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
- 56
- 57
- 58
Author's Note: Consider this early chapter a Valentine's Day present from me to you. Apologies for my readers east of the Atlantic. My next chapter will be posted February 23. Enjoy.

Naruto noticed an unfamiliar blue truck stop in the road on the opposite side a few dozen feet down the block, on the other side of the street. He tensed, his body on edge. Someone was getting out of the passenger seat, only the bottom of their legs visible under the gap of the car. Naruto swallowed hard as he remembered something: this wasn’t an unfamiliar car. He’d seen it in Sasuke’s driveway before, only a couple times.
The figure walked around the car, a familiar hairstyle now blatantly obvious in the silhouette, illuminated by the streetlights. It was Sasuke. Sasuke, the man he thought he wouldn’t be seeing for another two years. Sasuke briskly walked towards Naruto. He’d wanted to see Sasuke again, so badly. But he hadn’t wanted Sasuke to see him. Sasuke was, no doubt, here to force him to stay. How could he possibly explain this to Sasuke?
He froze for a couple seconds, paralyzed by shock. Now, Sasuke’s face was in view, though Naruto had to squint to make it out. Naruto could see that Sasuke’s fists were clenched, his arm muscles tensed. Sasuke was still on the street. He hadn’t entered the alleyway yet. And so Naruto did what he should have done from the instant he saw Sasuke: he ran.

Sasuke snarled as Naruto charged off. It came down to this? Sasuke sprinted at full pace, dodging an out of place trashcan as he pursued Naruto. After hours of searching, he’d finally found Naruto. He would not lose him. Sasuke’s indiscriminant steps loudly plopped into shallow puddles, drenching Sasuke’s pant legs and shoes. Naruto took a sharp right turn, and Sasuke followed, leaving Juugo to stare at the once again desolate scenery in shock, the sound of frenzied footsteps quickly fading into silence. Naruto was using every bit of energy at his disposal, and so was Sasuke. His feet thudded with the pavement with each wide and urgent stride, arms moving in reverse motion, hands straight and spearing forward.
In freshman year, Sasuke ran a mile for a school fitness test. Six minutes and eight seconds. Though he’d only been training for basketball, he beat most of his school’s track team. Sasuke was, by no stretch, slow. Though many of Naruto’s muscles had returned through frequent exercise, in such cramped surroundings, he had yet to condition his heart and lungs. Naruto couldn’t evade Sasuke for much longer, and Naruto surely knew this. Their footsteps grew closer together. Naruto spared a quick glance over his shoulder, his frantic breath clouding the frigid air in front of him. Their sneakers squeaked against the wet ground. Sasuke was approaching him.
Sasuke’s breath rasped in his throat, his glasses bouncing on the bridge of his nose. A doctor had once told him that he had a mild grade of cold induced asthma, but living in southern California, this rarely proved relevant. Unless he was, say, sprinting like his life depended on it at four in the morning in the dead of winter, it wasn’t an issue. His chest tightened, air coming to him in wheezes, but he kept moving onward, one excruciating step after the next. He was only holding even pace with Naruto now, who didn’t seem to be tiring as quickly.
Frustrated with his glasses, he took them off as he ran and shoved them in his pocket. They weren’t needed for such short distances, and they were only getting in his way. His breathing was becoming more and more labored, his face flushed hot despite the cold. A jog, even in this weather, would have never done this to him; he was literally running as if he were being hunted for meat. But at this rate, he’d lose Naruto. So he threw everything into his movements. It didn’t matter that this was unsustainable for longer than a few seconds. He just had to catch Naruto. It would be over at that very instant. The distance between them quickly closed. They were only about twenty feet apart. They’d traveled blocks now. Sasuke wasn’t even sure where Juugo’s car was anymore.
Naruto knew he couldn’t last, not like this. He didn’t have much time to make up his mind. So he did the only thing his mind could think of in this panicked, desperate moment. He ran into a small alleyway and, for just a few seconds out of Sasuke’s view, tucked himself behind a small dumpster. It wasn’t the best escape plan, but he didn’t have much time to think things out. Hopefully, Sasuke, in his rushed state, wouldn’t see him there in the dark and would assume that Naruto had gotten out of the alley and made a second turn. When Sasuke took off again to search for Naruto, Naruto would dash in the opposite direction.
Sasuke ran through the alleyway and right past the dumpster. Where was Naruto? Could he have had time to make it to the other end? His chest was tight, his breath raspy and painful as he made it to the other end. His cheeks were bright red, and his body was covered in sweat. He paused, looking left to right. He couldn’t hear running. What if he’d lost him? No, impossible. He couldn’t escape that quickly.
The dumpster. He ran towards it. He saw Naruto there for just a moment before Naruto got out and began to run again. That son of a bitch… Sasuke couldn’t make it much longer at this pace. His head ached. He felt dizzy. And his chest... His lungs felt like they didn’t have enough room to expand, his windpipe painfully restricted.  Why hadn’t he taken that doctor up on his offer for an inhaler?
He had to catch him. Gritting his teeth so hard that he heard them squeak, he forced his thighs, his calves, his arms, everything to propel him forward, sparsely oxygenated muscles burning like battery acid. He couldn’t break for breath. He had to keep going. Another alleyway. They hit a long building. There was nowhere for Naruto to turn until the main street, which was far ahead. This would be his last chance. Sasuke knew that his body, cruelly deprived of oxygen, would force him to rest soon. He had to catch Naruto now. Running, sprinting, every muscle giving its best, he was gaining on Naruto again. Closer. Closer. His fingertips could touch Naruto if he reached out, but he might slip away. He heard Naruto’s panting, the clumping of his backpack against his back. He’d go faster. Just a little bit more, and…
Now.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s backpack firmly, jerking him back by it. Finally, Sasuke’s legs were still. He wheezed desperately for breath, but he had to keep himself ready to run again if necessary. He positioned himself so that he was right in front of Naruto, ready to grab him again if he ran off to either side. The building blocked Naruto’s back. The adrenaline in Sasuke’s body was still pounding through his veins from the chase. Sasuke lifted his fist, ready to punch Naruto, but… Naruto looked so terrified. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Naruto attempted to charge off to the left, which killed any remaining sympathy Sasuke had for him. Fuck this asshole. He was the reason Sasuke was feeling this way. He’d convinced Sasuke to give him a chance, despite Sasuke’s better judgment, because he had promised not to leave him. Then he had the nerve to ditch him? This was all Naruto’s fault. He lifted back his fist, and almost without thinking, he plowed it forward into Naruto’s nose. Sasuke’s wheezing diminished as he began to catch his breath. Due to Sasuke’s exhaustion, the punch had been a little sloppy, but it hit its target. He hadn’t gone easy on Naruto, whose nose was now dripping blood.
Naruto stared at Sasuke in surprise for a moment. Sasuke’s facial expression was venomous. This was no reflection of those memories of the caring, gentle Sasuke that his mind had presented to torture him. Sasuke looked pissed.
Naruto clenched his teeth, his brows scrunching together in anger. He responded to this the only way he knew how: he punched back. His adrenaline had been fully charged, and it wasn’t wearing down. He got Sasuke on the cheek, a large portion of his face red. Sasuke punched Naruto in what ended up being his eye. Sasuke’s muscles were still sluggish, but he was beginning to recuperate as he caught his breath. Naruto stumbled back, catching his breath and gritting his teeth together before uppercutting Sasuke’s jaw. Sasuke’s molars drove into the back left section of his tongue, and he tasted blood.
He slammed Naruto into the wall and kneed him in the gut. Naruto sputtered for a moment before getting himself up. While Sasuke was still near him, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his bangs and butt his forehead into Sasuke’s hard. The maneuver hurt Naruto every bit as badly as it hurt Sasuke. Both of them were stunned for just an instant as their ears rang and their vision doubled, but Sasuke quickly oriented himself before Naruto seized the opportunity to run away again. Smoldering with anger, Sasuke socked him in the lip, the skin breaking open on impact. Naruto returned the favor, charging forward and popping Sasuke’s lip open with his right fist.
Sasuke’s vision was still distorted from the impact to his forehead, though it was quickly wearing off. Sasuke delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of Naruto’s knees as he straightened his arm to force Naruto’s chest backwards, causing Naruto to fall on his back gracelessly. It was a well-practiced move that Sasuke had used in many fights, only delivered through muscle memory. Immediately, Sasuke got on top of Naruto, pulling his fist back to begin his work, or whatever that entailed. Both of them were panting, deep breaths painfully entering and exiting their ribcages. In a fight, this was generally the point in time where things would go brutally awry for Sasuke’s opponent.
Naruto remembered the look in Sasuke’s eyes well. It was the same look he had when he found out that that vagrant had attacked Naruto at knifepoint, the same look he had when he had rather foolishly decided to wreak vengeance on the man. Sasuke had told him that he’d been in many, many fights over the past year. It wasn’t that Naruto didn’t believe him, but now, he saw the evidence all the more clearly in Sasuke’s face.
Sasuke was regressing. He knew it. He had done the exact same thing to Sai. Once Sasuke had flipped Sai, it was all over for him. Sitting on top of Sai, his fist clenched and pulled back, he had felt the exact same way. But this was different. He had every right to be angry, no, enraged this time. The subject of his wrath was a liar, a hypocrite. His entire body was pumping with adrenaline and fury. He was so angry. He wanted to torture. He wanted to destroy. He could hardly even contain himself. But this liar, this hypocrite was Naruto.  Naruto…
Naruto’s hands were pinned by his side, his body still wet from the rain that had fallen hours ago. They were both still for a moment, Sasuke’s fist trembling in midair. A drop of blood fell from Sasuke’s face and pattered on Naruto’s chest. Several spots on Naruto’s face were bleeding as well. Naruto covered his face, hoping to at least save his nose and teeth. Sasuke sighed, his fist still raised. His mind was a raucous din of curse words he would have just loved to yell at Naruto, but for now, he’d try to at least remain coherent.
“What the fuck are you thinking?!” Sasuke shouted, his face red.
“It’s how it was always supposed to be!” Naruto yelled back, his voice raspy. “I told you from the time we met that I’d never go back!”
Sasuke still didn’t move his fist.
“But you told me you’d go weeks ago!” A realization seemed to strike Sasuke, who sneered down at Naruto as if he’d just encountered a mold-coated loaf of bread in his pantry. He’d known this all along; he just hadn’t wanted to believe it. “You never had any intention of turning yourself in, did you? You lied from the start!”
Naruto couldn’t have Sasuke believing that. He would have never willingly deceived Sasuke like that. It was only at the last minute that he comprehended the gravity of what he was about to do Sunday morning and saw how off track he’d gotten.
“That’s not true, Sasuke! I was really planning on doing it! Every time I said I was going to stay, I meant it!”
Sasuke seemed to calm a little at that, finally lowering his fist as he sighed in frustration, his muscles still rigid. So Naruto had technically never lied to him about this? Sasuke’s expression didn’t look any less intimidating, however. He was quickly catching his breath.
“And when did that change?” Sasuke asked with a dangerous calm, his eyes coldly analyzing Naruto for any signs of dishonesty or hidden emotion.
“Earlier tonight,” Naruto admitted, the anger beginning to leave his face and voice. His eyes left Sasuke’s, lingering on the building’s wall. He could feel the cold and damp cement on his back through his jacket, his clothing dirty from all the grime.
Sasuke was more composed now, his breathing almost returned to normal as his body leaned back. He narrowed his eyes at Naruto; they looked opaque and loveless, the polar opposite of the way they’d appeared as they made love yesterday. Removed and distant. Black. Cold.
“You’re a fucking hypocrite,” Sasuke spat. His voice was low and quiet, but it was full of hatred.
“What are you talking about?” Naruto mumbled.
“’Don’t let fear control you.’ Sounds so simple in theory, doesn’t it?”
Naruto froze. He remembered this. It was what he told Sasuke when he’d begun selling drugs for Itachi’s operation. He’d had been so frightened at losing Itachi that even the ever so cool and rational Uchiha Sasuke became desperate and reckless. Fear controlled his fate. Was Sasuke accusing him of doing the exact same thing?
“This isn’t the same thing!” he insisted defensively after a short pause.
“Isn’t it?” Sasuke asked, cocking his head to the side bitterly.
Was it? Naruto struggled, freeing one arm from underneath Sasuke.
“I don’t want this to happen again!” he shouted, his voice breaking midway. He pointed to his cheek with a straight and quivering finger. “You could never understand!”
Sasuke wasn’t dissuaded by sympathy, his stance still strong.
“You didn’t understand me either,” Sasuke responded, his voice becoming louder again. “But that didn’t keep you from telling me the shit I needed to hear but didn’t want to. So I’m returning the favor.”
Naruto frowned. He needed more oxygen, but Sasuke was sitting on him. He began to struggle against Sasuke’s weight, trying to pant in air. Sasuke mercifully budged a few inches to accommodate Naruto’s lungs, relieving Naruto greatly.
“Are you forgetting the reason you came to live with me in the first place?”
Naruto’s eyes were becoming glassy with tears still unformed. Sasuke could see the ambient light and even the stars reflect off of the moisture. Naruto fought the panic threatening to hijack his thoughts. Naruto didn’t have one single safe option, and he was again being reminded of this.
“Well, what the fuck else am I supposed to do?!”
Naruto looked desperate. Terrified.
“You’re running again, Naruto,” Sasuke sighed, sounding gentler than he had before. He still gazed down at Naruto, but now his expression was more dominated by frustration and even sadness than by rage.
“What?”
Of course he was running. What better option was there?
“You’re leaving everything behind. You’re not dealing with what happened to you.”
“I’ve dealt with it!” Naruto shouted back defensively.
“If you’d dealt with it, you’d do what you’d tell anyone else to do in this situation,” Sasuke said, his voice becoming increasingly calm. “You wouldn’t have bailed on our plan you’d been onboard with for weeks at the last minute. You’re not thinking clearly.”
Naruto was silent. Everything Sasuke said… Naruto just wanted it to stop. Sasuke was ruining everything, hacking away at all of his painfully acquired determination. Was this what Sasuke had felt like when Naruto would speak to him when he was losing his head?
“You could go to school. You could have a home. Friends. For once, someone would stick around in your life. You’d have a future. What kind of life can you build for yourself if you’re in hiding? There’s nothing for you on the streets.”
No, stop. Naruto’s breath began to come quickly, too quickly. His head was tingling. He writhed, trying to free himself from Sasuke’s weight, but Sasuke kept him pinned. He wanted to escape. He wanted to run. He didn’t want to hear this. Even when Sasuke wasn’t there, it was difficult not to go back on his resolve. He couldn’t let Sasuke push him over the edge. So Naruto sneered up at Sasuke, doing his best not to be swayed.
“I’ll make the cash somehow. I’ll find myself a place. Don’t make this about me. It’s about you. You want me to put myself in harm’s way because you don’t want to be left! You’re being selfish!”
The look on Sasuke’s face made Naruto feel remorseful instantly. Naruto had been defensive, angry, scared… Being physically pinned didn’t help manners either. He felt like a caged animal. He wished he could have taken the words back. Sasuke lifted his head back, momentarily stunned.
“You call me selfish? I admit that I’m biased by my own desires, one of which is to keep your dumb ass safe.”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, staring Naruto down before shaking his head in disappointment.
“Naruto, I may be selfish, but at least I’m not a liar.”
Was Sasuke talking about Naruto’s claim that he would return to the foster care system? That technically hadn’t been a lie. Naruto just had a rather last minute change of plans, as he’d already explained to Sasuke.
“What?”
“You promised you wouldn’t leave me,” Sasuke said softly, “but it seems you’ve forgotten.”
So that’s what Sasuke was referring to. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke’s face but soon after regretted it. Sasuke’s anger was fading, and it was being replaced by something that was a lot tougher for Naruto to see: hurt. That’s where all of Sasuke’s rage had come from, after all. Naruto was beginning to feel nauseous as guilt gnawed at him. He sighed, staring at the asphalt now.
“Sasuke, please… Look at you. You have more people after you than you could shake a stick at. You could easily find someone new, someone better, and replace me.”
“What is wrong with you?” Sasuke demanded. How many times did he have to reassure Naruto about this rubbish? “Are you really that insecure?”
But it wasn’t just insecurity. He’d been replaced far too many times. Abandoned too many times.
“Besides,” Naruto mumbled morosely. “You know what they say about teenage romances… They never last.”
Sasuke was silent. Was that really all Naruto saw this as? Just another one of those brief and quick high school relationships that come by the dozen at this period in one’s life? No. This was different. Of course, a cynical part of Sasuke thought to itself, that’s what they all say, isn’t it? He remembered what Naruto had told him the night before, about how even though he was young, he would never stop loving Sasuke. Ever.
“Oh… I see what this is,” Sasuke sneered, his voice chilled. “You’re pathetic, you know that?”
Naruto simply glared back at Sasuke.
“You left, just like you claimed you never would. All your life, you’ve been abandoned. When you do it to someone else, your conscience can’t handle it because you know just what it feels like.”
Naruto’s heart beat so heavily, it seemed, his eyes open and unblinking. Sasuke saw right through him, and he felt exposed.
“So you justify it by lying to yourself.”
Naruto paused several minutes, thinking of what he could possibly have to say to something like that.
“Sasuke, I’m just…” Naruto mumbled and stared at the ground, paying sudden attention to an ant by his arm forehead scurrying across the wet asphalt. “I’m replaceable. It’s been two months.”
“Replaceable?  Really?” Sasuke demanded, his words coming more forcefully. His anger was returning. “I took you in, Naruto. I fed you. I clothed you. I risked my ass for you. I’d fight for you. Do you think that I, of all people, would do that for anyone? Are you too brain damaged to comprehend logic that simple?”
What could he ever say to that? He couldn’t go back. He had to leave. He couldn’t… But he couldn’t leave Sasuke either. God, why was it that Sasuke could do this to him? No, he couldn’t let it happen. He had to remember his first promise. He had to remembered what his foster father’s kisses tasted like, how he could’ve died that day, what it felt like when that knife cut through his cheek. He couldn’t let Sasuke sway him. He was desperate now. Even if Sasuke would hate him forever, he had to shake him.
“You’re infatuated with me,” Naruto hissed, looking directly into Sasuke’s eyes.
“How the hell can you say that?!” Sasuke exploded.
There had been no lapse in time before Sasuke erupted. Sasuke hadn’t even stopped to consider the possibility that Naruto honestly believed this. Just as he had before, Naruto was lying to himself to protect his conscience. Sasuke saw through it all, but the fact that he’d dare to say such a thing infuriated him regardless. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Naruto’s shoulders up off the asphalt and slammed his body into the ground, the back of Naruto’s already sore head banging against the ground.
“I love you, you fucking good-for-nothing imbecile!” Sasuke shouted, his jaw trembling slightly as he glared back at Naruto with an expression full of liquid hot rage.
Naruto’s entire body slumped, his skull throbbing from the sudden collision. Tears began to form in his eyes, and they fell down the sides of his eyes onto the ground.
Naruto had told Sasuke that he loved him eight times. Naruto knew, because he kept track. Sometimes he said it playfully, almost sarcastically. “You’re lucky I love you.” Other times he said it as they were just about to fall asleep together. Other times as they made love. Sasuke had never said it back. Not even once. Every single time, Naruto listened for it, hoping that this would be the time Sasuke would finally reassure him.
Naturally, he would never tell Sasuke how much it bothered him, let alone the fact that he’d actually kept count. His pride couldn’t handle that, and he didn’t want to come off as sensitive or needy. The son of a bitch might even tease him for it, or even worse just go silent. Naruto had mentioned it only once, and Sasuke’s only explanation was an apologetic, “I’m a little slower than most.” Naruto had quickly let it drop. Sasuke was a difficult nut to crack, whatever the case. Besides, after everything Sasuke had done for him, it was obvious that he cared. He was sure the words would come eventually, yet they never did. Well, not until now.
“You say this now, of all times?!” Naruto asked frantically, his face contorted as he threw up his only free hand. “Now?!”
Sasuke moved off of Naruto, who sat up, hunched over by the wall. Naruto began to cry, hiccupping softly as the tears changed course over his scars. It mixed with the blood on his cheek formed by one of Sasuke’s blows. He hid face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as his breath came to him in rasps. What Sasuke had said seemed to have been the last straw for Naruto. Despite the fact that Sasuke was still furious with Naruto, he sat next to Naruto and placed his hand on his shoulder. He didn’t like seeing him cry.
“I thought it might be my last chance,” Sasuke said quietly, but his tone was determined. “I won’t have regrets.”
“That’s not playing fair!” Naruto yelled back, his voice trembling.
Naruto slumped against Sasuke, his head now resting against Sasuke’s shoulder as he attempted to stop his crying. They were both leaning into to each other, resting against the wall. Naruto couldn’t bear the guilt. He’d felt guilty all along, but he’d been able to convert that into irrational rage pretty adeptly after Sasuke decked him in the face. Now all of that was gone, and he was left to suffer the full extent of his shame, unadulterated and pure.
“God… Sasuke, I’m so sorry. It just… It has to be this way. …Right?” Naruto asked in a way that desperately requested reassurance.
Sasuke paused, calculating his response. He wasn’t angry anymore. Naruto was frightened and hurting, much like he was. Naruto had made a pretty stupid decision. However, he’d been willing to live on the streets for an entire year, despite all of the risks, to avoid the situation he was supposed to willingly walk into the next day. And then, in the final moments, he’d panicked.
In that, Sasuke saw himself. He’d dealt drugs and told his brother that he’d been working at a church, for hell’s sake. Itachi was his only remaining family member, Sasuke thought to himself, and he would not lose him like he lost his parents. He would not take any chances with him. That’s how he justified his actions to himself. “Take no chances.” It was an ironic justification, given the risks of his new venture, but he stood by the motto regardless. Wasn’t Naruto doing the same thing?
Naruto had avoided the issue in the days prior. If Sasuke wouldn’t have let Naruto push him away in the days preceding, would this still have happened? A part of him blamed himself, and he’d never know whether he could have made a difference or not. Sasuke wasn’t what most would consider an understanding person, but he did comprehend Naruto’s viewpoint.
“You and I both know that worst case scenarios can happen. But we went wrong when we chose to believe that the worst case scenario was the likeliest, because it had happened before. Paranoia called the shots. That’s no way to live.”
Naruto still leaned against Sasuke, wordlessly. He could hear Sasuke’s breathing, which misted against his cheek when Sasuke turned to him. Naruto entwined one arm with Sasuke’s. He was tempted to hold his hand, but it seemed too committal.
“If I thought that leaving would be the best for you, I wouldn’t be so selfish as to ask you to stay. I don’t need anyone.”
Was it true, that Sasuke needed no one? Perhaps this was just one of the things Sasuke told himself to feel less vulnerable. Yet Naruto got the feeling that even without Itachi or him, Sasuke would carry on. He was resilient like that. Naruto had stopped crying. The warmth of Sasuke’s body was too good. He didn’t want to leave him, though he knew he’d be forced to, whether it was tonight in a rundown alleyway or tomorrow in a police station.
“I know, Sasuke.”
“It’s your life. You have to deal with the consequences. I won’t force you to do anything, but…”
Sasuke was cut off by the lump in his throat. He was fighting back tears. He refused to cry, however. If Naruto left, he did not want to be remembered that way. Having cried in front of him even once, after Itachi was admitted to the hospital, was bad enough.
No matter how certain Sasuke was that he was right, no matter how badly Sasuke might get hurt, Sasuke could never force someone into making such a large life decision. He’d had done his best to persuade Naruto, but whether Naruto would stay or go was Naruto’s decision, and Naruto’s decision alone. So he could only pray that Naruto would stay with him tonight.
Sasuke bit his cheek hard. God, he did not want to go home alone. He could not speak loudly, or he was sure his voice would crack.
“Please stay.”
Sasuke’s tone was painful to both of them. Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke’s arm tighter. When Sasuke had first spotted him, he expected Sasuke to take him back to the house kicking and screaming. Remarkably, Sasuke was giving him a choice. Naruto could get on that train, and Sasuke would see him off, though Sasuke made it clear that he thought that this decision was both hypocritical and ill-advised. Yet Naruto could still leave, even now. Sasuke’s heart throbbed, his hands trembling. He was a mixture of impatient, desperate, and terrified to hear the next words out of Naruto’s mouth.
Naruto moved up, guiding Sasuke’s face towards his with his palm. He kissed Sasuke timidly, then more passionately, ignoring the stinging pain of his split lip. They tasted a hint of blood, Sasuke’s sore tongue still recovering from Naruto’s uppercut. Sasuke’s heart beat heavily. He wanted to believe that Naruto would come home with him, but he didn’t know if he could take it if he allowed him to think this when Naruto was really only just kissing him goodbye. After their lips parted, he stared at Sasuke for a moment, processing everything Sasuke had said.
“Okay.”
Sasuke’s brows knit together as relief announced itself on his face, his lips pursing and quivering. Sasuke looked like he was about to cry, but Naruto only saw this for a split second. Sasuke hugged Naruto tightly, bringing him into his chest. Naruto thought that Sasuke was only being affectionate. Honestly, Sasuke had just not wanted Naruto to see the look on his face and could think of no other way to hide. He didn’t want Naruto to see that his eyes were wet, or that his bottom lip was twitching as he fought to keep his composure.
Sasuke’s eyes clamped shut, but he had to keep his breathing steady. Otherwise, Naruto would be on to him. No tears fell. He opened his eyes again and discreetly wiped them against the nearest item of clothing as he hugged Naruto, knowing that Naruto wouldn’t notice. Naruto breathed in, taking in Sasuke’s scent. He didn’t think he’d see Sasuke again for two years. Sasuke’s body, pressed against Naruto’s sopping clothes, was wet now, but he didn’t give a damn. He grasped Naruto’s icy hand tightly in his own.
“I’m…really sorry, Sasuke.”
Sasuke had regained control, once again appearing nothing but composed. The crisis had been averted.
“Stop apologizing,” Sasuke said bluntly, sounding much more like his ordinary self. “Let’s get out of here. I’m exhausted.”
And it was true. Once the adrenaline had subdued, he was feeling the full effect of a sprint, a brawl, and a maelstrom of emotions all experienced on only two hours of sleep. He felt an urge to just slump against the wall on the wet cement and rest his eyes for a few moments with Naruto under his arm, but the area was far too dangerous and cold for that. Besides, he had to reunite with Juugo.
It was now that Sasuke realized that he had no idea where the hell the two of them were. He got up, his knees aching as he used the wall to stand. He offered a hand to Naruto, who accepted and did the same. Sasuke waited until they had walked to an intersection where he could read the signs and called Juugo.
“Sasuke? Is everything okay?”
It had been at least twenty minutes since Sasuke had left Juugo’s car. He must’ve been worried.
“Everything’s fine,” Sasuke answered. “Ready to go home.”
“Where are you?”
“Hodencamp and Walnut.”
“That far?” Juugo asked in disbelief. Sasuke was relieved that Juugo even knew these small and poorly marked streets. Juugo had been driving around this town for two years though, so he supposed it made sense.
“Yup,” Sasuke answered simply.
“It’ll take me a couple minutes then. Just wait for me at the intersection.”
“Alright,” Sasuke answered, and they hung up.
“Who was that?” Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously.
“Juugo.”
Naruto blinked. He had recognized the car that Sasuke arrived in, but Sasuke’s mode of transportation had been one of the last things on Naruto’s mind at the time.
“Juugo drove you here?”
“Yes.”
“I’m gonna meet him?”
After everything that had just happened, Sasuke wondered how Naruto could go from crying to even sounding a little enthusiastic in such little time. Naruto had been just dying to meet some of Sasuke’s friends, especially Juugo. From what he’d heard, Juugo sounded like a really cool friend.
“Yes?” Sasuke replied, finding Naruto’s eagerness bizarre.
Juugo’s blue truck was easily heard from a couple blocks away on the empty street. He drove up to them and pulled up to the right lane, stopping the car but not placing it in park. Sasuke opened the passenger door to reveal both himself and Naruto, both of which looked like they’d had the shit beaten out of them, clothes dirty and wet. Juugo’s eyes widened as he processed that image, staring back at them with his mouth wide open.
“Juugo, Naruto,” Sasuke said bluntly, pointing to the grinning blond boy by his side. “Naruto, Juugo.”
Proper manners were not completely lost on Sasuke. Sasuke got into the passenger seat, while Naruto took the back.
“Wow, you’re humongous!” Naruto chirped
“Uh…thanks,” Juugo answered, appearing a little taken aback both by the comment and by Naruto’s presence and appearance in general.
“It’s so nice to meet you!” Naruto stated, inviting Juugo to shake his hand from the backseat. Juugo accepted it, as he didn’t quite know what else to do. As was typical, Naruto gave Juugo’s hand a few more shakes than was socially appropriate. What the hell had happened to Sasuke? Why was he so beat up? And who was this kid in his car, who was still shaking his hand? Well, apparently his name was Naruto.
“Everything’s fine now, Juugo. Could you drop us off at my house?”
“Sure,” Juugo replied uncertainly.
They drove for several seconds. Juugo already had a cigarette resting between his lips. Sasuke took one out of Juugo’s pack without asking permission, as Juugo had always told him he was welcome to do. God, after all of this bullshit, he felt like he needed one.
“I suppose an explanation is in order,” Sasuke sighed, lighting his cigarette with Juugo’s red Bic lighter.
Naruto held his tongue. He really didn’t like Sasuke smoking, but he was currently in no place to complain.
“Kind of, yes,” Juugo answered, sounding perturbed at being kept in the dark for so long. He wasn’t one to press for information, but this was getting ridiculous.
“Remember when the court appointed me all that volunteer work?”
“Yeah,” Juugo answered expectantly, wondering where Sasuke was going with this.
“I volunteered at a soup kitchen and met Naruto there a while back.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I was also a volunteer,” Naruto specified. As Naruto no longer looked anything like a vagrant, Sasuke knew Juugo would think this anyway, but of course Naruto wasn’t so shrewd as to realize this. Still, other than the past several months, he’d identified as a vagrant for over a year, so perhaps it was a difficult transition mentally. “We would wash dishes and clean tables together… Because I was volunteering.”
Sasuke inwardly groaned, wondering if it was possible for Naruto’s tone to be any more suspicious. He took a deep hit off of his cigarette. He hadn’t planned what he was going to tell Juugo. He supposed he should’ve hammered down the specifics of that beforehand, but he had been too preoccupied with finding Naruto at the time. All of his mental energy had gone into that.
Juugo sighed gruffly. It didn’t seem like he was buying this.
“Juugo, the truth is…” Sasuke started. And then he found he didn’t know how to finish his sentence. He glanced at Naruto with a look of confusion on his face. Naruto gave Sasuke an inquisitive look, and Sasuke nodded.
“Basically, I’m a hobo, and we’re in gay love with each other,” Naruto volunteered cheerfully. Surely, a little humor would put everyone at ease.
Silence in the car. Sasuke would have smacked Naruto if they weren’t in such an awkward situation. That’s what he got for handing that moron the reins. And so he was surprised when the next sound to fill the car was Juugo’s laughter. Juugo tilted back his head, a throaty chuckle rolling out.
“Damn, that’s a good one, kid. This guy’s funny.”
Sasuke was still silent. Juugo continued to laugh but soon was made aware of the fact that he was the only one laughing.
“Okay, what really happened?” Juugo prompted.
“Eh heh heh…” Naruto laughed nervously. Sasuke sighed, his eyes catching Juugo’s now.
“He’s joking, right?” Juugo asked, a hint of laughter still in his voice as he gestured towards Naruto. Sasuke looked away, blowing smoke out of the window.
“Oh my God,” Juugo muttered in total bewilderment.
“Like I said before,” Sasuke responded, casting his gaze out the front window. “Everyone has their secrets.”

Author's Note: You got an "I love you" from Sasuke for Valentine's Day, what a shocker. So, what are your thoughts, now that Naruto has had a change of heart? Hope you enjoyed.
- 56
- 57
- 58
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Soup's On