A/N: Okay, this is just a short little oneshot. I enjoyed writing it and hope you guys do too. And I'm sorry for not updating "Nothing Else Matters" right now, but this idea has been bugging me endlessly.
Sakura looked over her shoulder at where Naruto sat alone on a bench. Then, turning back to Ino, she asked, "You'll give me ten dollars if I play the nervous game with him?"
Ino smiled brightly. "That's what I said, Forehead-girl, but if you're too chicken to do it, I completely understand," Ino said, flipping her hair to talk to Shikamaru about their deal so far, as if she could care less about Sakura's answer. Really, though, she was determined to get Sakura to do it, just to see Naruto's reaction. She didn't much care for the boy and needed something to humor her.
Sakura growled aloud as inner Sakura blew up in explosions of, "We'll show her!" and "Who does she think she's calling chicken?!"
"Fine," Sakura said, storming off towards Naruto. However, when she got closer, she took care not to appear as calm and innocent as she could.
"Hey, Sakura," Naruto said casually, though his heart was pounding against the inside of his chest as Sakura sat next to him, her emerald green eyes wide and her long, pink hair blowing perfectly in the wind.
"Hi, Naruto," she said sweetly. She locked his gaze, keeping him from noticing the hand she snaked out and sat on his knee until he felt it's light presence. Tingles went up his spine and he had to try very hard not to stutter as he talked to her.
"Nice weather, ne?" he asked, trying to start conversation. He stiffened as Sakura moved her hand slowly up his thigh just the smallest bit before stopping and asking, "Are you nervous, Naruto?"
Naruto couldn't help it: he stuttered. "S-Sakura, I t-thought you liked S-Sasuke…" Naruto said as Sakura's hand crept a few inches farther.
"Are you nervous, Naruto?" Sakura repeated, a smile, seductive grin breaking across her face. Naruto looked into her eyes, but quickly tore his own away. He looked over at Sakura's friends, Ino and Shikamaru, who were laughing hysterically- or, at least, Ino was. Shikamaru just looked bored out of his mind, as usual.
Sakura's hand reached the point where Naruto started sweating, and, soon after that, he turned bright red.
"Nervous?" Sakura asked, drumming her fingers on Naruto's upper thigh. Naruto couldn't take it. He leaned over, wanting to kiss Sakura, but was met with a punch in his face. Before Naruto could even recover or think about what had happened, Sakura had stormed off. He watched as she approached Ino, who handed her a ten dollar bill.
Naruto felt tears in his eyes; He had been tricked- he had been a joke to them. He was always the one to be made fun of, he was always the one that was hurt in the end.
Getting up, he ran away, not caring where he went. He just wanted to talk to someone, someone that would understand and not question him, someone who would just listen and not respond at all.
--
"Sasuke?" Naruto called, running into the training grounds. He knew that Sasuke was around here somewhere- in his tree or training. Naruto stopped running and looked around, a hand on his knee. He was exhausted. Approximately four seconds later, Sasuke poofed silently up behind him.
"What do you want, dobe?" he asked, sounding a little irritated. Naruto jumped and Sasuke smirked. However, he was extremely curious as to why Naruto would seek him out. Surely he had had better things to do- Sasuke certainly did. He had been in the middle of training when Naruto had bellowed for him, so he still had that adrenaline in him. He turned to head back to where he had been practicing.
"Sasuke," Naruto mumbled, "can we talk?"
"C'mon, Naruto, let's train. Whatever's bothering you can wait," Sasuke said, leading the way. A defeated Naruto followed.
In truth, Sasuke knew exactly what was wrong with Naruto. No, he didn't know the specifics of what all had happened between him and whoever, but he knew he was depressed and maybe even angry. Training would help to squash those feelings, help Naruto clear his head a little.
--
The two sparred for some time. Sasuke was always one step ahead of Naruto and pinned him to the ground by his chest every time. Naruto did feel better, letting out more and more of his anger and sorrow as he fought with Sasuke. Who would've known the Uchiha could be this helpful?
Finally though, when Sasuke pinned him for probably the 20th time, and Naruto was too fatigued to get up. Sasuke, realizing this immediately, sat down next to him.
"So, dobe, what did you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked. Naruto ignored the insult. It was hardly even an insult rather than a nickname by now.
"I don't know…" Naruto looked up at the clouds, reminding himself of Shikamaru. "Sakura: why doesn't she like me like she does you? And even if she doesn't like me, why does she tease me? Then, when I try to make a move, she punches me in the face. It's hopeless," Naruto complained. He rattled on and on, with Sasuke listening intently and nodding in understanding every once in a while, about how the village hated him and so many other things that he couldn't even remember them all. The line that caught Sasuke when he was finished, however, was, "I'm just like you, Sasuke. We're the same."
"Hn," Sasuke said, a smirk on his face, as he thought about this. They were the same in some ways. They were both alone, both orphaned, both hurt, but the difference was in the way they handled their feelings. Sasuke was trying to fix his; Naruto was just sitting there, complaining to him about all the bad things in his life. Sasuke knew he could make a list equally long, but he didn't want to talk that much.
Naruto stared up at the brooding Uchiha in al his glory. It had started to get late, the sun starting to set. Both of them were laying on their backs, thinking. Suddenly, for some odd reason, Naruto had and idea.
"Sasuke, ever played the nervous game?" Naruto asked, looking into Sasuke's onyx orbs.
"No," Sasuke said simply. He was about to add that he nor did want to either, when he felt Naruto's hand land right about his knee.
"Nervous?" Naruto hissed in Sasuke's ear. Immediately, though, Naruto's hand was harshly slapped away.
"Ow, Sasuke!" Naruto whined.
"Don't touch me," Sasuke said calmly, moving so that he could glare at Naruto, who had resolved never to try that again. The rest of that evening was filled with small talk, considering they both- Naruto especially- felt increasingly awkward.
Finally, they both said they had to turn in.
--
'Naruto, you idiot! Why would you do that to Sasuke!' Naruto thought to himself on the way home. He and Sasuke had really had something going there- something close to friendship, but Naruto had to go and mess it all up! He mentally kicked himself as he lay in his bed. The scary thing was, however, he had liked his hand being on Sasuke's leg. He liked that warmth and feeling. Also, he was attracted to Sasuke mentally, him being the only one to ever understand him and all the pain he had gone through his whole life.
--
Sasuke was thinking thoughts somewhat similar to Naruto's. 'Why would the idiot try to play that game with me? What did he think my reaction would be? Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh with him. It wasn't that bad, although he could have given some warning before grabbing my thigh! What an ass.'
--
The next week or so continued at much the same pace, only instead of being hurt by Sakura, Naruto just went straight to sparring with Sasuke everyday. Sasuke didn't mind. It was worth more training with an actual person than a target, and all he had to do in return was listen to Naruto ramble everyday while nodding his head every now and then. It was a good deal to Sasuke… until Naruto got it in his head to play that silly game again.
It was much the same as before, with them both lying on their backs, stargazing. This time, though, Naruto didn't give any warning at all. His hand landed lightly on Sasuke's lower thigh. Naruto didn't ask if he was nervous until he was halfway up Sasuke's thigh. Then, softly, he asked, "Nervous?"
Sasuke smacked Naruto's hand away impatiently, more harshly than last time, saying, "I told you-"
"Yeah, yeah, don't touch you. I know," Naruto interrupted, nursing his throbbing hand.
"So why did you?" Sasuke asked, sincerely curious, not just wanting to embarrass Naruto.
Naruto blushed bright red as he answered, "I don't know! I just wanted to see if you'd get nervous. You know it means-"
"Don't even think about it, dobe. We're friends, nothing more." Seeing Naruto's expression, he quickly added, "And nothing less."
--
A week or so went by again. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto had been able to keep each other out of their heads. They trained and talked, and sometimes Sasuke even treated Naruto to ramen afterwards, making Naruto like him all the more.
Naruto had come to terms with his feelings, growing fonder of Sasuke every day they spent together. Sasuke on the other hand, was having difficulty accepting these intruding feelings. First of all: he could NOT be gay. Secondly: Naruto was an idiot, a dobe. 'But he's my dobe…'
That thought startled Sasuke, who looked around him, hoping there were no mind readers in the vicinity.
That night, the two were lying there again, talking, reminiscing, thinking.
Naruto's hand slowly slithered to Sasuke's thigh once again. Why he kept doing this, Naruto didn't know. What he did know is that each time he tried Sasuke let him get a little farther. That was unnerving and reassuring at the same time.
Naruto's hand had crept quite a ways before Sasuke turned to him. The strange thing was, though, that he didn't smack away Naruto's hand this time. Instead, he placed his own hand on Naruto's thigh, running it slowly up and down.
"Nervous?" he asked, his finger slowed down until it stopped at the top of Naruto's thigh. Naruto couldn't say anything. Sasuke's hand was on his thigh; his hand was on Sasuke's. It was an awkward position, and Naruto felt himself leaning in towards Sasuke. He didn't want to be hurt again, like how Sakura had hurt him, but he knew Sasuke wouldn't do such a thing to him.
The raven-haired boy leaned in also. Right before their lips met, however, Sasuke sat up and said, "See you tomorrow, dobe," and poofed away. Naruto sat there, mouth agape. Sasuke hadn't hit him, hadn't even rejected him, but had assured him another chance.
Naruto sat their contemplating the feelings that Sasuke had stirred up, and wondering how far to go with the nervous game the next day.
A/N: Sneaky Sasuke. Anyway, I just had this idea for a long time, and I had to get it down on paper. So, if you don't like it, I don't care. However, I may make ONE more chapter if you can convince me to do so, but I do have another fanfiction I am currently working on, so I'm sorry if you're waiting for me to update that one as well. I have been known to be slow on updates, so you can take that into consideration And please forgive me if there are a few spelling mistakes. I'll go back and edit it if there area lot of mistakes later, okay? Just tell me if there are lot.
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