YEEEEEEEEEEEsh^^ Ok ppl^____^ I AM a procrastinator and I admit it's going to be a habit I have to break out of soon enough^^ I remember about the whole 15 review bit thing and ya^^ I didn't exactly start writing this RIGHT after the 15 review mark:P That would explain the whole taking forever to post thing ne???
This chapter was basically written in two parts…… my first part was about a page long and it was the part where I kept on adding a sentence a day….. then you can see how in the second part, my writing style has kinda changed and it's rather weird ^________^;
WHAT EVER!! Read on!!!!
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Naruto mumbled a little in his sleep and turned his bed. He felt really quite remarkably comfortable and warm, it was so quiet and serene... Naruto wondered for a moment if he had died from his fever and gone to heaven.
Deciding not to open his eyes just in case the peacefulness would be disturbed, he snuggled closer to his warm pillow and wrapped his arms snugly around it. There were a few minutes of calm and even breathing before Naruto paused...
He rubbed the back of his arm against his so-called-pillow and froze.
When the HELL did his pillow get HAIRY!!
Pulling his arm just a bit, he brushed the pillow with his hand and felt a bristly soft wet texture... He suddenly realized that the bed he was currently on was moving up and down steadily... like breathing...
And his legs tangled within something...
And there were TWO ARMS FREAKING WRAPPED AROUND HIS TORSO!!!!!!
Naruto pulled open his eyes and found his face pressed closely against cloth... a clothed shoulder. Naruto didn't move, he was too terrified to check out who he was currently lying on.
Ok.... Breath Naruto... Breath... in 5 seconds... you will turn you head gently towards whoever's face and do whatever you do... which is go crazy.
Naruto shut his eyes tightly, unwilling to move an inch.
5...
4...
3...
2...
" ONE!!!" Naruto hollered in accordance to his thoughts. With a swift pull of his head, he paused as he took in the dark hair… the sharp features... and let out a shrill deafening shriek.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He leaped up and only thumped back onto on to his rival due to the fact that his legs with tangled with Sasuke's!! Falling back heavily on the chest, he happened to startle the other boy out of sleep.
Sasuke moaned a little as his eyebrows knitted. Naruto froze again, watching the dark eyelashes slowly flutter open.
Sasuke rose his head and his eyes rolled towards the blond presently straddling his chest; he blinked twice groggily. Sasuke gave him a rather bewildered look before some kind of bizarre sort of understanding swept through his face and he relaxed. Sasuke gave a soft grunt before his head fell back again and his chest rose and lowered steadily in sleep. Naruto stared at him for a moment and he shook his head lightly at the surrealism of the situation.
" This is NOT happening." Naruto muttered softly to himself as he gently untangled himself away from the other boy. Finally tugging his right leg free from Sasuke's foot, he placed two fists of either side of Sasuke's face on the ground and pushed himself off gently as to not wake the sleeping boy.
Naruto fell to the ground on the other side of Sasuke and lay there perplexed. What the hell had happened? His gaze fell onto Sasuke's head, which was currently facing the other way. Sasuke's dark hair was tousled in a way that gave Naruto a terrible itch to run his fingers through it. His glassy eyed gaze changed to a glower.
" I was in his fucking ARMS!!!! What happened??? Why can't a remember anything??? Naruto knocked his skull with his fists of vain to regain the lost bit of memory. He ceased his fists after a few seconds and averted his attention to the clear blue sky.
In spite of himself, Naruto felt his lips tug into a smile. It did feel okay… in Sasuke's arms. His broad chest gave him sense of securi- HELL!!! What was his thinking!!!! Naruto suddenly shook his head wildly and lept up to his feet. Pulling his face into a nasty scowl, he was surprised at how natural it felt.
Naruto nudged Sasuke's thigh quite rudely with his foot.
" Oi."
There was no response.
" Oi! Wake up you bastard!" Naruto said a bit louder, glaring at his rival with extreme loathing.
There was still no sign of movement from the other boy before Naruto fumed and kicked Sasuke rather forcefully in the stomach. There was a sharp yell and in several seconds, Naruto doubled up in pain after Sasuke sent a rough jab to his stomach with his elbow.
" Owww… What's wrong with you……" Naruto groaned through his pain.
Sasuke cast a disbelieving look to him before he brushed himself off quietly.
" You're the one who kicked me! Baka…"
/he doesn't… remember…/
Sasuke quickly snapped on a cool expressionless mask onto his face and tried not to look at Naruto… or it'll bring back memories of the boy's warm hard body in his arms. Sasuke felt his face grow hot and quickly looked down to the grassy ground, seemingly to find some fascinating interest in his feet.
Naruto watched the other boy curiously.
" Ne… Sasuke?"
" Hn."
" How in freaking Hell did we get here?" Naruto made a point of looking around him distastefully. Sasuke finally looked up, his face cold and his eyes steely as usual, he shrugged.
" You were extremely sick last night… and in your idiocy, you went outside and got yourself lost. I had to go and find you again… in the rain." Sasuke said this all really quickly. He emphasized on the word "rain" in order to indicate Naruto the trouble he had caused for him.
Naruto widened his eyes in a mocking parody of wounded innocence.
" It's not like I TOLD you to find me." Naruto ended with a sigh. Sasuke let his eyes go larger than usual before he looked away with barely concealed anger. The boy isn't even grateful. Why in God's name does it have to be "him."
Naruto glanced at him apprehensively, noting Sasuke's sudden ill temper.
"Um… Sorry…. But I'm not apologizing to you because I'm supposed to or something, but umm… because I made the almighty Sasuke come out in the rain for me." Naruto said seriously, his smirk wiped off his face before he spurt out a hasty excuse to save his embarrassment.
Sasuke's face hardened, but the tightness not altering the shape of his face, his lips grew thin as well.
" Are you 'thanking' me?"
There was a short pause; that had lasted quite a bit of eternity for the two of them.
" Yes…" Naruto replied softly, Sasuke could detect the smallest bit of sincerity in his voice and felt his features soften. He quickly looked away and shuffled his feet, apparently a little embarrassed of the outcome of the situation.
Naruto, a bit miffed at Sasuke's lack of reply quickly threw on a careless grin and stuffed his hands into his pockets in a sudden wash of shame.
" Umm… we should get back." Naruto retorted dryly as he made way in the direction he hoped was correct.
" Wait!" Slightly stunned, Naruto turned around with the clumsiness he should have lost several years away and swaggered a little.
Sasuke purely out of reflex grabbed Naruto's arm to steady him, his fingers clasping onto the damp cloth of his rival's sleeve as he pulled the boy back to balance. Sasuke smiled amusedly.
" Clumsy idiot, the temple's that way." Sasuke rolled his eyes northward pointedly before he began to lead them both back.
Naruto blinked a couple of times, his smile loosed to a more natural fit. It was strange, while he would have naturally been agitated by Sasuke's comment….
His eyes glanced over at the firm grip around his arm as Sasuke tugged him along the dizzying pathways through the trees. The grip was almost… protective…
There was a twinkle in his eyes that lightened the dull orbs to a happy sky blue, and Naruto pushed at Sasuke's shoulders playfully. Sasuke looked back startled at the wild grin on Naruto's face, before a smile began to blossom on his own face as well and they both chased each other back to the temple.
Nevermind the nervous jostling and the anxious tugging; the hand that was wrapped around Naruto's wrist was warm…
…and that was all that mattered at the moment.
" WAAAAI!!" A cheerful cry rang through the room as Sakura ran over to joyfully grab Naruto in a hug. Naruto winced a little as he threw a helpless glance at Sasuke struggling to breath. Naruto patted on Sakura's back lightly, rather terrified at the girl's sudden show of care.
" Ehhhh… Sakura-chan… it wasn't THAT bad." Naruto stuttered carefully, enormously relieved when Sakura stepped back rubbing her eyes and sniffling.
" It WAS bad Naruto!! Everyone was so worried, we even had to get Sasuke to find you, you idiot."
Naruto paused a little at her words, a gleam of uncertainty passed through his eyes before he grinned warmly again and proceeded to ask Sakura where Kakashi was and whether they fired the stupid maid yet.
Sasuke watched Naruto worriedly, before he glared openly at Sakura's bouncy self. He had caught the small pause of disappointment and surprise that had sparked in Naruto's eyes. It had been carefully concealed, but Sasuke could almost see the tug of sadness that had pulled at Naruto's heart when he assumed that his rival had been sent to find him, rather than from his own will. Ok… Correction… what he saw was most likely an illusion from what it HOPED to see…
But Sasuke felt like blurting out anyways the fact that he HAD been extremely worried about him; but that would most likely plant strange disturbing thought in people's heads … maybe that Sasuke might actually feel for him…
Sasuke shuddered at the thought of explaining to Sakura about his emotions and confusion with his feelings towards Naruto… and could nearly vomit at the mere ponder of Naruto not being able to return what he felt for him…
Maybe there were things that would be better kept secret.
Sasuke shrugged as he tugged onto his shirt and followed soundlessly behind his two excitedly chatting teammates.
" Kakashi was really worried." Sakura remarked knowing it would spark some shock in Naruto. Naruto stared at her incredulously.
"No way!" Sakura nodded knowingly.
" He was practically yelling at the maid person for letting you go…" Sakura exclaimed.
Naruto blushed a little at this, it had been his own fault for tricking the maid and running out himself. He began to hope that the maid wasn't REALLY fired.
" …Then we had to wait for you and Sasuke ALL NIGHT!!! The tension was so thick in the air you could take a knife and slice through it. We all couldn't sleep a blink!"
" HAHA!!" Naruto threw his head back in a laugh. " I'm sure you slept like a lamb Sakura! You don't care about me!" Naruto froze for a moment before he turned to her with a smirk. " Of course… you must have been worried to death about Sasuke…"
Sakura flushed bright red at his words before she turned her head and threw a quick glance at Sasuke. She shivered a little when Sasuke glanced at her sharply. She managed a small smile back, her heart all a flutter.
" I really was…" Sakura sighed breathlessly. She quickly turned back around and smiled at Naruto, who was watching her intently.
" He was acting really weird and worried about you when he found out you might have died you know." Sakura whispered solemnly, she watched Sasuke out of a corner of her eye to make sure he wasn't listening. Naruto continued to watch her intensely, but his cheeks had reddened a little to a pinkish tint.
" Well… I suppose he would have been a pretty heartless bastard to not care about a team mate dying." Naruto joked quietly.
Sakura looked down at her feet and lifted her right hand to twist a couple of strands of hair around her fingers.
" We've never really talked like this before… have we Naruto?"
Naruto nodded mutely.
Sakura turned around to give him a sad smile.
" I never gave you a chance… I think that Sasuke-kun was the only one who did that… And I… I think that I'll acknowledge you too, for who you are Naruto." Sakura stared back at her feet; her bangs had fallen from her headband to cover her eyes. " It was really when you were gone, when I realized just how important you are… to me… and to Sasuke."
Naruto stared at her shocked before he started to stammer.
" Um… um…"
Sakura quickly clasped her hand over his mouth and winked at him, she grabbed Naruto's hands tightly with her other hand.
" Go for him… Naruto." Sakura grinned brightly and gave a cheery wave before she bounced off.
Naruto stood there in agonizing silence for a few seconds, painfully aware of Sasuke's presence behind him. His ears seemed to magnify every tiny sound, from the low hushed breathing of the other boy to the nearing footsteps.
*stepstep*
"……."
*stepstep*
Naruto quickly shifted his feet around and faced Sasuke, he offered a small smile at the rival he envied so much. Sasuke watched him carefully, and Naruto's hands felt restless against the boy's close inspection…
Like a cat studying his prey…
Sasuke slowly opened his mouth to speak—
" NARUTO!" Kakashi walked in loudly, he paused for a moment when he saw the two tense boys in front of him before his eyes crinkled up merrily, but almost proudly at the distraction he had made.
Naruto voluntarily took several steps back from Sasuke, only realizing then how close they were facing each other and made a face at Kakashi.
" GEH! You didn't even bother to go out yourself to find me!! You irresponsible man!" Naruto said with a smirk, trying to divert the man's attention away from the thought of reasoning why he and Sasuke could have been standing so close to each other.
Kakashi only shook his head.
" I don't go out and find brats… I leave their pretty little boyfriends to do the job." Naruto and Sasuke froze before Naruto let out a sound that could have been a laugh, a whimper and a cough at the same time.
" Go to bed Naruto." Kakashi said quickly.
Naruto jumped up angrily.
" What!! I'm all better now!!! Besides, it's the MORNING!"
" If you're all better now--" Kakashi made a crude mimic of what Naruto said. " -Then why is your face all flushed and red?"
Naruto stopped quickly as he tried to find a way to explain his condition without admitting that it was actually because of the harsh effect Kakashi's earlier words had on him.
He raised his arms up in defeat.
" FINE!! I'm going to bed!!!!! But you can be sure I'll be cranky when I get out.' Naruto raised a finger threateningly at Kakashi before he glanced nervously towards Sasuke and walked out of the room.
Kakashi turned away from staring at Naruto's retreating form to gaze intensely at Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed easily and walked towards the doorway.
" Heed sets the trap Sasuke."
Sasuke turned around to question what he had said, but stopped when he saw Kakashi's face.
"Whatever."
Sasuke stepped out of the room.
TBC………….
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm…. I decided against writing a sequal and decided to put this up as a chapter instead!!!! WAI WAI!!!!
This chapter is REALLY weird and it's really late and frankly, I have no clue what I wrote……..
PLEASE don't notice the fact that sometimes my writing styles change drastically from one to another____ I JUST CAN"T CHOOSE!!!!!
Anyways!!! I made Sakura ok in this chapter… because she was ok in the anime^_^ Not that she's my fav female character or anything cuz I still don't like her that much…. But I didn't make her the bitch I was planning to make her:P Besides, I don't think I want to get the Sakura-fans mad^_______^;
*looks around nervously*
CHEERS to my beta Koganei!!!!!!!!! *smile*
Me LUV u!!!!!
Ew… mushiness…………
