Avoiding Sakura's suspicious gaze was proving to be a harder task than he had expected. They continued their silent note taking from the book in a tense silence that left the other group members confused. For the time being he wanted to focus on not thinking at all. Staring down at the words in a textbook and mindlessly copying them in his notebook was a better distraction than he had thought, and he was grateful for the fact that Gai had turned this class into independent study. An hour had passed before a hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder.
"Umm, yes sir?" He questioned at a low whisper to not disturb anyone else, though he could tell some of his group members had stopped writing.
"I just wanted to thank you again, Naruto," Gai replied with a cheesy smile. "I'm glad that you reconsidered and decided to perform at the ball."
"I did fucking what?" He hissed, catching the typically upbeat teacher off guard. There was no way in hell he could have consciously agreed to that.
"Kiba came and explained everything to me. I look forward to seeing you at the meetings," he finished, pretending as if he didn't hear the young blond swear.
Naruto turned to glare at his fellow sophomore viciously as Gai made a quick exit before he could refuse. The spiky haired youth propped his book onto the table and hid behind its cover before he could be hit with the piercing gaze. There were too many things going on for him to even consider doing something extra. Theater was the only class where he felt that he caught a break from being behind everyone else and he didn't want to ruin that peace by becoming a part of a huge project.
When the bell rang, it acted as a starting gun to a full on sprint as Kiba raced from the room with Naruto in close pursuit. "Inuzuka! You get your ass back here right now!" He shouted as the students began to crowd the hall, making it difficult to keep up with the other boy.
"Beating me up won't do you any good!" Kiba called back to him as he burst through the side exit. "You're already on the list and have a slot during the performances!"
"What better reason to kick your ass with, my dear!" He shouted as his hand finally caught hold of his backpack as he pulled him to the ground.
"Wait!" Kiba coughed as his arms came up to shield his face. "Shikamaru told me to tell Gai that you wanted to participate, but were too shy to admit it before! I was just following orders!"
"Why the hell would he do that?!" he exclaimed as he pulled Kiba up to his feet. As mad as he was about the whole situation he knew he could never actually bring himself to hit him.
"Ask him," Kiba panted as he brushed the grass off of his pants, giving reassuring waves to curious onlookers.
Without another word he ran down the path towards the second building. While the question of 'why' was running through his mind he was unable to find an answer as to why Shikamaru would tell Kiba to do something like that. Regardless, there was going to be hell to pay!
"Naruto!" a weak female voice made an attempt at shouting.
He stopped at the staircase, looking back at Hinata with a discontented gaze. If it were a different time, perhaps he would have been more excited that she had called out to him, but he could not force those emotions to surface as she caught up with him. "Good morning, Hinata."
"How are you feeling today?" She asked while catching her breath. There was something different about the way she spoke, as if she was more self-assured.
"Good I guess," he answered, feeling a smile begin to curve his lips. "How about you?"
"Better," she stated with a small blush as she started walking up the stairs. "Would you like to walk with me?"
"S-sure!" He replied eagerly as he trotted up the step with her. What was he even angry about to begin with? He couldn't remember for the life of him. Even when he didn't want to talk to her at first, this newfound confidence that she displayed made him feel more energized.
"How is your project coming along?" She questioned as she stared down at her feet.
"Fine, Shikamaru has taken the time to explain a lot of things to me. You?" Fuck. Shouldn't have asked that. This was one of the reasons he had become so upset and now he would be forced to think about him more.
"I think it's going well. Sasuke has come up with many brilliant ideas," she answered warily.
"I'm sure you've come up with some great things yourself," he added in an attempt to shift the attention.
She frowned which changed her features more drastically than he cared to admit. "I'm not really the kind of person who can come up with such amazing things on the spot. I'm not that special."
"But Sasuke is?" The question came as a surprise to even him as he spat it out. Her eyes went wide in astonishment as she looked to him, unable to answer him right away. "Is that why you're his partner, because he's just so damn special?"
"I... I don't understand..." She whispered, her expression becoming more embarrassed.
He tried, for a moment, to remain calm and to not lash out at her because he let his resentment sit in the back of his mind, but he couldn't. "Something tells me you understand perfectly. Come on, Hinata. You had the opportunity to work with someone as perfect as Sasuke; it's obvious why you didn't want to be my partner."
"B-but... I didn't know you wanted—"
"How can you not know?" He laughed scornfully, a tone that even frightened him. Oh god I'm about to snap. Run Hinata while you still can! "Have I not come off as desperate enough for you to notice that I've been trying to hang out with you, or are you too awestruck by Sasuke to notice?"
"It's not like that!" she tried to reason with him, and he knew that he should have taken the time to listen, but there was a deeper rage within that was getting the better of him. "I don't even like Sasuke!"
"Then go out with me," his request came out more demandingly than it should have.
"I... I can't!" She gasped; her face was losing its color as they stopped at the end of the hall.
"Why not?" he snapped. "You said you wanted to get to know me better and you don't have feelings for him. What's stopping you?"
"It's not that I don't want to!" She pleaded faintly, clutching her books to her so tightly he was sure they would break in half.
"There are just... Some things that you don't understand..."
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?!" he hissed as he threw his arms up in exasperation. Every time he felt like he was getting somewhere there was always someone there to tell him that there were things he could not understand or possibly hope to become a part of. This is bullshit!
"That's enough." A voice cut in, making Naruto snap from his livid frenzy.
"S-Sasuke? Hinata looked passed him with a completely horrified expression. She looked like she could have died on the spot.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, receiving a single nod in reply. "Good. Get to class or you'll be late." She didn't need to be told twice before she ran full speed down the hall. What the hell was that?! "You've got some nerve."
"I'm sorry. Did I upset your girlfriend?" He retorted bitterly before Sasuke's hand caught his arm in a tight grip and began to lead him back down the stairs. "Hey! What is wrong with you? Let me go!"
"Shut up," the older boy ordered as the bell rang to signal the beginning of class.
"What the fuck are you doing?! Let me go!" He found more courage to yell as they exited the building and no one was in sight.
"I said shut up," Sasuke turned back to glare at him, startling the blond for a brief moment as they went around the back of the building and into the woods. Oh no, now he's snapped too!
His arm began to sting agonizingly from the other boy's grip as he was dragged behind, weaving their way through the foliage before throwing him into a nearby tree. "Are you crazy?!" he hollered, feeling the familiar heat begin to swell within his body.
"What the hell is your problem?" Sasuke's question bit at him much sharper echoing in his ears painfully. "You do know that you were attacking a young girl who never did anything wrong to you, right?"
"I wanted some goddamn answers!" Naruto shouted back, though he still felt the guilt begin to creep up from the back of his mind. "I don't fucking get you people! Is everyone a part of this secret club that only I don't know about?! It's really starting to piss me off!"
"What difference would it make if you knew everything?" Sasuke bit back more harshly. "Do you think it would make you feel any better?"
"Shut the hell up!" Naruto shouted as he covered his ears. "You're the cause of all my problems right now! You did that stuff to me and even now you act as if it never happened!"
Sasuke's expression was so placid it was almost murderous as he walked up to the dazed blond. "What do you want me to do? What makes you think I'm not just as confused as you are?"
Could that be true? Naruto hesitated as Sasuke put his hand against the tree trunk. You're such a jackass, I can't even stand it! "I can't... I can't think straight when you're close to me..." he stammered. If it was really boiling down to this then there was nothing to lose by being honest. He felt himself being naturally drawn to Sasuke, anticipation making the back of his neck feel like it was on fire.
"Why can't I control myself when I'm around you?" his question was also startling as restlessness flickered across his features. "It's so obvious that you're infatuated with Neji, and it sickens me."
"Every time I think that you aren't such a bad guy you do something to fuck up my perception of you." You've done nothing but cause me grief!
"What do you want from me?"
"I fucking hate you!" And yet...
"Tell me what you want!"
His breath hitched as the shout reanimated his body. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and pulled him in to a fervent kiss. The older boy caught himself against the tree before completely crashing into him, at first, unsure of how to respond.
... I yearn for you... and I don't know why...
Sasuke's hand came up to touch his chin gingerly as his finger pulled lightly at his bottom lip. Naruto obeyed the silent command as he opened his mouth, letting a familiar warmth resurface as the raven's tongue moved against his own. His body began to tremble as Sasuke deepened the kiss with unanticipated zeal. Chills ran down his spine, making him pull the Uchiha closer as he continued to explore the younger boy's mouth.
"Ahnn..." he could not keep the noises that built up in his throat as he felt the other nibble gently at his bottom lip before they parted, his knees feeling much weaker.
"You can't keep making those noises," Sasuke murmured against his neck, the vibrations made Naruto's head spin.
He panted in a lustful daze as Sasuke tilted Naruto's chin upwards as he continued to plant small kisses along his jaw line. Feeling his panic getting the better of him, he slid down the trunk to sit at the base of the tree. What the hell did I just do?
That was a stupid question. He was the one that kissed Sasuke that time. His fingers gently ran across where the other's lips had been just seconds ago, feeling the same burning sensation that he felt yesterday. "What... What the hell is going on?"
"You tell me," another voice interjected before Sasuke could reply.
Naruto immediately jumped to his feet, searching frantically for the speaker as his mind was left in an agitated terror.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke spat callously before Naruto's gaze finally rested on the familiar pale boy from before.
"Sai?"
"Well, I knew that when I saw Sasuke and Naruto walk away from their class together I knew it would be something that interested my friend," he spoke with a pleasant smile that didn't seem any more real than the times before.
"By friend, do you mean Neji?" Naruto inquired bitterly, not caring for this strange façade this boy was so persistent with.
"Why yes, Naruto, you are precisely right. To be honest, however, I was prepared to break up a bloody brawl. I didn't think I'd witness a prince being seduced by the likes of you. I thought he would have better taste."
"Shut up you damn freak!" Naruto could not help but bark back at his indifferent behavior.
"Were you someone who was relevant to anyone's existence I would consider your childish whining as an insult," he countered as he turned from the two boys and began to walk towards the school. "I have business to take care of. Good day, gentlemen."
"Fuck..." Sasuke spat though his expression did not seem as disturbed as it could have been. His fists were clenching harder as he seemed to ponder his next move. They weren't going to get away with it this time.
"I'm sorry..." Naruto blurted out, feeling anxiety begin to settle into his chest.
His eyes met Sasuke's for another moment, expecting to be shown nothing that resembled kindness. How could he expect mercy after what he had just pulled? But there was no rage to be found in that stare. His eyes were more contemplative as he studied the blond's petrified expression. Before Naruto could stutter with another apology Sasuke took hold of his chin and pressed his lips against the smaller boy's soothingly.
"Don't forget." What? There was no time to question him any further before the raven darted after their elusive classmate.
He was left alone to the stillness of the surrounding woods. The branches swaying in the wind and occasional chirping of nearby birds were the only faint reminders that it was not completely silent. There were so many issues about what had happened and where he was going to go from there that demanded immediate answers that he simply could not give. It was like his body was being torn apart because his mind was left with so many questions that it didn't even know what to do anymore. He couldn't define the line between right and wrong anymore or interpret what Sasuke must have been feeling towards him. He didn't even think that he knew what he felt for the Uchiha anymore...
I think I'm gonna puke...