Things that Happen

As always, I hate my title. If someone has a better idea, Tell me.

Pairing: NaruSasu/Sasunaru (I like both)

[I'm still learning English. Sorry for any mistake. Don't hesitate to tell me. I want to learn]

I wanted to start it with them still not being quite friends not quite foes to develop their character more (Did I write that right?), so to make them more, I dunno, teenage-like... I hope it worked x3. Also, they live in Japan, so everything is supposed to go according that. Well, that's all.

Before I forget, I don't own them (Why God, why?!) and this is a yaoi fic. So, if you think this offends you, just don't read it- as simple as that.

--Ch. 1— Who's Gaara?

"Stupid homophobic bastards…"he mumbled to no one.

Angrily he clenched the little piece of paper in his fist. He closed his locker releasing all his frustration on the rectangular door. The noise of metal clashing echoed trough the almost empty hallway. The few people in his surroundings started to whisper. The paper was still in his hand.

One would think that they who would had more stuffs to do instead of writing this pathetic misspelled messages. Well, it looked like they hadn't. They must have pretty boring lives, right?

But, this was not something new. Since he started high school they were bothering him—well, bothering everyone, really. The usual lot that tasted and enjoyed someone else's embarrassment and humiliation as it were the most scrumptious delicacy, moved by no perceptible reason.

Anyway, this time was different. Shikamaru had warned the blond about this. The reason for this was far and reasonably justified in their or any student's eyes. Despite it annoyed him horribly, it was justified for him, because, they were supposed to dislike it. They were expected to reject it and to bother him; it was their obligation, never an option.

The reason for all of this was one sole person –well, it actually was more the contact he had made with him the last week than him, the human being…Whatever, it was the same-

The boy that had a crazy fan club and was adored by no less than the 90% of the girls in the school, including female teachers, the nurse and the ladies that served lunch-- It was almost ridiculous how they had him on a pedestal. And the more ironic thing was that he was unaware of their existence, or so he showed. No one had seen him making any effort to share and socialize with them. In fact, he couldn't care less.

Naruto shook his blond head and started walking to art.

The reason for all of this was Uchiha Sasuke… and those strange rumors about him that were spreading among the school body. He had become aware of them when it was too late:

He had been sitting happily in the back of the class in his usual spot, looking out of the window, feeling his frequent drowsiness while their teacher, waving her arms excitedly all over the Periodic Table of Elements, talked of the marvelous and fantastic properties of nature and elementary particles (She was a naturist and a fanatic lover of anything that was green; and it gained more points if it had leaves –or had an ornament shaped as one-), as she always did.

Every little thing until this point of the day was okay with Naruto, although he wasn't bothering himself to even share 10% of his attention capacity towards the woman speaking –everything was sticking to the routine, included his near to nothing understanding of the topic. Why was this usual? Because he never truly liked Chemistry, he found it boring. Also, because he couldn't care less about Chemical Reaction and the only utility that had all the substances written in the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, according to his personal point of view, was when he'd open the newspaper some random day and decided to complete the daily crossword puzzle (what he'd never complete and he would go on to the two Sudoku underneath it, which he will left incomplete as well) and it would ask about the Chemical symbol of Sodium or some other substance and nothing else.

He gave a quick glance to the whiteboard out of curiosity and pure boredom. Anon he wished he hadn't. The teacher had her jolly-despite-everything eyes focused on him. Out of instincts, he stiffened in his seat and his palms sweated due to the uneasiness that roamed in the bottom of his stomach. She was going to ask him something… Crap! What the hell had she said…?!

"Naruto-kun" she uttered with her kind and merry voice, forcing the fear to share the space with some unavoidable regret "Tell me-- What do you think?" He had no idea.

"Eh…" was his smart reply. His brain cells frenetically moved in search for any hint that may give them a clue of what she was referring of "Er… I--" their search had no results.

"Calm down, sweetheart" she stated looking at him gently, unconsciously moving closer to him "I won't eat you, whatever you say… I just want to know your opinion" she had noticed his expression of… discomfort.

"Hum, well," he had to answer something. He stared at the table as it held the answers for all questions. After a while (5 seconds) he found two safe phrases: 'I like it' or 'I don't like it'. The teacher had said 'Know your opinion', right? So he had reduced his possible answers to two… Now he had fifty percent chance to say the correct one. He defined himself as a positive person, so he decided to bet everything on the positive one and hope it would fit. What an intelligent method, right? He mentally kicked himself.

"Hum…I like it?" hesitantly he allowed his mouth pronounce the words, them sounding more like a question rather that an answer.

"So, you like Global Warming, Naruto …?" she questioned doubtful, avoiding any intent of hiding her disbelieve. It was then when he realized the twenty or more pair of eyes fixed on him, twenty or more faces smirking, giggling, frowning, hiding their laughs…

"No- I meant" he tried to dominate his stuttering "I-I… Er"

"I seems like someone has not been paying attention…" she walked away from him as she spoke. Her singsong voice reminding everyone that she liked that, because it hadn't been a coincidence that she had asked the only student that wouldn't be able to answer- she wasn't a sadist though, she told herself. Naruto's scowl cried to the world he thought otherwise. Her factions softened, and implied sigh in her gaze and she continued "I though we had an agreement, Naruto …"

"…?" His head tilted a bit to the left and his expression had calmed a little too. Ah, the famous agreement. The agreement… What agreement?

She stood quietly waiting hopefully with patience. The blond had a blank expression.

"The one that was a about your grades and you compromised in paying attention…" she gave him the obvious hints.

However, it was impossible for him to remember the little promise they had made within a month ago. Hopeless now, she sighted and continued talking.

"Well, as I can see you're pretty interested on the subject, it will be your topic for the next project that we are starting the next hour" the whole class moaned "No moaning. It is in pairs –I'll pick them and no, I don't want to hear your complaints." She knew teenagers to well to trust them. In works like this there were always lazy kids that took advantage of their more diligent peers "You have to finish it and bring to me the reports on Tuesday 24th…" she wrote the date on the whiteboard and started naming the groups. And then, she said it. The feared words left the mouth of the teacher, slowly,"... Misaki and Hyuuga will have to work about Alternative power sources. Naruto-kun, with the Global Warming project" she offered him a beaming smile. He gave a strained smirk in response "... Hum. You will be paired up with Uchiha. Nobura will..."

His mind froze. Did he heard right? Uchiha? The Uchiha Sasuke...? That smug obnoxious bastard? Hell no…!

It was also part of the school's common knowledge the rivalry Naruto felt towards Sasuke. No one was completely sure why the tanned blond had the odd obsession of surpassing the raven so passionately… The beginnings where deeply buried in their Junior High school memories, when they met. No one understood and most of them though it was a huge waste of time. Most of them thought "it is impossible for him to even reach half of his greatness" (quoted from the pink-haired co-president of Sasuke's weird stalking fan club)

"What..?!" he jumped of his seat almost involuntarily and his voice was more loud that what he desired, and the tone a bit too high too.

Some people in the classroom felt free to let little laughs escape their lips.

"Too bad, Naruto"

"You really have bad luck..."

"Aww- I wanted to be with Sasuke…"

"Poor Sasuke-kun! He was paired up with Naruto!"

"Na- Naruto-kun..."

"Is there any problem with your partner for the project, Uzumaki-kun?" Naruto shuddered at the word partner. Behind her desk, she looked directly at him. She smiled happily, an odd sparkle shinning in her eyes… She put them together and had the bravery of smiling at him as she said it! "If there's any problem, I beg you to wait until I finish naming all the pairs and then you can come to my desk and explain to me what is it, understood?"

Huffing, he let all his weight fall on the small chair. The day had become a torture...

---

"Sensei, I can't be with Sasuke!" he growled desperately to the woman in front of him "Sensei, you know that...! I can't work with him! He just can't cooperate!"

"Yes, I know-..." she replied softly, taking off her glasses and leaving them on the wooden counter.

"Then, why?" he asked exasperated, emphasizing his question moving his arms. Trying to understand her reasons for doing this to him was harder that what he had supposed "Don't you remember our last project?!"

"Yes, I know your terms with each other are far from good, but" she paused, the smile had faded away. And she glared directly into his azure eyeballs "But, you must think smartly, Uzumaki..."

"Huh?" he was startled by the slightly harsh tone with his last name had been pronounced.

"Uchiha has the best grades in my class..." she explained. Her gaze wondered freely throughout the classroom "He probably will work hard and have a good grade this time too... I think a good grade will help you a lot since, eh, your last one..." she made a strange expression of pain.

Well, he had to admit that he had had such a low mark last time, that the word was not enough to describe his lack of performance and knowledge; he had fallen asleep in the middle of the exam and had woken up when there were only five minutes left; Panic took over him and, after cleaning as best as he could the little stains of droll over the paper, he attempted to write down some coherent lines on some of the questions -half or more of his brain still snoozing- on the lasting 3 minutes. The results were to be expected. "It cost me a lot of work to give you some justified point and make your score over 10*..."

"But..." he sighted utterly defeated "Fine, I get it"

"Plus, I think he could teach you some useful things about Global warming..." she added playfully "He knows a lot, Naruto. Don't waste this chance..."

" 'kay, I won't sensei..."

There was another more reason for it. The boy turned intending to walk back to his seat and her lips curved in an unnoticed grin. She had to put them together. Rivalry was the key. This way, doubtlessly Naruto would actually put some effort in the project—god, she was a teen-psychology master. She hadn't gone to university and done that God damned PhD for fun.

Hesitantly, the blond side-looked to the reason of all his stress and frustration -being also the reason for his marvelous improvement in Math lately- sitting vaingloriously in the first line as usual, reading a book oblivious to the world around him, like the smug obnoxious bastard he was.

He slowly approached him, waiting for the worst. But, despite everything, the sooner they started the better. That meant it would be over sooner as well.

*x*

The clouds moved at a snail's pace in front of the eyes of the teen looking at them. The temperature was nice and a small breeze was caressing his hair. The day had been peaceful and he was falling slowly into a pleasant slumber propped in a tree, when two noisy boys came to shatter his little bubble.

It was lunchtime anyway and they always ate together. Unwillingly, he stood up to a sitting position and grabbed the sandwich Kiba was offering: tuna with mayonnaise, perfect. He inspected the content closely…The boy huffed. He told Kiba he liked it without tomatoes. He said nothing though; it wasn't like him to argue. Besides, he was going to eat it despite it… and it wasn't like Kiba to hear him or anyone's demands.

"…and, che'. I couldn't think of anything…" the noisy blond yelled with half of his meal stuffed in his mouth. Surprisingly enough, he swallowed effortlessly and continued talking "and I felt so guilty, y' know?"

"Now you care about Chemistry, Naruto?" he mocked the blond. When he said the words, a broad smile spread across his face, making the two red tattoos under his eyes to move slightly upwards "Wow, that's so responsible of you…" sarcasm tinged his voice.

"Look who's talking… You have used the excuse 'My dog ate my homework' like a thousand times…" Naruto retorted and they chuckled at accord dumbly, Kiba more mischievously. Shikamaru silently sat next to them supported by his tree –it was a cherry tree, the last one in full blossom in the entire campus-, hearing the chitchat halfway, still gazing at the clouds. Naruto bit his sandwich again "Well, yeah…and I felt bad for her. I mean… Why in the specific class that I don't care about there is a teacher that truly gives a damn about me?"

"Yeah, that really sucks…" sarcasm once more, present in his tone.

"Shut up, Kiba…" the blue eyed boy said a little annoyed. He sighed an rested his back on the grass, arms folded, hands under his head and legs crossed " And that was not the worse…Now I have a stupid project about global warming and guess who is my partner…"

"Hinata…?"

"Nope"

"Sakura..?"

"No, baka!" he exclaimed as he had heard the most idiotic thing on earth. If he had been paired with Sakura Haruno he would have been jumping, irradiating joy—not sulking and sinking in frustration "I was paired with Sasuke…"

"Again? Why that always happens to you?" he exclaimed, a single eyebrow ascended, now feeling a little sympathetic for the blond. He didn't like the raven much either.

"Hn… troublesome" Shikamaru pronounced his firsts words since the other's arrival.

"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked surprised.

"Well… I heard something weird abot Uchiha earlier- is not like I believe it…" two pair of eyes glanced at him. The obvious curiosity illustrated that their interest was far away from hearing Shikamaru's opinion, the wanted juicy gossip, damn it--! He breathed deeply and started to tell what he heard some hours before "I was taking my math book in the morning, when a group of three girls gossiping loudly stood next to me… I wasn't trying to hear them, but they were almost yelling it –typical of them…"

I was struggling with some textbooks to make them fit in my locker when they started to whisper—But as I said, I'm not sure they understand the meaning of the word 'whisper', really. They moved closer to where I was standing. I think they didn't notice that I could hear –wanting or not- every word said.

I can't remember well, but I think that Ino was there… and maybe Hinata too. About the other one, I've never met her before that.

"…and you won't believe what she told me!" scream-muttered Ino, waving her hair from left to right, whipping my face with it. Yes, they were that close.

"Hum, what did she tell you?" shyly asked Hinata.

"Yeah, tell us!" the unknown girl's screech pierced my ears and gave me a damn high-quality headache.

"Well, you guys know that Sasuke always eats alone or surrounded by a bunch of girls, right?" the other two nodded. Then I though, why Ino was talking like she wasn't part of the 'bunch of girls' who stalked Uchiha daily at lunch… She continued, if possible, louder "Yesterday, Ten-ten was crossing the yard, going to the other building and saw Sasuke eating lunch in that spot behind the gym, where he always eats… and he wasn't alone"

"Who was with him?" I could sense the frenetic fan-girly squeal of the girl was restraining as if Sasuke was her favourite topic.

"He was having lunch with that creepy read headed guy, Gaara…" her eyes shined with morbid delight "Then, when Sakura asked him about it he said they were only friends; she believed him, but I'm not that naïve..."

Hinata and the other gasped in surprised like they had heard that she had a bomb in her bag.

"And you remember when Gaara presented himself the first day, right?" she moved her index finger around, the other two hypnotized by it "Now, everyone says they are more than 'friends', you know what I mean?"

"…I thought that it was ridiculous, but that rumor seems to be spreading pretty fast… People love that kind of stuff" he stopped and gave a quick glance at his buddies. One, jaw dropped, filled with absolute awe. The blond one had raised his golden eyebrows a bit, in order to make more room to his now full open eyes, like two white cerulean centered dishes.

"So, you mean he's is- He is like…?" Kiba left his unfinished question floated in the air. There was no need to do so.

"So the rumors say…" Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly.

"Uh…" Kiba side looked at his blond comrade "Sorry Naruto, but I won't be hanging out, talking or sitting next to or even looking at you for a while… Naruto?"

The other two watched the alluded expectantly. He had switched his last expression for a new one. He seemed to be in a deep state of concentration. His golden brows formed a frown and he slowly closed his eyes. Shikamaru and Kiba waited. Finally, they focused their attention back to their pal when his lips parted.

"Hum… I didn't know Hinata liked to gossip…"

If Kiba had been an anime character, he would've fallen to the floor.

"I don't know why I even bother to worry…" Shikamaru breathed out and inhaled profoundly. After that, he turned his gaze to the puffy clouds still moving and put his hands in his pockets, he had no intention of continuing listening or speaking. Maybe he'd take a quick nap.

Kiba, in the other hand, felt himself invaded by two different emotions. The first one being incredulity. The next one- well, it could be not counted as an emotion, really. The next was the sudden and unstoppable urge to…er, shout.

"What!? Are you really a--… that dense?" He restrained himself of saying fucking dobe. He was trying to improve his vocabulary –his mom's fault!- and his treatment towards Naruto; Even though the blonde could be a dummy from time to time, he had showed to be quite the sensitive kind; the sensitive and vengeful kind. Bad memories…

"Hey! Don't call me that!" Naruto curled up and hugged his knees

"But, really- gosh…!" his hand slapped one of his tattooed cheeks "You don't get it?!"

"But--… huh?" his mind skipped the last question. Had he really heard Kiba say 'gosh'? It was normal to hear him swear and curse… but, 'gosh'? Really- "Ouch" A pair of fingers pinched his face. An immediate hit was enough to free his nose. He hurried to attend the harmed area.

"Don't you remember what Gaara did in the first day?"

"Gaara?" blue eyes closed. A little meditative scowl adorned his features "Who's Gaara?"

"…"

Kiba cared about his blond friend and accepted him by who he was and… all of that stuff best buddies (or whatever) did. So, he had accepted long ago, when they became friends, that Naruto was none the wisest. However, this was too much. "Fuck, I can't do this…" muttering he stood up, the grass stuck to his pants and he brushed it off. "I beg you, Shikamaru… Explain it to him" and as this –sandwich in hand- he left.

The two boys remained in silence. Some petals descend from the tree as they renewed their conversation.

"Che' I don't know why he was so pissed…" Naruto pouted angrily at the brushes in front of them "It's not my fault if I can't remember that guy…"

"I feel a little sympathetic for the Chemistry teacher… Well, it's not like Kiba is the more patient guy around" murmuring to himself, Shikamaru turned to face the blond "You really don't remember who Gaara is?"

"Nope…"

"Well, Gaara is that scary red-headed guy who roams always next to the candy store…"he started to explain. Naruto's expression squealed him on; he was still confused.

"Huh--…"

"The guy with no brows and wears mascara"

"Ah?! That guy?!" Naruto's squeak made some people turn around, staring. He continued talking; now lower "The one who said he was-..? Him? Dude, really?"

"Yep…" Shikamaru rested his back again in his cherry tree and closed his eyes.

"And they think they are--?" Shikamaru nodded "That is so weird…! I mean, not only the weird 'more than friends' stuff… I can't even picture them together" he noted the blond looked deeply disturb, perhaps some of Kiba's homophobic stupidity had gotten onto him too. But he understood. Sasuke had always been close to Naruto; it was really weird "I can't believe I just got paired up with him- I want to die! No, calm down- Those rumors are so not true, I know they're not!"

"Believe them or not, I just told you what I heard…"

"No… I don't think it's true" exasperated, he looked away "They must be only friends, I'm sure…"

"I can't tell…" Shikamaru ate the last piece of his food "Well, I'm leaving now… I have to talk to Iruka-sensei about something. See you later" he waved at the blond and started walking away. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, he turned back to add, "Naruto, perhaps you're right and that's not true but— you know what means that he is friend of someone like Gaara, right?"

"Yeah, I know…" he tried to keep his tone even. It was just that- everything was too odd.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

A deep frown crossed the blonde's features. His eyes were lost into his thoughts. But, Shikamaru's words reached him and he snapped out of his engrossment.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" his usual grin looked off.

It was too not credible.

Shikamaru nodded and said nothing. Naruto sat still in his place, hearing the brunette's footsteps disappear. The wind blew again and the leaves flowers attached to the tree clung to the branches desperately, making a soft murmur. Some failed and fell next to the blond.

Naruto Uzumaki was what people called a stubborn person mixed with simple-minded thoughts –a total annoyance; or what in young pure and normal child or teen minds was named as blockhead, dumb, idiot, loser, moron, dull, freak, feebleminded (Ino gave him that one to everyone's amazement) and Sasuke's favorites, dobe and Usuratonkachi… Those stuck in everyone's vocabulary after the first day of middle school, when the beloved Uchiha said (cried it out loud, actually) in front of the whole class –the teacher wasn't present in that moment. Sweet memories, really. Independent of the continuous insults each day thrown between them, those were the good old days. As time passed, they were dragged more and more into adolescence and its charms like quick mood swings, clumsiness and of course, irritability. The fights started by the slightest brush and the yelling began, suddenly transformed into high-pitched screams, and a bit of hateful stares and maybe a little crying. Some punches as well.

During the second term in their second year of middle school, before Christmas break, something happened. The few people who were stupidly there witnessed the weirdest of things. For them, it seemed a regular fight but, the strange thing was, after it ended, Sasuke and Naruto stopped talking, not even a single glance to the other, no more smirks or anything, just like that. It didn't even involved unusually loud shouts –In fact, they'd been lower, almost whispers at some point. Not even a little punch, some said surprised and others disappointed. So, as quick as they appeared, they were gone. It was even scary.

When they started senior year, the heavy and tensed atmosphere had lifted. Still, there was no interaction apart from Naruto trying to be better than Sasuke. That one never extinguished. Gradually –and forcefully too-, their old relationship was re-established for the raven had to help Naruto often in some classes (like math and equations); all the credit was for their evil teachers though, thank you very much and soon, the old quarrelling was back too and their terms were normal again, as normal as they could be.

Things remained that way after they graduated and they entered freshman year at high school, one and a half months ago. But somehow, it felt different from before, like they had formed a bond and, perhaps, deep down, they cared a little about each other… or maybe it was just his imagination.

Anyhow, Shikamaru and Kiba had talked like the suggestions were true. Or at least like they believed the raven was- No, it wasn't true. Sasuke was fine… He knew him more that many people. Although, you can never truly know someone, even yourself, can't you?

His stomach grumbled and remembered him his still not satisfied hunger. Sluggishly, the sandwich made its way to his mouth. Sasuke… he knew the gossips were false, he was sure. But-

'-you know what means that he is friend of someone like Gaara, right?'

-but, what about that? He had to be honest; He couldn't assure it was a lie.

He bit the sandwich again. His face emerged and highlighted between the others thoughts, Sasuke's face. Then, he remembered. Remembered all those years and how they were… The ordeal they meant for him; unwanted queries surfaced in his mind too: Was he concerned about that bastard? Why would he? He hated him, didn't he? Was he worried?

Eew, no. That was absolutely and completely impossible. No doubt.

The last bite was dragged to his lips. However, on the other hand, maybe that was true. Sasuke always seemed as good material for that after all.

And now, three days had passed since that day. The stupid paper fell harshly into the garbage can, severely wrinkled.

Sasuke was hanging out with Gaara… and that creepy guy truthfully was one. If Gaara was one, Sasuke unavoidable was one too.

That was the meaning of all this shit. The stupid notes, cruel nicknames, the soon coming threatening…

Gaara was one so all the student's minds, drove by the radical High school logic and prejudice, thought Sasuke was too. And now, that he was talking to Sasuke…

The real meaning for all that was Gaara… and the fact he was homosexual.

That made him one of them as well—Damn High School and your merciless judgment.

--End Ch.1—

* It goes according to the Japanese educational system. I made some research and I think their top grade is a 100. From this, I guessed getting something below ten is really, really bad.

So, what do you think? I kind of remade it like five times or more.

This is my first SasuNaru/NaruSasu fic, so I'm quite proud of myself, for finishing it =3. But, please review... even if you only say 'liked it' or 'hated it' or 'LOL' or whatever.

Anyway, thanks for reading it. Hope you'll read ch. 2 as well.

Bye-bee!

Fujishima A.