A/N: Hey again! Sorry i took so long. It was a combination of too many strenuous vacations, one right after another, and my procrastinating laziness. (The excitment for writing of a newbie wears off quickly) Anywho, I really like this chap and I hope you like it too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chap.3
'Naruto….'
'….Naruto..'
'…Naruto.'
"IDOIT! WAKE UP!"
Naruto woke with a start, finding that he was clinging to the chest of a very annoyed brunet prince. Releasing his grip, the blonde fell back, finally remembering where he was: Prince Uchiha's campsite.
"Dobe. God, I called your name so loud, I thought for sure you were dead." The Uchiha flashed a devilish smirk.
"I…hey, don't call me dobe, you bastard!"
Gaara smirked secretly as he busied himself with starting breakfast. When he had woken up, Sasuke and Naruto were cuddled together, asleep. It was then all the more funny to see his master's expression when he woke to find the blonde in his arms.
'I'm going to have to tell everyone back home about this.'
Wobbling sleepily to his feet, Naruto headed over to his horse, Kyuubi, and began to feed it.
"Hey, Princess, are you going to finally admit that you need help or am I just going to have to follow you all the way to the West Kingdom?" Sasuke grinned in satisfaction as he saw the blonde stop what he was doing. 'Damn, teasing this boy is REALLY fun.'
"That's it. I don't get you at all," Naruto turned around to face his mocker, "What's your deal! You say you're here to bring me back home and then you do nothing but poke fun at me."
"But it's just so fun." Sasuke put on a mock innocent look.
The blonde merely scoffed at the statement.
"Fine. I'll come with you guys, but rest assured, I'm not doing it because I need your help. It's 'cause I know you'll never leave me alone if I don't."
"Fine, I can deal with that."
With that, the three travelers packed up their camp and headed off once again toward the West.
----
-grrrooooowwwwllll-
"Ah…please tell me that wasn't your stomach….AGAIN!" The raven prince stared annoyedly at the hungry blonde.
"But…." The blonde whined.
"No, we've already stopped TWICE to feed your black-hole of a stomach! Why don't you just eat yourself and do us all a favor?"
Sasuke was beginning to question his choice in company. 'Why do I have to be so impulsive sometimes?'
"Puh-Leaseeeeeeeeee. I'm soooo hungry. Sasukkkeeeee, come ooonnnn!"
"Master Sasuke, please make his whining cease. Anymore, and I'll probably kill him myself." A vein was pounding on Gaara's forehead.
"Why me?" Gaara stared blankly at the Uchiha with a 'you-know-why' combined with a 'like-hell-I'm-gonna-do-it' look.
"Fine. We'll stop here for the night. You happy know!" Sasuke glared dangerously at both his servant and the other prince. 'Trader.'
Naruto dismounted happily, hopping up and down, waiting for some food; meanwhile, Sasuke and Gaara scrounged up a fire pit and prepared the rest of the camp site. Before long, the rich aroma of stewing beef filled the air. Naruto eagerly held out his owl like a little child, a smile plastered onto his face. Purposely serving the blonde last, Sasuke couldn't help but smile inwardly at how cute the boy looked when he finally was served his portion and inhaled it like there was no tomorrow. Naruto began coughing animatedly when he realized that the stew was way hotter than he had thought, causing both the Uchiha and Gaara to burst out laughing.
"Haa—he-here," Still chuckling, Sasuke handed the blonde a cup of water, "Don't choke on that too."
Naruto glared over the rim of the cup at the raven haired youth.
After, finishing his meal, Sasuke stood up.
"I saw a hot spring just in the woods that way. I'm going to go take a bath. If either of you come anywhere near there, I'll castrate you without a second thought!" The blonde and red cringed at the thought. Satisfied with his threat, Sasuke gathered his stuff and walked out of sight.
Twenty minuets of silent passed, neither Naruto nor Gaara spoke. The red-head seemed content with the quiet but the blonde prince soon became restless.
"Hey, Gaara. Do you know any card games?" The red didn't move. 'Was he asleep?'
"Do you want to play with me?"
"No."
"Ohhh-kayy…." Rocking back and forth, the blonde took to whistling to drown out the emptiness. A muscle twitched above Gaara's eye.
"Why don't go collect some firewood," The low and droning voice from the servant announced lazily.
"Ok!" Jumping up energetically, the blonde bounded in the woods.
Several minutes went by as Naruto rampaged around the forest collecting sticks. The sun was steadily on its way down, making it harder and harder to see. The faint yet very recognizable sound of water brought Naruto out of his romp.
'A river?'
Walking delicately, the blonde peaked through a thicket. Clouds of thick white steam rose from a set of hot springs.
'Hot spr..?….SHIT…Sasu..!'
A figure could be seen relaxing in the corner of one of the springs. Squinting for a better look, Naruto could see more clearly the pale figure: Sasuke Uchiha.
The more he looked, the less Naruto could pry his eyes away from the sight before him.
Pale skin glowed in the setting sunlight, beads of water trickled down the Uchiha's well toned body and raven hair. The prince was half submerged, his head leaning back against a rock, eyes closed. Sasuke's dark lashes rested softly on his creamy cheeks, which were tinted red from the heat. His supple lips were barely open, breathing calmly, causing his chest to rise ever so slightly.
'Wow….he…he's so...beautiful. Wait, what did I just say! I do not think that…that bastard is HOT!'
Suddenly, Naruto's hand pressed down on a twig, making it snap with a loud pop.
"Who's there?" The Uchiha was alert now.
'Shit'
Scampering backwards quietly, Naruto sprinted into the woods. He couldn't risk being seen by the brunet, or else Sasuke would bring down all hell. The blonde kept running, firewood forgotten, until he could barely see anything at all due to the lack of sun.
'Oh god oh god oh god! ……Calm down Naruto, you can do this. Camp is right over………fuck.'
"Hellooo?...Gaara?...Sasuke?...Anyone?" Silence greeted the boy.
The sun was now completely set and all that could be seen were dark blue shadows. The noises of animals were multiplied ten-fold, making even the slightest scurry of a mouse sound like the worst sort of forest predator.
"Oh god. I'm lost..and..and," Tears began to accumulate in the blonde's blue, frightened eyes, "…Sasuke was right, I am hopeless." The teen prince sat down at the base of a large tree, clutching his knees to his chest. Streams of slow, salty tears moistened his tan cheeks.
'Please…someone find me.' Naruto fell into a restless sleep after much trouble. Dreams of terrible beasts and darkness filled his dreams. Creatures chased the blonde and a deafening pounding filled his mind. He could feel the monsters get closer, and then…..warmth surrounded the boy.
"Naruto?" A concerned and deep voice blocked out the darkness and silence.
Naruto felt himself being picked up in strong, warm arms.
"Sa…Sasuke?" The blonde tiredly glimpsed the worried yet now relieved face of the brunet prince.
"Ya…I'm here," Sasuke stared down fondly at the boy in his arms. Upon learning that Naruto had not returned to camp, Sasuke went riding out into the dark forest searching for him. The Uchiha found the blonde curled up under a tree, tears staining his sleeping face. Now, Naruto was asleep once more, his head buried comfortable in Sasuke's chest.
"I'm here."
A/N: Please Review :)
