Oi, this story is way longer than it usually seems to me...I guess becuz to edit it I have to read every single word...There's still so much to go!! I know that I don't particularly have the patience to usually stick with a story this long...Thanks so much to those who are still reading!

This chapter is kawaiiii...

-Kitsune

Chapter VII

Love Me

Kakashi walked back in the room to find Sasuke alone, lying on the couch facing in toward the cushions, his arms still crossed. He went over and turned him over carefully.

"Sasuke? Talk to me." Kakashi said, shaking him a little as he noticed the vacant stare. "Your Sharingan hasn't left…so that means you're still not in control of your own strength usage." Kakashi said. Sasuke blinked lethargically.

"I…don't feel…good..." Sasuke groaned, his eyes still not focusing directly on anything. Kakashi stared in disbelief.

"Well…I think I know that; you never admit things like that so readily." Kakashi said, taking off Sasuke's forehead protector and placing his hand on Sasuke's forehead. At the same time, he noticed that Sasuke had paled considerably.

"Jeez Sasuke. You're not exactly Mr. Suntan at your normal healthy color, and here you've gone a few shades whiter. Seems like you've got something serious going on. Well don't worry, we'll take care of you." Kakashi said, going through his things for something to help. Sasuke stared at the ceiling from the couch.

"Who's we…" Sasuke mumbled. Kakashi turned around to look at him.

"Naruto, Sakura, and I. Of course." Kakashi said with a raised eyebrow. Sasuke looked again toward the back of the couch.

"Sakura is going to smother me. She's annoying. And Naruto…he doesn't even want to talk to me. Let alone help me figure out this stupid out of control Sharingan.." Sasuke sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

"And I'm so tired…" Sasuke added. Kakashi walked over and knelt down next to the couch, leaning over Sasuke.

"Okay first, you're worrying me because you're never this out of it. Second of all, what are you talking about, Naruto was just in here, ready to do anything to help you. Like he always is as of late." Kakashi said.

"Don't tell me you two got in a fight and aren't speaking, that fast." Kakashi said. Sasuke flinched a few times, then began to cough.

"That—that idiot—" Sasuke coughed, then dropped out just as Kakashi was sitting him up. Kakashi laid Sasuke carefully back down against some pillows, then got up with a sigh.

"Sasuke.. this isn't really good. If your bloodline traits are beginning to force you to unnaturally strengthen.. and you.. you're never ill like this…Who knows what's going on.." Kakashi said as he stared at his apprentice passed out on the couch.

Naruto was outside working on his kicks when Kakashi found him at 10:30pm, and Kakashi hung around for awhile wordlessly, almost certain that Naruto would cave and ask about Sasuke's health. When Naruto didn't, Kakashi walked up and stopped his training by single handedly blocking a roundhouse kick. Naruto paused and just stared tiredly.

"What is it sensei.. what.. Sasuke's fine without me being in the way I'm sure. He is okay.. right?" Naruto said, looking up at Kakashi dully. Kakashi crossed his arms and walked a little ways past Naruto.

"Oh sure. He's fine. He's unconscious in my room, but he's A-ok." Kakashi said, stopping to give Naruto a Look.

"Unconscious?!" Naruto exclaimed. Kakashi nodded calmly.

"He's out cold. Fever of 104, still under the control of his curse. Oh yeah; and he's also nearly as white a sheet." Kakashi finished. Naruto turned and started for the house, but then stopped and crossed his arms.

"Sasuke hates me.." Naruto whispered.

"Well.. maybe not hates… but.. even worse than that is he doesn't think anything of me, nothing at all!" Naruto turned and paced away. Kakashi followed him just as quickly. "Oh really. That's why your absence forces him back to his old ways. Keeps him suppressing how he really feels. That's why your craziness balances him out every single day." Kakashi pressured, following Naruto until he stopped by the outside door to his room.

"Ok I'll let you alone. You just remember, your friend is in there with a very real problem." Kakashi said as he walked away. Naruto banged open his door and went to bed.

The next morning, Naruto found it extremely hard to get up—Kakashi made him and Sakura get up at the usual time for training, but postponed their work, telling them that he believed it was best for them to train as a trio only—it would help their teamwork if everything they did was together. Naruto bitterly made his own breakfast, feeling a little ill himself. All throughout the morning, Kakashi and Sakura would disappear at intervals into Kakashi's room, where Sasuke was still recovering. Naruto stayed to himself mostly.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked him while Kakashi was in his room at one of those intervals. Naruto shook his head.

"Why are you asking?" he said coolly, sitting in the grass in the yard, staring at the forest. Sakura sat down next to him.

"Well.. first of all, you're definitely silent today. It's like you're a little drained." She observed. Naruto shook his head and faked a smile.

"I'm fine!" he exclaimed, but Sakura shook her head as she stood up.

"Nope. You're not. Come on, is it Sasuke? I know you guys fight, but you've been really getting along recently." She said. Naruto wouldn't look at her.

"How is he.." he asked hesitantly. Sakura smiled slightly.

"He's.. at least he woke up. He seems more subdued than usual. He's really sick I think. I mean Sensei and I have been trying to keep him comfortable all day. He's just…well about half hour ago he got up to get himself some water, but he only ended up breaking a doorknob because he's still not controlling his strength, and then ran out of energy quick, then got mad when Kakashi made him lay back down. But he looked like if he hadn't he would've collapsed in a few minutes anyway." Sakura filled Naruto in. Naruto was silent, and didn't move from the grass. Sakura began to walk back toward the house.

"You should come and help him Naruto…He's your friend. He needs to know you're there for him." She said as she left. Naruto closed his eyes in rebellion.

"I asked him how he felt about me and he said it was a stupid question.. well then I think it's stupid to go in there and help him when he thinks he knows so much already.. he can help himself…" Naruto sighed and buried his head in his crossed arms, leaning on his knees.

"That stupid bastard Sasuke.." Naruto murmured, wiping his eyes with his fingers.

The sun was setting, and Naruto was outside on a rock by the back door, sitting cross-legged, staring at the reddening sky.

"Red.. are his eyes still forcing the Sharingan..? If they are…his chakra should be really low by now…" Naruto found himself thinking. He heard Sakura in the kitchen, and he knew Kakashi wasn't in his room. That meant Sasuke was by himself. Naruto felt bitter inside.

"I can't believe it.. I just really can't believe it! Why? Why do I care so much.. it's just Sasuke. Just stupid Sasuke. Sure I've kissed him. A lot…" Naruto shut his eyes.

"He's so quiet.. his mouth is so soft.. he's so reserved.. so dark.. sure.. it's just Sasuke…and sure we've run off for hours together. Sure. Sasuke…teme.." Naruto sighed outwardly, letting his thoughts rampage on in their attack on Sasuke as he stared at the sunset. Eventually the colors blurred together through the tears.

"Nara…" he heard a voice behind him in the doorway. Naruto sighed again, more heavily, and didn't turn around.

"What?" he answered tersely.

"Naruto talk to me." The voice said, still quiet, and with a twinge of sleepiness to it. Naruto crossed his arms in defiance.

"Why should I? You don't care what I think, you don't care what I do, you don't…as long as I'm around when you need some favor out of me, like 'balancing your internal chemical levels' then you don't care what else I'm doing Sasuke…" Naruto spat, keeping his back turned. The voice was silent for awhile, and Naruto felt strangely sick, like he'd expected the moment to go a lot more pleasantly.

"That's not true.. I…" Sasuke paused.

"What Sasuke, God, what?!?" Naruto yelled without turning around. Sasuke leaned against the doorway a little ways behind Naruto, his arm around his stomach.

"Naruto.. I.. I'm not the same without.. I mean, I.. I need you around.." Sasuke admitted, feeling his strength draining by the second, but strangely, he knew that one wrong move would use way more strength than intended.

"Why is that Sasuke?! Why is that? It kind of seems like I'm never around for anything more than… than…I can't even say it! Is anything that happened a fluke?? I liked you Sasuke…I did! I liked you more than I ever even wanted to! Because I hated you!!And I thought we'd get along for awhile, why was that? Huh? Why are you toying with me?!" Naruto screamed into the orange glow of the setting sun in front of him. Sasuke slammed his fist against the wooden frame of the door, putting a crack in it.

"Because—I—Because I love you…I'm in love with you, can't you tell that?? God…why couldn't you see that…it's so obvious dobe.." Sasuke mumbled, soon having to use both hands to stabilize himself against the doorpost. Naruto's jaw dropped, and he opened his eyes. He whipped around to look, staring hard as he felt shivers travel up and down his spine.

"What..? What, Sasuke-kun?" Naruto couldn't hold back the smile beginning on his lips. Sasuke grunted, barely able to stand anymore.

"I said, you dense, clueless moron.. Naru-koi.. I said I love you..." Naruto slowly climbed off of the rock, still staring. His world had stopped. The words echoed through his spirit. Sasuke began to drop to his knees, and then he ran, there in a second, catching Sasuke before he hit the ground, and holding him up by supporting him around the torso.

"I.. It's like I'll never hear you right.." Naruto stammered, shocked. Sasuke sighed, motionless in Naruto's arms.

"I can't say it enough for you to hear it right Nara.. and consider that a compliment.." Sasuke muttered, wiping Naruto's damp cheek with palm of his hand.

"I love you…Sasuke…" Naruto stammered, still in mild shock.

"Then focus and…get me back to a couch. I think I'm going to be sick if I don't lay down.." Sasuke grumbled, his voice muffled in Naruto's shirt.

Almost as soon as Naruto had gotten Sasuke back to Kakashi's couch, he finally got over the shock of the unreal moment.

"What took you so long to say that to me, dammit!?" Naruto yelled at Sasuke as he paced in front of the couch. Sasuke gave a single cough and sighed, patiently waiting through Naruto's rant.

"You had me confused.. I couldn't figure out my own feelings.. so I wanted you to figure yours out.. and see if they matched mine.. then you.. you acted like I was nothing.. Sasuke why?" Naruto asked, finally coming over and sitting on the couch by Sasuke, making sure he was comfortable. Sasuke only laid there and stared for a moment, then smirked a little.

"I didn't want to know it myself. I still don't like that I'm attached to you at all Naruto." Sasuke said with a hint of slight teasing, but Naruto could tell that he was actually serious. And he couldn't say he didn't feel the same strange feeling. Naruto rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Way to compliment the person you LOVE Sasuke.." Naruto complained. Sasuke blushed just barely, but his facial expression remained the same.

"Relax… this is new for both of us." Sasuke excused his behavior.

"Oh boy.. if Sakura ever found out…" Naruto cackled rather obnoxiously. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"She'd.. she'd go crazy or something, I dunno. I don't actually care." Sasuke said. They both sat there silently for a few seconds.

"Aren't you going to kiss me Naruto-kun.." Sasuke said quietly. Naruto stared, surprised by Sasuke's asking.

"That's certainly new.." he quipped, scratching his head. Sasuke shrugged.

"It'll be different to kiss you now. It just will be." Sasuke said with a short grin. Naruto leaned down above Sasuke, stopping when their faces were centimeters apart. "This.. is so strange.." Naruto whispered, his blue eyes locking with Sasuke's still red-colored gaze.

"Yeah.." Sasuke breathed, raising his hand and running it along Naruto's arm before resting it over Naruto's hand, which was by his waist. They rather dazedly stared at each other.

"I think I'm drooling…" Naruto nearly whispered.

"Shut up…Naruto-kun…" Sasuke whispered, closing his eyes. Naruto closed his eyes to Sasuke's gentle breath against his lips——and then the doorknob turned.

"Dammit!!" Naruto hissed, and Sasuke shoved him right back up into a sitting position, just as Kakashi and Sakura came in.

"Well hello, Naruto. Decided to listen to me huh?" Sakura was saying while Kakashi watched them suspiciously.

"Sasuke talked to me himself." Naruto said, just wanting to make it so Sakura didn't think she'd convinced him of anything.

"Sasuke you got up again? How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke actually yawned.

"Better…a little. I'm still running a temperature I think." He answered dully. Naruto was feeling a little bitter.

"Why can't they just all leave us alone?! I just find out that…wow, Sasuke loves me…he... LOVES me…Uchiha Sasuke loves me…and we can't share a freaking 'moment'?!"

Next chapter..."Envy Us"

Weeheeee notice the switch in the chapter titles from "me" to "us" since they said I love you:) :) :)

-Kitsune