Disclaimer: I own nothing! If I did, I wouldn't be here!
Pairings: Sasuke x Naruto, Neji x Naruto, Gaara x Naruto...others yet undecided.
Warnings: AU and contains yaoi. Run if you can't stand it.
Rating: PG - 13 but may rise to R later in the story...
Summary: A teahouse romance... A library romance... And a gathering of two attracted individuals under the Sakura trees at a secret location. With Naruto as the ultimate uke... Who will finally win his heart and body? Inspired by Kiss wa Ichinichi Sando Made, a yaoi manga by Nabako Kamo.
Chapter 2: Black and Red Clashed with a Blond in the Middle
The bell chimed melodiously as the wooden door of the teahouse opened.
"Welcome!" Naruto greeted loud and clear with his back still turned to Sasuke, as he was busy serving a regular customer a cup of ice tea with a slice of cheesecake.
Sasuke walked to the corner of the shop and made himself comfortable on the soft cushioned seat. He glanced around the interior before focusing his steely eyes on the blond waiter. 'It's the dobe from two days ago. No wonder his voice sounded so familiar when he greeted me,' Sasuke realized. He was so busy observing Naruto that he did not noticed Jiraiya standing beside him.
Jiraiya gave a few bone-crashing pats on Sasuke's shoulder without any warning that nearly caused Sasuke to jump up in surprise if not for his inhuman composure. Noticing that it was only Jiraiya, Sasuke sent a death glare to the man, which Jiraiya shrugged off sheepishly.
"So, it has been quite some time since you came here. What have you been busy with, Sasuke-kun?" Jiraiya asked gruffly.
"Just some traveling to take my pictures," Sasuke replied in an even tone.
"Is that a new waiter you hired?"
"Yeah... are you interested in him, Sasuke-kun?" Jiraiya asked coyly. He had seen Sasuke looking at Naruto since he came into the teahouse and he knew that it was unusual for Sasuke to notice someone for that long. He also knew that Sasuke was a homosexual.
"Maybe... Why do you care anyway? By the way, get me some ice tea and a chocolate muffin." Sasuke wondered why Jiraiya was asking him so many questions when the man knew well that he prefers to be left alone. The man usually does some greeting and leaves him alone unless he decides to discuss about photography with him. So far, they had not discussed anything pertaining to that particular subject yet.
"Because that's my cute little nephew you are busy staring at."
"Protective, aren't you?" Sasuke replied sarcastically. 'No wonder the man is asking so many questions,' Sasuke thought, feeling a little irritated.
"Of course not! Just that if anything happened to the boy, someone would be having my head for it. Wait a moment, I'll get your order." Jiraiya walked to the back to get Sasuke's order. 'I will send Naruto to serve Sasuke. This could get interesting,' Jiraiya chuckled to himself at his evil thoughts.
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Naruto finally finished serving the customers and noticed his ero-jisan talking to a young man who looked like someone that he had met just recently. The guy was really gorgeous looking with pale delicate sharp features that are framed by silky black locks tied up in a short ponytail. He was dressed in a black T-shirt but Naruto could not see the pants he was wearing as the guy was sitting down. Naruto made his way to the tea counter where he prepared a cup of Kilimanjaro for a customer.
"Naruto, take this to the customer sitting at the corner."
"Eh? But what about the other..." Naruto did not get to finish his sentence before Jiraiya interrupted him.
"I will serve that customer. Just go."
Naruto took Sasuke's orders to him. While serving him, Sasuke questioned him. "Don't you remember me? You bumped into me two days ago."
A flash of recognition passes through Naruto's sky blue eyes as he stared into Sasuke's pair of smothering onyx eyes that had glared at him so deadly just recently. "Oh, you are that guy! I knew I met you somewhere but I can't remember too well... Sorry about what happened two days ago."
"It's fine. So you are working for your uncle?"
"Yeah... I'm living with him in the apartment upstairs, too. It's a good thing that this place is so close to the university. What about you? Do you live in the dorm?" Naruto blushed a faint pink on his cheeks. Sasuke was really beautiful upfront and that reminded him of Neji, which made his blush deepened even more.
"No, I live in the nearby Minx Apartments." Sasuke replied somewhat curtly.
"Oh...I see. Well, enjoy your meal, I have to get back to my job." Naruto gave Sasuke a bright foxy smile before turning his attention to some other customers.
'God! He is cute with those whiskers mark on his cheeks...and so pretty.' Sasuke mused to himself. Naruto reminds Sasuke of a fox when he was smiling and he almost loses his cool composure for that disarming smile. God, his heart pounded so fast and hard when Naruto was near him! Not wanting to leave yet, Sasuke kept making orders of drinks and snacks, happily spending his time observing the cute blond from the corner till the evening arrived.
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Naruto was utterly amazed with the guy sitting at the corner. He had been here for about four hours and had never ceased ordering for food and drinks. Suddenly, Naruto realized that although it was the second time he had met and talked with that guy, if you could actually count that first time as a civil way of meeting someone, he still didn't know the man's name! Feeling slightly stupid and noticing the rapidly diminishing crowd in the teahouse, Naruto decided to formally introduce himself to the guy. Walking in determined strides, Naruto placed a bright smile on his face before asking the guy who is now looking back at him with a weird expression.
Suddenly feeling shy about the whole thing, Naruto fidgeted a little before asking a little shakily. "Um... I was thinking that we haven't been formally introduced yet... I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you."
"Oh yeah...and I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you, too," Sasuke replied tonelessly.
Sasuke was in a panic when he saw Naruto advancing towards him with a bright smile. 'Had he found out? Was I really so damn obvious?' These thoughts kept assaulting Sasuke's mind while he struggled to look as indifferent as usual. He felt a deep sense of relief when he heard Naruto's question and answered him back accordingly before placing a question back at Naruto.
"So, what do you do in your free time? You must be busy both studying and working."
Naruto looked around the teahouse making sure that his service is not needed before taking a sit opposite of Sasuke.
"I love to read...and travel if I have the time. Actually, I'm thinking that working in the teahouse is some sort of an interest to me now. I have never experienced such things until I came to Konoha three months ago and I'm enjoying every bit of it. I also like looking at the photography works on the walls in the teahouse. They're beautiful and ero-jisan changes them regularly. However, he never took down the one at the counter and replaces it with another. I think that the picture entitled "White" is the best one I've ever seen so far," Naruto replied with much enthusiasm as his eyes twinkled in passion, as he always did when he spoke about things that he is interested in.
Sasuke was impressed with how passionate Naruto was with his little speech and how his eyes looked so alive that it was almost electric. However, he didn't think that the picture Naruto spoke about with such enthusiasm was really worth such praise and he voiced it out loud.
"I don't think that it is as good as you said it was. It's a work of an amateur."
Naruto was indignant with Sasuke's insinuation and spoke loudly to defend his views. "No, it's not! I think it's really good. I may not know much about photography but I know what is a beautiful thing when I see one! And what's with that expression of yours?"
Sasuke smirked at Naruto's reply and felt rather happy with what he said about the picture.
"Thank you for your appreciation of the picture," Sasuke replied before his mouth curved up in a small gentle smile.
Naruto was stunned momentarily not only from how Sasuke's whole appearance seems to have changed from smiling, but also because he realized that Sasuke is the photographer of 'White'. He shook his head a little and asked in a slightly hesitant and perplexed voice. "Since 'White' is your work, why do you criticize it? Aren't you proud of it? I think you did a very good job on it or else even ero-jisan wouldn't placed it on the wall for so long without changing it."
Sasuke took a sip of his tea before answering softly. "I took it about three years ago. I was still pretty much an amateur at that time so I don't think I did justice to the picture. However, the scenery was truly magnificent under the moonlight, with pure white snow falling onto the dark river. It was so surreal that I took that moment to take a picture of it. I don't regret taking it but I don't think it was the best of my works at all."
Naruto felt as though he had come to some form of understanding with Sasuke's explanation. 'No wonder he said that it was a work of an amateur.'
"Well, if you could handle a camera so well three years ago, I'm sure that you must be really good by now. So when you become a professional, you should go back to that wonderful place and take a picture of it again." Naruto smiled gently at Sasuke, causing Sasuke to blush a little.
Sasuke felt odd tender warmth rising from the pit of his belly before spreading rapidly to the rest of his body as his face softened a little while looking at Naruto. No one had given him such simple compliments and encouragement for his talents with such sincerity before. They always compare him with Itachi before showering him with praises for his great talents, leaving him feeling like he was living in his older brother's shadow. However, Naruto didn't know about Itachi and that made his praises even more real. Before Sasuke could thank Naruto for his kind encouragement, Sasuke noticed someone standing silently by Naruto with a pale hand on his shoulder and spoke Naruto's name coldly. Naruto whipped his head around and saw that it was Gaara.
"Oh, Gaara! It is time for our study session already?" Naruto took a quick glance at his watch before shooting Sasuke an apologetic look.
"Sorry Sasuke, but I have a study session with Gaara to help improved his German language. I will talk to you maybe some other time at school?"
"Ah... Sure, dobe." Sasuke replied with a smirk at Naruto but when he gazed at Gaara, a cold face was in place of his previous look.
Gaara's eyes narrowed at the glare Sasuke directed to him. 'What kind of brat is he to dare glared at me like that?' He returned a deadly glare of his own, his emerald eyes looking sharp.
Naruto felt a sudden high tension in the surrounding and can't help but let out a soft sigh when he noticed how Sasuke and Gaara was involved in a staring match with each other. 'Didn't they just meet? They look as though they have been enemies since forever!'
"Oi! What do you mean by 'dobe'? I'm not a 'dobe'!" Naruto spoke loudly, hoping to diffuse the tension between the two guys.
"That is my nickname for you. You will be dobe to me and no one else from now on." Sasuke replied back playfully but the possessive eyes he cast upon Gaara seems to say 'He is mine!"
'So that is what is happening, huh? He is suspecting Naruto and me.' Gaara turned away from Sasuke coldly before fixing his eyes on Naruto, asking, "So where is your room, Uzumaki?"
"I thought I told you to call me Naruto! It's upstairs on the second floor. Walk straight and turn onto the left hallway. The last room is mine."
Gaara cast one last look at Sasuke before proceeding to Naruto's room while calling out, "I'll wait for you up in your room, Naruto." He emphasized on the word 'room' and if he was to turn around, he would have seen Sasuke's somewhat livid face.
'That bastard!' Sasuke snarled to himself. He followed Naruto to the counter where Naruto rang up his purchases. He looked at Naruto before saying, "Why don't we have lunch together at the cafeteria tomorrow? I will meet you there at noon."
Naruto blinked his eyes a little at Sasuke before replying, "Huh? Um... sure."
With that, Sasuke was gone with a wave into the warm balmy night.
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Naruto made his way to the room with a tray of tea, two cups of instant ramen and some snacks after informing ero-jisan about his study session. He opened the door and walked into his room. Setting the tray gently on the low table in the center of his room, Naruto silently made his way to the balcony where Gaara is focusing his attention on the crescent moon that is accompanied by a random scatter of twinkling stars.
"The night is beautiful, isn't it?" Naruto commented softly as he leaned lightly against the railing.
Gaara merely gave a small nod before he turned his cold emerald eyes on Naruto. Naruto couldn't helped but feel that there is some form of mystery swirling within the depths of those beautiful clear green eyes. 'Like he could see through everything," Naruto thought to himself. Gaara is an enigma to everyone who meets him and a deadly one at that, but Naruto have this urge to unravel this piece of puzzle and befriend him because he could sense that they are alike in some ways. Gaara walked back into the room where he sat cross-legged on the cold marble tiles with his German lecture notes already spread out in front of him. Naruto followed after him and sat opposite to him, thus beginning their first study session.
For an hour, the room was filled with low voices from the two young men as they discussed about their notes. Finally, both decided that their study session should end for the day. Naruto took a sip of his ice tea as he pushed his notes aside. Gaara stared at Naruto and started to speak again.
"That Sasuke guy... do you like him?"
"Sure...He's nice to talk to even though we just met," Naruto replied with his attention still on arranging his notes.
"How do you manage it? Always smiling and looking happy... don't you feel tired?" Gaara asked again.
Naruto finally look up from his notes and stared at Gaara. It was not normal for Gaara to take part in a conversation much less make one in the very short time that Naruto have known him. In fact, he had never heard the man speak more than a few sentences at a time. He knew that Gaara had accepted him as a friend because he didn't get any death glares from this guy that everyone else had received. When he asked Gaara the reason, the answer received was that he was 'interesting enough and thus worth observing'.
Still staring at Gaara, Naruto said, "I don't have much friends... and when I get to befriend someone, I always have a feeling of happiness. It just happens so naturally. I guess I hated loneliness since my childhood is consist of only such bad feelings."
Gaara nodded his head again, which also signaled the end of the conversation. 'He is like me... but different. My instinct was right about him being an interesting guy,' Gaara thought to himself. When he had first met Naruto, the blond had not run away in fright when he gave him a death glare and had even smiled brightly and introduced himself cheerfully. The blond would always try to engage him in some form conversation. He was also curious about the radiant energy that hyperactive man gave out wherever he went. But he could also sense the sorrow that the blond was hiding, which was rather like the misery he constantly felt himself. For the first time ever, Gaara felt like he had finally found something interesting in his life and had accepted Naruto as his friend. Naruto was his first friend and very likely his last. Then, he thought about Sasuke and a frown appeared on his forehead while his mouth curled up in slight distaste. That guy was a rude brat who thought that he had something going on with Naruto. Naruto was cute and very attractive but Gaara had never thought of him that way or anyone else in that aspect. Just thinking of Sasuke made Gaara mad. He stuffed his notes into his bag and stood up. Naruto walked him to the door.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow in school," Gaara said, turning his head to look at Naruto.
"Yeah, me too. Be careful on your way to the dorm," Naruto replied with a wave of his hand.
Gaara gave a curt nod and walked off in long strides. Naruto watched his friend disappeared into the warm night before turning around and heading back to his room.
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Naruto switched on his laptop after taking a shower and proceed to send two emails to his best friend, Haku, and his ex-tutor, Iruka-niichan.
Dear Haku,
I'm doing fine in the university so do not worry about me. I have made a lot of new friends and I think that college is really different from high school. Here, there are all kinds of people coming from different walks of life so no one finds my interests weird and treats me as an outcast anymore. How are you doing in Shinjuku? You must take care of yourself since you are now working for your dad. It must be tough for you to run the gang in Shinjuku and try not to get involved in too many fights even though I know that it would probably be impossible for you to do so.
I miss you a lot and when you are free, come by and drop me a visit. I'll be going to sleep now so I will write again some other time.
Naruto (P.S: Thanks for your present of the latest H. Kaito limited edition book. I love it!)
Naruto rubbed his sleepy eyes a little before typing out Iruka's email.
Dear Iruka-niichan,
How are you enjoying your much-needed vacation? I hope you are having fun in Rome. Anyway, I'm settling down really well here and I like the life in Konoha. I have a lecturer teaching the German language by the name of Hatake Kakashi and he is a really big pervert who love reading ero-jisan's novel series, "Icha Icha Paradise". In fact he was reading the latest volume today in class! Thank God that he is good at teaching, though. He really is the complete opposite of you since you can become so serious and scary when you are teaching. It would be fun to see what would happen if both of you actually meet someday, ne?
Did remember to buy me souvenirs? I hope to see you soon.
Naruto
Naruto clicked the button "Send" and then switched off his laptop. Tomorrow, he would visit the library to return and borrow books, with hopes of seeing Neji again. He threw himself on the soft bed and promptly fell asleep from the long day he had had, with a satisfied smile on his lightly tanned face.
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TBC...
Next Chapter: Watch out for appearances of Neji, Sakura and Lee! Naruto will also be questioning and finding out his true sexual orientation!
Plot and character mumbles: Finally done with Chapter 2, which is much longer than Chapter 1. Anyway, I know how it seems as though everything is going slowly but I think that story is going to become one long drama, thanks to my crazy imagination. This chapter is more about the characters knowing and understanding each other more (Maybe a little boring but crucial to the plot and character development).
For those who are wondering why Gaara had only treated Naruto as a friend in this chapter, this is because I've decided that I don't want my story to become one where all the Seme fall in love with the Uke at first sight or whatever you want to call it. As you can see, Sasuke did end up liking Naruto almost at first sight while Neji is sorting out his feelings still (Soon he will understand what he is feeling, I hope). Thus I want Gaara's feelings for our beloved hyper blond to grow slowly before he joins in the race for Naruto's heart. It sounds better this way to me and makes more sense. In the meantime, since Gaara knows how Sasuke feels for Naruto, he will take great care and satisfaction in pissing Sasuke off and making him jealous. For those who want Itachi x Naruto pairing, your wish will be fulfilled but there will only be some of it. Itachi will be with someone else because there are also tons of other cute guys in Naruto.
No character profiles until next chapter since I don't want any spoilers.
Reviews:
Thanks to IceHeart19 and Teki Star for being my betas! You guys are wonderful!
Thanks lalala, Kisu, Dark Mimiru-Chan, Jenniyah, ysth83, Sierra-Falls, Cookie6, Spazz, KizuPL, Ruby Soul, Anime Lass and Yuen-chan also for your reviews.
IceHeart19: I'm not sure whom Naruto will end up with myself so I also have no clue as to whether it will end up like the manga...or maybe it will end up with more than one winner, who knows? X3
Sierra-Falls: I know Naruto can be clumsy but I don't think that he always has to be involved in all the embarrassing situations...lol... As you can see, he calls Jiraiya, who is his uncle in this fic, ero-jisan... I thought it sounds better this way.
