Temptation (NEW)

Chapter Twenty-One

hello darlings! i went on vacation so that's why i haven't updated in a bit! but now i'm back!
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Sasuke tried really hard to pretend like nothing had happened with his parents. If I tried to bring up the topic, he'd quickly change the subject into something else. He was avoiding it all completely. It kind of had me worried because he was back in class this morning. The night before, he studied and did homework until he couldn't type anymore. I haven't even had a chance to go back to my own apartment because he finds another excuse for me to stay (not that I'm complaining). He was doing everything he could to distract himself from whatever was going on, and I knew a burnout would inevitably come.

Now we are waiting for his brother to arrive and he is acting like it's a typical visit from him. I know something is wrong---I can see it in fleeting moments when he isn't 100% distracted or when he timidly looks at his phone. The truth will come out as soon as Itachi steps through that door.

"Itachi just parked," Sasuke announced, peering up at me from his phone.

He had schoolwork scattered in front of him on the coffee table. The moment we got home from class, he was steady working on it. I guess the only bright side is that it forces me to get my own shit done, too.

"You don't have to stay over tonight," he suggested. "I'm sure your roommate is wondering if you still live there."

God, Shikamaru has been hounding my phone with text messages almost everyday. He definitely wonders if I still live there. He's aware of the situation through bits and pieces that I've texted him about it. I think he understands, but he's still apprehensive about the situation. The last thing he wants is for me to get hurt in all of this.

"I don't mind staying if you need me here," I offered. I also didn't mind knowing what the hell was going on with his parents. I think I deserved to know something, right?

"Itachi will be here so I'll be okay," he replied.

Just as his name was spoken, Itachi knocked on the door. Sasuke shot up and paced over to the door to let him in. I was surprised to see a fully-adult Itachi standing right in front of me. The last time I had seen him, he was just an angsty teenager. Not much had changed in his appearance other than growing a little taller. He still donned an all-black aesthetic with painted black nails. His hair was longer and pulled back in a low ponytail, too. Despite the gloomy fashion, he seemed happy to see me.

"It's been a while since I've seen you," he greeted me. We met in the middle and he pulled me in for a quick hug. As he still held my shoulders, he looked me up and down to see what all had changed with me. "You're all grown up now, aren't you?"

"So are you," I laughed.

He returned his attention rightfully back to Sasuke. There was a glimmer of worry when he looked at him. It seemed like he knew more than I did about the situation. He definitely looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue since I was in the room.

"So, are you staying a while, Naruto?" Itachi asked, glancing back over to me. "It'd be nice to catch up."

Before I could even utter out a word, Sasuke intervened. "He has to go back to his apartment. He's been here for a few days already."

Itachi nodded, "Well, I hope I can see you again soon."

That must have been my cue to leave. Sasuke was looking antsy to talk to his brother in private, and as much as I wanted to know, I wanted him to feel comfortable more than anything. We exchanged goodbyes and quick pecks and then I was out of the door.

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Sasuke's POV

As soon as Naruto left, I could finally crumble in peace. The last thing I wanted was for him to involve himself in my problems. It is too much for him to be handling. My parents were tough and I wanted to protect him as much as possible.

"I take it Naruto doesn't know what's going on?" Itachi chimed in from the couch. "You were quick to make him leave."

"He doesn't need to be caught in the middle of this," I scolded as I walked to take a seat beside him.

"So what's your plan then?" Itachi had a stern look in his eye when he looked at me. "When all of your things are packed up and you have no place to live, don't you think he'll notice? You can't keep him in the dark forever."

"You told me you were looking for an apartment," I huffed, becoming agagitated with the situation.

Itachi softened up a bit, "I am looking, but you'll still technically be homeless for a couple of weeks until it's ready."

The unfortunate truth is that I had an eviction notice posted on my door the other day. I had until the end of the month to get out. My father was quickly making strides to rip everything away from me as punishment. To the best of my ability, I've decided to keep that fact away from Naruto. Knowing him, he'd involve himself.

"Have you talked to them at all?" I asked, referring to my parents.

"I talked to mom." My brother shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with what he had to say. "They want to talk to you---you know, give you options to decide if you really want all of this to happen."

I sucked in air through my teeth. My whole body felt heavy at the thought. "So basically, they want me to decide on living the life they want me to have or living the life that would make me happy?"

"You're not crazy enough to give into them, right?"

The thought of having my safety net back in place grazed through my mind. My privileged life was easy---all I had to do was just follow the rules that my family had made. Sure, I could go back to what I was doing...dating a girl while sneaking around to satisfy myself, but would it actually satisfy me now that I've had a taste of what could potentially be real happiness?

"I'm not going to give in," I answered semi-confidently.

He seemed content with that answer. In a weird way, I think he was happy that I was going against the norm of our family, too. When our parents would lecture us about different things, Itachi would always come back later to try to tell me they were wrong. For a while, I never fully agreed with him, but things changed as I got older. I began to really learn about myself, and I realized I wasn't happy with their ideals.

"I expected you to be a little more distraught," Itachi commented. I could feel his eyes studying me as I stared at the ground.

I shrugged, "I don't think crying will change anything."

"You always do this, Sasuke."

"Do what?"

"Suppress all of your emotions."

I looked at him again with a frustrated glare. He knew the reason why I was like this so it was silly of him to even bring it up. Our parents wanted us to be stoic and strong, rarely showing signs of weakness. We had to be perfect so we could be trusted with our family's legacy. Even if I didn't like their beliefs, I still was raised to be a certain way. I can't change in one go.

"You really should talk to someone," Itachi added. "Like a counselor or something."

I thought back to what Mr. Hatake had offered a few days ago. He suggested that I talked to Mr. Umino, one of the counselors at the university. Not sure how he figured out what had happened at the party, but I guess even professors have their resources.

"I'll think about it," I sighed, only agreeing to give him peace of mind.

I probably needed it, but I guess I like to make things hard on myself. I've been like that my whole life. Suffer in silence until whatever it is eventually goes away.