I AM NOT DEAD! Haha I had someone ask me if I was, and I'm not. Just…that life thing… Anyways! Two chapters left! So let's get rolling! First thank you goes to Black-Sky-Loves-Me (haha yes, Sasuke is a character that we all hate to love). Now for the rest of you! AKANEx (oh no your English was fine! And thanks for the review, I was just happy that you liked it), XxFireDance (haha I love these little comics so much! They brighten my day ), Kimi333 (haha well Sasuke can be irritating, but we wouldn't love him with Naruto unless they were opposites!), Wopsidaisy (yeah I really do have a pattern, but in the end they always turn out happy…right?), Lilibakasaru (Shikamaru is not only a genius, but knows when to let his cards show and just who to show them to), Vernon Sullivan (oh yes, Sasuke is secretly a romance vampire, so he can only show romance at night. Haha), Itooshii Koneko (haha sorry that I made you wait so long after writing such a nice review! Writers block kills me), Coffee Neurotic (yeah, nothing more embarrassing than finding out you're not as sneaky as you thought you were!), kat10788 (yup, I told her and she said thank you! And by the end of this, you may not think Sasuke is the mean one), ISpeakSquirrelSqeak (I don't like to tease you guys, it just happens sometimes!), Mystique Monique aka Mina (well that's just his job, don't be angry! And its not always Sasuke who is bad at this romance thing), perboss (it will all be answered in the end, I promise you that! Sasuke will have a reason for being the way he is), miskie27 (sorry about the wait, the writer's block is killing me. But I'm hoping to tying the picture into the end of it…trust me =) hee hee), Pebbles of the Sand (oh the man was just kind of random. And I promise this can happen, when strangers become fixated with people, because I've experienced it –shivers-), Uchiha Akimoto (the fact that you are frusterated with Sasuke's lack of emotion is kind of a compliment, since that's what I'm aiming for.), lydia-chan (yes, I know that the title of the chapter is just positively evil. But I really did warn all of you in the info!), Naomily (haha well I guess that's a good thing. I mean, I do try to make it all realistic for you guys!),smith Courtney (-blushes- aw thanks for the compliment! I don't really try, but I'm happy you find my writing cute), kunf'you'z-ed (I guess I should say be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it…), Chiru-lili (haha well all good things have to come to an end. I've been attached to this story too, so I know how you feel), Searafina (oh I'm so jealous! Living in California must be so cool!), roxxihearts (haha don't we all know it. Nothing is worse than having your heart and head fight it out), redfoxmoon (Of course he gets jealous, that is his Naruto of course =P.) , jenniebennie (haha yeah I know, half of the world would give and arm and a leg to be in Shikamaru's position), zerofangirl (you have to concentrate in school! I'll feel better when I write in the summer so I don't have to worry about everyone's school –sighs-), Kazanrai (well now you won't have to worry, because here it is!), Aiwin (yay you got the joke! –hands cookie- and yes, this chapter may not be all that it seems…mwhahaha), XMissxPepperX (haha yes I did get marriage proposals, and you were right on with your analysis! Good job!), Honey (well if that made you blush, you are going to have some problems with this chapter –grins-), Rogen-chan (complicated is the least of their worries…keep their mouths shut is their problem), kib (of course it'll blow over! I'm sure if it didn't you would all kill me… and I like my life), sakurananachan (haha well you were right on with your analysis of his fear thing…just remember that at the end of this chapter), NaruSasuNaruLover (Everyone wants to be Shikamaru…well, except Shikamaru of course!), Gold Chocolate cake (aw thank you, I'm happy you are happy! And yeah, Sasuke does have issues but he'll get over em), Dreamevil (-HUGS- you are amazing! Thank you sooo much for the nice review! That made my life!), Aachen (haha well then this chapter is probably more for your type of people who are pissed at Sasuke right now), -Nightly Halo- (legos are friggen fantastic! They are probably one my favorite child toys that I used to play with. Aw, now I want to go find some…-sighs-), asdf (I'm not going to lie…I love Sasuke and Naruto and their pairing and stuff…but my favorite character to play with is Shikamaru, because he has a surface character and then a wicked deep character…I just love him!), norway22 (now who said that it was going to be Sasuke doing the breaking? =P), fabulousfan (I am really sorry about my lack of writing! College is kicking my butt and writer's block…just don't want to disappoint you all…me and Sasuke have something in common!), UchihaSymbol (oh don't worry, I am taking forever with the chapters –sighs-), yaiohime22 (well in this story, yes Naruto will be uke…but I think there can be times where Sasuke fits better, which I will be writing eventually…just not this one), FireonIce (yeah Sasuke's character is wicked annoying at times. Especially when you're writing and trying to keep him IC during a romance scene! –sighs- so is life), Unwritten.25 (thank you very much for the nice review! The other characters…huh…well some say it's a LeeSaku, some said its NejiLee…so I'm just leaving it open to what the readers want!), Exorcist Miranda (hee hee, oh how wrong you were with that little assumption…-snickers-), Chipfest (yup, only two chapters left. Well, now one!), Chiaki Megumi (calm down, I'm sure that your review will be the exact opposite in this chapter), Dirty little rockstar (haha yeah it can be, but he's going to get a taste of how it feels to be on the other side of it), Kida-san (Yes, we all know and sort of love the Sasuke that has icicles up his ass), Eleanor Rugby 000 (aw thank you so much! I don't think it's the best, but I do try…), Disgruntled Minion (yeah I'm kind of curious how I'll end this too…I mean…don't worry it'll be good! …I hope…), a rather slytherin griffindor (good! I love when people like the minor characters, because they play important parts of the story. Like pushing the plot and helping the main characters!), KatrinaEagle (haha yeah well the sweetness kind of runs short in this one…), hollowsmile (haha well who knows. If he was, that would mean Sasuke saw him as a potential mate before their kiss and stuff!), SoulSpiritHeart (haha well thank you very much. Sometimes I look at my own work and wonder wtf Im doing too!), Jumby Joo (haha you are just too funny! And you might be surprised what this author has up her sleeve…=P), Camis (oh your English is fine, don't worry about it! And thanks for the sweet review, but you better keep up with your school work!), Mallrats2007 (Because he's Sasuke, and he has to do it in a way that fits him! Haha), robin Maxwell (well good luck to your friend! I hope that everything works out for him, I know it must be hard to go against the norm.), 7thtreasure (haha maybe you feel too much like a fangirl? Because they seem to scream that a lot!), kimi (haha Sasuke just needs a little push….-hint hint-), LuvNaruto100 (yes there is love in Verona, but what about Venice? Guess you'll just have to look and see), dragontwin99 (thanks! I'm feeling really nervous because so many people are waiting for this, and I'm not sure if I've got it right…-bites nails-), Akiru chan (I'm really sorry about the review. Your guess is on the right track, although I think people are going to be thrown off by this chapter. It will all make sense in the end!), Ashley Uchiha (haha normally heartbreak is pretty sad. But I tried not to make it as horrible as some of my other chapters…=) I tried), and Mal (Thanks! I'm trying to update fast, but life doesn't agree with me).
Warning: Lime-goodness! Oh, that little tiny itty bitty…angst…-coughs- yeah…
Disclaimer: so uh…-reads from note card Sasuchan wrote- My Sasuchan helped me with this very special scene… -drops card- aka, I did nothing but add words to the Naruto cast…-grins-
Venice, the Sinking City of Heartbreak
I woke up to an unpleasant repeat of the morning before. The only benefit was that he let me keep the sheets. I sent a quiet glance out the window, barely squinting when the sun bore into my gaze. I rubbed my eyes when I pushed up, stumbling my way through the empty room and into the open kitchen. When all I found was a silent bastard sitting at the table with no Shikamaru in sight, I cursed.
Maybe I should have stayed in bed.
"Where's Shika?" I didn't want him to see how last night's questions kept replaying in my head. I kept my gaze moving, trying to admire the plain yellow walls of the apartment we were staying in. It was a pathetic attempt to get my mind off of the scoffing boy in front of me.
"Ino called him." He paused as if remembering something important. "He said he'd meet us at the bus in an hour."
"An hour?" 'Alone with you' was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it to keep myself from speaking. Damnit what was wrong with me? Thinking about the question I almost snorted. I should have been asking what wasn't wrong with me. My life was turning into some teenage girl's drama fantasy; I was starting to go crazy, my sexual orientation had switched in one week, and I was head over heels for a stoic bastard that thought I was about as important as the gum underneath his shoe. But other than that, I guess I was pretty fine. "We're leaving pretty late today."
"We're getting home late."
"Thanks for the brilliant deduction."
"Take a shower dobe." I glared over to him quickly, automatically not liking the commanding tone he used to order me around.
"I'll take a damn shower whenever I want to take one!" I stormed back into the room we had shared and snagged some of the last clean clothes I had bothered to pack before moving through the kitchen, not looking at him when I passed. I already could feel the overconfident smirk on his lips. "That just happens to be now."
"Sure." I growled and slammed the door twice as hard as needed and threw my clothes onto the toilet cover before jerking the shower on. I grumbled throughout my stripping session, only getting angrier when I realized the bathroom door didn't have a lock. What kind of people didn't have locks on their doors?! I shoved my boxers down my legs, kicking them across the room and quickly moving into the shower. For the size of the bathroom, the shower was a small square that would barely fit two people in it. Not that I wanted to do anything! Smacking my forehead, I angled the showerhead a little to the right of my body before I started to scrub the flop of yellow I called hair.
Fun fact: Fifty-four percent of women think about exercising and household chores in the shower. Fifty-seven percent of men think about sex or work in the shower. And what do most Narutos think of? Sasukes. Uchiha Sasukes. One hundred percent of the time. I wasn't really sure if that counted as sex or work; maybe a little of both? Either way, my head continued to drift between the past two nights and the one eighty that Sasuke continued to pull every time I thought I understood him. Did he like me? If he didn't continue to attack me with his mouth and offer a spot in his bed, I'd say no. He had even said himself that there was nothing between us. I paused in my thinking before mentally rolling my eyes. No, he didn't say those exact words to me. But he kept pointing out how 'nothing changed'. Didn't that say something about his outlook on our relationship? Or rather, what it wasn't?
I banged my head against the shower wall once for even considering an intimate bond with Sasuke. He was the kid I wanted to punch just a few days ago! Six days and suddenly I couldn't keep his aggravating smirk out of my head. And of course, thinking about his smirk brought my attention to the pale soft lips I knew better than probably anyone else. As if on cue my body shivered at the memory of skill that his mouth possessed. For someone who tried to keep his distance from other people, he sure had a way with his tongue. Maybe he knew his skill and feared the fangirls finding out? I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and tried to erase the warm feeling in my chest at the same time. Why did my heart get so uncontrollable when it came to the bastard in the kitchen? And did he ever get the same unwanted feelings bubbling in the pit of his stomach? Did he even know what emotions were?
I scrubbed the shampoo out of my hair before I started to wash my sweat away. This shower was leaving too much room for unwelcomed thoughts. Dealing with the physical reactions of being around Sasuke was hard enough. I knew that I had caught myself staring at him for longer than allowed a few times throughout yesterday's exploring. Hell, I put a whole show on just to keep his attention on me. Not to mention my skin practically crawled in pleasure any time he brushed my arms with his. I leaned against the wall of the shower, closing my eyes in frustration while my body started to react. I couldn't even think of him without my dick getting overly happy. As if it would solve my problem, I glared down at my rebelling body. I bet the teme didn't react like this.
"Fuck," I whispered, hitting my head painfully against the wall. There he was, popping into my thoughts again. Blaming it on the water, I angled the steaming streams of liquid back against my skin. Watching the soap slid along my skin and down into the drain, I prayed my annoying thoughts went with it. Once I felt washed, I shut off the shower and pulled the towel from the railing to dry off while pushing past the curtain…and straight into a puddle of water. Just my luck. I sighed and stepped to the side to avoid any more water, but nearly slipped on the surface that was soaked. Grabbing the wall to steady myself, I stared in shock at the mini pool that had been created in the bathroom. "What the hell is this?!"
"What are you doing now?" I could hear Sasuke's mumbled question through the door, and a moment of panic went through me. I couldn't let Sasuke see this! That would just make him think I'm an even bigger idiot that he already assumed. I slipped my way to the other side of the room, grabbing onto the slightly damp towels that Shikamaru and Sasuke probably used for their showers. I threw the towels onto the floor, instantly realizing that a couple of towels weren't going to clean up this ocean in front of me. My feet sloshed in the water while I tried to keep my balance and pick up the submerged towels at the same time.
"Nothing! Just stay out there!" Oh, because that didn't sound suspicious. Praying that his curiosity wasn't larger than his pride, I slid over to the sink and threw the wet towels into it, starting to wring out the water as fast as I could. Of course the damn towels were paper-thin and barely held anything worth wringing out. Feeling frustrated, I threw the towel across the room and instantly regretted it. My feet betrayed me, and quickly I met the wet floor with my face. Groaning weakly, I grabbed my shoulder and winced from the pain that erupted through my skin.
"You just fell, didn't you?" I glared through the pain at the door, flopping back into the water to alleviate the pressure on my shoulder.
"Shut up." He scoffed loud enough for me to hear through the door, and I barely had enough time to push up onto my ass before I heard the door open behind me. Glancing back at him, I absentmindedly rubbed my shoulder while watching his gaze travel along the water logged room. His eyes returned to me slowly, and a sour look furrowed his eyebrows. I blinked once in confusion when he dislodged our eye contact and looked lower. What the hell was his problem? The bastard looked like I had just accused him of making this mess or something. But before I could ask, he spoke.
"You flooded the bathroom?"
"No I decided I wanted a bath," I said sarcastically, growling as his smirk grew.
"And you planned to clean it with wet towels?" I looked to where the towel laid, looking more like a piece of paper someone had crumpled up and tossed away. He must have taken my rare silence as an invitation to continue talking. "You should put some clothes on before you try and clean this mess."
"Huh?" Glancing down, I flushed at the realization that I had haphazardly threw on my towel when trying to deal with the water leakage on the floor. I hesitantly glanced up to him, shocked to find his eyes glued to the floor next to me. I opened my mouth to yell at him about the unneeded guidance, but my voice welled in my throat when I made a surprising discovery. Was Sasuke…no, there was no way. I narrowed my eyes, turning to face him. The concentrated look did nothing to disprove the fact that Sasuke's pale face was unnaturally tinted with the faintest pink ever created. Determined to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me, I pushed my hands onto the wet floor to crawl toward him. Unfortunately, my body didn't quite forget the fall as well as I did, and I hissed at the unexpected pain that shot through my shoulder.
"Try hard to not be stupid." The only way I knew Sasuke had moved was the slight sloshing of the water, and even that only gave me time to lift my head before the scowling face of Sasuke appeared inches in front of mine. He balanced perfectly on the backs of his feet, which left his head dangling a few inches above mine. Still, the proximity of his pale skin to mine was enough to hitch my breathing for a second. If he noticed he didn't comment, focusing on gliding his agile fingers against the injured shoulder. I visibly shivered when my bare skin was caressed much more intimately that I expected. "You didn't break anything."
"Yeah…" Although I wouldn't mind smashing it into the floor again if Sasuke would continue to stroke over the bare skin. I knew he could feel my muscles rippling and tensing underneath his touch, but he didn't stop the quiet 'check-up'.
"It'll be bruised tonight." When did his voice get so low? I couldn't seem to keep my eyes from falling half mast when his mumbled words made it to my ears. "You'll need ice."
"I'm not weak or nothing." My voice and words contradicted themselves, and I silently forced oxygen to move through my lungs when his scoff sent a puff of warm air along the open expanse of my neck.
"Sure you're not, dobe." It was then I realized two extremely important things. Sasuke was now kneeling in front of me, his pants quickly sucking in any water that they could. Maybe I would have made a comment about that if not for the second fact. Sasuke's soaked jeans now pressed against the bottom of my thighs, lifting my legs off the ground so only my feet rested in the water. The towel was caked to my thighs from the water, but slid slightly when Sasuke's hips reclaimed the spot between my legs. It tilted my body and I quickly pressed one of my hands behind me to steady myself. Our eye contact never broke when he leaned over me, his lips barely ghosting mine. Weakly I swallowed and parted my mouth to breathe gently into his. Neither of us moved, waiting for someone to discover our intimate scene or somehow interrupt the heavy air between us. A few seconds seemed to be long enough for our brains to haze over and forget anything outside of the makeshift pool.
I should have fought against the possessive hold that Sasuke had against my mouth. After all, wasn't he the one that continued to remind me that 'nothing has changed' with us? And yet, the sweeping of his tongue against my lip showed just how much bullshit he'd been spewing. My arm quivered behind me while I pushed his tongue with mine to try and gain back some type of control. Not that I really could, since my legs were spread on his thighs and I was already way underdressed for this occasion. Maybe he was overdressed; my mind wasn't exactly in the position to think right. I hissed a weak moan when his hips shifted, rubbing the strained towel against my sensitive arousal. His lips pulled from mine slowly, leaving me room to question his sanity. Or I should have, except my mouth was left completely dry when Sasuke's curious lips travelled along the hollow of my neck. Yeah, talking started to seem less important. My free hand curled through his hair when a particularly sensitive spot behind my ear was sucked in-between his lips.
I barely had time to wonder exactly where he had learned about the spot before his tongue pushed into play, momentarily causing my spine to arch. The movement brought our hips hard into each other, and I was sure the friction there would wear through the flimsy towel. I panted heavily through my nose while his exploration continued to switch between nips, sucks, and occasional soothing from his tongue. I continually cursed and shoved closer to the questing mouth while trying to pull my scattered thoughts together. But as soon as I would start to grasp an idea, his lips or my squirming body would shoot the information straight into the ground.
It wasn't until my back met the ice cold floor that I realized how compliant I was being. I forced my almost cemented eyelids open, instantly disliking the superior smirk that hovered over my face. Well I was going to end that quickly. Using the hand in his hair, I jerked the bastard down and clumsily latched my mouth onto his neck. I wasn't as skilled or refined as Sasuke was, but I was a quick learner. Sasuke wasn't vocal, but his body was like a map to me. I could feel the pulse race between my lips when I gently ran the tip of my tongue again it. His uncontrollable breathing would quiver or hitch if I brushed his ear with my nose. But my favorite was when I finally pulled away from my handiwork to watch his glare framed by a warm blush just under his eyes. The marks against his neck were visible, and if it wasn't for the bruising I could practically feel forming from his sucking, I might have felt bad. I drew my gaze back up to his darkening eyes and sent him a lopsided grin.
This did not bode well for me.
"He-Hey! Stop that t-teme!" I yanked his hair when his mouth acquainted itself with my chest. I barely got another tug in before his hand pried mine away and left me immobile underneath him.
"Hn." Well that statement wasn't completely true. I could squirm when he ghosted my skin and buck after an unexpected lick around my hardened nipple. He seemed to enjoy that response, because he continued to investigate the different arches and jerks my body would betray me with while examining the hardening flesh. My cock teasingly pressed against his stomach, making it impossible to ignore the pleasure I got from these stupid experiments that Sasuke deemed necessary in his head. My hair was soaked when I tilted it back at a quiet nip against my other nipple. Eyes that once seemed locked shut were now open and wide, my mouth following their path. Moans bubbled over my parted lips while he sunk lower on my body, keeping constant friction on my aching member. I thought my spine would snap when a confident lick against my bare hipbone sent my body into spasms.
"Fuck!" My hand jerked from his slacking hold to grab his shoulder. I needed to keep myself grounded. The touch made him lift his gaze to me, though I didn't notice until my body stopped thrumming with endorphins. Panting I looked down, growling when the pleasure I once had running through me turned into uncomfortable pressure. Why wasn't he moving? "What?"
"You want something." Well gee, what gave him that idea? The shivering in my body or the hard on that pressed against his chest? For a smart kid, his brain sure functioned shitty.
"Teme." I tried to make a warning growl, which turned into a pathetic whimper when his breath scorched my skin. My blunt nails dug into his shoulder, trying to silently push him to continue.
"Dobe." His hand sent my inner thigh's nerves into a frenzy when it slid along an uncharted path toward my cock. Momentarily I forgot how much of a bastard he was, which I was quickly reminded of after he swept around my center to the top of my towel. As if a consolation, his mouth brushed along the newly exposed skin of my left thigh when Sasuke undid my towel. His words quietly vibrated against the sensitive skin, almost blocking my ability to comprehend his voice. "Tell me you want to."
"Oh y-you've gotta be fucki—ah!" He didn't play fair. There had to be a rule against him knowing the weak spots of my body! Was there some kind of Naruto tutorial that I didn't know about yet? My breath sharply released from the slow mouthing against my thigh, quietly leading toward my central problem. Impatiently I lifted my hips, trying to make sure the asshole knew what I wanted. But for the first time in his life, Sasuke felt like talking.
"Tell me."
"W-why? You kn-know the a-answer!" I huffed out, trying to glare through the haze in my mind. Somehow I cleared my head enough to watch his dark gaze connect with mine. I was sure my confusion was apparent, but he didn't seem to care. Something strange flickered in his eyes, but it caught my breath anyways. The entire situation slammed into me harder than a freight train. Me and Sasuke were sprawled on the bathroom floor, both soaking wet and more aroused that I thought possible. The heavy breathing I never noticed now echoed in the room, Sasuke almost looking predatory as he lay perched over my hips. And yet despite the heavy air around us, the unknown look from before suddenly rang through my head. No wonder I couldn't make the connection before!
"Tell me you want to. If-" He paused in his own wording, and I could tell he wanted to look away. That Uchiha pride kept him from moving. "If you want this."
"I-I…" I paused and swallowed the panicking lump in my throat. "I want to." Then I nodded, to make sure he knew the truth behind my admission. Because Sasuke needed to know that he wasn't the only one who wanted this. Never before had Sasuke wanted something. He had money, girls, popularity, and anything else that most guys would kill for. And yet, by the curt nod he gave me before obliging his own wishes, I could tell how new it was to actually need something he wasn't sure he could have. The warm sensation in my stomach made the pleasure of his lips against my cock twice as good. I forgot to bite my lip as I groaned, trying to push my hips closer to his questing mouth. My legs bent around his head to try and encourage him closer. Warmth surrounded my arousal in a way that no fist could ever mirror. Not to mention it was Uchiha Sasuke's tongue sweeping against my tip. Why it mattered I wasn't sure, but I didn't want him to stop.
My hands slid against the wet floor as I tried to grasp onto reality. The sinful pleasure pulsing through my body had to be illegal. Gentle swipes along my sensitive slit had my body surging up in pleasure. I didn't even notice the feeling of his arm restraining my hips while he continued to tear me apart with bliss. Did he even realize what he was doing? I prayed quietly that he didn't, because it was too much power for his big head to take. My breathing was labored and I forced myself up onto shaking arms to watch the silent pleasure he was creating for me. Dark strands of hair swayed with the rocking of his mouth. One pale hand gripped my thigh, stroking the jerking muscles underneath the skin anytime a particular suck would shock me. Lips I had only been able to taste a couple of times now seemed content wrapping around the throbbing flesh they were now suckling. And stormy eyes lay half open, as if watching his own work on my body. The sight left my mouth dry.
"Hah…S-Sasuke…" I didn't know how to explain it without blushing, not that it could be seen under the redness from my arousal. His now lazy eyes travelled up my body to meet my gaze, as if waiting for me to speak again. When my lips failed to form words, he felt it would somehow help to languidly lick along my arousal. The motion only surged the oncoming orgasm closer to the edge. Feeling frustrated about my lack of words, I reached out and quickly pressed my palm against his forehead. "St-Stop teme! Stop I…I…"
He made some type of noise which I assumed was 'hn' before smacking my hand off of his forehead. The vibration against me momentarily stunned me, giving him time to lower his mouth back into his 'work'. I shouted something incoherent when his hands kept me still, leaving me unable to stop the onslaught of pleasure rushing straight to the edge. Surprisingly, it was a gentle suck against the tip that sent me careening over. I gasped his name in broken breaths while I jerked around, desperate to indulge in the whiteness that filled my gaze. He didn't let go of me, but gently helped milk my orgasm from my body. My body was shaking from the raw emotion I was left with when my high slowly winded down. Erratic heartbeats filled my ears when I finally realized I wasn't quite dead yet. My eyes parted to stare up at the dark brown ceiling, trying to gain control of my body again. But really, it didn't seem like I was going to be able to do that for a while.
My head slowly fell to the side when I heard the water from before shifting. Quietly I watched Sasuke move to the sink, confused about his actions until I heard the quiet gliding of his toothbrush against his teeth.
"Bastard…" He looked over to me before rolling his eyes in a natural Uchiha motion. Once he finished brushing my taste from his mouth, he turned to watch me wobbly stand up again.
"You eat too much ramen," he replied casually, as if somehow he didn't remember how he came to that conclusion. It almost made me lose my balance again. That was what he was most concerned about?! Not the fact he just gave me a blow job on the floor after all the crap he said last night?
"Teme!" But by now he had moved to the door, not bothering to spare me a glance while he opened it.
"Get dressed, we've got thirty minutes." He ordered me like a child before shutting the door behind him. I could feel the steam practically blowing through my ears while I silently thought of every way I could possibly kill him. And my anger only spiked when I realized one crucial detail.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this water…and how am I supposed to get dry?!" Make that two things. Two things that really never got answered. I spent the first fifteen minutes trying to air dry and praying that somehow, the water would evaporate while we were gone. I mean, it worked with lakes and crap to make rain. Why couldn't it work here? Once I finally did get clothes on, the bastard oh-so-conveniently showed me a mop and bucket next to the kitchen sink, which I spent that last fifteen minutes using to clean up the bathroom. I made it on the bus just in time to listen to Iruka lecture about my 'constant tardiness' and for everyone to ask what the heck I did to my marked neck. Sasuke, who just so happened to snag a black turtleneck shirt for the 'cold', seemed to also wonder how I was going to explain the marks. After a few mumbles, I came up with the excuse that I had left the window open and mosquitoes got their midnight snack from my neck. I wasn't really sure who believed it and who didn't. I could only hope for the later.
"Look at the boat!" Sakura's breath flew out in a puff of smoke while we stared at the large boat our group was getting onto. Because we were on the inland part of Italy, we had to take a boat to actually get to Venice. You could see the city from the docking area if you squinted your eyes a bit. Slowly I moved after the pink-haired girl onto the ship, almost stumbling from the rocking of the floor underneath me. Looking up, I saw the amused smile grow on Sakura's face. "You ever been on a boat before?"
"Of course I have! I'm just not used to it yet," I replied.
"Let's go to the top of the boat!" Apparently Ino didn't need time to adjust. I watched her pull Hinata toward the stairs, Kiba and Shikamaru trailing behind them. From the pale look—well, paler— look on Hinata's face, I was guessing she wasn't a fan of boats.
"You excited to go to Venice?" I shrugged and turned to look at Sakura again, both of us finding our way to the wooden benches that were bolted into the side of the boat. I watched the nosy lapping of water around the boat before speaking.
"I guess. It's pretty cold though."
"You should have worn a turtleneck." I glanced to her innocent smile, not trusting the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Like Sasuke, I mean. He probably got bit by those bugs as well."
"Yeah…we shared a room and stuff," I slowly answered. What else was I supposed to say? She watched me for a minute before laughing, probably at the embarrassed look I was presenting. I just hope everyone else passed the flush of my cheeks as a reaction to the cold.
"Those were pretty big mosquitoes you know. And I've never seen them go just after the neck." She knew. I groaned hit my head against the side of the boat.
"You say a word to anyone and I'm throwing you into the water." But my threat seemed to only amuse her more.
"So when did this happen? I thought you two were fighting?" The innocent question made me wince.
"Yeah, so did I." I looked out at the water after my grumble. The boat started to vibrate, signaling we were leaving for Venice. Pulling my coat closer to me, I breathed warmed air into my hands and rubbed them together to create heat. Quietly I looked around the boat, my gaze lingering on the conversation that Sasuke seemed to be having with Neji and Lee. It wasn't until his eyes glanced to mine that I realized I was staring. I looked up quickly, mentally scolding myself for even looking at him. But really, it was Sasuke. How could I just ignore him? Even when we hated each other, we couldn't seem to go two days without talking. I even went his house last month after he had caught the flu to make sure that he didn't croak on me. I reasoned it was because Sakura made me go, and someone needed to bring him schoolwork. And I was there already, so why not just make him some soup? I'd spend a few hours talking to him while I made sure he ate and rested. He'd never question why I stayed, and I never asked why he didn't complain about my presence.
I paused at the memory in shock. Shit. Just how long had I actually liked Sasuke? Now memories of our relationship flashed through my mind, exposing something I wasn't sure I was comfortable with. Two months ago I let him help me bandage up my ankle after an accident in gym. We spent most of Christmas vacation together. Neither of us bought gifts for the other, but we did celebrate New Year's at my house. Just like we spent thanksgiving, the only day I got to eat two dinners since Sasuke's parents offered to feed me again. Just like we spent Halloween handing out candy at my house and debating over the benefits and 'disadvantages' of the holiday. Just like…
How far back did this go? I swallowed weakly at the realization that maybe these 'feelings' didn't just started this week. Me and Sasuke consistently said we were not friends, but enemies. Well, at least I did. But really, who watches the fireworks on the Fourth of July with their true enemy? What kind of rival not only lets you into their house, but lets you raid their fridge and talk to their parents? And I had been hanging out at the Uchiha mansion for as long as I could remember. His mom was sweet and his father was pretty cool once you got past all the rough and gruff he hid behind. And it wasn't one sided either. My parents really enjoyed the bastard's quiet manner. Hell, my mom even said we balance each other out.
And now we were this. Not enemies, that's for sure. And I couldn't really recall ever getting sexual with any of my other friends. But we weren't going out or anything. Could we even get to that point? Not literally, because I had already admitted to being gay. But mentally, could we do it? Could we admit that we may be….be in…
"Kit!" My thoughts were shaken at the sharp cry from…outside the window? I blinked and looked out, laughing at the sight of Kiba hanging over the railing of the top deck and waving. I poked my head out the window, rolling my eyes.
"I'd say that I hope you fell off the boat, but you have the doggy paddle!" I shouted, smirking when he flipped me off. "Not on your best day, dog-breath."
"Like I'd ever let you near the goods! I'm too much for your rainbow ass to take." He laughed for about two seconds before Iruka appeared next to him, instantly starting to yell at him for hanging off the railing. I burst into laughter before falling back onto the bench next to Sakura.
"How close are we?"
"About five minutes." Wow, I'd been thinking way too much. I ignored the need to try and find the answers to all of my confusion by talking with Sakura, who seemed fine with chatting about the sinking city. Apparently, Shikamaru wasn't the only scholar on the trip. She spoke about how it was 'officially' created on March 25th, 421. It's barely got any crime, and there are about one hundred and fifty canals in the water-logged city. The city itself was built on over a hundred different islands, and was connected by four hundred bridges.
"Not to mention they hold a Mardi gras festival about this time of the year." I perked at the information while we moved off of the boat.
"Sweet!"
"It's not like the one back at home. Here it's known as Carnevale di Venezia, or 'The Carnival of Venice'." And our tour guide returned. Shikamaru looked at the cobblestone we stood on while he continued. "They are more into theatre and festivals than drinking and getting girls to take their shirts off. The tradition started in 1268, but was shut down for a few centuries thanks to the Austrians. It just started to be celebrated again in the area." As if on cue, a group of women dressed in festive clothing walked by us. Their dresses were large and flashy, while their faces were all covered by decorated masks. I waited until they moved out of earshot to speak.
"What the hell is with the masks?"
"Masks are just part of the tradition. Most just wear the bauta masks. They're masks that are made of papier-mâché that cover most or all of the face. They'll be selling them all over the city because of the festivities." At the end of his explanation Iruka called, pulling us in to explain to us when we had to be back at the meeting spot. Our group barely listened before we were off, moving through the flooded streets of people. And true to Shikamaru's word, several of the stores displayed the decorated masks for us to gaze at. While Sakura and Ino instantly fell in love with the porcelain look they portrayed, the masks spooked Hinata much more than the boat ride. Not that Kiba seemed to mind, because the scared girl practically glued herself to his arm when the other two girls decided to buy themselves matching pink and purple masks.
The day was cold, but not enough to ruin the lively mood that the town emitted. Every square was filled with characters dressed up or plays that were fun and eye-catching. The street performers seemed to simply enjoy the audience instead of the profit, which made the performances seem more realistic. We watched a few of them before something very important to the town caught Lee's eye.
"Look friends. The gondolas! Let's go for a ride!" Lee's excited pointing led us to the small line that was waiting outside a spread of narrow boats in one of the canals. Just like the movies, people stood at the end of the boats and rowed while travelling through the canals of Venice. I turned to ask Shikamaru about them, but I quickly realized the lazy guy was missing. Or rather, everyone was gone.
"Let's go Naruto!" Why couldn't one of them just warn me before they left me behind? I hurried after the group, hopping into the gondola with Sakura, Neji, Lee, and (of course) Sasuke. I watched while the other's boat passed by, already seeing the huge blush on Hinata and Kiba's face. I guessed it was from the closeness of the gondola, and how Kiba rested his arm on her shoulders. Ino seemed more comfortable than embarrassed about the quiet boy's arm around her waist, her head resting along his shoulder. I was so distracted by the two cute couples that I almost fell off the bench when our own gondola moved. I was quickly steadied by a hand on my back, and I looked up to watch the dark eyes look forward. I felt my cheeks bubble with a red hue, but I ignored it to straighten my body up again. I looked forward when I heard Lee start to talk.
"Isn't this beautiful? The gondola is the most romantic part of Italy, you know! Even though Verona is known for Romeo and Juliet, and Rome is the root for the word Romance, Venice is the true place for youthful love to blossom! They say that the city is lulled at night with the air of love." Lee threw his hands up before dropping them on Sakura and Neji's shoulders, pulling them both closer to him and sighing dramatically. "The beauty of the city of romance."
"Lee." But even as Neji tried to scold him, Lee only pulled his two captives closer to swoon over the city. I watched the city that revolved around the canals we moved through pass by. The houses and shops not only faced the canals, but most were right at the edge. Everything was quiet when Lee finally settled down, with muffled sounds from the festivities in the background.
It was very relaxing; almost enough for me to miss the soft pressed that still rested against the base of my spine. My eyes widened slightly at the feeling, causing me to glance from the corners of my eyes to Sasuke. His attention was drawn to the buildings around us, maybe to ignore the intimacy of the contact. Quietly I looked down to the bottom of the boat, wondering what to do next. Was I supposed to say something? Was I supposed to notice it at all? And if I wasn't, why did he keep his hand there? If I asked, I was sure he was going to come up with an excuse that would stop the gentle fluttering in my stomach. It took me a minute to realize that I didn't want the feeling to go away. I was sick of his justifications.
So instead I kept my mouth shut, taking a silent route instead. It took a few moments of convincing, but slowly I grabbed the hand on my back with mine. I tried not to look away when his head turned to face me, but after a few minutes of the quiet stare I found myself finding my attention needed elsewhere. So I stared at the water that passed by us, trying to think of pointless questions and insults in case he asked me what I was doing. I didn't really want to make a scene in front of the others, but I'd do it if I had to.
"Idiot." I closed my eyes and shivered at the gentle brushing of his lips against my ear. But they didn't stay closed for long, and soon I felt them shoot open when his fingers crept between mine. I looked up at the group in front of us, watching for any indication of them seeing us. When none looked back, I focused back on our hands. Hesitantly I tested the water with a swipe of my thumb against the pale skin, and jumped when he mirrored my action. He snorted and I glared at him, which he held for a few seconds. Somehow we both looked away, but our hands stayed entwined through the rest of the ride.
Neither of us spoke to each other once the ride was over. I was pulled down another alley way by Lee while Sasuke seemed to resume his conversation with Neji from earlier. Most of the second part of the day was spent watching the girls gawk at the beautiful shops in the city, or Shikamaru telling us the past of the intricate city. The sun slowly sunk in the sky, and the night crept up faster than normal as we returned to our meeting spot. Iruka and Kakashi led us through the city toward the restaurant while they explained to us how the rest of the night was going to go. We were leaving Venice after the late dinner, and would return to the hotel for two hours before packing our things and leaving for the plane home. The idea of going home was bittersweet. Sure the trip had completely worn me out, but I wasn't sure I was quite ready to go back home. I still had unanswered questions, and I was sure if I didn't find out the truth by the end of the night, they'd never be answered. That wasn't an option any longer. I wanted to know the truth.
"Why would they make a city on the water anyways?" Ino's question was asked over the table we all now sat at, patiently waiting for the pizza that we had ordered.
"Because they were trying to escape the invasion of Italy from the Lombards." Really, was there anything this kid didn't know? Shikamaru stirred the straw in his soda and sighed. "It was just a way for refugees to escape, and then it became useful later on in history. Hence Venice."
"It's amazing how they could just create a city out of nothing. They didn't even have any ground to help work," Sakura said, glancing around the room.
"When people need to be, they can be very inventive I guess. Like when me and Kiba made a slingshot out of two forks and a rubber band." At the memory Kiba smirked at me.
"Iruka practically ripped all of his hair out when he realized what we'd done."
"Sometimes I think you're going to be the death of him." Ino leaned on her arm, watching me scoff and roll my eyes.
"If anything, we keep him alive. Without us in his life, he'd die of his own boredom!" Me and Kiba high-fived, pulling back when the pizzas came to the table. We all exchanged our thanks before quickly digging into the last meal in Italy we would get. The somber thought reminded me of how close we were to leaving. It left a bitter taste in my mouth that I tried to wash away with a bite of pizza. Despite my attempt, the taste continued to come back. Soon it was paired with a pain in my heart that wouldn't be ignored. Slowly I stopped eating, lifting my head to watch the others talk about the events of the day and the way too early plane trip home. How come none of them felt like I did? Like a part of me was going to be left in Italy. Cautiously I turned to Sasuke, who silently ate his food. He didn't speak with Neji, despite the fact they sat next to each other. Did Sasuke feel like me? Like somehow, he wasn't finished here yet? Was he leaving something too? My heart stopped for a second as a completely unsettling thought came to me. It was enough to make me shoot out of my seat.
"Naruto? Is everything okay?" A worried green gaze watched me while I quickly recovered with a smile and a wave of my hand, trying to dissipate the concern.
"Fine! I'm fine. Just need to go grab some fresh air." I turned before they could question me further, moving out of the now overcrowded area and into a coldness night always brought. The sun was dormant, leaving half of the moon watch in the sky. I breathed deeply, ignoring the slight bite of the cold air in my lungs. I exhaled while walking toward the bridge we had crossed over earlier, trying to release the fear that had just taken over me. I tried to reason with myself about how normal it was for Sasuke to be quiet. He wasn't like me, he didn't need to talk. That was because he didn't really like deal with people. People annoyed him or gawked over him to the point that he had to glare and ignore them to get them to stop. Sasuke liked being alone. Sasuke didn't need anyone.
Sasuke didn't need me. It was the realization I had needed to get away from. What if Sasuke didn't see things changing because he didn't want them to? That when we got back home, we would somehow return to the way we used to be before we stepped foot into the boot country. A time where I wouldn't look at him without a glare or insult soon following. Did he really want that again? Was I supposed to want that too? I moved over to the side of the bridge, staring at the black water in front of me. I watched the silent waves, as if waiting for an answer to bubble to the surface.
"When did this get so screwed up?" I mumbled quietly. I didn't expect the response I got.
"If it involves you, it's bound to break or fall apart." I turned sharply, watching Sasuke slowly slide his hands into his coat pockets. He narrowed his gaze on me; as if it was my fault he followed me. "Especially if you throw Kiba into the equation."
"What do you want, teme?" I know I sounded defeated, and it threw him off. I could tell by the slight release of the glare that he had expected me to fight back.
"Sakura sent me after you." He always had a reason to follow me. I never had an excuse, I just did it.
"I don't need a babysitter. I'm just getting some air."
"You lie worse than you think."
"If you're just going to sit here and insult me, I do—"
"I'm not." We both paused after his short statement, not that I was in any rush to speak. He had the floor as far as I was concerned. Eventually he agreed with me and spoke. "I told you, Sakura sent me."
"That's the only reason you came? I didn't know you took orders from other people so easily." Maybe I was letting my anger get the better of me, but it was easier than dealing with the pain that bit at my stomach knowing he came by force.
"I didn't want to get in trouble for leaving you alone."
"Do you need a fucking excuse for everything you do?!" I shouted, stepping into his personal space. If he was anyone else, he would have stepped back from the sudden breach of his personal bubble. But Sasuke merely glared down at me, opening his mouth to say something else that would provoke my anger. Really I was sick of hearing him. "Every time you do something, you make up some stupid reasoning for why you did it. Why can't you just say you came out here because you were worried? Because you wanted to make sure I was okay or something? Not that Sakura forced you to get your pale ass out here!"
"Stop talking nonsense." But I was angry, and listening to him was the last thing I wanted to do. So instead, I pushed him back a step.
"Did Sakura tell you to put my name down on that stupid test?" Another shove, and now I could see the irritation growing in him. "Did Sakura tell you to kiss me?"
"Enough." The irritation clipped the end of his statement despite his need to keep his composure.
"Did Sakura tell you to invite me into your bed? Huh?"
"Stop speaking." He didn't move quite as far this time that I shoved him. I didn't notice the resistance he suddenly put up.
"Did Sakura tell you to attack me in the god damn bathroom and give me a fucking blowjob?! Make up a damn excuse for that too. Or grow some balls and tell me why you really did it!" I moved to shove him again, but before I could blink I found myself pressed back against the side of the bridge with Sasuke's faces inches from mine. The shock stunned my anger, and shut me up long enough for him to stun me again.
"I did that because I love you dobe. And that's not an 'excuse' as you so eloquently repeated several times." I felt my heart stop in my chest, but he didn't give me time to catch my breath before he was speaking again. "I didn't attack you, because you wanted it. I asked you, I made sure I wasn't forcing my emotional weakness on you. You wanted me, too."
"Wait—" But my resistance was sealed away in a kiss while Sasuke pressed my body into the railing, easily sliding into my parted lips with his tongue. My hands gripped the railing as I stared up in shock at Sasuke, who had shut his eyes away from mine. If my body was responding to him I wasn't sure, because my mind was too wrapped in Sasuke's confession to think straight. Emotional weakness? Wanted him, too? Sasuke…loved me? This wasn't possible! He thought I was loud, annoying, bothersome, troubling, stupid, and everything that nobody would ever fall in love with! Yeah, maybe he liked me or something, but love? It had been a week! It didn't make sense in my head. A sudden panic filled my body, and gave me enough strength to push Sasuke away from me. We both stumbled a bit, leaving a few feet between us while we caught our breaths. I slid my hand over my mouth, deeming from the slightly excited state my body was in, that it had been reacting without my mind present. Really the two of them needed to get on the same page.
"Damnit teme! You-you can't just…what…" Fuck, what was I trying to say? I stared at Sasuke across the bridge, who now silently watched me try and piece together an actual sentence. But everything was going too fast for me to understand my own thoughts. Sasuke loved me. Sasuke loved me. I couldn't believe it. My head rejected the thought even if my heart was racing and my stomach felt ready to burst. I was so confused between my head and heart, my tongue decided to work before I realized what I was saying. "You can't just…say that and….and do that without even waiting for the other person to fucking respond! What if I don't love you back?!"
Suddenly, the air became much colder than before. His stance became ridged, as if just being whipped across the back. Hands at his side clenched and then released immediately. His mouth tightened into a scowl, his face instantly went into stoic Sasuke mode. But any sign of superiority or confidence in Sasuke's eyes drained away to the point that it hurt me to watch. The moment of silence felt suspended in time, and I would have killed myself to get away from it.
"Then you don't." He turned away from me, walking slowly back toward the restaurant. I stood silent while I watched him leave in slow motion, my lips frozen shut. Why wasn't I talking? Wasn't that what I wanted to hear? I should have been running to stop him. I should have been saying that I didn't hate him, or dislike him; just the opposite. All this time I wanted to hear some type of acknowledgement that maybe, somehow, Sasuke felt the same as me. But as soon as I got it, as soon as I heard what he said, I back-lashed with harsh statements. I said I didn't love him. I said everything my heart knew was a lie. My fear and anxiety and fucking anger had blinded me from the stabs of pain in my stomach during my response. And slowly the wounds trickled with pure regret while I watched him carry himself back to the restaurant with as much pride as he could fake. And I just…let him go. Like a coward.
When I returned a few minutes later, he didn't look up from his plate. Not once for the rest of the night did Sasuke make any sign of acknowledgment to me. It wasn't noticeable to anyone but us, because the table was filled with conversation and laughter. I tried to pay attention, but I couldn't stop glancing to Sasuke. Now he suddenly seemed very interested in talking with Neji again, or anyone that wasn't me. Why was he reacting like this? Why didn't he just scoff or glare or something that normally I hated? Why he did he have to stare at me like that before he had walked away? Like I had just ripped out his heart of something? I thought about the question the entire walk back to the boat, and finally came to my conclusion when I reached land again.
Maybe because Sasuke really did love me. And I had just destroyed any chance of returning the feelings.
…Yeah…-scratches temple- well I'm guessing that threw you off, huh? You all thought Naruto was going to be the one who got his confession rejected! So Sasuke finally admits his feelings to Naruto. But now what's going to happen? How is Naruto going to fix this? Will he even be able to? How far will Naruto go to prove his true feelings for Sasuke? Will his fear of ending up alone ruin his chances? I guess you won't be able to find out until the last chapter! So while I make my escape, send a review and watch out for the finale of 'Italy, Here we Come!' =)
Chapter Ten: Come Home with Me!
