Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own Romeo and Juliet.
Author's Note: I'm back! I made myself sit at my desk and type up the like ten pages that I've been putting off, and now here it is, chapter 24! Uh, all in all, this chapter is just sorta here to get Naruto to realize his feelings and let Neji come clean about everything and some other stuff that I don't wanna say… But uh, parts of the chapter might be kinda boring…at least I think so. I really only like the ending. Oh, and the part with Hinata, when you get to it, was just…I needed someone for Naruto to talk to and I like Hinata a lot, so I gave her a bit more personality in here. Whatever, but I liked it.
And, so far I've kept with my schedule of 'how many more chapters till the end', but it might change. We have two more chapters left if everything goes right, but we'll see.
Anyway, thank you guys so much for all of your reviews! I love you all so so so much! You keep me writing!
Well, here you go, chapter twenty four! Read, review, and enjoy! Yours, SilverRose88.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Hey, Naruto, what are you doing over spring break?" Kiba asked during lunch a few days later.
"Don't know yet, why?"
"Because I'm gonna bet throwing a party, all right? It'll be awesome!" Kiba exclaimed. "Everyone's invited!"
Naruto froze. "E-Everyone?" he stammered.
"Yeah. I invited everyone. Beats me if they'll all come or not. I don't really care if like Sasuke or Neji or Gaara come, they're not much of party people anyway, but I invited them, cause, hey, I'm a nice guy." Kiba laughed, then noticing the blonde's blank stare said, "What's up, Naruto?"
"H-Huh? Nothing's wrong," Naruto replied quickly.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Liar. You're freaked that Sasuke might be there."
Naruto fought off a blush. "I am not freaked if Sasuke's there. I don't care if he comes or not."
"Come on, Naruto. We've all noticed how you've been avoiding Sasuke these past few days," Choji said.
"And we all remember you spazing out on Sakura during rehearsal on Tuesday," Kiba added.
"So?" Naruto said.
"So, what's going on? There's obviously something up between you and Sasuke!" Kiba said.
"There is nothing between me and Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, although he knew he was lying.
Ever since that day, Naruto had been ignoring Sasuke like the plague and if he had to talk to him, it would be a conversation where Naruto wouldn't even look Sasuke in the eye. He knew Sasuke was angry with him, but he couldn't help it. Realizing that for a moment he'd been jealous over Sasuke had freaked him out immensely. He knew Sasuke hated Sakura and Ino to the point of murder, but when he saw Sakura all over Sasuke, he just felt angry. It was as if he wanted to be the one all over Sasuke and admitting that to himself had been frightening. Didn't that mean he liked Sasuke? If could get jealous over him, then he must like him, right? Naruto hadn't been able to think about anything else and until he figured out an explanation, he would avoid Sasuke. Instead of rehearsing with Sasuke, he called up Neji or Gaara and worked with hem. He hadn't called Sasuke for pizza delivery for days, and he tried to be with him as little as possible at school. But by avoiding Sasuke, Naruto realized something he hadn't quite thought possible.
He missed him. He missed Sasuke.
Knowing this only contributed to more confusing for the blonde. He had no idea what to do about these new discoveries and had been lying in bed thinking almost every night. Naruto was trying to figure out why he was feeling this way. They were both guys, but apparently that wasn't much of a factor. He had gotten jealous over Sasuke and he now missed Sasuke. He couldn't deny it anymore, but did that truly mean he liked Sasuke? He couldn't' forget how Sasuke was then they were alone…or even how he himself felt strange desires of wanting to kiss the Uchiha. And then what about what Sasuke had almost told him that weekend? It sounded as if Sasuke was about to confess something…like his feelings. So did Sasuke like him too? Naruto assumed he did, the Uchiha acted interested enough, but he still hadn't said anything to confirm it. Not knowing the truth was driving him mad. He wanted all of them to just tell him because at least then he wouldn't have to speculate about what was going on. And then, he could focus more on his feelings than on whether or not Sasuke, Neji, and Gaara had feelings for him.
"Oi, Naruto! Snap out of it!"
The blonde jolted and glanced around the table, his friends watching him closely. "Huh?"
"What were you thinking of?" Kiba asked.
"Uh, nothing, nothing," Naruto said quickly.
"Riiight," Kiba said. "Anyway, you're coming to my party, right?"
"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed. "When is it?"
"Next Friday. Last day of break. Keep it open," Kiba replied.
"I'll be there," Naruto promised.
"Be where?" a voice suddenly said, startling the blonde yet again.
Naruto slowly turned and then felt like running the other way. "H-Hey-Hey Sasuke," the blonde said carefully.
"We have to talk," Sasuke said. "Come on."
"B-But I'm eating lunch," Naruto said.
Sasuke glared at him but said, "Fine. We'll talk after school. I mean it, got it, Naruto?"
The blonde nodded and Sasuke stalked off. Naruto sighed deeply, knowing he'd have no way to escaped this confrontation.
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Sasuke was waiting at the front of the school after grabbing his things from his locker. Tapping his foot impatiently and glaring at everyone passing by who wasn't Naruto, Sasuke waited for the blonde to show up. He was annoyed. Not to mention a bit hurt and slightly confused, but more annoyed. Naruto hadn't talked to him for three days and now seeing that it was spring break, Sasuke had to settle things between them.
Ever since the blonde's outburst during class on Tuesday, Sasuke had seen a little glimpse of hope for himself. It had seemed exactly as though Naruto had really gotten jealous over Sakura and Ino. Even to him it seemed a bit farfetched; Naruto knew he hated those girls, but yet, there was no denying how he'd acted because Sasuke himself had acted that way many times over Naruto as well. But even knowing the possibilities, having Naruto ignored him those past days had been frustrating and, yes, hurtful. Every time he tried to ask the blonde something, Naruto would turn away and not say a word. And if they were required to work together, like in their history class on their project, Naruto wouldn't even look him in the eye and would only mumble or nod in response.
Sasuke had tried to be patient about all of it because he especially knew what the blonde was going through, having gone through it himself. He'd done the whole 'avoidance' thing when he'd first started having feelings for Naruto and if it was possible for the blonde to be now reciprocating those feelings, then Sasuke didn't want to rush him. But he'd never been much of a patient person, so needless to say that after the second day of being ignored, Sasuke needed answers and needed things back to normal. However, it had been hard to get Naruto on his own to confront him, so he'd decided to just be upfront with the blonde. Now he was waiting for him, hoping the blonde hadn't found some back way out of the school.
"Sasuke!"
The Uchiha turned instantly at the blonde's voice and saw Naruto walking towards him. "What took you?"
"Sorry," Naruto replied, but gave no explanation. "Anyway, what did you want? I can't stay long, I've got to get to work."
Sasuke bristled. "Quit running away from me, Naruto," he snapped, unleashing pent up anger from the past few days.
Naruto looked taken-aback. "I-I'm not running…" he lied.
"Don't lie to me either," Sasuke said. "I know you well enough to understand what you're doing. We have to talk."
"I-I've got to get to work…" Naruto said quietly.
"Screw work for a moment. I'll drive you there, okay? So let's talk, now," Sasuke said.
Knowing there was no way out of it, Naruto sighed in defeat. "Where?"
Noticing other students still in the building, Sasuke grabbed the blonde's wrist and dragged him to his car.
"We'll talk in here and then I'll drive you to work," Sasuke said.
"All right," Naruto said, having no choice but to agree.
While Sasuke heated up the car, the two sat in silence; Naruto staring out the window wondering what he could say, and Sasuke, still slightly anger from before, carefully trying to calm himself.
"Okay," Sasuke prompted, turning to face the blonde. "What the hell has been going on? You've been ignoring me for days and I can't stand it anymore."
"Sasuke, I don't know what's been going on, honest…" Naruto replied.
"Something must be going on! I hate it when you ignore me and I don't want it going on any longer. Tell me what's wrong."
"I would if I knew! But I don't, okay?" Naruto looked away. "I have no idea what's going on with me anymore."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke inquired.
"N-Nothing, forget it," Naruto said quickly.
Sasuke bristled again, his anger returning. He grabbed the blonde's shoulder and turned him to face him. "Stop brushing me off, okay? I thought you said we were best friends."
"We are!" Naruto said quickly.
"Then quit hiding things!"
"I was jealous over you, okay?" Naruto exclaimed losing all of his sanity with his confession. "There. I said it."
Sasuke stared at him, stunned and elated at the same time. "You…what?"
Naruto ignored him and said fiercely, angry that he had admitted his problem so blatantly, "Since we're bearing out souls here, mind giving me a glimpse of what you're hiding? I'm not that stupid, Sasuke. You've been hiding a lot more from me than I have from you."
Not prepared for the tables turning on him, Sasuke just stared stupidly at the blonde and sputtered, "I-I-I have-haven't been hiding anything from you."
"Don't lie to me," Naruto said. "I know you well enough to understand what you're doing."
Sasuke bit his tongue, knowing Naruto had hit the nail on the head with that one. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't just reveal his secret so easily on the spot. It didn't work that way.
Naruto watched Sasuke closely and saw his uncertainty and hesitation. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, Naruto decided to change the topic. "Look, I'm sorry about avoiding you, but I just needed some time to think, okay?"
"About being jealous of--"
"Yeah." He looked away.
"But you know I hate--"
"I know. Look, can we just forget about it?" Naruto asked pleadingly.
Sasuke shook his head, leaning close to the blonde. "Sorry. I can't do that. Knowing you got jealous has really made me happy."
Naruto blushed and stared with surprise at the Uchiha.
Sasuke smirked at the blonde, backed off and said, "Are you going to Kiba's party?"
"Of course I am!" Naruto exclaimed, glad for a change of topic. "Are you?"
"I am now. If you're going, I will be too," Sasuke said. Turning to Naruto, he asked, "Want to go with me?"
Naruto turned sharply. "Wi-With you? You mean--"
"Yes, a date. If you want," Sasuke said, smiling.
Naruto glanced away, thinking about it. What would happen if he went on a date with Sasuke? Could he handle it? Especially after knowing he got jealous over him and that, despite what he told Kiba and his friends, there was definitely something going on between the two of them. Well, there was really only one way to find out, right?
"Yeah, I-I'll go with you, Sasuke," Naruto replied firmly, though feeling a bit nervous about it as well.
Sasuke smirked and replied, "I was hoping you would."
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Sasuke stood before the blonde's door, heaving a big sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was poofed enough, smoothed his pants and shirt and then slapped himself across the cheek.
"Get a grip," he mumbled. "It's okay. I'm an Uchiha, and Uchihas do not get nervous. I can do this…It's only a date with the guy I love…"
Sasuke sighed again. "Yeah. That really helps…"
Shaking his shoulders and calming himself down, Sasuke knocked on the blonde's door and waited for an answer.
"Come on in! It's unlocked!"
I should have known, Sasuke thought as he pushed open the door and walked in. One look around the room told him the blonde was in the bathroom. "Ready?" he asked.
"Just about," was the reply.
Sasuke seated himself on the chair at the table and waited patiently, albeit nervously, for his date.
Date. The word rang in his head and he wondered how the night would go. Granted, it wasn't the first date he'd pictured with the blonde, but he didn't really care. He was going on a date. The date he'd been waiting to happen for such a long time.
Just then, Naruto walked out of the bathroom and Sasuke got to his feet.
"Hey," the Uchiha said, smoothing out his outfit and hand-brushing his hair once again.
Naruto grinned at him, but Sasuke could tell he was nervous too. "Hey! Ready to go?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."
Naruto followed the Uchiha out, locking the door because Sasuke reminded him, or rather reprimanded him, before getting into the car and directing Sasuke to the Inuzuka's place.
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"Hey Naruto! Hey Sasuke!" Kiba greeted the pair at the door. "Welcome! Welcome!"
"Hey Kiba, what's up?" Naruto said.
"Nothing much. Ya can just dump your coats somewhere," he said, waving a hand around the room and almost falling over in the process.
"Is he drunk?" Sasuke whispered to Naruto as they walked inside.
"Knowing Kiba, probably," Naruto said back. He glanced around the room and grinned. "So, time to party huh?"
Sasuke groaned and also looked around the room. The house was big and accommodating of what looked to be their entire drama class. In front of the T.V. watching a football game was Shikamaru, Shino, Choji, and Kiba, who was rooting obnoxiously. In the kitchen, where the table was covered with chips and dips, nachos, candies, and an unhealthy amount of beer cans, Sakura and Ino stood chattering away about something or another. Sasuke quickly moved away form their line of vision, not in the mood to be fangirl attacked on his fist date with the blonde.
Continuing to glance around the room, Sasuke saw TenTen and Lee talking about a class they were in and Kankuro and Temari were hanging around a certain redhead. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Gaara and noticed that the redhead had seen him too. Gaara glared at him, but when he noticed Naruto at the Uchiha's side, the glare became intense. Sasuke smirked at him and looked away, only to narrow his eyes again, this time at the Hyuuga, who was talking with his cousin, Hinata.
Hinata noticed them first, smiling and waving shyly at Naruto, who grinned back. Her gesture turned Neji's gaze on them and he, too, glared spitefully at Sasuke, taking note of how close he and Naruto were standing.
Sasuke smirked at him as well and then turned to Naruto. "Want something to drink, dobe?" he asked.
"Don't call me dobe, bastard!" Naruto exclaimed. "And, yeah, a drink would be nice."
"I'll be right back," Sasuke said, glad that Sakura and Ino had left the kitchen.
"Kay," Naruto said. "I'll go look for a place to sit or something."
However, Naruto hardly moved a foot before being instantly greeted by Neji and Gaara.
"H-Hey, guys, what's up?" Naruto said excitedly.
"Not much, and you?" the two replied at once.
"I'm good. Have you been here long?" he asked.
"That's not important. You're here now and that's what matters," Neji said.
Naruto blushed slightly. He was saved having to respond because Sasuke returned with two beers. "Oh, you're back!"
"Here's your drink, Naruto," Sasuke said, handing the blonde a can.
"Thanks, Sasuke!" the blonde said with a grin.
Turning again, he saw Neji and Gaara glaring menacingly at the Uchiha and Naruto rolled his eyes with a drawn-out sigh. "I'm gonna say hi to everyone else. I'm not in the mood to be around all of your angry vibes during a party," he said. "I'll talk to you all later then."
"Naruto, how long do you want to stay?" Sasuke asked.
"Why? Want the date to end early or something?" Naruto replied teasingly.
Sasuke looked aghast while Neji and Gaara snapped their attention to the blonde. "No! No!" Sasuke exclaimed quickly. "I was just curious."
"I know, I was just kidding." Naruto grinned. "Um, doesn't bother me. If the party gets too boring then--"
"We're out of here. Okay," Sasuke said.
Naruto nodded. "All right. Talk to you later, then." He waved and joined the other males by the television, practically getting tackled by a very drunk Kiba.
Sasuke, a bit annoyed that his date had ditched him, turned to go back to the kitchen when two pairs of hands on his shoulders made him stop. Glancing over his shoulder he said, "What?"
"We've got to talk, Uchiha," Neji replied.
"Now," Gaara added.
"I have nothing to say to you two," Sasuke said.
"Good. Then you can just listen," Gaara said and before Sasuke could help it, the two had practically dragged him into a vacant room.
"What the hell are you doing? Since when have the two of you teamed up?" Sasuke asked.
Neji and Gaara shot each other dirty looks then glared at Sasuke.
"We are not teaming up," Neji spat.
Sasuke crossed his arms. "Sure looks to me like you are."
"Shut up, Uchiha," Gaara said. "Just because we have one thing in common--"
"Which you're both losing, by the way," Sasuke interjected with a smirk.
"--doesn't mean we're a team," the redhead finished. "We both happen to be concerned about the same thing."
"And that is, are you really here, on a date, with Naruto?" Neji demanded
Sasuke smirked with all the superiority within him and replied, "Yes."
The anger emanating from both Neji and Gaara was enough to last Sasuke a lifetime. His smirk only grew and when the two said nothing for a while, Sasuke got to his feet and headed for the door.
"If that's all, then I guess I'll be on my way. Don't want to leave my date alone for too long."
"Hold it, Uchiha," Neji said, and Sasuke turned to look back at his two rivals.
"You being on a date doesn't mean a thing," Neji began. "The fact that we're here only guarantees--"
"—that your precious first date with Naruto is going to be hell," Gaara finished.
This thought, having never occurred to the Uchiha, actually frightened him a little, but he quickly covered it up with a glare. "Try what you want, but in the end, it'll still be me who's on the date. And that is whatNaruto's going to remember." Sasuke smirked slightly. "So, you can do what you want, but you're little games don't mean anything to me. I'm the one here with Naruto, and I'm going to make sure he remembers that. No matter what either of you do, I am no giving him up. He deserves better than the likes of you two."
Neji glared at him, but Sasuke noticed the spark of undiluted anger in the redhead's eyes.
Gaara stepped up to the Uchiha and said, sounding the fiercest Sasuke'd ever heard him, "And are you proposing that you deserve Naruto?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to reply when Gaara let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh.
"Hah, now that is a good one, Uchiha," Gaara said. "Tell me, how long have you even known Naruto? And how long have you loved him?"
Sasuke knew the answers to those questions like the back of his hands; six months and four months respectively, but he knew better than to say if out loud. He'd never seen Gaara look so angry before, and decided it best not to provoke the redhead further.
But Sasuke not replying seemed to do the same thing anyway.
Gaara glared at him and said, "Well, how long huh? Not very long, is it? You hardly know him at all and yet you claim to love him! I have known him the longest. I know all about him. But now, whenever I see Naruto, I see you!"
Gaara clenched his fists at his side, trying to keep his anger in control, but he knew he close to losing it. His anger had been unleashed; all of his frustration, hatred, and jealously now floating around him, engulfing him in an anger so strong he was shaking.
Taking another step towards Sasuke, Gaara continued. "Listen and understand, Uchiha, I am never giving up on Naruto. I love him far more than you ever could and I'll make him see that. I'm not letting you have him."
Gaara then looked the Uchiha over; his eyes narrowed in that new frightening glare, before he opened the door and rejoined the party, leaving a stunned Sasuke and Neji in his wake.
The Hyuuga and Uchiha glanced at one another, both sharing the same thought: it would be best to never get Gaara angry again, because there was no denying that what had just happened was not pretty. To Gaara this was real and it was obvious that he would not give up no matter what.
As Sasuke walked out of the room with Neji following him, he silently vowed to himself the same thing Gaara had just told him. There was no way he'd let anyone come in between him and Naruto; he wouldn't let anyone get in the way. Despite what Gaara said about not knowing Naruto long enough, he still knew his feelings and he knew he loved the blonde. He knew he could and never would give the blonde away.
Spotting the blonde instantly in the crowd back in the living room, Sasuke made his way over quickly, noticing that he was sitting with the redhead beside him, who was a bit too close for comfort. Sasuke quickly snagged the other seat beside the blonde before Neji had a chance.
"Oh, there you are, Sasuke! What were you doing?" Naruto asked, turning to him.
"Oh, nothing that important," the Uchiha replied causing Gaara and Neji, who was sitting on the floor, to glare at him.
"Okay then," Naruto said, knowing he was lying but deciding not to press him.
Just then a roar of music blasted through the loud speakers and Kiba stood up with a microphone.
"Kay! Everybody, we're going to have some karaoke!" the Inuzuka exclaimed, his voice coming out a bit slurred. Turning around, he said, "All right, first up we have--Naruto! Come on up!"
The blonde grinned and caught the mike as Kiba tossed it to him. He looked around the room, grinning all the wider at the looks of bewilderment on Sasuke's, Neji's, and Gaara's faces. "Crank it up!" Naruto exclaimed and Kiba obliged, turning the dial on the stereo. Music to the song Sugar, We're Goin Down began playing.
"Whoo! Go Naruto!" Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji all cheered.
The blonde grinned yet again and began singing. "Am I more than you bargained for yet? I've been dying to tell you everything you want to hear, cuz that's just who I am this week…"
Sasuke stared at the blonde while shaking his head. "Moron," he muttered, although there was a slight smile on his lips.
Beside him Neji and Gaara nodded in mutual agreement, smiles on their lips as well.
When the blonde finished, he slumped back down between Sasuke and Gaara to a multitude of applause.
"That was fun," Naruto said, still all smiles.
"I can't believe you did that," Sasuke said.
"What, it was fun!" Naruto defended. "Come on, you should try, Sasuke!"
"N-No. I pass."
"Come on, it's fun!"
"No, Naruto."
"Aw, Sasuke…" Naruto cooed.
"I'll go, Naruto," Neji said, getting to his feet.
Naruto turned, stared with surprise at the Hyuuga and then slowly grinned. "Yeah! Go Neji!" he exclaimed. "You're a great singer, so now you've gotta dance too, okay? Let's see you shake it!"
Neji stared at him. "Uh, no shaking anything, all right?"
Naruto shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Just go sing!"
The Hyuuga talked to Kiba and the Inuzuka nodded, switching to a different CD. He handed Neji the mike and then pressed play.
Neji turned and stared directly at the blonde, who was grinning from ear to ear and began to sing.
"Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta get down because I want it all…"
Naruto's eyes widened in reminder of that night; he wondered if the Hyuuga was trying to get a message across by specifically choosing that song. But, he put that thought away and whooped, becoming the Hyuuga's number one fan in the room. Sasuke and Gaara sat glaring angrily at the singing Neji who was only watching Naruto. By then end of the song, Naruto was singing along with the Hyuuga and was by far the loudest cheering when the music ended.
"That was great, Neji!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Thanks Naruto. You were right, it was fun," Neji said.
"It surprised me that you even went up there," Naruto said. "You freaked when I had you sing at the dance."
"That was because you were being random and drawing attention to yourself. Here, we're actually playing karaoke. It's different," Neji said. "And, anyway, I really just wanted to sing for you, Naruto."
The blonde stared at Neji, a blush coming to claim his cheeks. So he did chose that song purposely, Naruto thought. But I told Neji I wasn't interested in going out again…Guess this is his way of saying he isn't giving up. Great.
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Sasuke had put an arm over his shoulders, resting his chin on his left shoulder. He gave Neji a glare that clearly said, 'stay away from him. He's my date tonight.'
Neji and Gaara both responded with a glare ten times Sasuke's and Naruto turned to the Uchiha, a blush fully on his face.
"S-Sasuke?" Naruto stammered.
The Uchiha turned to face him ad smiled. "Yeah?" he said, acting completely unaware of the blonde's surprise and uncertainty.
Naruto shook his head. "Nevermind," he said.
All three of his suitors noticed immediately how Naruto had failed to ask Sasuke to remove his arm. This credited to the smug look on Sasuke's face and the glares on Neji's and Gaara's.
Naruto glanced away, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but surprisingly it wasn't about the arm around his shoulders. He was uncomfortable about the feelings the arm on his shoulders caused. For some reason he liked having Sasuke put his arm around him. To him, it felt right, ad that was freaking him out. How could he like having Sasuke's arm around him? It was Sasuke for crying out loud! But he just couldn't deny it, there was something that felt nice about having Sasuke's arm around him. He felt, dare he say it, complete.
The blonde shook his head, deciding it would only ruin the party to be thinking about his messed up life. He turned his head and almost leapt back in horror, looking up into Kiba's peering face, which was way too close for comfort.
"W-What is it Kiba?" he asked when the Inuzuka moved away to give him some breathing room.
"Come here, you've got to help use make a slide with whipped cream!"
Kiba dragged the blonde away, leading him to the kitchen. He dropped his voice a little, and said, nudging Naruto in the ribs, "And you said there's nothing going on between you and Sasuke."
Naruto turned red. "There isn't!"
Kiba raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Then why was his arm around you?"
Naruto turned even redder. "I-I don't' know! Nothing is going on, all right?"
"Come on, Naruto. We've been friends for a long time, you can tell me anything," Kiba said.
"If I knew anything, I'd tell you," Naruto replied exasperatedly.
"Well, if I say so myself, you and Sasuke look pretty good together. Weird, yes, but good," Kiba winked, a grin on his face, causing Naruto to turn scarlet.
"D-Don't say things like that!" he exclaimed.
"Hey, I think you agree with me. …You didn't remove Sasuke's arm, did you?" Kiba pointed out and Naruto looked away.
The Inuzuka, knowing he'd made his friend uncomfortable, slapped the blonde on the back and said, "Ah, forget all that for now and let's make a slide!"
"Are you just trying to get the girls out of their clothes?" Naruto said, and Kiba blushed. "Or," Naruto continued slyly, "are you trying to get just Hinata-chan?"
"Sh-Shut up!" Kiba yelled, fully crimson now.
Naruto grinned. "All right, buddy, let's get the slip and slide set up." He paused and looked at Kiba questioningly. "Would your parents flip if they see this?"
"They won't be home for another two days. It's all good," Kiba said.
"Okay then, let's get this going!" Naruto said.
Kiba cheered and yelled loudly for everyone to hear, "We're going to have a slip and slide soon! Who's interested?"
About everyone in the room (everyone drunk that is) yelled consent. Naruto noticed Sasuke, Neji, and Gaara looking disgusted and horrified. Grinning mischievously as an idea struck him, Naruto decided that it would be rather fun and amusing to tease the three a bit. But first the slide needed to be made.
Turning to Kiba, he said, "Are we ready to start? You do have enough, right?"
"Oh, yeah. I planned this last night."
"Seriously? This isn't a drunken idea of yours?"
"Nope. All thought of up here." Kiba tapped his skull.
Naruto shook his head. "Let's just get it set up."
It took about ten minutes to get the whipped cream, and upon Kiba's request, chocolate syrup, all over the tiled hallway.
"All right, everyone, the slide's ready!" Kiba shouted. He then cranked up the music, the song Rumors blaring from the speakers.
The group cheered; Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara all continued looking disgusted.
"Who's up first?" Kiba asked.
"I am!" Naruto exclaimed.
Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji hooted; Sasuke, Neji and Gaara started with surprise at the grinning blonde. Naruto turned to look directly at them three of them, his grin turning sly once again.
"Come on, Naruto, get going," Kiba said.
Naruto turned and then pulled his shirt off over his head, glancing over his shoulder slightly at the three whose mouths were now all sagging open. He smirked and winked at them, causing all three to blush, before he cheered excitedly and slid down the hall. The rest all rooted and clapped and when Naruto got to his feet, he grinned and bowed.
Still all smiles, Naruto joined Sasuke and Neji, and Gaara as Kiba went down the slide next.
"Hey guys. Enjoying the party?" Naruto asked, noticing instantly that not one of them was listening to him; they were too busy staring at his whipped cream and syrup covered body. Deciding to tease them even more, because seeing those looks on their faces were absolutely priceless, Naruto raised his arms over his head in a stretch, accentuating muscles in his body nicely. All three jaws dropped simultaneously and the blonde smirked.
"Scoot over guys, I need a place to sit," he said, and again no one heard him.
"Fine, I'll just have to lie on top of all of you then."
The change in expression almost made Naruto laugh out loud. They looked as though they were thoroughly considering that option.
Naruto turned to Kiba and said, "Hey, toss me my shirt, will ya?"
The Inuzuka conceded to the request and Naruto moved Sasuke and Neji apart, placed his shirt on the couch, and sat down, careful not to get any dessert toppings on the sofa.
Grinning yet again, Naruto asked, "So, what's up? You guys are awfully quiet."
It seemed as though they'd finally heard him. Sasuke recovered first and turned to face the blonde.
"Is that grin permanently attached to your face now?" he asked. "It hasn't left once all evening."
"What, you don't like it?" Naruto said, his smile dropping.
Sasuke looked aghast. "No! No! It's fine, really. Just thinking out loud."
"Oh, okay…"
"Don't get me wrong, Naruto. I love your smile," Sasuke said softly.
Naruto blushed. "T-Thanks, Sasuke," he said. Regaining his composure, he added, "And I like your smile. If only you'd show it more often!"
"I only show my smile to you, Naruto," Sasuke replied.
Again the blonde blushed. Sasuke smirked and Neji and Gaara glared at him.
"So, how fun is the slide?" Gaara asked quickly, getting to his feet.
Naruto stared at him. "You're going to try it?" he asked, jumping to his feet as well.
The redhead shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not? It seems like fun," he replied.
Naruto cheered. "Yeah, it's really fun! Go Gaara!"
The redhead nodded and also removed his shirt. Glancing over at the blonde, who was grinning but watching him closely, Gaara smirked slightly and joined the line. Naruto got in behind him.
"Going again?"
"You know it! This is too fun to not go again," Naruto said. "I just can't believe you're going."
"If you enjoy it, then I know I will too," he replied staring directly at the blonde.
Naruto blushed and glanced away, grateful for the fact that Gaara's turn was up. As the redhead went down, Naruto sighed deeply and wondered about what Gaara had meant. It was really to him now. He just knew that all three of them really did like him and were really trying to gain his affection. Naruto still wasn't entirely sure how he felt, but he knew that in some way he was becoming attracted to all three of them. But it seemed it was Sasuke that he was most attracted to. Why else would he have gotten so jealous over him, right?
Naruto walked sure what he should do. All he really anted was for them to tell him the truth. He just wanted them to come clean about their feelings because then he would really know what they felt and the intensity of their feelings. It would help him understand what was going on with his own feelings as well.
"Hey, Naruto!"
The blonde blinked and looked into Gaara's face. "Oh, you're done! How was it?"
"It was pretty fun; you were right," the redhead replied as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.
Naruto laughed. "Course I'm right!" he said. "And, man, you look funny, Gaara. There's whipped cream all over your face. Here, let me help you wash it off."
"I'll let you if you let me help wash you off," Gaara replied, staring directly at Naruto with a fierce intensity and desire.
Naruto swallowed and tried thinking of something to say, but what could anyone say to that? Luckily he was spared having to respond because a drunken Shikamaru latched himself onto the blonde's back, almost knocking Naruto over into Gaara. But the blond caught himself before that, grateful at himself, because it would have been a very embarrassing situation, given what the redhead had just said before. The blonde pulled Shikamaru off of him and realized instantly that the lazy-ass genius was asleep.
Shaking his head, he called, "Hey, Ino! Take your boyfriend away before he drools all over me!"
Ino, who was talking with Sakura, blushed and said, "He's not my boyfriend, Naruto!"
"Might as well be! The two of you act like you're married already!" Naruto yelled back, only causing Ino to blush even deeper. He laughed and said, "Come on and take him, okay?"
With her help, they got Shikamaru down on one of the couches and Naruto left his friend in her care, since he knew Shikamaru would want it that way. Smirking slightly, he walked to the kitchen for a beer when something cold landed on his shoulder and he jumped.
"Thirsty?" Sasuke asked, holding up a beer can.
"Oh, yeah, thanks," he replied.
"No problem. Having fun?"
"Yeah, this is way awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, but then glanced at Sasuke and his grin faded. "You're bored."
The Uchiha shook his head quickly and lied, "No, not really."
"Yes, you are! You're bored! I'm your date and I've been ditching you and now you're bored! I'm sorry Sasuke! W-We should go. We can leave. Come on, let's--mmph!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock as Sasuke pressed his lips against his own. But before he could really enjoy the kiss, Sasuke pulled away and said, "You talk too much."
Naruto just stared at him; torn between surprise and embarrassment and wanting to just grab the Uchiha and kiss him again. Sasuke smirked, noticing the look of desire in the blonde's azure eyes.
"Listen, dobe, if you're having fun, then I don't want to go. As long as you're having fun, then I am having fun too, all right?"
"We can stay then?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, we can stay." He paused and added, "On one condition.":
"W-What's that?" the blonde asked carefully.
"Don't ditch me again, got it?" Sasuke said and Naruto slowly grinned.
"Sure. I can do that," he replied.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Don't you worry about a thing, baby. Cuz you know you got me by a string, baby. Don't you worry about a thing, baby. Cuz you know you got me by a string, baby," Naruto was found singing a few hours later; around midnight. As the song ended, Naruto bowed to a rather drunken applause and tossed the mike to Sakura who jumped up to sing We Belong Together.
The blonde walked over to the couch and sat down beside Neji as Sasuke got up.
"Where are you going?" he asked the Uchiha.
"Bathroom. I'll be right back."
Naruto nodded and leaned back against the couch, stretching as he looked around the rest of the room. Gaara had actually fallen asleep about an hour ago after playing a game of poker with Kankuro and Temari. Shikamaru, who had woken up from his nap awhile ago, was watching Ino dance as Sakura continued singing; Kiba was talking animatedly with Hinata; and Lee and TenTen were playing a game of cards in the corner. Neji was sitting beside him, and had been rather quiet for the last hour or so.
Deciding he needed to know what was up with his friend, he turned and said, "Hey, Neji! What's up?"
"Hm, oh, Naruto," the Hyuuga said.
"Are you sleepy? Is that why you've been so quiet? I'm sorry!" Naruto said.
"No, it's fine," Neji replied. Glancing around, he asked, "Where's Uchiha?"
"Bathroom."
"Good."
"Why?"
Neji turned to look straight at him and said, "I wanted to talk to you alone."
"Yeah? What about?" Naruto asked, his subconscious feeling a bit apprehensive.
"This is a date, right? With you and Uchiha? The Two of you came together?" Neji asked.
Naruto swallowed. "Uh, yeah. Sasuke asked me and I said yes. …What's the deal?"
"You deny a second date with me and go out with Sasuke?" Neji asked.
"Look, Neji, I don't mean to be rude, but I though I made it clear that I don't--"
"You don't like me, right?" Neji finished. "You're set on Uchiha."
Naruto blinked and looked away. "Honestly, I don't know."
Neji leaned close to the blonde and said, "If you're still uncertain, then I still have a chance."
"Neji…" Naruto said, feeling his heart begin to pound loudly.
The Hyuuga only leaned closer and said, "Naruto, I have to tell you this; I've been aching to tell you for such a long time, but I've never known how or when…"
Red flags were going up in the blonde's head. "W-Wait, Neji…"
"Naruto, I think you already know that I like you, but you need to know that that isn't all," Neji said. "Naruto, I-I love you."
Naruto felt a bit numb as he tried taking in Neji's confession. This was what he'd been waiting for, right? He had wanted them to come clean, didn't he? Then why did it surprise him so much? He knew that the three of them had some sort of feelings for him, it was too obvious to ignore now and he'd wanted them to confess. But he had never considered there feelings to be so intense as love. He hadn't expected that at all.
Naruto stared at Neji, who was watching him closely, his pale gaze trained solely on the blonde as if singling him out and not even hearing Kiba's horrid rendition of the song We Be Burin'. Naruto felt his cheeks grow warm from the passionate gaze on the Hyuuga's face, and felt a bit nervous. He moved back on the couch, but Neji only leaned forward.
"Neji, please, hold on--" Naruto said, not sure what he should do. He was having a hard time coming to terms with Neji's love confession and wasn't sure he could handle anything else.
"No, Naruto, I can't. I need you to know that I truly care for you and I am not letting you go," Neji said, no leaning over the blonde who had no way to escape.
Naruto shut his eyes, wishing for this to stop, but upon reopening his eyes, he was still in the same predicament. This wasn't what he'd wanted. Sure, he'd wanted to know the truth; sure, he'd been curious about the intensity for their feelings for him, but he didn't want anything like this to happen. At least, he realized, not from Neji.
But apparently, the Hyuuga didn't feel the same way. Pinning Naruto down with his hands around the blonde's wrists, and staring deeply into Naruto's almost-frightened cobalt eyes, Neji said softly, "Naruto, I am never giving you up, understand? I love you and that's not going to change."
And, to prove it, Neji then pressed his lips against eh blonde's and kiss him passionately and urgently. Naruto struggled against he Hyuuga and when Neji pulled back, Naruto gasped for breath and pushed Neji away. Scrambling away, Naruto stared at Neji, trying to calm his nerves. The Hyuuga leaned against the back of the couch, his head turned and staring closely at the blonde.
"N-Neji, what-what was that?" Naruto asked.
Neji chuckled lightly, the last thing Naruto expected, and said, "I think it was pretty obvious, Naruto."
The blonde blushed. "I-I know that, b-but--"
Neji leaned a bit closer and said, "Like I just said, Naruto, my feelings are not going to change."
Before Naruto could say anything else, Neji's eyes fell shut and the Hyuuga fell on top of Naruto in a dead sleep. Naruto fell back against the couch with Neji above him and preventing him from moving.
"Aw, damn it. He attacks me when he's asleep too," Naruto mumbled, trying to wake the Hyuuga up, but failing miserably. "Geez, maybe he had too much to drink. But, he hardly had two cans…" Naruto shook his head and said, "Come on, Neji, wake up. If this is some weird way to get me to like, then--"
"Naruto?"
The blonde froze and turned to find a confused yet livid looking Sasuke staring directly at him. "Uh-Uh, S-Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. Oh, no, why does he have to see Neji lying on top of me? Crap!
"Naruto, what's going on?" Sasuke asked.
"Here? Uh, nothing! Not a thing!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sasuke, however, didn't seem convinced. He glared at Neji's sleeping body, turned on his heel, and walked off.
"Ah, S-Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. He pushed Neji off him and jumped to his feet, running after Sasuke who was looking for his jacket in the closet. "Hey, Sasuke! That wasn't what it looked like!"
"And, what exactly did it look like, Naruto?" Sasuke snapped.
"Like-Like, you know what it looked like!" Naruto said. "The point is, nothing happened."
"Yeah, right," Sasuke said sarcastically. "You're supposed to be here on a date with me, and I see you lying on the couch with Neji! If you're so interested in him, then go back. I'm leaving."
"N-No, wait," Naruto exclaimed, and grabbed Sasuke's hand. "Don't leave," he begged.
Sasuke blinked, surprised by the sound of his voice and the pleading look in his eyes, and said, "Nothing happened?"
"Nothing," Naruto lied. He couldn't tell Sasuke about the kiss or Neji's confession. If anything, it was something he wanted to take with him to the grave.
Sasuke stared at him and stated, "You're lying."
"No, no, I'm not," Naruto lied yet again.
"Stop lying!" Sasuke exclaimed, and stepped forward, backing Naruto into the wall. He leaned close, placing his hands on either side of the blonde's head. "What did he do? Did he kiss you?" Sasuke demanded.
Naruto bite his tongue and hated himself for not being able to lie under pressure. He glanced away, but Sasuke caught his gaze again.
"Y-Yeah, he-he did," Naruto replied quietly.
Sasuke bristled. "He did?"
Naruto nodded and looked away.
"Well," Sasuke said. "If you want so badly to be with Neji, then I guess I'll be going."
Sasuke turned to leave, but Naruto grabbed his hand and roughly pushed Sasuke against the wall. The Uchiha stared in surprise at the blonde and opened his mouth to speak, but Naruto cut him off.
"Sasuke, I told you before that I didn't want you to go, so stop running away!" Naruto exclaimed feeling a bit annoyed.
"You kissed Neji on our date!" Sasuke retorted.
"He kissed me!" Naruto said. "And there's not much I can do when I'm backed against the couch!"
Sasuke looked him over, deicing if he was being truthful.
"Look, Sasuke," Naruto said. "I came here with you. Not anyone else, all right? And even though it's been weird coming to terms that I'm on a date with a guy, I am on a date and I'm not the kind of guy who goes behind my date's back. The fact that you think I'd do that really hurts, Sasuke."
The Uchiha felt instantly guilty and began, "Naruto--"
But the blonde cut him off again, "And, I'm sorry about kissing Neji, but I couldn't stop him, okay? I didn't' want to kiss him."
Sasuke blinked and asked, "You didn't?"
"Nope," Naruto replied.
Sasuke felt relief sweep over him. He then stepped closer to the blonde and said softly, "Well, if you don't want a kiss him Neji, do you know who you do want one from?"
Naruto swallowed and stepped away. "Uh, Sasuke?"
"Yeah, Naruto?"
"W-What are you going?"
The Uchiha smirked and stepped closer still. "Getting something I've wanted all night. Your payback for kissing anyone but me…"
And before Naruto could protest, Sasuke pushed him back against the wall and pressed his lips against the blondes'. Naruto moaned slightly against Sasuke's probing lips, while trying to string together coherent thoughts of what was going on. But desire slowly took over ad all he could think of was just wanted to devour Sasuke in a nice, long, kiss…
And so, he let Sasuke take control, opening his mouth just a little to allow the Uchiha entrance. Sasuke immediately took the offer, his tongue sliding in smoothly and quickly intertwining with the blonde's own. Naruto arched his neck back, his hands grasping onto the back of Sasuke's' shirt.
After what seemed like an eternity, but must have been only a few minutes, Sasuke pulled away first. Naruto, breathing heavily, glanced up at the Uchiha who licked his lips and gave a small smirk. Naruto felt unusually exhilarated, and his body craved to kiss Sasuke again, to feel the Uchiha's body against his, but with a great amount of effort, he restrained himself from jumping on Sasuke. The Uchiha watched Naruto slowly, interested in the mix of emotions in the blondes' azure eyes. He himself was trying desperately not to kiss the blonde all over again. But as he continued staring at the blonde, he suddenly began to feel a bit drowsy. Argh, all that beer is getting to me… he thought as he pitched forward in a faint.
Naruto gasped and grabbed Sasuke before he hit the ground. Heaving him up, the blonde sighed. "Geez," he muttered. "What's up with everyone falling asleep on me?"
The blonde looked around the room and decided there wasn't anywhere for Sasuke to sleep. Neji had taken one couch and the other was claimed by Choji. Ino and Sakura were lying on the ground by the kitchen, Kiba had fallen asleep on the table, Gaara was on the floor by the couch and the rest were scattered around the room in odd positions.
"Okay, come on, Sasuke." Naruto picked Sasuke up over his should and walked down the hall to a bedroom.
He placed Sasuke on the bed and then sat down beside him. The Uchiha continued sleeping and Naruto couldn't help the smile grow on his face. Unconsciously, he reached over and swiped the Uchiha's hair out of his face, letting his fingers linger on his cheek.
I-I'm not really sure what's going on with me, but-but I don't really mind anymore. If-If all of this means I like Sasuke, then-then I think it's okay…
Naruto smiled again, as he leaned over and kissed Sasuke on the lips. As he pulled away, Sasuke smiled and mumbled, "Naruto…"
The blonde froze and then smiled, lying down next to him. He shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's body, instantly feeling the warmth from the Uchiha spread over his skin. He sighed and let sleep consume him, his thoughts glued on the boy sleeping beside him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A loud crash jolted the blonde awake and he jumped up, realizing he wasn't at home and that there was somebody sleeping beside him. Looking down and seeing Sasuke's face reminded him of the night before; the date, the party, the kiss…
Naruto unconsciously touched his lips and blushed slightly, but then got to his feet, wondering what that crash had been. Walking out into the hall, he realized the noise came from the kitchen, where he found Hinata looking around for something.
"Hinata-chan, what are you doing?" Naruto asked. He glanced at the clock on the wall and received a shock; it had only been about four hours since he and Sasuke had fallen asleep.
Hinata jumped in surprise and said, "Oh, Naruto-kun!"
"What are you doing?" he repeated.
"I was looking for a glass for some water and accidentally broke it," she replied, glancing down at the floor where pieces of broken glass lay by her feet.
"Ah, careful, Hinata-chan. We don't you to get cut. I'll get the broom," Naruto said, walking to the closet and returning with a broom and dustbin. He cleaned up the mess and dumped them into the trashcan. "Did you get hurt?" he asked Hinata.
She shook he head. "Did I wake you, Naruto-kun?"
"It's no big deal. I'm glad you did, actually," he replied, glancing around the living room and finding that everyone else was still asleep.
Naruto sighed and walked back into the other room and glanced down at the sleeping Sasuke. He furrowed his brows, realizing that the Uchiha looked a bit flushed. Reaching out his hand, he touched Sasuke's forehead and almost leapt back at the heat.
"Oh, damn, he's got a fever…Maybe it's just a hangover? But he didn't even drink that much!"
Naruto sighed again. "I'd better get him home. Being here might just make it worse."
He walked back into the living room and found Hinata sitting on the couch by her cousin. "Is Neji okay?" he asked her.
"He's fine," she replied.
"Uh, Hinata-chan, could you do me a favor? I have to take Sasuke home cause he's sick…Can you tell Neji that I really have to talk to him later?"
She nodded. "Sure, but what about?"
"He'll understand. Just make sure you tell him." He paused. "And don't let him drive him all drunken-like either."
Hinata gave him an assessing look and said, "You care about him, right? Just…not in that way."
"You knew?" Naruto exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"I guessed," she said. "Neji-nii-san and I are not that close, but when we do talk, he mentions you a lot."
Naruto looked away, embarrassed and guilty.
Hinata smiled at him. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. And, don't worry, I'll tell him what you said and I'll make sure he gets home safely, too."
"Thanks, Hinata-chan. Tell Kiba where I went or he'll kill me later. I've gotta go before Sasuke really gets sick."
Naruto grinned at her and gave the two-fingered salute, before grabbing his and Sasuke's jackets and returning to the room to retrieve Sasuke as well. Piggy-backing the Uchiha, Naruto left the house and looked for Sasuke's car. After a couple of minutes spent searching for the keys, and yet another few minutes of getting Sasuke safely inside, and then another couple of minutes figuring out how the hell the expensive car started, Naruto finally left Kiba's house and headed for the Uchiha mansion.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Naruto, what a surprise!" Itachi exclaimed, opening the door. "What brings you here at four in the morning?"
"Sasuke got sick at the party. I'm just bringing him home," Naruto replied. "Sorry for waking you."
"Oh, no, I was up doing some work. It's no problem. I can take him from here," Itachi said.
Naruto hesitated. "Uh, ca-can I stay for awhile…If-If that's okay?"
Itachi looked at him and then slowly grinned. "Of course you can, Naruto. Come on in."
The blonde followed Itachi inside, and then took the stairs up to Sasuke room as Itachi went back to his work. Naruto carefully set Sasuke on his bed and then went into the adjacent bathroom searching for a towel. He socked a small towel in cold water and proceeded to place it upon the Uchiha's forehead. After all this, Naruto sat down on the bed beside him and watched silently as the Uchiha slept, praying that he wasn't seriously sick.
Naruto sighed and wondered aloud, "What the hell am I doing here? I mean, why is this affecting me so much? He's probably just hung-over, so why am I so worried about him?"
He glanced down at the boy beside him and slowly smiled, the thoughts he'd had during the party returning to him… If-If all of this means I like Sasuke, then-then… I think it's okay.
Naruto stared at Sasuke, a sense of surprise and something akin to fear rising within him. He hadn't quite thought it possible. He had never believed it would happen. But somewhere between the bickering and name-calling, somewhere between the fights and avoidances, somewhere between the cooking lessons and defrosting techniques, somewhere between the studying and rehearsing, somewhere between the kisses and misses, it had happened. Somewhere between the day they'd met months ago until this day, this moment, Uzumaki Naruto had fallen in love with Uchiha Sasuke.