Yes I have returned, because I was inspired by reading my stories...I've fallen back into an intense love of SasuNaru and decided to work on Shattered more.
So it's long and some parts are boring, but I'm just getting back in and even boring parts are important parts.
Enjoy...
WARNINGS: cutting
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used in this story...ENJOY THE STORY SASUNARU LOVERS
Naruto sat straight up in a cold sweat. The nightmare which had been tormenting him finally broken, he looked around panting, momentarily afraid, he didn't recognize the house he was in. Wildly looking around his eyes caught on a small picture on the table beside the couch he had been asleep on. It was simple portrait of Sasuke, a close picture of his chest and upwards, he wasn't smiling or showing an expression at all on his face, but for some reason as soon as Naruto laid eyes on the picture he just stopped and calmed down almost instantly.
The memories came back to him, foggily at first, but he involuntarily shivered when he remembered the two hours he spent sitting in the freezing rain. He glanced around at his surroundings, the windows were shut tight, the drapes pulled over them to keep the light from the room. The fireplace was nearly empty, it had apparently been burning all night long and all that remained was a pile of coals.
The fox blinked a few times trying to wake up his whole body, he went to rise from the couch and realized that there had to be at least five blankets on top of his body, if he remembered correctly when he had dozed off he was only covered by one.
Sasuke has really gone through a lot to make me comfortable…Naruto thought slowly. He pushed off the comfy couch and rubbed his bare feet in the carpet, loving the feel of the rich fabric on his feet, Naruto gazed off lost in his own thoughts and unknowingly started tracing the cuts on his arm.
He was jarred out of his daze when he heard pounding on the stairs behind him. Quickly pushing his sleeve back down on his arm he turned to see Sasuke standing on the bottom stair completely dressed and ready, gazing at him with those deep dark eyes.
"Eh, dobe!" Sasuke nodded his head towards the stairs. "Classes start in twenty minutes, I suggest you get ready."
Naruto blinked once before he leaped off the couch, and dashed towards the stairs his blonde hair matted down on his forehead.
"Bathroom's to the right!" Sasuke shouted after his quickly retreating friend. Naruto responded with a wave of his hand and dashed into the aforementioned bathroom.
Sasuke looked over at the den where Naruto had slept. It was a very obvious wreck, Sasuke groaned as he walked forwards and picked up one of the many pillows that were strewn about the room, He threw them on the couch, and moved to pick up a couple of picture frames and ornaments that had once decorated the rooms and put it up in the appropriate places.
Sasuke frowned as he examined the room once more, Naruto must be a really aggressive sleeper or the foolish man went through an intense nightmare. He turned at the sound of Naruto thundering down the stairs.
Naruto gave him a small grin, he was dressed in his now dry clothes, his hair damp from a very quick shower he had apparently just jumped out of.
"Let's go!"
XX
The drive to the college was a quiet one, Naruto still seemed very withdrawn and defensive, like a wounded animal. Sasuke glanced over at him from time to time, Naruto had gone off into one of those daydreams he had started slipping into a lot recently.
Sasuke had decided not to bother Naruto with his strange story about WHY the kitsune sat outside his house in the freezing rain and what exactly was happening to his apartment…there were a lot of unanswered and unexplained questions reeling in Sasuke's head. But he knew that if he were in Naruto's position, he would want the fox to believe him as well. Whether it was a lie or not.
Sasuke shook himself and pulled into a parking space in front of the side entrance to the school. Naruto looked up suddenly, brought back to the real world by the sudden stop of the car. Sasuke opened the door after taking out his keys and gathered his things.
"Why are we at this entrance?" Naruto questioned.
"Hn, we're almost twenty minutes late to class, if you want to be caught by that Tsnuade you be my guest…" Sasuke muttered. The mention of the President of the College sent Naruto into motion, even as bad as Naruto felt he didn't want to end up in the hospital with a crushing injury from the surprisingly strong Tsnuade.
The two of them slipped in the side entrance and quietly padded down the empty hallway. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, hindering the boy to go forwards and nodded to the door on their left. It was big wooden door with a small glass window looking into their Physics 1 class. The door opened into the back of the room, and if timed right they could slip into the backseats of the class and avoid Master Haku, the new professor.
They peered through the window watching and waiting until the tall man turned to the large black board to scribble words with the white chalk, Sasuke silently swung the door open and ushered Naruto in, before carefully closing the door and taking a seat, Sasuke swiftly pulled his book open and looked down at it, knowing that the gaze of the professor had turned to them.
"Naruto Uzumaki," came the sharp call. Sasuke tensed and looked up as Naruto was called by the professor.
"Hai, Professor," Naruto said almost in a mono-tone voice. The Professor gazed at him harshly.
"Where is your Physics book?" he demanded. "Uzumaki, I'm tired of the misbehavior and stupid stunts and irresponsibility that you bring to my class. Now where is your text book?" Naruto looked down, fingering his jeans nervously.
"I-I left…I left my stuff back in my apartment," he finally muttered realizing every eye of the 50 students in the class were on him.
"I see…" the Professor said haughtily. "Such behavior is intolerable and unacceptable in my class."
"But-"
"No excuses!" The Professor held up his hand, cutting Naruto off. "You've pushed and pushed too far, and now-"
"He's been using mine," Sasuke cut in suddenly, his voice piercing through the room. There was a few moments of breathless silence as everyone turned to look at Sasuke. Sasuke…sticking up for someone? Other than himself? Sasuke was surprised himself but he didn't loose his pierce eye contact with the professor.
"He's learning and listening so their shouldn't be a problem," Sasuke said dangerously. The professor looked as if he had something to say, but closed his mouth and begrudgingly finished the lesson, and Sasuke could almost hear the release of Naruto's breath. The class dragged on for another hour, and finally the Professor released them of his class.
Sasuke stood instantly striding out the same door they had come in, Naruto scrambling to catch up with him. Naruto followed him down the hallway, nearly jogging to catch up with the raven's strides.
"Hey!" Naruto called after him. "Hey! Sasuke!" Sasuke finally slowed and Naruto walked beside him. "Why'd you stick up for me?" He demanded. It had been a long time since anyone had done anything for Naruto, and Naruto needed to know why. Sasuke cut him a glance.
"That hack professor was trying to make an example out of you. To establish a reputation with the other students," Sasuke shrugged carelessly, "I couldn't let you be taken advantage of like that." Naruto stopped and bit his lip, but Sasuke kept going. Forcing himself to catch up with Sasuke Naruto hesitated to ask.
"Why not?" Naruto gazed suspiciously at Sasuke, forcing down the small glimmer of hope in his heart, while he waited for an answer. Sasuke looked at him funnily, but didn't answer him.
"That Professor made a good point though," Sasuke said looking directly the blonde male. "You need to get your stuff before it's too late. I'll drive you there," Sasuke turned and plunged his hand into his pocket to search for his keys. Naruto leaped suddenly into action, what Sasuke said alarmed him.
"NO!" he shouted a little too forcefully.
He couldn't let Sasuke go to his apartment…and see what? That he'd been raped? The mirror stained with his blood? Not to mention that his apartment complex could be a beacon for the lowest place any beggar could live. He would rather die before looking at Sasuke's face after he learned the truth. Sasuke turned to him in surprise.
"What?" he asked. Naruto fumbled for words.
"I…I don't have a key!" he shouted his brain churning to grind out a story .
"So we'll break it down, or just break in. It's not that hard," Sasuke shrugged moving towards his car again. Naruto panicked, and sudden pain started from his arm and his head became hot at the pure concept of Sasuke going to the wretched place Naruto called home. Moving fast he dashed in front of Sasuke, stopping his movements.
"It's my house!" Naruto protested thinking wildly, his eyes becoming feverish. "I can go talk to my landlord, he'll give me a key. I can go myself, I don't have classes anymore and you do!" Naruto tried to give an impish grin as he lied flat out. The lie worked, but the grin failed. Sasuke looked Naruto up and down.
Is this another stupid pride thing with Naruto? Does he not want me to see where he lives? Sasuke thought of his mansion they had just come from and eased off a little bit. He was sure that put pressure on an idiot like Naruto. But he wasn't going to give up so easily, this was still strange.
"If you can get the key, I'll go with you and we'll bring it back to my place," Sasuke said almost bored and irritated that Naruto was acting so enigmatically. Naruto couldn't fight back the burst of impatience, fear and ultimately panic. As Sasuke brushed by him, Naruto griped his arm and pulled him back.
"Stop!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in shock as Naruto fought to calm down. "Please just let me do this," Naruto muttered in a low tone. Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, finally surrendering to the secretive fox.
"How will you get there?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto smiled a very very small smile briefly.
"I was going to meet Shikamaru anyways, I'll get him to drop me off…" Naruto offered. Sasuke glanced at him, a little hurt. So he trusts Shikamaru, but not him? Or was it, once again, that Shikamaru didn't own a huge mansion? Sasuke let out a familiar "Hn" and started back towards the college. Naruto waved half heartedly.
"Have fun at classes!" he shouted after Sasuke who gave no reply.
After Sasuke disappeared Naruto sank to his knees on the sidewalk breathing hard. Why was he so concerned with what Sasuke thought about him? Did it really matter? Naruto shook his head.
"Damn it," Naruto muttered out loud, "I'll be missing a stupid History test…" Naruto walked off, continuing down the sidewalk. His hands in his jean pockets, head down watching his tattered shoes as they took one step after another.
Naruto must have walked for 40 minutes straight as he made his way down to the small rusty shelter that served as a bus station. He walked past the sagging bench that some poor hobo had made his bed (in the middle of the day) and leaned against the rusted poles, enjoying the small pricks that he peeling metal gave his skin through his thin shirt.
Naruto closed his eyes and thought back on the past couple of days. That horrible day when he came home to be assaulted, and the mirror…His mirror. The mirror that symbolized his life…a pathetic, fragile, worthless, and shattered…all that remained were worthless pieces of his life.
The bus pulled up slowly and the doors swung open with a loud creaking sound. It was empty, actually, except for the shady and dirty man driving the bus. Naruto dropped his coin into the old tin can for payment and sat down in the back of the bus. He laid back on the hard cushion and stared blankly out the window as the bus drove down the road.
He sat on the bus for a good half hour before he got off at the last station. Naruto glanced up at the sky, he had about an hour before it got dark, and Naruto didn't want to be back out in the dark near that place he called home. Naruto shuffled past the broken down gate and into the parking lot on the farthest side of the complex.
Naruto took a deep breath as he gazed up at the rusty stair case that led to his apartment. Shuddering involuntarily he made his way slowly up the stairs and stopped in front of his door. Wiggling the door, he remembered that he locked it behind him, and his keys were locked inside his piece of crap car.
Screw this, Naruto dug into his pockets and pulled out a small paperclip, bending it hurriedly, Naruto forced it into the lock and forced the door to unlock. It swung open by itself, and Naruto looked in disgust at the paperclip in his hand.
What protection, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone got me. Naruto walked slowly into the dark and destroyed apartment. It smelled awful, but it was familiar smell. The signs of his rape still were evident all around him as Naruto made his way into his bedroom.
He grabbed a small plastic bag and opened his nearly empty drawers, pulling out all the clothes in there, which consisted of two shirts, one pair of shorts and three pairs of underwear. He stuffed it wearily in his bag and glanced around the room. He didn't want anything else, nothing to remind him of this place. And any valuables he had were stolen long ago when he first moved in to this dump. Naruto walked out of the bedroom and headed towards the door, he didn't want to be in the apartment longer then he had to be.
On the way out the door Naruto kicked something and sent it skidding across the floor. Bending down to see what it was, the last glimmers of sunlight shimmered on the unstained shard of glass. Picking it up, Naruto cut his finger, and a small amount of ruby red blood slowly oozed from his finger. Once again fixated Naruto stared at the blood slowly drooling down his finger in fixation. Suddenly turning Naruto saw that he had walked past his mirror. His puzzle of red shards.
Naruto carefully walked to the puzzled and sank beside it, dropping the bag of clothes. Rolling his arm up, Naruto stared at the faint scars and upraised skin that littered his arm. Smiling mistily Naruto slid the unmarred shard across his forearm slowly, feeling the sudden rush of pain, that reminded Naruto he was alive…and always temporarily removed that never ending dull of pain that harbored in his heart.
Slice after slice Naruto watched as the glass turned slowly red, almost in a trance he continued until finally the glass was completely stained. Stopping for a moment Naruto placed the shard into its place in his "puzzle" and noticed the pool of blood where had been cutting himself. Then glancing up at the windows realized it was completely dark now, and he knew all to well the things that could happen to him. Why didn't he just let Sasuke drive him here?
The thought of Sasuke jarred Naruto out of his motionless state. Naruto cursed and leapt from his place on the floor and struggled into the bathroom washing the blood off his arms and hurriedly covering it with his sleeve. He nearly ran to grab his bag of clothes, not stopping a moment as he hurried down the stairs and back out onto the streets, nearly killing himself in the rush.
Naruto sighed and started his wary walk back to the bus station.
XX
Sasuke glanced around the room in satisfaction. He didn't have any available bedrooms for Naruto to use, so he had transformed the den into a livable area while Naruto was gone. Sasuke looked out the window for the fiftieth time and frowned into the darkness. He turned hurriedly and walked into the kitchen.
Stop worrying about him you idiot, he chided himself. He's 20 year old guy he can take care of himself…can't he? Sasuke rearranged the new food he had bought on his way back from class, he didn't have enough food for himself much less Naruto, who ate like a starving pig. Bored once again, Sasuke rested his head on his palms, leaning on the counter, waiting for Naruto. Which he was disgusted to realize he was doing.
Thinking of food again, Sasuke grabbed a couple of vegetables and box of noodles, and set water to boil. He might as well make the irresponsible dobe some food while he waited. Sasuke continued to glance out the window as he worked, waiting for the headlights of Shikamaru's car and for Naruto to come home. The sudden sound of the door opening sent Sasuke into a defensive wary state, gripping the knife he was using to cut the vegetables in an attack position, he shifted his weight ready for whoever had come in.
Naruto rounded the corner, looking awful. He was dirty and obviously worn out. His blonde hair was tasseled by the wind and he was moving very slowly. Naruto looked Sasuke up and down, who instantly scowled at the blonde boy and went back to slicing the vegetables and adding them to the pot of noodles and water.
Naruto gazed at Sasuke cooking, trying to ignore the instant protests of his empty stomach. Sasuke cut him a look and poured the homemade noodles into a bowl and set it on the corner, it smelled delicious and steamed temptingly and try as he might Naruto couldn't keep his eyes off of it. Sasuke set chopsticks down on the counter and waited expectantly.
Naruto glanced at him in surprise. Sasuke rolled his eyes and pointed to the food.
"Are you hungry or not?" He demanded gruffly. Naruto nodded quickly and sat down quickly, instantly attacking the food. Sasuke, amused as first, was surprised as concerned feelings surfaced when he noticed how hungry Naruto was. Hurriedly pushing those feelings back down, he wiped his hands and started cleaning the kitchen.
"So, what happened with Shikamaru?" Sasuke spoke while he worked, listening intently. Naruto glanced up at Sasuke, but didn't stop slurping the food down.
" What do you mean?" Naruto said while eating. Sasuke looked at him again.
"Shikamaru didn't drive you back here, did something happen?" he said calmly. Naruto didn't stop eating but his eyes went to his bowl. He didn't answer until he finally finish, still hungry but grateful he had something on his stomach. He wiped his mouth, stalling for time.
"Oh yeah, he was having some personal issues with a friend," Naruto said quickly. "I told him he could leave and he dropped me off at the bus station and I rode home." Sasuke looked at him incredously, taking away the empty bowl.
"The closet bus station is almost thirty minutes away from my house," Sasuke pointed out. Naruto shrugged.
"It wasn't a problem, I was fine," Naruto said carelessly. Sasuke looked annoyed and…angry?
"It's not fine," Sasuke snapped, causing surprise in Naruto, "he left you to walk home in the dark? That idiot is so lazy it's ridiculous." Naruto was suddenly reminded that the next day was also a college day and they would be in the same class as Shikamaru. And knowing Sasuke…
"Yeah but it was really bad…but don't say anything about it okay?" Naruto stated looking Sasuke in the eyes with his own crystal blues. "He asked me not to say anything, so please…just drop it? I'm fine." Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't worried about you dobe," Sasuke muttered off-handedly, "I'm just sick of stupid people." Naruto bit his lip and nodded.
"N-no, right, whatever…" Naruto dropped the eye contact fighting the urge to scream at the raven as the feelings of hurt and angst filled his heart once more. "Just leave Shika alone." Sasuke shrugged and replied with 'Hn'. Naruto got up from his seat, suddenly not wanting to face Sasuke any longer.
Naruto entered the den slowly, eyes wide as he glanced around the room. While Naruto was gone Sasuke had pulled in baskets and blankets, set up a desk and lights and other things to make the room more livable. Awed that Sasuke would do that, Naruto shrugged off the unwanted feelings and turned to see Sasuke behind him, picking up the plastic bag Naruto had dropped at the door.
Before Naruto could stop him, Sasuke dumped the meager bag out. Sasuke raised his eyebrows as he shifted through the meager clothes, Naruto felt his face go hot as he watched Sasuke rooted to the floor. Sasuke held up his shirts and looked through the many holes that riddled them. He didn't say anything about the one pair of pants, and went to grab what he thought was another shirt but held up Naruto's boxers instead.
"Nice holes," Sasuke said dryly holding the underwear up to expose the large hole that existed on the back of the black underwear. Naruto flushed.
"It's all I have," Naruto snapped. Sasuke looked at him quickly, and Naruto thought he saw a flash of some strange emotion but only for a second before Sasuke became regular stoic Sasuke once more. Sasuke tossed the clothes to Naruto.
"We're going to get you some new stuff," Sasuke said, making it obvious that the sentence was a statement not a question. Naruto angrily opened his mouth to oppose but Sasuke held up a finger to stop him. "I don't feel like arguing with you Naruto, I'm going to bed. We have classes tomorrow, and I suggest you do that same…dobe." Naruto watched as Sasuke disappeared up the stairs, almost wishing that he'd stay down there with him.
Quickly banishing such thoughts, Naruto stripped slowly, carefully pulling the shirt over his fresh cuts on his arm. He didn't notice the dark figure standing outside the manor, watching as he pulled his jeans off his legs before sliding the clean lounge wear Sasuke had left for him on.
The dark figure watched with interest, grinning with sinister intents before melting in the night, retreating from the Uchiha Manor.
Naruto glanced back towards the stairs, and where Sasuke disappeared before he sank on the couch and pulled the blankets up over his shoulders, mixed feelings whirling through his mind.
_
So Yeah I know it was pretty long and not to exciting, but it's setting up for other chapters and I'm getting into the groove of things again so...yeah.