You know... this chapter ended a lot differently than I expected o3o. Like, I had this going all morbid and stuff but instead I actually manage to incorporate some humor and angst and fluff and romance and a whole bunch of other colors to puke up this rainbow of a chapter... Haaa... puking rainbows o.o Anywho! Thanks for your reviews, and alerts, and favorites (: You guys make me OHHH so happy!
Warning: I watched the new Pokemon movie today and yesterday. It was brilliant. OHRIGHT! The warning. Uhhh... be warned that anything could happen with this twisted authoress (;
Disclaimer: Christmas is coming... and I think finding Naruto and Sasuke under my tree would be a wonderful gift for the holiday season 8D
Enjoy my wonderful readers! Enjoy!
Chapter Seventeen: Red's Not Your Color
One full week. It had been one full week since Naruto had permanently arrested himself inside the apartment. At first, Naruto thought it would be the coolest thing ever! Really, who wouldn't want to be able to stay home from school, sleep in, and do nothing all day? Well, that got boring about two days in.
'I can't even go down to the convenience shop!' Naruto blew air upwards towards his bangs as he plopped down no the couch and fished for the remote. The View would be on soon—his latest morning talk show addiction—and he didn't want to miss a beat of Whoopie's humor-filled remarks. On his lap was his cell that he would occasionally check in hopes his friends and boyfriend hadn't forgotten him for their wonderful social lives.
So far they were doing a good job of keeping Naruto in the loops of things.
His phone buzzed. Dude! U missed a wild fight! There was blood and some kid got wrecked ;P
Dnt tell me u tried to jump in 2?
Nah, bitch. I kept my hands clean this time… I did video tape it though ;D this shit is going on Youtube!
Blow it up ;DDD! Naruto chuckled to himself, "Ha, blow it up! Like Kesha. This place about to bloooow! Haaa, geez I'm funny." The morning solitude also opened up a new part of Naruto—the part that enjoyed talking to no one but himself. Since Iruka always left early for work—despite the man's protests to stay home with Naruto just in case—and Kiba, Gaara, and Sasuke's texts always came sporadically because the risk of getting caught texting was way too high, Naruto was pretty much left to his thoughts for most of the day.
Next text came from Gaara.
Gone insane yet?
Bitch I've been insane for years now. He always used proper grammar texting Gaara because the redhead would go into a rant about how idiotic a person was using "2" for "to" or something like that over message, and he wasn't about to get nagged at again.
Ha, I suppose so.
You still coming over today?
Nope. Your boyfriend made it clear that he wanted some one-on-one time with you today. Prepare to be fucked.
Naruto's face literally exploded with red cheeks. His phone flew out of his hands from the shock of Gaara's bluntness, which, really, he should be used to by now. "Oh my God…" Naruto groaned as he reluctantly went for his cell that hit the floor. You. Have. No. Fucking. Shame.
Says the boy whose about to spread his legs…
I hate you!
Don't lie (;
I hate you! I hate you! I haaaaate you! XO!
Yeah sure. Prepare yourself now. I bet Uchiha's HUGE. Have a good day. (;
"Shunned," Naruto said resolutely as he shoved his phone deep into the black hole that was his pocket. "Forever shunned! I don't even know why I still talk to that weirdo!" Gaara was entertaining, that's why. The blond sighed and lay down on the couch, drumming his fingers on his tummy. "I wonder what Sasuke's doing…?" he had shot off a text earlier but Sasuke hadn't answered. "Maybe he's busy in class or something?"
Grabbing his remote, Naruto started the fun sport of channel surfing. "Let's see what's on Cartoon Network…"
Ten minutes later and Naruto had fallen back asleep.
+I Promise: Rallying Troops+
"Yo Lil' Raven!" Deidara and Suigetsu had effectively blocked Sasuke off from getting out the door. Arms folded across their chests and serious expressions slapped on their faces, these two meant business.
"Can I help you?" Sasuke let loose all his exasperation onto his words. 'I knew they'd be coming sooner or later.' He had just hoped it would have been the latter instead of the former but Life rarely goes the way we want it to.
Deidara huffed and pushed Sasuke on the shoulder. "Fuck yes you can help! Where's Blondie, huh?"
"Have you fucked him so hard he can't get out of bed?" Suigetsu asked. "Jesus, boy, ever heard of self-control?"
Sasuke felt a vein pop in his head. He counted from one to ten very slowly before opening his eyes and flashing the two idiots a glare. "No, I have not inserted my penis into Naruto's anus. He's sick." The last part was a lie that hopefully Deidara and Suigetsu would catch up on his fib and leave him alone.
Sadly, that didn't happen.
"Bull," Deidara deadpanned and dropped Sasuke on a nearby bench. "I know for a fact—"
"We bullied this out of Kiba," Suigetsu interjected with a smirk.
"—That Blondie has not been sick and has been staying home for reasons we shall soon learn. So spill," Deidara clapped his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and stared him dead in the eyes, "or else I'll make sure you can't play soccer for a while. I heard trying to play soccer in a wheel chair is a bitch."
If this were anyone else being threatened, they may have peed their pants by now. Deidara could be a very intimidating person when he wished to be. However, this is Sasuke Uchiha and no one threatens an Uchiha to the point where they soil themselves.
Sasuke stared at the two hands on his shoulders and slapped them both off with one hand. Then he shot Deidara a glare that could rival and overpower the taller one's in a matter of seconds. "First of all, you're really in no position to make threats seeing as I'm a co-captain and a major part to this team. Secondly… I can't tell you why Naruto's not here."
"And why not?" Suigetsu wanted to know.
Sasuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Because it's not my story to tell. If you really want to know then ask Naruto."
"You know what…?" Deidara smiled wickedly as he searched through his front pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "That sounds like a great idea, Lil' Raven!" he started to punch in numbers and placed his phone to his ear. "It's ringing… oh hey, Blondie! How ya feelin'? Better I hope! … Uh huh… really? You sound pretty good to me right now. Hey, I was just wondering… what the hell have you been hiding from us, huh? Fess up!"
Suigetsu pulled the phone from Deidara's ear and yelled, "Or else!"
Deidara pulled his phone back with a mini scowl on his face, "Yeah. What he said."
Sasuke was absolutely horrified by his two teammates. Honestly, how far could they go just to get a little piece of information? All right, it was pretty big news but couldn't they respect Naruto's privacy? Sasuke could only imagine how awkward and on the spot Naruto must have been feeling right now.
"Guys," Sasuke said sternly, "leave him alone. If he doesn't want to talk then don't—"
"WHAT THE FUCK?" the phone clattered to the floor, the loudest sound in the barren locker room. Deidara's eyes were wide as saucers and his hand was shaking. He gulped a few times then turned to Sasuke. "How the fuck could you know that Naruto has a creepy stalker ex roaming around and not tell any of us? So much for freaking brotherhood!"
"What?" Suigetsu was as lost as Dora without her map or pointy blue cursor. "What did Blondie say?"
Sasuke was the only one to pick up the abandoned phone and winced. He could hear Naruto yelling his brains out right now and the boy had lungs. "Naruto," he said calmly, "you need to stop yelling. You'll rupture my eardrum and damage your vocal chords."
"How would you feel if someone just dropped their phone while talking to you, huh? Oh wait… is this Sasuke?" Naruto's words seemed to brighten up and float a little, "Hey, Sasuke! What's up?"
"Is this really the time for small talk?" though Sasuke was smiling like the cute raven he was despite how Deidara was currently flipping out more than necessary. "Deidara is going to give me hell now because I didn't tell him your problem sooner."
"Well I don't mind if you tell them. They are my friends after all and one way or another news would spread around…"
Fair enough to Sasuke. "So how was your day? I'm glad to see you haven't bored yourself to death yet."
"Oh my God you wouldn't even believe how tedious it is to sit around and do nothing! I've been reduced to camping out in the bathtub and using it as a race track for my cars since the idea hit me last Sunday."
"Poor you," Sasuke smirked. His lips curled a little higher hearing that adorable huff hit his ears. "I thought you were living up your addiction of The View and what not."
"Reruns," Naruto deadpanned. "And they're not even good reruns!"
"I never knew there were such things as 'good reruns'." Sasuke mocked. Sadly their conversation was cut short by Deidara and Suigetsu's protest that a team meeting be held now.
"No ifs, ands, or buts, Uchiha!" Deidara said as he yanked the phone out of Sasuke's grasp and yelled a quick goodbye before ending the call. "You held out vital information from the whole team about a valuable player, and you and Kiba will be thoroughly punished for that. But for now, we gotta come up with a plan!"
"I still have no idea what's going on!" Suigetsu whined.
Deidara was shooting off text messages left and right but didn't miss a beat. "Naruto's in trouble. Crazy, psycho bitch wants his ass again. And Sasuke's a terrible boyfriend for not telling anyone anything about it!"
Suigetsu gasped and turned mortified eyes towards an aggravated but more or less indifferent Sasuke. "You monster!" he accused.
"Yes, I am a wild beast who kept his boyfriend's secret safe and sound because I care for him and his privacy. Shame on me for not spreading it around the whole soccer team." Sasuke held on very tightly to his condescending tone.
Deidara smirked, "Well if you're being truly repentant about it..."
Less than five minutes later and about half the soccer team who hadn't left after today's game congregated inside the gray and black boys' locker room. Among them were Itachi, Hidan, Pein, Neji, Haku, Sasori, Kiba and a few others.
"You have thirty minutes to explain why you interrupted my blowjob for this." Itachi blurted out plainly. The team by now was already attuned to most of the team members' blunt ways of bringing up their sex life. And, if words weren't enough, Itachi's obvious problem poked up loud and proud.
"Aniki..." Sasuke groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Please, no one wants to know what things you and Hidan get up to after soccer is over."
Hidan grinned from ear to ear. "You'd be surprised, Lil' Raven."
"Cut it out, guys," Deidara shot heart-piercing glares to all three of his teammates until they settled down. They knew when and when not to mess with Deidara, especially when he purposefully missed an opportunity to add his input on something sexual. "This is serious. Naruto's in trouble."
"Did his illness get worse?" Haku asked genuinely concerned. Everyone else minus Deidara, Suigetsu, Kiba, and Sasuke also mumbled their worries and comments.
"Nope. Apparently that was all bull," Deidara shot knives towards a certain brunet and raven in particular. "I think these two can explain the situation better than I can."
Kiba and Sasuke exchanged glances.
"You tell them," Kiba's eyes said.
"You brought it up. You tell them," Sasuke's eyes shot right back.
Rolling back his shoulders, Kiba sighed and prepared for the worst. "Well... you see... Naruto's staying home because... well..."
"Out with it," Pein command silently but sternly.
"He''llprobablygetrapedorsomething,"the brunet was gasping for clumps and clumps of air afterward, hoping against hope that he could shrink away from all the scrutinizing gazes his teammates were shooting at him right now.
"WHAT?" they all cried out.
Deidara simply leaned his back against a row of lockers and nodded as his point was reaffirmed. "So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that we need to think of a plan, and think of one fast, correct?"
Everyone nodded, though Itachi was the first to speak up. "We'll need background information first. Then come up with a battle strategy." he turned to Kiba and Sasuke who both stood up a little straighter under his piercing gaze. "And this time... don't leave anything out."
+I Promise+
It was around seven in the evening right now and Naruto was positive that half his brain was melted by now. "Never again will I watch Discovery Planet…" he swore with a shudder. "Never again." Iruka still wasn't home—he stayed out until ten on the weekdays—so it was up to Naruto to make some dinner. On his way to the kitchen he sneaked a peek at his phone…
No new messages.
A sigh escaped his lips as he pulled out his customary stash of ramen from the cupboard and pulled off the cover. "Sasuke will come," Naruto told himself. It was a mantra that ran and ran maddeningly in his head. Torturing him to the point that when he placed his bowl of ramen into he microwave, Naruto was itching to do something—anything. Didn't matter what. He just needed something to take his mind off of the raven.
That was really hard to do.
The microwave beeped four minutes later. Naruto was about to pull out his ramen when the wonderful chime of someone pounding on his doorbell floated around the air. His heart literally skyrocketed to his throat while he ran for the door. "Wait," he stopped himself from flinging open the door like a maniac on drugs and cooled down a final onceover. "Hair? Check. Clothes," he looked down at his Adidas sweatpants and light blue hoodie. Oh yeah, he was dressed to turn heads today. "Eh, I'm hot in anything." He slapped his cheeks a few times, just so his smile wouldn't look wide and awkward and finally flung the door open…
To a fiery mass of red.
"Ay there, Kit," Kyuubi was the epitome of calm and menacing. He was casually leaning against the doorframe, black sunglasses perfectly poised over his eyes and a smirk that was way too easygoing to be comforting slapped on his face, his aura screamed nonchalance and that alone was terrifying.
Naruto gulped and instinctively went for the door to slam it shut. His hand never made it to the doorknob because Kyuubi clapped his hand tightly around Naruto's wrist. Kyuubi's hand engulfed Naruto's smaller arm and the blond knew that, if Kyuubi really wanted to, he could probably break something instantaneously.
"Why are you here?" it was a miracle that Naruto was even able to choke out such a simple sentence.
Kyuubi's slowly curling grin answered it all: they both knew why he was here. The answer was obvious.
"It's a beautiful night," somehow Kyuubi's body was a little closer and his breath tickled the Naruto's ear and left a trail of ice leading down to his neck. "I thought we could go for a midnight ride. Yah know, like old times."
Naruto managed to find the strength to rip out of Kyuubi's grip but he was no fool. Kyuubi had let him go free because he wanted that to happen. Even now this was all just a game to the fire demon before him. A game where Naruto would be backed into the tightest, darkest wall imaginable until he cracked. Cracked into a million pieces of his former self. He was cracking right now. Cracking from the fear and the anxiety and the dark outcomes of what could happen if Kyuubi took one step closer…
"I thought I sensed something wrong… An ugly mess of red just stepped into my line of sight and it's blinding."
"Sasuke!" Naruto's heart nearly collapsed with relief. His raven was standing in the doorway looking ready to burst with fury. His fists were clenched and shaking by his sides. Onyx eyes were narrowed in daggers towards the ever-cocky Kyuubi. And Sasuke's mouth was contorted into a frown.
Kyuubi looked bored and lowered his glasses down the bridge of his nose to peer above the rim. "Who's this?" his blood red eyes raked across Sasuke's tall frame and—though he would deny it through and through—a tiny shiver danced along the boy's spine. The way Kyuubi's eyes were digging into him… it was unsettling. "Oh wait… he looks familiar." A wide grin enveloped your face, "You're that skinny ass kid I passed a while back! I'd notice that punk ass hairstyle a mile away."
Sasuke was fuming. The man had the audacity to forget ever meeting him and then diss on his hair? Naruto, on the other hand, was waiting for the explosion. When two, very powerful, egos start to clash. Sasuke would snap, he could see the telltale signs of his boyfriend's sanity and control slipping and falling apart. Kyuubi had a knack for pushing people hard enough so that they'd fall and break and shatter all over the floor by his feet.
The raven took one step closer and Kyuubi's grin grew a little slicker. "Pity… a piece of red trash doesn't remember me. I'll make sure to cry about that once you leave."
Now Naruto was absolutely speechless. How in the world could Sasuke conjure up so much courage to speak up to Kyuubi? Kyuubi!'He's dead…' Naruto shook his head wildly and mentally slapped himself repeatedly over and over again. He was acting so cowardly right now and it sickened him to the very trenches of his soul that he couldn't even stand up and kick Kyuubi out of his house.
It was a damn shame; to be shackled down so hard that he couldn't even fight back…
Kyuubi looked rather amused rather than annoyed. Though, if you knew the man well enough, you would know that those two adjectives were closely related. "The bitch's gotta bite…" he chuckled and pushed his glasses over his eyes again. No longer could Sasuke read the man's emotions—not like they were easy to decipher in the first place. "Look, kid, obviously yer not understanding the very simple concept that's staring you right in the face. Naruto…" he leaned in a little closer. His breath was stained with cigarettes. "Is mine."
Sasuke did the one thing Naruto never expected him to do—he punched Kyuubi. Hard. Hard enough for a sickening crack to reverberate in the horrid silence that fumed the air. Naruto's eyes were ready to pop out of his skull. Kyuubi's head only moved a few inches to the left, but it was a mortal blow to the man's pride. Naruto could see it through his awestruck eyes. Kyuubi was going to blow up. He could see it. And all he wanted to do was grab Sasuke's hand and run.
"Naruto is not yours. He never was, he never will be." And just to make his point more clearer he grabbed Naruto's hand and interlocked their fingers, staring Kyuubi right into his sunglass-covered eyes. "Now leave. Your hair color is an eyesore and personally you're not wanted here."
Kyuubi's face turned stone cold. And for a brief, splash of a second, Naruto thought he was going to pull out a gun and shoot them both point blank. The seconds that passed by dragged on for what seemed to be an eternity until Kyuubi made any movement. He rubbed his jaw, moving it from side to side and then spit off to some random direction—blood and spit combined. He pushed his glasses up to his hairline to show off the pure, fiery madness in his eyes.
"Lucky punch. One helluva left hook. Too bad that'll be the last punch yah get to throw." He slipped back on his shades and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. The fact that he hadn't retaliated violently, thrown a fit, done something remotely demonic that had labeled this man the Fire Demon of the Nine-Tails unsettled Naruto to no end.
Naruto gulped once more. "Kyuubi… you're not going to do anything?"
Kyuubi cocked a fine eyebrow and then grinned slow and lazy-like. "Yah want me to go ape shit on yer bitch's skinny ass?" he scoffed when he saw the small tremble wrack through Naruto's body despite how strong and solid those blue eyes were trying to come off. "Whatever. I didn't come here to start shit… yet." He brushed by the Sasuke and bent forward—he was about a good foot taller than Naruto—and whispered so only the blond could hear him. "Sorry we couldn't go on that ride. I'll pick yah up sometime."
"Don't even bother!" Naruto snapped. "Next time I see you I'm fucking calling the cops."
Kyuubi clucked his tongue and brushed passed the blond, letting the threat wash over him like running water. "Yer threats were always cute. They were never really intimidating but yah looked cute with yer face all flushed and stuff. Don't forget about our date. I'll pick you up sometime."
And then he was gone. A red blur ready to mix in, stand out, and create havoc upon the night. There was a cold gust of air before the door finally slammed shut behind him. The sound resonated through out the living room and pumped through Sasuke and Naruto's bodies like the bass pounding through the speakers. It was only a few seconds later that Naruto gripped onto Sasuke and refused to let go.
"You were late!" he said. They were the first words to come to his mind. Every time he saw Kyuubi he remember everything. All the emotions and lies and pain and turmoil and destruction… His stomach would burn and then turn bone chilling cold. His heart would stop beating. His mind would self-destruct. Kyuubi could kill him just by standing in the same room—it was that bad.
Sasuke sighed, though there was a tired smile painted on his face as he returned the hug. Their bodies molded together so perfectly. "Sorry. I was tied up with soccer… the guys came up with a plan for you." This time his smile grew a little brighter. "I must say, for a group of testosterone-filled, adrenaline junkie, sex crazed boys could come up with something this well thought out astounds me."
'They would do that for me?' Naruto was never cared so much before by so many people. It was like he had a whole army of friends… no family ready to aid him in battle. It made his heart feel a lot lighter. He smiled, "Somehow I'm a little scared to know what those guys cooked up without me?"
"Trust me. If it was anything detrimental or down right idiotic I would have put a stop to it immediately."
"Good to know my future safety lies in your hands."
"Well I'm not about to let you get hurt if I have a say about it."
Naruto smiled and leaned up to peck Sasuke on the lips, "You're too sweet. Mr. Uchiha's overprotective about little old me…"
Sasuke scoffed and pressed Naruto even closer. Their lips met again but this time their kiss went a little deeper. "I'm terrified of the prospect of losing you, Naruto. So sue me if I go a little homicidal on someone who wants to hurt you…"
There was something that was supposed to be said. A sentence comprised of three words. Three words that could mean the whole world or lead to someone's ruination. It wasn't said, but it dangled in the air like clouds printed up in the sky. So visible to see but you couldn't reach out to grasp any of them—they were too far away.
Instead, Naruto did the next best thing. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and stood on his tiptoes so his mouth was pressed right against Sasuke's ear.
"Stay with me, tonight?" his whisper sent a line of fire burning every nerve in Sasuke's body.
"Dobe, you know I'm going to say yes."
Naruto smirked and started to drag Sasuke up the stairs to his room. They weren't going to have sex. Hell, Naruto was even in the right mindset to look at a condom. He just wanted Sasuke. Everything that he could grasp on that was his raven he wanted. He needed his heat, his words, his encouragement, and his undying affection. Naruto wanted their bodies to become entangled in an unbreakable bond that not even Kyuubi could pry in and tear apart.
That night when Iruka finally got home he found a blond and a raven tightly curled and clasped and connected with each other. Everything that could be interlocked and tangled was interlocked and tangled. He opened the door just a crack before smiling and slipping back out, content knowing his ward… no, his son finally found someone.
"I pray they can stay together like that."
If only they could.
I'm pretty sure I said something about chapter 17 being fun... I lied. It'll be 18 8D. I really want to incorporate that motorcycle ride Kyuubi was talking about... Reminds me of the manga Hai to Diamond now that I think about it c: Baby pandas love you guys! And of course, I love you too (; -HEART HERE-