166A/N: This may or may not bother people, but I decided to put Sasuke's point of view in the story. I feel like it'll give people a chance to see how he sees things and what he really thinks of his family and Naruto...well...this can either go well or not, but just leave reviews and stuff.
Returning to school was always annoying. It had been two days since I'd really talked to anybody, and the fact that Sai was returning did not put me in a better mood. In fact, it made me want to stay home even more.
With all honesty, I found school to be painfully boring. It goes beyond just the stuff I'm learning, I don't even like most of the people I end up holding conversations with. They only talk to me to convince me to join a sports team, which I've shown that I have no interest in many times before.
"So, have you thought about it?"
It was the tenth day in a row that he stopped by my locker, and my patience was running thin.
"Yes"
He clears his throat and stands up straighter. "So, is it a yes or a n-"
"It's a no", I interrupt. "And it's been a no since the day you've asked me. I'm getting tired of seeing your face near my locker"
He was clearly slightly offended, but that didn't stop him from saying what he'd been saying to me ever since I'd said no. "Well, I think you just need some more time to decide"
"Actually, I don't", I say coldly. "I've already said no multiple times"
"But don't you-"
"No", I rudely interrupt again. "I have no desire to play basketball"
The team captain snorts and rolls his eyes before walking off. It's about time he gave up on me. I might've punched him if he didn't take the hint quick enough.
"We need to talk"
I knew it was Neji. I didn't even have to look to realize it.
"About what?"
He snorts. "You've been acting weird lately"
"Oh really?", I ask without much of a care. "How so?"
"First of all, I still can't believe what I saw going on in the bathroom last week"
"The kiss", I say for clarification.
"Yes. That", he says sharply. "And then...you just act like it's nothing. You told us to never talk about it, but I think it's something we should talk about"
I continue to put things into my locker, barely listening to whatever it is he's saying.
"Why?", I ask dryly.
"He's your fucking brother. That's why"
It wasn't like Neji to use profanity, especially in public, so I knew he was really upset.
"He is, but not biologically"
"Doesn't matter", he says dismissively. "And going to Kiba's parties...you've got to be kidding me"
The frustration in his voice was obvious, but it was hard for me to understand it.
"Does it really matter that much to you?"
"Yes, it does. Because you are my friend"
"Barely"
It wasn't meant to be said out loud, but there was nothing I could say to take it back.
"Well at least now I see how things are", he says with narrowed eyes. "I don't need someone like you making me look bad anyways"
I wasn't surprised when he walked away, if I were him, I would have too. But I didn't feel like I had to explain anything to him. I had the right to do whatever I wanted, and besides, I was right when I said we were barely friends. All he did was talk about school and he never had anything positive to say about anything. He was almost as hard to be around as Kabuto.
"Oh well", I murmur before leaving my locker. Not like I need people to call "friends" anyways.
The library was louder than usual, making it almost impossible for me to concentrate. This is a quiet study area for fucks sake, if people want to be this loud, they should go to the cafeteria.
"You look lonely"
I take my eyes off my work and see my brother giving me a look of pity. "Mind if I sit with you?"
We hadn't talked all weekend, but it's not like I was mad at him. There was no way I was going to tell him to leave me alone.
"Sure"
He smiles, and takes a seat next to me. His eyes scan my work, and I'd never seen him look that confused before.
"That looks really hard", he says with wide eyes.
"It is", I admit. "But it's nothing I won't be able to understand"
He smirks before pulling out his own math homework. "How's school?"
That was usually a question my mother would ask me, so I was surprised that he was actually concerned.
"I actually hate it"
He snickers. "I wasn't expecting that from you"
"Yeah, well it's not like I'm enthusiastic about learning information I will rarely ever use in my life", I say bitterly.
"Exactly", the blond grumbles. "And the teachers here are the worst"
"Agreed", I say with a particular teacher in mind.
"Orochimaru", we say at the same time.
We pause and look at each other, and I can't help but smirk.
"He's such a creep", I grumble. "He's always putting his hand on my shoulder when I'm working"
"That's gross", the blond says as he scrunches up his nose.
"And he's always trying to talk to me after class", I begin. "But I make it obvious that I don't want to talk to him"
"Wow, he must really like you", he says with shock. "He hates me"
"I wonder why", I say dryly.
I could list a bunch of reasons why he didn't like Naruto. It was the same reason why all the other teachers didn't like him. He talked too much, he barely paid attention in class...of course, I know this because I share a class with him. Sometimes, even the teachers would complain about him to me, as if I had any control over how he acted. No matter what anyone did or said to him, Naruto was going to be Naruto, and I learned that pretty quickly.
"I swear, I rarely say anything in his class, and he just...finds reasons to not like me!"
I didn't really know how to respond, so I gave him a simple "Hn".
"So anyways, I was talking to Sakura last night...she said she wants to go on a date with you"
"Why", I ask dryly.
"She enjoyed talking to you at the party...I mean you two were sober enough to hold a conversation"
"We were the only sober people there", I say boredly. "And I'm not interested in her. I thought I made it clear that I'm only interested in you"
There was a long silence before he spoke again.
"Do you find any girls attractive?"
It was an unexpected question, one that I wasn't really prepared to answer.
"I...I don't know", I say impatiently. "Don't ask complicated questions while I'm working"
I'd never really noticed girls like most guys my age did. Yes, I found Sakura to be very pretty and very kind but the thought of...fucking her didn't sound appealing to me. In fact, fucking any girl didn't sound too appealing.
"It's a yes or no question", he says teasingly.
"Then no, I don't find girls attractive"
"What?", he asked as if I were lying. "Not even a little?"
I shook my head. "Not in the way that you're probably thinking"
"Interesting", he says before going back to work. "What about guys?"
"I guess you could say I prefer men"
He snorts. "Not surprised"
We stop talking for a while, concentrating on our assignments and typing numbers into our calculators.
"Have you ever thought about coming out?", he asks me.
"Coming out of what?", I ask cautiously.
"The closet?"
I give him a confused look.
"You know, tell people that you're...gay"
"Why should I?"
"Why not?", he asks proudly. "I came out as soon as I got here, and it didn't seem to bother anybody"
I hesitate before opening my mouth. "Good for you"
I could tell he found the comment to be annoying. Why he wanted me to come out so badly, I couldn't understand. Personally, I believe it's not really anyone's business.
"You're going to keep this a secret right?", I ask coldly.
He nods his head without looking at me, and it makes me question whether or not he was trustworthy.
"I mean it, Naruto" , I say darkly. "Do not tell anyone"
The school day had never felt so long. Again and again people came up to me, asking me to join sports teams and after school clubs, and again and again I rejected them all. Them pestering me made me hate the idea of getting involved in any school activities. Hearing the bell ring was the sound of freedom, I was ecstatic to leave all those annoying people behind.
Home sweet home.
I walked to the family room and threw myself onto the sofa after placing my bag next to the door.
Thank god, I can finally get some peace and quiet.
Coming home always made me feel better. No matter where I went, returning home was always on my mind. It was a place I'd grown to like...a place where despite the arguing and ridiculous fights, I was always surrounded by people who cared about me. Lately, things have been rather...tense, but even with my mother locking herself away in her room, and my father putting on a fake smile as if things would get better, there was no place like home to me. Everything was going to be okay.
"Sai! You've gotten so tall!", the blond said as he admired his brother. "And you've gotten so much paler"
So maybe, with Sai returning, home wouldn't be my favorite place anymore, and as cruel as it sounds, I did not want Sai back in this house. Everything about him screamed "trouble" to me, and I certainly could not get over the fact that we looked almost exactly alike. Seeing him was like looking into a morphed, deceiving mirror. Despite out similar features, we were not the same, and I prayed that when he started attending the same school as Naruto and I, people would realize that.
"And you've lost weight, Naruto", he says tauntingly. "And your hair has only gotten messier. I think it's time you dyed it back to its original color"
Even our voices sound the same…
"Yeah, I guess you're right...I'll do that tomorrow, but will you help me?"
"Of course"
He better not take him from me.
I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a bit possessive. I've worked too hard to get him to realize his feelings for me. There was no way I was going to let all my hard work go to waste cause some walking experimental malfunction caught his attention...there was no way I was going to watch things end like this. I was not going to lose to a socially impaired, less impressive version of me.
He better not even do so much as hug him the wrong way or I swear to god I will-
"Sasuke", my mother says softly.
I hadn't realized when she'd gotten into the room, but I was surprised to see her. Unlike her usual self, she looked tired, and I assumed it was the stress that made her look older.
"You should welcome your brother, ya know?"
Grey bags had formed under her eyes, and her retinas were redder than blood. The liveliness of her wild, red hair had died down and thinned out along with her motivation and happiness. There was no denying the fact that she was clearly depressed. So depressed that I found it concerning and disturbing.
"Right", I say in agreement.
Getting off the sofa was painful, but coming face to face with my "brother" was even more painful. His eyes held the same dark, mysterious tone as mine. The only difference was that I couldn't see through him the way he saw through me.
"I never really did get to introduce myself", I say dryly. "But it's nice to meet you under better circumstances"
He nods his head, and quietly takes my hand, shaking it with a loose grip as if I was the diseased one.
I can already tell that we are not going to get along.
"I hope you guys become close friends", the blond says with a smile. "It would make me really happy"
He gives me a suspicious look before pulling a fake smile out of his ass. "I don't see why we wouldn't become friends"
I can name a few reasons why we wouldn't.
"Great! I'll leave you two alone then. I'm starving and could really use a cup noodle", he says as he walks off with a smile. "You kids play nice while I'm gone!"
I watched him look at him with infatuation as he walked away. The way the look on his face became so soft and almost...aroused made me feel sick.
"He deserves nothing but the best", he says quietly.
"I know", I say flatly.
He lets out a disappointed sigh. "But yet for some reason, he…"
I wanted him to finish his sentence. "He what?", I ask impatiently.
"Doesn't want what's best for him", he begins. "He wants someone like you"
The jab didn't faze me too much, but it did hurt.
"You don't know me well enough to make that judgement, wouldn't you say?"
He chuckles in an irksome way. "Oh, I know about you", he says mischievously. "I've heard enough stories from Naruto to know all I want and need to know about you"
"Whatever you've heard is no longer accurate anymore. Naruto and I have improved our relationsh-"
"But my feelings for him are truer than your's will ever be", he interrupts.
"You can't judge my love for someone else", I say impatiently. "It doesn't work that way"
He turns to face me. We're eye to eye now. He's no taller than me, and I'm no taller than him.
"I was by his side while our parents were off creating an egotistical bastard with little regard for other's", he says coldly. "Don't act like I was never first at some point"
"There's a reason why he's choosing me over you", I say with a smirk. "You know it, and I know it"
"I've been gone for a while", he begins. "It was just enough time for you to wreck him emotionally and then patch him up with a crappy apology and a kiss. But I can assure you that you are no good for him. You don't have the heart to be the man he needs, which is why I'm going to make sure that he stays as far away from you as possible. Understood?"
Rage was slowly beginning to build up inside of me, but I swallowed it down and just narrowed my eyes at him cold heartedly.
"I'd like to see you try to keep him away from me", I challenge.
He only shrugs and walks away calmer than I'd ever be able to. "Then watch me"