Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, angst, hopefully some decent jokes, and (of course) beautiful SasuNaru love.
Chapter 8: Questions Without Answers
"A kiss may ruin a human life."
-Oscar Wilde
--
"So, last night..."
Naruto sighed. "Yeah- last night sucked."
Sasuke looked up from his coffee and locked eyes with the idiot blonde he still, somehow, despite it all, could not get enough of. "Naruto- we don't know how long this curse is going to last." He watched him chew his lip with heavy thoughts and unsaid words, then met his eyes again. "It can't be like this every time."
Naruto swirled his spoon around his mug, watching it slosh the dark liquid inside, but stayed quiet.
"Naruto" he sighed, "we have to talk about this."
"We really don't."
"I can't let that happen again. I won't let that happen again. I have never heard anyone scream like that before- it was fucking horrible.." Naruto looked away. "And you were bleeding out of your eyes!"
"Yeah, but your wizard eyes do that sometimes.." he grumbled.
Sasuke rolled said 'wizard eyes' before narrowing them on the moron at his dining room table. "Me trying to figure out how to use eyes that weren't mine to begin with is not the same as you letting yourself be torn apart so you can avoid dealing with this." He roughly dragged his fingers through his hair as he leaned forward, eyes glaring. "I don't know why you feel the need to play this game."
"What're you talking about? What 'game'?"
"Like you have to constantly prove yourself. We're not ten years old anymore, Naruto!" Sasuke could feel his blood boiling as old frustrations rose to the surface. "I know you. I know you're skilled, I know you're fucking strong. So you don't need to keep hiding the fact that you need my goddamn help!!"
"Of course" Naruto snapped, "It has to be my pride that's in the way. There couldn't possibly be any other reason why I'm having such a hard time with this. You got me, Sasuke. I'm really just that self-centered."
He stood up and slow clapped at the pissed off Uchiha. "Way to solve the case, Sasuke."
Sasuke leapt to his feet, knocking his chair back. "Then fucking tell me!" He stormed up to Naruto, who took a quick step back as he advanced. "Dammit, Naruto. Talk to me!"
Naruto shook his head and took another step back. Sasuke matched it.
"I will do what I have to to keep you safe." Sasuke walked closer to him, and Naruto kept backing up until his back hit the wall. "And you're not leaving me with a lot of options."
Sasuke closed the distance between them and slammed his hand against the wall next to Naruto's head, startling him. He looked up in surprise.
Which is exactly what he counted on.
He grabbed his chin to hold his face steady, then locked onto his eyes and whispered, "Mangekyo Sharingan".
Cerulean eyes widened. "No- wait!" But he was already being pulled into a world of illusions, a world outside of his control.
He was suddenly in a dark room with one bright light hanging over his head. He was sitting at a small table with Sasuke sitting across from him. He couldn't move. It sent a flutter of panic through his chest. "Come on, Sasuke. This isn't funny."
"It's not supposed to be."
"I don't want to talk about this!"
"I don't care. I really don't." He leaned forward, blood-red eyes focused with intensity as they drilled into the anxious blonde. "Why do you keep avoiding me?"
Naruto fought to keep his mouth closed, to keep his truths private, but he was struggling to pull himself out of the illusion and could only resist its power for so long. "I-" he gritted his teeth, one last ditch effort to stop this. "I- don't want.. nnnn- I don't want you to kiss me."
Sasuke watched him closely. "Why?"
"Nnnn. Sa-Sasuke stop! Ple-please!!"
Sasuke stood, his palms pressed onto the table's surface as he leaned towards him. "Dammit Naruto!! Why don't you want me to kiss you?!"
"Be-because it's not real!"
He froze. "What..? What do you mean?"
He bit his lip, muffling a sound of desperation trying to force its way out, as he continued to resist the Mangekyo.
"Answer me."
"You-nnnn- because you don't want to!"
".. Do you?"
Blue eyes widened, but before he could could get the blonde to speak another voice cut through.
"Am I interrupting something?"
The illusion disappeared, bringing them back to a reality where Naruto was cornered against a wall, Sasuke was doing the cornering, and a silver-haired shinobi was witnessing the cornering.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Sasuke, Naruto- seems like you two are having fun."
"Not exactly the word I would use", Naruto mumbled.
"How did you even get in?" Sasuke asked, irritated that his interrogation was interrupted.
"A ninja has his ways."
"That window's open", Naruto pointed out.
Kakashi sighed. "It is considered rude to reveal a magician's secrets, Naruto. Anyways- I came here to check on you two. How is it going with the curse?"
The two boys looked away.
"So I'm assuming there is trouble in paradise?"
Naruto glared at him. "I'm being tortured if I don't force Sasuke to kiss me- how is that paradise."
Sasuke ground his teeth together, but said nothing.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I assumed there wouldn't be anymore torture. Sasuke-" he turned his attention to the quiet raven, "stop playing hard to get."
"I'm not the one with the problem."
Kakashi looked over at Naruto, surprised. "Really.. well now, that is surprising."
Naruto avoided his gaze, but Sasuke narrowed in on it. "Why is that surprising?"
Kakashi stared at the blonde for a moment longer. "No reason", he muttered. "No reason at all." He ruffled Naruto's already disheveled hair. "Don't make him wait too long, Naruto. That's how you both get hurt." Naruto's eyes shot up to him, concern flashing in his eyes, but Kakashi left it at that. He moved over to Sasuke and, giving him a pat on the shoulder, whispered, "good luck" before exiting the way he came in- through the window.
The two stood there, not knowing what comes next. Naruto decided to break the silence first. "I.. need some air." When Sasuke moved to join him he put out his hand- stopping his progress. "Alone." His eyes flashed angrily at the Uchiha. "I don't feel like being forced into another illusion right now."
Sasuke swallowed back his protests, and watched as Naruto walked away, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Author Note:
Just want to give a special shout-out to buzzk97 on here. Your comments make me smile. It means a lot to know someone is on the other side of the screen, and that they are enjoying something I made. I hope the story doesn't disappoint. :)
And another special shout-out to Bearlikespie- your feedback is super appreciated, even when it's difficult to hear. One of my biggest goals for this story is to give it a great ending. You inspired that.
Ok, onto the next scene!~