Naruto killed everyone.
The End.
Author's note: On second thought, I don't have big a death wish. This is the penultimate chapter, though I'll probably being writing an epilogue as well. (Sigh) My baby's all grown up...
This chapter is dedicated to my consistent reviewers, who always make me smile when I see that they haven't forgotten me. I want to thank everyone for their support.
This chapter is also dedicated to Yuurimaoh. I'm...honored to have affected you so deeply, and I hope that life only improves from here on.
One chapter to go (not including epilogue). Enjoy!
Disclaimer (courtesy of Ryuko): READERS BE WARNED. THE FOLLOWING WILL AFFECT YOUR BRAIN IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.
Silence reigned atop the hill, three frozen expressions staring at one smiling one. Shifting his weight upon his right leg, Naruto looked around at the three boys.
"Well? Anyone care to clue me in?" he questioned, his voice soft. Naruto's blue gaze rested briefly on each boy. "No one?"
Sasuke wasn't sure about the others, but he felt a very strong urge to head for the hills. Resisting the desire to nervously shift his feet, he folded his arms across his chest.
"Where did you just come from, Naruto?" he forced out, attempting to sound cool and collected. That disturbing little smile turned towards him, and the blonde fixed his gaze on Sasuke.
"Oh, I was just heading back to the dorm," he replied easily. "I saw you three arguing, and thought I'd come mediate."
His eyes never leaving Sasuke's own, Naruto gestured for the three to continue. "Please, don't let me interrupt."
I'm going to die.
Since the other two appeared incapable of responding, Sasuke cleared his throat. "I don't think it's very important, Naru—"
"I'll decide that for myself, Uchiha." Naruto's calm little smile grew a little wider, and the tall blonde stepped closer to him. Sasuke's heart sank. "So, tell me. You three were holding a bet...about me, I presume."
Oh god, he's using bigger words. We're all going to die. Horribly, bloodily, painfully.
The same clue for Naruto's ire seemed to jolt Gaara and Neji out of their stupors. Taking a nearly imperceptible step away—You coward! Get back over here! If I'm going to die, you sure as fuck are going to, too! Sasuke thought furiously—Neji also cleared his throat.
"Well, actually..." The proud Hyuuga trailed off as Naruto turned that frightening little smile on him. Blinking, Neji briefly shook his head and continued. "We...did have a...wager of sorts..."
"Oh?"
GAARA DID IT! IT WAS HIS IDEA! KILL HIM!
Neji looked vaguely like he wanted to run and hide. Sasuke couldn't blame him, considering the fact that Naruto had slowly straightened his posture and squared his shoulders, lending the tall blonde an even more potent aura of imminent death than he normally had. Chuckling lightly, Naruto strolled over to the pale (and growing paler) Hyuuga.
"Ok, I've gathered that part." The blonde grinned (or perhaps bared his teeth...it was hard to tell). "So tell me, Hyuuga. What, EXACTLY, was your bet about?"
Taking a deep breath, Neji prepared to respond.
"We bet on who could get you to kiss him first, Naruto." Three pairs of eyes swung over to Gaara, who, to his credit, didn't flinch. "If you kissed one of the three of us, the other two had to back off."
Silence.
"...I see. And when did you three decide upon this?"
Eyebrows furrowing, Neji lifted a hand to smooth back his hair. "Right...after you agreed to give me a second chance, Naruto."
"Ah." The blonde fell quiet, eyes tipped up to the sky as he did some mental calculations. "Well then, that certainly explains a lot, doesn't it? The flowers Neji sent me, Gaara trying to jump me, and Sasuke..."
Said brunette shifted uncomfortably as Naruto turned towards him and gazed thoughtfully at him.
"...I suppose that explains a lot about you, doesn't it?"
Frowning, Sasuke tried to ignore the hideous sinking feeling in his gut as those cool blue eyes stared at him. "Naruto...I—"
"No, no. You don't have to explain. I get it," Naruto cut him off, waving away his words. He grinned again, his eyes burning. "It's kind of funny, isn't it? You go and call me a whore—which I was wondering about, since I thought that from your point of view, it would have seemed that way—when in FACT, you're the one who was setting it up so that it would look that way."
Abruptly, a spurt of righteous anger shot through him. "Now hold on a second. If you weren't so busy juggling the three of us on your own time, you would've—"
Naruto was by his side in a flash, towering over the shorter Uchiha with a tersely blank expression. Startled by the quick movement, Sasuke cut himself off.
"Finish that statement, Uchiha." His eyes were slightly wider than normal, giving him a maniacal air. "Finish it."
Sasuke stared blankly at him for a long moment, debating whether his pride was worth the price of his face.
"You..." He hesitated, looking away angrily. "Don't make this all about me, Uzumaki. You're not a saint."
Large fists clenched and unclenched before him. "No, Sasuke, I'm not," came the quiet reply. "I'm not a saint."
Yup. Going to die now. His eyes narrowed. But I won't go down without a fight!
To his surprise, Naruto took a step back from him. When Sasuke glanced up, the tall blonde was looking at the other two boys.
"So, tell me. What other stipulations were there on your little bet?"
Gaara and Neji shared a short glance. His face bland, Gaara turned towards Naruto.
"We agreed that no one could kiss you unless you initiated it," the redhead stated calmly. Eyes narrowing, Sasuke scowled at the unperturbed boy. How can he be so calm? Hell, if Naruto isn't going to kick his ass, I sure as hell will.
"That's the reason these two have an issue with me," Sasuke supplied irritably, folding his arms over his chest. Naruto blinked at him, lifting an eyebrow.
"Because you kissed me?"
When the others nodded reluctantly, Naruto tipped his head back and let out a sharp bark of laughter.
"Isn't that perfect. Not only am I a goddamn toy to you three..."
Neji lifted a hand. "Naruto, that's not—"
"But you assholes think that you have ANY fucking say in what I do sexually?" He laughed again, sending chills down the boys' spines. Stopping abruptly, he glared at the three of them, his face finally darkening into a vicious scowl. "Does it look like you three own me? DOES IT?"
Gaara tried to step in. "We never thought—"
"No, you didn't." He clenched his fists, eyes narrowed to slits. "Not one of you did."
Falling quiet, the three boys warily watched as the buff blonde bowed his head. Naruto's broad shoulders heaved as he visibly fought with himself. As if on cue, a gust of wind blew past them, toying with their hair.
Suddenly, Naruto let out a soft chuckle, his fists relaxing. "You know...you three are even dumber than you think." A strange smirk settled on the blonde's face as he lifted his head. "Neji and Gaara have no right to be angry with Sasuke at all."
The three blinked at him in confusion. Chuckling louder, Naruto turned towards the Uchiha.
"I kissed him."
"W-what?" Sasuke sputtered. "When?"
Naruto's smirk grew into a quirky smile as he slid his hands back into his pockets. "After the movie. You asked me to kiss you in your sleep...so I did."
When Sasuke merely stared at him in reply, Naruto moved closer to him.
"Ironic, isn't it? You won your little bet, and you didn't even know it."
The Uchiha found himself speechless. Then...the dream I had that night...was real! He really did kiss me that night! And if he did, then...then he really must...care about me. A lot. Sasuke winced. Shit.
I'm an idiot. A soon-to-be-deceased idiot.
Lost in his thoughts, Sasuke missed the intense, calculating gaze Naruto was aiming his way. An odd glint entered those blue orbs.
"Although, I suppose I should clear up any confusion over the matter, since you were asleep when it happened."
Eyebrows furrowing, Sasuke glanced up—
—And found himself locking lips with the boy he was certain would kill him.
Inhaling sharply, Sasuke made a small, muffled noise as Naruto fisted his hand in the boy's raven hair and yanked his head back. The blonde's tongue prowled the shorter boy's mouth, chasing Sasuke's as the brunette tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Sasuke's eyes fell shut.
Jesus...even when he's pissed he's a good kisser...
Blood roaring in his ears blocked out any sounds that the other boys may have made as Sasuke lifted shaking hands to grip the front of Naruto's shirt. A low growl from the taller boy reverberated against his lips, and Sasuke found himself walked backward until his back hit a tree. The ground had begun to slope down, leaving him feeling unbalanced as Naruto grabbed his hip with his free hand and pressed against him.
Dimly, Sasuke was aware of a sporadic mewling sound that escaped whenever their lips briefly parted. For the sake of his pride, he hoped it wasn't him.
As abruptly as the angry kiss began, it ended. Naruto pulled away completely, stepping back with a hard expression on his face. The Uchiha took a moment to open his eyes, his mind reeling and his chest heaving as he gasped for air.
Holy shit...
"So, now you know," Naruto declared calmly. "Sasuke won your little bet. Fair and square."
He turned to face Neji and Gaara, sending them a cold little smile.
"So you two, stay the fuck away from me."
In the quiet that followed, Neji visibly suppressed a wince and Sasuke attempted to restart his brain. Blinking, Gaara shook his head.
"...No."
The redhead stepped forward as Naruto's angry gaze settled on him. "I won't stay the fuck away from you. I can't." Before Naruto could reply, Gaara walked over to him and gripped the straps of his overalls. "You can't leave me alone, Naruto. You can't. I don't have anyone else."
Naruto stared down at him, watching as Gaara fought to keep himself under control.
"I don't want to be alone again," the boy whispered harshly. "If you're not around to keep me...normal...then who the hell am I? Who?"
The blonde looked like he had any number of things to reply to that with, but after a moment, his expression softened slightly.
"Maybe you should try defining yourself without me, Gaara," he replied quietly. "You won't be happy unless you do." He cut the shorter boy off with a sharp wave of his hand when Gaara opened his mouth to protest. "Think about it. Do you really think we would've been happy together?"
Gaara stared up at him, looking prepared to answer in the affirmative, but to Sasuke's surprise he said nothing. A small smirk quirked a corner of Naruto's mouth.
"I'm your friend, Gaara, though right now I'm wondering why. I'm not going anywhere." He paused, then glared down at him with enough force to make even the imperturbable redhead back up a few steps. "But if you EVER pull a stunt like this again, I'll wash my hands of you."
He stepped back, glaring at the three of them. "That goes for all of you."
With one final glare at Sasuke, Naruto stormed over to his forgotten duffel bag, slung it onto his shoulder, and stalked away.
Still leaning against the tree, Sasuke stared blankly into space. His mind was racing.
If he doesn't want to see any of us again...
Slowly, he straightened and turned away from the others, heading to his dorm in a daze.
...Why did he kiss me?
"Kiba, I really don't think you need me here," Naruto whined irritably. He glowered at the hustle and bustle of the mall. "Remind me, again, why I can't sit in our room and mope?"
"Because you're too big to mope," the spiky-haired boy replied. Running a hand over his lips, he browsed a display of sunglasses. "What do you think about these?"
Naruto lifted an eyebrow at the octagonal orange glasses. "Perfect, if you're off to join the circus."
"These?"
"Would you prefer that I puke or laugh?"
Growling, Kiba swiped the new pair—a mixture of teal and yellow—off his face. "Alright, fine. You pick a pair."
The blonde sighed, turning towards the stand. It wasn't fair, really... Why was it that when the dark and gloomy guys wanted to be angsty, no one interrupted, but when Naruto wanted to give it a try...
Sometimes it sucked to be the sunshine of the planet.
Wondering idly if Elmo ever wanted to take an Uzi to Sesame Street, Naruto selected a pair of small, circular sunglasses with dark purple lenses. He held them out.
"Try these."
Kiba hesitated, frowning at the frames, but he gamely slid them on. Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"...Well?" Kiba questioned. After a long moment, Naruto smiled.
"I believe we have the makings of a chick magnet." He rolled his eyes when Kiba's face lit up. "Though I'm still unclear as to why you think you need them. You and Hinata are already official, aren't you?"
"Yeah..." Kiba shrugged as he moved to pay for the glasses. "But still, I want to make sure I look my best. I don't want to give her any room for second thoughts, you know?"
Naruto sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm afraid I can't understand you, you poor creature. To think of being...dare I say it...insecure? I haven't the heart!"
Kiba punched him in the arm. "Oh shut up. You're not God's gift to women, you know."
"Heavens, no. I'm God's gift to myself. After all, I have to look at myself in the mirror."
"And car windows, and store windows, and puddles of water, and—"
Naruto punched him back. "I'm not that bad." He waited. "Puddles make my features muddy."
The blonde pulled a soft grin as Kiba groaned, but it faded as they left the store. As it had all of last night and today, his mind circled back to Sasuke.
How could he...how could he even participate in something like that? If they made that bet so long ago, then...god, was everything geared towards that? His approaching me when I took him home, the movie, the night after the movie...
Sighing, Naruto ran a hand through his ruffled blonde hair. How can I know what was real?
His question went unanswered in the recesses of his mind. Wondering about Sasuke's true feelings had kept him up that night after their confession, and he found himself equally bothered even as Kiba grew fed up with his silence and forcibly dragged him out of the room, classes be damned.
As they exited the mall and waited for the bus, Naruto frowned. I suppose I could always use one of those favors I won during poker to make him tell me... He sighed again. But...no. What do I expect him to say? "I did it because I'm deeply in love with you and Inever want to go away again"? Yeah, right.
"So...ok, I know you and Sasuke are having a fight, but...are you planning to do anything for his birthday?" Kiba's question shook Naruto out of his musings. "I mean, I'm not exactly the guy's biggest fan, but you two have been awfully close..."
Naruto simply gazed at him. "How did you know that Sasuke's birthday was coming up?"
"You talk in your sleep."
"...Oh." Naruto glanced away, studying a cigarette butt on the ground. "Yeah, I guess we could...throw him a party, or something."
As the bus pulled up, Kiba gave him an amused glance. "A party? For the Ice King? What makes you think he'd even come?"
After a moment, the blonde smirked. "Because he owes me. A lot."
Kiba stepped onto the bus, placing his change in the meter.
"...He played poker with you, didn't he?"
"Got it in one."
Laughing, Kiba swung into a seat and grinned as the blonde sat next to him. "I pity the fool who becomes your slave through poker winnings. Did you do the 'Let's bet favors' thing again?"
"Yyyyyyyyyyup."
"You're an evil man, Naruto. Evil."
"Only because it works, Kiba m'boy."
Smiling softly, Naruto turned his gaze to the window. I'll figure you out somehow, Sasuke. You have to have some feelings for me, especially since you kissed me back when—
Naruto nearly leapt to his feet at the realization, his eyes wide. WAIT A MINUTE! A fuzzy memory sauntered its way to the front of his mind, dimly telling him that when he'd taken a snooze on Sasuke's couch, he'd briefly woken to the unexpected sensation of having the daylights kissed out of him by none other than Uchiha Sasuke. That little incident—which he hadn't even been aware of until now—preceded that godforsaken bet of theirs.
Ah HAH! If he went and tried to remove my tonsils by way of tongue before the idiot decided to "officially" vie for my attention...that means that he has to have feelings for me. Naruto tapped his chin thoughtfully. And, since he didn't know he'd already won, he went against his all-important word to kiss me again after the drag show.
After a long moment, a small smile crossed his face, and Naruto folded his arms over his chest.
The ball's in my court now, Uchiha. He smirked. Let's play.
Sasuke was slowly yet surely going insane.
Said Uchiha paced in his room, a frown on his face. Why the hell did Naruto kiss me yesterday? He should have wanted to remove my nuts and play tennis, not tonsil hockey! It doesn't make any sense!
His strides paused briefly as he thought, causing a hiccup in his pacing. Well...unless he was trying to prove something by kissing me, but what? What could he have to prove other than the fact that he thinks I'm a heartless dickwad?
"Just now, when that guy was flirting with you...I was jealous."
"...I kind of had something I wanted to tell you..."
"You're so cuuuuuuuuuuuute!"
"Do you think I'm sexy?"
"Sasuke...we really need to talk..."
"You won your little bet, and you didn't even know it."
Sasuke stopped pacing, his hands dropping to his sides. If I had already won the bet... He didn't really need to kiss me again. His gaze lowered to the floor. Then...maybe what he was trying to prove...was that even without the kiss he gave me before...
His breath catching in his throat, Sasuke sank onto his bed.
...Maybe I'd already won.
Back in his room, Naruto glowered at his computer screen. His music list played away as he idly surfed the internet, too bored to actually find anything interesting, and too annoyed with the world to get off the computer. Sighing, he stood and pulled his shirt off in the overly warm air of his room.
Maybe I'll just go take a shower, he mused, glancing at his roommate's empty desk. The dog lover had glanced at his watch upon returning home, squeaked, and raced out of the room like a bat out of hell. I think he said something about forgetting to turn in a report... Ah, well. More alone time for me.
Not bothering to lock his bedroom door, Naruto stripped off his jeans and tossed them on the floor, standing proudly in his boxers. He moved over to the full length mirror propped up against the wall, looking at himself admiringly.
"Oooh, I am a delightful piece of studmuffin, aren't I?" He turned around and gazed over his shoulder. "Just look at that ass!"
He took another moment to stare at his butt, a slow frown marring his face. Abruptly dissatisfied, he poked it.
"Poor baby, I've been neglecting you..." he murmured. "Next time I go to the weight room, I promise to work on getting you as toned as the rest of me."
Sighing, he stepped into the bathroom. Man, I suck at being angsty. I'm supposed to be mad at the world, not fussing over my ass. His frowned at his reflection in the mirror. Can you angst over your ass?
After a long, thoughtful pause, he shook his head. No. Definitely not. He fingered the waistband of his boxers. Well, so long as I'm giving up on brooding...
Just before he let them drop, Naruto's gaze fell upon the pair of brand new sunglasses that Kiba had left upon the sink. Lifting an eyebrow, he picked them up, flipped them open, and slid them on.
"Not bad, not bad. Kind of 80's, though..." He gazed at himself in the mirror, then grinned. "Well, so long as I'm going 80's..."
Opening the medicine cabinet, Naruto snagged Kiba's tube of hair gel and squeezed a healthy amount into his hand. Closing the cabinet door, Naruto grinned at his reflection and ran his hands through his hair, coaxing it into a solid, upright mass. Three minutes and half a tube of gel later—he'd pay for Kiba's next one—Naruto had a decent Eraser-head hairdo going.
"Beautiful."
He glanced at himself over the tops of the sunglasses. "Maybe I was born in the wrong era." The blonde tilted his head this way and that, inspecting the new look. "Not exactly something I'd go out in public with, but..." He chuckled. "Ok, so the 80's wasn't my era. Sue me."
Shaking his head, Naruto prepared to remove the sunglasses and get in the shower when a familiar song began to play on his computer. Eyes glinting, he shoved the glasses higher up on his nose.
Screw the shower.
That's it, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. Rising to his feet, he opened his door and strode down the hallway.
I'm going to... He's gonna... Oh, dammit. What the hell am I going to say to him? Pausing outside the blonde's door, Sasuke bit his lip. "Hey, Naruto, sorry about the bet thing. Do you have a crush on me?" The brunette shook his head. How about... "I think you're gorgeous, you think I'm gorgeous...oh my, is that a bed?" ...NO.
He hesitated as he lifted a hand to knock. "Naruto, I'm sorry about the things I said, but I have...feelings for you." Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard. "And I think...that you have feelings for me, too. Do you?"
Deciding, he gave the door a sharp rap. God, I hope he does.
A few moments of waiting produced no answer at the door, but Sasuke could swear he heard music blaring in the room. Intrigued, he tried the unlocked doorknob and entered the room.
...And froze.
"If you're seeing things running through your head...WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS!"
Naruto...was dancing in his room...wearing nothing but sunglasses and Spongebob boxers and holding a broom in his hands.
"An invisible man sleepin' in your bed...OW! Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!"
The tall blonde spun around, playing air guitar on the broom. "NEE-NER, NEE-NER, NEE-NER, NEE-NER, DA DA DADADA!" He dropped to his knees in front of Sasuke, eyes screwed shut as he "wailed on his guitar."
"If you're all alone...pick up the phone...and call...GHOSTBUSTERS!"
Sasuke couldn't move from his position by the door if his life depended on it. The blonde writhed on the floor as the music deepened.
"I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts...I hear it likes the girls! I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts...YEAH, YEAH, yeah...yeah..."
Now the blonde spotted Sasuke.
Both of them froze as they stared at each other, Sasuke's hand still gripping the doorknob and Naruto still grasping his broom guitar. The music continued playing in the background, a strong counterpoint to the startled tension between the two boys. Slowly, a single lock of hair peeled itself free of Naruto's attempted Eraser-head.
"Naruto..." Sasuke managed to choke out. "What...are you...doing?"
The blonde blinked at him. "Um...reliving the 80's...?"
The two boys stared at each other for a long moment...and burst out in hysterical laughter.
Gripping his stomach, Sasuke tipped his head back and laughed whole heartedly. Tears came to the corners of his eyes, and he found himself sinking to his knees.
Only this idiot...could make me laugh like this! A corner of his mind was shocked into a heart attack over the fact that Sasuke was laughing so long and hard over something so...moronic.
God, I love you, Naruto.
Sasuke stopped laughing.
Oh my god...I love him. I'm in love with Uzumaki Naruto. Color leapt into his cheeks at the revelation, and Sasuke transferred his gaze to the floor. His breath catching in his throat, he failed to notice that the blonde had stopped laughing just as abruptly, with roughly the same expression on his face.
Shit. What the hell do I do now?
After an extended moment of silence, Naruto cleared his throat. "So...Sasuke. What did you...um, want to see me for?"
Sasuke flinched, still not looking at the other boy. "I... I, um..." He mentally cursed himself for stuttering. "I just wanted to talk to you."
Naruto didn't reply for a long moment, then stood and walked away from him. Shoulders drooping, Sasuke frowned at the floor. He hates me, after all. Maybe I read everything the wrong way...
His thoughts trailed off when Naruto's feet reappeared before him, this time with a pair of jeans scraping the floor. Blinking, Sasuke glanced up.
"...What did you want to talk to me about?" Naruto questioned softly, the tiny sunglasses removed from his nose. Sasuke stood.
"I..." He hesitated. "About this whole...bet thing. I didn't..."
When he trailed off, Naruto's lips turned down into a frown. "What, Sasuke?"
The Uchiha frowned at him, his pride warring with the newfound discovery of his feelings for the moron. His awkward silence filled the air as Naruto waited, arms folded over his bare chest. Gaze dropping away from the blonde's face, Sasuke found himself staring at the boy's muscled chest. It was very nearly hair-free, aside from a fine dusting of blonde in a short trail that ran from just above his navel under the hem of his jeans. Sasuke swallowed.
Damn, do I want to see how far that goes...
A cleared throat drew him out of his contemplation. Flushing lightly, Sasuke brought his midnight eyes back up to Naruto's. The blonde crooked an eyebrow at him.
"Naruto, you..." Because his voice had emerged huskily, Sasuke cleared his throat and tried again. "Why did you kiss me yesterday?"
Naruto blinked in surprise. "What?"
"I don't understand it." Sasuke folded his arms, frowning. "You made a big show about being pissed at me, then you go and kiss the living daylights out of me. What the hell?"
Eyebrows lifted, Naruto assessed the boy in front of him for a long moment. "You know, Uchiha," he stated, voice and expression becoming dry, "you could argue that I was simply mimicking your chosen kissing style." He shifted his weight upon one leg. "After all, you were pissed at me after the drag show, weren't you?"
"I—"
"Because, given what you said after it, I'd say I'm right."
Sasuke fought back a wince. "Alright, Naruto, I'm...sorry...that I called you a whore. I didn't really mean it, but—"
"Yes, you did. You did mean it, Sasuke." Naruto's reply was sharp and curt, the taller boy's face turned away.
Sasuke took a moment to continue. "All right...a part of me did. But dammit, Naruto, can't you see where I'm coming from? You let the other two put their hands all over you, but when it came to me, you always stepped back!"
"Dammit, Sasuke, are you completely oblivious?" Incensed, Naruto stepped closer. "Who the hell did I keep going out of my way to spend time with, huh? Whose opinion did I keep asking for? Who was the first person I'd ever let get close to me, huh? Tell me!"
"W-well, you..." Sasuke's jaw worked for a moment before he shut it, collected his thoughts, and began again. "Then if I'm so important to you, why did I keep catching you with those two assholes all over you?"
"You think I wanted them there?" Naruto ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "You never even let me explain myself, Sasuke! The time that you saw Neji kiss me, I was trying to tell him that I wasn't interested, and he wouldn't get it! Gaara caught me so off guard with his little stunt that—dammit, I was confused, all right? For the record, I tried to let both of them down gently, because I..."
As Naruto's voice trailed off, Sasuke's heart began pounding. "Because you what, Naruto?"
The blonde's lips pursed, and he looked away, a tinge of red on his cheeks.
"I told them...that I already had feelings for someone. Not that it did me any good."
The pounding in Sasuke's chest grew louder, making him wonder if Naruto could hear it from where he was standing. The brunette cleared his throat quietly.
"And you were referring to...me?"
Hands clenching over his arms, Naruto remained silent. Sasuke stifled a sigh as the quiet stretched on, his eyebrows furrowing.
"How do you feel about me, Sasuke?" The simple question made Sasuke's eyebrows leap into his hairline.
"What?"
Naruto turned to glare at him. "Considering your goddamn pride, I can barely take anything you said during that bet seriously. Given that, I don't have a fucking clue how you feel about me, other than the fact that you're a possessive bastard."
Eyes narrowing, Sasuke stepped forward. "Do you really think that I would lie to you and try to wheedle my way into your pants because of Neji and Gaara?"
"How would I know? You're a very competitive man."
Sasuke opened his mouth to dispute that, but found that he had nothing to say. Well, from his point of view...it would seem impossible to tell. The Uchiha frowned contemplatively. So how can I show him that it was all real?
"...I'm not used to dealing with stuff like this, Naruto," he finally replied. "I had only just figured out that I...was attracted to you when those two started going after you. I was jealous."
When Naruto opened his mouth to reply, Sasuke lifted a hand to cut him off. "I couldn't tell where the hell you were coming from! Do you have any idea how hard it is to tell when you're joking and when you're serious? Hell, I was already insecure enough when I figured it out, and there you were flirting with practically anything that crossed your path!"
Naruto watched him for a long moment. "You know, you could have asked me. It wouldn't have killed you."
Slowly and against his will, Sasuke smirked. "You don't know that. After all...rumor has it that asking for directions when you're a male can be fatal."
Blinking in surprise, the blonde stared at him before barking out a short laugh. "True enough." Keeping a small half smile on his face, Naruto shook his head. "I flirt because that's my nature, Sasuke. But you still should have figured out by now that the only person who holds my attention...is you."
Breath catching in his throat, Sasuke felt a light blush clawing onto his cheeks. "Oh?"
"Mm." Eyelids lowering, Naruto stepped forward, encroaching on Sasuke's personal space. "So, now it's your turn. How's the view from your side of the river?"
Taking a step back, Sasuke glanced off to the side. "Well, you're the only one who can piss me off the way you do."
Naruto chuckled. "That goes double for you, but that wasn't my question and you know it."
Sasuke took a deep breath, calming himself before looking up into the blonde's intense blue eyes. "I already answered your question, Uzumaki. I don't like having to repeat myself."
"Oh? And what was your answer? Refresh my poor, dim-witted memory."
"I..." And again, Sasuke found his pride firmly lodged between his heart and his lips. As if sensing the Uchiha's difficulty, Naruto stepped even closer and lifted a hand, sliding it along Sasuke's cheek. The brunette closed his eyes briefly at the contact.
Warm breath ghosted upon the opposite cheek. "Tell me, Sasuke."
The Uchiha's lips pursed briefly as he reached up to take hold of the hand on his cheek. Opening his eyes, he stared defiantly into the taller boy's gaze.
"I said that I would die for you, Naruto," he replied quietly. "I should assume that that would tell you enough."
God, his face is so close. Sasuke swallowed as Naruto stared at him with those unfathomably blue eyes. I can't tell what he's thinking...
Slowly, a warm light entered the blonde's gaze, and a grin mirrored it. "Yeah, I guess it does, doesn't it." His grin grew wider, and Naruto's free hand rose to cradle the Uchiha's face. "And you know what, Sasuke? I'm really fucking glad to hear that."
Snorting, Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"Because it would suck to be the only one who felt that way."
Heart skipping a beat, Sasuke opened his mouth to reply to that—or attempt to, anyway—when he, once again, found his mouth occupied.
Warmth shot through him at the contact, and Sasuke's eyes fell closed as one of the blonde's hands dropped away from his face to wrap about his waist. Making a soft noise in his throat, Sasuke ran his hands up the blonde's gloriously bare chest. He paused briefly at the boy's nipples, smirking as best as he could with his tongue dueling when the other boy let out a low groan. Naruto's arm tightened around Sasuke's back, crushing the boy against him.
Lips clinging to each other, Sasuke tilted his head for better leverage. "You know," he murmured between kisses, "I think...I remember...something...about you being straight as a laser beam...Uzumaki."
The hand upon Sasuke's back began to roam, trailing streaks of fire along his heated skin. "And who...said I...wasn't?"
Sasuke gasped for air as Naruto pulled away from his mouth, tilting his head back as the taller boy attacked his neck. "If you're straight, dumbass, what the hell are you doing now?"
"Aaah, but see..." He paused to suck sharply at the base of the Uchiha's jaw. Sasuke shivered. "Not only are you my exception to the rule...but you barely need to be an exception...at all."
"Exc-cuse me?" Sasuke indignant reply was interrupted by Naruto's tongue crossing an overly sensitive spot on his neck. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're really pretty, Uchiha." Grinning, Naruto pulled away and nipped at the other boy's nose. Sasuke gave him the Uchiha equivalent of a pout. "What? Isn't that a good thing?"
"I do not look like a girl, Uzumaki," he muttered irritably. Naruto laughed.
"No, not quite. But, considering how gorgeous you are, I suppose I'll overlook that little detail."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Thank you, oh gracious one. I'm honored to be up to standards."
Chuckling, Naruto ran his hand down the boy's back. "Oh, you're not just up to standards, Sasuke." Gripping the shorter boy's bottom, he yanked Sasuke closer to him. Sasuke bit his lip to prevent a moan when their groins came in contact with each other. "You're nearly as beautiful as me."
The Uchiha let out a surprised peal of laughter. "Nearly as beautiful as you? God, and people accuse me of having a big ego!"
"Hey, it's not so bad having a head the size of Jupiter. It guarantees me a good view at the movies."
Laughing again, Sasuke slipped his arms out from where they were trapped between the two bodies and wrapped them about the taller boy's neck.
"Remind me again why I had the bad luck to fall for you?"
Tilting his head, Naruto claimed a long kiss from the Uchiha. "Because two sexy's make a right."
As he shook his head, Sasuke captured the nape of Naruto's neck and pulled him down for another kiss, rubbing himself luxuriously against the taller boy.
"Moron," he whispered huskily.
"Oh for...could you two not do that in plain sight?"
Startled, both boys pulled apart to spy a disgruntled Kiba, whose hand was haphazardly covering his face. Naruto's cheeks turned lightly red.
"I didn't expect you back so soon, Kiba."
"Apparently not," the other boy replied. Pulling his hand away, he looked at the two of them and wrinkled his nose. "I'm just glad I didn't get back any later...though, really, if you two are going to make out, you might want to at least close the goddamn door."
At that, both boys turned red. Neither had even noticed that the door was, in fact, wide open. Shaking his head, Kiba moved past the pair and headed into the bathroom.
"At least you two aren't fighting anymore," he called out. "That was so annoying."
Sasuke closed his eyes and dropped his head to Naruto's chest, banging it a few times. Of all the times for someone to show up...it had to be just when things were getting good. When he looked up again, Naruto was giving him a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, Sasuke," he murmured. "I—"
"Naruto, where the hell are my new sunglasses?"
The blonde sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Sasuke. The brunette just barely refrained from stomping his feet in frustration. Not fair. So not fair.
"I put them on your desk, dingus," Naruto replied, moving to fetch them as Kiba emerged from the bathroom. "Why'd you buy them if you're not going to wear them?"
"Because I forgot them." Rolling his eyes, Kiba snatched the pair out of Naruto's hand. "Relax, I'm heading out with Hinata in a few minutes, so you and your boyfriend can get back to eating each other's faces."
Snorting, Naruto followed the other boy to the door, where Sasuke stood, silently fuming. As Kiba made to leave, he leaned close to Sasuke's ear.
"Be glad you two made up, because if I had to endure any more of his whining, I was going to drag you here myself." Sasuke gave him a cool glare, but the dog lover appeared unaffected. Maybe I'm losing my touch...
"I'll see you later, Naruto...but if this room smells like sex when I get back, I swear I'll short sheet your bed."
"If you wanted to get into my bed, Kiba, all you had to do was—"
"NOT LISTENING!" The boy raced out the door.
Chuckling, Naruto turned back to Sasuke and aborted an attempt to run his hands through his gelled hair.
"Now that that's over with..." Settling for rubbing the nape of his neck, Naruto gave Sasuke an oddly off-center smile. "I think we should call it quits for today."
But whyyyyyy? "And how did you come to that conclusion, dobe?"
"Wouldn't want to go too fast, now would we?" Smiling cheerfully, Naruto turned the boy around and peremptorily guided him out the door.
"But—"
"All in due time, Sasuke. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shower to take and work to get done." When Sasuke made it into the hall, Naruto spun him around and placed a brief, smoldering kiss on the brunette's lips. "I'll see you later."
Sasuke had just barely had enough time to peel his eyes back open and attempt to comment when the blonde's door was closed in his face. Shutting his mouth with a click, Sasuke frowned and stalked towards his room.
What the hell was with that dismissal? he fumed. Pulling open his own door, Sasuke paused and ran a hand over his bruised lips. He sighed.
Note to self: Stupidity breeds phenomenal kissers.
The moment Sasuke left, Naruto rooted around for his cell phone and punched in a number. He waited impatiently.
"Hey, Sakura? It's Naruto. I need you to do me a little favor." He paused, his grin growing.
"I'm going to sweep my little Prince Charming off his feet."
Author's note: Sorry about the wait. Love you all! Review! (And to anyone wondering, Sasuke's house when he was a kid was more of a little condo than a full house. The katana was his grandfather's, an heirloom that managed to survive the fire.)