Chapter 7
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Sasuke tried to ignore how bizarre it felt as he laid down the set of plates and silverware while Naruto finished up the cooking. They were oddly in sync with each other, moving aside wordlessly when the other needed to retrieve something, sliding in and out of the cramped kitchen without colliding, all in a comfortable silence. Sasuke pushed aside the part of him that wanted to question how easy this seemed.
The muted atmosphere was ruined when Naruto's phone rang shrilly, and Sasuke felt the corner of his mouth tug downward. Naruto sighed and wiped his hands on his pants, leaving a slight streak of grease-and-flour dampness down the front of him. He moved out of the kitchen slowly, almost sluggishly, and Sasuke wondered if he was expecting bad news. He hadn't mentioned anything.
But then again, why would he? Sasuke thought, stirring the rice. Sasuke really didn't have any right to pry into Naruto's life. Sasuke wasn't family. Sasuke wasn't even a friend. He was just…
"Hello?" Naruto's voice rang out from the kitchen and Sasuke jerked his head to the side, forcing his thoughts to a halt and moving over to check the fish.
"Sakura? Sakura, what' wrong?" Sasuke frowned, curiosity filling him. Sakura? Did that name sound familiar? He couldn't place it.
"No, no. Hey, calm down, I can't….Sakura, I can't understand you…" Naruto's voice was strained. "What? No, of course I….No, no don't do that…I…I can't…Now? Okay, okay…yeah….no, it's fine just….okay, see you soon." There was a click and the sound of heavy footsteps. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder. Naruto's shoulders had dropped slightly and he was worrying his bottom lip. He stared at the door with a far away expression on his face.
"Well?" Sasuke demanded, turning of the stove.
"Sakura….a friend…is coming over. She sounded upset…" Naruto murmured, burying his hands in his pockets. Naruto's concern flowed from him in waves. Sasuke could see it in the gentle little crinkle between his eyes, the tight line of his mouth, the way his shoulders…
Sasuke scowled, staring down into the cooling pan.
So much for a quiet evening.
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Sakura arrived about twenty minutes later, after Sasuke and Naruto had quickly shoveled down dinner (which Sasuke had somehow managed to burn. He suspected it had happened somewhere between the phone ringing and the smoke alarm going off). Almost the second Naruto pulled the door open Sakura's arms were around his neck and choked sobs echoed through the room. Sasuke shot a dark look over his shoulder as he finished rinsing his dishes. She had…a rather shrill voice. Or perhaps that was just the crying?
Sasuke didn't speak hysterics, so he only caught bits and pieces of the problem.
"Didn't!...Fired…..Stupid!" She sobbed piteously. "Too…Argh!!!...Big! Not…." She clung to Naruto, slender feminine body practically molded to his. Sasuke leaned against the kitchen counter, watching as Naruto's left arm curved around her back and he finger-combed her hair gently. If he was having any trouble understanding her, his face didn't show it. His blue eyes were soft with affection and sympathy and he bit his bottom lip nervously.
"I've got you. It's okay. Forget them, they don't know what they're talking about. You are perfect." The girl just continued to hiccup and choke against his chest, even as Naruto began to rock her gently in his arms.
Sasuke found Naruto's tone fascinating. Soft and smooth, it somehow filled the room. Sasuke stared down into his now cold tea. It had suddenly occurred to him that he was trapped here, behind this counter, intruding on this horribly intimate seeming moment.
Because those bastards were blocking his way back to his room.
Sasuke slowly shifted his weight from one foot to the other and kept his eyes carefully directed away from the emotional display. The soft, slightly husky rustle of Naruto's voice continued to flow through the room. Sasuke scowled, absent mindedly turning his glass in circles and watching the cooling liquid quiver. His family wasn't prone to emotional displays, and as far as his brother had been concerned, they were unacceptable from everyone outside of the family. This…comforting thing that Naruto was doing was very….soft. His brother would never have…
He would never have….
"Don't cry, Sakura-chan. It's okay, I've got you. I won't let you go." Sasuke felt like his heart was slowing down. His blood pumped loudly in his ears. "I won't leave you. I've got you. Don't worry."
He would never have.
"I'm here for you."
He would never have.
"I won't leave you."
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Sakura was fast asleep, curled up on Naruto's bed like a child. Faint tear marks could still be seen on her cheeks, and her eyes looked a little puffy, but her face was no longer tight with grief and her body was relaxed. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed and let out a sigh, leaning his elbows against his knees and rubbing his face with the heel of his palm.
Modeling wasn't a feeling-friendly occupation. Stronger women than Sakura had been broken down and spat out by the cold criticism and stiff competition. Naruto gently smoothed her hair away from her forehead. He would never be able to understand how someone as beautiful as Sakura could possibly not be hired.
He stood slowly, careful not to wake up the tired young woman. He crept carefully out of the room, cursing a little in his head when he stubbed his toe on a raised floorboard. He stumbled toward the door, slipping out as quickly as possible. Once the door was closed he leaned against it, letting out a long breath. A little of the pressure lifted from his shoulders and he made his was sluggishly toward the living room. A pair of eyes glittered in the half-light emitted from the stove light.
"Sasuke." Naruto murmured, startled to see the younger male still hanging around the living room. He sat on the couch, knees pulled slightly toward his chest and head resting against the back of the couch. Naruto would have thought he was asleep if it wasn't for the dark gaze following him across the room.
"It's quiet." Sasuke drawled. "Finally." Naruto ruffled the messy blond spikes of his hair, moving into the kitchen and pulling out a mug.
"I'm sorry about that." Naruto murmured, filling the mug with cold water.
"I've never heard anyone so loud. It was like a siren." Sasuke's voice was harsh and Naruto felt himself bristle, feeling suddenly defensive.
"She was upset, give her a break." Naruto grumbled.
"Women are too emotional." Naruto jumped, swinging around to find Sasuke standing directly behind him. The dark haired male was leaning against the opposite counter, arms crossed over his chest and face unreadable. "Everything's a tragedy with them."
Naruto shuddered. His voice was so cold, so...
"You sound just like…." The sentence faded into nothingness as Naruto choked on the name. His name. Sasuke seemed to freeze, as if every atom in his body was locked in place. He knew. He knew what Naruto was going to say.
He knew who Naruto was going to say.
"Fuck you." Sasuke hissed. "Fuck you." Naruto sat his drink down, slowly lifting his eyes up to meet Sasuke's.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Naruto let out a startled gasp as Sasuke lurched forward, yanking Naruto's shirt forward before slamming his back against the counter. Naruto winced when his side slammed against the handle of the stove.
"Shut up." There was a slight waver in Sasuke's icy voice and Naruto wondered if it was hurt or anger. Sasuke's hands were still clutching the front of Naruto's shirt and the tips of their feet were almost touching. In the back of his mind Naruto noted that Sasuke was several inches shorter than he was.
"I wasn't trying to offend you." Naruto whispered, leaning his head back slightly. There was something strange about his face being so close to Sasuke's. It felt…unnatural.
"Oh?" there was a hint of dark laughter in Sasuke's voice. "And what exactly were you trying to do, then? What else could comparing me to…..that man do?" Naruto closed his eyes, a strange feeling of anguish flowing through him. Yes, what had he been trying to do?
Why on earth would he have even thought of saying that?
"I'm sorry." Naruto's voice was a raspy whisper. With his eyes closed, it seemed as if every noise was louder, clearer. Sasuke's breath was vicious, the sink was dripping, and damn it, that dog down the hall was barking again.
"You're the one who dated the bastard." Sasuke snarled. "You were screwing him. You chose him. I got stuck with the asshole. You could have been with anybody." Naruto's eyes snapped open and he stared into Sasuke's face. The cool, pale planes of his face, and elegant figure were so similar to…
But those eyes. Those dark, beautiful eyes were all wrong. They were burning, frustrated...emotional. Sasuke couldn't be cold the way he could. It wasn't his nature, it wasn't him, no matter how hard he tried or how much of an ass he was being. Sasuke was….
Different.
"I thought….I thought he was worth it." Naruto's voice was soft and shaky, barely louder than a breath. His body went limp against Sasuke's grip and his head fell forward. Sasuke stiffened when their foreheads met. Dark eyes widened as he watched Naruto's face fall, a heartbreaking expression altering his features.
"W-what…what are you…" Sasuke stammered, feeling an unusual heat to flood his cheeks.
"I thought he was different, inside. I saw it in him, sometimes..." Sasuke's hands hovered helplessly in the air on either side of Naruto's waist, as he scrambled for an appropriate response. His anger had evaporated in an instant, replaced with confusion and a little bit of panic. He hadn't been expecting this. Was everyone a basket case today?
"He would look at me, and there would be so much…passion in his face. I thought that meant…I thought that meant we were…" Naruto bit his lip and Sasuke could feel the cool, clammy texture of Naruto's skin against his forehead. Sasuke's hands slowly drew up and he pressed them against Naruto's chest with the intent to push the blond away, but his arms seemed to lose strength as Naruto spoke.
"I thought he loved me."
And Sasuke suddenly couldn't take it any more. He pulled Naruto close to him, wrapping his arms around the older man's waist, and buried his face into his shoulder. Naruto clung to him, large but gentle hands burying themselves in dark hair. Their chests pressed together, hearts pounding, as they stood entwined in each others pain, fear, and confusion.
Sasuke couldn't remember ever being held before. He wondered if it was always like this, so…warm, with the unnaturally comfortable feeling of having your personal space so invaded. Naruto's shirt smelled slightly musky with a hint of a flowery scent that must have been fabric softener and his body was unyielding against Sasuke's, supportive and firm.
When Naruto finally pulled away Sasuke felt immensely cold. His arms hung in the air for a second, as if confused at the sudden emptiness, before they fell limply to his sides. Naruto slid away, walking quickly to the other end of the kitchen and placing his hand against the fridge to brace himself. Sasuke watched his back jerk with each deep, heavy breath.
The urge to reach out and place his hand against the twitching muscles along his spine….
Sasuke's jaw tightened and he crossed his arms across his chest, quickly averting his eyes. This whole night was insanity. What in the hell was this place doing to him? It was like he was suffocating, being absorbed by someone else entirely. This was wrong, this was all wrong.
"If you actually thought an Uchiha could ever love someone like you, you are a fool." Naruto closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cool surface of his freezer, trying to push away the hateful tone of Sasuke's voice. It was the voice of a scared and angry child.
"Good night, Sasuke."
A ringing in his ears took over and Naruto stumbled, like a drunk, into his room. Slowly, carefully, agonizingly he climbed into his bed beside Sakura, wrapping his trembling arms around her waist. Green, slightly puffy, eyes fluttered open and a sleepy voice murmured. "Naruto? You okay?"
"Fine, Sakura. Go to sleep. Everything will be fine in the morning." She gave him a weak smile and huddled closer to Naruto's warmth.
Sasuke laid alone in the dark, staring at the ceiling.
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Author's Notes
I'm not particularly pleased with this chapter, but I've had very little resources as of late. For one thing, due to Christmas break I was without the internet because my parents can't afford it, then I had to move, which is really hard when you only have one suitcase and two carry on bags to move several states away…
(I got an out-of-state internship. Plane rides are hectic and I couldn't take much in the way of luggage…I'll miss you knick-knacks…)
And, of course, my muse has temporarily abandoned me. I suspect that she ran off with some punk-rocker wannabe for some wild nights. She'll be back. She always comes back. Plus she left her pager here.
So, forgive me for the many sins I have committed against you all, and I hope everyone had an excellent holiday filled with much less stress than mine.
Thank you for waiting ever so patiently.
Sincerely,
WANTED! One muse. Qualifications: Loyalty, friendliness, an ability to inspire gay smut, and a tolerance for angry rants.
Preferred non-smoker, because it is a fire hazard and I'm clumsy.
Please look in your local newspaper for listings. Auditions begin next Monday.
