Beside You

"You gotta tell him." Ino mentioned entering her friend's kitchen.

"No." Naruto replied for the millionth time trying his best not to get mad.

"Tell who what now?" Sakura asked as she watched the cookies she was baking. She was learning quite a lot in her culinary arts class and since she was spending the night at Naruto's house anyway she'd asked permission to bake. Kushina gladly accepted having not had homemade cookies since the last time she visited her parents.

"Tell no one nothing." Naruto answered. "Now drop it."

"That's a double negative, Fishcake." Sakura pointed out.

"Tell Sasuke that Naruto likes him." Ino elaborated ignoring him.

"Oh yea. Ino's got a point." Sakura replied simply.

"Ino's got nothing! And don't be on her side." Naruto complained.

"Look, I fail to see a good reason besides you being a coward to not tell him. What are you just gonna make it through this last month of school and ditch him?" Ino asked.

"Wait what?" Naruto asked.

Sakura glanced at him. "Naruto, we've got one more month left of school."

"We graduate after that." Ino added.

He leaned back a little and looked up at the ceiling. He hadn't realized that this much time has gone by already. It seemed like the school year started only a day ago and now it was almost over. High school was almost over. No more art classes with Kakashi-sensei, no more P.E. with Gai-sensei. No more Sasuke. He only ever saw him at school. They were right. In one month he would probably never see Sasuke again.

"So are you going to tell him or what?" Sakura asked expectantly.

-XxX-

He cleared his throat. "Ithinkyou'rethemostbeautifulthingever Will you please go out with me?"

Naruto blinked and snickered.

Sakura blinked and tried her hardest to figure out what he said. He talked so fast just then. The only sentence she caught was that last one but she usually only caught that part and was way used to hearing it. "What?" She asked.

Lee sighed and held up a finger asking for a moment to catch his breath.

She waited.

"I think you are the most beautiful thing ever to walk this planet, and I would love nothing more then to protect and love you for the rest of my life. So please, will you go out with me?" He replied finally looking nervous.

Naruto watched the scene. This was the boy who she turned down four times the other day. Poor guy. He was still trying. He kinda felt bad for him.

She sighed looking towards the ground for a moment. She then looked up and was about to say something but stopped. He looked so sad already. She sighed again. "I…Lee…alright."

Naruto blinked shocked.

Lee blinked shocked. "Huh?" He asked having expected something completely different.

"I said alright. I'll go out with you." Sakura replied. "But uh…give me a moment please." She added before rushing off and grabbing Ino.

Naruto knew where she was going. Most likely to gloat to her friend and squeal. Not many people really ever asked Sakura out. Lee had been one of those few and the only one she accepted.

"How the hell did you do that?" Naruto asked.

"Do what?" Lee asked.

"Get her to say 'yes'?"

Lee thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. It must have been my hard work and determination. Or maybe my youthfulness!"

He blinked again. This blinking was getting annoying. Determination?

He caught sight of what he'd unconsciously been looking for all morning and he felt his heart beat accelerate. Despite the odd feeling he couldn't help but feel glad to see him. But he could tell something was wrong.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up at him and there was something…sad written there in those eyes. Something was wrong.

"Sasuke." Naruto repeated quietly. "What's…"

Sasuke looked away from him suddenly.

Just before anything more could be said the bell rang.

"Everyone please sit down." Minato called into the classroom attempting to start homeroom.

Sasuke walked away just like that and sat back in his seat alone. "Go sit down." He commented as he passed by the blonde. His voice was cold.

Something happened. Was he just told to leave him alone? Just like that. The underlying message in his tone of voice was obvious. Sasuke sounded pissed but he looked sad.

"No." Naruto replied walking over to the table Sasuke sat at. "What happened?"

"Beat it, Dobe." Sasuke replied.

"No."

Sasuke stood up. "Fine." He said simply. He turned away and walked out of the classroom.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called chasing him out the door.

Sakura looked at Ino and both girls went to the door and looked out after them.

"Get lost, Loser." Sasuke commented hearing the blonde boy chasing after him.

"No." Naruto said again catching up and cutting him off.

"I said leave so do so." The black haired male added sounding annoyed but there was a pained expression on his face almost begging.

"And I said no. Tell me why first." Naruto replied letting his face soften.

"Hey Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "Can I ask you something?"

Sasuke looked away from Naruto who he'd been staring at for the past few minutes. The blonde had gotten him to hang out with them at lunch and he honestly didn't know what to do with himself. He'd only ever talked to Sakura and Ino briefly and everyone else were practically strangers.

"Do you like Naruto?" She asked.

He didn't look it, but he felt it. He was lost. "What?" He asked.

"Do you have a crush on, Fishcake?" She asked. "Y'know, crush? To like? To want to date? To want to kiss?"

"I what?" He asked again.

"Naruto." Sakura commented really hoping he wasn't always this slow. Although if he was, he and Naruto were meant for each other.

"D-do you?" Hinata asked. She wasn't exactly ever sure what was going on until after it happened but since she'd over heard anyway she might as well ask.

Sasuke looked over at Naruto who seemed to be in the mist of one of his arguments with Ino. "I…no, I don't think so." Sasuke answered. He'd never really thought about it like that. He never really thought about anyone like that. Last time he'd ever had a crush on anyone at all was before he moved in with Itachi. "I never really thought about it." He added.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Well are you gay then?"

He looked back at her then at Hinata who were both waiting for his answer. "I never really thought about that either." Sasuke answered truthfully.

"R-really?" Hinata asked.

He shrugged.

"Well…" Sakura began tapping on her bottom lip as she thought for a moment then suddenly decided she knew what she wanted to say. "What if Naruto were to let's say – hypothetically of course, that he likes you and asks you out? What would you do if that were to happen?"

Sasuke frowned. That is an unfair question to him. If he were to be with Naruto, Itachi would get mad. But if he rejected Naruto for his own safety and for Naruto's then things would undoubtedly become awkward. And he liked having his source of warmth. He might loose that with the rejection.

It was an unfair decision. Choosing between Naruto and Itachi...

What if Itachi wasn't a problem? He thought about that for a moment but stopped himself. There was no point and thinking about something like that. Whether he liked it or not Itachi was a problem.

"I don't know."

Naruto's eyes traveled for a moment to the audience that had gathered at the door but they were forgotten the moment he looked back at Sasuke and got the black haired male to lock eyes with him. "You're confusing me. You keep telling me to leave you alone but every time you say it I can see it makes you upset." He commented. "What do you want me to do?"

Sasuke didn't look away from those blue eyes. "Baka." He walked right past him. "Leave me alone for good. I don't want you near me."

How was it that the lies stung him so badly even though he was the one who said them. He could only imagine how Naruto felt hearing them directed at him.

He didn't hear Naruto's footsteps coming after him this time but the moment he turned the corner, he ran. Not wanting to be there. Not wanting to break down in front of anyone.

Naruto didn't move. For a moment he forgot how.

"Naruto?" Minato asked bringing him back to reality. Naruto looked pale and it kinda freaked him out for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked him when she noticed him start to look around him. "You spaced out for a moment."

"What did he say?" Ino asked.

Naruto blinked and opened his mouth. "I have to go after him." He stated simply before rushing off away from them and in the direction he figured Sasuke would mostly likely have gone.

He was right.

Naruto looked through the small window from the hallway into the staircase which led down to the broiler room. Sasuke sat against the wall hugging his knees to his chest. His face burying in his sleeves and his back rising and falling with his breath. Every couple seconds his breath would hitch slightly indicating that he was crying.

-XxX-

Sasuke hugged his knees closer to himself. He was tired. His chest hurt from the bruise Itachi left and various other bruises. He felt generally like compete shit, and to top it off he was being forced to shove away the only warmth he's known in years. Itachi had given him a clear as day warning last night about what he should do with Naruto. Get rid of him.

He couldn't believe how hard it was. He couldn't sleep at all last night even after he'd been given his usual treatment. And now he was crying. He was seriously crying over this.

"I'm starting to think you really like it here in this stairway." Naruto commented.

Sasuke's breath hitched. Somehow he knew Naruto would find him.

"Can't say I blame ya. It's kinda nice in here." He added sitting over across from Sasuke and waiting for the brunette to look up.

Sasuke didn't look up; he didn't reply. He just sat there crying. Naruto couldn't see the tears while Sasuke was hiding his face like that, but he could tell.

"If we keep skipping like this we'll hear it from the old man…"

"No one forced you to follow me! I told you to leave me alone!" Sasuke replied into his sleeve.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that." Naruto challenged.

Sasuke looked up at him and glared. "Why the fuck do you care so much? What the hell is there about me that makes you want to follow me, huh? I don't understand…" He drifted off and looked away from Naruto towards the ground. "I'm so sick of this."

Naruto reached over and grabbed Sasuke arm gently noticing the small wince. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke closed his eyes.

"Please look at me?"

He let Naruto pull his arms away from his knees before the blonde released him. His hands pushed lightly on his knees so that they moved out of his way.

"Sasuke." Naruto called softly again placing a hand on his cheek where he noticed a light bruise.

Sasuke barely flinched but didn't open his eyes. He had to get Naruto away from him.

"Next time you ignore me, I won't be the one responsible for what happens to you or him. Got it? It's on your hands. If I find him within 15 feet of you…"

"You asked me why I care so much. Sasuke, I care so much because…I love you."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open wide and he looked straight into those bright blue eyes. Sincerity and honesty pasted all over his face. "What?" Sasuke forced out the word from his dry mouth.

What did he just say?

Trust in me, trust in me

Don't pull away

Just trust in me, trust in me

Cause I'm just trying to keep it together

If I could do worse then you could do better

When your tears are spent

On your last pretense

And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense

And if your heart wears thin

I will hold you up

And I will hide you when it gets too much

I'll be right beside you

Beside You by: Marianas Trench

NearKunn: YES! FINALLY! FINALLY! *happy dance while laughing hysterically* HE CONFESSED!

Sakura: Sensei? *steaming*

NearKunn: Yes? *oblivious*

Sakura: We've talked about this a million times before in your other story…

NearKunn: Huh?

Sakura: I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!

NearKunn: *screams like a little girl and hides behind Itachi* HELP ME TACHI!

Itachi: *pouts* I wanted to end up with Sasuke.

Sasuke: WHAT?

Naruto: Stories not over yet.

Sai: Hello there. I am please to say that I am not in this story…

NearKunn: Did you have to say it like that?

Sai: However I'm getting paid in cake to do this silly end thing, so here: Review!

Suigetsu: HEY!...I'm not in this bullshit either!

NearKunn: I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T BE MAD WITH ME SUISUI-CHAN!

Anko: Doesn't matter! *smacks both Sai and Suigetsu with a book* Now, review got it! Reviews are like fuel. They keep the car going, and if you don't fill the gas tank, then it won't run anymore got it?

Sasuke: O.O… :) So don't you dare review!

NearKunn: NOOOOOO! DON'T LISTEN TO SASU!

Kakashi: Flame us, and we'll set your hair on fire while you sleeping. Survivors have to watch the Naruto filler arcs in English. ;)

Sakura: That's just cruel.