Naruto 1. After class

Conquest.

Chapter one; After class.

**A/N **So you will notice a couple of new projects popping up. I have this one, a SasoDei/DeiObi and another KakaYama I want to work on. I'm still working on 'Forgive me not' for those who follow.  
Wouldn't mind writing a ShikaNaru either, I'm only just focusing on couples outside of SasuNaru/SaiNaru so it's all a bit over-whelming and exciting for me and hopefully for you guys too haha. Enjoy!

**xXx**

"And this time make sure you're not late! I'm counting on you!"

He always felt like such a nag but the repetition was getting old and he'd grown tired of begging Kakashi to commit to his appointments.  
Even though he always expected to be stood up or left waiting it never got any less humiliating, even it had been over seven years.

"I'll do my best!"

Kakashi raced out the door with his silver hair still dishevelled from a restless nights sleep.

He never liked to make a promise and that was probably because he could never keep one. With a gentle peck on the lips and a rushed goodbye, Kakashi left for work. Yamato didn't even have time to remind him about the lunch he'd left on the kitchen counter.

Typical.

Yamato sometimes wondered what went on in his lover's head. He was trapped in a daydream and he was easily distracted.

Of course it had always been very clear, since the beginning of their relationship, that sometimes Kakashi would have to make his career as a teacher priority number one.  
Some days he had to work late and no amount of nagging or arguing could change that.

Not even their eighth anniversary.

All Yamato could do was hope that once school was let out Kakashi wouldn't get held up as he seemed to do a little too often.

**xXx**

Every day he questioned his decision to make it to English early. The teacher was never there on time and the extra ten minutes was obviously unnecessary if no-one else was going to take the class seriously.

"That seats taken."

Sasuke was a surly guy; intelligent but quick tempered. With his bold, rumbustious boyfriend the two really stood out.  
One for being the only openly homosexual couple in the school and two for being most brazen and hot headed.  
The two were constantly bickering about something.

"Come on man, the next free seat is all the way across the other-side of the room, it's already five past!"

Sasuke looked around and spotted the second remaining seat in the third to top far left corner. It looked like a hassle to wedge into.  
Sasuke shrugged the guy off.

"That's not my problem."  
"Aw come on! You're such a dirt bag man!"

He made a point not to react. He had made himself clear, the seat was saved and Sasuke was not willing to give it up.

"What did you say?"

Besides, he never needed to stick up for himself because Naruto was always there at exactly the right time to jump in and defend him.  
As if on cue Sasuke raised one brow and watched as his fiery boyfriend proceeded to intimidate the other boy and yell obscenities above the white noise of students idly chatting and carrying on.

"That's enough now, don't you think?"

Another guy with impeccable timing. He was always late yet always there at the right moment.

Naruto halted at the sound of Kakashi-Sensei's impatient tone and took his seat. The guy he'd been arguing with finally gave up and walked shamefully through the sea of seated students to take his place in the corner of the room.

"Sorry I'm late. Again. I'll get right down to business."

The dead eyes of bored students followed Kakashi as he took his seat at the front of the room.  
The classrooms at Konohagakure High were set up similarly to a small auditorium or a lecture hall which sometimes made teaching easier and sometimes made it harder. Kakashi appreciated the distance it put between him and his students.

Once he was set up Kakashi clapped his hands together and gave his students a wide smile.

"So who has their take home tests completed and ready to hand over to me?"

There was a mixture of irritation, panic and even enthusiasm as they all proceeded to walk to the front and hand in their work.  
It was a mini assignment of a book of their choosing. They had three questions about their book to discuss in great detail and Naruto seemed to be the only student searching for another helpless face within an ocean of worry-free confidence.

It wasn't long before it dawned on him; he was the only person who didn't finish the test. Or even begin it, if he were to be fully honest with himself.

"Naruto, where's yours?"

Sasuke kept his voice low and tugged on Naruto's arm, but to his disdain Naruto remained seated.

"I forgot it."

Sasuke let go and headed towards Kakashi. The year was very nearly halfway done and so far Naruto had nothing to show for it.

He was good at P.E and surprisingly he enjoyed Science, but his credits were low in all his other subjects.  
He'd never pass the year if he kept ignoring the work he was expected to do.

He folded his arms onto the desk and kept his head ducked down. He poked his eyes over top of his arms when he heard his name get called out.

"Naruto, have you got anything for me?"

It was a challenge rather than a request. Kakashi expected nothing more or less than for Naruto to skip out on an assignment. He was daring him to prove him wrong.

"No Kakashi-Sensei."

His words were timid and muffled. This time he genuinely had forgotten to do his homework.  
He'd been told that a trip to detention would be nothing in comparison to the consequences that would ensue should he dare to forget about his homework again.

"I see."

Naruto held his breath and waited in vain for his punishment.

"I'll have all these marked and handed back to you by Monday."

After several minutes of having returned to his seat and focusing on Kakashi's notes, Sasuke finally broke Naruto's thoughts.

"Why do you think he let you get away with it?"

It wasn't that Sasuke wanted to see Naruto fail, it was the very opposite, he just didn't think juvenile behaviour should be rewarded with a blind eye.  
If Naruto was going to sharpen up and buckle down then he needed motivation and discipline to shove him in the right direction.

"I dunno."

Naruto certainly didn't feel like he got away with it. At least when Kakashi-Sensei scolded him or sent him out he knew where he stood.  
This new silent treatment was torture and for the remainder of the class Naruto sat still and tried to focus on his school work out of fear.

Class dragged out for both the students and Kakashi gave up on the morning and released his students ten minutes early.

"Okay, that about covers everything for today. I want you all to be ready for our next topic which you will receive on Monday along with your results. Have a good weekend!"

With that said, the students rushed out the door to make the most of their short interval before moving on to the next class.

With no luck Naruto tried to sneak out of the room amidst the noisy crowd but Kakashi-Sensei, sharp as a hawk, sought him out and caught him, just as his foot reached the door way.

"Naruto, I want you to wait here for a minute."

Naruto groaned and skulked back into the classroom. Sasuke gave him a contemptuous smirk and waved goodbye.  
As the mass of students quickly dwindled, Naruto waited patiently by his teachers desk to have his ear chewed off. 

He couldn't read Kakashi at all; the guy kept his calm and began to prepare for the next class while the last of the students said goodbye and headed out the door.

Naruto watched on in terror as the last student escaped and finally Kakashi turned his attention on to him. 

"Naruto."

Naruto gulped and nodded.

"I can't understand why you don't just do the work you're assigned?"

It wasn't as easy as 'just not doing the work.' Naruto just didn't have the time to study.

"Kakashi-Sensei I do try! I just run out of time."

Kakashi motioned for Naruto to take a seat. He pulled up his own chair beside Naruto.

"There's twenty four hours in a day and you only have to dedicate six of those hours to school. Everyone else is given the same amount of time to do their school work as you and everyone else seems to hand things in on time."

No matter what he did, Kakashi just couldn't seem to get Naruto to co-operate.

"But I have to work after school, I don't have any free time to do anything!" 

After school Naruto worked at a small café named Supreme until late night. The rest of the time he had to spare was spent with Sasuke. Naruto never got a moment to himself.

"You need to start taking your school work more seriously. Having a job is just going to make things harder for you. You shouldn't work until you need to, just enjoy being young!"

Naruto was becoming problematic, not just in terms of his studies but it seemed the kid was intent on punching out everyone who looked twice at him. The stress was obviously getting to him.

Kakashi believed that most problems started from home.

"Have you thought about leaving?"

Naruto became flustered. It wasn't that simple.

"If I had a choice then yeah, sure!"

Naruto lived alone in a little state house off of government grants he received. He was an orphan and though he was still only in school Naruto was determined to stay out of a boarding school or foster home.

The independent youth support he received covered his bills and the money he earnt from the café paid for his meals and anything else he needed.

He made peanuts each week but anything was better than foster care.

His parents had passed away when he was a little kid and he'd been in and out of foster homes ever since.

He couldn't remember much about them and they didn't leave a lot behind for him.

"What do you mean have to?"

There were things Kakashi had noticed about Naruto that stood out from the rest of the class. He knew Naruto must have been from a struggling family; his clothes were second hand and well worn and he was quite quick with his temper.

"I have to work or I'll have no-where to live."

Naruto lowered his eyes to the desk and refused to look back into Kakashi's dark orbs.

"Why, would your parents kick you out?"

Naruto shook his head. It took him a moment to finally admit it.

"I don't have any parents. I just live with me."

Kakashi was expecting to hear that his parents were abusive or that he came from a single parent home and he needed to help provide for his family. He was shocked to say the least.

"You're only sixteen though, how do you get by?"

In his six years of teaching it seemed he was still learning that there were always stranger things around the corner.  
He thought he'd seen it all.

Before Naruto could elaborate further the bell for the next class rang out proud and boisterous.

"Naruto, I'd like you to pop back in after school. If you're able to."

He smiled warmly and his disheartened student gave a smaller, forced smile in response.

"I'll take that as a yes."

**xXx**

"Well, you going to tell us what he said or what?"

It was lunch time and not even Sasuke could get a word out of him. The table watched as their overzealous friend stared blankly at his lunch in silence.

Kiba, a scruffy young guy with 'a bit of an attitude problem' if you asked Naruto, was the first to snap and get frustrated.

He was just as impatient as Naruto was and the two would often butt heads with some times little to no provocation. Sasuke always wondered why the two even bothered to share the same air, let alone willingly spend time together.

After a couple of seconds Naruto finally raised his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno."

Kiba just about toppled off of his chair.

"What? What do you mean you dunno? Dunno what? Dunno if you can tell us?"

Sometimes the kid could be so frustrating. Obviously _something_ happened or he wouldn't have sat through an entire day without talking to anyone.  
How much trouble did he _really _get in? Was he suspended or getting expelled or something?

"I dunno what exactly happened. I have to go back and see him after school though."

Naruto didn't think it was very fair. Kakashi-Sensei knew he worked in the evening so why not make him skip lunch or something? Skipping an assignment is one thing, skipping work was another!

"Hmm. That seems a bit much just for failing to complete your homework."

Up until that point Shikamaru had kept quiet. He didn't really care for much, especially not other peoples problems. He was more of a self-proclaimed "silent observer."

He fiddled with his unruly ponytail and tightened the rubber band holding it in place.

"What else did you do, you must be leaving out something."

Sasuke had wondered if it had anything to do with the fighting earlier that morning. It wasn't a big deal but it did cross his mind. He chewed on a half eaten green apple and pondered on the situation.

"I dunno! I keep telling you guys nothing happened, all I do know is that I'll be late for work if I turn up and in deep trouble if I don't!"

If Naruto wanted a decent education then he needed to buck up and make school a priority. In saying that though, if he didn't make work his priority then he wouldn't have anywhere to live.

He would be sent straight back into foster care.

"Maybe he's not in trouble?"

The attention was back on Kiba who, for the first time since Naruto had known him, was suddenly very serious.  
He stroked his chin and looked off into the distance, consumed by the colossal task of comprehending his two lone brain cells rubbing together to create a single thought.

"What if..."

He hesitated. Too shy to voice his idea.

"Well, come on Kiba!"

Now Naruto _really _wanted to know. He'd imagined every possible scenario that could unfold in the afternoon.  
He was committed to, but rather unnerved by, the image of Kakashi-Sensei condemning him to fifty lashes or worse.

He wanted confirmation or at least some peace of mind.

"Well- and don't hate me for this -but what if Kakashi-Sensei wants you alone to you know... Have alone time?"

A sly waggle of his eyebrows was enough of a hint for the whole table, excluding a very naive Naruto who's undiscerning eyes slowly blinked in confusion. Why would Kakashi-Sensei want to be alone with him? Sasuke spat out his mouthful of water in a torrent of shock.

"Alone time?"

Sasuke slapped himself in the face. Sometimes he liked Naruto's innocence. It was attractive. Other times it wasn't.

It was bad enough Kiba was stupid enough to make a joke like that, now thanks to Naruto the idea would be elaborated on and discussed.

"Maybe he likes you."

Kiba was more than happy to continue stirring the pot no matter what kind of looks Sasuke shot in his direction.

"Don't be an idiot, Kakashi is like eleven years older than Naruto. Not to mention Naruto is a guy and I can't see Kakashi swinging that way."

Choji, the group teddy bear, was the first to start talking sense. Who cared if Kakashi was or wasn't gay, the idea was just a ridiculous way for Kiba to mess with them.

"Well, Choji. I kind of agree with Kiba."

"Shikamaru, you too?"

Sasuke was just about done with the conversation and with his lunch all together. A nasty image of his teacher and his boyfriend sharing some 'after-class-alone-time' violently penetrated his thoughts and queasiness attacked the pit of his stomach.

"Let's stop talking."

He warned. His voice was so low that the others continued, ignorant to his vehement protests.

"I'm just saying. Could be possible. I mean the guy's nearly thirty and he hasn't got a wife or kids. In fact, he's alone all the time. Even when I've run into him outside of school. He never brings a date to any school events either."

Naruto thought about it and after a moment nodded in agreement.

"Hey yeah, you're right!"

The more Naruto thought about it, the more he liked the idea of spending alone time with Kakashi-Sensei. His grades would certainly go up.

Of course; Naruto was still not quite on the same page as the others and his idea of student-teacher alone time was video games and junk food. He was struggling to understand Sasuke's reaction.

"Cheer up Sasuke, I can still spend alone time with you too!"

A loud whoop of exaggerated laughter filled the dinner hall and drowned out Sasuke's incredulous groaning.  
He half-heartedly smacked Naruto around the back of the head and abandoned his lunch.

"You're on your own now, idiot."  
"Hey! Sasuke!"

He called out but did not chase after Sasuke who walked off in a huff. He had his own 'intellectual' friends to hang out with.

"Naruto."

Kiba brought the shrieking group back down to a more serious level.

"You have to tell us what happens, you text us as soon as you leave the room!"

Kiba had already made the decision to create a group chat on messenger to help keep tabs on the situation.  
To some degree Naruto was aware that his friends were taking the piss out of him but even so, he was definitely enjoying the attention.

"Deal!"

The group finally split when lunch ended and Naruto prepared himself for the next half of the day.

He found himself a little excited but very afraid.

He knew it would be nothing short of detention, Kakashi probably just wanted him to squirm in anxious anticipation for his punishment. Rather than ineffectively sending him out of the classroom as he always did.

It made much more sense than hanging out as Kiba and Shikamaru had suggested.

Naruto tried to focus on his school work rather than watching the clock tick tediously.

_'Only two more hours.'_

**xXx**

"Hello?"

Naruto let the door swing open and slipped into a barren room. He was only moments after the final bell had sounded so he'd been expecting a stampede of students eagerly rushing out the door.

"Kakashi-Sensei?"

He called out. The hint of an echo was his only reply. Kakashi was definitely AWOL. Naruto took the opportunity to relax and try and calm his nerves before his teachers arrival and jumped into Kakashi's swivel chair at the front of the room.

"You! Detention! Get out of my class room!"

He yelled out to his imaginary students. He listened to the silent responses before daring to speak a little more fearlessly.

"Don't talk back to me, I'm the teacher!"

With a rough twirl of his chair he laughed at his new found power. So this was what being a teacher was like? No-wonder people did it!

"Hey! I thou-"

His playful banter was brought to an immediate halt, however, upon his second twirl.

"Thought what? That you were alone?"

Kakashi loomed over him, a wide smile plastered across his pale face. It took him every ounce of will power to keep his smile from slipping into rambunctious laughter.

"Y-yes."

He'd never seen Naruto so startled and speechless and he admittedly loved it.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I just came from A block, I was teaching a senior class."

Abased, Naruto evacuated Kakashi's seat and retreated to a wooden chair just in front of the desk. Kakashi started to pack away the rest of his bits and pieces from the day into a dark grey laptop bag that he wore casually over one shoulder.

"I won't hold you for long, I'm not going to yell at you or put you into detention.

Relief washed over Naruto but it still could not cool down the fire that burned in his cheeks. He was far too embarrassed to think about anything Kakashi had to say. Surely scaring him half to death was punishment enough!

"You won't?"

Kakashi probably thought the same thing.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

"Okay?"

He was often an indifferent teacher. He didn't often get mad but he also didn't often give out praise or act affectionately with his students. His smile was still there and relaxed into something kind hearted and gentle.

"I want you to just know that I'm here."

What could he say? He couldn't adopt the poor kid but he couldn't exactly leave him in a state of poverty either.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

Naruto and his blue eyes stared expectantly at Kakashi who had to take a moment to think upon what exactly he wanted to say to his student.

_'I want you to just know that I'm here.'_

Effective? Sure. But not what he had wanted to say. Was Naruto starving? Was he lonely? There were only so many ways Kakashi could help him too, after all, getting too involved could be inappropriate.

"No. I want to talk to you about your school work."

Here it was. Naruto knew there had to be a catch! Kakashi-Sensei was just pretending to not be mad, then as soon as he let his guard down he was in a world of trouble!

"Kakashi-Sensei I'm sorry but I have to work, I need the money!"

He couldn't get a good education if he couldn't afford it so he chose the lesser of two evils; to work while he studied.

"I understand that but what if I could help you with your school work?"

Naruto was puzzled. His teacher was an enigma. An emotional roller-coaster.

"You said you have the weekends free so why don't I help you study then?"

At least Kakashi could keep an eye on the situation and intervene if need be. He could probably shout Naruto a couple of meals each week too, just so he didn't to work as much.

Naruto didn't think the idea was as great as Kakashi did. School on his days off? He'd never have time to see Sasuke, he'd never have time to play video games, his life would be over. He started to protest but before he could manage a firm 'no-' Kakashi raised his hands and cut him off.

"I'm asking you in a rhetorical sense."  
"Meaning?"  
"You don't have a choice."

**xXx**


	2. A day like today

Conquest.

Chapter two; A day like today.

****A/N**** It's that time of year again where I have a burst of inspiration and finally pay my stories some attention. I thought about covering up Kakashi's face with his signature mask but it doesn't fit into setting of the story, and it's neither interesting to have to constantly read or write about how all of his emotions are displayed by his one eye. You could argue it's worth the challenge but I'm sorry guys, I'd rather just show off his handsome face. Hope you haven't given up on me yet! (:

****xXx****

Yamato believed that at some point the pinnacle of their relationship had passed. The sun had set for the evening and so had any desire to spend a idyllic evening with the man he loved.

Kakashi never considered it 'standing him up' because he always came home to him at the end of every day.  
Or, that was the argument Kakashi used to shut down any complaints about his tardiness, a habit deeply ingrained in him, it would seem.

"I'll always come back no matter how late I am, because I love you."

It sounded like a broken record and there were never any apologies, there was never a sincere reason behind his actions.

A long time ago Yamato had thought to question whether or not there was somebody else, but Kakashi was far too lazy and good natured to dabble in such petty affairs.

As far as he was concerned, where Kakashi spent his days was none of his business unless his lover made it so.

And so Yamato sulked, a glass of maroon Rosso Corsa; Pinot noir in his hand, a soppy romance droning on in the distant background and a blanket draped over top of him to complete the pathetic, middle aged housewife look he was accidentally aiming for.

One small glass turned into several and Yamato waited admirably for quite some time before reluctantly crawling into bed a little after 9.30.  
Shortly afterward, when his heavy eyes had started to shut and his heavy heart had finally settled, there was a loud 'click!' and the front door was opened.

It was too late to be mad with someone who was incapable of caring, and so he lay still and feigned sleep.

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

Kakashi whispered into the dark bedroom from the door. Yamato listened intently as Kakashi undressed, threw his clothes on the floor and skulked in bed beside him. His smooth skin was ice cold and he was shivering as he buried himself into the still form that lay beside him.

In Kakashi's mind the night was still early and he had no qualms about waking his lover with a series of endless pecks, first up along his arm and then his neck until he received his desired attention.

Eventually Yamato sighed and caved in. He tried to pull away from Kakashi who held him in a tight embrace.

"Why are you so late? We had reservations."

He was dejected. Any answer that Kakashi could have given him would have sufficed and yet there was nothing to say that could make his indifference to their relationship any less painful.

"Well." He ran his fingers through disheveled tawny hair. "I was trying to find you a present when I spotted a group of thugs attacking an elderly woman. I stopped to help and missed my final bus home. Where were the reservations for?"

If Yamato could see in the dark he would have been infuriated by the mischievous grin that lit up his lovers face.  
He knew it was there though.  
He could feel it in the way his firm cheeks were pressed against his own.  
He could hear it in his tone, patronizing and insincere.  
He chose to ignore it.

"It doesn't matter now. I don't want to talk about it. It will make me more pissed off with you."

He struggled to roll away once again before collapsing with an exasperated sigh.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

It was nothing but the whole hearted truth but Yamato wouldn't hold his breath. It was easier not to take things so seriously, especially the things that Kakashi would say.

"And exactly how are you going to do that?"  
"I have one or two ways."

With a sly laugh Kakashi pinned Yamato to the bed beneath him and locked their lips together forcefully. Yamato squirmed for a second or two before relaxing into the heated moment.  
Within seconds the minimal clothing that stood between the two of them were strewn on the floor and Kakashi spent the rest of the night proving his love in a less than romantic and gentle manner.

****xXx****

It was the late commute home that Naruto hated the most. He worked in the heart of the city where nobody ever seemed to sleep. If he was quick enough and managed to catch his bus before 4.30 the trip to the cafe he worked at could be as quick as 15 minutes.  
Everyone was mostly still stuck at work and he was usually lucky enough to beat the 5pm traffic.  
That particular afternoon he missed his bus and found himself stuck in backed up traffic. It took him 40 minutes to make it in to work and to help him make up for lost time his manager took away his dinner break.

He had been sitting on his bus home with a growling stomach for just under a half an hour that seemed to stretch out forever.  
He was doing all he could not to fall asleep in the warmth of a solitary ride home. It was quiet, the sky had blackened and it was an unreasonable time for a young school boy to be still awake.

City lights were alight, giving a feigned sense of security. The streets were filled with people, young and old, and as Naruto watched them pass by he didn't feel quite so alone.  
Eventually the scenery changed, the streets quietened and the lights grew dimmer as he reached the outskirts of town and entered his sleeping suburb. It was peaceful but Naruto always felt apprehensive returning to a cold, empty home.

"Hey kid, isn't this your stop?"

He hadn't noticed the bus had pulled over. When Naruto snapped out of his drowsy daze he realized the bus was empty.

"Y-yeah. Thanks!"  
"See you next week."

So there was a small fortune in his day. He waved goodbye to the bus driver and wrapped his tattered and worn down jacket across his shoulders, lugging his school bag behind him as he forced his throbbing feet to carry him the rest of the short block to his house.

It was just as he left it; messy, uninviting and below sub-temperature. His heat pump had broken and considering how many months it had been since he had requested someone come in to fix it, he knew he could be facing pulling the money out of his own pocket.  
Money he just didn't have.

Dark silence greeted him and in that moment, just like every other day, he felt absolutely alone. There was nothing he wanted more than to hear "hello!"  
To have a pleasant smile greet him and warm his day.

There wasn't a vivid memory of a time where he had felt safe and had come home to a loving household.  
He had been so young when his parents had died and the families he had stayed with until he was old enough to move out were hateful and abusive.

Sometimes he had fleeting images and moments of his Mum and Dad but he couldn't tell if they were real or not.  
He couldn't remember their faces either so he could never see them in these memories, they were just blank shadows or voices from nearby.

He didn't like to ponder things such as what his life could have been like for long. Instead, it was about time he started worrying about what actually

_could _be.

He knew what people expected of him; crack down and study seemed to be the popular opinion.  
But the energy and focus that he needed for school just wasn't there. It was going to be really hard work.

It was late but Naruto still had one more thing to do before he could crawl into bed; check his messages.

Sure enough, after having booted up his slow running, stone age block of a computer a group chat was eagerly awaiting the juicy details of his late afternoon rendezvous with the teacher.  
Everyone was still online, even Sasuke and Shikamaru who while active, had opted to ignore the immature banter that bounced back and forth between the rest of the group.

****9.49pm savveysavage: ****maybe hes dead? maybe kakashi killed him?**  
******9.49pm chojizard54: ****shame it wasnt u instead kiba**  
******9.51pm savveysavage: ****this is why we all hate you man****  
9,52pm kungpwmaster_lee: ****its you we all hate ^

Maybe it was time to intervene and burst their bubble. Naruto didn't bother to read the beginning of the conversation. What he'd seen already was more than enough.

_Pop. _There was a new message.

****9.53pm savveysavage: ****atleast one of us cares that naruto isnt bck yet.  
_Pop._**_  
_******9.53pm pissyrav3n: ****Considering he's online now I think it's safe to assume he made it back okay.

Sasuke must have waited up for him. He appeared to be just as curious as the rest of their friends. Naruto was just impressed he'd stayed in the group chat for that long, he normally pretended to be offline so he didn't "have to stomach their stupidity."  
So he put it.

****9.54pm foxxyimp77: ****ive been at wrk.**  
**_Pop._**  
******9.55pm savveysavage: ****we dont care about that. what happnd aftr school?**  
**_Pop. Pop. Pop._**  
******9.55pm chojizard54: ****did you get in trouble naruto?**  
******9.55pm pissyrav3n: ****Told you so.**  
******9.55pm glumintheshadows: ****Just tell us what happened so I can fall asleep already.

It really wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't get scolded or anything like that. But school outside of school? He was definitely in a strange kind of trouble.

_Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop._**  
******9.56pm savveysavage: ****what happened!1****  
9.56pm savveysavage: ****what happened!1****  
9.56pm savveysavage: ****what happened!1****  
9.56pm savveysavage: ****what happened!1****  
9.56pm savveysavage: ****what happened!1**  
******9.57pm foxxyimp77: ****NOTHING!

He was regretting talking to the group about it.

_Pop._**  
******9.58pm savveysavage: ****what do you mean nothing? where did ge touch u naruto?**  
**_glumintheshadows has left the conversation.  
__Pop._**_  
_******9.58pm chojizard54: ****shut up kiba! ur so annoying!**  
******9.59pm foxxyimp77: ****he told me hes going to teach me on the wkends when im not wrking.**_  
_**_Pissyrav3n has left the conversation._

This was something that Sasuke needed to discuss in person and privately. He would never admit it but Kiba was getting to him and tutoring on the weekends? That meant that Naruto would be cutting down the already limited time that they had to spend together, and for another guy, nonetheless.

_Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop._

Naruto was bombarded with messages and feeling drained considered simply closing the window and logging off, but there was a _Pop _from a separate chat box that kept him online.

****10.02pm pissyrav3n: ****This sounds really weird Naruto. I don't want you spending all your free time with our teacher.. I can help you study more if you want?**  
******10.03pm foxxyimp77: ****i dnt have a chce. we can stll c each othr at scool?

He didn't get another reply from Sasuke who promptly signed off. Naruto turned off his own computer, stripped down to his boxers, quickly turned off the lights and crawled into bed.  
It seemed everybody was constantly mad at him for just living. He hadn't asked for any of it. Spending time with his teacher was the last thing he wanted to do on his days off.

****xXx****

English was his last class of the day and he was still unsure if Kakashi-Sensei had meant _that _weekend or if their after-class studies would start the following weekend. The day had otherwise mostly been normal; his friends teased him and hounded him about needing extra "help"with his school work and classes were boring and uneventful.

There were only two things that stood out to him as different; Firstly the day seemed to drag out at an unusually painful pace. He hated school on the best of days but he was desperately waiting for something to happen and he didn't quite understand what.

And secondly, Sasuke had spent the day ignoring him, up until they sat together in English.  
They didn't sit together at lunch, they didn't pass notes in maths. Sasuke didn't want a bar of him and he couldn't think of any possible reason why.

_"Maybe he's jealous that you're the new teachers pet?"_

Kiba had sarcastically proposed through a mouthful of fries. He wasn't serious but it was the most sense he'd spoken in a very long time.

"Are you going to start talking to me again?"

Naruto asked after his sour faced boyfriend had sat beside him in seething silence for quite some time.

"Talking in class isn't going to improve your grades Naruto, since you're trying so hard to focus at school now."

Their fights always went in a similar way. The two of them were both very stubborn yet completely oblivious to their own, as well as each others feelings. Sasuke always pretended to be stoic and cold yet was surprisingly over-emotional and very dramatic.  
He could never just admit to being upset and so chose to get mad instead.

"Sasuke-"

He too was about to get huffy when he looked up and his eyes met with Kakashi's. He cut himself off quickly.  
It wasn't that he suddenly cared about School, it was that he didn't quite know where he stood with Kakashi-Sensei.

And so he picked up his pen and began to scribble incoherently all the things that the teacher told them and put Sasuke at the very back of his mind.

Sasuke was absolutely jealous, he decided. Petty and jealous.

****xXx****

It was to no surprise that Sasuke left without another word once that intrusive bell signaled their freedom. Naruto had barely packed up his desk when he watched Sasuke's back leave the room.

He was still collecting himself when Sensei called out to him. The room was almost cleared out and Kakashi was ready to leave too, only he didn't.  
He made his way over to Naruto and waited patiently with possibly the warmest smile Naruto had ever experienced.

"Are you working tonight?"

Naruto shook his head and swung his bag over his shoulder.

"No Sensei, I was going to go home and study."

Truth be told, he felt incredibly embarrassed admitting that he was going to spend his evening reading books and not out with his friends.  
Was it obvious? His cheeks felt hot and he knew he was flustered.

"You have plenty of time for that. Let me buy you dinner."

Now, his intentions were completely platonic. Kakashi had no plans himself and he wanted to scope out Naruto's situation a little further.  
It was a friendly gesture to open up with before he cracked down hard on the young boy and his studies.

"D-dinner?"

What would Sasuke say to that? No, probably. But he was mad at Sasuke and why should he turn down a free meal? It was going to be free right?

"Yes Naruto, dinner. I want to make sure you're getting real food inside of you. I've seen what you eat at lunch, I highly doubt you cook anything better for yourself at home."

It was true. He didn't. He lived off of the leftover food from his shifts at the small cafe he worked at and on the days where he wasn't eating scraps it was takeaways and for the most part, cup ramen. His favorite.

"Hey what's wrong with what I eat?"

Kakashi laughed and ran his fingers through his spiked, unnaturally gray hair. Naruto swore that he dyed it, the man was far too young looking to have hair that color. It was more like silver though. Not old and dead gray.

"Is that a yes? We can start your studying tomorrow. Besides, who studies on a Friday evening?"  
"Fine. But you're buying and I'm eating whatever I want and however much I want of it!"  
"Sounds like a deal."

Naruto already forgotten all about his pissed off boyfriend by that point and Kakashi had forgotten about his own as the two walked along side each other towards the parking lot.  
He had the car that day and Yamato was out for the night with his work colleagues for some Konohagakure Regional Professionals event at the city waterfront.

There had been a long silence before Naruto decided to break it. The two were approaching a modest, midnight black BMW, and with a

_Beep beep_ the lights flashed and the doors unlocked.  
Naruto was quite impressed. He'd always wanted to drive around in a flash car.

"Sensei I wanted to ask you-"  
"Sempai, Naruto!"

A friendly voice called out.  
The two turned around simultaneously and a kind, dark haired teacher was making his way toward them.

"Iruka! How nice to see you."

Naruto gave a coy smile and watched the two interact. Kakashi-Sensei was always quite a laid back man but there was this stern demeanor that underlined his body language whenever he taught in class.  
Now he had his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slouched and he seemed so much more relaxed.

"I hope you don't have too much paper work to do over the weekend. We could all use a bit of a break this term."

Kakashi shrugged. Iruka knew Kakashi would do no such thing as 'paper work' on his days off. He efficient but _very very _lazy.

"Actually I'm going to spend some time tutoring Naruto. We were just about to go grab a bite, care to join?"

Iruka smiled and politely declined.

"Good to see you're putting in the hard yards Naruto, I hope you both enjoy your weekend!"

Naruto had always liked Iruka-Sensei. He was a very gracious man and for the first few years at high school he had been a hot tempered but patient teacher, he always enjoyed seeing him.  
It made him uneasy to think that there was a small part of him that was pleased Iruka declined Kakashi-Sensei's invitation.

He was still trying to figure out why he felt so nervous and to some degree safe, all at the same time.  
This was different from when he hung out with Sasuke or his friends. Kakashi was an adult, and the first adult to take on the task of helping him out.

"Let's stop off at the arcade first. We've got a little bit of time before we need to eat."

Kakashi opened his door and the two got into his car. The interior still smelt like new leather and Naruto had never seen anything so pristine and exciting.

"Sounds good to me!"

****xXx****

Kakashi took him home fairly early.

"Get some rest, we're going to spend the day studying tomorrow."

He told Naruto. Secretly, Naruto looked forward to it. It was nice, saying goodnight to somebody. Having plans for the next day. He didn't feel quite so lonely. He had a bag of leftovers to put in the fridge and he felt satisfied, not exhausted, when he climbed into bed after a couple of hours of playstation.  
He forgot to check his messages to see if Sasuke had come around yet and was ready to explain himself.

He thought about it as he drifted off to sleep, he thought about how mad Sasuke was with him. He had no reason at all to be. He could still be top of the class, Naruto wasn't the "new teachers pet" He just needed a helping hand.  
He just needed somebody to care about him.

****xXx****


	3. Naive

Conquest.

Chapter three; Naive.**  
**

****A/N**** "I'm not saying it was your fault, although you could have done more." - Naive.

****xXx****

For the first time in a while Kakashi felt sincerely satisfied with himself. He was up early, the apartment was in above reasonable conditions and he found himself with enough free time to read a chapter or two before his day began.

"Still reading that smut?"

Kakashi didn't look up from his page. He was sprawled out lazily on the couch with one foot up and one foot on the ground. He didn't miss a beat in retaliating.

"I'm impressed. Even in the state you're in you remain ever the wittiest."

Yamato still hadn't changed his clothes from the previous day. The ones he'd fallen asleep in when he collapsed onto the bed at some ridiculous hour.  
In fact, he had barely managed to drag himself out of bed.  
He was severely nauseous and he'd spent the minimal hours of sleep he had gotten dreaming about drinking a lot of ice cold water.

"It's a talent really."

If Kakashi were to say he felt sorry for his miserable lover it would be nothing short of a lie.  
Yamato's suffering was self inflicted and it seemed that on his nights out with his work it always ended the same way. Yamato never learned his boundaries and drank far too excessively.

"Let me guess, never again?"  
"Never again."

But there would be many more drunken nights and painful, shameful mornings. The worst was yet to come.  
There was already a coffee waiting on the bench for him. Strong, black and luke warm.

Yamato drank it without another word and disappeared into the comfort and warmth of their bedroom where he tried to sleep away the rest of his day. He didn't even notice that after a short while Kakashi had slipped out the front door and was on his way to spend his day with somebody else.

His book lay closed and face down on the coffee table, his own coffee cold and undisturbed.

****xXx****

Three times he had slept through the shrill alarm he had set. He wanted to get up early and get in some gaming before his Sensei arrived and his fun and his freedom of the weekend was sucked dry from study.

When he finally woke up he checked the time and panicked. It was nearly lunch and he was correct in assuming Kakashi-Sensei was already on his way.

He had time to rush through his shower, briefly tidy the lounge and check his emails before he had to get down to business.  
There were three messages waiting for him in chat, all three were from Sasuke.

****Yesterday.****

****7.42pm pissyrav3n: ****Can we talk about today? I'm sorry.**  
******Today.  
8.45am pissyrav3n: ****You better not be ignoring me..**  
******9.57am pissyrav3n:**** Reply as soon as you wake up, I'm going to come around today.

If Naruto shouldn't have felt nervous, he did. He felt nervous. He felt guilty and he couldn't understand why.

He wanted nothing more than for Sasuke to come over and spend the day with him but his obligations lay with the teacher taking time out of his own life to help him make it through school.

****11.28am foxxyimp77: ****Come over later, going to do some study first.

Naruto had to take a risk. If Sasuke was mad he was mad. There was no getting around pissing off his boyfriend without lying and there was no getting around studying.  
It wasn't like he had much of a choice.  
And so that's why when he sent his reply he didn't feel bad at all.

A knock on his front door came all too quickly. Naruto opened it, barely ready to begin his day, and greeted Kakashi-Sensei who smiled pleasantly and held up a grocery bag full of fresh vegetables, a loaf of bread and a bottle of Coke.

"I thought we could start with some lunch."

Initially, when Naruto heard lunch and saw that his teacher had not only supplied lunch but was more than pleased to make it for him he was ecstatic.  
Until he realized exactly what the two of them were having:

"Salad and lean turkey sandwiches on a multi-grain loaf."

He sounded proud of his announcement. Naruto would have even gone so far as to say the word _smug._

"We can at least add butter and mayo right?"  
"Nope. I want you to start eating better, especially before you start learning. It will make a dramatic difference to your attention span."

Naruto had finally found a silver lining to not having loving parents; at least he could eat whatever he wanted.

"If you're so worried about me eating healthy why do you have a bottle of coke?"

Kakashi had already made himself at home in Naruto's quaint but messy kitchen. He was looking through the cupboards for plates and cutlery as Naruto dug through his shopping bag with seriously disappointing results.

"Because I'm not completely evil."  
"Yeah, only a tiny bit though."

Naruto poured the two of them a glass each. He could only be a little annoyed, after all, it was food, it was free and he didn't have to make anything himself.

"Thank you."

And he meant it. Kakashi smiled in response but didn't say a word. He made the sandwiches and the two ate in a comfortable silence. One that Naruto had never experienced before.  
He was always talking and always trying surround himself and his friends with fun. The silence that he knew was a smothering loneliness that sometimes brought him to tears.

It was in that moment that Naruto realized he wanted to learn more about his Sensei. He wanted to know about the deep scar that cut down one eye.  
He wanted to know why that eye was a murky, cloudy dark gray and why his other eye was so vivid and piercing. It was almost black.  
He wanted to know why Kakashi was a teacher and why he wanted to help him.

He wanted to see Kakashi as a person, as his friend.

"Sensei.."

His voice sounded drawn out and uncomfortable. Kakashi looked up from his plate and frowned softly.

"Naruto?"

Naruto paused and swallowed his breath. Talking didn't feel natural to him anymore. He didn't believe he had a right to know more. He couldn't let himself get caught up in the lie that his teacher was any more than just that.  
He couldn't let himself pretend that Kakashi was there out of anything other than pity.  
"I-"

And so he decided it was best not to try make anything out of their time together. He had wanted to believe that Kakashi could be a friend or a guardian figure. An adult who cared about him and his struggles.

"I haven't read any of the story yet. I forgot to catch up the other night. I'm sorry."

He wasn't good at hiding things but Kakashi wasn't exactly one to probe further.

"Well that's why we're doing this today. We can start off with chapter one and discuss it before moving on. You're not that far behind."

But he was behind. In almost anything he did. No-one else needed extra attention. It slowly dawned on him and once they finished eating he couldn't continue to be buried in his food.  
It was becoming more and more evident to Kakashi that something was up and he would have to actually find out what it was.

"You read the first paragraph Naruto."

Naruto gulped, nodded and then in a painfully slow manner read the beginnings of the first chapter.

"The boy with fair hair lowered himself down rock and began to pick his way towards the.. Lag-oon."

For a second Kakashi thought the long pause that followed was embarrassment for not knowing how to correctly pronounce lagoon, but he realized Naruto was waiting for him to speak.

"Naruto?"  
"Yeah Sensei?"  
"You know that's not the end of the paragraph right? I want you to read all the way down to where the first character speaks."

It was going to be a very tedious day for the two of them and Naruto, groaning, counted the remaining number of pages before the second chapter begun.

"We have to read _30 _whole pages today!"

"Not we Naruto, _you_. Everyone else has managed to read the first chapter, you can do it too."

Teaching one on one meant that Kakashi could finally make sure Naruto was paying attention without the added pressure of making sure the rest of the class was keeping up too.  
He could finally see where Naruto was struggling.

"Fine. You want me to read all this? I can do it."

There was annoyance in his tone but there was also determination, and there was determination in the endless ocean of his cerulean eyes.  
A sly grin crept onto Kakashi's face.

"Let's start from the top. I want you to repeat the first sentence and try to read with a smooth flow."

****xXx****

As much of an avid reader as Kakashi considered himself to be, the act of re-reading The Lord Of The Flies for the hundredth time was something he no longer enjoyed. He knew the story inside out. He knew every detail written and interpreted.

One thing he didn't know was how much he could enjoy somebody else getting to know the pages he'd turned over a thousand times.  
He watched as Naruto became more confident with his voice, and with his Sensei's encouragement Naruto almost dared to enjoy himself as well.

"-And for a while they were busy finding and.. Dev..Our.. Ing.. Food as they moved down the scar towards the platform and the meeting."

Naruto closed the book triumphantly. His smile a proud beaming grin.

"Very good Naruto, see? You've already done most of the work for this week."

He still had several quick questions to run through with Naruto, but Kakashi retreated to the kitchen and grabbed another couple of glasses of coke for the two of them. When he returned Naruto had beaten him to it, he had picked up his homework sheet and was reading over it.

"Sensei, do you really think when the old man wrote this book he was thinking about all this stuff on the sheet?"

To him, the words were nothing more than words.

"That's a good question. Do you think the story means anything?"

Naruto scrunched up his nose and furrowed his eyebrows in what Kakashi could only assume was concentration.

"I don't really know. But what I do know is that somebody wouldn't write a story this boring without having a reason to."

Kakashi couldn't help it. He laughed.

"I guess that's a good observation. Here."

He handed Naruto his drink and took a seat beside him on the ground where they had set up for their lesson.  
Naruto placed his cup beside himself and fell onto his back. His closed his eyes and sighed.

What was Sasuke so worried about? What was wrong with spending time with Kakashi-Sensei? He didn't seem like such a bad guy.  
Studying didn't feel like such a punishment, even if it was pretty boring.

"Before we look over those questions Naruto, do you want to play a round of street fighter?"

Naruto had all his video games strewn about in front of the TV, along side his xbox which sat proudly in the center. He had saved up for two years to buy it. After that his friends gave him all the ones they didn't play any more and Sasuke's Mum and Dad let Sasuke pick out a few games for him for his birthday and Christmas.

"Are you sure you're a teacher? You keep getting cooler and cooler!"  
"You set it up. I'll be back."

Kakashi left to find the bathroom and Naruto was left to his own devices. It took a couple of wrong turns before he actually found out where it was, and little to his surprise Naruto wasn't exactly the cleanest of people.

On his way back into the lounge Kakashi made a quick stop in Naruto's room. It was the coldest room in the house, the sun didn't reach his windows until late in the evening.  
He still had his curtains on and there was a pile of clothes scattered across his floor. The dim glow of Naruto's computer lit the room and Kakashi walked further in to take a peek.

****11.28am foxxyimp77: ****Come over later, going to do some study first.  
_Seen.  
_****1.37pm pissyrav3n: ****Studying? With Kakashi-Sensei? I'll come over when I come over.

He quickly backed away. That wasn't any of his business, and as nosy as he was he didn't want to concern himself with petty high school dramas.  
It was at that moment, as he was leaving Naruto's bedroom that he heard a young voice call out excitedly:

"Sensei hurry up!"

And it was less than a moment after that there was a loud knock on the door. Kakashi no longer felt like he belonged.  
What was he doing? He was crossing the lines of inappropriate. Playing video games, eating out with his 16 year old student was not study.

"I'll get it!"

Naruto appeared in a split second like a bolt of lightening. He ran straight to the door and swung it open.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto couldn't see the look on his face. Naruto couldn't see the utter betrayal in Sasuke's deep onyx eyes. Not like Kakashi could, and for the first time in his life Kakashi was ready to leave and let himself be intimidated by a boy 10 years his junior.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke and didn't seem to notice he received no response. Sasuke was fixated on Kakashi.

"I'm going to head off now Naruto."  
"That's a good idea, _Sensei._"

It was a reminder of exactly what he was. He was an adult in a position of power, such that he did not wish to abuse.  
It was also in that moment though that he realized he

_was_ an adult, before he was a teacher. And here was a child before him who had lived his life alone, without any help. He wasn't there for Naruto just to help him study, he was there to help him.

It didn't settle any tension that lingered in the entrance of Naruto's humble shack of a home.

"Sasuke why are you here if you're going to be like this?"  
"It's okay Naruto. Look over those questions and get them done by Monday, you did good today."

As Kakashi gathered his wallet and his keys from the kitchen he could hear Naruto raise his voice. He didn't even fight like that with Yamato and god knew that the two of them needed to yell and stamp their feet at each other sometimes.

Kakashi didn't look back as he left and got into his car.

****xXx****

Naruto wasn't sure he believed that Sasuke had turned up with intentions of making things right. He couldn't understand why things were wrong to begin with.

Maybe that's what Kakashi-Sensei was trying to teach him about in his book. The words meant more than one thing and there was something that Sasuke was saying but not telling.

"I don't understand. Why are you being like this?"

Naruto was defeated. He couldn't argue anymore. Things had gone back and forth between them and it all seemed more complicated than it needed to be. He wanted to beg Sasuke to just stop being angry.

"Because it's weird! Do you like him? Are you doing more than studying?"

Where Sasuke had gotten his jealous streak from Naruto had no idea.

"No! Why are you saying this?"

His voice was fragile and worn down. Naruto had collapsed onto his bed and folded his arms across his chest. He closed his eyes and just listened.

"What if Kiba's right and this is just a way for him to get close to you?"

He hoped that if he kept his eyes closed for long enough Sasuke would give up and leave. That he could fast forward time and be left alone in the peace and quiet of his house.  
As the afternoon had passed them by the sun had slowly faded and night was creeping in, covering his house in a blanket of darkness.  
The two of them hadn't noticed and the only light was the dull ebb of his computer screen which sat on and long forgotten.

"Drop it Sasuke. It means nothing."

Finally, there was silence. A light weight crept onto the bed and fell beside him. A hand clasped his and he squeezed back. Sasuke had lost the will to keep up his ridiculous fight.

"Do you promise?"  
"I promise."

They whispered to each other.

In the darkness Sasuke moved closer and reached out with his lips until they pressed against warm skin. Naruto felt the gentle peck on his cheek and allowed Sasuke to continue his journey until their lips met in a timid kiss.

It built up slowly until a passionate flame lit between the two of them and ignited insatiable desire.  
The kiss became rough and Sasuke crawled on top of Naruto in a rushed, clumsy motion.

He hands entwined in Naruto's unruly hair. Naruto's hands reached up and held them in place.  
Almost as quickly as the feeling had came, it left and Naruto found himself petrified of the possibilities that Sasuke was leading too.

He knew he was hard, he knew Sasuke probably was too and he knew what it meant but that didn't mean he was ready.

"Sas-"

He was cut off by a hot, wet kiss and in a fluid motion Sasuke rocked his hips and ground into Naruto.  
Any doubt about whether one or the other was hiding a boner disappeared. He felt vulnerable and exposed.

"Sasuke!"

He tried again to voice his rising nerves but he was breathless and his voice escaped as little more than a pleading gasp.

"Just relax you idiot!"

Sasuke sat up and tried to read Naruto's expression. He could barely make it out and he could barely understand it but Naruto was frowning up at him.  
Pouting, even, it seemed.

"Just relax."

He tried again, and while Naruto's face softened, what Sasuke couldn't tell was that Naruto wasn't ready.  
He started with his own clothes; he took off his shirt and his pants soon followed afterward.

"Sasuke I don't-"  
"Naruto! Just stop."

Naruto stopped protesting and lulled his head to the side. Sasuke didn't seem to notice. He didn't seem to care.  
He didn't help Sasuke to remove his clothes but Sasuke didn't need his help. It was obvious that no matter what he said or what he did, Sasuke wanted this to happen. Sasuke was ready.  
Naruto was not.

"Naruto."

Sasuke breathed out his name. It was low and husky. Naruto tried not to listen. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine he was some place else. Somewhere warm and surrounded by friends.  
Even as Sasuke's hand tugged down the waist band of his boxers and invited itself into Naruto's privacy.

Sasuke trailed kisses from Naruto's belly button, all the way down to his thigh. He squirmed beneath Sasuke's touch but Sasuke held his hips in place.  
The kisses worked their way back up until they reached his member.

Naruto had dreamed about it for a very long time. He always thought of Sasuke when he touched himself. He wanted nothing more than to be intimate for the first time with his boyfriend, he just didn't want it to be the consequences of an argument.

He wanted to say no and be heard.

"Please stop."

But Sasuke didn't listen. Even as tears spilled over Naruto's cheeks and into his words. He didn't give his lover a chance to pull away, his mouth was already wrapped firmly around Naruto's penis.  
He wasn't exactly experienced himself, he just knew what it was meant to look like. He was so fixated on what he was supposed to do that he forgot what he needed to do was make sure Naruto was enjoying himself as well.

From his perspective however, Naruto seemed to be more than enjoying himself. As Sasuke slid his tongue up the shaft and along the tip of Naruto's penis it twitched in response.  
Naruto released a delicious moan and unwillingly threw his head into the pillow.  
He roughly thrust his hips against Sasuke who had to move with him to keep from choking.

It wasn't long, actually it was barely a minute before Naruto lost control and without warning came in 1, 2, 3 quick pulses that shot through his body and squeezed all his muscles.

Sasuke waited until he was sure Naruto was finished before sucking up every last drop of semen and gladly swallowing with only a hint of disgust evident on his face.  
It didn't quite taste how he had expected. And none of it felt anywhere as good as Naruto had expected his first sexual encounter would.

He rolled onto his side, away from Sasuke, and hugged his shivering body.

"Naruto?"

Had Sasuke finally understood he'd made a mistake?

"What?"

Naruto rolled back onto his back and faced him. Sasuke was looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't think this is fair."

He could hear annoyance. He didn't quite realize that Sasuke's irritation was because of him. He couldn't possibly see what he did wrong after what had just happened.

"What's not fair?"

He was so naive. He was so unprepared for hurtful words that followed.

"After all that, you're just going to go to sleep. You're being self centered Naruto."

With that, Naruto realized what an idiot he truly was being. He sat up abruptly and swung his fist at Sasuke, hitting his cheek hard. Barely missing his eye.  
Sasuke cried out and jumped out of bed, one hand raised defensively and one hand cradling his wounded face.

"What the hell is your problem! You have serious issues!"  
"Get out! Get out! Get out of my house!"

Sasuke was changing as quickly as he could and Naruto was throwing his clothes at him. He chased him out the door and while he didn't show a lot of restraint, it was taking all he had not to completely lash out.

"You're a fucking freak Naruto!"

That was the last thing he heard before he slammed his front door and fumbled desperately in the dark to lock it. Sasuke tried once to open it. He frantically turned the handle and banged on the door, but to no avail.

Naruto had withdrawn to the safety of his bedroom and sat with his back pressed securely at the door.

****xXx****

It wasn't until he saw car lights pull up in his drive way, heard a car door shut and watched the lights pull away again that he finally felt safe enough to move from his small, comforting space in front of the door.

The first thing he did was the only thing he could think of.

He made his way blindly into the kitchen. He still couldn't bring himself to turn on the lights.  
Sasuke was gone, he knew that, but he didn't want anyone to know he was home. He didn't want anyone to seem in his state; red puffy eyes, swollen, runny nose and tear stained cheeks.

He found his phone book, he kept it in the second drawer below his cutlery, and turned on a lamp that sat on the kitchen table. It was the first time he had ever used it. He had never had anybody to call before. He'd even considered just getting his phone cut off, but what if there was an emergency?

This could count as an emergency he decided.

He frantically skipped through pages and pages of names until he reached the section he was looking for. Sliding his finger down the page, Naruto slowly read through the last names.

"_H. Ha. Ham. Has. Hat. Hatake."_

Luck had it that there were only three Hatake's to choose from and only one seemed to live within reasonable proximity. With a moment of hesitation Naruto grabbed his phone and dialed in the numbers.

His hand was shaking and he needed to convince himself he wasn't crazy. That he wasn't wrong and that he needed help.

Once he'd done that he pressed 'call' and listened for an answer.

****xXx****


	4. There's no need to argue

Conquest.

Chapter four; There's no need to argue.**  
**

****A/N**** It's been such a long time since I posted anything and I sincerely apologize! I have every intention of completing this story so please be patient and hang in there! More writing is on the way (:

****xXx****

The phone rang three times. Four times. Then, click.

"Hello?"

It was a mans voice that answered, but it was not Kakashi's. He was completely thrown off. He couldn't speak, his words were a painful gush of air trapped inside his throat.

"Hello. Hatake and Kinoe residence?"

The man tried again, but Naruto was still trying to find the right thing to say.

_'It's not his number.'_

Naruto decided. But he knew it had to be, how many Kakashi Hatake's lived in one area? It was the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line that made him question if calling for help really was a good idea, after all, what could he possibly say?

He was gripping his phone with tight, clammy hands but he managed to at least steady his voice and speak up, albeit a little too quickly.

"Sorry, wrong number."

He hung up and melted into the cold kitchen floor. Naruto was hurt and angry but he couldn't understand why.  
Sasuke was his boyfriend and he was a guy. He could have fought Sasuke off if he truly didn't want it. What good would calling his English teacher do?

And it was that thought that seemed to settle the issue. He was acting irrationally, no-one needed to get involved. Even though he believed himself, Naruto did not move from his spot for sometime.  
He nearly fell asleep pressed against the hard wood of one of the cupboard doors.

Eventually Naruto found his way in the dark to his room. His computer was whirring and occasionally beeping. It was over-heating as it tried to update. After he read the download notification an urgent orange flashed in the corner of his eyes. His chat box was desperately seeking his attention. He wondered if it was from Sasuke.

When he opened it, heart racing furiously, he met an over-whelming rejection that crushed him.  
It wasn't from Sasuke.  
Sasuke was online though.

No apology. No angry messages hiding the guilt and embarrassment Naruto knew Sasuke deserved to feel. There was nothing waiting for Naruto at the end of the broken road he seemed to be walking.

The message was from the group chat Kiba had set up several days beforehand. It happened to be from none other than the group's founder himself; it was a link to a video.

The video was at least ten minutes long and if the five seconds that Naruto spent watching it were anything to go by then it was ten minutes of stick figures farting and giggling.

Kiba, ever the maturest.

Naruto chose to end his day at that point. He had been sucked dry of energy and when he climbed into bed and lay his head on his pillow, he thought he would have the blessing of falling straight to sleep.

It soon became apparent that that was not the case. Instead his mind was animated and teeming with thoughts he fought endlessly to escape.  
After a long winded battle Naruto finally won the senseless war he had provoked and finally got his well needed rest.

****xXx****

On Monday at lunch, when Neji asked why Naruto wasn't with Sasuke, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and dropped the question. When Kiba asked him why Naruto hadn't turned up to school Sasuke told him;

"He has the flu."

Neji could have raised his suspicions about Sasuke's inconsistencies but instead chose to remain silent. It was not his business to delve into.

And then finally, in English, Kakashi Hatake called out Naruto's name from the roster. After a second or two of silence Kakashi called out his name once more, but nobody replied.

"Sasuke, do you know why Naruto isn't in class today?"

When Kakashi-Sensei asked, Sasuke had grown tired of answering to 'where's Naruto?' He hadn't spoken to Naruto since Saturday evening, and the two spent the remainder of the weekend in a stubborn silence.  
Neither one was quite ready to end their feud.

"How should I know? We're not attached at the hip."

He earned a few snickers and whispers. Kakashi was not as amused as some of the class. The sudden attitude Sasuke seemed to have adopted was beginning to become and issue for Kakashi who was not above petty sarcasm himself.

"Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't need to ask because he would be here. I simply assumed you would know where Naruto is because after all, he is your boyfriend."

It was a subtle dig. His tone gave away no clue as to what he really meant to the average observer, but Sasuke was not a fool and he took Kakashi's words as a warning.  
Kakashi was trying to embarrass him to put him in his place.

As open as they generally tended to be about their relationship, Sasuke still had insecurities about his father learning about his unsanctified relationship. His family was traditional and cold, his father particularly.  
While his brother was more than aware of how truthful the rumors regarding their 'friendship' were, he chose to feign ignorance for the sake of a peaceful household.  
That did not mean though that the thought of gossip reaching the wrong ears did not leave Sasuke in a state of constant paranoia.

Sasuke huffed but said no more.

This was a battle not worth the scars that would follow. Kakashi was a formidable opponent, one not worth stirring.  
So he kept his mouth shut and his eyes dark for the remainder of the lesson.

He didn't know what to make of Naruto's absence. He knew Naruto was upset but to what extent seemed to slip through his understanding. He had given himself plenty of time to mull over what he considered to be nothing more than a couples quarrel.

Naruto, quite obviously, had a great deal more to consider but Sasuke just couldn't begin to acknowledge that his actions were wounding.

He placed his elbows on his desk, laced his fingers together and used them to rest his chin. The end of the day was approaching and he had reasoned with himself that it was best to approach Naruto face to face. It would be at least a day or two before he would find the time to visit his sulking partner, since he had martial arts training with his father and his brother, so if he was expecting a prompt resolution it all came down to whether or not Naruto would pull himself together and show his face at school the next day.

He didn't hold his breath.

The shrill bell finally came and signified the end of the final period. As expected, the class rushed to escape, but not before Kakashi called out;

"Homework tonight. I want you to re-read today's chapter on your own and write up a one page summary. See you all in the morning!"

He watched as the last student left the room before he packed up his laptop and his desk.  
He had a choice. Leave, take his work straight home and pretend he wasn't bothered by Naruto's absence and Sasuke's hostility, or, pay Naruto a visit.

****xXx****

The cafe had been quiet that afternoon. Naruto's anxiety and confusion swelled inside of him, he had welcomed the distraction of a busy environment but there was no relief from his own mind.

He didn't want to face the world, but the empty flat that awaited him patiently felt like an ominous presence and the air inside felt heavy. The light didn't quite reach him and the silence was unbearable.

He had never felt so alone than in that moment.

Would Sasuke care about his restless heart and his sleepless nights? Did he notice his absence?  
There had been no messages, no phone calls, no admission to the pain that Naruto just could not escape.  
Had it been his fault all along?

With a shake of his head he was determined to snap out of it. He zeroed in on a patch of coffee that had sat too long on the white marble counter and left a stain. With intention he worked vigorously until he was visibly frustrated.

He got a small fright when the bell at the top of the door sang out to alert him of his first customer, and first human presence, in the hour since his co-worker had gone home.

He looked up quickly and barely had time to say hello when he recognized who had entered.

"Kakashi-Sensei!"  
Being 'caught' was something that had never even crossed his mind when he picked up his shift. He knew what would follow – a stern scolding and an explanation. He wasn't ready to talk about it yet.  
He couldn't even work out why he felt the way he did.

"Naruto! Happy to see you're well."

Kakashi sauntered to the counter, cool as ever with his hands in his pockets, and leaned against it casually.

"A tall Latte, trim. Please."

Naruto was flabbergasted. It took him a moment to break free from his stupor and get to work. He nodded, tried to blink away his confusion and rushed to the coffee machine. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing at all.  
It was Kakashi who broke the silence that followed.

"What happened?"

Naruto didn't look up. His voice was caught in his throat and his nerves were so shaken he became worried that there was something more that had rattled him than being found truant.

"How did you find me?"

He didn't believe it was just a coincidence that Kakashi had happened to stumble into his coffee shop.  
He was naive but his teacher lacked subtlety.

"I rang your case worker. She told me you work here."

His heart dropped, did that mean Kakashi had complained to her about him skipping school? He needed the schools good word to receive his weekly food grant and keep him out of a foster home.

His jaw was slack and his eyes were wide with fear until Kakashi smiled.

"I just asked where you worked. I figured your day off could stay between the two of us. Since it was just a one off, right?"

All Naruto could muster was a slow nod and a loud gulp. He handed Kakashi his coffee and waved away the loose change that Kakashi offered.

"Don't worry about it, I just closed off my till."  
"Does that mean you're closing up for the night?"

It was five already, the day had gone too fast for his liking.

"I guess I am!"

He mustered a smile and made his way towards the door to lock up. Kakashi stayed put, making Naruto a little uncomfortable about having to ask him to leave.

"I'll drive you home. It won't be long before it gets dark."

He was too tired and too alone to decline the offer.

****xXx****

Neither of them spoke very much at all as Kakashi drove back out from the heart of the city into Naruto's run down suburb. The change in wealth was almost instant, with a very clear separation of the poor and the upper middle class.

Kakashi chose not to ask why Naruto had bunked school. Instead he simply asked;

"What's wrong?"

The lights from the streetlamps and the dim glow of the sun setting into the lavender sky couldn't hide Naruto's downcast eyes.  
His fingers were laced together and nervously tapping his knuckles. He again found himself at a loss for words.

"Nothing."

He eventually muttered. Though Kakashi knew it was a lie he didn't press his student any further. It would do for now, to know that Naruto needed him.

With the little information offered to him Kakashi pieced together that the 'nothing' that had Naruto in a bit of a state was undoubtedly connected to Sasuke Uchiha. Perhaps passively separating the two of them would be for the best.

Naruto did not want to admit he was disappointed in how quickly they arrived at his street, having company had been pleasant.  
When they pulled into his driveway he was blind to see another person waiting at his doorstep. Kakashi took notice.

Even with the lights off and the figure shrouded in growing darkness Kakashi knew who he was looking at.

"Naruto, let me walk you inside."  
"Okay, sure!"

He was interested to say the least, in how Naruto would react once he realized he had a visitor.  
Sasuke stood and the shadow rose and moved forward. The last of the light hit his face and illuminated his dark eyes and intense gaze.

Naruto realized he was there when he got out of the car and the sound of footsteps alerted him to a second presence. The hairs on the his body stiffed instantly, and though he worked out very quickly that it was Sasuke, he was genuinely fearful.

"Where have you been?"

He held an authoritative tone and the calmness he exuded reminded Kakashi of a still pool of water that ran rampant beneath the deceitful exterior.

"I've been at work."

Naruto was curt. He moved away from Sasuke's hand that reached out to touch him.

"Thank you Sensei for the ride home."

He dismissed Kakashi who gave him a warm smile and a nod, but he was thankful when Kakashi chose to linger until he made it inside.

They waited until they heard the sound of Kakashi's car leaving before Naruto spoke first.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke looked as though he were about to speak but quickly realized he wanted to say something different. Like a different approach would be more appropriate.

"I came to say sorry."

It wasn't something that happened very often. Sasuke had his own way of seeing the world and never, at least from what Naruto could recall, admitted to his faults.  
His lips were held together tight, like his words were separated from his thoughts and he was trying to keep himself under control.

"Thanks."

Naruto was just as new to receiving apologies as Sasuke was at giving them. He looked down at his feet and began to think hard about how he really felt now that he didn't get the opportunity to release all of the tension that had been building.  
It was almost a let down really.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

Sasuke had been expecting more too. He had his own bone to pick.

"I mean, I appreciate it.. I just wasn't expecting it is all."

He looked up and couldn't quite make out the look on Sasuke's face. For a moment he thought Sasuke might not have meant what he said, but Sasuke gave a small smile and closed the distance between them with a gentle kiss.

"Why weren't you at school today?"

He was annoyed, but he spoke in a much kinder manner. The two of them turned on all the lights and made their way to the kitchen, Naruto filled the jug and pulled out two coffee cups for them both and an instant ramen packet for himself.

"I wasn't feeling right, I just needed a day off."

He truly didn't want to divulge in his own feelings too much. Sasuke could be very unpredictable and he had what often seemed to him to be a fragile ego. He didn't even understand why he had reacted that why in the first place, and why he had felt so hurt.

He wouldn't find the answers he was looking for in another argument, so he was just happy it was all over.

He smiled. It was forced. But Sasuke's didn't seem to be, he seemed to be pleased with the outcome.

"Good."

Naruto finished making them hot chocolates and handed one to Sasuke.

"I can't stay for long. My Father is already upset I wasn't home for training tonight."

Sasuke's Father was a feared and respected man; both a serious business mogul for an international Law firm, and the dedicated Sensei of a Karate club that nearly every generation of Sasuke's bloodline had been a part of. Four times a week Sasuke spent hours training with his Father, Fugaku Uchiha, at the dojo.  
Fugaku was a very rigorous instructor, Sasuke had never missed a session with him.

"Did you skip out because of me?"

Sasuke took a sip and shook his head.

"It was their anniversary tonight, my Mother and Father stayed late for dinner anyway. He just expected me to attend class. Itachi didn't even go."

In the time he had known the two Uchiha brothers Naruto had noticed that Itachi seemed to get away with a lot more, and he knew it bothered Sasuke.  
Itachi was much older, he was better at most of the things Sasuke was passionate about and he didn't seem to struggle as much to earn his Fathers attention and blessing.

"Itachi will be here soon."

He finished his drink, leaned across the kitchen table and quickly redirected Naruto's attention with an unexpected kiss.  
When he pulled away it was because for the second time that night a car pulled into the driveway.

Normally, Itachi would text Sasuke from the car and give them an opportunity to say goodbye. Partially because he was considerate, mostly because he was wise to an excess of many inappropriate scenarios he did not to accidentally walk in on.

It came as a great shock when he knocked loudly on the door and entered before either one of them moved to let him in.

"Sasuke?"

He called out. They walked out into the hallway and Naruto knew right then he'd never forget the look on Itachi's face, and then on Sasuke's who became immediately tense.

Itachi had very visibly been crying. His eyes were swollen and red. No-one had ever seen him in such a state.

"Wh-"

Itachi grabbed him with such force into a tight hug that stole the breath from Sasuke's throat.

"There was an accident."

Naruto felt his knees start to weaken. He watched as Itachi cried into Sasuke's shoulder, who in a state of confusion refused to understand.

"What are you saying?"

He was yelling. He tried to push Itachi away but Itachi wouldn't budge.

"Someone hit their car, they're dead!"

As the scene unfolded Naruto felt desperately helpless. Sasuke started to cry loudly, and he couldn't stand the sound. He held his mouth shut and backed out of the room. He hid in the hallway and slid down the floor where no-one could find him, alone in the dark.

He could hear them by the front door, yelling and sobbing.

Sasuke had never experienced such a great loss. He had always been the strong, calm one. The Uchiha family had fallen.

****xXx****


End file.
