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NARUTO-CHAN!
Naruto slid around in the uncomfortable seating that seemed to be the passenger car because of the lack of use it's had for atleast 2 years. Sasuke's passenger seat always had been lonely. Or atleast that's what Naruto wanted at this point. He bet he could even take the uncomfotable silence of Sasuke that emanated around his emotions like a dark aura.
Just a few more steps, I thought futilessly. Sasuke had insisted he carry atleast more than half of my gifts. I don't know why? I mean, I can carry them! He probably thinks I'm a wimp, which I'm clearly not. I could carry thousands of presents if I wanted to. But things WERE getting kinda heavy. I sighed as my footsteps collided against the concrete with a soft "pat pat pat"
I did get some amusment, however due to the fact that I could only see Sasuke's signature cockatoo du over the peak of the mountain of gifts he was carrying. It was so silent too, I thought as he unconscienly stepped over random trash scattered among the sidewalk that led up to my apartment.
"Just a few more steps, Sas." I told him. He grunted under the pressure of all the love in packages I recieved for my birthday. We would've loved to take his Porche 911 but it was at his house being taken by the maid and all. My apartment was probably locked. "Sasuke," I asked while I poured my gifts on to his already enormous pile, "I need to get my keys, hold on, kay?" Better hurry, by the looks of it he might collapse and dissapear. It was no chuckeling matter, but I couldn't supress a small laugh as I reached into my pocket and pushed in the key into the door.
Huh? It seemed it was unnessary. The door protested with a prolonged squeak and opened.
Why...is my door unlocked?
"Sorry, Sasuke...I'll take that." He gave me some presents and sighed, saying I really was troublesome. He sounded like Shika. Taking cautious steps in, I figured that kind of stuff happened all the time in this neighborhood. I mean it wasn't the best one.
"Jeeze, Sasuke, I mean you could've carried my things till we atleast got inside, I bet your muscles just worn-"
"Nar..Naruto."
"What?" I looked at his face. It was paler than his usual handsome white. His eyes...his ebony eyes seemed to enlarge...He pointed behind me and I looked. My bags dropped to the floor as I fell on my knees. My kneecaps rubbed against the atramentous colored carpet as I stared into...the ruins I once called my ragad palace, dumpy palace, shitty shanty.
My home...Everything was either a good sooty color, smoking or still on fire. My whole home lay in ruins. It didn't get to burn a hole through my door..it wasn't near it yet. I would've been able to feel the heat through the doorknob.
Everything...was burning! All my furniture, my kitchen...where was the fire department? My eyes burned, I could feel the sting and the redness! Everything became charcoaled, Sasuke dropped the packages and ran past my figure to extinguish some of the remaining flames. Past the redness of my cheeks and the whites of my eyes, I could feel tears streak down my face.
It was...MY home...I paid for it all by myself. The day I got it, they didn't trust me, the owners but...I proved them and everybody else wrong. It wasn't much but...it was my house. Was it on purpose? No, I thought scanning the two rooms with a small look from my eyes.This wasn't an accident...I didn't do this fire...It was dileberatly done by someone else i thought sanely.
I saw past some flames that graffitti had streaked my walls that had been clearly profanity. Who...who would do that? Thoughts raced in my mind...still I can recall...
"Take the week off." Shino's voice ran a unnerving chill up my spine. Why...was someone jealous? T-trying to teach me a lesson? Who..I shook my head in a daze. I don't know.
One of Shino's whores? That was last thought before I felt myself scramble for the remaining gifts that would come in handy and be lifted off the ground by a pair of strong arms. Looking up, I saw that it was Shikamaru.
"Shika...maru..." His arms tightened around me. That was the last thing I felt before I heard the sirens scream and wail around me, sending me into a deep sleep.
SASUKE-CHAN! ((rah, rah! go, go sas))
The fireman had told me that Naruto's house could obviously not be saved. I knew it though. Of course not. I kicked a random hubcap laying on the street. DAMMIT! The ground greeted me coldly as I sa down in the middle of the sidewalk. The dobe was gonna live with Shikamaru...I sighed, rubbing a hand through my obsidian locks.
Who...is the dead fucker that did this? More importantly,I thought dully standing and grabbing the bags tightly, full of memento's of Naruto's old apartment, why? Why..did someone do this? What was the motive and when?
When we were gone obviously. I'll need to let Haku know I won't be coming in for a while. Naruto...who are you involved with? With that I broke into a handsome stride of black streaking down the filthy ghetto street. Why or where I was running? I don't know.
But...one thing is for sure. Shikamaru is a good person. Lazy, but...good. Stupid? No, I thought, racing past bewildered children, he's smart. But the dobe isn't, he get hurt. If I hadn't have taken him...would he even be alive?
I'll give Shikamaru one day, I thought...one day to have Naruto. No, wait! Shikamaru doesn't know how to deal with him! He'll slack off for sure. And the blonde is pretty good at being a moron. God knows how long he can last at the Nara residence.
I mean, maybe but still...I don't care. As long as I'm around theres no way that that idle, lackadaisical laggard is going to be inattentive to Naruto's needs! Naruto won't sleep on a couch if I can do anythign about it. I broke into a run that dismissed a stags sprint by far. Only a flash signaled my presence for a moment.
No, Sasuke..calm down. I stopped abruptly almost falling over and scaring quite a few people. Just go home.
So that's what I did...I went to my mansion and sat on my bed for a few hours and paced in my room. Back and forth. Back and forth. Thoughts raced through my mind, quicker than sand through an hour glass, I did this for 5 hours to the continuing hum of the vaacuum.
"Sasuke-bocchan! Dinner!" She called me. So down the stairs I went and to the dinner table to eat food I couldn't taste and drink milk that didn't go down. Having idle conversation with words that weren't spoken or exchanged.
I can't take it. Promptly slamming my fists on the table and completely startling the cleaning lady I told her I was going out. She nodded and grabbed my half eaten plate with a small chuckle.
I must have been running quickly because after a few fast moving blocks my feet were burning. Why was I running when I could simply take my car? Why use the car when I can teleport? The full, white moon shone on me lovingly as I ran into the well lit night. It was comforting and yet unnerving.
I must have been sweating as my locks went with the wind, flashing across my face. I uffed, my chest felt light but I knew who I was running for.
What a stupid boy, that dobe. He causes my emotions to go into haywire. Is my appearence as uncanny as a resident of an insane asylum? Is my heart the same? My heart. He was melting it with his sunshaped hair. I grabbed the vibrating pain in my chest again as I raced into the darkness. I knew where the Nara's house was.
What was Naruto? A punishment? A curse? Possibly...a blessing? He's made me feel as if my whole body's been engulfed in flames like his home. My stomach lurches when I'm around him sometimes. When he smiles that dumb grin, I frown. But inside, I know I made that smile. I shift and scowl at him, why? Am I afraid of something?
There his house was. It was up on the clearing. It SEEMED friendly.
I sped ahead defying my lungs, and using the rest of my oxygen. With a flying leap into the night abyss, I teleported infront of the door and composed myself. Naruto.
I must have knocked because Shikamaru answered the door.
"What?"
"Naruto." I respond just as cooly. "He's coming with me." The lazy brillance set into work as the wheels in his mind turned. I could see he was trying to process this. "Nice hello. Well, he's fine with me." The door almost shut, but not before I could only squeeze my hand through.
Augh. It hurt like hell but it was all I had. Why...am I doing this? Is he worth it? He opened it back up with an unused suprised expression playing on his face and unmoving arched brows.
"Tsk, Uchiha? What's he to you?"
"He's Naruto," I said, letting the words roll off my tounge like collaiding waves or rolling hills. "and pain. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, I will take care of him. Lord knows he can't do that on his own." My words were tart even on my own tounge. Nara raised his eyebrows and widened the entrence, saying I should come in. I walked over to his face.
"Whether he was supposed to stay here permanently or tempararily, rest assured, if I can take the dobe without a fight, he won't come to harm." He raised them now with showing concern. "Uchiha, I know he'll be living better than the hokage's house if that's the case but..can I trust you?"
"Don't give me a reason not to trust you...Naruto's not one to be messed with. Harm will come with his pain...and not just to him. Pain gets troublesome." I stared at his lazy eyes.
"I know I can trust you, Nara. Just give me Naruto." He glanced at the dobe on his bed, softly sleeping, through the open door. So he does sleep on a bed here. "Please." I had begged or atleast as close as I would ever come to it. He sighed and looked at Naruto and then back at me. "Be careful with him...and...if any arm DOES come to him...you'll pay."
He casually strolled to his room and stared at a sleeping blonde s if he never threatened me at all and told me that he'd have to let Iruka, kakashi ensei and his parents know about the exchange.
Naruto's hair was taunt and golden, laying in seperate directions. God. Shikamaru looked at my face and laughed. Laughed. "What?" I snapped. "Your interesting, Uchiha. Normally, your hard to read, but is this an acception? That four letter word."
I grimaced. "No." I told him, looking back at Naruto. "Here," He handed me my glasses from the shelf and told me that Naruto was wearing them. "Are they his?" He asked me.
"Y'know...Emotionally, he's blind." Shika looked up at me. Not quizically though, as if he was studying me. No, it was really listening. He was really paying attention to my words. "But I let him wear the glasses anyway." I said curtly, "And anyway, I would know...they're mine." He laughed again, only this time it was a light hearted simper and moved a strand of Naruto's hair out of his slender face. "Take him."
He needen't say anymore. With that, I took up the blondes arms and wrapped them around my shoulders as Shikamaru helped his still somnolent and resting form onto my back. His warmth heated it, no longer cold an abandoned.
I nodded my head in thanks and he quickly gave a nod back as I adjusted the heavier frame on my shoulders. We slaluted and we both took off, back into the night.
GAARA-KUN!
As long as Naruto lived in that apartement I had always been his neighbor. Dispite previous petty disputes we got along and our incinerating friendship blossomed somehow and somewhen. Why? I don't know. I guess that's the general effect Uzamaki Naruto had on most people.
So when his apartment burnt down...mine went with it. A flaming inferno was all that was left of the small "house", but even so I don't suppose that he took it harder than I did. With a shrug I was about to make a temporary home when a familiar green turtleneck ran up to me. "Gaara-chan!" I sighed. Lee.
He ran up to me and embraced with a small sigh of his own. "Gaara, I heard what happened! Are you alright?" putting hands on my shoulders he took himself off and examined me."Oh no, emotionally, wounds are harder to heal." Prying him off me I agreed and said I had to go. I don't why though..I could use his company right?
"Wait, Gaara!" He ran after me, persistantly. Running past the unnessary ambulances. "I know that...well, you have nowhere to go..so..." he blushed sort of. A blush only he could pull off. What's he gonna say?
"Y-youth...should not be wasted with sorrow...so, if you do have no place to stay, I'm alone too, so you could, er."
"Thanks."
"W-what?"
"Gaara of the desert. At your service, roomie?" He began shaking his hands back and forth. "No, no, no! You don't have to pay at all. The pleasure of your company covers the bill by far!"
I blushed and stared at the ground. He wants to take me in, just like that? "Please?" He asked. I nodded at the ground. "Yeah.."
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
"Calm down." Lee.
NARUTO-CHAN!
I woke up to something extremely soft and pleasurable. I was at Shikamaru's right? Feeling the apulstery and soft sheets around me I realized it was silk. Pretty swanky for Shika. Then I remembered. My long lost home. A wave of crushing reality poured on me like a tidal wave of pain.
It's gone. Oh well, life goes on. I live and have few clothes, a residence and food. I'll make it. Opening my eyes I found out that this was indeed not Shikamaru's room or the Nara's residence. I was at an all too familiar home. Sasuke's. What happened? How'd I get here?
Leaning upwards I pulled the sheets off and hopped out of his abnormally large bed. I wobbled into the kitchen. It seemed yesterday had passed and now I was living with Sasuke?
"G'morning." I said half-cheerfully. Sasuke looked back from his pancake making and gave me a self seving "hn." It smelled wonderful in the large kitchen, the aroma of his home cooking was fantastic but he wasn't gonna hear it from me.
I sat on his chairs and yawned at the table. "Just cause I'm making pancakes, dobe, doesn't mean it's morning." Huh? What's he talking about? He pointed to a window, with a skillful flip of the skillet, tossing the cake into the air and landing back on the metal.
I turned my neck crookedly to see out the window, the sun setting and dissapearing into the trees that surrounded the Fort Knox like estate. "Wow, how long have I been sleeping?"
"Three days." He told me and got the final pancake onto a plate. They were perfectly rounded and nicely shaded.
"Where have you been sleeping and why am I here?"
"I've been sleeping next to you," Sasuke said, with bags under his eyes as he made his way to the table and sat down infront of me. "on the floor next to you anyway. I made my bed on the wood beside your spot. Your here because-"
He...didn't lay on the bed? "DUMMY!" I yelled at him, incredelous. "Why'd you do that? Is it me!" He shook his head and told me that he barely slept anyway. "Liar." His black eyes flashed with showing anger and his brow furrowed. "I. Am. Not. Lying. I slept on the floor because you roll! And usually it's only that particular side, so if you fell...I would catch you and I can't do that on the bed."
Thats when I noticed my forehead was bandaged. So that's why. The first night I must have fallen off the bed atleast twice.
"Now," He continued dryly, "I kidnapped you. No, not really, but if you lived at the Nara's it would have been temperary and Gaara already found a place to live permanetly. You...live here now."
I gawked at him. R-really? Sasuke...took me in? We met only like, 4 months ago and now I live here...with him. He's such a..good person!
"I can't Sas, I really couldn't impose, man. I'll find a new place. I'll live on my-"
"Shut up." He lowered his head. "This will not just do good...for me..but also...for you so...just don't fight it, okay?" He looked up at me with semi-pleading eyes. What a lonely boy. He...he really DOES care doesn't he? Always fucking looking out for me. I gave a light hearted grin.
"Ohh, Sasuke, thank you, thank you thank you!" I lept out of my seat rather weakly and wrapped my arms around him. He fumbled with my arms. "W-what are you doing? S-stop!" I planted a friendly kiss on his cheek. No one had ever loved me. Well, excluding my new friends. But he cares. He really cares!
Pushing me off with a frusterated blushSasuke composed himself. "Well, now that you know..I guess I should tell you the rules, eh?" Rules? Probably nothing I can't handle, right?
Holding up one finger he told me "Rule One."
"You will follow all of my rules."
Easy enough. I think.
"Rule two: You will eat the food I make when I make it."
Awesome, I thought, eagerly nodding my head. Free food.
"Rule three: As payment the I will give you jobs. Easy ones such as folding all of the clothes that come out of the laundry or doing the dishes. Since you have no money or place to go I suggest you don't argue and just do it."
Damn...I want to argue but he's got me cornered. He's right. What other choice do I have?
"Rule four: You will go with me when I run errands to moniter where you are."
That prick! "Who do you think you are? My mom?" I accidentally busrt out. Sasuke didn't lash back but raised an eyebrow. "No, I think I'm Sasuke. Just a little quality time, dobe. That's all. Atleast your lucky enough to have private plans...so be quiet." I did.
"Last rule. Rule five," He boomed in a quiet, yet authorative tone, "You are to have a curfew of 12:45 unless I'm with you." I couldn't hold back the yelling this time. "That's way too early! You strict bastard, teme! I'm sixteen!"
"I don't care if your 200! Your not gonna get hurt as long as I'm around, dobe, so if you try anything stupid, it won't be me with the consequences!" He yelled chest heaving as he sat back down from standing up in anger.
Something...some part wanted me to scream some more of how unfair it was but...the opposing side didn't let me. Sasuke raised a hand to cover his eyes as his elbows rested on the table.
"Look," He said softly, "Let's not get off to a rocky start. I think...I'm just concerned. I'm fucking tired of seeing things happen to you that are out of my control. Drowning, unconscience and hurt, now your house. Please, just let me...take care of you." I looked up at him. He seemed so stressed. My eyes wandered to a pack of his ciggarettes on the table and I offered him the packet. He thanked me, lit one, and took a drag.
Smog filled the room and he put it out wastefully in the ashtray considering second hand smoke. "Tomorrow, you have...things to do...not just with me. I'm-I'm gonna go to work and then we go on some shitty errands for you ok? It's to help you."
I nodded. Sasuke cares for me. I wonder, I thought as he got up to get the cakes for us...what's it like to wake up with Uchiha Sasuke...and know you won't have to get shooed off in the morning?
---
Me/Elliot: Hello! Ooh, bad news, it seems Sas, Laurena and I have been viewing scary movies and its kinda creepy now, all by my lonesome...Sasuke: Huh? Was that my cue?
Me/Elliot:...actually yes, yes it was.
Sasuke: Hn. If you were gonna get scared of them you shouldn't have watched them.
Me/Elliot: 0.o Asswipe. Its the adrenaline, NOT ME!
Sasuke: Adrenaline doesn't rent DVD's like Silence of the Lambs or When a Stranger Calls...
Me/Elliot: You tell them they have the wrong number! Huh? Huuuh?
Sasuke: ((cricket chirps)))
Me/Elliot: ((glomps)) SASUKE! Sleep with meeeee tonight!1 I'm so scared.
Sasuke: ((sigh)) If I must.
Me/Elliot: REALLY? ((didn't think that would actually work...))
Sasuke:HEEELLL...NO...
Me/Elliot: Fine...I tink I'm just gonna die off in that corner over there...
