Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Fish and Chips ❯ Fish and Chips ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I tap my toes against the footrest of the seat in front of me trying to keep up with the beat of the song coming from an earbud I know will make me deaf in ten years. I look over at Sasuke and see he's got his nose lodged in a book. It only figures we'd travel this far together and not actually bother to interact.

I observe him casually, his dark, shaggy locks hanging in front of his face. And I wonder, how the hell can he read the way his bangs fall in front of his eyes like that? I smirk and gaze out the wide-paneled window of the coach. I thought there might be more to England considering it's supposed to be some overcrowded island. But it's nothing like Japan. Living in Japan, you feel like you’re a sardine in a tin can. People packed on top of one another.

I shrug to myself. It's mostly rolling green hills. I haven't seen an actual building for about a half hour, and because the tour bus doesn't actually have a bathroom I start to wonder what the hell I'd do if I suddenly had to take a piss. There are lots of sheep here, though. But that just makes my thoughts trail off somewhere, and somehow I end up wondering what it would be like to be a shepherd. Does anyone actually grow up anymore and say they want to be a shepherd? I mean it doesn't sound that bad after all, because you get this nice flowing robe and a big staff. I don't know what you could do with it, but I imagine it would make good practice if I ever wanted to take up baton twirling.

I snicker to myself and Sasuke finally acknowledges my presence by sending me an annoyed glare. I roll my eyes at him and stick out my tongue. I watch his mouth as he forms a silent word, which I'm pretty sure coincides loosely with moron. I make a little heart shape with my fingers and bring it to my chest.

"Love you, too, bastard," I mouth to him sarcastically.

He just grunts and buries himself back in his book. That gets me to thinking again because I have the attention span of a 12-year-old, though I've known plenty of 12-year-olds who seem pretty with it. Like this one kid I used to baby sit for named Konohamaru. But I have to say he learned everything he knows from me. Kid sorta looks up to me. I don't blame him. How can you not fall for someone like me with my utterly sexy shaggy blond hair and baby blue eyes?

I stop long enough to adjust the volume on my MP3 player with my thumb when it comes to the part of the song I like, the kind of heavy metal chorus that makes you wanna jump up and kick things or start bare-knuckle boxing in the middle of the street. But looking around, there isn't anyone that really peeks my interest. I mean there's good ol' Sasuke there, but I think I could take him easily but then again I have this weird sprain in my wrist today so we'll have to save it for another time, heh.

I hear the tour guide talking again in the foreground. After explaining about another fascinating patch of grass outside the bus in English, she's nice enough to take the time to repeat it in Japanese for us. I try to make eye contact with her even though I'm still listening to the music, but I figure I should be polite enough if she's going to the trouble. After all, Sasuke and I are the only Japanese tourists on the bus. And since Sasuke actually speaks and understands English better than I do, he doesn't care either way.

I nod a little to act like I'm listening. She's talking about the history of the next site we're going to. Stonehenge. Freaking Stonehenge. We'd already been in London for a couple days. London's cool. Nowhere near as crowded as Tokyo but still busy busy. And I swear to God, I don't know if this place is just that polluted but every time I rub a tissue against my noise it comes out all black. The first time I noticed it, I thought maybe I was dying. That maybe my brain was decaying and coming out by way of my nose. I nearly had a panic attack until Sasuke whipped me in the face with a pillow while we were in our hotel room and practically gave me a concussion.

I can't say much for the food either. The British like to throw a lot of peas into everything, and I can't seem to get a Coke without the waitress throwing a lemon in it. Well, whatever. It's odd, it's fine. The money thing is another issue so I mostly let Sasuke handle it. Too many coins and stuff, and I can't tell the damn difference between the one pence and the ten pence. Notes are easy enough sure, paper money's always easy to handle.

Anyway, so since I had picked our last fall break vacation spot, it was Sasuke's turn this year. And of course, he had to pick somewhere educational and cultural. Though personally, I said, well why don't we just stay in Japan for that, and maybe we could take a trip to Kyoto or something.

But I suppose it's cool. It's nice to see the world. And this place is like a melting pot. On this bus alone, there's quite the amalgamation of people. Australians, Americans, Germans, Russians, Spaniards, and of course, yours truly, Uzumaki Naruto and my silent side-kick here.

Apparently right on time, I see people start to shift in their seats and up ahead down the road I think I might actually see something. I nudge Sasuke with my elbow without even peering at him. I feel him move as he sits up in his seat and looks ahead too.

I glance over at him, and he's got that weird twinkle in his eye. The kind he gets whenever we walk by a library or a book store. And the kind of look I probably get whenever we walk by a ramen stand.

Well, whatever floats his boat, I guess. The bus is getting nearer, and I don't know what I expected. Maybe a giant amusement park or hooded figures with ropes around their waists, but it looks to me like a circle of rocks. I know my mouth drops open a little bit and suddenly I feel fingers at my chin and my jaw is gently being pushed up by way of Sasuke.

I snap my head in his direction and pull at the dark wires attached to my earphones. “Is that seriously it?” I ask in a voice that seems a bit whinier than usual. But seriously, there's some grass, some sheep and a ring of rocks. And we're smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

By now we're in the parking lot. People are storing away their bottled drinks and snacks and ambling clumsily down the aisle. I get up. It's cold here in October. Not surprisingly, so I stuff my arms into my jacket and toss my orange scarf around my neck.

Sasuke does the same, and we make our way down the narrow aisle. I nearly trip and fall on my face as I stumble over the handle of an umbrella that's sticking out on the floor. I curse and mumble under my breath, which earns me a shove from behind. I turn my head and glare at Sasuke. I wonder what the chances are of us maybe leaving him behind?

I snicker as I descend the steps of the bus, happy to let my legs stretch again. I can just picture us all boarding back on the bus and Sasuke running behind, trying to catch the driver and tour guide's attention.

"What are you laughing at, stupid?" Sasuke asks, and I just can't keep the shit-eating grin off my face.

I choose to ignore him though, and follow the tour until we're able to pick up one of those audio guide devices that they have here at practically every attraction. I offer a nod of gratitude as I turn the thing on and hit the button to get it set in Japanese. Sasuke heads off on his own.

I watch his back. Not that I'm a pervert or anything, but I just like the way he moves. He's got a natural grace to him that I've always admired. When we were little, I was pretty jealous of it actually. I mean he was attractive, popular, and pretty much all-around awesome at everything he did. I, though, I was always the class clown and trouble maker.

Looking back, I'm not sure how we ever ended up as friends considering how different we were. Most of the time he ignored me and treated me the same way other people did. I used to get picked on because of the color of my hair and eyes. I didn't seem to fit in all that well.

And then one day, this group of older high school guys was picking on me. Now granted, I was holding my own at this point, but Sasuke was strolling by and actually pummeled a couple of the boys. Before I knew it, we were back to back and taking them down one by one.

I think maybe we talked after that for a few hours. Talking about my family (I have none except one particularly overprotective teacher) and Sasuke's family (strict, uptight father and a perfect brother), and then I learned we actually had quite a bit in common.

Of course, now that I think about it, that's probably the most I've i ever /i heard Sasuke talk at one time.

So now I'm just walking around the paved path that encircles Stonehenge and listening to the overly cheerful woman chirping about how the stone was collected and how it had to be dragged from miles away. I suppose it is pretty cool when you think about it. I mean, how is it that no one really knows who built it or what it was for? All I can picture is those cheaply made horror movies where maybe they sacrifice a virgin in the center or maybe cut off a chicken's head. Who knows?

The wind picks up and I tighten my scarf. I search around for Sasuke, and he's a few stations ahead of me listening intently to the audio guide he's got shoved up against his ear.

I chuckle just watching him. He seems so intense and interested. It's kinda nice, and I'm suddenly glad he's having a good time.

I carefully duck out of the way of a group taking photos in front of the large stones. I gaze out at the highway on one side and across the actual stones to glimpse the sheep in the background. What the hell is it with the sheep? Maybe wool is a major textile. I could probably ask Sasuke later, he knows dorky things like that.

I wasn't much paying attention to the guide and before I know it I've made a full circle around the site. They have some rule about not letting you get too close to them, so you pretty much have to stay around the perimeter. I step up onto this little wooden walkway and back toward the souvenir shop.

I've got this habit of having to get a snow globe wherever I go, so I can probably do that or search around for some snacks or something before we get herded back onto the bus and head toward the last stop and then back to London again.

I turn to glance over my shoulder to make sure Sasuke's still around. Sometimes I get these paranoid thoughts that someone's going to abduct him all of a sudden. I dunno why. I'm just paranoid like that. He's better at navigating the tube than I am, so I'd be pretty screwed unless I can get the bus to drop me off right in front of the hotel.

Stupid Sasuke, always making it seem as if I need him. It's become a habit to depend on him over the years. For a bastard, he's pretty reliable.

Finally I spot him. He's easy to spot because of that haircut of his, the way it spikes out like maybe he stuck his head in a blender and then flash freezes it the same way they can flash freeze those little dots of ice cream in America. I know that 'cos I ate about a gallon of it when we went to New York last year. Mm. The mint and chocolate flavor.

The thought makes my mouth water and my stomach grumble, and I am starting to wish like hell we could find a ramen stand when we get back to the city tonight. So far, the best thing I've had was when we stopped at that Harrod’s building and went to the bottom floor where we had some pretty good sushi.

And I even got a box of chocolates from there, too, that I could bring back for Iruka. And then some for the girls, too. Sasuke's too stingy, so he doesn't care about bringing other people back souvenirs. But I always get a kick out of getting people like Neji and Shikamaru useless keychains or magnets or pens or something.

I mean isn't it kind of nice to know someone's thinking about you when they're traveling half way around the world?

I wander through the gift shop, taking in all the stuff. The various pictures of Stonehenge at different times of day. Stonehenge at sunset, Stonehenge at sunrise. Stonehenge in the snow. Stonehenge during the equinox. T-shirts, calendars, all kinds of useless crap. So, of course, I grab a couple little things and even find a bag of candy that Chouji might like. I snicker at it because it says they're something called 'Sheep Droppings,' some kind of chocolate and caramel confection.

I find one of those plastic water globes and add it to my pile. I can only hope it'll all fit into my suitcase. I set everything down and wait for the auburn-haired girl behind the counter to ring me up. I smile politely as she tells me the total.

I rifle through my back pocket for my wallet and pull out a ten pound note and then wait for my change.

I thank her in English, my accent seems sort of thick and awkward in my ears.

The bag's a little heavy as I make my way toward the bus. It's not long before other people are piling back on a hurry at the urging of the guide. Apparently we only have so much time at each place and if we stay too long, that time is taken from the time we get to explore the next stop.

I wait outside, trying to avoid the couple of people that are taking a smoke.

I see Sasuke coming toward me. He stares at my giant bag o'stuff and rolls his eyes, but he's got a smile on his face.

"Did you have to buy the entire store?" Sasuke mocks, and one elegant eyebrow arches.

"Did you have a good time learning about the big pile of rocks?" I respond smugly.

Sasuke shrugs. He takes a step forward and his hand reaches out to throw my scarf back over my shoulder.

I look down absently and back up at him as he retracts his hands quickly and stuffs them in his pockets.

I smile at him, because I can't help but when he does things like that. Little gestures of affection kill me, so I beam at him like a madman.

"You're such a freak," he whispers to me. And as he pushes forward he knocks against my shoulder playfully.

I turn and follow him back onto the bus, occasionally bumping the back of Sasuke's thighs with my bag of purchases.

We sit back down. I rifle through my goodies and show Sasuke what I bought and tell him at length who I bought them for.

He nods occasionally and asks a question or two before we're quiet again.

It's a good quiet. I think we're both tired. The coach picked us up pretty early in the morning. I'm not particularly much of a morning person. I'll snap at anyone and everything I can if I don't get at least eight hours. Now, Sasuke I used to think was someone who could get up at dawn and run five miles without batting an eyelash.

But rolling over in my bed this morning, it was me who had to forcibly pull the covers off him and remind him it was his idea to take the tour in the first place. There's nothing more fun to watch in the morning than a disheveled and grumpy Uchiha.

Breakfast had been nice. We’re staying in some hotel named after a famous but long dead poet, which seems to be a theme around here. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much toast and jam or drank so much tea in my life.

I’m not big on tea, per se, even if it happens to be a beverage staple in Japan. I just can’t do it unless I pack in about four or five packages of sweetener, y’know?

I’m zoning out again as the tour guide starts to explain already about our next and final stop. I see Sasuke is being somewhat attentive, which for some reason causes me to stiffen in my seat and actually listen too.

We’re heading to Bath and should be there in about an hour or so. Now, that’s something I can relate to. Hot springs, but obviously it’s not likely we’ll have time to take a dip or anything. They have some museum built upon ancient Roman hot springs, before so and so found them and claimed it all as theirs when the Romans abandoned it.

I’m getting bored though and fidgety, so I can’t help but lean over and punch Sasuke in the shoulder.

“What the hell was that for?” Sasuke growls and punches me back twice as hard.

I scowl at him and rub at my shoulder. “I’m bored!”

“Well don’t whine to me, idiot.”

“But Sasuke!” I whine further just to piss him off. Hey, c’mon, I’ve been sitting on this bus for over three hours. I don’t care if I sound like I’m four years old.

Sasuke stares back out the window, and I watch as he brushes a fingertip against the glass or plastic or whatever it is. He traces the hills and just observing him makes me feel relaxed all of a sudden because when he’s at ease so am I. Don’t ask me why that is.

“Pretty cool, huh?” I whisper. Oh damn, I feel this sentimental blob of goo forming in my chest.

“Yeah,” Sasuke mutters, still following the lines of green. The sun’s not even out, and it seems as though it might rain. But still, there’s a relatively peaceful feeling happening in my brain.

I have the sudden urge to wrap my arms around Sasuke, but I try to hold it in. He’d just clobber me upside the head and so far we’ve been getting along pretty well.

So instead I try to think of something that’s not as sappy as how I feel right now. But eh, what can you do? I’m a sentimental guy.

“I’m glad you talked me into coming here.” And there’s this funny waver in my voice, and I wonder what Sasuke will interpret from that.

Sasuke turns and faces me and for a moment I’m sort of caught off guard by the intense gaze, but that’s just how Sasuke always is. Always intense and so with it that I wonder if he even knows the meaning of the word daydreaming.

I swallow. I’m not nervous or anything, and if I were a girl I might just melt all over the place, but I’m not. Sasuke’s my pal and at the moment I am happy just to be here and especially with him because I don’t think there’s anywhere on the planet I’d rather be.

Sasuke smirks at first, which kind of pisses me off. More than kind of be