My Lover's Keeper

69. Rookie Mistake

Sasuke lingered by the bedroom door watching Naruto sleep peacefully.

The conversation they had earlier that evening haunted him.

He gathered the broken pieces of his feelings when he heard voices in the hallway.

Some distant relatives of his congratulated him one last time before having to leave; Sasuke simply forced a smile for them.

The party gradually died out.

The raven sat in the gazebo by himself, staring at the shiny golden band on his finger.
Shoes clicked approaching him and someone, he didn't bother to look at, sat beside him.

"I was waiting for a chance to talk to you..."

"What about?" Sasuke wondered.

"I was out of line this morning. I'm sorry." The older teen apologized. "I was pulling his leg about hearing you two last night... Long story short I was intrigued to how he knew I didn't and I took it too far with my jokes. Naruto's a good friend, and he loves you a lot so please don't take it out on him."

Sasuke noticed the desperation in last couple sentences with that plea.
"I'm not," he exasperated "I'm not taking it on you either." Sasuke placed his hand on top of his friend's "I'm sorry for your loss, Sai."

The Uchiha still didn't know the full story. But he knew enough to deduce Sai didn't have a happy last moment with his significant other.

"Did he tell you?" He looked away.

"Just that you lost someone dear. I figured from his tone they meant a lot to you. Naruto doesn't really out people's problems."

Sai squeezed the hand letting Sasuke know he appreciated his support. "Thank him for me," he forced a smile and got up.

"Wait..." Sasuke cleared his throat as his classmate actually stopped. He didn't think his voice was audible enough, or rather say, he had hoped it wasn't. "Naruto was mumbling something in his sleep about going with you to visit them. I was wondering-..."

Sai could see this wasn't something Sasuke was comfortable with.
"It's okay, Dead Fish." He joked to elevate the mood. "Naruto needs you by his side."

Hino turned around to leave but Sasuke stopped him yet again. "I'm coming with." He said more confidently.

It was a quiet ride to the graveyard. Sai lead the way to a gravestone Hino Shin was what the mark said.

"We weren't married if that's what you were going to ask." Sai clarified right away before lighting up the candle by his lover's grave, using it to light the incense and then sitting down on his kneels quietly paying his respect.

Sasuke would have knelt beside him. But his heart was aching too much. Looking at that grave all he could see was Naruto's name written there.

His breathing got audible to the point where it interrupted Sai's praying. The older teen turned around to find the groom almost collapsed.

The world spun around Sasuke, he stammered and fell, hand still tightly clutching his chest.
This wasn't the first time he had felt that needle like prickling in his heart but this definitely was the worst experience out of all.

Sai was on the phone with the emergency line, he was beyond worried. The raven was completely unresponsive despite his eyes being fully open.

🍙🍜🍙🍜🍙

Sai waited, he stared at his phone. Should he call Naruto? Should he tell him? Sasuke had begged him to keep this a secret.