Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Soup's On	By : OfFansAndFlames Category: Naruto AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1793 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned. I make no money on this fiction.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is a little late today. I spent all this weekend at Yaoi Con. You understand, right?

Well, if you're reading something like this, you probably do.
So I've referenced a certain movie scene later in this chapter. When you hit the "shower scene" reference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHR0G4O-I_U

It's 1:15. I recalled this scene and couldn't resist.
Thanks for reading. :) Reviews make me happy.

The bus got off only a couple blocks from Sasuke's home, the sun still comfortably warm as the wind swayed a palm tree here or there. They carried Naruto's belongings together, Sasuke holding the sleeping bag and Naruto lugging the garbage bag. They passed by a long row of houses, some in much better shape than others. They varied widely in size, color, and age.
The change in environment had piqued Naruto's curiosity. Glancing around him, he barraged Sasuke with questions about the neighborhood. Naruto was easily distracted, Sasuke mused.
"Oh, this is nice. When'd ya move here?"
He hadn't heard any of his classmates call the neighborhood "nice." Sasuke's area wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst. It was an obvious downgrade from where he used to live with his parents, which was a large two story house in the nicer part of town with a fruit garden in the back. But he felt comfortable walking around the small expanse of the cul de sac at night, and his neighbors were decent. He supposed this was all he could ask for.
"Last year."
"Where'd ya move from?"
"The west end, past Beach Street."
Naruto whistled.
"Nice part of town. You guys must be loaded."
Sasuke grunted. They hadn't been "loaded," per se. They'd been upper middle class at best, but coming from Naruto's perspective, he supposed they might as well have lived in a mansion.
"Are we there yet?"
Naruto asked too many questions. The Uchiha frowned, cocking his head to a random patch of concrete.
"Yes. Get out of the car."
Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke as they finally walked up to his house. There was a small front yard, which was Sasuke's responsibility to maintain. The house was sufficiently large, two stories with grey blue panels and a large white door. Two large windows faced the street, framed in white. A white one car garage lay off to the side, and the door's stoop was made out of brick. Sasuke approached the door, cracking it open as Naruto stared hesitantly from a distance.
"Come on. No one's home."
Of course, this was no surprise to Sasuke. Fridays were some of Itachi's busiest days, and Sasuke knew not to expect him until well after dark. Naruto timidly approached the home, waiting for Sasuke to enter and begrudgingly confirm once again that they were alone. Naruto whistled as he breached the threshold.
"You've got a nice place here, Sasuke."
Sasuke nodded. His home was at the lower end of middle class - nice but nothing luxurious. It was nothing compared to his old place. He had come to dislike his new home, but not for this reason. Rather, he missed the old house and the memories that belonged with it. While practical enough, his house left him feeling empty. Sometimes he still felt like he was staying at a hotel, especially since he was so often there alone.
The floors were hardwood, and the walls were cream and bare, with a rare painting or picture here or there. As they walked through a short hallway from the door, the living room lay in front of them. A blue carpet started as the hallway turned into the living room, which housed a black sofa and a three foot television. The hardwood floor resumed where the living room led into the kitchen, which had a convenient little island in the middle. While the home was in nice shape and was well kept, it did appear to be very sparsely furnished. Really, the two boys hadn't had much time in the past year to fill everything out.
"Alright. Since you're going to be staying here while I'm at school, you'll need to remember where everything is and how it works. Itachi's gone almost every school day until past midnight, so unless you hear the garage door open, you're in the clear."
Naruto nodded.
"So here are the living room and the kitchen, obviously. Don't use the stove. It's been acting up lately. And the office..."
Sasuke opened a door from the kitchen which let into a study. There was a large bookcase, most of which was filled with Itachi's law textbooks. There was a large desk, a desktop PC, and a world map on the wall, along with a couple of reading glasses on the desk.
"This is more my brother's room than mine. There's another PC up in my room."
Naruto was silent.
"Normally, I can't get you to shut up. You're creeping me out."
The blond shook his head.
"It's just... It kinda feels funny that I'm staying here, somewhere...nice. Maybe I'm a little...overwhelmed?"
Sasuke nodded, understanding where Naruto was coming from. This was a big change for Sasuke. Someone he'd just met short of two months ago was moving in with him, and he wasn't going to tell a soul. But for Naruto? He was leaving everything he had been familiar with. That is, except for Sasuke.
"Right. Want to watch some TV?"
"That sounds amazing," Naruto beamed.
Sasuke smirked, walking Naruto over to the television. He hoped that this would allow Naruto to steadily acclimatize without overloading him. He showed Naruto which remote did what. Naruto claimed that he understood, but this was soon contradicted when any attempts at changing the channel resulted in static. The boys took a seat on opposite ends of the couch. Sasuke had Naruto turn on the television and change the channels so that he'd remember what he'd learned. Finally falling on Adventure Time, Naruto settled with a grin on his face.
"I remember this show! It was getting popular just before I left."
"Left?"
Naruto searched for words.
"Ah... I mean my last foster family. I left them about a year ago."
Sasuke leaned back.
"You haven't been homeless that long, have you?"
Naruto chuckled, "Well, it seems a lot longer when you're out there. But no, I guess I haven't."
Sasuke nodded, quietly allowing his upper body to rest on his thighs.
"There must be a lot to learn."
Naruto nodded quickly and emphatically.
"Yes! I had no idea about any of this stuff when I left! It was like when you run off as a kid and you expect to be able to exist on a box of cookies."
Sasuke gave Naruto an odd look, secretly glad that he was finally acting like himself again. He was sure that this relief would fade soon enough, when all attempts to silence him would fail miserably.
"You didn't really leave with a box of cookies, did you?"
Naruto laughed nervously.
"Well... I actually just took a box of Captain Crunch and a jumbo bag of Skittles. I figured...you know, calories I guess?"
Somehow, the image of Naruto running off with a arm full of junk food didn't seem implausible. Sasuke had run away once, at the age of seven. It lasted for only three hours, but even then, he had done a better job of preparing for vagrancy than Naruto had.
"I was totally clueless until I met this other older bum. His name was Jiraiya, and he was really creepy, but he was kind of cool in a way too. ...Though creepy. Definitely creepy. He was like my mentor. He taught me the ways of the hobo. But I gotta admit that I still don't really know what I'm doing."
He didn't know how much he liked the idea of some creepy older bum "showing Naruto the ropes." A guy like Naruto wouldn't even see it coming if he'd been crossed.
"So you ran away?"
Naruto pretended not to hear Sasuke, allegedly distracted by the television. This was transparent to the Uchiha. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto laughed a little too loudly at the next joke. With a sigh, he figured that this was none of his business anyway.
Sasuke browsed through his cell phone as he waited for the cartoon to finish, finding little interest in it. It kept Naruto engaged, however, and his posture was becoming much more relaxed. He had a few text messages from Suigetsu, which he ignored. When the show was over, Naruto grinned at Sasuke.
"Man, it's been forever since I've sat down and watched a show like this. Watchin' stuff on displays gets old fast."
Sasuke cast Naruto a nod. He couldn't remember the last time he'd given a damn about watching television, or getting on the computer, or any of the other stuff he normally did. It was simply a given. To take such joy out of something so simple... It was beyond him.
"Well, show me the rest of your crib! I can't wait to see your room. I bet it's all tidy and spiffy."
Sasuke arched a brow.
"'Spiffy'? Who uses that word anymore?"
Naruto mimicked Sasuke's expression, mocking him.
"I'm trying to be ironic, Sasuke. Duh."
Sasuke stood, turning the television off.
"Come on, idiot."
Naruto followed Sasuke close behind as he took the stairs from the corner of the living room, ascending to the second floor. The entire upper floor was covered in wall-to-wall cut pile carpet. It was a simple layout, a long hallway stretching down to the wall on the opposite side of the floor. Sasuke guided Naruto down the hall, pointing at the doors along the way.
"So on the right side, there's the door to my room, and the door to my bathroom. This is basically my half of the top floor."
Naruto scrunched his nose, pointing.
"What's that door to the left?"
Sasuke shook his head, "That's Itachi's room. You must never go there, Simba."
Naruto chuckled, glad to hear Sasuke attempt comedy for once, "And what did Simba do? Charge right in there in a day."
Sasuke approached his bedroom, turning the knob.
"That would be exceptionally stupid of you."
Sasuke's room was covered with the same white carpet, the walls painted a dark blue with various band posters taped on the walls. Sasuke's room looked a lot more worn in than the rest of the house, which surprised Naruto. If anything, he expected Sasuke to be a very minimalistic person. Naruto took a good look, making a mental note of the raven's tastes: Sublime, Pulp Fiction, Led Zeppelin, some obscure bands called Mother Mother and Soft Bullets... Not bad, Naruto mused.
His room was neatly dusted and vacuumed, everything folded and in order. Naruto wondered at how a teenage boy, younger than him no less, could keep his room so tidy. Naruto had been scolded for the disheveled state of his room up until he did away with housing altogether.
There was a small TV which Sasuke had picked up at the Salvation Army on the dresser, with an X-Box hooked up. His neatly made bed was a full, extra long to accommodate Sasuke's quickly growing height. A clunky computer sat on his desk, with large speakers and a two-liter of Diet Coke on the right of it.
Naruto edged closer to Sasuke, waggling his eyebrows.
"So, this where all the magic happens?"
"So to speak."
"A TV and a computer? We are set."
Sasuke crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one foot as the other rested outward.
"The computer is a little glitchy. I just put it together a month ago and have a few kinks to work out."
Naruto gaped at Sasuke.
"Put together? As in... You made it?"
"No, I grew it."
For an instant, Naruto seemed to consider this.
"What are you, some kind of genius?"
The teen shrugged.
"I had two weeks with no school, a bunch of spare parts, and access to Google."
The blond shook his head, blue eyes wide.
"Whatever, man. Last time I opened up a computer... I'll leave out the details, but there were clouds of smoke."
"That's hardly reassuring."
Naruto swatted at Sasuke dismissively.
"I'm not gonna open your precious computer, princess."
Sasuke arched a brow.
"I'm afraid you're the damsel in distress here."
Naruto pouted.
"Hey, I was not in distress. I was doing just fine."
The taller of the two cast him a look which needed no commentary.
"Alright, alright. So are you my prince charming? Knight in shining armor? The main man in tight..."
Sasuke lifted his hand, interrupting Naruto, "That's enough."
Naruto pushed Sasuke's hand out of the way, not to be deterred.
"Is it? Because I think I have a few odes I've yet to compose for you. Got a canvas? I could paint you."
Resting his hands in his pockets, Sasuke looked out the window.
"Mn. Like one of your French girls?"
Sasuke edged away from Naruto as he pushed him playfully in the arm.
"Exactly! See, you really are a genius."
He knew that Naruto felt something toward him that was beyond friendship. If not in his words, or his voice, it was all over his face. Whether Naruto was aware of this fact or not was beyond him.
"Naturally."
Were they...flirting? This could easily be dismissed as banter, but was it really only that? He watched Naruto's gestures, the subtleties in his movements. Sasuke wondered if it was prudent to play into it. After all, he didn't want to lead Naruto on, especially given their living situation. But even if it were flirting, Sasuke hated to admit that he had come to enjoy it.
"Why do I keep complimenting you?" Naruto sighed, "I never learn..."
"No, you don't. Anyway... You need to get cleaned up, and your wounds need tended to. Itachi should be home in a few hours, so you should take a shower while you still can."
The blond scrunched his nose.
"Are you trying to tell me I stink?"
"I wasn't, but you do. Come here."
Sasuke rummaged through his clothing, glancing at Naruto to assess his stature and height. It appeared that either Naruto preferred baggy clothing, or it was the only thing he had access to. Unfortunately for these purposes, Sasuke didn't have any old clothing. He had, however, grown a good amount this year, and thus had some smaller items lying around.
"How's this?"
He tossed Naruto an Audioslave T-shirt and some black and red flannel pajama pants. Naruto seemed to hitch as he caught Sasuke's clothing, recovering soon after.
"Hell, I can't complain."
Sasuke nodded.
"Right. I suppose this is a good time to show you my bathroom."
He closed the bedroom door behind him, quickly covering the three foot gap to the bathroom door. They were so close to each other that Sasuke wondered why the two rooms weren't connected. Now, more than ever, he wished that they were.
Sasuke taught Naruto how to operate the shower, which featured a small bath tub and glass doors. Naruto learned well enough, agreeing not to get the floor wet as Sasuke left Naruto's outfit on the toilet seat.
"Scrub lightly. We'll take care of your wounds once you're dressed."
Naruto nodded with a smile, the door closing neatly behind him. He turned on the shower water, holding his hand out as the water slowly warmed. He glanced towards the door, hesitating before holding Sasuke's clothes up to his chest and inhaling deeply.
Though they had just been washed, they still had retained some of Sasuke's scent. It made him feel safe, protected, and even loved. It offered him comfort, which had been rare for him to come by for most of his life. It muted his budding anxieties. Despite the fact that Sasuke was almost a year younger than him, he wondered if this was like having a father or older brother.
He smiled softly as the water began to steam. It had been months since his last real shower. Padding himself clean in park restrooms could be rather lacking, but at least shaving wasn't an issue. He hadn't developed much facial hair yet, possibly because he was malnourished. He slipped his clothes off, goosebumps covering his body as he adjusted to the heat of the water.
Naruto loved the feeling of the hot water against his body, a luxury so rare to him now. He wanted to prolong it, to feel his muscles and ligaments relax as he stretched into the heat. His joints and muscles ached from sleeping on the streets. Naruto rubbed at the sore areas, the warm water acting as a salve. He gently removed the crusted blood on his face and the dust in his lacerations. He was able to groom himself thoroughly, cleaner now than he had been in months. He only hoped the water bill wouldn't be too high.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was spilling over his history book at his desk, attempting to tackle some weekend homework. But his mind was relaying everything that happened today. His emotions after seeing Naruto's face today disturbed him. Why had he allowed himself to be so affected? And now, he'd allowed (ordered, rather) this homeless guy he'd met a couple months ago to hide in his room. As crazy as this all was, if put in the situation again, he wouldn't have changed a thing.
He heard the water splatter in the other room as Naruto would move his arms, splash his hair, whatever he was doing in there. Naruto was naked and wet, just feet away... Sasuke lifted one leg over the other uncomfortably, thoroughly unsettled by the growing issue in his lap. He couldn't let Naruto see him like this.
He thought about Naruto's hair, his lips, his eyes... His eyes were so brilliantly blue that in any other situation, Sasuke might have wondered if he was wearing colored contacts. Sasuke sighed angrily, rubbing his temple with his thumb as his head rested in his hand. Naruto had been in there over thirty minutes now. What was taking him so long?
He'd generally been able to control his attractions. When was the last time he'd done something so prepubescent? And when had he ever been attracted to another male? His father would have been beside himself. Maybe it wasn't that, Sasuke reasoned. Maybe it was just his hormones. His body was intent on being horny and would rise to any bait. But he had to stop. He couldn't think about him anymore.
"If I should stay... I would onlyyy be in your waa..."
Naruto cleared his throat.
"Your waaaay."
Sasuke stopped cold in his tracks, staring over at the restroom in consternation. Seriously? Was Naruto forgetting where he was? What guy their age sung Whitney Houston in another guy's bathroom? But he had to admit, it had taken care of his little dilemma very quickly.
And it continued. Naruto had no shame. When he forgot the words, he would mumble over the lyrics. He also seemed to like repeating lines, experimenting with different octaves and flourishes. Somehow, this four minute song was stretching onward into the evening.
And that's when Sasuke heard the garage door open.
Itachi wasn't supposed to come home for hours. Why was he back so early? Did it even matter? Itachi seemed to be in a rush to get inside, for who knows what reason. Sasuke heard his footsteps plodding towards the office. Of course, this had to be when Naruto arrived at the final chorus.
"AND I. WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU."
What would he do now? He couldn't yell. Naruto could never hear him knocking over all of this racket, and he didn't exactly have time to test it out. Sasuke raced across his room, stepping lightly. He swung his bedroom door open and slid himself into the bathroom, shielding his eyes with his hand out of courtesy.
"What the hell, Sasuke?! I know I'm hot, but show a little restraint for Christ's sake!"
He knew that it was difficult to hear this side of the floor from the office, and he prayed that his brother wouldn't notice. Hopefully the noise of the shower had drowned them out. God, what sort of picture did those words paint out of context?
Sasuke whispered venomously, "Shut up! Itachi's..."
Naruto arched his brow, "What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen Bulletproof? The shower scene? I'm Adam Sandler, the experienced but lovable criminal and you're…that cop guy who is tough as nails but can just never let go of the Adam Sandler character because dammit, he loved him and what they shared was real despite…"
In all of his naked glory, Naruto seemed completely unbothered by Sasuke's presence. His words blurred together as he enthusiastically gained momentum.
"Just shut the hell up!"
Sasuke continued to shield his face, though Naruto was staring directly at Sasuke with no traces of modesty.
"That's what the cop said, word for word! So you did watch..."
Sasuke tried not to fantasize about smacking Naruto in the face. Patience, patience. How could he be so stupid?
"Listen to me," Sasuke hissed. "Itachi's home. One peep from you, and I will never give you an In N Out burger again for the rest of our friendship. Got it?"
Total silence from Naruto. It would seem that the threat had achieved its deserved effect.
Naruto whispered to Sasuke, "That's really messed up, man."
"Now be good. Or else."
As Sasuke walked towards the door, Naruto added, "It's a shame you're going."
Sasuke arched a brow, angling his head towards Naruto but avoiding eye contact.
"Why?"
Naruto faced away, his tone nervous.
"I like it when you're nearby. It makes me feel safe."
Sasuke unwittingly froze. It was rare for Naruto to act so vulnerable.
"This isn't awkward for you?"
It was a strange request, after all.
"I got nothin' to hide."
Was this still in the territory of the platonic? Did it matter? Sasuke had been trying to read their dynamics, trying to determine where their conversations were heading. But maybe it was best to just follow the current.
"It may be safer, in case Itachi tries to relay a message to me in here."
It was a remote scenario, but it was possible nonetheless. He couldn't very well respond to Itachi with his voice coming from the bedroom when the shower had been running for as long as Itachi had been home. And considering the situation, it was best to be safe. He had no other interests, of course.
"Right. So stay."
Sasuke smelled his own shampoo and conditioner, water splattering as Naruto stretched his arm. He quickly glanced over at Naruto, temptation getting the best of him. He was thin, but it could have been worse considering the appearance of his elbows and shoulders. There was a deep scar running along Naruto's side, several inches long, and a fresh gash above Naruto's tailbone. But other than that, there were no abnormalities. He stopped his thoughts there. After all, he didn't want to end up with the same issue he had in his bedroom.
"I'm almost done."
"I would hope so. You've been in there nearly an hour."
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"Yeah... Sorry about that. It was stupid of me to use up so much water."
The water must have been piping hot, a dense steam accumulating over the length of Naruto's shower. Sweat budded around Sasuke's temples, the back of his neck, and his chest. His shirt was sticking to him uncomfortably, so he lifted it over his head and placed it in his lap.
Now it was Naruto's eyes that were wandering. Sasuke had made it a point to attend the gym frequently. He found that he studied and learned better after a heavy workout, so it served multiple purposes. His muscles were dense, defined lines tracing down his creamy pale chest. Sasuke had what some might call a baby face,
but he looked much farther through puberty with his shirt off.
Sasuke glanced over at Naruto, who was blindly scrubbing his stomach as he stared at Sasuke. Perhaps other men would be disturbed if they caught a male friend checking them out. But Sasuke merely smirked.
"You seem rather engrossed."
Naruto looked away quickly, making a point of quickly scrubbing his body off and rinsing down.
"No, 'm just tired. I was spacing out."
"Clearly."
Naruto's cheeks began to darken. He hadn't wanted to be so obvious. He finished his shower, turning the water off. Noting the change in Naruto's mood, Sasuke tossed him a thick blue towel.
"Don't stress. I take it as a compliment."
As Sasuke should have perhaps expected, Naruto scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile.
"Thanks, man."
It didn't take Naruto long to dry off. He quickly toweled off his body, his hair fluffing outwards after he'd scrubbed the towel through it a few times. Sasuke averted his eyes as Naruto exited the shower, dressing himself in Sasuke's clothes.
Perhaps Sasuke was being superficial, but things always seemed so different when Naruto wore anything other than his traditional rags. He knew that Naruto was more than just some random bum, but dressed as he normally was, it was difficult for Sasuke to forget that Naruto was, in fact, a bum. But now, Naruto could have been a friend from school, or a study partner. They didn't have to have met in a soup kitchen. Naruto could have been anyone.
As Naruto walked towards the bathroom door, Sasuke yanked the blond back by his wrist.
"Your injuries first."
Naruto rolled his eyes, "Sasuke, please. I've had worse."
Sasuke frowned and crossed his arms.
"That was an order, not a request. Those gashes are open and vulnerable to infection, and I am not spending hours in some overcrowded clinic waiting room because you're too lazy to use Neosporin."
Naruto groaned like a child being dragged to brush his teeth.
Sasuke continued, "I don't trust you to do a proper job, so sit on the toilet and face me."
The younger rummaged through his medicine cabinet, taking out Neosporin, a couple butterfly closures, Q-tips, and a box of bandaids. Sasuke had gotten in his fair share of altercations over the past year, so he knew how to tend to wounds. He knew what would and wouldn't scar, what needed gauze, what needed butterfly closures, and what could be fixed with just a Bandaid. But since his brother had been forced to fight for him in court, he had painstakingly avoided all other conflict. It was the least he could do after all the fuss he had caused.
Sasuke crouched next to Naruto, turning on the sink lights and gently angling Naruto's face toward him. Naruto's toes wiggled against the ground. Where should he place his gaze? Should he look at the ceiling? The mirror? Directly into Sasuke's eyes? Why the hell did Sasuke still have to be shirtless?
Sasuke started by tending to a gash by Naruto's cheekbone. This was the most obvious damage, but Sasuke believed that he could prevent it from scarring if he was careful. He softly rubbed Neosporin into the cut with a Q-tip, ignoring Naruto's wincing. He placed a butterfly closure on it, scrunching the skin together. As abrasive as Sasuke could sometimes be, Sasuke worked quickly and gently. Perhaps he would make a good doctor after all, despite a probable lack of bedside manner.
Sasuke now rubbed Neosporin in to the scrapes around Naruto's bruised eye, checking the skin for infection. As Sasuke dabbed on the Neosporin, his long bang bounced against his bottom lip. Naruto was overwhelmed by the temptation to lean forward and kiss him. It caused Naruto to bite his lip in nervousness, wondering if his thoughts could be broadcasted against his will. Sasuke would knit his brows when a piece of flesh was being stubborn, or when he found wounds that were worse than he had thought. Naruto smiled, feeling thoroughly content through every pang and pinch.
Finally, Sasuke had finished Naruto's face. After Sasuke catered to a few of the deeper scratches on Naruto's forearms, Naruto leaned to get back on his feet.
Sasuke interrupted, "There was one other wound...on your back."
Naruto smirked, grinning at Sasuke mischievously, "When'd you notice that one, hm?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, appearing frustrated. His retort was delayed.
"How could I not look over with all of that horrible noise you were making? I was afraid you were having some kind of attack."
Sasuke pouted irately as Naruto chuckled. He was told he could be gullible, but even Naruto could see through such a feeble excuse. He did his best impression of his new roommate.
"Don't stress. I take it as a compliment."
Naruto winked at Sasuke, who only scoffed.
"Just turn around, jackass."
Still chuckling triumphantly to himself, Naruto turned around, now facing the wall. Sasuke lifted up Naruto's shirt, the blond wincing as the fabric parted from the sensitive skin. Sasuke rested his forearm on Naruto's upper back, leaning down to get a closer look. The steam and foggy shower doors had previously obstructed his view. The wound was red and inflamed, even deeper than he had suspected. It was possible that Naruto hadn't even tended to it at all.
"What the hell did he do to you?"
Naruto began to laugh nervously.
"Oh, he was just crazy."
Sasuke froze.
"No. Tell me what he did. Did he have a knife?"
There was a heavy silence between them.
"Yeah."
Sasuke sighed, resting his head on his forearm.
"Fucking Christ, Naruto…"
Naruto frowned, feeling Sasuke's worried breath mist down on his bare back.
"He just grazed me. He didn't want to hurt me. It only happened because…"
Sasuke grit his teeth, his blood beginning to boil. Itachi was right below them, so he had to keep his voice steady. God was it tempting to shout.
Sasuke whispered, poison in his tone, "You could have fucking died, Naruto. He could have killed you. And the more you make excuses for that pathetic son of a bitch, the more I want to find him and take his guts from his stomach to the fucking sidewalk."
Naruto craned his head around to face the younger male, eyes hitching with uncertainty. This wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke could be contrary sometimes, but deep down, he was kind, generous, and safe. He was a good person.
Naruto would have normally dismissed such a statement as idle venting. But something in the way Sasuke had spoken… Naruto wondered if he was being serious. The reason they had met in the first place had been a violent fight. Perhaps he didn't know Sasuke as much as he thought he did. Perhaps he wasn't as gentle as Naruto would have liked to believe.
"You done staring, Uzumaki?"
Naruto's eyes, innocent and surprised, made him feel almost guilty. He had, mostly, spoken out anger. But he did want to find this man. He did want to make him pay. He would figure something out in those regards tomorrow, but Naruto was his first priority now.
Sasuke dabbed Neosporin into the crevices of the injury, hoping that it would be enough. Should he be taking Naruto to the clinic after all? Sasuke decided to use some larger butterfly closures, getting up and scrounging the medicine cabinet. He sat behind Naruto, who had yet to make a sound.
Sasuke's body was still tense, his anger with the situation not yet abated. A deep frown on his face, his thumb slowly traced the other deep scar running along Naruto's side. He ran his palm down the flat of Naruto's bare back smoothly, almost a caress.
Naruto blushed at the intimacy of the situation, glad that he was no longer facing Sasuke. Sasuke had never been good with words in such situations, but his touch did the talking for him. It told Naruto that Sasuke was afraid. It told him that if he didn't take better care of himself, one of these scars might end up being the last.
He placed a chaste kiss on Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke wasn't sure why he did this, but it seemed fitting. Naruto held his breath unwittingly, an ache in his chest reminding him to breathe. His palms tingled at the contact of Sasuke's lips on his body, and he felt sick to his stomach. This probably meant little to Sasuke, but it threw Naruto's world into chaos.
"Naruto, be more careful."
The words, though authoritative, held a vulnerability which Sasuke did a poor job at concealing. It frightened him how quickly Naruto was becoming important to him. And he knew all too well how quickly these important people could be taken from you. He did not want to lose Naruto.
Naruto sighed. Sasuke didn't understand. There was no "being careful" for him. This was his life, plain and simple. But still, he could not remember the last time someone had expressed such concern over him. What was more, Sasuke did not seem the type to express such concern towards anyone. He was profoundly honored by Sasuke's touches, by his worry, and by his compassion. His heartbeat raced, and he felt truly content. Through a deep blush, Naruto smiled.
Sasuke held the skin together, pinning either side with the butterfly closures. The flesh was already partially healed, which made binding it difficult. He noted Naruto's muscles tensing in pain, and he worked as quickly as he could without compromising his work. Sasuke would wait for the next day to see if his first aid would suffice. He rolled gauze over it, using medical tape to fasten it to tan skin.
"Alright. Wait here."
Sasuke didn't bother to put his shirt back on, opening the door and eyeing the hallway. Sasuke cocked his head to indicate that the hallway was empty. Naruto and he lightly scrambled to his bedroom. Sasuke had Naruto stay behind when he walked downstairs, placing a frozen pizza in the oven. Itachi approached Sasuke, a pen behind his ear.
"Hey, Sasuke. What are you up to?"
It was at that unfortunate moment that Sasuke finally made a connection. The shower had just been running...yet his hair wasn't wet. How could he have disregarded this? He felt like punching himself. And of course, his brother... His brother, the prodigy wouldn't miss a thing. It was time to think of an explanation...quickly.
"Other than having Sharpies break in my lap, not much."
This would do, right? Thank god Itachi hadn't seen his outfit before coming in. Itachi chuckled, ruffling Sasuke's hair. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes.
"Nice one. I was wondering why you were in there so long."
He was grateful that Itachi hadn't even been home for the majority of Naruto's shower. Sasuke opened the freezer and skimmed over the cooking instructions. It wasn't often he ate pizza, so he had to refresh his memory.
"I was only scrubbing my skin raw."
Itachi shook his head, smiling.
"I didn't think you were so clumsy. So, how was school?"
As Sasuke responded, he slid the pizza into the oven, setting the timer. Itachi never used to ask him these questions, and it still felt unnatural to him. It sometimes seemed like he was trying too hard to make the transition from Sasuke's brother to Sasuke's caretaker. So he would ask him all the things their mother did, and when Sasuke misbehaved, he'd show Sasuke the stern face as did their father. However, Sasuke sincerely doubted that he could've done any better in Itachi's situation.
"Uneventful. How was work?"
Itachi sighed, but he quickly made an effort to return the smile to his face. Itachi did this frequently, Sasuke noted. It was as if he felt guilty ever complaining to Sasuke, and the tendency became much more pronounced once Itachi became the head of the household.
"It was fine."
Sasuke frowned, leaning back against the wall.
"You can be honest with me."
Itachi edged in towards Sasuke, pressing his pointer and middle finger against his brows, which he did not realize had become tense. The familiar gesture reassured him, though he still felt frustrated at being evaded.
"Don't worry about me, Sasuke. You have your own troubles."
It wasn't that he wanted to force his way into Itachi's business. He just wanted to be regarded as Itachi's brother and equal rather than his child. Their parents might be gone, but why did this have to change their relationship? Regardless, Sasuke allowed this to placate him.
"You're the one who's worrying. I'm fine, 'Tachi. I always am."
Itachi didn't appear to buy that for a second, but still, the corners of his lips rose as he addressed Sasuke.
"If you must know, I got yelled at today for a colleague's mistake. My boss sent me home early because he wanted me out of his sight, in his own words."
Sasuke was glad that Itachi had shared this with him, but the treatment Itachi had been receiving at work did annoy him. This wasn't rare for Itachi. From what Sasuke had heard, his boss was a total asshole. Itachi only kept the job because they needed a steady stream of income, and the job market was abysmal.
"Maybe you should start looking for another job. He always pulls this crap on you."
Itachi frowned and shook his head.
"The pay is great, and it's giving us both health insurance. It's even waiving my tuition. It would be crazy to switch."
Sasuke glanced up at Itachi. He was always making sacrifices for them. He was more than lucky to have Itachi around, but he hated to see him so unhappy.
"After my sixteenth, I'll get my own job. Then you won't have to work for that son of a bitch anymore."
Itachi beamed back at Sasuke, finding his determination thoroughly endearing. Yet he still shook his finger, tsk'ing.
"Enough with the dirty mouth."
They used to talk to each other like that all the time. Itachi's mouth wasn't as dirty as Sasuke's, but neither made an effort to clean up their speech around the other. But now, suddenly... Now that Itachi was Sasuke's parent, the man must've found it his responsibility.
"Fine, whatever."
Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Itachi had always been the more physical of the two, but from Itachi, Sasuke didn't mind it.
"Thank you, Sasuke. You're a good brother."
Sasuke shrugged, feigning apathy. It was humiliating for Sasuke to admit how praise from Itachi could uplift his entire night, humiliating to admit how much he admired him. And he wondered if Itachi was really right about that. Was he really a good brother?
"If I'm going to get any sleep tonight, I should start preparing for my case studies next week."
Sasuke nodded. He realized that Itachi would shut himself in the office until the early hours of Saturday morning. Then, before Sasuke even woke up, Itachi would make the nearly two hour long trek to UCLA to join his study groups, after which he'd meet with all of the other teacher's assistants and grade some papers.
"G'night."
He usually saw Itachi for a handful of hours every week at best. Those few hours that he did spend with Itachi, he was generally unable to do anything with Sasuke due to either fatigue or these pesky stomach bugs he kept catching. Sometimes he didn't even come home at all, camping out in the school library or a friend's house to avoid rush hour the next day. As lonely as this made him feel, Sasuke knew that he was getting the better end of the bargain.
"Goodnight, Sasuke."
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