A/N – big thankyou's again to all those who've replied! To answer wyldcat's question – you may find out about what happened to Sasuke sometime in the future. I also have a few little twists and suprises planned, hopefully smiles
Also sorry I haven't updated for a while. All those people who are taking exams right now – I share your pain, so I guess this chapter's dedicated to those tearing their hair out with exam stress lol.
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Kakashi frowned, groggily being forced awake by loud whimpers and frantic scratching. He quickly sat up, "Sasuke?" he looked concerned to the corner of the room – to find Sasuke's sleeping place disheveled and abandoned.
Leaning across, he smacked his hand down on the light switch on the wall near the beside table, instantly making light filter into the room.
Sasuke was kneeling by the door, scratching the frame frantically, as if desperate to get out. His body shook with each hitched breath, his whimpers falling into small cries.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi leapt from the bed, stumbling from the sheet still tangled around his leg. He kicked it away and ran over, crouching down behind the boy. "Its alright, I'm here, I'm right here" he took a hold of the boy's matchstick thin arms and tried to cease him scratching away.
Sasuke tried to dig his nails into the wood, but soon found his arms pinned to his sides. A small cry quickly dissolved into a frantic wail as he tried to pull away.
Kakashi's frown deepened as he pulled Sasuke closer towards himself and wrapped an arm around the hysterical boy, "Please, Sasuke, calm down"
Sasuke un-bent his legs and began to kick out ahead of him as another heartbreaking wail erupted. His feet hit against the wall and door, once, twice – before Kakashi edged further back.
"Ssshh, shhh, come on, come on" Kakashi rambled, for the first time properly scared for the boy. With one arm still wrapped around Sasuke's waist, Kakashi reached up a hand and stroked the boy's hair as well.
Sasuke's tiny frame shuddered as he continued to squirm and cry, and shake his head slightly side to side. He put his shaking hands to his wet face and rubbed at it, occasionally pulling at the longer strands of hair resting over his forehead.
Kakashi felt a panic inside him that he'd never really felt before - (but he was certain that the boy felt much worse). Yet here the panic struck him, whilst he had a lapful of a hysterical Sasuke, and for the first time since getting the boy here, he wasn't quite sure what to do.
Sasuke gave up on the squirming; suddenly collapsing against Kakashi, with only the man's arms holding him up as he continued to cry, which various high pitch wails between sobs.
Kakashi held him even tighter, but careful not to hurt Sasuke, while murmuring soothing phrases as he stroked the boy's dark hair. It must have been a nightmare, he thought, a nightmare; that's why he's acting like this, isn't it?
Sasuke twisted his body around, so he was half sitting sideways on Kakashi's lap, and buried his face into Kakashi's warm chest. He had one hand curled up into a small fist near his mouth, while with his other hand he stroked the long strands of hair in front of his face.
"Oh Sasuke" Kakashi whispered as he gently rocked the still crying frail boy in his lap, "I wish you could tell me what's wrong" he closed his eyes and continued to cling to the boy, as desperately as Sasuke seemed to be clinging to him.
It wasn't until hours later that the boy calmed down. He was still curled up in the adult's lap, half sucking on a well bitten thumb, and ever so lightly grazing his fingertips and nails on Kakashi's arm. His sore red eyes were narrowed in a sense of calm exhaustion, as Kakashi continued to gently rock him and stroke his hair.
There was an unusual silence in the room; without Sasuke's purrs the place almost felt empty.
A while later Kakashi moved him, placing the boy gently down into the adult's bed and climbing in after him, pulling up the quilts around them. A small sigh escaped the boy's lips as he rolled over and sleepily nestled up against Kakashi, seeking the warmth and security the adult had always offered so far.
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"So, how was he last night?" Naruto asked.
It was now mid-morning, and he had come over seeing as he knew Kakashi was expecting him, and also out of his own curiosity. He and Kakashi were sat on the sofa sipping lazily at their tea, whilst Sasuke was lying on his side on the floor, curled up against a small pile of cushions, staring with some childish fascination at the box of sounds and moving images ahead of him, that Naruto had introduced him to an hour before.
"Don't ask" Kakashi muttered, and out of the corner of his eye saw the look Naruto was giving him. He lowered his voice "In the middle of the night… he had what I can only describe as… as a full blown panic attack. He wouldn't stop crying or calm down for hours" he turned his gaze back to the boy cautiously.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "Do you think it was because of a nightmare?" he asked, "I've known some children who wake up in the middle of the night with vicious night terrors… it's not a pretty sight" he frowned.
Kakashi sighed, "I guess so. It's just annoying that he can't actually tell me what's wrong. Even if he could communicate with us like we can, I don't know if he'd… understand what was happening anyway"
Naruto glanced thoughtfully down to Sasuke, "did he get violent?"
"Not really. Just a bit of kicking and struggling… it felt like he'd never stop shaking though"
Naruto frowned. "Kakashi… you sure you're going to be all right handling him tonight?"
Kakashi tapped the side of his cup with his fingers, "I can handle Sasuke" he stated.
Naruto gave him a look, "that's not exactly what I asked"-
"I know its going to happen again Naruto. He was so terrified, and he clung to me like a, like a child would to a parent" Kakashi swallowed, "I didn't realize he needed someone to be there for him THAT much"
"Is it too much?"
"What?" Kakashi's gaze snapped back to Naruto.
"I mean handling all this by yourself. I mean I know he's only been around since yesterday but already you seem…"
"What?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong – hell, you're the best person I know to look after him, or anyone"-
"Fine" Kakashi muttered, "Besides, you're helping out"
"I've only popped around twice" Naruto dismissed.
"You've still helped out – you got that shopping, got him some clothes, kept an eye on him for a little while"-
"Yeah but you're the one whose there 24/7" Naruto cut in and leant back further on the sofa and sighed. "In some…ironic way… Sasuke's lucky" Naruto shrugged; "having someone there for him now, considering… not many people would do what you do, you know" he trailed off.
Kakashi briefly patted Naruto's knee. "I thank you for your consideration Naruto" he said quietly as a silence was briefly held in the air.
Sasuke sniffed and scratched at his face before shaking the hair out of his face.
"Come on, we have things to plan and do" Kakashi announced.
"We do? What?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Well for starters, we're going to have to start teaching Sasuke pretty soon how to walk again"
"Is that wise, considering the directional skills, or lack of, that he already has?" Naruto asked having observed a number of times Sasuke's tendencies to bump into things.
"It'll improve over time" Kakashi stood up, and took Naruto's empty cup off him.
"Can't you just strap him into some kind of wheelchair or something?"-
"No"-
"Come on its practical – we'll be able to move him around, and he wont bump into as many things – unless say we accidentally left the brake off while on a steep"-
"Naruto!"
"I'm kidding" the blonde defended.
Sasuke rolled over onto his other side, now facing Naruto's legs. He made a small purr as he pushed himself onto all fours and crawled over to sit at the blonde's feet and rubbed at the other boy's knee with his forehead; as if saying 'entertain me'.
Naruto patted Sasuke on the head quickly and glanced over the back of the sofa towards the kitchen where Kakashi was washing up. "So what are we doing in the meantime?"
Sasuke sat back on his padded behind and slowly reached his arms up; Naruto was still looking over the back of the sofa at Kakashi.
"I'll sort out lunch. Can you keep an eye on Sasuke please? You seem to be more comfortable together today"
Sasuke waved his arms slightly; a small frustrated expression crept its way across his face.
"Well I've had time to think things through" Naruto admitted, "and… you were right… things have changed" he looked down.
Sasuke scowled and got onto all fours again, crawling his way past the sofa towards Kakashi in the kitchen.
"I guess that means you'll be volunteering to help me out more then" Kakashi smiled.
"If you want… I could"-
They were distracted by the whiny 'iiiihhh' sound that came from behind Kakashi. Sasuke was sat there with his arms up slightly, clenching and unclenching his hands as he frowned.
Kakashi glanced to the draining board and picked up a spoon; Sasuke had developed a strange obsession for the cutlery, and mentally he noted that he'd have to buy more, what with the amount gone 'missing' already. "You want this?"
Sasuke growled.
Kakashi looked as puzzled as Naruto as he put down the spoon and looked at the boy.
Sasuke looked even more annoyed as he waved his arms once more and kicked out.
Kakashi crouched down in front of him, "what do you want?" he asked calmly and reached out to stroke the boy's hair.
Sasuke leant forward and soon pushed himself against Kakashi in an awkward hug.
Naruto laughed and slid down a bit on the sofa.
Sasuke rubbed his cheek against the adult's silky top before pulling away with a tiny smile replaced on his face. He reached out and stroked the man's sleeves seeming to approve of the silky material and put his attention onto it now.
"Oh I see, you only want me for my fabrics" Kakashi muttered.
Naruto twisted around to give him a strange look, "Why else would he want you?... Unless" he shuddered-
"Naruto!" Kakashi scolded.
"What? I didn't say anything!"
"I would highly recommend you don't" Kakashi warned as Sasuke tugged at his sleeves. He slowly began to stand up – but still had a certain dark haired boy attached to his clothing. "Let go Sasuke, I have to do some stuff" Kakashi glanced towards the cupboards wondering what they could eat later.
Sasuke didn't seem to listen, or want to, as he tugged a little more at the sleeves, rubbing the material between his thumbs and fingers.
"Sasuke" Kakashi sighed and tried to pry a hand away, which only resulted in Sasuke whining.
"Does he have a thing about the feel of certain things?" Naruto queried.
"From what I've noticed so far, yes… he's been quite clingy and emotional this morning…maybe he's still tired"
Naruto walked over, "Sasuke… Sasuke" he tapped the boy's shoulder.
Sasuke turned his head slightly at the touch.
"Sasuke come with me, I bet I can find you a shirt that's even better" he leant over Sasuke's shoulder to look at the boy's face.
Sasuke tilted his head back to blink at him; Naruto took a hold of one of his arms and Kakashi managed to get his arms back. He gave Naruto a quick grateful look for the distraction. Naruto turned Sasuke around to face him, watching as a trembling frown tugged at the dark haired boy's lips.
"Come on follow me" Naruto walked backwards and stopped to look at Sasuke. "Sasuke… follow me". Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other, while Sasuke's eyes somehow looked upset still. Naruto sighed before getting down onto the floor at the same level as Sasuke on his hands and knees. "Sasuuuke" he called and crawled away a bit.
It took a moment before Sasuke slowly and cautiously followed him.
Kakashi sighed but smiled none the less.
Naruto offered Sasuke a small smile, "yeah, that's it" he said as he moved off down the hallway towards Kakashi's room (and now Sasuke's room also), "let's see what we can find" he said, satisfied that Sasuke's attention and curiosity was now on him and where they were going.