When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 38 -

Digging into his pocket, Naruto pulled forth a cell phone and dialed Sasuke's number. It instantly went to voicemail. Ending the call, Naruto pocketed the phone once more in frustration. "Figures... it would be too easy to just call the bastard."

After stepping into his shoes, Naruto swung open the door and gave Akamaru a final pat on the head. "Thanks for the help, Akamaru. I won't be gone long, all right?"

With an enthusiastic bark, Akamaru gave the blond his blessing and proceeded to chase after his tail. Chuckling, Naruto shut the door and started for the first place on his list: the Uchiha Mansion. If Sasuke was likely to be anywhere, it was his house.

Strolling down the street on that pleasant, Saturday morning, Naruto's heart was filled with confusion. Had he done something to upset Sasuke? Maybe he hadn't been ready for sex, and Naruto had pushed him into it somehow. It was stupid for him to have brought it up in the first place. Yes, he loved Sasuke and, yes, he was a horny teenager, but he should have had more reason than to pressure Sasuke into something like that. After all, sex was supposed to be about showing someone that you cared. It was personal, the most intimate sign of love. And if Sasuke wasn't ready for that, Naruto shouldn't have even considered it.

But... he does love me, right? He'd never say it, but he does. So... sex shouldn't be that big of a deal. It's just what two people do when they love each other... I think...

Of course, there was the other option, too: that Naruto had just been terrible. After all, he came early. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, he'd made it perfectly clear that he had no idea what the hell he was doing. A gallon of lube and a full rainbow of condoms – he must've looked like such an idiot.

Wait – what if I hurt him? Was I too rough? I thought I was doing a good job. I did everything the book said, after all. I took it slow, let him stretch out first...

There were a lot of questions racing through Naruto's head, but one in particular kept popping back to the surface: did Sasuke even love him? Maybe this relationship was just one-sided. Maybe Sasuke never told Naruto that he loved him because he didn't love him. But why would he act like it, then? Could it be that he was so lonely he would pretend to love someone, just so he could feel accepted?

Naruto shook his head.

No. Sasuke's not that kind of person. He'd try to act strong and live without – he'd never fall for someone he didn't really care for out of a fear of dying alone. If anything, it would be the opposite. He'd avoid loving someone so he wouldn't have to risk losing him...

Naruto hoped beyond all hope that this was the case: that Sasuke was too afraid of losing someone he truly cared about to fully express his feelings. Maybe the sex was too much for him in that respect – too personal, too intimate. It made his fears seem so immediate that he had to get away.

The blond scratched his head. "Well, either that or he's just an ass. Both are pretty good explanations, I guess."

It was with that thought that Naruto stepped into Sasuke's neighborhood, which he found eerily silent. There were people walking around, going about their daily lives, but Naruto could tell there was something on their minds. It was almost as if no one wanted to be the one to vocalize what the rest were thinking – a taboo.

And, as Naruto hurried up the street, he soon discovered why. There, in front of the Uchiha Mansion, was a police barricade and a long line of 'caution' tape. A few squad cars were parked outside, and from the street Naruto could make out the shape of a few police officers inside, apparently doing a search of some kind.

Obviously, this all made Naruto freak out. Badly. He looked around in a panic to find a white-haired man sitting on the front porch, scribbling something in what appeared to be a notebook. As the blond darted over to the officer's side, the man clamped the notebook shut and tucked it into his back pocket.