Ｃｏｍｐａｓｓｉｏｎ

"Compassion isn't about solutions. It's about giving all the love that you've got."

-Cheryl Strayed.

For the last class of the day, Naruto had a seat next to his two favorite people in the world.

"I thought you had second lunch with us. I was going to ask did you notice the Specter?"

"Oh, Sasuke, yeah... He's interesting. I never knew that some Specters looked our age."

"You talked to him?" Shika had leaned closer. He spoke about the Specter like they had been friends for a long time.

"Not really. He's not much of a talker..." An image flashed through his mind of Sasuke smirking at him. Once again, he felt his face heat up. That lunch break was interesting once he made it back with the soda and cold water bottle.

"Here, the cold will help with the discomfort." He moved to place the bottle on his forehead at first Sasuke moved away.

"It'll help." He reassured and moved the water bottle gently over his crown, leaving a thin trail of water. "Why are you helping me? Is there something you want? Are there any particular things you would like me to do for you?" Naruto's mind immediately wandered to a dirty place.

"What!" The blonde jolt back dropping the bottle between them, "Shit sorry."

Sasuke felt his mouth turn upward for a microsecond as he watched the blonde desperately trying to grasp the bottle and fumbling with it.

"You should drink the soda it'll help." He said this while his eyes remained on the water bottle between them. Finally, he gave up and decided to grab the can instead. He noted the similarity between the can color and Sasuke's eyes.

It couldn't hurt, so Sasuke reached for the can Naruto was holding, their fingers brushing as he took hold of it, causing a brief static between their digits, but the blonde did not recoil.

As soon as he opened it, he heard a loud pop and, frizzing it looked like liquid tar. He was hesitant but Naruto nodded encouraging him to go through with it. When the caffeine touched the tip of his tongue, there was this rush he never tasted something so -what was this exactly? He locked eyes with Naruto who was watching the scene play out.

"So, how is it?"

"I cannot quite place it?" It was overwhelming to his muted tastebuds. He was used to oats, fish, and some fresh fruits, but the sweetness of the fruit did not compare.

"It's sweet and that frizz you see is called carbonation."

"You never answered my question." Those deep red pools bore into Naruto's own, causing him to look away as a soft pink tint spread across the bridge of his nose. Sasuke had sat the can down he was over this drink.

"There's no ulterior motive. I know what it's like to be treated as if you're radioactive. Once people found out I was supposed to die but didn't, they felt the Specters had some sort of target on my back, and nobody wanted to be caught in the crosshairs." He rubbed the back of his head coyly. Still not meeting Sasuke's gaze.

"Humans are too superstitious. There is no target on your back it was just not your time."

"That's what my friends keep telling me but hearing it come from you is more profound. I guess you could say." He chuckled. Sasuke rose as did Naruto. "Whelp I won't bug you any further." He turned to walk to the class he ditched.

"I wouldn't say you are bothering me. You have been helpful. I want to ask for your help on something."

Naruto instantly perked up, "You need my help!? Me?" He pointed a finger at himself to be sure.

"Yes, if that's okay?" He couldn't understand why he was asking this favor of the blonde; However, it couldn't hurt.

"Of course!" His voice went up an octave.

"I want to see if you could help change my mind on something."

"Okay?" Obviously, Naruto was confused.

"That is all," Sasuke started to walk toward the building. "Hey, wait I don't quite follow."

"It just means we will be spending a lot of time together."

"..."

Just then, the bell rang, before anything else was elaborated.

"See you soon Uzumaki."

It was Shika's voice that snapped him from his reverie, "I'm shocked he didn't kill you."

Naruto laughed, "I thought the same thing honestly."

"Sounds like you have a little crush, man." Teased Kiba.

"What!?"

"I have to admit you have a type, and he matches that." Chimed Shika.

"Oy, you two are insane!" He crossed his arms with an obvious jerk, head turning to the side.

"Does this ring a bell? Jet-black hair, pale skin, unique eyes, not the talkative or shy type."

"Yeah, but those were all girls, and Sasuke is far from shy."

"Just making an observation," Shika explained.

"I'm helping him that's all." He didn't mention his sudden attraction upon meeting the raven. He chopped up as some harmless idolization. He was a Specter after all, but the look on his friend's faces showed they didn't believe him in the slightest.

Later that evening, Sasuke returned to his province. His mind mulled over the events that had taken place. He had returned to collect the water bottle in his backpack. Itachi was watering the lavender that had grown along their wooden pathway. The elder acknowledged him as soon as he passed by, which he didn't expect.

"How was your first day?" Sasuke paused, facing Itachi fully. "They were a few incidents that could not have foreseen."

"Oh," There was humor in his tone, which puzzled Sasuke.

"I expected people to fear and avoid me, but then. He arrived. He showed no fear and treated me with kindness."

Itachi knew the name even before he said it.

"Uzumaki Naruto is his name," Sasuke observed his elder expecting Itachi to be intrigued instead he got another surprise.

"I see, they say humans become more drawn to death when their time grows nears."

"That could explain his persistence to be near me." He curled a finger under his chin in thought.

"I suggest you avoid him until then." His head tilted subconsciously as he locked his eyes with Itachi.

"We are not perfect Sasuke, not anymore, forming an attachment could be detrimental. True, we are here to understand humans but forming a relationship will just complicate things. We are not void of emotions. They are just suppressed."

"I know." He refused to entertain any doubts about his goal.

"I think that over time you'll understand. The others and I have been here for centuries. We've had a lifetime of knowledge at your disposal, and it's been an ongoing learning experience for us all."

Sasuke frowned as he realized that his fist had clenched.

"Just be cautious." Nothing else was said further as Itachi returned to watering the plants. Sasuke went to his room placing the water bottle on his plain white dresser. It was unopened, still sitting in the same spot. He didn't know why he grabbed it, he wasn't even thirsty, so why? He stared at the bottle as if it had all the answers to his questions.

Itachi said he should try to stay away, but he wanted to know what compassion was. Naruto seemed like a perfect person to teach him about it, and Sasuke wasn't going to ask him directly; instead, he planned on seeing if the blonde could show him with action.

That night he finally slept! No brief periods of drifting and jerking awake but fell into a deep enough to where he reached REM sleep. If anyone knew Specters could dream, they probably would never have believed it. Sasuke thought the same and yet here he was having his first dream, and it was a vivid one at that.

He was back at Konoha high. In class, students around him kept whispering and snickering. He wondered how long this would last, had it not been a full day. Just then students began to exit for their next class but there was no school bell, however, when he left the class, he was in the cafeteria, and the schedule he was holding he couldn't read it.

Just then, Naruto approached him, "Hey, Sasuke are you ready?"

"For what?" Uzumaki took ahold of his hand and guided him to where the quad was. Sasuke leaned forward looking down at the blonde who started to whisper and flash him a smile his eyes were laughing blue slits.

Their fingers were entwined," to wake up." He jerked awake with sweat running down his face. He was breathing heavily, as goosebumps ran down his arms. What was happening to his body? His skin felt like it was on fire.

What was this all about?

Across town, Naruto was experiencing a similar dream, However, it started to veer off in a completely different direction. In contrast, Naruto's dream was more X-rated than anything. He was flirted with by the raven, who touched him and kissed him. His hands slid down the waistband of his pants whispering all the naughty things in his ear. He was so hot! That mouth encircled his genital area, sucking him, and devouring him entirely.

He woke up drenched in sweat with an erection so hard he could poke an eye out. How was he supposed to see him the next day? How?

Just then his foster father Jiraiya busted into his room. "What the hell is wrong with you? You have been groaning and moaning for thirty minutes straight."

The blonde stared at his foster father in complete embarrassment. How loud was he?

"Oy, I think I sprain something."

"Pft, okay." Jiraiya was no fool, that was definitely not the sound of pain, but the complete opposite.

"Right, well whoever this Sasuke kid is, I'm going to need to have a talk with him." The Ashen-haired man grumbled before leaving Naruto's bedroom.

AN

These two are drawn to one another...