DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto nor do I own The Summit.
A/N: Oh dear, I did it again. I'M SORRY. I've been so busy with school and work and more school and I'm still suffering from my writer's block so I've been finding it very difficult to actually sit down and write a chapter. Thank you all for your wonderful support though! At least this time it was only 4 months, compared to my awful record of a year. I tried making this long but if I did that, it would've become TOO long because I wouldn't have been able to cut anything out, enjoy!
Unbeta-ed. Let me know if there are any mistakes and I will go back and edit them.
Warnings: Swearing, violence, past trauma, Sasuke being an asshole, non-con ish?
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Chapter 9
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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I was tangled in the all wires
Tied down and I felt the fire
There was nothing for me to do
I was searching but not for you
I am caught up in your desire
It's flush in the face desire
I wanna trade in the old for new
I was searching but not for you
Walking Backwards – Leagues
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The journey home was silent and Naruto wasn't keen on disrupting it. He couldn't detect any emotion on Sasuke's face and although that was nerve-wracking, he was also glad that Sasuke wasn't asking any questions at the moment. Without a doubt, the questions would come later, when they were home, safe and sound but hopefully by that time, Naruto could gather up enough courage for the inevitable interrogation.
There was also the heavy guilt he felt, for getting Sasuke involved in his messes in the first place. That had been the last thing he had ever wanted to do, it was too dangerous to get anyone else involved.
He sighed and rested his head against Sasuke's back and closed his eyes. He relaxed against Sasuke's warmth and familiarity. He didn't know how long he stayed in the position but when he opened his eyes again, they were in front of their apartment door.
Naruto gently squeezed Sasuke's shoulder in appreciation and hopped down when Sasuke lowered his legs to the ground.
When they finally got in, Naruto felt his shoulders sag in relief and the tension left his body.
He was home. This was home. And he had almost lost it.
Naruto tilted his head up and closed his eyes to ward away the oncoming desperation. He almost forgot Sasuke was still beside him when his voice interrupted him.
"…are you okay?"
Naruto glanced wearily at Sasuke and thought the question over. Was he okay? He wasn't sure what 'okay' actually entailed so Naruto just gave him a small smile and nodded.
He'd think about whether he was truly 'okay' when he was alone and without an audience. Naruto's hands throbbed and his sides ached and he had a pounding headache. What Naruto really wanted, was to flee and lock himself into the bathroom and scrub away the blood and the pain.
"Naruto, you really don't look well. Show me where it hurts," Sasuke gave him a stern glare.
Honestly, the last thing Naruto wanted right now was to do that. He just needed to be alone. Even if just for a minute.
"It's nothing. I'm going to wash off first," Naruto headed towards the bathroom without a backwards glance.
Naruto gasped when he felt a hand pull him back and pull him away from the bathroom door. His eyes widened and his breath quickened and nonono please no stop stop, red hair, vicious smirk and rough hands pulling at him, spreading him open, degrading him.
"Don't touch me!" he jerked his arm back in fear, breathing harshly as he looked at the surprise on Sasuke's face.
"I'm a little tired. I'd really prefer to be alone right now. I'll tell you everything later, so please, don't take it personally," Naruto closed the bathroom door behind him and rested his back against it.
Sorry Sasuke, sorry so sorry.
He let out a shaky breath and ran his hand through his hair, grasping at it and pulling it. He took his clothes off with numb fingers and turned on the shower to its hottest setting. The bathroom quickly became steamy and Naruto got into the shower, the water scalding. His skin quickly reddened from the heat and Naruto bit down on his lip, stifling the whimpers that were threatening to escape. He held out his shaking hands in front of him, glancing at the rope burns around his wrists and the dark bruises on the rest of his body.
No matter how hot the water was, Naruto was still trembling.
I can't stop shaking.
Whenever Naruto closed his eyes, he could see Sasori, feel his dirty hands on his skin. Naruto choked on a sob and covered his face with his hands. He didn't know if the water trickling down his face was actually water or his tears.
I made the same mistake. I always make the same mistake.
He must've been so lost in his thoughts that he must've missed the door opening and other clothes joining his on the bathroom floor. When he felt a presence behind him however, Naruto immediately knew that it was Sasuke. Nobody else would readily violate his privacy even though he had clarified that he wanted to be alone.
He should've known, Sasuke never did like being ignored for long.
He turned around, ready with a glare, because dammit, Naruto really wasn't ready for a confrontation right now and all he wanted was time to gather his thoughts and cry to his heart's content. He kept his mouth shut however, when he saw the dark scowl on Sasuke's face and turned back towards the tile wall.
"I'm sweaty and I feel disgusting. I've been running around after a certain someone all day, after all," the Raven said to Naruto's back.
There was that bite of guilt once again. Naruto flinched and looked back at Sasuke. There was still that scowl, because Naruto could just make out the exhaustion on his face and the cuts and bruises mottling his body. He was right, Sasuke must've been out looking for him all night, with a barely healed leg to boot.
"I'll just leave then," Naruto moved towards the shower curtain but Sasuke quickly put his arm out in front of Naruto and blocked his way.
"Why?" Sasuke seemed truly puzzled with Naruto's reasoning and Naruto didn't know whether to lash out or be amused.
"There's…there's no space. Do you really have to wash right here and now?"
"Hn. I'm sweaty. I can't stand being sweaty. Just be a good boy and stay," Sasuke moved his arm to gently grab at Naruto and turn him back towards the shower.
He didn't know whether Sasuke was being dense on purpose or whether it was something else, but Naruto's patience was slowly dying out.
"Are you really stupid? You're supposed to leave people alone at times like this!"
"It's pretty obvious though, what you're going to think about if I leave you alone."
Naruto's eyes flew to the tiled floor to avoid Sasuke's stare. He felt a hand tip his head up and his eyes met Sasuke's once again.
"What did they do to you?" Sasuke crowded Naruto against the corner of the shower and Naruto could feel the slick wall, wet with water, against his back. He wanted to escape, because Sasuke's presence was always so dark and powerful and he didn't know if he could handle that. Sasuke never let his gaze drop and one of his hands grasped Naruto's, and he stroked the rope burns there.
"Nothing happened."
"Even if you don't tell me, I can guess what it is. I can tell that you're tense right now. You're treating me the same way that you would treat those fuckers," Sasuke's hands cupped his face and he leaned in closer to Naruto, "Do you know how fucking scared I was after you disappeared? I had no fucking idea where you could've been! I barely got there in time to see you at the edge of the roof and do you know what I felt, Naruto? My heart sank."
"You said we were friends. You said it to me, first. Is this how you treat your friends?" the hands cupping Naruto's face moved to his neck and pulled him in closer to Sasuke, their foreheads resting against each other's, "Don't treat me like that. If you do, then what am I going to do?"
Naruto looked into Sasuke's dark gaze and gulped, the guilt nearly choking him.
I'm disappointed in myself. I can never think of anyone but myself.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he closed his eyes and allowed Sasuke to turn him around again.
"It's fine. Here, I'll finish washing you," Sasuke smirked as grabbed the shampoo bottle and poured a generous amount onto Naruto's hair.
"I can do it myself," he pouted, feeling like a child once again but thankful for the quick topic change.
"Hn. Liar. I saw your hands shaking," Sasuke's hand gently massaged his head and soaped up his shoulders.
"Water was just cold, is all," Naruto mumbled grumpily.
"Sasuke…thanks," because while Naruto was suffering through his own issues, he hadn't even thought about Sasuke. He had saved him and taken him home, all without asking for a single explanation.
"No need to thank me, dobe. I'll be taking advantage of you from now on because of this."
"Teme," Naruto bit his lip to hide his smile.
He felt Sasuke press a soft kiss on his head and Naruto smiled softly but winced when the soap got in his eyes. While he rubbed it out of his eyes, he thought he had felt Sasuke's hands ghosting over his flank but got distracted when Sasuke turned off the water and threw him a towel.
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Sasuke knew that he was pushy. He knew that he was really really pushy. But it was the way that he had always been and over time, as he got older, that pushiness had increased. It was the unfortunate (or very fortunate, he considers it) trait that most people always complained about. There was no shame in him pushing towards his goals, needs, and desires. Why the fuck would he ever consider it an issue? Confident people were successful. Only weak fuckers ever let themselves give up.
However, that was not to say that Sasuke didn't know when to let things go. For a certain amount of time, that is.
Especially when it had to do with Naruto.
Because, although he was desperate for answers, he knew that right now wouldn't be the time for them. Naruto had been through a traumatic event and if Sasuke pushed him, it could be that Naruto shut down on him completely and push him away.
And the last thing Sasuke wanted was for Naruto to push him away.
So, the questions could wait for later. What was important now was that Naruto was safe in their apartment and with him. He could hold him in his arms and smell his scent and feel his body warmth.
And if he could take advantage of the fact that Naruto was too distressed, to touch him all over, then that was just a bonus.
"Why do we have to do this?" Naruto grumbled, his hand held out in Sasuke's.
"Because you're an idiot," Sasuke answered without looking up at the blond, wrapping the gauze around Naruto's hands, "Also, because, if we don't take care of your hands, they could get infected."
"I guess so," Naruto mumbled tiredly.
Sasuke grunted and finished up, cutting the gauze to tuck it in comfortably. He looked up at Naruto and took in his hazy gaze that he kept trying to blink away. Sasuke snorted and raised Naruto's hands up to his lips and kissed them softly. He then reached up to ruffle Naruto's blond locks, enjoying the irritated glare that it earned him.
"Get some sleep, dobe. I won't bother you with questions for now, because I'll always be here with you," the raven, stood up and pulled Naruto up with him to pull him into the bedroom. Once he had pulled back the covers, Sasuke gently pushed Naruto onto the bed and tucked him in.
Naruto was out within minutes and Sasuke wasn't really that surprised. It had been an exhausting day and the only reason for why Sasuke himself hadn't fallen asleep yet, was because his body was still running on a bit of adrenaline. That, and also, there were many things on his mind.
So instead of going to sleep, Sasuke sat next to Naruto on the bed, pulling him slightly onto his lap and stroked his hair as he sat contemplating. He knew that Naruto seemed to get himself into trouble a lot and that he had been involved in some illegal acts, but he didn't think that it'd turn into something like this. And Sasuke realized that although they had been living together for a couple of months so far, he had no idea who Naruto was. He never talked about his past, or his family, or his friends.
It was almost like there was something dark that Naruto was hiding and Sasuke couldn't even begin to fathom how deep the web spun. If today's events were anything to go by, it could be that Naruto would prove to be very dangerous to his physical and mental health.
And yet, Sasuke found that he didn't really mind. He knew what he had been getting into once he met the blond, knew the kind of person he was, and he still found it hard to not get attached. Had he been a lesser man, there was no doubt that he would've fallen much sooner and lost himself.
As it was, he was no lesser man and he knew exactly what he wanted. What he wanted was Naruto, and there was nothing that would change his mind, because he was stubborn and once he got stuck on something, it was nearly impossible to let it go. Simply imagining his life without Naruto now was unthinkable, because he felt that he didn't make sense without him anymore.
He would figure everything else out along the way.
Sasuke was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Naruto's small whimper. He turned around and observed the blond, his hand stilling its stroking of Naruto's hair. He could barely make out the tears that clung to blond lashes, behind Naruto's closed eyes. Naruto shifted in his sleep with another whimper.
"Gaara…" the blond shifted and turned his back to Sasuke, settling down almost immediately.
Sasuke clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
That…would simply not do.
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Whenever he was exhausted or anxious or scared, it always came without fail. A large, black, naked lump of malice. Although he knew that he should run away, he always found his body unable to move, frozen in fear. It kills him slowly and then searches him, its intentions always clear. It takes over his body, takes control of him and eats away at everything, to the point where it is consuming his whole body.
What is this? Who are you? Why can't I fight back? Why am I so helpless?
A flash of long black hair and a handsome smirk.
You're helpless Naruto, because deep inside, you wanted it. You craved it.
Naruto awoke with a startled gasp, his body clenching up in terror. He could distinctly hear the soft murmur of voices but it all sounded so far away and he couldn't move.
He couldn't move.
His vision was blurry and he saw a someone move into view, white hair and a sharp shark-like smile.
"Naruto! You're awake! Damn man, you sleep for so long that I didn't think you'd ever wake up," Suigetsu gave him a happy grin.
Naruto wish he could smile back or say something but he couldn't do much of anything at the moment, he tried moving his hands and he felt himself trembling. He tried reaching out towards the figure of Sasuke, who walked closer to him, observing him quietly.
"Naruto? You're sweating like crazy, you don't look so good, man. Are you sick? Or still not fully awake?" the white haired man frowned, his hand reaching out to touch him.
Help help help me.
Naruto saw Sasuke move in the corner of his eye and smack away Suigetsu's hand. Naruto then almost choked as Sasuke roughly pulled him up by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the face.
"Sasuke! What are you doing?!" Suigetsu launched himself at Sasuke's back, pulling him away from Naruto's stupefied face.
"He had sleep paralysis," Sasuke shrugged and stepped back.
Although the punches were brutal and Naruto's head was still throbbing with the force of them, they managed to shock him out of his paralysis. For a second, Naruto was impressed with Sasuke. That was, until he hissed in pain and grasped at his cheek. He could already imagine how swollen and red it was by the heat coming off of it. He rubbed his face, wincing and then turned his glare towards the damn teme responsible.
"That punch had a lot of feeling behind it…were you just waiting for an opportunity?" Naruto huffed at Suigetsu's concerned rambling, pissed off but thankful.
Sasuke scowled at him," So you get it. Next time, I'll send you to the grave with a single shot," and then turned around to head towards the kitchen, Suigetsu following behind after throwing him a worried look.
Bastard. What the fuck is his problem.
Naruto looked at his bandaged hands, his fingers twitching with awareness.
Paralysis…was that why it was so vivid?
Naruto shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself.
Even now, I can still his cold, horrible breath.
Long black hair, elegant fingers, arrogant smirk.
It's…been a long time, since I last saw him.
Hopefully he'll never see him again. Naruto brushed his hair back, trying to stop the slight trembling in his hands.
Almost forgot. Kyuubi's anniversary is coming up.
"Naruto."
Interrupted from his thoughts, Naruto glanced up at Sasuke who was lounging on one of the kitchen chairs, the aura around his imposing presence. dangerous. His smirk was sharp and mocking, his dark gaze not straying from his face.
"Did you have a good dream?"
Did he know?
Naruto stayed quiet and observed Sasuke's expression.
No...he doesn't. He wouldn't. Not possible.
"Yeah. So good, that I got paralyzed by it," Naruto grinned at him and stood up to walk into the bathroom.
What a wonderful way to start off the day.
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Sasuke almost wanted to smack himself for his stupidity. Naruto was having a hard enough time, without him having to pile his jealousy on top of it all. If he wanted to prove to Naruto that he was mature, this was definitely not the way to go about it. It was pathetic.
He was cranky though, having gotten almost no sleep since hearing Naruto call out someone else's name in his sleep.
How was it that someone so idiotic could drive him to insanity, without even knowing?
Getting jealous over a dream. Pathetic.
Stupid fucker.
Even with his stupid appearance, Sasuke was completely captivated by him.
"Hey…Sasuke?" said idiot plastered on an innocent face.
"What?"
"I'm hungry," Naruto pouted at him, chin trembling pathetically; cheek still flushed red from the punch he had given him earlier.
"Me too!" chimed in the almost forgotten Suigetsu.
"Why the fuck would I cook for you, dobe?"
"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday! I feel like I'm going to faint," the blond dobe fake swooned.
Sasuke had been hoping to get some information out of Naruto, now that he had gotten his rest but it was true that Naruto probably hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday. There was no way about it, he had no choice but to feed him. The sooner he did, the sooner he'd have his answers.
Fucking dobe.
Ten minutes later, very disgruntled and running out of patience, Sasuke set down a stuffed omelet in front of Naruto, smirking at the beaming smile the blond threw at him before digging in. He set a ramen cup and chopsticks in front of Suigetsu and ignored the incredulous look he gave him.
He let Naruto eat peacefully before he asked "Taste good?"
Naruto stopped shoveling food into his mouth long enough to grin at him with a satisfied nod.
"Good, now eat fast, you owe me a lot of explanations. Such as last night, don't think you can get away with not saying anything this time."
He knew that he was pushing Naruto, from the way that Naruto tensed up, but whether it was too much or not, Sasuke had been patient enough. He deserved some answers.
"Hey man, do you have to do this to him so early? It's been a traumatic experience for him, can't you just let up on him?"
Suigetsu really should learn when to keep his mouth shut.
"Looks like you have a lot of damn time on your hands, Suigetsu. Even with a terrible economy, your company must be running real fucking smooth for its president to be able to afford fooling around like this," he bared his teeth at his shark friend.
He ducked when Naruto threw his chopsticks at him, booing," Do you have to say it like that? Meanie asshole," he stuck out his tongue while Suigetsu cheered him on.
Sasuke had just about enough and instead of responding back to Naruto's increasing insults, he grabbed Suigetsu by the shoulder and pushed him towards the door, opening it up and shoving him through it and quickly locking it, ignoring the shouts on the other side.
Fucking finally.
When he turned back to the dining table, Naruto was sitting with his arms crossed across his chest, his legs bouncing nervously. Sasuke ignored the seat beside Naruto and chose to stand instead, knowing that it was more intimidating for Naruto.
"I'm already involved in this, so no use hiding it. What was yesterday all about?" he leaned with one shoulder against the wall," And especially, I'd like to hear about this 'Gaara' whose name you called out so lovingly in your sleep."
Sasuke knew that if he didn't control his temper, he was going to fuck this up, but he couldn't stop hearing Naruto calling out 'Gaara's' name in his sleep. He couldn't stop himself from noticing Naruto's surprised expression at his last question and he wouldn't be able to get anything to do with the damned "Gaara" out of his fucking mind until Naruto clarified.
"How…do you know about Gaara?" Naruto fidgeted, fingering a loose thread in his shirt.
"How do you think I found out where you were? I've heard from a certain person a lot of interesting stories," Sasuke clenched his jaw," I heard you two were lovers."
Naruto started, eyes widening as he looked up at him.
Sasuke bit back the growl threatening to slip out, Naruto's reaction not helping his accusations.
"Is that true?" He had to ask. He had to, he needed to know.
"Wait…Sasuke. What-"
"Now I see that your face isn't the only girly thing about you," he walked closer to Naruto and leaned in close, bending down to meet his eyes," so you like guys?"
Naruto's blue eyes sharpened and the anger in them flared," What?"
"I suppose it makes a lot of sense, how so many guys are clustered around you," Sasuke took Naruto's chin in hand," tell me Naruto, how do you seduce a man?"
Naruto slapped his hand away and stood up, eyes blazing with beautiful fury, his cheeks flushed and breathing hard from keeping in his anger.
"What the fuck are you talking about? I never expected this shit from you, fucking bastard!" Naruto pushed his chair back and started to storm off.
But Sasuke was angry too. He was furious. He was incredibly jealous and jealousy was vulnerability and if there was one thing that Sasuke hated, it was to feel vulnerable. He grabbed Naruto by the shoulder to stop him and threw him against the wall, pinning him there with his body. His hand crept up to Naruto's neck, the other pinning Naruto's hands to the wall.
"Why don't you do it to me, then? The way you did it to all those other guys. Seduce me."
Sasuke buried his face in Naruto's neck, breathing him in, his lips trailing down along the tan column. He had been wanting this for so damn fucking long. He licked the smooth skin, his teeth nipping the skin, even as Naruto struggled against him, trying to push him away.
"Are you fucking insane!? Let me go!"
Sasuke's hands slipped down to Naruto's hips, hands slipping in under Naruto's shirt, caressing the soft skin he found there. One hand slipped down to Naruto's ass as Sasuke and the other crept up further along his shirt, fingers brushing against a pebbled nipple.
"Sasuke! Stop it!" Naruto's fists beat down against his shoulders but Sasuke hardly felt them, he was completely lost in the taste and feel of Naruto, Naruto, Naruto.
Pain momentarily blinded him and Sasuke pulled away, holding his nose, which was dripping blood now. His breath was harsh as he saw Naruto's fist clenched in front of him, shirt half pushed up, jeans hanging low on sharp hips. His tan face was heavily flushed in anger but his neck was mottled with red marks, his marks.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! This is going way too damn far, even for a fucking joke!" slim fingers pulled down his shirt and Sasuke held his shirt sleeve against his nose, the fabric quickly becoming stained with blood.
"Does it look like I'm fucking joking?"
His question had caught Naruto by surprise and there was a sick pleasure in that.
"That's funny. Then what were you trying to do? You've got explaining to do, it looks like you're the gay one here."
Sasuke pulled his sleeve away from his face, the blood having stopped minutes ago.
"Why the fuck not? Even I know how guys have sex. I've never been interested, but if it's with you it's a possibility. You're quite seductive. Or am I not good enough for you?" Sasuke walked back towards Naruto, intent on tasting Naruto once again, over and over again, if possible. He was so lost in his desire, in his lust, to have waited for such a long time for more of a taste than sleepy drunken kisses. He wasn't thinking, not at all, and maybe that was the problem but he had no time to follow that though any further.
"I'd rather have preferred being in those bastards' hands, than to have to suffer like this at the hands of someone who I thought was my friend. Now I know what you really think of me, and here I was, fucking thinking that I was your damn friend! Is it fun playing with a person like that?" Naruto pushed him away and glared at him, "I'm not so cheap that I'd let a bastard like you play with me!"
Naruto back away from him and turned away, slamming open the door before he ran out.
"Naruto, wait!" but it was too late, Naruto was gone and it was his entire fucking fault.
It wasn't supposed to go like this; he had let the damn situation get out of hand, his jealousy made him go overboard and he lost himself in it.
Sasuke cursed and punched the wall, the pain not enough to dull the guilt and self-loathing.
I'm such a fucking idiot.
He needed to catch up to him, he needed to try to explain even if he didn't want to listen. Sasuke ran out, searching wildly for him.
Every conscious moment, all he could think of was him. Being the worthless guy that he was, he found himself captivated and drawn towards his solitary figure. He couldn't see anything besides him. It was laughable. Pathetic. Insane.
What was really confusing was that Sasuke found himself unable to go back to his normal senses and values.
He was able to stop himself from going too far this time, but would he be able to control himself in the future?
That naked desire that had quickly taken form and grown to an uncontrollable size and the unsteady awkward feeling that's taken control.
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Naruto took a break and sat down on a bench. His bandages had come loose and were now dangling uselessly at his sides.
Bastard. Idiot. Jerk.
And I thought he was trustworthy.
"Never gonna forgive him this time, there's a limit to how much a person can take," Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, his hand trailing up to stroke his neck, still remembering the heat of Sasuke's hands and lips.
Hmph.
Naruto had just curled his legs up against his chest, feet resting against the edge of the bench, when he heard someone loudly yelling his name. The blond sighed and waited until Sasuke came into view. From all the yelling he was doing, he obviously hadn't noticed where Naruto was yet.
"Naruto! Where are you?! Come out now! Dammit, where the fuck did you go?!"
It was quite amusing to see Sasuke in such a desperate state and if he wasn't so pissed off at him, then he'd probably laugh. As it was, Naruto just sat quietly, observing from behind at the damn teme making a ruckus. Naruto rolled his eyes at the predictable display.
"You there, keep it down, or else I'll press charges," Naruto called out, tired of all the noise.
"Naruto…" Sasuke quickly turned towards him.
When he had fully turned around, Naruto took in his full form and noticed the bleeding feet.
Barefoot.
What's he thinking, chasing after me so desperately?
Naruto snorted. Then he chuckled. Then he couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"Idiot! You're just one of those idiots with a childish self-righteous mindset," he pointed at Sasuke, slightly wheezing from all the laughter.
It lost all its humor however, and he abruptly stopped his laughing.
"You were wrong."
Sasuke bowed his head and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, feel free to hit me for as long as you'd like," Sasuke stood up straight with acceptance.
"You think that's all it'd take?" Naruto reeled back, fist already in the air, poised to strike a quick punch. His fist stopped within centimeters of Sasuke's jaw however, and gave him a light tap instead.
He shook his hand out and shrugged," My hands hurts, so I don't think I'll be able to hit you right now anyway."
Sasuke stayed quiet as Naruto sat back down on the bench and joined him at the end, giving him space.
"You really need to fix that nasty temper of yours. You have a really bad way of talking, even if you aren't in your right mind, you have to know that you can't take back what you say. Adding to that, your expression back then made it seem like you really did mean it."
"I can't help the way I am," Sasuke replied back arrogantly.
"Teme! Are you really apologizing?!"
Sasuke turned around and looked at him seriously, a frown tugging at mouth," You still haven't answered my question."
"Isn't it obvious. What won't bored, violent guys do when they're together? It was just a really bad joke."
"…and you really don't have anything to do with this 'Gaara' guy?"
Naruto stilled and glanced at Sasuke, not sure what to really say.
Cold, pale lips against mine. Soft.
"No."
"Really?" there was that disbelieving tone in Sasuke's voice, again.
"If you're not going to believe me, then don't ask. I'm more curious as to why you're so concerned about that," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, awaiting Sasuke's reply.
"Of course I'm concerned. I'm not about to lose you to some other guy after all the shit we've gone through," Sasuke stood up and turned away, ready to head back home.
It was something that he wondered at times, but quickly dismissed. He looked at Sasuke's bloodied feet again.
…could it be?
"Do you like me?"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face Naruto, his expression stormy and dark.
"Huh, Sasuke? Do you like me?" Naruto stepped in closer to Sasuke and smirked.
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A/N: Shit just got real. Read, review, favorite.
MUST READ: I have some questions and warnings for you, dear readers. As some of you may have figured out, this story will become darker. Naruto's dreams and flashbacks attest to that and there may be some non-con/dub-con involved somewhere in there. So, I will continue writing this story as I have planned and as how the manga is, which means that those scenes WILL be written, no and ifs or buts about it. The question is that when I do write these scenes, do you guys feel more comfortable with me leaving those scenes out, on here? I am posting this story on AO3 as well, so I will be posting full uncensored chapters on there, if you guys decide that you want nothing to do with those scenes. Let me know!
ALSO, there were some people who didn't like Naruto not sticking around for Gaara in the last chapter, but please, take in mind that Naruto never did see Gaara with his own eyes. He was focused on Sasuke, who he actually knew was there, and getting out of a very bad situation alive. With all the adrenaline running, I doubt he was really thinking of anything else. Besides, Gaara can hold his own.