Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Sorry its been so long, I've been super busy between college and two jobs.

Enjoy the long update!

Chapter 10: Open Arms

The conversation he had with his brother had been nerve-racking to say the least. Getting up in the morning, Sasuke went about his usual routine before school. He got up early, showered, dressed and ate a small breakfast in the meeting room. He was slightly disappointed though when he didn't see his older brother. He had asked Neji, and the boy replied...

"Business."

Sasuke though felt as if the older was avoiding him. Feeling sad and nervous, Sasuke walked next to Haku as they went to school. The other long-haired boy couldn't figure out why he looked so down, but he didn't ask. They arrived at school, and the little raven went right to his classroom. It was its usual noisy self as he made his way to the back. He stopped suddenly when he felt something akin to fear coat his stomach. Naruto was sitting in his usual spot, laughing it up with a girl from yellow dorm. The girl blushed prettily and batted her eyelashes at him. Naruto didn't seem dissuaded by the behavior, in fact, he smiled wider at her. Sasuke bit his lower lip at the display and wasn't sure whether to feel jealousy or something else. He took a deep breath and walked forward to an empty seat near Naruto.

"Sasuke! Finally, I thought you were going to be late!" The blond greeted happily. The girl, seeming peeved at the arrival of Sasuke, tried to get Naruto's attention again.

"Naruto, we should go to the arcade together; I have free time after art class," she said flipping her hair. Sasuke didn't show it on the outside, but he held his breath, wondering what the answer was. Naruto squinted his eyes at her.

"No can do, I'm a taken man now Hana," he answered with a large smile. She blinked in confusion at him and scowled.

"Oh? Who?" She said sounding suspicious. Naruto got up from his seat and moved over to Sasuke. He plopped down in the desk next to the raven and smiled, wrapping his arms around Sasuke.

"Sasuke finally agreed to go out with me," he smiled. Inwardly, Sasuke felt his heart warm. He smiled at the blond as the taller boy pulled him closer. Hana visibly scowled.

Maybe I'm just overreacting...

Lunch rolled around, and Sasuke still had yet to see his brother. He was too scared to text him, not knowing what to say. Itachi's behavior scared him as much as he found it strange. His brother was always so cool and composed; it was unlike him to be so... Dominant and mysterious. It was far from the aloof sophisticated air he gave off. He was broken from his train of thoughts as he watched Naruto start to approach his table with his lunch tray. Before Naruto could get halfway, another girl approached him, smiling. Sasuke blinked as the girl grabbed the blond's elbow and smiled. She was very pretty, much prettier than the last girl, hair bouncing and bright. Her eyes shined a dull green like forest moss. She said something to the blond which made him a scowl in confusion. He answered the girl apparently, and she frowned cutely.

"Oh come on, it's just one night," she replied back, tugging harder on his elbow. Naruto shook his head in the negative, and she frowned deeper.

"Let me know if you change your mind," she answered. She walked away with a hitch in her step as Naruto approached his table. Sasuke felt apprehension settle in his chest, and insecurity settle in his stomach. The blond sat down and smiled at him.

"Hey, Sasuke the weirdest thing just happened," he started.

"Who was that?" Sasuke asked instead. The blond tilted his head at him.

"Huh?" The blond asked.

"Who was that?" The raven repeated, pointing at the girl now sitting across the room. Naruto turned back to look at her, and she noticed. She gave him a little wink before returning to her friend's conversation. Sasuke suddenly felt a small chill down his spine. Naruto turned back to him and shook his head.

"That's Nina; we dated for a little while at the beginning of the year last year, but she dumped me, said I was too goofy," he shrugged. Sasuke carefully looked back at the girl.

"She's cute," he said softly.

"Yeah, she is," he agreed. That did not make Sasuke feel better. "But you're cuter," he smiled. Sasuke gave him a small smile in return, but it didn't smooth over the strange feelings he had.

Why am I feeling this way? I've never felt so... Insecure before. I don't like it; I don't like it at all.

Throughout the day, the longer Sasuke stayed with Naruto, the more he witnessed. Girls of every grade came up to them, wanting to do something with the blond. Naruto seemed confused about everything, rejecting girl after girl. Many of them were insistent. Many of them almost begged. Sasuke remained on the sidelines as each girl skipped right past him to the blond. Each time the blond said no, the girls would only latch on and beg or whine at him. The behavior made Sasuke nervous and suspicious. When school ended, Naruto invited him into town but Sasuke wasn't feeling very well. He declined and just wanted to go back to his room, confused and full of questions. He didn't want to seem bothered by the girls, but the questions were nagging in the back of his skull. Especially when the blond mentioned that he had dated from the past most of the girls who approached him today. That nagging feeling wouldn't go away. He wondered briefly if the incident the football players in the field sabotage was the cause of it. He doubted Naruto would spread rumors that he did it; it would only cause problems for both blue and red dorm. Sasuke swiftly returned to the dorm and locked himself in his room. He threw his school bag on the floor and just took deep breaths. He knew he was overreacting; it was just Itachi's words that were getting to him. He was starting to see things he didn't before, or maybe his mind was just over thinking, and he overlooked the girls before Naruto, and he decided to go out. Shaking his head, Sasuke decided to sleep on it.

Sasuke sat at his desk studying and was steadily falling asleep. From the stress of the day and a new report that was do in history, Sasuke felt himself grow tired. He stood from his desk and yawned loudly, hand over his mouth. His phone buzzed on his end stand and he looked at it. Picking it up, it was Naruto.

"Which window is yours?"

–Naruto

Sasuke was confused with the message. He text back.

"What?"

–Sasuke

He waited for the reply back. His phone buzzed a moment later.

"What room is yours on the front of the blue dorm?"

–Naruto

Sasuke frowned and sat on his bed. He thought about his location.

"Second floor above the cobble path, facing the lawn with ivy growing on the window,"

–Sasuke.

Sasuke waited for a few moments for a reply but got none. He frowned at his phone and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He jumped a moment later when a sound banged against his window. Sasuke's mouth dropped gaping when a tan face appeared behind the glass. Quickly running over, Sasuke flew open the window and glared at Naruto Uzumaki.

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing?" He hissed. The blond only smiled and waved at him.

"Visiting you!" He said simply. The raven gagged for words for a moment until he looked Naruto up and down.

"How did you get here?" he asked. The blond, shrugged and adjusted his grip on the vegetation to hold still.

"What? It's not like I had to swim a mote or sneak past any guards or watch towers. Besides it's dark out, and I didn't wear my jacket. And . . . I wanted to see you," he finished. Sasuke felt a blush coat his cheeks at the confession.

"Why were you so weird today?" Naruto suddenly asked him. Sasuke had been looking at the floor, and he raised his head. Naruto's gaze was questioning; eyes narrowed. The raven sighed and turned to leaning against the window frame.

"Naruto...Do you still like those girls?" he asked.

"What?" The blond said dumbly. Sasuke felt a tick of annoyance at the word.

"Naruto! Do you want to hang out with those girls? Do you like them?" He asked in slight anger. Naruto blinked at him for a moment. Swinging his legs over the sill, the blond landed on his floor with a soft thump and brushed off his shirt. Sasuke crossed his arms but didn't take the accusing look off his face.

"I didn't think people from the blue dorm got insecure," Naruto smiled. Sasuke took offense.

"Well, I'm so sorry you see me like the rest of my dorm. Maybe you would like to wander the hallway and see if they treat you as nice as I do," the raven growled. Naruto made a noise and threw his hands up.

"No! Sheesh! Look, I don't know why all those girls came up to me today! It was totally weird, and that has never happened before! I swear!" He said. Sasuke looked unconvinced.

"Sasuke, yeah I dated some of them, but nothing ever happened; they thought I was cute and funny. . . However, when they got to know me. . . I mean to really know me, they thought I was. . . Kind of stupid. So they dumped me! I like them as friends now, that's all!" The blond said seriously.

Sasuke's face fell as he rubbed his arm.

"You mean it?" Sasuke asked. Feeling the insecurity, Naruto went up to him and hugged him.

"Yeah, I like you Sasuke; I like you a lot. And I've never liked anyone from the blue dorm!" He said softly. The raven smiled into the embrace.

"So . . . You like going out with me?" He asked. Naruto snuggled into his neckline and rubbed his back.

"Well, I tried after school! I wanted to take you to the arcade and then go to the skate park where they have that cool go-kart place! Sure the cars act like they're about to fall apart but hey, they make you wear seatbelts so–" the blond was cut off. Sasuke took Naruto's head between his hands and kissed the other boy. Lips clashed, and Naruto didn't complain one bit. They kissed for a few moments until Naruto decided that they needed to take this party horizontal. Switching them around, he pushed Sasuke to sit on the bed, smiling into the kiss.

"You can take me tomorrow," Sasuke said into the kiss. Naruto pulled back a moment, face blushing and holding surprise.

"W-what?" he said. Sasuke looked at him in confusion.

"To the arcade?" He said slowly, like he was dumb.

"O-Oh...I thought you meant...Uh..." Naruto's eyes looked to the bed and then to Sasuke. The raven caught on, and his eyes went wide.

"H-Huh? Take me as in . . . No! Naruto! I mean . . . Not now . . . I uh, I mean . . . Well eventually but . . . Never mind!" The raven said, smashing his lips back to the blond's. Both felt their hearts rapidly beat at the almost insinuation. Ignoring it for now, Sasuke moaned into his kiss as they repeatedly caught each other's lips. Naruto pulled back for air and spoke against pale lips.

"Sasuke...Open your mouth," the blond whispered. The raven blinked his eyes open.

"Huh?" He hummed. Naruto went forward again, and Sasuke's eyes bulged as a tongue came out and licked the line of his lips. He pulled back in surprise.

"What are you doing?" He asked. The blond shrugged and gave a nervous smile.

"They call it a French kiss. It's when people...Put a tongue in your mouth when they kiss," he said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked skeptical. Naruto smiled at him playfully.

"Please? If you don't like it, I'll stop," he promised. Sasuke shifted on the bed but nodded.

"Okay," he said softly. Not wanting to look like an idiot, Sasuke only opened his mouth slightly. Moving forward, Sasuke blushed as Naruto kissed his lips and stuck his tongue inside. Suddenly, as if remembering every romantic movie ever made, Sasuke shyly met Naruto's tongue and fitted their lips together. The kiss was wet but good as they breathed through their noses. Taking deep breaths, they pulled backward for only a moment before diving right back in. The blond tasted strange, not bad, but definitely not a distinct flavor that Sasuke could identify. He just tasted . . . Like only Naruto could. Naruto wrapped his arms around him, and Sasuke felt a heat enter his stomach. It felt good, warm and swirling, something he had never felt before. When Naruto moved to his neck finally, Sasuke was panting and moaning for something he didn't understand.

"Naruto . . . " He whined, unsure. He felt the blond move a hand up and under his shirt.

"Sasuke . . . " The blond said softly back. Before the blond could remove his shirt fully...

Knock knock!

Sasuke and Naruto froze at the sound. They pulled back and quickly fixed themselves.

"Get in the closet!" Sasuke whispered.

"What!" The blond said. The knocking continued until a voice came through the door.

"Sasuke! Are you in there, un?"

"Why is the door locked?"

"Well...He is a teenaged boy."

"Shut up, yeah! Why are you always so perverted? Sasuke-kun is far too innocent for that kind of stuff!"

Sasuke shoved the blond into his closet and fixed his shirt and hair. He opened his door with a smile. Deidara, Sasori and Neji stood there, dressed like they were about to go somewhere.

"Sasuke, yeah! What were you doing?" The blond asked. Sasuke nodded toward his desk.

"I was studying. You surprised me; I had– fallen asleep," he said.

"At this hour?" Sasori said plainly. Sasuke rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah . . . I'm boring like that," he smiled nervously.

"We're about to go to the movies, wanna come?" Neji offered behind them. Sasuke looked down at himself. He didn't feel like changing or going anywhere.

"No thanks, I'm kind of comfortable right now, plus; I have to finish my report for history," he apologized. Deidara stuck his tongue out.

"Ew, yeah! You need to get away from that desk; you sound just like Itachi, un! You need to learn to let go of so much responsibility!" The blond scolded, waving his finger in the younger's face. Sasuke caught the finger that threatened to take out his nose.

"I do . . . Just . . . There is a time for certain things, that's all," he shrugged. Neji nodded behind Sasori.

"I can understand that." Deidara threw his hands up with a huff and instead wrapped his arms around Sasori's arm.

"Whatever, yeah? Call if you change your mind, un," the blond said, dragging Sasori away.

"I'll join you in a minute," Neji said as they walked down the hallway. The brunette turned toward him and looked at him intensely.

"Are you okay? I heard yelling the other night," he asked. Sasuke's mouth flopped open, but he shut it. He coughed and fixed his shirt.

"Yeah um... Itachi and I . . . Had a disagreement," he mumbled, looking away with a sour expression. Neji sighed and shifted on the spot.

"So...Uzumaki huh?" He said. Sasuke froze and looked up at him.

"How . . . ?" Sasuke started to ask.

"I overheard . . . Everything," he admitted. Sasuke blushed horribly in embarrassment. He groaned in the back of his throat.

"Everything?" He said quietly. Neji nodded, and Sasuke wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"Sasuke...I think it's foolish, to be going out with that boy. It's a bad idea," he said, voice low. Sasuke turned away from the brunette as he leaned against his door frame.

"I can't help but feel my brother put you up to this," he said. Neji shook his head.

"No, Sasuke...From what I've seen...I know what kind of person that blond is," he said. Sasuke looked deeply into Neji's almost white eyes.

"Then why does everyone seem so afraid to tell me?" He asked the older boy. Neji took a deep breath, the sound loud in the quiet hallway.

"Because we want to protect you from it. You have a bright future here Sasuke; I don't want to see it tarnished by that boy. He already destroyed . . . " the brunette cut himself off. Sasuke looked at him in suspicion.

"What? Destroyed what?" He asked the brunette. Neji shook his head as he took a small step toward Sasuke.

"Just please, don't be blinded by him Sasuke. You're a smart boy, and the last thing I want to see is you hurt. I..." he reached out and gently fingered Sasuke's cheek. "I don't want to see him hurt another person, especially you," he finished sincerely. Sasuke froze on the spot at the soft touch. Neji took back his hand and smoothed back his hair.

"Anyway, have a good night. See you at school," the older prefect said. Sasuke looked to the floor and nodded.

"Y-yeah...Good night Neji-Sempai," he said. Neji stepped away from the door and made his way into the hallway. He heard a click as Sasuke's door closed. Neji walked down the hallway until he reached the staircase. He looked to the side and noticed Itachi standing there.

"What was he doing?" Itachi asked him, leaning against the wall.

"Studying, he doesn't want to come with us to the movies," Neji replied. Itachi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't spoken to Sasuke all day.

"I wanted him to come, but he needs space. Did you talk to him?" he asked the brunette. Neji nodded and looked into Itachi's almost feral gaze. He could tell the older raven was still hot from his discussion with Sasuke and the constant repairs and paperwork regarding the damage to the football field.

"I talked to him," was all Neji said. Itachi smiled, but it seemed almost unnoticeable.

"And what did you tell him?" He asked. Neji leveled a look at him.

"I told him . . . That I didn't want to see him hurt," he said softly. Itachi nodded with pursed lips.

"Good . . . Good," he said. He stepped forward and clasped Neji on the shoulder.

"I couldn't see any other person fit enough to be my little brother's . . Friend," he said smoothly. He walked past Neji and down the stairs to where Deidara and Sasori were waiting. Neji felt his heart pick up at the insinuation. He had a feeling...Itachi wanted him to be more than just Sasuke's...Friend.

Sasuke closed his bedroom door and tried to slow his beating heart. He shook his head and took a deep breath. Remembering there was a blond in his closet, Sasuke cursed. Running over, he swung the door open. Naruto sat cross-legged on the carpet in the small space. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when the blond seemed to be going through his regular clothes.

"What are you doing?" He asked the boy. The blond turned toward him, all smiles.

"Picking you out something hot to wear," he said casually. Sasuke laughed and leaned against the door jamb of his closet.

"Why?" He asked.

"For our date tomorrow," he said simply. Sasuke blushed.

"Date?" He said.

"Yup, tomorrow is Saturday..." the blond said. Those intense blue eyes looked straight at him, making Sasuke hold his breath. "And I want to make a special day out of it."

True to his word, Naruto took him out the next Saturday. Dressed in the clothes the blond picked out, Sasuke said good-bye to Haku in the morning and walked out of the blue dorm. The fair-haired met him by the big gates and took him by the hand, walking into town. They didn'tt go unnoticed though as three girls watched them walk away.

"Can you believe that?" Ino said to her two companions. Sakura and Karin watched through narrowed eyes at the two boys.

"Why would Sasuke-kun fall for such a person?" Karin said angrily.

"He's so sweet! Compared to that goof ball failure Naruto!" Sakura said.

"Hey, we should follow them and totally mess up their date!" Ino smiled wickedly. All three girls nodded at each other as they closely followed behind. Sakura's phone suddenly rang, and she stopped. She squealed in delight at the number and picked up.

"Hello?" she said sweetly. She nodded all through the conversation.

"Yeah, they're heading into town now. Yes...Of course! I will let you know," she smiled. Karin and Ino looked at her in question.

"Sorry girls, looks like the boss man wants just me to go in alone," she said, flipping her hair. Karin and Ino gave her jealous looks.

"Why doesn't Itachi-kun ever call us for stuff?" Karin mumbled as Sakura walked away with a skip.

"Sakura honestly thinks she has a chance with Itachi-kun He wouldn't look twice at her, unless he needed her for something," Ino said. Both girls crossed their arms and continued to brood.

"I wonder what he wants her to do?" They both asked aloud.

Naruto immediately dragged Sasuke to the nearest park. True to his word, they went on the go-karts first. Having never ridden them, he let Naruto drive.

Huge mistake.

Sasuke almost screamed as Naruto took sharp turns and corners, nearly hitting others on the track. Despite it all, Sasuke was having a great time. He smiled at the blond as they went around the track several times. When it was over, Sasuke's legs felt like jelly as Naruto walked him to a bench.

"Fun right?" The blond smiled. Sasuke nodded and hopped up, taking Naruto by the arm.

"What else is there?" He said eagerly. The blond smiled at him and pulled him into town.

"This way!"

Sakura scowled as she followed the pair everywhere they went. Crossing her arms she watched as they made their way finally into the arcade after a day of being outside. She followed them everywhere, the karts, the wax museum and even the ice cream shop where they sat for over an hour and people watched. Sakura didn't know what she felt in her gut, was it jealousy? Why would she be jealous of that stupid blond? She smiled as the pair separated to look at the games and get quarters. When Sasuke went to the bathroom, she decided to strike. Fluffing up her hair, Sakura made her way to Naruto who was looking for a racing game. She slid up to the back of him and wrapped her arms around his stomach.

"Naru-chan," she purred. The blond jumped and spun out of her hold. He looked at her with confusion.

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing here?" he asked her. The pinkette smiled seductively and invaded Naruto's personal space. The blond blushed and Sakura knew she had him cornered, after all, she knew he had a major crush on her in the past, and feelings never died easily.

"Naruto, I've been thinking about you ever sense you hooked up with Sasuke-kun," she said. The blond looked at her in suspicion.

"What? Why?" He asked. She pouted cutely and blinked her big green eyes.

"I'm jealous," she said simply. Naruto though, backed up and crossed his arms.

"Oh?" He said skeptically.

"Well yeah...I mean, now that I see you with another person . . . It makes me want you," she said. Naruto opened his mouth but closed it, giving her a critical look.

"And when you said you would rather get your eyes plucked out by birds then date me?" He asked her. Sakura gave a sad look and scuffed her shoe on the floor.

"I didn't realize my feelings at the time Naruto...I didn't realize, until now...Now that you're with someone, how much...I want you," she smiled. She moved right up to him and touched his face with her soft fingers.

"Naruto...I know you still like me," she whispered. The blond seemed frozen to the spot. He backed aside slowly and moved to one side.

"I-I got to go find Sasuke," he stuttered. Sakura looked sad as he walked away and smirked after he had left. She turned around and saw Sasuke coming back from the bathroom.

"Sasuke-kun," she greeted. Sasuke looked up from counting her quarters and blinked.

"Sakura-chan, come to play?" He smiled kindly at her. She smiled genuinely this time and wrapped her hands around his arm.

"Sasuke, let's hang out, since I'm here and all," she smiled. Sasuke gave her a smile.

"Sorry Sakura-chan, I'm here with Naruto. We're . . . On a date," he smiled. She looked surprised and put a hand over her mouth.

"A date? No way! Tell me all about it!" She said. Sasuke blushed and pocketed his quarters.

"Well...We went to the go-karts...And afterwards we went to the wax museum and next..." he said.

"The ice cream shop?" She said. Sasuke looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah. How did you know?" He asked. Sakura shook her head with pressed lips.

"Sasuke-kun, you know Naruto has dated nearly all the girls from yellow dorm, right?" she asked. Sasuke opened his mouth but closed it, looking apprehensive.

"W-what? All of them?" He asked. Sakura shrugged.

"Well, just about, but they went on dates with Naruto too. He took them all to the exact same places, the go-karts, the park, the wax museum, even that little alcove near the ice cream shop where he would kiss them," she said. Sasuke went pale at that, Naruto had pushed him into the identicle alcove and kissed him also.

"H-He did?" He said in a small voice. Sakura looked at him in sympathy.

"Let me guess; he did the same with you?" she asked. Sasuke nodded silently. The raven looked crushed as he looked to the floor.

"Y-yeah," he breathed out. Sasuke bit his bottom lip as Sakura patted him on the shoulder.

"Well...Maybe it will be different this time. After all, he usually finishes by taking them to the overlook at the park, says it makes his dates weak in the knees," she finished. Sasuke started breathing again as he looked at her.

"I-I gotta go find Naruto. Enjoy the arcade Sakura," he said weakly. As he spoke, he fished his quarters out of his pockets and handed them all to her. She took them with a look of sympathy.

"Are you sure Sasuke-kun? Why don't I walk you back to your dorm?" She offered sweetly. He shook his head but tried to give her a smile.

"No it's...It's fine. See you," he said. Sakura watched him walk away and stuffed the quarters into her pockets. Feeling accomplished, she walked away and out of the arcade, planning to make a phone call to a certain Itachi Uchiha.

Sasuke found Naruto by the racing games and watched him for a moment. Slowly, he approached and gave a strained smile.

"Naruto?" He asked. The blond, jumped and spun around.

"Oh Sasuke! Sorry, I thought you were . . . N-never mind. Hey! Why don't we skip the arcade? Its way too crowded in here," he offered. Sasuke swallowed but nodded.

"S-sure Where do you want to go?" He asked. Naruto seemed to perk up and smile.

"We could . . . Go to the park. I know a nice overview with a bench on it," he smiled. Sasuke felt his stomach bottom out as his eyes widened.

Well . . . Maybe it will be different this time. After all, he usually finishes by taking them to the overlook at the park, says it makes his dates weak in the knees.

Sasuke stopped breathing and suddenly he felt like the room was caving in. He swallowed dryly and instantaneously wanted Itachi.

"Uh...Well, it's getting dark. We should just go home for the night. I'm tired," he said lamely. Naruto frowned in confusion.

"What? Really? But . . . " He started. He looked Sasuke over and grew concerned.

"Well, you do look tired . . . I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Sasuke led the way out of the arcade. They walked in silence, and Naruto watched Sasuke's back in concern.

"Sasuke, is something wrong?" He asked. The raven shook his head but didn't turn to look at the blond. Slowly, very leisurely, Sasuke's hollowness turned to anger.

"I'm fine," he said stiffly. Naruto was quiet but followed Sasuke back to the school.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" he asked once they had made it back to the outside of red dorm. Sasuke looked up, and Naruto was surprised at the stiffness in Sasuke's features.

"Didn't you have fun?" The blond asked timidly.

"Naruto . . . " Sasuke started. He closed his mouth as question after question was dying to fly out. His chest and his heart hurt too much to be around the blond anymore than he had to.

"I'll see you Monday," he said. Naruto watched hurt as Sasuke spun around and walked away.

"But what about tomorrow? Do you want to . . . ?" The blond tried to ask.

"Homework!" Sasuke shouted over his shoulder. The blond clamped his mouth shut at the tone.

"Sasuke," he whispered in confusion.

Sasuke walked swiftly back to the blue dorm, on the verge of tears of frustration and anger. Making his way to his room, he shut the door and leaned against it. He rubbed at his eyes and wiped them on his sleeves.

"Why does this keep happening?" he said. Why was he so full of doubt? Everywhere he went, people told him that Naruto was a bad person, that he was tricky and a liar. He recalled the day where every girl came up to him, flirting and smiling at him. Was Sakura right? Was Naruto...Just a playboy? Taking Sasuke for a ride? Walking to the bed, he heard his phone buzz. He looked at it and saw Naruto's number. He tossed his phone on the desk and ignored it. He sat on his bed in his quiet room and stared at the wall. A sudden knock on his door spooked him, and he twitched. Getting off the bed, he walked to the door and opened it. Itachi stood there, dressed in his casual clothes of jeans and a black turtle neck which brought out the darkness of his eyes. He quirked an eyebrow when all Sasuke did was stare at him.

"You okay little brother?" He asked with a smile. Sasuke woke from his stupor and looked away.

"I'm fine," he said softly. Itachi frowned.

"You don't sound fine," he said. Sasuke gave a weak shrug and pushed some hair behind his ear.

"It's been . . . A weird day," he admitted.

Especially when you weren't around for me to talk to...

Sasuke pushed that thought out of his head.

"Oh? How so?" Itachi asked. Sasuke frowned and looked at the floor. He went to open his mouth, but he found himself closing it instead. He looked up at Itachi, who seemed to be watching him with interest. Sasuke had the sudden urge to just throw himself into his brother's arms. He wanted to yell at Itachi for possibly being right. What if he was correct about Naruto? What should he do? He wanted to believe that Naruto liked him, liked him as much as he liked the blond. He held his ground though, no matter how much he just wanted to hide behind Itachi and make all the rumors go away. This was something they had argued about, and for once, Sasuke wanted to be right about something. He swallowed and tried to get his saliva going.

"Just . . . Just some weird . . . " He tried to get out. He knew he was done for though when his voice wavered, and Itachi noticed.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?" He asked. Sasuke bit his lip and grabbed the door frame in an iron grip.

"I'm fine! Goodnight!" He said suddenly. Sasuke tried to slam his door closed, but Itachi was quicker. His brother gripped the door knob and pushed, keeping it open. Sasuke stepped back in surprise with deep breaths. He blinked rapidly when tears threatened him again, and he turned away to wipe at them.

"Sasuke, look at me," Itachi said. Sasuke shook his head and continued to rub at his eyes.

"No," the younger said. He was not giving in; he wasn't even going to acknowledge the possibility that Itachi was right all along.

But you know he is. You know in your heart that he is always right. That he has no reason to ever lie to you.

His shoulders were grabbed, and he was spun to face Itachi. The older raised a hand and gently cupped Sasuke's red cheeks. Sasuke looked into his brother's eyes and saw the seriousness. He wasn't looking at Sasuke in a scolding manner, that the argument they had between each other wasn't going to rear up again.

"Itachi..." he said. Sasuke let his stubbornness fly out the window as he buried himself into his brother's hold. Itachi's arms instantly wrapped around him in comfort, and Sasuke felt his heart swell with familiarity.

"You're still wrong about him!" Sasuke's speech was mumbled by Itachi's sweater. The older raven only made shushing noises, and he rubbed Sasuke's back.

"I won't say a thing, I'll just be here," he said quietly. Sasuke took deep breaths and started tearing up more.

"Where were you?" He said quietly. Itachi moved some hair away from Sasuke's face and smiled.

"I thought you might want some space to think. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you," he apologized. Sasuke shook his head and simply buried it back into Itachi's sweater. The older brother only stood there and let Sasuke collect his thoughts.

"Nii-san?" the younger suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Itachi hummed.

"Am I . . . Stupid?" He asked. Itachi pulled back with a deep frown.

"What?" He asked. Sasuke looked at him in a way that made Itachi lose his breath.

"I just feel like . . . Everyone around me isn't telling me something. Like I'm out of some giant loop. When people see me and Naruto together . . . All I see is them trying to tear us apart," he whispered. Itachi stared at him in a way that Sasuke just couldn't figure out.

"Maybe it's a sign," he said. Sasuke though shook his head.

"Maybe I'm just blind," he said honestly.

The weekend went by, and Sasuke wasn't feeling any better. He had spent all of Sunday on homework and ignored Naruto's phone calls. When Monday came, Sasuke still wasn't done thinking about his opinion of Naruto. He couldn't straight out ask...Could he? The obviousness was that Naruto would lie of course, but Sasuke could detect a liar a mile away...Couldn't he? Kakashi-sensei's class was a buzz with students talking louder than normal. He looked around in confusion at how all the girls were smiling, and all the guys were talking louder than usual also. Sasuke decided to sit in the front as the back was crowded with girls . . . Girls surrounding a certain blond. Ignoring the looks Naruto was giving him, Kakashi walked in and shushed everyone.

"Hey! The teacher is on time!" Someone yelled. Kakashi waved his hands at the students and began writing on the board.

"As many of you are excited about, the winter dance is this coming Saturday. We need volunteers to work with student council to make decorations and put them up in the gymnasium by the pool. You may sign up by the school bulletin board and show up at the appointed time that the paper instructs," Kakashi went on.

A dance?

Sasuke sighed when it explained the way the girls were acting. Sure enough as he turned his head, several girls were still whispering to the blond. Naruto just looked confused and even Kiba seemed to be staring at his friend, wondering why suddenly the hottest girls in school were talking to the normally outcast blond. Kiba then looked to Sasuke with confusion but the raven turned away, not wanting him to see the burning anger in his features.

Itachi's wrong...Itachi's wrong...Itachi's wrong!

Sasuke felt white-hot jealousy coat his spine as he gripped his pencil tighter in his palm.

I'm Sasuke Uchiha...I do not get jealous!

However, despite his internal thoughts, his heart only clenched in fear and sadness all the more. Class ended, and Sasuke walked out to avoid the sight of Naruto being swarmed by girls again. Stomping down the hallway, Sasuke reached his locker and opened it.

"Hey, Sasuke," a voice said beside him. Sasuke looked up and saw Kiba Inuzuka leaning against another locker looking at him.

"Hey Kiba," Sasuke said weakly. The taller boy gave Sasuke a frown.

"Something happen between you and Naruto? He's been trying to reach you, and you didn't sit next to us in class," he said. Sasuke suddenly slammed his locker closed. Kiba frowned in concern at Sasuke's behavior.

"Kiba...Is Naruto still interested in those girls?" he asked. Kiba's frown went even deeper.

"What? No way, Naruto might be a total goof, but when I say he's crazy about you; I mean it," Kiba answered. Sasuke didn't look convinced though as he picked at the cover of his text book.

"So many girls have been following him around Kiba. How do I know you're not just lying to cover for him?" Sasuke asked sadly. Kiba scoffed and almost laughed.

"All those girls? I have no idea what's up with that. Even so, Naruto's been rejecting them left and right; I assure you. As for me lying to cover up for him? I've lied to many blue dorm inhabitants but Sasuke; I would never lie to you. I'd be the first in line to tell you what kind of person someone is. Naruto is no cheater; I promise," he said honestly. Sasuke turned to him so fast he almost lost his books in his grip.

"But all the girls he dated . . . !" He began.

"...Are history and dumped him first," Kiba finished for him. Sasuke shut his mouth and sighed.

"Kiba, I really like Naruto. He's the first boy...The first person who I've ever dated and I...I just don't want to be hurt. Am I just...Insecure? Am I imagining things?" He asked the brunette desperately. Kiba looked at Sasuke hard.

"Sasuke, relax. I'm not sure what's going on either, but you need to trust Naruto. Ignoring him just makes him insecure as well," Kiba said. Sasuke took a deep calming breath and moved his hair from his eyes.

"You're right...You're right. I just need to trust him," he smiled. Kiba smiled back at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, we'll be late for chemistry," he said.

Despite all the girls, Sasuke made his way to Naruto at the lunch table. The blond sat next to Gaara, talking at him while the red head ate his sandwich.

"I just don't get it! I feel like fly paper! Where do all these girls keep coming from?" he growled. The red head nudged him with his elbow as Sasuke simply stood there with his tray. The blond looked up at him.

"Sasuke!" He said. The raven only stared for a moment until he set his tray down next to Shikamaru, who was talking to Hinata.

"Hey...Naruto," he said awkwardly. The blond nearly shot across the table as he grabbed Sasuke's hands.

"I swear! I don't know what I did wrong, but I'm sorry! And all these girls around all the time kept keeping me from following you after class and . . . " He continued to rant. Sasuke sat and listened patiently as the blond poured his heart out and ranted. By the end of it, the blond was out of breath and holding a death grip on Sasuke's hands. He stared at Sasuke with apprehension and a little hope. Sasuke only smiled and squeezed his hands back.

"And to think, it's only Monday," he said. Naruto blinked and smiled in relief.

"You're not mad?" He asked. Sasuke shook his head and smiled.

"No, and...I'm sorry about the way I acted on Saturday. I had a great time; I swear," he said. Naruto smiled in his goofy way that made Sasuke's heart warm.

Itachi...You are wrong about Naruto...I just know it...

TBC