Convictions

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san. I own nothing and I make nothing from writing this.



Summary: Naruto learns a few things about himself.



Pairing: Pre-NaruSasu?



Rating: PG-13



Warnings: Shouta, UST, AU, yaoi. Don’t like, don’t read.



A/N: This is ‘Convictions’, the third vignette I’ve made. If there’s anyone out there with a Naruto request (extremely detailed, mind you), this would be the time.

This chapter probably won't be resolved, hence the UST warning.

Here’s number eighteen.







Little Children

 

 

 

Sasuke was his best friend. He’d known the raven since they were four in Shizune-sensei’s preschool class. Sasuke hated everybody they went to school with, besides Naruto.

 

They were twelve now, in Iruka-sensei’s class. Sasuke sat on his left, and a pretty, pink haired girl sat on his right. Sakura-chan had a crush on Sasuke. Actually, most of the girls in academy did.

 

Naruto would’ve been proud that this best friend was so popular, but he liked Sakura-chan and she didn’t like him.

 

He was a little jealous.

 

*~*

 

“Wanna spend the night?” Sasuke asked him after school on a Friday. The sky was dark and snow was drifting down to land on the sidewalk. It was in Sasuke’s hair, too.

 

“Is it okay? Last time your dad yelled at me. ” Naruto blushed, remembering what had happened to make Fugaku-san so angry. “All I did was hug you. ” The blonde pouted childishly.

 

Sasuke smirked and flicked his ear.

 

“He says men aren’t supposed to hug each other.

 

“But I like hugging you. ” Naruto frowned. He shook a few snowflakes off of his hat.

 

Sasuke gave him a long, searching look before he turned his head away with a light blush on his cheeks. He looked more embarrassed than cold, though.

 

“Usuratonkachi. ” He whispered, still looking straight ahead as Naruto gave him a quizzical look.

 

*~*

 

Kakashi was at the house when he got home. Obito was there, too, and they were both cracking jokes with Naruto’s father. Naruto waved at them with a big smile as he pulled Sasuke up to his room.

 

Kakashi and Obito were two of the coolest older boys he knew besides Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi. All three of them liked to tease him and his best friend mercilessly.

 

“Don’t forget your pajamas this time, dobe. I won’t let you sleep in your underwear again. ” Sasuke snapped. He was glaring at the dirty clothes that were strewn all over the ground. With his father always working and his mother passed away, it was hard to keep the house clean. Rin-chan was always picking up after them and then scolding them.

 

Naruto emptied his backpack onto his bed and stuffed some extra clothes into it. He also grabbed his favorite stuffed fox, Kyuubi, and tucked the little, orange plush into his coat. Sasuke constantly called him a baby for still carrying it around, but it was the only reminder of his mother that he had.

 

They went back down the stairs and met his father at the door.

 

“Kakashi said he’ll drive you to Sasuke’s house. ” Minato smiled, absently tightening the scarf around his son’s neck, and then kissed the top of his head. “Be respectful to Fugaku and Mikoto. I don’t want you to get sent home like last time. ” The blonde man told him sternly, although the effect was ruined by his wide grin.

 

“Sure, dad. ” Naruto nodded back, following Sasuke out to Kakashi’s tiny, blue car. He was leaning up against it, his arms wrapped securely around Obito’s waist with the shorter man’s face pressed into the collar of his jacket. Naruto quirked an eyebrow and glanced over at Sasuke. “I thought you said men couldn’t hug each other. ” He accused under his breath.

 

The raven shot him a glare that clearly told him to keep his comments to himself, before they both climbed into he backseat.

 

Touchy, Naruto thought. He snorted slightly when the two high school students kissed next to their window and Sasuke stiffened.

 

*~*

 

It was obvious Fugaku-san was still angry with him. The man glared at him as they stopped in the front hall to take off their shoes and coats.

 

“Hello, Naruto-kun! It’s nice to see you!” Mikoto called from the doorway of the kitchen, smiling and wiping her hands on her apron. He could smell dinner cooking. “I swear you get bigger every time I see you. ” The woman giggled into her hand.

 

Sasuke seized his wrist and quickly pulled him up the stairs, away from his parents. The raven’s grip was bordering on painful and his fingers were cold.

 

“He’s still mad, Sasuke. ” Naruto said in a whiny voice, purposefully trying to irritate the boy. Sasuke scowled and swatted him behind the head with his free hand. “Ow! You jerk!” The blonde tried to sound angry, but his smile was just too big. “Oi, what’s your mom cooking for dinner?” He wondered out loud, making himself comfortable on Sasuke’s bed, throwing his bag onto the floor and Kyuubi on the pillow next to him.

 

Sasuke shrugged out of his school uniform and tossed it into the hamper. Naruto was suddenly too shy to look up from the bedspread.

 

“We’ll find out when she’s done. ” Sasuke told him, coming to rest next to Naruto on the bed. The raven smirked down at him. “Wanna play a game or something, dobe?”

 

“Stop calling me that, teme!” Naruto growled out, pouting up at his friend. Sasuke flicked his nose. “Fine. Let’s play Call of Duty. ” The blonde grinned, skidding off the bed so he could turn the boy’s 360 on and grabbed two controllers. He kept one for himself and threw the other at Sasuke’s head.

 

*~*

 

Naruto sighed happily as he slid onto Sasuke’s bed, a good few hours of video games behind him, and a belly full of delicious food. Sasuke smirked from the doorway, his hands poised on the wooden frame. The blonde stretched languidly and pulled a soft, black pillow into his arms.

 

“Naruto. ” Sasuke said quietly, his eyes going unfocused for the briefest of seconds. He bit his lip and took a step further into the room, his eyes falling to the carpet.

 

“What’s wrong?” Naruto frowned, sitting up and fixing the raven with a concerned look. Sasuke just glared back and blew at a piece of his bangs irritably.

 

“Never mind. ” He hissed out, closing the door harder than he meant to and leaning back against it. Naruto raised an eyebrow in question, but all he got in response was another raised eyebrow.

 

Naruto just rolled his eyes and plopped back down onto the bed and covered his face with the pillow, trying to hide his scowl. He felt the bed dip as Sasuke joined him on it, and stretched out next to him.

 

Sasuke sighed and reached over to ruffle his hair, making Naruto move the pillow away. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Sasuke snorted and closed his eyes. The blonde’s eyes drifted down, unconsciously licking his lips as he noticed the bit of skin Sasuke’s shirt revealed as it rode up. Warmth coiled in his belly, and he tried to ignore it, but his fingers were all ready moving. They brushed over his friend’s abdomen, lightly, almost like they weren’t there at all.

 

The skin was soft and warm.

 

“What are you doing, dobe?” Sasuke asked tiredly, cracking an eye open to glare at his friend. Naruto just offered him a one shouldered shrug and flattened his palm against the raven’s abdomen, and felt the muscles flutter.

 

Their eyes met again and held as he slid his fingers up Sasuke’s ribcage, dancing over the pale skin. He leaned forward; most of his weight rested on his other arm, and without hesitation, reached over to pull Sasuke’s shirt up to rest under his arms.

 

Two pairs of eyes watched as the fingers roamed across the expanse of skin, over a hip and up a side. Goose bumps rose in the wake of his touch.

 

“Naruto.” Sasuke breathed out, his eyes falling shut against his flushed cheeks. The blonde kept his eyes on his fingers, tracking their movements as they circled a nipple. It hardened and Sasuke let out a small gasp. “Stop!” The raven hissed out, abruptly shoving Naruto away and pulling his shirt back down.

 

Naruto breathed out shakily as he fell back against the bed, an unfamiliar ache forming in his belly. He was trembling and breathing hard and he didn’t know why.

 

“Usuratonkachi!” Sasuke growled, kicking him off the bed. Naruto hit the floor with a loud thump and a pained moan, probably startling the rest of the family. He jumped back up a second later, ready to chew Sasuke out for kicking him, but his voice lodged in his throat when their eyes met again. All that came out was a whimper.

 

Sasuke was blushing so hard, he could rival a tomato.

 

His breath caught.

 

“I think I’ll sleep on the floor tonight. ” Naruto said in a hushed voice, dropping his gaze to the floor as he walked backwards, feeling behind him for the bathroom door. His heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would burst from his chest.

 

“Naruto-“ Sasuke sighed exasperatedly.

 

The blonde shook his head wildly and yanked the door open, slipping in before Sasuke could get another word out. He closed the door behind him and locked it, just for good measure.

 

He sank to the floor and let his head fall to rest on his knees.

 

“Men don’t like other men. ” He told himself firmly, his stomach twisting in denial. He wrapped his arms around his legs and tried to ease his anxiety by thinking about Sakura-chan. Pretty, pink haired, female Sakura.

 

All he could think about was how soft Sasuke’s skin was and how cute he looked when he blushed.

 

He couldn’t like Sasuke. There was no way.

 

Not when the raven wouldn’t like him back.