The Flower

Sasuke frowned, sighing as he fiddled with the loose change in his pocket. The warm summer breeze flowed through his dark hair, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to concentrate on the soft, rippling movements of the water in the pond.

The sun was setting, and as each minute passed he grew shakier and shakier. 'The sun is almost down…' he thought to himself as he clenched his fists and shoved them in his pockets.

It was beginning to get cold, and that warm breeze was replaced with a cool one, one that felt more soothing than any other wind. It gently touched the bare skin of his arms, and he felt his face begin to get red as he waited in anticipation. He clenched his teeth, willing them not to chatter as he watched the last bits of pink and orange in the sky slowly turn to a dark, navy blue. He couldn't help but smile at the beauty of the sky, and at last the first stars began to pop out, reflecting in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm not late, am I?" Naruto asked softly, fiddling with the flower he held in his hand. Sasuke jumped, not expecting Naruto to sneak up on him like that. He was more nervous than he thought, seeing as now would be the time Sasuke would tell Naruto what he really felt.

"Hey, you're the one who dragged me out here in the middle of the night; you could at least say something!" Naruto yelled, his patience running out. Sasuke's raven eyes immediately rushed to the ground, and he tried to speak, but all that came out were stammering words.

"I-I wanted t-to..." he sputtered, feeling as though he was going to be sick. 'C'mon Sasuke, what has gotten into you!?' he mentally yelled at himself. It was true though, this wasn't like him at all. Normally he was calm and cool, especially around Naruto, but lately...

"I'm leaving," Naruto firmly stated, not realizing the point of coming out there.

"W-wait!" Sasuke yelled, running after Naruto, following him along the dark forest path. He was desperate to tell Naruto, and this was his only chance.

"I swear Sasuke, I'm gonna make you pay for this! I didn't even want to come out here, but I thought you were going to tell me something to do with our training at least!" Naruto grumbled on. Sasuke reached his arm out, but stopped, not seeing the point anymore. 'Think Sasuke, think!' he thought as he calmly walked behind Naruto, his hands in his pocket and his body relaxed, despite what he was really feeling.

"Hey, knucklehead! If you wait, I'll buy you a bowl of ramen," Sasuke teased, knowing Naruto would grab the bait in spite of himself. Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, and Sasuke grinned.

"Well, I guess..." Naruto smiled, relishing the thought of a free bowl of ramen. He turned around, and to his surprise found himself pinned against a tree. He gasped for breath, realizing that Sasuke had knocked the wind out of him.

"Hey, hey! What's going on here!?" he choked, his face turning red as he tried to catch his breath. Sasuke had Naruto's wrists held tightly, and pushed his body against the trunk of the tree with his own, grinning at him.

"Who gave you that flower?" Sasuke asked, noticing the rose in Naruto's right hand. Naruto blushed, realizing how close Sasuke's face was to his own. For the first time, he realized how soft Sasuke's hands were, and how warm his chest felt against his own. Most of all, he like the way Sasuke's heart beat faster and faster as his lips came closer and closer to Naruto's. 'His lips are soft...' Naruto thought with a smile.

Sasuke pulled away, blushing and staring at the ground as he turned around, finally letting go of Naruto's now numb wrists. Naruto frowned as he slowly slid down the trunk, and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's back, stopping him from walking away.

"The flower...was for you."