This is a gift fic for DudeYBL. I enjoyed writing it so much, once I finally established the mood and tone.

But I warn you YBL, it's not exactly what you asked for. The main ideas are mostly the same, but there isn't as much humor as you asked for (if at all). That was not intentional, the story just sort of went that way. Plus, there's an unexpected twist I hope you enjoy. I did. Haha! I do hope you like it, and that my allowing my muse free reign with this was not a mistake on my part O_o

Anybody who catches a mistake, please let me know. I can't help missing a lot of them. It's embarrassing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anybody in it. –sigh-

Warning: This is a gay fan fiction, people, about man-on-man action. This chapter is rated M.

Love Bugs 1

Sasuke lay on top of Naruto, breathing heavily. The blond was trembling underneath him and staring up at his dark friend with wide blue eyes.

Sasuke could think of nothing to say, and they both listened to the wild buzzing around them, bracing for another attack. But the bugs just floated over their tangled bodies, almost as if they were unsure what to do next. It was working. Sasuke wasn't sure his theory would save the blond from further injury…but it seems his guess was right on.

"They're not trying to hurt me," Naruto breathed carefully, and they both tensed when the buzzing got suddenly louder.

"Don't talk so loudly. They recognize your voice, just like they recognize your scent," Sasuke guessed again shrewdly.

They were in Sasuke's room –his living room, to be precise. On the floor. Sasuke had taken him there, hoping that the enforced walls would keep the angry insects out. But nothing could, so far. They had eaten through the wall in less than ten minutes.

"My scent?" Naruto blurted.

Sasuke sighed, weary of the increase in buzzing noise. Naruto's bangs fluttered gently with that frustrated breath, and the blond looked into his best friend's eyes, clearly questioning.

Two days ago Naruto had run into him, exhausted and bleeding, a horde of small, angry bugs swarming ever closer behind him. "Shit, Sasuke!" he'd wheezed out and pushed past him, running on.

Sasuke leapt out of the way of the bugs, but they didn't seem to be interested in him or anyone else. He started after the blond, confused and more than a little alarmed. It took a lot to get Naruto to look that bad, to sound that drained. It was a very easy decision, to leap after him.

Sasuke wasn't exactly sorry for it now, especially since this was the first instant in the two days since the damned things had started hunting the blond that Naruto was able to stay still, to stop fleeing from the bugs' constant stinging and tireless pursuit.

"It seems they're following your smell," he explained, watching a troubled frown immediately wrinkle the tanned forehead. "My scent is confusing them," Sasuke continued.

The brow smoothed, dark blond eyebrows shooting up in shock. "Oh."

Sasuke couldn't hold back his amused smirk. "Why did you think I tackled you to the ground, dobe?" This was where his reservations lay: his erection was pressing unapologetically into Naruto's belly. Not that Sasuke wanted it to, intended it, or even had any control over the damn thing where his blond friend was concerned.

He watched the blond's face carefully, looking for disgust, or at the least, distaste. Naruto just scowled at him and flushed slightly. "I didn't really think about it."

Sasuke let out a snort. "You didn't even fight back."

"Hey! I knew you had a good reason," he snapped, and winced when the bugs went wild around them. He sighed when they still didn't attack. "I guess you're right about the scent thing."

"I know. But this is not a solution. All I'm doing is confusing your scent enough to keep them away. I don't know if it will keep working. You need something more…permanent."

"You mean like kill the bastard who set them on me? I'm all for it."

"Yes. And I think I know who it is. It was so obvious you should have guessed, idiot."

Naruto stiffened under him, obviously not bothered by the insult, but by the answer. "Orochimaru," he bit out, eyes narrowing and staring somewhere beyond Sasuke's shoulder.

"Shino."

The Uchiha could fair feel the confusion, and then the disbelief. "Fuck," the blond hissed between clenched teeth. "But why the hell would he? I've never done anything to him…that I can remember," he finished uncertainly, and his eyes glazed over, obviously sifting through memories.

"We should go find him and ask directly. He's probably at home this week."

Everything went silent for a minute, except for the buzzing. Naruto cleared his throat and looked at Sasuke pointedly. "Are you waiting for me to buck you off? Just say so, man. I can't read minds."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and made no move to get up. "Sure. Let's call it that. And you need rest. I'm not moving until you get some sleep."

Naruto flushed, scowling simultaneously and looking anywhere but at Sasuke. The raven guessed his unfailing erection was the reason for that, so he shifted slightly. Now his cock lay against Naruto's hip, but at least it wasn't pressed so completely against him; Sasuke couldn't risk moving an inch farther anywhere. As it was, the bugs seemed abuzz over the small portion no longer in contact with Sasuke's body.

"I can't sleep with you on top of me," grumbled the blond. And yawned.

Sasuke smiled and tucked his face into the tanned neck, amused at the yawn cutting off and turning to a grunt. "You'll manage." I'm the one that should be worried, he thought with an internal sigh. God, he loved the way Naruto smelled, wild and untamed, with a hint of underlying sweetness. Like Naruto himself.

"Sasuke…"

Sasuke breathed in the maddening scent and felt Naruto shiver. "Yes?"

"This isn't exactly comfortable."

"You prefer the kikaichu swoop down on you instead? Sleep. I'll watch out for them. They've had you on alert and running for days. You need rest before we go for Shino."

Naruto let out a breath of frustration and fidgeted slightly under him. Sasuke bit back a groan, and bit Naruto's neck before he had a chance to think better of it.

"Ah!" the blond jerked and stilled. Sasuke stiffened, cursing silently, and raised his head enough to look at the stunned, deer-in-headlights look on his friend's face.

"You were annoying me. Stop fidgeting," he explained weakly, and was relieved when the blond glowered at him. It was going to be dangerous if he were unable keep his body from taking advantage of Naruto's proximity.

"You'd be moving around too if you had another person lying on top of you, Teme!"

Sasuke chuckled against his neck and turned away from the temptation of exposed skin. "Think of me as a blanket."

"I barely use sheets, never mind a blanket as heavy as you! Half the time I sleep in the nude."

Sasuke froze. What the fuck was that idiot trying to do to him? "Sleep," he snapped through gritted teeth, and closed his own eyes.

Naruto growled low but stilled, and after only a few minutes, his breath evened out and deepened in slumber. Poor idiot. How tired must he be to fall asleep with Sasuke right over him, never mind what the Uchiha had said? And with Sasuke's hard-on pressed against his thigh.

He wondered why Naruto hadn't commented on that, or if he thought Sasuke was perpetually horny.

The bugs hovered over their heads for a while with what felt like indecision, and then went quiet. Sasuke didn't have to look to see that they had settled on every surface available to them while keeping away from the two men on the floor.

Those bugs had specific orders all right, and they involved hurting Naruto and Naruto alone. If Shino was, in fact, behind this whole thing -and Sasuke was almost sure he was- then the bug nin had Sasuke to answer to.

The Uchiha might want the blond in ways no best friend should, but by God, Naruto was his friend and it was practically his duty to have his back.

Shino would pay.

Sasuke dozed off several times in the night, but came to fully when he felt Naruto begin to awaken, just past dawn. He flexed his muscles and cracked his neck. The bugs were buzzing again, a lot closer over them than they had been the night before. It looked like whatever had kept them away was fading.

"Wake up, dobe," he rasped, glad to note that the angry welts and swelling that had covered the blond's face the day before were nearly gone. "We need to move." It didn't look like the kikaichu would hold off much longer. They had to make a run for it. Now.

Naruto groaned and made an unconscious effort to get out from under him. The Uchiha locked his limbs, trapping the blond under him and leaned down. Naruto yelped in pain and his eyes popped open. He stared uncomprehendingly at the man glaring down at him. "What the fuck, are you-?" He stopped and looked up. His eyes widened in horror at the bugs' proximity.

"You remember. Good. We need to move…on my signal."

"You bit me!" Naruto hissed at him.

Ignoring the angry statement, the Uchiha went on: "When I say now, I'll jump off you and you run the hell out of here. Get to Shino's place as fast as you can."

Naruto was breathing hard, expression stern and bite momentarily forgotten. He nodded. "Where will you be?"

Sasuke snarled angrily, but it wasn't directed at Naruto. He was looking at the insects hovering over them darkly. "We haven't been able to get rid of those things. The more we kill, the more come to replace the dead. I'm going to try a few things to hold them off. It should give you a little time to talk to the Aburame."

"And if it's not him?"

Sasuke shook his head slightly. "I'm pretty sure it is. But I'll be right behind you, no matter what happens," he assured him.

For the first time since Sasuke had gone after him yesterday, Naruto grinned. And it took everything Sasuke had not to finally give in and kiss him.

"Now! Through the wall!" he cried and leapt off of Naruto's body. He wasn't disappointed. Naruto may not be the most graceful person around, but he could be very fast indeed. The Uzumaki shot off the floor and leapt through the large hole in Sasuke's wall in record time. The Uchiha brought his hands together and performed a seal, leaping to block that exit.

Clumps of insects fell in the face of his fire, and his apartment went up in flames. He gave a feral grin, watching the bugs die in the face of his Great Fireball technique. Nothing would survive, not even his place, but he was willing to suffer the loss if the damned things were stopped. There was nothing here he held dear anyway.

He leapt through the wall and performed another seal, controlling the range of the flames. He cursed loudly at the sight of quite a large number of insects exiting behind him. He'd bought Naruto no more than a couple of minutes. The idiot better had gone directly to Shino's house.

Cursing again, he quickly put out the fire before it spread to the other apartments and leapt after Naruto, making sure to speed past the bugs.

He didn't have to go far. He wasn't even in range of the Aburame household when he spotted Naruto and Shino facing off. They weren't fighting. Naruto was talking angrily, rapidly, and Shino just stood there, arms crossed.

So it was the fucker after all.

Naruto sensed his chakra and looked back, face going slack with relief. The Uchiha landed next to him, taking inventory of the blond's limbs. He didn't look any more hurt than he was yesterday, so Shino hadn't tried anything further.

"I was worried those bugs would try to hurt you for helping me get away."

"They're meant for you, not me," he assured him and turned to Shino. "What's this about, Shino?" he asked evenly.

It was Naruto who answered: "Revenge," he said bitterly. "And you won't believe for what."

Sasuke quirked a brow and looked at the bug nin coolly. "Whatever he might have done, he's your teammate. You know he would never mean to harm you or anyone in this village in any way. So why don't you stop this bullshit right now." It wasn't a suggestion, and his calm tone clearly hid his rage, and Shino knew it.

"Being ignored so completely, forgotten so thoroughly is an insult I could not let go of forever. It's because he's a teammate that he deserves to be punished. We saved each other's lives countless times, and yet he still didn't remember me when he came back," Shino said monotonously. He might as well have been talking about the weather.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke snapped, his annoyance finally showing through.

"When I got back from training after two years, when we were fifteen," Naruto explained to him with a soft snarl, like he couldn't believe that's what this was about either. "I keep telling him his face was hidden almost totally, like always. How was I supposed to recognize you?" This he spat at the Aburame. "Your cheek bones?"

"Anybody else would have," the bespectacled man said dismissively. "You were insultingly oblivious."

"Shino, you don't want him hurt,"the raven said matter-of-factly. "You know he didn't mean it. He's telling you he didn't. What will it take for you to pull your kikaichu back? I would hate to keep having to kill them. I know they mean a lot to you." Sasuke didn't sound the least bit apologetic for this, and it was clear he'd have no problem putting down as many as he could.

Shino grunted. "There is one thing he could do," he said finally, and it was clear Sasuke threat to his bugs barely registered.

Then again, there was something different about those insects. They weren't the same as the usual kikaichu Shino had streaming in and out of his body. Were they conjured for just this purpose? Maybe they weren't really alive, but a product of chakra and ill will. It would certainly explain Shino's disregard for their life.

"And what the hell is that?" Naruto asked angrily, crossing his arms along with the brunet.

Sasuke could scarcely believe what he heard next. Though maybe he should have figured out something like that would be what it took.

"Have sex."

Sasuke heard Naruto's breathing stop, and he looked over to his friend. The blond's jaw was slack, and he was gaping at the Aburame is disbelief. "Did you say I have to have sex?"

Sasuke couldn't be sure, but he thought Shino was smiling in satisfaction. "It's the only thing that can alter your scent long enough. It's the perfect non-solution, because I know you will never be able to do it."

Naruto growled, the sound pulling Sasuke out of his silent rage. "What the fuck is that supposed mean?" he spat, blue eyes fairly pitting fire.

Shino uncrossed his arms and placed one hand on his hip. "You're almost twenty years old. You've never had a girlfriend and you've never even tried to get one. You're still a virgin, with no sign of that changing anytime soon."

Naruto growled angrily. "I can have sex. It's possible!" he grit out.

Sasuke looked over at him in shock. What? "You said you slept with a girl," he said carefully.

Naruto stiffened and looked away with a blush, staring at a random spot in the trees to his right. "I did. Er…literally. You just assumed…I mean, there was no actual…"

Sasuke swallowed and clenched his jaw tight. Naruto was yet untouched. He was…a virgin. And to think he'd almost gone mad with jealousy when Naruto had come in one morning for training, all tousled and relaxed-looking.

"What's this?"

"I slept with a girl. Very beautiful. Bright blonde hair. It's pretty relaxing."

Sasuke nearly popped a vein right there, but managed to keep his cool. "And where is the poor girl?"

"Shut up! Anyway, she's gone back to her village. Temari, I think her name was."

And now he finds out that Naruto meant 'slept' literally. Truth-omitting asshole.

"What?" he grumbled at the look Sasuke was giving him. "You told me you lost yours years ago! I took my chance at saving face, okay?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, not sure if he was more angry or relieved. "I wasn't bragging, dobe. I lost mine in a drunken stupor. I don't even remember his name." He'd slept with quite a few more after that, avoiding blond, blue-eyed men like his sanity depended on it. Because it did.

There was a moment of stunned silence, wherein the two nins present gaped at Sasuke silently, and Sasuke slapped himself mentally for the slip.

"Did you say his?" Naruto asked weakly.

"Hm," Shino said simply, brows raised.

Sasuke clenched his jaw and nodded. "My sexual orientation is irrelevant. My point is that you shouldn't have lied to me. I wouldn't think any less of you if you hadn't found anybody special enough yet." He looked up and stared steadily into troubled blue eyes. "Or is the fact that I'm gay a problem for you?"

Naruto blinked and shook his head slowly. "No."

Sasuke turned back to the Aburame. "Pull back your bugs. Just for two days. If he doesn't sleep with anyone by then," the words were bile in his throat, the image they conjured tightening his stomach and his chest, "you can let them get him. I'll even help you." How hard could it be to get Naruto to have sex? More women than Sasuke cared to admit had eyes for the man.

Shino cocked his head, both men ignoring Naruto's incredulous shriek. "One day. And then he lets them attack him."

"Deal."

"What the fuck!" the blond hollered. The string of profanities were cut off when Sasuke grabbed the tanned nin's arm and pulled him close.

"Shut up." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at the venom in the normally cool voice. Sasuke turned and lept away, dragging the blond along. Naruto kept up easily, and quietly, to the Uchiha's surprise.

"He was holding back the kikaichu," he stated, if only to break the unexpected silence. Naruto didn't say anything, and the raven glanced at his friend. The blond was looking ahead resolutely, lips pressed and eyes serious. He wasn't struggling out of Sasuke's grip and insisting he could jump through trees on his own. The Uchiha stopped at the next branch and looked at the blond. "What?" he asked evenly, letting go in favor of crossing his arms and studying his disturbingly-quiet teammate.

Naruto looked at him then, gaze accusing, disappointed. It made Sasuke's heart stutter. "Why did you say that?"

"Why did I say what?" he asked coolly.

"Twenty-four hours to have sex? Who the fuck with? And what the hell gives you the right to make that kind of deal about me, huh?" Naruto was yelling now, which was more like it because Sasuke could let himself get angry too, instead of this soul-consuming dread at the thought of helping Naruto sleep with someone else.

"It was this or let the bugs disfigure you," he bit out carefully. "We can go to a brothel if we have to."

Naruto turned ruddy, and the Uchiha doubted it was with embarrassment. "Like fuck I will!" he roared. "You don't get to dictate my sex life, asshole!"

"It's not your sex life -or lack of thereof- we're talking about, you total moron! It's just this once. You can't tell me you don't want to lose your virginity."

"Not like this!" Naruto said, and Sasuke did a double take at the pain in his voice. "Not like this," he repeated more angrily. "I'd rather face the bugs now than do it that way. You had no right to make that deal with him."

Sasuke stared unblinkingly at his friend. His first love. His tormentor. Did the idiot think Sasuke wanted to do this? Like it was easy? He could barely stand all the women eyeing the blond wherever they went, lusting after him. To allow anybody to touch him intimately, to have sex with him…It was unbearable, but he would do it if it saved the blond from further suffering.

"It was either that or kill the bastard," Sasuke said calmly. "Would you like me to go back there and-?"

"Fuck you!" roared Naruto, and punched him in the face.

Sasuke let him, doing no more than stumbling back at the force of the hit. He felt his nose bleeding, and looked at the blond coldly.

"I've got one day to find someone I care about to do this with. Even if it works, it'll still be rushed and weird. Thanks a lot, Teme! Thanks a lot for ruining my first time."

"I was trying to buy you time, you idiot!" Sasuke finally snapped, wiping the blood from his face angrily. "I know at least ten women who would do anything to sleep with you. I'll give you their fucking number!"

Naruto shook his head, but didn't say anything further. They faced each other like that for an endless moment. Then Naruto turned away and pulled his hands through his hair in agitation. "It's you."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"It's you they gave their number to. It's you they look at. I just happen to be there too." Naruto looked back at him with a glare. "Not that I'm too bad, but I might as well not be there when you're in the room."

Sasuke stared, speechless. "You think I'm handsome, do you?"

Naruto snorted and turned away. "I know you're handsome. I have eyes too."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. Or maybe he did. "I think you're handsome too. You're even sexy, when you're not being a moron."

Naruto looked back at him in surprise and Sasuke smirked at him, crossing his arms. "I have eyes too," he added.

Naruto looked at him for several moments, as if searching his eyes for the truth. He turned away again abruptly.

Sasuke watched his back relax the slightest bit, and nearly sighed in relief. It looked like the blond was coming to terms with the logic of Sasuke's actions, and maybe feeling more confident about himself and how truly captivating he really was.

He almost didn't catch the man's next words.

"Maybe we should do that." A careful whisper.

Sasuke frowned. "What?"

Naruto took a deep breath, and turned around. His expression was determined. "Maybe we should do that together."

Sasuke wasn't sure what the hell he was talking about. It sure couldn't be what he thought he meant. "I'm not sure I understand."

Naruto blew a breath and turned away, a flush staining his cheeks, spreading ever lower down his neck and giving him a ruddy complexion. What the fuck? "I mean…sex involves being naked with someone…being close and…intimate. I was thinking," he started, rubbing his head and smiling awkwardly at the tree trunk. "I was thinking that we could do that. Together. You could change my scent."

Sasuke stiffened. His heart might have stopped as well, he wasn't sure. "What?" WHAT?

Naruto pushed a hand through his hair, flushing deeper at the clear look of disbelief on his friend's face. "You're the person I care most about. I know you care about me too, or you wouldn't be here. I think…If I'm going to do this with anyone…"

"You want us to have sex," Sasuke breathed, hands trembling, head reeling, but voice as calm and neutral as he could make it.

Naruto's eyes widened, as if it hadn't occurred to him that that was how his suggestion would sound. "Uh, we don't need to go that far. Just…we could rub all over each other or something, to change how I smell. You're usually hard, right?"

Well fuck. So he did think Sasuke was perpetually horny. It didn't even seem to occur to him that the Uchiha might be hard for him. "That's not enough."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd need to make me come. I'd need to touch you all over. Make you come too." He was half afraid Naruto would back out of this, he looked so stunned. He'd take whatever Naruto was willing to give him. Besides, it was the truth.

Naruto frowned into the distance, expression resolute. He nodded, meeting Sasuke's eyes squarely. "All right."

Oh, God. "Are you sure, Naruto? I'm gay," he reminded him with a smirk. "I like naked men. I will enjoy this." He had to be honest. He might not be able to confess his feelings to the man, but he had to warn him at least; this would not be just business. This would be about pleasure for him, even if he was doing it to save the blond from continuous and mind-numbing pain.

Naruto's face completed its transformation into a canvas of red, and Sasuke's smile widened. "I trust you," Naruto said confidently, surprising him, and looking him in the eye despite the angry blush on his face.

Sasuke flinched, but it was gone so fast that Naruto didn't have a chance to catch it, to see it for what it was: gut-wrenching sorrow.

If the blond had an inkling of just how much Sasuke wanted him to be his, he wouldn't trust him so easily. Or at all!

He stared at the guileless blue eyes, the perfect body, the trusting expression, and he knew without a doubt that this was going to be a lot more painful for him than he'd imagined. To taste the man he'd longed for so acutely, for so long, only to have him turn away from him and regard him as a mere friend afterwards…

Naruto was going to break his heart, and he won't even know it.

To Be Continued…

This was supposed to be a two-shot, but it may extend to 4 chapters. Hurrah for angst! I did enjoy it, but I will enjoy the next chapter even more. Mwahaha! Thanks for the idea, DudeYBL! You rock!

Please read and review! It helps me to go on living. Give me sustenance! –gasps for breath-