth. The teacher was already moving on to those meanings.

"Now girls, hush," the teacher scolded. "Anyway, the fourth is supposed to be the person you care the most about. The fifth is the one who knows you best. When you're around the sixth, good things tend to happen."

Well, he guessed that made sense. Itachi had known him the longest out of anybody alive, and Kakashi had always been the best of people to go to when he was in trouble or in need of a hand. The person he cared about most, though…was Naruto? Was that true? If he was completely and totally honest with himself, then…well, yes.

"Now, for the songs," she said. "The first describes how you feel about the first person on your list, and the second goes for the one in the seventh line."

True? Undeniably so, Sasuke admitted to himself. Naruto…well, he was everything to him. Naruto had lifted his spirits when all else failed. He was Sasuke's inspiration for putting effort into nearly anything at all. Naruto was his only friend, the one he could always rely on with everything. He was…well; he was everything.

As for Sakura, he could not say. He did not even know what the song "Three" was about, but he doubted it was significant. There was not really anything he felt for Sakura anyway.

"The third song is what currently describes your love life," she went on, unaware of the twisting in Sasuke's stomach. "The last describes your outlook on your life at the moment."

Was that true? His love life, Sasuke figured, was pretty non-existent. Had he internally cared that much? Had he really desired Naruto without knowing it that badly? And what about the last? That much, he knew could hold some truth. Naruto had inspired him to live life to its fullest rather than moping about like he used to. He was still a little stoic every now and then, but he had gotten much better…because of Naruto.

This love test, could it really be so accurate? Maybe it was just a test. Could he take it so seriously? Should he? Would Naruto? He did not even know what Naruto had put for his answers? There was no way he could reveal what he had written now. He had been hoping for answers to his wondering about love, and he was only faced with more questions.

"So, Sasuke, who'd you get?" Naruto asked, nudging him gently. Jolted, Sasuke snatched his paper, folded it quickly, and stuffed it in his pocket hurriedly. Instead of insulted, Naruto looked a little alarmed. "What, you surprised by it?"

"A little," he said, frowning when he realized the entire class was listening intently to their conversation, even the teacher. "I don't think it was too accurate."

"That's always possible," the teacher said, but that was it before she was drowned out by an explosion of enthusiastic shouts.

"Sasuke, who did it say you're in love with?"

"Who was it, Sasuke?"

"Was it me?"

"I bet it was me!"

"No way! Sasuke loves me!"

The entire day lasted that way. It leaked from his first period that Sasuke Uchiha had taken a test declaring that he was in love with someone, and every girl alive seemed to want to know if she was the one. The first glimpse of refuge he found was the inviting image of his car at the end of the day, sitting perfectly there in the parking lot. He was never one for unnecessary physical exertion, but he nearly sprinted for his car and jumped inside before anybody could attack him with confessions and questions again. Locking the doors, he let out a sigh and turned the key in the ignition.

Immediately, the radio came on, playing the song he least wanted to hear: "Live Like We're Dying." Groaning miserably, he hit his head on the steering wheel. It was a few minutes later, after turning off the music, that he realized he was waiting for the one person he wanted to avoid right then. It was weird; since he had never had a reason to avoid Naruto of all people, but all he could think about was that test, and how it was so, totally, irrevocably true. He had spent all day thinking about it, and there was no use denying it.

He was in love with Naruto Uzumaki.

Great. Valentine's Day was just great.

Before he knew it, though, Naruto was climbing into the passenger's seat again, sending him a strange look when Sasuke jumped in the air. Frowning, the blonde set his seatbelt in place and dumped his books on the floor, just as he always did.

"What's with you, dude?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke flinched at the freaked out tone in his voice. "You've been so jumpy ever since first period."

"I thought I locked my car," Sasuke muttered under his breath, hoping it was enough of a defense and he put the car in drive and started toward the exit of the school parking lot. He just wanted to go home. "You startled me."

"You did lock your car," Naruto snorted, jingling a set of keys in the air. Sasuke blinked at it with a tilt of his head. "Do you always forget when you give people an extra set of your house and car keys?"

"When did I give you those?" Sasuke asked, confused, but the memory was already coming to mind. He had gifted Naruto with the keys in case of some sort of emergency. He had forgotten about them, since Naruto had never had to use them. "Oh, I guess I did forget. Sorry."

"It's cool," Naruto laughed, but then donned a worried expression. "Hey, is it that love test thing that you're so freaked about? Because, you know it was just for fun. I bet it wasn't even true. Unless you got somebody embarrassing, like Ino. Dude, that'd be hilarious! But don't even try to deny it. I know that's what's bothering you."

"Were you surprised by what you got?" Sasuke asked carefully, glancing at Naruto. The blonde seemed disinterested by the question, unfazed by it.

"Not at all, actually," he laughed, scratching the back of his head with a curious tilt. Sasuke winced, especially when the blonde tacked on, "It was dead-on accurate."

Sakura. That was probably who Naruto had put down for his first one. Then Hinata, and maybe Iruka for one of the un-romantic ones. Sasuke doubted he was even anywhere on it. Naruto was so less socially awkward, had so many more friends. He was not a loser, despite the fact that Sasuke often accused him of being just that.

"Are you ever going to tell me who you got?" Naruto asked, voice a little more hesitant now. It still held a ringing of curiosity, but was gentler in a way.

"Tell me who you picked first," Sasuke said, but was rewarded by the shaking of Naruto's head.

"No way," he said, then brightened. It was obvious he had had an idea. "How about we switch our papers at the same time? You still have yours in your pocket, right? That way, we say it at the same time, technically, without any of the tricks."

"I guess that could work…" Sasuke muttered under his breath, feeling unbearably awkward. Still, he was a smart guy, and logic was beginning to take its rightful place back in his mind. It was best to confront the situation and see how it played out, because running from it would only result in tension and the loss of his best friend. Thankfully, Sasuke's house was close to the school, and he pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. His fingers slipped into his pocket to touch the paper. "Are you ready."

"Yep," was the answer, and he looked up to see Naruto waving his paper in the air happily, like a proud banner. Oh shit…

"Okay…"

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three."

The two traded the papers in perfect synchronization, but as Naruto, uncharacteristically calm, unfolded the paper, Sasuke stared at the blonde. He wanted to see his reaction; he already knew who the blonde had written down anyway. Once he had finally gotten the paper undone, Sasuke watched his azure eyes scan the paper. He held his breath, watching Naruto's expression go completely blank. Wincing, he adverted his gaze upon instinct.

That was exactly how he thought Naruto was going to react. Shock. It was not like it was obvious, or even predictable. It was just plain weird, and creepy, and wrong. It was not like Sasuke had known this entire time! Then he started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Sasuke sighed, sounding tired even to himself.

The hand with the paper in it was nestled in his hair, and he tried to make himself seem as indifferent as possible despite the way his heart actually ached. He had never believed people when they claimed such silly, ignorant things, since the heart did not actually have anything to do with emotions; it was just an organ that distributed blood throughout your body. Yet, lo and behold, his chest was in more pain that it had ever been in. And Naruto was laughing. Sparkling blue eyes sparked up to his, and they dimmed a bit at the expression on Sasuke's face.

"Did you even read my paper, jerk?" he snapped, though in a way so normal and playful, it made Sasuke blink in surprise a few times.

"No…" he admitted, and before Naruto could ask, he explained, "I wanted to see how you would react. I didn't think you would laugh. It's not that funny, you know."

"Sasuke, you're…" Naruto said, then paused, shook his head, and smiled. "You want to see my reaction?"

"I already did, stupid," Sasuke growled, but Naruto only shook his head again, amused to no end. The blonde set the paper on the dashboard, unbuckled his seatbelt, and then leaned closer toward him. The proximity did not bother Sasuke, as it never had in the time they had known each other, but then…

Then the foreign sensation of a mouth connecting with his jolted his senses so horribly, he fell back in shock. Naruto seemed to expect it, because he did not falter in following Sasuke and pressing his lips to the other's as he leaned back against the car door. It was warm and soft and rough and moist and had each of his senses on a high so alarming, he could not react. But then Naruto was acting for him, slipping his tongue past both their lips and touching it to Sasuke's. Pressed against the window, Sasuke had never felt so trapped before.

And, for some absurd reason, he liked it. It made his chest tingle and flutter even as it had ached before. Where there had once been pain, there was now inexplicable thrill and enjoyment. After a couple of seconds had passed, Sasuke awoke from his daze and let his body respond the way he wanted it to.

He had never thought of Naruto in a romantic manner, had never imagined this happening or fantasized about it. Still, it was like his entire world had lit up like a fictional dream, as if he was the happiest man on earth. Suddenly, he felt acknowledged and appreciated, contented with how Naruto tenderly touched him as if he was the most important person in the world. Nothing was really different; Naruto was still his best friend, but apparently their relationship had always been a little bit more than that.

Was that love? Pure and without reasoning, the feeling of warmth and affection swelling within him as he fit his lips against Naruto's, was that love? Was it the way Sasuke knew he wanted the moment to go on forever? Could it be in the way Sasuke knew deeply without any doubt that he would fight, would die in a second for Naruto?

Whichever of these many things inside Sasuke love was, he knew it was there, and his question was finally answered. Love was not something one could define; sure, if you looked it up in the dictionary, you would find a set, factual definition. True love, however, could not be summed up in a few words. Love was a million things, all the little feelings and actions and words and sensations added into one emotion, one commitment, one overwhelming passion.

The only way he knew how to express that to Naruto was to cling to him, wrap his arms tightly around his neck and hold him as close as possible. He showed it by running his fingers fondly through uneven spikes of yellow-blonde hair. It was demonstrated in the way he refused to close his eyes, would not look away from those eyes. In every method he could think, he tried to let Naruto know…that Sasuke understood now.

Naruto separated from him far too quickly, but the lack of air hit Sasuke hard and he let his head fall back against the glass. His chest rose and fell in the same uncontrolled pace as Naruto's, but neither bothered to hide their breathlessness. They just stared at each other, absorbing the moment and each other. Sasuke was surprised to find he was not uncomfortable of awkward. It was just Naruto, after all, and the fact that he was now recognizing his love did not mean that it had not always been there. He felt no differently. He just had a new understanding of how he felt.

"Wow," Sasuke whispered, not sure if it was entirely appropriate or not, but not really caring enough to wonder for too long. Naruto did not seem to mind, because he smiled and laughed.

"Well, that's a better response than I ever thought I'd receive," he murmured, growing suddenly serious. The expression was out-of-place on his normally joyful face, and though it was not unpleasant by means of attractiveness, the lack of excitement disturbed Sasuke. He wanted Naruto to be happy, not serious; that was Sasuke's job. "I…well, I didn't even think you would accept it, let alone let me do that."

"You've…imagined doing that before?" Sasuke wondered curiously, giving Naruto a look that was apparently funny, because the blonde grinned like a cat in answer.

"Oh yeah," he said, then lowered his voice to a huskier tone as he lowered his lips past Sasuke's cheek. Feeling a sudden vulnerability, Sasuke breathed in sharply when teeth grazed his ear and a tongue flickered out to lick his neck, body going rigid, back arching instinctively. "You have no idea how many times I've thoughts about doing that… I lost count of how many dreams I've had of you, how many times I woke up screaming your name…"

At that sudden declaration, Sasuke felt himself grow unbearably hot and would have been annoyed to realize he was blushing like a girl, but could not bring himself to. It was flattering in a weird way, to know that Naruto had thought of him so passionately, though it was the last thing he had expected. The assertion was so unforeseen; he had no clue how to react to it, and the sensations that had been making him feel so…well, loving, became something that made his jeans abruptly tight. He was then aware of Naruto moving his mouth downward, leisurely kissing and licking along his neck.

"Naruto…" he gasped, clutching the blonde's shoulders tightly without really knowing where to push or pull him. He was melting with each touch, and he had no clue how to react.

"Do you know how many times…" Naruto trailed off as he continued to ravish Sasuke neck torturously, moving at such a gradual speed, it was ten times more pleasurable than what should have been possible. He was taking his time, that was for certain, and it left Sasuke writhing in anxious desire and heat. "…I wanted to push you up against the lockers after gym and shove my tongue as far as I could down your throat? Or how many times I wanted to pin you to the nearest bed and make love for hours… So many times, I wanted nothing more than you. Sasuke, I love you so fucking much. You have no idea."

"For how long?" Sasuke breathed, unable to control the rising pitch in his voice. Usually, he did not enjoy losing control over any situation, but something about Naruto's sudden dominance shook his world like nothing ever had. "How long have you felt that way?"

"Since we were eight," Naruto muttered, which was enough to make Sasuke shove him away for a second.

"You wanted to do what when you were eight?" he asked, the incredulous look on his face enough to make Naruto burst out laughing. Gently, knowing his mistake had killed the mood for a while, he set his forehead against Sasuke's.

"I mean, I've loved you since I was eight," he fixed, smiling at Sasuke's out-of-character blush. With a shrug, Naruto stated confidently, "The urges have only been happening for the last few years. Puberty and all, you know."

"Well, not really, I don't," Sasuke admitted with a smirk, tilting his head. Slowly, his mind was returning to normal. He could think clearly now; he was not as fluttered and awkward as before, when Naruto had been devouring his neck. Sitting up, pressing himself to Naruto, he said, "I'm never really had any urges like that, about anyone."

"Never?" Naruto asked, frowning. "Have you ever masturbated?"

"No," Sasuke chuckled, and rather than being embarrassed or feeling younger, he felt strangely smug. It was probably because it was Naruto. He had to have more control; things that weakened other people did not affect Sasuke the same way, ever. "I've thought about it, but nothing's ever really aroused me."

"Not even me?" Naruto asked, proceeding to press his open mouth to Sasuke's again, wasting no time in delving his tongue to the opening of his throat. Sasuke nearly gagged reflexively, but his body settled for jerking in sudden pleasure, the constriction his pants were creating becoming painful. Panting, he broke away and nodded.

"Yeah, that does it," he said tightly, wincing as the heat coiling in his member grew even more excruciating. "Now, hurry up and fix it."

"In your car?" Naruto scoffed, then shook his head and moved away from Sasuke. The raven-haired boy glared indignantly at his friend, but Naruto did not hesitate in opening the door and climbing out. "Come on, jerk."

In under a minute, Sasuke was closing his bedroom door and welcoming Naruto's oncoming attacks. Standing up, of course, provided a more difficult challenge; he had to stand while Naruto pressed him to the wall and ravished his body with not only his tongue and lips, but his hands as well. Sasuke was patient in acting helpless to Naruto's gestures, since he knew the blonde had been waiting for it for a much longer time, but he was eager to reclaim his control.

When Naruto pulled him toward the bed and pushed him over onto it, he could not help but protest, especially when Naruto leaned over him expectantly. Sasuke was done with his shock, his revelations, and whatnot, but Naruto seemed to have forgotten just who the superior one was.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke questioned, quirking his eyebrow in that way he always did that made even Naruto pause. This time was no different, and when Naruto offered no answer, Sasuke elaborated, "I'm not bottoming."

"Huh?" Naruto said, as if he was actually surprised. Did he not know Sasuke well enough by now? Frowning, Sasuke smacked Naruto in the side of the head. "Ow!"

"I'm not stupid, loser," he snorted, and smirked devilishly at Naruto's astonished reaction. "You thought you were that good? Please, I know how these things work. I am not on bottom."

"But—"

"Get over it, Naruto," Sasuke purred, yanked Naruto's head down and flipping them over in one smooth motion. He pulled away for just a second to send Naruto a flash of a seductive glance. "Now it's my turn."

"You've never—" Naruto started, but Sasuke cut him off by reaching down to the hardened lump protruding from the blonde's pants. He broke off with a moan and twisted beneath Sasuke's fingers.

"Doesn't matter, dobe," he whispered, licking out at the skin of Naruto's ear just as the blonde had done to him previously. "I'm not completely oblivious, and I know you well enough."

Before Naruto could resist again, Sasuke bit down on the straining tendons in his tanned, muscled neck. He did not worry about biting too hard, because with the way Naruto jerked abruptly and tilted his head back with his mouth agape was enough to show that Sasuke knew Naruto's sexual desires well enough. This part Sasuke would have no problem at all judging from what he knew; everything you did every day was a reflection of the preferences in your sex life.

So, he closed his teeth down hard on Naruto's neck, wrapping his lips around the section of skin to suck hard for a second before snapping his jaw shut. Naruto shuddered, his hands unsure on Sasuke's chest, neck red, skin irritated and scratched but not broken. Smirking, Sasuke traced his tongue from the crescent-shaped bite mark and to Naruto's Adam apple. There, he licked upward, kissed the spot, and then sucked on it lightly, the pull it caused within Naruto's throat enough of a force to emit a small gasp. Sasuke could not help but grin as he pressed his hips instinctively against Naruto, grinding their erections together for a few seconds. A loud moan forced its way out from beneath Naruto's clenched teeth, deafening compared to Sasuke's light gasp.

Yes, Naruto would like it rough. Everything Naruto did was competitive, rushed, spontaneous, hard. Why would this be any different? Mostly using his teeth, Sasuke traced his way down Naruto's throat, tugging at his shirt eagerly, yanking it off as soon as the blonde sat up. He moved downward, marking Naruto's chest with bites and the scratching of his nails, occasionally thrusting his erection against his or reaching down to caress Naruto's member. It was all too easy to have Naruto twisting, thrashing on the soft bed sheets before Sasuke even reached the hem of his jeans.

Neither wasted any time in undressing themselves, as if they had waited too long for this moment. Sasuke was aware that they were in high school still and that what they were doing was not approved of, for more reasons than the fact that they were both boys. However, when someone loved you silently, offering their friendship when they wanted so much more, for an entire decade, unable to portray any emotions…it did not get much better than that. Sasuke had never intended to wait. Who better to share this with than Naruto, his best friend, the only one he trusted, his one and only love?

Naruto's body was built like a God's, what with his broad shoulders and his muscled arms and chest. Every bit of him was toned and defined sharply by his stunning physique, skin shining with sweat, looking as though it had been kissed by the sun itself. He lowered his head to devote his attention to that body, leaving a trail of kisses from his navel to the path of blonde curls below. He paused for only a second, glancing up at Naruto's hazy-eyed expression, before he asked a strange question.

"What do you think of me, Naruto?" he asked, feeling odd bending over Naruto, exposed and willing. Naruto shot him a confused look, so he explained what he wanted to know, as usual, "Physically, I mean. My body."

"What the hell, Sasuke?" Naruto snapped, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes in warning.

Naruto did not seem to get the hint, instead sitting up and grasping Sasuke's shoulders. He held him out, eyes roaming down his chest, across his flat stomach… Sasuke could not help but blush, the warmth of his disconcerted state of mind showing up on his pale skin.

Sasuke had never liked the way he looked. When he looked in the mirror, he saw a weird emo-by-nature kid who was unnaturally, freakishly pale with blue hair that tried to look black and never behaved itself unless properly gelled with the most expensive products known to man. He did not have the same masculine build as Naruto, instead being lean and slim with narrow hips and thin legs and arms. Everything about him was so…awkward and abnormal. Especially his eyes, considering they were so dark, he looked like he had no pupils; he might as well have been a girl considering the thick, long dark eyelashes he had been given…

"Sasuke…" Naruto started, and said boy could not help but glare out of instinct. Naruto had a thing for disabling Sasuke's pride whenever he got the chance, and now was the prime opportunity. Instead, the blonde said, "You don't even realize how beautiful you are, do you?"

"That's not the word I was hoping for," Sasuke growled, pulling away from Naruto just slightly, which was hard considering the grip the other had. "You make me sound like a girl."

"No, like…" Naruto thought; Sasuke could tell because his lips twisted to the side of his mouth and that blank look crossed into the plain of his deep blue eyes. Struck by an idea, Naruto grinned, softly moving his hands across Sasuke's body randomly. "I meant it as in…an artistically beautiful way. It's like you've been carved out of marble. You have no blemishes or flaws. You're the perfect height and body shape, and you're skin glows brighter than the moon, especially compared to your hair. It's the perfect contrast, a contradiction that displays who you are inside as well as on the out. You…you couldn't be more perfect. Not for me."

Good answer. Might as well repay the man. They fell back onto the bed in a hurry, Sasuke thanking Naruto with a kiss that made them both see stars. Any type of romanticized foreplay was done in a flurry of kissing, biting, grinding, and groping. By the time they were coated thinly in sweat, breaths coming heavy, Sasuke was parting Naruto's legs. The blonde complied with a bite of his lip, exhibiting a type of fearful anticipation Sasuke had not seen on Naruto's face in years.

"Just relax," Sasuke breathed, his voice still wispy from their previous displays of affection. He offered two fingers to Naruto, and he quickly sucked them into his mouth, coating them with saliva. "I'll go slow, alright?"

"As long as you make it good," Naruto hissed after releasing Sasuke's fingers and settling his head against the pillows, closing his eyes in wait for the pain he knew was coming.

Cautiously, Sasuke pressed one digit to Naruto's entrance and pushed, welcoming the odd sensation of his core folding around his finger. It was hot compared to his wet skin, constricting tightly at the unusual sensation of being penetrated. Sasuke glanced up to see Naruto's expression, wincing when he saw the clenching of his jaw, the firm purse of his lips. He was hurting Naruto.

"Should I stop?" he asked, beginning to pull out of Naruto, but the blonde roughly grasped his wrist, opening his eyes furiously.

"Don't you even fucking dare, asshole," he snarled, and then rocked his hips forward defiantly, refusing to wince in pain as his gaze remained locked with Sasuke's. Once Sasuke's first finger was entirely within him, he closed his eyes again to concentrate on blocking the excessive sting. "Keep going."

Sasuke obeyed, something he rarely did, but had no trouble in slipping a second finger along inside with the first. Naruto noticeably twitched, body shuddering in immediate rejection to the foreign feeling, and his fingers curled tightly in the sheets. When he began moving those two fingers inside Naruto, the blonde visibly tensed, the sound of his teeth grinding together shattering Sasuke's nerve.

Until met with an interesting idea, and of course, a quivering cock in his face. Smirking, his crossed his fingers inside Naruto the precise moment he pressed the tip of his tongue into the slit of Naruto's member. An abrupt moan exploded from Naruto, a wave of pleasure flashing over the pain, and the wriggling of Naruto's body continued as Sasuke's sucked on the head and then licked up and down the shaft teasingly.

He engulfed the entire member as he entered the third finger. A yell escaped Naruto, and his whole body wrenched strangely at the mixed feelings Sasuke's actions created. He sucked hard and long, prying a pleasured moan from Naruto, even as his fingers thrust within his tight core. Sasuke did not want to know what kind of pain he was causing Naruto, but when he finally withdrew his hands and released Naruto's member with a nipping kiss, satisfaction was clear on the blonde's face.

"Ready?" Sasuke whispered, positioning himself above Naruto's entrance just as he had his finger. Naruto paused, shook his head, and then cupped Sasuke's face to pull him down into a kiss. It was long, sweet, more tender than Sasuke have ever known Naruto to do, and it was that second he shoved himself into Naruto.

The single thrust took place in less than a second, but when Naruto ripped his mouth away to scream out, Sasuke trembled guiltily. Naruto was tense beneath him, his body completely stiff and unyielding. As gently as he could, Sasuke kissed Naruto's forehead, his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips. Hoping he was not pushing it, he let his finger stroke delicately over Naruto's shaft. His sudden intake was unified with a slight release in the physical pressure Naruto was exerted over his body. Sasuke wrapped his fingers around Naruto's member and pumped it unhurriedly, waiting until a whimper of a moan trembled from his lips.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, setting his forehead against Naruto's. God, he wanted to move so fucking badly, but he wanted to make sure his friend was okay. Shining eyes glared up at him for a moment before he nodded.

"Hurry up and fuck me, Sasuke."

He submitted immediately, pulling himself out of Naruto and thrusting back in shakily again. They both paused, Naruto still fighting between the pain and pleasure, and Sasuke trying to keep his body's cravings under control. It was all so new and foreign, but at the same time, Sasuke felt something dominatingly masculine overwhelming him, totally and completely instinctual. His body knew what it wanted. When Naruto raised his hips so he could wrap his legs around Sasuke, the Uchiha lost it.

He moved out of Naruto and then plunged back in, biting down hard on Naruto's shoulder as his walls compressed and squeezed his member every which way. He was overcome by an irresistible heat that had him gasping for breath in Naruto's ear, and eventually, the blonde began to cry out, softly at first and then gradually louder as Sasuke picked up the pace. The entire while, Sasuke shifted as he thrust, trying to sink as far into Naruto as he could possibly go.

When Naruto suddenly screamed out again, nails breaking the skin across Sasuke's shoulders, the Uchiha hastily stopped his actions with wide eyes. He looked down to see Naruto, head thrown back in what appeared to be the most blissful sort of ecstasy, lips parted open and eyelids half-closed. He shook his head furiously when Sasuke touched his face unsurely.

"Fuck, that felt good," he huffed, then opened his eyes and stared passionately at Sasuke. In between heavy gasps, he breathed, "Do that…again."

Sasuke felt a smirk come to his lips and he pulled out of Naruto, only to thrust at the exact same angle as the last, this time watching the show. Naruto was gorgeous, the way he opened his mouth to cry out at the top of his voice his extreme elation, blonde hair plastered across his forehead with sweat. God, that sweet voice nearly drove Sasuke over.

"Yes! Fuck yes! Right fucking there!" he yelled, repeatedly, unrelentingly as Sasuke rapidly increased the pace of his thrusting. Eventually, Naruto's shouts became incoherent, driven by the force of Sasuke's speed and force, his words evolving into jumped moans and gasps. "Sasuke!"

He came so suddenly, it made Sasuke groan in heavenly bliss as the sticky white proof of Naruto's ecstasy splattered over his chest and abs. It smelled of salty sweetness, of sex, and of Naruto. It did not take more than a few uneven, swift thrusts until Sasuke came as well, his seed coating the insides of Naruto's walls.

"Naruto…" he grunted, the name soft on his tongue. Breathing heavily, he rested against Naruto's body, listening to the erratic beating of his heart.

They rested like that, before Sasuke eventually pulled out of Naruto and collapsed onto the spot beside him, careful not to hit Naruto's sore body. After a moment of merely breathing, he tugged the covers out from under them and drew them over their bodies. He welcomed the inviting warmth of Naruto's body, gently scooping him up in his arms, bringing him closer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing him gingerly, but was returned with an offending bite of the lip. "Hey! What the hell?"

"Don't feel sorry for me," Naruto growled, then tucked his head under Sasuke's chin and curled into his arms. "I loved every second of you inside me, Sasuke. Even if it didn't happen the way I wanted…I loved it. I love you."

"I love you, too, Naruto," Sasuke said, softly stroking Naruto's spine. It elicited chills throughout the blonde's body, but the kind that soothed rather than aroused. "Do you think this happened too fast?"

"Not for me," Naruto chuckled, not bothering to move. He yawned, brushing his lips across Sasuke's collarbone before saying, "I've been waiting for years, remember? Do you think it did?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I've been asking myself what love is for a long time. I guess it was never really that hard to figure out, huh? I just never knew it could be so simple."

"Funny how life can do that, huh?" Naruto murmured, sounding more sleepy than amused. Smiling, Sasuke pressed a kiss to Naruto's soft blonde spikes.

"Hilarious," he agreed with soft sarcasm, and then whispered, "Sleep, Naruto."

"Will you stay?" he asked, which resulted in a snort.

"It's my bed, stupid," he responded. He felt Naruto frown.

"Way to ruin the moment, bastard."

"You did that with your idiocy, retard."

"Oh, shut up, bastard."

There was a moment of warm, comfortable silence.

"I think I learned something today," Sasuke said, stating it in the most matter-of-fact way possible. Naruto looked up at with frowns etched all over his face, looking both confused and pissed that Sasuke was still talking, an odd switch of roles Sasuke was smug to realize.

"And what is that?" Naruto asked, almost sarcastically, and was answered by a loving kiss that hit him straight in the heart. When Sasuke pulled away, the uncharacteristic smile on his face not at all out-of-place; love made you act like you normally would not, he realized. It was just one of those funny little side effects it had on you. "Well?"

Oh.

"I think I like Valentine's Day after all."


So, I'm not expecting a whole tidal wave of reviews or anything, but considering that this is officially the most popular Naruto pairing on this website, I'm hoping that entitles me to a few. This is the first time I've written a Naruto/Sasuke fanfiction, and I've only been experimenting with keeping Sasuke's character in check for a while. Has anyone ever noticed you have to be in a certain mood to write from Sasuke's point of view? Or is that just me? Because I find keeping him in character extremely hard. I know I swerved off multiple times in the story with him, but bear with me and read the story for what it is: pure fanfiction. Tell me how I did, and if you must, you can even bash on my lack of Sasuke-character skills for the mere satisfaction of rubbing it in my face. Anyway, this is an actual certified love test that I took in my English class because my teacher was a psychology major and she loves all these quirky tests (we've taken four so far in the past month and a half), and it was very accurate. Anyway...review, review, review!

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