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The Threads that Bind Us	By : Rosebud Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1294 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto. I make no money from writing this. I don't own the song “Say it Right” which is mentioned by name in this chapter.

The Threads that Bind Us

Written By: Crimson2006

Chapter One

Naruto’s blue eyes opened wearily as the glow-in-the-dark stars that were taped to the bedroom ceiling slowly came into view. Still hearing the blazing sound of ‘Say it right’ coming from his alarm clock, the blonde hit the off button and climbed out of bed, eagerly making his way down to kitchen. Not expecting his guardian to be up, Naruto nearly jumped a foot when Kyuubi came barreling into the room; the crazy red-head dressed professionally in a nice black suit.

“Morning Naruto,” he called; bustling over to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“Umm... Morning,” Naruto responded though he was incredibly baffled by the sight. Normally his caretaker wasn’t out of bed before noon and he most certainly didn’t dress like that. “Hey... What’s up with the clothes Kyuubi?”

The said man smirked at the blonde, flashing his canines. “I have an interview today. What do you think?” His right hand drawing out one long, fluent motion as if to showcase his new look.

Naruto eyed the unusual attire with slight admiration. Seeing Kyuubi in anything other than sweatpants and a wifebeater was an extremely rare occurrence and it threw him off for a moment. Albeit, when he finally regained the capability to form some kind of coherent thought, he came to realize that his twenty-five year old guardian had not only managed to dress nicely and tame his normally unruly red hair, but had also disposed of his ridiculous goatee –the latter which was a miracle in itself.

Upon further inspection, Naruto noticed that Kyuubi’s red eyes were being toned down with tinted contacts; so that each iris seemed more orange then crimson, giving his appearance a rather dignified front while minimizing his more dangerous characteristics. This was probably a good thing considering that Kyuubi could look downright evil sometimes; diabolical in fact, and Naruto had a good sense of mind to believe that nobody would want to hire someone like that.

As expected, the suit the elder was adorned with was nicely pressed, but a little snug. The fine Italian ensemble one of the few things that Naruto had chosen to keep among Minato’s belongs. Naruto felt happy and slightly sad to see Kyuubi wearing something that had once belonged to his father. Still, despite the edge of heartbreak quivering in his chest, the blonde pressed out one of his best smiles.

In so many ways, he was simply thankful that his guardian was getting his act together. The last five years had been rough on the both of them, but somehow they’d managed to pull through. The courts however were becoming less lenient and as of recently, Kyuubi was getting a lot of pressure from both Naruto’s social worker and the state judge to step his parenting skills up a notch. As odd as it may have seemed –though some people might have classified the act as being down right disturbing– Kyuubi had adopted Naruto as a way to right his mistake. See, it had been the red-head who had been driving that truck on that fateful day… the one that had killed the blonde’s parents.

Although many didn’t understand how Naruto could forgive the man, the child himself had never really seen Kyuubi as the one at fault. Thus having no reason to hate him; he’d opted to open his heart to the other, knowing that the man was just trying to fix all the bad things in his life while doing his best to make up for the things that could never be replaced. Kyuubi might not have been the best role model at times, but at least he cared and to the blonde that was all that mattered. Naruto knew that without his beloved guardian, he would have faded into the darkness long ago.

Not that he wasn’t fading now—it was just a slower, less painful course.

“Oh, you look good.” He finally answered.

“Thanks! Hey, I don’t want you going anywhere today. You can sit outside, but no going down to Kiba’s or Gaara’s alright. I’m not sure how long the interview is going to take, but I don’t want you wandering the streets without me being nearby.”

Naruto giggled at his guardian’s overprotective attitude. “Yes mother.” He jeered, earning a scowl from the other.

“I’m serious. Oh and make sure you eat some cereal for breakfast. And I left some tuna sandwiches in fridge for lunch. You have to start eating more than just ramen Naruto; the social worker’s are busting my ass about you being so damn thin.”

The blonde nodded his compliance, only to wince as the microwave beeped. Scratching the back of his head he grinned sheepishly. ”Uhhh...”

Kyuubi smirked at Naruto’s typical behavior. “Alright,” he sighed,” don’t let what you’ve already made go to waste. But no more after that! You need to eat real food,” he warned, giving Naruto a kiss on the cheek before jetting out the front door.

In the blink of an eye the apartment seemed to have lost its tender warmth, and the blonde stood there for a while before shrugging the whole thing off and eating his breakfast. Ten minutes, and a lukewarm shower later –because his guardian had apparently used up most of the hot water– Naruto was running a towel through his golden locks and tugging on a pair of baggy black shorts and an plain orange tee-shirt. Neglecting his sneakers, he quickly made another cup of ramen –because what Kyuubi didn’t know couldn’t hurt him– before locking the door and heading towards the front of the building.

As Naruto wandering down the long corridors and then the stairwell in silence, he couldn’t help but lose the rather calm feeling that had radiated so strongly throughout most of the morning. He knew that worrying about something that was out of his hands was pointless; but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to do it. It was aspect that continued to flourish as he approached the apartment’s main entrance; that strong sense of dread pooling in his gut making his feet permanently halt.

‘This is stupid,’ he fumed. Angry at himself for being so scared. After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t gone out those doors a million times before, sat on the steps and waited for the man to come outside, so what was so different about it now?

‘It’s because I’m worried.’ He thought miserably. ‘What if he’s not out there?’

With the realization of his concern and the pending lack of courage that surrounded it; Naruto couldn’t help but feel a very familiar rush of guilt tingle down his spine, clench his heart and twist violently in his stomach. In so many ways it felt like the day of the accident all over again...

‘What if something happened to him? What if he’s hurt...? I was the one always watching him... It would be my fault if he died...’

With such accusations the world seemed to crumble and the blonde unknowingly dropped his cup of ramen; the hot contents splashing to the floor, burning his small feet. Not caring about the pain, his tiny hands jerked forward to push open the door; a cool gust of summer air washing over his body.

Heedlessly Naruto descended the steps in rapid succession; his blue eyes frantically searched for any sign of the man, but he found none. Feeling himself start to shake, he ran across the street; barely avoiding getting hit by a car, before stumbling into the man’s front yard. Suddenly all his fears about trespassing on the property seemed insignificant and he cursed himself for not having the guts to go over there sooner.

‘But it wasn’t the right time...’ He thought constructively, finally understanding that he was supposed to be there now. That this was the time he’d been waiting for.

Careful as not to slip, Naruto quickly yet efficiently moved across the front yard. His bare feet padding against the wet grass as the semi-tall blades brushed softly against his ankles, playfully tickling the flesh.

Naruto however, didn’t take time to giggle at the enjoyable sensation. In fact, he didn’t even register the cold ground beneath his feet or the way the soil squished between his toes. All he could feel was the thundering beat of his heart as it knocked loudly against his chest. It was true that he didn’t know the man personally, but on a whole other level he felt like they were friends. Granted that their relationship was unique, if not nearly non-existent, but Naruto felt like there was at least some connection between them and that he needed to protect it.

Jumping the three steps that led to the front porch the blonde rang the door bell repeatedly and waited for the man to answer the door. When no one came; he repeated the process only to end up with the same result. “Damn it.” He growled, trying the handle to see if it was lock. Of course, it was. Thinking that maybe the back door was open he jogged around the house, towards the other side. But no sooner had he rounded the corner, and wiggled his way through a gap in the gate, did he find that his momentum was temporary hindered. Displayed there in front of him was a fierily sea of red—dozens of healthy looking bushes that were perfectly trimmed and abundantly bearing, blood colored roses.

Naruto was now fully convinced that the flowers were symbolic to redemption, and that made the knot in his stomach crank a few more degrees. What if the man was so desperate to sate his pain that he had killed himself? Naruto knew that he would have given into the temptation long ago if it wasn’t for Kyuubi. But the raven haired man didn’t have anyone to keep him sane.

‘Oh, god!’

Urging his wobbly legs to move once more, Naruto ran like demon towards the veranda. Making a sharp turn as he reached the back porch; he slide on the wet grass and lost his balance, falling harshly to the ground. Naruto could instantaneously feel his elbow snag on a rock, followed by the warm sensation of blood as it flowed from the freshly made wound, but he didn’t pay any mind to the injury. Instead he simply got back up on his feet, jumped the two steps that lead to the porch and twisted the door handle.

Fear seemed to flood his lungs as he held his breath, the doorknob sticking before continuing to twist. Releasing the hindered breath; the child barged into the house, a warm homey aroma assaulting his nose. Had Naruto taken the time to admire the scent he might have associated it with a mixture of warm apple pie, coffee and a little something extra that was solely unique in reference to the owner. But he didn’t take in the smell, nor did he notice how neat and tidy the large house was. He bypassed the picture-less walls and exquisite Victorian style furniture. Down the hallway, past the kitchen, into the living room and then up the stairs. His dirty feet slapping against the cold, hardwood floors—blood from his injured arm trickling down with a splat.

In a monotonous pattern, door after door was flung open until finally he reached the room at the very end. Not giving himself the chance to think about what might lay beyond that closed threshold, he heedless turned the knob and then SMACK! Something very hard hit the side of his head and he fell to his knees in pain.

Naruto could barely make out the sound of something heavy being dropped and then another thud, arms suddenly grabbing his shoulders. Everything felt so distant, like when Kyuubi would hold him after a nightmare… but the pain in his head was making everything dim, his vision fading into an unwanted darkness.

“Oh shit, are you ok?” Was the last thing the blonde heard, and then everything slipped away into a dark emptiness.

...

To say that Naruto’s head hurt was an understatement; it was more like someone had stuck a bundle of TNT in there and then set it off. But the very thought of pain was toned down immensely when he shifted slightly to the right and felt a warm body next to his. Seeking more of that heat he snuggled closer and wondered when Kyuubi had come home and why his guardian was lying so close to him.

As the seconds rolled on and Naruto’s mind continued to awaken, he tried to recall at what point he had climbed into bed, or even come home for that matter. Because last he remembered was being in the raven’s house and then...

Blue eyes quickly bolted open, his body snapping upright only for him to scream out in pain.

“Holy fucking shit, my head!” he cried, holding his throbbing skull with both hands. The innocent, careless motion had caused an acute stab of pain to go soaring through the right side of his head, and he rocked himself back and forth, trying to nurse the ache away.

“Dobe, you shouldn’t move so fast.” A voice called out from beside him, and Naruto could feel the bed shift slightly as dark eyes, hair and pale skin poured into view.

“Y-you...You’re alright.” Naruto smiled, temporarily forgetting about his aching cranium. The gorgeous sight didn’t last long however, as the child’s visage quickly contorted into a deep frown. “Bastard! What the hell did you hit me with?” He cursed, but winced again when the pain magnified.

“Stop doing that.” The older boy grumbled, gently pulling Naruto’s hands down and running his own fingers through the sun-kissed locks; carefully trying to examine the injury. “Well, it doesn’t look too bad; I don’t think you have a concussion or anything. I’ll go get you some aspirin.”

“Oh hey,” Naruto whispered, his hands wrapping around the pale man’s arm, refusing to let it go. “Why haven’t you been going outside?”

“Hn, I’ve been sick Usuratonkachi.” There was a slight pause before he continued, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. “Is that why you broken into my house?”

Naruto gasped, clearly affronted by such an accusation.” I did not break into your house! Your back door was unlocked!” He pointed out matter-of-factly.

“Well unless I invited you in, it’s still breaking and entering. I should call the police you know.”

The blonde titled his head downward, fear swimming through his veins. “I-I’m sorry. Please don’t do that. M-my guardian... they’ll take me away from him. If I lose Kyuubi, I’ll die...”

“Stupid,” a hard slap sounded off against Naruto’s left cheek and the child cried out in shock from being hit. “What would someone like you know about death?” Sasuke was suddenly disgusted by the frail blonde in front of him. At first he’d felt a little bit bad for hitting the boy on the head, especially after he realized it was the idiot who was always watching him. It was strange, but over the last year he’d managed to enjoy the other boy’s distant company, but now all that admiration had faded into aversion. “What the hell would you know about death? You shouldn’t say things that you don’t mean…” Resuming his intended task, the older boy was about half-way off the bed when a low whisper caught his ear. Looking back violently, he scowled. “What did you say?”

“I said I know a lot more about death then you Teme!” Naruto growled; his blue eyes laced with hints of tears.

“Hn. I highly doubt that.” Continuing to the door –because the sooner he got the brat some medicine, the sooner he could send him on his way– Sasuke found himself being hindered yet again. This time the blonde’s voice sounded out in a very clear, yet bitter tone.

“I’ve died before.”

Sasuke spun on his heels and eyed the boy skeptically, trying to see if he was lying. When he could see no dishonesty, he sat back down on the bed, facing his unwanted company. “W-what was it like?” he asked, tone barely above a whisper.

Naruto had never talked about his experience with death, not even with Kyuubi. He’d always felt so awkward and uncomfortable, as if what he had to say was wrong. As if people would judge him if they really knew how he felt. But with this man it was different. Naruto didn’t feel that hesitation and he certainly didn’t feel as if the other was going to persecute him over the matter. No, instead it felt right. “I liked it.” He answered truthfully. “It was nice. I couldn’t feel any pain and my mom and dad were there...” his voice winding off.

“My parents are dead too.” Sasuke added, “It was a long time ago, but it still bothers me.” The latter half of his words were one’s that he’d never freely shared before, and they resided among emotions that were equally linked to the same standards. Strangely, it didn’t feel awkward to tell this boy something so personal, and that scared him a little.

Looking the lithe figure over, Sasuke took a minute admire the boy’s heavenly blue eyes, golden hair and sun baked flesh. Due to his bad eyesight, he hadn’t been able to see the finer details of the stranger that had been watching him from afar, but he had to admit that it was a pretty interesting sight. The most peculiar aspect about the youth, being the six marks over his cheeks. At first Sasuke had thought they were scars, but the longer he inspected them, the more he realized that they were birthmarks. It was very odd to say the least and yet it was one of the more charismatic things about the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Naruto. What about you?”

“Sasuke.”

“Sasuke huh, I like that name.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot better than Naruto isn’t it?” The raven snorted, uncharacteristically letting his façade slip enough to press out a small smile. It was odd because he hadn’t made such a simple expression in years, and yet it felt so natural to do so now. Sasuke knew that it was probably because of Naruto. Even when he’d been reading a book beside the sleeping boy –not willing to leave him should the blonde wake up scared and alone– he could feel an almost tranquil sense of warmth flow from the other. It was the strangest thing and yet Sasuke found that he could easily accept it: that edge of comfort that wasn’t normally present when he was around other people.

The blonde, who’d been about ready to spit out a smartass response, lost all words when the elder cracked that small smile. For some reason he knew that it was special; that it was a treasure most people didn’t get to see. “Ne, Sasuke you look good when you smile.”

The remark caused the raven to frown slightly, though it was more out of reflex than anger. “Shut-up dobe,” he mumbled, not expecting the other to point out something like that. He hated when other people complimented him on his looks—namely because Sasuke had a complex against it.

“But it’s true. “

“Yeah whatever. Just let me just go get you that aspirin, okay?” And with that the older boy wandered off into the hallway, returning a few minutes later with two pills and a glass of water in hand. Carefully, he gave both items to the blonde, taking the latter back when Naruto was finished.

“Hey Sasuke…”

“Yeah…”

“Would it be okay if I stayed here a little longer?” he asked, not really waiting for an answer as he moved to lay back down on the king sized bed; pulling the coverlet over him. “You know, rest some more before I head home. My head still hurts a lot.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s okay…” Sasuke nodded, though he gave a questionable expression when Naruto looked at him with expectation. “What?”

“Are you going to sit down and stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Sasuke drawled as if that was his answer. He noted that Naruto seemed distraught by his tone though and sighed. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt. He’d stayed with the boy the first time around. “Fine…” He grumbled in defeat, crawling back into bed and adjusting the pillows against the headboard so he could sit up and read. “But just until you fall asleep.”

“That’s fine,” the boy confirmed though he wasted no time in snuggling closer to Sasuke. Taking in a deep breath of air, Naruto picked up the faint aroma of vanilla mixed with just a hint of something akin to mint. Its fragrance was near tangible; so that when he inhaled, he could literally feel the scent slide down his throat like velvet. “Ne Sasuke, you smell nice.”

“Is that so?”

“Like vanilla,” Naruto nodded, giving a yawn as he felt his body relax a little.

Sasuke just picked up his book and shook his head. “Close your eyes and get some rest would you.” When he got no response he simply assumed that the boy was working on doing so; his fingers finding the last page that he’d left off on before he started to read. He only made it through two paragraphs before Naruto spoke again.

“Hey Sasuke, how old are you?”

“Seventeen, why? What about you?”

Ignoring the second question, the blonde rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. “How come you live by yourself then?” He asked genuinely intrigued.

“Because I can,” the elder shrugged. “I used to live with second cousin Kabuto, but after I turned fifteen I went to court and became emancipated. My family was very rich so money wasn’t a factor and I didn’t feel the need to be looked after anymore. That and my cousin annoyed me. I value my personal space, but some people can’t respect that.”

Naruto titled his head, very well aware that he was in fact invading the man’s personal space. After a while he shook his head. “Ne Sasuke, you mean you just wanted to be alone.”

The raven blinked at those words, a little surprised that Naruto had picked up that and corrected him.

“I hate being alone though,” the blonde continued.” After my parents died, I just wanted the world to fade away because there was nothing left here for me. But then Kyuubi saved me. You should find someone who can save you too Sasuke.”

“Tch, I don’t need anyone Usuratonkachi.”

‘That’s too bad Sasuke, because I really wanted to save you.’

“I see.” Naruto laid back down, his head nuzzled against Sasuke’s arm.

The raven frowned, why had the boy sounded so… sad?

TBC…
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The Threads that Bind Us