Spoken, Not Spoken

Naruto looked down at the plastic bag in his hand, wondering just what the hell he was doing. He was currently standing outside of Sasuke's front door, but he'd made a stop at the store to pick up some cold medicine. He was supposed to have been coming here to chew Sasuke out and yet his worry had gotten the better of him. He reasoned that if Sasuke got sick as little as he said he did, he likely didn't have any meds already. It was a reasonable concern; it didn't mean he was doing it because he had feelings for Sasuke or anything.

He took another deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked.

Nothing.

Not a single sound came from the other side of the door. Getting irritated, he knocked again, harder this time. Sasuke was going to open that door, damnit! He hadn't spent the last hour gathering his courage just to be ignored! With another few seconds without as much as a voice on the other side, he then pounded against the door.

It was instantly thrown open with him coming face to face with Sasuke's Sharingan. "I am this close to breaking every bone in your body," he whispered dangerously.

No matter how many times he saw it, the Sharingan was still rather unsettling. Naruto froze with his hand in the air, getting ready to pound on the door again. "We need to talk," he mumbled, his courageous ferocity quickly diminishing.

Sasuke let out a breath, putting a hand to his forehead. "Can't this wait?"

He does still look pretty awful, Naruto had to admit. Everything about his appearance screamed that he was sick, from his baggy blue pajama bottoms and faded shirt to the bags under his eyes and his now wild nest of hair. No, this honestly wasn't the time. And yet…it was exactly because of Sasuke's illness that he felt it had to be now or never. With him being weak, he couldn't strike. It was a cowardly move, but the one he felt the safest taking.

Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to take no for an answer, Sasuke left the door open and went back inside. Naruto quietly followed him in with eyes darting to every corner. He'd never seen Sasuke's apartment before. Both of them lived on their own, but their living styles were miles apart. Where his place was what he liked to call an organized mess, Sasuke's was only organized. The place was completely clean and someone (Sasuke?) had even put flowers in a vase on the kitchen table.

As he followed him into the living room, Naruto also noticed that Sasuke had hung up several pictures of his family. A large collage showcased Sasuke and Itachi predominately, Sasuke as a baby being held by Itachi. Sasuke and Itachi fishing. The brothers in the middle of sparring. The one that held Naruto's attention though was one with Itachi perhaps aged ten with a very young Sasuke getting a piggy-back ride. Even after what Itachi had done, Sasuke seemed to still deeply care for his brother. Did that mean that somehow, Sasuke had found the strength to forgive him?

"You were a cute baby," Naruto tried for a joke, pointing at the pictures.

"I know," Sasuke instantly replied, sitting down on a couch cushion.

"…Ya know, most people are a little more modest," Naruto informed him, already getting irked.

"And you know that's not a trait of mine," Sasuke reminded him, picking up a cup off the table. He took a sip from it, but frowned at its contents. "This isn't hot anymore," he sulked. Looking up to Naruto, he held it out. "Do something useful, why don't you, and heat this up for me."

It wasn't asked. It wasn't even suggested. Naruto stared down that cup, almost wishing it'd shatter in Sasuke's hand but he hadn't learned to control his chakra like that. Swallowing his long list of obscenities, he took the cup from him and went into the kitchen. With Sasuke not watching, he looked in to see that he'd made tea, peppermint by the scent of it. He put it in the microwave just long enough to warm it up without it being scalding before bringing it back to the living room.

Sasuke was picking through the plastic bag he had brought, laying out the various medicines. Feeling like he needed to explain himself, Naruto said, "I didn't know what was good or anything so I just—"

"Bought the entire store?" Sasuke gave a snort, pulling out three different pill bottles that all claimed to help stop colds. "Why didn't you just ask Sakura?"

Naruto put the cup back on the saucer that was on the table, but sat down while staring dumbly at Sasuke. "You already know the answer to that. She barely even speaks to me now because of you! Asking her what I should bring you, when she's a medical ninja, would be like rubbing salt in the wound."

Sasuke pulled back from the bag with a bottle of cough syrup, pushing everything else away. For a moment, he said nothing as he quickly read the back label, broke the seal, and took a straight shot without using the included plastic cup. He shuddered at the taste, picking up his tea to take a few grateful gulps. "Have you seen Sakura since we've returned?"

"Yeah, she was at Kakashi and Iruka's place when I went to see the babies," Naruto answered, secretly happy that Sasuke had found the medicine useful.

"Babies?"

"Oh, right! Yeah, they have twins, a boy and a girl," Naruto told him excitedly. "They're so tiny! I didn't know newborns were that small."

Sasuke glanced over at his own picture as a newborn and nodded. "Anyways, you said we needed to talk. About what?"

Naruto stilled for a moment, then looked down at his hands. "About us. We never got to discuss…whatever this is," he said, gesturing to Sasuke and then back to himself.

After a few quiet sips, Sasuke leaned back a little to put his feet on the couch and pulled a previously discarded blanket around him. "What do you think this is?"

"You being a perv!" was the first thing Naruto shouted, but then ducked back. He'd just put Sasuke on the level of Jiraiya, which was quite a feat.

Instead of being offended though, Sasuke only smirked. "If you're talking about what happened at the inn, nobody forced you. You wanted that as much as I did."

Naruto's face flushed, but he pressed on. "And what about all those other times, huh? Like how you keep giving me stuff and making all that innuendo!"

Sasuke could only stare at him. "You mean flirting? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what people do if they like someone?"

Now his face was completely blazing. Naruto bowed his head to try and hide just how embarrassed he was. "You actually like me?" Ugh, he hated how weak that came out.

Sasuke had closed his eyes and for a moment, Naruto worried that he'd fallen asleep. Still with his eyes closed though, he said, "When I left the village, it was you who came after me. Not Sakura. You. Even when I was branded an international criminal, you still fought to convince everyone I wasn't bad. And…I'd be behind bars if it weren't for your testimonial during my trial afterwards." He blinked and looked directly into the blue eyes across from him. "You say you did it because you're my friend. I saw it as a sign that you could possibly become something more. So yes, I do like you. As more than just friends."

Naruto took a few deep breaths to calm down. There, it'd finally been said properly. "Sasuke, I've…never even considered dating a guy," he admitted. "I've only ever liked Sakura and she likes you—"

"I'm aware," Sasuke said, but gently. "I'm still going to speak with her. But how do you feel about that idea? About us?"

There were too many emotions swirling to pin down just one so Naruto said, "It's definitely different. I'm still not sure if I can see you in that way." Had someone asked him about his sexuality a year ago, bi-curious wouldn't have even been an option. Now though, he felt a very tentative interest and even that he was fighting to not flinch away from. "We'd have to take it slowly," Naruto also added, giving Sasuke a hard stare. "Nothing like that last time."

"Deal," Sasuke easily agreed but then suddenly asked, "Are kisses within limit?"

The creeping blush took over again and Naruto's eyes fell to the table. "Just…we'll see." He sat rigidly in his seat, already expecting what would come next.

However, Sasuke didn't move and only gave a little smile while nodding again. "Good enough. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about then?"

There probably was, but Naruto couldn't think of anything else at this time. He shook his head and then stood up. "I guess that's all for now."

"So be it." Sasuke pulled himself off the couch but still kept the blanket around him as he walked back through the kitchen and to the front door. "Guess I'll be seeing you around then."

Said so casually like that, it was almost as if their entire conversation hadn't happened and they were back to square one. "See ya…" Naruto repeated, walking out into the public hallway. He hesitated for half a second until he saw that Sasuke had closed the door already, preventing any further conversation. Even now, he was still brusque.

Some things never change. However, Naruto felt marginally better and at long last, he set out for the comfort of his own home.

~.~.~

An hour later, Sasuke had another visitor in his living room but this one, he'd invited over himself. Sakura sat just where Naruto had, though he'd offered her a cup of tea as well. She had accepted, but so far, it'd sat on the table untouched.

"I know this is pretty sudden," he said to her, taking up his own place on the opposite couch. "But I figured it was about time we spoke." He stared at her for a moment, waiting for a response, but Sakura only blinked, keeping her hands calmly in her lap. Her face was an impassive stone, devoid of any emotion. Naruto had been right; this wasn't the same Sakura he'd known before he'd left.

"By now, I'm sure you've already guessed what's going on between me and Naruto," he went on. Another blink. Not a sound. "But I also know how you…feel about me," he tried to put it delicately. Moderating his words for the sake of others wasn't something he was good at and could only hope he was doing this right. "I figured I should talk to you openly about what's going on and answer any questions you have."

There. Sakura's mouth twitched. The twitch cracked wider until not only was she smiling, she was laughing! For a long moment, she giggled hysterically, grabbing her sides and pounding on the sofa cushion to try to reign herself back in, but to no avail. Sasuke didn't see the humor and before he could correct his face, he scowled at her. "I fail to see what's so funny," he snapped.

"Sorry…sorry," she laughed, wiping a tear or two away. At last, she took a deep breath, sitting back up and smoothing down her hair. "It's just that, for the longest time, I've always wanted to have a private conversation with you. A real heart to heart where we open up to each other. And we're finally doing that now, Sasuke! Except, you're about to tell me you can never return my feelings because you've fallen in love with Naruto. Naruto!" she shook her head, still smiling. "Of all the people in the world…"

While human emotions were not his forte, Sasuke could already tell something was highly off. She still sat there, smiling as though this were the most interesting thing ever. Maybe that was how she coped? If so, then he could accept it. It was better than dealing with the waterworks as tears annoyed him. "I agree with you that it's highly unexpected, even to me. But I figured it was best that I tell you upfront and honestly instead of seeing us together later on."

She giggled again. "No you didn't."

His uneasy feeling rose even higher. "What do you mean?"

She gave him a knowing look, tilting her head pointedly at him. "Naruto told you to talk to me. You would've never considered doing that yourself. You hate me, remember?"

Wait, what? "I don't hate you—"

"Don't lie, Sasuke!" she chirped, still with that smile. "Aren't you supposed to be honest with me right now?"

He felt his patience starting to run thin, that damn smile grating on his last nerve. "I don't hate you and you know this."

"Had me fooled!"

She wasn't listening to him. Or, no, for the first time, she actually was listening. He wasn't just the cute boy talking anymore. He was her deepest love and right now, he was telling her that all her hoping and longing since childhood was entirely wasted as he never wanted to be with her. Sasuke had enough empathy to see how that could make her bitter but he'd never expected this. "You know, I've never liked childish girls," he sneered, realizing too late that only put him on her level.

To which she replied, "Looks like you never liked girls at all."

"Sakura, stop this!" he finally snarled. "I know you're hurt. And I'm…" The words were there, but he couldn't say them. "I'm the reason that you're hurt. That you've been hurting for a very long time. You can hate me for how I've treated you, but if so, then hate me, and stop it with this passive aggressive bullshit."

At last, her giggling stopped. "Sasuke, you don't get to decide how I feel. I've given that power to you for far too long. When you ignored me on Team 7. When you walked out on us despite me pleading for you to not go. The way you look at me as if I'm nothing but a burden. And each time, I've felt it stab just a little deeper," she grabbed her chest at those last words.

Sasuke's hardening eyes were the only sign that he'd flinched at her change of tone.

Sitting up straighter though, she gave a small huff while shaking her head. "But I was quite weak, wasn't I? I let you and Naruto do everything, always having to protect me. Indeed, I was a burden. There was no way you'd notice me like that." She paused for a moment to exhale a deep breath. "I look back on my younger self and all I feel is shame. It should've been me pulling my weight on our team. I told Naruto to bring you back instead of just doing it myself. And…I don't know, maybe there was something else I could've done during all those times we ran into you. Maybe then, you would've loved me."

Sasuke took a moment to think about that. Everything she'd cited were the exact reasons he'd told Naruto he'd started to develop feelings for him. If the tables were turned, and it'd been Sakura instead of Naruto chasing after him, would it be her that he'd have confessed his feelings to instead?

"Either way," Sakura told him, "That's all in the past. All that matters is right here and now, right? And right now, you claim you love Naruto. Here's where I'm supposed to be a big girl and quote that stupid belief about if you love someone, you let them go, if they come back to you…but that's not how I feel. And frankly, it makes the person that left look weak and indecisive," she said condescendingly.

Sasuke quietly agreed with her there, but said nothing.

"In truth though, Sasuke…I'm not sure how I feel about you being with Naruto. No matter how much I rolled the thought of it around, all I felt was disbelief and jealousy. I'm going to need some time to really process it. It's still…too new." She tried to offer a small smile but it never fully developed.

With a nod, Sasuke stood up. "That's fine. I didn't realistically expect you to accept it so soon anyways." He led her back to the front door, suddenly becoming the perfect gentleman as he helped her into her jacket and held the door open. "I honestly don't hate you, Sakura. In fact, you're one of the very few people I explicitly trust. Think about it and maybe in time, you'll come around." He gave his own small smile, making sure to hold himself back as he knew what effect he had on her.

"Maybe…" was all she gave before shuffling out the door, her heart thoroughly defeated.

In writing this, it came to mind that Sakura would make a "good" yandere…