Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Underneath it All ❯ A Different Place in Time ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I was debating whether or not to put up an overrated excuse for the late update here and after much thought decided against it. Read. Enjoy. Review…

Disclaimer: don’t own anything.

Warning(s): AC, AL, F (I know ‘F’ means something else for the Academy of Motion Pictures (is there such thing? Am I inserting parentheses inside parentheses? Talk about babbling!) but for my stories it will stand for Fluff).


Naruto had arrived to school early Monday morning and was passively walking down the main hall thinking of the books he needed for class a small part of him busy recounting his favorite scenes from his date with Sasuke the day before. It was more like the other way around, actually. A small part of him had to think of the books he needed for class because he was way too distracted thinking about his date with Sasuke. The memory of his breath ghosting through his lately very hypersensitive skin, of his lips as they placed soft nimble kisses down his cheeks and his neck, had put him to sleep last night. He had woken up with Sasuke’s heady scent and warmth wrapped around him this morning instead of his crisp unscented bed sheets. His very first thought of the day included an image of Sasuke’s fine face, midnight dark eyes solely locked in his, a smirk firmly set on his lips.

He couldn’t wait to see him.

Naruto turned at a corner and overlooked the smaller hallway he’d just entered. He could instantly tell Sasuke wasn’t here either. No psycho stalkers elbowing their way through a single spot definitely meant no Sasuke.

He frowned.

Damned bastard! Was he hiding from him? The first few days of class it seemed Sasuke was following him everywhere he went! Now he was nowhere to be found!?

The unthinkable crossed his mind. Had Sasuke disliked their date yesterday? Could it be a reason he was…avoiding him?

Suddenly he was yanked by the collar of his blouse inside the men’s bathroom. He yelped when he was backed into the nearest wall and panicked when the sound of the lock clicking filled his ears before he was staring into the full face of Sasuke himself. Immediately he relaxed. Then he frowned.

“Asshole! Can‘t you be more gentle!? This is harassment, you know!” Sasuke smirked.

“Harassment, huh?” he leaned in so their lips were almost touching. “That doesn’t sound half bad.” Naruto instantly blushed but couldn’t utter a word for Sasuke had sealed their lips in a simple kiss before he could properly organize his thoughts.

“Pervert,” the blonde murmured with halfhearted anger when they pulled away their noses remaining lightly pressed together, their eyes remaining on each other‘s kiss-swollen lips.

Sasuke bit his bottom lip seductively before he attacked again.

Yesterday had been good but it had simply not been enough.

The memory of the sun kissed blonde had mocked him all night. He had rolled on his bed in an insomniac state unable to get rid of it, unable to get rid of that annoyingly tuneful tone of voice, of the sweet little laughs and the feel of those wonderful fingers threading through his dark locks of hair, their kisses had left an irksomely pleasant taste in his mouth that was still intact even after brushing his teeth this morning.

What was this need for Naruto?

He couldn’t understand it but having more of him seemed the only logical way to satisfy it.

Naruto kissed back with the same desperation his knees threatening to give out at the intensity of the kiss. Sasuke pressed him further into the wall, preventing him from disintegrating right here and now, his hands landing at either side of his head against the wall to lock him in place.

Sasuke was a master in the art of kissing, Naruto concluded.

Every movement of that wandering tongue inside his mouth took him to undiscovered heights, curling around his own tongue, teasing the underside, Sasuke’s mouth sucking him dry, demanding submission and Naruto found himself yielding without protest. He held on to clothed hipbones finding the belt hoops at the rim of Sasuke’s dark blue slacks and looped his index fingers through the front ones to pull Sasuke even closer to him.

The action, unbeknownst to him, drove Sasuke wild. His sucking intensified as his whole body shivered with desire proving tolerance was weak against Naruto.

Naruto breathed all he could through his nose wanting to drag the kiss as far as it could go before they’d have to part for air.

When they pulled away both were flustered and slightly short of breath.

“You keep getting better at this,” Naruto murmured subconsciously leaning in for more. Sapphire and coal sated eyes fluttered open lazily.

“I know,” Sasuke replied with trademark airs of superiority making cerulean orbs darken with playful anger.

“Che, I swear, you’re asshole and a half sometimes,” Naruto retorted and Sasuke brushed off the insult nipping at the corner of those delicious lips before him, trailing to the side to gradually cover them fully, eventually turning the teasing caresses into a mind-blowing kiss.

Their kiss dragged on until the far away noise of the bell ringing caught their attention. Barely. They were hesitant letting go but gave each other enough space to right themselves up again, Naruto fixing the dark blue coat of his uniform while Sasuke rearranged his letterman jacket on top of the dark blue coat of his uniform. Both worked on each other’s ties seeing as both had the same difficulty tying them back together on their own.

As soon as they were done they took off. Side by side they walked down the hallways that led to their classroom. To regular onlookers Sasuke looked his usual superstar-self, cool, calm, collected while the blonde beside him added the perfect touch to the picture. Hotness walking down the hall. Eyes were so full of their faces they missed how the dark-haired’s single index finger inconspicuously curled into the blonde’s single index finger if only to keep each other close in this world so big to them.

The reason Mondays sucked as bad as they did was because teachers always tended to return from the weekend with newfound appreciation for education which in other words meant a full load of in-class assignments and homework.

Iruka-sensei had given them five essay questions concerning the American society they had read about on Chapter 1 of their book to analyze and submit before the bell rang.

Asuma-sensei had been particularly draining. His very slow and boring Calculus lecture had lasted the whole class period and he had therefore been forced to assign the chapter’s 40 exercises as homework due Wednesday so they could put into practice what they had learned.

Next came Biology. Who in their right mind put Biology right after Calculus anyway!? Of course Naruto, in his number-jumbled mind, had mixed Calculus equations with scientific formulas. Who wouldn’t? It was needless to say his grade had been an all time low. Thankfully Kurenai-sensei had thought he’d messed up the translation from Japanese to English and had given him a chance to make up the work along with their homework due to hand in Friday.

What the hell happened to his teachers!? They were angels the first week of class! Now the little angels had died and had been replaced with sadistic full fledged demons!

“I just saw him!”

“He’s so hot!”

“I know!” a couple of girls hurried past Naruto in a heap of giggles as the blonde walked down the hallway during one of the breaks they had in-between classes to clear his mind. The blonde lowered his gaze to the floor. He knew who they were talking about.

Sasuke.

Naruto barely got to have more of him after their makeout session in the bathroom on top of everything. Football weekend seemed to bring more awareness to the football captain, as if he needed more attention. Any breaks they could’ve shared together were stolen by vicious fans whose instant reaction was cornering the notorious quarterback the minute they saw him. He’d gotten all his books by now, curse the bookstores for having his order shipped over so fast, so Sasuke had returned to his regular seating place a few seats away from him during lectures. Few seats and it felt as if he were a mile away.

“He’s such an awesome player too!” the girls carried on with the Sasuke-topic.

“I heard he’s really good in bed!”

“Me too!” They went on about Sasuke‘s sexual capacities giving for certain that if he could perform such a strenuous activity, like football was, as well as he could then he had to be just as good at other equally strenuous activities. Naruto couldn’t help the faint blush tainting his cheeks.

So Sasuke wasn’t a virgin.

He wasn’t either so there was really no trouble there. It was weird but having just started this relationship with the Uchiha, Naruto hadn’t really thought about them ‘that way.’ Perhaps because it wasn’t what he was looking to get out of it in the first place.

Suddenly he found himself fully immerged in the thought.

Being as good as Sasuke was at kissing it was hard to question his “talents” in other areas as well.

And Sasuke was all his…

He grinned stupidly before his grin curved and fell into a small pout. He’d complained about the bastard following him everywhere he went during breaks.

But now he missed him.

“Hey,” Naruto came face to face with none other than Gaara and the sulkiness in which the redhead seemed to be drowning in at the moment took him to guess Neji was also probably busy keeping up with his popularity duties.

The reason girls didn’t stick to Gaara Sabaku like magnets compared to Neji and Sasuke was surely because of those sharp kryptonite eyes that promised murder to anyone who dared come within an arm’s reach. They only tended to soften when he was around his friends.

Naruto smiled at him trying to lighten the funerary mood. “How was your weekend?” he asked brightly. Gaara nodded stiffly in response and all cheeriness left the blonde in an instant.

“Yours?” Gaara asked after an approximate minute of silence. It was a strained almost inaudible question and the redhead hadn’t bothered making eye contact but Naruto could tell he was trying to be friendly towards him. This was probably the most he would get out of the him.

“It was great!” Naruto purposely left the details of his date with Sasuke out. In front of “the circle of trust” (A/n: we’ll know the clique as this sometimes, ‘kay?) both he and Sasuke had resorted to acting as if nothing had happened between them. It was a silent agreement, though Naruto was well aware of dark obsidian eyes watching him like a hawk while he himself stole glances of the dark-haired boy from time to time.

There was no offense intended to the circle, they just wanted privacy. What they had was small and fragile at the moment; it could break anytime and for just about any reason. They wanted it to grow, they wanted to see how far it could go and they knew the only way to achieve this was without the influence of outside forces.

“Had fun with Sasuke?” Gaara asked making Naruto freeze on the spot.

“I-I…,” so much for privacy. Naruto wondered whether there was any point in denying the statement.

“The way he looks at you hides no secrets,” Gaara stated lowly and the blonde settled for listening instead. “He’s found someone he won’t want to give up on.” Darkened emeralds locked in taken aback azures now.

If there was one thing about Gaara it was the fact that he could tell a person’s character from the moment he first set eyes on them. Naruto was similar to Uchiha. They emanated the same haunting-ness and sense of loneliness which made him compatible enough for his childhood friend in Gaara’s eyes. Sasuke needed someone who wouldn’t break when he was broken. He’d needed it for a long time.

It was time to test Naruto.

“Don’t get me wrong Uzumaki but Sasuke’s different from all of us. There are higher demands he is expected to fulfill. He’s bigger things going for him.” Naruto looked confused.

“What are you trying to say?”

“That both of you will get hurt if you don‘t stop,” Gaara responded serious. “His life has already been decided and you’ll go through hell trying against it when in the end nothing will be able change it.”

“I‘m not letting go,” Naruto said defiantly and Gaara silently smirked. He realized, indeed, Sasuke had found exactly what he needed in Naruto: someone who’d fight for him, someone who’d stay with him, someone wouldn’t abandon him no matter what.

He knew the pain that came when the same person that swore to love you threw you away to selfishly follow his own path, he himself had experienced it. He knew it was what awaited Naruto should Naruto choose to keep his relationship with Uchiha going. And he had known Sasuke long enough to tell it was what the dark-haired boy would choose without batting an eyelash should it come down to that.

Now the only question remained: could Naruto change that?

“You’ll carry your own cross,” the pale teen heard himself say. “Make sure you win this war if you want him to be yours to keep.” Naruto stared at the retreating form of Gaara as it got lost in the crowd. He knew the kind of war Gaara was talking about. He had been serious too when he had said he wouldn’t step down. He’d waited a long time to feel something remotely close to what he felt for Sasuke and have those same feelings reciprocated. Now that he had found it, he refused to let it go…

The bell that announced the beginning of their Lunch period rang ending at the same time their English class period.

Finally.

Naruto took off with the clique headed towards the school’s cafeteria. All eyes were on them as they graced the hallways looking like movie stars strolling down the red carpet on Oscar night, same arrogance and pride. The fame phenomena still struck Naruto silly. He felt rather uncomfortable under the scope as if he had something stuck in between his teeth and people were talking about it behind his back.

Naruto didn’t know when Sasuke had maneuvered around so he could walk side by side with him but he was elated all the same. Having Sasuke near him made him feel safe in the public light. Their knuckles brushed gently from time to time serving as a reminder of each other‘s presence. Tanned fingers longed to lace and curl into long pale fingers missing their haven, their warm home, which was right in between them. Compared to breaks in between classes, however, Lunch period had too many peering eyes. They couldn’t pull stunts like that without getting caught.

I want to be with you their hearts desperately whispered with every beat they gave. Soon could never come quick enough.

They were about to reach the lunchroom area when a particular group of girls spotted them and changed directions, heading their way, looking like a stampede. It was instinctual reaction, Sasuke lowered his lips as close to Naruto’s ear as he could muster without looking suspicious to those following their every move.

“Would you mind if we ate somewhere else?” he murmured. Cerulean eyes glimmered with confusion and surprise before they gave way to contentment. Thankfully they had both brought lunch with them today. He shook his head.

“Not r--” Sasuke was dragging him the opposite way from the lunch area, away from where the rest of their friends were headed and out of reach from the headlong rush of girls coming their way before he could finish speaking…

Kiba along with Gaara, Neji and Shikamaru enjoyed their lunch at their usual exclusive table while discussing football and talking about the latest game aired on ESPN, Temari and Hinata unable to join them because of the differences in their schedules. Unsurprisingly the topic had shifted to matters within their own team.

“It‘s a fact,” Neji stated drinking from his bottle of grapefruit juice. “Wide receivers get injured the worst in games. We should have a backup for Tao at least.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Shikamaru agreed thoughtfully. While players on the inside did suffer nasty sprains and limb dislocation as a result of hard and direct hits from a short distance, players on the outside with the exception of very few almost always faced fractures and bone or ligament ruptures as a result of incoming crashes at speed from a long distance.

“It’s too late to add a backup now,” Gaara informed. High school teams were allowed to try out players all summer and had until the first week of class to present a final draft.

“Besides, it’s not like there was someone close to being as good as Tao at camp,” Kiba added. “You saw the rookies this year. They were…”

“Pitiful,” Neji finished for him finding the perfect word to describe the young talent that had tried out for this year‘s football team. The rest nodded in unison. A comfortable silence settled in and they made use of it by savoring and enjoying their lunch away from commotion and extremely loud sometimes unwanted attention.

“So…” the Hyuuga started off to a different topic. “I take it the date went well with our dearest Capitan and his blonde.” Lavender eyes flickered with amusement. It seemed convenient enough that it was precisely the two of them who were missing at their table at precisely the same time. Really, it didn’t take a scientist to put two and two together. Kiba gulped down some fruit punch Gatorade.
“Well I’m all for. So long as Naruto can pull the pole he’s got stuck up his ass.” Shikamaru snorted.
“It’s not our business, really.” Pale purple eyes collided with dark copper instantly. Nara knew where this was going. The eternal rivalry between Uchiha and Hyuuga kept them at it even if they weren’t around each other. The lazy brunette shrugged his shoulders in his defense. Recognizing the situation, laying off the topic seemed the appropriate way to go.

“Hm,” Neji smirked. “Love can be a man‘s undoing, especially Sasuke‘s…”

Sasuke had taken Naruto out the backside of the school building and settled for a grassy knoll under a single fully bloomed tree that though not hidden from plain sight was at the moment completely deserted. It would have to do. The peaceful atmosphere was the most he‘d had since the day had started. No eyes were watching, no voices were screeching, nothing but the sound of the two of them breathing; it was more than enough to him.

“It’s beautiful,” he heard Naruto murmur beside him and warmth spread through him in an unexpected rush at the thought that he could please Naruto with even the simplest of gestures.

They settled facing each other, one of Sasuke‘s legs bent to his chest so he could prop an elbow on the knee while the other one curled around Naruto’s Indian-style seated form in between him; they made sure to sit close enough to feel each other breathe.

While Sasuke unfolded the perfectly cut chicken wrap the housemaids of the Uchiha manor had made for him, Naruto merrily placed his disposable bento box in between them grateful his godfather had had one ready for him today before he left for school.

Sasuke stared at the box curiously until Naruto uncovered it and the smell of the food it contained wafted in the air making his mouth water. The box, divided in half with a side divided in half again had the larger side filled with snow-white rice, one of the smaller squares filled with a considerate portion of smoked salmon and the other exhibiting glazed vegetables with a rolled egg on the side.

Naruto placed two smaller rounded cups, also disposable, on the floor beside him one with a potato and ham salad, the other with somen noodles and a dipping sauce.

The sound of wood splitting brought Sasuke’s attention from the food to Naruto who had his hands clasped as if in prayer. Naruto bowed to his food, their foreheads almost touching, then happily cheered,

“Itadakimasu!” delving in it with a pair of chopsticks. Sasuke could only imagine what the delectable food must taste like.

He looked at his wrap and quickly lost what little appetite for it he’d had to begin with.

Naruto moaned across from him satisfied with the taste of his own lunch.

“Here, try this,” he picked on his salmon until grasping a fair bite in between his wooden utensils then held it out towards Sasuke waiting for him to take the bait with his mouth.

Sasuke slowly cocked a brow.

He stared at the piece presented before him and met Naruto’s expectant gaze before he went back to it. Naruto let out an exasperated breath and forced the food in the other’s mouth seeing as Sasuke wasn’t giving him a better option. Sasuke’s eyes widened at the action before he backed away to chew on the food.

“Good, isn’t it? Ero-senin’s the best!” Naruto exclaimed cheerfully. Blushing madly, Sasuke said nothing though mentally he had to agree. That was the best smoked salmon he’d ever had.

The rest of their lunch hour was spent like this. Sasuke had to put away his wrap as Naruto had insisted on feeding him bite after bite of everything he’d bought. The barriers around his Uchiha comfort zone crumbled little by little until he found himself willingly accepting Naruto’s attempts to feed him. It was very unlike him, the fact swam somewhere within the depths of his mind, but right now he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was in heaven, the heaven only Naruto could take him to.

When they were done Naruto placed dish over dish until all of them were stacked up inside the bento box. Sasuke was about to stand and throw it away in order to proceed to far more interesting activities when Naruto held him down by the wrist.

“Dessert,” he explained at his questioning glare.

“I don’t like sweets,” Sasuke informed stiffly but Naruto pulled out a plastic ice cream cup containing a rich orange/yellow-colored mousse-like cream inside. “It’s peach soufflé,” he announced as if nobody could ever turn down such a treat.

“I don’t like sweets,” Sasuke repeated and Naruto looked disappointed before mischief caught a hold of his mind.

“Just try it bastard!” big blue orbs seemed to triple in size and they had a threatening shine surely able to melt even the coldest of hearts.

“Tch, idiot, you’re really using that pathetic look on me?” he asked and the blonde added a sniffle as an audio effect. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He’d never bent somebody’s way before, let alone to try sweets, but damn it! He couldn’t turn him down. That look would haunt him all night, much like it had done the night before, only this time a sense of guilt would accompany it. “Fine.” Naruto almost jumped from the excitement.

He brought the cup close to Sasuke’s mouth and just as Sasuke dipped his head to take the soufflé in his mouth Naruto smashed it against his lips covering his nose and his chin along with the outer parts of his lips making it seem like he had a beard of the peach cream.

Sasuke was just about to bark at him when the most beautiful laughter erupted in the air. Next thing he knew he was pinned to the floor with a daring Naruto straddling his waist and hovering above him his hands resting at the sides of his head on the grass.

Naruto lowered his head and licked a straight line from Sasuke’s chin to the side of his nose.

“Mmm…I like the special ingredient,” the blonde whispered then began to suck on the tip of the other’s chin, moving up the jaw line getting himself dirty, above his lips carefully avoiding the plump expectant folds and down the other side hungrily lapping the sugary mess.

Sasuke smirked.

He felt flushed all over. Off the top of his head he could think of a thousand things Naruto‘s playful tongue could be doing to him besides what it was doing right now. Not that he was complaining. This bittersweet torture was touching to the very core of everything he was.

Once Naruto had licked all trace of the soufflé on Sasuke’s face the blonde proceeded to suck on his lover’s lower lip savoring the mix of sweetness with the heated flesh caught gently in between his teeth and lips.

Sasuke could hold no longer especially since the blonde was now the dirty one between them. He’d never seen such an erotic sight in his life with the foamy mixture gliding down his bronzed cheek, past the corners of his lip and down his chin. His untamed imagination had been set free and was running wild like a caged beast set on its habitat after long years in prison.

Lifting his head from the ground he sucked before the substance could trail lower then pressed their lips together in a kiss that tied promises and trust to the spiraling existence theirs alone.

Naruto gently pressed him back to the ground and continued the kiss leisurely, enjoying the other’s finger massaging his scalp as they entangled in his spikes of hair while he held Sasuke’s face in between his hands his thumbs caressing the smooth skin of his face.

All day, they had been dying to hold and taste each other like this all day.

The world had become unbearable compared to here with each other where they could soar the skies and escape all judgment, all prisons, where they could be invincible. No barriers were needed where genuine care subsisted and Sasuke had discarded his mask.
Insecurities got lost in the air like dust in the wind and Naruto had shut down the little voice at the back of his head. What they had left was them, bare, as they were.

“We’re in school, bastard,” Naruto whispered when he pulled away only to have his lips captured again in another soft kiss that made even the universe attainable.

He could feel Sasuke’s intentions to deepen the kiss, if his tongue dancing on his pressed lips and his arms holding him in were any indication, and he backed away prematurely.

“We can get caught,” he croaked regretfully.

Sasuke sat up maneuvering Naruto so the blonde’s legs were straddling his waist. He smirked at him before his lips deftly shifted below his chin and attacked his neck near the pulse, left open to him by Naruto letting his head roll to the side, small and light bites joined openmouthed kisses in soul stirring delicacy.

“And?” Sasuke breathed against tan skin making Naruto involuntarily shiver, small gentle fingers entwining in his hair, pressing him in, urging him to continue.

He wasted no time.

Naruto felt his whole body erupt in goosebumps encouraged further by Sasuke’s lower lip following the wet trail his tongue left as it moved towards his jaw with precision.

“Let’s stay like this,” he whispered letting his head fall to the other side just as Sasuke moved to the opposing side of his neck to lavish it with attention.

He could feel that evil smirk against his skin, branding it, searing through it, pointing out his weakness and he wished Sasuke wasn’t so damn good at this. He would’ve had the strength to push him away.

It was hard to believe they had only just met a week ago, hell, it was hard to believe they had gone on their first date only a day ago. With the way Sasuke was slowly but surely devouring him and the way his body seemed to accept the touches so earnestly it would seem they had met ages ago. He had read in a philosophy book once a theory that stated humans were originally combined of four arms, four legs and a single head made of two faces but because their power was feared by the gods they were split in half, condemned to spend their lives searching for the other half to complete them.

Had he found his long lost half in Sasuke?

Could they produce a power worth fearing together and thus stand strong against the hardships surely headed their way?

Naruto yelped at a particularly sharp bite from Sasuke and instinctually tugged harder on his hair. It was moments like these, when Naruto surrendered a part of himself completely to him, that Sasuke thought of taking him, of satisfying his own carnal need and do away with the unexplainable overwhelming desire he felt for Naruto.

Yet everything with Naruto had become so valuable to him so fast he couldn’t destroy it like that. Naruto didn’t deserve to be a bitter sex memory that he would bury within the darker corners of his mind once done and over with like he did with all others.

When he finally had him he wanted all of Naruto surrendered to him. He wanted to feel every inch of his body. He wanted to taste every inch of his body. He wanted to hear Naruto moaning in ecstasy under his gentle caresses. He wanted Naruto to reach the stars the moment their worlds turned a blinding shade of white when he was able to take them to the pinnacle of their passion. And he wanted to stay with Naruto after that.

His life had always been full of paths, of options upon options, getting him into the habit of always moving on to the next best thing. It came so natural to him. Until now.

He wanted to stand still this time.

The bell rang once signaling they had 10 minutes before the second bell rang to announce they had to make it back to their classroom for the last class of their day.

“Damn it!” Naruto cursed out loud and Sasuke would’ve cursed out loud with him if it wasn’t for the fact that he had already cursed the damn thing to hell in his head. Leave it to the fucking bell to ruin everything! Warm lips nibbled his chin and he raised his head so their lips met in an endowing kiss. “We should go,” Naruto suggested in a hushed disappointed voice his breath making Sasuke‘s now moistened lips feel warm and cool at the same time.

“I’m coming back to you,” Sasuke whispered and blue playful eyes found smoldering obsidian eyes like positive poles of a magnet got stuck to negative poles.

“You bet your ass you will,” Naruto smiled cockily and bolts of electricity shot through Sasuke awakening every one of his nerves with this raw desire he felt for Naruto leaving him numb and weak all over.

They kissed one more time before going back to the world that had become foreign to them with rules and regulations so set on time and places, the world that demanded they keep away from each other to follow boring, strict routines and moral codes, the world that knew nothing of their secrets untold and unfolded, knowing later, much later, they‘d be able to return to heaven with each other…

“Sasuke?” Mikoto Uchiha entered her youngest son’s bedroom and found him seated on his room’s desk buried in books and mountains of school notes.

It greatly amazed her how Sasuke had enough energy to delve right into homework the second he returned from school following football practice. You would think he’d need time to rest his mind and his body if only a little. It wasn’t normal for a boy his age, her mother‘s intuition told her. He didn’t allow himself any distractions or hobbies and the behavior saddened her mostly because she knew the exact reason beyond it.

Sasuke had never stopped living in the shadow his demanding father, her demanding husband, had created for him. Anything less than perfection was considered mediocre by Fugaku and taken to heart by Sasuke who got used to asking nothing less from himself. He pushed himself hard, too hard in Mikoto’s noble opinion, mindless of the repercussions as long as he achieved, as long as his father was proud. Those were the only times he seemed truly happy.

She had been ecstatic when Sasuke began to excel in things unrelated to academics thinking Sasuke would finally walk in a shadow of his own. The fact that Fugaku refused to recognize their son’s achievements in football pained her like nothing in the world could. Seeing Sasuke’s broken expression when he would bring championship trophies and individual awards home that Fugaku wouldn’t even spare a glance at instead reminding him he had homework to get done destroyed her.

Itachi leaving had only worsened their relationship as Fugaku took matters into his own hands to ensure Sasuke wouldn’t follow in the same footsteps. He would purposely schedule meetings with important clients on football practice days and forced Sasuke to be with him so he could learn the different aspects of the medicine world.

Sasuke never went against him seeing as the only time he had burst from pent-up anger he’d ended up beaten badly and dragged in this state to the meeting planned for that day. If it hadn’t been for Mikoto’s interventions Fugaku would’ve scheduled weekend-long trips all around the nation to visit the branches of his business taking Sasuke with him without minding football games.

It didn’t matter to her that her husband hadn’t touched her ever since she had done something about the situation. It didn’t matter to her that they didn’t have actual conversations anymore, only arguments that kept feeding the growing distance between them, ripping them apart to the point they couldn’t stand even being in the same room together. She loved him enough that she would stay with him until he realized the errors of his ways, however long it took. When she married him it had been for better or for worse. She wouldn’t stop standing by him if it meant Fugaku would one day look back and realize all the things that he had done. Leaving him would be the end of this family, her family and she would fight for it and protect it at all costs.

“Sasuke,” she called again seeing as Sasuke didn’t appear to have heard her the first time. Sasuke looked up at her standing by the doorframe to his room.

His mother really was a sight to behold with thick long hair that had streaks of blue similar to his loose all the way to her waist and dark obsidian pools for eyes that could drown you in the second you fixed your gaze on them. Her skin was light and unblemished and she always seemed to glow in ethereal light, something about her smile and the kindness of her voice made her look so angelic; it always brought him home. She was holding an envelope in between her small and seemingly fragile hands that made him give her a questioning look.

“This arrived in the mail for you,” she walked over to him and handed over the letter that read ‘University of Notre Dame’ on the outside. Sasuke stared at the letter for a second before he looked back up at her. He looked speechless for a second, as if somebody had uncovered one of his greatest secrets, before he bounced back and was staring at her with the same cold indifference she witnessed from her husband every night.

How similar were they.

Mikoto walked over to his bed and sat at the edge staring at him sympathetically. “How long have you been applying for colleges?” she asked quietly.

“A year,” Sasuke deadpanned. Mikoto nodded once.

“I see,” she pressed her palms against her thighs. Since Itachi had left one thing had been accorded between Sasuke and Fugaku. Sasuke was to enter the family business, Uchiha Pharmaceuticals, the second he graduated high school in order to learn the basics of the company before he became the owner. It was for this reason Mikoto had not even considered the idea of Sasuke finding colleges to go to. Finding the letter had been a real shocker. “That’s why you’ve been checking the mail everyday when you arrive from school, I take it?” she asked and Sasuke nodded once his eyes falling to the envelope again. “Open it,” he heard his mother say and he searched her eyes as if asking for further reassurance. She smiled at him and his fingers twitched before they moved to open the letter as he had been told. Once straightened in his hands he read in his head.

The letter began with the usual formalities hoping he was doing well and thanking him for applying to their university.

Further down it congratulated him saying that under the school Dean’s consideration as well as under the school’s Academic Council he had been accepted.

Further below he read he had been granted both a full academic scholarship as well as a full athletic scholarship for his flawless 4.0 GPA as well as his impressive football statistics.

He was expected to reply within a month and provide a currently active address to which the school could send a weekend-long plane ticket, all expenses paid for, so he could visit the premises and sign the necessary paperwork in order to be admitted.

After reading the letter he handed it over to his mother who looked curious of the contents on it. Her eyes twinkled with pride, brightening her visage with every sentence she read and he couldn’t help the emotion that flickered within him, that of a kindred heart. He had found an ally in his mother, somebody in his world that cared.

He never expected his mother to jump from her position and embrace him in a tight, almost stranglehold, hug.
“I’m proud of you,” she sniffled on his stiff shoulder and Sasuke’s eyes widened while his heart pounded in a victory dance. He allowed himself a small smirk.

Thank you.

End of Ch. 4. Someone asked me (god, this is humiliating but I’m sorry I can’t remember your name off the top of my head!) about the awareness of Sasuke’s sexual preference in my story--as in--who all knew he was gay. My answer is…I don’t really know. See the thing is there’s a point with certain people not knowing as well as with those that do know (an unrelated point but still a point). I guess I didn’t put a lot of emphasis on who else didn’t know. There’s people that suspect of course but they haven’t even been brought to perspective. It‘s a small glitch so sorry about that. If it bothers everyone to a point that they can‘t keep reading without knowing who exactly knows and who doesn’t, I’ll fix it. But if you’re cool with how it works in the story I won’t ‘cause it might deviate the story a little bit.

Hope everyone is well! Please forgive me for the slow pace! There’s a couple of bases I have to cover before we move on to bigger things. Thank you and don‘t forget to review! Next chapter will be out soon loves!

LilyU23