Puzzle Pieces

A/N Sorry about the long wait! I hit a roadblock with this chapter, couldn't get ANYWHERE with it for the longest time. Thank you to SEXY SESSHY for faithful reviews and help curing my writer's block.



Ok so, this chapter is a little shorter, sorry, but I couldn't ruin the mood by adding more on to the end. Mucho WAFFling abounds.



Enjoy!







Chapter 5



After Neji had given his ultimatum, Sasuke had pulled Naruto by the hand into one of the guest bedrooms. As he shut the door, the blonde pulled away from him to go sit on the bed. He walked over and stood looking down at the boy who had so recently begun to mean more than a distant coping mechanism and a constant rival. Naruto stared at the floor. Sasuke reached out a pale hand and lifted the tan chin with one long, slender finger, searching the deep blue eyes. The blonde met his gaze for a moment, then pulled away and resumed his contemplation of the floor.



“What’s wrong?” Naruto said nothing. Sasuke knelt down in front of him and looked up into his downcast face. “You can tell me, it’s ok. I won’t laugh or anything like that.” Blue eyes would not meet black ones.



“Sasuke, did… did you like it when Neji kissed…”



“Kissed Gaara?”



“Yeah.” Sasuke considered for a moment.



“It was a little surprising, but yeah, it was hot as hell.” Naruto blushed. The brunette reached up and cupped the side of the blonde’s face. “What did you think?” Tanned cheeks blushed harder.



“Sasuke, I…” Sasuke leaned closer and began running his thumb in small circles over the flushed skin.



“What is it?” He tilted his face up towards the blonde’s, bringing them within inches of eachother.



“I don’t think I’m ready for this.” The reply barely cleared Naruto’s mouth, it was so quiet. But Sasuke heard it, and his eyes softened.



“Ready for what?”



“Are you going to make me say it out loud?” A hint of annoyance had crept into Naruto’s voice.



Sasuke’s reply was a tender kiss, a chaste press of lips. Naruto stiffened, but did not pull away.



“You mean that?” Naruto stood suddenly, almost knocking Sasuke over.



“Yes, that. I… I don’t understand. Why are you all of a sudden so interested in me, huh? I mean, I’ve known you for years and you wouldn’t have given me the time of day until…” He looked at the floor in shame. Sasuke took his place on the edge of the bed.



“Yeah, I know this is kinda sudden. I’ve been watching you all this time, and the whole time I couldn’t approach you. You were like a small sun to my shadow, we’re so different, and I knew you wouldn’t understand why I felt the way I do. But the truth is, when I’m around you I… the world seems brighter. All my tension fades. I don’t even know why it happens, it just does. But you had this inferiority complex towards me, and I had my reputation in school, and so we never got to be anything more than competitors. But everyday, I watched you make an ass of yourself and get angry at me and shout nonsense to the whole school, and I couldn’t help but be happier because you were in my life.” Sasuke paused and looked at the blonde in front of him, willing him to understand. Naruto gazed back at him levelly, his brows knit in concentration.



“What exactly are you trying to say?” Sasuke snorted and stood up.



“I like you, you idiot.”



“Well what am I supposed to do with that, huh!? The only thing that changed between yesterday and today is that your brother raped me! I don’t know if I should be offended or disgusted, that you would be turned on by knowing I’ve been not only violated by your brother, but also molested by my stepfather. Is that what this is? You want a little broken doll to play with!?” Naruto was close to crying.



“No! No, no, no. I’ve liked you all along, it’s just that today, I realized how much I want to protect you. Being there while Itachi did… what he did, I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to kill him! God, I was so mad… and afraid. I was afraid that I would never be strong enough to be the protector that I want to be for you. Afraid that you would blame me and hate me. Do you? Do you hate me, Naruto?” The blonde softened.



“No, Sasuke, I don’t hate you. I’m just confused. Because of my… experiences, it’s hard for me to see guys as anything more than predators. Watching that movie with you and watching Neji and Gaara together, it was incredibly hot, and I do like you. But you have to understand, it’s almost impossible for me to separate thoughts of sex and memories of my stepfather.” He stopped and they both studied the room, looking for something, anything, to say to make sense of their predicament.



Finally Sasuke stood.



“Look, things can’t go back to the way they were before. I don’t want to push you and like scare you away, but I need to know how you feel about me. We don’t have to do anything about it, I just have to know.”



Naruto thought for a moment.



“I… I used to think I hated you. You were everything that I wasn’t. Popular, smart, everyone loved you, and I wanted to prove that I was better. You teased me and laughed at me and I felt like shit. And for the longest time, I thought that I hated you. But it wasn’t that. I hated knowing that you thought I was worthless, it tore me up inside to have you think badly of me. I’ve finally realized that I want nothing more than to be acknowledged by you, to have you think highly of me.”



Sasuke was stunned. He stared open mouthed at the solemn faced blonde. This was certainly not what he expected. What he had been expecting, he couldn’t say for sure, but this definitely was not it. And since he had no idea what to say in return, he walked over and gave Naruto a hug. The shorter boy stiffened, then relaxed, and Sasuke finally knew what to say.



“You’re beautiful.”



- - -



After some deliberation, they decided to share the bed. The clothes stayed on, and Sasuke refrained from letting his hand drift over the tanned skin as it was wont to do.



But both were happier than they had been in quite a while: Naruto felt safer pressed against Sasuke than he ever had, and Sasuke was at peace with his arm draped over Naruto’s stomach.



They slept.







_______________________________________



A/N I'm still not really sure about this chapter but hey. Soooo, I've been kicking an idea back and forth. I was thinking I might split this story into two, and give Neji and Gaara a story of their own. Cause if I don't, you basically won't see them much anymore, just when Naruto and Sasuke interact with them since this IS a SasuNaru fic.



The last chapter just sort of happened, I had no control.



But if you want to see the NejiGaara fic developed more fully, just tell me and I can make it happen.