Tree of blooming hope

When Naruto gets home he instantly heads to his room. He didn't even spare his parents a hug or as much as an 'hi'.

"How was school?" His mother, Kushina, would ask.

"Fine."

"Want to play a board game together later? It's been a-"

"Not really." Naruto answers quickly as he kicks his last shoe off and dashes past his mother up the stairs and into his room. Kushina sighs.

"Just give him time. He'll come around." Minato says caringly and when she turns to her husband she tries to smile at him, but he knows as well as she that the expression she forms is all but a cheerful one.

"It just…" Kushina sighs as she sits down on the couch next to him. "It feels like he's slipping away from us. We used to talk so easily, but now… I just don't know what to say anymore. It feels as if he's build a wall around himself to keep us out. Or to protect himself from getting hurt, though why and from what…" Minato puts down the camera on which he was looking through some shots from their last trip and he leans back to put a hand on his wife's back.

"I'm sure it will all work out. It's probably a phase he is going through as he approaches adulthood. I'm sure he's just trying to figure things out on his own and when he's ready he'll tell us." With his other hand he takes one of hers and she squeezes it shortly. "Perhaps he has someone he likes and needs to figure things out before telling us. I know it is hard to let him do things on his own, but he will be going to collage soon so we have to trust that he'll come out of this isolation on his own."

"Why do you always have to sound so wise?" Kushina chuckles. "You make me sound like a hysterical mother."

"Not at all. You act like a great mother whom cares a lot about her son. And you just have great taste in choosing your husband." Minato can't help but add and smirks which turns into laughter as she playfully punches his upper arm.

In his room Naruto throws his bag haphazardly in the corner and lets himself fall in the desk chair with a deep sigh. He turned on some music and picked up a magazine about the latest card designs. He couldn't really remember when he started collecting fantasy-themed cards but it's something he has been doing for a while. He keeps his collection in a map and every once in a while he opens it up for inspiration to draw. He's always been more of a drawer than a talker and escaping the real world by throwing his mind into a fantastical one was his way of coping with harsh changes of his reality. His walls are covered with posters of the genre that sometimes referred to the bands he listens to or series or movies he likes. There was one poster in particular that he was especially fond of. It was of a dark winged angel with spiky black hair. He was holding himself in such a way that accentuated his muscles and the expression he wore was one of pain and yet held so much strength in it. He reminded Naruto strongly of Sasuke somehow and thinking on it now he might have bought it unknowingly for that reason.

Naruto yawns and he closes the magazine, not feeling much for drawing at the moment as every word his eyes take in seem to leave his ears without getting registered by the brain. He turns of the music, closes the window and the curtains and lets himself fall onto his bed. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply as his mind instantly goes to a certain raven again. I wonder what he has in store for me tomorrow. Naruto thinks and his creative mind eagerly comes up with some suggestions. He was still thinking of him as his body relaxed and he didn't pay it any mind that his wandering mind soon became a dreaming one.

Around dinnertime his parents came to check on him, silently opening the door to see that their son was sleeping soundly. Understanding that he must have had an exhausting day they closed it as quietly as they had opened it and let him sleep. They really were worried about him, but much to the frustration of every parent they had to discover how to handle their teenage son through trial and error.
Coming to America had been hard for Naruto. Japan had such a different culture and thanks to his skin color alone he stood out, hence making him an easy target for bullies like Sasuke. Though he hadn't been bullied by anyone before, it wasn't like he got readily accepted by these beige kids. He was excluded a lot, which had as much to do with the country he came from as the language barrier. So much so that by the time he could speak English fluently he had had already a reputation of being a loner or the weird kid. Not to mention that he was two years behind his peers by then. Being isolated, alone and rejected makes one look for other ways to find company, hence why Naruto started reading and drawing. It was hard after all to get rejected in your own fantasy world. And in choosing drawing or reading over interacting with others he only confirmed what they were already saying about him. As such he was never chosen to join plays, never invited to birthdays, never offered a spot at the table, never asked for group projects. He was never asked anything, nobody ever answered his questions when he did speak and no-one would notice if he lacked behind or simply wasn't there. He always just watched them, like from afar, as they had fun with friends, as they worked together, as they left him behind or went through excessive length's to avoid him out of fear that they'd be put in the same boat as him. And though the thought would sometimes sneak up on him that he wished he had what they had, he instantly smacked it down with the thought that he didn't need anybody. It didn't make the loneliness and the sinking feeling that he was drowning any less though.
So when an angry raven haired kid his age started to pay attention to him, started to see him, interact with him and gave him his undivided attention, Naruto felt nothing but relief for it. Even though the attention was negative, someone actually heard him, noticed his existence and proved that he wasn't invisible. In a way it felt like his bully had saved him from that unrelenting darkness that was slowly drowning him under.

This was the time and place right? Naruto wonders nervously as he fidgets with the hem of his shirt. It's the next day and the moment he had been looking forward to so much. Sasuke had let him know to meet him here under this tree at the side of the school. It was surrounded by walls on three sides so it was a rather private spot that was a bit hard to reach because of all the undergrowth.

"Seems someone is eager today." Naruto looks up quickly as he watches Sasuke approach him.

"Pft, as if. I just want to get this over with already so I can go back to my actual life." Naruto scoffs, though Sasuke probably knows it as well as he does that it was all a lie.

"Right, well then we better start since you miss your pathetic life so much." Sasuke says threateningly as he advances on him. "Although, it begs the question why you're here at all then." With one hand he pushes the blond against the tree.

"B-because I'd rather have you to myself…" Naruto says without thinking as those storm filled eyes hold his own captive again. "I-I mean- T-that is-" Sasuke smirks and makes his heart thunder like the storm in his eyes.

"So you're not that stupid after all. With the other two around you'd be in for the usual beating. No," He says as he retrieves something from his pocket. "What I have in store for you today is something I'm sure you will never forget. Something between just the two of us." Naruto swallows hard at his bully's words and when he hears a sound he looks at what the raven is holding. It was a knife, a pocketknife.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto gasps as he grabs the arm with the knife, panic flashing in that bright blue.

"Didn't you want me to hurt you? Why else would you have come."

"H-Hurt, eh, yes… But not, I-I mean-" Naruto sighs with frustration. Beatings were one thing, getting sliced up was something different.

"Let me guess. You're one of those types that can't stand blood." Sasuke places the point of the knife right under Naruto's chin to make him look at him, the blond never letting go of his arm though he allows him to. "You're such a wuss after all."

"No." Naruto whispers as determination came over him. His eyes never leaves those of his bully as he pushes his shirt up and places his hand over Sasuke's to move it to his belly. He manages not to even flinch as he helps him make the first cut. Just for a moment the cloudy storm in those dark eyes make way for surprise. It's an expression Naruto had not seen in them before and such open vulnerability makes the butterflies under those cuts go wild. It makes him want to see more of such expressions. And so, despite Sasuke having found his composure again, he helps him make cut after cut.

"Naruto… You know what your kind of people are called?" Sasuke's eyes flicker down for a moment and Naruto could have sworn they lingered on his lips for a moment. He doesn't answer the question, knowing it was a rhetorical one and instead proceeds to make the next shallow cut, his eyes ever scanning his bullies expression. "Masochists." Those black eyes are meeting his again, a calculating almost trancelike look in them.

"Then what does that make you?" Naruto retorts softly, his eyes darting towards the ravens lips which seem so much closer all of a sudden. Had Sasuke been leaning in? Or had he been this close all this time and did he not notice because he was so focused on his eyes? "Your kind are called sadistic psycho killers."

"Ghn." Naruto is sure he could see a hint of humor flicker behind what some called the windows to the soul where the storm, still threatening and dangerous, seems to have somewhat evened out. Again those dark eyes flicker downward to his lips and Naruto can't help but do the same. Before he can look up again the gap is suddenly closed and Sasuke's lips are on his. As soon as he realizes what is happening he closes his eyes, savoring the feeling of those soft lips on his. They were soft, albeit a bit chipped from dryness, and they pressed against his with earnest and strength. Naruto wanted nothing more but to wet those lips, slide his tongue over them and have Sasuke put his own into his mouth. He wonders what it would feel like to feel his bullies tongue slide against his own. The moment lasts what felt like an eternity and yet Naruto knows that it could have been only a few seconds before Sasuke moves away again. They stare at each other as they regain their composure and again Naruto sees a moment of vulnerability for just a second as his bully seems confused for a moment. As if not even he knew what had happened just now or why. Naruto wants to ask him, but as strange and sudden as the moment had been, as quickly does his bullies demeanor change. He grabs a handful of his blond locks and pushes his head forcefully against the tree, the knife pointing a bit lower against his abdomen.

"You…" Sasuke says threateningly and through the tears stinging in his eyes from his hair being pulled like that Naruto can see that familiar hatred that seems to drive the storm in those dark orbs. "Disgust. Me." He then spits him in his face and as he steps back he lets the knife slip a bit so a somewhat deeper cut was made than the previous ones, though still not anything fatal or whatever. By the time Naruto has removed the spit from his face so he can see clearly again his bully has already stormed off without another word. Lots of emotions go through him at that moment, most of which he can't even begin to describe, but the one clearest was that of confusion.

Late afternoon Naruto lies on his back on his bed. Again he replays the scene under the tree earlier today in his head, wondering by now if it really had even happened. What the hell was that today? He wonders again and in his mind he focusses on the kiss he and Sasuke had shared, his finger tracing his lips. How do I feel about that? He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. As if I need to ask. I loved it. I didn't want it to end. A smile forms on his lips as he feels how the butterflies in his belly go crazy. Of all the times he had thought of Sasuke in such a way, never, not once, had he ever thought anything like that could really happen. He was no fool, he knew Sasuke hated him, could see it every day in his eyes, in the way he treated him. Hell, he tells me plenty of times how much I… disgust him… He hates me with a passion. I don't know why, but he always has. So why do this? Why kiss me? Surely he hadn't planned it… He remembers those rare moments of vulnerability when other emotions uncontrollably showed on that far to handsome face. Yeah he did not plan for that to happen. And I think he thought wat I said was funny! I wonder if it will happen again. I really, really hope he will kiss me again…
Naruto lets his mind wander from there, wondering what would have happened if he had licked his bullies lips. Perhaps Sasuke would have dropped the knife as he dove in, his tongue dominatingly exploring, marking his own mouth. He would shove him against the tree with his whole body, pressing his hips tightly against his own with a leg between his own. That other hand would move to his hair and Naruto can't help but moan as his hand slips into his pants, imagining Sasuke smirking into the kiss at hearing the sound when he tightens his hands in his hair. He would be getting so hard against me. Naruto thinks as dream Sasuke starts to grind his hips against his own while their erections are still painfully constrained by their jeans. If he goes to kiss my neck, no bite it, I wouldn't be able to stop the moan. It would be his name I'd say. He might ask me if I wanted him to do with me whatever he wanted and I would say yes. Fuck, I would beg him for his cock at this point! Naruto pants as his mind takes him to more and more of an impossible reality. Not that he cared. The hard prick in his hand most certainly did not. I'd turn around and let him fuck me against the tree right there. O-or I could give him a blow-job. I wonder how big he is, if I could please him like that. Sasuke. Sasukeh…

"Sasukeh… Hm. Fuck meh… Hah… S-sasu-" Naruto moans softly as he pumps his shaft faster and faster while imagining Sasuke fucking him roughly against the tree.

"Naruto?" Naruto curses and quickly rolls over while pulling the blanket over himself. His mother continues from downstairs; "Dinner will be ready in an hour or so, so you better take that bath soon if you want that done beforehand!"

"Got it!" Naruto calls back and he sighs as he realizes his mother wasn't going to come up and walk in on him wanking. He sighs again, in frustration this time, reasoning that he might as well finish up in the bathroom anyway. The bathroom was adjacent to his own and had a shower in it. An old fashioned bathing tub could be placed under it easily and was in the storeroom opposite the bathroom. He was grateful to himself for readying everything when he got home so he doesn't risk walking into one of his parents with still a half hard cock that he'd have a hard time concealing. Not that his size was a big one or anything. From looking at the dicks of his classmates and of course porn on his laptop, he'd concluded that he had about an average size. Okay fine, it was a little smaller even than average. Fine with him, really, he knew he wanted his ass taken more than that his dick would have to be the one satisfying others. Dicks can disappoint. Assholes not so much. Naruto chuckles at the thought as he takes his clothes off while the tub fills up with hot water. He looks in the mirror then. Normally he'd avoid looking at his naked body, but today was different. His eyes were drawn to the thin red lines on his belly and just below the chest. He remembers Sasuke putting them there and the half hard cock in the mirror twitches at the memory while one of his fingers traces the cuts. It was definitely something to remember. For as long as I live. Naruto thinks and smiles softly. He then enters the tub carefully, the hot water burning the new scars and Naruto can't help but relish the feeling as it makes the memory of getting them so much stronger. By the time he was fully seated and had adjusted to the temperature his erection was full mast again. With a deep sigh he closes his eyes, leans his head back against the side of the tub and starts fingering his ass as he intends to finish the fantasy he had started earlier.

After his bath Naruto walks back into his room, still drying his hair with a towel and as he finishes dressing his eyes land on the poster of the dark haired angel. His mind instantly goes to Sasuke again, making his heart skip a beat. I really like him. Naruto thinks with a sigh as he walks to the poster and leans with his forehead against it, closing his eyes as he thinks his options over. There is no denying I'm gay. I've known that for a long time and now that there is a chance of Sasuke maybe, just maybe wanting me back… I should probably tell them that I am. It's not like Naruto had kept his sexuality a secret from his parents with intent. It just never came up. He always felt that him liking and desiring his bully like that made him something else than just being gay. Something that would be even further from the norm. But now that Sasuke had kissed him, well, that changed everything. It meant there was at least an attraction between them that was mutual. So maybe what Naruto felt was something acceptable, something normal that his bully felt for him as well. Even if the attraction was just a physical one.

I'm sure it won't change anything. They are my parents, they've always been the open-minded and supportive kind of parents. With all the places they've seen, all the cultures they have experienced and all the different type of people they have met they've never been prejudgmental towards any kind of people. So, I'm sure it's gonna be fine...

To be continued...

I hope this chapter makes it a bit more clear that there are more in depth reasons for the way they behave. It's all from Naruto's POV ofcourse so what drives Sasuke is still shrouded in mystery and shall only be revealed in due time. Trust me he's not all bad and emotionless as he seems.