"But I'm glad you are giving it a thought. I was expecting you to flat out reject me and laugh in my face. But now..Even if the chances are slim, I'm more than happy to at least have that amount of chance to be with you."

He had my heart racing immediately. Sasuke's words were like a cupid's arrow shooting directly through my heart.. Dammit! This guy is just too good, he just knows what to say and when to say it!

No wonder girls are crazy in love with him.
It must be his smooth tongue, good looks and intelligence. He has everything anyone would want.. How did I think I could win him at his own love game?

I need to reject him.
I need to!
Because at this rate, I might really..

"..Sasuke.." I finally gathered all my courage to start my sentence of rejection.

Come on, Naruto.
Breathe deep and say it like how you've always been doing it - rejecting and dumping girls who were not up to your standard or that you got bored of.

I continued to give myself a pep talk in my head while in reality, Sasuke was glancing over at me every few seconds in anticipation of what I had to announce.

But a few silent seconds quickly became minutes. He arched in brow anxiously, "What's up? You've gone unusually quiet." He finally decided to pry.
I cleared my throat, "Uh.. Well.. I h-have something to tell you."

Stop probing, Sasuke! I'm thinking of the words and how I should phrase it so I don't hurt you as much.
Give me some time! I'm not usually the best with words, I just say whats on my mind but if I go "Nah, I don't like you one bit", you might cry, Uchiha!

"Well.. You see the thing is..." I turned to the window, afraid of looking at his face or meeting his eyes.

"I think you're.. n-not.. suitable.. as.. my.."
"Give me a chance to-."
"..-T-Tutor."
".. Oh."

Fuuuuuck!
How-
How did I mess up a rejection?!
How did I blurt out tutor instead of partner?!
It's two different, different things.
Idiot! Idiot! I was mentally strangling myself.

"I thought you were going to say something else. You really caught me off guard there." He sighed in relief as he slowed down the car, with one hand running through the back of his hair.

My face was growing red as the internal battle in my head was still going on.

"But my statement still stands. Give me a chance to tutor you, and I'll prove it to you that I'm better and suitable for you." The car came to a complete stop as I realised we were in our driveway.

I composed myself as I slapped myself a thousand times internally to bring me back to my senses. I was almost getting frustrated with myself as I can't seem to get it together whenever he's around.

Just be normal! Please just be normal for once! Stop making a fool out of yourself! It's always in front of him, of all people!

"It's okay.. I'm comfortable with Sai and he's been really helping me out." I hastily opened the door to exit the car and made my way to the front door.

The driver's car door shut and Sasuke grabbed my wrist before I could touch the handle of the front door.
"But I'm not okay with it."
"I just want to pass my finals, you don't have to make this complicated."
"I'm not trying to make this complicated for you, I just-" The front door opened and interrupted our almost-heated conversation.

It was the older brother, Itachi.
He looked at me, then Sasuke, then eyeballing his hand wrapped around my wrist. But Sasuke didn't let go, he looked slightly pissed off at Itachi for butting in.

"Everything alright?" Itachi took a step back for me to enter the house. He had his wallet, phone and keys in his hand, looking as though he was about to go out.
It was only when I got into the house, Sasuke released his gentle grip on me. "Yeah." He sighed deeply and answered his brother.

"I'm meeting some friends for dinner and drinks. Wanna tag along?" The older brother invited us but I politely rejected it.
"Sounds good." Sasuke turned back to his car from the front door and Itachi followed along behind him. "You sure, Naruto?" He asked one last time before he could fully shut the front door.

I looked behind my shoulder from the stairs, "Yeah, I'm good! I'll order dinner myself tonight." I forced a smile across my face and proceeded into my room as I heard the front door closed.

I collapsed onto the bed, replaying my failed rejection in my head.

I repeatedly punched my pillow in frustration at myself.
Why can't I just say it?
What is it about him that makes me so messed up all the damn time?

Stupid Uchiha..

When I awoke, it was already pretty dark in my room. The house was still quiet so I assumed the brothers were not home yet, I checked my phone to see it was already 10:30pm.

My stomach then growled violently. I got out of bed to boil some hot water for my instant cup ramen.

I was on the living room's sofa, watching a comedy movie and finishing up my instant noodles when I heard the front door unlock.
I turned to look at the door to see the brothers emerging from behind it.

I could also immediately smell the alcohol from both of them. I put down my cup ramen on the coffee table and hopped over the couch to check on them. That was also when I realised their friend was behind them, as their support because they were walking unsteadily.

He gave me the car keys and told me to take good care of them. "They both seemed really down and drank a lot today, please take good care of them." I thanked him and slung the two brother's arms over my shoulders and onto the sofa.

I don't think I could drag them upstairs to their rooms, they were both too heavy for me.

"You know we have school tomorrow.. Why did you guys drink so much?" I lectured them as I got into the kitchen to grab them both water.
Unlike Sasuke, Itachi was usually very rational and getting wasted on a school day isn't very much like him.
What made him so upset he had to drink himself to this point?

"Here." I gave them both a cold water bottle to cool themselves down. They were both awfully quiet, as they gulped the water down.

"What's gotten into the both of you?" I remained standing above them, watching them lifelessly leaning back onto the sofa.

"It's.. nothing to worry about." Itachi was the first one to respond, his little brother remained silent. The older brother then got up ruggedly and made his way to his room, "I'm here." I offered my hand to help him up the stairs and into his room.

He gently plopped onto his bed, and I asked him again, "Are you sure you're alright?"

There were a few pauses of silence before he answered me. He seemed to have his guard lowered because he wasn't sober.
He opened up easily to me.

"Do you know.. Ever since we were young, especially after our parents passed.. I tried to give the world to Sasuke? Everything he wanted, I would tried my best to give even if I wanted it myself. Be it my favourite toy or CD, I would let him have it. But this time, I just don't know if I can give it up."

It was the first time I'd seen Itachi letting someone in, usually as the big brother he would try to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders with a smile. Even if he was hurting.

He was sure as hell hurting now..
Is it.. me?
Because of me?
My heart dropped as I realised I'm the cause of his pain.

"Don't let something silly ruin what you have with your brother. You guys are family after all.."

I don't want to be the cause of their fights or separation. They have what I want so desperately but can't have, and that's family. It shouldn't be taken so lightly.
At least they have each other, and they should value that. They're all they're left with.

He nodded with a sigh under his breath, "Maybe you're right.. But I was hoping for once.. He would be the one giving in."