Disclaimer: I do not or will I ever own Naruto. (even if i wanna)
A/N: Finally chapter fucking one of this hooker. 8l My writing muse was constantly stabbing at me, whipping me. It was rough Dx Well at least my drawing muses are allowed to leave their cages now 8D I missed you guys -snuggles them-
I based the school in this off an actual location, that i've broken into;;;
Warnings: NaruSasu(YAOI) undertones. Tons 'o' Character Death. I tend to like to get more violent with my descriptions of some things, so there's that: VIOLENCE fff. For you pervs, there WILL be some sexytiem
Hopefully it's horror-worthy? I tend to scoff at my own attempts at fear-inducing shet since i'm not easily scared myself. Enjoy yourselves. Critiques appreciated. 3
A sigh left the blond's lips as he finally drove up onto the gravel on the side of the small road. He put his Honda Civic in park and turned off the engine before opening the door and slipping from the vehicle. He leaned back in to pull his cell phone from the charger and slid it into his front pocket. Then he grabbed his clipboard, thumbing through the mix of scribbled-on and cleanly printed pages to make sure he had everything that the owner had sent him.
Naruto backed up out of the car, slamming the door shut then stretching his arms over his head as he looked around. Today was cloudy and there was a light, chill wind, but there wasn't supposed to be any rain, which was good. The gray light cast a chilled veil through the surroundings but in reality, the atmosphere was quite warm. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at the old rundown apartments that were on the opposing side of the road. It was amazing that people still lived over there in the crumbling (probably rodent-infested), old rooms, but that wasn't his site.
Blue eyes now focused on what would be his project for the coming months. An early 1900s all-grades school loomed over his small car. The building was three stories tall, made of almost all brick. There were large parts that had fallen from it, leaving gaping holes in both the walls and the roof. The papers he got told him that it was closed almost forty years ago once the new building was built and was boarded up ten years later when a cult used it as the location for their massive suicide ritual. Then, only eight years ago, an arsonist set fire to the building. A large chunk was ruined before the firefighters could save it. Naruto's job was to clean up the half that was still usable and turn it into a building for the art department of a nearby university.
Personally, he thought the whole thing should be knocked down so they could start anew, but the voters had wanted the traditional buildings that still remained around town to be preserved as much as possible. They mentioned something about holding onto the city's heritage. Whatever the old farts wanted, as long as he got paid for doing his job.
He adjusted the cap on his head, which kept his usually messy blond locks under some control, and strolled along the scraggly excuse for a lawn. He yawned and ran his fingers through the sparse hairs on the back of his neck before greeting one of his teammates and longtime best friend, Inuzuka Kiba. "Hey, man, have a nice journey?" Naruto asked slowly. The two had just been driving for hours from their hometown to come to this place. They were staying with their other friend, Haruno Sakura, who happened to live nearby since she was currently studying for her nursing degree at the university that wanted this building made useful again.
"Just as boring as most of the others that we have to take for this damn job," the brunet replied with a small grin. They were two of the supervisors for the project of renovating the old building and had to get here early to get a good "tour" of the place so that they got to connect experience to the nice little drawings that were in their files. It also helped to clear up many things that seemed vague for what the people wanted out of this structure.
So far the other people hadn't showed which was surprising since usually Naruto was the latest one. He didn't try to be, it just always happened that way, Sasuke teased him about that a lot.
"Man, this place is gonna be tough," Naruto sighed, leaning against one of the outside walls of the building. "It looks ready to fall at any second." He snorted and nodded his head to one of the exterior frameworks that was helping to hold up the massive walls to what the plans said was the "auditorium." He was almost worried that simply leaning against one of the walls may cause it to fall over.
Kiba turned and chuckled lightly as his eyes traveled over what he could see of the building. "Yeah, we have our work cut out for us this time. I think we can do it though. We've got a good team this time." The brunet grinned at Naruto and shifted his weight, boots crunching in the gravel that was by the building.
Both young men turned when they heard another car drive up, followed shortly by another one. "Finally," Naruto said, pushing himself off the wall, "Now we can get this damn show on the road."
A decently dressed man appeared from the first car as well as a more casually dressed one. The second car held Kiba and Naruto's head honcho, Sarutobi Asuma. Asuma was a big guy. Broad shoulders, wide chest, though not Mr. Universe material, he was still pretty intimidating to be around. The man shut his door and took a drag from his cigarette. He was rarely seen without one.
The three new guests all converged around the two young men and the nicer dressed man spoke first. He was fairly tall and very lean, he reminded Naruto of a young tree. He had slicked-back, ebony hair and he wore small circular shades on his nose. "It's nice to see you all made it here okay. I was just talking to Mr. Sarutobi here at the Waffle House down the road. Sorry if we were a little late." He gave a chortling laugh while Asuma muttered in the background to remind the man to just call him 'Asuma,' "We seemed to have lost track of time."
Naruto pulled on a grin, before offering his hand. The guy was a little weird, but he seemed easy enough to get along with. "Hi, the name's Uzumaki Naruto and this here is my assistant supervisor, Inuzuka Kiba." The blond said with a firm shake of the man's hand, jerking his head sideways to indicate the brunet at his side.
"Ah, nice to meet you both." The man started, shaking Kiba's hand next who nodded in return. "My name's Ebisu and this is my assistant, Hayate." The man pushed up his small shades and gestured his hand to the side to show the other man.
Hayate stepped forward, clinging to his clipboard and small stack of papers with one arm as he raised the other in a short greeting, "Hey." His voice cracked before he brought up his hand to cover the small fit of coughs that came afterward. The man stood about the same height as Ebisu, he had shoulder-length hair that looked to not be brushed that often and had a generally average build. His most prominent feature though, were the deep purple circles around his eyes, almost like the guy hadn't had sleep in months.
A wheat-colored brow raised as Naruto eyed the other male. "Oh, he's always like this. He takes medicine daily for his allergies," Ebisu said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Apparently, this guy liked to speak for other people without their consent. "Anyways, shall we?" The dark-haired man turned towards the building, indicating they should follow along.
Naruto turned to Kiba who shrugged and followed after the weird guy and his immune-deficient assistant. The blond also followed, slipping his hands into his pockets, turning to regard his boss. "This guy's pretty fun, huh?" he asked the taller man with a nervous chuckle.
"Mm, I guess," was Asuma's gruff reply. "He grates on your nerves after a while though."
The grin that Naruto had managed to maintain grew. It always pleased him to have a little conversation with the other; he was his boss after all. However, he decided he'd walk alongside Kiba rather than the bulkier dark-haired male. Boss or not, Kiba was just more fun to be around and the blond had to admit he was nervous of screwing up around the Sarutobi.
"This area here is the foyer," Ebisu started, his voice ringing slightly as it bounced off the dilapidated walls. He sounded much like a realtor and the blond idly wondered if that had anything to do with his profession.
Naruto craned his neck once he had entered past the crumbling doorway, looking around at the area they were in, with mild awe.
It reminded him of something he'd seen in a scary movie once. The walls had already been worn from age, and they had large burned areas and were covered in filth and ash from the fire and just years of existing. The floor was also encrusted with a thick layer of the ash and other debris and it crunched under their feet. He had prepared himself with a mental image of what was to come when he entered, but he hadn't truly expected any of this.
There were three staircases from this room. One to his right that went upstairs with one adjacent to it that went down to what appeared to be the basement and then there was one right beside him at his left that also went up to the second floor. There were two large doorways that might have lead to different walkways around the auditorium, but now they both led into a large open space, littered with a few of the chairs that had survived the years and abuse that the building had suffered.
All of this was lit with what light could seep through the holes in the roof before Ebisu pulled out his flashlight as he turned back to the group. "I suppose we'll start downstairs, then? Work our way up?" His voice was a sharp contrast to the atmosphere of where they were.
Naruto and Kiba were the only ones to speak up. A "Yeah sure," and a "Sounds good," coming from each respectively. Asuma only replied with a grunt, tapping the ash from his cigarette as he did.
Ebisu nodded with a cheery smile and clicked on his flashlight before leading them to the only set of stairs that went down.
All five of them had to pick their way carefully down the cement steps as the piles of ash made it unsteady. They all gathered around as Ebisu paused to shine his flashlight down the shallow hallway, illuminating the rows of doorways that led into other rooms. At the end there was a boarded up open area that led to the outside. The opening on the end was completely opposite to a hole in the wall in the foyer, creating a deterioration-caused breezeway.
"This down here is mainly where they taught the younger students. We thought this'd be a nice place for a couple of drawing studios or so," the man grinned and started down the hall, explaining the purpose of each room with great vigor.
Naruto ignored the man for the most part. He'd already read the plans for the rooms, he had just come to see this for himself before he actually began his work. He always liked to get a preliminary view of what he was doing before he actually got to it. It helped him visualize things the night before so he saved time when showing his team members what to do. He silently memorized the area, his eyes traveling along the walls, trying to follow the flashlight so that he could get a better view of what he was looking at.
He stopped in front of what led into the small play area. A row of columns, with the name "Treasure Trove" painted in modestly disfigured letters adorning the top, led the way to a small step and then a mildly large, open area. From what he could see from the low light, there were still some surviving shelves and a couple of what could have been toys scattered across the room. The look of something that used to hold so much life, now so decrepit and lifeless gave Naruto the creeps and he could feel his skin tingle, threatening to rise in goosebumps.
Turning away, the blond caught up to where the others had stepped down into one of the rooms near the end of the hall. He wasn't a wimp or anything; he just didn't find it a good idea to be left alone in a building like this. Something could fall on him or he, himself, could fall and get injured or something like that, y'know?
He took the small steps that led down into a bigger room than Naruto was expecting. The blond stepped up to where the others were grouped around Ebisu again, Kiba glancing back and giving his friend a snort and a short shake of his head before turning back. Their tour guide was now stepping into what used to be a small bathroom area where there were misplaced shelves amidst the surviving stalls.
They finished with the downstairs and headed back up to the foyer and up the stairs. The ones that sat side-by-side to the steps they had just taken down. According to the papers and Ebisu, the other stairs, that led upward, led nowhere since the ceiling had caved in on them, blocking the way. Not that it really mattered, the upper floor was all connected so they were able to get to what was over on that side anyway.
They didn't bother with the rooms on the one side since they were all classrooms for the higher grades. Ebisu explained in a singsong voice, "Once you've seen one, you've seen them all." Instead they were led into the middle of the building where it opened up into a large hall with rooms opening up out of it along the walls. There was scaffolding set up next to a large crumbling hole in the wall to keep the above floor from crashing down. Looking out, you could see down into the auditorium below. Though Naruto didn't bother to get to close to check it out, being he wasn't too sure about the hardiness of this floor.
The room held a small gym, wooden floor. There were a couple of columns to hold up the above floor, but it was obvious they weren't enough as the ceiling warped downwards in some areas. The bunch was again choosing their footing carefully since this floor was wood and the concrete that had held it steady had crumbled away in some areas, falling down to the floor below. "Please watch your step, gentlemen," echoed Ebisu's cheery voice, the statement almost useless since most had already decided they didn't want to chance crashing through a random weak spot in the floor.
"I think this area needs the most work. I'm sure you men already decided that on your own though, right?" the man with the flashlight continued with a small laugh. "I think we'll keep walking this way. There's just more classrooms here in this wooden-floor area. This way to the third floor." He finished his statement with a sweeping-arm gesture to the stairs that could be seen peeking around the corner. Hayate cleared his throat.
The others continued to follow Ebisu, but the blond stuck around the gym floor. His eyes were trained on one of the darker rooms. Something that he was sure had glinted, did so again and he squinted, trying to catch what it was. He quickly turned his head to where the others had disappeared, the flashlight gone with them. So that couldn't be it.
Naruto edged along the floor. The boards creaked gently beneath each footfall, but his ears were ignoring those sounds to focus on anything that came from the room he was nearing. He tilted his head sideways, blocking some of the dim light that came from the other room so he could watch for the source of the winking light he had seen.
The phrase "Curiosity killed the cat," came to mind, but the blond didn't turn away. He was too drawn in by finding out exactly what it was to think about stuff like cliché phrases and consequences right now.
As he neared the room, his skin started prickling again as it had when they were downstairs. Pulse rising. Eyes were dilated wide, trying to drink in everything from the pitch-blackness. All senses were spiked. The scents of ash and ancient mustiness stung his nostrils. Air was harder to draw in by nostrils alone. He parted his lips, panting lightly. The taste of burnt dust settled on his taste buds, enhancing the smell.
The blond paused, letting out a soft, silent huff of air before he prepared to actually enter the room. Even with his sight set on as optimum as it could get, it was still as if Naruto was entering an abyss. His stomach felt like it wanted to crash through his intestines at the thought of the grimly cruel metaphor.
His eyes darted around, a warning going off in his head as soon as he stepped foot into the room. The floor was again the hard cement that was located in the majority of the building, but the blond couldn't feel less secure, even if his feet were. A tiny voice at the back of his head was still questioning why he had to come over here in the first place, but he ignored it and took a few more careful steps in.
A chill shot up his spine at the sound of what could have been a rasping breath. No, there's no way. He and the others were the only ones in this building. He hadn't read of any homeless people taking residence in here either. It had to be his imagination, but he had to be sure.
"Uh...is there anyone..in here?" his voice came out way smaller and shakier than he wanted and he immediately wished he hadn't said anything at all when all he was met with was silence. You should've known.
Panic rang out in his mind against his will as he tried to clear his head to decide what to do now. He wasn't even sure what he was scared of. Then another sound reminded him that yes, that was what he was frightened of. Those noises that he shouldn't be hearing, but that he was. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him. The wind. Something. He shivered as a cold chill danced along his body much like the cold fingers that could reach ou---... There is no need to let your imagination go wild.
Then Naruto shot forward what he swore was fifty feet as he felt something firm clasp his shoulder (a momentary thought back to those icy claw like fingers), a loud, raw shout escaping his throat, his heart wanting to burst from his chest. In seconds he was on the other side of the room and facing the opposite direction he had when he came in to find...Kiba staring at him with a look of slight shock (maybe worry too) on his face.
"Dude, what's up with you?" the brunet asked unsurely, hand still up in the air from where he had touched Naruto's shoulder. "We've already looked over the third floor. We came back through to go down into the auditorium and I saw you sneaking around in here."
The blond couldn't find words at the moment, he was too busy gulping in the oxygen he'd lost from the adrenaline rush he'd just had. Instead he just huffed air out, trying to form syllables with it. "H'I...h'was...just....I..saw something.." he forced out, his body slowly starting to relax as he forced it to.
He cleared his throat before straightening from where he'd been slouched in a defensive stance. "Y-yeah, but...it was nothing," Naruto said before swallowing hard.
"Uh..okay then. Well you need to get your ass downstairs. The auditorium's kind of a big deal, y'know," the brunet dropped his arm and folded it with his other in front of him before tilting his head slightly to eye his friend. "Try to calm your ass down though. Dunno what's gotten you so riled up."
Naruto shakily raised a hand to lift his cap up, the other hand sifting through golden locks just as nervously. "Mmy-yeah. I dunno either, but yeah, I'll be down there in a second. Lemme catch my breath."
Kiba nodded before turning and leaving, Naruto leaving the room not too long after him, not wanting to be left alone in that room. What the fuck are you so scared of? There wasn't anything rational to be afraid about. Still, he didn't take another look back at the room as he left it.
"Ahh, there they are. We were about to go on without you," came Ebisu's high voice when the two descended the stairs. He clasped his hands together, Hayate having taken control of the flashlight by now. "Now we'll go into the auditorium."
A small smile quirked at the blond's lips; that guy's voice could be really comforting sometimes, but it still stung his ears.
They traveled into the high-vaulting room and Naruto couldn't help but let his head fall back as he looked up into the collapsing balcony seats and up even higher into the speckled holes in the crumbling roof.
"Try not to swallow anything," Kiba joked, shoving the blond lightly as he passed. Naruto snorted and shoved the brunet back before dodging a chair that he had almost run into.
"I do believe this room needs to become much smaller, don't you agree? What are art students supposed to do with an auditorium?" Ebisu said, voice ringing out and echoing loudly in the large area.
Naruto decided he didn't like this room. He didn't like how open it was. He didn't like the dark corners. Had he been alone, he would have already quickly left it. It was way worse than the other one upstairs. Yes, he full-heartedly agreed that it needed to be smaller.
He edged up closer to the group as he looked around, wanting to leave the gigantic room as soon as possible. He was already skittish from the run-in before and he was trying to hide his unnerved state as suavely as he could. Though, he didn't know how much longer he could keep this act up.
There was just something about the unknown that freaked Naruto the fuck out. Were he face to face with the barrel of a gun, he could handle that much better than being stuck in a pitch-black auditorium, the ancient, decaying curtains hanging off to the sides of the stage like massive specters waiting for their prey.
"I do believe that ends our little tour, gentlemen," Ebisu said after another long explanation had ended, that Naruto had again ignored, focusing on the curtains again (mainly what could be behind them.) "Are there any questions before I leave you to your work for these few, fine months? Of course, if you can't think of any now, it's not the last time you'll see me." His laugh was as chipper as ever. He amuses himself well, the blond thought with a grin.
"I think I'm good here," Naruto spoke up, almost immediately; he wanted the fuck out of this gaping room,
Asuma gave a grunt in agreement.
"Yeah, I've had enough of this place for today," Kiba said, finishing up the other two's thoughts.
"Well, well then. I'm looking forward to seeing what you men and your associates do with the place." Ebisu said before leading the way out of the building. He had a certain saunter to his step that wasn't there before.
Once outside, the men said their goodbyes, gave appropriate handshakes, and all got into their respective vehicles before driving off, save for a blond and brunet.
"So, man, what'd you see in there that got you so freaked out?" Kiba asked, coming up beside the blond from behind.
Naruto turned to eye his friend then turned his gaze back to where he was walking, "I dunno. I just thought I saw somethin,'" the blond rubbed at the back of his neck as he replied.
"Okay, dude. Well, I guess take care til I see you for dinner then," the brunet said with a grin, patting Naruto on the shoulder before getting into his Toyota. "Try not to piss your pants while we're workin on this, huh?" Kiba added with a grin, chuckling as the blond replied with his middle finger before getting into his own car.
"I'll see you later," Naruto waved and slammed his door. Kiba drove off and the blond started his car, leaving soon after.
Naruto was heading towards the nearby hardware store. He had lost his old pair of gloves a few days ago and needed to pick up another. There was no way he was going to supervise the renovation of that school with bare hands, there were screws and nails and tons of other sharp objects that could easily stab right through his palms. No need to go get those pain-in-the-ass tetanus shots if you didn't have to.
He figured he should call his fiancé and catch him up on things while he drove. Naruto lifted his cell phone with one hand and punched the call button to pull up his recent calls. He glanced down as he scrolled to 'Sasuke' and hit the call button again, bringing the phone up to his ear. He let the phone ring, tapping on the steering wheel with his free hand as he was stopped by a red light.
After a while of no pick-up, Naruto furrowed his brows and hung up. That's funny, Usually the Uchiha picked up the phone on the second ring. He shrugged and set the phone down in one of his car's built-in drink holders. Maybe he was in the shower or cooking dinner or something.
Naruto set his new gloves down on the smooth dresser on his way in to the guest bedroom and then went to sprawl out on the bed. The house was built for multiple college roommates, but the Harunos paid for their daughter to live in it alone so Sakura had a couple of rooms to spare when her friends had called her, looking for a place to stay during their career's new project.
He could hear Sakura in the kitchen making dinner, like she promised she would for the two young men on their first night there. The television murmured in the living room, Kiba set up comfortably on the couch in front of it.
He jerked when he felt his phone go off and he dug it from his pocket, flipping it open and bringing it up to his ear. The caller ID had read 'Sasuke.' Sasuke was the blond's fiancé for almost a year and lover for at least five before that. Naruto never was any good with remembering dates.
"Hey, baby," the blond greeted. "Why didn't you answer your phone earlier?"
A small flustered huff was the blond's greeting before a sigh of annoyance. "I was called into work. Someone called in sick. I knew you were busy, did you not get my text?" Sasuke said and then Naruto heard the rustle of sheets.
Naruto grinned and bent his arm behind his head, leaning back on the pillows, "Ah, I see. I figured you were just busy." He pulled his phone down and went to his text messaging inbox before pulling the phone back up, "No, no text messages. Maybe I'll get it later when I turn my phone off and back on since it likes to be retarded like that. Did you have an okay day?"
"Mmm.." Sasuke made a small noise. "Just played for a bit before getting called in... other than some fucktard trying to tell me how to do my job, I guess it was alright. I need to eat and shower still." Sasuke paused and shuddered playfully, "People germs."
"M'sorry about those asstards that mess with you, I'd take care of him if I was there. Then we could shower together in celebration," the blond snickered. "I wish I was there, but this job is gonna have me over here for a bit. I promise to visit as soon as I get a break, okay?"
"Mmm, I'd like that shower right now. And you owe me, you took the mutt too, I'm 100% down in the entertainment department here." Naruto could hear the smirk in his fiancé's voice, the other knowing he would give him a massage in the shower which would possibly lead to other relaxing (entertaining) activities. "How did the walk through go?" Sasuke continued, "Is it as bad as you thought it would be?"
"It went alright. I got a lil spooked in the middle of it, but the place itself is damn creepy. It was nice seeing it though before we actually started work even if I think it'd be better off knocked down. I dunno why they insist on keeping it." Naruto scratched at his scalp absentmindedly as he went on, he had tossed his cap to the side upon entering the room, "The owner guy was really nice and chipper too. The kind of person you'd hate," he snorted.
Sasuke snorted in return. "I'm sure he had that lovely sing-songy tone too, didn't he?" Naruto knew that the Uchiha's boss had that same tone and that it annoyed him to no end. "Creepy? What happened?" Sasuke shifted and Naruto guessed he was getting undressed from work, probably having called him as soon as he got home.
"I dunno really. I just saw this weird thing shining in this room and like as soon as I got in there, it was freezing. My hair was standing on end and I was just so freaked out. Kiba barely even touched me and I ran across the room," he snorted at himself, realizing how ridiculous he'd acted. "I was fine afterwards though."
"Mmm.." Sasuke knew that Naruto wasn't easily scared, but at the same time knew the blond had a fierce imagination sometimes. Sasuke, on the other hand, thought logically on things, and usually didn't like jumping to conclusions. "No flashlights or anything?" The raven was skeptical, but with proper evidence, he could be convinced.
"Nope, I even checked to see that for myself. The rest of the group was upstairs when I saw it, same with their flashlight. I didn't have a light on me since the building was dim enough that I could kinda see."
"Mmm.." Another thoughtful hum. "Check it out when it's light out before you jump to any conclusions, Alright?" The other said and the blond gave an affirmative hum in reply.
"Okay, I will."
After barely a moment of silence, "What are you up to now?" Sasuke nearly purred into the phone.
"Not much, cupcake, since it's about dinner time," Naruto purred back, toeing off his shoes and kicking them off the end of the bed. "Just layin' on my bed, talkin' to you."
"Wish you were here on our bed." Sasuke teased, it was his own way of telling his lover that he missed him, but Naruto knew that the raven understood that the job he was on was important for them both, and on the other hand, Sasuke had ensured he'd be fine while the blonde was gone anyway. "You're missing the show."
Naruto chuckled low and was about to reply, but he heard Sakura call both of the boys for dinner. "Be there in a second," he called back, moving the phone from his mouth to save his fiancé's ear. "Hey, I need to go eat. I'll call you later, mkay? I love you."
"Hopefully she doesn't spoil you, I already have a hard time keeping up with your stomach." Sasuke teased more. "Alright, I'll have my phone on me." Sasuke was probably in the bathroom, his voice echoing slightly off the tiled walls. "I love you. Later, Dobe."
"Bye, sexy." Naruto said before clipping his phone shut and putting it in his pocket as he stood. He peeled off the polo he was wearing, leaving on the T-shirt that was beneath it and walked from the guest room, absently envisioning what his dark-haired lover would be doing soon.
Kiba was already sitting at the table with his food, helping himself. Sakura was in the kitchen still, making her own plate. "Just grab a plate and get whatever you want," she said cheerily, placing a roll with her other things and going to the table as well. "I bought some cokes while I was out today too; they're already in the fridge and cold for you." She sat down in her chair and scooted it closer to the table.
"Thanks," Naruto said, opening up the cabinet to grab one of the plastic, colorful plates. He went across the counter, picking up his food (avoiding the vegetables for the most part) and then pulled a can of coke from the refrigerator before setting the things on the table. He turned and went back to get some silverware before finally sitting down at the table, ready to eat.
"Oh, it's no problem," Sakura replied after swallowing her mouthful of food. She looked over at the brunet then Naruto, about to say something to start a conversation, but then stopped herself. Her first choice probably wouldn't have been a very good decision.
They ate together, a few random conversations coming up about Naruto and Kiba's job or Sakura's classes. A conversation even came up about the weather and lasted longer than the three thought it would.
"It was really cloudy today," the brunet spoke up, swallowing his roll. "Think it'll rain? Man, that'd be a huge downer on going into work. Hopefully they get the tarps up over the roof soon to keep the water out when we start this shi—stuff." Kiba censored himself, catching the look he got from the girl sitting next to him.
"I don't think so. At least, the weather guy said it wouldn't, but you never can really trust them, can ya?" the blond replied, buttering his own roll.
Sakura cleared her throat before she spoke up, "Well, I think they're right this time. If it was going to rain, it would have already, wouldn't it? It's been cloudy for a while now. You guys just got here so you didn't see it yesterday."
"Mm yeah, you're righ'," Naruto agreed, taking a bite of his chicken.
"Well if worse comes to worst, at least it might wash out that spook, huh?" Kiba interjected, giving the blond to his side a rough nudge in the shoulder with his elbow.
Naruto just glared back, taking a more violent bite off of his meat. "Just drop it, I was just jumpy about being in a new building, tha'sall."
Sakura giggled lightly to herself, trying to cover it with her mouth. The blond still noticed it though and turned a lightened version of his glare to her as well and the conversation carried on as thus.
Kiba finished first, Naruto soon after, Sakura still had a bit on her plate to go though she probably wouldn't finish it, "So, who were you on the phone with?" the brunet asked, pushing his plate away from him and wiping at his mouth with his napkin. He gave a satisfied sigh and folded his arms over his chest.
The blond went to twirl his engagement ring around his finger, like he always did when Sasuke was brought up (the ring had come as a pair with the one that Naruto had given to the Uchiha back when the blond proposed), when he noticed it wasn't there. He shot up from the table, shoving the chair backwards, both Kiba and Sakura staring at him in wide-eyed wonder.
"Fuckfuckfuck, where'd it go? Where'd I put it?" Naruto yammered as he instantly dropped to the floor and crawled around, rising to look on the table then going quickly into the kitchen to look around the pots of food, "Fuckk, I can't lose it!"
"Woah, dude, what the fuck's going on?" Kiba said, standing up in front of his chair and moving to help his friend. Sakura just merely watched the blond from where she sat.
"My ring!" Naruto spat in return, continuing to crawl along the ground, retracing his path to the room.
Both of his friends moved from the table, looking around themselves immediately after he specified just what he had lost. They started to crawl around the floor, much like he was doing.
"It'll be okay, Naruto. We'll find it. Just look everywhere you've been today," Sakura said in what she hoped was a soothing voice though she was a little anxious herself.
"Yeah, dude. It has to be somewhere in this house. You had it with you after we left the school right?" the brunet asked from where he was feeling around the carpet in the living room.
Naruto froze, eyes going wide as he sat up suddenly beside the bed. "Fucking hell! Nonono! It can't be there! I'll never find it then!" He jumped up and yanked his keys from the desk, sprinting through the living room, "I'm going to go check my car!" the blond called as he rushed through and out the door.
He leapt at the vehicle, pushing the button on his keychain to unlock the doors and yanking the driver side open. He fumbled through the seats, reaching up to turn on the other lights in the car. "No. No. No no no nonono!" the blond chanted, not seeing the piece of jewelry anywhere. He let out a loud, exasperated growl. He couldn't lose that ring. It was one of his and Sasuke's rings.
Still not seeing it anywhere, Naruto groaned at the thought of the only place it could be. He really didn't want to go there, but in his panicked state of mind, it was the only option to him right now, not caring if it was night or not. He pulled back from the car, closing the door behind him before he stomped quickly back into the house.
"Did you find it?" Sakura asked, peeking from the guest bedroom.
Naruto sighed and rubbed at his face before pushing away from the door, "No, I'm going to the school to look for it." He brushed past her into the room to grab his shoes and a flashlight. He momentarily sat on the bed and pulled his Nike-knockoffs on.
"Man, no. What the hell? You can't go there now. You'll never find it at night. Just wait until tomorrow," Kiba said, coming up to the doorway as the blond walked past them both.
"No, I can't. I have to get it back now," Naruto stated firmly and walked through the living room. There was an authority to his voice that dared the other two to stop him.
"If you lose that ring, it's not the end of—" Kiba was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and he turned to Sakura, the girl giving him a slow shake of her head. The brunet started to argue, but she focused her gaze and he sighed before turning back to the blond that was about to leave.
"At least let me go with y—" he was yet again, cut off, this time by a slamming front door.
Naruto got back in his car, turning on the engine and quickly backing out of the driveway. He drove there as swiftly as possible, pushing just over the speed limit. It didn't take long for his Honda to pull up on the gravel in front of the dilapidated school.
The blond got out of the car slowly, his anxiousness from earlier gone. Blue eyes moved over the building as he pulled out his flashlight. The place was even more foreboding and menacing at night, as he should have expected. His stomach quivered and sunk, shrinking away from the image.
Naruto shut his door, pushing the button on his keypad to lock it and stuffed his keys in his pocket. He was retarded, he was fucking retarded for being here right now. In the dark. In the goddamned dark.
He clicked on his flashlight as he edged towards the building, eyes lowering and staying trained on the ground. The light hovered over the gravel and sparse grass and he watched for even a slight shimmer of metal. This looked close enough to where he was parked earlier that day so he hoped he was still retracing his steps.
After sweeping over the same, wide area of grass for the fiftieth time, Naruto decided he should finally stop procrastinating and actually go in since it was clear that his ring wasn't out here, in the grass, where it was safer and less scary. Scary? No, Naruto wasn't scared.
He looked up at the pitch-black windows, some of them boarded up, and backed away as the breeze howled through the holes in the roof. The school seemed to roar at him, daring the blond to come inside.
Okay, maybe he was feeling a little nervous.
He pushed through the cracked-open door, the hinges creaking a bit as it swung open. Naruto flinched but kept moving forward into the foyer. He kept his flashlight low as he tried to focus on the floor. This building was a completely different place at night...when you were the only one here. It made his skin instantly crawl and his mouth go dry.
Naruto could feel his pulse speeding up, just by being in here like this...alone. That word by itself was enough for a twitch to pass through his muscles, making him turn slightly back towards the way he'd come in. The chilled air caressed against his exposed skin, but he reminded himself he was currently in a breezeway. There were no "cold spots" here. Cold spots were bullshit anyway, just like orbs and your batteries losing power. At least that's what he told himself.
Please don't die on me, flashlight, the blond pleaded mentally to the object and his hand tightened around it.
He swept his search over the ashy floor of the foyer, eyes threatening to glance up, but he wouldn't let them, couldn't let them. If he looked up now, he would lose what nerve he had left completely. His breath had already gone ragged and he was consciously putting up an effort to quiet it. Fuck, he felt like he was going to explode. His muscles were threatening to seize up on him. He couldn't stop though, he had to go on. There was something in his brain that wouldn't let him give up on the search for his ring just yet. This was all just silly shit; there was no reason to be afraid. What was he afraid of anyway? A glint that he thought he saw earlier that day? The simple feeling that he might be being watched?
Naruto huffed, having built up his courage again. He needed all he could get since he was about to go down into the basement. Down where the 'Treasure Trove' was...
He slapped himself, the sting taking his mind off where it was attempting to trek. Just when he got some backbone, his brain was already trying to take it away again. Naruto, you need to chill the fuck out. What kind of a man are you that gets scared by stupid ass shit like this?
Wanting to growl at himself in frustration, but just not having that much courage yet to be making noise, Naruto started down the cement steps into the basement, the debris lightly crushing under his tennis shoe soles.
With every step further, his dread grew. It was harder to stay focused on just his feet with his mind whirling thoughts around a mile-a-minute, and his eyes started to wander. He almost let out a sigh of relief when he realized his fears were just as stupid as he thought, nothing was there, nothing was shining or clawing or gasping for breath, but he was still too panicked to let go of his restrained breath just yet.
He continued his search on the ground, again looking for the shimmer of his white gold band. His eyes stayed glued to the ground more easily now that he wasn't as anxious to look up. Then Naruto's eyes caught movement trailing just on the edge of his peripherals.
All of his muscles froze against his will. He stopped breathing, stopped moving, eyes stopped dead on the spot they were on.
The thing was creeping along, slowing as it went until it came to a halt. Naruto attempted to brush it off as a rodent until he raised his eyes and saw that it was a ball. An old, dirty ball that still held faded colored patterns along its plastic outer covering. It was too old of a ball to still hold air...and...how had it rolled over there anyway?
Naruto hated his imagination. Because the first answers it supplied, made a cold sweat instantly dampen his skin. Made his breath catch right as it had decided to ease out again.
He didn't want to move yet. He didn't want to look up. He wished he could just suddenly be back at home, in his warm bed, snuggled to his fiancé in the afterglow of wonderful sex, nose buried in the scent of his lover's dark locks.
A whimper threatened to thread its way up his throat as a slow version of "Pop Goes the Weasel" played down in the den of the 'Treasure Trove.' It was very muffled and some of the notes twanged off-key. It died as soon as it started, and Naruto wished he could die along with it. He didn't feel much like a male anymore since his testicles had long ago hidden away. He had lost what little calm he had.
He didn't know what to do. He was so fucking terrified. His breath was only coming in tiny huffs now, his body was still frozen, but he knew he needed to move, needed to do...something.
Balls may get pushed by the wind (no matter how off it was that it was fully blown up), but toys didn't play themselves. No, he wasn't alone. Either somebody was playing a seriously sick joke on him, a homeless man was using scare tactics to keep intruders away, or....
Naruto didn't want to go where his mind threatened to lead.
The sound came from a little ahead and to the right of him, so he figured if he turned and ran fast enough, he wouldn't have to come face-to-face with whatever it was.
His chest felt like it was about to burst, his muscles were still stiffened, but he had to go. He had to leave now or he might not ever. God, just...move...please.
A loud crash rang through the hall and Naruto was instantly up and out of the building, a blur to anyone else if they happened to be watching. He would have screamed, shouted, called out, but his throat was still strangled with fear. He might have lost his flashlight too if his hand wasn't glued to it, muscles frozen and wrapped around it in a death grip as he sprinted across the lawn and jumped into his car. He didn't remember fumbling with his keys.
Naruto peeled out, never having moved so fast before in his life.
Getting back to the house, the blond walked back into it, steps shaky and uneven. He closed the door and leaned against it heavily, eyes not moving from the floor as he lifted up his keypad and locked his car.
He slid down the door, landing in a heap at the bottom.
Kiba and Sakura instantly went to him, the two crouching nervously on either side. Neither was sure how to react to seeing their friend like this. Now he was a crumpled, jittery mess on the doorway.
Sakura took his hand and flinched as he jerked, but he let her take it, calming slightly more at the familiar touch, and she pet it softly. "It's okay, Naruto. You'll find it eventually," she cooed against his skin.
"Yeah, man, tomorrow I'll go with you and we'll find it," Kiba said with a soft smile. He moved closer to his friend, sliding a hand over his shoulders.
"That's not it," Naruto said, voice grimly calm despite his pallid appearance. He shook his head and repeated, "That's not it." His voice cracked the second time and rose in pitch slightly.
Sakura arched a dainty brow, hands tightening slightly around her friend's. "Then what is it, Naruto?"
The brunet's brow also arched and he stood, taking Naruto's arm to help him up, "Come on, man. Let's get you to your room," Kiba said, wrapping his friend's arm around him and leading him to the guest bedroom. Sakura followed along, still clutching to the blond's cold hand. He was usually so warm.
Naruto didn't say another word. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure yet of what he'd just experienced. He let himself be led into the bedroom and he sat down on the bed, Kiba and Sakura settling at either side.
Kiba ran his hand soothingly up and down the blond's back, who was slumped forward and staring down at his feet still. "So what is it?"
"Ball," came Naruto's simple reply.
"Ball?" the brunet replied and he looked up to an almost-mirrored expression of his own from the girl to Naruto's other side. He knew she was thinking something close to what he was.
"There...was a ball...I saw it!" Naruto said, head jerking up as he explained himself almost frantically, not looking at either of them. "There was a ball and it rolled and then there was music and then..then.. a crash...I don't know what was there, but there was something there and I ran."
"Shshsh..." Sakura stopped him, getting freaked out herself. For Naruto to be so bothered by this, somebody who was never scared of anything...She grabbed his head and pulled him to her, cradling it as she threaded her fingers through his hair. "It'll be okay. You're back here now. You shouldn't've gone there alone at night."
"Yeah, you were kind've askin' fo---" Kiba stopped himself thanks to a glare from the pink-haired girl beside him. "What I meant was, you should've let me come with you."
"I'm sorry, guys," Naruto said, hugging Sakura back and burying his face into her arm. "I dunno what I was thinking."
"It's okay, Naruto," Sakura said with a calm smile, still petting his scalp. She could feel warmth seeping back into his body and she relaxed more. "You just need some sleep."
"I need Sasuke," Naruto corrected her, voice muffled against her arm. It came out before he could keep his mouth shut. Now, he felt foolish...and weak. A rough, frustrated sigh passed his lips.
Sakura winced and paused in her stroking, before going back to it. "Yes,...yes you do...," she said before looking up at Kiba who sighed and looked down.
Naruto stayed wrapped around the young girl until the fatigue that came from all the day's events threatened to drag him to sleep, allowing her, wanting her to continue stroking him. It calmed him, being similar to what the Uchiha did to get him to settle down.
He pulled from her and rubbed at his temples before getting up. "You guys..can go..I'll be fine. I just need some sleep." The two looked hesitant until he gave them a small grin, "Really, I'm cool. Just lemme get some shut-eye."
"Alright, man, I'll see ya in the morning," Kiba said as he stood, patting the blond on the back before leaving the room. He knew that if Naruto said he'd be okay, it was best to just leave him to it.
Sakura gave Naruto a tight hug, before pulling back with a small smile, "If you need me, don't hesitate to come wake me up, okay?" She stood on her tiptoes and placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek before leaving the room as well, closing the door behind her.
The blond sighed, tugging off his shoes and socks before dropping his pants as well. He pulled his shirt over his head before clicking on the lamp by his bed. He strolled over, absently scratching at an itch on his groin, and turned off the main light. Then he went back over to his bed, slipping in between the covers.
It took a while for him to get comfortable, but eventually, how worn out he was from the day won over and he fell fast asleep.
The next day went by as normal and the blond was soon just chalking up the previous day's events to stress and having been on the road too long without proper rest. He still didn't have his ring, but he planned to get it the day after when the construction team had day one of its project to renovate the school.
The day before the renovation, was for rest and preparation.
Naruto barely moved from the couch, him and Kiba going from watching whatever came on the TV to mulling over the blue prints and making sure all of their paperwork, plans, and the wishes of the people paying for this job all matched up. It was the most boring part of their job, but it was also one of the most important. One mistake and they were in for months of wasted effort.
Sakura was coming home late that night, so the two young men ordered pizza. They easily emptied two and half boxes, leaving the rest in the fridge for when their female companion got home later. They were pigs, but not heartless bastards.
The blond only had one conversation with Sasuke, the raven calling him later that evening after once again, failing to answer Naruto's call. The Uchiha had yet another legitimate excuse and apologized, saying that next time he'd be sure to pick up.
That night, after his shower, Naruto fell asleep with only a little bit of unease. It wasn't from balls rolling or music playing or even the pitter-patter of children's feet across a cement floor. The blond's anxiety was simple nervousness for the next day. A normal, very welcome anxiety in his opinion.