Hello again! sorry for not updating sooner butI got distracted by all the shiny things for sale at the london expo last weekend. least thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I also discovered that ifI put my konoha Hitai-ate on my Shigure dog plush (from fruits basket) that it looks just like Sasuke-Inu! hehehe so cute! Anyway next chapter! WARNING: contains yaoi 'stuff' (obviously) but it's not that bad...and obviously i don't own Naruto or any of it's characters otherwise the storylines would be very different...

On the other side of the wall Naruto slumped against the floor, his head resting on his hands. This was all too weird and too hard. He didn't want to deal with this. Aoi-chan had been his friend, his companion. He'd have been happy to keep him forever. But now he was gone, but what was more confusing was that when he looked at Sasuke, all his feelings for Aoi-chan were still there. His mind raced through the events of the last few days. Finding Sasuke, feeding him, bathing him (a memory which now made Naruto blush at the thought) the training with Sakura-chan, but mostly Sasuke had heard all those horrible things the others said about him. What if Sasuke thought it too?

He'd heard Naruto laugh it off, but then he'd seen him cry. He would know how weak he really was.

But Sasuke had stayed. He could have ran off and found someone else to help him. But he stayed. Narutos mind flashed back to the forest. A hand went to his cheek and he could almost feel Sasuke soft breathe on his face…

The door to his room swing open and Sasuke stepped out wearing a baggy pair of faded jeans that hung low on pale hips and a black shirt partly buttoned. His hitai ate still hung about his neck.

"Naruto?" he asked nervously when the blonde didn't look up. Naruto glanced up and took in Sasukes appearance. He looked pretty good actually, better than Naruto did in those clothes… but that wasn't important right now.

Naruto stood and faced Sasuke, needing answers but not sure if he really wanted to know,

"So..." he said, searching for the right words.

"So." Sasuke echoed.

"This was all a mistake?" Naruto asked, "You didn't really like me?"

"No." Sasuke answered, taking a calming breath he said, "In fact I… I like you."

"You do?" he asked surprised.

Sasuke nodded, "Well if I didn't, wouldn't I have run off somewhere else?"

"You like me?" he asked again.

Sasuke smiled, "yeah."

"Well... that's great." Naruto said, trying to cover the pounding beat his heart let out, "I mean I never thought you'd say something like that… but it's great that we're friends and all."

Sasuke sighed; the boy was really an idiot. "No. I mean I like you." he said, stressing the like.

"You… Oh." Narutos mouth formed a small 'o' as Sasukes words hit him.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called quietly, edging closer to him.

"Why are you saying all this now?"

"Because," Sasuke stopped. Why was he? He wasn't even sure what he felt for the other boy, but it was stronger than just friendship. He knew that much. "Because I don't think I could just stand by and wait for someone to snatch you away."

Naruto snorted and folded his arms over his chest, sulking. "To snatch me away? Who would want me?"

"I would." Sasuke said seriously. Naruto stopped sulking and stared at the boy. This was Sasuke. Sasuke didn't say things like that, but despite his brain telling him that, it didn't stop his heart beating that little bit faster.

He likes me. That means he wants to stay with me, he'll want to…

Naruto shook his head and opened his mouth to say something when suddenly all thought, feeling and blood rushed from his head as Sasuke closed the space between them and captured Narutos lips with his own. Naruto stiffened with the initial contact but slowly melted under the gentle teasing of Sasukes mouth. The taller boy softly licked Narutos bottom lip causing the boy to gasp. Sasuke took the opportunity to deepen the kiss by sliding his tongue over Narutos, causing the blonde to give an involuntary moan.

Without command, Narutos hands found their way to Sasuke waist and held there while the brunettes snaked their way upwards, one sliding up Narutos back, the other slipping up under the other boys shirt, glancing across tanned skin. Was it possible to feel this good from just a kiss? Or could it simply be Naruto wanted Sasuke just as much as he wanted him.

Naruto shuddered at the cool touch running across his stomach and he furiously kissed the raven haired boy back, pressing up against him. Sasuke pushed the smaller boy back towards the wall his hand moving ever further up Narutos shirt till he brushed a tanned nipple. Naruto moaned and arched his back pushing himself further into Sasukes hands. Sasuke felt his jeans become uncomfortable at Narutos noises and removed his other hand from behind Narutos back and slide it down to the other boys' waist. His hand dipped lower, just brushing the sensitive skin under Narutos waistband.

Suddenly Sasuke was pushed away roughly, his body rapidly missing the heat of the other who now stood a good distance away, panting slightly. Naruto, his face flushed and lips swollen, stared back at Sasuke shocked. Sasuke stepped back, realising he'd pushed the boundaries.

"Naruto… I…" Sasuke started,

"I think you should go." Naruto said softly. Sasuke nodded. He had scared him. If he was honest he had scared himself. He'd never felt so strongly for someone. Naruto made him feel so… intense.

Sasuke turned and left without another word. He ran barefoot down the halls and out into the streets. It was still early so the only light came from the morning sun, bathing everything in a pale sunrise grey. Sasuke stopped running only when he lost his breath. He knelt over, hands on his knees, and breathed deeply. He was an idiot. He'd lost control and now he would lose everything. Sasuke flopped down on a nearby bench, his head in his hands.

"Good to see you're back." A familiar voice greeted him. Sasuke looked up to see the silver haired Jounin sensei looking back down at him.

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

"Walking Iruka-sensei to work." He said gesturing to the dark haired chuunin stood a few paces behind Sasuke. The boy was so angry he hadn't even notice the two teachers approach.

"This is all your fault." Sasuke said, glaring at the Jounin.

"Maa. Don't be like that Sasuke." Kakashi said, raising his hands behind his head.

"If you'd changed me back sooner none of this would have happened."

"If I'd changed you back sooner you wouldn't have learnt anything."

Sasuke stared at his sensei. Kakashi sighed and sat down next to Sasuke,

"Why do you think you changed back?" the Jounin asked. Sasuke shrugged and pulled at the headband around his neck.

"Ok, so why do you think I didn't change you back sooner?" Sasuke shrugged.

Kakashi sighed dramatically louder, "It's easy!" he grinned. "You always go off and try to do stuff on your own. Mr 'I don't need anybody.' Well you do. Everyone does. When you were with Naruto you realised you don't have to do everything on your own, that you weren't alone anymore."

As Kakashi spoke, Sasuke noticed his voice soften and his look shift from him to the chuunin behind him.

Sasuke smiled in spite of himself. "You rigged it didn't you?"

The boy asked his teacher, "You knew I'd try it."

Kakashi smirked, "Doesn't work right without the blood pact, unusual side affect though. Never seen it do that before."

Sasuke stood and shook his head. He slowly turned and walked away from his teacher, stopping once to mumble something before running off.

Kakashi smiled as he felt a warm pair of arms wrap around his neck and shoulders from behind him. Gently he reached behind him and pulled Iruka down to brush his lips against his.

"What was all that about?" the chuunin asked.

"Oh, nothing." The older man replied, smiling.

You're welcome Sasuke.

Aw... Sasukes so cute! but sadly that's the penultimate (that means one before last) chapter. unless the last chapters longer than i thought..I haven't finished it yet. Thanks for all the great reviews! squees happily

Hehehe! I love Kakashi! So much so that I've posted the first chapter of my KakaIru compainion fic tothis story, so if you like KakaIru then go check it out!