Rain

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Rain
By 11


Chapter 09

Sakura actually liked Ino?!

It was unbelievable in a way. Something that should have made Sasuke wretch or feel sick to his stomach. Oddly, he didn’t seem to feel any particular way about the turn of events; at least not physically. Mentally it was the equivalent of a thousand watt shock.

The girls had to have been best friends forever; Sakura and Ino always seemed to know each other so well. Sakura seemed genuinely taken in, and Ino… the way she had been in the studio it was the most happy and gorgeous version of the girl Sasuke had encountered.

Sakura glanced up at Sasu again, then lowered her eyes; face still flush in embarrassment from what she may as well have admitted. Sasuke was sure his expression was less than ecstatic. “I-I don’t want to hurt her,” Sakura whispered, “ever. I would never do that to her.”

Sasu frowned, “Do you think it will hurt her more to call her up and not date her,” Sasu pondered to the other girl, “or to date her and let her find out it was you all along?”

Sakura flinched at the question, undoubtedly conflicted as to the decision. “I… I suppose… I’ll have to tell her eventually.” Sakura slowly considered, not really answering the question.

Her lips drawn up in a pensive expression; green eyes darkened in a troubled consideration, she slowly explained, more to herself than Sasu. “Although Ino… was the only person I really… really didn’t want to find out, about ‘Saku’…”

`

The girls were supposed to have left for the day. Naru was probably still in the back changing; Sasu hadn’t seen her leave yet. Sakura left shortly after he pulled her to the side. Naru hadn’t seemed to have been particularly surprised or even really reactive to Ino’s meeting with ‘Saku’ earlier.

Curious what the model thought of this development, Sasu let himself into the back corridor and Naru’s dressing area. He hadn’t been back here before, but Naru had never said anything about him not being allowed since she found out he was a boy.

Truly… he wondered how that girl would react if he were to accidentally walk in while she was changing. Would she get embarrassed and throw things? Or would she just start her outrageous flirtations again? Would she invite him in, or ignore him?

He reached her room, it was ajar, but she was not within. The water was running at the sink in the bathroom just beyond the rows of clothes. A sink? Or was this place actually equipped with a shower?! … !! Er, bad thoughts.

“Naru, it’s Sasu.” He knocked once on the door, before reaching for the handle.

It was already half-turned when Naru cried out from within. “No! Don’t come in!!” Naru, panicking? Didn’t seem conceivable, and the door was already half-open.

Sasuke let go of the handle and let the door glide the rest of the way open. “What?” Sasuke was about to ask the girl, but froze instantly when blue eyes locked with onyx.

The effect was instantaneous, Sasuke’s heart suddenly started thumping faster, and a dark flush of heat rushed through his entire body. Dark eyes staring at the blond, half-leaning over the sink still; the water had been turned off, and short golden locks clung together in thick clumps from the water.

Gold strands thrown haphazardly in different directions, it was a rougher wilder, unkempt look that Sasuke recognized as belonging to the person before him. Same skin; the cheeks, with the skin colored make-up stained onto a white cloth.

There was a slightly padded skin-colored bra thrown over the side of the sink. Three dark lines were now apparent on either cheek. Those same sky blue eyes; watching him intently, cautious, unsure, surprised. Frozen. Everything was frozen. Naru, Naruto; Naru… to.

Sasuke swallowed willing his pulse to calm. “You need help coming up with a name,” Sasuke tossed ‘Naru’to’s own words back to her-uh-him. “Don’t make it so close to your original name.”

A padded bra… so that’s what Sasuke felt before at the club… that dirty little sneak!

“You know,” Naruto started after a moment, an awkward smile gracing kissable lips. Tentatively attempting conversations since Sasuke had yet to throw a hissy fit, “I could have sworn I locked that door.”

Sasuke started slightly hearing the easy flow of ‘Naru’s conversational tone from the mouth of Naruto while he wasn’t in a skirt or wearing the make-up… it just didn’t feel right. Naru and Naruto; they were the same person.

He should have seen it. It was so obvious. All the signs were there. But the two of them, their personalities… they were so different. Or was that his own memory filling in the gaps for him where otherwise it might have let him realize the truth sooner?

“So, Sasuke. You okay?” Naruto asked, still smiling slightly and cocked his head at the darker-haired boy. It was the same manner he used for Naru, and it was slightly unnerving how he hadn’t noticed that they were the same before as well… hadn’t their hair got cut at the same time as well?

They were never around the other – but that wasn’t expected either. But Naruto had jumped him! Jumped him even when he had known that Sasuke was a boy?! Wait!! Naru was a boy!!

Sasuke tried to feel somewhat sick about this realization but his eyes were still locked on Naruto; the blond regarding him puzzled. He still could not calm his pulse and his skin seemed to shake slightly with the need to be close. No… it was anger. It had to be.

Sasuke had been tricked and lied to. That… wasn’t right. Not when Naruto had known his secret. So he was just toying with him the whole time?!

“Sasuke? Can I get a response, or have you died on me?” Naruto asked, suddenly stepping closer, his hand reaching for Sasuke’s shoulder. The movement snapped the paler boy from his thoughts and he jerked away from the touch contorting his face into one of anger. Glaring death at the lying youth before him.

“What the hell?!” It was the first intelligible thought and sentence that Sasuke managed to bite out. It was too much. He thought he’d like Naruto, he’d even fretted about being thought gay over it. Thought Naru’to’ thought he was a girl!

He thought ‘Naru’ knew, and that ‘Naru’ WAS a girl! He’d liked ‘her’ too! Now they’re the same?! No they were always the same! And Naru knew about him! Naruto jumped him back then anyway! Was he laughing at him behind his back?! Was this some sort of sick game?!

“I don’t understand this!” Sasuke bit out finally. Naruto stopped and stood back impassively waiting for Sasuke to get his thoughts out. “You knew?! You knew and you still let it happen?! What the hell?! This is… ugh!!”

If it helped anything, it just meant he liked one person. But then, Naruto was a guy. A boy, male… same as Sasuke. Sasuke… did not want to be gay. He wasn’t! He’d like Naruto when he thought he was a girl too! So he was bi? Well better to be straight at least half the time!

“Was it just some kind of game?! Was it amusing for you?!” Sasuke grit, “I thought I liked you, and you were just laughing at me or what?! What was this for you?!”

“No. I like you. I meant that every time I said it.” Naruto’s voice was calm, and his face relaxed. He stood still with eyes on Sasuke, giving him all his attention; his presence was in a way soothing.

Sasuke felt like rage should be building in him for this deception. But Naruto’s calm somehow helped dispel that anger. He was acting more like Naruto. Sasuke felt his body calming, but it didn’t change facts – facts that were undeniable, and unable to be ignored.

Wait, Naruto meant that he liked him? “What?!” Sasuke felt heat flush into his face, but this time it had less to do with anger, and more that intense and honest gaze of blue. “But were both guys!”

“So?”

“So what?!” Sasuke was shocked at the blond’s only comment regarding the undeniable fact that this… would have been, should not have been, relationship was entirely wrong and unjust and otherwise impossible! “We’re BOTH very MALE!!”

Naruto relaxed his shoulders and sighed, without breaking eye contact with Sasuke. Sasuke’s anger had all but left and instead he was left in the room with Naruto, forcing himself to accept the truth and trying to work his mind around it so it fit in his head in a way that he could be happy with. It wasn’t working… why couldn’t Naruto have been NARU, and GIRL?! That would solve all these problems… just about.

“So,” Naruto shrugged, breaking eye contact; giving up on trying to help Sasuke sort out sexuality issues, “Sasuke, ere you going to turn into another Kiyotaka?”

“Kiyotaka?” Sasuke hadn’t thought about that guy in forever, and he paled suddenly though his heart refused to be still – which probably was a good thing since he did in fact need it beating a little bit to stay alive. “The guy whose arms you broke…?”

Sasuke swallowed, the calm of Naruto didn’t seem murderous or angry, but then there was still the possibility in the air; and that much filled Sasuke with dread. Was this what Kiyotaka found out? Why Naruto sent him to the hospital?

“Yes. Kiyotaka found out about Naru Kitsune and me being one and same.” Naruto shrugged, and leaned back against the sink. “He blackmailed me with that for a while. I did a lot of bad stuff for that guy in the beginning.”

Blue eyes turned back up to latch onto Sasuke’s. He leaned away from the sink and stalked towards the paler youth. Sasuke felt his heart thud faster beneath his ribs, and edged back towards the door, but it had already swung shut behind him earlier. Now Naruto was almost on top of him. He had no time to run.

“Eventually I got fed up with him, so I broke his arms.” Naruto finished the tale as he trapped Sasuke, an arm on either side of the dark-eyed boy’s body. Naruto leaned in towards him, and Sasuke shivered involuntarily as the blond’s husky voice washed over him.

“So, are you going to try and blackmail me?” Naruto asked, his voice without mirth and without violence. He may as well have been asking if the mark on Sasuke’s leg had finally gone away.

But the proximity and the edge of excitement shooting through the dark-haired boy made it difficult to really and truly fear what the blond was in fact threatening. “Or should I smash your skull in now?” Naruto finished, a mirthless smile curling his lips upward.

Sasuke only shivered, the nerves of his skin dancing with anticipation. The blond’s body was too close to his own. He wouldn’t have even stopped him if Naruto stroked along his arms or legs. And this time, if he was jumped… he’d have to reason to panic if Naruto moved his hand between his legs.

He flushed at that thought, but could not look away, Naruto was still waiting for a response, wasn’t he? “No, I won’t tell anyone.” Sasuke meant to say confidently, and get the blond to back away. But it came out as a whisper, and in fact Naruto seemed to lean impossibly closer.

Sasuke felt the heat in his body and shut his eyes, trying not to pay attention to the vague taste of the other ghosting across his lips. If he leaned forward, he could probably take a kiss… but he didn’t want one from another boy. He couldn’t want one.

Gods, why was Naruto even acting like he was going to kiss him again?! Sasuke stayed perfectly still waiting for the touch, for any touch at all. He didn’t understand himself somehow, and Naruto still hadn’t made any sense as to why he hadn’t told Sasuke when he found out about him.

“Okay.” Naruto was smiling from the sound of his voice, he’d also pulled away. Sasuke’s eyes snapped open and a flash of annoyance filled him up. How dare the stupid blond get him all worried and expectant for nothing!!

“After all, if you tried to expose me,” Naruto shrugged, accepting Sasuke’s promise not to tell; “I’d expose you.” Something in the way the blue-eyed youth said that last part made Sasuke think of something other than just revealing Sasu for Sasuke. Geez, he had to stop those thoughts now!

Sasuke hadn’t even realized his legs had been shaking until he felt his weight drop itself back against the door, and he let his body slide to the floor. His muscles gone limp and still.

He still should have seen this coming a mile away. Weren’t there many times when it was obvious? There surely must have been; he just wasn’t seeing them. He was only seeing what he wanted to, what he thought would make sense.

What was worse their… relationship, or whatever it was; the whole time had been gay. Sasuke nearly laughed to himself; to think that he had been confused if it was straight or lesbian. How had be even vaguely pondered that one anyway?

“It’s all three at once!” Naruto announced, crouching down to sit at Sasuke’s level. Sasuke scowled, he hadn’t meant to say that last part aloud.

“No,” Sasuke corrected irritated, “it’s just gay.”

Naruto seemed to wince slightly at the way that Sasuke spat the word out, like it tasted bad. “I’m not that bad am I? If I’d known you’d take this so well, I’d have told you sooner.”

Sasuke just glowered, how was he taking this well? He still felt like he got hit with a Mac truck the way his heart was pounding in his chest. And Naruto had the nerve to say he was taking this ‘well’?! What was ‘this’ anyway?! It didn’t make any sense.

“Just keep away from me.” Sasuke glared. Naruto started a moment but backed away, giving the paler youth his space for his self and his thoughts.

He felt betrayed somehow; but he also wanted to crawl into Naruto’s arms and not let go. His eyes felt wet, but not to the point he’d actually shed tears. Still, this was stressful enough. What did he do to deserve three mental breakdowns concerning his sexuality in one week?!

Sasuke was a nice guy. Really. You’d think the universe could cut him a break every once and a while…

`

Ino couldn’t recall a time when she’d been happier. It felt like every step she took was cushioned by some kind of cloudy ethereal and invisible bubble. Yes, she giggled to herself; a perfect pink and purple colored bubble; one that no one could burst for her.

It was still fairly early in the afternoon; Naru’s shoot had finished fairly early when she considered it. She had left Saku her phone number, but would he remember to call. She hoped he would, and if not; she knew at least that he did live in the area. If she had to she’d look him up in the phone-book and stalk him.

It was too perfect, he was hot and heroic and he didn’t have a girlfriend. She felt like bursting apart from the way she felt, like so many tiny buzzing bits of happiness were ready to explode.

To alleviate the pressure built up from sheer, whatever this exhilaration was, she was humming on her way down the street. When she was at the studio, she could barely keep herself from talking about the encounter nonstop.

She still felt so high, and she could still remember perfect almond aqua blue-green eyes, his lashes had been so thick, she’d been almost envious. She turned slightly in her step, alternating between the beat of her steps, performing an unconscious dance born of simple unadulterated joy.

It was something not entirely normal or natural, but amazing and awing. Somehow the whole world just seemed so much more vibrant and colorful now, the smells and tastes so much more exciting. Everything lit up as if seen through different eyes.

Just the though of the shy turn of his mouth sent her heart into a quick patter of beating. The short and gentle fall of his hair around his perfectly chiseled ivory face made her flush again remembering her own boldness.

But considering the reception she could not feel abashed about her actions… it would all be worth it, to see him again, to hold his interest. It was the first time she’d developed such an immediate and serious crush on a guy – let alone one she had hardly met.

But he had saved her integrity; in more ways than one, when she considered it. Ino felt a smile on her lips and made no attempts to end it. The dance in her step paused when the blond stopped a moment to look across the road. It was Saku.

Sakura had not intended to put on the artificial facial hair or chest cage again until tomorrow, but she thought seriously about it after Sasuke had confronted her after work. It would be better to break up in person anyway, right? It would be better for Ino. Better not to lead her on…

But seeing the blue-eyed girl’s face light up so ecstatically when she saw ‘Saku’ banished any thoughts of pushing the other girl away far from Sakura’s mind. “Saku! I didn’t think I’d get to see you so soon.” Ino blushed slightly as she bounded over to the object of her affections, “You busy now?”

“Not at all, you?” ‘Saku’ managed to get out, green aqua eyes taking in the glowing expression of the blond girl rather than pondering how best to call the whole thing off, without hurting Sakura’s friend.

“No. You want to go get dinner?” Ino asked shyly, almost coyly as she leaned away, grinning slightly, and lowering her chin.

“I’d like that. I’ll treat you.” The words were out of Saku’s mouth before Sakura could even consider stopping them.

“Oh really?” Ino actually seemed surprised by the offer, but instantly recovered, “I mean, thanks so much! You don’t have to, but thanks; I appreciate it. Thank you.”

It would be worth it, if Ino would only smile like that for a while longer. What was worse, and at the same time the best, was the budding and growing of a new life within Sakura’s chest as she accompanied her friend.

A new and binding feeling of happiness and lightness that seemed to breathe into her and form a strong and ever stronger bond between them.

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