Shelly note:
I own nothing
Okay so this chapter is pretty much the same as it was originally, however the chapters following it are different...The chapter that used to follow this was Up All Night and it does not anymore, because I moved things around and changed some things up so while this chapter is the same, the coming up chapters are going to be ones that you have not read as I added them...I'm working on chapter 20 right now, which means about 10 to 11 more chapters have to be written and then I'll be done :) updating will be really fast then or I'll just start working on an other story while updating this one
enjoy
Chapter 7: Gotta be Somebody
Sasuke let out a sigh. He hated being away from Suigetsu, or more he just hated being alone when there was a couple on the tour bus. He was unsure why Suigetsu wasn't answering his phone, though it was unsettling him. Gaara and Neji weren't over the top or in your face, but they did little things that made it so you knew they were a couple, and it drove Sasuke crazy. When Gaara puts his arm around Neji or when they hold hands, when they whisper things, when Neji makes Gaara laugh like no one else can, indeed it all made Sasuke go crazy.
To make matters even worse for the dark haired writer, he had to keep apologizing to Suigetsu because he didn't call him enough, though when he did call he rarely answered so Sasuke hardly saw the point in calling. He loved him but he didn't have to be so clingy, it wasn't as if it weren't hard enough as is.
Sasuke by nature was observant. His observational skills were just something that he couldn't turn off; part of what made him a writer. He noticed details, because he notices the emotions in people, and people put the emotions in the little things. It may be the fancy candle lit dinner where they tell you that they love you; however the everyday things that confirm it. After all, if they can't help with those, how can they help with the big things? Some people may surprise you, but that's only because you aren't observant enough to notice the small hints that give away to how they'll act.
This was how Sasuke concluded that Naruto wasn't really a bad boy as people believed him to be, as they wanted, but rather, he was just lonely. What did he see in the blonde to make him believe this? It was the way that Naruto looked at Neji and Gaara's displays of affection, he wasn't jealous because he wasn't glaring at the one pair in particular, but rather he was staring at their connectedness with longing. Sasuke understood, kind of, what Naruto felt. He just wanted to be with whom he was dating, though Naruto had no one. The thought made Sasuke frown as he looked at the blonde, and suddenly he felt bad for him.
He let out a sigh, deciding he needed to talk to Suigetsu. He dialed the number and listened to the ring praying for him to pick up. "Hello?" a voice on the other end said.
"Suigetsu?" Sasuke questioned, thinking it clearly didn't sound like him.
"Hold on, I'll get him," the other guy said. Sasuke's eyes widened as the line went silent for a moment.
"Hello?" a nervous voice said, this time it was the one he had called to hear; only now he was mad to hear it.
"Who the hell was that?" Sasuke snapped.
"A friend," he brushed off.
"What kind of friend?" Sasuke asked, obviously angry.
"A straight one, calm down, you're the one that left," Suigetsu threw back.
"You know why I left," he said, obviously frustrated.
"It doesn't make it any easier," he sighed.
"I know," he frowned, letting out a deep breath as he leaned against the wall.
"Why'd you call?" Suigetsu asked, as if he wanted to get off the phone.
"I wanted to hear the sound of your voice, ironic huh?" Sasuke scoffed.
"I'm sorry," Suigetsu said.
"Whatever, I should get going anyway," Sasuke said.
"Sasuke," he pleaded.
"I trust you," he said, though not completely convincing Suigetsu or himself.
"I love you," Suigetsu said.
"You too," Sasuke said before hanging up and dropping his phone on the floor, his terms of endearment seemed to be getting shorter each time they talked.
Naruto leaned against the wall not too far away from him, "Trouble in paradise?"
"Shut the hell up," responded Sasuke, wishing he could make the other man burst into flames.
"Let's go out to the club then, get your mind off him," he smirked.
"Not until I finish the song I'm working on," Sasuke said as he grabbed the notebook on the table near him.
"You're no fun," Naruto whined.
"I don't care," he shrugged.
"We'll be stopping in the first city soon, that means nice hotel time," Kiba cheered.
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he looked back down at his notebook and grabbed the nearest guitar.
"Workaholic," Naruto said under his breath.
"Yep," Sasuke said.
He let out a growl, "Well you better be done by the time we get to the city cause whether you like it or not we're going to a club or bar of some sort and you're coming."
"I'm seventeen, what makes you think that, that would be a good idea?" Sasuke said.
"You're with me, they'd let you in," he smirked. "Remember last night you held your own plenty, so I'm not too worried, plus you look older than you are."
"Whatever," Sasuke said, not arguing, as he wanted to drown out the argument he had with Suigetsu.
"You're so difficult!" Naruto said as he walked to where the rest of his band sat on the couch like sitting area in the back, watching Sasuke, who sat in the place where he was leaning, only he sank into a sitting position on the floor.
"They are fighting," Naruto smirked.
"Not broken up?" Kiba asked.
"Nope," he answered.
"Then you're not in yet," Kiba shrugged.
"You just love to bring me down," Naruto sunk into the couch and frowned.
"Yeah that's true," Kiba smiled.
"But look, he's hardly concentrating on the song, he has something else on his mind," Naruto pointed out.
"That's bad for you; it means he cares about him," Gaara said.
"I hate you all," Naruto said as he pouted.
"I didn't even say anything!" Neji said.
"You don't even want me to go for him," Naruto snapped.
"That's true," Neji said. "If you are meant to be together destiny will make it so," the longhaired brunette concluded.
"Destiny needs a little push," Naruto grumbled.
"Don't push destiny, it'll push back, only it pushes with more power," Neji warned.
"I'll take my chances," Naruto laughed.
Sasuke couldn't think he just stared at the page aimlessly. He couldn't help wondering if everything was a mistake – leaving home, being with Suigetsu, going on tour, all of it. He knew that in the end, he'd probably see it all as the right choice, but at that moment, he was feeling insecure. He needed reassurance and Suigetsu was being no help.
Sasuke picked up his discarded phone and scrolled to the name he never thought he'd call.
"Hello?" the monotone voice said from the other side of the phone.
Sasuke looked at the other occupants of the bus, quickly got up, and walked as far away as he could from them and made himself comfortable, "Hi, it's uh Sasuke."
"I know who it is foolish little brother I have caller ID," Itachi chuckled at him. "Why'd you call, you never call."
"I uh...I need some advice...or I guess...someone to talk to...I didn't know who else to call," Sasuke felt stupid talking to his brother, not only in the fact that the man was smarter than him in everything, but that he always tripped on his words.
"Well, what is it?" the man said as if he was a robot.
"I...well...I kind of left home...and now I don't know if it was the right thing to do," Sasuke bit his lip.
The line was silent a moment, it was a short moment though long enough to make him want to hit his head hard against the bus and ask himself why he called his older brother.
"Sasuke, I heard your song on the radio, I guess there is something you're better at than me," he responded, trying to make his little brother less insecure.
Sasuke felt a small smile spread onto his face, knowing that was his brother's form of reassurance, "I guess so."
"Father is furious with you," he added.
"Sometimes people need to leave," Sasuke sighed. "He didn't understand me, maybe one day he will and maybe one day I'll understand him," he frowned, feeling more comfortable.
"Maybe, well I must get back to my studies, good luck Sasuke," he said.
"Right, thanks..." Sasuke said with a sigh.
"Maybe we can talk again soon," Itachi said.
"By the way, how are you doing in school?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm at the top, as usual, but what did you expect?" he could practically hear the roll of Itachi's eyes.
"Right, anyway, I should let you get going," Sasuke said.
"Bye Sasuke," Itachi said, knowing he probably wouldn't hear from his little brother unless he needed him.
"Talk to you later Itachi," Sasuke said before he hung up the phone.
Sasuke shoved the phone in his pocket and looked at Neji and Gaara with a sigh, 'There's gotta be somebody for me like that...no I have somebody like that...we're just in a rough patch right? Damn.' Sasuke sighed and walked back to the guitar and notebook, sinking in his spot on the floor. 'How can I question him? I love him right?'
"You see that's doubt on his face," Naruto grinned.
"So you say," Gaara sighed.
"Who says you get him?" Kiba grinned.
"Yeah what about the idiot over here? You never know what destiny wants for Sasuke," Neji said.
"Or Suigetsu," Gaara said.
"That's not going to happen, he will fall for me, everyone does," Naruto grinned.
"Please," Neji rolled his eyes.
"Dream on blondie," Kiba said.
"Hn," Gaara said.
"Come on you all can't deny I'm hot," Naruto said with a grin.
"No, we can't deny Sasuke is hot, you on the other hand is easy to deny," Kiba said with a smirk as he was hit with a pillow by the blond.
"You're too loud," Gaara said.
"That's got nothing to do with it!" Naruto yelled.
"Sure it does, with you at least it does, considering you can't keep your mouth shut long enough for me to tell you anything without your loud voice in my ears," he said bluntly.
Kiba and Neji laughed as Naruto pouted and mumbled, "I'm not that loud."
"Will you guys shut up, I'm trying to write!" Sasuke said in frustration.
"Sorry Sasuke," Naruto grinned as he nervously scratched the back of his head.
The dark haired teen rolled his eyes, 'Finally they shut up...now I can get back to writing.' He looked up at the blonde, 'Even surrounded by friends he looks like he's all alone...lonely.'
"Stop staring at me and write," Naruto smirked.
Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and quickly looked away with a slight blush, "Shut up dobe."
"What did you call me teme?" he growled.
"You heard me," Sasuke rolled his eyes.
They glared at each other for a moment before Naruto said, "Just work on the damn song."
"I'm trying to," he mumbled, though it was ignored.
NS
A few hours later, and after much fidgeting on Naruto's part, they arrived at the hotel. "Finally!" the blonde yelled.
"Sitting doesn't bode well with you huh?" Sasuke shook his head.
"If I had someone to play with I'd be able to handle the bus better," he purred.
Sasuke push the blonde away, "Play with yourself."
"But Sasuke," Naruto whined.
"How close are you to finishing the song?" Neji asked, trying to change the subject.
"Get this blond idiot off me and I can play it considering it's done already," Sasuke said while glaring at the blonde.
"How long has it been done?" Naruto jumped off him.
"I finished it about two seconds before we stopped," Sasuke said as he pinched the bridge of his nose in hopes his headache would go away.
"Let's get in the hotel room and hear it," Naruto said as he grabbed Sasuke's wrist and pulled him toward the hotel doors, with his bodyguards chasing behind them.
"Naruto stop pulling me!" he said, but the blond didn't listen.
Naruto pulled him up to the front desk where a woman stood, looking at the computer, "Hi, I need to check in, and quickly."
She looked up, and looked like she was going to pass out. Sasuke on the other hand was using the front desk to push away from the blond and succeeded, but in doing so fell to the floor.
"Sasuke, are you okay," Naruto grinned.
"Don't touch me," he growled.
Sasuke got up and looked at the girl, who just stared at Naruto as if he was God and he shook his head, "Whose name is it under?"
"Mine," he smiled.
"Then you go over there, out of view," he demanded.
"Why?" he asked.
"She can't function with you in the room, no one can, they turn to mush apparently," he said as he turned the blond to see the people gathered around him.
"Yeah, isn't it great, that's why I put it in my name," he said.
"You're a moron," he said.
Sasuke waved his hand in front of the woman's face, causing her to snap out of her trance.
"Oh Mr. Uzumaki, what a pleasure to meet you!" she said in a dazed fashion.
"Go," he demanded.
The blond frowned and walked away, causing him to be crowded by people and his bodyguards to have to step in. Sasuke hadn't noticed the bodyguards until they got to the hotel. He figured they must have come separately, maybe in another car following behind the bus.
"Now, we need to check in, it's under his name but apparently you can't function when he talks," Sasuke said as the girl came back to reality.
She looked at him, obviously, he was highly attractive so she just stared and he let out a sigh, "Do I need to ask for someone with a brain?"
"No! No, I'll get the room sir," she said and looked up what room they were in before getting them the keys.
"Thank you," he said, before heading back to where the rest of the group was standing as the luggage was being taken up and he handed them the keys.
"I hate women," he said.
Naruto laughed, "Not all of them are stupid."
"Oh, I know," he said as he looked back at her. "Just women like that are annoying."
"Let's go I can feel her eyes on me," Naruto said as he looked at the desk.
"And Sasuke," Gaara said with a smirk.
"Is it going to cause a problem that you're not the only one people are going to be going for Naruto?" Neji asked as he looked at Naruto's shocked eyes as Sasuke and Gaara walked ahead.
"What, no, as long as he doesn't go with them," Naruto glared.
"You know, Sasuke isn't a bad singer, he's good looking, obviously confident, I bet he could have a promising career as a singer," Neji said as he looked at the dark haired teen.
"What, no, I mean...he's a writer, that's what he likes to do, right?" Naruto asked, not liking the idea of Sasuke going off on his own.
"Scared of competition?" Neji asked. He wasn't used to seeing that side of the blonde.
"Shut up Neji," Naruto said as he walked to catch up with the other two. "You know I love competition."
They got in the room; it was rather large and had two bedrooms and a kitchen in it as well as a couch.
"So two people share the bed rooms and, one person takes the couch," Naruto smirked as he looked at Sasuke.
"I'll take the couch," Sasuke said.
"What?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"It's no big deal," he shrugged.
Gaara, Neji, and Kiba didn't seem to protest either, so he sighed and sat down in the chair by the couch.
The other people that traveled on the road with them, but in other cars were in other rooms – their rule was if you share the car, you share the room. That was with the exception of the bus driver and the manager. Shikamaru liked his own room and he and Chouji, their driver, were good friends so he let him stay with him in a cheaper room.
"So let's hear the song," Naruto said, impatiently.
Sasuke sighed and pulled out the guitar as he waited for the other band members to sit. "It may be a little rough still," he said.
"Just play," the blonde smirked, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes.
He started and it was a tamer tune than they were used to, but it was good, especially acoustic.
Sasuke looked up to look at Gaara and Neji, who were holding hands. Suddenly he felt and empty feeling in his stomach, but he just kept playing. He didn't really want to think about his phone conversations with Suigetsu, or rather lack of conversations.
Sasuke knew the feeling was that he was lonely. He should have known then not to look at Naruto, but he did, and he saw the same look in his eyes and he thought someone understood him. He didn't really want to think about his doubts, but he did.
Naruto frowned, 'He does have a good voice...no a great voice. He could be competition, and damn he is hot...he could leave now if he wanted...use his skill to his own benefit...but I don't want him to.' Then Naruto listened to the lyrics, 'And crap it's another one about me...he sees right through me...I mean what the hell? Then again I have no proof this one is about me.'
Neji saw the look on Naruto's face, and knew trouble was going to happen, and that it wasn't going to be pretty. He saw the way he looked at Sasuke and knew destiny had something in store for them. He wasn't sure if they were going to fight or if they were going to be friends or more, but destiny definitely had something in store.
Gaara looked around the room as he listened to the song and knew someone was going to do something. He sighed, he hated the drama that people brought, 'Why can't they just make music? Does everyday have to feel like high school in some way?'
Sasuke ended the song and put the guitar down, "So what do you guys think?"
"I like it," Neji smiled.
"It's different from what we usually do, it could be nice," Gaara shrugged.
"Why not," Kiba grinned.
"We don't really do songs so mainstream," Naruto said.
"You mean songs that don't deal with sex and have a fast beat," he shot back, causing the band to look away as he just insulted Naruto's writing.
"No," the blonde mumbled.
"Then what is it? Is it that it fits how you feel too well? I don't think you're as much of a player as you make yourself out to be," Sasuke challenged.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said. 'Especially since I have two battles I want to fight with you: the fact you can read me like a book, and that I don't want you to realize just how fucking talented you are.'
"Really, because everyone wants to be loved it's nothing to be ashamed of," Sasuke shrugged.
"Whatever," Naruto said as he turned away a little.
"If you want something else its fine, I'm sure Suigetsu will like this, it'll be a great way to say I'm sorry," he smirked.
"No, don't worry about it, we can have one mainstream song," Naruto said.
"No, I wouldn't want you to be a sell out," Sasuke replied.
"One won't make us sell out," Naruto grinned.
"Hn," Sasuke said as he leaned back on the couch and stretched, causing part of his shirt to rise.
"Now, let's go out, I'm in the mood to go out," Naruto said as he quickly got up and his band mates laughed.
"You better get ready, he's going to make you come out with us," Kiba said.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Sasuke.
TBC...
Song of inspiration: Gotta Be Somebody by Nickelback