Ng Hello again! Well the first chapter went better than expected –grins-. And I think I've decided that this story is going to be in four parts…I think, don't make me promise it though! It all depends on what this crazy mind tells me to do. Thanks to fabulosfan for the sweet first review, and MasochistandSadist for trying to be the first reviewer. –Pats head- it's okay, you're still my favorite rabid fangirl. Also, thanks Serafina,Sakurananachan, Akiru chan (ha they actually ARE going to Texas in the next part), and (your review made me cry, not kidding!). XxFiredance, Tarff, zerofangirl, and a rather slytherin griffindor, you guys are becoming regulars! I feel like I have a fanclub –blushes-! This chapter is dedicated to all of you, for sticking with my stories and making me feel better than I ever have before!

Warning: This is not a citrus. I hate limes and lemons, yucky. This is a girlxboy story, so if you don't like it, don't read it.

-Note: The pervious warning is a complete LIE, and if you fell for it…-shakes finger- bad reader! Course it's a lemon/boyxboy story!

Disclaimer: I do not own this series. Yup, that's it, no funny comment or sarcastic remark today. Too tired –yawns-

Mouth Slip

"I was dumb, I was wrong

I let you down

but I know

how I feel

about you now!"

"I think my eardrums just exploded." I growled and glared at Sasuke, who quickly flicked my cd from the player and onto my lap. That jerk could have scratched my disc!

"What the hell?! That's the first song I've listened to all day. We've been listening to your emo stuff for the past five days, and you're just brining this whole trip down! Why'd we bring you anyways?!"

"Because I'm the reason you thought of the trip." Oh yea. For some reason, my head kept blocking out that small piece of information. I laughed sheepishly before glancing out the window, watching as the great old Yellowhammer state flew past us. Yea, I bet you probably don't know where that is, huh?

"Where are we stopping in Alabama, Sakura?" I asked, glancing back at her. She seemed concentrated in her road mapping before she looked up, smiling. It was amazing such a cute girl like her didn't have a boyfriend yet.

"I'm thinking Montgomery. It's the capitol and pretty much right in the middle of the state. Then we can stay a night to get rested and we'll be on our way again."

"I'm getting a bed this time. That floor in North Carolina was not comfortable in the least bit!"

"Sorry, no pets allowed on the furniture." I glared back at the driver, who was smirking much wider than he needed to. He was so getting his boxers shoved in the freezer when he fell asleep. I laughed to myself at the idea, getting one look of concern and one of annoyance. "What are you laughing at?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"That's why I asked."

"Well…well I'm not telling you. So beat that!"

"Sasuke, turn left here. Then we'll be able to get into town and find a place to stay for the night." Sasuke did what she told him, and I slumped back in the passenger seat. Sakura had somehow managed to keep her sanity even if this was the fourth fight of the day. Then again the sun was sinking pretty fast, and she would be able to snuggle into her bed once we got to the hotel. That way, she could block out any more of me and the teme's fights.

It wasn't like I meant to fight with him. It just happened. No matter what it was, we were on opposite sides. And since both of us were known for our need to be on top, it was no surprise we spent half of our life fighting and bickering with each other. It was sort of how we started our friendship. I think that because we didn't bend to the will of the other, it added some change in our lives. Or, maybe he was just an asshole.

"Hey look at that!" I blinked and looked up at the sign that Sakura had pointed to, the billboard catching my interest instantly.

"No way! They have a dance club here? We should so go!"

"No."

"Aw come on Sasuke, don't be like that," I said, rolling my eyes and glaring at the older boy. Sometimes he acted like he was eighty instead of twenty two.

"We haven't really gone out in any of the towns we've stopped in. And it's one of the largest cities around here." I knew Sakura would want to go dancing. I mean after all, she had been stuck with just me and Sasuke for so long, she probably forgot what being social meant. I sure as hell did.

"Dance clubs are pointless. I don't want to deal with the people there." Meaning the girls. Because by now, Sasuke knew just how easily girls floated to him. And he never took advantage of it! He was too busy reading or working to have any fun. The only thing he did for himself was karate. One of these days, I was going to show this idiot how to have a real good time.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there are other guys just like you in the area. They'll take care of the fangirl population that doesn't know about you yet." My grin grew wicked when he pulled into the hotel, glancing back to Sakura and watching her laugh when I brought back my Australian accent. " Here, we'll see the Sasuke-saurus in an unfamiliar habitat. His lone living style makes these cramped watering holes extremely irritatin' to him. If the Sasuke-saurus is accompanied by others of his species however, then it'll be at an advantage of staying alive. Unlike most of his kind, the Sasuke-saurus runs away from his prey, while the others attack it with their strong teeth and hard bodies! Crikey!"

"Idiot." I yelped when a sharp pain entered the back of my head, rubbing it while I whimpered.

"You're so mean to me! I'm not your prey, Sasuke-saurus."

"Stop calling me that."

"I could call you by your scientific name. Assholian Temevorus." See, I'm pretty damn smart. You all think I just sit at home and suck down ramen. And you're right. But that doesn't mean I suck at arguing. I should have been on the debate team in high school!

"Dobe, get out." Except I wasn't allowed, since Sasuke was on it. And since Iruka knew how we were in class, in the hallways, at sport events, and everywhere else, he wouldn't let me join. Instead he got me into art. So I guess in a way it was better for me.

I sighed and pushed out of the car, moving to help Sakura grab her stuff while I slung my backpack on my shoulders. We managed to grab a really nice Hotel and Spa place, with sweet beds and an even sweeter view of the city. I had stared out of the window the entire time that Sakura had gotten ready, fixing her make-up and shit like that. Apparently, what she looked like with us was 'not acceptable' for actual guys. So she fixed her hair, touched up on her make-up, and wore a very sexy pink dress that even I could admit made her look much older than normal. Sakura was always cute, and her face made her look 19ish instead of 21. Plus she had always had an issue with the smallness of her chest, since Ino was two sizes bigger than her. But the dress pushed what little she had into a very appealing sight, and I had a feeling me and Sasuke were going to have to beat some guys up. Okay, well maybe just Sasuke because I planned to be out dancing with every girl I could!

Once I realized Sakura was practically done, I jumped into the shower and changed, keeping the casual apparel I usually wore. There was no need to get all fancy like Sakura, since men weren't expected to look good. And even if we were, I was hot enough to pull the lazy look off. I had barely managed to glance into the mirror before Sakura was grabbing my hand, dragging me toward the car. Apparently, she was much more excited to come in contact with the male species than I thought.

"You move any faster and you're gonna break your ankle with those heels!"

"I'm a girl Naruto, I know how to walk."

"Yea, like a guy."

"You dummy!" The entire car ride I stayed silent, rubbing the dark red hand mark that stung my cheek. Sometimes Sakura was way too strong for my personal health. She scared me more than the teme! So I decided that nursing my injury would be safer than trying to talk to the steaming girl. Hopefully she would find someone to dance with. That way she'd forget that we were fighting in the first place.

"You deserved that." Why did I want him to come with us to the club? It wasn't like he would dance or even move from one spot the entire night. And honestly, having him around made it a lot harder to find a suitable girl. In fact, the one girl in high school who liked me more than Sasuke was Hinata. Still, I knew that she was better off with Kiba, a goofy kid who I had played baseball with back in high school. The two had gotten married at a very early age, and now lived a few towns away from us. It was nice seeing Hinata the couple times I stopped by to check up on Sasuke's present all those months back. She seemed truly happy.

"You just like seeing me in pain you asshole. I hope a mob of ugly girls molest you the entire night." Well with what he changed into, I wouldn't be surprised. The guy's outfit practically screamed 'I'm dangerous and you can't handle me'. This, for most girls in this backwards world, meant that he was perfect. The idiot had on black jeans that matched the black button up shirt he wore. It was pointless really; since he left it open with a white tank top underneath. It clung to his body in ways that showed just how tone karate made you. I squirmed a bit when I realized it was the same type of tank top from the first day of our trip.

Yea I still remembered it. Not like I bothered to talk about it to Sasuke or anything. If I did that, he'd think I liked it or something. And I didn't! The only reason my stomach felt weird was because I was hungry. It had nothing to do with Sasuke. He's an asshole and a guy. What else could I not ask for? So I was just going to ignore the strange moment in the car and chuck it onto the 'things that should have never happened' shelf in my brain. Right next to Chouji in spandex…blah!

"We're only staying till midnight. Then we're leaving. If you don't want to, you can walk back to the hotel." Spoken like a true jerk.

"Yes mom," I said, looking away from him when he pulled into a parking lot. The club was huge! It looked like a mini mall or something!

"I think we should stay together, just to be safe." I nodded slowly before turning my attention back to the pink haired cutie.

"Yea, don't want you getting abducted or anything. Those guys are going to crawl on you like a soldier on the ground," I said, grinning at her blush.

"They will not. You're just being strange again!" I laughed and moved out of the car, helping Sakura out while Sasuke made sure all the doors were shut and locked. The last thing we needed was our car to get stolen when we were in Alabama. I don't think Sasuke brought enough money to buy a brand new car anytime soon.

"You ready dobe?" Sasuke's voice drifted along my ear, and I glanced up to the close face in front of me. The stupid jerk was probably trying to psych me out so we wouldn't go. So in retaliation, I grinned and leaned closer to him. His eyes narrowed as well as they could with our faces that close.

"I've been ready teme. Bring on the fun. And don't get too jealous when I sweep all those girls off of their feet."

"You? I find that hard to believe." I almost moved my fingers to my mouth when I felt his breath pass it. It was strangely warmer than I expected from someone like Sasuke. But I quickly stopped myself, balling the hand into a fist in subconscious protest. What the hell was I thinking?! How girly would that make me look? It was just Sasuke, not some cutie or anything. Watching his smirk curl against his lips caused heat to rise in my cheeks and that familiar ache in my stomach to return. Since when did that smirk look so…sexual? No no no no, it wasn't! My mind was just playing tricks on me.

"You better believe it. I'm a ladies magnet." Yea, that's right! Why was I even thinking about that? I liked girls, not pricks. This stupid idiot was just messing with me on purpose or something, he had to be.

"I doubt you get one girl to notice you tonight."

"Watch and learn teme." I winked at him before pulling away; humming my way over to the line that I could see Sakura was waiting in. Apparently our idea wasn't unheard of, because the place looked packed. But the line moved fast, and we were able to get the green glowing wristbands from the front door before submerging ourselves in the crowds.

It was insane. I had never been in a place so big before. Our town didn't have things like dance clubs or parties like this, and so I think we were all a little shell shocked at what we saw. I mean come on, it's not every day you see girls in daisy duke shorts and checkered belly shirts sliding around on elevated poles! It was every guy's fantasy! The music was extremely loud, and a blend between country, techno, and rap. Well, it was Alabama, so I wasn't surprised when I discovered that it was a country themed club. Some of the people were dressed in said theme, and I even got a cowboy hat thrown onto my head while we looked for a place to organize our thoughts. Luckily there was a set of tables along the side for people to rest at or set their drinks on.

"This place is crazy!" I shouted over the music, glancing between my two companions. Sasuke seemed bothered but didn't speak up, probably from sheer pride. Sakura, who was practically buzzing with excitement, giggled.

"I love it! We should come out more often when we stop," She said, and I couldn't help but agree. Parties, no matter how small, always gave me an extra boost of energy. I felt almost like I needed energy to bounce off of in order to keep going. With all the boring time I spent with Sasuke, it was a miracle I hadn't been stuck on empty.

"Alright Sakura, let's go out there and show them how it's done!" I grabbed Sakura and glanced to the teme, smirking. "Oh, and if you wanna embarrass yourself out there, please be by guest."

"Hn." But he rose despite the obvious distaste of the place and followed us into the crowd. For a little while it was the three of us, all dancing together and having a pretty good time. It was more exciting when me and Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hands, forcing him to move. He sure could be a stick in the mud at these kinds of things. And that was the last thing we needed when we were having the time of our lives!

"Hey there…partners." Suddenly, a voice I didn't know entered the air. Glancing back at the spot Sasuke instantly located, I found a short 'cowgirl' standing behind us. Her attire was the same as the dancers, except the cleavage practically poured out of her shirt. I didn't stare because I was a guy, but more like because I didn't think it was physically possible for those things to fit into such a small shirt. I should have been drooling at the sight, because she was pretty hot, but for some reason my mouth was perfectly fine. Heck, I didn't even react to her as much as I reacted to Sasuke!

Okay, don't want to start thinking about that again.

"I really love guys with dark hair. I think it's so sexy." Her voice brought me back from my thoughts. Somehow she had moved to Sasuke, and was running her fingers through his hair. He scoffed and pulled his head back a bit. I stared at the girl while she giggled, slowly crossing my arms. Okay, so the blonde haired bimbo was another fangirl. Great, just great.

"Naruto, knock it off." I blinked and stopped the glare I had unintentionally created. Sakura sent me a look that said 'don't get so jealous', though she was kind enough not to add that into real words. Seeing the new girl scowl at me, I laughed and shrugged, making myself smile.

"Sorry. Must have been jealous of the teme getting such pretty girls." Girls loved compliments. Its how any guy could get out of a sticky situation. My theory was proven when she giggled and turned back to Sasuke, continuing with the obvious flirting. I watched her hand slowly slid along his arm to touch his shoulder in a way I had never seen a girl touch him before. Sure, he had a lot of girls fawn over him. But none of them really touched him like this chick was. I shifted on my feet a bit and scanned the crowd to try and keep myself from staring. Maybe I was just uncomfortable with knowing this girl wanted Sasuke? No, girls did that all the time. He just never let them touch him before.

"Don't touch me." See? He was very anti-personal-space-bubble popping. But the girl didn't seem to get the hint, because her overly-glossed lips smiled brighter and I felt myself frown at her persistent attempts. Girls sure were different around here. I wasn't sure I liked it.

"Well how are we going to dance if you won't let me touch you?" And there she was again, touching his shoulder.

"No." Didn't she get the hint? He didn't want her around him. Even I could see that, and I was supposed to be the dumb one (stress of the word supposed). I opened my mouth to tell her what an ice prick he was, and how he never danced with girls. How he wasn't up for sale, and that she shouldn't be touching him so familiarly. How truly pissed off I was getting at seeing her damn hand resting so intimately on his shoulder, and how only certain people could touch him. Certain people like me.

"The only reason he won't dance is because he sucks at it." Instead, I just made up a challenge. It took me a second to shake my head out of the clouds and realize that Sasuke was my friend, not some girl I had possession over. I should be trying to help him get some, not scare it away. Gah I was being stupid. Sure me and Sasuke were close, we had grown up together. It was only natural to feel a bit uncomfortable with new people coming into our lives. That was it; I just needed time to get used to it!

"Shut up dobe."

"What, you scared to try and prove me wrong? You probably flop around like a fish out of water!"

"That would be you, fishcake." Stupid meaning of my name. My parents really must have been drunk when they decided to name me Naruto, which meant 'fishcake'.

"Then prove me wrong jerk! I dare ya!" Why did I keep opening my mouth? Even when I laughed and smirked on the outside, my stomach hurt. Why didn't I just let Sasuke dump the girl and stay with us the entire night? It was where he belonged! Well…not anymore though. Sasuke was going to be in California and there'd be several girls there who would do the same thing as this one. He couldn't say no forever, right?

"Fine." …but that didn't mean he could say yes now! I opened my mouth to protest quickly, but the girl wasted no time in dragging her now 'complying' partner onto the dance floor. I grumbled weakly and crossed my arms, glaring out at the two before looking away. They had been out there for twenty seconds and she already had her ass shoved into his hips so deep, they'd need a shovel to dig her out later.

"I don't like her." It must have come to a surprise to Sakura to hear me say that. I normally liked everyone, it was this weird habit I had. If I thought someone was an asshole or jerk, I'd become their friend and change them. Don't ask me how, because it's too long of a process to explain. Mainly it involves lots of talking and a few good punches. I should have become a motivational speaker instead of an artist the way I converted people to the good side. But I did not feel quite so inspirational right now. I just felt angry.

"Naruto, we don't even know her," Sakura defended, like I knew she would. I glanced to her and pointed a finger at the…couple in front of us.

"Oh Sasuke seems to be getting to know her quite well!"

"Are you jealous?"

"Not at all!"

"You sound jealous."

"I'm not! That girl is just…she's just too clingy. And Sasuke hates clingy! It's a horrible match."

"You're the one who told him to go."

"I didn't think he'd do it! He's a cold bastard, not a dancing idiot. That's my job!" Although looking back at them, he was doing it pretty well. Now to make matters even worse, the girl had her arm around his neck. So even if the teme decided to pull away, he wouldn't get far. She was like a leech or something.

"Maybe you're right." I didn't know why Sakura suddenly agreed with me until I saw Sasuke stop moving. The girl's other hand was now resting against Sasuke's inner thigh, in a very provocative manner. The girl had only known him for a few minutes and already she was going that far?! Alright, the Uzumaki court has decided this girl is guilty of slutty intentions.

I didn't bother to care about Sakura calling my name when I moved over to them. I didn't bother to acknowledge the strange look Sasuke gave me when I yanked the girl's hand back. And I certainly didn't give a shit about her glare.

"Find someone to do that to. He's not like that." And then, grabbing Sasuke's wrist in the process, I stormed away from the girl and toward one of the exits of the club. So what if people stared? I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from that stupid girl and her idea of a 'dance' when really it should have been considered sexual harassment. What is the point of grabbing someone's thigh unless you're trying to signal the idea of sex? It's not like the thigh is a particularly interesting part unless it's around your hip! And no, that didn't mean I wanted that situation to occur either.

So I didn't let go of his wrist until I felt the cooling air from outside of the club. The back of the club was quiet, and only had a few cars that I assumed were for employees. The view was strange, because it was nothing but flat plains. The club must have been on the boarder of the town, away from the middle of the city. I sighed and closed my eyes, wiping the sweat from the earlier dancing. Finally I glanced back to Sasuke, who had returned to his normal pose. You know the one where he crossed his arms and makes himself look like a bad ass? Yup, that one.

"What is your problem?"

"My problem!? You were the one letting that girl grab you like a lifeline! You get pissed when I look at you the wrong way, and yet you meet some random girl and its all gropes ahead! Gah you're such a bastard!" He arched his eyebrow slowly, only adding to the normal Uchiha composure. I'm telling you, he practices this kind of stuff in the mirror at night!

"You told me to dance with her, dobe."

"Since when do you listen to me teme?!" I growled out.

"Now I remember why I normally don't." I ignored his comment as I moved toward him, continuing to glare. I grabbed his arm the same way she had done, ignoring the fact that I didn't need to be as close as I was. It didn't matter right now anyways. All I was focused on was the fact that Sasuke was staring down at me like I was crazy. Yea, because I was the one acting completely out of normalcy here!

"So you like her?"

"No."

"Why the hell would you let her touch you then?!"

"I told her not to."

"That's bullshit! Nobody grabs Uchiha Sasuke forcibly like this—" And suddenly, my body was moving without listening to the small voice in the back of my head. My hand glided the inside of his thigh, ghosting the area she had grabbed. I felt the muscle beneath my hand flex a bit at the touch; making it known that Sasuke was lean all over. The kid was made of pure muscle, and there wasn't a goddamn ounce of fat on him! My cheeks flushed at the realization that I was practically molesting my best friend, in the middle of a random deserted lot in the back of a club. I swallowed weakly and knew that the embarrassment reflected in my eyes as I stared into two pools of midnight above me. Still, my mouth didn't seem to catch the memo to shut the hell up. "And…and gets away alive."

Jesus those jeans left nothing to the imagination. I heard myself asking the same question about tight clothing, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Our pants were pretty snug for a twenty somethings. Gosh his thigh was toned. I wondered how many hours a day this guy spent at the karate studio. Maybe I should have started taking karate if I would've gotten a body like that. Deciding I wanted to die swiftly, my fingers slightly spread wider on the jean covered thigh, exploring more of the body in front of me. It was like a train wreck. No matter how badly I wanted to stop, to look away, I knew I couldn't. Was this why girls fell for him so fast?

I think I may have just stumbled a bit with them.

"You planning on letting me go anytime soon, dobe?" I blinked once to realize that even though I was staring straight into his eyes, I had zoned out. Crap, I had been feeling him up, huh? This was so messed up, especially when I felt my head shake and I tried to save face.

"W-why? You let her do it!"

"You idiot. You're the one who started this."

"I didn't tell you to let her feel you up! I don't want any girl doing that to you asshole!" My eyes widened in surprise, and I felt my hand drop from his arm to cover my mouth. What was I rambling about? Of course I wanted someone to eventually settle down with Sasuke! I may hate the idiot at times, but even he deserved to get someone. He was going to find someone in California, get them to fall in love with him through idiotic means, and end up falling for them without realizing it. The two will share a romantic kiss, have sex, get married, have kids, get old, and die together. And yea, it had to be in that order, because there was no way Sasuke would knock up some girl without marrying her first! I thought back on what I planned out for him. Did I really want that? Well yea, I mean…well I should have, right? God damnit, it was the same reaction as the stupid job! What did he do to me? I saw him start to open his mouth, and I panicked. I didn't want to hear his voice. If I heard his voice, it meant that this was real. So I had to just…shut him up.

And I did a pretty good job. After all, what better way to shut someone up than shock the hell out of them? And nothing I said would have made him stop, since he can be as stubborn as me when he needs to be. And…well…he was the one who said I talked too much! He always talked about my mouth, about how big it is and how I should use it for something useful. Well, right now, I made him eat his words. My mouth was stuck to his like glue, in the most unplanned kiss I had ever experienced. Still I didn't stop, closing my eyes tightly and letting my body fall into his, trapping my hand between us.

And hey, I found one part of him that was soft. His mouth was warm and pretty dry now that I made his mind blank. In apology I slide my tongue against the inside walls of his mouth, trying to help moisten them with my own salvia. Well, that was the reason I'd give him if he asked. To be truthful, I just wanted to see what Sasuke tasted like (I was already submerged in hell, so why not paddle around a little and check out the scenery?). It was a minty taste, like he had just chewed gum, mixed with cinnamon and something else completely unreadable. Completely Sasuke. It was intoxicating.

It felt like forever when I pulled away from his lips. I panted like an idiot who just ran a marathon, staring at the bruising I had caused on his lips. Was that really me? I felt both horrified and proud of the fact that Sasuke seemed to struggle to keep his cool composure. After all, it's not every day Uzumaki Naruto kisses you, especially if you're a guy! I would have laughed at how strange Sasuke looked when he blushed if not for the fact I couldn't keep my own hue down.

"Naruto."

"No!" I jerked back from him quickly, fisting my hands against my sides as I glared out at the area again. I didn't feel right. And I sure as hell didn't want to talk about it with him. So instead I took a slow breath, looking up at Sasuke and smiling fallaciously. I recognized the second he saw it that he knew I was lying, but he stayed quiet while I spoke. "Damn, I'm acting like a complete ass huh? Someone must have spiked my drink or something. We better get me home before I start to have sex with a lamppost!"

"Fine. You stay here, I'll get the car and then we'll go back in together to get Sakura." It seemed like Sasuke couldn't get away from me fast enough. I waved and smiled to him until he had disappeared back into the club to find the entrance. Once he was gone, I groaned and smacked my forehead.

"Kissing him? That was your solution?" I shouted, continuing to hit my forehead. There was no way that kissing could be considered a thing guys did with their guy friends. And grabbing his thigh? Was I nuts? I was lucky Sasuke hadn't ripped my whole arm off for touching him like that! I looked down at my hand which seemed so innocent now. But minutes before, it had been clutching onto his leg while I practically forced myself on Sasuke. Well, apparently blondes think alike.

"Naruto!" I glanced up to see a worried gaze behind strands of pink hair. I smiled and waved to her, but I slowly forgot about my casual hello when she came running to me in fear. She grabbed my face in her hands, seeming to almost inspect me of damage while I did the same to her. After all, it wasn't every day that Sakura practically threw herself at me.

"Whoa what's wrong with you? Did some creep touch you or something? Just show me him and I'll knock him out!" She shook her head as she pointed back at the door, glancing to it in panic.

"People are looking for you! Big guys, a lot of them!"

"What are you talking about? I don't even know anyone here!"

"I saw that girl that Sasuke was dancing with talking to them. We need to find Sasuke and leave." But her hopes of escaping unnoticed were lost in the cool breeze that shot at us from the swinging of the door. I looked slowly to see a group of guys fitting the description of Sakura's earlier testimony. I counted six, while the stupid little blond girl stood next to the guy in the middle.

"He's the one who called me trashy brother!"

"Who said that?" I glanced around me when they glared my way, wondering if someone was next to me. Huh. Nobody there. I looked back at them and blinked, speaking slowly. "Uh…there's no other guy here but me."

"Exactly. I heard you were picking on my little sister. We don't like that kind of talk around here, and someone's gotta pay for it." I stared in shock before slowly taking a step forwards, pushing Sakura behind me. I was quite aware of the leers they were sending her, and I wasn't going to let their sick minds get any closer to her. She instantly grabbed my shoulders, peeking out from the side to glare at the guys. Even if she was weaker than me and Sasuke, Sakura would never go down without a fight.

"So that's how it is, huh? Six against one? Seems a little unfair for you guys." I smirked as I cracked my knuckles, watching the look of shock and amusement pass their faces. I think one even laughed. Idiots.

"We're going to have fun knocking your sorry ass out." Their 'leader' or whatever he was pointed to me as if placing a target onto my forehead. Two guys ran forwards, and I pushed Sakura back before I swung around to face them. I easily avoided their punches before grabbing one of their extended wrists, jerking him forwards to knee him in the stomach and throw him over my shoulder. I barely had time to duck away from the punch next to my face, using my lower range as an advantage and kicking the feet from under him. I didn't wait for him to fall before swinging my other foot around, smashing hard across his face and sending him sliding across the concrete of the vacant parking lot.

I barely had time to stand before another guy literally jumped on my back. Knowing his arms would wrap around my neck for balance, I threw my hand up to fit between, wrapping my fingers around his arm and throwing it back over my head. I used the moment of imbalance of his part to yank his leg down hard, causing him to slam back into the tar. I glanced to him for a second, and I cursed myself for it later when a force knocked me hard onto the ground. I shielded my face with my arms, which scraped against the pavement and left tears in my bare skin. I felt my hair get grabbed, and my face was hit hard into the ground. I quickly threw my elbow up into my attacker's stomach, leaving him momentarily incapacitated. I slugged his body off and moved to stand before I heard a familiar cry of pain.

"Naruto!" I glanced behind me quickly, my eyes widening when I saw the tears slide down Sakura's face. One of the jerks had her by the hair, yanking on it hard to keep her from trying to get away.

"Leave Sakura out of this! She didn't do anything!" I shouted, glaring back at the boss man. He simply shrugged and sauntered toward me, glancing to Sakura once before speaking.

"We'll make a trade. Her safety for your obedience."

"You'd go as low as to hit a girl? What kind of a guy are you?" I fisted my hands on the ground, fighting the urge to sock the guy standing a few feet in front of me.

"We're not talking about me. You gonna play nice, or ya gonna let that pretty little girl get hurt?" Was that even a choice? Sure, my pride was 100 percent against the idea of just handing myself over to these losers, but what could I do? If I attacked, they'd hurt Sakura. And I made a promise the day we became friends that I'd never let another person hurt her again like the way those assholes did freshman year. And Uzumaki Naruto never went back on his word.

So I had to bite my lip till it bled when two of his cronies grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet. Apparently their boss man preferred a still punching bag. I didn't flinch at the first hit into my stomach, mentally scolding myself for even letting my eye wince. Sasuke hit harder than these idiots in his sleep. If I could stand a fight with him, I could take these clowns any day. It was obvious they knew it too, otherwise they wouldn't have gone after Sakura the second I was distracted. I could faintly hear Sakura's concerned cries from behind me, and I was glad I wasn't facing her while they started to repeatedly strike me in the face and stomach. I could feel the blood drip down my chin and arms, and how I grunted every few punches. I didn't close my eyes, switching my gaze between the groups' boss man and his smirking little sister. She wasn't even pretending to be upset anymore. She was just pissed than I dared to take away her means of entertainment for the night.

My legs were hardly holding me up now, and the sickening taste of blood was making me want to hurl.

"Aw, is that all you've got?" I heard someone ask me a taunting question, and I didn't hesitate to grin up at their captain and force myself to stand straight again. I didn't tear my eyes or grin away from the frustrated team leader, even when a bright light slowly appeared behind us, casting our shadows on the wall of the club. I was not going to let them get the satisfaction of bringing me to my knees. And for one morbid moment, I thought about how pathetic it would be to die in the back of a parking lot to a bunch of idiots who didn't even compare to Sasuke.

"Let go of the dobe and Sakura." Well speak of the devil. I lifted my head to look behind me, smirking at the death glare Sasuke gave to the group. And they thought I was bad? With the lazy way I was fighting them, I was like a kitten compared to the black-haired guy behind me.

"Who the hell are you?" The idiotic boss man asked, and I finally used the moment to slug the guys holding me back, making them instantly release my arms and fall back to the ground. I stumbled a bit, not realized how heavy my upper body could be without the support of those two lackies. So when two steadying arms wrapped around my waist, I didn't bother struggling. Sasuke had dealt with the jerk hurting Sakura first. She was shorter than me, and I was probably ruining her dress with the dirt and blood on my body, but at the moment I didn't care. I closed my eyes and listened to the rewarding sounds of Sasuke beating the shit out of those idiots. I really wanted to watch, since the teme was one of the best fighters I knew (except for yours truly), but my heavy eyelids were not in the mood. It was sheer will that kept me conscious through the fight that barely lasted two minutes before Sasuke had them begging for forgiveness. The asshole could truly be cynical when he was angry. And I don't blame him, since he made the same promise to keep Sakura safe as I did.

The next part of this is a blue. Give me some credit here; I was pretty roughed up from the unfair circumstances. I lost and regained consciousness throughout the entire rest of the night. I knew someone had lifted me into the backseat, and then a body slid to rest my head on a comfy lap. Gentle fingers didn't touch me until the car was in motion, which was making me sick from the way I was laying. When I felt a hesitant brush against cheek, I leaned into the touch despite how much pain it caused my body. Sakura must have been afraid to touch my wounds or something, because she was never this cautious. Her fingers trailed slowly from my cheeks to my forehead, probably checking for more injuries. They finally ended up sliding through my hair and then back down to my jaw. I felt warm from all the touching, and I mentally made a note to thank Sakura for her kindness. I knew how gross I must have been, but she hadn't pulled away or complained. She had stayed quiet and helped to keep some of the pain away.

I fell back into the blackness after the gentle touch to my neck, and I didn't wake up again until we were back in the hotel room. How the two of them managed to get me into the room without any suspicion was beyond me. I had been unconscious, so Sasuke must have carried me up. Damn, that was the last person I wanted to see me as weak. It was bad enough he was freaked out by my moments of insanity, never mind how I must have looked getting the crap beaten out of me by a bunch of losers. Hopefully Sakura would explain it to him while I was out.

I woke up sometime around seven thirty the next morning. The sunlight snuck its way through the blinds and hit me square in the face. I groaned and moved to cover my face, but my arms were way too heavy at the moment to lift. My body was completely sore, but no longer dirty or sweaty. I could feel a pair of boxers against my skin, and I assumed that Sakura must have kept me in those while she bathed me and dressed my wounds. From the feeling of bandages along my abdomen, cheeks, and arms, I had a feeling that we'd be staying in Alabama a little longer than we had planned. Luckily one of us was rich, and could pay to keep us from getting kicked out.

"You awake, dobe?" I opened my eyes slowly to look around the room, spotting the teme sitting against one of the walls. Sakura was asleep next to him, her head resting against his shoulder. I winced at the realization that her face was still covered in tear lines from the night before. I turned to look back at the window. The sunlight was easier on my eyes than seeing Sakura hurt. "She's fine, idiot."

"I should have kept her closer to me. I never really thought that they would have gone after her, especially since they were so fixated on me," I mumbled weakly, clenching my hands on the bed.

"Cowards go for weaknesses. That's why you didn't think about using their sister the way they used Sakura." Well, he was right about that. Even when the girl was laughing and praising her brother for attacking me, I never thought to actually use her. It just wasn't my style. I'd rather fight and lose than cheat and win. But apparently, those jerks had no idea what a true fight was like.

"I would have beaten them. They were so weak! I should have…"

"What? Ignored them and attacked anyways? If you did, you would have been an even bigger idiot than I thought."

"No. I wasn't going to take the chance of Sakura getting hurt again." I finally allowed myself to look back at her, watching quietly while Sasuke laid her out to rest on the floor. He took the time to grab the pillow I tossed at him to tuck under her head. Probably because he knew I'd be pissed if he didn't. Sasuke really did care about both of us thought, whether he wanted to admit it or not. It was obvious from the vicious beat down he had given those creeps. Sasuke never bothered to fight people 'beneath' him unless he had good reason to. "When'd she fall asleep?"

"Couple hours ago." He now sat on the side of the bed, both of us staring at her in silence. It was weird, being this quiet with Sasuke. Most of the time we wouldn't care about one of us being injured because it was the other one who had done it. Now that I thought about it, I never let Sasuke fight with anyone else except for me and his Sensei Kakashi because Kakashi was able to take Sasuke on no matter how hard he tried. And he read a book while doing it to boot! Not that I faired any better against him, since he owned me any time I came around the dojo. The only time Kakashi had been almost beaten was when me and Sasuke had fought him at the same time. But once he put the porno book away, we were easily taken down.

But what was there to talk about? I couldn't talk about the events before the fight, because that would be…strange. And there was no way I wanted to keep talking about how badly I got screwed over in the fight. I looked up at Sasuke quietly, the older boy seeming even more upset than I was. Sometimes I wanted to be able to read minds just to see what went through the teme's head. He was so straightforward, and yet closed off at the same time. Like now, where it was so easy to see that he was not content at all. But I had a feeling he wouldn't tell me even if asked.

"What's with the dumb face?" Didn't stop me from trying.

"The only dumb face I see here is yours."

"Yea you say that again when I can move and I'll show you who the real idiot is." He glanced to my bandages that were visible from above the blanket. I thanked the gods for the bandages that covered my cheeks, which heated underneath his intense gaze.

"You better be mobile by tomorrow." I rolled my eyes at his uncaring statement.

"Yea yea, don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll be up and running by lunch time, you watch. You can't keep an Uzumaki down for long." And to prove my point, I finally lifted my arm and gave him and thumbs up. "Believe it!"

"That is the dumbest saying ever." I wanted to yell at him about the fact that my saying consisted of actual words, but the sentence got lodged in my throat when Sasuke moved completely onto the bed, sitting next to me. Our shoulders pressed together from the lack of room. Or at least, I told myself that despite the queen size bed. We didn't look at each other, Sasuke staring out the window while I watched Sakura sleep. I could feel his quiet breathing through our small connection, and the vibration he caused when he spoke. "You shouldn't have taken them on alone."

"What, did you expect me to wait for you to just magically appear? No way in hell!"

"You don't have the play the hero every time, idiot."

"What do you know?" I crossed my arms over my chest, glancing back at him. "You're just mad I didn't let you get the glory this time."

"If you had just waited or walked away, maybe your face wouldn't be a mangled mess."

"So what? You're saying if you were there, none of this would have happened?"

"Hn."

"You conceited bastard!" I shouted, glaring up at him. But, to my astonishment, he was still staring out the window. There was no glare or smirk, nothing to show he was scolding me for being a 'dobe'. He seemed mesmerized by the sunlight rising into the sky, and the faint bells chiming near our hotel from the church. It was eight.

"If I was there…none of this would have happened." I slowly let my glare turn from anger to a look of surprise. Was Sasuke…mad at himself? Like he could have stopped it if he hadn't of left me? The jerks still would have come after me either way. I wanted to laugh at how stupid I sounded, thinking that Sasuke would ever feel guilty over me, but I didn't. More like I couldn't. For some reason, it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. Instead, it was kind of…upsetting.

"You wouldn't have made a difference." I muttered, rubbing the bandage on my arm. I squirmed a bit against him before shaking my head. "You would have been a pain in the ass. You would've just become another damsel in distress that I'd have to save."

"Shut up." That's better. There's the glare I lived for. Wait, no, not lived for. Because if I said that, it make it seem like I liked him or something. And I didn't…right…not at all! Stop blushing Naruto! I closed my eyes tightly and smacked my cheeks, yelping at the pain that it caused. Hands grabbed mine, and I opened my eyes quickly, staring up at the glaring pair of obsidian. "Idiot. Only you would beat yourself up."

"B-Be quiet!" I snapped out, ignoring the increase of my heartbeat. He was bent over me, and I unconsciously let my gaze dip down to his lips. We didn't move, and I knew my hands shivered in his. I should have hit him and yelled at him for the lack of personal space. But hey, I was the one who invaded it last night. Maybe this was payback? I felt a part of myself praying it wasn't. He leaned closer, then stop as if considering the same racing thoughts that ran around in my head. But he pushed past them and continued his slow decent while I started to close my eyes in anticipation.

"Naruto? Sasuke?" Aw crap, Sakura was awake. Eyes that I had planned to close shot open in pure panic. But the teme was faster than Sakura's sleepy eyes, and was standing before she lifted her head to look at us. His hands were shoved in his pockets while he glared down at me. Still, I could see the slight discoloration in his cheeks.

"Don't do something stupid again, dobe." And with that, he walked out of the bedroom. I sighed slowly and fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. After a few seconds I grabbed my pillow, shouting every swear I knew into it. This was not fair.

"Naruto, was Sasuke blushing? Did you tell him a dirty joke again?" Forcing myself not to throw my pillow at her head, I sat up slowly and shook my head. She was only concerned after all, even if it did just ruin a moment I was unsure if I wanted or not.

"Does Sasuke ever blush?" I asked, rolling my eyes. And it was true. Up until this trip, I had never seen Sasuke blush the way he did now. The answer seemed to satisfy Sakura, who crawled into my bed and checked the bandages I wore.

"I was so worried about you Naruto. I'm sorry that I was a burden to you." I quickly shook my head at the sad look that soaked her features, pulling her into a quick hug and resting my head against her shoulder.

"You're never a burden Sakura. Don't worry; they got what was coming to them in the end. Just think, Sasuke is a more sadistic bastard than me, so it was better he dealt with them." I heard her soft giggle and relaxed. It hurt more to see my friends upset than any physical punch.

"When Sasuke had finished with those guys, you were practically unconscious! I couldn't even hold you up. So Sasuke had to take care of you—" Damn, so he did carry me to the car. I was somehow hoping Sakura had just gained major muscle without me knowing. "—while I got the car started. I was so nervous driving home; I almost ran two red lights!"

"You dum—wait..what?"

"Red lights? You know, street lights?" Oh great, now Sakura thought I was brain dead too. Seriously, Sasuke had too much influence on people!

"No, I meant…you drove home?" I pulled back a bit to look at her while she nodded slowly.

"Yea, Sasuke was in the back with you while I drove. I offered to switch, but Sasuke said it would make it easier to get you out that way." I quickly pulled her back to me, burying my face into her shoulder while I thought about the gentle touches along my skin the way home. If Sakura was driving…then…

I didn't let go of Sakura for several minutes, keeping the deep blush hidden in her shoulder.

That's the end of chapter two! I really hope that you liked it. My pride is in keeping the characters in character, and I think I did really well. Because we all know our yellow fuzzball would never run from a fight. =P. I actually know where I'm going with this story now, and it's going to be a pretty interesting road ahead of us!! Haha, but you know me and my need to have two things going on at once. So I'm going to do another story while I'm letting you all read this one! So look for that one, it should be coming soon! =) Let me know what you thought of this. Oh, and if you're from Alabama, I wasn't trying to be mean to you or anything. I bet 99% of the people there are sweeties! Sorry if you got offended! –gives cookies in peace offering- Review please so I know if you want me to keep going!