Title: The Rain's Melody

Author: Daitai Otonashii Ookami

Music While Writing: Dopo Il Sogno from Gunslinger Girl

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"That stuff is disgusting." Sasuke muttered, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, but it won't kill you." Naruto shrugged.

"We don't know that."

"I took some and I'm not dead."

"Yeah well, there's still a chance."

"Oh stop whining. You sound like Sakura when she has to sleep outside."

"…. I, Uchiha Sasuke, do not whine." Sasuke said, glaring at Naruto before placing the spoon in the sink and sitting down at the kitchen table. "Whining is below me."

"Well, my foot's below you too, and if you don't shut up about this medicine, it's going to kick your ass." Naruto said, amusement lacing each word, before he sat down as well.

After a minute, Naruto turned to Sasuke, who was staring at him, a slight look of shock that could easily be mistaken for confusion upon his face. Naruto looked confused…. And they sat there, Sasuke shocked and Naruto confused for a full two minutes, before Naruto couldn't take it anymore.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Naruto growled.

"I thought you were obsessed with Sakura. Why are you being all… Un-Narutoish?" Sasuke frowned at his own lack of adjectives.

"Un-Narutoish? First of all, define Naruto." The blonde said, leaning on the table and placing his chin atop a curled fist. "You, Sasuke, could not even begin to come up with an accurate description of me, you know this, right?"

"Naruto, loud, obnoxious, and an idiot. But he's only an idiot because he chooses to be seen that way." Sasuke said softly. "He's only loud because he doesn't want people to look at the real him. And he's only obnoxious to those he cares about."

Naruto laughed lightly. "You're not too far off, but you make it seem like I actually care Sasuke. You flatter yourself. Do you really think that I only annoy you because I care about you?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Your eyes, they're the same as mine. I should have just listened to you to begin with, instead of fighting it."

Naruto's laughter stopped. Completely serious, he looked up to meet Sasuke's eyes, and felt lost in them. The reflected back at him, looking lost and alone and just wanting someone to be there for him. They looked the same way that Naruto felt.

"… W-what did I say? What… what did I say to make you change your mind? What really made you come back from Orochimaru… Sasuke?"

"When you told me that… that you wondered if being around me was like how it was to be around a brother." Sasuke admitted, suddenly looking away. "I… I felt angry when you said that."

"Why?" Naruto asked, confused. Did Sasuke resent him for thinking of him as family?

"I don't want to be like a brother to you." Sasuke said, clenching his eyes shut tighter with each word he spoke.

"Are you saying… are you saying that you don't want to be associated with me?" His voice came out choked and dry. The words sounded stupid, but Naruto couldn't think of any other way to phrase his question. It sounded like Sasuke didn't want Naruto to consider him as close as a brother.

"That's not what I meant, Naruto." He sighed.

"Then just what do you mean, Hm, Sasuke? Everyday it's a different thing with you! You come over and want to hang out and spar and can smile one day, and then you turn around and avoid me like the plague and insult me and glare at me the next. What the hell do you want me to think of you as?" Naruto tried to keep his voice even, but it came out strained and tired none the less. "You act like you enjoy my company, and then you bitch when I when ever I try to hang out with you. You just can't do that to someone, it's not fair!"

"Naruto, you don't get it do you? Why do you think I came back? Do you really think I came back to Konoha for Sakura? Do you really think I came back because I cared about what the villagers thought about me? You are stupid, if you can't tell I came back for you." Sasuke said angrily. "I came back because I needed you. All I could think about was 'what the fuck was I doing,' trying to try and stay away from you. It was like asking me not to breathe."

"If it's so hard to 'stay away from me,' then why don't you just say something to me? Why do you act like you hate me so much?" Naruto asked exasperatedly.

"Because I don't want to feel like this, about you. We're best friends, damnit. I'm not supposed to care for my best friend like this! It's hard even having to look at you, I want to just grab you, and hold you, and not let you go, but I know I can't feel like that, because you're my friend, nothing else.

"Sasuke, you should've just told me. You don't know how I feel, you don't know if I don't feel that way about you as well."

"Naruto, I couldn't do that. I could tell you liked me then, and like me now, I'm not stupid. But… it just wouldn't work. It doesn't matter if we both care about each other because we're friends, and that's it. We won't ever be anything more."

"Why… why not? Am I that annoying? Am I that stupid? What's wrong with me that makes anyone else better? What's wrong with me?"

"Naruto, there's nothing wrong with you. I'm just not the right person for you, and you're not the right person for me."

"I have to be completely masochistic. I can't believe I fell for you. You're an asshole."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you warn me?" Naruto sighed.

"Warn you to what?"

"Warn me not to fall in love with you."

"I didn't think you would." Sasuke admitted. "And I wouldn't ever think that I would ever care about you as much as I do, but it doesn't matter. I already have commitments, I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry. Don't say you're sorry if you don't mean it." Naruto said, voice quivering slightly. "The rain's stopped, and you look better. I think you'd be able to head home now, it's just a few minutes walk, you should be fine."

"Naruto…" Sasuke's voice came out pained, but he didn't finish the sentence. Standing he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, who flinched, so he withdrew, face looking away.

"Do you need me to show you the door?" Naruto asked calmly.

"No. I think I'll be able to manage." Sasuke said, walking away. His footsteps sounded for around a half a minute, until Naruto heard the door click open, and then shut.

Only then did he let himself cry. He wouldn't let Sasuke know he had his tears too.

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End Chapter Four

.T.B.C.

A/N: Well, this is getting rather sad. I'm sorry I haven't updated this one in… ever -winces at the shortness as well-, but I've gotten totally wrapped up in my other story, Code Shinobi, which I should be working on the next chapter of instead of posting this… but it was just so tempting. I needed to work on another one of my fics to take my mind off of just that one for a minute. I feel like my creativeness can flow once more now… x3 if that makes any sense at all.. -shrug- I still love all my fics… but I can't possibly update them all at once… If Itried, I might.. overload or something. That would suck. Me overloading…

There's no KakaIru in this chapter…. So it made this chapter a bit short… hm.. I really couldn't think of anything else to say about those two. Maybe I'll work in another pairing next chapter. Like.. KibaxShino or something..

Thank you guys who reviewed! I feel so special, you know, since people actually cared enough to tell me they were reading this. This fic started out as something I just thought of when I was walking home one day in the rain, and now I actually think that it's turning out rather nice... I'll make the next chapter extra long and post it extra soon, just for you people who are reading this. That's right, you.

--cj