Thank You…

Author's note the first: Actually I'm supposed to write a thousand other things, but this is what my fingers wrote despite me having to do all those other things. Sorry! xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Too bad…

Chapter 4 – …For the Second Chance

A SasuNaru fanfic

"Life is a funny, funny thing."

"Hu?" Naruto lifted his head from his folded arms and shot a confused look at the person standing next to his seat in the cafeteria.

He hadn't paid any attention to his surroundings, had instead relived the happenings of the last weekend. The breakdown, the relief, the date, the kiss, the promise of a second date, another kiss when Sasuke had taken Naruto home, the playful banter the boys had found themselves in at school, the text messages they sent each other after school. All in all it had been a great week; up until this Friday, that was quickly going down the drains.

"Yeah, you see, no one liked you around here when we first started school. Then you found some poor idiots who at least pretended to like you and now it only took one act by me to make them hate you again." Ino sounded pretty proud of the misery she had put the blond in.

Not that she knew what good had come out of her desperate attempt to gain Sasuke's attention.

"Too funny, right," Naruto mumbled and didn't bother to pay the blonde girl any attention. It was too much of a nuisance to listen to her anyway.

"Don't you dare ignoring me, Firebug," Ino spoke up, gaining not necessarily Sasuke's attention (since he wasn't even in the cafeteria) but the attention of everyone gathered in the big room. "You can't cheat on me with some filthy whore and then expect me not to be mad at you! You hurt me, you know? You hurt me and my feelings! I trusted you, I might even have loved you!"

The audience grew by the second – it didn't take much to entertain a teenage crowd, after all. Some were whistling and egging Ino on, interested in the story she told; more like, screamed, for everyone to hear. "You were a terrible boyfriend! I thought you'd love me enough to stop the beating, wanted to help you out of your own misery, but you never let me!"

Naruto could take a lot of Ino's accusations, knowing they weren't true and knowing that Sasuke knew so, as well. The thoughts of the raven had helped Naruto a great deal those last days, knowing the feel of his lips on Naruto's, their tongues tangling and their bodies brushing, but what Ino did know was too much for Naruto to take.

"Ino, shut up," he said in a calm voice, barely audible over the whooping of their audience, so Ino was the only one to hear him.

"You want me to shut up? What will you do, punch me again? Beat me up and make me say I fell down some stairs? We're not at your house, Naruto. People will see you abusing me, asshole!"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto jumped up from his seat, hand fisted at his sides, his eyes darting left and right for an opening to escape. "You know nothing about me, Ino! We never were an item, never will be, and I really don't know what you think you can gain by this game you are playing-"

"It's not a game, you know that! I finally stand up to tell the truth!" Looking around Ino seemed to glow inwards. All eyes were set on them, ears listening attentively not to miss a single word spoken. She could already see the rumor mills working, spreading the terrible things Naruto had done to her in their secret relationship.

"The truth?" There it was again, the word anyone around him seemed to give a shit about. The blond boy felt his heart rate pick up and his face heating with the flush he desperately fought. He wouldn't break down in school, wouldn't give them anything to badmouth him again.

But no matter how much he fought for his composure, he couldn't stop some tears from spilling over. "You have no idea about the truth, Ino. Not even the slightest idea of what the truth is, what it even means," he whispered, his eyes darting back and forth. There had to be an opening somewhere, a gap between the crowded students.

"Just because you can stand me telling all your friends about it doesn't mean I don't know the truth, Firebug."

Naruto was trembling by now, his shoulders shaking with tension, his breath coming fast and shallow. Dots danced in his sight and he could hear his blood rushing through his veins over Ino's accusations. False accusations at that, and the familiar feeling of nausea and threatening unconsciousness overcame him.

Without any warning he darted forwards, making some fellow students dash backwards to make room for him. He didn't know if they were afraid he would attack them or something, he just needed to get out of here.

When he reached the door, desperately evading gripping hands that wanted to stop him, he came across Sasuke who just entered the cafeteria. He threw a surprised glance at the panicking blond pressing past him with tears on his face and a haunted look in his eyes.

But Naruto didn't stop; didn't stop before he reached his bike, mounted it and drove away from everything – Ino's accusations, her lies, the crowd's screams and grabs. All he could think of was getting away from everything, to find his truth again.

Sasuke took the scene in that played out in front of him. Ino stood in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by girls and boys alike; some where patting her shoulders, others were talking about what had happened just minutes ago.

Ino's teary eyes searched for Sasuke's, trying to convince him she had been hurt badly by whatever Naruto might have said or done to her. Sasuke only Hn'ed and turned around, disgusted by the display of desperation on Ino's part.

Standing in the door he turned around once more and addressed the fake crying girl, clearly audible for everyone bothering to listen to the raven haired Uchiha – what included the complete crowd in the room. "You're pathetic, Ino. You know that, right? I once tried to be polite with you and your fans here – I won't do so anymore. You disgust me; you all do."

The door swung closed behind him again and muted the rising voices he left behind. Now he needed to find-

"Sasuke!" Ino's voice cut through the low mumbling of the students filling the school's corridors, once again gaining all the attention she obviously craved so much. "You don't understand! Some horrible things were done when we-"

"Don't bother, Ino, I know already." The ice in his voice could have shock frosted boiling water, but he didn't care. This gossip loving pig in front him didn't deserve anything else, and he wanted the other pupils to see the wrong in Ino. He didn't know where his sudden urge to protect Naruto came from, didn't know why he stepped in for the other boy for everyone to see, but he did now it was the right thing to do.

"Actually there are several things I know about your relationship. I know that there wasn't any relationship between you and Naruto, at all. And I know that I pity the guy who falls for you and your antics; if there actually will be anyone dumb enough to give a shit about what you say, that is!"

Usually Sasuke wasn't one for crude language; he tried not to let things get to him enough to change his air of being inapproachable. But the blonde got to him, because she did horrible things to his blond.

"Sasuke, I-"

"I. don't. care. Ino!" Sasuke interrupted. "I don't care. Whatever you want to say to me – forget it. And if I ever see you again anywhere near Naruto, I'll make you regret you even know his name."

Leaving a dumbfounded Ino in his wake he rushed out of the school building, searching for the obnoxious orange of Naruto's bike on the parking lot. There was no orange, not even a bike, and he didn't know where Naruto would go in the state he was in right now.

How came it he had seen (and felt) the blond boy naked, rubbing up against his body, sharing touches, kisses even, but didn't know anything about who he was?

He knew the Uzumaki's dark past, knew what had alienated him from the school crowd, and he desperately wanted to know his present self, and right know he felt he had to know where Naruto would run to.

"Don't bother calling him," a voice behind Sasuke said just as he fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone. "He won't answer."

Sasuke turned around and came face to face with Kiba's tattooed features. "How would you know?" the Uchiha seethed.

"I know him."

"The hell you do! I haven't seen you being there for him these last few days, have you?"

"I… I know that, and I… I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know what to do and everyone believed Ino, so I thought it might be true, you know?" Kiba looked downright miserable, but not half as desperate as Naruto had been.

"So you still claim that you know him? I don't know who's more pathetic right now. You or that foulmouthed bitch."

"Actually, I think it's me who's more pathetic, and I feel bad for it. That's why I want to help you! I don't know what happened between you two, but you were acting different from before, so I guess it must have been something good and- I'm really worried about Naruto."

This wasn't the outgoing dog lover in front of Sasuke right now. Forgotten were his bubbly personality and his toothy grin. The mischief, usually glinting in his eyes, was replaced by sincerity and seriousness – he cared for his blond friend, and he knew there was only one way to reach him now.

"You don't have to believe me, Uchiha, but you will find him at the old fire department. Ever since he was old enough to go anywhere on his own, he went there to be where…

no fires didn't happen because this was the place where it had been fought against until the department closed and they built a new one in another part of town.

Naruto felt calmer whenever he sneaked into the old, locked down house. The workers had removed all the equipment of the fire fighters, but the building still stood and even the lockers in the locker room were still there, old, empty and forgotten.

Slowly stepping through the dust Naruto followed his own path to the back of the garage where the fire trucks had once stood. Now all there was left of them was a foul smell in the air and dried puddles of oil and diesel.

He ducked through a half closed door into the break room, crossed that too, and came to a halt in the room where the bunks stood, just as abandoned as he felt right now. That thought made Naruto feel even worse – he wasn't abandoned anymore, he had Sasuke. Or did he? They had said they'd go on a second date, but that had been days before and Sasuke hadn't made any second attempt in asking him out. Not that the first time had exactly been what he understood by being asked out.

A humorless laugh bubbled out of his throat, echoing through empty halls. At least his breathing had returned to normal and his heart wasn't beating a mile a minute anymore.

Turning right he saw the steps leading upstairs, right up until he opened the door at the top of the stairs and a fresh breeze welcomed him on the flat roof of the building, tousling his hair and playing with the bangs hanging in his forehead, sometimes even flying into his teary eyes. Naruto took a deep breath and stepped up to the edge of the roof.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke saw the blond figure stepping up to the edge and wondered for a short moment why nobody had bothered to install a railing up there – this was dangerous!

The wind tore the words from his lips and he wasn't sure the blond preparing to jump from the roof had heard them.

"NARUTO! STEP BACK! DON'T YOU DARE TO JUMP!" The young man on the roof didn't acknowledge his words, didn't react to his screaming and his waving. Sasuke shocked, didn't know what to do. He had to get up there, drag the idiot away from the edge and make him talk to him.

They had been fine! Naruto had been fine! They had had some sort of a date, had eaten ice together, had talked, laughed and bantered, they even had kissed! Out in the open! And Sasuke had asked Naruto out for a second date! Wasn't that enough!?

Panic-fueled steps carried him through the abandoned fire department and he was relieved to see only one single trail leading through the dusted rooms. He found the door to get on the roof and ripped the door open, inwardly afraid of what he might find.

Would Naruto still be standing on the edge, struggling with his decision? Or would he wait for Sasuke on the other side of the door, explaining what he did up here alone?

The door made way for the frantically searching raven, but his eyes weren't met with the sight of Naruto. Instead the horizon stretched along the edge of the world, separating heaven and earth in the unreachable distance. Sasuke sank down on his knees, a desperate cry tearing through his throat. He was too late to save Naruto, too late to tell him that someone cared for him and didn't believe the lies the others told about him.

Tears spilled over while the dark haired boy slowly crawled to the edge of the roof, afraid of the lifeless body he would see lying on the ground, but at the same time unable to stop himself from doing this. He had to see Naruto, had to stay with him until the end, even if their time together had been short.

Oh, the irony. He finally had found the courage to open up to someone else again, had been ready to take a risk, and now the last thing that meant something to him had been ripped out of his reach.

When Sasuke could push his head over the edge he did so with closed eyes. The abyss tore at him even with him not seeing it, and he hesitated again. Would he be strong enough to be able to stand the sight of Naruto, bleeding and broken on the ground?

"Sasuke, what-"

Sasuke's head tossed around, searching the source of the voice he longed so hard to hear. And there he stood, Naruto in all his (very much alive and very much unscathed) glory.

The raven robbed backwards, away from the edge of the roof, and rose from the ground, launching himself at the blond. "Naruto, I was so worried you jumped!"

"Why would I do that?"

"How should I know? You're the one who ran away from school like the devil was chasing you!"

"I… Well… You… ehm, hehe." The Uzumaki rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "You see, there was Ino and she said some things and you know how I can get when someone says the right things and… I didn't want to faint again, you see? I have a reputation to uphold!"

Sasuke peeled himself away from Naruto's form again and took a tentative step back, looking intently at the boy in front of him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I come here whenever I feel like everything is getting too much. I just sit here and watch the city being busy while I am up here and am very much unbusy. Join me?"

"I'd like that," Uchiha answered and followed Naruto around the small structure housing the door leading onto the roof. When he sank down next to his companion, his back resting against the wall behind him, he could see why Naruto would choose this side to watch over the city.

The view was breathtaking, seemingly endless forests and fields stretching out before them. The fire department was in the outskirts of Konoha; one of the reasons a new one had been built in the city centre.

Eventually Sasuke's breathing had returned to normal and he found himself relaxing against the wall.

"Hey, Sasuke, why exactly have you been so upset when you came here? Not that I wasn't grateful for your visit or anything…"

"I… When I arrived here I could see you standing at the edge, so I called you, but you didn't react. And when I came through that door you were gone and I thought you…"

"Oh. Sorry." Sasuke felt Naruto's arm snake around his shoulders and he couldn't help but melt into the embrace. "I wouldn't do something like that, Sasuke. I promise."

"Thank you, Naruto."

They sat there in silence and watched the sun set in the evening hours, bathing them in orange light and tinting the sky in the most beautiful colors.

"Should we head back?" Naruto asked finally.

Sasuke found the blond rise from the position he had been in, sprawled across the roof with his head laid down in Sasuke's lap. "Back? I can't see the point in returning back to school now – there won't be anybody, it's late."

"I know it's late, bastard!" Naruto grumbled, the insult expressing more affection than antipathy. "I meant home."

"Yeah, sure. And, uhm… About the date… Is it a bad time talking about that now?"

Naruto's blue eyes blinked at him in surprise. "No! Why would it?"

"I don't know. You kind of freaked out earlier, I thought you might commit suicide, we are sitting on the roof of an abandoned fire department and every second the police could come and arrest us for breaking and entering…"

"Oh, that!" Naruto laughed again, nothing in his mood reminding of his earlier drama. "That's okay! The police never come here. And the freaking out? That's why you are here, right? I think it all worked out in the end, even at the risk of sounding corny."

"You do, but that's beside the point." Sasuke cleared his throat, squared his shoulders and spoke in a rather official sounding tone. "Naruto Uzumaki, please let me ask you out to dinner tomorrow night."

The blond couldn't stop from laughing at Sasuke's antics, and the raven watched him with a pleased smirk. "Oh, you feel so smug right now, right?" Naruto chuckled. "I'm flattered by your gracious offer, Sasuke Uchiha, and I would be honored to accompany to dinner tomorrow night. I will await your carriage at 7p.m. at my estate then." Naruto completed his show with a small curtsy.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to laugh, and he bowed down. "Thank you, milady."

They linked arms and left the old building together. "7p.m. sharp, milady. I won't accept any belatedness!"

Naruto stood in front of his closet and tried to ignore the nagging voice in his head that told him he was being a girl about this date. It wasn't like Sasuke was expecting anything, right?

Okay, he might have sent him a text saying he should 'dress nice', but that was normal, right? It wasn't like Naruto didn't have anything to wear! He dressed nice, even without having people to tell him so. The bike gear incident had been an accident! And now he found himself standing in front of his closet full of clothes, not knowing what to wear. He felt like a girl.

He wanted to do this right, wanted for Sasuke to see that he was okay and the other boy didn't need to be worried about him. He wasn't suicidal, didn't even know where Sasuke had gotten that ide- Well, maybe he did know – it wasn't exactly normal to faint in his living room over some bad words and false accusations. But he had explained it, hadn't he?

A buzzing from his cell phone reminded him of the time – another thirty minutes before his bell would ring and Sasuke would await him, probably looking great in whatever he wore. And, from the looks of it, Naruto would invite him into his apartment clad in a low riding towel around his waist.

"Argh! Get a hold of yourself, Uzumaki!" Naruto closed his wardrobe, took a deep, calming breath, and opened it again. Sure hands found some dark slacks and a starched white button-down shirt Jiraiya had got him for official events and the likes. "Nice enough, Uchiha?"

Naruto surely hoped so…

6.45p.m. and Naruto was a nervous wreck. He didn't know why he was that nervous – it wasn't the first time he and the Uchiha would meet, after all.

The doorbell rang and Naruto jumped up from his couch, almost stumbling over his own feet on his way to the door which he almost ripped off its hinges. "You are early, Sa-"

"Good evening, Naruto. May I come in?" This… wasn't Sasuke. Not unless he had died his hair pink for some unknown reasons and had taken a liking to wearing skirts all of a sudden. "I didn't know we had a date, though." The pinkette stepped past Naruto and went straight into the kitchen, sitting down on the table there. "You look great, by the way. Were you going somewhere?"

"Ehm, well, yeah. I'm waiting for S-… someone to pick me up, sorry."

"Oh, no, I am sorry! I didn't know you had plans, I just wanted to, you know, apologize for my behavior these last few days since Ino said those terrible things. I… Ahm, you know, well, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be, Sakura, it's okay. But I really need you to go before my date arrives…" Naruto felt the heat creeping up his face, probably coloring it in a shining red. He needed Sakura out of his apartment before Sasuke arrived or awkwardness was sure to make an appearance.

And just like karma had waited for it the doorbell rang again. Naruto gathered all his strength not to jerk at the sound. "He's early," he mumbled to no one particular, but there was only one person to hear him anyway.

"Who is?" Sakura asked nosily, throwing curious glances at the door.

"No one!" Naruto almost screeched. "Okay, here's the plan. I will give you the key. You will stay in the kitchen and out of sight. I will leave my apartment. You will wait for fifteen minutes before you leave as well and lock up. Then you will drop the key in my mailbox and everything will be fine."

But Sakura wasn't listening anymore. She had pushed past Naruto and was already at the door, opening it for whoever had rang the bell moments ago.

"Sasuke!" she said surprised, letting the other man enter the apartment. "Hey, I didn't expect you here!"

"Neither did I," Sasuke mumbled, his eyes searching Naruto's. The blond shrugged and motioned for his guest to come into the living room.

"Well, Sakura, as you can see I'm taken for the evening, but thanks for coming by," he tried to usher the girl out again. She threw him a look that promised a lot of questions to be coming later and left the boys to their evening.

Naruto turned to his remaining guest and grinned embarrassedly. "I'm sorry for the awkwardness…"

"You look great," Sasuke answered in his serious voice, eyeing the blond up and down appreciatively.

"Eh… what?!" Taken by surprise Naruto's question came out a few octaves too high, and he slapped a hand across his mouth. "Uhm. You. Too." And he did look good! Black slacks, white shirt, tight fitting jacket, glossy shoes. Sasuke's hair looked invitingly soft and at the same time stylish, and his face. Oh his face. Naruto's breath was taken away from him.

Sasuke sent a sincere smile his way and grabbed his hand, tugging him along and out of the apartment. "Let's go, we have somewhere to be."

"Can I look?"

"Just a few more steps."

"Sasukeeeee! Let me loooook!" Naruto's whining attracted the attention of some other people around, and more than one curious look was shot their way, but Sasuke found he didn't care. Should they look! They all could see he was on a date with a gorgeous man in surprisingly sharp clothes!

"Now you can look!" Sasuke took his hands away from Naruto's eyes and awaited his reaction to the place he had chosen to house their date.

"Ehm… Well… this looks pretty… um… don't know…?"

"You don't like it? Is it… is it… don't you want to eat with… ehm… Naruto?"

"I- I don't know. Doesn't this seem a little megalomaniac to you?"

"Do you think? I thought it would be nice to have a good meal, to spend some time together, you know? Just us?"

"And some hoity-toity waiters, fancy-shmancy guests and all about everything I'm not? Sorry, Sasuke, I really want to spend time with you and I would even go in there with you – you look great, you know, like you belong here. But I don't and I'm sorry. Let's just… Go hit the arcades or something?"

Sasuke looked at his date, inwardly relieved Naruto had said all those things; the hidden compliment even made him blush a little, and he took Naruto's hand into his.

"I'm sorry I went over the top with this. I thought I could impress you with this, wanted this to be special."

"It is special as long as we do something together, Sasuke, okay? And you don't have to impress me to get into my pants, you've already been there!" A blinding smile met Sasuke and he was lost in it that very second.

He bent forwards, ignoring the people sending them shocked glares, and caught Naruto's lips with his in a short, chaste kiss. "Lead the way, milady," he smiled and let himself be dragged along the promenade to wherever Naruto thought the place wasn't too upper-class for them.

Naruto opened the top buttons of his shirt and fell in step with Sasuke next to him. "Hey, you aren't mad at me or anything, are you?"

"No, should I?"

"No, you shouldn't…" Naruto smiled and tentatively brushed his pinky against Sasuke's. Just a simple, shy touch of fingers, an invitation of some sort, to make sure the raven wasn't disappointed in Naruto for dumping his idea of a date.

But Sasuke didn't hesitate even a second. He gripped Naruto's hand softly and intertwined their fingers, swinging back and forth with their steps. "Actually, I'm kind of glad we didn't go in there. The food is great and everything – or so I've heard, but I like this better," he said, nodding at their linked hands.

"I do too!" Naruto beamed. "And I'll show you a place where the food is even better! You like ramen, right?"

Author's not the second: A new chapter, and a short one at that, but I wanted to let the bond the boys are forging to strengthen, to stand up against the obstacles put in their way. Do you think it worked? ^^

Either way, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

I want to take the opportunity and thank all you people still reading this! You are awesome!

Thanks for all the favs and the follows, I love every single one of you guys! And thanks for the comments, too! Maybe even a little more - as an author I'm supposed to live on love alone, right? So thanks for providing me with this love, all you crazy people! ;)