A/N: It's been a long time since I've written anything. I decided to discontinue DotBP. It's been too long for me to even fathom getting back on track. This story is new, and I plan on making is a multi-chap. I'm not too well known here, but I hope someone likes this. Peace and love, Octo.

The City

The city is a place of crime and grit. Skyscrapers are caked with dirt and pollution, tingeing the once shiny metal parts with a gray black hue. The sidewalks are worn from the heels of those who work the night, those who live in shadow and prey on man's desires. The days should be filled with work, the night with fear, but somewhere in this cycle of corruption and darkness, the light shone in the form of love. But so much darkness will consume the light, right?

"I love you."

It started with a phrase. A three word phrase. He'd never said that to anyone in his life. Cerulean eyes locked with smoldering black coal ones. Naruto's palms became clammy, his face turned stonily hard to mask his emotions. Sasuke looked back at Naruto incredulously. The phrase ran circles in his mind. The three word phrase Sasuke had wanted to hear for ages had slipped past the lips of his one and only friend. He wanted to step closer, to embrace his love, to hold on to him forever.

But he didn't.

He took slow steps back, never once breaking the electrically charged look shared with the two adolescents. After what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke Uchiha uttered the words he'd regret for some time.

"I don't. Faggot freak."

He turned on his heel leaving his love and best friend behind in the street. Naruto's hand was outstretched towards him, but Sasuke ran. Past the brothel, past the soup kitchen, past the school, past the deserted buildings, past the world he'd known for most of his life. He ran away from the only thing he ever cared for, the only thing that mattered. All because of fear.

Why am I so afraid?, Sasuke thought to himself, Love can't be this hard, can it?

He knew why he was afraid. His life had been so lonely. Ever since he was born, he'd had been alone. Loneliness was the only constant in his life. When Sasuke's father lost his job 12 years ago, it had all gone down hill.

"Fugaku please!" Sasuke's mother screamed, holding her bleeding stomach.

"Shut up you dumb bitch!" Sasuke's father screamed back, with a knife held drunkenly in his left hand.

Sasuke shuddered and shook the memory from his mind. He looked around. He had already made it to the outskirts of Baltimore. In the distance he could see the green hills and quaint houses of the suburbs. There wasn't time to admire his surroundings. Night was falling quickly and the late autumn winds caused him to shiver violently. There was only one place to go so late at night where he might be welcome. The idea of going there caused bile to rise in Sasuke's throat, but he had no other choice.

Naruto stood in the street of almost an hour, his mind replaying the scene that just occurred. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Sasuke cared about him. He'd always accept him and his feelings. What happened? Naruto was numb.

When he felt the feeling return to his legs, he turned around and headed back to his apartment. The prostitute on the corner near his building tried to wave him over. She promised him a 'good time' and that she'd get his mind off of anything that was troubling him. Her advertising went on deaf ears.

Naruto unlocked his front door and stepped into his small dingy apartment. It was as clean as it could be in such a dirty building. It was all one room. No space was separated by walls besides the bathroom. The fair haired teen walked to his bed and lay down. The orange sheet covered spring mattress dipped under his weight, sighing a metallic creak and moan. Azure eyes looked towards the cracked ceiling, glazed over with tears threatening to spill. He hadn't cried in almost a decade. He was the rock, the one who held Sasuke after nights filled with visions of the past, the one who cheered him up with his stupid jokes. All those years with Sasuke had gone to waste. He blew his one chance at happiness.

Tears streaked lines down Naruto's dirty face. Mental exhaustion made him slump into a restless sleep where his loneliness was portrayed in pictures his mind created. The idea of waking up in the morning disgusted him. All he wanted to do was to die.