Chapter 19: 'Tidal Wave'

- Phew, that's the last of it, Naruto exhaled as he put down a large box full of food packed in lunchboxes on the floor of his cramped apartment. He would've had a lot less to bring home had Minami not strongly insisted he would take some leftovers (or all the leftovers, to be precise) from the day before to eat during what was left of the holidays, and if possible, to save for school later. He supposed her worrying about his eating habits was inevitable, especially as he mostly lived on ramen alone, not that she was aware of that of course. Furthermore, now there were two mouths to be fed for a while, as he had managed to convince the staff of Imamura Orphanage as well as Gaara's sister to let Gaara go on a little trip and follow him to Konoha. In other words, they would be living together for roughly two weeks, until Gaara had to go back for school. Granted, Temari had come along as well, but she had rented a motel room not too far away from Naruto's apartment and she could only stay for two days.

Naruto was excited about the whole ordeal and he couldn't wait to show his new friend around in his usually green, albeit currently white, little village. Gaara hadn't said too much about the trip himself, but Naruto had seen the hint of excitement in his eyes when he'd first suggested it and it wasn't like he'd opposed the idea either. The blond would make sure to make his first real travel into a memorable experience, whatever it took.

Gaara followed suit by placing his borrowed bag next to Naruto's half-empty gym bag, glancing around curiously as he did so.

"I'm glad I cleaned the place up a bit before I left," Naruto thought, scratching his head as he watched Gaara's almost unchangeable expression.

- Sorry, it's not very big since I live alone, he said apologetically, pulling the other boy's attention away from his surroundings for a brief moment.

- No, it's more than enough, Gaara assured him, giving off that usual monotone vibe, before continuing his silent scrutinizing of the apartment.

- Anyway, I was thinking I can take the couch so you can use the bed. It's at least more comfortable than the couch.

Gaara was once again silent, but Naruto, who had already gotten used to his slow responses, waited patiently. His gut feeling told him that Gaara was the type of person who often had the need to digest words for a while before truly understanding what was asked of him; in other words, he was quite a bit more spacey than he looked. However, at the same time, he also appeared to be very intelligent. Naruto felt lucky to be able to read people as well as he could, since otherwise, he knew that he definitely wouldn't have been able to communicate properly with his new, shy friend. As long as he knew what the problem was, a little awkwardness was something he could get accustomed to easily. The problem was that Gaara wasn't used to being friendly with other people and for this reason, he'd developed traits that lone wolves had the tendency of exhibiting. It took time for him to warm up, but that was okay, because knowing that he wasn't going to push him away, that he did appreciate him as a friend, made it all worthwhile for Naruto. He had prepared himself mentally to tackle the hurdle that was Gaara's outer shell.

His face lighting up in full understanding of Naruto's suggestion, Gaara finally replied;

- There isn't any need for that. You should be allowed to use your own bed. Please don't mind me.

He was looking a bit bothered, but Naruto merely flashed him a smile, shrugging helplessly.

- Don't be so modest. You're a guest now, aren't you?

- I suppose.. Still..

- No excuses! Come, let me show you where the bedroom is, the blond said, unfalteringly grabbing the bag lying next to his on the floor and walking off in the direction of said room with the other boy reluctantly trailing behind.

After convincing his guest to use the bedroom instead of him during his stay, Naruto quickly did a tour of the rest of his apartment, though there wasn't a lot to show. Finally, winding up back in the nearly non-existent entryway, he took the box of lunchboxes and carried it into the kitchen, placing it on the table in the middle of the room as he continued his one-sided chatting.

- So I guess the most important thing to say is that you should make yourself comfortable and just pretend that you're at home. You don't need to ask if there's anything you want, just grab it! The fridge is pretty empty, but we can go grocery shopping later if you want and you'll get to see where the closest store is. For tomorrow I was thinking of showing you around Konoha. Sounds good?

Gaara, having listened intently the whole time, nodded once.

- Yes.

- Good. Just tell me if there's anything else you wanna do. I haven't really got anything planned out, since I want you to choose activities for these two weeks. Anything is fine! I guess Temari-san will be with us for two days though?

- She did say so.

Naruto scratched his chin in contemplation.

- Then I think it would probably be better to go to some fancier place if we're gonna eat out with her. I don't know of any myself, but I'll ask my aunt.

He paused for a moment, glancing at the wall clock, which revealed that it was just about five in the evening.

- Hm, it's already this late.. Let's eat before we go out, okay?

- Sure.

Rummaging through the box, Naruto pulled out two homemade lunchboxes and grinned.

The following day, they met up with Gaara's sister outside the apartment complex. Naruto began guiding the two siblings around at a leisurely pace, showing them places like the nearest park, the mall and other parts of the village which were good for strolls, stopping only when Temari found some peculiar, little store which sold ancient fans. Once they became hungry, the 'guide' led them to a Chinese restaurant which Minami had recommended, hoping secretly to himself that they also served his favorite dish.

- So, what are you guys planning to do after I go back? Temari inquired as she chewed thoughtfully on a meatbun.

Swallowing his mouthful of ramen, which he had been happy to find out that they indeed served, Naruto replied;

- Well, we don't really know yet. I was thinking of letting Gaara decide, but he hasn't said anything, so feel free to give a suggestion if there's anything you think he might like.

He threw a helpless glance at his friend, who was mainly poking at his food with his chopsticks, only taking a small bite every now and then, seemingly not paying much heed to the light conversing going on around him.

Temari shrugged, completely unfazed by her little brother's lack of communication.

- Yeah, that's just how he is. But really, I think anything you decide on doing will be interesting for him, since he hasn't traveled before. He's not picky either, trust me, I know. We're the same in that sense.

Naruto nodded knowingly, lightly observing the quiet redhead.

- And make sure to call me if he becomes too difficult, Temari added in a playful tone, giving Gaara a light push on the arm.

At that, Naruto let out a laugh.

- Yeah, but I don't think the chances for that are very high. I'm sure we'll manage.

Temari poked her brother's cheek, forcing him to turn his head to look at her.

- Gaara, don't cause any trouble and try to talk to Naruto so he'll understand you better. He's not me or Kankuro, he can't read your mind, you know. Also, remember to eat properly. I don't want you to come back sick. You hear?

Gaara looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes, yet refrained.

- Fine.

His sister, however, didn't hold back and openly rolled her eyes at him.

- I assure you he knows how to talk like a human being, but doesn't feel like it most of the time. Don't mind it or think too much of it though. Even if he doesn't sound enthusiastic, that doesn't always have to be the case. He's a good kid, just a bit hard to understand, she explained apologetically to the blond boy, who nodded again.

- I know.. It may sound strange, but I feel like I understand him a bit already. He's doesn't seem that hard to understand if you actually get to know him.

Temari let out a little sigh of relief.

- Good, then it shouldn't be a problem.

Gaara suddenly cleared his throat, seeming a bit irritated, which made Temari sweat drop.

- Sorry, sorry. I won't talk as if you aren't here anymore, don't worry. I just wanted to make sure your friend knows some essential things about you, okay?

Gaara didn't say anything, instead opting to go back to eating peacefully at his own slow pace.

Naruto met Temari's gaze and assured her quietly that everything would be fine, to which she replied with a grateful and relieved expression.

- Better get back to eating then, so Gaara doesn't have to wait for us, the blue-eyed blond said out loud, picking his half-abandoned chopsticks back up.

Temari copied his action, looking quite satisfied.

Three days after Temari's return to Kyoto, in the morning, Naruto found Gaara in the kitchen, curiously searching through the fridge. The blond stopped rubbing the sleep out of his eye at the sight, smiling happily at his friend's unsuspecting back, before cautiously, so as to not startle him, approaching.

The reason seeing Gaara act so casual in his apartment made Naruto happy was that it reminded him of how well his guest had finally managed to settle in, how comfortable he was then opposed to how he had been the first two days. He had even stopped insisting on sleeping on the couch. It was like a breath of fresh air to Naruto, who had barely been able to handle the previously stiff atmosphere surrounding the redhead. He was slowly starting to open up, showing signs that the visit had been a good idea after all. And then there was another reason the casualness was more than welcome. Something Naruto had been unwilling to bring up with Gaara previously with the notion that he was a guest and Naruto's attention should be focused mostly on him during his stay, not other people. In that moment, however, he saw a good opportunity to discuss something unrelated to Gaara being the guest he had sworn to keep entertained, something which had been nagging at the back of his mind since he'd returned to Konoha. Additionally, who was he to say the fellow orphan wasn't going to be able to enjoy it? Sometimes people took you by surprise, after all.

- Morning Gaara, he began nonchalantly, placing his hand on the other's shoulder in a friendly motion.

Despite his efforts to be careful, Gaara still jumped a little, though quickly recovered.

- Good morning, was his quiet reply as he turned his head slightly in the other boy's direction, only for his attention to return to the fridge almost instantly.

- You hungry? I don't know if there's anything other than some apples, but keep looking and you might find something somewhere in there, Naruto said, retreating his hand.

He unceremoniously seated himself on a stool not far from the fridge, grabbing one of said apples from the counter. Gaara hesitated only for a brief moment, before continuing his search.

- Listen, there's someone I want you to meet, if you don't mind.., Naruto said, trailing off slightly at the end as he carefully observed his friend.

Gaara paused. Naruto didn't know if it was just his imagination or if the other boy seemed to freeze up a little. Regardless, he didn't think Gaara was going to reply in a while, which urged him to continue.

- He's.. my best friend actually. Before I came back to Konoha, I told him I would let him meet you, so I guess there's no other option than to go see him. But if you really, really don't wanna.., I'm sure he'll understand.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, attempting to push his glasses up out of habit, only to remember that he wasn't wearing them at the moment.

Finally coming out of his daze, Gaara closed the fridge door and turned around to look at his friend. His face was expressionless, at least from what Naruto could tell from the small distance between them.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, Naruto was cut off.

- I would very much like to meet him, Gaara finally said, averting his eyes in what Naruto assumed to be embarrassment.

In a slight stupor, Naruto blinked twice, before his whole face lit up into a wide grin.

- Great! I already called him to let him know that I was home five days ago, but I didn't say much else. I'll go call him right now and we'll agree on some place to meet, okay?

Gaara nodded and his lips twitched upwards in what was probably an attempt at a smile.

Naruto needed no more encouraging. He half-skipped into the living room, grabbing his phone and flopping down on the couch, or more accurately, his temporary make-believe bed.

Sasuke replied on the second signal, almost as if he'd been holding his phone, waiting for his call. The idea made Naruto's heart skip a beat, though he knew he was most likely only fantasizing things up.

- Hey Naruto. What's up?

Naruto tried to calm his heart to avoid sounding overly enthusiastic.

- Mornin'. You up yet? I just spoke to my friend, Gaara, and he said he wants to meet you, so…

He spoke hastily, blurting everything he wanted to say at once.

- Really? Good then. Got any place in mind?

- I don't know actually, Naruto said honestly, pausing, before asking;

- What about you?

- I think I have an idea, yeah..

They decided on where to meet and when, and Naruto, feeling unnaturally awkward once again, wound up cutting the conversation short, which later made him feel a bit disappointed. But they were going to meet again soon. That was what mattered, even if Naruto couldn't have the heart-to-heart talk he wanted while Gaara was around. That could wait, he told himself. Right now what was important was taking care of his guest.

Sasuke's PoV:

Having waited for weeks to see his blond friend again, Sasuke couldn't help feeling excited. In fact, had he not been an Uchiha, he probably would have been skipping through the house like a love-sick girl the entire day. Instead, he just wore a suspiciously happy grin, unable to do much to hide it even around Itachi, making his brother look at him oddly, but he didn't care. All he truly cared about was that he was going to see Naruto soon, friend or no friend tagging along. He did wonder briefly what Naruto's friend would be like, but didn't pay it too much thought. No matter what, if the Uzumaki boy had chosen him as his friend, he should be guaranteed to be a likable person.

With this thought in mind, Sasuke hurriedly went to let his mother know he was meeting with a friend and rushed out of the house without even listening to her answer.

Glancing around nervously, looking for a spiky, blond head, the raven made his way through the crowd in the mall. He stopped outside the arcade he had gone to a couple of times with Naruto in the past, still watching his surroundings intently, waiting anxiously for someone to call out to him any second.

Just as he was about to turn around to enter the arcade, in case they were already there, he heard that familiar voice which always sent a pleasant tingle through his body.

- Sasuke! Over here! Naruto shouted cheerfully, waving at him.

The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't wearing his glasses. Next to him was a stoic-looking, redheaded boy who looked to be about their age. Sasuke found himself unconsciously scrutinizing him carefully for a few seconds, before his attention shifted over to his grinning friend, causing both his heart and eyes to warm up.

- Hey, he greeted them as they came up to him, trying to act cool despite feeling the opposite.

Without wasting any time, Naruto instantly introduced them to each other.

- Gaara, Sasuke, Sasuke, Gaara, he stated simply, gesturing between them.

Sasuke and Gaara both nodded, causing Sasuke to spot the similarities between himself and Naruto's new friend.

- Nice to meet you, he said, putting on the polite air of an Uchiha.

- Same, Gaara replied monotonously, barely meeting his eyes.

- Come on, let's go inside so Gaara can try as many games as possible. He's never been to an arcade before, so this will get interesting, Naruto, the only chatterbox in the group, spoke, giving the redhead a mischievous glance, before dragging the two of them inside without protests.

As they played, Naruto spent most of his time with Gaara, seeming very eager to give him instructions and most likely happy to have found someone who was worse at the arcade games than he was. For the most part, Sasuke secretly watched the duo and the longer he did, the more he started disliking Gaara. There was something about him which unsettled the Uchiha far more than any of the blond's other friends. He didn't like the looks Gaara would give Naruto when he thought no one was watching and how close they already seemed to be. And though he wouldn't have admitted it, he felt a bit left out. Sure, Naruto occasionally came over and tried to strike up conversations with him and he knew he was doing his best humor both of them, but it was still obvious to any potential bystander that most of his attention was focused on his unnaturally quiet house guest, who in turn made no efforts to befriend Sasuke.

After having had lunch at Naruto's favorite ramen bar, since none of the other two wanted to give any suggestions for what to eat, and chatted a bit about insignificant things, Naruto had insisted that he and Gaara would follow Sasuke home, which they had done. Once they'd gotten to the Uchiha mansion, Sasuke had invited them in, but Naruto had taken a glance at Gaara, who'd looked a bit uncomfortable, before politely declining, though he had appeared a bit reluctant to do so. Hence, they had headed separate ways. Sasuke thought he'd heard Naruto mention something about he and Gaara still having things to do, but he hadn't been listening very attentively at the time, nor had he cared to ask him to specify.

He had split feelings about the meet up. Obviously, he'd been overjoyed to see Naruto again, but he also felt a bit unsatisfied. He had hoped to be able to talk to the blond a little more, but it turned out that everything he wanted to say was too awkward and seemed inappropriate to talk about with an outsider around. Of course, nothing had been solved. They still had a lot of things to discuss. The young Uchiha had expected it to end up like that the moment Naruto had mentioned his new friend over the phone. However, what he hadn't been ready for was how much it unnerved him to see the invisible gap between them remain the same. And the unnerving feeling had unexpectedly grown larger every time his eyes had accidentally locked with a pair of icy, green ones, which he had now come to hate. Yes, he was sure of one thing then. He despised Naruto's new friend. He was well aware that it was immature to put the blame on an innocent visitor for his solemn mood, even more so as said person never had actually done anything to deserve his hatred to begin with, but that awareness did nothing to squelch his hatred. He couldn't explain why even to himself, he just hated him for seemingly no good reason. He also couldn't stop himself from wishing that the boy would go home soon and that he wouldn't have to meet him again. If that made him immature, he didn't care. He wanted him gone.

Once he returned home, he was at a loss for what to do. The first thing that came to mind was to help around in the house, now that Shizune was away. Sure, Reira was prone to doing so as well, but it was much too early to go to bed and he just wanted something to do. For that reason, he went to find Setsuna, who, as he had expected, was in the kitchen, conversing with Reira over some items, feminine products, he assumed, in some catalogue. Reira noticed him enter right away, looking up with her usual, pleasant smile in place. But what he heard next shocked him.

- Hello Sasuke-kun. How did the date go? she asked unabashedly, keeping a straight face.

The raven almost tripped in shock, while his mother just looked up, gazing at him with prying eyes. Then Reira giggled, apparently finding his reaction very amusing.

- I was just joking, no need to get so tense. I know you just went out with some friends.

A look of understanding appeared in both mother and son's eyes simultaneously and Sasuke almost heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had thought that Reira knew the truth about his love interest. But that was impossible, right?

- You surprised me a bit, that's all, he said, slightly defensive.

- Sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction, she replied, still smiling elegantly, though her eyes held a knowing glint, which could easily be missed at first glance.

As he tried to will the slight blush of embarrassment on his cheeks away, Sasuke pretended not to notice that look and instead noted to himself that she was more impish than she seemed, under the surface, a fact which he stored away for future reference.

- Well, was there anything you needed, Sasuke-kun? Setsuna, who had been quiet the whole time, inquired, fixing her son with a questioning gaze.

- Ah, yeah, I wanted to ask if you need help with anything? I don't really have anything to do, so..

- You don't have to.., Setsuna began, before throwing a glance behind her shoulder, seeming to change her mind.

- I suppose if you don't mind, you could take out the garbage. I keep forgetting about it, so it has been piling up a bit.

- Sure I can.

Without further ado, the youngest Uchiha quietly stepped over to the sink, leaned down to open the kitchen cabinet where he knew the garbage was gathered, and then he took the black plastic bag, tied it up and went outside to dump it in the large garbage bin outside of the fence which encircled their yard. He wasn't used to doing such tasks, but he had watched Shizune do them countless of times. It was nice to do it personally, for a change of pace.

While he was outside, clothed in outdoor clothing and all, he decided he might as well go for a stroll to gather his thoughts. There was still snow on the ground, but it wasn't particularly cold. The weather was calm and it was very silent in the vicinity, rather serene. But why did he feel anything other than serenity? Why was he so worked up over Gaara? Did he really have a reason to be or was it all in his head? He couldn't stop wondering.

Having barely registered where his feet were taking him, he looked up from the ground for the first time when the streets became a little noisier and he noticed he was nearing the department store, which was located in the neighboring district. He felt himself frown at the sudden, unwelcome bustling, the urge to turn and go somewhere else to think growing as a little, giggling girl rushed by, narrowly avoiding to bump into him, her father, presumably, chasing her, frantically yelling at her to stop running away. Throwing a lazy, disinterested glance in the direction of the revolving doors to the department store, he froze in the spot as he saw an unexpected scene.

Two familiar figures were less than a hundred meters away from him. To be specific, they were the two people he had spent time with less than an hour earlier. There wasn't anything too suspicious about seeing them there, coming out of the large, public building, however, what truly made the blood in his veins boil was the way they were interacting with each other, how.. close they were, literally. The blond was slightly leaning on the redhead's shoulder. It was very slight, almost unnoticeable. Had he not been so intently boring his eyes into the pair, he wouldn't have noticed it either. At first, he wasn't sure even the two of them were aware of it, seeing as they seemed to be in their own little world. One thing was clear though. Gaara was evidently a lot more friendly when he was alone with Naruto. He was actually speaking to the blond properly, not just giving one-word answers.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the two slowly got closer to him. They had yet to notice him. He considered his options; Openly expose himself or hide and follow them? Then he realized how silly that sounded. Why would he need to follow them?

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the way that bastard is looking at my best friend? Why does he look not only uncomfortable, but actually kind of embarrassed and glad to have Naruto so close? Isn't that how I feel around him? What exactly is going on between these two..?!"

He didn't have time to think further, before Gaara's ever-cold eyes suddenly turned to stare directly at him. For a brief moment, the redhead looked surprised, but then he poked his friend on the shoulder and pointed at Sasuke. Bewildered, Naruto came to a halt and followed his gaze. Since the streets were still rather sparsely populated, it took him barely two seconds to pinpoint the raven.

- Sasuke! What are you doing out here? he questioned, his voice high-pitched.

He was obviously startled at seeing the friend he had separated from mere moments before appear in front of him suddenly, like a human boomerang.

But Sasuke wasn't watching him. He couldn't tear his sharp gaze away from the person next to him, whose breathing seemed to come easier when the blond unconsciously moved a step away from him and gave him a bit more personal space, while at the same time, he looked a bit disappointed at the lack of touch. Sasuke could tell, because his expression was torn and he had the strong feeling that it resembled the one he would have whenever he was that close with Naruto. He knew what he was seeing. He knew and it angered him to no end. He couldn't accept that Naruto was living with someone who obviously had.. romantic feelings towards him. How was he supposed to trust that they were only friends after seeing something which looked like such a private moment? Scratch that, just the fact that Naruto had even brought him to Konoha had to mean something. They had to be more than friends.

No longer in control of either body or emotions, he marched up to them, grabbed his shocked friend's wrist harshly and, with determination which felt more like blind rage, he began pulling him away, far away from the other boy. He couldn't think straight. He felt sick. He needed to pour his feelings out. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. And most of all, he had to get Naruto away from Gaara. Was this what jealousy felt like?

Naruto's PoV:

For some seconds, Naruto could do nothing but stare at his apparently furious best friend as he was dragged away. Sasuke's head was turned away from him, but with his hand holding onto him, he could tell his whole body was trembling in anger. He gulped as a shiver ran down his spine. Forcefully, he broke free of his stupor and began struggling against the offending hand, gritting his teeth in the process. Unsurprisingly though, it was hopeless. The other boy was stronger than him, by far. So he could only resign himself to his fate. Recognizing this with a heavy sigh, he whipped his head back to his other friend, who had been left standing with an oversized plastic bag in his hand, confusion and shock written all over his usually emotion-free face.

- Gaara, you can start going back home. Don't worry, I won't be long! Naruto shouted, trying to keep his voice as composed as possible despite the obvious anxiety he felt.

When he saw the redhead nod and hesitantly start dragging his feet in the opposite direction he was being taken, his attention returned to Sasuke, his eyes glaring an imaginary hole into his back.

Why? What was going on? He had only gone to buy some things with Gaara, mainly since, frankly, they were both getting a bit sick of lunchbox food, and he'd been happy when the boy had spoken more openly with him than usual, showing once again that he was making progress in their friendship. When they'd left the department store, he'd begun feeling some returning weariness from sleeping on the lumpy couch, and thus, he'd casually leaned onto his friend for support, not bothering to pull away as he hadn't seemed to mind it. The mood had been pleasant as far as he could tell though, the two of them even having involved in some lighthearted bickering which had more resembled normal chatting, when Sasuke suddenly had reappeared. And now this. He felt he had every right to be angry for this unreasonable behavior, but his own anger was diminished while facing Sasuke's overwhelming fury. In the end, he couldn't feel anything but confusion and apprehension as the one holding him in a firm grip pulled him along across the increasingly unpopulated streets for what felt like an eternity.

- Sasuke? he tried eventually, after a long couple of minutes.

- Sasuke! Talk to me. What do you think you're doing?

Growing irritation could be heard in his voice, but the other boy still refused to budge, keeping silent.

At last, he came to an abrupt stop, before proceeding to haul Naruto into some empty alley, roughly pushing him against a very cold, rugged and gray brick wall.

- Ouch! Naruto exclaimed, rubbing his lower back and wincing from the pain.

Showing no mercy, Sasuke slammed both hands on the wall, trapping the blond's head in between them. For the first time, Naruto could get a full view of the raven's face, which led him to a double take. He stared in fear at his friend whom he could barely recognize, whose nostrils were flaring and pupils dilated. He had never seen him so angry before. Again, he gulped, his gaze flickering nervously. He wanted to run away from this stranger, but was frozen in place.

Finally, the Uchiha spoke, but his voice came out as growl.

- You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?

- Wha-

Naruto was instantly silenced.

- Do you have any idea how it feels? I could deal with it before, but this is going too far!

He was already shouting, his voice steadily rising in volume, blazing eyes never leaving his crush, and his whole person was oozing with desperation and frustration. He had had enough and was ready to explode, that much was clear even to the occasionally slow-witted blond.

- You bring a 'friend' here and expect me to believe there's nothing going on? Come on, don't be stupid! I can see the way he looks at you! And just now.. Just now, you were being so close! You haven't ever been that close with me and I've known you much longer than that guy has! Why do you keep doing this to me? You know I still have feelings for you, right? Isn't it obvious?! I thought maybe you were just disgusted because I'm a guy, but now you've found someone else, who is also a guy? And you just casually introduce him to me to as if it's no big deal! How is this fair?!

When his rant was over, his head slouched, his breathing heavy and uneven.

His voice had cracked at the end, and for an instant, Naruto had seen that familiar hurt in his eyes, intenser than ever, causing his own heart to throb. The arms blocking his escape route were still in place, but significantly loosening up by the second. If he'd wanted to, he could have easily pushed them aside and bolted. That was, if he wanted to. But he didn't. How could he possibly leave his friend in that state? Especially as he was the cause of it?

He didn't dare make a sound. He could hardly breathe, much less speak or let his mind wander enough to wrap around all that Sasuke was accusing him of. All he could do was to owlishly stare at the distressed teen in front of him, feeling horribly awkward and tactless. Minutes went by in this manner. The air around them was so thick, even a sword made to slice through stone would have forfeited at the sheer sight of it.

"Snap out of it, Naruto!" he thought finally, mentally giving himself a slap. "Okay, I know I have caused him a lot of pain.. and that's exactly what I'm going to make up to him for! But.. he has clearly misunderstood quite a bit here.. How to convince him that he's wrong?"

Then, he thought of something and couldn't help the smile from slowly forming, starting from his small, obscure dimples, spreading all the way across his whisker-like cheek marks to his impossibly blue eyes, making them twinkle in anticipation. It was perfect. It was the only thing he could think of, really. And besides, if it had worked on him, why not on Sasuke?

- Sasuke, look at me, he said, cautiously, but firmly, almost demanding.

There was no reaction. He wasn't sure whether Sasuke was too lost in his own misery to pay attention, or if his words had fallen on deaf ears. Either way, he wasn't discouraged.

- I said, he began, leaning in to the point that his mouth nearly touched the other's ear.
- ..look at me.

Sasuke started at the sudden warm breath hovering right beside him, giving Naruto the desired response as he jerked up to meet his visible eye, frowning at the unreadable expression now covering the blond's face.

- Why- was all that the raven had the time to utter before that same face parted from his ear and came into front view as a close-up, leaning in further until he felt like he could not only see, but also ingest the sweet, mint- and strawberry-scented breath mingling with the chilliness of winter climate, making his mind go blank and rendering him unable to avert his eyes from the plump lips he had dreamt of countless of times, and yet only gotten to taste once.

Next, the most unavoidable, though remarkable, thing happened. Without an ounce of hesitation, Naruto stood on his tiptoes, grabbed the back of Sasuke's neck, to prevent him from pulling away and at the same time, bringing him down, closer to him. Then, he demolished the last, tiny bit of space between them, tenderly pressing his own lips against the pale, tense ones he had come to think of more and more recently. His colorful irises visibly swirled with resolve and other, various, indescribable emotions, before his eyelids drifted shut to allow him to focus only on the feeling of being connected, skin by skin, if only a little, to the one he loved from within the deepest recesses of his heart, disregarding the fact that Sasuke had yet to reciprocate his advances. It didn't matter, right then. He knew exactly how the other boy felt about him. All he wanted was to convey the message that he felt the same, about him, only him, no one else.

After an indefinite amount of time, he stepped away and freed the other boy of his hold on him, softly smiling, the only evidence of his bold action being his slightly reddened cheeks. Sasuke just stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Unlike Naruto, his whole face was basically on fire and he looked to be on the verge of sputtering in embarrassment and wonder.

Yes, a kiss. Because there could never be any better way of trying to prove your love and devotion to someone, neither in the past, in the present, nor in the future, than to pour all that affection into the object of your desire. Moreover, Sasuke was one who preferred showing feelings through actions, rather than words, while Naruto, himself, was quite reversible. In that situation, to him, it had seemed to be the most natural, obvious choice for a lead in to a confession. This way, Sasuke was bound to believe his sincerity, sooner or later. He knew him well enough to stay calm and collected and reassured as the following words passed his lips.

- I don't know how you even got that idea to begin with. Maybe it's just that I've made you wait long enough that you start seeing things that aren't even there. But whatever you may think, I promise, there's nothing going on between me and Gaara at all. He's really just my friend.. You're the only one I love.

The word 'love' was unfamiliar to him, though it rolled off his tongue with more ease than he'd expected.

- I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. I made you suffer while I was being stubborn and stupid. I'll.. I'll make it up to you, definitely. Ask anything of me. If it's you, I don't mind.

Nervosity and the awkwardness of the situation finally reaching him, he started fidgeting, scratching at his cheek, trying to look anywhere but at the boy in front of him, who was openly gaping, standing stiff like a rock as he took his sweet time to register his confession.

After what felt like a decade, the Uchiha pulled himself together enough to mumble something incoherent.

- Sorry, what did you say?

- What you said just now.. Did you really mean it? Sasuke clarified, his voice barely above a whisper, giving the impression that he was afraid of breaking some illusion in his mind.

Sensing Sasuke's uncertainty, Naruto's determination to get his point across rose again and he gazed into the depths of those dark, skeptical orbs, willing his heart to calm down and his voice not to quiver.

- Of course I did. I don't know how to prove it to you so you will believe me, but I really did mean it. I know I can't ever feel this way about anyone else. It has to be you.

They stood in silence for a moment, gazing at each other, both blushing hotly despite the season.

Naruto barely had the time to react as Sasuke suddenly, out of the blue, lunged forward, closing the half meter distance between them while ungracefully pushing him up against the wall. He did, however, make a muffled noise of surprise as their mouths came into contact for the second time that day, his eyes widening considerably. Before long, the raven's lips were desperately moving against his, his tongue asking for entrance, which he was more than happy to give. Parting his lips ever so slightly, Naruto could feel the other's tongue brush past them, probingly exploring the insides of his mouth until he began entwining his own with it, which caused a shiver of pleasure to run down his spine.

It was their first real kiss, one which was mutual, willing and partaking on both ends. It was completely different, in a good way, of course. It was filled with rampant teenage hormones, but there was also something else. Something much deeper. And as Naruto feverishly clinged on to the other boy, wrapping his arms around his neck, he instinctively knew they both could feel it.

They only parted when the need for air grew unbearable. Panting heavily, feeling the cold air enter their lungs, they stayed close and kept glancing at each other, neither wanting to loose that connection entirely.

Eventually, Sasuke spoke up, his voice hoarse and lips chapped.

- Does this mean that.. we're going out now? he inquired in a kind of funny, quizzical tone, his eyes slightly glazed over as he watched the blond.

Naruto smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in slight amusement as he fondly, albeit a bit teasingly, stroked the side of Sasuke's face, noticing how the other boy's irises followed the movement of his hand.

- Of course. That is, unless you don't want to, he stated with confidence, purposefully provoking the other teen.

Sasuke's reply came in the form of another kiss, lightly planted on his mouth.

- Consider it a deal, he murmured, grinning, before once again covering the blond's soft lips with his own, wrapping his strong arms around his lithe waist, pulling him closer.

Naruto almost melted into his touch, but being as competitive as he was, he refused to loose, thus returned his friend-turned-lover's kiss aggressively, eyebrows knitting in concentration as his hands buried into the black tresses of his hair.

Their tongues battled each other hungrily, the two teens occasionally sending stifled groans into the mouths of one another. It wasn't until Sasuke's hand unconsciously began a slow downward travel that Naruto pulled away, grabbing said hand, taking it into his instead of letting it wander.

- This is nice and all, but isn't it a little.. too early for something like that? he queried uneasily, averting his eyes bashfully, a delicate blush adorning his cheeks even as he tried to laugh it off like it was nothing but a joke.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he paled with dread, the shade of red on his face simultaneously managing to deepen to a notable extent, as he realized what he had been doing, or more correctly, what his hand had been doing without his consent. Naruto looked at him seriously for a brief moment, before letting out a giggle.

- It's fine. I just thought I'd let you know, he said, smiling as innocently as ever.

Sasuke's muscles relaxed and he sighed in relief.

- Only kissing, I know, he agreed.

And Naruto trusted that he'd never truly had anything else in mind.

They remained tangled, lost in their own world, for a long time, reveling in their partly new found feelings. The next time their lips met, it was still passionate, but loaded with a different kind of need than the kiss before. It didn't last long though, and subsequently, Naruto found himself content with just leaning on the taller male, his head resting on his shoulder as he was held in a feather-light embrace. He never wanted to let go.

Their breathing had slowed to a steady rhythm, but Naruto could still hear, as well as feel, the pounding of both of their hearts. Two hearts that had joined as one, two boys whose journey had just begun. They were bound to encounter bumps on the road, but together they could overcome them.

Holy shit, this was a long chapter. I really do hope you guys are pleased with it. This bit, particularly the end, was something I'd truly looked forward to writing, but somehow, I kept postponing it. You understand how it is, right? I hope.. Anyway, it was pretty fun to write, but I truly pushed myself to the limits here to make it as good as I possibly could have. Editing this kinda long chapter is also a real pain in the butt. Perhaps the length of it can be considered an apology for, once again, being extremely late with getting it up though? Maybe. But really, I just wanted to make this confession scene as good as possible and I ended up adding some extra scenes I'd never thought of before. The result of all this hard work? I don't know, I'll let you guys judge that.

I know the PoVs are a bit mixed here, at the end. Not everything is written from Naruto's perspective. I did this on purpose though, as I thought it would suck not to show Sasuke's feelings a bit more clearly as well.

And yep, Gaara has a crush on Naruto. Surprise, surprise.

I hope you guys will stick with me til the end of this fic. The climax is slowly drawing near, but there are still things that need to be resolved!

Well then, thanks, as usual, for being patient with my tardiness. -Bows deeply-

The next chappie will, hopefully, be a bit more lighthearted and cute. But drama has a way with finding these two sooner or later... That said, please look forward to the next chapter! :3