Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, & angst. This later becomes a BL SasuNaru story, so don't read if you're not a fan of that pairing.
It's All In Your Head
Chapter 7
--
Sasuke fell back, giving the blonde space, but he did follow him. After everything that happened, he'd have to be a monster to just let Naruto go off on his own.
I can still hear you. I know you're following me, the blonde thought, clearly annoyed.
Can you really blame me, Sasuke argued.
If you're gonna follow me, can you at least stay far enough away that you can't read my mind? I need.. time alone with my thoughts.
Naruto, come on.
Sasuke, please!! Naruto's heavy pleading voice shot through his mind, and lodged somewhere deep in his chest. He couldn't help but think about how Naruto had called out for him only moments ago.
Naruto pushed back against the image, not wanting any more reminders of how pitiful he had been. The sound of his own voice crying out for Sasuke like that.. it sickened him.
Will you just stop.. he thought, weakly. I can't take any more of this..
Sasuke didn't respond.
For the love of fucking god, Sasuke! Have a heart!
The Uchiha finally gave a soft sigh and an exasperated, fine.
He slowed his pace and let the blonde get further ahead of him, until he could barely see him in the far distance, until he could no longer hear his voice slipping in and out of his thoughts.
--
Naruto walked to the outskirts of town and then pushed through the dense forest. He moved between the shadows of towering trees as fallen leaves whispered secrets in the wind before crumbling at his feet. Naruto took deep calming breaths as he moved deeper into the woods to find a safe, empty space.
All he wanted was to be alone.
Away from the men who attacked him, and the villagers who looked the other way as his screams echoed down the street.
Away from the person who had to step in and save him when he couldn't save himself.
Once he was sure that he was completely out of sight, and Sasuke's mind was out of reach, Naruto collapsed to the ground and sobbed. The tears poured out of him, beyond his control. He pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, muffling his cries. He couldn't stand the sound of his own weakness, but he couldn't hold back anymore either.
His mind threw him back into his apartment, where the men were leering over him as they forced their way inside. Naruto had tried to run, to perform a jutsu to distract them long enough to slip away, but the man in front grabbed him and pulled his hands apart. Naruto stomped down on his foot, and the man's grip on one of his wrists loosened enough for him to pull free. But his hold on the other did not, rendering Naruto's momentary freedom completely useless.
Naruto screamed as he clawed at the man's hand, trying to get away. He didn't see the fist coming until it was lodged in his gut.
"Nnnnn!" He groaned, his legs buckling. The man grabbed a fistful of hair and bit down on his neck hard. "Ahh!!" Naruto gasped, eyes wide with shock and fear.
Why? Why the hell would he-
The men circled him and dragged him across the room. They threw him down on the bed. Two of them pinned him down as the man from before crawled on top of him.
"No.. d-don't!"
The man looked up at his buddies, a cruel grin stretching across his face. "There's something about the way he begs that really gets me going.."
Someone grabbed his hair again and jerked his head back. Naruto gasped and screwed up his eyes tight against the pain. Someone moved close to his ear- he could feel their warm breath slipping down his neck. Naruto tried to jerk his head to the side, away from him, but the fist in his hair was insistent and kept him still.
"When it's my turn, I'm not stopping until he begs for me to fuck him harder.."
They laughed.
Naruto could taste his stomach in the back of his throat. "I- I won't let you do this to me.." he choked out.
"Heh. You don't really have a choice, jinchuriki. Besides, we all know no one in this town's gonna stop us." His eyes suddenly flared, hatred consuming them. His voice got dangerously low. "And we all know why."
He turned to one of the others. "Tie him down."
Naruto's eyes widened with sheer horror.
No.. no no- How can I stop them?! What can I do?!
A hand slid across his chest and down his stomach, then moved to the waistband of his pants and boxers. The man's fingers crept inside, moving lower.
"NO!! St-stop! LET ME GO!"
A sharp crack echoed through the apartment and for a moment everything stopped. And then the moment was gone, and they kept going. They didn't seem the least bit concerned that someone was attempting to break down the door. They had been interrupted once before- they had no intention of losing their chance again.
They pushed him back against the mattress and wrapped a thick piece of rope around his wrist. A sharp yank and it was brought back down onto the bed.
"No.. no, please- don't do this.."
A hand shot out and covered his mouth. He screamed against the rough palm. Oh my god- he's really going to.. What do I do?! How can I stop them? I can't move!
"Hmmphhh!!" Naruto shrieked behind the man's hand.
No..
Tears flooded his eyes and he slammed them closed as he cried out for the only person who had ever saved him before.
Sasuke!! Help me!
The hands on his body left as a black blur with devilish eyes lunged for the man on top of him. The other two grabbed Naruto's arms as they pulled out more rope. "We're not done with you yet. You're coming with us."
Before Naruto could utter a response, Sasuke was back. He lashed out with ridiculous speed and strength, knocking the guy out before he ever had a chance to do a counterattack. The last one didn't fare any better.
All Naruto could do was stare. All three of his attackers were splayed out on his floor, unconscious, and Sasuke was completely unharmed. He barely even broke a sweat. He had done everything Naruto couldn't, and he did it so easily.
Naruto bit down on his lip.
He was relieved that Sasuke had stopped them, but hated himself for needing him to.
Why am I like this..?
Why can't I be like..
like Sasuke.
Naruto's small frame shook against the memory, fear and shame slamming into him as he relived it all over again. Long golden strands fell forward, hiding the tears that continued to fall one after the other. A sharp sound, like broken glass, slipped from his lips before he could stop it. He could only hope that Sasuke was too far away to hear it.
He didn't know how much Sasuke had heard when he was attacked, how much he had seen in Naruto's mind, but he was sure it was far more than he had ever wanted him to.
He knows.. he knows what they did.
What they wanted to do.
He felt so.. unclean. It was so hard facing Sasuke after that. He was disgusted, with the men and with himself, and unbelievably embarrassed.
I can't believe he saw me like that.
Naruto pulled his body close and buried his face against his knees.
How am I supposed to face him now..?
--
Sasuke tried to be patient, he really did, but there was only so long he could be expected to wait. The Uchiha paced along the edge of the forest, giving the blonde the space he had asked for, but fear was clawing at the back of his mind. He felt incredibly uneasy leaving Naruto alone like this. He didn't know if anyone else was trying to hunt him down- hell, he didn't even know if those assholes were still unconscious. They could be out here looking for him..
What if, while I'm just fucking standing here doing nothing, they're hurting him again?
What if he's crying out for me in his mind and I'm too far away to hear it?
It was that final thought that got his feet moving.
Sorry, Naruto. I can't leave you alone any longer. I just don't have it in me.
Sasuke pushed his way into the forest, keeping his feet light as he followed a path of disturbed leaves and broken branches. The raven rolled his eyes. We really need to work on your ninja skills, Naruto.
He was certain that the blonde would rise to the bait, and assumed he didn't because he couldn't hear him yet. He pressed on.
It was some time after that Naruto suddenly saw himself in Sasuke's eyes, a small trembling blonde on the edge of a clearing, hands covering his face as tears slipped between his fingers.
Leave me alone, Sasuke.
The raven stepped up to the blonde and dropped down to his knees in front of him. I can't.
I hate that you're seeing me like this.
Sasuke reached out and pushed back Naruto' hair, hoping to get a look at his face. Naruto flinched and he quickly withdrew his hand.
You don't need to hide, Naruto.
He slowly pulled Naruto's hands away from his face. He gently moved his thumb across his cheek, brushing the tears away.
Not from me.
Wide blue eyes stared up at him with confusion, and a fear that had never been there before. He didn't like seeing it there now.
Naruto turned away from him. Check your ego, Sasuke. I'm not afraid of you.
Check your face, Naruto. It looks like you are.
Naruto whipped his head back and glared at the Uchiha. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."
Sasuke met his eyes, his expression and his mind unreadable. "I did."
"Great. And now that you know how, how about you go run off and do it again."
The blonde shot up to his feet. He swayed a bit, and Sasuke reached out to steady him, but Naruto jerked out of his reach. "I don't need you to do everything", Naruto snapped. I'm not that fucking pathetic.
Unfortunately, his body didn't feel the same way. He started moving towards the clearing when his legs gave out from under him and he dropped. Sasuke grabbed him before he hit the ground, and pulled him close to his chest. "You ok?"
"Don't touch me" he yelled, shoving away from him.
Dark eyes narrowed. "You're making it difficult to be patient with you."
"The fuck does that mean?!"
"It means I gave you space" Sasuke replied. "Plenty of it. But I'm done leaving you alone out here."
He took a step towards the blonde, and frowned when he stumbled back from him. "I'm not one of them, Naruto. You have no reason to not trust me."
"Oh, really?" Naruto's eyes burned with rage as he glared back at the Uchiha, "No fucking reason at all.. Because you never forced anything on me, right Sasuke?"
Oh wait- except for this FUCKING JUTSU!!
".. and you still think I should just trust you. That I have 'no reason not to'?" Naruto stormed up and slammed his hands against Sasuke's chest, forcing him back a step. "You don't get to decide how I feel!" He shoved him again.
Sasuke grabbed his forearms, still careful to avoid his hurt wrists, and pulled him close. "If I didn't hear your thoughts I never would've known what the hell was going on, Naruto. Don't you fucking understand? I wouldn't have been there to stop them. Is that really what you want? You'd rather they do whatever they want to you-"
Naruto flinched.
"- than to just be fucking connected to me?"
"I could have-" Naruto stopped. No. I couldn't. I couldn't do a goddamn thing to stop them. If Sasuke hadn't been there, they would have.. they would have..
The bed flashed in both of their minds.
Revulsion rushed through the blonde, and Sasuke grimaced at the thought. He forced the image away, for both of their sakes.
"Naruto" he said slowly, his voice low, "I didn't do this to hurt you."
Huge blue eyes met deep obsidian ones. Maybe I don't know what that's like..
"What- for someone to do a jutsu without bad intentions?"
Naruto averted his eyes. For someone to not want to hurt me.
Sasuke's chest clenched into a tight fist as those words slammed straight through him. "Come on." He grabbed Naruto's hand, trying not to notice how he stiffened at the contact.
"Where?" he said weakly.
"I'm taking you home."
Panic seized Naruto as icy cold tendrils of fear rushed down his spine. No.. I can't go back. Not there.
Not now.
"That's not what I meant" Sasuke said, irritated with himself for making the blonde afraid all over again. "I mean I'm taking you to my home."
Naruto pulled his hand out of his grasp. "Yeah, I think I'll pass."
"No. You won't." Sasuke grabbed his hand once more and intertwined their fingers together, tightening his hold on him.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Protecting you."
Naruto looked at him incredulously. "From what?!"
"Yourself."
Naruto blanched at that. I'm.. I'm not going to hurt myself..
Sasuke gave him a look. "I know you're not ok. And I know you can't go back to that place."
Because they can always come back.. Naruto thought. I.. have no where to go. I have nothing. Just like when-
He slammed the door closed on the rest, and ignored the Uchiha's questioning gaze.
I don't have to tell you my whole fucking life story. If nothing else, it makes us even. I don't know anything about you.
Sasuke paused. "Well.. maybe we should fix that."
"Exactly, so why would I- wait.. what?"
Sasuke pulled Naruto close behind him as he started moving through the woods, back the way they came. Naruto tried to pull his hand away, but the fingers interlocked in his kept a firm grasp on him.
"What the hell do you mean 'fix it'? Where are you taking me?!"
"I already told you. My house."
Naruto clawed at his hand, but it was like it was made out of metal rather than flesh and bone. It didn't even seem to faze him.
"Uhhhhh- dammit! To do what?!"
Sasuke looked over his shoulder and gave him a soft sincere look.
"Get to know each other."
Author Note:
Sorry if that chapter felt a little.. I don't know- anticlimactic. I will keep trying to make this one interesting though, so thanks for sticking around. :)
"Onward, Cinnamon!~"