A/N: This was completely inspired by the song 'In For The Kill" by La Roux, because it's bloody awesome and it reminds me of Naruto and Sasuke. Please do listen to it. I keep imagining Naruto stripping in front of Sasuke to the sound of it, but that would be so out of character I didn't even consider writing something like that ;P
Thank you sooooo much for the reviews! Please keep them coming, I fall in love with each and every person that takes the time to appreciate my work, but my heart is like a bottomless pit, so you guys can try to stuff in more love (or hate) to try and fill it, ok? Don't be lazy!
A very special thank you to kanazerosukenaru on Adultfanfiction who related the song 'One and Only' by Adele to Chapter Nine of my story. You were so right, the song is totally them! You reminded me how awesome Adele is and now I have a song that is the mirror image of my fanfic. Much love to you! *Hugs*
Thank you so much to my lovely Beta Midnight Essence!
Chapter Ten: Days With(out) You
Sakura broke up with Lee a few days later, but things did not go as smoothly as they did with Naruto and Hinata. The fuzzy eye-browed boy performed such a melodramatic scene in the middle of the restaurant they had been having dinner at, that in less than an hour the whole village knew about the medic that had broken the over excited, brave boy's heart.
Lee spent the next few days in a very depressed state of mind, and even though Sakura had felt guilty enough for hurting him, she was still given a hard time by Lee's teammates. Guy-sensei went all the way to the hospital to literally yell at her for being such a cold-hearted girl, letting go of someone who loved her that much. After that, TenTen and Neji had paired up to go and talk to her, and even though the brown haired girl was only slightly annoyed by Lee's depression, surprisingly Neji did not waste his time to show just how much he was upset at what had happened.
"What is this, some kind of conspiracy?" The tall teen had said, pearly eyes gleaming with anger. "First Naruto breaks up with Hinata, and now you break up with Lee. There's something seriously wrong with your team if you guys join forces to hurt people who love you and who don't deserve such playfulness on your parts. At least I know who to blame if Sasuke ends up breaking up with me, right? "
That had been a very low, bitter verbal slap across Sakura's mind and heart because, in a way, Neji was right. Naruto and herself had used other people to fill some kind of void when all along they had longed for the same person.
The rest of her friends did not feel like they had to mention anything since no-one had really felt particularly excited when Sakura and Lee started dating – they had been betting secretly that it would end sooner or later since there was nothing really working in their favor apart from Lee's feelings.
As for Sasuke, he was furious. Well, furious was an understatement; he was livid with anger, but for a whole different reason. Nothing was going the way he had thought it would and, once again, he had been completely caught by surprise in something that was not in his hands.
Naruto had said that he would fight for him and woo him, but nothing of the sort happened in the following days. Instead, the blond Jounin had disappeared, willingly avoiding Sasuke, who became mad.
What the hell did that punk want anyway? Saying such things and then vanishing from the face of the earth? Had he been playing around with him?
The Uchiha tried not to feel affected – after all, he had been immensely pissed that Naruto had confessed and yet did not want to be with him unless he left Neji. He had tried not to feel restless because he knew he was right in wanting to protect them and was sure that he would be able to think lightly about the outcome of things.
Still, as Naruto made no move to keep his word, Sasuke found himself feeling uneasy and resentful of his absence. Somewhere inside of him, between his fury and confusion he had wanted Naruto to mean it. The raven had felt thrilled that his friend was challenging him into falling willingly over his lap. He had been curious and somewhat excited. But now it seemed that all that was gone, leaving him alone with his weird, unexpected false hopes and sullenly patting himself on the back for keeping Neji, who did not lie or throw bullshit at him.
And now, after a whole week of absence, Naruto had casually reunited his team on that Saturday afternoon and Sasuke was about to commit murder.
The four of them were at their old meeting spot by the local bridge, standing and forming some sort of dysfunctional circle – or square, Sasuke could not tell – listening while Naruto had the fantastic initiative to tell both Kakashi and Sakura everything that had happened between them. Kakashi already knew the whole story, but still looked immensely interested to hear the blonde's perspective. The girl, on the other hand, was quiet and pale, not interfering.
Sasuke, who had his hands inside his pockets and his lips pursed together to prevent himself from strangling his friend, gazed at Naruto from the corner of his eye. He was not mad that the boy was telling them everything since he had promised Sakura she would eventually get to know; he was mad that Naruto had the courage to tell her and Kakashi that he was, indeed, in love with Sasuke but did not want to be with him like they had been before. He even repeated that he was going to make Sasuke want to be with him.
He had some nerve after disappearing for so long, the raven thought, chewing on his lip roughly.
Even so, what really pissed him off was the fact that the kitsune had showed up all dressed up like he was going somewhere upscale or something- so to speak, because his sense of fashion was terrible. Still, he looked decent enough despite how off character his outfit was. No that was wrong, Sasuke corrected, getting even angrier with himself. Naruto definitely looked good. He was wearing a pair of pitch black jeans over brown sandals and a blood red short sleeved shirt. He had clearly tried to compose his hair but ended up tousling it even more (which was not a bad thing at all).
Maybe it was the fact that the clothes were so different from what he usually wore. Maybe it was because Naruto was wearing his favorite colors – red and black. Whatever it was, one thing was for sure: In the Uchiha's eyes he was looking damn hot.
"Sooo, since duck butt here dumped me, I'm now a free man," The Idiot was saying in his usual exaggerated good mood, with his hands behind his neck. "Now we'll just have to wait and see."
"I didn't dump you, you dumped yourself." Sasuke groaned with his teeth clenched.
"Tsk… if by 'not dumping' you mean wanting me to be the main character of your double life, no thanks," Naruto muttered, sticking out his tongue to him. "I'm not stupid enough to be your boy toy, and I'm not that desperate."
"Oh, really?"
"Come on boys, don't bicker," Kakashi said, smiling widely behind his mask, amused. "Isn't this a positive thing? I'm sure it'll do you both good to give it some time and think through what you both want as individuals and as a…well, whatever it was that you were before."
"Of course it is!" Naruto agreed, nodding seriously. "Anyway, now that we've got everything settled, I've got to go; I still have a busy day ahead of me."
"Where are you going?" Sakura asked, raising her voice softly and hesitantly to speak. "I thought we were going to hang out more."
"I can't, I promised Hina-chan I'd hang out with her…"
If Sasuke's nerves had been boiling before, they were almost exploding by now.
"I thought you broke up with her." He said, not bothering to hide the cold discontent in his voice. Naruto's blue eyes seemed to glow with light under the sun as they looked straight into Sasuke's dark ones.
"Since when does that mean we can't be friends and spend time together?" He spat, in a rather annoyed way as if he thought Sasuke was silly. "Are you jealous already?"
"As if!"
"That's very mature of you, Naruto." Sakura intervened, smiling a little. "I wish I could be that mature and still be able to be friends with Lee like we were before."
"Oh, you'll get back on track, just give him time to dramatize all he wants," Kakashi consoled her, fondling her pink hair gently. "Anyway, is that the reason why you got all primped up?"
Naruto's previous annoyance at the Uchiha seemed to vanish as his mouth opened in a large grin.
"Nope. I have a date afterwards!"
Something inside Sasuke snapped unpleasantly at that.
"Come again?" His voice came out low and dangerous, causing the blond at his side to turn to him with his hands on his hips.
"D.A.T.E," Naruto spelled out, slowly, stepping confidently closer and talking to Sasuke's face. "I am taking none other than the Kazekage on a D.A.T.E since I'm in his debt for rudely dumping him because of you."
"Oh, so Gaara-kun has his eyes on you," Kakashi commented, having an obvious good time. "Good for you!"
"Kakashi-sensei, don't stir things up even more!" Sakura pleaded, sensing trouble coming up.
"You say you like me but still go out on a date with someone else?" Sasuke hissed, feeling the instantaneous wave of both hurt and jealousy running through his whole body.
"Well, yeah..." Naruto said seriously, still abnormally and teasingly close for comfort, face inches away from Sasuke's, eyes blazing with something very pleased and determined. Sasuke noticed he even smelled of very light scented cologne. "You're one to talk, saying you want me but still wanting to be with Mr. Perfect. I am single after all and I also have my own needs. I'm sure you can understand that, can't you?"
"Yes, I can," Sasuke forced his tone to calm down. "But Gaara? You wouldn't even know what to do with him."
"That's because someone never had the decency to teach me. But I'm a fast learner, I'm sure I'll be just fine."
"That is way too much information!" Sakura exclaimed, blushing deeply as she frowned at both of them. "Would the two of you please stop teasing each other!"
He's bluffing. Sasuke assured himself, ignoring the raging beat of his heart and Sakura's complaint. It's all part of his plan, getting this close when others are around, making you jealous, and pushing your buttons. Don't give in, he can't win.
"Good luck with that." The raven said, pressing a hand to Naruto's chest and pushing the boy rudely away from him. But the blond was smiling victoriously now and it bothered him even more. He really did look abnormally nice, and it did not help that Sasuke's body reacted to it.
"I'm all about good luck," He said, winking at him in a provocative way before turning around. "Ahh, I have to go! Staying near you is bad for my heart. See you guys around!"
Naruto waved his hand at his teammates absently before walking calmly away without looking back as three sets of eyes followed him until he could no longer be seen in the crowded streets ahead.
Kakashi sighed and addressed his dark haired student, who looked positively furious.
"I think you know what I'm about to tell you but…he is right in doing what he's doing." The former ANBU said, an entertained gleam shining in his one visible eye. "You can't play with people's feelings just because you're scared of leaving your comfort zone."
Sasuke turned his head to Kakashi like the elder man had said something utterly offensive.
"He is not right at all!" Sasuke spat, angrily. "How the hell can he possibly right?"
"You clearly like him; I don't see why you can't admit it and just do what you want to do."
Sakura bit her lip at that but Sasuke ignored her as much as he ignored Kakashi's exasperated tone.
"That's because he's not being serious!" The boy said, too annoyed to consider his own words or the fact that he did not deny his Sensei's words. "How can I take that imbecile seriously when he does shit like this?"
"You don't understand him at all," Kakashi muttered, shaking his head from side to side. "Don't take things so literally, Sasuke, especially when you don't even understand yourself."
"Fuck that!" Sasuke hissed, clenching his fists and shoving them inside his pockets. "If he thinks he can play his games with me and get away with it, he's damn mistaken!"
Without saying another word, the raven stuck up his nose and turned his fuming back on a very concerned Sakura and an amused Kakashi before storming off with steps that were so heavy that the whole street could hear him.
000
Naruto's tactic wasn't the brightest or the most ingenious in the world and he was aware of it. Nevertheless, knowing Sasuke the way he did, the plan was perfect.
The Uchiha liked to keep an air of indifference and pretend that he wanted to keep to himself. He liked being praised and admired for his qualities and once in a while, he enjoyed people's company and attention. When he was focused on something or when something was important to him he liked to keep its track. Right now, Naruto knew Sasuke's focus point was him. Not giving him the power and the upper hand he usually had would drive the brunet crazy in no time.
It was quite simple actually – all he had to do was keep away from Sasuke, tease him a little once in a while, and make him a little jealous whenever he could and the lack of attention would do the trick. Sasuke was a pretty possessive bastard; he would not tolerate Naruto's indifference, or his playfulness.
The Gaara issue had been something unexpected but Naruto still thought it had been a good idea to use it in his favor. When he had gone and talked to the Kazekage to apologize and explain everything, Gaara did not seem surprised by anything and forgave him on the condition that Naruto would make up for it by still taking him on a date. Not wanting to dump him twice and probably damage their relationship forever, Naruto agreed because, after all, they were friends, right? Gaara may have some sort of interest in him but now that he knew Naruto was in love with Sasuke, there was no harm to it. A date was just that, it did not have to have any emotional meaning to it and Naruto did promise they would hang out.
Of course all these things were simple but did not keep the loud mouth boy from missing his best friend. The first few days after his last kiss with Sasuke Naruto could not even bear the thought of seeing him, knowing that from now on they would be back to being friends…without benefits.
Being in love was excruciating – it hurt, it felt good, it was confusing, it was demanding. Everything was horribly right and perfectly wrong but Naruto was thankful that at least his heart had understood what it wanted.
Naruto missed Sasuke's mere presence like hell and had to make agonizing efforts not to ravish him every time he saw him but still, it was good to know that now, just a little was not enough. He wanted all of Sasuke and would not settle for small portions of him anymore. It was better to risk losing him while trying to have him than be the second person in his life. Sasuke had to know what he wanted for himself once and for all.
Meeting with Hinata had been fun, mostly because Kiba and Akamaru had been with her as well, which Naruto thought was a positive thing. Not that he wanted to throw his ex-girlfriend to the first man that showed interest on her, but Kiba was a good friend and the blond was feeling hopeful that, in time, Hinata could look at him the same way he so obviously looked at her.
The three hung out for a while on the training grounds, Hinata and Kiba sparring occasionally while Naruto watched them enviously ("I mustn't dirty my new clothes!" he had defended) but ended up sparring a little with the dog-lover anyway, just because he was too restless to stay still.
By the time he left those two to grab something to eat together and met with Gaara at the residence, his pants were dirty and his shirt was rumpled, but the other boy simply shrugged off his apologies. It seemed that the Kazekage couldn't care less about his appearance.
"I only hope you still have enough energy to spar with me too then." Was all he said, and Naruto smiled widely.
"I have enough stamina for the both of us!" He had exclaimed enthusiastically. "Bring it on. I'll kick your ass in no time!"
000
It was sundown and Sasuke was sitting on a thick branch at the top of a leafy tree, silently and morosely watching the sparring session that was taking place in the earthy grounds below him.
The eyebrow-less prat and The Idiot were fighting like there was no tomorrow and it was one hell of a fight. Despite Gaara's protective and powerful sand, the truth was that Naruto was putting up with it pretty well – his movements were, as usual, reckless and overly emotional but he was strong and had a sharp perception of his opponent's next move, so he was doing fine.
Who the hell thinks it's a good idea to spar on a date? The brunet thought, huffing with scorn.
Naruto groaned and roared and kicked and punched while Gaara just controlled his sand and occasionally jumped back or forth. The bastard was pretty powerful too. Well, he was the Kazekage after all.
Sasuke had not meant to spy; he had been there first, wanting to think properly and calm down his fury when those two just had to pop out of nowhere to torment him.
He had wanted to leave right away, too annoyed to stay there and watch Naruto hang out with another guy so willingly. However, he found himself too curious for his own good and unable to move away from that so convenient spot where no one could see him.
Was Gaara interested in Naruto? Was Naruto interested in Gaara? Why on earth was the blond suddenly turning to guys when supposedly he was only into him?
Just calm down, you're freaking out again…
So he stayed and watched them interact to see if he could find something to prove his point that Naruto was just playing around, or something to ease his mind that the Jinchuuriki really was just making up for being rude to Gaara.
Nothing happened at all. They only sparred, occasionally exchanged a few words of mockery and that was that. There was no apparent chemistry, no visible signs of hidden desires on both parts, just normal, common sparring between two long term acquaintances. Somehow, Sasuke did not know if that eased his mind or made him worry even more. And that was as frustrating as it could get.
While he understood Naruto's choice to not want to be with him, at the same time he felt bitter towards it, especially because he was resenting it a lot more than he should.
"Can't you just have a normal hand on hand combat?" Naruto's aggravated, gasping voice uttered from down below as the blond wiped the sweat off his brow with his wrist. "I mean, geez, I'm fighting that damn sand and can't even get close to you! It's pretty annoying, Gaara, seriously."
"I can't help it if it willingly protects me in the face of apparent danger, it's not like I do anything." Gaara said, crossing his arms imposingly over his chest.
"Well, that's just great, but I'm still getting sand everywhere and it's not cool!" The other moaned in a rather childish way.
"You want to do something else?" Gaara asked simply, shrugging as the bothersome sand slowly retreated to its large gourd.
The boy, Sasuke noticed, was kind of attractive in a very weird, uncommon way. His features were pretty, his eyes unusual and his red, tousled flaming hair looked soft and suited him. He was in shape and had a good figure too.
Did Naruto think Gaara was attractive?
"Yes!" Came Naruto's immediate answer.
"Then maybe we should go and have dinner somewhere?" The Kazekage suggested, still keeping a very calm and composed tone, the one that always got on Sasuke's nerves but that Naruto seemed not to mind since he smiled broadly at his words.
"Now that is the best idea you could've had!"
Sasuke frowned and scratched his nose irritably. Why the hell did he have to feel so angry? And jealous, even if that was a little harder for him to admit.
Dark, grayish eyes followed Naruto's form as he - now happily – left Sasuke's field of vision with Gaara by his side, chatting quickly about how he wanted to have ramen at Ichiraku and how delicious it was.
Sighing, the Uchiha rubbed his face before checking his watch and noticing with aggravation that he was almost an hour late to his appointed dinner with Neji. He had never been late before.
Damn, he's going to be so pissed…
000
Walking was proving to be a remarkably tiring task to Sasuke in that warm, disturbingly quiet night. Finding himself in no mood to spend the night at Neji's, he had left after trying his best to enjoy the nice dinner his boyfriend himself had prepared and realizing he was really too aggravated to be in the company of others – not that the make out session and the additional love making on the low dining table hadn't been immensely satisfying and most efficient in helping him release all the day's stress and frustration.
He really just wanted to be left alone and wallow in his own self-indulgence in the safety of his own house.
Luckily Neji had been sensible enough to understand his decision, which lead to this particular scene where the young Uchiha was now dragging his exhausted feet to get home.
He was fed up and did not even know why. His life was simple but fulfilling. He had the job he had fought so hard to get, had saved enough money by now to live more than comfortably, had a steady relationship with someone who was at his level and indulged him whenever he needed, and had good friends that never abandoned him no matter how harshly he treated them sometimes. Sasuke knew that, despite all the pain he had gone through in the past, he was now a relatively happy and lucky person.
So why the fuck did he have to feel so absurdly unsatisfied and frustrated all the time? Well, not all the time, since it had all started when he had the not so great idea of kissing his best friend. It seemed so long ago and yet, the damage it was inflicting on his whole being was harsh.
Why did he have to go and get involved with Naruto of all people? And why did the blond have to be such a damn honest person? Was their kissing and groping and flirting not enough for them both to be happy? Why did Naruto have to supposedly fall for him? Why did he have to want more?
The strange thing that was really bothering Sasuke, though, was not Naruto's attitude, nor even the fact that he had gone on a date with someone else; it was the fact that – despite fearing for their future together and despite how much he physically desired him – Sasuke did not feel like sex was exactly essential when it came to them. Sure, he would like to have a go at it, and sure, the kitsune made him all hot and bothered, but it was not like sex was crucial and all he felt he wanted. It was something else, something very particular and different, something a little warmer that he did not know what it was but was bothering the hell out of him.
Sighing loudly, the handsome raven stuffed his hands inside his pockets and tried to relax his shoulders by rolling them gently. Sleep would sure be a welcomed bliss that night.
Sasuke was just passing the back of the high walls protecting the Hokage's Residence when a strange, whispering noise made its way towards him through the gentle night breeze. He promptly ignored it at first since he sensed no danger, nor any particularly threatening chakra, but as he walked on, the whispers got louder and he knew that, whoever it was (and it was surely more than one person), he was going to pass by them. Not that he cared anyway; he was only hoping that it wasn't anyone he knew.
But, as he was about to find out, fate was pretty unmerciful sometimes, because he found himself standing in front of the disgusting sight of Naruto and Gaara kissing.
000
Naruto could not believe that he was going through such a situation even though he had somehow been rather conscious of his fellow Jinchuuriki's interest in him. Well, he had been more than aware since Gaara's chakra had been boiling rather lasciviously since after dinner when Naruto had said he would escort him home. Still, he had not, for the sake of the world, expected that the redhead would have the guts to go and actually kiss him – not after he had spent half the date talking about Sasuke. Yet, there he was, pressed against a blissfully cold wall with Gaara's chest and other indecent stuff shamefully pressed against his whole body, Gaara's arms encircling his waist.
The kiss was clumsy; there was too much tongue, and too much saliva, and the eagerness was only a bit slightly too overwhelming for the young Jounin, who noticed that that was certainly Gaara's first time kissing someone.
One could not say it was unpleasant – Naruto deduced it depended on a person's tastes and all that – it was just that it was nothing like the person he liked kissing. And he was sure Gaara should have noticed by now just how much he missed kissing Sasuke and how much he really wanted the Uchiha.
So, why the fuck was such a thing happening when they were supposed to be on a friendly date? And why the fuck did the demon inside him had to get all excited? Right, because the damn fox's chakra was boiling with a vicious hunger for Gaara's own demon power all of a sudden, reason that led him to respond to the gesture with unconscious automation for the sake of it, but without his partner's obvious enthusiasm.
"Now hold on a minute…" Naruto said nervously after having pushed Gaara gently away from him, hands still resting on his shoulders to keep him still. Liquid green fixed itself steadily on brilliant blue. They were still too close for comfort. "I'm sorry, but are we having some sort of misunderstanding here?"
"None that I can think of," Was Gaara's frustratingly composed reply, not letting go of his waist. "This is a date, isn't it? Aren't we supposed to do this when the date is about to end?"
"I…no, this is…when friends go out on a date they're not supposed to kiss, Gaara." The blond muttered, noticing just how naïve his friend was about such matters and still not being able to help the strong blush that invaded his cheeks.
"Not relevant," The Kazekage said, dismissively. "You're single, I'm single, there's nothing wrong with it."
Damn, he was pretty sharp – and surprisingly open-minded – in the most inconvenient moments.
"But I just told you I like…"
"Yes, Uzumaki, I know all about your unfaltering love for the Uchiha and all the drama that comes with it," Gaara huffed, with badly contained exasperation. "So what, you have to remain untouched and be faithful while he's doing whatever he pleases with his boyfriend? What makes you think you have to be that righteous?"
"Nothing!" Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, not really knowing how to object to such a painful truth. "It's just the way I am, I…"
"Am I a bad kisser?"
"What? No, that's not it!" Naruto denied hurriedly, not wanting to hurt Gaara's feelings. "It was good, but…"
"Then just…"
"Ah-ahem…"
When the sound reached Naruto's ears he immediately recognized its owner, which did not mean, for one second, that it was a good thing since the instant fear he felt did not let him understand if he was feeling mortified or just plain relieved that he was being saved from that weird picture.
Gulping, he peaked shyly over Gaara's red head and confirmed his suspicion: Sasuke was standing there, hands shoved inside the pockets of the dark pants of his Jounin uniform in what seemed like a relaxed pose, but looking absolutely terrifying in all his angry beauty.
How unlucky could one get?
"S-Sasuke…" Sadly, his voice was meant to sound cheerful but ended up coming out hoarse. "Wha-what are you doing here at this hour?"
Sasuke did not bother to answer. He wasn't even looking at him but the aura he transmitted wasn't exactly nice. Gaara finally let go of his waist in order to turn around slightly to face the other boy.
"Ah, Uchiha." The redhead said casually as if oblivious to Sasuke's threatening eyes.
"Kazekage-sama," The raven greeted dryly but in a formal tone. "My apologies for interrupting, but I was just passing by and thought I should be polite and say hello."
"Yes, you did well," Gaara praised in equal civility. "I appreciate it. Naruto and I were just hanging out."
"Ah," Sasuke said with a hint of cold sarcasm. "Is that how you people from Suna call it?"
Fuck! Naruto thought desperately, sensing danger like it was some sort of odor. How long has Sasuke been here? If he saw us kissing then…Shiiiiit!
"I…I was just taking Gaara back to the residence!" Naruto's words came out as hysterical as his sudden laughter. "I thought you were spending the night at Neji's or something…"
"I didn't feel like it." Sasuke said coolly, eyes still locked with Gaara's. "And I'm glad I didn't, since I got to see something…interesting."
Naruto swallowed hard, mouth suddenly as dry as any desert.
Gaara kept his peaceful demeanor, observing Sasuke carefully without making any other efforts to make conversation, immune to the deadly and heavy silence that had crept upon the three of them. Sasuke only looked at him hauntingly like Naruto wasn't there at all, which made him even more nervous.
He saw! Heavens help me! He's mad, he's angry, he's thinking all kinds of horrible things about me and he won't believe a single word I say ever again!
"I should be going," Sasuke's voice was louder than usual, colder than usual, but more in control. "You two have a nice evening doing all that hanging out thing you were doing."
With that said, he nodded curtly to Gaara – who nodded back – and walked by them with a steady pace without another word, leaving Naruto with a terrible feeling of discomfort, guilt and pain.
"Sasuke, wait!" He called after him, making an unconscious move to follow his retreating back at full speed but being stopped by a firm hand on his wrist. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gaara's pleading, yet determined eyes scanning his face.
"Don't," The proud Kage said, not even a single note of hesitancy tracing his voice. "If he doesn't want to belong to you, he needs to know how you feel. He has to know you don't belong to him either."
Naruto bit his lip and forced his tense muscles to relax until Gaara eventually felt it was safe to let go.
He understood what his friend meant, he knew Sasuke deserved a drop of his own venom – and it probably had been a good thing that he had seen them kissing – but it still felt wrong because…well, Sasuke was Sasuke.
Sasuke was the person he was in love with, the person he wanted to be loved by.
Somehow, even though he was hurt, he did not want Sasuke to be hurt as well.
"Gaara…" He muttered, turning to him. "I wish I could be like that – like him. I wish I could just play along and pretend it's all just a funny game. But it isn't. This is probably the most real thing I…"
"You know what's real, Naruto?" Gaara asked suddenly, crossing his arms rudely over his chest as usual. "The fact that I like you and that I don't think all the trouble Uchiha is putting you through is worth it. You deserve better. I could be a better choice."
That was probably the most straightforward and honest confession Naruto had ever heard, and it was baffling beyond reason. The blue-eyed boy could only stare unblinkingly at his companion as it sunk in, word by word.
Ok, so attraction was one thing, but like…did Gaara mean like as in…like? Gaara? The former merciless murderer? A Jinchuuriki? The Kazekage of Sunagakure and one of the most powerful Shinobi in the Shinobi world?
It sounds almost comical…maybe he's confused; maybe he's misunderstanding because of how the demons react to each other's power…
Gaara did not even have the decency to blush, and it was unnerving.
"You don't know what you're saying," Naruto said, smiling weakly. "We're good friends and I appreciate that you thought I was worthy enough to go on a date with and all that, but really, you have no idea what you're saying and its implications."
"I had almost seven years to think about this," Gaara contradicted, once more throwing his cards in a lethal way and causing Naruto to feel smaller and more the confused with every word. "Even when I became the Kazekage I thought about it over and over again. I was…fearing you would hate me or find it disgusting, but I gave it a try nonetheless. Knowing now you had been with another man only encouraged me further. You should be happy that at least I know what I want, and I'm not giving it up."
Naruto was speechless. Once again he questioned himself if Gaara had not listened to a single word about his feelings for Sasuke because that was just…epic? Absurd?
Was Gaara saying he had liked him all along? Since they were kids? What the hell caused it?
Naruto could feel Kyuubi laughing evilly inside him, bumping chakra through his body to respond to Gaara's own demon's calling. They were responding to each other's power; there was nothing sexual to it, but the boy was sure that damn fox was tampering with his body because he was feeling hot and his heartbeat increased. He was in such a state of awe that he did not trust himself to open his mouth to say anything.
"I don't want to pressure you, neither do I want to force myself on you if you don't want it," The other boy said, now slightly gentler as he took a step back. "We are friends and I cherish it more than anything. But I do think you should give yourself more credit and give yourself the chance to be loved without complications. Let Uchiha think whatever he wants to think, Naruto, and you'll soon have his final answer."
Numbly, Naruto nodded as if in slow motion, trying to identify what Gaara was feeling but not being able to for some reason. He tried to clear his mind, tried to see Gaara's emotions inside the demon's chakra but realized he could find none because the boy had most effectively closed himself to him.
It was surprising and a bit disappointing.
"In the meantime, live a little," Gaara said, still in his serious and empty tone. "And think about what I just told you. I'll be going back to Suna soon and I would like to take you with me. A little change of scenery might be good for you and I'm sure you would enjoy the good things you could learn there as well. I would like you to be working beside me for a while."
Now that was a bullet through a person's chest, but at least Naruto was able to get his voice back.
"Beside you?" He uttered, disbelievingly.
"Amongst other things." Gaara confirmed. "You've never been in Suna for long and you've never been there alone. I would like you to know more about the place where I was born."
Naruto swallowed hard for the umpteenth time that night before shrugging awkwardly for lack of a better physical response.
"I will think about it," He promised, in almost a whisper. "About…all of it. Okay? But later, 'cause now this is all way too much information for me to process."
"Alright." Gaara agreed. If he was embarrassed, Naruto couldn't tell.
But Naruto was damn embarrassed and his head was spinning like hell. First Gaara kissed him, then Sasuke saw it, then Sasuke left – obviously furious – and afterwards Gaara semi-confessed his feelings and was asking him to go to Suna with him.
Way, way too much information in a short period of time.
"I still expect you to escort me home, even if you do not want to proceed with our previous activities." The red haired boy said simply, raising both muscles where his eyebrows should be. The other one blushed even deeper at the memory. The kiss hadn't really meant anything back then, but now that he knew his friend's motivations it was just odd. Still, Naruto smiled at him unsurely and agreed because that was all he could do.
He could not push Gaara away. They were good friends and the Kage knew who Naruto loved, he knew Naruto's way of thinking. Of course, as Sasuke said, no one knew how the next day would be and maybe someday his feelings would change. Nevertheless, right now was all that mattered and the blond could not afford to hurt someone else who did not deserve it. Gaara was important, and all he could do right now was to acknowledge his feelings, respect them at a far distance and keep being the same person no matter what. No hard feelings, no confusion, no embarrassment.
"Of course!" He said, with moderated cheerfulness, not really feeling like he should put up much of an act since he wasn't feeling it. "I was an idiot trying to storm off like that, I'm sorry. I would never let the Kazekage go home by himself."
Gaara nodded elegantly and gave him a small, polite smile.
"Then please, let's go. It was a weary day."
As they walked towards the Residence and Gaara gradually let his rough emotional shield crumble, Naruto could feel that yes, his friend felt exhausted like never before.
In fact, as the boy watched him worriedly as he got inside the large building, he noticed that Gaara's soul had a lighter aura, but that his heart carried the heavy weight of sadness and doubtful hope.
I always get myself into some deep shit…
000
"You're the only one I want to kiss." Was the first and only thing that came out of Naruto's mind a few minutes afterwards when Sasuke opened the door of his apartment wearing only a pair of worn out dark blue boxers and a sleeveless white top, looking smoking hot and more than ready to go to bed.
The Uchiha quirked an aristocratic eyebrow at him, lips forming a thin line, willingly letting him know that he was still mad at him, and probably at Gaara as well.
He looked gorgeous when he was mad anyway, and thankfully that was efficient enough to distract Naruto's euphoria and nervousness.
"Then do it," Sasuke said coolly, one hand on the door frame like he was making sure Naruto did not trespass his property. "Kiss me."
The younger boy licked his lips and forced himself to stay still and not move. He had disregarded Gaara's advice and decided he should go and tell Sasuke what had really happened but ended up saying something impulsive and idiotic that resulted in that particularly appealing answer from Sasuke.
It would be easy, Naruto thought in a daze, to kiss Sasuke then and there. The raven would give in completely and it would heaven on earth and they would do all sorts of cool things on Sasuke's floor or in his bed or…
"No." The answer came out automatically. Good, at least Naruto's subconscious was working properly and proving itself useful when nothing else but his dick seemed to be functioning.
"What if I dare you to do it?"
Ah, Sasuke knew how to throw the darts at just the right time. They knew each other far too well and that was amazing. The way they looked in each other's eyes like they were two predators was amazing.
"You now my rules, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, huskily but confidently despite how much he just wanted to reach out and hold him while begging him to take his head out of his ass and let them be happy forever. "You want to play? Then that's fine by me, but I get to dare you first."
Naruto knew for a fact that Sasuke never backed down on a bet or a dare no matter how stupid, humiliating or difficult it was. It was one of the few things they were similar in.
"Do I get to dare you with whatever I want?" Sasuke asked, curiosity flooding his features and drowning his previous anger.
"No kissing, no snuggling and no touching. Apart from that, anything you want."
"Sounds good. What's your dare?"
"Tomorrow morning," Naruto said, mustering his most confident and intimidating glare. "I want to do something to my body and you'll be doing it with me."
Now that brought the Uchiha's interest to its peak. If he knew what Naruto was talking about, the blond had no idea, but he was sure the Uchiha was thinking all sorts of perversions.
"As you wish," Sasuke complied. "And when do I get to dare you?"
"As soon as my dare is over." Naruto said, grinning mysteriously. "I'll pick you up at nine. Be ready"
"Fine."
"And by the way; you look damn hot in those granny knickers."
Ahhh, he just had to let his tongue loose.
Oh-oh, Sasuke was mad again.
"Fuck you, moron!"
"When you're a good boy I just might let you do it."
As the door was loudly slammed in his face, Naruto burst out laughing.
How he could find some sort of coherent speech whenever he was around the brunet when all he wanted was to get inside his heart and pants he had no clue, but was really proud of himself for it because…well, it was a pretty hard fight, but Sasuke was worth the struggle.