PREVIOUSLY:
"I talked your doctors into coming home with me instead of them releasing you to a mental hospital" Sasuke told him. "You won't have your freedom taken away, but you will have to live by the rules I give you. They won't be anything that you can't live with. I'm not your father, I'm not going to try and keep you living in absolute misery."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Naruto asked sounding bitter "My existence tends to make it harder for those around me to live their own lives."
Sasuke stared at Naruto, he could hardly blame the young man for feeling the way he did. After all to Naruto it must seem like everyone around him always gave up on him. Sasuke wasn't the type to give up so easily, he would find a way to help Naruto, no matter how difficult things got.
"I wouldn't have suggested it, if it wasn't something that I wanted to do" Sasuke pointed out. "I don't ever do anything that I don't feel like doing."
"If you've met my father then you know it won't be easy." Naruto said turning his head to look over at Sasuke.
"I find your father to be weak willed and self indulgent." Sasuke replied "I don't know that the man has it in him to care about anyone but himself. So from here on out his opinion is of little meaning to me." Naruto snorted.
"You sound like a stuck up dick when you put it like that." Naruto muttered, and Sasuke shrugged. "it is what it is."
"I've been called worse" Sasuke said "you will come to find out, I can be exactly as they say I am. I have the tendency to be cold and hard, and ruthless. Words don't bother me they tend to slide right off."
"You claim to feel nothing but yet here you are by my side." Naruto frowned "I would say that you would have had to feel something in order to save my life."
"I felt fear" Sasuke replied looking down at the floor. "I can admit I was a dick at the bar, and when you said what you did about the world being better off without you, it made me wonder, and I couldn't help but follow you to the park. I didn't think the words of some stranger could drive someone to try to kill themselves."
"It wasn't just what you said" Naruto muttered "it was my current situation with my job and my father. You words just added to my stress and I was temporarily blinded to reality."
"Sounds like an excuse for a stupid choice" Sasuke muttered. Naruto frowned and shrugged.
"When can I get out of here?" Naruto asked, he hated hospitals, he hated how people treated him just because of his illness. Naruto understood that people feared what they didn't understand, but that didn't mean that he deserved to be treated like he was less than human.
"Soon" Sasuke answered "I think they want to wait a little while to make sure that you don't have any lasting damage."
"If I am awake and talking I should be okay." Naruto stated "clearly there is nothing wrong with me."
"That's for the doctors to decide" Sasuke said amused at the irritation in the others voice. "Last time I checked you weren't a doctor."
"My Father wanted me to be, but after I was diagnosed as bipolar, he kind of let it slip that I wasn't smart enough for that profession."
"A mental illness doesn't mean that your not smart." Sasuke growled, the more he heard about Naruto's father the less he liked the man. He thought his own father was bad, but clearly there were people who had it a lot worse than Sasuke did.
"I am starting to think you father doesn't deserve children." Sasuke muttered. "He certainly doesn't even act like he loves you."
"He does. He just doesn't show it in normal ways." Naruto said.
"I'm also starting to think that you have deluded yourself into thinking that he loves you. His actions tell me all that I need to know." Sasuke said."Every child wants to know that he is loved by his parents." Naruto said "No one wants to think that because they have an illness they are unlovable. So what if I delude myself into thinking that he cares. Its better than living with the knowledge that he honestly doesn't care. It hurts me a little less to believe he loves me."
"I can understand that." Sasuke said "every one deserves love regardless of what they are dealing with in their lives. I guess you are doing what you have just to survive this life."
"You have no idea how hard that's been" Naruto said "It's a wonder I am still alive after everything I have been through."
"There is always a silver lining." Sasuke said "even on the darkest days."
"Maybe" Naruto said before falling silent, his thoughts drifting towards the moment that had changed his life forever. The rape that destroyed Naruto mentally and damaged him physically. Naruto never wanted to go through that again.
Two weeks ago
"Hey, did you hear there is a new guy starting today" Kiba told Naruto as Naruto worked silently on filing the papers for Itachi's latest project.
"I heard" Naruto murmured quietly as he continued working.
"You aren't the slightest bit interested?" Kiba asked frowning down at the blonde.
"When have I ever been interested in someone Itachi has hired?" Naruto asked huffing out a sigh, knowing that he wouldn't likely get the rest of the work filed before the end of the day. "I don't see where it concerns me, after all his job won't affect mine in any way whatsoever." Kiba shakes his head.
"I think he's going to be fun to pull pranks on" Kiba stated as he sits back down at his desk, when he saw Itachi walking towards them, with the new guy right on his heels.
"The workplace isn't the place for jokes." Naruto muttered but if the truth was known he usually loved playing pranks, he just didn't like when they backfired and cost him his job. Naruto needed to be able to keep this job to prove his father wrong about him, that he was fully capable of being an independent adult. He was tired of always being treated like a little kid, like he was incapable of making his own decisions. It wasn't fair to him that his father didn't want him to be capable of doing things on his own, it was like his father enjoyed the fact that Naruto was so messed up. Whether it was from the attention or something else Naruto wasn't sure.
Shaking his head, Naruto tried to clear his thoughts so that he could focus on getting his work done, he didn't want to stay late tonight, he just wanted to get home and relax. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck rose, and Naruto got a strong sense of danger, before looking up and into the eyes of the man that had caused him an extraordinary amount of pain. Freezing, Naruto can only stare at him in wide eyed terror. After Naruto had been raped, he had thought that the man had disappeared, left the country or whatever. Clearly that was not the case, and he can't stop himself from shivering as he gazes into the dark black gaze.
"Naruto, this is Sai, Sai this is Naruto. Sai is going to be my other assistant so that you don't always have to work so late." Itachi explained and Naruto felt like exploding. How could his boss do this to him. To be fair to Itachi, he didn't know what this man had done to Naruto. Naruto was certain that if he did Sai would be fired on the spot.
"Nice to meet you Naruto" Sai grinned, and Naruto could see the evil glint in the other man's eyes. He knew exactly who Naruto was, Naruto could practically see the memories floating through the Sai's head. Naruto clinched his hands into fists, trying to quell the shaking, as terror shot through him. He didn't want to be here, he needed to get as far away from Sai as possible.
"Aren't you going to say anything Naruto" Sai taunted and Naruto looked down at his desk, his hands tightly gripping his pants. He couldn't do this, he couldn't work with this man. He was afraid however that Itachi would want to know why Naruto couldn't work with Sai. Naruto didn't think he could even tell Itachi about what happened, Naruto was too ashamed of it, just thinking about it made him feel dirtier than he had felt in a long time.
"Nice to meet you" Naruto muttered after several seconds of silence and a dirty look from Itachi. Once Itachi had moved on with Sai, Naruto climbed to his feet and rushed off towards the restroom, once inside, Naruto fell on his knees in front of a toilet and heaved harshly into the bowl. Naruto had never expected his worst nightmare to show up at his workplace, to make matters worse, Naruto would be working closely with him. Closing his eyes, Naruto allowed the tears to fall, feeling like only half a man. Once Naruto felt like he wasn't going to be sick anymore, he silently made his way out of the bathroom, after trying to make himself look like he hadn't been just puking his guts out.
Sitting down at his desk, he found Sai sitting next to his desk, smiling as if he knew the terror that Naruto was feeling. Naruto scowled at him as he sat down.
"Don't touch me, don't look at me" Naruto snapped shocking a few of the other employees. Naruto was generally kind hearted to everyone that worked there, so for him to snap at someone who had just started, it made them wonder about Naruto.
"Why would I want to touch you?" Sai asked "I already know what you feel like on the inside and out." Sai grinned wickedly at Naruto, enjoying the fear in the blond man's eyes. "You weren't even a decent ride, I don't know why you would think I would want anything to do with you again."
"Because guys like you don't change." Naruto said ignoring the sting from Sai's uttered words. If Sai didn't think he was any good, would anyone else? Then again who would want someone like Naruto that had been used and thrown away like trash?
"Maybe you are right" Sai taunted "and maybe I do want another ride from you."
"Won't be happening" Naruto said from between clinched teeth as he began typing faster, the keys in tune with the fast beat of Naruto's heart. He felt like if he didn't get out of there soon, he would have a heart attack.
"Why are you so worried?" Sai asked pasting on a fake concerned look. "Why would I want trash? You've been used and discarded, you are not good for anything." Naruto swung his head at Sai and glared.
"You just said you wanted another round." Naruto glared, this guy was about to get his lights knocked out if he didn't leave him alone.
"I don't want trash" Sai said "I only said that because I can practically taste your fear and it's making me high!"
"Your sick and twisted." Naruto said before shutting his computer down and gathering his things. He felt like he was going to sick again at any moment and the mind games that the other man was playing wasn't helping.
Naruto rushed out of the office to the sound of Sai's laughter echoing in his ears. He couldn't handle this, he was going to have to find the courage to tell Itachi, it wasn't fair to expect Naruto to have to work with the pain that had caused him so much pain.
When he reached his apartment, Naruto locked the door behind him before making his way to his bed room. Sitting on the bed, Naruto reached over and grabbed his pocket knife. Rolling up his sleeve, Naruto made a small slice on his upper arm, watching as the blood slowly rolled down his arm. Naruto hated doing this, but it made him feel so much better after a stressful day.
When Naruto finished, he silently bandaged the small cuts and cleaned the blood off of his knife before putting it back in the light stand next to his bed. Standing up, Naruto headed towards the living room, hoping that a little light exercise would help calm his still jumpy nerves. Naruto had just started the treadmill and was about to climb on when he heard someone pounding on his door. Scowling, Naruto stepped off and headed towards the door, and thinking it would be his father, who was angry with him again. Naruto threw open the door, ready to give his father a piece of his mind. Only it wasn't his father that was standing there, it was Sai and he had a wicked grin on his face and a file folder under his arm.
"Itachi wanted me to bring this file to you" Sai said as he shoved his way past Naruto and into the apartment.
"Get out of my apartment" Naruto said, trying to fight the fear that was shooting through him.
"Not until I get what I came for" Sai sneered as he dropped the file folder onto Naruto's coffee table and started stalking towards Naruto.
Terror filled Naruto's chest as he watched and attempted to back away from Sai. He knew what the other man wanted and Naruto didn't want to give it to him.
"I think I like riding you better when you are unconscious." Sai said smiling wickedly as he reached his hands and began caressing Naruto's throat, before he started squeezing, his own strength greater than Naruto's at that time.
Naruto brought his hands up and attempted to scratch at Sai's eyes, but Sai only tightened his grip on Naruto's throat, until finally Naruto's vision began to go black and he slumped to the ground unconscious.
"Hey" Sasuke shouted suddenly when Naruto started moaning and tears began to fall from his eyes. Sasuke didn't know what had happened to cause the sudden fear in the blonde, but he didn't like it.
Reaching out, Sasuke roughly shook Naruto, hoping that it was snap him out of whatever memory he was in. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what had happened that made Naruto think about whatever memory he had gotten lost in.
"Hey, it's okay, your not there anymore" Sasuke said shaking Naruto again a little more gently. Fear filled Sasuke as he watched the sobs tear through Naruto's body, no doubt causing him even more pain. Red rimmed blue eyes opened to find Sasuke staring at him with a gentle look in his eyes.
"It's okay" Sasuke said softly reaching out and taking Naruto's free hand. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you?"
"How can you care so much?" Naruto asked "I'm just a bipolar gay man, I'm trash that has been discarded."
"You are not trash" Sasuke said "I don't know if it was your father who told you that, but it's not true. I think your just someone that has gotten lost along the way and needs help finding his way back."
Tears filled Naruto's blue eyes and he shook his head.
"I don't deserve your kindness, I'm only used goods." Naruto said and Sasuke frowned at Naruto's statement, wondering if there was more to his story than he was saying.
"You do deserve kindness." Sasuke said gently "and I have every intention of showing you exactly what you do deserve."
"Little brother, they will be getting a cast put on his arm and then he will be ready to leave." Itachi said from the doorway. Sasuke looked up and nodded before quickly returning his attention to Naruto, speaking to the other in low soothing tones. Itachi could admit as he watched Sasuke talking to Naruto, that his little brother was good at calming the other. How he came to be that way he wasn't sure, but maybe this situation with Naruto would turn out okay in the end after all. Although Itachi hoped that Naruto didn't ever get to see the bad side of his little brother's temper. Sasuke could inspire fear in others when he was angry. Something told Itachi that Naruto might not be able to handle an angry Sasuke and Itachi wondered if that would make Naruto attempt to kill himself again. Itachi hoped not, he hoped that Naruto could find the hope that he needed to survive and maybe Sasuke could learn how live a little.
Thanks for reading and reviewing! Will hope to have the next chapter up soon. Liz PS Next chapter Naruto will be moved in with Sasuke!