Chapter 3: Escape, Divert
Everything is back to normal, at least for the untrained eyes of Naruto and Sasuke's friends. The two unconventional friends are back to being their usual pain in the ass selves. God knows they missed Naruto's happy streak and although they didn't actually missed Sasuke, his presence is a big influence on Naruto's everyday mood. They knew Sasuke and Naruto's three-week long fight is over when Sasuke started joining them to lunch and Naruto annoys Sasuke with useless comments while Sasuke shots him down. They bicker, they tease each other and they hang out more often than any other people in the group – just like how it was.
Everything is back to normal which is nice since their little group of friends, including Shikamaru who is the most chill person among them, is in constant tension for the past few weeks due to Naruto's brooding and constant bad mood at Sasuke's icy demeanor towards the blond. Although Sasuke doesn't usually hang out with them, his absence is a gaping hole that disrupts the balance of the group. Some might disagree, but not Naruto.
Falling into a false sense of comfort, Naruto and Sasuke's friends are at ease that they've settled whatever disagreements they had. Only, they've forgotten about how good those two are with putting up a front. Nobody knows that Naruto is doubling his efforts ignoring the fact that he just confessed his long standing desire for Sasuke. Sasuke on the other hand is trying to ignore the constant memory of Naruto's 'prank' confession, which makes him think of the blond more, making him easy to aggravate than usual.
Sasuke's finds himself gravitating physically towards the blond. An inch closer, shoulders constantly brushing, arms accidentally grazing, lingering touches. It flusters Sasuke to have this compulsion to touch since it's a very Naruto trait. What further bothers Sasuke is that Naruto seems to be doing exactly the opposite. Naruto is trying to avoid touching Sasuke – no more arms draped around his shoulders or comforting hand squeezes. Those were replaced by pats on the shoulders and quick backhand on his arm.
It frustrates Sasuke but refuses to acknowledge it.
Naruto is not much better.
Being a sunshine and roses kind of guy, Naruto made it his personal mission to be spreading the happy despite his internal struggles. What makes it harder is that it has to be around Sasuke who makes it a point to be cynic as possible.
In a span of a few days their short lived stalemate slowly evolved to low blows and sarcasm of a new level. The only consolation for Naruto was that, Sasuke doesn't seem to want to push Naruto away, if the constant shoulder brush is an indication of some sort of act of camaraderie. Naruto could even swear that Sasuke is initiating friendly touches which he subtly ignores and avoids for fear that it'll look like he's taking advantage.
The only thing that's clear is that they both are going through a daily dose of mental acrobatics and confusing emotions.
It proves to be a too much for Sasuke when he finds himself dreading to see the blond for lunch but feels relieved when Naruto notices his presence and waves for him to join their table. Nevertheless, as they day passed by, Sasuke feels the need to get way, to distance himself before he's consumed with too many conflicting feelings that he doesn't know how to handle – much more to think about. So the first thing he did after he saw the university's out of town internship program was to apply for it.
Naruto's attempt to divert his attention from Sasuke becomes difficult when he feels like Sasuke is being left behind to fend for himself like a lonely kid at the corner of the room. And every day he sees Sasuke slowly creeping back to his shell of indifference, he feels anxious that he'll lose him in any way. So imagine the panic and anger he felt when he saw Sasuke's name listed as one of the interns who'll be assigned to Otto.
Naruto trudged the school grounds looking for Sasuke, a feeling of betrayal coursing in him with every step. He found Sasuke in a kiosk beside the library, hell Naruto looks at him and some of his anger melts, so he shoved the thought of forgiving Sasuke away as he marched towards the kiosk refusing to think of anything else but letting the feeling of hurt engulf him.
A piece of paper was hastily shoved in front of Sasuke's face making him a bit disoriented and dreadful at the same time. He's been hoping that this confrontation won't happen even though the chances are slim, and now it's time.
"What's this?"
Naruto's firm voice says he's far from being happy to see him. The blond sat on the empty space beside Sasuke and faced him. The blond held his right shoulder forcing Sasuke to face him.
"It's just for a month, dobe"
"And when do you plan on telling me about this?"
"As soon as I knew about the results… look, I was going to tell you, you just found out sooner"
"Bullshit, this was posted last week." Naruto waved the said paper in his face with the date in it. Sasuke almost winced. He knew of the results the moment it went out but didn't have the guts to tell Naruto about it.
"Think what you want"
The lie is bleeding through Sasuke's clenched teeth. He rarely needs to lie, especially to Naruto who can easily see through him even before he opens his mouth – it's crazy.
"Yeah, good for me too since you'll be leaving when? Oh yeah, at the end of the week, and today is Thursday"
"Urgh, I told you, I didn't expect they'd process it ASAP… I just – look, I don't need to explain"
Sasuke hastily placed his notebooks and pen inside his messenger bag and turned to leave.
"Hey, bastard! Don't you dare -"
Naruto grabbed his arms and punched him in the face.
Although the punch stung his cheeks and he stumbled to the ground, to Sasuke, it was the most alive he felt for the past month. There's something cathartic with engaging in a fight with Naruto, more than words can ever do. Sasuke glared at Naruto and kicked Naruto's gut as hard as he can when the blond came to him to deliver another punch to him while he's still down. Naruto fell backwards, Sasuke crawled up to him delivering punches while Naruto tried to block the oncoming punches.
At this point, both boys forgot the reason why they're actually punching each other.
A sharp whistle and a set of footsteps are nearing. They've gathered a crowd of spectators but no one dared to stop the two of them. They slowly both got up from the ground and got their things. Sasuke was the first one to go, the crowd parting to let him pass. Naruto was left with explaining the situation to the school authorities.
Not a moment later, Sasuke heard Naruto running up to him. They walked silently towards Sasuke's neighborhood with a few shoves from Naruto which Sasuke returned. Both of them feeling at peace with just walking silently even though their whole bodies are aching.
Knocking on the door of Sasuke and Itachi's house with bruised faces and bloody fists brings back memories from their younger days when they both are still angry and sullen teenagers who didn't know the difference between "talking" from "punching".
Itachi's bitch face completed the memory.
"Do I even want to know?"
The older Uchiha opened the door wider to let them both in. Noting the fact that despite his bruised face, Sasuke seems to be relaxed. Naruto on the other hand, is bright as ever.
"I totally kicked his ass"
Itachi silently observed the scene unfolding in front of him – Sasuke with his head down silently limping upstairs with lips pressed together, brows furrowed as if in pain, while Naruto stared after his best friend with a sad smile.
Itachi sighed.
Ever since they were teenagers, they were already fighting like this. He's used to seeing them on the front door bloody and bruised, sometimes with broken bones but as the years pass by, Itachi feels a twinge of melancholy in his heart that this two pain in the ass idiots hurting each other with their fists, hurts less than the words that leaves their lips.
Later that night while Sasuke is packing some of his clothes into his suitcase, Naruto is sprawled over the bed eyes looking at the ceiling, quietly tracing the moving shadow of Sasuke's form. He feels… tired. Just tired, like he was wringed dry.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit irrational"
The blond started, there's no need to part ways without settling their issues together. It's counterproductive to worry about loose ends when you can tie them up if given a chance.
"Yeah… Honestly? I didn't know how to tell you"
"Look at you, admitting your humanly flaws" Naruto rolled to his side, propping his head in left hand to watch Sasuke stride back and forth between his dresser and bed where his bags are open, ready to be filled.
"Besides you were busy flirting with Hyuuga"
If only words were poisonous, the Hyuuga clan must have been foaming in the mouth with the amount of vile Sasuke placed into the name. Naruto's brows shot up at the uncalled for comment, maybe Itachi was right, they're not so hopeless after all.
"Hinata? So you got insecure? Is that it?"
A hint of amusement laced Naruto's words; it feels good to tease Sasuke whenever he got the chance.
"Fuck you, Naruto"
"Don't worry we're just friends. Besides, she stutters… shifty eyes"
"Right, you can't trust any of those… might be blond loser serial killer"
Naruto chortled, his a mixture feelings he can't express. Gazing over Sasuke busily arranging his things onto his bag, Naruto felt a heavy weight in his gut so familiar since the day he realized that Sasuke was more than a lonely boy in a pretty face looking for acknowledgement. He gladly relished the feeling and closed his eyes.
"You're such a bastard" The blond murmured cursing his emotionally retarded best friend.
"Hmm… heard you the first thousand times"
Silence filled the room only the grating sound of the bag's zipper closing can be heard.
Naruto knows the reason why Sasuke didn't tell him, he understands him, somehow. He knows why Sasuke wanted to get away from him, even for just a time. There's no malice behind it, just something that he needs to do, sort his shit out. Heck, Naruto needs time too… And Sasuke's decision is an easy way out and Naruto takes it. He makes peace with it because whatever Sasuke will give him, he will take.
"Sasuke, you'll do great"
Sasuke peered at Naruto, his eyes are closed, his face, peaceful. His heart is pounding inside his chest, hands slowly drifting to brush the stray hair from Naruto's forehead he paused halfway and released a breath. His hands withdrew from the almost touch.
"I know"
Turns out, one month isn't that life changing for Naruto. A few messages and phone calls exchanged with Sasuke gets him through some of the hard days and makes him cheerful during normal days.
"What in the world is taking him so long?"
"Chill man, Naruto, the bus just arrived" Kiba looked at Naruto with a scowl. The blond just can't stop talking about Sasuke and it's starting to grate on his nerves. "I swear, I can't understand your Uchiha obsession" Kiba whispered under his breath.
"Hey, I heard that!"
Sasuke emerged from the bus, a backpack and suitcase in tow. He looks good, relaxed, the polo shirt he's wearing helps too, and he looks unfairly handsome. He was about to run towards Sasuke when he noticed a red haired girl coming down from the bus after Sasuke. She immediately attached herself to his arms. She's wearing a shirt topped with a long cardigan, shorts with high boots highlighting her long legs, her red hair can rival that of Kushina's.
Naruto's face fell and his steps faltered. When Sasuke noticed him, he smiled his own small smile and Naruto can't help but wave his hands with a wide grin. A sense of relief washed over him. Naruto hugged Sasuke ignoring the girl for the time being. He can have a moment of selfishness before caring about the world and the people in it.
"Teme, look at you all formal and shit" Naruto tugged on Sasuke's collar this earned him a slap on Naruto's offending hand.
"Usuratonkachi"
A very feminine and was shoved in front of Naruto, begging for a shake. Naruto looked at Karin and somehow there's something familiar with her. He took her hand and shook it.
"You must be Narutp! I'm Karin, Sasuke's – "
"Let's go" Sasuke cut her off and started walking towards the exit. Karin and Naruto shared a puzzled look before following Sasuke towards the parking lot where Naruto is parked. Kiba punched Naruto's shoulders asking the blond to introduce him to their new lady friend.
Meanwhile, Sasuke is walking a bit faster than the trio, feeling a headache coming from the impending days to come.
It turned out, Karin is Sasuke's girlfriend and Naruto's distant cousin – what a fucking coincidence. Naruto wanted to cry after laughing his ass off. Too much for feeling relieved and happy upon seeing Sasuke for the first time in a month. The blond felt cheated.
"How come you didn't mention this?"
They were in Naruto's car, parked in front of a 24/7 convenient store near Sasuke's house. They just dropped Karin off in her friend's house where she'll be staying for the mean time while in Konoha. Kiba left them in favor of attending a party at Ino's.
"It's irrelevant, I never courted her… It just happened"
"Yeah, obviously something happened"
"Naruto, don't be like -"
"Don't be what Sasuke? Irrational?" Naruto's hands are clenched tightly on the steering wheel, his face is dangerously blank but Sasuke can see his jaws trembling, something that he's not used to seeing from Naruto. The blond is vocal and obnoxious who can't keep his mouth shut and this one in front of him is far from it.
Sasuke hesitantly placed his hands over Naruto's hands trying to reach out to Naruto. Guilt was starting to get to him – guilt of what, he can't seem to put a finger on. He can't even remember the reason why he agreed to be with Karin in the first place – maybe it was because her last name was the same as Naruto's. Why he hid the relationship, however insignificant it may be for Sasuke, he doesn't know why. He just felt the need to hide it.
"Naruto"
Naruto shrugged his hands off Sasuke's and started the car. The silence is deafening but both of them didn't notice it over the persistent noises from their head.
Itachi opened the door to see Sasuke's crestfallen face. He was reminded of a five year old Sasuke who dropped his ice cream on the side walk after begging Itachi to buy him one. It was adorable as it was heart crushing. This older version of Sasuke who is standing at the doorway is far from cute but still, Itachi can feel his heart ache for his brother.
"So… Karin, huh?"
"Yeah."
Sasuke silently removed his shoes and padded towards the stairs. Only stopping when he felt Itachi move beside him, peering at his face.
"Does Naruto know?"
Time stopped as Itachi waited for Sasuke's answer. A beat and a half after, Sasuke finally breathed with an answer.
"He does now…"
"What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't"
Itachi stared as his younger brother slowly climb to his room.
Inside his room, Sasuke felt his phone vibrate, he was wishing it was Naruto… And it is. But he never gets the satisfaction he always feels whenever he receives a message from the blond.
I'm sorry… If she really makes you happy, I'm with you
Sasuke never had the heart to reply because deep inside he just feels empty.
Naruto threw his phone on the couch before heading towards his bedroom not bothering to wait for any reply from Sasuke. He was thinking about what Neji said days after Sasuke left, and maybe Neji was right – that he needs to get a life without thinking about what Sasuke would think, that maybe he needs to focus less on the Uchiha to see that there are others who are vying for Naruto's attention too.
The meaning and intention behind Neji's words were clear since it was interestingly so whispered in his ears in a very rough voice. Naruto was shocked at first but then, he can't deny the pleasure he felt of being wanted. Maybe he could try.
The long distance relationship gave Sasuke the freedom of being alone without feeling the void of being lonely. Somehow Sasuke and Karin are making it work, the occasional out of the town visits and half way through the country meetups is a bearable price to pay for being with someone you enjoy spending your time with. Especially when Naruto told Sasuke that he'll give dating a go, and who is Sasuke to stop his best friend from finding comfort from other people if he himself went and got himself a girlfriend.
The novelty of being in a relationship started to fade in the three month mark when Karin started demanding for more time with Sasuke, and Sasuke winced at the idea of more. The drive to continue the affair dwindled as it became more complicated than Sasuke expected. And while Sasuke is busy with pleasing (and terribly failing) at making his relationship with Karin work, Naruto and Neji are spending their time scouring every empty classrooms that they can find to have sex. They're not really subtle with it - Sasuke is not impressed.
Sasuke found himself often looking for Naruto's attention, picking up fights just like they used to but with Neji beside Naruto easing the tension between them, Sasuke's effort is futile. The thing is, as much as he wanted to find fault with the long haired freak who is Hinata's cousin, he can't. Because while he can insult Hinata for her weaknesses, it's different with Neji. He knows that Neji is smart, he's got good looks, definitely articulate and his eyes are sharp. He's confident and Sasuke hates it. He hates him even more because he can make Naruto laugh like how Sasuke would make the blond laugh and more.
Whenever he sees Naruto and Neji coming out of empty classrooms and bathroom stalls looking disheveled, Neji will look at him, a knowing look in his pale eyes, a smirk on his lips as they passes by him in the hallways after witnessing the harried escape. Naruto just smiles guiltily at him and scratches the back of his head.
Fourth month into Sasuke and Karin's relationship, they broke up. Naruto was with him the night of the breakup to keep Sasuke's broken heart company, but really he wasn't at all that devastated. He was just glad that he'll have less things to think about now and focus on the things that matters like their coming graduation and job applications. That night, Naruto told him all about what happened to him in their one month time apart and his future plans, neither talked about Karin nor Neji. It was all them, just like how they always were.
Naruto slept at Sasuke's bed sprawled out like an eagle with its wings spread out. With much kicking and shoving, Naruto for the love of all holy cannot be moved or contorted into a more accommodating position. With one last kick at Naruto's legs, Sasuke climbed up his bed and slept between the space under Naruto's spread arms and cold wall.
To say everything became better after Sasuke's breakup is an understatement. Sasuke is just glad that the charged tension between him and Naruto is gone (almost). Both came back to their usual habit of hanging around each other's home whenever they're available. Also, Naruto seem to have reduced spending time with Neji. Sasuke may not admit it out loud, but he feels a sense of pride that at the end of the day Naruto still comes back to him, even without anything sexual happening between them – not that Sasuke thought about it, ever. Okay, so maybe sometimes. Damn it.
There's a lull in between their scheduled classes and Naruto found Sasuke in his favorite spot in the library which is in the farthest corner of the Humanities section, near the window away from people. Sasuke doesn't hate people, he just wants his alone time… alone. Naruto understands this but he also knows that Sasuke is comfortable with Naruto invading his Zen moments. The least Naruto can do is to gently sit down beside Sasuke and read silently.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto's reading form and traced Naruto's profile from the stray bangs in his forehead to the movement of his cerulean eyes and the peaks of his nose, the pink hue of his lips, the fine hair on his chin. His face is clean, he'd seen Naruto's face countless of times but this is the first time he managed to really look at him.
"Something on my face Sasuke?"
Naruto asked without looking away from his reading material. Sasuke tried to stop looking at Naruto but his eyes, his traitorous eyes, seem to draw them back to Naruto's eyes. It looks good, the way the light hits his face.
"Your face is lame"
"Your face is lamer"
Then, it suddenly occurred to Sasuke that Naruto has been spending more of his class breaks with him instead of Neji.
"Where's Neji?"
Naruto finally looked at him, puzzled, a small frown on his face. Sasuke squinted noticing the slight chapping on Naruto's lips. If Neji and Naruto recently kissed each other, his lips must not look so dry and… not swollen.
"I don't know…"
Finally looking at his open notebook, Sasuke continued taking notes from before Naruto's lame face appeared beside him. Not that he's complaining, as a matter of fact, he feels like smiling today, it's weird.
"Isn't he your boyfriend or something?"
Sasuke felt Naruto's frown deepened. The blond is so expressive that he can feel every feeling and expressions radiate from him.
"I told you before, we're just fooling around, nothing serious… Besides, we haven't seen each other for weeks…"
"Oh…"
There's a fluttering feeling blossoming from Sasuke's heart and he can't help but smile. Turning his face towards the window to hide his face, he felt his smile broaden.
Naruto looked at Sasuke to ask him why he asked when he noticed Sasuke's smiling face reflected on the glass window, his eyes softened. Naruto never grinned so hard in his life.
Note:
I missed my self-imposed two week deadline but hey! I'm just happy I was able to post this one in a month :) Hope you enjoy!
