Note from the Author: Ooh. This chapter was fun to write. And I feel it necessary to remind you that yes, this story does have a happy ending.
Lotus Aia: … You're very animated. And that makes me happy. Neji is going to chew some Uchiha ass out!
Kawaii-Yami-Neko: Cookie ramen. That's an intriguing idea …
Shadowchick213: :flustered: Oh, dear me. :frets: Well, first of all – new reviewer! :renewed cookie supply-throwing: And thank you for the lovely compliments, and thank you for feeling my story is good enough to share with others.
Inukitsy: Yeah, I don't think I'd want to be on the receiving end of Neji-rage. And yes, Shikamaru is Temari's boyfriend. Because I'm a ShikaTema fan girl.
Kichou: I seriously considered the plot going in that direction. But I don't know if it's going to, simply because that would take away from the NaruSasu of the NaruSasu story – and also because in the third story in this little AU series, Itachi has a big part with a different character. :secretiveness:
Only-getting-darker: I try to always write a birthday chapter for the characters actual birthdays. It makes me feel good inside.
Kawaii-Aikurushii-Kitsune: Eek! Someone picked up on the little hint there:huggles: I'd give you cookies, but I gave them all to the new reviewer. Haha. I was in a very let-me-hug-people mood, so I was like, "Woo! Let's see. Who's the most likely character to just hug whoever's in sight? Lee!"
Split Persona: … I loved your analogy. I really, really did. Oh, it's going to get so much better – or worse? – from here! Believe me!
I don't care that much.
"I shouldn't have let you go home alone."
Sasuke sighed. Typical for Hinata to blame herself. "I already told you; nothing happened."
"We fucking went there, Sasuke!" Neji was towering over the younger boy, a look that could kill pointed in his direction. "We know exactly what it fucking means for Itachi to be living there again. And after all we fucking did to help you – how the fuck could you do this?"
They were gathered in the spacious basement that doubled as the family room of Hinata's house - Neji, who had been holding back all day how angry he was; Hinata, who was sitting in quiet disappointment on the sofa; and Sasuke who was becoming increasing agitated.
"Look – it's not as big a deal as you guys are making it out to be." His fist clenched. "He just moved back in, that's all."
"You might be number one in our class, Sasuke-kun," Hinata commented softly, an emotion near pity in her white eyes, "but that doesn't mean the rest of us are stupid."
"Hinata, I am telling you; this really isn't that big a deal."
"Shut up." Neji hissed, irate past the point of raised voices. "I never fucking liked you, Uchiha, but I was able to get past that because Hinata-sama was worried about you. Now I wonder why I even fucking bothered with you."
"And if you're going to behave this way, you don't even deserve Naruto-kun." His cousin added, an icy edge to her tone. "If you aren't able to choose his love over Itachi's sex, you don't deserve for him to love you."
A panic shot through Sasuke, and before he thought about how completely ridiculous it was going to sound, he blurted, "You're not going to tell him, are you?"
The look she gave him would have frozen magma. "No, I'm not. You are. And if you don't, I expect you to never speak to me again."
Neji blinked at her in a surprise that didn't show on his face.
Sasuke swallowed something along the lines of the same emotion. "Fine. I will." He stood, offering a half-hearted glare in both Hyuugas' directions. "Because I'm sure he'll understand." Walking smoothly, hands in pockets, a cool gesture that screamed of a arrogance he wasn't feeling, he ascended the stairs, knowing full well that Naruto would probably be angrier than they were.
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"Sasuke?"
"Hm?"
"Are you sleeping?"
The grass was cool and dark against his pale skin, as he lay sprawled on it, brushing against him like whispers. "No, I'm not."
Blue eyes hovered in his vision, blocking out the moon. "What's wrong, teme?"
"Nothing, dobe."
"You're so quiet."
Silence.
"Alright, quieter than usual."
He resisted the urge to pull the blonde boy down to him, to kiss him with everything he had, aware that he wouldn't be able to keep his resolve if he did. "I need to talk to you about something."
A tanned finger brushed the dark hair from his brow. "What?"
He flinched at the touch. "About us."
The sudden tension in the body beside him was almost tangible. "Us."
"Yeah." He sat up, swallowing and wincing when it stung a little – he needed to get over the vomiting. "Maybe … maybe there shouldn't be an us anymore."
A breath hitched. "What?"
"Well," his white fingers pulled through the black of his hair and his tongue formed words he knew were lies, "we're in high school, you know? I mean, what are the chances we're meant to be together forever?"
Stillness. The crickets seemed to be laughing at his idiocy. "Don't be an asshole, Sasuke – what the hell is going on?"
"I … just don't think it's working out." Why did he hesitate? Why did he hesitate? The moron was more observant than peo-
"Don't fucking lie to me, teme." Growls cut through his self-chastising. "What are we really talking about here?"
The Uchiha head deliberately turned away, deciding to take a different approach. "We're not talking about anything, dobe. There's nothing to talk about. I" – God forgive me this lie – "just don't love you anymore."
The crickets seemed to have heard the gist of the conversation – had listened like housewives in front of soap operas – and were now shocked into a mocking silence. A fist connected with his jaw, sending him off-balance, his face reuniting with the forgiving grass. "Don't fucking lie to me." The shout rang through his dazed head. "You can fucking tell me what's wrong." Hands on his shoulders turned him onto his back, and soft lips caressed the throbbing wound – as if to prove a point. "Come on, Sasuke." The words were whispered now, sobs hiding deep inside them. "Come on – tell me what's going on. You can talk to me."
He rolled intentionally from the grip, shifting to climb to his feet, plastering a non-existent coldness to his countenance. "As I said, there's nothing to talk about."
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Additional A/N: Why does Naruto's name not appear in this conversation? I don't know. Weird need to try something artsy? Let's go with that.
Also – I apologize for this being ultra-short. We'll call this one Elizabeth's-landmark-short-chapter-that exists-just-for-the-sake-of-moving-the-story-along-and-seems-to-appear-in-all-of-her-stories.