Even though he'd started packing 15 minutes ago, Naruto couldn't seem to focus, especially after he'd folded Sasuke's leather pants and left them on the corner of the bed. He ended up in the chair by the window. The blinds were drawn so that he could watch the falling snow. Being from the Chicago area, he knew a snowstorm when he saw one. His phone lay on top of his thigh as if he was waiting for a message. The airline hadn't texted him to say the flight was cancelled, so he assumed he still had to make his way to the airport.
He felt more lonely than he had in a very long time, and if he knew how to get ahold of his friend Gaara, he would've given him a call even if it meant just listening to the sound of breathing. Gaara wasn't much of a talker, especially about feelings.
Who would understand anyway? When Naruto didn't understand himself. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't figure out why he'd imposed himself on Sasuke on Friday night. He'd even been so audacious as to show up at his apartment. He could totally understand where Sasuke was coming from, calling him desperate and in need of attention. Well, wasn't that true?
Naruto chewed his lip before shifting around in the chair until he was up on his knees. He placed a finger against the window, dragging it in a horizontal line and then following a flurry of snow as it swirled around with the wind.
He wished he could get Sasuke's words out of his head. Certainly, Sasuke was entitled to say what he wanted to, but why did he have to be so fucking cruel? He hadn't expected that. Maybe it had been a delusion, this belief he had that they'd been growing closer throughout the this weekend. After all, they'd gone to sleep last night as if they'd been the closest of friends for years only for everything to crash and burn this morning.
Where exactly had it all gone wrong?
The only thing he could think of was that...Naruto's slip up this morning... maybe Sasuke had been awake, and it had freaked him out? But wouldn't he have said something? Was it anything else that Naruto had done or said, or maybe Sasuke regretted appearing vulnerable in front of him? It's not as if he hadn't noticed the push and pull going on between them. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been affected by Sasuke's, well, call it charisma.
Naruto started rubbing at his chest, an annoying habit he couldn't break free of since Sasuke had left this morning. He, just a little bit, regretted not chasing him. Naruto didn't like the thought of being misunderstood any more than he liked the idea of them parting in anger. But, who was he to force his friendship on Sasuke? Was what they had even friendship after only a couple of days together?
He thought so. Apparently Sasuke didn't.
But.
Why say all that shit and then kiss him on the cheek? Just pity? Because Naruto'd sobbed like a little girl in front of him? Yeah, he supposed he did look pretty pathetic then.
Still. It fucking hurt.
He kept tracing nonsensical patterns over the glass, finding the feel of the cold on his fingertips relaxing. Where would Sasuke go in this weather? Back to the apartment? The street below was covered in snow with no lanes visible that he could see. While watching a few of the brave people attempting to drive in this weather, he nearly jumped as his phone buzzed in his lap.
When he saw who it was from, he smiled at first.
Just wanted to check in on my favorite blond. Feeling better? Did Sasuke take care of you?
Hm. Well he supposed that Sasuke hadn't communicated with Deidara lately. He picked the phone up with the intent to respond, but as he read the last part again, he hesitated. He didn't want to put Deidara in the middle of anything, but he also didn't want him to worry. He typed out a brief reply: Doing okay. Thanks for worrying about me.
Of course, almost instantly Deidara replied back: The weather's just horrible. Are you still flying back today?
He answered that he hadn't heard anything about cancellations yet, and, after that, didn't receive another response. So, picking himself out of the chair, he decided he had no choice but to finish packing and get his stuff together. Regardless of the weather, he still needed to check out of the hotel by noon.
It was a shame how things turned out with Sasuke, but as he'd already begun to notice in life, some things weren't meant to be.
Sasuke jogged down the stairs to catch the uptown train to his office, still unable to erase the image of Naruto's crying face from his mind. There was no room in his heart to feel guilty about the things he'd said, however. If anything, he'd done Naruto a favor. Should Naruto have been curious, indecisive, or confused - well, now he wouldn't have a problem, would he?
Probably glaring at everyone who walked past him, Sasuke waited at the edge of the platform, his fisted hands hidden within his coat pockets.
Why couldn't he stop thinking about him?
That look of self-righteousness. It pissed him off!
I liked you, Sasuke.
Who said shit like that to people? Naruto didn't know him.
No matter what, he would've had to play the bad guy. Whether he walked away or whether he pushed the limits of Naruto's possible interest in him.
The train finally arrived with only few people in the car, and Sasuke took a seat, thankful that someone had left a copy of the Times behind. Anything to keep his mind preoccupied.
Unfortunately, the momentary distraction only lasted 30 seconds before he cast the paper aside in frustration. Going to work was definitely the best idea. He needed to work. Work was about the only stabilizing thing he had in his life. Well, except Itachi, but putting all this distance between them kind of fucked that up, too. And what would Itachi say to him anyway? That he'd overreacted and been an asshole? Yeah. No thanks. He did what he had to do.
He was only protecting himself. So what if Naruto got hurt because of it? Life was full of casualties.
Now, Naruto could go back to that girlfriend of his without regret, make up with her, fuck her, and never give him a second thought.
Because that was exactly what he wanted to happen. He expected it to happen. The world didn't owe him shit, and Sasuke was just fucking fine with that.
Naruto didn't have much choice other than to check out of the hotel or else he'd be charged for an extra evening and as a poor college student, that wasn't really within his budget. He gathered all of his belongings - small suitcase and a backpack - and parked himself in the lobby. There were quite a few people lounging around in the sofas and chairs. He kept checking his phone, expecting a message from the airline. Whenever he went to the site, it didn't seem to indicate that the flight had been cancelled. Although, he was already starting to see reports of cancellations pop into his newsfeed.
That had him worried. When he checked out, he'd asked the middle-aged woman behind the counter whether it might be possible to book another night at the same rate. They weren't completely out of rooms, but the only rates available were in the $300-range. If his flight did, indeed, end up getting cancelled, he'd be better off sleeping at a bus terminal. Or, if he left now, he could make it to the airport and stay there until the next available flight.
At this point, he was pretty resigned to being stuck here, and the plane wasn't even meant to take off for another six hours.
Funny. Not more than five minutes later Naruto received a text-notification from American Airlines that his flight had been delayed due to inclement weather. He read through the message, frowning all the way until the end. So what did that mean? He decided to call the number listed on the text but could only get a busy signal. He gave up after about 10 minutes of shrill classical music blaring in his ear.
With a furrowed brow, he typed out a message to his dad letting him know that his flight had been delayed and that there's a pretty good chance it was going to get cancelled. Just as he was sending out his text, he received another message from Deidara.
Is Sasuke with you? He's not answering my messages
Naruto read the message twice before replying. nope. haven't seen him since 10.30
Did you hear about your flight yet?
Naruto glanced around the room, watching all of the guests - reading books, listening to music, chatting with friends. He ran his finger along the side of the phone, trying to keep himself from worrying about Sasuke wandering around in a snowstorm. He probably had a million places to go in the city. Brooklyn was a bit of a trek, so maybe he'd caught up with a friend. Or whatever.
it's been delayed was his response.
Let me know if it gets cancelled. You're welcome to stay at our place, but I am heading to my mother's apartment in an hour. She doesn't like to be left alone during storms like these.
Naruto almost snorted. Probably not a good idea
?
don't worry about it. i'll be fine. i can sleep in the lobby of this dumb hotel or a bus terminal or make it to the airport and sleep on a cot. aren't there any cheap hotels for, like, 30 bucks a night?
lol
"Thanks," Naruto muttered. "That was helpful."
Text me in an hour and let me know about your flight. I'll do what I can to help. I wouldn't leave such a sexy boy like you stranded
Naruto smiled. thanks. will do
Well, it wasn't really an option for him to stay at Sasuke's apartment. Clearly. But it was nice of Deidara to offer. He wondered why Sasuke wasn't picking up the phone. Maybe he was at a bar or something, Naruto had no idea. Still. He couldn't shake this uneasy feeling, but since Sasuke had already made it pretty clear how he felt, Naruto decided the best course of action was simply to make himself comfortable and listen to some music for a while.
Sasuke didn't know how long he'd been staring at the computer screen. He must've had a few dozen tabs open - all e-mails from the last day that were urgent enough he felt like responding. It was the weekend, so, of course, the office was quiet. In fact, he was the only one here. No surprise given the state of the weather. It was easier to focus on work rather than anything else going on in his personal life, and now that his anger had subsided, he'd decided to pretend this weekend never happened.
He continued working for the next hour despite his phone vibrating about every ten minutes. He hadn't bothered to check a single message because he just didn't care. Eventually it got to the point where he had to turn the damn thing off.
After answering the last of his e-mails, Sasuke decided to get up for a stretch. He went to the window. The office was located just south of Greenwich Village, close to SoHo. His floor was high enough that he had a view of the Hudson River and Jersey Shore. The wind looked harsh and biting as it swept up a wall of white on the other side of the glass. Sasuke turned his back on the view and headed for the shared kitchen area to find a bottle of water.
He should work weekends more often. Most of the lights were off in the office. During the week, the place was usually packed with other agents and administrative people, a lot of them only a few years older than him. Although, he was only one of two employees at the agency who held some kind of middle-management position. There was also a director, but he tended to travel frequently, often leaving Sasuke in charge because he tended to run a tighter ship than the other associate manager.
Once he grabbed a bottle of water, Sasuke returned to the desk, fighting an itch to call a certain person he hadn't talked to in some time. During his junior and senior of high school, and then the first two years of college in Seattle, Sasuke had often called his brother's friend, Yahiko. Usually at times like this. They were closer when he was about 15 or 16, but then Yahiko began dating an artist friend of his named Konan.
Sasuke stared at the screen for a while, absently tapping a pen against the desk until he noticed what he was doing and set it down.
Maybe he should've gone back to the apartment. The subway was probably still running, but he shouldn't press his luck. Then again, there was a couch in the lounge area so if he needed to spend the night here, it was at least an option. Not to mention, he had plenty of people he knew in Manhattan, but he wasn't much in the mood to socialize. He couldn't even fake it, and the idea of someone trying to get him to participate in a conversation sounded about as bad as having an arm amputated.
Actually, what the fuck was he even doing?
He ran his finger across the space bar - back and forth - until he turned off the computer and picked up his coat. As he was turning the light off in his office and shutting the door, he switched on his phone. Ignoring the dozen or so text alerts, he scrolled through his contacts while he waited for the elevator to arrive. Sasuke decided to make a quick call before slipping into the elevator. He pulled out his wallet so that he could count the amount of cash he had on him. He'd spent a lot of it at the club last night and then on that taxi ride to the hotel.
No. He wasn't going to think about that. Last night didn't happen. It had been a total lapse in judgment. He wanted to cringe just thinking about it.
Walking out into the lobby, Sasuke pulled his coat collar up around him. There were a few taxis patrolling the street, and he only needed to go so far as the Meat Packing district. The sooner he could forget about this weekend the better, and over the past two years, he'd become an expert at finding ways to clear his head.
Once outside, Sasuke quickly hailed a cab, gave the driver an address, and dusted the snow off of his coat sleeves. The radio was blaring Bob Marley. He smirked, but abruptly became distracted again as his phone went off in his pocket. He had a feeling it was Deidara, wondering where he was. He ended up turning the phone off again and shoving it into his pocket.
It seemed easy enough to slip under the radar during a snowstorm, and that's exactly what he intended to do, at least until he found a warm body that could help clear his head of all the stupid shit that had been building up over the past few days. He shouldn't have let Naruto get under his skin like that. He was already ashamed that he'd revealed so much of himself to someone like him. The part that irritated him the most was that... maybe a part of him had wanted Naruto's attention. And that the smallest part of him had expected Naruto to give chase.
Well, it was no longer an issue and what he couldn't get from Naruto, he could definitely get from someone else.
By about 2.30, Naruto had received another text letting him know that the second flight he'd been placed on later in the evening was also delayed, putting him at a departure time of around 9 p.m. Holy crap. If they were going to cancel, why wouldn't they just let him know? Not that he could do anything about it. The weather had only become worse, too, so leaving the lobby didn't sound especially appealing except he hadn't eaten anything yet today. There was a restaurant upstairs, but all he really wanted was a cheap sandwich. He could just check in his luggage and go across the street.
After he rolled his suitcase over to the nice red-headed lady behind the counter, he was able to check-in all his stuff. He kept his headphones and phone with him.
He stopped in front of the doors leading out to the street. Oh man. It was really snowing now. If there were any people out, they were bundled up or had umbrellas and boots. That bar he and Sasuke had gone to on Friday was only a few blocks away. It would probably be open, right? Maybe he could stay there for as long as possible, grab something to eat and drink, and just chill for a while.
Just as he was working up the nerve to head out into the cold and wind, his phone went off.
Still stranded?
Man. If only Sasuke had been half as considerate as Deidara.
Don't have to worry about me. Flight got delayed again. Going to grab a sandwich... and thanks
He was about to put the phone into his pocket again, but his conscience wouldn't let him not ask.
By the way, he typed out, Were you able to get ahold of Sasuke?
When the taxi eventually arrived at its destination, Sasuke paid the driver in cash and headed swiftly to the front entrance of the building, which used to be an old warehouse for a large grocery chain. Now, it was all modern and sleek, at least upon entering the lobby. Sasuke greeted the young woman at the reception desk. She was around his age - maybe even younger - and wore a ring in her nose. Her hair was a plum shade with bright fuschia highlights. Tattoos covered both of her arms. Whenever they spoke to one another, it was always brief.
After he took a minute to read over the paper she handed him, he filled in a few boxes and signed his name. She buzzed him in through the next door, which led to the kind of locker rooms found in the most expensive gyms in the city. There were shower stalls, a large built-in soaking tub that could've easily fit six people, and several pieces of lounging furniture - chairs, loveseats, and sofas. It shouldn't have been surprising that there was no one else here but him.
He went over to his usual locker and put away his coat, scarf, gloves, and shoes. Then, he slowly peeled off the rest of his clothes, folding them all and stacking them inside the locker. He hesitated when he reached for the waistband of his boxers because they weren't his. They were Naruto's. The ones he'd borrowed last night.
Without completely understanding why, Sasuke hesitated for a second or two, but then, as if it hadn't bothered him at all, ripped the shorts off. He hastily found the nearest trash can and threw them inside with the rest of the garbage.
Just as Naruto finished his burger, his phone rang. At first, he thought it might be Deidara asking him about his flight again. The guy was quite the mother hen. If he wasn't so annoyed with Sasuke, he might've thought the situation amusing. He couldn't imagine a person like Sasuke being able to live with a guy like that for very long.
However, when he looked at the screen, he quickly realized that it wasn't Deidara. His gaze flicked to the door as he answered, "Hello."
"I... saw that the weather is pretty bad there."
"Shion," he motioned to the bartender as he excused himself to move somewhere more private. "Hold on a sec. I'm eating a late lunch."
He walked to an empty corner booth and sat down.
"Alright," he said.
"Are you okay? You don't sound like you're happy to hear from me."
Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling conflicted at hearing Shion's voice. "I'm okay. Flight's been delayed. Twice. Probably gonna be cancelled."
"I see."
"You still in Miami?"
"Ah, yes. Another few days. The girls and I have been hanging out on the beach all week."
"Heh. Can't say I'll be doin' any of that here."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yeah. But, y'know, kinda like that snowstorm we had when we rented that cabin in Michigan."
"That was cozy," said Shion. "But a fun time."
"Yeah." Naruto's eyes wandered to the door again. The jukebox was playing Aerosmith's Dream On.
"Did you... do anything fun this weekend, or... is that not okay for me to ask?"
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't get angry, Naruto. It was a simple question."
"Yeah, but I know what you meant. What about you? Anything you wanna tell me?"
"I didn't call so that we could fight. I was worried about you. That's all."
Naruto chewed at his lip. "Sorry. I don't wanna fight either. I...," he almost wanted to mention the fight with Sasuke, but, "I'm just stressed. 'Cause I'm gonna be stuck here and my hotel's all booked up."
"It's New York. There must be tons of hotels."
"Yeah, but how am I gonna get there? There's hardly any cars on the street, and I already checked online. If they aren't booked, they're, like, 300 bucks."
Shion sighed. "I can lend you money. You know that."
"I'm not gonna ask my girl-" He stopped and cleared his throat. "M'fine. I'll manage. I can sleep in a bus terminal or somethin' or a church or police station. I dunno."
"Didn't you say you had friends there? Why don't you stay with them? I'm sure they wouldn't leave you stranded."
"That's... not an option. I," he didn't really want to lie but this was at least somewhat close to the truth, "Can't get in touch with him anyway."
"Him?" Shion sighed. "I think I feel relieved hearing it was a guy."
Naruto didn't say anything.
"Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not even going to ask me if I've been good?"
"Shion," he said, "This isn't a good time to - "
"I'll be home soon, and we can talk."
"I thought we talked plenty before you left for Miami."
"It's normal for couples to fight, Naruto. It doesn't mean we need to blow it out of proportion. I... miss you."
Naruto's resolve started to crumble. "I... miss you, too. Are you... bein' good?"
"I did go to a club," she said.
"So did I." Obviously, he wasn't going to elaborate.
His thoughts wandered as he recalled a flash of Sasuke's lustful expression from when they were dancing last night. He hadn't had too much time to analyze that in the midst of being sick and comforting Sasuke. But now that he was on the phone with Shion, the events of the weekend were becoming... slightly clearer. In a way that was beginning to make him uncomfortable.
"Naruto?"
"I'm here. Yeah. When you get back... we'll definitely talk."
"Tell me you love me first. Before you go... I..."
"I - " Before he could finish, the phone cut out, and he lost service.
Naruto blinked at the screen, which, behind all of the apps, was a picture of him and his dad. It immediately made him think about Sasuke's parents. If they'd had more time together, there was so much more that Naruto would've wanted to say. His instinct was to comfort, but that didn't seem to be what Sasuke wanted.
At least not from him.
And now that he'd spoken with Shion, he realized why that wasn't his place. Sasuke clearly thought the same, but Naruto wished he would've at least accepted him as a friend so that they might stay in contact.
What was Sasuke doing now, though? He'd left so angry. Was he really okay? Maybe he should've tried to stop him, after all. But, the way things were now, what could he really have done?
Feeling a bit sad, Naruto walked back to the bar and, as the bartender approached, he decided to order another drink. It's not as if he was going anywhere anytime soon. Might as well make the most of having alcohol at his fingertips. Especially now that he was starting to feel like shit.
Despite his heavy panting, Sasuke's gaze remained lowered as fingers wrapped around his neck and shoved him hard against the wall, lifting him off of his feet. The man in front of him was muscular with a dark complexion, dark hair, and multiple tattoos and piercings, including the crossbar going through the tip of his erect cock.
He closed his eyes until a gruff reminder barked at him to open them again. As he did, he raised his gaze and glared.
"What's with that look, little slut?" The man asked in his thick New York accent. "Does it hurt? Isn't that what you asked me for?"
When Sasuke continued to glare, it earned him a slap across the face. It stung and forced him to turn his head the other way.
"What do you say? Shouldn't you be thanking me for givin' you what you want? I came in just for you. Be more grateful."
"Yes, sir," he murmured and lowered his eyes again. "Thank you."
"That's better." The experienced Dom ran his free hand down Sasuke's chest, to his stomach, and then to his half-hard member. He took Sasuke in his hand, fingers coiling around him, and started to pump. Almost with a sigh of relief, he gave himself up to the feeling as his eyes fell shut again despite the prior rebuke.
He focused on the pain in his back from an earlier flogging. Before they began, he'd requested to be pushed and slapped around and, so far, his Dom had fulfilled every request and then some. His body would be sore through the next day, but it filled him with excitement every time he caught a glimpse of a forming bruise on his naked body.
When his head was knocked back against the wall, he let out a low groan.
"Whatcha thinkin' about, slave?" He tightened his grip on Sasuke's cock.
"Fucking," he answered truthfully.
"You want me to fuck you, boy? I'm going to fuck you nice and rough like you asked for. Is that what you want, boy?"
Sasuke opened his eyes half-way. "Yes."
Without wasting any time, the larger, muscular man flipped him around so that his face pressed against the cold concrete. His hands were forcefully brought together behind his back and within less than a minute, his wrists were bound and tied together. The Dom's hands ran roughly down his back, ass, and thighs.
He was spread and exposed. Once the lubrication was applied, a single finger entered him.
The finger began to move in and out as a knee nudged his legs further apart. Sasuke struggled when a second finger was pushed in, but the hard body pressing flat against him from behind caused him to still. As the fingers continued to stretch his hole, he rested his forehead against the wall, trying to evacuate all thoughts from his mind except the pain and arousal.
"Ask for it, boy," the man whispered in his ear.
He shivered, feeling almost desperate for it by now.
"Fuck me," he hissed.
He tried to relax his muscles at the moment of penetration, the size of the cock trying to enter him not something he would consider easy to accommodate. But, the burn, and the feel of the lube leaking out and dripping down his thighs - he was craving it.
A cold chill settled into his stomach when he felt the first bite on his shoulder - then the other. Something sharp and metal scraped down his back. He could feel the blood rushing to the surface as it scraped across his skin again.
The other man grunted in approval, "Good boy."
Sasuke felt a tongue travel slowly up the base of his neck, jarring something inside his mind that caused him to cum against the wall with a sharp cry.
Seconds later, his partner came with his own short shout of degrading words that he breathed next to Sasuke's ear. "You know what's next. Don't you, sexy boy?"
While trying to recover his breath, Sasuke rubbed his forehead against the concrete, scratching up the skin. When his Dom finally pulled out, he nearly whimpered but bit his lip in time to keep it from being heard. After so many sessions, he already knew he could take a lot of pain. The sex, it seemed, could never be rough enough, though.
The skin at the back of his neck still tingled. He couldn't figure out why that small thing had pushed him so hard over the edge.
"You still with me, boy?"
Sasuke nodded, answering weakly, "I'm with you."
"Good." He took Sasuke by his bound wrists, turned him around, and pushed him to the other side of the small room, where there were several pieces of bondage equipment, including a contraption his Dom fondly referred to as The Cage.
Sasuke eyed it warily as the other man opened up its front gate and, after walking behind Sasuke again, applied pressure to the backs of his knees, which forced him down onto the floor.
"Crawl," the man barked.
Sasuke obeyed, crawling on his knees into the cage, his wrists still bound.
He faced the other end of the cage, with his abused backside up against the metal bars. He'd only been inside here once, and it had been for 20 minutes while being forced to endure a vibrating plug. Release from the cage only came when he begged for it. Begged to be allowed to come.
But, this time, a black blanket was thrown over the cage, and he wasn't able to see or hear anything. The walls already seemed to be closing in on him.
He couldn't move.
After ten minutes, his heart rate was up more than normal and his chest began to hurt. The more he tried to get his wrists unbound, the more a feeling of panic began to stir inside him.
For another ten minutes, he endured it, even with tears streaming down his cheeks.
He didn't want to be forced to use his safeword. Not today. Not when he needed this. Not when he had something to prove. Not when... not when...
His thoughts slowed, and he closed his eyes, head falling to rest his forehead against the bottom of the cage. Again, he tried to focus on the parts of his body that hurt - the scratches on his back and thighs, the dull pain from being fucked hard... and then the thoughts and images came. The bloody tarps covering his parents' bodies in the morgue. The way they'd been pulled out for display from those confining morgue drawers.
Sasuke started to hyperventilate.
He wanted...
He needed...
He couldn't get his voice to come out and when he said "help", it sounded only barely above a whisper. Was he going to die in here? Was he going to die, and...
Regret. He felt such regret.
Mustering his strength, he yelled out the word that he knew would stop it all and bring him relief.
The blanket flew off the cage instantly, but he was already on the verge of passing out.
The cage door clanked as it opened. The ties binding his wrists were cut. He was pulled out, shaken, and even though he could hear his Dom calling his name, he couldn't quite respond. Only the slaps to his face caused him to rouse somewhat from his panic attack.
"Are you okay? Sasuke. Stay with me. Hey!"
Sasuke blinked up at him, body heavy and slow to react.
"Sasuke," the man said more gently as he cupped Sasuke's cheek.
"Don't," he murmured, eyes barely able to crack open. "Don't... don't be good to me."
"The session's over," the concerned man spoke calmly to him. "I'll clean you up and make sure you're okay to go. Is there anyone I should call?"
"No," he replied instantly. "And I'm fine. Just... get me to my feet."
He was helped to his feet. The Dom, always the professional, applied pain spray and checked him out. Only when he thought Sasuke was okay to be let go, was he able to make his way to the locker room on his own.
Even though his body trembled, he walked to the shower stall and closed the glass door. He turned the water up so hot that it quickly caused his skin to turn bright red. Sasuke stood as long as he could but after a few minutes had to sit down on the tiles so that he wouldn't fall over and knock himself out.
Although, the thought of someone finding him here unconscious and bleeding out didn't sound... too awful.
After all, there was nothing for him out there, so what hurry was there to go out into such a bleak city?
With a sigh, he fell over onto his side and rolled to his back, which caused a fair amount of pain to surge through his body. He let the hot spray hit across his chest, thighs, and face. For a while, he held up his hand, blocking the water from hitting his eyes.
During the session, he wouldn't let himself think... about Naruto. He'd come here to forget about all that. No. It wasn't even about Naruto at all.
Sasuke touched that spot on the back of his neck.
He felt empty in a way, and disappointed that he'd been forced to stop the session.
Was he really that weak?
Maybe so. Maybe that's why no one wanted to stay by his side.
Not in the way that he knew he wanted.
Sasuke dropped his arm on the floor, banging his elbow in the process.
He wasn't even worthy enough for Naruto to chase him.
It had only taken a few cruel words to get Naruto to give up on him, too.
He was hopeless, he knew. A lost cause. No one would ever love him. The only family he had left was Itachi.
Sasuke pressed his palm over that aching spot in his chest.
He would've wept but there wasn't anything left. It took all of his strength to sit up again and finish thoroughly washing his body off in the shower. After maybe 20 minutes, he turned the water off, left the stall, and grabbed one of the folded towels off of the shelf to wrap around his waist. When he walked over to the locker room, Sasuke stood with his shaking hand pressed to the front of his locker. His body thrummed in various places where he'd taken the most serious bruising. He wished he'd kept a toothbrush and toothpaste around, too, since he'd had a cock forced down his throat at the session's onset.
Slowly - because it hurt - he took a seat on the bench, wincing a bit. He had to put his hands down on the edge and push up to keep some of the pressure off. Never in the past nine months that he'd been coming here had he been forced into calling it off like that. Now that his mind and body were starting to come down from that kind of high - he felt strange. Usually he arrived here pent up but left feeling relaxed. His thoughts would always be clearer, his senses more sharp. Almost as good as going to the chiropractor.
Sasuke glanced down at his chest, arms, and thighs where ugly black and blue bruises were forming. Usually, he didn't like the session to be so physical. However, almost as soon as he'd walked into the room and seen all of that equipment and cold steel, he'd wanted it to hurt.
He shook his head because thinking about being locked up in that tiny space again was already making his chest tighten. Sweat broke out on his skin, and he watched the hand in front of his face as it began to tremble.
This was a little too pathetic for his tastes. Sasuke stood and opened his locker so that he could pull out all of his clothes - minus the underwear - and get dressed. He had to lean against another locker as he painstakingly tugged his jeans on. It was hard lifting his arms while pulling the sweater over his head, too.
He overdid it, he knew, but he didn't care.
Sasuke took his time getting dressed and ready. Afterward, he turned his phone on again and noticed that he'd received at least 10 more texts since the last time he'd checked it. In case there was an emergency, he began scrolling through everything. The original texts that he'd been ignoring all morning were from Suigetsu and Karin. Most of them asked where he'd disappeared to, and then there were some suggestive ones from Suigetsu about some assumptions that involved himself and Naruto. Karin, on the other hand, was complaining about dangling a hot man in front of her only to steal him away at the end. Annoying. Then there were multiple texts from Deidara, asking him where he was.
The final texts changed from "Where are you?" to "What did you do to Naruto?" and "Naruto says he's stranded at the hotel and they're out of rooms. I told him to stay at our apartment since I'm going to mother's, but he said he doesn't want to. Why would he not want to, Sasuke Uchiha?"
Then the very last text read: "I've called and left your brother a message telling him you might be dying in the snowstorm somewhere. I'm going to mother's apartment before the trains completely stop. Here's Naruto's number. Convince him not to sleep in a bus terminal, please."
Sasuke's eyes ran over the number briefly before he deleted every single one of the messages.
How was any of that his problem? And if Naruto made it clear he wasn't interested, then Deidara should have gotten the hint. He shoved the phone into his coat pocket, scowling as he slammed the locker door shut.
"Tch."
He didn't have time for this, and the last thing he wanted to do was think about Naruto or worry about him. That wasn't his place. Feeling frustrated, he decided to text Deidara: Keep your nose out of my business. I have plans for the evening. Stop texting me.
Sasuke signed out with the receptionist and as he exited the building, he was struck by the amount of snow that had fallen since he'd last been outside. Plows were out, but traffic was backed up. Hardly anyone was out on the sidewalks and with good reason. Luckily, there was a subway stop only a block away, but walking across the street, the snow was already well past his calf.
The train station was nearly empty and as he headed down a flight of stairs, he saw that the train he wanted was delayed. He tugged at his coat collar and leaned against one of the columns while he waited on the platform. Mildly anxious, he reached into his pocket and kept running his fingers over the side of his phone.
What were his options, really? He wasn't in the mood to go home, but where else could he go? Karin's? Suigetsu's? No. They'd ask too many questions. Maybe he could get a hotel room. Or, he could go back to work.
All he really wanted was to crawl into a bed somewhere. At this point, it didn't matter where or whose.
He was tired and needed to rest, and he was beginning to feel the start of a migraine.
Sasuke winced as his vision was already beginning to be affected.
"Fuck," he muttered, pressing his fingers to his eyes as if that would ease the pain.
Well, shit. That was pretty fucking inconvenient.
Naruto had moved from the bar to the booth so that he could drink his beer while listening to his headphones. There were maybe three other patrons, and he was honestly surprised that the bar was willing to stay open.
A few minutes ago, he did get news from the airline. They'd finally put him out of his misery and let him know that his flight - along with everybody else's - had officially been cancelled.
Hence the drinking. He knew he had a long night ahead of him, and he was probably going to be forced to charge some exorbitant amount to his credit card just so that he could have a place to stay. Apparently the airline wasn't willing to reimburse him.
He debated whether or not he should call Deidara and let him know since he kept insisting Naruto stay at the apartment. Although, fate decided to beat him to it because while watching the screen of his phone, it lit up and showed that a certain local number was calling.
Naruto slipped his headphones off and answered.
"Hello?"
"Naruto, it's Deidara."
"Yeah, man. What's up. Everything okay? Did you get to your mom's place yet?"
"Yes, yes. I walked in a few minutes ago." He sounded as though he was breathing hard.
"Oh? And what exactly are you doin' now? You're breathin' kinda heavy. Is it one ofthose types of calls?"
"No," huffed Deidara. "I was checking in on your situation again."
"Ah, yeah. Sorry. I was gonna call. I heard from the airline a second ago. Flight's cancelled and tentatively rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon."
"So what are you going to do? I would invite you to stay at mother's, but... she's... a little eccentric, and not that keen on strangers. You know I love you, though."
"Of course. Don't even worry about it. M'just gonna charge it to my card and stay at the hotel since it's easier. I'll just use some of my financial aid money to cover it, I guess."
"No, that's no good." Deidara clucked his tongue. "I... heard from Sasuke a while ago. He says he has plans, so... the place should be empty tonight. I'd really insist that you stay there. You can have my room. At least a few trains are still offering service. Or, I think I know a guy at a car hire place... I can get you a discount."
"I don't think - "
"Wait. Naruto. Can I call you back? There's someone calling me - and. We'll figure this out, dear. Plus. Think of the cat. He hates storms! Mother's allergic to cats. Sasuke never seems to give a rat's ass about him even though it was his mother Mikoto's - Ah, sorry. I'm not supposed to talk about - I'll call you in a second, okay? Kisses."
Naruto blinked at his phone as the call ended, his brain trying to process everything Deidara said.
What he did get out of it was that at least Sasuke was alive and... already had plans for the night. He supposed it was easy for the other man to move on like that so easily. Once again, he was left to realize how one-sided the whole situation had been.
He sat back against the booth, frowning at his half-empty glass and unable to figure out why his need to make friends with everyone sometimes backfired so horribly.
It wasn't that he felt sorry for himself. It was more like... he really fucking liked Sasuke, so he was disappointed. Even now, he still wanted it to work out between them, and he hated that he didn't fully understand what he'd done so wrong.
Nah. As soon as Deidara called him back, he'd make sure to refuse his offer more firmly and, eventually, he'd head back to the hotel. He checked the time on his phone. It was way past check-in time. Nearly 5 o'clock. He'd been at the bar for at least an hour and a half already. After finishing the rest of his beer in a single gulp, he got up and headed back to the bar to ask for another.
"Quite a storm, eh?" The bartender asked as he re-filled Naruto's glass.
"Yeah," he said. "It's pretty rough out there. Are you guys gonna stay open much longer?"
"Probably. We've stayed open through worse. Don't worry about it."
"Cool. Thanks for lettin' me hang. Flight got cancelled at the last minute so I'm stuck at a hotel a couple blocks away."
"That's a bummer, but, hey. You get one more night in one of the greatest cities in the world."
"True. Thanks again." He waved and started back to the booth, where he'd left his headphones and cell. As soon as he sat down, his phone went off. He wiped his hand on his jeans and picked it up.
"Hey, I just wanted you to know I'm gonna stay at the hotel tonight, so you don't have to - "
"Naruto."
Naruto's grip on the beer glass tightened. "Sasuke?"
"Where are you."
"What - "
"My head is killing me. Could you just tell me where you are." Then he added, "Please."
"Um, a bar," he answered hesitantly, gaze darting to one of the TVs mounted above the bar.
"Be more specific."
"...The one where we first met on Friday. Why - "
But, before he could ask anything, the phone seemed to lose service again.
"What the fuck?" He muttered to himself, shaking his head. Maybe Sasuke was trashed somewhere. It was certainly plausible, but he wasn't exactly sure how he got his number. The only one who had it was Deidara.
For a while, Naruto stared at the call list still open on his screen. Was that Sasuke's number or had he called from someone else's phone? He brushed his thumb over it a few times before deciding to hide the phone inside his coat pocket.
Naruto pulled his legs up onto the seat and turned with his back to the wall so that he could rest his head against it. He sat cross-legged and after putting his headphones on again, closed his eyes and returned to listening to his previous playlist.
A few songs later, as Offspring's Self-Esteem was coming to an end, Naruto happened to open his eyes and standing in front of him was Sasuke - hair damp from the snow, skin pale, and collar pulled up high enough that it obscured part of his face. Even though the bar was dimly lit, he could tell something was off. In what felt like slow-motion, Naruto tugged his headphones down so that they hung around his neck.
"Sasuke," he said, his eyes running over him from top to bottom. But then he got mad again. "Where the hell have you been?"
Sasuke said nothing.
"Jesus, you look like shit," Naruto told him. "Do you wanna sit down?"
Suddenly, Sasuke winced and covered his left eye.
Naruto became more worried and nearly knocked his beer over in his hurry to get to his knees on the seat. Sasuke, with his height advantage, simply stared at him. Up close like this, Naruto thought he saw a greenish-bluish tint to one of Sasuke's cheeks. There was something so totally off about him. He didn't seem angry like earlier, but he seemed... strange. Distant maybe.
"What do you need?" Naruto asked, searching his face while his heart thumped erratically in his chest.
"Come home with me." Sasuke's voice was quiet and devoid of much emotion.
"E-excuse me?"
"I know you need a place to stay. I'm taking you home with me."
"Huh? I don't understand - "
"I've already paid your tab. We'll get your luggage. I've called a private car to take us to Brooklyn."
"Sasuke," he said, getting angry. "You can't just - "
"Naruto," Sasuke abruptly cut him off but moved to cover his eye again. "Please. I don't want to argue right now. I'd prefer you come with me, but I won't force you either."
Conflicted, Naruto bit his lip. In any other case, if someone had put him through the shit that Sasuke had and then come around trying to order him to do something, he would've punched them in the face.
But it looked as though someone might've beaten him to it.
As Naruto got out of the booth, Sasuke stepped aside, giving him space to adjust his coat. He watched Sasuke while Sasuke watched him. He was... both curious and worried.
So, without having a logical reason to, he followed Sasuke out of the bar, where - fighting the howling wind and endless snow - they made their way back to the hotel. Sasuke didn't wait by the doors but, instead, followed closely behind Naruto as he went to retrieve his bags. Was he doing that because he was thinking Naruto would change his mind... or? No. That didn't feel like what was going on. It was almost like...
They moved closer to the entrance of the hotel where they both leaned against the wall while waiting for this private car Sasuke had hired.
Eventually, when he couldn't take it anymore, he turned to look at Sasuke. "Are you... sure you're okay?"
Sasuke's head was tipped back, and his eyes were closed. "Migraine."
"Oh. Is it... pretty bad?"
Barely, Sasuke's eye cracked apart to regard him.
Naruto felt an overwhelming desire to smother him with more questions of concern, but, remembering this morning, decided to keep quiet and let Sasuke rest or whatever he needed to do. Honestly, he was still thinking about arguing his reasons for staying at the hotel, but... he didn't want to leave Sasuke alone.
He also found that...
Seeing Sasuke again - something was clicking inside of him. He didn't understand it and definitely couldn't have explained it if someone asked. But. Deep down. He knew he wanted to go with Sasuke. He could tell by the beating of his heart and the excitement he felt but was trying to keep from showing on his face.
Sasuke had hurt him, had walked out on him, and left him behind.
When he knew Sasuke'd closed his eyes again, Naruto also leaned his head against the wall.
As his own eyes fell shut, he found himself smiling. Maybe it was his imagination, but a minute later, he felt Sasuke's arm brush against his. When he opened his eyes, though, Sasuke still had his closed.
Another ten minutes and, after an insistent tug on his arm, Naruto spotted a sharp-looking black SUV as it pulled up to the front of the hotel. He grabbed hold of his suitcase and rolled it outside. The driver got out and opened the door and trunk for them, taking Naruto's belongings and putting them away.
Sasuke took the front seat by the driver, and Naruto sat in the middle seat behind them. As they pulled onto the street, the wipers swished back and forth rapidly, barely keeping up with the snowfall. Somehow, Naruto felt very calm despite the conditions. Every once in a while, he glanced at Sasuke who only ever seemed to be looking straight ahead. Although, at one point, Sasuke turned to the driver to say something, and then switched on the radio to the traffic report.
Naruto wondered, when they arrived at the apartment, would Sasuke tell him what had happened and where he'd been since this morning?
He wanted to scold him.
But more so, he really wanted to know if he was okay.
And what was with that bruise on his cheek?
Naruto decided to occupy himself by gazing out the window. He scowled at the wintery scene. If anyone was gonna fight Sasuke today, it should've been him. He didn't like the idea of anyone else laying a hand on him. Especially if it was to intentionally hurt Sasuke.
For now, though, he supposed he should be content that Sasuke'd come to find him.
The rest could be figured out a little later when they were alone.
Alone with Sasuke.
Naruto leaned his head against the cold glass of the tinted car window. He shut his eyes, sorting out his thoughts. He tried to think of Shion on the beach with her friends. Her long, pale blond hair falling over her shoulders as she wore one of her tiny bikinis. He thought of her firm body, her little stomach, breasts, thighs, butt. He thought of some specific times they'd had some really great sex. He thought of her mouth on him.
He opened his eyes to glance at the rear view mirror only to find Sasuke staring back at him.
Neither of them looked away for a long while.
When it did happen finally, Naruto returned to staring out the window, his mind troubled a bit but that same earlier feeling of excitement (no, anticipation?) thrumming through his blood. He breathed out, against the glass, and then wiped it away.
Whatever was going to happen - he didn't think he'd be able to stop it even if he tried.