Dedicated to netamashii. Even if she's a Sasuke sympathizer.

"Shit, I didn't know there'd be a line," Naruto said as he and Sai were stuck with at least 50 other people in a queue that wrapped around the corner of the building.

"We can always go somewhere else," Sai replied. "But we already paid for the tickets."

It wasn't abnormal for there to be a line to get into a club, especially if a popular band was part of the line-up, but he figured since it was ass-freezing and snowing, less people would've turned out.

Sai pulled his hood up for him. "There? Better?"

"Heh. Yeah. Wanna take a picture?"

"Sure. You look good tonight, so my gay friends will be jealous." Sai slipped an arm around him, and they both looked up as Naruto's phone snapped their selfie.

Naruto had it on his Snapchat within 10 seconds. "Your gay friends are my friends, too. I think. They are, right?"

"We had this conversation before," Sai said, fixing his hood for him. "They only want to bone you."

"Even if they want to bone me." He grinned. "We can still be friends, right?"

"We're still friends, aren't we?" Sai smiled flirtatiously at him, so Naruto smacked him in the chest.

"None of that. I don't even wanna think about complicated shit like romance."

"But, from the looks of the photos you posted last night, you and Kayla are getting along well these days."

"We always got along," he replied, rolling his eyes. "That's why we dated."

"Yeah, so are you going to be dating her again? Maybe it would be good for you."

Naruto shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "Don't think so. At least not right now."

Sai nudged him. "What are the chances we'll get served inside?"

"Pretty low. I couldn't find my ID, and the only times I ever got served were when I was out with Sasuke or Itachi's friends."

"I see. So there are perks to befriending Sasuke Uchiha, after all."

Naruto shrugged. "Debateable."

"Harsh words for him tonight, hm?"

"I don't think that was harsh. I just have moments when I wonder what I got out of it?"

"Are you supposed to get something out of a friendship?" Sai asked. "In that case, what do you get out of being friends with me?"

"Respect," Naruto replied. "Mutual respect would be good. Consideration for my feelings is another. Or, consideration in general. Honesty?"

"Wow, okay." Sai looked concerned. "Was there anything good about him, or are you just done?"

All kinds of moments flooded his thoughts, most of which he couldn't repeat to Sai. But, it was difficult to separate the good times from what he felt now. When he thought about the things Sasuke had done, sometimes it was hard to know if any of that was real. Sasuke had the right to reject him, but why wait until after they fucked around? It was the same as the night Sasuke slept with the DJ. He had no intention of telling Naruto, but then lets it slip, says he "cheated", and riles him up so much Naruto nearly went all the way with him.

"You have to think about it that hard?" Sai asked.

"No." He shook his head. "Sasuke has a lot of good qualities, but I think for me… he makes me feel pretty shitty about myself, and I don't think that's what friends are supposed to do."

"I think that's fair." Sai took hold of his arm. "If it was that bad, you should let me beat him up for you."

"If I wanted that, I'd beat him up myself. It's not worth it. His brother's comin' into town next week, so that's exciting. We're goin' out before I fly to Chicago. The guy's amazing."

"Interesting choice of rebound. Sasuke's older brother? I suppose that would be the perfect revenge," Sai remarked.

Naruto chuckled. "He's out of my league, don't worry, but, yeah, even as a straight guy it'd be hard not to fall for someone like Itachi. He's pretty protective of Sasuke, so I'd have no shot."

"Why? What would it matter to Sasuke if you were to bang his brother?"

"Okay, first of all." Naruto's cheeks flushed at the mere thought of Itachi that way. "Um…"

"Maybe hanging out with me has opened you up to the wonderful possibility of men."

"If you met the guy, you'd understand why he'd be an exception to the rule." He scratched the back of his head. "He's too smart. I think he just feels bad me and Sasuke are fightin'. It's not his fault. I wonder if he told Sasuke, though, 'cause I imagine he might get pissed."

"I still don't understand why," said Sai, "But I'm sure there's some whole incestuous thing going on that I will never understand."

"Incestuous?" He asked. "Like Itachi and Sasuke?"

"No. I mean your love triangle you have going on. Although, it's more than a triangle, isn't it? If you add Kayle, me, Skankovich, and the other dozens of girls at our school that want to date you, or at the very least, have you fuck them. I never imagined I'd befriend the popular jock at school."

Grinning, Naruto threw his arm around Sai's shoulders. "You know, I'm glad at least one of us feels that way about me. I like how you have this vision of me bein' popular. I've been here less than a year. Sasuke's the popular one, and he doesn't even like interacting with most of our classmates."

"I don't really either."

The line finally began to shift forward, so Naruto removed his arm from around him.

"Is it just me, or are there are a lot of ladies here tonight?" Naruto asked. "I know that it's a girl band, but there's about ten guys in line."

"Seems like your chances are good then," Sai said.

"I remember seein' this one band 10 months ago maybe. the night of prom, I think. They were so good, but I was drinkin', so I can't really remember what they looked like… or their songs."

"You went somewhere after prom last year?" Sai raised an eyebrow at him while the line continued shuffling at its slow pace toward the entrance.

"I didn't mention that? I thought I did. I told you that the singer hit on Sasuke–oh. Well, anyway, that was prom night. His brother let it slip to me he was playin' at some downtown dive. After I dropped off Kayla at her place, I went to the bar, got in 'cause I knew a guy, and… drank."

"Surely they'll make Sasuke go this year." Sai ran a hand through his short hair. He wasn't wearing a hat and didn't have a hood on his coat, so there were snowflakes caught up in it. "It's typical for the Junior class student council president to announce the king and queen."

He couldn't really say. Sasuke didn't often talk about what he did on student council. At least to him. He knew more about it from talking to Kayla than anything.

"Maybe." Naruto gazed up at the sky. "Maybe he'll ask Kayla to do it."

"Not if she's on court," Sai replied. "There's a good chance you'll end up on stage next year, too."

"Me?" Naruto reached over and dusted the snow from Sai's hair. "You look like you've got dandruff, man. You shoulda brought a hat."

"When you do things like that, you might give me the wrong idea." Sai smirked.

"Everything I do gives you the wrong idea," he replied.

Sai laughed. "If you were me, I think you'd understand why. I got the message loud and clear, don't worry. I see you as a friend, and only a friend… mostly."

"Mostly?" Naruto was smiling as he bumped into him. "What does that mean? Maybe I'm afraid to ask."

"You probably shouldn't, but what I think about in my own head is my business."

"Jeez, man." Naruto scrunched his nose, laughing again. "It's those rumors, huh? That just sets me up for a major letdown. What if I can't live up to everybody's expectations?"

"Somehow I doubt that would be a problem," Sai murmured.

"Shut up. Keep movin'."

Embarrassed, he glanced toward the front of the line, rubbing his hand down his face.

"Are you flustered?" Sai asked. "This is a pretty cute side to you, too. Maybe you and Sasuke fought over who was the most attractive? Did he start a fight because you're more popular than him now?"

"Am I?" Naruto voiced sarcastically. "Sasuke doesn't care about shit like that. He may have a temper, but nah. That's one thing I can say about him… besides his dad, and maybe Itachi… he doesn't give a crap what people think. I like that about him, always have. Always will."

"Strong words of praise now. I can't keep track of this love/hate relationship."

"Yeah, neither can I," he mumbled.

Finally, they reached the entrance. They handed over their tickets, and got their hands stamped. It was already loud and crowded inside the entranceway. There was a room for coats, so Naruto paid for the both of them, just so they wouldn't have to drag their shit around everywhere.

"Where do you wanna go first?" Naruto had to shout. "I can barely move."

"Bar?" Sai suggested. "With any luck, we'll meet someone who's willing to buy us a drink. You can use that Uzumaki charm of yours."

"Heh. Yeah, we'll see about that. Alright then. To the bar it is."

Sasuke was backstage with the rest of the band, tuning his guitar and trying to help with last-minute soundchecks. He was usually the one stuck doing a lot of the technical set ups for his other bands, but Rin, along with her bandmates, knew what they were doing, so he thought it best to stay out of their way. He did peek around from the side of the stage to check out the crowd, and was surprised by the turnout considering the snow. The place was packed–mostly young women–but there were guys out there. Tonight, he was proudly sporting the t-shirt Rin had snagged for him. He hoped he'd manage to drag in a few of the 2,000+ people following him on Twitter.

Setting his guitar aside, he walked over to the bassist, Fuu. She had pale green hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and tied with a red and white polka dot bandana.

"Hey," he said. "Do you know where Rin went?"

"She always disappears before a show," Fuu replied. "She's probably out by the bar or trying to meet up with fans. She says she gets really nervous, so talking with people helps her relax."

Sasuke nodded. "It's not as if we're going on first. It's fine. I'll ask her later."

The opening band was heading to the stage, so everyone in #Feminist tried to get out of their way. Their set would last 30 minutes. Once they finished, Rin's band would need 15 minutes to set up their instruments, and then Sasuke would be making his debut as a singer. Luckily, last night had relaxed him, even if he was trying to keep it out of his mind. He hadn't realized how angry he was, and playing angry wasn't really what he liked to do, especially when other people were depending on him not to fuck up. If there were high expectations, he preferred to rise to the occasion rather than disappoint.

While he and the band were walking to the back room where there were drinks and snacks, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, wanting to check Twitter to see what people were saying. He scrolled through the comments, replying to a few. Before the end of the night, he'd have to remember to get a photo with the whole band to put on his website. He also considered seeing what Naruto was up to, but after how last night unfolded, he decided against it. Naruto was out with Sai somewhere, probably going to a club like usual. He hung out with more gay men than Sasuke did. If Naruto were actually gay, he would've been worried about some stiff competition. Not that he had to worry about it any longer.

In the back room, Sasuke grabbed a bottled water from the cooler. The drummer offered him a shot of vodka, which led to the four of them sharing an impromptu toast. Together, they took their pre-show shots. It wasn't great for his voice to have alcohol before singing, but one shot wouldn't kill him, and it might burn off some of this nervousness he was feeling. He wondered what Rin was up to having been gone so long. Yagura did the same sometimes, wandering off before a show, but there was no comparison. Rin was easy to work with. So, rather than worry about her, Sasuke decided to chill for a while, run through the set in his mind, and start psyching himself up for the performance.

While Sai left to go find them a table, Naruto was hanging around the bar, trying to score a couple of waters. The line was long since the bar ran right up against the merchandise table. Naruto glanced at the t-shirts, considering buying one. For a second, he thought about buying one for Sasuke since he liked collecting shirts from local bands, but he had to remember they weren't speaking. Would've made a nice Christmas present, too. That's something he hadn't considered. Weird to be fighting with a former best friend around Christmas, but he didn't see any hope of reconciliation before then.

He wondered what Sasuke was up to and debated checking his social media, but Naruto had been trying to avoid cyberstalking him, even blocking him on a couple of posts because… he didn't know why. Sasuke barely posted anything on his personal stuff anyway, so if he was out, it was with some of his bandmates or Itachi's friends.

Who knows, maybe he was in the process of getting laid while Naruto was here staring at #Feminist shirts and thinking about him. Made him feel a little pathetic, really.

"Hey, are you in line, or are you just staring at the merchandise from a safe distance?"

Naruto blinked at the young woman in front of him and almost immediately flushed because he'd totally just checked her out. She was hot. Brown hair, but it had some red in it. She had on these black high-waisted shorts, ripped stockings, white shirt with a tribal design, red leather jacket, and an adorable black beanie. He had an impulse to snag it off her head. The red lipstick looked good on her, too.

"I was getting some water," he stammered out. "Sorry, I'll move up. I was wonderin' if I should buy one of the shirts for a, uh, friend of mine. Not sure if he'd want it, I guess."

"I was only kidding," she replied. "But if you buy one, it sure would help out the band."

"Okay. Yeah. I'll probably get one after the show. For me, at least."

"Get two," she replied, smiling widely at him. "One for you and one for your boyfriend."

"Oh… no. He's not…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Not my boyfriend. Maybe ex-friend is the term. Hence the debate."

"Ah, I see. I didn't want to assume either way, but we don't get a lot of straight guys at our shows if you can imagine that."

"'We'?" He asked.

"Is this your first time?" Naruto must've made a face because she rolled her eyes (in a cute way). "I mean at one of our shows. I'm Rin. Lead singer of the band you came to see."

"Holy shit." Naruto put up his hand in placation. "I'm so sorry. I feel like a dick. I should probably know that."

"It's okay. Why would you know me if you've never seen us play? It's kind of nice, really. I nearly got mobbed over by the merch table."

"I actually know some of the local bands pretty well, but it was my other friend who suggested comin' tonight, and I didn't do any research… oh man, I feel really embarrassed. Please don't think I'm a total dumbass. I'm really stoked to see your show tonight."

"It's really okay. I promise." She gave him a flirty little pat on the chest. "You're helping me out. I get anxious before a show, and we've changed our setlist for tonight, so I'm nervous. I ran away from my band to talk to people out here. Always makes me feel better."

He chuckled. "That's kind of interesting. Usually you'd think musicians need to go somewhere quiet to chill out. I have a friend–er... "

"Your ex-friend?" She supplied.

"Yeah, sorry. That keeps comin' up, doesn't it? He plays sometimes, too. With other bands in town."

"Really? I might know him if you told me his name."

"Nah. It's okay. It was a weird thing to keep bringing up. I'm Naruto, by the way." He held out his hand, which she shook. "It's nice to meet you, Rin. Can I… get you a water or something? Under 21," Naruto showed off his underage bracelet to her. "So. Can't offer to get you anything better."

"That's alright. I get everything for free, and we have stuff backstage. I'd invite you, but it's chaotic back there. The girls would think it's funny you didn't recognize me."

"I said I was sorry." He hung his head in shame. "Out of curiosity, why did you change your setlist for tonight?"

Rin placed a hand on his shoulder. "We had to replace one of our girls since she got food poisoning, but our sub is really talented, so I kinda wanted to do something different, y'know? Take advantage of the situation."

"Oh, cool. What does she play? I'll keep an eye out."

Rin smirked. "Naruto, did you know men can be feminists, too?"

"Uh, yeah? I'd like to think I'm supportive of women's rights?"

"I mean, we have a guy playing tonight. He'll be on guitar. He's singing, too."

"Huh. Yeah, my friend definitely doesn't sing. Only guitar or bass that I've seen, but he's really awesome on the piano or keyboard. I've heard him on drums, too."

"Interesting. I'd like to hear more about your friend. Or, whatever," she added playfully. "Maybe one of my bandmates knows him. But, I need to head backstage. He's kinda OCD about time, so I'm sure I have him worried. Hey, though." Rin pulled out a couple of tickets from her jacket pocket. "These are for free drinks. So, if you can get rid of that wristband, or have someone else who can order alcohol. I won't need them. I'm sure we'll celebrate plenty after the show."

Naruto took them and stuck them in his pocket. "I mean… will you be around after the show?"

"I'll be around," she replied, "With the band."

"Ah, sorry." He laughed sheepishly and rubbed his neck, leaving his hand there. "I just… you kinda do look familiar. I wonder if I've seen you at a show before?"

"It's possible." She shrugged. "I was with another band, all guys and me as lead vocals, but we broke up once they graduated. The girls and I have been together for six months now?"

It was finally his turn to order his water. He asked her again if she wanted something. Actually, he wasn't sure why she was in line since she didn't need anything. She could talk to anyone if she wanted to–not that he wasn't happy to help. After he got his two waters, they chatted for a while longer. About where she was from, some stuff about music. He found out she was 19, attending University of Washington, had three tattoos, and two hidden piercings besides the ones in her ears and belly-button. Luckily, she showed that last one off to him. Brazen girl, and he really did like outgoing women.

"What about you?" She asked. "Any tattoos or piercings?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "I'm perfectly pure of body."

"Yeah, right." She laughed and gave him a light slap on his arm. "You do look like a good boy to me, but those are the ones who usually turn out to be bad."

"Ah, do you prefer bad boys then?" Naruto asked.

"Do you?"

"This again, hm?" He leaned against the bar. "Between you and me, who knows? I think I'd prefer someone who's nice to me when it counted, supported me in my choices–at least the less than stupid ones, and sometimes even in the stupid ones. Smart but not an egomaniac. Amusing..."

"I think that's all anybody wants," Rin replied. "Smart, funny, nice… can hold a conversation. But, it doesn't matter to me whether it's a man or woman. Being hot helps, though."

Naruto took in this information quietly. "Being hot can help. ...Sure."

She stared at him, almost expectantly, as if she wanted him to make a move. Though, he was apparently mistaken because she suddenly grabbed for his hand.

"Naruto, I don't do this very often. Although, sayin' that feels like a cliche out of a romance comedy. But, you seem cool. You know about the music scene, too, without being a musician, which is kinda refreshing. Even if you didn't know I was the singer," she teased, "I'd like to give you my number."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. God, you are so cute. I'm glad I ran into you before the show." She pulled out a marker from her pocket and scribbled a number on the back of his hand.

"It's not a fake number, is it?" He asked. "I'm gonna be disappointed if I call and it's Pagliacci Pizza."

Rin laughed really hard, nearly causing one of the numbers to smear. "I love their pizza. You wouldn't be disappointed."

"Fair enough."

She finished, capped her marker, and returned it to her pocket. Rin stared at him, and abruptly caught him up in a hug.

"Thanks for talking to me," she said. "It helped. If I do bump into you after the show, I'll give you a couple free shirts. For your guy friend. Maybe it'll help you two reconcile, hm? Enjoy the show!"

He watched her make her way toward the stage, where the opening band was setting up their gear. Naruto didn't know what to think, but he was flattered as he stared at her number. She was hot. She was funny. She was in a band. She was sexy as hell, and thinking about her being bi was… interesting for him. As a guy, hard not to ponder various scenarios for at least a few minutes. Not that he was looking to date. Likely, she'd only done it on a whim or to be polite.

Naruto, holding the bottles to his chest, took out his phone to see if Sai had texted him. He'd found a table on the upper level, which meant he now had to climb the stairs. At least the night had been eventful already, and now that he'd met the lead singer, there was more of a reason to stick around. Musicians were interesting, really. Sasuke, when he wasn't performing, was fairly reserved. Maybe less so when they hung out, but usually he kept to himself unless necessity demanded he speak out. On stage, however, he was like a different person, and it was hard not to admire him. Even before he realized he had feelings for his best friend–seeing Sasuke perform live… well. It did seem like the nights he went to see Sasuke play always ended with the two of them fooling around because he was just so confident. He probably knew how good he looked up on stage, too. Maybe that's why he was always dragging Naruto with him.

Wouldn't be a problem anymore now that Naruto had no intention of going to any more of his shows. If he did, he'd just get sucked back in… and Sasuke, well, he wasn't nice. They'd fuck around. It would be great. But then Sasuke would find another way to hurt him, push him away, and break his heart. Heading up the stairs, he took in a deep breath. Maybe running into Rin had been a sign? That the universe wanted him to move on. At least going on vacation meant he would avoid seeing him nearly every day in the halls or in class. It was obviously hard to get him out of his head considering it always felt like Sasuke was coming up in conversation whether he wanted him to or not. Thankfully, Sasuke wasn't here tonight, and that made him feel relieved. He spotted Sai, sitting at a high top table, and as he started to wave, caught the unwanted attention of one very familiar face. Naruto, hoping he hadn't just made eye contact with him, walked swiftly to the table. He thought he was in the clear until an arm slinked around his shoulders.

"Don't act like you didn't see me," Yagura said in his ear. "Is this your new boyfriend?" He gestured toward Sai, who was about five feet away and, hopefully, couldn't hear them. "My now. Doesn't he look just a little too much like Sasuke?"

"Shut up," he replied. "And don't bring that up around him. Sasuke's not out at school."

Yagura dragged him closer, and Naruto could smell the liquor on his breath. "I'm surprised to see you at a show given I heard you and Sasuke suffered a nasty breakup."

Naruto glared. "Can you fuck off. I just wanna have a nice night out with my friend."

"Hold on." Yagura pulled out his phone and answered it. "Tch. I'll be right back."

Naruto shoved him off and went to sit at the table with Sai.

"What was that about?" Sai asked as Naruto handed him one of the waters.

"Just some asshole," Naruto replied.

"Really? Looks like you knew him." Sai made a face. "Is he gay? Seemed kind of hot to me."

Sasuke was still in the back room with the others when Rin came in, looking as if she were in an especially good mood. He didn't question it as every singer had their own way of dealing with nerves. It was far less worrisome than Yagura's habits, which tended to include alcohol, drugs, and hooking up with fangirls. Sasuke kept playing with him because, despite his bad habits, he had an amazing stage persona and never let any of those things get in the way of his singing.

"What's up with you?" Fuu asked as Rin went to the food table to grab a veggie sandwich. "You're all smiley and glowing."

Rin shrugged before hopping onto the end of the table. "It's nothing. Gave a boy my number. He was cute and fun to talk to, so I thought why not?"

"Your real number? Why would you do that? He could be a stalker!"

"I doubt it. He didn't even know I was the singer. Said he came here with a friend. It was so cute! He was debating getting a shirt, and–" She waved her hand. "Not important. Should we find an inconspicuous spot to watch the band?"

"I think Sasuke had a question for you." Fuu pointed at him.

He was on the love seat, playing a couple of bars on the guitar. It was always either annoying or amusing to listen to women talk about men. Since he liked Rin, he leaned toward amusing since he was fond of her–in a little sister kind of way. Even if she was older than him. Also, what kind of idiot wouldn't know he'd bumped into the lead singer of the band he'd come to see? He'd say Naruto, but even he wasn't that dumb. Sasuke had taught him better than that.

"What's up?" Rin asked, removing her jacket and fanning herself. "It's getting hot. I should've grabbed a water when I had the chance."

Sasuke set his guitar to the side. "I'll get you one. You don't want to get dehydrated."

She followed him to one of the coolers. "Are you one of those guitarists who likes to take care of the singer? You don't have to do that. You're the one doing us a favor."

He picked out a bottle and handed it to her. "I think it makes sense for me to make sure everyone plays their best."

"You seem to do a good job of keeping Yagura under control," she remarked. "I hear he's hard to handle. I thought I saw him out there earlier."

"Did you?" He raised an eyebrow. "He might've seen my post."

"It's fine. He wouldn't recognize me if he saw me either, I bet. But he's nowhere near as hot as this guy I met. I bet even you would've liked him." She grinned.

"You never know," he replied, just to humor her.

"I told him I'd be around after the show. Do you have plans afterward? We're going to Fuu's house. I think we'll be too beat to go out. Plus, the weather is looking like it's going to snow some more. I know you have a long commute home."

"I have somewhere I can crash." He smiled coyly. "Why don't you ask your new friend to hang out with you?"

"Maybe I will if I see him." She knocked her small fist against his chest. "Seemed like he might already be involved. Kept talking about some 'friend' in that ambiguous way shy bi boys do. I used to play that pronoun game."

"Then maybe you should introduce me," he teased. "And he was hot, you say?"

"Like I'm going to tell you." She tsked at him and wagged a finger. "I saw him first, Sasuke. You already have your pick of the guys, so let me have this one. Not that I'm being serious, but it helps to have a boost of confidence before the show."

"It'll be fine. You're one of the strongest vocalists I've seen."

"Really?" Rin flashed him an incredible smile and rubbed the back of her head.

"Where did you get that habit?"

"What habit?" She asked.

"The way you rub your head like that when you're embarrassed."

"Oh." Rin frowned, and started to look self-conscious. "I didn't know–"

He placed his hand on her head. "No, don't stop doing it. It's… cute. Now, go drink some water, relax, and we'll go on in about," Sasuke checked his watch, "Twenty-five minutes. Sound good?"

"Yep. I'm ready." She uncapped her water and gulped it down. Afterward, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. "I think this is gonna be one of the best shows we've ever played. Thanks again for helping out. I really appreciate it, and I won't forget it."

"It's no problem," he said and meant it. "I'm always happy to help out a fellow musician."

"Oh, by the way." Naruto dug out those drink tickets Rin had given him. "That girl I met handed me these. If I had my ID I'd get us some from the bar."

"I have mine," Sai told him, taking the tickets from his fingers.

"What? Why didn't you tell me that earlier!"

"You told me to get a table. I thought you'd chat the bartender up like you usually do. Why didn't you ask this Rin chick since she's the singer? She probably gets all kinds of stuff for free."

"She gave us the tickets, didn't she? Sheesh. Bastard." He glanced at the stage.

"Do you want me to get us something before people swarm the bar in between shows?"

He shrugged. "S'up to you. There's gonna be a line no matter what."

"I'll go." Sai got to his feet. "What do you want? Vodka and Coke?"

"Yeah." Naruto grinned that he remembered. "Sounds good."

"So predictable." Sai swatted him upside the head. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

Naruto flipped him off, but when Sai left, he moved his chair closer to the railing. He searched the crowd on the floor, looking for familiar faces. It was too dark to make anyone out, but the ratio of men to women was still skewed in his favor. It looked like double the amount of people had come in since they'd arrived. He almost wanted to go down there so that they could be part of the action.

After the band had already started, Naruto wondered if Sai was ever going to come back. They were decent, mostly grunge covers and some rock. It wasn't until 30 minutes later that he finally spotted Sai heading his way, drinks in hand.

"Jesus, did you get lost?" Naruto asked. "It's almost time for Rin's band to play."

Sai held out his drink for him, but seemed disgruntled about something. Naruto took the drink, eyeing him curiously.

"What's up?" He asked.

Sai sat down, looking grim. "I ran into your friend downstairs. The good looking one? Yagura or whatever his name is."

"Okay." Naruto gulped. "And what did he say?" Yagura was a dick, but he wouldn't out Sasuke, and if he had, Naruto would go find him and beat the shit out of him.

"Just that he plays with Sasuke. He knows you. But, there's something else."

Naruto became even more nervous. "W-what did he say?"

"Take a drink of that first." Sai inched it closer. "Ah, the band's coming out." He picked up his drink–a Long Island Iced Tea, and sipped, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Why are you bein' weird? Did he say somethin' strange to you?"

"No." Sai shrugged. "Just that–"

Before he could answer, the crowd roared and clapped as #Feminist band members began to take the stage. Naruto glanced at them and then Sai again, but his friend waved a dismissive hand. Now, he was going to be worried that Sai knew Sasuke's secret and was also pissed at him for lying about it this entire time. The lights on the upper floor were blacked out while the main lights lit up the stage in blue. At first, it was just the drummer and keyboardist who came out, along with some crew, to set up their instruments and equipment. In the meantime, recorded music played through the speakers, "Doll Parts" by Hole. Of course the audience went wild and sang along.

"Wow, the energy really shifted in this place, didn't it?" He asked aloud, not expecting an answer because he doubted Sai could hear.

A third member walked out, short and with a light shade of neon green hair. The bass guitar player? He only knew her name because the audience kept chanting "Fuu". Apparently, they were a lot more popular than he'd realized. Five minutes went by before the lights dimmed, and the music coming from the speakers died. Seconds later, the whole place erupted into loud screams when Rin swaggered onto the stage and picked up her guitar from the nearby stand.

"Hey, everybody. How are you doin' tonight?" She shouted.

Rin was greeted by a clatter of applause and more screaming. The spunky singer looked even cuter from up here. She'd taken off that red jacket she was wearing earlier.

"As you know, our sister Kamui couldn't make it tonight, so we brought in someone a few of you might know from another popular band. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce our guest guitarist. Not to brag, but I somehow managed to get him to make his singing debut tonight."

There were catcalls in the audience. It sounded like a lot of their fans already knew who it was, so the band must've announced it before tonight. Naruto wondered if he'd recognize him.

"If you could put your hands together for Seattle's own budding musician and aspiring producer… Sasuke Uchiha."

Not only did all the girls on the floor start screaming obscenely when Sasuke appeared on stage, but Naruto nearly dropped and spilled his drink everywhere. He glanced, wide-eyed, at Sai.

"So, Sasuke's apparently playing with them tonight," Sai confirmed.

Now that he knew why Sai had looked so uncomfortable, his first inclination was to leave. He even got to his feet. Why would Sasuke play with a girl band, and when the fuck did he start singing on stage?

"Do you want to go?" Sai asked.

Rin was still talking with the crowd as Sasuke strapped on his guitar. Naruto finally decided to stay and sat down again. It's not as if he had much choice when all of the band members, having taken their places, abruptly started playing at the cue of flashing lights. The first song turned out to be a high-energy girl punk song. The drummer was going insane while Rin took hold of the mic. Sasuke played next to her, the lights catching the look of concentration on his face. Bouncing along with the epileptic beat of the song, Rin swayed from side to side as she belted out the lyrics.

"I'm sick of this mess. Fed up with the stress. Won't you help me out. Bail me out of here!"

The fans on the floor were jumping around, slamming into each other. Someone was already being carried across the crowd, above everyone's heads.

"Complaining is so easy when we stand beside the suffering. Sleep with our regrets and wake up with the fears. Hanging on to our necks, hanging on, what's next?"

The song was almost over before it began, but by the end, the crowd was going crazy. Naruto, half-jealous, was able to catch the smile Rin and Sasuke shared afterward.

"Sasuke Uchiha on guitar," Rin said again, smiling and clapping.

Never one to like the spotlight, Sasuke merely nodded in response to the crowd's applause. The drummer hit her drumsticks over her head, and just like that, they were on their second song.

Sasuke led with the guitar riff, Rin joined him, and then the bassist, Fuu.

Rin sang: "Each day I dig my own grave in hopes my sanity will be saved. After everyone and everything has let me down. I sink into the sorrow that holds me a slave."

Everyone, even Sasuke, joined her for the chorus. Then the final verses were all Rin. There was a brief break after the second song, and Sasuke handed Rin a bottle of water. She wiped some sweat from her brow.

"Wow, huh? We're all gettin' a real workout tonight, aren't we?" She pumped her fist. "Are we havin' a great time still?"

The crowd answered her with screams. Someone threw what looked to be a stuffed heart onto the stage.

"Okay, so I know they say there aren't any cities to love," Rin said, hinting at the next song.

The crowd responded with more eardrum-shattering screaming.

"But, maybe Sleater-Kinney would feel differently if they were from Seattle instead of Olympia?"

A deafening roar shook the room at the mention of their hometown. Even Sai was getting into it. Naruto shot him a curious look. He seemed to be having a great time, which was surprising.

The next song Naruto knew because he'd heard Sasuke play it a million times. As much as he kept trying to focus on Rin, it was hard not to let his gaze wander over to him. Every movement he made, everything he did was so precise. This had always been Sasuke's element, and Naruto admired him for it. Envied him even.

"Sasuke sounds really good, doesn't he?" Sai shouted. "You'd never know this is the same stuck up guy we see at school. He looks hot up there."

Naruto glared, but it's not like he could disagree. After the third song, Naruto's heart leapt through his chest when he saw both Sasuke and Rin take their place in front of the mics. A crew member came from off-stage to bring him his acoustic guitar. Sasuke placed the Fender on the stand.

"So, if you'll indulge me," Rin said, "I've got a soft spot for this band. This song, Sasuke and I practiced so that we could make it a little folksy." She turned to him. "You sure you want to do this? There's still a chance to bail if you want to."

The audience blurted out "Noooooooo."

Naruto smirked. Like Sasuke would back down from a challenge like that. Also, if he didn't know any better, he would've sworn Rin was flirting with the dark-haired teen. If Naruto had learned anything, though, it was that Sasuke always took good care of his bandmates. Even obnoxious ones like Yagura. If they had talent, Sasuke remained fairly loyal.

Maybe if he'd been a musician, Sasuke would've treated him better?

"The fans have spoken." Rin gestured at the crowd. "You can't get away from us now."

Sasuke offered a modest wave. Incidentally, he also took a second to use the collar of his shirt to wipe some sweat from his face, so when he revealed the slightest bit of his stomach to the girls in the front, a shrill series of squeals ensued.

"Bastard's probably doin' it on purpose," he muttered.

Staff brought out two chairs. Sasuke took a seat and settled the guitar on his lap. Rin sat next to him. The main spotlight surrounded them. A smaller one lit up the keyboardist in the back. Sasuke, strumming a few times, worked on tuning the guitar while Fuu brought over a shaker for Rin to use during the song.

She giggled into the mic. "Now I feel like I'm the one who's nervous. Do you know how intimidating it is to play with you, Sasuke? I've got goosebumps."

Sasuke covered the mic as he responded to her. Whatever he said caused her to bust out laughing again. A few people at the front caught his response, too, because they laughed, as well. It had Naruto wishing he really was up front. Sasuke looked so damn happy that it made his chest feel momentarily light. He almost forgot about all the shit happening with them and just… felt excited and proud of him. Naruto was dying to hear him sing on stage.

"So, this is a cover of Oh Wonder's 'Drive'," Rin said, taking in a deep breath.

The room went silent as the keyboardist started to play. Fifteen seconds in, Sasuke's and Rin's voices joined to create this ridiculously light and pure pop-folk harmony.

"Sat back with the window down. Eighty an hour and the radio loud. The same songs with the same old rhymes. Tell me to shake it off and swing from the lights."

Sasuke began playing while they continued to sing in tandem.

"I can't help but drive away from all the mess you made. You sent this hurricane, now it won't go away. And I promised I'd be there, but you don't make it easy. Darling, please believe me."

They sang the chorus together, and it set goosebumps all along Naruto's arms.

"'Cause loving you, loving you is too hard. All I do, all I do's not enough. Loving you, loving you. I cannot be loving you, loving you... Loving you, loving you leaves me hurt. All I do, all I do is get burnt. Loving you, loving you. I cannot be loving you, loving you..."

When they reached the second verse, he folded his arms atop the rail, and set his chin down. Naruto focused on Sasuke's face while he played, his dark eyes cast downward at first, but when he looked up at the balcony, Naruto inhaled sharply.

"Count stacks of the routine lies. Funny how easy you could see my blindside. Still the same songs with the same old beats. Sure I could stay, but there's a place I'd rather be. And I can't help but drive away from all the mess you made. You sent this hurricane, now it won't go away. And I promised I'd be there, but you don't make it easy. Darling, please believe me."

They sang the chorus a second time, Rin taking up the shaker as they harmonized in soft, soulful voices.

"I remember all the times you made me covered in crazy. I can't forget about the way you played me. Like I was never gonna change your world. It ended long ago. So, please just let me go."

The two of them sang the chorus for the last time, the tempo gradually growing faster, their voices louder. Sasuke's voice sounded especially amazing, fragile even. It was weird he could sing so earnestly and emotionally about love. Where the hell was that tenderness coming from?

"Loving you, loving you is too hard. All I do, all I do's not enough. Loving you, loving you. I cannot be loving you, loving you. Loving you, loving you leaves me hurt. All I do, all I do is get burnt. Loving you, loving you… I cannot be loving you, loving you…"

The lines repeated, their voices fading at the end. It was quiet for 10 seconds, and then there was an eruption of applause. Naruto wasn't aware he had tears in his eyes until he was reaching to wipe them away. It was too close to home for him. How could Sasuke sing like that, but leave him so heartbroken all the time? It didn't make sense. It made him feel foolish, stupid even. Like there was this part of Sasuke he didn't know at all or wasn't privy to.

"Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at Sai, having nearly forgotten he was there. He couldn't recall if he'd kept his emotions in check during the song. Had he given himself away?

"You alright?" Sai asked.

Weakly, he nodded and, seeing that Sai hadn't finished his drink, reached across to steal it. Naruto drank what was left in the time it took for the crew to remove the chairs from the stage. Meanwhile, Sasuke picked up his Fender and slid its red strap over his shoulder. It made Naruto recall the times Sasuke had tried to teach him to play–pressing his fingers to the strings, teaching him chords, playing for him at the house when they were bored at night.

While the band took up their next positions, the overhead lights turned blinding and chaotic again. A heavy baseline split the quiet, followed by the keyboard, Sasuke on guitar, and then the drummer.

Rin sang into the mic, an eerie, higher-pitched hum. Under a soft white light, Sasuke stepped up to the mic, and for the first time, led the vocals for a song. Naruto held his breath in anticipation, captivated by how calm he looked.

"It's not enough that I love you," he sang. "There's all these things I have to prove to you."

His voice was raspy, confident, and sexy as fuck.

"You use the sun to erase the past, but you think it only raises for you."

Sasuke closed his eyes after the last line.

"Well I'm afraid of being hurt, that's true. But not afraid of any physical pain. Just as I am always scared of water, but not afraid of standing out in the rain."

Rin came to Sasuke's side, joining him on guitar and vocals for the next verse. The lights flashed at the stroke of Sasuke's guitar. The drums and background vocals accompanied Sasuke's singing as he shifted back and forth in front of the mic, moving to the heavy beat of the song. The spotlight was on him again while everyone else played in the shadows. Sasuke's deep, scratchy vocals made the chorus sound so damn erotic. It didn't help that he saw the way Sasuke's free hand traveled below his shirt, lifting it up to reveal a flash of pale skin.

"I know that you want more, but would you fight for my love? And I've hurt you before, but can you ignore my love?"

Naruto licked his lips. He could never deny how much bottled up passion lay inside Sasuke. Obviously he'd seen it manifest in other ways that had nothing to do with playing on stage.

"You're walking out my back door, looking back for my love! I know that you want more, but would you fight for my love?"

Another light shone on Fuu as the hard bassline came in again and repeated. Then the keyboard, synth, and operatic background vocals followed.

"People do their best to not let passion begin. It's dead before it has a chance to start. And so there I am, the caretaker of sin. To your abandoned and malignant heart."

The lights surrounded the drummer while she played at an increased tempo. The crowd began jumping up and down with the beat, forming an impromptu mosh pit.

"It's such a pleasure, to sing with you together. Making love when there is nobody home. But I can't kiss you 'til you lift up your chin. You have to want to stop being alone."

Rin sang more of those eerie high-pitched vocals that echoed throughout the room.

Sasuke sang, stomping his foot with the rhythm. "I want you to fight for my love."

The rest of the band members joined with him on the vocals.

"I want you to fight for my love."

"I want you to fight for my love."

If there were people still sitting, they weren't anymore. Everyone was clapping and screaming. The lights darkened. Rin was grinning happily as she clapped along with the audience. She gestured to Sasuke, giving him all of the credit for the song. Finally, Sasuke did make a shallow bow, but he was quick to retreat from the spotlight. Rin reached for her bottled water, drank, and tossed it to Sasuke. Part of him still felt so proud to know him, but when he really thought about it, it made him feel like… Sasuke was a stranger somehow, had always been a stranger, and now was even more distant from him than ever before. While the crowd continued to clap and yell, Naruto abruptly got to his feet.

"Can we go now?" He asked.

Sai nodded, but Naruto didn't wait. He blindly made his way to the stairs. Everything was so loud and hot. His head felt dizzy, and sweat was breaking out all over his skin. He needed to get out of here as soon as possible. The path to the exit was blocked by the people on the floor. He had to push his way through just to get past. Behind him, he could hear Rin compliment Sasuke again. Everybody always complimented Sasuke. He could do no wrong, after all.

Naruto forgot they'd checked their coats, so it wasn't until he was outside that he realized it was snowing and cold. Sai came out shortly after with their coats. He tossed Naruto his, and, quickly, he put it on, zipping it all the way to his chin.

He took in a deep breath, holding his hands to his cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Sai asked, placing a hand on his upper arm.

He had the urge to step away from the contact, but, overwhelmed by intense feelings of sadness and regret, he turned around to face him. Naruto threw himself at Sai, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in the other boy's shoulder. His body shuddered while tears streamed down his cheeks. Uncontrollably, he sobbed.

"Naruto," Sai spoke into his ear. "What the hell is going on? What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, too choked up to respond.

"What do you want to do?" Sai's hand covered the back of his head.

"Get me out of here," he replied hoarsely. "Take me home. Get me drunk. Please."

"Alright," said Sai. "Let's get you home then."

Naruto removed himself from the embrace and pulled up the hood of his coat, wiping furiously at his eyes. Sai settled a hand on his lower back, guiding him in the direction of the car. Thankfully, he didn't ask any questions and left him to his thoughts. Hearing Sasuke sing... it suddenly occurred to him just how insignificant he might be to Sasuke.

There was also this part of him wondering if he'd given up on him too soon? When Sasuke said no, should he have fought him on it? He didn't know anymore, what was right or wrong or what he should do or what to think about Sasuke. Maybe he'd been correct in thinking he was only a fuck buddy to him, and when Sasuke realized Naruto wasn't going to put out, or when it dawned on him Naruto wanted more from him than sex, Sasuke's rejection had been his way of telling him to fuck off. He felt so naive and foolish. He'd been the one who'd talked in the beginning about high school romances–how unrealistic it all was. Then, what did he end up doing? He'd fallen in love with Sasuke and confessed!

But confessing had been the right thing to do. In his heart, he knew it wasn't wrong to feel this way or to be honest about it. It's how he felt. He'd thought Sasuke felt something similar for him, but, apparently, he was wrong. So, it hurt to hear him sing about love and to know he was capable of those feelings, but they weren't meant for him and never would be.

All the more reason he needed to hurry up and accept the fact Sasuke not only didn't want a relationship, he didn't love him. At least not the way he did Sasuke. Eventually, he'd need to just get over it.

It wasn't Sasuke's fault he didn't see him that way, it was his own fault for thinking that he ever could.

TBC

Please remember to review about the chapter! Thanks.

Setlist

1.) Not on Tour, "Sick of this Mess"
2.) Devotchkas, "My Scars"
3.) Sleater-Kinney, "No Cities to Love"
4.) Oh Wonder, "Drive" (acoustic)
5.) Jack White, "Would You Fight for My Love?"