Existing Ambience Chapter 1: One, a naruto fanfic

Existing Ambience by Lil Riter sama

ZOMG, she's made the plunge.

Rating: PG

Story warnings/notes: SasuNaru (obviously). Clichéd, might be sappy (depending on how much maple syrup you consume with your daily waffles) but if you know me… I'm a sucker for sap. And angst, but this isn't angsty. Was written to be as complete of a first chapter as possible. Trying to break away from my love of sudden stops. Because some people don't appreciate them. I went through crap to pull out this story. It lived around the corner from my Itachi/Naruto/Sasuke vampire story and across the street from my Sasuke-is-jealous-of-Kakashi story. It didn't answer the door until I'd rung the doorbell 2000 and 1 times. But it finally did!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Sasuke leaned against the railing on the bridge, calmly watching the river flowing below him. It was a hot, sticky sort of day; a lock of sweat-damped hair attached itself to his cheek, and Sasuke had half a mind to take off his shirt to prevent it from sticking itself firmly to his body.

Sasuke could feel Sakura's eyes on him from her shady spot under the blossom tree at the end of the bridge. The gaze bothered him. Sakura had invited him to sit beside her an hour ago, as they waited for the other half of Cell Seven, but he'd pointedly refused, preferring instead to stand lookout for Naruto and Kakashi. Besides, what would the two have thought if they saw him sitting with Sakura? Naruto's heart would break seeing Sakura with Sasuke, and Kakashi would tease Sasuke endlessly. It was the former reason that worried him more, though.

Tilting his head back, Sasuke saw that the sun was nearly directly overhead. God, it was hot out! His legs were starting to shake from standing in the same position for hours. What always took their instructor so long? And where the hell was Naruto? Sasuke could not deny that he was worried over his rival's absence.

A whispery poof announced Kakashi's arrival, and Sasuke turned to see the jounin squatting on the railing across from him. "Yo," the copy-nin said, raising a gloved hand in salute. "Hot out here, isn't it?"

"It sure is!" Sakura chimed loudly. "What took you so long to get here?" She stood up and walked over to them.

Sasuke disguised a disgusted look by turning his face away. "Hn." The first question he would have asked was where was Naruto?

"Saa... What poor display of camaraderie." The older man adjusted his hitae-ate with his left hand; his right carried a basket filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables, as well as what seemed to be supplement pills and a detailed diet regimen. "The first question you should have asked was about Naruto."

Sasuke looked back at Sakura again, secretly relishing in the girl's dismayed look. "What did happen to him?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly.

"Naruto caught a virus from one of the kids he plays with. He's at home, throwing up and blowing snot bubbles. I've been keeping him company all morning, when I suddenly remembered you two, so I thought I'd go run some errands and have you two take care of him for the time being." Kakashi put the basket on the ground. At seeing the looks on his two subordinates' faces, his eye glinted. "Think of it this way," he said. "This will foster camaraderie." And with another poof, he was gone.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as the brunet boy picked the basket from the ground. "Do you want to have lunch with me?"

"No." Sasuke tested the weight of the basket. "Did you forget that we have to go look after Naruto?"

"We can eat after we visit Naruto!" Sakura quickened her pace to catch up with Sasuke. "Besides, I thought you hated Naruto."

"That's right," Sasuke said, stopping and looking at Sakura. "I did. But if you do not want to visit Naruto, I'm fine on my own." He started walking again.

"But Sasuke-kun...!"

"I'm fine on my own," he snapped, glaring at her with icy eyes. Satisfied that she was not going to follow him, Sasuke walked on.

Sakura was stopped in her tracks, left to watch Sasuke's back with wide eyes. "Sasuke-kun... Why do you care so much?"

The heat was stifling, and even some of the flowers inside the flower shop were starting to wilt. Sasuke found himself watching the orange-gold flowers through the glass. The petals were wrinkling, and the heavy flowers were weighing down the stem. The plant looked sickly, which seemed awkward to him; the wilting petals did not suit a colorful flower like that. It reminded him of Naruto.

A blast of air conditioned coolness greeted Sasuke as he stepped into the Yamanaka flower shop. Sasuke's right eye twitched; his feet were going against his will! "Ah, it's you," greeted a lazy family friend of the Yamanaka's. "Don't worry, I won't tell Ino that you're buying flowers for someone." Sasuke ignored Shikamaru and pointed at the plant he'd been looking at through the window.

"Can I buy this one?"

"Hm?" Shikamaru looked at the plant the other boy wanted. It was a single orange-gold daffodil planted in a small plastic pot. "It's wilting."

"I know." Sasuke brought the pot to the register. "Can I get a card?"

"That's three ryo," Shikamaru said, setting out a card and pen. "I don't know who would want such an ugly thing. Is it for your house?"

"Perhaps." Sasuke signed the card and attached it to the plant. He put down three coins, and put the plastic pot into his basket. "Goodbye."

Sasuke wondered why he was doing it. He hated Naruto, didn't he? So what was this feeling that made him want to make Naruto…be okay? Sasuke's scowl grew more pronounced with every passing thought. Naruto was just a stupid blond after all…

Naruto lived in the south apartment complex, two floors up and all the way down the hall; it was the most out-of-the-way home Sasuke had ever seen. He could smell the dust in the hallway. Paint was peeling off of the walls, and Naruto's doorway was made of cheap wood and not even glazed. With Naruto's wages, he could probably barely pay for the rent of this place.

"Naruto?" Sasuke opened the door, knowing that a sick Naruto could not open it. Naruto lived in a one-room apartment, and there was no barrier between his sleeping space and his kitchen. Sasuke eyed the futon on the floor; he could never sleep on that in his own home. "Naruto!" he called out again. The sound of stomach substances hitting porcelain answered him. In an instant, Sasuke had left the basket on the table and was at Naruto's side, holding Naruto by the arm so the blond would not pitch head first into his own vomit.

"Ah…" Naruto groaned, falling against Sasuke's leg. "Thanks, Kaka-sensei."

Sasuke bit his lip at the contact of the blond's sweaty cheek on his knee. Sasuke's senses were always heightened with the blond around, for some reason. And the feeling of holding Naruto's bare arm with Naruto's hot breath so close to his skin was nearly unbearable to the point of wanting to kick the boy away. "I'm not Kakashi."

"Huh? Oh, Sasuke." Naruto wiped his mouth on the back of his free hand. Sasuke stared down at his teammate. Never had he seen the boy without his annoying orange outfit on, but now, Naruto was clad in a faded Konoha t-shirt and his blue boxer shorts. Without all the orange, he seemed more normal. "Help me get up."

Sasuke's eye twitched. So Kakashi earned a thanks, but he did not even merit a hello? Sasuke pulled Naruto up to his feet, and allowed the blond to use him as a crutch.

"I can help myself," the blond croaked, trying to stand straight.

"Don't be ridiculous." Sasuke jerked Naruto back onto his shoulder. "Your forehead is burning."

Sasuke helped Naruto back to his futon, and then went to wet a cloth. In the bathroom, Sasuke stared at his reflection; what was this feeling that he had when Naruto was near? It was so odd; he wanted Naruto to feel better. And he had liked the feeling of Naruto leaning up against him…

Sasuke wasn't supposed to care about anybody. Of course, he cared for his teammates to a certain extent, but with Naruto... with Naruto, it was different.

"Uh, Sasuke?" Naruto asked when Sasuke came back to press the cool wet cloth to his forehead. "Is that flower for me?" Sasuke looked and saw that Naruto was pointing at the plant he had bought from the flower shop.

"Yes," he said shortly. "Do you want to eat?"

"Did Sakura buy it for me?" Naruto asked.

"No. Do you want to eat?" Sasuke asked again, irritated that the blond had asked if Sakura had bought it.

"Then who did?"

"I did. Now do you want to eat or not?" Sasuke had already gotten from the chair that he had pulled up next to Naruto's futon.

"Oh." Naruto lay back onto his pillow. "Yeah, I'll have something."

Sasuke was irritated about Naruto's reaction to him. Was he so shocked that oh was the only reply he could answer? Well, Naruto was feverish, and it was an understandable fever; Sasuke had thought it was hot outside, but if it was, it was burning in Naruto's apartment. The wide-open window did not help either, for there was no breeze today. Even so, he got up to cook soup for Naruto; not that it would help the heat.

Sasuke watched the clock as Naruto slurped at his soup. Kakashi should have been back by now. It was too hot in the room, and he wished he could go outside; but he had a promise to Kakashi to keep. "Hey Sasuke?" he heard.

"Naruto?" he replied, turning his attention back to the blond. Immediately, he regretted it. His face grew hotter, and his heartbeat was speeding up. Perhaps he was catching the virus from Naruto.

"Sasuke, do you know any songs?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke thought for a moment, allowing his eyebrows to crease as he remembered a time when someone would sing him to sleep. "My mother... she used to sing me to sleep. I can remember that song."

"Sasuke?" Naruto was looking up at him with wide blue eyes.

"Yes Naruto?" Sasuke leaned closer, brushing strands of blond from Naruto's forehead. His face was so flushed and sweaty, even with a wet cloth on it.

"Can you sing me to sleep?" Naruto asked, closing his eyes.

Sasuke paused for a moment, and then he felt a pressure squeezing his hand; Naruto was holding it. "Okay, um, I think it went like this...

"Take me along to where you are.

I'll be like the wind and breathe quietly.

I'll open up my heart and cross over time."

Naruto's grip slackened. Sasuke could see that he was already asleep. Sasuke allowed himself a smile. He wondered if he dared kiss Naruto, like his mother used to kiss him when he was sick.

Smoothing blond strands from his rival's forehead, he pressed his lips softly to it.

" Please tell me your secrets.

I'm nervous about learning everything.

...so why do I still want to know about these uncertain emotions inside me?"

When Naruto woke up, Kakashi was sitting at the table, eyes following the words on his orange book. "Kaka-sensei!"

"Yo, Naruto," Kakashi said, leaning back on the two hind legs of his chair. "How did your teammates treat you?"

"Sasuke treated me fine," Naruto said, sitting up in bed and stretching his sore muscles.

"And Sakura...?"

"I didn't see her." Naruto cuddled back into his pillow and closed his eyes. "Sasuke was really nice though. My fever's pretty high, and I don't remember everything, but I know it was weird."

"Ah," Kakashi said knowingly.

He had seen the tag on the foreign flower, written in Sasuke's neat kanji. He found it interesting that the Get Well message was not even signed.

+The song is a Samurai Champloo song, "Who's theme," performed by Minmi, butchered curteousy of me.+

To be continued, as soon as possible. Reviews?