16. Sharing a Park Bench Quietly

Naruto shambled home from school that day with mixed emotions. On the one hand, he had given Sasuke a boner, which was just hilarious. Even now, as he marched up the stairs to his apartment, a cheeky grin crossed over the blond's face at the thought of his boyfriend's embarrassed blush.

Ha, even the great Uchiha can have lustful thoughts, then…

Of course, as amusing as that particular situation had been, Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit depressed about the ordeal later that day with Gaara. Sure, Naruto trusted the redhead, but he was apparently alone in that respect. Shikamaru, Kiba, Lee, even Sasuke – they were all suspicious.

No, suspicious wasn't a strong enough word – they were afraid. All throughout lunch, even after they'd gone back to their conversations, they kept glancing at Gaara, thinking that he'd pull out a knife and attack at any moment.

I suppose I can't really blame them. It was only a few days ago that we got into that fight – they're probably right to suspect revenge. But I trust him – shouldn't that be enough? Can't they see that something changed in him?

Probably not, he supposed. He wasn't even sure of it himself – well, that wasn't true. Deep down in his gut, Naruto knew that Gaara was a different person, but he still hadn't convinced his brain of that. Maybe that's why they were so nervous. If he couldn't even persuade himself, how could he possibly win over his friends?

Still, Naruto felt a sharp pang of regret as he fumbled for his keys. Even if the other guys supported him, albeit reluctantly, the vulpine boy could not shake the feeling that he'd somehow let Sasuke down.

Wait, what am I thinking? We're boyfriends now – Sasuke should be supporting me. If I think Gaara can be trusted, then he should be on my side!

As this thought crossed the blond's mind, he unlocked the door and push it open, only to be pounced upon by an excited Akamaru. While the white puppy eagerly licked his face, Naruto glanced up at the doorway to find Kiba glowering at him.

"Akamaru! Come!" Kiba barked, causing the puppy to run inside. Once the dog was out of sight, the Inuzuka slammed the door shut and delivered a swift kick to the blond's side.

"Ow! What the hell?" Naruto snapped, scrambling to his feet to defend himself.

"Don't give me that!" the dog-boy roared, grabbing the blond's shirt menacingly. "What the hell are you thinking, inviting Gaara into our group like that?"

"Hey, what's it matter to you? It's not like he beat the crap out of you or anything!"

"Dude, we're your friends. We don't want to see you get hurt!" Kiba sighed, releasing his roommate's shirt.

"Yeah, with friends like you, who needs enemies?" Naruto snarled, rubbing his swelling cheek.

"It got you to listen, didn't it?" the Inuzuka said with a smirk. "Look, personally, I don't care if you trust Gaara. Even if he's just trying to get close to you so he can get revenge or whatever, I'm confident you can kick his ass again."

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Aren't you forgetting something, Naruto? Who was Gaara originally fighting before you stepped in?"

Naruto's heart sank as Kiba's words sank in. "Sasuke…"

"Exactly! How do you think he feels about his boyfriend being so close to Gaara?" Kiba exclaimed, waving a hand in the air wildly as he spoke.

"Well, if Gaara tries anything funny, I'll protect him…"

"That's not the point, Naruto!" Kiba replied, shaking his head in exasperation. "Look, I'm no expert, but I think Sasuke's conflicted. He's not afraid of being attacked – he can handle his own pretty well, from what I've seen – but he is worried about you."

"Why should he be worried about me? In case you forgot, I'm the one that sent Gaara to the hospital."

"That's just it – Sasuke sees you as a target for revenge, and wants to do what he can to protect you. On the other hand, you trust Gaara and want to be friends with him. So Sasuke's divided – should he worry about your safety, or your feelings? Frankly, after you told Gaara all about the two of you being boyfriends, I don't see why he should care about either…"

Naruto froze, his eyes widening as he realized why Sasuke had left in such a foul mood. "Oh God, you're right. I didn't even stop to think how Sasuke felt… and here I'd promised to keep our relationship a secret just five minutes before, and then I go and blab all about it to Gaara."

"Pretty much. You were acting like a selfish prick."

"Thanks for softening the blow."

"It's what I do," Kiba replied, accompanying his wolfish grin with a wink. "Now, are you gonna stand around here all day, or are you gonna go apologize to Sasuke?"

"Oh, geez, you're right! Maybe if I hurry I can catch him at home!"

With that, Naruto took off down the stairs, his backpack bouncing up and down as he ran, leaving a satisfied Kiba in his wake.

xxxxx

Well, I really didn't want to tell him about this – I hate it when he's right. But, who else can I turn to about this? I really don't want to tell Kakashi about this, and I can't ask Shikamaru, since Naruto's his friend too – it just wouldn't be fair.

With a sigh, Sasuke took a step towards the tall oak tree, beneath which sat a pale-skinned man with long black hair, tuning a guitar. It didn't take long for the man to notice the approaching Uchiha, at which point he set his guitar aside and faced his guest with a mysterious smile.

"Ah, Sasuke. I was wondering when I'd see you again. How may I be of assistance?" the man asked, licking his lips unconsciously.

"I just need to talk to someone, O," the raven-haired teen replied, slumping down beside his friend.

"Hmm… I take it this is about that crush of yours? What's his name… Naruto, yes?" Orochimaru mused, putting a hand to his chin in thought.

"Yes, yes – you win, all right? I couldn't get rid of him."

"Is that so? Tell me – are you sure you couldn't? Or was it that you secretly wanted him in your life?"

Damn him… he can't just gloat in his victory – he has to rub it in as much as possible. Sadistic bastard…

"Look, I don't know what I was thinking, all right? All I know is that we're boyfriends now, and it's brought nothing but trouble," Sasuke spat, resting his head on his hand as he looked to the snake-man.

"Oh, now you can't possibly mean that. After all, you were the one who said he was 'special,' right Sasuke?" Orochimaru replied, gently ruffling the Uchiha's hair.

"I know, I know… he is special. Really, I want him in my life… I just didn't think it would be this troublesome."

"Sounds to me like you've been hanging around Shikamaru too much," O replied with a smirk. "The Sasuke I know would never get this discouraged so easily – you're a cautious guy, but once you have your mind set on something, you don't give up. So tell me, what exactly happened to get you this anxious."

Geez, he's better than I remembered. Or am I just really easy to read? Maybe it's both – I probably stick closest to the people who know me the best…

"Fine," Sasuke said simply, staring up at the leaves as he spoke. "The truth is, I got into a fight this weekend with this guy at school, Gaara. He was kicking my ass, but Naruto stepped in before he could do any real damage."

"Hmm… sounds like you found a keeper, Sasuke. I take it Naruto took care of this Gaara for you, then?"

"You could say that. He didn't exactly get away scot-free," Sasuke replied, shielding his eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun. "By the time they were done, Naruto was a mess, and Gaara was sent to the hospital. I think that's when I knew I couldn't do it – forget about him, that is. I'd fought with him the night before, but he didn't care. He risked life and limb to protect me."

I probably couldn't have left him if I wanted to. That idiot's persistent…

"So, let me guess – now you're worried that this Gaara's going to want revenge?" Orochimaru mused, taking up his guitar once more. "Am I right?"

"Partially. The truth is, we were worried about Naruto all day, since we knew Gaara would be looking for him. Later on though, at lunch, that idiot invited Gaara into our group. He wants to be friend with the bastard that tried to kill me!"

"Interesting," the snake-man said, plucking on one of the guitar strings. "Then are you irritated because Naruto didn't consider your feelings? I can't imagine you're pleased with him befriending your enemy like that."

"He trusts Gaara… that should be enough for me… but I don't buy it," Sasuke sighed, turning his head towards O. "Does he really expect me to believe that this guy turned over a new leaf in just a few days? It's crazy!"

"People do change, Sasuke," Orochimaru responded, strumming the guitar gently. "I'm not saying that Naruto's right, but there's a chance that you're wrong."

"I know… but I'm worried for him. Even if Gaara doesn't attack Naruto directly, I'm afraid he might have something else planned. Like earlier today, after he and Naruto had only talked for a few minutes, that idiot went and told him that we're boyfriends. Just like that!"

"I see – you probably feel a bit betrayed, then."

"Not really," Sasuke murmured, glancing to the side. "I mean, sure, it would've been nice if he'd asked me first, but Gaara was bound to find out eventually. My problem is that Naruto's opening up to him too quickly. What if Gaara just wants information so he can blackmail Naruto later?"

"Well, that would be a shame, then," Orochimaru stated, his voice showing no concern. "Look, Sasuke, I think you're right to be a bit cautious. This Gaara doesn't exactly sound like the most reputable character in the world. Still, I think you need to have some faith in your boyfriend. He did pick you, after all – I think that should count for something."

Sasuke felt his cheeks redden ever so slightly. It was true: Naruto did choose him to be his boyfriend. Even if he'd never made a conscious decision, the blond knew that he was in love with Sasuke, and had acted upon that. Maybe Naruto was just following the same gut instinct with Gaara.

"Is that all, Sasuke?" O asked, that mysterious smile crossing his lips once more.

"Yeah, thanks," the Uchiha replied. How long had he been in that daze?

"If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me," the snake-man said, turning his attention back to his tuning. "Oh, and feel free to come by and watch us jam sometime. It'd be nice to have an audience."

"I'll do that," Sasuke said with a nod, picking himself off the grass.

With that, the Uchiha started down the cobblestone path through the park, deciding that it was best to get home before it got dark. Not that Itachi would worry or anything – but he had promised to be home for dinner.

Well, O tried his best. Naruto believes in Gaara – maybe I just need to trust him. Doesn't mean I can't be a little cautious… but I have to believe that Naruto knows what he's doing.

"Ah, Sasuke. Fancy meeting you here."

The raven-haired teen snapped out of his reverie and glanced over his shoulder to find Kakashi sitting on a park bench, his face buried in his latest hentai novel. Sasuke wished he had ignored the man – maybe if he just kept going he'd take a hint. Before he could take another step, however, the Uchiha heard his teacher call out for him once more.

"Come on, have a seat. I haven't talked to you since you took off on Saturday," Kakashi said, a slight accusing tone in his voice.

Well, at least I tried.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that," Sasuke murmured, slumping down on the bench beside the silver-haired man.

"Apology accepted. I do wish you'd at least leave a note next time. When I heard about the fight with Gaara… well, let's just say I was concerned," Kakashi said, a smile visible behind his mask.

"Look, if you don't mind, I kinda have somewhere to be," the Uchiha said, looking anxiously to the side.

"Hmm… so you have time to talk to Orochimaru, but not for me, huh?" the teacher replied as he turned the page in his book.

"So you were watching us, huh?"

"Not exactly – call it a hunch. Why else would you be here?" Kakashi chuckled, clamping the book shut. "Now that you've confirmed my theory, though…"

"It's private," Sasuke interrupted, catching the teacher off guard.

"All right, all right – no need to get testy. I just thought it might be something you could tell me."

"Nope, sorry. This is just between me and O."

Kakashi eyed the Uchiha for a minute before sitting back to stare up at the clouds. "You know how I feel about him, right?"

"Why do you care who I talk to? It's not like it affects you," Sasuke spat, glancing to the side.

"But I do care, Sasuke. The guy's always been a little… off. I don't trust him," Kakashi continued, placing a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Why should I listen to you? You're not my father, Kakashi!" Sasuke snapped, slapping the silver-haired man's hand away.

Kakashi stared at the teen for a moment, apparently speechless. Sasuke grew quite uncomfortable, seeing his cool and collected teacher in such a state of shock. Soon, however, Kakashi regained his composure and averted his eyes to the grass.

"You're right… I'm sorry. Just because I'm not your father, though, doesn't mean I can't worry about you. I'm not going to stop you from seeing Orochimaru – that's not my place. But… just be careful, all right? I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"Yeah, yeah… would you quit being all sappy now? This is just… weird," the Uchiha replied with an awkward blush.

"Fine, now you can tell me about your project," Kakashi said with a slight smirk. "Tell me, how are things working out with Naruto?"

Damn him… he had this planned all along…

"We're getting along, if you must know," Sasuke responded noncommittally

"I see – well that's good. I wasn't so sure after Friday night – I thought you wanted to kill him."

"No, I never wanted to kill him. I was just mad at myself, I guess…"

"So the two of you patched things up after the fight with Gaara, then?"

"You could say that," the Uchiha replied, his blush deepening as the memory of that first, awkward kiss rushed forward.

"All right, I just wanted to make sure you two patched things up," Kakashi sighed, crossing one leg lazily. "How about the paper? It's due Wednesday, you know. Are you good to go?"

He knows exactly what's going on, I can tell – he just wants me to admit it. Yeah, nothing would please him more than for me to come right out and admit that he was right. Even though he's still a manipulative bastard, I owe him for setting this whole thing up. Still, I'm too stubborn to tell him that. I have other ways of letting him know…

"I think I'll be good, for the most part. I do have one question, though."

"Hmm? And what's that?" Kakashi asked, glancing over at the Uchiha with one open eye.

"Well, I'm supposed to write about Naruto's life story from his point of view, right?" Sasuke started, studying his hands as he spoke. "But, well… the thing is, I know there's someone new in his life – someone important – and I'm not sure if I should talk about this person in my paper."

"Let me get this straight: you think that Naruto has met someone important recently – let's say in the past week or so – and you're not sure whether this person is significant enough to include, am I right?"

All right, he's playing along. We both know who I'm talking about – no need to go into specifics…

"Exactly," Sasuke replied, trying with little avail to control the color in his cheeks. "Do you think I should write about this person, or should I just leave that out?"

"Well, that all depends," Kakashi started, stroking his masked chin as he spoke. "Do you think Naruto would do the same thing for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's say you found someone recently – like in the past week – who's important to you. Even though Naruto isn't sure what the future holds for you and this person, do you think he'd include it?"

"Of course he would," Sasuke chuckled, "He'd probably write about it even if I explicitly told him not to."

"Well, there you have it then. If Naruto would write about this person in your position, you might as well do the same thing," Kakashi said with his usual gentle smile. "Now, I'd better be going – I think I see that certain someone charging toward us."

Sasuke looked to his right in shock to find a certain blond sprinting down the cobblestone path, his backpack bouncing wildly with every step. Seeing this, the Uchiha suddenly realized the significance of Kakashi's words, and silently cursed the man as he began walking off in the opposite direction.

So much for subtlety… you win this one, Kakashi…

"Sasuke! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Naruto exclaimed as he came to a halt beside the park bench, sounding quite winded from his high-speed search.

"What for? Couldn't you just call me?" the Uchiha asked, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket.

Naruto stared at the dangling, black object for a moment, as if it were a hypnotist's pendulum. "Well… yeah, I guess…"

"Look, just sit down and catch your breath, all right?" Sasuke said, tapping the seat beside him with an amused smirk.

The blond collapsed onto the park bench, causing it to rattle slightly. Sasuke watched his boyfriend for a few seconds, waiting for him to regain his composure. How long had that idiot been running, anyway? He usually had so much stamina – if he was this exhausted, then he must've been pretty worried about something.

Maybe I should just speak up now, before he gets a chance to interrupt me?

Sasuke turned his head away from the teen, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Naruto…"

"Sasuke…"

"I'm sorry."

The Uchiha's eyes widened. Had they just said the same thing in unison? Gazing to his left, he found that the blond had a similar look of disbelief, confirming his suspicions.

"You're sorry? What the hell do you have to be sorry about?" Naruto asked between a few heavy breaths.

"I could be asking you the same thing," Sasuke replied, shooting the blond a skeptical glance.

"Well, I asked first, so there," Naruto retorted, sticking his tongue out playfully.

The Uchiha's determination crumbled at that childish act – there was something utterly charming about it, and he knew it was useless to resist. "Fine, you win. Look, the thing is, I want to apologize for what happened earlier with Gaara."

"Gaara? But that wasn't your fault…"

"Yes it was," Sasuke insisted with his typical stubbornness. "The fact of the matter is, even though you told me that we could trust Gaara… I didn't believe you. Well… that isn't right – I didn't think that you were lying to me – but I was skeptical. I still am, and that's my fault. Your word should be enough for me, but it isn't."

Naruto was silent for a few seconds, mulling over Sasuke's speech in his head before arriving at a conclusion. "You're wrong, Sasuke. You shouldn't just take everything I say for granted. I mean, I want you to trust me and everything, but that doesn't mean you have to see everything the same way I do. You're a hell of a lot smarter than me… don't go dumbing yourself down just to make me happy."

Sasuke chuckled – that blond idiot did have a point. "You're probably right… maybe I'm just trying to hard to make this work. Still, I wish I could trust Gaara as much as you do…"

"Maybe you can," Naruto responded enigmatically. "I'm not saying it'll happen overnight, but if Gaara's really changed, then maybe he'll grow on you. Who knows? It's not like you have to be best friends with him or anything."

Neither teen spoke another word for several minutes, opting instead to simply enjoy the view of the park from their bench. Just over the horizon the sun was beginning to set, casting a reddish, orange hue over the landscape, while a few nearby squirrels chased each other up a tree. It was peaceful – something Sasuke hadn't felt for some time.

"Let's go for a walk," the vulpine boy suggested out of the blue, dragging his boyfriend off the bench before he could refuse.

"What the hell? Where are you taking me all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked indignantly, shocked by the blond's surge of energy.

"You'll see," Naruto responded, flashing a bright grin.

They wandered down the cobblestone path for a minute or so before coming to a stone bridge running over a small stream. Seeing this, the blond dragged Sasuke off the path and down to the waterside, stopping only when they were both tucked underneath the bridge.

"So this is your spot, huh?" Sasuke asked, sitting down on the pebbled riverbank.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Naruto replied, jumping up to touch the bridge's underside. "Kiba and I found this place last year when we were looking for Akamaru. We were playing with him around here, and he went chasing after some squirrel. I guess he chased the little guy right into the water, and by the time we caught up to him, he was taking a drink here."

"I see," the Uchiha mumbled noncommittally.

It is nice… but what's he planning? Something's up…

"Speaking of Gaara… I'm sorry about what happened earlier today," Naruto said, tossing a stone into the stream.

"What about it? I already told you, it wasn't your fault."

"I know… but I didn't handle it right. Even if I do trust him, I knew that the rest of you guys wouldn't like it… especially you. I didn't even think about it – I was selfish. And then telling him about… well, us… I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't," Sasuke said with a slight nod, "but that's okay. He would've found out eventually."

"Really? That's it? Then… why didn't you talk to me after that?" the blond continued, chancing a look up at the Uchiha.

"Is that what this is about? I wasn't mad at you, Naruto – I was concerned. Think about it – Gaara suddenly wants to be your friend, and the first thing he asks about is whether I'm your boyfriend."

"Yeah, so what? Maybe he's just observant."

"True – but what if it's more than that? What if he's planning on blackmailing you or something?" Sasuke continued, rising to his feet as he became increasingly animated.

Naruto stared up at his boyfriend, wide-eyed. "I hadn't thought of that…"

Sasuke felt his heart sink, realizing that he'd gone a bit overboard. "I'm sorry… see? That's what I'm talking about, though. You trust him – I shouldn't have these thoughts…"

"Are you kidding? Those are exactly the types of thoughts you should be having!" Naruto exclaimed, standing up as well. "You're worried about me! I thought you were mad… but it's just the opposite! You have no reason to apologize!"

"Really?" Sasuke asked, backing up slightly from the excited blond.

"Yes! I'm the one who was wrong… I didn't even think you'd be worried about me. Kiba was right…"

Kiba? Did he say something to start this?

Before Sasuke could dwell on this question any longer, he suddenly felt himself falling backwards as Naruto tackled him to the ground. In a flash, the Uchiha was lying flat on his back in the stream, while his boyfriend pinned him down, grinning stupidly.

"What was that for?" Sasuke snapped, coughing up a bit of water.

"I'm rewarding you… for thinking of me," Naruto said, pressing a finger to the raven-haired teen's lips before he could utter another word. "Shh… just stay there. I'll do the rest."

With that, Naruto placed his lips to Sasuke's, sucking gently on the Uchiha's lower lip before slightly pulling away. In that brief moment that their lips were apart, Sasuke took his chance; shifting his weight to one side, he rolled over on top of the blond, effectively drenching both of them.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh… it's my turn, Naruto. I can't let you have all the fun, now, can I?"

These words spoken, Sasuke leaned to steal a kiss of his own, the cool stream water running off his hair and mingling with the blond's. His heart was throbbing as his lips met Naruto's, as he hoped that he could perform as well as his partner. When he felt returning pressure from his boyfriend, however, Sasuke began to relax, and he slid his tongue into the blond's. They met halfway, and for a few, fleeting moments they savored that weird, yet wonderful sensation.

Pulling back out of the kiss, Sasuke moved on to Naruto's neck, exploring that tender area with numerous, extended pecks. Hearing the blond moan slightly at one particular area just below the chin, the Uchiha lingered there, sucking gently on the skin. It was then that Sasuke felt something poke him down below, and, glancing up at his boyfriend, he found Naruto had turned a distinct shade of red.

"Hmm… so I'm not the only one who gets excited, huh?" Sasuke said with a seductive smirk.

"Shut up," Naruto replied, pulling his boyfriend into another, powerful kiss.

When they finished their make-out session a few minutes later, the sun had already set, and their soaked clothes caused them to shiver in the cool, late summer breeze. Given this unromantic atmosphere, the two clambered out from beneath the bridge and went their separate ways, but not before shooting each other one final, embarrassed glance.

Good night, Naruto…