Chapter 14

Lucky Sevens

'I love you Sasuke…'

Karin pushed her wire framed glasses further up the bridge of her nose her crimson eyes staring desperately at the dark-haired boy seated across from her at the table. Every time she looked at Sasuke her heartbeat quickened and a tightness formed in her chest so much it was unbearable to breathe, unbearable to focus, and unbearable to speak. That was how much she loved Sasuke.

She had been in love with Sasuke since he first transferred, and if he noticed, he chose to ignore it. She wanted nothing more than for Sasuke to be hers and hers only. To be hers forever and always. Soon they were going to be together. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Soon. It was a thought that fueled her sexual fantasies as she masturbated in the showers. Every. Single. Time. Coming as she moaned out Sasuke's name the sound of water pouring from the shower head drowning her out. It was because she loved Sasuke so much.

'Love me! Notice me! Fuck me!' Her mind played that on repeat every time she looked at Sasuke. A mantra she hoped would reach him.

"You've been neglecting us, Sasuke!" Karin continued angrily. She was in the middle of lecturing him. "You told us you didn't care for your childhood friends...yet you spend the majority of your time with them!" Sasuke told her not to worry...those kids from his old school he didn't bother with them anymore...he told her so...and he lied.

Suigetsu was seated besides Sasuke, and Jugo seated next to Karin. They were all gathered for dinner. Yet it was only Karin carrying on with theatrics and dramatics. Jugo and Suigetsu ate quietly.

Sasuke brought a spoonful of curry to his mouth obviously ignoring the redhead, having been use to her lectures whenever he neglected her. Karin was jealous of anybody who managed to capture Sasuke's attention, and had taken mental notes of two individuals who had infiltrated their group of friends and taken Sasuke from them. More specifically two individuals who had taken Sasuke from her multiple times. Over and over again.

Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. Arial bold.

No, she wasn't going to have it. She wanted to destroy them. She wanted to sever whatever bond Sasuke shared with them, and she was prepared to do whatever was necessary to achieve it.

"...and you're now rooming with Naruto?" Karin continued to complain. "Aren't you worried he's going to try something with you?"

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow and finally brought his eyes to meet Karin's, "Hm?"

"He's gay! Aren't you afraid he's going to...I don't know...molest you while you're sleeping?" Karin continued her voice desperate.

It was something that Karin overheard while she was spying on Sakura and Naruto, and something that was spinning around in her heard, round and round, ever since she overheard it. She purposely sat behind them in the mess hall during dinner time wanting to gather intelligence on something, anything, she could use against them. Karin was desperate. This was how much she loved Sasuke.

At first Karin was only worried about Sakura, considering her as her only love rival, but things multiplied when she found out Naruto was gay, and now sharing a room with her Sasuke.

Homosexuality is unnatural, a perversion, an abomination, fornication, vile affections. Karin didn't want Naruto to corrupt her pure Sasuke, and Karin needed to save Sasuke from Naruto's vile intentions. Had to stop Naruto no matter what. Had to save Sasuke.

"What?" Suigetsu blurted out as he brought his attention from the curry to Karin. "No...fucking way…" Suigetsu continued his eyes shifting side to side as he digested the information. Naruto was gay?

"It's true!" Karin cried.

"Karin." Sasuke spoke coldly. "Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you." Sasuke stood up violently, grabbing hold of his tray as he did before walking away.

"Sasuke...wait! I'm sorry!" Karin cried after him. This wasn't going to work. Sasuke clearly already knew and it didn't bother him, and now he was mad at her. It wasn't fair. It wasn't FAIR! It was Naruto's fault. He was going to pay. He was going to pay severely.

"Karin...you're not going to reach Sasuke's heart if you keep this up," Jugo commented softly. Karin balled her hands into fists and slammed them down on the table. She had to try something else...she had to try harder...HARDER! Karin grabbed her tray and stood up walking away in the opposite direction.

Suigetsu leaned over the table watching Karin storm away as he spoke to Jugo, "If I were to put money on somebody in our class who would snap and start shooting people...it would be Karin."

Jugo closed his eyes and shook his head no and spoke disapprovingly, "Suigetsu…"

"I know! I know...but that one is mental I'm telling you!" Suigetsu defended as he brought a spoonful of curry to his mouth.

The rumors morphed and elaborated around campus.

Naruto was already living in a fishbowl only this time pedestrians pressed their faces up against the glass. Smudging it. He noticed it when he was walking down the hallway the first day of classes after winter break. The first thing somebody said as they purposely bumped into his shoulder was, "Fag". Naruto spun around to see an unknown male walking away.

At first Naruto tried to explain these things away. Misheard. Misunderstood. Mistaken identity. Naruto went throughout the school day hyper-vigilant. Enhanced state of sensory sensitivity coupled with behaviors that detected any and all activity around him.

The whispering. The geering. The pointing. The hissing. It was becoming more and more difficult to explain away. It was only when Naruto was slammed up against the wall in the corridor of the dormitory by an older boy, did he begin to accept reality. The boy, a senior, pressed his arm against Naruto's chest hissing, "Watch where you're going, faggot."

Naruto moved on instinct, swinging his fist until it connected with the boy's jawline. Naruto watched as the boy's head jerked to the side, and he swung again punching the boy square in the nose, only this time crimson blood gushed from the other boy's nose. Naruto didn't stop. If anything the blood drove him manic, and he kneed the boy between the legs, before shoving him backwards. It was a cheap shot...and Naruto knew he was playing dirty but it didn't matter.

The boy rolled to his side moaning in pain and Naruto swung his leg ready to kick the boy's teeth in when a voice stopped him.

"Naruto!" it was Sasuke. Naruto lowered his foot back to the ground staring hard at the dark-haired boy who had interrupted.

"Did you tell?" Naruto accused his voice shaking. Sasuke looked puzzled, but it wasn't an excuse. It wasn't a fucking excuse. Naruto was grabbing hold of Sasuke's shirt screaming in his face, "Did you fucking tell people about me? Did you!"

Sasuke's hands flew up and grabbed Naruto's wrists yelling back as he attempted to dislodge the blonde off of him, "Of course I didn't!"

"Then who did?" Naruto screamed again as he shoved Sasuke up against the wall. "Naruto...I didn't say anything…" Sasuke spoke his voice low and serious, dark eyes staring deep into Naruto's blue eyes, and it was then when Naruto released him.

"Fuck!" Naruto exclaimed as he pulled the key from his pocket, walked to their dorm, and unlocked the door shoving the door open before entering. Sasuke at his heels.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked as he closed the door behind him.

Naruto had thrown his school bag on the floor, "...everybody knows...about me...that's what's going on!" Naruto began loosening the tie around his neck, before pulling it off, and throwing that too across the room. Anger rising.

Sasuke thought back to Karin. If she had found out it meant other people had found out and the rumor mill began moving with the current. "Naruto...it won't change anything...you still have friends who care-"

"Shut up...just shut up Sasuke! What could you possibly know about anything? What could you possibly know what I'm fucking going through?" Naruto screamed emphasizing 'you' as if it was a slur.

"Naruto…" Sasuke continued his voice becoming strained, and he was unsure on what to say to calm Naruto down. One thing for certain was Sasuke didn't want Naruto to leave the room. Panic took hold of Sasuke. Because if Naruto did leave...he would find Haku...and Sasuke didn't want them together. Haku wasn't a good person. He was toxic and infecting Naruto. The more time they spent together the more Naruto began to change. His personality becoming more manic and erratic.

Haku was eclipsing the sun within Naruto. No. Sasuke didn't want Naruto to leave, and instead wanted Naruto to stay with him.

Sasuke's eyes fell to the Ichiraku Ramen takeout menu that was on Naruto's desk blurting out, "Want to order some ramen? My treat."

"What did you say?" Naruto asked flabbergasted the anger deflating from his voice. "I'm a little upset right now...so don't joke!" Naruto was breathing heavily. Chest rising up and down. Naruto's immediate thought was to go to Haku...to go to Haku so he could take a sheet or two of Callisto. Forget everything.

But...Sasuke was asking him to order ramen with him...and it was his treat. Right? Naruto stared at Sasuke needing clarification.

"I'm not joking...do you want ramen?" Sasuke continued reading the blonde's expression. He walked past Naruto and grabbed the takeout menu, and held it up as if to emphasize how serious he was. Naruto's blue eyes shifted to the menu in Sasuke's hands, before shifting back to Sasuke's face.

"You bastard…" Naruto spoke his voice soft. "Of course I want ramen...Your treat?" Sasuke nodded his head yes, and for a moment Naruto hesitated. Teetering on the edge of wanting to go to Haku...to Callisto...and wanting to stay here with Sasuke...and eat ramen together. The last bit of anger had evaporated from his body, and a smile broke out over his features as he grabbed the menu from Sasuke's hand. Making his decision.

"Okay...if it's your treat…"

Sasuke was seated cross legged on the floor. The atmosphere was carefree, and it felt like they were all in middle school again. Everybody was crowded into their dorm room. Sakura. Sasuke. Naruto. Ino. Shikamaru. Everybody sat in a circle playing Uno. A game suggested by Naruto, he pulled out the deck of cards from his desk drawer, held it high in the air, and everybody nodded their head in agreement. Some things never change.

"Did you know Shikamaru?" Sakura asked as she shifted her emerald eyes to the number three yellow card on the pile, and back at her hand where she had no yellow cards or any number three cards, and she began drawing.

Shikamaru shifted his eyes to Naruto who caught his attention giving him a helpless expression. "No..." Shikamaru answered dryly, "Then again...Naruto kept avoiding me...so I knew something was up."

Sakura placed a plus 2 yellow card on the pile and stuck her tongue out and flashed a peace sign, "Sorry Sasuke!" Sasuke leaned over and picked up two cards from the draw pile, dark eyes moving back to the cards in his hand. Strategizing.

"When did you know?" Ino asked, shifting her body into a more comfortable position. Ino was wearing glossy pink lipstick and her long blonde hair was wrapped into a ballerina bun on top her head and secured with a red barrette. She was wearing a leather jacket over her school uniform, and her seafoam green eyes kept glancing unconsciously at Shikamaru. Ino kept going through dramatic changes in her style and appearance.

"Um…" Naruto began. Ino glanced at Sasuke before grinning as a thought occurred, "...was it when you kissed Sasuke in the closet at Kiba's party?"

"What!" Naruto exclaimed in an uncharacteristically high-pitched voice. "Sasuke and I didn't kiss in the closet!" Naruto lied holding his hand up and waving it back and forth. Sasuke raised his eyebrows at Naruto's obvious lie before laying down a plus 4 card saying sharply, "Like I would kiss you usuratonkachi. Plus four...and I'm changing the color to blue."

"What?!" Naruto said as his blue eyes fell to the pile and he begrudgingly began drawing the four cards, "Even though I suggested the game...how am I losing by this much?" Naruto whined as he held out his hand filled with fourteen cards. Naruto gave Sasuke a sideways glance but the boy had turned his attention elsewhere.

It must have been Naruto's imagination but was Sasuke angry that he lied about the kiss? They had kissed twice, and neither time was any of their business. Naruto's eyes shifted to Sasuke's lips and he nervously bit down on his own lip. It didn't matter...the kisses didn't mean anything. It was just practice after all.

"Regardless…" Sakura began as Naruto placed a blue number one card down and her eyes shifted curiously to Sasuke before bringing them back to Naruto, "You don't have to hide things from us...we're your friends, Naruto."

"Are you dating anyone?" Ino asked as she placed a yellow number one card onto the pile. Sakura, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all glanced at Naruto. They all had one name in mind. Naruto shifted nervously under everybody's gazes. "Guys...please…It's embarrassing...I'm not dating anybody..."

"Liar." Sakura spoke immediately and all sets of eyes shifted to Sakura. "I'm sorry...I just assumed…" she quickly explained and laughed nervously.

"If you assume...it just makes you an ass, Sakura." Ino spoke nonchalantly. "Reverse," Shikamaru spoke as he placed a yellow reverse card down, effectively skipping Sakura and moving back to Ino's turn. "Yeah...yeah…" Sakura muttered her eyes shifting to Sasuke again.

"Do you like anybody?" Ino asked as she placed a number yellow five card down. Sakura eyes widened and she turned her attention to Ino. Leave it to Ino to ask things so unabashedly.

"Kinda...I mean...how do you know if you really like someone, y'know?" Naruto asked keeping his eyes down and focused on the cards in his hand. He didn't have any yellow cards. Ah he did have a red five card.

"You start thinking 'I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees'" Ino answered her voice faraway and whimsical. Naruto placed the red number five card on the pile and shifted his attention to Sasuke as Ino spoke.

"Do you like someone, Ino?" Sakura asked and suddenly the blonde girl's face turned the color of a beat red tomato. "Come on...who is it! Out with it!" Sakura pounced on her prey, claws out, tail swishing.

Naruto had shifted his gaze back to Sasuke, and he was still avoiding his gaze and focused on the cards in his own hand. They were sitting so close Naruto could smell Sasuke's shampoo. It smelled of tea tree oil and mint. Refreshing. Naruto then shifted his eyes to the cards that Sasuke held in his hand. It was perfectly angled so that Naruto could see the two cards left in Sasuke's hand. Naruto smiled. Knowingly.

"Reverse. Uno," Sasuke said as he caught Naruto staring at his cards, and his eyebrows raised again. 'Cheater' Sasuke thought as he caught Naruto's eyes. The smile widened unapologetically on Naruto's lips as Sasuke scowled at him.

Sasuke placed a red reverse card down and it shifted back to Naruto's turn. "Hey!" Sakura spoke as once again her turn was skipped again. Naruto looked at the cards in his hand. And he suddenly wanted Sasuke to win. More than anything else. Naruto placed down a green reverse card and it shifted back to Sasuke, effectively skipping Ino's turn.

"Reverse," Naruto smiled not moving his eyes from the dark-haired boy besides him. Sasuke looked down at the green reverse card at the top of the pile before shifting and looking back up at Naruto's too blue eyes. 'What was he thinking?' Sasuke thought curiously. It was a setup for Sasuke to win. Of course.

Sasuke smiled and dropped the last card onto the pile a green number seven card.

"I win."

It happened again. Everyone and everything in the room vanished leaving just Naruto and Sasuke. In the room alone. Sitting side by side. Almost like life should always remain like this. Naruto had nodded his head willfully and started laughing at the inside joke they shared. Sasuke shook his head and joined Naruto's laughter. It was easy being around Naruto. Everything was effortless. Naruto was bright, and warm, and so full of energy it chased away all the darkness, all the sadness, and all the shadows within Sasuke. Leaving him content, satisfied, and...happy.

Yes...it was almost as if life should always remain exactly like this.

Sasuke was unable to get comfortable in bed and he tossed around for a good twenty minutes. Sasuke finally rolled to his side, and stared through the darkness to the outline of his blonde roommate in his own bed. Admitting defeat. Sasuke's mind was flooded with thoughts of confusing feelings and screenshots of memories that involved Naruto.

"Naruto...are you awake?" Sasuke asked. He almost wanted the blonde to ignore him. Needing an excuse to not ask the question he desperately wanted to ask...and desperately wanted an answer to. Naruto was laying on his back. Wide awake. Unable to drift off into sleep.

"Yes." Naruto answered.

"Why did you lie?" Sasuke asked. "Lie...lie about what?" Naruto asked curiously his eyes were staring up at the ceiling. Unblinking. He had listened to Sasuke toss and turn for the past twenty minutes fighting the urge to ask him what was wrong...to ask him what was on his mind. Instead choosing to lay there awake and staring at the ceiling.

"...about kissing in the closet at Kiba's closet," Sasuke answered. He suddenly felt thankful he was shrouded in darkness. It made things easier. Nighttime was made for saying things, asking things, doing things...you couldn't do in the daytime. It was almost magical. Nighttime provided an immunity shield where inhibitions were lowered and a sense of fearlessness took hold.

"Oh." Naruto spoke softly before growing silent. He swallowed. He wasn't sure how to go about answering it...but he tried nonetheless. "I didn't want them to get the wrong idea..." Naruto spoke, "Y'know...'sides...it isn't any of their business if we kissed...once or twice...whatever, right?"

"It did happen...right?" Sasuke asked. It was then when Naruto sat upright, arms pressed behind him holding his weight, turning his head towards the darkness of Sasuke's side of the room clarifying, "Did what happen? Did we really kiss? is that what you're asking, S'ske?"

"Yeah..." Sasuke answered although his voice was unsure. "Well...yeah..." Naruto answered his voice full of conviction. "We also kissed in my room...y'know" Pause. Pause. Pause. "Why are you asking?" Naruto concluded.

"...was it then when you realized you were gay?" Sasuke asked and he was met with Naruto laughing. "Do you think I thought I was gay when I kissed you?" Naruto asked unable to stop himself from laughing. The reality was Naruto was so nervous it was a defense mechanism. The whole conversation was leaving him restless and anxious.

"Well...not anymore...no..." Sasuke spoke sourly. "I realized I was gay when I met Haku..." Naruto spoke. Sasuke suddenly wanted to end the conversation. There was a bad taste forming in his mouth, and he regretted saying anything.

"He was so comfortable in his sexuality...and I think I realized it then...that...I wasn't really attracted to girls...and then when we kissed...I just...knew." Naruto explained. Sasuke wanted Naruto to stop talking. Anytime would be good.

"Sasuke..." Naruto asked. "...you're not gay are you?"

"What?" Sasuke asked more so from shock than for clarification on what Naruto said. "I mean...I realized I was when I kissed Haku...I don't know...I mean...if you wanted to kiss me...to ya know...see if you are?"

Sasuke became flustered he felt his face become inflamed and he struggled to breathe, "No! Go to bed usuratonkachi!"

Naruto stared through the darkness at Sasuke's outline wishing he could see the expression the other boy was wearing. Because what Naruto was hoping he was wearing...was just wishful thinking. Naruto sighed shrugging, "Whatever you say...S'ske." Naruto lowered himself back to his bed and rolled over to his side so that his back was facing Sasuke.

"Goodnight..." Naruto spoke softly. "...Sasuke."