Hey guys! I'm late with this, sorry about that! I've been obsessed with Persona 5 so I've been playing that a lot! Anyway, I really hope y'all enjoy this new update, I had a lot of fun writing! Now, you know what time it is! Song credit time! First is Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People, the next is Learn To Fly by Foo Fighters, the next is 春天来了 by 刺猬 or in English Spring is Coming by Hedgehog, the next is No Surprises by Radiohead. Also, for the neuroscience part, I actually borrowed a character and some of the script from an amazing show called Perception! Alrighty, well, enjoy!
Sasuke wakes up all of a sudden, for some reason feeling unease from a dream he had but can't seem to remember.
He squints his eyes as he raises up from his bed, looking around his room at his new University.
After he graduated he went to the community college with Shikamaru and got a job so he could save up and come to a good University.
So after two years and some of Itachi's help, he finally was able to attend.
Sasuke rises up and heads for the shower, but not before turning on his music.
The song Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, blaring through the speakers.
After Naruto's rejection, Sasuke was broken, and it took a while for him to start functioning right again. College and Shikamaru helped with that, being there with him, away from Naruto, was hard but was somewhat pleasant and so there he began his healing process.
Today is his first day at Uni, but he is alone, Shikamaru went to study at his dream college a whole state away.
But now, Sasuke can stand on his own two feet much better, he isn't the same kid who would cry over anything anymore.
He tries to keep thoughts of Naruto out of his head and it's become easier with no contact or pictures and no talking about him.
Now, Sasuke barely thinks of him at all.
Sasuke dries off and while bobbing his head to the beat, a small smile coming to his face as he wiggles his hips as the song comes to a close, only for Learn To Fly to come on right behind it.
Sasuke belts out the lyrics as he gets dressed, playing air guitar around his room, jumping around like he is preforming a concert.
He now has on a black T-shirt and boxer briefs as he continues his dancing, using his phone as a microphone, he dances all the way to his baggy darkish green pants with the big pockets on the side.
Before putting them on he changed the song, scrolling through his phone he picks one he loves.
Spring is Coming by Hedgehog.
He hits his air guitar roughly, his hair falling in front of his face as the guitars blast through the speakers.
When the vocals come on Sasuke tries to sing what Chinese he can as he bobs his heads while putting his pants on, he then dances over to his pull over sweater and pulls it right over as he twirls and plays his air guitar.
Sasuke then shuts off his music from the speakers and plugs in his headphones before grabbing his jacket and backpack and dancing out the door.
He changes the music to No Surprises by Radiohead and strolls down the hallway to his first class, neuroscience.
"A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide"
He takes out his phone as the lyrics and the mellow melody flow into his ears, he scrolls through his social media for a minute, looking at his friends, from his Community College, status'.
"With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent"
He then goes to his messages and clicks Shikamaru's name then he types in a text to send.
"How is your morning of your first day going?"
Sasuke watches his phone while simultaneously dodging other students walking by him, right before he sees Shikamaru typing back.
"Good, despite the fact that I forgot to set my alarm so therefore I couldn't shower when I finally woke up when I had only five minutes to get to class. So after hurridingly throwing on clothes and grabbing my things and rushing to class with like thirty seconds to spare, I found out my shirt is inside out and backwards, so I'm in class now, getting amused glances from my classmates. '-.-"
"This is my final fit
My final bellyache"
Sasuke laughs out loud, holding his stomach at the pain.
"With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please"
"For real, man? What a way to start your new year! XD!" Sasuke quickly writes back still giggling.
"Shuddap..."
Sasuke laughs loudly again.
"Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden"
"C'mon man, don't worry. I'm sure this is all the bad luck you'll have from this day forth. XD"
"Yeah yeah yeah, how is your morning then? Worse than mine, I hope."
"No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please"
"Not bad, I was able to shower and now I'm off to class. Better than yours already, haha."
The song finishes but Sasuke barely notices as the next song starts to play.
"Watch! Something will happen that will make your day worse! Bet!"
"OH come on! Wanna curse me or something?"
"Bet!"
"...bet what...?"
"If your day turns out worse, buy me dinner. If mine stays worse, I'll treat you.."
"Haha! You are totally on!"
"Good, but I gotta go now. Ttyl"
"See ya, Shika"
Sasuke listens to the music still playing as he continues his long walk to his very first class here, as he rounds the last corner and heads into his class.
Sasuke walks to the back of the big classroom and sits down and plays on his phone until the teacher comes in.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Daniel Pierce, I'll be your professor." He sits his things down and takes off his jacket before walking in front of his desk.
"Alright, everyone ready? Let's start."
Sasuke watches the others start to get their notebooks out so he follows along, grabbing one of this notebooks out of his backpack, as well as a pen.
"What is reality?" Doc looks around the class at all the kids.
"Hippie Guy." He quickly points to the kid wearing tie dye with long hair.
Sasuke as well as the other students giggle.
"The observable universe?" Hippie Guy shrugs his shoulders as he answers.
" I suppose that answer might fly in the physics department, but this is neuroscience." Doc says with a sarcastic tone.
Sasuke smiles, he already like his first class and teacher.
"Who's got the brains to give me an answer relating to the brain?" The teacher looks around again, "Ironic t-shirt." He points to the big breasted girl with the t-shirt reading Stimulus Package.
"Reality is exactly what we see and hear, instead of what we fantasize about or dream or, you know, maybe hallucinate." She replies nonchalant.
"Ah.." The teacher's mouth opens wide, "Hallucination."
"That's an answer I would have expected from hippie guy." He gives a quick, playful glance over to him.
The class laughs again.
"Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, right? Okay." He nods towards him and smirks.
Hippie Guy laughs along with the class.
"Now, here's something that's really gonna alter your consciousness." Doc looks around again, "Reality is a figment of your imagination."
"Who here hasn't woken up breathless from a nightmare and thought, "oh, thank goodness it's just a dream"?" He throws his hands up in mock fear.
"That's because the neurochemical impulses fired when we're dreaming or fantasizing or hallucinating are indistinguishable from the ones banging around inside our skulls when we actually experience those events."
The class watches him; some with awe, others with confusion, and some looking bored.
"So if what we perceive is often wrong. How can we ever know what's real and what isn't?" Doc looks around the class.
"Alright, class is over." He waves us goodbye as students start packing up.
Sasuke looks at the time surprised that it went by so quickly, as he begins packing up.
He feels excited for next week when he can come back because so far, this is his favorite class.
Sasuke goes to his next classes but not finding them as interesting as his first class.
When he finally gets out for the day, he is still excited about finally being here at this school.
Sasuke is about to text Shikamaru when he accidentally bumps into someone, Sasuke looks up as he apologizes.
"Sorry-" He is cut off when he sees who is standing before him.
The guy turns around to see what happened.
"Sasuke?" There is a surprise and friendly undertone, one too familiar.
Sasuke can't speak as the sight of his former best friend and first love, Naruto.
But not only is it Naruto who he sees, but Kirie standing there beside him with a forced smile on her face as she looks over at Sasuke.
"Wow, what are you doing here?" Naruto gives his famous huge, bright smile.
Sasuke's breath hitches, the sight so familiar, but he hasn't seen it for two years, the brightness is too much.
"What..?" Sasuke manages to sputter out.
This isn't suppose to happen, he is suppose to never seen him again.
How can he continue to heal if the dobe is here?!
"Uh.." Sasuke can't talk, he is completely taken off guard.
"So we are going to the same college now, that's totally cool! It's been too long!" Naruto keeps his smile in place, his innocent smile.
He acts like Sasuke never confessed and Naruto didn't completely abandon him.
But Sasuke is too shocked to even feel anger.
He takes a step away, pain flutters through his chest, a dull ache from the scar Naruto left on him that day at graduation.
And the dobe doesn't even feel bad about that, he is completely calm.
Sasuke turns away quickly, and hurriedly walks in the opposite direction, arms tight by his side, leaving a frowning Naruto watching his back.
When he gets to his room, he sits on his bed, the shock slowly wearing off.
He rubs his face.
"What the heck is he doing here?" Sasuke stares angrily at the floor.
"Great, how am I still affected that much by him?" Sasuke sighs and rubs his face harshly, more angry with his reaction than anything.
He grabs his phone to text Shikamaru.
"Where do you want me to buy you dinner?"
"What? For real man, I win? :O" Shikamaru texts back.
"Yes, you win. But I win for crappiest day ever.:("
"What happened? Pop a boner in front of your entire class?"
Sasuke bursts into a fit of laughter.
"No, you moron! You'll never believe who I just ran into, literally, ran into."
"Who?"
Sasuke rolls his eyes.
"Come on, Shika. You are smart enough to figure out WHO would make my day bad just by running into them. Think."
After a minute, Shika replies.
"No.."
"Yes."
"NO"
"YES"
"What is he doing there? :o"
"Dunno. But I literally couldn't speak and ran away. AND Kirie was there with him!"
"Bro, what even.."
";;"
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'll tell you one thing, I'm not gonna be the same person he once knew, I've changed too much, or at least I think so. But we ain't gonna talk or be friends."
"Sounds like the best option."
"When do you want me to buy you dinner then?"
"This weekend, I ain't too far away so I'll come this weekend."
"Okay, I'ma study now so I'll talk to you later, man."
"Alright, see ya"
Sasuke sighs and tosses his phone on his pillow, his dream finally coming back to him.
"I'm in love with you." I say calmly, not letting my eyes leave his.
I see his eyes grow wide, he removes his hand from my arm and he takes a step back.
My stomach jolts.
I feel bile rising to my throat but I push it down, I haven't received his reply, I can't start getting upset now.
"No. You can't."
My throat clenches, I almost can't breathe.
"I do. I couldn't help falling in love with you, and I've been in love with you for years now." I surprised myself by how calm my voice sounded.
Naruto shakes his head, "We're guys, Sasuke. We're friends. I'm not gay."
He doesn't look at me.
My heart is starting to speed up, it's hard to register any other sound.
"There isn't anything wrong with that." I take a step forward, pleading.
My heart almost stops as he takes a another step back, his face contorted in pain and anger.
"Being gay is not right, it's not normal, Sasuke. Don't you know that?" He finally looks at me and I wish he hadn't because his eyes look like they belong to a stranger.
"You truly believe that?" I plead, not wanting it to be true.
Naruto looks pained, "I do. I-I think it's disgusting."
I see his hands clenched so tight, his knuckles are ghostly white.
My legs feel unstable.
My head feels like it's spinning a little.
"Then, can you not accept me?" I feel water stinging the corner of my eyes.
Naruto clenches his jaw, looking down with his eyes closed tight before sighing and looking straight at me.
"I can't."
It's official, my heart has stopped beating, I can't even feel my body anymore, can you die just like that? For no reason other than heartbreak?
If such a thing is possible, then it has just happened to me.
Right here.
Right now.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I don't wanna-" He stops himself.
He rubs his face, his jaw still clenched tight before continuing, " I don't wanna hurt you but I also can't accept you."
When I return from my short moment of death, I look up and see tears running down his face.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Naruto looks at me before taking another step back.
The tears start to also run down my cheeks.
I feel him slipping away with each word, each step.
Sasuke takes a deep breath, now he knows why he felt so uneasy.
Why was this happening to him?
Why did he ever fall in love with his best friend anyway?
Sasuke gets up, angry at himself, angry at Naruto, and angry at Kirie, so he decides to clear his mind of them and study.
He hopes he can make it through this year.
The next day Sasuke wakes up suddenly from his sleep again, same dream.
He feels tired and it's only the second day of the school year.
And he won't have his neuroscience class again until next week.
Sasuke sighs but forces himself to get up, trying to figure out a good plan for avoidance.
But, nothing good comes to mind.
Since he is up early, he decides to go to the cafeteria for breakfast, he gets dressed and grabs his keys and heads out.
He is too tired for music this morning.
Sasuke yawns as he walks down the hallway, then rubs the sleep from his drowsy eyes.
He walks down the hallway to the cafeteria, yawning once again, when he opens his eyes he sees Naruto and Kirie both walking towards him to the cafeteria as well.
Sasuke stops.
Naruto sees and waves at Sasuke to join them.
Sasuke, without hesitation or without a hint of distress, turns around and walks the other way, once again, leaving a frowing Naruto in mid-wave, behind him.
He walks back to his room, the pain evident in his chest, as he picks up a fiber bar to eat for breakfast.
The week goes by with Sasuke avoiding Naruto, by luckily not having to see him too much, he hopes it stays that way for the rest of his time at Uni.
The more Sasuke avoids Naruto, the more his existence there becomes easier to handle.
But still, there is always a dull pain there waiting for each time he sees him.
Today is finally Friday, which means he gets to see his best friend, Shikamaru tonight.
And, buy him dinner.. wherever he wants.
Sasuke practically runs to the door when he hears the knocking.
Swinging the door open, he is faced with a smiling Shikamaru, whom he hugs almost as soon as he sees him.
"It's great to see you!" Sasuke smiles.
"It hasn't even been that long, Sasu." Shikamaru laughs.
They stay together for a little before moving apart.
"Where will I be buying your dinner?" Sasuke hesitantly asks.
"Don't worry, it ain't too expensive. Just this Italian restaurant down the road from here."
Sasuke sighs and nods, "Sounds good."
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Both boys walk down the street to the restaurant, happily talking with one another.
"So tell me how your weeks been?" Shikamaru asks after they placed their orders.
Sasuke gives him a tired look.
"That bad?"
"No, not really too bad." Sasuke shakes his head.
Shikamaru leans in closer.
"I've been avoiding him so we haven't had much contact but the fact that he is here is still tiring to know." He plays with his straw paper.
"Yeah, at least you don't have much contact though, that wouldn't feel nice. Just keep avoiding him, maybe learn his schedule and work around it?"
Sasuke nods his head, "Maybe."
The lady returns with their lasagna and both boys dig in.
"So how's your week been?" Sasuke asks with his mouth full and sauce dripping down his chin.
Shikamaru laughs, "Good, and like you said, no more bad luck."
Sasuke smiles and they settle into a lighthearted conversation as they eat their food.
Shikamaru had become Sasuke's best friend since Naruto left, it all started on Christmas two years ago, when Shikamaru talked to him when he was depressed, and ever since then they got closer and closer.
At first, Shikamaru wasn't his first pick but now, he would always pick him, the one who stuck with him through his bad time.
That is something he can never forget.
They share laughs and stories as they eat their food in the laid back, comfortable atmosphere of the restaurant, the lights dimmed.
Everything is going well until Sasuke glimpses Naruto and Kirie walking over to a table with the hostess.
Shikamaru notices a change in Sasuke immediately and follows his eyes and glares.
"You wanna leave?" Shikamaru turns back to Sasuke.
Sasuke looks over to him and smiles, "No, I'm buying you dinner and I won't let him ruin my time with my best friend."
And Sasuke meant it, he isn't the same brokenhearted kid that he once was, and he won't let his night get ruined with his best friend when they finally get to hang out.
Shikamaru smiles and leans over, rustling Sasuke's hair.
"Oi! What are you doing? Trying to mess up my hair and hurt my gorgeous looks?" Sasuke says playfully.
"What looks?"
Sasuke's mouth drops.
"Not funny!" Sasuke tries to keep himself from smiling.
"Very funny." Shikamaru says with a smirk.
"Hey!"
Sasuke and Shikamaru look up to see who inturrupted then and low and behold it's a smiling Naruto.
"Can we join you? We should totally catch up, guys! It's really been forever."
Sasuke and Shikamaru look at each other but before they can answer, Naruto is squeezing beside Sasuke and Kirie beside Shikamaru.
The body contact makes Sasuke's heartbeat stop.
He then scoots as far away as he can from him, annoyance plainly on his face.
"How have you guys been?" Naruto asks, looking between Sasuke and Shikamaru but mostly keeping his eyes on Sasuke.
Sasuke takes a bite of his lasagna before answering.
"Perfectly good."
No emotion in his voice.
Shikamaru smirks.
"Yeah, we've been good, I go to XX Uni in the next state. I'm just here to see Sasuke."
Naruto nods, his eyebrows furrowed a little, "That's nice."
Sasuke continues eating.
Shikamaru watches him in amusement.
"It's really nice to see you again, Sasuke." Kirie smiles.
Sasuke looks up towards her.
Her smile seems forced along with her words, Naruto must've told her.
"Yeah." He looks back down.
Sasuke has manners, but he hates to lie, so what can he really say?
He glances at Naruto, who is rubbing his neck which means he is probably feeling kind of awkward now.
Sasuke smirks at that.
"Uh, Sasuke?" Naruto looks at him.
"Hm." Sasuke doesn't look up but continues to eat as does Shikamaru.
"I'm really happy I got to see you and talk to you again."
Sasuke doesn't flinch and doesn't look up.
"Yeah."
Short, and gives little information on how you're feeling.
Naruto's face drops and he begins eating the food that was finally brought out to them.
They eat in silence.
Shikamaru and Sasuke finish and grab the check, Naruto and Kirie let them out.
Naruto reaches out and lightly holds onto Sasuke's arm, ""I hope I can talk to you again."
When Sasuke actually looks to Naruto, he is received with such an intense and emotional glance that he can barely reply.
So he doesn't reply, he pulls his arm away and leaves with Shikamaru.
They walk home in silence and when they finally get to Sasuke's room, they bust out laughing.
"That was sooo awkward!" Shikamaru laughs.
"I know! Did you see their faces?" Sasuke is on his bed, holding his stomach.
"That was so bad! I can't believe that just happened!" Shikamaru wheezes.
This causes Sasuke to laugh even harder, until he to is wheezing.
After they finally calm down, they stay up talking some more before laying down for bed.
Sasuke hears Shikamaru snoring next to him as soon as his head hits the pillow.
Sasuke stares at the ceiling, thinking of what transpired today but for some reason, he can't forget those eyes and the way Naruto held onto him.
He can't explain it but Naruto's eyes held something, and he can't quite figure it out.
So he falls asleep with a new dream, one with those haunting eyes that Naruto wore earlier and that lingering touch they shared, a dream where Naruto accepted him.
The weekend passes by quickly as Shikamaru and Sasuke talk and play video games and before he knows it, Shikamaru is leaving to go back to his school.
"Man, I hate that you gotta go." Sasuke whines.
"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
They hug at the door, neither one wanting the weekend to end.
"Text me about everything!" Shikamaru smiles.
"Of course! You too!" Sasuke returns the smile.
"See ya!"
"Bye, Shika!"
Sasuke closes the door and turns back to his empty room.
Monday morning Sasuke wakes up refreshed, because of a nice weekend and because his favorite class is today.
He wastes no time getting dressed and in heading over to his neuroscience class.
"Last week, I asked, "what is reality?"... This week, I want to talk about normalcy."
The class is absorbed already.
"What is normal? If you feel sad, do you just have a case of the blues, or are you suffering from a neurochemical imbalance?... The vast majority of the case studies that we've been looking at involve patients whose brains are anything but normal, and there's no question they suffer."
Doc walks around the room, looking at all his students.
"But is it all bad? For some, their neurological states might actually protect them from painful truths that no one would want to think about."
"Others develop a cheerful disposition that may help them cope with situations the rest of us would find disturbing."
"And if we are to establish a baseline, then we also have to ask ourselves how the brains of even so-called normal people respond to certain stimuli."
Doc leans against his desk as he speaks.
"And if we're able to treat those people living with neurological disorders, restore them to quote "normalcy,"... well, of course we're helping them."
He gestures with his hand outwards.
"But might we sometimes, also be stripping away... what makes them unique... robbing them of an essential part of who they are? "
Sooooo? I hope y'all liked it! Thanks for reading and please continue to read! It's a two year skip and now everyone is in college. I'm excited for everything to come!