Angel's Touch

Artemis: Ok. I have but one thing I want to say now to get it out. I am not Kishimoto-san (or however you spell his name ^^’). So the characters will be OC at times, if not all the time, simply because I can’t always predict what they’ll say, react, or do in a situation. ^^ So I apologize if this bothers anyone.

P.S. Another new character! Yeah. Lol…

Anywhos…I’m having fun. But I’ve also got a class in college right now that’s writing intensive and its taking up a lot of my time with the homework. =( So sorry for the longish updates. But at least this chapter is pretty long to make up for it. ^^

But so little reviews this time. =( Only four...does that mean I did bad or are you people just lazy with reviewing like me sometimes? XP lol.

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Chapter 4: Sugar, Spice, and Everything Ramen


Sasuke glared down at his dining table. Or rather at the paper that lay on his dining table in front of his bowl of cereal. To anyone who saw this, they’d assume he was glaring hatefully at the terribly low score stamped on said paper. Yes, he’d done an awful job on the mock exams a few days ago. But no, surprisingly he wasn’t as mad about that as he should be. Instead, he was glaring for a completely different reason.

A good hint was the cereal bowl in front of him. It contained perfect, unburnt cereal.

Sasuke hated to admit it, because it meant that he cared and worse, that he missed him. But Naruto had been absent from his company for two days. It had started Thursday when Sasuke found that said blonde hadn’t followed him to class, and then arrived on his own with Hinata of all people just as the bell rang. He’d shrugged it off, figuring Naruto had his own life and why should it bother him if the angel wasn’t with him all the time?

Then on Friday, he hadn’t woken up to Naruto’s voice or smile. There hadn’t been any burnt breakfast waiting for him and his shower was completely peaceful. He’d gone to school and found neither Naruto there, nor Hinata. He’d again denied everything and had come home with his mock exam results.

He’d been sulking since, and now on Saturday morning he again found himself Naruto-less and well fed. And he wasn’t happy.

But there was no way Sasuke was going to admit that he was jealous or that he actually wanted Naruto around. No. He was enjoying this peace at last after days of chaotic randomness caused by the blonde.

Sasuke grit his teeth and stood up abruptly, knocking the dining table in the process and causing his bowl of cereal to spill over onto the paper resting there. Damnit, where was Naruto!

Sasuke headed out of his apartment and next door to Naruto’s, determined to demand an answer to the blonde’s absence. He knocked on the door, trying to reign in his temper and continuing to avidly deny his own jealousy.

Sasuke’s eyes widened when the door opened at last to reveal Naruto covered in god only hope that wasn’t what it looked like! Sasuke felt himself turn pale at the thought, then immediately scolded himself for such thoughts.

Naruto blinked in surprise, then smiled happily, “SASUKE!!!!”

Sasuke only half predicted the glomp and was able to keep himself from stumbling back and falling under its force.

Naruto nuzzled him happily, then frowned and pulled away with wide eyes, “Oh no…wait…I forgot your breakfast again, didn’t I! I’m so sorry! Dumb, dumb, dumb...”

Sasuke watched Naruto berate himself, suddenly feeling dumb himself. What was he doing? What exactly was he planning to say to the blonde anyway? Where have you been? I’ve been worried? I missed you? I thought you’d left me? I care???

Sasuke hated to think he’d become dependent on Naruto, but he hated even more the thought of admitting it out loud to the other. A blush threatened to cover his cheeks at the thought of even saying any of those things to Naruto. He had to quickly come up with a Uchiha worthy excuse for coming next door or at least keep the subject from popping up.

“Naruto…what’s that stuff all over you?”

That had been brilliant. But he was wondering what all that white gooey stuff was.

Naruto blinked cutely and looked at himself, as if noticing the stuff for the first time himself. “Oh this? Well…that’s dough, and that’s batter, and that’s an egg shell…”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and leaned sideways to look past Naruto into the other’s apartment. He caught a short sight of what could only be Hinata looking out from the kitchen before pulling back in out of sight. He also noticed a lot of said stuff on Naruto was on the floors and walls of his apartment.

Sasuke walked past Naruto into the apartment, eyes trailing over ceiling, walls, and floors as he felt himself sweatdrop. How did the blonde manage to get the stuff everywhere?

Naruto bounced up behind him with a small pout and an embarrassed blush, “Sorry, Sasuke. I was so busy helping Hinata-chan that I forgot to do my guardian duties. Are you mad?”

Sasuke shook his head mechanicly, then looked at Naruto curiously. “What do you mean by helping Hinata? Helping her with what?”

Naruto seemed to think on this for a moment, before suddenly smiling brightly and grabbing his hand, rushing into the kitchen energetically and dragging Sasuke for the ride. “SEE! Hinata-chan is gonna compete in a baking thingy and I’m helping her to learn how to cook so she can win and save Neji-baka and then I can cook you yummy foods too!”

Sasuke blinked and took a slight moment to register what Naruto said, while trying to not let the degree of mess the kitchen was in bother him. But it was hard. It looked like someone had set up a bomb made of dough and let it go off in the kitchen. Sasuke could just feel his hand twitch slightly as he fought the maddening urge to clean creeping up on him.

“Try!” Naruto smiled, sticking a spoon of goopy stuff in Sasuke’s face.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow again and hesitantly took the spoon in his mouth, turning green immediately and rushing to spit it out in the sink.

Naruto pouted and looked at the spoon, “Yeah…you’re right. It’s not very good.”

Hinata walked over cautiously to Sasuke and offered him a paper towel to wipe his mouth with. “I-It’s ok…”

“NO IT’S NOT!” Naruto declared loudly, pumping a fist in the air. “We’ll try again! We’ll work this out, Hinata-chan! Don’t you worry! You’ll be the champion cook in no time!”

“O-Ok…” Hinata replied, but frowned. She didn’t feel too confident anymore, despite Naruto’s shining enthusiasm.

Sasuke wiped his mouth and sighed, straightening up slightly while his gaze became fixed on a glop of the mess on the faucet. “N-Naruto…Hinata…Go clean yourselves up.”

“But Sasuke!” Naruto whined and pouted.

“Just do it,” Sasuke ordered firmly and finally gave in, grabbing more paper towels and starting to clean.

Naruto hung his head and left to clean himself up as ordered with Hinata close behind. Once they were gone, neither could see as Sasuke busily scrubbed, washed, and worked away at every visible spot of dirt in the kitchen. As he did so, his mind drifted to forgotten memories that he normally preferred to keep forgotten. Memories of blood staining the carpet, the furniture, the walls, of a body lying in the street…so much blood everywhere. Dying everything red and marring the otherwise clean surfaces of Sasuke’s life…

Sasuke stopped for a moment and shuddered violently, closing his eyes and gulping as he forced the memories back into their little box in the back of his mind. He stood and walked over to the sink slowly, turning on the faucet and letting the warm water wash away the dirt on his rag.

Naruto walked back in with Hinata, noticing everything was clean again, then noticing Sasuke by the sink. Naruto felt a churning in his stomach and he immediately had the feeling that Sasuke was sad. That wasn’t good…he wasn’t supposed to be sad anymore now that Naruto was there!

Naruto walked over and wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s waist, hugging him tightly and letting some of his magic flow into Sasuke’s body, willing the other to take it in comfort.

Sasuke tensed when he felt the arms around him, then relaxed when he recognized them as Naruto’s. He let himself drift in the comforting magic Naruto was offering for a bit before pulling himself together. He turned around to face them with a calm mask, showing no hints of the sadness and pain he’d been lingering on a moment ago.

“Ok. Now…let’s do this the right way.”

“N-Nani?” Hinata blinked, looking surprised.

“Sasuke…” Naruto asked, looking at Sasuke and trying to find the emotions he’d sensed a moment ago. But Sasuke had hidden that part from him.

“Since you’re not very good at cooking, we’ll do the simplest of subjects to cook. Dessert. Hinata, get out a bowl, fork, and measuring cups. Naruto, get us some aprons to wear so we don’t get our clothes any messier then you two already managed. I’ll gather the basic ingredients,” Sasuke ordered before heading over to the refrigerator.

Naruto looked at Hinata and sighed, then pumped himself up. Sasuke will tell him one day. He’d just have to be patient! Right now was help Hinata time and Sasuke was helping to!

Smiling happily, Naruto left the kitchen to find aprons. Of course, he didn’t have any…but that was what magic is for. Naruto went to his dresser and opened it, revealing the drawer to be empty. He closed it then reopened it, this time the drawer full of all kinds of aprons. Naruto grabbed three and ran back into the kitchen where Hinata was setting up the utensils and Sasuke was staring inside the refrigerator, closing it, then opening it again and staring at it.

Sasuke continued to do this, amazed that every time he closed the refrigerator and opened it, the food or ingredient he wanted he suddenly found inside of it. He turned and met Naruto’s gaze, raising his eyebrow again, before shaking his head and grabbing what they needed. Angels were so lucky…

“Ok…Now I want you two to follow my orders. Cooking is simple as long as you follow instructions to a t,” Sasuke started off, and began instructing both his ‘students’ in the art of cooking.

Things for the next hour went well, Hinata showing an amazing talent for desserts. Naruto however………

“Naruto…you can’t put ramen in there!” Sasuke panicked and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders when he saw the blonde attempt to put ramen in a bowl of sugar, spices, and flour.

“Why not?” Naruto asked, pouting.

Sasuke removed the ramen from Naruto’s hands and looked him in the eye, “Because, ramen and cake don’t mix.”

“I don’t see why not,” Naruto huffed, sticking out his lip in a pout. “Ramen is yummy! And cake is yummy. Two yummies make an even more yummy, right?!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, something he’d done a lot that day. “That’s not how cooking works, dobe.”

Naruto scowled at the nickname.

“Look. When cooking, two ‘yummies’ don’t always make a yummy. It’s a matter of blending flavors that complement each other,” Sasuke attempted to explain but drifted off at the blank expression on Naruto’s face.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to think of a better way to explain this to the blonde. “Naruto…do you put ramen in everything you cook?”

“YEP!” Naruto grinned brightly.

Hinata frowned slightly, seeing Sasuke’s dilemma and deciding to try and help, “Um…N-Naruto-kun…”

Naruto looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Um…S-Sasuke-kun…what he means…is things that bring out the good qualities of each other…err…” Hinata slumped and frowned softly when she noticed Naruto still wasn’t getting this philosophy. She thought of something else, something that seemed more personal that Naruto might understand. “Um…I mean…things that fit together. Moon and stars, red and black, peanut butter and jelly………well, like you and S-Sasuke-kun.”

Naruto blinked at that, looking as if things were starting to click in his head. “Sasuke and me?”

Sasuke looked up, slightly surprised by this comparison.

Hinata blushed at the sudden attention and looked down at her feet shyly, nodding, “Y-Yeah…You and Sasuke-kun are really good together. I-I mean…Sasuke-kun’s always quiet and closed off…while you’re really open and expressive. You’re very different flavors on your own, but when you two are together…you look good together. I mean…well…you’re not the same as Sasuke-kun…but you can make him do things that are nice…like laugh and smile. The same goes for flavors in foods. One thing brings out the good thing in the other…”

Sasuke felt a blush creep across his cheeks, realizing Hinata had damn good observation skills. Naruto was very different from him, but somehow that made things…right. It had somehow been easy to grow attached to Naruto, to be used to his presence and…even crave it. Like how he’d missed the smiling, energetic blonde over the past two days.

Naruto blinked, then his face suddenly brightened with a look of enlightenment. “OH! I get it! Like Sasuke and me!”

Naruto turned his head to smile at Sasuke, very happy now that he sort of understood. Ramen and cake were not like Sasuke and him. They were more like…Shikamaru and him. Naruto then frowned slightly, wondering what Sasuke was then. Well…if Naruto was the ramen…then Sasuke was probably the bowl! You just can not have ramen without a ramen bowl. Any other bowl just didn’t feel right. And ramen always fit well in the ramen bowl, just like Naruto felt like he fit well in Sasuke’s arms!

Yes, that’s right. Sasuke was the ramen bowl and Naruto was the ramen!

Having finally established this newfound way of thinking, Naruto promptly glomped Sasuke and enjoyed his place in his ‘ramen bowl’.

After a couple more hours of hard work and puzzled questioning on Naruto’s part, Sasuke had been able to relax and enjoy the smell of unburnt and well made food. With his help, Hinata had managed to learn how to make really good desserts and Naruto had actually produced an unburnt cake. Albeit it was flat due to the fact that Naruto had forgotten to put the correct amount of cooking powder in, but it at least tasted like an edible food.

“YEAH! I am the cooking MASTER!” Naruto boasted, bouncing happily around the kitchen with his concoction held proudly above his head, threatening to be bounced right off the plate onto the floor or rather…poor Hinata or Sasuke.

Hinata smiled and watched Naruto, his happy excitement rubbing off on her. Her courage had rekindled thanks to them both and she felt ready to face the contest.

Sasuke chuckled softly, smirking slightly at the blonde’s silliness. “All right, dobe. Enough before you lose what you’ve managed to make.”

Naruto stopped and scowled at him as Sasuke had predicted he would. Sasuke walked over and took the plate and cake from him, setting it safely on the counter.

“Now…we’ve got one thing left to do,” Sasuke stated calmly, turning to them both with the closest thing to an evil smirk as any of them had ever seen.

Naruto’s eyes actually widened in mild surprise before said smirk.

“S-Sasuke-kun?” Hinata hesitantly spoke, looking a little worried.

“You want to win right? Well, every great chef has a secret ingredient,” Sasuke stated, taking Naruto’s hand as well as Hinata’s and heading out of the apartment. He started down the hall but stopped half way, looking intently at the railing. Letting them go, Sasuke knelt and slowly closed his hand around something that had been on the railing before continuing.

Naruto watched this and tilted his head in puzzlement, exchanging a confused look with Hinata before quickly following after Sasuke. “Hey Sasuke? Sasuke!? Teme! Yo! Where are we going?”

“To visit a buddy of mine,” Sasuke replied simply, heading down the apartment stairs.

Hinata glanced through another hall of apartment doors for a second, then quickly followed down the stairs. “A…a friend…Sasuke-kun?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and didn’t reply, not liking having to repeat himself.

At the lowest level, just below ground level, the stairs ended and a door awaited the three of them. Sasuke walked up to it and knocked three times, before opening the door and ushering Naruto and Hinata to follow him. He led them through a dark labyrinth of glass tanks and shelves upon shelves of weird objects to the back of the room. There in the back by a computer screen that offered the only light sat someone with his back to the rest of them.

“Shino…we’re in need of your stuff,” Sasuke stated, walking over and setting down what he had grabbed in his hand on the computer desk. He stepped back with his hands behind his back respectively.

The boy at the desk turned his head slightly, reaching over and picking up the brown spider gently in his hand, watching it crawl over his fingers. He then stood up from the chair and turned, looking at the three of them behind dark sun glasses.

“BUG MAN!!!” Naruto suddenly cried out, glomping Shino and nearly giving both Sasuke and Hinata a heart attack.

Shino took the assault calmly, seemingly having prepared for the glomp.

Sasuke blinked, then felt something hot churn in his stomach and grit his teeth. He was not jealous…he was definitely not jealous that Naruto was glomping someone else other then him.

Hinata relaxed, recognizing the silent teen from their school, “Shino-kun…good evening.”

Shino nodded and pushed Naruto gently off him with his unbugged hand, “Naruto…don’t do that again.”

Sasuke finally managed to keep his urge to strangle in control and shoved his hands into his pockets for even better measure, “So…Naruto…you know Shino. When did this happen?”

Naruto blinked at Sasuke, unaware of the cause behind the stiffness in Sasuke’s tone, “Oh! Bug man and I met the day after I moved in! See…there was this cockroach and it was trying to steal my ramen, so I was trying to catch it and I accidentally stepped on it. I thought it was dead and got worried and then Shino popped up and told me cockroaches were stronger then that and then the roach got up and scuttled off!”

Shino reached up and pushed his glasses up his nose, “I also asked you to not call me that.”

“Nani?” Naruto blinked again, looking at Shino with innocent confusion.

Shino sweatdropped. “You’re thick-headedness continues to amaze me.”

“Eh? HEY!” Naruto scowled at him.

Sasuke relaxed a little, though he still didn’t like Naruto glomping Shino. “Leave it Naruto.”

“Huh?” Naruto frowned and looked at Sasuke questioningly.

“Shino’s family runs these apartments. It’s best not to get on their bad side,” Sasuke replied, walking over and grabbing Naruto by the arm and dragging him a safe distance from Shino. Purely to protect him of course…not because he was jealous.

Shino arched an eyebrow at Sasuke’s odd behavior, but let it slide. It wasn’t his business. Turning, he walked over to a cabinet and opened it, shuffling through bottles and vials. Naruto looked past Sasuke curiously, wondering how Shino could see in the darkened room with sunglasses on.

Hinata walked over to Sasuke and Naruto, twiddling her thumbs nervously. “Um…S-Sasuke-kun…what exactly is this stuff of Shino-kun’s?”

Shino walked back over to them, holding up a thumb sized tube filled with small brown lumps, “Here…”

Sasuke took the vial and nodded as thank you, turning to Naruto and Hinata, “This…will be your special ingredient Hinata.”

Hinata stared at the vial with a mixture of curiosity and slight fear, “W-What…is it?”

“Sasuke…that stuff is legal, right?” Naruto asked, a little afraid. He didn’t want Hinata to cheat to win.

Shino adjusted his glasses again, “It’s called Grains of Paradise. It’s a rare spice, native to the coast of West Africa.”

“Don’t worry dobe. It’s legal,” Sasuke smiled at him. “Shino’s father travels around the world to study insects, and he brings things back from all over. This spice will give Hinata’s meal a unique kick, setting her’s apart from the others.”

Hinata accepted the vial with a blush, holding it gently but firmly in her hand, “S-Sasuke-kun…Shino-kun…thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”

Naruto looked between Hinata and Sasuke, before smiling widely and promptly hugging Sasuke, “SASUKE! You’re the best!”

Sasuke smiled slightly, ignoring Shino’s observative stare. Shino just wasn’t used to seeing him with other people.

“Come on you two. It’s getting late and Hinata probably needs to go home,” Sasuke sighed, turning back to Shino. “Thanks Shino.”

“Anytime…” Shino shrugged and walked back over to his desk, sitting down and turning his attention to the brown spider still on his hand.

“BYE BUG MAN!” Naruto smiled and waved as they headed for the door, smirking at the annoyed grunt from Shino’s direction.

Sasuke waited for Naruto to catch up, then headed upstairs with the blonde beside him. He glanced over at the smiling angel and blushed faintly, “Hey…Naruto…”

Naruto hmmed and looked at Sasuke, waiting for his charge to speak.

Sasuke blushed a bit more and turned his head away, reaching up and scratching his chin nervously, “Next time you…get the urge to help. Tell me, ok? I was…sort of wondering if you’d left or something.”

Naruto blinked and stopped, looking at Sasuke in surprise, “Sasuke……heh. Teme…I told you, I’m here to make you happy and protect you! I’m never going anywhere…You’re stuck with me. Promise!"


***Reviewer Responses***

Little Inkuki - Actually, you're info on the term '-kun' was very much appreciated. You didn't come off as bossy or as trying to correct me at all. ^^ I'm also glad you liked my Hyuuga idea. I wanted to keep that usnteady relationship between them all, but make it fit the story and time frame Angel's Touch takes place in.

Dark Romance 1313 - Hee hee. ^^ Glad to see another person that likes my story.

Me Loves you - I hoped you liked this chapter to. And sorry, but Naruto was actually eating ramen around the time you killed yourself. You know him and his ramen... ^^

Anna - FLUFF! *glomps it* Angst depresses me to. ^^' And Hinata learns to cook sweets here, and Naruto makes...a little bit of progress. Of course, cooking ramen in with everything explains his burned meals as well. XD I loved typing that cooking scene. Naruto was just to cute. ^^ And I am going to add a character equivalent of Shia after this little cooking ordeal. This mainly was to bring in Neji (who's like Poops basicly) and Shino...cause Shino's cool and Sasuke and Naruto are living in the Aburame Apartment complex. ^^