A/N: This is just something that popped into my head while listening to a song. I recommend listening to it while reading this first chapter. I'm almost done with the second, but this one won't be any longer then 3 chapters. This is also Modern AU.

Song: The Last Night - Skillet


Naruto blinked open fuzzy blue eyes, trying to figure out what had woken him at – he looked at the clock – 4 in the morning. He had to be to work at 7, so he rolled over, closing his eyes, and was nearly on the verge of sleep when –

BANG BANG!

Snapping up, he scowled and threw off the covers. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and face as he stumbled through his pitch black room, cursing fluently when he hit his toe on the coffee table, making his way to the door. Sleep was the last thing on his mind when he threw open the door, ready to give whoever it was a tongue lashing –

And froze.

Sasuke – his boyfriend, lover, and best friend – was standing there. His black eyes were as cold as ever, but Naruto's eyes traveled down, taking in the completely soaked clothing…or what clothing there was. Sasuke was barefoot, clad only in pajama bottoms. His pale skin was even paler from the rain – that only now Naruto was hearing – and his lips were tinged slightly blue. Naruto's eyes lingered on the obvious scars that covered the Uchiha's upper body, and he knew the only reason he wasn't seeing all of them was that Sasuke was facing him, and had on pants. Naked…the pale body was as covered in scars as his was. From themselves, and others.

"Sasuke?" he said quietly, ignoring the tensing of the man's frame when Naruto grabbed his wrist, pulling him inside. "What are you doing here?"

He closed the door, and turned. What he didn't expect to see was the fresh bruises and whip marks that crossed Sasuke's back. "Ice…"

Sasuke stiffened even more at Naruto's private nickname for the black haired man, and Naruto bit his bottom lip. "I thought this had stopped."

"I thought so too."

Naruto clenched his hands into fists, feeling his short nails bite deeply into his palms. Anger – no, furious, burning rage was flowing through his veins. Sasuke's voice…he hadn't heard it that dead, that emotionless since Sasuke had told him about everything that had happened within his family.

Whoever would have guessed that the Uchiha family, owners of the infamous Sharingan Co. could be so fucked up?

"What was the reason your father used this time?" Naruto said quietly, afraid to raise his voice any further. He knew if he did, he would start yelling at the injustice of it all, and that was the last thing Sasuke needed right now. They had tried…oh how they had tried to bring to light what his parents did to him. After Itachi had died saving Sasuke when his boyfriend was six, they had blamed Sasuke for everything.

His father dropped food on the floor? Sasuke was forced to pick it up, and was still beaten even if he did it immediately. His mother tracked in dirt from the garden? Sasuke had been made to lick the floor clean. His mother was the mental, his father the physical.

They had met when they were eight, at a chance meeting on a playground. Naruto, the son of Namikaze Minato, who was secreted away from his father, and grew up thinking he was unwanted. He was beaten, yelled at, raped, sold…but he had been able to escape when he was twelve, emancipating himself and getting a job. Ever since then Sasuke basically lived at his apartment, only being trotted out like a prize horse when needed. Whenever Sasuke was home, something happened, each incident worse and worse.

They had tried going to the police when Sasuke was 13 when his father had broken three ribs, an arm and a leg, but with the Uchiha money and prestige, his parents had walked away with nothing more then a slap on the wrist. Sasuke however, had been forced into a mental institute, and Naruto had followed soon after. Everyone had always commented on how inseparable they were…and the Uchiha parents had learned the hard way.

They had always had a problem with Sasuke being gay, and the fact that it was Naruto had only caused more problems. Neither one of them had given in though. Ever.

When they had gotten out after two years, Sasuke had permanently moved in with Naruto, and everything was fine. Sasuke's mood improved, his smiles became more frequent, but they hadn't known that the parents were trying to find anything to get Sasuke back. Finally, when they were 19, they found it.

Naruto.

He was threatened with losing his job, his apartment, and being forced to live on the streets since he couldn't even go back to an orphanage. So Sasuke had gone back, despite Naruto's pleas and begging, and everything seemed like it had been fine. Sasuke hadn't shown up with any new wounds in the past year, until tonight.

"I came to say goodbye."

Naruto's mind stuttered to a blank at the words. "You're going somewhere?" he said stupidly.

He blinked when Sasuke's face turned just enough for the blond to see the small smirk. "Tch, idiot."

His brain caught up with the words, and added the way Sasuke was hunched over himself, arms wrapped around his torso tight, and it clicked.

Growling, he made it to Sasuke in a few steps, wrapping his arms around the trembling – oh my God he was so thin! – shoulders, being gentle but forceful as he brought Sasuke's bloody back flush against his front.

"No fucking way are you going to do that! I am not going to let you commit suicide Ice!"

There was silence as Naruto's heart rate tripled in fear and anxiety, not to mention anger, but Sasuke's was still calm.

"I came to say goodbye Naruto." The blond flinched at the emotionless, quiet words. I don't want you to see me cry love.

Sasuke was calm: emotionless, dead inside, take your pick. He was done with everything. The snide comments from his mother, the words she used to rip apart his soul and will to resist. He was sick of seeing his own blood time and time again, when he wasn't even the one to create the wounds. He was just so tired.

He winced when Naruto grabbed his shoulders and twisted him around. He met the blazing blue eyes, feeling the anger coming from his lover as though he was in a bubble. He could feel it, but it didn't affect him at all. He watched as desperation entered sapphire eyes. I've always loved his eyes. So unlike mine…they show so much emotion…

"You're not leaving me Sasuke! I don't care what we have to do, but I am not going to let you go."

Finally, some of the emotions had gotten through to Sasuke. With a small snarl, he ripped away from Naruto, not even wincing as some of the wounds on his back tore a little more. Facing away from his lover, he stared out the big bay window to the rainy world beyond.

"They tell me that it's all my fault, that my" - he did the air quotes - "'rebelliousness' is just a phase, that I'll grow out of it. That all I need to do is learn my place."

He smiled slightly as Naruto snorted in disbelief. His Sunshine, always coming to his defense.

"I refuse to believe that. You know your place, and your place isn't being their whipping boy!"

Sasuke stiffened as arms wrapped around him again, and despite his best efforts, he felt the tears coating his eyes. Closing them, he hung his head, feeling his body tremble as gentle, loving kisses were placed along his shoulders and neck.

"This is the last night you'll spend alone Sasuke. I'm not going to let you go back to them, ever. Even if we have to be homeless beggars, I'm not going to let them keep doing this to you."

Sasuke refused to open his eyes or even raise his head as Naruto turned him around, not wanting to give into the hope that was blossoming in his chest. He had done it once…and for those four years, he had been happier then he could ever remember. Then his parents…they had taken all of it away again.

"Sasuke…please, please look at me."

He slowly raised his head, his heart speeding, and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the melancholy blue of Naruto's eyes. And his heart stopped at the next words out of the blonds mouth. "I'm everything you need me to be. I'm not going to let you say goodbye Sasuke. Not to me, not to this world…because you know, if you do, I won't be far after."

Naruto closed his eyes and pressed gentle kisses to the pale forehead, bringing his shaking hands up to cup the slightly gaunt cheeks. He felt his own tears well in his throat, but refused to shed them. "Please Sasuke…tell me you won't do anything. Promise me, please…"

He could feel Sasuke's breath hitch, and the slow nod. "Alright Sunshine, I promise."

Naruto pulled back, and though he saw the desperation still there in the obsidian eyes, there was still the trust that he had for the blond. It made Naruto's heart swell, and his gave his love a blinding smile, pulling him into a gentle hug.

"First things first…you need hot food, and a long shower. C'mon Sasuke," he said quietly, tugging the Uchiha's hand into the kitchen.

Hot food and an equally hot shower later, they were both lying in bed, Naruto having called Iruka, his boss, and explained part of the situation. Iruka, bless the man, had understood, and had given Naruto the rest of the week off. Which was perfect.

Lying in bed, Sasuke nestled in his arms, Naruto's mind was racing. He never told Sasuke that his father was looking for him, for whatever reason. He had only found out a few months after the whole fiasco with Sasuke's parents and the police. Kakashi, the detective that was working on their case, had informed him.

Apparantly, his mother had run off when the pressures of being married to Namikaze Minato had become too much, and she gave birth, before dying shortly after. Since his father was the golden boy of Konoha, Kushina running off had been enough for them to hide him and keep him from his father. His father had been heartbroken after she left, and then he had been told that the baby – him – had died along with the mother. The only thing Naruto had found strange was that no one ever thought to change his last name. He was still Namikaze Naruto, but they had done a good enough job of hiding him, that until his name showed up in the police reports, Minato had no clue that his son was still alive.

It wasn't until Sasuke whined softly in pain that Naruto realized his arms had been tightening slowly. Forcing them to relax, he apologetically kissed the sleeping forehead, sighing in relief when the frown smoothed out, and Sasuke sank deeper into his embrace.

Staring down at the pale face, Naruto frowned, biting his lip in indecision. He had even been approached by Jiraiya, his supposed godfather, to meet Minato. Naruto had refused, because he had been on his own for so long, he didn't want to give Minato the impression that he wanted money or anything like that. He liked being independent…but he would need something more if he was going to get Sasuke firmly away from his parents. He would need a lot more.

Sighing a bit, he closed his eyes, decision made. He would take Sasuke to Iruka's tomorrow, and then go see his father.