"Kuso!" Naruto was running late. No, running and late, not running late. Well, both, actually. His 'beloved' sister had left his ass yet again, and he had slept in on top of that. "Damnation, this is the fourth this time this week, and it's Thursday!" He was huffing along, the stitch in his side making it harder and harder to run, let alone breath. He bent over, panting heavily. Bracing his hands on his knees, he took a breather. "Oh, curse it all. Might as well not go. I'll never make it." Naruto sighed. At this rate, he'd be lucky to get to school by third period.

Then a miracle happened.

"Get in the car, you dobe. You're going to be late."

"…"

Naruto looked over and saw a sleek limo pulled to the curb. None other that the raven looked at him through the open window. Naruto looked at him in astonishment. Then he let out a long sigh and slipped in next to the boy. What the hell, he might as well. No sense turning down a free ride. Even if it was from a stranger…and a Teme.

The car was filled with the sound of Naruto panting. "Thanks…Tem- I mean uh, Sasuke." "Hn." "Would it kill you to reply with more than one syllable?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Yes." A vein pulsed on Naruto's forehead. "Freakin' Teme." He grumbled. Sasuke smirked at him. If only he knew who he was talking to. "So what's up with you being all generous today? Is there a solar eclipse coming up or something." Naruto looked at Sasuke smugly, happy to have come up with a comeback. "Nope. I just like to be charitable on occasion."

The two boys left the limo and walked to class together.

One was screaming about not being a charity case and the other was glaring at anyone who looked at them wrong.

………………….

Sasuke sat alone at a lunch table, thinking about a certain blond idiot. His goofy smile and his stubborn attitude, and his azure eyes that glowed when he laughed. Sasuke's found himself thinking about the dobe more and more of late, and was sure it had something to do with this feeling he got in his stomach every time he saw the baka smile or heard him laugh. Strange as it felt, it was a comfort of sorts. It had started to overcome the void that had been created after years of loneliness. One that, before he had first met Naruto over the phone, he had feared would engulf him.

Sasuke grinned at the thought of their first meeting. (He failed to notice the girls that fainted at the sight.)

He had been sitting at home alone, feeling numb, when the phone rang. He figured it was for his father, but picked it up anyways.

"Uchiha residence." He had said in a monotone voice.

And then the person at the other end of the line had erupted at him.

"Wahhhh! I hate everything, my parents, my sister. I'm not a bad kid, what did I ever do to deserve to be hated outside and inside school, as well as at home!? I can't take it! I just can't-!" The voice at the other end of the line was obviously in tears. And though Sasuke was afraid, he continued to listen to the little voice cry and complain. It had gone on for hours, but little Sasuke had given his full attention to the boy and his worries. He felt unneeded and alone. And little Sasuke realized the boy felt the same as he did. After a while the boy calmed down and said "*sniffle* Thanks for listening to me. I feel a lot better. *hiccup* What's your name?" That had made the young Sasuke panic. If this boy knew who he was, would he still be so open with him?

Still treat him like a normal person, and not a reincarnation of his father?

"I'm 'Ke'." He had answered at last. "I-I'm Narut- I mean I'm Naru…Well, I gotta go. Thanks again." Sasuke felt cold when the boy hung up. He had finally felt needed for once in his life, and now it was gone.

Boy, had he been surprised when "Naru" called the very next day in the middle of a tantrum.

Sasuke's eyes were pools of liquid contentment when he thought back on those days. Every day had been a new adventure when "Naru" called. Sasuke found himself getting sad when he was sad, and angry when he was angry. He remembered one day… "Wahhhhhh! Ke, my daddy hit me! He hit me and now I hurt all over! Wahhhhhh!" This time, instead of mirroring Naru's sadness, Sasuke felt white-hot rage build up inside him. How dare anyone hit Sasuke Uchiha's friend! How dare they! That was when Sasuke decided to find out who Naru really was. He wanted to save his friend, and once he did, they could live together and have fun all the time.

And Sasuke wouldn't be lonely anymore.

Sasuke's train of thought when he heard a familiar voice. "Io! Teme! You got room over there for one more?" With out giving the raven the chance to answer, Naruto plopped down beside him. Naruto grinned at him happily. "Hehe, sorry to barge in, but my table got lunch detention for having a small scale food fight. I didn't get in trouble because I hid under the table when the teachers came over." He did a victory sigh with his hand. He winced and put his arm down. "Kuso…" He hissed. "What is it?" Sasuke asked, trying to seem uncaring. Naruto looked up at him sheepishly. "Well, None of the guys ratted me out, but Kiba kicked me a good one under the table when they got busted. See." Naruto lifted up his shirt, and Sasuke noticed a purple bruise running across his ribs. He reached out and brushed his fingers across the blonde's skin.

Naruto's heart started to beat faster.

He yanked down his shirt and giggled nervously. "Uh, I guess I deserved it though." And then he noticed the devil's incarnate looming over Sasuke's worried face. "Ami," His voice dripped with hatred. Sasuke had never met Naruto's sister, but knew from the many calls he had received from "Naru" that she was a total bitch. He had hated her with a vengeance from the fourth phone call, and the feeling hadn't ever faded. With every call it doubled, and now Sasuke was more than ready to destroy her.

He remembered one time in particular. "Uhh, Ke. Ami told Father a lie and he beat me cause of it. Beat me real bad. I- I don't think I'm ok…I-." Young Sasuke heard a thumping sound, and the other line went dead.

He almost died inside.

"Naruto?! Naruto!? Are you ok?!? Please don't die! I need you! I-." He forgot to use Naruto's fake name in his panic. There was no response. Sasuke immediately called 911 and told them Naruto's address, which he had found in his search for the boys identity. When the paramedics got their Naruto's father claimed the boy had fallen down the stairs. Sasuke almost asked his dad to kill Naruto's father for lying and beating his friend like that. Naruto suffered from a slight concussion and various bruises and scrapes. Naruto cried his eyes out when he called Ke that night.

Sasuke had drowned in his friend's tears.

"Why hello Naruto." Ami had a smile on her face, but it faltered when she said Naruto's name. "You didn't tell me you were friends with Sasuke-kun." Ami smiled warmly at Sasuke, but it didn't reach Naruto. "You never asked." Naruto replied dryly. "I wouldn't have expected you to be friends with anyone high class." She said smugly, putting her hands on her hips. "I mean look at the other people you hang out with." She giggled snidely.

"Don't you talk about them like that." Naruto's gaze was so hate filled, Sasuke didn't recognize him. "You don't know them, so shut up and mind your own business." Ami's smile faded completely. She wanted to look good in front of Sasuke, but she needed to but the beast back in its place. "You forget who your talking too." She said it loudly, trying to attract attention.

Naruto's wasn't fazed. It was going to happen eventually, why not now? Sasuke decided it was time to end the stalemate before Naruto said something he'd regret later. Or rather, something his father would make him regret later.

"That's enough. You're getting on my nerves. Leave." She opened her mouth to speak, but Sasuke leveled her with a harsh glare. "Leave." Crocodile tears formed in her eyes, and she ran off to her waiting friends. 'Naruto is going to regret this when Father gets home' Ami thought viciously, already over Sasuke's callous words. 'He's going to regret it.'

And he did.