Mind games

Seven kisses

Their first kiss was far from enjoyable. As was their second. It was clumsy, sloppy and uncomfortable. Although they both had a hard time denying that it was, in some sick, twisted sort of way, satisfying.

Their second kiss confirmed suspicions.

Yes, Sasuke noticed, Naruto ate so much ramen that he did, indeed, taste like the sickeningly fatty food. They had been training for hours. They had been together for hours. There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that Naruto had not eaten any ramen recently. And yet, as their lips collided, as he licked his lips after for lack of a better idea of how to react, he could only taste ramen.

Naruto, despite his sheer embarrassment, smiled triumphantly after. Sasuke's lips had been soft and warm- the opposite of how one would expect them to feel. Naruto had often harbored the idea that Sasuke wasn't anywhere as cool as he acted to be. He thought that secretly, Sasuke was sweet and caring. And the soft, warm feeling of his lips allowed Naruto to harbor this idea for a little longer.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Uncertain.

That's always how Naruto made Sasuke feel. When they would be in the middle of a fight and Naruto would pause to laugh or cheer at the fact that he had, miraculously, made that over-confident, all-knowing smirk falter on Sasuke's lips. Even if it was for the briefest of moments.

Or the fact that Naruto seemed to fall an unimaginable number of times. More than that, it was the fact that he landed on top of Sasuke over half the time. And the other half the time, he managed to latch onto Sasuke before falling and would bring the Uchiha down with him.

That was the cause of their third kiss. It was oddly reminiscent of their second, but that thought didn't cross either of their minds. This kiss was somehow different.

It was slightly less uncomfortable than the first two. Perhaps they were getting used to the feeling of each other's lips?

Whatever the reason didn't stop Naruto from feeling entirely awkward after. It also didn't stop the uncertainty from swelling up and overcoming Sasuke.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Their fourth kiss—well, it wasn't really a kiss. But it had to be counted when considering lip-to-lip contact.

"Damn it, Naruto. Wake up!" Sasuke shook his friend harshly.

Naruto's limp body lay in Sasuke's lap, unmoving and not breathing. His hair and clothes clung to his soaking body. Sasuke could hear the roar of the waterfall in the background but ignored it. All that mattered now was the unconscious, potentially dead, blonde idiot who had dove in the river after Sasuke and nearly drowned.
With a heavy sigh, Sasuke laid Naruto's body flat on it's back and hovered over it. He had to save Naruto. Reason and logic behind this instinctual desire failed him as he leaned down and pressed his lips to Naruto's, hoping to breathe some life back into the boy.

After a few breaths, Sasuke heard a groan. He pulled back just enough to see blue eyes flutter open and to let out a sigh of relief.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Naruto wanted to forget their fifth kiss. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the kiss. No, he simply hated everything it stood for. And he prayed that, if he forgot the kiss, he would forget the goodbye that came with it.

Naruto was exhausted, as was Sasuke, from their battle. In the end, although Naruto had a hard time admitting it, he lost to Sasuke. He lay on the ground, eyes shut and breathing shallow. He could feel Sasuke hovering over him, the rain hitting his face.

He wanted to open his eyes and convince Sasuke again. He wasn't ready to give up. He needed to take Sasuke back with him.

"Naruto, I..."

Naruto's thoughts halted as he waited with baited breath to hear how Sasuke would finish that sentence. Instead of words, however, he became aware of another set of lips on his own.

He recognized the softness and the warmth. Honestly, he couldn't blame Sasuke. They had essentially met with a kiss, after all. It only seemed fitting that they said goodbye with one, too.

The problem was that Naruto wasn't ready to say goodbye. But, before he could protest, those lips left his and his world slipped into darkness. The last thing he had to remember Sasuke by was a kiss.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sasuke stood before Naruto, an unreadable expression covering his features. Naruto panted slightly, unsure of what to do. He'd gotten this far. He'd tracked Sasuke down and met him face-to-face. But... now what?

"Sasuke..."

Said boy shut his eyes briefly, "Naruto, why won't you let me go and achieve my dream?"

"I would," Naruto hesitated, unsure of whether or not to voice his thoughts, "If I knew you'd come back after."

Sasuke opened his eyes and surveyed Naruto slowly, "If I come back after, you will leave me in peace to have my revenge?"

"Yes."

Silence wrapped around them as Sasuke considered Naruto's new proposal. It was not how he had expected their meeting to go, but he wasn't upset. This seemed like a good outcome, something he could agree and live up to.

"Fine, I will come back after I kill my brother."

Naruto looked up at him with deep, pleading blue eyes, "You promise?"

Sasuke stooped an inch or two to meet Naruto's lips. He pulled away so that he was still a hairsbreadth away from those lips that he was slowly becoming addicted to, "I promise."

The words escaped his lips moments before he disappeared completely. But, as Naruto traced his lips after their sixth kiss, he couldn't help but smile. This one was of promise and hope. It was his favorite yet.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Years passed and so did the thought of Sasuke. Naruto seemed to be the only one to remember the boy's existence and wait for his return. He knew Sasuke was many things, but dishonorable and a liar were not among them. He knew Sasuke would keep his promise and return to the village.

On a clear summer day, Naruto was proven right. He sat, eating ramen idly on a bench near the entrance to the village, when a tall, slender figure entered through the gates. Blue eyes looked up to meet dark onyx.

"Sasuke... you came back," The words escaped his mouth in a breathy whisper as he dropped his ramen to the ground and ran to his friend.

That over-confident, all-knowing smirk was back, but Naruto didn't mind. He'd missed it. He'd missed Sasuke. He flung his arms around the boy's neck and buried his head into Sasuke's shoulder. It wasn't a moment later that he felt arms wrap around his waist and hug him back.

"I told you I would," came the whispered reply in his ear.

Naruto laughed openly as he pulled back and looked into his friend's face. In that split second, Sasuke leaned down to catch Naruto's lips for their seventh kiss. In a way it reminded him of some of their others. In another way, it was completely different and unique.

Naruto still tasted like ramen, and Sasuke could swear that he'd be addicted to that taste soon enough, regardless of his hatred for the retched food. However, this kiss wasn't clumsy or awkward. It wasn't shocking or uncomfortable. It was perfectly calculated and welcomed.

They pulled apart for a second to lock eyes. This time, Naruto leaned in and captured Sasuke's lips. It was in this moment that he realized he'd soon lose count of their kisses, and he didn't mind.