As Sasuke Uchiha paced around the three room apartment he thought about the decision made by slight impulse the previous Friday. He hadn't been thinking, at all. It definitely wasn't the best idea and he wasn't all too sure as to why he jumped to say yes. Yeah, okay, the person in question was rich. Hell, they were one of the three heirs to the Shukaku Corporation, who controlled all the oil and coal and god only knew what else.
The teen stopped mid-pace and looked in the wall mirror at his reflection. A slim layer of muscle defined the chest under the white shirt; the high school crest embellished above his left breast, it was of course a solitary flame of red, white and black within a shield. It was simple but Sasuke liked it. The black jacket, currently in his backpack, was part of the uniform; as were the black slacks and dress shoes. It was completely optional to wear the entire uniform and Sasuke rather liked showing off the school's pride. His jet black hair was gelled in its usual style; spiked in the back and bangs in the front. While it was tolerated at the school, it was frowned upon profusely.
I look too good… Sasuke inwardly groaned as he examined every aspect of himself in disgust. His eyes glazed over with a piercing ice glare. I'm just asking to get raped. An involuntary shudder ran through his body as he squeezed his eyes shut. A roll of light electricity crawled down both his arms as images bolted through his head with the speed of Quicksilver herself. When he opened his eyes again and stared at his own reflection, Sasuke could see his own self-disgust as shame raged through his chest like a wildfire. Sasuke hated feeling HIS touch linger. A thought jumped to the frontline like a bloodthirsty solider. Oh god, what if I get raped!
"Sa-chan," Sasuke was pulled out of his horrid thoughts with a sharp gasp; his brother's firm hand on his right shoulder pulled him back onto the earth's surface. Looking up in the mirror, Sasuke could see Itachi Uchiha who was the only other living member of the Uchiha family, Sasuke's only family. The twenty-one year old was just a little over a head taller than Sasuke and was wearing a black business suit. "I'm working late today so after school go straight to work. You're date is tonight, right?" Sasuke's dark eyes widened in seconds as his brother mention that which he already knew: the date was tonight. "And you won't tell me who it is…" Itachi said turning Sasuke around.
Yes! I'll tell you everything you want to know. My date's rich and a Virgo! Oh and by the way my date's kind of a guy and he…might rape me. After being…effected by a male both the boys knew, Sasuke somehow knew coming out of the metaphorical closet would just anger the already prone to violence Itachi. Yeah, that'll go over well. Sasuke didn't dare show his fear so he just started glaring and Itachi could swear he could hear the anger sizzling off the younger's skin, the anger of fear. Itachi sighed in defeat, knowing another word could not be pulled out of Sasuke's mind, and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. If anything could be said to describe Itachi's actions towards Sasuke it would be protective and Sasuke couldn't really hold it against him. Sasuke rolled his eyes with a smile at the thought when Itachi quickly grabbed his left wrist and placed a small metallic device in his palm. Sasuke only had to glance at it to know what it was.
"Your cell phone?" He asked, slightly puzzled, looking up at Itachi's dark brown eyes.
"Your cell phone," Itachi corrected with a small smile. Itachi adored giving his younger brother gifts without reason; this gift had, of course due to circumstances, a reason behind it. "Speed dial two is 911. Three is me at work and four is Uzumaki-san's cell. Anything happens call me and I'll be there in two point two. You're sixteen, it's about time you have one anyway."
"Two point….? Wait…why is Naruto's number on speed dial on your phone?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes in a mixture of confusion and suspicion. Sasuke was more than slightly alarmed by the fact that Itachi even knew who Naruto was; much less knew his cell phone number.
Itachi ignored his brother's question and walked into the kitchen, which was open to both the small dining room and the living area that Sasuke was currently in. Ever since their parents died, Itachi had been supporting them. He was already in high school when the tragic event took place and he even had a part time job working for the government. Over the course of four years the brothers sold the house and bought a little apartment just big enough for the two of them. In his last year of school Itachi signed up for an elite branch of the government called the Akatsuki. Sasuke still wasn't absolutely sure of what it was that his brother did because he never really asked. In fact, for being someone that Sasuke trusted with his life, they weren't all that close.
As the teen watched this elder finish getting ready for work he pocketed the silver device and thought about all the people he trusted, all two of them, and what they did for him; which wasn't a whole lot and some of the things were not all that good.
Nii-san brought him into the house. Let him watch me while he went to work. From the kitchen, Itachi threw Sasuke a banana. He caught it with one hand and just stared at it for a few minutes. Well, at least he made sure the traitor went to jail. Naruto… Sasuke trusted Naruto above all others. Naruto didn't take any of his bull shit and even told Itachi all of his theories. No matter how many times Sasuke said everything was alright and nothing was wrong, Naruto still believed that something was amiss and Sasuke admired him for that. It meant that Naruto, who wasn't related by blood, really truly cared for him. That was the world to Sasuke.
A small circle of pressure was placed on Sasuke's head. He hadn't seen Itachi walk to him but now he looked up at a blank face. "Sa-chan, I heard you scream when you woke up around midnight. Is everything alright?" His muscles tightened as he stepped away from his brother. His eyes were wide but they showed no fear. All they said was "Don't ask". Itachi raised a brow, placing his fist next to the teen's head to make sure he got an answer.
"It's nothing 'Tachi," Sasuke muttered trying to look anywhere but at his brother.
"Bull shit. Tell me." Sasuke could hear the anger starting to form.
"It's nothing really," Sasuke insisted as he looked up at Itachi. Itachi's eyes locked onto Sasuke's the moment he looked up, demanding a better answer, a better and more honest one. "I…" Quickly, he tried to will the sweat, the moans, the pleasure and the shame away but his hesitation was apparent.
Itachi blew the anger out in one breath and pulled his brother into a hug, not really caring when the boy squirmed and pushed. "It's okay to be scared Sasuke. That's why I gave you the phone," Sasuke stilled, resting his chin on his brother's chest as he looked up in unmistakable confusion. Itachi sighed with a smile. "Nothing is going to happen Sa-chan. The phone is strictly for your reassurance. Now, come. Someone in his apartment has school and it ain't me."
Chaos reigned as the last bell bellowed throughout the campus of Himure. Sasuke grabbed his notebooks and stuffed them into his backpack. Walking out of his English class he took a left towards counseling. Usually going to the weekly Monday counseling appointments with Iruka-sensei were pointless because all they talked about was what was going on at home, school or work. However, as Sasuke started running, he knew he needed advice, guidance, and a way to say no to his date! ANYTHING!
Sasuke kicked in the already partly opened door at the climax of his panic. Shaking, he entered the room in urgency. "Iruka-sensei I need your help to get out of this date, NOW!"
Iruka was in his mid to late thirties, every student was sure of that because he was the only male teacher who kept his hair long, even putting it into a low ponytail. He was always described as calm, cool and collected, except for the instant when Uzumaki came running into his office screaming about rape and now. The counselor stood up with the happiest grin on his face, "You're going on a date? Wow, this is great Sasuke. You're finally making visible progress."
"LIKE HELL! Iruka I need a way out now!" Sasuke dropped his bag and shut the door. "Iruka-sensei, you've been my counselor since before my brother graduated three years ago so you know full well that I have no desire to see anyone!" He started a frantic rhythmic pacing. "Anything could happen. He could be a mass serial killer," Sasuke stopped and looked at Iruka. "What if he touches me!"
"He?" Iruka asked sitting back down and taking out a notebook from the desk drawer.
"Oh god, you can't tell Itachi!" His eyes were wide in fear. He hadn't meant for that to slip. "He'd kill me."
"Sit," Iruka commanded. Obediently, Sasuke sat in the chair opposite the only adult he trusted, besides his brother. "So, your brother is still prone to violence," He commented, jotting down notes.
"Not really…only when there's a good reason."
"Sasuke, I believe the only reason you're panicking now is due to the fact that your date is male," Iruka said, business as usual.
Sasuke stared in shock for a few seconds. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything. Maybe, this is your mind's way of telling you that you are ready for a relationship," He suggested with innocence not making eye contact.
"I'm pretty sure my mind is panicking, trying to find a way out of this death in a bottle."
"Did he ask you out or did you ask him out?" Iruka questioned, looking up from his notes.
"Uh…He asked me."
"Then why did you say yes? If you don't want to be in a relationship then why'd you agree to a date in the first place and with a male nonetheless?"
I…I don't know. Sasuke was stumped. As he contemplated this question the muscles all over his body relaxed. He sank into the chair wondering why. Why on earth did he agree to go on a date?
A loud knocking on the door disturbed his thoughts. Naruto was being as loud as ever. "SASUKE! WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK!"
Sasuke bolted up, grabbing his bag. If they were late for work again Kakashi would never let them hear the end of it. "Coming! Sorry Iruka-sensei but I need to go. See you next week!"
Sasuke and Naruto had spent the past hour talking to each other as they watched their supervisor flirt with every girl that walked into the town's local bookstore. Both of the boys wore dark jeans and white shirts, they weren't allowed to wear the school uniform at work, it went against school policy. Naruto leaned against the front counter, with his back to the store, looking at the pile of books he had just sorted. He pushed his hand through his blonde hair, spiked every which way. "Has he gotten slapped yet?"
Sasuke sat in a chair facing the rows of books, "No, not yet." This was actually a great feat for the supervisor.
"So run this by me one more time, please," Naruto asked looking down at his friend. He was still unsure how to take it all.
Sasuke sighed. "Last Friday, he came into the bookstore while you were in the back."
"And he goes to our school?"
"Yeah, he hangs out with his siblings mostly," He looked up, slowly giving his knuckleheaded friend a point of reference. "On the grass field…by the gym."
"Right, I've seen them. Bunch of weirdoes if you ask me."
"But cute right?" Sasuke casually asked without really thinking.
"Eh…not really my bowl of ramen, I mean I guess the sister's kinda cute but you should see her in Physical Education with the Seniors. She's creepy tough."
"Yeah…Anyway, well he asks me where the business section was and I told him we didn't have one and to try across the street."
Naruto gave Sasuke a look that could only be described as if he had smelled someone's dirty gym socks. "What… does that have to do with this?" Sasuke growled in frustration, making Naruto wince.
"You're not listening!" Sasuke whined. "After I told him he could possibly find it across the street, he just stood there and stared at me when I went back to work. He JUST STARED Naruto!"
"So? You don't know the guy, what on earth made you agree to go on a date with him?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Sasuke stood up, glaring at his blonde friend. Why was everyone asking that question? If Sasuke knew the answer then he probably wouldn't be freaking out right now. "Why do you think I'm in such a panic?"
"Because you like chicks, not dicks and you've finally realized your mistake."
The small chime alerted the boys to a new patron so they put their differences aside for the moment to see if this person needed any help, knowing that if it was a guy then Hatake-sama wouldn't go near them. When the red head stepped into view, Sasuke froze and muscles tightened. "Are you coming Sasuke-san?"