Art Hoe

Chapter 6: Friends

 The main library, particularly the reading room, was Sasuke's home away from home. It discouraged conversation, as even the faintest whispers carried in the vast open space. Even this late into spring, under the expansive stone ceiling, the room felt chilled. The sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows was weak and did little to warm the room. Sasuke suppressed a shiver and continued down the rows upon rows of impressive solid oak tables, lining the room like church pews. The room was full, but the silence was thick. The two boys made their way to the far side of the room where two empty chairs beckoned. Sasuke's eyes swept the room one last time. He had had half a mind when first arriving to sit between two already seated students, forcing Naruto to sit elsewhere. Ultimately, that seemed a little harsh even for Sasuke. That left the boys to set down their bags at the furthest table in the northern corner, sitting across from one another. Naruto was still looking around as Sasuke pulled out his books and notes. When his gaze finally fell from the globe themed chandelier above their heads and he noticed Sasuke already deep in thought, Naruto opened his bag and withdrew his supplies.

Five minutes had come and gone when Sasuke felt eyes on him. He lifted his head as Naruto shifted his gaze back to his notes, which were propped against his knee with his foot on the edge of his chair. I knew it, he can't even sit still for five minutes. Sasuke ignored him. If he was that bored, he was free to leave at any time. Sasuke returned to his studying while Naruto's eyes return to him. Ten more minutes went by. Then twenty. Then thirty. Whenever Sasuke looked up, Naruto looked away, still in the same position with his notes propped against his knee, pencil in hand. Though no book. Nothing at all to be taking notes on. Sasuke grimaced and reached for the sketchbook. Naruto looked up half a second too late as the pad was ripped from his hands.

"Ah-!" he almost cried before his hand flew to his mouth. A few heads turned to show their disapproval before returning to their own works. Sasuke fumed. As expected, the last three pages of the sketch book were of him. Again, the quality was impressive, but Sasuke was unamused. He ripped the first page from its binding and immediately crumpled it into a compact ball. Naruto suppressed a shriek and made a grab for the book and his precious remaining drawings. Sasuke had seen it coming and pulled back, ripping away the remaining two pages on which his image had been meticulously delineated. They were on the verge of causing a scene now, Sasuke realized, suddenly thankful they were in the corner of the room. All the rippling and crumpling, along with Naruto's poorly muffled cries had turned quite a few heads in the otherwise silent cavern. Sasuke held the remaining drawings in his hands, intending to crumple them as well, but thinking better of it given the circumstance. Naruto nearly whimpered as Sasuke instead plunged the pages deep into the depths of his book bag. He stood, gathered his things, and walked calmly from the room without looking back. Unsurprisingly, Naruto was at his heels the second his foot touched the first step of the grand staircase.

"I'm sor-" was all Naruto managed before Sasuke silenced him with a sharp turn and a raised palm.

"Don't." Was all he said as he stared Naruto down. Naruto seemed to shrink under the weight of his glare, as if Sasuke's gaze had pinned him to the floor. "I'm leaving." He continued.

"Please-"

"No." Sasuke cut him off cooly, no emotion present in his voice or features. He didn't seem angry, not perturbed in the least, and that made Naruto very, very uneasy.

"C'mon talk to me, tell me how mad you are." Sasuke said nothing as the two continued down the stairs. "This doesn't have to be a big deal, I told you I had homework, that was my homework! I didn't have anything else to do, that was my studying, just like you were doing!" He defended. Sasuke pushed open the large wooden door and stepped outside before turning, face perfectly blank. Naruto stopped.

"What do you want from me, Naruto?" Naruto stared blankly at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I've made it pretty clear I don't want you around. So why do you keep following me?" Sasuke's features betrayed nothing. He could've been enraged, he could have been amused, hell for all Naruto knew, he could have been heartbroken.

"I... You've asked that question before."

"Then you shouldn't have a problem answering." Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, putting a hand to his chin while cupping his elbow with the other. Sasuke watched on, giving Naruto time to collect his thoughts.

"I like you." He finally stated bluntly. Sasuke felt like he had been stabbed in the gut with an ice pick. Naruto continued, "And I feel like when you like someone, you hold on to them. That's what friends do." Naruto gave a hopeful grin, "Right?"

Sasuke didn't know where to begin. Naruto had pulled the rug completely out from under him, and Sasuke was left unsure of where he stood. "What the fuck" seemed to be the main train of thought looping through his head. Sasuke had been questioning Naruto's intent from the night they met. Everything Naruto did was just a little too intimate, everything he said just a bit too personal. "I like you" sounded like a straight up confession, but being followed up with "friend" left Sasuke even more confused than before. That first night, as he lay awake wondering, he never did come to any conclusion regarding the blond's feelings. That being the case, he hadn't even considered how he himself might feel towards him. He hadn't wanted to go there.

"Oi, you okay?" Naruto waved a hand startlingly close in front of Sasuke's face, and he blinked in surprise. Sasuke needed clarity, he needed to regain control of the situation.

"You see me as a friend then, is that right?" He pressed. Naruto's smile was softer this time, an easy, gentle tug at the corner of his mouth that seemed so natural on his sweet, ever-graphite-stained face.

"I do," he confirmed, "and I want you to, too." Sasuke wasn't sure how to respond to that. He didn't think there really was a right way to respond to that. He finally decided on a short, simple nod. They stood there a while, Naruto waiting patiently while Sasuke contemplated his next move.

"I still have a lot of ground to cover in my studies. I'll see you around." Sasuke said without inflection. Naruto couldn't tell if he was mad at him, indifferent, or had just finally agreed to his proposal of friendship, but something told him that a barrier of some kind had just cracked. Something felt different, and Naruto was excited.

"Yeah," he grinned, "later."