[Warning: some sexual content.]

Chapter Six

Dangerous Assumptions

Sakura clutched her notebook to her chest as she waited for Sasuke to answer the door. She had written some notes for their novella, so she thought it would be enough to justify her visit. Sasuke hadn't been to school in over a week, and Naruto had kept his distance for the most part, so their group project was slow going. Her notes on a love triangle were lazy, but they needed to spice up their work if they hoped to get complexity points.

She knocked on the door again after thirty seconds had passed, and she heard a door open behind her.

"Who's making all this noise?" an old woman said. When Sakura caught her eye, she smiled and said, "Oh, a pretty girl. Lots of pretty filling our halls lately."

Sakura blushed. What the hell is that supposed to mean? "Sorry for the knocking. Do you know if Sasuke is home?" she asked, trying to shake off her assumptions.

The woman chuckled, and that was when Sakura noticed the unopened sake bottle in her hand. "He is, dear. Do me a favor and leave this with him, will you?"

Sakura took the bottle and peeked inside the woman's apartment, where at least half a dozen cats littered the furniture. "This is for Sasuke?"

"Seemed to cheer him up earlier." As she closed her door, she said, "Lots and lots of pretty."

Sakura held the bottle to her chest behind her notebook, feeling silly holding the thing when she was underage. She knocked on Sasuke's door again, deciding it would be the last time before she headed home before anything else weird happened.

Right when she was about to turn away, the door cracked. "Sakura?" came Sasuke's voice.

The door was barely open enough for her to see his face. He looked flushed, his hair messy and his eyes watering, and she could see the tag in the front since he'd put his shirt on backwards. What happened?

"Yeah," she said, looking down at her feet. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. You haven't been at school, and I—"

"I'm fine. Thank you for checking," he said quickly.

"I took some notes for our project if you want to look over anything. We're going to fall behind if we don't work on this."

"Not today. I'm busy."

Sakura deflated, wanting nothing to do with talking about homework but about the other night. He looked like he was about to close the door, so Sakura revealed the bottle of sake and extended it to him.

"Here," she said. "Your neighbor," she pointed at the woman's door, "she said it would cheer you up, or something."

Sasuke opened the door and stepped into the hall, shutting the door behind him. Sakura swore she heard shuffling coming from inside the apartment, like someone had knocked something over. He sighed and took the bottle from her.

"Um, thank you," he said.

Now she could see the full picture. Sasuke was breathing heavily, sweat shined on his skin, his eyes looked unfocused and wary, and he had obviously dressed in hurry, his shirt wrinkled and his feet bare.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke pulled Sakura into an embrace, with his arms completely around her and hers tucked up against his chest. Being that close, she could smell the alcohol and feel his uneven breathing. Her notebook fell to the floor to their feet, and Sasuke dropped the sake bottle too. She felt his chin rest on the top of her head.

"I can't answer that right now," Sasuke said.

Sasuke leaned back against the door and slunk to the floor, taking Sakura along with him. They stayed there for a few minutes, holding each other in the empty hallway. Sakura had more questions, but she'd accept this for now. It was clear something was going on, but she didn't have the gumption to dig any deeper. Though she was tempted, especially since again she heard noise coming from inside Sasuke's apartment. For now, she'd take care of him the best way she knew how.

"I'll be back at school soon, but today, I need to be alone," Sasuke said. He grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her back, like he was apologizing.

"Okay," Sakura said. "Then what?"

Sasuke stood then reached down to take her hand and help her up. "I can't answer that either," he said.

Sakura wanted more, needed more, but she knew he'd reached his limit. She picked up her notebook and the sake, then handed him the bottle. His face turned red, but he took it from her, nodding his head in thanks. Before turning to leave, she hugged him quickly, and he wrapped one arm around her, with the other holding the sake behind his back, as if she'd forget about it.

The hallway felt long as she headed for the stairs, trying her best not to look back, ignoring the hair on the back of her neck standing up when she heard Sasuke say something as his door closed behind him—clearly not to her.

[break]

"I told you to be quiet," Sasuke said to Naruto when he was sure Sakura was gone.

"Who was it?" Naruto asked from the couch, where he was lying comfortably with only sweatpants on. "I told you not to answer it," he said, looking disappointed.

Sasuke wasn't sure why he had answered it, knowing that no one would exactly barge in. It was rare that anyone visited, so rare the possibility of it being Itachi was strong. What a nightmare that would have been…

"It was Sakura," Sasuke said.

That made Naruto sit up, looking stiff as a board as he lost his nerve. "What!"

"She didn't know you were here."

Naruto sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I don't care if she knows," Naruto mumbled.

Now that was a surprise, but Sasuke was the one who had told him to stop hiding, but it felt hypocritical now, for he was hiding everything from everyone now.

Sasuke walked behind the couch and held out the sake bottle. "Look what she brought."

When Naruto peered between his fingers to look, he laughed. "You've got to be kidding me."

Sasuke took off the cap, which was difficult since he was feeling the effects of the last—and he was thinking of Sakura. She managed to be there when he needed her. Though Naruto brought pieces of him to the surface that lay dormant, when he pushed the sake bottle aside and started kissing him, he thought of Sakura for a moment and how easy and warm it was to hold her.

How he'd feel when he was sober was a mystery he would deal with later, and reservations and second guessing faded when Naruto tugged at Sasuke's shirt and said, "This is on backwards," and pulled it over his head.

Once Sasuke's shirt was again on the floor and Naruto was kissing his neck, he drank from the bottle. Closing his eyes, he felt the liquid's subtle burn in his throat and Naruto's lips against the sensitive skin just below his jaw, becoming gentle when he came across an old bruise.

Naruto pressed his forehead against Sasuke's, creating a slight distance between their lips. They remained there for a moment, as if each was waiting for the other to move.

[break]

Sakura took small steps along the sidewalk home, noticing the store that advertised cheap sake. Maybe she should have asked to drink the bottle with him—whatever it took to get answers. But again, she told herself she was okay for now. She could be what he needed, but she wasn't the one who needed convincing.

Then she saw a dark-haired, pale boy walking toward her looking like he was in a hurry, half jogging towards her. As he ran closer, she recognized him as Sai. He saw her, too, and stopped in front of her, seeming tense and worried.

"Hi, Sakura," Sai said, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Late for something?" Sakura asked casually, remembering that this was Ino's crush. He sort of resembled Sasuke, just more reserved and awkwardly blunt. She'd heard that he told Shino his art was terrible in front of everyone in class, criticizing his line work in precise detail, and he looked at everyone else like they were the crazy ones.

"Looking for a friend is all," Sai said, looking around like whomever it was would pop out from behind a tree.

"Who? I can help if you'd like," Sakura offered.

Sai didn't look too sure, so Sakura wondered if whoever this was would be all right, for Sai seemed protective of this information—and the person.

"I'm sure he's fine. I'm probably overreacting," Sai said.

He seemed antsy and anxious. "It's sweet that you're worried. Two sets of eyes are better than one," Sakura said with a smile, and Sai relaxed a little.

"Naruto," Sai said. "He was supposed to text me earlier and hasn't yet."

Naruto? "You think he's around here?" Sakura asked.

Sai froze, as if he'd already told Sakura something he shouldn't have. "Maybe, I haven't checked around here yet is all," he said quickly.

"Sure, happy to help," Sakura said, and Sai let out a breath. "Weird question," she ventured, "but does Naruto drink?"

"Um…" For being a direct person, she had definitely tripped him up. "I don't think so."

"He's not a fan of sake?"

"Do you want sake?"

"What? No!"

Sai placed his thumb and pointer finger across his chin. "Hmm, interesting."

"Ugh." Sakura grabbed Sai's shirt sleeve and pushed him up the sidewalk. "You go that way and I'll check the other side of the water."

That's when she saw Sai look directly at Sasuke's apartment building. "Yes, I'll check this way."

Sai didn't protest when she changed direction and followed him.

[break]

Naruto was curled up on Sasuke's couch, falling in and out of sleep. They'd drunk too much, and after Sakura's interruption, Naruto could tell Sasuke was distracted and the moment had passed. Still, they had kissed once more before losing themselves to the effects of the sake. The kiss was fleeting, feeling more secretive and softer than the passion and want that had filled the room earlier. Naruto clutched a throw pillow to his chest, frustrated that the heat had passed, but also that the set of circumstances that led up to this afternoon were rare and likely not to repeat—the weight of what had almost happened settled on his shoulders. They were so close to crossing a different line, one beyond getting caught up in the moment, and Naruto was struck by how badly he'd wanted it. Naruto wasn't good at defining things, let alone relationships, and what was going on with Sasuke was more confusing than ever.

Sasuke set a glass of water down on the coffee table. Naruto took it and drank, his throat feeling dry despite how much they'd had to drink.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Naruto asked, dreading the walk back home. His phone had vibrated quite a few times on the kitchen counter, but he hadn't bothered to check it.

Sasuke didn't answer right away, instead finished his entire glass of water. "I don't think you should," he finally said.

"I didn't ask if I should," Naruto said, ignoring the jab. "I asked if I can."

"Whatever." Sasuke huffed and opened the coat closet and pulled out a blanket.

"Now I'm really starting to feel like a guest."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and tossed the blanket to Naruto, who failed to catch it because his vision was blurry and he was dizzier than he'd thought. Sasuke picked it up off the floor and handed it to him, then sat down on the couch beside him. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head between them.

"You feel like shit too?" Naruto asked, a bit relieved he wasn't the only one.

"I guess you could say that," Sasuke said, and Naruto hoped this discomfort was purely alcohol-related.

Naruto's eyelids felt heavy, so he leaned over and rested his cheek on Sasuke's shoulder. He almost succumbed to sleep when Sasuke put one arm around him and pulled him closer. Naruto didn't say anything, simply appreciated this small acknowledgement. At least they'd feel like shit together. Sasuke turned to him, and Naruto looked up and saw the hurt look on his face. Not hurt—maybe confusion. Distress? Sasuke's eyes looked frantic and bleary, like he must have been thinking about a million things at once, while all Naruto wanted was to fall asleep and not think. If he thought about everything too much, it would ruin it all.

With the small amount of liquid courage he had left, he kissed Sasuke again. He tasted of sake still, but the ferocity from before was replaced with relief. Naruto wondered if kissing Sasuke took his mind elsewhere, somewhere alcohol couldn't but only Naruto could; at least, that's what he hoped. He felt Sasuke's fingers lace through his blond hair again, holding him there and steady. Naruto's stomach was starting to hurt, and his head was pounding, but he focused on Sasuke's lips and how tenderly they moved against his. Unable to help himself, Naruto pushed Sasuke down onto the couch until he was completely on top of him. What was it that made him want this so badly?

Sasuke's other hand had found Naruto's back, and instead of clawing at it like he had before, he pulled Naruto as close as possible, so close Naruto lost his breath for a moment. Naruto released his kiss to breathe, and Sasuke took the opportunity to whisper into his ear, "We should finish what we started. Otherwise, who knows if we ever will."

Naruto felt Sasuke trembling slightly, as if his body was moving on its own without his mental conviction. He sensed something was weighing on Sasuke's mind.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke bit Naruto's ear, then said, "I know what I want."

Naruto wasn't sure he believed him the same way as before; that is, until Sasuke tucked his thumb beneath Naruto's waistband. He thought that would be enough of a signal, but then Sasuke's hand was completely under the sweatpants and between Naruto's legs, encouraging him that, yes, Sasuke wanted him. Him.

Naruto knew he heard it, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to hear his foster brother calling his name from the stairwell. He didn't want to hear the footsteps walking down the hall outside. What he wanted was just what he was doing, which was kissing Sasuke one more time before maneuvering his pants past his knees. He wanted to focus on finally pulling Sasuke's shorts off and then lifting Sasuke's outside leg up so he could angle himself beneath him. Sasuke didn't seem to notice the sound of Sai's footsteps growing heavier and louder. Naruto certainly ignored them when he was finally inside Sasuke, when he leaned over, reached around Sasuke to arch his lower back to bring him up enough so that he could go in deep.

This was new, all of this, and Sasuke bit his lip to keep in the sounds that would give him away. He gripped Naruto's hips and he settled into a rhythm, one that was disrupted with a hard knock on the door.

"Sasuke!" came Sai's voice from beyond the door. "Is Naruto in there?"

Naruto shook his head, begging Sasuke not to say anything. Sasuke put his finger to his lips, shushing Naruto before he could make a sound either. Sai knocked again, but Naruto started thrusting again, knowing that he was close to finishing.

"Is he in there?"

That's Sakura's voice.

Sasuke froze this time, and Naruto tensed, the temptation to continue too great. He tried to keep going, but Sasuke pushed Naruto back. Sasuke winced when Naruto pulled back completely and toppled over onto the floor—thud! Naruto grabbed the blanket, wrapped himself up, picked up his phone from the counter, and rushed into Sasuke's bedroom to hide. He heard Sasuke turn on the shower.

Naruto texted Sai, "I'm fine. Don't let Sakura know I'm here." He started reading the rest of Sai's messages.

SAI: You okay over there?

SAI: You're not fighting AGAIN, are you?

SAI: I can't keep covering for you if you come back beat up worse and worse.

SAI: I'm coming over. Have you left yet?

Naruto realized it was dark outside, and then checked the time: 9:32 p.m.

His phone buzzed.

SAI: You're fine? That's all I get?

NARUTO: We didn't fight. School stuff.

SAI: You did not just say "school stuff."

NARUTO: I'll owe you one.

SAI: You'll owe me ANOTHER one.

Naruto hurried over to the window and waited for Sai and Sakura to walk outside the building. He hunkered down so they wouldn't see him, and after a few minutes, he saw them. Sai was shrugging his shoulders, probably coming up with an explanation to misdirect Sakura. But Sakura looked right up at the window, but Naruto was sure there was no way she could see him from that spot on the sidewalk. The look on her face was anger, so whatever Sai had conjured up wasn't enough.

It felt like she was looking right at him.

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