Hey everyone! I'm back with another installment of SBAW! I hope that you guys are enjoying the story, because I think it's got two more chapters until it's done. Lets see what our little friend Naruto gets into this time, shall we?

Disclamier: I do not not not NOT own Naruto!

Warning: This is malexmale, and will have lemons in the future. You are warned.

Chapter Five: Manic Mondays and Fudged-up Fridays

Never before had I ever thought of myself as weak. My personality was a burst of energy that never shied away from any challenge it was given. If I was asked to do something, I did it ten times better than anyone expected. When Sakura or Ino needed advice, I didn't hold back in fear of hurting them. After all, wouldn't hiding the truth just make it harder in the end? At class meetings I told Neji how it was, and didn't care what he thought of it. Naruto Uzumaki was a leader. Naruto Uzumaki was a warrior.

Naruto Uzumaki was a coward.

Even though I had openly admitted to my best friend that I only wanted to kiss him (along with other, more inappropriate stuff), I had been unable to face him since. The entire weekend I spent locked in my room, ignoring every text and phone call I got. Especially from Sasuke. My face would turn beat red the second I saw his name on my phone. I knew, even as I slammed the ignore button several times, that I would have to face him eventually. We had class together, as well as soccer. Plus our superlative picture was bound to come up. There was really no way to avoid him there.

Monday morning came, and I woke up hours before my alarm. Knowing I wouldn't be able to get to sleep again, I rolled out of bed and shrugged on some jogging clothes. Maybe a good run would help me clear my mind. Nothing else had yet, and Lee would always spew how 'exercise cleansed the soul'. I scoffed, wondering if it could run enough to 'purify' the image of Sasuke's mouth of my dick away. Shivering at my own dirty thought, I smacked my cheeks and tied my shoes twice as tight. I went downstairs to look for my parents, only to realize they were both still asleep. Peeking my head in their room, my smile grew at the way my mother's arm rested over my father's face. Yup, my parents were not the spooning type. Snickering, I left them a note on the refrigerator and ran out the door, blasting the fast paced music. White puffs of air left my mouth as I continued to run, ignoring the cold biting at my skin. The sky was still pretty dark, and there was nobody on the road. As I jogged closer to the center of town, I wondered if I was the only one awake. I shook my head, remembering that Sasuke would be up. He had always been an early bird. I could only assume it was because his parents were never home, so he had to make his own breakfast. Even when he slept over, he always got up before I did. Then he would tease me about sleeping in too—

"Gah." Damnit, there I went again. I took a sharp left, trying to leave the previous thought process behind. Why did my mind always go back to him? As far back as I could remember, Sasuke had always been on my mind. Whether it was something stupid he said, or a memory from our childhood, Sasuke's face crept along most of my mornings without my realization. That didn't really bother me before, since he was my best friend. It was normal to think of the people that you really care about. But now that he was…

I slowed my pace a bit, my breath coming out in shorter puffs. Just what the heck was Sasuke to me now? Way more than just a friend, I knew that. But thinking of him as my boyfriend was a little too uncomfortable. One hand-job in a dingy room doesn't automatically mean you're in a relationship. If that was true, clubs would be considered match-making heaven. Still, Sasuke and I couldn't really be called a one night stand either. I mean, I didn't want to be that. And knowing him as well as I did, Sasuke didn't just fool around with anybody. Actually, if what I thought about Sasuke was true, then I was the first one he had ever touched in a sexual way. We weren't girls, but it was still important. So that meant we were definitely something…which I already knew.

While my mind was going in circles, my body decided to go into auto-pilot.

"…How did I end up at Sasuke's?" I stared up at the large house, my panting showing how far I had run. My legs ached from how long I went; pushing me more than any soccer game I had been through. Even in a car, Sasuke's house was a good ways away. Looking around quickly, I let out a breath of relief when realizing nobody had seen me show up at the house. Good, I could make a clean get away and Sasuke would never know I showed up on his doorstep. I turned to leave, ignoring my aching legs and lungs, but stopped when I felt my stomach cramp. Looking down, I groaned when I came to the realization that I seriously had to eat. After running that long on an empty stomach, I knew I wouldn't make it back home without some serious pain. I would have stopped and just grabbed something at a convenience store, but I didn't bring any money with me. I didn't even have my cell phone, so calling my parents to pick me up was out of the question.

That left me with one option.

"What are you doing here?" I scoffed at Sasuke before pushing in his house, passing the flutter in my stomach off as hunger. I heard him shut the door behind me, and I shrugged my shoes off before I continued.

"I was running and I ran out of fuel."

"Am I supposed to care?" My eye twitched at the response, wondering why my head was a jumbled mess over such an asshole. I turned to him, jumping slightly when realizing how close he had gotten. Instantly I got defensive, putting my hands over my crotch and taking a few steps back. He remained where he was, arching an eyebrow at my humiliated glare. "What are you doing?"

"I-I don't want you getting the wrong idea here! I just need something to eat and I'll be on my way."

"The wrong idea," he said dully, as if he hadn't attacked me days before. Feeling my embarrassment grow, I nodded and tightened my hold. He then shook his head, looking away from me. "Who would want to do things with a smelly fool like yourself?"

"I don't smell!" After I defended myself, I hesitantly lifted my arm and sniffed. Okay, so I did smell, but it was a manly sweat that I was proud of. I jerked the appendage back down when Sasuke started to walk toward me, smacking the palm of his hand into my forehead. "Ow!"

"Go take a shower; you still have some clothes in my dresser. Breakfast will be ready soon, so don't take forever or it will get cold." His hand rested on my head, and the tenseness I had built up in my shoulders slowly disappeared. I lowered my gaze, feeling my cheeks flush. This kind of felt like we were dating. I swallowed weakly, nodding into the palm of his hand.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." He didn't answer, breaking off the touch and heading into his kitchen. I turned my head to watch him, admitting to myself that the grey t-shirt really looked good on him. Sasuke always dressed to impress, which was probably why so many girls in the school liked him. Hell, wearing black jeans that cupped his ass like that would drive any girl mad. I paused at the thought, shaking my head quickly and running up toward his shower. Shit, did I really just think about Sasuke's ass? Thanking God that mind-reading were still impossible, even to Uchihas, I quickly grabbed my clothes from his room and took a shower. I scrubbed my hair, and then glanced to the axe body wash that Sasuke used. The scent in the steamy air made me go back to our first kiss. Had it really only been a week? I touched my lower lip, wondering why it felt so much longer.

Then again, we had always been a little off. According to the student population, at least. I leaned against the back of the shower, wondering just what it was about us that made us stand out. Chouji and Shikamaru had been best friends just as long as us. Nobody ever thought of them as a couple, and neither one of them had ever had a steady girlfriend before. Hell, I wasn't sure Chouji even kissed a girl before! Then again, neither did Sasuke. Or, did he? I furrowed my brows, shutting off the shower to dry off. Last time I asked him, he had implied it wasn't my concern. Now, with the events of Friday, did that change? If I asked this time, would I be entitled to a real answer? And did I even really want to know?

"Of course I do! What if he's kissed more girls than me?" Okay, so my reasoning was really stupid. But, it made it easier to accept my curiosity. I yanked my foot through my second pant leg as I moved into the kitchen, not bothering to button my jeans. I hung the towel from my neck, letting my hair drip onto it while I looked at Sasuke. Seeming like a natural, the stoic boy expertly created some sort of omelette. Grinning, I moved behind him and rested my head on his shoulder. "Who knew you'd actually use what we learned in cooking class?"

"Cooking is an essential part of life; hence why I've taken so many cooking classes with you." His voice was quiet, but I could feel his words vibrating from where my chin resided. I tried to nod, but remembered my position and stopped.

"But mine never comes out looking so good." He snorted, and I had to pull away when he turned to plate the breakfast for us. He cut the steaming dish into two halves, and then added freshly cut fruit and bacon to each plate. My nose almost died and went to heaven at the delicious smell, knowing the food would taste just as good.

"I tend to have a more delicate approach than your smashing and pounding of ingredients." I scowled at the response, hating to admit he was sort of right. I had been the one who always had a passion for cooking, but sometimes went a little crazy in the kitchen. If the place was still intact after my attempt at making a meal, it was a good day. Sure my food tasted fine, but it wasn't neat or probably the correct procedure to cook it. Sasuke could have been on the food channel with his presentation.

"I guess you're the better cook. But I still kick your ass in soccer."

"Is everything a competition for you?" I followed him to the table, mumbling a quiet 'thank you' when he placed my plate in front of me. I waited until he was seated to think about his question. I didn't really mean to compete with him. It just kind of came naturally, since we were always doing the same stuff. I just liked being better than him. When I really took time to think about it, it was more of a need to win. Like somehow, by showing him I was better, that I deserved to hang around him. Sasuke was great in so many things that it was hard not to be envious. By having my own skills that outshone his, it made me feel equal to him.

"Just the stuff that matters," I answered, shoving a mouthful of food in my mouth. Instantly I moaned, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time I came here for breakfast.

"In your world at least."

"Hey! Soccer is important to many people. Look at Ireland, people die every year over there over soccer games!"

"You think it's reasonable to die over something as pointless as a sport?" I shook my head, chewing the bacon in my mouth before answering.

"I'm just saying that some people may think things you considered stupid as important." He shook his head before sipping on his drink, my nose scrunching when I realized what it was. "You're drinking tea?"

"Yes, I do every morning. Did you want some?" I popped a strawberry into my mouth, enjoying how fresh it was. Leave it to the Uchiha's to have nothing but the best.

"No way."

"Why not?" He asked, leaning his elbows on the table and cupping the mug in both hands. The relaxed position was something I rarely saw with Sasuke, always carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Was it the tea's doing? I glared at the cup, not liking the feeling of jealousy I had over an inanimate object.

"That stuff is gross!"

"Have you ever had tea?" His question brought up a good point. No, I had never had tea. But I refused to admit my real reason for detesting the beverage was because it was something Sakura and Sasuke enjoyed together. I looked back down at my plate, taking another bite from my breakfast. Instantly the taste calmed me, and I switched the subject.

"You need to cook for me more often." He didn't seem to like my evasion, but he didn't voice his objection. Instead he focused back down on his food.

"What am I, your maid?"

"No, idiot, you're my—" I stopped, bringing silence to the kitchen. He paused in cutting his food, glancing up at me curiously. I blushed, but was left speechless. Crap, what was I supposed to say now? The very same process that brought me here was now out in the open, and I never did come up with an answer for it. Sasuke patiently waited for me to answer, but nothing was coming to my head. Food sounded like a good substitute for words, so I started to shovel my breakfast into my mouth. He didn't seem pleased with my lack of response, and I yelped when he grabbed my wrist and slammed it onto the table.

"Finish your sentence." Well, so much for that plan. I glared over at him and tried to yank my wrist away.

"There's nothing else to say, now let go of me!"

"'What I am to you' was the question you were answering." He said it so bluntly, that I couldn't stop my eyes from closing or my mouth from moving on its own.

"If I knew the answer don't you think I would have told you already?!" I heard his chair screech against the floor, and I knew he was coming toward me. I threw my other arm up, but he quickly grabbed it and pulled me forwards. With my eyes closed, I wasn't prepared for the assault against my mouth. Eyes that were shut tightened as I tried to struggle from his hold, my body shivering as his tongue traced along my lower lip. Why did every kiss have to start like this? Didn't this show him how messed up we were? A couple wouldn't have to force kisses like this. They could hold each other and not have to use violence to get there. But then, we weren't a couple.

Feeling every unknown emotion boil up in my throat, I bite hard on his lip and gasped for air when he yanked back from me. The surprise of my attack made him drop my wrists, and I quickly bolted from the chair. I weaved through the house, desperate to get away from him. This was just happening too fast. My breath was caught in my throat, beating like a drum as I ran through the huge house. Where the hell was the damn exit?! I had been in this house more times than I could count, and probably knew the floor plan with my eyes closed. Suddenly, my brain had amnesia and I couldn't even remember which hallway led to the front door.

The confusion and fear of unknown feelings made me turn in the hallway too fast. My shoulder rammed straight into the corner of the wall, and I swore loudly in pain. Crumpling to the floor, I grasped the injured shoulder and hissed at the ache that shot through it. Tears sprung to my eyes as pain assaulted my body.

"Shit," I whimpered, pushing with my good arm to lean against the hallway wall. The pain was throbbing through my body, and my breathing was shaky as I stared up at the ceiling. Was this why so many people hated Mondays? Cause it was seriously starting to be my least favorite day of the week.

"Leave it to you to hurt yourself doing nothing." Pain made it hard to look over at the voice, but I still managed a glare when seeing Sasuke's smug face.

"Shu-Shut up," I mumbled, wishing that the throbbing would stop. I had hit the wall as fast as I could, and it had left me a little dazed. If not for the feeling that I would probably throw up if I stood, I would have jumped out the window at the end of the hall. Sasuke's shadow loomed over me, but I refused to look up at him. My stare stayed on the floor, watching his knees rest on either side of my leg closest to my injury. If this was any other person in any other situation, I may have thought of it as intimate. But since it was the bastard, I tried to pretend it didn't affect me. My hand smacked his when he yanked my shirt up, but he ignored it and lifted the coverage off the injured shoulder.

"Doesn't look like you broke anything." I looked at the skin, relieved to see no real damage. If I had dislocated it, I could say goodbye to the rest of my soccer season. His fingers skimmed the tender area, and I flinched. "But you probably won't be able to play for a couple days."

"I'll be fine."

"No, you need to ice it and rest. Otherwise you'll strain the recovering muscles."

"I don't need a lecture, mom." My chin was instantly seized and forced to look up at Sasuke, who didn't seem to be in the mood for my sarcasm. We locked gazes, and I knew that I wasn't going to win this fight with him. Whatever he was going to say next was law, no matter what I thought.

"Go to my room and lay down; I'll inform the school of your absence and bring you an ice pack."

"I'm not missing school because of some stupid accident that you caused!" But that didn't mean I was going to give up without trying.

"Do I need to carry you there like a child?" I shrugged away from his touch and then hissed as the tender muscles screamed at my action.

"You're not my babysitter." His eyes flashed with something unreadable, but left me feeling like he had sucker punched me in the stomach.

"I'm not anything to you apparently." It was said so coldly, I almost had to brush off the ice that was left from his breath. What was with that catty response? He stood before I could ask, yanking his phone from his too-perfect jeans. "I'll inform your mother as well."

"This is stupid." But even as I complained, I pushed myself up to do as he asked. Moving down the hallway and into his room, I paused in the doorway to look back at him. The phone was glued to his ear, talking to the school or my mom. He had his serious face on, one that I had seen too many times. Still, I leaned my forehead against the doorway when I realized there was something else in his face. He almost looked…tired. Maybe stressed? Probably from me either way. I winced at the realization that I tended to cause more trouble for him than anyone else. But it wasn't my fault entirely! And he made me have sleepless nights too. Maybe not as many as I did for him but…

Trying to shake the remorse, I moved into his room and carefully crawled onto his bed. The sheets were silk, which made me roll my eyes. Nothing but the best for an Uchiha. Easing my shoulder to rest against a stack of pillows, I looked around the bleak room in annoyance. How many times had I told him to do something fun with the open space? The only thing that would catch someone's interest was the guitar in the corner. Girls loved guitars, which was why I used to beg Sasuke to teach me. He always refused, deeming I was too impatient to learn an instrument. That was probably true, since I used to play the trumpet in the fifth grade. Well, until I threw it out the band window and stormed out of the room. After that, I tried to stay away from any music department.

When I looked to his nightstand, I noticed something else interesting. I was too far away to reach it (seriously, the king size bed was swallowing me whole), but I had a clear view of the picture. Sasuke didn't seem the type of keep sentimental stuff, but then again he didn't seem the type to molest me in a public place either. Damn, I really needed to stop thinking about that!

Focusing again, I smiled at the picture on his nightstand. It was of Sasuke and I in the seventh grade, standing in front of a science project we had completed together. We had gotten second place out of the entire school, and his mother had snapped a picture of the two of us holding the red ribbon. My smile was as big as it always had been, while Sasuke merely looked at the camera and smirked. Still, the picture made me think back on how our friendship used to be. Sasuke and I hadn't always fought. There were lots of good memories I had with him before we entered high school. He didn't just become my best friend for no reason. It took years, and I remember smiling with him through most of it.

Now it was just…different. I wanted to know why. How come we weren't able to just talk as friends anymore? Part of me wanted to blame it on the superlative, but it was way before that. Our fighting was okay sometimes, especially if it was about something we both believed in. But sometimes we just bickered over pointless shit. I thought about the fight in the hallway, guilt once again hitting me. Even if he had a crappy way of showing it, Sasuke was just trying to take care of me. The bruise on my shoulder was getting pretty serious, and it was probably better to stay home and rest. If I had seen Kiba or Ino get hit like that, I'd probably do the same thing. Ice and rest were the best things for this type of injury; I knew that. Just like I knew I was taking my frustration from my confusion out on Sasuke.

"This whole thing is fucked up," I mumbled, rubbing my face with my good hand. "But how do I fix it?"

"Fix what?" I looked over at Sasuke, who held out an ice pack with a hand towel wrapped around it. I took the offering, hiking my shirt over my shoulder again. I placed it to my injured skin, shivering at the cold.

"What did my mom say?"

"That you are an idiot for running into a wall." Sympathy, thy name is mother. I almost laughed at the response, knowing that he wasn't paraphrasing either. "She said she wants you to call her later to make sure you're okay."

"I'm never going to hear the end of this from my dad," I said, leaning my head against the pillows and sighing. He shrugged, moving to sit in his computer chair across the room. When I noticed him starting to log in, I blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Since your mother asked me to stay with you, I've decided to work on something from home." Damn that woman. She really thought I was incapable to taking care of myself? Then again, I did just run into a wall. That may make most people question my abilities.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." He didn't look my way, or even acknowledge that I was trying to have a conversation with him. It bugged me, but I wasn't going to press it.

"Trust me; I understand I have no responsibilities when it comes to you." He was really upset with me, wasn't he? He must have been if he continued to shove that into my face. I looked out the window, not sure what he wanted. There was silence in the room for a few seconds before Sasuke spoke again. "My father has asked me which school I intend on going to for college."

"He did?" Sasuke curtly nodded, continuing to focus on his computer screen.

"He mentioned that there were schools all over interested in my skill."

"Wait…you mean like out of the state or something?" I asked, my heart stopping when he nodded again. I wanted to move to stand, but he gave me a warning look when I leaned toward the edge of the bed. Well, at least I had some of his attention now. "Did you tell him you were staying around here?"

"Not yet."

"Why the hell not?!"

"Why should I limit myself to this area?"

"Do you realize how far away that could be? You could be several time zones away from home!" He shrugged, seeming much too calm to be talking about something so big. It was either the sign that he wasn't taking the offer seriously, or the idea that he really didn't see it as a huge deal.

"Itachi did it without a problem. It leaves the expectation that I should be able to as well." While I knew Sasuke wanted to outdo his brother, it didn't settle the uneasy feeling I had with him moving.

"What's wrong with the schools here?"

"Nothing."

"So then why leave?" We stared at each other, the same unreadable look shining in Sasuke's eyes from the hallway.

"Maybe I need to." Need to? Wanting to leave was one thing, but needing to? That implied that something here was keeping him back.

"What are you, running away? The Sasuke I know wouldn't hide from a fight." He scowled at that, making me smirk slightly. I liked that look much better than the careless one he had before.

"I'm not hiding."

"Sounds like it to me." He rose from his seat, and I continued to smirk as he moved to lean over the bed. Despite my heartbeat increasing and the shortness of my breath from his proximity, I was happy to see the fire light back in his eyes. This was the Sasuke I liked.

"I'm not running away." His voice was lower now, and it almost had a husky tone to it. His eyes never wavered from mine, as if to make sure I heard his words perfectly. "I'm just deciding if staying here has any benefits for my future."

"…For your career?" I asked, suddenly reading the atmosphere differently. Having his hands boxing me in while his face was so close to mine was not an intimidation method. Without permission my good arm lifted my hand to his chest, but didn't push him away. In fact, it fisted into the gray shirt that seriously did his body more good than I first thought.

"Partly." What a half-assed answer. I frowned at him, not liking how unaffected he seemed to be by our intimacy. As it was, I could feel the heat swelling in my cheeks and the strength of my voice fading.

"What else are you thinking about?" This was too dangerous. I knew that as soon as I opened my mouth. The same question that had been haunting me seemed to follow Sasuke around too. The difference between us was Sasuke was willing to explore his options, while I could barely understand the options that we had. He continued to stare at me, and I nervously yanked on his shirt. "People would miss you here."

"They'll learn to forget me."

"What about your parents?"

"They would prefer I stay close, but won't interfere with my choice of school. All they ask for is the best I can be."

"But Sakura won't be okay with you leaving!"

"We've already talked about it; she wouldn't have a problem keeping in touch through the internet. She prefers face-to-face conversation, but she wishes me the best with whatever decision I make." Wait, he talked to her first? Blowing out a puff of air through my nose, I narrowed my eyes at him in anger.

"When did you talk to her about this?"

"We've had a few conversations the past month." A month? He's been thinking about this for a month and never bothered to clue me in? That hurt a hell of a lot more than I thought it would, but I covered it with my pissed off tone.

"Well then I guess you have it all set up then. Go to wherever the hell you want, I don't care!" Shoving on his chest, I felt frustration when he didn't budge. My dominant hand was immobile, and I already had a hard time fighting with Sasuke when I was at full health. Not to mention my hand wouldn't let go of his shirt.

"Stop overreacting, idiot." He knocked his knuckles on my forehead, getting my attention back from my anger.

"Overreacting?! What the hell are you doing telling everyone else about your plan to leave but me? Was it some sort of joke to just keep me in the dark while you make a life decision that could change us forever? I don't think I'm overreacting, Sasuke!"

"Change us?"

"Yes!"

"Change us from what?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Do you always have to speak in riddles?" I asked, getting more frustrated by the fierce look he was sending me. How was he going to get angry when he just dropped a bombshell on me? I wanted to smack him, but refrained myself when remembering what he had done for me earlier.

"You idiot." I went to protest, but stopped when his forehead knocked into mine. I hissed and closed one eye, using the other to glare at him.

"That hurt, you know. Good thing you're not my nurse or I'd fire you."

"Hn." Something I said didn't sit well with him, because I felt his hands bunch in the sheets next to my leg. "I'm not your nurse. I'm not your babysitter; I'm not your maid. You tell me everything I'm not; do you wish to tell me what I am?"

"You're…" I swallowed, knowing I wasn't getting away this time. If I tried, I'd probably end up breaking my hip somehow. His eyes were set on me, never wavering despite the blunt question he just asked me. Then again, I had just asked for him to stop speaking in riddles, right? My eyes slowly lowered to the front of the bed, not able to meet the strong gaze in front of me. Maybe it was because of the injury, but I was feeling much weaker than normal in my fight against Sasuke. "You're…"

"Naruto." He said my name sternly, and I knew the house would catch on fire before he would move off of his bed. The time to figure this out was now. It just wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. As soon as my mind would settle on a decision, my heart would change its mind. Then my heart would be happy, and my head would throw something out that would de-rail my thought process. I took a slow breath, pressing my hand closer to his chest.

But all thought process stopped when I felt a frantic heartbeat under my fingertips. Looking up, Sasuke's face was a stoic as ever. His body wasn't trembling, and his face hardly had any color in it at all. His lips were drawn in a straight line, his eyes barely giving notice to his anger. But here, under my hand, was the overzealous pounding of his heart. What did that mean? Was he just as confused and wound up about our predicament as I was? Sasuke had never been a big guy on showing things, I knew that. I never would have guessed that he had feelings for me except for his random kisses and body groping. If we hadn't been nominated for what we were, would I have ever known his feelings?

Even now, I wasn't completely sure just where his thoughts were. But he wasn't asking me that. He wanted to know what was going on in my heart.

"We can't really go back to being just friends. We li-like each other. And you've shoved your hands in my pants and my tongues been in your throat. So I guess that option of 'friends' is out the window," I muttered, saying whatever my heart thought of. "But it's not exactly to the point of going off and living happily ever after. You're still a guy, and I'm not planning on being a girl any time soon. A relationship still kind of sounds…weird for me. Girls have kind of been my things since I was born. So the fact that I'm kind of…look, I don't have anything against gay people; I just never thought I'd be in this kind of situation. Especially with you."

"You weren't my first pick either." Well, I guess that was a relief. It bothered me a bit, but soothed me as well. Sasuke hadn't been planning on finding me attractive, just like I hadn't planned on ever knowing what his hands felt like under my shirt. But who was his first pick then?

"Since you've got no experience with dating, I guess I'm going to have to try and steer this boat to some sort of port." He arched his eyebrow before letting out a small snort.

"That was a horrible comparison."

"I'm going to kill you!"

"What do you suggest first…Captain?" I could hear the smug tone in his voice, and for one second I thought of strangling him. Really, the pain in my shoulder would be so worth it. Instead, I looked away from him and tried to answer his question.

"We should probably go on a date."

"We already have."

"I meant with each other!" I snapped, getting annoyed with how calm he seemed to be. I felt my face burning when he leaned in, his lips brushing mine.

"You mean…you want me to ask you to dinner." He said it like a fact, and I had to force myself to glare at him. I wanted to pretend I was mad at him. Really, it was because my heart just leapt into my throat and I wasn't going to be able to answer his question verbally. Why did he make me feel like this? Any other girl I had dated never made me as flustered as the confident guy in front of me. Sure I may not have had the best moves around, but at least I could talk to them without blushing or stuttering. This seemed impossible with Sasuke, who took my glare as a positive. "When?"

"How should I know? You're the one asking," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. I winced at the pain from my shoulder, but it disappeared enough for me to get comfortable again. He chuckled before leaning in, his lips slowly pressing mine into a kiss. Unwillingly I shivered, closing my eyes to prolong the intimate exchange. My mouth parted for him like it was second nature, our tongue gently swaying against each other. A moan was coaxed from my throat, and I wondered if he knew this was the kind of kiss I wanted earlier. Maybe Uchihas did have telepathy. His breath scorched my mouth, but I refused to let go of the lingering kiss. A soft nip was given to my lower lip before it was sucked into his mouth, making my toes curl inside of my socks. He really was a natural born kisser. My body shivered when he finally pulled away, leaving me slightly wanting more.

"Saturday night." It took me a second to remember what he was talking about. Knowing he caught me dazed, I looked away with a huff.

"W-Whatever."

"Hn." He glanced to my shoulder, as if making sure I was okay before he finally pushed off the bed. "The TV remote is in the nightstand if you wish to entertain yourself."

"Are you planning on going somewhere?"

"I have to work on my research project. If I wish to do it without you distracting me, I need to move to the living room." He unplugged his laptop, shutting it before carrying it under his arm. "If you need anything, use that loud voice of yours. I'm sure I'd hear it even if I was in another country."

"I won't need anything from your pale ass!" I threw a pillow at him, which missed when he moved through the doorway. I growled and leaned back on the bed, flicking the TV onto some daytime talk show. I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept wandering to Saturday night. Somehow, I had managed to get a date with the school's most wanted guy. And he had been the one to ask me.

I guess Mondays weren't as bad as I thought they were.

My arm healed, though not quick enough for my liking. Like Sasuke had said, I missed a few days of soccer and was stuck on the bench while watching Kiba and Sasuke steal all my playing time. The urge to run onto the field was strong, but my mother's threat to take all ramen from the house if I moved off the bench kept me glued to my spot. That woman was scary when mad; I swear her hair floated on occasion. Ino and Sakura had promised to make sure I took it easy, and I was thankful when they offered to help me whenever I needed it. Since I couldn't carry a backpack in school, I had a hard time carrying all my books. It was mortifying when Sasuke was put in charge of holding them for me, only increasing the rumors in the school about us being an item.

Were they really rumors anymore? Or were they kind of true? I wasn't even sure. We had a date planned, but neither one of us had really talked about it since Monday. With Friday night approaching on the horizon, I was kind of worried Sasuke had forgotten about it. Then again, he had been really busy with all of his organizations and school that he hardly even had time to talk at all. With November heading closer to the thanksgiving break, teachers were packing on homework and tests like never before. I even seemed to run out of energy, a rarity that happened once every six years.

"I can't believe I'm paying for you two." But now that the school day was over, I had a couple days to recuperate. And what better way to get my energy back than stuffing my face with ice cream? I handed over the money to the cashier, crying on the inside as I barely got any change back. Ino and Sakura were expensive dates. "Don't you two have guys to pay for you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. But you offered first, so I wasn't going to make him pay." I blinked at Sakura's reply, surprised at her answer. It wasn't that I thought she was ugly, because I knew she was pretty hot. It was just weird to think that Sakura really had moved on from Sasuke. After hearing about them spending so much time together again, I was sure she was starting to fall back in love. "I told him I'd meet him here, so I'll see you guys later?"

"Have fun, Sakura! And remember, keep an open mind," Ino said, Sakura rolling her eyes before walking away from us. I waited until she was gone before slumping next to Ino.

"Why didn't she have her date pay for her?! I'm already short on cash as it is."

"A bets a bet, and you promised to pay for both of us," Ino replied, tugging on my arm. I groaned, looking at the line for the event. Well, at least the student council was making some good money.

"You know I would have beaten you if Sasuke wasn't there."

"And you refuse to tell us what Sasuke did to 'distract' you, so I don't believe you." How the heck was I supposed to explain that? "Speaking of which, where is your little boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend! And he's got some meeting with a representative from college. They flew all the way from Wyoming to meet him." As I explained Sasuke's disappearance, I noticed the slight bitter tone I took.

"Whoa, that's kind of a long trip. I didn't even know Sasuke was looking into colleges that far away."

"Well that makes two of us. He just told me a couple days ago."

"Was that before or after he asked you out?" Instantly my hands covered her mouth, glaring at the giggling girl next to me.

"Will you shut up already?! That last thing I need is more people talking about us in this school." She nodded and I slowly pulled away, sighing in exhaustion. Why I kept telling her things, I'd never know.

"Okay, so then how do you feel about him moving out there? Would you go with him?" At her odd question, I shook my head.

"Why would I?"

"Well, normally the one who doesn't have any plans for the future will go with the one who does. Since you don't really seem to care what you do after school, I figured you just tail Sasuke and make a nice little housewife." She was teasing me, but something about her statement didn't sit well in my stomach.

"It's only November you know; I still have plenty of time to decide what I want to do with my life." Finally getting to the front of the line, Ino glanced between the chocolate and strawberry ice-cream while she spoke.

"True. You've got a lot of good grades, and your extracurricular activities make you a hot topic. You're an ace soccer player and the president of the class council for three straight years. I wouldn't be surprised to see some big colleges looking to add you to their roster."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." We both jumped at the light voice behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I smiled when seeing a cheerful wave from my Kakashi. I grinned when realizing he gave me a compliment, feeling accomplished despite all the trouble I had in his class. It was a rough start, but after putting my nose to the books I was able to get my grade up to a B+. I was still shooting for the A, which Kakashi had said was possible if I aced the midterm.

"Good evening ," Ino said, allowing him to take a cup of the chocolate ice cream. He walked with us as we started to choose our toppings, bowing his head politely to Ino.

"I see that you two are in good spirits despite the mid-terms coming up."

"I tend to do well under pressure, so midterms don't bother me like the other students," she answered, dousing her ice cream in caramel. For such a little girl, she sure didn't shy away from eating.

"I'm just banking on good luck," I answered, only partially kidding. Kakashi sent me a look before continuing down the line.

"Won't you be asking Sasuke for help?"

"He'll probably come over Saturday night." I ignored Ino's smirk, trying not to blush when realizing that was the same night we set for our date.

"Ah, I see. It's good that you are so close. Especially since Itachi always speaks highly of you." At the mention of the older Uchiha, I hesitantly proceeded with the conversation.

"Itachi talks about me?"

"All the time. He remembers you from before he left for Japan. Said you were always dragging his brother places, and that you never left Sasuke's side. He was amazed when I told him you and Sasuke were still so close; his brother tends to scare people away."

"You are just an Uchiha magnet," Ino teased, gently elbowing me in the stomach as we walked toward a table. I wanted to feel flattered, but felt like Kakashi was hiding something. Unsure of how to ask, I sat down at the table and looked up at the teacher standing next to me.

"Well tell Itachi that I'm happy he remembers me, and that I hope he's doing well over in Japan." It felt kind of fake saying that, but I didn't really have anything else to go with.

"You should tell him yourself. Itachi is coming home in a week for a visit." My mouth almost dropped at the information. Itachi hadn't been home in years! Why did he choose now, when everything was going haywire between Sasuke and I? As if reading my thoughts, Kakashi tilted his head and smiled. "He asked me to invite you to lunch. It's optional of course, but Itachi has some questions he feels only you could answer for him."

"Me? Why not just talk to Sasuke?" I asked, shifting in my seat.

"You know how Sasuke gets when you mention his brother; Itachi feels their relationship might be a little…strained when he returns for the visit. It'd be best not to talk to Sasuke about it."

"Wait, what? You mean you don't want me to tell Sasuke that his brother is finally coming home after four years? And that he wants to have lunch with me, to talk about God know's what, without Sasuke being present?"

"Yup."

"Are you crazy!?" I shouted, shooting into a standing position. Despite my outburst Kakashi continued to smile, seeing no problem in what he was asking me to do. It was moments like these that I suddenly realized why Sasuke warned me to stay away from Kakashi. He was a good guy, but seemed to like stirring the pot of tension. Behind that innocent smile, a different Kakashi lurked. I could see it in his knowing eyes, even if his lips didn't waver.

"Naruto, you're making people stare," Ino said yanking on the bottom of my shirt. I didn't care; half the school thought I was in love with Sasuke anyways. Might as well be in an affair with the teacher too.

"If you tell Sasuke before his midterms, I'm sure it will break his concentration. Getting bad grades in his senior year will not look good for any school willing to give him scholarships. I hope you understand my reasoning. Itachi agrees with me." Then why was he coming now? And why did they have to tell me about it? "Should I tell him that you'll take him up on his offer for lunch? It seems to be one of his top priorities coming here."

"I don't know."

"Then when you do, let me know." He glanced over my shoulder, acting as if he didn't just drop a bomb on me. "Ah, I see that my assistance is needed elsewhere. Good luck on your midterms you two."

"Thank you Mr. Hatake." I didn't answer him as he brushed past me, not sure what else could be said. Slowly I dropped back down to my seat, glancing at the ice cream that had started to melt in with the hot fudge. It seemed to reflect my life; a mess. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I glanced over to see a worried look on Ino's face. "You have any idea what Itachi plans to talk to you about?"

"At this point, it could be anything. A death threat, a vacation getaway; hell it might even be a wedding proposal!" I grabbed my hair; yanking on it to try and wake myself up from this nightmare I was sure I was stuck in. "Why do these Uchihas having nothing better to do than destroy my life?"

"You could always just say no to Itachi."

"You don't understand; an invitation from him is like an invitation from Sasuke. Even if you say no, they'll find a way to make you say yes and seem completely innocent while doing it."

"Out of all the boys to date, you have to pick the complicated one." Too wound up to even correct her, I flopped my head down next to my melting ice cream and groaned.

"And my ice cream is ruined."

"Cheer up Naruto; it can't always rain. I'll go get you another ice cream since I just finished mine. And then you can stuff your face into a coma so you won't have to deal with either one of them." Even with my sour mood, I couldn't help but smile at her idea.

"Somehow, they would find a way to wake me up." She giggled before taking my ice cream soup away, jumping back in line for the both of us. I watched her from my position at the table, smiling slightly when a lazy boy casually strolled up to stand beside her. Shikamaru and Ino had been talking a lot more since our 'date', making me wonder if she finally got her point across. Though there were no kisses or date offers, he seemed to be putting more effort than before. Hell, maybe before they were eighty he'd even hold her hand.

Moving away from the humorous thought, I went back to my current predicament. How was I supposed to go on a date with Sasuke with the knowledge of Itachi fresh in my mind? Was it lying if I didn't tell him? Somehow I felt like it was. If the tables were turned, I wasn't quite sure what Sasuke would do. Though Kakashi said a lot of stupid stuff, he was right about one thing. If I told Sasuke that Itachi was coming home, he'd probably lose focus on his midterms. Even if I didn't want him to move away, I also didn't want to be the reason he would miss out on the school he wanted. Being the bearer of bad news would most definitely solidify that role for me.

"I'll just wait till after midterms." After all, Itachi wasn't supposed to show up for another week. By that time the midterms would be over, and thanksgiving break would begin. Sasuke would be able to be emo without his studies suffering, and I could lose the weight of guilt on my shoulders. I could ace my exams, go on a date with Sasuke, tell him about his brother, and still enjoy my thanksgiving dinner. Everything would work out for Sasuke, and everything would work out for me...

Right?

Dun dun DUN! Oh boy oh boy, I'm not sure there is enough room for Itachi and Sasuke to be in the same country. What will Naruto do with both Uchiha looking his way? Will Naruto and Sasuke heat things up on their date? What does Itachi have to talk about with Naruto? Does it have something to do with Kakashi? And will tea always haunt Naruto's life? Probably. Let me know what you thought of it! =D