Only Fools Fall For You (SasuNaru)

✨ Part 12 ✨

He took his seat with a discontented grunt as Kurenai handed back their quizzes. "I have considered that this unit was hard to understand, so today we'll work on quiz corrections. When we come back on Monday we'll recap before we move on to the next chapter."

Awesome! I get to correct my mistakes on a subject I don't understand! His head hit the desk as he let out a groan. Students began to move around to converse with each other, but he didn't bother to move. Neji was always talking to that Sai dude and would probably work with him before Naruto.

"Let me see your quiz."

"I've been tortured enough today," he whined as he lifted his head to look at Sasuke. "Can't you try to make someone else feel stupid?"

"I don't have to try," he countered as he took hold of the bleeding paper.

"I shouldn't be in this class, okay?" he snapped as he hastily snatched the paper back. One genius knowing he was mathematically challenged was enough; he didn't need two. He glanced back at the class to realize just about everyone was staring at them, including the girls. Shit.

"Let me help you, then. Unless you like staring at the board like a jackass." You asshole.

He bit his tongue to keep from retorting bitterly. There was no logical reason for him to turn down the Uchiha's help. Whether he liked it or not, he was in this class and needed to start understanding it before he fell more behind.

"Fine," he gave in, refusing to meet the dark stare.

"What have I done to upset you now?" Sasuke asked with a furrowed brow. "You always have that look when you're pissed off at me."

Guilt instantly started to ache at his chest as he swallowed his next insult. That was how he had been acting all week but he never thought much of it. Now, he felt like he was the one being a dick even when he felt justified just a moment ago. He partly wanted to apologize but was too disgruntled to admit to his guilt. A simple nod seemed to suffice for Sasuke as he pulled up an empty chair and gently took back the quiz.

"These mistakes are easily correctable. The concept of the chain rule is pretty basic."

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm stupid," Naruto spat, irritated. "Can we just move on to the correcting part?"

Sasuke looked up from the paper, finally meeting the blond's eyes. A couple of days of avoiding those dark voids did little to lessen the strange affect they had on him. When he was caught in that black stare he could do little but gape back in a daze.

"I didn't say you were."

"Your smartass remarks and constantly calling me an idiot say it pretty clear most days." His shoulders sunk as he was unable to hide a frown. It was like they were pulling him in somehow and he was easily losing track of his train of thought.

"I don't doubt your intelligence," he retorted. "But for everything else you're a bit of a klutz. You can't blame anyone but yourself if you are mocked."

What did he say? Naruto was expected to reply but he couldn't get his mouth to move. He had neglected to focus on the words being spoken and had been entranced by the mere sound of his voice.

"Unless, of course, you're going to make it a habit of staring at people. I'm sure they'd find that... charming."

"What?" He reengaged himself while prying his eyes away from the raven. It felt like they had spent most of the week avoiding each other that it was weird to have him right there next to him.

"You're acting stranger than normal."

"I'm just... not feeling well," he lied as his gaze was drawn to the paper in embarrassment. There was no way he'd be able to admit that he was completely mesmerized by Sasuke for a moment.

"What's wrong then?"

"Uhh... I'm just a bit ticked at you is all," he stuttered though he did start to feel a faint whirling sensation.

"You ticked at me? That's new," he remarked with a shake of his head. "Anything in particular?"

"You really didn't think I'd find out that you asked Hinata to be your partner?"

"I didn't ask her," he stated plainly, surprising the sophomore even further.

"She... asked you?"

"You have a habit of saying irrelevant things."

He clenched his jaw to keep from saying anything else that would only make him look like a bigger ass. His head was beginning to throb out of frustration as he tried to sort out what exactly he was feeling; he had even failed to distract himself from the problem. He knew he should have tried to force himself to be more attentive after that, but he couldn't. The main concern was still this bizarre attraction towards Sasuke when he was talking. Thinking about it made his head hurt and his face begin to feel hot all over again. What is wrong with me? He tried to think about it, but it was as if his subconscious wouldn't let him.

"You weren't listening that entire time, were you?" Sasuke's voice suddenly snapped him from his troubled trance.

"Oh! I-I... I'm sorry," he fumbled with his words as he put his hands over his cheeks in an attempt to cool down. He tried looking at Sasuke again whose expression became questioning. Even when he looked annoyed or angry his features remained smooth and somehow freakishly attractive. What the hell am I thinking? "I'm not feeling well."