✧Sasuke✧

“Can I get up yet? Mom’s mac and cheese smell is making me hungry,” I ask starting up at the ceiling. My mom makes it from scratch and adds chicken and veggies in with the macaroni and cheese.

“Not yet son,” Dad said his hair pulled back in a hairband as he was over top of me. We have the blinds shut to the house so no one can see inside.

“Are you feeling better at least?” Shiro comes into my view and looks down at me.

“It is for my sick feeling,” I nod.

“It’s good that it’s helping with that. That’s what the star element is known for. But it’s not helping me find anything…” I pick my head up and dad pulls a hand away from my chest and pokes my forehead pushing my head back down, “All the way down.”

“Would stitching to the water element help sir?” Shiro suggested to dad and I look over at him and he locks eyes with me.

Sighing heavily I see dad rock back into my view and lean back on his hands as he looked up at the ceiling clearly frustrated, “I don’t know. I don’t think that water will solve anything, I’m not the prodigy for water, so I can use the rare ability to that element. And that’s the only thing that I can think of that would get close with the water element. The healing part of water won’t solve anything.”

“Sight or maybe spirit?” Shiro asks as I sit up.

I've never seen dad so frustrated before. Just what exactly is going on? What happened to me? It would be stupid to ask if he's figured anything out because clearly, he hasn't.

“Why don’t we take a break for now,” I offer looking at dad, “Thank you for making me feel better.”

“Boy’s dinner’s ready,” Mom yells from the kitchen.

Sighing dad leaned forward and gets up off the floor without using his hands, “I’ll try more after dinner,” pulling the hairband out of his hair letting his bangs fall back into place he walks towards the kitchen, “Come on boys.”

We all sat down mom and dad were opposite of each other so I sat opposite of Toshiro. Dad handed Shiro the food first since he was the guest in the house and then we all started eating. Mom and Toshiro were talking and I stayed quiet as I ate. “Why are you so quiet Sasuke?” I look up from my plate to see dad looking over at me.

“Will you answer my questions?” I have more questions than just what the hell is going on with me.

“After dinner son,” He responds sighing slightly before taking another bit of his food.

“It’s always later,” I mumble more so to myself.

“Sasuke you know I don’t like mumbling,” Dad comments and I look over at him to see him looking at me.

“Why is it always later. Something that’s this important and you keep saying later or after this or after that,” I speak up so he can clearly hear me. Making Toshiro and mom fall quiet.

“Sasuke stop making a scene,” Dad said looking at me with a monotone expression on his face clearly not happy with me.

“I’m not making a scene I’m making a damn point,” I glare over at him.

“That’s enough Sasuke,” He orders breaking eye contact with me.

"No, it's not enough dad. You've been like this ever since I got into that damn accident when I was little. And when I asked why I was getting picked on or why I feel so different from other kids you have always told me I'll answer you later Sasuke, I'll tell you a secret, later son. It's always the same with you. Why do you hide things from me? You're my father, the least you could have done is tell me I was an elemental. You knew I was. Why didn’t you tell me to help me remember? I don’t know what I am because you and mom kept it from me. Do you think I’m thrilled that I feel like for my entire life I feel like I’ve been living a lie?” I snap at him without meaning to but it all just spills out.

“SASUKE THAT IS ENOUGH!” Dad yells making everything else I want to say get caught in my throat.

Knots bubble up in my stomach and move up to my throat. The longer I sit here the tighter my throat becomes. Standing up from my seat and keep my eyes on my barely eaten food, “Can I be excused…please?” My voice cracks as I ask and I don’t wait for an answer from either of my parents and leave the table.

“Sasuke…” I hear Toshiro say quietly as I pass him leaving the kitchen and skipping every other step to get to my room as fast as I can. Hot tears run down my cheeks once I step into my room. I gently close my door behind me and grip onto my shirt.

Why does everything have to pile up on top of each other like this? Why am I like this? Why do I have to just hold things back? This would have been avoided if I could have just asked dad before when he wasn't busy to sit down and talk with me. Every time I would say something he's busy…and now I just went and pissed him off when he's already frustrated with what's going on and why he can't figure it out. I make my way over to my dresser and got a pair of gym shorts out. My quick short breaths and blurry eyes are making it difficult to focus and try to calm myself down at the same time. I need to calm down and breathe with slow breaths. Breathing in through my nose I take a slow and deep breath and then exhale as I push my dresser drawer closed. Grabbing my towel from the end of my bed I wipe my eyes and wandered to my door.

Opening my door I jump a little seeing dad standing in front of me, his hand raised ready to knock on the door. He looks down at me and he looks a bit shocked because of my timing.

“Hey…dad…” I say kinda quietly and break eye contact with him looking down at my feet.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you. It was wrong of me to do. A lot has happened today and you're scared and confused about all of it. Your right, I really should have been more open to answering your questions and not just brushing them off. I'm sorry about that," Dad apologizes for making me look back up at him and he drops his hand to his side.

But, I’m the one that blew up. I’m the one that should be apologizing not dad. Did mom make him come up here and apologize to me? “N-no it’s fine. I was pushing it. The entire thing was my fault,” I shake my head quickly.

His hands lightly land on my shoulders and he pulls me into his chest for a hug, “You have every right to want to know more son,” He whispers to me and holds me tighter. I pull my left arm out from between us and hug him back. After I hug him he pulls away and holds me out at arms-length, “Go take a shower and try to relax a bit.”

“Okay…” I said quietly looking down at my feet.

I feel his hands slide off my shoulders but one of his hands slide under my chin and lifts my head up to look at him so his golden gaze locks with mine, “Let me tell you something someone that I admired told me a long time ago,” He places his free hand over my heart and his other hand let go of my chin and I continue to look up at him. “When your minds a mess and you feel lost, listen to your heart. It will always show you the way and guide you back to the light, even in the darkest of nights.”

“Are you sure that someone said that to you and you didn’t just get it out of a book?” I asked him raising an eyebrow.

Cracking a smile he chuckles and messes up my hair, “I wish you could have met Jaden. I think the two of you would have gotten along really well.”

“What happened to him?” The question just kind of slipped out before I realize it.

“I wish I knew son. One day he just disappeared. I haven’t seen him since I was young,” Dad answers his expression fell from a soft smile to a sad, small frown.

“Oh, well maybe he’ll show up again one day. If he was a good friend then you should know who it is even if he looks completely different right? Didn’t you tell me that when Hale and Tate had to move away that best friends always find each other again?” I said trying to cheer him up. It’s hard seeing my father sad like this.

What I said brought a smile back to his lips, “Ya know Sasuke sometimes you act older and wiser then you are,” He messes up my hair once more turns on his heels and heads back over to the stairs, “Go take a shower.”

I what? I’m only sixteen. I’m still going through puberty how the hell can I possibly be wiser than what I am? Heck, I haven't even had my first kiss yet. I was just repeating what he told me when I was little. Meh whatever it’s time to shower.