In Love With The Fool

By Rice-Ball247

[Sai/Naru/Sasu

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Written on a whim when I listened to the song, The Fool by Lee Ann Wormack. Un-beta'd but readable. It should also be noted that I am not a true fan of SaiNaru, so the hinting for SasuNaru had to be here for my sake. Also, a while back, I lost interest in Naruto, so readers, please take into consideration that I haven't actually read or watched Sai in action, therefore I would not know how his character is. kthnks!

You don't know me but I know who you are
Mind if I sit down?
Do I look familiar? If I don't, well I should
I'm sure you've seen me around

I know you've probably heard my name
Though we've not been introduced
I'm the fool in love with the fool
Who's still in love with you

Sai wiped his brow of the sweat that had gathered there with the back of his hand and proceeded to dry said hand on his pant leg. These last few months, he had been training extremely hard, succeeding in tasks which were once thought impossible to him. He had been tiring himself day after day, till the skies of the morning had faded to the darkness of the night.

Sai still made time for his lover, Naruto.

But it had been Naruto that caused him to work so exceedingly hard, however, not intentionally. His mind spun dizzily as he sat down on a log and paused for a moment to catch his breath. He found he couldn't, however, when a feeling of panic washed over him.

Naruto…

Sai closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest, feeling a gentle breeze cool his heated skin, calming him. He could feel a storm beginning to brew and it would most likely rain in the late afternoon.

It's not fair…

If you've got a minute I'll buy you a drink
I've got something to say
It might sound crazy but last night in his sleep
I heard him call out your name


This ain't the first time he's done it before
And it's hard to face the truth
I'm the fool in love with the fool
Who's still in love with you

Five years.

That's how long they've been dating. Sai, now 22, let out a breath, frustrated, as he walked around the streets of Konoha. He was looking for something to either smash to bits or something to drink and calm him down. It had taken him a little over two years, when both he and Naruto were 17, to finally confess. He didn't know when the feelings had started, but eventually, he had grown extremely fond of Uzumaki Naruto, to the point of no return when he had fallen inexplicably hard for the boy.

To his surprise, the blond, after a moment's hesitation, had agreed to see him a bit more after training and go out on a date. After an awkward first date, Naruto had asked him for a second and a third and a fourth until now…

Five years and hopefully going strong. Admittedly, it had most definitely not been easy. Naruto had not trusted him when they had first met and he had insulted the boy about the size of his endowments (even now, he remarked it teasingly, but Naruto knew better). The road was rough and bumpy, but Sai and Naruto had walked it together, heads held high, hand in hand.

Until he had returned. Well, not so much returned, per se. It had been their mission to bring Uchiha Sasuke back to Konoha and Naruto was determined to bring his best friend back, even while Sai had been dating him.

That mission had been accomplished. With Sasuke safely back in the ranks of the shinobi of Konoha, Naruto had relaxed more and occasionally visited his friend when the ex-nukenin was watched under lock and key.

Naruto looked happier than he had ever been, now that the youngest Uchiha had returned. It made Sai felt unusually unwanted, as if he were being left out of something that involved his beautiful boy. It hurt him so much to see the two quarrel, although happily, as if life was normal once again.

But life wasn't normal. Naruto was dating him, not Sasuke. So why was the blond now spending more time with his ex-best friend than with his lover? Sai angrily kicked a wall and instantly regretted it when a few passersby eyed him with disdain. He had also learnt a bit about Naruto and Sasuke's relationship before the other boy had betrayed Konoha and run off with the snake-sannin. Apparently, although they had fought with each other plenty enough for a small war, they were an unusual pair. Rivals who brought the best out of the other, inseparable best friends…and lovers. The word was hard for Sai to swallow when he thought of Naruto with Sasuke.

That had been why Naruto had been hesitant to accept Sai. He had still been hung up over Sasuke. At least Sai had accepted that fact.

Speaking of the man, the Uchiha had just seated himself at a nearby café with a thick book in hand. Sai needed this closure. He needed to know if Sasuke was still in love with Naruto. He had to know if he was going to lose Naruto. At least that way…

…that way he would prepare himself for a surely devastating blow.

Swallowing down the nerves that had been building up, Sai strode over and found himself standing behind the chair in front of the raven-haired man. Sasuke raised his head from his book and looked up at Sai.

"Yes?"

"Mind if I sit down?" Sai asked, gesturing to the chair in front of him. Sasuke's lip was pulled taut and he arched an eyebrow.

"There are plenty of other vacant seats around," he pointed out rudely. Upon seeing Sai's determined face, he sighed. "If you must."

Sai settled himself into the seat rather stiffly and regarded the Uchiha with hooded eyes. The man didn't further acknowledge him; he didn't welcome him, yet he didn't leave or push him away either.

"So you're Uchiha Sasuke," Sai began, trying to make small talk. Sasuke did not reply for nearly ten seconds before he let out an almost inaudible 'hnn.' Sai felt his eye twitch with annoyance. He figured if pleasantries weren't going to work, then perhaps he aught to get under the man's skin.

"I'm sure you've seen me around. My name is Sai," he introduced himself for the first time, holding out his hand for Sasuke to take. The Uchiha regarded the hand coldly, but before Sai could retract it, he felt a firm grip in his hand and they shook.

"That would be so," Sasuke replied in a clipped tone. He glanced down at his book and, upon realizing that he probably would not be able to read another paragraph of the tragedy within its pages, he placed a worn paper as a bookmark, closed it and set it down beside him on the table.

"If you've got a minute, I'd like to buy you a drink," Sai offered, about to gesture for a waitress to come over. Almost instantly, his offer was shot down with a curt 'no.'

"If I would have a minute for a drink, then I most certainly wouldn't have the time to talk to you," Sasuke retorted rather coldly. Sai felt his patience slowly wearing thin. He was angry, frustrated and generally pissed off his rockers but he needed to talk to Sasuke and this would probably be his only chance before…Sai didn't want to think about it any further, but he had to know.

"I have something to say," Sai blurted out before the Uchiha could rise out of his seat. The book was already in hand and he felt relieved when Sasuke placed it back on the table.

"Then say it. Stop your loitering and spit it out," Sasuke narrowed obsidian eyes at him and with the impassive expression on his face, Sai could have sworn he was staring at a mirror.

It was then that a cold feeling of dread washed over him. What if…what if Naruto had only agreed to date him because he looked like Sasuke? The thought had never crossed his mind up until now. Indeed, there were distinct differences that told them apart but if any other person had looked at them now, they looked like two cousins, at least, having coffee together.

"If you would quit your woolgathering, I'm still waiting," Sasuke snapped, bringing Sai out of his frazzled train of worried thoughts. Sai's fists clenched under the table.

"It's regarding…Naruto."

Instantly, the cold demeanor on Sasuke's face disappeared and Sai could detect traces of concern in the other man's expression. His body, however, had tensed slightly but he gestured for Sai to continue.

"What about Naruto?"

"Well…he and I are currently together," Sai stated bluntly. It would get the point across loud and clear. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, however.

"Is this some sort of joke? I may have heard your name in passing, but Naruto has never mentioned that you two were…involved," Sasuke spat out the word as if it were a particularly bitter type of food.

Sai felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead and goosebumps pebbled his skin. Naruto hadn't mentioned that he was currently dating someone, that someone being him? It was as if he hadn't wanted Sasuke to know that they were dating.

It was as if Naruto…

Sai was hesitant in his thoughts.

…doesn't want me to exist.

Pushing down his fear, Sai spoke again, head held high. "This is not some joke, I can assure you, Uchiha."

Sasuke was silent for only a moment longer before he ordered for a waitress to come over. He ordered a strong, black coffee, no sugar, no cream. Sai ordered for the same. He thought of when Naruto was with him. He would have definitely ordered it with copious amounts of sugar and cream.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Sasuke gently fingering the sugar pot with a faraway gleam in his eyes. He seemed to be in a trance and Sai knew what he was thinking of.

Naruto.

Clearing his throat, Sai continued, although nervously. Part of him wished he had a newspaper to cover his face while he spoke. He was usually so confident with himself but now?

Now, Sai feared Naruto leaving him for Sasuke. He feared that his young, beautiful Naruto would want to return to the one he had originally loved and possibly, still loved. Come to think of it, although he and Naruto had moved in with each other sometime earlier this year, they had never once said 'I love you' to each other. Sai told himself 'actions speak louder than words' but the reassurance in the three-word-phrase wasn't there to comfort him.

"This may sound crazy," Sai began, frowning when he heard Sasuke utter something under his breath that sounded vaguely like 'as with everything else you've said'. They were interrupted when their coffee's arrived and Sasuke picked his up, stirred it with the teaspoon provided and brought it to his lips to take a sip. "But last night in his sleep, I heard him call out your name."

Sai wondered what would have happened if he had spoken that a second later, for Sasuke spluttered, thankfully, not into his cup and Sai felt a feeling of relief and triumph settle over him when he saw Sasuke's moment of humanity. Up till a moment ago, he had liked to think that Sasuke was a robot. When the Uchiha had managed to get his breathing pattern back to a level of normalcy and the blush on his face had faded, he spoke.

"Naruto…called out my name?"

Sai felt a hot, searing sensation in his gut. It prickled in a not-so-pleasant way, like a barb of venom twisting and turning around in his stomach; imaginary thorns stabbed at his insides, his heart throbbed and god damn, it hurt!

"That…that wasn't the first time…" Sai started hesitantly, his voice cracking slightly. He really didn't want to be here anymore, but he had to know, surely, definitely that Uchiha Sasuke was no longer in love with Uzumaki Naruto. It was hard to face the truth. If Sasuke didn't love Naruto any longer, then fine, Naruto would still go about wishing but at least Sai would have him, right?

"He's done it before…"

He loved Naruto like the boy was his sunlight. As corny as it may have sounded, Sai knew it was true. He needed Naruto like a parched man in the desert. He needed Naruto to live. He had been pining over the boy for two years. His dreams of being together with Naruto would all be…they would all be shattered if Sasuke told him that he was still in love with Naruto.

An awkward, uncomfortable silence pressed on the both of them heavily while Sai fiddled with an unopened packet of sugar. Sasuke did not speak, did not read, and did not drink his coffee. He merely sat there, staring hard at the table in contemplation.

Sai didn't want to think, but the uncomfortable silence had forced him to. His body felt coldly numb and he closed his eyes, expecting the answers he would need to confirm the worst. When Sasuke didn't say anything, Sai opened his eyes.

Sasuke had left.

I know love is a fragile thing
And I'm trying hard to make it last
But it ain't easy holding on to my dream
When he's holding on to the past

Just one more thing before I go
I'm not here to put you down
You don't love him and that's a fact
Boy I've seen you around

But you hold his heart in the palm of your hand
And it's breaking mine in two
'Cause I'm the fool in love with the fool
Who's still in love with you

Sai stared at the untouched coffee in front of him before he noticed the book that Sasuke had left behind. He picked it up, left some money on the table and left. It hurt to think that he'd have to see Sasuke again to return his book. Sasuke leaving was the only confirmation he needed. The man had gone to find Naruto. That must have been it.

Sai fled the people's eyes to a secluded area of the training grounds as bitter tears wore down his cheeks. He felt like laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. He, Sai, crying! Of all the things that could have happened following the conversation, Sai broke down where he felt prying eyes would not see. A piteous cry left his lips as he clutched his chest and shook his head, trying his best to deny what had just happened.

Naruto.

He was still in love with Sasuke! All these months of crying out his name at night in his sleep, possibly dreaming about him! Sai pounded on the dirt ground with his bare hands, releasing his pent-up frustration and anger. It wasn't fair.

He had worked so hard to impress Naruto, to show him that he cared about the other man. He worked day and night and was rewarded by Naruto's loving embraces and kisses. It was his lifeline. Naruto was his lifeline. And now that it, he, had been cruelly ripped away from none other than Sasuke, Sai knew that he didn't stand a chance.

'Screw Uchiha!' Sai stood, the book in one hand, pushing himself off the ground with the other and hurled the book into a tree, the well-read pages actually falling apart from the impact. He couldn't take it anymore. If Naruto was still in love with Sasuke…he couldn't bear it.

He didn't want to know. He didn't want to see the proof.

Sai left, not once looking back.

As the heat of the day turned to the coolness of night, the brewing storm finally released its tears; rain pelted the grounds mercilessly.

The pages of the book that Sai had cast away soaked and smudged, becoming soggy and almost unreadable. One well-worn page in particular, once used as a bookmark, was no better than the other pages around it. The rain smudged the words, blurring them into an illegible mess. The teardrops that had lined the pages, both of a different kind, were unrecognizable once the rain had seeped in.

I'm the fool in love with the fool
Who's still in love with you

Dear Sasuke-teme,

It's great to know you're doing well. Sorry I can't meet up with you. There's some things you need to know, things that have happened while you were gone.

You left us, Sasuke. I don't want to sound bitter about it, because now you're here and I'm happy, really and truly happy. But you did leave, and that's when our relationship ended.

Then I met someone else. His name is Sai. You remember him, right? He's been helping me try to retrieve you. It shouldn't hurt you anymore. Your feelings had probably disappeared along with yourself that day you left.

I love you, teme. Really, I love you. But not in that way, not anymore. I love Sai now, with all my heart and all my soul. I hope to one day bond with him; those are my intentions and they will stay that way if he wishes it to be so. I think he feels lonely since I've been hanging around with you more than him. I know how he feels and I don't want him to suffer anymore. I love him too much.

So, Sasuke, that's why I can't meet up with you anymore. Group outings and the occasional hanging out is okay, but I don't want this to go any further than the platonic relationship we're have now.

That's just to make it clear, teme, don't think of me as conceited.

I plan to ask him tomorrow. Will you meet up with me at our usual café at 5? I need help on how to pop the question. If you don't want to, I understand.

Much love,

Naruto

PS: I hope you and Sai get along! I have a feeling that there's a great future for all of us if you're friends!

The End

Rice-Ball247: Hope you enjoyed it! Please review.