A/N: Hey guys. It's been a really long time. Like 10+ years. Really didn't think I'd come back to this story considering how much time has passed.. But with everything that's happening in the world. I figured why not let all my stress out by writing? So please enjoy this chapter. I don't think its the greatest considering i wrote hald of the story a long time ago and the other half for a couple of months now. So meh. I don't know. Also there's probably a lot of misspellings and corrections may be needed but I just didn't wanna bother with auto-correct and just wanted to publish this before heading to bed. So sorry about that too.
Blue eyes stared down at the floor, a frown placed on her face. It was just impossible to talk some sense into such a thick-headed man. She ended up hurting her most precious person. Her eyes traveled to the half packed bags in the corner, her heart clenching tight. Gaara had observed from the corner as she packed her things, he was silent. Not once did Gaara tell her to stop or refused to help her, he just didn't say a word. She felt guilty leaving him in this manner. She knew Gaara had feelings for her, had been waiting for so long to be with her, however, she wanted to mold her own life. The timing between them was never right and she wanted to tell him. Nevertheless, she had been afraid to tell him, to hurt him, like now.
"I've scheduled a taxi to take us to the airport early morning. I've already informed the rest of the group. Is there anything else?" her sight fixated to the figure by her door frame, her heart squeezed. Gaara's eyes looked hollow as he stared at her, he looked devastated. Her heart felt heavy at the sight.
"Gaara… I-"
"Don't." Gaara was frowning, his voice cracked slightly as he continued to speak. "Just, don't. I know what's important to you, let me help you make that dream come true." His words meant the world to her, and yet, at hearing him say that, it made her feel even more guilty for leaving. She didn't mean to lead him on like this, to get his hopes up just to deteriorate them. She let out a small sigh as she patted the space beside her.
"Sit next to me." Gaara obliged without word. He sat next to her with respectful space between them. A delicate hand tried to reach for Gaara's, only for the redhead to pull away. "Gaara, please, don't pull away." Gaara gave a bitter chuckle.
"It's not me that's pulling away. The one that wants to leave is you." Ino was quiet as she stared at Gaara's intense eyes. After a couple of seconds, her eyes shifted to look at Gaara's clenched hands. His knuckles were practically white, they were trembling.
"I don't have to go alone." Her voice was above a whisper. She looked at Gaara and saw that he was frowning. "You-you can come with me to Rome." She held Gaara's hands and felt his warmth against hers. There was a long silence before Gaara spoke once more.
"You want me to go with you?" He sounded so lost, it broke her heart to hear him in this manner. No matter what she had done wrong, no matter the many times she would go after Sasuke or any other man, Gaara had always been by her side. The redhead had always silently waited for her, had given her everything she needed and asked for nothing in return. She knew she held him close to her heart. She wanted it to work between Gaara and her, wanted something to develop between the two.
"Of course I want you to come with me, that is, if you want. I know I am wrong for leaving while finally giving us a chance, but I don't want this to end. Not this soon." Her hold on Gaara's hands tightened slightly. Gaara seemed to be contemplating over the suggestion. Ino held her breath as she waited for Gaara's response.
"I'll go anywhere you go." The soft gaze Gaara directed at her made her heart flutter quickly. She gave a small smile, her hand lifting to touch Gaara's cheek. Ino came closer to Gaara and kissed him lightly on the lips, Gaara blinked in surprise at the gesture but said nothing.
"I'm glad."
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Naruto felt awkward as he stared out the window. His leg moved restlessly which only caused irritation to his companion. Sasuke said nothing as he rested his head on the palm of his hand, staring out the window as well. They were on their way to the airport, Ino's flight was to leave in an hour and a half. Sasuke had offered to give the blond a ride while Kiba and Neji went together. They had not heard any word from Gaara and it seemed to concern all of them.
"Uchiha-sama, we're here." It was Iruka that had been driving them to the airport. He gave a wide smile as he turned to look at them. Naruto's eyes searched the building and saw many people walking with suitcases and bags as they ran inside. There were cars surrounding the building as well as taxis and buses, it was chaos.
"Thank you Iruka, I'll call when we need to get back." Iruka nodded and waved at the blond goodbye as he drove off. Naruto only stared at the outside of the building, so fascinated by the people passing by. "Let's go, Loser." He felt Sasuke's hand around his wrist and led him inside. Immediately, Naruto could feel his heart pounding hard and his cheeks burning hot.
They walked for a long time, they passed through a lot of people, most of whom bowed when they saw Sasuke pass. It wasn't until they had arrived at a hall that led them face to face with Neji, Kiba and Ino. Kiba and Neji looked at them both only to smile and look at each other knowingly. Ino, on the other hand, simply clapped her hands together and smiled widely. "Naruto, Sasuke, you both made it!" The blue eyed female came closer to Naruto and hugged him. She did the same to an annoyed looking Sasuke.
"And Gaara?" It was Sasuke that had asked once Ino let go of him. Ino furrowed her brows and tilted her head slightly.
"Gaara didn't tell you?" her eyes wandered from Sasuke to Neji and Kiba. All three teens shook their heads with slightly confused looks. A smile slowly spread on Ino's lips. "He's getting our bags through customs."
"What do you mean our?" Ino only seemed to smile at Neji. The long haired teen raised a fine brow. "He's going to Rome with you?"
"Whoa? Seriously?" At Ino's confirmation to Kiba, everyone was left shocked.
"We talked about it and we both agreed that Gaara should come with me." There was a heavy silence between the four male teens. Naruto was left speechless. Gaara was going to leave? He could not grasp the idea of Gaara leaving. They saw Ino turn and then smile as her eyes softened. "Ah, speaking of…" They all followed Ino's gaze and saw Gaara from a distance.
The closer the redhead got, the clearer Naruto could see the glazed look on Gaara's eyes. Along with the glazed stare, there was a small smile playing on Gaara's lips. "You made it." Gaara's sea-foam eyes were set on him. Naruto could feel his cheeks burn at the stare, his beating heart quickening in pace.
"Well, we were going to see Ino leave but it seems she's not going alone." Sasuke had placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, glaring at Gaara's direction. Gaara looked up at Sasuke, his smile still in place.
"So, Ino told you the news."
"You're seriously going with Ino? The fuck did that happen?" Gaara chuckled at Kiba's reaction. He walked towards the short haired brunette and placed his hands on Kiba's shoulders as his eyes stared directly at brown colored ones.
"I'll go anywhere Ino goes." Kiba said nothing but frowned at the redhead. Gaara tilted his head slightly "Look over Neji for me." Kiba sighed but nodded nonetheless. Gaara let go of Kiba and directed his attention to a slightly upset Neji. The redhead made his way to be in front of Neji, staring at opal colored eyes.
"You really are leaving." Neji's voice was just above a whisper, Gaara nodded. The long haired teen sighed and looked away. "Well, it's not like it's much of a stretch." Neji looked back at Gaara, sighing again. "You will be missed." Gaara searched Neji's face and nodded. Neji placed his arms around Gaara, hugging him. Gaara lifted his arms to do the same. Their embrace was quick, once done, Neji tried to smile but sighed the second he looked away. Gaara then turned to stare at both Sasuke and Naruto. Gaara walked forward and stared at Naruto.
Naruto could feel his cheeks burn hot, his eyes only stared at sea-foam green. "Meeting you has been quite the experience, Naruto." Naruto only stared, unsure of what to say. "Thank you for telling me how you feel, I apologize that I have to leave like this." Naruto's cheeks burned even more, he felt embarrassed at the sudden reminder that he had confessed his feelings to Gaara a few months back. He opened his mouth to speak only to be faced with Sasuke's back.
Sasuke stood in front of Naruto, glaring daggers at the auburn haired teen. He stared down at his brother.
"Sasuke" The young Uchiha crossed his arms. "I think I'll miss you the most. Thank you for treating me like family." Sasuke's angry demeanor slowly vanished, he walked closer to the auburn haired teen, his voice low enough for only Gaara to hear.
"Are you really willing to leave all this behind for her?" Gaara blinked as he stared at distraught dark eyes. His green eyes shifted to stare at the blond beauty in front of him. Ino had taken Naruto and was talking enthusiastically with him, Neji and Kiba, giving Sasuke and Gaara privacy to talk. Her light blue eyes met his green, he felt his chest light.
"I would do anything for her." Gaara saw Sasuke look down, a small frown on his face.
"Hn" Sasuke looked back and saw Ino laugh, he grimaced. Gaara saw the frown on Sasuke's face, he could only chuckle lightly as he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke turned back to look at Gaara, his brows drawn together.
"I'm sure you'll understand the feeling soon." Sasuke only scoffed and looked away. A moment passed before Sasuke felt an arm around his shoulder, he turned and saw Ino smiling at him, a small blush on her cheeks. Sasuke could only twitch his brow in annoyance at the unwanted touch.
"You two have a nice talk?" Sasuke said nothing and looked away from the blond girl, crossing his arms in a way to get Ino to get off him. Ino only gave a small smile as she took her arm off the dark haired teen. "Right" She clapped her hands together and looked at the 5 boys in front of her and sighed. "Well, I guess it's time for us to leave, right, Gaara?" Gaara nodded, Ino's smile widened. "Okay then, I guess it's time for goodbye's."
Everyone said their farewells to both Ino and Gaara. Naruto was quiet as Ino said goodbye to Sasuke, Kiba and Neji. As soon as she reached him, she placed her hands on the blonde's shoulder and gave a warm hearted smile. Naruto felt awkward under the gentle stare.
"It really has been an honor to meet you, Naruto." Before the blond could say anything else, he was held in a tight embrace. Once she let go, she spoke once more. "please take care of Sasuke-kun, okay?" Blue eyes drifted from Ino's to Sasuke's aggressive stare.
Naruto tried not to laugh "I don't think he needs much of a babysitter" Into smiled and shrugged her shoulders slightly
"For me, okay?" Naruto only sighed and nodded his head hesitantly. The blond smiled widely and lifted her bag a bit higher on her shoulder. "Well, we better be going, right Gaara?" The redhead nodded. They said their final goodbyes and before Naruto knew it, he was watching both Gaara and Into walk away from them. The last thing he could see before they disappeared deeper into the halls was them holding hands.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Well, that was certainly something." Everyone had been quiet during their walk back to the parking lot. Everything seemed odd now that Gaara was no longer with them. It still felt surreal for Naruto, even after seeing the teen walk off with Ino. Naruto looked down, his chest felt heavy.
"Stop sulking, it doesn't suit you" the blond felt a hand on top of his head, his blue eyes turned to see Sasuke right beside him. Sasuke turned his gaze and looked at him. "It's not like he's gone forever you know." Naruto grimaced, pushing Sasuke's hand away from his head. He could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment at Sasuke's action.
"I know that!" He saw Sasuke smirk slightly and shake his head. "Still…" Naruto hesitated as his eyes looked down once more. "It's kind of weird, that's all."
"Hm. Won't be a distraction now, though."
"What was that?" Naruto hadn't heard the last sentence the Uchiha had said. He had said it so quick when he was in deep thought. Sasuke just breathed out amusingly.
"It's nothing."
"Yo, Sasuke, Naruto, we'll be heading back. You guys going to stay a while?"
"Yeah, Iruka will be picking us up soon. You two go ahead." Both Neji and Kiba nodded as they got into Neji's car. Naruto watched as both teens drove off. "I'm sure they're inside the plane now." Naruto turned and saw Sasuke hand him a medium sized foam cup. The blond was curious to know where the Uchiha had gotten beverages but did not question. "It's hot chocolate. We should wait till the plane takes off." Naruto nodded as he took hold of the cup. Both teens leaned back on a parked car, their stare remaining up at the clear sky. "Are you alright?" Naruto was slightly spooked at the sudden question. Blue eyes turned to look at Sasuke, Sasuke was staring at him with a curious look. "You've been quiet for some time." Naruto looked away, pouting slightly.
"I'm fine."
"If I saw the one I liked leaving the country with someone else, I wouldn't be." Naruto noticed Sasuke staring at him intensely. Naruto grimaced and sighed.
"If I'm being honest, no, I'm not okay." Naruto looked down and sighed. "But, he seems happy, why would I ruin that for him?" Sasuke continued to stare at him for some time. The dark haired teen shifted and stood in front of Naruto. His arms were placed on the side of the car, his stare never wavering from those blue eyes. "Uhm, Sasuke?"
"Shut up, I have to say something." Naruto was surprised at the sudden command. It wasn't filled with anger but with worry. Sasuke seemed anxious. Sasuke's eyes lowered from blue eyes to plump lips. The older teen swallowed and licked his own lips. "Seeing Gaara and Ino leave, it's made me see something." Naruto was quiet, Sasuke took a deep breath and spoke once more. "Naruto, I like you. A lot"
Naruto was left in shock. He felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience as Sasuke continued to stare at him, waiting for his reaction. Naruto could feel his mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to say, how to react. "I…" Naruto was barely able to rasp out a word. He cleared his throat and tried once more. "Sasuke, I…" He stopped himself as something in his mind clicked. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Wait a minute..." Sasuke blinked at the sudden change of mood. "You're just messing with me, aren't ya?"
Sasuke had backed away slightly, surprised at Naruto's retort. The tall teen furrowed his brows in confusion. "No, just…" Sasuke grunted as his hands held Naruto's head still. He moved his face close to the blonde's and stared directly at his eyes. "Look into my eyes and see if I'm lying. I like you." Naruto blinked slowly. There was no indication of malice or doubt, and yet, Naruto was unable to believe Sasuke's words.
Naruto's silence made Sasuke sigh and let go of his face. The dark haired teen looked away as he spoke. "Nevermind, Iruka should be close by now." Sasuke sounded disgruntled as he walked away. Naruto only watched, his mind stuck on Sasuke's words. He had been just joking, right?
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Almost a whole month had passed until Naruto saw Sasuke again. Summer break had ended and they were back in school. After such a long time, Naruto had almost forgotten what Sasuke had told him at the airport.
"It really is strange not seeing Gaara-sama with the rest of the F4, don't you think so, Naruto-kun?" Naruto had been in the middle of eating some food that Haku had offered him. He swallowed hard at hearing Gaara's name, almost immediately feeling an emptiness in his stomach. Naruto gave a weak smile as he stared at Haku.
"Ah, yeah, weird, but at least he's happy with Yamanaka-san, yeah?" Haku smiled and nodded. Naruto continued with the food that was in front of him. Seconds passed before he heard shrieking and cooing.
"It's Sasuke!"
"Uchiha Prince!"
Naruto ignored the loud comments as he stared down at the tabletop. A tall shadow blocked his light, however, he continued to ignore it. It wasn't until Haku started to whisper his name, trying to make him look at the source of the shadow. With a deep sigh, Naruto dropped his utensils and looked up to see Sasuke Uchiha.
Sasuke was glowering at him, his eyebrow twitching slightly. Naruto blinked, confused as to why Sasuke had not said anything yet. Blue eyes shifted between the older teen and his companion, anxious to know why Sasuke was here.
"What is it, damn it?!" Sasuke frowned, his cheeks coloring in light pink.
"Shut up, idiot! Give me a minute." Sasuke looked away and cleared his throat. He looked back at Naruto, his cheeks darkening in red. "Meiji Shrine, this Saturday at 3, don't be late!" Sasuke left quickly before Naruto could say anything in return.
Naruto and Haku were left in shock. Naruto was speechless, his mind reeling at the reason why Sasuke would ask him there. It took him a moment before he remembered Sasuke's confession.
Wait…
It wasn't possible, was it? This wasn't a date, was it?
Naruto tried hard to oppose that idea. It must have been something else entirely, right? He tried to convince himself that Sasuke was just teasing him once more. It was hard, however, as a small voice in his mind reminded him that Sasuke had looked at him in the eyes and confessed his feelings, that he had not lied. Minutes passed before Naruto's eyes widened as it dawn on him that Sasuke quite possibly asked him out on a date. With that thought in mind, he ran to the nearest bathroom.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
It wasn't true, there was no way in hell that Sasuke Uchiha, Mr. Zero-fucks-given, could ask anyone, let alone him, out on a date.
"It's not a date, right?"
His companion raised his brow at the question. He stared at Naruto for sometime before speaking. "It sounds like a date."
"No! No, it doesn't!" The blond sounded desperate, not wanting to believe what his friend had said. "Listen, why would Sasuke Uchiha ask me out on a date? The guy doesn't even like anyone for Kami's sake!"
"Oh? He's told you this?" Naruto hesitated at the question. He closed his mouth and contemplated silently. Shikamaru raised his brow as he watched Naruto.
After a long moment, the blond muttered "He doesn't have to say it, he doesn't like anyone."
"Idiot, people's feelings change, Sasuke Uchiha is no different." Naruto grimaced at the statement. If what Shikamaru was saying true, then…
"I like you."
The memory hit him like a brick. His eyes widened at the sudden realization that what Sasuke had said was actually true. Sasuke Uchiha liked him. Him! "Kuso*"
All Shikamaru did was smile, finding it hilarious that Naruto finally understood.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
He felt like an idiot. He's been told that he was an idiot, but now he truly felt like one.
He continued to ask himself the same question over and over. Why him?
It seemed that's all he could ask himself as he awkwardly made his way through town. He wasn't going on the date, if anyone asked. He was on his way to let Sasuke know that there was no way in hell they were going on a date. Ever. At all. That's all.
Naruto stared at his frog themed watch once more and saw that he was already 10 minutes late. He grunted in exasperation at how late he was and began to run to the direction of Meiji Shrine. He didn't know what to expect as he ran fast to his destination, he kept pleading to anyone in the heavens that Sasuke would still be there.
Once he arrived, Naruto scanned the area, trying to find Sasuke. He saw packs and packs of people, they walked peacefully, praying and muttering to the gods. Naruto frowned, his heart feeling heavy at not being able to see Sasuke.
"You're here." he turned at the surprised voice. He saw coal eyes stare at him with disbelief and slight anticipation. Sasuke looked happy. Naruto was breathing hard from his running, but as he stared at Sasuke, he remained speechless.
The young Uchiha had eyes on him from every direction. He wore dark jeans, a purple button up and a black leather jacket. It was simplistic, however, the tall teen still looked attractive.
"Idiot, you're late." The comment didn't sound as sarcastic as Sasuke normally sounded, Naruto still narrowed his eyes at the tall teen.
"Teme, I never said I was coming!" Sasuke raised a brow and stared at the blond from head to toe and back to his eyes.
"And yet, here you are." Sasuke had a small smile that rubbed the blond the wrong way.
"I came because..." Naruto began to think of a way to explain himself. "It's because I knew you'd be here whether I came or not!" Sasuke breathed out a small laugh as he continued to stare at Naruto with such a soft stare. His stare was different from the normal look Sasuke always had. It made Naruto feel… different. "What if I didn't show, huh?!" Sasuke merely shrugged.
"But you did and that's all that matters now. C'mon." Sasuke moved his arm and took hold of Naruto's wrist, pulling him away from the wandering eyes.
Sasuke had pulled him all the way to a small cafe. Had it not been for the sign on top of the building, Naruto would have missed it, thinking it was an extension of the store right beside it.
Once inside, Naruto was embraced by warmth and a strong smell of freshly made coffee. He could hear soft music playing in the background. It did not disturb the conversation that happened around him, but gave an aura of calmness. They sat at the first booth they could find. It was at a small lit corner.
"I'm going to get a coffee, just stay here."
Naruto was left speechless as he stared at Sasuke slightly smiling and walking off to where the cashier was.
He couldn't believe he had waited that long. Why did he wait that long? Wasn't he cold? Isn't he upset? So many questions were reeling in his mind. The most important one being that Sasuke had confessed to him. That was gutsy.
He was pulled back once Sasuke placed two cups on the table, pushing one closer to him. He stared at Sasuke, feeling awkward.
"Maybe this will warm us both" he sat down and placed the cup to his lips. He could see the steam his cup was giving out. It looked enticing.
"What you said back then. It's true?" Naruto still felt in disbelief. Sasuke did not meet his eye, he could slightly see a rosy hue adorning his cheeks.
Sasuke coughed and signaled to the cup in front of Naruto "It's going to get cold if you don't drink it." Naruto looked back at the small cup and picked it up to drink. As Naruto drank from his cup he could taste chocolate. He smiled at the sweet taste. "I don't expect you to say anything back, you know."
Naruto's gaze lifted to stare across from him. Sasuke wasn't staring back at him but Naruto could tell the young man was trying hard to keep a straight face even with his cheeks adorning a slightly rouge color.
"For some reason, after seeing Gaara and Ino leaving together, it made me realize that I was given an opportunity. All my life, I was told to take all the opportunities I am given to strive." Sasuke's cheeks seemed to flush a deeper color. "Seeing you, being with you, I couldn't keep it to myself."
Naruto stayed silent for a couple of seconds, studying the Uchiha's face, his composure. He could see Sasuke looked slightly uncomfortable, still not meeting him in the eye. He could also see the slight fidgeting of the young man's left fingers, waiting for him to respond.
He wanted to argue, he wanted to just tell him to stop joking, to stop playing with him. That this was worse than the sick jokes he put him through from the start of his school career. However, the more he looked at Sasuke and finally locked eyes with the young Uchiha, he saw such vulnerability, such honesty.
"I-" he swallowed, feeling saliva build up quite quickly. "I just… Why? Why would you do all the torment, all the lying, just to… just to…" He grunted in exasperation. Sasuke was frowning, not expecting this reaction, yet, he understood why Naruto would feel like this. As he stared at the blond, his mouth opened to speak.
"I know anything I say won't resolve anything. But-" Dark eyes stared up at clear blue. His breath hitched at staring at those painfully expressed eyes. It made his chest hurt. "Naruto… I-I'm-"
"You know, it's really weird having to hear Sasuke Uchiha himself apologize for his mistakes." Sasuke hesitated and stared at Naruto. "It's refreshing." Naruto gave a wide smile. It quickly made Sasuke blush, his eyes wide in surprise.
Sasuke tried to hide his embarrassed face, placing his hand over his mouth, to try and cover the smile that wanted to appear. He could feel his heart pound hard in his chest. He felt hot. He felt his whole face hot. "I-idiot! When did I say that!"
Naruto grimaced at the taller teen, his eyes narrowing to a glare. "Is that not what you were trying to say? Hmm?" Sasuke looked down, his hands clenched as he opened his mouth and spoke softly.
"Yes. I'm sorry." Naruto breathed out with slight amusement. As he stared at Sasuke, He could still see the slight red on Sasuke's ear tips. As he sipped his chocolate quietly, all that came to mind was Cute. After that thought, he stopped and began to think once more. Cute? "Would you like to… go someplace else?" Sasuke stared at him with such a soft expression. His heart pounded just a little harder. All Naruto did was just nod with a small smile.
They had walked for a while as Sasuke continued to lead the way. Naruto was silently following, his mind racing from one thought to another. He wondered what his friends would tell him about Sasuke's confession. What the rest of the F4 would tell him… what Gaara would say to him. He felt a small ache in his chest at the thought of the redhead. He's away with Ino. That's right, he had chosen the love of his life. He had the guts to tell Ino how he felt and had even chosen to go away with her. Just like Sasuke had the guts to confess to him. Naruto looked at the teen that was leading the way. He was only able to see the teen's broad shoulders, his hair almost blending with the dark night. He didn't know what to say to Sasuke's confession if he were honest. And yet, he could see the change that Sasuke was going through. He was reminded of the time they were in the gym after he had confessed to Gaara.
Sasuke had been kind when he saw him at his most vulnerable. He didn't know how he had found out but he had expected the Uchiha to make fun of him, to use it as leverage. He didn't. He had called a truce, had joked with him. It was a side he had not seen before. At least, not until now. "Hey, where are we going?"
Sasuke turned and smiled at him. His smile made Naruto feel funny. "It's a surprise, we're almost there." Naruto nodded.
They walked a little longer and reached a very tall building, the lights seemed to be off and it did look slightly ominous to him. It gave Naruto a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, was this another practical joke? He felt a warm touch on his wrist. He was slightly startled but saw the milky white skin that belonged to Sasuke. Naruto looked up at Sasuke and somehow felt his fear dissipate slightly.
"My uncle used to own this building before my father took over." Sasuke led Naruto towards the building. "I have the key to the door but it's not the building I want to show you." they had stopped at the door as Sasuke took out a pair of keys and unlocked the door. Naruto stepped in and was surrounded by a darkened lobby.
"Uh… Sasuke?"
"Don't tell me you're scared." Sasuke's tone of voice was playful but it still rubbed the blond the wrong way.
"Yarou! I'm not scared!" He couldn't see it but Naruto knew Sasuke was smirking in the darkness.
"Let's go, scaredy-cat." Before Naruto could say anything else, Sasuke grabbed his hand and led him to the elevators. He pressed one of the buttons only to shine bright red in the darkness. A second later, the doors opened, the bright light almost blinding the young blond. He was pulled inside by Sasuke. Sasuke had let go of Naruto's hand and was in front of the elevator buttons. He pressed the button most at the top and both waited. "My uncle used to bring me here when I was younger."
"What's the building for?"
"It's a research facility for botanical plants. They're coming up with a way to make florescent plants like watercress." Naruto stared with a confused expression. Sasuke smiled. "They're trying to make plants glow at night." Naruto puffed up his cheeks slightly, pouting. Sasuke chuckled low. "I can show them to you another time. We're going up the roof."
"We're going where? Why?"
"Secret" They reached the top floor, showing only one door available. Naruto was confused but remained quiet as Sasuke once again took hold of his wrist and pulled him out the elevator. He took out his keys once they were in front of the door. Naruto heard a click, Sasuke only smirked at the blond.
Inside, it was like an auditorium. There were seats everywhere and as Naruto looked up, he could see the huge dome where the ceiling was supposed to be. Naruto was in awe, not ever having to be in a place such as this. Sasuke pulled Naruto down to the seat next to him as he took out a remote from his pocket. Naruto furrowed his brows wondering if the teen had the remote with him all this time. Sasuke pushed a button, making the seats move back. It scared Naruto just a little but relaxed as he saw that Sasuke was calm. They were practically looking at the ceiling. "What-"
Sasuke pushed another button before Naruto could finish his sentence. It made the dome bright up with wonderful stared in awe as the lights became clearer and cleaner in front of him.
It was a new experience for him, seeing the many stars that started to shine. Seeing the planets rotating around and around. "This is so cool." His eyes were shining bright with awe and curiosity. He felt a slight brush on his hand, it took him out of his trance as he turned and saw Sasuke.
Sasuke's attention was on the ceiling, watching as the screen moved to close up on the planets, starting with Mercury. Sasuke's hand was on the arm-rest, almost brushing Naruto's own hand. Naruto looked back up at the ceiling, feeling his skin a little more warm than usual noticing that Sasuke was mere inches away from him. He tried to focus once more on the planets. Sasuke shifted, his knees connecting lightly with Naruto's own. Naruto did not move, feeling his body warmer. He continued to concentrate on the projection that was showing on the ceiling. He listened to the narration of the planet, trying hard not to think too much of the warmth pressing against him.
"Uncle used to take me here at least once a week, I always enjoyed looking up at the stars, astounded how small we are compared to these supernovas" Sasuke's eyes shone brightly, it was a look Naruto hadn't had the good fortune to see, until now. "Apart from my brother, Uncle was the only other person that I felt I could confide in." he paused, his lips forming a tight line. "Of course my mother was a caring woman, but she was so busy with other things that I would only see her when I would go to sleep. Father… well..."Sasuke trailed off, looking at Naruto. "Uncle would have liked you too"
Naruto blinked, feeling rather self-conscious under the others stare. He could hear his heart beat so loudly. He's just teasing you. A part of him mentioned. But was he really? The sincere look that Sasuke was demonstrating, the sheer trust. It was something that he hadn't seen Sasuke direct at him before. He doesn't mean it a small voice whispered. He's lying.
There was a small ringing sound that momentarily distracted Sasuke. He shifted and took his phone out. He picked the call and answered. "Nee, how'd you find me?" He was silent. Naruto could see the small frown on the Uchiha's face. Sasuke sighed "Hai, hai, we'll be right out." He hung up and turned to look at Naruto once more. A look of disappointment in his eyes. "Kakashi found me, we gotta go." Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Found you? It's not like you snuck out, right?" Sasuke stayed silent as he started to get up.
"Kakashi is waiting outside. C'mon, we'll take you home."
Sasuke led the way back down. The elevator ride was quiet but Naruto did not mind as he silently observed the small smile that was on Sasuke's lips. They made their way back to the lobby and to the front doors where a black car was parked, a tall man with grey hair waiting outside. Naruto recognized the man, the same one that had come to his house a while back.
They opened the doors and immediately the man greeted them both with a smile, or what seemed to look like one behind his black mask. "Naruto-kun, good to see you are well. I hope you and Sasuke-sama had a pleasant get together." Naruto felt embarrassed, knowing his cheeks were warming. The man's stare shifted to Sasuke who was close behind. "Sasuke, you know how the head of the household feels when you are not watched." Sasuke scoffed. "Please do try to at least inform me if you do have the urge to leave the household." Sasuke said nothing as he ducked inside the car and sat next to Naruto. Kakashi closed the car door and made his way to the front seat. He adjusted his mirror slightly and spoke once more. "Naruto-san, it's my understanding I am taking you home, is it still the same address?" Naruto stared at Sasuke and back at Kakashi, nodding slightly. "Great!" The man sounded chipper as he started the car and made his way out the curb.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The car parked in front of Naruto's house. Blue eyes stared out the window and noticed the lights were on outside. He frowned, hoping granny Tsunade wasn't too mad to be out this late.
"Uh… thanks" Sasuke only stared at him.
"Kakashi will escort you to your door. I have a couple of things in the trunk for your family."
"Wait, what?" Kakashi opened his door before he could ask Sasuke to elaborate. Kakashi waited for him to get out. The tall man held a couple of bags on his arm as he waited on Naruto. The blond stared at Sasuke one last time before Sasuke only motioned for Naruto to get out the car.
Kakashi followed close behind as Naruto made his way to the front door.
"Uhm, you really don't have to escort me, it's fine really." Kakashi seemed to smile.
"Nonsense. If something were to happen to you, Sasuke-sama would be most upset." Naruto looked away, his cheeks becoming warm. He looked for his keys and began unlocking his front door.
Once he opened the door, he found brown eyes directed at him. It spooked Naruto as he saw his grandmother's brooding demeanor.
"Naruto Uzumaki, do you know what time it is?"
Naruto could feel the intense aura coming from his grandmother, the air becoming heavy. He felt his knees weak as he tried to think of words to say. He didn't know whether he should start apologising or start groveling.
"Our sincerest apologies Uzumaki-sama. It seems the young Master kept Naruto-san out longer than anticipated" Kakashi bowed behind him. Tsunade raised a thin brow, her arms still crossed in a menacing manner.
"Oh? And what did your young Master want with my boy?" Tsunade grabbed hold of Naruto's shirt, pulling him into the house, away from Kakashi.
"It seems the young Master merely wanted company from Naruto-san. He is deeply sorry for keeping him late." The silver haired man lifted his arm and showed the woman a medium sized bag. He gave it to Tsunade who immediately took out the contents inside. She was faced with a bottle of sake. With the bottle exposed, Tsunade's eyes sparkled.
"Well I'll be damned. This Master of yours knows his shit. Good stuff." Kakashi bowed once more and handed the rest of the bags to Naruto.
"These gifts are for the rest of the family. Please accept them with the Master in mind." The man bowed once more and headed to the car. Tsunade and Naruto watched as the man walked away. Tsunade closed the door and stared at Naruto.
"The guy has good taste in sake. I like that." Tsunade walked away, leaving Naruto rather speechless. He was confused as to what just happened as well as confused as to why Sasukr had gone through all the trouble.
"Whoa! Hime, this is amazing!" He was startled by his grandfather's booming voice. He walked further into the house and found his grandfather gushing over the bottle that his grandmother had. The man was inspecting it thoroughly, his brows raised high. "This is high shelf sake! Who gave this to you?"
Tsunade smirked and grabbed the bottle back. "That's a question better fit for our boy here." Both Jaraiya and Tsunade both looked at the blond who was still holding the other bags that Kakashi had given him. The stare from both his grandparents made his cheeks warm. He looked away, stumbling with his words.
"He's just some jerk who goes to school with me" he was reminded once more of the words "I like you" only to feel a blush once more and lift the rest of the contents on his hands. "Here, he also got you and Kono something too."
"Ohoho!" The older man took hold of both bags, his eyes sparkling in delight. "Kono! Come out of that forsaken room!" A couple of seconds went by before hearing a small creak from down the small hall. The young teen came out and walked toward his family, large bags under his eyes. Everyone stared at the young boy with surprise in their eyes. "Kono, what the hell?!" The young boy yawned and shrugged.
"I've just been up playing games, nothing to worry about." The young boy looked at his grandfather with tired eyes and a sleepy smile. The older man slowly gave Konohamaru one of the bags that he was holding. Konohamaru's eyes sparkled much like his grandfather's had minutes ago. He rummaged through the bag and found two boxes. One was very small and rectangular, the other was much bigger and slimmer. Konohamaru started with the slimmer box, sitting down on the floor as he carefully unwrapped the present. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the bare box. "No way!" Konahamru marveled at the box, caressing it as if it were fragile. Everyone around the room stared at the young boy with raised brows, curious as to why he was acting so strange from the box. "Nee, nee, who is it from?"
Both Jaraiya and Tsunade looked at the blond beside them, with sly smiles on their faces. Naruto just looked away, wanting to stop blushing from all this judgement. "Someone from school." Baruto replied softly, he didn't want to tell them specifically who it was, still unsure of whether Sasuke was merely playing around or just being this generous all of a sudden.
"Tell them, Thank you! It's a headset not even sold in stores yet! This is so cool!" Konohamaru exclaimed as he took the contents out.
"It seems this classmate of yours really has favored you for some reason, Naruto." Jaraiya stated matter-of-fact. Naruto only tried to smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"Uh… I think he's just teasin me or something" said the blond. The older man gave a sympathetic smile as he placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"Teasing is one thing, but going out of their way and buying luxurious items such as these," Jaraiya lifted this gift that he had received. The man was showing off a large white fluffy coat that seemed to be just as warm from the inside. "I think this classmate has some kind of interest in you, boy." Naruto grimaced at the statement. Once again being reminded of Sasuke's confession. He sighed and started to head to his bedroom.
"Nee, I'ma bit tired, I'm just gonna head to bed."
"Nii-san, wait!" Konohamaru called out which made the teen stop and stare at his cousin. The young brunette lifted the small box that had been in Konohamaru's gift bag and gave it to the teen. "This one has your name on it!" Naruto stared at the box in a puzzled manner and curiously eyed the small box. He tried to give a small smile and resumed his walking.
"Night everyone."
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
It had been a phone. He never had a phone, considering that his family nor did he have the sufficient funds to actually buy one. As he stared at the small phone in his hands, he could only feel his heart feel heavy.
Why had Sasuke given him and his family gifts? Why was he acting like this after all he had done to him at the beginning of the school year? What he said to him really true?
So many questions ran through his head as he stared at the phone. He placed it down on his desk as he began to get lost in thought. He thought back to his time with Sasuke just hours ago. The way that Sasuke stared at him with honest eyes. He had smiled and had apologized! He was confused by all of this and it stressed him out. With a heavy sigh, he covered his face with his hand in exasperation. Why was this becoming harder?
He heard a small sound. He took his hands off his face and stared at the phone below him. He saw that it had lit up and that the screen was showing New Message in bold black letters. Curiously, he grabbed the phone and opened the message. It was a number he did not recognize but as he read the message he knew that it was Sasuke.
Dobe, you better not lose this.
He felt like sending an angry text back but he was smiling as he shook his head and saved the number displayed on top. As he replied back to the Uchiha, his smile remained as he stared at the saved name on top- Konoyarō.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Naruto had a pretty peaceful morning which was rather strange. He would notice some stares from time to time, however, he was already used to it. It was the smiles and small waves that he was getting that was intimidating him. He sighed as he plopped himself on his desk, groaning in the process.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" he felt a small hand touch his arm. He lifted his head and was met with friendly brown eyes. He smiled at the teen in front of him as he shook his head.
"I'm okay, Haku-chan, just a bit stressed." He saw Haku smile sympathetically and rubbed his arm softly.
"You want to talk about it Naruto-kun?" he opened his mouth and closed it back up, not sure what to tell Haku.
"Uh… to be honest-"
"Attention, please, we interrupt morning lectures for this announcement." Naruto tensed, recognizing the voice in the PA System. It was Kiba who was making the announcement. Naruto could only anticipate that the announcement would not end well. "Moving forward, our second year classmate, Naruto Uzumaki is no longer to be targeted. He belongs to our beloved Prince moving forward. That is all."
"EH?!" Naruto cringed at the loud outcry of unison. He could feel eyes directly at him, he wanted to hide in a hole to die.
"Naruto-kun?" he saw Haku stare at him with worried eyes. He was going to kill Sasuke Uchiha. "Is… is it true?" Haku could see slight hurt in Haku's eyes as she stared at Naruto. Naruto could feel a heaviness in his chest. "Sasuke can't claim you, can he?" Naruto hesitated, at a loss for words. He stammered for a couple of seconds before shaking his head convincingly.
"Of course not, Haku-chan. Why would that jerk want me after all he's done? It doesn't make sense." he hoped that Haku believed him. She seemed to have thought about it before smiling slightly.
"I… I just don't want Naruto-kun to get hurt by him. " Naruto hesitated at hearing Haku's tone. She sounded so angry and insulted. He could see her hand clench in a tight fist. He reached out his hand to place it on top of Haku's fist. She seemed to have relaxed slightly at the touch.
"You okay, Haku-chan?" she seemed to have pulled away from her anger and tried to give a small smile.
"Ah, yes, I'm sorry. I think... I think I just need to go to the infirmary." Haku got up and headed out the door. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. I'll try to be back soon." Naruto watched as Haku left, leaving him to feel uncomfortable at the stares directed at him.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
He had not seen Haku after class which had worried him. He had gone to the infirmary only for the nurse to inform him that she had gone home early. He only hoped that she was okay. The announcement over the PA left such a strange outcome that it was leaving him feeling stressed and angry. Everyone was clearly faking all this friendliness towards him just because he belonged to Sasuke. Belonged to him? Like some property? What kind of BS was that?
He was walking towards the F4 lounge, hoping he could find Sasuke and yell at him for doing something like this morning. He was in front of the door and opened it only to be faced with Kiba and Neji eating around a small coffee table.
Both teens had stopped eating midway and turned to see him at the door. Both gave smiles at the blond.
"Uzumaki-san, what a surprise, please join us." It was Neji that made a gesture to one of the butlers in the room holding pastries. The man nodded and quickly went back behind one of the doors in the lounge. Naruto slowly walked into the room and sat on the couch.
"Whiskers! Congrats buddy!" Kiba had slapped the blonde's back with a wide smile. Naruto glared.
"Yeah… that's why I came here. You guys seen Sasuke?" A small cup of chocolate was placed in front of him. Naruto gave a soft thanks and stared at both Neji and Kiba for a response. Both older teens stared at one another and gave small smiles.
"Sasuke is busy today. He will be back in 2 days maybe?" Kiba answered. Neji nodded as he took a sip of his tea. Naruto growled in frustration.
"Great." Naruto huffed and leaned back into the sofa. Neji stared at him sympathetically.
"Is there something wrong Naruto-san?"
"Yeah, I'm not too keen about having myself be labeled like Sasuke's property. Is that even legal? I have all these people being so fake to me, it's driving me crazy! Is he an idiot?!" He was yelling the last part of his question, making Kiba and Neji stifle their laughs and everyone else in the room stare at him with concerned eyes.
Neji placed his cup down and moved a strand of his long hair behind his ear. "Naruto, you must understand, Sasuke is…" Neji paused to think, he sighed and looked at Kiba. "What's a nice word for emotionally challenging?"
Kiba looked up thoughtfully and shrugged. "An idiot?" Neji scoffed and agreed passingly.
"Sasuke is an idiot, Naruto-san. But you have to remember, he's really new to this, all of it. He's been brought up in a certain manner where everything was just given to him. He really doesn't know what he's doing." Naruto growled again and sighed.
"Doesn't mean I belong to him. He's gotta work for it this time!" With a huff, Naruto got up and headed towards the door. "When you see him, you tell that jerk that! He can't get everything he wants just like that!" He was gone, leaving Neji and Kiba to smile and look at each other.
"Is it me, or did he basically accept Sasuke's feelings?" Neji suppressed a small laugh.
"Seems they're meant for each other." Kiba shook his head with a small smile.
"Two idiots in love, how amusing."
"You know what we gotta do now, right?" Kiba raised a brow, wanting the long haired brunette to explain himself. "It's time to visit his friends."
Kiba had a wicked smile on his face, his eyes shining in amusement. "Hell yeah!" Both nodded and continued their drinks.
A/N: Okie, well I pretty much wanted to stop here considering how long this is already. No promises on how fast I will write this chapter but i know it won't be like 10 years. So, stay tuned? I suppose? Okay. Thank you everyone.