Happy Birthday

Thanks again for the reviews - as i stated at the beginning i am working on editing - unfortunately there are more mistakes than i originally thought (i type the way i write - fast) (forgive the grammer)! Here it is folks, Part 5! (Epilogue to be added tomorrow!)

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Happy Birthday
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Reaching out a hand, Sasuke silently offers to help the other to his feet. As the blonde slips his hand into Sasuke’s, Sasuke feels that small tingling sensation. Closing his hand around Naruto’s, he pulls the other to his feet.

Once Naruto is on his feet again, Sasuke turns to leave. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches as Naruto thinks about what he had said. By the time he reaches the shadows of the forest he sees the blonde smile. Smiling to himself, Sasuke stops and picks up the gift from where he had hidden it.

Turning back, around he is surprised to see the dobe frantically pulling at the kunai he had thrown earlier. Since the blonde’s back was turned, this presented him with a golden opportunity. Smiling to himself, he made his way back across the clearing, this time with the gift in hand.

“Hey, dobe!”

The blonde, who was still struggling with his stuck weapon (cause if Kakashi ever found out who it belong to - he would be punished for leaving it to get ruined - and Kakashi was the devil when it came to punishments!), jumped at the sound of his voice. Thankfully, his surprise managed to pull the kunai free. Unfortunately, with its freedom, that meant that there was nothing to keep the blonde from falling back down to the ground.

<> WHAM <>

“Owwww!” whined Naruto as he picked himself back up from the ground and put his kunai away. Dusting himself off, he recalled what it was that he caused him to fall. “What do you want, Sasuke? I thought you had left.”

Turning the blonde came face to face with the Uchiha. Startled to find the other boy so close, Naruto tried to step back, but he forgot that the post was right behind him. Trapped between the post and the Uchiha, Naruto had nowhere to run. “S-Sa-Sasuke?”

Without saying a single word, Sasuke leans in fast and kisses the blonde. Shocked, Naruto’s eye practically double in size. His brain shuts down at the feel of Sasuke’s gentle yet firm lips over his own.

Not wanting to frighten his dobe, Sasuke kept the kiss simple and chaste. Drawing back, Sasuke smiled softly at the sight of Naruto so completely stunned.

Taking Naruto’s lifeless hands, Sasuke gave him his gift. Wrapping his hands securely around the gift, Sasuke leaned in close to Naruto’s ear and softly whispered, “Happy Birthday, Dobe.”

(A/N: Ok! Alright that’s it. That’s all there is folks!)
(Or is it? - Sorry to disappoint you (or happy to delight you) - but there’s more! So Read On!)

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When Sasuke kissed him, Naruto didn’t know what to do. But honestly, had has brain not shut down, he probably would have held on to Sasuke for dear life while returning the kiss. Cause to be truthful, it hadn’t lasted nearly as long as he would have liked it to. He would probably have deepened it as well.

But as a surprise kiss, he didn’t mind that Sasuke chose to keep it simple. ‘I probably would have had heart attack otherwise!’

But even with as simple as it was, that small kiss still managed to still his breath away. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, the soft smile that graced Sasuke’s lips made his breath nonexistent.

Sasuke just looked so beautiful. He couldn’t even move, but then he felt Sasuke’s hands on his. Seconds later, something was placed in the palms and wrapped securely around the object.

Curious, he started to look down, but before he could, Sasuke leaned in close once more. Praying that he was about to receive another kiss, Naruto waited in agonizing anticipation. This time he would be ready!

But instead, Sasuke caught him off guard once again. Instead of a kiss, the Uchiha leaned in and whispered softly into his ear. That dark, rich voice speaking so soft and so close sent shivers down his spine. It took everything that he had, just to keep from moaning as he felt Sasuke’s warm breath ghost over his ear.

But once he was done, Sasuke stepped back. Then with one last look, he smiled and walked away. Unconsciously, Naruto’s hands clench into fists. Except something is keeping his hands from fully closing. Looking down, he sees the item that Sasuke had placed into his hands.

It was a box - wrapped and tied with a bow! That’s when the words that Sasuke had whispered finally registered. “Happy Birthday, Dobe.”

Sasuke knew! He knew, and he had even given him a gift!

Naruto looked up in hopes of finding the dark-haired boy, only to realized that the other was no longer in the clearing. clutching the precious gift close, Naruto ran off in the direction that he had last seen Sasuke.

Shortly after entering the forest, Naruto spotted him. “HEY! Hey, Sasuke! Sasuke, Wait!”

Upon hearing his name, Sasuke stopped. Turning, he hid his smile as he watched Naruto catch up. “Nani?” was all that he asked.

“Sasuke . . . . Sasuke, would you . . . . . would you like to come over . . . . over to my place?” asked Naruto, breathing heavily from his frantic run.

“Why?” asked Sasuke, innocently (He really was a bastard at times). “I thought that Iruka-sensei was the person that you wanted to ask.”

Embarrassed to have been caught in his own lie, Naruto looked away. Quietly he mumbled something.

“Huh? What was that?” inquired Sasuke.

Still, without looking, Naruto repeated what he had said. “It . . . It was you. You were the one.”

“Me?”

With a slight blush, Naruto looks back at Sasuke. “Hai. You were the one that I wanted to ask.”

Smiling, Sasuke reached out and gently cupped Naruto’s face with his hands. Softly he whispered, “I know.”

Surprised, Naruto’s eyes widened. “How?”

Sasuke then explained. Starting from how he had followed him yesterday and going all the way to his eating dinner with Iruka. He even went so far as to admit that it was Iruka who had told him the truth. But as Sasuke revealed just how much he had learned from Iruka, Naruto’s eyes began to fill with tears.

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Realizing that the blonde had grown quiet, Sasuke looked down. Seeing the bright shimmer of tears in Naruto’s eyes nearly tears Sasuke’s heart in two. Pulling Naruto close, he hugs the crying blonde.

“I’m sorry, Naruto. I just never realized just how rough it was for you. Not once did I consider what your life must be like.” Feeling hands wrap around his waist and go up his back as Naruto returns his embrace, Sasuke holds the other tighter. “No one should ever have to experience what you have gone through, not even you. Naruto . . . My strong Naruto.”

Naruto, who was having a difficult time keeping his tears at bay while Sasuke held him, literally lost it when he actually heard the Uchiha call him strong. Unable to hold back the tears, he just clung to the black-haired genin and cried.

Through his tears, Naruto denied Sasuke’s claim. “I’m - I’m . . .I’m not . . not . strong. . . I’m . . weak . . .pathetic . . . I - I . . .I even b-b-bought my . . . my own . . g-g-gifts!”

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Shocked that this could actually be his Naruto, Sasuke was unable to do anything. His Naruto would never call himself weak or pathetic - he was a fighter! But then he remembered what he had learned from Iruka, and his heart ached. ‘Now I know what Iruka went through,’ thought the genius.

Quietly, Sasuke ‘shhed’ Naruto. Once the blue-eyed youth had quieted down enough to hear him, Sasuke spoke. With his voice soft and gentle, the Uchiha comforted the blonde. “You’re wrong, Naruto. You are strong. You refused to be ignored or forgotten. You persevered! And now? Now you are no longer alone. Now there is no reason for you to be afraid of being forgotten. Because . . . you have Iruka, who will always be here for you. And now . . . now you also have me.”

“Sasuke . . .”

Gently, Sasuke wiped away Naruto’s tears. Then reaching behind himself, he tugged on Naruto’s arms. Once they were finally within his reach, Sasuke laced his fingers together with his blonde’s. Then with a soft smile and a gentle tug, Sauske spoke. “Come on, Naruto. Let’s go home.”

Seeing a smile light up in his koi’s eyes and the faint blush, Sasuke turned. And with their hands still clasp, Sasuke lead the way back home.

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okay - ther you go. now before i post the last piece i want someone to guess at what sasuke's gift might be.

this really is more fluff than it is anything else but i hope everyone is enjoying it.

je ne! - remember epilogue tomorrow!