Naruto woke up as his gut heaved and he hauled it to the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet as his gut protested the sake from last night. Everything came out and kept coming, splashing on the porcelain and the tiles on the floor as Naruto pleaded silently with his gut to cease its torturous wringing of his insides. He spat into the toilet and groaned; realising, now that the vomiting was slowing down, that his head was pulsing cruelly almost ready to drop from his shoulders.

Naruto felt the fuzzy feeling and twisting in his gut again, shoved his head in the already full bowl, the acrid stench of contents of his stomach causing a new wave of nausea to hit him and kick him where it hurts. He slumped to the side, still clinging helplessly to the toilet bowl and screwed his eyes shut. The dim light was too much. His stinging dry eyes couldn't take the assault. He blinked once but the light pulsed straight to the pounding in his head and he puked again. He collapsed over the toilet, the taste of his puke in the back of his throat and tried to spit the last of the vomit into the brown murky, chunky liquid swimming in the bowl. His hand brushed against something and Naruto squinted at the object.

It was a bottle of water. Next to it lay a box of painkillers. How nice of Gaara to think of him in his time of need. Naruto gulped the water, heaved, puked, gulped again, rinse and repeat. He tried to get the pills down, desperate to slow the pulsing and stinging and stabbing in his eyes, temples and neck. He gulped more of the water, this time there was a minute's pause before he puked. He didn't know if the painkillers came up with it and didn't care. This time he put the painkillers in his mouth and sipped, slowly swallowing, hoping that sneaking up on his stomach would allow the water to sit for a bit.

He was wrong and instantly puked again, feeling like crying from the shitty state he was in. The strength he had in making it to the toilet had deserted him as he stumbled blindly toward his room and flopped again on the bed, accepting his fate. He pulled his pillow up over his head and hoped that he would either recover or die. Whichever was less painless, whichever one would come first.

His phone vibrated. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five. It wasn't going to happen. He didn't have the strength to pick it up, or read, or breathe. Naruto groaned again as a fresh pulse of nausea and pain hit him and the room span even with his eyes closed. He didn't know how long he lay there for, halfway between sleep, but someone sat down on his bed, but he couldn't bring himself to move the pillow away from his eyes.

'How you doing?'

Gaara. Another bottle of water was thrust under the pillow. Naruto didn't want to sit up, but his need for liquid overthrew his need to not puke everywhere, so he slowly pulled himself up on the bed and took the bottle of water.

'Yeah,' Naruto said. He gulped at the water, and thankfully it stayed where it was meant to stay. He'd live. He would have grinned if he wasn't in so much pain and whatever because he was pretty sure the sound that came out of his mouth wasn't "yeah".

'I didn't just come here to see you, you know. I had something I wanted to tell you.'

'What?' Naruto asked, pretty sure "what" wasn't what that strangled groan was. He couldn't take any more of the water.

'I'm entering Parliament. I think it's time I dealt with my father's mess.'

Naruto's brain in its current state couldn't comprehend what Gaara was saying so he just closed his eyes and pressed his fingers into his thumping temples, wishing he could dig the pain out of his head.

'I'm moving permanently over there. It's the only way, so unfortunately … are you sure you're okay?'

Naruto was hugging his knees; he let his cheek rest against them. They were warm, so warm. His gut boiled again, but he was able to ignore it.

'I'll never see you again?'

'I'll fly you over now and then, how about that?'

It was what he'd wanted to do since he was a kid. He'd been spending more and more time in France, more and more time away from home. Naruto knew, secretly, Gaara thought of the place as his home now. He had ideas, innovations, and an awesome leader's brain.

'What about …' Naruto didn't want to be selfish. 'This is your home, Gaara. We're your family. I never got why you weren't satisfied with that.'

'And I don't think you will, Naruto.'

Naruto risked opening his eyes. They were still bleary and blurred; still fucking stung and sent stabs of pain smashing through his head. Gaara sat on the side of his bed, arms crossed, mouth set in a line.

'You did a lot for me when we were growing up. You practically saved me from myself and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay that debt.'

'Argh, shut up with your soppy shit. I can't take it.'

'I'm not being soppy, Naruto, I'm speaking the truth. You saved me back then, and I can't tell you how grateful I am to you. I wanted to see you, because I …' what was this? Gaara, lost for words? Hah, Naruto never thought he'd see the day.

'Well, it's not like you haven't been trying to get away from me all this time,' Naruto grinned the best he could. 'You practically ran away first opportunity you got.'

'I didn't want to go, but now it's inevitable. I'm the only one who can -'

'Geek,' Naruto poked.

'This isn't funny, Naruto. I'm saying goodbye.'

'Well, you're saying the wrong thing. You can't get rid of me that easily, I'll always be around if you want me or not.'

'I'd like that.' His phone rang, Gaara didn't move.

'Shouldn't you answer that?'

'No. But I have to go.'

'But you said you didn't have to until … oh …' It was Sunday.

Gaara squeezed his arm. Naruto threw himself on him and squeezed.

'Thank you,' Gaara said sincerely. 'For everything you've done for me.'

Naruto choked on the emotion in his throat. It hit him like a brick; Gaara was leaving, off to fulfil his dreams of helping his country. Naruto couldn't stand in the way of that.

'And thanks to you too,' Naruto said. 'For the painkillers and water.'

'What painkillers?'

'The one's you left near the toilet, duh. Thanks for that.'

Gaara broke away. 'It wasn't me.'

A smash of emotion rippled through the nausea. It was so touching. Even after yesterday, Sasuke was still looking out for him.

'I'm leaving and I'm probably never going to see you again, Naruto,' Gaara began. 'So, I have no qualms in saying what I'm about to say.'

'What are you going to say?' Naruto asked, slightly apprehensive. He didn't like that tone.

'I'd shake you, but you'd puke on me. Stop being an idiot. The both of you need to get over yourselves.'

'What?' Naruto spluttered.

'You know what I'm talking about. I'm not stupid, and guess what, everyone else can see it, so get over it and do something about it.'

'About what?'

Gaara stood. 'I have to go.' He squeezed Naruto's shoulder. 'We'll talk to soon, and hopefully by then you'll have stopped moping over him.'

'I kissed him,' Naruto blurted.

Gaara almost smiled, and then left the room. Naruto heard the front door click. Naruto felt like puking. Everyone knew? Until a few days ago not even he knew! So, that was just stupid. It's not like he was carrying around a billboard that said "I'm hopelessly in love with my best friend" on it. Imagine that. He was getting used to the shock of his revelation; but he didn't like the idea that it was completely obvious to everyone but himself. How did they know? Did he mumble it in his sleep or something? Sent an all contacts emails without knowing it?

Break went by in a whirl; Naruto spent a majority of the time with Sakura and her family. They had been like a second family. It was nice to just hang out with her, but he couldn't bring himself to discuss his problem with her because she was too close to Sasuke, and he couldn't bear the thought of being laughed at behind his back. He didn't say that to Sakura, but she oh so discreetly ignored the fact that Naruto was sulking.

When school resumed, he avoided Sasuke as much as he could for a couple of weeks. Naruto, for the first time ever, put himself in someone else's shoes. If it had been around the other way, and he was a prick with no social skills and no feelings, he wouldn't want to talk to the guy who jumped him and groped him in the bathroom either. Sasuke didn't want to talk to him, and Naruto was kind of glad about it because he didn't know what he was going to say anyway. If they got into the conversation, Naruto would probably die of embarrassment having to confess to Sasuke how he was helplessly attracted to him. He didn't mean to be, if he could take it back, he would because it was more trouble than it was worth. He had tried, but it didn't work, all it did was make him crazy. So, after weeks, he couldn't take it anymore and made the decision to give it a shot to talk to him. Why not? They'd had fights before and had gotten through it, what made this one so different?

When he got back to the dorm that night Sasuke was already there. He liked to study at the dining table overlooking the mountains. Naruto preferred the couch, or his bed, much more comfortable. Naruto dumped his bags in his room; Sasuke's back was too him. His laptop was open to some document and he was typing quickly. He had his headphones on and was oblivious to Naruto in the kitchen behind him. Sasuke paused and pulled a pen from his teeth, checking something on a notepad. He dropped the pen and rubbed at his neck, stretching back over the chair with a groan.

Naruto waltzed up to Sasuke, about to interrupt his study session, but swiftly did a one eighty and took a couple of steps in the other direction. No, he was being dumb, he had to get this fixed. He turned back, definitely going to talk to Sasuke, but then he sort of choked and stormed off into his room instead.

'Shit …' he looked around his room and realised he'd left his laptop bag in the lounge. It had his flash drives from last semester in it. He couldn't pull the notes if he didn't have the drive… He huffed, realising he'd have to go back out there, and Sasuke was out there and now he knew he was here and it would get awkward and he would glare at him and give him that look and act stupid and … and …

Naruto scoffed. When did he become that guy? He'd decided something over break; he was willing to do whatever he could to mend their friendship, because it was worth it. It scared him, thinking that they wouldn't be friends anymore, and he was willing to chop off an arm to get the thing fixed as quick as possible. But, if Sasuke didn't want to talk to him, he would respect that too.

Naruto took one of those peach teas from the fridge and placed it on the table next to Sasuke's notepad. He could do this … he could …

Sasuke kept typing for a minute and Naruto just waited. Finally, Sasuke stopped typing and glanced at Naruto. He opened the tea and took a sip.

'Hey …'

'I'm busy.'

It was the first words Sasuke had said to him in weeks, but they were words. Actual formations of human speech. Naruto grinned. Good. Better.

'I'm busy,' he repeated and took another sip of the tea. Naruto just stood there as Sasuke typed away. The word count said 8591; Sasuke huffed and pushed away from the laptop, pulling the headphones from his ears. He turned the chair to Naruto and crossed his arms.

'What. Do you want, Naruto?'

'What are you working on?'

Sasuke glanced at his computer. 'Sociology.'

'Cool,' Naruto said. If it was anything like psychology, Sasuke must be having the time of his life. 'Cool. Look …' Everyone knew. It was glaringly obvious to everyone. Sasuke stared at him, more than a little annoyed.

'What?'

Naruto rubbed at his neck. 'Got a minute?'

'No.' And that was it. Sasuke shut him down; no argument. Naruto went to leave, but turned back, but Sasuke was already typing again.

Next day, after class Naruto had the overwhelming urge for some proper ramen, so he headed over to Ichiraku and ordered some pork. He took up his favourite seat near the window and by the door. Sai liked to watch people, and liked that Naruto sat by windows that looked out onto the street, so he could "observe everyday happenings". Naruto liked to watch things too, but not like in a creepy stalker way like Sai.

After finishing his second bowl, Naruto was starting to feel the pinch of fullness, but he wasn't ready to get going yet; it meant he'd have to go home. And Sasuke was probably there, and after last night, the longer he could stall his return the better, so he ordered another bowl and a coffee as well. He got out his phone as he waited for his next round.

'How u doin?' He texted Sai. 'Howz teh prjt cummin?'

'Very interesting.' Sai texted back a minute later. 'I'm a little busy at the moment.'

'Yeah' Naruto texted. 'Wll do sumfin nxt week?'

Naruto waited. His ramen and coffee came, and he wolfed down the noodles and pork.

Naruto considered texting Sasuke. Texting was a much better option; Naruto couldn't really handle Sasuke's annoyed glares and huffing right now anyway. He was still in class, so texting him now would be perfect, because if Sasuke didn't reply, it just meant he was in class and not ignoring him. He couldn't tell him what he wanted to tell him face to face because he didn't want to see that expression ever again. So, he started typing.

'I cnt handle u mad at me nemor ok so Im sayin sorry. Sorry'

He put his phone back in his pocket and finished off his third bowl, feeling almost full afterward. He picked up his coffee as his phone vibrated.

'I'm not mad.'

'Clda fooled me' Naruto texted back instantly. He thought for a second and added. 'U hvnt tlkd to me in weeks'

His phone vibrated a few minutes later.

'We're talking now.'

Naruto looked at that for a second and gulped his coffee. Sasuke texted again.

'I'm not mad at you, okay.'

Yeah. Right. 'Wat r u thn?'

Fuck this was hard, this wasn't like a normal fight where they say sorry and get over it. This was … so not that, Naruto had never done this before. Naruto didn't think Sasuke was going to respond. He finished his coffee and stared out the window for a bit. There was a kid poking a rock with a stick. The kid's mother looked at them, but then continued talking to the other woman, who was holding tightly onto the wrist of the kid next to her while the kid tried to get to the kid with the stick and the rock.

Naruto's phone vibrated. 'Please tell me you didn't drag me away from my essay to accuse me of things that you've made up in your stupid head.'

'I havnt made up neting!' Naruto added a second later. 'I hav eyes u no'

'I'm not mad. I'm BUSY.'

Naruto started typing again. 'well im ...' sorry for jumping on you and scaring the crap out of you like that. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I just couldn't control myself because you're so hot. Now to tell him that, but maybe not that last part about him being hot. Naruto deleted the "well im".

'U r ALWAYS busy'

'Yes. I am.'

'Wll dnt let me keep u frm bein BUSY.'

Naruto shoved his phone back in his pocket and gulped his coffee, slapping the mug back down and pushing it angrily into the middle of the table. He was full of shit. He was always busy, but that never stopped them talking before. He was so full of shit.

Naruto ignored his phone. No. He can go hang. Whatever, if he didn't want to talk, fine. Fine. Naruto wasn't going to respond no matter what the message said. He glanced at the message for a second.

'Why did you kiss me?'

Naruto put his phone down. "Because you're hot and I couldn't help myself" probably wasn't the best thing to say right now. He picked the phone up and typed something, deleted it, started again like five times before settling on 'I dnt know ok' Naruto started typing "Ur drvn me crazy" but deleted it, started again, but started to delete it and ended up sending 'Ur drivn'

'Shit,' Naruto said out loud, realising what he'd done. He texted again quickly.

'I ddn't mean to'

A few minutes went by before Naruto's phone vibrated again.

'Really?

Naruto felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He had to end this, before he said something he regretted. So he went with, 'I jst wnt 2 4get it u no'

Another few minutes went by, Naruto had time to order another coffee and have it halfway down before Sasuke finally replied.

'I'll see you later, moron.'

Naruto entered his room to change. He fished around on the floor for some clean and dry slacks. Study wasn't going to happen tonight, his brain was mush and he wouldn't be able to concentrate anyways, so he flopped on the couch and turned the TV on.

Sasuke came home around nine and without acknowledging Naruto went to the kitchen. A wave of annoyance washed through Naruto, which made him determined as he stalked after him. He was going to deal with this once and for all, Sasuke was going to accept his apology and like it and that was that. Sasuke closed the fridge, still ignoring him. Naruto blew a sharp breath in Sasuke's ear making him flinch and frown.

'Yo,' Naruto began, eyeing Sasuke. 'You gonna tell me why you've been torturing me all this time?'

'Torturing you?' Sasuke said as he set up his computer at the dining table. He pulled a notepad from his bag and leafed to a page. A flash of anger shot through Naruto. He slammed the notebook closed

'Fuck's sake, Sasuke, I thought you hated me!' Naruto yelled. 'You haven't talked to me, you won't look at me, I've barely seen you. What the hell was I supposed to think? Huh?'

Sasuke wiped his finger over his lip as his eyes narrowed. He opened the notebook again.

'You wouldn't look at me either.'

'I thought you wanted space.'

'And why would you think that?'

Naruto scoffed. 'How you reacted when – for all his sudden courage, Naruto couldn't say it out loud to his face – 'it's not like you were begging for more,' Naruto muttered.

'You took me by surprise. That's all.'

'Really?'

'Yes.'

Naruto processed this for a second; the anger seeped away, and he rubbed the back of his head.

'I just want to say sorry, okay. So, sorry. It won't happen again. Promise.'

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. 'You already said that.'

'Well I'm saying it again.'

'And I'll say it again. It's okay.'

'Sure? Because it didn't really seem okay when …' Naruto rubbed his neck again. 'You obviously didn't enjoy it as much as I did.'

'If it was anyone other than you, I would have slapped them.'

Naruto's heart pounded. He went and got some water, just to get away from Sasuke for a minute. Sasuke didn't like him like that. Of course, he didn't, he was Sasuke and Naruto was … Naruto. No way. They would never gel like that.

'Want me to cook something?' He was meant to sound light and enthusiastic, but he didn't sound like that at all. Not even close.

Sasuke shook his head. 'Thanks though.' He turned to his homework and didn't look at him again.

Naruto felt like someone had punched him in the gut and had left him to drag his entrails across a vast active battlefield. Sasuke didn't have any feelings for him. Not like that anyway. But that was cool, what was he expecting? Did he expect Sasuke to drop his hot boyfriend for him? Did he expect him to actually feel the same when Naruto had spent the past eighteen years making his life a living hell? Of course, Sasuke didn't like him like that, but it was just going to sting for a minute, before Naruto could grin and, like he'd been doing for the past eighteen years, brush it off. Naruto sighed and swiped his fingers through his hair. It would have been nice, you know. To give it a shot. But, he'd already pushed that boundary once. He wasn't going to do it again. He could play this cool, pretend like nothing happened, like the past few weeks weren't real and that his entire world perspective hadn't shifted one eighty degrees to the left. Yeah, no problem. He could totally do it.

Sasuke was staring intently at something he'd written on the screen. He was about to start typing.

'Yo, Sasuke ...'

Sasuke turned halfway to Naruto, but his eyes stayed on the screen. 'Hmm?'

'We're cool, right?'

Sasuke nodded absently, his eyes working over what was written on the screen. 'Mm,' he grunted in reply. Naruto grinned. Good. Yeah, good. Good. He slapped Sasuke on the back and returned to the couch. He wasn't quite satisfied with Sasuke's namby-pamby response, so he got his phone out and flicked a quick text.

'I fckd up dnt hate me OK only "herm",' he texted.

A minute later his phone vibrated.

'If you don't shut up, I'm going to beat you over the head with your phone.'

Naruto couldn't hold back the snort. Yeah, they were cool.

Next day, Naruto was determined to push the whole stupid thing to the back of his mind. He needed to get his head off Sasuke or he would worry himself to death. He was still his best friend, right? That wasn't going to change, and he would beat the idiot who tried to change it to a pulp.

Lunch time came mercifully quickly, and Naruto had decided the cafeteria, for once would be a good place to kick it for the hour. He needed to see friends that didn't kick him in the balls every two seconds and actually liked being around him. He'd planned it during Pysch; he sent a text to a group of the guys to meet up at lunch so they could entertain him.

Naruto looked around the circular room at the packed tables. Shikamaru was all over that blonde with the crazy blue eyes. Naruto headed over and instantly felt a tap on his left shoulder. He whirled to see who it was and Akamaru looked away innocently. Naruto grinned and slapped him on the back.

'Hey, Naruto, where's your wife?'

Naruto shrugged as he sat down between Shikamaru and Neji. 'Dunno, probably boning some text book.'

Shikamaru and Ino promptly stood from the table. 'Yeah, it's a drag, but I left my ... science ... book in the lab.' He dragged a giggling Ino behind him as they weaved their way away from the table.

'And he needs her to help him find it,' Neji muttered, looking up for a second from the notes he was working on.

'Sakura!' Naruto called and waved, noticing her heading in their direction. She smiled and gave a small wave as she made her way over, taking up the seat Shikamaru had just exited.

'Hi, guys,' she said, plonking an armful of books on the table in front of her, but holding tightly to the large brown disposable cup. She sipped it and collapsed slightly in her seat.

'You look a bit – '

Sakura cut Naruto off with a "don't even" glare. Naruto held up his hands defensively.

'I need – '

'Coffee,' Kiba and Akamaru chimed together.

Naruto scowled at them sarcastically and stood, heading over to the counter. He grabbed an iced coffee and paid, heading back over.

Lee made his way through the tables and waved energetically when he saw the group. Neji made room for him next to Sakura. Lee bowed deeply at the group and promptly planted a kiss on Sakura's cheek, who in her exhaustion slapped him in the mouth then gasped.

'Sorry!' she said and patted his face. 'I'm so sorry.'

Lee smiled, wiping his lips. 'It's okay. It's like a kiss from the summer's sun. And burns just the same,' he added. Sakura patted him on the arm and gave him a small hug, before taking a long sip of her coffee.

Sai arrived a minute later, didn't say anything but smiled his smile to the group. He squatted on the floor next to Naruto while Sakura found him a chair.

'Thank you,' he said and sat, rubbing his thighs. 'That was very uncomfortable.'

'Then why'd you do it, dude?' Akamaru asked, looking up from his phone. 'No one said, squat on the floor like a moron, you know.'

'I don't know,' was all Sai said. He picked at his sandwich, pulling the lettuce out covered in mayonnaise.

'Hi ... Na ... Naruto,' Hinata whispered, scaring the crap out of him. He flinched and nearly smacked Sai in the face.

'Hinata! Don't fucking sneak up on people like that!' He grabbed his chest as his heart hammered. 'Geez, give a guy a heart attack would ya.'

Hinata looked lost as she sat next to Sakura. Lee patted her head and made shushing noises at her to try and calm her down. She smiled, her eyes blank, obviously wishing he would stop, but too polite to say anything.

Akamaru pumped the air, throwing his phone on the table. 'Yes!' he proclaimed loudly.

'What?' Naruto asked.

'Transfer came through,' Neji said, like everyone would know what that meant.

'The story's in!' Kiba stood quickly, dialling a number. 'Gotta go.' He rushed off through the throng.

'Where's Sasuke?' Sakura asked Naruto. Naruto shrugged.

'Working, I guess.'

Sakura frowned. 'Shame. Haven't seen him for a while.'

'Yeah, well, he – ' Naruto's phone vibrated, interrupting him. He took it out and read the text.

'Can you bring me something? I'm in the library. Just something light and a tea.'

'Sure,' Naruto texted back.

'I need to bring our study session up to six, if that's okay with you,' Sai said in Naruto's ear. 'I need to get a component of my research done later.'

Naruto glanced at him. He was smiling, crinkling and sparkling.

'Naruto, why don't you just ask him to come here? He needs to take a break too.'

'Who needs fucking angles anyway? Like you're ever going to use them in the real world!'

'Naruto?' Sai pressed gently.

'Hey, knucklehead, can I borrow your notes? I think my guitar ate mine.'

'Sakura, there is a new play opening tonight, and I'll be honoured if you would come with me.'

'Naruto, if you can't do six, we can reschedule for later in the week, the project is due in two weeks, so I'll be free on Friday. If that suits you better.'

'I don't know, Lee. I'm up to my eyeballs with study at the moment.'

'I could help you, Sakura.'

'Sure,' Naruto said to Sai. 'Friday will be great.'

Sai smiled and squeezed his arm. 'Good.'

Naruto rifled around in his bag and produced his notebook from music. He ripped them out and handed them to Kiba. 'Here,' he said.

Kiba saluted. Naruto got up. 'I'm just going to deliver his highness's lunch for him. I'll be back in a minute.'

'I'll come with you,' Sakura offered. Naruto actually liked the idea. He smooshed Sai on the forehead and waved to the rest of them and headed over to the counter. They got Sasuke a sushi box and a tea and headed out of the cafeteria.

'Did you invite Sasuke?' Sakura said as they walked.

'He didn't want to come.'

Sakura produced her bright pink phone and held it out to Naruto.

'His name isn't in the recipients, Naruto.'

'So? He didn't want to come, so I didn't bother texting him.'

'Oh, okay then,' Sakura said. She looked like she wanted to say something else but didn't.

'Thanks for your advice, by the way,' Naruto blurted suddenly. 'Thanks. It's going real well.'

'What advice?'

She was the one who told him he was kinda attracted to Sasuke, so it was her fault. 'I messed up big time, because I listened to you.'

'About?'

Naruto groaned. She was seriously doing this right now? 'Sasuke,' Naruto said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'I messed up,' he said again.

Sakura gave him a sideways glance. 'How?'

'By scaring the crap out of him.'

'How?' Sakura asked suspiciously. Her frown didn't hide the glint in her green eyes.

'I kinda ... might have ...' The memory of Sasuke's lips ... but then how he'd reacted. 'I kissed him, okay.'

Sakura couldn't hide the shock, but it instantly melted into a half smile. 'I knew it. You bonehead, you told me I was crazy. You told me that it was impossible. Hah. Chyaaa. See, I knew. Tell me everything.'

'There's nothing to tell. I kissed him and now he's weird around me even though he says it's okay, but he doesn't act like it's okay. You know. It's like he's waiting for me to do it again, so he can slap me again.'

'Did Sasuke slap you?'

'No. But he wanted to. He told me.'

They were almost at the library now. Sakura stared at Naruto. 'What did he do?'

'He kicked and shoved and ran away. And then he didn't talk to me for weeks.'

Sakura nodded thoughtfully then smiled at Naruto. 'Did he seem angry?'

'Well, yeah. He wouldn't talk to me and avoided me until the other day.'

'And what did he do the other day?'

'Yelled at me. And accused me of making things up.'

Sakura suddenly stopped. 'Dammit.'

'What? What's wrong?'

'I just remembered, I forgot I was going to help ... Kiba with his trig test this afternoon.'

'He didn't – '

'I better go and help him.' She took off back the way they'd just come. She was crazy. Yeah, maybe not about Sasuke, but she was batshit off the handle.

Naruto climbed the stairs to the library's main reference area. Sasuke wasn't in his usual spot, but all his stuff was strewn around the table. Impatient, and not knowing how long he would be, Naruto texted him.

'Wer r u?'

'In the bathroom.'

Naruto was not going in there to get him. His phone vibrated again.

'Boning my textbook.'

Naruto laughed out loud, earning disapproving glares from a gathered study group. Who? When? Kiba was on his phone back there, so was Akamaru. He sat down and put Sasuke's lunch on his computer, knowing he'd hate it. A minute later, Sasuke came over, pausing when he saw the bag and cup sitting on his keyboard. He huffed and glared at Naruto before sitting down and pushing the bag onto the table next to his computer.

'Thanks. I wasn't packing up just to get lunch.'

'Admit it, you're an antisocial loner and didn't want to hang with everyone.'

'No. I just couldn't justify packing all this up for ten minutes.'

'The tea's probably cold now.'

Sasuke sipped it and screwed up his face. 'Yeah. Fuck. It is.'

Naruto laughed. 'Want me to get another one for you?'

Sasuke gagged down some more of the cold tea and shook his head. 'No. It's fine.' He turned back to his computer and started working again.

'Sasuke.'

'Hm?'

Naruto pushed the bag up onto the keyboard again. Sasuke frowned, looking from the bag to Naruto. He continued working. Naruto pushed the lid of his laptop down. Sasuke glared at him.

'What. The fuck?'

'Eat.'

'I will.'

'Now.'

Sasuke shot him one of those scary looks where his eyes narrow and his lips tighten, and he huffs slowly. He opened his computer, his glare sliding from Naruto to the screen and started reading again.

'You're such a stubborn fuck,' Naruto said and ripped open the brown bag. He grabbed the sushi and opened the container, snapping the chopsticks and shoving them and the container at Sasuke. 'Just fucking eat it, you skinny bastard.'

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at him. Then he noticed the little red object that had fallen out of the bag. He picked it up like it was poisonous and gave Naruto a questioning look.

'Oh, how did that get in there?' Naruto said innocently. 'I know. I know. Chocolates are very offensive, aren't they.' Naruto plucked the chocolate out of Sasuke's fingers.

'You know I don't eat that shit.'

'Of course not, because you're a weird freak who doesn't enjoy food.'

'So, I'm a weird freak because I don't like chocolate?'

'Everybody likes chocolate,' Naruto countered suspiciously. 'What's wrong with you?'

'Nothing.'

'Coulda fooled me, you weirdo.'

Sasuke's eyes moved from Naruto to his computer and back to Naruto. 'If I eat will you go away?'

'Yes.'

Sasuke rolled his eyes and picked up the sushi container. He picked up a piece and was about to bite into it when Naruto waved the chocolate in front of his face.

'I'll bring you a hot tea if you eat this.'

'Fuck off.'

Naruto grinned. 'I'll make you risotto on Friday, if you eat it.'

Sasuke just bit into the sushi.

'What kind of guy doesn't like chocolate?' Naruto exclaimed, absently unwrapping the piece. He threw it in his mouth and chewed. Sasuke picked up another piece of sushi and turned back to his computer. He held out the container to Naruto; there was one piece of sushi left. Naruto grabbed it and devoured it.

'Go away now.'

'Do you want another tea?' Naruto asked.

Sasuke shrugged. 'If you want.'

Naruto came back a minute later and handed Sasuke a hot tea. Sasuke sipped it and closed his eyes for a second, leaning back in his chair. He took another sip.

'Shit. I need this.'

Something stirred in Naruto and he was suddenly not feeling so light and airy.

'What's wrong with you, moron?' Sasuke asked, cocking an eyebrow as Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck.

'Nothing,' Naruto said. Sasuke rolled his eyes again and placed the cup on the table. 'I need to keep going with this,' he said flicking a finger at the screen.

Naruto leaned over a bit. Sasuke was so ... so ... Naruto blinked. This was harder than he thought it would be.

'What. The fuck. Are you doing?' Sasuke's lips pouted as he leaned away from Naruto.

'Sasuke ...'

'What?'

'Erm ... can I ... Uh ...' Naruto scrubbed at the back his neck. 'I was wondering ...'

Sasuke placed his palm on Naruto's forehead.

'Hmm. No. Still a moron. You're clear, idiot.' Sasuke smirked.

'Shut up,' Naruto said, reeling pleasantly from Sasuke's touch. 'I just was ...'

Sasuke was giving him the strangest look.

Naruto couldn't help it, he grabbed him and kissed him, forcing Sasuke to gasp. He stiffened as Naruto's tongue found its way into his mouth but relaxed, delicately guiding him closer with his fingertips on the back of his neck. Naruto groaned as Sasuke tickled the back of his neck, flicking his tongue around his.

Sasuke barked a moan into his mouth, ripping his lips from Naruto's. 'Later,' he panted.

'Now,' Naruto growled, pulling Sasuke up roughly and pushing him into moving with his hips. Their legs tangled together as they stumbled toward the bathroom.

'Naruto?' Sasuke said in annoyance, waving his hand in front of Naruto's face. 'What the hell?'

Naruto blinked and shook his head, the heat rising to his cheeks as the fantasy disappeared in a puff of reality. It was just a fantasy.

'Huh?'

'The time, moron. You have to go.'

Naruto checked the time. Shit. He was right.

AN: Reviewers: both of you are exactly right! They do have a close yet awkward, strange relationship. Could this be because they have been skirting around each other all this time, distracting themselves with other guys? Hmmm .. Possibly ;)

Glad you're enjoying it!