Okay, sorry about the delay, folks. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble, and I don't know why. Call it writer's block, I guess. Anyway, it's done, and I hope you enjoy it. I want to thank all of you for reading, as usual, and especially for reviewing. Any and all comments are helpful. Now, without further ado, on with the chapter!
25. I Am Leaving, I Am Leaving…
Sasuke Uchiha lay sprawled out on his bed, the covers crumpled in a heap on the floor next to a pile of discarded clothes. He was sweating profusely, and his breathing was heavy and hurried. Glancing up above him, the Uchiha could clearly see the face of a very naked Naruto Uzumaki, his eyes closed in concentration and sweat running down his brow. His breathing was similarly forced. With every thrust of the blond's hips, he let out a grunt, which consequently caused Sasuke to moan in painful ecstasy. Though Sasuke tried to keep his eyes fixed on Naruto, wanting nothing more than to watch his boyfriend in the throes of love, the Uchiha's body continued to override his brain with waves of pleasure, forcing him to seal his eyes shut as he let out another moan.
"Naruto," the raven-haired teen grunted as the aforementioned blond thrust once again.
"Sasuke," the Naruto said in turn, biting his lip in concentration, "Are you ready?"
The Uchiha nodded simply, his body already shuddering with pleasure.
"All right… here it goes!"
xxxxx
The alarm rang.
Startled, Sasuke reached over for his clock and yanked it out of the wall, silencing the aggravating beeping once and for all. Chucking the object across the room in frustration, the Uchiha collapsed back onto his pillow, hoping he could somehow relapse into his wonderful dream. After shutting his eyes for a few moments, however, he realized it was too late – his perfect night of passion with Naruto was gone. Sitting up in his bed, he snarled at the now-broken clock on the floor.
"Hope you're happy…"
Truth be told, Sasuke was more than a little embarrassed about the dream. Yes, he had thoroughly enjoyed… being intimate with Naruto on Friday night. He loved it, in fact. Sharing that kind of pleasure with someone he truly cared about had been ideal, and he was anxious to see Naruto again so he could tell the blond just that. But, naturally, their titillating adventure had brought on some unintended side effects. Ever since that night, Sasuke found his mind wandering to the thought of sex far more frequently than he'd like. Any time he lost focus, he'd inevitably think back to that night, lying naked beside Naruto, or possibly even go a step further. All these thoughts were apparently building towards the dream from which he'd just been rudely awakened, which, one could say, had been the 'climax.'
Kicking off the covers and sliding out of bed, Sasuke glanced down at himself to find his boxerbriefs with a distinct, wet patch in the front. He blushed and decided to head to the bathroom as quickly as possible. There, he removed the stained underwear and hopped into the shower, which he turned on to an ice-cold temperature.
God… now he's giving me wet dreams? What the hell's wrong with me?
Grabbing a nearby bottle of shower gel, Sasuke began to lather up, paying particularly close attention to that troublesome area down south. He didn't regret what had happened on Friday night – the evening had been one of the more enjoyable experiences the Uchiha could remember. At the same time, though, Sasuke felt a bit… uneasy. Not so much about advancing his relationship with Naruto, but more about expanding that relationship to include new members.
In particular, there was Iruka.
Yes, that had been an awkward day. To think he'd end up meeting Naruto's dad in his birthday suit, just after waking up from a night of passion with his son. He hadn't known quite what to do. At first he thought he and Naruto were busted – that the jig was up, and it was all going to be over before it could even get off the ground. Fortunately, Iruka was apparently missing a few brain cells, because he bought whatever lie Naruto told him without any question.
But… then again, that's what bothers me the most. He seemed like a pretty smart guy – he knew just when to step in during that conversation with Kiba's mom. Very observant… so why didn't he notice what was going on between me and Naruto?
Indeed, that was the Uchiha's main fear – that Iruka had seen what was going on. That as soon as he saw Sasuke in Naruto's bed, Iruka had reached the inevitable conclusion in an instant. But if that was the case, why didn't he say anything? Was he just waiting to be alone with Naruto, so he wouldn't make a scene?
That's why Naruto hasn't called since then, either – Iruka saw what was going on and freaked out. How would Naruto react to that? He's not the type to just take it sitting down – he probably argued with Iruka and stormed out. But where would he have gone?
The obvious answer was Sasuke's house. After all, they were boyfriends – they were supposed to trust each other with these kinds of things. But, then again, Iruka would make that assumption as well, and Naruto would know that. If that was the case, then there were only a few other options.
Gaara was a possibility, though Sasuke doubted Naruto would head there first. After all, their friendship had only started a few weeks ago, and it had only been a few days since their uncomfortable kiss. No – Gaara was out of the question. Lee? He was somewhat more likely, though Naruto would be more likely to go to someone he had a closer connection to. This left only one option, and Sasuke felt certain that, if Naruto went anywhere, it was there.
Guess it's time to give Shikamaru a call…
Shutting off the water, Sasuke stepped out of the steamy shower and grabbed a towel, which he used to vigorously wipe off the excess drippings. Once he was relatively dry, the Uchiha wrapped the towel around his waist and headed for his bedroom, where he tossed the towel onto the bed. Then, scrounging around in his dresser, Sasuke found a suitable outfit for the day – black tee, khaki shorts, and a pair of black boxerbriefs – and got dressed. He then collapsed onto his bed, reached for his cell phone, and opened up his barren address book. It contained but two numbers – Naruto's and Shikamaru's. He highlighted Shikamaru's name, pressed the 'call' button, and pressed the phone to his ear, his heart already beating rapidly in his chest.
Come on… pick up!
The phone rang several times – five, six, seven – before finally there was a click on the other end, followed by an irritated, "Hello?"
"Shikamaru – is Naruto there?" Sasuke asked almost immediately, as if his tongue was acting on its own.
"What? No, he's not here," Shikamaru replied groggily – clearly he had been asleep. "What's the matter, Sasuke?"
"Damn, I thought for sure he'd be there," Sasuke muttered, already trying to think of where to check next. "Did he say anything to you yesterday? Like, where he'd be or something?"
"Sasuke, I haven't heard from him since Friday," the Nara said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Did something happen with the two of you?"
"No – well, I don't think so… I don't know!" Sasuke stammered in frustration. "He hasn't been answering his phone since yesterday, and I'm worried that something's wrong."
Shikamaru chuckled, "Since when were you such a worrywart?"
"I'm serious, Shikamaru!" Sasuke snapped, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I don't know what happened to him."
"Look, I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought it was nice to see you so concerned," the Nara said with a sigh. "Now, look, I know you're hiding something from me – you wouldn't be this upset for no reason. What happened?"
Damn, he's good…
"Naruto's dad came by yesterday."
"So? It's Parents' Weekend, isn't it?"
"I was still there… from the night before," Sasuke admitted with a sinking feeling in his gut.
"Ah… that explains a lot," Shikamaru murmured, taking a moment to think things through. "How much does he know?"
"That's what's making me so confused! The whole time he was there, he was acting completely oblivious – it was like he couldn't put two and two together."
"Well, how obvious were you two being? Maybe the two of you were more subtle than you think," the lazy genius continued in an attempt to reason with his friend.
"He saw me naked in his bed, Shikamaru. I don't think it gets any more obvious than that," Sasuke blurted out, only to regret it almost immediately.
A rustle on the other end of the line revealed that Shikamaru was shifting in bed, ready to get in a more comfortable position. He resumed speaking in a more serious tone. "Wait – you didn't say anything about being naked. Just what exactly were you and Naruto doing the other night?"
"It's not what you think, I swear!" Sasuke said hastily, trying to keep the Nara from jumping to any conclusions. "I mean… well, we didn't go that far."
"I'd hope not. That would be quite a jump," Shikamaru replied with a relieved sigh. "You know you can tell me about this kind of stuff, right? I'm your best friend – it's what I'm here for."
"Yeah, I know – but I'd rather not discuss my sex life at all, you know? It's just… awkward," the Uchiha said, pausing afterwards. "Look, basically what happened is Naruto woke up first. He was walking around in his boxers when his dad knocked on the door. Naruto let him in, and his dad just barged into the bedroom picking up dirty laundry."
"Ah – a neat freak. My mom did the same thing when she stopped by yesterday."
"Then he decided he wanted to do the bedding as well, so he tore the sheets off, and… there I was."
"In all your glory," Shikamaru chuckled.
"Exactly! How Naruto managed to talk his way out of that one is beyond me. What would you say if you found a naked guy sleeping in your son's bed?"
"Hard to say. I don't have a son," the Nara deadpanned. "I can imagine I'd be inclined to believe my son's explanation, though. If I've had no reason to suspect that my son is gay, then I probably wouldn't jump to that conclusion at the first sign. It might set off a red flag, but not enough to make me completely freak out."
"So you think he might suspect something?" Sasuke asked in a worried tone.
"He might, but then again, he might not. I'm not Naruto's dad, all right? I don't know what he's thinking. Maybe he was just distracted by something else, and wasn't thinking all that clearly."
"But what if he was just waiting for me to leave? What if he talked to Naruto about all this after I was gone, and forbade him from seeing me ever again? What if it's all over, Shikamaru?" the Uchiha exclaimed, his voice racing as he tried to squeeze all the words into a single breath.
"Is that what this is about?" Shikamaru asked, as if having a 'eureka' moment. "You're afraid he's gonna be taken away from you?"
"I don't want to lose him…"
Shikamaru paused, letting out a long breath. "He's really got a hold on you, huh?"
"No thanks to you," Sasuke joked weakly.
"Well, first of all, you're an idiot for thinking Naruto would let you go that easily," the Nara stated bluntly. "He cares about you just as much as you do, so what makes you think he'd just abandon you because his dad says so?"
"I… I don't know! Why isn't he answering his phone then?"
"There're all kinds of explanations. Maybe he's out of batteries? Maybe he can't talk with his dad there – you just have to take a minute and think about it, okay?"
Sasuke thought about it and, much to his chagrin, concluded that Shikamaru was right. "So… should I just go over there, you think?"
"Just wait, Sasuke. Naruto will see that you called fifty times or whatever. If something really is wrong, he'll talk to you about it when he's ready. If you keep pressuring him it'll only make things harder."
"Yeah, but if I don't hear from him soon, it's only going to make things harder on me. Not exactly a fair trade," Sasuke pouted, glaring at the phone as he spoke.
"Hey, when you're in love, you have to make some sacrifices," Shikamaru said flippantly. "I mean, I gave up smoking because Temari told me to. Thems the breaks."
"Oh, I forgot to ask about that – how'd the date go?" Sasuke asked, feeling suddenly ashamed for forgetting.
"It was nice. All in all, I'd say it was a success," the Nara continued nonchalantly.
Sasuke hesitated. Something was wrong with his friend's response, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. "You're hiding something. What happened between you two?"
"We… may have kissed…"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, a smirk crossing his lips. "Oh, I see how it is. I'm supposed to be all open about my relationship, but here you've been holding out on me the whole time!"
"You never asked," Shikamaru said simply, causing Sasuke to fume on the other end.
"Touché," the Uchiha muttered with a frown. "But seriously, did things get… heated?"
"We didn't get as far as you and Naruto did, if that's what you're asking," the Nara replied smugly.
Sasuke blushed. "Hey! Don't go around talking about that…"
"Oh, so shy," Shikamaru continued, only to hear uneasy silence on the other end. He sighed. "Fine, your secret's safe with me. I can't even believe I need to say it."
"I know… call me paranoid…"
"You're paranoid."
Ignoring the other teen's interruption, Sasuke continued in mild irritation, "But after what happened this weekend, I've been a bit on edge. You understand."
"Yeah, I get it, I get it – you really need to calm down, though. There's nothing you can do about Naruto's dad. If he knows something, then he knows something. Getting all worked up over it isn't going to solve anything, okay?"
Sasuke considered his friend's words for a moment, fighting between his concern for Naruto, and Shikamaru's concern for him. Finally, he conceded, closing his eyes as he spoke. "Fine – I'll try."
"Good," Shikamaru concluded, sounding quite relieved. "You know how Naruto is – when he's ready, he'll seek you out himself, and he will find you."
He's got a point…
Resisting an urge to laugh out loud, Sasuke decided to end the conversation in a genial tone. "All right. In that case, I'd better go – he could be here any minute."
"Good idea. He has a habit of showing up at the most unexpected times – troublesome kid…"
"I'll talk to you later, Shikamaru."
"See you," the Nara said with finality before setting his phone back on the receiver, leaving Sasuke with only a faint dial tone buzzing in his ear.
Setting his phone back on the nightstand, Sasuke stared up at the ceiling, letting his conversation with Shikamaru sink in. He knew the Nara was right – whatever was going on between Naruto and Iruka, if anything, was between them. There was nothing he could do about it, so there was no sense in fretting over it. Even with that knowledge, though, Sasuke couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his gut.
There's just something about the way Iruka was acting… I mean, I don't really know him, so maybe he's always like that, but it seemed like there was something on his mind. Something big. It was like he was overacting like Naruto does sometimes… when he's trying to hide something from me.
It was all speculation, of course. Sasuke had assumed that Iruka was just trying to hide his knowledge of Naruto's relationship with the Uchiha, but now that seemed less likely. The more he thought about it, the more Sasuke found himself thinking that Iruka didn't seem angry or uncomfortable – more troubled. Whatever he was hiding went far beyond just him and Naruto, and that worried Sasuke.
I just have to stay calm… whatever it is, Naruto will tell me when I'm ready. I just have to be patient…
Almost as soon as this thought crossed the raven-haired teen's mind, however, he found his hand lunging for his phone, and soon he had Naruto's name highlighted on his address book. He stared at the number for a moment, a bit of sweat forming on his head. Was there really a point in calling Naruto for the umpteenth time in the past 24 hours? It would only go straight to voicemail again, forcing Sasuke to leave yet another awkward message.
"What the hell's wrong with me? I went my whole life without seeing him until a few weeks ago. Why can't I just wait a day?" Sasuke snapped before tossing his phone across the room, sending it flying into the remains of his alarm clock.
Collapsing back onto his pillow, Sasuke ran a hand down his face in misery. He lasted all of five minutes after calling Shikamaru, and already he was suffering from Naruto withdrawal.
I can't do it… I'm gonna snap if he doesn't call soon!
As if the heavens were answering the Uchiha's plea, there was suddenly a chime that could be heard throughout the house, signaling that someone was waiting at the door. Instantly, Sasuke hopped off the bed and rushed to the door, only to freeze as his hand touched the brass knob.
Wait… I have to wait. Why would he come here in person, anyway? Think rationally, Sasuke!
Shaking his head, Sasuke returned to his bed, trying to act as calmly as possible. He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his DS before flipping it open, hoping a game could distract him for a least a moment. Soon, Scribblenauts was up and running, and Sasuke found himself entering in random items on the title screen.
Let's see… Cthulu vs. God vs… Ninja… Fox… Ramen…
Staring at the assortment of creatures and food onscreen trying to beat one another into submission, Sasuke cursed himself. He barely made it fifty seconds this time. Shutting off the power and closing the DS in a huff, Sasuke set the device back on his nightstand and began to twiddle his thumbs. Below, he could hear someone opening the door – most likely Itachi – though he couldn't hear any voices as much as he strained to listen in. Soon, he heard footsteps pounding on the stairs, followed by three distinct knocks on his door. He knew that knock well.
"What is it, Itachi?" the Uchiha grumbled, trying to mask his eagerness.
"Your boy toy's here, Sasuke. Looks like he didn't get enough the other night," Itachi said, opening the door a crack. "Better come down before he decides to run up here and ravish you."
"Fine, fine – I'll be there in a sec," Sasuke muttered as he rolled off the bed, completely ignoring his brother's provocation.
Following Itachi out the door and downstairs, Sasuke held his breath. Somehow he didn't think it would be possible for Naruto to actually be there until he saw the blond himself – for all he knew, Itachi could just be playing some nasty prank on him. As soon as Sasuke saw those locks of sunshine waiting in the doorway, though, he let out a sigh of relief – he was still there. He hadn't left him. Not yet, at least.
"Naruto? What're you doing here?" Sasuke asked in obvious feigned shock as he descended the stairs.
"I need to talk to you, Sasuke. In private," Naruto said, indicating to Itachi, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, don't mind me. You two just go have a little chat in the living room, and I'll prepare some tea," Itachi said playfully as he walked towards the kitchen. "After all, I've been dying to get to know the great Naruto in person – seems like Sasuke's been talking about you nonstop these past few weeks."
Once the elder Uchiha had disappeared around the corner, Sasuke turned to his befuddled boyfriend shook his head. "Just ignore him. He likes to try and make my life a living hell."
Together, Sasuke and Naruto headed into the living room, where they took a seat on the beige sofa. They were silent for a few moments, giving Sasuke enough time to study his boyfriend's expression. It wasn't encouraging.
Something's definitely wrong. It's written all over his face… those eyes – he clearly didn't sleep last night. And they're so red… is he tired? No, that's not it… he's been crying. What's going on?
"Naruto… is everything okay?" Sasuke asked finally, leaning forward to get a better look at the blond.
There was a pause as Naruto bit his lip, his eyes already beginning to water. "Sasuke… it's my dad…"
Oh god – his dad's dying! I didn't even consider that…
"What about him?" the Uchiha asked, hoping his hunch was wrong.
"He lost his job," Naruto said, his voice cracking as he fought back the tears.
"Is that all?" Sasuke asked, chuckling in relief. He placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. "There's no need to get all emotional over that, Naruto. Sure the economy's not that great, but I'm sure he'll find a job. You just need to be supportive."
Naruto shook his head vigorously, tears trickling down his cheeks. "I know that, Sasuke. I'm sure he'll find a job… but until then, he can't afford to send me to Konoha High. Do you understand?"
The blood ran from Sasuke's face, and he simply stared wide-eyed at his boyfriend, suddenly wishing he'd been right before. "You don't mean…"
With a nod, Naruto looked the Uchiha in the eye for the first time. "I'm leaving."
Sasuke was silent, his eyes losing focus as he became overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Naruto was leaving? After all Shikamaru had said about not worrying, it turned out Sasuke's fears were coming true? It was ludicrous!
Suddenly, as if his brain could think only of this irony, the Uchiha laughed. "You're joking, right? Shikamaru put you up to this. Did he call you earlier?"
"Sasuke," Naruto said with a sniffle, causing his boyfriend to stop midsentence. "I'm serious. That's why my dad came today – he's taking me back to Mizu tonight."
With a few chuckles still escaping, Sasuke kept his gaze fixed on Naruto, though his smile quickly faded. He couldn't fool himself anymore – everything about the way Naruto was acting told him this was the truth. This was the end – in a few hours, his boyfriend would be taken away from him, and he'd be alone again.
Alone… I should've known this would happen. This is just God's way of mocking me… letting me think I finally have a chance at happiness before having it jerked away from me…
Suddenly, Sasuke's self pity switched to determination, his eyes suddenly sparkling with intensity.
No! I've come too far to let it go this easily. There has to be something we can do…
"Have you tried talking to the school? Maybe they can set up some kind of payment plan," Sasuke asked hurriedly, his mind racing with thoughts.
"It wouldn't matter – until my dad has a steady job again, he's not going to risk going in debt by sending me here…"
"Well… what about a scholarship?"
This suggestion was met only by a glare from Naruto. "I hardly think I'd meet their standards, Sasuke. I've consistently been in the bottom of our class for the past two years."
Frustrated, Sasuke struggled to come up with another possible solution, though none of them seemed likely to help. Blackmail the staff? But with what? Everyone already knew Tsunade had extensive gambling debts and plastic surgery, and she was the one they'd have to blackmail. Maybe they could just hide Naruto for a while – keep him in the basement… no, that wouldn't work either. How would Naruto go to school, then? Even if he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, the blond still needed an education.
There's nothing I can do… he's… really leaving.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I think I might have a solution."
Glancing up in surprise, Sasuke found Itachi sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room, sipping on a steaming cup of tea. He set the glass down on a coaster and crossed his legs, watching the teenage couple intently. "Why don't we just keep Naruto here for a while? We have plenty of room."
"You don't understand, Itachi – he doesn't have enough money to go to school here," Sasuke replied curtly, shooting his brother a quick glare.
What does he think he's doing? Can't he just leave us alone?
"Sasuke, in case you've forgotten, I'm at the head of one of the biggest corporations in the country. Money is not an issue," Itachi said, chuckling in mild amusement.
Naruto's eyes widened, wiping some of the moisture from his cheeks. "R-really? You'd do that for me?"
"Of course," the elder Uchiha answered with a slow nod. "It's the least I can do for my little brother."
"Itachi… we're trying to keep what's going on between me and Naruto a secret. I think it'll be hard for his dad to ignore it if we're suddenly paying for his tuition," Sasuke interrupted, clearly aggravated by Itachi's lack of concern.
"Oh, you're so picky, Sasuke. Look, if you're really that worried about it, I'll just say that Naruto won a scholarship from the Akatsuki Corporation. It wouldn't be that farfetched – we're trying to soften our image a bit, since the public tends to see us as power hungry merchants of death."
Sasuke struggled to find some hole in the plan, but as he thought it over, he began to realize that this could actually work. He turned to Naruto, who still seemed stunned by the whole ordeal, and clasped the blond's hand.
"Naruto… it's your decision."
The vulpine boy's face maintained a look of disbelief as he turned to face Itachi. "You mean you're serious?"
"Why so skeptical, Naruto? You're my brother's boyfriend, right? That practically makes you family."
His eyes watering once again, Naruto spun back to face Sasuke and, in an instant, pounced upon his boyfriend. With his arms wrapped tightly around his prey, Naruto buried his head in the Uchiha's chest and let the tears of elation flow. It was not long until Sasuke's shirt was damp, though by that point he was crying openly as well, his tears falling onto that wonderful golden mess of hair.
"Oh, Sasuke! This is incredible!" Naruto said, lifting his head to gaze at the other teen. "I was afraid I'd lose you…"
"Me too," the Uchiha said with a smirk, running a hand through his boyfriend's hair. "I thought for sure I'd end up all alone again…"
With a big grin, Naruto lunged forward and met the Uchiha in a kiss – one that Sasuke was more than happy to return, despite Itachi's immediate presence. It was only a short kiss, after which they both pulled out and simply let the tears of joy flow, with Naruto resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder, each pulling the other into a tight embrace.
It was in this position that, for whatever reason, Sasuke felt a sudden pang of guilt. Something about this didn't seem right, and it caused the raven-haired teen's euphoria to fade to distress.
What am I doing? This is what I want, right? I get to stay with Naruto, and he gets to stay in school – it's what we both want! So what's this strange feeling like I'm forgetting something…
Then it hit him – Iruka. Sure, Sasuke could keep Naruto all to himself, but deep down the Uchiha knew that Iruka needed him more. He saw how shaken up Iruka had been on Saturday – he knew the man was taking his recent unemployment hard. Sure, he would probably be overjoyed if Naruto could continue his schooling at Konoha… but Sasuke had no doubt that Iruka wanted to be with Naruto as well. If they told Iruka about their new arrangement – that Naruto would be staying in Konoha, with Itachi footing the bill – he probably wouldn't resist. He'd put on a good front and support the situation. But deep down it would eat him up – knowing that his son had replaced him.
I can't do that to him… I know what it's like to have Naruto – the joy that comes with it, and the frustration. But I also know what it's like to be alone… I wouldn't wish that on anyone…
"Naruto… we can't do this," Sasuke whispered, the words stabbing into his heart even as they left his lips.
The blond's head shot up, his eyes meeting the Uchiha's in confusion. "What are you talking about? Itachi just said it's okay – what's the problem?"
"It's your dad," Sasuke began, averting his gaze. "He needs you now… more than I do…"
"But… I need you," Naruto replied, his lip quivering in panic.
That hurt. Sasuke couldn't even look at the blond anymore, and instead close his eyes tight, telling himself over and over again that this was the right thing to do. "I know… but he's your dad, Naruto. He needs you there with him when times are tough."
Naruto appeared hurt – and not without good reason. "So you're saying it doesn't matter what I think? You don't care how I feel? How hard this is going to be on me?"
Every word from the blond cut deeper and deeper into Sasuke, until he could barely offer a response. "That's not true… I do care. It's not easy for me either, you know – but we have to make this sacrifice."
Chewing on his lips, Naruto looked away, trying to think of some other solution. "Can't we just talk to him first? Maybe just ask him what he thinks?"
"You know he wouldn't resist, whether he was okay with it or not," Sasuke replied, shaking his head solemnly. "He can't know about this, or else he'll feel even worse than he does."
As Naruto thought this over, a phone began to ring in the distance. Setting down his tea, Itachi rose and started for the kitchen, whispering, "I'll get that."
Relieved that his brother had left the room, Sasuke pulled Naruto closer into an embrace, trying hard to console his frustrated boyfriend. "Look… it's only for a little while. Just till your dad finds another job, right? And I can come and visit – I have a car – I can drive out there on the weekends or something. We'll make it work."
Of course, even as Sasuke thought the words, he doubted their sincerity. Yes, he could drive out to visit Naruto, but would it be the same? That distance would put a strain on their relationship and he knew it. Sure, they'd start by calling each other every night, but how long would that last? How long until it became every other day? And then once a week? As much as Sasuke hated to think about it, there was a good chance that this obstacle would be the wedge to drive the two of them apart once and for all.
Naruto seemed to understand this as well, burying his face into Sasuke's damp shirt once more. "It's just not fair… things were going so well…"
Sasuke made no response, but simply held Naruto for a moment, trying to control his own emotions while soothing the blond's. It was an uphill battle, though. With every stroke of Naruto's hair, Sasuke felt his body tremble from a combination of anger and sorrow.
Maybe I'm just destined to be alone…
"Umm… excuse me, Naruto?"
Glancing up, Sasuke and Naruto found Itachi standing in the entryway, holding the phone in his hand. He was met with a glare from the younger Uchiha. "Do you mind, Itachi?"
"I wasn't talking to you, brother," Itachi answered dismissively before turning back to Naruto. "The phone's for you, Naruto. Sounds like your dad."
"Tell him I don't want to talk to him," Naruto said curtly, his eyes red from tears.
"I think you should hear him out. It sounded like good news," Itachi replied before tossing the phone onto the couch.
Staring at the phone cautiously, Naruto picked it up and held it to his ear. He swallowed hard, steadying his voice before speaking. "H-hello?"
Though Sasuke couldn't make out what exactly Iruka was saying on the other line, he could hear the man's excited voice blaring in the speakers as Naruto's eyes widened. Instead of relaying whatever news the man had, however, Naruto remained perfectly silent, apparently overwhelmed by whatever he had heard.
"Well? What is it?"
Naruto looked to Sasuke, his eyes watering in joy. "He found a job. Here – in Konoha."
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Had his ears deceived him? "A job? Already?"
"Yes! Apparently someone at the school said they'd put in a good word for him. They've been looking for a new teacher at the middle school, and so far there haven't been any qualified applicants. He's going in tomorrow for an interview," Naruto exclaimed before another buzzing voice came through the speaker. After listening for a moment, the blond nodded and spoke up, "All right, Dad. I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye."
Clicking the phone off, Naruto dropped it on the ground and kissed Sasuke on the lips before rising to his feet. Shocked by all that had happened, Sasuke simply watched the blond rush to the foyer, where he grabbed his shoes.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I have to go. Apparently he's been trying to call me all morning, and he wants to go out to dinner to celebrate. We'll talk more tomorrow, okay?" the blond asked, hopping on one foot as he pulled on his shoes.
"It's fine. Go get him, tiger," Sasuke replied with a smirk, resting his head on the armrest of the couch.
With a grin, Naruto bolted out the door, leaving the Uchiha brothers alone in the living room. As Sasuke adjusted himself on the couch and sighed with relief, Itachi took a seat back on the opposite side of the room and resumed sipping his tea.
"'Tiger,' huh?" Itachi murmured, his eyes closed in silent contemplation.
Without missing a beat, Sasuke hurled the nearby phone across the room at his brother, who simply tilted his head to the side as it crashed into the wall. Setting his tea down, Itachi chuckled and retrieved the now-defective phone.
"That's coming out of your allowance, I'll have you know."
Seething in anger, Sasuke covered his face with a throw pillow and laid back in exhaustion. "Go to hell, Itachi."
"I love you, too."
On that note, Itachi disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Sasuke alone once again to his thoughts. Rather than reflect on the complicated day, however, the Uchiha decided instead to get some rest, closing his eyes tightly beneath the shelter of his pillow.
Another crisis narrowly averted…
And there you have it! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Now that Naruto actually knows about his fate in Konoha, how will his relationship with Sasuke develop? And what about Iruka's interview at the Middle School? Will Kakashi be able to make everything work out? Find out in the next installment of For Naruto, Whenever I May Find Him!