Joni-Lee here!
I know I was cruel last time with Naruto being all beaten and all, but hey! Sasuke saved him and that's awesome! x3
A-ha! You have all waited patiently for the reason Sasuke left, and now, for the first time ever, you will find out!
This chapter's a little O.O to me. It's like whoa...
WARNINGS: yaoi, yuri, brutaility, self-inflicted abuse, guilt trips, modern times, no ninjas.
DISCLAIMER: KISHIMOTO-SAMA OWNS NARUTO! just letting you know in case there was any confusion.
The rain poured down relentlessly, as if it didn't care that someone was going to die. Sasuke tore his gaze away from the damage he'd caused when he heard the faint whisper of his name. He scrambled over to the blonde. Halfway there, he slipped and tumbled to the ground. He skidded to a halt and saw his face was in front of an unconscious Naruto. He could see the blood from the scratch marks on his cheeks and his visible skin on his neck was bruised. He pushed himself up and lightly ran his fingers over the man in front of him. He ran his fingers through the blonde hair and pulled back when he felt something sticky and warm. It was blood and the substance was everywhere on Naruto. Sasuke quickly flipped out his phone and called 911. (1)
"Hello, what is your emergency?" A woman asked.
"Yeah, uh, I have an unconscious Naruto Uzumaki in an alleyway about two blocks north of the Astoria Hotel. Could you please send an ambulance?" Sasuke asked in a calm voice, surprising even himself.
"Yes, we have you located sir and an ambulance is on its way. Would you like me to stay on the line until they get there?" She asked uniformly.
"No, that's alright. Thank you for your time." Sasuke said and hung up. As he did that, he gazed down at the blonde. He looked so pale, very different from the memory that he held of the blonde. Sasuke shifted his body into his arms and cradled the head against his chest. Just watching the face so still took him on a guilt trip. If he had never left, this would not have happened. If he had never been so scared, so cowardly, he and the Dobe would be at a home somewhere warm with smiles on their faces. But no, Naruto was lying in his arms, eyes closed and bleeding, and he didn't even know Sasuke was holding him. He also knew he was the cause of the blonde's unstable mental health. Kitty had filled him in about Naruto's suffering ever since that day and how he had never been able to get over it. Truthfully, Sasuke had never gotten over it himself.
He didn't even blame the person who made him do it. He blamed himself one-hundred percent. It was his fault and his fault alone. He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't brave enough. He wasn't smart enough.
Before he realized it, Sasuke had tears dropping from the corners of his eyes. He didn't even bother to wipe them away. He just raised his head into the downpour and leaned his head against the alley wall and let the rain wash them away.
Soon, he heard the sirens on the ambulance approach. He felt so numb and distant, like he wasn't even there. He didn't feel them take Naruto from him, or escort him into the ambulance because he had some how told them he wanted to come with, though he didn't remember that either. He vaguely remembered calling Kitty and Gaara to tell them what happened and how she had broken down. His vision wasn't clear and he wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him or his tears.
When they arrived at the hospital, they took Naruto away from him and into whatever room they needed him to be in. Sasuke wanted to go with him. He remembered taking a step forward with the stretcher and a flurry of Russian and somehow ended up in the waiting room.
This left him time to think. He was positive Naruto hated him, or at least didn't love him anymore. He wouldn't blame him. If he was in Naruto's position, then he would never look himself in the face again.
Kitty and Gaara rushed into the waiting room as soon as they could. They saw Sasuke in the corner, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He was staring into the distance and wet lines ran down his cheeks, which had an odd blue tint to them. Kitty rushed over and bent down in front of him. His eyes didn't even seem to react to her presence. The white around the unfocused black was bloodshot.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" Kitty called. There was neither response nor acknowledgement from the raven. He just continued to gaze in no general direction. His cheeks kept getting paler. "Sasuke, can you hear me?" Kitty called again. "Sasuke?" Still there was no response. "Are you even breathing?" Kitty joked, trying to get some reaction. Her eyes widened as she realized he really wasn't breathing. "Shit! Holy fuck, Sasuke, breathe!" She said in a panic. Gaara rushed over and his eyes widened as well. He snapped his fingers in front of Sasuke's face.
"Kitty, get a doctor, we need to snap him out of this! He'll suffocate himself!" Gaara yelled. Kitty scrambled for a nurse. Gaara attempted to make him react again.
Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes closed and he slumped forward onto Gaara.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kitty and Gaara were sitting in the waiting room in the early hours of the next day when the doctor came in. Kitty looked at him with bloodshot eyes wet from crying and Gaara held her close.
"Are you the friends of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke?" He asked and they nodded.
"What's the news doctor?" Gaara asked. The doctor sighed.
"We got Sasuke to stop whatever the hell he was doing before it got worse. We believe he was either attempting to suffocate himself to death or put himself in a coma. Is there any reason for this that you can think of?"
"That idiot..." Kitty mumbled. "He must've finally crashed. He thought he was going to lose Naruto."
"I see, so Sasuke was close to Naruto?"
"'Was' is the keyword there. He used to be close to Naruto, doctor, but after twenty years of separation he must've finally broken down."
"Well then, you might think of getting him counseling. I have come to realize his family is located in England so we are going to send him to the hospital near his family's home in London tomorrow." The doctor said, reading his clipboard. Kitty froze and shook her head frantically.
"No, you can't send him back there." She said darkly.
"Why in the world not? His family has been informed of this incident and they would like him to come home."
"Please doctor, listen to me, you cannot send him back to them. I know more than you do. Plus, don't you have to have the patient's consent because he is over eighteen?"
"Well, of course, but if he isn't in the right of mind when he wakes up, we have no choice." The doctor said. Kitty nodded.
"What about Naruto's condition?" Gaara prompted. The doctor nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Uzumaki took quite a beating. He has two broken ribs, a bruised neck, and six infected cuts on his face that are very deep, and a mild head wound on the back of the skull. Overall, he'll live but he will be very sore when he wakes up. He is in stable condition right now and asleep. I have been informed by a Miss Ayame Hawazaki that he is to return to Japan with her later today when he is discharged." The doctor said. Kitty and Gaara sighed in relief.
"Doctor, may I go visit them even if they are asleep?" Kitty asked. The doctor shrugged and nodded. He then went on his way, bidding them goodbye.
"Kat, why are you going to see them?" Gaara asked. Kitty smiled sadly.
"I want to see Naruto and I need to pull Sasuke together so he won't go back to England. I'll be out later. I love you so much Gaara." She said and kissed his cheek. He hugged her tightly.
"I love you too. Tell Naruto that I'm glad he's alright."
"Okay," Kitty smiled and turned and walked towards where her friends were placed.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kitty visited Sasuke first. As she entered, she saw him glaring at the window.
"Glad to see you're awake." She mumbled. He tossed a glare her way. "Don't give me that face Sasuke Uchiha." She snapped. "It's your own fault for nearly killing yourself. Now you get to go back to London!"
"What are you saying Kitty?"
"Your attempt at suicide made the doctors call the dear damn family in England Sasuke! They're making you go home! You are such a dumbass! Now, don't even give me the 'Naruto was dieing' shit, because he isn't dead and nor is he dieing!" She yelled and the Uchiha's face grew astonished.
"He's alive? He's okay? Is he awake? Can I see him?" Sasuke asked anxiously. Kitty laughed darkly.
"I just told you you're going back to England and all you can care about is Naruto. You are a fool Sasuke Uchiha."
"I can deal with my father Kitty. I'll just go live with mom and Itachi at home."
"He didn't tell you anything did he? Sasuke, your mom moved to the states two years ago after Itachi died of poisoning." Kitty said sadly. She gazed at Sasuke who just closed his eyes.
"I know, dad told me of Itachi's death with sick enthusiasm. I figured mom moved away. I am not thinking straight." Sasuke mumbled. Kitty sighed.
"You need to have a clear head. It's not your decision to make if you stay here or go to London. The doctors said that if you aren't in the right state of mind, then they'll send you off. You give them what they want and tell them the truth and you can stay here. They are coming in now." Kitty said as two doctors walked in.
"Sasuke Uchiha, I am Dr. Sonya Tcheklevsky and this is Dr. Maxim Walsh. We are here to see if you are in need of a transfer to the Oxford Hospital in London, England." Dr. Tcheklevsky said in a heavy Russian accent.
"What type of tests will I have to go through?" Sasuke asked. Dr. Tcheklevsky smiled.
"Sharp as ever, I see. That's a good start. We will ask you a few questions and give you a few things to look at. That is all we have to do."
"Hn."
"Well then, we shall begin. Dr. Walsh?" Dr. Tcheklevsky chuckled. A heavy-set man with a full beard stepped forwards and cleared his throat.
"Mr. Uchiha, would you please inform us of why you caused such severe bodily harm to yourself earlier?"
"Well, I guess I just broke. You see doctor, I have a deep connection with another patient, Naruto Uzumaki, and I was the one that found him in the alleyway like that. It just made me go into depression because I felt that I had caused this from an incident twenty years ago." Sasuke explained unemotionally. Dr. Walsh looked surprised.
"Mr. Uchiha, do you want us to recommend a counselor for your psychological issues? You might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder." He suggested, looking mighty concerned. Sasuke just leaned back on his bed and laughed.
"No thank you Dr. Walsh. I'd rather just wait until Naruto wakes up and hash it out with him." Sasuke replied. Dr. Tcheklevsky shrugged and took over the test from there.
Sasuke passed and was discharged from the hospital and wasn't sent to England. Kitty then took him to see Naruto. She walked in front of him a couple of feet, eager to see the blonde. Sasuke's gaze was on the floor. Kitty just sighed and told him to hurry up as she opened the doorway to where the blonde was sleeping.
She walked in and rushed over to his side. His mouth was parted, breathing lightly, and his eyes were closed. Bandages covered his face and neck along with his upper torso. She sighed sadly.
"Naruto, I'm so glad you're okay. I knew you were a trooper and that you'd never die because some thugs pushed you around. Gaara's glad as well. This is all Ayame's fault Naruto; she hired those thugs to kill you. Now, she's going to take you back to Japan. That's why you have to wake up and tell her no." Kitty said softly, tears coming out of her eyes. "The paparazzi are all over the place, even at this hour. The hospital finally threw them all out at about twelve, but some are still sneaking in. You're fans are probably crying their eyes out right now." Kitty laughed. "You scared Gaara and I so badly when Sasuke called us from the ambulance. Yeah, Sasuke came home Naruto! And do you know what the craziest thing is? He came back for you, honey, all for you. Not me, not Gaara, not Ino, or whoever. He came back for you...that's all you've ever wished for isn't it? Poor guy; you made him almost suffocate himself, or put himself in a coma. Now come on, don't you want to wake up and punch him in the face or something? Or just see his face? Come on Naruto, please. Not for me, but for Sasuke." Kitty said as she started bawling. Sasuke came up from behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Kitty, why don't you go back to Gaara in the waiting room?" He suggested. She nodded, still crying, and walked stiffly from the room.
Once the door was closed, Sasuke took a seat in the chair Kitty had just vacated. He looked over at his former lover and best friend. He sighed and closed his eyes and put his hand over them. The silence became too much, so he spoke. He found he couldn't stop the truth.
"Dobe, you don't look like you've changed much. Time's been good to you. You just look like you've lost your light. Damn it, it's all my fault. Oh, if only I could tell you why I had to leave. Yeah, I had to leave. My dad forced me. I didn't want to leave you. It was definitely the last thing on my mind. No, it wasn't even on my mind at the time. You see, when I got accepted to Oxford, I was so thrilled that I instantly started searching for apartments for us. I could just see it, us living peacefully in a little flat near the university. But, my dad found out what was going on because he saw I was looking for flats for couples. He somehow knew we were dating. I don't think mom told him. Anyway, he beat me, Dobe. He told me to end it or else he would unroll me from Oxford and throw me in the basement. You'd probably deny that, but why do you think Itachi went insane and never left the house? He was in love with a guy and he got pulled from his college and kept in the house. I'm so sorry Dobe." He said quietly as he stroked the unconscious boy's face. "I know I should have just run away and I could have stayed with you. I loved you so much back then. I didn't mean to sound so cold. You don't know how much I wanted to kiss you ferociously before I left. I just couldn't. Dad would kill me. Damn it Naruto!" Sasuke sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks. That's it Sasuke, let it all out... He thought. He slammed his fist onto the mattress and sobbed into the blankets. "I love you so fucking much still. I'm sorry. This is my entire fault. I love you. I love you." And with that, Sasuke closed his eyes and feel asleep.
A few moments later, Naruto opened his eyes, tears spilling out of them. They weren't sad tears. Good Lord no, they were happy tears. Scratch that, they were ecstasy tears. Holy shit, he had not felt this happy in his entire life. Sasuke Uchiha, the boy who took his heart with him to England for twenty years, still loved him. Naruto believed every word of that speech with every fiber of his being. Oh, he just wanted to wake that boy up and kiss him within an inch of his life. Then he'd fuck him, yeah. Slowly.
Anyway, he looked over at the raven sleeping softly at his beside. Damn you Sasuke. Why did you never come back? I don't believe college lasts more than five years, Oxford or no Oxford. His face faulted and he sighed. He got out of bed, wincing, without disturbing Sasuke and quickly wrote a note down on a sheet of paper and placed it besides the bed where he knew the Teme wouldn't miss it. He gazed at the sleeping angel and hastily made up his mind. She'd be here any moment.
He delicately lifted Sasuke's chin and placed his lips upon the others.
Instantaneously, his heart sped up erratically and pleasure he thought long ago died spread within him. God, he had forgotten how blissful it was to kiss the Uchiha. A knock was heard at the door. Sighing reluctantly, Naruto pulled away from those Morphine-like lips and kissed the pale forehead. Giving Sasuke's jaw a last stroke and allowing his hands to run threw his dark hair, he got up and walked to the door and opened it. Ayame stood there.
"The doctors said you were well enough to leave. Ready to head home to Japan, honey?" She asked in a sickening sweet voice. Naruto faked a smile. No, because home is not in Japan with you whore. Home is with the Teme.
"Yes, let's go." He said, contradicting his thoughts and locked arms with her, walking away from the hospital room where his one and only love slept.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
When Sasuke woke up an hour later, he immediately knew something was wrong. He looked up and found the bed where his head rested empty. He quickly stood up, knocking over his chair, and ran out of the room. He ran through the hallway and entered the waiting room. Kitty and Gaara were sleeping peacefully and a nurse was fretting about behind the counter on the other side of the room. He power walked over to her.
"Ma'am, where is Uzumaki Naruto? He is not in his room." Sasuke asked her. She looked up at him in surprise.
"Uh, hold on a second." She said dumbly and disappeared behind the filing system. Sasuke tapped his foot impatiently. How could they just let their patients walk around the hospital when they were injured? What kind of institute was this?! He was an Uchiha and would not stand for this!
...Oh, right. That only worked in Oxford.
The nurse toddled back and looked at him.
"Sir, my records said that Naruto Uzumaki was discharged and taken home to Japan with his fiancée about an hour ago." She said. Sasuke stared at her, dumbfounded. Ayame had already taken him home? This was not good! Didn't Kitty protest or something? Wasn't that bitch dead, or in jail or something? Sasuke sighed angrily. "I'm sorry sir, but you need to go sit down." The receptionist said, not sounding very sorry. Sasuke nodded and turned around and headed back towards Naruto's old room. The lady yelled at him that he couldn't go back there. He scoffed and flung open the doors.
He entered the room and walked dejectedly to the bed. He had poured his heart out to the blonde when he was sleeping, but the blonde didn't know that. He wanted to cry, or throw a temper tantrum like a small child. But, he didn't. Instead he picked up his fallen chair and noticed a slip of paper on the floor half underneath the bed. He picked it up and read it.
Sasuke...
By the time you've read this, she's taken me back to Japan. Don't follow us, she's got weird thugs everywhere. Or at least, that's what I'm assuming. Go to the address on the postcard in my hoodie. I'll meet you there. P.S., you're still an angel when you sleep.
Sasuke dropped the note, smiling pulling at the corners of his mouth. He frantically looked around the room until he spotted an orange sweatshirt on the bedpost of the bed. He grabbed it and stuck his hand in the pocket. He grabbed an item in there and pulled it out. He frowned at the 3-D glasses in his hand. Shaking his head he threw them somewhere behind him.
After his second rummage through the pockets, he pulled out a colorful postcard of a scene out of a country area. He flipped it over and couldn't help but read what was written there.
Naruto Bonjour!
We hope to see you soon. Our little villa is lonely without a loudmouth blonde around. We miss you so much! Tell the band we say hello and give the bastard the finger if you see him in England next weekend! Just kidding...
Avec amour,
Sakura and Taiuye
Sasuke smiled wryly and grabbed a pen lying on the table behind him. He took Naruto's note and scribbled down the address of the French villa. He ran out of the room and said a hurried goodbye to a sleepy Louis-Sabaku couple and hailed a cab. He directed the drive to the airport and meanwhile, called the airport to get a one-way ticket to the nearest airport city to Mosset, France.
"Where would you like to pull money from Mr. Uchiha? Also, what class?" The lady on the phone asked. Sasuke smirked.
"Put it on the Fugaku Uchiha tab and I'd like first class on the nicest jet you've got." He said a hint of humor in his voice. He hung up and stepped out of the cab.
An hour later, he was sitting comfortably in a nice leather recliner with a glass of red wine in his hand, smirking with his eyes closed. He was going to see the love of his life in a French villa in the mountains, and, this was the best part, it wasn't costing him anything. Oh no, this was all on his bastard of a father.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
About halfway through his flight, Sasuke suddenly choked on his wine. Did the Dobe tell Sakura and Taiuye I was arriving at their home?!
XD I wouldn't put it past Naruto if he didn't.
(1) I dunno St. Petersburg's emergency number, so I just used America's. --"
Anyway, how do you like the reason Sasuke left? I thought it was sad. (More background information is given later)
I know you all hate Ayame, but she can't die yet! (she might, i'll think about it >D)
AND! Our lovely yuri couple, Sakura and Taiuye, will be reintroduced next chapter!
Hope you all liked this chapter!
Reviews are welcome as usual. They make me happy :)