A/N: Hahaha. My first fanfic, like, ever and I hate it. That's the sign of a good relationship! pats I love the enter button, so sorry if this looks kind of wonky. Also, I'm sorry if it iis/i wonky. It was fun to write back in July, but I don't like this pairing or manga anymore. Just a little one-shot drabble thing. Enjoy?

Note: T-rated. And with sort of a homosexual pedophile thing going on. Don't hurt me, I wrote it a long time ago. xD

"...Sempai"

The word was hardly more than an illegible sigh, slipping from the young shinobi's dry lips. A look of pure worry flashed across the boy's face before he quickly replaced it with his usual, deadened smile. No sense in letting anyone see his emotion. Not like they could do anything about it.

"He'll be alright, Sai"

The second voice, though not at all more confident, was much louder, breaking the silence in a near-painful manner. Jumping even at her own sound, the pink-haired girl blushed slightly, casting her gaze to the dusty ground. What was wrong with that boy? Sakura sighed to herself, remembering how completely heartless he had been only hours before. But once Yamato had been struck by Sas- She shook her head slightly, snapping back to reality. What was done was done and the only way she could undo it was by focusing.
br"Sakura-sama... Are you sure you know what you're doing? Be c-careful"

Sai's worry was now more evident than even his cracked voice; Sakura was almost grateful she couldn't imagine the feeling. A bit nervous herself, though she couldn't understand why (it wasn't like she didn't use this jutsu every other day), Sakura flung one of her arms around the boy's shoulders, smiling widely.

"Don't worry, Sai. Really. It's not that serious of an injury. Nothing vital was hit and the paralyzation is only a temporary effect of the improved chidori"

He began shifting his weight from foot to foot, running one of his hands through his inky hair. Sai was most definitely not a patient worrier.

"If you say so, ...Sakura-sama"

Frowning deeply, the girl returned her eyes to the unconscious man sprawled out before her. A jab to the arm, a few jolts of chakra. Nothing serious. Right? Sakura sucked in a deep breath and placed her hands on his shoulder, already beginning to feel the light-headedness that came from focusing so much of one's chakra. As soon as her fingers began to glow, the girl ran her hands over the wound, watching happily as it began to heal itself.
A few minutes later, after everything she could assess as a problem had healed. Sakura pulled her hands away, instantly beginning to feel dizzy and tired. She placed one of her hands on her forehead, using the other to help balance herself as she stood up shakily. Her job here was do-

"Sakura-chan!"

Next thing she knew, Sakura found herself leaning back into the arms of a very worried Naruto. He waved one of his hands madly in front of her face, annoying the girl enough that she reached up and grabbed it, squeezing it tightly. And considering how strong Sakura was, tightly really meant tightly.

"Oi! S-Sakura-chan! Let go"

The girl blinked, noticing for some reason how blue his eyes were that day. What an unusual thought… She laughed weakly as the boy began tugging on his hand, but only squeezed harder. An idea had popped into Sakura's mind and she was feeling bit too mean-spirited to pass up the opportunity. Sai grabbed Naruto's wrist (the other boy was too busy holding Sakura to use both of his hands) and the two began tugging violently at it. Laughing again, Sakura let go, send Sai sprawling back a feet and causing Naruto to stumble sideways and wave his free arm around for balance.

After regaining his composure, Naruto frowned deeply and attempted to look at Sakura over her shoulder. But despite the boy's upset expression, she frowned only after noticing that his eyes had gotten grayer. They had been so pretty…

"Sakura-chan... What's wrong? I was only trying to help"

At the boy's shot-down look, even Sakura stopped smiling. She turned to face him, now very thankful he was there to keep her on her shaky feet. It was even hard moving with someone to lean on.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I... I don't know why I did that. Thank you, though"

She turned to Sai, who was still brushing himself off, and then back to Naruto. His expression had now been replaced with one of more subtle worry. Sakura wasn't in any physical danger, but something was certainly wrong in her head. And his eyes were still gray…

"I think I just need some air. Naruto-kun, would you mind helping me outside"

Swaying slightly, she took one hand off of the boy and took a step away. She was grateful he'd caught her fall and she still needed help, but they were certainly a little too close for comfort. Well, no. Actually, it had been very comfortable. In fact, she probably wouldn't have minded if it happened again. Maybe the saying should've been "too close to uphold a proper reputation?" Naruto put his hand on the girl's shoulder, looking her over carefully. Yamato's injuries hadn't been that serious, had they? She would've had to stimulate the cells and whatnot so they would regrow, or however she did that, but that couldn't have been too hard. Maybe it had something to do with all the chakra Sasu- Yamato'd been hit with? Shaking his head, the boy pushed the thought out of his mind. Sakura wanted to walk with him, for crying out loud! This was his chance! Giving himself a huge mental pat on the back, he wasted no time in escorting her far from to cave they'd been forced to spend the night in.

Now almost completely alone (Yamato was still there, after all), Sai flopped himself down against one of the walls. Judging from that look the two had had, and the fact that Sakura could hardly stand, it would be at least a good hour before anyone would disturb him. Of course, it only really counted as disturbing if he had something to do. Which he didn't.
Sighing loudly, the boy reached in his pack and dug out his notebook, beginning to flip through this particular one's fifty-odd drawings. If he could decide on something to draw, that would be a good twenty minutes he wasn't dieing of boredom. However, only a few minutes later, his browsing was interrupted by some noisy shuffling on Yamato's part. Wait... Yamato!
Sai jerked his gaze to the man, watching him sit up awkwardly. More out of instinct than concern, he scrambled to his "sensei's" side. Hadn't Sakura said something about not moving the injured? When the man fell limply back, he placed his arm around his shoulders, keeping him up as Naruto had done with Sakura.

"Sempai? Are you alright"

"That you, Sai? Yeah, I think I'm ok. My shoulder hurts like crap, though"

The boy sighed, relieved. Yes, Yamato certainly did seem like himself. But Sakura was good. He almost felt guilty for expecting any less.

"That's to be expected. You were stabbed, you know"

"Of course. I completely forgot about getting shish-ka-bobbed by an electrified sword"

The man laughed playfully at his own sarcastic remark, reaching up to muss Sai's hair. It was certainly an unusual thing to do, but he'd felt as if it had to be done. Not like Sai would react, anyway. He never really did. Of course, it was probably that fact that made him do it. It was so strange to be able to do anything around a person and not have them feel any differently towards you. It was strange just being around someone who didn't feel about anything. Why, he was even surprised the boy was talking so much. Sai never said more than absolutely necessary.

"And then Sakura healed it, right? At least the main part of it. That would explain being so sore. And itchy, too. Gods, my shoulder itches"

"Wait... itchy?"

"Like when you get a cut. While the skin is regrowing, it itches. Not sure why, but it does. Sakura's jutsu hasn't finished healing me, I guess, and since its main purpose is to speed up cells growing, it itches like you wouldn't believe"

The boy laughed this time, clapping Yamato on the back. What other person would've actually gone to the trouble of explaining how having an itch worked when they could've just replied 'yeah?' Caught completely off guard, the man nearly gasped at Sai. When had he started laughing? And… at him? If the kid had started feeling, he certainly didn't want himself disliked… Or ridiculed. Not by Sai…

"Y'know, you shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortune"

Yamato cast his gaze to the ground, not even looking up to see the boy's reaction. He desperately wanted to, he really did. But he wasn't sure if he would like what he saw.

"Sempai..."

Sai quickly replaced his joking look with one of much confusion. What had he said that upset the man so much? It certainly couldn't have been good for his health. Could it? He scooted closer to Yamato, putting his hand on the man's shoulder, and sat like that for several minutes. Sakura had comforted him in much the same way, and it seemed to have worked. But this seemed a little different…

After a while, Sai could hardly stand the tension. If something was going to happen, it had to just hurry up and happen. He removed the glove from his spare hand, reaching up to place it on the man's cheek. However, if Yamato was affected by this at all, it was relief, not surprise. That much was obvious by his expression. Sai took a deep breath, staring him straight in the eye.

"Yamato... How much do you care about me"

"More than you think, boy"

The man spoke his reply softly, slowly (and rather painfully) wrapping his arms around Sai. Quite taken, the boy sat in a stupor for a few seconds before returning the gesture. He smiled, feeling Yamato's warm breath on his neck. Vaguely, the boy wondered if his own breathing felt as nice.

"I… I was scared. I trust Sakura, but... you didn't wake up."

He choked up for a second, waiting until the throbbing in the back of his throat had stopped before hugging the man harder. Not only was Yamato's breath warm, his whole body was. All humans were. But for whatever reason, at that particular moment, Yamato felt warmer to him than anyone else. Warmer than all of them combined. And it felt too good to be true. He had to squeeze the man's shoulder just to make sure it wasn't about to disappear. Feeling the boy's distress, Yamato ran his fingers through Sai's hair, responding softly.

"I know, I know."

In one swift motion, Yamato had pulled Sai right up against him, their faces hardly an inch apart. He held the boy like this for several moments, just listening to him breathe. Quick and startled at first, but then calmer, slower. More relaxed than ever. He was confused, yes, but liked what he was confused about. Yamato, too, felt happily confused. This was a child he was holding. Just a little boy. But he couldn't stop himself, didn't want to try. And he could tell that this was another feeling the two of them shared. It wasn't normal or respectable, but it just felt so good…
As if sensing his second thoughts, Sai leaned a little closer, now placing both of his hands on the man's face. He liked this. He liked it a lot. But just sitting there and staring wasn't enough. He could be as close as he wanted, but he was still cold. There was still something missing. He listened fondly to the man's startled gasping, waiting for whatever else there was. Yamato took the invitation hesitantly and upped their position, pulling the boy into a strong kiss. He continued running his fingers through Sai's hair, though now placed his other hand on the child's back, bringing him closer. Just as the man had hoped and never expected, Sai did nothing to retaliate. He even took one of his own hands and played with Yamato's hair, pulling the man tightly against him. The boy was enjoying this just as much as he was.
And why shouldn't he? It certainly was wonderful. Sai was so close to the other shinobi he could hardly breathe. It felt so warm, so safe. Yamato was strong and solid to the touch, completely in control of the situation. Like a big brick wall or something. Like hiding behind the big brick wall when kunai is all the enemy has to throw. He tried to move even closer, but found with disappointment that they were pressed so tightly together it was impossible. But he was still cold…
A while later, Sai pulled away, blushing slightly. He took a deep breath and looked up, smiling.

"Yamato, that was..."

The man laughed loudly, flinging one of his arm's around Sai's neck.

"Now that, boy, that's how it's done!"

He paused for a minute, looking at Sai in a more worried way. There had been so much there, but it still hadn't seemed like enough. Sai was still icy to the touch. Quickly, he pulled of his flak jacket, wrapping it around the boy. Yamato had a sweater, he didn't need the thing. But Sai just had that weird shirt. It was hardly surprising how cold he was when you considered how much of him was exposed.

"You're freezing. Just keep it. For now, anyway."

Smiling wider, the boy put his hand back on Yamato's head, pulling him into another kiss. Sai would rule this time. Give the poor man a break. He would be the brick wall. There was nothing he wanted more than to protect that man. If he liked it, it was good. There was nothing he wanted more than to be strong to that man. He was in charge of this one. And frankly, he loved every bit of it. He could only hope Yamato like being held as much as he liked doing the holding.
Feeling limp in the boy's arms, Yamato made it very clear that he was pleasantly surprised by Sai's reaction. The kid was strong, despite his age. Very strong. And it was wonderful to know. After all the man had gone through, after every mission he'd led and every person he'd commanded, it was beyond words how good it felt to have someone else doing what he wanted for him. To be able to relax and know that someone else was in charge. But years of leadership couldn't just be pushed away that easily. He soon found himself doing the pulling, the holding, the commanding. Sai didn't mind, though. He just clung to the man as animatedly as before. And after all, it still felt better to be the one who needed support, not the one supporting.
It had been almost scary for Yamato, realizing how much he wanted Sai. He was a respectable man with an honorable job and a good reputation. He should've felt for Kurenai or Anko. Maybe even Shizune. A woman his age. But when he was alone, it was Sai his thoughts wandered to. It was Sai he went on missions with and constantly worried for. And that had scared him more than any shinobi ever could. But Sai hadn't run away. He hadn't screamed for the police or hit him with a stick. The boy had returned his feelings.
Sai had had his own fears about caring for Yamato. He had been trained to feel nothing, care for no one. It wasn't right to want the company of anyone else, especially not a particular person. But as he had poured over mission specs late into the night, he had found himself aching for Yamato. And not always for help. Sometimes, he wished the man would just be there. Just sit there and be with him. It had been so strange.
Eventually the two pulled apart again, both smiling and blushing.

"Now, that's how it's done, Sensei!"

He laughed again, slapping the boy's back playfully. For someone his age, Sai was better than he'd thought. Solid, but so easy to manipulate. To pull or push or just hold… The boy blushed a bit deeper, but simply sat there staring and smiling up at Yamato. Smiling in that wonderfully stupid way he did. Just a quick glance at his soft eyes and Yamato felt compelled to kiss him a third time, but resisted. No matter how much he wanted to grab that child, he just stared back.
Sai took a deep breath, putting one of his hand's back on Yamato's face. He smiled and leaned over to rest his head on the other ninja's shoulder. Again, the man's warmth surprised him, but in a good way. He inched closer, pressing his side against Yamato's. So warm…
For some reason, this analogy of his actions reminded Sai a bit of a lizard sunning itself. He nearly laughed, toying with the idea that human interaction could possibly be just an instinct left from days when all that lived was lizards, constantly warming themselves. But lizards could never have felt anything like how that felt. Then another silly thought popped into his mind.

"I'll bet whatever Naruto imagines about Sakura isn't even like... that."

The older shinboi smiled, wrapping one of his arms around Sai. He now knew the boy was strong, probably even stronger than himself, but at that moment, Sai just seemed like a fragile little animal. Like a mouse or something. But one that wasn't meant to live in the snow. No, definitely not. After all, he was still frighteningly cold and Yamato didn't doubt for a second that he was clinging for heat as much as companionship. Sympathetically, he rubbed Sai's back, pulling the boy a bit closer. They sat like this for quite a while, until he eventually turned to look outside.

"Speaking of Naruto, shouldn't they be back soon?"

"You're right!"

Sai perked up immediately, jerking away nervously and scrambling back to where his stuff was still strewn about. Yamato felt that nasty throbbing feeling in his throat, wanting to pull the boy back. To stay like that just a little longer. But he knew that wouldn't happen. No one could know. It would be their lovely little secret. Yes, just a little secret. Completely unimportant. Un-defining. He frowned, again resisting the urge to grab Sai. There could've been so much more, but the boy just didn't realize. Or… it was possible he did. Possible that Naruto and Sakura were the only reasons there wasn't more…

"You look like you never woke up and I'll pretend I was drawing, 'kay"

Yamato laughed slightly, pushing the other thoughts out his mind. Sai was completely right. His other teammates would be back any minute. And crazy emotions were no excuse to be caught. Not in love or war.

"Whatever you sa-"

"Sakura! I'm sorryyyyyy"

Naruto's whine shattered the moment, causing both shinobi to turn towards the cave entrance. Sakura came storming in, practically glowing with anger. Why, it was a wonder smoke didn't pour from her ears. She slapped Sai for no real reason, stomping over to the farthest side of the cave and flopping down without a word. As if to answer the questions they both were hesitating to ask, Naruto came slinking in after her, a bright red handprint across his face.

"Sakura-chan, I thought"

"Shut up, Naruto! I'm trying to sleep"

Furiously, the girl rolled over on her side and squeezed her eyes shut. Whatever had gone on, it was pretty obvious that they didn't want to know. Naruto sighed and walked over to Sai, looking from him to Yamato and back.

"Oi. Why are you wearing his jacket?"