Ohayou/Konichiwa/Konbanwa minna whatever time it is where you are currently reading this! Basically, hi everyone. This chapter was the hardest for me to write honestly haha. I rewrote so many times, it's ridiculous . I don't have much faith in the quality of this chapter. Especially compared to the other two orz Oh wells, I hope you enjoy this! :3
Chapter Japanese to English Translations
Ja: Later (as in good bye)
Ne: Hey/Yo/Um
Baka: Idiot/Jackass/Stupid
Urusai: Shut up
Moshii moshii: Formal way to answer the phone
Onii-san: Older brother
-senpai: Formally address and older student
Chotto: Wait
Kitsune: Fox (it's Itachi's nickname for Naruto)
Shikamaru Nara was the co-captain of Naruto's soccer team and now that Naruto thought about it, he did remember him mentioning he had a sibling in the elementary school.
"You can't be serious," Naruto said as he squint his eyes.
"Oh, but I am." He moved closer to Naruto and ruffled his hair. "I find you cute and I want you to be mine."
Naruto looked away and blushed when he realized how close they were. "Oh, um, wow, uh…" He had no idea what to say. This was his team captain for crying out loud!
Shikamaru chuckled. "I've had my eye on you for a while," he said and grabbed Naruto's chin so they'd face each other. "So how about today after school me and you catch a movie?"
"Um, I actually have plans already." Naruto tried to control his blush but he knew Sasuke was lurking somewhere near and seeing everything and for some reason that bothered him more than he thought it should.
"Cancel them."
"I can't."
"Why?" Now Shikamaru had Naruto by the waist pressed up against him.
"I'm hanging out with my brother who is patiently waiting for this uh, conversation, to be done."
"You're gonna play hard to get? How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed and let Naruto out of his grasp. "Fine, I guess I'll see you at the game tomorrow."
Naruto nodded and backed away. "Yeah, uh, tomorrow. Ja," and with that he ran back inside. Sasuke had the biggest smirk on his face.
My competition is Shikamaru? Ha, that guy is the laziest person ever. I have nothing to worry about. He put an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "So your team captain has a crush on you? That was unexpected."
"Yeah," Naruto said blushing. They were silent as they went down to the cafeteria. However the silence was killing Naruto and he just had to ask. "Ne, Sasuke," Naruto started. They sat alone at the lunch table while everyone else was getting school lunch. "When did you know that you didn't like girls?" he whispered.
When I met you, Sasuke thought. He sighed and said "I'm not sure. I just knew."
"But there must've been something that triggered. Like did a girl kiss you one day and you were disgusted by it?" Naruto stared at him intently and leaned in closer.
Sasuke resisted the urge to lick his lips. "Let's just say that one day I met someone who enlightened me."
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at him and sighed. "You're no help at all."
At the game, Shikamaru seemed to act like nothing had happened the day before, much to Sasuke's liking. He already gave up. This is perfect, he thought. However, the next Monday when school resumed, Naruto and Sasuke were in homeroom trying to figure out when they'd take a trip to see Itachi at college.
"Is Uzumaki Naruto in here?"
Everyone turned to a guy with black, mushroom cap hair and bushy eyebrows. It was Rock Lee, an eleventh grader who Naruto knew was in Shikamaru's class. He held a significantly large bouquet of roses in his arms. Everyone pointed to Naruto's desk speechless. Lee walked over quickly and set the bouquet on Naruto's desk and was gone just as fast as he came. Not too soon afterwards, more guys and girls came in with the same size bouquet in their arms. By the end, Naruto had 12 bouquets of roses. Finally one last person came back. It was a Tenten, another eleventh grader.
"Shikamaru says this is only the beginning of what's yet to come," she said and she left the classroom leaving Naruto speechless and Sasuke fuming.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with all of these?" Naruto exclaimed.
The next day was worse. During lunch, Shikamaru made it his business to squeeze in between Naruto and Sasuke. He threw an arm around Naruto and smiled.
"Hello there Sunshine," he said feeling Sasuke's glare on him. "Did you like the flowers?"
"Do you realize how hard it was for me to get home with those things? I could have my own little garden in my fucking room!" Naruto exclaimed. Shikamaru chuckled and kissed the top of his head causing the blond to blush. "Don't do that!" Naruto exclaimed trying to push him off.
"But you're so cute, I couldn't resist," Shikamaru said and snuggled into Naruto's neck.
"Baka, stop it," Naruto whined.
Shikamaru didn't stop until Sasuke forcibly pulled them apart. He glared at Shikamaru. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't harass my brother."
Shikamaru gave him a bored look. "It's not harassment if he likes it."
"I don't like it!" Naruto whined.
Shikamaru sighed. "This is so troublesome. Would you just be my boyfriend so we can skip all this shit?"
"NO!" Naruto screamed. He hastily got out of his seat and walked away. Everyone stared at him but didn't bother to go follow him. He was in one of his "I need space" moods.
Shikamaru looked at Sasuke and sighed. "Can we talk?"
"About what?" Sasuke said through his teeth.
"Just come with me." Shikamaru got up without waiting for an answer. Sasuke followed him out of curiosity. Shikamaru led him to the roof. He leaned over the gate of the roof and sighed. "This is such a drag."
"Are you really serious about this?" Sasuke asked crossing his arms. "Because if you're just fucking with him I will beat you to the next dimension, I promise."
Shikamaru chuckled. "You act more like a jealous boyfriend towards him than an actual brother. Tell me Uchiha, you sure it's only brotherly love you have for Sunshine?"
Sasuke sucked in a quick breath. "Yes it's just a brotherly love!" he lied.
"It's so obvious you're lying. I see the way you look at him when we're at games or you're watching practice." He turned to face Sasuke. "I can see you concentrating oh so very hard so you don't get hard."
Sasuke blushed. "Urusai!" Shikamaru flinched at the sudden screaming. "I love that boy more than anyone in this entire universe ever will!"
"Then tell him before someone else sweeps him off his feet," Shikamaru said with a smirk. Sasuke's eyes widened. He was speechless. Shikamaru sighed and walked back inside. "I won't give up without a fight Uchiha!" he called over his shoulder.
Sasuke clenched his fists until his knuckles were the palest thing on his body.
Naruto sat on a bench in the school's garden. His thoughts were racing. He didn't like Shikamaru. He didn't know if he even liked guys. Stop lying to yourself. You know damn well who you've given your heart to. Naruto sighed and bought his knees to his chest. He was so confused. He was so lost. He needed someone to talk to. He looked through his phone contacts and found Itachi's number. He hoped he wasn't in a class. One ring, two rings, three rings—
"Moshi, moshi?" Itachi answered.
"Onii-san," Naruto whimpered.
"What's wrong?" Itachi was in his apartment in the middle of an essay. He was actually thankful for the distraction. "Did Sasuke do something?"
"Yeah…no…I don't know!" Naruto drew a hand down his face. "I'm just confused."
"Explain."
Naruto took in a deep breath. "So on Friday Shikamaru-senpai told me he liked me and Sasuke was there and he watched and we were so close to each other. So while that's happening I'm only worried about what Sasuke's thinking. But then when I saw senpai at the game the next day everything was cool as if he forgot about the whole thing. Then yesterday he sends me like a bajillion roses and he sat with us at lunch today before I walked out angry because he was being so clingy to me and I felt weird and uncomfortable because Sasuke was right there! And speaking of Sasuke—"
"Breath, Naruto," Itachi interrupted. He'd learn how to decipher "quick-ranting-Naruto" language over the years.
Naruto took in another deep breath and talked a little slower. "On Thursday when you were home, Sasuke hugged me. It wasn't any type of special hug, just a normal one but it felt different. I don't know. I ignored it at first but it's like…like…I don't know what it's like actually."
Itachi smiled to himself. "So basically, you like Sasuke but you're unaware of it."
"Yeah, pretty much." Naruto took a moment to think about what he said. "Chotto! I mean, uh…"
"Stop denying Naruto. You've been falling for that boy since forever." He heard Naruto sigh and chuckled. "So now that you're in realization of your feelings, what are you gonna do?"
"I don't know. It's not like Sasuke'll do anything. I'm his" Naruto used air quotes "little brother. He'll think it's wrong and shit." Naruto flinched when he heard Itachi laugh the hardest he's ever heard. "What?"
"You've got it all wrong, Kitsune." He sighed. "Look, if you want a reaction from Sasuke, you gotta make him think he's losing."
"Make him think he's losing?" Naruto repeated scratching his head. "How do I do that?"
"Date that Shikamaru kid."
"NO!" Naruto screamed. "I'm not dating him! I can't use people like that!"
"Then let the kid in on it," Itachi said with a small yawn.
"That's horrible!" Naruto turned his head to make sure no one was around to hear him but screamed instead and fell off the bench.
"Hello to you too, Sunshine," Shikamaru said helping him up.
"Itachi, um, I have to go," Naruto said and hung up before the boy said anything more. He laughed nervously. "What are you doing here senpai?"
Shikamaru put three fingers in Naruto's face. "Three months."
"Three months?"
"Date me for three months. If you don't fall for me by then and/or Uchiha finally decides to make a move, I'll leave you alone."
"But—"
Shikamaru put a finger on his lips to shush him. "If you do this, all three of us win. Even if I don't get you end, I still had my chance, right? Plus, if Uchiha fucks up, you can always cry on my shoulder."
Naruto sighed. "Are you sure about this?"
"I've never been so sure in my life. Besides, this way of asking you out is a lot less troublesome than what I originally planned."
Naruto sighed. It was just three months. Besides, he knew he didn't like him and if this was the only way for him to get rid of his annoying senpai, why not. No would get hurt this way, right? "Fine, I'll be your" Naruto gulped, "boyfriend."
TO BE CONTINUED
