We Three

Chapter 2: The Sleep

We Three

Glutton for punishment, repent your sins and be baptized in your own vomit:

Self-pity, envy, persistence.

...

Naruto tries to spend more time with Sakura and Sasuke- even begins riding with them in the mornings again, laughs at their inside jokes (and cringes at the ones they've made without him), and makes them believe he's all right. But there is only so much he can take before he's pulling away again (but softer this time, because Rules123, Naruto; can't have them worrying).

Lunch is with Itachi.

But Naruto discovers a new distraction in PreCal and PE, and his name is Inuzuka Kiba.

Kiba is like a piece of Naruto's soul. They are so alike; loud, careless, owners to questionable intelligence some say, but hey; they know how to have fun. He has known the brunet since elementary, like most of the kids in Konoha, and they have been great friends for almost as long. Usually, when Naruto is left alone, Kiba finds him- and mischief usually follows. Lately though, these past few years, with how withdrawn Naruto has slowly become, his relationships with a lot of his friends have dwindled a bit. So Naruto is surprised when Kiba has grown up from sticking glue in the girls' hair to planning out his career (while still finding time to cause chaos of course). Maybe not exactly grown up.

Separating himself from Sasuke and Sakura is tragically easy. They are- as it can only be Destined to be- the Senior Class Sweethearts, the attention of the entire school. And to be brutally honest, it leaves Naruto out of the picture, so that even if he claims to be hanging out with them as much as he used to, they're so busy wrapped up in everyone else's attention, they can't possibly notice. He isn't complaining- it is after all better than constantly looking for ways to avoid them.

It's easier this way.

And with Kiba to cling to, it is made all the more so. All he has to do is, well...

"Actually, " Naruto says with an apologetic smile, "I agreed to help Kiba out at the kennel. There's a dog that'll likely go into labor tonight,"

Sasuke frowns, cuts a glance to Kiba who has perked up from his shower stall upon hearing his name. Naruto shoots him a look while Sasuke can't see him.Deny it, and you die.

"Hn,"

"We can watch a movie later. There's always another chance,"

(Except tomorrow night, I'll be busy studying, and the night after that, I'll be helping Lee train for the annual triathlon, and the night after that I'll be and the nightafterthat andthenightafterthat).

"Besides, how often do you get an empty house alone with Sakura for the entire night?" Naruto continues, a sly grin on his face that he hopes gets Sasuke thinking about his girlfriend instead of thinking about how Naruto is such a terrible storyteller when he's on the spot.

Naruto sees Sasuke tense, knows he's got him where he wants, and gives him a little hip bump full of suggestions and teasing.

"Shut up," the Uchiha mumbles, a little smirk pulling at his thin lips.

They get dressed, Sasuke stuck in his own totally male thoughts, Naruto trying to calm his pumping heart down.

"Dude, it's great that you want to come over to the kennel with me, but we don't have a pregnant dog," Kiba whispers once Sasuke has left the PE crowd after class to go find Sakura before their last block.

"It doesn't matter," Naruto says back, "Let's put tape on the kittens' paws like we did last time I was there,"

"Are you kidding? Hana threw me in the Rottweiler pin when she found out!" but Kiba is laughing and nodding his head, so the punishment must not have been that bad, "Man, I'm glad you're coming with me today. I've got the entire closing shift. Four hours of nothing but barking and whining,"