For my best friend

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Note: For those who thought there was chapter 2 uploaded before this real one, I have to say I'm really, really sorry. It's because of my stupid mistake. I just wanted to replace the chapter with the rewritten one but it seemed my sleepiness has played trick on me and instead, I pressed on the upload new chapter button instead. ::sweatdrop:: Stupid me. I'm really sorry. This is the real chapter 2. ::cower::

Chapter II: No ramen tonight

[Naruto's POV]

We walk in silence toward the ramen stand. Usually it isn't my habit to be this quiet. Funny. I've always want someone my age to talk to but now that I have one, I don't know what to talk to him. Not that I can't think about one. There're just so many things I want to say but...I don't know what to begin with. He doesn't talk to me either. And now I'm just walking and walking and keeping glancing at him now and then to check if he is still there and doesn't leave before we reach there. Man, this is getting ridiculous.

"Stop looking at me like that. I won't run away." He finally breaks the silence, looking at me wearily. "It only makes you look..." He trails off as if fearing that the word he's about to say would offend me. But of course, I know it already. "Silly, right?"

Sasuke just rolls his eyes.

I grin. Really, I don't mind much being called that since everyone seems to call me names behind my back all the time...for many reasons. Sometimes it offends me but now I'm quite accustomed to them. At least, 'silly' is a lot better than those other names...I have idea why other people seems to hate me so much. They ignore me, calling me horrible names behind my back, telling their children not to speak to me. I don't understand. What did I do that make them hate me so much?

Somehow I think that Iruka-sensei cares for me but I can't really tell. He is really strict and often scolds me for what I do. Hmm...sometimes I wish I could read people's mind. That way I would know what they want and...then they wouldn't hate me.

"We're almost there." I tell him. The map to Ichiraku is well imprinted in my mind and of course, there's no way I'm gonna lose it! But...strange, by now I should have smell the sweet, mouth-watering smell coming from there already but I don't. Nah, it's still early. It can't close this soon, right?

"...It's going to rain." Sasuke states plainly, his voice snapping me out of my thought.

"Huh?" I look at him questioningly as if I heard something wrong.

"It's going to rain." He repeats, looking up at the darken sky. Oh, right. It's going to...no, it's raining now. Wet coldness touches my face first and then the other spots. Those droplets continue to hit me here and there. Stupid rain! Now I can't have ramen! Damn you!

I'm about to yell at the sky, cursing them for being so wicked to a cute little child like me but he grabs my arm. The same way I did to him earlier when I try to convince him we have ramen together. "The stand is close. We should go home now."

Great. Just great.

I hang my head down in disappointment. First, I can't have ramen tonight with my new friend...I wonder if I can really call him that...and then I've to go back to my apartment soaking and wet? No way! "I'll wait here until it opens." I declare stubbornly and sit down right there.

[Sasuke's POV]

I look at him then back at the sky. The rain's getting heavier and heavier. If we don't hurry, we'll soon be all wet. Very wet. "Come on, we should go now." I say, pulling him by the arm but he just doesn't move. It's more like he doesn't want to. "Come on. Let's go home. We'll get wet." I try pulling him again.

"I don't want to." He pouts, turning his head to the other side. "I want to eat ramen."

He's being so annoyingly stubborn and moreover...what he's doing is plain stupid. Actually, it's not my business if he want to stay here or not. I can leave whenever I want but...do I really want to go home?

"Don't be stupid, Naruto. Move!" I pull him again yet I've already known that he won't move.

What I'm doing now is more like an excuse to stay outside longer...for I don't want to go back to my empty home...not that I can call it 'home' anymore. The home I once had...the home with dad, mom and the kind brother I looked up to isn't there anymore. That place isn't my home anymore. I don't have a home. All I want to do now is move out of there as fast as possible. It'll have to take a few weeks before everything in there is allowed to be move and at that time, I'll surely find myself a new place to live. But it won't be my home. Because nobody I love is there.

I let go of his arm and sit down beside him. He looks surprise. "What're you doing?"

...If I don't want to go back, isn't it easier this way? Just stay outside as long as I want. Maybe this is the silliest thing I've ever done in my life but... "I've decided that sitting in the rain is quite a good idea since I don't have to waste my time bathing again tonight."

He laughes. "Oh, that's stupid, Sasuke."

"So do you." He stops laughing and looks straight at me. I stare back. We stare at each other for a while and no one's gonna speak or break the eyecontact first. Then Naruto starts making some stupid faces but nothing like that works on me. Finally, he burst out laughing himself. This time I can't help but smile a little.

...Sometimes it's necessary to act stupid.

The rain does its job well and we're now wet all over. I can't tell if those droplets rolling down my face are just the cold rain or my own tears. Maybe they're both.

I still cry after promise myself that I will never ever cry again. Maybe I'm really stupid.

A strange noise rumbles thunderously. No, it's thunderous but it isn't the thunder. I turn to look at Naruto. He's grinning with one hand on his stomach and another behind his head, scratching it lightly.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "So...you're still waiting for this stand to open?"

He looks thoughtful for a brief moment before replying in a hesitate voice: "Err...no ramen tonight, I suppose?"

TBC

Hmm...I think writing from chibi Naruto's POV is a lot easier than chibi Sasuke's since Sasuke wasn't as anti-social as he is now back then but again, making him too socialized doesn't seem like him. Oh, I don't know. But this fic seems to get longer than I first intended to write. ::shrug::

Anyway, review pretty please!

::Puppy dog's eyes no jutsu!::