Updated 4/11/17 04:02
独りにしないで。
"Naruto," A caretaker says, his eyes dark and a large smile on his face. "You've been adopted."
The door opens, revealing an elderly looking back with a cane and bandages around his face. He smiles at her, but there's something in his one visible eye that she's not fond of. Hate? Contempt? Disgust?
She stiffens as the orphanage door shuts behind her, a small bag filled with the few things she owns rests on her back. She's leaving. Leaving to go live with this weird old man who seemed to already know her somehow.
"You must be Naruto." His eyes crinkle.
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run...
"No!"
Sixteen year old Naruto opens her eyes with a start; her heart beats furiously in her chest and she her breathing is frantic. Her body won't stop shaking. Out of reflex, she reaches towards the right side of the bed only to find that the body that is usually there isn't there today.
Panic, fear, and worry all clouds her vision at once. "Gaara?" She calls; maybe he went for a glass of water or maybe he had to go to the bathroom. Once more, there's no reply. She fears for the worse until she remembers what happened last night.
Once she remembers, she feels like shit.
Not so much physically, but more mentally than anything else. She feels angry and upset and disappointed in herself for locking herself up like that and treating Gaara so harshly; he had tried to hard just to talk to her, just to open her up and understand what was wrong. She had blown him off each and every time.
Finally, she remembers him leaving.
When Naruto goes to explore the house he finds that Gaara isn't sleeping on the couch, he's not in the kitchen waiting to talk to her, and his shoes aren't in the doorway anymore. He's gone. He's gone. Gaara is gone.
They've never fought like this before. What if he doesn't come back? What if he never comes back? Out of panic and agitation, she claws at her skin and digs her fingers into her flesh so roughly that she leaves red marks behind.
What would she do without Gaara?
Gaara could survive on his own without her. He could go back to his very loving siblings and move in with them; he could go about life without having to take care of extra baggage. Really, that's all she was. Baggage that was weighing him down.
A world without Gaara would be impossible for her to live in. She sure as hell couldn't live on her own, and she couldn't go back to the orphanage instead. It wasn't as if she could get a job without Gaara either, she became a quiet and timid and scared when he wasn't nearby. She didn't know what to do without him.
She couldn't survive without him.
She'd probably end up living on the streets, but really a life without Gaara wasn't a life at all. Maybe she should just die; that way she could just sleep forever without having to worry about anything or anyone.
She sighs and wonders how she'd do it. Maybe she's take all the pills in the closet, maybe she'd just off the roof, maybe she'd jump in front of a care and wait- wasn't that how her parents died? It was only suiting that she'd die like that too.
Surely the car crash would have to be on the highway where everyone liked to speed, and obviously she'd need a car to get hit in. It sounded like it would take too long, and if she survived then things would only get worse.
Maybe she could just hang herself with the bed sheets.
No, she shakes her head. She's just upset, it's not as if she actually means to do any of this. Her normally bright blue eyes only get hazier as she puts on her shoes and heads out the door; it's still dark outside, the stars are up. She heads out anyway.
It's dark and cold and miserable outside; Naruto's not wearing anything but a pair of fleece shorts that she uses to sleep in and a baggy white shirt that belongs to Gaara, it smells like him but it's so big that it hangs off of her shoulder.
Her shoes drag across the sidewalk as she walks aimlessly.
The river glistens underneath the moonlight; Naruto takes off her shoes and lets her bare feet touch the cold water. There are already goosebumps on her arms and legs, but that doesn't stop her from inching further and further in.
She's about thigh deep when a strong pair of arms grabs her and pulls her back onto the ground.
"Little girls like you aren't supposed to be out this late."
It's a delayed reaction.
Naruto looks Itachi Uchiha dead in his eyes before quickly moving out of his grasp; she takes a deep calming breath and releases it, almost as if calming herself down. "I'm not little."
"You'll always be little to me. You're still a baby, Naruto."
She rolls her eyes; water drips down her legs and pools at her feet, she wonders if she should put her shoes back on because it doesn't seem as if he plans on leaving her alone for awhile. "I'm nearly seventeen. You only five years older than me, Itachi."
"Old enough." He retorts. "You aren't trying to go swimming at this time of day, do you? It's not safe."
She raises an eyebrow and gives a sarcastic response. "Really? I had thought this would be the best time to take a dip."
"I'm not a part of your life and your not a part of mine anymore; you don't have to listen to me but I suggest you think things out a bit more before you make such dire decisions."
Naruto's blue eyes become downcast, her blonde hair covers her face.
"If you don't, you're going to create an even bigger problem that can't be fixed. It'll hurt the people you love much more than you could imagine. Are you willing to take that risk?"
She sighs. "Okay, Itachi."
When he reaches out to flick her forehead, she doesn't so much as budge. She doesn't pull back in fear doesn't stiffen when his finger comes into contact with her; instead she gives he tiniest smile she could manage. "Thanks."
"Go home."
He doesn't have to tell her twice.
By the time she's gone, Itachi turns his back to the river. "You go home too." His voice sounds cold; his eyebrows are furrowed angrily. "And stay the hell away from Naruto."
The elderly man in the distance just smiles.
oOo
"I'm sorry for running off."
"I'm sorry for shutting you out."
"I'm sorry for making you worry."
Naruto stares at the door to their apartment and practices what she's going to say to Gaara when she finally sees him; but none of them seem right. Getting frustrated with herself, she runs a hand through her hair and gives an agitated sigh.
Just what was she supposed to say?
She opens her mouth once more, but not a single word comes out. If anything, she jumps a bit when the door suddenly opens without the slightest bit of warning. Gaara's got on a coat and shoes and his phone is held so tightly in his hand that it looks like it hurts.
Upon seeing her, he stops.
Everything seems to freeze for the longest of times; his phone slides right out of his hands and hits the ground, and he wraps both of his arms around her with all his might. They just stay like that for a moment, until his shoulders start to tremble and all of a sudden he's crying on her shoulder.
She holds his head close to her chest. "Gaara," She breathes; his tears melt into the fabric of her shirt. "I'm sorry."
It's cold outside, he realizes. She's not wearing a coat or anything to keep the cold weather away, and yet here they were just standing. She felt freezing to the touch; he composes himself for a moment and takes just enough time to pull her inside and shut the door behind them.
"I was so worried." He says; his voice is shaky, he's just as scared as she was. "I was scared that something happened to you... I came back, and you, you weren't here. I thought you ran away... I thought you left, Naruto."
She shakes her head. "Where would I go? Gaara, you're my home."
"Where did you go?"
"I was looking for you." That was the original plan. Go find Gaara and drag him back home, but it ended up with 'Go drown in a lake because you're nothing without him.' Not that she would tell him that last part, though. "Where did you go?"
"To the store." She raises an eyebrow as if to ask why. "Chamomile tea helps you relax. We were out, so I had to go buy more."
She wipes her own burning eyes. "I thought you left too... I, I didn't know what to do... Yknow I'm nothing without you right? I, I don't think I could live without you."
He presses their foreheads together. "Don't say that."
"It's true!" She blinks, her expression looks troubled. "I love you so much that if... I had come home and you hadn't come back then I..."
He wipes the tears out of her eyes before they fall; she feels herself being pulled into a much needed embrace. It warms her soul and the tears just come spilling out. "I'm s-sorry yknow? You were just trying to help me, and I, i..."
"It's okay," He breathes. "It's okay, so forget about it. Just don't be afraid to tell me things. I won't push you though. Okay?"
She nods. "Okay."
She grips onto his Tee shirt with trembling fingers. "I really was scared, when I woke up you weren't there. I really did think..."
He puts a thumb underneath her chin and lifts he head up, successfully forcing blue eyes and turquoise eyes to meet. "I'll never leave you, Naruto."
Naruto gives a curt nod of understanding; burying her face into his chest and latching onto his warmth, never to let go again. "I won't either."
The two of them stay there all night, never to be disturbed and never to move from the doorway until morning.
How toxic.
oOo
Having somehow made it into bed, Naruto wakes up and stares at her sleeping boyfriend's face.
She moves the hair out of his face so she can kiss his forehead; his skin is warm to the touch and there's a fluttery feeling in her chest that's left behind. She puts a hand on his face lightly, as if not to wake him. "How did I get so lucky?" She wonders out loud.
Naruto makes sure to kiss his nose this time, then his cheek, and then his lips. "Yknow you're stuck with me, right?"
Turquoise eyes stare back at her. "Yknow you can't escape anymore, right?" He repeats in the same tone she had used and a smile spreads across her face; his arms warp around her and pull her in for a closer embrace. "I'm serious."
"Me too."
Gaara gives a comfortable sigh. "Good. Now be quiet and go to bed."
"But it's morning. We're gonna miss school."
"Fuck school."
Naruto giggles more than she should. "Ohh, you rebel."
"Learned from the best." He closes his eyes once more and cuddles against her; with his strong arms wrapped around her midsection, there's no way she's going anywhere again.
Feeling safe, secure, and happy, Naruto lets her blue eyes close as well.
"Love you."
"Oove you too..."
oOo
"Naruto,"
Naruto looks up from her desk and inches a bit behind her boyfriend, who was already glaring the intruder down with all his might. Ino sports an amused look; she's never seen the Uchiha so desperate for a girl before.
The blonde replies with a cold, "Uchiha."
For the first time in history, Sasuke looks awkward. He doesn't know what to say or what to do or how to approach he girl he's had his eyes on since the day she walked into their school. "I wanted to apologize for the other day, I didn't realize that you had a phobia."
"Is that even an apology? You say it as if you would do it anyway, phobia or not." Gaara scowls, clearly upset with Sasuke's choice of words.
Ino's long lashes flutter as she makes a move to contribute to the conversation. "Yeah, he does it to all the girls he puts an eye on. He just kinda dates anyone, as long as they're pretty. Right, Uchiha?"
Sasuke's glare lands harshly on Ino, but she doesn't budge in the slightest. "Sometimes he dates a couple girls at once, but once he fucks them once or twice he breaks it off. If you won't sleep with him then he won't even consider you. It's disgusting."
"I've heard about it." Gaara replies.
Ino nods. "It's kinda everywhere. Besides, it's kinda funny that he thinks he has a chance with little Naru over here." She pauses to twirl her long pale blonde hair, a sly look in her eye as she looks back at the Uchiha. "I guess he's just upset that the one girl he can't have is the only one he wants."
"Shut the fuck up Ino, don't act like you're any better."
"Yes, when I was drooling over your face just as everyone else was. Until I realized how ugly your personality was and that I could do so, so much better."
He makes a move as if to hit her, but Naruto moves in front of her as if to block the hit that never comes. From behind Naruto, Gaara's hand stretches out and grabs hold of the Uchiha's wrist.
He tightens his grip. "You'd better go, Uchiha. Nobody wants you here."
The rest of the classroom just watches as if waiting for a fight to break out; Sasuke looks around the room and realizes that at this moment, he's alone. The girls who used to stand at his side aren't even looking at him anymore; Sakura, even Sakura just huffs as he looks her way.
He's never left in such a hurry.
The class cheers, but the trio of friends don't pay them much attention. "Naruto, you totally just jumped in front of me just then. What if he touched you?"
Naruto shrugs, almost as if though the idea didn't bother her at all. "I had to protect my friend."
"Friend?" Ino's eyes sparkle.
Naruto nods in recognition. "That's why Gaara protected you too, cause we're friends."
Ino smiles and her eyes shift towards Sakura as she recalls their childhood days when everything was about flowers and sunshine, far before everything changed and the meaning of friends seemed to be something completely different.
It's been a long time since Ino felt so happy.
"Of course." She smiles. "We're friends."
oOo
Naruto throws her hands up into the air victoriously as she completes her homework; there wasn't too much today. Sometimes she rushes through it so fast that she makes a lot of stupid mistakes in the process; then Gaara tells her to do it again, and obviously she listens.
Today, however, she takes her time while her boyfriend naps on the couch.
She shoves her completed homework into her school bag, not caring in the slightest if the papers were ripped or crumbled in the process. Her phone vibrates and she opens it curiously; the only numbers who ever call her are Gaara's, and more recently Ino.
It's not a surprise when she finds Ino texting in their group chat.
Ino: Hey, did you hear that the trip we're taking this week is to the mountains? They're gonna make us hike up a huge pile of dirt and then we've gotta sleep in tents. Can you believe that?!(´;ω;`)
Naruto: Cool! That sounds fun! Mountains are awesome. ( ´∀` )
Ino: The bugs, Naruto, the bugs.
Naruto: You've got Shino right? Just stay by him.
Ino: Ugh!
Naruto puts her phone back down on the table and stretches out her arms. Had the school trip been to a place like a hot spring or Kyoto, she would've been perfectly happy staying home. However going on a hike would be a completely different story; she loved nature!
She loved nature just as much as she loved pranks; she stops midway of drawing a mustache on Gaara's face with her favorite red marker. There's someone at the door, probably the old lady who lived next door and stopped by with cookies because Gaara looks a lot like her oldest grandchild.
There's a huge grin on Naruto's face as she undoes every lock on the door, and then opens it just fast enough to avoid the squeak it emitted. "Hiya Grann-" She stops, because it's not Granny Chiyo on the other side.
Instead it's a boy with shaggy brown hair, dressed in black.
Naruto locks the screen door.
"Who are you and what do you want?" She questions; her eyes narrowed suspiciously. It was very rare that anyone her own age would just show up at her door for no reason; it wasn't wrong to be cautious.
The brown haired teenager looks a bit annoyed with her. "Cmon, Whiskers. It's me."
Her eyes narrow and for about a minute or two, she just stares at him. The poor teenager sweatdrops underneath her gaze, but then a sense of belated realization hits Naruto. "Puppet Boy! You called me fishcake!" She looks offended, but that doesn't stop her from opening the door to let him in despite this.
He apologizes for the intrusion just as any house guest should; the door shuts gently behind him, and Naruto points to his shoes as if to tell him he needs to take them off. He complies and follows her inside the small apartment.
"Why are you here, anyway?" She questions while leading him into the kitchen. There was a thing about surprise visits where they were either very good, or very bad. Naruto could only hope that this one went in their favor.
He sits down in one of the kitchen chairs. "It's about Gaara." Instinctively, Naruto's blue eyes shift towards the sleeping teenager on the couch. "In a way, it's about you too. I guess."
She pours him a cup of tea. "How?"
"It's our father. He's a bit upset that no one told him that you moved back to Konoha after your two years with Uncle Yashamaru. He wants Gaara to come back to Suna."
Her nose shrivels up in confusion. "But why? He hasn't lived there since he was four, wouldn't it make more sense for him to stay in Konoha?"
"It's mother. She hasn't been doing so well on her own and it's not like he has time to take care of her, you know how their relationship is." He sighs, mixing a good deal of sugar into his green tea. "Temari's studying abroad, and I've got my own business to take care of... Gaara,"
"Is the only one who can do it." Naruto finishes for him. She can't help but feel like she's being selfish, but she really doesn't want Gaara to go. That man didn't like her in the least bit, and the last thing she wanted was to go with him and then be scowled and scorned at the entire time she was there. That would only make things worse.
The good mood she was in earlier dies away and leaves nothing but silence.
Repetition is dangerous.
『独りにしないで。Don't Leave Me Alone』
