Note: Wow! Lookit guys! I'm not dead! lol... This song is by the group Paramore, whom I love. I love that the singer is a girl, she's totally and cute and completely kick-ass.
Warnings: mentions of self-mutalation, rape and other torture that I love to put our dear Sasuke through.
I'd like to thank all who reviewed for last chapter, you guys keep this story going! And keep Sasuke's spirits up!
Alright, well here's the chapter.
Follow You
Chapter X: Emergency
//I think we have an emergency/I think we have an emergency/If you thought I'd breathe then you were wrong/Because I won't stop holding on/So are you listening?/So are you watching me?/If you thought I'd breathe then you were wrong/Because I won't stop holding on/This is an emergency/So are you listening?/And I can't pretend that I don't see this/It's really not your fault/And no one cares to talk about it/To talk about it/Cause' I've seen love die way too many times/When it deserved to be alive/I've seen you cry way too many times/When you deserved to be alive/Alive/So give up every chance you get/Just to feel new again/I think we have an emergency/I think we have an emergency/And you do your best to show me love/But you don't know what love is/So are you listening?/So are you watching me?/Well I can't pretend that I don't see this/It's really not your fault/And no one cares to talk about it/To talk about it/Cause' I've seen love die way too many times/When it deserved to be alive/I've seen you cry way too many times/When you deserved to be alive/Alive/The scars they will not fade away/And no one cares to talk about it/To talk about it/Cause' I've seen love die way too many times/When it deserved to be alive/I've seen you cry way too many times/When you deserved to be alive/Alive/Alive//
POV: Uzumaki Naruto
Location: Konoha Village Apartments, No. 13
My eyes never left his own. I watch intensely as his deep gray orbs grow wide and his mouth drops slightly. However, I feel no sympathy for him. No sympathy when tears formed along his lids; no sympathy when he raised his arms to his chest, trying to cover what was already exposed.
I have never been so angry in my life. I can feel my blood boil with a furious heat that's stronger than anything I've ever felt in my life.
I love him, yes, and I know that. I know that if anyone, anything, were to threaten or hurt him, I would tear them limb from limb. But now, as I'm faced with the person who's hurt him, threatened him, I can't make myself move.
He's vulnerable. Probably more so now that I've figured out his secret. I grit my teeth as I watch him. He still hasn't run, which is surprising. He's so good at that. So good at hiding.
What is he going to do now? When I won't let him run, won't let him hide.
"…Naruto…I…" He starts, but can't finish his words. I stand then, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts abruptly.
Screw worrying about him and his reaction. I'm done with this. I can't keep myself calm when I know he's hurting himself, when I know he's killing himself.
Because that's what he's doing, isn't it? He's finally given up and trying to find a way out.
"You what, Sasuke?" I yell, unable to keep my voice steady. He winces at the sound, but I don't care. "What? What do you have to say for yourself, huh?"
He just shakes his head, his eyes are closed and his hands come to fist in his hair, but I won't have it. He's going to listen to me. He's going to explain to me.
I'm not really sure what I'm doing, but I'm well aware of my fingers closing around his collar and his small frame being thrown against the wall, my own pinning him there. He opens his eyes then, and looks at me through the tears and…what? Guilt? I don't know.
"Get off me!" He says, struggling to get away. His hands come up to pry my fingers from his shirt and he kicks at my legs. My grip only tightens.
"Not until you tell me what's going on!" I shout back at him, pulling him away from the wall only to slam him against it again. I know what I look like, some kind of bully picking on a little kid. And maybe that's what I am right now. A bully to Sasuke, who has looked like a child since he went running from the cafeteria today.
"Let. Me. Go!" He pushes me away, emphasizing every word. I stumble backwards and he wrenches out of my grasp. He stumbles down the hallway some before turning back to me and shouting. "HOW DARE YOU?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, MY MOTHER?!"
"Sasuke!" I try to reason, but he won't listen. He's shaking now, his breathing erratic. I walk forward, towards him again.
"NO!" He yells, backing up, closer to my room. "I TRUSTED YOU! I THOUGHT…I thought…"
"Sasuke, come on--"
I don't get to finish my sentence, as he's already running back into my room, locking the door behind him. I run after him, slamming my body against the door, but it doesn't budge. I'm yelling to him, telling him to let me in. I keep banging on the door and can feel tears lining my lids again.
I step back prepared to kick the door down.
All I'm met with when I do finally get into my room is my curtains blowing in the breeze coming from my open window.
--
--
POV: Iruka Umino
Location: Iruka Umino's Apartment
"Calm down and tell me what happened again." I say slowly to a hysterical Naruto as I walk him into my apartment and push him onto the couch with a gentle shove. I sit down next to him, placing a hand on his back and rubbing it soothingly. I frown as he takes a deep breath to start his story over.
"Sasuke came home with me today after school," he says, looking at my coffee table like it would somehow give him the strength he needs to get this all out once more. "He was really tired so I let him take a nap on my bed, but he…he was having a nightmare and pulling at his arm guards…"
Naruto swallows heavily and I glance up at Kakashi who is watch us from my hallway. I make eye contact with him, both of us already knowing where this is going.
"I…I pulled them off and he…he had these cuts all over his--" Naruto couldn't finish his sentence, just closed his eyes at the memories.
"It's alright…" I whisper, ruffling his blonde hair affectionately.
Kakashi stays quiet, chewing the inside of his lip and folding his arms across his chest. He's dealt with this kind of thing as much as I have. Being a teacher of adolescents warrants us to seeing some pretty fucked up things. I've lost students to things completely beyond their control and that hurts, but not as much as knowing that I can lose a student to something that they are doing to themselves.
I should have known with Sasuke. What kind of normal teenage boy wears long-sleeves in August? I knew he was hiding something, I knew something was going on. Why didn't I ask him about it? Why didn't I say something?
Naruto's crying again, wiping at his eyes furiously, and at that moment I shift my worry from one boy to another. I can't help Sasuke right now, but Naruto needs just as much attention now.
"When he woke up and found out that I knew, he ran. Jumped out my window." I can't help wincing at his words. Naruto's apartment is on the fourth floor and Sasuke's suicidal tendencies don't go unnoticed. Naruto continues talking through strangled sobs. "I don't know where he would've gone. Home. To one of his friends. Somewhere else. I don't know….I didn't know what to do, so I just came here."
"It's alright, Naruto, you did the right thing."
His tear-filled blue eyes snapped up, pinning me. Their depth never ceased to amaze me; every time I saw them I was surprised again. I understood then, just how scared he was. This wasn't just Sasuke Uchiha we were talking about, Naruto's rival. This was someone he cared for, a lot. More so than anyone else. This was Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto's friend, Naruto's brother, Naruto's…
"It's alright," I repeat, "We'll find him, we'll…Kakashi?"
"I'm on it." I look up to find the silver-haired man slipping his feet into his slippers.
Nodding, I stand and pull Naruto with me by the arm. "Go into my room, take a nap, get on the computer, something. You need to calm down. I'll be there in a minute."
"Thanks, Iruka." The blonde says, wrapping his arms around me for a moment before walking solemnly back to my room.
Kakashi is on his way out the door already, and he stops when I tug on his arm. He turns back to me and I bury myself into him. I let my tears fall when I'm finally enfolded in his arms.
"I'll find him." He whispers. I nod and look into his eyes; they show his sincerity. He wants to help Sasuke as much as I do.
I nod again, more to reassure myself than him and move away. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to keep some warmth in. This whole incident has left me cold.
When Kakashi is gone, I turn and walk down my hallway. Trying to keep up the false pretense of detachment, I walk into my room. I have to be strong for Naruto, I know. I'm his teacher; I'm Sasuke's teacher. I shouldn't be this involved. But the truth is…
I'm involved. I love these kids and would do anything for them.
"Do you really think he's okay?" Naruto asks me when I close my bedroom door behind me. He's sitting cross-legged on my bed, picking at a loose thread on my throw blanket. He's not looking at me, but I can tell he's still crying.
"I don't know." I whisper and drag my feet over to the bed to sit next to him. He still doesn't look up at me and I'm struck by how devastated he sounds. "But," I continue, "if anyone can find him and bring him home, it's Kakashi."
He nods, understanding, and leans back against my chest.
"I love him, you know." He says flatly.
"I know."
--
--
POV: Sasuke Uchiha
Location: Konoha bridge
The water is rushing just a little faster than normal, the result of high winds. I'm vaguely aware of the intense breeze that blows my hair about my head, leaving me cold with gooseflesh along my exposed arms. It's been forever since they've been unprotected like this. I would think it would be more awkward, having everything out in the open like this, showing the world my scars, but I'm feeling far from awkward.
I feel free.
The river is darker than it usually is, but that too has an explanation. A storm is about to start, I can feel it in the air. The mist will soon give way to rain, drops that will fall with speed and accuracy to join the water underneath the bridge I'm standing on.
I wonder what the raindrops would think if they had a brain to think with. I wonder what they would say if asked how they feel about falling to the earth from heaven.
Does it hurt, being that cold?
But I already know the answer to that question.
Yes, it hurts. It's excruciating.
I wonder how much it would hurt if I were to do the same thing? Follow the raindrops and fall to the waiting river.
"Planning on jumping?"
I felt him there, before I actually heard his voice.
"Would you stop me?" I ask not turning around to see Kakashi-sensei walking closer. I think he stops just beside me, leaning on his arms against the railing that I'm sitting on, and I think he's watching me. But I can't be sure.
"Would you want me to?"
I look at him then, search his eyes for anything that would tell me this is all a joke, that he isn't giving me this choice.
"Yes." I say simply, because given the option, I'm too scared to take it.
Kakashi nods, "It's okay, Sasuke."
I shake my head. "No, nothing's okay."
He reaches out, as if to place a hand on my shoulder, and I flinch away. I don't mean to, but I don't know what's been happening to me lately.
"Don't touch me!" I practically shout and he pulls back instantly.
My whole body tenses, I can feel my muscles clamping up, and my breathing quickens. I blink at the blurriness in my eyes, everything is getting smaller, closing in.
"That's what happened, isn't it, Sasuke?" I turn back to him again, and feel my teeth biting into my bottom lip. He continues in a low, calm voice. "Someone touched you and you told them to stop."
I have to look away from him now, I can't watch as he figures everything out. Who does he think he is, asking questions like this? Why is everyone asking questions? Why can't they just leave me alone?
This time, I don't move when Kakashi places a hand gently on my back.
"But they didn't stop, did they, Sasuke?"
With his words, comes my tears. I'm not able to stop them, or my shaking sobs.
And I don't stop Kakashi from pulling me down from my ledge on the bridge railing to sit with him on the ground. He wraps strong arms around me and I bury myself into his chest. I don't hold anything in, but I don't tell him anything either.
I just cry and let him hold me.
And try not to tell myself this is what I've been wanting from the very beginning.
"It's going to be okay, Sasuke." He says and I almost believe him.
"It's going to be okay, I've got you now."
Note: I know this is a short chapter, but I think this is a good place to stop. I hope you all liked it, and I hope I didn't disappoint. Leave a review if you please! Love you all!
-Jaide