Bullet Proof
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters
A/N: 7/6/11 Edit: Fixed the doubled paragraph. It seemed in my tired state, I accidentally did one of those funky delete/copy things... I don't know if that happens to anyone else lol but it's all better now! :D Thank you Renny-Chan and SilverEyeShinobi for letting me know :) I wouldn't have noticed without you two lol Goes to show you how much I revise my work :P
Chapter 25: Back to Basics
A few hours later, and suddenly the final round was upon his doorstep. Sasuke watched as the final couple of artists were set up, in their big circle of ten. This was his forte, and he wasn't going to miss the chance to win.
A slight smirk twitching on his lips, he began sharpening his charcoal pencils. He watched the pinkette thoroughly, waiting for some sort of strange snap, like what happened only a couple hours ago. He'd glance the other direction, to his right, to see Sai seemingly brooding on revenge. Sasuke shook his head – avenging thoughts were so overrated…
But that was probably because he wasn't having any right now…
He had been sitting on his stool for the whole twenty-minute break. While girls gossiped, and guys fawned over those same girls, he stared at the same place on the wall, trying to find some sort of inspiration. Something awe inspiring – something that topped the picture of the grave. Shaking his head, he wondered for a moment…
If no one else was doing what he was… That wasn't cheating right? While others would use the first healthy chunk of time drawing up an idea, he would already be illustrating his on paper… but as long as he didn't physically draw anything right now, he couldn't see why it was so bad…
And yet, as those distracted artists took their seats, he was no closer to finding a subject than he was twenty minutes prior. Letting out a puff of breath, he blinking lazily, having finished sharpening all of his tools.
He straightened as the announcer told everyone to take their mark. Oh well – he'd have to improvise…
?
It was dark, and Sakura thought she should really be hurrying to her car. Though as she tried to move faster, her feet dragged like led. She had taken home third place… Third to an overly smug Sai, though with a hint of frustration at coming in second place, and a seemingly regretful Sasuke. Well – it was either that, or he was extremely pissed… It seemed all of his facial expressions made him look like that.
Rubbing at her eyes, she blinked a few times to clear them, and clicked the button on keys, unlocking the car doors.
"Sakura!" For a scary voice in the darkness, she wasn't very afraid. She would recognize that voice anywhere, and when she turned around she spotted a streak of orange and yellow racing towards her. Giving a small wave, she let on the smile dying to come out.
She couldn't wait to tell Naruto what had happened.
Huffing and puffing, he wheeled to a stop, clad in an orange vest over a white shirt, with dark jeans on. His hair was ever messy, but his eyes sparkled. "Is it true?" He beamed at her.
"What?" She tilted her head and knitted her eyebrows together, slightly confused.
"You kicked the shit out of Sai?" He suddenly hugged her and danced around, "You're my hero!"
She burst into laughter, and it seemed to be contagious. And for a few moments, all worries dropped from the world, they stood and laughed together, Sakura allowing herself to be dragged in prancing circle with the blonde.
As the laughter echoed off the building, a sudden presence caused their chuckles to fade into silence. Turning around, they watched as Sasuke fumbled for his keys and dropped them.
Naruto blinked, and glanced back at Sakura, who stood rigid and guarded. But there was a new sort of respect between both of them that though still cast a frosty chill in the air, made for a kind of rivalry that confused the blonde.
Were they back on good terms? Well… as good of terms as someone as emotionally constipated, and quick tempered as Sasuke and Sakura anyways. His head whipped animatedly back and forth between them, before Sakura suddenly turned, and got into her car.
In a great scramble, Naruto managed to get into her passenger seat, clicking his seat belt as she threw the car into reverse.
The blonde completely missed her glance into the rearview mirror, to watch Sasuke get into his own car.
?
With a soft click of the door, he set his duffle bag down on the carpet, and padded across the living room. Stabbing the power button on the TV to get the noise out of the living room, he turned towards the couch.
Tangled in a blanket, hair sticking out in all directions, was his little brother, breathing lightly and almost peacefully.
Itachi knew that Sasuke held a lot of inner turmoil at things. He held grudges far too long, and got angry at the littlest of things. But, for the first time in about a decade, he watched his brother's tranquil sleep, undisturbed by plaguing nightmares, or horrible challenges with his brother. No backstabbing, or anger was included on his face.
Sitting softly on the chair, and glancing around the room, the feelings inside of him stirred as they did every time he glanced around the spacious living area. With tall ceilings, and spread out, comfortable furniture, with only antique and professional wall hangings, their house was surprisingly empty. For all of its stories and hidden rooms, and nooks and crannies, two people living there didn't seem right.
When Sasuke was living with his uncle, Itachi couldn't stand being in that house alone. He would always have a butler or maid stay there, or when they couldn't, he invited their family to live in the luxurious home for a while. And still, gaping at that room, those feelings in his chest whirled around…
Their house was completely too big for two stupid kids. His parents had made it lively and bright, whereas most of the house was no longer used. His father always had a way of making every space useful, whether it be for Sasuke's destruction of toys, or Itachi's band equipment, or even for their old cat to shed all over. His mother had done the work brightening things up, and holding them together as a family.
For a unit of all boys, and one devoted mother, her job was surely full time. She worked far more hours then their father in cleaning with the maids, cooking, making her two kids laugh and work together, teaching them things that no one else would ever teach them. She was their light, and even when the power went out, and it was storming furiously outside, their father angry at losing a day's work, and little Sasuke crying because the thunder scared him… She was always there to pull out an old board game, and let them forget all of their troubles.
He had always taken advantage of his parents, and he knew that that was part of the reason Sasuke was stumbling to stand back on his own, forgetting the hurt and the anger. It was because he had taken advantage of their presence, and had only had them for six years of his life…
That was far too small of a time to learn every life lesson possible.
Rubbing his face with his hands, Itachi leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. It took his friends and Sasuke, to be completely absent (when the kid was asleep, he counted for not being there) from his presence for his whole façade to come down.
It wasn't as though the accident hadn't affected him at all, but being able to grieve had been stripped away from him when he had a little brother to take care of… a little brother who no longer wanted anything to do with him…
The only thing the older Uchiha wanted now, was for everything to be okay between him and Sasuke again… for Sasuke to be okay again…
?
"Sasori…" The voice was so light – so quiet – that at first, he thought he had imagined it.
He was laying in bed, staring at his ceiling, distantly thinking about prom, and the thoughts that came with it about the Uchihas, his sister, girls, and other things of the sort. He didn't even hear the door open (maybe it wasn't shut in the first place), and when her small voice rang out into the silence, almost… well – silently, he was a little alarmed.
Rolling onto his side, and propping himself up on one elbow, he raised an eyebrow at her, "What's up dear sister?" He smirked, his tone light, but her expression heavy.
She padded deeper into the room, feeling the soft, shaggy carpet below her feet, as she leaned over the bed, and suddenly climbed over Sasori to get to the other side of him. After adjusting to make herself comfortable, Sasori turned towards here, where she had nuzzled into his memory foam pillow, and was staring at him, emerald eyes bright with curiosity.
"How was your… thing?" She questioned, gracing him with a small, innocent smile.
"We beat them…" He chuckled darkly, "I just pictured the other guy as Kisame, and boom!" He suddenly yelped, causing her to make a meeping noise and shrinking back, but giggle, "He was out cold within the first three minutes."
She sighed, disapproving of the whole fight, but let on a tiny smirk after some coaxing from the redhead. They were silent for a few moments, listening to the other breathe, enjoying the overdue time in the other's presence.
"What'cha gonna do about prom?" Sasori suddenly asked, and the girl groaned, flopping over on her other side. He laughed, flopping closer to her, and they got into a little bit of a fake tussle on the bed.
When that ended a few moments later, she sighed and glanced at him, "Honestly? I just don't think I'm going to go."
"Ino really wants you too…" He observed.
"Hmm…" She rolled her eyes, "Like that wasn't pronounced to all of mankind when she squealed in the hallway, wailing when I told her I wasn't going."
"Well… should I do that too? Would that make you change your mind?"
"Why do you want me to go?" She asked, taken aback, and a little freaked out.
"What?" He asked in a tone Sakura didn't even have a word for, "I can't want to see my sister all prettied up like a pink haired doll in a dress? Please –" she thought he would have something adorable, and totally brotherly to say, but her smile dropped, and the glitter dimmed in her eyes as he continued, "- that's too much leverage on you, and too much blackmail to pass up!"
"Hmph!" Was all she had to do to answer.
They listened to the whooshing of his ceiling fan for a few moments, before he inhaled once more, "I think you'd have fun, believe it or not. If you went with all of your friends, and just laughed and danced – no one really cares what other people think at prom… Trust me – two years of it really give you perspective."
"Why didn't you go freshman year?"
He grinned, "I didn't get asked by someone that met my standards?" She snorted at that – she just couldn't help it.
"Well – maybe then I guess that's me too, huh?' She asked, her tone ironic. He cringed at the bitterness hiding deep within her words.
Sasori sighed and patted his sister on the head, "We'll find ya someone… I know Ino has a great way of persuading people…" He waggled his eyebrows – something Sasori would never in a million years do, and she snorted again in laughter.
After they settled down, and said nothing more, Sasori wondered how long it would be before his sister got bored and made to leave. But as he turned over to make a snide comment on her silence, he saw her fast asleep, curled up in the innocent little ball only a few people had ever seen in their lives.
He smirked, almost gingerly, before flicking her hair behind her neck, resisting the urge to rumple it all, before pulling up the blankets and rolling over, falling into his own peaceful sleep.
?
"Sakura! Ohh Sakura dear! Are these words going to sound sweet coming off my tongue!" She groaned and rolled over, slamming a pillow over her ears. Sasori had such a damn infuriatingly irritating voice in the morning.
"Saaaakura!" He sang out with a laugh, as he danced into the room, pulling open the curtains as the rays of sunlight flittered onto her.
She growled, and threw a pillow in his direction. He caught it all knowingly. "Ah ah – what did mom tell you about violence?"
"I could say the same thing to you!" She grumbled, angrily turning over, seeking a new pillow. He threw it back to her.
"So do you know how last night, we ended our beautiful conversation with finding you someone for prom? Well I found you someone for prom!" He beamed, yanking her up out of bed, and into the hallway, despite her enraged protest.
As her feet slid on the carpet of the stairs, her whole world jumbled every time she was dragged down another step, her prom date slowly came into view, and instantly, her eyes brightened, and a smile aligned on her face.
Though with her hair sticking up in more directions than Naruto's, pajamas wrinkled, and face still looking exhausted, She raced down the remaining steps, and leapt into the boy's arms.
"Gaara!" She beamed, as he smirked and set her back on the floor.
"Hello, Sakura… Long time no see…"
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought I would pay a little visit?" He shrugged. Gaara and she had been best friends since they were in diapers. Unfortunately, during their eighth grade year, he had moved up north to find himself a better art program.
Ironically, Sai began attending that school about a year later, and after hearing what had happened from Sakura, had indefinitely, as though he deemed it his duty, devoted his life to nothing but art, and making sure that guy was scared out of his shorts all the time.
Naruto had met Gaara following that, and through the common interest of hating Sai, became close friends too, and the blonde always made a point to go see him, when Jiraiya took him up to go fishing. It seemed like everyone lived in that town up there – she would have to make a mental note to go up there and check out what was so great about it.
"So…" Sasori smirked, tuning out his mother humming in the background, ever present when a conversation of prom arose, to see if her baby girl would actually be going so the woman could drown her daughter in dresses and accessories. "Here's your prom date! Tada!" Sasori could be so strange.
Sakura shook her head, "How do you propose you get another guy from another school, who isn't even a junior or senior, to be able to bring me to prom?"
"The same whoop ass way we made it so all of the cool sophomores could go, even with each other…" He grinned, slightly evil intentions underneath his lips, "Besides… Tsunade really likes the sophomore class for some reason – she said 'just as long as no damn freshmen go! Understood?' that was pretty much the only concern."
Slowly, a grin crept up on Gaara's face, "So… Fill me in on the details that I haven't heard from your brother… Why would me taking you to prom cause an awe inspiring reaction?"
She cringed, "I wouldn't exactly say that!"
And so it began… Gaara officially asked her to prom, and the whole scheme slowly started to come together. And after calling Ino and leaving her a voicemail, her heart leapt almost into her mouth, and suddenly she felt almost… what was it…
Excited? About prom?
?
A/N: Wow. That was so overdue it makes me sad. I had HUGE writer's block, and then, I was so sad because I dropped from a peak of 16 reviews, down to like, 11, and for some reason, even though 11 is still a lot, it still made me sad :(
Hopefully, this chapter was more interesting than the last one… :) I know you were all wondering exactly how sophomores in high school could possibly get into prom, and stuff, so I figured I would straighten all that out :)
Thank you to all who reviewed before, and to aaall of my dear readers! :D I'm sorry for the long wait – hopefully this makes up for it! Please review and enjoy the chapter!
-zesty-