Hey everyone! I am so happy to be posting another chapter so soon! I didn't think this would ever happen. I had a pretty fun time typing this one and I am happy to say that it was so much longer than any other I have written before. Thank you all so much for reviewing if you did so and please review again! I really enjoy reading them.

Warning: Yaoi, uncertain feelings and small angst at the end.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.

Saving You

Chapter 6: Not Talking To You

Awkward. That seemed to be the only word Naruto could think of that adequately described his morning. He had figured it would be at least a little bit awkward but it was beyond anything he had imagined. When he had woken up completely, he had been standing in the shower, and he had no real collection of how he got there. Kiba always said when he got up in the morning, he was half sleep walking. A morning person he was not. So, he was a little worried about what had happened while he was in that state. Especially given how Sasuke had acted towards him once he was utterly awake.

~ FLasHBacK ~

Steam whirled around the confined room, making the blonde sigh. Blinking bleary eyes, Naruto reached up and rubbed the last little bit of sleep from his eyes, finally completely waking to the wonderful world. Looking around himself, he was more than a little confused to see that he wasn't in his own familiar bathroom, and began to panic a little.

Whipping around, he slipped on the slick floor, catching himself against the wall while accidentally knocking over a bottle that was resting on a shelf. It hit the floor, the top popping open and spilling some of the contents across the bottom of the shower. Stooping down, he picked up the bottle, the gel coating his fingers as he flipped to top back. After he put it back on the shelf, he ran his hands through his hair and as he did so, the scent of the shampoo hit his nose. Lilacs… For whatever reason that made him think of Sasuke.

With a sigh, he climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it securely around his waist as he padded across the cold, tiled floor. Walking over to the mirror, he looked into it and began making faces at himself, snorting sometimes as the steam distorted his reflection, making him giggle. After a few minutes of this ridiculously normal routine, he spun on his heel and strolled out of the bathroom to find some clothes for school, completely forgetting he hadn't yet discovered where he was yet.

Staring around the fairly spacious room, Naruto had the feeling of déjà vu… he could have sworn that he had been in here before. Walking across the thick carpet, his toes dug in and the feeling only intensified. A sudden movement on the huge bed drew his attention, and his grip on his towel loosened so much that it fell, hanging scandalous inches above his treasured bits. Climbing gracefully off the bed, in nothing more than a pair of loose sleeping pants that mirrored the state of Naruto's towel, was none other than Sasuke Uchiha!

Naruto swallowed hard, his gaze glued to the thin body of the other. While Sasuke was on the too thin side of the line, there was something about the promise that that body held that made his heart pump a little harder. He related that to fear; the fear that once Sasuke was completely healthy he could beat his ass in a fair fight. Badly. Yeah…that was the reason…

"..be. Get out of the way."

Naruto snapped back to reality and focused on the large black abyss's in front of him. "Huh?"

A scoff and shove were his response as Sasuke shoved past him into the bathroom. Just as the door was about to close Naruto grabbed the edge, halting its movement. "Wait a second teme!"

A pause and then a "What?" was growled at him, as a slightly flushed face peeked out.

Naruto shuffled on his feet and mumbled a reply. The bathroom was quiet for a second before the door opened wider and the raven looked out at him and asked, "What Naruto?" his voice heavy with defeat and something else the boy couldn't quite place.

The blonde swallowed roughly before managing to mutter, "What…should I wear? To school you know? My stuff is dirty and I don't have anything else over here yet." At the end of his sentence he managed to look the other in the eye, a large flush spreading across the bridge of his nose.

With a quiet sigh, the raven pointed to his closet, the pale arm pressing against Naruto's chest as he did so, even though he had tons of room. "Over there. Borrow some of mine, but only the stuff on the hangers in the front. If I find out you touched anything else I will personally castrate you and fillet the little bits in an iron skillet."

Grinning, Naruto just nodded cheerfully and walked over to the closet, listening as the bathroom door clicked shut and the sound of water pounding against the floor soon followed. Pulling open the light cedar doors, he was stunned still momentarily before a full grown smirk burst across his face and he disappeared into the rather obnoxiously large walk-in closet. This would be fun.

~ End FLasHBacK ~

Nothing much had happened after that weird occurrence in the bedroom except for Sasuke not having a fit and attacking him after he saw what the blonde had done to his clothes. To say that Naruto had gone overboard on the whole, trying to piss off Sasuke was a wee bit of an understatement. So he had thrown all the clothes off the hangers and onto the floor. So what? That's how his clothes always looked.

Unfortunately, this didn't receive the response he had been hoping for. Sasuke had just walked into his closet, grabbed the clothes closest to him and walked back out, not even acknowledging the fact that his neat and tidy clothes were now trashed about. The fact that the pale boy was avoiding him, made an uncomfortable feeling well up in his stomach. Having Sasuke fly off the handle was something he was familiar with, but not getting any response for anything he did was just unsettling.

The ride over to school was one of the most uncomfortable ones he had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. As soon as the car pulled into a spot, he had bolted out of the car, nearly forgetting to unbuckle himself, hoping for some normal conversations with normal people. Anymore of the creepy silence was going to make his head explode.

The bell rang above Naruto's head, rousing him out of his thoughts and into action. He grabbed his bag, stuffing his books in, and slung it over his shoulder, making his way out the door with the rest of the throng. As he walked down the hallway he was conscious of the appraising looks that were being sent his way. Normally he wouldn't care, in fact, they just boosted his ego and made him strut like a proud peacock, but today they just made him uneasy. Nothing seemed to be going his way.

He was hyperaware of the fact that the approving looks thrown his way were not because he was himself, but because of the fact that he was wearing Sasuke's clothes, which happened to be just a tad too tight and a tad too dark. Normally his outfit consisted of multiple blindingly bright colors and baggy t-shirts and jeans; today however, he was the complete opposite.

Sasuke's closet had held only dark colors and way smaller sizes, so he ended up wearing a tight black, long sleeve shirt that showed off his muscular chest and arms. Dressing his bottom half had been a bit more troublesome. Searching through rack after rack of clothes he had finally managed to find a pair of jeans he was able to squeeze into, a pair that probably hung off Sasuke so bad that he looked gangster. They were a dark, stone washed blue, and clung to his thighs and hips in such a way that he could have sworn he saw more than one girl turn away with a nosebleed, even several guys too!

Hurrying down the hall, eager to get away from all the stares, he stepped into his next class, dreading this one the most because he was forced to sit next his new nightmare. Sliding into his desk, Naruto let his head fall forward onto it, letting a groan rumbled up his throat and spilling out his lips as he already felt the brooding aura emitted by Sasuke.

He was aware of the glare that was briefly sent his way before he was ignored again as the stoic raven faced forward once more as the teacher walked in. Naruto didn't bother lifting his head, knowing that Asuma didn't really care as long as he didn't fail the class. He was the most laid back teacher in the entire school.

Just as he was beginning to fall asleep, per usual, the P.A. system crackled to life unexpectedly and Shizune's voice filled the room.

"Will Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki please report to the principle's office. Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki." With that, the speaker cut off, leaving many people with a finger in their ears, fearing they had gone deaf.

Naruto heard the chair next to him scrape the floor harshly as it was pushed back, its occupant standing next to his desk once they were upright.

"Move."

Naruto ignored the command, and nuzzled deeper into his arms, only wishing to go back to that wonderful unawareness that encompassed his mind when he was asleep. It was so much simpler there. The principal could wait for all he cared. He didn't get that much sleep most nights, so sleeping in school was his only reprieve. Just as he was about to reach that goal of complete darkness, his chair was pulled out from underneath him and his chin banged against the desk below him, effectively making him bite through his lip and split his chin.

He shot to his feet, with a scream, "Teme!" His fist was pulled back, ready to fly, when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

"Naruto. Let it go and get moving, this new principle won't wait forever."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Asuma standing behind him, pocky stick hanging limply out of his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he brought his arm down and with much difficultly, managed to release most of the tension in his body. Besides being an impossibly cool teacher, Asuma was also the head track coach and therefore Naruto's coach, so he knew how to control the explosive blonde.

With a gentle shove, he was pushed towards the door where an impassive Sasuke was waiting; having moved soon after Asuma took control. Taking a deep breath, and praying to any god that listened to allow him the patience to survive the walk to Tsunade's without killing the other, Naruto stalked past the boy, wiping the blood flowing from his chin.

The trip to the office was a silent and rushed one, seeing as how Naruto made sure to stay a couple ten feet in front Sasuke. Pushing open the office door, he raised a hand to greet Shizune, who looked up and frowned, used to the sight of the bloodied blonde. However, when Sasuke entered behind him without a scratch the frown turned to puzzlement. Pointing towards the chairs lined up along the wall, she walked to a cabinet and got down some antiseptic and gauze, being both the secretary and school nurse.

As she came to kneel in front of the blonde, she glanced between the two silent boys, knowing something was different seeing as how they were usually still spitting curses at each other. Leaning forward, she began to dab at the split, looking up when the blonde would flinch at the bite of the antiseptic but otherwise remained silent. It stayed this way through the entire process until she finished up and turned to Sasuke and asked, "Are you hurt?"

His response was just to shake his head, glancing briefly at the tanned boy next to him, who refused to meet his gaze. Something had definitely changed between the two.

With a sigh, she shook her head and stood, saying that Tsunade would see them in a few moments. When Naruto questioned what happened to Iruka, Shizune just replied that he needed a break and decided to transfer to the English department and let Tsunade take his place. It wasn't supposed to happen until this school year had let out, but the stress of yesterday had been too much for the quiet man.

During this whole explanation Sasuke was looking discreetly at the other out of the corner of his eye. There was something wrong with the dobe. Usually when Sasuke did something like pulling his chair out form under him, the blonde was up in under two seconds and had already thrown a punch at him. Today however, he seemed stunned and a little hesitant to send a hit at the pale guy.

If there was something that Sasuke hated more than annoyingly loud idiots, it was being babied. That was why he actually liked Naruto, not that he would ever admit it. He was one of the only people Sasuke would react to, simply because he could be counted on not to pull a hit, no matter how weak Sasuke was at the time. He treated everyone the same, not allowing certain behaviour just because someone was ill.

That's why he was more than disappointed when the blonde didn't hurl a fist in his direction. He didn't want their relationship to change, no matter how weird it was. There was nothing physically wrong with him, it was just…a mental block. One he would handle by himself and didn't need people butting into.

Not realizing he had been staring at the other boy, he was shocked when azure eyes suddenly flashed in his direction. "What the hell do you want asshole?" Naruto spat out harshly.

"Hn. …Dobe." He replied quickly, hoping to possibly goad the idiot once more.

With a sharp intake of breath, he could practically feel the other bristling at the insult, despite having turned face forwards again. "Don't call me that teme!"

"Never." Was his sarcastic reply, which was rewarded with a huff and crossed arms and the blonde reverted to being a three year old. Despite this childish behaviour, Sasuke had to raise his arm to block his face from view as a small smile spread his lips. It seemed the dobe wasn't going to completely freak out on him and treat him like a fragile little child.

That was good news.

XxXxXxXxX

Staring across her desk at the two opposites, Tsunade could do nothing more than shake her head. Across from her on her right, slumped so far down in his seat, he was barely still sitting in it was Sasuke Uchiha. Once one of the brightest of all the students to attend this school, he had changed to the reserved and hostile young man before her. Not having known him through the past couple years to see the change, she was only able to read about it in his file.

Never having had many friends to begin with, the boy now was practically an introvert and talked to no one, doing barely any of the work in his classes and yet excelling so far that he was still among the top in the school, the whole district. Before the whole change, the boy had been involved in most sports at his school and was the MVP for most of them and yet now he rarely even managed to attend his physical education class but was one of the most physical beings she had ever met, involved in more than half the fights that occurred in the school.

And then on her left was Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Though no one knew that his name was hyphenated as such. The boisterous boy was the complete opposite of the one sitting next to him. As he sat there, his knee was bouncing up and down at such a rate that it was jingling the wallet chain hanging out of his pocket and he looked around the room constantly.

When he was about ten years old, the doctors had diagnosed him with ADHD and supplied medicine to help calm him down. He took them for a couple years but then once starting eighth grade he quit and used all his ridiculous energy to excel at sports. He had made bunches of friends and thrived on the attention of others.

Though he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, in fact he was in the lowest percent of their grade, only barely making graduation with the required credits. Despite this, he had the most unique gift about him. There was no one person who he had not been able to charm and convince of his wonderful personality and way of living. Well, except one…

After observing the two fidget and glare at each other for a few more minutes there was no more chance of putting it off. "Enough with the looks you two." She spoke, lacing her fingers in a steeple. "Now, I know that Iruka has set some sort of punishment for the two of you. He has informed me of this idea of his and while I think it's completely unorthodox and stupid, I am willing to give it a try just because Iruka has such faith in it."

Here she paused; looking at the two of them to make sure she had their complete and utter attention. "But hear this, if I hear of one single fight, either on the grounds or off them, you will be expelled and you will not graduate.

You also will need to see me at least once a week, so we can discuss how things are going and I can be sure whether or not this plan should continue. If I think things are going downhill I will start scheduling these meetings more frequently, unless there is a serious threat to either of your well beings by your continued housing together. Speaking of which, have you decided whose house your going to be staying at? I thought this might take a while seeing as how you two fight over everything but-!"

"He's staying with me."

She pulled back, stunned at the fact that one, she had been interrupted, and two, they had settled this already. Leaning back in her chair, she stared on in shock. "You've already decided whose house you're using? I'm impressed. So Naruto is staying with Sasuke, and you know what happens because of this? You're willing to take it in stride if anything bad happens there? You two get in a fight and break something? Cause the school will not be held responsible."

Suddenly the blonde bolted up from his seat. "Hey! Wait a minute! I am not 'staying' with the teme! Not like that! I wouldn't even be there if the teme hadn't begged me to."

As soon as he said this and the raven stood from his slumped position, Tsunade rubbed her forehead, hoping to stave off an incoming migraine, before standing from her seat and stepping around the desk into the hostile space between the two boys.

"Stop it, the both of you! Naruto, you know I didn't mean it any way like that. Now, Sasuke I have nothing further to discuss with you so you may head back to class. Please." She added after a moment when the tiny boy just stared up at her.

With a snort he turned on his heel and stalked to the door, turning to look discreetly over his shoulder at the tanned boy once more as he pulled it open before walking out, slamming it shut behind him. Raising an eyebrow, the blonde woman pondered that look before storing in the back of her mind for later as she turned to the other boy.

Her stern look faded and a smile broke across her cheeks, mirroring that of the boy before her. "Brat." She said fondly, sweeping him up into a firm hug, smothering him against her enormous bosom.

"Granny." He murmured back, hugging her back tightly, not even struggling against the suffocation that was impending.

After a few moments they stepped back from each other, sitting down in their respective seats once more.

"So how have you been brat?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

With a smirk, Naruto leaned back in his as well, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Eh, not bad. Well, except for the whole fighting with the teme and having to live with him. Kiba and I made varsity on the basketball team this year and I was elected team captain as well. So that's awesome…"

Nodding, Tsunade listened to the boy ramble, laughing at the right points and smiling encouragingly when he was ranting about the time when Kiba strung his underwear up on a tree while sleeping over at his house one time. Eventually she sat forward and stopped his ramblings.

"That's great Naruto. Now, how are you really handling this whole living with the Uchiha brat? If you think it's not a good idea, then I can change your punishment. I know how much of a sacrifice and struggle it must be for you to be living at his place, considering."

The boy nodded but smiled as he replied. "I'm doing fine, really. It seems to be working out fine and if that seems to be changing then I'll let you know. Promise." He told her in a soft voice. When he continued though, his voice was lower in tone, ensuring no one would over hear if they walked by the door. "The whole living over there is a little weird but I am handling it. It wasn't much of a problem last night, though I had to walk back to his place after working at jii-sans because I forgot to take the car. I even managed to fall asleep over there." He finished with a smile.

"Wait! You have a car now? When did you get that? How're you able to afford that? Better yet, you SLEPT at his house! Actually slept there? Like fall asleep and stay that way?" she gaped at him, hands planted on the desk, spilling papers onto the floor.

He laughed at her surprise and answered. "No, I don't have a car. The teme offered me his car to get to and from work, so that we would stay at his place. And yes I did fall asleep."

She just gazed at him in astonishment before falling back into her seat. "Well, I have to say that I am impressed. You are living a very healthy and stable life and seem to be coping very well. You are so much better off than the last time I saw you. I'm so glad."

Standing up, she pulled him up into one last hug. "Now you better get to class, but don't be a stranger. I expect to see you at Jiraiya's place at least once a week to have dinner with us, now that we both are here. You should be spending time with your guardians." She stopped to take a breath and started up before he could interject. "I don't care about your working schedule; I will have Jiraiya fix it. If needed he can bump up your pay. You look far too tired to be working the schedule you are.

"And one more thing, that boy…I believe he may actually care for you. No matter how he may express it. And whether you know it or not, you like him too. Even if just a little."

With that she smiled gently at him before pushing him towards the door. "Now get going. And no more getting in trouble!" she called after him as he walked out into the main office.

Plopping down in her cushy swivel chair, she let a puff of air escape her lips as she ran her hands down her face. She had a feeling that she might end up regretting the decision to take this job, even if she did get to see her godson and husband much more often.

XxXxXxXxX

Sasuke released a cloud of hot air, watching as it turned white and floated away on a cold breeze that made him shiver. He had no idea why he was still here, waiting for the idiot, but everyone else was already gone so he might as well wait a little longer he supposed.

Tilting his head back against the red bricks of the building, he stared up at the cloudy gray sky and wished it would snow already. Most people hated winter because it was cold but Sasuke happened to love it. He loved the feeling of being wrapped in a million layers, the warmth trapped close to his skin, yet still able to feel the bite on the frosty wind on his face.

Gazing at the lifeless sky he closed his eyes and once he saw nothing but the image of the sky filled with snowflakes in his mind, he smiled quietly. A cough from beside his elbow had him spinning away from the wall and into a fighting stance, hands raised to protect himself.

Looking at the person who had startled him, he was both surprised and not to see that it was Naruto. No one else had ever been able to sneak up on him beside the blonde so he should have suspected. Uneasily, he slid out of the stance and leaned back against the wall, breathing in a sigh as he tried to relax.

The blonde looked on in silence, staring at the other boy in contemplation. Finally the silence unnerved the Uchiha heir and he snapped.

"What?"

Naruto looked at him, serious thoughts showing through his eyes, before they were wiped away and replaced with a silly grin. "Oh nothing teme. You just looked really peaceful and happy…Is there any reason why?" he questioned, the smile upon his face belaying how much attention he actually was paying.

Sasuke just looked at him for a moment before returning to looking at the sky. "It's almost winter."

Naruto followed his gaze upward while braving another question. "So…you like winter?"

The raven haired boy just nodded.

The two stood there in a companionable silence for the first time in their lives, before Sasuke pushed off the wall and started walking towards the parking lot to head home. Naruto stared after him, wondering if he was supposed to follow. He was answered when the other guy turned around and quirked his head to the side.

"You coming dobe?"

Naruto grinned and ran after the raven, easily catching up to him and beginning a running ramble that the other paid no attention to. Despite this, the two were completely content to be with the other for the first time. They didn't know if it was the approaching season or the new living situation or the fact that something may have changed between them. Either way they didn't care, and just enjoyed it while it lasted.

XxXxXxXxX

Stepping into the house, both boys kicked off their shoes and threw their bags on the ground, before splitting off and going in different directions. It had been a week and a half since the first day that they had stayed in the same house together, and though Naruto had eventually gotten a tour of the house, he still headed towards Sasuke's room to take a shower. It was where he spent most of his time and felt the most relaxed, while Sasuke had said he was allowed in the other rooms he didn't feel comfortable there. The rest of the house besides the kitchen and bedroom made him feel unnerved and sad for whatever reason. Besides, Sasuke's bathroom had the best shower.

While Naruto headed there, Sasuke went for the kitchen. After the first two nights there was no question of the fact that Naruto was not allowed near the kitchen. He had attempted to make ramen and started a huge kitchen fire. Once the fire had been put out, Sasuke asked him if he had ever been near a stove before and was proved right in his guess that it would be a no. From then on, Sasuke had been cooking all meals for them, just as his nutritionist requested. The only thing Naruto was allowed to make was cereal and even then he had to ask permission.

Twenty minutes later Sasuke had finished cooking and Naruto was out of the shower, based on what he could hear from the kitchen. Heading up the stairs, he walked into his room and opened his mouth, expecting to find the boy passed out on his bed per usual. However, that wasn't the case. Looking around his room he couldn't see the blonde, so he headed for his closet seeing as how the door was open. He guessed that the other was in there, trying to find a pair of clothes. Why he didn't just use his own room, the raven haired boy didn't know.

Pushing open the door, he called out. "Hey dobe! Dinner's read-" his voice abandoned him as he took in something his mind refused to absorb.

Naruto spun around, the light blue dress in his hands making his wide blue eyes seem to glow an otherworldly color.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke whispered deeply, his hands clenching at his sides.

"I-I..I was jus-"

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted angrily, face turning red as he took in the clothes splayed out on the rack before the blonde. The dresses, the jeans, suits, and such that were never to be touched by anyone else. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Striding over, he tore the dress out of Naruto's hands and pulled him to his feet by his collar. "Get out." He dragged him out of the room and down the stairs, not caring that the other boy was falling and smacking his face and shins into the hard corners of the furniture.

The blonde stumbled after him, trying to regain his footing, wincing as his shin thumped into something else. "Sasuke! Wait! It wasn't what you-!"

"GET out! Get OUT! GET OUT! Didn't you hear me? Get The Fuck OUT!" He shouted furiously. Tearing open his front door, the thin boy shoved the other out, not caring that it was thundering out and raining sideways in sheets. It reflected his current mood rather nicely, he thought absently, a numb feeling spreading through him that was very comforting.

"SASUKE! I'm sorry! Please, wait! I didn't mean-" he was cut off by the door slamming in his face, and no matter how hard he pounded on it, he wasn't answered. "Sasuke! I'm sorry!" he whimpered pathetically, resting his head against the cool oak of the door. Finally, Naruto turned away and stepped out into the downpour, walking towards his work, something he hadn't done since he was living with Sasuke.

As he walked away, there was something nagging in the back of his mind that he had done something completely unacceptable and he doubted the raven would ever forgive him. The only thing he didn't know what to think about was the clothes, he couldn't understand why the raven would have those kinds of clothes hanging in the back of his closet. He doubted the other boy was into cross-dressing, so they must have some sort of special meaning to him.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he headed to work; his head drooped low, hoping he could make it up to Sasuke somehow. He just hoped the other boy wouldn't have some kind of relapse because of this.

XxXxXxXxX

As soon as Sasuke had kicked Naruto out, the furious boy had sunk down against the door, curled into a ball, and buried his head in his arms, crying long and hard into them until he had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Many hours later Itachi had come home to discover his little brother blocking the doorway with his body and shivering uncontrollably.

Taking one look and the shaking boy, he knew something terrible had happened, something that concerned their parents and most likely, their newest addition to the home. Throwing his coat on the couch, he stooped and picked up his little brother, carrying him to his room and feeling as though they had reverted to years ago, just after their parents had died. He only hoped the boy would be able to shake off the trauma one more time.

So, there was chapter six. I was completely surprised at how easily I was able to whip out this chapter. I am not quite happy with the ending but oh well. Any ideas on where this story should go, or for a filler chappie, please, PLEASE, please feel free to put them in reviews for me to read or email me. I really need them with this story. So, please review if you would like another chapter relatively soon, though I make no promises. ALSO I was just wondering if any of you would consider reading an Inuyasha story I have written. It's a Sess/Inu but they are not brothers in it. So let me know. Thanks everyone!

Ja!

Twitch