My finals are done. I saw my psych grade. *tear* Bad. I mean, I passed, but…

All the classes I need to take next quarter are FULL—even the fwaitlist is FULL. Terrible. I'm going to talk to the…dean? Counselor?

Happy Holidays, fanfiction fans! To you, from me, the final chaptefr of Drowning.

Begin Chapter 7

Naruto went behind Sasuke and put his hands on his shoulders, pushing him down to make him sit on the branch.

"Ow! Usurantonkachi!" Sasuke bellowed in pain. "What are you doing?!"

The blond didn't answer. He continued to push down lightly on his teammate's shoulders.

The prodigy remained resistant.

"Sit down, teme," Naruto said.

"Why?" the raven asked suspiciously.

The blond gave an exasperated sigh and implored, "Please?"

With a defeated sigh, the raven began to sit down when Naruto rotated their positions, making it so that Naruto was against the tree's trunk and Sasuke's back against his. From there, they both sat down.

A cute pink tinged Sasuke's cheeks as he became flustered at the close contact. He was only that close with Naruto when sparring. "W-what are you d-doing?" he let out shakily.

Naruto began massaging the older boy's shoulders. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked.

Sasuke suppressed a moan as he leaned further into Naruto's skillful hands. "Yo-you don't have to do this," he urged.

"I know, but I want to," he replied as his hands moved lower, rubbing the older boy's back up and down on either side of his spine. He explained, "You're taking care of us, so I can at least return the favor."

"Uhh…" the raven let out, his neck arching, as Naruto hit a tender spot.

"Are you feeling better?" Naruto inquired.

"Uhh, yeah. Mm," Sasuke answered.

With thumbs on either side of Sasuke's spine, Naruto began moving up to the top of Sasuke's neck and back down to his lower back at a slow pace.

"Uh, Naruto," Sasuke moaned. "God, you're so good."

Now, the blond was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, but he continued to massage his sore teammate because he knew he needed it. He moved his hands higher and began to gently massage the raven's scalp. All the while, the youngest Uchiha was letting out quiet moans. Naruto moved down again, moving to Sasuke's muscular upper arms. The blond softly squeezed them with his hands.

Although those parts of Sasuke's body was not affected from sleeping on the ground, the treatment Naruto was giving him felt great after so much training.

Naruto's hands moved lower once again. They lightly went up and down Sasuke's lower arms. Sensitive, the raven threw his head back, falling into the crevice between Naruto's neck and shoulder. Naruto's heart beat faster. Sasuke's face was so close to his own and his expression, needless to say, was arousing the blond. In a daze, he kept running his hands up and down the older boy's arms.

"Naruto! Oh!" Sasuke moaned, his back now rubbing closer to the blond's front side.

Not able to take it anymore, Naruto stopped his movements.

Sasuke opened his eyes at the loss of the contact. He looked at the younger boy to see what was wrong. Naruto's face was bright pink.

"Should I get into a different position?" Presumably Sasuke didn't notice the color of Naruto's face.

God, he doesn't know what that means to me! Naruto's face reddened.

Now, Sasuke saw the color. "Are you sick?" he asked concerned. He put a hand to Naruto's forehead. "You're burning up, Naruto!"

Naruto pushed his head against the caring hand. He probably wouldn't get this concern for his well being from his teammate again. After a few seconds, which felt like several minutes to the blond, he pulled back and looked away. Blushing and not looking the raven in the eyes, he said, "Sorry."

"For what?" Sasuke asked confused.

What do I tell him? Naruto pondered. "Sasuke," Naruto began but could not continue.

Sasuke softly used his right hand to push Naruto's body to the left to get him out of his daze.

Naruto looked at him straight in the eye.

What's got him so frazzled? Sasuke wondered. "Yeah?" Sasuke was anxious for what the blond looked like he was going to tell him. Simultaneously he was hesitant because he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what the blond was about to reveal.

"I want to tell you something."

Sasuke stared at the blond, expecting more. Sasuke didn't know what to say so he stared at the blond, waiting for him to continue. He could discern that the blond was racking his brain for the right words to say.

"I'm gay."

Wow, that came out of nowhere.

What about Sakura, though? Sasuke's mind screamed. He's had a crush on her for years! And he was adamant on saving her the other day? When she "drowned"? I wouldn't call that gay. Angrily, he screamed, "So you went to save Sakura but not me!" He glared at the younger teen.

Naruto stared confusedly at his teammate, slightly cocking his head to the side as he stared harder at the older boy. Is Sasuke jealous? "Wait, what? Uh—"

"You saved Sakura from drowning," Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

Uh, huh. So? Naruto nodded his head in agreement at Sasuke and wanting him to continue.

Sasuke was thinking. "Would you save me?"

"What?"

Irritated, Sasuke blew up. "If I was drowning, would you have saved me?"

"What?! You weren't drowning!"

"Dammit, dobe! But if I was drowning, would you have saved me? Saved me like you saved that dreadful, cruel, stupid bitch?!"

Naruto, a tad angry at Sasuke calling their teammate a name, answered without malice, "Why wouldn't I?"

Sasuke was taken aback at the answer. "You would?"

Naruto nodded his head. After a few seconds, he exploded. "Dammit, Sasuke! Why the hell wouldn't I save you?! You're my teammate, my friend, and we're supposed to look out for each other! That's what friends are supposed to do!" Naruto's eyes widened slightly and he looked into Sasuke's eyes. "Unless you don't consider us friends?"he asked saddened but masked it.

Sasuke could read people fairly well. He saw the flicker of pain that flashed over Naruto's features. He asked softly, and sadly, "Why wouldn't you think we were friends? Why would you even doubt we had a friendship?"

Naruto's sarcastic mind though Oh, right, like I'm not just a burden and annoyance to you! You treat me like a baby and call me names!

Sasuke noticed Naruto's eyes narrowing as he thought. "Naruto."

Naruto looked up with a glare. "What?" he asked coldly.

Shaking off the harsh look his friend gave him, he asked, "Why would you think we weren't friends?" He wanted an answer.

Naruto was angry and refused to answer.

Sasuke placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders and looked deeply into Naruto's eyes. He spoke softly, "Naruto, please, why would you even doubt our friendship?"

Naruto jerked out of Sasuke's hands. He detonated. "You treat me like an idiot, and I know I'm slow, but you put me down more than others. I don't think that's how friends are supposed to treat friends!" Friendship was always something that made Naruto cry. He tried to look tough and angry as he stared at Sasuke, but after a few seconds, the pain in his heart was too strong. The back of Naruto's throat made a cough sound as he tried to suppress his cries.

Screw my pride! Sasuke's mind yelled. He lunged forward and hugged Naruto close to him.

Naruto tried to wriggle free. Feeling Sasuke against him in a caring manner was going to make him bawl out loud. "Sasuke, let go…" Sasuke kept Naruto in his bear hug and Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He cried. Confused. Sasuke was being so caring when he was usually a bastard.

Sasuke hugged Naruto tighter as he heard the blond sob. "Shh, Naruto." He gently rocked their bodies side to side.

Why is he being so kind? He asked confused, his emotions running through him. He cried onto the older boy's chest.

Sasuke put one hand through the golden's spikes while the other hand went to Naruto's back, soothing it. "Shh, shh."

Naruto drew in a shaky breath. He looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke?"

"Dobe?"

Naruto stiffened.

Sasuke pulled back to observe Naruto. "What?" he asked.

"Why do you always call me that?" Naruto asked angrily.

"Call you what?"

" 'Dobe'! or 'baka' or 'Scaredy Cat'? Why do you always treat me like a baby and get so pissed when I do something 'stupid'?" New tears fell down Naruto's cheeks as he yelled at his…friend? "Why—"

Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke hugged him again. "Because I love you," he said. Said, not whispered.

Once again Naruto stiffened.

"I love you so much, Naruto," Sasuke reiterated, pouring his soul into the one he loved. "I get pissed and worried because I don't want to see you get hurt physically, mentally, or emotionally. I yell at you, hoping you'd be more careful. I thought you knew I was only teasing when I called you names. Isn't that what 'teme' is?"

Slightly crying still, but more from happiness, Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes and smiled.

Sasuke saw the smile and happy tears.

Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah," and added, "most of the time." He hugged Sasuke back. "Sasuke," Naruto whispered, he paused, and asked loudly, "How the hell did this come about after I revealed I was gay?"

Too long, too explain. Whatever. I'll just say, "I'm gay."

"Nani?! You like guys?"

Sasuke laughed, "No, I like you. Actually, I love you."

Naruto smiled, looked down blushing, and looked back into Sasuke's eyes. "I, I love you too," he confessed and then hugged his…boyfriend?

The branch began to wobble and Naruto fell down on it, nearly falling off it.

"Dobe!" Sasuke warned, holding his arm tightly.

Naruto smiled. "Teme," he replied. "We should get down from here."

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed.

Naruto noticed Sasuke was still limping. "Oh, Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. "Uh, Naruto, don't you think we're too young for that? We haven't even kissed yet!"

"Pervert!" Naruto screamed, whacking Sasuke hard enough to feel it but not fall off the branch. When I said 'sleep,' I literally meant sleep, like sleep sleep, not that sleep! Idate left, so I have his room, alone, for a few days. I figured you'd feel better away from Sakura and on a bed to sleep on instead of the floor. Oh, and true, I do think we're too young for that. False, though, we have kissed before."

"Oh!" Sasuke realized. "In the academy."

"Yeah." Naruto blushed, then asked cornily, "Will there be more accidents in the future?"

Sasuke smiled, "Believe it!"

End Chapter 7

YAY! DONE! REVIEWS APPRECIATED! . I think a lot of my stories are gonna end with "believe it!"