Authors Notice: I want to say Thank You to all my reviewers. I really appreciate it. I'm not that big a fan of reading authors answers to reviews in the midst of stories myself so I figured I wouldn't do it. I hope you don't mind. If you do mind please say so and I will try to answer them all.

The rest of the story is dedicated to you, my dear reviewers.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I leased them…(just a joke, so please don't sue me)

Chapter 3

"Sasuke, take Naruto to the infirmary, now." Kakashi-senseis voice was trembling with barely suppressed anger. "Take a good look, Mr. Inuzuka, take a very good look at what you have done. I hope…." I don't listen to what Kakashi-sensei is talking about at the moment, I don't care what he's saying at the moment because the only thing that keeps me from jumping at Inuzuka and killing him is the fact that I have a halfconscious blond boy in my arms who needs to be taken care of NOW. I rush out of the classroom as fast as I possibly can while half carrying half dragging my dobe towards the infirmary, all the while blabbering nonsense, incoherent words falling out of my mouth to keep my little blond dobe from loosing consciousness completely. We are halfway there when my foggy mind registers him speaking, his voice so faint I can barely make out the words.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why give me hope and then take it away again? Why?" I swallow. Hard. The lump in my throat is almost choking me.

"Don't worry, dobe. I won't take it away this time. I'll never take it away again. I promise." I smile at him, hoping it looks reassuring but his blue eyes are glazed, he doesn't register it. He's almost passed out. I don't even know if he had understood what I have said but then he talks again, voice faint and shaky.

"I wish I could believe you…" Then his head rolls to the side. But we're there. We reached the infirmary. I knock at the door. Feverishly, like a maniac. Shizune, the school nurse, opens. "What's this ruck- Oh my god, Naruto, what have they done to you? Bring him in. Quick."

She ushers me in and tells me to lay him on the couch. Then she swishes through the room, fetching what she needs. I watch her. Shizune, the school nurse. She's a pro. And she likes the dobe. Probably because he's a regular visitor. The first thing she does is disinfecting the laceration on my dobes forehead, then stapling it and putting a band-aid on it. Next thing is his left arm. Thank god it's not broken. It's only sprained and has a contusion to beat. She smears a huge amount of healing ointment on it and wraps bandages around the arm. Now she looks at his pupils, using her small fancy flashlight, murmuring something about a light brain concussion.

My dobe's still out cold. But he was lucky. Very lucky. It could've been much worse. I startle out of my thoughts. Shizune is looking at me. No, she's glaring at me. Not that I blame her. The blond was here often enough due to my ministrations. And she knows that. I can read it in her glare. She opens her mouth, clearly to give me a piece of her mind when her phone rings. Phew, good god, I was just saved by the phone. The nurse mumbles some very rude words under her breath and goes to answer whomever is calling. When she's done she comes back to me, still glaring.

"I have to go to the soccer field. One of the girls got injured. You stay here and watch him. When he wakes up, give him one of those painkillers over there. He will need one for his head. And don't you dare hurting him or I swear, when I'm through with you, you will wish you would've never been born!" I stare at her wide eyed, very surprised by the fact that I'm getting death threats from our kind and polite school nurse. I only shake my head an affirmative. She nods and swishes out of the infirmary, leaving me alone with my dobe. Right now I don't take the time to ponder about why I'm starting to refer to him as my dobe now because the medicinal couch he is currently lying on looks awfully uncomfortable. So I search around for pillows or blankets. A few minutes later I still haven't found a pillow but at least now I have a warm blanket. I lay it very carefully over my sleeping dobe – Hn, again? – then sit at his side with my back leaning against the wall and let his head rest in my lap. At least it's more comfortable than the blank couch. He shifts a bit and mumbles. Good, he isn't unconscious anymore, he's sleeping now. I close my eyes and let one of my hands rest on his head, toying idly with a few strands of his hair, finally able to think about nothing for a few minutes.

(Narutos POV)

Ouch, my head hurts like hell. Huh, where am I? I must've fallen asleep. Should get up. But it's just so comfortable lying here under this blanket and on this soft pillow. Anyway, if I decide to get up now I'm afraid my head's gonna explode. Mhh, I recognize the smell. I'm in the infirmary. Yeah, I remember. Uchiha brought me here after that asshole Inuzuka tried to kill me. I hate him.

What's this feeling on my head? Someone's caressing my hair. It feels kinda neat. Soothing. No, no, I get nervous. This can't be. It's not soothing. It… it… I know what's coming next. The hand will just start pulling my hair, I know, any second now it's forming a fist to strike me on the head, no, no, no…

"AAAAH!" I raise up jerkily, heart raising, eyes wide open and my head throbbing awfully. Panting heavily, I'm staring into the eyes of a very bewildered looking Sasuke Uchiha. Oh no, it's him, what shall I do, I pissed him off, he's -

"Hey, you okay?" - asking me if I'm okay???? I must be hallucinaiwhatever, seeing things. He looks concerned now??? Just as I open my mouth to answer him another painful throb that threatens to split my brain blasts through my head. I let out a groan, squeazing my eyes shut, clutching my head with my right hand since my left arm feels just as bad as my skull.

"Oh shit, right." I can feel his weight shifting on the couch. I'm too afraid of what he might be doing or planning to open my eyes so I just stay in my position on my knees and wait for the inevitable to happen. His weight shifts again. I tense up.

"Dobe. Open your eyes, will you?" The gentleness in his voice is surprising me so, slowly, I force my right eye to open. All I can see is a blue pill in front of my nose, sitting between his thumb and index finger. My left eye opens all by itself and I stare at the pill, dumbfounded.

"Take it. It's for the headache." What, he's smiling now? Have I fallen into an alternative universe where Uchihas are kind? Still dumbfounded I lean forward and take the pill between my teeth, my lips brushing lightly against his fingertips. OH SHIT!!! What have I done now? Stupid! Stupid! Now he will think I'm gay and I hit on him and he will beat me up and tell the whole school and –

"Drink this. It will make the swallowing easier." - give me a frigging cup of water to drink???? His index finger that was firmly placed around the cup suddenly points at my face and before I can react it pokes at the pill, forcing it into my mouth. I'm way to baffled now by his strange actions so when he puts the cup on my lips to actually give me to drink himself I let him. And he is careful about it. He doesn't drown me. Not even my chin is getting wet. While he places the now empty cup back on the table all I am capable of at this moment is to stare at him in disbelief.

"You should sleep some more." He pats on his left thigh so as to invite me. I look from his face to his thigh. Oh. There are some of my hairs on it, clearly visible on his black jeans. So that was the soft pillow? Well, I'm much to afraid of him to disobey him anyway plus he is acting strangely all of a sudden so I scuffle over to him on my knees and lay down. Very slowly and carefully. Never trust a smiling Uchiha! When my head is on his lap again I shuffle a bit to make myself more comfortable, then let out a small sigh. But when I feel his hand reaching for my head, I tense up. He feels it, too and withdraws his hand, mumbling something like sorry in the process. Suddenly I have the urge to tell him why.

"You know," I whisper softly, "when my parents died, I was put into an orphanage. I can't remember my time there and it was only for a few weeks until they found my uncle. My last living relative. He was-is an alcoholic and he didn't want me. They forced me on him anyway. He didn't love me and he showed it. He didn't hit me or anything, even when he was drunk, no, it was worse. He didn't talk to me, he never hugged me, he never comforted me. He ignored me. Sure, he gave me shelter, he fed me and gave me clothes but other than that, he acted like I wasn't there.

When I came to the kindergarden I didn't know how to interact with people, so I watched. I thought when I watched what other people where doing and saying and then try it for myself that I could get a friend. That's what I thought. I guess I overacted. I was too loud, too happy and I was annoying everybody. At least that was what they always told me. So they ignored me, too.

Then, in Elementary school, I wasn't ignored anymore. That's when you entered my life. You and Inuzuka. You were one of the first people ever to touch me. And when you did, it hurt. And that's how it was ever since. Every day of my life. You touched me and it hurt me. Inuzuka touched me and it hurt me. All your fans touched me and it hurt me. Either that or they ignored me and didn't touch me. For me, a touch means pain will come. It means another day has come where I regret I was ever born." I sigh. Tears are running down the cheeks I hate so much.

"Why do you hate me? Why do you and Inuzuka hate me so much? What's the reason? Ever since the second day of Elementary. But why? It can't be because of that incident. So why?"

Flashback

Naruto was nervous and excited. His second day of Elementary School. First day was waaaay too short to find new friends but lunch break today seemed perfect. In his left hand he had his lunchbag, in his right he was carrying a glass with about two fingers of orange juice left. Well, he had been thirsty, after all.

The little blond boy was standing between to tables, deciding who looked nice enough to sit down next to and talk to. That's when he heard a voice.

"Hey you! Blond one!" Naruto looked up and saw an older boy smiling at him from further down. "Can you read that watch of yours?"

"Sure." he said with a proud smile on his cute little face.

"Well then, tell me the time."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." His smile turned somewhat sheepish. Then he flicked his right wrist to take a look.

SPLASH

"Hey, what was that for, asshole!" A black haired boy around Narutos age stood up. He was very angry and had a big wet spot on his shirt. His hair was wet, too.

"So-sorry. I didn't mean to. It was an accident." Naruto backed away slowly. Then another boy stood up. His hair was brown and he looked just as pissed as the black haired one.

"Yeah, right. Hey Kiba, let's give this looser something to be really sorry for."

It had been the first time Naruto had met Kiba Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha.

I stop talking because I can feel Sasukes left thigh twitching. Actually I can feel his whole body rocking. Sobs can be heard. Huh? Is he crying? Before I can ask him he jumps up and runs out of the infirmary. I get up on my knees again and look at the open door. Shizune stands at the doorway and looks equally baffled. Opposite her is a boy I recognize as one of Sasukes friends. I don't know his name though.

"Oh man. What a drag. Here, would you please give this bag to Uzumaki? I think I have a friend who's in need of a therapy session right now. And don't worry, pampering with Uzumakis stuff would've been just too troublesome." With these words he turns away and goes after his friend.

Right now I feel a bit dizzy, I think the pill is kicking in. Wow, this stuff is evil shit. Shizune just looks at me and sighs.

"Seems like I'll be giving you a ride home, brat."

I've just stopped crying. Right now I'm sending death glares at one of the most disgusting sights I've ever laid my eyes on. My reflection in the mirror. I can hear the bathroom door open. I know who it is.

"What happened?" I turn my head to Shika who is leaning against the wall, arms crossed and looking at nothing in particular. I snort, than turn back to send more death glares at myself.

"Nothing. Just had an epiphany."

"About what?"

"That I'm a cruel mean heartless lifedestroying bastard of a bully."

"So you just realised the absolute absurdity of the reason why you have chosen to make his life a living hell." I can feel bile rising up my throat at this statement. I force it back down.

"I'm so in disgust of myself at this moment." I look at Shika again. "Why haven't you ever told me?" He laughs at this statement, although very humourless.

"If I had told you four years ago that you hate him because he spilt some orange juice on you in Elementary School, would you have listened to me?"

"No."

"If I had told you three years ago that you hate him because he spilt some orange juice on you in Elementary School, would you have listened to me?"

"No."

"If I had told you two ye-"

"OKAY OKAY! I get the point."

"There are some things one has to realize for oneself. These things just can't be explained."

"How can you bear being my friend?" At this statement Shika laughs again, heartily this time. He comes over to me and starts poking me in the chest.

"Because I know that deep inside this cruel mean heartless lifedestroying bastard of a bully is

a small little Itachi that desperately wants to get into the light." I laugh at his comment. Shika made me laugh again. I desperately want to hug him for it but this Uchiha just doesn't hug. Shikas face gets earnest again and he retreats back to his place at the wall.

"You know that you are utterly and totally in love with him." I'm WHAT now? I look at him, absolutely flabbergasted.

"And how did you come to this incredible deduction?" I know that Shika knows that I am gay, I mean, I told him a year ago but this statement is a bit random. He sighs.

"Come to think about it. For the past two weeks you used practically every minute of your spare time in class to stare at him – and not your usual death glares, by the way – you haven't beaten him up once since the school year started and you protected him from Kiba. Thrice. A thing you would've never done if you wouldn't feel something for your dobe."

"I didn't protect him the first two weeks."

"There was no need. Kiba and his football chaps weren't here the first two weeks because of an Interstate tournament. And since you, the number one idol of this school, didn't seem interested in beating him up anymore, all your fans and admirers felt inclined to leave him alone as well. And I personally don't think that Uzumaki was terribly down because of the few pranks that were targeted at him. For him it must have felt more like two more weeks of summer break."

The more I think about what Shika's saying the more I know he's right. I know now that I was generally concerned about his well-being, I know now that I felt happy when he seemed less depressed these past two weeks. And for the stares, ah well, I thought they were sneaky enough. I mean, look, my dobe is pretty easy on the eyes. He's downright cute- phew, wait a minute, did I just think cute? Ah, what the heck, I am gay after all, so I can think what I want! He's downright cute with his mop of unruly blond hair, his big blue eyes in which you can drown in, his nose, his soft lips, even those whiskerlike scars. They make him look like a little fox, especially when he tilts his head to the side. Oh, god, I'm daydreaming about him. Like some stupid girl. Ugh.

I catch Shikas smirk. He's looking at me. He knows of what or more precisely of whom I was thinking about a moment ago.

"I can even tell you the exact day you fell for him." I look at him sceptically, eyebrows raised. He chooses to ignore my look and just keeps on talking.

"Remember Wednesday of our first week of summer break? We were at the Mall, in that little Café you like so much. You had a latte macchiato and my mothers son had an ice water. We were sitting inside because you didn't want any of your fan girls seeing you. At one point I was talking to you but you didn't pay attention. You were staring very intently out of the window. So I followed your gaze and whom did I see? Non other than little Naruto Uzumaki, licking on a chocolate ice cone. He had on a black baggy T-Shirt, some orange shorts that went past his knees and light blue flip-flops. He was standing near a security guard and he was, if I may say so, very oblivious to the effect he had on you. Do you remember now?" He said that last sentence with a very innocent voice and a huge smirk on his face. Yeah, I remember that day clearly. I had to jack off as soon as I got home. It was very urgent.

"But why should that be the exact date?"

"Because the day before was the last day you hurt him."

I let this last statement sink in. I never knew, I never knew. My brain's doing about a thousand back flips per second at this very moment. How come I never realised it? How come I never thought about it before? I let out a sigh and sit down on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. How come I needed a friend to spell it out for me? How come I said this last sentence out loud?

"You know Sasuke, stuffing up all those feelings and emotions inside of you and hiding them from yourself is an awfully time-consuming activity. And as pointless as it can get."

"This is just too much input for today. I think I'll just crawl into my bed and wish myself to die." I sigh.

"Haaaay, trust your old friend Shikamaru. I have just the right thing to cheer you up again."

"That is?"

"Uzumakis home address. I put a-" He isn't able to complete his sentence because this time I REALLY hug him.

TBC

Me: Phew. Chapter done. I don't know why but this chapy was really hard for me to write. Especially the Naruto POV part. It made me feel like an arse writing it.

Shikamaru: You at least let me look like a really good guy in here. With ESP.

Me: No ESP. Only a very good perception, a high IQ and near perfect logical thinking.

Shikamaru: Man, that was some sweet talking. So please review this.

Authors Notice: I feel the urge to explain something. You, my venerable readers, might be a little confused as to why something as trivial as some spilt orange juice can be the reason for such cruel behaviour. Believe me, it can. I used to be the looser and the victim of some really fierce mobbing at my school for some equally stupid reason. What was it? Oh yeah, it was because my brother hated the fact that he had to go to a school he didn't want to attend in the first place and that he even had to be in the same class as me. So he transferred his frustration and hatred towards me and made my life a living hell. Soon everybody else followed his example. But we're fine now. We love each other and he's one of my best friends. And he's generally concerned about my well-being. So you see, any reason can lead to such horrible abuse.