Part X

Kiba lay in bed Saturday morning. He had woke up before Naruto again, and was debating whether to try and slip out of Naruto's arms or to stay still so he wouldn't wake up.

"He didn't tell you everything about Sasuke in the car yesterday." Kiba's conscious had been relentless for over 24 hours now. "Why would you expect him to? You aren't the person he wants. He probably was hoping to get something from Sasuke, but you were in the way."

Why would he lie to me? Kiba thought. Why wouldn't he tell me that he and Sasuke did things together?

"He doesn't want you to know!" his conscious replied. "You heard Sasuke, you're just a substitute, you don't mean anything...you've been told that your whole life, you ought to know by now."

Kiba started to get up, but Naruto pulled him back. Kiba struggled a moment, then moved to the edge of the bed, where Akamaru was laying. He put his arms around the dog.

"Kiba, what's wrong?" Naruto asked. "I can tell something is, and you've barely looked at me since yesterday."

Kiba sat silently, his mind in turmoil.

"Please tell me," Naruto said. "Did I do something?

"Why didn't you tell me everything about Sasuke?" Kiba finally asked.

"I did tell you, yesterday," Naruto said after a moment's thought. "Or do you mean why hadn't I told you about him before? I guess I didn't think of it because it doesn't matter anymore. I just had a silly crush on him for a couple months."

"That's not really all though," Kiba said. "You didn't mention the things you did to him, when he would let you..."

"What do you mean?"

Kiba sat silent again, wondering if Naruto was playing a game with him now. He pressed his face into Akamaru's thick fur.

"He told me about how you gave him head, Naruto," Kiba said.

"What?" Naruto said in disbelief. "What are you talking about? Sasuke said that to you? We never did that. When I told him I thought I was in love with him, he wouldn't talk to me for months, how would I have done that?"

"That's what he said when he was at your grandparent's house when you had left the room to talk to your cousin on the telephone."

Naruto was becoming angry beyond reason now. He got out of the bed and was pacing around the room, clenching his fists. His face was becoming red from his anger.

"Why would he say that to you?" he asked. "It isn't true, I can tell you that much, Kiba."

"It seems strange to me...I don't know what to think."

Naruto went over to Kiba and made him look at him.

"Kiba, I swear to you nothing ever happened between me and Sasuke. It's ridiculous to me to even think about. I can't believe he would say that to you when he doesn't know anything about you. Now I understand why you've been withdrawn. You thought I was hiding that from you? There's nothing to hide because nothing ever happened."

Naruto kept pacing, then grabbed his cell phone thinking to call Sasuke, but then thought better of it. He threw it back down on the night stand.

"Kiba I'm really sorry he hurt you like that, and I don't understand why," Naruto said. "I'm going to find out though."

Kiba lay back on the bed, clinging to Akamaru as Naruto started to change his clothes. He picked up his phone again and sent a text message then turned to Kiba.

"Can I borrow your car?"

"I don't care..."

"Kiba, it's going to be all right, have some faith in me," Naruto said as he went out of the room, picked up Kiba's keys from the counter, and went out of the apartment.

As Naruto drove along the streets toward the highway, he was trying to sort out in his mind what possible purpose Sasuke had from telling Kiba something that was not true. He felt himself becoming more angry as he thought about it.

Sasuke must actually hate me because of what I told him Naruto thought. Well fuck him, I'm done after today so he won't have to worry about it anymore. I can't imagine how Kiba felt being told something like that...wait...was he...

Naruto couldn't help but smile when that thought had clicked in his mind. He quickly sent another text message as he pulled out onto the highway.

xXxXx

Naruto had earlier sent a text message to Sasuke asking him if he could meet him at the park in a few hours, just to hang out. Sasuke had sent a message back that he would be there at the time Naruto had told him to be.

Naruto pulled up at the park before the Raven arrived. He was still pissed that Sasuke would hurt his friend in the manner he had. He had gotten out of Kiba's car and was sitting on one of the benches in the park waiting for Sasuke to show up.

About half an hour later Sasuke's car drive up at the curb next to Kiba's. He got out slowly and started walking toward Naruto. A sudden wave of new anger rose up in the blonde as he stood up off the bench and waited for Sasuke to get closer.

"Hey, Naruto, what's up," Sasuke began but was cut short by Naruto's fist slamming into his jaw, knocking him backwards and off balance. His hand immediately went to the spot where he had been struck and he jumped backwards.

"What the fuck!" he yelled at Naruto.

Naruto leapt forward, tackling the Raven as they both tumbled to the ground, sliding across the wet grass. Naruto scrambled on top of Sasuke pinning him down on his back.

"DON'T YOU EVER LIE ABOUT ME AGAIN," he screamed. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

For good measure he pulled his arm back and struck Sasuke again in the face.

"GET OFF ME, ASSHOLE," Sasuke yelled, throwing Naruto off him and grappling to hold back his arms. Sasuke punched Naruto in the stomach, making him move aside slightly, enough for the Raven to scramble to his feet again and took a swing at Naruto. Naruto saw it coming and started to move, but not fast enough. The fist connected along his cheekbone as he moved his head back.

"Why the hell did you say that to Kiba the other day?" Naruto demanded. "You don't know shit about him and you say something like that? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Sasuke charged at Naruto, grabbing him and swinging again, Naruto swung at Sasuke again also as they tumbled back down to the ground, each one viciously striking and grasping at the other.

"If you fucking hate me, don't take it out on my friends," Naruto said, hitting Sasuke again and breaking his lip open. He hesitated a moment at the sight of Sasuke's blood, giving Sasuke the opportunity to slam his fist into Naruto's face. Naruto fell backwards, laying in the grass on his back. Sasuke quickly got up and kicked him in his ribs.

"I don't hate you, Naruto," he said.

Both of the boys stared at each other, both bleeding, covered in dirt, and their clothes torn. They faced each other a few minutes longer.

"I don't hate you," Sasuke repeated.

"Why did you do that then?" Naruto asked as Sasuke sat down next to him in the grass.

"I never told you this before...I didn't know how," Sasuke began. "When you told me you were in love with me, it made me feel like shit, but not because I was freaked out or anything. I knew I couldn't give you what you wanted though, so I tried to stop being friends with you so you wouldn't have to deal with liking me that way. I thought it would be easier for you, but you were so persistent and kept talking to me, calling, and emailing. I gave in a little. I realize now how stupid that was and that we should have remained friends all along like how we used to be. I was a fucking idiot."

"Sasuke," Naruto said after a couple minutes. "I never expected or wanted you to be anything but yourself. I knew we weren't going to be together, I always knew that. I just told you because we had shared everything else we were going through growing up. It was just a dumb crush anyway, it started to go away once I told you about it."

"I'm sorry I said that to your friend," Sasuke said. "I don't even know why I did it, maybe I wanted to make sure he was good enough for you. It sounds like he is maybe?"

"Yeah, he's worth a hundred of you," Naruto joked, causing Sasuke to laugh lightly.

"Good, I'm glad you found someone, you know, since you're such a loser," Sasuke said. "Do you think we can get back to being as good of friends as we used to be?"

"Yeah, I think so," Naruto said. "You'll just have to stop being such a bastard all the time."

"Please tell Kiba I'm sorry," Sasuke said, looking down at the ground. "I didn't mean to hurt him, and I'll make up for it somehow, maybe if you let me come visit you at school sometime."

"I'll tell him," Naruto said. "How are your classes going this semester?"

"Not bad," Sasuke replied. "It's a lot of work, but I'm managing to get by all right. How are yours going? Are you liking your new school now that you've transferred?"

"Yeah, I like it a lot," replied Naruto. "My classes are great, my roommates in the door are super cool, and I met Kiba...Sasuke, I think I really like him."

"That's really cool," Sasuke said. "I haven't found anyone to hold my interest yet beyond a few dates. But, there certainly isn't a lack of choice at my school."

"Good for you then," Naruto said. "Keep your options open."

Sasuke glanced over at his friend.

"You look like shit, man," he said, smirking.

"Ha, you look worse."

"Probably," Sasuke said. "This is going to hurt like hell later. Are you hungry? Do you want to go get something to eat and hang out some more? I kind of miss us just hanging out."

"I really would like to," Naruto said. "But right now, there's someone I need to get back to, and he's three hours away. I'll call you, and we'll figure out when you can come visit. I miss hanging out with you too."

"Thanks," Sasuke said. "I guess I'm glad I stopped by to see you on Thanksgiving, even if I was a bastard while I was there...at least we're talking again."

"Yeah," Naruto said getting up and offering his hand to Sasuke to pull him up from where he sat on the ground. As he did, he kept pulling the Raven toward him and hugged him. "You better just watch out when you meet Kiba again though. He may kick your ass too."

"I'll let him," he replied as Naruto sprinted over to Kiba's car. "Later, bastard!"

"Later, loser," Sasuke called to him, watching as he drove off out of the park.

xXxXx

Kiba had fallen back asleep a couple hours after Naruto had left. He had been unsure what Naruto was going to accomplish, but he hadn't the energy to think about it too much. He had pulled Akamaru closer to him and had eventually drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up again, he sensed that Naruto had not yet returned and reached for his phone, which was laying on the nightstand. He unlocked the screen and saw a text message had come from Naruto a while after he left. He went to the text screen and started at it a long while, not sure he believed what he was seeing.

btw, i love you.

"Naruto...loves me?" Kiba said aloud to himself, laying back down and still staring at the message.

A short while later, he heard the key in the lock and the apartment door open. Naruto appeared in the room a moment later. He went straight to the bed and climbed onto it, lifting Kiba up in his arms and kissing his mouth, softly at first then more insistently. Kiba resisted slightly, then gave in and kissed Naruto back, wrapping his arms around the blonde.

"What happened to you?" Kiba said, once Naruto had released him. Kiba was alarmed by the dirt smeared across Naruto's face and the bruise on his cheek and the black eye he had.

"We beat the shit out of each other," Naruto said. "But I understand him better now."

He lay down next to Kiba and relayed everything the two had talked about. Then he turned on his side and kissed Kiba again.

"I'm going to take care of you from now on," he said. Kiba smiled and ran his hand through the blonde hair.

"From the look of you," Kiba said. "I'm going to have to take care of you."