Oh My God Guys…I'm sooooooooo sorry. Please forgive me for taking 4 days short a year to update! There's an explanation below to answer all questions.
Semi-Important: Ok, first I was without a computer for 7 months. Then I started a NEW job, as I had quite my old one after nearly 11 months of working there. And then I now have a baby (not mine) to take care of. The baby is my cousins! Cutest thing ever. Tons of other things have happened, but they are things that take up time in everyday life.
VERY IMPORTANT: I'm so sorry guys! I've almost completely failed you as an author! Please forgive me!
Warning: Generally boys loving each other. Mentions of sex of the NejiShin kind, and le gasp! Something else? But yeah. Also unoriginality and grammar and spelling mistakes.
Disclaimer: I really do wish that I owned Naruto. But I don't. Which is why I like Fanfiction. Sigh.
Dedications: To all those that have loyally waited for me! Thank you so much guys!
Bunraku: A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show
Bunraku
I'm a waste of boy
anti-master plan
Been stuck inside this lonely room again
You get paranoid
see vultures circling
one slip then down comes the final curtain
Until, you come, into your soul again
We'll be the worst of best friends
Does it feel like Christmas in Hollywood?
Doesn't feel like we're ever going to make it home
Burn, baby burn
Strung out on a wire
Heart in a cage
You're so full of desire
You need, fast hands
To deal with all the liars
Bullet-Proof Skin to keep you alive…
-Bullet-Proof Skin, Institute.
OoOoOoOoOoOo…….
Sasuke was restless.
He'd already been back for a week (which was a long time, considering he was a (in)famous ANBU) and this fact didn't help him quell the nervousness creeping up on him.
Damn it. And the fact that Shin was staring at him was no help at all.
"What're are you looking at?" The brunette snapped, jerking the green-eyed boy out of his daydream induced stare. "Am I really that interesting?"
"No!" Shin scoffed, waving his hands randomly. "It's just that…Um…" Sasuke kept glaring, a look that would have sent anyone else to their knees, shaking and sobbing. "…I can't tell you."
"…and why not?" Usually Sasuke could hide his curiosity. Hell, he'd been doing so ever since he was a child, when a certain SOMEONE (names will not be mentioned because he didn't want to go into a fit of rage) had killed his family. He'd eventually figured out it was useless to just ask why. If he really wanted to know something, he'd just beat the shit out of the person who was withholding information.
But he couldn't exactly do that, in this case anyways.
"Well?" He arched a delicate eyebrow, oblivious to Shin's inner turmoil. "Are you going to tell me you want my body?" The Uchiha threw the other a snarky grin. So what if he was being a bit of a bitch? He had his rights, and besides…when wasn't he a bitch?
"…well, now that you mentioned it…" Shin didn't look uncomfortable at all, which was what Sasuke had been aiming for. Then again, he had forgotten the factor that Shin (used to?) liked him.
"Don't start," A warning, because even if Sasuke recuperated the feeling (which he did NOT) it would be dangerous to act upon. They both knew that. It didn't stop the occasional flirt…
Also, Shin had a boyfriend.
And shit, did Sasuke ever need to get laid.
"It's 9 o'clock," he broke the silence (finally), turning to stare at Shin. "Go meet with Hyuuga. I have things I need to accomplish, and I can't do them with your scrawny ass getting into my way."
The brunette had already stood up, and was on his way out when he looked over his shoulder, grinning. "So, do you like scrawny asses?"
Sasuke growled, and Shin left laughing.
About half an hour after the other man had left, he realized that the idiot had changed the subject without him noticing.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo……
"Sasuke-kuuun!" A high-pitched wail and Sasuke readied himself for the imminent enemy invasion. "I'm ready for our date!"
He blanked. Unless that was a new war cry…then he was lost.
As soon as he saw what it actually was, though, he was wistfully hoping for an actual battle. He was better equipped for a battle. Hell, he was better equipped for a war in which he was his only ally.
Shit. "…Ino." She looked at him hopefully, "…How did you get past all the traps?" Inner Sasuke laughed at her crestfallen look. Inner Sasuke then scampered for cover when she gained an evil look in her eye.
"What, there were traps! I didn't even notice!" She puffed up her already large chest, looking infinitely proud of herself.
"Shut up, Ino-pig!" Enter Sakura. Damn it. His day couldn't get any worse, could it?
(You think Sasuke, being a child of a massacred family and all, would learn not to think stupid things like this. It was law that once you uttered or thought that one phrase, things would get infinitely worse.)
"You know that Nakitama-san undid all of them for us," Sakura looked smug, Ino was staring at her like she was the biggest idiot in the world, and Sasuke looked murderous.
Ah, yes, they were quite a group.
"Shin had the ability of an ANBU to undo all my traps without my knowing, and at the same time not getting injured?" Sasuke was staring at the two girls flatly, who were, quite frankly, stunned.
"Um…Ah…" Ino was trying to think back, waaaaay back to 5 hours ago, in which Shin had told them the reasons. "He said that a) You had prints of each trap and how to dismantle them…"
He twitched. "You think that I would leave any evidence behind as to save someone, possibly an enemy ninja?" Ino shrunk a little, with no inner Ino to encourage her.
"Then he said," Sakura took up the blonde girls slack, staring at Sasuke boldly like only a friend of his could. "That Hyuuga-sama helped him out with some of them." The brunette had thought he'd gotten rid of the tic. Apparently not.
"That idiot cousin of mine stepped foot on my land without permission, and had the nerve to touch the device that are keeping people away?" Sometimes, even he wondered if he needed a psychiatrist. Then he decided that information could be extracted from anyone, even professionals, through the right tactics, and damn it, couldn't he pay attention to what was happening in front of him?
The lengthy time it took for Sasuke to sort through his ranting and discover that he was zoning out was the time that Ino and Sakura took to wait patiently, if not nervously, for his verdict.
"What exactly…" He spoke slowly, sitting up straight instead of hunching over like he was apt to do. "Are you two doing here?" Two confused faces stared at him, obviously without a clue as to what he talking about.
"…You invited me here!" In unison (of course), and they glared at each other, arms crossing simultaneously. The pink haired girl huffed, turning to the object of their misdirected affections.
"Sasuke-kun, don't you remember? You finally agreed to go out to supper with me!" She paused, glancing at the third person in the room. "…and obviously, you proposed this to Ino-pig too." Said kunoichi made a face at Sakura, opting for silence as her friend/rival explained. "It was barely half an hour ago! You said to meet at your house!"
"…I certainly did not." He figured he'd remember something like that. It wasn't hard, telling two girls to show up at a certain spot for the same date wasn't something that hard to forget, was it?
Obviously, he wouldn't know. He didn't invite random girls out at the same time.
"You really didn't, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura was going through something in her head, contemplating every angle. Sasuke could hear the gears turning. "Then…" Her eyes gained that professional air to them, and she stood straight up. "Ino, please go inform Tsunade-sama of the new development. Sasuke and I will search for the nin that's impersonating him. Let's go."
Not a nanosecond later, the room was empty, the only indication that there were people there was the T.V. shutting off.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo…………..
"Sakura-san, Ino-san," Sasuke spoke quietly, hearing the quiet reassurances to indicate that they had heard him. "Look for me, though with slight blemishes to the whole package, so to speak. God knows that you two would know every detail about me." A wry tone, referring to the crushes they so obviously flaunted. "When you locate the target, be sure to tell the others. Out."
He scanned the general area, looking through walls and underground carefully. The whole thing was done in about 3 milliseconds to his satisfaction, and he moved on, cursing the busy streets of midday.
Sasuke did the usual scan, twice, and the hard scan three times in the next area, determined to find the impersonator that could so easily slip into the hokage's office…if they were good enough.
There was a subtle shift in the air, and Sasuke launched himself 63 degrees east, moving as if his speed was unlimited (Which it was). "Ino!" A subtle call, and she never looked up from the middle of the circle that the villagers had formed around her. The blonde and a very convincing Sasuke circled each other warily. "Dispel the jutsu!" He appeared in the circle, arms full of weapons. Sakura arrived not a second later, traps set to make sure none of the villagers interfered…Or to make sure Pseudo-Sasuke didn't interfere with the villagers.
"I did," A growl from her, teeth clenched as she secretly moved her hands. "It won't go!" This was new- usually a chuunin or higher could dispel a henge with an ease that rarely came with the job of being a ninja. Sasuke performed the same seals, much faster and with a more advanced twist.
No such luck.
"Sasuke…what kind of chakra…?" A whisper, Ino had the fake pinned down, and he was struggling, cursing to the high heavens in a voice that should only belong to one person.
"No…" He talked softly, masking his voice. "I've no clue." They looked at him in surprise, a big mistake.
She growled as her hands flew off the boys wrist, Sakura stepping in immediately to hold him down. "Ino, get inside his mind," a soft instruction that was almost drowned out be the high-pitched wail coming from their captive.
He grunted, concentrating and easily deflecting the random stones thrown about in a haphazard fashion. "LEMME GO!" A scream before both bodies went limp, and the two remaining ninja retrieved the bodies, hiding them away in a safe place.
---------------------------------Enemy Head---------------------
"Who the hell are you, and what's your purpose for impersonating an ANBU level nin of Konohagakure?" The blonde looked warily about, hands ready to launch herself from his or her mind at a moments notice.
Even though that would cause extensive brain damage to the recipient. Which means she'd kill the enemy. Which was a big ninja no-no in this case.
"Idiot!" There was a voice yelling, slightly panicked and a voice in her head told her to get out. "He'll kill you! Hurry!"
A movement to her right, and she turned, only to be shoved from the left. A laugh, and Shin of all people was standing over her, green eyes glowing with mirth. "Hey, brat, he said to get out, didn't he?" She was on the ground now, thinking 'weapons,' with all she had.
Usually, it worked. "Nakitama-san! Why are you doing this?" A familiarity crept into her voice, and with it, there was fear. "We're friends! What's wrong with you!" She couldn't kill somebody she'd met so recently!
"I'm not this 'Shin'," The green (Yellow? Red? Blue?) eyes watched her curiously, watched her scramble to her feet. "But I suppose I'm called that, right, koukou?" The brunette turned to the distant voice.
Ino attacked, all thumb and pressure points.
The boy stood dumbly before bringing his elbow back, grinning toothily before slamming it into the girls face.
She heard a crack, a yell cursing that old monster, and she was gone…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Where the hell am I?" were the first words that greeted her when she woke up. She looked around groggily, wondering the exact same question.
"Shin, what the hell were you doing impersonating Sasuke-kun?" A sharp noise resounded through the room, skin on skin and a hysterical voice.
A small, isolated whimper, Sasuke murmuring in soft tones to the owner of said whimper. Ino sat up, blinking slowly. "I suppose I got the jutsu to release?" Sakura was by her side instantly, and the blonde was grateful for the soothing heat that came with healing chakra.
She hated that technique. It usually left her with a massive headache, and one hell of a blurry visions. She usually didn't remember things, either…
"The old lady's house!" She shot up, yowling painfully when her head slammed into the pink-haired girls, receiving an answer that replicated her own howl of pain. Actually…why were there two screams?
Soon she heard Sasuke making soft 'ssh'ing sounds, which had a calming effect on all in the room. Ino looked patiently on, knees drawn to her chest as she watched the sight before her.
Shin was whimpering, clutching to Sasuke with an almost desperate air to him, eyes red-rimmed and mild twitches shaking his body.
She backed away a little, unsure and paranoid and not quite sure just why.
What could have been an hour passed, his whimpering and the hushes gradually subsided into heavy breathing.
They were silent before Sakura spoke as if not to startle anybody, "Shin…why were you walking around as Sasuke…?" She looked almost afraid of another panic attack, another something happening that Did Not Fit In.
A lot of things weren't fitting, as of late. They needed to tie up lose ends, get back to normal. What was normal in a ninja village anyways?
"I…" His voice wobbled, his eyelids half closed as if fighting sleep. "Um…Christmas is coming up…" He leaned into Sasuke.
Sakura stared at the two suspiciously, trying to quell the feeling that one of her three boys was being lured into a trap. It was harder then she imagined.
"And what's that have to do with Sasuke?" Ino spoke gently, as if coaxing an answer from an apprehensive child. "He gets tons of presents each year, and he only keeps 3." One from Kakashi, one from Sakura, and one from…
"Stop, Ino." A sharp tone and they all glanced at the brunette before turning to the one cuddled in his arms. "I'm sure he's not greedy like that."
Shin shook his head. "I…uh…" The green-eyed boy was starting to get some life back into him, as shone by the slightly scarlet hue on his cheeks. It contrasted with the almost sickly pale he was…but it was better the nothing. "It's almost…Christmas?" He said helplessly, refusing to give up the answer.
Sasuke pushed at the small of his back with his fingers, gently drawing an answer from him. He sighed before visibly sagging. "I wanted to see…who knew Sasuke best…so I could buy his present." He looked up, a desolate air to him. "That's why I asked you two out! I wanted to know. I owe Sasuke for…well, for everything!" He sat up straight, crossing his arms. "I wanted to do it for him," He huffed. "And I got attacked. Brutally."
They say silently for awhile, contemplating the validity of the explanation. They glanced from one to the other, the same question running through their heads.
Why couldn't Sasuke dispel the illusion?
"Well…I see nothing wrong with that…" Ino started hesitantly, lying through her teeth. "Besides the fact you set all the ANBU on edge, that is." She glared mockingly. "Plus you bruised me and Big Forehead over there!"
"Hey!" Sakura played her part flawlessly. "Shut up, Ino-pig! I didn't get bruised because I'm actually a good ninja!" They began bickering, but were interrupted by a loud knocking before Kakashi blew in from the window.
"Yo!" He grinned cheekily. They all directed a glare at him, all frozen in their previous positions.
"Hey! It's the porn-loving teacher!" Shin pointed, laughing. Kakashi…Kakashi twitched violently. Then proceeded to ignore the brunette.
"I have a message from our overly zealous princess!" He pointed at a growing bruise creeping up from under his mask. "And…"
"Would you like me to check it Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura interrupted sweetly, taking a few steps towards him and raising her fingers. "I am a medical nin. I could heal that in a moment."
The gray-haired man seemed to think about this for a moment, taking one hand off the windowsill he was perched on to tap his chin. "Thanks but no thanks, Sakura-chan!" He patted her head merrily, before tumbling onto the rug. They all knew the tumble was a cover-up to get away from Sakura's questing fingers. "I think I look rather rugged, don't you?"
Sakura glared, fingers itching to finally, finally see what was under that mask. "What was the message, Kakashi-san?" She spoke coldly, and he was laughing at the formalities she was taking great cares to use.
"Well, there's a meeting Uchiha-san must attend! It's bolded and underlined, too. So it must be top priority! Ino-chan was asked to attend also!" He waved it around, and blanked out when Sasuke smoothly retrieved it from his grasp. "Sakura-chan, can you watch him, seeing that you are in possession of the…bads," They all groaned at the pun, the switch between 'the goods' because he didn't like Shin.
"…I don't get it." Said goods spoke, frowning.
The Sharingan wielder snorted before disappearing, the Yamanaka girl following closely behind.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"This is the second meeting concerning a certain Shin Nakitama," The blonde women stated, elbows on her desk and fingers woven together. "All regarding strange occurrences and clues to just who he may be. We'll go over the older happenings that are important enough to discuss,"
"First off, the tongue pierce test performed by Hyuuga Neji, which was a pretty standard run through to check if he was a high-level clone. This was followed by sparring to later confirm his suspicions."
"Second, the game of cards. Poker to be precise, and this was also instigated by Hyuuga-san. During the game Hyuuga-san, even with his bloodline limit used to it's full potential, could not see through the cards Nakitama-san held."
"Third, though minor, was the incident at the festival I was informed about. He was seen with murderous intent directed at I, the hokage. It's yet undetermined why."
"Also, Uchiha-san," Tsunade turned to him, regarding him thoughtfully. "It is possible to erase traces of blood. The maximum limit is two minutes, though. And the tattoo on Shin-sans back? It resembles nothing I've seen so far. It's not a village symbol or anything of the sort, so it was probably just a fancy of his old self to get it."
They nodded obediently. "Any new occurrences?"
Sasuke nodded, stepping forward with a fluid motion. "Earlier today, an occurrence that involved Shin, Sakura, Ino, and I brought up reasonable suspicion. When said target used Henge to transform into me, we were unable to dispel it…Which would take an ANBU level to prevent, I'm sure you know." Tsunade scribbled this furiously onto a random piece of paper strewn across her desk. She nodded, and the brunette bowed, stepping back.
Now Neji hesitantly stepped forward, looking at Sasuke with an air of anxiousness. "I regret saying this, for it may sound slightly unprofessional..." They were all at the attention of Neji now, watching him with a hesitant look. "But Shin and I have participated in…"
Sasuke stared at him, fighting the urge to let his basic instincts kick in, to kill something mildly distressing to him.
"We've participated in various acts of sex, most painful and some not so." He said this quietly, teeth almost shut with the effort of trying to keep it quiet. "It was a convenient excuse to press every chakra point on his body…Nothing ab-" There the Hyuuga was, suspended two feet off the ground and looking with dead calm into the spinning wheels. "I'd like to think, Uchiha-san, that you would know that people in a relationships partake in actions of that kind…although you're not doing so well in the friendship department, never mind that kind of relationship…" Hands tightened and the branch member struggled, a small gasp for air falling from his lips.
"Uchiha! Hyuuga!" A sharp bark and Sasuke released him, fists clenching and shoulders tensing with every breath taken into the shaking mans body. Tsunade watched him steadily, eyes following them as they returned to their respective seats. She sighed.
"Continue, Hyuuga-san."
He nodded, hands flitting over his neck and repairing his pressure points with a frightening accuracy. "In all the nights Shin has slept with me," Sasuke flinched, biting his tongue. "He has never, ever slept." They fell silent, contemplating this new development before Tsunade interrupted.
"Anything else worth mentioning?"
They looked at each other, and Ino bowed, pressing forward cautiously. "I have the map written down." And she pushes her arm and it's suddenly there, the whole map on her arms with blood. There was even historical land marks that were on the way, giving very precise detail in small, neat handwriting. "This information was gathered from Shin Nakitama's mind, and it was all very clear. It seems that he's been gathering this information for awhile now, remembering the trail piece by piece."
"Also, the lay-out of his mind has changed…The container for scrolls has expanded, meaning he's learned more jutsu's. There's many windows and doors in his mind…but they're all closed. Which means he's hiding something, but pretends he isn't or doesn't know he is. There's no keys in the room, which suggests that the reasons he's hiding something is because somebody's threatening him too. There's a more detailed report in the copy I've given you…"
The marking disappeared from her arm after the Hokage had copied it down, and she continued making marks, the smooth tack-tack-tack of her pencil hitting paper the only thing audible in the silence.
Hours later, she waved them away, mind brooding and fingers bruised from holding the pencil so hard.
OoOoOoOoOoOo………
'To buy Shin a present,' was Sasuke's main objective.
This 'mission' (so to speak) was brought on by the guilty feelings Sasuke harbored ever since learning of Shins' high risks to get him a present. A petty, glorified holiday, present.
Sure, Sasuke (being the Uchiha prodigy) had received his fair number of gifts each Christmas, but Christ. None of those missions had required god-to-honest caring! The same precision, the same timing, the same eye were all required, but he had not been trained to care!
….Nevertheless, this shopped looked….Shin-y. Not shiny…but Shin-esque. Dammit.
The traitor padded into the shop, teeth set on edge by the customary jingle of the bells above the shops door. He scanned every corner, subconsciously picking out all the spots that would have the best view/attack/defend points. He was startled out of his analysis when a jovial voice called out, "I'll be there in a minute!"
"One minute is enough time to get out of here," Sasuke calculated under his breath, examining a pair of very, VERY sharp kunai (Which, in retrospect, would not be a good gift anyways…) "Hell, one minute is enough time to be at the training grounds and actually training my squad. One minute is enough time to cook…"
"Can I help you?" The old lady asked, pulling slightly curly hair into a bun at the top of her head. She seemed jolly, flushed cheeks and apron giving her the appearance of a cookie-baking grandma.
…He had not just thought that.
"Um…I'm buying a present," The Uchiha said pitifully, keeping his gaze from landing on the women. She could probably sense his inability to shop, would prey on the money he so conveniently possessed.
"And for whom is it? A mother? A friend? A girlfriend?" She smiled slyly, busying herself with running her hands over merchandise, trying to find that perfect gift.
"A boy…" He trailed off, looking at each item she passed her chubby hands over and checking off each with an 'X'.
"A boyfriend?" She smiled, laughing. "How cute! Is he a ninja?" He liked this lady. She had no prejudices, had not prejudged him based on attire. Had not immediately searched for his money, his coin bag that every ANBU carried around as a bargaining chip.
He really, really hated this women. She was too trusting.
The Uchiha touched the mask hanging at his side subconsciously, fingering the patterns in an effort to quell the anger that would so suddenly jump up.
He felt the women freeze, and he was immediately on guard, a needle slipping between his fingers.
"ANBU Snake?" She spoke quietly, the warm, inviting tones in her voice replaced with cold, calculating ones. "Are you him?"
He nodded, trying to interpret her feelings now that she was an entirely different person. "What of it?" His fingers twitched, mind replaying the rule 'Do not kill civilians. Do not kill civilians.'
"You killed my sons. My twin boys." Her voice was hurt now, a venomous tongue equipped. "When you were in the Asylum. One of them was crouching in the top left corner, the other was covering the door. You killed both of them in cold blood to amuse yourself." Her eyes glared, were the epitome of pained love. "Or so I've heard."
"That's classified information." He replied, tilting his head. He was nervous, insides shaking at being actually confronted with the results of his actions. His results were usually buried 6-feet under, forgotten but never gone.
"I refuse to sell anything to you," She stated quietly. "Please leave the building and never come back, Anbu-San."
He left, mask in place and eyebrows twitching as he heard the sound of muffled sobs.
OoOoOoOoOoOo……….
"What's your plans for christmas?" Sasuke asked, flipping the pages of his book lazily as he watched Shin cook. It was three days before the much-anticipated day, and for once, Sasuke hadn't wanted to spend it alone. Not that he wanted Shin to know that. Hell, he didn't even think so. He always spent Christmas alone.
He returned to his book, head running in circles as he waited for the other boys reply.
"I was thinking," The green-eyed boy said, expertly flipping a pancake into the air and catching it. "That I could spend the first part of the day, up till 6 with you, and then spend the night with Neji." He dumped the pancake onto a plate, depositing it in front of Sasuke who hungrily dug in. Damn Shin and his regular eating and sleeping patterns.
"Oi! Sasuke!" He looked up from his daze, fork half-way to his mouth and dripping syrup. He set the fork down, feeling utterly foolish. "I asked if that was o.k. with you?"
He nodded dumbly, giving his consent. "Of course." He shoved another piece into his mouth, trying not to think, 'Open mouth, insert foot'.
Shin sat down across from him, propping his head up on his hand as he watched him eat. They sat in silence for the rest of the meal, enjoying the rare peace that enveloped the village.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO…..
'Gotta find a present. Gotta find a present. Gotta find a present.' Was Sasuke's mantra, the phrase on the loop setting as it ran through his head. Christmas eve had snuck up way to fast and ever since the incident at the old ladies shop, he'd lost the will to go out.
But now…Now Sasuke's procrastination had held him back, had caused him to completely forget to buy a present for the one person he was spending Christmas with. Dammit! 11:30 at night on Christmas eve and everything but the convenience store was closed, locked down for the next few days! Why oh why did he wait? Shit!
Onyx eyes scanned the surface of each darkened window he passed, repeating 'no' to each item that he'd fixed his gaze on. Shit!
Just when the Uchiha had almost given up hope, something caught his eye. He stared in amazement at the perfect simplicity of the gift, how undeniably right this thing would be for his-
He smiled guiltily, performing the seals and pushing his fingers through the glass. He left the appropriate amount of money. Hey, at least he'd paid them…Now there was just one stop and he'd be done…
OoOoOoOoOoOo………..
"Hey! Sasuke!" A whisper and he stirred, didn't realize his hands had motionlessly fingered his shuriken in the total darkness. He steadied his breathing to that beyond sleep before he fully awoke, eyes softly shut. "Get up! It's Christmas!"
He relaxed, sighing and opening his eyes to stare straight into wide green ones. He pushed Shin's head away with an index finger to the forehead (ignoring the whines and curses) as he stared at his alarm clock.
6:41am.
The numbers flashed in his mind.
6:41am. On his day off.
"Dammit Shin!" He scowled, bobbing the boy on the head and flipping over. "Only children get up this early on Christmas! Are you an idiot!" He felt like pulling the blankets over his head, whining 'No, Mom, a couple more minutes…'
He sat up, staring blearily at the pouting boy. "You…I'm not very happy with you right now." Sasuke stared accusingly at the pouting boy, who then stood up, offering a hand to him. He batted it away, getting up and stretching. "Breakfast?"
Shin nodded, a grin playing over his pretty features. "Already made! Bacon and eggs! Bacon and eggs!" He darted out across the hall, singing the on-the-spot song all the way to the kitchen. The Uchiha sighed, following him and rubbing his cheeks to rub the redness from them. He yawned, padding into the kitchen where everything was already set, ready to be eaten by a nearly awake teen. He took his time, listening to the other boys incomprehensible babblings in between bites of food.
"Hey. Shin." The boy immediately stopped, starring at the other boy with interest. "Let's go open presents now. It's 7:30." There was a happy nod before he dashed into the living room, the anticipation nearly palpable in the room.
"…I'll give you your present first." The genius said, hands reaching for the present under the palm tree that Shin had so generously decorated due to the lack of actual Christmas tree. "It's been a long time since I…" He was fumbling for his words, leaning back into the couch that him and Shin were sharing. "Since I spent Christmas with anyone…So…yeah." He finished lamely, handing the plainly white-wrapped gift over to Shin.
The boy tore it open, not even attempting to save the paper in which the Uchiha had wrapped it in, instead heading straight for the gold. He stared at the book and camera in his lap, pleased but slightly confused. "…the book doesn't even have an author."
Sasuke sighed, blushing hotly and so not used to this being sincere business. "Look…in the book. Idiot." He threw the insult in as a last resort, trying to sound like his usual self.
Shin obediently complied, opening the expensive leather-bound cover to reveal smooth, aged pages with a thin film covering them.
But that wasn't what caught Shins eye. Oh…Pink lips curved into a smile at a young Sasuke, then a teenage Sasuke, then a Sasuke with his team, the blonde haired boy and pink haired girl grinning stupidly as they made the peace sign of the camera. He read the caption, delighted.
'These are my memories so far. Let's make some more. Love, Sasuke.'
He handled the camera fondly, depositing it into his side pocket and choosing to keep the book in his lap. This gift made him happy, made him ecstatic that Sasuke had wanted to share memories with him when he had so very few of his own. Memories were, and always would be an elusive part of Shins life….but for now…for now he could…
He smiled coyly at the other boy, the morning stillness broken only by the song of birds. "Love, Sasuke? Love me Sasuke?" There was a soft smile now and he leaned his head on his shoulders, grinning wildly.
"Gimme my present," Sasuke mumbled. The magic of Christmas was getting to him. That must be why he was blushing so much, hating the lack of Christmas tree and warm fireplace.
Shin happily complied, reaching under the coach for his hidden present. "Close your eyes!" Sasuke did as he was told, shivering at the sound of the order and the dislike of having his eyes closed. The dislike, though, was overrun by the curiosity consuming him and he felt something now. Something soft and plush and incredibly shaped, it felt just like a…
His eyes snapped open, realization dawning on his features as his fingers traced the doll-like replica of his previous best friend, nails running over the stitches that made the scars on the dolls cheeks.
He bit his lip, reveling in the feeling of forgotten thoughts and feelings that usually only came once a year. "Remember this?" A small, happy voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked up, into a set of beautifully green eyes. "It was my first possession! And he looks like the person in the picture, right? So I thought you might like it!" Doubt was starting to cloud the boys voice, his features. "If you don't I guess I can take you out somewhere, but I have to get money first, but I guess…"
It was cut off as arms enveloped him, black eyes closed and a calm radiating from his every muscle. The startled boy held questioning hands at Sasuke's lower back, working their way nervously across the hem of his shirt.
"Shin, I think I lo-" There was a faint sounding of bells as the streets exploding into a parade, people rushing out of their houses and the wishing of a 'Merry Christmas!' ringing through the air. Said boy grinned, hugging Sasuke back and whooping.
"Let's go out Sasuke! We can go buy shaved ice!" Once he'd loosened his grip, the excited boy had jumped, running towards the door in an effort to dress for the cold weather while running.
He smiled fondly, glad that his almost-confession/mistake had been interrupted. "Idiot, in this weather…"
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo……………
"WOW!" He exclaimed upon entering the main building of the Uchiha estate, stamping his boots and kicking them off as he ran into it. "Amazing! I loved it! I can't believe it's already 5:30pm!"
Sasuke followed, much more calmly and with a lot less fan fare as he neatly deposited his boots in the closet, hanging his coat and picking up after the frenzied teen. "It was fun." He allowed that admittance, an agreement.
Shin grinned, turning around and squarely facing Sasuke. "But you have to admit, I totally won that wrestling match!" He thought back to when the idiot had thrown a snowball, and surprisingly, it had hit him. He'd gone into feral who-dares-hit-a-Uchiha ANBU mode and had attacked Shin. He'd let up when he'd realized who he was attacking, but the other boy had claimed that he'd won fair and square! Pfft, as if, nobody won against him.
"Did not!" He felt foolish for engaging in such a simple game of whodunnit, but for gods sake, he was not going to lose! "You did!"
"Nuh uh!" There was a wild grin on that tan face, seemingly splitting it into two parts. "I won! I topped you!" They ignored the double entendre, favoring for the heated argument. Similar insults followed before black eyes flashed, and he growled.
"Wanna test it out?" He snarled, launching himself at the younger boy. They scuffled, breaking furniture (oops), pictures (damn) and putting a hole through the wall (double damn!). The brawl lasted for what could have been minutes, but the end result lie in a pile of dust and debris.
When the dust settled, black eyes stared up into green, chest heaving and pupils dilated. The taller boy was grinning happily, panting as he had Sasuke's wrists pinned to the floor and straddled his waist. Their legs were tangled so…Nope. Sasuke could not kick him off. He knew some nifty jutsus but…
But…
He didn't want to move. It was an oddly peaceful scene, both catching their breath and Sasuke was warm for once, felt exhilaration in a form that was not blood or turmoil. He relaxed, letting Shin pin him and not caring when the other boy loosened his grip, instead turning to lay his head against Sasuke's chest, listening to his heartbeat in the still silence.
"I win." He said, breaking the surreal ness.
"You always do." The other form replied, holding his breath.
"Sasuke?"
"Mm?"
"Do you love me?" All breathing stopped and Sasuke stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, suddenly tense and fingers were curling into his fist, leaving half-moons in the skin as he thought of what to say.
"To lose you…" He was starting truthfully (this time he would not end in a lie.) "…is to never love again."
He felt the curve of lips against the cloth on his chest, the relieved sigh that no, Sasuke hadn't changed, nothing really had. The answer was not direct but was it not enough? Could he not settle for that?
"I have Neji…" Shin started quietly, stalling in the speech that was about to come, something about forbidden love and death. "But…"
The brunette waited with bated breath for the inevitable chiding, the fear that wasn't genuine sat like a boulder in his chest. So when Shin sat up, he closed his eyes, prepared for the other boy to get up and run for the safety of somebody who was only mildly insane's arms. He was waiting for him to leave when…
"Can I kiss you?" The question hung in silence and Sasukes eyes were still closed and somehow he nodded Yes, he'd said without speaking Kiss me.
So he felt a hand pressed over his lips and could feel the others breath on his waiting lips before they touched. It was soft, and a pale imitation to that drunken night many weeks before. But it was better, it excelled, and Sasuke could not compare this to anything he'd ever had. Could not compare it to that one time he'd kissed Sakura just to see what the fuss was about. Could not compare to that one time that…
It was a simple, sweet exchange, just a small pressure against his lips and both their breaths mingled, neither heart speeding up to much or slowing down. It was not a moment, it was not a memory, it was just a happening, something he very much appreciated. When they parted, it was because Shin had stood up and left a closed-eye Sasuke lying on the floor, breathing softly and not looking up as Shin got his coat on.
The door shut behind him and he didn't know if that was good or bad. He opened his eyes, tilting his head and looking at the digital alarm clock sitting on the floor from their fight.
6:41pm.
He smiled.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OMFG. DONE. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I AM DONE. OMFG. CELEBRATION.
Jesus H. Christ, I'll make this short because you guys are already sick of my excuses! THANK GOD I'M DONE.
Anyways, can anyone say 'almost climax'? It isn't the climax, but it's a very important point in the story. Sasuke has nearly confessed! Whoot. Shin is now associated with Naruto officially in his heart. Yay!
But I'll leave now. I won't even ask for reviews because it's been so long. But…It's 6,401 words XD A long enough chapter?
Thanks for reading guys!