Chapter 2:
For a few weeks Naruto was a complete and utter wreck. Drinking and working were the only constant things in his life during that time. Not that work was very productive in all honesty. Every day he would stumble into the office building, hungover from a night of drinking, and his appearance left a lot to be desired.
Shabby suits, wrinkled shirts, tie askew, and shoes that could use a good polishing were a new norm for him. Hell, spitting on his shoes, and wiping them down with a dirty rag would be an improvement over their current condition.
His normal brightly shining blond hair was a shade duller and hung limply over his face.
In all his misery, Naruto failed to care about his overall physical appearance.
Every once in awhile, Naruto would wonder how he hadn't been fired by Itachi yet. Any other boss would have given up on him within the first week of his screw ups and subpar reports.
Those thoughts didn't stick around and were soon chased away as the liquor raced its way burning way down his esophagus.
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The days blurred together.
A night of heavy drinking, followed by a painful day at work. The headaches never went away, neither did the nausea or misery. Contact with other humans was avoided like the plague.
Yes, he saw the disapproving glares, the head shakes and the comments but Naruto was indifferent to what they said about him.
He was in self destruct mode, and he didn't give a flying fuck about anything anymore.
The few times Naruto thought of his feigned indifference he also heard the little voice in the back of his head calling him a liar.
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Chug drink after drink.
Stumble on the way to the hotel.
Puke during the night.
Flinch at the light.
Head into work.
Avoid any human contact.
Leave, head to the bar for another drink.
Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, he would have something to eat. If his stomach would let him.
That was his new routine, his new life…
But...
What was he? Who was he? Because he didn't feel like Naruto anymore.
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Dull blue eyes stared down at the glass in front of him.
He was miserable.
It was getting too much. Naruto was sick. Sick and tired of it all. Of the drinking, the nausea, the pain.
He needed to stop. Yes, he was in an emotional maelstrom, but getting drunk every night was only making him feel worse. Nothing was making him feel better. It wasn't doing anything but making it harder to stop thinking about Sasuke.
Sasuke.
Sasuke.
Sasuke.
His every other thought seemed to be about that stupid bastard.
Naruto needed to stop. Needed to get his life together. To stop letting the bastard win.
The blond man rose from his seat, leaving the last shot of vodka untouched on the bar counter. He departed the building, fighting his every instinct to go back and drink that shot.
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Everyday Naruto would walk past the bar. Sometimes he would go in, and buy a drink.
Sometimes he would drink it, and other times, he would leave before touching it.
On the days he did drink Naruto felt disappointed and disgusted with his lack of self control.
Each day that passed he tried harder to stop his unnecessary drinking.
Slowly, Naruto managed to stop going to the bar. He started taking alternate routes in order to avoid the temptation to stop for a drink or more.
Little by little Naruto pulled his life back together.
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The soft click of his fingers tapping at the keyboard sounded surprisingly louder than normal to Naruto. The normally hectic work area was more quiet than was normal and the tapping seemed to only intensify with every key that he pressed.
Unsurprisingly, the report was twice as long as the original one that he'd done a few weeks before, and would likely end up even longer since he had yet to get even get halfway through.
A few quiet hours passed with very little noise and even less activity from the rest of the employees. Naruto glanced up from his screen for a moment, a slight frown on his face as he contemplated the area around him. A few of his co-workers drifted through every so often, but the noise was minimal at best. He shook his head slightly before turning back to the computer screen in front of him. He didn't have the time to wonder where everyone was. The report was do by the end of the day and his boss wouldn't be impressed at this rate. It was bad enough that his work had taken a slight nosedive ever since he'd gotten that email.
Itachi Uchiha had cornered Naruto earlier that week and had given him a stern scolding. God, if Naruto ever felt a teenager in trouble, that day definitely took the cake. But the talk had gotten all of Naruto's mind out of his slump. Naruto could think about the mess that his life had become at a later time, now he needed to concentrate on actually doing his job.
Just because his life with Sasuke had ended with no real clear explanation that didn't mean that Naruto should give up living.
With firm determination, Naruto pushed any and all thoughts of Sasuke out of his mind and set to work.
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Naruto knocked on the door and reached for the door handle as soon as he heard Itachi give the okay to enter. The door swung open the door and stepped stiffly over to Itachi to hand in his finished report.
For the most part Itachi looked calm and uninterested, but as he went through the pages the corner of his lip turned up slightly. The man finished reading and set the papers down to the right of him before locking his eyes on Naruto. "Excellent. This is exactly why I wanted you to work with me, Naruto."
Naruto nodded, trying not to shift, knowing that Itachi hadn't exactly been pleased with his previous weeks performance. Not that Naruto blamed him, he hadn't really been trying at all. For a while, Naruto had simply been doing only enough to get by.
Itachi studied him for a moment, his gaze intense before he sighed. "I know Sasuke and you aren't seeing each other anymore."
At those words, Naruto couldn't hold back the flinch, and he had to drop his gaze. This was not something that he wanted to talk about, especially not with his boss. Really, he wished Itachi wouldn't have said anything. Breaking down in the middle of work was not something Naruto felt like doing. Especially since he'd finally managed to get his shit together. Or mostly together.
Itachi continued, his gaze sympathetic. "I just wanted you to know I understand why your performance dropped. But you can't let your personal life affect your work." Itachi finished firmly.
Naruto nodded, hoping that Itachi was done speaking. He had pulled himself together. He was separating his personal life from his work life and thankfully, Naruto had been able to. It had taken him a while, but he'd managed and would continue to do so.
"I also wanted to say that I think Sasuke made a mistake with the way he ended things with you."
At that, Naruto's eyes shot open in surprise. Itachi was looking at him and Naruto thought he saw a bit of distress in his gaze. That was definitely not something Naruto had been expecting.
"Sasuke... Sasuke isn't thinking. I am his brother, and I love and care for him, yet I cannot condone his actions. I have come to think of you as a friend and had been thinking of you as family because of your relationship with Sasuke. I know you love him. Sasuke knew this as well. He loved you, but it seems not as much as you do him."
Naruto had to tear his gaze away from Itachi and kept his eyes on a corner of the room. It was hard looking at Itachi. Yes, Itachi was his boss, but they really had become friends...in a way. It was inevitable not to, what with the blossoming relationship with Sasuke...
But that relationship was over. Naruto hadn't thought that Itachi's friendship would continue after the breakup.
"I do not feel that it's right for me to tell you the reason why he broke up with you, because I am his brother, but I also do not like how he's cut you from his life. He should have at least explained his decision to you."
Naruto hadn't been able to believe the words that were coming out of Itachi's mouth, but he spoke up at that bit. He didn't want Itachi to feel bad over anything that Sasuke had done. Yes, he wanted to know why, but at the same time he didn't want to hear any excuses. At least not from Itachi. "It's okay, Itachi. I don't want you to feel guilty for not telling me. As much as I hate it, Sasuke needs to be the one to tell me. If he ever does, but that is up to him. It is not your responsibility." Naruto assured Itachi.
After a second, Itachi nodded in understanding. He still looked concerned, but Naruto hoped that he wouldn't be stressed over Sasuke's choices. Itachi worried enough as it was. "If you need to talk more I will be here. I assure you that anything you tell me will not be passed on to Sasuke."
"Thank you, Itachi. I'll remember that." Naruto managed to smile. Itachi didn't want their friendship to end, that was good. Naruto did have friends after all, he hadn't been as lonely as he felt. He hadn't exactly reached out to anyone the past few days, instead he had chosen to close himself off from everyone.
It had pretty much been his mission. Along with trips to the bar, of course.
Naruto had friends. He just had to remind himself that there were people that cared for him. Like Itachi.
But at the same time, Naruto knew that he wasn't going to burden Itachi with his own personal life. He knew that Itachi might feel responsible for Sasuke's actions (he was his older brother after all) and Naruto didn't want Itachi to feel torn.
"Go on home, I just need to finish a couple of things, you don't need to stay." Itachi stated.
Naruto nodded and waved goodbye before leaving the office and heading to his desk to pack up his notes and papers. He needed to catch up on a few more things, but those he could easily do from his hotel room.
Hotel... He really should start looking for an apartment of his own. Even if it was just a studio apartment. It was odd but he was getting sick of walking to the hotel room day after day. Maybe because he really couldn't say that it was his. Couldn't think of it as his. It was just a room with things that he was using. Who knew how many people had slept in the bed. Or the pillows.
….Or what they'd done on it.
A sudden thought hit him, and he couldn't stop himself from asking the question out loud. "They wash the pillows, right? They have to... Don't they?" He shuddered in revulsion.
Suddenly, Naruto didn't feel like going back to the hotel room. He bought a newspaper, and immediately turned to the housing section. It was obvious that he probably wouldn't find anything soon, but it didn't hurt to look.
Maybe he would get lucky.
"Yeesh, these guys are vultures." Naruto grumbled as he looked at the asking price for rent.
He found a not too shabby apartment the next day, and luckily, it was at a discounted price. Something about renovations needed.
OoOoOoOoOoOo A few months later OoOoOoOoOoOo
Naruto found himself at the bar again, sitting at an empty table this time instead of the bar counter like he had when he'd been drinking.
Instead of drinking shots or something equally as strong, all Naruto had was a glass of light beer.
It was something he hadn't really drank since that last weekend before Sasuke had left. Not saying that he never took shots or anything strong during that time, it was just the norm to have a bottle or two of beer with friends and that was about it. Maybe a few margaritas or bloody mary's if they had the mixes, but his usual drink was beer.
It had been a fun time. Relaxing even. It certainly never felt like it would be the last time they would have a good time together with their friends as a couple.
Naruto shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory. He'd hadmemories of back then over the past few months, but thankfully, they'd slowed to a couple every few weeks. It seemed like he was finally getting over Sasuke instead of just telling himself he was over him.
From what he'd heard through the gossip grapevine at work; Sasuke had been offered a position in Otogakure shortly before breaking it off with Naruto. Since Naruto had heard nothing of it before Sasuke had left on the trip, Naruto had a feeling that Sasuke knew already that he was going to break things off. It hurt knowing that Sasuke hadn't wanted to tell it to Naruto's face. Their goodbye kiss had been their very last and only Sasuke had known.
Recently, there had also been another rumor…. A rumor that Sasuke was engaged to someone. The heiress of a rival company in Otogakure. That the two companies would be merging into one.
Naruto took a deep breath, and unclenched his hand. There was no reason to get worked up over it all. It was done and over with, he needed to move on. Sasuke wasn't his life anymore, and it was better that way.
Naruto grimaced, and looked to his left. The bar was less crowded than the usual and there wasn't as much smoke as normal. That was when he caught sight of a redheaded man with seafoam green eyes staring at him from the bar. When their eyes locked, Naruto felt a bolt of electricity go through his body.
After a moment, Naruto tore his gaze away, his face hot and his heart beating slightly faster than normal. A few seconds passed, and Naruto couldn't help himself. He slowly looked up to where the man had been.
The spot was empty. A pang of disappointment passed through Naruto. He knew nothing would have come of it either way, but… it would have been nice to flirt, if nothing else.
With a quiet sigh, Naruto got up and made his way to the door. He didn't know why he'd come into the bar, so there was no point in staying any longer.
As the blond stepped out of the door, his stomach have a loud rumble. Naruto hesitated, hand going to his stomach. He had skipped breakfast, and completely forgot about lunch that day. Another growl from his stomach and Naruto succumbed to its demand.
Ramen it was.
But first he had to stop by his apartment to pick up his grocery shopping list. He'd forgotten to grab it earlier when he'd left for work that day.
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"You've got to be kidding me..." Naruto ground out in disgust as he read the paper he had clutched in his hands. He'd found it tapped to his door.
It was a notice from his building manager that the building his apartment was located at was going to go under some remodeling and everyone was getting kicked out by the next month. The other building didn't have any open appartments so Naruto would have to find a different location altogether.
"Not even five months in this place and I've already got to leave? Couldn't they have told me about this before I moved in? Ugh!" Naruto clutched at his hair, groaning in frustration. He refused to acknowledge that little part in his brain where he vaguely remembered that clause in his rental agreement. No, right now he wanted to pout. And pout he would. "Life just wants to see me as miserable as possible, doesn't it?" He asked no one in particular.
After another self suffering sigh, Naruto unlocked his door and grabbed his grocery list before getting out and locking the door back up behind him.
Now he definitely needed his ramen fix. It always made him feel better.
"Yo, Naruto." A lazy drawl said as soon as Naruto walked into the Ramen restaurant.
"Shikamaru? I wasn't expecting to see you here!" The blonds mood immediately lightened up as he spotted his dark haired friend.
Ever since his semi-revelation about actually having friends, and that he was overthinking everything(except Sasuke- still an fucking asshole), Naruto had spoken to more than a few of the people he considered friends. Most, if not all, had been quite happy to see the cheerful Naruto back to his old self. A few had been oblivious about his sudden withdrawals, but only because they hadn't been around enough to actually notice.
Only Shikamaru had figured out the reason behind why the blond had been avoiding them. He'd dissuaded Naruto from that kind of thinking instantly and helped him put his life back together by listening to Naruto's rants and being there for the blond when he needed someone to talk to. "I missed lunch and figured this would be less troublesome than that new barbecue place. What about you? You seemed upset before."
Naruto nodded and ordered three bowls of pork ramen, before turning back to Shikamaru. "Well, I need to find a new place again. My current place is being remodeled and they're making us move out. Soo, I need to find a cheap place that I can move into right away. Or at least within a month." Naruto hadn't told anyone, but he had been putting aside any extra money left over from each paycheck.. It was in his savings account and he had planned on keeping it there for as long as possible. He'd prefer to save it for a downpayment on his own home or for emergencies. You never knew when those would pop up.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru shook his head and looked contemplative.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Naruto groaned and almost slouched but sat up as his bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. He immediately dug in, moaning in pleasure. Ramen was great, it was the best food ever.
"I know someone... Well, that's not exactly right. But whatever. I know someone who's brother moved into town and he needs a roommate. It's a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment near your work. Rent is split in half. I have his number if you want it. Someone might have moved in during that time but give him a call just in case." Shikamaru said, shaking his head at the way that Naruto ate.
"Eh? Really? That sounds like a good idea actually... Yeah! I'll call him and see it he still wants a roommate and how much it would be." Naruto hummed, feeling better about the whole situation already. Not that it was guaranteed but he now had another option instead of renting something on his own. He might even be able to save a bit more money that way. "What's his number? And his name?"
Shikamaru pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his contact list.
Putting his chopsticks down, Naruto mirrored Shikamaru's actions, except he opened the contact list and clicked on the new contact icon. Quickly, he typed in 'Possible Roommate' and waited for Shikamaru to find the information.
Naruto picked his chopsticks up again while he waited for Shikamaru to find the number. It looked like the man was looking through messages. A lot of messages. A lot of long messages. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the slight pink that suddenly appeared on Shikamaru's face. He scrolled faster and cleared his throat. It took a while longer to get to it.
"Here it is..."
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Naruto couldn't help but fiddle nervously with the hem of his shirt as he waited for someone to answer the call or send his call to voicemail . Finally, the ringing stopped but whoever picked up didn't say anything for a long while and Naruto couldn't help but clear his throat nervously.
"... Hello, is this Gaara Sabaku? My names Naruto Uzumaki, and I heard from a friend that you were looking for a roommate...?"
A/N:
Special thanks to everyone who read this and wanted a continuation: mimi(I will!), , Zeref the Dark Mage, Princess Akasha, Guest, Guest, mnsr26cats, DarkAngelAlice13, shisui uchiha. Thanks a lot! :D Really, you guys are amazing!
Guest(1) on March 26: I did make Sasuke an asshole, it was my intention, it was my wish for him to be one. Stating that, the first chapter was all from Naruto's POV, of how he felt, of the mess that he was thinking. He was also drunk and wallowing in self pity, along with heartbreak so all he's feeling is turmoil and pain and sadness and he's not necessarily going to be thinking of anything happy.
As for the of the way he broke up with Naruto. There's lots of ways/reasons someone breaks up with their partner. Some are selfish reasons, some are because of stupid reasons, and some are misunderstandings. This one I wrote with the intentions being mean on Sasuke's part, of him being a selfish jerk. But I've always seen Sasuke as a selfish jerk so this wouldn't have been out of character in my opinion. I'm also not saying Naruto's the perfect boyfriend. There's no such thing as perfect but like I said before, that first chapter was from Naruto's POV, of how he was feeling and thinking. It would have stayed like that, but now you'll be able to see more of it since it's going to be a short story instead of a one-shot. The why's, the what went wrongs, and the what happens next will be written out.
As for his not having friends, again, I refer to it being his emotions of what he's feeling, not necessarily the truth, but it's how he's feeling at that time. I don't think you'll read any more of this story, but I felt the need to reply anyway to explain a bit of it since you did review even though you disliked the fic.
Anyway, not sure if what I wrote makes sense, but yeah.
A/N 2: As for the next chapter, that will be the last. I really didn't intend for it to be more than a one-shot, but because of how many of you wanted it to continue, I rethought it. My friend originally got me into thinking of writing more but I still wasn't convinced when I posted it until it got the response it did. Thank you all again!