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The Banks Of The River Styx	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 915 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 5: Needed

�Are
you sure about this?� Alex�s worried whisper sounded loud in the night and
Brian instinctively froze against the tree branch he was currently clinging to.
�Yes!�
Brian hissed down at the blond. �Now come on or we�ll be found!�
Knowing
that his brother was right, at least about the narrow window of time between
security sweeps, Alex began scaling the tree carefully. It wasn�t that he was
afraid of heights, exactly; it was just that the tree looked so darn unstable-
as if it would fall down any second! Normally, the more years of life a tree
had, the better it was for climbing but this tree seemed to be the exception to
the rule as branches creaked over head, swaying like giant skeletal arms in the
bitterly cold breeze. Alex wondered briefly if trees could get angry about
being hung all over as the branch beneath him gave an ominous groan, making the
ice clinging to it crack loudly.
Nimble
as a monkey and already at the top, Brian hissed out an order to be quiet, the
darker of the pair already fiddling with the window they sought. The brunette
took something out of the backpack slung over his shoulder, concentrating as he
worked at the narrow outer sill and barely sparing more than an occasional
glance for his brother several feet below.
Alex
continued to climb, trying and failing to suppress a nearly overwhelming sense
of urgency. Fingers near frozen, back ridged with tension, lung burning and
hitching warningly, the blonde scaled the branches as fast as he could,
ignoring the continued orchestra of ominous sounds coming from the ancient
tree. Heart galloping in his chest and wheezing, the blonde rose higher and
higher, nearly loosing his grip several times as he desperately made his way
upward toward his brother and the window inside.
�Hey,
Brian,� He asked worriedly, hearing a click above as Brian gained entrance. The
large window swung outward as it opened and the brunette disappeared from view
as he crawled inside.
Wasn�t this the tree Daddy ordered to be cut down?
�Brian!�
Alex hissed urgently as a large crack directly below him sounded from the
branch he stood on. The world teetered as the branch split and he made a grab
for the tree trunk, only to find that his hands couldn�t get a firm grip on the
old and peeling bark. He lunged for another branch, turning too fast on the ice
coated limb, slipping and sliding as the world swung crazily around him. With a
dull scream of tearing wood, the branch broke apart, plummeting earthward,
taking out other branches in its wake, and Alex wondered briefly if being
impaled hurt as much as it looked
like it did in the movies. He screwed his eyes shut and covered his face with
his hands, waiting to crash into the wood below.
�� I�m sorry Mr. Tree!
�� Branches swayed in the wind. Ice cracked and fell away.
An owl hooted distantly. But that was all and, very slowly, Alex peeked through
his fingers, wondering why he was hovering in mid air. He was still at the same
height as before but there was no branch beneath his feet- actually there
wasn�t anything beneath his feet
supporting him. To prove that he was not dreaming, he flexed his foot and
hunted for a surface as he looked left and right, prodding the air� around him first with his toe then with a
hesitant hand to find an explanation as to why he was dangling in midair.
�� Below him he could see a nasty twisted pile of branches,
broken limbs all tangled together from the fall and impact, but he didn�t have
time to dwell on this as he felt pressure around his middle pulling him upward.
He twisted, trying to see what had saved him, and found only a skeleton-like
hand holding him from behind, a hand that tightened warningly when he continued
to fidget. In seconds, he was being deposited on a sturdy branch near the
window, safe and unharmed, and as he crawled carefully through the portal, his
savior branch held the glass open for him.
�� Um, thank you.� Alex said politely, wide eyed as the
branch shut the window once he was safely inside. On his tiptoes, he peered
over the sill through the glass and watched the branch sink and settle back
into its original position, for all the world an ordinary branch once more.
�� Thoroughly confused but filled with excitement, the
blonde hurriedly pulled off the jacket he wore and threw it to the floor,
kicking off his boots right after. He checked his hair for snow and bark,
dusting the strands haphazardly before deeming himself presentable for bed.
�� It�s about time.� Brain whispered, already making
himself at home in the large bed. He�d pulled the covers over himself, obviously
trying to warm up before they went ahead with their little plan. He shivered
but held the comforter open while Alex climbed up and joined him, the two
bundling together as they waited for feeling to return to their frozen small
bodies.
�� A little while later, when both boys were warmer, Brain
rolled over and grinned at the bed�s other occupant.
�� We came to keep you company again,� The brunette
whispered to the sleeper as he crawled close, Alex right beside him.
�� In case you were lonely.� The blonde elaborated as they
moved, each picking a side of the sleeper and cuddling close.
�� You don�t mind, do you?� Both asked simultaneously, each
voice a whisper as they pulled the blankets up to cover all three.
�� They didn�t receive an answer but then again, they hadn�t
really expected one. Hinata had warned them that he would sleep for a while
longer and so the twins accepted the silence for assent as they fell asleep. He
would need them once he woke, they both knew, and when he did they would be
there to greet and help him.
�� Their mother had warned them, after all.

�� He was running again, chasing after a pale haired
figure that he never seemed to get any closer to. No matter how fast or how far
Sasuke ran, the distance between them frustratingly remained far out of reach.
Sometimes he ran on four feet in a sleek body that nimbly dodged around
obstacles that would suddenly appear in his path though, more often, he
remained in his normal form, tripping and stumbling but continuing none the
less. He ran over ground, over air, and over everything but always with the
same result of being left completely alone.
�� Finally his limbs could take more and his legs buckled
from exertion, the Uchiha collapsed to the floor in a heap, his body refusing
to budge. Panting and crying, barely able to lift his head, he got to his hands
and knees to crawl and carry-on with his pursuit but he was spent and could go
no further, nearly sinking into the watery surface that appeared below him
where the floor had been seconds ago. Sasuke looked for land and could find
none as every surface around him dissolved into the liquid, creating an ocean
that rippled gently underneath him and, instinctively, he sought his goal,
looking for the only person he knew could restore normalcy to this place.
�� To him.
�� Despair gripped him when he realized that he couldn�t
find his person and Sasuke let himself lay back down, surprised when he didn�t
immediately sink below the waves lapping against his body. He as alone, a cast
away set adrift on a sea of emptiness. If his person wasn�t there, then there
was no point in it anymore and he decided to give up. Lost, confused, he
pressed his forehead against the liquid and tried to force his way under, dimly
sensing them deep in the watery abyss beneath him, consumed with thoughts of
finding that person, wanting to see them desperately.
�� Hands on his shoulders stopped him and guided him upright
to sit on his knees as the person they belonged to did the same before him.
Sasuke tried to identify the person stopping him, tried to tell them to go away
and leave him alone because there was nothing left for him here anymore but the
person placed their thumbs gently over his eyes to keep them closed. Gentle
fingers wiped his tear-streaked face carefully clean and, once dry, angled his
head to rest in the crook of the other person�s neck as warm arms wrapped
around his huddled form, ignoring his protests and keeping him close even as he
tried to pull away.
He was
being soothed and comforted and Sasuke knew he didn�t deserve any of it. He�d
failed! He�d failed the only one he had ever wanted to protect and surely he
needed to be punished for it. Why wait around until death claimed him? Why not
just get it over with and save everyone the trouble? He belonged in Hell, damn
it, why not just let him burn as he was supposed to? He sobbed and raged at the
one holding him so tenderly, voicing his thoughts in a wail, pushing, nearly
shoving as he fought to free himself to continue his earlier pursuits.
�Just
let me go!� Sasuke was winding down, exhausted from his unsuccessful endeavors,
his voice dragging while he pleaded. �Just let me die!� He put his face in his
hands and sobbed, chest aching fiercely as thoughts of the blonde filled his
head. �Naruto, I�m sorry. I�m sorry, I�m sorry, I�m sorry��
He
dissolved into hiccupping sobs and sagged helplessly against his companion,
filled with grief and heartsick from it.
�Teme,�
The person cradling him murmured, voice rumbling against Sasuke�s ear. �You
always have been so damn stubborn.�
Oh
gods- not again, not another surrogate doll to find solace in. This was wrong
and disturbing on so many levels, so many, many levels that is was horrifying.
He despised himself for his weakness, shamed that he wasn�t strong enough to do
what needed doing that he was trying to give himself a way out like some
coward.� He�d never be able to face
Naruto at this rate�though that wasn�t likely to happen anyway, he realized
sadly; the blonde was in heaven and heaven had no room for people who betray
others.
For
people like Sasuke Uchiha.
�I
have to go.� The brunette said in a small voice, chest aching fiercely as new
tears flowed over his cheeks. He missed the blonde so badly that Sasuke
couldn�t function and he doubted sincerely that he�d ever get over it enough to
be even relatively coherent. He realized that the blonde�s death was just going
to be one of those events, something that broke him so badly that he was just
never going to get over it, an event that would just destroy him from the
inside out while he pined away in mourning. He pushed at the chest he laid
against with both hands, ignoring the doll and looking out at the endless
expanse of water around them, searching furtively for the image he had been
chasing after earlier. �I have to go.�
�Yes
you do.� The doll said and he could almost feel it smiling down at him as it
nodded. It would not let him go, arms wrapping around Sasuke�s waist firmly to
press the Uchiha against its warm body and only then did he realize how cold he
truly was. He watched it take in his dull eyes, pained expression and tears,
felt it begin rubbing his back in reassuring circles, as it placed a kiss on
his forehead. �You have to wake up.�
�No.�
The brunette said, averting his eyes to stare fixedly at the doll�s chest. He
couldn�t get free no matter how hard he tried so he simply sat and stared,
waiting until he was released. �Its better if I don�t.�
The
doll frowned at him and gave him a gentle shake. �You�re needed.� It countered,
tilting his chin up and placing a kiss on his cheek this time.
�Naruto
needed me.� Sasuke said, looking away as his eyes filled again. He swallowed
noisily, feeling the resulting lump hurt all the way down. He closed his eyes
and tried to will everything away.
�You
saved me.� It told him, using his chin as a hand hold and forcing him to look
it in the face.
Unable
to turn his head, he stared fixedly at the blonde�s spiky hair as he spoke. �I
failed him.� If he didn�t acknowledge it, the trick would fall apart. If he
refused to believe it, his sense of self-preservation would give up the ruse
and then he could continue to try and drown himself.
The
doll huffed and rolled its eyes at him, the gesture so hauntingly reminiscent
of Naruto that Sasuke clenched his fists at his sides to distract himself from
the fierce ache in his heart.
�You
love me.� The doll tried to reassure him and smiled softly, ignoring the pained
sound the expression provoked in the brunette.
�My
love kills.� He screwed his eyes shut tightly, swallowing down the wail
building in his throat. It looked just like Naruto, even acted and sounded like
him, and Sasuke felt his grief reach new heights.
It�s not real!
He repeated over and over desperately, teeth grinding together as he screwed
his eyes shut. �It�s not real! It�s not real!
The
doll held him at arms� length and shook him roughly, as if trying to shake its
point of view into him while forcing him to look at it again. �You�re being
stupid!�
�It�s
the truth.� Sasuke pointed out, tone flat with no emotion as he fell back into
familiar habits, his expression blanking out so that he appeared unaffected,
his eyes firmly focused to the side on the water, watching the waves lap
languidly at their knees. Ignoring the damn doll wasn�t working- wasn�t making
it go away- so it was time for better proven methods of coping when trying to
avoid dealing with a troubling issue. He was close to imploding, to completely
losing his mind from the emotional maelstrom inside him- if he hadn�t already,
that is- so he forced down his pain, the bottled emotions making his chest
swell as he tried to shut out his awareness of the doll.
�Damn
it, teme, damn it!� The doll exploded suddenly, apparently reaching the end of
its patience and beginning to rant. �I said you couldn�t come yet,
you idiot! That doesn�t mean you can�t come at all, just not now
so get back out there!� It shook him again, this time hard enough to rattle
Sasuke�s teeth, before crushing him against its chest in a fierce hug again.
It
buried its nose in his hair and sobbed, begging. �You can�t do this, teme. You
can�t leave me. I know you�re hurt and I know it�s hard, but, please�� It
released him, opting instead to cradle his face between its warm hands and rest
its forehead against his, impossibly blue eyes pleading as they bored into
Sasuke�s dark ones.
�Live,
Sasuke.� The blonde whispered, and Sasuke had to blink as tears fell onto his
face from the other�s eyes. �I�m giving you an order as a Hokage-in-training so
as a Leaf ninja you have to follow
it no matter what! I�m ordering you to live- no more suicide attempts- and I
want you to promise me that you will.�
Sasuke
searched those familiar blue eyes now sparkling with personality, his heart
pounding in his chest and picking up speed until he thought it would burst free
as something akin to awe began to bloom in is heart. It wasn�t possible, but�
But� �Naruto?�
�Don�t
be afraid to live!� The other said, continuing in an urgent voice. �I know you,
teme, and I know you�ll try this again if someone doesn�t stop you! Live Sasuke
and promise me you�ll do it!�
The
blonde shook him until he responded.
�I-I
promise.� Sasuke stuttered out in a whisper. �Are..?�
He
couldn�t get out any more as the blonde�s mouth descended on his, kissing him passionately
while nearly crushing him in a too-tight hug, forcing him to either open his
mouth to allow access of have his lips crushed between their teeth. Sasuke�s
bruised lips parted and the blonde gladly accepted the invitation, tongue
delving in to explore the hot cavern beyond, encouraging the Uchiha to make
little noises and forget his previous question. They continued to make out, the
blonde�s lips never leaving Sasuke�s to allow him to speak, tan hands quickly
snaking under Sasuke�s clothing to touch the brunette�s skin in a hungry
manner. It was as if touch was food, the blonde starving and Sasuke an all you
could eat buffet. Hands roamed over the Uchiha�s cold skin, leaving searing
heat in their wake, making the Uchiha�s temperature rise sharply. He clung to
the blonde, pulling away and panting for air as the heat built inside him,
making his strength dissipate and his thoughts scramble.
It�s�so hot.
He tried to form the words but couldn�t, preoccupied with trying to get enough
air. It�s...too hot! Sasuke swallowed
thickly and fisted a hand in the blonde�s hair, glaring up accusingly, feeling
slightly hurt and betrayed. Sweat seeped from every pour, a brief coolness that
momentarily returned speech, his voice harsh and low as he spoke. �What did�you
do� to me?�
His
body rebelled and the Uchiha could do nothing but lay passive in the others
arms. Limp, he could do nothing but breathe in harsh pants as the other placed
lips to his ear, laying a cool cheek against his now burning skin in the process.
Sasuke struggled to keep everything in focus as grey ate at his vision,
struggled to keep his hold on his companion and not succumb to the fatigue
quickly sweeping through his body.
��I love you.� The lips moved, fanning hot
breath over the sensitive shell of his ear, provoking a whimper of longing to
escape before Sasuke could stop it. �I love you and I forgive you so don�t do
anything stupid, Sasuke.�
The
Uchiha felt his eyes fill again, salty moisture escaping to coat his cheeks and
perhaps the blonde�s though he didn�t know for sure. He lost the battle for
consciousness, dark eyes closing as he fell backwards in the other�s arms, some
compelling force dragging him down well beyond the few feet that had separated
him from the watery floor, pulling him impossibly deeper and always down.
Sasuke felt himself falling, wind buffeting his body as he hurtled downward
from some incredible height. Down he plummeted, tumbling in freefall and
gaining speed by the second as his descent continued, but, even though he knew
his landing would be far from gentle, the Uchiha felt safe. Comforted by the
sensation of phantom arms wrapped around his fragile form, he felt reassured
even as the ground rushed up to meet him.
For
a second, it made him believe that, though he had fallen, he had not been
abandoned.�

A
shrill beeping woke him up, the sound driving through his ear drum painfully,
chasing away the calming effects of his dream. He jerked away from the sound,
shooting upright to begin searching for it, a roaring headache and an angry fox
urging him to find it and turn the damn thing off. Sasuke�s eyes refused to
work, sensitive to the meager light in the room, and he could only grope
blindly as he hunted through the bed clothes, careless of the small bodies his
hand encountered as the piercing noise continued to assault his skull.
Then
the cacophony ended and the abrupt silence nearly deafened him all over again.
�You
set your alarm?!� An annoyed voice
grumbled with a note of disgust.
�I
wanted to see Elmo.� Another said sleepily, clearly fighting a yawn. �They
changed the show time so it�s earlier now.�
�� But you set it wrong- it�s five o�clock! Elmo doesn�t
start for a while yet!� The first voice complained as they shifted.
�� I wanted to get breakfast first.� The second person
explained simply, ignoring the loud groan from their companion.
There are people in my bed. Sasuke cast about in his mind to find the fox where
it lay sleeping. He poked the beast to wake it and repeated his statement,
taking the beast�s venomous glare without batting an eye. He was oddly calm now
that his senses were starting to function and raised a hand to rub the sleep
from his eyes. His fingers still rebelled, though, and instead Sasuke used his
wrist to help clear his vision as he waited for the beast to answer.
�� There are kids in your bed.
Kyuubi yawned hugely and settled back to sleep. There is a difference, you know.
�� Aren�t kids people to you?
�� You are deliberately being a pain in the
ass, aren�t you? The fox growled
warningly at his mental form but stopped when it saw that the threat wasn�t
having any effect. Sasuke just watched the demon without interest, expression
vaguely lazy, his eyes heavy-lidded as he tried to fight off his jarring return
to reality.
I don�t feel�.
The Uchiha commented, watching curiously as he opened and closed his left hand
with ease. His body felt heavy, languid. He felt more relaxed than he had in a
very long time.
�� You shouldn�t be feeling much. Kyuubi
said dryly, one giant red eye looking him up and down critically before rolling
in exasperation. When he continued to look up at it expectantly, the fox sighed
and elaborated. They turned down your pain meds to get you to wake up but since I
didn�t feel like listening to your whining later, I released some endorphins to
take the edge off.
�� So, I�m�high?
Sasuke felt his eyebrows shoot up
into his hairline, his eyes widening comically in disbelief before narrowing
down in a pale imitation of his usual glare. I would not have whined. He grumbled indignantly.
Wait�
Just how much of an �edge� was the fox talking about? He watched his right hand
as he flexed it open then pulled it into a tight fist. Sasuke repeated the
experiment with his other hand, the one that would barely function and sent
little zings of pain up his arm. No pain, only the faint sensation of the
muscles moving as he directed. Turning his attention outward he realized that
his senses were muddled, refusing to focus to their usual refined state.
Endorphins or not, if he was attacked, he was a dead man and, dimly, he knew
that this was supposed to be worrisome but it only worried him that he could
really feel nothing beyond the false sense of calm permeating his mind.
�� Relax, you�re fine. The fox yawned again and rolled onto its back,
wiggling a bit as its feet waved in the air. It giggled then sighed happily,
basking as the effects of the painkillers lapped over it as well. Don�t
expect to have any deep thoughts for a while or be your normal observant self,
though. Enjoy the buzz while it lasts. Sit back, relax, and don�t strain
yourself when playing with the kids.
�� Playing?
Yes.
Playing- you know, that thing normal children do? Go have some fun with them,
just take it easy. The fox yawned
pointedly. Now scram kid, you bother me.
Sasuke
watched the fox as it settled, the beast occasionally emitting a giggle. I had a dream� He began slowly, trying
to work through his lingering confusion.
Maybe
he had imagined it and the dream had all been some delusion but part of him, a
very small part, was holding its breath, wondering, desperate to have the
impossibility confirmed by the only entity that had the power to do so. He
rubbed the scar on his chest unconsciously and, concentrating, he pushed the
endorphin rush back and hunted, searching until he found what he wanted. Like
broken shards of glass, sharp pieces that would slice open your skin without
mercy, his memories, grief and guilt over Naruto�s death were still there
though everything was currently muted and hazy thanks to the chemicals the fox had
sent to percolate through him.
But
they were still there and that was what mattered. Handling them gently so he
wouldn�t get cut even though he knew he would treasure each wound, Sasuke
carefully gathered up the scattered pieces and placed them in a mental box
labeled with the blonde�s name. Later, when he was sober and could feel pain,
he would sort through them again and let all those memories shred him to
pieces. Later, when he had clarified if his dream was just a hallucination of a
wishful fantasy or perhaps something more, would he go through the pile and
decide if his promise was worth keeping. Later, he would do these things but
not right now.
�� I had a dream about
Naruto. The Uchiha said softly, getting back to his original train of
thought, fingers still fondling the scar over his heart. The organ feeling
considerably lighter than it had since his initial waking in the hospital and
as he flashed back to his dream, a small blush settled over his cheeks at the
remembered feel of hot hands ghosting over his skin. I dreamt-
That�s
it! The fox knocked him away with
three of its tails, sending him tumbling backwards while it ranted. Get
out! I�m tired and cranky and will eat you if you keep pestering me! It
snapped its jaws for emphasis, flashing canines twice as long as Sasuke was
tall.
�� Hey!�
Fighting
a wave of disorientation, the Uchiha was suddenly dragged back to reality by
the new voice and frantic tugging of his sleeve. Blue eyes surrounded by bed tousled
blonde hair were suddenly thrust into his vision, dominating it and blocking
out everything else in the room, making sure that his focus was on those
beautiful eyes.
Getting
right up in your face and demanding attention, just like Naruto had always done
when they were kids.
Later,
Sasuke knew, this comparison would cause him pain, would make his chest tight
and his eyes prickled as tears threatened. In fact, the moment he came off his
high and was alone, he knew he�d probably break down and cry, his emotions sure
to escalate beyond his control as he went through that little box in his mind
marked �Naruto.� With a detached sense of calm, Sasuke decided that the moment
this happened, he�d probably have to leave because it seemed very wrong to
expose these innocent kids to his mental breakdown.
But,
again, all of that was for later when he was without an audience and sure of
his sobriety, when he knew if he had given his word to something more than just
a figment of his imagination.
��Do you want to come see Elmo with us?� The
blonde asked, interrupting his thoughts, the boy�s eyes shining with
excitement.
What�s an �Elmo?� He asked the demon, knowing it was listening and hoping it might know
what the child was referring to.
GO
WATCH WITH THEM AND FIND OUT! The
demon screamed angrily, slamming a metaphysical door in Sasuke�s face, sending
him firmly back to reality and the children.
With
his mind as useless as it currently was, losing himself in some sort of
activity probably wouldn�t hurt and would help him avoid thinking for a while.
Thinking
was doing him no good anyway.
The
Uchiha nodded and watched the child smile happily.
�I�m
Alex!� The blonde said, pointing to himself first before gesturing to the other
body in bed with them, yanking up a pillow to reveal a brunette head. Ignoring
his twin�s annoyed glare, the blonde leaned close to Sasuke�s ear and
whispered. �That�s Brian- he�s a grouch in the morning.�
Brian
glared at them both and pulled a pillow back over his head.
Grinning,
Alex clamored over Sasuke�s legs and slid carefully to the floor before
grabbing the Uchiha�s right hand, pulling until the elder male followed suit.
�Come on, Sasu! Let�s go watch Elmo!�
Sasu?
Sasuke�s eye twitched. He stalled the child long enough to untangle himself from
his IV and get his feet on the floor before following the child silently, held
captive since Alex wouldn�t let go of his hand. Brian joined them when they
were half way across the room and took Sasuke�s left hand, helping the Uchiha
regain his balance when the elder stumbled. They made their way out of the
room, Alex talking to him in excited whispers about some sort of monster that
ate cookies but, since it was a nice monster, such a habit was okay.
The
whole conversation, the kids called him by the shortened form of his name when
wanting his attention, and, in the back of his head Sasuke distinctly heard the
fox roaring with laughter at the whole situation, snorting and giggling harder
each time the children butchered his name.

An
�Elmo,� as it turned out, was a character on a television show named �Sesame Street.�
Sasuke watched the red puppet as it conducted a language lesson in the form of
a song, oddly fascinated as the thing then began to carry on a conversation
with a remarkably large yellow bird- aptly named Big Bird- and a shaggy brown
animal called a �Snufflupagus.�
Sasuke
was still trying to figure out exactly what kind of animal the latter was.
On
the floor in front of him sat his two little companions, the boys merrily
singing along with the bird and Elmo, Snufflupagus swaying in the background in
time to the music. Sasuke found the whole thing vaguely hypnotic and so lulling
that a small part of him wondered distantly if such an effect had been
intentioned by the creators of the show. The kids continued their chorusing,
their voices startling him awake since his eyelids kept closing, reminding him
to rub the back of the baby he held securely against his chest.
He
was currently sitting in a well padded rocking chair, his foot gently pushing
against the floor to continue the soothing motion his perch was designed for.
On a low table beside him sat a large salad bowl which held the dregs of his
soggy cereal, little uneaten star-shaped marshmallows floating in the remaining
milk like a miniature galaxy. Initially, he had poked at the blue and pink
objects, not sure what to make of them. He�d never been a big cereal fan to
begin with, his pallet being sensitive to sugary items, but the kids had
convinced him to try it and after one bite he was hooked. Half emptying the box
in the process, he�d poured himself a bowl, soaked its contents in milk and had
left the kitchen intent on enjoying his breakfast.
After
leaving his room, sneaking with exaggerated care past a sleeping Hinata outside
the doorway, the trio had gone down to the first floor and raided the kitchen
for food. Once that had been accomplished, the kids had guided him through the
maze-like corridors until they had reached what the kids called the �Play
Room.�
The
room was done in all sorts of bright colors that walked the fine line between
being cheerful and garish, none of it matching yet all of it managing to be
cohesive in a bizarre manner all its own. Bins of toys lined one wall, the
contents ranging from building media to stuffed animals, each labeled and
arranged with care on the blue shelving unit they sat on. On the opposite wall
was a chalkboard, currently decorated with several drawings of animals,
squiggles that he assumed were supposed to be letters and several funny faces
in the corners of the slate. The remaining wall space was clear except for a
handful of framed paintings, obviously art work made by the children. In the
right corner of the room sat a closet, the contents hidden behind closed doors
though Sasuke assumed it was being used for further storage of odds and ends
not important enough to have their own bin. There was a medium sized TV in the
far left corner with a child sized couch positioned in front of it. In a small
cabinet beside it sat a multitude of tapes decorated with various colorful
characters that Sasuke wasn�t familiar with. Once he found out, Alex had wanted
to remedy this tragedy of ignorance, fully prepared to give The Uchiha the name
and biography of each represented individual but Brian had pointed out that the
show they had set off to see was about to begin, effectively rescuing Sasuke
from the lecture. The surface Sasuke�s bowl sat on had once upon a time been
white but now showed signs of prolonged use, marked with crayon and marker, a
little basket attached to the side away from where the Uchiha sat filled with
bright orange construction paper. The table had red adjustable legs and bench
seats, with little cup holders on the side nearest the elder brunette, one of
which was occupied holding Sasuke�s half full glass of milk.
�� Sasu!� Brian
stood, left the couch, and climbed up onto the Uchiha�s lap, ignoring the
muscle twitch by the other�s eye. Leaning close, the child placed a kiss on the
sleeping baby�s head before looking up to continue the conversation in a whisper.
�How�s Aiko doing?�
�� Not long after the three had settled down to eat and
watch television, they had heard a plaintive wail erupt from a nearby room.
Before Sasuke could get up to investigate, the twins had jumped up from their
seats and had raced off toward the sound, gesturing for him to sit back down as
they left the room. Alex had returned first with his hands over his ears,
followed a minute later by Brian who held a bundle in his small arms, walking
carefully with his crying cargo into the room. For several minutes, the pair
had tried vainly to get the baby to quiet down by cooing gently and playing
peek-a-boo, turning to toys when those failed, but the infant would have none
of it and continued to cry for attention, little fists grasping at the air as
if searching for something.
�� Eyes and eardrums feeling like they were going to bleed,
Sasuke had joined them where they sat on the floor and taken the infant from
the boys, frowning at his actions because he had no idea what to do next.
Babies, childcare; these were not areas he had experience in and as the infant
continued to cry he became extremely aware of this fact. He tried to think of
what Naruto would do in such a situation. The blonde had always been good with
kids after all and, shoving aside the barely felt ache in his heart, Sasuke
tried to entertain the infant by making faces, sticking out his tongue and
crossing his eyes. He tried to smile but his heart wasn�t in it and the baby
seemed to sense this, wailing anew in response.
�� He had handed the baby back to Brian after that, scouring
his memories for something, anything that
could make the child happy. Surely during his childhood his parents had faced
such a dilemma when dealing with Sasuke as an infant. What had they done to
shut him up? A hazy image of a hand came to mind, the memory nearly completely
corroded with time. He tried to bring the mage into focus, concentrating on
that hand and the boxy object it was holding out to his small fingers. With a
start, he recognized who the hand�s owner was.
�� Armed with an idea borne from the desire to help,
swallowing back his instinctive rage at the irony of it all, he had grabbed a
piece of the construction paper from the table basket and begun clumsily
folding it until finally he had a shape in his hand that resembled a crane.
It
was far from perfect but he was years out of practice in origami and his left
arm was cramping so badly it was nearly useless, good only as a paperweight to
hold the paper in place as he worked. Finished with his mangled masterpiece,
Sasuke infused the paper animal with a small amount of chakra, holding it in
front of the infant like an offering, wiggling it until he was sure he had her
attention.�
�� Oh wow!� Alex had said, clapping his hands excitedly as the
crane began to flap its wings.
The
paper bird had moved slowly at first, then with more vigor, wings falling into
a rhythm as it pulled free of Sasuke�s fingertips. Rising into the air with its
neck and beak straightening as it gained altitude, the bird had flown up toward
the ceiling to make a complete circle before beginning its descent. Its bright
color contrasting sharply with the plain white above, the bird had spiraled
down toward the staring children, ending its flight by perching atop Aiko�s head.
Sasuke
had plucked the bird off the dark downy fuzz on the infant�s crown and held it
out to her tiny grasping hand. Delighted with her new toy, she had gurgled
happily, promptly sticking the paper animal in her mouth to chew on it and
ignoring the bird�s flapping.
If
he�d thought that that would be the end of it, Sasuke had been very wrong.
He�d
had to make two more of the birds, one for each of the twins, before he�d been
allowed to retreat into his rocking chair. The minimal chakra usage had tired
him but before he could relax and recover, Aiko had promptly been placed in his
arms- well, right arm anyway- by Brian, the boy pausing long enough to stuff a
thick pillow beneath the infant for extra support, before joining his brother
on the couch again, the pair giggling at their new �pets� until the antics of
Elmo and friends recaptured the boys� attention. Sighing softly in resignation,
Sasuke had been left alone to endure as Aiko grabbed a fistful of his long
bangs and pulled, the infant making excited noises as she yanked him around by
her saliva-coated hand hold. Only after the baby had fallen asleep had he been
able to carefully tug himself free, bits of soggy orange construction paper
clinging to the strands in the places where Aiko had sucked on them.
Hoping
to keep her slumbering and his out of her hands, Sasuke had been rocking
steadily ever since, rubbing her back and concentrating on keeping Aiko warm as
she lay on his chest.
Coming
back to the present, he simply nodded in the baby�s direction, silently
indicating that all was well.
Why
don�t you talk to them? The fox
rumbled sleepily, poking his mental form with a tail, the rest coiled tightly
beside it.
I don�t have anything to say. He responded simply, shrugging off the tail pressing
into his back. Besides, I don�t want to
wake the baby.
�Are
you okay? You look tired.� Brian shifted, the movement bringing Sasuke�s
attention back to the child. The boy peered up at the Uchiha, the origami bird
perched on his shoulder fluttering its wings as the boy shifted again to pull
some of the clumps of orange from Sasuke�s hair. �Why don�t you take a nap?
We�ll turn the volume down.�
From
his seat, Alex was looking up at them curiously, head cocked to one side, the
crane on the back of the couch next to him doing the same shortly after. �Is he
okay?�
�He�s
tired.� Brian informed him before Sasuke could respond. The Uchiha frowned at
them both in turn and began to shake his head pointedly but was forced to stop
as he yawned. He turned his head to the side to complete the action, not trying
to hide it exactly but more to be polite- it was more than likely that his
teeth were overdue for a date with a toothbrush and some toothpaste.
�Do
you want to go back to your room?� Alex asked when Sasuke faced front again.
Grimacing,
the elder brunette shook his head as he thought about the flight of stairs he�d
have to climb. Going down hadn�t been too bad but then he�d still had more
painkillers in his system. Brian, still in his lap, was sitting on his left leg
and the child�s weight was beginning to make the appendage ache dimly as
Sasuke�s high began to dissipate. Going back up those stairs would be sheer
torture, and, though the Uchiha had had training in how to resist such things,
he knew his damaged body and would not be able to ignore the pain enough to
make it to the second floor to his room.
Besides,
being alone with only his thoughts for company would lead to nothing good; kids
or not, having someone to talk to was comforting.
Brian
slid off his leg onto the floor slowly so as not to make the chair rock
violently and ran out of the room, the crane flying lazily behind him as he
left. Minutes later, the child returned carrying a comforter, nearly tripping
over a corner of it as the material trailed on the floor. He made his way over
to Sasuke, tossing the thick fabric over the elder brunette as Alex left his
seat and came to help his brother settle the comforter firmly over Aiko and
Sasuke despite the adult�s protests. In short order, the Uchiha was tucked in
up to his chest, his legs and feet protected completely from any potential
drafts in the room.
�Sleep
here!� The boys chorused, grinning up at him as their cranes circled overhead
and ignoring his scowl. Aiko grunted and shifted in Sasuke�s arms, disturbed by
their voices, making him glare warningly at the twins.
Relenting
as the baby settled, Sasuke sighed again and motioned them back to their couch
with his chin. Grinning impishly, the two returned to their seat, changed the
television channel and began watching some cartoon called �Foster�s Home for
Imaginary Friends.�
Though
he watched for a little while, the morning�s activities soon caught up with
Sasuke. Comfortable, warmth seeping into his hurting muscles and easing the
ache in his leg, his eyelids gradually grew heavy and Sasuke soon began to
doze. His dead weight kept the rocker at a reclined angle, the positioned
helping to keep the infant securely against his chest. Feeling strangely safe
and unbothered, his head lolled to one side as he fell into a deeper state of
sleep.
He
didn�t wake even when the twins joined him in the rocking chair.

More�s Moment:
First
off, apologies for the long wait on the chapter. I had to scrap two other
versions of this chapter before I managed to get all the characters to a point
that I was comfortable with. I kept writing myself into dead ends or pointless
moments and I had to sit back for a bit and mull over what I wanted. Initially,
the tone of the chapter was very different, much more heart wrenching and
angsty, but I can really only torture Sasuke for so long before I get bored so
I decided to go with something more light hearted. That doesn�t mean that
everything is all going to remain that way, however.
He
still hasn�t met Andrew.
Thank
you one and all for reviewing (hint, hint) since it encourages me to crank out
chapters faster. I�ll warn you though that the next chapter is going to be a
bit in coming- I have three writing projects due within the next two weeks so I
have no time to write for fun, on this story or my other one. If, in your
boredom, you decide to venture over and check out my other story Bared Naked, I
think you�ll be pleasantly surprised. It sounds like the traditional set up but
I�m working hard to make sure it isn�t.
Besides,
that one has more chapters to be occupied by.
Thanks
everyone and happy tales!

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The Banks Of The River Styx