Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Wow. I am alive after all. Surprise ! Well, it's been about a year, so I'm not even sure people are still reading this story :P For the one of are stil reading it, know that I aboslutely don't know what to do with it. I don't even know if I even should keep going. I'd like to, honestly. Well; guess we'll see!

Know that this chapter has its purpose. It's setting important things up for the next one.

Oh, and it's not beta-'d, so there are probably many, many mistakes in this thing. Try to overlook them? (:

Chapter 10

Lots of people actually believed that Naruto had been the one to make the first move in their relationship. Sure, he was the one who began with all the incessant flirting, the indecent eyeing, and all the touching. But he just couldn't bring himself to outright say it.

'Sasuke, would you go out with me?'

Fuck. It was easy though, and he never had a problem like that before. He had asked out tons of girls and boys since he was mature enough not to giggle at the word 'kiss', and never batted an eyelash whilst doing so. But with Sasuke? Ever since he had learnt that the boy was one hundred per cent gay, and he had been given the go-ahead to go and kiss him senselessly, he had had a blockage. He kept going with the flirting and all, but he always blocked when he had to eventually reveal his feelings to his crush.

For the first time of his life, Naruto Uzumaki was scared.

It was just that… he felt such a connection with the black-haired teen, that he was honestly scared of the idea of being rejected. And it was beginning to be fucking annoying.

Look at him. Here he was, alone with Sasuke in the school library (if you didn't count all the dorks 'round them reading things Naruto would never even touch, scared that it could actually make him brighter), it was the perfect occasion (though a bit unromantic), and he couldn't gather the courage to lean a bit forward and catch those lips in what would probably be his best kiss ever. Yeah, yeah, he knew. It had been like that for weeks, now.

He straightened all of sudden, startled by the strong noise of a book being closed roughly. He snapped his head toward Sasuke, only to find him looking rather put out.

"I can't do anything", the latter said when seeing that Naruto was looking at him curiously. "I don't know who wrote this book, but let me tell you, he didn't know shit."

Naruto stared at him, crossing his arms over his chest, his mouth turning up in a smirk.

"And I supposed you'd do better?"

Sasuke imitated his posture, as he raised an elegant eyebrow in his direction. The haughty albeit mocking look on his face was bordering on sexy, in Naruto's book. He always found it endearing that someone could pull off that much confidence and assurance. Especially since the someone in question was slightly smaller than him, and definitely thinner. Oh, paradox.

"'f course I'd do better. At least, I know what I'm talking about. This shithead surely didn't and-" he paused a second, as he took his phone out of his pocket. He looked like he was reading something, before he put it in his jeans pocket again. "Whatever. I'm off. Got an appointment."

Naruto furrowed his brows as Sasuke began gathering his stuff.

"What kind of appointment?"

Sasuke glanced up at him, and let his mouth be stretched into a challenging smirk.

"The kind I can't miss."

Naruto immediately caught on the changing mood, and licked his bottom lip. He leaned a bit forward.

"Even if someone gave you a really good reason?"

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, one if his bangs stroking his cheek. His eyes seemed brighter to Naruto. He liked that.

"Depends on the reason."

There. That was it. The moment when he should close the distance between them, and press his lips against the oh-so-tempting ones in front of him, to give him a really good reason. He could do it, it was easy. He was also almost sure that Sasuke would not resist, more like welcome the gesture.

But the hesitation was fucking there again, preventing him from moving forward. Because what if Sasuke was just playing around? What if he didn't get the atmosphere like Naruto was, and the Uzumaki was simply misinterpreting the signs? It had happened before. Why wouldn't it be the case this time again?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I'm sorry to say I have no imagination", he finally stated. "You're going to have to go."

Sasuke – who had looked like he was waiting for something – lost his smirk and sighed.

"Right."

"Right", Naruto repeated, conscious that he had, again, lost a good opportunity.

He was pretty sure that he was going to beat himself over it later, anyway. Damn.

"Well, then I'm going", Sasuke said, packing his stuff in his black bag. "See you." He vaguely waved his hand as he stood up, before turning his back on the blond boy. The latter watched him leave, already brooding over his stupidity. Really, sometimes, Sasuke was right. He was such a dobe.

As he was mulling this thought over, suddenly, Sasuke stopped.

Naruto quirked his head up, looking over the table to see if the Uchiha had forgotten something – and drew his eyebrows together in confusion when he saw nothing but his own stuff. He gave a confused look, but Sasuke had already turned around, and was walking steadily toward him.

Before he even had the time to open his mouth to ask what was wrong, the black-haired boy was in front of him. And Naruto knew what was going to happen before it even did.

So he didn't know why he was surprised when a soft mouth was pressed against his.

It was a short kiss, no longer than a peck. For Naruto, it was, well. As cheesy as it may have sounded, it was everything.

"You're such a dobe, sometimes", Sasuke whispered against his lips, and the Uzumaki felt a pleasant shiver running through his spine.

Just his thought, exactly.

The shock finally gone, he smirked, reaching forward with his hand as he put it behind Sasuke's neck to pull him closer.

"Good thing that you're a teme, then."

More than a shiver ran through him, this time.

I wriggled a bit, trying to find a comfortable position in my sleeping bag.

It was totally useless. I growled low in my throat.

I was dying thanks to the abnormally heavy heat – which I found annoyingly surprising since it was only May and, shit, even the sea was freezing cold. But right now? I would have done anything to have a bucket full of this water poured on me. It was hot – and not in the good way either. I pondered for a moment about sitting up and at least pulling on the zipper to create an open gap in the tent to be refreshed by the night air, but decided against it. I preferred ten times to suffer the heat than to be eaten alive by whatever bugs were waiting out there.

I turned flat on my back again, sighing, irritated.

Rolling my eyes in the darkness, I finally opened the zipper of my own sleeping bag, and pulled it off of me. I was annoyed, tired, and totally unable to close even one of my eyes. So I did the next best thing on my list.

"Psst. You asleep?"

Okay, so probably not the best thing, per say, but I couldn't sleep and couldn't do anything else. I turned my head on the right, trying to make out Sasuke's sleeping form in the obscurity. He didn't look like he was moving or responding, so I asked again, narrowing my eyes in the dark.

"Hey, you're sleeping? S'uke."

I paused one second as I tasted the last word on my tongue, frowning a bit. A long period had passed since I used it for the last time. It made me feel weird, and I didn't realize that I was pronouncing it again before I heard it in the silence of the night.

"S'uke."

Shit. Did you know that I habitually employed that counterfeiting of a name when I used to lazily cuddle with him? Or after some afternoon sex when I was feeling so satisfied that an idle smile was stretching my lips – which was basically the same thing as the first one? For my defense, I was feeling pretty tired just now. And it was especially annoying since my eyes were resolutely kept open, in spite of all my will. For the umpteenth time, I sighed. I had a lot to think about, in my opinion, but I just couldn't gather the courage to do it. And as a result, I felt bored.

I was such a fucking lunatic.

"I'm sleeping."

I froze.

I'd thought he really was dead to the world. But his voice was so clear that I instantly understood that he was probably miles away from slumbering. Just like me. I turned my head up, looking at the pseudo roof.

"Obviously, you're not", was all I could reply. It sounded neutral. I liked that.

Judging by his tone, Sasuke didn't.

"Well. How can I be, when a moron won't stop moving, wriggling, breathing, hell, existing just next to me?"

Hm. Not beating around the bush, was he? Smartass.

"I can't sleep", I said, because it was true, and because it kept me from snapping back at him. Though he may have deserved it.

I glanced again from the corner of my eyes at his unmoving silhouette, his back still facing me, his face turned toward the tent canvas. He had gone to sleep in the very same position earlier, just after mumbling an almost inaudible "good" under his breath, probably in response to my "truce". Ha. Truce. What a good word, huh? If I'd let my mind wonder, I would have probably overthought the exact meaning of the word, and everything it could imply in Sasuke's head. I swear, sometimes, I just couldn't understand what was going through it.

I folded my knee unconsciously, and scratched the underside of my foot. When it brushed past my thigh along the way, I realized I was starting to sweat. Damn heat.

"Whatever. I'm sleeping", Sasuke repeated in an end-of-the-discussion tone.

Oh, okay.

I twisted a strand of blond hair at the base of my neck with my finger, softly massaging the sweating skin on this spot.

Well… no, not okay. I furrowed my brows.

"No need to be snappish. Damn. I'll betcha you're just as uncomfortable as I am, so stop being a stuck-up prick."

"Go fuck yourself."

I clenched my teeth strongly, trying not to react at the blatant insult. He could be so… so infuriating, at times! I swear, I had only one urge just right now; to kick him in the ass. It would serve him right.

I hastily tried to think of all the reasons possible which would explain why he was suddenly so cranky. Unable to find a plausible answer since he looked, if not totally happy, fine earlier, I concluded that he was just as sleep-deprived as me. Well. I always did manage to keep a good mood better than him. Crabby asshole.

I grinned in the darkness.

"Now, that wasn't what I expected when you talked about a truce." I bit on my lower lip, refraining myself from letting out a chuckle. Was it me, or was I really starting to sound like Kakashi? I just had to add my mark. "Ne, teme?"

Being bored had its perks. It made me playful. Even if it wasn't what I was aiming for at all.

I swear that the little throaty noise he made was that of a grumpy old man. At least my question-which-wasn't-really-a-question made him react. I heard shifting sounds, and I watched sideways as he turned around so he was facing me instead. I couldn't really see his expression in the obscurity, but I could tell he was watching me. I didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing.

He didn't say anything. I thoughtfully took it as my cue to continue.

"And, now that we're talking about it, what do you exactly mean by truce?" Because, please, I just had to ask.

"It means you will stop insulting me every chance you get", Sasuke replied without missing a beat, and it was weird, because I could have sworn his lips hadn't moved. But well, since I couldn't really see anything…

I tried to focus on what he was saying instead. Ironically, it put a smirk on my face.

"Now, look who's talking. What was it again? 'Go fuck yourself?' Right. Maybe it was an example?" Instead of reproachful, my tone sounded teasing. I couldn't really help it.

What with him laying two feet away from me, and even though I tried, I wasn't feeling so angry anymore. As stupid as it may sounds, I just wanted to talk, as simple as that. And not about serious things like all the unspoken stuff of our past relationship, but just– talk. Like we used to before all the stupid drama.

Yeah, I was in that kind of mood.

"Okay. So I may have been a bit harsh", Sasuke replied after another one of this small sigh of his.

It made me pause. Now, that was unexpected. I prayed God that he wouldn't see how my eyes were suddenly impossibly wide. But fuck. Did he just- Did he just admit that he had been wrong? For the life of me I couldn't remember having ever heard that before and, Goddamit, he did-

"Dobe, I can just see your little brain over functioning right now, so don't. Get over it. Or I won't talk to you."

Was that a hint that he was okay to converse with me right now? Shit, he must have been more tired than I first thought, 'cause I didn't-

"Dobe." His voice came as a warning.

"Right", I blew. "Right, sorry. I was just- Was it my imagination? Because I could have sworn you just pull that stick outta your ass and-"

I was forced to stop there, since a ball of clothes hit me right in the head – I realized it was made of the t-shirt I had taken off earlier because of the heat – as I heard a snort typically Sasuke-ish.

"Shut up."

Low chuckles escaped my lips as I pictured him rolling his eyes.

"You're not really nice, you know. This t-shirt stinks of transpiration", I commented as I pulled said-t-shirt off my face and threw it on the side.

"All the better. It will keep you from saying stupidities."

I didn't point out how that didn't really make any sense.

"Well, excuse-me, I was just recovering from the shock. You just admitted you've been wrong, and for insulting me no less, so I was pretty stunned. Shit, one day, you'll have me traumatized with stunts like that." I paused, and then smiled easily, a teasing glint in my eyes. "Nah, seriously, who are you and what have you done with the bastard?"

I saw a quick movement in the dark and raised immediately my hands in defense.

"Stop, I was kidding, just kidding!" I half-yelled, half-laughed.

"Hn."

I sensed that he was slowly lying down again against his mattress, and I licked my lips, savoring the now more comfortable ambiance.

It felt great not to have a tight knot in my guts for once. I intended to keep it that way.

"Say, Sasuke, what do you think of 'Ruka?"

The question was a genuine one, which actually came out of nowhere. I only wanted to start a conversation, as simple as that, and I guess it was what came to me first. I didn't linger on wondering about it.

Sasuke stayed silent for a small moment, probably measuring the weight of what he was going to say. Or maybe he was just surprised by the suddenness of the question, I don't know.

His voice was a bit croaked when he replied.

"I think he's good to Kakashi. This is what matters to me the most in the first place. But… he's a good man. Got a genuinely good aura, see?" I nodded absent-mindedly, focused on the first sentence that had directly made me think about the discussion I had with said-man, earlier in the day.

The relationship between those two and its dynamics never failed to make me curious.

"Yeah, you two seem close", I said vaguely, conscious that it could be a touchy subject between the two of us, but willing to try it anyway.

Sasuke obviously didn't get the hint, or did and tried to elude.

"We are", he admitted quietly, not expanding further.

"Do you… Have you two known each other for a long time?" I asked, trying not to be nosey but failing anyway. It wasn't in my nature to be shy about prying into people's lives.

"I suppose so."

Uh. Not too much information to go by. I pinched my lips together.

"For… how long, exactly?"

This time, the answer to my not-so-subtle question came with a very low, unexpected chuckle that made me turn my head. The sound was muffled, but I knew Sasuke enough as not to be wrong about such a fact. I raised both of my eyebrows in question.

"If you really want to know something", he clarified, "ask away. And don't beat around the bush."

Well. Sounded like encouragement to me.

"Okay", I said, trying to relax my shoulders. "Then, when did you two meet?"

Surprisingly, the answer came fast.

"Been in his charge since I was eight. Didn't know him before that."

I wasn't expecting much honesty, to be truthful, so I was a bit taken aback by the confident tone he used. It made me wonder. I mean, those were information Sasuke had refused to share with me when the two of us were going out. Now, we were only on fragile speaking-terms. So what had changed between tonight and the last months for him to want to talk to me about his family?

I got the answer just as I was about to open my mouth.

"What about you?"

I kept my eyes on Sasuke's silhouette.

"What about me?"

"Iruka. You. You two seem just as close."

I bit my lip to keep my small smile from getting too wide.

"I s'pose so."

Another very low chuckle was heard, and I would have done a lot of things to be able to see Sasuke's face in the darkness right now. I had absolutely no idea about what came upon him to decide that he suddenly wanted to be civil to me what with this truce thingy, but it was just what I needed to make my mind up and know that like hell I was going to pass up the opportunity.

"Touché", he replied, in response to my quoting him, and my eyes couldn't help but soften. I liked how he was speaking. It was quiet, a bit teasing, and nothing to do with the heated or bland tones he'd been using with me ever since we had split up. I actually quite loved the feeling of hearing him like that, honestly. "Know what would be nice?" he resumed. "That you answer something for me, just like I did for you."

It was like this afternoon all over again. I raised myself up, setting my head on my hand, completely turned in his direction this time.

"If I ever had doubts that Kakashi was your guardian, you would have just erased them all only with that sentence."

"Hn?"

A question if I ever heard one.

"This 'deal'. He used the same when we set the camp up", I explained.

There was a small silence, and I wondered if I said something stupid again. Which would have made me angry with myself, since I didn't want to ruin the ambiance. It wasn't much, but it was nice, in my point of view.

"Yeah, he says it's a win-win situation", Sasuke finally broke the stillness, and I was relieved to hear that his voice wasn't particularly tensed.

"Yeah, well, I don't feel like I did win anything with him…" I couldn't help but grumble, thinking back to Kakashi's stupid way of waving away my questions and making – wrong – assumptions on his own.

"That's usually what happens, when you make any kind of deal with Kakashi. It's the reason why I stopped altogether."

I cracked a smile.

"A wise decision, no doubts."

I still couldn't quite decipher Sasuke's expression, but I opted for thinking that he was almost smiling back. It made me feel content.

"So, you're on?" he asked, tearing me away from my thoughts. I scratched my left ear.

"On what?"

"On for the deal."

I thought about it for, like, two seconds.

"Depends on the questions", I smirked. "But go on. You're making me curious."

He shifted a bit in his sleeping bag.

"Well, then. When did you meet Iruka?"

I opened my mouth, only to close it the next second.

Believe it or not, in spite of the cool ambiance, the almost shared-jokes and the fact that he did answer my own question about Kakashi, I paused, wondering if I was actually going to reply with the truth. I couldn't really say why it was so hard, why I was even hesitating – I mean, it was nothing. But it was like it didn't matter to my inner-self. It was a subject I usually avoided like the plague, and so it automatically put me on defensive-mode.

I cleared my throat, trying to leave my apprehension behind. After all, it was only fair.

"It was in— When I was like, five."

There, it was nothing.

I vaguely heard Sasuke giving a soft, thoughtful hum in the background.

"Did you— Well." It wasn't like him to hesitate, but I guess there were still many touchy subjects between the two of us. "Can I ask you something else?"

"I thought we established that you could. I'll just ask you something back."

He sighed, and my brows furrowed on their own.

"Just, I don't want you to get mad."

That was a first, too. It was, to me, a very symbolic way of showing the veritable consequences of this truce of his. The ball was in my court, now; it was up to me to make an effort as well.

"Sure", I said easily, not willing to show the sudden easiness I was feeling as I pondered about what he was going to ask.

'Cause, well, he did say I could get mad.

"Sure", he repeated, and then I heard him take a small but actually deep breath. If that even made sense. "Did you tell me the truth about your parents?"

It took me two seconds to register the words, and then I froze in my sleeping bag.

I precisely understood what the problem was about. It was, unconsciously for the both of us, a direct reference to our past relationship – something I had carefully avoided since I had set foot in this tent – and moreover a very tricky, sensitive subject.

I tried to relax, and then gave a soft sigh.

The fact was, I hadn't told him much about my parents. But the small part I did was actually true.

My voice was a bit lower than usual, when I let a small 'yeah' slip by my lips. And then, I didn't know if I still wanted to see his face or not. I opted for the second option. It was safer.

What I didn't expect was his answer to my own reply.

"Then—" Again with this hesitation. "Then, I ought to tell you that mine are dead too. In case you were wondering."

I closed my eyes, pressing my eyelids firmly against them.

"I was", I said, even lower than before. "Wondering, I mean." I paused. "Thanks for telling me", I added impulsively, though refraining myself for saying that it meant a lot.

Because it did. Really.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and it occurred to me that trying to break the now more heavy atmosphere in the tent would be nice. If he was anything like me, it must have cost him a bit to give away this piece of information, and I could only pay him back by lightening the mood.

"Damn, if we had known we had so much in common, maybe we could have lasted longer", I put in, trying to sound all jocky.

Uh. Trying being the key-word. My tone was light, falsely put-out, and it only came to my mind that maybe my words could be interpreted really badly when they were out of my mouth. What the hell possessed me to say something like that?

Fortunately for me, Sasuke seemed to understand what I had meant instead of being offended.

"You're such un idiot."

Or maybe not.

"And you're a bastard", I replied automatically.

I was almost relieved to hear the outraged little sound he made.

"Am not."

I grinned. Easy.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are tooooo."

"You- shut up. Dobe."

"Teeeeme."

He huffed.

"The slime of the toad does not reach the white dove", was eventually his dignified answer.

"Yeah, well I- Wait, what?"

I sat up, throwing him a questioning look, brows furrowed. Failing to see him in this darkness, I heard him sigh of desperation. I stupidly felt just like months ago when he would help me with some of my classes. He would lean over my shoulder and sigh, mumbling about how I understood nothing. And about how he didn't care.

"It's a saying. Foreign. Mean hard words break no bones."

In spite of myself, I let out a giggle. A very manly giggle, of course.

"So did you- did you just compare yourself to a white dove, teme?" I asked, voice wavering because of the repressed chuckles.

He pulled his sleeping bag up, covering his face with it. I was practically positive he was pouting. Or blushing. (Even if Uchiha don't blush and blah blah blah and whatever he always said).

"Shut up", came the muffled response.

"Oh, am I making you uncomfortable? Good to know."

He pulled the duvet off his face –hell, a wonder how he could still lay under it with this heat – probably looking over to me.

"No, but you are making it difficult to be nice to you."

It fell on deaf ears.

"Uh-uh, don't be embarrassed, S'uke. I won't tell."

You, sweet bird you.

"I'm not embarrassed. Uchihas don't get embarrassed."

I smirked knowingly. There. I knew this kind of argument was bound to come into the conversation.

"I so could make you feel embarrassed", I drawled out, stretching my arms and falling on my back on the tough mattress.

Ruffled moves were heard, before Sasuke's voice pierced through it.

"No you can't."

"I too-"

"Good night Naruto."

I chuckled. Feeling oddly pleased. And relieved.

"'Night."

I woke up because of the light.

I opened my eyes, closed them, and did the operation again and again until they adjusted to the brightness coming through the tent canvas. A huge yawn deformed my mouth as I tried to stretch my back. Fuck, but it was killing me.

I winced as I wriggled lightly against the mattress, moving my hips to find a comfortable position in which I wouldn't be suffering the I-slept-all-night-in-a-weird-position-on-a-hard-floor syndrome. Another small yawn escaped my lips, and I turned my head from left to right to stretch my neck. I paused when it made me face an oh-so-interesting picture.

Sasuke must have decided that he was hot at some point during the night, because he was currently lying on the top of his sleeping bag, quietly resting on his stomach. Unlike me, he had kept his black t-shirt on, with a pair of matching black boxers. His mouth was opened – was that a small line of drool along his cheek? – and his hair was all disheveled. His eyelids were closed, a relaxed expression painted on his face.

All in all, he looked adorable.

Blame it on my clouded mind, or the fact that I was still feeling content thanks to the previous night discussion, but I couldn't bring myself not to think that it was true. Watching Sasuke sleeping inches away from me did odd things to my stomach, things that I knew all too well and didn't dare analyze at the moment.

Recalling back what was said last night, I couldn't help but smile a bit. It had been… nice. We didn't talk like best friends, nor did we suddenly fall back into each other's arms but… there hadn't been any harsh words. We didn't really fight – not seriously – and I felt as if the tension had been evacuated. Hell, I even teased him! And I was still alive, still breathing, wasn't I? My lips spread into a grin. I didn't try to think about why such a simple fact would make me happy like that.

I didn't try to think either of the other part of the conversation, when he told me about his parents. In spite of everything, I still took is as a good sign, and I was thankful for learning something like that from him. Even if it raised more questions than not. Maybe we weren't a lost cause, after all.

I raised my head when I heard Sasuke moving around a bit, rolling slightly on his left arm. He looked damn well inviting like that, and I couldn't even be cross with myself for the thought. Even asleep, he attracted me like no other. I didn't really know why. Even after we broke up – and Sai doesn't count – I never really tried to get into a relationship again. Sasuke had been… hell, even after all he put me through, and all I put him through, he was still… I didn't know how to say it. Sasuke was Sasuke.

The one and only who could make me happy, mad, laugh, cry, love like no other. In one beat, he could make me feel stupid, clever, pathetic, ridiculous, beautiful, disgusting and so on. Shit, even though everybody knew I had no shame, he could make me feel embarrassed. He was the kind of guy who could make me do everything.

I used to think the same applied to me about him.

Suddenly, I had a strong urge to bring myself closer. Just— just to see his face. To check if he was still— if I… Well. Fuck the reason. I just wanted to see him.

Rolling a bit, I almost crept toward him, until I was finally lying just next to him. His eyes were closed, and his eyelids were moving, just as expected from someone dreaming. I put my head down on the mattress, only inches away from him. It was a stupid thought but, seeing him like that, I could only be proud of myself for going out with such a beautiful guy. Because that's what he was, my sleepy mind stated in my head, as I let my eyes roam over his pale and smooth face. And I knew how much it was soft.

He stirred a bit in his sleep, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "tomato King", and let out a small sigh that brushed past my skin. A gigantesque wave of satisfaction submerged me then, surprising me by its violence. And something really snapped inside me.

Fuck. I really did miss him.

I couldn't even try to deny this fact. Because every single cells of my body was screaming it at that moment.

It was on that thought, on this realization, completely forgetting the reason for my presence so close to him in the first place, that I let myself go for half a second, closing my eyes. In a single minute, I was asleep again.

The second time I woke up was because I felt something poking me in my torso. I stirred a bit, stifling a yawn, absently reaching for the something poking me as I tried to remember where I was exactly. Appreciating for a moment the warmness I was in, I closed my fingers on the thing on my chest, and almost froze when I suddenly felt a hand in mine.

Knowing it would help, my eyes snapped open. Only to fall in two pools of blackness.

I stared.

Admittedly, it took me a moment to come to my spirits, remembering why it was exactly that I was lying so close to Sasuke in the first place. And why my fist was holding his fingers.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly, barely louder than a whisper.

I couldn't stop ogling his face, as unreadable as it was. I vaguely realized that he had been hitting softly my chest to wake me up, maybe, and that I had yet to release his hand.

"I don't know", I replied, almost whispering too, because I didn't know.

We were really close, I thought, but it was normal since I put myself here in the first place. Why did I do that, again?

Oh yeah. 'Cause I was a fucking idiot.

Sasuke's face was still pale, but red spots lightened his cheeks because of the sleepiness. It was cute, especially when he began to frown groggily.

"We shouldn't be like that", he said.

"Why, feeling embarrassed?" I mumbled back, and I was pleased to see a challenging glint – one I was much too familiar with – find its way into his eyes.

"Never. Besides it's your fault."

I snorted, then realized it must not have been a very attractive sight. Why I even cared, I didn't want to know.

"My fault?"

"Yeah. I'm on my mattress. You're not."

He had a point. I wasn't so awake, however, that I could react like I usually would. So I just smirked lazily, acutely aware of the way his eyes quickly gazed down at my lips, before looking up again.

I felt my heart beat harder in my chest.

"What're you gonna do 'bout it?"

Now, that was a provocation if I hadn't heard it. I would have been shocked with my own self, hadn't I been in this fuzzy state. Sasuke was too, if the widening of his eyes was anything to go by, and I swallowed.

"Depends on—"

—Something that I was never going to know, since the sudden impression of the earth shaking startled us both. I immediately sat up jerkily, Sasuke mimicking my action at my side. I began wondering furiously what was going on, only to realize a moment later that someone was just shaking the tent.

Awesome.

It was getting weird, in any case.

"Boys, get up!"

Iruka's shout came through the tent canvas and I shook my head to will any traces of sleepiness and sudden uneasiness away. I started to walk on all four toward the exit, sliding the zipper up to open it. My guardian's worried features came into view, and I furrowed my brows, running a hand through my messy hair.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"Um, you two should get dressed. We left you some things to eat here", he added, pointing behind him to the laid blanket, on which rested what looked like breakfast.

I stared at it for a couple of seconds as it reminded me that I was pretty hungry, before looking up again at Iruka, throwing him a confused look.

"What do you mean 'left'? You guys aren't eating with us?"

I could hear shifting sounds behind me, warning me that Sasuke was getting ready to get up too. I focused on Iruka though, who suddenly looked like he was blushing. My eyes narrowed on his cheeks.

"Well, err… We just have to get to the village really quickly, um… to go to the pharmacy. Kakashi's not feeling well."

Then why the reddening face? Before I could open my mouth, Sasuke was suddenly there beside me, pushing the tent canvas away so he could put his face out too.

"What is it?" he asked, and I was surprised to see concern on his features – well, only until he spotted Iruka, and looked him over. Then, he turned suspicious.

"We uh… we fear that he may have sprained his ankle."

"During the night?" Sasuke inquired, appearing unconvinced.

I was too, until I suddenly understood the remark as well as why my guardian was being so fidgety. My jaw dropped.

"No, seriously Iruka? Like this, only meters away from us? Please, tell me you didn't!"

The now completely red face answered enough for me, and I made a gagging noise. From the corner of my eyes, I saw that Sasuke was making a disgusted face too.

"Yeah, well, I— we—", he spluttered for a minute, before schooling his features into a scolding mask. "Oh, and I don't have to justify myself! We're going, so see you in a few."

I was vaguely aware that it was a defensive mechanism to ease his disquiet, but I still made an outraged face.

"I'm going to beat that pervert up. Seriously."

Iruka wasn't there to hear me anymore, having gone the second he had stopped talking, but Sasuke snorted beside me, before getting out of the tent on his feet to walk toward the blanket and our victuals. It was only when I realized that I was staring at his ass, wrapped in those little boxers of his, that I shook myself. What the hell, Naruto?

I must have been still sleepy.

Nodding to myself, I went toward the other tent where our stuff was gathered and quickly grabbed a new t-shirt. When I went back to sit on the blanket next to Sasuke, he had already started to fill plastic bowls with cereals and milk that came from a bottle that had visibly been bought earlier this morning. I wasn't really surprised when he put one of the two bowls in front of me, half-expecting this type of behavior from him. For all his rough angles, Sasuke had this ridiculously polite touch to his persona.

"Thanks", I mumbled, and it didn't occur to me that the ambiance could be any different than what it was last night. It was probably the reason why I turned to him so casually. "So, what do ya think we're going to do, today?"

Something weird flickered in his eyes as he gazed at me under his lashes for a few seconds, but it was so quick that I couldn't catch what it was. I settled for tilting my head to the side.

He shrugged ; swallowed a mouthful of cereals.

"We'll see when they come back."

I nodded, peering at his face for any indication that he was uncomfortable. There wasn't. So I grinned.

"Say, Sasuke, I still have a question, don't I?"

He raised an eyebrow in my direction.

'A leopard can't change his spots', that's what they say, uh? I understood how true the concept was as the sentence slip by my lips, in an inviting fashion. There. I had only spent one night – well, okay, not like that – and had one nice conversation with him, and I was already feeling like everything was alright again and – dare I say it – that we were friends.

Something that I should remember we were not. But, oh well. Didn't matter at the time.

I focused on him, and his groggy stare.

"I guess so", he finally said, after a silent minute of thinking, and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

I couldn't really blame him for that. He knew me enough so he would know when I was hiding something and playing innocent. And I had to admit that I had something in mind.

I had thought about it last night, in fact, just before I fell asleep. When Sasuke had said good night, I accepted it without preamble, before remembering that I still had a question left. And when I tried to think of something I should ask today… well, let's say that my mind took a very surprising turn, as I tried to find a question not directly linked with touchy subjects, and recalled something I had always wanted to know and Sasuke always refused to answer to.

Now was as good an occasion as any.

"Well, who did you lost your virginity to?"

For one of the first time of my life, I saw an Uchiha doing something very ungraceful. Just when he was about to swallow another bite of his breakfast, he choked on it, and drops of milk began sliding along the corner of his mouth. He now looked very much awake.

"What the hell, Naruto?" he suddenly shouted, tearing me away from my trance. (I may have been staring a bit too intently.)

"What?"

"You can't ask something like that!"

"Of course I can, I just did!"

That seemed to shut him up. For like, two seconds.

"I won't answer that."

Okay, so it was random, it was indiscreet, and okay I shouldn't care anymore but still. That was no reason to deny me an answer.

"Oh, come on, teme. It's not like I'm going to get angry."

Rectification: it's not like I have a right to get angry anymore.

Something unsure shifted in his gazes at this, but then he rolled his eyes and it was gone. Again.

"You're a dobe. I'm not answering."

Such a party-pooper.

"I really don't know why it's such a big deal", I said, choosing a different approach. "I told you about mine."

I did. The first time we did it together. Sasuke had stared at me during two very long minutes, before diving in to bite my neck, and "making sure I was going to learn who I was with, now". No matter that he didn't even know the guy.

"If it's not a big deal, then why ask?"

Reverse psychology, you sneaky bastard. I huffed.

"I'm curious. I'm pretty sure I have my guess, but—"

"It's probably wrong", Sasuke cut me off.

Well, it couldn't be since I had absolutely no idea, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Then set me right", I replied, not missing a beat, with an easy smile that didn't reflect what I was feeling.

A mix of apprehension, curiosity and, okay so it may have been a bit of jealousy, was more like it. The first two months of our relationship, I had been dying to know since our first time had clearly demonstrated me that he was experienced and knew what he was doing. Why did I think that he would answer me now? Well. It probably was because I didn't think, in fact.

The question was more a spur of the moment thing.

I was more known to act, and then think later.

I nodded to myself. Sasuke resumed;

"Yeah, because it is— Kakashi?"

It was now my turn to choke on the last of my cereals, coughing to regain my breath. What. The. Hell? Kakashi?

The answer was so shocking that I didn't register the tone. There were just so many things wrong with that picture and— Was that why he was so close to him? And— what about Iruka? Oh my god, did he know the man he was going out was such a pervert? Fuck, I just couldn't fucking believe it and Goddamnit. I turned to Sasuke with wide eyes, jaw dropped, all blood leaving my face.

"What?"

The Uchiha, who had been staring at something above my head, dropped his gazes, and then his face took a red shade.

"W- what?" he asked back, almost stuttering, before suddenly shoving me with his right arm. "What the fuck, Naruto? Are you serious? Of course it's not Kakashi, do you really think—"

He stopped himself, glaring at me, eyebrow twitching.

"How could you even—"

"Yo, guys", another voice greeted from behind me, and I snapped myself around to meet Kakashi's curious hidden-face.

It wasn't long before I put two and two together.

"Oooh", I exclaimed, relief washing over me. "Oh, it was because he was behind me. I just thought… Man, you had me worried for a moment there!"

The horror that had my heart beating furiously slowly decreased in intensity, allowing me to relax once more. Sasuke had not stopped glaring, and he looked as appalled by the prospect of what I had thought as I was. It reassured me.

"What's up?"Kakashi asked, his attentive eyes gazing between the two of us with a snooping glint in them.

"Where's 'Ruka?" I countered, furrowing my brows. "Weren't you two supposed to be at the pharmacy?"

Sasuke's guardian shrugged, walking lazily toward us.

"He is. I came back to see you."

I nodded, satisfied with that answer, until I heard Sasuke snorting. He was looking at his guardian with a lopsided smirk.

"Careful, Kakashi, you're limping."

As the man sat across us, I saw a soft glare making its way to his face. He was amused, I could tell, but trying not to show it.

"Not used to take it up the ass?" Sasuke added with a taunting raised eyebrow, and the accentuated smug grin etching his lips was enough hints to make me understand that this sort of bickering must be common between them.

I couldn't help but snicker at Kakashi's expression, before vaguely wondering if I shouldn't be affronted on Iruka's behalf instead, who would certainly not be glad to learn that people were half-talking about his late night exploits. I stopped laughing; damn it, that's why they put their tents so far away from ours!

"You tell me", Kakashi finally replied easily with an evil undertone. "Though by the look on your face, you didn't get any."

He then raised an eyebrow in my direction, and it actually took me a few seconds to register the words. Please, tell me he didn't say what I think he just said!

I was completely mortified, and tried to not look at Sasuke. I had absolutely no desire to see his reaction.

"I should have seen that one coming. You're such a bastard."

The insult was rather ironic put in Sasuke's mouth, but it conveyed my thoughts just fine. Kakashi only waved his fingers in our faces, mine being as red as those tomatoes Sasuke was obsessed with.

"You started it", he reminded the black-haired boy happily, and I wanted to crawl under the ground. "Try to remember who the boss is, next time."

"There won't be a next time", I muttered, embarrassed beyond reason.

"Oh, there's always a next time, bright-boy."

"Shut—"

"Oh! Look, Iruka is coming back!"

It wasn't a bad day. At all.

That may have been what surprised me the most. The fact that I actually enjoyed myself. Who would have thought?

When Iruka came back with lots of unnecessary things to help with Kakashi's ankle – I didn't even want to know in what position they had been to have that sort of things happening – we had the pleasure of seeing the man being largely assaulted by my guardian, who had turned into an overprotective mom. Kakashi, who thought it was funny and cute in the beginning, was practically pleading us for help, when 'Ruka began to list every items he had bought –and there was many, many of them. Sasuke and I only had to share one look, before smirking together and starting to taunt the platinum-haired man.

The fact that it was pure complicity that was linking us at that moment encouraged me more than Kakashi's pitiful glares, as fun as those were.

The morning kept going in what was finally a relaxed ambiance, and our two guardians had visibly prepared activities for the day. Between going hiking, renting canoes to race on the sea (I was a bit miffed that our mixed team – which consisted in Kakashi and I – had lost against Iruka and Sasuke, but oh well. I had won it in my head.) and going around to visit small, sandy caverns several kilometers farther away than the village, we were pretty knackered at the end of the day.

Sasuke and I had been – well, great together. I mean, we kept this casual atmosphere between us, and even kidded each other. There may have been small glances that said way too much about the undersides of our actual relationship (and I used this term very loosely), but I think they mostly came from myself.

The problem was that a day like that, when we didn't bother to try to be angry with one another and when we just took things as they were, reminded me too strongly of why I had first crushed on him. In spite of all our differences, we had personalities that clashed – as much in the good way as in the bad one. So when we focused on being civil, of course we were bound to become close again. We weren't – I can assure you that – but every signs pointed at us being too… too familiar with the other.

I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

Mostly because I was slowly but surely beginning to think that I was stupid for letting go of someone I got along with so well. Which forced me as a consequence to recall why I did it in the first place, which only made me feel tired in return.

At least, it didn't put me down, and I was still in a good mood when we started a little campfire by the beach after dinner.

"Hey, does someone know what time it is?"

The question, coming from Iruka as he rolled his eyes at Kakashi's latest joke about Sasuke's hair – the latter had merely replied that at least, his didn't make people turn their heads and wonder why this scarecrow was actually moving and talking –, was a good one. I made a show of looking at the stars with a serious expression.

"Mm, maybe ten past nine?" I asked, before grinning to myself.

Sasuke gave me a shove from where he was sitting.

"Moron."

"I've left my phone in the tent", Kakashi declared, shrugging, and Iruka touched his pockets.

"Oh, me too", he said quietly.

Then, he turned toward me, and I paled. I totally knew this look. I immediately started shaking my head.

"No, no way."

"Oh, come on, Naruto. It's a five minute walk. Please, for me?"

Kakashi examined a half-burned small twig. He raised his eyes on me with a smirk.

"I'd like my phone too, please. It's in the tent, just next to our mattress under the green jacket."

I was going to shake my head no again, but Sasuke cut me off.

"Could you bring me back a pullover or a sweat too? Anything is fine."

Under the polite tone was a sadistic pleasure of knowing that I was doing all the work. I just knew it. I was about to protest, when I crossed Iruka's eyes, that were more demanding than anything.

"Fine", I grumbled, as I stood up, rubbing the sand off my butt. I turned to them with an arrogant pose. "Anything else for these gentlemen? Tea, maybe? Or a piece of cake?"

The sarcasm was audible in my voice, and I received a grin from Kakashi, a smirk from his foster son, and a "thank you" from Iruka. I sighed. A lost cause, indeed.

"Don't mention it", I stated as I took the pathway back to our 'camp'.

It took me less than ten minutes to get there (which was still more than five, thank you very much 'Ruka), and I pulled a sweater from one of the tents without looking at it. I then went to Kakashi and Iruka's one, cursing to myself as I entered it on all fours. Damn, but it was hot in there! How was I supposed to sleep tonight if ours was anything like this?

Green jacket, green jacket…

I finally spotted it, and looked under it to take the two phones resting there. I pressed the button of the first one to see the time, only to find it unlocked. On the screen was a photo of Iruka, and I understood that it was Kakashi's one.

Oh-oh-oh. What a surprise.

A sneaky, sly part of me decided just then that it was pure gold. And, moreover, a good revenge to go through it and find some good stuff to tease him about. I lowly chuckled to myself. He'd totally never see it coming! I, of course, didn't listen to the smaller part of my mind that was warning me against doing something so nosy.

He-he, take that old pervert.

But after only a few minutes of thorough research, I was a bit disappointed when there was nothing incriminating in the photos, or even the internet historic. No longer motivated, I was about to stop altogether, defeated, when my thumb slid inavertedly over the message icon. I honestly wasn't going to look through it – didn't want to cross the line – when a name just flashed in front of my eyes.

Sasuke's name. Kakashi's private conversation with Sasuke.

It didn't take me long to think.

Nothing could have prevented me from opening the latter. My "naughty" smile fell off.

I knew that I shouldn't read something so… 'confidential'. I damn well knew it, trust me on this. But the temptation was just too much. The first thing I thought was 'are they talking about me, in there?' And then I just had to check. I mean, it was only human.

I nodded to myself, half-convinced.

The first SMS was "I'm coming in ten. I hate you. Know that you owe me for this – big time." It had been sent yesterday morning, before we left for here. The words made me smile at first, as they were so Sasuke-ish. But after a few seconds, what they really implied began to make sense, and I frowned.

I now had the proof that Sasuke had been as happy as me with the plans for the week-end. The thought made me purse my lips in thought. It reminded me a bit abruptly that Sasuke and I were only pretending to get along today, and were only doing it for… for what? For the sakes of our guardians? I guess. Maybe for my sake, too. I shouldn't have been forgetting so easily why we had maintained a good distance between us until now, nor why I was supposed to be angry with him. After last night and today, though, the heart wasn't really in it.

I re-focused on the phone in hand, and checked the messages from before. I was surprised to see one that was much longer.

From Sasuke

I was all over the moron yesterday night. Practically dry-humping him in front of everyone. Am never drinking again. Am still hung-over. Hate myself. He probably does too. Wish for your help before I kill myself. Know that I'll do it.

I sat back on my ass. It was from yesterday too. Now I knew how Kakashi had been so quickly aware of what had happened between us at the party. Sasuke clearly told his guardian much more about us than I would ever do with Iruka, and much more than I even ever thought.

I didn't dare analyze his exact words on the matter, as something suddenly occurred to me. If— maybe— were there messages about…? I mean, a phone had enough memory to still have SMS from four months ago, right? Right?

Knowing that I shouldn't, but doing it anyway, I rolled the list of texts up to travel back in time and find the ones that had been sent… around that time.

It wasn't long before I did. I hesitated for two seconds only, before taking a deep breath, and going for it. And then, it was like living the whole situation once again – but from a different point of view.

My breath actually quickened, as my eyes read through the conversation.

From Sasuke

Going out with the moron this afternoon. Probably won't be home by the time you come back.

From Sasuke

Oh – and that's not an excuse for not making dinner.

From Kakashi

At what time r u coming home?

From Kakashi

Where R u?

From Kakashi

Pick up my calls, Sasuke.

From Kakashi

Am not kidding. Where the fuck are you? It's late, if you don't come back, you'll be grounded, and exit the little boyfriend.

From Sasuke

Ext boyfrrreind. Noo anymore.

From Kakashi

What the actual fuck, Sasuke?

From Sasuke

AM drnk.

It took me a few moments to understand that those were sent the afternoon and the night after I discovered him with Haku. Which meant that he went and got drunk just after I saw them together. It could mean so many things at the same time that I didn't try to comprehend what it was exactly.

Instead, I kept on going, reading the exchange of texts at the speed of light. It was the day after that Sasuke decided to come visit me. Kakashi had sent him encouragement-texts that almost made me think that without him, my ex-boyfriend wouldn't have gathered the courage to try to make me forgive him – or whatever he had tried to do that night.

The difference of knowledge between Kakashi and Iruka struck me once again because now it was clear to me that Sasuke's guardian didn't just know bits about us, but actually knew… well, everything, it seemed. I didn't know how to feel about that.

I didn't have to think about it for long anyway – the SMS they exchanged just after our… 'confrontation', were there.

I actually held my breath.

From Sasuke

FUCK.

From Sasuke

Didn't fucking believe me. A fucking, fucking, fucking moron.

For the first time of my life, I wasn't feeling insulted. I bit on my lower lip; I wasn't even feeling the heat anymore.

From Kakashi

Try again then.

From Sasuke

No. Fuck no. He cheated. Fucking cheated. I hate him.

From Sasuke

It's ironic, no? He cheats because I cheated when I didn't. I fucking didn't but he did.

From Kakashi

Calm down, Sasuke. Explain.

From Sasuke

No. It's fucking pathetic. I am.

From Sasuke

Pick me up. I hate him. Am breaking.

The rest was an exchange of coordinates that I recognized as the street just a few meters from my house. It didn't matter. None of this mattered.

Because I was right, no?

I was always right. When I pushed him away. Because he was fucking Haku on the side. I entered the room, and he was naked. And Haku was sitting between his legs. I mean, how could one misinterpret a scene like that? It couldn't be misinterpreted.

But.

There was always a but.

He told one of the persons he trusted the most – I was certain of that fact – that he in fact didn't. In spite of myself, I started to laugh. Nervously. It was choking me.

Calmly, like a robot, I went back to the menu of the phone, and then put it on break like it was when I found it. Without emotion, I found my way out of the tent, and took the pathway back to the beach. It took me the full ten minutes, this time.

I could only think of one thing. How he talked to me last night, how he did it again today. Like it was easy, like he didn't hate me. But he did – it was now clear. I hadn't trust him and—

Now I didn't know.

When I came back toward them, Iruka was laughing at what looked like another bickering between Kakashi and Sasuke. I looked at the first one, wondering how he could still stand to look at me seeing what he thought I did to his foster son.

What I probably did, in fact.

I didn't know.

I sat down in my place.

"Here you go", I said, throwing the two phones and the sweater.

My voice sounded hollow to my own ears. I had trouble processing information, honestly.

"What the—"

The small, quiet injunction forced me to turn my head, to see Sasuke looking at the sweater with his eyebrows furrowed. It was then that I realized that it was mine. I had given him mine. How did he put it? Oh, yeah. Fucking ironic.

I avoided his eyes, not even knowing how I could justify the fact that I had brought back a clothe of mine instead of his. I maybe should have paid attention. Maybe.

I wasn't sure it mattered at this moment.

And I just couldn't stop staring at my hands.

Later, we joined the camp once again and said our final good nights. I hadn't really partaken in the conversation, and even succeeded in putting Sasuke at unease with my silent ogling.

I couldn't help it. I had watched him, blank-faced. Trying, trying to understand.

"What's wrong, moron?" he finally asked me, once we had settled in our sleeping bags.

I stared at the pseudo-roof.

"I need you to explain", I heard myself saying, "about what happened that night."

I paused and swallowed, before turning my head to look at him. I didn't know if he got what I was asking, and didn't really care. Because he had to tell me. I closed my eyes.

"I'm ready to listen, now", I whispered.

To be continued?