! I AM BACK WITH A VENGEANCE BABEH! *lightning flashes in background* AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yes, my dear lovelies! I have finally rid myself of the dreaded curse of WRITERS BLOCK! MUAHAH! And to showcase this accomplishment, I bring you the LONGEST chapter in Online so far! Over 7,000 words! YEEEHA!
And a lot happens in this chapter!
Oh! And I'd just like to take a moment here to say... *clears throat and looks up with sparkly eyes* Everyone who reviewed... THANK YOU SO MUCH! It's because of all the reviews that I was able to throw the last dregs of writers block off of my back! Seriously, reviews are like energy drinks, or medicine! But awesome medicine. Not that bitter shit that makes you feel even more sick after taking it.
Warnings: Swearing, Kabuto (haha), some OOCness, but not too much, I don't think...and...uh...that's it, I think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I'm in an optimistic mood, so IT'S OKAY!
The next chapter of Online! Begins now!
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before once again glancing around. The school hallways were empty, as everyone else was out to lunch.
Perfect.
I waited, giving myself an internal pep talk, until the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Peering around the corner, I saw my target making his way towards me. He was busy shuffling through his bag, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to locate a book or some other item in the leathery depths.
Taking another big breath, I stepped out from around the corner and opened my mouth.
"Hello, Naruto-kun."
...
Damn, he beat me to it! I let out the breath and gave a small smile. "Hello, Kabuto-san." I returned his greeting, adding a tiny wave.
Kabuto smiled, reaching up and pushing his glasses back up his nose. His eyes twinkled in the light, and his silver hair seemed to have a glow around it.
He looked like the poster child for saints. His appearance just looked so innocent! I was beginning to feel guilty about what I had to ask him, since that would mean I don't believe in his angelic demeanour.
"So, is there something I can help you with today, Naruto-kun?" Kabuto asked kindly.
Damn him and his sweet voice! I feel like I'm about to accuse a little girl of murder!
...Why I compared him to a little girl, I have no idea, but I'd better not let him know about that. I don't think any guy would like that.
"U-Uh...well, actually t-there is something I need to ask you..." I stammered. His angelic appearance was making this hard! I was asking a question, a pretty dark question! I mean, 'Are you a psychotic stalker who dry humped me in the school bathrooms?' doesn't exactly sound like a light question.
I swallowed thickly and opened my mouth. Best to just force it out. "H-Have you been f-following me?"
Well, I suppose that wasn't too bad.
Kabuto blinked and tilted his head. "Following you? How do you mean?" he asked.
I gulped and fidgeted with my fingers. Looking up, I opened my mouth again, but the light overhead flickered, and for a moment the hallway was bathed in darkness, only an open door leaving a sliver of faint light.
And I froze, staring at Kabuto.
In the light, he had looked like an angel, with no possible cruel deeds on his wake, but in the dark...the guy looked more sinister than Jack the Ripper in a room full of swords on Halloween night.
His skin was quite pale, and he seemed to glow ever so slightly, but the shadows across his face distorted his small smile, making it look like a terrible leer. And his glasses, they hid his eyes, what little light there was reflecting off their surfaces to give him a pair of pure white orbs that just looked downright evil!
And when he reached up to push them back again, the light glinted, and I could almost see Igor shuffling behind him and asking 'Must I crank up the monster maker, Dr. Frankenstein?'
But then the light turned on again, and it was gone.
Kabuto's smile was innocent again, and he looked at me weirdly. I realized I was standing there, frozen stiff with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" he asked.
I jumped at the sudden question, snapping my mouth shut so hard my teeth clacked. "A-Ah...Yeah I'm f-fine...uh...I...I just...ah..." I struggled for words, looking at my hands and wringing my fingers together awkwardly.
After seeing him in the dark, I was completely freaked out and I hesitated to ask him my question now. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. I should leave now and forget about it.
"Naruto-kun, you look a bit pale. Do you feel sick?" A cold hand pressed against my forehead and I gasped and stumbled back.
When did he even move close to me?
Kabuto stood in front of me, hand still pressing against my forehead. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, but no sounds came out. He was leaning so close, peering at me intently.
"Naruto-kun, you really do not look well. I think you should go to the nurses office." He said. His hand moved from my forehead to my cheek, and my breathing stopped, along with all bodily movement.
Was it just me, or was he leaning closer?
I wanted to step back, I wanted to say I was fine and run away, but...I couldn't move.
Suddenly, Kabuto was right there, his eyes boring into mine.
"Naruto-kun..." his voice was low.
And I panicked. With a sharp cry, I ripped away from him, shoving him aside and making a mad dash towards the right. I heard him shout something, but I was in such a blind panic, I didn't hear what he said.
Nor did I see the figure turning the corner.
Instead, I ran headfirst into that person. My head collided with their hard body, and I bounced back, my vision blurring before I hit the ground, and everything went black.
"What happened to him?"
"I'm not sure. I just turned the corner and he came barrelling into me."
"He was panicking about something though, wasn't he? At the speed he went, to knock himself out like that..."
"He was very pale, and seemed to be struggling breathing."
"You were there, do you know what happened?"
"No. He had stopped me to ask a question, but then the lights flickered off for a second and after that he just froze up. I asked him what was wrong, but he didn't say anything."
"I wonder what went wrong...He's never panicked like this before, over anything..."
I listened to the conversation, my mind slowly but surely piecing together what had happened and who was speaking.
"He's still asleep. He must have hit his head hard."
There was Sakura-chan...I should have figured she'd be there. She was always there for me when something like this happened, not that it happened often.
"Yeah, well he hit his head really hard! Didn't you see the bump? I'm surprised he didn't crack his skull open!"
And there was Kiba. His voice was recognizable in an instant. I could also smell the scent of dog food, so he was obviously close.
"Yes, he was going very fast. By the way, are you okay? He ran into you very hard, I'm surprised you managed to stay standing."
I froze. That was Kabuto's voice. The reasons for my earlier panic came flooding back, and I hardly dared breathe.
"Ah...I'm alright."
My eyes snapped open. Everything was blurry and out of focus, but I could see the shape of a tall, pale, raven haired boy.
Sasuke.
"Hmm...Ah! He's a awake!" Kiba's voice said, and after letting my eyes adjust a bit, the rest of the room came into focus.
Kiba and Sakura were sitting over to the left, looking down at me worriedly. Sasuke was standing on the right, also staring at me, but his face was almost completely blank. In fact, if it weren't for the concerned frown, I'd have thought he was just a mannequin or something.
Then, at the foot of my bed, was Kabuto. He was also watching me, but his expression was one of pure concern. Once again, I wasn't sure what to feel. He looked so kind and innocent now, but I couldn't get the image of him in the dark out of my mind...it was almost unreal how evil he'd seemed.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asked, leaning closer and placing a gentle hand on my face. I let my eyes wander over to her, and gave a weak smile. Only now did I notice the splitting headache I had, and the horrid ringing in my ears, so it most likely looked more like a grimace than a smile.
"Uhm fayne, Sakuwa-chin."
...Wait, what?
I blinked owlishly up at her, my mouth gaping open. Sakura's brows furrowed, as she stared at me.
"I think he may have a mild concussion." Kabuto said, his voice laced with concern.
Sakura nodded and stood up. "I'm going to get the nurse. He needs to be looked at." She said. She gave me a quick wave and a small, worried smile, before leaving the room.
Kabuto looked after her as she went before sighing. "I should go with her. The nurse will want to know what happened." He said, and left.
That left only Kiba and Sasuke, who turned back to me.
"Hey, Blondie, why were you freaking out?" Kiba asked, scooting closer. Sasuke also took a seat next to me, and suddenly I noticed that he winced a bit.
"..Ah yew 'kay?" I slurred. Damn, I must have hit my head hard. It was difficult to form the words properly. And the ringing in my ears was so annoying.
Sasuke nodded. "I'm fine. What about you?"
I raised an eyebrow, or at least I think I did. "Ah cun tahlk popery...ho yew tink I am?"
He smirked, and Kiba chuckled.
"At least his personality is intact." Kiba said, and gave me a grin. I just shrugged my shoulders and worked my jaw a bit, hoping the slur in my voice would go away. It sounded so lame.
"What happen?" I asked, pleased when it came out pretty clear.
Kiba blinked. "I was hoping you could tell us! Sakura and I were on our way to find you, when suddenly we saw Sasuke and Kabuto-san carrying your unconscious ass to the nurse's office! Apparently, you freaked out while talking to Kabuto-san and then ran full speed into Sasuke!" he said, waving his arms about for emphasis.
I hissed at his loud voice, raising a weak hand to cover my ear. Sasuke noticed it and leant over, slapping Kiba's hands down.
"Ouch! What the hell?"
"Be quiet. Don't make so much noise." Sasuke scolded coldly. Kiba glared at him, but after noticing I was in pain, he quieted down with a mumbled "Sorry."
For a moment, we sat there in silence, Kiba looking at his hands, me waiting for the ringing to stop, and Sasuke staring at me.
When the ringing in my ears faded a little, I looked up. "...What time is it?" At least my speech was better, if still a little bit slurred.
"It's 1:15." Kiba said, looking at his watch.
"Don't you guys have class?" I asked, looking between them.
Kiba chuckled guiltily. "Yeah but...I can't just leave my friend on the nurses office unprotected! She might be some kind of psycho who'll do all these weird experiments on you!" he finished with a serious tone.
"Oh, I'm sure I can resist experimenting on Naruto-kun, Kiba-kun. No need to worry." Said a voice near the door.
We snapped our heads to look at the door, seeing Sakura, Kabuto and the school nurse Shizune standing there. Kiba went bright red, sputtering out a "S-sorry miss, I was just joking!" while Sasuke smirked and I laughed.
Shizune waved her hand to quiet Kiba down and walked over to me. "Naruto-kun, your friends tell me you panicked a bit and rammed into Sasuke-kun before hitting your head on the ground, correct?" she asked, sitting down on the bed.
I nodded. "Yes Shizune-sensei."
She furrowed her brows. "Lean a bit forward for me please, I want to see the bump." I did so, the ringing in my ears returning. I hissed.
"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Shizune asked.
"I-It's just...my ears are ringing..."
She made an understanding noise and continued examining my head before gently pushing me back.
Standing up, she turned to everyone. "It appears he has a mild concussion." She stated. Sakura sighed.
"I thought it might've been that. How many days will he need to rest?" she asked.
Shizune cupped her chin, looking at me intently. "...I'd give him at least three days full rest. And if he still has symptoms of a concussion, then a week to be safe."
The others nodded. I just shrugged. Hey, I was getting out of school. Maybe by the time I came back, everyone would realize how much of a ball of sunshine I was and miss me terribly and therefore welcome me back with open arms and huge smiles and I'll live happily ever after.
...Ha ha...wishful thinking.
"So, he should probably go home now." Shizune said, looking at me. "I can give you a lift." She said, but I shook my head.
"S'fine. I can get home by myself." I said.
"But Naruto-kun, you should rest as much as possible, and I know that it's a long walk home for you...My car is right in front of the school, and it'll only take five minutes to drive you-"
I shook my head furiously, regretting it when everything swayed. "No! I'm fine, Shizune-sensei, really! I can manage!" I insisted, a slight edge to my voice.
I did not like cars.
I really, really didn't like cars.
I wasn't sure why, but every time someone tried to get me into any type of vehicle I would start freaking out, especially when it came to buses and trains. It was like a natural response or something.
Tsunade had once, while she was drunk out of her mind, said it came from a past trauma. But she had passed out before I could find out more, and when I asked her the next day, she'd obstinately denied ever saying anything of the sort.
The same thing happened when I asked Jiraiya and Iruka-sensei. They just kept quiet and or changed the subject quickly.
Sakura was looking at me worriedly, already aware of my reasons for declining Shizune's offer.
Kiba was staring between us, and Sasuke was watching me. I kept my gaze on my hands.
Shizune seemed to catch on to the edge on my voice, and maybe she guessed my reasons, or perhaps Tsunade had told her, since Shizune was an old friend. But whatever the case, she sighed and said "Alright. But I want someone to accompany him home." She said and left.
Kabuto readjusted his glasses. "I'd like to help, however, I get the feeling that I may have had a part in Naruto-kun's earlier panic attack, so I'd rather not risk anything. Sorry, and goodbye. I hope you feel better, Naruto-kun." He called, waving and leaving the room.
I nodded numbly, finally looking up at the last three people.
Kiba stretched his arm, looking at me. Sakura was biting her lip, and Sasuke was as blank and impassive as ever.
I sighed. "I don't need help...I'll be fine."
"No, Naruto. Someone needs to go with you." Sakura insisted.
Kiba clicked his neck and stood. "Okay then, I'll ta-"
"I'll take him."
We all turned to Sasuke, who stared back with no emotion. I knew my mouth was hanging open, and Kiba still had his neck tilted, halfway through clicking it. Sakura smiled a little.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun."
He nodded and stood up, holding out a hand for me. I stared at him, but Kiba spoke first.
"Whoa, whoa! I can take him! Hell, I live next door! I can take him by myself!" he said.
"Inuzuka-kun, are you aware of the test that both you, and Haruno-san are having in your next class, which will start in ten minutes, I might add?" Sasuke asked, voice monotone even as he wrapped his fingers around my arm and started dragging me off the bed.
Kiba paused, his eyes going wide. "...There's a test in Anko-sensei's class?" he asked. Sakura also seemed surprised.
Sasuke nodded. "It's a quiz that actually counts for a large part of your grade. She did put up a notice, but she's also the type of teacher who doesn't remind her students of things like this. If either of you two miss that test, it'll be very bad for you." Sasuke said, now helping me to stand straight.
I was still dumbstruck that he had offered to help me so readily.
Kiba swallowed thickly. "S-so...why are you telling us this?"
Sasuke actually took the time to glare at the brunette for his stupidity. Even I could understand what Sasuke was getting at.
Sakura sighed at the boy's idiocy. "Kiba, what Sasuke-kun is saying is that we can't afford to take time away from class to take Naruto home. Sasuke-kun has obviously taken the test, or his class didn't need it, and since he will have Shizune-sensei's permission, he can leave the school without having to worry about his grades. He's doing this both for Naruto's sake and for us, so be grateful, shut up and let's get to class." She said.
Kiba looked hesitant, glancing between me and Sasuke to Sakura, but after looking at her determined eyes for a few seconds he caved, heaving a sigh and looking directly at Sasuke.
"Take care of him, Uchiha." He said sternly.
Sasuke only grunted in return and continued to hoist me up, making sure I stayed upright and keeping a hand on my shoulder just in case.
Sakura walked forward and gave me a tight hug, telling me to take it easy and rest. Kiba also stepped forward and grabbed my hand, giving it a rough shake.
"I'll miss you, Blondie." He said, with a smile.
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I'm going home, you guys, not dying." I grinned, the others laughing, while Sasuke just grunted. Sakura grabbed Kiba's arm and dragged him out of the room, calling over for me to get rest and a whole lot of other medical shit that I was never going to remember.
Sasuke and I slowly started forwards.
"Wait...where's my stuff?" I asked, looking around. He turned, reaching over to the chair he had been sitting in and grabbing my bag, which had been resting beside it. After throwing it over his shoulder, he continued walking.
"Come on, dobe. Let's get you home."
The walk was slow, but luckily the streets weren't all that busy, so we made our way through with minimum stares and glances.
My head was throbbing, but I kept my mouth shut. Complaining about it wouldn't make it go away, I'd learned that a long time ago.
We were halfway to my house when the throbbing got unbearable, however, and I pulled away to lean against the wall, taking deep breaths and holding my head.
"Oi, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, coming up and bending down slightly to look at my face. "...You're pale."
I gave a wry smile. "I've got one hell of a headache...I think I'm entitled to a loss of colour for a day." I said. The cool brick of the building felt nice against my head, so I leant against it with a sigh.
Sasuke studied me for a moment, before looking in the direction of my apartment. If one squinted, and knew where to look, you would be able to spot the small ledge where my front door was located from here.
After a moment of blissful silence, Sasuke sighed and took me bag off his shoulder. "Put this on." He said, holding it out to me.
I raised an eyebrow, but he gave me his 'question-and-die' look, so I just rolled my eyes and slung my bag onto my back.
"Okay, teme, now what's the next part of your undoubtedly genius plan?" I asked.
He growled. "Keep talking like that, and I'll leave you here." He warned, but he stepped forwards and turned his back to me before crouching down. "Get on."
I stared at his back incredulously. "...Beg your pardon?"
"Get on, dobe."
"Hell no!"
"Why not?" he snapped, glaring over his shoulder.
I backed up, pressing against the wall and waving my hand in front of me. "B-Because! I'm a dude! And you're a dude! And dudes don't give other dudes piggy back rides!" I stuttered. Okay, so technically I was just bullshitting. I was bi, so I didn't really give a rat's ass about getting a ride from a guy. But somehow the fact that it was Uchiha Sasuke offering made my stomach twist and flop weirdly. Sasuke was supposed to be the cold hearted prick who would just grunt at a dying person, not a not-so-cold hearted prick who would grunt at a dying person before calling the ambulance and performing first aid on said dying person.
...Understand that? No?
Neither did I, so don't worry.
Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh and glared harder. "Dobe, no discussions. Get on or I'll carry you bridal style the rest of the way. It's either some small embarrassment, or the utter loss of your dignity as a man. Your choice." He said with a final tone.
I scowled, swallowing thickly and looking at his back. It did look rather comfortable, and it would save me the trouble of walking with this damn headache.
Biting my lip, I sighed and gave a short nod. "Fine teme, you win." I grumbled. I resisted, with great difficulty, the urge to strangle him when he gave a smug smirk, and climbed onto his back.
His arms came around to wrap under my thighs and keep me seated. I wrapped my arms over his shoulders and loosely around his neck. He stood up and started walking towards me home.
At first I tried to keep my head up, but my aching neck won over my stubbornness, and my head dropped down onto the crook on his neck. I gasped at the cool feeling of his skin on my forehead.
"You're skin is really cool." I noted, closing my eyes and enjoying the pleasant chill that dulled my headache a bit.
Sasuke hummed, but didn't say anything. The walk was quiet the rest of the way, and as we neared my apartment, my head began to feel so much better due to the cold skin of the boy carrying me.
A content sigh slipped past my lips, brushing out over Sasuke's neck. I thought I felt him stumble slightly, but he was walking fine when I next checked, so I dismissed it.
We arrived at the stairs that led up to my level, and Sasuke paused to catch his breath.
I looked up. "Uh...I can climb the stairs by myself..." I mumbled, and moved to get off, but Sasuke only tightened his grip.
"No." He said sternly, and started climbing. I clung a bit tighter and leant forwards so as to not pull him back.
My eyelids felt heavy, so they dropped to half mast. There was something soothing about the slight rocking motion I was in when Sasuke walked, and his body had heated up slightly, sending a comfortable warmth through. My chin rested on his shoulder, and out of the corner of my eyes, I could see one side of his face, a frown of concentration and his eyes trained on the stairs to check for obstacles.
A small smile wormed its way onto my face, and I laughed softly. "Teme, you're waking up a staircase, not trying to manoeuvre through lasers. I doubt you need such a high level of concentration." I teased. When he just scowled, I reached up and ran my index finger over the skin between his eyebrows, where it was a bit wrinkled.
"...Naruto?"
"Don't scowl all the time. You'll get wrinkles. Beside, you look better when you smile." I said absently and stifled a yawn. I was feeling sleepy now, and a nap was sounding great.
Sasuke stopped midway on the stairs and turned his face slightly to get a better view of me.
"...What did you say?" he asked softly.
"I said you look better when you smile. I've seen it, and you don't look so mean and intimidating when you do. In fact you look kind of cute. You should smile more often." I rambled, hardly listening to what I was saying. If I had, I'd probably have kicked myself while blushing madly, but for now I was just too lazy and drowsy to focus on that.
Sasuke stayed still for a few moments, and I had a feeling he looked shocked, before he let out a soft 'Hn' and continued on his way.
We reached the top and Sasuke walked over to my door. "Naruto, I need the keys."
"In my back pocket..." I mumbled sleepily, eyes shut and breathing slowly evening out. Sasuke sighed and I felt myself lowered to the floor slowly and cracked my eyes open to see Sasuke reaching over. His fingers slipped into my back pocket almost shyly as they burrowed around, trying to locate my hidden keys.
I opened my eyes more fully, and caught sight of the slight reddish tinge to his usually pale cheeks. A smirk formed on my face, and I chuckled slyly, drawing his attention.
"Aw, are you embarrassed about touching my ass?" I joked, and wiggled my butt a bit. Sasuke's face went a bit redder, and he snatched the keys and pulled them out harshly before smacking me on the chest.
"Idiot."
"Jerk."
"Moron."
"Ass."
"Klutz."
"Princess."
We were both smirking by the end of our little spat as Sasuke unlocked my door, throwing my keys over to the bed opposite us. He turned and picked me up. "That's 'Your Highness' to you, dobe." He said.
I laughed, letting him pick me up and carry me over to my bed. He dumped me down and dusted his hands off, still smirking.
I laughed a bit more, looking up at him sleepily. "...Hey, Your Highness?"
Sasuke's smirk grew. "Yes, civilian?"
"...Thanks...you know, for helping me home and shit."
Sasuke's smirk changed into a smile. He leant a bit closer and tugged the blanket over me.
"...No problem." He said.
I returned the smile, ignoring the odd fluttering in my stomach at his show of kindness. Maybe he wasn't as much of an ass as I always thought.
Tiredly, I reached up a hand and poked his forehead.
"See...you look really nice when you smile... you should...do it...more..." I trailed off, sleep clawing at my mind and dragging me down into its dark, yet welcoming depths.
Just before all consciousness was torn away from me, I felt Sasuke brush some hair off my face before whispering a goodbye.
I smiled and drifted off to pleasant dreams.
~Sasuke POV~
When I arrived back at the school after dropping Naruto off, I was cornered by both Haruno and Inuzuka, who were two steps away from dragging me away and tying me to a chair to begin an interrogation.
Frankly, if I weren't as great an Uchiha as I was-shut up, I'm allowed to ego boost- then I'd have flinched and cowered under their hard gazes.
"Well Sasuke-kun? Is he alright? Did he get home okay?" Sakura began, hands on her hips.
"Yeah, did he get rest? Did he puke on you at all? Did you hurt him? Did you rape him? Answer me dammit!" Kiba had taken the next step and was now shaking me by the shoulders, his eye growing ever frantic as more and more ridiculous questions flowed from his mouth like a waterfall.
"-Was he delirious? Did you use bondage? Did you spank him you sick motherfu-"
"Will you kindly shut the fuck up and let me talk, Inuzuka?" I snapped, finally fed up with the constant shaking and the forming bruises on my shoulders. Seriously this guy was a nutcase.
Sakura sighed and stepped forward, grabbing Kiba's arm and pulling him away from me.
"Sorry, Sasuke-kun. We're both just worried. Naruto is our close friend." She said.
I nodded, straightening out my shirt. "I understand that. And don't worry, I got him home safely. He went to sleep almost as soon as we arrived."
Sakura sighed, obviously relieved, but Kiba narrowed his eyes.
"...So did you rape him?"
I glared at him. "The fuck is with that question? Why would I do something like that?" I snapped.
Kiba crossed his arms, looking me up and down before shrugging. "Well, it's obvious you're gay, and it's also a fact that Naruto is a looker, so I have every right to be concerned for his ass's virginity." He said it so matter-of-factly, it was almost as if he'd read it out of a textbook.
Sakura gaped at him, her cheeks going red. "Kiba! You can't just assume someone's gay and say things like that!" she whacked him over the head and turned to me. "I am so sorry, Sasuke-kun! He's an idiot, he doesn't know what he's say-"
"How did you know?"
The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I snapped my mouth closed, my teeth clacking loudly in the echoing silence following my short outburst. Sakura was staring at me wide-eyed, her mouth open in shock. Kiba blinked at me.
"...Wait, I was right?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes menacingly, and inside my inner self was repeating the words 'oh shit'.
Kiba's eyes narrowed as much as mine, and a scowl formed on his face. "So you are gay. Well, that just makes me all the more wary of you." He growled.
I scoffed and crossed my arms. "And why does my sexuality affect anything?"
"Because I don't want Naruto getting hurt by some asshole like you." Kiba snapped, pointing a finger in my face.
I glared. "And what makes you think I'm going to hurt him?"
"Because that's what people like you do!"
"People like me?"
"Stuck up pricks who only think of themselves and have no regard for those considered lower than them! Just because you've been acting all buddy-buddy with Naruto lately doesn't forgive all the times you've given him shit before, and I know you have!" Kiba was almost yelling now. "And the fact that you're gay only makes it even more suspicious to me! Are you only acting nice because you want to get into his pants? Or are your actions clean?"
"Did it ever occur in that miniscule organism you call a brain that perhaps I just wanted to be his friend?" I snapped back, patience lost.
Sakura was standing to the side, looking fearfully between us.
Kiba glared at me, his mouth pulled back into a snarl that showcased his sharp canines. He really looked like a dog.
"I know your type, Uchiha! You never do anything without an ulterior motive that benefits you in some way! And the sudden change of heart only proves my point!"
I glared at him, but said nothing. After all he was right. I did have ulterior motives at first. I was getting close to Naruto to find out about Kyuubi, but...things had changed...
I sighed, looking down and running a hand through my hair. "Look...you're right." I started.
Sakura gasped and Kiba crouched slightly, his snarl widening. Before he could tear my throat out, however, I hurried on.
"I did have ulterior motives before, but things changed! After spending some time with Naruto, I came to see he's not a bad guy...I came to see he's actually a great person and an incredible friend, and now I only want to be his friend! I promise you, I have no evil intentions!" I said, using the most sincere voice I could. It wasn't had, considering everything I was saying was true. I did want to be Naruto's friend. There was something about him that was so...endearing.
My mind flashed back to the time I was carrying him home. When he had leaned into my shoulder like that, my heart had raced, almost beating painfully hard against my chest. He was so warm, every inch of his body was warm, as if he was his own personal sun. The feel of his breath fanning over my neck had made me feel weak and I'd almost fallen to the ground, but luckily managed to right myself quickly.
And when he commented on my smile...I hadn't been able to stop the one that curled my lips. It was hidden beneath my bangs, so he didn't see it, but the damn thing threatened to split my face in half. I knew I probably looked like a total idiot, grinning the way I was, but just that sentence had made something inside of me melt, something that had long been frozen over from the loneliness that surrounding the members of the Uchiha family.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Kiba, who was walking towards me. He looked calm, calculating, and his eyes darting over my face.
I stood my ground, staring back at him as he came to a stop in front of me. For five tense minutes, we stared at each other, until finally Kiba sighed, and lowered his gaze to his hand.
"...I can't see any lie in your eyes. I guess you're telling the truth." He muttered.
Sakura let out a loud breath, her hand clutching over her heart. "That was tense." She chuckled weakly.
I sighed too and gave a miniature smirk. "I told you-" the rest of my sentence was lost when Kiba's fist connected with the side of my face. I stumbled to the side, hitting the wall and sliding down it a few inches as my hand came up to my cheek.
Sakura gasped loudly, her eyes growing larger than dinner plates while Kiba shook out his fist.
"...Fuck, your cheek bones are sharp!" He hissed, grabbing his knuckles and wincing.
I only stared at him incredulously. "...Care to explain what the fuck you just did that for?" I hissed, wincing when my jaw clicked painfully.
Kiba looked up, rubbing his hand and smirking. "That, my dear Uchiha, was punishment for all the shit you've given Naruto in the past, as well as for having ulterior motives at the beginning of your friendship with him. But now, all is good." He said, grinning.
I just stared at him, lost for words. "...Hn."
I was lost for words, not guttural sounds.
Kiba's grin widened as the bell rang. "Well, unfortunately, I have detention today, so I'll be off." He said, waving to us as he walked away.
I straightened up as Sakura walked over to me, looking at my cheek nervously. "I'm sorry he did that, Sasuke-kun. Kiba's become very protective of Naruto. He considers him like a brother, I suppose." She said softly.
I nodded in understanding. "It's okay...he's right. I deserved that."
Sakura smiled and bid farewell. I watched her walk out of the hall and out of sight.
Once I was sure no one was around, I leant back against the wall and placed a hand on my cheek tenderly. "...Ouch."
The chill wind that had let up earlier was back with a vengeance, and I shivered slightly, pulling my school jacket a bit closer. Students passed by every now and then, heading the same way home that I was. A few girls called out to me, but as usual I just ignored them completely.
It occurred to me that now, both Sakura and Kiba knew I was gay. Although I didn't care to much about them knowing, I was worried that Kiba would start keeping a close eye on me when I'm around Naruto.
It's true I said I only wanted to be friends but...Naruto was really adorable. I couldn't deny that; he was a gorgeous boy and I felt something stir inside me every time I saw him smile. There was almost something addictive about his personality.
I pinched my arm harshly to stop all the mushy thoughts. Really, I was an Uchiha, and I'd already showed enough out-of-character-ness in one day dammit.
I was about a block or two from home when suddenly the silence around me was interrupted by a song.
'My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, you're damn right, it's betta than yours! Ya damn right, it's betta than yours!'
With a growl I pulled my phone out of my pocket and snapped it open. "Itachi, you ever mess with my ringtone again, I'll fucking kill you." I snarled.
Itachi's chuckled was pure evil, but when he spoke there was a slight seriousness in his tone. "Sasuke, you need to head over to Konoha Park." He said.
I paused where I was, somewhere on the corner of the sidewalk. "What?"
"You need to be at Konoha Park before four. And it's now three-forty. So you've got twenty minutes and counting."
"And why, pray tell, do I have to go over six blocks back to Konoha Park in under twenty and counting minutes?" I asked angrily. Itachi sighed. And from that sigh, I could tell he was feeling a little uncomfortable. "...Itachi?"
"...You got an email from someone saying you must meet them there."
The only thing that registered in my mind was that Itachi had known I'd gotten an email. I didn't check mine this morning, which meant...
"...You hacked into my computer?" I demanded angrily.
"Yes."
"Itachi!"
"What? It's not the first time I've done it..."
"Excuse me?"
"I have to make sure you're not doing anything inappropriate now don't I, little brother?"
"You jerkface! When I get home, I'm going to shove mom's cactus up your ass!"
"So violent...and you need to be at the park remember? You don't want to keep your dear Kyuubi waiting now do you?"
I froze, my eyes widening. "...What did you say?"
Itachi let out an irritated groan and snapped. "Dammit Sasuke! Kyuubi, the boy I know you've been talking to over that bloody online game shit wants to meet you today, at four, at Konoha fucking Park! So get your scrawny, idiotic, duck-butt ass to the park or so help me God I'm going to shove your face in the oven and bake you into an Uchiha-pudding! Now get moving!" and with that he hung up.
I continued to stare at nothing, still holding the phone to my ear as everything slowly pieced together.
Kyuubi wanted to meet me.
He wanted to meet me today.
I could finally see who he really was.
Today.
At the park.
At...four.
I pulled my phone away from my ear and stared at the time.
Ten to four.
"SHIT!" with that loud curse, I spun around and ran as fast as my, according to my older brother, scrawny, idiotic, duck-butt ass could go towards Konoha Park.
~Naruto POV~
~An hour earlier~
I opened my eyes slowly and yawned, not bothering to cover my mouth since I was alone. The sun was getting lower, and a sliver of light broke through my curtains and splashed against my face, causing me to squint and turn over to avoid it.
"Bloody sun." I mumbled. Silence followed my statement, save for the soft, consistant ticking of my alarm clock.
The small, mechanical noise brought forth a memory, and I rolled over again, eyes growing as I saw it was just after three.
I was supposed to meet Avenger at Konoha Park at four.
Staring at the little numbers, I thought about it. Should I really leave my home to meet him? I did have a concussion, however mild it may be, so perhaps this was not the best idea.
However, even as I thought that, I knew I wasn't going to let something like a bump on the head stop me. I had made a decision, so I was going to stick to it.
If I didn't do it now, I'd most likely never pluck up enough courage to call him out again.
Groaning, I slid out of bed carefully and padded over to the bathroom, the cold tile making me hiss as it spread a chill through my bare feet.
When did I even take my shoes off?
I thought back and realized Sasuke must have slipped them off at once point without me even noticing. Sly bastard.
My thoughts roamed back to when he'd, quite literally, tucked me into bed. I felt my cheeks heat up at realizing how much I actually enjoyed that. It felt so nice to have someone care for me like that, and Sasuke had hardly done a thing.
I chuckled at my own stupidity, turning to wash my hands.
And that's when I remember I no longer had a sink.
Staring glumly at the pieces of porcelain that still littered my bathroom floor, I heaved a sigh.
"Guess I'm just going like this." I murmured, heading back out to find some clothes. Pulling my drawer open, I pulled out the special shirt I'd made.
It wasn't all that special, actually. I'd taken one of the few plain black shirts I had, and used red fabric paint-courtesy of Sakura- to paint the name 'Kyuubi' on the back. This was the perfect way for Avenger to find me, since he'd be the only one in the crowd to realize the meaning behind the name.
Stripping out of my pink shirt, which I threw straight into the trash, I pulled the shirt over my head, wincing when it brushed over the bump on my head, and then turned to get a pair of jeans.
When I was all nice and dressed, I grabbed my keys, sitting nearby, and my wallet, just in case. After a moment of thought, I took my phone too. It was an old thing, but it would still dial 911 correctly, just in case.
Slipping my things into my pockets, I stepped into my shoes and left my little haven, locking the door behind me before making my way over to the stairs.
The walk to the park was okay, with only a few glares my way from some old people climbing off a bus nearby. I swiftly avoided their glares and crossed the road. I'd noticed before that quite often people would glare harder when I was within the vicinity of a bus.
Weird, I know, but a fact I'd discovered a while ago.
When the gates to the park came into view, I sighed. It was a little chilly out, and once again I'd forgotten my jacket. Oh well, I was only going to wait for a little bit.
The trees whispered in the wind, and a few straggling birds chirped lazily in the trees, their calls sounding more recorded and automatic than willed and cheerful. The sun did little to lessen the chilled air, and my arms were slowly gaining goose bumps as I trudged along.
A thin, serpentine river cut through the park, weaving to and fro through the green grass, with small pebbles adorning the edges like smooth grey scales protecting the body of water. (Haha, pun!)
A bride with redwood railings and a white banner over one end, proclaiming 'Konoha Bridge' sat over the deepest and widest part of the river. Considering the fact that I could see the bottom clearly, and that the water levels would reach my mid calf at most, this was not a very impressive structure.
However, it was a quaint little thing, and I wandered towards it, choosing this as my waiting spot and leaning against the railing, studying my reflection in the clear water. The sun sparkled off the water, and the effect reached my skin, both in the water and out. I laughed, seeing as now I reminded myself as one of those sparkly vampires from that Twilight movie. Sakura had made me and Kiba watch it not too long ago.
I had said it was fine.
Kiba had said "What the hell? The vampires are a bunch of sparkly wankers! She should so go with Jacob! He's a werewolf for Pete's sake! Werewolves are cool!"
And I had replied, just to make Kiba squirm, by saying "Actually, Edward and Jacob should just ditch Bella, since she's an indecisive, clingy moron and get together to have hot, supernatural butt-sex!"
Sakura had laughed so hard she'd cried while Kiba had sprayed his drink all over the floor and stared at me with the biggest, most mortified pair of eyes on the planet.
I laughed softly at the memory, crossing my arms and leaning against them. The breeze ruffled my hair as I waited, and I shivered in the cold.
My eyes wandered over the grounds, wondering if Avenger would show up. If he didn't, I didn't know what I'd think. I would be hurt, without a doubt. It hurt just thinking about it, really. But I suppose I would get over it with time. After all, I had friends. Sakura, and Kiba, and even Sasuke and Shikamaru, sort of.
I blinked, wondering when exactly I'd started considering Sasuke as a friend. While it was true we'd spent some time together, what with tutoring in biology and a little bit at school, I still didn't know all that much about him.
But the truth was that I did consider him a friend.
My mind flashed the incident in maths, where Sasuke had helped me finish the equation, and as an add-on, mortify Mizuki-sensei.
I smirked, remembering the look on his face. He'd looked absolutely stumped, and it had taken a lot of willpower not to laugh in his face.
I closed my eyes and smiled, thinking about the times me and Sasuke had spent together, however little they were.
Yes, I concluded. He was a friend. A new friend.
And I hoped he'd stay a friend.
The sound of heavy footsteps made my eyes snap open and my heart speed up. This was it.
I decided to stay facing the river, just in case this person was only a jogger passing by.
But when the steps echoed on the bridge before halting only a few feet behind me, I tensed. It was time.
A breathless, tired, and very familiar voice spoke up. "...Naruto..."
I spun around at the familiar baritone, my head tilting in confusion.
"...Sasuke? What are you doing here?" I asked slowly.
It wouldn't do for him to be here when Avenger showed up. That might prove to be a bit awkward.
Sasuke panted a bit more, his hands on his knees. It was only when he looked up and brushed some hair away from his face that I noticed the nasty bruise on his cheek. "Hey what happened to your-"
"Dobe, I'm Avenger."
My mouth stayed open even as the words stopped. My eyes grew so wide, I'm surprised I didn't hear the sound of skin tearing to make the size.
In the background the river hissed, the birds robotically chirped, and the trees continued to whisper their dirty little secrets.
When my mouth finally worked again, I closed it once, opened it and...
"...Oh."
Muahahahhaha! And so they meet! ... *smirks* hey, I said they'd meet in this chapter. I didn't say we'd see waht happened afterwards. That's for the next chapter. *eyes go wide and dives to avoid being hit by objects thrown at her* Shit! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! AAH! *gets hit by shoe* Ow! I promise the next chapter will have plenty of awkward meetings and such! There will be many gay baby's born next chapter! (lol, someone once said that everytime there's an awkward silence, a gay child is born.)
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, REviews make the chapters come faster and longer! OH YEAH!
Love you all! See you next chapter!