"Hi, dad!" Naruto beamed at his father as he entered the flower shop. The familiar jingling of the bell above the door echoed through the whole shop as he opened the door immediately being hit with the sweet smell that filled the air. The light beige walls reflect the afternoon rays of the sun, contrasting with the colorful flowers displayed around the store. He walked inside passing by the stands of flowers that were displayed there and leaned over the counter to peck his father on the cheek.

"You are all sweaty!" Iruka scrunched his nose in disgust and waved his hand in front of him. "And you smell really bad!"

"Is that how you greet your favorite son?" The blond said, dramatically placing a hand over his chest pretending to be aggrieved by the statement.

"You are my only son." He furrowed a brown brow.

"So I'm still your favorite!" Iruka rolled his eyes before letting out a small chuckle when, suddenly the familiar sound of the bell filled the once silent room once again, making both Naruto and Iruka glance at the client that had just entered the shop.

"Mrs. Yamanaka!" Iruka greeted the blonde woman.

"Iruka! I'm here to pick up my order. I believe I'm short on time today." Naruto looked at the lady. She looked like a Karen and she smelled...rich and arrogant.

"Well of course! I have it right here for you!" The man picked up her flower arrangement and gently placed it in the other woman's hands. The blond observed the interaction, his father was his role model and Naruto admired everything about him. He was kind, hardworking, and really cared about his job, putting all of his love and attention into every single flower arrangement.

"Thank you, they are beautiful as always!" The woman finally looked at Naruto, finally acknowledging his presence after ignoring him since she got in the store. "And who is this fine young man?"

"This is my son."

"Nice to meet you, mam. I'm Naruto Uzumaki." He took her hand and kissed the back of it, making the woman bite her lip as a light pink shade dusted her cheeks.

"Well, why did you hide such a precious gem all this time Iruka?" She giggled fakely and Iruka just laughed in return before looking at Naruto "I don't need help today. You can go home and shower, there is lasagna on the fridge, you just need to heat it up. And I want you well rested for the game tomorrow."

"Huh relax dad we are gonna kick their asses!"

"Language kid! We have a client right here!"

"Oh don't worry about me. What game are you guys talking about?" The nosy woman inquired.

"Naruto plays on the soccer team for his school. He has a big game tomorrow."

"Oh really?! Are you from Konoha Academy? My daughter Ino goes there too! She is the president of the student council. You guys should hang out, she is a beautiful girl. I'm sure you would absolutely love her! You'd make a great couple!" She started rambling before slapping Naruto's arm playfully as she laughed. Her face had so much botox, it barely moved, but her mouth sure did.

"Oh no! I'm actually from Konoha High." The blond smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Oh." She pursed her lips looking disappointed. "Now that I think about it, I think Ino already has a boyfriend." She glanced at the expensive watch wrapped around her wrist before saying "Oh would you look at the time! I gotta go! Thank you again Iruka and nice to meet you Naruto!" The blond just offered a smile in return as the woman turned on her heels to leave.

"Why do all rich people have to be assholes?! Sure public school is not the best, top, mega, extra fancy school but it's not bad!" Naruto gestured as he explained.

"Don't worry about her! Life is not going particularly well for her. I don't know if she discovered it yet though." Iruka rubbed his chin with the pad of his thumb as if he was thinking really hard.

"Found what?"

"That her husband is cheating on her."

"Woah really how did you find out?" He asked in a curious tone as he leaned over the counter, placing his chin on the palm of his hand, listening attentively.

"Her husband has been coming to the store almost every week to purchase a big bouquet of red roses."

"And?" The blond raised a curious eyebrow.

"Red roses mean passion and love."

"And? They could be for his wife!"

"You didn't let me finish, son. He always asks me to write in the cards that he places inside the bouquet, because his rich, perfectly moisturized hands couldn't possibly hold a 1,99$ pen. And let's just say..." He got closer to Naruto's face and whispered as if someone could hear them even if they were alone at the store "I know who he is screwing."

"Oh my god! Tell me who!"

"No."

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"No Naruto."

"But dad please!" He begged.

"No!"

"Tell me now or I will ask coach Kakashi what the hell is going on between you two! And don't think I don't see him sneak out of our house early in the morning almost every day!" The blond threatened and Iruka choked on air as his brown skin turned a bright red just with the mention of his lover. "Well, dad you are not gonna tell me are you? Huh, I guess I will have to ask Kakashi what exactly is your relationship." Naruto shrugged.

"Fine, fine! I'll tell you but you didn't hear this from me and leave Kakashi alone!"

"Don't worry dad, just tell me!" Iruka took a deep breath before beckoning Naruto and whispering in his ear.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Game over. Naruto grinned as he allowed himself to fall back into the yard as he heard the screaming around and felt his teammates jumping on top of him to celebrate the victory. They had won 3-2 against the feared Konoha Academy.

Kiba extended his hand towards Naruto to help him get up from the floor. "Great game! I can't believe we won against those rich pricks!"

"Yeah but now we gotta focus cause we have a biology test in two days."The blond huffed in annoyance. "Anyway, what are you doing tonight? We can study together!" He said as they started walking towards the exit of the massive soccer field from Konoha Academy.

"I'm not in a mood for studying Uzumaki, we just won this game. I wanna rest a little! Tonight I'm gonna drink, fuck and drink again." Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You are a virgin dude."

"Hey! You are too! And I decided I'm gonna lose my virginity tonight."

"What about the test?" The blond crossed his arms over his chest, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Fuck the test!" Kiba scowled as he intertwined his fingers and placed them behind his head. They stopped midway when two girls approached them. One of them was taller than the other, her long blond hair was tied in a ponytail and her shimmery champagne eyeshadow made her blue eyes stand out. "Hi, guys! I'm Ino this is my friend Hinata!" The other girl, Hinata, had long dark hair that fell past her shoulders, pale lavender eyes, almost as pale as her skin.

We just wanted to congratulate you on your performance in the game. Our players are really good but apparently not as good as you. "She bit her bottom lip seductively, some of the excessive lip gloss she was wearing, smearing on the row of her top teeth, clearly not talking about their performance on the field.

"Oh thank you, that's nice of you!"

"H-hi n-nice to m-meet you. You d-did really well on the ga-game tonight." Hinata stuttered, her pale cheeks now tinted bright pink.

"Thank you so much! You guys are really nice!" Naruto smiled brightly.

"Naruto I have to shower before I go, I'll text you later!" Kiba said quickly before swiftly escaping the conversation.

"Oh he is right, it's getting late!" The blonde girl said before winking suggestively at Hinata and walking away."

"Hum- N-Naruto I jus-just I." The impossibly shy girl tried to speak again as she fidgeted the hem of the white shirt she was wearing, probably part of the academy's dress code since all the girls were wearing a similar one. Naruto tried his best to listen and understand what she was trying to say, but he really couldn't because she was stuttering a little too much.

When he looked past her shoulder, an elegant silhouette caught his gaze. It was a boy. The most beautiful boy he had ever seen. Beautiful was an understatement, Naruto thought but not even all of the compliments in the world would make his beauty justice. The mysterious boy had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall near the exit, a seductive smirk pulling at his lips as he tilted his head slightly as his eyes locked with Naruto's, a single black brow rising up. Light pink hair clips pinning his black locks, framed his pale face perfectly. The blond licked his lips unconsciously as he skimmed his eyes over the other boy's body. The white button-down shirt accentuated by the black tie was tucked under the uniform's black skirt, fitting him perfectly, accentuating his curvy hips.

The blond was bisexual but he never really came out. He didn't know if his family would accept it and his friends sometimes made some comments that made him think that they wouldn't take it so well. So he decided to keep that information to himself. After all, it was his life...and he was fucking scared. To lose Iruka and his friends. They were everything he had. Naruto's parents died in a car crash when he was 2 years old and not long after he was put into the system. They were some of the hardest years of his life he had to endure. When he was 10 he was finally adopted by a man named Iruka. Then his life changed completely (for the better, fortunately).

Naruto decided to interrupt Hinata's stuttering. "Hinata."

"Y-yeah?" She flinched as she looked up at the blond, her face redder than a pepper.

"Who is that guy over there?" She raised her eyebrows as she turned around to look.

"The guy in a skirt?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. That's Sa-Sasuke-Kun. H-he has the b-best grad-grades in class."

"Sasuke." He mumbled under his breath, loving the way the name of the raven-haired boy rolled over his tongue.

"Hinata it was lovely to meet you, we should hang out sometime but now I really gotta go!" Naruto said, not even sparing a glance at the shy girl, keeping his eyes locked with Sasuke.

He took a deep breath, gathering all of his courage to go there and ask the boy for his number when he felt Hinata's slim arms around his neck pulling him into a hug, pressing her big breasts against his chest. The situation was making him really uncomfortable so he hugged back quickly patting her back politely. Naruto quickly pulled away, when he saw Sasuke turning on his heels to leave before his expression turned dark. offering a quick smile to Hinata before following the boy. He didn't know exactly what he was going to say, especially because they didn't even know each other, but couldn't care less right now.

Suddenly a deep voice interrupted his train of thoughts. "I don't know how you did it, but you farmers must have somehow cheated!" He growled before spitting on the floor, close to Naruto's shoes. The guy was shorter than the blond and he had long dark brown hair and lavender eyes that almost made him look blind, really similar to Hinata's ones.

"It's not a farm, it's just public school Neji." Naruto said, trying not to snap.

"Tomayto, tomahto! And what are you, a zoo animal with those whiskers?" Naruto bit the inside of his cheek until he felt the copper taste fill his mouth.

"I'm not in a mood to fight, have a nice day." Before he could leave, Neji pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt whispering into his ear. "Are you interested in Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Don't act oblivious, you know what I'm talking about!"

"Well whether I want him or not, that's none of your business."

"It is when I've been trying to get him for years. Don't act like a fool, Sasuke doesn't do relationships, much less with a person like you." Neji released the collar of the blond's shirt. "You've been warned." Naruto watched Neji walking towards the exit, and he followed him still in hope of seeing the beautiful raven-haired boy again.

Konoha Academy was big. Really big. Might as well be a maze. Naruto was sure he had been walking through the hallways for at least five minutes. He turned around on one of the hallways, immediately stopping as soon as he saw Sasuke. When he was ready to walk towards him, when he remembered Neji's words, And what are you, a zoo animal with those whiskers?

He gulped before walking away. There is no way Sasuke would want someone like him. He reached for his phone to call Kiba.

"Hey Kiba! Text me the address of that party you are going to."

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

[Sasuke]

9:15 pm. Sasuke looked at his phone and huffed in annoyance as he waited for his nail polish to dry. Tonight he was going to hang out with Karin and Suigetsu at Soho, a local nightclub, but he wasn't exactly thrilled to. Sasuke was not the 'go out and party' type of guy but his friends insisted he should have a little fun once in a while. He didn't even exactly consider them friends. More like acquaintances.

He would give in just this once so he could miss and come up with random excuses not to go out next time they invited him. Besides not wanting to go there was also another issue. His parents. They were not fond of Sasuke's friends because they thought they would distract him from getting good grades and from the path that they had worked so hard on. High school, college, and marry some random important person to make powerful connections. They expected Sasuke to become a successful lawyer like his father. His parents were barely home, so he basically lived on his own or with Itachi, in the rare occasions his brother stayed at home with him.

This time was one of the rare occasions his parents were home, and given the fact that his parents did not let Sasuke go out at night, especially clubbing, he only had one option. Sneak out.

He hoped his parents would be fast asleep by the time he decided to escape so he locked his door and slowly and carefully opened the rusted window. He crouched so he didn't hit his head on the way out. Once outside, he slowly closed his window making sure to make as little noise as possible. He shot a quick text to Karin so she would know he was on his way.

At 9:40 p,m. Sasuke was walking through the big wooden doors of the Soho nightclub. It was a Friday night so the place was packed. He examined the area looking for his friends. Quickly Sasuke spotted Suigetsu and Karin on the other side of the club. Making his way over them, and slipping between the heat of the anonymous bodies, he was met with curious looks but quickly dismissed them with his Uchiha glare. Karin was the first one to catch a glimpse of Sasuke and interrupted her heated make-out session with Suigetsu to greet him.

"Sas! You made it!" She said before kissing his cheek.

"Hn."

"Sasuke my guy! Perk up a little will ya? Go find yourself some hot chick or a hot guy. I don't know about your preferences. Maybe they can make you smile a little." he smirked.

Sasuke didn't like girls. Not too long ago he realized he was gay. But he didn't tell his friends, much less his family. He knew his family wouldn't approve of it and would probably send him to a conversion camp, kick him out of the house, or worse.

His older brother Itachi was also gay. He found out when he was younger and burst into his brother's room without knocking to show him that he managed to do a really hard math equation in class when he caught Itachi and his boyfriend Deidara making out in his bed. Itachi begged him not to tell his parents and Sasuke wasn't going to anyway. It was not his secret to tell. Besides who knows what their parents were capable of. Although he found out at an early age that he was gay, when he accidentally stumbled upon gay pornography, he never actually dated anyone for various reasons. No one ever sparked his interest nor showed interest in him. And he wasn't talking about looks, him, who he was. There was also another issue, he was intersex. He hadn't fully accepted that part of himself yet, and he was scared that people would find out about it. But that didn't matter anyway, because he had to focus on his academic life and couldn't afford any side distractions.

"Shut the fuck up Suigetsu!"

"Own always so sweet Sasuke, your bright mood always lightens my day!" He said in a sardonic tone. Sasuke glared at him and Suigetsu didn't say anything else.

He ended up just sitting on the couch for most of the night as he watched his friends twirling around on the dance floor. Since he wasn't doing anything useful, he walked to the bar and asked for a soda. The bartender slid the glass over to him before winking in a failed attempt to flirt with the teen. He was becoming very bored and started wondering if his friends would notice if he left without saying goodbye.

Sasuke leaned against the bar, glancing around, and before he could finish his thoughts, his gaze caught a flash of tan skin and bright blond hair from the corner spot near the bar. The blond man locked eyes with Sasuke for a moment and flashed a million-dollar smile. Sasuke could feel his heartbeat starting to pick up. He had seen the blond earlier from afar but as soon as Hinata got her dirty hands all over him, the raven just gave up on the matter.

The guy was tall, well built, tan skin, his eyes were a perfect spring sky, an ocean blue tone, he had bright blonde hair which reminded Sasuke of a beautiful field of sunflowers and his smile, that fucking smile was warmer than the gentle sun. As the guy started to walk up in his direction, Sasuke bit his lip unconsciously as he felt a blush threatening to creep up his cheeks. He glanced back to his cup and as he was about to take a sip of his drink when he felt an unknown arm press against his lower back and then slide around his waist.

Alarmed, he immediately shoved the arm off of him and took a step back to see who it belonged to. "Easy there baby I don't bite" Neji licked his lips "Unless you're into that." He smirked, making Sasuke feel disgusted by the actions of the captain of the soccer team.

He leaned against the bar and asked smirking smugly. "Can I get you a drink cutie?"

"No, I already have my drink. Thanks." He gestured, pointing to his still full glass.

"So let's dance and then I can take you home." He smirked and winked at Sasuke grabbing his hand.

The raven-haired teen quickly yanked his hand away from Neji and replied coldly but still trying to remain polite "No, but thank you for the offer." Feeling extremely uneasy, he grabbed his drink and turned on his heels to head back to the couch near the dance floor that he had been sitting in the whole night. We were used to Neji's attempts but he was never this insistent and he sounded really drunk.

"Come on, don't be like that! You were asking for it when you were leaning over the bar showing your ass in that fucking skirt. I wanna fuck you senseless. I've been waiting for years!" He said as he grabbed Sasuke's hip to pull him closer. The unforeseen movement caused the glass to slip from Sasuke's hand, therefore, spilling his drink all over the floor.

Before he could react, he saw the man's arm being jerked forcefully and violently away from him. "Hey! Hands off! Are you deaf or something? I believe he said 'no thank you.' " said a new voice. It was deep, raspy, and fucking sexy, Sasuke thought to himself. Sasuke turned around to see the hot blond from earlier, standing there holding the other man's wrist in a deadly grip. "This is none of your business fuck off!" The jerk managed to release the grip on his wrist and yanked his arm away from the blond.

The blond guy glared at the shorter one, clenching his fist tightly as he took a step forward leaning against his ear and whispering in a raspy voice "Touch him again and I'll rip your dick off and feed it to the goats. We have some on our school or farm as you guys like to call it."

Neji flinched and started turning away from them, probably too drunk to think straight, as he mumbled under his breath "Tssk he wasn't even worth it."

The blond turned to Sasuke, his eyes softening and his voice tone changing to a more caring, but still deep and deep sexy nonetheless "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Sasuke could see the genuine concern in the other boy's ocean blue eyes. He was too mesmerized to speak and he felt his breath caught up in his throat. He could now take a good look at the man's face. He had 3 whisker-like marks on each cheek, a chiseled jawline, and a few small freckles scattered around his flushed cheeks, and a few ones on his nose. He was a few inches taller than Sasuke. The man was dressed in a white t-shirt that hugged his toned body tightly, leaving nothing to the imagination, an orange jacket that hugged perfectly his strong and broad shoulders, and some black pants.

The man looked like fucking Apolo or something! Sasuke could feel himself almost drooling at the sight. He started imagining what it would be like to be slammed against the wall by this man and then-

"Hey, are you okay? Do you need water or something else?" The blond asked, interrupting Sasuke's daydream.

Sasuke quickly tried to get himself together, shaking his head no as he tried to ignore the growing bulge in his pants "Oh s-sorry! Yes, I'm fine! Thank you for saving me by the way, you didn't have to." He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks.

"Great! Look I don't want to sound like that jerk but do you want me to replace that for you?" He gestured to the soda Sasuke had been drinking spilled on the floor.

"Oh no don't worry about it I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." he quickly replied.

"So...are you here alone?" The blond inquired.

"Oh no I came with my friends but they are probably in some corner making out."

He then cleared his throat and asked "What about you? I saw you at the game today, are you from Konoha High?"

"Yes and no need to make jokes about farmers or prison or homelessness. Believe me, I have heard them all." The blond replied and the raven just chuckled.

"Don't worry I'm not like that." He hopped on one of the stools on the bar and Naruto did the same. They spent about an hour just talking about random things, Naruto being way more talkative than Sasuke, but the raven-haired boy didn't mind the rambling. Quite the opposite actually. He was enjoying knowing more about the blond. He wasn't like most people in his school. He was really down-to-earth, not superficial at all, and had an aura that radiated warmth and familiarity. How could it be familiarity though? He didn't know.

"Are you planning on going to college once you finish high school?" The raven asked curiously.

"Yeah! I'm still deciding what I want to major in though. I wanna be a social worker or a psychologist. I don't really know but I still got some time to think about it. And you?" Sasuke bit his lip nervously. He didn't really have a choice in the matter. He had to go to college whether he wanted or not point-blank period. He still would have gone but he felt like he would appreciate having some sort of say on his future.

"Wow, psychology? That's amazing. I'm going to law school." But that's not really what I want.

"Law? Given our conversation the whole night that wasn't the answer I was expecting." The blond chuckled. "I was picturing you as a doctor or an accountant. But law makes sense you have presence. Whatever you do I'm 100% sure that you will be amazing in it!" The comment made Sasuke flush and for a few moments, they sat in silence just enjoying each other's company and the song that filled the room.

"Hey, have you ever been arrested?"

Sasuke furrowed his brow at the question but answered nonetheless. "Yes."

"What? I was going to say 'because it's illegal to look that hot' but now I'm curious." He asked in surprise.

"You are an idiot. Have you taken a good look at yourself?" He raised a brow. "I was kidding, and that pick-up line is awful. If I had been arrested my parents would've killed me a long time ago." He shrugged trying to ignore the fact that he was turning redder than a tomato by the second.

"No, it's not!" He gnawed at his bottom lip and looked down for a few seconds like he was thinking really hard before turning his gaze back to the Uchiha and smirking. "Hey baby, are you a lawyer because talking to you just violated the terms of my parole." Sasuke just burst out laughing. "That was even worse! But it was a smart one. I'll give you that."

The blond smiled and swiftly he supplied his hand "Oh my god we have been talking for more than an hour and I haven't even said my name yet!" The blond chuckled nervously.

"Dumbass." Sasuke had been so caught in the conversation he also didn't even remember to introduce himself properly. The blond already knew his name, but the raven wasn't aware of that.

"I'm Naruto by the way."

"Naruto." Sasuke repeated to himself almost in a whisper. "I'm Sasuke." he offered the blond a faint smile and extended his hand towards the blond's one.

A few seconds passed and Sasuke knew perfectly well that he should have let go of his hand a long time ago. But he didn't want to. Naruto must have noticed because he looked down at their hands and smirked devilishly. "Are you comfortable there Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt a blush rush from his neck to the tip of his ears but didn't let go. "You're an idiot, I don't know why I'm even putting up with you." he said, trying to sound cold.

"Let go of my hand then." he smirked.

"No." he said and squeezed his hand lightly and calloused tan fingers started rubbing circles in the back of his hand. Both of them looked into each other's eyes, never once breaking eye contact. Sasuke couldn't help but notice despite the blond's eyes being a bright blue, a warm beautiful summer sky, they also alluded to a dirty grey a miserable hue, the same that Sasuke saw every day when he looked in the mirror. Why such an ugly shade of solitude and despair in such a beautiful soul?

"H-hey Sasuke...w-wanna dance?" The blond asked, smiling sheepishly.

Did he just stutter? Was he nervous?

I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous, you look like you were personally sculpted by God himself!!, Sasuke thought to himself.

Suddenly he felt his throat becoming very dry but managed to nod dumbly and answer "Y-yes of course." Sasuke was struggling to keep calm. Naruto smiled and led them both to the dance floor. Quickly Sasuke felt very self-conscious and looked up at the blond with an uneasy look on his face because he didn't know how to dance. Naruto seemed to take notice of the Uchiha's apprehension so he reached for his hands and placed them on his shoulders and gripped at Sasuke's hips gingerly.

"Is this okay?" Naruto asked him and Sasuke just nodded.

He felt Naruto pulling him closer as they began to sway to the music. Sasuke didn't know how exactly how much time they spent there. They just danced there song after song, their bodies so close. Somehow it felt like they knew each other.

After a while, Naruto leaned down close to his ear. When he spoke, his voice was raspy but smooth at the same time, "You okay there? You're not tired are you?" He shivered at the words as the blond's lips brushed against the shell of his ear. The blond pulled away and Sasuke could still feel the hot breath ghosting against his ear. He looked up at him and shook his head no. Naruto smirked and Sasuke gathered some courage and placed his arms around his neck, pressing himself closer.

The blond's calloused hands slid down his sides and settled on his slim hips as they moved sensually to the new tune. Sasuke felt his heart throbbing in his chest when Naruto leaned closer to him, pressing their foreheads together, noses touching. Mouths so close they could almost taste each other's breaths. Naruto's strong hands guided his hips from side to side and all the while they stared into each other's eyes. He then felt Naruto's grasp on his hips tighten a little bit and the blond leaned closer and started nuzzling Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke's fingers that before were grazing Naruto's nape, were now curled around the blond strands on his neck. His breath quickened when he felt soft kisses being pressed against his neck. "Mhm!...Naruto~" Sasuke bit back a moan, he didn't know he was so sensitive there, maybe it was just the late hour or the fact that no one had touched him like this before. It felt so good.

Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Naruto pulled away and Sasuke reached for his phone. He glanced at the bright screen and saw that it was Itachi calling.

"I have to get this, I'll be right back." He turned on his heels to the bathroom of the club so that he could hear his brother since the music in the was very loud. Naruto just nodded, offering him a sweet smile. The Uchiha entered the bathroom and pressed the 'accept call' button as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Nii-san"

"Sasuke, where are you? Did you sneak out?" He asked in a troubled tone.

"Yeah. I'm at Soho with Karin and Suigetsu. Why?"

"You need to get home right now. Father called me to ask if you were with me, apparently, he broke into your room and you weren't there. He is livid."

Sasuke felt his heart skip several beats. When things didn't go his way, his father could become quite a violent man. "I'll be there in five." He instantly ended the call.

The teen was trying his best not to panic but he couldn't help it. He burst out of the bathroom and started looking for Naruto to say goodbye but the blond was nowhere to be found. Of course, he wouldn't wait for Sasuke. Why would he anyway? He could have anyone he wanted. He didn't even know the guy but no one had ever been so caring or paid so much attention to him, besides Itachi of course, so he couldn't help but feel a little sad that the blond didn't wait for him as he asked. But now he had bigger hardships. He rushed out of the club and started running home.

When he got to the front door, he took a deep breath before opening it carefully and there were his parents in the living room. His mom had a frightened expression on her face and his dad had an angry, almost threatening face.

"WHERE WERE YOU?" His dad started screaming at him. "YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WHENEVER YOU WANT?" His dad started moving towards him and Sasuke took a step back, his back was now pressing against the front door. Fugaku grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the door. "DO YOU THINK THAT KIND OF MINDSET WILL GET YOU ANYWHERE HUH? IF YOU DON'T PASS YOUR EXAMS WITH EXCELLENCE, YOU CAN FORGET WE EXIST!" He pressed his forearm against Sasuke's throat. "D-d-dad ple-please ca-can't b-breathe" he choked out an answer. Fugaku released his arm and wrapped his hands around his son's throat, squeezing hard.

"TELL ME WHERE WERE YOU?" He pressed a little harder.

"Soho. W-with K-Karin and Suigetsu." His father released the grip, making Sasuke fall to the floor coughing and grabbing at his throat.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP HANGING OUT WITH THOSE JUNKIES." He took a deep breath and said "GO TO YOUR ROOM! DON'T THINK YOU WILL LEAVE THE HOUSE AGAIN WITHOUT PERMISSION! AND IF YOU HANG OUT WITH THEM AGAIN I'LL HAVE TO TAKE MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS!" Suddenly he felt a kick being directed at his stomach. "AND STOP DRESSING LIKE A FUCKING FAG! NO SON OF MINE WILL LEAVE THE HOUSE LOOKING LIKE A FUCKING WHORE."

Sasuke flinched and clutched his stomach tightly. He gathered all his energy and rapidly got up and ran to his bedroom upstairs.

He burst into his room, closed the door, and sat on the edge of his bed. The night didn't go how he planned. Hot tears streamed down his face, and he squeezed his eyelids shut hoping his tears would stop.

He remembered tonight's events: Naruto, his father.

He was having such a great time at the club. He never felt like that before with anyone. It was like his worries, fears, and insecurities faded away for a few hours. It felt amazing. He only exchanged a few words with Naruto but he felt like he knew him from before. Another life maybe? Sasuke didn't truly believe in that kind of stuff but he just felt a deeper connection with the other boy. But seemingly, Naruto didn't feel the same. Why would he? They basically only knew each other's names. Sasuke wanted to ask him for his phone number but when he got back he wasn't there anymore.

And his father always put this pressure on him to be fucking perfect, to behave like a robot with no emotions or desires. He was tired. He took a deep breath, wiping his tears with the back of his sleeve, and reached for his nightstand.

Sasuke held the razor before him, hands shaking. He needed some relief. At this point he felt like he was just existing, surviving. He needed some sense of control, a sense of normality, to feel alive. He hadn't cut himself for about 3 months now but he couldn't hold it anymore.

Just do it you coward. Seek the relief you've been looking for. A little bit of color in your grey unimportant, miserable life.

'Boring' one cut.

'Pathetic' two cuts.

'Worthless' three cuts.

The sting of the pain of the sharp razor blade edge slicing through his pale delicate skin helped. It was fucked up but he missed it. Feeling something. Feeling alive.

'No one will ever love you' four cuts.

'Ugly' five cuts.

When he finished he didn't even bother to clean up the mess he made and he didn't want to cover up his shame with bandages, not for now at least. He let the pain and sadness wash over him until he fell asleep.