Summary: Naruto had been a good boy all through high school, and what had it gotten him? Rejected by his best friend for a series of one-night-stands. (OOC: darker Naruto, sexual Sasuke) SasuNaru - College AU
Warning 17+ only: Yaoi (Boy x Boy) - Homophobic readers please hit the back button NOW. Not appropriate for young readers.
Author's note: OMFG this story was stolen! Two of my readers found this posted on anoter site with a title change, and the names of Sasuke and Naruto swapped out for Ichigo and Grimm. I can't believe it. If you see any of my stuff stolen, please let me know. I mean, we don't make any money on this site, so everyone should just write their own stuff!
-xXx-
Naruto sat on the metal bench in the holding cell, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his head drop down into his hands. Luckily, the police had separated him and the other two boys from the fight into different cells. The third was at the hospital with a broken elbow. Naruto had given his statement to the police, and was just waiting now to find out what was going to happen. Reality was starting to sink in, and he'd be lying if he didn't admit he felt a little queasy.
The blond blew out a slow breath, trying to take stock of everything. He felt like he was caught in a mudslide. His life was just slipping downhill, but Naruto had nothing to hold on to to anchor himself. For so long, Sasuke had been his voice of reason, reigning Naruto in when he went off half cocked, or just providing something solid and permanent in his life when everything else, even his guardian, seemed transitory. Naruto knew he tended to be rash and impulsive, not always thinking things through. But Sasuke had always grounded him. He'd motivated him to achieve things when they were in high school. If Naruto wanted to stay with Sasuke, he knew had had to get good grades or he'd never get into the same college. So he had made himself study. If he wanted to keep living in Konoha to finish high school with his friend, he had to not get placed in a new foster home, which had meant keeping his nose clean enough that Jiraya's crap guardianship didn't get questioned. So he had avoided trouble.
But now, Naruto had no reason for doing anything. He knew he wanted to be a writer, but honestly most of the best writers didn't go to school to learn about it. They learned through life experience, and then wrote about it. So from a career perspective, there was no real benefit to working hard in college and getting good grades. It was more of a habit that had been drilled into him by Sasuke.
And there was no one who was going to be disappointed, or even probably really notice that he was going completely off the deep end with his life. Ino was his friend, but she had a boyfriend and many other friends that she cared about. Kiba was back in Konoha, and they had lost touch a bit with Naruto going to college and Kiba staying behind. Sasuke and Sora were out of his life, at least for the near term, and Jiraya had never really paid much attention even when Naruto was young. Why would he start now that Naruto was an adult?
But of course, Naruto knew in a way that line of thinking was a cop out. The one in charge of his life was him, not all these other people. So if his life was fucked up, it was his fault. But right now, Naruto just didn't want to think. He wanted to just live in the moment and shut out his painful past and uncertainties about his future. His future as a writer would be hard, and he knew it would take both talent and luck to make a living at it. But it was the first time in his life that had actually aspired to accomplish something specific on his own, and somehow he knew that this was the path he was meant to follow eventually. He knew that drugs and drinking and casual sex were not going to solve any of his problems. In fact, they were likely to make them worse in the long run. But they were letting him forget temporarily and avoid the feeling of loneliness that seemed to consume him. He just needed to get out from underneath the crushing weight of all the emptiness in his life right now.
A small voice in the back of his head quietly hoped he didn't sink so far that there would be no turning back.
Naruto looked up as he heard a key turn in the lock to the holding cell, and saw a guard unlocking the door.
"You're being released."
Naruto was frozen for a moment, sure he was mishearing the man. He didn't have money for an attorney, and when he had tried to call Jiraya, no one had answered. He had never been arrested before, but he was pretty sure that you don't usually get let go in less than three hours unless you have an expensive lawyer pulling some serious strings for you. And even then, it would be tight.
"Kid, you just going to sit there? Your friend is here to pick you up."
Naruto's heart surged. Sasuke. It had to be. No one else he knew had the kind of connections that the Uchihas did. Naruto had not expected his friend would come, but the sudden realization that he had almost overwhelmed the blond, like something horribly wrong in his life had just been made right again.
A smile formed on the blond's face. If Sasuke was still coming to get him out of trouble, it meant he still cared. Whatever problems they might be having, whatever shitty things they had done and said to each other over the past year, Sasuke still gave a fuck about what happened to him. He quickly got up and followed the guard, almost running when they gave him back his personal belongings and told him his friend was waiting in the waiting area.
Throwing open the door, he looked around in confusion for a moment before he realized that Sasuke wasn't there.
"Naruto!" Ino threw her arms around Naruto. He closed his arms around her in an automatic response, his gaze falling on the more subdued brunette who stood behind her.
"Neji," Naruto said, connecting the dots on who got him released. He was careful to keep only gratitude on his face, not letting the crippling disappointment show that it had not been Sasuke.
"Let's get you home," Neji said, letting Ino fuss over Naruto.
"How did you even know I was here?" Naruto asked as they headed out to Neji's car.
"Ino came and told Sasuke and me about it right after it happened."
Neji was inserting his key into the ignition, and didn't notice the flash of hurt across Naruto's face. Sasuke had known, and he hadn't even bothered to come. This was more than just missing a birthday. Naruto had been in fucking jail - in real trouble that would affect his future - and Sasuke still hadn't even cared enough to come. Naruto had known Ino and Neji for three fucking months and they had come right away.
Naruto swallowed. I guess this is really it. Sasuke and I are... done.
He really wished he could go get a drink. He didn't want to feel this. He just wanted to drown out the years of friendship and love he felt for Sasuke. Maybe eventually he'd get to a place where he'd be able to move on.
-xXx-
Sasuke leaned casually on the desk at the nurse's station. The young nurse looked up at him, blushing and clearly enamored. Sasuke smiled slightly, well aware of the effect he was having on the older woman. This wasn't going to be a problem.
"I understand doctor patient confidentiality. I would never ask you to violate that. I just really wanted to know how my friend Sora was doing, and whether he'd be released soon."
The nurse giggled under the implied praise. "Well, I guess since you're his friend, it wouldn't hurt to tell you the basics. He's fine, just a few bumps and bruises. He'll be released in an hour or two. It would have been even sooner, but the police are with him and he is filling out a report."
Sasuke thanked her, and turned and walked out of the hospital. He knew which dorm Sora stayed in. It wouldn't be hard to find out which room. Sasuke knew it would be stupid to confront the boy in the hospital, especially with the police here. So he'd wait by Sora's dorm until he got back. His injuries weren't that serious. Sasuke was considering changing that. He walked over to a coffee shop to kill an hour or so.
. . . .
Sora noticed someone leaning against his door as he walked down the hall to his room. His body ached a bit, but it was not too bad. He planned on taking a quick shower, then going over to find out what happened to Naruto. Hopefully Ino or Naruto's roommates would know. After everything that had happened, Sora was feeling sick with guilt that Naruto had gotten arrested for helping him out.
Sasuke levered himself away from the door as Sora approached.
"Sora?"
"Yeah. Who the fuck are you?" Sora didn't recognize Sasuke, and was hoping he wasn't a friend of the three Neanderthals who had jumped him earlier.
"I'm a friend of Naruto's."
Sora hesitated. "I've never seen you. And I've spent a lot of time with Naruto. What's your name?"
"I don't care how much time you spent with Naruto. You haven't known him long enough to think you know everyone who is important in his life."
Sora looked consideringly at the raven, quickly connecting the dots. "You must be Sasuke." He felt a sinking feeling as he looked at the other boy, the intensity and beauty of him almost unreal. If this was what he was up against, he didn't stand a chance of winning Naruto. He felt the last fragments of hope at reviving that relationship disintegrate.
Sora took out his key and opened the door to his room. As usual, his roommate was out. For once, Sora wished that he wasn't. He could see the anger bubbling in the man before him, and wondered if it would be a better idea to talk in the hallway where there would be witnesses.
"I know what you did to him. You're lucky he didn't press charges," Sasuke's voice was flat and lethal.
On second thought, Sora decided this conversation was better had in private.
"He told you?" Sora couldn't keep the regret out of his voice. This was the man Naruto loved. They must have come to some sort of understanding if Sasuke was here defending Naruto.
"He didn't have to. I figured it out. You're lucky you're already hurt."
"Look, don't you think I don't already regret what happened? I really liked Naruto. I only wanted... and now he won't even talk to me. We're not even friends anymore."
"You think just because you like someone you have the right to do that? You're an ass. You have no idea the damage you did with this."
"If you want to talk about who damaged Naruto, why not try looking at yourself in the mirror. Why do you think he even wanted to go to that party on his birthday? Who do you think made him feel like such shit that he wanted to just drown himself?" Sora hated thinking about it. Knowing that he had been always second best to Sasuke, even when Sasuke had treated Naruto like shit and not accepted him for who he was. And now evidently things were better between them, and Naruto would probably never even speak with Sora again. He knew he'd messed up, but it didn't seem fair.
"That doesn't give you an excuse to do what you did. You knew he didn't want you," Sasuke's tone was dripping with contempt and derision. Already feeling emotionally raw, Sora snapped.
"What... mad that I got there first? You wanted to be the one?" The second the words were out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said them. On so many levels. But before he could even apologize, Sasuke's fist connected with his face and Sora was flying across the room and hit the wall hard.
Sora put his hand experimentally to his jaw, checking to see if it was broken. "I guess I deserved that."
"You deserve a hell of a lot more than that. Don't ever come near him again, or I will be more than happy to give it to you," Sasuke stared down at Sora, feeling the almost overwhelming urge to pick the boy up and pound his face through the wall. The intent must have been clear, because Sora stayed absolutely still, as if waiting for the next blow to fall.
Sasuke turned and walked out, not bothering to close the door behind him. He couldn't believe this guy had given Naruto drugs just to have sex with him. Sasuke couldn't imagine how Naruto felt. It would be bad enough under any circumstances to have a friend betray you like that, but Naruto wasn't even gay. He must have been so revolted at the memories. He remembered how upset Naruto had been the morning after. This would only make it even less likely that Naruto would ever consider anything with Sasuke.
Why hadn't Naruto told him? It ate into Sasuke that something like this had happened to his friend and Naruto had not felt like he could tell him about it. They had always told each other everything. And while the last year had been strained, something of this magnitude should have broken through. He couldn't just let their friendship end like this.
He suddenly felt an almost urgent need to get back to the dorms. He couldn't place it, but somehow he knew that something was very wrong.
-xXx-
"Thanks," Naruto said, holding the ice pack against his face that Ino had brought over. They were back in their dorm room. The first thing Naruto had done was taken a shower, having heard too many stories of what kind of things lived in jail cells.
Neji had shown up less than thirty minutes after Naruto had been arrested. He had called his uncle on the way over, and asked the influential man to put in a call to the commissioner, quickly explaining the situation. They had arrived at the jail, and Neji proceeded to break down piece by piece to the police officer all the ways in which holding Naruto was not justified, and implying that there would be a suit if the police kept him overnight. The family attorneys for the other boys had been there, too, making similar arguments, but hadn't been as successful given the amount of evidence against the boys. Both Neji and Naruto agreed that it was unlikely that the boys would end up in jail for long, but they were both glad that at least it appeared they would be spending the night.
"I really owe you one, Neji."
Neji just shrugged. "Don't worry about it. They would have had to drop the charges eventually, given the evidence."
Naruto just looked at him. "Why would they drop the charges? I put one of those guys in the hospital, and broke the other guy's nose. People have the whole thing on video."
Neji smirked. "Exactly. They have evidence that it started as a hate crime against Sora because he is homosexual, and they show you stepping in to defend him and telling people to call for help. And they threw the first punch against you. Any one of those would get you acquitted. The only reason they even brought you in was because of who those guys were. They had to cover their asses."
Naruto shrugged. Neji seemed to have a lot more faith in the system then Naruto did. But he guessed that Neji was closer to Sasuke in the social strata, so his experiences had probably been a bit different from Naruto's. Ino returned with a fresh ice pack, and picked up her purse.
"Hey, it's getting pretty late. I think I'm going to head back to my dorm. Are you sure you're ok, Naruto?"
"Between your medical advice and Neji's legal advice, I think I'm pretty well set. I knew I was smart go have chosen you as friends. Pre-law and pre-med... can't go wrong," Naruto grinned, ignoring the pain in his cheek. "Seriously though, thanks Ino. I'd still be sitting on my ass in jail if you hadn't come to get Neji."
Ino smiled, and gave him one last hug. "You did the right thing, by the way. Those guys were assholes," she laughed. "And I loved how you put them in their place. It was awesome."
Naruto thought back, but couldn't remember the exchange exactly. "I dunno... I was just really pissed off. I can't really remember what I said."
"I'll send it to you. I got a video of the whole thing from someone who saw it from the beginning and lives on my floor."
Naruto frowned. "Saw it and did nothing, you mean."
Ino's smile faded. "Yeah. I heard about that. I didn't come down until I heard the sirens. I can't believe people just stood around watching someone get beat up."
"I can," Neji said, but didn't elaborate when Ino and Naruto just looked at him.
"Well anyway, I'll send you the video. You were awesome."
"See you, Ino."
Ino left, leaving Neji and Naruto alone.
Naruto sighed. "Those guys all come from fairly wealthy local families. I'm sure this isn't over. Those guys are going to get off with just a slap on the wrist, and I'll probably end up back in jail."
Neji just raised an eyebrow. "You really have no idea who my family is, do you? If the police go after you on some trumped up charge, the will find themselves in a very public and difficult situation."
Naruto looked blankly at Neji, when there was a knock at the door. "Campus security, please open up."
Naruto sighed, and went and opened the door. "Are you Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Yes," Naruto already had a good idea what was coming next.
"This is a notification from the dean of the school that you are hereby expelled, effective immediately. You need to be out of the dorms tonight."
Neji came up behind him. "Does the dean know that Naruto was cleared of all charges, and that all the evidence the police have points to the other three being the ones criminally at fault?"
The security officer just shrugged. "I don't know anything other than the message I was given to deliver. If you want to appeal the decision, you'll have to just take it up with the dean. I'll be back in three hours. You have to be off campus by then."
"Yeah, right. Thanks officer," Naruto said sarcastically, closing the door in the man's face.
"Naruto, I can help you appeal this. The dean is probably just friends with one of their fathers."
"Don't bother," Naruto sighed. Expulsion was not as clear-cut as jail. In the end, it would be at the dean's discretion. Naruto knew how this was going to play out. "I was going to transfer schools anyway. Things are just... not working out here. And I want to go to a school that is better for what I want to study."
Neji looked at him, understanding and disappointment showing.
Neji leaned down, gently brushing his lips across Naruto's. Naruto's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't pull away.
"If you're going to be bi, you really need to develop better gaydar," Neji said, a small bit of humor lighting his pale eyes.
"Shit, Neji..." Naruto didn't know what to say. He had liked Neji as a friend, and suddenly wished he had gotten to know him better. Not really knowing what else to do, he did what he wanted to and leaned forward and brushed his lips across Neji's, earning a slight smile from the older boy.
"Ah, well," Neji said. "I suppose it would have been hard to concentrate on my studies if you had stayed as my roommate and things had worked out."
Naruto blushed, and laughed. "Yeah... and... I really am not ready for a relationship right now, anyway. I'm a little messed up still trying to get closure on my feelings for someone else."
"Sasuke," Neji said astutely.
Naruto sighed and nodded. "It's a mess."
"You should talk to him. It might get less messy."
"Or it could get more bloody. He made his position clear. Until I can deal with that, I'm just going to stay away from him."
Neji held back on another sigh. It really was too bad Naruto was leaving. It was becoming increasingly clear that there were some serious miscommunications between his two roommates. As much as he liked Naruto, he had a feeling that it was nothing compared to what Sasuke and Naruto could have together if they just sorted themselves out. It was the reason he hadn't made a move on the blond. He didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who clearly was meant for another.
"Do you have a place to stay? I could loan you some money for a hotel for the night."
"No, you've done more than enough," Naruto pulled out his phone. "And honestly I have no idea when I'd be able to pay you back. I have a friend that I can stay with while I figure things out. Then I'll probably head home to Konoha and get things settled there."
Neji hesitated, then nodded. Right now, that was the immediate concern. Naruto had to be out of the dorms at least until they were able to fix things with the dean and the police. He held more optimism than the blond, and also knew that Naruto wouldn't want a semester's worth of tuition to be completely wasted. "Just be careful of that guy you're staying with, Naruto. Something just doesn't add up with him."
"I know. Right now I just don't have a lot of choices."
"Can't you call your family?"
"I called and left a message with my guardian. Haven't heard back. He's probably on a drunken binge, anyway. But he'll hopefully come get me in a day or two. It's temporary." Naruto wasn't entirely sure about that, but he hoped that at least Jiraya's teaching responsibilities would keep his outings somewhat shorter then they tended to be when he was between jobs, or over summer break. When he was younger, it would sometimes be months before he'd hear from his guardian.
He called Nagato, and the man said he'd be right over to collect Naruto and the few things he had of his in the dorms. Neji's words played in Naruto's head. Could he work things out with Sasuke? Even just to repair their friendship somewhat before he left. He knew they needed separation, but he would prefer if it wasn't a complete severance. Given what had happened today, though, it seemed like it was already too late. If anything, today had showed Naruto that it was likely final. If Sasuke cared so little that he didn't even stick around to find out what happened when he knew Naruto had been arrested... then there really was nothing left.
Neji saw Naruto glace at Sasuke's door, but didn't say anything. He understood why Sasuke had gone to see Sora, but he felt that revenge should have waited until after things had been sorted out with Naruto at the jail first. He hadn't missed the hurt in Naruto's eyes when he realized that Sasuke had known, and not been there. Neji had thought about telling Naruto where Sasuke went, but didn't want to make him more upset by worrying him about what was happening between Sasuke and Sora. And he hadn't realized that Naruto would leave before Sasuke got back to explain. He wondered where the hell Sasuke was, and what was taking him so long.
They heard a knocking on the door and knew Nagato had arrived, and it was time for Naruto to leave.
It took less than fifteen minutes to load everything into Nagato's car. Naruto turned and grabbed Neji in a bear hug, surprising the reserved older boy. "Thanks, Neji. Tell Chouji... that I'll miss him, and was sorry I couldn't say goodbye."
Neji noted the omission of their third roommate's name. "Naruto, Sasuke wanted to go and talk to-"
"Don't," Naruto said, interrupting Neji. "Just don't make excuses for him. He made his choices. It shouldn't have surprised me. Don't worry... it's done."
Neji took a breath to try again, but Nagato was already starting the car. He called out the window, "Let's go Naruto. I left people waiting at the house."
"Call him, Naruto. Talk to him."
Naruto gave a small wave, and got in the car with Nagato.
Neji watched his roommate drive off. Somehow, he knew that Naruto wasn't coming back.
Nagato turned and looked at his passenger. "So, you want to tell me why you got expelled?"
Naruto leaned his head against the headrest, watching the streetlights go by. "Sure. Can I get a drink first?"
Nagato chuckled. "Always."
. . . .
It was not much later when Sasuke finally returned. Neji and Chouji were sitting on the couch talking when he walked in.
"Did they release Naruto?" Sasuke asked Neji, not bothering with small talk.
"Yeah. The police dropped the charges. There was too much evidence that he was not at fault."
Sasuke nodded, but the relief that he felt at the words was cut short when he took in Neji's somber tone. "So then...," another realization dawned on Sasuke. "... where's Naruto if he's out of jail?"
"Expelled."
"What?"
"One of those asshole's families is friendly with the dean. Naruto was expelled on the spot. Campus security came by and evicted him from the dorms."
"What the fuck? He wouldn't even have a place to go. They can't..." Sasuke stopped himself, realizing he sounded naïve. Of course they could. This was always how things had worked. As an Uchiha, he had been the beneficiary of it often enough, even though it pissed him off. Naruto had always been on the other end of the stick. Only this time, Sasuke hadn't been around to stand up for him. "Where is he?"
"Nagato came and picked him up. I assume they're going to his place, but I don't really know. He was upset that you weren't here when it was time to say goodbye." Sasuke's face had paled a little. The word sounded so... final. Neji continued. "He said something about going to Konoha until things get settled. I'm going to go see the dean in the morning and try to clear it up."
Sasuke's face hardened with resolve. "I'll join you."
Neji nodded. The Uchiha and Hyuuga names both carried a lot of weight. But neither was a local family, so it would be a toss up to see what happened.
"Did you see the video of the fight? Naruto was awesome," Chouji grinned, and earned a glare from Neji.
"No, I left just after I heard what had happened."
"I'll send you the link. Someone posted it on YouTube," Chouji said in a more subdued tone, glancing nervously at Neji.
"Where did you go?" Neji asked.
Sasuke shrugged. "Just tied up some loose ends."
"Are we going to get another roommate arrested tonight?"
Sasuke looked at Neji flatly. "I have more control than that."
"Really? Do you need a bandage for your hand?" Neji asked, glancing down at Sasuke's right hand. Sasuke looked down and saw some blood oozing from a gash on his knuckles from where his fist had connected with Sora's face.
Sasuke just narrowed his eyes, but he went to the bathroom to clean it up.
Neji and Chouji headed to their rooms. Sasuke went to the kitchen, making himself some tea, wishing he could just talk to Naruto. He wondered if he asked Neji for Naruto's number again, if he'd give it to him this time. He'd try in the morning.
How had things gotten so bad between them? His friend was in a major life crisis, and he didn't even consider turning to Sasuke for help. He hadn't even stuck around to say goodbye in person, though Sasuke knew that it hadn't exactly been optional to move out.
Sasuke went to his room and sat on his bed, staring at nothing for a few minutes. Slowly he went and took a shower, then got ready for bed. He opened the link that Chouji had sent him. He couldn't help but snicker at Naruto's words when he was up against the police car. Naruto had always had a mouth on him. Sasuke had missed it... missed the over-the-top comments the blond always made.
It was so like Naruto to help someone who didn't deserve it. Sasuke felt a flash of anger and jealousy at the thought of Sora. His words came back:
"...mad that I got there first? You wanted to be the one?"
Sasuke looked at the image of Naruto, his hands cuffed behind him, bent slightly forward over the hood of the police car with a cocky grin on his face. Shit. Sasuke looked at his lap in annoyance as he realized just how much he liked that screenshot.
"...mad that I got there first? You wanted to be the one?"
Yes, Sasuke did want to be the one. He laid back and closed his eyes, wishing Chouji wasn't in the room. He clenched his teeth, willing his erection to subside, still feeling the anger coursing through him at the thought of Naruto being with another man. It wasn't really willingly, Sasuke reminded himself. If Naruto were going to be with a man by his own choice, he'd be with me. Sasuke was absolutely confident in that. They had been friends for so long. And Sasuke had never had anyone not return his interest. Aside from Naruto.
Sasuke lay there for over an hour, unable to fall asleep. Eventually giving up, Sasuke went to the bathroom. He started the shower, knowing that both his roommates were asleep and unlikely to be suspicious of his reasons for taking a second shower. He felt the hot water pounding over him. Slowly he closed his fingers over his arousal. The knowledge that Naruto had had sex with a man, and the image of Naruto in hand cuffs, grinning, were fused in his mind. He slowly pumped his fist over his erection, thinking of everything he wished he could be doing right now with Naruto. His hand was shaking as he imagined bending the blond over their couch with his hands shackled behind him. In his mind, he saw blue eyes looking over a tan shoulder, full of lust and wicked amusement as Sasuke pounded into him. He didn't last long, and came in a shuddering orgasm. He stood there in the shower, letting his blood cool and trying to not feel guilty for getting off at a time like this. He just didn't seem to have control over his thoughts or emotions right now, and it was an unfamiliar feeling for him.
When he came back to his room, he noticed he'd received a text. It was from a number he didn't recognize, but his pulse jumped at the thought of who it might be as he read it:
Ssuke?
Fck I can't text.
Rooms spinning.
Ha ha.
Asshole.
Ur a fucking asshddddle.
shit my finger slipped.
I won't miss you.
Jerk.
Go fuck whoever soyuo want
. . . . .
Nagato looked down at where Naruto had finally passed out on the couch. He had slowly gotten the entire story from the blond, after quite a few drinks.
Nagato couldn't believe his luck. In order to avoid paying rent on an empty apartment while he was in school, Naruto had put all his belongings into storage and moved out of his place in Konoha. Naruto had finally e-mailed Jiraya, only to find out that the man was spending the rest of the semester in New York doing some sort of 'research'. Naruto had said that it was more likely a student had filed a complaint against him, and he had been shipped off until things cooled down.
Now that he was kicked out of the dorms, the blond had no place to stay, and no one to help him. Nagato had offered to let Naruto stay with him in Suna until Naruto was able to move into the dorms at his new school, and Naruto had accepted. Nagato planned to move back to his place in Suna within the week. He was going to take no chances.
Naruto's phone chimed, indicating he had received a text. Nagato looked at the screen.
Naruto? Is that you?
A few seconds later, a second text came through.
I'm sorry I wasn't here when you left
I had no idea they'd kick you out
Neji said you were upset
Are you ok?
Another pause.
I went to see Sora. I wanted to kick his ass for what he did
I really wish you had talked to me about it
Pause.
Naruto?
I'm going to go see the dean tomorrow with Neji
We're going to try to get your expulsion reversed
Naruto
Please call me
I really want to talk
Nagato waited until the messages stopped. Then he went and deleted all of the received messages from the number Naruto had last texted, then blocked the number. He took the gamble that Naruto was unlikely to notice that a number was blocked on his phone.
He was so close. He wasn't going to let Sasuke back into Naruto's life. He wasn't going to let anyone take the blond away from him or make him suffer. Not after he had waited all these years.
-xXx-
to be continued
What's a college fic without a little drunken texting?
Anyway, the next chapter will contain the scene that gave birth to this entire fic, when Sasuke finds out that Naruto likes guys and he flips out.