10
Hell has Grandmas
Her lips were soft, still tasting like the mocha flavored lip-gloss he remembered. His breath gusted out from between his lips, ghosting over their faces in excited pants as the kiss intensified. The feel of her, the taste of her...
God what was he doing...?
He chuckled when her thin fingers fumbled with his shirt, yanking it up over his head roughly. Her breasts were bulging against her tank top, and he slipped a hand into the opening, cupping one.
This felt like heaven.
He wondered if he should feel guilty, but should he feel guilty for something that felt so right? He shouldn't have left her in the first place. What was he, a fucking idiot? There was nothing wrong with a girl like this. Not in her body, not in her mind. Everything about her was perfect enough for him. She straddled him, pushing him back down on the bed with just enough force to make the action sexy. He grinned, cat-like in the dark, and watched as she loomed over him, eyes glittering.
"God I missed you," She began, and he frowned at the emotion in her voice. He reached up to touch her cheek, murmur reassuringly in her ear, but then two things happened very quickly, and all at once. Come morning as he reflected upon that night and the lost time with Ino he could have been making up for, Shikamaru would be a very unhappy camper.
Ino's bedroom window burst open, and the couple froze, sitting up immediately. The silhouette of a person swung a leg over the sill and toppled rather ungracefully into the bedroom with a giggle and a groan. Startled by the sudden interruption, Ino squealed, and promptly shoved Shikamaru off her bed, throwing his shirt at him. He blinked up at her, caught off guard and biting back a yelp since he'd smacked the small of his back against the corner of her nightstand. Unhappily, he rubbed at the spot and glared at her with an obvious what-the-fuck? expression. She shot him an apologetic look, jerking her head towards the figure on her floor as if this was reason enough.
"I'll see you in school, and I better not see that bitch on your arm after this." She hissed, jabbing an accusatory finger at him. Shikamaru sighed and shrugged (his equivalent to a "yeah, don't worry"), but then he noticed the figure splayed on Ino's floor was none other than Sakura Haruno (as he had already guessed), who was moaning as she had hit her drunk pink head on Ino's computer desk on her way in. His lip curled in distaste.
"Ino, you really need to stop doing her favors like this-"
"Just go, Shika." Ino sounded tired, annoyed, but she blew him a kiss. Just like old times, he pretended to catch it, smiled a little, then waved. He stepped over Sakura on his way to the window and shook his head disapprovingly. He swung himself out through the window with a final longing glance. When he was gone, Ino cursed and threw her teddy bear at Sakura, who moaned and rolled onto her side, covering her head.
"Crazy drunk bitch." She grumbled, though she scrambled out of her bed and right to her friend's side. With a sigh, she helped Sakura to her feet, hooking an arm around her. She reeked of vodka.
"What are you doing here?" Ino asked, her feelings of irritation giving way to worry. Sakura hiccupped and pulled away from Ino's side, jumping onto her bed with a laugh and picking up a cute little stuffed rabbit before tossing it.
"Why do you have so many stuffed animals on your bed? Doesn't it freak you out to have a boy in here and then have all those beady little eyes watching you?" She asked, laughing. Ino tried to shush her, but Sakura laughed all the more trying to quiet herself.
"Be quiet! I mean it, Sakura! Fuckin' A, you're trippin' on something else aren't you? God I'm surprised no one's come to knock on my door yet after that entrance." Ino complained, looking back to her closed door as if expecting a knock at any moment. She was lucky her mother fell asleep to the television. Sakura sighed, spread-eagling on the bed. She sniffed.
"My mother ruined my life." She moaned dramatically. Ino grabbed her hand out of sympathy and squeezed.
"It'll get better." She whispered, hoping that Sakura would soon close her eyes and go to sleep. Tears began to slip down Sakura's cheeks, and Ino sighed.
"Sasuke won't talk to me, and it's all her fault! It's her fault we aren't together anymore! I mean, she fucking got him arrested!" Ino's eyes widened in shock.
"What?" She hissed. Sakura swiped at her eyes, nodding a little spastically.
"And she made me get an abortion last year. Can you believe her?" Sakura continued to complain, as if she was complaining about her mother scolding her for cleanliness. Ino stilled, surprised, and unsure of what to say. So she said nothing at all. She only squeezed Sakura's hand once more, reassuringly. She fumbled for words.
"Maybe, you know, you're just too young for that." She tried to say, but Sakura began to quietly sob. She took a ragged breath and looked at Ino with wide, glittering green eyes.
"It happened a while ago, so I should be over it, right?" Sakura choked out, gazing at Ino as though her friend had all the answers. Ino looked away from her, focusing on the stuffed rabbit on her floor. The topic wasn't one she wanted to think about, let alone discuss, but she couldn't ignore it either. It surprised her greatly that Sakura had never confided in her...strangely, it hurt a little, knowing that she hadn't been Sakura's go-to during an obvious emotional crisis.
"I don't know. You never told me about it." She answered, feeling slightly betrayed. Sakura was quiet. A long moment passed, and Ino let her eyes droop, thinking that finally, she would get some sleep. She shoved gently at Sakura.
"Move over, give me some room-"
"How did he find out about the condoms?" Her friend asked suddenly. Ino quieted.
"What?"
"The condoms." Sakura repeated slowly. "Somehow, he found out I was poking holes in them. Oh my fucking God I poked holes in the condoms! Shh! Don't tell!" She giggled shrilly. Ino stared at her, then shook her head, gathering her pale blond hair into a ponytail. She didn't know the girl on her bed anymore, and it frightened her a little.
"Jesus," She cursed, rubbing at her heavy eyes. So that was what Sasuke had discovered on the phone almost two weeks ago. It had to be. She realized Sakura was staring at her.
"What?"
"How did he find out?" Sakura pressed. Ino frowned, shrugging.
"Look, maybe it's better this way, now you won't go doing something stupid-" She didn't get much farther. Sakura sat up, and Ino didn't see the slap coming. It resounded through the room, the sharp smack of flesh on flesh. Ino's head snapped to the side, eyes watering, as she put a hand to her stinging cheek. Sakura laughed, staring at her hand.
"Shit, did you hear that? That was so fucking loud-"
"That hurt. The hell is wrong with you?" Ino ground out. "What are you on anyway? What did you take?" Sakura scooted closer, and pointed a finger towards Ino's face until her nail rested on her friend's nose. Ino's eyes narrowed.
"You're jealous of me." Sakura whispered in a sing-song voice, smiling. "You never stopped liking him, and you're trying to take him back for yourself so you told him that I'm crazy and poke holes in condoms. Holy shit you little bitch!" Sakura snorted, swallowing more laughter.
Ino glared at her, on edge, looking at her bedroom door as if expecting a knock any moment.
"Be quiet! And get the fuck over yourself." Ino grumbled, getting up out of bed and opening her bedroom window.
"You're such a cunt!" Sakura squealed, shaking from all her giggling. Ino smothered her anger. She tried to tell herself this wasn't her best friend, but that didn't mean she had to put up with her shit while she tried to sleep.
"Get out of my room, Sakura." She ordered. Her friend paused.
"God, Ino, don't be so sensitive-"
"Get out of my room." Ino repeated, blinking back tears. "I can't deal with your sour ass puss right now, not when you're like this. You know, I've been there for you, letting you come here when you do stupid shit, but maybe I'll keep my window locked next time." Sakura tumbled off Ino's bed walking up to her.
"Don't make me leave, Ino." She whimpered, resting her head against her friend's shoulder. Ino sighed. She made to guide Sakura back to the bed.
"Don't make me leave, Ino, I don't want to go home. I'm better company than Shikamaru." She purred, wrapping her arms around Ino's waist, but Ino shoved her off, none too gently. If Ino wasn't already pissed off, she would have been nicer.
"You're really trippin'. Get the fuck out." Ino hissed, disentangling herself. Sakura huffed.
"You're no fun." She complained, sticking her tongue out as she made to leave out the window. As Sakura tried to swing a leg over the sill, Ino began to wonder if she could send a high and drunk Sakura out into the night all by herself without feeling like the worst person on the planet. She mentally kicked herself.
"Hold on," She said, grudgingly. Sakura stopped trying to hoist herself up and collapsed in Ino's computer chair, twirling herself around a little.
Ino thought of Shikamaru, but dismissed the thought. He didn't live far from her street, but he was probably already curled up in bed. She had one option when it came to dealing with Sakura when she was like this...
Swallowing her doubt, she grabbed for her phone and speed-dialed. The phone rang three times before someone answered.
"What?" A voice growled. Ino released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"Sasuke, you gotta help me." She whispered lowly, so Sakura wouldn't pay attention. There was a groan and a yawn on the other line.
"What do you want? It's fucking three in the morning. Wait, are you okay? You're not in trouble, are you?" He asked sharply, obviously on the alert. Ino flushed.
"No, nothing like that. Just promise you'll hear me out and won't hang up on me." She pleaded. Sasuke huffed.
"I'm not promising you anything. It's three in the morning and I have a fucking calculus test in five hours!" He complained.
"Ugh, you're such an ass sometimes. Look, I got Sakura over here. She's driving me insane and totally ruined my night with Shika. She can't stay with me tonight. Get your butt over here and take her home." There was a pause. Ino held her breath.
"No fucking way." Sasuke bit out. As an afterthought, he added "Wait, you were with Nara? I take it that means you kicked Temari out of the picture?" There was another pause as Sakura squealed.
"Ino, oh my God, I love the way this chair feels! Where did you get it?" Sakura babbled. Ino groaned.
"Please, please. She's gonna wake up my parents. I don't know what the hell she took, but she's acting fucking weird. If my mom or dad comes in here and finds her here like this they'll start digging into my own shit. Ha! And please. He was mine first, she didn't stand a chance." Sasuke chuckled in response.
"Someone's bitchy." He snickered. Ino snorted.
"Oh, you mean Karma?" She replied dryly. Sasuke laughed.
"Just get over here." She begged. When Sasuke said nothing, she hastily tacked on a "please". Still no response.
"You owe me one, remember? I was gonna save this for something juicy, but you know what, I really need Sakura to leave right now. So are you gonna be a punk or are you gonna do me right?" Ino demanded. There was a sigh.
"I'll be there in five." He said tiredly. Ino nodded, exhaling in relief.
"Thanks, Sasuke. I mean it. I probably owe you one."
"No, you don't."
"Sasuke?" Ino piped up, before he could hang up. He paused.
"Maybe you should two should set things straight." He grunted in response, not even bothering to ask her what she meant, and Ino heard the subtle click as the phone call was ended. She looked over at Sakura, phone still at her ear, and wondered what thoughts were bouncing off the walls of Sakura's mind.
The chill of the early morning made Sasuke's skin pucker in goosebump as he strode across the lawn of the backyard and towards the garage. He blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness and again, he wondered why he was doing this. He hesitated at the door to the garage, throwing one last glance over his shoulder at the dark house, suddenly wishing his father would jerk awake, or that his mother would for once have one of those strange maternal impulses she hadn't had since he was small, where she just knew what he was up to. He'd take the death glare from his father, the usual pity-inducing cry from his mother, over going to pick up a fucked up Sakura.
No lights illuminated the dark windows, and the night remained as calm and as quiet as it had been when Ino had interrupted it. He considered going back inside, but he had already gotten himself into the mess, having been unable to refuse Ino when she had brought up his debt. He cursed her for the blackmail-like tactic, and himself for being vulnerable against it, for actually caring about her enough to go through with listening to her.
He sighed, stepping into his mustang and putting the key in the ignition. He was too goddamned nice.
Somewhere, someone was laughing at the notion that Sasuke Uchiha was too nice.
He was doing this for Ino, and that was about it. Although, if she hadn't gone to the point of bringing up a long-ago, seemingly forgotten childhood promise, he would have left her to deal with Sakura on her own. It wasn't obvious on the surface, but as children, he and Ino had known each other, and known each well. He'd go as far as to say she had been his first friend. Hell, he'd lost his virginity to the girl, they had just never quite worked as romantic partners. He enjoyed her better as a friend. Then two years ago, Sakura had come along, Ino had drifted away after their sexual encounter which had left nothing but an awkward tension between them, and Sasuke found himself without a confidant.
Two years ago seemed so far away, almost like it had been nothing but a dream. He turned on the radio to distract himself from his own thoughts, but he found himself thinking about it as he eyes watched the road...
When he was ten years old, he had come home to find his father with another woman in the kitchen. His mother had been out, he remembered, an appointment at the spa. Itachi was over at a friend's, and Sasuke was supposed to have stayed at Ino's for the afternoon. However, the two ended up arguing and Sasuke had stormed out ( No, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were not better than the Power Rangers, and the Red Ranger would kick Raphael's ass in a battle and no he was not going to be the villain again when they pretended to be ninjas or rangers in her backyard. He wanted to kick some villain butt too, dammit!).
It was a stupid argument really, but the two always clashed in some shape or form. Out of pure frustration, Sasuke had yelled "You're impossible!" and walked right out of her backyard and left. She didn't follow him, only stuck her tongue out and called him a punk.
He didn't make his presence known when he walked into his house. After all, why should he? His father would just be pouring over paperwork and reading articles while he watched his television programs and drank his whiskey. This time, however, he didn't find his father in the living room. In fact, it was eerily quiet when Sasuke walked in, and suddenly the foyer and living room seemed much, much larger when it was lacking even one person.
He frowned, about to call out for his father, when he heard a noise. A low, guttural moan. He had ended up risking it and peeked into the kitchen, only to regret it. A young, beautiful woman with black hair and red eyes was pinned against the refrigerator while his father's hand slipped up her skirt. Sasuke knew the woman, she was the new, budding attorney that Fugaku had hired on his family's own personal lawyer. Kurenai Yuuhi.
Kurenai's eyes snapped open, and she saw the ten year old Sasuke watching, wide-eyed, but Sasuke was already running. He ran, until he was back in Ino's backyard, where the girl was sitting on the porch, apparently waiting for him to return. She had perked up instantly, pointing at him triumphanty (she was always right, after all), but the little girl had stopped when she noticed the look on her friend's face.
Sasuke had never considered himself good with sharing his thoughts or feelings with other people. He liked his mind and private thoughts to be only his own, especially when it came to things like witnessing his father cheat on his mother with the lawyer. Plus, words seemed to fail him when he needed them most, and he often found it difficult to explain himself or convey his feelings without getting angry as he fumbled for words. Many times he ended up saying the wrong things, but it had ended up being surprisingly easy to tell Ino what had happened.
His father came to pick him ten minutes later, and had asked Mrs. Yamanaka, rather pointedly, if she had been keeping an eye on the children as they played, because it had come to his attention that Sasuke had left her home. He fixed his son with a glare.
Ino came to the rescue, explaining that she and Sasuke had sneaked out of the backyard and actually walked to Sasuke's house to get a toy. When Fugaku visibly stiffened, she went on to say that they had gone to Sasuke's room and right back out. It hadn't looked like anyone was home, she quickly added. It would later earn Ino a grounding for having left the backyard (her mother, who could have sworn her daughter had been out on the porch for the longest while, was unable to understand how this had happened underneath her nose. But, such is the price of too many margaritas in the morning).
Sasuke hadn't been allowed to play at Ino's for an extended period of time after that. Mr Uchiha was convinced that Mrs. Yamanaka was incapable of properly caring for children, and Ino had demanded that after all they had suffered for her lie in order to save Sasuke a talk from his father, that Sasuke "owed her one" for this. She never let him forget it, but for years, she never demanded anything of him, until now.
Seven minutes later, Sasuke found himself parked across the street from Ino's. For a brief moment, the memories of catching fireflies in her yard and drinking Coca-cola with pop rocks to see if their mouths would fizz and explode flitting through his thoughts absently. He sent her a text and waited, wondering what he was getting himself into and just how fucked up Sakura really was.
He watched as two figures seemed to materialize on the lawn, heading for the street. The sky was beginning to lighten on the horizon just slightly, and the small amount of gray light made the shadows somewhat easier to pierce through. Sakura stumbled a little and Sasuke mentally groaned.
He looked away when Ino opened the door to the passenger seat. Sakura immediately squealed.
"Oh my God, Sasuke!" He cringed at the sound of her voice and gritted his teeth in annoyance. Ino covered Sakura's mouth with her hand.
"Shut up!" She hissed, but withdrew her hand in disgust when Sakura licked it.
"Ugh, Sakura, get in the damn car!" Ino snapped. Sakura laughed and slid inside, bouncing on her seat and grabbing Sasuke, nuzzling against his arm.
"I missed you!" Sasuke shot Ino his signature death glare. She fidgeted and shrugged.
"Thanks." Was all she said as she closed the door and walked back to her house, rubbing her bare arms as if to protect herself from the early morning chill. Sasuke looked down at Sakura, who still hadn't let go. He glared at the top of her pink head.
"Sasuke, do you know I love you?" She murmured, sighing. He huffed.
"Sakura, let go of me." She held on tighter.
"Do you know that-"
"Sakura, if you let go of my arm, we'll go on a trip together." He tried again, each word sounding as though he had chewed on it a little before reluctantly spitting it out. It worked. She let go.
"Ooo! I know, let's run away together! Move to Alaska or some shit!" She cackled, falling back in her seat as Sasuke pulled into the street. He had about ten minutes of torture to endure. Three minutes in, Sakura, who had been intently focused on the window and the passing shapes while muttering philosophical observations ("Sasuke, have you ever, like, looked out the window and actually looked at things?"), suddenly cried out.
"I have to pee!" She complained. "Pull over!" He ground his teeth.
"Hold it." He ordered. She whined.
"But I caaaaan't." Gathering all of his self-control, he pulled into a gas station, parking in front of it. Sakura stumbled out. He watched her go inside, impatiently rapping his fingers against the steering wheel. Five minutes later she hadn't returned. Worry nipped at his thoughts, but not nearly as much as his mounting irritation.
As much as he wanted to be a real dick to her, she was high as hell on something and drunk. She needed to be looked out for. It might have been easier to overlook her if he hadn't been sleeping with her for the past nine months.
He might not love her, but just because he never wanted to touch her again, or speak to her when she was sober, didn't mean he'd step in when it was necessary (even if it had required a little coaxing at first). He wasn't that cold. Sighing, he turned off the car and stepped out.
He hated having to babysit.
He found her by the coffee and espresso machines, babbling away to some tiny old woman with neatly pulled back white hair, trying to pick out a doughnut. He cringed again when Sakura pointed at him. Her green eyes looked incredibly heavy, and he wondered how much longer she could possibly last.
He wished she would suddenly pass out. Save him the headache. If he had to, he would throw her over his shoulder true caveman style and carry the broad home. The old woman at her side squinted surprisingly bright blue eyes at him, and frowned a little.
"You should really take your friend home, young man." She chastised. Sasuke grunted, reaching out to grab Sakura's arm, but the old woman babbled on.
"Kids these days! Really! Does your mother even know you're out and about? I doubt it! And you," She continued, jabbing a finger at Sasuke and clucking in disappointment.
"You must not have a shred of decency! Only God can truly judge a person, but you should be ashamed of yourself, parading this poor girl around at this time of night, while you encourage this destructive behavior. If you care about a girl, you take care of her, you don't treat her like crack house trash and let her walk around like this! I swear, this society is so heavily contaminated with vile men these days. Why, if you had grown up under my roof and I'd found you out here with this girl I swear you'd be in a world of hurt! Did you father teach nothing about respecting a woman, and respecting your parents' rules of the house?" She trilled, finally winded a little. Sasuke blinked at her. He tugged on Sakura's wrist.
"Let's go." He muttered, annoyed.
"She's right Sasuke, you really should take care of me better," Sakura quipped. Sasuke refrained from slapping his palm to his forehead and keeping his eyes covered. It would be nice if he didn't have to see Sakura for a moment.
"I really should call someone! I mean, really! If my granddaughter were in this girl's position, well, goodness I won't even entertain the thought! Thankfully, my Naruko has more sense and dignity than that. Both of you should go home now, hurry along! And think long and hard about what I just said!" The woman snapped, ripping a doughnut from its confines and placing it on a tissue. The woman walked away, muttering darkly as she paid for her doughnut. As Sasuke dragged Sakura out of the gas station, he heard the little old woman correct the cashier for not giving her the right change.
"Oh pish posh!" The woman cursed in a haughty way. Sasuke shook his head, glad that that woman wasn't his grandmother. What an annoying, nosy old bitch.
Naruto groaned, curling up in a ball underneath his covers, trying to pretend his alarm clock wasn't shrieking at him. Unfortunately the loud, piercing beep was the only thing that woke him. He grumbled, literally rolling out of bed in a mess of sheets. His stomach hurt, he was tired, and he damn well didn't want to go to school today, but something did perk him up.
He could smell bacon! His stomach rumbled at the thought of a hot breakfast. Well, he supposed there was a plus side to everything. He trudged into the bathroom, and after dressing, relieving himself, brushing his teeth, putting on some deodorant, and dunking his head under the faucet until he had mussed his hair up just right, he stepped out feeling slightly more refreshed.
When he reached the kitchen, however, he decided that the pluses were minor compared to the negatives. Unfortunately, crispy bacon did not cancel out (surprise!) Grandma Mito standing in the kitchen cheerfully making breakfast. He blinked. Kushina sat at the table, sipping tea, and Minato looked simply mutinous. Belatedly, Naruto realized his father had spent the night again and mentally griped about it.
Well, after not having your parents stand each other for five years, you kind of got used to the arrangement. To see it otherwise was just...weird.
"Naruko! You're finally awake! Oh, I've missed you so much, dear!" She left her bacon for a moment to hug him. Naruto cringed at the use of his former name, deciding he wasn't going to let her get to him, and he awkwardly accepted her hug. He shot a glare at his parents. Kushina looked sympathetic, and Minato shrugged, rolling his eyes like a surly teenager, only to be smacked over the head by Kushina for the action.
Naruto's spirits were slightly lifted by the humorous exchange.
"I thought you weren't coming until the weekend?" Naruto asked, pulling away from Grandma's Mito's pillowy chest and almost overbearing powdery vanilla scent.
"Well, I decided this couldn't wait." She answered lightly. She gestured towards the stove.
"Go, tuck in!" She said brightly. Wary, Naruto went to serve himself. The family ate slowly, idly listening to Mito's chatter.
"And then, would you believe it-"
"Mito," Minato interrupted, simply to be a jackass, "I think you've told this story before. I could tell it word for word by now. Go anything new?" Mito's blue eyes narrowed and she fiddled her napkin, thin lips pursing.
"Aren't you as charming as ever," She commented, daintily blotting at her mouth with the napkin. "I'd be the one holding my tongue, Minato. Some of us have been with this family longer than you have." She succeeded in getting to him, as he threw down his fork and picked up his plate, leaving the table. Kushina's brow furrowed, and she made to rise and go after him. Mito quickly redirected her attention to her daughter, making her pause.
"Dear, I was thinking we could spend the afternoon shopping. What do you think? Oh this kitchen could use some sprucing up! We'll do that after we clean up and do the laundry. You know I just don't understand how you let that pile up. No matter, since I'm here, I'll help you get this house sparkling again." Kushina blinked, throwing a conscientious look around her house.
What was so wrong with it? Left to puzzle and grumble over how her house wasn't clean enough, she drifted from the table, leaving Naruto with Mito. Naruto became suddenly very interested in his scrambled eyes. He ignored his grandmother's gaze pointedly. She spoke after a moment.
"I have a surprise for you." She said, voice bright with enthusiasm. Naruto swallowed his mouthful of egg and tried to smile in surprise.
"Uh, really?" He asked, wondering what was in store and whether or not to dread it. Mito rose from her seat, soon returning with a bag overflowing with shell pink tissue paper. She thrust it at him, and he reluctantly took it, trying to hide his frown.
"What is it?" He asked, pawing through the paper and digging through to the bottom. His heart sank when he realized she had gotten him clothes.
"I was at Maurice's, and I thought these fit your personality perfectly. A bit tomboyish, not overly girly, and not plain out male." She added with a thoughtful and pleased nod. She looked proud of herself. Naruto's stomach seized up with another cramp and he considered covering his face with the bag and leaving it on his head.
Why?
He took a breath. He was going to handle this as painlessly as possible. He noticed his parents were watching, curious and wary, trying to see what was in the bag. Schooling his expression into something that didn't look like he hated the outfit and the implication, he slowly brought out the clothing.
A lightly colored blue and green plaid button up that ruched at the sides for a girly flare, a pastel yellow camisole, a pair of light colored Chino pants to go with it, and of course, a pair of flats to match. He stared at the pile in his lap hopelessly. A wave of resentment washed over him when he realized his grandmother was smiling at his side, waiting for thanks and kind words that were not going to slip out of Naruto's mouth. His father cleared his throat.
"Mito-" Minato started to say, but Naruto spoke.
"Thanks, Grandma," He muttered flatly. Mito beamed.
"Why don't you wear them today?" She urged. Naruto paled.
"I don't think so," He answered quickly, his voice a bit high. Mito's face fell a little and he scrambled to come up with a decent excuse.
"They're nice, Grandma, I just, uh, I'm already dressed." He explained lamely. Mito smiled.
"Of course," She said, unconvinced. He looked away from her and to the clock.
"Whoa, I gotta go," He lied, rushing to get his bag. He really had fifteen more minutes before he needed to be at the bus stop, but Mito didn't need to know that. He glanced at his parents. Minato ruffled his hair as he passed and his mother smiled. He offered them a smirk in return and left.
As soon as he was out of the house he sighed in relief, taking his time as he walked down the street. It was a particularly bright morning, and he was enjoying the sunlight. He appreciated the silence as he walked. It felt nice to have this moment alone after a morning with Mito. He found himself at the bus stop far too quickly, and so he began to read the novel assigned to him for English: The Count of Monte Cristo.
"Naruto!" A voice called out, tearing him away from his reading. Naruto looked up to see Kiba walking towards the stop and he grinned. Kiba let his backpack fall with a plop on the cement, and he sat on the curb, looking up at his friend.
"Are you doing homework?" He asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Naruto chuckled.
"'S not so bad!" He insisted, defending the book. Kiba snorted.
"Yeah, okay."
"So guess who showed up this morning?" Naruto asked with a sigh. Kiba shrugged. Naruto shook his head.
"Not even gonna guess?" He asked with a playful smirk. Kiba regarded him thoughtfully for a moment.
"Nope." He said finally, laughing. Naruto groaned.
"My grandma." Kiba winced, then leapt to his feet.
"Dude, I have the perfect solution for this!" He exclaimed. Naruto cocked an eyebrow.
"Plenty of sleepovers. I'm gonna kick your ass in Call of Duty every day this week. You won't even have to see her." Kiba ruled, as if this solved everything. Naruto rolled his eyes. Kiba shuffled his feet.
"Or, you know, I could just sic Akamaru on her, but I think Mito might have bigger fangs." He concluded, baring his teeth and growling for effect. Naruto laughed out loud.
Kiba and Naruto were surprised to find the group strangely split up that morning once they arrived at the school. Shikamaru was missing, and Temari looked murderous. She slumped against a locker, and finally excused herself, hurrying to the nearest girl's bathroom.
"Where's the asshole? Did he break it off with Temari?" Kiba asked, watching her leave. Chouji took a bite out of a Swiss Roll, chewing on it a moment before answering. He nodded.
"It appears that Shikamaru ended the relationship early this morning. Temari is taking it rather hard." Shino said quietly, beating Chouji to the obvious. Naruto and Kiba looked at him in surprise, more so because the quiet boy had actually spoken.
"Oh," Naruto didn't know what else to say. He took out the books he needed, when Kiba gasped.
"No fucking way!" He cried, pointing. The boys turned to look. Down the hall was Shikamaru, and draped on his arm like a fashion accessory was Ino Yamanaka. They were stuffed away in a corner, talking quietly, foreheads touching just slightly. Naruto had never seen Shikamaru look so...not bored. He grinned, shaking his head.
"That jackass!" Chouji complained. "I was gonna lose fifteen pounds and Ino was going to be mine!" Angrily, he cursed under his breath, and then realized his friends were gawking at him. He huffed.
"Well, you know, one of these days anyway." He muttered defensively, still hurt. It was no secret that Shikamaru and Chouji were close, and while the two had a pretty solid friendship, they both vied after the same girl. At that moment, Shikamaru looked to the group, dropping his gaze once his eyes met Chouji's. Naruto looked over at the dejected boy.
Poor soul.
He sighed, patting Chouji's shoulder.
"Lots of fish in the sea, my friend, lots of fish in the sea." Chouji said nothing, only bent his head and said something about getting to Physics early. He left the small group, shoulders hunched, hands stuffed in his pockets. Shino fidgeted.
"This isn't good." The boy sighed. "Their friendship always suffers when Ino is involved. She got between them once Junior year at a party and I don't think they've gotten over it yet." He mumbled. Kiba looked up at Shino.
"Dude, that is the most I've ever heard you talk in like, ever." Naruto guffawed, and Shino's cheeks dusted with pink.
"Shut up." He said in his soft way. Kiba laughed, draping an arm casually over Naruto's shoulder.
"Hey, look, it's Pissy Pants," He said with a chortle. Naruto's eyes found Sasuke Uchiha meandering through the bustling crowd of students, looking like he needed to be injected with caffeine. Naruto felt a jolt run up his spine when Sasuke's dark gray eyes found his. They looked at each other for a moment, no name calling or glares involved, and then the contact was gone, and it was if one had never noticed the other. He noticed Sakura trailing after Sasuke and he completely looked away.
Naruto realized he might see Sasuke later that night at the community center. It was odd. He hardly knew the guy, and Sasuke clearly disliked him so he returned the favor for the fun of it, but Sasuke knew about Naruto's trips to the community center to meet with the LGBT group, and Naruto knew about Sasuke's anger management. They didn't acknowledge each other as friends, yet they were aware of (some) of the other's well kept secrets. The thought left him feeling restless and he ducked out of Kiba's hold, though he smiled at his friend and they joked on their way to class.
Naruto looked back into the crowd, but Sasuke was already gone.
Flustered, Iruka sighed once he reached the room his support group was using for the evening. He looked in distaste over the state of it. Whoever had been in here earlier obviously hadn't cleaned up. Biting back a few choice words no one else was likely to hear anyway, he grabbed the broom in the closet and swept the floor. He decided to have a talk with Mei Ling, the woman who ran the support group that met in the room and was out only an hour before the LGBT group, which, ironically enough (considering his and Kakashi's latest conversation), was a group dedicated to mothers opting for, or already having gone through with, adoption.
In truth, the conversation hadn't gone the way he wanted, and so here he was, angrily swiping at the floor.
Iruka was a family-oriented man. He had grown up as such. He had grown up knowing he wanted a family of his own someday. He wanted fatherhood. Kakashi, on the other hand (while Iruka had to give him points for actually bringing up the topic when it was otherwise avoided) was reluctant.
Maybe we should just...think about it for a while before rushing into things. Had been his lover's advice. Iruka, however, was done thinking about it. He had been done thinking about it for the past two years. He was thirty five years old, and he didn't want to hit forty before he had a child of his own. He didn't want to be the old, white-haired father who couldn't keep up at the playground because of his arthritis (which his father had, so Iruka deemed it very possible he would develop it later).
Kakashi had laughed at this reasoning. Iruka sighed, having finished, and began to set up for the meeting. To his surprise, Mei Ling entered the room, blinking when she noticed it was tidied up. She blushed a little in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, we had a craft day today, and ran late. I was just coming up to clean." She explained hastily. Iruka offered her an understanding smile.
"It's fine. I got it." He assured her. Mei Ling paused, pushing pin-straight black hair behind her ear and bashfully exited. The door opened again not even a minute later, and Iruka looked up, expecting to see the young Chinese woman again, but instead Naruto strolled in, face partially obscured by the hood of his black sweater. Without a word, the boy crossed the room and pulled out a chair and sat down. Iruka paused.
"Naruto, the group doesn't meet for another half hour." Iruka said gently. The boy shrugged, silent. After a length pause, the boy sighed.
"My grandmother is visiting." He confided. Iruka nodded. He guessed from Naruto's tone that his grandmother visiting wasn't a happy occasion.
"Is she unsupportive?" He asked, setting up the refreshment table. Naruto stood up and wordlessly began to help.
"She doesn't think that what I have exists." He answered, voice taut with restrained anger. Iruka sighed.
"I'm sorry."
"She tried giving me girl clothes to wear today and won't stop calling me Naruko. She's only been here a day, I haven't seen her for half of it, and I can't stand it already. I didn't want her to know I was coming here. My mom and dad thought it was best she didn't know about this group either, I don't want her to meddle. So, I had my friend drop me off. I didn't tell him it was too early for the meeting." Iruka nodded again as Naruto's face pinched in anger and disappointment.
"I guess I'm always secretly hoping she'll come around. She might not be the best grandmother in the world, and I'm really pissed at her, but I still love her." He whispered.
"It's hard, especially when it's family we love, but you know, even if she doesn't come around, even she will see one day how being like this is more hurtful than good." He spoke from experience. His own mother had shied away at the thought of having a gay son, and had reacted similarly. Refusing to believe and ignoring it when it presented itself. For a while, he and Naruto talked, and soon, the group meeting was underway. Iruka watched Naruto, pleased to see a genuine smile grace his features as he talked with the other teens.
Halfway through the meeting, Naruto began to sweat. He swiped at his brow, his upper lip, and sat partially hunched over, trying to give himself a little relief from the cramps. He loathed his situation, and though he knew no one was watching or asking, he felt embarrassed. He excused himself, walking to the bathrooms. He stopped short in front of them, glaring at the doors.
Men.
Women.
His lip curled. He looked at the men's bathroom, and after a hasty look around, grudgingly walked into the women's bathroom for obvious reasons. A few minutes later, feeling a little better, he peeked out of the door, and seeing no one, slipped out...
"Got something against the men's bathroom?" Naruto froze, looking over his shoulder, horrified. Sasuke was coming out of the men's bathroom, and by the smell of it, he had lodged himself in a stall to smoke. He smelled like ash and cloves. He eyed Naruto shrewdly.
"I guess it doesn't smell as good as the ladies room." He commented, a genuinely curious gleam in his eyes. Naruto almost forgot to breathe. Suddenly, it was back. The fear that he hadn't felt in months. His heart was pounding so hard against his ribcage it hurt. He was shaking, he realized, as he reached up to rub the back of his neck. Words evaded him. Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked mischievously, as if he hadn't quite grasped the enormity of what he'd just seen.
"Or maybe you're as dumb as you let on and walked right into the girl's bathroom not even noticing like a true idiot." He sneered. Naruto suddenly realized Sasuke didn't realize what exactly was going on. He was making fun of Naruto for being the idiot who walked into the girl's bathroom. He blinked, stunned. It took a moment before he was sure his voice wouldn't quaver. He mustered up his best glare.
"Oh shut up you smug little bastard." He snapped. Sasuke smirked, and Naruto thought, fleetingly, wow, It's going to be okay. He felt himself relax, grinning a little at the thought of some quick, irritating banter with Sasuke.
"Naruko!" Naruto wondered if it was possible to die without realizing it, because he was having an out of body experience right now.
Fuck this shit, he was so out of here. He could bust Sasuke's ass another day. How the hell Grandma Mito came to know where he was, he didn't care at the moment, as long as Sasuke didn't realize that Mito was calling out to him. Sasuke's brow wrinkled in confusion, casting glances around the hall.
Naruto walked away at a clipped pace, keeping his head down and ignoring his grandmother.
"Naruko!" She called. "Don't make me run. I'm sixty five years old. Naruko!"
He was almost there. All he had to do was reach for the knob and go inside like he didn't know who Naruko was.
"Naruko Namikaze don't you dare snub me!" Mito cried. Yep. He was dead. Had to be. Holy shit he'd gone to Hell after all. He looked over his shoulder at his grandmother, and realized Sasuke hadn't moved, his gray eyes widening as understanding dawned upon him.
Naruto wished the floor would swallow him whole.
A/N: How did Mito find Naruto? Well, you'll see next week. Poor Naruto :/ I felt we needed to see more of Sakura, even though we saw her from another character's PoV. I feel Kiba could have been more in this chapter as well, but his bigger roles are coming up, and he's a main supporting character so he'll have his screen time. Naruto and Sasuke still hardly know each other, what will happen to change that? How will Kiba's feelings become apparent (sleepovers. hahaha *wink* *wink* oh Kiba). How will Naruto deal with Mito? Kurenai was shacking up with Fugaku? What! Crazy. Anyway, that's it for this week. I hope it was satisfactory.