Seven o'clock came much later than Naruto realized
Seven o'clock came much later than Naruto realized. He was still cleaning up from the finger painting mess his day care children had made. His cell phone alarm caused his phone to vibrate and Naruto jumped up, forgetting about his painted appearance, and walked out to his car.
His speed walk slowed halfway to his car, though, as he realized just who he was rushing for. What did it matter if he was late? If Sasuke left, he didn't care. And after all the time Naruto had wasted with the bastard, Sasuke could wait fifteen minutes.
Flashback
His first kiss, first hand job, first blowjob, and now his first time, had all taken place in some discreet location with his discreet "friend" Sasuke.
Memories of their first time in the back seat of Sasuke's car had Naruto holding a book over his crotch for most of the day. He wanted to do it again. Everything about it had been perfect. Sasuke's shaky please to continue, the scream of pleasure that tore its way out from swollen lips when Naruto finally found his prostate, and the broken sound of his name as Sasuke came with Naruto's attentive cock inside him, Naruto wanted to experience it all again.
He was waiting for Sasuke's car to pull up behind the school where they always met, when his friends, also his current garage band members, found him.
Gaara was smoking and Haku had obviously been telling the red head some sort of juicy gossip, his eyes were lit up mischievously as they always were when he learned something gossip worthy. "Naruto? I thought you said you had tutoring after school today, what are you doing back here?" Haku asked, a hint of concern lacing his voice.
Naruto looked around nervously. He hadn't told them about his relationship with Sasuke. Not because he was ashamed of Sasuke, or of being gay, but because he knew Sasuke would deny it. It was a fucked up relationship and Naruto knew anybody with self respect wouldn't date someone who made them hide when someone was coming. And he knew his friends would believe him if he told them he was with Sasuke, but they'd be angry that he continued to stay with someone who would treat him so poorly. Naruto was ashamed; of himself.
Sasuke was mean to him in public, but there was a gentler, caring side to Sasuke that kept Naruto debating with himself and losing when he thought of leaving Sasuke. They laughed, they went out, they made out, and they even went and got tattoos together. Deep down Sasuke was a good person who would someday accept their relationship, or so Naruto had so foolishly assumed.
He gave his friends a lame excuse as to his reason for being behind the building and Gaara and Haku left him with suspicious glances.
He waited an extra thirty minutes before Sasuke finally pulled up.
Naruto was pissed. He got into the car, slamming the door none too gently. "Well?" He asked, waiting or the excuse Sasuke was sure to have.
His friend, his lover, his enemy, turned toward him with a flat look that guaranteed there would be no apology for the late appearance. But even so, he looked beautiful, Naruto always thought so.
Sasuke wore dark clothes, always blues or blacks. Despite school rules, he had an eyebrow piercing and ear piercings that no one questioned. One wrist was covered by a iBad Religion/i wrist warmer that cleverly covered the tattoo Sasuke had got just a week earlier. His other wrist was covered in black plastic and spiked bracelets. If they didn't spend so much time acting like they hated each other, everyone would have thought they were friends just based on their clothing styles.
"Suigetsu wants me to go to the Strung Out concert tonight." He said in that low thrilling voice he had that had Naruto trying to convince him to try singing.
Naruto was quiet for a moment and nodded. He had planned on going to that concert with Sasuke. He didn't need to ask, he already knew what Sasuke's answer would be, but he did anyway. "And?" He said softly.
Sasuke turned back toward the road, "I'll drive you home."
Present
Naruto clinched the steering wheel tightly. Naruto shook his head, and it was as he came out of the flashback that a familiar song came up on his Ipod. "Ultimate Devotion" by Strung Out, the band playing at the concert Sasuke had ditched him for. With a sigh, Naruto thought about just how well that song fit his past relationship with Sasuke. He should have ended the relationship that night, but he didn't. Because he was in love, he was devoted, to Sasuke.
'You be my master, I'll be your servant
on my knees I beg to be abused
You can take the skin right off my back
with a riding crop or a leather strap
I'd take it all just to be with you'
But it wouldn't happen again. This Naruto knew better.
Sasuke looked at his watch again. He had become very punctual, and it annoyed him with other people couldn't keep their schedule. But he fought the urge to leave. He owed Naruto and he'd wait all night. It wouldn't be his fault if things weren't patched up. He could turn his back on the blond drummer with a clear conscience.
He sat quietly, stirring his coffee idly, until a bright blond boy sat down across him at the table. Naruto grabbed a menu with green splattered fingers without a word of apology for his late arrival.
Unlike their high school days, the two dressed completely different now. Sasuke was wearing a long sleeved blue shirt with a black tie, looking like the professional he claimed to be. And Naruto was dressed in a paint splattered white shirt, and torn jeans decorated in the same fashion. There was even a red smear on his tattooed cheek. Sasuke was surprised they even let Naruto into the restaurant.
"Glad you could make it." Sasuke muttered.
"Yeah." Naruto answered from behind the menu.
Sasuke sighed, Naruto was impossible, and that only made apologizing harder. "Have you become an artist or something?" He asked, nodding toward Naruto's dirty appearance.
Naruto rolled his eyes and looked over the top of the menu at Sasuke, "I work at a day care center. Today was art day."
Sasuke blinked at Naruto several times, "You have a real job?"
"Fuck you." He said, angry that Sasuke thought he was still an immature kid with the dream that his band alone could get him through life.
A waiter came, ruining the awkward atmosphere. "Can I take your drink order?"
Sasuke waited for Naruto's answer. He already had his coffee.
"Yeah. Coke. And I'm ready to order, too."
The waiter pulled out his little tablet, "What can I get for you?"
"Dessert." Naruto answered.
"Which one?" The waiter asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"All of them." Was Naruto's flat answer.
Sasuke quirked an eyebrow but said nothing.
"You want one of…everything?" The water asked incredulously.
"Yes."
The waiter looked over at Sasuke for coomfirmation.
Sasuke nodded and the water made a note in his tablet, snapped it shut, and walked off.
"Sweet tooth?" He asked Naruto.
"No. They all looked good. Didn't see the reason in committing to just one."
"So your dessert philosophy and your dating philosophy are one in the same, hmm?"
"You really don't want to go there." Naruto growled, assuming Sakura had told Sasuke about his promiscuous ways.
Sasuke said nothing. It would probably cost him a hundred dollars just for Naruto's damn dessert, but he could handle that type of bill. He cleared his throat, "Naruto." He began, "I wanted to apologize. I was a confused selfish person."
"And you're all better now?" Naruto said with a snicker.
"I'm still selfish." Sasuke admitted with a sip of his coffee.
"Not confused?"
"No."
"So you admit you like it in the ass, just like…" He cleared his throat, cutting off the 'your brother' comment. It was none of Sasuke's business who he slept with.
A light blush colored Sasuke's cheeks. "No. It was just a phase."
The words hurt a spot in Naruto's heart that he had long thought dead. 'Just a phase' were the same words used in Sasuke's voicemail message where he broke up with Naruto. He quickly shoved the painful feeling back down and leaned forward, "So are you saying I couldn't make you scream out in ecstasy again?"
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. "No. Let's just stick to the main issue. Do you forgive me?"
"No." Came the easy and quick reply.
Sasuke sighed.
The waiter came out with a tray full of desserts and put them on the table before walking away.
"I don't know what else you want me to do." Sasuke growled in frustration.
"Drop dead."
"Anything else?" Sasuke spat out.
Naruto was quiet for a moment, "Why do you want it? It's been five years."
Sasuke stirred his coffee quietly, "Because it was wrong of me and I'm trying to make it right."
"Fine. I forgive you."
Sasuke nodded, surprised Naruto wasn't acting as stubborn as he did when they were younger.
"As soon as you admit our past relationship to my friends."
He knew it had been too easy. If possible, Sasuke paled even more. "W-what?"
"You want my forgiveness. You admit that forcing me to hide our relationship was wrong, so fix it. Tell them about our relationship." He smirked and stabbed a piece of cheesecake as he looked at the horrified expression on Sasuke's face and put the piece into his mouth. It tasted sweet.
Sasuke licked his lips nervously.
"Nothing to say now?" Naruto asked smugly.
"I'm not gay."
"I'm not asking you to tell them you are. Just about all the igay/i stuff you did."
"…Fine." He forced the word from his throat.
"I have work tomorrow, and then we'll be at The Juicebox."
"Time?" Sasuke said in a distasteful voice.
"Nine. You can tell them after the performance." He grinned.
The next night, Sasuke showed up to The Juicebox, annoyed almost immediately at the crowd of people, the questionable stench of marijuana in the air, and the loud screaming sounds of the band currently playing. At one point in time, Sasuke could understand every word, but now he'd rather listen to someone scratching a chalk board. He pulled up the sleeves on his polo sweater. It was hot in the club and he fought down the desire to walk back outside and cool down.
"Holy shit. Sasuke?" A voice said behind Sasuke.
The raven spun around and scowled when he found himself looking at the slightly shorter silver haired male. "Suigetsu." He nodded. He had hoped he wouldn't run into his best friend in high school. He had wanted to leave that entire life behind, and as soon as he got Naruto to accept his apology that's what he planned on doing. Suigetsu put a kink in those plans.
"How long you been in town?"
"Not very long."
"Weren't planning on visiting me, were you?" Suigetsu said knowingly. "Relax, I just wanted to say hi. I heard you're a lawyer now. It wouldn't be very good for you to hang out with a criminal like me."
Sasuke nodded. "So you're still into all of this?"
"It wasn't a fad, Sasuke. It was a way of life." He shrugged, "But I came here tonight because Naruto told me to."
Sasuke's fists clinched at his side. He knew exactly why Naruto had invited Suigetsu. He wanted him to witness his 'confession.' "I didn't think you hung out with Naruto." In fact, he knew they hadn't back in high school.
"Well, you fuck the singer of the band, you're bound to meet the rest of his band."
An elegant eyebrow arched, "You and…Gaara?" He nearly whispered.
"Don't sound so damn shocked. I just like rough sex, and he delivers."
Sasuke nodded, wondering if the new information about Suigetsu's sexual preference would make telling him about his own homosexual experiences any easier. He doubted it. Nothing concerning Naruto was easy.
"Hey, look." Suigetsu pointed toward the stage and Sasuke watched the current band walk off as Broken Zippers took the stage. All color faded from Sasuke's face when he saw his brother come on stage and whisper something to Naruto. His brother was here too. And he was sure it was Naruto's doing.
He thought about Itachi's gloating smirk when he told him about his past. He could hear his brother's taunting already. He ran a shaky hand through his hair. His life was going to be a living hell if he went through with it.
Naruto listened as Itachi whispered to him about what time his manager wanted to meet him later that night. Naruto was about to nod when he saw a professional looking Sasuke standing in the audience. He stood out like a…well like a prep at a punk show.
"Well?" He heard Itachi say in a low husky voice when he didn't respond immediately.
"Yeah, sure." Naruto agreed, wondering if Itachi would still want to meet with him after he heard about his and Sasuke's past relationship.
Itachi nodded, pleased with the response and walked off stage.
Naruto licked his lips and nodded over at Gaara who had been watching him out of the corner of his eye. He stepped up to the microphone, prepared to pump up the crowd for Gaara.
Sasuke shook his head as he listened to Naruto's speech. Naruto's voice hadn't changed much, and neither had his vocabulary. But his popularity had changed. People were cheering for the loser Sasuke had gone to school with.
Gaara took the microphone again and began to sing as soon as Naruto hit his drums with his sticks.
Sasuke watched Gaara, imagining 'rough sex' between him and Suigetsu. It was an amusing image and he snorted, which scored him a questioning glance for his old silver haired friend. He was about to explain himself when Suigetsu smirked knowingly, "Gives you a stiffy, don't it?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes, forgetting how good Suigetsu had always been at reading him.