A/N: Hello all, here is Chapter 24 of Pulse. I've decided for now to finish the story up, then go back and revamp it later. Please review and let me know what you think! Also, please read the author's note at the end. Thank you!

Machiavellianism (n.): a personality trait marked by a calculating attitude toward human relationships and a belief that ends justify means, however ruthless. A Machiavellian is one who views other people more or less as objects to be manipulated in pursuit of his or her goals, if necessary through deliberate deception.

They stood in tense silence. The sounds of dorm life played in the background nearly indistinguishable, the violent beating of Sasuke's heart drowning it all out. The shock of what greeted him as he opened the door left him lightheaded. Emotions spun wildly in his mind: hurt, betrayal, confusion, sadness...but the strongest of them all was anger. If the hurt left him dazed, untethered, and breathless, then the anger was like a dagger to his side, shocking his system and grounding him.

He grabbed on to that anger and held tightly, letting it ground him in his resolve, watching through sharp eyes as his boyfriend floundered. His gaze landed on the redhead, whose seafoam green eyes stared back at him, expression nearly unreadable. He could tell from the slight raise of the other's mouth that he was enjoying this. He took a deep breath, doing his best to school the rage threatening to overtake him.

"You have ten seconds to explain to me what is going on before I lose my shit," he spoke in a clipped tone, his voice quiet from the effort to not blow up.

"Sasuke, I love you, jus-"

"NARUTO!" He shouted suddenly, cutting the other off. Naruto flinched, shocked by the sheer volume of his voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a student stopping to peer curiously at the unfolding scene. He took a deep breath, attempting to calm the growing rage threatening to boil over. "Don't. Bullshit me. I want a straight answer. What. The fuck. Is going on?"

"I-I just, we were- I mean he was," Naruto floundered, wringing his hands nervously as he grasped for words. He let out a shaky sigh. "It's a complicated situation Sasuke, and I really just want to explain this the best way I can to make sure there's no misunder-"

"Let me stop you there," he interjected dryly, "because from what I saw, there's nothing complicated at all. From what I saw, my boyfriend had his tongue shoved down another man's throat. Now my vision is far from 20/20 but tell me, is that not what I just saw?"

Naruto's mouth opened as if to object, then closed again in defeat. He dragged his hands over his face and sighed, nodding solemnly in affirmation.

"How about this," Gaara spoke for the first time, "how about you take a hint then since you're so damn perceptive, and leave since clearly your presence is unneeded here."

Naruto stared incredulously at Gaara, rendered speechless and confused at the sudden shift in his demeanor. This Gaara who stood, cocky smile in place, tone sharp and arrogant, was nothing like the desperate mess just five minutes ago.

"How about this," Sasuke mimicked sarcastically before Naruto could collect himself, "I advise you to shut the fuck up. This is between myself and Naruto."

Gaara scoffed. "Is it really? Seems more like you're interrupting what was happening between Naruto and I, actually."

"Gaara, you're making it worst, fucking stop talking!" Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke turned to face him, ignoring the indignant noise coming from Naruto's direction. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. His hands trembled. No, he told himself, he would not-could not- give Gaara the satisfaction of losing his cool right now.

"I don't know what exactly is going on, but I'm starting to get the picture," he started lowly, "I'm not stupid, I can see the way you look at him, at how desperately you want to tear me down and make me into whatever you've decided I am to make yourself feel better. But I refuse to engage in whatever game you're playing here. So I'll say this one more time. Shut the fuck up." He turned back to Naruto. "Now. Explain to me right now why the hell your tongue down his throat?!"

Naruto could hear the crack in his voice, a sign that Sasuke's patience and any opportunity to de-escalate things were both quickly melting away.

"Okay, okay, I know it looks bad, trust me, I didn't want to kiss him-" Sasuke scoffed.

"Oh really? Because it looked to me like-"

"Just let me speak, dammit!" Naruto interrupted. Sasuke's face darkened.

"Watch your fucking tone, you have absolutely no right to get upset with me," he said darkly.

"Well how the hell do you expect me to fucking explain anything to you if you won't let me speak!" He yelled exasperatedly. Sasuke's glowered but said nothing, his lips trembling with the effort to hold in what was surely a vicious retort. Naruto understood Sasuke's anger, he understood the gravity of the situation. But the increasing hostility in Sasuke's tone and the anger in his eyes, coupled with Gaara's interjections stoking that anger, created a growing feeling of helplessness and hopelessness in Naruto. He needed to collect himself long enough to form a coherent sentence and to get a word in edgewise to talk the other down.

The situation was rapidly getting away from him and he desperately needed to get a handle on things before he lost quite possibly the love of his life. All for a stupid decision, made in a moment of well-meaning but ill-advised judgement.

"I'm sorry," he began, "you know I never wanted to hurt you, that's the last thing I'd want to do. I love you, you know that-"

"Oh do I now?"

"-and unfortunately I got put in a situation with Gaara where that happened," he continued, ignoring Sasuke's interruption. "I know you're pissed off and I know it looks bad. And don't think for a second that I'm down playing the severity of what just happened or your anger. But you don't understand, Gaara was practically saying that he'd kill himself if I di-"

"You don't have to explain a damn thing to this fucking psychopath, you owe him nothing!" Gaara spat, looking at Sasuke with disdain. He stood, eyes wild, posture defensive. "And whatever happens between us is none of his damn business." Naruto gasped, turning to his redhead friend.

"Gaara. What the fuck? You can't be serious right now." He asked, nearly hysterical.

Gaara shook his head. "I'm dead serious, Naruto. He doesn't deserve you. He doesn't understand you like I do. You deserve so much better than this. You deserve better than to be talked down to and belittled. You're better than this and you're better than him!"

Naruto looked around, bewildered. The disconnect was disconcerting; not even five minutes ago his friend was insinuating that he'd take his own life had Naruto not left the other. Now he stood, somehow feeling justified in his actions and his vitriol toward Sasuke. Did he not understand that he was making everything worse? Could he not see his role in Sasuke's anger? Could he not understand the gravity of what the hell he just did?

"YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW ME!" Sasuke yelled. "You don't fucking know a thing about me! You don't know who I am or what I've been through to get here, so don't you dare speak down to me as if you're so high and mighty when you don't know a damn thing!"

Gaara scoffed. "No actually Uchiha, you wanna know what I do know? Your place, unlike you. You're nothing but a little pet project to Naruto. A sad little boy who he felt sorry for, a useless, broken project whose gonna be tossed aside where you belong once he loses interest. Know your place, " he looked at his nails, feigning disinterest. Naruto spun to him, fists clenched, expression frantic.

Sasuke threw his head back and let out a sharp, dark laugh. The sound sent chills up Naruto's spine.

"Don't project your insecurities on me. I know my faults and I know who I am. You try to paint me as some kind of monster to make yourself feel better about whatever the hell you're dealing with inside. And I tried to be nice because from the moment we met, I saw that. But don't think for a second that you're anything other than a desperate, rotten, manipulative piece of shit."

"SASUKE-"

"I am desperate for no one." Gaara clenched his fists, eyes sharp. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Before he could comment, Naruto stepped in between them.

"Sasuke, please relax, I know you're mad, but you can't just say those kinds of things-"

"Excuse me?! I-I can't say!??" He stammered, truly bewildered at Naruto's audacity to try and reprimand him in this moment. He threw his hands up in a sign of submission.

"You know what? Fuck you and your explanation. You guys can go fuck for all I care at this point, because clearly you care more about him and his feelings than you do about me!"

"Sasuke, you know that's not true, I-" Sasuke slammed his fist against the door, rattling the frame.

"No Naruto! I don't fucking know that! And I really don't care at this point! I'm over it!" He turned and made to leave, hands shaking with the effort to compose himself, to not lose his cool. To not be made to look like the monster that Gaara so desperately wanted him to be.

Strong arms wrapped around him suddenly in an attempt to stop him in his tracks. The feeling of those arms, who moments ago were wrapped around another man, now holding him in a desperate grip was his breaking point.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" he exploded, pulling out of Naruto's grasp. He wound back and swung blindly in Naruto's direction. Naruto stumbled backward, gripping his nose. He yelled a surprised 'Fuck!' under his breath, muffled by his hands. Gaara hurried over in an attempt to comfort him. He turned to look at Sasuke, face twisted in disgust.

"You absolute psychopath, how dare you-"

"Whatever the fuck is happening here," he started, cutting Gaara off," whatever twisted relationship you guys have, leave me out of it. I don't have to deal with this, I don't deserve this. Stay the hell away from me, both of you." He gave one last look to Naruto, wild dark eyes meeting the other's as he turned and stormed away.

The harsh wind whipped his hair violently as he left in a near sprint, desperate to get as far away from the situation as possible. His feet propelled him forward with no particular destination in mind other than away. For his own sanity, he needed to get as far away as humanly possible. He'd worry about the rest later, but for now he just needed to leave. He ignored curious glances and ill concealed whispers as he moved down the sidewalk, his anger carrying him past the noise, the harsh wind drowning out all other sounds besides his still violent heart beat.

Naruto stared down at the ground as he nursed his injured-possibly broken-nose. It felt as if all the air had left his lungs with each step Sasuke took. His throat constricted as the tears welled up inside of him, chest seizing. How did he let this happen? How did he manage to let everything spiral out of control so quickly? How did he allow himself to be so easily manipulated and used?

How did he allow himself to hurt the one he loved?

A soft hand on his shoulder broke him from his sad reverie. He looked back, blue eyes meeting seafoam green. Gaara's expression was schooled in a mask of sympathy, the hand on his shoulder meant to be comforting. In his moment of clarity, driven by the pain of hurting Sasuke and underlined by the arrogant tone of Gaara's cruel words, he could see what really lay behind those eyes. Triumph. That's the only way Naruto could describe the bright gleam in his eyes, the barely concealed smirk threatening to ruin his deftly crafted mask of concern.

"Look, Naruto. I'm sorry it had to be this way. You know I hate seeing you hurt. You didn't and you don't deserve to be hurt like that." His hand moved, rubbing a soothing pattern along Naruto's neck. The words dripped with fake remorse. Naruto laughed humorlessly.

"No, you don't really care about me." His tone was soft and resolute. He let out another breath as he continued, never breaking eye contact. "If you really loved me Gaara, then why would you hurt me like that? Why are you happy to see me hurt?" he asked sadly.

Gaara's eyes widened, taken aback. He yanked his hand off of the other's shoulder, crossing his arms.

"How can you even suggest that, Naruto? You know I would never want to hurt you, I'm your closest friend. I get you. Unlike like that psychotic bast-"

"Please Gaara, I'm not stupid," he interjected, gently but firmly, "There's so much I want to say to you right now, so fucking much, but for my sanity, I need you to just leave."

"But Naruto! You need me here with you, I can't leave you like this!" Gaara pleaded desperately.

"You're the last person I need right now," he said quietly, the words coming out as a bitter truth.

Gaara flinched as if visibly stricken. The hurt that crossed his face seemed like the only genuine emotion that Naruto had seen from him the whole time. Gathering himself quickly, Gaara stepped closer.

"Naruto, you don't mean that. What if he comes back, or if you're seriously injured, or if-"

"If you loved me like you say you do, " he cut in gently, "then you'd leave. I fucked up, and I need to deal with that. So please Gaara. No more words, no more excuses, no more games, just go." He smiled sadly at his oldest friend, hoping that he understood the magnitude of the hurt he'd caused.

Gaara stood, eyes unwavering as he watched the other. Hurt and confusion flashed across his face as he processed the firm dismissal. Naruto watched silently until Gaara's face twisted in anger. His fists and jaw clenched as he stared into Naruto's eyes, searching. Naruto stared back, unblinking.

"Fine, throw me away like everyone else in my life. I thought you were different, but clearly I was wrong." With that he turned and made his exit. As his quick footsteps faded away in the distance, all Naruto was left with was silence.

The silence, resoundingly loud in comparison to the scene that had unfolded only moments ago, was what finally made him crack. Naruto fell to the ground then, forehead pressed to the concrete as he curled in on himself. He closed his eyes and let the mess of emotions wash over him.

In a matter of minutes, he'd quite possibly lost someone who he held so close to his heart, someone who'd been through hell, who the world had been so cruel to. Someone who trusted him with his heart, and in return he'd sworn to himself he'd never hurt. Along with him, he may have lost one of his dearest friends, who'd been there through thick and thin, someone he'd thought loved him and wanted what was best for him.

He lay there, forehead pressed to the ground, but no tears fell. All he had room to feel now was a deep, burning, ugly shame.

How could he be so damn stupid?

He stared at the dark ceiling as he willed sleep to come. Exhausted from the anger and adrenaline of earlier, all that was left was a hollow, dull ache.

Forty eight hours.

In that time, he'd be on a flight taking him thousands of miles away from this hell hole. Taking him right back to the one person who loved him unconditionally. Who never hurt him, never left him, and never lied. His brother, Itachi, was far from perfect. But one thing he knew for sure is that he loved him and had his best interest at heart. And that was all he needed right now. Something he'd thought he'd found in someone else, someone so different from every other person in this godforsaken town.

But it became very apparent that too was a lie. He too, was like every other person who lifted him up only to send him crashing back down to his sad reality, over and over again.

It had been nearly five hours since the events of before. Those hours were spent holed up in his room staring off into nothing, trying to make sense of this new reality. One in which the only person he'd ever loved turned out to be nothing but a mirage. With a sigh, he flipped his phone over. A finger floated over the screen, contemplating if it was worth it to hear those words again.

Empty apologies.

Meaningless reassurance.

Pretty words wrapped in even prettier packaging, dipped in honey coated lies to make them all the more sweet, and he all the more forgiving.

Forty eight more hours. That was all. And then he'd be free.

Despite his pessimism he couldn't resist the temptation to replay the message, to hear the familiar and once comforting rasp of that voice, the words nearly burned into his memory at this point. With another deep sigh, he pressed play again as the phone tumbled out of his hand and landed softly on the bed next to him.

One (1) Missed Call From: Naruto

One (1) New Voicemail:

Sasuke. I know I did a shit job at explaining then but I want to try now. I love you and I want to make sure that you're okay. Me and Gaara….we have a complicated friendship. It's like I tried to say earlier, he threatened to kill himself if I didn't leave you. And there is some history in the past that made that threat seem like a very real possibility at the time. He broke down into tears and I just…I don't know, I just wanted to comfort him, so of course I tried to hug him. Next thing you know he wraps his arms around me and well, you know the rest. I...don't in any way wanna try and act like I'm not just as at fault as he is. You know, at this point, I don't even care if you believe me, or forgive me for that matter. All I care about now is you knowing that it's not you. It's not your fault. You are wonderful, and amazing, and deserving of so so so much love. You deserve the damn world, Sasuke. After everything it's taken from you, you deserve it all. And I wanted to be the one to give that to you but….all I did was hurt you. And I'm sorry. I love you….so damn much it hurts, Sasuke. I just wanna know you're okay.

….

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[Message Deleted]

A/N: Hi guys, I hope you like this chapter, it took awhile for me to really get reacquainted with the characters and to hash this one out. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I guess that's unrealistic to expect that I would be.

I wanted to make a note on Naruto and Gaara's dynamic here, because some may feel Naruto's being a bit unfair to Sasuke during the argument, and that's absolutely true. In a way, Naruto is coddling Gaara, and nearly reprimanding Sasuke for speaking to him aggressively when Gaara does the exact same thing, if not more aggressive than Sasuke.

The thing here is, Naruto is stuck, and he's fully aware of the fragility of Gaara's psyche. So while he's now very aware that Gaara is just manipulating him to get what he wants, he also knows that suicide is a very real possible outcome, as we all know he's attempted once before. He's upset with Gaara for this whole situation (and of course, himself), but deep down Gaara is still his friend, and even though he knows that whatever Gaara chooses to do is his own choice, he would feel forever guilty if this situation ended in him losing one of his closest friends permanently. So he was very mild here with him, toeing the line between trying to be gentle but firm with Gaara, calming Sasuke down and trying not to lose him, and trying to form a coherent sentence throughout the mess of it all. It just unfortunately came at the expense of neglecting his boyfriends needs in the moment.

But anyway, let me know what you think! Hopefully it's not too wordy or doesn't drag on too long!