Bruises & Bitemarks (SasuNaru)

101.

SASUKE POV:
I need a drink.

It's dark in the club, colourful lights rotating on the walls and on everyone on the dance floor. Despite the lovely smell of spring and the beautiful cherry blossom trees, I've had an awful day. Maybe it's just that I've had an awful month, or two months, or however long it's been now. Girls won't stop swarming me, even some boys have tried to ask me out (to absolutely no success), I'm no closer to finding Itachi, Naruto's demon fox is turning the air of the entire school into lead, I can barely sleep for more than half an hour at a time, and I think I've developed a permanent headache. I know I'll regret it tomorrow when I can't see for the pounding hangover, but I don't care right now – I just really fucking need a drink.

I make myself comfortable at the bar and order the strongest thing I can force down without it coming back up. I always loathed when Naruto kissed me after gin. Granted, that stopped happening quickly enough, after I expressed my disgust. Now I feel like a hypocrite, but is he gonna know? No. He wouldn't know if I went and fucked anyone in this place. He doesn't matter anymore. The only reason I still think about him is because when I'm in a shitty mood I like to mentally take it out on him. Which is pretty much the entire time since he stormed out of my room.

It takes a few shots before I start to loosen up, but after that the alcohol kicks in pretty good, making the club sway and my head feel light. Yeah, that's better. Doesn't get rid of the pounding drum in my skull, but besides that, much improved.

I swivel around on the bar stool to watch the people on the dance floor. Maybe I should get in there, loosen up a bit. But something is telling me no. Dancing makes me think of Naruto. Of him leading the way, of him getting the crowd going at the club, of him teaching his school group the steps to Takeshi's latest tune, of him going off to England to become a big shot or whatever it is he thinks he's gonna do. Good riddance, I say. I'm not going to help him up when he comes crawling to my feet, homeless and starving. Seriously, how can he have so much conviction that he'll be famous one day? Life doesn't work like that. It may be my dream to publish a book, but I'm not about to just drop everything and write. I'd starve before I could even find a publisher.

"Hey, Sasuke." I turn to see Shiroi approaching. "Fancy seeing you here. How much have you drunk already?"

"Not enough."

"Touché. What's enough?"

"When I can forget. Where's Takeshi?"

"On the dance floor somewhere, probably showing off." The stool next to me is vacant, so he takes it. I offer him a sip of my drink (I've given up on the shots by now), but he shakes his head. "Someone here has to stay sober, and you know I don't take alcohol well."

I laugh. "You really don't. You're worse than Naruto." I down the last of my drink.

"I'm worse than a lot of people." He raises an eyebrow at me. "So, what is it you're trying to forget?"

I shrug. "Dunno. Everythin', I guess. Just for a bit."

"You've never been the type to drown your sorrows in drink."

"Yeah, well, this is an unprec'den'd chapter of my life, so I think I'm entitled to be a bit outta character."

"Unprecedented?" he repeats. "Big word. Use smaller ones, you're going to hurt yourself. What's so unprecedented about it?"

"Smart-ass," I mumble. "What isn't unprecedented about it? It's like the teenage version of a mid-life crisis. Naruto's gone, school's the same old borin' shit, and I'm not one inch closer to finding Itachi."

"Considering you said you were done with Naruto, you seem to talk a lot about him."

I glare at Shiroi, and he backs up a little. But the look on his face doesn't change.