A/N: Woohoo almost a year but I'm back! And with any luck more active than ever. This was supposed to be a one shot but it's proved easier to extend than I could have hoped. Anyway hope you guys enjoy and feel free to come and say 'hi' to me on twitter - /oOoKIYAoOo/
Forget Me Nots
Naruto walked through the busy streets of Konoha as he tried to keep himself as much out of sight as possible. How long had it been since he had last been outside? A week? Or was it two?
The bright midday sun burned his eyes as he pulled his hood down lower trying to shield them as much as possible.
"Hey Naruto" Sakura called running over to greet him, "I haven't seen you for ages, how have you been?"
Her smile faltered a little as he simply shrugged at her before starting off back down the street again.
"Hey wait up!" she called running to catch back up with him. Over the last year the once bright and bubble boy they'd all come to know and love had become quieter and more withdrawn. He rarely if ever took missions anymore and was almost never seen leaving his house.
Kakashi and Iruka regularly stopped past to check in on him and take him food but even they couldn't seem to brighten him up.
It was all His fault. Ever since Sasuke had left everything had begun to go downhill, it was hard to see now why she had been so infatuated with him, he'd betrayed them all, his team, is friends, his whole town without so much as a backwards glance, but none of them had taken it harder than Naruto.
"I'm out of flowers…"
Sakura snapped out of her mussing to look back over at Naruto, "Flowers?" she asked giving him a puzzled look as he nodded back at her.
"For Sasuke…"
Sakura frowned inwardly as she made a mental note to give him a swift kick in the jewels the next time she ran into him.
"Naruto… I don't think Sasuke is coming back" she said gently placing her hand on his shoulder but he shook it off harshly.
"SA-KU-RA! HEY!"
Sakura looked around for the source of the noise and noticed Kiba heading over to them but as soon as she looked back Naruto was gone.
"Hey, was that Naruto with you?" Kiba asked her hopefully but stopped when he noticed her concerned expression.
"Whats gonna happen to him Kiba?" she whispered as tears threatened to overwhelm her, "I don't know what to do anymore…"
"I dunno, Sakura… I don't know"
Naruto stuck to the back streets for the rest of his journey, he knew his friends meant well but he just couldn't bring himself to enjoy there company the way he used to, who was to say that the same thing wouldn't happen with them? That they wouldn't up and leave or betray him to… Like Sasuke had.
Yet even now he couldn't bring himself to hate him. Even after years of trying to convince him to come home and endless fights and refusals Naruto still longed to see his face.
Their fierce rivalry had given way to an even stronger friendship and boarded on something more although at the time he hadn't been able to place the strange new feelings, now however he knew that he'd loved him, and even though Sasuke may not have returned his feelings in the same way there had always been a strong bond between them. Which had made it hurt all the more in the end…
"I've been waiting for you"
Naruto blinked in surprise up at the young attended who was holding out a bunch of flowers for him unsure of when he'd actually arrived at the little stall,
"Thank you" he told her taking them before digging around in his pocket for some change.
"That's alright, these ones are on me" she assured him smiling, "just hope they're working for you."
Naruto smiled a little as he looked fondly down at the bouquet in his hands,
"I hope they are to."
Sasuke ducked back into the shadows as another patrol passed by the street below. He still wasn't sure how he'd quite got himself into his current predicament but it was too late to turn back now. It had started off with a bad dreams and had grown into pure dread, but no matter what he tried he couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.
Deeming it safe enough he dropped down into the familiar streets trying to remember which house it was. Finding what he was looking for he stood stupidly at the door. Should he just knock? Although given the circumstances it seems a little odd, on the other hand he didn't wanna just help himself into someone else's house. He didn't have long to decide before a series of crashes and shouted made up his mind for him.
Pushing the door open he ran inside trying to make out what had happened through the darkness of the room,
"Naruto?" he called wondering if the blonde would even recognise his voice but there was no answer. "Naruto you here?" he tried again fumbling for the light switch.
He felt his stomach drop as he took in the sight before him, glass and flowers littered the floor along with the remnants of numerous vases. Picking his way closer he notices the splashes of blood mixed in amongst them. Looking around again for the cause of the chaos he noticed the small trail of blood leading away from the sink and up the stairs. Panic threated to flood his mind as he ran up the stairs following the trailing noting worriedly that it has becoming heavier as it went along. Not stopping for the door this time Sasuke rammed it open. It didn't take him long to find him. Naruto was curled up on his bed holding onto a withered bunch of flowers.
Sasuke made his way over to the bed torn between worry and the flood of feelings from finally being reunited with his friend but once again the worry took over as he notice the blood soaked sheets.
"Naruto, what happened?" he asked shaking him gently trying to wake him.
"So cold…"
Grabbing a blanket of a nearby chair he pulled Naruto into a sitting position. As he wrapped the blanket tightly around the shivering blonde he noticed the source of the blood. Naruto's left arm was covered in deep cuts that we're bleeding freely.
"What have you done…" he muttered tearing a strip of his shirts and binding the wounds as best he could, "Come on, we have to get you to a doctor" he told him trying to get him to stand, "Come on Naruto…" he pleaded rousing him one again as Naruto blinked up at him still trying to get his foggy mind to focus, he knew that voice.
"You're not real…"
Sasuke paused for a moment, "What?"
"You can't be here… He hates me…"
"I don't hate you Naruto, I never did" Sasuke assured him pulling him close but he was harshly pushed away.
"This isn't real! Why are you doing this?" Naruto cried scrambling franticly away until he was firmly back into a corner. "He probably doesn't even remember me…"
Sasuke sighed, he should've expected something like that but it still hurt to hear, trying to brush the harsh words aside he turned his attention back to Naruto, he still didn't look too good. Although the bleeding had slowed he was still deathly pale and is breathing was clearly laboured.
Making his way back over to Naruto Sasuke bobbed down in front of him gently taking his head in his hands forcing Naruto to look at him.
"I promise you, this is real" he tried to assure him as he felt Naruto gently pace a hand over his as if to reassure himself that Sasuke truly wasn't just some figment of his imagination.
"You didn't forget"
Sasuke smiled at him leaning in so their foreheads just touched. "Never Naruto. I could never forget you"
Suddenly he felt a warm pressure against his lips and his eyes widened at the realisation. Naruto was kissing him. But all too soon it was gone again as Naruto slumped back against the wall, is breath even more ragged than it was before and his usually tan skin was a horrible pasty colour.
Without a second though of the consequences he scooped the shivering boy up into his arms draping the blanket back over him as best he could and headed to the only person he trusted to care for him, Tsunade.
TBC...
Sorry for the lack of flow in the writting I'm still a little rusty, but if you liked it head over to my Instagram to check out some previews and pictures of where I get my inspirations (Warning it also has all my person stuff still on it at this point!) - /chrnocreations/
Till then ~ChrnoCreations
