I don't own Naruto…that much is obvious. I had to upload this twice because the word "hate" kept on beinging left out...
"I hate you."
"Sasuke?"
"I hate you."
Naruto gazed up into familiar eyes, wondering how an emotion that was usually so foreign to their depths could be held within them. It was his eyes more than anything that hurt him. More than his hateful voice, more than his words, more than the cold metal of the gun on his forehead.
"Sasuke, why?"
Naruto sat bolt upright in bed, clutching his fluttering heart. He took some deep, calming breaths in order to calm his pulse and lay back down in bed. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling Naruto turned his head to seek out the sleeping man in the bed only a few arms lengths away from his.
Naruto carefully studied his face in the moonlight, taking in every detail with his scrutinizing gaze. He often did this, cherishing the way his friend's black hair rested gently on his cheeks and lightly fell upon his closed eyes, loved the way he clutched the sheets to his chin as he had so long ago with the baby blankets Naruto's mother had made for them, and loved the way he could see his chest rise and fall, loved to know that he kept breathing steadily, again and again. The older male rustled in his bed, turning over so that he was facing the wall.
Naruto copied his movements and turned around to try to sleep. He fell into the darkness for a second time only to begin the dream he thought he had left behind…
"I hate you."
"Sasuke?"
"I hate you."
Naruto gazed up into familiar eyes, wondering how an emotion that was usually so foreign to their depths could be held within them. It was his eyes more than anything that hurt him. More than his hateful voice, more than his words, more than the cold metal of the gun on his forehead.
"Sasuke, why?" Naruto gasped. He kept his voice steady and, for Sasuke's sake, tried his best not to look scared. Even now as Sasuke was pressing him back against the alley wall, under the cover of darkness, holding a gun to his head, Naruto still did everything for him. Everything.
It was cold outside; it was so dark all Naruto could see were Sasuke's unfocused, malevolent eyes, and the lonely glitter of the silver gun. Naruto imagined if he looked up the stars would be bright next to the moon but he couldn't so much as move a muscle for fear of Sasuke pulling the trigger. They were so close, Naruto could smell the alcohol on his best friend's breath and wondered how a high-schooler like him had gotten a hold of alcohol.
Yes, Sasuke was his best friend. They had been together since birth almost literally. Actually, it was a one-year-old Sasuke who had named Naruto as he was lifted by his mother to look down on the baby's sleeping face. "Naruto." He had said. "I'll protect you forever, I promise."
They grew up together too, walking to school hand in hand and rolling their eyes at the people calling them fags. They would often make a game of it, guessing who would smile at them and who would wrinkle their nose in disgust.
And Sasuke had always been true to his word. He always, always protected Naruto.
Until now.
"You took her from me." Sasuke all but slurred.
"What? Who?" Naruto had not been more scared or confused in all his life.
"Sakura."
"Sakura? She's your friend. Why would I take her?"
"You took her."
"I didn't."
"I hate you." Sasuke's gun was trembling against his forehead now, making Naruto increasingly more nauseous.
"Sasuke, I swear I didn't."
For a while Sasuke was silent and when he finally spoke it was in a whisper. "I know."
"Then why are you doing this?"
Sasuke didn't answer, he just stared.
"Sasuke…do you love her?"
"Yes." He sounded unsure.
"Do you really?"
"I-I don't know." And with that he broke into tears. The sound of his sobbing was strangely loud in the silence of the night. Naruto tentatively reached out a hand to brush his tears away, wishing desperately to stop his pain. With his other hand he gently lowered the gun until Sasuke let it drop to the ground and Naruto threaded their fingers together.
He pulled Sasuke into a gentle hug, letting him cry on his shoulder.
"Oh honey you look gorgeous!" Sakura's mother exclaimed, more than pleased with her daughter's appearance.
Sakura twirled around in front of the full-length mirror another time. "Yes, yes I do."
She giggled at her princess-like reflection as she fixed the tiara that was placed on her head.
Today was the day.
She was getting married.
Her long pink hair was curled as usual, although it was far more dolled up, as she expected for what she was paying. Her gown was the traditional white and it was long and flowing, with sequins almost everywhere so that she glistened while she walked. It was like this by design. She wanted to be the brightest thing in the room. From her tiara fell an elegant white veil, lying softly against her face. Her makeup was perfect and even her shoes were amazing. She looked absolutely perfect. There was only one thing missing now. A ring.
"Hurry Sakura! It's time!"
She let her mother drag her away from her stunning reflection and lead her to her father where he was waiting to walk her down the isle.
"Wow, Ra-chan. You look great." Her father smiled when he saw her.
"I know, and it's Sakura. Don't call me Ra-chan, it makes me sound like I'm an infant." Sakura waited for him to offer his arm to her before accepting it and putting on her most dazzling smile.
This was it. Step by step she got closer to the alter, closer to the handsome man waiting for her. She was ecstatic. She looked gorgeous and she knew it and she knew everyone else knew it too. There was nothing she wanted more in the world.
She was so focused on herself that she didn't notice how Sasuke's hands s they traded rings, didn't notice the way he stuttered as they said their vows, or how forced it seemed when he lifted her veil and gave her their matrimonial kiss. She didn't even notice that the best man, Naruto, wasn't there.
Sasuke piled all his belongings into his suitcase, not even bothering to fold them. Two years of college and he still couldn't properly pack. Naruto had always done it for him. He tugged on the zipper, willing it to close. Obviously it wasn't doing him any good.
"Need help?" A voice came from the other half of the shared dorm. Sasuke looked up to find his messy-haired best friend casually sitting on his bed, watching Sasuke with an amused look on his face as he attempted to close his bag.
"Not from you, no." Sasuke gave the zipper another pull, getting about an inch.
Sasuke didn't need to be looking to know that Naruto was rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on. Are you still mad? I told you I wasn't there because I wasn't feeling well. Ok?"
"You were fine yesterday and you're fine now. How could you have been sick for just the time of my wedding?"
Naruto shrugged. "Ask my crappy immune system."
Sasuke growled and turned away.
"Are you sure you don't need help?"
"Would you give it to me if I asked?"
Naruto looked thoughtful for a minute. "No."
"And why is that?"
"Because I never told you that you could move out, I don't approve of your marriage, I think Sakura's a narcissistic bitch, and I'm certainly not going to help you ruin your life." Naruto said, matter-of-fact demeanor replacing his playful one.
Sasuke stood up slowly, almost unable to believe that Naruto would say such things to him. He rounded on the smaller man, leaving his suitcase halfway open.
"Setting aside the fact that you just called my wife a "narcissistic bitch", since when was it up to you whether I got married or not and to whom?" Sasuke was angry now and his voice was becoming increasingly louder by the moment. Naruto trembled slightly; he almost never was on the receiving side of Sasuke's anger. In fact, this was the second time in their lives that they had ever even fought.
"It's not. I'm just telling you that I don't like it." Naruto looked down at the white sheets of his bed to avoid Sasuke's glare.
"Well why it that! Huh? I always thought you wanted Sakura for yourself! You're just jealous because I got her and you didn't! Isn't that right?"
Naruto didn't answer; he kept on looking at the bed.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!!" Sasuke grabbed his face in his hands and forced his chin up, meeting his angry black eyes with Naruto's tear-filled blue ones.
They stayed like that for a few moments before Sasuke realized what he was doing and let go of his friend's face, stepping back until he took a shaky seat onto the bed that had appeared behind him.
Naruto stood and slowly left the room, keeping a carefully emotionless façade on his face the entire time.
Sasuke watched him leave in silence. He was horrified by what he had done. He never would hurt Naruto, he thought, never. Because, because…
Because he loved him.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He then closed them and rubbed his temple, dislodging these thoughts from his brain. Of course he loved Naruto, but not in that way. He loved Sakura. He loved her and Naruto was just trying to get between them. He was right to have done that to him. Sasuke nodded to himself and with a final tug, closed his suitcase.
He took one last look at the dormitory he and Naruto used to share before he left to start his new life with his beautiful wife, leaving Naruto behind.
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