When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 6 -

Sasuke Uchiha awoke the next morning filled with an undying hatred for the world. He had only caught a few hours of sleep that night, the rest of it devoted to constant tossing and turning; at least, that's what Sasuke assumed from the navy sheets and pillows that were strewn across the floor. It also didn't help that the first sound he heard that day was that of "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" blaring right next to his ear. Of course, this sound was quickly silenced, as Sasuke yanked his alarm clock from the wall and tossed it against the wall was all his groggy might.

Fucking radio...

With that pleasant thought, Sasuke rolled out of bed and wandered across the hallway to the bathroom, where he took a quick glance at his reflection in the mirror. To put it lightly, he was not pleased with what he saw: heavy bags under his eyes, jet-black hair that stood up rather awkwardly on one side, and his bare chest covered with the impressions of his tangled sheets. Truly, he was a mess, and the Uchiha could only hope that a shower would help somewhat in restoring his image.

Thus, with a disgruntled sigh, Sasuke dropped his dark, blue boxers to the ground and hopped into the shower, where he let the hot water rush over his body. For a minute he simply stood there beneath the showerhead and watched as the water ran in little streams off his hair, his mind swimming with thoughts. He knew perfectly well why he had not been able to sleep the night before, and it was something that he could not simply ignore.

Naruto Uzumaki... I avoided you yesterday. I didn't talk to you. I didn't even see you... so why the hell can't I stop thinking about you. Is there something wrong with me? I've lived for sixteen years not knowing the slightest bit about him, so why, all of a sudden, do I need to know everything about him? What is so damn interesting!

Sasuke found the whole ordeal to be quite frustrating, but knew that he couldn't dwell on the matter forever and reached for the soap. As he lathered up, the Uchiha's mind continued to drift in spite of himself back to the subject of the blond. Every few moments the angsty teen shook the thoughts from his mind, but he found the attempts to be futile.

After all, Sasuke was not used to having someone bother him like this. It was almost an obsession, really, this need to understand just who Naruto was. How much of the blond's personality was just a carefully calculated act, a façade that he put on for the rest of the world? He knew there was something more to the blond, some deeply sensitive side of which he had only scratched the surface.

Of course, even if Sasuke acknowledged his interest in Naruto, the question remained why he had such a strong curiosity to begin with. Did he really feel such a strong connection with him just because of their tortured pasts? It was possible, Sasuke knew, but somehow it didn't seem sufficient. Whatever the case, though, the Uchiha knew he would simply have to avoid Naruto at all costs. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.

Thus, as he washed the foaming shampoo out of his raven-hair, Sasuke felt a renewed determination to keep the blond out of his life. Hopefully, with a bit of effort, he would be able to move past this little obstacle and return to his simple existence. Shutting the water off, Sasuke then stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before starting for his bedroom. With drops of water forming a small, dark spot on his sapphire carpet, the Uchiha quickly dried off and walked over to his dresser, where he dug around for something that screamed, "stay the hell away."

Alright... black ought to do. All black. No... that's a bit extreme. Just nothing orange...

Ultimately, Sasuke threw on a simple black tee and stepped into some blue jeans; hopefully he could blend in with such an unassuming ensemble. Feeling adequately prepared for the day, the raven-haired boy made his way downstairs to the kitchen, where he poured himself a bowl Cheerios. He munched on these for a while at the table and, still feeling somewhat groggy, did not immediately notice his brother staring at him with a satisfied smirk.