Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Stay" by Sugarland.


Chapter 7:

Briing. Briiing. Briiiing.

It had been the fifth time that phone had rang that morning and still he hadn't moved to answer it. It wasn't that he was sleeping because his eyes, though going in and out of focus, were wide open. It wasn't that he was lazy because his phone, which stared at him as it beeped and flashed and rang, sat on the coffee table just before his face within arm's reach. It also wasn't that he screening his calls because he didn't care who called him at the moment. He wasn't sick, he wasn't crying, nor was he physically injured.

You could call him now, if you will, dysfunctional because he isn't quite functioning correctly. How does on function correctly? Well to do so, one could assume at this particular time on a Monday morning, one who had a job working at a school, would be at that school teaching. Even if one wasn't going into work, one would call ahead and inform someone that they were to be absent. That way one wouldn't receive five-

Briiiiing.

-six calls from the institution which one worked for. One would also pick up said phone upon the first ring and explain the situation if one forgot to call ahead. One would not be laying on a couch, fully clothed with an outfit worn for two days, staring into the abyss with absolutely no thoughts passing through their mind. It was like an empty, expressionless shell of a human. That was what he was.

The denial faze had passed. As had the crying faze. Next came the anger faze which hadn't lasted long. All that was left... was acceptance. Currently he was stuck between the anger faze and the acceptance faze. He was didn't want to accept it. If he didn't react or respond to anything, if he didn't think about anything, if he did nothing at all, perhaps be would become nothing? Nothing can't accept something because there was nothing to accept, everything was nothing, including him. That was what he was now, or at least what he wished he was.

The phone rang again and his blue eyes finally shifted to gaze at the talk button which flashed red in time with the ringer. He sighed loudly but didn't reach for the phone. These infernal people wouldn't leave him alone long enough for him to become nothing.

Naruto rolled over on the couch so that he was on his opposite side facing the back of the couch. He had never even thought to unplug the phone. Would have been a decent idea though.

Brriiiinnnng.

That made him all the more glad that he didn't own an answering machine. That would be hell, and certainly enough to make him get off the couch and unplug both it and the phone. But he didn't have one. No voices were calling to him, just the constant ringing of his phone. He could tolerate that. It was always the same. That ringing sound never changed at all. Somehow he found comfort in this.

What he really needed to do was block the thoughts about the people who could be on the other end of the phone line. Iruka, calling to see why he hadn't shown up for work. Kiba, worried about him yet again and probably more so after receiving a call from Iruka wondering where the blonde was. He could probably expect Kiba's presence within his home at some point soon. Although Kiba was always busy on the weekdays. He was head of an animal clinic and was also played a large role in his family' business of training dogs. They trained guild dogs for the visually impaired, medical response dogs, but mostly the dogs were trained as police dogs. Nonetheless, he would show up at some time and all these things made it impossible for him to become a heap of nothingness.

Not to mention a certain other person on the line that Naruto had yet to accept as gone forever. The chances were slim but...

The blonde sighed yet again, stopping his thoughts before they ran away with him. Such a strange expression that was. Thoughts running away with you... as if thoughts could actually kidnap you, and then run for that matter. Under normal circumstances Naruto would laugh, but he didn't.

Yet again the phone ran at him, but this time the ringing finally got to him. It attacked his ears so badly that he had to cover them and close his eyes tight during the first and second ring. He couldn't take it anymore and turned swiftly to grab the phone and press the "talk" button before it could ring again.

As usual, he said nothing, just listened.

"Hello? Naruto?" A familiar voice called from inside the receiver.

"Mmm..." He mumbled, not caring how lifeless he sounded. That's how he felt, so why hide it?

"Naruto, finally! I've been calling you all morning! Where have you been?"

"...here."

"Why didn't you answer?"

Naruto sighed. He didn't know how to begin to explain his situation to his mentor. There was no way to sum everything up and say "I split up with my boyfriend because he wouldn't leave his wife." That sounded so... horribly stupid...

"...sleeping..." He lied, maintaining his terribly dead voice.

"Are you all right? You don't sound good." As usual, Iruka was extremely concerned for him. It was great that he had someone caring about him, but when you don't even care about yourself, why would you care that someone else is caring?

"I'm not feeling well..." Naruto mumbled yet again, by this time he was starting to lie absent-mindedly. It didn't matter to him anymore, just as long as he didn't have to face anyone it would be fine. "I want to take the week off."

Iruka was silent on the other line for a minute. "Naruto, I'm really sorry that you're sick but you have to remember your position. We need you to tell us this in advance. We have someone right now replacing you for today's classes but I don't know if I can give you the whole week."

Naruto let his head fall back against the couch and sighed as he spoke in a monotone voice, "Please Iruka."

Again more silence. It seemed like Iruka was chewing over this. Naruto was his favorite, they had been close for years so it was natural for him to pity the blonde that he practically brought up. But he was also his superior, which made this decision all the more harder.

"All right. I can give you the next two days off, but starting Thursday you need to be back at the front of your classroom. For now I'll get the newbie to substitute for you." Iruka resigned with a slight edge of frustration in his voice.

Naruto was glad of his compromise, not exactly what he'd wanted or needed but at least he'd get some time ... wait a second. "Newbie?" He asked, suddenly curious but he didn't express this in his sullen voice.

"Yeah, he just transferred here today. He's going to be filling in for Kurenai while she's on maternity leave, but since she isn't planning on leaving until the end of this week, we have him filling in for you."

"Oh." He didn't know what else he could say. He was thankful for Iruka taking care of him like this but... he couldn't express anything right now. His emotions felt like they had been captured inside a cage, trapped and out of his reach.

"Take care of yourself, Naruto. I'll see you Thursday morning." With that he hung up and Naruto let his arm go limp beside his head, not bothering to move the phone as the dial tone rang into his ear.


Banging on the door. Loud ringing. The beeping of the phone signifying it had been left off the hook for too long.

All noises that he wasn't used to hearing upon waking.

"Naruto!"

Well at least that one was a little more familiar, regardless of how far off it sounded. The blonde groaned loudly as he rolled over on the sofa, placing the phone back to its original location to make it shut up. He swung his legs over the edge of the coach and stood up to realize, as his right hand fell dead against his side, that his arm was asleep. Interesting.

The noises, banging, and hollering of his name didn't serve to quicken his pace as he shuffled to his kitchen where he was nearly knocked flat on his back the moment directly after he unlocked his door.

"Where the hell have you been?" Was yelled so close to his face that he felt the vibrations in his eyeballs.

"Couch." He stated simply, his voice as drone as ever, as though it explained everything and was even a worthy excuse.

"Fuck you, Naruto! Some of us actually worry about you when you don't show up to work!"

Naruto was actually taken aback and he tilted his head as he gazed into Kiba's blazing eyes. He was pissed. Seriously, genuinely, one hundred percent pissed off. And at Naruto at that.

"Sorry." Naruto mumbled, but he wasn't sure if he meant it or not.

Kiba just glared, darkly, so much that it almost scared Naruto. "Yeah fucking right. Asshole. Why the fuck should I be worried about your ass. Go ahead and off yourself, that would just solve everything right?" His sarcasm was difficult to detect under all the anger but it was there and Naruto was glad he could pick up on it.

"No... still wouldn't have him..."

Kiba sighed this time and rolled his head back angrily. "Naruto, we've been through this! You can't-"

"I know..." Naruto muttered, still looking Kiba in the eyes. Eyes that returned his gaze now because Naruto's voice was no longer monotone. He had emotion. Though it was solemn and lonely, it was emotional at least. "But I just want... I just need some time to myself..."

Kiba's eyes softened immediately. He could never stay mad at Naruto, that's the way it's been for years. However, Kiba knew he had to be firm and gripped Naruto's shoulders in that manner.

"Naruto... I'm trying to understand and give you time but... I want to help you. I know it seems like I'm rushing you and not paying attention to your feelings, but I know your feelings more than anyone else and you know that's true!"

Naruto averted his eyes, he felt ashamed for always treating Kiba like he did even though he was so kind and caring. Kiba had always looked out for him, listened to his troubles and was always here for his breakdowns. He was only trying to help and Naruto was treating him like an enemy.

"It's better for you to stop sulking. You need to get out of this house and move past Sasuke. He's only holding you back and if you keep brooding over him you'll lose everything. Your life has already been limited by him, your friends consist of me and Iruka and on occasion those two at the ramen place, and now you're skipping out on your job and not giving so much as a call to your superiors. How do you think that will help you to get better?"

Tears formed in Naruto eyes. He knew his friend was right, he had barely anything because of Sasuke and now that he didn't even have Sasuke... he was letting everything else he had slip away from him... or rather he was pushing them away.

"Kiba..." Naruto mumbled, glancing back into his fierce brown eyes, "I'm sorry... I know... I know I need to stop this... I just... it's so hard..." His tears were already becoming drops that fell from his face and Kiba didn't hesitate in scooping up his pathetic form and hugging him tightly.

"I know Naruto, but you have to try." He stroked Naruto's blonde hair that hadn't been washed since before he broke things off with Sasuke. "Go to work tomorrow. It will get better. I promise."


"Naruto?" Iruka's face the next morning was of surprise and terror. "What are you doing back already? Didn't I let you have until Thursday off?"

"Yeah I know, but I was feeling a lot better and couldn't bare to let all my students live without my wonderful teaching skills for a whole nother day." Naruto smiled gleefully at this mentor. It wasn't entirely fake today, but it did a good deal of effort that morning to crawl out of bed, shower and plaster on what happiness he could. Nonetheless, he was feeling truthfully better about his condition. Sitting around crying and attempting to cease to exist wasn't getting him anywhere so work was the next option. Perhaps he could bury himself into something actually productive.

Iruka was still horribly confused but he returned Naruto's smile with genuine happiness. "I'm glad to hear it Naruto! Great to have you and your ego back!"

Naruto laughed along with Iruka when the door to the staff room opened. Naruto's head instantly turned to great one of his fellow colleages when he was taken aback by a beam of red. His blue eyes could have turned into purple from how red this man's hair was. However, the red wasn't the only prominent feature about him. He had a very handsome face, piercing eyes that reminded him of someone he knew too well, and a tall, well-toned body. Not to mention his black casual suit with a red tie completed how stunning he appeared.

"Ah! Early as usual. Gaara, I'd like you to meet Naruto Uzumaki, the teacher you've been filling in for. Naruto, this is Gaara Sabaku, he's the newbie I was telling you about."

Gaara stepped forward to reach Naruto in two long strides with his hand stretched out. "Nice you meet you Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto blushed immediately by how intense he found Gaara's strong character but as soon as he heard the "Mr" before his name he couldn't help but laugh and shake Gaara's hand enthusiastically. "Oh no please! Haha, just call me Naruto, formality is not necessary with me."

Gaara wasn't like the usual newbie that would blush at not being able to talk formally and feel awkward. None of that had fazed him. He just nodded shook his hand with a strong, confident grip. "Nice to meet you, Naruto."

"Mm... you as well..." Naruto managed to get out in his intimidated state. Though he wasn't necessarily intimidated, more like overwhelmed from Gaara's burning gaze that never left Naruto's figure.