Archive of Our Own

I like you like this

I walk calmly through the school’s halls, feeling the disapproving glares of my fellow students. I don’t care about it thought. I’m more than used to them by now. I have been subjected to them since the moment I started high school after all.

I keep on my way until I get to my original destination: the library. I love to come here and spend hours reading without being bothered by anyone.

I enter the room and greet the librarian with a kind smile that she reciprocates. Then I walk slowly towards my usual spot. Once then my eyes fell on one person who I recognize instantly and which causes me to let out a tired sigh. Uchiha Sasuke is sleeping comfortably on the spot I usually take.

I let out another heavy sigh and take the seat right in front of him. I can’t help myself but to look at his peaceful and sleeping face. I really don’t understand him at all.

Since the moment I got into this school, I knew early on who he was. After all, he’s the most desirable man in this school, having maidens and bearers alike falling over themselves to get even just a single glance from him. Everywhere I went I would hear them talk about him, wishful and hopeful, all of them infatuated by the raven.

In the whole year I had been studding here, we had never once spoken to each other and I didn’t plan into approaching him either. I liked my life as it was. Spending time alone and without being bothered by others is what I had wanted. Being surround by peace and quiet. That’s how I wanted to spend my high school years. However, he had to ruin that for me.

No more than two weeks ago, I was reading calmly here as I always do and from one moment to another, he was sitting right in front of me, looking intensely at me. I tried to ignore him and keep on reading, but his gaze started to make me feel uncomfortable and a little bit nervous too, so after letting out a tired sigh, I closed my book and stood up from my seat with the intention to going somewhere else. I remember seeing him frown deeply right before he grabbed my arm to stop me.

-Why are you leaving? –he asked me with his usual cold and calm tone of voice.

I don’t want to admit that I did feel my body shiver slightly after hearing his voice from so close for the first time. Not that I would ever say so out loud.

-I can read calmly with someone staring at me so intently. It’s annoying. –I replied honestly.

I almost let out an astonished gasp when I saw him do something that I would have never expect him to. He smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, more like a barely there raise of his lips to one side, but it was a smile either way.

-I like your behavior. Do you mind if I keep you company for a while? –he questioned, still grinning a bit and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, feeling confused at his sudden suggestion. I didn’t know why he decided he wanted to stay, but I nodded my head either way.

-Okay… but you better stop staring at me like that or I will leave. –I agreed and sat back down on my chair.

He simply nodded his head in understanding and moved his head to look out through the window. That’s how our time together went by. I kept reading my book and he staid gazing out the window. Before I realized it, it was time to leave since the sun was starting to set down and I knew for sure that my older brother would kill me if I stayed out too late.

I politely said my goodbye to the black-haired male and we both went our separate way. I thought it was going to be a one time only, that we wouldn’t interact with each other again, but the next day he appeared once more. And that’s how it went to this day.

When I ask him about it, he just answers that he likes the library since it’s a calm place where his overzealous fans don’t bother him which I can relate to, in a way at least, since at first, I choose to come here to stop feeling the judging and mockery gazes of the other students.

I look at his sleeping face once more and I can admit that he does have a pretty face and he looks so relaxed now, something that it’s difficult to see since he’s frowning most of the time. I don’t judge him for it thought, his fans can be a true pain in the ass most of the time. I let out a chuckle after imagining the angry glare he would throw my way if I told him how much of a porcelain doll he looks while in his sleep.

I hum and open my chosen book for today, starting to read it. The time goes by as fast as it usually does once I’m concentrated like this. I almost jump startled when I hear Sasuke call out my name, telling me it’s time to go home. I look up towards the window and my eyes widen in surprise at seeing the sky starting to get darker by the minutes. I don’t admit it out loud, but the fact that I didn’t realize when the black-haired male woke up is just as astonishing.

-Let’s go. –he says with a little smirk on his face, surely caused by my startled reaction.

I avert my gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed after seeing the clear enjoyment on his face at my behavior, and nod my head. I stand up and stretch my body a bit, since I’m feeling quite stiff after been sitting for so long. He waits for me patiently and when I’m finally done, he starts walking towards the exit. I follow him, both keeping a calm and relaxed pace as the quiet surrounds us.

At this hour, it’s late enough that there’s not that many students roaming around the school. The only one are the ones that had to stay over in detention, the ones that need some supplementary classes and those who are in a sports club.

We get to the school’s entrance and I can see Sasuke’s friend from the basketball club, the football one and the tennis one: Juugo, Suigetsu, Neji and Shino. Then there’s his cousin, Sai along with his older brother, Itachi.

It’s in moments like this one that I get uncomfortable once more. Spending time with Sasuke is comfortable. I like the calm and quiet that surrounds us and I also like that he doesn’t seem to care that much about my looks. However, when we get to the school’s entrance that peaceful atmosphere shatters because they always glare at me with such hateful eyes. Is like they blamed me for the raven’s rejection about entering a club, like he chose me over them in a way, which doesn’t make any sense because I was never the one to approach him. It was the other way around.

I let out another sigh, trying to be as quiet as possible for them not to notice it and the make a little bow as a goodbye. I start to walk away from them, even if I notice how the black-haired male wants to tell me something. I just keep going since I can’t take much more of their gazes on me. I see from the corner of my eye how Sasuke sighs resignedly and starts to walk alongside his friends, which makes my heart squeeze painfully on my chest. I don’t know why it hurt me like that, that he didn’t try to stop me.

I bit my lower lip to stop the whine that wants to come out from them. I don’t want to get anymore of their attention than I already have, since I can still feel their gazes on me from behind. I keep on walking, trying to ignore them the best I can, but a black car suddenly stops right in front of me. After seeing it, I recognize the owner immediately and I stop in my tracks at the same time as a shiver runs all over my body.

My fear is confirmed once two people get out of the car: the older one is a long-haired blond, tied in a high ponytail, with aquamarine eyes, even though one of them is covered by his bangs, and terse white skin. He’s Namikaze Uzumaki Deidara, my older brother. The other, younger one, is guy my age who had short red hair, gorgeous tourmaline eyes and pale soft skin. On his forehead he had the kanji for love tattooed. His name being Sabaku no Gaara, and he’s my best friend.

I swallow hard at seeing the angriness exuding visibly from my brother’s body who started to walk towards me like an animal stalking its prey.

-Naruto! What the fuck are you still doing here?! –he exclaims loudly at the same time as he shakes me at the shoulders.

I don’t understand what he’s talking about so I look towards my friend with the most confused face I can muster right in this moment since I’m starting to feel dizzy by all the jostling around. Gaara lets out a tired sigh before grabbing my brother and stopping him before I actually faint from lack of air and the nauseous feeling getting more intense as he kept shaking me.

-Calm down, Deidara-san. –he tells my brother calmly before looking at me with an amused smile. – Naru… you forgot we had work to do an hour ago. –he reminds me, eyes twinkling with amusement.

-It was today?! –I exclaim shocked and after seeing the both of them nod their heads I groan loudly, understanding why my brother was so pissed at me. – I’m so sorry… I completely forgot. –I whisper, looking at him with ashamed eyes.

The older blond huffs before letting out a bid sigh which makes me smile a little bit. I know that he can actually stay angry at me for long. He spoils me too much, not that I complain a bout it though. I like being pampered, sue me.

-Doesn’t matter… but as compensation, today I’m not going to let you sleep at all. –he says, smiling darkly at me and another shiver runs down my body.

I hesitantly nod my head and follow him to the car, all with a kicked puppy behavior that Gaara thinks it’s funny because I can totally see and hear him snicker from behind me.

-What are you laughing about? You won’t sleep either. –Dei tells him, raising an eyebrow with a nonchalant face and I smirk pleased at seeing Gaara’s face pale considerably and take a despondent frown.

He huffs and hits me on the back on the head, clearly annoyed.

-This is your fault, stupid blond. –he grumbles, glaring at me.

-Don’t call me that, that Dei-nii is also blond. –I comment, pouting at him which makes him relax and smile slightly at me.

-You idiot… –he whispers fondly and that makes me beam at him.

I jump and hug him around the neck, holding him at the same time as I giggle against his neck. He chuckles and reciprocates the gesture, nuzzling his nose against my hair before letting me go. I smile at him once more before getting inside the car, being followed by him soon after. My brother is already on the driver’s seat and it doesn’t take long for us to start going.

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After the three left, the male’s group stood there frozen, still not believing what he had just seen. They didn’t understand why the Uzumaki Deidara, one of the most famous and younger designers in their country would come and get the younger blond. Or why Sabaku no Gaara, one of the most desirable models and who only worked for the blue-eyed bearer, was with them.

Since they weren’t close enough to listen to their conversation, they felt nothing but stupefaction in them. They only saw how close the three looked, even going as far as witnessing the usually antisocial redhead hug and smile at the younger blond.

While they were standing there with their mouths open like fishes out of the water, there was one of them that looked furious after witnessing that scene. The younger Uchiha looked ready to commit murder in that moment. He wanted to wring the redhead’s neck. Make sure the light fade from his eyes forever!

He had tried to get closer to the sapphire-eyed bearer for weeks now and the blond barely talked to him. And now, he saw him hug and smile to the jade-eyed bearer like it was as easy for him as to breath.

He despised it. He hated it with all his being. He was controlling the urge to snap someone’s neck in that moment, but he wasn’t sure he could manage to calm down the boiling rage he felt inside, not even if he did murder someone.

Truth be told, he was already aware of the relationship between those three, but he still couldn’t control the ugly jealousy he was feeling inside. The possessiveness he felt whenever he saw the shorter blond paying attention to someone or something that wasn’t him.

He clenched his hands in a tight fist and took a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart. Then he clicked his tongue, still pretty angry, but decided to stop wasting his time and started to walk back home once more.

The other’s followed him slowly, looking to still be in a trance of sorts. Clearly their minds couldn’t comprehend what they had just seen a few minutes prior which he felt thankful for because if he had to hear them talk badly about Naruto once more, there was going to be a bloodbath caused by his own very two hands. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with their bullshit after all.

The only one who seemed to notice and understand the change in the raven’s behavior and mood was the older Uchiha who couldn’t stop himself from smirk in amusement. It was pretty clear for him to see the jealousy exuding from his little brother’s body. He looked about to hunt someone down and end their existence altogether.

He still didn’t understand the situation as a whole, but one thing he knew for sure: his little brother was head over heals for the shorter blond and it seemed that his feelings were hard for him to control.

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Once we got to the studio we where welcome with upset photographers and another staff with frowns in their faces. The director was the only one that only shook his head and sighed in a mix of exasperation and fondness. After all, it was not the first time that something like this happened so, there wasn’t anything to be surprised about.

I have the habit of losing track of time when I’m focused on reading so, there always has to be someone to keep an eye on me and tell me about the hour. It’s true that when I’m at the school things doesn’t go that way and after being alone most of the time, is when I tend to forget about an appointment and I end up being late to them. If I end up showing that’s it which I do, it’s just that someone has to come and fetch me for that to happen.

I walk towards the change room and once there, I take off my school uniform and put on whatever is already there for me. This time the theme my brother chose is “Rock&Punk” so I’m now wearing black clothes with some tinges of yellow in them that fit my slim body perfectly.

I actually quite like this style even if it’s not that usual for me to be wearing it: black tight pants that accentuate my curves, motorcycle boots with a high platform that I love, a black t-shirt with yellow lines that makes the image of a scorpion on the back, fingerless black gloves, fake piercings on the ears and a black velvet collar with a skull pendant on it.

I go out of the change room while humming happily. I have my makeup done along with my hair. Since I have kinda long, around my shoulders, and it has a live of his own with how wild and messy it is, they need to put in some effort into taming it somewhat. With a black bandana on my forehead, my hair looks pretty good with some strands falling on top of it and some staying inside, my sapphire eyes are in perfect view. Something that between my glasses and the fringe of my hair it’s not so common to be seen. The three scars on each of my cheeks give the look the last touch.

On the other side, my best friend is wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt with black tight pants, a deep burgundy jacket wrapped around his waist, a black wristband on his left arm and a collar falls down his slender neck with a pendant in the form of a platinum plaque. With his tattoo and the black eyeliner he’s wearing, he has the rebel look my brother is looking for.

Honestly, I’m not surprised that the redhead is one of the most popular models of the moment. He’s a big ally to my brother, but a part of myself thinks is a bit of a waste that he just works exclusively for us. He could do so much more if he agreed to work for other companies and designers too. However, is not like I’m any different since I only accept jobs for my brother too.

Once we’re ready, the photoshoot starts. Is a little bit monotonous since we only follow the indications that the photographer gives us, but I still like and enjoy doing my job. At first, I just did it to give my brother a hand, now thought I quite enjoy it. It also makes me feel very proud when I hear people praise the clothes and, why not say it, the models too. It always makes me smile when it happens.

By the time I notice, two hours had already gone by. We stop to take a little break and have dinner. Next, we change to another set of clothes and start the photoshoot once more. Since we have to do that a few times, it seems like my brother’s threat about not letting us sleep tonight was going to become true. Well, not really because we do have a rest room with beds for a case something like this happened, but still. It will be pretty late by the time be finish with this.

I let out the most tired sigh in history as my back hits the mattress. As I guessed a few hours ago, by the time we were done with the photoshoot the clock already marked 5 am. It’s going to be just three hours of sleep for me, for that’s better than nothing at all, I guess. It’s barely a few seconds since my head hit the pillow that I fall asleep, the tiredness in me making it easier to fall into Morpheus arms.

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When I got back home, I pissed beyond belief. So much that if I had the ability to set people on fire it would have already scorched them to dead.

After my friends, family members and me witnessed that scene between the three bearers, the walk back home was the most excruciating of all times. Besides having to deal with my friends’ questions about what we had recently saw, they wanting to know if I had any information that they didn’t, the assholes took advantage into letting some pretty awful comments about Naruto.

I honestly just approached him because I was curious. I didn’t lie when the first time we talked, I mentioned that I liked going to the school’s library because it was a peaceful and quiet place. Where I’m not bothered by all the crazies that follow me all day long.

However, as days went by, I realized that the blonde’s company was more than welcome. That I felt pretty comfortable around him and, little by little, I felt a certain urge to know more about him. Some part of myself, had such a strong desire to have the blue-eyed male close to me. It felt like I was being pulled towards him, like some kind of string had us tied together in a way.

The downside of it, is that I hadn’t managed to get that many words come out of Naruto’s voice. On the positive side, the blond also seemed to be comfortable around me. I had seen him avoid interacting with others before, so the fact that he still choses to sit close to me in the library is a big point in my favor, or so I want to think.

Either way, when we are there, he always falls in a kind of trance when he reads, that I find incredibly adorable. He may not pay attention to me that much, but being able to watch how his expression changes every time something happens in whatever book he’s engrossed in, always makes me feel happy. I love how entranced he looks in those moments. He’s the cutest thing I have ever seen, I swear.

Back to the topic at hand. It was around a week into interacting with him that I found out about his job. One of the guys in my class was loudly talking about how hot and sexy a guy in a magazine was. Some of his friends were debating about who was the best looking between the redhead and the blond one. It was mere curiosity that made me look in their direction and my gaze fell on top of the opened magazine.

My eyes widened considerably at that moment since I recognized the bearer with hair as bright as the sun and eyes as clear as the sea, who was wearing such a different set of clothes from the usual ones I see him in. I couldn’t exactly tell the style the clothes he was modeling for, but the scene represented was one of vampires sitting on a soft and red velvet couch, similar to those in Victorian times, dark and frilly clothes, chandelier illumination… and more along those lines.

I wanted to ask him about it when we met that same afternoon, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it, or well, about anything really since he was so focused on his latest book, and I decided to keep quiet about it.

It was soon that I noticed how upset he became every time he heard the other student’s whispered comments about himself. All those awful words being directed at him just because they didn’t like how he looked like. And I can understand that more than most would think. I more than certain that all of those who try to get close to me only do so, because of my looks or my family’s money.

That’s another reason on why I’m so interested in the shorter blond. He didn’t approach me even after hearing all the rumors and not so whispered words that run around the school about me. More so, he barely pays any attention to me. There’s a part of me that hates that, mostly my pride got a big blow because of it, but since it is him, I like it in equal part.

I’m certain that my friends don’t understand it, but I want a lover that likes me for myself, for what I am, not for whatever I may have or how I look like. They think that I will forget all about it once I meet a cute girl to sleep with, however, those superficial relationship are not my thing at all. I’m more than certain that I want someone to spend my days with, no matter the differences between us or the difficulties we may encounter. I want to be loved honestly with all my flaws included, not despise them.

Sighing, I let myself fall on top of my bedroom’s bed. Today has been a pretty long day for me and I truly feel with no desire of moving from my spot at all. So tired I was, that I even didn’t went down for dinner. I just fell asleep like that, my mind full of images of my cute little blond, no caring that he’s still not mine, officially at least, however I’m sure that it will work out in the end. After all, I’m pretty stubborn myself, and I don’t plan into giving him up any time soon, if never.

With a tiny smile gracing my lips, I fell asleep, knowing that the next day the blue-eyed bearer will be completely exhausted, which makes him look adorable to say the least. The sleepy faces he makes, the way he would just stare into space without seeing what was right in front of him, the way he would reply to people slower than usual… I love witnessing all of that since the blond is just the most enchanting and interesting creature, I have had the pleasure into knowing.

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I wake up a little bit later than usual, tired and sleepy I walk towards the bathroom where I take a quick shower before putting on my usual clothes: a big and comfy hoodie, wide trousers too, a bit worn out sneakers, my usual pair of old-fashioned glasses and my wild blond hair. I don’t have time to fight with it so, I leave it like that. Pouting a bit at my reflection, I let out a tired sigh before starting to walk towards the parking.

Once there, I see my brother and best friend already waiting for me. I wave my hand in greeting and get inside the car where Gaara gives me something to eat that they got from the minimarket across the street. I let out a happy squeal and give my friend a hug before eating my food, thankful of their nice gesture.

It doesn’t take too long to get to my high school’s entrance. After getting there, a lot of the students looked to be shocked after seeing me get off such a luxurious car and with the clothes from the day before, but I don’t particularly care since I’m completely exhausted after working for so long yesterday and I’m almost late to my first class.

I hurry up, walking faster than I should while ignoring the whispers of the other students until I get to my classroom. With raged breath I let myself fall heavily onto my seat, which’s right next to the big window. I let my head rest on top of my crossed arms and close my eyes, waiting for the bell to ring and the class to start which still is five minutes away from happening.

I huff slightly after feeling the others’ gaze fixated on me, however, I’m more than used to it by now so, I just ignore them all. I’m also bone tired as well so I don’t want to expend the little energy I have on myself to worry about what they’re saying or thinking about me.

After what felt like hours, but it was probably just a couple of minutes, I notice someone’s gaze on me and that causes my body to shiver all over. It’s the most intense one I have ever felt on me. It wasn’t intimidating, more like it made me feel nervous, mostly because I have the feeling, I know who is the owner of those penetrating eyes that are staring at me like that.

I tilt my head slightly and open one of my sapphire eyes only to see him, right at the end of the next row of tables and chairs, is the black-haired male seated and looking at me with the same intense and alluring coal eyes as he does while in the school’s library.

When we’re there I still manage to ignore it because my attention is focused on my books instead than on him, at least for the most part, but right now I don’t have anything else to distract me from it. Feeling my face heat a bit, and knowing I’m probably blushing in reaction to his staring, I look away from him and towards the opposite side, where the window is, and trying as hard as I can to not think about the taller male.

So tired I’m that my eyes close once more while I let my head rest heavily onto my arms again. I faintly hear some ruckus coming from my other classmates, but my mind is slowly but surely getting emptier as the time passes. I’m in the brink of falling asleep on my seat when I feel someone’s presence stopping right in front of me.

Whining a bit, I try to open my eyes once more and I somewhat succeed, only to let out a surprised squeak when my eyes meet those dark pools the raven possessed. I blink up at him, confused and tired, while he looks to be pretty upset about something I can’t quite comprehend.

We stay like that, staring at each other for some minutes, until he clicks his tongue in obvious annoyance. Then he grabs one of my arms and yanks me out of my seat. I let out a shocked gasp at the sudden action and don’t manage to react at all when he starts dragging me out of the room.

I can feel the stupefied eyes of our classmates on us alongside the teacher who had already gotten here, which I didn’t notice until we passed by him. I’m pretty sure Sasuke grunted something to him because the older male just nodded his head towards us and didn’t try to stop us.

I just let the black-haired male drag me away though, feeling too sleepy to really care about what was going on around me in that moment. When the other finally stops walking, we’re standing in front of the nurse’s office, where he proceeds to enter and drag me along with him. Once we’re inside he pushes me on top of one of the beds there, I huff when my face hits the pillow and slowly move to look at the raven confusedly.

I’m not so sure about what was going on, but the comfy bed, the soft sheets and the warmth surrounding me is pulling me deeper into the land of dreams. I’m pretty sure that Sasuke’s eyes got softer then, but I’m not so sure about it since my eyelids soon fall close and I’m soundly asleep soon after.

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I woke up really relaxed and rested compared to how I went to sleep yesterday. My annoyance had completely disappeared and all that remained was the excitement of seeing my future lover today. Calmly I take a shower, put my clothes on and walk down the stairs towards the dining room to eat my breakfast.

As always in the dining room, Sai, Itachi and my parents are already sitting at the table. I greet them quietly and sit in my place. Meals at my house are quite uncomfortable because no one says anything. My father is too serious and strict so he only talks to us if studies are the subject, that or the company he owns.

I honestly don't care in the least about my father's legacy, since Itachi is the successor, I prefer to find something that I like to do and dedicate myself to it. At the moment, as my first option, I want to study universal literature, because I am a fan of the classics, regardless of the language in which they are written. I speak French, English, German, Spanish, Korean and obviously Japanese so I have no problem understanding the books in their original language. I learned so many languages because of my father, but he doesn't seem to care about my academic achievements, not because I'm not a prodigy as my brother is, so I stopped stressing about trying to get approval and acceptance from him.

The only good thing I got from all that, is my multiple abilities, not only mental but also physical, since I practice five different sports: kendo, archery, tennis, volleyball and judo. Of course, I also know about soccer and basketball, but they have never interested me enough to join any club, unlike the ones mentioned above that I practiced during middle school.

Now that I’m in high school I stopped doing all that because one: I want to focus on my studies and two: spending time with the blond in a calm and relaxed way is one of the greatest pleasures I have. It doesn't matter that my friends think it's a waste that I've given up everything, well every once in a while, I go to the archery club to practice, but honestly, I don't care. I want to be able to enjoy myself in my own way before entering university and going to the library was one of my favorite pastimes, which has increased since I met the blue-eyed bearer.

When we finally finished eating, we left in the direction of our educational center. Itachi's university is next to the high school, as it is integrated into our school that goes from kindergarten to university, so he comes with us too.

On the way there they keep on pestering me about joining a club for the rest of the year, maybe not a sports one, but it could be cultural. I refuse for the million time, and they again blame the blond for it. That annoys me because I made the decision before noticing the presence of the cute young bearer, but no matter what I say they would never believe me so, I don't even try to contradict them. I just huff and keep on walking, ignoring their words the best I can manage.

After what felt like an eternity later, we finally reached our destination. I let out a tired and frustrated sigh, unclenching my fists from the tight hold I had on them since my patience was running thin after having to hear them for so long.

I managed to not yell at them thanks to my short blond who had just gotten to the school’s entrance too. I saw him getting out of the same car that he left on the day before. I smiled slightly at seeing how adorable he looked in that moment: his too big clothes that clearly were the same as the ones he was wearing yesterday, his wild blonde hair framing his cutely tired face, and his glasses that… wait a moment. He’s not wearing them. Even if his bangs fell down his face in a way that his eyes were hidden most of the time, I can clearly see that he’s not wearing his usual glasses.

I frown, feeling irritated at thinking that someone could notice how truly beautiful the sapphire-eyed male was without wearing them, even though I think that he’s gorgeous no matter what. I almost chuckle in amusement after guessing that he was so exhausted after working so hard the day before that he probably forgot them and didn’t even notice it. I can’t not smile when I see how truly adorable, he is when he’s all clumsy and oblivious like this.

I walked behind him all the way until we reach our classroom, trying my best to ignore all the annoying whispering from the other students that had started the moment they saw the blond get off the car with the same clothes as the day before. I care very little about what they thought or said as long as they didn’t comment on the absence of his glasses, which it looked like they hadn’t noticed yet.

Once we finally reach our classroom, I let out a tired sigh at the same time as I sit on my usual seat. I stare at the blond from there, who was sitting in his normal seat a few places in front of me and who had his head resting on top of his arms. I smirk pleased when our eyes meet after a few minutes and feel even more happy when I managed to see the blush starting to appear on his soft and full cheeks.

I let out a little happy hum once he looks away, fighting the urge to chuckle at how adorable the shorter male was, but then I suddenly hear something that makes me frown angrily once more.

-Nee… don't you think that today Namikaze looks different? –asked one of my classmates to her friend.

-Huh? I don't know… maybe you think that because he’s not wearing the usual old-fashioned glasses. –answered the other.

-Do you think he put on contact lenses today? –she questioned back.

-Maybe... with those stupid bangs of his, I can't really tell unless I get very close to him. –the brunette commented, frowning a bit while staring intently at the sleepy blond.

-I thought I saw that his eyes were blue, but I can't be sure. –the boy sitting next to her mentioned, also staring at the bearer’s way.

My anger increased even more because I was not liking where things were going. Too many people were paying too much attention to his future lover. And I didn’t like that at all. Their usual behavior was bad, but this one was even worse.

-No way… otherwise he would look very good if he just dressed up a bit. –one of the male’s friends commented mockingly.

-Who knows… maybe a beauty hides among so many wide clothes. –another of the men chuckled, joking alongside his friend.

I glare angrily in their direction indicating that they shut up with only my eyes and they do it, faces pale and eyes wide with fear. Without saying anything, I get up from my seat and walk towards the blonde under the attentive and surprised gazes of all the other students. I approached until I stood in front of him that upon noticing my presence, he opened his eyes slowly and turned to look at me. I could see his face clearly since he had his head tilted slightly upwards, revealing perfectly his precious sapphire eyes.

I’m aware of his confused face, but I don’t say anything to explain the situation since I’m too pissed off at our classmate’s comments. I click my tongue in annoyance and after grabbing his arm, I make him get up from his place. Then I drag him towards the exit where the teacher looks at me blankly and I just tell him that the blond is feeling bad and that I'll take him to the infirmary to rest for a while. He nods and I take the blue-eyed male out of the room who just follows me without understanding anything about the situation in which he found himself in that moment.

Upon arrival I throw him on top of one of the beds where he lets himself be carried away by sleep, falling sound asleep in the arms of Morpheus. I smile relieved and look at him, surely with a fond look in my eyes that I can’t fight, because he looks really adorable while he sleeps.

I sit next to him and stroke his hair, admiring his relaxed and fine features, tracing with my fingers the marks on his cheeks, with which he was born, according to what he told me a few days ago after curiosity won me over and I couldn’t fight the urge to ask anymore.

I hear the door open and close, but I don't pay attention to it because the blonde has me completely captivated. I snap out of my thoughts when I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. With a start I turn to see who it is and I notice my brother's amused look on me.

-What are you doing here? –I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

-That's what I should ask you. Shouldn't you be in class and not watching a cute blonde sleep? –he questioned me with evident amusement in his tone of voice.

-Hmp. That's none of your business. Now answer my question. –I demand, looking at him coldly.

-A teacher asked me to bring some papers to the nurse here. –he calmly replies before smirking my way. – By the way, I'm glad to see that you forgot about that geek to focus your interest on a young bearer worthy of our family. –he adds, looking at the sleeping boy on the bed.

I raise an eyebrow in annoyance at the implication, but soon an amused, evil smile spreads across my face.

-First: I’m surprised that you could notice my romantic interest towards Naruto. –I say looking at him with a smirk on my face.

-I'm quite observant, little brother. –he comments sarcastically and my smile widens even more.

-Are you sure? Why don't you take a good look then? You'll notice something very funny. –I encourage him, voice goading and malicious.

He rolls his eyes at my behavior, but does what I told him and when he looks at the blonde again, his eyes widen comically. It’s so funny to see my older brother look so flabbergasted that I can’t help myself from snickering.

-Don’t tell me that…? –he mumbles and I just nod my head, still snickering at his dumbfounded expression. – Damn… you got good eyes… I’d have never imagined that he looked so nice without those ugly glasses. –he whispers more to himself than to me, but it’s so quiet around us that I could easily hear him.

-Just so you know it, he looks absolutely stunning with the glasses too. He’s adorable no matter what he wears, but you all are too superficial for these things to be able to see it before. –I pointed out, crossing my arms in front of my chest and looking at the older black-haired male with a frown and probably angry eyes too.

-Okay, okay, you’re right. –he groans, amused at my behavior surely, before smirking at me once more. – Are you going to let others see him like this, though? A lot of males will be chasing after him if he only dressed up a little bit more. –he commented curiously, raising an eyebrow at me in question.

-You don’t need to point that out to me. –I grunt in annoyance which makes him snicker in answer. – Either way, I plan on calling his brother so he can bring over his glasses, after all, Naruto will need them later. –I tell him calmly while rummaging inside the blonde’s school bag.

It doesn’t take me long to find the object in question and I hold it in my hand. After pressing on the button to show the screen, I see that it’s locked.

-How are you going to unlock it, genius? –Itachi asks me, smirking mockingly at me.

-I just need to guess four numbers that he’d use… –I mumble to myself after rolling my eyes at him.

I stay lost in my thoughts for a while, wondering about all the possibilities until a combination of numbers makes me smirk. I tried that one out and the screen unlocked right in front of my eyes. I look at my brother with pride and amusement while he just stares at me, shocked that I managed to do it in the first try.

-What the hell did you put in? –he questions flabbergasted.

-Since a few days ago, Naruto had taken a liking to reading mystery books. The ones that he likes the most are those that had thieves in them, so I tried using “1412” which is the code number for an international thief that shows up in one of the novels that he likes. –I explain, smirking in victory.

I chuckle amused when I hear my brother groan, but soon my attention turns back to the device in my hand. I search through his contacts until I find the one I’m looking for. It doesn’t take me too long to think about a message and send it to him.

“I forgot my glasses. Could you bring them to me?”

It’s what I wrote and it didn’t take long to get an answer back from the older blond.

“I knew this would happen… Don’t you have the replacement ones in your bag?”

It’s what I got in reply. I hum and look around the blue-eyed’s bag once more until I find the case with the spare glasses in.

“Right… Thank you. I forgot about them.”

I send back and the answer back makes me look at the screen with surprise and shock.

“Okay, who are you, where’s Naru and why do you have his phone?”

“I’m surprised you noticed it…

Naruto is sleeping in the nurse’s office.

I’m a classmate of his.

I grabbed his phone when I noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses

and guessed he would need them.”

I decided to reply honestly since I didn’t want the other to think I had done something bad to the younger blond. It’s better if I don’t lose any points with my future brother-in-law right before I try to woo Naruto. It will make things more difficult in the future for me if that were to happen.

“I see…

It was weird that he didn’t complain about his spare glasses since he doesn’t like them.

He says that they’re too eye-catching.”

I frown after reading those words and hurriedly opened the case in my hands only to stare at the spare glasses with a lost look in my eyes. My reaction was totally seen by my brother who looked at me in a mix of confusion and curiosity.

-Is there something wrong with them? –he inquires, not understanding why I looked so shocked after seeing the object.

I clicked my tongue before looking at the phone’s screen once more and quickly writing and sending another message to the older bearer.

“Is there any way that you could bring his usual ones instead?”

“Why? What’s so bad about those? I chose them myself, you know!”

I could clearly see the pout on the other’s face in his answer and I let out a frustrated groan. I didn’t want to offend the other so I decided to be honest with my reply once more since I truly didn’t want Naruto to wear those.

“I just don’t want him to wear these, that’s all.”

“Oh… so you’re of that type.”

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

I answer after frowning, confused by his reply. I really don’t get what the other blond means.

“You’re the jealous and possessive type.

You don’t like it when others look at what’s yours with interest in their eyes.

Or well, who you want to be yours in this case.”

I blink slowly at the answer, too shocked to do anything for at least a few seconds then I groan loudly.

“How did you know that I’m interested in your brother like that?”

I inquire, not really denying the accusation since it wouldn’t make too much sense to do so. I clearly want Naruto’s older brother’s approval so lying to him right now won’t give me anything in the future but problems.

“It was quite easy honestly.

Somebody else would have just made him wear those, clearly not wanting to waste their time waiting for me to bring the others.

The good thing about it is that it seems that you like him for who he is and not for how he looks.

I appreciate that.

It also helps that you were honest right now.

I like those types of guys.”

“I will take that as a compliment then.

So… it wouldn’t bother you too much if I try wooing him?”

I inquire now, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. It would be a good thing if I get his approval now instead of in the future.

“That’s his choice to make, not mine.

But just so you know, I will torture you the best I can if you hurt him in any way.”

The smiley face attached to the end of the message just made it more terrifying. However, I still smirked with pleasure. I knew the threat was serious, but the fact that he kinda gave me his ‘go ahead’ made me feel happy.

“I can’t promise to never hurt him, but I can assure you that I will try my best not to do so.”

“Good answer.

You’re pretty smart not to make a promise so hard to accomplish, since hurting others sometimes escapes our control.”

Before I could answer back though, I got another message that made me frown with displeasure.

“Oh and… tell him that he will have to bear it today and use those since I’m too busy at work after the photoshoot we did yesterday.”

“Okay, but just so you know I still don’t like it at all.”

I reply after huffing in annoyance and I just get a winky face along with a laughing one in response. I click my tongue in irritation, feeling like wanting to punch something or someone. I admit that I’m the jealous and possessive type since just imagining how people would fawn over the blond after seeing him like this, how they would lose the little dignity they have and try to throw themselves at him…. It makes me feel so fucking pissed. If I could, I would just take the blue-eyed bearer away, keep him locked somewhere where no one could get their filthy hands and disgusting eyes on him.

-What the fuck?! Is this really Naruto?! –my brother’s voice takes me out from my murderous and clearly illegal thougts.

I blink and turn to look at him with confusion after hearing him shout like that. I raise an eyebrow in question when I see him staring shocked at something in a magazine. I leave the phone inside Naruto’s bag and stand up from the chair to stretch my legs a bit.

-What are you looking at right now? –I inquired curiously, not understanding why he would react so strongly to anything written in those papers.

-It was peeking out of the blonde’s bag and I couldn’t fight the curiosity. The new fashion line from Uzumaki Deidara caught my attention and that’s when I saw the blond and redhead models. Is it really him? Does he work for such a popular and amazing designer? –he explains before firing rapid questions to me.

I can’t help myself from chuckling in amusement after processing all of his words.

-First: yes, that’s Naruto. Second: yes, he does work for Deidara. Third, and most importantly: who do you think his older brother is? –I hum, voice calm and steady, but cackling on the inside of my head.

He looks to be so shocked. So out of it. That I can’t stop myself from snickering out loud once more. I enjoy so much seeing the usually stoic Uchiha lose his composure like this.

-I really fucked up when I judged him because of how he looks, right? –he mumbles and I just nod in answer.

He lets out a heavy sigh and lets himself fall onto the chair I had been previously occupying.

-I’m sorry… I did say a lot of awful things about him just because of his looks. I never stopped to wonder too much about it. I never thought that he could belong to such a prestigious and powerful family or that his true appearance would be so different from what we usually see of him. –he apologies, voice soft and honest.

I cross my arms in front of my chest and frown deeply, feeling quite offended at that moment.

-That’s true… you said so many horrible things without even caring to talk to him for a few minutes first. However, I can’t fault you for doing that. I’m more than aware what father thinks about these things and he made sure to teach you all about his views and beliefs. Almost all rich people think and behave like that too, so it’s not surprising at all. –I tell him, grumbling a bit.

I soon let out a tired sigh and sat down on the bed, right next to the blue-eyed legs. I’m more than aware that my brother’s behavior and those of my other friends aren’t unusual since we are all from high and upstanding families and the education, we got was pretty narrow minded in some aspects. I can’t change that, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t piss me off more often than not.

-Why didn’t you get into any clubs? It wasn’t for him, right? –Itachi asks me now, looking at me with open and soft eyes.

-Because I didn’t want to keep doing things just to please my father and get his attention. I’m not a child anymore. I don’t need to get his approval of how I live my life. So, I decided to do the things I liked without caring about what he or anybody else thought. –I answered honestly, looking at him with serious eyes before looking towards the blond sleeping on the bed. – I have always loved reading and spending time in quiet places so, I considered the library my perfect sanctuary. It’s true that since meeting Naruto, it has become the place I love the most since it’s where I can spend time with him. I don’t mind that we barely talk because watching all the different emotions in his face when he’s reading is something I love doing. –I admitted chuckling a bit at remembering how open the blond was, how every single emotion he felt showed in his face.

-Ah, and just so you know, I still go to the archery club to practice and relax from time to time. –I added as an afterthought since it’s not true that I stop doing everything I did before.

I quite enjoy archery if I’m being honest to myself. It’s a challenging sport as well as a relaxing one.

-I see… what do you want to study then? –he questions me for the first time in my life.

I had always assumed that I would study business like him, but last year, when I reached my new resolution, nobody bothered to ask me about my plans for the future.

-Most probably… Literature. I want to be a teacher and I think I can make my hobby my profession too. –I replied calmly.

-And since when do you know that he works as a model? –Itachi questioned now while looking at the sleeping blond.

-Not that long ago actually. I just found out a couple of days after I started spending time with him, but I didn’t ask him about it since it’s not something that has anything to do with me. At least, not yet. –I smirk up at him after finishing my explanation.

-You have liked him since a long time ago, heh? –he comments thoughtfully and I nod at him in answer.

-Well yeah. I have never met someone as gorgeous as him. And I don’t mean it in the physical way, or more like that’s not the only way he’s beautiful to me at least. –I hum, shrugging my shoulders calmly.

It doesn’t bother me admitting these things to him since he knows me better than even our parents do and I don’t have any reason to lie to him either. My brother may be a pain in the ass most of the time, but he’s still a really good brother who would help me out whenever I really need it.

-Well, then I think you should tell that to the not sleeping beauty here. –he mentions, smirking full of amusement and his eyes got a malicious shine to them too.

After hearing him say those words, my gaze fell onto the blond on the bed who was laying on his left side, his back to me, but the bright tone of red on his ears made it perfectly clear that my brother was right. The little bearer had been awake for a while now at least, and had been listening to our conversation.

-///-S-///-N-///-S-///-N-///-S-///-N-///-S-///-N-///-S-///-N-///-

I woke up after hearing a loud shout. At first, I didn’t know where I was until I remembered that the raven had dragged me into the nurse’s office and I fell asleep right after laying on top of the comfy and soft bed there.

I recognized Sasuke’s voice and that of his older brother. I hesitated if I should just let them know that I was awake or not, but soon decided to lay still and pretend to still be asleep since I didn’t want to interrupt them.

I almost let out a startled gasp when I heard them talking about my job as a model, because I hadn’t realized that Sasuke had been aware of it since he never asked me about it.

I decided to keep listening, even if a part of myself felt a little bad for spying on them. Not my entire fault since they were the ones talking about it right in front of me. Sure, they weren’t aware that I was awake, but that’s not the point.

For the first time, I heard the raven say more than three consecutive words, outside of a classroom that is. I didn’t know anything about his family situation, nor about his future plans and realizing how little I actually know about the taller male caused a heavy feeling to settle in my heart. For some reason, I didn’t like not knowing that much about the other. I felt like crying a little because I know it’s my fault for ignoring the black-haired male for so long. A part of me didn’t want to get my hopes up since I know from experience how fake people can be.

Hearing him admit out loud and to his older brother no less about how he liked spending time with me in the library and how he truly felt about me made my cheeks burn. My heart skipped a beat and started to beat faster than usual along with my breath that became a little ragged. A weird sensation settled on my stomach, something that I didn’t quite comprehend but I didn’t dislike it either.

I was a little bit afraid that they would notice how loud my heart was beating and my fears became real when the older Uchiha pointed out my awakeness. I stayed laying down on the mattress, not being able to face the raven even long after his brother had left us alone in the room.

Silence surrounded us, even if I could listen to my traitorous heart beat rapidly right on my ears, as well as how red my entire face felt.

-Naruto, I know you’re awake. –Sasuke tells me, but I just shrink into a little ball even more than I already was since I’m really not ready to face the black-haired male now. – Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Naruto. –he orders me in a clear and serious tone of voice.

I feel my whole body shiver and tense for a few seconds before I slowly turned around to look at him, a pout already formed in my face, but before I could complain I noticed how everything looked too blurry. That’s when I realized that I wasn’t wearing my glasses.

Confused, I look around me, trying to locate them the best I can without being able to see that much, but I don’t find them on the nightstand next to the bed so I turn my gaze back to the taller male in question. He lets out an amused sigh, which yes, I can recognize, and grabs something from inside my bag before putting the glasses on my face.

The way he hums and looks at me so intensely makes me want to squeak and hide. More so when I realize how close our faces are in that moment. He causes so many different and unexpected reactions from me that makes me feel embarrassed of myself.

-They look nice on you. –he comments with a smirk on his face.

-I don’t like them. –I say, pouting a bit after seeing which glasses I was wearing now.

-I know. Your brother told me. –he tells me causally, like there was nothing weird with that sentence.

I look at my bag once more and then I notice my phone peeking a bit from it. My eyes turn once more to the raven who looks to be pretty pleased with himself.

-Do I ask or it’s not necessary? –I inquire with an eyebrow raised.

I’m quite surprised that he managed to use my phone even though I have it locked. He chuckles and shrugged his shoulders, clearly amused and proud of himself in equal parts.

-I just used the little I know about you, that’s all. –it’s his vague answer which makes me pout since I want a more specific reply, but knowing him he would just tease me if I begged him to tell me more.

So, I carefully sit down on the bed and avoid his gaze, trying to think of something to say, but he beats me to it.

-So… How long have you been awake for? –he inquires and I blush even more as I look away from him the best that I can.

-I… since Itachi yelled after seeing me in that magazine. –I admit honestly in a low tone of voice, but it’s so quiet around us that I’m pretty sure that he managed to hear me.

-Mmm… I see. –he hums and then keeps quiet.

Silence surrounds us once more. I look at him through the corner of my eye and he looks to be deep into his own thoughts, so I guess that I’m not the only one wondering about what to say next. I bit my lower lip then, nervous beyond belief before taking a deep breath and encouraging myself to ask something that had been at the front of my mind for a while now.

-You… you approached me before knowing about my part-time job, right? –I whisper and Sasuke nods his head in answer. – Then… why did you do it? –I inquire, looking at him with hesitation.

-I don’t know. –he tells me after a couple of seconds of staying quiet.

I frown a little since that’s not the type of answer I expected from him which he may have noticed since he smirked at me once more.

-I thought that your behavior was interesting. Your grades are also pretty good so I thought we could have a decently smart conversation, not like those I have with all the idiots surrounding me on a daily basis. I also noticed that we have a common interest in literature and I have never managed to talk about the books I enjoy reading with anyone before, since most of the people who approach me pretend to listen to me when they are actually salivating because of my looks, so I wanted to try having a conversation with you about it. –he explains, still smirking at me.

-Why didn’t you try talking to me before then? You just stayed staring fixatedly at me all the time. –I pointed that out while pouting at him which made him laugh a bit in amusement.

-Well… I enjoyed the quiet and relaxed atmosphere around us. It’s also quite relaxing watching you read and I didn’t want to interrupt the comfortable silence that was between us. I must admit though, that it did surprise me when, that first time, you were intending to leave, but I was glad that you decided to stay in the end. It also seemed that you got more comfortable with me being around you which I also quite liked too. –he told me, a soft smile on his face that took my breath away for a few seconds.

My cheeks heated up more, even if I’m not sure if that was physically possible or not, but that’s how it felt to me, after hearing those words. I’m aware that my feelings towards the taller male are more than just us being classmates or friends.

It took me a while to understand it though, but after thinking about it hard enough I reached a conclusion. I like Sasuke in a romantic way. I like spending time with him, even if we didn’t talk about anything, and I feel pretty sad and disappointed when our time together comes to an end.

Also, for the first time in my life, I felt like putting a little bit of effort into my clothes and how I looked. A part of me wanted to impress the black-haired male, to have his attention on me for a good reason not like all the others who were always insulting me.

-Do you really like me? It’s not for how I look or who my family is? –I asked, my voice full of hesitation.

A big part of me is scared about his answer, another is nervous too, but there’s a little part that, it’s full of hope. I never felt like this about anyone else before so I’m not so sure what I should do or say and that makes me feel unsure, scared and nervous in equal parts.

Sasuke though seems to be pretty calm and collected right now. He actually smiled at me and the red spread up to my ears and down my neck when I noticed the soft look in his coal eyes.

-I like you when you’re wearing your usual baggy clothes. In my eyes you look so adorable with those oversized hoodies. And when I see what you wear for those magazines… you look different, sexier and hotter for sure, but you’re still you. It doesn’t matter what you put on because I still think you’re gorgeous either way. –he tells me without taking his eyes off me.

I whine and try to hide my face with my hands which I can’t do because Sasuke grabs them and holds them in his. My face heats up even more and he just chuckles.

-If I’m completely honest though… I prefer it when you wear baggy and big clothes because if the other’s saw you in those tight and enticing clothes, those that hugged your curvy figure and let everyone see how amazing that body of yours is shaped… they would all feel attracted to you. There’s no hesitation that they would all try to get into your pants, which I don’t like at all. I don’t want to have more rivals fighting for your attention, you know? –he adds, and I almost feel like crying after hearing such an honest declaration.

I never thought I would hear such beautiful words coming out from anyone’s mouth, much less someone so calm and cold as Sasuke appears to be. However, the way he looks at me, with so much love, affection and sweetness, makes it pretty obvious that he’s being sincere. That he does feel such strong feelings for me.

-I… thank you. –I whisper, looking up at you with a smile on my face as tears slide down my cheeks which seems to surprise him a lot.

-Are you okay? –he urgently asks me, which makes me giggle a bit.

His hands are on my cheeks, cleaning the tears away with such tender and careful motions that causes me to smile more as well as more tears to slide down.

-Yeah, I just… like you too and it made me really happy to hear you say all that. –I confess, blushing a bit at my own words and the way I reacted to his.

My answer seemed to freeze him since he tensed right in front of me. Soon, he sits right next to me on the bed and looks at my eyes seriously.

-Really? Do you like me too? –he whispers and I nod my head, not being able to pronounce any words after seeing the way his coal eyes shone with such intensity.

Sasuke laughs, a sound that made my heart skip a beat, and soon he has his arms around me, hugging me tightly but carefully. I hum, enjoying the warmth that is now surrounding my whole body.

-Do you want to be my boyfriend then? –he murmurs right in my ear, causing me to shiver all over.

-Yes… –I manage to reply before Sasuke swoops down and steals my lips with his in a tender and chaste kiss.

Two weeks ago, I’d have never imagined that I’d end up dating the most popular guy in the school nor that I’d be feeling so elated for not being like all those other maidens and bearers who spent all their time minding what they wear, what type of makeup to use and what to eat. I just had to be myself and with that, I got a lover who wants to be with me without caring about my looks at all. Someone who appreciated everything that makes me who I am.

Whoever, I’m not going to tell him that after today, I’m going to be a little bit more mindful about what I wear or how I look, only because I want to be with him and be his equal. I want to be able to stand proudly next to him and know that we look good together, that I deserve to be with him. For that to happen, I want to take care of my looks a little bit more.

I know that will upset him a bit, that he told me how he liked me as I am and wanted me to stay that way… However, he did also say that I look good no matter what I put on, and I will still be me no matter what. Whether as a magazine model or as the little nerd with glasses and baggy clothes that everyone looked down on except him.

I can’t wait to see Sasuke’s face tomorrow once he looks at my new me. Our life after today will be pretty different, but I’m actually really excited about what the future has in store for us. I’m sure that with him by my side, we will be able to overcome anything.

Who would have thought that the little ugly duck would turn out to be the prettiest one at the end? After all, some fairy tales hold more truth than many people may think.

…… The End ……