Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Taking Your Life Back ❯ Where Do We Go From Here? ( Chapter 10 )

Frantically, were numbers punched into the cell phone. Sasuke stood in the middle of the barren street, still with only a pair of jeans on to hide only the basics, shoulders shaking in the frost. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, fidgeting and crossing his only free hand over his naked stomach, phone still ringing in his ear.

 

“C'mon, c'mon!” he chanted as he twitched, the coldness starting to get to his once determined feet. A click was heard on the other line, and Sasuke straightened as best he could.

 

“Hello?” the voice called out. Sasuke shakily took in breath, moving around aimlessly to keep his limbs from freezing and falling off.

 

“Hey, this is Sasuke...I don't think you know me, but I know you,” he began, breathing harshly. The line was silent for a moment.

 

“...Sasuke Uchiha? From Konoha High?” it called out, familiarity making the voice friendlier.

 

“Yeah, that's me! Okay... I need to ask if you know where Naruto is.”

 

Silence. Sasuke jumped up and down.

 

“C'mon!” he cried out.

 

“...I haven't heard from him since you took him home last week. He said he was spending Christmas with you, and you were going to let him stay with you.”

 

Sasuke's movements stopped.

 

“...What do you mean `stay with me'?”

 

“He got kicked out of his apartment a while ago, and he was going to ask if he could stay with you.”

 

“...And why didn't you help him!?” Sasuke yelled.

 

“...My mother thinks he's too hyper, too troublesome. My father isn't too fond of him either. He thinks Naruto is convincing me to be a troublemaker...I still asked him to stay with me, even if it was in secret, but he was so happy to be staying with you, I didn't want to push it.”

 

Sasuke stood, lonely on that sidewalk, staring down at the snow under him. Shikamaru continued.

 

“...Did something happen? Did he run away or something? Is he in trouble? Uch-”

 

Sasuke clapped his phone shut, ending their conversation abruptly and easily. Sasuke had tried to run, wanted to run, but couldn't find the strength, nor the will power of the body. So he stood, staring at the snow in gloom fascination.

 

---

 

Naruto had to stop walking to hack, tightening his grip on the orange sweater he wore, trying to claw and scratch at his throat. His fit of coughing had taken so much strength from him, he could barely stand, his stance wobbling on buckling knees. But he wasn't going to pass out in the snow, not today. Today, he had to find a new home.

 

It was too sudden, when he came upon Shikamaru's house, by chance, too. But he calmed his coughing to a low heave, a muffled cough not allowed to escape his mouth. He rapped against the oak door, and a woman with dark hair answered. Naruto grinned, unnoticeable convulsions of his throat trying to be ignored, while the woman frowned.

 

“...I'm sorry, Mrs.Nara, I know this is Christmas and everything...”

 

“...It's no problem, Naruto, I understand how it is...Merry Christmas,” she answered with a light sigh, though her voice held cheerfulness. She gestured Naruto in, and he nodded his head, thanking her. He headed over to Shikamaru's room, but he was talking, so he listened in through the door.

 

“-Uchiha? Uchiha! Are you still there? What happened to Naruto?!” he called out into his phone, which was now beeping, signaling the loss of the other line. He clapped his phone shut and growled. Naruto found it perfect to barge in, arms above his head enthusiastically.

 

“Tada! Merry Christmas, Shika Shika!”

 

Silence greeted them both happily. Naruto dared not move from his silly pose, and Shikamaru didn't even blink. He stood quickly, in a way Naruto took menacingly. Naruto clapped his hands together and bowed his head.

 

“I'm sorry, Shikamaru! I'm so sorry! Really! I just-” but he was immediately quieted by the embrace Shikamaru offered, tight arms wound around Naruto's smaller body and his face pressed into his collarbone lightly, a friendly resting place. Naruto blinked.

 

“...You should tell me, when you run away...Atleast once. But what is this...The 10th time, 18th? I've lost count...But not once have you said `I'm going to run away, Shikamaru!' No, you never even warn me...Do I mean that little to you?”

 

Naruto was at a loss of words. His lips quivered guiltily. He had never told Shikamaru before he took off. And Naruto had been counting: This was his 23rd time. But then again, he never took in the effect of others before running away from it all, not a single word left in his place. In these fits of depression, depressions he understood, most of the time, he'd run away from everything, everyone, and come back at varied times. This frightened a lot of people, at first, angering others in turn. But he'd always come back, and apologize for going with his instincts. And then a week or two later, he'd do it again. It was all just a chain, and one no one could really break it.

 

Shikamaru had thought Sasuke could...But apparently, he hadn't. This discouraged him.

 

Naruto brought a hand up to Shikamaru's bicep, squeezing lightly and closing his eyes.

 

“...I'm sorry, Shikamaru...I had thought, with Sasuke and everything...” he whispered. Shikamaru clutch loosened with the ignoring of his instincts to tighten. He slowly slid Naruto to the side of his bed, letting him sit beside him thoughtfully. Shikamaru help his clasped hands over his nose, closing his eyes to better concentrate. Naruto twiddled his thumbs.

 

“...So,” was what Shikamaru started with, jolting the blonde out of silence, “...What's your reason this time?”

 

Naruto's head lowered and he smiled warmly. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you...And I don't really want to tell you either.”

 

Shikamaru growled lowly in his throat, and Naruto laughed nervously.

 

“...Okay...But promise not to tell anyone...Please?”

 

Shikamaru raised his head to him in a quick and focused nod. Naruto's face reddened.

 

“...We...I mean...I...I gave him...What he wanted for...Christmas...”

 

“...What did he want?” Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed worriedly. Naruto bowed his head lower, his hands shaking in between his twiddling.

 

“...Me...” he whispered. Shikamaru sat still beside Naruto, wide eyes burning through his blonde hair to meet those sad blue ones.

 

“...Naruto...” Shikamaru called out quietly, but Naruto had heard that tone before. It was Shikamaru's mother's tone, the one that nagged and scolded daily. Naruto's shaking grew.

 

“I don't know what I was doing, okay?! I just thought it felt so good, so right, I didn't want to tell him no...And here I am, running away from him for no reason, his brother out for me as well...I don't know why, Shika...”

 

Shikamaru watched calmly as the blonde pushed his face into his cupped hands, breathing shakily.

 

“...I don't have anywhere else to go, Shika...”

 

The brunette shifted beside Naruto, his palms pressed into the bed under him as leverage, staring up at the ceiling.

 

“...So you like this Uchiha guy?”

 

Naruto nodded.

 

“...What's with his brother now?”

 

Naruto didn't move.

 

“...So you won't tell me?”

 

“...It's stupid, is all,” Naruto whispered.

 

“No it isn't, just say something.”

 

“...He threatened me.”

 

“...Really?”

 

“....Yeah,” he whispered, “...I don't really want to get raped.”

 

“...He threatened to rape you...?” Shikamaru's jaw unlatched. Naruto nodded.

 

“...But this is all so stupid...I don't really care about anything anymore...Don't worry, I'm not going suicidal this time...”

 

The smile on Naruto's lips made Shikamaru frown, and the lazy boy shifted closer to Naruto in reassurance. Naruto was appreciative.

 

“...Being threatened like that isn't stupid; Especially if you're being threatened by Itachi, and if he's as serious as Sasuke, don't underestimate him.”

 

“I knew that!” Naruto turned his head toward Shikamaru, eyes narrowed a little. Shikamaru narrowed his own.

 

“Then you shouldn't call it stupid!” Shika retorted. Naruto frowned.

 

“But it is,” he whispered pitifully. Shikamaru sat back a little, watching the emotion play on his face. The confusion in his blue eyes Shika had never seen before, as if he was actually taking things into consideration, for once in his life.

 

“...Then you can't go back there,” Shikamaru calmly uttered, touching Naruto's hand resting by his thigh. Naruto glanced lightly, eyebrows furrowed sadly.

 

“...But I have no where else to go, Shika...”

 

Naruto's head hung low, blonde bangs covering his beautiful blue eyes, as Shikamaru embraced him lightly.

 

“...You sure you have no where...?” Shikamaru questioned quietly. Naruto nodded lightly.

 

“...I could try that Neji guy...He lives with Hinata-chan, I think...”

 

“See, there's someone. Hinata would love for you to stay over. Neji too, even.”

 

“...But I don't think I'd be comfortable there...Their eyes are weird...Plus I don't want Neji thinking I'm only staying there for Hinata-chan...I don't want to break her cute little heart...”

 

“...Ah...How about Kiba?”

 

Naruto laughed solemnly.

 

“As much as I totally love Kiba, I'd never be caught dead in his house. Fleas, fleas, everywhere. Not to mention the smell of dogs. Yuck.”

 

Shikamaru smiled. “...Shino?”

 

Shika watched as a shiver crawled up his friend's spine, a laugh coming from his mouth.

 

“Ha, I was only kidding,” he said as he saw the grim face of Naruto. Naruto stared down at his bare feet.

 

“...I told you...I've got no place to go...Sasuke was my last resort. It was so unbelievably perfect, I almost forgot perfection comes with a price, you know? I enjoyed it while it lasted...”

 

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak, but his phone rang with a fast paced techno tone, breaking the mood. Naruto smiled as he stood, watching Shika flip his phone open.

 

“...Hello?”

 

“...Catching you at a bad time? Your voice is quiet.”

 

“...No, I wasn't doing anything really.” Naruto smiled wider as he slid to the door. Shikamaru's eyes followed.

 

“...Have you heard from him at all? Please Shikamaru, I need to find him.”

 

“...Yeah...He's standing right here.”

 

At that, Naruto jolted to attentiveness, wide eyes glancing down shakily at the smug smirk upon Shika's face. Shikamaru chuckled at the silence on the other line, and the silence on his. Naruto slowly backed toward the door, and Shikamaru crossed his legs in a lazy manner, still smiling. Oh, this was good.

 

“...He's about to make a break for it...Are you nearby?”

 

But all Shikamaru got as a reply was the heavy panting of a running Sasuke, who forgot to end the conversation before making his way to Shikamaru's house to capture Naruto.

 

He can't possibly run away this time.