The Restricted Section

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own the basis for the story idea “The Restricted Section”.


The Restricted Section
By 11


Chapter 12

What a delicate subject to approach.

The brunette across the table was apparently completely absorbed in his perusal of the text, but that did not delay the inevitable. And it was inevitable… oh the doom that he-so-very-hoped-would-not-occur.

The blonde’s jaw worked itself in agitation and he had to clamp his teeth together to keep from fidgeting in some respect. He may as well just come out with it, just say it straight and totally spontaneous! Drop the bomb all at once then duck for cover!

No… he had to be delicate about it, an explosion was not the desired effect. Yes… the seemingly calm youth was as volatile as the blond had ever seen him concerning the subject he was now forced to broach.

Clear eyes rose to meet wavering blue. “Is something wrong, Naruto?” the brunette youth asked gently. Something was obviously bothering him, he hadn’t looked over the text in several moments and had been staring intently at him.

Hm… could he tell him now? Maybe… if he was careful.

Pale lips drew up at the corners in a gentle smile, “Am I so attractive as to render you speechless?”

“Say what?”

“I know. That guy made you realize something you’ve always admired about me, and now you’re interested in ‘more than friends’? Am I right?” He asked, holding back the edge of a laugh at the blonde’s expression. Too easy.

“Neji! Seriously!” Naruto sputtered, half-laughing himself.

“You make yourself an easy target, so what is bothering you? You’re not studying.” Neji persisted, dropping the flirtation as easily as he raised it.

“No, I’m okay.” Naruto assured, as he looked back at his book. Oh geez, how could he bring this up without causing an explosion? It was almost time too…

Yes, somehow he and Sasuke were ‘friends’ now. But no doubt there was still a grudge that Neji carried against the paler youth.

He was glad for it, really he was. Sasuke and he had no disappeared. Sasuke wanted to be his friend, even after what he’d done… He had no way to explain the joy that welled up that Sasuke didn’t hate him, that Sasuke still wanted to maintain a relationship.

Friends, that was what Naruto had wanted from the start, that was what he reveled in when they were together. That easy communication and action, nothing else was necessary there. Not really anyway…

But enough of that! Physics! Hey, there’s a footnote here about football… cool. Physics…. Turned out that Sasuke and he shared the same lecture at the college, they’d met up outside the building by chance on the way in.

“Hey guys, you got here early.” Kiba noted as he and Sasori followed in from the library entrance and walked to the back tables.

“Kiba, Sasori, hey!” Naruto greeted jovially, glad that the object of uncertainty had not yet show up before he could so much as blurt the situation out to Neji.

So how had it come to that anyway? Sasuke and he had gotten to talking after the lecture over subject matter. Study-groups had come up, and ever-so-thoughtlessly Naruto suggested that Sasuke join this study group.

It was simple enough, this was one Naruto was in of course. Kiba and Sasori also usually came, occasionally Tenten would, but not today – some lab or another. But it was also the one Neji studied in.

Neji and Sasuke didn’t seem to get along the last time they were in relatively close proximity. Just like mixing sodium and water…

Ugh… homework was starting to mess with his analogies already!! Maybe he could convince everyone to just take a break today and then there wouldn’t be a problem – he’d just tell Sasuke that the group disbanded for Midterms and self-study or something…

No, Neji wouldn’t go for that. Neji didn’t even take turns to run for coffee, when everyone agreed their brains were too fried to function without caffeine. What was plan B?

Kiba and Sasori had settled down and were working on problem 20, which left Neji diligently studying, and Naruto diligently worrying and effectively procrastinating two very much needing to be done activities.

How to be delicate…?

“Hey, Neji?” Naruto asked, focusing on his text and keeping his voice level and relatively light. “You still don’t like Sasuke, right?”

Neji looked up from his book, something between a deadpan and a glare expression marring porcelain skin and pale eyes. “Yeah, didn’t think so.” Naruto backed off, not bothering to look up to confirm. Well that wasn’t terribly delicate although he had yet to cause an explosion. Yet…

Neji sighed, sitting up. “I’m just glad you weren’t seriously dating him or ‘did’ anything with him.”

By ‘did’ you mean something dirty, don't you? “So you’re still upset about the Jio incident…” Oh yes, that was very delicate, really tactful. Well Naruto considered him a good friend, Neji wouldn’t get too angry for stepping on a toe or two, right?

“Hm.” Neji deigned not to dignify the question with a response. Shoot, to compound matters Sasuke also didn’t know Neji would be here… so if he couldn’t get to Neji before Sasuke maybe he could run out and distract Sasuke away or whatever. Or skip the whole thing and go hang out – that was a valid plan too, wasn’t it?

Procrastination would be fine, midterms weren’t for another five days! That was an eternity! No… he really needed to go over this… oh the horror that is midterms.

“You know… Sasuke’s been attended classes more. He also hasn’t been with any other people for the last few months it seems.”

“’Seems’.” Neji scoffed.

“Well he might not be so bad anymore,” Naruto shrugged, still going slow to avoid a volatile reaction. “You know we have physics lecture together.”

Pale eyes focused on Naruto who did his best to remain calm under the what-do-I-care? glare of Neji. He obviously hated the topic, but Naruto had to get it out eventually. “He was thinking of joining a study group. So I might of kind of sort of invited him to ours.”

He didn’t think it was possible with that fair a complexion, but Neji’s face just got paler than it did during the Exorcist. “You did what?”

Naruto was aware the moment Sasuke walked in the library door, and walked back towards them. He stopped midway noticing the back of Neji’s head. Neither had to ask or see the face of the other to know.

Neji looked livid. Oddly enough Sasuke looked fairly blank turning dark eyes questioningly to Naruto’s. The blond managed a half smile, and tried to say without words – I’M SO FREAKING SORRY I JUST FORGOT TO TELL YOU AND…. And this really sucks for me too, man I’m so sorry!

Sasuke snorted at that expression, and instantly seemed to relax. Neji still looked extremely annoyed although he had succeeded in composing himself to a suitably blank-faced state.

Ignoring the tensed brunette Sasuke walked around to the other side and took up the empty seat next to Naruto. Sasori sitting diagonally left with Kiba across. The two looked up with a short greeting when he sat – Sasori he had met briefly, and he’d seen that other guy around town and campus a few times, didn’t really know him though.

Perfect. Now seated like this no one would be able to unintentionally step on each other’s toes – so to speak.

“And what possessed you to invite ‘that’, may I ask?” Neji grit out, his voice level, though the meaning very clear.

Naruto did not bother to dignify that question with a response – he merely grinned and turned to his textbook. Okay, bomb still in tact, hopefully not in ticking state.

"So, did you catch up to thermodynamics?" Naruto asked Sasuke conversationally, ignoring Neji's rudeness - really, who would seriously respond anyway?

"Yes, although I couldn’t figure out how he derived the equation for thermal forces on a pendulum, problem 16.42," Sasuke flipped through his notebook. Most of these he'd caught up with as best he could the past few weeks. It had been a downright headache… how did some people go through without slipping a few times? Really?

"You are on question 42?" Neji repeated under his breath, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear. "What did you scan the book and copy the question only, without bothering to study the material, or attempt the problems?"

"No. The main trouble is that the question Is not as specific as I'd like it to be." Sasuke responded coolly, "Can you tell If it's a wood-based, metal-based suspension?"

"Yeah, the teacher had to send out an e-mail on this one." Naruto nodded, marking a few quick numbers down next to Sasuke's work. "We're supposed to assume it's cloth-based - that's the 'mu' I put there - though it doesn't say so anywhere in the problem."

Sasuke turned away from Neji vindicated, and pale eyes just glared. No explosion, no compulsive chair-throwing angry outburst. Just an icy regard and stabbing words aimed to horribly maim.

"I'm amazed you even bothered to bring the books, this is an awfully gaudy show, even for you." Neji turned back to his book, making the statement in an offhand manner.

“I’m amazed you’re still trying to get a rise out of me.”

“I’m ‘amazed’ it’s working. Wherever did you learn ‘self-control’? Oh wait, you never did.”

Dark eyes snapped up in a withering scowl, his mouth worked for a moment, as if chewing over all the insults he could toss back. Then he turned back to his notebook and willed to ignore the jerky-jerk.

Naruto frowned, he felt like he should say something, even Kiba and Sasori had paused to listen to the exchange. How was anyone supposed to study when the atmosphere suddenly got this tense?

Naruto’s frown deepened, he’d even sat Sasuke all the way over here on the other side of the table on his opposite side, the farthest relative distance he could achieve from Neji… and the brunette was still trying to pick a fight. Good grief.

“It’s not as if you’re seriously studying anyway.” Neji scoffed, annoyed at the other’s presence, and vaguely annoyed with his dense friend fro inviting said-irritation to the study table.

He was stressed enough with midterms upcoming, so now he had to worry about that bastard too?! What if he started hitting on Naruto again? It was just so very aggravating he could hardly concentrate on anything.

“Then what am I doing here?” Sasuke nearly growled, unable to focus on either text or equations. Who could concentrate on math when a belligerent ex was sitting across the table?

“What you always do.” Neji answered easily. “Scoping. No one here’s up for grabs I’m afraid.”

Sasuke forced his breath the exhale slowly, refusing to yell at Neji’s stubborn prejudice against him. He did have a good reason for it, but he was trying very hard not to be that person anymore – so couldn’t he lay off for a fucking minute?!!

“You know there’s more to me than a sex drive, idiot.” Sasuke retorted, unable to keep the ending insult from his sentence – at least he wasn’t cursing yet.

“Hey Neji, could you-”

“Oh sure.” The brunette snorted. “I wonder why Jio never mentioned anything other than your stinking-”

“HEY! Neji, shut up!!” Naruto cut in moments after his politer attempt was ignored. The sharp steps of high heeled shoes snapped across the tiles. Sasuke noted her shoulder length red hair and long lithe legs – hm, familiar?

The tall woman stopped in front of their table, green eyes scowling from behind a pair of sexy thin-rim glasses. “May I ‘ask’ you to be ‘quiet’?!” she asked irately, in a very low voice, so as not to disturb the other readers in the vicinity. “You are in a library. Behave like it.”

Neji, Sasuke, Naruto lapsed into complete silence, staring at her timidly – she had the power to throw them out afterall. They really didn’t want to have to leave either. Satisfied with the silence she turned to head away, stopping to help a browser locate a book.

Sasori suddenly laughed, and Kiba shook his head staring over at Naruto, “What the F is going on with you guys?” glancing at Neji, “Why’s he pissier than usual?”

“It’s Sasuke.” Neji responded for Naruto, determined to repress his urge to lash out this time. No he wouldn’t misbehave… it would probably reflect badly on him. But he would certainly observe, the moment Sasuke tried something sketchy, he’d be the one to put a stop to it.

“Oh Sasuke…” Kiba nodded, still looking vaguely puzzled, before the name clicked. “Wait, holy fuck!! Sasuke?!!” he suddenly turned to stare blatantly at Sasuke.

The paler youth sighed and turned back to his text, vainly attempting to concentrate on the material. Hadn’t he had to read this paragraph seven times by now?

“The ‘Sasuke’?!” Kiba exclaimed, glancing at Neji and then back at the raven-head in open shock – something like fascination and horror all at once.

Who hadn’t heard the stories this side of town anyway? He was used to it, except the acknowledgement didn’t bring the same pride it used to anymore.

The librarian’s harsh footsteps snapped on the floor as she came back to their table full of ire. Glaring full force, “I told you to be quiet!” she started before Kiba again mouthed ‘Sasuke’ more quietly.

The boys looked up to the librarin again, but she’d gone silent. “Sasuke?” she asked, her brows knitting together as her eyes focused in on his. Suddenly her face flushed and she turned quickly, darting away from the table. The fading sound of her heels still slapping against the tiles.

Sasuke inwardly sank, no wonder he thought he’d seen those legs before; he might have banged her at one point. Oh shit, and she looked like a nice person too.

“You really have no scruples.” Neji noted scathingly, voicing Sasuke’s thoughts. He really couldn’t resist the opportunity. Sasuke glared up at him balefully.

Yes, everyone knew how sordid he was, but he hadn’t done anything like that to anyone within several months! He was seriously frustrated sexually too! He was paying alright?! So why couldn’t Neji just shut up?!

“Neji, can you just leave him alone for a few hours? Huh?” Naruto asked. Damnit, now he really wished he’s just skipped study-session. No studying was being done, and Sasuke was just getting beat over the head mentally by Neji. Sasuke wasn’t even fighting back this time, so why couldn’t Neji just cut him a break?

No, he knew why. He couldn’t exactly say Neji was being a total and complete asshole now. But that made Naruto the jerk who made Sasuke sit and suffer through this. He felt so shitty about it.

“Did anyone else encounter trouble with 64? Kiba and I were just going over that one.” Sasori asked offhand, bringing the conversation back to the intended topic of this get-together.

“Yeah, I think I may have mixed up my signs but I’m not sure.” Naruto said turning his notebook for Sasori to look over.

“What equation were you using here?” Sasuke asked leaning over to observe as well. He almost sighed, when the side of his shoulder and arm brushed against Naruto’s. The blond was leaning over to meet Sasori over the explanation – he didn’t seem to notice the contact.

Well then it was fine, this simple contact – that’s all it was, and it was all that could be allowed. It was like strength, that warm body along his side, and he could let it all go, all the irritation gone and he could see.

He saw the place where Naruto accidentally juxtaposed the last two numbers. He saw where he’d messed up on the equation. Question 59, Kiba didn’t take down the other half of the problem specifying the different masses.

Sasori showed him where the derivation of acceleration turned into velocity, question 57. On 60, Naruto used a binomial to calculate the difference of energy; which Sasuke applied to solve the question as well.

Neji seemed reluctant to voice questions or offer help beyond short snippets advising where to look in the problem. The brunette seemed really annoyed still, probably that Sasuke could actually contribute to their group as well as leech learning information.

At least he wasn’t insulting him every chance he got. And Naruto’s arm was still touching his; it was a comfortable warmth shared between them.

“Question 62, is the incline supposed to be at 21 or 30 degrees?” Sasuke pondered the conflicting measurements deduced by geometry. Sometimes, people who wrote these textbooks were so obviously brain dead.

“It’s actually taken to be 25, there was an e-mail about it since a lot of people got back different answers based on the angle.”

Sasuke started in surprise as Neji volunteered this information to him; he who Neji and taken great pains to not say a single word to ever since they had gotten down to ‘studying’.

“You need to get back on the e-mail list.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke agreed, marking the angle. “Thanks.”

And that was all. The questions continued, and were discussed until answers were arrived at. Then finally after what was probably around 3 straight hours, Kiba threw his hands up in defeat.

“That’s it!” he declared snapping his book shut and leaning back to stretch his arms. “My brain is fried. I’m done, I’m leaving.”

“It’s already 5:42.” Sasori noted absently.

“Really?” Naruto looked toward the clock on the wall for confirmation. “Oh wow… it’s late. Yeah, we all need a break.”

“Pick-up same time tomorrow?” Neji asked putting away his books.

“I’ll pass,” Kiba shook his head, standing to stretch his legs, shoving his things back into his bag, without order. “Maybe the day after if I think I’ve retained any information from today.”

“Yeah, after midterms hopefully we’ll be study free for a short while at least.” Naruto groaned as he finally at the excuse to leave his spot almost mesh against Sasuke.

The paler youth hadn’t noticed at least, and now his whole left side felt cold from lack of the body pressed previously against it. It was a missed sensation, but it was better like this now. He wasn’t bothered by it, and Sasuke and he could at least be friends – there was nothing more that he could ask him for.

Anything more and it would become strange; there were only a few things he really missed anyway, others still shocked the hell out of him. Parts of himself still shocked him.

“Is that a lizard…?” Kiba asked, staring at Sasuke’s hair, and the tiny blue reptile peeking sleepy eyes out from behind the comfortably warm shield of thick dark hair.

“Aw, Ed just woke up,” Naruto laughed, “Look at those big gooey eyes.”

Sasori was unfazed, he had met ‘Ed’. Kiba however stared transfixed by lugubrious eyes and fragile slithery lithe blue body. Wow it’s so addicting to watch how reptiles move… so cool…

Neji looked surprised too, his brows knitting together in thought. “Say Sasuke, can I hold him?” Naruto asked, reaching for the tiny creature already.

Warm fingers touching to dark locks, near torquoise scales, fingertips brushing through to the scalp – entirely on accident. Sasuke could have shivered, but shrugged it off. “Sure, go ahead.”

Naruto moved closer, curling his fingers around and under the lizard; all the while amazed at the texture of dark hair. Rather than a handful of scales, he felt like gripping a fistful of silken locks then let them run through his fingers to seize them again and repeat.

Yet he pulled away taking Ed with him, “Hey, Ed. Miss me?” he asked the lizard, not wholly serious, admiring the almost sentient glimmer in mirror-like orbs. ‘Are you crazy?’ Ed seemed to ask as he curled against Naruto’s warm palm, then yawned.

The lizard had enough of sleeping though. Hadn’t Sasuke promised to feed him at some point? He wanted dinner already.

“I need to feed him soon, it’s probably why he’s awake.” Sasuke informed.

“You have a pet?” Kiba asked somehow still puzzled by this concept. Then trotting over to his blond friend, “Hey, can I?”

“His belly is really soft.” Naruto grinned as he passed the Tokay on to Kiba. Ed’s nose wrinkled at the strong scent of hairy mammal. Where were these bloody humans hiding the food?

“Didn’t peg you as a pet person.” Neji noted. Dark eyes met clear for a moment, it was unspoken, the doubt that Sasuke could be able to care for something other than himself.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Sasuke told him simply, meeting his eyes levelly, refusing to be offended by Neji’s unspoken accusation.

“I do know one thing.” Neji answered calmly glancing at Naruto and then back at Sasuke. But it wasn’t obvious, Sasuke was sure of that. Or was Neji just fishing in the dark?

It wasn’t any of his business anyway, he’d been really good today. He and Naruto had only maintained contact along the one side during the study session. Yes eventually he shifted in his seat so his leg was against Naruto’s as well, but none of that was a big deal – it was all totally harmless! Naruto hadn’t even noticed! So it was fine!

Sasuke turned away first, watching Naruto and Kiba give Ed a wake-up workout to crawl around. The gecko had slept enough, so it didn’t so much mind crawling wherever he could – perhaps the mammoth-human had a tick somewhere in it’s hair?

“Well I gotta go, it’s going to be 6:30 way too soon.” Kiba sighed transferring Ed back to Naruto.

“Date?” Naruto inquired not so innocently.

Kiba smirked and turned away. “Shut up.”

“She’s hot right?” He called after as Kiba headed for the exit.

“I told you to shut up.” Kiba called back, “Not that it’s any of your business, but yeah she’s hot.”

Naruto felt like bugging him some more, but Kiba was already to the door, and being any louder meant incurring the wrath of the librarians again – and they really shouldn’t test them again today even if it was after a few hours already.

“I’ll head out too, I’ll see most of you tomorrow.” Neji said shifting his backpack onto his back before heading out as well. Sasori moved to leave as well, and Sasuke followed him, catching him by the shoulder just before he passed the next shelf.

“Yes?” Crimson eyes looked back at him, absent of emotion, face entirely blank. Sasuke had actually mean to ask him this earlier, but he hadn’t really had a great chance.

He may as well ask now, “What do you know about Itachi?”

Red eyes stared back at him unperturbed unmoved, in fact it was almost like he hadn’t even heard the question yet. Sasuke was about to repeat himself when Sasori answered, “not much.” Was his informative response.

The redhead shrugged his shoulders as he started to turn toward the exit again. “Although, perhaps you aren’t so much like your brother.”

Then he was walking away. Sasuke let him go, Sasori didn’t know anything; so it’s not like the guy was anywhere ‘around’. There was also something gratifying in being told that he wasn’t the same as - that he wasn’t like - his brother.

He really wasn’t anything like that guy.

`

Ed curled happily in the warm hands. They were just the right temperature, and so comfortable and firm. He’d tried to make a break for his shoulder to get to those fiery locks of gold – they just looked so toasty!

Alas he had been thwarted in his attempts, curse this human for having faster-than-Ed reflexes.

“You forgot your lizard.” Naruto sing-songed as Sasuke approached the table again to get his things + ‘his’ lizard.

Naruto froze when Sasuke’s hand took his wrist, the other moving for Ed to crawl onto. He didn’t need to take Naruto’s arm, but perhaps it was just to steady it. Still, contact that was so meaningless shouldn’t make his nerves start to jump and wriggle like they were.

Then the touch was gone, and Naruto nearly sighed at the loss. Sasuke withdrew with some reluctance, folding his hand to keep the residue of the blond’s body on his palm as long as he could.

“Thanks,” Sasuke said transferring the gecko to his shoulder. Ed took off, and in a flash he’d made it to the top of the raven-head’s cranium. The comfiest spot on Sasuke as far as Ed could ever be concerned.

Idly the gecko wondered, in gecko-thought, if Naruto’s hair really was as warm and fuzzy-bright as it appeared. Hm – so the gecko thought.

“I still need to feed him, so I’m going to head over to the diner to see Gaara – he actually owns Ed.” Sasuke explained as he got his bag. They were alone now, things were comfortable; he didn’t feel like going anywhere.

It would have been so nice to be able to stay with Naruto and just go do something, or relax, or whatever the blond was up for. He saw him little enough as it was.

“Can I go with you?” Naruto asked, some deity answering Sasuke’s immediate wish. “I won’t have anything I need to do right now.”

“Sure.” Sasuke agreed instantly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You ever met Gaara?”

“Nope. But your friends are cool.” Naruto said, and then wondered if that was the best way to phrase it, after all to Sasuke they… hm, um. He just botched didn’t he?

“Yeah they are.” Sasuke agreed, stunning the blond for a moment. “Hope Tsunade isn’t in one of her moods again though.”

“Her moods? She pissed at you for something?” Naruto wondered, it had been long enough, surely she wasn’t still mad at him over ‘him’? He’d explained to her mostly anyway, there was no reason for her to discriminate further against Sasuke was there?

“Who knows, she’s always mad at me. It doesn’t even matter sometimes if I’ve done something wrong. It’s kind of sad.” Sasuke shrugged. Naruto grinned.

“I don’t know, you don’t seem bad at all; I bet she’ll warm up to you.” Naruto mused, “…eventually.”

Sasuke snorted, “Eventually being the operative word of course.”

“Well of course. She’s stubborn.”

“Like a mule?”

“Like a stubbed toe.”

“A what-now?”

“Stub your toe, the pain won’t go away?”

“I don’t stub my toes.”

“Never?”

“No.”

“Never ever?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, I mean-”

“Hah!”

“You’re so weird.”

“But you love me anyway!”

Oh shit, totally conditioned response! Damnit, he shouldn’t have said that!! Stupid, stupid Naruto! Learn to control yourself! Yes he’s easy to talk to, but there’s still some things you can’t joke about yet!!

Shit did he realize it? No… he had to be joking.

“Damn straight.” Sasuke replied levelly. It was an acceptable response for a joke, and it was also entirely true.

Oh good, he didn’t freeze up and get weird. Naruto breathed; he couldn’t slip up like that again – geez, but he made it too easy!

“So I’m assuming you’ve tried the violet malts right?”

“Huh?”

“Any of the malts? Tsunade’s?”

“No… I don’t really get ‘malts’ I like milkshakes just fine, but malts are kind of strange.” Sasuke mused. “I like the cherries that come with them though.”

He was happy. Right now, he was very happy. Walking side by side barely a half foot from each other. He wanted to wrap his arms around him, even for a minute – could he get away with it if he talked when he did it, and let go right away? No, that might be too weird, and he might not have the will to let go. So he restrained himself.

It was a kind of torture. He could look, he could know, speak, love… but he couldn’t tell, touch, or experience. He could only steal the slightest touches, and imagine that Naruto shivered in pleasure when he did – a needless fantasy.

“Cherries? I like strawberries myself? Cherry was always too sweet.” Naruto shook his head, “Unless it’s mixed with lime, those sodas are awesome.”

“And where on the planet do you get cherrylime soda?”

“You don’t.”

“Then… what?”

“You get it from Jupiter.”

“Seriously?”

“No, they have them all the time in August in any of the corner flash-foods in this area.” Naruto shook his head, “You’ve never had one?”

“I think I might have seen the ad, I never got one myself though.”

“Well get one next August.”

“Fine I will. I’ll get the cherry one two and we can compare – cherry will win.”

“Lime all the way.”

“Cherry.”

“Lime.”

“Cherry.”

“Cherry lime! I don’t even like lime by itself!”

“And lemons?”

“Those things kill your teeth.”

“But they can make your tongue orgasm.”

“What? No they can’t! They just shock the tastebuds.”

“Same thing.”

“No it isn’t.”

“Hey there’s the diner.”

“Oh yeah. Hey! You’re changing the subject.”

“There’s nothing to change. I won.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“You’re really childish.”

“You’re really stubborn – stubborn like a stubbed toe.”

Sasuke shook his head, hiding a grin. “You can have your psychedelic metaphors, I for one think you should lay off the crack.”

Naruto arched an eyebrow. “You’re the one on crack.”

“Yes, and steal your money, because I’m your pimp pusher.”

Naruto laughed, “Yeah you’re a pimp!”

The doors dinged when the door opened and the two boys + lizard walked in. “Gaara,” Sasuke called waving to the slight, redhead. Kohl lined eyes looking up from his handheld game console to the two youths.

Setting the game somewhere deep into the dark folds of his hoodie, he rose to meet his visitor. “Ed.” He acknowledged planting his palm next to the blue creature. Without order the lizard went straight to Gaara.

Ed was so very happy!

It’s red! The flamy hair, warm and soft and easy to crawl through!! So very easy, also rather drafty, but the redhead never moved much with Ed on his head, so the minimal draft was very very good.

Oh and the flamy-hair had food! Food!! Gaara lifted his palm with the small mite corpses up to his temple to let Ed eat. “Sasuke.” He finally acknowledged, dark-rimmed eyes flickering over the pale youth and his golden-skinned companion. “The sun?”

“Sorry?” Naruto asked, not quite hearing what the soft-spoken redhead said. Gaara ignored the question though, and his eyes flickered back to Sasuke.

“Who’s your friend?” he asked finally.

“This is Naruto.” Sasuke introduced, “Naruto, this is Gaara.”

“Heya.” The blond greeted. Gaara stared with that same blank look on his face. Naruto stared at the odd angle Gaara had propped his arm at to feed Ed while still on his head – it just looked painful. “You always feed him like that.”

“Usually.”

“Does your arm ever fall asleep?”

“Sometimes.”

Naruto snorted, “Here.” He took Gaara by the wrist and brought his hand down to the table, Ed crawling quickly onto the palm to capture his escaping food. Naruto let Gaara’s hand lay on the table, where Ed continued eating and Gaara was in no immediate danger of losing his arm’s circulation.

“Better?”

“Don’t know. Maybe?” Gaara wondered.

“Don’t lock your elbow.” Naruto poked his arm until it looked like something Naruto wouldn’t mind making his arm sit in for a while.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Gaara mused.

“Well it shouldn’t.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Seriously, why didn’t you change position if you’re cutting off blood flow?”

“I… didn’t think it was so important.”

“Blood flow, oxygen to muscle and otherwise. Yeah it’s important.”

“Well now I know.”

“You won’t forget.”

“I never forget.”

“Really? You have photographic memory?”

“Almost.”

“For real?” Naruto wondered, picking up a colored kids menu, and showing it to Gaara, then turned it to face him. “What color was the toucan?”

“Red with green on it’s bill and yellow and blue on it’s feet. But the blue’s from the hippo.”

“Wow…”

“Glad you two are having fun.” Sasuke noted, feeling slightly left out of the whole exchange.

“Hey Sasuke have you tried this?” Naruto asked motioning to Gaara.

“It’s pointless to ask Gaara about anything in here, he comes here all the time.” Sasuke shrugged.

“Only once a week, that’s not too often.” Gaara figured.

“Yeah that’s not often at all. Often is every other day or so.” Naruto confirmed.

“Hn.” Sasuke brushed it off, turning away pretending to tire of their banter. Actually he was a bit disappointed that Gaara and Naruto were hitting it off so well. Normally Gaara made it impossible to hold a very long conversation, but of course Naruto found a way. Gaara didn’t talk much, so Naruto went ahead and spoke twice as much for him.

“No I think he just needs water.”

“You sure he was sneezing or something?”

“No, it’s water.” Gaara confirmed, “Could you get some from the machine?”

“I still think it sounded like a sneeze.” Naruto considered. “I’ll get the water though, be right back.”

Silence again with Naruto’s absence. Sasuke felt like going, but he wanted to stay with Naruto too, and he probably wouldn’t have a good excuse to stay with him after this, shoot.

“He’s an interesting person.” Gaara noted after a moment, as Ed finished his food, and the redhead discarded the rest of the dead mites. “Thank you for taking care of Ed for me, Sasuke.”

“Yeah, not a problem.” Sasuke nodded. Then the door to the diner opened for a larger crowd, and glancing toward the door Sasuke beheld, the perfect excuse to keep Naruto longer if it was possible for the blond.

“Sasuke!”

“Temari, Hinata, Shino, Shika.” Sasuke greeted.

“Lizard water – hey! Hinata, and people!” Naruto waved as he delivered the request to Gaara.

“Hi Naruto!” Hinata greeted jovially.

“The rest of us only count as ‘people’ to you?” Temari asked with the slight pretense of a scowl.

“Who cares, can we get dinner already?” Shikamaru complained as he breezed past the others to slide into the nearest booth.

“Yeah, I’m starving.” Shino sighed joining the lazy-eyed brunette.

“We all are,” Hinata agreed, as the rest of them slowly filtered into the tables where seats were available. “How long have you three been here then?”

“Not too long.” Sasuke shrugged. Gaara sat last when Naruto tugged his arm – the redhead didn’t initially seem inclined to stick around at all after the excess of people poured in.

“You were planning on leaving?”

“I considered it.”

“Why?”

“We don’t usually talk much.” Gaara shrugged glancing around the others at the table.

“You talk to Sasuke though? Shino too?” Naruto wondered.

“Sometimes, not often.”

“Why not? They were both taking care of Ed for you before right?”

“Just don’t.”

“Well fix that.”

“Hn.”

“What, don’t you dare tell me you don’t like people.”

“Not particularly.”

“You like Ed though.”

“I like animals.”

“People aren’t so bad. You like me?”

“You’re interesting.”

Naruto arched an eyebrow when Gaara refused to elaborate. “I’ll just take that as the closest thing I’ll get as a compliment.”

Silence, and the girls were engaging Shino and Sasuke in conversation concerning the new meatloaf plate. Shikamaru was attempting to take a nap?

“Talk to people.”

“About what?”

“We’re discussing meatloaf. What do you think?”

“Meatloaf… is meatloaf.” He shrugged.

“People ever tell you you’re impossible?”

“Yes.”

“Ever tried to change their opinion?”

“Not really.”

“Do you want to?”

”Not really.”

“Ed wants you to.”

Gaara turned to face the blond with an incredulous expression, “How on earth do you figure that?”

“Because Ed and I are telepathic.”

“Really.”

“No. Engage yourself – don’t be a stick in the mud.”

“I’ll be a mud-stick if I want to be.” Gaara pouted.

“Fine be that way.”

“I will.”

Their conversation was quieted when a familiar voice, everyone present knew, presented itself. “Wow, I’m surprised to see you all at one time. It’s not often you’re in a group this large,” Tsunade noted her hands on her hips regarding the group fondly.

“Unless this is some kind of party?” she asked, green eyes arching slightly in consideration.

“No, no party, just chance.” Hinata grinned, “Can I get a choco-cola malt? And the meatloaf with a side of French toasted bread?”

The others called out placing their orders, and comments over choices were exchanged. Sasuke refused to face her yet, shoot; why couldn’t Shizune have been on duty instead? What if she decided to throw him out or something? That would be awful; he wanted to stay this time.

“Naruto!” Tsunade suddenly turned to her right and recognized the blond grinning up at her, “Well you look better. Haven’t seen you around.”

“It’s been a while.” Naruto agreed.

“So you’re hanging around with this crowd?” she mused glancing over the rest of the group with a scrutiny entirely for the blond youth’s benefit. “Be warned, they’re a rough crowd to run with.”

“I’ve already got an idea, thanks though.” He grinned. The woman’s countenance seeming to brighten as well, then her eyes fell on Sasuke. They lingered only a moment before she turned her gaze, choosing not to acknowledge him for now.

“You see better though, not the same, but better.” Tsunade noted pulling up a chair, calling over one of her girls to take their orders to the kitchen. “You been doing allright?”
“I’m fine. What’s up with this?”

“Do you mind if I sit and chat a while?” She asked, looking back at him in some surprise. “Ah, do I embarrass you?” she asked snidely.

“Please, you embarrass yourself.” Naruto told her wryly as he shook his head.
“Well then I guess I better get back to work, I have no time for a brat like you anyway.” She retorted in mock irritation. “See you then.”

“See ya!”

Leaning forward Shino called for the blond’s attention, “Say, Naruto, how do you and Tsunade know each other anyway?” Shino asked. The girls leaned forward too, and Shikamaru opened his eyes to look the youth’s direction as well.

“Me and Tsunade?”

It was a question they’d been pondering for a while. “Yeah, I mean she’s like your mom or something.” Hinata gave her input.

“She went psycho almost when she found out Sasuke was dating you.” Temari explained.

“Yeah?” That was news to him, “Well… she kind of is like my mom.” He shrugged, “She took care of me and my- from the time I was twelve I think. All through high school; and we keep in touch still.”

“I worked here for a while even, before I went to work for Jiraiya. She still looks out for me though, without her payment- there’s been a lack of cash since I started working for Jiraiya.”

Why was he cutting himself off so much? The pauses weren’t long, but Sasuke noticed the fluctations of speech. What was he leaving out?

“But Tsunade was a slave-driver and Jiraiya’s work comes with benefits.” Naruto leaned back with a snarky smile. “If you know what I mean.”

“Dirty!” Temari stated blankly.

“You lucky bastard…” Shino frowned. “I want your job! Mine sucks!”

“What are you doing right now?”

“Coffee shop. People can’t tell the difference that decaf means no caffeine.” Shino groaned in exaggeration.

Gaara stood up, and Naruto grabbed his wrist, “You’re leaving?”

“I have to be somewhere at seven, so I need to go now.” He explained.

“Miss you.”

“You too.”

Sasuke frowned at the short exchange; how the heck did they get so close in less than an hour?! It took him longer even! Then Gaara’s eyes fell on him, he was still holding Ed after all. Then he started walking.

Sasuke sighed and got up to follow, “I’ll be right back.” Now Gaara was dragging him away from Naruto’s side. Well perhaps it couldn’t be helped. He’d be able to go back soon enough.

The redhead was silent as he passed through the doors and walked slowly down the sidewalk. Sasuke worried that Gaara wasn’t going to hand over Ed soon, if he was taking the gecko home he could say so, so Sasuke could go back to the others.

Then green eyes looked sideways at him, just staring; they’d stopped at the crosswalk now, and the redhead just stared at him, unblinking. It was worse than the gecko in his palms.

Sasuke shrugged, “You must think it’s strange, how I’m acting right now. Right?” he asked, voicing what he presumed were Gaara’s thoughts, the reason for his staring so intently.

“You are different.” Gaara admitted. “But it’s not so strange.” Green eyes glanced back at the diner through the glass to a certain blond. “Is it him?”

Sasuke looked through to Naruto as well, the ghost of a smile tracing his mouth thinking about the other. “Who knows.” He shook his head.

“Then what?” Gaara asked shifting his gaze back to Sasuke.

“I just realized a few things that needed to be sorted out.” He answered, “So I’m trying.”
“It shows.” The redhead informed him.

People were crossing the crosswalk now, the light had changed; but Gaara didn’t move yet.

“… Human interaction is interesting to observe.” Then Gaara placed Ed in Sasuke’s hands and walked to the other side, flame red hair lost in the crowd somewhere.

Ed crawled back into Sasuke’s hair as the youth made his way back inside, mulling over Gaara. He was a strange kid, what would Naruto make of what red said? Sasuke didn’t get it.

“-So that’s why you were ready to do it for the money!” Hinata gasped, as Sasuke slid back into his seat. “Oh sorry, hey Sasuke!”

Were they discussing Naruto without him? Damn it, what did he miss?!

“What was that?” Sasuke asked, “What were we talking about?”

Hinata tensed uneasy, and everyone else seemed to frown and slump away. “Oh nothing too much. Really.” Temari offered, “Just family affairs. Naruto already mentioned the cash situation after leaving work at Tsunade’s afterall.”

Yes he’d heard that, but that wasn’t what Hinata was exclaiming about. Why were they so reluctant to tell him? He wasn’t still angry about their evil-plot against him, really. He was totally over that!

“So what’s his name? You guys look alike?” Shino asked.

“Yeah, we’re practically clones.” Naruto responded.

“Who?” Sasuke asked – what were they talking about? Why was he so out of the loop?!

“His brother.” Hinata answered him.

Naruto had a brother? He had really missed something good.

“So Tsunade was okay with that? She must be really patient.” Shikamaru breathed, “Never thought she had much patience for anything either.”

“Nah, Tsunade’s really great; she is.” Naruto assured.

“Okay with what?” Sasuke attempted to ask, but was cut off by Shino’s enthusiastic question.

“So can we all go see him? After dinner or something?”

“I wanna meet him too.” Hinata agreed.

“I don’t know, we’re not supposed to crowd him,” Naruto frowned, “And I haven’t even told him about you guys.”

“Why would it matter if you ‘told him’? How can he even hear you when he’s-?”

The door to the diner banged open – and the previous conversation flew out the window. Karin stalked in and slammed her hands down on the table, she was flushed and still wearing her punk top and dark pink and black skirt with heels and stockings. Suigetsu was just behind her too. Were they on their way to a party? If so, where was-?

“Juugo’s been arrested!”

“WHAT?!!”

“How did that happen?” Shino asked shocked.

“It was so weird! We hadn’t even been drinking yet! I swear! This jerk comes out of nowhere and starts picking a fight with him!” Karin launched into her dramatic retelling. “We were all like ‘get lost loser’ and ‘you’re too cool for this guy Juu-love’ and then this guy has the nerve to sock him in the face!”

“He was a puny shrimp though.” Suigetsu noted, pulling up a chair where Karin chose to stand.

“So ‘duh’ Juugo’s not gonna stand for that! I would have hit him too! But when this cop guy comes over! He’s like – ‘you need to come to station sir!’ and we’re like ‘no this punk started it!’”

“Didn’t help our case that with one hit the guy looked like he’d been run over by a truck though.” Suigetsu put in.

“And when we get there, the shrink guy comes in and says that Juugo’s got like anger management issues or something! Now to not get sent to jail for a month for assault or charged this huge-ass fine Juugo’s got to go to anger management! Can you believe this shit?!”

“What’s wrong with her speech?” Shikamaru wondered.

“She slips into valley-talk when she’s pissed.” Suigetsu replied, “Can’t you tell?”

“It’s just so stupid! I mean seriously, can you believe that?! He’s still there right now because the shrink didn’t want to just let him go! He has to spend the night at the station! It’s so shitty!” Karin ranted angrily before finally dropping into a chair that Suigetsu got for her. “God damn, I need a scotch brandy.”

“I don’t think they’ve got alcohol here, love.”

“Then go get me some.”

“Get it yourself.”

“You can fuck me later if you get me some now.”

“Fuck yourself.”

“Dickhead.”

“Bitch.”

“Damn straight.”

And what the hell is up with their relationship? Naruto wondered at the dark-haired girl huffed, her eyes tearing up slightly; she was probably wearing contacts.

“Anyway it’s just insane!”

“Yeah, that’s pretty nuts.” Shino semi-agreed; seemed he thought something of the opposite. Was Juugo known for a temper? Well Naruto didn’t know him, no way he could know.

“Are they going to let him out in the morning then?”

“Yeah, supposedly, Sui and I are going by there first thing to pick him up.”

Naruto pushed his chair back to stand up excusing himself as quickly and quietly as he could manage. Sasuke followed suit, “I need to get going too.” Sasuke stood. “When you see Juugo, tell him I say ‘hey’.”

“Yeah I will.” Karin nodded, “So it was just so bogus, I’m totally beating that jackass to a pulp next time I see him.”

“Come find me when you do, you can hold him, I’ll punch.” Temari agreed.

“You been okay?” Suigetsu caught Sasuke’s attention before he breezed past after Naruto.

“Yeah, fine. You?“

“Okay.” Then turning to catch Sasuke again, “who was the blond?”

“Naruto.”

“Your Naruto? From last month?” Suigetsu asked after, but Sasuke was already out the door. “Geez, fine Sasuke.”

Suigetsu was suddenly tempted to believe what Karin had said about Sasuke being civil to her last she’d seen him – first time he’d seen the pale youth so damn focused and polite. Something had definitely happened these past months.

Oh well, it didn’t matter; Sasuke was still Sasuke. Now when would Karin shut up? Were they even going to go the party anymore?

`

“Naruto!”

The blond turned back to catch Sasuke running up beside him. “Hey. What’s up?”

“You left pretty quick. Making an escape?”

“It’s not to avoid questioning.”

“So it is?”

“What?”

“Your brother? Who I haven’t heard about until a few minutes ago.”

Naruto shook his head, “It’s not like it was a secret.”

“You never talked about him.”

“No one ever really asked.”

“You slipped up when you were talking about Tsunade.”

Naruto started, and Sasuke knew he was right.

“You didn’t want to bring him up.”

“It’s just that the sudden attention was kind of strange. Who likes talking about themselves anyway?”

“Everyone.” Sasuke answered honestly.

Really who didn’t like talking about themselves and their views?! It was the best way to get someone talking, get them to talk about themselves.

“So?” Sasuke prodded when Naruto remained silent.

“So what?”

“I’m asking. About your brother; tell me.”

“Like what?”

“What’s the link between him, Tsunade, you, and payments?”

“He’s in the hospital right now, Tsunade helped me cover the bill again this month.”

So that’s what the money had been intended for.

“Why work for Jiraiya if you don’t make enough?”

“Tsunade overpaid me so I could feel like I was paying the bill on my own. It was always her charity. At the least I don’t want her to have to support me. I chip in what I can, I plan to pay her back for the rest. I’ve been keeping records of what she’s leant me. I’m going to return it eventually.”

“Why is he in the hospital?”

“Coma.”

“From what?”

“Hit by a car.”

“Recently?” It sounded like this had been going on for a while actually, what with monthly bills.

“Eight years ago.”

“Eight years?!” Sasuke started.

“You asked.” Naruto shrugged, “Whatever.” He yawned, somehow they had wandered into the park across the block. Naruto seated himself on a bench, stretching his legs out in front of him.

“So eight years… the doctors still think he’ll wake up?” Sasuke asked, as he sat down beside the blond.

“There’s a 40% chance,” Naruto shrugged, “whatever that means.”

He felt like he should offer a condolence of some sort, or be uneasy about this discussion. But Naruto wasn’t uneasy or reluctant about talking about it at all. Did that make it a reflection of the blond’s trust or had time just numbed him so discussing it didn’t matter much anymore?

“What’s his name?”

“Kyuubi.”

A ghost of a grin as if remembering something, and in a flicker it was gone. Sasuke leant back his arms using the back as an armrest. “Brother huh, and he’s your clone?” Sasuke mused.

“We’re twins, so yeah.”

“And Tsunade’s your mom?”

“NO!” Naruto laughed, “She’s like a mom. Even then not too much; but she took custody about that time.”

“Eight years ago?”

“Yup.”

“Before or after your brother--- got hit?”

“Directly after, it was her boyfriend’s car.”

“Shit.”

“It turned out okay though,” Naruto paused, “more or less.”

“And the boyfriend?”

“Boytoy might be more accurate, she tossed that one after a few days,” Naruto grinned again, “Man could she go through guys fast, I could never keep up how many guys she had while I was starting high school. Wow…”

“Well she would probably qualify as a MILF.”

“What?!”

“She would.”

“I-! … Okay, fine; I can admit she’s attractive from a totally platonic perspective.”

“Who were you living with before Tsunade then?”

“A bunch of jerks, foster parents are like that.”

Orphan? Sasuke had always assumed for some reason, the blond had a family… almost everyone he knew did.

“So how did Tsunade get custody, if there was the car incident?”

“They were jerks remember?” Naruto shook his head, “I convinced him that we should leave, it wasn’t a family even in the loosest sense. And he was always getting hurt taking care of me. We ran away and he got hit and Tsunade took us. Our fosters didn’t put up a fight anyway, so it worked out.”

Except his brother was asleep for eight years… didn’t that faze him? Or was it just numb?

“Then there was college, I got a part time job, eventually switched to Jiraiya’s workplace so I could support myself and my brother without bothering her-that brings us up to now. In a way she really is family.”

Sasuke sat silent a moment letting it sink in. A surrogate mother with only the one boy to worry about. It explained a lot about her behavior at that time. Glancing at the blond he looked sort of drained, or maybe he was just tired – it had probably been a long day. It had for Sasuke too.

“I’m not sure I can relate,” Sasuke started just to break the silence that felt too much like stuffy depressing aura. “But I know what it’s like to care about a brother. More than anything, I miss him.”

No, he didn’t miss his brother now, but he would always miss that brother he knew before. The one who didn’t try to break him.

“He’ll probably wake up soon.”

“How do you figure?”

“His heart patterns have been speeding up and decreasing lately, it’s sort of irregular.” He shrugged. ”The doctors aren’t sure, but I think it might mean he’s finally getting back to consciousness, even if it’s another few months. I think he’ll wake up.”

His certainty was amazing, it had been eight years, didn’t most people despair after that long? Or was it a decade? Well there were some miracle cases.

Sasuke almost started when he realized that at some point his arm had fallen to Naruto’s shoulder instead of the bench. But Naruto didn’t seem to have noticed himself, or maybe he didn’t care. Well it was only as an armrest anyway.

But it was disturbing how easily Sasuke could slip into contact and not even notice; it felt too natural. But maybe it was okay that it felt like that. It was okay to be natural with friends.

It was okay that he felt warm, though he’d felt warm a while now. He could never be cold or empty when Naruto was around. It was almost impossible, almost… but that wouldn’t happen again, he’d do everything in his power to prevent even the smallest possibility.

It was dark out already, and the lamps were turned on casting neon glow all across the park. Oddly enough the night reminded him of the months earlier, when he’d been walking side by side with this same youth just next to him.

It was just because it was warm, that’s what Naruto figured in any case. It was warm that night too, it was the only reason it came to mind. It was also the first time that Sasuke had said-- that he loved him.

What was strange, was that he could think about it now without discomfort in any way. Perhaps it had to do with the person beside him; it was just so comfortable right now. He was so tired though, he resisted the urge to let his head fall to rest on Sasuke’s shoulder. Even though it was entirely in reach, since his arm was across his shoulders.

He didn’t remember why he turned his head, or why Sasuke had too, but they turned and faced each other. No real reason, it just happened that way; and Naruto could barely even think because already he was turning it into something it wasn’t. Something it shouldn’t.

The first time, Sasuke’s heat had brushed against him a lot like this, but hadn’t their skin contacted too? Just a small amount, however briefly; a ghost of a caress along his lips – and such a thing would be so easy to repeat. But that would not be fair to Sasuke, for one Naruto had already hurt him once-even though he hadn’t really sorta wanted to-and he would only be capable of doing it again.

You don’t kiss someone, when you don’t want to give them the idea: I like you! It would never be fair to tell someone: “yeah I like you, and I like hanging out, and I like kissing you, and touching you and letting you touch me. But uh… it stops right about there, pretty sure. I still like girls and I want a girlfriend, and all that stuff.”

Sasuke hadn’t looked away, and Naruto was starting to feel uncomfortably warm as dark eyes pinned him in place. It was a good thing it was dark enough where they were sitting, because Naruto was sure he would be flushed very dark if he looked in a mirror.

Was it even possible? If it was Sasuke, he didn’t mind a lot of what they’d done; except every now and then something that felt strange or shocked him. Was is possible that he was in fact slightly bisexual where Sasuke applied? Ah! But there was also that stupid promise to Neji. What a bunch of garbage!

Somehow they were closer now, and Naruto almost blanched when he realized there was a darkness to Sasuke’s skin, was he…?!! Was Naruto making him uncomfortable now?! Oh shoot! He knew he was being an idiot, Sasuke probably thought he was mental for staring too long. He probably was mental the way his internal dialogues were going recently.

But the fact remained, that he shouldn’t be allowed to instigate, only Sasuke could, because only Sasuke could admit him to be friends too. Sasuke’s lips dipped toward him, and Naruto started upward unconsciously to meet him.

But they never touched; he could just taste the winter and chocolate flavor of Sasuke, and then they both drew back and turned their heads away. Sasuke didn’t remove his arm, although he removed his hand form it’s comfortable clasp around Naruto’s shoulder.

“We should probably be getting home by now.” Naruto stated when the uncomfortable heat and tension just didn’t seem compelling enough – there would be no relief.

“Yeah, I have a lot of homework to do anyway.” Sasuke agreed. So they stood, walking together toward the other side of the park that opened nearer to the streets that branched into the residential areas.

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, hope all that physics helps for midterms, right?”

“It should though, and hopefully there’ll be another study date before too long.”

Just friends. Just friends was fine for him now, he didn’t need to ask any more of Naruto; he had only just agreed to be his friend anyway. He shouldn’t press his luck, not just yet anyway.

Sasuke was such a source of turmoil for the blond. He knew it would be bad if he’d kissed him, but he’d still wanted him too – and where the hell did that desire come from in the first place?! – and what was worse, since he didn’t, Naruto still felt frustrated, if not worse than if Sasuke had actually kissed him.

Maybe he should instigate… but if he did he’d have to take responsibility. And all of that mess was clearly out of the question!

“Yeah I’m going home now! I’ll bring the notes by tomorrow! Yes I know-AH!”

They were approaching the fork now, and a girl was hurrying along with a bag in tow and cell phone in her hand. She tripped over a break in the concrete and quickly righted herself, “I’ll call you back okay? I’ll see you – okay, bye.”

Clicking off her phone she put it in the bag and hurried on. The boys stopped as the girl came rushing through – frozen, staring at her. She stopped when she saw them too, emerald eyes widened.

Her face blank from everything but shock. Sasuke knew her, and just remembering her now made him feel like utter shit.

“How is it possible…?” She wondered aloud staring at the two phantoms – for surely that’s what they were – standing before her.

Naruto was the first to break the eerie quiet stillness, as he broke from Sasuke’s side towards her. “Sakura!!”

---

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