'Die Trying' by The Art Of Dying


Dark eyes were obscured by darker bangs, as thunder roared and bellowed overhead. The man's jaw clenched, as lightening splayed it's tendrils across the angry black sky.

"Where the hell is he?" The man hissed, voice becoming hoarse from yelling.

Rain splattered down the pale angles of his face, and the hood of his blue-grey jacket fell, releasing a spiky mop of raven colored hair, that clung to his forehead and neck, soaked to the roots.

He glared downward at the gravel under his shoes, ignoring his unruly shadowy hair, as it was tossed wildly around by the punishing winds.

The tall, lean boy growled, and his onyx eyes flicked once again over the squat, run down houses all around him.

They were little more than a few rickety planks of wood and bent nails, really. The shacks -if they could be called such- leaned, screeched, creaked, and moaned under the weather's harsh blows, nagging the thundering wind to let up, as if crying out for their poverty.

He cursed, shaking his head. He could feel the tears beginning to build up.

Where was he?

Where could he possibly be?

Surely he hadn't taken the raven seriously.

"Shit," Sasuke murmured, despair starting to well up inside him like a tidal wave, crushing and cold, chilling him.

He kept walking, breath coming in short, ragged gasps, as he yelled for the blonde, voice lost, thrown and tossed about by the raging storm, water running down his back.

"Naruto! NARUTO!" He screeched, throat burning. Surely bleeding, the raven thought, by now.

He kept calling, and groaned as nausea roiled in his stomach in suspense and worry.

I can't believe I said that to him. I didn't know. Dammit. I'm the biggest asshole I've ever met, thought Sasuke, groaning again, his fingers knotted in his hair, tugging, and tears melting on his alabaster skin, joining the rain.

"Fuck," he sobbed, pulling his jacket closer, fingers frozen and stiff but still workable.

He coughed, and then wailed again, "Naruto!"

Then, he heard voices down the road, and began to walk to them, hoping for a clue as to where the blonde could be.

"Yeah, I agree man. That bastard fox is finally going to die. Good riddance!" yelled a voice over the storm, and Sasuke stilled, and concentrated on hearing.

"Yup, and now, with that beating, he will. Kinda wish I'd gotten to fuck it again though. Too cold for too much."

What?

"Yeah, great game though. Wish it'd lasted a little longer. Too bad. Its ass was so tight. It felt good, no matter how evil it was."

Sasuke began to move. Slowly. Deliberately. Angrily. Each step splashed down into the muddy puddles that littered the torn up gravel road.

He was really beginning to work up a fury, when he realized that the group of men, no more than three, was within his view now. They were enjoying themselves, joking around, as they chuckled.

He also realized that, no matter how much he might want to, he couldn't kill them. Not yet. Naruto needed him. He didn't have the time required to make them suffer.

"Dammit," he growled, and shook his head quickly, promising himself that he would come back and kill them as soon as he was able to.

Then, restraining himself, Sasuke went over to them, and grabbed one suddenly by the neck, throwing him into the sharp gravel. "Hey! What the—" The man was cut off by a jab to the chest, and his hair being practically ripped out by pale, curled fingers.

"Where is he?" The Uchiha seethed into his ear, livid and still trying to hold back.

"I don't know who you mean!" The man cried, thrashing and wincing as Sasuke twisted harder.

"Where is the blonde Dobe?"

"Who?"

Another of the men went down as the raven rammed his elbow into his stomach, digging deeper still into the other's scalp with his nails.

"Naruto. Where?"

"Oh," said the last man, still standing at a safe distance," You mean the Kyuubi brat, right?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed obsidian in the rain, drops still trickling down his face. The man twisted and gritted his teeth.

He had to control himself, so he closed his lids, whispering, "His name is Naruto Uzumaki. Where is he?"

Now, grabbing a piece of broken glass off the ground, the raven held it in front of his left eye.

"I'll give you to the count of three."

"One." The mans eyes widened and he now swallowed. He hadn't thought Sasuke was serious. Looking back at him, he stiffened. What he saw there wasn't anger. It was cold, deadly killer.

"Two," Sasuke murmured, edging it closer so the razor sharp jagged tip was touching the corner of his lid.

"Three." Drawing back, he readjusted his grip so he wouldn't get cut in reverse and wound up to stab. His eyes hadn't changed. They were steel black, and hard as stone.

"I-he was back by the old warehouse when we last saw him," the guy sputtered finally, pain releasing his tongue, as Sasuke twisted again, yanking his head back further. The tip glittered lethally half-an-inch from his cornea, and his lashes brushed it when he blinked nervously.

"Shut up, Hitai!" Another of the men yelled, beginning to walk towards the raven, which was holding in his fury, but only barely.

"Don't even think about touching me, you fucking bastard!" he muttered, his eyes burning as 'doom' pulsed from him in waves.

The man grinned crookedly, two teeth missing and said back, "Uh-uh. You're not even going to make it there, so don't even try it, you little shit."

"Fine." And with that, Sasuke rammed Hitai into the gravel, threw the glass into the talking man's right ankle. Ignoring the agonized scream, he kept going, leaping over to the other two and slamming his fist into their stomachs, and kept hitting, waiting for his anger to dissipate as he raged on the three guys.

-In retrospect, we learn that it is not smart to fuck with Naruto Uzumaki. LITERALLY OR OTHERWISE-

"Please," one of them choked out after several seconds of this, a rib broken and bruises painting his body, groin not spared.

Sasuke ignored him, and kept pounding, then remembering Naruto, stopped reluctantly, pulling one up by the hair yet again, getting close to his face and whispering, rain sliding down his face, "Where did you say he was?"

"B-by the old warehouse—eighteen blocks from here."

'Naruto…' the Uchiha thought, releasing the man's hair, letting him fall into a puddle.

Then, thinking of something, he stayed squatted down for a moment, gripped two of them by their hair and brought them up to his eyelevel.

He growled to both, "If I ever-ever catch any of you doing this to him again, you will all wish you'd never heard the name Sasuke Uchiha. I swear it by my life. Do you understand?"

They nodded silently.

"I don't think you heard me. I said-Do you fucking understand me?"

They groaned as one, murmuring, "Yes." He smirked, sour face twisting into a glare of momentous proportions.

"Good."

Rain continued its endless onslaught, as the onyx eyed seventeen-year-old began to sprint up the street, towards the other side of a horrible neighborhood, towards his friend.

'Naruto…'


Some miles away, blonde hair was matted down with blood, hardened before the rain got to him. It came in great swathes, blanketing him every few minutes, letting up just to allow him to breathe.

Pain ricocheted through his small frame, red stains running down, covering his clothes that were lying in shreds beside him. His whole body was throbbing, and his once clear blue eyes were glazed over, milky with agony. His breathes, shallow and separate, with coming in ragged heaves, sobs silently shaking his body.

'Sasuke…..I'm sorry' He thought, grimacing with more pain, before he tried to move a little bit, dragging his bruised, beaten, and bloody form slowly, agonizingly further into the corner, trying to escape the stinging rain.

He pulled himself upright, screaming softly between breathes, and trying to stay quiet.

The rain came again, hand-in-hand with the yell of anguish, his voice penetrating the roar of the storm above him.

Blackness came in great folds, surrounding him and offering peace.

Naruto tried to smile, but only succeeded in widening the slashes on the sides of his face, and whimpered again.

Then, gratefully, he dissolved into his torment, letting the final white flash of excruciating pain absorb him into silence.


Sasuke ran, no—flew down the discarded boulevard, the warehouse within view, and his heart pounded, terrified that he was too late to save the blonde.

He raced against time, throat burning and chest tightened in desperation and worry.

Raven hair was blown back, and the Uchiha could've sworn he'd lost all his hair by the time his flight was over.

Thunder roiled overhead, and he rounded another corner, sliding a little before gaining the necessary friction. His shoes slammed into puddles and rain streamed down his face, beating the tears to dripping from his chin.

When he reached it, Sasuke skidded to a halt, his eyes darting around, whirling, and looking for his friend.

Spotting the shadows concealed behind the building, he gasped out another breath and went forward.

He felt dread in his gut, putting in a last burst of speed, collapsing when he approached the alleyway.

"Naruto," he whispered, voice nearly completely gone, as he saw the blonde, propped up in a cornet, naked, with blood pooled everywhere in the dank, flooded space, his clothes in rags and piled in another corner.

More tears came to his face, and he stumbled towards Naruto, eyes widening as he got closer.

Bruises painted the blonde's body like a radical artist's work, and his hair was matted and dyed with blood, his face blank, eyes closed.

Sasuke's horror was growing, seeing cuts and slashes all over the poor blonde's body, welts all over his chest and sides.

The exhausted raven crawled over to the other, sitting next to him and putting a hand on his arms, wincing when Naruto whimpered, scared even in unconsciousness.

The Uchiha took off his coat and draped it over the blonde's shivering and beaten up body, making sure not to harm him.

"Please," escaped the hurt boy's lips, and he recoiled from both the coat and Sasuke, "No. Don't touch me!"

"No, please," the teen whispered again, then cried out, collapsing down, onto the flooded street ground.

"Naruto…" the raven murmured, swallowing whatever pride he had left and pulling the abused blonde into his arms, rocking and trying to calm him down. His arms were weakly thrashing now, and he rocked slower, cooing softly.

The still dreaming teen writhed and screamed into Sasuke's shoulder, positioned though he was.

"Stop! Don't! Help!"

Lightning flashed overhead, and the rain poured.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Sasuke.

'I've got to get him somewhere safer.'

"Naruto? Naruto wake up," he quit rocking, shaking the blonde's shoulder, carefully avoiding any painful spots.

The beaten teen screeched louder, his body beginning to bleed again, feet struggling, as the coat slipped and Sasuke frowned, and started to panic. If Naruto didn't stop, he'd only succeed in injuring himself further.

"Please," the golden haired boy sobbed, his voice breaking as his frantic wriggling stopped when his rear shifted, whining in pain.

The raven froze.

'Shit,' Sasuke thought, and pulled the coat back down, carefully wrapping it around Naruto's abused waist, gentle and trying not to jar him too harshly.

When he glanced up, his heart beat quickened, and his eyes scanned the high walls, dilated with his fear. He hadn't noticed before. The alleyway was on a dropping incline, leading down, and the rain was beginning to pile higher. The line of mold that grew from these floods in the alley was well above their heads, and he gritted his teeth hard, tasting blood and turning back to the broken blonde.

"Come on, Naruto…." His breath was a mist, as the rain kept coming, fog starting to form on the ground just above the rising water.

The slashes on his face bled freely, as the blonde sobbed uncontrollably into the Uchiha, still locked in his nightmare.

Sasuke looked around, as if help would bubble up from somewhere unexpected.

Then, deciding, he grabbed the boy in his arms tighter and tried to stand, leaning on the building behind them for support.

He slipped, and just stopped himself from dropping Naruto, as he cushioned their fall.

The blonde on him still screamed though, his ass rubbing against Sasuke's knees, clutching the raven closer while still trying to get away, begging and pleading for his dreams to stop their torture.

'I should've killed them,' was the ravens thought as he tried again, struggling up towards the endless downpour coming from the furious clouds above, "I should've killed them and killed them slowly and killed them for doing this to him. I should've made them pay."

He screamed defiance at the sky as it thundered loudly. Rain came in great torrents and his feet made no sound over the noise. Like they weren't even there. The only things Sasuke could make out was the rain and Naruto crying into the crook of his shoulder.

"I'm begging you. Wake up!" He shouted, straining under both their weight.

"Sasuke…" a tiny mumble amid the screaming, stinging rain.

The Uchiha stopped, his eyes staring at the boy in his grasp.

"Sasuke?" The brilliant azure eyes peeked open, his voice still quavering in fear, "Are you really here?"

"Hey. I'm here. Are you hu—going to be okay?"

"I'm numb," Naruto murmured, fists clutching the raven harder, with the rest of his trembling, "I can barely feel you. Everything's so cold, Sasuke."

"Just hang on. I'm going to get you out of here," he assured him, and struggled down the street.

Naruto didn't start crying again, instead quiet.

"I'm so cold, teme. Is this what death feels like?" Sasuke froze and looked down, stunned, at the friend. Naruto sounded so…calm. His eyes were glazed over and now that he got a closer look, the raven saw he was shaking in a constant motion.

"No. No this is what pain feels like," he said gently, and hugged him tighter, "It'll be alright, Dobe. I promise."

"But I can't even feel anything. Are you still holding be tightly, Sasuke? I can't feel you, and I can barely see you. It's so cold."

Alarmed, the raven leaned down and clung to the Dobe, blood smearing from his hair onto the pale skin of his cheek, quickly dripping off with the rain.

"Come on. We've got to get out of here," Sasuke murmured into the blonde's hair, as the other buried himself deeper in the Uchiha's chest, as if for protection.

Then, as more stinging rain stopped just short of their feet, Naruto quaked with sobs, crying into the already soaked shirt that the raven had on.

"It's so cooold, Sasuke. Please…"

"Shhh. I'm so sorry, Naruto. I never should've-" he bit his lip and leaned on a wall, trying to arrange him better before going on.

The blonde's teeth chattered loudly and he had a limp hold on the jacket where his knuckles used to be white from exertion. The raven's chest tightened and he felt a sob rising up in his stomach, twisting into him like a knife. He had done this. It was his fault.

"Hehe. Teme," Naruto whispered voice soft and breaking, "you saved me. That's all that matters." Then, coughing, he fell quiet again, and his hand dropped, curling into a smaller shape as he passed out again.

But before Sasuke could even get the will to move away from the wall, another voice came out.

"What's going on?" Kakashi ran around the corner and his footsteps echoed over the rain somehow, waking the exhausted blonde back up to his un-ending nightmare.

"Wha- Naruto, it's okay. It's only me," The silver-haired man stepped closer, only to leap back as the screeching reached a new high, the blonde now all but thrashing in Sasuke's arms, whining and begging for Sasuke to help him, caught yet again in his trauma.

"Dobe, it's only Kakashi. You know him. It'll be alright," He relaxed some of his grip, only to be clutched tighter by the small blonde teen, who was about a half a foot shorter than him, golden head tucked under his pale chin, weeping.

"Naruto? Damn it. Lost him again," the raven cursed, looking back up at his English professor with anger, growling, "Don't come closer until I calm him back down. Damn. He just fell asleep."

His gaze softened, and he leaned back against the rough brick of the warehouse, trying to soothe the blonde again, rocking him back and forth awkwardly in his arms, murmuring softly over the rain's now slower pitter-patter.

Big fat drops fell heavily down on their heads, slipping through their hair and down their cheeks.

Sasuke whispered reassuringly to the blonde, and continued to rock until his ground-breaking screams were down to small whimpers, buried in the raven's wet chest. It took about ten minutes, the whole time Naruto whimpered for the Uchiha to help him please.

"That's it. It'll be alright Naruto. It's only Kakashi," he finished, motioning quietly to the patiently waiting man, who stepped gently over to them and sucked in his breath roughly when he saw what shape Naruto was in, his only visible eyebrow disappearing altogether into his spiky and drenched hair, shocked.

"What happened?" he growled, glancing around angrily, once over the initial impact of seeing a boy you value as nothing less than a close nephew, bleeding and naked, and in that bad a shape.

"Later. Now we need to get him back to the dorm. He's not going to do anything tonight except get a bath and sleep. It's nearly 1'o clock in the morning anyways," the man answered himself, waving away any arguments about medicine.

"No Sasuke. I can guess what went on, and he's not going to remain calm unless we keep people away. Let's go."

The raven followed Kakashi as best he could, exhausted to the point of collapse, with a blonde that absolutely refused to be shifted to anyone else's hold.

They reached the university buildings shortly after 1:34 Am, both stumbling and glad to be far away from the horrible neighborhood that Sasuke had found Naruto in, raped and beaten.

Another figure was waiting inside, and was scared out of her mind when she set off the screaming blonde, though he was really not very loud now, having been calmed at least half an dozen times on the way there, twice when Kakashi got too close, and several when Sasuke had relaxed his grip for a moment to rest.

He'd gotten much easier to reach, and was quickly shushed, still making tiny whimpers into the raven's soaked shirt, tears barely leaking out from his eyes, which only opened a little bit once in a while, glazed over with his dream and reality both.

"Naruto," Tsunade whispered, putting a hand out to him, only to jerk it back, nearly slapping herself, when the teen whined and shied away, dream monsters echoing in his mind, clinging to the raven with all his might.

His terror overpowered the agony that was practically etched in every line of his body, which still oozed blood from at least a dozen places.

His golden hair was still dripping rain, and random strands were covering half his face, as his eyes clamped shut, flinching away from both Kakashi and Tsunade, closer yet to the raven, which was starting to feel squeezed.

"Dobe…too tight," he breathed quietly into Naruto's ear, and sighed when the blonde whined and relaxed a little bit, nestling his head closer to Sasuke's chest.

"We've got to get him to a doctor," the busty blonde woman began, and both of the men stopped her, shaking their heads negatively.

"Uh-uh. This kid is not going anywhere until tomorrow. He needs a bath and sleep. Where should we put him?" The silver hair bobbed on his head as the man turned it to the side, thinking.

"He sleeps in my room."

Tsunade and Kakashi stared at the raven, surprised.

"Your…room?"

"I do have a dorm room here you know."

The masked man was the first to recover and nodded, his visible eyes curving up in a smile, "That works."

"Yes, but we need to discuss what to do tomorrow," the blonde woman murmured, quiet because Naruto had drifted off again, shivering in the air conditioner with his naked body only partially covered, the rest still drying.

"How bout we deal with that when we get there," the silver haired man offered, and waited for the principal to say what her thoughts were.

Tsunade thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"Kakashi, come with me. Sasuke, do you need help?"

"Just the keys to the elevator. My room's on the third level," he growled, trying to gently readjust the blonde in his arms without waking him. He succeeded in getting the boy into a more comfortable position, and then accepted the keys from the woman, who tried to smile, but grimaced instead.

"Be careful with him Sasuke," Kakashi murmured to the raven, walking slowly after Tsunade, who was halfway down the hall.

"I will," the Uchiha whispered, mostly to himself, looking back down on Naruto's bloody face.

As he reached the elevator, he put the key in, stepping calmly in.

The doors slid shut and he glanced at the blonde bundle in his arms.. That was looking at him. He blinked.

"Naruto? Are you awake?"

Blue eyes were glazed and not fully reactive to the bright lights, but Naruto nodded anyways, wincing when the slashes on his cheeks were accidentally disturbed.

"Where?" The golden haired boy asked softly, his voice muffled by the raven's chest, which he was buried in.

"We're heading to my dorm room," he whispered back, watching the elevator lights above click into place as they arrived on the second floor. One more to go.

He hummed to himself, not realizing it when Naruto began to listen, used to his weight by now.

"I think I know that one," came a thin murmur from the blonde, startling the Uchiha, who had closed his eyes, waiting for the ding that signaled the end of the ride.

He looked down at Naruto. Lids heavily drooped and azure eyes gazed up at him, sleepy and glazed over.

A tiny smile appeared on Sasuke's lips.

'Dobe…'

"You came for me," the voice came again, and the raven looked back up at the light, which chose that moment to switch into place, the doors sliding open. He removed the key, and stepped out, walking down the carpeted hallway to his room, and unlocking it with some maneuvering.

Dark blue sheets and blankets were folded on the bed, and the room was dark except for a lamp in the corner, left on from before his frantic rush a few hours ago.

He shivered, and turned the thermostat up, then went into the bathroom, piling towels by the tub as he gently sat Naruto inside, leaving the jacket on, and keeping one hand in the blonde's to comfort him.

"Sasuke?" the teen asked a hint of panic in his voice. The raven paused, looking down at him with a reassuring look on his face, starting the water, feeling it.

The water rippled as the blonde's body tensed, and his eyes began to lose themselves.

"Naruto. Stay with me. I'm not going to do anything. I swear," he murmured, placing another hand on the one he already held.

"No…" the other began, and then shivered, mumbling incoherently to himself, panicked.

His memories started to take over, and he saw four men around him, grins on their glaring faces, as they got closer.

"Please…stop. No! Don't touch me!" He whimpered miserably, flinching away from the raven, who was trying to gather him back into his weary arms.

The water filled the tub, warm and relaxing.

Sasuke tried to leave him be, stepping off just a few feet to give him a chance to realize it was just a bath, but he knew that somehow, he had to get the blonde clothed and that jacket out of the tub.

He stopped the water, hurt pricking him as Naruto shied away frantically.

"No…please, stop!" The blonde muttered to himself, sinking deeper into the nightmare, losing his grip completely.

'I have to do something,' he thought.

"Naruto," he began, "I'm going to move my jacket now, alright?"

The blonde moved further away, Sasuke trying to remove the muddy jacket from the bathtub without hurting his friend.

The zipper crawled roughly across Naruto's cheeks, and he yelled, tears coming to him eyes, and he pulled his knees to him, curling and sobbing at the same time, pain lancing through his small frame.

The bath water began to churn as the blonde thrashed weakly, spilling some of the towels scattered around the edges.

Once the jacket was gone, Sasuke hissed in anger.

The other's lower body was far worse than the rest of him, and bruises and welts were certain to remain, spread around his hips and member, cuts leading around to his backside, which the raven knew better than to try to inspect.

"Please. No!" Naruto wept when the Uchiha began to run a soft washcloth over his abused skin, soap left of the counter until the wounds were treated.

Thinking of what he'd said earlier, Sasuke began to hum again, moving the rag in small, gentle circles on the blonde's bruised hips and sides, barely even getting any dirt off he was so slow. He smiled at how the other's whimpers began to die down, replaced by a whisper.

"Help."

"I'm right here Naruto. I'm not going to leave," the raven murmured, leaning over to grasp one of the other's hands in his pale fingers, rubbing the back with his thumb, in time with the cloth. The blonde whined one last time, melting into silence and staring at Sasuke with wide eyes, wondering.

"I'm right here," he repeated, watching Naruto quiet down and look at him with less than panic-filled pupils.

"Sasuke?" The glazed look in the blue faded a tiny bit.

"Yes?" The Uchiha murmured back, continuing to move the rag comfortingly across his stomach, pausing to look up at Naruto.

Tears were drying up at the corners of the blonde's eyes, and he looked down at the water by his head, gripping Sasuke's hand tighter.

"I'm sorry."

Onyx eyes blinked, surprised.

"For what?"

The golden haired teen closed his own eyes, a last tear trekking down his bruised face, and whispered, "For….being a burden."

'What the…?' Sasuke wondered, blinking again, staring at Naruto.

"You're not a burden Naruto. I never should've said anything. I'm…" he swallowed his dignity for the second time, "I'm sorry."

Sapphire eyes opened, wider than the raven had ever seen them, and looked up at him, sparkling and scared, glistening with tears.

"Don't cry."

He reached up, hesitating when the blonde stiffened, but kept going, wiping underneath the bright blue orbs, clearing the beginning of the drops with his thumb.

Then, leaving it at that, hoping the other wouldn't think he was lying, he turned and went back to washing Naruto's stomach, softly rubbing.

The hurt boy mumbled something Sasuke couldn't hear. He paused and asked, "Hmm?"

"I said it feels nice. Thanks." A faint blush rose to Naruto's cheeks, and he kept his eyes on the pinkish water, dyed lightly by run-off blood from his wounds.

"Mmhm," the raven accepted, nodding slowly once, then carefully moved on to the blonde's shoulders.

They both had pink tinges on their faces, and kept their eyes apart, as the silence stretched on longer, growing comfortable to both teens.

As the Uchiha went on the wash the blonde's chest, he noted the peaceful and warm look in Naruto's eyes and face, the faint blush barely there, just enough to remind them both what the situation was, as if the bruised body and sopping wet clothes weren't enough.

Sasuke nearly dropped the cloth when the hurt teen whispered, "What happened?"

"Err-You're asking me?" He winced at how rude it sounded. How harsh.

Clearing his throat, he reiterated, "I thought you knew."

"No, I mean after I freaked out. What happened?"

"Kakashi took us back and Tsunade gave me the key to the elevator. Then you woke up."

"Oh. Okay," he left it at that, and Sasuke fidgeted, wondering what he was going to do once he finished Naruto's chest and neck. He didn't want to upset him again, and to ask would be close to torture.

"Hey, Sasuke?" He started again, keeping his hands moving as he answered, "Yes?"

"Can you was my back too?"

The raven stopped, looking at the blonde and he felt himself nodding, a look of worry concealed behind his 'mask'.

"Will you be alright if I do? You'd have to sit or stand up."

"I'll stand," he whispered, averting his eyes.

The silence preceded them yet again, and the blonde began to wonder just why Sasuke had saved him. The Uchiha, on the other hand, was wondering how Naruto was feeling, and how where he would sleep. He moved down to wash the legs, and hesitated.

Should he?

It wasn't going to magically stay clean, and he should probably assume that Naruto couldn't reach down to help, what with the slashes on his back and sides.

'Shit. I didn't think about this. Should I ask, or just do it…maybe skip it unless he tells me to do it?'

He glanced at the blonde.

Azure eyes stared back, uncertain and begging.

"Naruto….I…erm…" a blush rose headily to his cheeks and he gulped down the lump in his throat.

The golden haired boy nodded, seeming to understand, looking back away.

"Yes…sorry," he mumbled, a blush rising to his face as well, before dying back down to the regular pink tint.

Nodding and looking back, he reached towards Naruto's crotch, and proceeded to clean, just as gentle and slow, even slower, trying not to think about it.

The pressure was relieved as he moved on to the blonde's legs, and then to his feet, trying not the move him as he washed the backs of the others knees, cautious because he was so close to the backside. When he finished, he stopped, putting the rage on the rim of the tub, pausing to think.

"Sasuke?" He looked up.

'Maybe we should wait till he's rested,' the raven wondered, seeing the look of helplessness on the hurt boy's face.

"Do you need help to get up," he asked quietly, reaching out and gripping the hand he already held tighter.

"Yes?" the blush that appeared covered the blonde's whole face, bringing color to his paler-than-natural complexion.

As Sasuke knelt, helping the other up, he blushed too, waiting for him to be able to stand with only one hand, the other still firmly latched onto Sasuke's.

"Are you alright now?"

"Yeah. Go ahead," Naruto put his free hand flat against the white bathtub wall, supporting himself more, as the raven scooped up the rag again, and began to wash his ruined tan skin, bruised and battered, patches of dried blood mushy from the hot water that was draining down the plug.

"Hey Sasuke?" The blonde murmured, facing away from the Uchiha.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Thank you."

Sasuke tightened his hold on the other's hand, whispering, "You're welcome."

After a few moments of the silence, the raven got tired of nothing being said, and was beginning to drift, so he began to hum again, softly singing.

What I thought wasn't mine, in the light.

Wasn't one of a kind, a precious pearl

When I wanted to cry, I couldn't cause I wasn't allowed.

Gomenesai for everything.

Gomenesai, I know I let you down.

Gomenesai till the end, I never needed a friend,

Like I do now.

What I thought wasn't all so innocent,

Was a delicate doll, of porcelain.

The Uchiha paused, noting how appropriate the song was, then continued.

When I wanted to call you,

And ask you for help, I stopped myself.

Gomenesai for everything.

Gomenesai, I know I let you down.

Gomenesai till the end, I never needed a friend,

Like I do now.

What I thought was a dream, a mirage,

Was as real as it seemed, a privilege.

When I wanted to tell you, I made a mistake,

I walked away.

Gomenesai for everything.

Gomenesai, I know I let you down.

Gomenesai till the end, I never needed a friend,

Like I do now.

He trailed off, and started again, only humming now, the words unspoken and the bathroom was quiet except for this and the silent sound of the warm, soft cloth moving slowly over bruised and beaten skin. They both just listened to the tune, and when Sasuke was done with the blonde's back, He squeezed the water over the golden spikes of the other's hair.

"Do you want boxers, or just sweats and a shirt?" Sasuke asked, grabbing a black towel from beside the white porcelain tub, and wrapping it around Naruto's waist, gently tying it with the wrap at the corner.

The blonde just stayed quiet, and Sasuke squeezed the hand he held, asking again, louder.

"Just sweats," he whispered groggily. The raven peeked around at his face.

Naruto's eyes were closed, and he had a light pink tint to his cheeks, as he mumbled, "Don't stop. It felt good."

A smile breached the Uchiha's defenses yet again, and he whispered, "Dobe…" to himself, wrapping his other arm gently around the blonde's shoulders.

"Sasuke?" was the startled reply, his sapphire eyes snapping open, fear approaching.

"Shhshsh—just me. It's just me," Sasuke soothed, slowly unwrapping his fingers from the other's hand, and scooped him up carefully in his arms, smiling again when the blonde relaxed, tension released from his body, head falling against the raven's chest, which was nearly all dry now.

He went back out into the real room, laying down another towel awkwardly before putting Naruto on the bed.

"One sec," he whispered, and went over to his dresser, tugging out two pairs of clothes, black sweats and light grey shirts.

He got back to the blonde, who was almost asleep, and nudged him, making him stay awake long enough for the raven to slowly pull the clothes onto his body, awkwardness forgotten in the necessity of the task at hand.

"Sasuke?" a small voice mumbled from the bed, when he pulled the sheets and blankets on over the small body of the blonde, and crawled in next to him, leaving the light on.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Why did you help me?" It was the question he'd dreaded to ask, for fear of the reply.

A breath was stretched, and the blonde glanced at the other.

Obsidian eyes gleamed brightly in the shallow lamp light.

"Sasuke?"

A tiny smile was born on the raven's face.

"Because you mean a lot to me, dobe," he whispered, and then tugged the covers up over both of them further, finishing, "get some rest."

Stunned blue eyes shone with tears, and the wounds on his body seemed faded, as Naruto reached over and touched the back now facing him, spreading his palm flat.

"Yes Naruto?" came the patient reply.

"You're my best friend."

The firm back pressed lightly back against his hand, silent acceptance.


Sasuke doesn't have super strength in the beginning, but terror and fury give people remarkable powers, I've found…

Thank you friends, critics, reviewers! I love you all!

However friendly and sweet they might seem right now, I want you all to keep in mind—they are not sexy friends right now;)

Forgive me! I know, I know! It will happen, I swears!

Okay. So. Yes. I updated.