Because, In the End, That's Who We Are

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Notes: All criticism accepted.

To some Tokyo, in spite of all its peculiarities, was like any other city; however, this wasn't only a dumb, but offensively incorrect assumption – considering that aforesaid wasn't a city at all. If anything, Tokyo was, without trailing off into unnecessary and tedious details, more like a collection of small towns and villages collectively lumped together under one big name, as if they couldn't exist on their own and individuality was something repugnant.

Yet, Tokyo did have several characteristics that all "metropolises" share in common: the hectic, colourful hustle and bustle of people infested-streets, obscenely bright shining advertisements, and an ear-penetrating vicious howling of loud, funky music: Tokyo, like all global cities, had confined itself to modern values. Somehow, it was disgusting, decadently grotesque in its artificialness – there was no hint of liveliness, only the same predominance of monotonousness everywhere.

Sasuke hated it.

Wherever he went, there were world-weary, disillusioned people in horrendous abundance like pesky, overzealous flies, pushing behind, in front and sideways, smelling like cheap perfume, sake, bitter whiskey, sweat, old rotting cheese and other intermingling odours that weren't pleasant to the senses.

Crammed – like a sardine in a sandwich - in that damned, noisy train going zum-zum-zum, nose to nose, elbow against elbow, forced into contact with people Sasuke neither gave a damn about nor ever would, he felt that city life was highly overrated and a huge, obscene joke. Indeed, it was merely grand in the way it caused people to be high-strung, nervous as a wreck, had them bite their nails frantically and feel drained to the marrow. In the end, the only thing left to do was to grab a hard cover or find a brick wall and pound one's head against it.

Yes, feeling the huff and puff of other people's bad, foul-smelling breath against one's cheeks was enough to make anyone odious of humankind in general and sick to the stomach – it was sufficient to turn a misanthrope out of the jolliest defender of philanthropy.

Life in the city brought out following symptoms: one make became fussy, irritable and the anger, always lurking in the shade, rose or better said, sprung out – once incensed - like a jack in the box, ready to attack someone with a butcher's knife.

The city – or whatever Tokyo was - wasn't glorious and the shimmering aura that engulfed it was nothing but a thick lie upon further inspection.

At least, Sasuke Uchiha felt that way. If he could have, by the sheer power of will, grabbed the whole noise, chaotic tumult and crushed it like a sheet of paper, he would have done so - the noise was driving him mad with fury.

Sasuke hated it with the sum of a thousand burning suns, but then again, he loathed everything these days. He hated the polluted air, the all too bright fluorescence cast by the streets lamps - making everything appear greenly pale and hideous -and the iciness of the night air, reminding him that it had been pure idiocy not to put his jacket on. However, he didn't need his jacket tonight, not when he was going to put an end to all of his misery. There wasn't anyone around here to stop him and Sasuke, unafraid of heights, wasn't going to hesitate anymore: he was going to jump, leap off the railing of the bridge and dive straight into the water and sink into nothingness. He just wanted to forget.

No doubt, this was the point of no return: he wasn't going to waver anymore and, deliberately keeping his eyes shut, Sasuke prepared himself for the last, inevitable step - which was to get the other leg across the side - when he heard harsh, fast and energetic footsteps approaching.

He ignored them at first, thinking that it was one of those dream like experiences, where things that didn't actually happen took place and the absurd was just as likely as the reasonable. Aside from that, it could have been his nervous system or conscience playing tricks on him to stop him from acting out on his decision.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?" a shrill voice resounded, making Sasuke halt in his movements and abruptly turn around, shocked to the core. Damn it, he thought, there wasn't supposed to be anyone around here, not past midnight. This was the perfect opportunity for partying, robbing old ladies' purses and screwing in dark alleyways – and definitely not the hour to annoy him.

Hell, he –- ever the perfectionist - had planned this, gone through it meticulously and, therefore, he wasn't going to allow anyone to stand in his way. For the past few weeks, he had done nothing, but envisioned this bridge, the coldness of the night and the absolute necessity of being apathetic, of not cowering and hesitating to jump. Sasuke had forced himself to not be scared because fear was paralysing and he wasn't going to be a coward.

The person was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy with a sickening grin on his face and clothes that were far too orange for Sasuke's tastes. Although he had never seen this young man before, he seemed oddly familiar: the determined, optimistic look in his eyes and the Cheshire cat-like grin reminded him of – which again was bizarre – of sparring, bodies clashing together, and a million other little things that he associated with his dreams – they had haunted him since childhood.

The sound of flowing water, of panting breaths, sweat rolling down his skin and the ever-present, lurking danger of death - which was something he couldn't possibly understand. Still, he now associated this orange-wearing weirdo with those sensations. Perhaps, he was demented.

Sasuke, as much as he wanted to jump, had never experienced much danger in life. In fact, it was quite the reverse: he had been shielded, like a prisoner behind iron bars and shackles had been his companions for most of his life. Being the hypocrite he was, he didn't consider the fact that these chains had been self-constructed because binds can be broken and bars bended, as tight as they might be.

Don't underestimate me. I will not run. I'll take it, even if I'll stay a genin forever. I'll become a Hokage anyway.

Sasuke bit his lips to keep himself from cursing; he had no idea where the hell these words were really from, even though he had heard them in his sleep. The only thing he knew was that those dreams had moved him, had haunted him at various periods in his life and made him feel inexplicably stronger.

Right now, however, this wasn't relevant: it was probably his tingling nerves, frustration and the darkness all playing tricks on him. He hadn't had those dreams for years and didn't understand why, of all things, they haunted him right now – it had to be his tiredness.

"Mind your own business," Sasuke answered snappishly, not pleased at all. If he hadn't felt that morose, he would have wiped that idiot's grin off his face – no one was going to mock him, even though he really shouldn't have cared. Not if he was going to bite the dust anyway, even though this fucker was in the way.

Yes, that guy, whoever he was, was a fucker, a damned asshole for interfering and poking his nose into matters that didn't concern him at all.

Sasuke eyed him more carefully now, trying to dissect him from inside out like a scientist analysing a virus under a microscope. Again he was forced to admit that he hadn't ever seen anyone like that man before, not only because of the clothes, but there was something else – something indefinable, yet striking.

People on the streets didn't look like this, usually: they mostly had bags under their eyes, were deadly pale and looked ready to let everything drop on the ground and faint. They were, though blood was pulsing through their veins, already dead inside, drained, and slowly rotting from inside out like corpse that never rots on the exterior, but whose organs are decaying from the inside.

The Cheshire cat grin rendered the young man's eyes into slits and made him look nearly inhuman – it wasn't normal for a person to grin that much. Also, there seemed to be something unnaturally and defiantly optimistic about him. He looked as if life, cruel and heartless in its vengeance, could have flung anything at him, stripped him of all hope, and he would have still marched on, maintaining his optimism and not allowing himself to be defeated.

"Hell, I would if it weren't blatantly obvious that you were trying to kill your sorry ass," he remarked contemptuously, a sneer on his face and blatant disapproval crawling out of the very essence of his being; it made Sasuke want to gag. Who the hell was this guy?

"I said: mind your business. Maybe I'm just appreciating the scenery," Sasuke answered flippantly, more unsettled by the man's grin than anything else. How he hated his life, the entire universe for always butchering his plans; he never got a moment's rest. This, he thought, had to be a sardonic joke and well, Fortuna could well go to hell for abandoning him.

"Right, you're observing the scenery with one of your legs halfway swinging over the bridge. Jeez, and people keep telling me I'm dumb," the man said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

The man edged closer towards him, moving precariously quickly and Sasuke, still chilled and flabbergasted, didn't move, not knowing what this guy was all about.

For all his pennies worth, he could be a drug-dealer or one of those pickpockets who distracted their victims with small talk before stabbing them to death. Sasuke, of course, didn't pause to think how illogical his train of thoughts was and that there wasn't any point of feeling intimated by drug dealers or thieves. Not when he intended to kill himself that night. If possible, being murdered would have done the job as well – then again, mankind isn't known for being rational, least of all in situations of crisis and inner conflict.

"You can't stop me…!" Sasuke said in a dangerously low voice, and his entire body was trembling with poorly restrained anger; he was like a machine gun ready to fire, and the only thing he needed was to be triggered.

However before he could do anything, a hand gripped him tightly and Sasuke was pulled over onto something warm and hard, smelling like ramen, cotton and most of all, like home. Home in all its cosiness, security and warmth; home in the sense of refuge. It was only after a long pause that Sasuke realised it was the other man's chest. For a short moment, he allowed himself to close his eyes and lean against the warmth, smell that odour of cheeriness and feel protected by it.

In spite of himself, Sasuke flushed faintly and struggled to break free, but it was all in vain: he was drained of all energy and could barely support himself any longer. He suddenly felt that his entire doings of that night had been the product of some malfunction in his brain; he should have just slit his wrists and gotten over with it, instead of all this drama.

"Let me go, now. It's none of your business –"Sasuke attempted once more, struggling to wring free of the man's grasp, but he was too weak, too tired and most of all, just wanted to lie down somewhere and fall asleep. He was starting to no longer care, whether this idiot let him go or not.

"My name's Naruto, by the way. What's yours, kid?" Naruto asked jovially, trying to keep up a cheerful façade, even though he was obviously frightened to death – his voice was slightly tremulous.

"Uchiha Sasuke and don't call me kid, idiot," he nearly growled through gritted teeth, throwing Naruto - which was a dumb name by way - a death glare. He would have told him to fuck off, lest it would have been of any use. Yet, something told him that Naruto had the stubbornness of a brick wall and couldn't be forced into anything quite that easily.

What disturbed him was Naruto that wasn't much older than him, from the looks of it; he couldn't be much older than twenty and having someone of that age calling him a kid was insane.

"I won't quit calling you a kid as long as you behave like one, Sasuke."

"Hold your tongue."

Naruto then literally dragged Sasuke from the place, earning a series of "screw you" and "what the fuck, asshole" remarks from the other who didn't appreciate the action at all. Naruto, not contradicting his appearance, was rather strong and Sasuke couldn't have fought him off, even if he had been up to it. More than likely, he would have ended up on his back with a bloody nose.

With movements that were calculated yet swift, he was pushed into the seat of a small car and had the pleasure of watching Naruto start the engine and then drive off – and Sasuke wasn't able to do anything about it, other than groan and curse his tongue raw.

Naruto, in general, didn't think much of teenagers, although he wasn't so far from being one himself. Still, having outgrown the phase of pimples, awkward stammering in front of girls and slamming doors with a loud crash , Naruto thought he knew better, though he really didn't.

"Are you a pervert or something?" Sasuke asked after a few uncomfortable moments of silence. He didn't want to sound frightened, but he did feel queasy: he didn't understand why the hell this idiot was that fussy over him – it reminded him too much of a mother hen. Or a cunning fox trying to entice its prey before swallowing it in one gulp.

"Why?" Naruto asked curiously, wondering what the hell Sasuke was aiming at; he had no idea what Sasuke meant by "pervert".

"You're driving me off to some place I don't know, and it's way past midnight…" he started," Hn, you're probably just waiting for some dark alley to fuck me."

Naruto widened his eyes at that, not having expected such a comeback, and he reacted appropriately. He couldn't help feeling amused – Sasuke was priceless.

First there was a snort, which was then followed by a hearty laugh. Indeed, the maniac was laughing like a hyena, face convulsed and making Sasuke feeling appalled: he had never liked laughing people because it always looked unnatural. At least, with other people, the longer he looked at Naruto, he felt that he didn't look weird. No, the laugh just brightened his features and fit him like a second shoe.

"Gosh, if I'd wanted to find someone to fuck, I'd find 'em. You're not my type: too bony and prissy-faced," Naruto answered cheerfully. "I'm not a child molester. You're what - fifteen?"

"Seventeen and a half," Sasuke answered angrily, not appreciating the condescending tone in Naruto's voice. He wasn't a damned baby anymore, and he wasn't going to be treated like one – it wasn't cute or flattering. Some people just couldn't stomach the fact that a teenager was just as capable of processing information and thinking as any adult.

"Sheesh, should have expected it. So, to change the topic, just what was that stunt on the bridge?"

Sasuke only grunted in return and turned to look at the objects they were swiftly bypassing which were houses, shops and other cars zooming by. The buildings, all harmonious in geometry and angles, weren't interesting to him, but he continued to watch them, as if his eyes were glued onto the scene and nearly blinded by the glory. Perhaps, his eyes were transfixed – Sasuke didn't even consciously note what his surroundings were anymore. "I said that it's none of your damned business. And I'm not going to tell you."

"Well, then I'll have to keep pestering till you crack. Anyway, I'm taking you home for the night."

"Shut up," Sasuke answered curtly, sinking lower into the seat and pressing his knees together so hard that it hurt. He bit his lip, drawing blood and clenched his fist, evinced a cracking, rattling sound from them. Let the devil take that guy; he wasn't going to act like he was grateful or something because there was nothing to be thankful for.

"You're really pleasant; didn't anyone ever tell you that?" Naruto gave him to understand sarcastically, slowing the car down which was heading towards its destination. The vehicle was old and of a shaky foundation with loud, rock music blaring from the radio and whenever, they turned around a corner, it gave a weird squirting sound, as if the machine were about to fall to pieces and collapse. The music, as if wishing to partake in the orchestra, jostled along and added a roaring to the squirting ruckus that made Sasuke's ears ache.

"Hey, did you hear me?"

Sasuke didn't give him an answer, but rolled his eyes and sighed audibly. Afterwards, he looked at his hands, inspecting if his fingernails were short and whether little bits of skin were unnecessarily sticking out. He was anal when it came to his fingernails, for whatever reason.

"Let me guess: you're one of those brats who like to think they're too cool to honour one with an answer. I know your sort."

"You sound like a teacher," Sasuke commented in a bored tone, uttering the first thing that had popped into his mind. Teachers always assumed they knew better.

"I am. Or, at least, one in-training … I'll soon earn my living trying to teach brats like you," Naruto replied laughingly, again irritating the hell out of Sasuke: he hated people who laughed too much.

Sasuke scoffed at that; he hated teachers, even more than the tiring scuttling of the city. They were the worst, he felt; always lying, always motivating or ripping a student apart at their leisure. Also, looking at Naruto's laughing, monkey like face, he really couldn't see Naruto as a teacher: he couldn't believe that a punk like him was really serious about it. Perhaps, his ears were deceiving him or Naruto was pulling his leg; whatever it was, it just couldn't be the truth or the world was really going to the dogs.

"Well, there's nothing you can teach me," Sasuke told him coolly, this time looking directly into his face. "Don't think that I'll listen to your crap."

Naruto didn't reply to this, but stopped the car and parked in an unassuming little area.

The area, as expected, wasn't anything worth elaborating on – it was as ordinary a street as an ordinary street can be expected to be. Naruto lived in an unassuming area and, perhaps, the only odd, outstanding thing out in this monotonous lull of a white house after white house was Naruto himself.

At first sight, there wasn't anything unique about the apartment: it was small, messily furnished with stacks of books piling on the floor, and Naruto, that had to be said, seemed to have an uncanny fondness for plants. There were more cacti in the room than Sasuke could tolerate, and he eyed the apartment warily, not feeling inclined to necessarily enter it any further.

No, it weren't merely the plants that bothered him – this wasn't the sort of place he had expected a student - what Naruto claimed to be - to live in. Wherever, he looked there were posters of scantily clad females and old school anime hanging on the walls. Great, so Naruto was one of those sci-fi obsessed skirt-chasers.

Loser, Sasuke thought disdainfully and snorted ungraciously.

"Don't tell me that you live here. This place looks like shit," Sasuke stated. He didn't even bother to hide his disapproval, even though someone else in his shoes wouldn't have done the same; Sasuke, however, didn't care for trite conventions – he wasn't a pussy and to lie wasn't in his nature, either.

"I do. Isn't it fine enough for the likes of you?" Naruto grumbled angrily: he had made a mistake bringing that asshole home with him. It wasn't – what was that bastard's name – business to scrutinise his housekeeping or lack thereof. Sure, Naruto wasn't very organised nor particularly neat, but it didn't matter. As long as he didn't trip over his own books, Naruto wasn't going to change anything about it; he had no need for it.

"Whatever. Just show me where I can go to bed," Sasuke said, dropping a heated look at the panda-decorated sofa: a normal person with decent amount self-respect shouldn't have owned such a hideous thing. Then again, Naruto wore flaming orange and, if this wasn't an indication of his being nuts, than nothing was.

"You'll have to sleep in the living room. I've only got one spare bed, and I'm not going to share it with you. "

Sasuke didn't really care at this point: the whole evening had been too surrealistic to make him more than mildly annoyed: he didn't like Naruto's attitude. Besides, it wasn't like he longed to share a bed with another guy, of all things; Naruto wasn't even attractive to begin with.

"Look, the sofa's too springy, so you'll have to … wait, I'll get something," Naruto said, before he dashed off from one room to another. Something – perhaps it was his damnable good breeding – told him that he should have offered his assistance, but Sasuke didn't do a thing.

On the contrary, he stood there, like rooted to the spot and watched how Naruto, after a couple of minutes, produced a futon, blankets and pillows – all of them looking reasonably soft and comfortable. Well, maybe it wasn't that bad; he could at least sleep here without getting into close proximity with any cactus.

Shrugging his shoulders, he – again not caring a whit for good breeding – kicked off his shoes, which landed carelessly in some corner and taking of his jacket, slipped into the futon, enjoying the softness of the pillow. Sooner than expected, he drifted off into sleep; the uneasiness and strangeness of the situation dissipated, leaving nothing, but warmth behind.

Sasuke felt excited, his pulse beating quickly, but he didn't show it. He wouldn't let that strange masked boy know that this fight was sending electric jolts of trepidation down his spine. To show weakness was beneath his pride and, because being proud was everything, he had to be as impassive as possible.

Naruto would... Damn, he had forgotten all about him. Normally, the boy was so loud and overbearing that his presence was unavoidable to be overlooked - Naruto was a pain in the arse, always nagging and interfering at the worst possible moments.

So, when Sasuke was confronted with the sound of silence, only broken by his own frantic breathing and the grunts coming from Naruto, he knew that something was wrong. Naruto wasn't alright and if he didn't do anything, he would be a goner. He had to protect him.

When the freak-boy made his intentions clear, Sasuke didn't waste a minute on protecting Naruto.

Why did you protect me?" the other boy asked, anger and something like fear was rising in his voice. Sasuke didn't know whether he should feel touched or angered: he didn't like it when people openly showed concern for him.

"I don't know. My body moved of its own accord," Sasuke uttered, feeling the needles sticking out of his neck, scraping his knee and, most of all, the pain. He really didn't know why he had jumped in front of Haku: he could have let Naruto die. It wasn't as if he had anything to do with his mission, but at the same time, he just wouldn't let anyone die in front of him either - even if the said person was a moronic idiot who always got in the way.

In his line of work or preparation for it, Naruto often had to deal with aggravating kids and moody teenagers: he really didn't lose his patience that easily. Generally, most kids were either show-offs or caused trouble because they were attention whores; it might have sounded generalised, but those observations were, in the most cases, the truth.

Sasuke, however, was different and Naruto couldn't put his finger as to why; he just knew that this wasn't your typical runaway: he was much too tidy, healthy-looking and proud to be some homeless orphan. And, to make matters worse, Sasuke was pushing him over the edge; he was infuriating and quite a puzzle to be solved.

For one thing, he certainly wasn't a show off. Sasuke, as the boy had grudgingly introduced himself, never asked for attention. No, though arrogant in his manners, Sasuke never actually boasted.

Nor did Sasuke seem to yearn for acceptance – it was quite the contrary. He pushed himself away from Naruto, whenever he initiated contact and even his body language was painstakingly cautious. Whenever Naruto threw him a glance, the boy pulled himself together, squared his shoulders and tried to look smaller, inconspicuous. Nearly, as if he couldn't stand the thought of having someone observe him closely, or what was probably more accurate, Sasuke wasn't used to being looked at anymore.

That was where the boy struck him as slightly abnormal or as a bundle of contradictions. He obviously wasn't shy and didn't care much for politeness. If so, it was very weird that his mannerisms were that introverted and cowardly.

Naruto shook his head and, sitting on a stool in his kitchen, decided to drop the subject for today. He had other things to attend to and couldn't waste all of his time on that brat.

Then, shattering the tranquillity of the night to bits and pieces, the phone rang and, alarmed, Naruto nearly jumped from his stool, making it quiver which resulted in a crick-crack noise. Swearing for a second, he took the offensive machine in his hand and gruffly, trying the best to restrain a "fuck you" emitting from his lips, said, "Good evening. You're talking to—"

"Fuck, Naruto. Drop the formality. We're not old men, and you've known me for years. "

Of course, he should have thought about it: no one else bothered to call him at that hour of the night, other than his inconsiderate, brass, rude and ill-mannered idiot of a friend called Kiba Inuzuka. "Kiba, damnit. What's happened that you're calling right now? It's a little bit late for chatting, man."

"I know…I'm not that dumb. I need those notes on today's lecture. You know, there's this exam in a couple of days," Kiba said hurriedly and, though Naruto couldn't see him, he was certain that he was sweating and probably scratching his dog's ear lovingly. That damned mutt never left Kiba's side, anyway.

"You need the lecture notes? What didn't you make it to the class again?"

There was a loud, long drawn out sigh on the phone. Whatever Kiba was thinking about was a burden to him, and Naruto was bracing himself for it already: he knew what was going to come.

"Hell, of course no… I'd love to go regularly, but it's kinda hard with the job now. I'll be royally screwed over if I don't pass that exam, though."

Naruto paused to think that he would be royally screwed as well, if he failed the exam. As it was, he hadn't really studied either yet, but he did have Shikamaru. Although the guy didn't study a rat's ass either, he always knew – if one prodded him enough – the right answers to everything; those were the advantages of having a genius as a friend.

"Yeah... I get it. I'll bring them over tomorrow," Naruto gave him to answer, thinking that he was lucky. He, at least, had parents willing to pay for his studies, not that it made matters any better. He didn't like admitting it, but - often - Naruto felt bad that he used his parents that much and wasn't capable of fending for himself; one day, he would change that.

"Thanks. You're too kind, Naruto. Seriously."

Naruto placed the phone back in its place and made way to wash the dishes, but - feeling lethargic - just placed them in the sink, letting water from the tap to patter on it and, once they were appropriately wet, turned the tap off again – he really did hate doing menial jobs.

"Hmm…Perhaps, I'm really too kind," he said aloud, knowing that there wasn't anybody present to consider him insane for talking to himself.

Walking out of the kitchen, he came to the living-room which was now only dimly lit from the lone lamp standing on the desk, where several heavy volumes of dictionaries lay. Naruto saw that the boy was fast asleep, sprawled out on the mattress. He couldn't see much of Sasuke because he had built a sort of tent with the , Sasuke mumbled in his sleep, turned over on his back, allowing Naruto to have a full view of his face.

Damn, Sasuke was really pretty, far too beautiful for the likes of a boy. Usually, boys of this age were all pickles and big ears: Sasuke, however, was perfect, just the way he was. The aristocratic features, the delicately shaped nose and paleness of his skin made him look nearly breakable and fragile like porcelain; a thing too pretty and obscenely delicate to be allowed in this world.

In spite of that, Naruto hadn't been deceived: the way the boy had struggled against him, his fists pounding against his chest and the curses he had lashed out on him hadn't been anything, but delicate. Had he only been a little slower, the boy might have freed himself and run off, in order to continue pursuing his questionable objective.

For one short instant, an inexplicable desire compelled him to reach out and touch that face.

"I…this man…don't you die too," Naruto heard a voice exclaim out of nowhere, only to discover that it had been Sasuke in his sleep. Sweat was matting the boy's forehead, and his face was scrunched up, convulsed from the nightmare that was plaguing him. Breathing heavily, he tossed and turned, groaning all the while and grumbling incoherencies that didn't make any sense at all.

Perhaps, Sasuke was in a fever and feeling alarmed, he placed his hand on the other's sweating forehead, which to his immediate relief, wasn't hot. So, this wasn't the problem, and Naruto sighed, glad that he would be spared a visit to the hospital. He didn't really like the hospital because the clinical smell of cleanliness, in his opinion, couldn't make the lurking presence of death disappear.

However, he knew that Sasuke was suffering and, trying to calm him down, grabbed hold of one of his hands, gripping it soothingly; the hand was warm and smooth to the touch, making Naruto feel slightly odd. Although he still let out muffled grunts and groans, Sasuke had quieted down, and there was no longer that frown marring his features.

"Naruto, shut up. Don't -"

The sound of his own name, being whispered by those lips, shouldn't have been shocking or made him catch his breath for a moment. Naruto, however, couldn't shake off the feeling of surprise nor could he move away – something kept him right there, unable to leave Sasuke.

"You're really a dead-last."

Naruto had no idea what this expression was meant to convey, but something in the tone of it made him feel infuriated, and he felt the need to say a witty comeback, which he didn't do, though – he didn't want to wake Sasuke up.

Naruto gasped at his sudden concern: this was just a brat, a foolish boy he barely knew. Then again, by some divine idiocy, he felt like he had known, been familiar with Sasuke all his life, like he was the missing link he had been searching for all his life, and Naruto was nowhere close to being a closeted romantic.

This is mind-numbingly dumb, he thought and shook his head.

Unconsciously, he reached down and started to caress Sasuke's face, tracing his skin with his fingers – the skin wasn't as soft as he had imagined it to be. It was dry, more callous and rough to the touch than it should have been, but, in a weird way, also soft, just not as soft as a petal.

He didn't stop there, making his way to the sleeping boy's hair, which felt thick and silky.

Naruto stopped in time and knocked himself on the forehead: he really had to be sexually frustrated. Perhaps, not having bedded someone in months had that effect on him, making him think that Sasuke was worth debauching. That in itself was unacceptable because Naruto was twenty and shouldn't have felt the need to kiss such youngsters.

It couldn't be that he felt attracted to that bitchy, stuck up brat who, other than his beauty, didn't have much to offer.

Surely, he kept Naruto on his toes, challenged him in ways no one else he had ever met had; however, this didn't have anything to do with romance. Love wasn't borne out of one time encounters and mutual annoyance.

Sasuke, though he wasn't going to admit it, had slept better last night than he had had in months. His dreams hadn't been the violent shade of horror that they usually were, and he had felt protected, as if someone had been watching over him. Of course, those were girlish thoughts, not worthy of being pursued, but Sasuke didn't care. For once, he thought it was nice to feel being cared for, to have someone there and not to be always tossed aside.

"You're lucky that it's Sunday today. Otherwise, I would have forced your ass back to school," Naruto said as way of trying to have a conversation; it freaked him out to have such overbearing silence in the apartment, especially when someone was actually present.

"I don't go to school. I dropped out," Sasuke responded, his voice thin and not betraying any emotion, other than his usual despondence and arrogant gruffness. Actually, it was as if he was tongue-tied, unable to respond because something was keeping him back and the more Sasuke resisted, the more it hurt.

As expected, Naruto's eyes widened, and he threw a bewildered look at the confusing boy, not understanding a freaking thing anymore; he couldn't understand why an obviously intelligent boy like Sasuke had dropped out of high school. No, it had nothing do with his job or the fact that he was such a high profiler for education; however, for Sasuke to waste his life away like that was something that didn't seem to clink with his brain."And you had any reason for that, other than perhaps that you're too fine –"

"I wasn't good enough," Sasuke said quietly, refusing to meet Naruto's gaze. He didn't understand the concern in his eyes or why the man genuinely looked worried about him. It wasn't right, it had to be a lie because no one cared about him, hadn't for a long time.

"What did you mean you weren't good enough…? That's impossible."

There was another sigh and a creaking noise: Sasuke had shifted in his chair, and his face contorted, showing a wide range of emotions – anger, mind-rattling frustration and sadness.

"I said what I said. I'm just not good enough, I'm not like my perfect, genius brother and whatever I do I'll never be like him! And my father -" Sasuke stopped himself all of sudden, slapping his hand against his mouth to keep it from working. Damned that guy… damned that apartment and damned him for not having been able to break free.

"What about your father?"

"Nothing. It's none of your concern."

Sasuke was infuriated; not only at himself, the world and that accursed deity up there that continued to make his life hell, wherever he went. Besides, Naruto, that idiotic, half-brained sucker, was just a little too helpful in his tastes – who the hell did think he was?

"It's my concern now that we know each other, Sasuke. You can't just keep out of it, "Naruto gave him to understand, directing an intense look in his direction that was determined and fierce at the same time.

"What makes me you think that you can just interrogate me like some police officer? I'm not your friend, your lover or your brother. I'm just –"He wanted to state that he wasn't anyone's pity case or to be trifled with: Sasuke had had enough of that in the past few months, and he didn't need another deceit. There was no necessity for him to be smothered with false niceties or sugary words that only left him feeling empty.

"A fucked up boy who tried to commit suicide last night… And you expect me not to care? If you don't care yourself, then it's my job to do it for you. "

"Hn. I didn't ask to be saved by you … I don't want to anything from you, Naruto," Sasuke answered, not feeling the slightest gratitude for that: he didn't want to be reminded of it.

Sasuke, Naruto decided, was a manipulative jerk: alone the way he used his name, that address of familiarity to coldly emphasis his point was impossible to describe. Never - in his entire life -had he met someone who could push his buttons that much; he had never wanted to crush, shake another person as much as Sasuke … to break him, Naruto felt would have been a duty to society.

Naruto had slammed the dishes away from the table and grabbed the lapels of Sasuke's shirt before he could even flinch."You're an idiot to think that people won't care about you. Besides, what have you've suffered so much that you feel you have to fuckin' kill yourself, huh? That – what you've tried to do is a coward's way out of things…it's what losers do when they're too scared to move. You're pathetic, a drama queen…not better than the stray dogs you find on the streets."

The world had stopped turning for Sasuke and in that slow-motion reality, in which he was being shaken by Naruto, a man he had only known a day, he felt like he'd been made out of stone, lifeless and dead. Or, in other words, he was just dumbfounded and couldn't believe that he was being lectured by a guy in his twenties who was into video games and didn't even own a proper car.

Naruto was seething with rage; his heart was pounding uncontrollably against his chest, and he wanted to drag that fussy, complicated boy into a corner and force some sense into him. He wanted to crack, break something just to have that blinding, uncontrollable feeling to stop – he was angry, ready to attack like a beast, fling himself on its prey and devour it alive.

He stopped when he saw Sasuke's perturbed, nearly terrified look: the dark eyes were wide, questioning and, though there was no distinct expression on his face, Naruto knew that he had – somehow – managed to really make Sasuke look at him. There was no longer that bored expression of "screw you, you're not worth my attention", but something else, something that couldn't be defined in words. It wasn't respect, it wasn't awe nor was it hatred, disgust – it was a simple acknowledgement of his not being a total idiot, after all.

It was exactly at that instant, lost in the moment, that Naruto did the unthinkable, or, if he really thought about it, the only thing that really made sense all along. Indeed, it was the only thing he could do, apart from beating Sasuke to a blood pulp.

Grabbing Sasuke's shirt by the hands, he pulled him into a kiss, aggressively forcing his mouth open, nearly bruising him in the process. This wasn't a cinematic kiss, but harsh, cruel and, most of all, real.

Naruto wasn't the sort to be cliché, considering those kinds of thoughts to be for sexually-frustrated housewives and adolescent girls; however, he couldn't help feeling that he had never felt more alive, more complete than at this moment.

Sasuke, by the looks of it, had never really been kissed before because he, equally fuelled, just slammed his lips against Naruto's, clumsily. Whatever he did, couldn't be described as kissing because it was merely an attack, as violent and furious as his previously spoken words. His hands were all over Naruto's hair, mussing it and making it look like a bird's nest that defied gravity.

No, he definitely wasn't fragile or something that could easily be crushed, for he was just as volatile and eager as Naruto, putting all his energy into that kiss.

After a few moments, Naruto felt fed up with the volatile nature of the kiss and, caressing Sasuke's cheek, softened it and more importantly, slowed it down; he was surprised at how easy it was to calm Sasuke down and even more flabbergasted, at how quickly he grasped the concept of kissing.

Soon, Naruto let go of Sasuke's lips and, losing himself wholly to this inexplicable sensation, traversed the other's neck with his lips, nibbling and kissing it softly. Initially, there were no sounds, and Sasuke was unresponsive, but, as he trailed continuing his neck with kisses, Naruto heard a gasp and then another one, which sounded suspiciously needy.

"Naruto," was the gruff reply, not at all pleading or even worshipping – but wondrous and disbelieving, as if this was something outrageous. Naruto had to smirk at that, somewhat amused and very excited by the young man's defiance – he had never meant someone that proud and unwilling to admit defeat before.

After that, he continued to molest Sasuke's neck, which was entirely exposed to him due to the largeness of the T-shirt. Something about this, the way the shirt slid off Sasuke's shoulders and made him look that delectably soft, should have struck Naruto as wrong, but he couldn't stop.

However, all of a sudden like a thunderbolt crashing onto his roof, it dawned upon Naruto what he was exactly doing and where this whole action was leading to – he was getting ready to seduce Sasuke.

"You're a child molester, after all."

If it hadn't been for a slight flush of red on his pale skin, no one would have assumed that he just been making out with Sasuke a few moments before – but the blush disappeared quickly, replaced by a self-satisfied and arrogant smirk.

Again, Naruto felt a driving need to pummel that blasted boy and prove him – he didn't know what. Of course, it wasn't Sasuke's fault that he had kissed him; Naruto had done that willingly and, to be fair, he had been the one to start it. And that was why he a dim-witted and moronic fool.

Fuck, he had allowed himself to get carried away, had nearly gone and done something foolish. At least, foolish enough to have Kiba proclaim him a blasted idiot and have Shikamaru shake his head; there wasn't any way that was something he could boast about.

Hell, it was official: Sasuke was a pain in the ass and he, Naruto, judging by how excited and aroused he was, was a pervert and attracted to a pain in the ass, bastard who wasn't even legal yet.

"Just shut the hell up," Naruto said promptly, leaving the kitchen and slamming the bathroom door shut behind him. That, he thought, this feeling of restlessness and anger was becoming a tradition he really didn't wish to contemplate on.

Sasuke was really driving him up the wall.

There were many things Sakura Haruno took for granted when it came to her best friend.

After all, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't necessarily the sanest of people she knew. The fact that he was spastic, had weird hobbies and was impossibly childish wasn't something that fazed her anymore; he was just an idiot, and she could deal with it.

Yet, this time, after he had sought her out with tousled hair, an expression of frustration and anger on his face, she sensed that something was seriously amiss. She had also known that Naruto, judging by the way he had knocked on her door, had wanted to talk to her about something important.

Therefore, without bothering to wait, she had pulled him into her apartment and, at present, seated opposite of her, Naruto, the idiot, was recounting one of the craziest tales she had ever heard.

"So, you're telling me that you picked up some depressed emo and that he's now living in your apartment?" she repeated dumbly, not believing her own ears and hoping that Naruto was just pulling her legs.

"Sakura, don't tell me you're going deaf at this age."

"No, it just sounds insane. No, scratch that, it is insane. What do you expect me to think? You're really an idiot: that boy, whoever he is, is probably some drug –"

"No, he's clean. I'm pretty sure of that," Naruto said quickly, so quickly that it made Sakura suspicious.

Sakura's interest piqued up, and she furrowed her eyebrows, asking herself whether he wasn't being delusional. It was just like him to not think the worst of people; he was surprisingly naive for a loud-mouthed guy. Then again, she restrained herself – it wasn't any good to be too judgemental.

"Still … where is he now?" Sakura asked, preparing herself for another crazy comment.

"At my apartment, probably moping about…I locked him up."

This time, Sakura had the decency not to snort and break out laughing, although her insides were practically screaming for it. This was the final nail in the coffin, the ultimate proof that her childhood friend had completely lost his marbles - and she didn't hesitate to tell him that."You're nuts, you know that. "

"Jeez…what'd you expect me to do? I'm not going to let that bastard die, even if he's annoying as hell and makes me want to choke him to death half the time."

Sakura rolled her eyes at that. Naruto always wanted to strangle someone to death, be it Kiba, his landlord or the random guy on the street who dared to taunt him about his – admittedly – questionable fashion style. So far, this was the least worrying aspect of this whole mess."Yeah, but don't you think he's missed, having run away from home or whatever?"

"That's the problem, he won't tell me anything. Well, not entirely, he did, in a moment of weakness, drop some hints, but it's all really vague. Some shit about not being good enough, and his brother being a genius."

At that, Sakura rolled her eyes even more, tapping her fingers against the table impatiently. So, Naruto – thankfully – hadn't picked up a criminal, but some depressed brat who felt it necessary to attract attention to himself. She had no idea which was worse: the trouble of bringing a fuck-up home or dealing with supposedly depressed teenagers.

"Boring. The typical problems of ninety percent of today's population…And you're seriously worried about that kind of thing? He's probably just starved for attention."

Naruto shook his head."I don't think so, Sakura. You'd have to see him to understand. I don't know I just feel that his pain isn't one those self-constructed woe me stories. He's really hurt, deep down."

"And even if he is, you can't force him to share it with you. He's not a little kid and, the longer you'll deal with him, the more hurt you'll be. Naruto, let go of that foolish boy. You're not a saviour, and it's your job to be that boy's only hope."

Unfortunately, Sakura's words, true as they were, didn't achieve the desired effect, though they triggered something within Naruto: he knew he couldn't just desert Sasuke.

Something that was truly bizarre in this entire situation was the following. Naruto couldn't believe how disturbingly natural it felt to have Sasuke right there in his apartment, waiting for him; yes, he was an idiot, all right.

Perhaps, he was still high-strung and nervous which made him irrational and somewhat sentimental; he hadn't been able to sleep a wink last night - damned Sasuke and his pretty boy looks.

In the midst of these deeply introspective reflections, Naruto nearly gave a yelp when the object of his reflections stood, only meters away from the door.

"You shouldn't have locked the door," Sasuke told him peevishly, even though the tone in his voice wasn't accusatory. He merely sounded irritated, but that wasn't anything unusual; Naruto had accepted the fact that Sasuke was constantly prissy.

In the light of dawn and wearing the way too large T-shirt, Sasuke looked better than the night before; he was no longer deadly pale, and the morbid expression on his face was gone. He looked, save for the obvious irritation on his face, relaxed.

"You'd think that I'd let you leave just like that? So, you could pull off some weird stunt?"

"Whatever. It's not like I'm very safe with you either. "

The blood in Naruto's vein froze at those words; he had forgotten about that deplorable and silly incident, even though, at the same time, his stomach was filled with fluttering sensations. Again, he felt ashamed at himself for harbouring such thoughts towards Sasuke and, for the first time, addressed them in words. "Look that kissing … that was a mistake. It just happened."

"I don't care," Sasuke told him sharply and, once again, Naruto was surprised by the harshness in his tone. He didn't really understand why the other was that angry; Naruto really didn't think that he had said anything hurtful.

"No, you get me wrong. I didn't mean it like that. It's just…you're way too –"

Sasuke interrupted Naruto before he could complete his sentence."I'll be eighteen in few months. It's not a big deal. And you're not even twenty-one yet," Sasuke told him curtly and, seeing the confused look on Naruto' face, set forth to say, "I saw your student I.D on the table."

Truth to be said, Sasuke didn't understand that issue at all. He wasn't a child anymore and whom he kissed or slept with wasn't anyone's business, but his.

"And even then, I've only known you for a day, Sasuke. And I don't believe in crap like love at first sight."

"I wasn't talking about love."

"Yeah, but what about your family, man? Aren't they missing you or something'?"

"I told you not to talk about them," Sasuke gave him to understand, trying his utmost to sound composed, although the mere mention of his family made him want to slam his fist against the wall.

"But you must tell me about them eventually. Sooner or later, you're going to have to return."

"What do you want me to tell you, Naruto?"Sasuke hated Naruto at that instant; couldn't that idiot just understand that he didn't want to talk? That it didn't make things better at all?

"Everything that's important."

This was it, the final trigger that made Sasuke fire all the anger and frustration he had kept bottled up inside – and it was all Naruto's fault."My mother is dead, and my father doesn't give a fuck about me. He probably doesn't even know that I'm not at home. It's not like he's ever there. And my brother…well it's the same. "

Sasuke didn't feel like telling Naruto about the way his mother had perished – the hopelessness he had felt – or how his father, apathetic, came home each night without even registering that he, Sasuke, was still there. No, Naruto didn't need to know that.

"You're probably wrong about that, Sasuke. It can't be – is that why you were so keen to kill yourself? Because you thought no one cared?"

The devastation flickering in Sasuke's eyes, for one instant, was enough to confirm his suspicions and make him want to embrace him, to ensure him that this couldn't be the case. He didn't – couldn't – believe that no one cared about Sasuke, who inconsiderate and rude bastard that he was, didn't deserve to be ignored; he was even charming in his own way.

"I told you that I don't want to talk about it."

What happened afterwards, Naruto could only describe as a surrealistic and out-of-this-world occurrence because, before he could even say anything in response, Sasuke had latched himself onto him. He wasn't that much shorter, or to be fair, nearly as tall as Naruto himself, and it wasn't difficult for him.

This time, Sasuke's kisses were gentle and more confident, even though they still lacked skill and were clumsy: he kissed like someone who was deprived of everything, but being alive and needed to prove it. The hands gripping Naruto's shoulders were strong, the nails of it nearly scratching his skin, and he was shocked at how close they were, how their bodies seemed to fit perfectly against each other.

Naruto knew that he shouldn't have allowed this to happen and shoved the other away instead: however, he couldn't deny that he wanted this just as much. If, by chance, he was going to burn in hell for this, so be it. Never had sin tasted that sweet and what was most important, never had it felt that right.

"Look, we shouldn't be doing this here…," Naruto said, directing Sasuke to his bed and tugging at his clothes.

Sasuke's eyes widened when he felt the softness of the bed's mattress, and the familiar smell of Naruto assaulted his nose, which should have been disgusting, but surprisingly wasn't. Naruto's odour, just like the smell of earth, was pleasant; there was something comforting in it and lazy.

Sasuke, in all honesty, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and, kissing those pliant lips again, he tried to banish the notion of how rushed this was; that, in spite of Sasuke's willingness, it would cause him more harm than good.

Carefully, he let his hands slide underneath Sasuke's thin shirt, for the first time feeling that cool skin – which was soft, softer than the last time and nearly deceived him into believing that Sasuke was like porcelain.

He took his time to kiss Sasuke, remove his clothes, aware that he was a virgin: he had never been with someone that inexperienced before. The few flings he had had weren't anything comparable to this; they had been the result of drinking too much, sexual frustration and curiosity. This, however, was different; it was slow, careful and like diving into water.

To rush things and, thus, hurt Sasuke even more wouldn't have been a good idea: he wanted to make this as good as possible, especially for him."You should just relax,"

Sasuke was curious whether this was sarcasm or a joke on Naruto's part, for he really couldn't feel relaxed when there was finger prodding his ass. No, it didn't feel good, but odd and uncomfortable; he didn't like this feeling of being stretched. He didn't like it at all and one part of him was all about protesting, but another part of him wanted to take the risk.

"If you'd like me to stop, just say it."

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm not a girl –" Sasuke murmured, embarrassed and partly freaked out.

Sasuke didn't know what had prompted him to tackle Naruto and then, in a moment of – he didn't know what – to attack his lips, considering that he hadn't cared much for kissing. Indeed, other than the make-out session in the morning, he had never bothered to kiss someone else before and had dismissed sex as something useless and trivial. That was something Itachi indulged in, just like his father drowned his own sorrows in work and being death as a doornail to everyone and everything else.

Perhaps, he wasn't any better than Itachi, after all – doing this just to forget. However, if he had wanted to do this before, Sasuke would have done it – wouldn't have even wasted a minute on waiting.

All of a sudden, Naruto stopped and Sasuke, feeling vulnerable and alone, opened his eyes. What he saw shouldn't have made him catch in his breath, but there was Naruto, looking – he didn't know how to describe it.

His blond hair, messy and all in disarray, fell all over his face, and Naruto's eyes were intense, nearly burning with passion. Had this been in another situation, he would have thought it cliché, even silly to ponder over such things, but Sasuke was mesmerised, drawn to Naruto. Not knowing what he was exactly doing, he reached out to touch Naruto's face, which made the other gasp and lean into the touch for a short moment.

"I can't. Not like this. You deserve better than a pity fuck," he said, in a tone that was uncharacteristically serious, "and if think about it …. I'm not into casual flings."

"Fuck you."Sasuke didn't wait for Naruto to answer, but grabbed his clothes with relentless haste and stormed into the bathroom, slamming its door shut for the second time that day.

Naruto would have laughed, if he had been in the mood, but, instead, he just threw himself on the bed and counted the various cracks in the holes. He had messed up this time.

All the time, while Sasuke put on his clothes, he tried to banish the thoughts of Naruto, the way he had kissed him, the taste of his lips and the all-encompassing warmth of his body. Moreover, he just wanted to forget how much he had wanted him; the excitement pulsing in his veins had been nearly too much for him to bear. He shouldn't have felt like this because it was pathetic and stupid, but at the same time, he couldn't help it.

Naruto was someone he would never be able to forget and that was a weakness.

Preparing himself for a possible confrontation, Sasuke unlocked the door of the bathroom cautiously and peeped out: Naruto was still in his bedroom, obviously sulking or, to be more accurate, probably throwing fake punches in the air. As strange as it sounded, Sasuke was pretty sure of that, even though he couldn't see him.

Then, no longer waiting for a sign of Naruto to come shuffling out of the room, he dashed out of the room and, closing a door rather violently behind him, ran out of the apartment.

The journey home didn't take as long as Sasuke had expected it to last – the half an hour he had spent brooding in that crowded train, feeling the sweat-soaked and flabby bodies of other individuals brushing up against him, had passed by fluidly like the melting of glass.

This, in itself, was unsettling and disturbing, proving how much of a demi-heure life really was; however, Sasuke wasn't very surprised – time always went by quickly, if one didn't pause to think. Time only moved sluggishly at a snail's pace when one suffered, after all.

The building he entered was located in a quiet area- nearly reminiscent of a ghost town; he didn't have to knock or ring any doorbell because he still owned the keys. When he entered, he immediately noticed that he wasn't alone.

"Sasuke, so you've come back again."

As usual, Itachi was in the living room, sitting on that over-large desk and pouring over medical books with intense concentration, which was all he ever seemed to do. Sasuke couldn't remember an incident when he hadn't seen his brother studying, hanging out with his friends or bringing a pretty girl home. It was odd that, in all these years, Itachi was like a stranger to him and that nothing could make Sasuke approach him. Just as if an impenetrable barrier had been placed between the two of them and kept them from associating with each other.

"Where's father?" Sasuke asked mechanically, as if he had done this a thousand times before and the outcome never differed, but remained unapologetically the same at all costs. Itachi didn't even look up; his medicine books were far too important to enable him to divert his attention for a second. Sasuke rolled his eyes and restrained himself from sighing – it wasn't necessary to draw Itachi's attention like that.

"Not at home. He's in his office," Itachi gave him to understand in his monotonous and sober voice; he didn't even throw a single glance at his younger brother, as if he were expendable and hadn't been gone at all.

Another thing that never changed was this: Sasuke's father, who might as well have been a phantom, was always at work. He didn't think that he could even distinctly remember when his father hadn't been busy, tired or not concerned with something that didn't fall directly in line with his profession.

"You should consider looking for a job. You're not going to get very far, if all you do is spend your nights wandering about, "Itachi mentioned carelessly while his eyes were fixed on the text in front of him.

The room was elegantly furnished and top notch: everything stood in the right place, no picture hung awkwardly, and it was superficially clean. Yet, there was something unwelcoming lurking in the atmosphere; a smell of dust hovered over the room and closer inspection revealed that the room was too dusty, hadn't been taken care of in ages and was neglected.

"I was at…a friend's," Sasuke said just like that, observing all the while how different Naruto and his brother were. If his brother had only been a little bit like that moron, he would have noticed the hesitation in his voice. Also, his brain would have gone click: Sasuke had never mentioned having any friends. Then, admittedly, Itachi had never cared about asking him. It wasn't like he had any friends to boast of, either.

"Look, I've got work to do… not everyone has time on their hands, like you do, little brother," Itachi remarked aloofly, his voice hinting that it was due time for Sasuke to leave and quit disturbing him.

"I get it," Sasuke said obediently and turning away, he left the room without throwing a backward glance at Itachi's form; he wasn't even angry anymore. He hadn't expected any different. He felt tired, even more than that night on the bridge, but at the same time, there was something else there – something that was like quiet rebellion.

Before everything had gone astray, Sasuke had always taken comfort in being on his own; in shutting off the rest of the world and pretending that everything was fine. His room, mirroring what he felt to be the dreariness of his home, was spot-clean, the bed made and the not a book was out of place, giving the impression that this wasn't a room at all.

No, on the contrary, it looked like a museum of sorts, conveying memories of bygone days when he had been happier.

Unlike other teenagers, Sasuke didn't enjoy any music nor watch any films religiously: he merely read, read until his eyes burned and his thoughts swirled. Last year, before shit had happened and taken his mother away from him, he had simply loved observing her. She had been a quiet and complacent person, yet still been affectionate in her own way; Sasuke had loved that.

Don't read that much, Sasuke. It's bad for your eyes.

Yes, she had always said that, in regard to his reading that much and, all of a sudden, it dawned upon Sasuke that he couldn't remain here any longer: the oppressive stiffness and repressed emotions drove him mad.

In general, Naruto wasn't a very moody or easily put out person: he could deal with most things. These things usually involved oversleeping in the morning, forgetting the assignments he had and barely passing a course.

Yet, at that moment, he felt like shit, worn out and displeased: he had been an idiot to push Sasuke away and the anxiety was killing him. Who knew what that stubborn bastard was up to right now?

Perhaps he was – no, Naruto couldn't bear to think of it.

When Naruto heard the knock on his door, he didn't expect anyone in particular, least of all the person on his mind. To say that he was shocked, once the door whooshed open, to see Sasuke standing in front of him was an understatement. What rendered him speechless, however, wasn't his very presence, but the bag that was draped over his back.

"What are you...?" he sputtered dumbly, earning an annoyed look from Sasuke .

"Look, don't talk too much and just let me in."

It was ironic that, as ridiculous as the whole thing was, Sasuke was ordering him around – even if this was his apartment, the apartment that, though he didn't pay himself, was his own sanctuary. Scratch, apparently from now on, this was their apartment as Sasuke, the bastard, seemed to have every intention to move in.

Naruto, slowly returning to his senses, refrained himself from saying something dumb, thinking that it wouldn't be wise to start an argument; he just didn't feel like having Sasuke stomping out of the apartment again.

"I just didn't expect to see you again, not after … well, you know," Naruto replied, scratching his head awkwardly and staring bemusedly at the bag, which Sasuke had put to the floor.

"Do us both a favour and don't mention that again."

"Why are you here, though? Of course, you don't have to answer –"

"Good … Because I don't have anything to say."Sasuke didn't want Naruto to take him in because he was desperate; to be pitied wasn't what he was looking forward to. So, he remained silent on the subject, even though it was all in his head, waiting to crawl out and make him want to roar till his tongue was purple; he restrained it.

"You do realise that I could just kick you out?" Naruto grumbled, already irritated and wondering whether this was such a good idea. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that he was attracted to Saskue nor that living together would only lead to more confusion and compromising situations.

"You could, but you won't," Sasuke mumbled, feeling outright ascertained in that; everything about Naruto spelled safety and – most of all – reliability to him.

After that, neither of them spoke a word.

So it came into being that Sasuke started to live with Naruto, even though a tiger and dog would have been better suited for each other – at least, they barked, meowed and didn't necessarily have to tolerate each other's presence.

Naruto and Sasuke, however, were forced to be civil to each other, lest either of them wanted to live to be fifty – still, it wasn't easy.

In the course of a month, Sasuke had acquired following, exclusive and intimate knowledge about Naruto: namely, that he really was as childlike as he had seemed at first, didn't know shit about propriety and had the taste of a thirteen-year-old brat on a sugar high. Indeed, he had never come across a person with such an unhealthy and shameless penchant in video games, harem anime and porno magazines.

Furthermore, the fact that Naruto was a student was something Sasuke couldn't really stomach either because Naruto did everything and anything, but spend his time studying. Now, through his brother, Sasuke knew a thing or two about university, and he was fairly certain that while students did have some spare time on their hands, they certainly didn't have enough to constantly procrastinate, sleep or watch TV all day long.

Even Itachi, who surpassed most of his professors in intellect, had to study. Well, the only person he had known to excel at things without ever seeming to do anything was his former teacher Kakashi, but that man was a walking enigma, anyway.

"Don't you ever have any homework?" Sasuke asked out of sheer boredom, one of these days, while Naruto, was once again, situated in front of the television set. As always, his eyes were glued to the screen and, alternately sipping from his coke and eating his pizza, he was absorbed in watching another of those dumb action flicks.

"Nah, I'll copy it off from Shikamaru."

Sasuke didn't answer because he had no idea who that was.

Later, Sasuke came to understand that Shikamaru, like most of Naruto's friends, was a weird guy who, despite his obvious brilliance, rather spent his time lounging on the sofa and counting the cars that passed by than doing anything else. Strangely, Sasuke rather liked him because, unlike Kiba or that guy with the weird eyebrows, he was quiet and didn't ask any annoying questions.

Naruto really didn't mind Sasuke's company that much. Although, admittedly, it wasn't easy to live with a moody teenager who annoyingly turned out to be smarter and more practical than him. For example, in contrast to Naruto, he never had any problems to set his alarm clock, do the laundry or use his salary to such an extent that he never was broke.

Of course, Naruto hadn't really expected that an arrogant bastard like Sasuke would have taken on a job, but it seemed that he had been mistaken: Sasuke worked rather diligently and didn't utter a single syllable of complaint, even though he had to carry out newspapers in the early morning.

What did, however, make Naruto want to kick him out of the apartment, was Sasuke criticising him on everything imaginable . Naruto, unfortunately, didn't stomach criticism extremely well.

"You've put on two different socks again. How stupid can one be?"

"It's fashionable," Naruto retorted, glancing at his socks as if they were an invaluable and made out of satin. Sasuke just shook his head in response.

"No, it's not. It looks retarded."

"Just leave me alone, man. It's none of your-"

To his dismay, Naruto never finished the statement he had been about to impose on Sasuke – on the contrary, he never got the chance. The black-haired youth, being agile and fast, had pushed him onto the ground and straddling him – which put them into a rather delicate situation – pulled them off and threw the socks out of the window.

"You...you're impossible."

"And you're a dumb ass, Naruto."

The street wasn't any different from the other streets in this area: clean, with the neon lamplights illuminating it, showing to perfection the prettily arranged gardens and, in all honesty, it looked dull.

"Why are we here?" Sasuke asked in a bored tone. He didn't really want to be here, seeing that he had no business to meet any of Naruto's acquaintances; they were all freaks and loud-mouths, anyway.

"My parents want to know you ... as I've dropped a hint on the phone that you kinda live with me... and well I've got no other choice."

"Idiot, you should have kept your mouth shut."

Naruto didn't answer that question. Instead, he suddenly came to a halt and motioning towards a door, said, "Look, don't be freaked out by my parents, especially my Ma. They're a bit crazy in the head, but really decent folk."

Subsequently, he rang the bell, the sound of it loud enough to wake up a hoard of pigs, but no one came out. There were some rustling and screaming sounds to be heard; still no one came out and Naruto, who was shaking with fury, rang the bell again."Oi, damnit. Open the blasted door!"

After that, the door was finally opened and a voice, rather angrily, said, "You don't have to scream. I'm not deaf yet."

Whenever Sasuke had pictured Naruto's mother – which wasn't very often – he had imagined her to be a female version of him: loud-mouthed, blonde and with a cheeky, fox-like grin on her face.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. Yes, she was loud, even louder than Naruto himself, grinned from ear to ear, but she was, as much as Sasuke was loath to admit it, beautiful. With her thick red hair, the large blue eyes and brilliant smile, Kushina Uzumaki was a lovely woman.

"Are you Sasuke?" she asked him rudely, but, nonetheless, he bowed and introduced himself with as much politeness as he could muster.

"Why, Naruto…he isn't a brat at all. And you didn't tell me he was hot," she said to Naruto, before turning to Sasuke. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki and, if I weren't happily married, I'd totally make you min-"

"Mum...just .. shut up," Naruto said firmly, clasping his hand over her mouth to keep her from saying anymore. He was red in the face and looked ready to kill something.

Following this eloquent remark was the sound of a loud, ear-cracking thump; Kushina had knocked her son over the head and, unluckily, it hadn't been tender or playful. No, being a strong woman and rough-mannered like her boy, it was violent, and Naruto, bewildered, stood there, massaging the aching areas of his head.

"That's not the way to talk to your own mother. Didn't I teach you any damned manners?"

Sasuke wondered whether Kushina, by chance, believed that good manners meant interfering into other people's personal lives and cursing twenty four hours a day. Well, whatever she thought or whichever theories she supported, Sasuke knew that it wasn't anything contemporary.

"Yes, but there's no fucking need to embarrass me in front of my friends…you always do that!" Naruto, short of yelling, said, waving his fist at her threateningly, as if she were one of his brawl mates, instead of his mother. She, not differing from him in any way, equally took on a defensive stance, and looked like a wildcat, ready to pounce upon its prey.

"There's nothing embarrassing about telling your friend that he's good looking. Or are you telling me that you don't like the way he looks? "

"That's not the friggin' deal!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, feigning ignorance, though his red ears told an entirely different story.

Sasuke, standing at some distance from Naruto, had trouble believing that those were two adults arguing – he was reminded of two kids fighting over a toy. Nonetheless, it was amusing and he felt a surge of warmth crawling up his chest; he had never seen two people as comfortable with each other and, as much as they raised their voices, he could tell that this was playful banter.

"Naruto, Kushina darling. It's cold outside. Why don't you just let our guest come in?" the voice, which, made the screams, threats and craziness come to end, was a silent one; calm, rational and differed so much from the other two that it made Sasuke give a start.

The owner was what he presumed to be Naruto's father and, preparing himself for a Naruto look-alike, Sasuke averted his eyes from the arguing mother-son couplet and fixed his eyes on Naruto's father.

If Kushina and Naruto were loud and hyper than Naruto's father was the complete opposite, but that wasn't what made Sasuke glare at him – it was his striking similarity to Naruto that did that.

The same blond hair and blue eyes framed his face and made him stand out, though in a less electrifying manner than Naruto's appearance. That, however, were the similarities ended at first glance. In contrast to his son, Minato was composed, dignified, and there was something infinitely wise about him, as if he knew and understood things instinctively.

"I'm Minato Namikaze. Pleased to meet you, Sasuke-kun."

His smile, inviting and yet timid, reassured Sasuke and, for the first time, ever so cautiously, he smiled back. There was a memory, just faintly lingering, but always in the back of his mind, which now resurfaced and, recalling happier times, made Sasuke think of his own father – without pain. His father in the few moments, that he had allowed himself to be relaxed, had smiled in the same manner: it had never been that welcoming nor directed at him, though.

During the course of the evening, in which Kushina pretty much related all of Naruto's embarrassing childhood adventures and showed off his baby photos, Sasuke felt like he had slipped into an unreal world. Often, he felt the need to pinch himself to check whether this wasn't a dream of sorts. He couldn't put a finger what made the atmosphere in this home that cheery; it couldn't be the furniture, which was bright, simple and nothing noteworthy. Notwithstanding, everything radiated such warmth and homeliness that he nearly felt offended by it, as if this were a mockery of fate's.

"I wonder where Sakura-chan is today," Kushina said out of nowhere, drawing Sasuke's attention to her. She had her head propped up against her chin and seemed to be genuinely confused. At first, he didn't know whom she meant until he remembered that it was the childhood friend Naruto had often referred to – otherwise, it didn't ring any bell.

"She couldn't come. You know she's busy studying for her exams and such."

"Ah, she's on her way on becoming a great doctor while you're just being a lazy sod."

"I don't have to study that much. Everything just stays in my head."

Sometime, in the midst of Kushina laughing and Naruto prattling on about food, his awesomeness and her constantly embarrassing him, Sasuke had fallen deeply silent and just observed the tumult with interest: he had to admit that it was endearing. He just listened and didn't find himself engaged in any conversation until Naruto, on the premise of eating another bowl of ramen left the kitchen with his mother.

"So, you're really living at Naruto's?" Minato asked when the hectic footsteps died down, and the loud, excited voices had fallen into a comfortable background noise, giving room for his own to resound clearly. "I just want to hear it confirmed from your own lips because Naruto likes to crack silly jokes at times.

"Yes, I do. He can be a idiot sometimes, but it's okay to be living with him."Sasuke searched for the underlying disapproval and scorn in the man's features, but he didn't find anything: Minato didn't look anything than interested and amiable.

"Naruto, he has a heart of gold and never shows any pain, but it wasn't always easy for him. He used to suffer a lot when he was a child."

"…what happened to him?"Sasuke found it hard to voice the question, considering it obscure that a simpleton like Naruto could have ever felt anything other than giddy euphoria in his life. No, it wasn't the notion that Naruto could be upset that confused him –he had seen Naruto in flights of passion before – but he couldn't imagine Naruto suffering.

"He used to be what you call a problem case at school. Concentration issues, not able to grasp simple facts and that was hard on him… you know how the system here is. But he still made it through."

Sasuke didn't merely know; he felt the injustice and stupidity of the entire system the way a cat feels its tail being stepped on.

"Naruto told me that you dropped out of school. You probably understand why it's something outrageous for him. Because, you see, he still made it through, even though no one believed in him. "

For the first time since ages, Sasuke didn't feel like pressured into talking; there was something about Minato that invited confidence."My mother died of cancer last year. And since then, my … father hasn't been himself. No one has. I've never cared much for school and, when Mum died, I cared even less."

"Didn't you ever try talking to your father?"

"He's never at home and, if he's there, he only sees my brother."

Minato didn't immediately give Sasuke answer: he merely looked at him with a frown on his face, realisation dawning upon him. Sasuke knew that the man understood him – that he wasn't being pitied at all. This wasn't a deception, but tangible, real and more than he had ever received from anyone else.

There was a sudden clash and a bang, ringing and vibrating like an echo throughout the entire apartment. Of course, considering where Naruto and his mother were, the tumult had originated from the kitchen.

"Oh, I think that's our cue to end the discussion."

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief; their discourse had fallen into dangerous territory, and he felt that he – again – had revealed too much of himself. Regardless of that, there was no jolt of pain this time, but Sasuke felt as if he had lifted some of the burden off his shoulders. He felt like he had dropped a heavy weight on the ground and could finally breathe freely again: there was nothing holding him back.

Following the blond man, who had risen swiftly from his feet, Sasuke went to the kitchen, where he saw a scene he was likely not to forget that easily: Naruto and Kushina were, like two street boys, fighting over a bowl of ramen.

"Your parents are really nice," Sasuke mentioned offhandedly on their ride – which was now appropriate for him to say – home. He hoped that Naruto, who was still going on about the excellence of ramen, wouldn't capture the emotion in his tone.

"I told you as much as that. Though, they're still insane. At least, my mum is," Naruto told him gruffly, probably replaying all his mother had said that night.

Sasuke didn't bother to grace Naruto with a reply, but looked out at the scenery that, passing them in swift motions and fleeting colours, was formed anew each time before his eyes; he closed them after a while, feeling light-headed and at peace. He considered it obscure how comfortable and welcome he had felt in Naruto's childhood home; it was ridiculous that strangers, people he had never met before, had made him feel happier than he had felt in months.

"People who abandon their team mates are worse than scum."

Sasuke listened at these words intently, surprised that Kakashi, who had seemed unapproachable and distant, was capable of saying such words. And looking at Naruto, still tied to the log, he knew that he'd done the right thing...

"Sasuke, wake up. I'm not going to carry you up!" Naruto practically roared into his ear, not only making him flinch, but tearing him out of his dream world very unpleasantly; it was like having a stone tossed over one's head, bad enough to result in a headache.

Damn it, he had dozed off and was – not very gently – being shaken by Naruto: he hated how the dead last, which was his favourite nickname for Naruto by the way, could be never tactful or considerate."Let me go. I'm not a rag doll."

"Whatever. Just move your ass and don't waste my time."

Those were the moments – which happened at least thrice a day – that made Sasuke question not merely his sanity, but the wretched foolishness that had made him move in with Naruto; that guy was a pain in the arse."Shut the fuck up."

"Hey, don't forget that you're just –"

Sasuke didn't allow him to finish the sentence, but found out that a good way of shutting Naruto up was to kiss him. Naruto, who was rendered speechless by the sudden contact, didn't respond at first, but eventually, gaining control of his body back, deepened the kiss by shoving his tongue down Sasuke's mouth.

Neither of them realised that they hadn't done this in a month which, however, was fully inessential and of no importance whatsoever. This time, Sasuke didn't feel weird or frightened anymore, but he wanted this. To feel Naruto's lips on his, those hands painfully tugging at his hair was better than any notion of losing oneself in the depths of the sea.

In this manner, they continued to the apartment, kissing each other like drunken teenagers – which, one of them still was, roaming and groping each other until Naruto stopped."Fuck. … Not that again; this is getting too dangerous."

There Naruto went on again with the same crap: Sasuke felt like he had collided against a dead-end that gave him no possibility to go any further. Sasuke had always believed that he was the type to overreact, to downplay things and to not take a change, but right now it was Naruto acting like that."Damn it. Haven't we established that I'm not too young?"

"Yeah, but that's not it! You're just too confusing for me…Tell me, is this for real? Or are you just fucking with me?"

"What's your problem, Naruto?" Naruto looked at him imploringly, as if he were asking the question instead; Sasuke sighed and pushed himself against the wall. Then he took off his shoes and let them rest there in the corner. Naruto was asking for it.

"You won't tell me anything, that's the problem!"

Indeed, Naruto was really asking for it, and Sasuke wouldn't hold back any longer.

"What is that you want to know..heh? Oh yes, you want to know all about my screwed-up family life, how my father just keeps going in and out of his office without ever realising anything else…Or how my mother suffered for months before she finally died . And I couldn't do a fucking thing about it! "

"Sasuke…" Naruto started, but stopped short – unable to find the right words.

"Fuck it, Naruto. I didn't want to tell you because you already pity me, looking at me like you understand ... something you just can't!" Sasuke didn't wait for Naruto to give him an answer, but marched off to Naruto's bedroom, where he locked himself up. After that, there was no more sound; the sounds of the traffic was subdued, just a faint buzzing in the distance.

Naruto felt that once again, Fortuna had turned away from him and was, in her sarcastic nature, making fun of him. He had been kicked out of his own bedroom and reduced to sleeping in the living room.

Thankfully, Naruto, however, wasn't someone to mope around for too long; he was too exhausted and quite frankly, sleepy to care too much. So, situating himself on the sofa, he wrapped himself in a cot and, in a matter of minutes, was snoring in metronome tact.

Sasuke couldn't sleep that night; the shock of his outrage had been enough to make him restless and anxious. Although the bed was soft and no springs were out of place, he tossed and turned, unable to shake off the hundred nagging thoughts in his head. He decided to get up, unlock the door and on tip-toes, to walk over to where Naruto was sleeping.

The posters of the half-naked girls were no longer hanging on the walls – something Sasuke, upon moving in, had taken care to remove. It hadn't been without a huge protest on Naruto's side, but Sasuke had won the fight in the end.

Naruto, surprisingly, didn't look like a drooling idiot when he slept, even though he was an idiot and drooled like a dog. Yet, the relaxed expression on his face was enough to make him look cute; Naruto seemed happy, even though the sofa was hard, and he slept with his head propped up against his chin. Sasuke woke him up softly by shaking his shoulder.

"Sasuke, what are you-?"

"Don't talk," Sasuke whispered before he silenced Naruto, who was still half asleep, with a kiss. He hadn't planned this on first coming in; however, everything that was related to Naruto happened spontaneously and this wasn't any exception.

Weirdly, Sasuke didn't even mind anymore: he had reconciled himself with the fact that things with Naruto would never take a logical turn – he was engrossed, full of and engulfed by that dead-last, whether he wanted to or not.

"Don't ruin it," he whispered into his ear and, grabbing Naruto's hand, pulled him up and led him into the direction of the bedroom.

Both of them moved to the bedroom, which looked mysterious and outlandish to the eye; the darkness had rendered it mysterious and the few rays of light, coming from the moon, gave it that shimmering quality.

Naruto couldn't fight it this time, unable to resist the charms of Sasuke, who was pushing him down onto the bed, taking control and kissing him senseless. That really woke Naruto up and not willing to submit, he rolled them over and had Sasuke on his back: he had to admit that he had never been startled from his sleep in a better way.

Earning no protest from him, Naruto kissed Sasuke, idly licking Sasuke's lips while his hands worked on the buttons of his pyjama shirt. It was a frantic movement, and his hands often slipped over the buttons, missing them and this made him growl into the kiss.

Finally, Sasuke stopped him and said, "Naruto, let me do it. "

"Fine. But it takes all the fun out of it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed."Just let me undress and shut up."

"Fine…Ma."

By this time, Sasuke restrained himself not to hit Naruto over the head; anyone who used the word "Ma" before sex was irredeemably dumb. Still, he calmed himself down and slipped wordlessly out of his clothes, throwing them on the floor.

Suddenly, he felt vulnerable and felt something akin to fear; this wasn't something he had expected to feel and the need to have the lights switched off was overwhelming. Something must have shown in his features because Naruto was no longer pouting or grinning wickedly, but his features were serious and gentle.

"Are you really sure, Sasuke?" Naruto asked hoarsely, knowing that it was dumb to ask. He was fairly certain that Sasuke, by the way he painfully gripped his shoulders, wanted this. In fact, the he only kept asking for one reason – and that was to tease Sasuke; the trickster in him wanted to push Sasuke to his limits.

Whatever the matter, he knew he had reached his goal: Sasuke's usually pale cheeks were flushed and he was trembling; however, it wasn't out of fear.

"Fuck, idiot … Just do it."

"Do what?"

"Goddamnit, Naruto. Don't test my temper," Sasuke hissed, wishing that the blond would stop prolonging this. He really couldn't take it anymore; tired of being teased and eager to just feel Naruto inside of him.

Naruto really didn't understand where Sasuke's defiance came from or why he always felt the need to be strong and not vice versa. This was his first time, after all and Naruto instinctively knew, it was painful for him, even though he kept his eyes closed."Sasuke…"

"What?"

"Is it okay?"

"Yes. Don't ask stupid questions."

Still, if Sasuke had been a blushing, scared and weeping little ninny, he wouldn't have been half as arousing.

To Sasuke's astonishment, it didn't hurt half as much as he had expected it to; the stinging sensation was there, but it wasn't like being torn in half or any other crap he had picked up from books.

Naruto's movement were slow and cautious at first, which made him feel frustrated yet excited at the same time: he couldn't deny the fact this felt good, that Naruto was warm – even warmer than he had expected him to be.

"Move faster. I won't break," Sasuke said, his voice husky and breathless. He meant it too – the pain was subsiding and he needed – whatever it was – more.

For someone who had never done this before, Sasuke sure knew how to push his buttons; he still managed to be a stubborn and commanding prick. Naruto acquiesced, knowing that he wouldn't have been able to maintain the slow pace anyway. This felt way too good; he couldn't get enough of the way Sasuke felt, the way his hands held on to him tightly or how those unwilling moans seemed to escape his lips.

"Do you still I'm too young for this?" Sasuke asked him hurriedly; his voice husky and panted. He hoped that Naruto wouldn't answer in the affirmative because that would have ruined the erotic atmosphere.

"No...No way."

What an idiot he had been, Naruto thought. Sasuke was perfect. He took a closer look at Sasuke's face, inspecting the flush on his face, the bangs falling on his sweat coated forehead and way he had closed his eyes forcedly, obviously trying to concentrate on the sensation. That amused him slightly, for he had never seen someone being that focused and driven during sex

Sasuke felt Naruto kiss him passionately, making him feel even dizzier and warmer; he couldn't distinguish his senses anymore and like this, he fell, fell until the world grew black.

The disadvantage of living in big city is that the wake-up process isn't accompanied by hearing birds sing – so, it's never peaceful or other romantic shit. No, in Naruto's case it was the hooting of a car, and the roar of loud music that woke him from his sleep. The latter came from his neighbour, a huge fan of loud rock music, and in the constant habit of beginning his day with a good dose. As he had once told Naruto, as an explanation, nothing got him more rollin' than the ear-deafening, loud wailing of his favourite band.

Used to the sound, Naruto only rolled his eyes and turned, hoping to doze off again when his squinted eyes saw the person right next to him. Now, that had never happened to him before, and Naruto, immediately, opened his eyes and sat up in bed.

Damn, it was Sasuke – and it wasn't a dream. With a pang, Naruto realised what they had done last night and how much he had fucked things up; an irreparable damage had been done.

Sasuke, naturally, was, even if his hair was spilled all over the pillow, beautiful. Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he recalled the feel of Sasuke's breath against his face, his warmth and most of all, how right everything had seemed.

With a hint of nostalgia, Naruto was reminded of the first night Sasuke had spent at his apartment – only this time, he wasn't having any nightmares. Sasuke didn't have the permanent scowl on his face and, thus, looked more at ease than Naruto had ever seen him in before.

Waking up isn't an enjoyable business and in most cases, lest one wants to grow old, it isn't a very productive nor wise idea to rouse someone from sleep by banging very loudly on the door. Naruto, unfortunately, wasn't either smart or wise, and Sakura was forced to wake up in aforementioned manner that day. But she forgave him as soon as she saw his desperate look and ushered him into the kitchen; she waited for him to start talking, but he didn't. So, it was up to her to start the discussion.

"You fucked him, didn't you?" Sakura inquired, smiling knowingly. Normally, had it had not been Naruto, she wouldn't have voiced that question in such a bold and brass way. Yet, this was Naruto, and she knew that directness was the only thing that worked with him.

Predictably, he spat out the coke he had been drinking, spilled the glass he held all over his pants and, to fit this comical scene, his face had turned a brilliant shade of red. It was endearing, really, because men, especially tall and well-built ones, always look impossibly cute when they blush: Naruto wasn't an exception."Sakura, what kind of question is that?"

Hah, she thought, got you.

After all, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have struggled for an answer, but given her an impenitent and straightforward reply; to hold things back wasn't something he usually did.

"Simple: did you do the deed with him or not?" she asked innocently. "Come on, I'm not a virgin. You won't corrupt me."

"Sakura, just because—"

"Don't lie to me. You've got the look of someone who got laid recently."

"Ok, so I did. Happy?"

"No...How was it?" Sakura asked, leaning forward on the table and hoping that he would burst out with some juicy details.

"It was pretty good, I guess. But … wait a second; you're a pervert, Sakura-chan!"

"What? We're best friends, aren't we?" Sakura whined, hoping that her puppy dog look would work on Naruto. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and Naruto remained grim and silent."Wait, something's wrong right?"

"I can't help thinking that it was a mistake, though. I mean he's so damned difficult that it's enough to drive someone crazy."

"What, did he leave you the morning after?"That, honestly, wouldn't have surprised Sakura, considering what she had heard of the guy. She was already hatching plans to trace that bastard and skin him alive when she noticed Naruto's facial expression: so, he hadn't left.

"No, he's still asle—"

"Naruto, did you just leave him in bed alone?"

He didn't answer, but his face told her all she needed to know.

"You know that you're a fucking idiot, right?"

Again, Naruto didn't say anything, but buried his head in his hands and stayed like that for a couple of minutes.

"You're an idiot, Sasuke. If I hadn't saved you, you'd never have come back," the blond man whispered laughingly, tracing his finger down the other's neck. Sasuke shivered and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the touch, though he tried his best not to gasp.

"Naruto…"

Sasuke gasped in his sleep and woke up, not understanding the assault of these images that his dream had provided him with. He had no idea why, but lately the dreams had become more visual, less vague, and he had a notion that he understood – which was insane, by the way.

It couldn't be that the dreams he had were connected with Naruto, and a life they had shared once.

All of sudden, the reality of it all descended upon him, and, groaning slightly, he shifted on the bed, not only comprehending that he was naked under the covers, but that he was sore in places that he hadn't imagined possible. Not only that, he also felt dirty and the soiled bed sheets made him cringe: this was downright disgusting.

Sasuke didn't lose any time with dressing and, disliking the odour of sweat and that musky indefinable other, he tossed the bed sheets into the laundry. There was no need for them to lie there, even though he knew that Naruto wouldn't have cared if they had – he was that much of an incorrigible savage.

The fact that he wasn't a virgin anymore didn't perturb Sasuke that much; it was something that he handled like most things in his life – he shrugged his shoulders and went on with it.

To pause for a second and indulge in sentimental crap wasn't his style and, though a part of him, was relieved that he had finally done it; the first time sex wasn't enough to make him want to celebrate because as long as he didn't know the consequences, there was no reason to be anything than cautious.

Sasuke knew that he had, by taking that step, trespassed that fragile bond he and Naruto shared – it was no longer a cowardly-deceitful cat and mouse game, but had evolved into something else. He couldn't just shake Naruto off any longer: he couldn't run away and wouldn't do it, as long as the other didn't leave him behind either.

"But he's gone," Sasuke whispered moodily to himself, sinking down onto the floor and tapping his fingers against the cold, wooden floor.

"Man, you haven't been around for way too long," Kiba drawled, already half-drunk. They were at their usual meeting spot, the pub where both Naruto and Kiba occasionally drowned their sorrows in alcohol and commiserated over dumb professors, the bullshit that was studying and pretty females.

"I've had things to do," Naruto answered truthfully and though he held that pint of beer in his hands, didn't gulp in down in one go. Somehow, he wasn't in the mood for drinking or exchanging trite gossip: it didn't hold any interest for him.

"Like taking care of that kid…why don't you just throw him out?" Kiba asked: he wasn't ill-natured in any way, though his voice was gruff, rough and bristled with energy.

"I can't. It's way too late for that. "

Kiba squinted his eyes, scrunched his noise and gulped audibly."How so? Doesn't he have parents?"

"Look, it's complicated..."Naruto had to do his utmost to not to fall into a fit of hysterical laughter – everything was complicated and convoluted when it came to that blasted boy. Insurmountable, suffocating and blinding angst was Sasuke's trademark – and that was why everything had to be a struggle, an eternal battle for him.

Indeed, it way too late to push Sasuke out of his life; he couldn't even picture his apartment without that prissy and moody boy. Like a parasite, he had wormed his way into Naruto's life and become as indispensable as the ramen he loved.

"Whatever. Then you should at least get laid. You haven't gotten any in a while, have you?"

Naruto shook his head, not realising what he had done until the last moment. Kiba, reasonably perceptive, had gotten the hint at once and opening his mouth to drop another of his commentaries, was rudely interrupted: Naruto, with a loud scratch of the chair, got up and was in the process of – fitfully, it must be said – putting his jacket on.

"What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Look, I have to go."

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, drowned another bottle and absent-mindedly reached down to scratch his dog's head, which being the truthful companion it was, accompanied him everywhere. He wasn't much disturbed by Naruto's behaviour, figuring that whoever he had fooled around with was probably in for another round.

The sky was darkening already when he got home, the leaves fluttered above his head, and the coldness of the evening made him shiver. Winter was slowly coming to an end, but it was still bone-achingly frosty, and the floor was still slippery, wet from the damned rain and melting snow.

"You're late, Naruto."Sasuke dressed in a black T-shirt and pants looked, which was something that unsettled Naruto, unusually haughty and dissatisfied.

"I ran into a couple of friends and well … you know the drag."

The awkwardness of the entire situation was killing Naruto and, though he was loud, courageous in many instances of life, he wasn't when it boiled down to this.

It had never been easy for Naruto to deal with the aftermaths of sex, especially because he had always felt hollow and weird afterwards. Admittedly, the one good thing about having one-night stands was that one didn't have to bother with pesky reflections.

"Do you regret what we did last night?" Sasuke asked quietly, his voice low and on the verge of exploding. Naruto had come to understand that it wasn't a good thing when he spoke like that.

"Sasuke…no…it's just…" he tried to say lamely, knowing that it was bullshit and didn't serve as an apology at all; he didn't have anything else he could offer, though.

"I should have known."

"What do you expect me to do, Sasuke? I've never been with someone like you before. I don't know how I feel about you."

This was lie: Naruto knew that, whatever he felt for Sasuke, was powerful, overwhelming and unbreakable. There was something frightening about such feelings because he knew that they could either make one extremely happy or be like a death sentence."I don't even know if you're serious about this. Or if, instead of jumping into that bridge, you've picked me as your comfort…"

Before Naruto had even finished the sentence, he felt a fist collide with his face, felt the warmth of blood trickle down his jaw and saw, with much surprise, how Sasuke's eyes nearly blazed red. This image, the red eyes, seemed vaguely familiar to him and a moment of déjà vu came to him out of nowhere.

"Damn, Naruto. Do you think I randomly sleep with guys, unless I wasn't serious about it?" Sasuke asked insistently, challenging him in every way.

It was the emotion – which was a mixture of anger, hurt and that impossible defiance - in Sasuke's voice that triggered something in Naruto, making him feel ashamed and angry at himself. Sasuke, however, didn't leave him time to think, but lunged at him with such force and speed that it shocked the core out of Naruto. His back was suddenly against the wall – the cold hardness of it decidedly uncomfortable.

This was fucked up; it wasn't right that Sasuke was cornering him. He was supposed to be the older, more experienced one of them, but like always, Naruto was losing himself in that daze again, which always enveloped him, when it came to Sasuke. He was like a bitter pill, good in its purpose, yet disgusting and appalling in its taste.

"You're a scaredy cat and a coward. I'd thought that you'd be stronger than that."Then Sasuke kissed him with such vehemence that it was enough to break teeth; all of a sudden, this was a different Sasuke who coolly calculated each move.

"I'm not easy, Naruto," he whispered into his ear, making him shiver and close his eyes.

Sasuke's lips were on his right ear, alternately nibbling and biting. His hand seemed to have taken a life of its own and was reaching downwards until they reached his groin; he didn't do anything at first, just travelling up and down that particular spot. The glint on his eye, however, promised no good and, though Naruto should have shoved him away, he didn't – some hormonal and no doubt, idiotic part of his stopped him from doing anything.

The hand began to stroke, not gingerly nor shyly, but swiftly and hardly; Sasuke wasn't being lenient, rather intent on pushing him than letting him go off easily. Naruto gritted his teeth, slammed his head against the wall. He nearly bit his own tongue, in order not to moan out.

"Fuck, Sasuke stop."This was bad; seriously bad. Naruto couldn't remember when he had felt more helpless or overpowered than at the present moment.

"No."As if wishing to seal that answer, Sasuke's lips met with his own – hardly and mercilessly. This time, Naruto didn't offer any resistance, but returned the kiss, sensing that it was futile to pretend. Clutching onto Sasuke by the shoulders, he pulled them closer and groaned into the kiss when he felt Sasuke's own hardness.

The ring of the doorbell, however, interrupted their session and, swearing, Sasuke drew back, allowing the jingling and knocking to continue until Naruto saw it fit to do something about it. Naruto, unfortunately, remained there, rendered immobile and dumbstruck, like a wax dummy in a museum: Sasuke really hated his guts at times like this.

"I think you should open the door, idiot."

Naruto's eyes widened at the harsh note in Sasuke's voice and, breaking from that weird feeling of haziness, he realised two things: he had just been molested and was sporting an erection that was throbbing for release. He gulped.

As usual, Sasuke didn't seem to be affected in the least, save for the barely visible flush on his cheeks, and the bitchiness in his attitude - and the latter couldn't really be counted as something highly unusual.

"Yeah, of course." Naruto realised way too late what his current predicament was: he had a hard on and that wasn't a good way to accept guests. Whoever, it was, he felt angry that the person had decided to come at such a late hour, but then again, Naruto wasn't the type to not let someone in."I hate you, bastard."

"Go into the bathroom and let me take care of this."

Naruto, having no other choice, did as he was told. Still, on his way there, he regretted that he had been delirious enough to take Sasuke's virginity; the jerk was even harder to manage now.

Then again, it wasn't like he hadn't wanted it in the long run. Whatever it was, Naruto thought while he fished fresh trousers from one of the laundry boxes, he couldn't deny that Sasuke was a part of his life now.

When he came out, he was surprised to see Sakura and Sasuke seated on the table, apparently in the middle of a conversation. They didn't notice him and Naruto, feeling curious, remained hidden in the doorway.

"You know, he really is an idiot."

Sasuke didn't give Sakura a direct reply, but a nod of his head indicated that he shared her opinion; Naruto, meanwhile, made a mental note to throttle both of them one of those days, for this unkind conspiracy against him. Just because he wasn't – seemingly – present, didn't mean that they could make fun of him behind his back.

Notwithstanding, he couldn't deny that he felt a wave of relief wash over him when he saw how well they seemed to understand each other. At least, Sasuke wasn't being a total asshole, and Sakura hadn't put her volatile nature on display yet. Naruto didn't even eavesdrop on their conversation anymore, but just watched the peacefulness and uncanny familiarity of their interaction.

There, in his little kitchen, they looked like two good friends indulging in a little chit chat over good ole' times, as if they had known each other since childhood.

Sakura regarded Sasuke with acute interest – he really wasn't what she had expected him to be. He was quiet, composed and there was something effortlessly elegant about him. An ease and natural grace in his movements made it obvious that he wasn't from the streets. He was, which astonished her even more, handsome: Naruto hadn't mentioned a word of that. The knowledge that he and Naruto had been intimate with each other, however, didn't surprise her at all. So, Naruto had been right, after all: Sasuke wasn't a show-off.

"Naruto, you can come out now. I know you're hiding there," she said, finding that it was about time Naruto came out and stopped observing them.

Naruto internally cursed Sakura's thorough knowledge of his antics – she knew him way too well. He couldn't, however, let anyone know that he was troubled by this. So, grinning playfully, he scratched his head and said, "Sakura-chan, Sasuke…I'm sorry it took me that long."

"Whatever. So, I've just told Sasuke all about you when you were his age."

Naruto cursed; he never got a moment's rest.

Before, Sakura walked out of the apartment, she pulled Naruto out the apartment and forcing him to lean down, whispered into his ear,"He's quite all right and not to mention, cute."

Naruto couldn't suppress a smile at that, which Sakura returned. To have Sakura's approval was something that he cherished more than anyone else's opinion and he knew that he didn't have to hesitate anymore. When he walked back into the apartment, he saw Sasuke looking at him with questioning eyes.

"Naruto, what did she say?"

If Naruto was surprised by Sasuke's perceptiveness, he didn't show it: he had more pressing matters on his head right now."Nothing important. But I'm an idiot, you know?"

Sasuke looked at him, confused at first, but he caught on quickly and a smirk began to form on his face."So, you've finally realised. Congratulations."

"Damn, don't be mean, Sasuke. I've got a point here."

"Can't we just continue where we left off?"

Sasuke didn't really know why he had returned to his former home after avoiding it for several weeks. There was no reason for him to come back, as no one had asked or been concerned about his whereabouts; he might as well have dropped off from the face of the Earth.

Still having the key to the apartment, Sasuke didn't have to ring at the door, which have made this harder for him to do. After all, he didn't know what to expect and this uncertainty was killing him, making him his throat feel dry and tight.

Unexpectedly, he saw his father sitting in the badly lighted room and, taking a few steps backwards, an indefinable emotion seized him – it was something akin to yearning. He had missed his father, after all.

"We haven't seen you for a while."

"Itachi didn't tell you that I moved to a friend's?" Sasuke asked, keeping his voice as steady and nonchalant as possible, though he had so much more to say and had to keep himself from spilling out everything.

"He did," his father answered, shifting his head into one direction and then fixing his eyes on Sasuke with a grim expression. For the first time, Sasuke noticed how worn out and old his father looked: he was thinner, and there were more lines on his face than Sasuke had remembered him having.

"So, I just came back to see how things were running."

The apartment looked neglected; the smell of dust and neglect flooded Sasuke's nose; it hurt to see it that uncared for, and Sasuke had to hold back a sarcastic comment. So, he opted for the best choice and said nothing, knowing fully well that his father didn't care anyway; he was too immersed in his own thoughts and living in that ghost world of his.

"It used to be better when your mother was still alive," he said in a sombre tone and looked away from Sasuke, seemingly not able to bear his presence.

Sasuke believed that there was something of regret mingled in that tone and cautiously, he walked closer to his father and reached out for his shoulder when the man, who had accepted the gesture, suddenly uttered, "You look happier."

Sasuke didn't know what to say in response and instead, a puzzled look came over his features, which his father didn't miss, but he didn't move away.

"Whoever your friend is, he's good for you."

Sasuke didn't give his father a verbal answer, but nodded his head: he couldn't have agreed more.

They were facing that same bridge again; only this time Sasuke didn't feel like cursing at everything or jumping into the depths of the dull water; it didn't offer solace.

No, whatever awaited him there wasn't going to fix things and truth to be told, he didn't feel like jumping in – things were finally looking up. Of course, it had taken long enough, but now he was fine. City life, of course, still sucked and would always be disgusting to him; he didn't either have the patience nor the good will to change in that aspect, but it wasn't enough to make him want to kill himself.

"I've been thinking of going back to school…or taking evening classes," Sasuke said, breaking the comfortable silence. Naruto looked up, not necessarily in surprise, but in mild amusement: he looked as if he had expected it all along.

"You've finally become fed up with your job?"

Sasuke couldn't repress a sigh: Naruto could read him like an open book and this was something he had to get used to. Of course, he was fed up with his job – it was monotonous, and he was itching to do something more demanding, more stimulating for his brain cells.

"Yes...Besides, if a loser like you can study, I'm sure I'll manage just fine," Sasuke said, yet again giving his input on Naruto's fatal study habits. He knew that the other man wouldn't listen to him, knew that it was easier trying to persuade a dog from gnawing on a bone than having Naruto willingly hit the books, but Sasuke couldn't help himself; lecturing and trying to push Naruto forward was something he had to do. No one else could do it as well as himself.

"You're just jealous," Naruto insisted.

"Of what?"

Had this been someone else, Naruto wouldn't have been that lenient and boxed Sasuke's ears; he couldn't deny, however, that he had a soft spot for the bastard. Besides, he wasn't lying: he had to admit that he was a bit of a slacker and a loser when it came to his studies.

Therefore, Naruto jabbed him playfully on the shoulders, and Sasuke couldn't help, but feel amused by this: he knew that Naruto wasn't troubled in the least and that, if anything, made it easier."Wrong again: I just want to make something out of my life."

"I thought that you'd already found your life's aim – making mine a living hell, that is."

"You idiot... that's the goal you've set yourself out for."

Naruto couldn't deny that Sasuke wasn't half as bad or mopey as he had expected him to be at first. It had taken him a while to figure it out, but he knew now that Sasuke - which wasn't always apparent - had a biting, ironic sense of humour and often said things which he didn't mean.

"So, you aren't ever going to move out?"

"No. You'd die without me."

Whether this statement was true, exaggerated or another means of angering Naruto remained unanswered; it wasn't even that important. Naruto, for once, didn't feel the need to defend himself, even though his manhood, intelligence and personality had been put to question. In fact, he felt too giddy and – even if it sounded pathetic – was too damned happy to care what Sasuke said. The only thing that mattered was that he was here, right beside him and as long as he didn't make his life too much of a soap opera, Naruto could deal with anything that the other tossed at him.

He pulled him into a kiss that, though gentle in its approach and short in duration, lingered in the atmosphere and made both of them tremble, breathe quicker and feel light-headed – things were looking up, indeed.