Lordy Lou... This took me forever... My shoulder are dead from slaving over the computer for so long because I decided I'd better update this thing already! ^_^ Hope you like it!

Enjoy

Sasuke walked in front, his head bowed, allowing his dark bangs to cover his handsome face. The other's footsteps were slow behind him as they walked. Sasuke couldn't decide whether it was awkward or not.

Naruto's face in that moment when he had touched the inside of Sasuke's wrist with his thumb, stoking gently. His eyes had held something different. A new emotion yet again. Another one Sasuke had never seen before. He had stared back, saying nothing, allowing the boy to touch his pulse that had jumped and then evened out. They watched each other and Sasuke dove into Naruto's blue eyes, searching for the thoughts crossing his mind, for the meaning behind his expression. Neither boy said anything for what felt like the longest time. And then, a firework burst out across the sky. The noise startled them both and it was over. Naruto's eyes and thumb moved away from Sasuke and neither had said anything more than "Let's go now."

The two were now crossing through a training ground, taking a short cut on the way home. Sasuke walked in front, Naruto in the back. The raven haired boy was cold; the muscles between his shoulder blades were tight. Anxious.

Was he supposed to just erase that moment from his memories? How could he forget that look? Could Naruto also carry on like nothing had happened? Surely something like that, a moment so tender and soothing, couldn't be forgotten so easily. Or was the other boy still just unaffected by everything? What should I do... thought Sasuke as the canopy of trees thinned and gave way to the night sky, now an inky black, vast and unknown in the absence of the bright fireworks.

"Sasuke! Wait! Look up there! The stars!" Naruto's loud voice broke the silence. Sasuke didn't stop walking. They were only stars. He didn't want to look. He wanted to go home and sleep. He wanted to escape.

"Sasuke!" Suddenly Naruto's hand was pulling his, jerking him backwards and to the blonde's side. Sasuke looked up. A light feeling filled him. The night sky was littered with tiny pin pricks, glowing and twinkling mysteriously. Time stopped as they stood under the stars, both boys losing themselves for a while. The tension in Sasuke's shoulders lessened. It was nicer than he had expected.

"Ne, Sasuke. What do you think they are?" asked Naruto quietly. Sasuke could imagine the look on his face. He would be smiling, childish enchantment lighting his eyes, everything but the stars forgotten. Naruto was like that. Only able to focus on one thing at a time. Like a little kid. It was annoying.

"Burning balls of gas," replied Sasuke. Naruto pouted next to him.

"That's not a very cool answer Teme," he said. Sasuke sighed. More out of habit though because, to Sasuke's relief, the situation felt fine. It wasn't awkward; Naruto was even calling him 'Teme'.

Maybe they could be fine. Maybe it was fine to touch each other like that for no reason. Naruto was bound to be a physical person after the kind of childhood he had had; no one to cuddle with when he was young and needed it the most. Sasuke was silent, another answer pushing at the seam of his lips.

"My mother said once that they were the spirits of people who are gone now. That they are up there to watch over us," Sasuke said finally. He laughed a little. "I guess I have a few up there huh?" Naruto's grip on his hand tightened and Sasuke realized they were still holding hands. He felt Naruto's eyes on him. Sasuke kept his face lifted to the stars. Neither said anything for a while.

"Sasuke... Does it hurt?" Naruto asked. Instinctively, walls came up around Sasuke's heart, his expression becoming hard and guarded.

"No."

"Is it terrible, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, ignoring his answer. Sasuke frowned gently.

Terrible? Being alone all the time? Yes.

Does it hurt? Yes.

What a stupid question... Shouldn't you know...? Know how it's unbearable. How I hate it. How I'm scared. How I want to scream... But what's the point? No one will hear me, there's no one to rescue me when it gets dark anymore. I'm all alone.

Terrible? Yes.

He lowered his dark haired head, breathing shakily.

"I'm fine," replied Sasuke. Naruto's fingers grew hot and the boy was quiet. Let that be the end of it, thought the Uchiha. I don't want to talk anymore. Again silence.

"You know..." said the blonde slowly, considering his words. "If you're lonely Sasuke say you're lonely." Sasuke's eyes widened a little.

"If it hurts you should say so... You should say and do what ever you want... You don't have to stay quiet you know"

Sasuke turned to Naruto and he did the same. They stood, watching each other again, only a breath away, their steady breathing moving together. In and out. In and out. Sasuke's heartbeat began to pound in his chest. Could Naruto hear it? He blew a soft breath through his barely parted lips and the shorter boy closed his eyes against its touch. Naruto's eyelashes were light, nearly blonde. Sasuke blinked twice slowly and then didn't open his eyes again. It was as if their closeness was gently holding his eyelids shut, making them heavy. He could hear the whoosh of air as they breathed, so close, so close. The ground beneath them disappeared and Sasuke felt dizzy. His mind was slow, unable to register what was happening, his body just moved on its own as he tilted his head, leaning down, into the other boy.

All at once, Sasuke's lips brushed the very surface of Naruto's and blue lightning shot through him making his eyelids snap back and both boys jump away and yelp. Sasuke panted, clutching the front of his kimono as his mind whizzed through the past few seconds, finally catching up. Heat flew into his face. It was like drowning.

"Wha- What was that?" yelled Naruto, his fingers half covering his mouth, his eyes wide and shocked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Sasuke yelled back. They were standing several strides apart now. Neither boy answered. Sasuke's cheeks burned in anger or embarrassment. Naruto kept his hands at his mouth. They avoided each other's gaze.

Sasuke spoke first once he was sure his voice wouldn't tremble.

"We both reacted weirdly so lets both take some blame and forget about it, Ok?" said the raven, putting on his mature face. The blonde's eyes were wide and he didn't try to hide his feelings at all.

Some one had to be the adult...

Naruto nodded in silent agreement, his face darkened by the night time shadow of the trees he had retreated back into.

"Let's go."

The rest of the trip back to the big Uchiha house at the end of the road was very quiet.

…

Slowly, the material slipped from his shoulders and dropped to the floor with a soft thud and pooled; vivid orange at his bare feet. Naruto was alone in the room, standing stripped to his boxers. He touched his bare chest, his cool fingers spreading chills across his skin as he tried to feel for his heartbeat, trying to gather his thoughts but it was like trying to grab water with only you're hands.

Nearly kissing another boy... Nearly kissing Sasuke! How did that even happen?

Naruto gathered up his kimono and piled it delicately on a chair in the corner before reaching for a shirt and climbing onto the end of Sasuke's bed to wait.

Sasuke had been in the shower for and hour now. Maybe he had drowned. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. The serious frown felt strange on his features. Heavy. But he couldn't work out how he was feeling.

Are we... more than friends...?

He had thought that as they lay in the grass together. And then, under the stars, Sasuke's hand in his… It had changed from warm to cold when he asked if Sasuke was hurting and Naruto suddenly felt it through their contact, all of Sasuke's feelings that he refused to show on his face. All Naruto had wanted right then was to hold him even tighter, to warm the other boy's body. When they had stood so close Sasuke had breathed on him, pushing everything from his mind. Nothing else mattered but the heat from Sasuke's body so close to his. The desire to touch the other boy had completely consumed him. With his hands wasn't enough, their hands pressing together wasn't enough...

The feelings he had towards Sasuke... He had realized in the grass that they weren't normal. But could it really be possible? Sasuke was his rival. He hated him, right? But at the same time, he always wanted to be closer to Sasuke. It had always been that way. He had always wanted to catch him but he was always so far ahead. It wasn't even about surpassing him. No. All Naruto really wanted, was to walk beside him. He'd been over this before; wanting to be closer. But never in this light... What was he supposed to do...?

The door opened. Naruto looked up. Sasuke was standing in the door way, dressed for bed, his unruly hair falling a little more flat than usual. Silently, he walked to the bedside and carefully climbed up near the pillow.

"So..." said Naruto, shuffling around to face him. They sat at opposite ends. Sasuke said nothing but as their eyes skimmed each other, a dusty red crept over Sasuke's nose. It looked strangely endearing on him. Naruto gulped. The Uchiha's damp black hair shone in the light of the single light bulb above them. Sasuke picked at the hem of his duvet.

"So..." he replied back, still not looking up.

Silence.

What was Sasuke thinking? Why was he red? Was he angry? His face was frowning but the centre of his forehead where his thin black eyebrows pulled together trembled a little; not like when he was angry. Naruto knew angry all too well.

"Sasuke... I..." He looked to the other boy weakly for help with the conversation. Naruto didn't know what to say but they couldn't just leave it. Sasuke didn't move from where he sat, folded delicately near the head of the bed. He didn't turn his face to Naruto. His pale hand sitting on his thigh was clenched. Eventually Naruto looked away too. The nearly kiss was clearly playing on both their minds.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto jumped.

"W-what?" He said, lifting his startled blue eyes.

"Sorry," said Sasuke again, his lips pushed out in a pout, his averted dark eyes glaring across room.

Naruto's eyes widened. Sasuke's apology didn't sit right in his chest. It was heavy and shifted as he breathed. Something had to be said. But this wasn't it. Sorry definitely wasn't the right thing to say.

"I'm sorry..."

Sorry isn't right. Stop it. Somehow I can't take you saying it... Sorry was rejection.

"...It was mostly my fault..."

Don't say sorry. You don't mean it, I can tell...

Naruto's body tensed and un-tensed. He dug his fingers into the blankets.

"...I said some weird things..."

Don't say it. Shut your mouth. I don't want to hear you regret it...

On its own accord, Naruto's body moved forward.

"...and I just wanted to say that-" Sasuke never finished his sentence. His mouth stopped as Naruto threw himself at him. They fell again, for the second time on that bed. Sasuke smacked his head against the wall.

"Dobe... What are you doing? I'm trying to get rid of all of this..." said one to the other as they lay awkwardly, half propped up, the smaller boy with his blonde head buried in the other's chest.

"No," came the muffled reply and Sasuke lifted a fisted hand up and dropped it gently onto the Naruto's head in a half hearted protest.

"What the hell does 'no' mean? You don't want this to go away?" asked Sasuke.

"..."Naruto tightened his grip, pushing his nose further into Sasuke. What should he say?

He could feel Sasuke waiting.

"...Maybe..." Naruto's lips moved against Sasuke's skin through the thin material of his shirt making him shiver.

"What does 'maybe' mean?" asked Sasuke, no taunt in his voice, only quiet curiosity.

"Maybe means maybe! Jerk!" Naruto lifted his face, his eyes blazing for a moment and then settled as he came to terms with how close they were. Sasuke's eyes were dark and still. A hand was in Naruto's hair, slipped from its fisted position atop his head, now pressing gently. The heat from Sasuke's palm seeped over his head like warm water. Naruto flushed and his eyes jumped nervously to the side; away from the other boy's face.

"Let me go..." muttered Naruto softly; realizing Sasuke's other arm had somehow found its way around his body. He could feel the Uchiha watching him, considering him silently.

"Maybe means maybe!"

What did maybe really mean?

"You should too..."

Naruto looked up as the words left Sasuke's mouth. He was unsure whether he had heard them or felt them brush his skin. They were close; their mouths hovering close to each other. Sasuke was looking right at him. Naruto was scared to breathe.

"I should just do whatever I want, you said..." The dark haired boy's face became embarrassedly angry, his eyes flicking to the side, just as Naruto's had before and this time it was the blonde who kept watching. "You should do the same... Just do whatever you want."

"Sa...suke...?"

They breathed, slightly out of sync, one a little behind the other. Naruto couldn't tell whose was slower. Sasuke's scent... or his... smelt strange. Bitter sweet. What was it? Whose was it? It was impossible to know, they were one. He was dizzy and his breath hitched as Sasuke's nose nudged his. His eyes were closing; his heart beat quick and loud as they came closer and closer.

They touched and a white shock shot through Naruto's body and pooled, hot and burning between his hips. Everything else was gone apart from the feeling of Sasuke's soft lips against him. They parted for a moment and Sasuke sat up straighter.

"Is this really ok?" asked Naruto and Sasuke nodded; no words, just a hurried motion, his eyes dark and half lidded as he brought his hands back to Naruto's face, pulling him back again.

"Sasuke..." whispered Naruto breathlessly; his face flush, making his head spin. He was so vulnerable, so open, so completely unable to think. It was embarrassing. How could his head be so empty, his body so hot?

"Sasuke.. Stop... I can't-" His words were cut off as Sasuke's lips crashed into his again.

"I don't care... if how I feel... is right... or wrong...anymore," said Sasuke in quick, short breaths in between kisses. Naruto's body reacted with the sound of Sasuke's velvet voice and he let out a tiny noise that made his white shock pool stir. Sasuke leant back down and Naruto couldn't help but lift his face to him.

The other boy's face was only visible in flashes; eyes closed. His breath short and laboured as they exchanged kisses. Some slow and long, others short. Somehow Naruto was on his back now and Sasuke's lips were moving quicker, clumsy and hot against his own that were just as needy. His hands were moving on Sasuke's back, in his hair, on his face, grasping desperately, unsure whether he was willing him to stop or keep going.

It was too much. It was only his first time doing this, only Sasuke's first time doing this, only their first time doing this!

Sasuke's knee moved his knee between Naruto's legs and the blonde gasped against the other boy's lips. Suddenly, Sasuke's tongue was in his mouth. Naruto made a noise of protest, the slick texture of Sasuke's tongue throwing him.

Too much! Too much!

Crossing an arm over his body, Naruto flung it out and his fist caught Sasuke squarely in the jaw. The boy was sent flying off the bed. All ninja ability escaping him, he landed heavily on the ground. Naruto scrambled into a sitting position and pulled his shirt down hurriedly, trying to regain some composure. He vaguely remembered Sasuke's busy hands there too.

"T-Teme! What the hell do you think you were doing?" protested Naruto shakily, wiping his messy mouth. Sasuke was on his hands and knees, his eyes wide open.

"S-sorry, I couldn't.. stop," he replied, his voice jumping all over the place. Sasuke's fingers trembled as he raised his hand to wipe his own mouth. Naruto blinked, and he grinned a little, momentarily forgetting what had just happened.

"Control issues, Teme?" he taunted.

"Shut up!" yelled Sasuke, getting to his feet and climbing back onto the bed. His face was red.

Sasuke who was precise and accurate, who never missed a target with his steady mind and hand... Control issues.. If Naruto wasn't so shaken up he would have teased him a bit more.

"You're the one who did it first," Sasuke growled.

"You're the one who told me too!" cried Naruto!

"Whatever! It's not my fault you can't handle it!"
"Handle it? You nearly tried to eat me!"

"I did not!"

"Did too! You Jerk! Putting your tongue in my mouth like that! It's too much!"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you more!"

They were both panting, standing on the bed, childish frowns set firmly on their features, bristling with anger, faces red with fury or the topic.

Naruto clenched his teeth, his eyelids burned when he blinked. An annoying itching sensation started in the corners of his eyes.

"You haven't even said how you feel yet!" he cried, closing his eyes as the words flew from his lips. He bunched his fists against the silence that followed. The itching got worse. He was going to cry, the sobs began to bubble in his chest. He heard Sasuke blow out a breath that was going to be used for his next retort. One tear escaped and Naruto dashed it away angrily.

"I mean! It just snuck up on me so quickly and all off a sudden I realized I actually really like you! A lot!" More tears were falling even though Naruto's eyes were closed. The words were just falling from his lips without thought. They sounded stupid, muddled, weak. But it didn't stop them, or make them less true.

"And then I was thinking that... I've probably loved you for a long time now..." His voice was losing its strength, drowning as he swallowed tears. "All the time I'm thinking that if it's not me by your side..." He couldn't finish. Built up tears spilt, some clear with this fresh pain of uncertainty, some cloudy with time, held back, bottled, never shed. Naruto's shoulders rose around his ears. Crying in front of Sasuke was the absolute worst.

"Baka," said Sasuke. Naruto opened his eyes. The figure before him was blurry with tears. He hiccupped.

"Didn't I say I don't care whether what I'm feeling is right or wrong or something?" continued the dark haired boy. His voice was nearly steady but a soft red touched his face as he said it. Naruto frowned slowly.

"What you were feeling... Could mean anything..." Blue eyes pulled away, looking to the floor that was a long way down from where they were standing.

"Desire... right?" asked Naruto, identifying the bitter sweet scent between them earlier. His legs gave out when his minds eye replayed Sasuke's expression. The Uchiha followed him down and sat an arms space away. The scent was everywhere, thickening the air around them. Naruto closed and reopened his eyes in a slow blink, gathering his thoughts.

"It means nothing... It's not the same as the feeling that was behind what I was doing..." said Naruto. He couldn't look at Sasuke. In a different part of his mind he frowned at his insecurity.

"Baka," said Sasuke again. Naruto's skin bristled with anger at the insult but when he looked back to Sasuke, lifting his chin to yell, the other boy was coming for him. In one swift movement Sasuke's pale fingers grabbed him at the elbow and pulled him forward into his arms. Naruto's heart thundered in his chest.

"Teme?"

"Dobe..." The name came easily but the next words didn't.

"I love you," whispered Sasuke into the downy blonde hair behind Naruto's ear. His velvet voice was choked like the words were hard to say. The blonde closed his eyes. The words flooded through him. You were supposed to be happy when someone said that to you, excited so that you couldn't sleep, but Sasuke's words made Naruto happy-drowsy. Fighting had taken it out of him and Sasuke had sounded so sincere. It made him feel safe in the other boy's arms, like he could fall to sleep right now and not worry. Even though it sounded hard for Sasuke.

Actually, it probably was hard for Sasuke… He had loved before and it had all been ripped away. He must be scared. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's back and pushed his lips into the boy's tense shoulder. They stayed that way for a while, and then Sasuke's arms loosened and Naruto slid down a little. Worn out. What time was it? Late?

"Are you taking over my bed again?" asked Sasuke, a tiny smirk in his voice. Naruto frowned sleepily with his eyes closed and crawled away and under the comforter. Sasuke sighed and got in next to him. Back to back. Naruto didn't like it. He rolled over and nudged Sasuke lightly with all the strength he could muster. He turned over and Naruto moved closer to his warmth.

"You're all clingy all of a sudden. It freaks me out," muttered Sasuke bluntly. Every wall Naruto had gone down. Every piece of defiance he had in him disappeared when he was tired, when Sasuke breathed on him. The blonde didn't respond or move.

Very slowly, Sasuke's arms came around his body. Naruto smiled.

"I'll never tell," promised Naruto gently, the words slipping out, flying straight past his lowered walls. Sasuke tensed in embarrassment.

"Let's have pancakes for breakfast..." said Naruto after a moment. He was just about to lose himself to sleep. Sasuke laughed quietly.

"Mmmm, with banana and chocolate chips," he said, his voice vibrating through them both. Naruto frowned gently.

"That's just weird Teme," he said.

"... Whatever, Usuratonkachi..."