When Love Fades

Chapter 39 - The Confrontation III

Sasuke drove them to Neji's place. He knew he wasn't participating much in the conversation Neji had started about the band they'd just seen but Neji wasn't the sort who would get annoyed about something like that.

Kiba had just been drunk and annoying. Why should Sasuke care how many different foster homes Naruto had been in? That was years ago, and obviously Naruto had gotten through it just fine.

Sasuke's jaw tensed at the lie.

He knew that wasn't entirely true. That was the facade that Naruto put on to fool everyone else. It hadn't worked on Sasuke, not after the first project they did together. They had talked a little about their fucked-up childhoods. Not a lot, since it wasn't something either one wanted to discuss pretty much ever. Neither man wanted pity or sympathy or advice. It was what it was and they'd both lived through it.

He knew that Naruto hadn't had a stable environment growing up. Knew that he'd been moved around a few times, sometimes for pretty bad shit. But twelve homes? It's possible Kiba had been exaggerating. Kiba always exaggerated. But somehow, Sasuke didn't think so. That number had been ripped from Kiba and Sasuke had felt like somehow he'd gotten a peek into Naruto's childhood through Kiba's eyes... Naruto trying to brush off the shit that was always going down at home. Kiba watching from the outside, trying to be supportive and let Naruto handle things the way he wanted. But keeping track. Noticing every bruise, every time there was a new parent dropping Naruto off or a new phone number to reach him at. Never talking about it or asking questions because Kiba would have known that Naruto didn't want that.

Sasuke had never really liked Kiba much. He was loud and crude and only amplified those elements in Naruto when the two of them were together. But for just an instant, Sasuke felt like he understood him and the depth of what that childhood friendship must have been. He felt some of his anger at Kiba fading a little bit.

Though the man was still an annoying drunk.

He sighed as the pulled into the underground parking garage of Neji's apartment building. Sasuke could feel Neji's eyes on him but the man said nothing as they walked up to Neji's penthouse.

Sasuke had been lost in thought and hadn't even started taking off his jacket when he felt Neji's hands slide beneath it.

"I think we had some unfinished business from the club," Neji said huskily.

Sasuke felt his stomach tighten and it wasn't from lust. Sasuke had no idea why, but he found himself pulling away, earning slightly puzzled look from Neji. Sasuke had never turned down sex a single time after they had started seeing each other.

"Actually, I think I'm going to head home." Sasuke was relieved when Neji simply stepped away. He didn't look offended, only slightly concerned but Neji didn't push.

"How about a raincheck for tomorrow," Neji suggested easily.

Sasuke gave a short nod. Whatever this weird feeling was, he'd be done with it by then. He was probably just tired and annoyed by Kiba's drunken ranting and the unpleasant memories that they'd caused to surface. "I'll come by after work."

"You're also welcome to stay and talk about it if you want to," Neji offered almost hesitantly as Sasuke's hand landed on the door knob.

"I'm just tired," Sasuke replied, knowing Neji would take the hint and let it drop. Which he did.

As Sasuke drove back to his own apartment, he realized that that was another big difference between Neji and Naruto. Neji gave Sasuke space to deal with his issues in his own way. Naruto never had and it had driven Sasuke crazy.

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"I'll see you later," Sasuke said to Naruto, pulling his graduation gown off and shoving it under his arm. They were still in the hall where the ceremony had taken place, surrounded by families taking photos of the new graduates.