Welcome to the second installment of 'Competition.' Enjoy.

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Sparring

Naruto was heaving for breath, gasping, mist puffing around his mouth as he tried to regain strength. His orange clothes were brown in some places with dirt, in others, a greenish orange with grass stains. However, he grinned, the chill air not affecting him, in the least. After all, this was one of the most exciting sparring matches he had ever had in months.

Opposite him, pale skin glowed, catching the last rays of sunlight. They were sparring in the twilight, though it was getting colder now and it was not the best idea. His breath, too, puffed up in mist around his mouth. Sasuke was just slightly worse for wear, more so than Naruto, with a scratch on his cheek and light, pink places on his arms that would surely be bruises in the morning.

But they were content to be sparring and competing. They relished the places where their bodies touched and they relished the pain where fist met stomach or foot met chin. It was how they lived. It was how it worked, and they liked it that way.

However, in a moment they both fell over, exhausted.

They had been sparring since dawn and Naruto's stomach growled loudly, and Sasuke's a little softer, but neither of them made the motion to get up and move. But Naruto crawled over to Sasuke, who was panting, and lay down beside him, one of his arms splayed out over his partners pale face. Sasuke snorted and when Naruto didn't move his arm, Sasuke bit him.

"Ow!" Naruto whined. "You sure know how to ruin a moment Sasuke-bastard. You really do." Naruto pulled back his arm and Sasuke huffed, not ready to speak yet, still too tired.

"I," He took in a sharp breath, feeling a bruise form on his chest that ached when he breathed, "I totally ki-kicked your ass, loser." Though he was being arrogant, he didn't sound as egotistical as he would have had he not been panting. Naruto laughed, though gasped in pain, feeling bruises arise on his own body.

"You're the one," he paused to pant, "you're the one who got your ass handed to you, asshole." Naruto said, sighing and letting out a gust of mist. Sasuke snorted but didn't argue.

Naruto was the first to recover enough from their spar to roll over and straddle Sasuke, who looked slightly pissed at his slightly feminine position. Naruto grinned back and pressed his forehead to Sasuke's, who flinched slightly at the contact, his whole body becoming rather sore. He noticed how Naruto moved without a wince, and he felt even more like a weakling. But he couldn't manage to care when Naruto's breath ghosted over his face.

"What say you to going home and taking a hot bath together?" Naruto suggested. Sasuke quirked a brow and Naruto snickered. "With bubbles." Sasuke, though he didn't admit this among other things, enjoyed bubbles. They were fun to mess with and they were rather easy to blow at Naruto and it was amusing.

"Fine."

Naruto picked Sasuke up, and the raven took a sharp intake of breath. He hoped the bath would loosen his muscles. Sasuke still felt stupid for losing and being such a baby about his soreness and bruises, but Naruto didn't seem to mind so much, what with carrying him and all, so he must be aware that he won, but he wouldn't gloat, because then, Sasuke's blood pressure would so up and then things would just get complicated. That was because Sasuke always fought until Naruto stopped gloating.

So, not really caring so much anymore, Sasuke leaned his head against Naruto's shoulder and found in rather comfortable. He was now rather looking forward to the bath with abnormal enthusiasm. Sasuke smirked and shut his eyes as Naruto started to babble and take him home.

Today was just an exception, Sasuke would surely win the next competition.