Naruto 1. Violets and Rainbows: Violets

"You can open your eyes now," she said quietly, treasuring the moment. Emerald eyes locked with hers, and Ino pretended that she just wanted to check the quality of the eye make-up. She brushed the girl's bubble gum bangs aside, and gazed at her in awe. She reprimanded herself mentally, and gently rubbed some cream into Sakura's soft lips. They bent under her thumb, and Ino felt her friend's minty breath on her face. She smiled to herself, picking up a nude lipstick, and handing it to Sakura. "You want to do it yourself?" she asked, stepped back, and turned the chair the girl was sitting on towards the mirror. The green eyes widened in surprise.

"Ino… I look beautiful," she murmured, admiring the contouring on her cheekbones.

"You do," Ino agreed hastily. Sakura visited her before the party, and, as usual, they were doing each other's make-up. The blonde loved doing it. She had a bunch of beauty products she bought only because she believed that they would suit her best friend.

The girl rose to her feet, her petite breasts completely unmoved by the motion. Ino bit her lip – hers would be bouncing wildly no matter what kind of bra she would be wearing. Sakura approached the bed, unpacked nude pantyhose, and put it on, raising her long pale legs as she was doing it. Then she put on a sparkly beige dress; it slid over her slim body. Sakura shook her head, and her pink locks bounced off of her face. When she put her delicate feet into the golden high heels, Ino's breath was taken away.

She noticed that she was in love with her best friend over three years ago. She was confused at first. Then she was mostly sad – she knew very well that Sakura had a crush on Sasuke, the most handsome guy in their high school. She heaved a tired sigh. She knew that her love would be an unrequited one.

"Maybe today Sasuke will finally notice me," the girl chirped happily. Ino forced herself to smile back at her. "How do you want me to do your hair?" she inquired, standing behind her, and raising Ino's fair hair with her creamy fingers.

"Anything that you think would suit me," she replied, knowing that the girl liked to play with it. Sakura smirked at her, and brushed it gently. If it was up to Ino, she would probably cut it short but her best friend always told her that she loved her long hair. She observed the girl doing an updo, and her lips curved upwards. She saw that Sakura was stealing glances at her nails – Ino was particularly proud of her work; she practiced it for a whole week before the party.

"You're really talented," Sakura said, envy audible in her voice. "Sometimes I think you'd be better off if you were doing your own make-up and nails," she muttered.

"That would be missing half of the fun," Ino replied. Her party make-up was always simpler than Sakura's but she didn't mind it. She was looking good enough, and knowing that she was wearing her best friend's artwork was priceless.

* * *

At the party Sakura became annoyingly distracted by Sasuke. Ino never knew why exactly the boy was so popular. Sure, he was handsome. But, in Ino's opinion, that was it. He was usually just following Naruto, an equally handsome (and much funnier) guy. Somehow, Naruto would probably land at the bottom of popularity poll, and Ino never could wrap her mind around that. She also didn't know why Sasuke insisted on spending all his time with a guy he kept on calling offensive names or why Naruto allowed that. She sighed tiredly, watching Sakura squeal into Hinata's ear that Sasuke looked "exceptionally good" today. Hinata mumbled that his blond friend looked just as good but Sakura didn't agree with it. Ino decided that she'll have to finally tell the girl that Hinata had a crush on Naruto. Otherwise her best friend may keep thinking that the brunette just tried to hook her up with the idiot who had a crush on her. God, high school was complicated.

Ino left her friends alone, looking for a bathroom. When she came back, Sakura gave her an ugly look. The blonde raised her eyebrow questioningly. Hinata disappeared somewhere.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, leaning against a wall. She noticed that someone took her beer bottle, and frowned. It was almost full.

"I had a little chat with our mutual friend," Sakura hissed. "She told me that you have a crush on Sasuke as well."

Ino's blood froze in her veins. _That bitch._ It was true that she had said that. Some time ago she was asked who her dream boy was, and she blurted out Sasuke's name only because she was sure that she wouldn't have to explain herself. If she said any other name, she would have to say _why_ she liked that guy, and, frankly, she had no idea _why_. Apparently, liking Sasuke was natural. And he was the only guy that would ignore her false feelings. Well, there was also Shikamaru, and Ino probably would be even able to name some of his good qualities – he was a goddamn genius. Unfortunately, someone else already had her eyes on him, and Ino wouldn't want to mess with her.

"Doesn't everyone?" Ino inquired merrily. Sakura didn't smile back.

"We can't be friends anymore," she growled, and the blonde's jaw dropped in shock. _What. He doesn't even know that you exist. We've been friends for the last eight years._ Before she could protest, Sakura took off earrings which she borrowed, and shoved them into Ino's hand. Then she turned on her heel, and disappeared in the crowd. Ino's blue eyes welled up with tears.

Three hours and many, many drinks later, Ino staggered towards Sasuke, who shot her an unhappy stare. She shoved Naruto aside, and pulled the brunette's shirt, forcing him to follow her. She expected him to protest but he didn't say a word, his face startled. His blond friend showed him two thumbs up. Ino wondered what was _that_ about. She pulled him into bathroom with her, and the boy, immediately after being freed from her grip, plastered himself on the doors.

"I want you to date Sakura," she commanded, and his face relaxed.

"Why?" he inquired stupidly. Somehow, he was able to act smugly again. Ino started to miss the panicking Sasuke.

"Because, when you'll start dating her, I'll be officially beaten, and we could return to being friends again," she muttered. The brunette raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"…beaten?"

"I might have said I have a crush on you, and now she's being a total bitch about it," Ino explained.

"And you _don't_ have a crush on me?" he asked. The blonde wanted to punch him. He was definitely too full of himself.

"No, I don't. I'm gay," she murmured before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth, wondering whether she could make Sasuke forget about it. The brunette's face was slightly flushed, and Ino decided that this was officially the worst day of her life. She lost her friend, and the first person she came out to was some smug bastard she didn't care about. "Don't tell anyone," she pleaded, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Someone knocked on the doors, and they both shouted "taken." The person outside chuckled happily. _God, it just keeps on getting worse._ By tomorrows morning everyone will know that she and Sasuke spent some time alone in a bathroom.

"I won't," the boy promised unexpectedly. "But I can't date your friend – I'm gay as well," he whispered, squatting in front of her. Ino burst out laughing, and the brunette shot her a hurt stare. "Don't tell anyone," he muttered, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just take one for the team," she requested, smiling bitterly. Sasuke shook his head apologetically.

"She will want to do _stuff_," he complained quietly. Ino huffed with annoyance, and stood up. This plan had probably no chance of working. It was ridiculous to think that it had. She unlocked the bathroom doors, and, when she opened them, she was greeted with wild yells of encouragement. When she looked over her shoulder, she noticed that Sasuke was smirking suggestively. She hated the bastard.

* * *

On the next day, when she reached the school grounds, she was approached by the bastard. He pulled her near the trashcans where some of the older kids were usually smoking cigarettes. Now the spot was empty, save for them. Ino was unhappy. Usually she would go to school together with Sakura but today the girl just passed her doors. Ino's mom wanted to know what was up but the girl didn't feel like discussing it, especially since she was hungover after yesterday. She had spent half of the night vomiting.

"Ino," he addressed her in a hushed voice.

"What is it?" she grunted.

"People think that we're dating," he whispered feebly.

"Just tell them you trashed my confession," she suggested angrily, freeing herself from his grip.

"I can't," Sasuke protested. "I might have said I have a crush on you," he repeated her words. Ino stared at him in disbelief. "Let's keep this up for a week or so, and then you can dump me – or I will dump you. Maybe Sakura will start talking with you again," he muttered unhappily.

"Why would you say you had a crush on me?!" she bellowed, rubbing her temples. Sakura will hate her even more now. "Just tell everyone that you're gay."

"…you can do that, too," he pointed out, and Ino gulped loudly. Well, he was right. "And I've never thought that you'd ever talk with me, you and Hinata were the only ones that were actually ignoring me," he complained.

"And you didn't choose Hinata because she was much more approachable," Ino chuckled bitterly. _God, this is ridiculous._"Sasuke, I'll do it under one condition – you will dump me for Sakura."

"…what if I won't agree to it? You've said you have a crush on me, I've said I have a crush on you. And you pulled me into that bathroom yesterday. Really, what are you going to do?"

"I will want to do so many _stuff_ that everyone will just correctly guess that you're gay as fuck," she growled. "And, seriously, I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to kiss a girl," she whined.

"…fine," he agreed, and heaved a defeated sigh. Ino grinned at him, happy that her bluffing worked. "What are we going to do now, then?" he inquired sheepishly.

"We could hold hands," she proposed, and Sasuke looked at her uncertainly. She reached for his hand, gently grabbing it. The boy eyed her.

"Should I take your bag or something?" he questioned, and she couldn't help but snicker at him.

"Keep your niceties to Sakura," she suggested. "Why will you dump me?" she asked quietly, pulling him towards the school grounds. People stared at them enviously. _If only they knew._

"It's not you, it's me, and we should be friends?" he recited, and she could hear him smiling.

"Not good enough. It needs to be big," she stated decidedly, letting go off his hand as soon, as they reached the building. She brushed it over her jeans as if she was trying to clean it, and he chuckled at her.

"_Really?_" he questioned, sounding offended.

"Your hand was sweating," she whined sincerely, and the boy eyed it with suspicion. "We'll need to think what your reason for breaking up with me will be," she added. "Try to come up with something that won't make me look like a total bitch," she requested.

* * *

Ino was unpleasantly surprised when she saw Sasuke standing in the doorway to her room later this afternoon. He seemed just as flustered as she was.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned him the second her mother left them alone.

"Today Naruto asked me if I was spending time with you after school, and I told him no, and he claimed that I should see my _girlfriend_," he explained himself, stuttering at the last word. The girl was busy with trying out new nail designs on fake nails. It helped her calm her mind. "I'll just sit here, and do my homework," he stated, showing her a bunch of books. Ino didn't even know that there was so much work. She frowned at it. "I'll let you copy it later," he proposed, and she nodded readily.

The boy placed himself on her bed, and for the next half an hour she could only hear some scribbling. Sakura avoided her throughout the day, and Ino didn't know what to do with herself. The rest of the girls also joined the anti-Ino faction, and, probably, if it wasn't for her fake relationship with Sasuke, she wouldn't have any company during lunch. On the other hand, if it didn't exist, she would probably be able to spend her time with at least _some_ of her friends. She sighed, and threw a fake nail over her room. Her hand was shaking, and the ornament didn't come out the way it should.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked politely, marking the place he stopped reading at with a ruler.

"Nails," she replied shortly. She heard her "boyfriend's" phone buzzing. _Why my life is the only one getting ruined?_ "Naruto isn't just a friend, right?" she questioned, glancing at him. Sasuke blushed at her words.

"No," he admitted. "I mean… yes. But no. It depends on who you ask. Is it the same with Sakura?" he asked, and Ino nodded. Somehow, being finally able to talk about this was liberating.

"Do you think you have any chance of…?"

"No," he said sharply, and cleared his throat, pretending to not being hurt by it at all.

"Me too," she murmured reassuringly, and sat next to him. "When you'll break up with me… tell everyone that I'm too vain and obsessed with my looks. You can add some anecdotes about how you had to wait for me for three hours because I was doing my make-up," she proposed. "Sakura will like this," she muttered, and he fixed his eyes on her nails. She was still wearing the same nail polish Sakura chose for her. She wanted to wear it as long, as it was possible. It was her only link with the girl.

"These look pretty basic," he said slowly. "I mean… I've seen what you can do with those fake ones. Is it harder to do it on your own hand?"

"Yes, but I can do my own as well," she informed him proudly. "And I was always doing Sakura's…" she murmured. She hoped that they'll be able to return to their friendship.

"You can do mine if you want to," he proposed. She shot him a shocked stare, and his cheeks tinted in deep red. "Of course you'll have to clean it off before I'll go home," he stated, looking away. "I just thought that since now you're feeling lonely…"

"_Right,_" she chirped, and grabbed his hand, inspecting the state of his nails. She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "These look terrible," she laughed, taking out her nail files, clippers, cuticles scissors, creams, and other products. He eyed them all suspiciously as if he was seeing some torture devices. He frowned when she started to clip his nails but after a while got used to it, and ignored her. Sasuke returned to reading his book. "What are you reading?"

"We need to read it for tomorrow," he muttered in disbelief. "Don't you know what it is?"

"Sakura was the brains," Ino smiled unapologetically. "She would let me copy her answers… or refer the book to me," she mused. Now she was all alone. Sasuke glared at her for a moment. Then he sighed, summarized everything he had read before, and started reading aloud. His nails were looking better with every minute passing, and Ino found herself listening to his monotone voice. It was already night when he left her home, his hands groomed, and her homework done. She had to admit that their relationship was pretty healthy.

* * *

On the next day, when she opened the doors, she saw Sasuke holding a bouquet of violets. She eyed the flowers questioningly.

"My mom said I should give you some flowers," he muttered. "And apparently violets are for lesbians, so…"

"Why does your mother know about me and you?" she asked, grabbing the flowers with her free hand. In the other one she was still holding a cell. She had texted Sakura. She still didn't receive any answer, and almost gave up on getting one. She had told the girl that she wanted to talk with her. After this day in school she had decided that telling her the truth would be a better idea than pretending that she was Sasuke's girlfriend.

"Naruto told her," he murmured apologetically. "I even went out of my way and bought these in your mom's store," he added. "She even complimented me on the choice – apparently she considers roses too cliché."

"…great," Ino muttered. She hoped that she would be able to throw the flowers away. "You _do_ know that you could've just said that you bought me flowers? And that you've visited me? There's no need to actually do this."

"…I wanted to talk with you," Sasuke stated, rubbing the back of his head. Ino tilted hers in surprise. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she almost dropped it. She read the text message. Sakura told her to stop being pathetic. When she saw the girl today, she felt guilty. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was completely unprepared. When a teacher asked her about the novel, she couldn't answer the question and Ino was absolutely certain that she had read it way before Sasuke did. Sakura could probably recite it if she wasn't feeling so down. She whispered the answer to her but Sakura just glared at her hatefully. She probably didn't trust her. The green eyes widened in shock when she realized that it was correct.

"And I want my friend back," she retorted, tempted to close the doors into the boy's face.

"Then stop being a doormat," he whined. "From what I've seen today she isn't the nicest girl," he complained. Sasuke was probably right. Sakura told him today that Ino wasn't really in love with him, and that she just wanted to use him to raise her popularity. He stood there completely dumbfounded, and if Ino didn't gesture him to nod his head, he would be probably still standing there not knowing how to react.

"You're going to date her," Ino told him, and he frowned at her. Perhaps Sakura wasn't perfect at the moment but she could understand why she acted like this. The blonde hated herself for ever claiming that she would love to date Sasuke. That was just stupid.

"…Naruto wants to ask her out," he spat out. Ino glared at him.

"He asks her out once a week," she reminded him, and Sasuke looked at her bedazzled. _What, you didn't know?_

"Will she agree to it?"

"Hell no," she stated firmly. The brunette shook his head.

"Ino, do you realize how mad will he be at me when I ask her out and she _agrees_?" he asked in a defeated tone.

"Just as mad as Sakura is at me right now," she replied heartlessly, and Sasuke sunk in himself, evidently unable to come up with any argument. "We could just tell everyone the truth," she suggested. "I wanted to tell Sakura anyways, so…"

The brunette eyed her with a terrified expression on his face, and gestured her to go into her room. She didn't know why, she was the only one present in the house but she complied with his wish. She sat on the chair, and crossed her arms in a taunting manner.

"We can't just tell everyone," he protested. "Do you think that the other guys would still be cool with me being in the same locker room as they? And do you really believe that it would be different for you?" Ino shook her head faintly, and he continued. "And our _friends_ would be grossed out. I mean… Naruto slept in one bed with me, and once he changed in front of me, and…" he started enumerating, getting more and more flustered. The blonde stared at him understandingly. Sakura was parading with nothing but her underwear on far too often. And when it came to sleeping together or hugging… they even kissed once, and for Sakura it was probably just a drunken challenge but Ino treasured that memory.

"Then you'll have to break Naruto's heart," she murmured. Sasuke paced nervously around a cute little rug.

"…do you really believe that it will fix everything between you and Sakura?" he inquired in a defeated tone. She wondered about it herself. Maybe it was already too late. Shikamaru would probably know what had to be done. She considered talking with him about it but then she remembered that he would probably call her and this whole business troublesome. "Because it _will_ fuck up things between me and Naruto," he muttered. "And I'm in no position to ask you for that but…"

"…fine," she said in a croaky voice. "Just dump me, then."

"…now?" he asked, staring at her intently. She felt tears gathering in her eyes, and he looked at her with a worried expression. "You're not going to cry, right?" he questioned in a panicked tone.

"No, I'm not," she frowned, blinking the tears away.

"…why do you like her?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"...why does Naruto like you?" she retorted, and he shot her a hurt stare.

"Shouldn't you ask why I like him?" he mused, rubbing his forehead.

"He _is_ likable," she murmured jokingly, and the boy smirked at her, his features softening. "And Sakura… Sakura and I were friends since we were nine," she stated calmly. "We were always together, and she's really nice… I mean… she changed recently, I think she's slightly jealous of me," Ino chuckled bitterly.

"Well, you're the prettiest girl in school," Sasuke uttered.

"…I don't think that guys are calling me pretty," Ino said.

"You have the best tits, and are the hottest one," the boy agreed with her, and she snickered at him.

"_Right_," she smiled. "So I think that she's constantly comparing us, and that's awful. I mean, she's really beautiful. I guess that she still feels bad about her forehead."

"…what's wrong with her forehead?"

"See? This is what I've kept telling her. Her forehead is charming. Some girls before were mean to her, and they had made fun of it, and now she's still insecure about her looks," she muttered. "I think that she might feel as if she was the uglier one," Ino mused. "It's common for girls," she started explaining, noticing that Sasuke didn't understand what she had meant. "For some reason we're always competing against one another, and even when you have a pair of friends, they are always comparing themselves… and at least one of them is bound to think that she's the uglier one – even if they're both fabulous," she murmured. "It's stupid," she whined. "And I blame you."

"…me?"

"No, men," she clarified. "Because of you teenage girls are obsessed with their looks," she concluded.

"_You_ are obsessed with your looks," he pointed out. "And it's not like we don't have to deal with it as well," he whined.

"Last time Sakura spent here over two hours trying to make you notice her," she whispered. Sasuke closed his mouth, evidently dropping the topic. Ino was aware of the fact that they were probably both right but at that moment she was more focused on herself. "And you've ignored her completely," she muttered.

"I was looking at someone else," he defended himself.

"And _he_ was looking at Sakura. This is ridiculous," she decided.

"Maybe you should try being the uglier one," Sasuke suggested. "Cut your hair or something." Ino eyed her ponytail questioningly. She wasn't especially attached to it. Sakura was always saying that she liked her hair but maybe it would work… "And I could complain about you so the guys would stop thinking that you're so great," he laughed softly.

"Why am I the only one in our love rectangle that isn't wanted by anyone?" she complained, blowing off a strayed strand of hair of her nose. "You want Naruto, Naruto wants Sakura, and Sakura wants you. I don't fit in here, no matter how you look at it," she whined.

"Naruto is the only one who has any shot at fulfilling his dream, so I wouldn't mind it," Sasuke murmured in response. "So, you want me to dump you today. Do you think we could still stay in touch?" he inquired unexpectedly. Ino stared at him dumbfounded. "Since we're both gay?"

"Yeah, this little detail is enough to make us best friends," she laughed at the boy, who frowned at her. She pondered over the idea. Being able to talk freely about her feelings was definitely something she would miss if they stopped contacting one another. On the other hand, if they were to remain acquaintances, Sakura would be still angry at her, and their friendship meant to Ino more than this. "Sakura would learn about this," she stated apologetically.

"…we could send each other e-mails," he suggested shyly. "Or texts."

"…yeah, why not?" Ino agreed after a while. "However, keep in mind that I'm not too good in responding to them," she smiled warmly.

* * *

When she came to school, she was greeted by shocked stares. She forced a proud smile on her face, figuring that if she was to be dumped, then she would try to act dignified. Some of the girls gaped at her in awe, and Sakura smiled at her knowingly. Ino smiled back waving her hand at the girl. She approached her, and the blonde noticed with delight that she looked much happier than the day before.

"He dumped you after two days," she said. Ino cocked her eye at the girl. Perhaps Sasuke was right about not being a doormat.

"At least he did date me," she replied, throwing back her newly cut hair. It was chin long, and she felt great.

"It might be a little bit too late to stop being a vain bitch," Sakura muttered angrily. Ino noticed that she wasn't wearing any make-up at all. _God, she is obsessed._

"And your fake humbleness won't give him an erection either," she growled, and turned away. She wondered whether the girl she fell in love with was still there.

* * *

Ino sighed heavily when she noticed that she had gotten a text from Sasuke. He asked her if it helped anything, and she replied him with a "no." Then he just assured her that he probably could ask Sakura out if Ino really believed that it would work. The blonde was quite moved by the gesture but she had already realized that it would be just a waste of time.

* * *

Over the next year Ino was just growing impatient with the boy. For some reason she knew about _everything_ that was going on between Sasuke and his fucking sunshine. Apparently Naruto was still whining every time Sakura rejected him, and Ino noticed with horror that the girl wasn't as adamant as before when she was telling him "no." The brunette noticed it as well. He didn't like being called Pumba, and he didn't agree to partake in failing to ruin their future dates in a comical way.

Eventually the day had come, and the two finally got together. Ino wondered whether it meant that Sakura stopped obsessing over Uchiha and returned to her usual self. She was even glad because of that outcome. Sasuke, on the other hand, was absolutely devastated. He came to her house for the first time since their "break up," and hugged her tightly, demanding comfort. She gasped softly, not certain about what exactly she should do with his shaky arms, and her father stared at them knowingly; he kept repeating that Sasuke will regret ever dumping her, and he liked being right.

Ino took the young man to her room, letting him whine to her for the next few hours. He even asked her if she wouldn't "date" him again, claiming that he wouldn't be able to spend his lunch break with the two love birds sitting next to him. The blonde declined politely, once again noticing that he had neglected his hands. She started grooming them, and he observed her absentmindedly.

"I would ask Sakura out if you wanted me to," he hissed accusingly. "Take one for the team, wasn't it?"

"I'm not dating you," she replied, cutting off his cuticles. "But you can eat with me ffffand my friends," she proposed. Now her circle of friends consisted mostly of Hinata who was just as brokenhearted as Sasuke. Shikamaru preferred to spend his breaks alone with Chouji, and the rest of the girls still didn't forgive her being the only one whom Sasuke ever dated.

"But then we won't be alone," he whined.

"There'll be only Hinata. We could start a broken hearts club with her," she joked. "You two could play _who loves Naruto more _game, and all three of us would have a blast."

"She doesn't even know him," Sasuke complained. "Seriously, I don't think that they have ever exchanged more than ten words."

"At least she's a girl," Ino noticed heartlessly. "So she still has a better shot at it than you do."

Sasuke bit his lip, hurt clearly visible in his eyes. Ino smiled at hit apologetically. They were both equally hopeless.

While Ino was right about Sakura coming back to her senses, she surely didn't expect that their friendship slowly returning to the pre-Sasuke state would be so painful. The pink-haired girl acted as if they didn't have a one year long break, and she kept on sharing details of her love life with her. Ino already knew much more about Naruto than she'd ever wish to – and she had Sasuke to thank for that – but there were things that he didn't know. Apparently, the blond man was absolutely fantastic in bed. Sakura told her everything about his dick, and Ino wondered whether her gay friend would like to know that or not.

The woman was also regularly inviting her to lingerie shopping, and Ino had to watch her friend putting on countless bras and corsets; somehow, she managed to keep a straight face while doing that. Only Sasuke knew what she did immediately after returning to her home later that night.

And Sasuke started to fall apart. He looked like a shadow of the man she once knew. Four months after Naruto and Sakura got together, the brunette's hair became matt, his face gray, and he completely stopped caring about how he looked like. From what Ino saw, Naruto didn't even notice that, too busy with his girlfriend and her lacy panties. Some girls at school claimed that Sasuke was depressed because he actually was in love with Sakura but he never asked her out for he was afraid that it might break his only friend's heart. Ino never corrected them. She just made an intervention. She barged into Sasuke's house for the first time in her life, forcing him to go through a complete make-over. The man was completely numb and indifferent to what she was saying or doing to him. He noticed that she had painted his nails in fantastic floral designs when the polish had already dried off. She hoped that he would get angry at her, or that it would make him laugh, generally – that he'll start living again.

She was surprised when he asked her to do him completely. At first she wasn't sure what he had meant by that. Then he pointed to his face, and she understood. Ino apologetically told him that she didn't have all of her make-up products on her, and started to work her magic. When she presented Sasuke his new self, he didn't seem too happy about it.

"It seems like too much," he complained. He was probably just unused to wearing any make up at all, so a party one had to look weird to him. She cleaned his face off, and started again, this time with something that she used to wear to school when she was younger. It was delicate, almost nude one. Sasuke liked it, and Ino had to agree with him that black lines suited him. She started brushing his hair almost absentmindedly. It started to give a healthy shine again – the conditioner had worked. She stylized his hair differently than he was usually doing it – she brushed his bangs on one side, and let the back hair flow naturally. Ino had to admit that Sasuke looked beautiful.

"You're not doing this because of Naruto, right?" she asked quietly, admiring his reflection.

"No," he ensured her. I've always been curious how it would look on me."

"It looks good," she whispered. "We could go clothes shopping later on if you wanted to," she proposed. "Are you a woman now?" she inquired awkwardly.

"No," Sasuke whispered back. "But I do want to have a dress," he admitted. "Although it would be embarrassing as hell if anyone from the school saw me," he chuckled bitterly.

"I could be the one trying them on. Or I could just take your measurements, buy some, and you'd try them on in home," she proposed. "We could always return those you don't like."

"I'll go with you," he stated shyly. Ino smiled at him warmly, happy that they had found each other.

* * *

**A/N: Should I continue this?**


	2. Violets and Rainbows: Lavender

"Your boobs have gotten smaller," Sasuke murmured, eying Ino with his head tilted. He crossed his arms, studying the way she looked closely. "And in these shoes you're taller than me," he mumbled. The blonde beamed at him.

"Well, I wanted to give you an idea about how _you_ would look in a dress," she replied merrily.

"The shoes are easy but how did you manage to flatten your chest?" he inquired, curiosity shining in his eyes. Ino rolled hers, and raised her top, revealing a nude binder. Sasuke stared at it intently. "Huh," he muttered. "What did you need that for?" he questioned.

"Let's just say that when my breasts suddenly got huge I didn't like them," she answered, covering herself again. "Sakura was shocked when she saw them for the first time, I had to prove her that they were real," she chuckled. "I don't blame her, though." The man smiled at her warmly.

"Naruto keeps asking me whether we are dating again," he whined following the girl. She looked over her shoulder at him. Sakura was practically sure that Ino and Sasuke were a thing. The pink-haired girl kept repeating that she was completely fine with it, and that they shouldn't hide their relationship. Well, she and Naruto definitely weren't hiding it. They were practically glued to one another, and Ino was certain that they were the most annoying couple in the entire universe. "He says that we should go with them on a double date," he uttered.

"That would be _awful_," Ino mused. "They would be eating each other's faces, and we would be sitting there like some losers, wishing for them to break up," she laughed. Sasuke snorted, and got closer to her.

"And here I was believing that I was the only one who wanted that," he whispered. "But I guess that you're just as bad of a person as I am," he concluded.

"I bet you were thinking that you were also the only gay in universe," she retorted. The brunette frowned, and smiled guiltily. "On the topic of Naruto and Sakura… they _do_ look happy together," she murmured unhappily, and Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. "I guess we should move on, I mean… even if they did break up it doesn't change anything for us."

"…yeah," the brunette admitted and sighed heavily. "It's a shame that you're a girl," he said. Ino glanced at him, surprised that the statement didn't sound like a joke. She forced a snicker, and ruffled the boy's mop, destroying his silly hairstyle. She kept repeating him that he made himself look ridiculous, and he kept replying that Naruto liked it. She was growing her hair as well so she probably shouldn't judge him.

"You're saying that only because I'm blond," she answered accusingly. "But I'm not going to wear a strap-on, act like an idiot, and become a substitute for Naruto," Ino chuckled warmly, trying to loosen up the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

"You're not a substitute for Naruto," Sasuke protested. "It's different when I'm with him, and it's different when I'm with you. With you I'm… myself, I guess. And with him I have to pretend that I wouldn't want him to ravish me, so…"

"Is your wish of being ravished by Naruto your entire personality?" she mocked the boy who chuckled at her. They finally reached the shopping centre, and Ino pulled Sasuke into one of her favorite stores, picking up dresses she believed he would look good in. He followed her lead, eying the clothes."Would a skirt be fine as well?" she inquired, showing him a high-waisted one. When she took his measurements the other day, she noticed that he actually had a waist. It was good news since his shoulders were rather broad, and many fashions were out of question for him.

"I guess so," he whispered uncertainly.

"Do you like the dresses I'm choosing for you?" she questioned. "I'm just picking the ones _I_ would wear… I'm just choosing darker colors since I've never seen you wearing anything light but… do you like my style? Or should I go with something else?"

"…you look great," he mumbled shyly. Ino snorted at him, getting into a changing room. When she showed him the first creation, he was just looking away.

"Remember that your legs are more muscular," she whispered. It was a long dress, made from a see-through material with a black mini dress under it. It was sleeveless, but the top was pretty loose and it could give an impression that the person wearing it wasn't completely flat-chested. "And we will need to find you some high heels as well," she chirped. "Do you know how to walk in them?"

The brunette shook his head, still stressed by the situation. Ino pretended that she didn't notice anything, acting as if she was taking Sakura shopping. After half an hour Sasuke relaxed enough to walk into the changing room with her. She handed him the dress, and he eyed it cautiously. She was standing in front of him wearing nothing but a binder and panties, and he didn't look at her twice. Then he took off his shirt, and she could finally see his waistline. His hips were rather narrow, and, generally speaking, his silhouette was rather masculine. The only deviation from it was his waist. And that was the feature Ino focused on.

He put on the dress, letting it slide over his body. The blonde gaped at him with her mouth open. She was glad that the first one suited him – he would get unnecessarily flustered if it didn't.

"I see that you're not going to spare anyone," she chuckled, evening out his skirt."But in order to get Hinata to have a crush on you as well, you'll have to dye your hair blond and act like a complete goof. That's more drastic," Ino joked. The boy snickered in response.

* * *

Ino gulped loudly, feeling Naruto and other guys staring at her. They were at a party, and Sakura just told the story about how she and Ino had kissed, and the boys decided that it was _hot_. The pink-haired girl offered to repeat the stunt, and Ino didn't know what to do. Sasuke looked at her questioningly, and she almost unnoticeably shook her head, feeling completely helpless. She didn't want to kiss Sakura – not like this. The girl didn't even ask for her permission, she just got her face closer to Ino's, licking her lips. The blonde gasped in shock when she was pulled away. She could feel a rather strong arm embracing her, and she heard some disappointed groans.

"You're killing all the fun," Kiba whined at Sasuke.

"Ino's my girlfriend," the brunette retorted. Sakura nodded her head knowingly, and Naruto shot him an accusing stare.

"So what?" Kiba inquired stupidly. "You're not going to be jealous over a _girl_, right?"

"Why not?" Sasuke questioned bluntly. Ino felt his fingers squeezing her forearms almost painfully.

"_Because_ it's just a girl, come on, it doesn't mean anything," he muttered, rolling his eyes. Ino grabbed the brunette's hand reassuringly, pulling him away from the group. Knowing their friends, they will just assume that she was nagging him. Sasuke followed her silently through the house. The party was hosted by Naruto – his parents were absent. The majority of the people gathered in the living room downstairs, and Ino took the boy to the second floor of the house. He opened a room, and they found themselves in Naruto's bedroom. Sasuke had to be here a thousand times before. They sat on his crumpled bed covers, noticing Sakura's shirt and underwear lying under the bed. Ino sighed heavily.

"Thanks," she mumbled quietly.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, resting his head on the bed. "Sorry for making you my girlfriend again," he chuckled bitterly.

"Don't worry about it," she snorted back. "_Just a girl,_ huh…" she repeated Kiba's words.

"He's just an ignorant fuck," Sasuke muttered under his breath. Ino lay next to him, placed her head on hand, and stared at him, forcing a sad smile on her lips.

"But Naruto and Sakura are just like him," she whispered.

"At least two girls kissing is _hot_. Two guys kissing would be probably considered gross," he complained, and frowned at her. She poked his forehead in a mocking manner.

"_They_ are gross. Did you see how much is Naruto drooling when he kisses her? Like, seriously, Sakura's lipstick is spread all over her chin," she smirked. "And he should stop with those tight pants, his dick will eventually tear them apart," Ino laughed. Sasuke chuckled.

"_I_ like those pants," he admitted. The blonde flinched slightly when she heard the doors to the room opening.

"…what pants?" Naruto inquired in a deadpan voice. Ino felt her blood freezing. It had to be true for Sasuke as well since the brunette's face became white as a sheet of paper. They gulped loudly, wondering how much did Uzumaki overhear. "I'm serious. I came here because I wanted to check on you but…" His face was flushed, and he looked just as panicked as they. "…are you two gay?" he asked slowly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sakura was always surprised that you were so… uninterested in one another but I've just assumed that you weren't too comfortable around other people," he blurted out, his eyes glued to the floor. Ino looked at Sasuke. His pupils were widened, and hands shaking. "It doesn't change anything if you are gay," Naruto whispered gently, getting closer to the two. The brunette sat up abruptly, accidentally head butting the other male. The blonde massaged his forehead, and embraced Sasuke with his free arm. "I still like you, you _do_ know that, right?" he murmured. Ino observed the scene smiling faintly.

"Yeah," the brunette replied quietly.

* * *

They made Naruto swear that he wouldn't tell anyone else – even Sakura, and he unhappily agreed. Ino simultaneously envied and felt sorry for Sasuke. On the one hand Naruto knew and didn't mind it, and on the other… he made it completely clear that he wasn't _interested_ in Sasuke. The brunette was always aware of that but hearing it was still painful.

From what she knew, their relation had changed – Sasuke claimed that for the worse. According to him, the blonde was tiptoeing around him, acting as if he was a ticking time bomb that could go off at any time. They didn't bicker as they did before, and Naruto was apparently exceptionally nice to him. Sasuke didn't like it. He kept repeating that he felt as if he was losing his friend.

Then he called her in the middle of the night – and he knew very well that she hated being waken up. Ino picked up the phone, slightly worried. It was already summer, and Sakura had dumped Naruto a few weeks ago. Apparently they were going to two different colleges and she wasn't interested in a long-distance relationship. The blond man was crying his eyes out, and Sasuke somehow became his shoulder to cry on. Sakura reminded herself that she had a best friend, and kept whining to Ino about how childishly was Naruto behaving. Ino was nodding absentmindedly, too tired and irritated to actually partake in that conversation. Sakura expressed her jealousy over the fact that she and Sasuke were such a healthy couple, and, what was more, they were even going to the same college. Ino smiled back at her, wondering whether a sexless relationship was something Sakura was _really_ seeking. Taking into account the fuck fiesta she had with Naruto, Ino would claim that the answer was a _no_.

"Is something wrong?" she murmured sleepily. She heard Sasuke inhaling loudly, and her heart started beating faster.

"Me and Naruto… we… he…" he whimpered quietly. She rose to her feet feeling panicked. The man was evidently crying, and she _never_ saw him do that.

"I'll come to you," she offered, putting a pair of jeans over her short pajama bottoms. She knew that Sasuke was all alone in home. His family left for vacation, and he was supposed to stay and take care of the cats while they were gone.

When she reached his house, she just opened the doors without knocking, finding her way in the dark – she became such a frequent visitor in there that she knew this house as the back of her hand. The doors to the boy's room were slightly open, and she saw him lying on his stomach, partially covered by a blanket. His back was bare, and she gulped quietly. The cat hissed at her hatefully. She had stepped on its tail once and it still hated her. Sasuke looked over his shoulder, his eyes practically dead.

Ino sat next to him, feeling uncomfortable – the boy was probably naked, the room smelled of sex, and she noticed a dirtied condom lying on the floor. She rubbed the nape of his neck gently.

"…what happened?"

"He said he wanted to try it out," Sasuke muttered blankly. "He fucked me – and it hurt as hell – and then he left me, saying that it was a mistake," he stated in a hoarse voice.

Ino brushed his hair with her long fingers, trying to think of something that would make him feel better. Unable to come up with anything sensible, she lay next to him, hugging him inexpertly. To her surprise, he embraced her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She felt almost suffocated. Sasuke tucked his head into her breasts – and she remembered that she was still wearing just a pajama top – and sobbed into them. She murmured soft words, hoping that they would comfort him. Ino rocked him gently, and he finally calmed down again.

"I love you," he murmured softly, and the blonde frowned at the confession.

"You're just sad," she protested quietly. "Are you still hurt?" she inquired practically. "Are you bleeding or something?"

"I'm not," he replied, and sat up on the bed. There were bite marks on his chest. Apparently Naruto was a fan of rough sex. Ino wondered whether he dared to treat Sakura's soft body in the same barbaric manner. "And I really love you," he repeated. "I'm not attracted to you but I like us being together," he mumbled.

"You just like having a friend that will visit you in the middle of the night while you're lying naked and butthurt in your bed," she complained, and he frowned at her.

"I wouldn't sign up to the same college for just a _friend_," he pointed out.

"And it just so happens that Naruto is going to the same," she retorted, rolling her eyes at him. "Besides – I bet that you'll ditch me after a week or so because you'll find yourself a proper boyfriend. You'll probably be too busy to even break up with me," she chuckled lightly, and he shook his head. Ino sighed heavily. "Sasuke, look, I'm _not_ going to be your beard for the rest of your life. And I'm pretty sure that if you were to choose between Naruto and me, you'd choose him, so please, shut up. You're just unhappy now because your first time wasn't what you've imagined, and the love of your life left you alone immediately afterwards." Sasuke pouted his lips at her, and she felt a slight pang of guilt. Ino rose to her feet, eying the half-covered boy. "I'll go look for some alcohol, and you're going to put something on your ass," she commanded.

When she returned with two bottles of wine, he was already dressed, and she sighed with relief.

"Father's going to kill me when he'll notice what you've taken," Sasuke smiled faintly, observing her uncorking the first bottle. "And you didn't even bring glasses. You _do_ realize that this isn't some cheap wine, right?"

Ino cocked her eye at him, trying to not burst out laughing. Sometimes he was ridiculously snobbish.

"Shut up and drink," she ordered, shoving the bottle into his hand. She had to admit that the wine was pretty good. It had a rich, somewhat chocolaty taste. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, and drank. "So – how was it?" she asked, squatting on the floor. She eyed the condom with disgust, and Sasuke threw it out, sending her an apologetic look.

"Well… he came here, and, as usual, he complained that Sakura dumped him," he started referring. "And he was inebriated. Then he asked me how _I_ was feeling with him ignoring my feelings for all these years, and I've said that it wasn't easy. And he started to cry…"

"That sounds awkward," Ino commented, and the brunette smiled faintly.

"Yeah, so, anyways. He apologized to me, saying that he was a terrible friend and that it hurt him that _you_ knew and he didn't. He ensured me that I could trust him, and then he told me that he was willing to try _it_ out – he said that he had gotten a boner when he saw me in that dress," Sasuke murmured, blushing heavily. The blonde handed him the wine, and he took it with gratitude. "And I've told him _fine_, and we kissed, and… it was actually nice," he whispered in a dreamy tone. "He said that he liked that, too, and we were getting more and more adventurous, and…"

"I see," Ino replied hastily. "So, when did he decide that it was a mistake? Because right now it sounds as if he _liked_ that."

"…well… he couldn't come," Sasuke mumbled shyly. "For a rather long time… and I've asked him whether he wants me to do anything, and he just told me that it was a mistake, that he shouldn't have done that, and he basically ran away," the brunette concluded, swallowing a mouthful of alcohol.

"Huh," she muttered, rubbing her head. "It doesn't sound _this_ bad," she pointed out, and he stared at her in disbelief. "I mean… look, Sakura just dumped him, and he's all brokenhearted. And he was able to have sex with you – I mean, he _did_ get a hard-on. And he didn't lose it halfway through," she noticed, and he nodded his head slowly. "He's probably just confused," she stated, and patted the brunette on the shoulder.

"We've applied to be in the same room in the dorm," he whined. "It might end up in a disaster."

"You still have some time – if you're still interested in him, that is. If you're not, then you can always just switch rooms with someone. It shouldn't be this much of a deal."

"…thanks," he said, and a smile slowly appeared on his face. "How are you and Sakura doing?" he asked politely, and Ino snorted.

"Well, I probably would be able to have sex with her if I wanted to but she's just being _adventurous_," she uttered. "And I don't want to be her gay adventure," the blonde concluded. "So you're the only rabid dog in here," she whispered under her breath, and he shot her a hurt stare. "Besides that… she's mostly complaining about Naruto. And about the fact that the only people she'll know in her college are Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino. She was also shocked that you didn't apply there, and have chosen to mingle with us lowlifes," Ino snickered.

"I blame you and Naruto for that," Sasuke murmured, resting his head against the dresser, and smirking at the girl. "Seriously, you've been both copying my homework for the last two years, and it got you _nowhere_," he chuckled.

"Whoa, you sound really pathetic right now," Ino hissed. "At least Sakura's mature enough to do what's best for her," she pointed out.

"What can I say? I like my idiots," Sasuke smiled, not even trying to dodge the blonde's light kick. "And I can't let you fail college now; after all it's my fault that you were able to get into one."

"…we've chosen different majors," Ino muttered, and crossed her arms. The brunette stared at her smugly, his chin slightly lifted. "I think I'm no longer in love with Sakura," she confessed finally. It was something that was burdening her for the last few months.

"Good for you," Sasuke congratulated her. "Dobby's a free elf now," he snorted.

* * *

Ino was reading a psychology textbook, and she was impatiently tapping her fingers on the desktop. Sasuke was walking in circles in _her_ room. She hoped that her roommate will come back fast because she was slowly getting tired of him.

"That sneaky bitch," he whined for the umpteenth time this week. Naruto and Hinata had gotten together. He and Sasuke were slowly coming back to being best friends again, and three weeks ago they had apparently kissed again. And _then_ the blond man decided to ask Hinata out. Ino was somewhat happy for the girl – she was patiently waiting for the idiot to notice her, and used her chance when she was assigned with him to the same project group. Obviously, Sasuke hated that. She couldn't exactly blame him, she would probably be just as angry as he was. The only problem was that she had a big test tomorrow, and he wasn't helping.

"Sasuke, I have to study," she complained. "Let's talk about this tomorrow," she proposed nicely. The brunette looked at her in a nobody-understands-me kind of way, and Ino sighed tiredly. "Seriously, I don't have time for _this_."

"Do you really believe that _I_'ve always had time for you? Of course I fucking didn't but _you_ were more important," he shouted at her.

"If I don't pass this test tomorrow, I'm going to fail the course and you've been disturbing me the past week," she growled back, rubbing her temples.

"_You_ didn't have time for me even since you've found yourself a girlfriend," Sasuke whined. The blonde huffed with irritation. While she sympathized with her friend, he annoyed the fuck out of her. "But _I_ was spending time with you when Sakura was angry at you and I was your only friend," he reminded her. Ino stared at him in disbelief.

"_You_ wanted to contact me, and we weren't hanging out together, you were just sending me fucking e-mails," she hissed, and highlighted an important definition.

"You know what?" Sasuke questioned angrily. "We are _over_, this is _over_, I'm completely and absolutely done with you," he muttered, and crossed his arms. "I'm dumping you," he informed her and slammed the doors behind himself.

"We were never dating!" Ino yelled, hoping that he will hear her. Then she kicked an innocent bin, and cursed in pain. Karma caught up with her immediately. Her toenail was broken.

* * *

On the next day, after she had already written the test, Ino was standing in front of Naruto and Sasuke's room. She inhaled loudly, and knocked on the doors, hoping that she won't get thrown away. Luckily, it was the idiot that opened it, and, before the brunette could protest, Ino was already inside. He eyed her angrily. The hate he stared with at her was still nothing in comparison to the one that was shining in his eyes when Hinata came. Up to that time Ino and Naruto were chatting happily, and Sasuke was acting like a brooding teenager.

When Hinata came, and Ino said that she wanted to discuss something with Sasuke, he practically jumped to his feet, pulling her outside. She was barely able to pick up her bag and jacket, and was pretty much sure that he didn't take his.

"So…" she started awkwardly. "_Hinata_."

"…yeah," he agreed and heaved a tired sigh. "Sorry for yesterday," he murmured under his nose. "How did you do on that test?"

"I might be able to pass it," the blonde chuckled. "I thought that he kissed you like three weeks ago?"

"He did," Sasuke whined. "But, apparently, Hinata's better."

"And they don't even know each other," Ino repeated what the brunette was always saying, hoping that it will lift his mood. "At least they aren't sleeping together," she pointed out, and the brunette frowned.

"When Hinata will want to, he won't have anything against asking me to get lost," he mumbled, and Ino felt sorry for him. She grabbed his hand, and led him into her room. Her roommate was supposed to be absent until the next day.

"And he didn't address that kiss in any way?" she asked, and he shook his head. "That's rough," the blonde admitted. "If you'll get asked out you can always come here," she offered.

"Why can't _they _leave?" he questioned pointlessly, and lay on Ino's bed. She gestured him to take off his shoes, and he frowned at her but obeyed. "And what if he'll want to live with her, and I'll be left all alone?" Sasuke whimpered, resting his head on the blonde's lap. Somehow, they have gotten much more physical than at the beginning of their acquaintanceship. Ino believed that the man was simply starved for any human touch, and he didn't even care _who_ it was. She was angry at Naruto. If he wasn't sending mixed signals, then Sasuke could perhaps move on, and find himself someone that actually deserved him. She patted his shoulder, and leaned against a wall.

"You _won't_ be all alone," she assured him but he didn't seem to believe in it.

"You have a girlfriend, he has a girlfriend, everyone has a goddamn girlfriend," he complained.

"And you've dumped me yesterday," she reminded him, and he frowned at her.

"We were never dating," he repeated her words, and lay on his back, staring at her. The woman flicked his forehead playfully, and he smiled at her faintly. "I want to get wasted," he murmured, and she nodded her head readily.

They deserved some time off from reality.


	3. Violets and Rainbows: Iris

"Who do you like more?" Sasuke inquired in a shaky voice, and Ino stared at him questioningly, not understanding what he was getting at. "Me or your girlfriend?" he clarified.

"That's a terrible thing to ask," the blonde mused, handing the vodka to the man. She had opened her stash.

"The fact that you didn't immediately say that you prefer _her_ says a lot," the male pointed out and smirked at her. Ino eyed him angrily. She didn't like the way he was getting under her skin, forcing her to do and say things she didn't want to.

"Could you, please, explain to me _why_ do you always turn to me whenever Naruto decides that it's time to fuck someone else than you? Or when he actually does fuck you but leaves you alone?" she muttered. Sasuke shot her a hurt stare. "Find yourself some other second best choice," she whined. "There's like a ton of guys in here, there must be someone you consider handsome."

"Are you even in love with that girl?" he blurted out.

"No, I'm not," she admitted. She wanted to punch him. "But I _like_ her, I like being with her, and the sex is fucking amazing," the blonde exclaimed. "I'm _happy_, all right? And you know what? Naruto's happy as well. Hinata's happy. Sakura's happy – she had gotten a goddamn scholarship, and is apparently one of the most promising students. Everyone around you is _happy_. And you can't stand it," she stated accusingly. "You have this stupid idea that _we_ could be together but how do you imagine that? What would change?" Sasuke didn't say anything, his eyes glued to the wall behind Ino. She felt awful for spilling the news to him but it had to be done. "You simply like the people you know, and it just so happens that I and Naruto are the only ones you could actually call friends. And now, when all of us are moving on with our lives, you keep on maneuvering between me and him, hoping that one of us will decide to take you in," she hissed. "And you praise yourself on being such a good friend but you don't _really_ know what's happening in our lives. You were surprised when you've learned that Naruto was asking Sakura out – and when I've told you that I was over her, the news was already a couple of months old."  
"That's because _you_ don't tell me anything," the brunette complained, his eyes darkening.

"Because _you_ are constantly whining," Ino shouted.

"_Fine_, I'm not going to whine to you anymore," he growled and got up. The blonde opened her mouth but he interrupted her. "I don't have to listen to this," Sasuke muttered, and staggered out of the room.

Ino grabbed a pillow and yelled into it. She felt frustrated. She wasn't even sure whether he was just guilt tripping her into doing what he wished or if it was her own need to not leave him alone. The woman sighed tiredly, and left the room, heading towards his and Naruto's. She didn't knock, and just opened the doors. She gasped in shock, realizing that she had interrupted tête-à-tête. Hinata's face became alarmingly red – Ino could notice that even though it was dark, and Naruto stared at her accusingly. He was breathing heavily.

"When he fucks you in the ass and leaves you crying, don't come to me for comfort," Ino growled and slammed the doors. She leaned against a wall, wondering where Sasuke could had gone to. She didn't find him on that night, and they didn't speak to each other for the next six months.

She tried to in the beginning but he was quite adamant about not being anywhere near her, and Ino eventually decided to respect his wish. She never would had suspected that the person who would change her mind would be Sakura.

* * *

The girl visited her, and the two went to a café – Ino ordered a huge bowl of ice creams, and her friend shot her a questioning look. The blonde usually avoided sweets but, then again, being dumped by your girlfriend wasn't an everyday happening. Sakura didn't comment on that when Ino herself didn't address that in any way. Instead, the woman was telling her how she was doing. It appeared that she became even more studious than in the past, and a rather famous doctor about whom Ino had never heard offered her a practice and a job immediately after she'll get her license.

"So, how are you doing?" Sakura chirped happily, drinking another espresso. She had dark blemishes under her eyes – Ino noticed them even despite the fact that the woman was wearing a concealer. "How are you and Sasuke?" she questioned. The blonde frowned. According to their facebook pages, the two were in a happy relationship. Somehow, neither she nor he decided to change that.

"We were never dating," she muttered, expecting the other woman to be shocked.

"I _know_," she chuckled. Ino stared at her intently, and Sakura sighed tiredly, apparently deciding that the blonde deserved an explanation. "He told me," she stated calmly. "A couple of months ago. I wanted to ask him how Naruto was doing," she admitted and blushed heavily. "And he said that he didn't know. I've assumed that he simply didn't want to talk to me – that wouldn't be the _first_ time," she snorted bitterly. "But I still wanted to be nice so I've asked him how _you_ two were doing. I believe that it was a day or so after your anniversary – or so was facebook claiming," Sakura laughed. "And he told me that you were never dating. It's interesting that you're repeating each other's words," she mused. "Anyways, he told me that he was gay, and that you agreed to be his cover. It got me curious – I guess that _I_ would agree to be with him in a fake relationship back in the days," she laughed at herself. "I was pretty fucking desperate," Sakura shook her head in disbelief. Her hair was a much calmer shade of pink, and it was rather short – the longest strands were barely covering her ears. It suited her. "But you've never seemed to be that type of person… well, first of all – you've never seemed to be as obsessed with him as I was. When I learned that he had agreed to go out with you I was furious – you didn't even have to try… anyways. I couldn't believe that you would do something like this for so long. So I've asked him whether _you_ were gay as well, and he said that he didn't know and didn't care," Sakura rolled her emerald eyes.

Ino gaped at her, not believing in what was going on. She shrugged when she felt the woman's hand touching hers.

"So…" she murmured quietly, trying to collect her thoughts. _Sakura knows._

"_Then_ I've mustered enough courage to talk with Naruto – and he wasn't too happy about that – and I've asked him about you and Sasuke. He told me that you're the happiest couple on the entire campus, and that he was busy," she smiled softly. "So I told him that Sasuke had told me that he and you were never dating – and then Naruto confirmed that you were both gay," Sakura laughed. "It wasn't very difficult."

"…then why were you asking about me and Sasuke?" Ino inquired in a weak voice. "Since you already know _everything_," she sighed.

"I hoped that you'll tell me about it yourself. It answered a lot of questions – I'm feeling stupid for not ever thinking about this possibility," she stated, and gently hit herself in the forehead. "I don't know whether I had done or said something that was offensive but I want you to know that if I did then I'm sorry for it," she said, and squeezed Ino's hand reassuringly. "I love you – as a friend – but I love you," she mumbled, and blushed delicately. The blonde smiled at her softly.

"…thanks," she replied. "Why were you asking about Naruto, though?" Ino questioned her friend, whose face became a darker shade of red.

"I wanted to know whether his relationship with Hinata is anything serious," she admitted, and smiled sourly.

"…taking into account that he's still angry at me, I would say that they are having some minor problems," Ino muttered, happy that at least _Sakura_ would be happy because of what she had told Naruto and Hinata. Apparently, Hinata still believed that Ino was talking about Sakura, Naruto was angry because he constantly had to repeat that he didn't know what was she getting at, and Sasuke was shooting her hateful stares whenever he happened to notice her. "But you've dumped him, didn't you? Why do you care?" she asked.

"I guess I didn't think that through," Sakura answered unhappily. "And I definitely didn't expect him to find himself a new girlfriend so fast," she chuckled bitterly.

"Nobody did," Ino admitted. "I'll let you know if they'll break up," she promised, and the woman beamed at her.

"You still didn't tell me how you and Sasuke were doing," she reminded Ino, and the blonde frowned internally.

"We didn't talk for the last half a year," she complained. "And it's my fault, and I've never even said that I was sorry," she muttered under her breath. "I've _tried _to but he keeps avoiding me."

"Corner him, then," Sakura suggested in an innocent voice and with a mischievous grin. "You _like_ each other, right?" she whispered, and Ino nodded absentmindedly. They did like one another.

* * *

Later that evening, when Sakura was already aboard a train, Ino tried to find Sasuke. From what she knew, he became much less monogamous, and was almost known for his interest in casual sex. He could be usually found in one of the student pubs, and the blonde was finally able to spot him. The brunette was calmly flirting with some man. Ino smiled to herself, and approached him. The man looked at her indifferently.

"Sasuke, could we have a talk?" she asked shyly, and, to her surprise, the man actually abandoned his date, following her outside. He took out a pack of cigarettes, and offered her one. She declined, wondering _when_ he had started to smoke.

"What do you want?" he asked in a flat voice, leaning against a barrier, and letting out a cloud of smelly smoke.

"I've missed you," she admitted, and he raised an eyebrow in a mocking manner.

"And you came to me today because your girlfriend had dumped you," he snorted bitterly.

"How do you know that?" she asked sheepishly, and he bit his lip, evidently not expecting the question. His cheeks tinted in a light red.

"Naruto told me," he muttered. "And he knows that from Hinata," the brunette added, letting out a perfect circle.

"…and you've told Sakura that you're gay," she mumbled, trying to keep the conversation afloat. He nodded but didn't comment on that. "I see that you're more sociable now," she tried to joke, and failed.

"…is that all?" he asked, and crossed his arms after throwing away the cigarette butt.

"…are you and Naruto still…"

"We don't share a room anymore but we still see each other – he became much more caring after he learned that he had left me crying over my butthurt," Sasuke growled, and Ino sighed in defeat. Believing that she could still save this friendship was ridiculous.

"I'm sorry. I was really angry at him" she explained herself, and sat on the barrier next to him. He smelled like cigarettes and beer. There was no trace of the familiar cologne that she learned to like. "Are you over him now?" she inquired quietly, and the brunette looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"No," he admitted, and rested his head on her shoulder. Ino pulled Sasuke closer, and he didn't protest. "He doesn't even care whether I am with these guys or not," he complained. "And they are all nice, but none of them is him. Or you," he laughed sadly. The blonde rubbed the back of his head, noticing that he had lost his silly hairstyle. She missed it as well. "I've even tried to date one but, well, apparently I _do_ whine a lot," he chuckled bitterly.

"You don't," Ino disagreed. He snorted into her neck, and his breath tickled her. "You are my best friend," she whispered. "And you can whine all you want."

* * *

There were times when Ino regretted ever saying that. She also hated herself for the fact that she started to smoke as well – he kept offering her cigarettes, and the blonde finally agreed. At first she felt challenged because Sasuke kept repeating that she wasn't doing it in a proper way – that she wasn't inhaling the smoke into her lungs, and she wanted to prove to him that she _was_ able to do that just fine. Unfortunately, when she finally mastered that skill, she was already buying her own cigarettes – and by that time Ino was already addicted.

The fact that Naruto was always complaining about the two of them reeking of tobacco didn't help. Especially since the blond man practically stopped visiting Sasuke's room because of that. The brunette was living alone – his roommate didn't show up even once, and Uchiha didn't mind it. He had a whole room for himself, and Ino envied him. The blonde also learned that she should always knock before entering it – there were two instances when she had walked on her best friend fucking some random guys. Sasuke claimed that he wasn't interested in bottoming anymore; apparently Naruto had been a really lousy lover.

Naruto and Hinata were a rather miserable couple. Ino could still remember how the man was with Sakura, and she was more than shocked when she realized how subdued he had become. None of them looked happy – Hinata was uncomfortable with public displays of affection to which Naruto was used; the woman was also much quieter than him, and wasn't too much of a party person. She reminded Ino of the younger Sasuke but the man had at least been able to stand up to the annoying idiot while Hinata couldn't do that. What was the worst, none of them was capable of breaking the unsatisfying union. It seemed that they both hoped that if they will wait long enough their partner will change.

* * *

"It's actually painful to watch them," she murmured, and Sasuke smiled at her sourly, lighting up her cigarette. Ino cursed herself. She had bought new perfumes, hoping that it will be an enough motivation to stop smoking but the moment the brunette told her that he was going outside of the pub she followed him hastily. "I'm starting to feel kind of bad for what I've told them," she muttered.

"They had already forgotten that," Sasuke replied, and exhaled the smoke into her face. She blinked her eyes and replied with the same gesture. The man smirked at her. "From what I know, after you've said that," he paused and frowned at the woman, "Hinata got nervous, and they had to stop," he chuckled softly. "And then he was trying to apologize to me for what he had done," the brunette murmured and rolled his eyes. "And a month later he forgot about the whole deal. Hinata's sometimes bringing that up," he said. "I would just ask Sakura if I was her but…"

"The weirdest thing is that she knows now that you're gay and she's still not suspecting that it could be _you_. I mean, seriously. You and I are hanging out together all the time, you're gay, Naruto doesn't want to tell her what was that about, and she's still completely oblivious to it," Ino snorted. "Do you think that you and Naruto would make a good pair?" she asked quietly after she had stopped laughing.

"He would have to grow up first," Sasuke replied calmly. "He was probably happiest with Sakura," he admitted. "But now Sakura's more mature as well so… I don't know."

"Because _you_ are _so_ mature," Ino snorted, and the brunette shot her an offended stare. "Would you still come here if you knew how it would all look like? I mean… with you and him _still_ not being together?"

"I'm not unhappy," Sasuke stated firmly. "I guess I should thank you for _that_ time. It shook me up a little bit, and now I'm much more… relaxed, I believe. Before, I was actively waiting for him, and now I'm… whatever will be, will be," he smiled.

"I'm starting to believe that Sakura's more interested in him than you are," Ino chuckled. "Even though she _does_ have a boyfriend right now," she sighed. Sasuke brushed something off of her hair.

"You've had some ash in there," he explained himself, and smiled apologetically. Ino felt a blush crawling slowly up her cheeks. Two weeks ago they had kissed – they were both drunk, and they had done that only because Ino's ex-girlfriend was watching them, and Sasuke could had passed for a girl on that night – and the blonde had felt uncomfortable ever since. She had believed that it would feel much, _much_ worse. It wasn't exactly fireworks; it would place itself somewhere in the middle of the scale of "bad" and "good" kisses. Sasuke never mentioned that kiss, and neither did Ino. She tried to convince herself that it happened only because the brunette had been wearing a dress on that night, and if she didn't know him, she would had probably considered him hot.

The blonde smiled back, and pulled him into the pub where Naruto and Hinata were sitting in a booth. They didn't talk to each other, and Naruto's face actually lit with joy when he noticed that they came back. Ino started to wonder whether the idiot wouldn't start smoking just to avoid sitting alone with his girlfriend.

* * *

"Mom keeps asking me when I am going to propose to you," Sasuke chuckled, and lay on his side, eying Ino. They were sharing a bed in a bungalow they had rented together with Hinata and Naruto. The idiot practically begged them to agree to go with him and his girlfriend, and Sasuke eventually gave in.

"Just tell her that you're gay," the blonde whined, and tucked her hand under the pillow. "I think they're having sex right now," she said in a hushed voice, and the man nodded his head with a faint smile on his lips. "Their bed is fucking creaky," she laughed.

"Sorry for ever agreeing to come here," Sasuke whispered back. "It's a disaster, isn't it?"

"I wonder what he would do if it wasn't for us," she mused. "I mean… now it's just the four of us, and they're still not talking to one another. I've used to hang out with her in high school, and she _was_ quiet – I couldn't shut up so I'm not sure that I've ever really noticed that – but she wasn't _this_ quiet. She had some topics she liked to talk about, and today I've even mentioned that a remake of her favorite TV series is to be made, and she was completely uninterested. And she couldn't have known about that because I was lying," Ino sighed.

"You're a terrible human being," Sasuke murmured quietly.

"I'd just tell her that I was mistaken," the blonde snorted. "Fuck, he's really loud."

"He _is_," the man agreed, and lay on his stomach, heaving a tired sigh. Ino looked at him questioningly, and he nodded.

"Look at you, lying with your girlfriend of almost four years in one bed and having your first erection," she laughed. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and she cleared her throat. "Oh yes, do me Sasuke! God, your dick is _so_ huge!" she yelled loudly, and the brunette chuckled quietly. The creaking noises stopped.

"Now she won't be able to look us in the eye," he whispered accusingly with a smile on his face. "And if _that_ was something you consider dirty talking then that was also the last boner," he mocked her. They heard knocking, and the doors to their room opened. Naruto stood there naked with his dick aggressively pointing at them.

"What is wrong with you?!" he shouted, and slammed the doors. Ino burst out laughing, gasping for her breath, and Sasuke buried his face in the pillow.

"Do some more dirty talking," he pleaded. The blonde rolled her eyes at him but he couldn't have seen that.

"…have you ever tried, like, hetero sex?" she inquired quietly. He shot her a shocked look, and shook his head. "Do you want us to try?"

"…and then it won't work, and you'll finally have your proof that you and I have no future," he whispered. Ino pouted her lips at him, and the brunette sighed heavily. "We _could_ try but… look, if you'll want me to stop, just say it. And I expect the same," he muttered.

"Well, now _that_ was some real bed talk," she chided him jokingly but he didn't smile. "Fine, let's just get this over with," she smiled uncertainly. He rose to his knees, and placed himself above her.

"Lie on your stomach," he commanded quietly. She could feel her pajama bottoms sliding off of her legs, and she felt rather strange with her bum exposed like this. Ino inhaled deeply, trying to relax. "Do I need to do anything…?" he asked softly, and she shook her head rapidly. She heard him pull down his pants, and felt something warm and slightly sticky touching her bottom. Ino smiled bitterly, realizing that he still had to stroke his dick just to be able to put it in her. She felt it pressing against her pussy, and she lifted her hips, helping him to get inside. His penis felt sort of rough, and not as hard as she would've imagined it. She wondered whether he was even able to get a full erection. He moved in her gently, and, finally, was completely inside. She exhaled deeply.

"…how is it?" she asked quietly, and he lay on top of her, grabbing her hand.

"It's not unpleasant," Sasuke chuckled. "And you?"

"It feels weird," she admitted, relaxing her face. "And I think that you'd fall out if I flexed my vagina," Ino laughed softly. The brunette snorted at her.

"Probably," he agreed, and pulled his dick out. He dressed her and himself again, and rested next to her, rubbing his forehead. "Are you always this wet?" he asked.

"_No_ but this is our third day in here, they're constantly fucking, and I'm sharing the room with you," she murmured. "So I'm just being horny," she grinned.

"I could go out for a while if you wanted me to," he offered, and she hit him in the face with a pillow.

"Is _this_ how you imagine us being together?" Ino questioned, slightly regretting not agreeing to his offer.

"You could have a lover," Sasuke suggested. "And I could have a lover," he stated. "Hell, we could all live together, and our lovers could fuck themselves. I wouldn't mind it."

"…and what would you need _me_ for in this rectangle?" the blonde inquired, feeling a need to smoke. She was finally able to convince Sasuke to try to quit smoking but now all she could think of was a cigarette.

"I need someone I could whine to," he joked. "But if you don't like sharing then we could simply be together," the brunette whispered. "The fact that we won't ever have sex – or that it's highly improbable that we would – never bothered me," he confessed, and stretched his long legs. Ino eyed him cautiously.

"You just want someone you could introduce to your parents," she whined, and he frowned at her.

"I've already _told_ my parents, so no, you're wrong."

"…you did?" the blonde asked, raising her head abruptly. Sasuke nodded, and smiled faintly. "Then why does your mother keep asking you when you are going to propose to me?"

"Well, after I've told her that I'm gay, she asked me about you – and I've told her that I love you," he answered. "And she's just making fun of me, I think."

"Then why are we still together on facebook?" she wondered.

"I like having you there," the brunette confessed. "And I would like to be with you for real," he added quietly. "I'm not a jealous type, and if you were to also agree to us having some other partners – just sexual or romantic as well, I'd be glad but if you _don't_ want that then I'm going to simply accept that," he stated firmly. "I love you, I want to be a part of your life, and I want to finally say truth when I'm introducing you as my girlfriend," Sasuke snickered softly. Ino poked his cheek, realizing that she still didn't paint her nails, and smiled at the man.

"People will be confused," she said slowly.

"…_will_," he repeated, and smirked at her. Ino shook her head, and laughed. Sasuke grabbed her hand that was resting on his temple, and squeezed it tightly. The woman beamed at him.

"Whatever will be, will be," she whispered, and the man smiled at her affectionately. "But this year I'm expecting a gift for our anniversary."

"Me too," he replied.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo... I was thinking that I might turn it into a mini series? And the next part's main focus would be SasuNaru with Sasuke's or Naruto's POV? What do you think?**

**Also - I made myself ship SasuIno. This is like the best crack ship in existence, and I've never even multishipped Sasuke before. It just happened.**


	4. Sun and Moon: Lunar Eclipse

Naruto barged into Sasuke's room without knocking, immediately regretting his decision. He quickly slammed the doors shut, cursing his friend for not locking them whenever he was _busy._ Naruto definitely didn't want to see the brunette sucking some guy's cock. He frowned when the doors opened, and Sasuke stood in the doorway, wiping his lips and cheek with a sleeve. The blonde could notice that the other guy was lying on the bed, impatiently waiting for Naruto to get the fuck out.

"What is it?" Sasuke inquired in a flat voice. Naruto gulped quietly.

"Nothing important," he replied hastily, and turned on his heel, heading _somewhere_ _else_.

"You never come to me unless you want something," his friend reminded him, leaning on the doorframe, and sending him a mocking smile. Naruto muttered something incomprehensible in the reply, and quickly ran away. When he looked over his shoulder, he noticed Sasuke shrugging his, and getting back into the room. Naruto sighed heavily. The brunette was right when he said that Naruto wanted something – Hinata had dumped him via a goddamn e-mail. And now he had no-one he could talk about that with. His roommate, Kiba, was a good friend of his but he was even better of Hinata's. Gaara would probably see nothing wrong about breaking up with someone you've been for over a year by an e-mail. Hell, he would probably think that the idea was brilliant. Naruto headed towards Ino's room, hoping that he would be able to learn when Sasuke would be able to spend some time with him.

Deciding to not to take a risk, he knocked on the doors. A soft "please, come in" answered him. Ino was sitting in front of the mirror, and Karin was straightening her long fair hair. She was really beautiful – probably even prettier than Sakura.

"Naruto, this is Karin," Ino stated calmly. The blonde wanted to laugh at her – he knew Karin, Karin was his goddamn cousin. "_She_ is my girlfriend," she said firmly, and Naruto understood what that was about. He nodded his head, and sat on the bed.

"Do my parents know?" he inquired awkwardly, and the redhead shook her head. "Do you want them to know?"

"You can tell them," she replied, grooming the blond hair. "What do you want?" she questioned in a rather hostile manner. Naruto knew that Ino didn't like him, and he didn't blame her but it was getting rather problematic. Now even his cousin was ganging up on him.

"Ino's _boyfriend_ is giving a head to some random guy," he complained. He didn't quite understood how did their relationship work but, to his amazement, it _did_ work. "When will he be free?"

"Random to you," Karin growled at him, and Ino chuckled.

"Oh, no, Karin, he probably _is_ random to everyone," she corrected her girlfriend, and smiled beautifully. Naruto noticed that she had put on some weight but it suited her. "Sasuke and we are going to movies in two hours so I guess that he'll be free tomorrow," she replied. "What do you want from him?"

"Let's just say that I need my friend," he tried to evade the question. Ino raised her eyebrow, evidently expecting a fuller answer. Naruto heaved a defeated sigh, coming to terms with the fact that she would eventually learn about everything anyways. "Hinata dumped me," he whined, and sunk in himself.

"…really?" Ino inquired dumbfounded. "She actually told you that she wanted to break up with you?"

"…she sent me an e-mail," he confessed, rubbing his face. Karin burst out laughing, and he shot her an angry stare. She didn't care.

"Oh." Ino said stupidly.

"You seem disappointed," Naruto hissed accusingly. "Why does he even date you? You're a terrible person," he uttered under his breath. The woman had evidently heard him. Actually, both of them had. Their faces lit up with anger. Naruto regretted ever coming there.

"Let me remind you that I _know_ how your last break-up ended up – and I hope that you _do_ know that I don't want this situation to repeat ever again," she growled. Naruto hanged his head. Perhaps he didn't have right to bother Sasuke anymore. He was getting ready to leave but the doors to the room swung open again, and he was hit in the hip with the doorknob.

"That was fast," Karin mocked Sasuke, who stared at Naruto with a worried expression on his face.

"I was interrupted," he explained himself. "What did you want?" he asked Naruto. "And what are you doing _here_?" he added.

"He wanted to borrow my textbook," Ino lied with a straight face, and Karin nodded. _Fucking lionesses and their fucking cub. _"And he was too afraid to ask directly."

"Sasuke's your boyfriend, not your child," Naruto chided them, massaging his hip. The brunette raised his eyebrow and shot his girlfriend a questioning look. She rolled her eyes unapologetically, and he smiled at her softly. Naruto realized that the man used to smile like this at him, too. He didn't do it for the last couple of years even once, though. "Hinata dumped me, and I wanted to go grab a beer with you – or whatever. I just need someone to talk to," Naruto informed the other male.

"Karin will drive us to the movies," the brunette suggested, and the redhead agreed. "And I'll come back in an hour or so," he promised, and put on his jacket, gesturing Naruto to follow him. Ino threatened the blond man with her stare, and he escaped from the goddamn den as fast, as his legs allowed him to.

"They're pretty protective," he murmured, and Sasuke snickered at that. Apparently, he didn't really mind it. "How does it work now? With Karin and everything?"

"It was weird at the beginning," the brunette admitted. "I and Ino were already together, and we know each other for a rather long period of time and our relationship isn't as… passionate – let's say – as the fresh one. So at the beginning, when she was all about Karin, I was a _little bit_ jealous," he laughed. "And Karin also didn't like the idea of me being anywhere near her girlfriend so we fought… now it seems rather ridiculous. She would be shouting 'you don't even like tits, get off of her,' and, you know, I'm not a fan of boobs but at that moment I'd have fought to the last drop of blood for my right to place my head wherever I wanted," he chuckled, and shook his head. "And Ino got mad at us, and we had a _talk_," Sasuke murmured in an amused voice. "And at first we still didn't like one another but we had promised that we won't argue anymore, and we sort of hit off. We're not really friends now but we have some mutual interests, and we are able to talk about it. And Karin is my and Ino's designated driver whenever we go drinking," he added. "Who would've thought that people who don't drink still exist," he whispered as if he was describing a unicorn.

"And they're not jealous about your… friends?" Naruto asked awkwardly.

"I'm only with Ino but she isn't jealous," Sasuke replied calmly. "But you've wanted to talk about Hinata?" he suggested. They had finally reached a pub and a bartender was pouring them beers.

"Do _they_ also have friends? I mean… how _open_ is your relationship?" the blonde asked, completely ignoring the question. The brunette sighed.

"No, they don't," he answered. "So, about Hinata…?"

"…she dumped me," Naruto said. He wasn't sure what more he could say.

"When Sakura dumped you, you were crying rivers," Sasuke reminded him, drinking the beer through a straw. He played with it absentmindedly, and Naruto couldn't get his eyes off of his tongue.

"Hinata did it via an e-mail," he whined, feeling that he was blushing. The brunette somehow managed to keep his face straight. "Stop putting phallic objects in your mouth," Naruto protested, and Sasuke shot him a shocked stare, clearly not understanding what he was getting at.

"You mean this?" he questioned, and raised the straw with his long fingers. Some of the beer dripped on his hand, and he licked it off. He had to notice the expression on Naruto's face because he tilted his head. "_What_ is your problem?"

"Because of you I've seen more dicks than I would've ever wanted to," he complained. The brunette frowned.

"…None of that is _my_ fault, idiot," he growled. "You were the one not knocking and simply getting into my room," he stated accusingly. "And _I_ have never made a move on you, _you_ were the one, who kept proposing and doing _stuff_ to me," Sasuke was almost yelling at that moment. "And, just to not make you question your goddamn sexual orientation, I kept acting as fucking straight around you, as it was possible. Whenever we were going out together, I've simply kept on drinking and hanging out with you or Ino," he shouted. Naruto shuddered. The brunette was towering over him, and the bartender glared at them angrily. A security guard was approaching them but Sasuke let go of his shirt, and sunk in his chair again. He rubbed his forehead. "You know what? Fuck you. I've been trying to keep this… friendship alive but it doesn't even make sense anymore."

"You've replaced me with Ino a long time ago," Naruto growled back, and the brunette cocked his eye at him. "And I bet that she feels just as uncomfortable with seeing you fuck all those guys as I do."

"…I'm making you uncomfortable?" he laughed maniacally. "_Really_? That's the word you wanted to use?"

"…well…" he mumbled, regretting everything he had said today.

"Deal with your Hinata business on your own, _bro_," he muttered, and got up, leaving his beer almost completely full. "And just to make sure that you won't see any stray dicks again, don't bother with coming to me ever again," he commanded. "Or to Ino," he added, and left the blonde alone. Naruto kicked the table, making both glasses fall on the floor and break. He cursed under his breath, hoping that he wouldn't have to pay too much for them, completely ignoring the fact that his shoes were getting soaked with the beer.

* * *

Naruto picked up his phone, realizing that his mom didn't call him for the last two weeks even once. That was rather unusual.  
"Honey, when are you coming home?" she inquired softly. She sounded tired.  
"I don't know, mom, I'm kind of busy at the moment," he replied, ready to complain about everything he had to do.  
"...so you're not coming to the funeral?" she asked, sounding shocked.  
"...what funeral?" Naruto questioned. He didn't know that somebody had died.  
"...Sasuke didn't tell you?"  
"No..." the blonde answered, feeling the blood leave his face.  
"His father died this morning, honey... The funeral is in three days," she informed him flatly. She and Sasuke's mom were good friends. They were also probably the reason why he and Sasuke became friends, too.  
"He died? Why?" Naruto shouted, shocked that he didn't know about any of this. He didn't see Uchiha after their last conversation and that was over two months ago but still...  
"...lung cancer, sweetie. It couldn't have been helped. He died within six days of being diagnosed. It destroyed his liver, and... I'm shocked that you didn't know about any of this. Sasuke came home five days ago..." Naruto didn't even know that Sasuke was absent, and they were living in the same dorm. His eyes welled up with tears. "Ino came with him - you know, Sakura's friend..."  
"How is he taking all of this...?"  
"Well... His older brother is coming in two days from the abroad, so he's alone with Mikoto, and Mikoto isn't taking it very well... But he has been nothing but helpful. He has been taking care of everything. He's a very good son," his mom whispered in a breaking voice.

* * *

Three days later, the funeral took place. Naruto was standing next to his parents, and he spent the entire ceremony closely watching Sasuke. His mom was clinging onto his arm, Ino was holding his other one gently, and he... He seemed dead and indifferent. After the urn was put in the grave, the grievers followed the Uchihas into their home. Naruto had heard that Sasuke was the one who had organized everything but, watching it from afar, it rather seemed as if it was all Itachi's doing. Sasuke was taking care of his mother - until one of his grandmas relieved him from this duty. After that he disappeared in his room with Ino. Naruto didn't even get a chance to talk with him. He climbed the stairs an hour after he had disappeared, hoping that he would be at least able to let him know that he was there for him if he ever needed him. The doors opened with a quiet screech, and Naruto noticed that the brunette was already asleep, half lying on Ino, who cocked her eye at him. She covered Sasuke's ear with her soft hand.  
"He just fell asleep," she whispered, and Naruto realized that the brunette's face seemed unnaturally puffy and red. He knew that a couple of years ago _he_ would be Sasuke's source of comfort. Ino had replaced him perfectly. "Let him rest," she requested, and the blond man left the two alone.

He returned to the living room, and it was getting more and more empty with every minute passing. People had to return to their lives. He felt sorry for Sasuke's mom. She would have to live alone in this big house now. He approached her when there were only his parents and Itachi present. The woman's eyes seemed glossy and empty, and she smelled like cognac. Naruto embraced her softly, almost afraid that he would crush her thin, weak body. He could feel every bone under her skin; she seemed light as a feather.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered awkwardly. He never knew how to behave at funerals. The woman nodded her head absentmindedly.

"Mikoto, darling," his mom murmured in a soft voice. "Do you want to move in with me and Minato?" she proposed, and the woman shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "We have at least two empty rooms for you to stay in them," she added quietly, and took her from Naruto's arms. She started crying violently, and Itachi looked away. He didn't know what to do, either. "Then I'll come visit you every day," she stated, not asking for permission. Mikoto cried harder, clinging onto Kushina's back, pulling her red hair. Itachi mouthed "thank you," and Naruto and his father got up, starting to clean up after the funeral reception. Sasuke's older brother rose to his feet, and helped them out. The blonde didn't know what more he could do.

When Sasuke came downstairs with Ino, there was no sign of any food or drinks; he frowned, and rubbed his cheek, apparently not happy about Naruto still being there. The blond man looked away, sorry for intruding. Mikoto was sleeping on his mom's lap, and his dad was discussing something with Itachi in the other room. Ino approached the two women, and asked Kushina whether she wasn't tired, offering to take her place. Naruto had to admit that she was acting perfectly. He noticed the dark blemishes under her and Sasuke's eyes. They were probably both dead tired.

"Go to sleep, we'll take care of everything," he whispered. Ino stared at him uncertainly, evidently tempted to accept his offer. She didn't say anything, though. "…I'm sorry for your loss," he told Sasuke, who heaved a tired sigh. His eyes were still red.

"Sasuke, sweetie, go to sleep. You must be exhausted," Kushina said softly. Sasuke sat next to her, rested his head on her shoulder, and started to caress his mom's dark hair. He pulled out a grey one, and threw it away with a sad look on his face. "We will take care of your mom when you won't be here," she promised, and embraced him with her free arm. "She won't be all alone, all right?" she added, and the man hid his face in the indentation of her neck. He trembled slightly, and Naruto got closer to him, inexpertly trying to embrace him. The brunette's body tensed under his touch but it soon gave up, and Naruto was hugged tightly. He put his arms around the taller man's back, pulling him closer. Ino kneeled next to them.

"Sasuke, I'm going to take you to bed," she stated, and he didn't protest. He allowed her to make him stand up, and followed her. "Naruto and his parents will take care of everything," she whispered, sending the blond man a thankful look. "So don't worry, and rest."

She came back half an hour later, her black dress all creased, and her fair hair a complete mess. She sat on a free chair, and graciously accepted a cup of tea Naruto made. Mikoto was already asleep in her room; Kushina stayed with her for the night. Only Itachi and Minato were still present.

"You should go to sleep, too," Itachi murmured, resting his head on the back of the chair. "Thanks for taking care of my brother," he added, and massaged his temples.

"No problem," she replied absentmindedly. "Thanks for taking care of everything else today. I think he would've fallen apart if it wasn't for you," she said quietly.

Naruto stared at the floor. There wasn't much he could do. His parents and Ino somehow were a part of Uchiha's family but he stopped being one a long time ago. Sasuke didn't consider him his friend anymore, and he didn't need any consolation or comfort from him.

* * *

They used to hate each other. Their parents were friends, and they were living close enough to see each other during almost every weekend. And they went on holidays together. He and Sasuke shared a tent more times than he could count, and he was sick and tired of him when they were put in the same class in the elementary school. They probably knew too much about one another, and they were using it against themselves, trying to make fun of the other one. Somehow, Sasuke was able to come out of these bickerings unscratched, and Naruto was ending up completely humiliated.

In the middle school they were ignoring each other, pretending that they didn't know that the other one existed. It didn't last very long. Naruto was picked on by some older kids, and Sasuke decided to become his knight in shiny armor. Obviously, it made the blonde hate his guts. He didn't need any saviors; he was able to deal with everything on his own. Then he almost failed math, and his mom begged Mikoto to make Sasuke tutor him. That was even worse. The brunette mocked him relentlessly. Then he failed that one math test as well, and Naruto felt that it was the best day of his life. Sure, he didn't know shit about linear equations either but at least he wasn't to be the only one grounded for that.

When Sasuke visited him on Friday, the day of the tutoring, Naruto enjoyed seeing his flustered face. Then he was shocked because, apparently, his mom didn't know that Sasuke had failed that test. It meant that Sasuke's mom didn't know either. The blonde grinned mischievously, ready to spill the news to everyone but the black eyes stared at him beseechingly, and he relented. He got a quick "thanks" when they were alone in his room, and Naruto couldn't help but smile at the brunette. Then they crammed as crazy, and got passing grades when they redid the test. Obviously, Sasuke was slightly better but Naruto never felt happier. It appeared that the annoying bastard wasn't a walking perfection, and it appealed to him.

After that they got on like a house on fire. And it lasted until _that_ night. Naruto hated himself for it. He didn't know _what_ got into him, why did he even want to fuck his best friend, or, to be precise, any man at all. He hated himself for leaving him alone in that bed. He hated himself for kissing him again, and he hated himself even more when he realized that it felt right even though he wasn't drunk that time. He was a goddamn coward.

* * *

"Naruto, I think that we should leave," his father said quietly. "Mom will stay here for the night, and Itachi will take everything from here," he whispered, patting the brunette on his shoulder reassuringly. "Call us if you need anything," he told Itachi, who nodded his head.

"…actually," Ino interrupted him, rubbing her temples. "Could Naruto stay with Sasuke? I need to go get a change of clothes… I should be back in an hour or so," she added hastily, looking away. "…just make sure you won't wake him up," she commanded the blonde, who slowly nodded his head.

His father promised to drive Ino to her parents' home, and, after bidding Itachi a goodnight, he entered Sasuke's room. The man was sleeping on his stomach. Or so Naruto thought. He either fucked up the 'not wake him up' part or Sasuke had been awake for some time now. The brunette looked at him questioningly, and Naruto rubbed the back of his head apologetically.

"Ino asked me to stay with you for an hour or so," he explained himself, and sat on the floor, resting his back against a dresser. The brunette sunk in himself. "She had to grab a change of clothes," he added pointlessly, and Sasuke absentmindedly nodded his head. They didn't talk for the next twenty minutes. "I know that this isn't the best moment… but I'm sorry for what I've said and done," he blurted out. Sasuke slowly opened his black eyes, studying the flustered blonde. "How are you feeling?" he inquired after another long pause.

"_How_ do you expect me to feel? My father is dead," the man grunted at him. Naruto sighed heavily. That was a stupid question. "And mom's alone now," he added after a while in a breaking voice. Naruto got closer to him, and caressed his back in a comforting manner. Sasuke started to sob again. _Ino will kill me_.

"My mom won't let her be alone," he whispered soothingly. "Don't cry," he pleaded.

"Then _when_ am I supposed to cry?" Sasuke shouted back at him, and Naruto once again hated himself.

"…can I hug you?" he asked quietly, and the brunette nodded his head. Naruto lay next to him in the bed, and pulled him closer. The man didn't hug him back but he allowed the blonde to embrace him, and that was good enough for the time being. Naruto stroked his dark hair, deciding that shutting up was the best policy. After some time he could hear him sleeping again. The blonde smiled to himself bitterly.

Ino came back half an hour later. She smiled faintly when she saw her boyfriend sleeping next to the blonde. Naruto waved at her, and pointed to the arm that was trapped under the brunette's head.

"I don't hate you," she informed him, and sat on the bed. "…well, I probably _do_," she corrected herself and chuckled softly. "And I don't really think that he _needs_ you. You've fucked up, and I wouldn't give you as many second chances as he did," she added, gently lifting her boyfriend's head, and letting Naruto's arm move. Then she once again placed it on the pillow, making sure that he was able to breathe freely. The man moaned in his sleep, and the two of them waited in silence before doing anything. Then Naruto delicately got up from the bed, and walked over the man, carefully maneuvering through his limbs. "But…" she whispered unexpectedly. "I know that he was glad when he saw you at the funeral," Ino stated. "He still considers you his friend. I don't really know _why_ but he does. So… just stop fucking up," she ordered as if it was the simplest thing to do, and lay next to Sasuke, taking Naruto's place. "_This_ is the last second chance you're getting from me. There won't be any more because I'll fucking kill you if you'll make him miserable again," she growled. "So either get lost and don't show up again or use it and prepare to die if you'll fuck this up. I'm tired of getting him to function properly after your fuckups," she whispered softly. Naruto blinked his eyes in disbelief. He wasn't sure whether he should thank her or say that she didn't own Sasuke and that deciding anything for him was nowhere in her power but he decided on doing the former. "Start not fucking up by making him check his lungs," she commanded in a half-voice, and Naruto realized that it was probably impossible to make him do that without making him angry at whoever proposed this.

"Why don't _you_ do it?" he asked almost inaudibly.

"I'll support the idea when he'll come to me complaining about it," she promised. "And everything is probably all right – he's young and he didn't smoke for too long," she mused. "But his mom asked me to make him do that and I believe that it will make all of us feel safer," she said, and gestured him to leave the room.


	5. Sun and Moon: Solar Flare

Naruto took a deep breath, trying to gather enough courage to ask Sasuke to go see a doctor. Luckily, the perfect occasion had arisen on the very next day – Kushina was still keeping Mikoto's company, and she had prepared dinner for the Uchihas and Uzumakis in Sasuke's home. The dinner was rather awkward. Naruto's mom wasn't the best cook, and in the past Sasuke's used to mock her for it but on that day she simply ate some of the unidentifiable soup, and went back to sleep. Apparently, that was something she had been doing for the past few days. Ino had to go home immediately after the dinner – her exams started a little bit sooner than men's. She was clearly unhappy about it, and if Sasuke didn't practically make her go away, she would probably stay with him and flunk them all.

The blonde approached his friend, mentally preparing himself for yelling and an argument; he mumbled an almost incomprehensible "your mom wants you to check your lungs" as soon, as they entered Sasuke's room, and the brunette slowly blinked his eyes at the request.

"Fine," he replied unexpectedly. "But why are _you_ the one asking me to do it?" he inquired in a low voice.

"…she was afraid that you wouldn't agree to it," he murmured, feeling stupid. Naruto decided to not tell Sasuke that originally Ino was the one, who was supposed to deal with it.

"Then telling _you_ to do it isn't the most effective way of solving this problem," he pondered. "It's quite obvious that I would much rather act against my will if mom asked me to," he stated. The blonde shrugged his arms. "What about Itachi?" he questioned hastily, and Naruto shook his head, letting him know that he didn't know anything. The brunette ran downstairs where his brother and Naruto's parents were cleaning up after the meal. The blonde followed him reluctantly, fully aware of the fact that he was about to enter a shitstorm. "Itachi, when are you going to check your lungs?" he questioned his brother, who sighed heavily.

"I'm not," he replied, and returned to wiping the plates.

"You are going there with me," Sasuke commanded, and Itachi frowned at him.

"I'm not," he repeated. His younger brother shook his arms, and the plate fell on the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Naruto gulped loudly. He and his parents clearly didn't belong in there.

"If you've told me sooner, then I would've asked the undertaker to dig another hole," Sasuke growled, and Itachi awkwardly tried to embrace him. The man shook off his arms. Kushina and Minato quickly escaped into the living room, pulling Naruto with them, and closing the kitchen doors. They sat on the couch, trying to have a conversation but the brothers' argument was still audible.

"Sasuke, it's nothing terminal. I'll be fine," Itachi stated firmly. His voice sounded strained and guilty. "I just didn't want to worry anyone," he added after a longer pause.

"How long did you know?" Sasuke demanded to know. Naruto's mom frowned. She wasn't very good with dealing with other people arguing. Naruto grabbed her hand, and squeezed it reassuringly, mouthing "everything will be fine," knowing very well that it was a lie. They didn't hear Itachi's reply but Sasuke swung the kitchen doors open, and started to climb the stairs. "Because of you dad is dead," he shouted and locked himself in his room.

Itachi looked terrible. He didn't cry before – or at least Naruto never saw him do that – but now his eyes were clearly welled up with tears. He wiped them off with the same cloth he used for plates, and squatted down to collect the pieces. Kushina approached him hastily, made him stand up, hugged him, and whispered something into his ear. The man nodded his head, and went into his room.

"You go home, and I'll deal with this mess," said mom, smiling faintly at the two men. Naruto looked away. He felt guilty of causing this havoc.

"…what about Sasuke?" he asked.

"I'll go check on him as soon, as I'll clean up this," she promised. The blonde unhappily agreed, and left for home. He sent Sasuke a text message, asking him whether he wanted to go out today. Three hours later he received a short "yes."

* * *

When Naruto picked Sasuke up, he noticed that he looked like shit. The blonde planned to take his friend to some bar or someplace like this but seeing him wear sweatpants, some random shirt, and with messy hair, he decided to simply make a stop at a liquor store, and take him to his home. Minato was busy with some overdue work, so they had to be more or less quiet. Naruto took Sasuke to his room, closed the doors behind them, and poured them both drinks based on whisky.

"You wanted to go out," Sasuke murmured pointlessly, and sunk into his bed, hugging a pillow.

"Yeah, I've changed my mind. I don't feel like seeing people today," he blurted out, and sat next to him. The brunette nodded in understanding, gladly accepted the glass, and moved away from the other man.

"So… what about Hinata?" he inquired shyly, evidently trying to come up with a topic that didn't involve him.

"…Sakura made me realize that I was more upset about _how_ she did it than the fact that she did," he muttered. He felt stupid for discussing something so irrelevant.

"…so you and Sakura are talking again, huh…" the man murmured, and downed the drink. Naruto's was still half full.

"Yeah, we do," he admitted. Then came an uncomfortable silence. They both played with their hands. Naruto wanted to know how Sasuke was feeling but it was obvious enough from looking at his face. He grunted awkwardly. "…you don't have to act _straight_ around me," he whispered but the brunette just shrugged his arms as if he didn't even care. "How is Ino doing?"

"…she said she had problems focusing on her exams," he said quietly. "I hope she isn't in trouble because of me," Sasuke added with a tense face, and Naruto regretted ever asking the question.

"…when do your exams start? I have to go back the day after tomorrow, so we could go together," Naruto proposed, trying to distract the male. He poured him another drink, hoping that the alcohol will relax him.

"I would flunk them anyways, I didn't study," he replied absentmindedly. He didn't seem too concerned about it.

"You'll probably ace them," Naruto protested, and patted the other man on the shoulder. Sasuke didn't respond to it in any way.

"Sakura asked me about you when you and Hinata were still together," he uttered under his breath. "It appears that she misses you."

Naruto glanced at him. From what he knew, Sakura already had a boyfriend – Lee. Probably, if the circumstances were different, he would want to know _all_ about it.

"Why did you move out?" he asked. It was something that was bothering him a lot, especially since that day also marked the time when Sasuke decided to fuck every male available.

Sasuke heaved a tired sigh, and put his empty glass on Naruto's bed stand. The blonde noticed that some of their childhood photos were still pinned on the corkboard hanging over his desk. He smiled bitterly at the memories. The brunette followed his eyes, and his expression softened.

"My sand castles were always better," he chuckled. Naruto handed him the bottle, deciding that with this pace making drinks was just a waste of time. Sasuke swallowed a mouthful of amber liquid and frowned.

"Yours were boring," the blonde protested.

"You've pissed your pants once when you couldn't climb up the hole you had dug," Sasuke laughed. Naruto blushed and grinned at his friend. He didn't mind being made fun of if it meant that the brunette would smile.

"I was just four years old," he defended himself. Sasuke sent him a mocking look, and mouthed "pissypants." Naruto hit the man in the face with a pillow, making him spill the contents of the bottle all over himself and the covers.

"Now _you_ look like pissypants," he stated proudly. The brunette snorted, and got closer to him. The blonde sighed. "What happened to us?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

"You ran away after fucking me," Sasuke told him, and smiled bitterly.

"Sorry," Naruto said for the umpteenth time in his life, well aware of the fact that there will never come a time when he'll be able to claim that he had apologized enough.

"…the worst thing is that it fucking _hurt_ but I didn't say anything because I was afraid that you'd get flustered and run away," he snorted. "But you've ran away anyways."

"…you should've let me know," Naruto whispered.

"Have you even told Hinata that it was _me_?" he inquired, and looked at the other man from the corner of his eye. The blonde shook his head, and Sasuke clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. "…are you ashamed of what you've done with me?"

Naruto exhaled loudly, pondering over the question. Back in the days he _was_ embarrassed. He was sure that if any of his friends found out that he and Sasuke had sex, he would have to dig himself a hole and stay there for the rest of his life. Now, he was mostly ashamed of what he did _after._

"No," he stated uncertainly. The brunette shot him a questioning look. "I used to be but I'm not anymore," Naruto declared firmly. "I mean... I was surprised. I had never wanted to fuck a man before so I tried to persuade myself that it was somehow your fault. That you've given me this idea and that it wasn't really _me_. Then I had to come to terms with the fact that I was attracted to you but I've said to myself that it was once again your fault because sometimes you were making yourself look like a girl so it was completely natural for a healthy male to want to tap you..."

"_Tap," _Sasuke repeated the word in an offended tone.

"...but then I've noticed that it wasn't just you. I mean... I've been living with Kiba for a while now, and he's... Well, I'd probably fuck him, too," Naruto laughed in embarrassment. "See, bastard? You've turned me gay."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He was just staring at the blonde, evidently flustered.

"Thank your mom for taking care of mine," he mumbled, hastily looking away, and pulling the pillow closer to his body.

"How is your mom?" Naruto inquired, allowing the other male to change the topic. Sasuke's face saddened.

"She's probably drunk and asleep. Can't blame her, I've been drunk and sleepless for the last few days. The only person that functions properly, is Itachi," he sighed. "...he has known for _three years_ that he had a lung cancer, and he didn't tell anyone," the brunette whispered angrily. Naruto felt sorry for Itachi - he could understand why did the man want to deal with everything alone.

"...but it's not terminal?" Naruto questioned. Before, he wasn't really worried about Sasuke's results. His friend was young, much younger than Fugaku. And Fugaku had been smoking almost a pack of cigarettes per day for as long as Naruto remembered.

"No," Sasuke answered quietly, drinking whisky. "...I should apologize to him," he realized, and got up. "...thanks for inviting me over," he said quietly and headed towards the doors. Naruto followed him to the house entrance. Luckily, his father offered to drive Sasuke home. "I'll pick you up on the day after tomorrow," the brunette promised him with a faint smile on his face. Naruto nodded readily. Everything went better than expected.

* * *

After they had returned to the college, everything returned to the state from before their first serious fight. Sasuke was friendly towards him but that was it. From what Naruto learned, his results were good, and he was able to pass the exams. Almost immediately after that, he returned home for summer. Naruto was invited by Sakura to her university town, where a music festival which they both wanted to attend was taking place.

Naruto was disappointed when he found out that she was still going out with Lee. The man was... nice. Weird but nice. The blonde felt guilty for ever wanting to disrupt their relationship. He missed Sakura. The woman was brilliant, lively, and wild enough to not get tired of him. He always felt challenged by her, and that was something he had missed in his relationship with Hinata. The brunette was probably the sweetest girl in existence, and Naruto wanted to believe that if he was more skilled, then he could find some _substance_ behind her meekness but he was never able to do that. He was constantly feeling guilty, as if he was disappointing her.

Three weeks later he and Sakura came back to their home town. Naruto wasn't even able to unpack - he had barely taken off his shoes when his dad opened the house doors and let Sasuke in.

"Hey," Naruto greeted him uncertainly. "How did you know I was here?"

"I've actually came to collect Karin," the brunette replied, and looked at Naruto knowingly. "But you may feel invited as well," he added in a mocking tone.

"Karin's here?" he inquired, wondering why the woman didn't greet him.

"Ino has set the bar too high, huh?" Sasuke shouted into the corridor. The redhead jumped out of the guest room, only partially dressed and with some lousily drawn eyelines. "God, this looks really shitty," he laughed at his girlfriend's girlfriend. She threw a hairbrush at him, and he dodged it skillfully. Naruto slowly blinked his eyes. He had no idea what was going on.

"Fuck you," she growled at the brunette.

"Watch your mouth," Kushina yelled from the kitchen. The blonde looked at his father, who seemed just as miserable as he felt.

"Let me do this," Sasuke said, still laughing at the woman. When she left the room ten minutes later, her make-up looked much better, and she seemed even unhappier. "So, Naruto - we're going out drinking. Care to join us?"

"I've promised Sakura that we'll see each other," he replied absentmindedly. The brunette frowned when he mentioned her name.

"She can come, too," he said. Naruto agreed after giving it a second thought. Sakura would probably be happy to see Ino, and Lee wouldn't have to worry about the two of them spending time alone. He promised Sasuke to join him and the women two hours later.

* * *

When Naruto and Sakura entered the club, they didn't have any problems with finding their friends. They were probably the loudest ones. The blonde thought that there was something off about Sasuke - his father had died a month before, and he was acting as if nothing really changed. He didn't want to ask him about it because he preferred his happy version but…

Ino squealed loudly when she saw Sakura. The two women hugged themselves tightly - and Naruto noticed that the blond one was already staggering - and immediately started to talk. He sat on the sofa, and eyed the table - it was filled with small, empty glasses. Sasuke's eyes were shifty, and Karin was partially lying on him even though normally she acted as if she hated him. The blonde shot Sakura an apologetic stare but apparently she didn't care that everyone was already wasted. What was more, she seemed to want to catch up with them. He snorted, and ordered a round of kamikazes.

One hour later Sakura's head was also swaying, and Naruto felt more relaxed than ever. He laughed at some stupidities, and readily agreed to play "Truth or Dare." Sasuke was the only one not playing, and was booed by the rest of the group but he simply lay on the sofa, and showed them the middle finger, chuckling under his nose while he observed their game.

"Dare," said Sakura. She quickly learned that "dares" were much less embarrassing than "truths." At the beginning of the game she was forced to admit that she had musturbated thinking about Sasuke, and Ino was the only one who found it hilarious.

"...make those guys," Karin pointed two men who were busy playing pool, "buy us a bottle of vodka," she ordered.

"That's unfair," she complained. "Yours were easier," Sakura added and frowned. Naruto wanted to offer to pay for the drink but he was interrupted by Sasuke.

"_I_ could make them do that," he murmured softly. Ino poked his forehead playfully.

"_Right,_" she said.

"I could," the brunette whined in an offended tone, and the blonde laughed at him.

"We don't have all night," she mocked him, and he pouted his lips at her.

"Just give me ten minutes," he muttered, and sat on the couch.

"Sasuke, _I_ will buy us vodka, all right?" Naruto suggested.

"You think I am not able to seduce a man in less than ten minutes?" he inquired in a low voice. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Here we go again," she complained. "Sasuke, look, just to settle this - make a guy kiss you in less than ten minutes, and _I _will pay for it, all right? And if you lose, _you_ will do it. And you'll stop with this nonsense, seriously, it's getting boring," she hissed. Sakura tilted her head, evidently flustered. Ino patted her on shoulder, and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Time me," Sasuke ordered.

The brunette brushed his hair, evened out his shirt, and rose to his feet. Then he approached the two men, and leaned over the pool table, saying something to one of them, and chuckling softly. Naruto wondered _why_ did he chose that guy, and not the other one. The man Sasuke was talking with blushed heavily. He looked strangely startled. The brunette grabbed his pool stick, and moved his hand up and down in a suggestive manner. Naruto gulped loudly, observing a fist hitting Sasuke right in the face. The brunette fell down, and immediately covered his face with a hand but the blonde noticed that he was already bleeding. Karin snorted, and, after everyone shot her a condemning look, she shook her head apologetically. Sakura ran towards the two guys, who were apparently still not finished with Sasuke, and knocked out one of them with a kick. Naruto knew that she had taken up kung fu, and simply grabbed the still shocked brunette, taking him into bathroom.

His nose was bleeding badly but it didn't look broken. He tried to laugh but he just made himself bleed some more.

"You're an idiot," Naruto complained, regretting that he didn't remember what one should do with a nose bleed. He grabbed some tissues, and handed them to the man so he could at least clean himself up.

"What do I do with this?" he laughed. "Do I tilt my head backwards or forwards?"

"I have no idea but Sakura will know that," he replied. Sasuke was still laughing, and Naruto started to wonder whether he didn't hit his head too hard. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I've fucked this guy a week ago," the brunette answered, studying the shape of his nose in a mirror.

"...you're a cheater," Naruto realized.

"Well, I wouldn't accept a bet I wasn't sure I was going to win," Sasuke replied unapologetically. "That would be stupid," he added. His shirt was already covered in blood. Naruto looked through the doors. It appeared that the two guys and Sakura were being thrown outside.

"We should leave," the blonde said. "They're taking Sakura outside."

"...did you know that she could kick like this?" Sasuke asked in an amused voice, and chuckled again. Naruto started to wonder whether he wasn't on some kind of happy pill.

"Yeah, she beat me up a couple of times," he admitted, and pulled the brunette with him. Their friends had to be already outside because there weren't any bags or jackets in their spot. "Her boyfriend is a kung fu instructor," Naruto added. "And she offered to be my sparring partner when I was staying with them. I wasn't even able to hit her," he smiled. Sasuke blinked his eyes.

"...so you're not together?" he questioned in a nasal voice. Naruto snorted at him. The last time he had sounded like this was when they both had mumps. Their mothers thought that they wouldn't be as bored if they were sick together but it ended up in havoc.

"No," he answered, and heaved a tired sigh. Their friends were waiting outside for them. "Sakura, what he should do?" the blonde inquired, pointing to Sasuke. He was pressing some tissues against his nose.

"Sit on the pavement, and lean forward," she replied, and returned to the interrupted conversation. Apparently everyone agreed to not call any cops and simply go home. Right now everyone was wondering how many taxis should they order. The brunette huffed, evidently annoyed by the lack of attention, and obeyed. Naruto rolled his eyes, and kneeled in front of him.

"How are you feeling? Dizzy? Sick?" he asked, pretty sure that there was nothing wrong with Uchiha. Sasuke shook his head. "You've ruined the party," he complained jokingly, and wiped his bloodied hand on the brunette's shirt. It was dirty anyways. He gasped in shock, when Sasuke embraced him with one arm, and pulled him closer. He lost his balance, and fell on the pavement with him.

"You're already four minutes too late," Karin told him, leaning over two men. "And we've decided that you're coming with us," she added.

"Us?" Sasuke mumbled uncertainly.

"Uzumakis," she answered, and grinned widely. "I'm pretty sure your mother doesn't want to see you like this," she added much more quietly, squatting next to him. "Naruto will lend you some clothes," Karin decided.

* * *

"I'm too old for sleepovers," Sasuke complained, fidgeting on an air mattress. Naruto turned to his side, and eyed him with irritation.

"...you're on some kind of drugs," he stated knowingly. The brunette rolled his eyes at him. "And this isn't a sleepover, you're just spending the night here because you got wasted and covered in blood," Naruto added. "...how are you?" he asked.

"Fine," Sasuke retorted. The blonde heaved a tired sigh.

"No, you're not," he protested. "How is your mom?"

"...drunk, I presume," the brunette answered almost inaudibly. "She has learned about Itachi, and she's not taking it too well," he explained, rubbing his forehead.

"Then how is Itachi?" Naruto questioned.

"...are you going to squeeze every bit of information out of me?" Sasuke complained. "Seriously, Ino's telling me to try to enjoy myself, and you're trying to make me miserable again," he whined. "Just pick _one_ thing, all right?"

"You enjoying yourself means that you're just fucking random dudes…"

"I _like_ fucking random dudes," the brunette interrupted Naruto. "Get over it," he added, and lay on his stomach.

"...fine," the blonde murmured, and covered his head with a blanket. He heard Sasuke fidgeting on his rubber mattress, and cursed under his breath. "Come here," he requested, moving away and making space for the brunette, who shot him a quizzical look.

"...why?"

"Because that thing is fucking loud," he explained, and patted the bed. Sasuke stared at him uncertainly. Naruto pulled the pillow from under his head, and put it next to his. The brunette still didn't budge, and the blonde stole his blanket as well. Sasuke frowned, and sat on the bed. Naruto pulled his arm, making him lay on the bed, and climbed on top of him. The brunette shot him a curious stare.

"What, are you going to fuck me now?" he snorted, and his nose started bleeding again. Naruto ignored it for a while, forced one of his eyes open, and studied it using his phone flashlight.

"...you really _are_ on something," he muttered in disbelief. He realized that _something_ was poking his bottom, and blushed heavily. The blonde quickly jumped off of Sasuke, made him sit and lean forwards again, holding his hand next to his nose so the man wouldn't bleed on the covers or the rug. The blood stopped flowing, and Naruto glared at his hand, which was dirtied with the liquid. He gasped in shock, when the man pulled him closer, and planted a kiss on his lips. It tasted like blood and toothpaste. "Stop," he ordered, shoving the brunette away. _Great, another shirt's dirty_. Sasuke eyed the bloody handprint on his chest, and smirked nastily. "I'm calling Sakura," he threatened him.

"...just wait it out," the brunette complained and frowned. "It'll end in an hour or so," he added, and lay on the bed again, apparently not caring about being a walking mess.

"So you _admit_ you're on something," Naruto muttered in a hushed voice. "For fuck's sake, I knew something was wrong," he whined. "And hide your fucking boner," he added, and covered Sasuke's crotch with a pillow. The male started to laugh again, and the blonde hoped that it wouldn't cause another nose bleed.

"You look like a vampire now," he chuckled, smearing his own blood over Naruto's chin. "And I _know_ that you're a biter," he whispered mockingly.

"I'm not fucking you like this," the blonde sighed, and lay next to the idiot.

"What, should I dress up?" Sasuke laughed at him. Naruto looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"Just for the records," he whispered. "When you'll wake up in the morning and regret everything you've said, remember that I'm choosing to forget all of this," he murmured. "So, you know, you wouldn't have to avoid me for the rest of your life," he concluded.

"I've tried to avoid you but you kept barging into my life," Sasuke complained. "It's not even funny anymore," he added. "Ino has been over Sakura for more than two years, and I keep on hoping that one day you'll decide that I am good enough for you," he laughed bitterly. "Since you're forgetting _all_ of this," he whispered quietly.

"...you are good enough," Naruto replied almost inaudibly, covering his eyes with a forearm. Going out drinking was a terrible idea. Having Sasuke sleep with him was a terrible idea. Actually, everything was a terrible idea, and the blonde was sure that it was all somehow Karin's fault. If she wasn't staying in his parents' house, then Sasuke wouldn't even have a reason to show up there. And she was probably the one, who decided that Uchiha should stay with Uzumakis.

"But you can't go on like this," he murmured. "Like, you know, it's kind of reassuring when you fuck up every once in a while but getting wasted and beaten up isn't especially appealing."

"I could take on those guys, I was just… surprised."

"...that's not the point," Naruto whined, and rubbed his face. Then he realized that he still didn't wash his hands. _Great._

"I think I'm bleeding again," Sasuke muttered, checking his nose with fingers. Then he sat again, and the blonde observed his slender back, restraining himself from poking it right above the pajama pants where some of the skin was showing.

"You think it's normal?" he inquired in a worried tone.

"Hell if I know," the brunette chuckled warmly. "One would think that with all of this blood in my _lower regions_ I would stop bleeding," he added, and Naruto smacked him in the thigh. Sasuke turned his head towards him, smirking smugly.

"When the blood will leave your lower regions, you'll go wash your face," the blonde decided. "I don't want my mom to accidentally bump into you," he grinned.

"I guess that no-one's mom should see me today," Sasuke whined, and lay again, resting his head on Naruto's stomach. The blonde shuddered at first but then he allowed it to happen. It wouldn't matter in the morning, and right then it felt just the way it should.


	6. Sun and Moon: Conjunction

"God, did you two murder someone and then ate their corpse?" Karin whined. Naruto winced in pain. Her voice was too loud for a morning like that. He slowly opened his eyes, unhappily noting that it was also too fucking bright. He heard an unsatisfied grunt, and realized that Sasuke's head was still lying on his stomach. "Get up, uncle made breakfast," she shouted. The blonde poked his friend's temple, wondering whether he had woken up already.

"Leave me alone," the brunette complained, and turned to his side. Naruto gulped nervously, and Sasuke apparently realized what he was doing. He sighed wearily and lay his head on the bed. The blonde quickly got up, and Karin pulled Sasuke's bangs, making him cringe in pain.

"You look like my mom," Naruto murmured, trying to rub off the sleepiness. Karin beamed at him, evidently believing it to be a compliment. Sasuke's face was still spotted with blood. And so was the t-shirt he had borrowed from Naruto. "And you really do look like a cannibal," he laughed.

"I feel sick," the brunette complained, getting up and rushing into the bathroom. The redhead chuckled at him, and sat next to lying Naruto.

"Why are you all bloody?" she asked him, and the blonde tried to wipe his chin and cheek. "Funny how you know the exact spots," she mocked him.

"You've said that we looked as if we ate somebody," he replied absentmindedly. Sasuke had kissed him yesterday. And he was both drunk and drugged while doing that. Naruto massaged his temples. He could hear the brunette barfing and it wasn't an especially pleasant sound. When he entered the room again, he looked terrible. "We should go eat breakfast," Naruto mumbled under his nose. Sasuke shot him a stare filled with disbelief, and once again placed himself on the bed, burying himself under the covers. The blonde smiled at the suffering bundle, and went downstairs together with his cousin.

His father was already drinking coffee, and Naruto smiled, seeing the three empty plates he had prepared for them. His mom apparently had to leave for work earlier.

"Where's Sasuke?" Minato asked softly, playing with a fork.

"He ate too much mayonnaise salad yesterday," Karin snorted, and Naruto's father returned a chuckle. They ate in silence, and the blonde was thankful for that. At least it didn't make the pounding in his head worse. "Dead man's walking," the redhead laughed cheerfully as the brunette entered the kitchen. He didn't even look at her, and simply plopped on the empty chair, eying the cold toasts with disdain. He forced a smile on his face when Minato stared at him worryingly.

"Want some mint tea?" he inquired in a hushed tone, and the brunette nodded his head.

"...and he's going to throw up again," the woman snorted watching Sasuke running towards the bathroom. She shook her head in amusement. "I wonder whether he even remembers that he was beaten up by that punk," she mused happily.

"...he was beaten up?" Minato inquired curiously. Naruto rolled his eyes. His father _loved_ gossip. "Why?"

"Oh, he tried to _seduce_ him," she laughed, repeating Sasuke's obscene gesture in the air. Minato shot her a shocked stare. "Oh, no, you see, he actually used _that,_" she moved her fist up and down again, "hoping that it will make the guy follow him into bed and infinity," she chuckled. Sasuke reappeared – and this time he actually remembered to wash his face off of blood. Naruto touched his – he could still feel some of the painfully dry spots on his neck, nose, chin, and cheek. He felt that his ears were getting ridiculously hot, and hid himself behind a newspaper. The blonde tried to focus on reading but it was too much for his tired brain. He sighed in resignation, and put it down again. When he raised his eyes, they were met with Sasuke's. The man observed him with a smug smirk on his face, and, for a moment, Naruto actually admired him for being able to do that immediately after vomiting. Then he got flustered.

"Here's your tea," Minato said, and handed the cup to the brunette, who gladly accepted it. "So, how much of the last night do you remember?" he questioned, evidently hoping that he'd be able to embarrass the man by repeating the story he had just heard from Karin.

"...all of it," he responded, and Naruto squealed in surprise when he felt a cold foot touching his under the table. "What's wrong?" Sasuke inquired innocently.

" Bit my tongue," he blurted out, and stuffed his face with a cold toast. The foot casually rubbed against his ankle, and Naruto started to wonder what would be a better solution – running from the table now, and hoping that nobody will notice that his dick was semi-erect, or waiting until it will calm down again. He kicked off the foot, and Sasuke frowned. The blonde tried to secretly point one of his fingers to his crotch, and let the brunette know that he wasn't _rejecting_ him but Sasuke was blind to that. He sighed, and rubbed his own foot against the brunette's.

"...what are you doing?" Karin asked in a deadpan voice. Naruto slowly turned his head towards her, feeling his cheeks turn deep red. Minato eyed all of them suspiciously, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow in a mute question. The redhead was evidently waiting for an answer. Then she jumped in her seat. "Stop kicking me," she complained, and stood up, resting her palms on the tabletop, and leaning over it.

"I'm not kicking you," he tried to defend himself.

"I was," Sasuke admitted boldly. Then he covered his mouth with a hand, and sprinted towards the toilet again. Naruto was for once glad that his friend was unable to vomit quietly. The sound worked better than a cold shower. The blonde decided to use this opportunity, and went upstairs to his room. He took off his bloodied shirt, wondering whether it was even possible to wash the stains off of it.

"...you two are onto something," Karin whispered quietly, leaning against the doorframe. She changed significantly over the past few months.

"...what if we were?" he asked quietly, and his cousin closed the doors behind herself.

"That would be _low_," she muttered. "He's a hot mess right now," she added in a hushed voice.

"Ino already told me that I'll be a dead man if I'll make him miserable again," he retorted, getting unnecessarily agitated.

"And she _meant it_," Karin growled. "Look, I'll be honest with you – a couple of months ago there was nothing that would make me happier than him finding himself someone he could regularly fuck so he would finally leave Ino alone but, you see, I've realized that even if there was such a person, he'd still follow her like some lost puppy. She's going to learn about _everything_ you've done while she wasn't here," she said. "Literally everything. And you should hope that she likes what she hears," the redhead concluded, and left the room.

Naruto threw himself on the bed, trying to recollect as much of the last night as he could, wondering whether he had fucked up something. A couple of minutes later the doors to his room opened again. The blonde opened his eyes only to see Sasuke, who was apparently fresh out of shower. His dark hair were hanging in black strands, and he was wearing nothing but a towel.

"Give me some clothes," he commanded, and sat next to the blonde. He didn't seem as happy as he was yesterday. "And wash yourself, you stink," Sasuke muttered.

"...you want me to leave the bathroom doors open?" he asked, and the brunette eyed him with suspicion. Naruto realized what he had just implied, and chuckled lightly. "I'm just making sure that your access to the toilet won't be obstructed," he explained, and Sasuke's face blushed delicately. Naruto got up from the bed, and handed some clothes to the other man.

"I have to go home now," he said, looking away. The blonde felt sorry for him. His family was sometimes irritating but Sasuke was going back to a broken mother. He forced a warm smile on his face, and kneeled in front of the brunette.

"...you can always come here," he offered. "Or I can come visit you, if you'd like."

Sasuke frowned at him, visibly offended by something, and Naruto wondered why did he always had to fuck up while talking with him. He sighed, and squatted on the floor, waiting for the angry reply but he got nothing. Instead, the brunette left the room in a hurry, leaving the clothes behind him. The blonde lay on the ground, bitterly smiling to himself. He opened his eyes when he heard the doors opening but it was just his dad.

"...what happened to your bed?" he inquired in a shocked tone.

"Sasuke had a nosebleed," Naruto explained. The bed itself wasn't damaged, just pillow cases, and a blanket.

"Then what happened to _your_ face?" he inquired, and the blonde felt the blood freeze in his veins. He cleared his throat nervously.

"The blood got on his hand, and he accidentally smeared it all over his face," Sasuke replied in a throaty voice. Naruto stared at him questioningly but the male just tilted his head in a taunting manner. "Go wash yourself, that's unhygienic," he added, and collected the shirt he had dropped on the bed.

"I'll walk you home," he stated. He wanted to have an opportunity to discuss some things in private, and in this house they were constantly interrupted.

"...fine,". Sasuke agreed, and put on the t-shirt.

"I'd drive you there but Karin borrowed my car," Minato chirped cheerfully. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. The brunette kicked his shin lightly, as if telling him to not say anything. The blonde started to think deeply. Karin _didn't _drink yesterday. But she seemed drunk, didn't she? He shot his friend a questioning look, and Sasuke unhappily nodded his head.

* * *

"She's your dealer?!"

"My what?" Sasuke snorted. They had already left the house. The brunette was living close enough to reach his house on foot.

"I don't like the fact that you're doing drugs," he complained, lagging behind the brunette.

"Yes, you don't like a lot of things about me, it seems," Sasuke pointed out absentmindedly.

"I'm just worried," he whined, trying to explain himself. The brunette didn't answer. "Sasuke," he started shyly, running up to the steadily marching man. "I know that I've said that I was going to forget the last night," he whispered and paused. Sasuke was staring at him intently. "But I'd actually prefer to remember it," he finished. The brunette smiled at him knowingly.

"There's still the question of whether _I_ want to remember," he pointed out to the other male. "And I don't know if I want to," he concluded. "You keep reminding me that I'm too flawed for your liking," he chuckled bitterly. "And wait till you see my mom," he added in a tired voice.

Naruto followed him unhappily. From what he knew, Itachi had to return abroad and, since all of his doctors were there, there was no way for him to stay here. Sasuke clearly wasn't _dealing _with whatever was going on in his life very well. Kushina did say that Mikoto was still grieving, and, frankly, nobody could expect anything else but Sasuke kept implying that she also had an alcohol problem. Naruto pulled the other man's arm, making him stop.

"You're not flawed," he protested. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why did you lie to my dad?" he inquired.

"Did you want me to say that I've kissed you?" he questioned him, and let out a tired sigh. "It would just complicate everything," he muttered.

They had finally reached his home, and Naruto mentally gulped. He did everything he could to appear confident. Sasuke rang the doorbell, and Mikoto opened them one minute later. She smiled faintly upon seeing her son, and smelled just the way she did at her husband's funeral.

"Sasuke, dear, I was worried sick," she greeted him. "Where were you?" she asked. Naruto knew that his mother had called her yesterday. Sasuke knew that, too.

"I was at Naruto's, sorry," he murmured. The woman glanced at her son's companion.

"Naruto, you've grown so tall," she exclaimed. "You look just like your father," she stated, and brushed his hair aside. The brunette took her arm, and lead her into the living room. The table was cluttered with paints, glasses and old photos.

"You've been working," Sasuke noticed, sounding surprised. His mom was a children books illustrator.

"I've tried to but I was completely uninspired," she whispered in a guilty tone. She raised one of the glasses and handed it to her son. "Be a dear," she whimpered softly, and Sasuke relented although it seemed quite obvious that it pained him. When he handed her cognac, he asked whether she had eaten, and she answered with a "no." Sasuke went into the kitchen, and Naruto followed him hastily.

"Don't you feel sick?" he asked quietly. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, and the blonde made him sit down. "You haven't eaten as well. I could cook you something," he offered.

"I don't feel well enough to eat right now," he answered quietly. Naruto approached him and ruffled his hair in a friendly manner, and the brunette sent him a weak smile. Then Sasuke gasped almost inaudibly when the blonde's soft lips touched his. He returned the kiss after a short moment of hesitation, cupping Naruto's chin with his pale hands. "You're lucky that I've brushed my teeth after the last one," he smiled softly, and the blonde answered with a short laughter. He left Sasuke sitting at the kitchen table, and opened the fridge, wondering what would his friend's mom wanted to eat for breakfast. "Make whatever, she's not going to eat it anyways," he muttered, resting his head on the table. The blonde sat in front of him, brushing his soft black hair.

"It's not your fault," he whispered, and Sasuke snorted at that.

"I know," he replied. "Ino keeps repeating that," he added in a defeated voice.

"Maybe she should _see_ someone," Naruto suggested awkwardly.

"Your mom has been trying to convince her to do that for the last month but she claims that everything's fine," the brunette replied. "...you were supposed to cook something," he said quietly, and the blonde got up again, deciding to prepare hard boiled eggs. These could be eaten even if they were cold.

* * *

Nothing changed over the next two weeks. Naruto noticed with horror that the whole situation also started to take a toll on his own mom. Sasuke didn't try to contact him in any way but he was usually agreeing to see him if the blonde asked him to. Unfortunately, these were mostly group meetings, and Naruto hated them. Sasuke was either brooding or falsely happy, and the blonde wasn't even sure what was worse. He knew that he didn't like the other man disappearing in the middle of the party, and Naruto eventually began following him wherever he went. At first, Sasuke considered it funny but he quickly found it annoying.

"Fuck off," he growled, staggering out of the club. Naruto grabbed his wrist, making him stop, and the brunette gave him an evil eye.

"You've said you were waiting for me but now, when I'm finally here, you're running away," the blonde retorted in an accusing tone.

"Naruto, if you've wanted a fun boyfriend who would have been yours only then you should've made up your mind a couple of years ago," Sasuke hissed into his ear, and freed his arm from Naruto's grasp.

"You're coming with me," Ino stated firmly, and pulled the brunette with her. He didn't protest, and followed her outside.

Naruto stood there dumbfounded until Karin approached him, and asked him to return to their spot. She and Sakura became pretty good friends over the last few days. The man plopped on the couch, feeling completely out of his game. He started to miss Kiba – the man terminated their friendship, and started to woo Hinata. Naruto didn't really care but the other man apparently considered him the evil ex.

"Why did Ino take him out?" the blonde inquired, and Sakura sat next to him, gently patting him on the knee.

"So you have Sasuke sickness as well," she chuckled lightly, and he turned his head towards her. The woman beamed at him, and Naruto wondered what would have happened if she didn't dump him. Or if he and Hinata never were together. He returned a faint smile, and she handed him his beer. "But, frankly, I don't know," she replied to the question, and stretched her long legs. "I'm going back to Lee next week," she informed him casually. "And I should go back to training, I can _feel_ my muscles turning into fat," she laughed.

"You're still gorgeous," Karin mumbled sleepily. Ino returned alone, sat next to her girlfriend, and started to play with her hair.

"...where did he go now?" Naruto questioned, and the blond woman rolled her eyes, evidently annoyed. "This time _he_ is the one fucking up," he muttered, and she unhappily nodded her head. Naruto sighed heavily, got up, deciding that he shouldn't let his friend wander the streets alone while wasted, and bid the women goodbye.

He took out his phone, and dialed Sasuke's number. The man didn't pick up but the blonde heard his ringtone, and headed towards that direction. The brunette was sitting on a flowerbed, eying his cell in disdain. Naruto patted him on the shoulder, and the man got startled.

"Want me to take you home?" he asked quietly. Sasuke shook his head. They were sitting in silence for the next twenty minutes. People were going out of the club for a smoke, and to have their little drunken conversations.

"What about our parents? If we were to be together, they would freak out..." the man whispered hoarsely.

"Or they'd be happy," the blonde suggested. "And, anyways, we have our lives and they have theirs."

"...and if we were to break up, their relation would worsen, and I don't think that my mom could afford that," he murmured apologetically. "Not right now, at least."

"They don't have to know if you don't want them to," Naruto assured the other man. "For now," he added and rubbed the back of his head.

"Naruto, I'm not even going back to college now," Sasuke whined and lay on the flowers, crushing them with his body. The blonde stared at him questioningly. "I'm having a one year break right now," he explained. "You've seen my mom, I can't leave her alone."

"You know that it's _your_ life, right?"

"Of course I do," the brunette retorted, sounding annoyed. "And I want my mom to still be a part of it," he grunted. Naruto smiled at him uncertainly, brushing away his bangs.

"Then I guess I'll be coming home much more frequently," he mused, and lay next to the man. Sasuke turned his head towards him, staring at him in disbelief. The blonde grinned at him, caressing his face with a finger. Naruto had to admit that Sasuke was handsome.

"...and you'd be completely fine with it?" he inquired in a weak voice.

"Why wouldn't I? We'll be living just three hours away from each other. And it's one year, so..." he mused. Then he gasped in surprise, feeling Sasuke's lips crushing onto his. He whimpered quietly, watching the other man climb on top of him, and kiss his neck in hasty pecks. Naruto embraced him, pulling him closer. He had flower petals in his hair, and the back of his shirt was dirty with soil. The blonde rubbed his shoulders, and let Sasuke lay on him. He was warm and pleasantly heavy. His body was harder than what he was used to.

"Hobos," Karin laughed at them. Sasuke sighed with irritation, and lay lifelessly on top of Naruto, who raised his head to meet the woman's eyes. She wasn't alone, Ino and Sakura were standing next to her. The blond woman was holding the redhead's hand, her head swaying to sides. Sakura showed Naruto two thumbs up, and he beamed at her proudly. He and Sasuke were finally together.

* * *

Seven months later he and Sasuke were still seeing each other during almost every weekend – sometimes together with Ino, sometimes more or less alone. Mikoto began returning to life, and Sasuke discovered that while he always believed painting to be something he would do out of boredom, he was actually good enough to earn money with it. At first he was just helping out his mom to complete overdue commissions but soon after he was regularly collaborating with her, and, eventually, working on his own. From what Naruto knew, the brunette didn't plan to return to the college at all, and the blonde was rather glad because of that – Sasuke seemed much more enthusiastic about it than his former idea of becoming a lawyer.

Naruto moaned quietly into the pillow, feeling the other man moving slowly in him. At first he wasn't too convinced about being the passive one but Sasuke didn't agree to "let someone so inexperienced fuck him," so the blonde relented, and soon found out that the brunette was a truly gentle lover. When he was eventually allowed to top, he was far too nervous to make it work for the first time but later on he relaxed, and their sex life was quite harmonious.

Sasuke's mom already knew about the two of them being together, and Naruto's parents were suspecting it. They were just saying that it was quite unexpected of him to come home every week – especially since he either was disappearing an hour after arriving there or Sasuke was just appearing at the doors, barely able to contain his happiness. The blonde wanted to tell them but the brunette kept asking him not to. His mother had walked on them when they were having sex, and, apparently, she still felt embarrassed about it. She was blushing like a peony every time she saw them doing as much as sitting next to each other, and Sasuke was quite certain that she would drop dead if Naruto's parents started to joke about it – and they _would_ be joking.

The blonde smiled warmly, noticing that Sasuke's thrusts became faster. He grabbed the other male's hand, and squeezed it tightly, chuckling softly, when the brunette kissed his neck, tickling him with his hair.

"I love you," he murmured. Sasuke stopped moving, and Naruto turned his head to see what was wrong. The man stared at him, visibly surprised. The blonde cleared his throat. Then he realized that it was the first time he had said it. He felt a blush crawling on his neck and cheeks. Sasuke pulled out, and turned him on his back, closing the distance between their faces.

"I love you too," he replied, and smooched his lips in a completely asexual way. Naruto snickered at him, and spread his legs apart. He was painfully close to climax. The brunette entered him again, once again moving slowly. He was lying on him, and the blonde noticed that his fingers were spotted with ink. The man was smiling with his eyes closed, and Naruto wondered whether it was his little confession that made him so happy.

* * *

"Congratulations," Sasuke stated peacefully, staring at Ino, Karin, and Naruto. "It appears that I'll be the only one without a college degree," he chuckled, and hugged the three of them.

"Yeah, and you'll also be the only one who makes any money," Ino muttered under her breath, pretending that she was suffocating. The brunette smiled at her gently, and kissed her on top of her head.

"We should move in together," Karin proposed, and Naruto nodded his head wildly. It was something he was thinking about _a lot_. Sasuke's mom was already better, and the blonde believed that moving back in with their parents would be a step backwards.

"...yeah," Sasuke agreed after a while. "It seems reasonable," he added, letting go of them. Ino straightened her back, and beamed at him. She seemed obviously happy. Their parents approached them, and asked them out for a dinner in a restaurant. The brunette at first tried to disappear but Ino talked him into going with them. Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him forwards. Their life together was just beginning.

* * *

**A/N: So, the next (and last) three chapters will be Sasuke's POV :) I hope that you're enjoying this fic.**


	7. Storm: Thunders

"It's a nice story," Ino decided calmly, grooming Sasuke's nails. The brunette smiled at her. They were home alone since both Karin and Naruto were at work. Naruto worked as a barista in a nice cozy coffee shop, and Karin was a lab assistant. She was the only one who was pursuing a career that had anything to do with her degree. Ino became a make up artist, and Sasuke was an illustrator. Somehow, Naruto was earning the most - apparently his patrons adored him enough to give him generous tips.

"It reminds me of our first date," Sasuke chuckled.

"Your reading voice got much better," the blonde teased him, trying another variation of french on Sasuke's nails. She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, unhappy with the results. The man tucked a loose strand of fair hair behind her ear, keeping it from getting into her blue eyes. Sometimes Sasuke was wondering how did he end up dating two carefree blue-eyed blondes. He definitely had a type. "You're awfully sentimental lately," she noticed.

The four of them were living together for over a year now, and it seemed almost painfully dull. When Sasuke and Naruto got together, Sasuke was somewhat offended by the fact that Ino didn't show any signs of jealousy. When she had started dating Karin, he had been following her every step, making sure that she would still pay attention to him, and annoying the hell out of her in the process. Sometimes, he wondered whether she didn't see him just as a friend and didn't agree to be with him just to humor him.

Naruto, on the other hand, was usually either too busy or too tired to talk with him, and their relationship soon became mostly physical. Naruto's sexual appetite was in Sasuke's opinion insatiable and almost tiring. The man would usually wake up hours before Sasuke did, eat his breakfast, shower, go to work without even bidding his boyfriend goodbye, and, upon returning, he would usually just crave sex and sleep. From what Sasuke knew, Ino and Karin grew apart as well, although for different reasons.

Apparently, Karin was successful enough to be sent to the other part of the country to continue her research. Every once in a while Ino was saying something about following her there - and since both she and Sasuke were freelancers, and Naruto wasn't especially attached to his job - it shouldn't be a problem but Karin seemed oddly reluctant about it. Ino was afraid that the woman planned to break up with her, and just wanted to spare her feelings by making her believe that their relationship ended because of the distance.

"Do you think that it's all going to end?" he inquired. Ino sighed wearily, resting her head on the palm of her hand.

"Me and you is forever," she tried to dismiss his concerns. "We wouldn't even need these idiots if we could fuck," she mused in a strained voice. Sasuke frowned at her. Somehow, all of them became dishonest, as if they were trying to protect one another by pretending that they were fine. He shrugged in surprise when Ino grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly. She seemed sad, and she would usually try to hide her emotions behind a smile. Sasuke pulled the woman closer, embracing her tightly.

"Fuck Uzumakis," he whispered, trying to pass it as a joke.

"Yeah, you should fuck yours much more often," Ino agreed, chuckling into his shoulder. The brunette frowned. He never would had guessed that he would feel incompetent when it came to sex matters. For some reason, he was usually not in the mood, and Naruto's dry spell lasted for over three weeks already. He felt guilty because of it, as if he wasn't fulfilling his duty. What was worse, he didn't even have any excuse - his brother got better, his mom was fine again, and if anyone was overworking themselves, it would be Naruto.

"I don't feel like doing it," he confessed. Ino rubbed his back reassuringly, and Sasuke scoffed at her. For once he was trying to comfort _her. _"Sometimes I'm even aroused but... I don't know, it doesn't feel right," he complained.

"Don't push yourself," she ordered him, and he smirked at her. "And, frankly, it's difficult to understand. You've given a head to half of the campus," she mocked him, hyperbolizing.

"It's different when you don't care about their names," he insisted, feeling quite ridiculous. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him but he knew that something definitely was, and that if his relationship with Naruto was to fall apart, it would be his fault only. "When is Karin moving out?" he asked.

"In two months," Ino sighed. Sasuke patted her back, unsure as to what more he could do. Their lives were falling apart for no reason whatsoever. "It will be just us again in no time," she chuckled bitterly. Sasuke nodded unhappily. She was usually right.

* * *

Sasuke grunted in anger when something woke him up. He opened his eyes, noticing that Naruto finally got home. The blonde smelled like shower gel and his hair was wet.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he murmured apologetically. The brunette turned on the other side to face him. He planned to do something about their god awful sex life but Naruto had phoned him to say that he and his friends from work were going out drinking. He didn't even invite Sasuke over.

"But you did," Sasuke growled at him. The man's breath was an unpleasant mixture of mint and booze.

"...yeah, sorry," Naruto whispered, lying on his back and blankly staring at the ceiling. "Say, Sasuke, do you still like me?" he asked quietly after a longer pause.

"...yes," he replied. He was surprised by the question. Naruto smiled at him in a heartbreaking way, and Sasuke felt a pang of guilt. "I love you," he stated firmly. He shrugged in discomfort when Naruto turned towards him, and pulled him in for a kiss. He returned it but he wasn't really into it. And he definitely wasn't into being groped by him. "Let me sleep," he whined.

"...you always sleep," Naruto complained, letting out a strained sigh.

"That's because you're never here," Sasuke retorted.

"I'm never here because you always sleep," the blonde hissed at him. "There's no need for me to be here," he added begrudgingly.

"...that's because you're just interested in sex," Sasuke said accusingly. "Would it hurt you to just talk every once in a while?"

"Fine, we can talk. What do you want to talk about?" Naruto questioned in a tired voice. The brunette frowned. That wasn't how he had envisioned it. Everything was off.

"...nothing," he answered, and turned his back at the blonde. He sort of regretted that he hadn't allowed the man to have his way with him. He would probably feel less shitty.

"I'm not even surprised," Naruto whispered. Sasuke curled up under the cover, and got annoyed when the blonde pulled it closer to himself, partially uncovering him.

"...how was the party?" Sasuke asked, feeling ridiculously small and unimportant.

"It was fun," Naruto answered swiftly, not leaving any room for continuing the conversation. The brunette massaged his forehead, trying to come up with any topic.

"...and work?" he inquired, well aware of how futile his efforts were.

"...good," Naruto replied. "You?" he questioned after a longer pause. Sasuke frowned mentally. He could tell his partner that he started a new commission, that he really liked the story or that he was trying out a new style - somewhat darker and more disturbing than what he used to do since it would suit the story better. However, hearing Naruto made him realize that the blonde didn't really care.

"...good," he blurted out. A quiet sigh escaped his lips. He shrugged in surprise when Naruto brushed his hand through his hair.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" he questioned. "I mean... There has to be something more, right?"

Sasuke lay on his back, stretching his legs. There wasn't.

* * *

Ino was gone, she went to some fashion show at which she worked. Sasuke liked admiring the effects of her work. She would often send him an mms with close-ups of the make-ups she was particularly proud of. Some major cosmetic companies were offering her a job as a stylist but she kept on refusing them, believing that she would have to follow Karin. Sasuke didn't quite understand that - he always thought that it wouldn't be much different from how she worked like right now but she always repeated that she would have to devote much more time to her job, and that she wasn't ready for that. Not when her personal life was turning to shreds.

Sasuke had planned to do work on his commission but he ended up making their apartment squeaky clean. He wasn't inspired, and staying in an empty house made him feel lonely. His friends - however small their number was - were all busy with work. Sasuke mentally called their jobs "actual work." This is how his father would had referred to them. He used to say that Sasuke's mom was _drawing. _As if it was just some hobby. Well, she did like doing it - and so did Sasuke but it paid pretty well. Even if Sasuke had to admit that his success should be partially attributed to his mom - she had spent half of her life creating a network of connections Sasuke got access to immediately.

The brunette sighed. He should probably make a dinner for himself and Karin. Naruto used to eat out. He was generally _out_. Sasuke frowned, deciding that he would just order something when the woman would return. He didn't feel like doing anything.

He grabbed his phone, wallet and keys, and packed them into his bag. When all of them moved here, he and Ino frequented the café Naruto was working in quite often. Sasuke realized that they had stopped doing that some time ago for no reason. At first Naruto kept asking them if they would come by but it was a busy time for both of them so they had to decline. And then they never came back.

He entered the cozy café, and sat in the corner. Naruto was working as a barista but he would occasionally wait, and he would always do that if he spotted Ino and Sasuke. This time he didn't, too busy with talking to some customer. The brunette sighed, and flipped through the menu, which was handed to him by a young waitress he had never seen before. The girl sent him a flirtatious smile, and he smiled back. It didn't hurt. When the girl returned, he placed his usual order - a regular black coffee and a tiramisu. He never liked tiramisu, he was ordering it so Ino could take "a bite." She was too concerned about her weight to order a cake for herself. Even if she would always end up eating Sasuke's. He stared at Naruto, hoping that he would at least look around but he didn't. Apparently Sasuke's "usual" wasn't too special.

The brunette sighed and took out the book he was supposed to make illustrations to. It was story about a little girl, whose parents got divorced. They kept arguing about who would get to take care of her afterwards, and didn't notice that she disappeared in a magical - but quite frightening - world, entrance to which was located in her closet. There she met another little girl, with whom she fought off evil spirits that were roaming the place. The girls were destined to meet one another - they had matching birthmarks on their arms, and when they were close to one another, their powers were strongest. The real girl, as Sasuke branded her, could emit light, which would scare off the spirits. The other, the magical one, was able to create shadow for them to hide in. It was a really nice story, and it ended on a bittersweet note. When the spirits were defeated, the real girl had to return to the real world. Sasuke expected that her parents would be worried sick, and that they would cancel their divorce upon whatever bullshit the author could come up with but it turned out that her family situation didn't change at all. And the girl could never return to the magical land either - she had fulfilled her destiny. Her only consolation was that she could sometimes see the other girl in her own shadow - but she had to focus really hard to notice her.

Sasuke took out his pen and started to sketch some rough designs. He didn't want the girls to look like twins or sisters. He wanted them to have a different kind of bond. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed, realizing that he made the real one look like small Ino. He wasn't certain whether he wanted to have an Ino doppelganger in a grim story like this. He should had waited for a cute and fluffy one.

The café was almost closing, and Naruto didn't notice him at all. Sasuke could hear him laugh and chat with his coworkers and customers. It seemed that _they_ had something to talk about - even if it was just weather, local news or current events. The brunette waved at his waitress and asked her to give him his bill. She was surprised that he didn't even touch the tiramisu, and inquired if he wanted to get a box for it. Sasuke frowned.

"You can give it to the barista," he muttered, paying her much more than he should had.

"Um, employees aren't allowed to accept gifts," she stuttered, her puffy cheeks pink with embarrassment. She had a typical baby face.

"He's my boyfriend," Sasuke replied, got up, and left the café. He didn't wait for the woman's answer.

He started to walk towards the parking where he had left his car. Someone pulled his arm from behind. He turned his head to see a very agitated blond moron.

"You could've said something, you bastard," he whined before he crushed his lips against Sasuke's. The brunette gasped in surprise as their teeth clunk. He opened his mouth to say something but a warm tongue invaded it, and he gave in to the sensation. He embraced Naruto, digging his fingers in the man's back. He didn't remember when was the last time his boyfriend looked as if he was happy to see him. "Tenten said you had given her quite a tip," he chuckled. "And she told me I can go home earlier," he chirped.

"I might take you home, I guess," Sasuke replied noncommittally. The blonde rolled his eyes, and followed him to the car.

"Soo," Naruto drawled. "What brought you there?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular," Sasuke answered, starting the engine. Naruto scoffed at him.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked. "Lately, you've been... Absent," he said. "You either talk with Ino, work or sleep. Not everyone has _two_ partners, you know," he complained. "So I have absolutely no idea what I should be doing when you're ditching me. Hell, I don't even know whether you're not cheating on me, I mean, that's _possible_. You've fucked more guys than I care to remember-"

"I'm not cheating on you," Sasuke retorted. "And it's you and your cousin who are being _absent_," he added. "I bet you're just waiting for a convenient moment to dump us-"

"What are you even talking about?" the blonde barked. "I'm not dumping you, why would I do that? I mean, it's not _great_ right now but you're going to get better in some time-"

"So it's my fault," Sasuke snarled. He knew it was his fault. And he had no idea how to fix it.

* * *

That night was the first one since he had started to date Naruto when he decided to sleep in Ino's bed. Ino wasn't even there, and Karin wasn't too happy about his intrusion. Still, he didn't feel like being anywhere near the blonde. If everything was meant to fall apart, then he preferred to watch it from a far away spot. He had heard that Sakura and Lee were no longer together. Perhaps Naruto would go back to her. He had been happy with her. Probably happier than he was right now.

Karin glared at him from her side of the bed. Their bed smelled nice. They both were using the same perfume, and the whole room was filled with flowery scent. "You should go there and fuck my cousin," the woman gritted through her teeth. "Sleeping with you feels weird-"

"Why?" Sasuke asked in a dull voice. He slept with her and Ino countless times.

"You have a dick, and that's totally gross," she said. Sasuke sent her a questioning look, deciding against saying anything. "And he's your boyfriend. I'm your girlfriend's girlfriend. See? It doesn't make sense."

"I can go sleep on a couch," Sasuke offered in a tired voice. Karin sighed, stopping him from moving away.

"Sasuke," she mumbled out. Sasuke stared at her. Mumbling was pretty out of character for her. Whatever it was that she wanted to say, it had to be pretty big. "There's something I wanted to ask you to do. It's a huge favor," she warned. "And don't get angry that you didn't know anything because she didn't tell me either, and right now it's more of a guess on my side but..." she whispered, letting her voice die down. Sasuke leaned closer. That was worrying. It seemed that there was something going on with Ino. Something she kept secret from all of them. His heart started beating faster, and he knew he was panicking. If she didn't tell them, it had to be something bad. "Look, she missed her period. She thinks I didn't notice but I _did_," Karin stated in a hushed voice. "I think she might be pregnant-"

Sasuke gawked at her. That was big news. Not necessarily bad but definitely big. His heart slowed down. He was guessing that Karin wanted him to sign himself as the father of the child. He could see why she would ask him to do that. "So you want me to be the father?" he inquired, trying to make it sound as casual as it was only possible. She nodded. Sasuke drew in a shaky breath. That really was a huge request. Especially when they had no idea what Ino wanted to do. "It's fine with me," he stated, carefully weighing every word. Theoretically, Naruto would be a much better candidate but Sasuke and Ino were more stable. "But it's mostly her decision. Perhaps there won't be a child," he said.

"I don't think she would abort it," Karin muttered. "It sucks, you know," she whined. "I think I hate myself," she confessed. Sasuke sighed, pulling her closer, and embracing her. He had no idea how to console her.

"She loves you," he said. "She's worried that you're going to leave her-"

"I know," Karin blurted out. "But... It's really complicated, you know. I don't _want_ that kid, and that's probably the worst thing I could say," she whimpered. "I don't even know how to tell her that I _know_. She's probably going to have morning sickness in no time, what am I supposed to do then? Pretend that I don't notice?"

Sasuke hummed under his nose. He wished Naruto was with them. He probably should learn about everything as well. And he would know what to say. He and Karin had much better contact. After all, they were family. It would be a huge pain to explain everything to their parents. Sasuke's mom had hard enough time coming to terms with his two relationships. Now there might appear a kid that technically wasn't his. Still, she would probably be happy. After the initial shock would pass. There was zero chances that Sasuke or Itachi would reproduce. It was clear that genetics didn't favor them. "We should all talk about it soon," he decided. "But you should talk with her first. Tell her that I've already agreed. And don't say that you don't want it, she doesn't need more reasons to worry," he whispered. Karin rested her head on his shoulder. She was a hot mess now. "We'll survive it," he assured her. He really hoped they would.

* * *

On the next morning, Naruto was avoiding him. He didn't greet him nor replied to his greeting. Sasuke sighed. The blonde had every right to feel hurt and be angry at him. Nevertheless, there was a more pressing matter. He preferred to discuss it with Naruto beforehand to make sure that he wouldn't unintentionally say something insensitive. He had a talent for doing that.

"We need to talk," Sasuke informed his boyfriend. The blonde looked at him over his shoulder, arching his eyebrows. His mouth was full of scrambled eggs. Of course, he made it only for himself, not asking Sasuke if he wanted some as well.

"Really, you're going to dump me in the morning?" he snarled. "At least let me eat my breakfast," he complained. Sasuke frowned. He wasn't planning to break up with Naruto but his reaction was quite cold. He didn't want to know that they were this over already. He inhaled deeply. Perhaps there was no point in talking about it with him. It seemed that Naruto would soon abandon their family.

"I don't want to dump you," he protested, his eyes glued to his coffee. "But if you don't care, then-"

"_I_ don't care?" Naruto barked at him. "You're the one who's been avoiding me," he accused. "I'm doing everything I can to keep you happy but it seems that you just don't _want_ to be happy. Not with me at least," he shouted.

Karin stood awkwardly in the doorway. It looked as if she was fighting with herself. Then she turned on her heel, and returned to the kitchen. "Naruto, could you please pull your head out of your ass? There more important things going on right now-"

"Yeah, you're the one to yap about it," the blonde hissed. "You're the one, who wants to run away-"

"Shut up," she yelled. "I don't _want_ to run away, okay? I love Ino, she's my everything. So stop talking about things you don't fucking understand," she growled. Sasuke shook his head in defeat, and hid it in his hands. There was no way to solve this mess.

"I might become a father," Sasuke gritted through his teeth. He did that mostly to distract them from their argument. They didn't say a word, so he raised his head to look at them. Naruto was gawking at him, and that was to be expected. Karin looked absolutely terrified. Sasuke turned his head to his left, to see what she was staring at. He gulped. It was Ino. And Ino looked absolutely pissed off.

"Excuse me?" she questioned in a falsely sweet tone. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Yeah, who's the _lucky lady_?" Naruto echoed her words. He looked devastated. "I've asked you about it _yesterday_, and you've said-"

"I'm not cheating on you," Sasuke interrupted him. He had no idea how to reply to Ino's question.

"I've told him," Karin whispered unexpectedly. Ino glared at her.

"So this is how you were going to settle this? Without me?" she asked, taking a seat in front of Sasuke. Naruto frowned, apparently not knowing what was going on.

"Can somebody explain what's going on?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. "Seriously. I cann't keep up with you guys. Y'all having some fucking secrets, and I'm always left out-"

"Well, Naruto, I'm just as left out," Ino chirped, narrowing her eyes at Sasuke and Karin. "You see, I might be pregnant," she informed him. Naruto blinked upon hearing the news.

"So, you and Sasuke-" he started but Ino interrupted him.

"No, me and Karin," she stated in a firm voice. "I have no idea why Sasuke feels inclined to butt in."

"I've asked him to," Karin confessed. She took off her coat. It seemed that she planned to call in sick. Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to argue with Ino. Ino was his only stable point in the universe.

"And he, of course, agreed," Ino mused. "Well, you're a real gentleman," she whispered, her voice ice cold. "But what gave you the idea that I would actually want that? I don't have to write in _anyone_. And I'm more than capable to provide for myself."

"I've told Karin that it would happen only if you were to agree to it," he replied. "I just wanted Naruto to know what _might_ happen. He deserves to know. Actually, we all deserve to know-"

"Oh, so you think that it's _your_ collective business?" she snapped. "And good job Karin, forcing Sasuke to take your place whenever you see it as convenient-"

"Can we just stop for a moment?" Naruto pleaded. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on, and why you're all hating one another. Let's just, I don't know, take turns saying who are we angry at and why, and then _maybe_ we'll solve it," he suggested. "Because, honestly, I'm fucking lost."

"I'm not angry at anyone," Karin whispered. Her arms were trembling. Sasuke gestured her to take a seat by his side. Now they were all sitting by the table. Apparently, Naruto was willing to come late to work as well.

"All right," Naruto murmured. "Then I guess it's either Sasuke's or Ino's turn..." He waited for them to start talking but neither did. The blonde sighed. "It can be my turn too, why not," he muttered. "I'm angry at Sasuke because he doesn't want to spend time with me. See, it's simple. Now, guys, it has to be one of you."

"I don't have any reason to be angry at any of you," Sasuke said.

"That wasn't the question," Naruto pointed out. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, we'll come back to you later-"

"I'm angry at all of you," Ino barked. "_This_ isn't your business, and you had no right to discuss it as if it was-"

"Hey, I'm just the victim in all of this," Naruto whined. Ino didn't look bothered by it. "Well, okay, you're angry at me too, I'm fine with it. I probably _would_ discuss it if you didn't show up," he admitted. "Soo," he started. "I think we should all just respect Ino's wishes?" he proposed. "Like, there's nothing else we can do about it-"

"I don't want her to be alone in all of this," Karin snapped.

"She's not," Naruto assured her. "If she will feel like asking for help or whatever else, she knows we're all here for her. Right?"

Ino looked away, making an affirmative noise. Sasuke breathed in. He hated these talks but they were much needed. And Naruto fucking excelled at them. Sasuke had a feeling that they would all fall apart if it wasn't for him.

"And now, Sasuke. Care to address what I've said?" the man asked.

"I'll try to be there for you," he grunted. Naruto sent him a comforting smile. "But you can't just randomly show up in the middle of the night and demand sex," he grunted.

"Fair enough," the blonde chuckled. "So, I guess everything's settled-"

"Karin wants to leave me," Ino whispered, staring at the table as if it held answers to all of the universe questions. To Sasuke's surprise, Karin didn't immediately say that she didn't want to do that. She just looked away, hugging herself, and looking ashamed. Sasuke tried to grab Ino's hands but she swatted them away. "See, you can't fix this one," she grunted, getting up. Karin and Sasuke stood up, ready to follow her. "Leave me alone. All of you," she pleaded, walking away.

Sasuke observed her as she grabbed her bag, and left their apartment. There was probably nothing they could do to fix this issue.

* * *

**A/N: um, yeah, some baby drama. is it cheap and overused? you bet. can i make it work? perhaps.**


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Naruto, Friendship, Romance