A/N: Yay, first attempt at yaoi. Too bad it's not a very good one... But R&R anyways!
In the centre of the city, there was a cluster of buildings. On one side of it was a street. Drunkards, dealers, hookers, homeless people, and musicians: They were all scattered along the long street. Businesswomen ran by, clutching their skirts and purses, pepper spray in hand. Rich boys drove by that street, laughing and throwing beer bottles at the bums. It was a dark street, a street people tried their best to avoid. Though a dirty place to everyone else, it was a place the misfits called home.
It was a small community in this big city. A community where everyone was loved only amongst themselves. Society looked down at every one of them with disgust in their eyes. So whom else did they have but each other?
There were a selected few who couldn't stand the isolation. Those were the ones who left the safety of Riddle Street, entering the real world. The real world was where they transformed themselves. They would do anything to have society accept them, hoping for the love they supposedly never had. Some came back to this safe haven, having felt more love here. Meanwhile, some continued to strive. They did everything they could possibly do to gain the respect of society. They did anything they could.
Steal, cheat, lie, and even murder…anything. They went as low as they could go, oblivious to their taunting laughter.
Most of Riddle Street's inhabitants stayed there. Since it was such a small community, everyone knew everyone. Every mystery, every stretch and corner of Riddle Street was familiar to all. Every story, legend, and story etched into the hearts of many. They were things that kept them warm on cold nights. Things that reminded them of just how fucked up society is. They were things that enabled them to remember.
But there was one unsolved mystery of Riddle Street.
It was the mystery of a beautiful raven-haired boy. No one knows his name, nor where he came from, or even how he got here. At the same time everyday, he'd stand by the lamppost, playing a heart-wrenching tune on his violin. Everyday he'd be there. Playing for his next meal, on the corner of Riddle Street. Young girls would cross him with a sigh while men looked at him sympathetically. No one paid too much attention to this boy, except for one particular person.
A blue-eyed blonde looked outside the window longingly. It was a cold December evening, and the snow had begun drifting down on the dark pavement outside. He smiled as he took a glance at his watch. Only five minutes left until closing time. Then it would just be him, and his father, spending cold, snowy nights together just like they used to. He would curl up in his father's arms while he shared stories of his travels. It was like he was a kid again.
That was always the first thought in his head on a snowy evening like this one. He never understood why, but when you've been out on the streets by yourself for this long, you just can't help but wish.
The snow fluttered down steadily, causing Naruto's heart to ache all the more. He tried his hardest to keep smiling. But it was hard. Every year is full of faux smiles and wishful delusions. He was tired of it all.
He's been gone for so long, why ache for him now? It's been thirteen years since he left that night. It was also snowing then. The only thing the blonde could remember of his father was his retreating back, and his own tear-streaked face. Was everything just a hopeful illusion? He knew it was. All those memories of him and his father, he knew it was just a figment of his own imagination.
He kept telling himself that he didn't need to be loved. Love was nothing but another form of hurt. He didn't need to go through any more hurt. A lifetime of pain was enough. There was so much hate in this world. It was enough to bring anyone down.
So why can't he stop wishing? There's no more hope in those delicate flakes, but every time he looked at them, he kept wishing. He wished with all his heart for the love he never had. The gentle snow should've filled him with loneliness, maybe even hate. But it didn't.
It was when it snowed, that the blonde felt truly at ease. The snow plagued him all year around, constantly reminding him that even his own father couldn't make an effort to love him. It doesn't make sense, but he knew it was true.
No, his father had nothing to do with the snow. He used to have everything to do with it, but not anymore.
It was snowing on that day. Iruka had given him the café after he got married to a somewhat rich teacher. His husband wanted him to leave Riddle Street, but he didn't want to leave the blonde. Kakashi, that bastard, Naruto thought back bitterly.
Iruka left anyway. Love had taken away the only family he ever had. Yet, Naruto wasn't angry with Iruka.
In fact, Naruto can almost say he was grateful. With the lost of one's love, he had gained a new one. Though one-sided, it was something that kept him alive.
His object of affection was a tall, dark violinist. He was always in front of his café, playing his violin expertly with empty emotions. The mysterious boy always looked so forlorn, but the blonde couldn't bring himself tell him how he felt in attempt to fill in his void.
Ever since the blonde laid eyes on the beautiful violinist, he was in love. He assumed the raven-haired boy was his age. The brunette was the only thing Naruto looked forward to in this dump. He was the only source of warmth in this cursed street. But he was also the reason he felt an empty longing in his heart.
The brunette always played in front of his café. He played gracefully, slowly. His eyes were always closed, as if feeling the sad melody he emitted. Every stroke of the bow tore a small piece of his heart out. Though he didn't even know the brunette's name, though he couldn't even hear the song from behind café's glass windows, he felt it. He felt each lonely note he played. The sad wails of the violin would bring him to tears if he heard them.
Naruto sighed as he propped his head up with his elbows on the counter. The snow was never-ending tonight. He glanced at his watch again. Ten minutes past closing time. Tonight, he didn't care. He continued to watch the brunette play as he sipped his hot chocolate.
The brunette wore only a dirty short-sleeved hoodie and torn jeans. That's what he wore everyday. His beautiful face was bruised and scratched up today. Fucking uptown boys, Naruto thought bitterly. Of course, he's seen worse on the brunette. He himself isn't too well off either. He assumed the brunette was like him. Mistaken to be rich social elites, beat up by gangsters, drunkards, or druggies. Either that, or too many bear bottles thrown at him.
Life was rough on Riddle Street, but you get used to it.
The snow flew at a faster rate, showing no sign of stopping. The wind had also picked up in that short amount of time. The storm was getting worse. The raven-haired boy was still playing, not showing any signs of stopping either. The blonde was in a trance. The snow danced around him wildly, picking up his jet-black hair, twirling it around in an endless dance. The blonde's heart stopped for a second as he registered the image before him.
The people on the streets had dispersed a while ago. The drunkards, hookers, druggies, they had all stopped wandering. There were only a handful of people left on the streets. Even the bums had crawled back into the warmth of their cardboard homes.
The blonde walked over to the "OPEN" sign and flipped it over, his eyes not leaving the brunette for a second. Just as he was about to turn around and head upstairs to his loft, the boy opened his eyes. The blonde stopped and caught a glimpse of his onyx eyes for the first time. His heart was beating rapidly. He felt those familiar butterflies in his stomach, stronger than ever before.
He forced himself to close his eyes, breaking eye contact with him, as he turned around to head upstairs. If he stayed, he'll never be able to leave.
Naruto shivered as he slipped into the worn-out covers of his warm bed. It was times like these when his one-room living space felt like the best place in the world. He laid his head down on his pillow and looked through the small window next to him.
The gentle snowfall had evolved into a small blizzard over the last twenty minutes. The blonde stared at the wall of white absentmindedly. His mind wandered the dark brunette. He suddenly started wondering about him all over again.
He thought back to the many stories people on this block would make up about him. Since no one knew his name, they had simply called him "Uchiwa (1)" because of the unique fan symbol that was etched on his violin. Then there were those crazy names his friends knew him by. There were names like "Emo-Neko" "Emokid" "Mr. Antisocial" "Emosuke" and stuff like that. Emo-Neko had always been a personal favourite of Naruto's, but Emosuke was cute too.
Naruto smiled at all the absurd theories people came up with. His own little group of friends were nothing but a bunch of retards.
The blonde suddenly remembered the brunette. The snowstorm outside was growing worse by the second. A thickening sheet of frost had already covered up half his windowsill. Thinking back to those dark eyes and tireless hands, Naruto's heart skipped a beat.
He quickly scrambled out of his bed, slipping into his boots. He raced down the stairs, ignoring the biting coldness of the empty café. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
The brunette was still outside, sitting by the lamppost. He was shivering violently, too much to brush off the growing layer of snow on every part of his body. His violin case was clutched tightly against his chest, supporting his resting cheek. His snow-covered hair hid his eyes. The mere sight of the brunette in such a state wrenched the blonde's heart.
Is he always at the corner? Naruto thought to himself curiously.
Wasting no more time, he ran to the door, his footsteps reverberating off the cold tiled floors. His heart raced faster with every step he took towards the brunette.
The shivering boy looked up at Naruto, who had flung the café door open.
The blonde trudged through the snow and smiled at the brunette. He stared at him with cold, dark eyes, without even the trace of a smile. The blonde ignored his hateful eyes and wordlessly wrapped his arms around the brunette. He felt him tense up noticeably under his frost-encrusted shirt. The raven-haired boy tried to pull sway from the blonde's embrace. Naruto tightened his hold on the shivering boy. The older boy didn't have enough strength in his body to fight back anyway.
The warmth of another's arms was a new sensation for both of them. A strange sense of safety enveloped the two. It was something that no one knew had existed on these streets.
"You're going to freeze if you stay out here," Naruto said with a smile as warm and welcoming as his embrace. He started to pull the older boy up. Though he was reluctant at first, he soon gave in. Without another word, the blonde led him into the warmth of the café, grasping his hand tightly.
The blonde ushered the confused brunette up the stairs quickly. He let go of his hand for a minute, immediately missing the warmth of his bigger hand. However, he quickly dismissed it in his head as he ran over to his bed. He picked up the heavy blankets and threw them over the still shivering brunette. He sat him down in the only armchair he had, blankets tangled around him. The stranger wiggled around his cocoon of blankets, searching for an opening.
Naruto laughed as Emo-Neko-san finally broke free. Retreating to the tiny kitchen in the corner, he quickly heat up a bowl of leftover soup.
He returned a couple minutes later and knelt down in front of the slightly pissed off brunette. He raised an eyebrow at the blonde, eyeing him strangely.
The blonde only smiled in response as he shoved a spoonful of soup into the older boy's mouth. A flurry of different expressions flew across the brunette's face before he coughed.
"H-H-Hot!" he said, biting his burning tongue. Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he heard the stranger's voice for the first time. He felt all the blood rush to his face but ignored it. He filled up another spoonful of soup and blew on it before feeding the trembling brunette.
The taller boy gave a sigh as he finished off the last of the soup. He hasn't had a meal like this in a long time, too long to keep track. He wiggled to the edge of his seat, still wrapped up in his blankets. Just as Naruto started to get up from his kneeling position, the brunette leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the smaller boy's lips. The blonde lost his balance due to the force of the kiss and fell over, bringing the brunette with him. The collision broke off the kiss, leaving Naruto sandwiched between the ground and the brunette.
The fire in that brief kiss… how could it have affected Naruto this much? How can such contact completely erase all the hate in this world? So many new feelings, so many new questions…but only one thing stood out in Naruto's mind right now.
He wanted to feel that burning love again.
Without any hesitation, the blonde gave into his desire and pulled the brunette's head down in a more heated kiss. The brunette licked Naruto's bottom lip, requesting entrance from him. He obliged willingly, initiating a battle as the two of them fought for dominance.
The violinist groaned deep in his throat. The younger boy felt his heart beat even faster as he emitted a small mewl of his own. Suddenly, the older boy pulled apart and wrapped both his arms around the smaller blonde.
"If this is a dream… don't wake me up," he muttered into the blonde's shoulder. Naruto laughed. "You're really weird, Emo-Neko-san. That should be my line."
The brunette pulled back suddenly, looking at the blonde with a raised brow.
"Emo-Neko? Are you making fun of me?"
"No, no!" Naruto replied with a large grin, "That's what I like to call you 'round here. I just think it's cute. Uchiwa isn't a very cute nick-name."
"Nick-name? Is that what they call me? Uchiha is my last name…Uchiha Sasuke," he said matter-of-factly.
"U-Uchiha-san," the blonde tried nervously. The brunette laughed at the boy's sheepish expression. Naruto felt his heart stop for a second or two as the older boy's laughter rang through the bitter atmosphere of his loft.
"You can call me Sasuke," he replied a smile.
"M-My name is Naruto…Uzumaki Naruto!" The blonde said with a hint with nervousness that was quickly covered by a huge grin.
"I know." The blonde widened his clear-blue eyes in surprise at the Uchiha's simple response.
"H-how—"
"I've been watching you for a long time now. You always see me on that corner because I want you to."
The blonde's blue eyes started to well up, his emotions consuming him completely. The burning tears ran down his cheeks as he collapsed into the brunette.
The two of them sat in silence, arms wrapped around each other as the blonde continued to stain the Uchiha's already-wet shirt. Neither of them needed to say a word. All those glances they exchanged throughout the past told them everything. Everything made sense now. Naruto's tears had caused the brunette to well up slightly as well. The love they had sought to gain was finally found. Found…in the comfort of each other's arms. After so many long years, the sense of belonging finally returned.
The rays of the morning sun tickled the blonde's nose. He groaned and turned over, immediately sitting up at the feel of warmth next to him. But seeing the raven-haired violinist's sleeping form, he couldn't help but smile and relaxed back into his arms. The brunette shifted his position before wrapping his arm around the blonde's slightly exposed stomach.
"Good morning," he mumbled sleepily into Naruto's shoulder.
"Yeah…it is." The blonde smiled and flipped over to give the older boy a peck on the lips.
Waking up every morning next to the person you love. Perhaps all those empty years were worth it after all. Even if he leaves one day, the blonde thought, at least I've experienced it.
But who knows. Unexpected things happen on Riddle Street.
Right around the corner of the café, on the corner of Riddle Street, something amazing happened. The warmth that radiated around the violinist when he played was forever embedded into the blonde's memory.
The mystery around these dank streets wasn't a mystery at all. He was just another boy left alone in this world who's found everything in the arms of another boy.
(1) "Fan" in Japanese. It's the kind that blows wind, not the crazy fan-girl type thing.
A/N: I actually had a pretty hard time writing this... It's not only my first yaoi attempt but also my first third-person POV in a long time. So go easy on me alright?