Warning 17+ only: Yaoi (Boy x Boy) - Homophobic readers please hit the back button NOW. Not appropriate for young readers.

Disclaimer - Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Sasuke would dispute that claim. Either way I make no money on this.

Author's note: FINALLY we get to see Sasuke's side of the story. It was killing me to not show both sides like I usually do, but I think the fight (and whole story) would have felt stupid because it would have seemed like Naruto should have known how Sasuke felt (or Sasuke should have known how Naruto felt), but now that we all know we didn't see certain things either, hopefully it will make it feel more possible for this situation to have actually happened. Here we go!

-xXx-

Sasuke pulled into the driveway of the family estate. Itachi had moved back when Sasuke had gone to college, and it still felt foreign to him... not like home. Itachi had decided that it was time to resume their family position in society and put the ghosts of the past behind them. Sasuke didn't know if he ever could, but he was no longer living at home anyway, so he supposed it didn't matter. He only came back for school breaks, this weekend being the exception. The day was overcast and blustery, somehow suiting Sasuke's tense state as he parked his black BMW and walked toward the mansion. The wind whipped at his hair and caused the fabric of his thin shirt to mould against his sculpted torso.

Sasuke was not surprised when the front door opened before he even reached it. Itachi stood there, leaning against the frame of the door watching Sasuke walk up the path to the house.

"Otouto," Itachi said simply, greeting his little brother, his usually expressionless eyes showing concern. They rarely ever called each other, despite the strong bonds each felt for the other. They were men of few words, and didn't need the flow of chatter or insignificant bits of daily news about the other to maintain that bond. They could read each other with a look, and had a trust built on surviving the death of their parents and keeping each other together through the ordeal.

When Sasuke had called out of the blue asking to come back for the weekend, Itachi had known something had happened. But he would let Sasuke tell him when he was ready. He arched a perfect black eyebrow when he saw that his brother had come home without even a small overnight bag. Clearly his exodus had been unplanned, and Itachi's concern deepened. There were few things that could actually shake his little brother.

"Nii-san," Sasuke said, his tone sounding formal, his eyes showing relief.

"Come. Dinner is being prepared."

They walked through the large, marble entryway through a large hall that led to a curved staircase. The house was cold, formal, and elegant, matching the brothers it belonged to. "You can go refresh yourself in your room, or we could have coffee on the terrace if you prefer."

Sasuke knew Itachi was offering the choice to let him set the pace for when he wanted to talk about whatever had driven him here. And he appreciated it. His brother usually did not offer choices. He simply swept all before him along whatever path his fearsome intellect had deemed was the correct one. When their parents had died, Itachi had simultaneously taken custody of his little brother, assumed the responsibility for running the family business empire, and finished college. Any one of those tasks would have been a full time commitment for a normal person, but Itachi had managed all three flawlessly, excelling in an almost super-human capacity at each. There was a reason that he typically did not bother offering choices or seeking opinions of mere mortals. Sasuke was one of the few exceptions.

Sasuke nodded, acknowledging the unusual courtesy. He needed time to gather his thoughts. Talking with Itachi was always... like undergoing brain surgery without anesthetics. The man was ruthless about probing with laser precision into exactly what was wrong, seeing to the heart of the problem with almost frightening accuracy, and addressing it in the most expedient way, regardless of the difficulty of doing so. There would be no 'hiding part of the story' from his brother. And though Sasuke had sought out Itachi's company, he needed just a bit more time to brace himself for the consequences.

"I haven't had a chance for a shower yet today. I'll just go up to my room and clean up. I'll be down in an hour."

Itachi nodded, then uncharacteristically came and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I'll be in my room, if you find yourself ready sooner."

The brothers had not grown up in an affectionate household, and physical contact between them was rare. More than anything, this act showcased Itachi's level of concern for his brother. Sasuke knew he would have not one minute past the hour that he had requested before Itachi came and sought him out. He turned and went up to his room, searching through the formal mahogany dresser he found there for clothing that had been purchased and left for his convenience.

He took the clothes into the large, marble bathroom that adjoined his bedroom, and turned on the shower. Once the water had warmed, he undressed and stepped into the shower. He wondered how much of what he was about to tell Itachi would come as a surprise. He had never discussed his sexuality with his brother, but somehow... Itachi always seemed to know everything before Sasuke said anything. He didn't feel anxiety about this part of the conversation, though. His brother would never judge someone on something superficial like sexuality, race or gender. He was ruthless in judging actions and intellect, however, and this was where Sasuke was more apprehensive. He knew he had mishandled the situation with Naruto, though hindsight was always 20/20. If he had disengaged slightly with Naruto years ago, he might have been able to avoid the complete rift that had been opened up between them now. They could have still been friends.

But he needed someone to talk to, and Sasuke would just have to bear the judgment of what his brother would make of his actions.

Sasuke dressed simply, wearing black sweatpants and a black T-shirt. Normally, he would have dressed more formally for dinner, but he knew that he would likely be up talking to his brother until late into the night, and wanted to be comfortable. It was closing in on the promised hour when he exited the sanctuary of his own room and walked downstairs to the large dining room, where his brother was already seated.

Itachi noted his brother's clothing, but didn't comment. They ate the deliciously prepared meal in silence. Itachi sighed, losing patience with the situation, but knowing his brother probably wished to discuss this privately. While the dishes were being cleared by the house staff, Itachi rose and headed towards his study. Sasuke followed. Sasuke closed the mahogany paneled doors behind him as Itachi poured them each a shot of port. Neither one was particularly fond of drinking, but in this case, Itachi assumed it would be welcomed. Sasuke accepted the glass and drank down the burning liquid.

Itachi sighed. "Just start at the beginning." Neither one of them was partial to small talk.

Sasuke paused, his face expressionless. Then he spoke in an inflectionless voice. "You mean the beginning where I knew that I started to... be interested... in Naruto, or the beginning when he found out about it?"

Not surprisingly, Itachi showed no surprise at either of these statements. Sasuke almost laughed. Of course Itachi had known.

"Wherever you think you need to start in order for me to understand what has been going on between you and your best friend over the past year."

Sasuke sighed and leaned back on the couch. "Somehow, I don't think I need to give you much context, as you clearly have known about it for some time."

Itachi simply shrugged an elegant shoulder. "You are my little brother. I pay attention."

Though Sasuke would never admit it, the statement warmed him. He would never truly be alone as long as he had Itachi.

"I've liked Naruto as more than a friend for... a long time. But he was clearly interested in girls. Especially Sakura," Sasuke heard the jealous twist in his voice when he said her name, and schooled himself back to his usual expressionless demeanor.

Itachi simply arched a brow, waiting for Sasuke to continue. Obviously, this was not new news to Itachi.

"But last year, in January, we were in my room playing video games as usual, and out of the blue he said he wanted to kiss me." Sasuke felt his stomach tighten at the memory of that day. The day he thought for one dizzying moment that he was actually going to get what he had been secretly hoping for for years.

Itachi's eyebrows shot up at that. "Naruto said he was attracted to you?"

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "No. At first, I was... hoping... but, no. I asked him if he might like guys, but he stated very clearly that he had no interest in guys, he only liked girls. He just wanted to help me 'figure things out' to see if I liked guys, so he could find me a 'nice boyfriend."

Itachi tried to keep the sympathy from his eyes, knowing it would not be appreciated.

"I told him no. We were on my fucking bed, and they guy I have been attracted to for years asks to kiss me... as some sort of experiment. But he just..." Sasuke trailed off, recalling the moment and swallowing hard. "... he just went for it and kissed me anyway."

Itachi's eyebrows rose. He waited for Sasuke to continue, and when he didn't, Itachi gave him a gentle nudge. "And?"

"And it was... amazing," Sasuke admitted softly. Then his voice cooled again. "A little too amazing, if you know what I mean. I panicked, and just shoved Naruto off the bed and left the room, hoping he didn't notice that I..."

Itachi smirked. "That good, huh? Were you wearing sweat pants or jeans?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, embarrassed that Itachi had known exactly what he was trying to say, but also glad he didn't have to completely spell it out. "Jeans."

"Well, then hopefully your reaction wasn't too noticeable."

"No, he noticed. He told me today - while looking so uncomfortable that he could hardly get the words out - that he had... 'felt something he hadn't expected'... that day and knew how I felt about him now. Then he asked if I could just be normal. Because being gay is not normal, right? To him, I'm some deviant now. So he just asked if I could just forget the kiss ever happened and go back to thinking about him as just friends. Like its some fucking switch I can just turn off. After all that bullshit about 'accepting me no matter what'," Sasuke realized he was talking more to himself now than Itachi, and forced himself to stop.

Itachi moved over and sat by his brother on the sofa. "There is nothing wrong with being gay. Or bisexual. You can like whoever you want to, little brother."

"I know. I just never thought he would say that to me... that I was abnormal for my feelings for him. I get that he didn't feel the same. I can't help it that I like guys, and he can't help it that he doesn't. I wasn't trying to push it with him. And that day... he had told me that he didn't care if I was gay or straight. That he'd be my friend no matter what."

Itachi looked at his brother, aching for him. "I guess there is a difference between knowing your friend is gay, and knowing he is gay for you," Itachi said softly. "Naruto can't help his sexuality any more than you can help yours." Itachi believed, however, that Naruto was not as straight as Sasuke thought... he had seen the younger boy looking at his brother with a longing that spoke of more than friendship, though whether the blond was self-aware enough to realize that or not was another matter entirely. But Itachi knew that now was not the time to try to talk to Sasuke about it. He was hurting and needing to talk about what had happened before he'd be open to hearing about other possible perspectives. So Itachi let Sasuke continue for the time being.

Sasuke sighed, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I know. I know that. Which is why I was trying so hard to not show him how I really felt. Even if we could never be more than friends, his friendship was enough."

Itachi frowned slightly at the blatant lie. "You've skipped several steps in your story. Let's go back to what happened after the kiss. You just found out that he noticed your... little problem. Which means that you didn't know that at the time, but your friendship was falling apart before today. What happened after the kiss?"

"I guess neither of us handled it well. I pushed Naruto away and ended the kiss. He landed on the floor looking... embarrassed and shocked and somewhat horrified. I knew he had noticed something. I didn't know what to do, so I just went down to the kitchen until I had myself under control, trying to think of what I could say. But before I even had the chance, he grabbed his things and left, saying he had to be home for dinner. He lived alone. He didn't have to be home for fucking dinner. He just wanted to get the hell away from me. From his friend who was gay for him.

"And it just got worse then next day at school. Every time he even looked at me, he got all uncomfortable and embarrassed. In the locker room, he was embarrassed for me to even see him in a towel after soccer practice. He took one look at me and turned bright red, watching me to make sure I didn't get too close. He got dressed as fast as possible and literally ran out of the locker room. Like he thought I was going to attack him or something. That was the first day in years that we didn't walk home from school together. I told him I wasn't gay... I would have told him anything just to get him to calm down, but obviously he didn't believe me."

Itachi stirred. "Of course he didn't believe you. It was a lie, and he probably knew it, at least on some level. Lying won't help your friend to trust you again, Sasuke."

Sasuke accepted the reprimand, knowing it was true. He sighed. "I know. I just didn't want to lose him completely. It had been bad enough watching him throw himself at Sakura for years. But at least I still had him as a friend. He was still -"

Sasuke cut off, realizing he had been about to say he was still mine. That degree of possessiveness was not something he wanted to admit out loud. But of course, Itachi required no verbalization of the thought to read it.

"He was still yours," Itachi finished for him, onyx eyes expressionless.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

"So you decided to pay him back, by claiming Sakura, the girl that Naruto liked, knowing that she loved you, not him."

"Not exactly. It wasn't to make him suffer."

Itachi raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"I just thought that if he actually spent any real time with Sakura, he would realize that they had nothing in common. I never understood what he saw in her. Other than having a somewhat attractive face, what did she have? Why was he so fixated on her that he was completely blind to anyone else?"

"Blind to you, you mean."

Sasuke felt his fist clench. "Yes."

"So you thought if you had Sakura hang around the two of you, he'd get to know her and realize that you were the much better choice."

Sasuke hated how simplistic Itachi was able to make that sound. But he couldn't deny it. Why didn't Naruto see? It was so obvious that Sakura was no match for him. "It didn't work. Every time Naruto saw us together, he was just eaten up with jealousy. It was written all over his face. I kept waiting for him to realize that she wasn't worth his fixation. I thought he'd see... but he didn't."

"But you kept dating her anyway. And inviting her whenever you knew Naruto would be over."

Sasuke sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Nothing had gone as he had planned. "I thought that if I had failed at showing Naruto that he should stop being interested in Sakura, maybe at least I could convince him that I was interested in her, so he would stop being so embarrassed and awkward around me. I didn't really care whether he thought he had misread the kiss and that I wasn't gay, or whether he thought I had just moved on to Sakura and liked her instead of Naruto. Anything that would make him less uncomfortable around me, so we could just get past that kiss and go back to at least being friends."

"But that didn't work either," Itachi stated, recalling the fiasco at Sasuke's birthday. After Naruto had left, Sasuke had just shut down. He had barely spoken the rest of the day. Sakura had left around lunch time, totally at a loss for what was wrong with her boyfriend. Itachi had known, and tried to get Naruto to come back. But it hadn't worked. It was the only time Itachi had seen Sasuke get drunk. After a horribly silent dinner, Itachi had asked if Sasuke wanted to watch a movie or go out, but Sasuke had refused, saying he just wanted to be alone. Later that evening, Itachi had come into the kitchen to find Sasuke passed out in one of the kitchen chairs with a half empty bottle of bourbon. The next day, Naruto had left with Jiraya for the rest summer, not even attending their graduation parties that were still taking place. Sasuke had broken up with Sakura, but it was too late. "All you did was hurt Naruto, who felt like not only did you choose Sakura over him as a friend, but that you were rubbing his face in the fact that you were dating the girl that you knew full well he liked. When in fact you had no interest in her at all, and were just using her."

Sasuke just nodded, closing his eyes. "I never slept with her. I wasn't that callous. I was honest with her that I was... interested in someone else, but that they didn't return my feelings. She was surprised, but was more than happy to date me anyway. I told her that I wouldn't sleep with her when I still liked someone else. I was open with her. If I was using her, she knew and agreed to it."

"Naruto thought you were sleeping with her."

"Probably."

"You made sure he did. When Naruto was here, you were all over Sakura. You never even looked at him. If you had, maybe you would have noticed how hurt he was by what you were doing."

"Or maybe he would have noticed that I could barely control myself around him. He came to school one day covered with hickies from some girl, and I almost..." Sasuke closed his eyes, remembering the jealous rage he had felt at seeing his Naruto marked by someone else, and the almost primal urge to erase those marks by replacing them with marks of his own.

"You still want him," Itachi stated.

There was a long pause. Then:

"Yes."

"But you continue to play games with him."

"What do you mean?"

"I ran into Hyuuga Neji at one of the business meetings between Uchiha Corp and Hyuuga Corp. He had some interesting things to say about you. I didn't realize he was rooming with you and Naruto."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What did he say?"

Itachi paused, letting his little brother sweat a bit. "What do you think he told me?"

"Itachi -" Sasuke growled warningly. He was not in the mood for his brother's mind games.

"He told me that your social life had become quite active. Although there appeared to be a high correlation between the nights you'd bring someone to your bed, and the nights you expected Naruto to be home in time to see it."

Fucking Hyuuga. Sasuke liked the brunette less and less. He saw too many things that were not his business.

"I found it interesting. And I wondered what my little brother, who never had shown much interest in women, might have been thinking when he took them to his bed, in a room he shared with the one person he was interested in. While that person listened from the other side of the door. Almost in the room with you, if my memory of how thin dorm walls are is accurate. Was it really still just to convince Naruto that you were straight? Or was there a more... subtle reason you were doing it?"

Sasuke glared at Itachi, daring him to complete that thought aloud. But not denying it either.

"I am assuming that you would have gotten into a bit of trouble had one of your 'dates' had the habit of asking her lover to 'say her name' during intercourse. Whose name would you have said, I wonder?"

"Fuck you, Itachi," Sasuke snapped.

"Only if you call me Naruto," Itachi said, his face stoic but his eyes brimming with unholy amusement.

Fury etching his features, Sasuke stood abruptly to leave the room.

"So you're releasing your claim on Naruto, then?"

The words froze Sasuke in his tracks, but he did not turn around to face his brother.

"You left after the fight you had with him, not even bothering to take a change of clothes. Knowing you as I do, I can't imagine you left without telling him anything. Have you severed things with him? Are you now giving up and willing to let him go and belong to someone else?"

Itachi was purposefully used the word 'belong', rather than 'be with', knowing it would trigger Sasuke's emotions. His little brother had always been possessive and protective when it came to Naruto, even though the blond required no such thing. Itachi could read the tension in his brother's back, every muscle was clenched.

"I didn't hear you, Sasuke."

"Sometimes, we don't get to choose what is going to happen."

"Because you think he's straight."

"I know he's straight."

"Is it normal for a straight man to kiss his male best friend? Is it normal for a straight man to sleep in his male friend's bed after the age of twelve? Is it normal for a straight man to follow his male best friend to college without even voicing an opinion on what he wants to study?"

Sasuke had considered this. He had looked at all those facts before, and hoped. But nothing had come from any attempt to get Naruto to react to him in that way.

"It is possible that Naruto doesn't realize he has deeper feelings for you."

"Itachi - I have had straight men proposition me before. I have had men and women from the ages of eight to one hundred pursue me, as I'm sure you have as well. Naruto and I have been friends for years, spending time together in almost every situation. I have been naked in front of Naruto, and like you said, yes, he has shared my bed. And nothing ever happened except for that one damned kiss. If he were gay, or even just slightly bi, he would have shown his interest in me by now and pursued me. I have had countless men and women desire me. I know how to read the signs. If he were interested in men at all, he would have been interested in me."

Itachi thought about this, amused by the arrogance of his younger brother. While what Sasuke had said was true in a way, he knew that Sasuke was overlooking the fact that Naruto was in fact different from all the other admirers that Sasuke had. Because the others were after sex first with him, and friendship as an afterthought. With Naruto, it would not be that way. Itachi knew that Naruto viewed Sasuke as a friend at such a deep level that it was almost a bond of brotherhood. Even if Naruto held sexual feelings for Sasuke, he would not betray that bond by forcing his feelings on Sasuke overtly. In much the same way that Sasuke had withheld his own feelings from Naruto.

But Itachi couldn't be absolutely sure that Naruto returned his brother's desire. When platonic love ran so deep, sometimes it was hard to differentiate from erotic love. And he didn't want his brother to be hurt anymore than he already was. So he would not push his brother further for now. He would first ascertain what Naruto's real feelings were towards his brother. The semester was already half over. Winter break would be here soon enough, and Naruto would be back in Konoha. Itachi would have time then to get to the bottom of this, and decide how best to proceed. But he could at least help his brother sort out his own feelings.

"You will have to decide what you really want to do here, Sasuke. You can decide that Naruto is not the only person you could want, and seek another. If you do that, you will need to accept the fact that he will also move on and will be with someone else. If you can't let him go, then you will need to convince him that there is more than friendship between you. It is true that you have had countless people pursue you. But if you want Naruto, you will have to be the one to pursue him. He will not be like all the fangirls who simply swoon at your feet when you exhale."

"I know that, Itachi," Sasuke let his annoyance show.

Itachi smirked. I wonder if you really do, little brother.

Sasuke frowned at the smirk. "Naruto has already had other lovers," Sasuke spat the word, ignoring the look that Itachi sent reminding him that Sasuke had also been quite active in that regard. "I already have had to let him go."

Itachi just looked at his little brother, amazed that someone so brilliant could be such a fool when it came to his own emotions, and those of his best friend. If Sasuke really thought he had let go of Naruto after everything he had just said, then his self-awareness was worse than Naruto's.

But there were ways to force his hand. One might have to wait a bit, and would involve some cooperation from Naruto. But there was another option that was open to them tonight. "I think we should go out. A friend of mine owns a private club. We will have no problem getting in. Go with an open mind. Don't look for someone who you could use to make Naruto jealous. Go see if there are others out there that genuinely interest you. Get dressed. There should be appropriate clothes in your closet."

. . . . .

The two brothers walked into the nightclub. A ripple of silence spread out around them, as people literally stopped to stare at the impossibly beautiful and masculine pair. There were heated glances from the women and some men who could literally feel the testosterone and raw sex appeal radiating off the two black-haired, elegantly dressed men. Several of the women nearby shuddered, as if experiencing minor orgasms just from looking at the two in close proximity. Neither of the brothers appeared to notice, such reactions being common since they were children.

Itachi looked at Sasuke. "Let's get a drink." They walked over to the bar, and were immediately attended to. "Is Kisame here tonight?"

The bartender nodded. "He'll be down shortly."

Itachi looked back over to his brother, who was already beginning to draw a small crowd. Several approached Itachi, but Itachi simply glared death at them until they turned their attention elsewhere. Tonight was for his little brother. He didn't want to attract the attentions of someone who might potentially interest his Otouto. Kisame would help with that. Itachi and Kisame had been unlikely friends since college. Several people had suspected they were lovers at that time, given how much time they spent together. Itachi occasionally used that rumor to ward off unwanted attention. Kisame was almost seven feet tall and built like the proverbial brick shithouse. No matter how lust-crazed his admirers, they paused around Kisame. Not that Itachi needed any help fending them off on his own, but tonight he wanted to be able to relax and watch his little brother, not have to be constantly glaring at people trying to approach him. And he knew it amused Kisame to no end to act as his 'boyfriend'.

The large man had come down to the main level of the club and greeted Itachi warmly, standing next to him with his arm draped around him in a proprietary manner. Kisame was actually straight, but got intense enjoyment from the jealous glares he received from both men and women when he and Itachi played their little game. Itachi was intensely private when it came to his sex life, so Kisame wasn't entirely sure if his friend were straight or gay, but one thing he would stake his life on was that Itachi was never the submissive in any relationship. Otherwise... he might have considered testing the waters for real with his stoically beautiful friend. He might be straight, but Itachi was... Itachi.

Sasuke greeted the giant standing next to his brother. He had always been a bit curious about how much of their relationship was real, and how much was a front. There were several beautiful young socialites that Itachi occasionally was seen with at black-tie events. Rumors abounded that they were also his lovers, or even that one might be his fiancée, but Itachi always just raised a perfect brow when anyone questioned him on it. Even Sasuke had never seen Itachi bring someone back to their house. There had been nights when the man didn't return home, however, and Sasuke had seen love bites on his brother's neck, so he knew he was not asexual. Just... very, very discreet.

Sasuke sighed, shaking himself out of the somewhat disturbing curiosity he had about his brother's sex life. He would try to take Itachi's advice, but he didn't think it would matter much. He hadn't exactly been celibate for the past two months. It hadn't helped. But then again, his partners had all been females. They bore no resemblance to Naruto. It was only their physical proximity to the object of his desires that had made the act stimulating at all. A flash of blond caught his eye, and he looked as clear green eyes stared up at him from an attractive, masculine face. The eye color was off, but perhaps... Sasuke smirked at the blond male, who immediately walked over and sat next to him.

Itachi sighed. This wasn't going to work. His brother barely had to look at someone and they basically fell to their knees in front of him. It wouldn't teach him how to pursue someone. All it was doing was reinforcing his brother's belief that if anyone were even slightly interested in him, they went straight for his zipper. Of course he didn't see that Naruto was interested, if this was how he was used to that emotion being expressed.

He watched his brother head to one of the back rooms with the blond man. Well, at least some of the tension will be eased. He wondered if his brother had been with a man before, or if this would be his first time. Sasuke didn't seem nervous. He suspected that his baby brother had been even more active than Neji knew. He sighed. Young love. Such idiots.

-xXx-

Sasuke drove back Sunday night. He didn't know exactly what he felt about Naruto at this exact moment, but he decided that he would be willing to see how the blond reacted to him. He felt slightly guilty that he had left without giving Naruto a chance to explain himself further. After all, Naruto had been very hung over when they'd had that conversation, and potentially his words had not come out as he had meant them. Itachi had tried to drill that thought into Sasuke's head during the rest of the weekend, and had partially succeeded. Itachi had insisted that Naruto was not the kind of person to say that someone was abnormal for being gay. Naruto was one of the most tolerant and open-minded people that he knew. Sasuke had reluctantly agreed.

He kept his mind from going back to the experience at the club. It had been physically enjoyable, but emotionally vacant, just like every other time he had had sex. The instant after his release, he had no further desire to talk to the person he had been with. The act itself had been more enjoyable with a male than with a female, but there had not been that searing, overwhelming feeling that he had experienced from Naruto's simple kiss. He didn't want to ascribe a name to that feeling. He didn't want to think about what it meant that no one else even came close to making him feel that way.

He did find it annoying, though, that all he had to do was glance at someone in the club and they were dragging him off to the nearest secluded area to have sex, while he had stood naked in front of Naruto on several occasions in their past, and Naruto had only ever tried that one kiss. He thought about ways that maybe he could... increase Naruto's awareness of him. Having Naruto as his roommate left him fairly unlimited options in that regard.

His mind was working as he walked into his suite, noticing both bedroom doors closed. He walked to his room and was surprised to find Chouji sitting on Naruto's bed. When Naruto was not here.

"What are you doing here? Where's Naruto?" Sasuke snapped out. He liked Chouji, but he was not the person Sasuke wanted in his bedroom.

Chouji swallowed the mouthful of chips he was chewing. "After you left last week, Naruto put in for a room transfer. I guess it is not automatic, so he is on a waiting list, and they said it could take several weeks. Naruto was really upset, so Neji asked if I would switch with Naruto so you guys don't have to suffer together until the transfer comes through. We switched rooms over the weekend. Naruto is sleeping in Neji's room for now."

Sasuke felt his stomach clench. "What?!"

-xXx-

to be continued

I know, I know... but in my defense, I will say that in middle school one of my friends realized he was gay, and he had a crush on one of the 'popular boys'. He never said anything all through high school. I ended up going to college with the 'popular boy', and found out that not only was he bi, but he had liked my friend and ALSO never said anything. By then they were living on opposite sides of the country, seeing other people, and never spoke again. I am not following the same storyline here (god, seeing that once in my life was plenty, let me tell you), but I just want to say that expressing a sexual identity that isn't the 'cookie cutter' one is super fucking hard as a teenager (even hetero girls who just like sex, or straight guys who like romance more than sex). It is scary... like really, really scary. So yes, they are idiots. But there is a reason for it (but I promise this story will end better than the real life events it was inspired by). Next chapter will be up tomorrow morning.