Bruises & Bitemarks (SasuNaru)

91.

I confront Sai after classes the next day, having texted him at lunch to meet me in the arts hall. I almost expect him not to show, but he keeps to his word and appears on time, and even directs us to an empty classroom to talk. He doesn't press further, however; once we've closed the door, he leans against the wall and awaits my cue.

I cut right to the chase. "I want to talk to you about Blue."

He nods, unsurprised.

"What is he to you?" I ask. "You said you're not going out, so what are you? Friends with benefits?"

"We're not really friends," Sai replies.

"Then what?"

He shrugs. "Just benefits? We're not really anything. We simply find a mutual use in each other."

"He's treating you like a whore!" I nearly shout. The word rings in my ears, more with the impact than the echoes in this room. "You can't just make out with people, Sai. I know you struggle to form relationships with people sometimes, but that's no excuse to have a purely physical relationship."

"Well, why not? What's the harm in it if neither of us expects anything more from the other?"

I open my mouth to retaliate, then find I don't know what to say. I've never considered a relationship like that before. Finally I manage, "Are you sure about that?"

"About what?"

"That neither of you expects anything else."

"Katsumi already made it clear we're not exclusive. There isn't even an 'us.' "

"What about you?"

And here I see, for the first time, a hint of uncertainty in Sai's demeanour.

"Are you sure you're not emotionally attached to him?"

"I'm sure."

"I'm just trying to look out for you," I say. "If you fall in love with him, he's only going to let you down."

"I noticed you didn't say anything against my actions when I told you about my summer," he says, and there's a strange tone to his voice. "Why are you so concerned now about who I fuck?"

Anything I was about to say dies in my throat.

"Don't think you're the only one."

"It... it's not just Blue, is it? I ask apprehensively. "Sai, are you... sleeping around?"

"That's kind of an offensive term, Naruto-kun."

"So you are. When do you find the time?"

He shrugs. "Weekends, mostly."

I frown. "Is that why you never hang out with us? 'Cause you're in bed with strangers?"

"We're not always in a bed."

"Sai!"

The doorknob turns and Ero-Sennin pokes his head in. "Oh, it's you, Naruto. Everything alright in here, boys?"

"We were just saying goodbye," says Sai, offering his usual smile. "I'll see you around, Naruto-kun."

Ero-Sennin steps aside to let Sai out, then turns to me. "What's up, kid?"

I turn away. "It's personal."

"Alright." He waves me over, and I come out of the dark classroom into the hall and we start walking. "How've you been? Did Sasuke-kun give you that thing for your birthday? Happy seventeenth, by the way."

"Thanks. Yeah, he did." I smile at the memory, then look up at him. "Hey, you knew my parents, right?"

"Yep. Taught them and everything."