I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Hopefully you guys like it.
Naruto nursed me back to good health and our relationship strengthened. It was annoying to be taken care of like that but deep inside me I was happy. I could tell he really cared about me.
A few weeks pass and nothing interesting happens until one Friday morning. I woke up and Naruto was gone. I didn't think much of it at first but after a few hours I got a little curious. I went to Kiba's room and knocked.
"Hey Sasuke," He said as he opened the door.
"Hey. Have you seen Naruto today?"
"No not really. I just woke up."
"Damn," I replied. Where would he have gone? He doesn't usually leave without saying anything.
"Are you worried about your boyfriend?" Kiba asked in a sarcastic manner. My face lit up like a fire.
"I-I am not and h-he's not my boyfriend," I let out flustered at the remark. Why would he say such a thing? We are not lovers!
"Oh come on," he said chuckling, "I see how you're always clinging to him and the way you look at him…" I became even more embarrassed. How dare he make assumptions like that!
"I-I do not cling to him or look at him in any way! W-We're just friends!" I managed.
"I'm just kidding! Calm down. He's probably getting food or something," Kiba said now as he began to laugh. Don't go kidding around like that. This guy was as annoying as Naruto. He did have a point though. Naruto was probably just hanging out somewhere.
"Well, whatever," I said goodbye and made my way back to the room. Now I noticed something disturbing. Some of Naruto's things were gone. I quickly ran to his side of the room and looked around. His laptop was gone and even his clothes. Now I went into panic mode. Did he run off somewhere? He seemed completely normal yesterday. I was worried. Did he not want to be my roommate anymore? Did he... hate me now? As I thought that, my chest tightened and I felt like I was on the verge of tears. I didn't know why but my chest ached to even the thought of Naruto disliking me. W-what… was this feeling? It hurt… It was a terrible pain. Something I had never felt before. I must be sick again but I had to be sure.
I ran downstairs to Kabuto and tried to get some information out of him.
"Hey Kabuto."
"Yeah?"
"Naruto's things are gone and I can't seem to get a hold of him. Did He move to another dorm or something?"
"Wait. Really? If he moved I would have known about it." Even Kabuto didn't know where he was.
"I'll need to call the chairman and let her know just in case something bad happens," Kabuto said. He picked up the phone and dialed, what I assume was, the chairman's number. It rung a few times
"Hey. Sorry to wake you up but have you heard anything about Naruto Uzumaki? He apparently left this morning with all his thin-" Kabuto seemed to be cut off, "Oh… Alright. Thanks." Sounded like she knew what was going on.
"What did she say?" I asked excitedly.
"She said that we need not worry about it and that she'll handle it." What? She's just gonna leave it at that? She had to know more about what was going on. You think she'd be more worried.
"Where is the chairman's office?"
"Are you gonna talk to her?" Kabuto asked confused.
"Yeah."
"It's not too hard to miss really. Right in the middle of campus in the huge building is where she is most of the time."
"Thanks," I said and went back to the room. If I was gonna meet with the chairman, there was no way I could go looking like this. In the middle of changing clothes a knock came to the door. I opened and everyone was outside.
"Naruto isn't back yet?" Kiba asked as he looking around the room.
"No," I replied.
"Well you wanna hang out anyway?" Choji asked, "We're going out to eat breakfast." I hadn't eaten anything yet but the thought of food made me sick and I was busy at the moment anyway.
"I'll pass. I don't have much of an appetite."
"Suit yourself," Choji said. Everyone left and I finished getting dressed. As I made my way to her office I got more and more nervous. Maybe she really didn't know anything else about the situation. What if she gets mad for me assuming something like that? No. I have to find out where Naruto went. You think I would be happy that he was gone but… I just can't get that ache out of my chest. I feel like I need to do this. Before I knew it, I was already at the entrance. I slowly walked in and looked around. No one was in the lobby. I decided to go on ahead and check every floor until I found her office. I didn't find it until I made it to the top floor. I checked but most of the lights were off. I probably should have came a little later. I went to sit down but was interrupted.
"Who are you?" a woman's voice called. It honestly startled me. She had completely caught me off guard. I looked up and saw a beautiful woman. She had amazing brown eyes and pretty blonde hair. Her most prominent features though were her breasts. I had to catch myself from staring.
"S-Sorry I was looking for the chairman. I need to speak with her."
"Well you're speaking to her." Seriously? I thought she would be a scary old hag but this is the complete opposite.
"Well… um..." it was kind of hard to ask.
"Come on. Spit it out. What do you want so early in the morning?" she pressed.
"Well I'm… Naruto's roommate." She seemed surprised when I said that.
"So you're Sasuke? Naruto always talks about you when he visits," she said as she put her hand on my shoulder, "Come and have a seat in my office." Naruto talks about me? Wait, why did Naruto "visit" her? We walked in and she turned on the lights.
"H-how do you know Naruto?" I asked.
"I'm his aunt." My jaw dropped. Really? His aunt was the chairman? Why did he never say anything?
"Well sorta… me and my friend used to take care of him..." Her eyes looked saddened, "I can't believe he didn't mention me. Well whatever you wanted to know where Naruto is right?"
"Yeah…"
"It's terrible what happened to that boy. After his birth a fire broke out in the hospital. He was saved but his parents didn't make it out in time and the building ended up exploding... He then spent his childhood growing up in an orphanage until the age of 7. I found him and he was so cute I couldn't leave him in there but I was always busy with work so I asked my friend, Jiraiya, to take him in. He was hesitant at first but Naruto grows on you. We gave him everything he ever needed and loved him like nothing else… Every year he goes and stays with Jiraiya on his birthday to Mourn. He believes that his parents died because of him. He's been struggling with this for years we know it eats away at him. We've tried to convince him it wasn't but it does no good. That's probably where he's heading now." I was completely speechless. Naruto had been through so much and yet he can still put on that smile of his and cheer everyone up around him. Was he secretly hurting inside? I wanted to give him a hug and tell him it would be okay! I hated even the thought of Naruto being sad. That ache in my chest came back now but even stronger. My mind was telling me I needed to do something… but what could I do?
"I want to help but I can't really do much, "I blurted out.
"I think you're wrong. Before college Naruto wasn't very sociable. He didn't have many friends and the ones he did have left him all alone in the end… I think Naruto's been needing a friend like you for awhile now. " Tsunade gave me a smile, "I think you're more than capable of helping him."
"Do you really think so?" I asked.
"Yeah I do. It's obvious you like him a lot," she said. I blushed.
"I-I don't like him t-that way!" Why would she make an assumption like that? He's just… a really good friend that's it!
"Sure you don't. Here's the address of you want to go. Good luck either way," she said as she wrote down the address on a sheet of paper and handed it to me. I needed to help him. I wanted so badly for him to be happy.
"Thank you!" I quickly ran back to the dorms. The only thing left was to find a ride and I knew the perfect person.
It took a few hours but he finally showed up.
"Sasuke!" Itachi yelled when I opened the door. He pulled me into a tight hug, "I've missed you so much!" I smiled and hugged him back.
"Me too but we don't have time for all this right now. We have to get going so we can catch up to Naruto," I explained, "here's the address."
"That'll be about a 4 hour drive. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. I'm positive that I have to do this."
"Then let's go!" We hopped in his car and were off. I was seriously nervous but Tsunade said I could help Naruto.
"So who's this guy that has stolen my brother's heart?" Itachi asked. I almost jumped out of my skin. What?
"W-what are you saying? H-he did not s-steal my heart!" Why did everyone assume something like that?
"Oh come on Sasuke… You're going on a 4 hour trip for a normal "friend"? No sane person does that," he said as he started laughing, "you're not fooling anyone. Especially me."
"Why does everyone assume that I'm into him? Isn't liking another guy wrong? We don't even know each other that much. How could I like him in that sense?" I finally asked the question that had been in my head for awhile now.
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you are fooling somebody. That being yourself of course."
"What does that mean?" I was seriously confused.
"You'll figure out in time." Was he making fun of me? Whatever. I had more important things to worry about.
I thought about everything as we drove on this trip that felt like an eternity. The more I thought about Naruto, the more my feelings got confused. He was always annoying to me, right? Then why was I so worried about him? Why did I want to help him so much? Why did my chest hurt so much? Was I sick or something? Deep inside me I knew why. I just didn't want to accept it. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by Itachi.
"I think we're getting close," he said. I looked up out of my daze and saw that we were in a small town in the outskirts of the big city. We slowly drove through and looked for signs. At this point I was so nervous I felt like throwing up. Would Naruto be mad at me for showing up like this? Would I really be able to convince him? What was I going to say anyway? There's no way I can do thi-
"We're here… I think," Itachi said. It was at the very end of the town and was a nice cozy looking house. I was so nervous I almost forgot how to walk. Itachi walked with me for support and pushed me along.
"I don't know about this…" I said.
"Oh come on. It'll be fine," Itachi said as he knocked on the door. What was he doing? I wasn't ready yet. We waited for a good minute but nothing came. We didn't hear any noises from inside and I was almost relieved.
"Guess they aren't home," Itachi said, "how about we ask the neighbors?" He started walking without me. He seemed to be enjoying my distress. Despite my pleas, we continued walking to the next cozy home and knocked. My heart still wouldn't calm down.I felt like I was having a heart attack. This time an old man opened the door.
"Yes?" he said. Itachi nudged me.
"Um… do you know where… your neighbors might be?" it was so awkward.
"Oh that house has been abandoned for years now. Who are you looking for exactly?"
"Jiraiya," I replied.
"Well, you're speaking with him. You must be… what was it now? Sasuke! That's right," the old man said. Was this seriously Jiraiya and how did he know my name?
"How do you know who I am?"
"Tsunade called and told me you were coming." I sighed in relief. They knew I was coming. That would make it a little easier for me.
"W-where's… Naruto?" I asked hesitantly.
"He's at the cemetery right now. That's where he spends most of his time when he visits. I'm really glad Naruto finally found someone like you. A friend that really cares for him. Maybe you'll be able to talk some sense into him," Jiraiya said.
"I'm not really good at these kinds of things but I'll try my best…"
"Do you want some tea while we wait for Naruto to get back? Come in and make yourselves at home." Wait. I was hoping to do this without an audience. I would die of embarrassment if I did something like this in front of people.
"C-could I just go to him?" I asked, "Maybe it would be better if we were… alone." I saw Itachi grin.
"Yeah we should let them handle it by themselves," Itachi blurted out, "we would just be in the way." He put his arm around Jiraiya and whispered in his ear. What did he say?
"That's fine with me," Jiraiya said. He gave me the directions and right before I left, I heard Jiraiya tell Itachi something under his breath.
"I don't swing that way but I wouldn't blame Naruto if he did go with it. I mean that guy could easily pass for a cute girl. No offense."
"Right!" Itachi said. I was beyond confused and didn't even bother to ask.
I made sure to take my time getting there. The closer I got, the more I wanted to throw up and run away. Soon I had finally made it. It was a huge cemetery and I was a little worried I wouldn't find him. I spotted a tree right in the middle of it all. I didn't pay much attention to it until I saw movement. I looked a little closer now and to my surprise Naruto was sitting under it. It was time… I wanted to run away but everyone is putting their faith in me. I have to do this. I started walking. It was nerve racking. I was scared to know what his reaction would be. I was within a few feet from him when he finally noticed someone was here with him.
"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" He was clearly confused. Hell, I was too.
"Tsunade told me everything… after hearing your story, I wanted to help you."
"Don't pity me. I don't need help. I don't deserve it."
"I understand. Everyone goes through hard times but you need to learn to forgive yourself."
"How could you understand? You have parents! You have siblings! How could you possibly understand? Because of me, my parents died in that fire! If only they hadn't worried so much about me… if they would have just gotten out in time!" You could see the tears welling up in his eyes, "Do you know what it's like living with all that? It hurts Sasuke! It eats you alive from the inside out! Just go away. This is none of your business." I made him mad… I had never seen Naruto like this. I didn't know this side of him existed. It was a mistake to come here. Now he hates me for sure. The pain in my chest was stronger than ever. It was the worst pain I had ever felt. I couldn't endure much longer. Deep Deep down inside me, I knew what I had to do.
"Naruto…"
"Didn't I say to leave me alone?" he snapped back. I was so scared at that moment but I had to let it all out.
"I-I… I like you! I've felt this way for a long time now. It just took me awhile to realize it." Naruto's face instantly changed from furious to shocked, "You're right about me not be able to understand your situation but I know that your parents wouldn't want this. No one wants this! Everyone wants you to be happy including your parents! In that fire they decided to make you their first priority. They clearly loved you more than anything. Even more than themselves. Do you really think they would want you to spend your whole life beating yourself up? They would want you to be happy. Everyone does including me. Even after all the times I was mean to you, you still gave me that huge smile of yours… I want you to be happy Naruto." What did I just say? I was probably more shocked than him.
Tears were streaming down his face. Did I say something wrong? Then I realized that he looked… happy? He pulled me into a hug.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said, "I was caught up in the moment and wasn't thinking straight." Wait. Was he not mad anymore?
"Y-you're not mad?" I asked.
"Of course not! I'm such an idiot. I was too busy blaming myself all this time to realize something so simple. I'm so happy that I met you Sasuke! I hope everyone can forgive me for all the trouble I've caused over the years. Especially my parents..." Was I successful? Naruto finally let go of me and I didn't know what to think. I had actually managed to convince him.
"I think we should get going it's getting kinda late," Naruto said. Everything seemed to be back to normal. There was a mood of awkwardness for me but Naruto seemed completely fine now. There was something about him that had changed. I could tell that he was truly happy now and that made me happy. The ache in my heart was still there though. As we walked, Naruto broke the silence.
"I didn't know you swung that way Sasuke."
"What?"
"I mean you did confess to me back there, right?" Oh no! I had completely forgotten about that during the shock and confusion. My face started to burn as I thought of the embarrassing statement. Naruto seemed to see me internally struggling.
"Well, I hope it was anyway because… I like you too," he said as he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. That pain I had been feeling for so long was gone. I felt as if a thousand tons had been lifted from my chest. In that moment, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. No other moment could compare then... I was out cold.
I woke up in an unfamiliar room. I leaned up and looked around and noticed it was dark outside. I stood up and saw a picture on the nightstand of Naruto and Jiraiya. I started to remember the events that had taken place. I don't remember anything past the kiss. That's right! Naruto kissed me! I blushed. Damnit! I walked out into the hallway and followed the sounds of talking.
"And then I jumped off the roof into the pool!" I heard Naruto say.
"That's sounds crazy!" Itachi let out and they all laughed. A floorboard creaked under me and everyone turned to look.
"Oh you're awake," Itachi said, "we're just having dinner."
"Come have a seat. I'll warm up your plate," Jiraiya said. I felt a little awkward having to sit next to Naruto. Jiraiya handed me the plate and I chowed down. I hadn't eaten anything all day and I was starving.
"Since it's so late, we're gonna just stay here for the night. That alright with you Sasuke?" Itachi asked. I finished swallowing my food.
"Yeah," I replied.
"You and Naruto will have to share a room though," Jiraiya said. Seriously? The thought of sleeping next to the guy I just confessed to was flustering.
"It's no problem. I mean we're roommates after all," Naruto said. He really was annoying.
After dinner, Itachi went to the couch, Jiraiya to his bedroom and me and Naruto in his bedroom. We laid down and Naruto began to talk to me.
"So… what do we do now?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"We both confessed... so does that mean we're dating now?" It was so embarrassing to talk about. He had a point though. This was the first time I had ever confessed. I hadn't ever really liked someone before. He was the one with experience.
"I-I guess so. I-I mean if you want to…" I trailed off.
"Of course I want to," he replied. How could he just answer without even hesitating?
"W-well I'm tired so goodnight," I quickly said trying to get away from the subject. Before long I could hear his steady breathing. After my little nap I wasn't really that tired. I laid there and thought about all the things that had happened so far. I didn't think just a few weeks in college would change me this much. I would have never guessed I would be dating someone and a guy at that! Why did I develop feelings like this? I still couldn't believe I had fallen for my Lousy Roommate.
This story will probably end in the next few chapters so just a heads up. School is making it hard for me to write consistently and I'm having to progress the story a lot because of that. Hope it doesn't seem too rushed. Thanks for reading.
