Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own Naruto nor the cute and cuddly Sasuke. Actually, Sasuke's more cute and prickly; with his hair and sword and all. :wince:

Since FFnet majorly sucks ass, I'm reposting this chapter in hopes that people will actually get the alert this time.

Chapter 10

"Naruto," He had waited until the next day to call the boy, "are you doing anything this weekend?"

"No." Naruto's voice sounded higher over the phone. "You wanna do something?"

"Hell yes."

There was an amused snort on the other end, "Saturday good with you?"

"Yeah. Pick me up from the station at 9. What do you want to do?"

"Well... We..." Naruto's hesitance caught Sasuke's attention quickly and he frowned slightly. "We haven't ever... really had a date you know..." The blond mumbled on the other side of the line and there was an awkward silence.

"Are you... asking me out?"

"...Yeah."

"So..." Sasuke cleared his throat, wondering if this sort of nervousness was normal. "What do you want to do...?"

"Ah... There's this diner, and it's got good food..." Naruto chuckled nervously.

Was this normal? Not really having a date until later? Was it normal to just hang out first? Or was this not normal at all? Sasuke gripped the phone tighter.

"We'll split the cost." He said, a bit sudden, and he winced at his abrupt, jerky words. "And... just meet me at the station..."

Naruto sighed in obvious relief, completely forgetting to remember to be polite and insist on paying for the whole meal.

"I'll see you then!" He chirped and hung up without a second thought.

Sasuke scowled at the phone as he put it back in the cradle. That kid really didn't have manners.

Sasuke cried out as Orochimaru twisted his wrist painfully behind his back. Even with his exceptional skill in martial arts, Sasuke had never been able to overpower the Snake, and Orochimaru enjoyed flaunting that. Sasuke was sure that sometimes the man would intentionally start scuffles just to remind Sasuke who was in control.

As if he'd forget so easily.

"You really are childish." Orochimaru's dry voice taunted next to his ear, and Sasuke could just see the smirk on his face. He felt a flicker of marrow-boiling rage, and he tried to turn around—just to land one punch on the bastard!—but Orochimaru tossed him aside with maddening ease, the boy wincing as his shoulder collided with the wall.

He glared up coolly, rotating his sore shoulder. He'd do anything—anything—just to take that smirk of that bastard's pale face. His body itched with a desire to hurt the man—but he didn't move, not an inch. And he hated himself evermore when Orochimaru seemed pleased by that.

"Don't forget who you belong to, Sasuke." The man said haughtily. "And don't think that just because you have a little pet that you've achieved something. You're really no different from me, are you?" Orochimaru took a single step forward, and Sasuke looked away, feeling something wrap around his heart and squeeze painfully. "You see something you want and you take it. You're selfish and cruel, and you want to own that boy's soul. You take some sort of pleasure in dirtying him with your presence, don't you?"

The Snake stopped and studied the boy's tense features and considered his goal reached. Just one last thing... "And the worst thing about you is... you know I'm right."

He turned and left the room, practically feeling Sasuke's heart shattering and savoring the inner anguish the boy must have been feeling by now.

Orochimaru might not have been right about Sasuke, but he knew Sasuke thought he was.

Sasuke toyed with the cuffs of his shirt, tugging them down as if to ensure they would cover the undersides of his wrists and arms.

He ran a hand through his hair.

Shit, he felt like a nervous little school girl. He scowled. Maybe Sakura had rubbed off on him somehow.

"Now, now, Sasuke." Orochimaru sauntered into the boy's room without knocking. Sasuke stopped in his pacing. "Don't frown. You'll get wrinkles." Sasuke bit down the desire to throttle the old man.

"You know, Sasuke," Orochimaru stepped forward, "You never told me where Naruto-kun lives."

"I don't know the address." It was true; he deliberately made sure not to look at street signs or apartment numbers when he was with Naruto.

"Sasuke." Orochimaru's hand firmly cupped his neck, deliberately digging his nails into the back. "Get his address. Understand?"

Sasuke felt hatred rise in his chest, but he forced himself to nod.

"Good." Orochimaru's hand lightly dropped to his shoulder before pulling away. "Get going, then. I'd hate for you to be late."

Sasuke turned curtly and walked to the train station, forcing any thoughts of Orochimaru out of his mind.

"Sasuke?"

The almost-nine-year-old looked up from the book he was reading and smiled faintly, the tall, white-haired boy sitting down next to him on the couch.

"Kimimaro."

The teenager smiled slowly, sadly, the gesture not quite reaching his eyes. Sasuke hesitated.

"Sasuke... I know it was a while ago, but do you remember what you were telling me when you first came here?" There was a hint of urgency in Kimimaro's voice, and at Sasuke's look of uncertainty he pressed forward, "About your family," his voice softened almost imperceptibly, "about your brother..."

Sasuke's grip tightened on the book he held and he shook his head. "I don't remember..."

Something passed over Kimimaro's face, a shadow, and he persisted, "Are you sure? Nothing about your family?"

A terrifying feeling crept up Sasuke's spine, something cold and sickening. "I'm sure."

It was gone, with those words, that feeling was chased away, as if he had been tested and gotten the answer right.

Kimimaro's reaction, though, indicated quite the contrary, as he shifted back, frowning in a resigned, disappointed, worried, yet unsurprised way. He sighed and shut his eyes. "I see..."

"What was it?"

Kimimaro opened his green eyes to look down at the faltering countenance of the young boy. He smiled kindly, reassuringly, and shook his head. "It's okay. It's not important." He lied.

He shifted again, as if to leave, but suddenly seemed to change his mind and turned back to the boy. In a brotherly gesture he inquired, "What are you reading?"

They somehow fell into a conversation about the book, about school, about general things, and it managed to stay light-hearted and calming. It was one of those rare moments they had where things seemed so real and uncomplicated; like real siblings.

But Sasuke remembered, throughout the entire conversation—the words of which had blurred into nothing in his memory—past his kind smile, Kimimaro's eyes had seemed so distant and worried...

Sasuke flinched as an automated voice woke him from his sleep, and it took him a moment to realize that he was on a train—to see Naruto. He had fallen asleep. He bit his lip at the memory of eight years ago, something that still made little sense to him, still trying to decipher Kimimaro's cryptic words... Shaking his head, he glanced up to see what stop it was, then realizing it was his, he thanked the gods for good timing and stepped off the train, pushing the memory back into the depths of his mind.

Naruto was there waiting for him, and Sasuke was relieved to find he was not wearing orange.

The diner was a nice place—casual, but with a nice enough atmosphere for a date. Sasuke had to wonder if anyone thought they were more than friends, seeing the two boys together.

Naruto ordered ramen—big surprise—and Sasuke ordered tomato curry. Their dinner was filled with barely stifled giggles by Naruto and tiny flickers of smiles by Sasuke as they idly played with each other's feet.

It was dark as they walked to Naruto's apartment; the blond insisting on holding Sasuke's hand (an idea the raven had never quite gotten used to); it hardly mattered, though, because no one was really around to notice, and the contact was... nice.

When they arrived at Naruto's door, the blond hungrily claimed Sasuke's lips, hands entwined into his raven hair. Sasuke gasped as they parted and Naruto murmured,

"Want to come in?"

Hesitance colored Naruto's voice and Sasuke knew what he was thinking. There was no mistaking what Naruto was implying, and there was a fear that things would end up like last time; that things would go all wrong and instead of becoming closer, they would be torn apart and things would become much more ugly than they needed to be. And a part of Sasuke—a reasonable, responsible, cautious part—warned him he shouldn't commit at this level. This couldn't ever be a real relationship and he shouldn't even try and he shouldn't hurt Naruto this way. Just a simple, polite, 'no' was all it would take and things would be just fine...

But why couldn't he ever have something just for himself? Why did everything he ever had have to be taken away? Why couldn't he belong to someone besides Orochimaru...?

He nodded, and Naruto was kissing him again as he opened the door—out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see brass address numbers 46—he closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, as he was led inside and the door slammed shut behind him. The kiss broke just long enough for air before they were kissing again, almost sloppily, and Naruto was unbuttoning Sasuke's shirt.

Naruto pushed Sasuke's shirt around his elbows, suckling at his earlobe. Sasuke gave a little whimper and held Naruto closer. Tender kisses began to trail their way down his pale neck and a calloused thumb brushed his nipple. He moaned softly as Naruto caught his lips in a passionate kiss.

As their tongues slid against each other, Naruto ground their hips together, earning a small gasp from Sasuke. Naruto pulled away slightly and bit down on the raven's lip before grazing the hollow of his throat with his teeth. He slid his knee between Sasuke's legs, rubbing against his growing hardness. Holding Sasuke's sides, Naruto very gently bit his nipple, earning a breathy gasp. He began to suck on it, and Sasuke's hands wound further into his hair.

"Naru..." He gasped, closing his eyes.

Licking his hardened nipple one last time, Naruto kissed Sasuke gently on the lips. The raven bit Naruto's ear, then jaw, his breathing panting, and pressing their hips together. Naruto groaned at the contact.

A hand slid up Sasuke's inner thigh and Naruto lifted his head to meet his eyes, asking permission. "Are you sure?"

The smaller boy answered by pulling Naruto down for another kiss.

Sasuke felt a smirk against his lips, a hand wrapping around his waist as they pushed away from the wall and down the hallway.

Sasuke was acutely aware he didn't want to want this.

Didn't want to ruin him.

Naruto's warm, deep kisses kept coming, his hands caressing him.

Sasuke's fingers began to unbutton Naruto's shirt, without the raven's consent.

He didn't want to want this.

But the selfish side of him was loving it.

Naruto was guiding him, bringing him to his room.

The kisses were hot and passionate.

Oh, the selfish side of him was ecstatic.

End Chapter 10

:blushes bright red and hides:

Them teenagers are so progressive these days. And I loathe/fear writing limes.

No lemon 'cuz I don't want to write one and it's against the rules anyway. Use your imagination. And on a quick note, seeing as how I never mentioned their ages, and some of you may have felt disinclined to do math pertaining to the flashback—Sasuke and Naruto are seventeen.

"Don't frown. You'll get wrinkles." That line makes me giggle every time.

This story seems to go so fast. We're here already?