Hungover

Disclaimer: Not owning Naruto anytime soon. But as soon as I get it, I'll make Naruto confess his undying love for Sasuke.

Warning: Offensive lang. OOC, maybe.

A/N: Previous work has been edited and might seem different. A lot, actually. But eh?

I must have noticed deep inside that there were scars untouched, and unmentioned under the pretenses of his mocking, arrogant attitude. The reason why I had become his friend in the first place was because even if we were walls apart from each other in every sense, he was irrevocably the same as me. The silent, black gaze of his glance as he watched me when I was joking or just chatting away about nothing, was full of considering pain and secrets. Secrets that he never once told me.

I had hurt him, first indirectly and unfortunately, on purpose. I had disappointed him. I had reacted the way one would expect from any normal person when I had always tried to prove to him that I wasn't normal at all, that I was extraordinary. When I smiled, I knew I could lighten his darkened mood. Nobody else could make him hang out for no purpose at all but me. I'd drag him and he'd act annoyed but then, smiles would play on the tip of his lips. I'd look at him and I knew that even if outside of our walls, nothing was common, the inside was filled with something much better than just common interests and habits.

We are so opposite from each other. It breaks my heart to remember the past when my friends had first showed bafflement at my choice of becoming friends with him but then, they accepted him and Sasuke had started to open up to all of them.

The moments we had spent together were enough for me to drown myself in. Thinking about the memories numbed the guilt and brought nostalgia with it. The beautiful feeling of having him right by my side when times were good and I had not yet found out about his secret, were optimistic, happy, and I was so oblivious.

I understand now that the fear gripping Sasuke then had kept him from ever speaking out and why he hid it so well.

'Naruto.'

'Yeah?'

'Nothing.'

He had many chances to speak out, he'd call out my name hesitantly and when I'd look back at him, the little determination he still had would recoil back as if bitten by a snake when the only thing I ever did was smile at him. Unknowingly, unconciously, and oblivious to the fact that I was the one who had been causing him pain.

And he was supposed to be my best friend. It's laughable now that I think about it. We weren't officially best friends but I had acclaimed myself that we were.

'Moron, who said you could call me that?'

'What?'

'Don't act innocent. I'm not your best friend.'

'Ouch. That hurts, Sasuke. Of course, you're my best friends, bastard! We're, like, inseperable.'

'Huh.'

'Yeah. Huh! Now, let's go to the library and study for finals.'

'Hn, nice try. I'm not tutoring you.'

'But Sasuke!'

Time flew by so fast when the much-hated day came. We were freshmen, then, new to high school. I had gotten my first girlfriend but, Sasuke remained single. At least, that's what I thought.

It was not until we had that party. It was a big mess. I, being a horny teenager at that time, made out with my (ex-)girlfriend and drank as much as I could that night. I enjoyed myself in the high. And when things started getting heated, we decided to move to a bedroom (like only two fucking teenagers could do). We searched the place and shortly opened a door that I thought was vacant.

My head still hurts from remembering the moment I found them. The sickness in my neck still gets to me, even now. It was occupied; the room.

Two man, half-naked, embracing in bed; the imagery burned in the back of my head. I remembered my ex calling out for attention, tugging at me to move. I didn't. I was frozen. Disbelieving. My ears were ringing; the music was suddenly too loud.

Then, I moved, only to advance towards the two man, pulling both of them apart (even though, they had already separated by then when they saw us entering) and I punched the guy who was on top of Sasuke.

I hit him, punch after punch, anger filling me up like never before and I couldn't stop for the life of me. I heard voices in the background but I was blearily aware of them. The only thing on my mind was killing the man that had dared to touch my best friend that way. At that time, I had come to a conclusion automatically that he had been meaning to force Sasuke. It was an unreasonable conclusion but I couldn't have dealt with the other fact so, I pushed it at the back of my mind.

Beautiful, beautiful, endearing Sasuke spoke then: 'Naruto.'

Just my name, and I stopped. My breathing came in heavy breaths before I let the disgusting man slip down on the floor, and came to face the naked, pale man that was my friend. He had covered himself by a blanket but I still wasn't able to look at him properly. I found neither could he.

'What the fuck were you doing?' I had demanded angrily then. 'Don't you know self-defense? How could you let this piece of shit- touch you like that? Disgusting.'

I can guess now what Sasuke's expression hadn't told me then. He was so hopelessly hurt, helplessly disappointed, and sad beyond comprehension but at that time, all I saw was a surprised expression and then, it turned empty. I had so blatantly tore out his heart with my sharp words that he had no way of responding so he stayed silent, staring at me with that blank, usual face of his, except he was suffering ten-fold inside now.

'Naruto-' He tried to speak, he tried to tell.

'And on someone else bed too! Fucking asshole. Disgusting. Disgusting.'

I just wouldn't listen.

'Naruto.'

'What?'

'...I let him do it.'

'Huh?'

'I... am gay.'

I close my eyes now, feeling tears sting my eyes as I remember my reaction. I did what any other typical, brain-washed teenager would do. I made a disgusted face, looked at Sasuke weird even when it was in no way supposed to be how I felt.

'Wha-? You gotta be jokin'.'

'...'

'Oh, you're serious. Oh. Fuck, that's disgusting!'

It was almost automatic. The word 'gay' just had called out my mouth to give that reaction even if, I was in no way disgusted by it. Maybe, I was shocked and a bit disturbed but nothing more than that. All I knew was that it didn't stop my respect over Sasuke. All I knew was that I didn't hate him for it. All I knew was that I didn't forget our friendship even if his identity was something all of us hated.

But for him, that response was my final opinion.

He left before I could stop him, and before I could calm myself down and think for a few moments that I was being ignorant and stupid.

I came to know afterwards but it was a long after. The next couple of weeks, I chased after him as he evaded coming in contact with me.

'Why're you chasing after me?' the look in his eyes saying:

'Don't you hate gays? Then, why're you here, Naruto? I'm gay. Get the hell away from me or I will "attack" you.'

'Oh, come on, Sasuke. I'm sorry about that already. I was drunk and-'

'I don't want to hear it.'

'Stop being such a girl.' I grabbed his arm.

'Don't touch me.' He yanked his arm away with a deadly glare he hadn't directed at me for a long time.

'Okay. I'm sorry. I'm serious. God, Sasuke, stop walking so damn fast! I just- Wait, I just want to talk.'

'I don't want to.'

'God, Sasuke. Stop being so stubborn!'

It had taken a lot of tries after Sasuke had finally given in to my advances. I wanted to prove to him that I could handle everything as long as we became friends again. I avoided the part of me that was dreading the awkward air and the questions that would soon bombard my senses. I just wanted to make him smile again. I didn't want to lose him. The fear ate me up, day and night. I realized I couldn't imagine a life without my best friend.

We had come to stand on an awkward thread that hung both of us off-balance. He had agreed to give me a chance reluctuntly and I had tried, really tried to not let this chance go. But the damn thread was too thin, too breakable. I found I wasn't strong enough to hold on to it.

'What're you trying to do?'

'Nothing. What are you talking about?'

'Naruto, why did you bring me here?'

'What? I can't bring you to a party? You're my bud.'

'Yeah. Right. So, why were you sticking all the girls to me?'

'Hey. It's not my fault you're a chick-magnet. They love you. I just-'

'Naruto, if you didn't get it in your head before, I'm not attracted to girls.'

Those days, all Sasuke did was call me by my name. No insults, no counters. Just suspicion and a guard that was too hard to break.

'I know. I just wanted to involve you in our circle. I thought you would like it. Sheesh, don't need to get all pissy about it.'

'I'm not getting pissy about it. This is becoming almost a pattern; you're always trying to introduce your different girl friends to me as if it's supposed to mean something.'

'I just-'

'Don't use the buddy excuse. I know what you're doing and it's not going to change who I am.'

'You won't know until you try.'

'I already have, Naruto! I feel nothing when I think about entering someone's vagina. If only, that's disgusting for me to think about.'

I shook my head. 'Man, don't need to get all serious about it. Yeah, I tried to hook you up with a girl but it's nothing serious right? You're still gay, that hasn't changed. So, what's the big deal?'

Sasuke didn't answer, just stared at me as if in disbelief.

'You don't know anything.' he finally murmured almost sadly, except that it was an angry tone.

I started to get angry too. My blood boiled. 'What? You think I'm some ignorant idiot? Oh wait, you already think that. What, now? I must be a total ass to you since I don't understand your pain at being gay, right? Well, since I'm sooo stupid, why do you hang out with me? Is it that you're attracted to me?'

If Sasuke were a girl, he would have slapped me. Instead, he punched me, hard. The anger in the force of his charge was telling. I knew I had gone far enough but I couldn't help but get furious.

"Is that all you can do? Tell you what, Uchiha, you hit like a pussy!' I spat at him.

The fight then had been small, if compared to the one that happened in school days after but it was more distressing, much sadder, much more violently verbal and too heart-breaking.

My heart wrenched as he left me standing in the rain, telling me finally: 'You're not worth it.'

That day: our strong, inseperable bond broke apart and I was convinced that it could not be mended anymore. Because I didn't want to try anymore. I was broken myself. I didn't want to admit it but somehow, my whole world revolved around Sasuke. Everytime I thought about it, I became more and more agitated.

At school: when we fought occasionally, it was only to take out the pent-up frustration that build up in the pit of my stomach everytime he acted as if I didn't exist; avoided me, and excluded me out of his life where I wasn't part of his life anymore and it hurt. Denail; I wanted him back but I didn't want to admit it. Pride took over. And repetetively, I picked fights with him. Just because, that was the only time he noticed me. Even if he was glaring, he was still looking at me and it made me feel better for a while.

When our fight was over though, the feeling only got worse until I felt like a fucking bastard and I'd hurt myself physically to get rid of the boiling rage and the empty feeling suffocating me from inside.

There was an ardent cheer inside the school. Several number of students were talking about the "huge" party that was going to be happening next weekend.

"Of course, senior year's coming to an end. Someone had to arrange a party." Shikamaru gave a sigh at the topic, shaking his head while thinking about his girlfriend, Temari who had bit his head off talking about the bothersome party.

Kiba nodded, looking sober for once. "It's some type of tradition. And whoever carries the tradition will become popular in no time."

"Who is the lucky one then?"

"Neji."

"Oh fuck!" Naruto laughed, amused. "I didn't know Neji cared about being popular. And isn't he plenty popular already?"

"Maybe, he's trying to get into someone's pants." A friend suggested smugly.

Naruto snorted. "Right. Neji would do that. I don't believe it."

He shook his head.

"It could be true." Shikamaru said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I've heard rumors."

Naruto's blue eyes glinted in mischief. "What rumors?"

Kiba hesitated, sharing a look with Shikamaru before he shook his head. "Nothing."

His smile faltered slightly as he looked at Kiba with confused blues. "What?"

Some person he probably knew from one of his classes spoke: "I think...some people think it's-"

Kiba and Shikamaru gave her a look and she stammered before closing her mouth, looking away with her jaw set tight.

"What? What is it?" He insisted, curious now.

She glanced at Naruto. Cruel, and uncaring eyes watched him in indifference before in a loud voice she proclaimed: "Some people think it's Sasuke that Neji's persuing."

Kiba knew why he hated girls like her. They just liked to fucking spread rumors out and watch people's reaction to it. He didn't even waste his glare at her and looked at the glassy blue eyes, the still smile that strayed on his friend's lips and the numb, frozen way he kept looking forward as if running backwards to his past.

All over again.

And then, as abruptly, he fell out of that moment and turned his head to look straight into endlessly, solid black eyes as if unconciously sensing the presence in his mind.

Sasuke turned away at the look, pointedly ignoring him.

He watched the crowded hallway with crossed arms, feeling the boring gaze in his head as he caught sight of his pink-haired friend walking up to him. He held the urge to sigh in relief as she caught his gaze, but stilled as she looked behind him curiously.

She waggled her eyebrows at him, questioning. He raised one eyebrow to deny anything she suspected.

Throat still constricting painfully, he made his way to the pink-haired girl and left a crowd behind that he had been unwillingly watching from the corner of his eyes. It wasn't particularly the crowd his eyes had chosen to look at but, the person in it.

He chose to ignore her skeptical stare when he reached her and spoke: "Have you prepared for the test?"

She got distracted from her suspicious thoughts and smiled at him with her green, emerald eyes twinkling in glee.

"Of course! The test this time is so hard and the pi's, I can never memorize the damn formula- What with the whole course being taken at the same time. One could take so much." She stated exasperatedly.

He nodded, though he couldn't relate to her much since the preparations he did were almost effortless.

"But then again, I can't forget that you can." She looked at him pointedly, emphasizing her point by giving him an envious yet musing stare.

"You say that yet you got the highest marks last time." he pointed out.

"Extra-credits," She stated dryly, looking unsatisfied. "I thought you would have taken them too but, oh well. I'm not going to ask why you didn't try."

He shrugged, "I was just…busy." Yes, busy; that would be better than admitting his not-so appropriate day-dreams.

"Right." she didn't look convinced. "Hey, did you see the latest Star Trek movie?"

Sasuke smirked, "Yes."

She huffed, "Ah, man. I need to watch it! I've heard Chris Pine's in it. And oh my god, how was Spock's character? I can't wait to see it."

"He was exceptionally good. But I'm not entirely sure if you'll be satisfied since it had a new type of twist introduced."

"What's that?"

"Nyote."

"What's she got to do with anything?"

At first, they only talked about the movie before Sakura hesitated and then, asked:

"Hey, have you heard about the party at Neji's household?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, Hinata's asked every senior to come. It's kind-of like a get-together before we graduate and I know how much you hate parties, but I still want you to come."

She gave him a soft smile as they both turned to walk away from the crowded hallway and into a more silent place as they walked the area where faculty centers existed.

"Do you think we need notes for the next chapter?" Sasuke asked just to change the topic.

"I think so." Sakura answered. "Mr. M is so indecisive, I can never figure out how prepared we should be. Maybe, we should ask."

He nodded absently, feeling the lump on his throat fade.

Why? He wondered mentally while walking beside her.

Why do I still feel anything for that...

"WHY? IF I NOW FUCKING KNOW ABOUT YOU, WHY DO I STILL FEEL AS IF YOU'RE HIDING FROM ME!" the voice of his former friend rung consistently in his ears as he walked. The voice was loud and clear as day, just as the memory went. The anger, the bellowing, the sheer loudness wouldn't have told anyone that that day behind all of that shouting was longing, desperation, and yearning for the cold Uchiha to stop playing cool and drop the act already. But it had stung too.

And that was the reason why that day, Uchiha Sasuke, cold and wet under the pattering, pin-prick drizzle of the rain had done the opposite of what had been expected of him and had shut himself up for good.

He refused to show any emotion to the one who'd ripped his heart apart because it wasn't as if he wanted to feel those raw emotions (that hurt, that disappointment). No, those emotions were too surprising" they caught him off-guard, they strangled him from within, crushed the most inner-most part of his guts, wrenched it, teased it, and crushed it until he would explode and there would be nothing left.

It was too special: the feeling when he stared at the blond, even now. He would stare and he would sink. So, he tried never to look their way. When he'd hear his laugh, he would drown. So, he always drowned out the noise before it could mess with his heart. When he'd hear his footsteps, he'd feel his legs give out. So, he would always walk away, dissolving the sound with his own footsteps.

Everything, it had become a routine, to avoid all these feelings from unleashing- from showing.

"Sasuke," He snapped out of his reverie as he blinked up at his pink-haired friend. Her warm, green eyes turned sad at the lost look on his face.

"You're thinking of him, aren't you?" she asked bluntly.

Sasuke blinked at her before his jaw gripped and tightened at the edges. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Indifference helped at least when it was needed.

She studied him before she shook her head and murmured, too softly "He misses you."

"What?" Sasuke gave her a disbelieving look.

She gave him a serious look. "Naruto, he misses you terribly. He's just too stubborn to admit it."

His eyes widened a little before he gritted his teeth and looked away. "I know."

Her eyes turned grieved.

"Sasuke, this isn't right." She sighed. "We both know what's going inside that stupid guy's brain. He misses you so much yet-"

"Sakura." he interjected. "Stop."

Sakura stared into his cold eyes for a moment before she looked away, stopping whatever had been trying to come out of her mouth.

"I loved it when we were all together." she mumbled much to herself. If Sasuke heard her, he didn't comment.

-0-

"Are you going to the party?" asked Sakura, looking at the mirror, at her reflection before turning around to face her friend.

"Of course," Her blond friend huffed, crossing his arms as if to say defensively something like: "What'll you do about it?"

His pink-haired friend found him rather hilarious because she giggled. "You don't look too happy." she stated, looking satisfied with that statement.

His shoulders tensed as his frown deepened. "First of all, your creepy smiles are getting way freaky and second of all, I don't have to be happy all the time."

She looked surprised at his second reasoning because a wide smirk played across her lips.

"So, you're actually admitting that even you, Uzumaki Naruto, have times when you can't be happy!" She mock-gasped and looked utterly stupid but the exaggeration was enough for Naruto to twitch.

"Stop that." He demanded but she didn't.

Oh no, she was just getting started: "Hello, ladies and gentleman, Naruto, the happiest fucking light-lantern who makes himself to be the most joyful person in the whole school is actually, fucking, completely upset and CAN'T be his happy-self!"

Naruto could vaguely feel the sheer hostility from the sound of her words as she made another exaggerated line over him before giving him that evil-toothy little smile that stated: "I got you good."

He didn't know why she got him good but he was actually feeling pretty stupid right now so maybe, she did get him.

Then, she slapped his head.

"Stop it." He touched his poor head and give her a pout which she refused to acknowledge as she put her hands on either side of his cheek and pinched the sides of his face, stretching them with as much menace as she could handle.

"Sakura," He whined as he was stretched. She left his soar cheeks alone after seeing his face and realizing that she may be hurting him. She immediately huffed and crossed her arms.

"Okay, what are you angry for?" He shifted on the bed.

"Well, I am angry at something." she replied with a discouraged grimace on her pretty face.

He looked at her for a moment, waiting before sighing, "How will I know if you don't tell me?"

"You don't need to know." She said, simply, skipping lightly over to the other side.

Naruto furrowed his brows, looking unsatisfied. "Why?"

She turned around and gave him a smug smile.

"It's a secret,"

He blinked as she left the room.

Looking utterly confused with the girly behavior, he breathed a deep, heavy sigh and looked to the wall across him.

"Women." He muttered sulkily. He wished for a moment that he could complain about them with his ex best friend again.

But the next moment, he busied himself with thinking about whatever came to mind next.

-0-

It was fast. The party, that is.

Everything was fast: his smile, his laughs, his foot-steps, his closeness to me, the clink of the glass as he grabbed it, his voice, his light blue eyes turning to glance at me, and his back.

Everything was moving.

Everything hurt.

Everything was meant to hurt but I wondered, knowing that this would happen, why did I still come?

Sakura was beside me. Usually, she made things a little better. She always made it better. She was a flower that calmed me down, and distracted me from what was the painful feeling of staring at that person. But tonight, it was as if, she couldn't help even if she wanted to.

He was right there, across from me, standing on the opposite side of where I was.

Friends were gathered around him.

They always did.

They always liked him. They always laughed with him.

There was a time when I was a part of that group.

It wasn't like I was uninvited now…

He just never asked and they never bothered.

Mostly; because mostly, I was there because of him.

Not because of them.

Sakura was a part of that group too.

She was one of those people, besides him, who smiled at me like nothing was wrong.

She didn't get tired. Neither did he.

And I had gotten accustomed to their presence.

Too accustomed.

And I started to dislike them.

The feelings, the emotions, the raw sensations inside my stomach and I'd rather rid myself of them and suffer in isolation than go to the other side, take a risk, and depend on the light.

He had in someway made me care for him- drove me to the point where I struggled to keep my cool, keep my mind stable, and not roar out like I so wished to do. I wanted to stay myself but he had changed me and now, even when I found emptily that I was myself again, the feeling within me told me that something still hadn't remained changed. And I hated that.

Today, I was faced with him again. Not like I never usually did but, it was different. A curious dilemma perhaps but, too shocking for it to not bring about feelings that had been brimming in me since our separation.

He was here, right in front of me, staring with those blue, heart-breaking eyes. Talking to me like he hadn't done in a while. Maybe, it's the fact that we're not at school anymore. Maybe, it's because he has helped me like he used to when we once were best friends. Maybe, it's the loud music that has drowned out the thoughts that are trying to focus on the fact that this person has hurt me terribly, and will never be able to redeem himself because, I don't need him. But walls have shattered without my permission. They have flowed like tears on my cheeks, they are the eyes now and I can't do any more of this act any longer.

He's here. And he's apologizing.

And I needed his companionship so much that I can't help but fool myself again and think that everything would be fine.

-0-

He wasn't used to seeing Sasuke in a party so when the black-haired man first entered the house, he had been taken aback. He hadn't expected him at all. He tried to look away, not wanting to be too curious about why his former-friend was there but he was. The last party Sasuke had ever been to, in his mind, was the prelude to their torn friendship and it just brought back memories that he didn't need when he wanted to only enjoy himself in the dance, the music, and the girl in his arms.

He tried really but, instead he felt his arms and legs go lax under the music and the hot girl with him. Feeling his mood go from excited to tiring and time-consuming, his eyes kept wandering from the crowd of dancing teens to his pink-haired friend who was looking around, eyes searching for Sasuke who wasn't by her side anymore. It didn't surprise him that they had come together. Sure, Sasuke and Naruto had broken their friendship but that didn't mean that Sakura had to pick sides. He even remembered their conversation because it just made him smile.

'Don't you hate me?'

'Why would I hate you?'

'Because I treated Sasuke's homosexuality as a disease and I know you don't like that.'

'Naruto, you're not a homophobe.'

'Really?'

'You're just an idiot.'

'Hunh?'

'And anyway, I'm not picking sides. I'm switzerland, I am neutral and I am not taking part in the foolish war between you two.'

'War, huh?'

'Yeah, every fight that you initiate with Sasuke is a battle. A battle that will lead to a treaty of peace one day.'

'We already tried that.'

'That's what you think.'

'Um.'

'Look, you didn't exactly form a truce that was well-intentioned for Sasuke because you still hadn't gotten over your homophobia. I'm not even sure if you have now but anyway, you initiated a truce that was fake and phony. Sasuke didn't believe you. I didn't believe you. And it turned out to be quite selfish.'

'How was it fake and phony? I wanted us to be back together too.'

She had shook her head. 'But you were nervous about Sasuke falling for you. Well, attracted is the right word. You were so anxious about that that, you actually entertained the idea of Sasuke going back to be hetro when we all knew that it wasn't happening.'

'I-'

'Naruto, we both knew what you were thinking and it pissed Sasuke off.'

'Why're you taking his side? Weren't you neutral?'

'I am.'

'Really? Cause' you don't seem to be doing a good job.'

'No. I'm just blaming you for your stupidity like I've always done in the past.'

'That is so mean.'

'Well, you deserve it, moron.'

'Hey, but it was Sasuke's fault too!'

'It was.'

'So?'

She hit Naruto's head with a frown. 'So, you're an idiot.'

He remembered the conversation with a smile before looking at Sakura.

She seemed nervous to be separated from Sasuke. Perhaps, thinking that maybe he wouldn't be able to get through the party without here.

If Naruto was there with that group, he would have snorted and said: "The bastard's tough, Sakura. Stop worrying yourself over him."

But the truth was that even when he told himself that, he was still thinking about that guy getting into trouble. The thing was, Sasuke always got into trouble, he was just that type of person.

Naruto had seen the guy go to the bathroom's direction for quite a while now and he knew what type of people usually went to (he could already smell the disgusting smell of marjuana, weed, and nicotine). He couldn't have stopped that persistent jerk anyway but now, that he wasn't coming out, the blond-haired male was getting anxious.

The anxiousness grew wilder as time passed by, maybe it was only seconds but Naruto couldn't wait anymore.

He told his brunette partner that he was going to the bathroom and gave her a slight peck on the cheek before rushing towards Sakura.

She was looking around when she saw him come and turned a raised eyebrow at him before smiling.

"You're worried." She murmured.

It was a statement full of smug triumphant but Naruto didn't want to hear that so he gave her a roll of an eye before walking towards the bathroom.

No matter what he had said to Sasuke or to his pink-haired friend before, the fact remained that even when Sasuke was a jerk and a totally inhumane persona, he never could come to hate him.

A sound of crashing bottles came from the bathroom door as he was reaching it. Panicked, he grit his teeth tightly and opened the door.

Wlking inside, he found himself looking at Sasuke's back as the raven-haired male stood at the centre of the bathroom, his fist red and swollen on his side while the other males surrounded him, clutching parts of their body in pain while glaring at the Uchiha.

"Fuck you, Uchiha! Just fuck you." An individual to Sasuke's front spat in pure venom, glaring: "Go fuck yourself, you pussy. Nobody wants your faggot ass!"

It was ironic how Naruto had been just like those people and that irony was the one that really made him feel like he had been a fucking asshole all this time.

A fucking moron. A stupid, fucking moron.

Naruto stopped himself from making another noise, blinking slowly at the white knuckles clenching and unclenching from Sasuke's side. He heard the other drawing in calming breaths and found that Sasuke was trying from punching the other guy's face in.

The "you're not worth it" was left unsaid but Naruto knew as much that that was what Sasuke meant when he turned his back from the group of assholes and faced Naruto. It was hard to recognize that he was also was one of the people who had been among Sasuke's "you're not worth it" escapadas because, once he had been important to this person.

When Sasuke noticed him, an inconspicious blink of surprise was replaced by a cold look. His heart stinged at the look and his tongue moved before his brain could:

"Don't look at me like that." he could've said a lot of things at that moment. He could have said: "You're hurt." or a resentment-filled "What are you looking at?" but instead, he said those words. And once the words were out, they couldn't be taken back. Nor could Sasuke's complete, and utter look of off-guard surprise could be taken back from Naruto's memory. It was burned there, like the first time Naruto saw Sasuke making out with a man, it burned (but in a more pleasant way now).

Then, Sasuke glared, his eyes blatantly demanding: "Who are you to tell me not to look like whatever I wish to look at you like?"

A wide smile crossed his lips at the funny assumption. It wasn't funny because of the thought but because, it would be just like Sasuke to demand that.

Black eyes watched him with a confused frown and he raised eyebrows. His throat was hurting him but he kept on looking into Sasuke's eyes because, he didn't want to know what would happen if he looked away. He gulped and opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry." blue eyes turned warm as teeth showed, an eternal smile etched to his features as he brightly looked at Sasuke. "I just hate it when you treat me like I'm just like all those other assholes." he gestured with his arms at the guys behind them. When Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this, his grin turned blindingly satisfying.

Sasuke was responding to him. He wasn't wasting this moment now. The time was now or never.

"Should we take this somewhere else?"

Sasuke turned to glance at the "assholes" glaring at him while writhing in pain on the ground and had an urge to smirk. He nodded instead.

Naruto smirked for him as he turned around, walked to the door, and eyed Sasuke to confirm if he was following him. Sasuke wasn't an idiot, he followed as Naruto opened the door and let the black-haired man walk before him.

When they were outside, the music bombarded their senses. Wincing, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand without thinking and dragged him out of the house. As they went out a door and reached a big backyard, he let go self-conciously.

Rubbing his sweaty hand against his jeans, he looked at the sky in hopes that Sasuke doesn't notice his nervousness.

He wants to be confident for this. Not fucking nervous.

"Naruto."

He closes his eyes. How many years has it been...since he's heard that voice call his name?

He laughs but, he wants to cry. At Sasuke's eyebrow'd question, he answers with a:"I don't know, man."

He finds himself mysteriously melting as he stares into Sasuke's eyes and shakes his head, a painful upturn on his lips. "What am I, an idiot? I- I love you, man. I've always-" he covered his eyes with a palm, looking away. The tears are stinging his eyes and he bites his lips. "I miss you. Come back, you bastard. You- you uptight, fucking bastard. I hate you for making me do this." By the last line, tears have fallen through the corner of his eyes and are slipping down. He rubs them with his knuckle, turning away from Sasuke's searching gaze.

"Naruto." He calls.

"What?" oh for fuck's sake, why's he fucking bawling?

"Look at me." the demand was unexpected and so ironic that for a moment, he feels like laughing again. But he smothers up his smile and turns so that his wet eyes are facing Sasuke's warm ones. He realizes that Sasuke had moved closer than before and the aproximity throws him off-guard before he tries to cover up his eyes with an indignant cry.

"Wah! Don't look at me! I'm a fucking mess." And he is. Why had all this gone wrong so easily? He knows Sasuke is smirking, he can feel it in his skin and he can't believe that such an inseperable tie had been broken so easily. Just because of Sasuke's identity.

And he knew it wasn't just his fault. Even now, Sasuke hid his emotions so well. He acted as if nothing mattered yet, he was so much hurt from all of it that he had built a defensive wall in the long run. And now, at Naruto's apology, he was chosing to tear them all apart.

So easily. It was all gone. The tense atmosphere, the hesitance, the dread and the suffocating worry.

All of it had evaporated.

He didn't know when it happened, maybe his confession had made it all go away or just, Sasuke had decided to forgive Naruto.

Sasuke moved towards him, he could see through the holes between his fingers. The smirk was apparent on his face as he moved deliberately and when he came too close, Naruto moved his hand away from his eyes and stared at Sasuke with a confused frown.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Sasuke made a slow move to put his mouth near Naruto's ear. "Thank you." he paused as Naruto's whole body felt flushed. And then, spoke: "Moron."

Something about that word had a finality to it. A sign that he was forgiven. His lips moved crushingly fast, waging on blinding to ultimate as it broke his face into a grin. He grabbed Sasuke into a hug, arms around Sasuke's shoulder and a suspicious smile pressed against his own shoulder as Sasuke's mouth attached to them.

"Oh god- thank fucking god. My-" Tears kept on slipping past his cheek as if it had no limit. And he could feel minutes later the wetness on his own shirt and wondered if he should look to make sure if Sasuke was crying too or not. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The sometimes curious and questionable urges broke into his senses as they hugged for a long time, neither moving unless to pull each other even more closer or shake in the overwhelming feelings filling them up.

And they only separated when Sakura had found them outside.

"You do know that everyone can see your beautiful show of affection for each other, right?" were her words when they'd finally separated.

They both looked alarminly at the windows of the huge house and found nobody looking at them. They turned to eye Sakura who smirked evilly.

"Kidding." she stuck a tongue out. They both looked at her incredulously. She just smiled, her green eyes turning bright. "Revenge for not inviting me in your hug."

Naruto rolled his eyes, the panic dying away as he opened one arm invitingly and grabbed Sasuke with the other one. "Group hug, then?"

She grinned, dashing toward both of them with a whooping jump. "Yeah!" She grabbed both of their necks in her small yet strong arms and hugged them then. "Whoo-hoo! I am so happy, you guys! I am so, so, so, so, so freaking happy right now!"

And so, they grinned with her. Because just like her, they were so, so, so, so, so freaking happy too!

A/N: Has been changed a lot but the plot remained the same so, that's good. Anyway, this was the longest update ever. Ah, whatever.

Review!