This was origonally was longer, but I've shortened it to add another chapter

He hated Sasuke.

With his stupid big eyes and his laughable hair, and the stupid walk that he does that just oozes with superiority, and there was the thing he did with his mouth too, when he was irritated at a problem! Oh, and also the look in his eyes when Naruto and him- Waoh.

Hate! He hated! Hated! Hated! Hated! Sasuke!

Speaking of Sasuke, there he was walking down the hall with his arms wrapped around Sakura's- what?!

What?!

WHAT?!

The word wanted to leap from his mouth, mount a bird and ascend to the heavens. This couldn't be-no-she just broke up with Lee! What a hoe! Naruto hit himself, did he just call Sakura a hoe?

The tight feeling in his chest unravelled, slinking up to his throat and curling around it with a squeeze, tempting tears from the corner of his eyes. Sasuke and Sakura were together. They were probably going to grow old together and name their kids with other S names and be one big stupid S family. S for stupid!

Nevermind the fact that would be a long time from now. He was furious about it right now!

"Naruto!" Sakura glowed, standing in front of him with a smile on her face that reached her eyes and made him sick. "Sasuke asked me out yesterday! Isn't that exciting?!"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond but found the words trapped, she moved closer with that stupid smile on her face. "Well? Aren't you happy for me Naruto?"

It was history in the making, Naruto was speechless. He could only clamp his mouth shut and stormed away, fury and frustration mixing together, clamping around his throat with a tight squeeze. There was no way- it wasn't happen- "Naruto?"

Naruto froze- one hand over his mouth and the other swaying in the air beside his hip. Shikamaru was staring at him with some concern, leaning off the lockers and approaching hesitantly. He straightened out and attempted to gather himself. " Huh, yeah I'm fine."

"And my ass is green?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, snagging his collar and dragging him into a nearby classroom.

"What's going on?" Some teacher looked up at them, raising an eyebrow.

Shikamaru held open the door and nodded out of it, "If you leave now Asuma I'll do all you're grading for the next...two days."

"Hm." The teacher- Asuma apparently- seemed very amused by this proposition, "Make it a week and include the essay sections."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Fine. Get out."

Naruto watched, momentarily distracted, as the teacher left and Shikamaru shut the door behind him, leaned on a nearby desk and crossed his arms. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Naruto insisted, crossing his arms too for good measure.

"Does the look on your face have anything to do with Sasuke?" Naruto decided he did not like that suggestive tone- not at all.

He fidgeted in place, looking away from Shikamaru and out of the window where clouds were rolling by in white waves, "What are you talking about?"

"Naruto." Shikamaru clapped his hands together, tricking Naruto to look right at him the jackass. "You look like you're going to cry."

Naruto bit his lip, the same clamping feeling descended on his throat again as he huffed, "I am not going to cry."

Shikamaru's stupid face said it all, he didn't believe it. Naruto bit on his lip harder, he was not going to cry. Stupid Shikamaru, Sakura, and Sasuke can all go join their little S club and be all fucking merry together. "Naruto..."

"NO!" He yelled, knocking his knuckles on the edge of one of the desks with a hiss. Naruto rubbed at the reddening skin, fixing a glare on his non-friend friend, "I'm told you I'm fine! I'm not going to- fuck! Fuck you! And Sasuke! And Sakura! And all you stupid-" at that moment Shikamaru's face was completely blurred and Naruto shut his eyes and bit down on his lip twice as hard than ever before.

And then- because of all those stupid S people- he was crying. Naruto covered his mouth again, trying hard not to tremble as the hot droplets assaulted his cheeks. "Naruto." Shikamaru took on a rare gentle tone, and he felt a hand patting his back. "Come on man, I'm not good at this. Look, do you really think Sasuke is interested in Sakura?"

"What kind of question is that? He's with her isn't he?" He meant for there to be more venom, but it wasn't coming out.

"So? Since when has that meant anything. You know Sakura's just going to end up with Lee again by the end of the week." Shikamaru returned to sitting on the desk behind him and sighed, "Look at it this way, maybe you're nice behavior set him off? What if he returns your feelings and just doesn't know what to do about it?"

"Returns what feelings?" Naruto sniffed, wiping his face with the cloth of his sleeve, he blinked realizing Shikamaru was giving him an are-you-fucking-serious face.

"Love, dumbass." Shikamaru shook his head, facepalming. "Have you ever considered that being nice to Sasuke is so hard because you just want his attention no matter how you get it? That you strive for those little arguments of yours? That you stare at him all time and are really annoying about constantly talking about him?"

"Well that..." His heart thumped against his chest, tapping each rib with a vibrating shudder. Large blue eyes widened in realization, and the pain from before swelled at the realization. He was in love with Sasuke, who was dating Sakura- mother of other little S children.

"Stop being a coward." Shikamaru declared jabbing a finger in his direction, "I've never known you to shut up about anything, so please God don't have an exception to the rule because in the end it's going to drive us both fucking crazy."

And then he left Naruto there, gaping after him.

He was right.

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