I hate everything about you

Why do I love you?

H a t e

-

It was a strange thing, to hate someone so much that considering snuffing out their existence in the form of a pillow did not seem like such a bad idea.

But it was a stupid idea, and not in a million years would it work. Naruto Uzumaki huffed softly to himself as he watched over the slumbering figure in the next bed over from the position he sat atop his own.

Sasuke's inky eyes were closed so lightly that his long lashes barely brushed together and his mouth was parted ever so slightly, drawing in calm and even breathes as he lie motionless on his side, facing his teammate. His limbs were long and slender, arms and legs both tucked up against his lithe body beneath the thin white sheets.

Naruto wanted to touch the raven hued bangs that fell into his pale face, the ones that so annoyingly obscured his vision all of the time, causing the Uchiha to bat them away with the back of his hand. Naruto wanted to see if they were really as soft as they looked; to see if they would cause his fingertips to tingle.

Most of all, Naruto desperately wanted to see what Sakura did. Why did she like him so damn much? Sasuke wasn't all that special, wasn't all that different from him. They had both lost their entire families, and they both had personal goals and gains, destinies and fates.

But the blonde did not understand. He couldn't see anything likeable in the Uchiha at all. Any good he may have had in him was buried deep beneath his stubborn and pompous exterior. Sasuke hardly spoke, hardly gave Sakura the time of day, and he did not smile - ever.

And his smirk was infuriating. Naruto found he could go on and on about every little mundane quirk and trait of his (grudgingly admitted) companion. He did not realize that Sasuke was so hard to read to other people. To Naruto, he was simply an open book. But perhaps that was because they had gone through roughly the same terrifying experience of being all alone.

Sasuke was an avenger, and Naruto supposed he could understand that, at least. If he had anyone to blame but himself, the blonde was sure he may as well be one as well.

Sasuke would never fall victim to the pillow. He couldn't – not when his life mission was not yet complete. Naruto was kind enough; maybe when he had finally killed his brother in cold blood, he could try again.

Yeah, right…

Sakura would kick his ass.

Naruto sighed again, careful to be quiet, but he should have known better. Sasuke opened one eye lazily to peer at him, something akin to amusement in his eye. Then the tip of his lips jerked upwards suddenly, forming his arrogant trademark smirk.

"Get some sleep, Dobe," he said in the most beautiful voice Naruto had ever heard.