Wooo! Kay, so, since I've gotten some reviews and pleas for updates, I've decided to be nice and add in the third chapter. Also since I have nothing better to do.. ish dying of boredom So, without furthur ado, here is chaaaaapter threeee!!

Disclaimer: You know, I think the purpose of these disclaimers is, not to give credit to the legal owners of the basis of our fanfictions, but to make us feel AGONY and suffering every time it forces us to remind ourselves that we DON'T own the original!! AAAARGH!! ahem I'm okay. Oh and btw, I don't own Naruto. angry mumbling

Previously in chapter two…

Naruto looked at Sasuke and flushed, ending up looking straight into his dark onyx eyes. "Haha, guess I'd better, ya know, be off too…" he gave Sasuke a funny look, hesitated a bit and then jumped away. He knew Sasuke was thinking about asking him questions now that they both still had the truth jutsu on them and were under no surveillance.

"Oh no, dobe… you're not getting away from me that easily," the dark-haired ninja muttered. This jutsu was turning out to be perfect for his curiosity to carry out.

CHAPTER THREE

Sasuke jump-started his sprint, copying his friend and catching up to him in a matter of seconds. Naruto flinched as Sasuke fell in step with him.

"What the heck do you want, Sasuke-teme?!" the blond demanded, picking up his speed. The faster he got to his house, the quicker Sasuke would be locked out and the quicker he could fill his body with the best sustenance around; MISO RAMEN!

Forced to answer nothing but the truth, lest the unspeakable maim him, Sasuke replied to this, "If you expect me to ignore what you said today dobe, you're more stupid than I imagined. I want some answers." He also increased his pace to match with Naruto's quickening one.

Naruto growled out his frustration with the boy. "There's nothing to know! You already know that it's been one and a half years! Stop screwing with me!" He grimaced and another blush bloomed on his cheeks at his choice of words. Imagery could be a very cruel thing sometimes…

"Oh, you wish." Sasuke, even though not usual, inadvertently blushed at the repeated fact, thinking again about how long his most valued companion had seem him as more than just a companion. This got Sasuke trying to analyze if there had been any different behaviour from his friend during the last one and a half years. Sasuke could in fact recall a few weird moments, now that he thought back on it. There certainly was now an explanation for the increased trips to the hot spring baths the two had indulged themselves in. Ooh, now it was all hitting the dimmed light bulb in the Uchiha's mind.

"I thought that you would have said Sakura for your answer," Sasuke wondered aloud.

Naruto spluttered, "That was what, two years ago now? Oh right, you wouldn't have known my feelings for her hand changed, would you?" The blond instantly regretted his last sentence. Sasuke's return from Orochimaru had always been, and would forever be, a very tender subject of discussion. Quickly changing the dangerous direction of the conversation, he added, "So, you thought wrong."

The avenger had sensed the boy's regret so therefore decided to stick to the topic at hand, and plowed into his original plan of reaping the benefits of the jutsu. If he actually thought about it, he might have realized that he was getting a bit obsessed with obtaining answers, but he really had nothing to lose, or better to do for that matter. And seeing his friend get so worked up and flustered was proving to be entertaining; he hardly got to see this side of Naruto. No, such thoughts were not cynical at all! No surrey. Sasuke was just about to ask another question, to further torment the boy, but then he noticed that they had stopped. They were now standing in front of an apartment building. Naruto stepped ahead of Sasuke.

"So sorry, but your stupid questioning ends here, Sasuke," the blond said roughly, his head dropped and not meeting the other boy's eyes. Sasuke could see that his friend looked a bit hurt… but, the boy should have known that he was only teasing him…

Naruto turned his back to Sasuke and went into his pocket, pulling out his silver house key. Sasuke observed in silence as he entered the key into its slot, and as it turned half-way counterclockwise. A small click sounded off, identifying a match and that the door had been unlocked successfully.

"Good job, dobe. You got the right key this time," he said lowly so as to not disrupt the quite atmosphere. Naruto turned and stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, who then rolled his eyes at the childish gesture. Naruto twisted the door handle and pushed, opening it. He hesitated upon entering, his back remaining faced to Sasuke. He almost laughed when the irony of his current cliché of a situation was slapped in his face; Sasuke and him waiting outside the door to his apartment, waiting to go their separate ways. Practically seemed like the ending of a nice date.

On any other day, Naruto most likely would have played the role of the good host and had invited and Sasuke in, his guest, inside for a bit or, on rarer occasions, even to stay the night. But that wouldn't be happening this evening; this was different. His dark-haired companion might not be able to understand exactly why, but Naruto knew he was certainly opposed to more teasing.

"Naruto," came Sasuke's calm voice from behind him. Naruto's head turned slightly toward the familiar voice, his ears unconsciously perking up at the comforting sound. "Do you want me to come in?" he asked, knowing already what the answer would be. It was for his own good anyways, that he had asked, Sasuke figured. He knew that Naruto wouldn't suck up his own damaged pride to ask him in himself.

Sasuke watched Naruto's posture fall. Naruto was thinking; he would surely have to either murder his sensei or kiss him for the answer he was forced to reply. "N… yes…" he whispered, defeated yet again by the bonding jutsu.

The Uchiha stepped forward, and, before he was able to get too close to the boy, Naruto slipped inside the building. He removed his shoes before turning on a few dim lights, and then entered the kitchen. Sasuke followed suit.

"Do you want anything?" Naruto asked politely.

Sasuke sat down at the table in the center of the kitchen. "What? That was a really stupid question to ask! Way too broad," came the irritated reply.

Naruto blinked and grimaced, realizing his mistake. "Ah, I meant, ya know, food-wise. Sorry…heh," he said, apologizing and scratching the back of his neck.

Sasuke sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Too late now," he said, annoyed, and then proceeded to answer the extremely bothersome question. "Yes. I want to kill Itachi, and I want a glass of water. I want… strangely I want to lie down on your couch and I…" he stopped, his eyes suddenly going wide and a faint blush decorating his cheeks. Naruto paused in making the instant noodles to look over at his friend. Seeing the blush on his pale cheeks make his own cheeks flare up.

"Go on…"

'This jutsu must know what I desire even without me knowing it myself…" Sasuke thought, getting more aggravated with the jutsu by the minute. "I want to know what it would be like to see you in the same way that you see me," Sasuke finished in a low voice, humiliated at having to express his innermost thoughts. So inner that he didn't even know he was even capable of thinking them.

As calmly as he could manage, Naruto turned back to preparing his and Sasuke's meals. It was hard though, his hands were shaking and his vision was unfocused. "See how it feels? To be pried open by the jutsu?"

"Hn…" came Sasuke's reply. He looked at his friend's black and orange clad back, watching the clothing shift as the food was prepared.

Naruto took the seat across from Sasuke at the table, giving them each a bowl of instant ramen and a glass of water. Silence hung over them as they ate, each mind full with its own thoughts.

The blonde's eyes met Sasuke's, Naruto pondering his next question. His next move. It would be very daring to ask it, and the answer hr was most likely to receive would crush his hopes. But, to move on, he had to make that risk. To take the chance. However, his companion also had a question for Naruto, as he beat him to it. Inside, Naruto was relieved that he could put off projecting his doomsday question for the time being.

"Why exactly do you like me? As in, more than just friendly affection?" he asked clearly, making sure to be specific this time. He had to know. Maybe then, with the answer, Sasuke could analyze the situation and see where Naruto was coming from, in greater detail.

A blush crept across Naruto's tan cheeks. He broke eye-contact with Sasuke, suddenly growing shy. "That's easy… you're an amazing ninja," he said. He looked back up to see a smirk playing on Sasuke's face. "Geez! I knew you'd ask such a question to boost your already fat ego!"

Sasuke laughed and shook his head. He made a sweeping gesture of his arm, encouraging his friend to continue with his answer.

Naruto pushed his bottom lip out in a pout. "Hmph. Well, it's obvious that even you know you're not ugly because of the mob of fangirls that follow you everywhere…"

"And have you been added to that mob?" Sasuke said, barely containing the amusement from his voice. He ducked to dodge the metal fork that flew his way.

"So I think you're attractive. I mean, I also think Sakura is pretty… but… I don't know what it is, there's just something about you that makes you seem more appealing."

"Maybe it's because I'm not annoying?"

"Oh, no, you're definitely annoying," Naruto said, smirking. Sasuke glared. "Anyways, I suppose it's also because you're my closest friend…" Naruto finished, looking back at the boy, preparing for any reaction. The Uchiha nodded at the truth in his words.

Sasuke's attention drifted off and he looked to the side. A year and a half… what had been happening in his life a year and a half ago? Ah. That's right. That was about the time that Naruto, Sakura and the ninja named Sai had met up with him, after almost three years of hard separation. They were so desperately determined to snatch him, rescue him, from the evil grasp of Orochimaru, and return back to Konoha with him safely. Sasuke remembered the powerful look on Naruto's face when he had looked down at him from atop the plateau. It was all making more sense now. At that time, the Uchiha hadn't really understood why his old teammates and friends had tried to so hard for him. His mind, that had once been new to the bonds of friendship, brotherhood and love, had been smothered and clouded over by Orochimaru and his damned cursed seal, poisoned by the need for power. Power that he was willing to kill his best friend for. Sasuke's need for this power and strength had been so overwhelming that it had drowned out the need for almost anything else. But when he had seen his old friends return for him, endangering their lives by infiltrating the snake's lair, and even after all the grief that he had caused them and still needing Sasuke to the point of tears, ha had realized that he was being quite foolish. His friends had needed him, and he had needed them. All along.

Sasuke looked back to Naruto and game him a small smile. "I take it you realized all of this on that day, right?" he asked, knowing he would, of all people, understand.

Naruto returned the smile. "Yeah… when I saw you up there, with those ridiculous clothes on, I felt something. I realized the feelings I had for you have moved on from brotherly to… to love."

They both let that word hand in the air. It had hit a hard and rusted string in Sasuke's heart. When, long ago, Sakura had expressed her undying love for him before he had abandoned Konoha, he had felt nothing like what she had; only border-line friendship and respect. But now the confession was coming from Naruto, his most valued comrade and friend.

Naruto blushed and laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck in habit. "Well that was lame! Sorry bout that…"

"Idiot, why are you apologizing?" Sasuke wondered aloud, forgetting about the truth jutsu and asking out of sincere curiousity.

The boy shrugged. "You're probably really freaked out by all of this, is all," he said, somewhat strained. He took a sip of his water, looking away.

Sasuke considered that statement and knew the answer immediately. "Not really. And I wanted to know anyways. I barraged you with personal questions, knowing full well you had no choice but to answer truthfully."

"Speaking of questions… can I… can I ask you one?" Naruto glanced up, his face a heated red.

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, you may ask me another question, if that wasn't the only one," he replied, smirking.

The blonde rolled his eyes and nodded. He gathered up his quickly escaping courage and, in a speedy move only a shinobi could do, leaned all the way across the small table, his face about three inches from Sasuke's. The affronted boy jumped a bit at the eye-blinkingly fast movement. He prepared himself for Naruto's question, as Naruto prepared himself to ask it. "Can… can I kiss you?" came the question, the boy's eyes displaying his desire for the pale boy sitting in front of him, so close to his face. He saw Sasuke's own eyes widen slightly and felt the heat radiate off his pale face with his blush.

laughs maniacally Oh gee golly, how mean am I? Sorry bout the cliff-hanger!! Review to read the next (and most likely final) chapter!!