I don't own Naruto.
So I have been reading a lot of drug addiction fics and thought of doing one of my own, they really inspire me. Especially since I once had my own addiction. While I was writing this, I was listening to Never Alone by Barlow Girl. Granted it is a Christian rock band, it has a good meaning behind it, that could go well with the story. So maybe listening to the song while reading it you'll catch the meaning behind it! I don't know, just a thought.
Standard language is Japanese, but the bold language is English.
Never Really Alone.
They had always been friends, the best of friends. Their parents understood that, but Naruto's dad got a promotion and was moving to the States, specially Texas. Now that was a big state. Living in a ridiculous city called Grapelake. They laughed about it when they were little, a while before he moved, but the closer it got, the more they dreaded the move.
At first things were great they would talk on the phone to each, mail each other letters, but soon it become far and few in between, and soon Sasuke never received anything.
"Sasuke, dear, come here. I have some bad news." Sasuke turned to his mother from his book. He was a good kid, calm, collected, never under stress. Got good grades, meaning 98 or higher. Almost all the time perfect marks. It was a rare occasion that Sasuke got below that.
"What is it, mom?"
"Naruto's parents, Minato and Kushina, they died," tears fell from her eyes as she watched Sasuke expression turn to dread, and worry.
"What about Naruto?" he questioned standing up.
She smiled a little, "he fine, he had moved out from his family. Seems he I doing fine. Aren't you going to the college near there? Grapelake State University?" He nodded, "well, if you decide to look for him, he goes by Naruto Uzumaki, he changed his name to his mom's maiden name to stay away from the public."
Sasuke nodded in understanding. He left in a few weeks, but he wanted to leave now so he could be with his friend, and help him through the hard time. But he was curious as to why he moved out on his own. What was he thinking? Even though they hadn't talked for several years, that didn't mean he forgot about him. No, it only made him think about him more.
--on Naruto's side of the world--
Naruto walked down the side walk in a haze, he really needed to get back to the apartment, he was starting to come down. He didn't want to remember, it hurt to remember. At first it was for fun just the enjoyment, but then his grades slipped, he just barley passed high school, but his parents were proud that he did none-the-less. As soon as he did, he moved out the night of graduation, he liked feeling independent and most of he liked the drugs his roommate brought home. They made a deal. Since they both had pretty lame jobs, but got them enough money, Naruto would pay rent and half of food, while Kiba would pay for the drugs and the other half of the food, not that they really ate anyways, it really depended upon which drug they were on at the time.
In the beginning, Naruto stayed away from the hardcore drugs, like Heroine and Coke, but when he found out his parents died he gave up everything. He didn't have anything anymore, well except a lot of money, and he meant A LOT of money. He had already paid off the rent for the next 10 years in his nice apartment. It was pretty up scale, and had extra cash for his drugs and food. The job was to kill the boredom.
He didn't like going to school. Not something he was good at on drugs, and he didn't want to give those up. He much rather work than go to school, and he wasn't drug tested at his job, just as long as he didn't come to work high he was good. But it made work hell sometimes, and want to get out of there as soon as possible.
Entering the apartment that he shared with his bud, "Kiba, Yo, dude, ya here?" he hollered into the spacey apartment.
"yeah dude! Just finished setting everything up! I got a shit ton!" He yelled back from his bed room. Just like Naruto, Kiba was from Japan, probably why they got along so well. They spoke Japanese to each other so they wouldn't forget it, but they were obviously fluent in English.
Naruto smiled, it was empty, not a smile he had when he was a kid. Oh no, he was just a shell of himself now. Filled and fueled by the drugs, and he was okay with that.
"dude you did hit that jackpot! I'm glad I gave you some of that money!" Naruto knew he wouldn't be gypped out of anything from Kiba, but he never wanted to do the actual deal. He didn't want to risk, but he didn't mind of Kiba did, just as long as he came back with the drugs of course.
Naruto tied the rubber ribbon on his arm and got a sterile syringe, just cause he was s drug addict didn't mean he wanted diseases, he knew every side effect of every single drug he took, and never did it with out research on it first. Kiba though, would try anything waiting for the side effect. Naruto wasn't dumb, he just didn't like school.
This was Naruto's first time doing heroine, but Kiba said the first time sucks, but it gets better after that! That's what the research said as well. Naruto preferred coke, he would try it, you only lived once. Naruto learned that the hard way, with his parents death. He knew they wanted to do some much more than they had, and now Naruto was going live his life to the fullest. He was able to, with his money.
The needle went in with tiny amount of pain, it was just a little poke. Then it burned, boy did it burn. He felt like he was going to vomit, and then nothing.
Naruto woke the next day well he thought it was the next day, he was in his bed. How he got there, he couldn't remember. Sitting up, he had the biggest headache, and beating of the rain was not helping one bit.
Getting up, he looked at the clock he had about three hours until work. Might as well go in early and get off early. His boss a cool like that, as long as you didn't go in too early and you weren't closing. Just keeping the balance. He would figure he could go in about and hour and half early.
Washing up, he headed to the kitchen to put something in his stomach since he hadn't in the last two days, only to come up empty handed, sighing he headed to the door, "I'm heading off to work, catch ya later Kiba!"
"Totally, I'll get more of that shit."
Naruto laughed, either Kiba didn't know the name of it or forgot or was yelling back in his sleep. Either way, Kiba would be true to his word and get more, but Naruto was smart and did know the name, Heroine, or also known as Smack. Naruto did his research, he never failed in that department.
"I should really think about getting a car," he mumbled as a random thought.
He didn't have a bad job, but it wasn't the greatest job, it was just a job. Although today he was having a particularly bad since, things kept falling through his hands. He couldn't balance anything and he was shaky. He didn't like that, he felt like he couldn't keep still.
As Naruto thought he was let off early and went over to the car dealership and bought himself a new car, simple and not to bad on the price, and then drove over to the insurance and got the cheapest plan that he paid for in advance, for coverage. Only paying five years in advance, they were glad to take the money. He didn't care. He had a car now. His Nissan Sentra. Black, with black leather, tinted windows, and it was a manual, he learned quick and loved it. It was fun to drive, and it kept him focused.
Going back to the apartment, the second time was a whole lot better than the first. It was the best high he could remember!
Soon that started a routine, which in this case, was bad. Soon Naruto wanted more, and Kiba did too. Naruto didn't want to high to last longer, he just wanted to be high all the time. So he would take little doses while he was at work. They didn't say anything, or seemed to notice, he acted like he did before the shakes and chills.
--with Sasuke--
Sasuke got off the plane, and got his bag. He parents said they had a car waiting for him at the ford dealership, so all he had to do was go over there and pick it up, and go to the apartment, with the address he had in his pocket.
Compared to Naruto, Sasuke looked Japanese, but it gave him the "tall, dark, and handsome look" which annoyed him sometimes.
Dealing with the stupid people at the dealership, he dove into his new car, a ford mustang, black, with black leather with red stitching, and tinted windows, it was a beautiful car.
Getting settled into the apartment pretty quick, since it was completely furnished, he went out to get food. The store wasn't too packed, and he only needed a few things, so he was in and out pretty quick. Returning to his apartment, a car was parked next to his, which meant he had a neighbor up stairs.
"Hopefully they're quiet" as soon as he said that, the music blared, but it wasn't bad music, it was music Sasuke actually enjoyed. So honestly not to bad, so far. Just as long as they didn't play all night. A couple hours would suffice.
One thing Sasuke learned was have your AC on while you're gone, forget the bill, the humid heat, was killer.
He left the window open to let out some of the heat and heard yelling in Japanese, "Dude Kiba, I'll be right back, I got the munchies!" Sasuke looked out side, seeing the blonde mop of hair get into the car next to his, getting a closer look, he ran out the door.
"Naruto!" said boy looked up through glassy eyes, looking at his new neighbor.
"Damnit you damn ghost! Go the fuck away!" he sped out of his spot with a cigarette in his mouth.
Sasuke looked puzzled, and returned to his apartment, he would get more chances.
Weeks passed, and Naruto some how planned it perfectly, he would either leave before he woke up or while he was gone, and return before he did. It irritated him, he wanted to talk to Naruto, finally, he racked up the nerve to go the 16 steps to Naruto's door.
Except it wasn't Naruto who answered, "Can I help ya?" Kiba asked. Sasuke knew better, he knew Japanese.
"Is Naruto here?" He asked simply.
Kiba nodded and stepped out of the way, "yeah! He is in his room, but he kind of got smacked down after work. So he is kind of in a bad mood. Actually has been for a few weeks." Kiba lead him to Naruto's door.
"Dude you have a visitor!" Kiba said.
"Who is it?" English was a cue that this person either didn't know it, or didn't know Japanese, and since most of their friends spoke English and knew they would talk to each in Japanese to each relaying information, which meant this person spoke only Japanese. Naruto could read the signals.
"I don't know, but I don't think he knows English, but he was asking for ya, come on out. He kind of looks like the guy in picture frame, just older!" Kiba exclaimed
Naruto blew open the door, "no way it is him, fuck, dude. He can't see me like this! Shit, fuck! Dude, can you stall him for like 15 minutes?"
Kiba smirked, He knew Naruto was only going to get more high than he already was, cause it helped him cope. Kiba was only slightly worried cause Naruto traveling on the edge, between heroine addict and heroine fun.
"Yeah, I'll stall, hurry up though! I need to go and get more dumbass, we're almost out since you keep taking some much, wanna pay up since you took some of my half?" Naruto and Kiba were fair, they knew one might greedy, and so one would pay for it later when they got the money, or some shit like that. Kiba quit the heroine though, he stuck to things like coke pot and e, those were his favorites. Granted Heroine was fun, just not his favorite come down. It was the worst come down, he was surprised Naruto last this long with out his normal amount, probably just a control amount, keep him high, but not enough, but keeps off the come down.
"Thanks! I'm out of my stuff, and since you don't take anymore, can you 500 worth of my shit? That should cover what I took and enough to last a week, right?" he questioned.
"oh yeah and more, if you take it easy." Kiba commented slyly. He knew it was a bad idea, cause Naruto would catch.
"fuck off Kiba, I'm fine. Now I'll be out in a second!" he slammed the door, never once looking at the other man. Hearing the safe click of the lock on his door, he scrambled to the bed and got everything out. He gave up on being clean, fuck infections, needles were too much, he bought a new one every two weeks, or so he thought. He couldn't remember. He couldn't even remember the last time he wasn't high or on something.
He tied the rubber ribbon and filled the syringe and then it began. It wasn't enough, normally he would have double this, and this was the amount he started at, fuck. He needed more. Pulling the fish net sleeves down, he pulled over a sleeveless hoddie, and checked his piercing one on his bottom lip on the right, and two in his eye brow on the left, and his tongue, but that was completely healed now, he just had to clean the others on occasion when they hurt, but he couldn't tell anymore, and so he just checked. Pulling on his converse and throwing on some ripped jeans he stepped out of his room.
He was met with silence. What a great staler Kiba is, fuck who was here again?
Naruto looked at Kiba who was sitting in his normal seat and the back of their guest was to him, he walked over to the fridge hoping for something to drink. Of course they had orange juice! Fucking orange juice.
"Naruto?"
Naruto waved at the man, and grabbed the orange juice and a glass and poured him some, returning the orange juice to it's original spot, he finally turned around. His eyes glassy from his small high, "You're speak Japanese, good, who are you?"
The eyes narrowed, "Uchiha Sasuke, who do you think I was?"
Orange sprayed the kitchen, "Teme? What the hell are you doing here? Fuck! Why are you here?"
His eyes narrowed more at the foul language aimed towards him, "I moved here a few weeks ago. I first saw you the first day I was here, but you ran away. I'm going to college here at GSU."
"Well that's great, hold on a second. Here Kiba, I need shit now, this blast from the pass shit is crap. Just take out 500 from the ATM, take anymore and you pay me back. I'll check my bank account later, so don't even try. I'll get him out as fast as I can, but I doubt that it's going to be easy. I'll see ya later, call when you're on your way back." Kiba nodded and headed out towards the door.
Once he was gone, Sasuke stood, "Why are your pupils so dilated?"
Naruto smirked, "wouldn't you like to know, mister, like I would tell you!"
Sasuke frowned something wasn't right, "why?"
"What do you mean "why"? You know exactly why, you never wrote me! Stopped calling, every time I did call and it wasn't you, Itachi would answer or your father and they would say you're too fucking busy. So I stopped fucking calling, and forget about writing. I felt like I was writing a diary! Fuck Sasuke, why the fuck would I tell you anything?" he yelled out his frustrations.
"You never got my letters? I wrote you letter! I did try calling you, but the phone said that the line was disconnected! I did call. I just didn't know how to get a hold of you after you changed your phone number!" He yelled in return.
Naruto froze, he couldn't deal with this. It made it seem like Minato was trying to separate them.
"Naruto, what are you on?"
"Nothing!" he snapped to quickly and didn't see the quick movements of Sasuke.
He was pinned, his whole body was pinned to the counter, feeling his sleeve being pulled up to the track mark he started to struggle, "No! Sasuke, stop!"
"Why? What do you have to hide?" Naruto eyes darkened.
"Nothing," he didn't think that Sasuke would call the cops, but for some reason he trusted Sasuke to keep his mouth shut.
Sasuke observed the track marks on both arms, the more recent on the right arm. Seems that his veins have collapsed in his left arm. Sasuke looked at Naruto's eyes, they were hallow, just a shell of what he use to be. He now noticed how cold Naruto was, and how thin he was. His hair seemed to fall limp on his head instead it's full volume.
"Naruto, why? Why are you doing this too yourself?" Naruto laughed!
"I don't have a reason, if you want one, it's just for fun," soon a phone rang in Naruto's pocket, "excuse me, I have to take this."
Naruto flipped open the phone and it read "Dog breath"
"yeah?"
"I got the shit! It looks pure! I also got Purple weed! You wanna try?" Kiba basically yelled on the other end of the phone.
"Naw, I'll just stick to my shit. See ya soon, I'm just about to kick him out." Naruto flipped the phone close, ending his conversation with Kiba. He turned back to Sasuke.
"I wanna help Naruto,"
Naruto sneered at him, "I don't want your charity, I'm fine! Now get out!"
Sasuke took his cue, little did he know he would watch a lot more closely. Cause he knew something that Naruto didn't. Kiba was moving out, and into his girlfriends place, and quitting the drug scene all together. Kiba hadn't told him, cause it would be easier just do it slowly, and have him realize that he was gone. Most of his stuff was already gone anyways. He just needed to spend more time out of the apartment.
Sasuke mumbled something and Naruto just screamed, "get out!" at the top of his lungs, he it hurt Sasuke, but so did everything Naruto did, and has become, he wanted to help him, he just didn't know how yet. He would figure it out.
Kiba returned a few minutes later and before he handed him the stuff, "dude I need to tell you something." Naruto raised and eyebrow, "I'm moving out, and moving in my girlfriend, I'm going to ask her to marry me. I'm also leaving the drug scene. This was my last buy, but if you want I can give you my drug dealers number, I already told him you would call. He's the only smack dealer in town, and the best at his job. Never been caught. I promise it's safe."
Naruto frowned but took the number and then left for his room and his shit.
A week went by, and Kiba was true to his words and left. Naruto frowned, and called the dealer for the first time, he told him his place and bring no one. He didn't need to get his shit stolen. He got what he thought would last two weeks.
"Thanks Gaara," they got along well. One made his profit and one got his shit.
Naruto left his stuff out in the open, the curtain closed, a carton of cigarettes, half of them already smoked. He would need to buy more soon. Trash lay littered on the floor. Tying up his arm with his belt, he had lost the ribbon and his other broke, he filled the dirty syringe, and it began. He heard knocking at the door, but he ignored it.
Kiba went down the stairs as Sasuke pulled up, they had gotten a little closer, in their concern for Naruto. "he won't answer, and his car is here. I'm pretty sure that Gaara was here earlier" Kiba had told Sasuke his background with Naruto and the trouble he went through to protect him. They made a deal that they would help as best as they could.
Sasuke nodded, he hadn't been behind that door for a while. Right now, he just wanted to check. "Do you still have your key?" Kiba shook his head no.
"Let's check and see if the door is unlocked, if it is get his keys and make a copy. Let's go check." They headed up the stairs, the music played softly, but loud enough to hear through the door. Twisting the knob, it turned and opened the door.
Man it stunk, it smelled horrible. Trash was everywhere, Naruto was barely wearing something called clothes. They both frowned, "I knew it would happen, he has crossed the line"
Sasuke walked over to Naruto where the needle was still in his arm, he was breathing which was good and his eyes were open.
"Naruto?" he took out the needle. His eyes twitched a little, but other than that, nothing. Kiba cleaned up the apartment, as Sasuke cleaned up Naruto.
Naruto was coming down after the bath that Sasuke gave him, tears poured out of his eyes. "I can't do this! I don't want the pain anymore! I don't want to remember!"
Sasuke comforted him, it broke him, he didn't know what to do. He hated asking for help. Naruto held on to him for dear life as he cried his eyes out. Sasuke continued to help him, out of the shower and into some clean clothes. Naruto seemed blind, holding on to Sasuke, he was probably still high. Taking him to the kitchen, Kiba had heated up some soup. Naruto barely even ate half of it before puking it up in the sink, once he finished that, he turned and slide down his back to the cabinet, and cried.
He curled in a ball, it made him look so tiny, he scratched at his arms, he was shaking terribly and sweating up a storm. He was coming down and quick. Sasuke gave him a over the counter sleeping pill, he took it with out questions and slowly passed out.
They carried him back to his bed. Covering him with the sheets they left, but not before taking his keys, and returning them. Sasuke locked the door, and added the key to his chain.
One thing Kiba didn't quit was smoking, he sat on the side walk staring at Naruto's car, which as far as they knew, hasn't moved for about a week.
"I don't know if I can go through that again. I don't want to see that again." Kiba said blankly.
Sasuke looked at him and then the door, "I didn't want to see it either, but I know what you mean. I'm a lot closer than you are, I'll take care of him, just call if you ever head over. I'll text ya if anything changes." Kiba nodded and headed over to his pick up truck.
Soon it became routine for Sasuke, come home from school, drop off his bag, clean up Naruto, put some sort of substance down his throat, fast food or soup, anything would do. He puke it up and then cry, for hours, just clinging to him. Soon enough Sasuke would stay the night, and wake up before he would.
Naruto frowned again, he was in his bed again, he couldn't remember how he got there, but the pounding headache would not go away. He pulled himself up, he looked at the clock 4:00 pm. Great he slept all day, he was shaking again. He was sweating again. 'oh god, where is, I know I prepped some stuff'
Naruto looked frantically around his room and then the living room. Found it! He listened to the greedy little voice in his head to take more, so he soon had 4 syringes filled full. Tying up his arm, he was ready to go. Blasting through one, he felt the burn a little. A little more on the second hit, but the third hit did wonders! Leaning back, he was high, he was numb, he was alone. Tears fell from his eyes, for some reason it always felt like he was crying. His chest tighten, he didn't want to feel. Pushing in the forth syringe, the numbness took over and he closed his eyes, or he thought he did.
Sasuke unlocked the door to Naruto's apartment, this was the third week. Kiba was with him this time. They had a plan. Kiba talked to a drug councilor, and the best and only option is rehab. They cleaned the apartment, again. It looked like he pasted out on his own, so the dumped the heroine down the toilet, make sure not to stuff it. Once that was done, they dressed Naruto.
"Hey S-s-s-Sasuke. Where are we going?" He sounded like a little kid. Kiba was pretty sure his English would be rusty, he would need to warn the doctors.
"We're going on a field trip! You wanna go?" Naruto nodded slowly, and what he thought was fast. He leaned heavily on Sasuke.
It hurt Sasuke to lie to him, but it had to be done. They piled in Sasuke's car, and over to the inpatient rehab, which was only about an hour away, passed Fort Dallas.
"Sasuke, it hurts! Make the pain go away! Please, I don't want to hurt anymore!" Naruto cried in his sleep, tears fell from Sasuke's eyes as they pulled up to the rehab center, it was the best option.
He carried the blonde bridal style, to the doors. Naruto looked dead, laying limp in his arms. They allowed him to carry him to the room he was staying in. He laid him gently on the bed, and kissed the top of his head, "I'll always help you, just get clean now. You'll see me soon, I promise." a tear fell on to Naruto's cheek, as they slipped from his own eyes.
Sasuke signed the papers that he was the only one who could sign him out and his only visitors allowed were him and Kiba. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.
It was horrible, the pain from coming down, mixed with the pain of the loss of his family. He felt empty, until he got a visitor two weeks later, only for 10 minutes. He was told he earned that this week. He didn't understand. He couldn't really walk, just felt empty. Something was missing.
They wheeled him to the visitor's room, he didn't look up, he didn't want a visitor, he wanted to end this pain.
"Hey Naruto. How are you?" Naruto looked up his eyes flickered for the first time, real emotion was in them.
"Sasuke" it was all he said. It was all he could say. All he could remember.
"Yeah, Naruto, I'm here, with you for the rest of your life. If you get better, they'll let you out and you can come live with me. Would you like that?" Tears fell from his eyes, He couldn't hold it in, anymore.
His eyes brighten a little, a signal that he did. "Sasuke" he repeated.
"You have to get better, you have to listen to the doctors, okay?" a small nod came from the smaller man.
"Okay, they're going to take you back to your room, to get better, so you can see me okay?' another small nod. It was so difficult looking at him, but he already looked better.
Sasuke left the building, and had his phone out, he sent Kiba a text, "slowly, but surely he is getting there,"
Kiba received it, and turned to Hinata and smiled with tears rolling down his cheeks, she knew what that smile meant, he hugged her, "will you marry me?" she smiled and nodded.
--20 months later--
The exact date was October 10. Naruto's birthday, also the day he got release from rehab. Sasuke and Kiba watch the progression of Naruto, but only in the visitor room. They weren't allowed anywhere else. He looked a whole lot better, his English wasn't bad, but his Japanese was a little rusty.
Sasuke and Kiba fidgeted waiting for Naruto to come through the doors. The knob turned and their heads both snapped, the small man named Naruto walked through the doors, he looked and spotted Sasuke and Kiba quickly. Running to them he hugged them tightly.
He cried tears of joy that day, he had his freedom back and his knew he could make it through it. He had his boyfriend and his best friend. Sasuke asked him, that once he got out if he would want to be his lover and boy friend, he knew there was no other choice but to say yes, he loved this man for trying to help, when all he did was push him away in the beginning.
Naruto learned several things, it would be difficult living here, so he asked Sasuke, if they could move, he still had more than enough to last them the rest of their lives and another life time. So Sasuke and Naruto moved back to Japan, Kiba and Hinata did as well a year later.
Naruto went back to school to be a drug councilor and writer, he had a knack for it. Sasuke finished up at medical school. They both safely worked never over stressing themselves. They lived for one another, taking care of each other. They only returned to Texas when the visited Naruto's parents. He never actually went to the funeral. So he paid his respects then, plus who would want their child that was high at their funeral. He said his good-byes, and said "see ya next year!"
Cause he knew he would be alive, next year. Because he was clean. Because he had his raven watching him.
--the end--
That is very difficult to write, coming from own addiction. I hope ya'll enjoyed, and the feedback would be lovely!
Kaden!