Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
Naruto had a secret. One he tried to cope with by himself. He had a problem with Clinical Depression. Something he hid from everyone he knew. He knew that he was in denial in thinking that he could deal with it himself, but that's what he did anyway. No one had wanted to help him before and no one would want to help him now, so he kept it to himself.
Things had begun to look up when he and Sasuke had become a couple, but with the relationship came a whole new set of hardships and difficulties that Naruto never expected.
In the months that Naruto had been with Sasuke, he had realized that Sasuke was the one. He loved him with everything he had. His cousin Deidara thought he was acting silly and irrational for thinking that he'd found his soul mate so quickly but he simply chose to ignore it. Naruto was to busy going over his inner turmoil to really acknowledge Deidaras comments.
He had also noticed that Sasuke seemed distracted whenever they spoke or got together for a few hours. He was worried that something had happened, but getting Sasuke to spill anything that he didn't want to share was like trying to crack open a government vault.
He hoped Sasuke wasn't regretting their relationship or getting bored with him. He certainly hoped that his family wasn't trying to talk him out of their relationship again.
Sasukes family had never really accepted that Sasuke was in a relationship with him. His older brother Itachi seemed to accept their relationship, for which Naruto was grateful. Sasukes parents on the other hand were not so accepting.
Sasukes mother definitely had a problem with the fact that his son was in a relationship with another boy. She hadn't openly critisized them, yet. But he could tell that their open relationship did not sit well with her. She had made comments about such relationships before, and the message was clear.
Sasukes father on the other hand had never made a comment about Sasukes prefrences, opting instead to care more about the fact that Naruto was not from a wealthy family, as they were. It seemed all the Sasukes father cared about was money and how to get more of it.
This along with Sasuke distancing himself had caused Naruto to question what he really meant to Sasuke. Giving his cousin Deidara all the more fuel to add to his Anti-Sasuke campaign, and thus adding fuel to the already out of control emotional bonfire that burned in his heart.
He shook those thoughts from his head as he examined his purchase again. It was a watch he had bought for their anniversary. With only a week left till their anniversary, Naruto had thought that he'd found the perfect gift. He had spent countless hours going over options in his head. Sasuke was from a well off family and had essentially everything he wanted, so finding a gift he didn't already have was quiet the task.
It was a silver wrist watch with a dragon emblazoned on the face in red, with flames licking up the side of the wrist band. Along with the card he'd gotten he thought he'd managed pretty well. It had taken five months worth of scraping every penny he came across to buy it.
As he stepped into his home he could hear the noise of his so called family in the living room. He stashed his purchase into his pocket to conceal it and attempted to make his way to his room quietly, wishing for nothing more than a quiet night and a few hours of semi peaceful sleep.
Luck was not his side today because he heard his foster parents call for him. He sighed and turned back toward the living room to face them. He noticed his brother Kyuubi on the couch worriedly wringing his hands as he held their baby foster brother in his lap.
" Naruto! ", his foster father called. "Why did you not come home straight from school? " He kept his head down and stayed silent and he felt his foster mother eye him up and down before growling, " Get in your room! Clean the house after we leave then take care of your brothers. ". With that he quickly entered the room he shared with his two brothers.
" You ok Naruto? " He looked up to see his brother sit on his bed across the room before setting Gaara on the floor to play. He shrugged before stashing his purchase in his dresser and begin changing into his pajamas, wincing a little as the cloth skimmed over the remenants of old beatings and self inflicted wounds.
" Momma told me something today. " His brother muttered. He never knew why his brother reffered to them as if they were their real parents, but he had quit caring long ago. He simply flicked his gaze in his direction, signalling for his crimson haired brother to continue.
He heard his brother shift nervously before continuing. " She said that we're to expect a new arrival around Christmas. " He inwardly groaned. That phrase only meant one thing when his foster mother said it. A new baby was on the way. Gaara had been born to his foster parents last year, almost 13 years after they had been placed in their foster parents home as babies. They only kept him and his brother around now for the check the government sent every month.
He sighed before picking up the phone and dialing Sasukes number. His foster parents didn't seem to have a problem with his sexuality, though he thought that the fact that he was with an Uchiha made them turn a blind eye to his gender. All well, if it kept them from using another thing about him against him he didn't care.
After four rings Sasuke picked up the phone and he heard, " Hello, dobe. " He smiled a little before laughing into the phone. " I told you not to call me that, teme! ". He heard Sasuke let out a small laugh.
" What are you doing next week, dobe? ". He smiled again, " Nothing that I know of. Why? ". He could almost see the Uchiha patented holier-than-thou smirk on Sasukes face over the phone.
" I just wanted to spend our anniversary together and I wanted to make sure you were free before planning anything. " He couldn't help but blush a little a Sasukes words. Sasuke had always been able to make him blush or stutter.
After talking a little longer, he heard a car pull up. After quickly bidding Sasuke goodbye, he stashed the phone under his matress and rushed out to meet his foster parents. Making it into the living room just as they walked through the door.
" NARU-!... oh good your actually here this time. " His father growled angrily before shoving him towards the kitchen. He knew what was coming and steeled himself for harsh words and possiable blows.
He cracked his eyes open as early morning sunlight came through his window. He sat up and started to stretch before quickly halting as the bruises from the night before became painfully apparent. It was times like this when he could feel the mental instability and depression grow in strength, just as it had been for the last few years. Pressing down on his heart and sanity like a dark cloud.
He sighed, wincing as his lungs and abused torso expanded painfully with each breath. He would have to cancel his outting with Sasuke. His wounds would never heal in time, and they were everywhere this time around and he couldn't let Sasuke find out about it.
He sighed again as he spotted his razor on the dresser before picking it up and placing it to his inner arm. He hissed as the blade bit into his skin and blood beaded up from the cut before running down his forearm.
He honestly didn't know why he did it. Perhaps he wanted to be in control of the pain that wracked his body on a daily basis. Maybe he was hoping that it would take the other pain away. Whatever the reason might have been, he did it regardless.
Thirty minutes worth of cuts and self abuse later he put the razor back and began to get ready for the day. He had decided that today was when all of it would end. The pain, the emotional turmoil, the lack of acceptance, and the feeling of being unwanted, used and neglected. It would all be gone.
The day had gone as any other would. He had laid out everything he wanted to be found and specified who was supposed to recieve what. Now it was time to finish what he had started every other time he brought the razor from its hiding place.
This was it, it would all finally be over. The razor was right there, less that a few millimeters from the liquid life flowing through his veins.
Ring!...Ring!... Rin-. " Hello? " He knew he sounded angry, but dammit, why do people always pick the worst timing? Who calls at nine in the morning anyway?
" Hello, dobe. " Sasukes smooth voice came through. He sighed, and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears to disappear.
" Hey, Sasuke. Did you need something? " He asked. He could feel the hesitance in Sasukes demeanor, even over the phone. He hoped faintly that maybe Sasuke was ending it, then he would have absolutely no regrets about what he planned on doing after.
" I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go somewhere tomorrow. " He smiled sadly, but before he could answer he heard Sasuke speak again. " And remind me to tell you something tomorrow. "
He smiled again, " Just tell me now Sasuke! It doesn't have to be in person. " He laughed even though inside he could feel his heart break.
" No, dobe. It won't be as meaningful if I say it over the phone. " He forced himself to laugh again as he began eyeing the razor again. " Sasuke, if its important it will be meaningful no matter how or when you say it. ".
He heard Sasuke sigh, giving in. " Ok, Naruto. I-...I...I want you want to be with me forever. " He swore he felt his heart stop, before forcing himself to ask, " Wh-what do you mean, Sasuke? " Sasuke couldn't mean what he thought he meant. It just couldn't be.
" I want you to marry me, Naruto. " He felt his throat close up instantly. He took a deep, steadying breath before answering. " Sasuke...I-...Of Course! " He heard Sasuke let out a breath in relief. He smiled as he told Sasuke that he would see him tomorrow.
He placed the phone back on its cradle then he broke down and cried. He cried out of sorrow of what he had almost ruined, he cried out of joy that he had actually found someone who loved him, he cried out of excitement at the prospect of being Sasukes forever, and he cried just to cry. Something he hadn't done in a long time before that.
Maybe he had more to live for than he had originally thought. He laughed quietly as another thought came to mind. His cousin Deidara could suck it!
Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreaciated! I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment in The Walk of Life Series! Once again, the entire Walk of Life Series project is dedicated to my husband. :)
