Title: Solace
Author: Spirit Evolution
Pairings: Sasuke x Naruto Friendship fic/ fluffy
Summary: Funny how the only source of comfort they could find, was in each other. A monster and a victim.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this story :D
Solace
"That Uzumaki Naruto…How brazen could that boy be? Look at those eyes…Disgusting monster…"
The blonde flinched, taking a few hasty steps back until the swing-set was all that separated him from the freezing looks that were sent his way. Peering at the two women from beneath his spiky fringe, Naruto scuffed the toe of his sandal into the dirt, his arms folded protectively across his chest to prevent his heart from becoming any more damaged than it already was.
"Ma, ma…Hikaru! He's not worth getting so worked up over! How bout we take the kids to the ramen stand for some dinner, eh? Save you from having to cook tonight."
The women shot the boy an extra frosty glare for good measure before dragging their offspring off towards Ichiraku's, leaving the youngster feeling partly relieved and even more distraught than before.
Chewing lightly on his lower lip, Naruto slid his wiry frame onto the swing and began to push himself back and forth with the use of his heels, not completely launching himself into the air, yet not staying stock still either. The motion had a rather calming effect, something he vaguely remembered from his first days in this world.
As if responding to the boy's distress, the darkening clouds above released a smattering of light raindrops, causing the blonde to tilt his head towards the sky, a morose expression skittering across his face. Recognising the beginnings of what would likely be a torrential downpour, he merely grunted and returned his gaze to the grass beneath his feet.
"A-am I really…A monster?" he whispered into the growing darkness, eyes narrowing in preparation for the emotional outburst that almost always followed such occurrences in his daily life.
His lower lip quivered mightily, pearly whites biting down into the soft flesh to cease the uncontrollable movement. How he hated this feeling of helplessness, emptiness…The feeling of being utterly alone. Baby blues filled with moisture, quickly pooling at the corners and overflowing, rivers of the salty liquid creating paths of sadness down tanned cheeks to merge at the tip of his chin.
As if on cue, the skies opened up discharging a deluge of icy rain; lightening streaking across the murky clouds. Naruto just sat there, an arm pressed across his eyes in an effort to stem the tears that flowed freely, ashamed at his own weakness. Slim shoulders shook with barely repressed sobs, a hiccup occurring every once in awhile- The poor kid was miserable, and the weather didn't seem to be helping his mood much.
Footsteps echoed dimly across the expanse of dirt and grass, snagging the blonde's attention from his sorrow and loneliness. Naruto jerked his arm one last time across his face to remove the last vestiges of his momentary lapse, fully prepared to defend himself from any cruel taunts that may come his way. What he saw across the space caused the short boy's eyes to widen fractionally.
Wasn't that…? Wait, was he mimicking his earlier movements? Yes, the brunette had an arm permanently fixed to the front of his face, and was rubbing at it furiously. Repressing a snarl, the blonde leapt from his seat with a glare, one fist clenched at his side. To him, it seemed as if the other was mocking him; but once those aqua hues clashed with an chasm of onyx, he immediately relaxed somewhat, more in shock than anything else.
Uchiha Sasuke was standing in front of him, and had obviously been in tears before he'd realised he'd come across Naruto. This was…Interesting. Cocking his head to the side, he studied the brunette curiously, as if to check whether his eyesight was going or not.
Sasuke returned the stare with a dark glower, his lower lip jutting out in a sullen pout. Folding his arms awkwardly across his chest, a single brow lifted mockingly;
"What are you staring at, dobe? Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"
The harsh tones floated into the blonde's earshot, the probing expression never wavering.
"I've never had a mother, so I guess not."
The answer was stated rather ruefully, a tanned hand lifting to scratch awkwardly at the blonde spikes at the back of his head. Funnily enough, at that moment, that simple fact didn't bother him all that much- Well not as much as it usually did.
The Uchiha snorted softly and shrugged, advancing on the other with deliberate slowness; only halting when he'd spun around to rest his back against the tree. Offering Naruto another look of pure disdain, he slid his spine down the trunk until his butt met sopping wet grass, legs outstretched and arms still across his chest.
Naruto remained silent, observing the ebon-haired boy with something akin to awe. He hadn't run away! He'd actually approached him! Well, not exactly, he'd approached the tree, but it was still right next to him! Frowning slightly he followed suit, hugging his knees to his chest for some semblance of warmth and comfort. Sitting in the rain was murder on one's body temperature.
Silence ensued. Comfortable silence; not the kind when both parties felt extremely awkward and on edge, trying to think up a plausible excuse to escape, or finding something inane to chatter on about. It was…Nice.
"You were crying, weren't you?"
The question came right out of the blue, and had Naruto stiffening with mild pique.
"So was you!" he rejoined with a snap, shooting the boy at his side a fierce look.
A sigh, then; "That's 'were', baka."
"Who're you callin a 'baka', teme!"
"You obviously."
Sasuke cocked his head to the left, and studied his temporary companion casually. For the first time since his parent's death, he'd deviated from his usual routine of hanging around the chalk imprint of their bodies in the old Uchiha mansion, and had opted for a long walk around Konoha. How was he to know that there was some lunatic blubbering outside the academy in the rain? Any normal person would have run home and curled up with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Not that he was one to talk…
"Oi teme…" Naruto began hesitantly, glancing at the Uchiha from beneath his lashes; "What was it like…Having a mother?"
For a moment, it seemed like Sasuke wasn't going to dignify that question with an answer; he didn't want to irritate the festering wounds in his heart and soul, right? Contemplating his next words, Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to capture the vision of his mother. A memory awakened in his subconscious, and a soft smile quirked the corners of his lips, his first true smile since that tragic day.
"It's not something you truly appreciate until she's gone," he responded quietly, "She was always there to take care of me, making sure I had ointment spread across my wounds…Forever pulling me into comfortable hugs. She smelt of cinnamon and flowers, probably because she spent most of her time cooking or in the garden. Even after I deemed myself old enough, she still insisted on tucking me into bed, and giving me a farewell kiss on my cheek before school."
Naruto's own eyes closed, his immature mind trying to grasp the concepts being handed to him from the usually cold and stoic boy. And still, Sasuke's voice continued on in that soft tone.
"She always did my laundry, made sure dinner was ready on time…And more importantly, she became the buffer between me and my father when I developed a fierce jealousy of the attention he afforded my brother instead of me. She was understanding, and rarely ever got cross…"
Sasuke's voice started to shake, sharp inhalations beginning to punctuate every other word, but he continued on;
"She loved me for me…And she never discriminated between me and my brother…I-…I really…"
The Uchiha released an anguished howl, flinging his arms around his head in an attempt to push those thoughts as far as possible out of his mind. He didn't want to remember! It hurt too much…He just wished his brother had killed him along with his parents…He should have ki-…
The dark-haired boy stiffened as he felt a pair of arms encircle his shoulders, a head resting gently against the side of his own. The silence stretched out between the two for a couple of beats, the sound of light and somewhat harsher breathing the only thing disturbing it. He couldn't remember anyone hugging him since they'd died…Yet here he was, being engulfed in soggy warmth from the village monster.
Naruto waited patiently for a moment, well expecting to have the royal Uchiha foot slammed up his butt for his trouble. Frankly he was being a tad selfish…He'd always wanted to be hugged, and he seized this opportunity in the vulnerable Sasuke to attain one of his dreams. Even if it was for a little while, he felt…Complete.
"Go on and cry all you want…I've got no place to be right now."
The six-year old Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He cried; for his mother, for his father…For his brother and for himself. And strangely enough, he seemed to cry even more for the blonde sitting next to him who'd probably never understand what it was like to be loved and wanted.
Soon the tears melted away, and all that was left was the uncontrollable shaking, and the soft hiccups of air gulped down to satisfy his burning lungs. Naruto continued to hold onto him, not quite ready to relinquish his grip on the bigger boy- His selfishness was something he'd need to deal with later.
"I really miss her."
It was some time later when Sasuke finally finished his sentence. Naruto had dozed off slightly with his chin resting on the boy's shoulder, his eyes closed and his breathing slightly irregular.
"But it doesn't seem so hopeless now…I don't think I'm alone anymore."
Naruto popped open an eye; "No, I'll always be here for you."
Nodding slowly, the brunette slowly disentangled himself from the blonde; pushing himself to his feet in a display of grace that no ordinary six year old had. Dusting off the seat of his pants, he thrust his hands deep into the recesses of his trouser pockets and began to stroll off in the direction of his house. Pausing at the exit, he cast a warning glare over his shoulder;
"And if you ever speak of this to anyone, I swear I'll kill you."
And with that, he was gone.
Naruto blinked, a stupid grin curling his lips. He'd made a friend…And what was more, he wasn't alone anymore.
Spirit: Yosh! This one was a bit on the fluffy side...A rather large gap between this and my previous story where they were humping each other's brains out :D So everyone knows the drill...Constructive criticism welcome...And complimentary reviews even more so! Ja ne!