Finally

“Happy Valentine’s day! This is for you!” a small boy with a shock of blonde hair said, holding out a tiny wrapped box of candy.
The dark haired boy stared at the red and pink covered box and then up into the bright face of the giver.
“Take it!” the boy urged.
Mutely, the brunette reached out a hand and took the candy, feeling a bit confused, but happy nevertheless, though he willed himself not to show it.  
The blonde grinned even more and said, “I got you chocolates because I like you! I’ll see you tomorrow at school, okay? Have a great Valentine’s!  I have to go now!” And then he bounded off to the parking lot where a man with brown hair was waiting for him.  The boy turned and waved again before getting into the car and driving off.
The seven year old left behind could only stand in front of the elementary building and stare after the blonde boy, the box of candy still clutched in his hand.
“Come on,” a voice said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got to get home.”
“Okay, aniki,” the boy replied, staring up at his tall older brother.
“Is that a gift from your girlfriend?” the teen said, nodding down at the candy box.
“No, it’s not,” the boy replied.
“They why keep it?  You hate chocolates.”
Uchiha Sasuke could not reply, and only held the box a bit a tighter in his hands.
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Nineteen year old Uchiha Sasuke reached out a hand and slammed his alarm off, and then slowly pulled himself out of his bed.  He stood and stretched his arms over his head and sighed.
That dream again.  It’s like a goddamn omen, I swear.
Sasuke walked to his desk in the corner and opened the top drawer.  Reaching into the back, he pulled out a small box, wrapped in peeling red and pink paper.  He looked it over, examining it, before setting it down on his desk top.  Sasuke ran a hand through his black hair and sighed again.  
It had been twelve years since that day in his dream and that day had been the start of many different things.  He had never received a valentine in his life before that day and it had been both surprising and confusing.  Why had it been that such a happy and bright blonde haired boy had given him, cold and quiet seven year old Sasuke, a valentine?  That question had plagued Sasuke for days after the incident, but he had never dared to ask.   Because of his pondering, it was no doubt that he soon became curious and fascinated by the blonde boy and secretly began to watch him.
When they had started high school, Sasuke was obsessed with him.  The blonde was popular-- friends with everyone in the grade; a joker-- a smile on his face at all times; a god-like looking creature-- with shining bright features, stunning blue eyes and a chiseled body from playing various sports; in a word, the blonde was Sasuke’s complete opposite, but the constant thought that was on his mind.  As sophomores they became friends, slowly but surely, and soon Sasuke found himself spending all his time with him, or aching to be with him when he was not, and began to realize how their differences attributed to a rather interesting relationship.
Sasuke sighed yet again as he opened up another drawer and stared in dismay at the couple of wrapped boxes of chocolates within.  He loved the blonde; had loved him for almost three years, and every year he had tried to tell the blonde his feelings, had tried on Valentine’s day to give him a valentine just like the blonde had all those years ago, but he’d chickened out.  And every day after Valentine’s he’d put the candy away in his drawer and curse himself for being so cowardly and stupid.
And, like every year, Valentine’s had made its way around, and Sasuke was doomed with facing yet another day of debating to tell his best friend the truth.  
A sudden knock on the door caused Sasuke to jump.  “Who is it?” he yelled.
“Who the hell could it be?”
Sasuke almost fell over.  He quickly put the valentines away, shut the drawers and then went to open the door, calming himself.  
Standing at the door with a grin on his face was Sasuke’s best friend and secret love, Uzumaki Naruto.  “Ohayo!” the blonde said.  “I see you slept in.” He looked Sasuke up and down, scanning the Uchiha’s bare chest appreciatively.
“What do you want, Naruto?” Sasuke asked, hiding his blush and letting the blonde into his dorm room.
“I came to get you.  Let’s go have some breakfast before class. I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“Then, come on!”
“Let me change.” Sasuke grabbed some clothes and sauntered off into the bathroom as Naruto made himself comfortable at his desk.  Sasuke reemerged twenty minutes later, hair wet and wearing jeans and a black shirt.
“Took you long enough,” the blonde commented, shutting off his game of pinball on the Uchiha’s computer.
“Well, it’s your fault for coming to get me so early.”
“I thought you’re be up already.  Don’t you usually wake up at like five?”
Sasuke ignored him, looking for his books.  It was true, he was usually an early riser, unlike his friend, but the night before he’d been stressing over Valentine’s and hadn’t been able to fall asleep.  Of course he couldn’t tell Naruto that.
“Where do you want to go eat?” Sasuke asked.
“Somewhere off campus.  I’m sick of campus food,” Naruto replied.
“Then let’s go,” Sasuke said and he headed towards the door.  But before he reached the exit, a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders and a body sagged against his back, almost throwing him off balance.
Finding his ground, Sasuke stammered, hiding his blush desperately, “Na-Naruto what are you doing?”
“You just look so cute this morning,” the blonde replied casually.  “I wanted to give you a hug.”
Bristling just a bit at being called cute, Sasuke turned to glance at Naruto over his shoulder, “You need serious help.”
“Aw, Sasuke, you’re so mean sometimes,” Naruto said with a pout and Sasuke had the urge to kiss those soft looking lips.
However, he shook his head to clear the temptation and replied, “Am I mean if I treat you to breakfast?”
The blonde’s grin was instant. “I love you, Sasuke!” he exclaimed.
The Uchiha could only hope he really meant that, and wished he could tell the blonde how he felt.  But, he reminded himself, he still had the entire day.
“Shouldn’t you be saying that to your crush or something? It’s Valentine’s, dobe, you shouldn’t be saying that off to just anybody,” Sasuke said as they walked down the hall.
“Well, how do you know you’re not my crush?” Naruto asked with a grin.
Damn him.  Because of that grin, I can’t tell if he’s joking or telling the truth.  Sasuke blushed slightly and Naruto grinned even more.
He tousled the brunette’s hair and said, “You are adorable when you blush, Sasuke.”
“Shut it, Naruto!” Sasuke snapped, slapping the blonde’s hand away.  “Or you won’t be getting breakfast.”
“Awww, Sasuke, you’d let me starve?” Naruto whined childishly.
“Don’t make stupid comments like that and maybe I won’t,”
“But they’re true!”
Sasuke forcibly hid another blush.  “Just shut up, dobe, and let’s go.”
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“Damn, don’t people have better things to do in the morning?” Sasuke complained as they walked into the third restaurant that morning.  Like the previous two, it was also jammed packed with cheery couples and seeing so many happy faces was making Sasuke sick.  
“Better than eating breakfast? Probably not,” Naruto replied.  “Come on, Sasuke! It’s Valentine’s! Couples want to spend all day together, it’s natural.  So, of course, they get up early and eat out.”
“People are staring at us, like we’re a couple,” Sasuke gritted through his teeth, noticing the looks he and Naruto were receiving as they walked up to the ordering counter.
Naruto slung an arm over Sasuke’s shoulder and said, “And, what’s so wrong with that? Personally, I think we make a cute couple!”
Sasuke blushed but didn’t reply, honestly not knowing what to say.
“Come on, boyfriend,” Naruto teased.  “Let’s order.”
They did just that and found a seat in the back corner of the restaurant.  
“Hey, Sasuke, wanna go see a movie after class? You only have one class today, right?” Naruto said.
The Uchiha nodded. “Yes, I only have one class.  And, sure, we can go see a movie.”
Naruto grinned and Sasuke blushed at the expression; the blonde looked so cute when he smiled.  “Great! I’ll come meet you after your class, all right?”
“What movie are we going to see?”
“I don’t know yet.  We’ll decide that later,” Naruto said with a wave of his hand as if the movie wasn’t as important as the fact that he was going to see it with Sasuke.
Sasuke shook his head. “Okay then, I’ll meet you after class.”
“Good, it’s settled,” Naruto said with a nod and a grin.
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“Did you tell him yet?”
Sasuke groaned and buried his head beneath his arms, trying to drone out the girl’s continuous questioning.
“Come on, Sasuke-kun, did you tell him?” the girl asked again, only now poking the Uchiha on the side of the head to get a response.
Sasuke snapped, slapping her hand away.  He glared at the pink-haired girl and replied angrily, “No, dammit, I haven’t, okay?”
“And why the hell not?” she exclaimed. “You’ve seen him today already, haven’t you? You should have just gotten it out of the way by telling him immediately!”
“It’s a bit harder than that, Sakura,” Sasuke grumbled, burying his head in his arms again.  
He sighed and looked away from the girl sitting beside him.  Haruno Sakura was a complete pain, but could still be a rather good friend when he needed one other than Naruto, which, of course, wasn’t very often, but still came in handy.  Especially when he wanted to talk about his feelings for Naruto, but couldn’t exactly say to Naruto.   He hadn’t even told Sakura about his feelings for the blonde; the girl had somehow managed to figure it out on her own.  She’d been part of his fan-club during middle school, but when she’d officially told him her feelings and he’d rejected her saying he liked someone else, she vowed to find out who.  And, she did.  It had taken her awhile because he believed she didn’t want to even fathom that Sasuke liked another guy, but then when all signals pointed to Naruto, she asked him about it and he denied it at first, but she pestered him until he gave in.  She hadn’t told anyone else, thankfully, and she was the only person who, other than that damn voice in his head, kept annoying him and reminding him to tell Naruto the truth.  
And now, Sasuke was going to have to endure most of the class period listening to Sakura whispering about how stupid and cowardly he was for not telling Naruto his feelings.  Sometimes, though not often, Sasuke wished Sakura would go back to being infatuated with him (she had given him up when she’d realized he really loved Naruto), because then he could ignore her ‘I love you’ comments.  The comments she said now, however, he couldn’t ignore, because they were true and he knew it.  
“Well, you are meeting him later, aren’t you?” Sakura questioned.
“Yeah, I am.  We’re going to see a movie after class,” Sasuke replied.
“That’s good, good.  So you still have time to tell him and give him the chocolate.  You have the chocolate, right?”
“Yes, Sakura.  It’s hidden in my room.”
“Good,” Sakura said with a nod.  “I approve.”
“What are you, my mother?”  Sasuke said, glaring at her.
“No, just your friend who’s getting really annoyed by your cowardice!” Sakura exclaimed.
“Leave me alone, Sakura,” Sasuke said, hiding under his arms again.
“Are you going to the Valentine’s party tonight?” Sakura asked.
“I said, leave me alone.”
“Come on, are you?”
“I haven’t even heard of this party.”
“It’s down at Rasengan’s,” Sakura said, naming the closest club to the campus.  “Everyone’ll be there.”
“I hate parties, Sakura.”
“Naruto will be there,” she said suggestively.
Sasuke blushed slightly and mumbled, “What’s your point?”
Sakura slapped the back of his head. “It would be the best time for you to tell Naruto!”
“What if I don’t want to tell him?”
His response only earned him another slap.
“Sakura!” he snarled.
“Sasuke-kun! Don’t saying stupid things you don’t mean! You want to tell him; you’ve been trying for years! So suck it up and tell him!”
“Like I said, it’s not that easy.”
“You’re making it harder by waiting so long,” Sakura said, and Sasuke sighed in dismay, knowing she right. “Just think about the party, okay? Maybe, if you’re not too scared, you could ask Naruto to go with you, like a date, you know?”
Sasuke blushed at the thought of going on a date with Naruto, but then bristled at Sakura’s indication of being scared. “I’m not scared, Sakura,” he said angrily.
She smiled at him. “I’ll believe that when I see you and Naruto coming to the party together.  So you better get working on how to tell him or else I’ll tell everyone that you’re a scaredy-cat.”
And then she turned her attention to their teacher, who had just walked in, twenty minutes late.
Sasuke burrowed his head in his arms yet again, absolutely no mood to endure a lecture from his rather odd professor.  He had more important things on his mind; could he pluck up the courage to ask Naruto on a date when he couldn’t even tell the blonde the truth about his feelings?
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Naruto walked down the campus towards the dorms to meet Sasuke when his cell phone rang, playing the song My Humps at full volume.  He quickly answered it and said, “Hey, what’s up? Did you get anything out of him?”
Naruto frowned sadly as the voice on the other end told him the news. “No? He’s not planning anything? Nothing at all? …But he has the chocolate? That’s good, I guess…Dammit, he’s so flipping confusing!”
“Oh! You told him about the party? Great! Maybe he’ll actually ask…Yeah, it’s probably unlikely, but then, if he doesn’t, I could ask him…”
“Haha, yup! It’s Valentine’s, girl, I’m not letting him out of my sight for the rest of the day!” he exclaimed, with a heartfelt laugh.
Naruto slowly grinned.  “You’re the best.  I’ll see you tonight.  Yeah…Thanks, Sakura.”
Naruto flipped his phone shut and put it away in his pocket.  “Hmm,” he wondered aloud. “How can I get him to ask me?…How can I get him to even agree to going is the first problem…”
“Who’re you talking to?”
Naruto almost jumped out of his skin.  He turned and found Sasuke standing behind him, watching him closely. “Oh, S-Sasuke! Don’t scare me like that!”
“Sorry,” Sasuke said instantly. “So, who were talking to?”
“No one! Just talking to myself,” the blonde replied.
“Okay then, are you ready to go?” Sasuke asked and Naruto nodded, heading toward his car.  
“What movie are we seeing anyway?” Sasuke questioned as Naruto drove into town.
“Well, now don’t kill me for this, Sasuke, but I was thinking we could go see that new movie that came out yesterday,” Naruto replied.
The Uchiha turned to glare at Naruto.  “You mean the new Valentine’s-lovey-dovey-chick-flick movie?”
“The one and only.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Possibly,” Naruto said with a grin.  “Aw, come on, Sasuke, it won’t be that bad.  Besides, even if it is completely stupid, we’ll still have a good laugh from it.”
“We’ll be the only guys in the theatre,” Sasuke said grudgingly.
Naruto shook his head. “Not true.  There’ll be all those poor losers who got dragged there by their girlfriends.”
“Kind of like how you’re dragging me?” Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Except you’re the more girly one,” Naruto said and laughed when Sasuke tried looking angry, but failed miserably considering the blush on his cheeks.
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Naruto?” Sasuke demanded.
“That you have more feminine features, is all,” the blonde replied simply and Sasuke blushed even redder.  “Which reminds me, are you going to the party tonight?”
“How the hell does me having feminine features, which I do not, by the way, remind you of the party tonight?” Sasuke said inquisitively.
“Well, it’s rather complicated, but it’s basically the thought of a feminine you, which means you in a dress, and then the ‘dress’ part indicates party, and, therefore, ‘party’ reminds me of tonight,” Naruto answered with rather twisted logic.
Sasuke glared at him again. “You were not thinking of me in a dress.”
“Yes, I was, and may I say that you would look pretty good in a dress,” Naruto said, flashing a smile as he looked the Uchiha up and down.
Sasuke bristled. “You’re not exactly salvaging my male pride here, Uzumaki,” he said. “First you plan on taking me to a chick flick, then you imagine me in a dress, and now you want me to go with you to a Valentine’s Day party.”
Naruto glanced sideways at Sasuke and quirked an eyebrow.  “Actually, I didn’t ask you to come with me to the party.  I just asked if you were going.”
The Uchiha blushed immediately and found himself at a loss for a reply.
“But, if you want to go with me, then I wouldn’t mind,” Naruto added easily.
However, to the blonde’s great disappointment, Sasuke only blushed a bit more and then looked away, watching buildings pass by through the window.
Dammit! What’s it going to take to get him to agree? Naruto wondered silently as he gripped the steering wheel tighter in frustration, casting another glance at the Uchiha who was now ignoring him.  Naruto furrowed his brow, and exhaled deeply. This was going to be harder than he’d originally thought.
Sasuke stared out the window trying to digest everything the blonde had just said in the past number of minutes.  If he didn’t know any better he could have sworn that Naruto had checked him out when he’d said he’d look good in a dress.  He knew what it was to check someone out, he’d done it many times on the blonde himself, so there was no denying Naruto had just mentally assessed him…but why? Sasuke liked Naruto…he’d never had any reason to believe Naruto liked him.  
Then why did he say ‘I wouldn’t mind’ if he doesn’t like me? Sasuke questioned himself.  Does he mean if we went together he wouldn’t mind? But…why? That’d be a date wouldn’t it?
Sasuke shut his eyes tightly and then blinked a few times, trying desperately to clear his head.  This was starting to be too much.  Valentine’s was already a complicated day, what with trying to find the perfect time to present Naruto with chocolate and confess his love, but now there was the slight possibility that the blonde himself had feelings for him. Sasuke wasn’t exactly sure what to do about that.  God, if Naruto liked him back, well then, everything in his life would have gone perfect for once.  But, there was no real way of knowing how Naruto felt without either asking him, or admitting his own feelings first, and Sasuke was in no mood to try either one of those options.  
The Uchiha glanced over at the blonde beside him and felt his heart tug slightly in his chest.  He loved Naruto so much that it hurt keeping the truth to himself, but he just wasn’t sure if he could confess to Naruto how he felt.
However, as Sasuke sat there and watched the blonde; taking in his gorgeous profile, those bright blue eyes so full of every emotion, that tanned golden skin, that windswept spiky flaxen hair, and that dreamlike body; knowing that every ounce of Uzumaki Naruto made Sasuke completely lose all sense of thought and control, the Uchiha realized that he just couldn’t put this off any longer.   He just could not let this go on any more than it already had.  If he loved the blonde, he should be able to tell him without worrying about the consequences.  If he loved the blonde, he should be able to watch him from the corner of his eye and be as aroused as he was without having to try and hide it.  If he loved the blonde, he shouldn’t have to lie to himself or to Naruto about it; he should just come out and say it.  Of course, that was all easier said than done, and even if Sasuke’s new resolution was that he definitely would tell Naruto that day about his true feelings, it still didn’t sort out how or when he would and could tell him.
The party… his mind told him and Sasuke suddenly sat up a bit straighter, thinking this all through.  Naruto said he wouldn’t mind going to the party with Sasuke, so then could he take the bait and ask him out? If Naruto said yes, Sasuke would finally be able to go on that ever fantasized first date with the blonde, and then Sakura wouldn’t kill him, which he added as a plus.  And, while they were at the party, Sasuke could at some point take the blonde off so he could tell him privately about his feelings and give him the chocolate, just like Naruto had so many years before.  In his head, it seemed like a fool-proof plan.  Now, all he had to do was open his goddamn mouth and ask.
“Are you finding me that interesting, or is there just something on my face?” Naruto asked suddenly, shaking the Uchiha out from his thoughts.
Sasuke blinked and realized that they’d arrived at the theatre and were parked in the parking lot.  He blushed instantaneously.
“You’ve been staring for quite awhile…What’s up?”
“I was, uh, just thinking about something,” Sasuke replied, trying to fight away his blush and was looking anywhere but the blonde’s curious blue eyes.  
“Oh? And what is it?” Naruto asked, catching Sasuke’s gaze when the brunette glanced up.  He held the gaze strongly and Sasuke sucked in a deep breath; god, he loved those eyes…
“Well, actually, I was wondering if…” Sasuke mentally smacked himself for sounding like one of his freaking fan-girls asking him on a date.  “…you wanted to go to the party tonight…with me…?”
Naruto stared at him for a moment, disguising his shock with well-placed stoicism.  He then tipped his chin up and rubbed his hand along it, pretending to think deeply about the offer. Sasuke, meanwhile, was holding his breath, staring with rapt attention at the blonde, waiting impatiently for his answer.  Dammit, I am acting like a freaking fan-girl, he told himself with a small scowl.
However, his scowl faded the instant Naruto looked back down at him, grin in place, and cobalt eyes as bright as ever.  “Okay! I’ll go with you!” the blonde exclaimed happily.  
“Re-Really?” Sasuke stammered and cursed himself for it.  I am not a damn girl!
“Yeah, really! It’ll be fun!” Naruto said.  “Now, let’s get inside before the movie starts.”
They got out the car and Sasuke led the way inside, feeling absolutely thrilled.  The blonde walked a few steps behind him, texting into his phone to a certain pink-haired girl: I got him to ask me! See ya tonite! 
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Sasuke had never been so goddamn nervous in his life.  It was almost the designated time that he and Naruto had planned to meet to leave for the party and Sasuke was completely freaking out.  For the past hour and a half that it took for him to get ready, only one word kept repeating itself in his head: date.  Date, date, date.  Even during the movie that afternoon, the word kept ringing endlessly in his mind; he was stuck on the fact that he had asked Naruto out and that the blonde had agreed.  
He knew he was overreacting, but he couldn’t help it.  It wasn’t very easy coming to terms with the fact that the person he loved for almost three years had agreed to go out with him without a second thought.  Sasuke couldn’t still believe he’d actually gotten the nerve to ask in the first place, and now was wondering if he’d been thinking straight when he had.  
The Uchiha shook his head vigorously and mumbled, “I’m not letting myself die of anxiety before I get my date.  Calm down, dammit.”
Of course that was easier said than done and Sasuke still had that rock of nervousness swelling in his stomach.  He began pacing the length of his dorm room, waiting for the blonde to arrive, mulling over how, when, and where he could possibly confess his feelings for Naruto.  He then remembered about the valentine chocolate and quickly grabbed the wrapped box off his desk.  Just as he put it into his jacket pocket, a knock on the door caused Sasuke’s anxiety to blow off the scale.
The Uchiha sighed deeply, glanced in the mirror for good measure and then went to answer the door.
“Hey, Sasuke!” Naruto greeted excitedly, his bright smile glowing on his face.
“Hi-Hi, Naruto,” Sasuke replied, cursing himself for stuttering.  But how could he not when the blonde looked so…hot?
Dressed in black pants and a deep red button-down shirt in honor of the holiday with the top two buttons left undone, revealing his tanned golden skin perfectly, Naruto looked absolutely delectable and it was all Sasuke could do from not pouncing on him.  
Hiding a blush, though not very successfully, Sasuke grabbed his jacket and shut his door as the two headed out towards the blonde’s car.  It was quiet for awhile and all Sasuke could hear was his pounding heart, praying silently that Naruto couldn’t sense how nervous he was.  
However, luck wasn’t on his side when the blonde turned to him and asked, looking concerned, “Are you okay? You seem nervous.”
Cursing the gods above and wondering when Naruto had become so alert, he replied carefully, making sure he didn’t stutter again, “Oh, no reason.”
The blonde knew Sasuke was lying and said, “Really? Because you look nervous about something.”
“I’m fine, Naruto,” Sasuke insisted.
“Are you sure?” the blonde questioned.
“Yes, Uzumaki, I’m sure.”
Naruto grinned and slung an arm around the Uchiha’s shoulders casually, though it brought a blush to the brunette’s pale face. “Good! Because it’s no fun when my date’s nervous about something.”
The blush on Sasuke’s face only increased when he realized Naruto had admitted that this was indeed a date.  Not knowing exactly what to say in reply, and blaming it on the fact that having Naruto’s arm around his shoulders had turned his brain to mush, Sasuke just glanced away and pretended to look very interested in the grass as they walked by.
“So, what’re you all nervous about?”
“I thought you just said I wasn’t nervous.”
“I know you lied, Sasuke,” Naruto replied. “So, what’s got you all freaked out?”
Sasuke glanced away again and didn’t answer.
Naruto smirked slyly and said, “Surely you’re not nervous about me, are you?”
Sasuke blushed and Naruto’s smirk grew.
“Because if you’re nervous about me, it won’t be very good, especially seeing as how I plan to be by your side all night long.”
The Uchiha snapped his head up to look at Naruto at that statement, but the blonde only smiled at him and looked away, grabbing his car keys and unlocking the doors to his car.  
As they drove off to Rasengan’s, Sasuke could only stare out the window, wondering what in the world Naruto had meant by that.
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“Naruto!” a female voice said the instant Naruto and Sasuke walked into the club.
The blonde turned at the sound of his name and a grin spread over his face. “Hey, Sakura-chan!” he exclaimed.
“Finally, you’re here! Come and help get the party started, nobody’s doing a thing,” Sakura said, dragging the blonde off and causing Sasuke to follow along despite himself.
“What? That’s crazy! Don’t worry; I’ll get this party going!” Naruto said and then joined a group of his friends.  
Sasuke stood off to the side, annoyed that he’d just been ditched, but still a bit too preoccupied with what the blonde had said before to care too much.  However, an arm around his shoulders caused him to return to reality.
“So, Sasuke-kun, did you ask him, or did he ask you?” Sakura asked.
Blushing slightly, the Uchiha replied, “I-I did.”
Sakura squealed. “That’s great!”
“Yeah, whatever, could you get off of me, Sakura?”
“Now, why would I do that? Someone’s gotta keep you company or else you’ll just up and leave,” Sakura said. “Besides, you look really nice tonight.”
Before Sasuke could open his mouth in reply, a cool yet joyful voice said, “Planning on stealing my date, are you, Sakura-chan?”
The pink haired girl looked up and grinned. “Nah, you’d kill me if I did,” she replied relinquishing her hold on the Uchiha.
“Yup, not even you could escape me with a murder intent,” he said, his grin growing as he placed his arm around Sasuke’s waist, pulling the slightly shorter boy close to his side.
Sasuke blushed completely and didn’t even bother trying to hide it.  Naruto was holding him by the waist…and was implying he’d get very mad if someone tried stealing him away that night.  What the hell was going on?
However, Sasuke was again cut off before he could speak, this time by Naruto steering him towards the bar.
“Want something to drink, Sasuke?” the blonde asked casually, leaving Sasuke to wonder why he was the only one freaking out about all of this.
Duh, that’s because I’m the one in love with him. That damn arm around my waist is making me lose my head! “Yeah, sure,” the Uchiha replied, trying not to let any of his confused and nervous emotions sound in his voice.
“Good,” Naruto said and then ordered two beers at the counter.  They sat down on stools and turned to watch as Sakura and Ino dragged Lee and Shikamaru, respectively, to the dance floor.
“Oi, Naruto!” came a male voice.
The blonde turned and grinned at a boy with long black hair who was crossing the dance floor to meet him.  “Hey ya, Neji! You came, that’s awesome!” Naruto exclaimed.
“I decided to check the party out,” Hyuuga Neji replied with an indifferent shrug.
“Oh, so it has nothing to do with TenTen coming in with you?” the blonde asked slyly.
“Of course it has nothing to do with her.  We met outside,” Neji said, though Naruto knew better.
“I’m sure you did.”
“It’s true, Naruto.”
“You liar! You like her, so start dating already!”
Neji looked the blonde over and replied easily, “I could say the same thing about you.” He then glanced between Naruto and Sasuke before shifting his gaze back on the blonde. “Besides, she’s only a friend.”
“You lie even worse than Sasuke,” Naruto said, nodding at the Uchiha beside him.
Sasuke, however, was too preoccupied with what Neji had just said to lash out at Naruto for being called a liar.  What had the Hyuuga meant by that? And what was that look he’d given the two of them?
Neji glanced at Sasuke again, who did look up to meet his glance. The two brunette’s glared evenly at one another but before Sasuke could say anything, Neji turned back to face Naruto.
“So, you’re here together, then?” he asked.
The blonde grinned broadly and replied, “Yup! Sasuke asked me.”
“Really now,” Neji said, casting Sasuke yet another glance, but quickly shifting his gaze upon the blonde. “In that case, I should be going now.”
“Yeah, don’t wanna keep your girlfriend waiting,” Naruto teased.
Neji glared at him, but said, “No. I’m leaving because I know you want me to leave the two of you alone.”
“True, true,” Naruto replied with a nod.  He grinned. “See you later, Neji.”
“Bye, Naruto,” the Hyuuga replied, glaring at Sasuke once more before meeting a girl with two buns atop her head.
Sasuke stared after Neji wondering what the hell the Hyuuga had meant at the end.  How would Neji know Naruto wanted to be alone with him? And why did Naruto want to be alone with him?
Dammit. First Sakura and now Hyuuga? Is there something going on I don’t know about?
Sasuke turned to look at Naruto inquisitively, planning on asking the blonde what was going on, but he ended up giving a rather startled gasp, finding that the blonde was staring right back at him.  He felt his heart thump against his chest loudly as he stared into those dazzling blue eyes, all previous curiousness replaced by affection.
God, I wish I could kiss him right now…he looks just…wow…
And, as if the gods heard his prayer, the blonde suddenly leaned down and pressed his lips against Sasuke’s own.  Before Sasuke could even register what had just happened, Naruto had pulled away and was staring at the brunette with his usual grin on his face.
Sasuke felt as though a ton of bricks had just smacked him in the face.  H-Had Naruto just kissed him?
“W-What was that for?” Sasuke exclaimed, sounding like a girl and hating himself for it.
“You just looked real kissable, that’s all,” Naruto replied easily, as if he went around kissing people all day.
Sasuke had no reply to that and could only stare at the blonde in awe and embarrassment.
Naruto tousled Sasuke’s hair and then turned to greet a friend who had called his name.
Sasuke reached a hand up to his mouth and felt the blush glowing on his face.  Naruto had just kissed him, on the lips, no less, and it hadn’t seemed to faze him one bit. Why would Naruto do that? And why was he so unaffected by it?  Compared to the blonde, Sasuke was basically having a heart attack.
The Uchiha shut his eyes and tired to bring back the feeling of Naruto’s lips against his and the taste to the blonde’s mouth.  Sure, the kiss had been really short, but Sasuke hadn’t enjoyed it more.  He sighed, trying desperately to suppress the urge to just grab the blonde and kiss the living daylights out of him.
Sasuke opened his eyes, realizing that if he didn’t tell the blonde the truth now, he was just going to lose it. He needed to get it out; kissing the blonde had confirmed just how much he truly loved his best friend and how desperately he needed to let Naruto know. He’d lived off of Naruto’s valentine for all those years and had gone for so long wondering the true meaning behind it.  Then he’d suffered through realizing his feelings and coping with keeping it a secret from his only person he was ever close to, and it had been extremely hard.  Sasuke now knew he had to tell Naruto the truth and if the blonde did end up rejecting him, then well, he would just have to deal with it if it happened.  He was tired of being afraid of rejection and was now going to face the blonde with the truth.
Feeling his newfound determination surging through his veins, Sasuke turned to the blonde and grabbed Naruto’s arm.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked when Naruto turned to face him.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Uh, alone, okay?” Sasuke said, slapping himself mentally for sound so stupid.
Looking a bit surprised, but not questioning the brunette, Naruto nodded. “Lead the way,” he said.
The two walked back outside and off to the side of the building, in front of the parked cars.
Sighing deeply, Sasuke calmed himself.  It’ll be fine…Just calm down. It’ll be harder if I’m all wound up. Just say it!
“So, what’s up, Sasuke?” Naruto asked, leaning casually against the side of the building and watching the Uchiha closely.
Deciding he couldn’t trust his voice just yet, Sasuke opted for going another route.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Valentine.  He then handed Naruto the wrapped box and managed to say, “F-For you.”
Naruto, looking even more surprised, took the box and stared at it, then looked up at Sasuke questioningly.
“H-Happy Valentine’s Day, Naruto,” Sasuke said, feeling a blush coming onto his face.
“S-Sasuke…T-Thanks,” Naruto replied. “But you didn’t have to…I mean, I didn’t give you anything.”
Sasuke shook his head. “No, you gave me something a long time ago, Naruto, and it’s been more than you could ever know,” he said quietly.
“What are you talking about?” Naruto asked.
“You remember that Valentine you gave me when we were, what, seven?” Sasuke asked and when Naruto nodded, he continued.
“That was the first Valentine I’d ever gotten and it had made me wonder for a long time why you’d given one to me,” Sasuke said, feeling rather stupid bearing his soul, but knowing he couldn’t confess without saying it.
“And because of that curiousness, I wanted to get to know you and understand you.  So, I did.  We became best friends.  You were my first friend, you know.”
Naruto stared at Sasuke and had the decency to blush, which gave the Uchiha the last spurt of determination he needed.
“Listen, Naruto, I-I love you,” Sasuke finished. “I have for a long time, and I’ve been dying to tell you, but I just didn’t know how…But, now you know.  I love you more than I even know.”
The Uchiha sighed deeply, feeling absolutely refreshed and lighthearted after confessing and wondering why he hadn’t done it sooner.  It felt so good that he imagined he could yell it out for the entire world to hear.  However, it was more pressing to find out whether or not Naruto had any feelings for him back, and, therefore, his buoyancy was replaced by sheer apprehension.  As he stared at the blonde, who had a complete blank look on his face, he could hear his heart pounding crazily in his chest; what was the blonde going to say?
Then suddenly, before Sasuke could expect it, much less stop it, Naruto closed the space between them as he grabbed Sasuke under the arms and spun the startled Uchiha in the air.  
When Sasuke felt the ground beneath his feet, he stared in shocked surprise at the absolutely radiant blonde.  “N-Naruto?” he breathed.
“Finally!!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly, his face glowing with his bright grin. “God, I’ve been waiting forever for you to tell me!”
“Eh?” Sasuke said, staring dumbfounded at the blonde.
Naruto laughed at the look of bewilderment on the Uchiha’s face. “God, Sasuke, sometimes you’re so dense it makes me look smart.”
“What the hell are you saying?” Sasuke demanded, his heart beating even faster now.
“Stupid,” Naruto said, tousling the Uchiha’s hair and leaning down to face Sasuke directly in the eye. “I love you, too.”
And with that statement, Sasuke’s entire world seemed to lighten up, flashing like neon signs.  He felt himself almost lose balance by the shock of the blonde’s confession and he stared at Naruto with astonishment.  The words sunk into his brain like a revelation before he stammered, “You-You do? Really?”
“Yeah, I do.  I’ve been hinting at it all day, trying to tell you or even just to get you to confess first, but you’re too stubborn and too dense,” Naruto said.
“You knew I loved you?”
“It was rather easy to figure out.”
“Sakura told you, didn’t she?”
“When you told me you liked someone, I begged and begged and begged for her to tell me because she let slip she knew.  So, don’t get mad at her.”
“I won’t,” Sasuke said. “I’m mad at you.  If you’ve loved me all along then why didn’t you confess first?”
“Because it was more fun watching you suffer,” Naruto said with a grin.
“You are evil, Uzumaki,” Sasuke said, miffed, crossing his arms and looking away.
Naruto’s grin only grew as he wrapped an arm around Sasuke’s waist, turning him and squeezing the brunette to his side.
The Uchiha blushed and opened his mouth to speak when Naruto leaned down and pressed his own mouth against Sasuke’s.  Feeling as though the wind had been knocked straight out of him, Sasuke let himself be taken in by the blonde’s searing kiss, gasping a little when he felt the blonde slip his tongue into his mouth, seeking and intertwining with his own.  He felt himself shiver as the blonde wrapped his arms tighter around his waist, crushing Sasuke against his firm chest.
Before he knew it, however, Naruto pulled away and grinned, leaving Sasuke breathless and flushed.
“I may be evil,” the blonde said. “But I’m also completely in love with you.”
Sasuke just shook his head, the corners of his lips twitching upward. “That is so corny,” he said as he leaned his forehead against Naruto’s chest.  He then mumbled quietly, “But I love you, too.”
Naruto pulled away a bit to gaze down at the blushing Uchiha.  He gave Sasuke a lopsided grin and said, “Now who’s being corny?” he asked and then laughed as he began leading Sasuke inside.  “Come on, everybody’s probably dying to hear that we’ve finally gotten together.”
Sasuke froze. “You mean everybody knew?” he exclaimed.
“What? You thought I could keep a secret?”
“I’m going to kill you, Uzumaki,” Sasuke snarled angrily though it was really only halfhearted.
“Nah, you couldn’t,” Naruto said with a wave of his hand. Then he turned to the Uchiha and kissed him on the lips again.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Sasuke,” he said.
Sasuke smirked. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Naruto.”