Author's Notes:
Again, your incredible reviews excite me more and more and make me want to write and write and write! =D Thank you everyone! I'll work hard to make you an even greater chapter than the one you've read before! And a great big thanks alongside roses for my wonderful Beta, Missbip0lar, she is a great person who helps into making this fic the best! Unfortunetly, she is no longer aiding me into Beta'ng. =( So, I'm ((((IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW BETA!)))). If you know anyone who is willing to do it, or you yourself can do it. Please send me a message. I really want to compelete this story, and without a Beta, that will be impossible. ='(
Now, enough of my sad agony and let me leave you to the story, enjoy! And don't forget to review~
Naruto pulled the zipper up his bag and then swung it over his shoulder. He walked towards the window seeing his teammates already putting their packages into the tiny van that was prepared for them. Tenten spotted him and shouted for him to come down as not to get late. He smiled at her and shut the window. His eyes traveled to the empty bed beside his. He sighed and walked out the room, locking it, and then making his way downstairs to the receptionist to hand in the key to their joint room.
Naruto bid the nice woman at the reception goodbye and strolled into the sunshine. They had finally finished all of their games, with a slam dunk victory in each and every one. So now, they had qualified with honors to the Interhigh. Naruto looked back at their fifth game, his arm had already healed by then, but Tenten refused to allow him to participate, claiming that until they get a doctor to look at the arm, she wasn't about to take any chances. He'd sulked that day, but surrendered to her will when they brought back a victory.
As he stepped inside the van, there was no trace of Sasuke, Neji, Gaara or Kankuro. Naruto knotted his brows at the missing players and took a seat behind their respectable Captain.
"Hey, Shikamaru-Senpai?"
"What?"
"I don't see Gaara or Kankuro-Senpai here; did they go off ahead?"
"Yeah, our budget didn't allow us to rent anything big, so he went off with his brother and Neji as not to further crowd the already crowded van."
"Ahaa….and Sasuke? When I woke up he wasn't there."
Shikamaru frowned and turned to the blond behind him, with dissatisfied lips, he said.
"What do you mean when you woke up? Sasuke is rooming with Neji…." At the sheepish look and the small 'oops' that left Naruto's mouth, Shikamaru freaked. "Oh no, don't tell me! Neji! That's why he was extra happy these past days! Do you know what Tenten would've done if she found out! She'd have slaughtered you for ruining her training program!"
Naruto shrugged. "But she didn't. And everything went smoothly in the end."
"You've someone up there who is praying for you, Naruto. Just tell me, what did he give you in exchange?"
"His word not to kick me off the team." Naruto answered truthfully.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. He doesn't have that power to do so; he was just pulling an empty threat. And you believed it."
Naruto pouted. "But…he looked like he could really do it!"
"He just gave you a confident front and you fell for it. Baka!"
Knotting his brows at what he was hearing, Naruto slumped back on his seat. But even though he fell for Neji's plot, he wasn't against it. In fact, he was grateful because he was able to share rooms with Sasuke for once in his life. And speaking of Sasuke…..
"Shikamaru-Senpai, you still didn't tell me what had happened to Sasuke."
"Aha….Well, since he has some business to take care of here, he will be following us later on."
Naruto frowned and got back to his seat. Ever since that night, he had the feeling that Sasuke was avoiding him. He didn't want that, because there were millions of questions twirling inside his head needing answers, but it didn't feel like Sasuke wanted to give them to him. And he wasn't in a rush, he'd wait. But, as his mind started replaying the sentence that he was left with over and over again, Naruto connected the shattered dots. That day, when he saw Sasuke wining that track challenge and he sensed something was off. Now he knew it.
It was the angle in which Sasuke had finished the race in. It felt as if he strayed from the path with a few steps. Naruto figured if his eyes were going bad, that would explain it.
"May I sit here?"
The blond looked up to the teen with spiky black hair, he nodded with a smile. "Sure thing."
Shino. That was his name. He was Kiba's best friend, as far as Naruto knew; they didn't have any contact together, and he didn't even think he'd be able to distinguish Shino's face if he were to find him in the street. The teen always had black sunglasses shadowing his eyes and a thick scarf that hid his mouth from public. They had only spoken a few times and that was always done in the presence of Kiba. So right now, Naruto didn't know how to roll a conversation with this mysterious player.
"Kiba is flirting with his girlfriend on the line, and truthfully I don't feel like listening to his happy-romance."
"Huuuh! Kiba has a girlfriend? I've never knew!"
"Yeah, it doesn't show. You'd think the girl would be a total pig to settle for his ass, but she isn't. She is a pretty, well educated, polite female." Shino snorted. "I'm still wondering how she took him in."
"Well, people have different tastes in human."
"He isn't human, he is a dog."
Naruto sweat dropped at the sharp words, but he figured a long and deep friendship would do that to a person.
"You, jackass! What are you saying behind my back!"
Suddenly Shino was grabbed from behind by the neck, exposing his mouth for the first time to Naruto. One would think he'd seen it in practices, but for the love of him, Naruto didn't remember a time when they had a practice and Shino's face was exposed, maybe the eyes. But his mouth was always a mystery. Amongst others.
"Idiot! You're chocking me!"
"Serves you right! Sorry Naruto, I'm taking this log off your shoulder."
Kiba dragged his best friend back to the backseat of their van; Naruto just waved good-bye to the protesting raven.
"Those two are always very troublesome."
"It's nice that they have such a deep relationship with one another."
Shikamaru raised a brow and stood from his seat taking the one beside Naruto. He scratched his head for what he was about to do, and said, "Why is Sasuke avoiding you?"
Naruto's eyes widened for a second, then he gave a smile. "You noticed?"
"His behavior was odd since that day you two slept out. Something had happened. You don't need to tell me, but try to solve it as soon as possible before more members of the team notice the sudden fraction. I don't want to see my team fall because you two won't talk."
Naruto shook his head at the words. "We didn't argue, and it wasn't a fight or anything."
"Then?"
"I found out about the thing you told me it was best stay hidden."
Shikamaru groaned. "I feared something like this must have happened. Did he tell you to your face?"
"No. He whispered it in my ear when he thought I was asleep."
"I'd say that's better than my expectations."
"Why? What did you expect him to do?"
"Smash your face into the wall and dump your body in the river."
"Captain, that's awful!"
"That's Sasuke."
Naruto puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms over his chest. "No, that's not him. Sasuke is a good person."
"I never said he wasn't a good person."
"A good person won't kill his friend!"
"And you're not dead."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "According to you I should be."
"I was calculating normal Sasuke's actions, but he seems to have a weak spot for you. So?"
"So what?"
"So what are you planning on doing? You can't just let him avoid you forever,"
"And I'm not." Naruto sighed, looking at his hands. "I don't know what to do. Never did I think he was quitting because he was going blind. It's so unfair, he has such a skill and yet…."
"Life is shit; there is nothing we can do about it."
"I….right now, I don't know what to say to him, even if we met. I don't know if I should pry into the matter, console him or just act as if I didn't know about it."
"I don't think Sasuke wants you to console him, he made peace with his condition a long time ago. I believe since he was a kid, he knew that someday he'd go blind and there is nothing he could do to prevent it."
Naruto felt his heart break. "What do you mean since he was a kid?"
"That's his story to tell. Anyhow, you two can't continue like this, and I won't let you."
Shikamaru walked towards their manager with a small smile on his lips, he whispered something inside her ear and slowly, she turned to Naruto with glinting eyes, a cold chill controlled his body.
Naruto had to blink at the set of lights the shone from the car facing him. Sasuke smirked and clicked his passenger seat open. No words were needed as Naruto pulled his bag and himself off the staircase he was sitting on for the past three hours and made himself home on Sasuke's front leather seat.
"You are late."
"I told Shikamaru I wouldn't be able to pick you up early."
Naruto frowned. "It's not like I wanted to wait for your ass, either. But they kicked me! The bastards just opened the door and kicked me out!"
Sasuke started the engine and pulled them away from the hotel that had turned into their home for these past few weeks.
"You must've done something wrong. Shikamaru doesn't just kick people out."
"Well, he does! I did nothing wrong!"
"Hmm….then I wonder what he was thinking."
"Something along the lines of not wanting you to drive alone."
Sasuke smirked. "And you're my what? Watchdog?"
"In your dreams, Ass. I'm the poor player who has no say in the pyramids of power."
"Hum…poor player you say." Sasuke mumbled as he made a turn to the right.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Tell me, did you eat?"
The blond raised a suspicious eyebrow but answered nonetheless. "Nope, aside from breakfast which was hours ago."
"Good, 'cause I brought you something with me. It's in the back."
Naruto turned around and a bag with a restaurant's name that he was sure wouldn't be able to pronounce was left on the backseat. He wriggled his way there and got the bag to his lap. Wasting no time into asking Sasuke's permission into opening his lunch, Naruto rustled the inside of the bag.
"Hamburgers! How did you know I love them!"
Sasuke's smirk widened. "I asked myself, what would a child like to have for lunch? And the answer was given in bold letters."
Naruto threw a faint punch to the other's arm. "Jerk. But thanks."
"'Welcome, Dobe."
Sasuke lowered the speed and drove them in calm as to allow Naruto the time he needed to eat in peace. Truthfully, he was late because he was searching for the right restaurant that sells amazing burgers for Naruto to eat, but it would be his death if that were to slip out of his mouth. A tiny smile played on his lips at the genuine happy expression that showed on Naruto face.
These past weeks, he tried everything he could to avoid Naruto and not make eye contact with him. It wasn't because he was scared, no; it was because every time he made an eye contact with Naruto, he'd see the uncertainty play inside those blue depths that seemed to drag on him. And he didn't like that look on Naruto's face, so he decided to give the blond the time he needed to sort his feelings out and come to him with his decision.
"Sasuke, say 'Aaaa'!"
He raised a brow at the childish act, but opened his mouth at the pout that was already trailing Naruto's face.
"Aaaah…"
A piece of hamburger was placed in his mouth, Sasuke made sure to bite gently on the tan fingers before letting them roll out of his mouth.
"Aw, that hurt, Sasuke!"
Naruto glared and started licking his aching fingers with his mouth, taking his time into licking each finger free from the pain Sasuke's teeth had left. Sasuke's eyes strayed for a second from the road at the intoxicating way those fingers were getting sucked in. By the time he turned back to the road, he had to hit hard on the breaks before he smashed into the car in front of him. He released a silent sigh and slumped on the steering wheel.
"That's dangerous Naruto."
Two set of blue innocent orbs blinked at him. "Dangerous? What's dangerous?"
Sasuke shook his head and continued driving. "Never mind, just never mind."
They arrived to Naruto's house at nine in the evening. If traffic wasn't such a jam, they should have arrived at seven or seven thirty. Sasuke put a hand on his forehead and closed the door to his car. He didn't want to go inside Naruto's house right now, but the insistent blond refused to allow him to drive back to his God-knows-where house while he was driving nonstop for the past five hours.
Tracking Naruto inside the warm house, Sasuke put his jacket on the hanger beside the front door. While Naruto flew inside looking for his guardian. When Sasuke came into the living room, the two males were already in a bone crushing hug. The tiny feeling of jealousy was pushed to the back of his head and Sasuke coughed to alert the two that they have company.
"Sasuke-kun! How nice of you to stop by."
Sasuke nodded to the brunet with a small smile, a fact that he was trying to get used to around Naruto's guardian.
"He drove me back, Iruka. Make sure to get him something delicious to eat, since he hasn't."
"No…I'm good. You don't have to bother yourself."
"It's never a bother to feed you. Naruto," Iruka turned to his kid. "Go take a bath while I prepare you two something to eat."
"Roger!"
Naruto grinned to his father and took Sasuke's hand, running up the stairs while his sports bag was forgotten on the floor downstairs. As soon as they entered the room, Naruto pushed Sasuke on his bed and beamed at him.
"This is the first time you get into my room."
Sasuke shook his head. "I've been here two times already."
"Yeah, but the first time you were unconscious, and the second, I was unconscious. This is the first time both of us are conscious!"
"I guess you're right. But seriously, Naruto, I can't stay long."
Naruto pouted and a sad look rested on his face. "I know that and I don't want to be selfish, but I don't want you to leave yet."
"We'll see each other tomorrow."
"It's 'we can't see each other until tomorrow', Sasuke. Can't you just sleep over? Like we did back in the hotel?"
"The hotel was a special offer since I was already away from home. I can't just decide to sleep over out of the blue when I hadn't told or taken permission from any member of my family." Sasuke continued before Naruto told him to call now and do that. "And right now, it's impossible to do so."
The blond sighed and pulled his huge orange fox to his arms. "I thought you'd say something like that, it was a long shot from the start, but I couldn't not try."
"Yeah…." His dark eyes strayed to the tan hands playing with the huge plushie, Sasuke asked. "What's his/her name?"
"His. He is a male, and it's Kyuubi." Naruto's eyes softened. "It was mum's last birthday present for me. I tried to take good care of it, but the years are taking a toll on him."
Sasuke decided not to comment on the mother sentence but what came after it, he said while brushing the soft fur with his hand. "Looks fine to me."
Naruto's nodded with a nice smile and turned the fox over pointing to a rip near the butt. Soft cotton sprung out. "I tried to saw it and Iruka did, too. But it's still no good."
"Have you thought about taking it to someone who can fix stuff likes these?"
"Yep, but with my schedule and Iruka's work, we couldn't orchestrate a time together. Anyway, leave us from Kyuubi now; there is something I have to ask,"
The blue orbs facing his went serious and Sasuke smiled gently.
"What do you want to know?"
"How much longer 'till both your eyes go blind?"
The raven looked up from those shaking hands to those beautiful eyes. He gave Naruto a small smile then stretched his hand to touch a golden lock.
"You don't have to think about that."
"But I want to know."
"If you knew you'd be calculating the days, and that's something I don't want you to do."
Naruto bit his lip. "Isn't there anything we can do? An operation or something?"
"No, nothing can heal it since it's not a disease, it's a condition I had since birth. I always knew I would lose my sight one day. That's why I stopped calculating time, because I know how hard it is, you don't need to go through that."
Naruto took the hand that was playing with his hair and brought it close to his mouth.
"But it's hard, I feel useless, not being able to do anything to help you and just watch your sight slip away. It's too hard."
"That's why I didn't want to tell you, but at the same time," Sasuke moved a bit closer to the blond. "I needed you to know."
"I'll help you Sasuke, I may still not know how, but God help me, I'll find a way to."
Naruto brought that pale hand to his lips and gave it a tender kiss. Suddenly; he was pushed into his own bed with Sasuke on top of him. The air stood still for a second as the two just stared at each other. Naruto felt his breathing come out slower than usual as those onyx eyes sucked his attention. He let go of his fox and brought his hand to touch that black hair, he had always thought it was made of silk, but never got the chance to confirm his thoughts till now.
Sasuke allowed the feathery touch, he lowered his head and it was only a few inches a way from Naruto's lips. His heart throbbed and his mind tried to tell him something, but in that moment, he didn't know how to even think. Aside from the soft touches to his locks and the sapphire wonderful eyes calling him, Sasuke didn't know a thing.
He watched as the hands playing with his hair stopped and with them Naruto's eyes closed, Sasuke started closing his own eyes and getting nearer to those red rosy lips. He was so close he could sense Naruto's hot uncertain breath on his cheek; just a bit closer… closer….. a few centimeters away….
Then three loud knocks were delivered into Naruto's door, sending Sasuke toppling over the giant plushie and falling on Naruto's hard wooden floor, sufficiently breaking the hypnotic spell.
"Oh God, Sasuke, you alright?"
Sasuke waved his fall away then stood up. "Y-yeah...fine."
"Naruto, I brought your food." Iruka called from behind the door.
The blond wasted no time to getting up and opening the door to his guardian, but as soon as he did so, Sasuke rushed out of the room, with a faint goodbye to the blushing blond and the confused brunet.
"This face doesn't look like a face of a person whose team is qualifying for the Interhigh with a five outta five triumph!"
Sakura announced to the hazy looking blond sitting with the weight of the whole universe on his shoulders. Naruto spared her a glance then slumped back on his desk.
"Is it the face of a person who didn't play in any of those said five games? 'Cause that's what happened."
"Wow, really? Was it your arm?" Sakura put her backpack on the loop beside her desk and sat down.
"What else."
"I thought it should be healed by the fourth match."
"They didn't want to take any chances."
Sakura grinned and slapped him on the back. "Oh cheer up! You still have the semi-finals and hopefully the finals to play, no need to sound as if you won't be playing your whole life."
Teary eyes watched her and her grin turned into an apologetic smile, maybe slapping with all her might wasn't the best way to cheer her friend out of his misery.
"Sasuke…" Naruto groaned out.
"Sasuke? What, something happened with him again?"
Naruto shook his head, and with grim eyes turned. "No. He said you liked him."
Sakura's face turned to shock then started thinking and finally she gave Naruto a smile.
"Yep, I did."
"Really? Why? What did you see in him!"
"Keyword 'did', Naruto." She pulled her hair up again using the hair buckle that slipped from her ponytail. "When I thought he was a cool gentleman who thought about others, but he turned out to be an ass that only had sex on his mind. When I looked up the girls that were with him, they were only sex-friends. Nothing serious had ever started between him and any of his former girlfriends. And I admit, he has everything that would make a girl crazy, but I don't want a fling. I want something serious."
"So….you gave up?"
"Not really giving up, more like I settled for just watching. That type of guy doesn't look at me, Naruto."
Naruto knotted his brows. "I don't know about his exes Sakura, but Sasuke is a good person. I know he acts like a stupid jerk with a stick up his ass, but deep down, he is really not that bad."
"I don't want a broken person, Naruto. And that guy clearly is."
"I….Sakura, you are my best friend, and I love you. But…"
"You don't like me speaking like that about him."
"Yes, because I know Sasuke isn't really that broken…."
Sakura's eyes widened when she saw something inside Naruto's eyes that she'd never seen before. She blinked and looked again, and the same thing she saw was there, hiding behind uncertainty. She put a hand on her mouth and slowly, began putting two and two together.
Naruto noticed the sudden quietness Sakura had entered into and worried, he asked, "Hey, Sakura, something wrong?"
Sakura shook her head and gave him a true smile along with a pat on the shoulder.
"Naruto, I'm afraid to tell you this, but you have somehow fallen."
His brows knotted at her words and he straightened his back. "Fallen? Where to?"
"That, you'll have to find out on your own. Oh, there comes Kurenai; you'd better have prepared that homework she sternly wanted done, or you're in for a beating."
And suddenly Naruto's brain froze. "Oh fuck!"
Naruto yawned and put the pen he was using down, he looked with a faraway look at the boys playing basketball in front of him; with a heavy heart he sighed and returned back to his work. Kurenai had sentenced him to complete an English paper about what a proper company is made of. His words shouldn't be less than three thousand. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. How the hell would he know what a freaking company is made of when he doesn't even have one! Just how did this teacher of theirs think!
"Yo." Gaara took a seat beside the clearly agonizing blond; he put his headphones off and made himself comfortable on the grass. "I heard you've gotten a hard assignment to do."
"Hard is an understatement. It's a death warrant, pulling me along to my grave!"
Gaara switched his MP3 player off and smacked Naruto encouragingly on the back. "If you just focus you'd be able to do it. Try to concentrate."
"Even if I concentrated my whole entire life, I won't be able to get one word right. Since the topic has nothing to do with what I know of the world!"
"Wait, it's an English paper, right? English is all about books and poetry. Just read the book or poem and write what you feel. That will get you set."
"Unfortunately, that isn't what English in Kurenai's dictionary of subjects is. She wants me to talk about companies."
Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Companies?"
"Yes, companies. Precisely what they are made of. How the fuck would I know something like that!"
Gaara calmly sipped from the juice he was holding. "Ahaaa…..I think you should go ask Sasuke for help then."
"What would he know about this more than I?"
"Don't tell me you don't know."
"Know what?"
"That Sasuke is the top of class in every subject and sport."
"That can't be, he isn't all that smart!"
"Yes, he is. Super smart. And even if he wasn't, this subject is his specialty,"
"Why for?"
"'Cause he runs his own company."
Gaara watched his blond friend run like lightning towards the classes of the second years. He whistled at the speed Naruto ran with and as he stood making his way towards their supposedly closed club, he contemplated if he should have caught up with Naruto and warned him about the chicks in Sasuke's class or not. Walking away and throwing the empty juice can in the trash basket, he shrugged, Naruto would find out the hard way, and that would teach him a good lesson not to run while people were still talking.
Naruto reached the class that Sasuke should be in and asked a girl on the side to call for Sasuke; she looked him up and down and crossed her arms.
"Who are you to call Sasuke-Ouji-Sama by his given name?"
"Huuuh? I'll call him whatever I want, just go and get him."
She snorted at Naruto. "The likes of you don't deserve a sitting with our Ouji-Sama."
Naruto ignored the snotty girl and passed her into the class.
"Yo, Sasuke, you in here?"
A series of startled hiccups followed his little question, Naruto sweat dropped at the dark aura heading his way. He blinked at the angry girls; maybe calling Sasuke by his given name around pissed off fan girls wasn't really the best thing to do around this classroom.
Before he could escape with his life, the girls attacked him with questions and some violent kicks here and there. He begged help from the guys present but each turned and acted as if they were blind to the bullying Naruto was undergoing.
"Help! Somebody, help!"
The girls cut the path for air for him and the only thing that was visible was his tan hand as he stretched it above to indicate he was still alive and kicking.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Suddenly, the girls surrounding him started to retreat and Naruto coughed his way to a clean air. Those chicks weren't even kidding; they planned to fucking kill him! He looked with misty eyes at Sasuke who was standing beside the door with a displeased look on his face. The same girl that barked at him when he was asking at the door for Sasuke, walked towards the raven with a sweet smile.
"Your friend here has come asking for you, Sasuke-Sama, and we were just seeing what he wanted." The girl lied through her strangely white teeth.
Naruto decided to stay away and watch what his still-not-real-friend would do faced with a situation like this. His eyes widened at the deathly aura coming from Sasuke, and even though he was smiling, Naruto felt the anger inside those dark orbs leak out.
"Well, thank you so much for the help you've given him then." The girl flinched at the look he was giving her. Sasuke made his way towards Naruto and said to the girl on their way out. "And yes, I don't believe I have given you permission to address me with my name. Hearing it coming from your mouth is disgusting."
Naruto watched the tears well up inside the girl's eyes as Sasuke closed the door to his homeroom. His eyes felt a sting of sympathy for her.
"That was a bit cruel, don't you think?"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks and slammed his hand on the wall behind Naruto. "And what they did to you wasn't cruel! Why the hell did you come to my classroom by yourself? Those girls would have bled you dry!"
"Umm…I didn't think it would be dangerous. I mean, who would've thought that the girls in your class are wolves in disguise!"
Sasuke sighed and started walking. "Every female around me is a wolf in disguise. You can't trust any of them."
"Yeah, I've learned my lesson."
"Good. Next time when you decide to come to my class, don't. I'll come to yours."
"How would you know that I need you then?"
"Give me your cell,"
Naruto pulled the orange cell out of his pocket and gave it to Sasuke. A few seconds later, a call was made from his cell.
"That's my number, I've already saved it. Whenever you have something you want to tell me, just call, or text."
"Is it really okay to give me this?"
Sasuke pulled Naruto inside a small alley when he saw a group of girls heading their way and started running, holding Naruto's hand till they reached the end of the small alley.
"We're not friends, but...something more. And it is more convenient this way."
Naruto felt his cheeks redden at the nice words that were given to him; he tightened his hold on Sasuke's hand and felt the grimness of earlier fly away.
"Come on, I have a place where no one will be able to find us!"
Sasuke nodded and allowed himself to be dragged for a change. As the wind played with his hair, he felt his mouth stretch into a smile. Of course, Naruto couldn't see unless he had eyes on the back of his head. Maybe choosing to be a trail-friend with the blond wasn't the worst decision he has ever made, Sasuke thought as they came out of the building into the stretching green grass. They jumped over fences and there was a point where Sasuke was starting to believe that they are leaving school parameters, but finally, Naruto stopped running.
"Over there, Sasuke!"
The raven looked at the almost shabby cottage behind the school's yard. He raised a brow.
"You wouldn't be meaning that rundown thing."
"Yep! I always go there when I want to skip class; Sakura was never able to find me. Come on!"
Naruto started running again while tugging the somewhat reluctant raven along.
"Hey, who does it belong to?"
"I think it's the old janitor's place. He used to live here but the school made him another better place so he moved out, and right now, they don't use it. I wonder why."
"Probably thinking it will come down any minute now."
Naruto pushed the door and went inside, with Sasuke tailing behind him. "Nah, it looks old, but it's very stable."
"And if you were wrong, we'd simply be buried alive."
"I'm not wrong, trust me."
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have entered to begin with."
Naruto grinned brightly and pulled one mattress from behind the bed then placed it on the dirty ground. He sat down on it and signaled Sasuke to do the same.
"You must be kidding me. I'm not sitting on this thing; the chances of it being filled with diseases aren't even fit for a joke!"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sasuke, don't you have the spirit of adventure in you?"
"Not when a slow and cold death is on the other end of the rope."
"Sheesh, there isn't any death in here and we won't die either, so relax and sit down. Besides, I brought it from home."
"Then why the hell didn't you say so from the beginning?" Sasuke said and plopped down beside the shrugging blond.
"I do come here often I told you. Now, the reason why I needed your help was this," Naruto pulled the sheets of paper and the pen in his left hand out and handed them to Sasuke. "This assignment is due by the end of this day; I should come up with a three thousand words about what a company is made of. And since you are the top of your class and you have your own company, help, please."
Sasuke sighed into the white sheets. "Who told you that?"
"Gaara did."
"You really don't lie, do you?"
"Why should I? Or did you want me to lie?" Naruto blinked puzzled.
Sasuke shook his head. "No, I didn't want you to. But a sane person would for not getting the person who told them in trouble."
"Will you get Gaara into trouble?"
"That's not what I mean."
"Then there is no problem, or did you not want me to know?"
"Well, it was nice to leave you in the dark a bit."
"About the company or the top-student thingy?"
"Both."
Naruto grinned bearing his teeth. "Too bad for you I'd found out then, and from this day onward, you'll have to buy my burgers 'till the day I die."
"I knew you were only after my money." Sasuke said in an icy-tone.
Quickly the playful look inside Naruto's eyes died down. "No, no, I was only joking. You know I don't want that. Even if you had no money, I'd still want to be close to you. I really did not mea-"
The pen came down hard on his yellow head stopping his next words.
"Baaaaaaakaa! I was kidding." Sasuke made eye contact with the now calmed down blond. "I wouldn't mind feeding you till the day you die, either."
Naruto broke the eye contact, feeling that if he didn't, they'd start an incident similar to that one they had in his room the other day. The blood rushed to his face when he remembered the thing they were about to do. He still didn't know what was happening to them, or to him, and right now, they were in a nice place. Naruto didn't want to ruin this nice place by anything his emotions were flaring at.
"Umm….s-shouldn't we start writing the assignment right now?"
Sasuke nodded to him and with Naruto trying to reduce his heart's beating, they started working on his paper.
Naruto stretched his numb arms back to life and took the hand that was given to help him up. He smiled at the stoic raven and walked beside him as they exited the cottage heading to where Kurenai's office was located.
"You really are amazing, Sasuke. I didn't know you knew so much about companies."
"I had to learn it since I was young."
"Must've been hard. But I'm glad you did it."
"Because I can help you with your assignment?"
Naruto grinned. "Because you are now growing cooler in my eyes by the second!"
Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "I hardly think that that makes up for my hellish childhood days."
"You should be honored, stupid Sasuke!"
Naruto stuck his tongue to his Senpai and ran before him; Sasuke just rolled his eyes at the ten-year-old he was walking with.
"Yeah, real mature, Dobe."
"You're just jealous because you can't do it!"
"Says the idiot who was almost beaten to death by a group of chicks."
"Hey! They were tougher than they look, besides, not all people have your effect on girls!"
Sasuke raised a brow and fell in stride with the latter. "Effect? If you mean getting them as stalkers, then I'd pass on that any day,"
"Not that, wait you've got stalkers?" Naruto asked bewildered.
"Yes, everywhere. In fact, there are two on our right towards two o'clock, right now."
Naruto turned swiftly towards the place Sasuke addressed and sure thing, two girls were looking back at them, as soon as they saw him they dunked into the overly growing light green grass. The red lips whistled.
"Wow, Sasuke. Life as you sure is hard."
"Hn."
"But that only assures what I want to say, you have a charm to sweep girls off their feet, they turn to mush around you. Not many guys have that."
Sasuke stopped moving forcing Naruto to do the same. "Do you want it? Want me to introduce you to some chicks?"
Naruto put his hands on his hips and knotted his brows. "Just how did me complimenting your excellent charms get translated into me asking for a date?"
"If you don't want to, stop speaking about nonsense like that. I don't like it and I don't want to hear you praise something like that in me."
Naruto watched Sasuke walk away, the words that Neji told him about Sasuke's brain working in a different rhythm than normal people's were just proven to him. He smiled and started running after the raven. If Sasuke didn't want to talk about his natural charm in attracting honey, then he won't be the one to speak of it.
"Wait up!"
"Hurry it, we only have one hour before the day ends."
"Yeah," Naruto caught up soon and they entered the school's building heading towards the teachers' lounge. "Sorry Sasuke for forcing you to skip classes with me and help me."
"You didn't force me into anything, so don't apologize. Go hand in your assignment so we can go home."
Naruto nodded and disappeared inside the wooden door. It took him fifteen minutes in which Sasuke had taken to grab his bag from his class and Naruto's from his, he'd ignored the puzzled and surprised expressions he'd gotten from Naruto's classmates when he asked them about the blond's seat but he was interested to learn how Naruto would handle his class-females jumping him first thing tomorrow morning demanding answers.
"Sorry, she started lecturing and it took a while. Man I feel drained!"
"I figured you would, so I brought you your bag. Here" Sasuke threw the black-strapped orange bag back to its owner. "And that bubblegum-haired-C-Cupped chick said to call once you get home."
Naruto rolled his eyes at the description of his best friend. "Her name is Sakura for starters. And she would think of you to be less of an A-hole if you remembered it."
"I don't need to."
"And why not? You should act nice once in a while. It would certainly help how the male-population views you here."
"I don't care about stuff like that; being nice is just a waste of time and effort. Besides, it's not like I want to have a relationship with her. The less contact, the better."
"Then why act nice towards me? We aren't going to know each other better, and this thing is only for trial. Why act nice?" Naruto found his mouth saying things that he didn't want to.
"We are trying to be friends. I acted according to how friends should behave around one another. And I don't think I'm acting overly nice for you to take a note."
"Yes you are."
"Do you hate it?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
"Then stop complaining about it. You want me to act nice towards people just to get them to like me? I hate that. I don't want anyone to like me, I'm happy with the way I am and if you aren't, well, we could always just stop with this trial-friendship crap and each goes his own way!"
Naruto held onto the raven's arm, feeling like if he didn't Sasuke would walk off in anger and this would be the end. He had just recently convinced Sasuke to try being friends, and he couldn't lose it over something silly like this.
With pleading eyes, he whispered a quiet. "I'm sorry."
Sasuke yanked his arm free and sighed at the apologetic look. Feeling his anger evaporate into thin air, he exclaimed. "It's fine, as long as you don't rub this shit on my face again."
"Won't happen, promise."
"Good. Now, there was something that's bothered me with your bubblegum haired friend. Did she maybe get a boyfriend?"
Naruto shook his head. "Not that I know of, why?"
"Her eyes stopped spurting hearts."
"Her eyes weren't spurting hearts to begin with, and no, she didn't get a boyfriend. Just made acquaintance with your jerkiness."
"That would explain things."
"Sakura is a nice girl, and anyone would love to be her boyfriend."
"I take it you haven't confessed yet."
Naruto glared at the raven beside him as they exited the school gates. "I admit that I have had a thing for her back in Middle School, but it's finished."
"Doesn't sound so finished to me, you just buried it down."
"No, I didn't bury anything down. It's…my eyes stopped following her as much as I used to, and before I knew it, she turned into a dear friend."
"Bullshit, you are saying that because you are just afraid she'd turn you down if you confessed."
"Give me a break here, Sasuke. That was in the past, I won't lie about my feelings to you, there is no need to. I don't like her like that period. She is just a friend."
"Then prove it."
Naruto frowned and crossed his arms. "Even if you tell me to prove it, how am I to do that?"
"Easy," Sasuke walked a few steps closer to the blond and whispered in a calm and quiet tone. "Kiss me."
If his heart wasn't beating fast because of their close proximity, it did now due to Sasuke's husky voice whispering misguided words to him. Naruto took a deep breath, prepared his heart to start working properly again and tried the words on his lips.
"Kiss you?"
"Yes. If your heart had truly stopped liking the bubblegum haired chick, then you'd be able to do it. If not, you'd chicken out."
Naruto looked with horrified eyes at the stoic teen before him; he was acting like what they were speaking about was merely the weather and nothing more.
"Sasuke, kissing someone can't be done as a proof to something."
"Yes, it can. Or are you scared?"
"Who gets scared of kissing?"
"Apparently you."
Naruto released the nervous air inside him in gaps and told himself to try and talk this one out with sanity. "I'm not scared, but surprised, why would you choose something like that to prove I don't have emotions for Sakura?"
"For four reason. One, it's harmless. Two, emotions are mostly expressed in kisses. And three, we have already kissed before, so it's nothing serious."
The blue eyes pulled out of their sockets in a state of shock. Naruto gritted his teeth and pulled Sasuke to a place where people won't be able to spot them, then released the roar that was building in inside of him.
"THE FUCK!"
"I'd take that as 'when'. The first one was when you were unconscious outta fever, I had to crush the medicine and feed it to you by mouth because you refused to take it on your own. The second was when you fainted in the sea, I had to give you air for your ass not to die."
Naruto ruffled his hair trying to relax. Processing the information he was hearing, his anger started dying down, the raven had done so to help him. His kisses weren't stolen in a sneaky sickly way as he had believed, but to save his life. All was well again with the world.
"Okie, so your two times kissing were reasonable, but those aren't really kisses. Those were your tries not to let me…umm….die? In any case, kisses should be gentle, warm, takes you to another place. And they should be about pleasure, not life and death situations."
"Which leads me to the forth reason why I want you to prove with a kiss, you actually hold the damn thing to a value and won't be able to do it if you don't like the person."
Naruto held his hands stopping the taller teen from any more words.
"Let's go with your logic, shall we? Wouldn't then me being able to kiss you proof that I like you?"
"And that you don't like her."
"Sasuke, I can't kiss you."
"Then you still like her."
"I told you I don't, but I won't prove it with a kiss either."
Sasuke raised a brow at the blond standing beside him; he ignored Naruto's protest to stay away and trapped him between the wall and his chest.
"What are you scared of?"
"I'm not scared of anything."
"Then what's wrong with a mere kiss?"
"Nothing…except that you wouldn't think of it as a normal kiss! You'd think I've a thing for you!"
"If your sole reason for objecting is what I'll come to believe, then how about I tell you that I won't think anything of the kiss. Apart from that you no longer hold feelings for bubblegum head. Would you agree then?"
"Well, when you put it that way…." Naruto's eyes darted alongside his sentence.
"It's settled then."
"Hey! I didn't agree still!"
Sasuke acted as if the shouts weren't being directed to him and pulled Naruto's chin upwards with his right fingers, he drew his face closer to the tan one then whispered, "This will be a kiss to remember."
With that, he closed his lips over Naruto's, letting them both bask in the brief touch of skin. Slowly, he turned the chaste kiss into something deep as he nipped on Naruto's lower lip asking for entrance that was given to him without meaning when Naruto gaped in surprise. Sasuke used the open chance and inserted his tongue into Naruto's warm depth. Naruto tried to protest, but as the hand he used to push Sasuke with was holding the raven not to move away and his lips were tingling with every touch Sasuke made, he couldn't keep up his protests and against his better judgment, melted into the sweet kiss.
Sasuke parted for oxygen but only after licking the trail of saliva off of Naruto's now red puffy lip and then giving them a chaste kiss. He held the teen that turned to jelly in his arms and a smirk played on his lips.
"That good, huh?"
Swiftly, Naruto perked up, looked with wide eyes at what had just happened and before Sasuke could say any word, he bolted away towards God knows where. Sasuke sighed and scratched his head, thinking that maybe his teasing had gone a bit too far this time. Holding his dirt filled bag off the ground, his mouth stretched into a smile. That kiss wasn't all that bad.
Kakashi pulled the blond by the hand screaming and kicking. He ignored the strange looks he was getting from the people passing by and led the way towards his car.
"Let me go! I told you, I don't want to go!"
"And I don't want your bratty ass in my apartment, either. But it's what Iruka wishes for, and I won't stop fulfilling his desires for your sake."
"It's only one fucking week! I can manage just fine!"
"He doesn't think so, and I agree. Just shut your trap already! You make people think I'm kidnapping you."
"That 'cause you are!"
"No, am not. I'm doing a favor."
Kakashi threw Naruto and his luggage at the backseat then closed the door and walked towards the driver seat before Naruto decides that jumping out the car and playing police and robbers with him was the best idea there ever was. As he started driving, Kakashi fixed his front mirror so he could see the face of the pouting kid on his backseat.
"Iruka is acting super worried for nothing!"
"If you weren't a trouble magnet, he wouldn't have to do that."
"Hey! I'm not a trouble magnet! And why do I have to stay with you of all people! If he was all that anxious about leaving me alone, then you come stay with me at my own house, where I know the place of the knives!"
Ignoring the shouts, Kakashi pulled the car away from the house. "Stop flattering yourself, Idiot, if I wanted you harm, no knife in the world will be of any use to you. And besides, I have my own work, and I can't do that from your place since it's too far."
"Work? You work!"
Kakashi threw a piece of the leftover popcorn that was thrown on his front seat at Naruto's forehead. "You thought all of us out there are useless brats like yourself."
"Am not useless, I study!"
"Sure you do."
"Anyways, what do you work? Don't tell me you're a writer, too?"
Kakashi raised a brow at the tone. "You've something against writers?"
"I've had enough of them. Iruka's friends are all writers and when they get together, they start talking with a language I don't understand!" Naruto pouted. "Writers are boring!"
"They're not boring; you're just too stupid to understand their beauty. When Iruka speaks about a new book that he has an interest in, I listen with passion, his face lights up and his voice charms me off my feet."
"Yuck!" Naruto made a sign as if he wanted to throw up. "You just made me feel like puking! How the heck am I to get that nasty image out of my head!"
"That's nasty? Then how about I tell you about our first time having sex. You do need experience!"
"Oh God NO! I hope my ears burn on fire before I hear another word of the toxic mouth of yours!"
"Iruka loves it, especially when I use my tongue."
"Enough already! You're just traumatizing me! I'm calling him right now to tell him of your perverseness!"
"If you did that you'd only make him worry. I know you dislike me, but stop making him worry."
Naruto put his cell back into his pocket; he jumped to the front seat with his cheeks puffing.
"I wasn't going to call him, you know. He isn't important to you only."
"I know. That's why you'll get along with me just fine. Besides, Sasuke will come visit from every now and then."
Naruto was even surprised at his own reaction; he jumped over the driving adult with wide eyes holding the steering wheel.
"No, he can't! You can never tell Sasuke of where I am!"
Kakashi knotted his brows in confusion and reduced the speed before Naruto got them into an accident. "Weren't you two getting to be good friends? What happened?"
The blond returned to his seat and sighed with a heavy heart.
"Nothing really….he didn't do anything, it's me, I'm getting weird."
"Weird?"
Naruto put his head on the glassy window beside him and looked out at the moving scenery. "You won't get me even if I told you."
"Why not try me? I may be of use."
"You won't tell Iruka?"
"If you don't want me to, then no."
Naruto sighed and put his arms around him as a way to shelter himself then started talking. "I don't know how or why, but I get weak. Last week, we kissed."
Kakashi hit the breaks so fast that Naruto had to hold tight to his safety belt not to get thrown out the window.
"You two WHAT! Who started it, you or him?"
"Umm…him."
"Aghhh, that stupid boy! I even warned him not to lay his hands on you, and then he goes and does the exact opposite!"
"Excuse me?"
Kakashi cursed under his breath and started the car again seeing as how he'd parked in the middle of the highway causing horns to sing at his back joint with a shower of insults.
"Just ignore what you've just heard. Did you feel yourself getting weak before or after you two kissed?"
Naruto nodded with a confused look and started tipping his indexes together. "Well, I could feel from the start that there was something changing. We weren't friends, Sasuke didn't want me as a friend, and I just wanted to be beside him. At the beginning, it was because he was more than good at basketball, but gradually, I started wanting to get closer because I saw different sides of him. And I liked every side."
"Then, feeling weak?"
"That I think started after the kiss. Yes, I could feel something dangerous forming whenever we were close to each other, but when Sasuke suggested I prove I didn't like my best friend by kissing him, I just…couldn't refuse."
"Hold your horses, tiger. He told you to kiss him?"
"Yes, because he didn't believe I stopped liking my best friend."
"You mean that Haruno girl?"
Naruto rolled his eyes at himself. "Was I all that obvious people!"
"Nope, we Uchiha can detect feelings easily."
"But you're not an Uchiha, you're a Hatake."
"I do have blood from them."
"Yeah, I forgot. So anyways, Sasuke said that if I didn't kiss him, that means I still have feelings for Sakura. I argued as hard as I could, but when he got close, my body stopped resisting. And we kissed."
Kakashi pulled inside a big apartment complex building and parked his car in the sideway parking lot made for cars of his building. He opened the doors and signaled Naruto to get out alongside his baggage.
"Seems like you two just went with the flow that time, why are you afraid of facing him then?"
Naruto contained his awe at the beautiful apartment complex before his eyes and followed Kakashi to the elevator.
"I'm not afraid."
"Then what? I'm sure Sasuke will act as if nothing big has happened, kisses don't mean that much to him in the first place."
They came out on the sixth floor and Naruto felt something stab his heart at those words. Kakashi sensed the steps behind him lose their spark and he raised a brow. Walking towards his apartment's door, he opened it and invited Naruto inside, if they were seriously about to discuss what he had in mind, then it wouldn't be right to do it in the hallway.
"Tell you what, why not go change you clothes, take a warm bath and then you can get whatever you want off of your chest."
Naruto gave the silver haired adult a small smile and nodded. "Okay."
"Come," Kakashi offered Naruto a brief tour around the apartment and stopped before a room. "This will be yours as long as you stay here."
The door opened to a light brown room. It was spacious enough with little decorations, a bed and a computer in the left corer. Naruto put the bag he was holding on the bed beside his fox and looked at Kakashi with clear eyes.
"Did you prepare this room especially for me?"
"Yes, we were talking about the possibility that Iruka may have to take a trip to discuss the book two weeks ago, and we decided to make you a permanent room here." Kakashi gave him a smile. "So, whenever you feel like you don't have a place to be in, come over, you're always welcome."
Naruto didn't know what to say but a simple, "Thanks."
"No need to, I'm doing it because I'm banging your father. Now, wash up and come to dinner."
All the thoughts about how nice and cool Kakashi had turned out to be, evaporated into thin air the next minute. Naruto slumped on the comfortable bed and held his Kyuubi to his chest.
"I hope everything turns out alright."
Kakashi took a deep breath from the stick in hand and then let it out. He watched keenly the teen that was hugging his couch's cushion with a troubled expression on his face. They had just finished with food, takeout of course, and now, they were finishing up that conversation they weren't able to earlier.
"So, how many days have you being hiding from him?"
Naruto fidgeted at the hard stare and answered. "Close to a week now."
"But don't you two meet in club activates?"
"They are having this week as a rest. But in order to rehabilitate my arm; I do special training with Neji, the Vice-Captain."
Kakashi took a sip from the glass of wine in his other hand and puffed the smoke.
"From experience, I'd tell you that Sasuke is probably furious. He ignores people, but when a person he cares for ignores him, he turns into a stubborn kid."
"I don't want him to be mad, but that kiss kinda messed me up a little. And I am afraid of what to do when we meet next."
"After some yelling, you'll work something out. You still want to be friends with him, right?"
Naruto tightened his hold on the cushion in his arms. "We haven't been friends to start with."
"Then what are you?"
"Sasuke said something more."
Kakashi felt his eyes widen at Naruto's words and the fear he had was getting thicker. He pulled another cigarette since his had already gone out and lit it.
"This is getting more tangled than I'd like to see happen. Naruto, as your dad's boyfriend, I have to warn you. The Uchiha family is dangerous. It's best not to associate with them or Sasuke. This is a chance that came knocking on your door; Sasuke won't hold it against you if you stayed away from him now."
"I can't do that! I can't! I…..I promised him not to leave him."
"There will be heavy consequences to pay, you know."
"I don't care. I won't betray him!"
Kakashi scratched his head and sighed. "You're more stubborn than Sasuke when he was a kid, and take my words, that child was really stubborn."
"You knew Sasuke when he was a child?"
"Yes. I was living with them 'till I graduated high school. That house is a living graveyard, I could never breathe in there and everyday I put my eyes on the prize of getting out. I can only feel sorry for not being able to take Sasuke out with me in time. But this is nothing we can change now."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Imagine living inside a coffin, with nails forbidding your every move and forcing you to act in a certain manner. That's what's life inside that house is like."
"Sasuke," Naruto breathed the name softly. "I really shouldn't have avoided him these past few days. While I was worrying about stupid emotions, he was living this hell each and everyday."
"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, he has already adapted to it. It has become a part of his life, but he doesn't want it to be a part of yours. So, you should take my advice and stay away."
"Would you stop it already! No matter how many times you or he says it, I won't leave him. Did you know he is going blind by the end of this year? How do you think I can just leave him when he needs me now more than ever!"
Kakashi blew the air over them, Naruto brushed it aside, already getting used to the smell of smoke that was surrounding him from all sides.
"I know. And I've searched for as long as I can for a way I can help him with."
"And? Tell me you could find something, an operation or anything."
"The deal with Sasuke's eyes is that the vein supplying the eye with blood is deformed by nature, and any operation on it would render Sasuke blind instantly. Over the years many doctors were consulted about it, but they all said the same thing, Sasuke's eyes are unapproachable."
"No way. Then we are just going to stand while he turns blind!"
"You have nothing you can do, so stop thinking about it. Sasuke has already been prepared for the day he goes blind."
Naruto bit his lips. "But I don't like it; I want Sasuke's eyes to see. I want him to be able to play basketball with me as long as we live. I want to see the twinkle inside his beautiful eyes forever."
"Why Naruto, you sound just like a girl in love." Kakashi teased and had to dodge the cushion that found its way to his face.
"Jerk, I'm being serious here!"
"Then stop thinking of stupid things as eternity. We can't even guarantee tomorrow. Think about the present day, live the present day and don't reflect too hard on Sasuke's eyes. Even if he wasn't able to see into the future, would that make you dislike him?"
"No, it wouldn't. But….I can't imagine him not seeing me."
Naruto told the tears in his eyes to stop gathering, because there wasn't a need for them right now. Sasuke wasn't dying for God's sake.
"Naruto, you have school tomorrow, right?"
Confused by the sudden change of topics, Naruto nodded. "Yes."
"You won't be going."
"Why?"
"Because I'm calling Sasuke over. Tomorrow, I won't be home so," Kakashi sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but take your comfort. Work things out and stop hiding."
"Even if you tell me to do that….I can't out of the blue,"
"It's not out of the blue, I'm telling you now. Naruto, if you stayed like this, you'd drift apart and I know you didn't intend for this to be a way for leaving Sasuke, but believe me, that is what he is thinking right now."
"But…I…Sasuke, my heart drops just thinking about him."
"Dropping is fine; just make sure to pick it up later."
"I'm afraid I won't want to pick it up."
"Sure you will. Just like you will now go to your room because it's past eleven."
"It's not like I'm going to school tomorrow."
"Yes, but I won't start messing your sleeping time, 'cause then Iruka would find out and it would be hell to pay. So, be a good boy and off to bed."
"Sheesh, I'm not a kid anymore and I don't have a bedtime!"
"Sure you don't."
Naruto pouted as he was forced into his room and to his bed, but as he lay in those warm sheets and was looking into a different ceiling than his own. He felt his heart throb and the image of Sasuke float into his senses like liquid honey. Anticipation mixed with fear ruled his eyes as he tried to close them to sleep.
Done! I tried to make the kiss flow between them easily, not to force it hard on the plot, and I think I managed that just fine. I'll be waiting for your reviews. No matter what they are! Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be up as soon as I can find a Beta *weeps*, so stay tuned.
