So... Long time huh?

Sowwy...

Morning arrived, spreading it's dull, golden rays across the room. Two slumbering occupants played on the bottom bunk bed, facing each other and curled to each other's bodies. A few minutes later, the raven's eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Naruto's innocent face and he continued to stare, wishing he could wake up like this everyday. Sasuke slowly sat up, making sure not to disturb the sleeping blonde. Stretching his limbs, he got out of bed and made his way to the washroom to get ready to school.

20 minutes later.

Sasuke was downstairs, ready to go to school. He grabbed his headphones from the living-room table and walked to the dining-room to see his mother and Itachi talking. They both turned when they heard Sasuke's footsteps and smiled when he entered.

"Good-morning dear. What do you want for breakfast?" Mikoto asked cheerfully.

Sasuke just shook his head, indicating he didn't want breakfast.

"Mom? Are you taking Naruto anywhere today?" Sasuke asked

Mikoto's eyes widened for a second and she thought if there was anything she needed to get for the blonde. "Hmm... Oh! I need to get a suit for Naruto. For the..." Her voice softened as she continued.

Sasuke nodded his head and turned around.

"I'm going to school. Bye mom. See ya later Itachi." He said and walked out of the house.

Mikoto turned to Itachi and smirked.

"He really cares about Naruto doesn't he?"

Itachi in turn, grinned while looking at the direction in which Sasuke left.

"I think love is a more accurate word."

At school

Sasuke sat at his desk, staring at where Naruto was supposed to be sitting, missing him already. The days he stayed with the blonde at home were the happiest. Being with him, laughing and fighting, like they did years ago made him wonder how he survived this long.

'How did I manage to live. How did I survive being apart from him?'

Sasuke knew that distancing himself from Naruto was the worst mistake he had ever committed. No... the worst mistake he ever committed was pretending he hated the blonde and hurting him. Sasuke's onxy eyes softened in guilt.

'I don't think anything could stop me from feeling guilty. What I did was so fucking wrong... Especially now knowing the shit the dobe had to go through.'

As he stared at Naruto's seat, his mind vaguely registered someone sitting at the desk next to him. Suddenly a voice called out to him.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke, without being startled, just calmly turned to the direction of that voice and saw Neji inspecting him with his lilac eyes.

"Yeah Hyuuga?"

"Why are you staring at where Uzumaki is supposed to be sitting?"

'Shit'

Sasuke's mind panicked a bit before he calmly said,

"I was looking outside the window, Hyuuga."

Neji saw the slight widening of Sasuke's eyes when he asked that question and thought that it was strange.

'Something about the Uchiha is very different. His eyes look more expressive and happier. His face doesn't have that perpetually bored look it always did before. Only thing that is the same is that he is still looking at where Uzumaki sits. Even is he is present of not.'

The bell rang, commencing school. Neji sat up and walked out of the room. Before he exited, he turned around to see Sasuke and saw him... still looking at 'the window'. Neji smirked a bit and walked out the room to his locker.

'I think Uchiha likes the blonde kid. Maybe those 'beatings' and 'cruel words' were just a play to hide it. I hope he knows, he is being very obvious about it.'

5 hours later

"Uchiha." A deep, sharp voice cut through the noisy hallways as everyone was ready to get home after school finished. Sasuke sighed tiredly, knowing exactly who was calling him. He turned around and gave Neji a bored look.

"Yeah Neji?" The raven asked.

Neji raised his eyebrow but ignored the way Sasuke addressed him.

"We have to work on the literature assignment. It has to be done by this month."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he remembered about the project Kakashi gave the class two weeks ago. He brought his hand to his face and began slightly massaging his forehead, feeling an incoming headache.

"Okay... So we head to your place?" Sasuke asked.

"Not today. We are having renovations and the place is a mess. I was thinking about your place." Neji said.

Sasuke's eyes widened fully.

'Oh god. Neji... He can't find out.'

The raven's hands slightly shook, his mind racking up different reasons to tell the brunette why they can't go to Sasuke's abode. The silence between them stretched out and Neji's eyes squinted slightly.

"Everything okay Uchiha?" He asked, suspicious that Sasuke is hiding something.

Sasuke looked at Neji in hidden nervousness and before he could come up with a solution, the words just came out of his mouth.

"Yeah. My place is fine."

Neji just nodded and walked towards the entrance of the school.

"We'll finish off by 7.00, that's okay with you.?"

"Uh... sure."

"Cool."

Sasuke just stared at Neji's retreating back, all the while in his head it was going...

'Fuck! Why did I say that?!'

I'm sorry I didn't update for a long time. Been so busy with studying with my exams coming up. I'll frequently update after mid-December but for now, deal with the horrible update schedule please. Thank you for reading! ^