Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Imagine if the characters did...I would probably surprise you all with AU fics on my own characters. (Actually, I do that with my own originals.)
The Portrait from the Attic
Chapter 8
Sasuke filed all his paperwork as efficiently as always, giving a quick call to all his supervisors to let them know where certain files were located. He answered a few calls, none of them personal, which made him look like the workaholic he was. All the while, he was planning on how to corner Neji and have a chat with him. To be honest, he would have been happy never crossing paths with the man ever again, but Naruto had been progressively getting worse and he needed to know what Neji had done or said to him. If things were worse that what Naruto had claimed, he wasn't sure what he would do but he would do something.
Sasuke glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time for Neji to head out. Being one of the supervisors, Neji usually had the earliest shift. His uncle took the later shifts, unable to get up early and preferring to deal with making sure everything was done rather than started.
Sasuke picked up the one file that he could have just forwarded to Neji but opted to personally hand it to him. He walked to Neji's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," he heard the man say.
Trying to hold back a smirk of arrogant confidence, Sasuke stepped in. He watched as Neji finished up the phone call he was on and turn to look at him, eyes widening in surprise.
"Uh... Uchiha," the man said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Mr. Hyuuga." Sasuke's response was cool. He closed the door to the office and walked to Neji's desk, placing the folder on it. "May we talk about something, Hyuuga?"
"I suggest you make an appointment..."
"It really won't take long, sir. Of course, I suppose I could go to your uncle but..."
"My uncle knows," Neji spat out.
It was Sasuke's turn to be surprised. "Pardon?"
"I'm transferring to my cousin's branch. So if it's about business, you really should make an appointment and talk to whoever is taking over from me."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why the sudden transfer? What did you tell your uncle?"
"Just that I tried getting intimate with 'your wife.' I blamed alcohol and I said that I was embarrassed by my behavior and thought it prudent to distance myself."
Well, this was going a bit easier that what Sasuke thought it would, but it still didn't answer his questions.
"Just what did happen between you and Naruto?" Sasuke asked, becoming more suspicious.
"Nothing. At least nothing that would have left him damaged," Neji responded. He gathered some paper work on his desk and arranged it into a small stack. His eyes shifted to one side of Sasuke and then he quickly looked back down. "I did push him around and threaten him, I'll admit. But he refused either way. And then..."
"Then what?"
"Nothing. You came in. End of story."
Sasuke felt frustrated. "No, something else happened. What was it?"
"I said nothing," Neji repeated, looking irritated. "Now if you don't mind, I am going home. May I suggest thought, that you don't leave Naruto alone for too long."
"Why would you care?"
Neji looked at him. "You haven't seen it, have you?" he asked.
Sasuke stared at him.
"Then there's not point talking to you about it."
Neji walked past Sasuke and out the door, leaving Sasuke fuming in solitude. Neji continued down the hall, walking further away from the man who owned the blond he had wanted. Glancing back he felt the hair on the back of his neck raise as he observed a shadowy figure stand by his office door. It wavered for a bit and then disappeared. He turned away and continued walking, hoping that once he left the area he would no longer be plagued by the mysterious figure. At the same time he could only hope that both Sasuke and Naruto would be okay in that house. Despite his earlier intentions, he wouldn't wish that supernatural visitor on anyone.
X
With trembling hands, Naruto continued looking at Kushina's diary, trying to ignore the movement he kept seeing in the corner of his eyes, almost as if something was coaxing him into trying to look at it directly. To be honest, he wasn't too fond of continuing the diary, but it was the only thing he had at hand to distract him. Not to mention, he almost felt obligated to finish it. He trembled as he felt the spot next to him on the sofa dip, but he did his best to ignore it. He also avoiding looking at the clock, not wanting to know how long he had left till Sasuke came home. Not that it really mattered. As each day passed by, Sasuke grew more and more sullen, snapping easily. But he was still company and Naruto didn't feel as scared. He just wished Sasuke believed him when he commented that he kept seeing things.
A few times he could have sworn Sasuke saw something too, judging by how he stiffened when looking in the same direction as Naruto, but then he acted like he had seen nothing. It was driving Naruto mad. If Sasuke refused to acknowledge he had scene such stuff, then how was Naruto suppose to be certain that he wasn't imagining things?
Naruto focused on the page in front of him and did his best to get lost in it.
April 24
Dear Diary,
Everything is so wrong. I was jealous of the my brother for a long time, but it has been confirmed that I was the fool. I was never really loved. I am just a novelty -- A doll to dress up and treat so daintily. No, that's not completely true. I was jealous of Rey because he is real compared to me. Everything about him is his true self. I am nothing like him at all. I watch him live his life, ignoring the pain that he goes through. But I can no longer ignore it because whatever affects him affects me as well. I can feel his pain and my love for Sai can no longer hold back that pain. My husband truly is a wretched man. I feel it more sitting in this room, looking at his wretched hobby. I wonder why he started with taxidermy. All those innocent animals. They do their part in providing us food, but why should they exist forever as decoration on his walls? Their eyes make my nerves quiver. My brother grows desperate, and I know of his plans. His apprenticeship is far from over, but his need to escape is great. It won't be long now. And even though I would like to stay with Sai, wherever Rey goes, I must follow. With my duty torn between the two, I can only hope for the best.
May 6
Dear Diary,
My heart aches. Once again I am left without a doubt of whom Sai truly desires. I had some reason for my jealously, but at the same time, undeserved. Rey use to be such a happy person. The unwanted attention Sai has been given on him is breaking him. But he is too scared to take matters into his own hand. Maybe I should do something for him. Without me, nothing will tie him to this place. Tonight will be my last night on this earth. I will make sure that my end will be beautiful. I will dress in my best gown so that I may be nothing but a pretty flower floating in the water. Rey will be free.
May 11
Dear Diary,
I failed, that is obvious. Sai found me in time and nursed me back to health. These past few days Sai has treated us both so kindly. Back when I first found myself married with Sai, I would have found his tender care incredibly endearing. At this time, however, I find myself hating the man as poor Rey is confused. I know what he feels. He feels so alone and abandoned with no one but Sai to care for him. Despite the fact that I could not exist without Rey, in reverse it is not true. Rey could certainly live without me. I tried to help Rey. It now depends all on Rey himself. He needs to leave Sai and begin his life anew.
June 17
Dear Diary,
I have seen evidence of Rey preparing for his escape. He is being clever. He prepares each time Sai is involved with clients. But I wonder if Sai suspects something, as he has been cancelling time with his clients under the pretense of spending time with either me or Rey. It makes Rey nervous. And although I mourn I have to hope that Rey saves himself. Little by little his soul is being destroyed. I am proof of that.
June 25
Dear Diary,
Tonight is the night. Sai is suppose to spending time with some new clients. A dinner party. Rey is staying here to finish some paper work. He will start working on that, and once Sai leaves, I'm sure Rey will finally break free of it, leaving me behind to fade away. But that is okay. I am resolved to do the right thing. My love for Rey is stronger than Sai.
Naruto sighed and flipped over to the next page. It was blank, as well as the rest of the book. Naruto felt as if his heart was broken. Something had happened to the Hatake siblings, and it seemed that Kushina met her end. But what of Rey? It was pretty obvious from Kushina's side that Sai had showed unwanted attention towards her brother. He hoped that Kakashi would be back soon so that he could find out Rey's side of things.
Naruto set the book down and stood up to stretch. As he raised his arms over his head, he felt something run up both sides of his ribs. Naruto dropped both arm and stumbled back into the chair he was sitting in. He tried to scramble back up and felt something push him back, pinning him down. "Help me, someone help me," he whispered as he felt a strange pressure building in his groin. He looked down in horror. There was no mistaking the feeling he was having. It felt similar to when Sasuke gave him a blow job, only cold. His breath caught in the back of the throat, unable to believe what he was feeling. And to his mortification, his body was reacting. Naruto could only gasp as the pressure continued moving in rhythm up and down his elongating shaft. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his body trembled and that common ache began to build.
"Stop, please stop," he whispered as the movement seemed to increase in speed.
"Sai, stop!" Naruto pleaded with a whimper, taking a chance as to whom the ghost or spirit was.
The pressure stopped for a moment, and then Naruto found himself unable to breathe as he heard "Say my name again," whispered into his ears.
The pressure started up again and Naruto could only gasp. Moments later, Naruto shuddered as the front of his pants became dark and moist.
Then the weight and pressure was gone, leaving Naruto free to move and breathe.
X
Sasuke stepped into the hallway, feeling wiped out. With Neji gone from the company, his paperwork increased as his position rose once more. Work was almost nonstop. However, back at home, Naruto was also wearing him out with the constant vigilance. Not only were those black outs increasing, but Naruto had started jumping at almost every little thing, swearing that something was watching him or touching him. It was getting on Sasuke's nerves. He had started researching psychiatric doctors, but he didn't trust any of them. He wanted to make sure that whichever doctor he hired wasn't going to take Naruto away to have him committed.
He looked up at the drawing in the hallway, scowling in displeasure. Lately, in his blackouts, Naruto would murmur the names of these people, sometimes speaking out in sentences as if he were speaking to one of them. And he still hated the picture when he looked at it. As time progressed, the more Naruto paid attention to the damn portrait, the more he hated it. Sometimes he wanted to rip the damn thing off the wall and burn it. He especially hated the haughty look in Sai's face. Every time he looked upon it, he couldn't stand it, and he didn't know why.
Then there were the weird shadows he would sometimes catch a glimpse of. It unnerved him, but he couldn't be sure if it was all in his head. Which if that was the case, he would force himself to ignore it. He couldn't also be going crazy. If he did, then he and Naruto would definitely be separated. It would be best to act as if he didn't see it, and convince Naruto that nothing was there. Or try to be emotionally supportive. But that was a bit harder. Not because it wasn't Sasuke's nature, not true at all, for he had been able to make Naruto stay by his side. It was harder because the only time Sasuke tried, Naruto latched on to him asking him if he believed him. Sasuke didn't want to feed both their belief of something crazy going on. He needed to be firm. He needed to be solid.
A scraping sound was heard from upstairs, followed by a thump and a cry of terror. Sasuke froze as he looked towards the staircase.
X
Kakashi wiped his eyes as he made his reservations. In three days time he would be flying back to his hometown. Everything was taken care of. And when he got back home, he knew he would have to make time to speak with Naruto about the things he learned, from both Rey's journal, and his grandfather's newsclippings.
X
Sasuke snapped out of his paralysis as Naruto came running down the stairs, eyes wide in terror.
"What is going on?" Sasuke demanded, catching Naruto by the arms.
"He's everywhere! He's touching me! Everywhere I go he's lurking in the corner waiting for me!" Naruto babbled on, hysterical.
Sasuke sighed and gritted his teeth. "Naruto, it's only in your head. Nothing is up there. Whatever you think you're seeing or feeling is not real."
"No, no, no... it is! Please, believe me!"
Sasuke was tempted to acknowledge that he thought he had seen something, but glancing at the portrait and the way Mr. Sai Utamaki seemed to be taunting him with a faint smile angered Sasuke. "Snap out of it! There is no one here to touch you. And no danger of it anymore. Neji is going away. What he almost did to you will be a thing of the past..."
"Neji? Who gives a rat's ass about Neji?! Sai! Sai's ghost is here! He's the one that I've been seeing, I'm sure of it! He's everywhere!"
Sasuke realized he was wrong about his hatred of the portrait. His temper flared even more as he thought about how much he loathed the thing. "There are no such things as ghosts! It's in your head!"
"No it's not!" Naruto's hysteria turned to anger and frustration, almost rivaling Sasuke's.
"Look, I should have let you go out a bit more often. You're surrounded by nothing but pictures of Sai and these other two, it's no wonder you're coming up with some weird ass imaginary friends..."
"Friends?! He's touching me in ways I don't want to be touched!"
"Touching you?" Sasuke's tone dropped into icy levels. Was Naruto fantasizing about someone else touching him and trying to deny it by claiming that it was ? That was unacceptable. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure! I can feel his damn cold fingers or something!"
"I'm talking about not wanting to be touched."
"What?" Naruto stared at him in hurt confusion. "I... I don't like it. It's scary, Sasuke. I'm being touched by something I can't see and I don't like it."
"So if you could see it, you would like it?"
"Wh... what?! No! Sasuke, are you even listening to me? There is something in this house!!"
"Is there really?" A sudden thought crossed Sasuke's mind... something that would make all of this easier to explain. "Or are you just seeking my attention?" Sasuke lunged forward, pinning Naruto to the wall.
Naruto stared up at him with wide blue eyes. "Huh?"
"You're trying to make me jealous of a nonexistent ghost. It's cute, but annoying. You have no need for that."
"I'm not..." Naruto's voice was silenced by Sasuke trapping his lips and giving him a hungry filled kiss. "Mmph!"
Sasuke pulled away, lust filling his eyes. "You didn't have to go that far."
"No... I wasn't... ngh!"
Sasuke's hand reached into his pants.
"You're already sticky and wet. Did you have a pleasant dream?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Was it of me? Or of Sai," Sasuke spat out, suddenly feeling angry again. Maybe Naruto wasn't trying to get his attention.
"Sasuke..." Naruto whimpered as Sasuke expertly handled him. His body reacted faster to the warmth than the cold feeling that had happened in his room. Sasuke caught his mouth again, and with impatient hands began to yank Naruto's clothes off of him.
"Sasuke, not here," Naruto pleaded as Sasuke pushed him to the ground. Naruto's eyes wandered up to the portrait, and he shuddered at the sight. Sai's face, despite the faint smirk, looked like he was seething in quiet anger. "Sasuke, please not here."
"It's my fucking house," Sasuke growled, before attacking Naruto's neck, nipping it and intentionally leaving bruises. "I can do it wherever I want to."
"No, not in front of them!"
Sasuke stopped and looked at Naruto, momentarily confused. He then followed Naruto's line of sight and saw that he was looking up at the portrait.
"Son of a bitch! I should have never let you put that on the fucking wall!"
Sasuke scrambled up and grabbed one of the flower vases that Naruto had started keeping on the table by the stairs.
"Sasuke? Sasuke, what are you doing?"
Sasuke hurled the vase at the painting, sending pieces shattering and water cascading down the surface.
"Sasuke, what have you done?!" Naruto cried, seeing the paint on Kushina begin to run. He scrambled up as well and grabbed at Sasuke, only to be thrown against the ground. Sasuke's eyes glared down at him, and Naruto felt fear. The look could only be described as murderous.
Sasuke mounted himself on top of Naruto's stomach, one hand going to Naruto's throat and giving him a threatening squeeze.
"It's nothing but a fucking painting! A painting of some people that died long ago! There's no reason for you to be fantasizing about them, not while you're living in the present with me!"
Sasuke captured Naruto's lips once more as the rest of his clothing was torn off.
As Sasuke's lips moved to Naruto's neck, Naruto glanced at the painting once more. While the color of the hair and dress began to trickle down the wooden canvas, the face stayed somewhat untouched. Water dripped down as if they were tears.
Naruto hissed as he felt Sasuke shove a dry finger into him, a hurtful way of preparing him. Despite his fear of earlier, Naruto tried to block out what was going to happen. He didn't want to believe that Sasuke would force him again after promising not to hurt him not too long ago. Of course when Sasuke was sober, even when naruto was not in the mood for it, Sasuke would make him orgasm. And even though the thought of his body reaching pleasure sounded wonderful, Naruto had to admit that he could do without the sex, rough or gentle. A possessive Sasuke left him extremely sore the following day. A gentle Sasuke left his body overly sensitive. But it seemed to be the only way Sasuke could express his love for him, although Naruto wished there were another way. In fact, the only time Naruto felt any sort of comfort and peace was when Sasuke just held him, no sex needed.
Much too soon, Sasuke added a second and third finger, trying to widen Naruto's hole much too fast. And just as quickly, he thrust himself into Naruto, causing the blond man to cry out, his body already quaking in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Sasuke pounded into him, the slapping sounds of their flesh echoing in the hallway. Teeth continued to bite into tan flesh, marking territory. Naruto whimpered in pain and cried out when his body trembled in physical pleasure. Naruto came spurting first between the two, followed closely by Sasuke as he spilled deep into him. Naruto's eyes rolled back and he passed out, his body worn out from his pounding heart, overworked from fear, anger, and then sexually physical stimulation.
Sasuke breathed heavily as he came down from his rush of possessing the blond. He lay on top of the man, closing his eyes for a moment as he recalled when he first had taken Naruto, back in college. He opened his eyes and pulled up from him. Settling on his side, Sasuke ran his fingers down Naruto's face, tracing his jawline and then his lips. Then he glanced up at the portrait of Sai and his wife. Sasuke could have sworn that the damn thing was glaring at him. But he didn't care. Not really. Well, maybe just a bit. Actually, he felt himself getting pissed again when he realized that only the paint on the woman was running. Sai was untouched.
Sasuke stood up and picked up Naruto, carrying him into the living room and placed him on the couch. Grabbing a throw that was folded over the back part of the couch, he unfolded it and placed it over Naruto. He then went to the wine cabinet and poured himself a cup of brandy from a bottle that was pushed to the very back. He drank one full glass before pouring himself another. He stepped back into the hallway and looked at the portrait.
"Fantasy or not," Sasuke muttered. "You can't have him. Ever since he found you that's all he's ever thought about. What you guys did, who you were... no more. You're nothing but a damn painting of dead people. You have no reason to be in anyone's thoughts now. But here's a toast to you, either way." Sasuke threw back his head and chugged down the alcohol. He threw the empty cup on the ground.
Then he realized just how bad the painting was bubbling off the surface on the painting. Even though he hated it, Naruto did have some strange attachment to the thing. After what had transpired, he knew he needed to get it fixed or Naruto really was going to blow a gasket.
"Mother fucker, even now you cause me nothing but trouble," Sasuke swore softly as he reached up and yanked the portrait down, dropping it. It clattered, and the corner of the frame shattered. "Shit!"
He wrestled the painting out of the hallway and toward the front door. One of Hyuuga's clients was a curator at an art museum. Surely he would know someone who could take care of this painting.
Sasuke managed to get it into his car without damaging the frame any further. And he took a perverse delight in slamming the hood over Sai's smug face.
Then he went back into the house and got dressed.
As he came out of the room, he paused in surprise at the sight of Naruto at the top of stairs, staring down. A suitcase was in his hand and he was wearing an old fashioned looking coat. A look of fear crossed Naruto's face and he began to run down the stairs.
"Naruto? Wait!" Sasuke ran after him and stopped.
Naruto lay at the bottom of the stairs in a crumpled heap.
"Naruto!"
Or at least Sasuke thought he had seen Naruto there.
"Naruto?"
There was nothing there.
Sasuke slowly made his way down the stairs, feeling extremely cold. He looked around, trying to figure out where the draft was coming from. He cautiously headed to the living room.
He was startled to find Naruto sitting up at him, glaring at , in the same state of undress that he had left him in.
"Naruto?"
"You're just like him. You take without caring about how I feel about it. How he feels about it. You disgusting bastard."
"Excuse me?!" Sasuke stared at Naruto, momentarily stunned.
"You claim love, but your actions speak of only possession."
"Naruto, this isn't funny at all," Sasuke growled.
"You never took into consideration his... my... feelings. My fears. Isolating me from the world."
"You would have run off," Sasuke hissed. "You would have left me behind and I can't allow that." Sasuke reached for Naruto, feeling his anger increase when the man flinched backwards, no longer looking angry but scared.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin tightly. "Stop testing my patience, Naruto. Never question how much I feel for you. I gave up everything dealing with my family to have you by my side, remember?!"
"Sasuke?"
Naruto was looking up at him with confused eyes. "When have I... you know I know how much you... need me. What did I say to make you think otherwise?"
Sasuke let him go and stepped back. "Just go to sleep." It was getting worse. Not only was Naruto switching personalities at random, but now even he was imagining ghastly sights. The split second he thought Naruto was at the base of the stairs made his heart lurch. A thin layer of sweat formed on his brow.
"What? Why?" Naruto's eyes widened. "The painting!"
Naruto threw off his covering, got up and ran out of the room. Sasuke took a deep breath and marched out as well, grabbing the discarded throw as he went by it.
"What did you do to it?!" Naruto cried out, turning around and hitting Sasuke's chest. "Why did you throw water at it like that?! That has historical value to this house, asshole! How could you! Where is it?"
Naruto's ramblings were caught off by a sharp slap across his face. His hand covered his reddening cheek as he stared at Sasuke in shock.
"Go upstairs and go to sleep," Sasuke stated, gritting his teeth. "I'll go see who can fix the damn painting. But calm the fuck down and go upstairs, understand?" Sasuke then draped the throw over Naruto's shoulders, his eyes steely, jaw clenched, but hands caressing him gently.
Naruto slowly nodded, grasping the throw with both hands. He began to climb up the stairs without a word.
Sasuke watched him go up, then turned and walked out of the house.
X
Naruto waited for a couple hours before he got up from their bed. His body began to tremble in fury at the thought of how Sasuke had forced him to have sex yet again and then slapped him like he was some damn hysterical woman in a soap opera. He wasn't sure if he could take the hot and cold personality of Sasuke any longer. He quickly got dressed in jeans and a shirt before he pulled out one of Sasuke's duffel bags and began stuffing random articles of clothes into it.
"No more," Naruto growled. "I can't handle his mood swings and I can't handle this house. I am out. I don't care where, I don't care how... I am gone!" Naruto zipped up the bag and picked it up. He walked quickly to the door and opened it.
The door handle pulled from his hand as the door slammed shut.
Naruto stared at it, feeling the palm of his hands begin to sweat and his throat become dry.
With a trembling hand, Naruto grasped the handle, turned it, and slowly pulled the door open.
The handle was yanked out of his hand as the door slammed shut once more.
Naruto cried out and stumbled back. Just as he regained his balance, he felt the duffel bag being torn out of his grasp. He watched in horror as the bag sailed across the room, knocking over the bedside's table lamp.
Something hot slammed into him, bringing him down hard into the ground.
Naruto could smell something foul , like rotten eggs, as he tried to fight his unseen attacker. "No! Oh my God, help!" He could hear something chuckling as scorching hot hands ran up and down his sides and chest. "Somebody! Help!" Naruto gasped as another sensation painfully overwhelm his nerves. Sasuke had hurt him. This thing was torturing him. Tears flooded his eyes as he swore he could feel something large and hot entering him. Even though he had wanted to leave him, Naruto could only think of the one person who had been with him these past five years. "Sasuke!! Help me!!"
X
Sasuke nursed his drink, sitting at a booth for once instead of the counter, hiding away from the stupid whores who always sought him out. Despite how bad he felt, his body was still somewhat sated from fucking Naruto, and since he didn't have time to wash up, he really didn't want some girl licking Naruto's essence off of him. He had given the painting to Gai Maito, a horrendously flamboyantly dressed man who was well known in town for his passion of the arts. Sasuke dealt with the man shedding such unmanly tears over the destruction of the painting, asking him if there was a way to fix it. He was somewhat surprised when Gai stopped crying and asked him how did he want if fixed.
"What do you mean?"
"Would you like the original painting restored or do you want the addition restored?"
"What?"
Gai pointed out that the woman was an obvious addition as the material had to be composited differently. That was the only reason to explain why only her image was running and not Sai's. Curiosity got the better of Sasuke. "The original," he replied.
"Give me two days. I stake my reputation on it!" Sasuke tried not to roll his eyes as the man gave him a great big smile and a thumbs up.
Instead of heading home, Sasuke decided to hit the bar.
And so there he was, one hour later, well on his way to getting plastered.
Sasuke finished his drink and pushed the empty cup away. He then turned to look for his server and was caught by surprise when someone slid into his booth, directly across from him.
Sasuke wondered if he was drunk to the point of hallucinating.
"I...itachi?"
"Hello, little brother."
"Wh...what are you doing here?"
"Been spying, asking around. Trying to see if you've come to your senses."
Sasuke flushed in anger. "Senses? I'm gay!" he hissed. "I'm programmed that way. It's not some fucking phase I'm going through!"
"I don't mean that."
"Then what are you talking about?"
"The real reason why the family kicked you out, little brother. Naruto. We found out some interesting things. The most important one being... the way you chained him to you. What you did was illegal in so many ways."
TBC...