DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto nor do I own The Summit
A/N: Thank you all for your lovely comments and feedback. If you didn't get to read the last Author's Note that I uploaded, then you probably missed out on me mentioning that I will be updating regularly from now on. Yes, you read that right. I'm excited to get this story finished once and for all, because I want to be move on into other fandoms.
ALSO, I will not be answering more questions about Gaara or why Naruto left Gaara a few chapters ago because I HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED THAT. Please. PLEASE. Don't ask me that. Repeated questions becoming redundant after they've already been answered.
Warnings: Language, weird people, dub-con, angst.
Unbeta-ed, PLEASE let me know if there are any mistakes and I will go back and correct them. Will also be probably adding on a bit more to the chapter here and there, haven't quite made up my mind yet.
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To me, you're strange and you're beautiful
You'd be so perfect with me
But you just can't see
You turn every head but you don't see me
Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You) – Aqualung
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Chapter 10
Near To you
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"Once you get stuck on something, it's almost like you don't even try to face reality."
"Oh shut the fuck up," Sasuke groaned, running his fingers through his hair.
It was hard enough to face up to the fact that right now he was hopeless but he didn't need the imaginary pink haired bitch in his head to point it out either.
Stupid bitch.
He had managed to get the damn bitch out of his mind but it was at times like these that he often thought back to her words from before.
He knew that the people walking by were looking at him strangely but trying to think back at the apartment would've been hard to do with Naruto around as a distraction.
Not that he'd ever admit it.
Ever.
Especially to Naruto.
Who was probably at home on his day off from his job, puttering around the apartment doing absolutely nothing and being his usual annoying self.
Fucking dobe.
He was still reeling from the damn interrogation Naruto had surprised him with, as a matter of fact. He knew that he had feelings for the damn idiot but admitting to the blond himself was a different matter. It wasn't that he was worried about what the response would've been, but that Naruto might not exactly be ready to have his surprised question answered.
Yeah, he could admit it.
He had no fucking idea what he was doing, all he knew was that he wanted Naruto and he wanted him bad, all other consequences be damned. But he knew that pushing Naruto wouldn't be the smartest thing to do.
Example; last week's debacle that ended with him with a bloody nose and feet and Naruto clamming up whenever he tried going near him anytime afterwards.
No thanks, he was trying to avoid another situation like that.
Naruto was just starting to warm up to him again and the last thing Sasuke needed was to scare him off again.
He hadn't ignored Naruto's stupid question but he also hadn't answered it. That way, when Sasuke knew that Naruto was ready to hear it, Sasuke could honestly say that he hadn't said anything outright to deny his feelings.
But it was becoming difficult. It was becoming very hard to keep the words that he wanted very much to say, inside.
He had never been the type to keep anything inside. If he didn't like something he wasn't shy about revealing it and if he wanted something, he never hesitated in going after it.
But...
Naruto wasn't ready.
Honestly, Sasuke didn't know whether he was either. He had been carrying on like a child, stubborn and possessive. He wanted to know absolutely everything about Naruto, wanted to pick him apart and find the secrets of his past right down to marrow of his very bones. Wanted to observe every piece of what made Naruto, Naruto. Microscopic and beautiful, every goddamn inch, piece by fucking piece.
But Sasuke was sure that some of those pieces were broken and he wasn't too sure that he'd be able to put them back together. They were probably jagged by now, sharp and deadly, ready to cut him if he pulled too hard. Naruto had his secrets but they must've been truly terrible if Naruto always froze up whenever Sasuke tried getting him to talk about them. He tensed up and avoided talking to him throughout the day, lost in a daze. Was Sasuke prepared for the outcome? Would he be able to put Naruto back together when the inevitable breakdown came?
"You're still so immature and narrow in your ways, you're determined and there's never been any doubt about that. But in the end, you're nothing but a self-righteous kid, twisting yourself and others around you, manipulating them until there's nothing left. When you refuse to acknowledge, let alone change aspects of yourself, your claims to love are nothing but lies."
Sasuke snorted.
He didn't know whether he was ready but at least he knew what he wanted. He had denied it to himself before but denying it now was an insult, not just to himself but to Naruto. He'd never be someone who ran away from his feelings and he wasn't about to start now.
Unlike you, I'll never run away.
He stood up, righted himself and headed home.
That was enough thinking for today, he had a blond idiot to get home to.
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Naruto loudly popped his gum as he shook his hips to the beat of the music. He bobbed his head and pressed the wet rag against the countertop, scrubbing hard at a food stain. He had been at work all day, taking full advantage of his day off and cleaning up the dirty apartment. There had been clothes all across the floor and strewn over chairs and the couch. Dust bunnies were accumulating underneath the furniture and the dust was stark against the dark furniture.
Naruto didn't know how he had let it get so out of hand, but he was certainly making up for it now, having spent most of the day scrubbing and washing. He was glad that Sasuke had gone out to Kami knew where, because trying to clean with him in the apartment was next to impossible. He was too broody and was always in the way, there would've been no way that Naruto would've been able to even spend five minutes trying to clean without the raven loudly complaining.
He blew at a stray piece of hair in his face and huffed as he finally put down the rag and looked around at the now very clean apartment. Naruto nodded with satisfaction and hoped that it would remain clean for at least another few days.
It was hopeless to even try to imagine it staying cleaner for longer than a week, it never did.
He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of cookie dough ice cream and settled down on the couch, in front of the TV. Maybe he should try relaxing after a tiring day of cleaning.
He was munching absentmindedly, barely paying any attention to the background noise of the news.
The past week had been…odd, to say the least.
After asking Sasuke that question, Naruto had realized what a mistake he had made. The last thing Naruto wanted to really think about was any feelings developing between the relationship that Sasuke and Naruto shared. Things were complicated enough and even if, and he meant a very small if, he did develop feelings for Sasuke, be it at any point, Naruto wouldn't really know what to do with those feelings. It was hard enough with the shit that had been going on lately; they didn't need to add romantic feelings to that list either.
Not that there were any romantic feelings to be had.
Not on Sasuke's side.
And certainly not on Naruto's side either.
Right.
Besides, his relationship with Sasuke was still tentative at best. Last week's events were still fresh in his mind and although he was done giving Sasuke the cold shoulder, that didn't mean that he was ready to completely trust him again. He wasn't sure if pulling stunts like those would be a constant in the future but he really needed his sanity and Sasuke pulling him around like that was not part of the plan.
There was also the fact that Naruto still hadn't told Sasuke anything about his life and he wasn't so sure if he ever could. He had kept everything hidden for so long, that he didn't really know where he'd ever begin. He didn't want to have to face everything that had happened because it was still painful and it felt so fresh, almost like it had happened recently when he knew for certain that it had been years.
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he felt the jangling of keys by the door and it was with surprise that he realized that the ice cream had all melted.
How long had he been there, lost in thought of possibilities?
He set the now melted carton of ice cream on the coffee table in front of him and raised his eyes when Sasuke walked by, darkly scowling at the news and launching himself onto the couch beside him.
"Bad day?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's glare as he stood up and started walking towards the bathroom
"I'm starving, go make some food!"
Naruto stopped in his tracks and threw Sasuke an incredulous look.
"No way! I'm not your personal slave, treating me like a fucking cockroach will get you nowhere," he continued on to the bathroom, aware of the dark aura behind him ,"besides, with you bitching and being a violent asshole all the time, why the fuck should I listen to you?"
Naruto shrieked, like a man if he did say so himself, when he was grabbed from behind and thrown back onto the couch.
"Naruto, tonight, you die by my hands," Sasuke smirked evilly and wrestled him down, pulling on his hair.
Ten painful minutes after, Naruto was left in pain and sniffling into his shirt, cursing at Sasuke's brutish ways. Sasuke himself was still standing over him, grinning smugly down at him.
"Teme! You call yourself human? How can beat up someone that you like – "
Naruto stopped himself before going further, knowing that he had fucked up.
Sasuke bent down, his dark eyes blazing,"Is this a joke to you?"
But Naruto wasn't one to back off, he refused to let Sasuke scare him, and even if he knew that most of this was his fault anyway.
"What's wrong, Sasuke? I find it hilarious. You're not even gay," he smirked up at Sasuke before pulling himself up.
If I take this seriously, I won't be able to handle it.
"Don't worry, I'll make you your damn food," he walked off, leaving Sasuke behind, still feeling the heat from his dark gaze.
oxoxoxo
Naruto walked up the florist and quickly bought a bouquet of daisies, lilies and carnations. He walked briskly, jaw clenched as he kept bumping into people on the busy sidewalk. His stomach was in knots and his hands held onto the bouquet tightly. He loosened his hold on them as soon as he realized how tightly he was holding them and he smoothed his fingers over the smooth stalks almost apologetically.
He kept his eyes lowered, his feet knowing exactly where to go, even though each step hurt. When he raised his eyes, his breath hitched but he forced himself to look.
Konoha Cemetery
Naruto touched the tip of his black hat and lowered it over his eyes and continued walking through gravesites until he finally reached the one further inside.
Kyuubi Namikaze
He looked over the clean headstone, marble and white, black plaque outlined in gold and silently observed the other colorful bouquet gently laid out.
They still look fresh. Somebody must've visited right before I did.
"Kyu, you're still pretty popular, aren't you," he muttered as he took off his hat and bowed his head down.
He bent his knees and knelt on the bright green grass.
"Of course…there were a lot of people that chased after you," Naruto carefully laid out his bouquet next to the other and smiled sadly down at the headstone. He swore that he could still hear Kyuubi's smooth tone, responding back with his usual sarcasm. If he closed his eyes, he could almost smell his familiar soft flowery scent and he could still feel his comforting arms around him, calming him down whenever things became too hard and he started freaking out.
"You know, it's weird. I've never dreamt about you."
Naruto settled down more comfortably on the ground as he wrapped his arms around his slightly bent legs, his chin resting up on his arms.
"You'd think that you would appear at least once, huh? Do you hate me that much?" Naruto's voice cracked and he cleared his throat, quickly blinking back any sign of tears.
Even at the very end, all I wished was for you to appear before me and say something. Anything. Whether it was to get mad at me or yell at me, just anything.
"You're the bad one. No matter what I do, you don't say anything to me. You said that you could no longer be a part of my life and I guess even in death, that doesn't change."
I thought I would be free. But in the end, this is all there is. This is all there ever was.
Naruto sniffed and picked himself up off the ground, dusting off his hat. He put it back on and lowered it back over his eyes, hoping that it'd be able to hide the tear tracks that ran down his cheeks.
He softly kissed his fingers and rested them against the carved stone, letting them linger in a gesture of longing.
But you know…as shameless and obvious it is. A world without you…still goes on.
"Let's live on."
Naruto sighed and turned away, his hands in his pockets and started the long silent trek back home.
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Dark polished shoes scuffed lightly against the grass, stopping in front of a beautiful headstone. A handsome man decked out in an expensive tailored suit raised an amused eyebrow at the bouquets resting over the grave. He looked over at the combination of carnation, lilies, and daisies. He knew only of one person who would've brought along all of Kyuubi's favorites.
The man's thin lips tilted into a cruel smirk and he pushed a lock of long black hair behind his ear. The sun's rays hit the man's eyes, making his odd light lavender eyes appear even more otherworldly.
"So…he came. Seems like I was a step behind," he chuckled, letting his bouquet of white roses lay along with Naruto's,"It's been a year since that day…I wonder how he's doing? I'd like to see him again, one day."
Crying and clinging onto me desperately…what an adorable expression that was.
He could still taste Naruto's tears, sweet and salty. He could still feel Naruto's smooth skin against his lips. He could still remember the strong grip of Naruto's arms clenched tightly around his neck, his soft voice pleading and begging oh so sweetly.
He chuckled.
Someday.
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Naruto leaned back against the fountain, flicking absentmindedly at the water as he waited. He straightened up when he saw a silver haired man walk out of the hospital and he grinned.
"Hey old man! Catch a cold?"
Kakashi glanced casually at Naruto, flicking the ash off his cigarette, "Still alive and kicking, I see. Made it out without a scratch, tough bastard," he chuckled.
"Told ya, with a face like mine, the heavens are on my side," Naruto winked cheekily at the older man.
"Just thought I would pay you a visit, cause I owe you and all. There's…also something I want to ask you," Naruto fidgeted.
"…is it about Gaara?" Kakashi took a drag of his cigarette and looked expectedly at the blond.
"You can contact him, right?"
"You're really that curious? Why not just give it up, I think he's got a new lover by now," Kakashi smirked at him.
Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes," Everything that happened this time was your fault, for spreading those damn rumors in the first place."
Kakashi grinned smugly but quickly sobered up," He's hurt. He won't be able to go anywhere anytime soon, he's being kept an eye on. Someone's been taking care of the event, keep it quiet. If word gets out, he might go back to jail."
Naruto winced.
All because of me, again.
Naruto turned slightly away from Kakashi and looked out into the crowd of people, trying to think of something that he could do to get Gaara out of this mess that was his fault in the first place.
"I don't understand it, though," Kakashi started, his gaze following Naruto.
The blond turned back towards him and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"You have someone backing you, don't you? You could've easily have had Gaara and the money but you're too damn naïve."
"…what are you even talking about?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, his forehead creased in confusion.
"Do you really think," Kakashi stood up tall against Naruto," that I would let just anybody borrow a huge amount of money? I've looked into your background and I discovered somebody pretty damn influential."
Naruto's eyes widened and he shook his head," Who the hell are you talking?"
Kakashi lent in closer into Naruto's space, meeting his eyes.
"You already know the answer to that."
Naruto.
Naruto shuddered, backing away quickly from Kakashi.
"Go back to where you came from. All you're doing is being a distraction to Gaara," Kakashi dropped his cigarette onto the ground and walked away without another word.
Naruto sighed and tugged on his hair. As if everything was really all that easy.
"Go back? To where?" he shook his head and sat down on the concrete steps.
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Sasuke shuffled his feet in front of him, reluctantly walking back towards the apartment building. He felt that there was something changing. There was a finality in the actions of today as if things were going to change. And soon.
He wasn't sure where he fit in all of this or whether it'd even affect him, but it was a feeling in his gut, that told him that he was involved.
It was like the calm before the storm, but not exactly in that manner. He could smell the metaphorical lightning and the humidity in the air. But he could also feel that there never was any calm, it was more of an ongoing storm, part of something bigger.
Something stronger, more dangerous.
Sasuke scratched his head and decided to push it to furthest corner of his mind for now, he could focus on it more later on.
When Sasuke finally stopped in front of the apartment door, he smirked at the paper pinned to the door, with a chibi Naruto pointing to the words 'Come to the roof'. He shook his head once again at the blond's antics but was too tired and decided to indulge him just this once.
When he finally made it up the long case of stairs, he pushed open the door and stopped in his tracks at the figure in black that stood on the edge of the roof. His heart stopped for a minute before continuing on in a faster pace than usual.
He silently crept towards the distracted shape of Naruto and silently watched him, his blond hair glinting in the moonlight and the wind rustling the thin shirt that Naruto was wearing.
"You thinking of committing suicide or something?" Sasuke stepped onto the ledge and stood beside Naruto, casually looking out into the night. He took a vicious satisfaction at Naruto's small twitch, a startled look on his face.
"When'd you get here?"
Sasuke shrugged and ignored the question," If you were thinking of throwing yourself off, I'd hate to inform you of the obvious but I don't think it'd be a clean death," he fixed Naruto with a glare," besides, if you really want to do it, why don't you go do it somewhere else. Like, where I won't have to see you, dobe."
Not to mention that if Naruto tried jumping off, Sasuke would probably kill him himself.
"Why the hell would I try to kill myself?"
"Good," Sasuke quickly for Naruto, pulling him in by his shirt with a snarl," Don't ever fucking shock me like that again, otherwise, I'll be the one to kill you."
The force that Sasuke used to pull Naruto in then caused both of them to fall back onto the safety of the rooftop. Naruto yelled out in fear and grasped tightly on to Sasuke to avoid falling back.
Sasuke snickered and wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist, one of his hands resting lightly on his bottom, pulling him in closer. He chuckled at Naruto's panicked face and wide blue eyes and patted him on the head.
"Now you're back to being yourself."
Naruto reacted exactly as Sasuke thought he would, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment and he spluttered and pulled away from him. He cursed at him and kicked him but in the end, he calmed himself down enough to sulk instead.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked around instead, just now barely noticing the pizza and beer out on the roof.
"What's the occasion?"
Naruto glanced at him as he passed him a beer and leaned against the wall," Can't let it pass by, it is my birthday after all."
Sasuke paused in opening his beer and looked up at Naruto in surprise but the blond was avoiding his eyes and was looking elsewhere.
"Just shut up and drink with me."
He hadn't really noticed it before, but there was something different about Naruto tonight. Something melancholic and sad, his eyes trained into space as if reliving memories. Sasuke watched Naruto turn around to face the city, the lights illuminating his face and casting shadows across the sharp planes.
"Look at all the lights! Somewhere out there, there's somewhere that I need to go. But if I reach out, I feel like I'll never catch it. I feel like I'm going around in circles."
"Hn."
That sounded just like Naruto. Wild and lost and completely unpredictable. It was a reminder that Naruto could easily leave just as he had arrived so many months ago.
He wondered if he was the only one that had had the blond to himself like this. Or if there had been others before him.
"Let me give you some advice, Sasuke. Go home. I don't know how you got here, but you still have a family to go back to, don't you?"
He snorted. As if that hasn't been said before. His family made sure to never let him forget of how "supportive" they were.
"Sounds like something I've heard before. I don't think you, of all people, should really be telling me that," Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Why not? I ran away a few years ago too. I had my reasons, I thought that if I ran away, all my problems would disappear as well," Naruto took an absent swing of his beer, his eyes staring off at the city lights," I thought I could come back home whenever I wanted to, but that wasn't true. Problems appeared whether I was there or not. The way back home kept getting further away until I ended up a stray, with nowhere to go.
Don't end up like me, Sasuke. It's not too late for you to go back," Naruto finally, finally, looked back at him, his eyes sad and wise.
Sasuke was surprised with the information, it was the most honest he had seen Naruto since he had met him. It was also the only piece of information about his past that he had offered up, thus far. He briefly wondered what problems Naruto had ran away from but knew that if he asked, he wouldn't get an answer anyway.
"Hn. You don't think I've been told this before? I've been lectured by my brother many times already. I always knew that I would have to leave one day, it's only one of the reasons that I'm here."
Sasuke drained his beer and reached out to softly stroke Naruto's cheek," I'm here because I chose to be, not because I'm some 'lost stray'".
Naruto's lips parted in surprise and Sasuke found his gaze following them. He wanted to taste them badly.
"I'm curious…where did this stubbornness come from?"
Sasuke shrugged and kept his hand on Naruto's face," I don't care where I come from, what I want is right here," his hand slipped down to Naruto's chest and rested against where he could feel the quiet pulse of his heart," so there's no need to look anywhere else."
Blue eyes widened and blond lashes fluttered in disbelief. Sasuke found himself licking his lips.
"Naruto. I'm going to kiss you now."
He could see the surprise in Naruto's face, but he couldn't wait anymore. His patience had run out and it was a miracle that he had even lasted this long. He knew that right now, Naruto was still probably struggling to process the information given to him and Sasuke really hadn't anticipated making such a bold move but he found himself taken by such an intimate conversation. He leaned in closer to Naruto, his arms coming around to trap him. The least he could do however, was warn Naruto.
He wasn't a complete asshole, after all.
"What?! Wait…who said you could! Hey…hey, look, look a UFO," Naruto randomly pointed at something over his shoulder but Sasuke wasn't paying attention anymore. One of his hands grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him in closer while the other settled on Naruto's neck. He touched his forehead to Naruto, his gaze devouring him with what he knew were hungry eyes.
"This time, I won't let you laugh it off."
And with that, Sasuke closed the distance between them, his arm wrapping tightly around Naruto's slim waist. Their teeth clanked together and Sasuke sucked on Naruto's bottom lip, tasting the beer from before and the sweetness that was solely Naruto. He groaned deep in his throat and pressed himself closer into Naruto, biting his lip and taking advantage of the blond's surprise to slip his tongue inside.
Somewhere between the first few seconds, Naruto's struggle had stopped and his hands rested lightly against Sasuke's biceps and he was making such delicious noises and Sasuke growled approvingly, his tongue stroking against Naruto's, sucking on it lightly and exploring every fucking inch of Naruto's mouth. His lips ached and he could only imagine how it must feel for Naruto but he didn't want to stop, he never wanted to stop.
He heard quiet footsteps by the entrance of the rooftop and he narrowed his eyes and found Suigetsu staring at them in shock.
He was quickly running out of breath and judging by Naruto's gasps, so was he, so he detached himself from the blond and safely turned Naruto away and looked back at Suigetsu, smug about being seen. He hadn't planned anything like this, but was glad for the unexpected surprise anyway. Suigetsu needed to stop fantasizing and see that Naruto would never be his, because he already belonged to Sasuke. Sure, Suigetsu may have "technically" developed feelings for the blond first but he hadn't done anything to act on them as of yet and so Naruto was free game.
He held Naruto closer to him and Sasuke lent down and took Naruto's bottom lip in between his own and sucked, all the while still staring back at Suigetsu. He gave him a final smirk as Suigetsu left with heartbreak in his eyes.
Had Sasuke been a better man, he would've felt guilty. But honestly, it wasn't something that was going to keep him awake at night. There was no need to pretend that it would.
Luckily, Naruto had been too dumbstruck to have noticed what had happened. Unfortunately, that didn't last long because although his cheeks were still flushed, the glaze over his eyes disappeared far too quickly.
Sasuke sighed and prepared himself.
"Why…do you keep doing this?! I was going to forgive you for what you did to me last time…but –"
"This isn't the first time I've kissed you," he cut in, holding on tight to Naruto, knowing that he would try to escape if he didn't," nor is it the second, nor the third."
Naruto tried pushing away but Sasuke held on strong," What are you saying?! What have you done to me, pervert?!"
"I've decided to come clean with you. I don't know what you're looking for but you don't have to struggle with it anymore," Sasuke made sure that Naruto was looking back at him," I'll watch over you."
"Don't look anywhere else, don't think about anyone else," his hands gently held Naruto's face," look only at me."
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Naruto fidgeted on the floor and kept his eyes on the floor. His arms were wrapped around himself and he kept biting down on his lip, trying to keep the nerves under control.
It was really hard to do that though, when he could feel Sasuke's eyes on him. It also didn't help that he was resting on the bed right in front of him casually and had been for the last two hours.
Two hours of silence and staring.
It was really hard for Naruto to keep quiet most times but this time, he really didn't know what to say. He was still somewhat shocked and he couldn't believe what had just transpired.
If it wasn't for the clear memory of Sasuke's lips moving against his, then Naruto would've happily written it away as a dream.
A very terrifying dream, but a dream nonetheless.
When Naruto had planned the pizza dinner for them on the rooftop, he hadn't expected that it would've turned out anything like this.
Naruto groaned inwardly and mentally slapped himself.
I've never felt so uncomfortable in my life.
And that was counting all his embarrassing moments that still made him wince in pain whenever he thought about them. He could still feel Sasuke against him and the harsh kisses laid desperately upon his lips. He felt like Sasuke had been trying to swallow him whole, as if he was trying to devour his mouth.
Naruto didn't know whether he should've found that disturbing or attractive.
He chanced a glance towards Sasuke and found that the raven still hadn't looked away. In fact, the expression on his face had become even more intense than before. Regardless of the intensity, Sasuke still wasn't saying anything and that was just so unsettling.
It wasn't like Sasuke to keep quiet without throwing any insults or snarky remarks. The longer the silence went on, the more Naruto found himself wanting to rip his hair out from the stress.
"What do you want from me?" he cried out desperately and looked up pleadingly at Sasuke. He hoped that it would be enough to snap Sasuke out of his daze, perhaps even get him to leave him alone.
Of course Naruto should've known better than to have hope when it came to Sasuke.
His eyes nearly popped out when Sasuke finally moved, not away, but towards him. Naruto quickly backed up to put space in between them.
"Stop! Don't come near me…let's just talk!" Naruto pushed out his lower lip and pulled out his "puppy eyes" card.
Fortunately, that seemed to have done the trick and Sasuke stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to side.
"Why won't you answer me? When a person confesses his feelings to you, shouldn't he get some kind of response?"
Confess? It sounded more like insanity.
Before Naruto could even open his mouth to start yelling at Sasuke, the damn teme interrupted him with "Of course, there could only be one answer," and threw him a cocky smirk.
The nerve of this bastard.
Naruto grit his teeth," How the fuck do you expect me to respond?! Can't you see how against this I am?"
"Why are you so upset? You should take this as an opportunity and experience the variety in the world," Sasuke raised a sardonic eyebrow.
"Are you crazy?!"
"What's the problem? Do you think there are a lot of guys like me out there? You should feel gratified."
Naruto didn't even know how to respond to the sheer amount of bullshit coming out of Sasuke's mouth.
Are we even…on the same wavelength?
"Or is it that you think I'm too good for you," Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto but stopped once the blond held up a hand to stop him," don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
And the truth was that Sasuke looked completely serious. Maybe he truly did believe what he was saying.
Has he finally lost his mind?
Naruto didn't even know how they got to this point, right here and now, a couple of months ago, Naruto could've sworn that Sasuke hated him. Somewhere along the line, something must've changed drastically and Naruto hadn't even noticed.
He took a deep breath," Sasuke, I know that my beauty may have finally paralyzed your brain, but there's just something that you can't ignore," Naruto fingered the buttons of his shirt and deftly starting unbuttoning them until his shirt hung lose and open," I'm a man."
He even held his shirt open with both of his hands so he could show Sasuke that he clearly didn't have tits.
"Yeah. I know, you're definitely a guy," Sasuke gave him an appraising once over and Naruto quickly buttoned his shirt back up.
"Fine. Besides the fact that I'm a guy…who would even like such an asshole like you?"
Naruto crossed his arms in front of him defiantly and held back from flinching at the dark glare Sasuke gave him.
"Sasuke, I understand, you're away from home and your family and so you latch on to the first person you come across and make them your surrogate family. If that person happened to be a show-stopping beauty like me, then so be it, but you have to understand that you're making a huge mistake!"
Naruto didn't even know where he was going with this, he had an idea earlier but quickly lost himself in his explanations.
He didn't know how long he had been ranting for and didn't even fully remember, just small parts that included the words "teenage hormones" and "strange incidents with men". By the time that he had stopped talking, Naruto was gasping for air and his throat felt dry.
Sasuke had his headphones over his ears and was bobbing his head to whatever stupid music he was listening to. When he saw that Naruto was done, he pulled them off and looked at him expectedly as if Naruto hadn't been talking for the past ten minutes.
Asshole.
"Naruto, it's too late. I'm already hooked."
Naruto couldn't handle the way that Sasuke was looking at him right now. He looked at him as if he was someone important, as if he hung the moon. His gaze was honest and determined, and had it been any other situation, Naruto would've been impressed.
"I don't plan to stop."
"Why are you so stubborn? Do you just think that everything will work out if you're persistent?" Naruto sat down on the ground, mind exhausted from sifting through revelations.
Sasuke bent down to join him on the ground," I don't really need your answer anyway. You're such a damn coward that thinking through this would just be an excuse to put it off for years. Just because it's a bit out of order, it doesn't change how everything will eventually end."
"But…but…you won't really do that, right?" the blond scooted away from Sasuke without trying to look suspicious.
He whimpered when Sasuke smirked and then he pounced. Naruto winced when his head his the ground and found himself pinned down by Sasuke's body, wrists gripped tight in his hands.
"I'll make this easier for you. From now on, we're dating."
"I ref –"
"If you say that you refuse, my control might slip. After all, I don't seem to have anything else other than my 'teenage hormones'".
Naruto gasped and bucked upwards, trying to dislodge Sasuke, but it was fruitless. The damn bastard was too heavy and strong.
Fuck!
He should've ran the minute he sensed something but instead of his stupidity stuck around and now he's stuck underneath a horny teenager with no help. When Naruto managed to kick Sasuke's shin, he turned over and tried quickly crawling away. Unfortunately, Sasuke recovered quickly and his body was once again covered by Sasuke's heat. His back was up against Sasuke's chest and one of his hands was sneaking up into his shirt.
Naruto blushed and spluttered but he knew that he only had one choice if he wanted to get out of this situation with his body intact.
"OK fine, I get it! I'll…consider going out with you," Naruto felt Sasuke's body tense above him and he was quickly released and turned around to face Sasuke.
"Really?" Sasuke asked dubiously, a dark brow raised questioningly.
Fuck no. I'll be out of here and on the road as soon as the sun comes up.
Naruto chuckled weakly and forced on a smile," Of course…give me more time. It's too sudden."
Not only was it too sudden but it was also too unthinkable.
Sasuke smiled softly at him, oblivious to the thoughts plaguing Naruto's mind and Naruto felt guilty.
"Fine, if that's the case, I can wait."
Naruto gulped and tried to not feel too guilty but at this point, the guilt was growing by the minute as he looked as the hopeful look in Sasuke's eyes.
It's not that a relationship would Sasuke would be bad…per say. Only that his life was complicated enough without a relationship getting in the way. There were things that Sasuke didn't need in his life and Naruto was definitely one of them.
"You'd better think it over very well. For the sake of your future and your body," Sasuke smirked as he pinched Naruto's cheek.
Definitely going to leave without a doubt, teme.
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"I put the requested things in the locker, there's also a small gift in there for you," Gaara tightened his grip on the phone as he looked at said locker, already reaching forward to spin the lock combination.
The voice in his ear paid no attention to his silence and continued talking instead," Naruto came in and left an address for you."
Gaara indulged and allowed himself to savor the small thrill of happiness that bloomed in his chest. The locker snapped opened and the only thing within it was a packet, beside it was a small piece of paper with an address scrawled hurriedly onto it.
He quickly recognized the messy shorthand and his lips twitched up minutely.
"Are you going to meet him?"
Gaara folded the scrap of paper carefully and placed it into the inside packet of his jacket. He grabbed the packet and slammed the locker door closed.
There was no need to answer. The response was already obvious.
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Naruto…Naruto.
He could feel a gentle hand stroking his face.
Naruto…get up, it's morning.
He could already make out the red hair and those soft green eyes that always looked at him with such kindness.
Naruto had missed his voice. It always made him feel protected. Safe.
He could hear soft mumbling in his ear and he groaned, trying to cling onto the small sliver of sleep that was still hanging on to him.
"If you don't wake up, I'm going to kiss you!"
Naruto jolted awake at those words, his eyes flashed open and he shot up straight in his bed.
"Wha…," he mumbled in confusion, a sleepy haze still cast over his mind.
"I'm leaving. We're having dinner out today, so don't be lazing around and actually meet on time for once."
Naruto got up when Sasuke pulled him out of bed and he followed behind sluggishly, dragging his feet on the ground as Sasuke led him to the door.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
So…sleepy…
"Mhm, yeah, right, go, work, whatever…take care…see you later…" Naruto trailed off with a yawn, "bring back ramen…be careful…" he continued on, eyes unfocused and brain still not fully online yet.
His eyes were slipping shut again and he heard a rustle of cloth in front of him but couldn't find the strength to look. So when he felt firm lips against him, softly caressing him, he truly couldn't be blamed for the shout that escaped him.
His eyes snapped open and as one of Sasuke's hand curled around the back of his neck to pull him in closer. Naruto was still frozen in shock and couldn't move when Sasuke's other hand wrapped around his waist.
The kiss was hungry, dirty and quick. Naruto could feel himself flushing; in anger or in pleasure, he wasn't too sure. Sasuke's tongue swiped across his bottom lip, playfully teasing and pulled away just as quick.
It wasn't until Sasuke had left with a smug smirk that he his senses finally kicked in and Naruto's knees felt weak. He collapsed onto the ground, his knees hitting the hardwood painfully. Naruto swiped his hand against his lips, as if he could wipe away the evidence of the kiss.
He could still feel it and his lips were tingling.
Fuck. Such a fucking asshole. Fuck you.
"I'm wide awake now," Naruto sighed and shook his head.
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Sasuke scowled at the girls that lingered beside him. They probably thought that he hadn't realized how obvious they were being but he wasn't an idiot nor was he blind. They had been watching him for the last twenty minutes and their simpering had become annoying the first five minutes.
He looked down at his watch again.
With every minute that had passed by without Naruto showing up, Sasuke's mood had worsened. He had been waiting for an hour but he couldn't just leave either.
What if Naruto ended up showing and he wasn't there?
No, he'd just wait for him, it's not like he was in any hurry to go back to the apartment either.
The past few hours had been eventful to say the least and he knew that those changes were not ones that would've been appreciated by Naruto. But Sasuke really had planned on waiting and not pushing Naruto, however, it had become too much of a difficulty to hide his feelings.
In the end, Sasuke hadn't seen a problem in letting his feelings become known, he knew that Naruto was at least attracted to him, even if he didn't want to admit it. The way that he had reacted to their first kiss was evidence of that.
Sasuke closed his eyes and could still remember the feel of Naruto's slim body pressed up against his.
Naruto obviously wasn't going to admit to anything anytime soon, so it was really up to Sasuke to win him over. It wasn't going to be easy, not by a long shot, but Sasuke had a feeling that if he persisted, Naruto would have no choice other than to finally realize that he was his.
The problem was how to go about convincing him.
The blond was stubborn, irritatingly so. And Sasuke didn't really have much of an experience as to how to even seduce someone like Naruto.
With past hook ups, Sasuke was always the one being pursued. Women came to him, not the other way around. He was handsome and Sasuke knew that he had a nice body; women were just naturally attracted to him.
So what did Sasuke have to do to seduce Naruto?
Pretty words wouldn't work, Naruto wasn't an idiot and he would see right through them. Gifts, although appreciated, also wouldn't work. Naruto wouldn't let himself be bought, especially when he was wagering something like his feelings. Furthermore, Naruto was a man and Sasuke had absolutely zero experience with that.
It was the first time he had ever been attracted to someone of the same sex and Sasuke was surprised that he had absolutely no problem with that.
Sasuke shifted on the bench and his scowl deepened when he saw that fifteen minutes had passed since the last time he had checked the time.
Damn dobe.
Where are you?
And to add on to the dilemma, although Sasuke was sure that Naruto was at least a bit attracted to him, he didn't know how he truly felt towards him. He had been too concerned with making his feelings known that he hadn't even thought about how to deal with the lack of response.
He would admit that it did hurt a bit.
But Sasuke was nothing if not resilient and persistent.
If our feelings are in sync…there's no doubt…
He could see Naruto's tan face in his mind, blond hair falling into his cerulean eyes. The way they twinkled with mirth when he was amused or how they flared in anger when he was furious. He could see Naruto's pink lips, how they twisted when he was confused or how soft and pouty they were when mobile.
Sasuke clenched his teeth.
Naruto wasn't showing up and right now he was imagining the worst case scenario. He would get home after waiting for another hour or two, ready for an angry confrontation with Naruto about lazing around. But instead he'd see an empty apartment with no trace of Naruto left behind.
Considering Naruto's personality, it was definitely a possibility that couldn't be ruled out.
Sasuke sighed and covered his mouth with his hand.
Dammit.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Naruto leaned against the brick wall, quietly observing Sasuke. He had gotten to the spot a half hour earlier than Sasuke but felt no desire to let it known that he was there. For an hour, he had watched Sasuke's body tense up further every time he looked at this watch. For an hour, he had watched the passersby stop and stare at the young man.
Naruto wouldn't deny that Sasuke was very attractive. It was one of the first things he had noticed, when he saw him on the train a lifetime ago. But it also wasn't something that he thought too much about.
That is, until recently.
His emotions were jumbled and it was difficult to admit that he may have developed a soft spot for the raven, regardless of his abrasive and dark personality.
It was difficult to admit but Naruto wasn't as oblivious as he led people to believe.
Shame gnawed at his stomach as Sasuke's posture slumped and for the first time, he looked lost. He truly looked like the kid that he was and Naruto swallowed down the urge to run.
He had planned on leaving as soon as he could but he quickly realized that he couldn't do that to Sasuke. It was cruel and mean and even if he was an asshole, Sasuke didn't deserve that. He got the feeling that he was the only person that Sasuke felt close to right now and Naruto could remember that feeling of having no one around that cared.
Also, he found it harder than he expected to, to leave. He had his suitcase out at the apartment, ready to cram it with his things but found that he couldn't move past even picking up his clothes. He had stared at his suitcase for an hour, not fully understanding why it was so difficult to just up and go.
Along the way, Sasuke had crawled underneath his skin and Naruto hadn't even noticed. He had gotten so deep into Naruto's head, that it was hard to even contemplate leaving without Sasuke.
Sasuke, who had risked himself time and time again for Naruto. Who asked questions and who was impatient but never physically forced him to talk about things he didn't want to. Sasuke, who was impatient and broody and terrifying but who was also just a good guy, even if he pretended otherwise.
Naruto bit his lip and walked out of his hiding spot and walked over to Sasuke, stopping right in front of the bent figure on the bench. He saw the exact minute that Sasuke realized he was right in front of him, when the raven stilled and slowly looked up.
He could clearly see the relief in his eyes but it was quickly hidden away by the anger.
"You look sick," Naruto simply stated and looked around at the stares they were attracting.
He could visibly see the moment that Sasuke snapped.
"Really? That's all you can say? You're an hour late!"
"But there was traffic," he whined piteously.
"Couldn't you fucking call?!"
"My service was cut off!"
"Then hurry up and pay your goddamn bills, you lazy leech!"
"What did you just call me?!"
Sasuke got up off the bench and glared at him," Now my plans have to change because you you're late, hurry the fuck up."
Naruto found himself beside Sasuke and tensed when he felt a casual arm drape itself heavily over his shoulder. Naruto's eye twitched and he stretched, raising his arms up high and sighed in relief when that managed to dislodge the arm around his shoulders.
He tried walking off but was quickly stopped by an arm sneaking behind him to wrap around his hip instead. That same arm pulled him in closer to Sasuke's side and Naruto glanced up to see Sasuke's smirk. Naruto bristled and if he was cat, he would've been spitting and hissing, claws ready to attack.
"You…take your hands off of me!"
Sasuke chuckled and only pulled him in closer, leaning down to whisper into his ear," I can keep holding you like this or I can kiss you right here and now. I can ravage you in front of all these people. Which do you prefer?"
Naruto bit the inside of his cheek and narrowed his eyes in anger. There was a small voice in the back of mind, commenting on how just one of Sasuke's arms could wrap itself perfectly around Naruto, as if it was meant to be there, but Naruto shook the thought out of his head.
Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about such stupid things.
Naruto grinned as one of his hands inched down to Sasuke's ass and pinched a firm cheek.
"Your ass is pretty firm."
Sasuke's lips pursed and his hands reached up to pinch and stretch Naruto's cheeks. Naruto's face was probably red, he could already tell from the throbbing. His face would be flushed for the rest of the day.
Fucking bastard.
He stepped on Sasuke's foot and the raven bit his arm.
He could only wonder how they had gotten to this and it was times like this that even though they had childish fights, Naruto could appreciate the beauty of his relationship with Sasuke. He gave back as good as he got and it was actually fun.
After ten minutes of name calling and stares from the people passing by, Naruto finally came to the conclusion that to other people, this behavior was probably atrocious and if they didn't stop the police would probably come and arrest them on the spot for disturbing the peace.
Naruto pushed Sasuke away for a moment and reached down to grab onto his hand. He secretly marveled at the strong calloused hand and intertwined their fingers together.
"Fine, here. We can hold hands instead," Naruto shook their joined hands and put his other free hand on his hip. Sasuke squeezed their hands in amusement and turned away, but not before Naruto could see the small smile lingering on Sasuke's lips.
Naruto's own mouth twitched but he refused to let his amusement be known. It was better to pretend that he was an idiot that couldn't understand.
He shot a side glance at Sasuke's profile.
Truthfully, the whole time that he watched Sasuke, his heart felt heavy. A weight settled upon his shoulders and he found it hard to breathe.
His heart hurt.
I wonder why.
Naruto enjoyed the dominance that Sasuke exuded and the heat from his hand was comforting, an anchor that calmed him.
Until I know the reason…I want to stay like this for a while longer.
He could get used to this.
"What're we doing," Naruto asked, curious as to where Sasuke was taking him.
"Food first," was all that was said as they crossed the street.
Naruto grinned and was about to reply when he caught a flash of red in the corner of his eye. The streets were busy and there were people crowding around them, but he knew that he hadn't imagined it. He stopped and looked back and his eyes widened.
He could recognize that shade of red anywhere. The broad shoulders and the long legs, the confident way the man walked.
Naruto quickly drew away from Sasuke and ran back, ignoring Sasuke's calls. He could deal with Sasuke later but if he let this man go, he had the feeling that he would regret it very much so later on. He ran until he finally reached the man. He gently touched the back of the man's arm and wrapped his arm around it, stopping the man in his tracks.
When the man turned around, even though Naruto had been hoping, he couldn't believe it. Soft green eyes looked back at him, pale lips parted in a show of surprise.
"Gaara…where are you going?" Naruto sidled up to the man, looking up hungrily at the man he had missed terribly. He had changed, not dramatically, but Naruto could tell. Gaara had been sharp before but now there was something different, something darker lurking behind those emerald eyes.
Gaara smiled softly down at him and stroked his hair.
"To you…I was heading over to see you, Naruto."
Naruto choked on a sob, his eyes quickly filling up with tears. He launched himself at Gaara, his arms wrapping around the other's neck, while Gaara's rested on his hips. He rested his chin at the space where Gaara's neck and shoulder met and Naruto breathed in Gaara's spicy scent.
He had missed this.
Missed him so much.
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A/N: I've been very busy. It's been hard to write this chapter because I get home very late and by the time I'm in bed, all I want to do is sleep. In other news, this chapter was 25 pages and 9.8k, I have no idea how I ended up with more pages than words but I'll try not to think about that right now. I just find it funny that I had estimated 17-20 pages and instead ended up writing 5 more than planned.
I'll be working on the next chapter right away.
Also, I think my writing style has changed since the first chapter? I feel like it has, I don't know, maybe I'm losing my mind but it has been two years since I started this story.
Read, review, favorite, follow.