Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly	By : yolotengo Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1363 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters of Naruto nor do I make any money from my writing

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It’s funny, where life takes you. If he had known that by the age of sixteen, he would be homeless, he never would have accepted it. But that’s exactly where he was. Alone and abandoned, on the run from his past and his future.

Growing up in such an environment quickly wised one up. The harshness of reality had hit him on his very first night, when he’d been forced to sleep on a cardboard box in a dank, depressing alley. He could still remember the strong scent of mold, and the feel of cockroaches crawling beneath his sweater as he huddled inside of it, soaking up the little warmth it provided against the biting cold. Now that was a reality he faced every day; not knowing where his next meal would come from, or where he would sleep at night. But he’d adapted. He was nothing if not resilient and on his own terms he’d found a way to live, although if you asked him, it wasn’t much of a life. Too young to get a job, and with nobody to turn to, Naruto Uzumaki had had to fend for himself. It was his choice, of course. Nobody had made him leave home – but then there’d been nothing to make him want to stay, either.

As the blond crawled out from beneath a makeshift shelter of cardboard boxes and a raincoat, he wondered where life would take him that day. As he wiped the few drops of water that had seeped through his home from his scarred cheeks, he turned his face towards the grey, foreboding sky, glaring at it, as if daring it to rain again. Sighing to himself, Naruto packed up what few items he owned into a beat up old backpack and slung it onto his shoulder. A familiar emptiness in his gut made him frown softly and he rubbed a hand across his stomach, stepping out of the alley and into a bustling street. The downtown district was always busy, which made it an easy target for one such as himself.

As he strolled along, weaving his way in and out of businessmen and women, he was on the lookout. There wasn’t much, but on the corner up ahead he spotted a convenience store. It wasn’t the best option, but he was hungry and at that particular moment, he didn’t care.

As he stepped inside, squishing between the tightly packed in bodies, he stealthily sneaked a small bag of chips into his pocket and stopped at one of the coolers in the back to grab a drink, sliding it up his sleeve when he was sure nobody was looking. However, Naruto failed to notice a small boy standing off to the side, hidden behind a shelf. The boy watched carefully and then turned to his mother, who happened to be speaking to the owner of the store, a burly man so large he seemed to take up the entire back corner of the little store, whispering and pointing.

“Hey, kid!” the man called gruffly. “You gonna pay for that stuff?”

Naruto froze; his eyes widened and he whipped around to face the man – and then ran. He pushed bodies out of his way and bolted out the door, skidding once on the sidewalk before catching himself on his hand. He could hear the man behind him, yelling obscenities as he gave chase to the small blond, but said blond was faster. Naruto ran blindly, not looking nor caring where he was going. He wasn’t going to lose the only food he’d been able to come by in days – no matter the consequences.

Stepping out of a cafe, a man dressed impeccably in a dark charcoal suit frowned in contempt at the rain that was sprinkling down on his perfectly styled hair. Of course it was the ONE time he had forgotten his umbrella and cursed himself for the twentieth time that day. At least the meeting was over with, not that it was any better than the gloomy day. His client was such a difficult woman that had no chance of winning her case. Yet Sasuke Uchiha prided himself of being able to get around any obsticle when it came to defending those who asked for it... and who payed for it as well.

Walking close to the sides of the buildings, trying to stay under awnings as he began to dial a number on his cell phone. The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the ground with someone on top of him. God damn it, what a clusterfuck of a day.

A surprised cry fell from Naruto’s lips as he suddenly collided with something and went spiraling to the ground. He flailed his arms to try and regain his balance, but it was too late. He, and whoever he’d taken down with him, had fallen right into a puddle. Dirty water splashed over his face and dripped down over the contours of his cheeks, some even landing right in his mouth.

Glaring up at the youth on top of him, Sasuke shoved the blonde off hard and stood up, frowning at the state of his wet and dirty suit.

"What the hell is your problem kid?" Sasuke continued to glare as he watched the blonde pick himself up and noted the state the kid was in; ratty clothing, dirty hair, and entirely too skinny for his height.

The teen gagged and spit, wiping furiously at his lips with the back of his hand as he scrambled off the body beneath him. It was then that he noticed his drink had rolled across the sidewalk, having escaped from inside his sleeve and his bag of chips had exploded everywhere. So much for eating, but his mind was quickly preoccupied.

“Shit, sorry! I didn’t mean to-” His voice trailed off as the silky, angry timbre reached him. His gaze flicked down and met with the darkest set of eyes he’d ever seen, black almost. His brilliant blue eyes trailed over the body, taking in the expensive, tailored suit and the hint of the slender, perfectly toned body beneath it, all the way up to a pale visage, the fair features set in anger.

“Sorry,” he muttered again, a light flush staining his gaunt cheeks as he held his hand out to help the man up. He absently tugged at his torn, dirtied sweatshirt with his other hand, feeling oddly self-conscious. He wasn’t awarded long to dwell on his feelings, however, as the huge man came barreling around the corner. Within seconds, he was almost upon Naruto.

“Stop, you fucking thief! You’re gonna pay for that, you little brat!” Naruto glanced around wildly, looking for an escape.

“Shit, shit,” he breathed, his body seizing with panic. He saw the threat in the other man’s eyes and knew he was in for it if he was caught.

Sasuke didn't bother taking the blonde's hand and stood up on his own trying to keep his dignity in tact as people stared and whispered at the scene the two had created. He glared at the people around them, forcing them to look away and go on about their business before he heard the angry shout of a man bounding toward them, rage evident in his eyes. Seeing the panic cross the boy's face, Sasuke decided that he may as well intervene to get this whole situation over with as quickly as possible. Standing a bit straighter, the raven haired man leveled his gaze with the obese man before them.

"Excuse me sir, you seem to be making an awful lot of noise. I would appreciate it if you conduct your business in a more appropriate manner, or have you not been taught public decency?" His voice was steady and calm, trying to get the man to squirm a bit, he'd most likely go away more quickly.

“A more appropriate manner?!” the man bellowed, his small eyes widening in disbelief. “This little shit stole from me!”

In the blink of an eye, he’d lashed out and grabbed onto Naruto’s sweatshirt, pulling him up by the neck of it. The blond grunted and kicked out, but it didn’t seem to matter where he struck the owner – he wouldn’t budge.

“Let go of me!” he hissed, his nails clawing at the hand holding him. His breath came in short, frightened bursts as he swung wildly, trying to free himself. “I didn’t even eat it or anything, it’s right there! Take it back if you want it that bad!” He pointed avidly in the direction of the drink that rolled gently back and forth on the pavement, but wasn’t released.

“I told you you’re not getting away with it! I don’t give a fuck if you got to use it or not, you still took it!” His eyes gleamed furiously but he glanced cautiously at the raven haired man who still stood there. His face twisted with confusion as he stared into the perfectly handsome face, before he suddenly dropped the blond and took a step back.

“I know who you are,” he muttered. “I don’t mean no trouble. I’ll let him go this time, but if he does it again…” Shooting a warning glance at the blond, he retreated, leaving Naruto sprawled on the ground once more, eyes widened in shock.

“What the fuck just happened?” Picking himself up again, he tried to brush his clothes off but they were a lost cause. His features were awash with suspicion as he turned back to the businessman.

“Why’d you help me?” he frowned. “I knocked you down. I didn’t mean to, but still…”

Staring at the retreating back of the large man, Sasuke just turned and began to walk the other direction.

"Despite me not liking you, I have issues with people beating up on kids." He turned when he didn't hear footsteps following and he looked back over his shoulder. "Well, are you coming or not?"

Naruto’s frown deepened and he took a hesitant step forward, before stopping.

“Coming where?” he asked suspiciously. His instincts were screaming at him not to go, to run away and just find somewhere else he could eat. Maybe panhandle for a bit to get enough money to buy what he needed, or visit the west side of town, the ‘ghetto’ as some called it, once night fell. That was a guaranteed way to make some money – sometimes even enough to pay for a motel room for a night where he could shower and sleep in a (mostly) comfortable bed. But his curiosity had been struck and he was soon following after the strange man. “Who are you? How come that guy just backed off when he looked at you? I thought he was gonna kill me, for sure.”

With a suffering sigh, Sasuke continued to walk, irritated by the increase in rainfall.

"You're hungry aren't you? That's why you were stealing food... So instead of giving you money so you can buy alcohol or drugs... I'm just going to buy you a meal." Sasuke peeled off his coat, it was doing more damage than good, not even keeping him warm anymore. "As for who I am, I don't give out that information so carelessly..."

“I don’t do drugs,” Naruto scoffed, sliding his other arm through the strap of his backpack and settling it on him. He purposely kept hidden that he had something in there right then that backed up the man’s statement.

“I really am hungry,” he admitted after a moment, his cheeks flushing as his stomach grumbled loudly enough for them both to hear. As much as he hated confessing something like that to a stranger, a snob-ish stranger no less, he hadn’t eaten in two days. He would take what he could get.

Nodding stiffly, Sasuke just continued on his way. After a couple more blocks, they arrived at a small diner and the raven pushed the door open, not bothering to hold it for the youth as he entered the establishment. He noted that the boy had said he didn't do drugs but didn't deny the alcohol... that would be something to ask later he supposed.

The smells of the diner assaulted Naruto and his mouth nearly started watering. It felt like it had been much longer than two days since he’d eaten, but with the bad weather it was hard to come by money. The shelter had been packed because of it and by the time he’d arrived – both times – they hadn’t had anything left for him. Taking a seat across from the raven haired man, he glanced around awkwardly.

“Um… I know you don’t wanna give me your name but it’s kinda weird sitting here with nothing to call you. I’m Naruto…” he murmured uncertainly, leaving out his last name on purpose. It was well known, and he didn’t want to give anything away. “And um, thanks, I guess. For doing this…”

"Sasuke..." was all the lawyer divulged to the teen, not bothering to explain why he was helping the kid out. Come to think of it, HE didn't even know why he was doing it. The punk HAD ruined a $500 suit.

Naruto nodded and sat back in his seat, fidgeting awkwardly. Never before had he been in such an awkward situation. He could tell this Sasuke wasn’t a talker and everything he’d said so far had been pretty much blown off.

Thankfully, the waitress came over a few moments later to bring them menu’s and take their drink orders. She smiled at Sasuke but when her gaze turned to him, it melted into a frown as she took in his ratty clothes and run down appearance.

“What can I get you?” she asked Sasuke, ignoring Naruto completely. The teen seemed to shrink into his seat, his cheeks flushing lightly.

Noticing the woman's reaction, Sasuke couldn't really blame her. The kid looked like a stereotypical bum... not to mention smelled like one.

"Coffee... black. And... get him whatever he wants." he said, indicating the teen across from him. Most in the city knew who he was and would never think of denying him service no matter what the circumstance.

The waitress reluctantly turned to the blond after scribbling down the coffee order.

“What do you want?” she asked none too kindly, and Naruto glanced away, avoiding her gaze. He didn’t want to see the disgust there.

“Um… a cola,” he answered after a moment. She said nothing else as she left to fetch their drinks. The blond busied himself with the menu, trying to decide what he wanted to eat.

Not at all effected by the poor treatment of the kid, Sasuke just sat there. He had just eaten so he wasn't about to get more food if he didn't need it. The silence was so awkward that the raven's hand twitched, wanting to drum his fingers on the table to ease some of the tension. What was he supposed to say? He was feeding a homeless kid when he didn't even have to... Sighing internally, he figured the kid wasn't going to be talking anymore, unless spoken to, so he spoke.

"You must be a moron..."

“What?” Naruto gaped, glancing up from the menu. His eyes widened in incredulity before they narrowed over the table. He didn’t even notice as the waitress came and put down their drinks before rushing away for a moment to tend to another table. “Why the hell am I a moron? I didn’t even do anything but order a drink!”

"How old are you; fourteen, fifteen years old? What could you possibly be running away from?" The pale man took a sip of his coffee and almost spat it back in the cup, it was awful. Well, what did he expect from a run down diner? Looking at the boy once more, Sasuke just kept an even gaze, making sure to keep his face neutral.

Naruto’s entire frame tensed and he unconsciously lifted his hand and ran his fingers along his arm, where he still bore scars. He carried them all over his body, actually. The blond’s eyes darkened and he turned his face away, his other hand clenching against the table.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through,” he muttered darkly, his eyes flashing. “You have no idea what my life was like. I would rather die on the streets than ever step foot back in that house.” Without another word, he grabbed his backpack and made his way to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Frowning, Sasuke watched the blonde go and then sighed as he ran his fingers through his own hair. The way he had said it... Sasuke believed him. He'd heard that tone many times in his profession, usually by the abused. Well, now he knew what was going on.

Despite his tough and seemingly careless demeanor, Sasuke did have somewhat of a soft spot for abused and neglected children. And since he didn't work in Family Court, he mostly dealt with the most extreme of cases.

XX

The dingy little bathroom was made for one person at a time, which Naruto was grateful for as he slid down the wall and onto the floor. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled sharply and reached for his bag. Digging around inside for a moment, he pulled out a small baggie and a needle. As he prepared everything, his mind wandered back to the incident that had led to him leaving home. Never before had he felt so much pain, so much hurt.

His hands began to shake and he cursed under his breath as he pulled the plunger back on the needle and filled it with the murky brown liquid. Rolling his sleeve up, he exposed the crook of his elbow, which was riddled with tiny red wounds. He tapped at his skin until a vein emerged, and then inserted the needle with a soft hiss and injected the contents into him. Within seconds he was engulfed in the perfect euphoria. His pupils dilated and the shaking in his hands stopped as the memories were washed away. Packing everything up, he made his way back to the table, his face oddly blank.

Watching the teen emerge from the bathroom, Sasuke could tell right away what he'd done. He should have known... the kid took his backpack with him. Of course that could have been because he didn't trust Sasuke to not go through his things. He had to give the blonde credit for that, he would have gone through the kid’s stuff. But judging by the now blank expression, there was no doubt.

"Tell me... if you're so broke that you can't even buy a bag of chips, how can you have a stash on you?" He narrowed his eyes and the waitress came back again, ready to take their orders.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Naruto shrugged, not willing to divulge any information about himself if Sasuke wasn’t going to. Plus, he wasn’t proud of how he’d gotten it. He wouldn’t have told anyone. His eyes were clouded and this time, he didn’t look bothered in the least when the waitress shot him another dirty look. He just smiled, leaning back in the seat and resting it along the two back legs.

"I'm not getting anything." The raven said in slight annoyance as he took another sip of the awful drink. "And if you could, Please let whoever makes the coffee know that it tastes like cat urine... and on that note, I'd like a fresh cup, free if you don't mind."

“Yes, sir. Right away,” the waitress murmured, her voice slightly panicked as she took the raven’s cup. “I’ll make a fresh pot myself,” she assured him. Turning to Naruto, her demeanor completely changed to one of annoyance and impatient. “Are you eating?”

Naruto nodded and folded up his menu again, handing it over. “I’ll have the double cheeseburger and fries,” he muttered, shaking his head as she rushed away. He actually wasn’t hungry anymore. His stash was the reason he could go days and days without food or sleep.

Making sure the woman was out of earshot, Sasuke gave the blond kid his even stare once more.

"Don't lie to me, I know what you did in the bathroom, trust me kid, I know more than you think." He watched the blue eyed teen take a sip of his cola and almost growled in frustration.

“Do you?” Naruto asked, his expression unchanging. “You might think you know what’s happened to me, but you don’t. Assume all you want, but I can assure you that it was much worse than what you’re thinking.” He shrugged again and sucked down a few gulps of his drink, letting it soothe his parched throat. “And I don’t have to justify myself to you. I’m just doing what I have to to survive. I don’t know why you care if I lie or not.”

"Well for one thing, I'm being nice enough to buy you a meal." The waitress came by with the freshly made coffee and hurried off before he could try it and ridicule it. Taking a sip, the young man sighed and set it down, it wasn't much better.

“But if you’re not going to tell me anything, then why should I spill my entire life?” Naruto asked, raising a brow at the raven. “I appreciate the food more than you’ll ever know. I won’t have to go out and steal, or… do the stuff that ends up making me hate myself because of it.” The blond sighed and stared down at the table for a moment before a small smirk lit his face. “Okay, since you are buying me food, I’ll answer a few questions if you want. But there are a few that I’ll refuse.”

Looking into the blue eyes, Sasuke just nodded. He already knew what Naruto did besides steal, considering the fact that there weren't many other alternatives. It would definitely explain how the kid could afford drugs.

Naruto studied the raven for a moment, not flinching from his gaze in the least. He said nothing as those impossibly dark eyes rested on him but after a moment grew a little uncomfortable and reached for his drink. The waitress brought his food a moment later and he tucked into it immediately.

“So, no questions?” he asked. “I thought for sure there would be a few things you’d want to ask me…”

"How am I supposed to ask if I don't know the questions you won't answer? I'm not about to set my expectations only to be shot down by your 'rules'." Sasuke frowned as Naruto caked his fries with salt and ketchup; disgusting...

Naruto rolled his eyes and munched on his fries before taking a sip of his drink.

“Okay, fine.” He thought about it for a few moments before looking up again. “I won’t answer anything that will tell you who I am,” he answered after a moment. “But anything else is fair game.”

Sasuke nodded once more and immediately launched into his first question."What are you running from?" It was a simple enough question. And now that the blond was mellowed out a bit, he should have no problem answering.

Naruto was silent for a minute or so, thinking over his answer. He really didn’t like talking about his past, but he’d said he would and if there was one thing Naruto Uzumaki didn’t do, it was go back on his words.

“My father. He blames me for a lot of things… Actually, he hates me.” He laughed darkly and guzzled down the rest of his drink before setting it aside so the waitress could refill it if she came by. If she even would do it for him. “He had no problems showing me exactly how much.”

Well, he got the abuse accurate. Sasuke made sure to stay in his 'professional' manner so as not to show favor of how he felt. It was something he had mastered sometime in college, enabling him to pass with flying colors.

"And what does he blame you for?" he asked, noticing the waitress walk by without taking Naruto's drink and sighed. He'd wait until she came by again to threaten her a bit more.

Naruto noticed as well and frowned softly. He sat back a little, not wanting to eat until he had another drink. It was something that always happened when he was loaded up; he always got so thirsty it felt like he might just dry up.

“My mother’s death. He says it’s my fault.” His voice deepened and his brows knit together as he mocked his father’s voice. “If it wasn’t for you, she would still be here. You killed her, you little shit, and now I’m stuck with you. You should have just saved me the trouble and let yourself die instead of her.”

Taking the explanation into account, Sasuke just nodded, eyeing the waitress as she passed by once more, his expression promising bad things if she didn't do her job.

"And you never called child protective services?" he asked, his tone serious as he took in the pitiful excuse for a kid across from him.

Naruto shook his head but didn’t say anything. The waitress, it seemed, had caught Sasuke’s look and hurried over to grab the blonde’s drink. She returned quickly and set the new one down in front of him.

“No, I couldn’t have.” He barked out a laugh and sipped his drink. “Even if I had called, it wouldn’t have done anything. My father…” He shook his head again. He couldn’t say any more about it. “Just, trust me. It wouldn’t have helped.”

Sasuke could understand that. Some situations were just made worse when police and child services were involved. He almost jumped as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he took it out before answering it right away.

"Yes?... They did? .... When?... Damn it!... No, don't do anything, I'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket, luckily it hadn't gotten wet when he had been knocked over earlier. "We'll have to cut this conversation short, there's something I need to take care of." He stood and headed to the counter to ask for a to-go box before dropping it to the table on his way back.

“Sure,” Naruto muttered solemnly, picking at his food. How odd. He felt almost… lonely, then. He’d just spent more time with Sasuke than he had anyone else for… months. As long as he could remember. Somehow, the thought of being completely and utterly alone again made him feel horrible, whereas he’d always felt comfortable with it before. Nobody had ever shown interest in him, or asked questions like that. He had nobody that cared, but for a little bit, he’d felt like Sasuke had cared. Even though that was stupid.

Packing his food away in the box, he downed the rest of his drink and then stood, grabbing his backpack.

“Hey… Thanks again for this. You really saved me a lot of trouble.” He offered the raven a small smile as he stepped towards the door. “Maybe we’ll see each other again,” he shrugged as he stepped outside and started walking down the street. He really doubted that.

As he walked, tucking the box of food into his bag so he didn’t get jumped or anything, the blond wondered about where he would sleep that night, and if he could score a shower. He really did smell.

Sasuke watched the blond make his way down the street and had to wonder if he should have done more... What was he thinking? He'd be crazy to let any kind of stranger know more than they should, and that included giving someone a bed for the night. Letting the blonde leave his mind, Sasuke payed for the meal and headed out of the diner, making his way back to his office to change into his spare suit he kept there. What a horrid day.

A few hours later found Naruto sitting on the corner of a street, sitting beneath the shade of a building. A small cup sat beside him and he did his best to look absolutely pathetic as people walked by. A lot of people couldn’t resist handing out some change to a young kid and after only an hour of sitting there, he had about ten dollars. He didn’t know what he would do with it; he wasn’t in need of food since he’d been treated earlier but… Glancing across the street, he saw a popular coffee shop. Oh, what he wouldn’t give for a nice cup of hot coffee…

Picking himself up, he crossed the street and popped inside, waiting in line at the counter. Once he held a steaming cup of triple-triple coffee, he sat on one of the big, plush couches to relax. As he sipped his drink, he mindlessly watched the TV, not really paying attention to what was happening – until a familiar name caught his attention. He perked up a bit and listened, then.

‘Sasuke Uchiha, one of the city’s top lawyers, has apparently agreed to take on the case. Hopes are high for the victim with the man who rose to the top faster than anyone before on her side.’ It went on to describe Sasuke, how he’d been labeled as a genius at a young age and had sailed through school to become one of the youngest and highest paid attorneys Konoha had ever seen. But Naruto didn’t care about that. It couldn’t be the same Sasuke… It wasn’t a very common name, but still. There was no way he’d been treated to lunch by an Uchiha. Everyone knew that name, even he. But as the screen flashed and a video began playing, Naruto became entranced. The same dark eyes seemed to stare through the screen, as if right at him. The same raven hair that framed the handsome face and tapered into near spikes at the back, the same flawlessly pale skin…

“Holy shit,” Naruto breathed, collapsing against the couch. “I just ate with Sasuke Uchiha…”
TBC
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Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly