Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ To be, or not to be... In love. ❯ Chapter seven (special) ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I do NOT own Naruto in any way. Everything belongs to Kishimoto-sama... the plot is mine, and the play, but all the characters belongs to him! ^^ Which means I'm a disclaimer. K?

Warnings; X-rated yaoi (M-rated on fanfiction.net), and also I would like to warn about my angsty scenes... this IS a romance/humor-fic, but a little angst helps the plot so... ^^ Sowwy about that! And I tend to make the characters a bit ooc, so please bear with me... It's just that I'm hopelessly romantic :3 Gyahh....

(And once again, I would like to apologize. I forgot to explain what O'chin-chin meant in the previous chapter. ^^ O'chin-chin is a child's word for penis. Hee hee...)

Oh, and I know I said that the Shikamaru p.o.v. was a one-time thing, but now that I think of it I can't make any promises... This is going to be mainly in Naruto's point of view, but there might be some exceptions.

Here it is; Chapter 7.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Naruto's p.o.v.


Thursday, a perfect, sunny day. The sun shone through the large windows as I made my way to our first period, which was math. I hate math. But still the sun shone, and the students around me were laughing and talking as if math wasn't the most dreaded subject in the world. Although, I should've been grumpy and sour, since I was on my way to the classroom I had learned to hate. But I felt happy, so happy.

The cause of my almost silly happiness was currently walking towards me, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. I smiled back, only a little though. We have to act like we're just classmates even though we're so much more than that now. I giggled in my mind.

"Morning, Uchiha," I said, giving him a smirk. Sasuke cocked his head to the side before he answered. Extremely adorable, I might add.

"Hello to you, Uzumaki."

An awkward silence followed our greetings. We weren't sure what to do. I wanted so badly to pull him into a hug, and kiss him and tell him how much I had missed him during the past thirteen hours of not being with him. It was indeed quite frustrating to be limited to only looking at him and I could barely even do that, in case someone caught me drooling.

"So... math, huh?" I said in a pathetic attempt to sound normal. Sasuke nodded with an amused look on his face.

"Yeah... algebra. peachy," he smirked. I snorted and walked past him. He gave a short laugh and followed me. I really tried to suppress the flutters in my stomach that his short laugh had caused. He's rather amazing; making me so flustered just by laughing. Damn him. He's probably doing it all on purpose, that cruel man. He walked up to my side and walked with me to the classroom. I casually leaned over to him before we got there.

"Why are you walking beside me?" I whispered and gestured wildly with my eyes to the students surrounding us. Sasuke blushed a little and turned his gaze away before answering.

"It's because it would look suspicious if we were avoiding each other too much. We have the same class right now, so it looks natural and casual if we just walk next to each other," he hissed back. "Or do you have a problem with having me so close?" He added, cocking an eyebrow to me. I glared at him.

"Stop teasing me." I pouted involuntarily and frowned at my own childish retort. Sasuke flashed me a quick grin before gracefully entering into the large room. Half of the class was already there as I followed him. My heart stung sadly when Sasuke walked over to Neji and sat down. I wanted to be the one sitting with Sasuke! Me! Stupid Neji.

I pouted and looked around the room. I soon discovered Shikamaru sitting in a corner, alone... staring out of the window. The smile that had spread over my face at the sight of my best friend quickly turned into a concerned frown. Sure, Shikamaru usually looks kinda depressed, but more in a bored way. This was new. He looked... sad.

I slowly sat down in the chair beside him, watching him as he still stared out of the window. He sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"Shika?" I put my hand on his shoulder, and nearly gasped when he jumped, obviously very startled by my touch. I quickly pulled my hand back. Shikamaru stared wide-eyed at me, as if he didn't recognize me at first, but then relaxed.

"Oh... hi, Naruto," he said and made a poor attempt to smile.

"You... you okay?" I asked and swallowed worriedly as I saw how puffy his eyes looked. He had been crying, probably during the night. I doubt anyone other than me would've seen the faint traces of red and pink around his lids, but they were there never-the-less. I was growing even more concerned as he turned his head away.

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He said, trying to sound normal. It didn't work. He sounded too happy. I decided to drop the subject. Shikamaru would talk to me if he really needed to talk. I just had to wait for him.

The lesson went on without any odd disturbances, but suddenly Asuma wrote a bunch of numbers and strange-looking signs on the large whiteboard. The mathematic problem looked very difficult, and I would probably have needed two hours to solve it. Shikamaru on the other hand, presumably already knew the answer just by looking at the numbers. Asuma was also aware of that.

"Shikamaru! Come up here and give it a shot!" He grinned and gestured for Shikamaru to go to him. Shikamaru sighed audibly and walked up to the board. The other students were watching him carefully, not only because it was quite fascinating to see Shikamaru solve a mathematical problem, but also because Shikamaru acted rather strange. Once again, the bored way he always did things was totally flown out the window, replaced by this... sadness. There wasn't a better word for it. Shikamaru was sad, and that was new. I glanced over to Sasuke who returned my gaze for about two seconds. He also looked quite baffled. I wouldn’t say concerned, since Uchihas never show concern for anyone.

Then my gaze went further, to Neji. Unlike Sasuke, who just looked a little curious and rather uninterested, he looked incredibly concerned, even though he was clearly trying to hide that fact by staring down into his book.

Something's up with the two of them. Did... did they break up?!

The thought clenched my heart for a second. If that really was the case I wasn't sure what to do.

I turned my attention to the whiteboard again and stared wide-eyed at my best friend's unmoving, slightly slumping back. Shikamaru still hadn't written anything. He just stood there, with the green whiteboard marker in his hand, staring at the numbers

Asuma looked confused, to say the least, staring at his best student while scratching his forehead. Then suddenly Shikamaru spoke. Several of the students jumped with surprise.

"I... I can't do it." He said quietly. "I'm sorry, I don't know the answer." He glanced at us.

The room was dead silent. No one moved, talked or even whispered. We all stared at the boy in front of us, his tired eyes and the loose strands in his usually so neatly tied hair made him look completely drained.

Shikamaru sighed, put the marker down and turned his back on Asuma to return to his seat. While walking towards me he shakily lifted a hand and rubbed his face with a tired expression. He hadn't had any sleep, that was for sure.

"O-okay then. Anyone else feel like giving it a shot?" Asuma asked with a large grin, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. Though I clearly saw the deep concern he held for his number one student as Shikamaru sat down and sighed heavily once again. It was getting on my nerves that he wouldn't tell me what was wrong! Hadn't I always come to him as soon as I needed help? It kinda hurt me that Shikamaru thought that he could handle it all by himself. As if I was the only one who needed us to be friends.

Maybe he wants to wait until class is over.

Shikamaru was silent during the last minutes of the period, only occasionally writing something down on his paper, but I highly suspected it was because he wanted to look busy, since I just happened to see what he wrote. Things like "Dickhead" and "I want a smoke" were quickly written down on his paper. I glanced at his face. Mixed with the sadness were now anger, and self-loathing. I desperately wanted to sooth my hurting best friend, but I knew that even if I tried to force him to tell me what was wrong, he would just deny anything.

Like he always does. Damn him.

The lesson finally ended, and I think Shikamaru suspected that I was going to try and make him fess up because he quickly left the room without so much as a 'good bye'. I stared after him, painfully aware of the fact that my best friend didn't want to share his problems with me.

"What's his problem?" Sasuke whispered as he came up behind me. I was so worried about Shika that I even forgot to blush at having Sasuke so near. I shook my head.

"I don't know."

I must've sounded sadder than I intended, because Sasuke carefully snuck his hand into mine and gave it a small squeeze. I squeezed back. He flashed me a comforting smile before heading off to his next class.

I felt incredibly alone as I watched Sasuke walk away; his cute bum wiggling softly as he walked. I coughed and turned away from the nosebleed causing sight. Shikamaru had some kind of special class now, and I wouldn't see him again until the theatre at the end of the day. Sasuke wouldn't be around much either. I hoped to see him at lunch. Okay...who was left?

Sakura? No, I broke up with her. Dear god, why would I even consider her? I sighed frustrated and kept looking for someone to keep me company. As shameful as it is to admit it, but still, after all these years, I hate to walk through the corridors alone.

During the time I was an outcast, walking through the corridors was living hell. Trying to make myself as small as possible as I walked quickly, almost ran, through the long passages. Begging all the gods I knew that I wouldn't fall, or be laughed at. People sticking out their legs to make me trip, and people just brushing my shoulder in that cold, hateful way was just two of my biggest worries.

Kiba! Yes, Kiba would work. Where is he?

I quickly found my other best friend, standing by a window, talking to Hinata and giving her a small kiss on the cheek before she walked off, waving to him with a shy smile. He waved back and didn't notice me when I snuck up behind his back. For the second time that morning I almost gave one of my best friends a heart-attack;

"Man," I said rather loudly in his ear, making him jump high enough to hit the roof. "You two really make a nice couple!" Snickering I avoided his fist with ease and patted his back. Kiba didn't look very soothed.

I grinned at my fuming friend before walking off with him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-


It was finally lunch, and I quickly made my way to the cafeteria. Slightly panting I looked around. Shikamaru was no where to be seen. I sighed miserably and frowned. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around quickly, with a huge grin, hoping it was Shikamaru. It wasn't. I sighed again.

"Hey, what's with that disappointed look, dobe?" Sasuke looked a bit insulted, since I had sighed rather loudly at the sight of him. I sent my moodish boyfriend an apologizing look.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so worried about him," I said and gestured for Sasuke to sit down with me. We sat down at a small, round table and started eating.

"Him?" Sasuke said while nibbling on a piece of apple. "Oh, Shikamaru-kun. Yeah, I know what you mean. Neji looked worried too." Sasuke didn't sound too worried. Which should've pissed me off, seeing as it was my best friend we were talking about. But I couldn't blame him. Sasuke barely knew Shikamaru at all.

I looked at Sasuke while he ate, which was indeed not as pleasurable as it sounds. Not because he looked weird or anything, but because it was getting incredibly tempting to reach out and remove the small piece of apple left in the corner of his perfect mouth, which would have seemed fairly odd if someone saw us, since Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto were semi-famous for not liking each other.

Pretending not to have a relationship with Sasuke was getting more and more frustrating. And it had only been two days since I promised Sasuke not to tell anyone about us!

I groaned. Sasuke looked up from his rice bowl.

"You okay?" He said with a small spark of concern in his eyes. It warmed me somewhat, even though I barely saw the small sign of actual caring. I nodded and started eating my ramen. How I love ramen, but even though I really tried to convince myself to focus on the delicious chicken-flavored ramen in my mouth, miserable thoughts of Shikamaru and Neji kept popping up in my mind.

"Sasuke, do you think..." I bit my lip. I wanted to ask him if he shared my suspicions about them breaking up, but I was afraid of the answer. Sasuke looked at me, obviously waiting for me to go on. I smiled and rubbed the back of my head. "...Um... T-that ramen is good?"
Oh my God! I did not just say that! If it was one of my friends that had given that extremely lame comment, I would've laughed my pants off. I blushed heavily.

Sasuke stared at me, then smirked. Which caused me to blush more, he's so hot when he smirks!

"Is that an offer?" He purred.

"Huh?" I said stupidly. He grinned and shoved his chopsticks into my ramen bowl. Before I could protest he quickly pulled back and inserted some of the wet pasta into his mouth. I almost drooled at the sight. Sasuke closed his eyes in delight and licked his lips. A small trace of sauce dripped down his chin and made it almost torturous to look at. A small but very noticeable sensation started to grow in my groin. I quickly tore my gaze away, since I had the feeling that I would jump him at any second.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said, with a slightly muffled voice, due the food in his mouth. Damn you, you hot, crafty Uchiha-boy! I sighed and leaned a bit closer to him. The only way to make him stop was to let him taste his own medicine.

"You just keep on teasing me Sa-su-ke." I purred and smirked as he blushed. Making sure no one was watching us, I casually moved my hand closer to his, until my fingers brushed against the back of his hand. They were only there briefly, but my fingers tingled with pleasure at the feel of Sasuke's skin against mine. Sasuke swallowed audibly and turned his blushing face away.

"S-stop that," he murmured. "Someone might see."

I smirked and removed my hand from his. I might've seemed uncaring and cocky, but I could feel it become more and more noticeable. The way my body started to recognize and react to Sasuke's. Only by touching his hand for mere seconds, it made my whole arm pulsate with longing and my head hum with unsaid words of affection. My body was starting to long for Sasuke. And it was becoming harder and harder to part from him and his beautiful form; His black hair which hung down in the perfect, elegant way; His pale skin, which looked like fine porcelain in combination with the ebony hair. So beautiful. I can't believe such a pretty person had spent his whole life thinking he wasn't pretty enough. Sasuke seemed to notice my gaze upon him.

"Earth to Naruto," he said and flicked my nose. That cocky smirk of his slowly spread over his lips. "What're you thinking about?" He was obviously completely unaware of how cute he was. Or maybe it was just me?

"You," I answered without thinking. Sasuke froze and stared wide-eyed at me. I gave him a small smile. Sure, I was embarrassed, but it was the truth. Why hide it? I threw a glance at my watch.

"Crap, I gotta go now. See you at drama class, ne?" I rose and quickly exited the cafeteria. I entered a large, empty corridor and started walking to my next class. Suddenly someone tugged at my sleeve.

"Sasuke?" I said and that was all I had time to say before someone covered my lips with something soft and moist. It took me almost two seconds to realize that Sasuke was kissing me. Not the soft kind of kiss either. It was the starved, hard, desperate kind of kiss. I was so shocked I barely knew what to do, but finally I placed my hands upon his lean hips and kissed back. After a few blissful seconds of kissing, Sasuke pulled back. He gave me an embarrassed, almost shy look before running off. I stared dumbfounded after him, then glanced at my surroundings. No one was there, and no one had seen us. I was pretty sure that Sasuke had known about that too, or else he would never have kissed me so openly.

I sighed happily and touched my lips, allowing myself to daydream about Sasuke for a little while before forcing myself to leave Sasuke-dream-land and return to school. I turned around and almost smashed into someone who was standing right behind me. I was actually really surprised, since I hadn't noticed that someone had arrived at all. But then again, once I'm lost in thoughts containing Sasuke, I probably wouldn't notice if the school suddenly blew up.

"Oh, sorry-" I went silent. It was Shikamaru. He stared wide-eyed at me. This was a very odd expression for him to have, since he's usually so collected and bored. "Shika?" I said and grasped his shoulders. He blinked and gave me a weak smile.

"I-I'm glad everything worked out for you and Uchiha-kun," he said and released himself from my grip. "I gotta go. See ya later." He all but ran away from me. I didn't understand. What was wrong with him?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-


It was finally time for theatre. I had been looking forward to it ever since lunch.

Yay, there he is; Graceful and elegant as always. I don't know how he does it, but I've noticed how everything seems to freeze as soon as he walks into a room. I don't know why no one else notices. Everything seemed to move in slow motion to me. Sasuke caught my gaze and walked up to me.

"Hi," he said with a small, barely visible blush. He was, without a doubt, embarrassed about the kiss. I didn't want him to be. I loved that kiss! It was probably going to keep me awake all night, which of course could be a bad thing, depending on how you view at it.

"Hi."

It felt ungodly good to be so close to him. I could even feel his wonderful scent flowing against me. The theatre lessons were perfect for us, because this was the only time during school hours that we could act like a couple. Well kinda.

Because we play a couple, it was only natural for us to practice our lines together, which made it possible for me to touch his hand and stroke his hair. If anyone would ask, we'd just pretend that we were rehearsing.

But since Sasuke was so worried about anyone finding out, I didn't do anything too daring. I just smiled and gently touched his hand. We had our scripts in our hands, so hopefully it looked as if we were just practicing a love scene to the rest of the class. It was hard though.

Just brushing Sasuke's hand activated a voice inside of my head screaming, ‘Kiss him damnit! Grab him right now, Uzumaki Naruto, and ravish him! Let everyone know who Uchiha Sasuke belongs to!’

But I could never do that to Sasuke. He would never forgive me. So I clenched my teeth and laughed stiffly when Sasuke asked me what was wrong. Sasuke gave me a weird look and continued to read the script. He had some catching up to do, so I let him practice his lines. I was content just watching him read. But my attention was soon averted to something else; Someone that just walked through the door. Shikamaru.

He looked just as miserable as the last time I saw him. I glanced at Neji. He wasn't looking at Shikamaru, but stubbornly ignored my best friend. What the hell was up with them? Clearly something was wrong.

Shikamaru looked around, being just as stubborn as Neji, he refused to look at the long-haired teen, and caught my gaze. I smiled and waved. Shikamaru smiled back and looked as if he wanted to walk to me, but then he saw Sasuke at my side, and his expression changed. He looked uncertain, and almost shy. The self-loathing reappeared in his eyes and he turned away. Baffled I stared after him, as he took place next to Kiba and Hinata instead. Once again feeling rejected I averted my gaze from my so called best friend to Sasuke again; Looking beautiful as always.

"You should go talk to him," Sasuke suddenly murmured and gave me a chaste glance. I stared at him. I had been totally oblivious that Sasuke had been watching me. I blushed a little, before pouting and turning my face away.

"Don't wanna." Sasuke looked amused though, and even went as far as to smile. It made my heart swell and I forgot all about Shikamaru for a few seconds.

Kakashi arrived fifteen minutes later, during which Sasuke and I had been 'practicing' how to hold hands properly. Although it never lasted for more than ten seconds, before Sasuke let go of me and started to read furiously from his script to really make it look like we were just practicing our lines! It was actually kinda amusing.

"Okay people! Shut up and pay attention!" Kakashi yelled and to everyone's surprise (not), he smashed his hands. "Today we'll work on scene eight, nine and thirteen. Maybe scene four too, since Ten-ten was sick last time." Kakashi murmured and continued to talk, but I didn't pay attention to my sensei, who I'm currently hating with all my heart. He's always implying his relationship with my brother when he talks to me, and it's so fucking embarrassing! Damn scarecrow.

I discretely watched Shikamaru with the corner of my eye. He was looking unnaturally happy. Apparently he's not aware of how bored he usually looks himself. The smile he had forced onto his lips was miles away from his eyes and wouldn't have fooled a blind man.

Suddenly I realized that Kakashi was still talking with a very stressed voice, I might add. Maybe he wanted to go molest Iruka? Damn pervert.

"I'm gonna give you ten minutes to read through your lines, and when I get back, you guys better be ready!" He gave us a scary look followed by an unpleasant silence before he left us. It took us all a few seconds to recover from the nasty tension, but soon the room was filled by general murmurs of practicing lines and random laughter. I silently thanked Kakashi, since this meant that I had another ten minutes with Sasuke! I smiled to said person and received a (much smaller) smile back. We started to read our lines, but sometimes exchanged small, flirtatious looks that had nothing to do with the script.

Once again I caught Shikamaru with the corner of my eye. Since he and Neji were playing a couple, one would naturally assume that they would read their lines together, but Shikamaru was still sitting next to Kiba, listening to the dog-boy's lines with that same, false smile. Kiba looked somewhat nervous. I looked over to Neji. He was sitting by himself in a corner, furiously reading his lines with unnatural interest. It was obvious that they were avoiding each other.

"Naruto? Are you listening to me? Your line is 'If that would please you, Mr. Green.'" Sasuke said with a slight scowl. "Look, if you're so worried about them, why don't you just go talk to them?"

I shook my head.

"Shikamaru doesn't seem like he wants to talk to me," I said, and clearly heard the hurt undertone in my own voice. I was behaving like a child, but I really wanted Shikamaru to trust me, especially when it was so incredibly obvious that he had some kind of issue. I sighed, but soon smiled as I felt Sasuke's hand on top of mine.

"I'm sure everything will be alright," the raven haired boy said and gave a semi-smile. I nodded. And froze as a voice I recognized all too well suddenly spoke right next to my ear.

"Boys, I don't think that's in the script!" Kakashi said teasingly while pointing at Sasuke's hand covering mine. Sasuke quickly removed it and gave Kakashi a glare which had no affect what so ever, since the blush that covered his cheeks made the 'death-glare' look somewhat adorable. Kakashi grinned; his eyes looked like two U's, up-side-down.

"But hey, I'm always open for suggestions!" He chuckled darkly and turned around to walk away, which was probably smart, seeing as Sasuke started to look scary.

"Okay everyone, let's start with scene eight. Edward and James are arguing about the solo, and then they kiss." Kakashi sniggered and sat down in his regular chair.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I was going to kiss Sasuke! I should've been thrilled, but I was terrified. See, when I kiss Sasuke, I stop thinking. Completely. I just do whatever my body tells me to do. So kissing Sasuke in front of our classmates basically meant that I could force us both to come out of the closet.

Damnit. Okay, calm down. You're just gonna have to deal with it! It's not like you're some kind of slave to the passion, right?

I glanced at Sasuke as he entered the centre of the room where his cello and the piano I was going to use stood. His black hair swayed softly as he walked, and those eyes searched for me with that seductive expression...

Okay, so maybe I am a slave to the passion! That doesn't mean I can't control myself only this once! Be strong!

Forcing myself to believe those words, I followed Sasuke to the center. The class had, as usual, formed a ring around us, and we started acting. Sasuke quickly entered his character, and I followed his example.

We glared at each other. Then he opened his mouth and spoke.

"'I should have you know that I would never play with someone like you if our teacher hadn’t asked me!'" James hissed and turned his back on me. I scoffed.

"'And you think I would? Do not flatter yourself, Mr. Cello!'" I sent his cello a mocking look. I turned back to James and smirked at his furious look. "'Oh my, did I hurt your feelings?'"

"'I do not take the words of a mad man seriously'" James sneered, but his expression stated otherwise. He was angry.

"'Then you should not take yourself seriously either,'" I said, content with my somewhat childish retort. Suddenly I realized how close I had gotten to James. He got even closer to me as he seemed to prepare another gleeful comment.

"'What a pathetic insult!'" He smirked and I blushed, not feeling as content any more. "'Was that really the best your excuse for a brain could come up with?'"

We were close now, oh-so close. I could feel his breath on my face. I glared at the slightly shorter boy.

"'I could come up with naughtier things to say, but that would most likely make you faint, Miss!'"

That was the last thing I said, before James slapped me hard. (Me and Sasuke had practiced to make it look like a real slap, when in fact I just throw my head to the side and clap my hands to make it sound like Sasuke hit me.)

I slowly turned to look at the raven haired boy. He still looked furious. I gripped his arm and pulled him close. He blushed.

"That was not very polite," I said, with a much softer voice than I intended. James swallowed. My grip on him loosened, but he did not move away from me. Instead, he brought his arms around my neck and leaned forward. I only faintly realized that my arms embraced his waist. I bent my neck and met his soft lips in a short, but emotional kiss. We stared at each other for not more than one second before we kissed again, longer this time. My lips started to massage his, in order to make him open his mouth. He kneaded back, softly and hesitant. He wasn't used to it. That was odd. I thought he was engaged to Miss Rose? He should be used to kissing, having a fiancée and everything.

My thoughts went blank as he finally opened his mouth, allowing my tongue to dive in. I hugged him tighter and I could feel his hands dig into my hair as I roamed around in his mouth.

Hmm... feels familiar... Oh god... this feels good. James... No, not James... This is Sasuke. My Sasuke... I love him so much...

"Cut!"

Oh fuck!

I quickly let go of Sasuke and coughed slightly. Sasuke blushed slightly and put his hands in his pockets in an attempt to look casual. Kakashi glared at us. I swallowed and carefully glanced at the class. They didn't giggle, which was a relief. They just looked impressed and a bit dazed. Some of the girls had tears in their eyes. I looked at Kakashi and was only mildly surprised to find that his glare had disappeared. He was now grinning and patted Sasuke on the shoulder.

"That was utterly perfect! Wonderful kissing scene, you guys!" Kakashi put his arm around my shoulder and pointed toward the roof. "You'll take the world by storm!" He said dramatically. I sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. Can we step down now?" I said tiredly. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, I suppose so. Next scene is the Albert-Simon scene, so you can sit down for a bit." Kakashi let go of my shoulder and walked towards his chair. I followed Sasuke and sat down beside him. It didn't look very suspicious, since there wasn't room anywhere else. I tried to look as if I was thinking, 'Oh no, I have to sit next to the Uchiha, Crap!' I wonder if I succeeded. I didn't have much time to think about it, since something more important was about to start.

Shikamaru entered the circle, followed by a grumpy looking Neji. They avoided all contact what so ever, and refused to look at one another. I sighed.

"Er... Boys?" Kakashi said, clearly confused as to why they hadn't started acting. "You can begin now."

Shikamaru visibly suppressed an annoyed sigh and turned to face the Hyuga, who also didn't look too happy. They were obviously having trouble entering character. They had begun anyway.

Albert sat down on a chair and read through a few papers. Simon entered the room and slowly walked up to his teacher.

"'I am sorry to disturb you, sir,'" he said carefully. "'You said you needed to talk to me?'"

Albert turned around, a smile on his lips.

"'Ah, young Mr. Van Tassel. Yes, I wanted to show you this,'" Albert said and showed his pupil the papers. Simon read them and frowned in confusion.

"'It is a song,'" he said. Albert nodded.

"'Yes, it is a song. I would like you to play it for me on your violin. I wrote it for you.'"

Simon gasped and took a step back. Stuttering he dropped the papers on the floor.

"'M-me? You wrote it for me? B-but why would you do such a thing..?'" Simon got down on his knees and started to collect the papers. Albert bent down and helped him.

"'Because you inspire me,'" he said and made Simon look into his eyes. "'Every time I see you, you awake the music in my heart.'"

Simon blushed hard and tried to hide his face behind his long hair.

"'Do not speak such beautiful words to me, sir. I am a mere student. I do not deserve them.'" Albert put a hand on Simon's shoulder... And gave an odd grimace... hmm...

"'Oh, but you do.'"

The words sounded strained, and I quickly realized that it wasn't Albert any more. Shikamaru had fallen out of his character. The hand on Simon's shoulder trembled slightly. This was the moment where Albert was supposed to bend forward to kiss Simon. Shikamaru bit his lips and leaned in... mere millimeters from Sim-, no, Neji's lips, he stopped. A few seconds of silence followed. Neji had also fallen out of character. He stared at Shikamaru.

Slightly shaking Shikamaru stood up, fists clenched hard.

"I can't do this," he murmured and took off. Before anyone had the time to stop him, he had already run out of the room. His steps echoed through the corridor. Neji stared at the empty doorway, before he also stood up and went back to his corner with a look that probably was supposed to be calm and uncaring. His eyes were too wide and he swallowed too often to fool anyone.

Kakashi also stood up.

"We'll take a short break!" Then he turned to me and whispered, "Go talk to him."

I stared at my usually so weird and unserious teacher, who now held a serious and mature expression on his face. I slowly nodded.

"I'll be right back," I whispered to Sasuke who just nodded and continued to read his script.

I left the room and quickly started to search for Shikamaru. I looked in the library, where he, for some weird reason, likes to spend time, but he wasn't there. I looked in the cafeteria, the locker rooms, Asuma's office. He was no where to be found, so I tried to ring him, but his cell phone was turned off. I groaned with frustration and was about to give up. That was when I saw the small puffs of smoke from outside the window. I opened the window and looked down. There, below the window, sat Shikamaru.

Shikamaru twisted his head and looked at me, his expression terrified, worried and sour. When he saw who it was he turned back and sighed.

"Go away."

I snorted in a 'hell no' way and climbed out. I silently sat down beside him and watched him smoke. Small, elegant clouds of gray smoke streamed out of his mouth and nose, and made me almost envious. The cigarette made Shikamaru look undeniably cool.

"Shika." I murmured and gave him a stern look. He just shook his head.

"Naruto, just... please, go away." He sounded so small. Fragile. His voice barely made it to my ears. I shook my head.

"I can't. Shikamaru, something's wrong. You can tell me. Is it about Neji?"

"Don't even say that bastard's name!" Shikamaru hissed and gave me a furious look. It slowly turned into an expression of utter misery. He took a shaky breath from his cigarette. I stared at him. I knew he was about to break. And I gotta be honest; it scared me half to death. Shikamaru is always the one who sees things clearly and tells me what to do. If he broke, what was I suppose to do?

I inched closer to my shuddering best friend, on the verge of total breakdown and put my arm around his shoulders.

"What happened?"

That did it. Shikamaru dropped his cigarette on the ground and did something I never thought I would see him do. He started crying.

His desperate sobs were unstoppable, and I knew he didn't want to cry. Not really, but he couldn't stop it. My heart hurt so badly at the sight of him; My best friend, my brother. His shoulders shook violently as he emptied what seemed to be his whole supply of tears. I pulled him towards me, and he buried his face against my neck and collarbone. I could feel his tears slowly soak my shirt. It almost made me cry too. Shikamaru's hands clutched my shirt and he whimpered between his sobs.

"Damnit," he said with a thick voice, "I hate crying. It makes my head hurt."

I almost laughed at the comment, and hugged him closer.

"Talk to me, Shika. I beg of you." I murmured and laid my cheek against the top of his head. He sighed heavily and sniffed.

"I hate him." he mumbled.

"Neji?" I asked. He stiffened, then nodded.

"That stupid, insensitive, emotionless, heartless... freak!" Shikamaru spat and leaned back. He rubbed his face and revealed his red eyes. Tears were still slowly pouring out of them. What in the world had Neji done to hurt Shikamaru so much? Shikamaru hung his head and stared stubbornly at his hands which were firmly placed on his knees.

"I'm so stupid." He murmured and wiped his eyes once again. "So fucking stupid." He half-sobbed, half-scoffed. I waited for him to continue. Shikamaru perked his head up and smiled an awful, sorrow filled smile

"Tell me something, Naruto. When did I turn into a girl?"

I stared at him.

"What?"

He swallowed and started sobbing again, bringing one hand to his face to hide his eyes as he shook his head with jerky movements.

"I'm not used to stuff like this!" He almost yelled. "It's all his fault!"

"Shika, what happened?" I repeated. Shikamaru managed to stifle his sobs.

"I-I... I asked him... if he..." Shikamaru groaned and went silent. He leaned his back against the brickwall, brought his knees to his chin and stared into nothingness. He maintained this position for a few minutes.

"I asked him if he loved me," he finally said, after almost five minutes of silence. My lazy eyes snapped open at this, and I turned my head to stare at Shikamaru. He looked so sad.

"A-and what did he say?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. Shikamaru turned to face me. Once again he smiled that horrible, sad smile.

"Well, apparently he's too young to love, only being eighteen and stuff." Shikamaru said with a somewhat sarcastic voice and looked as if he was about to laugh. Then he shook his head. "He doesn't love me back."

Silence. Shikamaru bit his trembling lip hard in order to stifle his sobs. His eyes were large, filling with tears, and most of all; desperate.

"H-he doesn't love me back, Naruto. It was all sex to him. I-I don't know what to do."

I pulled him close again and allowed him, once again, to soak my shirt. I gently stroke his shaking back for several minutes. I was faintly wondering if the theatre lesson had continued without us.

"Go home, Shika," I whispered to my best friend. "I'll tell Kakashi you've got a fever, okay? Go home and rest. I'll take care of this."

Shikamaru slowly nodded and scooted away from me. With a poor attempt to smile, he scrambled to his feet and switched his phone on. Soon he put the small cell phone to his ear and waited.

"Mom? Could you come pick me up? I've got a fever."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It didn't make sense. The whole situation made no sense what so ever. Things were going so well for them, so why? Why wouldn't Neji love Shikamaru? It just didn't make sense! I stopped in mid-walk to think.

Neji took Shikamaru to the cinema. Sasuke and I met them there, and then they were all lovey-dovey. The way Neji had looked at Shikamaru wasn't exactly unloving, no, not at all. And all the times I watched them in the cafeteria. Their feet caressing each other's under the table. And the way Neji used to smile at the mere sound of Shikamaru's voice. I was surprised with myself for remembering all those trivial stuff, but I guess I got so used to it I didn't think about it until now.

Maybe Neji hadn't realized himself that the feelings he felt for Shikamaru were feelings of affection? Maybe he didn't understand that he loved Shikamaru, kinda like how it was for me and Sasuke. Or maybe he was just being an asshole. Taking advantage of Shikamaru for his brains? Maybe he thought that Shikamaru could help him out with school work? But that didn't make sense either. Neji was a good student, quite capable of doing his own homework. Was he after Shikamaru's body?

But then what about the worried looks? Neji's been looking worried sick all day. Nothing made sense!

I gotta say, it felt strange to ponder over stuff like that all by myself. Usually, when there's something I don't understand, I go to Shikamaru. I couldn't do that now. So who could help me? Someone smart, someone I could trust? I smirked when it hit me.

I must say, having a supersmart boyfriend really pays off at times. And look, here he comes.

Sasuke walked towards me with a slight scowl.

"Naruto, how long are you gonna chat with him?" Was that jealousy I heard in his voice? "I understand that Nara-kun is important to you, but we only have like twenty minutes left of the lesson! Now come on!" He grabbed my sleeve and pulled me along. No one was there, so I carefully moved my hand, until it grasped Sasuke's. He slowed down and glanced at our laced hands. We didn't say anything, just enjoyed the closeness. The short amount of time we had together before we had to let go was precious, so we tried to walk as slowly as we could. The fact that we only had twenty minutes left didn't seem to disturb Sasuke any more.

Finally I stopped completely as did Sasuke. I slowly inched closer to him, while he stared down at the floor, black bangs covering most of his upper face probably to hide a blush. I turned to face him and grabbed his other hand. Sasuke was still staring downwards.

I put my nose against his forehead and kissed him between the eyebrows. He finally turned his face up, cheeks slightly pink, eyes dazed. His hands let go of mine, only to be able to wrap around my neck. I gladly allowed him to pull me closer. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Sasuke cocked his head slightly to the side and brought his face all the closer to mine. His eyes slowly started to close.

His lips against mine felt just as wonderful as they always did. Only this time it felt a little different. It was he who started to work his lips against mine. It was he who begged me to let him in. It was he who wanted it, who needed it. I hugged him closer and practically tried to melt into Sasuke's body. He silently moaned into my mouth and buried his fingers into my hair. He completely made me forget all about our surroundings and the fact that we were both supposed to be back in Kakashi's classroom by then.

We finally broke the kiss to suck in some air in our starved lungs, but it didn't take long for my lips to find his cheek, his jaw, his neck. His moaning got louder. I was so completely out of it; I buried my face into his neck, savoring the scent and the taste. Slowly, passionately I caressed his back, and almost whined when my fingers were prevented from touching his perfect skin by several layers of expensive fabric.

The kiss slowly ended. It ebbed out to small pecks on the cheeks. When I scooted back, Sasuke still had his eyes closed, and his lips were red and puffy from my violent kiss. I might have bitten him. I don't remember. He swallowed and opened his eyes. I stared at him.

"Wow," I whispered and put my forehead against his again. He smirked in a shy manner and sighed.

"Just...don't forget who you belong to," he said with a semi-pout. I was so enchanted by the adorable expression I almost forgot to answer. I realized what he was saying; the jealousy in his voice didn't go by unnoticed.

"You don't have to worry about that, Sasuke," I said and grinned. "You're the only one for me!" I said dramatically in a very Kakashi-like way.

He smiled and let go of me. He started to walk again.

"That's good." I heard him murmur. I quickly walked up to his side, grasping his hand once again. I needed to ask him now, or it might be too late.

"Um, Sasuke? I need your help." I tried to sound as pityful as possible. He stopped and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Oh?"

I nodded eagerly and gestured for him to stop and spoke quietly.

"It's about Shikamaru and Neji," I said and quickly continued before he could protest; I already saw the annoyed look in his eyes. "I need you to talk to Neji!" I blurted and squinted as if I was scared for what he might say.

"Absolutely not."

The answer was stern and absolute. I realized that I had to use more drastic methods. I slowly opened my eyes and peered seductively at him. Then I slowly inched closer to him. Two seconds later I had him pinned against the wall, gently caressing his chin.

"But I really need your help." I purred before nuzzling my nose against his. He visibly swallowed, but tried to look as stoic as ever.

"W-why should I do it?! You're the one who wants to talk to him!" He whispered furiously and tried to push me away. I shook my head and pushed him back.

"No, if I talk to him, he'll be suspicious. I'm Shikamaru's best friend and besides, aren't you and Neji kinda like best friends?" I added a slight pout and mumbled, "Don't you wanna be a helpful boyfriend?"

Sasuke sent me a annoyed look which practically screamed; "This is so unfair!"

I smirked and leaned closer, then I slowly stuck my tongue out and licked his cheek. I mentally purred with enjoyment as I saw the violent shudder my boyfriend desperately tried to suppress.

"Will you help me?" I asked with the sweetest voice I managed to create, which was kinda difficult, since my voice was all husky and hoarse from touching him so intimately. "I'll take you to the cinema this weekend!" I offered but immediately regretted what I said, since our last date at the cinema ended with panic and confusion. Sasuke didn't seem to mind though.

He closed his eyes in an annoyed manner and sighed. He had given up. I would have said "Ha!" if I wasn't so sure that Sasuke would be incredibly pissed with me. And remember this; Uchihas are scary when angry.

"Fine... stupid dobe." He gave me a semi-glare. "What do you want me to do?"

I grinned and kissed his nose.

"Talk to him."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Neji's p.o.v.

Naruto and Sasuke hadn't come back yet, and the lesson was about to end. I wonder if Kakashi'll make us take an extra theatre lesson again? How annoying. Where are they any way? And where's Shikamaru?

I closed my eyes in frustration. I felt worried, and that wasn't like me! I never worry about anything! I opened my eyes again, since every time I shut them, pictures of Shikamaru kept popping up. Pictures of Shikamaru sitting on my bed, with tears in his eyes, his trembling voice.

"I should go."

I sharp jolt of pain shot up in my chest, and before I knew what had happened, my eyes felt warm and damp. What the..?

I took a shuddering sigh and rubbed my eyes with my fingers. Why was I acting so weird? Hadn't I taught myself not to show emotions for anyone? Hadn't I convinced myself that it was the easiest way? Then why was I so angry with myself? It's just so much easier if I don't love. So much easier.

"Okay, class dismissed! See you guys on Monday!"

I felt relieved that the lesson was over and quickly rose to my feet when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and faced, to my big surprise, Sasuke. It's not like I'm not used to talking to him, but really, Uchiha Sasuke is known for never talking to people. Not even with me. For him to actually take the first step was definitely something new. When I hang out with him, it's usually me who starts the conversation. But most of the time, we just sit in silence.

I stared at him. He removed his hand and greeted me with a simple;

"Hi."

I continued to stare at the usually anti-social boy.

"Hi?" I frowned curiously, "Did you want something?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like to speak to you about something... alone," he said and cocked his head towards the door. We entered the corridor, which was now empty and echoing with the recent sounds of walking students. I put my hands in my pockets and tried to look calm and casually curious. Sasuke leaned against the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest, then he sighed.

"Well, it's a pain, but since he promised me that he'll take me to the cinema, I need to talk to you," He said and gave me one of those calm, calculating looks. It made me almost shudder, but I had no idea what he was talking about. I frowned.

"Huh?"

He sighed again and motioned for me to come closer.

"Tell me. What's the problem?" He said coolly. I swallowed. This certainly wasn't his usual behavior.

"What do you mean?" He snorted and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"With Shikamaru-kun, man. What's the problem?" He unfolded his arms and put one of his hands in his pocket. The other one went up to his face to scratch his cheek a little. "You know... you can talk to me."

I felt like laughing. True; Sasuke may be one of my best friends, but we never, I repeat, NEVER, talk about stuff like that. Our conversations usually contains me talking about something, and him grunting. I felt my eyebrows rise, and I scoffed.

"What's this? Uchiha Sasuke actually has the ability to speak? Stop the presses." I smirked teasingly, and he smirked back.

"I'm serious. What's with you?" He said and suddenly looked serious. "I thought you were happy with Shikamaru-kun? You talked about him all the time."

I swallowed and blushed. I was actually kinda shocked over the fact that Sasuke had listened to me at those times. I turned my face away before answering.

"I-it's nothing." He snorted again.

"Yeah right. So all of those worried glances you've given him today were just my imagination?" Sasuke sighed and slid down to the floor. "Sit down."

I obeyed without thinking and pulled my knees to my chin.

"Is it about... you know... your family?" He asked and glanced at me. I didn't answer. "Neji, are you afraid you might have to leave him?"

I sighed and buried my burning face in my knees. Why did Sasuke have to be so sharp minded? Those who don't know him usually think he's an arrogant bastard who cares about nothing but himself. I know I used to think so. That's wrong. Sasuke's really clever, and he actually does listen when I'm talking to him; he just chooses not to show it.

"Don't you think that's pretty unfair to Shikamaru?"

Sasuke's voice rang in my ears, and I wanted to shut it out, which proved to be impossible. Yes, it was unfair. But what the hell was I suppose to do? I sighed heavily. The whole 'I'm just eighteen'-thingy was just a really lame excuse. But why? Why couldn't I tell Shikamaru how I really felt? Was I afraid?

"I can't handle it anymore, Sasuke. I've done it three times. I just can't do it anymore." I murmured. He was silent for a little while.

"Love? Is that what you mean? You're saying you can't love anymore?"

I didn't say anything.

"You know what I think?"

I grunted out a muffled "What?" Even though I didn't want to know.

"I think you already love him, you just don't have the guts to admit to yourself that you do."

Once again Sasuke's painfully true words echoed though my head.

"You should talk to him, Neji. You'll regret it forever if you don't, and frankly, it's kinda annoying when you're like this."

I perked my head up.

"Like what?"

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Sad and worried."

I scrambled to my feet and croaked, "I'm not sad and worried! I-It's not like I miss him or anything!" Hmm... my voice sounds weird...

Sasuke slowly rose to his feet and smiled an almost gentle smile which took me by surprise. What he said surprised me even more.

"Then why are you crying?"

I stared at him and just then realized how blurry my vision was. With a tiny gasp of shock I brought my hand to my eyes and felt the tears slowly slide down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away with a small huff of annoyance. Sasuke grasped my shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"Talk to him, okay? He loves you. It's so obvious it's almost laughable." Sasuke flashed me a quick grin and walked away. The blood pounded in my ears, partly from the embarrassment, but also due to Sasuke's last words. "He loves you... so obvious..." He loves me? Loves? How can you be so sure, Sasuke? Is it because you know what it feels like to love these days? Are those words something that Naruto's taught you?

He loves me.

"Don't you think it's a bit unfair?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Oh my god, what am I doing here!?

I was all but panicked when I realized that I was already standing by Shikamaru's door. Shit.
In my hand was a bag with his belongings that he had forgotten in my room. I was going to use it as an excuse to see him. I hoped his mother didn't know what I had done to him. Maybe she wouldn't let me in? Maybe I should just go?

No, you stupid finger, what are you doing?!

Too late, my finger had already pressed the button by the door and a low, dull tone was heard from within the house. I had two options; run for your life, or stay and talk to him. The first option sounded so very appealing, but it turned out I had no choice; the door was already open.

A man with earrings, tightly tied hair and a small, pointy beard stared at me from the doorway. Obviously Shikamaru's father.

"Can I help you?" He said and made me flinch. I cleared my throat and tried to smile, even though the cold night air had somewhat paralyzed the muscles in my face.

"Yes, sir. I need to speak to Shikamaru...kun." I laughed nervously when he peered at me suspiciously. Finally he shrugged and let me into the bright hallway.

"Shika! There's someone here to see you!" He shouted loudly towards the stairs. Shikamaru's room was on the second floor. "He'll be right with yah. You just wait here!" The man grinned and walked off. I felt incredibly out of place, alone in the large hallway. A huge golden mirror hung on the wall. I stared at my own reflection. Nervousness and determination was written on my face. My cheeks were slightly red from the cold, as was my nose. I was so captured by my own image, I gave a small flinch when I heard someone walk towards me. I quickly turned to face Shikamaru, but it wasn't him. This time, it was a woman. Probably Shikamaru's mother.

She smiled a warm, yet stern smile I swallowed. It felt as if she knew what I had done.

"Hello, I'm Shikamaru's mother. You're Hyuga Neji?" She asked and shook my cold hand. I nodded. "I thought so..." She glanced over her shoulder to see if her son was close by. He wasn't. She faced me again and lowered her voice. "He's been really upset, you know."

I stared at her and dropped the bag on the floor.

"Wha-"

"You are his lover, right?"

I blushed furiously at her forwardness and nodded with jerky movements.

"Well, kinda," I murmured. She smiled.

"Yeah... those were the days," she said with a nostalgic face, not at all making sense. She seemed to realize that too, and cleared her throat. "Look, don't waste this!" She whispered. "Shikamaru may be a lazy-bum, but I've never seen him so upset. You must really be something." I blushed even more. "Don't waste it." She patted my shoulder and walked away. "Shika! Get down here, you've got a visitor!" She yelled up the stairs. She waited until she heard slow steps walk downstairs, then she turned to me, winked and walked away with quick steps.

I stared after her, and didn't snap out of it until a weak voice made its way to my ears, Shikamaru's voice.

"Neji? What are you doing here?" I faced him and swallowed. All the things I had practiced to say were completely forgotten. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. He just stood there, glaring with a cocked eyebrow.

"Um, you forgot these." I said with a pathetically weak voice and held out the bag for him. He slowly walked forward and grabbed the bag quite violently.

"Thanks. Was that all?" He said, clearly getting pissed. I stared at him for a few seconds, his normally so calm and pretty face was slightly twisted with the annoyed frown. I shook my head no and sighed.

"Shika... I'm sorry," I said and stared at the floor. He didn't say anything. "I know I'm an asshole-"

"You got that right!" He forced out of clamped teeth, trying not to be too loud. Then he turned his face away with a small scoff. My chest started to hurt. I swallowed to make it go away, but it didn't.

"It's just..."

"Just what?" His voice got louder. Yep, he was pissed. Somewhere in my mind, a small teasing voice said, ‘You know you deserve it.’

I took a deep, calming breath and closed my eyes.

"My family moves around a lot. In my whole life, I've lived in twelve different countries. We never seem to stick around for anything. And I don't have a choice but to go with them." I finally met his gaze and took a shuddering breath. "Do you know how painful it is? Every time I make new friends I have to prepare myself to leave them, without hesitation. And I've loved before. You're not my first love, Shikamaru."

He flinched and turned his face away.

"Is that why you came here? To tell me how trivial I am to you?" He murmured. I shook my head.

"No, I just want to be honest. And I also want to explain... Every girlfriend I've had in the past was dear to me. The first one's name was Gabriella, and we lived in Italy. I was thirteen, and quite naïve. I was so in love, I thought we could survive anything together. When my uncle told us that we had to move, Gabriella promised me to write every day, and that she would never love anyone but me."

I scoffed involuntarily. I felt so stupid. Shikamaru stayed silent, waiting for me to go on.

"We wrote to each other every day for almost two weeks. Then I started to notice that I was the only one who kept writing every single day. She, on the other hand, slowed down, and started to write every third day... once a week... once every second week…once a month, until she almost stopped completely. On the day of my fourteenth birthday, I received a letter from her. She said that she had found another guy, and that I should also move on." My voice trembled slightly. It may sound childish and unimportant, but the memory still hurt.

"Then, when I was fifteen and we lived in Sweden, I met a girl called Lenah. She was so pretty... I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. But we only had three months together before we moved again. She broke up with me via sms three days after I had gone."

Shikamaru stared at me, seemingly stunned. I continued.

"Then we moved back to Japan for a few months. When we got there, my old friends barely recognized me, and two of my best friends had moved away." I swallowed to make the weird feeling in my throat go away. "Two weeks before my sixteenth birthday we moved to a small town in Australia. After just a few weeks I met a girl called Norah. She was a surfer, and she wanted to teach me." I smiled a little at the memory. "She was the best girlfriend of them all. So kind and sweet. She gave herself to me, and vice versa."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and swallowed.

"I really loved her. When I had to move away from her, she promised not to forget about me. I gave her a necklace before we moved, so that she could remember me. We had lived in New York for not even three weeks before I received a small package from her. She said that she had fallen in love with the guy who was my best friend while we lived in Australia. She gave me back the necklace and said she was sorry."

Shikamaru walked slowly towards me and my trembling form.

"After that, we moved back to Japan again, but to Kyoto this time. I met a lot of girls, but at that rate, it was already too late. I didn't want to love anyone again. So it was only sex. That was the only thing that mattered to me. After Kyoto, I moved here and continued to fuck around. I refused to love any of the girls who threw themselves at me, because I knew exactly what was going to happen! I would have to move away, and they would forget about me and-"

Shikamaru put his finger on my lips and hushed. Slowly he brought his hand to my cheek and wiped the tears away. I was crying again. Damnit. I leaned into his touch and sighed miserably.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you... but to trust anyone is so hard for me. And if I have to move away... knowing that I love you," I sighed and swallowed. "...It would break me down. And you would forget about me." I whispered the last words. Shikamaru stared at me with wide, slightly shocked eyes. Then he leaned in, and gave me a soft kiss. He scooted back and whispered, "I love you."

The tears fell freely from my eyes as his words almost burned my heart. I shook my head in a panicked manner.

"Don't-"

"I love you."

"No..." I half-sobbed, half-whimpered. He slowly pulled me close and stroked my hair.

"I love you so much, Neji."

"Don't say that!" I whispered upset. He scooted back a little, and I saw that he also was on the verge of tears. He swallowed audibly. The sight made me want to kill myself. "What if I have to leave here?" I bit my lip.

"I don't care!" He sobbed out. "I won't ever forget about you! I swear to god!" He gripped the front of my coat and clung to me with a desperate expression on his face. "I'll write to you every day, I'll call you and make sure you're okay... just please... please..." He buried his blushing face into my chest, basically forcing me to savor his sweet scent. It made me slightly dizzy. I wrapped my arms around his trembling shoulders.

"Please what?" I whispered. His head perked up, his lips dangerously close to mine. I swallowed.

"Love me." He whispered quietly and stared straight into me eyes. I stared back and answered without even thinking.

"I do. I love you."

The world was silent. So quiet. Nothing mattered. I wasn't aware of what color the walls had been. I wasn't aware of where we were. I wasn't aware of anything. There was only me and Shikamaru. He stared at me, small tears slowly falling from his wide-open eyes. The words I just said seemed to echo through the room. I was terrified, but so content. I had said it. Finally.

I captured his lips and closed my eyes in delight. He responded eagerly and pulled me closer. I buried my fingers into his hair and forced his face closer to mine. It seemed the whole world was just a dull light in the background. My head practically screamed with pleasure! The joy of holding Shikamaru so close spread over my body as I hugged him even tighter. His arms wrapped around my neck as we sank into each other, enjoying the taste and scent of the other.

The kiss ended slowly, we still held each other close, staring at one another through dazed eyes. His arms refused to let my neck go, and my own arms were just as stubborn about not letting go of his waist. So close, his breath hit my face and I smiled slightly at the familiar scent of his. It felt familiar. I belonged with Shikamaru. I recognized him and his body. I wanted to be with him. My eyes scanned his entire beautiful face, letting myself get drunk on his wonderful appearance. His hands caressed my neck and I felt like purring with pleasure. I put my forehead to his. He smiled shyly.

That's when I remembered what I had in my pocket. I stuck my hand inside my coat and brought out Shikamaru's small iPod. He stared at it.

"Here..." I said and gave him one of the ear-phones. He put it in his ear and looked at me with anticipation. I smiled and put the other ear-phone in my ear. I turned the iPod on and quickly searched the lists and songs. "I added a new song for you." I murmured and finally found the song I was looking for.

Will you, will you love me tomorrow? So Will You, Will you stay with me today? Will you, will you be here tomorrow? So Will You, you remember yesterday?

Shikamaru smiled and nodded. I kissed his nose and just hugged him while listening to the song.

"Say it again," he murmured after a few minutes. I smiled.

"I love you."

The romantic moment was ruined when I suddenly sneezed. I barely had enough time to turn my head away from Shikamaru. He laughed a little when I sniffled and wiped my nose.

"It's... pretty cold outside, you know." I said with a pout. He nodded and sighed.

"Come on, I'll make you some tea."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Naruto's p.o.v.

It was Saturday, two days after I asked Sasuke to help me. I was currently waiting on said person out side the cinema. Sasuke had been sick on Friday, so I didn't have a chance to ask him how it had gone, and for some reason, Neji was also home with a cold. Shikamaru looked much happier though. Could Sasuke actually have made things better? I'm embarrassed to admit that I had doubted Sasuke a bit. He's not really the comforting guy, nor is he the guy you go to when you want advice in love.

Sasuke turned up, looking almost too hot for his own good, and we bought the tickets (for a romantic movie this time.) The woman in the reception smiled knowingly to us when I gave Sasuke the ticket. We both blushed and quickly entered the big hall.

"Geez... It's like they all assume that we're a couple just because we watch a romantic movie together!" I snorted and shook my head. Ssuke laughed a little.

"Yeah, but really... it's pretty obvious. Wouldn't you think that two guys were a couple if they went to see a romantic movie together... without any girls?" Sasuke said and gave me a "you know I'm right"-look. I gave in and nodded with a smile.

"Yeah I suppose so." I said and grabbed Sasuke's hand. "Come on, let's go find our seats." But Sasuke didn't follow. He smirked.

"Look over there... that's two guys, here to see a romantic movie... they don't have any girls with them. They must be a couple, don't you think?"

I followed his gaze and gasped. Shikamaru and Neji walked into the room, holding hands just like before. Shikamaru smiled brightly and gave Neji a peck on the cheek, causing the long-haired teen to give him a small smile. Neji draped his arm over Shikamaru's shoulder, pulling him close. I could hear Shikamaru laugh.

"Lemme go, you're choking me." He said and faked a cough. Neji laughed and let go.

I could feel a grin spread over my face. They looked so happy! They didn't notice us as they found their seats, and that was probably for the better. It was probably best to let them be. I turned to Sasuke and pulled him close.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed and kissed his cheek. "You're the best, you know that?" I giggled and let go of my boyfriend who blushed and gave me a slight scowl.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's find our seats." he murmured and started to walk again. Our hands were tightly laced. I smiled to Sasuke's neck.

I love you.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Monday.

"Okay, class! Welcome to another one of my wonderful theatre classes!" Kakashi yelled and giggled. "Although Naruto won't be with us today!"

Sasuke gaped.

"Why not?" He asked quickly. He seemed to realize his own strange behavior. "It's just... who's gonna play Edward?" He murmured and cleared his throat. Kakashi winked to him and pointed towards Kiba.

"He'll be Edward today!"

Kiba groaned.

"Not again... First I have to play James, and now Edward? Why me?"

No one cared to answer, but Hinata gave her boyfriend an encouraging kiss on the cheek.

"What the hell are you going to have me do?" I asked. Kakashi chuckled darkly.

"Don't you remember? Today is your first piano lesson!" Your piano teacher is in room fourteen and this is the song you'll be playing. Give it to him and tell him that you have approximately six weeks to learn it!" Kakashi half-said, half-yelled and gave me a bunch of papers. I almost choked when I saw the many strange symbols and notes.

"You expect me to learn this? That's insane!" I gasped and counted the papers. "This is like seven pages! Is this really one song?"

Kakashi nodded and smashed his hands together.

"I'm sure it'll be fine and if you don't learn it... well..."

"Well what?" I said with slightly panicked voice. Kakashi grinned again.

"Then the whole play will be ruined! Now off you go. Shoo!" He literally kicked me out of the room. Before he had time to shut the door Sasuke stuck his head out.

"I'll come pick you up after the lesson, okay?" He said and gave a small smile before shutting the door. I felt somewhat abandoned as I walked toward the room where I was supposed to learn how to play the piano. I finally reached it and peeked into the dark room.

"Please turn the light on," a bored voice said from somewhere inside the room, making me jump slightly. I walked into the room and turned the light on.
In the middle of the room stood a large, white piano. It was the piano that used to stand in Kakashi's classroom. Someone had moved it to room fourteen. The room looked empty, since it was one of the slightly older classrooms. It wasn't used for anything in particular. There were no furniture in the large room, except from a few chairs in the corner, and the white walls looked naked.

But what really caught my attention was the person who sat behind the piano.

It was a young man, who looked to be about three or four years older than me. He had colorless clothes; a black shirt with long sleeves and simple, brown trousers. On one of his wrists was a black bracelet of leather and his eyes was surrounded by a thick layer of what looked like black eyeliner. His skin was pale. That's where the colorlessness stopped. His eyes shone in a deep shade of green and his hair was so amazingly red I almost had to narrow my eyes. He had a blood red tattoo on his forehead that said Ai.

I was so amazed by the odd person that I forgot to introduce myself. He hadn't said anything; he just sat there and let me stare at him. I felt somewhat embarrassed and rubbed the back of my head.

"I'm sorry, I'm-"

"Uzumaki Naruto, yes. I know." The person said with a very small smile. "I'm here to teach you how to play the piano. My name is Gaara of the Desert."

"Gaara... of the Desert?" Is that his last name? "O-okay..." I walked up to my new teacher and gave him the papers. "Kakashi-sensei said that this is the song I'm supposed to learn. I have six weeks."

Gaara must've heard the hopelessness in my voice because he patted my shoulder twice and put the papers on the small music stand.

"It'll be fine." He smiled again. "This is a nice song. It's called Amelie - Comptine D'un Autre Eté. It's a popular piano-cello duet. It sounds good."

Gaara glanced at the notes and started to play. I was in complete awe. His fingers ran across the white and black keys as if they had played the songs hundreds of times. He kept staring at the notes, barely paying attention to his hands. They seemed to have a life of their own.

He stopped playing and sighed contently.

"Yes... a good song, indeed. Shall we begin?" He said and motioned for me to get a chair. I quickly did what he asked me and sat down.

"Um... you do know that I'm a rookie, right?" I asked nervously. He just nodded and pointed towards the papers with its notes and odd looking symbols.

"Do you know how to read these?"

I shook my head no. He frowned and took the papers off of the music stand. Then he ripped them apart and threw them away. I stared at him.

"What are you doing?!" I almost shrieked. He smirked.

"If you don't know how to read notes, then those papers are useless. It's easier if I just show you how to play the song without notes. You just have to look at my hands. It'll be a lot easier and probably a lot easier to remember how to play." He explained. It made sense. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah... I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," he said calmly. "Now let's begin."

He played and I copied, over and over again. It was more difficult than it sounded, but it still went a lot better than I thought it would.

After about fifty minutes I started to glance at my watch. I missed Sasuke! Yes, I realize exactly how girly it sounds, but I wanted him to come soon. Gaara seemed to notice my anticipation.

"Waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend," I said without thinking. I slapped a hand in front of my mouth and closed my eyes. Damn my own big mouth... "Crap... I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," I murmured and gave Gaara a pleading look. "Please don't tell anyone!"

Gaara gave me a small smile again.

"Don't worry. Who would I tell anyway? Besides, I have a boyfriend too."

I choked at his casual tone and coughed a little.

"O-oh?"

"Yes... he should also be here soon. My own car is in service, so he said he'd come pick me up today."

Gaara smiled wider, obviously pleased with his boyfriend. I must say, it felt incredibly good to know that me and Sasuke weren't alone. There were Shikamaru and Neji, Kakashi and Iruka, although I don't really like my brother's choice of lovers, and now my new piano teacher. Nice.

Just then the door flew open and Sasuke walked into the room.

"You done yet?" He asked and cocked his head to the side. "I wanna buy an apple before we go home."

I nodded and motioned for him to come closer.

"We're almost done. Hey, Sasuke, listen to this!" I said with a big smile and played the short part that Gaara had taught me so far. Sasuke smiled and patted my head as he leaned over the piano.

"Good boy," he said teasingly. I grinned.

"Ya, am I amazing or what?" Sasuke snorted.

"You have an amazingly big mouth, that's for sure." He smirked. That's when he noticed Gaara. The tension in the room seemed to change. Sasuke stared at Gaara. His mouth gaping slightly as he narrowed his eyes.

"Have I... seen you somewhere?" Gaara stared back.

"I... could ask you the same..."

I looked from Gaara to Sasuke back to Gaara. I smiled and tried to bring the good mood back.

"Let me introduce you guys! This is Sasuke," I told Gaara and pointed towards my boyfriend. Then I smiled at Sasuke. "Sasuke, meet Gaara. My new piano teacher."

Sasuke swallowed.

"Gaa...Gaara?" He said and frowned slightly. "Where have I..."

The door opened once more.

"Gaara, you in here?"

We all turned to the door. Another young man, probably Gaara's boyfriend, stood in the doorway, staring at us. He had long, black hair. His clothes were black, but he wore a red necktie and a red belt. His nails were also black. Under his eyes were two weird looking scars. He looked... well, gorgeous. But that wasn't what caught my attention.

The guy was strikingly similar to Sasuke! The eyes, the body, everything! As if they were...

I glanced over at my boyfriend to see how he had reacted. Sasuke had frozen on the spot, staring straight at the man in the doorway. The man stared back. He took a step into the room. Then another. Still staring at Sasuke. The guy swallowed.

"Sasuke?" He said with a hesitant voice, as if he didn't dare believe it.

Sasuke didn't move. But I clearly heard the hoarse, shocked whisper.

"Itachi... Nii-san..!"


TBC
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mwoahah.... I'm the queen of cliff-hangers! Sorry sorry, but this chapter is already longer than usual... and it's like 4:35 am. I wanna go to sleep.

The song Naruto and Sasuke are going to play is on youtube.com! ^^ Search for Amelie - Comptine D'un Autre Eté - Cello/Piano duet. It's two guys that play it, and I think it sounds pretty good! ^^ The song Neji played for Shikamaru was "Will You" by p.o.d! It should also be on youtube.com. It's a really good song!

I hope you guys like it, and I hope you were okay with the Neji-p.o.v... Yes, I know they're kinda ooc, but really - that's just what I do. ^^

Anyway, next chapter will be about what happened to Itachi and Gaara after they were kicked out of the Uchiha-mansion. And also Sasuke's own thoughts of his relationship with Naruto. Naruto's getting more and more wanting. But Sasuke still gets panicked when they get intimate! What should he do? Will he let his sex-starved boyfriend take him, even though he panics? Read the next chapter and find out! :D

Remember; reviews make me happy, and happy authors work faster. ;) Hee hee. *chu*