Sasuke sulked the whole way back to his room, that damn girl still following him, but when he ducked inside he saw a little note laying on his bed. The handwriting was clearly recognizable as Itachi's and it only served to make his mood darker. Itachi had gone to a lot of trouble to secure Sasuke a private room this year, meaning he had no roommate, and Sasuke couldn't imagine why he would do such a thing seemingly on a whim. He was beginning to understand already though, as he hadn't actually slept in here much since he returned.
He unfolded the note deftly, his mood only getting worse when he read the sort message. His brother would be dropping in later it seemed, and had some sort of a surprise for him. Knowing Itachi's sick sense of humor he had a feeling he really wouldn't like it. He briefly entertained the idea of running away, of making himself otherwise disposed then, but he knew it would only make his brother displeased, and displeasing his brother only led to his own pain in the long run. He'd learned that lesson the hard way in his younger days.
Being the heir to the Uchiha dynasty, as the first son, Itachi was always the favorite, and he was pretty much perfect. He got perfect marks in school without really trying and their parents doted on him constantly. He was their favorite hands down, and whenever they were together it was always Itachi who was the center of the attention. Unless Sasuke somehow fucked something up, then everything came down on his head. When he was younger his parents would always scold him, for his grades, for his conduct, for his attitude, and they would tell him again and again, why can't you be more like Itachi?.
Itachi had been the only one to pay attention to him, the only one who ever told him he was doing a good job. That had hurt for awhile, especially once they were deemed old enough to be left on their own, and Itachi would always be in charge of Sasuke when their parents left. That was when all this started really.
Sasuke shook his head slightly, trying not to feel too bitter. After he graduated he could really do anything he wanted with his life, or nothing at all, but Itachi was bound to the family businesses, he had to run them, and continue on the family name. Sasuke would be the first to admit that in that sense he really did have the better lot of the two, even if he did have a sneaking suspicion that Itachi wouldn't let him go, even then. He didn't have a doubt that Itachi, if he found the opportunity, would bind Sasuke to himself forever.
X
Naruto yawned, stretching his hands above his head as he walked through the corridors of the dormitory building, heading towards the café on the bottom floor. He was wicked hungry, his stomach waking him up far earlier than he was used to and reminding him that he hadn't eaten since he left the airport yesterday. He wasn't quite sure that he was heading the right way, but he didn't want to pull out the neatly folded paper campus map he'd stuck in his pocket and look like an idiot.
He finally found the stairs to the ground level and he swung the door open, taking them two at a time and whistling softly to himself. He hit the concrete of the last landing with a certain amount of grace and wrenched the door open, cringing slightly at the sunlight that came streaming into his face, the lobby being lined with gigantic picture windows. The lingering remains of the snow on the ground outside were pretty, but they only served to make the problem worse, the rays magnified by the smooth white surface. He sighed.
The café was on the other side of the open lobby, and he set off across it with his hands shoved into his pockets and his head down. He wasn't exactly sure what they would have here, but for the level of class the school was alleged to have he expected his choices to be many. He wasn't disappointed. This did however slow him down a little, as he had no idea what to pick.
He settled on some eggs and toast finally and handed the woman behind the counter the plastic key card he'd been given in payment. She'd smiled and Naruto had slid down the counter to wait for his food, which only took a second really.
He scooped up the tray of food he was given with a small murmur of thanks before he turned, scanning the tables. There weren't many free tables right now, and he didn't really want to sit with someone he didn't know, so he made a beeline for a booth in the corner that was currently unoccupied and turned his attention to his food.
"Well, somebody seems to be enjoying their food." the voice was familiar, and Naruto blushed a little, looking up at Kiba who was standing beside him, an amused smirk on his face. A little behind him Naruto saw a boy he didn't recognize, his face a bored mask and his eyes an unnervingly uniform shade of pale white.
"Care if we join you, Uzumaki?" Kiba was still smirking down at him. Naruto shook his head and watched as the boy flopped down on the bench opposite him, the one Naruto didn't recognize giving him a withering look before sitting down next to him, facing the blond. He sighed.
"My name is Hyuuga Neji by the way, since Kiba doesn't seem to be polite enough to introduce us. And your name is...?" Neji's voice was bored and flat, as he studied his fingernails carefully. Naruto smiled.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I'm new this semester." Neji rolled his eyes.
"Yes, well I knew that part, this school isn't big enough for a new student to go unnoticed." Naruto's smile weakened a little, not really sure what was going on in Neji's head and it made him uncomfortable. Kiba just smiled and picked at the muffin he'd bought, eating some of it but mainly just making a mess on the table. Naruto saw Neji shoot the boy an icy glare, before going back to ignoring him. The blond was confused to say the least, wondering if all the social interactions around here were this shallow and boring. He hoped not.
X
Sasuke had woken up to bright sunlight and an empty divot in his bed beside him, already cooled. When Itachi came down to his brother's room he always left before sunrise, and Sasuke told himself that he preferred it that way, not having to face the older boy in the morning when everything was brighter and more clear. It had hurt a little to sit up, his lower back aching and sore, but he had levered himself out of bed anyways, and popped into the little bathroom. He needed a shower, that was always the first thing he thought of after Itachi's visits.
He adjusted the temperature carefully, turning the water up as hot as he could possibly stand before stepping under the spray. He reached for the bar of soap first, and scrubbed small circles on his skin with it, lathering and rinsing, trying to get to a point where he felt clean, but he gave up with a sigh, knowing it wasn't going to help. He quickly lathered his hair up, rinsing it well before shutting off the water, and groping around the counter outside for his towel.
His fingers closed around the terry-cloth and he sighed briefly, drying himself as best he could before stepping out and onto the tile floor of the bathroom, tracking wet footprints across it. He turned the door nob and swung it open, and his heart skipped at the sight. Itachi was back, standing over his desk flipping through a stack of small photos, that dangerous smirk on his face.
Sasuke hated that smirk, because it usually meant something was going to happen, and he probably wasn't going to like it. He schooled his expression into a dark scowl as he stomped into the bedroom, hair still damp and dripping water down his back, one hand holding the towel closed around his waist.
"What are you doing here Aniki? Don't you have something better to do right now than hanging around here and terrorizing me?" The older boy slipped the pictures back into the little white envelope they came in before shooting Sasuke a look over his shoulder.
He placed the envelope on the boy's desk and turned around, leaning back on the wooden top. His eyes traced the lines of his little brother's body in a positively predatory way. It made the smaller Uchiha shiver slightly, but he was determined not to let Itachi have the satisfaction of getting a real rise out of him.
"I'll get right down to it then, seems you have important things to do today and I wouldn't want you to be late or anything." He smirked as Sasuke continued to scowl at him, crossing the room to the closet and rummaging around inside, listening to his brother absently.
"I'm having a little party up at the Tokyo house next weekend, so don't make any plans. I have some other things to take care of too, so you might want to figure out some way of keeping yourself entertained while I'm gone." Then Itachi yawned, checking his watch, raising one eyebrow at what he saw. "Well, I'll leave you to it then otouto."
Sasuke closed his eyes and clenched his fists repetitively, trying his hardest not to just burst out and yell anything that might get him in trouble with his brother, because he knew from experience Itachi would make his regret it later. Itachi stopped at the door and Sasuke didn't have to look back, he could feel the fucking smirk the bastard had on.
"Well Sasuke? You're not going to give me a kiss goodbye?" He spun on his heels to glare daggers at the older boy, but by the time he was around Itachi was right there in front of him, and he didn't even have enough time to breath before sadly familiar hands were fisted in his hair, bending his head backwards.
"Itachi, th-" His brother cut him off before he could get any more out, sucking the air from his lungs, the familiar press of the warm tongue making him weak in the knees. He reached forwards then, grabbing the front of his brother's uniform tightly, letting Itachi swallow the small moan.
Itachi pulled back then, smirking at the blush his little brother wore now. Sasuke cursed under his breath when he realized he was panting and still half naked. He shot a glare at his brother, but Itachi never dropped that insufferable smirk. The older boy turned then, sliding out the open door, but not without a backwards glance and a wink.
"See you next weekend, otouto!"
Sasuke blushed all over again, staring at the closed door. He almost started crying then. Instead he hurriedly threw on some clothing, deciding he needed to go get something to eat, even if what he really wanted was to get as far away from this stupid fucking room as was possible.
X
The three boys sat at their little table in the café long after their food was gone, horsing around and yelling, telling each other stories, and playing the teenage game of one-up-man-ship. Well, at least Kiba and Naruto were, Neji was mostly staring absently at his fingernails, quirking an eyebrow at his companions every once and awhile. That is, until he looked out the window and couldn't suppress an evil little giggle.
He proceeded to poke Kiba lightly in the ribs, pointing to the lobby behind them when he turned with a growl. That growl dissolved into a sadistic smirk when he turned his head, catching sight of the familiar pale figure, limping slightly, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. They waited until he'd gotten almost all the way to the café before Neji stood up rather languidly.
"Hey Uchiha, long night I see. Did you get lucky?" There was a giggle from the seated boys, Kiba because he enjoyed tormenting the other boy, Naruto because he wasn't sure what was going on, but didn't want to be left behind. The pale boy sighed heavily, like the entire world had just been dropped on his shoulders. He tucked the strands of his black hair that had fallen in his face behind one ear before cocking an eyebrow at the two boys still seated.
"Mh. I'm not the one down here first thing with some townie slut." He spat, one hand rubbing his temple in irritation. Naruto was ready to snap back in anger and the jerk, but Kiba stopped him short by throwing one arm over Naruto's shoulders, grinning mischievously at the dark haired boy.
"No no, Uchiha. This here is fresh blood, new student just transfered in. He's rooming with your good buddy Gaara, so you best be nice." He followed it with a wink and even Neji laughed at that, a sharp barking sound. Naruto just looked perplexed, blushing a little at Kiba's arm, still wrapped around him like that. Neji sighed, nodding to Naruto, but returning his attention to his fingernails.
"Well I suppose you haven't had the dubious pleasure of the Uchiha's acquaintance yet. Naruto, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He's a real asshole. Uchiha, this is ... Uzumaki right?" He glanced over at Kiba who nodded.
"This is Uzumaki Naruto, but best be careful Uchiha, he's in with the headmistress, and you know she's just itching for a reason to expel you guys. I'd be nice to him if I were you."
The last part was drawled out, his voice sweet like honey, and he batted his eyelashes suggestively, making the Uchiha scowl, and blush just slightly, enough to set Kiba to giggles once more, this time Naruto didn't join him, he was busy watching the pale boy in front of him, head cocked slightly to the side.
There was something about Sasuke.
X
The rest of Friday went by quickly, Naruto wandering aimlessly around the campus, trying to get his bearings. There weren't many people there at the moment, the woman in the café had told him they had a tendency to go away on weekends. He sighed.
It was Saturday morning now, and he was bored as all hell, not really sure what else he could do with no one here. He had grabbed a book his Uncle had mailed him and some manga magazines, heading out to sit under on of the trees. It was unseasonably warm, and most of the snow had melted away yesterday. He stopped into the café on his way out to grab some pastries. He hadn't eaten any breakfast yet, but somehow the prospect of hot cooked food didn't settle too well with him then.
He shrugged it off, balancing the small box and his books in one arm and he wrestled his bag over one shoulder, pushing the door open with the other. He had been paying attention to the things in his arms, and it hadn't crossed his mind to look where he was going until he was falling onto the patio flagstones, automatically dropping everything in favor of shielding his face as he fell.
When he felt the hard ground on his wrists he was startled back into reality, leaping up to see the damage he had caused, apology already falling from his lips. He knew he was clumsy, this happened to him all the time, so it was obviously his fault.
He halted mid sentence though when he saw who he had run down. Partly it had been shock at seeing a familiar face, especially the still cryptic face of the Uchiha kid, but his mouth went dry when he took in the sliver of pale skin revealed when his shirt had ridden up, delicious in its own right. His voice returned though when he saw a dark bruise on the boy's hip.
"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry, I'm clumsy sometimes, and I wasn't expecting anyone to be out here..." He held out his hand to help the boy up, and Sasuke just frowned at it for a second before Naruto sighed, reaching down to grab the pale wrist and pull him back to his feet. The boy still hadn't said anything past the grunt of surprise when he'd hit the ground. Naruto looked away from him, slightly embarrassed suddenly. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, mouth suddenly dry again.
"Hey Sasuke, look. What those guys said yesterday, don't pay any attention to them. I'm not out to get you or anything, hell I don't even know you. And I really am sorry I knocked you over like that." He smiled weakly. Sasuke sighed.
"Are you really Gaara's roommate?" He asked, a bit more quietly. Naruto blushed a little.
"Yeah, but I don't think he likes me very much..." He tried to smile
"Mh, Gaara doesn't like anybody very much, except maybe my brother. He probably doesn't hate you though." He paused a second, and then he added, "He hates me." Naruto raised a curious eyebrow, but he had the feeling asking Sasuke why wouldn't get him anywhere. He sighed.
"Hey, where were you off to in such a hurry?" Naruto tried to resurrect the mood with a bright smile. Sasuke blushed a little.
"Nowhere" he barked, a little more harshly than he meant to, he winced at his own tone.
"Well, if you're not doing anything wanna come on a picnic with me? I'm so fucking bored I'd kill for some company right now. I've got a backpack full of manga and a box full of sugary confections!"
Sasuke cocked his head to the side for a moment, as if considering, but Naruto couldn't tell what was going on behind the dark glasses the boy wore. Finally He nodded once, slowly, like he didn't do it too often. Naruto smiled.
X
He had spent the entire afternoon sitting outside with the blond, underneath a tree, and it had been an oddly enjoyable experience. For Sasuke, the presence of others usually meant one of three things, either the incessant simpering and doting of his stupid fangirls, like Sakura and Ino were always doing, the undercurrents of hostility and defensiveness, like Neji and Kiba, or the outright psychological manipulation that only Itachi could ever be capable of.
He had been pleased to find that and afternoon with Naruto had ended up being none of those things. The boy really had just sat next to him under some tree, bundled up in their winter coats, though the weather was unseasonably warm, and read. Occasionally he would ask Sasuke a question, though usually it was about the school and never about himself. He liked that.
He had given up on reading his manga a while ago, settling for staring at each page for awhile, before flipping it, glancing up at the boy before him. Naruto was concentrated intently when reading, and he chewed lightly on the tip of his finger, eyes scanning the words quickly.
Sasuke thought he could really come to enjoy this, and he was truly a little disappointed when the boy's cell phone had rung, waking him from his trance. He had talked rapidly in a language Sasuke didn't speak but vaguely thought could be French before hanging up and jumping to his feet.
"Hey Sasuke, I've gotta run, a friend of my uncle's just called, and he needs my help so I've gotta run. Talk to you later!" He had waved over his shoulder dismissively, not waiting for a response before he jogged off. Sasuke had let his lips form goodbye silently as he watched the boy leave, then heaved a big sigh. He was alone here again and he knew that wasn't the best way to spend the day, especially when he'd been told by Sakura-chan this morning that Gaara was coming back sometime this afternoon.
Sasuke wasn't afraid of the red haired boy so much as just discomfited by him. Then there was that whole thing about the boy hating him. Gaara had started hanging out with Itachi last year, and Sasuke had always wondered how it got started. Gaara had been at one of his brother's parties one weekend, and he was pretty sure that was the start.
He'd never liked those stupid parties, something always happened that he would regret or be embarrassed by later. It had been at one of those stupid parties that he had done whatever it was that offended the other boy, and now he was paying some sort of price for it he was sure.
X
Saturday night found Sasuke bored as all hell, laying on his back and staring up at the blank ceiling above him. He'd tried to read one of the manga he had on his desk, but he couldn't pay attention to it so he'd hurled it across the room. He'd been rather frustrated by that point. He'd settled on going out to get some dinner after that, hoping it would be enough of a distraction to put him at ease, but he'd gotten back from that hours ago, and his mind was still racing inside his skull, not able to focus.
He knew his brother had leaned on people to get him this private room, the Uchiha name didn't mean enough that he would get such privileges without doing something extra, but Itachi was capable of pretty much anything when he put his mind to it. Sasuke was really only at Konoha in the first place due to his brother.
The younger boy hadn't wanted to come here, but Itachi had applied him, Itachi had put in a good word, Itachi had given him the terms of the agreement, he'd even put the idea into their parents' heads. His hand had been forced, and so the Uchiha was here, flat out on his back, staring at the ceiling wishing he wasn't
He closed his eyes, trying his best to fall asleep, even though he knew it was too early. In the darkness behind his eyes, he found himself wondering if that new kid would be around tomorrow.
X
By the time Naruto had gotten home, Gaara was back in the room, this time he was alone, sprawled in the desk chair staring at the glowing screen of his laptop. His eyes had darted up to Naruto when he entered, and Gaara had grunted in greeting, but that was all the acknowledgment he received from the older boy. Naruto sighed at this, and flopped down onto the bed.
He was exhausted. One of his uncle's friends had asked for his help in showing his niece around town. He lived a short drive from the school, and he knew Naruto was new to the area, but he thought she would be much more comfortable with someone her own age than with one of the staff. It had been a tedious afternoon to be sure.
The girl had been attractive, but her mind had been a vacuum and every time she opened her mouth she just got more annoying. It had been all he could do not to bludgeon her to death with the dish ware at dinner, when she had kept giggling and simpering, despite his best attempts at intelligent, civilized conversation. He was glad to be back at school, but he was a little disappointed that his time with Sasuke had been cut short for something that stupid.
It rather embarrassed him, even just thinking about it, but he liked Sasuke. I mean, what wasn't to like? He wasn't really that tall, but he made up for it in the dark and handsome department. And then there was the teasing, which Naruto could relate to all too well. He'd gotten over caring what other people thought though, and it seemed, from what he'd heard at least, that the Uchiha had never really cared much. Smart Kid. The sound of his roommate's emotionless voice pulled him from his Sasuke-laced thoughts. He blushed a little, he'd been kind of lost in his contemplation, and Gaara looked a bit pissed because of it.
"Hey, Uzumaki!" He smiled over at the red headed boy
"Yeah?" He tried to keep his voice steady and happy, despite the color still dusting his cheeks.
"Wanna go to lunch with us tomorrow? Kiba and Neji are dragging me into town, and they wanted me to invite you along." there was a pause, and in a very un-Gaara-like voice he continued, a little quieter, "I mean, if you wanna..." Naruto jumped at the chance, he'd thought his roommate had hated him. This was a perfect opportunity to get things off on the right foot.
"Yeah sure, what time?" He was smiling for real this time, he felt like this was gonna be a good year.
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Chapter notes: Same notes apply, still don't own characters, still not making any money. i have this written to chapter 10 right now, and i'm editing them. As soon as i get them done, i'll put them up.