Heh.

It's been a while huh?

I apologize sincerely for the long wait. I know it's summer now and my updates should be coming quicker, considering I have more time to write, but no, my mind seems to get lazier and shut down in the summertime, alas, slower updates. I even had to put off two of my stories for a while…and I've sort of been spending more time on my other main fic, Lavender. So…I beg everyone for forgiveness.

In reality…this chapter should've been written and uploaded last Monday…but…oops?

Oh and for people who asked, no I'm not French and even further away from being fluent. I just study it in school :D

Chapter 8: Here For You

---

Sasuke rubbed his tired eyes and inhaled deeply. Trying to focus on the road ahead of him probably wasn't in his best interest at the moment. He had spent the whole night thinking of…well…Naruto. He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for practically raping the boy in what turned out to be many awkward situations. Granted, Naruto had been somewhat willing, but Sasuke disregarded that fact. If he hadn't initiated anything, then Naruto wouldn't have had anything to be willing about.

He didn't know how to approach the blonde and that, frankly, scared him quite a bit. He was Uchiha Sasuke. He feared nothing. He never hesitated. He always spoke his mind and got what he wanted. Now…now he wasn't so sure about that.

He screeched his car to a sudden halt when he became aware of his surroundings again and nearly crashed into another vehicle. He blinked twice before realizing he had tried to run a red light. Now, he was facing heavy swearing and loud beeps from the owner of the van he had nearly charged into.

Sasuke cradled his head in his hands. He was beginning to feel a migraine coming on…

Fucking Naruto.

He took a small sip of coffee and relaxed for a moment.

You can do this Sasuke…it's just getting to school…it's only another ten minutes…First thing I'm gonna do when I get there, the raven thought, is apologize. I don't want to come on too strong…though I guess I've already accomplished that. But…maybe we could talk some stuff out, take things slower. I guess that would mean though that we're technically "in a relationship." Hmm…I don't know how he feels about that. I'm over-thinking this…again. I mean—SHIT!

For the second time in less than two minutes, he slammed his brakes down hard, coming very close to spilling his coffee all over his car. He could hear some more intense yelling from the other drive, though he didn't care to look up and see whom it was.

This was getting to be too much…

If he couldn't function properly now, there was no way he was going to be able to during his classes.

He thought back to his schedule. It was a Thursday…his face brightened considerably. He could faintly remember his homeroom teaching saying something about an assembly on Thursday morning that cut into the first two periods of the day.

Thank god.

---

Naruto kept fiddling with his fingers impatiently. He hated assemblies. They were all the same, always the "cut the bullying crap." In all honesty, he knew no one gave a shit about any of that. It would be a snoozefest for two hours and then things would go back to the way they always had been.

Nothing ever changed. If the message didn't come across in fourth grade, it sure as hell wasn't going to make itself clear in twelfth.

He wished there was someone he could hang out with, but Shikamaru was sick (no doubt from the lack of sleep), and Kiba had decided to skip (simply because he had felt obligated to). So that left him alone. Twiddling his thumbs. Waiting for the damn assembly to begin.

Plus…there was Sasuke.

Naruto still had not a clue as to what to do about him.

Gah…when had life gotten so complicated?

Meh…it had always been complicated. But now Sasuke had been thrown into the mix.

Fucking Uchiha.

The lights in the auditorium began to dim and Naruto shifted restlessly in his seat. He saw Tsunade get up and do her principal duty by introducing the group of presenters and giving them a rather intense warning to behave themselves. A few people in the back row whistled and cheered obnoxiously and Naruto resisted the urge to throttle them. The least they could do at this point was attempt to be polite. One of the speakers, a man in his late twenties, stepped forward out of the shadows of the darkened auditorium and began.

"Today we are here to talk about sexual harassment..."

Naruto let out a quiet snort. Sasuke could really use this…

"…It is an issue that is quite common…"

The blonde almost felt bad for the man talking to a bunch of foreign high schoolers he had never met before. How many auditoriums had the man gone to before? How many years had he been in this profession, lecturing to inattentive teens?

"…Sexual harassment can be defined as any unwanted touching…"

Blah blah blah. It wasn't like this was anything Naruto hadn't heard before.

"…However, it can also be verbal abuse…"

The blonde turned his head to both sides, seeing if anyone seemed to be paying attention at all.

The man onstage finished his rant and glanced around the room. He gazed at random students, sweeping the entire area. It might've been Naruto's imagination, but he could've sworn the man locked eyes with him, if only for mere seconds.

"Now, I know what you all are thinking." The man's voice had turned softer, but firmer. With him being the only one speaking, the sound seemed to bounce and echo off the walls of the large room.

"I can picture you all sitting there, thinking how could I possibly know what you all think. Ah, but I do. You're thinking that this is going to just be another crappy assembly put together by funding money that could've gone to something more important like getting better sports equipment or art supplies."

Naruto couldn't help but mentally agree. And yet…something about this man was beginning to intrigue him.

"You all think that, after this, nothing's going to change. Things will stay the same. There will still be bullying. People without friends normally aren't just going to have them all of a sudden. You all know that what I'm saying is true, don't deny it."

"Now then, you might be asking yourself how I know all of this. Well, it's because I was the same as you guys once. There was once a point in my life where I was in your shoes. I use to go to assemblies thinking they were a waste of time and that the only good that came out of it was cutting some class. We all go through that phase."

Some students were beginning to shift in their seats now, as though some of the man's words were breaking through to them.

"And the reason for that is because all of you," he pointed to everyone in the crowd, "all of you are afraid of change."

The words seemed to place a heavy silence in the room.

"If all of you would just open your eyes and stop being the stupid teenagers that think they know everything, maybe something would happen. But I know, that right now, nothing is going to change. Nothing is going to change until someone takes the initiative to make things happen."

"I know that all of you are focused on me now, but I'm unsure as to how many of you are actually taking in the words I'm speaking. Maybe after today, all of you will leave without feeling any difference at all. But…" The man trailed off, but no one needed him to continue. They had understood what he would've said anyways.

Another speaker took the stage, getting back to the topic of sexual harassment, and Naruto, in that dead silent auditorium, felt chills run up and down his spine.

---

Sasuke didn't quite know what to make of the man who had just receded behind the rest of the speakers. He had pretty much hit what was going on in Sasuke's head right on, and that freaked him out a little.

But now that it was someone new speaking, someone who didn't have the power and voice as the other man, it was easy to fall back into not caring. He felt bad to a certain point, but not bad enough to try to focus more on sexual harassment.

He didn't know how long he had been zoning out for, but the next thing he realized was that nearly all the speakers had finished and the last one was just about wrapping up. He smoothed out an invisible wrinkle in his shirt and edged forward slightly on his seat, at least trying to pretend he had been listening.

"…So now, I'm turning the microphone to you guys. Whatever you guys feel like sharing, please go for it." With that said, the speaker stepped back.

Heads began to turn, people began wondering who would share something or if anyone would share something at all. Finally, the whispers stopped as someone went forward to the microphone, clearing his throat hesitatingly.

Sasuke didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Uh…well…this is kinda awkward." The blonde rubbed the back of his head. "I guess all I wanted to say was that…people can use the word 'gay' in all the wrong context. I mean, someone can joke around with their friends and say something like, "Oh, well that's so gay." But they don't realize how hurtful that can really be. And…I guess that's all."

He quickly returned to his seat. The speakers began to clap and a few other students joined in. Naruto just smiled uncomfortably.

Sasuke looked over to where the blonde was sitting and smiled softly, glad he had had courage to speak up.

Dobe…

As no one else else cared to talk, the assembly drew to a close. Students began bustling toward the exit. Sasuke had originally planned to stay behind a bit and try to look for Naruto through the crowded mobs of people, but then he saw Sakura running toward him, and he had decided to bolt.

There would be other opportunities to talk to the blonde. And, if there weren't, then it would be the perfect chance to Sasuke to…create some.

---

Damn it all!

Well, so much for "creating opportunities." Sasuke couldn't focus properly in both math and history because of his urge to talk to Naruto, resulting in him nearly getting yelled at by his teachers, which would've been a first.

At lunchtime, the blonde was nowhere to be found. Sasuke had looked everywhere (yes…everywhere). Later, he found out from a random someone that Naruto had eaten lunch in his physics class to make up a quiz.

And because they didn't have French today, it wasn't like Sasuke had a chance to talk to him! Not to mention wherever he seemed to turn, Sakura practically pounced on him. He thought he had made it clear that he wasn't interested, but apparently she was blind, deaf, and stupid. A triple threat.

The bell rang, signifying the school's end.

Sasuke contemplated his options. He could either go home and spend some quality time with his freak of a brother who had the day off, or go into stalker mode and follow Naruto to work and wait for him to finish to talk (he was pretty sure he was banned inside ever since the little escapade in the kitchen).

He had about a two second internal battle before choosing the latter.

Making his way to the parking lot, he just spotted Naruto's car, which the boy had gotten back yesterday, pulling away. Discretely, he followed Naruto to work, thanking the gods that the blonde wasn't the brightest bulb, and wouldn't make anything of a car following him.

As Naruto entered the café, Sasuke parked his car and within fifteen minutes, found himself bored beyond belief. What time did Naruto get off work again? Five? Six? Sasuke didn't think he could last another ten minutes. He never had been a patient person.

Maybe…I'll just come back in a few hours…Right now, he needed to go somewhere he could clear his thoughts for a while. He thought about it for a bit before he came up with a good place. Driving quickly, he reached his destination in mere minutes.

The park.

Sasuke took a step out of his car and breathed in the fresh air. It was only under certain circumstances that he liked going outdoors.

A gentle breeze ruffled his hair and he took notice of the tree's foliage. It was a truly beautiful sight. The weather was turning cooler and the days were becoming shorter. Winter was approaching quickly. He had always liked winter better than summer.

Settling himself upon a bench, he relaxed. There was no one around at this hour. He looked up toward the sky, observing the clouds and their different shapes. When had been the last time he had done that? Actually, when had been the last time he had been this at ease?

Before Sasuke knew it, he was out.

---

Waking up groggy and disoriented, the Uchiha rubbed his sore neck muscles. He couldn't believe he had just fallen asleep on a fucking park bench. That was a first. Then again, he had been zoning out a lot recently, no thanks to images of a certain blonde running through his mind.

He checked his watch. 6:42.

The hell?! 6:42! Shit, shit! I probably already missed Naruto! Aw, fuck.

Grumbling, Sasuke made his way to his car, but a sight made him stop short. His eyes widened.

N-Naruto?

It was certainly the blonde, no doubt. But he was surrounded by a small group of other guys as well. Sasuke recognized a few of them in his grade. They weren't especially well known by everyone. Their ringleader had tried all last year to befriend Sasuke, hoping to make himself more popular, but Sasuke had flat out refused, not wanting to waste his time with such foolish matters.

The raven was too far away for any of the others to notice him or for him to hear their conversation, but he could tell it wasn't going to well from the scowl and glare on Naruto's face.

He took a few steps forward, trying to make out some words. Normally, he would've thought himself too high and mighty for eavesdropping, but not when it involved someone he cared about.

"—Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?! I didn't do anything to you!"

"That's what you think, Naruto. Your little speech at the assembly today, that was cute. I assume you were referring to us, right?"

"No! I wasn't talking about you guys at all."

"Oh really? Well then, who were you talking about then?"

"No one! Now fuck off!"

Sasuke could see Naruto clearly becoming more and more pissed off. He was beginning to feel angry himself…No one was allowed to act this way to Naruto.

"Now now, that isn't very nice. Where did you learn such bad language?" A smirk went through the crowd of guys, obviously enjoying the taunting remarks the blonde was receiving.

"Why can't you bastards just leave me alone?!"

"Because, dear little Naruto," The smirk on the leader's face got wider, "it's always been like this. You've always been picked on. Remember…in kindergarten?" Laughing could be heard from the people in the back.

Sasuke's eyes widened. H-he was made fun of…even in kindergarten? He focused back to attention though when he saw Naruto lunge for the guy, but was restrained by two of the other members of the group. The leader walked up to the blonde and punched him hard in the face. Naruto's head snapped back and he let out a small series of cough. Still, he gazed defiantly at the guy who had hit him.

The leader noticed this and reared up for another punch, but not before letting out a few words.

"Fags like you disgust me."

Naruto closed his eyes, bracing himself for the punch, but it never came. He blinked his eyes open in confusion and saw that the leader's arm was being restrained by none other than Sasuke. The leader tried to move his arm, but found he couldn't surpass the raven's strength.

"Try to move again, and I'll break your wrist."

The words were cold and harsh and the leader nearly froze when he saw the cynical look on the Uchiha's face. His eyes were narrowed and icy.

With a tug, the guy broke free of Sasuke's grip. He opened his mouth to make a comment, and then closed it again. He knew not to mess with Sasuke Uchiha. He knew what it could potentially do to his reputation.

Giving Naruto one last dirty look, he left swiftly, the other guys in the group following him, pushing the blonde to the dirt. Soon, it was only the two of them in the park.

Sasuke stood rooted the spot, his whole body shaking in anger. He was clenching his fist so hard he could feel blood drip from the cuts he had made with his nails.

"I am going to fucking kill them!"

"Sasuke!"

With one look at the blonde trembling on the ground, the raven seemed to remember where he was and got a grip on his emotions. He couldn't expose his anger to Naruto. No, the other didn't deserve it, not at all.

"Naruto…I'm sorry you had to see that." He crouched down and peered into the blonde's face, eyes that seemed to brim with unshed tears.

"No! I mean…really it's ok. I should be the one saying that. Y-you must think I'm pretty weak, huh?" And just like that, that mask was back up on Naruto's face. The one that seemed to show him happy as could be wherever he was.

Sasuke looked away.

"Sasuke, are you ok?" The blonde asked, concern in his voice.

"Dobe, don't smile like that unless you mean it."

Naruto felt his smile vanish. "I-I guess it wasn't too hard to see through me, hm?" He let out shakily.

"No one can smile like that after what they just went through." Sasuke saw the blonde nod his head.

"It's just—Sasuke, your hand!"

The raven glanced down to see both of his bleeding, scratched up hands. He shrugged it off. "It's nothing, dobe. Don't worry about it."

Slowly, Naruto took one of Sasuke's hand in his own, feeling the differences between size and texture. Sasuke's hand was a little bigger than his, yet not as rough. "You…you shouldn't have to bleed for me…I'm not worth it."

Sasuke pulled his hand out of Naruto's grasp and moved it to cup his cheek, pressing down a little harder than intended, watching as Naruto cried out as the large bruise was hit.

"Why do you always do that?!" Sasuke asked him angrily.

"Do what?" The blonde looked genuinely confused.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair roughly. "Always make yourself feel like you're not worth anything!"

"I—I…"

"No! There's no excuse, Naruto. What about the people who actually care about you, huh? How do you think it makes them feel when you act like that! What about your friends, your dad? What…what about me?"

Naruto felt a tear run down his cheek. Sasuke…really did care about him…He felt arms embrace him.

"Stop thinking you're worthless, dobe, because you're not. If you weren't around, I'm sure a lot of people would really miss you. I mean…I would…" Sasuke felt Naruto bury his head in the crook of his neck. He could hear faint sniffling.

"D-didn't think y-you were this s-sappy, teme." Naruto managed to get out between a few hiccups.

Sasuke smiled a bit. "Tell anyone, and I'll kill you." He thought he could make out some sort of garbled laugh from the blonde with that.

When Naruto had calmed down and the tears had stopped, he began to speak. "I was just thinking about that assembly we had this morning. I guess it really does go to show that some people just won't change."

Sasuke looked down at him. Naruto had moved his head, but wasn't making a move to break out of his arms. He knew that was a start anyways.

"Those guys use to always give me trouble, especially when I was little. They sort of stopped for a while, but I guess after hearing what I said today…"

"Naruto, are you—"

Naruto cut him off. "Don't worry Sasuke. I…I think I'll be ok."

The raven knew the blonde was telling the truth. He thought about talking to him about what their whole weird relationship was considered, but decided that could wait until another day. He didn't want to overwhelm him.

Together, as they watched the sun set, Sasuke thought back to how this reminded him of the first time they had talked in the park together, only this time, he had Naruto in his arms, and he had more hope for their future than ever.

---

Alright, I know I kind of didn't include a lot of humor in this chapter, but that's how I wanted it to go. I'm not exactly planning on turning this into a romantic comedy. I want this realistic. Their relationship should be fully defined in the next chapter or so. And...gah it's short. I'm sorry but I just thought that was a good place to cut it off...

Speaking of the next chapter, I just wanted to inform everyone that I'm leaving for vacation to china from August 7-28. And then…school starts blah. So, I shall try to update before then, but if I don't…well…you all will know where I am.

Oh, and just a question for me, personally, how long does it, on average, take you guys to write a chapter for a story? Cause this chapter took me literally AGES.

Reviewww, please!