Dedication: Futago no Seishi deserves (love) x (six-point-oh-two) x (ten-tothe-twentythirdpower).
Not
By LilPurplFlwr
Some things sounded a lot better mentally than they did in reality. This was one stupid moment of impulse that he would pay good money to keep off the record.
"Out?" Sasuke repeated after a silent interval. His roommate finally turned, very slightly, away from the lab report. "We ate two hours ago."
He hadn't been referring to food. Actually, he hadn't been referring to anything. He hadn't planned any further than his magnificent one-liner. He was screwed. He could feel it.
"No, I know. I mean…" What did he mean?! Think. Think. He was going to prove blond stereotypes wrong. "Literally out. Out of this room." No, no. He definitely was the prime example of his kind.
His roommate had adopted that familiar look that appeared when he tried the other's patience for too long. Too long was never that long, since this was his roommate. It was similar to a normal person's look of exasperation, but a level more suppressed.
His eyes landed on a stray flyer in the recycling basket. Ah, he had his explanation now. He directed his famously commercial-ready smile at his roommate. "Let's go clubbing." Talk about thinking on his feet.
"…What?"
If he could systematically get his roommate's face to blank out like that, he had the potential to save the world. He was going to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. "Well, I'm bored." He was ready to be scolded.
"We have class tomorrow. In the morning." Ah. Correction. Sasuke had class in the morning. And if he himself did, he wouldn't go anyway. Academic delinquent for the win!
Plowing on. "And we haven't done anything interesting in a while. Come on!"
"I have to…"
"—You can do the driving!" Well. If his roommate drove, they could come back any time. His argument was flawless!
"…finish this. Tonight, Naruto."
"I'll pay for parking. Please?"
He shut his roommate up. Either that, or Sasuke gave up. Well done, Naruto! He was good. He was damn good.
There was barely enough room to get around. So this was what constituted a successful clubbing event. How fitting. He had successfully dragged his roommate out. To this absolute madness. Bad idea, much?
"Hey." The music pounded in his ears. He could barely hear himself talk. "SAI."
Finally noticing something (him), his friend stepped away from the ever-present flock of girls with the usual smile. One pulled him back momentarily to land a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Obviously tipsy.
"Good to see you, Naruto," Sai greeted, taking a drink only to discreetly wipe his mouth after. Two guesses why. "Where's the date?"
He sighed. He expected as much. "The roommate went to search for the bathroom." He then grinned at his friend, "Fraternity life is good, huh?"
Sai directed his disarming smile at some sorority girls as they walked past. "It has its perks outside the dirty politics."
Honestly, there was something off about Sai. The strangest things would be said with a pleasant expression. That face would win millions gambling. "Well, thanks for getting us in on such short notice."
There was the clink of ice against glass. Sai was out of liquor. That wouldn't do. "Anytime. Want something?"
He hesitated. Did he? Moderation wasn't really in his vocabulary…
"You do," Sai decided for him. "I'll be back then." His friend turned to maneuver toward one of three bars in the club. "I wanted to meet your date anyway."
Okay, that had to be on fucking purpose! "Roommate, you dick!"
He took in the scene. The dance floor was territory of the girls dancing with friends or grinding with boys. Or both.. Others lined the perimeter of the area, staring predatorily at the mass of swiveling bodies.
He jolted. He looked like a dirty sleaze too. Quickly spinning back toward the counter, he couldn't avoid the dark figure that ran right into him.
"Hey!" Crowded or not, accidental bumps were annoying after so many. Whoa. "Sasuke?" He blinked.
His roommate's eyes were reflecting the flashing lights. It was a crazy phenomenon. He must have noticed because the other's eyes were wider than usual. Just a bit.
"Naruto," Sasuke did not even try to yell, opting to lean mere centimeters away from his ear to speak. He tensed. The other's voice dropped even lower. "This place…" It sounded important, so he tried to focus. "…is really uncomfortable."
Shit. This wasn't just important. It was a momentous occasion. His roommate had just admitted… something. And it was personal. He wasn't sure how to proceed. "… What happened?"
The other pulled away and glanced around. He knew Sasuke would refuse to dignify his question with an answer. Not out of embarrassment. No, more like it-disturbs-me-to-think-about-it-ness.
Sai suddenly appeared with a smile and alcohol, which was promptly handed over. "Here. This the—?"
"—Yeah, thanks," he interrupted with a grin, ready to take a gulp when a hand enslaved his wrist. What the? Really, now. "Uh… Sasuke…" Unhand me, please?
"Who are you?" The roommate gave Sai a suspicious once-over.
Rude or not, circle what was wrong in this picture. One: There was a hindrance to his drinking. Two: Sai's typical smile widened.
"It's just Sai. Let go, bastard," he pulled lightly, freeing his arm. He took a big swallow. Ah, blessed alcohol. "Sasuke, Sai. Sai, this is my roommate, Sasuke." Sai slung an arm over his shoulders. That deserved a dirty glare. His friend was heavy.
"Honored to meet you, Sasuke." Sai surprisingly could manage a serious expression too. "Don't worry. It's not drugged," Sai promised innocently, pulling him closer and downing a double shot in a smooth motion.
Suddenly, he didn't feel safe anymore. Even with Sai pressed against him. No, correction. Because Sai was pressed against him. His roommate's eyes were narrowing. Oh, man. There was no way he was pouring his drink over Sai. No way. Cake was one thing; alcohol was expensive stuff.
Sai looked too happy. Sasuke looked too unhappy. He should just drop to his knees and start apologizing.
"By the way, Sasuke," his now-deemed-dangerous friend sure knew how to make smooth conversation. Abuse nonchalance with his roommate's name too. "You should brush yourself off."
He stopped fidgeting. No. Not because he gave up throwing Sai off any time soon, but because Sasuke's dark clothes were dusted with glitter. In the most (un)desirable area.
… Whatthefuck?
He would have feared for Sai's life if he weren't so... What. The. HELL?! Seriously… what shit did he miss?
His roommate was scowling. Outright scowling as the scattered shine was grudgingly swept onto the floor.
"And while inexperienced," Sai continued, pouring forth hazardous wisdom, "One should not resemble a pole when a girl dances with you."
Oh, fuck no. Sai did not... no, not even Sai. Sasuke did not…
He almost dropped his cup. No. He did. But there was no crash. Sai smirked, taking a casual sip from the salvaged glass. The image burned. What kind of fucking bitchwhore rubbed herself against the unwilling?!
He didn't resist when Sasuke grabbed his forearm and yanked. "We're leaving."
Sai released him very easily, the relaxed smile slipping into place. "So soon?"
His roommate's grip tightened. Ow, fuck it! Sasuke appeared pale. Unusually so. Kind of repressed looking.
"Fuck you." His roommate spat finally.
He let himself be pulled through the crowd. What just happened?!
Life wasn't meant to be this dramatic.
He slept through his classes. What a waste of tuition. Who cared.
His roommate had stayed up all night. Why? Why? Because not only did he make his roommate take him out on a 'school night,' he made his roommate do it when Sasuke still had schoolwork to do. That was due. This morning. In which he slept through.
Yes. Exactly. He was a useless, corrupting machine.
When he was awake enough to engage in some intellectual lecture video watching, he wondered how his roommate was holding up. The guy actually went to class. Probably research too.
The answer came three hours after the sun set. He should have recognized the bad omen. Like how he closed his desk drawer on his hand.
The door clicked open and close. He paused the online video to greet the other as usual. "Welco—" His sentence tumbled right into itself.
Sasuke's eyes were dead and bloodshot. His roommate looked haunted. The backpack was dropped unceremoniously.
"Shit." He wasn't staring. He just couldn't look away. No way. He messed up his one and only roommate.
The other didn't respond. Not a surprise. Then his roommate flicked off both lights. And undressed.
He was going to wake up. He was going to pinch himself and wake up from this really, really (long) fucked up dream.
His roommate was always composed. Always on schedule. Always had on clothes. This was not a funny joke. Sasukes, by nature, did not wander into rooms zoned out.
The white computer glow stung his eyes. That, or he hadn't blinked in a while. Damn. He should go buy something to block all that internet porn. It was inspiring hallucinations of a half naked roommate.
The roommate, seemingly and completely detached from existence, crawled into bed and buried (no joke) beneath the dark blue comforter.
He swallowed. "Sasuke…" he tried tentatively.
The response sounded like a growl. A threatening grumble made from the lower voice box.
Rendered speechless, he shut off his computer. Improperly so. Video lecture and notes and all. The dimly illuminated room went black.
He could have sworn his roommate sighed.
Much too perturbed and awake for the middle of the night, he took residence in the lounge. He wanted to keep his head, you see.
Few hours later, when scrounged food was consumed and academic work was completed enough to slack off… he questioned his sanity when he inched (as silently as possible) back into the room.
Then the door swung shut with a THUD. Shit! He never noticed before, but that was fucking loud!
Expected to be charred to a crisp by the cranky (for good reason, he supposed) drago—roommate, he meant—he was surprised to be first-degree-burn-free. There was no movement in the room.
Odd. Dropping off his laptop on his bed, he approached the other bed. Light would be nice. Actually, that was a risk he was not willing to take.
Eyes adjusting, he confirmed from even breathing that his roommate continued to sleep. Impressive. He would have woken up hungry by now. Maybe he should check.
He knelt. "Sasuke." As always, whispers proved ineffective. "Sasuke," he repeated at a carefully measured volume.
Was…? He lightly patted his roommate's shoulder. Unexpectedly, the other didn't stir. At all. Dude. The guy was completely passed out. This was amazing. Somewhat guilt-inducing, but nevertheless, amazing. A once-in-a-lifetime chance of a perfectly comatose roommate. Scratch that.
A perfectly vulnerable roommate.
… He was the worst person in the world. Wanting to kiss his roommate, who was unconscious, made him a bad person, right? The curiosity was overwhelming. When would he ever get a chance like this? Obviously, if conscious, his roommate would never let him do it.
No. This made for the perfect ultimatum. If he emerged unscathed from this mouth-to-mouth, he would have accomplished one thing. If he felt revulsion, then good. He was over this attraction. If he felt… what was the other option? If he felt compelled to do it again, then fuck. He was confessing something to his roommate in the near future.
He just had to check again. Just to be safe. "Sasuke… wake up."
Nothing. Okay. Green light. CPR-reenactment, go.
He tilted his head. This was an awkward position. Good thing it was dark. He could see outlines. Sasuke wouldn't be able to see anything, though. Right?
He should do it quickly. No. Haste makes waste. That meant he would mess it up. He paused again. This was taking too long. His roommate could wake up any second. Gah, this was too much! He twitched. Holding still made him ache.
At least this was the right angle. How much pressure? Light. Undisruptive. Somehow forgettable. Okay. He could do that. He matched his lips gently onto his roommate's. Warm. Soft. The urge to press harder. He was—fuck. FUCK! Retreat! Retreat!
He jerked back, staring wide-eyed at his roommate.
Sasuke slept on. Incredible.
He scooted away from the other's bed. He touched his mouth. Tongued his bottom lip.
Fucking shit. He wanted to do it again. The satisfaction was unsettling, but it was there. It was so clearly there.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.
Author's Notes:
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Feedback is always appreciated. Best wishes for 2008!
