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DISCLAIMER: I DON'T own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. This is a work of pure fiction for my amusement and for those who read this.

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Better than Ramen Chapter Twelve: Forehead Kiss, Nose Kiss, Ear Kiss, Lip Kiss: It's a Yaoi Reference, Sasuke!

Naruto's Point of View

Even though my sensei's advice was the worst ever, I decided to give it a shot. So, I pretended that nothing happened the following morning. I gave Sasuke a very cheerful "Good morning, dattebayo," and received two things in return. First he glared at me, and then he made a bee line toward me in the middle of the classroom and slapped me across the face. Without saying a word, he returned to his desk to study for the upcoming A&P test, leaving me standing with a smarting cheek and a lot of questions. I decided that he was still a little sore about what happened between him and me, so I decided the best course of action was to forget about the incident. I was slapped again the following morning when I said hello to him.

Guess what? Over two weeks went by and nothing changed, other than the fact that I had grown accustomed to using chopsticks in my left hand. I had texted him so many times that my outbox (which could hold over five hundred messages, mind you!) became full in the first seven days. I can't tell you how many times I called him because I honestly lost track after forty-three. I became so lonely without someone to talk to during those days. I mostly stayed in my apartment searching for a job because my income was basically zero. I had never spent that much time alone and I didn't like it. I did eventually start going to the arcade with some new friends (Suigetsu and Jugo), but it just wasn't the same. I felt like I needed to apologize to Sasuke, but I didn't know how to go about doing that. I didn't know if I should stick to Kakashi-sensei's questionable advice or give up the silent treatment and speak to Sasuke.

The above reasons are why I was so worried when I arrived at school to find Sasuke's seat empty. I didn't bother hiding my phone from Kakashi-sensei because I knew he didn't care either way, so I texted Sasuke and asked if he was alright. No answer. I resent the message. Again, no answer. I repeated this action right before the final bell rang during eighth period and I still hadn't gotten a reply. Panic was setting in. This must have been how Sasuke felt while I was lying sick in the hospital! Oh, God, what if he was lying sick in the hospital?! Would it have been my fault? Dumb question, because the answer was so obviously yes! However, I was calmer than I probably should have been. Instead of rushing to the hospital like some idiot, I settled with calling Itachi as soon as I got out of the school. Apparently, Sasuke was experiencing a stress induced fever and was staying alone at his flat. Itachi said he would have been there to care for his little brother, but he was currently on the other side of Japan. When I asked him why his mother or his father hadn't gone over to watch over Sasuke, Itachi's short reply was, "They said he can take care of himself."

After hearing that, I couldn't have cared less about Kakashi-sensei's lame-ass advice or if Sasuke hated me; I wasn't going to permit such a terrible thing to happen! Nobody should be home alone with a fever, damn it! Having decided that, I got Sasuke's new address from Itachi and hopped on the nearest bus because I couldn't afford more gas for my motorcycle. However, I did make a pit stop on the way to Sasuke's flat to buy him some tomatoes. I figured if he was going to become upset with me, I could at least have something to fall back on when that happened.

I didn't bother knocking on the door when I arrived at his unnecessarily large flat. I took off my shoes* and called out his name once. Twice. No answer. Let the anxiety begin! I set the tomatoes down and traversed the first floor with no sign of him, so I made my way to the stairs on the far wall and ascended quietly. The only bedroom was down the hall and to the right with the door slightly ajar. Every single bloody scene in all those horror movies I watched replayed in my mind. I tried to reassure myself by thinking that the worst that could possibly happen is him levitating off the bed while being shredding by the invisible Freddy Krueger like in that American movie I watched with Kankuro, but that only served to cause me more discomfort! Mustering up all the strength I had, I silently pushed the door open and found Sasuke on the bed with his feet sticking out from under the covers. His breathing was irregular and his face was flushed with sweat lining his brow. I nearly ran forward to the bed and when I reached my destination, he appeared worse than before. I put the back of my hand against his forehead, scowling at the temperature when I drew back. I readjusted the blanket at his feet before retreating to the bathroom down the hall for a washcloth and a bowl of cool water. I wiped the sweat from his face and neck and pulled up a chair next to him. It was then that I finally noticed the sheer size of his living space. How could someone possibly live here all alone? It must have been so lonely for Sasuke. I know I lived alone, but I had my crazy neighbor, Deidara, to keep me company when he wasn't blowing things up. Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't exactly easy to talk to. I wondered if he had made friends with any of his neighbors and seriously doubted that possibility. Ipso facto, Sasuke could have been just as lonely as I in those few weeks we hadn't spoken.

…Sasuke…, I thought as I stared at him in his fitful sleep. I swallowed the large lump in my throat and stood up to find a glass of water…only to trip forward because my leg got stuck in the chair. I wasn't able to stop myself from falling and I landed on top of Sasuke, my lips brushing his forehead and then his nose when he turned over before shooting upright. D-does that count as a kiss?!

It was at that time that I was standing up again and he was staring around the room until his eyes fell upon me. I was so overcome with joy that he was awake that I literally hugged him.

"You had me worried, Sasuke," I told him, laughing happily. "Answer my text next time you're sick, dattebayo!"

"I-I'm gonna…up," Sasuke muttered into my chest.

"Huh?" I pulled back a bit just in time to see how green he looked. Without warning, Sasuke's eyes widened and his cheeks bulged. My entire abdomen was doused in a putrid smelling, warm substance that dripped onto my pants, but nothing else.** I didn't have time to feel stunned or revolted because Sasuke vomited again in the same place, gripping my arms the entire time. I didn't know what else to do, so I held his hair out of his face when he vomited a third time. I have the strongest stomach ever…!

It looked like Sasuke was going to vomit for a fourth time, but he eventually got a hold of himself and just panted heavily, coughing in between every other breath. I patted his back soothingly and asked if he was alright. He just nodded queasily, still not letting me go. I searched for the washcloth that had previously been placed on his head. Once I found it, I nudged Sasuke's chin upward and started to clean around his mouth, trying to ignore the awful smell wafting up my nostrils. Sasuke's expression as I cleaned his face was very…suggestive, per se. I saw a girl once make the same face in one of Jiraiya's perverted magazines, but this somehow looked far less attractive. His hair was a mess and sticking to his forehead and neck do to his sweat and there was a line of drool/vomit from his top lip to his chin. His eyes were barely open and his face was so red that he looked like a tomato himself. He looked like he was about ready to pass out.

"None of it got on you, did it?" I asked after I had finished my objective.

"…N-no," he wheezed in a distant voice, swaying slightly where he sat in front of me. "I…" He fell forward and I caught him instantly, careful not to get the contamination anywhere on him. I slowly laid him back down and put the blankets around him once more. Sadly, puking all over me didn't improve his condition. If anything, it made him worse. He started complaining that his throat was dry so I had to run to the kitchen for a glass of water. I also had to help Sasuke sit up in order to drink said water and retrieve another washcloth for his forehead.

"Feeling better now, Sasuke?"

He made the slightest indication of a nod and I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I remembered the state of my clothes.

"Hey, do you think I could borrow some clothes and use your shower?"

Sasuke only nodded and I was too happy for that. I quickly grabbed a shirt and pants from his drawers before disappearing to the bathroom, promising beforehand that I wouldn't be long. I gagged repeatedly while taking off my puke embellished clothes, still thinking that I was grateful nothing got on Sasuke.

My shower lasted ten minutes and I was out of there faster than I thought possible, considering I had just gotten repetitively puked on. When I got back in his room, Sasuke was fast asleep curled up into a ball. I laughed lightly when I took my seat again.

"Nekosuke,"*** I murmured as I petted his head. He leaned into the touch unconsciously and I blushed from that. Why did I blush?!

I checked my watch to distract myself and found that it was actually pretty late. I hadn't even started on my homework because I was busy trying to take care of Sasuke. After finding a piece of paper, I wrote a message to him telling him that if he needed anything he could just call me at any time and I'd be there. I left it on his bedside table and was about to depart when his sweaty hand grabbed mine and stopped me from walking.

"What's wrong?" I asked, afraid he was going to vomit again.

Sasuke gazed at me with pleading eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "S-stay…stay…here, Naruto…."

"Er, ah…y-you sure about that, 'ttebayo?"

His only answer was him pulling me closer to him with the little strength he had, appearing to be on the verge of tears.

"Okay, I'll stay," I relented timidly and went to sit down, but Sasuke pulled me toward the bed yet again and it was pretty clear what he wanted, but I wasn't really willing to comply. "Er, Sasuke, do you know what you're saying?"

He just continued to stare at me and I hesitantly surrendered. Sasuke moved over slightly to make more room for me and once I was lying in his bed beside him, he rested his head so close to mine that his lips were touching my ear, still clutching my hand with both of his. He was asleep almost immediately after that and I, meanwhile, was worrying if I would catch his flu. I was also wondering if he would remember all of this in the morning or not.

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Morning arrived and Sasuke was the first to wake up. How could I tell this? Because it was his fist to my face and falling on the floor that woke me up. What a great way to start the day!

"W-w-wha-what the hell are you doing here, Usuratonkachi?!" Sasuke demanded angrily.

I groaned as I sat up rubbing my sore cheek and began to panic. "Er, Sasuke, you don't remember?"

"Remember what exactly?!"

"That's what I was afraid of…."

Sasuke lunged at me in his fury and secured his hands around my neck, continually shaking me. "Tell me what happened yesterday before I murder you!"

"O-okay," I choked while trying to pry his hands away from me. "You were sick and nobody was here to look after you, so…I got this address from Itachi, dattebayo, and you wouldn't let me leave!"

This apparently had some effect on Sasuke, because he slowly released me and I breathed sweet air again. He seemed to be slowly remembering the details of the previous day, including the part where he threw up all over me three times in a row. However, this didn't induce any type of sympathy. Without a word, he dragged me down the stairs and pushed me out the door, throwing my bag and shoes after me before slamming it shut in my face.

School was no better. Every time I tried to speak to Sasuke about what happened, he'd shut me out or threaten to kill me in a number of elaborate ways. This normally wouldn't have bothered me on such a level, but after what I had gone through, I was sick of doing nothing.

When the fourth bell was about to ring for lunch, I decided to make my move to talk to Sasuke. I didn't get a chance to even move though because Hinata approached my desk holding a small box with an orange bow around it.

"N-Naruto-kun," she began silently.

"Hey, Hinata," I greeted and cast a questioning glance at the box. "What's that?"

"Hinata," Tenten whispered venomously a few feet away. "We were supposed to wait until the middle of lunch!"

"Wait for what?" I asked.

Kiba sighed disappointedly and surveyed the entire room of students. "Oh, well. Guys, looks like we're doing it now."

"Doing what now, dattebayo?"

In a split second, nearly all of my classmates (Karin, Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke were the only exceptions) presented brightly colored boxes about the size of Hinata's, small bags of cookies and other sweets, and some things that weren't even wrapped, which included a few video games, manga, and key chains.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," everyone cheered at the same time.

I sat stock-still with a vacant expression. "…Eh?"

"Iruka-sensei told us today's your birthday," Neji explained and glowered at Hinata. "We were supposed to wait until the middle of lunch, but someone became a little too impatient."

"It's fine, isn't it," Shino asked. "This way it's a surprise for all of us."

"That's not the point, Shino."

"Anyway," Shikamaru said loudly as Neji and Shino began bickering, "we just wanted to say happy birthday to you, Naruto." He gave me his present of a shogi set and everyone else followed his lead.

I laughed at some of the gag gifts I received (a fox charm and a cat ear headband), and was touched at some serious gifts (a medical book and ten coupons for Ichiraku). I thanked everyone who gave me gifts and shared all of the treats with my classmates, even the three girls who apparently hated me. I offered some to Sasuke as well, but he just grumbled about not liking sweets. The bell for lunch rang shortly after that and everyone filed out of the classroom. I stealthily slipped away from the queue of students lining up for lunch and started toward the stairs that led to the roof. I barely made it to the door before I started crying. That's right, I was crying, but they weren't tears of joy; I can promise you that.

That day marked the first day I would spend without my family. We never used to do anything big on holidays because we could barely afford food every month, but my mom and dad somehow managed to get me at least one expensive gift each year. I had received more gifts this birthday than any other, but I would have traded it all and something else just to hear my mom wish me a happy birthday and to have my dad tussle my hair while congratulating me. Thinking that only made me feel worse and I collapsed against the wall that was around the corner from the door, unable to stop myself from crying.

"You take that song way too seriously," someone told me.

I looked up and found Sasuke leaning against the wall beside me. He wasn't looking at me at all, but just staring off into space as if we were having a normal conversation.

I hastily wiped my eyes before asking, "What song…?"

"'It's my party; I can cry if I want to,'" he quoted.

"I've never heard that song before."

"You're lucky. Mom was obsessed with it when I was a kid and she wouldn't stop singing it."

"Sasuke, why are you even here?"

He shrugged. "Guess I'll feel bad if I don't at least apologize to you on your birthday." He turned to look at me for the first time, not the slightest hint of remorse in his eyes or voice. "Sorry for hitting you this morning."

I don't know why, but that just pissed me right the hell off. I was on my feet and face to face with Sasuke in no time at all.

"Don't do that, 'ttebayo!"

"Do what?"

"Don't apologize when you're not even sorry," I hollered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Would you rather have stayed up here all day crying without my apology? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm even talking to you?"

"I am happy that you're finally talking to me, but you've been unfair to me this whole time! You get mad at me for no reason and then you expect me to forgive you right after you hit me or yell at me!"

"Oh, as if you know what you're talking about," he returned angrily. "You just want me to feel sorry for you so that I can be the bad guy, right?!"

I reacted instinctively to his outburst. I clenched my fist and was going to punch Sasuke, but then I stopped suddenly and punched the wall by his ear instead. I still shocked him either way.

"I was going to punch you in your prick face," I said, my voice trembling in rage, "but…I can't hurt you."

Sasuke's sudden fear was replaced by anger again. "Would you stop saying things like that?! It's when you do stuff like that that makes me think you're gay!"

"Wha…? You're still pissed off because I asked you that?!"

"Of course I am! That's why I punched you this morning! And while we're on the subject of things that piss us off, when are you going to stop leading me on?!"

"Eh…?"

"That's right! You kissed me! Twice, damn it!"

"Huh?! When the hell did I do that, dattebayo?!"

"When you stayed the night at my house and when you first woke up in the hospital!"

"I don't remember that! Are you sure you're not just making that up because you have a crush on me?!"

"Ha! You wish! You're the one with the crush on me! How can you not remember kissing me twice?!"

I gritted my teeth and shouted, "Then maybe I'll remember this time!"

"…Wait, what…?"

I grabbed the back of Sasuke's head and pulled him closer to me before he had time to react. I locked lips with him, thinking that this would teach him a lesson for all he'd done, but then my head started spinning and I had to pull away for air.

Sasuke's face was deep red and he was wiping his lips with the back of his hand furiously, unable to speak either from shock or embarrassment.

"Sasuke…"

"What is it now?! A-and why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Let me do it again."

"EH?! No! N-no way!"

"I just wanna check something."

"It's gross!"

I pushed him further against the wall and asked calmly, "Then why are you shaking?"

He shrank back, trying to hide his face from mine, his voice betraying what he said. "I-I'm shaking with revulsion…!"

"Liar."

I pressed my body against Sasuke's and he tried again to turn away from me, but was otherwise frozen where he stood. I turned his head toward mine and closed my mouth over his again. A tremor passed through his body that made his knees buckle beneath him. He actually would have fallen if my standing position were any different because when his knees gave out, he ended up straddling my left leg and that caused him to moan. He also had to hold onto my arms to prevent himself from falling further, which was perfectly fine with me. I'll admit that I was disappointed when he broke away from our make out session to breathe, so I settled with leaving a few marks here and there on his neck.

"Sasuke," I sighed before moving to make another mark.

"C-cut that out," he panted.

"Do you hate it that much?"

"…"

I shifted my left leg and he cried out. I paused and gazed into his eyes. "Sasuke, do you hate me?"

He wasn't expecting the question and he couldn't find his voice to answer me. I smiled softly and whispered, "That's good." I kissed him again and he didn't protest as much as the first time.

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Shikamaru's Point of View

I chuckled to myself as I backed away from the door leading to the rooftop of the school. Chouji and Kiba, however, were glaring daggers at me.

"Imagine that." I said in a singsong voice.

"All of my hate," Kiba muttered after giving me the twenty thousand yen after Chouji.

"Hang on a second, Kiba," I called before he could get back to the cafeteria. "You owe me an extra ten thousand, and Chouji, you owe me the same."

"What?!" They exclaimed together.

"You both thought that Sasuke was the pitcher in their brocest, and that role clearly belongs to Naruto. Unless you'd rather ask them which is which." When they let their heads fall in shame, I smirked and held out my hand. "Cough it up."

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*In Japan, it is traditional to take off your shoes before entering a house.

**Funny story! Once upon a Christmas in the Blumenthal household, I awoke to my oldest sister puking on me. Best Christmas ever!

***Neko means cat in Japanese and Sasuke looks like a cat, so Naruto calls him Nekosuke.

Description
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. This is a work of pure fiction for my amusement and for those who read this.

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Better than Ramen Chapter Twelve: Forehead Kiss, Nose Kiss, Ear Kiss, Lip Kiss: It's a Yaoi Reference, Sasuke!

Naruto's Point of View

Even though my sensei's advice was the worst ever, I decided to give it a shot. So, I pretended that nothing happened the following morning. I gave Sasuke a very cheerful "Good morning, dattebayo," and received two things in return. First he glared at me, and then he made a bee line toward me in the middle of the classroom and slapped me across the face. Without saying a word, he returned to his desk to study for the upcoming A&P test, leaving me standing with a smarting cheek and a lot of questions. I decided that he was still a little sore about what happened between him and me, so I decided the best course of action was to forget about the incident. I was slapped again the following morning when I said hello to him.

Guess what? Over two weeks went by and nothing changed, other than the fact that I had grown accustomed to using chopsticks in my left hand. I had texted him so many times that my outbox (which could hold over five hundred messages, mind you!) became full in the first seven days. I can't tell you how many times I called him because I honestly lost track after forty-three. I became so lonely without someone to talk to during those days. I mostly stayed in my apartment searching for a job because my income was basically zero. I had never spent that much time alone and I didn't like it. I did eventually start going to the arcade with some new friends (Suigetsu and Jugo), but it just wasn't the same. I felt like I needed to apologize to Sasuke, but I didn't know how to go about doing that. I didn't know if I should stick to Kakashi-sensei's questionable advice or give up the silent treatment and speak to Sasuke.

The above reasons are why I was so worried when I arrived at school to find Sasuke's seat empty. I didn't bother hiding my phone from Kakashi-sensei because I knew he didn't care either way, so I texted Sasuke and asked if he was alright. No answer. I resent the message. Again, no answer. I repeated this action right before the final bell rang during eighth period and I still hadn't gotten a reply. Panic was setting in. This must have been how Sasuke felt while I was lying sick in the hospital! Oh, God, what if he was lying sick in the hospital?! Would it have been my fault? Dumb question, because the answer was so obviously yes! However, I was calmer than I probably should have been. Instead of rushing to the hospital like some idiot, I settled with calling Itachi as soon as I got out of the school. Apparently, Sasuke was experiencing a stress induced fever and was staying alone at his flat. Itachi said he would have been there to care for his little brother, but he was currently on the other side of Japan. When I asked him why his mother or his father hadn't gone over to watch over Sasuke, Itachi's short reply was, "They said he can take care of himself."

After hearing that, I couldn't have cared less about Kakashi-sensei's lame-ass advice or if Sasuke hated me; I wasn't going to permit such a terrible thing to happen! Nobody should be home alone with a fever, damn it! Having decided that, I got Sasuke's new address from Itachi and hopped on the nearest bus because I couldn't afford more gas for my motorcycle. However, I did make a pit stop on the way to Sasuke's flat to buy him some tomatoes. I figured if he was going to become upset with me, I could at least have something to fall back on when that happened.

I didn't bother knocking on the door when I arrived at his unnecessarily large flat. I took off my shoes* and called out his name once. Twice. No answer. Let the anxiety begin! I set the tomatoes down and traversed the first floor with no sign of him, so I made my way to the stairs on the far wall and ascended quietly. The only bedroom was down the hall and to the right with the door slightly ajar. Every single bloody scene in all those horror movies I watched replayed in my mind. I tried to reassure myself by thinking that the worst that could possibly happen is him levitating off the bed while being shredding by the invisible Freddy Krueger like in that American movie I watched with Kankuro, but that only served to cause me more discomfort! Mustering up all the strength I had, I silently pushed the door open and found Sasuke on the bed with his feet sticking out from under the covers. His breathing was irregular and his face was flushed with sweat lining his brow. I nearly ran forward to the bed and when I reached my destination, he appeared worse than before. I put the back of my hand against his forehead, scowling at the temperature when I drew back. I readjusted the blanket at his feet before retreating to the bathroom down the hall for a washcloth and a bowl of cool water. I wiped the sweat from his face and neck and pulled up a chair next to him. It was then that I finally noticed the sheer size of his living space. How could someone possibly live here all alone? It must have been so lonely for Sasuke. I know I lived alone, but I had my crazy neighbor, Deidara, to keep me company when he wasn't blowing things up. Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't exactly easy to talk to. I wondered if he had made friends with any of his neighbors and seriously doubted that possibility. Ipso facto, Sasuke could have been just as lonely as I in those few weeks we hadn't spoken.

…Sasuke…, I thought as I stared at him in his fitful sleep. I swallowed the large lump in my throat and stood up to find a glass of water…only to trip forward because my leg got stuck in the chair. I wasn't able to stop myself from falling and I landed on top of Sasuke, my lips brushing his forehead and then his nose when he turned over before shooting upright. D-does that count as a kiss?!

It was at that time that I was standing up again and he was staring around the room until his eyes fell upon me. I was so overcome with joy that he was awake that I literally hugged him.

"You had me worried, Sasuke," I told him, laughing happily. "Answer my text next time you're sick, dattebayo!"

"I-I'm gonna…up," Sasuke muttered into my chest.

"Huh?" I pulled back a bit just in time to see how green he looked. Without warning, Sasuke's eyes widened and his cheeks bulged. My entire abdomen was doused in a putrid smelling, warm substance that dripped onto my pants, but nothing else.** I didn't have time to feel stunned or revolted because Sasuke vomited again in the same place, gripping my arms the entire time. I didn't know what else to do, so I held his hair out of his face when he vomited a third time. I have the strongest stomach ever…!

It looked like Sasuke was going to vomit for a fourth time, but he eventually got a hold of himself and just panted heavily, coughing in between every other breath. I patted his back soothingly and asked if he was alright. He just nodded queasily, still not letting me go. I searched for the washcloth that had previously been placed on his head. Once I found it, I nudged Sasuke's chin upward and started to clean around his mouth, trying to ignore the awful smell wafting up my nostrils. Sasuke's expression as I cleaned his face was very…suggestive, per se. I saw a girl once make the same face in one of Jiraiya's perverted magazines, but this somehow looked far less attractive. His hair was a mess and sticking to his forehead and neck do to his sweat and there was a line of drool/vomit from his top lip to his chin. His eyes were barely open and his face was so red that he looked like a tomato himself. He looked like he was about ready to pass out.

"None of it got on you, did it?" I asked after I had finished my objective.

"…N-no," he wheezed in a distant voice, swaying slightly where he sat in front of me. "I…" He fell forward and I caught him instantly, careful not to get the contamination anywhere on him. I slowly laid him back down and put the blankets around him once more. Sadly, puking all over me didn't improve his condition. If anything, it made him worse. He started complaining that his throat was dry so I had to run to the kitchen for a glass of water. I also had to help Sasuke sit up in order to drink said water and retrieve another washcloth for his forehead.

"Feeling better now, Sasuke?"

He made the slightest indication of a nod and I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I remembered the state of my clothes.

"Hey, do you think I could borrow some clothes and use your shower?"

Sasuke only nodded and I was too happy for that. I quickly grabbed a shirt and pants from his drawers before disappearing to the bathroom, promising beforehand that I wouldn't be long. I gagged repeatedly while taking off my puke embellished clothes, still thinking that I was grateful nothing got on Sasuke.

My shower lasted ten minutes and I was out of there faster than I thought possible, considering I had just gotten repetitively puked on. When I got back in his room, Sasuke was fast asleep curled up into a ball. I laughed lightly when I took my seat again.

"Nekosuke,"*** I murmured as I petted his head. He leaned into the touch unconsciously and I blushed from that. Why did I blush?!

I checked my watch to distract myself and found that it was actually pretty late. I hadn't even started on my homework because I was busy trying to take care of Sasuke. After finding a piece of paper, I wrote a message to him telling him that if he needed anything he could just call me at any time and I'd be there. I left it on his bedside table and was about to depart when his sweaty hand grabbed mine and stopped me from walking.

"What's wrong?" I asked, afraid he was going to vomit again.

Sasuke gazed at me with pleading eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "S-stay…stay…here, Naruto…."

"Er, ah…y-you sure about that, 'ttebayo?"

His only answer was him pulling me closer to him with the little strength he had, appearing to be on the verge of tears.

"Okay, I'll stay," I relented timidly and went to sit down, but Sasuke pulled me toward the bed yet again and it was pretty clear what he wanted, but I wasn't really willing to comply. "Er, Sasuke, do you know what you're saying?"

He just continued to stare at me and I hesitantly surrendered. Sasuke moved over slightly to make more room for me and once I was lying in his bed beside him, he rested his head so close to mine that his lips were touching my ear, still clutching my hand with both of his. He was asleep almost immediately after that and I, meanwhile, was worrying if I would catch his flu. I was also wondering if he would remember all of this in the morning or not.

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Morning arrived and Sasuke was the first to wake up. How could I tell this? Because it was his fist to my face and falling on the floor that woke me up. What a great way to start the day!

"W-w-wha-what the hell are you doing here, Usuratonkachi?!" Sasuke demanded angrily.

I groaned as I sat up rubbing my sore cheek and began to panic. "Er, Sasuke, you don't remember?"

"Remember what exactly?!"

"That's what I was afraid of…."

Sasuke lunged at me in his fury and secured his hands around my neck, continually shaking me. "Tell me what happened yesterday before I murder you!"

"O-okay," I choked while trying to pry his hands away from me. "You were sick and nobody was here to look after you, so…I got this address from Itachi, dattebayo, and you wouldn't let me leave!"

This apparently had some effect on Sasuke, because he slowly released me and I breathed sweet air again. He seemed to be slowly remembering the details of the previous day, including the part where he threw up all over me three times in a row. However, this didn't induce any type of sympathy. Without a word, he dragged me down the stairs and pushed me out the door, throwing my bag and shoes after me before slamming it shut in my face.

School was no better. Every time I tried to speak to Sasuke about what happened, he'd shut me out or threaten to kill me in a number of elaborate ways. This normally wouldn't have bothered me on such a level, but after what I had gone through, I was sick of doing nothing.

When the fourth bell was about to ring for lunch, I decided to make my move to talk to Sasuke. I didn't get a chance to even move though because Hinata approached my desk holding a small box with an orange bow around it.

"N-Naruto-kun," she began silently.

"Hey, Hinata," I greeted and cast a questioning glance at the box. "What's that?"

"Hinata," Tenten whispered venomously a few feet away. "We were supposed to wait until the middle of lunch!"

"Wait for what?" I asked.

Kiba sighed disappointedly and surveyed the entire room of students. "Oh, well. Guys, looks like we're doing it now."

"Doing what now, dattebayo?"

In a split second, nearly all of my classmates (Karin, Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke were the only exceptions) presented brightly colored boxes about the size of Hinata's, small bags of cookies and other sweets, and some things that weren't even wrapped, which included a few video games, manga, and key chains.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," everyone cheered at the same time.

I sat stock-still with a vacant expression. "…Eh?"

"Iruka-sensei told us today's your birthday," Neji explained and glowered at Hinata. "We were supposed to wait until the middle of lunch, but someone became a little too impatient."

"It's fine, isn't it," Shino asked. "This way it's a surprise for all of us."

"That's not the point, Shino."

"Anyway," Shikamaru said loudly as Neji and Shino began bickering, "we just wanted to say happy birthday to you, Naruto." He gave me his present of a shogi set and everyone else followed his lead.

I laughed at some of the gag gifts I received (a fox charm and a cat ear headband), and was touched at some serious gifts (a medical book and ten coupons for Ichiraku). I thanked everyone who gave me gifts and shared all of the treats with my classmates, even the three girls who apparently hated me. I offered some to Sasuke as well, but he just grumbled about not liking sweets. The bell for lunch rang shortly after that and everyone filed out of the classroom. I stealthily slipped away from the queue of students lining up for lunch and started toward the stairs that led to the roof. I barely made it to the door before I started crying. That's right, I was crying, but they weren't tears of joy; I can promise you that.

That day marked the first day I would spend without my family. We never used to do anything big on holidays because we could barely afford food every month, but my mom and dad somehow managed to get me at least one expensive gift each year. I had received more gifts this birthday than any other, but I would have traded it all and something else just to hear my mom wish me a happy birthday and to have my dad tussle my hair while congratulating me. Thinking that only made me feel worse and I collapsed against the wall that was around the corner from the door, unable to stop myself from crying.

"You take that song way too seriously," someone told me.

I looked up and found Sasuke leaning against the wall beside me. He wasn't looking at me at all, but just staring off into space as if we were having a normal conversation.

I hastily wiped my eyes before asking, "What song…?"

"'It's my party; I can cry if I want to,'" he quoted.

"I've never heard that song before."

"You're lucky. Mom was obsessed with it when I was a kid and she wouldn't stop singing it."

"Sasuke, why are you even here?"

He shrugged. "Guess I'll feel bad if I don't at least apologize to you on your birthday." He turned to look at me for the first time, not the slightest hint of remorse in his eyes or voice. "Sorry for hitting you this morning."

I don't know why, but that just pissed me right the hell off. I was on my feet and face to face with Sasuke in no time at all.

"Don't do that, 'ttebayo!"

"Do what?"

"Don't apologize when you're not even sorry," I hollered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Would you rather have stayed up here all day crying without my apology? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm even talking to you?"

"I am happy that you're finally talking to me, but you've been unfair to me this whole time! You get mad at me for no reason and then you expect me to forgive you right after you hit me or yell at me!"

"Oh, as if you know what you're talking about," he returned angrily. "You just want me to feel sorry for you so that I can be the bad guy, right?!"

I reacted instinctively to his outburst. I clenched my fist and was going to punch Sasuke, but then I stopped suddenly and punched the wall by his ear instead. I still shocked him either way.

"I was going to punch you in your prick face," I said, my voice trembling in rage, "but…I can't hurt you."

Sasuke's sudden fear was replaced by anger again. "Would you stop saying things like that?! It's when you do stuff like that that makes me think you're gay!"

"Wha…? You're still pissed off because I asked you that?!"

"Of course I am! That's why I punched you this morning! And while we're on the subject of things that piss us off, when are you going to stop leading me on?!"

"Eh…?"

"That's right! You kissed me! Twice, damn it!"

"Huh?! When the hell did I do that, dattebayo?!"

"When you stayed the night at my house and when you first woke up in the hospital!"

"I don't remember that! Are you sure you're not just making that up because you have a crush on me?!"

"Ha! You wish! You're the one with the crush on me! How can you not remember kissing me twice?!"

I gritted my teeth and shouted, "Then maybe I'll remember this time!"

"…Wait, what…?"

I grabbed the back of Sasuke's head and pulled him closer to me before he had time to react. I locked lips with him, thinking that this would teach him a lesson for all he'd done, but then my head started spinning and I had to pull away for air.

Sasuke's face was deep red and he was wiping his lips with the back of his hand furiously, unable to speak either from shock or embarrassment.

"Sasuke…"

"What is it now?! A-and why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Let me do it again."

"EH?! No! N-no way!"

"I just wanna check something."

"It's gross!"

I pushed him further against the wall and asked calmly, "Then why are you shaking?"

He shrank back, trying to hide his face from mine, his voice betraying what he said. "I-I'm shaking with revulsion…!"

"Liar."

I pressed my body against Sasuke's and he tried again to turn away from me, but was otherwise frozen where he stood. I turned his head toward mine and closed my mouth over his again. A tremor passed through his body that made his knees buckle beneath him. He actually would have fallen if my standing position were any different because when his knees gave out, he ended up straddling my left leg and that caused him to moan. He also had to hold onto my arms to prevent himself from falling further, which was perfectly fine with me. I'll admit that I was disappointed when he broke away from our make out session to breathe, so I settled with leaving a few marks here and there on his neck.

"Sasuke," I sighed before moving to make another mark.

"C-cut that out," he panted.

"Do you hate it that much?"

"…"

I shifted my left leg and he cried out. I paused and gazed into his eyes. "Sasuke, do you hate me?"

He wasn't expecting the question and he couldn't find his voice to answer me. I smiled softly and whispered, "That's good." I kissed him again and he didn't protest as much as the first time.

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Shikamaru's Point of View

I chuckled to myself as I backed away from the door leading to the rooftop of the school. Chouji and Kiba, however, were glaring daggers at me.

"Imagine that." I said in a singsong voice.

"All of my hate," Kiba muttered after giving me the twenty thousand yen after Chouji.

"Hang on a second, Kiba," I called before he could get back to the cafeteria. "You owe me an extra ten thousand, and Chouji, you owe me the same."

"What?!" They exclaimed together.

"You both thought that Sasuke was the pitcher in their brocest, and that role clearly belongs to Naruto. Unless you'd rather ask them which is which." When they let their heads fall in shame, I smirked and held out my hand. "Cough it up."

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*In Japan, it is traditional to take off your shoes before entering a house.

**Funny story! Once upon a Christmas in the Blumenthal household, I awoke to my oldest sister puking on me. Best Christmas ever!

***Neko means cat in Japanese and Sasuke looks like a cat, so Naruto calls him Nekosuke.