Finally, it was the last problem of the last round. It seemed like the they'd been going for an eternity. Whatever happened, it was fact that Sasuke's team would win, and Naruto wondered why they even bothered asking that last question.

It was a tough one, though, that left both the teams staring at the board trying to solve it while the man counted the seconds and waited. They had limited time, but as much as Naruto wracked his brain he couldn't figure it out. It looked familiar, though, like something he'd seen briefly in one of the various books he'd read recently. The memory was vague, though, and every time he tried to get a clearer idea of what he'd seen or where, he'd lose track of what he'd been looking for in the first place. Frustrated, he tugged on a strand of his hair, staring at the equation. There had to be a solution. Unless it was one of those unsolvable ones, but it somehow didn't feel right to Naruto. He'd seen that problem before, and there was something about applying a formula to it, something...He startled as Sakura hit the buzzer, and he looked at her like she was crazy. Had she already figured it out? She looked unsure, her hand shaking slightly. It seemed a little ridiculous since they were losing anyways, but she was a girl, maybe this sort of thing got to them more easily. He glanced back at the board, frowning at it.

"There is -- " Sakura started, but Naruto stood, stopping her.

"Wait," he said, stepping up to the board and grabbing the chalk from the man's fingers.

Yes, something about applying a formula, but reversing it first? Something like that. Something that iwasn't/i in the book, but that he'd amusedly noted could work to solve it. The chalk moved quickly against the board as he wrote down the proper steps, the proper numbers, symbols and formulas. This was a lot more fun than he'd thought. It was like solving a crime; he had some of the variables, but the crucial elements were missing, and it was his job to find them, with the help of a few basic hints. He scribbled quickly and in silence as the audience watched. Neji kept shooting Sakura looks so she would stop Naruto and make him get back in his seat, but she was fascinated by the process he was using. She would never have thought of it that way.

On Sasuke's side, they were all watching the development of Naruto's steps warily, while Sasuke himself watched with a raised eyebrow.

As he finished, Naruto circled the proper answer on the board, giving the board a last once over before smirking at the man and handing him his chalk back.

"There, that's how you solve that kind of problem," he said, grinning and returning to his seat, right as the bell announced the end of the competition.

The room burst into applause, and Naruto beamed, though the applause wasn't all for him. His parents, though, were standing tall and clapping louder than anyone else in the room. He grinned, waving at them as Sakura squeezed his hand under the table and smiled at him softly.

Naruto forgot at that instant that Sasuke was across the room, watching him. He failed to notice that the smirk briefly turned into a soft smile, before his expression returned as blank as it had been in the beginning.

•

Naruto hadn't won, but his disappointment only lasted a few brief seconds. He'd talk to Sasuke anyways, he had to. There was absolutely no way he'd leave the building without having spoken to him, and as soon as they were ushered off stage, Naruto asked one of the organizers which classroom had been reserved for Sasuke's team. He got directions and nearly ran there, hoping they wouldn't already be gone by the time he'd reach the room.

Naruto realised how ridiculous that was when he saw the open door closing behind them; it had barely taken him three seconds to jump down to the stage, ten more to ask for directions, and less than fifteen to get there. But he was stressed, anxious, and eager. He wanted to speak to Sasuke, and wouldn't forgive himself if he somehow missed his chance. He wasn't sure he'd get another one, unless he showed up to Sasuke's school daily and somehow managed not to get thrown out.

Just as the door clicked closed, Naruto grabbed the handle and pulled it back open, slightly breathless.

"Sasuke!" He said, loudly, ignoring the looks he was getting from the boy's team. He was entirely focused on Sasuke, his best friend, the one he'd just worked so hard to impress. All he wanted was some direct acknowledgement, some spoken words, a smile or an apology. Anything more than that blank face or that insufferable smirk. There had been that nod earlier, but Naruto was beginning to suspect Sasuke had only done so to unsettle him. It had worked, too.

Sasuke blinked at him and frowned, opening his mouth to likely tell him to get out, leave him alone, or ask him who he was. Naruto didn't give him a chance to, though, as he took big steps to stand not even an arm's length away from him.

"I need to talk to you!" He said, pointing his finger accusingly at him. There was a snort and Naruto glanced at the boy with the cup right as he rolled his eyes.

"In private," he added, shooting a glare at the boy and the red head girl. The taller boy was however not paying attention at all, sitting by the window, leaning his chin into his hand and staring at a squirrel eating a nut near a tree.

He turned to peer curiously at Naruto when he spoke, though, and stood, sighing.

"Come on, guys," he said, waving them out. "Let those two get it over with," he said as he left the room.

"There's no need to," Sasuke said, narrowing his eyes at Naruto, who jabbed his finger in his chest and insisted.

"Yes, there is! I haven't heard of you for three years, you could have been dead! That's not how you treat a best friend!" He said, frustrated. He was now less anxious and more angry about the entire ordeal. How could Sasuke have stayed silent for so long and then simply ignored him?

"We're not friends," Sasuke said flatly, and Naruto's finger turned into a fist grasping his shirt.

What are you talking about?! Have you hit your head?!" He said, his voice rising slightly.

"Don't talk to Sasuke like that!" The girl hissed at him, trying to pull Naruto away from Sasuke. The glare Sasuke shot her told Naruto that he could care less about her, and actually would rather she not get involved in this at all for the moment.

"Get out, Karin," he snarled. She gaped for a few moments, opening and closing her mouth indecisively before keeping it shut, lips tight.

"Fine," she grumbled, turning around to tug the other boy away by the arm. "You too, Suigetsu," she hissed. Within a few seconds they were both gone, the door closing behind them.

"And let go of me," he added to Naruto, grasping his wrist and wrenching it away from his shirt.

"You're not going to ignore me this time?" Naruto said, bitterly. He hoped Sasuke would explain, but that seemed terribly unlikely at the moment. As Naruto so well recalled from their last confrontation, Sasuke rarely felt he needed to explain or justify his actions, as crazy as they might seem.

Sasuke kept quiet, crossing his arms and glaring at Naruto. But he wasn't going to let whatever animosity Sasuke was feeling get to him; he iwould/i get through to him, somehow, someway. Any possible way he'd think of, he'd try.

"Okay, so you are ignoring me," Naruto said, leaning back against a desk as he thought of something he could say that would have a big enough impact that Sasuke would have no choice to react.

"What do you want?" He heard Sasuke say, sounding exasperated, before he could come up with anything. He nearly gaped at him, because that was kind of a stupid question.

"What do you think I want? I haven't seen of heard from you in...in three years! I have no idea where you live, what you're up to, if you're doing okay..." he trailed off, dropping his hands at his side and running a hand through his hair. He stepped away from the desk, pacing in front of Sasuke.

"And then I see you again and you ignore me. You say you don't even know me. We spent every single day of primary school together, you ass!"

Naruto stopped pacing then, looking directly at Sasuke to see if he could spot some reaction, some emotion that would clue him in as to what Sasuke was thinking.

"You can't say you've forgotten all about it," he sighed, almost under his breath. His expression softened, less angry now. Sasuke's own stayed as blank as it had been at first, his arms still crossed. Naruto wasn't even sure he was listening, but he kept going anyways.

"Remember how we used to fight all the time? Nobody knew why we even liked hanging out, since we'd always end up with a black eye or a bloody nose," he said, laughing softly.

They'd been through a lot of stuff, a lot of fights and anger, but all the fun they'd had made up for it. Naruto felt that it was their arguing that made them become close. Thanks to it, every argument they had over come had brought them a little closer, and by the end of primary school they had been entirely inseparable.

Naruto searched Sasuke's face again, desperate to find something. Why was he just standing there, looking at him like that? It was driving him nuts.

Sasuke opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He scowled, and closed his mouth again.

"What?" Naruto asked, frowning. "You were going to say something," He said, taking a step closer, and getting irritated again.

"You're assuming I liked hanging out with you," Sasuke said then, making Naruto's anger spike. He saw white briefly, before he grabbed Sasuke by the collar and growled.

"You're a fucking asshole! There's no point in lying about that stuff, you were happy and it was obvious! I haven't seen you smile ionce/i in the past couple of hours! Are you going to claim you're happier where you are now? 'Cause that's obviously bullshit!"

"That's none of your damn business, you idiot! I live my life how I want to, and unfortunately for you, you're not part of it!" Sasuke answered, arms crossed tightly.

Naruto felt the familiar surge of adrenaline, the urge to clench his fist tight and aim it at Sasuke's face. It was so tempting, but if he did that now, they'd only get into a fist fight and not actually talk about things, which was essential for them at this point. They'd get nowhere otherwise.

"It's all in the past, Naruto," Sasuke added with a heavy sigh. "You need to learn to move on."

Sasuke made it sound so simple, so easy that Naruto wanted to punch him just for that. As if he could just move on, could just forget the first best friend he'd ever had. After years of being pushed aside, after years of being ignored, insulted and disliked, he'd found someone that treated him like an equal. Sasuke called him an idiot, sure, but that was just to tease him; it wasn't related to his race and was more like an affectionate nickname than anything else.

"If it was that easy, don't you think I would've done it?! Instead of thinking about you all the time, wondering where you were and what you were up to and if you missed me and Sakura and hanging out. Instead of looking at that picture we got taken on the first day of school before bed every single night and look at it again when I wake up every single day?!"

Naruto took a deep breath after that. He was slowly pouring everything he'd had on his chest about Sasuke, and it was slowly draining him to get next to no reaction. At least, none that he'd anticipated or wanted.

Sasuke looked mildly surprised for a very brief moment, and then looked at Naruto like he was the stupidest teenage boy on the planet, and for an instant Naruto felt like he was. Maybe it had all been a lie, after all. Maybe Sasuke had needed to pretend for a while that he truly had friends, and when that had been over and done with he'd just thrown them aside like old, unwanted toys.

"It's not my fault you're a moron," Sasuke said, huffing slightly. "If you can't move on, it's not my problem. You don't have a choice, either way," he added, firmly, as if it was true.

Naruto was quiet as he gathered his thoughts and tried to keep his heart from falling into pieces. Those past years had been difficult for him, as there were still times when he'd hear something exciting and hurriedly want to go and tell Sasuke, only to remember his best friend was no longer part of his life. Every time, it made him feel a pang of sadness, hurt and bitterness that wouldn't quite leave for the remainder of the day.

How could Sasuke say Naruto had no choice? He had every choice. If he didn't want to move on, if he wanted to keep Sasuke as a friend, he had the right to. It was in no way fair that Sasuke was forcing this...break up on him, without even talking it out with him. Because that fight they'd had behind the school had been far from talking. Naruto could still feel the fists against his chest, stomach and face. Could still feel Sasuke kicking him in the ribs, scratching at his arms and face. The words they'd exchanged had been hurt, angry and confused from Naruto, and just angry from Sasuke's part.

It was almost sick how Naruto remembered every single little detail, and still felt the same way when he thought about it. It was then that Naruto had realised all those songs, all those cheesy novels depicting the heartache of losing someone you love were true. Your heart really did hurt, really did feel like it was breaking.

He took a deep shuddery breath, unsure of what to say next. Where to start? He wanted to apologise, wanted to beg him to come back, wanted to compromise and share email addresses or phone numbers. He wanted to strike a deal to see one another every once in a while, wanted Sasuke to say he was sorry, wanted him to take it all back. He wanted to pull Sasuke close and wrap his arms tightly around him and forbid him to ever leave again.

"I...I can't forget about you, Sasuke. Or I already would have," he said, defeated. He snorted, amused, after he'd spoken. Maybe Kiba was right, that did sound pretty gay.

"You really are an idiot," Sasuke said, looking away and snorting as well. "You can say that all you want, but I've forgotten all about it. I don't need you in my life anymore," he said.

But he wasn't looking at him. Naruto frowned, taking another step closer.

"Look at me when you say that," he asked, having a hunch that it wasn't all truth. If Sasuke had something to say that he had convinced himself of, he could tell you to your face while looking at you straight in the eye. Something he seemed to avoid doing right now, so Naruto took another step closer, so close that Sasuke was backed up against a desk and leaning backwards slightly.

"Look at me when you say that," he repeated, insistent.

Sasuke turned his face slowly, scowling at him and giving off 'I Hate You, You're An Idiot' vibes. When he spoke it was clearly and he enunciated each word properly, not moving away from Naruto's proximity.

"I don't need you in my life anymore," he said, his voice steady and firm. But the way he blinked when he said it told Naruto something that someone else might not have picked up on.

"You're lying," he said, shocked at first, his face brightening slightly soon after. "You're lying!" He repeated, almost smiling now, lips curved up as if he didn't quite dare give a full smile, but wanted to.

"No, I'm not!" Sasuke replied loudly and angrily, uncrossing his arms to shove Naruto hard away from him. Stumbling back against a desk, Naruto blinked owlishly at him, gaping slightly.

"Will you ever get it?! I don't want you in my life anymore! It's over, I'm no longer a child and you just get in the way of my goals! I need to work, that's what I need to do, not run around climbing trees or whatever the hell else you do on your free time! I'm not a moron, I've got things I can do, bigger things than any of you, and I intend on achieving them!"

Sasuke was nearly panting, and Naruto was sure anyone still in the auditorium area would have heard that just now. He swallowed, the desk digging into his lower back uncomfortably. Sasuke had stepped closer and closer as he'd spat it all out, pushing Naruto up against the wooden furniture.

The only sound in the room was Sasuke's irregular breathing, the sound of vague voices and footsteps coming from out the door. Naruto lowered his gaze for a while, hands clenching on the edge of the desk. Sasuke really was a stuck up, shallow, full of himself pretentious bastard.

"You're a fucking bastard," Naruto nearly growled, not hesitating to speak his mind. "I've never met anyone as stubborn and pretentious as you!" He glared, shoving Sasuke's chest lightly.

"You're just too fucking scared to be close to people! If you let someone in, they'll hurt you, right? Isn't that what you think, you smartass? You're just a paranoid little fucker that would rather live his life lonely and bored than risk getting hurt!"

"You're a coward," Naruto added as an after thought, voice low and accusatory.

Suddenly he felt a hand fist in his collar and a body against his, shoving him hard against the desk, enough to temporarily knock the wind out of him. The desk screeched against the floor and knocked against the one behind it, sending the chair it belonged to on the ground.

Naruto was almost wheezing for air, and his eyes widened as Sasuke leaned in close, their lips not even an inch apart.

"I am inot/i a coward," Sasuke spat angrily, before crashing their mouths together. It was nothing like a kiss and more like a vicious, intimate way to hurt someone, teeth biting at Naruto's lips harshly as he stood frozen in place.

Was Sasuke kissing him, or just trying to disturb him? Or both at once? He'd never done much kissing in the first place, but he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to taste blood. He was also pretty sure that he should be more disturbed by the fact that Sasuke was kissing him than the fact that he was doing so a little violently.

"Stop," he hissed through bites, bringing his hands to Sasuke's chest and shoving at him. They needed to talk, not fight, not make out or kiss or anything that could make things worse and more complicated and more confusing. It was all messed up enough already.

But Sasuke didn't stop, instead pressed closer, nudging Naruto's legs apart slightly so he could shove his knee there. He growled against Naruto's lips, his hand burying in his hair and tugging harshly.

"Ow -- Stop th -- " Naruto's complaints were stopped when Sasuke brought his knee higher up between his legs, teasing him.

Maybe stopping him was a bad idea, after all. It wasn't as if pleasure wasn't shooting through his nerves, sending sharp waves of 'yes, please continue' all over his body. It was Sasuke, and despite the nails digging into his scalp and the teeth sinking into his lips, he found he wouldn't have it any other way.

Naruto groaned when Sasuke next moved his knee, brushing it up against his groin while sucking on a bloody spot of the other's lips. Sasuke was encouraged, growling low in his throat again and bringing a hand to the back of Naruto's thigh, jerking it toward him to lift him up on the desk. Naruto let him, now a few inches higher than Sasuke. Their lips had separated somewhere in the movement and Naruto tugged on the back of Sasuke's hair to tilt his head up, claiming them again. He kissed him sloppily, having little to no experience (if tentatively making out with your hand was any experience), but Sasuke didn't seem to mind. His hands had both fallen on each of Naruto's thighs, one still and the other stroking lightly as they kissed, harsh and demanding.

Naruto let out a soft sound when Sasuke's hand snuck under his shirt, brushing over his stomach. He brought both of his hands into Sasuke's hair, kissing him again and again, his lips already feeling sore and bruised but not caring whatsoever. Sasuke still tasted of onigiri, and maybe a little bit of tobacco. Figured he'd take up smoking. Naruto made a mental note to tell him off for that later on.

Nails raked lightly down his chest and he shivered, letting out a shuddery breath against Sasuke's lips. Naruto slid a hand to Sasuke's school uniform tie, tugging on it to get it undone. He pulled away briefly to get it over Sasuke's head, throwing it aside before Sasuke's lips moved to their next victim, Naruto's neck. It became hard for Naruto to focus with Sasuke biting and sucking at his skin, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine. His breathing was all out of whack, and his hands were shaking as he tried to undo the buttons to Sasuke's dress shirt.

"Get it off," he said, voice hoarse as he tilted his head to allow Sasuke more room to work with. When the response wasn't immediate, Naruto tugged on the collar impatiently, making a frustrated sound.

"Hurry up," he breathed, turning his face to bite at Sasuke's earlobe harshly.

"Don't rush me," Sasuke growled into Naruto's ear after letting out a low sound from the bite. A hand then came to help Naruto undo the buttons one by one. After getting half way down the hand returned to Naruto's thigh to steady him, as he'd started to lightly buck his hips off the desk, already wanting more. The hand that had been rubbing against one of his nipples moved to the button of his jeans and undid it in one swift movement.

There was something frantic about their movements, about the way they grabbed at each other, kissed each other and took off each other's clothes. Something desperate about the way they spoke and the way their eyes looked.

Naruto's hands were making a mess of Sasuke's hair, running through it over and over, tugging and pulling, tangling into it. He seemingly couldn't get enough of Sasuke, tugging his head back up so he could kiss him on the lips, tongue running over a previous bite. As Sasuke lowered the zipper of Naruto's pants, Naruto parted his lips and slid his arms around the other's neck, pulling him close against the desk and against him, wanting to feel his warmth.

"Touch me," he nearly moaned when Sasuke's hand simply hovered over his opened pants, arching up for contact.

Right as Sasuke's hand slipped past the elastic band of his underwear, making Naruto's breath hitched, the door slammed open and they both jerked away. Naruto nearly fell off the desk while Sasuke quickly tried to readjust his hair, but his half-open shirt was telling. As were Naruto's open pants.

There was a buzz of confused mumbles as Naruto slowly regained his balance on the desk, clearing his throat. Sasuke's team, his parents, and his own team were at the door, some gaping, one jealous, some looking away awkwardly, and some beaming with pride.

Sasuke's blank mask had resurfaced, while Naruto blushed bright red as he zipped his pants up and buttoned them again.

"Uh..." He started, before his mother stepped in to slide an arm over his shoulder.

"There you are, kiddo! We'd all been looking all over for you! Then we saw those crazy guys," she said, pointing a thumb back at Sasuke's team, "Arguing and eavesdropping," she explained.

Naruto glanced at the rest of the people at the door, all crammed into the doorway as they tried to peer in and get a better view. Sakura's hand was on her mouth but it was evident that she was hiding a smile. Sai looked as uninterested as ever, as did Neji, but Kiba looked like he'd just won a very, very big bet. Knowing him, Naruto figured he probably just had. There was no point in pretending they hadn't been doing anything. The way his legs were crossed, his bruised lips and his messy hair were bound to make things clear for even the densest person on the planet.

"Congrats on your competition," Minato said after clearing his throat and joining Kushina at Naruto's side. He grinned at him, ruffled his hair, and then turned to Sasuke.

"You must be Sasuke," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm Naruto's father. I assume we'll be seeing a lot more of you now?" He said with a bright, mischievous grin and a wink.

Naruto stammered, flustered, and tried to say something but it just came out as gibberish. Getting walked in on wasn't exactly pleasant, less so when it involved your parents and almost all of your friends. He was embarrassed and would likely stay so for the rest of his life.

Sasuke smacked him upside the head, though, and he snapped right out of it.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" He exclaimed, bringing his hands to his head. He heard Kiba and someone else (it was likely to be the guy with the cup) snicker, and he glared in their direction for good measure. Even his parents looked bemused, and Sakura had stopped hiding her smile.

"For being a moron," Sasuke said, picking up his tie.

"I think I like this guy!" Kiba said loudly, stepping into the room and smacking Naruto on the back. "I totally called you being gay for this guy, by the way," he added, loudly so if anyone had any doubts of what had been going on, they no longer did.

"I - I'm not!" Naruto squeaked, just as a girl shrieked at the door.

"He can't be! That would mean Sasuke-kun is gay too, and he's most definitely not!" The red head girl shoved Sakura out of her way, stomping off to stand in front of Sasuke, defensive. "Sasuke is imine/i," she snarled, and Naruto realised that girl was crazy and needed help.

"Karin," the big guy said from out of nowhere. He'd apparently made his way to them unnoticed, and brought a hand to her shoulder.

"Relax. If you truly cared for Sasuke, you would only wish for his happiness," he said, giving her a wide smile. She shrugged him off, growling in exasperation.

"He is not -- " She started again, before Sakura reached her and slapped her across the face.

"And who are you to know him so well?" She said, raising an eyebrow as Karin stared at her, wide-eyed and red-faced where Sakura's hand had struck her.

The guy with the cup stepped in soon enough, snickering as he did so.

"I'm not one to stop a girl fight, but honestly, proving Karin wrong is worth it," he said, before taking a deep breath.

"You're an incredibly dense bitch for not noticing that Sasuke has little to no interest in girls," he said, smiling slowly and showing a row of almost scarily pointed teeth.

"Is that even normal?" Naruto heard his mother whisper to Minato, who grabbed Naruto by the shoulder to pull him further away from the strange boy.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke said, threatening and his fists clenching. "This is none of your business, and if you want to stay on the team, you better shut the hell up. Right inow/i."

"Juugo, take them out," Sasuke added to the giant, nodding at the door. Sakura looked incredibly smug as Juugo pulled them both away, Karin looking into shock and Suigetsu looking amused.

"You're both gaylords!" He said, before laughing, followed by the loud sound of a straw sucking the last of a drink from a cup.

There was an awkward lull in the room after their departure, and before long Minato took it upon himself to break it.

"So," he started, clapping his hands together. "We have a few...things we need to be doing," he said, giving Kushina a pointed look, who returned it by a dismayed, disappointed one. Apparently she wanted to stick around, so Naruto cleared his throat to give her a hint.

"Fine," she said, sulking slightly but following Minato as he walked out of the room. "We'll see you later, kid!" She called, grinning and waving at him.

Sakura then walked up to Naruto and gave him a tight hug, kissing his cheek when she pulled away.

"I'm proud of you," she said, squeezing his shoulder. "And not just about the Mathletes!" She added, laughing as she glanced at Sasuke. She then moved to him, hesitating only slightly before giving him the same treatment, hug and kiss on the cheek.

"We've missed you," she said softly. "We'd both, but especially Naruto, like to see you again once in a while," she said, voice still soft and caring. He gave her a curt nod, stiff in her embrace until she moved away.

"No, wait!" A voice sounded once again at the door, and they all turned to see Kiba had apparently left to fetch a camera. "That would've been a nice one!" He said, looking put off. Sasuke scowled and Kiba cackled, raising the camera to immortalize the pure frustration on the boy's face.

"Awesome," he said after double checking the result. Naruto laughed, calling out to him.

"Hey, send me that one! I want it as my wallpaper," he said, grinning at Sasuke, who rolled his eyes.

Sakura gave them both a last smile before heading out, pulling Kiba along with him. She came back a few seconds later, this time to grab Sai who had almost melted into the wall in a corner, quiet and observing, writing notes into a little notebook.

"Okay, leaving you two for good this time!" She said with a nervous chuckle. They heard her hiss a 'Why are you taking inotes/i?!' before the footsteps and voices faded.

The room grew quiet again, and Naruto shifted on his feet awkwardly. What now? Should he say something? Naruto grew flustered as he thought back on what they'd been doing and what'd he'd wanted to do.

Kiba was definitely right. Sasuke was more than just a simple friend to him. He currently wasn't saying a single word, instead slowly re buttoning his shirt and picking up some things he'd left there before the competition. His silence scared Naruto a little, but what they'd done couldn't be denied or ignored, he knew that. Maybe they could work around the fact that they both wanted different things in life, that they both lived their lives differently as well. Naruto would always have some room for Sasuke, and he hoped Sasuke was ready to make a little room for him, as well.

"You're not coming back, are you?" He asked, softly, looking down at the desk in front of him. He suddenly busied himself to re-aligning it with the rest of the row, as it had been before Sasuke had pushed him up against it and...Clearing his throat, he turned back to Sasuke, who looked at him before shaking his head slowly.

"Figured," Naruto said, shrugging and giving him a sad smile. He could deal with that, as he had for the past three years, but he would've liked to bring him back.

"We can see each other, though, right?" He continued, voice rising with hope a little. His fingers trailed on the surface of one of the desks, glancing at Sasuke as he did so. He was closing up his bag and putting it over his shoulder.

"Perhaps," he said, frowning slightly as he spotted a sheet of paper that had slipped under a desk from his things. He leaned down to pick it up, folding it and slipping it into his pocket.

"We'll see," he added, the corner of his lips curving up slightly.

It wasn't a definite answer, but it was something. The heat of Sasuke's lips against his and his hands on his skin were more than something, and Naruto felt confident that things would only go upwards from now on. They'd breached a barrier, stepped over a wall, and even if it was only the beginning, he wasn't afraid.

"Let's go eat something," he offered, holding out his hand with a small grin. "My treat, for once," he said.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the hand he was being offered, looking down at it and back at Naruto's face.

"Do you expect me to hold your hand?" He asked, and if Naruto didn't know better he'd say he sounded amused. Truly, genuinely amused, not simply mocking someone for being so low.

With a roll of his eyes, Naruto hooked his two first fingers with Sasuke's, tugging slightly.

"Does this count?" He asked, his thumb running over Sasuke's knuckle affectionately as he grinned at him.

Sasuke smacked him upside the head with his free hand again, but didn't let go.

"It's the same thing, moron," he said. "I want to eat out at that fancy restaurant down the street," he added, smirking.

"...Not the one where one meal is about the same price as a meal for three in any other restaurant?" Naruto asked, dreading the answer. Sasuke had always been one for luxury, which didn't always go well for Naruto and his small, usually empty wallet.

"It's that, or I could let go of your hand...And never see you again," Sasuke said darkly, clearly amusing himself.

"Fine, fine!" Naruto gave in quickly enough, having an idea in mind. "But I want a kiss in exchange," he said, tugging on their hands to bring Sasuke closer, grinning at him.

Naruto thought for a second that Sasuke would drop his hand and turn around, but after a brief stare down, Sasuke gave in and leaned in for a kiss. It was a lot softer and lighter than their previous kissing, but Naruto found he didn't mind that, either. It sent warmth to his stomach and his chest, and he kissed back, tugging on Sasuke's lips as he brought a hand to the boy's jaw.

He was grinning so wide it almost hurt when he broke away, happier than he'd been in ages.

Because he knew that even if he had to crawl into Sasuke's home through the kitchen window to see him, it would be okay. Despite things not turning out the way he'd wished, it would be okay.

It was like some kind of mathematical law. However apart they might be, they were still drawn, drawn to the same converging points.