How…can I tell him? How can I let him know what I'm actually feeling? Uzumaki Naruto chanced a glance beside him.
"Naruto! Eyes on your own paper!" Iruka barked and he snapped his blue eyes forward again.
Damn! I have to tell him; I can't keep this a secret any longer!
For some time now, Naruto had been in love with his classmate. At least, he thought he was in love. That or he was pretty damn sure. He had all the signs: butterflies in the stomach every time he entered the room; shortness of breath whenever he looked into his eyes; hot flushes across his cheeks each time the other boy spoke to him. Yes, boy. Naruto was in love with a boy. But not just any ordinary boy--Naruto was in love with Uchiha Sasuke.
Which was a problem in and of itself.
The aforementioned genjin nibbled thoughtfully on the end of his pen, scribbled his last answer, and leaned back in his chair, looking pleased with his efforts. Naruto couldn't help it: he was staring again.
"Are you taking this test seriously, Naruto?" the voice came from his other side and he flinched, looking up at his teacher.
"Yes, sir," he mumbled down at his blank paper. Iruka raised an unconvinced eyebrow, but moved back down the row of desks to the front of the classroom.
"Don't let me catch you looking around again, you understand?"
He nodded and felt soft eyes on him. Blinking, he turned his head to the left and saw Sasuke staring at him with slightly amused eyes. He quickly dropped his gaze to the unmarked test paper and tapped his pencil against his nose nervously. The eyes were still on him. Taking in a deep breath and trying to push the non-test-related thoughts from his immediate concentration, Naruto started working.
This is so dumb! He mused to himself while his hand was numbly writing answers down. I've known him since we were kids! He'd understand, right? And, what if he--
No. Stop right there, another half of his brain halted that train of thought. His pencil tip jabbed loudly in the silence of the classroom and he quickly continued writing to avoid the stares. Sasuke has his pick of girls at this academy! There's no way he'd fall for a scrawny, loud-mouthed brat like you!
But… Sasuke's the only one that's seen the real me.
There were times when Naruto felt so out of place, feeling the stares of hatred and disgust on him and it drove him crazy with heartache. But Sasuke had been the first person to ever look at him, not as that kid, but as another child who was growing up alone. They had connected and become close friends even before they officially met for the first time, where the two of them swore up and down to have nothing to do with the other. But it didn't work that way. Naruto was in love with Sasuke and there was just no helping it, no matter what the other boy felt…
"Five more minutes," Iruka announced and Naruto blinked himself from his thoughts, looking down at the seven questions he had left. He hurriedly scribbled some form of answers down in the lines provided and leaned back in his chair with an audible sigh. Iruka glanced up at him, but that was all. Naruto tossed the pencil onto the table in front of him where it rolled to the left and bumped softly against Sasuke's pen, which rocked slightly but otherwise didn't move. He looked to the pen's owner, and saw that he was sitting back in his chair in a similar way to himself, one hand resting lightly on his stomach and the other--the one closer to Naruto--dangling at his side. He looked down at the hand. And kept looking. And suddenly, it came to him.
If I do this… Sasuke can't react vocally because we're in the middle of a test. And if he doesn't like it, I'll know and I'll just let go. But, if he does like it… Naruto gulped, then screwed up his courage. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, placing one hand behind his head and the other hand--the one closer to Sasuke--dropping to his side. Slowly, carefully, Naruto slipped his hand into Sasuke's and shyly entwined their fingers. Naruto felt the other boy's hand start slightly, and there was a tense moment of anticipation where he neither shook off the fingers or welcomed them. The blond could feel his face getting very, very hot. And just when he thought he should just pull away, pull away and pretend that he had been sleeping and it had only happened by accident because stupid Sasuke was always getting in the way…Sasuke's fingers tightened around his. Shocked, Naruto opened his eyes and glanced toward the window, seeing the other boy's face reflected in the smooth glass. His eyes were open and he was looking right back. Their fingers locked, their palms clasped together, and the message was delivered silently through the reflection: Me too.
The hotness in his face spread all the way down his neck and Naruto closed his eyes again, letting himself relax. He felt, sensed, Sasuke's body doing the same beside him. Their hands stayed locked. And somehow, even though their hearts were racing and their minds were spinning, the two boys fell asleep that way.
Iruka dismissed his class, watching patiently as everyone got up and filed down the length of the room to hand in their tests. He watched the pile grow on his desktop as the number of students inside the classroom decreased. When movement ceased, he took up the papers and proceeded to stack them neatly, glancing up at the empty room. Two of his students had not left. Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were both sitting back in their chairs with their eyes closed. Their tests were still in front of them, turned over to signal they were both finished. Iruka shook his head and got up, walking over to the joined desk and taking the papers, momentarily debating whether or not he should wake them up so they could go home. But they looked so peaceful…
Well, as long as I stay in the classroom with them, they won't get in trouble, Iruka took the two papers back to his desk and sat, opening a side-drawer to retrieve his red marking pen, then got to work on grading. He never noticed the two boy's gently-clasped hands hiding beneath their joint desk.