And, here we have my third one shot for Family!Naru fics. I seem to be incapable of writing slice of life fluff. My stuff has to have CONFLICT! Which . . . might not really be a bad thing. Well anyay, here we are, please enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.
"Well you know if I'm such a disappointment, then let me help you keep distancing yourself from me— like this!" Naruto snarls, slamming the front door closed. Growling, he tugs at his orange and black hoodie, glaring up at the dark night sky. Stomping off the porch, he continues to stomp over to the garage, where he picks up his bike and rolls it out.
"I am so out of here." He grumbles, swinging his leg over to straddle the seat, and then he's off in a spray of driveway gravel and muttered curses that float away on the sharp breeze.
As he bikes out of his neighborhood and away from the War Zone that for the past few months he'd called home, he mulls over his options.
Sasuke's house was a few minutes away, but the Uchiha family was visiting extended family in Oto City, and even if Sasuke let him know where the spare key was he wouldn't feel comfortable there without him.
Kiba's house was . . . not where he wanted to go for some peace and quiet.
Shino's house— no. Too quiet. Not at all peaceful.
Sakura was too high-strung, Ino was nosey, and Hinata . . . would faint as soon as he stepped on her porch. Chouji was with Shikamaru and the Nara would have nothing to do with anything troublesome.
Geez. Not a whole lot of choices there. Seriously, what the hell was the point of having so many friends if you couldn't even count on the in a time of crisis?
"I guess I could crash with Kabuto . . ." Naruto murmured to himself, trying hard to ignore the shivers that threatened to creep upon him from the sharp bite of the wind as he biked hard, pouring all his frustration into the peddles. He then shook his head. The college student was a good friend, but he wouldn't burden Kabuto with his family problems.
He searched for another topic besides his family— who were pissing him off at the moment. He concentrated instead on the feel of the cold wind that added a sharp edge to an otherwise balmy night. He focused instead on the fading forms of the streetlamps and the halos that got smaller and small from their lights as he biked further and further from the city, into the forest. He didn't slow down this time, but kept a careful watch for roots or rocks big enough to upset the bike tires. The last thing he needed was to wipe out in the forest at night.
He sent a prayer of thanks up to the fat, beautiful full moon whose pallid light illuminated the inky forest. He is careful to watch for and cliff drops or ravines as he coasts through the trees.
Eventually he comes to a familiar spot— a bald patch in the forest, wide and oval-shaped with a single tree that had tumbled after a heavy storm the summer past. Sighing, this time all the irritation bled out so that it sounded calm, Naruto got off his bike and dropped it carefully on the ground, walking over to the tree. He hops up and sits on the trunk.
Head tipping back, Naruto exhales softly as he watches the star-filled night sky. He peaks down at his watch— only eight o'clock. He could chill here for a couple hours until he and everyone back home cooled down.
Grimacing, he cursed his traitorous mind that just would not let him rest as once more the fight rewound in his mind.
It had been tense for some time now in his house, between him and the rest of the family. Really, it was the tension between his older siblings and he that started it, and it had spilled over into his parents. They all thought he just wasn't performing to his full potential in academics— Naruto would like to contest that between soccer and basketball, he thought he was doing pretty damn good.
Well Kurama made fun of him for playing soccer, a game the redhead firmly believed to be a waste of time only because at the end of a game you might only get one point. Not taking into account the physical endurance and sheer speed needed to be successful in the game, which Naruto was happy to point out as angrily and loudly as possible. Karin scoffed at him and called him a typical jock, but without the benefits of popularity and girls. Naruto was quick to respond with needling jabs about her being the only four-eyes he knew with such boringly average grades, her many sucky dates and her pathetic obsession with his friend Sasuke, and overall he just let her know what a total bitch she was.
Which wasn't appreciated by his parents. Nor were the other colorful curses he threw at his siblings. All of them.
Even Yahiko, though he said nothing to Naruto. Nor did he say anything to pick up for Naruto, and the fact that Yahiko got involved by maintaining a "don't care" attitude without even being involved irked him something awful.
Well tonight had hit a fever pitch, with his parents accusing him of slacking in his studies in order to play around with his friends and play sports. How irresponsible he was being, and immature by always fighting with his siblings— though they started the majority of the fights— and it was an embarrassment to them that he could be so ungrateful when they were trying to help him. How disappointing that he was being so stubborn and not going for his full potential.
What Naruto got out of that was: "We are embarrassed and disappointed in you."
Which, in hindsight, he knew wasn't true. Not really— in their own, lame parent way they really were trying to look out for him, guide him to what was best.
But suits and ties didn't suit him best.
Sweat and grit, adrenaline and rapid-fire life did.
Naruto snarls at the memory, bristling in a way only shots to his pride and character can make him do. "Well screw you then." He huffs, rubbing his arms as the night starts to get cooler.
Abruptly his ire leaves him as he glances at his watch, and at the sky again. Only ten minutes had passed. What was he going to do for a couple of hours? Sighing moodily, he slides off the tree trunk and down to the grassy ground, resting his back against the trunk.
He yawns. Sliding down further until his whole body was prone on the ground, Naruto decides the time could be better spent taking a nap. He shuffles onto his back and folds his arms behind his head, wiggling around until he was comfortable. Ignoring any potential danger in sleeping alone in the woods, Naruto drifts to sleep with the stars above dancing just behind his eyelids.
Naruto jerks awake, eyes snapping open as he flies up into a sitting position, blearily looking around. Yawning, he rubs the back of his head, and musses up the rest of his hair with swipes of his hands. He rubs the sleep from his eyes, licking his lower lips as he shuffles around to rest on the tree trunk again. What had woken him . . . ?
Well, he supposed, it didn't really matter since he could probably go home now and take comfort in the temporary truce that had formed in his absence. He digs out his cellphone, unlocking it and blinking at the screen.
That couldn't be right . . . his brow furrows, then his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline as his eyes bulge in panic.
"Oh shit!" he mutters in panic, scrabbling up.
Twenty-seven missed calls.
It was four in the morning.
He had never stayed out so late! Running over to his bike, he swings on it and then starts peddling for all he's worth.
"Oh man I am in so much trouble," Naruto groans as he carefully makes his way out of the forest. Once on paved road, he guns it, speeding back into the town.
How could he have missed twenty-seven calls? Crap, right, his phone was on silent. Stupid, he scolded himself, he should have changed it to vibrate if he was going to take a nap! The bright street lamps lighten his mood a little, imagining a yellow-lit road just for him back home. It still cannot shake him completely of the ill feeling in his stomach as he coasts through the neighborhoods, reaching his own.
The house looms over him, stern and disapproving in its darkness. Only the living room is lit up, and he can only tell that from the pieces of light that creak through the small openings in the curtains. Could someone have just forgotten to turn them off? Naruto swallows nervously, biting his lip. No, he wouldn't be that lucky.
Come on, you were so tough earlier storming out of here, a small, sneering voice inside his head taunts. Just walk in!
Well, despite the jackass vibe he was getting from the voice, it was right. Just fidgeting around on the front porch was stupid— cowardly. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto wasn't a coward.
Fishing out his house keys, he unlocks the door, holding his breath at the loud sounding click, and opens the door slowly. He walks in, toeing off his shoes and locking the door behind him.
"Naruto?!" His mother's voice makes him jump, whirling around to see her on the second floor, gripping the banister with white knuckles. Even though she was in pajamas, it didn't look like she'd caught a wink of sleep.
Naruto blinks in surprise. "Mom, why are you crying?" he blurts out, and promptly wants to kick himself. So not the first thing I should have said, he muses bitterly.
Kushina doesn't seem to mind, because she sobs in open relief and practically flies down the stairs, running towards Naruto.
As if on autopilot, Naruto walks into the living room as if to head her off. "Mom, what—"
He is cut off as Kushina launches herself at him, gripping him with almost desperate force as she rocks them back and forth, sniffling. "My baby . . ." she sobs, hands fisting into the back of his jacket.
Naruto was a sucker for a crying girl, and if it was his mother? Oh, just kill him now because he couldn't stand it. "What's the matter mom?" he whispers, arms wrapping around his mother just as tightly as she held him.
Hurried footsteps make him look up again; his father's stressed face relaxes upon seeing him. Minato hurries down the steps, long strides eating up the distance between them, and he grabs Naruto in a nearly crushing grip, though he is careful of his slim wife. He looks the younger blonde over with an intense sapphire gaze that seems to sizzle along Naruto's nerves, almost making him feel like he had done something incriminating, or unacceptable. Like get hurt.
"Damn it Naruto, you had us worried." Minato murmurs, pressing a kiss to Naruto's temple and nuzzling the blonde hair just as he did when Naruto was small.
Confused about his reception, and a little irked at his father's height advantage (even with his mother, it was only a tie), Naruto wriggles around to move back from them. Still, he lets his mother hold onto him, and he doesn't put up much of a fuss about his father's tight grip on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he sighs. "I know I stayed out late. I fell asleep and only realized the time a little while ago."
Kushina's red rimmed violet eyes are still impressively scary as they glitter with her temper. "You went out into the forest again didn't you?"
Naruto's tongue twists itself into pretzels so he just nods sheepishly.
Kushina exhales sharply. "At night?! And you fell asleep there . . . what if you had been hurt!"
Quelling the reflexive defensiveness and irritation, Naruto sighs. "I know, I'm sorry. Why are you guys acting like I was never coming back?"
He pauses at Kushina and Minato's guilty looks. His face twists in confusion. "Seriously?" he asks incredulously.
Minato has the courage to answer this time, Kushina too relieved still to do much else but to hug Naruto and nuzzle him. "Your mother and I agree that what we said could have been worded a lot better, and that we gave you a mistaken impression." He pauses, hand tightening on Naruto's shoulder as that blistering gaze mellows to one of melancholy and fondness.
"Naruto we are very proud of you. Even if you didn't play any sports and only studied or played video games we would be proud of you. Because . . . you are our son. You just being healthy and happy is good for us. And, the fact that you not only handle schoolwork, but two back to back season sports? That's incredible. So, we don't want you to think that we disapprove of what you're doing, like it's beneath you or this family. We are proud of you."
Minato runs a hand through spiky gold locks. "It's just, the way you said distance yourself . . . and you've been gone for so long. We were going out of our minds here Naruto— you're usually a responsible kid," he pauses, pinning Naruto with a look that makes the boy grin sheepishly. His nap in the forest would not be forgotten for a long time, it seems. "So when you didn't come home after two or three hours we got scared."
"Called your friends, and you—" Kushina lifts her head up, gazing at him with a suspicious look. "Though now I know why you weren't answering your calls." Her eyes well up again, and in mild panic Naruto just hugs her tightly again, head resting on her shoulder.
"Bet you thought I was ignoring them purposely— but I wasn't. Really." He whispers, still rocking side to side.
"A-and," Kushina's voice is tremulous once more, "When we watched the news at ten o'clock, and there had been a shooting over by the arcade you go to with your friends. You went there last time you had a fight, and I just got so scared you were there, I . . ."
"No, no . . . I'm fine. Nothing is wrong, I'm fine." Naruto murmurs soothingly. "I'm sorry mama, I didn't mean to scare you guys."
Kushina sniffles, the name she had been called all his four years at the start that was only now pulled out for rare occasions smothering her ire. Naruto peaks up at his father, who grins at him in approval and winks. Naruto responds with his own monster grin.
Kushina takes a deep breath and blows it out evenly, and Naruto takes this as his cue to loosen his hold. They step back from their hug, and both his parents look him over.
"Go take a bath and get some sleep okay?" Kushina murmurs, running a pale hand over his whiskered cheek.
Naruto nods, and walks up to the stairs. He pauses at the foot of the stairs, glancing behind him to see his father take his mother's hand reassuringly. They look over at him when they don't hear steps on the stairs.
He looks ahead again, pausing as he figures what to say. "I love you guys . . . good night."
"Night, baby. Love you more." Kushina whispers unfalteringly.
"I love you, Naruto. See you in the morning." Minato murmurs warmly.
With a grin that he bites his lip to control, Naruto jogs up the stairs and gets ready for bed.
Before he can slip into his room, he is stopped by a clearing throat. Turning, he sees Kurama leaning against the doorway of his own room, right across from Naruto's.
They stand there awkwardly. Naruto's face is stony as he looks at an increasingly nervous Kurama.
The older readhead clears his throat again. "Uh . . . glad you made it back home."
"Thanks. It was dicey, but I made it." Naruto deadpans.
Kurama glares. "Do you have to be such a smartass all the time?!"
Naruto shrugs, an apologetic smile crossing his face. "It is my cross to bear."
Kurama looks at him suspiciously for a moment, and then smirks. "Yeah . . ." the smirk dies off, and Kurama blows out a breath. "Look . . . I'm . . . sorry about what I said. Today, and yesterday . . . and they day before that . . ."
"And the day before that?" Naruto guesses.
Kurama winks at him. "You know where I'm going with this."
Naruto snorts. "Yeah. It's cool 'Rama. Now, I'm beat, I'm going to sleep."
"Right. Night little brother." Kurama slips into his room and closes the door.
Naruto slips into his own room, more than ready for the comfortable sleep a mattress and sheets provides. His shower is quick, yet hot and he has to force himself to calm down and bush his teeth properly.
When he sinks into bed, it is with a repressed groan of happiness. He is almost asleep when his door opens, creaking slightly. He doesn't turn around, just stills and waits for whoever it is to speak. They tiptoe to his room, and when red hair brushes over his shoulder he knows it is Karin.
She hesitates for a moment, then leans closer and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. With a whisper of, "I'm sorry Naruto." She tiptoes back out and closes his door.
For a few minutes afterward, Naruto lies awake, thinking over the results of his return home. Though it was a tactic he wouldn't use again, he had to admit is scared out some good results. Naruto snuggles deeper into the sheets, smiling widely. Maybe now, he wouldn't have to tiptoe in his own home anymore.
Now, he felt like this was a home again.
Read, review, and have a wonderful night/day.
Love,
Bloody Velvet~3