Hello Everyone! The sequel to Luck of the Not-So-Irish is here! Now, this isn't usually an event I celebrate, but Sasuke's birthday (if I'm correct) was yesterday. Now, seeing as Sasuke's not my favorite character out there, but, for Naruto's sake, andbecause I wanted a sequel, I present to you another story about love, music, and a beaver.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other affiliated characters, settings, etc. However the plot and other elements derived originally from this story are the property of the author may not be reproduced without the direct consent of the author.
"Argh!!"
"What's your problem now, dobe?" Sasuke said rolling his eyes as Naruto's head hit the desk.
"Is it too much to ask for a good drum-line piece?" Naruto said raising his head from the library. "I've been looking through all of these pieces and they're either too easy or sound stupid!"
"Too easy?" Sasuke said raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sure the other drummers will feel the same way about that as you do Mr. I-have-the-highest-regional-drum-score-in-the-state."
"Shut up clarinet boy," Naruto muttered. "It's not like you didn't make states either."
Sasuke shrugged. "So what if I did? I'm not picking out a piece that's going to affect the entire marching band."
"You have a sick sense of humor," the blond grumbled as he attempted to shove the sheets in front of him into a messy pile.
"This is true. So which one are you going to play?"
"None of these. I'm going to write something," Naruto grumbled.
"You're going to write something?" Sasuke blanched.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Naruto replied.
"I just didn't know you were allowed to do that."
Naruto laughed. "I actually don't know if I'm allowed, but it's worth a shot, right?" Naruto stood up from his library seat and leaned over to give Sasuke a peck on the lips. Naruto laughed again at Sasuke's blush. The brunette wasn't a public display of affection kind of guy.
"Well, I'm off the practice room," Naruto said smirking, as he moved away.
Sasuke leaned up against the door, to hear the slight tapping of drumsticks. Slowly, he pushed the door open and he saw Naruto sideways on the piano bench, the keys to his right, several half filled sheets spread on the floor in front of him. Naruto's eyes were closed and he was tapping something out on the bench space in front of him. Sasuke subtly cleared his throat and Naruto turned his head quickly to look at him. Naruto sighed when it he realized it was only Sasuke.
"Jeez, Uchiha. Give me a heart attack, why don't 'cha?"
Sasuke smiled slightly and shook his head. "So, how's it coming?"
"Not bad," Naruto replied looking back at the sheets, "I call it, 'Train.'"
"Hm. One word. That's bold, like Madonna," Sasuke said chuckling.
"Ha-ha. You're a bag of laughs teme," Naruto said rolling his eyes as he began to gather up his things.
"Hey, where you going?" Sasuke asked. "I was hoping you could play it for me," he added quietly.
"Well," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head with the hand that wasn't holding a ridiculous stack of paper, "I have to go to drum line, and it's also not done, so you're going to have to wait. I can't give you special privileges just because you're my boyfriend," Naruto finished rolling his eyes.
Sasuke shook his head as Naruto moved past him. Sasuke was about to follow his exit, until he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a sheet of music, but it couldn't be Naruto's…it had notes.
Sasuke picked it up. It was piano music for a Gershwin song that Sasuke didn't recognize. He studied it for a moment more, then subtly folded up the music and placed in his pocket.
"Okay Gershwin, let's see why Naruto's suddenly so interested in your piece here."
Sasuke pulled up an Internet page and typed in "Lady Be Good, Gershwin," and was greeted with a few seemingly good results. The top video however, contained the word clarinet.
"Damn it Naruto!" Sasuke cursed. The end of their senior year had come and gone. Sasuke had been looking forward to spending the summer with Naruto before college. Both had been accepted to colleges in Boston, and were certainly planning to see each other as much as possible, but for Naruto to go off for a week in July was simply unprecedented. Not to mention, it happened to be the week of Sasuke's birthday.
Sasuke sat on the large rock in the woods that jutted out over the lake. He sat very still, watching the beaver come up for air and then plunge back down. Sasuke picked up a pebble and threw it carelessly into the pond. He absent-mindedly found himself tapping out the snare drum rhythm to the drum line piece that Naruto had written. It turned out, Naruto could write stuff. In fact it had won him a place in a national competition, thus explaining his absence during Sasuke's birthday.
Naruto had told Sasuke after graduation that he had always intended on entering it, but he didn't want to tell Sasuke until the summer because he was afraid that Sasuke would worry too much about it instead of enjoying the final months of high school. Sasuke was pissed. Not only did Naruto know him better than he knew himself, but he was also an inconsiderate jerk! Naruto had promised to make it up to him, but there was nothing like ruining someone's eighteenth birthday. Sasuke was officially an adult, and Naruto was on the other side of the country in California.
A drum just doesn't understand the delicate nature of a clarinet. They don't play duets…and now Sasuke knew why.
Sasuke sighed; as he did, he felt his pocket vibrating. Fishing out his sleek blue phone, the front panel screen blinked saying he'd received a new text message. Sasuke flipped open his phone and selected that he wanted to read it.
Sasuke blinked at Naruto's name on his screen. Sure, he didn't think Naruto had completely forgotten him, but seriously, a text message!? What the hell? The dobe couldn't at least have the courtesy to call? Was the blond really that busy that he couldn't take five minutes to have a conversation with his boyfriend? Sasuke snapped the phone shut in frustration as the beaver darted under the water in reaction to the sudden sound.
"Sasuke?"
"What?"
"Why are your pants wet?"
"I slipped in the mud at the lake."
Itachi chuckled. "A likely story."
"Shut up, Itachi. It's my birthday. You'd think you could show me at least a little respect."
"Ah yes, you're a legal adult know, yet here you are, with supposed "mud" stains."
"At least I don't have nothing better to do with summers than lay around my parents' house at the age of twenty-three."
"Touché," Itachi nodding slightly. "By the way, you're boyfriend called while you were out moping."
"I was not moping!" Sasuke shouted in frustration.
"Calm yourself little brother. He just wanted to know what you thought of your gift."
"Oh yeah, a text message is a great gift," Sasuke said rolling his eyes.
Itachi just laughed. "You really are an idiot Sasuke."
Sasuke looked blankly at Itachi as we walked away. He was now genuinely confused. Not only had Itachi relayed a phone message, he had apparently had good intentions. Well, then again, one never could tell with Itachi, but Sasuke decided to dismiss the thought and pull out his cell phone. Sasuke supposed that Itachi was hinting at something, so he might as well read the damn text message.
'Dear Sasuke—u r prob'ly moping right now the lake, so say hi to the beaver 4 me ;) just thought u'd like to know where ur gift is. It's under the keyboard in your room, so at least look at it b4 u tear it up in anger okay? 3 Naruto'
Under Sasuke's keyboard was a thin wrapped package. He slit the paper and pulled out a card, and an unlabeled CD. As he opened the card, he realized it wasn't a card, but sheet music to the Gershwin song Sasuke had found months ago, except it was the clarinet part. On the top of the music was written in Naruto's thin scrawl: "Dear Sasuke, you always complain that percussion and the clarinet can't play duets, well guess what bastard? The piano's percussion…just play the CD okay?"
Sasuke smiled slightly and put the CD into his stereo. Naruto's voice suddenly filled his room.
"Hey Sasuke. Hopefully I won't be there when you first listen to this, 'cause that just wouldn't be as cool. Well, um…Happy Birthday! I'm sorry about not being there, but I hope this makes it up to you. So…uh…I guess I'll start now." Naruto's voice counted off and then piano music began flowing from Sasuke's speakers. Sasuke sat confused for a moment before he realized that it was Naruto playing piano on the CD.
Sasuke finally got his duet. He couldn't wait for when he could play it with Naruto in person. He hastily smoothed out the clarinet music, propped up his stand, and began to sight-read.
A/N: Not much to say about this one. It's different than Luck of the Not-So-Irish, but i like it so I hope you do too. I don't think I'm going to do a third installment of this series, but I haven't decided yet. If anyone has any ideas or opinions, feel free to let me know :)
-EverPlotting-
