You ask what I want?
"And what are you scared of, exactly?"
Naruto scowled at the dark-haired boy standing a mere five feet away from him. His black bangs falling over his opal eyes. All so perfect. And here was he, Naruto, already sweating and panting, his hair a mess as usual, feeling frustrated.
"What makes you think I'm scared?" he scoffed.
"Um, let's see…" Sasuke crossed his arms and rolled his eyes for the show, "Because you've been failing every attempt to hit me for the past hour or so. You were the one who wanted to practice."
"I do." Naruto grunted, plopping down into the grass cross-legged.
"Then what's the problem? I'm sure you could have hit me by now. I understand, I'm good and all, but The Almighty Naruto couldn't possibly be that weak!" Sasuke smirked. "Really, I'm dissapointed. I thought you were a worthy opponent. Guess not."
"Don't get so cocky." Naruto got back up. "I was just going easy on you."
"Oh, someone save me." Sasuke sighed, shaking his head.
Naruto came at him again. Sasuke retreated calmly, always one step ahead of Naruto, always faster, smoother, gliding away from even the fiercest attack. And yet, he could feel Naruto holding back. Usually, when they fought, they both earned at least a few bruises. This time, Sasuke was totally in charge.
"Too slow." He said teasingly, leaping up into a tree to escape a kick. Naruto followed him, his feet thumping onto the branch, causing it to swing violently.
"Controll your balance." Sasuke sounded irratated as he began to climb higher up the tree. The shade of leaves and green swallowed him, but Naruto was soon to follow, aiming fists and feet randomly, thinking himself to get lucky sometime and actually hit his enemy. It did not happen.
"Stop and think." Sasuke was here, there, everywhere, avoiding Naruto's assults in an almost bored manner. "You're fighting without a brain. Then again, maybe it's your only choice. Considering you don't have a brain."
Naruto didn't respond. The snide comment that would usually make him mad enough to hit his target seemed to have no affect. He jumped from the tree and glared into the green.
"Don't hide!" he snarled.
"Who said I'm hiding?" a soft, cold voice right down his neck. A tsunami of goosebumps erupted up Naruto's back and he thrust his elbow behind him, only managing to get a touch of Sasuke's clothes as he jumped away, into safety.
"You're pathetic." Sasuke seemed angrier now. "Stop this fooling around. You wanted to fight, so fight. You're just punching air!" a realisation hit him. Naruto wasn't even aiming at him.
"What do you want, Naruto!" suddenly, he stopped dodging. Naruto paused in mid-kick to avoid hitting Sasuke right in the chin and nearly lost his balance. He stood there, panting and glaring.
"What are you talking about?"
"Stop being a dumbass. You're not even aiming for me. You're just wasting your own energy. Do you want to practice or not? What is it you want of me?" he leaned in close to Naruto, a cold gaze piercing the boy's blue eyes questiongly.
Naruto felt his own face grow hot. "I… I…"
"You're stupid, that's what you are." Sasuke swirled around and began to walk away. "This is a waste of my time. Bye. Call me when you actually want to try."
"Sasuke!"
The boy just kept on walking.
"Sasuke, come back here!"
Still no response.
I want you to listen. I wish you could hear my call.
A sharp blow that nearly took Sasuke to the ground startled him. His eyes wide he spun around just in time to defend himself from one of Naruto's fists. Now he looked truly mad, eyes blazing with rage, teeth clenched, his whole body trembling a bit.
"I told you to stop!" snarled the blonde, delivering a well-aimed kick right to Sasuke's gut. Feeling the air rush from him, Sasuke retreated quickly, avoiding many more attacks that followed.
"This is more like it." He smirked after cathcing his breath. He faced Naruto in an open field in the middle of the forest. His dark eyes met Naruto's blue ones and for a second, he saw a glint of red in them, right before Naruto stubbornly pushed Kyuubi back.
There was also something else there. Regret? Sasuke tilted his head to the side.
Are you afraid of admitting it?
A flash of orange, the air polluted with anger. Sasuke fled without thinking, his mind devided between the fight and the true principals of this challenge. Naruto was scared of something. What was it?
"Damn it, stay still!" a fist slammed into Sasuke's chest, hard, making him stumble away. The speed of Naruto's attacks was wildly startling. He wasn't even trying a few minutes ago. Now, anger seemed to be pushing him foreward.
"Naruto…" the word slipped from his lips. The blonde boy glared at him, his brilliant blue crystals the only thing Sasuke could see clearly at the moment.
"Shuddup!" yelled the other, hitting Sasuke over and over again.
Numb with pain, the black-haired boy didn't even attempt to deflect them. His eyes dimmed slightly, like candles.
"Wait a minute…" he started. Naruto observed the fact of how rasp his voice was. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. But he couldn't stop. Not now.
You'll never realize it.
Shutting his eyes, Naruto tried to imagine that it wasn't Sasuke he was hitting, but it was impossible. It felt as if every punch he delivered to the boy returned to him, double times the pain. And in some ways, this was good. Naruto felt that he deserved such pain.
But did Sasuke deserve it?
"Why won't you get it?" yelled Naruto desperatly. He was faintly aware of the tears that stung his eyes. He hit Sasuke's cheek, making the boy's head lurch to the left with the power of the punch. "Are you blind!"
"Naruto…"
"No!" the blonde boy yelled desperatly, kicking and punching with even more fury. It erupted inside him.
Like lightning, Sasuke's hand came in from within it's folds in the shadows, catching Naruto's wrist in mid-punch. They stood there, Naruto panting wildly, tears streaming down his cheecks, his eyes ablaze. Sasuke marely waited.
It hurts to know that it's impossible.
With a rough shove, Naruto pushed Sasuke down to the ground, hands pinning him down. Sasuke looked up at the boy calmly, his eyes filled with sympathy. Naruto growled.
"You think I'm pathetic, don't you?" he gasped, his breath still coming in short.
"No."
Naruto pounded Sasuke's chest repeatedly, tiredly, the power in him slowly ebbing away. Sasuke tolerated this, watching Naruto's hand as it finally became limp. A few tears fell from Naruto's cheeks, staining Sasuke's black clothes. He could feel the blonde's body shudder in small supressed sobs right above him. Slowly, uncertanly, Sasuke reached out with his hand and gently touched Naruto's cheeck. The boy 's eyes snapped open, wide with fear and confusion.
"It's ok." Sasuke's voice reached his ears, calm, gentle, comforting.
He sat up, slowly, his hand running down to Naruto's shoulder. Sitting cross-legged in the grass, with Naruto still in front of him, he studied the younger male. He was still crying quietly, his blue eyes filled with a flurry of emotions he could not describe. Sasuke pulled him foreward and Naruto accepted the hug, burying his face in Sasuke's warm chest. He could hear the faint beating of the Uchiha's heart.
Sasuke's hand stroked Naruto's hair slowly, thoughtfully.
Why do you lie to me? And why does it feel so wonderful?
"If you didn't want to fight, you should have just said so." Sasuke finally whispered, pulling Naruto even closer, so that he was laying across Sasuke's lap, still snuggled close. Naruto refused to answer, to open his eyes and look at Sasuke. This was a dream, a horrible, horrible dream. But it was a dream neverless. He refused to wake up.
"You really were pissed, weren't you?" Naruto could almost feel Sasuke smile behind the darkness of his own closed lids. Sighing, he wished Sasuke would shut up. Sooner or later, he would say something to shatter this heaven. And then… then, the pain would come.
There was movement from above, and, dimly, Naruto was aware that Sasuke's face was right above his. The boy's warm breath was welcomed, and Naruto eagerly sniffed the air. This was what Uchiha smelled like. It was minty, and cool, kind of like the boy's exterior, but at the same time, it was also very sweet. What was he doing now?
Sasuke's lips brushed against Naruto's faintly. The fox-boy felt his whole body shudder in response. He was afraid of opening his eyes, afraid of waking up. He was afraid to move, to breathe. To actually accept this thing that was happening to him. He was all too afraid. But subconsciously, he knew it was what he wanted, and his lips parted slightly in eager wanting. Sasuke, noticing this, leaned in again, this time, planting a real kiss on the lips of the blonde boy.
Before Naruto could realize what he was doing, his arms were wrapped tightly around Sasuke's neck, he was returning the favour. When finally they broke apart, Naruto snuggled against Sasuke's neck, still clinging to him. His eyes were wide in amazment.
"God, Sasuke, I'm never gonna let go… Never…" he tightened his grip.
Sasuke grinned, his arms wrapping around Uzamaki's waist. "I guess we could stay here for a while."
"Yeah…" Naruto felt like a feather that was about to be cought by the wind and carried away. Immence happyness fileld his chest. He no longer cared whether this was a dream or not. It was far too good, far too wonderful to ignore. He needed Sasuke, he needed to touch him, to feel him. It was, as if their skin did not connect, a fire burned and blistered Naruto's skin with want, with desire.
He sighed.
Up above, the sky began to redden. The two boys remained in their embrace eagerly, calmly, finding the whole world within each other.