Truth or Dare [ItaSasu] AU

Love is never simple and when it is; it's not worth it

I am SO spoiling you all, it's unbelievable. Don't get used to this though, keep in mind that I do tend to disappear a lot. Hahah. I wish I was kidding.

When I was sitting in the classroom with Sakura next to me, I couldn't bring myself to listen to anything she said. Her words went through my ears without getting the chance to warm up in my head before I forced them right out. All I could focus on was the fact that the class I was waiting for to start was Itachi's. Naruto kept nudging my shoulder, wanting to tell me something, but when I looked at him, he didn't say a thing. Maybe because of the anger in my eyes, maybe because he simply forgot what he wanted to say in the first place. For the first time in a while I was glad when the bell rang though the school, meaning that the class has started. Itachi was rarely late, so it was out of character for him when he was more than fifteen minutes late. He walked into the classroom soon after I texted him if he was okay.

"Sorry I'm late," He said as he sat down at the edge of his table, "There was a problem with the printer." He waved the papers he was holding at us. His eyes met mine for a brief moment, before he looked away at other students. I noticed that his hair wasn't in his usual ponytail, but instead in a messy bun. Another very out of character thing for him, though it suited him. "Grab one and send these around." He said when he walked over to Shino, giving him the pile of papers. "Today, we will talk about Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights. Does anybody know anything about this book?" Nobody said anything.

"As suspected," He said, sitting back down on the table when we all had our own copy of the paper he printed. He was holding the actual book, flipping though its pages. "It is a novel about love and revenge, to put it simply. A love triangle, if you must, between Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar. It follows the journey of self-destructive Heathcliff as he seeks revenge from the world for losing his soulmate, Catherine, to Edgar Linton." He was looking at everyone, but me as he spoke. "Some people consider Wuthering Heights to be a straightforward and intense love story, but really, this is the story of revenge. It follows the life of Heathcliff from his childhood to his early death in his thirties."

As the lesson continued as Itachi kept talking about the story, all I could focus on was that something was wrong. Before, he wouldn't always just look at me, so no one would be suspicious of anything, but he would still look at me. When I raised my hand to answer one of his questions, he ignored me, even though no one else raised their hand.

He read one of the quotes, "He shall never know I love him; and that, not because he's handsome, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same." He flipped to a different page. "This following one is a personal favourite of mine," He said, taking a deep breath.

"I pray every night that I may live after him; because I would rather be miserable than that he should be - that proves I love him better than myself." His eyes looked for mine when he finished reading the quote out loud. The whole class was listening to everything he was saying, captivated by his words.

"Can anyone tell me what this one means?" He asked, "If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn into a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it. - My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary." Nobody raised their hands either, including me.

It was such a painful irony that we had to talk about this book. A love triangle. What a cruel coincidence. I was only half listening for the rest of the class, lost in my own mind. I didn't hear him when he called my name, because I wasn't paying attention.

"Stay behind after the class is over," He sounded as if he was talking to a stranger, which in front of the others, he was. "Now where was I,.." I stopped listening again. There was something about him that made me feel uneasy. Was there really a problem with the printer? Or was he busy doing something else? Why the sudden change of hairstyle?

"Sasuke, you need to pay attention." Sakura said, leaning towards me.

"I am." I said, trying to just brush her off.

"You're not. Don't go getting yourself in trouble with the professor."

"It'll be fine." I reassured her. She leaned back in her seat and continued taking her notes, twice. I was sure that she was taking them for me too. Soon enough, the bell rang though the building again and the students all around me started to pick up their things to go to the next class. I kept on sitting until the last one of them left the room. I picked up my things and walked over to the table. "So, what is it?" I asked when I stood in front of him, keeping my distance. He smelled different too.

"Are you alright?" He asked, reaching out his hand to my face but before he touched me, he pulled it away. "You seemed to be busy over there. Was I boring you?"

"No. I was just thinking how ironic this whole class was."

"You might be right. Though I thought it was quite the opposite. It allowed me to send a message over to you in a public setting without giving anything away."

"You could send a message like this to Shisui in public without getting into trouble." I didn't meant to say that, but it was too late to take it back.

"You are very clearly upset by this, Sasuke," He put the book down next to him. "I told you on many occasions that I don't want to hurt you. This is not worth it."

"How was the ending of the quote nobody could answer your question to? That the love for one of them was necessary? See, I don't think you can be without either one, Itachi. You might love us in very different ways, but you do still love us both."

"I would rather focus on the favourite of mine, because it perfectly describes you right now." His eyes were piercing though me. "I don't want you to suffer for my happiness."

I wanted to change the subject, "So, what's up with your hair?"

"Sasuke," he sighed. "I mean it. There's one more quote I didn't have the time to go over." He held my gaze. "I have not broken your heart, you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Itachi."

"I want you to tell me the truth. I don't want you to be hurt, because seeing you in pain brings me pain too."

"So," I didn't want to talk about this in school. "You didn't tell me what's up with your hair. I haven't seen you in a bun yet." I leaned towards him. "Was it Shisui's idea?"

"Yes, it was."

The bell rang again, "I have to go."

"Will I see you tonight?" He asked as I was walking away.

I didn't answer or look back at him, leaving him behind. I could feel his eyes on my back, waiting for an answer. I knew that if I turned around, I wouldn't be able to hold myself back. It was hard to not be able to just freely fall into his arms when I needed to feel him close. Maybe the things were so complicated because the timing wasn't right. Maybe we met too soon. I was too young and he was too far away for me to reach. But it was already too late, I felt myself fall deep down the rabbit hole that my love for him was. I wanted to push him away, just to see if he would pull me closer, but I couldn't. The fear of him walking away instead was too much for me to think about.

***

Man, choosing books for this story is kind of fun, especially the quotes, they fit so damn well and if you don't agree, fight me.