Disclaimer - No. The following contains: Yaoi. You guys are weird. But since you liked chapter one, here's more for ya, you weirdos.
Need by Youmadbro
Chapter 2.
"Mmm, this ramen tastes better with every bite!"
Teuchi chuckled merrily as he set down a couple bowls before some other customers. Naruto smiled broadly at Teuchi - as broadly as he could with a mouthful of food, and exchanged a glance with Sakura.
Sakura returned Naruto's friendly smile before she lifted her own chopsticks to her lips, once more resuming slurping on the remains of her ramen. It was midday, and very bright and sunny - just the way Naruto liked it. He was out eating ramen at Ichiraku with Sakura after the girl requested that of him - for whatever reasons, Naruto still wasn't sure. He was just happy to be out with a friend. Especially one of his best friends - Sakura. Because the closer they were - the more easily they could become a distraction for the blonde. A distraction from his still constant racing thoughts. His still constant racing thoughts of Sasuke.
Naruto's loud slurping on his ramen stilled when the remembered that he hadn't seen the bastard for a few days now. At first, he was relieved. Sasuke had never gone more than two days without cornering him for some sex, so Naruto could only assume that Sasuke had actually taken his words to heart. That Sasuke had actually listened to him. The thought itself was mind-bottling, because Sasuke didn't listen to anyone. And most of the time, not even Naruto. So Naruto WANTED to believe that Sasuke had listened to him, but he truly felt that the raven would be back at his doorstep any day now - pressuring him for something that they both knew Naruto still hadn't the strength to refuse to the raven...yet. But Sasuke hadn't shown up. And apparently Naruto had been wrong. Apparently Sasuke had actually listened to him.
So Naruto was grateful for that, yet he was still confused about where he stood. He would say that he didn't like when Sasuke came to him for sex and then left like it was nothing, but he knew he would be lying if he told someone that. He liked the sex very much, he just didn't like what happened afterward. That being said, Naruto wanted to think that he wanted to be in a relationship with Sasuke and that mindless sex had nothing to do with it, but that it was because he was truly in love with him. But on the other hand, as the days went by Naruto felt more and more lonely. Sasuke was nowhere to be found - which was highly unusual, even for the Uchiha - and Naruto couldn't help but worry. He wanted to see the raven and at least salvage their friendship - if nothing else. But he also felt like the more time he spent away from Sasuke, the more likely he would give into the pressure if Sasuke randomly showed and decided he wanted to seduce him. Naruto had come to the realization that he had not only wanted Sasuke's love, but he craved his body as well. The time off had made the blonde realize what he had been reluctant to admit. That he only marginally better than Sasuke, in the whole scheme of things. And that he loved the feeling of Sasuke slamming into his willing body just as much as Sasuke loved thrusting into him.
Maybe that was why he was so weak to the bastard. Naruto hadn't realized - when they had been 'together' - how much he truly lusted after the raven. He had to go through closing his eyes at night, experiencing (either sweet dreams or beautiful nightmares - Naruto wasn't sure) of Sasuke and waking to stickiness splattered all over his hand - which had been slipped completely underneath the hem of his boxers - to realize that his body missed Sasuke even more than his heart did. Naruto was ashamed of his weakness for the bastard - so weak to the point where he needed to see him in his dreams. But he couldn't just dispute the feeling. He had lived most of his life knowing Sasuke, after all. The bastard and his bastardly ways were deeply engraved in his being. He had grown used to Sasuke and how he works. And (apparently) he had also grown to love all of Sasuke - the good and the bad. Despite how unattractive most people would might find his traits to be, Naruto loved every bit of him. The blonde had no choice but to admit - after a brief fit of slapping himself in the head for his stupidity - that he loved everything about Sasuke. That he wanted all of Sasuke...That he needed all of Sasuke.
Yet sadly, that he needed Sasuke to WANT to give him his all. To WANT be his everything.
Because, if that ever were to happen, if the blonde were to ever become that fortunate - Naruto knew he would never be able to fall out of love with him.
So Naruto needed as many distractions as he could get. Because there was no way he could express the depths in which he had fallen for the bastard, if no one but the bastard had even an inkling of this supposed affection. He especially couldn't mention it to the girl in which he was currently spending his time. Because that would be like asking for an early death.
"It's a shame Sasuke couldn't join us, huh, Naruto?"
Naruto raised a blonde eyebrow as he turned his head - perhaps a little too quickly - and looked into Sakura's emerald eyes curiously. Sasuke? Had he been invited?
"Yeah... a shame. You've seen the bastard lately?"
Sakura blushed slightly as she patted her mouth with a napkin. She set her hands and the napkin in her lap and replied with a slightly strained friendly tone,"Mhm, just a little over an hour ago. He was out on a walk with that redhead girl who used to be apart of his team? I always forget her name.."
Naruto knew Sakura never forgot Karin's name. It was just her way of placing some distance between herself and one of Sasuke's potential 'bed-mates' - as Sakura had quoted one drunken evening at a tea house where they serve a variety of very potent sake. Naruto was lucky kyuubi prevented him from becoming completely inebriate, otherwise he would have spilled the beans that there was no way. Sasuke had only wanted one person in his bed at the time, and it most certainly wasn't Karin.
"Karin," Naruto offered. Sakura waved her hand in the air dismissively.
"Yeah, her," the pinkette looked as if she were pissed about something, but her expression quickly contorted to unconcerned, so Naruto couldn't be too sure. "It seems she's taking up a lot of Sasuke's time lately," Sakura replied casually - a little too casually, Naruto noted. "It's almost as if..."
Sakura gazed at Naruto with deliberate intensity and it was then that the blonde realized that the whole reason the girl had invited him out to eat was to get information out of him. Information that - unfortunately - he did not have. Was Sakura honestly trying to ask Naruto if he knew about Sasuke and Karin's relationship? Wait. Did they even have any type of relationship other than former teammates? If not, what had Sasuke been doing hanging around her lately? Naruto thought the raven didn't even like her. 'Too clingy' - he'd said - 'Just like Sakura.'
'That's why this can only be between you and me, Naruto.'
Naruto ran a hand through his hair as he willed away those disturbingly pleasant memories of Sasuke. And since the blonde didn't have any information to give her (and not like he would have if he had) he pretended to be as dense as usual, and scratched at his blonde locks with perfectly portrayed idiocy.
"Almost as if what, Sakura?"
Sakura sighed and shook her head, murmuring, "Forget I said anything. If you don't know what's going on then it probably isn't anything to worry about. I'm sure Sasuke is just helping the girl with mission reports, that's all."
"Huh? Why did you think I would know about something like that?"
Sakura rolled her eyes and then scooted her chair under the bar as she dug into her pocket for her wallet. Naruto touched her arm - causing her to cease in her digging - and signaled to the kunoichi that the tab was on him. Sakura smiled and nodded curtly - a sure sign to the blonde that she had been planning that from the very beginning. If he didn't know any better, she probably hadn't even brought her wallet with her at all! Naruto hid his exasperation well, figuring it was best to pretend like he didn't have a clue as to her conniving ways. So he paid for their meal, anyway. And when Naruto joined Sakura outside the ramen shop curtains, she finally answered his question.
"Well...Sasuke always seems to tell you everything, so, you know, I just figured that -"
"He doesn't tell me everything."
"Yeah, but... since you two are so close and all I just thought -"
"No, Sakura. We're not 'so close' -"
"What are -"
"- as a matter of fact, were not even talking. So why would you come to me for information on the bastard, when - clearly - you should be speaking with him?"
Naruto stopped walking across the dusty main road of Konoha and turned toward Sakura, his irritation now visible across his furrowed brow. He had no idea why he was being so rude to the girl - it's not it was her fault he got upset (he was really frustrated about the unknown factor that held Sasuke and Karin's questionable relationship together) but he also wanted to know why Sakura had come to him about it. Surely, if Sasuke had told Naruto anything, there wasn't any need for Sakura to know. If she was that obsessed with Sasuke - she should'v gone directly to Sasuke. Not try to get Naruto to spill every little secret about him. Honestly...
...how close did she think they were, exactly?
"Naruto...?" Sakura asked hesitantly, her hand lifting to brush against Naruto's arm. Naruto flinched out of his temporary daze and turned toward the pinkette. "Why aren't you two talking?"
Naruto turned away from the girl and ran a hand through his disheveled tresses. "No reason. We just..."
He stilled in making his hair even more messy than it already was - when he caught the sight of two people making their way up the path and coincidentally toward Naruto and Sakura's current position. Naruto felt his heart jump as he did a double-take and instantly identified the owner of that tall and lean muscular build. The man who was walking side by side the slightly shorter red-headed woman - who had a natural tilt to his posture and one hand in his pocket. The very same man that had his other arm draped casually across the brightly blushing woman's shoulders - the one wearing a smug look on his face.
"Sasuke," Naruto exhaled in disbelief.
"I knew it!" Sakura gasped. A hand went up to cover her widely gaping mouth as they both continued to stare at the two figures that slowly but surely made their way closer.
Sasuke blinked when he noticed who the two idiots were that had stopped in the middle of the path just to stare at him. He locked eyes with the blonde idiot and Naruto swore that the raven's smirk grew. He stared just as blankly at the couple as Sasuke was staring at him, his posture one of indifference as he removed his eyes from Sasuke's treacherous black to Karin's crimson. The girl was sparkling with a radiance unlike any other, and Naruto could only look at her for a second before he had to turn away.
"Hello, Sasuke," Sakura said, her scandalized tone clearly detected underneath the strained friendliness. Her emerald eyes flicked to Karin for a moment before she turned back to the raven. "What have you two been up to lately?"
Karin snorted in amusement and then shrinked back slightly when Sasuke had narrowed his eyes at her. "Isn't it obvious?"
Naruto suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Sasuke roughly by the arm. The blonde pulled him away from Karin - leaving two startled and surprised kunoichi in his wake - and dragged Sasuke a couple of feet before the raven snatched his arm out of Naruto's grasp and pushed Naruto away from him. Naruto whipped his head around and glared at Sasuke.
"We need to talk," he demanded.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and then glanced at Karin. "I'll be a minute," he murmured.
Karin and Sakura watched as Sasuke followed Naruto into the woods to their right, their confusion easily written across their faces.
