Naruto shifted slightly, almost rolling off the side of the couch with that barest of movements. His every joint screamed in protest. His eyes refused to open. His head spun of blurred memories of what had happened the night before. A run in with both Uchiha's was more than anyone should have to handle. As all parts of him complained about yesterday, his ears were the only things in the present. But they probably only bothered because they'd picked up on Sasuke's voice.

"—stumbled home and we just kissed…" Sasuke grumbled, the annoyed, argumentative tone meant he could only be talking to one person. Sure enough it was Sakura's voice that answered.

"Just kissed? Do you have any idea what that means to him? What you did to him when you left-?"

"Yeah, I know what happened, any passer-by can tell what he's become, and I don't think a kiss would mean a hell of a lot to someone like that."

Naruto hoped so badly to hear Sakura back him up, but the words he expected never quite came. He couldn't really blame her. No one knew the real reason that he pulled away, why he was so desperate to forget himself and why he kept pushing Sasuke away. He still thought Sakura would at least be a little annoyed by the tone Sasuke used. If nothing else she kept asking the questions he wanted to know the answers to.

"You swear you just kissed?" She asked slowly, almost cut off by Sasuke's groan.

"Yes, why the hell would I bother lying? I kissed him. He collapsed. I just didn't think he should be left alone for the night."

"I'm not sure you'd be the best person to leave here with him." She argued back. Naruto heard a shift, he could imagine Sasuke's glare and Sakura flinch, but neither of them relented.

"Even I have to be better than being left alone in a state like that. As drunk as he was I don't think he would have gotten through the door." Naruto almost sighed, of course they'd assume he was drunk. This whole thing wasn't really making him come off good. It was what people saw of him, what people thought of him, there was just no one left to say it to his face. He'd pushed them all too far away.

"Well I'm here now. There's no need for you to stay. I'm sure your new friends will be missing you so much."

Naruto heard the door open and almost turned to call out to him, but Sakura interrupted.

"The whole group of us signed up for the week long extra credit thing…" She added, trying to sound casual but there was a cautious edge to her voice.

"So?"

"That includes Naruto."

"Why would I care about that?"

"If you care about him, I thought you might like to come. Then again if you cared about him you could stay now, make sure that he actually wakes up." She growled.

There was silence for a moment, then the door closed. The second Naruto heard the wood against wood he sat up straight, hoping to see Sasuke still standing there. But he was gone. Sakura was the only one left in the room and the look of sympathy in her eyes as she looked at him hurt more than any other part of his body.

Naruto managed a slight shrug, shifting to look out the window.

"So… a week away, hey?"

"I just thought it might give the two of you a good chance to- I don't know- talk?" She mumbled pathetically. "I'm sorry Naruto, I shouldn't have said anything to him, I really did think he'd care enough to go. You really don't have to worry about, I haven't signed you up or anything."

"I don't know, it sounds like fun." Naruto smiled over at her. "He might still come."

Again he got the hopeless look of sympathy. But Sasuke had stayed the night, he had been there waiting to kiss him, he knew he cared really. Maybe a week away would even give Naruto the chance to admit that he felt the same?