Sasuke was a bit surprised when Naruto had initiated the kiss. The blond had seemed timid and flustered when Sasuke was speaking to him right before the kiss.
Naruto pulled away from Sasuke, slowly breaking the short, but chaste kiss. Blue eyes met black and for a moment, everything was quiet.
Naruto let out a shuddering breath that he had been holding in.
Both boy's hearts were pounding.
"I don't...know what this is between us, Sasuke. What do we have? It feels so much more than just friendship. Hell. It is more than friendship."
'You spend years trying to get him to come back, you spend all your time with him, he makes you smile and makes you happy. He makes you feel safe and warm. Shall I go on? Are you really questioning yourself?' Another voice asked, taunting him inside his mind.
"Of course it does, moron. Why do you think I started this conversation in the first place?" Sasuke replied, rolling his eyes slightly.
"Oi! I'm just agreeing with you, bastard." Naruto frowned slightly, and shook his head.
"I don't think I can imagine my life without you. I'm not sure what that means but...all I know is that I'm happy to be here with you. Happy to see you first thing in the morning and last at night." Naruto's voice got lower as he spoke, as if he was hoping Sasuke wouldn't hear him. There was a very light blush on his cheeks.
"I don't exactly know what I want anymore. All I know is that I want you by my side. Let's take this how it comes, Naruto. Take it day by day. We don't have to rush anything." Sasuke reached forwards and grabbed Naruto's hand within his own. He slowly pulled Naruto closer and wrapped him his arms around the blond. Sasuke leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.
"You're all I have left in this world," He whispered sadly. "Please don't disappear."
Three weeks later
"What makes you think us hanging out with one another these last four weeks will let either of us get closer to Naruto?" Karin asked the pink-haired girl as the duo sat at Ichiraku, eating lunch.
Sakura shrugged.
"I don't. Naruto has just been so busy with Sasuke-kun, I guess I'm a little lonely. They were...are my teammates, but they're also my best friends."
'I wonder why Naruto spends all his time with Sasuke-kun anyway...I'll have to ask him next time I see him.' Sakura thought to herself as she twirled the noodles with her chopsticks.
"How do you think I feel! Sasuke-kun and Naruto are the only two people in the village that I actually know!" Karin replied, pushing her bowl of ramen forward. She wasn't hungry anymore.
"What about Suigetsu?" Sakura asked, paying for her and Karin's ramen.
"Like hell I'd want to be anywhere near him!"
XOXOXOXOXO
Sasuke had been awake for a while. Before the sun had come up, at least. He couldn't stop thinking about what was happening between him and Naruto. Not too much had changed. They still bickered and fought, of course. However, when Naruto left for the day, they'd kiss. When he returned home, they'd kiss. They'd kiss randomly throughout the time Naruto was home. They also slept together in the same bed. Every morning Sasuke would wake up with Naruto in his arms.
'Is this what I really want?' He asked himself, gazing down upon the blond who was nestled in his arms, fast asleep. Naruto has a small, content smile upon his face, and he was breathing quietly. He small, warm puffs of breath tickling Sasuke's neck, giving him goosebumps. Sasuke wound his arms around the other ninja tighter, and pulled him closer, enjoying the warmth and comfort Naruto's body was giving off.
'Yes. This is what I want. I was just to stubborn to give into these desires. Naruto makes me feel human. He makes me feel.' He hugged Naruto tighter to him, and kissed his temple, then nuzzled into Naruto's hair.
"Nn. Sasuke?" Naruto mumbled, half asleep, his eyes half open.
"Yes?" Sasuke whispered back, not fully sure whether or not Naruto was actually awake, or if he was just mumbling in his sleep.
"S'wrong?"
"Nothing. Go back to sleep." Sasuke replied as he maneuvered Naruto's head slightly, so their gazes met. Naruto looked like he was ready to fall back into dream land.
"We're supposed to meet Sakura-chan and Karin for lunch right?" Naruto mumbled.
"Yes, that's not for a few more hours. So go back to sleep. I'll wake you up in a few hours."
XOXOXOXOXO
"What are they doing? They're almost half an hour late!" Sakura complained. Her and Karin were sitting in the waiting area of the restaurant they were meeting Sasuke and Naruto at, but the raven and blond hadn't shown up yet.
"I have no idea, but stop pacing! It's annoying!" Karin replied, moving over so Sakura could sit next to her.
"Hey! Sorry we're late! Sasuke slept in and didn't wake me up!" Naruto said as the pair came running over to their table, sitting across from the two girls.
"Don't place the blame on me, moron! You overslept too!" Sasuke replied.
"Whatever! Let's order. I'm starving!"
Throughout the course of lunch, Sakura and Karin couldn't help but notice something significantly different about Naruto and Sasuke. Sure, they were acting the same, but they were also acting slightly different. They teased each other, but there was something deeper to it. One time, Naruto asked Sasuke to pass him salt. Sasuke did, and their fingers lingered together for more seconds than necessary.
"This chicken is good Sasuke, want to try?" Naruto asked. Sasuke grabbed a piece with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. After swallowing, he turned to Naruto and smiled gently.
"It is. Good choice, Naruto." Naruto smiled back.
Sakura quickly stood up, her chair making a loud screeching noise as he moved backwards, causing the other three to pause and stare at her.
"What...what's going on? And don't tell me it's nothing! Something is going on between you two!" Sakura exclaimed, trying to calm her raging heart. She didn't want to believe the two boys were together, but Sasuke never smiled at someone the way he just smiled at Naruto. The smile was so small, but so filled with love and admiration.
"Well...I won't say it's nothing, because it is something," Naruto began, placing his chopsticks down.
"I'm not exactly sure what it is, but we do know that we want to be together." Sakura's eyes widened at this.
"He's chased me for years. That's more than friendship, Sakura." Sasuke said.
"Wait...I don't-"
"I love him." Naruto interjected. It had been the first time he actually mentioned love.
"Yes, and I...love him too." Naruto's heart melted at that.
Sakura, unable to take it, turned and ran out of the restaurant.
"Sakura! Sakura, wait!" Karin yelled. She threw her chopsticks down and chased after her friend.
Naruto stood up, ready to chase after the girls, but Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's, stopping him. The blond looked down at the raven, eyes asking why he stopped him.
"Leave them right now." Sasuke said.
"But...she's probably angry because she likes you! And Karin too! I saw pain in her eyes! I have to apologize to them. I have to make sure they're okay. They're my friends! I care about them." Naruto frowned, and Sasuke chuckled slightly.
"First of all, there should be no apology for falling in love. But if there was, I would be the one apologizing."
"What? Why!"
"Because, moron, they like you, not me!"
XOXOXOXOXO
Sakura was around the corner from the restaurant, in the playground, sitting on a swing and slowly swinging back and forth. Her eyes were downcast and watery.
"I can't believe it." She whispered.
"Is it really that hard to believe, Sakura?" Came Karin's voice. The red-head said slowly as she sat down on the swing next to Sakura. The pink-haired girl looked over at her.
"Of course it is! Naruto liked me for so long! So now he suddenly likes Sasuke and now they're together?"
"I don't know if he ever really liked you, Sakura. He may have thought he did, because that's what most boys do. They like girls. I don't think Naruto realized he'd always liked Sasuke."
"I...I don't know. It's weird! It's hard to believe he liked him this entire time." Sakura replied.
"Is it really? Naruto told me how hard and long he chased after Sasuke. How he'd die to bring Sasuke back-"
"Yes! For me." Sakura interjected.
"Do you really believe that? Is your ego really as large as your forehead?" Karin asked.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part. As for him doing it for me, maybe not...Maybe you're right..." Sakura frowned, looking down at the ground.
"I am right! And Sasuke? Well, aside from revenge, Naruto was all he ever talked about. If he even talked, that is."
"It's ironic. The boy we used to love fell in love with the boy we love." Sakura smiled sadly.
"It is. But they're happy, that's all that should matter." Karin shrugged.
"You're stronger than me. I feel like my heart has been crushed. You're going through the same thing, but you're comforting me." Sakura turned to the other girl, not exactly realizing how close they've gotten since Karin came to Konoha.
"It's what friends do, right?"
"Yeah." Sakura smiled.
"Sakura-chan! Karin!" Naruto's voice called out in worry. Both girls looked up to see Sasuke and Naruto walking towards them, hand in hand. Naruto broke apart from Sasuke and ran up to them.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! We should have-"
"No Naruto." Karin interrupted. "Don't apologize for this. Don't apologize for being in love."
"What? But you two-"
"It's okay Naruto!" Sakura said, standing up. She walked over to the blond and pulled him into a hug. Sasuke watched, raising an eyebrow, watching closely.
"It's okay Naruto. I should be the one to say sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like I did. It was immature and selfish. I'm happy for you two. I should have seen it coming, anyway." She pulled away.
"Should have known? What! How come everyone knew except the two of us?" Naruto yelled, and Sasuke shook his head.
"Because you're an idiot!" Sakura teased, feeling a little better.
"Yeah. I haven't even know you two as long as Sakura and I could tell!" Karin replied.
"Hn." Sasuke replied, getting a bit of a headache. All he wanted to do was go home.
"Hey!" Naruto whined.
"Well, I hope you two will continue to be our friends, despite everything." Karin said.
"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way!" Naruto smiled.
"Come on. Let's go home." Sasuke said placing his hands on Naruto's shoulders, leading him away.
"Wait! Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called out. Sasuke turned to her.
"Yes?"
"Can we...talk to you along for a moment?" Karin said.
"It's fine Sasuke. I'll meet you back home!" Naruto smiled, reaching forward and kissing him quickly, before pulling away and running towards their apartment. Sasuke couldn't help but smile slightly.
"You!" Both girls yelled, seemingly angry.
"What?" Sasuke responded, turning to the girls, surprised by their sudden change in attitude.
"We just want to talk to you...about Naruto."
"What about him?" Sasuke asked. He couldn't fathom a guess as to what they wanted to talk about.
"We want to make it clear, that if you hurt him, you'll have a lot more than his tears to answer to. You'll have to answer to us, and it won't be very nice."
XOXOXOXOXO
That night, Naruto was curled up on Sasuke's side on the couch. They were watching a movie together.
Sasuke wasn't really paying attention to the movie. Instead, he was thinking about what the girls had said to him early. They had basically threatened him. If he hurt Naruto in anyway, they'd be after Sasuke.
"Naruto," Sasuke whispered. The blond turned to him.
"Yeah?"
'Have you even told him that you love him?' Karin asked.
'Yes, at the restaurant.' Sasuke replied.
'That doesn't count! You were telling us! Tell him you love him Sasuke. Make sure you do it. And we'll know whether you do it or not!'
"I love you." Sasuke said, leaning forward and capturing Naruto's lips. He pulled at his bottom lip with his teeth, sucking on it gently. Naruto moaned in response and pressed harder. He let his tongue dance around with Sasuke's.
Sasuke pushed him down onto the couch, so he was laying on top of him. He broke the kiss so he could remove his shirt. Once gone, he reached forward and pulled at Naruto's. The blond raised his arms so Sasuke could remove his shirt.
"I love you." Sasuke whispered again, attacking Naruto's neck with kisses and nibbles. Naruto shivered in response, enjoying the sensation of what Sasuke was doing to him. They hadn't really done anything further than kissing before.
"I love you too." Naruto whispered back. He ran his hands down Sasuke's chest, letting his fingers play with his nipples, hardening them, before traveling lower, until he met the waistline of Sasuke's pants. Slowly, Naruto unbuttoned and unzipped Sasuke's pants. He reached inside and grasped Sasuke erection, stroking slowly.
Sasuke moaned, thrusting into Naruto's hand.
"You're so big." Naruto whispered in amazement. Not like he was any smaller.
"You like that?" Sasuke panted, his voice slightly husky. He was slowly thrusting his hips as Naruto stroked him, going a little faster.
"Your hands feel nice." Sasuke complimented. He grasped Naruto's chin with his left hand, and gently stroked the blonds cheek with his right. He leaned forward and let his lips touch Naruto's.
The doorbell rang, causing both boys to jump slightly.
"Who the hell is ringing out bell this late at night?" Sasuke mumbled, angry that whoever it was, interrupted them. He looked down at Naruto, then at the door, and stood up. He zipped up his pants and walked over to the door, throwing it open.
"Hey Sasuke...Whoa, am I interrupting something?" Suigetsu asked, taking in Sasuke's disheveled look and unbuttoned pants. Not to mention he had no shirt on.
"Yes you are. Now what is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Oh, well I was wondering if you and Naruto wanted to go to Yaniku Q tomorrow night. With Sakura and Karin also."
"You...came here this late to ask me that?" Sasuke didn't say anything else, and slammed the door in Suigetsu's face. Sighing, he made his way back over to the couch, frowning when he realized Naruto had fallen asleep.
"Damn. You get me all worked up and fall asleep on me?" Sasuke asked, but couldn't help but be less mad when he saw how peaceful Naruto looked while he was sleeping.
"You're lucky you look so damn cute right now." He said as he carefully picked up the blond and brought him into their room. He knew Naruto would appreciate waking up in bed, instead of on the couch.
Oh Suigetsu...always interrupting things...how silly.
So I originally said this would be two chapters, but it may be three or four. I could have made it only two, but then Sakura and Karin's relationship would be rushed, and I didn't want that.
So what do you think? I may still add in a lemon, so look for a possible rating change!