Shelly note: okay so I don't know how good this is going to be, because I was listening to music the other night and this song came on my itunes and well I changed what song went in this chapter and how I was going to make this chapter go...I felt it was a little boring of a chapter so when I heard the song and it gave me this idea I thought I would just run with it...tell me what you think please
If any characters are out of character it is for the sake of the story...I know that Kisame probably is, but hey, I needed him to be like that
I own nothing, as usual
Enjoy
Chapter 21: A Thousand Faces
For the first time, Naruto and Sasuke shared a bed as boyfriends. They lay in the hotel bed, finding it hard to sleep after such an exciting night. Sasuke faced toward Naruto, feeling a small smile on his face as he said, "Tonight was a good night."
"Yeah, there's only one thing I've been trying to figure out since we've got here," Naruto said.
"What's that?" Sasuke asked.
"How did your father know where we are?" Naruto asked. "I mean I know that our concert schedule is posted online, but that doesn't mean that we necessarily had to stay here."
Sasuke's eyes widened, "I told Itachi."
"You think he told your father?" Naruto asked. "I thought he was on your side now."
"I don't know what to think," Sasuke sighed.
"You should talk to him," Naruto said.
"As touching as this conversation is, some of us are trying to sleep," Kiba said from the other bed in the room.
"Then go to the couch," Naruto said.
"You're an asshole," Kiba growled.
"Sorry Kiba, we'll be quiet," Sasuke said, as he turned looked at Naruto with a disapproving look.
"What?" Naruto asked.
"Don't be rude to your friends," Sasuke said as he turned his back to Naruto.
"Listen to Sasuke," Kiba said.
"I'm sorry," he said as he pulled him into his chest. "I'll be nice," Naruto purred into Sasuke's ear.
"Well can you be nice and not think about sex?" Sasuke asked.
"Sasuke," he whined.
"There's someone else in the room," Sasuke said.
"Fine," Naruto sighed.
"Plus, I want to take this slow," Sasuke added.
"But," Naruto tried to say, however Sasuke cut him off.
"No buts, I just got out of a relationship not that long ago, I don't want to make the same mistakes I made in that relationship, in this one," Sasuke said.
"Fine, we'll take it slowly," said Naruto as he cuddled with Sasuke.
"Can you go slowly quietly?" Kiba asked.
"Sorry," Naruto said. "Good night."
NS
The Misfits had come over the next afternoon to decide what to do that night, as they all had a free night in the city. Itachi was also there, which made Sasuke unsure of what to do, so he was avoiding him, trying to figure out what to say.
"So, we have a free night, where do you want to go?" Neji asked the band.
"Somewhere small," Sasuke said. "I'm sick of people."
"I know of this cool open mic place in town, it's for all ages and it's a lot of fun," Haku said.
"Do they serve alcohol?" Kiba asked.
"Yeah," Haku said.
"Sounds fun," he said.
"It does sound fun, even if we don't get wasted," Sasuke said.
"Maybe for you, however amateur talent never sounds fun to me without alcohol," Kiba said.
"Who knows, maybe some of the people there are actually really good," Haku said.
"Were any of them when you went?" Sasuke asked.
"Not really," he said. "But it was still fun."
"To laugh at the people," Sasuke added.
"Don't be rude, isn't that what you told me?" Naruto said.
"I said to friends, to complete strangers, I don't care," Sasuke said.
"Oh that's great," Naruto said.
Sasuke saw Itachi go into the bathroom, though his phone was on the chair, as if it fell out of his pocket. "I'll be right back," Sasuke said as he walked over and grabbed the phone.
The phone lit up as it rang 'Father' lighting up the screen. The phone was on silent, obviously, so no one would know that he was contacting him. He let the call go to voice mail as he walked into the other room, waiting for his father to leave a voicemail, knowing that he would as he always did. The phone lit up signaling a voicemail and he quickly called the voicemail to check it. As the phone asked for a four-digit password, he knew exactly what Itachi would use, as he always used the same thing, and he was right as it said, "You have one new voicemail, first new voicemail."
His father's voice then filled his ears, "Itachi, I need to know that everything is going to plan. You have to get Sasuke to trust you. I told him not to talk to you so I know that will only push him to talk to you more. You have to get him to see that he has to have more distinction, to stop this foolishness and to settle down with a nice girl. He's an Uchiha he can't be gay and he can't be a songwriter. He needs to go back to school. I can pull strings; he knows that, make him see that."
Sasuke was furious, if his eyes were to turn the color of anger he saw, they would be bright red. He wanted to hit something, to punch something, just somehow to release all the anger built up inside of him. He couldn't believe he was so stupid. All he wanted was a normal relationship with his brother, and he got a knife to the back, or at least that is what it felt like.
He walked out and over to Itachi, who seemed to be looking for his phone. Sasuke threw the phone at him, saying, "Father called, go to hell."
"Sasuke, it's not what you think," Itachi said, walking after him.
"Like I can believe you, I mean you have a thousand different faces, who are you really? Father's side kick, my brother, the guy I hardly know that's too busy for me because of his studies, I mean I don't really know you, I never did. You're just whoever father needs you to be," Sasuke said. "The perfect little son he always wanted."
"Sasuke," Itachi said.
"Stay away from me," Sasuke said as he walked into Naruto and Kiba's room, quickly followed by Naruto, who shut the door behind him.
"Don't you think you should hear him out?" Naruto asked.
"Why so he can lie to me again?" Sasuke asked.
"Maybe he's not lying," Naruto said.
"Really optimistic of you," Sasuke scoffed.
"I know you're mad, but I don't want you to maybe lose out on the only contact you may have with family," Naruto said as he sat on his bed.
"I don't need them," Sasuke said sitting next to Naruto while the blonde leaned back so Sasuke could lay his head on his chest.
"One day you might," he said.
"I don't see you trying to make amends with yours," he said.
"Mine won't even look at me," Naruto frowned. "Be happy yours will."
"I'm sorry, that was the wrong thing to say," Sasuke said.
"It's not your fault," Naruto said as he ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair.
NS
Naruto was surprised when he saw Itachi at the place they were hanging out that night. He didn't think he would dare show his face around Sasuke however he did. Sasuke refused to talk to him, or even look at him for that matter.
"Come on, let's get a table," Naruto said as he guided them away from where Itachi was sitting to a large table in the front. People in the small establishment seemed star struck by the band, though Naruto just said hi to people and sighed whatever they wanted sighed.
"I'll be right back," Kisame said as he left the table, headed straight for Itachi.
"Seems someone is interested in your brother," Naruto said.
Sasuke looked over, "He can give up now, Itachi is first born, and he has to produce heirs."
"Oh," Naruto said. "But he can choose who he loves."
"According to my father he can," Sasuke said.
"I see why you left," Naruto said.
"You don't know the half of it," Sasuke said, making Naruto wonder once again about the scars that decorated Sasuke's chest and back and plagued his mind since that night they spent together.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked.
"Don't worry about it," Sasuke said as he looked down before looking at the stage and back at his brother.
"Do you want to perform or something?" Naruto asked.
"I might," he said.
"Do you have anything prepared?" he asked.
"Not yet," he shrugged as he started to write on a napkin.
"You're crazy," Naruto said.
"I know," he smirked.
NS
"Why are you over here alone?" Kisame asked as he walked over.
"My brother hates me," Itachi said as he looked up at the man.
"What did you do?" he asked as he sat down.
"A stupid mistake," Itachi said, not sure why he was talking to the man, Kisame, he was almost sure his name was.
"You don't look like a stupid mistake kind of person," Kisame said.
"I'm usually not, I'm usually very precise, then I came to see my brother," Itachi said, not showing any emotion every time he spoke.
"Well what was it about it that changed you?" he asked.
"He seemed happy," Itachi said not sure why he was explaining; yet continued to. "Sasuke is not a happy person. And though he doesn't show it, I could tell by the way he looked at the blonde he was happy to be around him."
"So what do you envy him?" Kisame asked.
"No, I just don't find myself wanting to go through with the plan," Itachi said, realizing that the drink he had ordered when he got there may be effecting him more than he thought, as he was not a drinker and they seemed to make them strong. "I thought it would be easy, that I wouldn't care, but I do."
"You're only human," Kisame said.
"That doesn't mean that I have to care," he said.
"For most people it means you care about something," Kisame said.
"Maybe for you it does, not for me," he said.
"You care about your brother," Kisame pointed out.
"What do you care about?" Itachi asked.
"My band," he said. "I look out for them."
"So what, are you here to scare me away?" Itachi asked.
"Sasuke is a friend of mine, he's not part of my band though," Kisame shrugged. "I just wanted to talk maybe get another drink in you," Kisame signaled the waitress. "Can we get some beers and just keep them coming until this stops paying for it," he said as he handed her a wad of cash.
"Will do," she said as she made her way over to the bar.
"I don't see how another one is going to make me feel better, this one isn't," Itachi said.
"It will, trust me," Kisame said.
NS
"I'll be right back," Sasuke said, taking his napkin lyrics with him.
"This should be interesting," Naruto said as he looked over at Itachi.
"You think?" Kiba asked.
Sasuke brought the napkin in case he was stuck; however he knew the lyrics rather well because it was just what he wanted to say to Itachi.
"I want to perform in the open mic night," Sasuke said.
"Can you sing?" the guy asked.
"I'm here with the band Kyuubi aren't I?" Sasuke said.
"Good point," the man, whose nametag read 'Bob', said. "Do you have your own instrument? Or would you like to use one of ours?"
"One of yours," he sighed.
"Last minute decision huh?" he said.
"Shut up," he glared.
"What would you like to play?" the man asked.
"A guitar," Sasuke said.
Bob handed him a guitar and said, "So what is your name?"
"Sasuke," he said as he started to tune the guitar.
"Alright you'll be on after this band," he said.
Sasuke just nodded and tuned the guitar that seemed like it hadn't been used in ages.
"Alright, now we have, Sasuke," Bob said, which made Naruto and his group cheer.
Sasuke plugged the guitar into the amp and quickly adjusted at the microphone as he said, "This is called A Thousand Faces." He started to play an acoustic version of the song.
Sasuke sang about scars and the blonde couldn't help but wonder if he meant the ones on his chest. Naruto looked at Sasuke thinking, 'That's it; I'm going to ask about his scars when we get back.' He couldn't take not knowing any longer. He needed to know if it affected Sasuke to the point that he mentioned his scars in his song.
Sasuke refused to go back to how he was. He refused to move back home, back to being Sasuke Uchiha, the one in the shadow of his brother. He was not going to step back, it was not moving forward as his father would say.
Sasuke didn't know what to believe. Itachi said he gave up the plan and yet he didn't know if he could believe him. It felt as if Itachi suddenly was a thousand different people. He was antisocial while studying, big brother with him, flirting with Kisame it seemed, and manipulative with his father's help. He didn't know what to believe.
He didn't want his brother and him to drift apart, and yet he didn't want to be deceived repeatedly. He didn't want to be played like a fool. Itachi was pointing the blame at his father and he knew he wouldn't contact his father to ask him the truth.
Naruto looked at Sasuke, knowing that he wasn't going to lose him to this. He knew that Sasuke wasn't going to leave because his family told him it was the right thing to do. Sasuke may be confused on who his brother his, but he knew it was the right thing to leave home. He wouldn't go back just because his brother tried to convince him it was right, just because he gained some trust.
Itachi was drunk by the time Sasuke sang and therefore showing his emotions. Itachi frowned; he had lost all of Sasuke's trust, just when they were actually starting to act like brothers for the first time in years. Itachi looked at Kisame and decided that he needed a way to forget everything that was going on, and he was the perfect release, there would be no strings attached. Itachi didn't know when he started to feel emotions but he knew they had to end that night.
Naruto knew he had a hard time before he left home, though he never knew the whole story, he was going to make sure hear everything that night. He was sick of not knowing his boyfriend completely.
Sasuke looked at Naruto and knew that they were going to talk, because with his family around there was a lot coming out that he hadn't talked about. Sure, Naruto knew that Sasuke had experienced pain, but to what extent he was not one hundred percent sure.
Sasuke ended his song and the people clapped and cheered. Sasuke handed the guitar back to Bob who said, "Now no one wants to go after you."
"Not my fault," Sasuke shrugged as he walked over to the group.
"You okay?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shook his head no, "Let's go back to the hotel."
Naruto nodded, "Well see you guys later."
They both knew they had a lot to talk about, however it could wait until the next day, because all Sasuke wanted to do was be wrapped in Naruto's arms and for him to never let go.
TBC...
Song of inspiration: A Thousand Faces by Creed
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