The Secret: Chapter 3

The Secret: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi.

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews so far! I really appreciate all your comments and feedback. It puts such a smile on my face. So, on with the next chapter… enjoy! :D

(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)

The next day…

The room continues to spin as I woke up that morning, hung over and far away from my bed. Immediately my thoughts returned to Sasuke. Gin didn't come downstairs last night like he said he would. He wouldn't have hurt the boy, would he? No, he promised me he wouldn't, but then again the Gin I saw last night was a different Gin from any other time I'd seen him. He never really used to drink, but now it almost seems like his life has become focused on it. I actually felt afraid of him last night. I've never felt afraid of him before because he never used to act like that. He was always so friendly and kind. But that look in his eyes was scary, as if he had been taken over by a completely different person. How could he have changed so much in 5 years? What the hell have I missed? I better go upstairs and see if that boy is alright. The look of terror in his eyes will probably haunt me until I die. I honestly think I should have stayed with him last night, but it's too late now. I hope he's alright.

My head throbs as I push my body up into a sitting position, the desperation for a drink of water slowly becomes overpowering. My dizzy spell is soon interrupted, but doesn't disappear completely when the door of the room bursts open and a familiar character bounds in full of energy.

"Kakashi! You're awake!" Gin announces as he enters the room, seeming surprisingly cheerful and acting as if nothing at all happened last night.

"Morning Gin," I reply, clutching at my head and stomach. I think I need to throw up.

"Too much to drink last night?" Gin laughs, immediately returning to the person I'm familiar with, cheerful, happy and unable to hurt a fly. I have to say I'm feeling relieved. He mustn't have hurt the boy last night. He must have kept his promise to me. Maybe he just told him off a bit and then came downstairs to rejoin the party, but I didn't see him because I was pretty drunk. Yeah, that has to be it.

"Yeah, you could say that," I force myself to smile. "Is Sasuke about? Do you mind if I go upstairs and check if he's alright. He was really upset last night."

"No," Gin's cheerful expression instantly changes back into the cold, expressionless face that burned a hole right through me which I experienced for the first time last night. "He's fine. He's just upstairs sleeping."

My heart suddenly leaps inside my chest from dread.

"You didn't do anything bad to him last night, did you?" I gulp. "It's just he looked really frightened when you came in and…"

"I SAID HE'S FINE KAKASHI!" Gin yells, causing me to jump from the shock. "LEAVE IT AT THAT!!" He shouts as he slams the door shut behind him, leaving me on my own once again.

There is something not right here; I can't understand why he won't allow me near that boy. Choosing to ignore what he said, I get up and silently slip upstairs in the direction Sasuke's room. I can't help it if I'm worried about him, and besides after how those men treated him last night he's going to need to see a doctor or something, and perhaps at least need a shoulder to cry on. Making a quick check to insure Gin isn't about; I knock on the boy's door and get the response I was expecting.

"GO AWAY!" his muffled voice sounds from inside.

"I'm not going to go away Sasuke. I'm here to check if you're alright, I'm a bit worried about you is all. Please let me come in."

"I'M FINE!" He cries, desperate to keep me from entering the room.

"I'm coming in whether you want me too or not."

"FINE! WHATEVER! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO!"

Pushing the door open, I catch sight of him curled up on his bed, the blankets pulled up over his head. My jaw nearly hits the ground when I see him properly for the first time since last night. His face is swollen and bruised as if he's been punched hard several times. There's blood on the sheets and it looks like he's been through a lot more than just what those men did to him previously.

Gin! I can feel my blood starting to boil. That fucking bastard! He promised me he wouldn't hurt him! I run towards the boy and sit down next to him on the bed, hoping that he will open up to me and tell me what happened. I can't help him if he won't tell me.

"Did Gin do this to you?" I whisper, gently running my hand through his hair in a futile attempt to calm him down. He's starting sobbing quite loudly and as much as I want to take him into my arms and hug him, I'm afraid I'll hurt him, so I resist.

"Yes," he whimpers. Fully expecting the boy to yell and hurl abuse at me, I'm surprised by his more submissive response.

"But you have to get out," he sobs. "If Gin catches you here, he will take it out on ME, not you, so please go away."

I wish Sasuke was lying, but I know he's not. The look in Gin's eyes when he came into that room barely looked human. All warmth and feeling were gone from them; he simply didn't look in the least bit like the kind, friendly man I remembered from my childhood. Why the hell did I leave Sasuke alone with him? I've always been so used to obeying Gin without giving it a second thought. I trusted him and he went and did this to a defenseless young boy who couldn't fight back even if he wanted too. I feel sick to my stomach and not just from the alcohol I consumed last night.

If what Sasuke says is true, he will get beaten because I went in to try and comfort him, so I can't let Gin know I went near him, but at the same time I can't turn a blind eye to this – but I can't annoy Gin! Before I force myself to leave the sobbing boy alone, I pull the blankets over him and ask him if he needs anything. He shakes his head and buries it back into the pillow.

I fucking need answers.

"GIN! Who is Sasuke and why is he lying in a pool of blood upstairs in too much pain to fucking move?" I scream as I burst into the living room where the older man is sat reading a newspaper. "Call a doctor for him right now!"

Immediately he hurls his newspaper against the wall in anger.

"YOU WENT UP THERE!" he yells in response, his cheeks starting to flush red. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING NOSE OUT OF THIS!"

"How can you expect me to keep my nose out of it when there's a terrified boy upstairs who is being abused by YOU!" I hiss as I point my finger at the other man. "Do you really think I can pretend nothing is happening? That boy doesn't deserve to live like that…"

"You know nothing about that boy, so you can't question whether he deserves it or not! Sasuke is nothing more than a filthy prostitute who has broken up homes and ruined people's lives…"

"BUT HE SAID LAST NIGHT HE WASN'T A PROSTITUTE! HE SAID HE WAS GIVEN NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER… YOU HEARD HIM!!" I scream, unable to contain my anger. I need to break a table, or at least throw a vase against a wall or something. "If he was really nothing but a whore then why was he resisting those men last night? Why was he crying? And for the last fucking time… CALL A DOCTOR OUT TO SEE HIM!"

"Listen Kakashi. Let's not forget the vast amount of money you stand to inherit from me. Think about your mother… think about how much she needs that money now that your father is dead and can no longer provide for her. Do you want her to live in poverty for her entire life? Or do you want her to be happy? Think of how disappointed she'd be in you. Don't you dare forget everything I've done for you Kakashi," Gin states coldly as he folds his arms and stares directly into my eyes. "Who put you through university? I DID! You'd be working a bottom level job if it weren't for that degree helping you better yourself. You owe me more than you can possibly ever repay me, and if I were you, I'd want to stay in my good books, and the only way you can do that is by keeping your mouth shut and staying out of my business. Sasuke is mine; I can do whatever I want with him – DO YOU HEAR?"

"Keep my mouth shut? YOU'RE BLACKMAILING ME!" I gulp, the colour slowly draining from my face. This can't be happening. Gin knows I can't disappoint my mother… why is he using this against me! I thought I could trust him!

"Maybe I am," Gin sneers. "Now, stay the hell out of my business and keep your distance from that boy. He's nothing but trouble and I'm sure you don't want to ruin everything you're set to receive."

I let out a defeated sigh. Gin looks back at me smugly. He knows he's won.

"At least allow the boy to see a doctor, please Gin! He needs painkillers or something… please don't be so heartless…"

"FOR FUCK SAKE, FINE! CALL A FUCKING DOCTOR FOR THE WHINEY LITTLE SHIT!" Gin yells, barging out of the room and slamming the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts. What am I supposed to do? I'm trapped.

"So a gang beat you up on your way back from town last night, Sasuke?" the doctor asks the boy. With Gin standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the door with a look of pure irritation on his face, there's no way Sasuke will dare tell the truth, or even so much as hint at it.

"Yes," he whispers quietly, remaining curled up on the bed. "A gang beat me up."

"They got you bad, kid. Thankfully you haven't broken anything, but you're going to be very sore for the next couple of days. Did you see any of them, or do you even perhaps know who any of them are?"

"No, they were wearing masks," Sasuke lies.

"Ok, well I can give you some strong painkillers that will make the next few days a lot more comfortable for you," the doctor smiles as she writes out the prescription. Sasuke smiles slightly, but other than that doesn't really respond. I notice he mentioned nothing about the rape, but I'm guessing Gin warned the boy not to open his mouth. I suppose if they did tests on Sasuke, they could find DNA evidence to link Gin and his friends to the crime.

"Have you given a statement to the police? They will look into this matter for you and you can press charges if the culprits are found," she asks.

Before Sasuke can even open his mouth, Gin has already answered for him.

"Sasuke doesn't want to give a statement to the police," Gin sneers, his arms still folded tightly across his chest. "We spoke about it earlier."

"I see, but I need to hear an answer from Sasuke, because after all, he was the victim of a cruel and unprovoked attack…"

"I'm fine," Sasuke interrupts the doctor. "I don't want to press charges, give a statement to the police, anything. I just want to forget about it all."

"Well, if you're sure," the doctor gives the boy a confused look. "Here's a number to call if you change your mind." She smiles and leaves a card down on the dresser beside Sasuke's bed before she prepares to give him his first dose of pain medication.

Shortly afterwards the doctor leaves the room, talking to Gin about something. They both exit, leaving me alone with the boy. I gently run my fingers through his hair and for once he's glad of a bit of company.

"Kakashi," he whispers.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I was so rude to you when you first came to the house yesterday… it's just I thought you were planning to, you know…" he pauses, then sighs. "I thought you were just another one of Gin's friends who had come across simply to exploit me for whatever perverted use you felt like. Please don't be mad at me, I was just on the defensive."

"I'm hardly mad at you," I reply. "Does Gin make you do these things on a regular basis?"

He goes silent and doesn't answer my question, signaling that I've entered 'no-go' territory. Maybe if I win over the boy's trust he will tell me what's going on around here. I want to help him so badly, but I don't know what I can do. Gin has me trapped right where he wants me and I'm powerless to get away. Just like Sasuke I suppose. I guess I have more in common with this boy than I originally thought. Gin has played the family card against me. My mother only just makes enough to scrape by, and when she found out I was to inherit Gin's fortune, I've never seen her so happy since before my father's death. Finally she can have an easy life and that's what I want for her because she worked so hard providing for me and raising me all alone, as well as juggling a badly paying job. If Gin abandons us, I honestly don't think she could handle it. I can't disappoint her.

I feel so trapped. With the money I'm set to receive, I have guaranteed financial security for my family and myself for life including my future grandchildren… everyone. I owe it to them all, but in order to gain it, I have to turn a blind eye to this boy's suffering. It's tearing me apart because I know I'm the only one who can help Sasuke but there isn't anything I can do.

"Are the painkillers starting to work yet?" I ask him.

"hmm," he nods slightly as his eyes begin to flicker closed. I guess that means they must be working as they're quite strong and the doctor said they will make him tired. I sit next to him and wait for him to fall asleep.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke…" I whisper quietly as I pull the blankets over his shoulders. I can't disappoint my family. I have to keep silent. I won't let him suffer alone though if I can help it. I guess the very least I can do is try to be there for him and offer him an unconditional shoulder to cry on whenever he needs it. This is tearing me apart, but Sasuke's fate has already been decided, and I can't change that.

End of Chapter 3

Thank you for reading! Please don't be too mad at Kakashi. Over time he might end up changing his mind. Eventually Sasuke and Kakashi will bond and Kakashi will have to make the most difficult decision of his life, but there's more behind it than he could ever have imagined.

Please review and let me know if you still like the direction this story is heading. Its early days and stuff can be changed and altered. All suggestions are welcome! The next chapter will be a bit of Sasuke and Kakashi fluff as they work at building up trust in each other, and who knows... perhaps soon Sasuke will reveal the secret he's been guarding for so long!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx