Chapter One:

Reject

Naruto's P.O.V.

The day started normal as always, my adoptive father had left for work early in the morning which left me to make my own breakfast. I searched the cupboards finding something that I would actually eat, not all that healthy shit my dad likes. I finally settle for some miso ramen, my favorite kind! After I eat I take a shower and then get ready for school. I quickly glance at the clock and its 7:30 and I got to be at the bus at 7:35.

"Damn," I grumble to myself, fumbling for my unfinished homework and stuffing it in my backpack as I run out the door. It slams behind me and I don't go back to make sure its locked. Shoving the straps of my backpack over my shoulders I race up the sidewalk towards the bus stop silently pleading that I didn't miss it again. The back of my legs start to cramp, but I couldn't slow down. If I missed the bus again I would have another tardy and my dad threatened to ground me from practices. That was one thing I couldn't allow to happen. It was to important to me to gain the title of Hokage and be a leader to the people, then I could make things better for everyone.

"Not if you get grounded," I warn myself, picking up speed when I saw the bus at the corner. My eyes strain, focusing on the driver. As long as the driver was watching the door, that meant students were still getting on the bus. I still had time to catch it.

The kick of speed came from my desire to not be left behind. The bus hummed as the doors were shut and I rushed in front of the bus, taking the chance that it would start forward and hit me. With my luck the driver only frowned down at me and opened the doors. I climbed onto the bus, throwing the driver my best in-defensive smile, but the man only shook his head and pulled the doors shut behind me. It started forward as I passed the already crowded seats, seeing that the only one available was the one my best friend Nara Shikamaru was saving for me.

I hesitated a moment before I sat down, smiling at Nara and hoping that it didn't look to forced. I wasn't sure what to say to him after what happened yesterday. I had over reacted, I know, but it had been a shock seeing him with the one person I hated the most. Of everyone he could have kissed, why did he chose Ino Yamanaka, or at least he could have told me he had feelings for her.

At the corner of my eyes I saw him glance at me then straighten. He was nervous and I felt horrible for making him feel this way. We were best friends and I didn't want to lose his friendship because of the person he chose to be with. Still, I had never expected to round the corner and see Ino in his arms. I shifted in my seat, and looked up, this time holding his gaze when he glanced at me. I smiled and watched the tension ease from his shoulders.

"You need to set your alarm thirty minutes earlier than it already is," Nara teased, though he knew his friend was biting back his real comment.

"It won't help. I sleep through it," I say, then before I can lose my courage I blurt out my thoughts. "Look, I just wish you had told me you were seeing her, then it wouldn't have been such a shock."

Nara nods looking thoughtful as he glanced just past me and I followed his gaze to the back of Ino's head. He liked her more than I would understand and though I didn't like her at all, to keep his friendship, I had no choice but to find my peace with her. That wasn't going to be easy when I couldn't stand being in her presence, but I had to find a way.

The bus slowed as it neared the school and I watched the campus alive with students. Anxiety knotted my stomach. It was another day and though I didn't have many problems with others, there were a few that teased me. I felt ashamed and alone in who I was, but I couldn't deny who I was either. I couldn't pretend to be like other guys and drool over the girls during gym when I was interested in something more solid, something more flat and built.

The bus's heavy gears grinded to a stop and a sigh escaped my lips.

"Are you okay?" Nara asked me, standing and waiting patiently for me to move out of my seat. I looked up at him and forced my best smile, hoping that my anxiety wasn't as apparent as it felt.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, standing and throwing the straps of my backpack over my shoulders.

"Go Naruto!" A girl squealed behind me. I didn't glance back as I moved up the narrow path, hoping that Nara was behind me. I didn't need his presence to make me feel complete, but it helped. I felt braver with him, like I had someone I could hide behind, though I would never literally hide behind him. That would make me look weaker in the eyes of the ones that constantly badgered me.

I got off the bus and glanced back, appallingly relieved that he was right behind me. We walked over to the outside tables to wait for the morning bell to signal us to go to our first period. I tried to relax as I shrugged my backpack off and let it drop at my feet. Nara did the same, leaning back and getting comfortable as I sat on the table and rested my feet on the stone seat. I watched the last bus drop off students and my heart fell into my stomach when I saw Sasuke Uchiha San. I tried to force myself to breath around my constricted lungs, to make myself swallow moisture back into my dry throat, to do anything but keep myself from crying, but my mind wouldn't be logical about this.

"I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner. I really should have-" Nara cut himself off and I felt his hand on my leg. "Naruto what's wrong?" There was such worry in his voice and I wanted to reassure him that I was okay, but his voice came to me from somewhere so far away. I could feel him and hear him, but I couldn't drag my eyes off Sasuke. He paused in front of his bus and scanned the courtyard. Our eyes met and his gaze was so fierce and hot with anger. I swallowed the lump in my throat and it hurt, but it wasn't enough to drag me out of my trance, to break my paralyzing fear and run.

He started our way and I felt Nara's hands on my shoulder dragging me down from table. My backpack was thrust in my hand and I held the weight of it, but I couldn't think clearly. I was afraid of Sasuke. I wasn't sure if he would kill me for being gay. There were others that were more verbal, more violent, but Nara had always been around. I felt like such a coward and I needed to learn to stand up against them myself, but right now I wanted to sink into Nara. I wanted to hide behind him and bury my face in his shirt and pretend that if I didn't see Sasuke, he couldn't see me.

Stop being such a coward, I scolded myself, my feet still not working.

"Naruto come on," Nara growled in my ear. "Don't make me freaking carry you," it was an empty threat, he wouldn't have done it but the threat alone wasn't making me move. My muscles were little more than rubber.

Sasuke was feet away from me and I dropped my gaze to the ground feeling my face burning with embarrassment. "Faggot," Sasuke gritted under his breath as he passed me, barely audible, yet perfectly so for me. My heart stopped and I drooped back against the bench letting my backpack fall to the ground as I hugged myself.

"Jerk!" Nara screamed after him. I raised my head, grabbing for Nara's sleeve to tug him into silence, but it was to late. I saw Sasuke spin and I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"Hey look, fag boy got himself a boyfriend," he said loudly, drawing the attention of many students. The heat in my face spread to the rest of my skin. I could feel eyes watching us now, but I wasn't brave enough to face any of those faces, to afraid that I would see their judgment. There was a moment pause, than one by one the courtyard was filled with laughter.

"What is going on?" A voice boomed and the laughter was quickly stifled out. I glanced up to see most of the students go back to what they were doing, but the silence dragged on which meant they were listening to Principle Hiru.

The bell rang and the tension left me leaving my muscles sore and my mind racing. I grabbed my backpack and started towards my class with Nara right behind me.

"Not so fast Naruto," Hiru said. I stopped and looked back and so had Nara. "Go ahead to class Nara." He turned back to Sasuke and me. "I want you both in my office right now."

Sasuke's P.O.V.

I followed Principle Hiru San, keeping my eyes on his back, but I was resentfully aware that I was standing closer to Naruto than I was comfortable with. I threw the blond hair and fair skinned fag a quick glance, but he had his head down. I fisted my hands as Hiru stopped at his office door, opening it and ushering us inside. The first seat I took, I was tempted to pull it as far away from Naruto as I could, but I didn't want to get stuck in detention. There would be no honor to my family if that happened and my father was constantly reminding me that I represented them in public. I dropped my book bag at my feet and folded my hands in my lap.

"Now you boys know why you are here," Hiru said settling in his chair behind his desk as Naruto took the only remaining seat beside me. I glanced at the outcast, gritting my teeth and returning my gaze to Hiru. Naruto's growing silence grated on my nerves. Why couldn't he understand that it wasn't okay to like guys? There were so many pretty girls at their school and it was no secret Naruto never looked at them. There was nothing attractive about guys. They were solid, rough, half of them didn't smell as delicate as the females. There was nothing attractive about them. . . .

I felt Naruto shift in his seat and I turned to look at him, caught by his large blue eyes glistening with tears before he turned away quick to hide it. I wanted to touch him, to reach out and pull him into a hug like I would a girl if she were crying, but I banished those thoughts quickly. HE WAS A GUY! What was I thinking? Yet my first reaction was to console him like a guy normally did for a crying girl.

I watched the stubborn set of his jaw tighten. He was determined not to cry and I silently nodded my approval. Boys don't cry. Ever!

"This growing tension between you two keeps getting worse," Hiru said. "I am worried where this will continue to go if I don't step in now. We need to solve this. Do either of you have any suggestions?"

I let my breath out in a silent sigh, feeling my shoulders tense. Naruto kept his head down as he played his fingers over the same spot on his pants over and over. He wasn't going to acknowledge Hiru which again proved him to be ill equipped to deal with situations.

"We could try to stay very far away from each other," I finally offered my idea. Or rather he stay as far away from me as possible, I smiled at the thought of impending doom I could release on his fag ass if he so much as looked at me. . . . .

I glanced at him when he didn't respond. He didn't even seem to be paying attention.

"This is a school," Hiru said. "This doesn't resolve anything because the both of you share a few classes."

I shrug.

"Maybe projects that the both of you have to complete will help solve this problem," Hiru said.

My head shot back at him and at the corner of my eye I could see Naruto looked up too. Hiru looked smug and though I felt like scolding, I knew better than to disrespect the principal of my school.

"We can work this out ourselves," I said.

"We'll find something to make this work," Naruto was also quick to offer. Our promises got mingled, both of us talking over each other trying to be heard and Hiru grinned, leaning back in his chair.

"Okay boys, go back to your first our class, but if I hear any more disturbances at my school, the both of you will be cleaning the janitor closet," Hiru said. His threat wasn't lost on me. He was going to make us stand in the smallest space possible with each other for a few hours if we didn't behave. I had another snide comment for Naruto, a threat that surfaced on its own, but I knew better to turn my anger on Naruto with our principal right there. I swallowed the sigh that lingered in the back of my throat and stood.

Naruto did the same and I couldn't help notice how graceful he was. I don't remember him having such fluid motions, like a cat with all its hidden muscle that made it glide easily. Naruto had his backpack on and had started towards the door, quick to get out before I did.

I was right behind him, catching the door before he could pull it closed behind him. I slid out and he just stood there, surprised that I had come out so quickly. Closing the door behind me had forced me a few inches closer to him and he didn't move back. I held my breath, afraid that the few centimeters would make us touch if I breathed out. He still didn't move and I breathed out slowly; breathing in the scent of skin bathed with lavender vanilla. He smelt so good-

No! Stop this! He's a guy. I'm not attracted to guys. . . . to him.

With his head tilted upward all I had to do was move a few inches to kiss those soft pink lips.

Buddha alive help me! I'm not gay.

"Don't get to comfortable," I threatened and Naruto took a few steps back, his scent remaining in the air.

"You are such a jerk Sasuke," he said, gritting his teeth, but for all the heat in his voice, his eyes didn't match the conviction of anger.

I watched him retreat, running through the halls towards his class. I was still standing there long after the sound of his shoes disappeared behind a door slamming shut. I was alone in the hall, but not free from the scent of sweet lavender and vanilla.

Dammit Naruto if you get to close I will knock the gayness right out of you.