Howdy, howdy, howdy! How is everyone out there? Thatz great, well I Just gotta say that I had fun writing this chapter. Its part filler/part climax tingee. But yeah, I worked hard on it and I hope you guys really do love dis story as much as I am.
A/N: To clear something up, when there is a song and you see something in parentheses that means that the band/Naruto is backing up or singing the undertone of the song in which is being sung. And once again THE MUSIC IS IN MY PROFILE! Thank you.
Disclaimer: I don't own it…sadly
Vulnerable
"Do you really have nothing better to do?" Sasuke growled at him.
"Hmm…let's see…destroying your life…writing new music…making new music videos. It's all in a day's work mate," Sai answered us mischievously.
"How did you even get back here?" I questioned him, looking around at the tight security.
"Just a simple disguise and walking past you're idiotic guards. It's quite simple actually," Sai, answered us. Sasuke made no move to stop Sai as he walked away from us. I hit Sasuke on the shoulder as I saw Sai walking away.
"What are you doing?" I questioned Sasuke angrily. Sasuke said nothing as he caught the punch that was going to be aimed at his shoulder, and looked at me.
"What's the point?" Sasuke questioned me. I blinked a few times and stared at him in confusion.
"Wha-what are you talking about?" I questioned him again. He smirked and pulled me into him.
"You'll find out soon enough," Sasuke told me, kissing me on the head. He walked over to the bus and got on as everybody followed along with us, after a few minutes.
I got on the bus and saw Itachi sitting in the driver's seat. I went and sat down next to Sasuke who was sitting on the couch while Deidara and Sasori were in a room somewhere probably sleeping.
"Where to now?" I questioned them smiling.
"How about Little Rock Arkansas?" Itachi questioned smiling back at me. I smirked as I leaned on Sasuke and fell into sleep as Itachi started to drive. This was going to be a long trip to Arkansas, but I think it would be worth it.
------
I woke up to find that I was asleep in the bed that was located on the tour bus. Sasuke's arms were wrapped around my waist as he slept silently as well. I looked at him and saw how serene he looked with his eyes closed, and his bangs falling over his face in a messy way, which wasn't normal for the ever-perfect Sasuke.
I looked to the side and noticed that it seemed as if it were dark outside. I looked back and curled back into Sasuke's chest. He pulled me closer to him as I noticed how warm he was and how our legs were tangled together. He muttered a little bit in his sleep as I smiled to myself. Sasuke was positively adorable when he slept. I realized in that moment that I wouldn't mind waking up to this every day.
Sasuke shifted a little bit as he opened his eyes slowly as they were unfocused. He blinked a few more times and they focused on me as I looked at him smiling. He smirked at me and pulled me in, laying his head on top of mine. I kissed his neck as he shuddered at my touch. I smirked and untangled myself from his legs. He whined at that, still holding onto my hand as I left the room smirking at him.
I walked out and saw that it was Sasori who was now driving the big oversized tour bus. I walked over to him slowly and put a hand on the driver's seat as Sasori looked at me through the corner of his eye. I smirked at him as he put his eyes back on the road. I noticed that it was 5 A.M. and that Sasori must be a tad bit tired seeing as how we had been driving for about 6 hours.
"Where are we?" I questioned him while yawning.
"Amarillo, Texas,"
"You want me to drive?"
"Nah, it's okay. I've only been driving for about 2 hours anyway," he answered me.
"You sure?"
"Positive," he answered me again. I shrugged and went to go sit down on the couch that was stretched out. I laid down and pulled my cell phone out, thinking that I should update Sakura since I hadn't called her in so long.
The phone ran about 3 times until I heard her screaming voice…I never understood why every time I called her she was screaming. It was so weird.
"Hello?" she questioned a bit angrily over the phone.
"Hey…" I answered hesitantly, afraid that she was going to chop my head off.
"NARUTO! Gosh…come back!" she wailed over the phone.
"I wish,"
"Dude…where are you right now?"
"Texas. We're on our way to Little Rock Arkansas,"
"Little Rock?"
"Don't ask,"
"Where is this tour ending?" she questioned me. I perked up and realized that I had no idea where it was that this tour was going to end. I looked up at Sasori and put the phone to my chest, where Sakura couldn't hear.
"Sasori…. where are we ending this tour?"
"Our last stop on this tour is going to be in New York. We're doing 3 performances at Madison Square Garden, and then 2 performances at Jones Beach Theatre Coliseum," he answered me. I smiled at that seeing as how I had always wanted to see New York. I put the phone back to my ear and smiled into the phone.
"We're ending the tour in New York,"
"WHAT?!" she screamed into my ear. I pulled the phone away as my eyes widened. After Sakura was done ranting I put the phone back to my ear, seeing that it was safe.
"Yeah, we're ending the tour in New York," I answered her.
"Are you kidding me? I've always wanted to see New York. Ugh, I officially hate you,"
"No…don't hate me!"
"You're going to NEW FREAKING YORK! The City of Lights…the city that never sleeps…the big fucking apple!"
"I get it Sakura…New York,"
"Are you guys gonna like stop to sleep? In a hotel or something? It's like 5 in the morning,"
"We're all taking turns driving. Plus there's bedrooms on the bus,"
"Oooo, sweet, I know you're loving it,"
"Heh, yeah I guess you could say that," I smiled, running a hand through my hair.
"So yeah…how are things with you and Sasuke going?"
"Pretty good actually. We're finally official," I answered with a grin. I heard Sakura screaming again and laughed to myself remembering why in fact she was my best friend.
"I hate you DOUBLE now!"
"I'm sorry that you hate me,"
"So have you guys…you know…" she questioned me suddenly getting quiet while snickering. My face got as red as a tomato as I realized what she was asking me.
"Well…uh…no…not yet anyway,"
"When are you going to? I want to know all the details when you do!"
"SAKURA!"
"What? I have a right! Jeez, I mean come on Naruto…you know you're gonna want to tell somebody anyway,"
"No I won't, I'll be perfectly fine with just knowing myself,"
"Yeah okay, whatever you say, oh crap… Kiba wants to talk to you,"
"Cool…put him on," I told her smiling slightly. I heard shuffling over the phone and then a deep huff of breath.
"Hey man. What's going on?"
"We need you back…that's what's going on,"
"What do you mean?" I questioned a frown coming to my face.
"It sucks without you here. The house seems so quiet and like…empty. I don't even know how to explain it,"
"You're not turning my band into shit are you?" I questioned him, trying to make a joke.
"Nah, of course not. What about you? Turning into a typical rock junkie?" he laughed. I frowned then as he said the last two words.
"Rock junkie? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh come on Naruto…you can't be that naïve,"
"I actually have no clue what the hell you're talking about,"
"You've gotta be kidding me. Naruto you say that this band is so called, your "favorite" but you don't know the first thing about your lover boy, do you?"
"What does that have to do with anything? You know why they're actually my favorite band? Because they're lyrics speak something! And I'm not so focused on their personal lives like some other people I know, because at the end of the day, the music is the only thing that matters!"
"Whoah…Naruto…just calm down, I didn't say this so you can get all defensive,"
"Well too bad Kiba! You just di-," I didn't finish my sentence as the phone was grabbed gently from my hand. I looked up, upside down and saw Sasuke in a black wife beater and black pajama bottoms and wondered how and WHEN he changed.
"Sorry Kiba…Naruto's busy. He'll call you back later," and just like that Sasuke closed the phone on him as if it was an everyday thing. I looked up at him as he put my phone in my lap, looking off in another direction.
"What happened?" I questioned him curiously.
"He was making you mad…Come back in the room with me?" Sasuke questioned, finally looking at me in the eye. I noticed that his eyes were a bit red now and how he scratched at one particular spot on his arm. What did that comment about the junkies that Kiba said have to do with Sasuke? He couldn't…NO! Sasuke just couldn't…
I got up from the couch and followed him back into the room as he laid down and opened his arms for me to lay in them. I felt him petting my head and coaxing my back gently…actually it was INCREDIBLY gentle. I looked up at him as he continued to look off into the distance almost in like a dazed state.
I cuddled into his chest and found sleep claiming me once again. There was just something that made me tired once again…that could be possible the weirdest thing in the world. But then again…my definition of weird was pretty warped.
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I woke to find that I was alone. I lifted my head and turned my head to the side of the pillow and inhaled his wonderful scent. I smiled to myself, realizing that he smelled positively wonderful. Outside of the window it looked to be light and then I realized that the tour bus was not moving.
I walked out of the room to see Sasuke sitting on the couch strumming at the guitar in his lap. I smiled at him as he continued to strum, not noticing that I was standing there. He continued to strum, as it became a beautiful melody that just rang throughout the entire bus. My smile grew wider as he started swaying to the beat.
He looked up then and saw me standing in the doorway with a grin on my face. He blinked and stopped playing immediately while I laughed silently to myself.
"Why'd you stop?" I questioned him, sitting down next to him.
"I don't usually play in front of people…just to myself," he answered me.
"Is that why you need a lead guitarist? Because you don't like to play in front of everybody?"
"Not so much…I just don't want to be booed off the stage. Guitar is something that I can do, but I sing better than I play,"
"You doubt yourself too much,"
"I do not,"
"I think you do," I laughed as he tackled me down to the couch, forgetting about the guitar completely. I laughed as he pinned my arms above my head.
"Well if I doubt myself so much…what was I doing when I made a move on you?"
"You were being adventurous,"
"Oh really? What about now?" he questioned as he leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss. I kissed him back, smiling into the kiss as he leaned into me. He ground his hips down into my own as I moaned into the kiss, feeling my member being brushed.
I separated from the kiss as he continued to grind down into me. I looked into his eyes as he smirked down at me. He latched onto my neck, sucking on my sensitive spot as I moaned louder. I felt myself growing hard as I pushed Sasuke gently away from me, finally getting my hands free. He looked down at me as I looked back at him, while biting my bottom lip, waiting for the next question that I knew was coming.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke questioned me. I looked away as he palmed my cheek and looked at me.
"It…it's nothing…I just…I just don't want to do this right…right now…here," I told him while stuttering. Sasuke looked at me and laughed to himself, kissing the top of my head as I looked at him awkwardly.
"That's all you had to say you know," Sasuke told me. I quirked an eyebrow and looked at him skeptically.
"It's that easy?" I questioned him.
"Yeah…why wouldn't it be? I already told you that I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable,"
"What about everything…everything that your brother said," I questioned him. Sasuke's face flickered for an instant as I saw him cringe.
"What my brother said…has no meaning. My brother is a pure idiot!" Sasuke ground out as his hand clenched on the sofa. I reached up and grabbed his face in my hands, making him look me in the eyes.
I pulled him to me and kissed him fully on the lips, trying to take away the angst that I could taste on him. I felt him kiss me back as I separated from him and looked him in the eyes.
"Just forget I even said anything," I told him. Sasuke nodded limply as I smiled at him. He smiled back at me and grabbed my hand lifting me up so that we could get off the bus. I saw Itachi standing outside with Anko as they conversed silently. Anko turned and saw Sasuke and I smiling as I smiled back at her.
"You slept almost the entire ride!" Anko laughed at me. I laughed as well shrugging.
"I guess you could say that I'm not used to taking these long trips like this," Naruto laughed.
"Really? You've never been a road trip before?" Itachi questioned, as I noticed that he was smoking a cigarette.
"Nope…during school we never have time for things like that,"
"School?" Itachi and Anko both questioned as they looked at me. I looked at them, scratching the back of my neck and smiled.
"Yeah, I was in college before you guys came you know," I answered them. They both looked at each other and laughed silently to themselves. I growled and looked at them looking for an answer.
"I don't even know the definition of school anymore…let alone college," Itachi laughed. I looked down as Sasuke put his arm around my shoulders. I saw Sasori and Deidara running towards us as I looked at them and wondered why exactly they were running. My eyes widened as I saw a group of girls and guys alike running after them.
"GET ON THE BUS!" Deidara screamed at us. Itachi's eyes widened as he snubbed out his cigarette and jumped onto the bus as Anko ran towards her car. Sasuke and I glanced up and ran on the bus to see Itachi in the driver's seat.
Sasori ran onto the bus as Deidara ran on after him and slammed the door in some poor girls face. I saw him look at us as he was breathing heavily.
"DRIVE!" Deidara shouted at Itachi who started to turn and get back on the highway. I laughed to myself seeing Deidara lock the door and a bunch of disappointed fangirls droop down in defeat, in the rearview mirror.
"Does this happen often?" I questioned them. Sasori nodded, as he too was trying to catch his breath.
"Whenever we stop somewhere, we always have some type of disguise on. But if even ONE person realizes who we are…that's it…we're done for," Sasori explained in between breaths. I laughed loudly as I fell to the floor and saw Deidara, Sasori and Sasuke looking at me. They all exchanged glances and gradually started to laugh as well until all of us were beside ourselves in laughter.
When I calmed down I sat right side up and looked to the side wondering what time it was and where in the United States we were. I looked outside and saw a sign that read, "You are now entering Arkansas".
"SWEET! We're finally in Arkansas," I shouted loudly. Everybody laughed at me as Sasuke came over and kissed my temple.
"I think he's positively adorable, all of you should shutup," he told everybody. I laughed silently to myself and then looked at Sasuke's watch seeing that it was about 4:30 P.M. Lord only knows what time we were actually going to get to the capital of Arkansas, and when we were going to do our sound-check.
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At 6:30 we finally got to the capital and the stadium where we were going to be performing at. I sighed in elation at finally seeing this place because we had been on the road for so long. I really had to suggest a private plane…or something.
We all got our equipment and set up on stage as Sasuke stood at the mike doing a test as usual. I saw Anko standing in the stadium seat with a notepad in hand smiling at us all.
"Okay, since it took you dickwads so long to get here…what exactly are we going to do for tonight's show?" Anko questioned Sasuke.
"Well I was thinking that we could open the show with Dead and then go into Pain, I'd do anything, Rooftops, Are you Ready, Feeling This, The Pretender, Hiatus and then we end the show with Naruto playing while I sing Vulnerable," Sasuke told her.
Everybody looked over at me as I looked back at Sasuke. Sasuke looked over at me and smirked as Anko looked at all of us, and then finally at Sasuke.
"I mean…if Naruto is okay with it," Sasuke said out loud, looking at me. All eyes turned to me and I realized that this was all up to me. I looked around at everyone and then at Sasuke.
"Uhm…well yeah… I guess I can," I answered them. Sasuke smirked as I said that and the rehearsal went on as planned, all of us working on the songs that were to be performed later that night. But I couldn't even focus on playing the right notes because I was so focused on actually performing a song…by myself…with SASUKE! And who the heck KNEW what would go on in the middle of all of that.
While we were practicing I saw it get darker in the night sky and realized that we were about to go on in a few moments. All of us cleared off the stage with our instruments this time since we were going to open with Dead we were going to come in playing the song while taking our places on stage. Sasuke looked at me and turned the mike off as he pulled me to him, while I was clutching the guitar in my hands tighter than ever.
"How could you do this to me?!" I hissed at him since I could hear the crowd in front of us only feet away.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke laughed at me while also whispering.
"We're gonna do Vulnerable? Come on Sasuke!"
"What? You DO know the song…don't you,"
"I mean of course I do bu-,"
"Hey we're about to go on!" Itachi hissed at us.
I looked to the front and realized that it in fact was our time to go on stage. I looked at Sasori as we both nodded and started playing the opening chords to Dead as Sasuke jumped on stage in full view.
YEAH!
We all walked out while still playing the song, getting into our places for the beginning of the concert.
And if your heart stops beating
I'll be here wondering,
Did you get
What you deserve?
The ending of your life
And if you get to heaven
I'll be there waiting babe
Did you get what you deserve?
The end
And if your life won't wait
Then your heart can't take this
HAVE…
You heard the news that you're dead?
No one ever had much nice to say
I think they never liked you anyway
Oh, TAKE…
Me from the hospital bed
Wouldn't it be grand?
It ain't exactly what you planned
And wouldn't it be great if we were
Dead…
Oh…Dead?
The concert continued on like this with Sasuke running on the amps and going back and forth on stage, doing his usual antics. At one point he actually stage dove during Feeling This, as I looked on only worried that somebody would drop him. This was NOT what I had imagined when they said that we would performing in Little Rock.
Finally we got to the end of the show and somebody took my electric from me and swapped it with an acoustic. Somebody got me a stool to sit in as I sat in front of a mike while Sasuke had the hand-held in hand. I looked at him and smirked to myself as he put the mike to his mouth grinning from ear to ear into it.
"How are you enjoying yourselves?" Sasuke questioned the audience while putting a hand on my back. The crowd erupted into a loud scream as Sasuke smiled into the mike again.
"Good. Now we're gonna do something a little bit different. I'm sure in the past 24 hours you guys have heard of our old sunshine boy Uzumaki Naruto right?"
The crowd erupted into another loud roar as I blushed from the attention that I was receiving. Sasuke looked at me again and laughed into the mike.
"Well Naruto is gonna help me with this song and I just hope you guys love it as much as I do," Sasuke told them all. Everyone cheered again as my acoustic was plugged into the amp so everybody could hear it. He looked at me and nodded as I started to play the beginning of the song looking at Sasuke every few moments. I finally got to the part where Sasuke sung and remembered what exactly the song I was playing meant.
Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in
Because it's cold outside (cold outside) it's cold outside
Share with me the secrets that you kept in
Because it's cold inside (cold inside) it's cold inside
I started to shake slightly, knowing exactly why Sasuke chose this song. This was him telling me his commitment; this was him, telling me that everything his brother or anybody else said. He put a hand on my shoulder and looked out into the audience as he squeezed, efficiently calming me down.
And your slowly shaking fingertips show…
That your scared like me so…
Let's pretend we're alone
And I know you may be scared
And I know we're unprepared
But I don't (care)Tell me Tell me
What makes you think that you are invincible?
I can see it in your eyes
That you're so sure
Please don't tell me that
I'm the only one
That's Vulnerable…
Impossible…
I continued to play as I shook a bit more and realized that his was bigger than Sasuke…and that this was much bigger than me…it was bigger than all of us and neither of us saw it at that time. We didn't see anything but us in the moment, and I could see it in his eyes when he looked at me singing the next parts.
I was born to tell you
I love you…
Isn't that a song already? (Isn't that a song already?)
I get a "B" in originality
And it's true
I can't go on without you
Your smile makes me see clearer (Your smile makes me see clearer)
If you could only see in the mirror
What I see…
And your slowly shaking fingertips show…
That you're scared like me so…
Let's pretend we're alone
And I know you may be scared
And I know we're unprepared
But I don't (care…)
Tell me Tell me
What makes you think that you are invincible?
I can see it in your eyes
That you're so sure
Please don't tell me that
I'm the only one
That's Vulnerable…
Impossible…
I continued to play as we edged into the bridge nearing the end of the song.
Slow, down…boy
You're not going anywhere
Just wait around and see
Maybe I'm much more
You never know what lies ahead
I promise I can (be)
Anyone
I can be anything
Just because you were hurt
Doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed
I can be anyone
Anything
I promise I can be what you need (I can be what you need)
Tell me Tell me
What makes you think that you are invincible?
(While I am on the outside)
I can see it in you're eyes
That you're so sure (Can be what you need)
Please don't tell me that I'm the only one
That's Vulnerable…
Impossible…
At the end of the song Sasuke looked at me and did the single most thing that any gay rock star shouldn't do on stage. He walked over to me and leaned down capturing my lips in the single most beautiful kiss I had ever experienced in my life.
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AAHH! THE SECRET'S OUT! OMG! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW! FINALLY the plot takes a twist and I have something to work with! Hahahaha, okay I will update as soon as I can. Hope you liked it! TEEHEEHEE!
BTW: I have no actual idea how long it takes to get from Phoenix to Little Rock, so, please don't kill me if it takes longer. I really just needed to end this chapter lolz.