Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto and Sai; however, the wish will never come true. They aren't mine.
Warnings: None. This is a fluffy short story.
If Only You Knew
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I stared down at the soapy water with half-lidded eyes. During the day, I had failed another attempt at Jounin—the seventh time's a charm. A part of me strived to find some hope, some motivation to continue; another part of me thrived on my morbid emotions. Nothing tasted quite as sour as the taste of defeat.
The skin on my hands and feet had grown to resemble prunes. I had no idea how long I'd been sitting there. I smelled of the soap that still coated my flesh. When was the last time I moved? My back throbbed from the position I was in. Still, I didn't move.
"Naruto!" I'm sure my family would have called. "What's wrong?" They would have asked.
Sadly, I had no family to ask such things. My parents were dead; my siblings were nonexistent. When low knocking reached my ears, I finally turned to look at the half-open door. Sai looked in at me with a blank expression. Secretly, I longed for his smile—even a fake one.
"Are you going to be much longer? I have to piss." I turned back around and ignored him.
His choice of language infuriated me, and thoughts of my earlier failure faded away. He could have showed some form of concern! He could have at least faked the emotions I craved. Instead, he stood there, looking at me from behind his mask.
"Leave me alone," I muttered, sinking lower into the bath water.
I hated to admit it, but the water was cold on my skin. So engrossed in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed when the hot water turned icy cold. A shiver ran up my spine; my flesh prickled.
"What the hell are you doing?" I shouted as Sai entered my sacred territory.
He took a stance beside the bathtub, and then he slipped his shoes off. I felt the heat return to my frigid limbs, but it didn't come from the water. Every part of my body was hot; my cheeks were a vibrant red. As he stepped into the water, I opened my mouth to shout at him.
Fully clothed, Sai kneeled in the water and took me into his arms. Almost immediately, my mouth snapped shut. The embrace lacked the warmth that I so craved, but I knew he was trying. I knew my lover truly cared. Somewhere, behind his mask, he understood the love; he returned the emotion.
"I don't want to fail anymore," I whispered as I broke down on his shoulder.
"Everyone needs to fail sometime." His response was straightforward and rather plain, but it seemed perfectly reasonable.
He helped me out of the dirty water and draped his robe around my shoulders. His hands were so cold, but his touch was exactly what I needed. Leading me into the bedroom, Sai let his arm slide around my waist. For the second time that evening, I shivered.
"Where are you going?" I looked up as he left me on the bed.
"I told you," Sai said as a smile slowly blossomed on his pallid face. "I have to piss." He closed the bathroom door.
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Author Rant
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So, does Sai really care about Naruto, or did he just have to use the restroom? That is up to the readers.
Review!