Part 2 / 2 of Ending

"Dialogue" – spoken in English

"Dialogue" – spoken in Japanese


My greatest pains

are the words I cannot say.


(Three Years Later)

.

.

Naruto wrote him letters every day. For a whole year. He never missed a day.

In his letters, he would tell him stories about his day; how he's coping in this new country; how difficult it is to speak another language; how noisy the neighbors are at night; and how he wakes up every morning wanting nothing else but to go back. He would tell him a lot of things – things that he'd never dreamed of telling him in person. And no matter how the letters start, they would always end the same way. At the end of every letter, the words 'I'm sorry' will always be there.

Most of his letters came back though. Still sealed. Others were simply lost. His e-mails too were left unanswered. He had never received any response from him. Even during the holidays. He tried calling him but he received the same result. He would later find out from his Father that his brother had moved out of the manor and changed his contact numbers.

"Well damn." Naruto said one day, gripping his cell phone tight as Fugaku told him about Sasuke. His brother's in college now, taking a pre-law course in Toudai (2) no less. Though it was already expected, he still felt extremely proud of his brother.

"Tell him Congratulations, Dad. I'm really happy for him." Naruto said. "I'll tell Itachi."

"Itachi already knows, son." Fugaku replied. "They've talked."

"Oh." Naruto heard himself say.

Oh…

"They've talked? Really? I'm… I'm glad. I'm happy for them. I'm…" His voice cracked. There was a very long pause. For some reason, Naruto couldn't bring himself to say anything more after that.

He could hear his Father talking about something else but the words were already drowned out in his ears. His mind was already somewhere else. He said goodbye to his Father in a raspy, barely-there voice.

He sincerely felt glad for them, for both Itachi and Sasuke. At least now they're talking. But he doesn't know why his heart felt heavy. That night, he wasn't able to sleep. He spent the whole night staring at the computer screen, crying, reading his letters over and over again, desperately trying to see where he went wrong. That maybe the words 'I'm sorry' weren't enough. Even with the blurry vision, Naruto continued reading – until his eyes gave out and he fell asleep.

He tried so hard to stop writing after that.


The second year in U.S. was a blur.

At that time, Naruto had just passed the high school entrance exam. It took him an actual year to pass the exam. It was incredibly hard because of the foreign language, but Itachi had been very patient in tutoring him.

He still writes to Sasuke every now and then but it was in a less frequency than before. His letters were longer now, angry mostly. The letters that had once ended in 'I'm sorry' are now ending in a string of pet names (Bastard) and curses (Goddamn you, Sasuke, pick up the friggin' pen and write back!).

As usual, all of the letters were sent back to him. There were no replies in his e-mails either. But he continued writing anyway. He was too stubborn to stop. He was angry. He was upset. And he wanted Sasuke to know that.

But there was nothing. There were no responses to his mails. It was a painful blow to him. It felt like they were strangers again.

"Are you still angry, bastard?"

"I said I'm sorry. Damn you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

"How many times do you want me to say that?"

"…Why are you ignoring me?"

"Sasuke… have you forgotten about me?"

"…Sasuke."

Sometimes when he'd ran out of things to say, he'll end up writing Sasuke's name in the page over and over again. In the end though, he'd never be able to make out the words – the ink blotted by the droplets of water falling from his face.

And sometimes too, Naruto would borrow Itachi's phone just to hear Sasuke's voice in the voicemail. He'd close his eyes while listening to his voice. He won't stop. He'd play the voice again and again until the battery dies out.

Itachi had never given him Sasuke's number. He never gave him a reason either. Naruto had never stopped asking though.

In his third year – out of sheer longing and desperation – Naruto ran away. With only a backpack and a month's worth of allowance in his pocket, Naruto went to the airport, planning to go back to Japan. He was ready to throw everything away. He doesn't care anymore. But it seemed like fate had other plans. Naruto never knew how but Itachi had somehow learned of this and followed him there.

Despite his endless pleading and bargaining, Itachi took him back to his apartment. He was crying so hard while on their way back. Back then, he looked so pathetic but he couldn't find himself to care. He missed him. He missed him so much.

"Sasuke you bastard." Naruto muttered brokenly, wiping his face with the back of his sleeves. But it was no use. His tears flow freely down his face. They never seem to stop. Naruto felt the car pulled to a sudden stop. He didn't move; his face still buried in his hands. It was then at that moment that he felt warmth engulfed him.

Itachi had leant in and wrapped his long arms around him.

"I'm sorry Naruto." he heard Itachi say.

"…."

/"I'm sorry…"/

At those words, Naruto felt his world crumble. Why? He ached to ask, but the words died in his throat. He couldn't say anything.

He remained silent for the rest of the trip, crying silently, gazing at the skies as it slowly turned to grey.


It's 5 am.

He could hear the alarm clock blaring somewhere in the room. But he paid no heed to it. He remained seated on his desk chair, knees drawn up to his chest and eyes staring dazedly at the computer screen. He remained in this position for a long time. There was another ring from the alarm clock. It was already 6. He ignored it still.

A tan hand slowly rose and pressed F5 on the keyboard, refreshing the page. Blue eyes were glued to the monitor in anticipation. The screen blanked for a moment… before the page appeared again.

His heart sank when the page remained unchanged. There were no new mails or updates. He was expecting this but he didn't know why his heart still clenched and his eyes gradually lowered to the floor. A long, shuddering sigh escaped his lips. It had already been three years. Three-fucking-years of this. This silent treatment. He couldn't understand. He just couldn't.

"Why?"

For the third time, the alarm blared again. Irritated, the blond looked to the source of the sound. His day's already ruined – might as well destroy something to vent this frustration, he thought. But all of these thoughts flew out of the window once he came face to face with his alarm clock.

He blinked. That can't be right.

It's already 6:45. He had a class at 7.

Naruto stood up immediately, toppling the chair beneath him.

"Ah shit." He cursed as he grabbed his backpack. He shoved his books and laptop in as quickly as he could, and ran towards the door. There was no doubt about it – he's going to be late again. Damn. The day's already ruined and it hadn't even started yet. was that even possible?


"Hey freak."

Naruto stopped in his tracks. He knew that voice. Clenching his fists, he turned towards the voice. He wasn't surprised to come face to face with a gang of thug-looking wannabes. Some of them were his classmates. He doesn't recognize the others though.

And he thought his day couldn't get any worse.

"Remember us?" The leader of the gang stepped forward, holding a wooden baseball bat. Sneering, he pointed the bat towards the blond. "I want a rematch, freak. This time, you fight all of us."

One fine eyebrow rose. 'Again? Are they serious?' Naruto had beaten his group last week and now, they want another round.

Though Naruto was older than most of them (3), his relatively short stature had made him an easy target for bullies. They initially thought he was too weak to fight. They didn't realize how wrong they were until Naruto singlehandedly pummeled them all to the ground.

"I'm late. I don't want hurting anyone of you." Naruto said in broken English and turned his back.

"Don't you ignore us!" The leader raised his bat and charged at him. Naruto side-stepped the attack with ease. Growling low in his throat, he punched his attacker on the face as hard as he could; sending the thug straight to the ground.

Naruto bared his teeth in anger. He's already in a very bad mood. He's tired of this. They challenge him every week. Clearly these guys never learn.

Cracking his knuckles, he motioned for them to attack. And they did.


Naruto felt something cold pressed against his swollen cheek. He looked up.

"Oh hey."

"What's up, Dickless?" The other said, offering Naruto the cold soda.

"Sai." Naruto's frown relaxed into a grin. He took the can and popped it open. "Th-thanks."

Naruto drank the soda while his other hand remained on his face, rubbing his swollen cheek. He winced at the feel. It would certainly bruise later. It was his fault. He was so distracted. He couldn't concentrate on the fight. He kept on thinking about something else. Of someone…

"They fought you again, huh?"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah. Second time this week."

"I told you. Let me take care of them."

"Nah." Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his back against the wall. Despite the throbbing on his cheeks, a small smile was evident on his face. "I can handle my own fights. And besides, I always won."

He felt the man sit next to him. "Says the idiot with a beat-up face."

"Hey, don't call me that! I'm not idiot." Naruto glared at the other. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Damn it, I wasn't looking. They have bats and they were many today too. More than six or seven, I think."

"What they lack in strength, they make up for in numbers... Pathetic." Sai said, his tone lower than before. "Are you alright, idiot?"

"Yeah. They just surprising me, that's all. And stop calling me an idiot."

"You've been here for three years and your grammar still sucks. Face it, you are an idiot."

"Hey…!"

Before Naruto could shout obscenities at the other, Sai had suddenly leaned in closer to him. A pale hand rose and removed Naruto's hand from his face. "Don't rub the wound. It'll get worse."

Naruto's hand was replaced by a cool palm pressing against his cheek. Sai's hand felt so cold and soothing on his face.

Stunned, Naruto didn't move. He could only stare at the other, unable to take his eyes off the man's face. 'Damn it. He does look like…'

"Stay there. I'll go get some ice." Sai said as he stood up.

"…Uh yeah, sure."

A few minutes later and the pale man returned with a bag of ice. He tossed it to the blond.

"Thanks Sai." Naruto said, pressing the bag to his cheeks. "Heh. You're always helping me out. I owe you many."

"No problem, dickless."

Sai sat beside Naruto again. He raised one knee and rested an arm on it. He had a book on one hand but he wasn't reading it. His gaze was focused on the blond next to him.

For a long while, none of them talked. Both remained silent, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

Then, Sai spoke. "You were distracted? By what?"

"…."

"Is this… Are you still thinking about hi –?"

"Don't." Naruto gritted out. He lowered his head; his bangs shadowing his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Naruto…"

"…."

"Naruto. Stop this." Sai had moved nearer to him, facing the blond directly. "I may not understand your relationship with him, but you need to stop this. It's clear that you're only hurting yourself. He's not worth this pain."

"You're wrong, Sai. I…" Naruto swallowed hard. The ice bag had started to melt in his hand; beads of water dripping down his face. "I'm not hurting."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not!" Naruto shouted, still looking at the ground. His grip on the ice bag tightened. "I'm... I'm just angry."

-worried-confused-upset-angry-angry-angry

"That… fucking bastard. I hate him." A laugh then a bitter smile spread across the blond's face. "He's a lying, hypocrisy bastard. Can you believe it? After all this time. After everything, we've been through. After all the words he'd said, he just…"

"Naruto…"

"Damn it, I'm angry alright. I feel so stupid." Naruto let go of the bag. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling. "…So fucking stupid. I'm tired of this…"

-always, always waiting.

Unbidden, the words just burst out from his lips. "…I shouldn't have left. Should've said goodbye. Damn it, I could have said sorry, could have explained to him. But I didn't. I didn't."

"…."

"I just left him. Without saying goodbye. Without explaining anything. Without telling him how much I…" Naruto abruptly stopped. He swallowed hard. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say those words. Those three words. After all these years, he still can't.

"How much you what?" Sai asked.

Naruto shook his head. He grabbed his backpack and stood up. "Never mind. Forget what I said."

Sai stood up as well. He held on to the blond's wrist. "You love him, don't you?"

"That's a stupid question, Sai. Of course I love—"

"Have you told him?"

Naruto stilled. His eyes widened at the words. "I… Does it matter now? He's already forgotten. He hates me now."

A soft breeze passed through them. Neither talked for a while. Then, after a long moment of silence, Naruto slowly removed his arm from the other's grasp. His back still turned, he spoke.

"…You know, sometimes I wonder if he ever thinks about me." Naruto said in Japanese. He smiled, knowing that the other wouldn't be able to understand what he's saying. The smile didn't last long though as his lips trembled and he fought to steady his voice. "Because no matter what I do, no matter where I am, I can't… I can't stop thinking about him, Sai. I never stopped thinking about him. Stupid, right? How fucking stupid is that?"

And with that, Naruto walked away. Sai remained in his spot, watching the other slowly disappear from view.

"Idiot." Sai whispered. There was a sad tint in his voice. "He can't stop thinking about you too."


"Oh Naruto. You're still here?"

Naruto looked up from the shelf he was arranging. He saw Sakura coming in.

The blond grinned at her. "O-overtime, Sakura-chan. W-was absent other day. Our boss tell me I should keep more hours."Naruto managed to say in between stutters and broken English, scratching his cheek nervously out of habit.

Sakura smiled back and nodded in understanding. It was obvious that the blond is still struggling with the foreign language. Even after three years, he still finds it hard to speak without stuttering; his words still heavy with the Japanese accent. Naruto is smart and learns pretty quickly but learning a new language seemed to be a lot difficult for him.

They have been best friends for almost a year now. Naruto started working part-time at the convenience store a year ago but because of their opposite shifts, they rarely see each other.

At first, Sakura was surprised the owner even hired him. The blond, though looking the part, couldn't speak one complete sentence in English. He struggled most of the time in his speech, is extremely clumsy, and talks a lot in his native language. The blond was a complete weirdo and if Sakura can help it, she avoided him most of the time. The blond remained persistent though, always trying to strike up a conversation with her when they meet. There was a time when Sakura got so fed up with the blond that she demanded him to be fired.

She regretted that immediately – especially after the time when that same idiotic, stammering blond saved her life.

Up to this day, she still can't believe it. She remembered that night so well. She took the night shift because she had make-up classes in the morning. She was alone in the store when two men wearing ski masks suddenly burst in, pointed a gun at her, and demanded the money in the register. She was so horrified that she remained frozen in her spot. Aggravated by her lack of cooperation, the men started shouting at her; their threatening voices booming so loudly in the small establishment.

That was when Naruto came in. He was claiming he forgot something as he entered the store. He immediately stopped when he saw the two armed men, his eyes widening at the gun pointed at his co-worker. Like Sakura, he stood frozen for a moment. Then… his expression changed. Sakura couldn't remember most of what had happened. It was all a blur. Everything happened too fast. One moment the two masked men were standing, then they were on the floor the next, gasping and writhing in pain.

In the sidelines, Naruto was panting, massaging his bruised knuckles, as he continued grumbling something in his native language.

Then, the blue eyes looked at her. "Sakura-chan! Are you alright? Did they hurted you?" Naruto kicked the gun to the far-off side and ran towards her. Worry was written all over his face as he grasped the young woman's shoulders.

And that was when Sakura cried. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her words were incoherent in between her sobbing and shouting.

She will never, ever forget that day. And ever since that incident, they have been very close.

Sakura removed her wet coat and hung it on the coat rack. It was raining heavily outside. She punched her time card in the machine and put on her cap and name tag. After checking herself in the mirror, she glanced back at the blond, noting that the other is now busy scrawling some figures on the inventory datebook. Naruto was hunched over the small shelf, looking so focused with what he's doing. Sakura smiled. It was rare to find the blond like that.

"…So, Naruto. How was school?" Sakura asked as she walked towards the boy. She sat beside him and rested her elbows on her knees, looking at the blond with an expectant look.

The blond continued in his writing but the warm smile did not leave his face. "Same same, Sakura-chan. It is bored. I'm boring always in school. I feel like dying."

The pink-haired girl giggled softly, finding the blond's answer and his choice of words quite amusing. "You mean school is boring and you are bored, Naruto. Not the other way around. And yes, you do look like you're dying. Poor you."

"Oh yeah. I always forgot about that," Naruto's smile widened.

"Yes you do, idiot. Honestly how many times do I have to correct you on that one?" Sakura clucked her tongue playfully, wagging a finger at the other. The blond only laughed as a response.

"Wait. What happened to your face?" The girl said as she placed her hand gently on the other's cheek. "Did you fight again?"

"Oh this? Haha, sorry Sakura-chan, but they cornered me again today."

"Again? Those morons don't learn, do they?"

"I guess…"

"So are you alright? Do you want me to get some ice for that?"

Naruto shook his head. "No need, Sakura-chan! Sai had already helped me with it. It's kinda healed now."

"Sai? Really?" Sakura's voice became sweeter. She moved closer to the blond. "What's up with you two?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. He paused in his writing and slowly regarded his friend, one fair eyebrow raised at the sudden proximity. "W-what do you mean, Sakura-chan?"

"Well, aren't you two…? I mean, what's going on between you two? He's been around here most of the time lately. And that's only during your shifts. He's always here. Always! Don't you think I noticed, idiot?"

"Uh well… I don't know." Naruto looked away. He started biting the tip of his pen. "Sai's just… there of some reason."

"For some reason." Sakura corrected, then went back to the topic. "And why is that? You seem awfully close if you ask me. Is he your boyfriend or something?"

At this, Naruto gaped at her. His face had turned red in embarrassment as he looked back at his co-worker. "What? No! Sai? He's just… he's just a friend. Nothing more."

"A friend?" Sakura looked disbelieving. "He's more like a stalker, Naruto. Come on, seriously, he's always there, waiting. He's lucky he's cute because if he isn't, he'd be in jail right now. Because damn it, that's just creepy. Are you sure he's just your friend, Naruto?"

"Uh yeah…"

There was a sly look on Sakura's face, her emerald eyes twinkling in what seemed to be in fascination. "Are you lying to me? Are you hiding something?" The girl latched on to the blond's arm. "Come on dumbass, you can tell me anything. We're friends right?"

Naruto was smiling nervously now, their close proximity making him extra edgy.

"He really is just my friend, Sakura-chan. And yeah I agree to you, he's creepy."

'…and annoying too.' Naruto mused. "But he's kinda nice when you get to know him…" The blond trailed on, now staring at the data sheet with a pondering look. "He always helps me out. He's…always there."

"Naruto, are you…?"

"Hey blondie, get over here!"

Their chat was cut short when the store owner burst in, his oversized coat totally soaked. He flung his umbrella to the side. "Fucking rain. Now I'm all wet... Blondie, where are you!" The owner shouted again.

"Coming!" Naruto ran towards the man.

"Truck's here." The owner jerked his thumb to the direction of the truck. "Bring the cargoes in. And be quick about it. I don't want any of the packages getting wet. They're perishable."

"But it's raining outside," Sakura interjected, looking outside worriedly. The wind was getting stronger and the rain was almost flooding the store's entrance way. "Why don't we bring them in tomorrow?"

"No can do missy. It's hot in the truck. If we wait, the heat will ruin the goods." The owner grunted in reply. He turned his attention to the blond. "Bring them all inside and you're done for the day, boy. You can leave if ya want."

Naruto nodded. He looked back at Sakura, smiling. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I can handle this."

"Naruto…" Sakura mumbled as she watched the blond took his hoodie from the coat rack and proceeded outside in the pouring rain.

….

Even with the cap and the hoodie, Naruto still ended up getting drenched to the bone by the time he finished. It took him a long time to bring all the packages in because of the strong winds. It was also extremely hard to maintain his balance on the slippery pavement while carrying them one by one. He had slipped a few times. By the time he was done, he was soaked and aching all over.

Dripping wet from head to toe, it looked like he took a shower out in the rain. His wet clothes clung to his body like a second skin. Standing perfectly rigid at the entrance, Naruto blinked the water droplets out of his eyes. He couldn't wipe the water out of his face. He was afraid that if he made any movement, he'll start shivering uncontrollably.

Sakura came running towards him. "Jeez, you dumbass," she said while drying Naruto's head with a small towel. "You could have said no. That man's a jerk. This job is so not worth it. You'll get sick." (4)

Naruto chuckled softly, knowing how close to the truth Sakura is. He really wanted to quit the job, but he can't. Not now.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. I don't want to get fired. I need this."

Sakura rubbed his head a bit too roughly this time. "Idiot. You're a big idiot. If you need money, I can lend you."

"No, no, Sakura-chan. I don't mean that…" Naruto pulled his body away, flailing his hands in front of his face. "It's not about… money. It's not. I just…"

The blond stared at the floor. "It's just… " He paused for a long while; then he looked back at Sakura. "Sorry Sakura-chan," Naruto said, one hand scratching the back of his head. Can we talk about this some time? I needed to go now."

"What? Are you out of your mind? It's still raining, Naruto. You have to dry yourself first."

Naruto laughed again. "No need. I'll be wet again."

Sakura took her umbrella from the rack and handed it to the blond. "Then please take this with you."

Naruto shook his head. "No. It's yours. Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll be fine. The train's nearby."

The blond made a thumbs-up sign and winked at her. Before Sakura could say anything, Naruto had already grabbed his backpack and left.

Sakura stared at the disappearing figure with a worried look. The heavy downpour's unceasing. The streets outside were starting to flood. From afar, she could see pale flashes of lightning peeking out from the dark, ominous clouds. It would be a very stormy night.


Naruto tightened the knot of his hooded jacket. He could feel and hear the heavy raindrops pounding on his head. He buried his hands deeper into his side pockets, rubbing his fingers together to warm his hands. Beneath the many layers of clothes, he was starting to shiver.

"Damn, it's cold." Naruto muttered under his breath. He slowed down, feeling the muscle strain in his legs for walking too fast for a long time. Wiping his sodden face with the back of his sleeves, Naruto glanced around to look for a temporary roof. He spotted one and ran towards it. Once he settled under the cover, Naruto took his phone from his pocket. The cellular device is slightly wet but thanks to its glass casing, it's still working.

Naruto promptly dialed Itachi's number. "Come on, pick up. Pick up, aniki."

"…."

There was no answer and it didn't take long before the dreaded "out of reach" message was heard. Naruto cursed in his head, gripping the phone tight. Could this day get any worse?

Naruto stared grimly at the skies, watching as the rain continues to pour down heavily. Shivering, he bit his lower lip hard. He could feel gooseflesh starting to break out on his skin; his fingers going numb and his teeth chattering loudly from the cold. He needs to go now. If he doesn't, he'll freeze here to death.

A bitter smile twisted his lips. What an unlucky day indeed.


Sakura heard the entrance door open. She turned around, ready to greet the other. "Welcome. How may I help—?" She stopped… and stared. Blinking a few times, she managed to utter a name breathlessly, "S-Sai?"

'No, this isn't Sai,' Sakura mused. 'This isn't him.' The man's hair is longer; his face a healthier shade of white, not as deathly pale as Sai's. They both look Asian and they share the same build, but this man looks taller. And he had a certain air of nobility around him. 'And my God, is he handsome,' Sakura judged.

The man was wearing a tailored, very fine black coat. Underneath the coat was an equally dark and smooth English woolen suit, no tie. This man looked as if he just came from a political meeting or something. For a while, Sakura just stood and stared, utterly speechless at the man's presence.

Then, the man's lips moved. All of Sakura's thoughts about the man being a foreigner flew out of the window when she heard him speak. His accent was smooth, normal and his voice is subtly deep.

Sakura blinked again. She heard him speak but the words failed to register in her head. "Ah sorry. Can you repeat that?" She asked, smiling nervously.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I believe he's working here."

"N-Naruto? Oh yes he is. He's an employee here."

The man's dark eyes scanned the room.

"Where is he?"

"Um, well…" Sakura looked away. She fixed her gaze outside. "I'm afraid he just left. I'm sorry."

"What?" The man looked back at Sakura. His dark, piercing eyes were narrowed, clearly displeased. "In this rain?"

The girl tensed at the sudden change of the man's demeanor. "U-Um…"

"Where." The man hastily asked; his voice as cold as steel.

"T-to the subway. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't—"

Before Sakura could finish, the door had slammed open and the man was already outside.

Sakura almost collapsed onto the floor. She heard the familiar grumbling sound of a car engine starting as she placed a hand on her chest and released a shuddering breath.

'Who is that man..?'


He's running now, trying to ignore the protest in his leg muscles. He couldn't feel his toes anymore. He pounded his thighs alternately just to get the blood flowing. His vision had gone blurry with all the water on his face. He felt like drowning but he couldn't stop. The train's just a few blocks away. He couldn't afford to wait. He would've frozen to death by the time the downpour ceased.

Too preoccupied with where he's going, Naruto paid no heed to the puddles of water that lay scattered on the pavement. There was simply no use avoiding them since his pants and shoes are already soaked, as well as all of his clothes. Every inch of him was utterly cold and dripping wet. Behind his paling lips, his teeth chattered uncontrollably.

A car was honking repeatedly behind him. But Naruto was already too dazed and too tired to turn around. He ignored it and continued onwards, walking slowly as he dragged his feet beneath him.

A car door opened... then closed.

Numbly, he could hear the sounds of heavy – urgent – footsteps approaching him. It must have been his imagination but he could have sworn he heard someone call out his name.

Naruto blinked a few times, trying to clear his eyes. In his vision, the world seemed to double, slowly being tinted in grey and hazy black. Feeling extremely light-headed, Naruto struggled to keep his balance. It was no use. His knees started to buckle beneath him.

His world slanted… and he was falling.

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder – and before he could react, Naruto was pulled towards a body that was much warmer, much drier than his own.

"Idiot."

A long, streaking lightning bolt cut the sky. It illuminated everything for a split-second.

And then, he saw him.

At that moment, his whole world was brought into a standstill. Naruto gaped at the man before him, eyes ridiculously wide; mouth hanging open.

-no-no-no-no- fucking way

"Sa…" He swallowed hard. His throat felt painfully dry as he held the man's unwavering, cold gaze. He forced his mouth to speak. "S-Sas…"

The grasp on his shoulders tightened and the man moved, forcing Naruto to stagger backwards. Too stunned to react, Naruto let himself be pushed towards the car; the man still supporting him.

"Get in."

Unblinking, Naruto followed. Sasuke went to the other side and got in as well. Once settled, Sasuke pressed a button and the doors automatically locked.

The man did not even spare him a glance as he tugged his seatbelt across his body. Leather-gloved hands gripped the steering wheel hard, turned the gear forcefully, and drove.


You hurt me first.


'Oh God.'

Naruto couldn't stop his body from trembling again – out of cold or dread – he wasn't sure anymore.

-oh god, oh god, oh god

Naruto clenched his shaking hands, desperately trying to rein in the erratic and furious pounding of his heart. He swallowed hard, feeling something wedged under his throat. He couldn't even look at him; his eyes fixed ahead. Amidst the biting cold that gripped every inch of his skin, a thin sheet of sweat had started to cover his forehead. His face felt oddly hot. His breathing had turned shallow and ragged. In this enclosed space, he felt cornered.

Naruto closed his eyes, willing all the panicking thoughts away. But it was no use. His mind in utter chaos, he could hear his own heart beating heavily in his head. Even the sound of the rain pounding against the windshield was awfully loud and distracting to his ears.

Another lightning bolt cut through the sky. Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, shame filling him as his drenched clothes rubbed against the leather seat, his hair and face still dripping wet. Water pooled beside his feet.

"I… I'm sorry about your car." Naruto said shakily, hiding his shivering hands beneath his armpit.

"…."

Silence. Naruto expected that. He bit his lip miserably, unsure of whether to go on.

"Sasuke, I…" He started again after a long time of debating in his head. Breathing deeply as if summoning his resolve, he turned to face the other. Sasuke's gaze was fixed ahead; his expression still unbearably cold and distant. As if he didn't exist. As if he wasn't here now. Naruto felt the ache swell in his chest. Despite his hard-earned resolve, Naruto's gaze wavered and eventually dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry I didn't—" He muttered, but was cut off when the other pushed the brakes all of a sudden. The tires screeched as the car skidded to an abrupt halt.

Naruto grunted in displeasure, but he still didn't say anything. Couldn't

"Out." The raven ordered.

The blond gritted his teeth, a bit cross at the tone. But he obeyed nonetheless. He unlocked the door and stepped out.

The rain's still driving hard. He could feel them pounding heavily on his head and shoulder. His face had already paled with the cold and he shivered still. His legs felt numb and he doubted if he could walk. Blinking the water out of his eyes, Naruto glanced around, trying to locate where they are.

They're in front of some kind of a building with the most lavish revolving doors he had ever seen. Blearily, he tried to make out the name of the establishment but the gorgeous, wavy lettering made it difficult to read. A hotel, this must be a hotel, he assumed.

He was interrupted in his thoughts when he felt something warm cover his form. Sasuke had placed his coat over him. He felt a hand grasping his shoulder tightly as he was pulled closer. Naruto saw Sasuke tossed the key to one of the valet attendants before they started walking into the hotel.

The trip to the room was uneventful, silent. They didn't talk. They just walked.

And every second felt like a ticking bomb.

Sasuke opened the door quite forcefully and pushed him inside.

Once they were further into the room, the raven released him and went somewhere. Naruto just stayed where he is. He stood frozen at the spot, unable to move or look around. Without his support, his knees wobbled beneath him. He's using every bit of strength he's left just to keep standing. Droplets of water dripped from his hair and clothes, staining the off-white lush carpeting beneath his feet.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up. A towel was tossed in front of his face and he barely caught it.

"You shower first." Sasuke stated. He pointed to a door in a corner. "The bathroom's there. I'll lay out clothes for you."

There is a pause before Naruto finally found his voice. "Wait," he mumbled hoarsely. "Sasuke, wait. Let's talk. Please"

"There is nothing to talk about." Sasuke turned his back. "Now go."

"No, no…" Naruto's shaking his head now. "I haven't said… Just wait, please."

Sasuke started walking away. Naruto dropped the towel and hurried after the other. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist, gripping it as tight as he could, feeling the hand stiffen under his touch.

"Bastard, hear me out first. Don't go. Don't leave. Please, Sasuke."

"…."

His words were left unheeded as Sasuke pulled his hand away. Naruto felt his heart broke at that. His eyes burned in despair. He ruined this. He ruined everything.

"I…" Naruto shut his eyes; his head shamefully lowered to the floor as tears marred his face. "I'm sorry I left. Damn it, I'm sorry…"

The blond paused then—

"…I love you." He heard himself say – mumbled in an almost inaudible tone. His voice was hoarse as he said it. But he said it. He finally said it.

"I love you," he repeated in a voice much louder this time. He stared longingly at Sasuke's back.

"…."

"I've always… loved you. Sasuke, I…"

He didn't finish it as his back hit the wall with a force that almost drove all the air out of his lungs. Sasuke had pushed him to the wall and had engulfed him in a bruising hold. Naruto grunted in pain and shock but stilled when he felt warm lips pressed against his own. Sasuke's fingers were digging into his skin; the raven's teeth grazing and biting every inch of the exposed flesh.

"Don't resist, Uzumaki…" He heard the other say. Sasuke's warm, heavy breaths smelled of cigarettes. "Or this is rape."

Naruto flinched at the word but he didn't answer and instead fisted the other's shirt, bringing the raven closer to him. He was panting heavily now; his mind fogged with incoherent thoughts; his skin heated and burning beneath his clothes.

He felt something pushed between his thighs and he shuddered at the feel, his breath caught in his throat as the leg rubbed against him forcefully. Warm hands roamed around his body, across his chest, on his belly, down to his navel. Fingers lingered on his waist; the blunt nails digging, scraping painfully into his skin, before he felt them tugged at the hem of his pants and pulled them down.

And Sasuke went down on his knees.

"Ah, wait, stop." Naruto cried out, feeling his knees buckle as he tried to push the raven's face away. But Sasuke's hold was much stronger. Pale hands gripped Naruto's wrists and pinned them to his sides.

With his teeth, the raven pulled his boxers down.

"No, Sasuke—"

All protests died in his throat when he felt the other's lips brushed against his thighs. Naruto bit his lip hard as he felt the moisture of the other's tongue licked its way slowly to his length, leaving trails of saliva on its wake. Naruto released a choked cry when warmth suddenly engulfed everything of him. His insides writhed and burned as he felt the other swallow him whole; the moist tongue still lapping unforgivably at the skin. He felt like he's going to go mad.

"Stop, please…" He begged, but the other ignored him. The raven continued with what he's doing and Naruto could only look away and grit his teeth in shame.

It didn't take long before he finally burst out. And in his release, he cried out the raven's name.

His knees finally gave in and he fell forward into Sasuke's arms.

The world around him dissolved and Naruto let himself slip into unconsciousness.

Sasuke hugged the boy tightly in his arms. He stayed like that for a long time, eyes closed, relishing the moment and burning it forever in his memory. He pulled the other closer to him, mumbling words of affection against the other's skin.

He cradled the boy's head gently in his arms, leaned into him, and gave him a series of butterfly-kisses on the face before capturing him in the lips again.

"You don't know how much I…" He whispered close to the blond's ear, his hands shaking as he buried his fingers into the other's messy hair. "I love you."

Sasuke kissed him again, his lips lingering on the blond's skin, before starting to remove Naruto's soaked clothes from his body. After that, he scooped him up in his arms and made his way towards the bathroom.

He brought the blond down and let him leaned into his body while he slipped out of his clothes. Once he's fully naked, he opened the faucet and waited until the steam billowed out, before guiding Naruto into the tub.

Sasuke sat behind the blond, letting the latter's head rest on his chest. As he waited for the tub to fill, he took a washcloth and gently moved it over the blond's chest and stomach. He felt Naruto hum softly and sink into his body.

"I love you," He heard Naruto say. It could have been his imagination but Sasuke didn't care.

He wrapped his arms around the blond, pulled him closely, almost possessively, as if someone will take him away.

"I love you too. I love you." Sasuke murmured. "Don't leave me again."

"…."

"Don't you ever…" The grip tightened, and Sasuke's hands trembled as he buried his head into the other's shoulder – wishing, hoping, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever.

Outside, the rain had weakened. The skies were now tinted in a lighter shade of blue.

The winds had died down and finally, the storm had ended.

.

.

Part 2 / 2 of Ending


Thank you!

NOTES:

(1) In this chapter, it is implied that Neji is still alive. Kakashi did not dispose of him.

(2) Toudai or Todai is another name for Tokyo University, Japan's top university.

(3) Naruto's current age is 20 (Part 2). He's in his second year in high school in the US. As mentioned/ implied in the previous chapters, Naruto's education had started a bit late.

(4) Naruto doesn't need the job for the money since Fugaku is still supporting him. The job is merely a distraction.

(5) Sasuke finished his four-year course in two years. He took and completed his Masters in a year. His study had been his form of distraction.

(6) Sai is sent by the Uchiha family to "shadow" Naruto. Hence, the stalker-image. Naruto doesn't know this though.

-/

As promised;

Responses to Questions / Comments: (Last Edited: 01/13/13) - moved to the EPILOGUE