Here's the next chapter! This time, I think I made it the perfect length. Sorry I ended in a cliff hanger but I've started Chapter 5 already, and I promise you it'll be a real treat and worth the wait. ;) Thanks again for reading my story ^_^
*Comments = love!*
*Naruto doesn't belong to me!*
Since that day, Sasuke grew increasingly wary of Uzumaki, while Uzumaki himself seemed to be set on making Sasuke's life a living hell. He started to challenge Sasuke more often, exchange a few more words- anger provoking ones of course, and they even started to have fist-fights over the smallest things such as who got to sit in a certain chair next to the window.
"Really, Naruto, you're being such an ass to poor Sasuke!" he once heard Sakura tell Uzumaki, while the ass himself just grunted in response.
He wondered whether he should be worried that Uzumaki knew his secret. He sincerely doubted that Uzumaki could go around school claiming Sasuke was gay. No one would believe him and Sasuke's loyal legion of fangirls would never let it go on long. There was no way he could blackmail him with this…. was there?
No matter what, he couldn't keep falling for that golden hair, that bright smile, the way he got everyone to notice him. There might come a time when he wouldn't be able to fall out of love. He won't ever let that happen.
Whenever they were alone, like on their walks, the blond-haired asshole would do what he did all the time- piss off Sasuke. He knew exactly what to do to get his blood instantly boiling - and so easily too. Sasuke hated him.
"No school tomorrow, how…unfortunate?" Sai, a boy his age, skinny and strangely extremely pale, stood beside Sasuke as they took turns shooting hoops at P.E., the ball having just left his hand with an effortless toss; it skimmed the rim slightly before finally falling in. Sasuke went after, hand outstretched, reaching for it, pausing only to glance at the other pairs at their own baskets, before finally grabbing it. He noted Naruto was paired up with Sakura, and then remembered he shouldn't have cared.
"Yes, most people would say it is," responded Sasuke. He happened to like school. Though of course, any class with Naruto was hell. He aimed briefly before letting the ball fly out of his hands.
"So I should be happy?"
"Yes – no, wait," Sasuke took another turn since Sai didn't seem too interested in basketball. After retrieving it, he tucked it under his arm and turned to Sai. "Just feel what you want to feel."
"I'm not sure I feel anything."
Sasuke sighed. He really wished they weren't assigned partners. It wasn't that he didn't like the guy, he just had no interest in him. He knew Sai came from a messed up family, but not feeling anything? He didn't want to play psychologist right now, and all he wanted to do right now was sleep, having only had 3 hours the previous night finishing up a project due for Asuma-sense's class. Besides, Sai should've been partnered up with Uzumaki, the blonde idiot was always so quick to change moods.
"Everyone, huddle up!" Kakashi-sensei, the white-haired, eye-patch wearing, art teacher called. Guy-sensei was gone today, no one really cared. Everyone left their basket to form a large circle around Kakashi. "Alright! Separate yourselves into two teams to play basketball."
He ended up on the same team as Naruto. Naturally, their team was in the lead, but neither could let the other be the MVP of this game. As both of them ran after the ball, Sasuke's attention slipped for a second when he saw Naruto shoved by Kiba and fall flat on his bottom. He would have at least chuckled right then but someone bumped into him, catching him off balance and falling sideways. Instantly, there was a sharp pain in his ankle. He clutched it, biting his lip in attempt to muffle his gasps of pain.
Uzumaki was the first to come running over to Sasuke. Everyone immediately stopped, trying to find out what happened. Sasuke could feel their whispers at the back of his neck. Kakashi-sensei came over next. He looked at the lump quickly forming over Sasuke's ankle.
"It's sprained," he said. "It's swelling. I'll call the hospital."
"No!" Sasuke instantly said involuntarily. His brother, Itachi, was his guardian, their parents dead. Right now, Itachi was "out" with friends. He wouldn't be back for a week, and would be furious to be interrupted if his vacation or whatever it was, was cut short. No one was supposed to know that an under-aged teenager was left by himself anyway. "I mean," Sasuke amended, composing himself, "that I'm fine. Just some ice right now and it'll heal over the three-day weekend."
"I'm not so sure, Sasuke," Kakashi-sensei said, and then he looked up. "Ino, go and get Nurse Shizune. She should be in her office." Everyone was still in the same place they stopped, afraid to get too close. Ino was the closest though, her face was filled with worry; she opened her mouth to say something, but instead nodded in affirmation and quickly darted toward the nearest door into the school.
"Don't have them call Itachi," Sasuke told Kakashi-sensei, looking straight at him with those cold, dark eyes of his. "I want to explain this to him myself when I get home," he lied.
Kakashi didn't look like he believed it, but nodded anyway just as Shizune came out with a small bag of ice, bandages, and a towel, and Ino carrying a crutch across her hands. The bell rang then, signaling the end of the period, and the end of the day.
"Go ahead and change!" Kakashi called out to the rest of the students. "You can leave as soon as you do!"
The guys were the first to go and with a frown, Uzumaki followed. Tenten and Hinata followed suit to their own locker room, while Ino and Sakura looked determined to see that Sasuke got all the attention he needed.
"Oh, poor, Sasuke!" Ino exclaimed.
Sasuke ignored her; slightly irritated she'd think of him as some fragile being.
"You should really go to a hospital and get some X-rays, Sasuke," Shizune said as she took off his shoe and sock, and wrapped his throbbing ankle.
"I will - later," he lied once more.
She didn't say anything else until she was done. "There, that should hold." She smiled at him. "Ino, the crutch."
She came up handing it to Sasuke, who took it and with Shizune's help, got up onto his feet.
When he was satisfied he could stand on his own using the crutch he looked up from his ankle to Nurse Shizune to thank her.
"Can you walk on your own?" Kakashi-sensei asked.
"I've used a crutch before."
"Or course," Kakashi's eye lit up in amusement.
He turned and started to walk – or limp to the gym building.
"Be careful, Sasuke," Sakura said, holding open the door for him.
He nodded to her on his way in and into the locker room.
It was completely empty and silent but for the sound of a shower running. He heard it stop as soon as he reached his locker and started spinning his combination. Opening it, he decided to keep his P.E. shorts on since it'd be a hassle to take them off and put his own pants on, with his ankle sprained and all. Balancing his crutch on the wall, he slipped his shirt off. He then heard wet footsteps and was about to turn around when a pair of arms came up from behind and encircled themselves around his waist. He shivered, feeling his bare back touch another's bare chest.
"Idiot! You just had to go and get yourself hurt," a familiar voice whispered in his ear. He squirmed against Naruto's embrace, and clutched at his arms, trying to loosen them.
"Let go, dope," Sasuke hissed.
"Not a chance." And he squeezed harder.
Sasuke bucked against the other, finally sending Naruto off him. He instantly grabbed the crutch, ready to hit the guy over the head if he came close again. Looking at Naruto, he saw his hair was damp and messy from the shower, and the only thing he had on was a towel wrapped around his waist. Sasuke grudgingly admitted Uzumaki had a nice chest, muscular and slightly tanned, but this only made him scowl and send him more into a bad mood.
"Put some clothes on, will you?" he said bitterly.
"Why? Does it bother you? We're both men, Uchiha."
Sasuke turned away, grabbing his shirt and slipping it on, all the while keeping a wary eye on Uzumaki. He refused to answer his questions.
Naruto sighed, walking forward and coming up from the side, he quickly snatched Sasuke's things from under him just as he was turning back around from closing his locker. Almost instinctively, Sasuke thwacked him over the head with his crutch.
"Ow!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his head.
"Give me back my backpack."
"No," he answered, stepping back a few steps out of Sasuke's reach. "I'm going to carry it for you as we walk home."
"Who said I needed any help from you?" Sasuke snapped.
"I did. So shut your yap, cuz I'm giving you my help whether you want it or not."
Naruto stood solidly, arms crossed stubbornly, looking so unmovable. Sasuke knew any argument he'd try to make wouldn't phase that blonde idiot's decision.
"Damn you, Uzumaki."
"Your welcome, Uchiha."
"Here, lean your body against mine."
"Ha!" Sasuke laughed dryly, "How about you give me back my backpack and leave me alone."
They walked along their usual route home through the park, Sasuke trailing slightly behind due to his injury. Dark clouds circled overhead, blocking the sunlight turning the air chilly, making Sasuke wish he wasn't in shorts.
A pothole in the middle of the path caught onto the bottom of his crutch, sending him stumbling forward. To catch himself from falling flat on his face, Sasuke was forced to reach out to grab Uzumaki's shirt.
"Whoa!" he yelled, almost fell backwards from the sudden weight pulling him back.
Though Sasuke really wanted to let go of him, he couldn't, seeing how he dropped his crutch and would lose his balance if he did. Naruto grinned back at him with that huge, idiotic smirk on his face.
"Good to know you're taking my advice," he said.
Sasuke frowned, feeling his cheeks grow hot in embarrassment, his eyes slightly averted away from that beautiful face. "I stumbled. Just get the crutch, Uzumaki."
Naruto didn't fail to see that blush. "You know you can just use me as your own personal crutch, Sasuke."
"I'd rather not," he muttered in response. "And it's Uchiha to you!" he added much louder.
Naruto ignored him, pulling Sasuke's arm over his head to drape around his shoulders, their bodies brushing against each other.
"No," he breathed into Sasuke's ear, loving the shiver he sent down the raven's spine. "Use me or crawl home."
Sasuke put up a small struggle, showing he wasn't going to completely give in, but knew he knew he needed Naruto's help to get home. With that, the dope slinked his other arm around Sasuke's waist, pulling them both yet closer. Sasuke half scowled and half blushed, but did nothing else. He admitted Naruto's body felt warm against his own, kind of nice – but he would never say it out loud.
They ended up stopping by Naruto's apartment. Sasuke didn't realize this before, probably because he was covered in mud, but he thought it smelled faintly of oranges. He breathed it in; realizing he kind of liked that citrusy smell. He then laid his head on the sofa's arm, seeing if that smelled like oranges too. It did. He guessed he must've fallen asleep as everything blurred around him and turned dark.
Everything was quiet but for the sound of a clock ticking which he awoke to. All the lights were turned off and the windows' shades were wide open, showing it was the middle of the night.
"Shit," he whispered to himself. "I fell asleep." He looked around for any sign of that blonde idiot. The dope should've woken him up!
"Uzumaki!" he called out, not as loud as he'd like to on account of neighbors. When there was no sign of him, he called out again. Still no answer, no sound, it was as if the apartment was completely devoid of any other living creature. He groaned, feeling his back slightly sore from sleeping on a stiff couch. Someone had put a blanket on him; he shuffled it off with not much thought before attempting to stand up. With no crutch or light he was forced to wander through the place with no direction, hopping, and feeling with his hands through the darkness.
"Great," he muttered to himself, "I'm crimpled and blind."
He found his hand on a cold doorknob. With all his being, he hoped it was the bathroom and not the bedroom in case Naruto was still here, before reaching to the side for a light switch. Flicking it on, he knew immediately he was in the wrong place. A, the room's walls were painted blinding neon orange with black streaks mixed and B, there was the blonde snoring away on his equally orange bed. He still wore the same clothes from school, shoes and socks still even on his feet.
"Uzumaki!" Sasuke yelled, attempting to wake him, which didn't happen. Desperate, he called, "Naruto!"
He continued to sleep soundly. Sasuke cursed, realizing he was going to have to wake him up "physically." He hopped his way across the room, and with not much furniture around for support, he made way, but lost his balance, and with a small surprised gasp, he fell – and landed right on top of Uzumaki.