Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Boy In The Closet ❯ The Boy in the Closet ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Out of breath and scared were not a good combination. Lee knocks over a potted plant and moves a bench after his path hoping to slow the pack of dogs chasing him home. Bunrashi, Chouji- albiat not as fast as everyone with the running but still on his trail, a boy he doesn't know, Kiba the ring leader and Naruto, the one that surprised him the most. The burning in his chest picked up when he took the corner to his home; he's been running so hard his vision was starting to blur. Glancing over his shoulder, he yelped nearly choking on the breath seeing that the small group was closer than he thought.

How did this happen? He wondered as the events of the day start to come back to him.

Everyone nearly jumped when Sasuke did because the loud thump of his chair against the floor broke through the silence of breakfast.

The tear at the side of his eye was proof that something was wrong other than a simple accidental biting of his tongue.

Holding the boys jaw, Kakashi tells him to open wide. Peeking into his mouth, the gray haired man looked a bit shocked. "I had no idea it was so bad. We're seriously gonna have to get this removed, Sasuke."

"I thought it was just a small crack." He holds his hand over his mouth to keep air from getting in.

"Your gums are bleeding so it must be more than that." Getting up from the table he grabs the phone to make an appointment. "You're staying home from school today, give one of your brothers your work to turn in for you."

"I'll do it." Volunteers Neji who's cleaning up his dishes. "And don't worry little brother," he says as he's passing by him with a pat on the shoulder. "I'll be sure to pick up the other assignments so you don't fall behind."

"Hn." He would have said more but that sound alone hurt like hell.

Lee couldn't finish his breakfast with the sight and smell of blood in the air. "I hope you feel better Sasuke." He says while cleaning up his things to take to the sink.

"Lee, tell Naruto not to come over later."

"Okay."

Neji shoo'ed the lanky male away after taking his dishes to wash for him. Lee gave him a 'thank you' smile before heading upstairs to make sure he didn't forget anything.

"There's a spot open at twelve, I'll get you some more pain killers until then."

"Thanks."

"How did you break your tooth again?" Asks Gai tapping his finger to the boys hand.

Sasuke looked at the man as though he had to be kidding if he thought he was gonna let more air into his mouth. Taking out a piece of paper he writes down the blond childs name.

"Geez." Getting up to head out for work, he pats the boy on the shoulder. "It won't hurt and I'm sure you'll get to keep your tooth."

I hope so. I can't be the kind of person to walk around with one missing for a while. Thinks the bluenet.

".......I'm going to school Gaara.... I'll see you later." One last look over his shoulder and he's out the door, closing it behind him.

He and Neji walked to the bus stop together. Kiba had a big stupid grin on his face that worried Lee a bit but with Neji with him he wasn't too threatened by him, although now that Sasuke is going to be absent he wasn't so sure his place at the Inuzuka table was still waiting for him because there was always a chance the blond was only keeping up appearances because his boyfriend was around.

Speaking of Naruto, he looks really down about something this morning. I wonder what it is? Thinks the dark haired male.

Naruto swallowed hard seeing the taller, wide-eyed male taking a seat next to him without Sasuke around it almost seemed to be fate telling him to do what he really doesn't wanna do. The memory came back to him like it were a movie and he was the camera guy for the scene. He and Kiba were in the rest room at school yesterday talking about what he could do to prove that he was still part of the gang; the boy looked on the verge of manslaughter with the way he was grinning at him as he spoke.

"Hey Naruto, about that little project I mentioned two days ago." Kiba began.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Draping an arm around the boy, he smiles with a cocky grin. "I was giving Akamaru a trim thinking about how thick his hair was when it hit me that Akamaru isn't the only poor bastard about to suffer in summer heat because of his hair."

"Meaning?" Although he was pretty sure he already knew.

"Meaning," Kiba leans down and pulls out his dogs electric shavor. "You should give fuzzybrows a break from those things and shave 'em off." He turned it on for emphasis.

The shavor hummed like a small chainsaw just waiting for the object it planned to cut down which in this case would be a very dark and thick pair of eyebrows placed upon one Hatake Lee's face.

Swallowing hard, he takes the thing from his friends hand. Its not like they wouldn't grow back. Maybe if I explain it to Lee he can just accept it and I can shave him without losing any of my friends and I'm sure Sasuke will be pissed when Lee tells him what happened. I've gotta talk to Gejimayu first.

Only problem with that is he's sure Kiba will be on him like white on rice today especially since Sasuke chose to stay home today.

"Eh hehehehe. Gejimayu, where's Sasuke?"

"He's got a dentist appointment."

"Oh." I'm dead. Faking a laugh when Lee cocked a brow at him, he slips his hand behind his head and asks. "Anybody want a soda or something? I've got change today."

"Yes, thank you."

Thank god! jumping up from the bench he climbs over the back side to get to the side walk. "What kind?"

"Peach if they have it."

Giving him a thumbs up he dashes off. Kiba looks at Lee with a smirk.

"Hot today." He says.

Nodding, Lee can't even believe the boy is making casual conversation with him. "It will only get worse if it feels like this this early."

"Mmhmm." Running a hand through his wild crop of hair, he says. "My oldman is taking me over to your Dad's place for a cut later on. You should come with me."

"Really?"

"Sure. Guy like you could use a good trim here and there."

"Thank you." He can't help but smile. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

The bus rolled up and they all climbed on. Naruto chose to sit alone, same with Kiba. So the two brothers sat next to each other. The day went so great, Lee spoke with people which was odd for him especially since no one ever talked to him unless it was in a rude way. It felt kind of like it were his birthday and everyone decided to cut him a break for once, he even sat at Kiba's table at lunch.

Everything is like I always dreamt it would be but... I hate that I had to lose Gaara to get it. Is it true what they say that when you want something you have to give something in return because I'd give it all back to have Gaara with me again. I was wrong about what I said before, fleshen friends are nice but friends of the heart are who really matter the most and he was the only person willing to take mine and love me. He takes an offered piece of muffin from Bunrashi. I remember when I used to feel like the after thought, like when people think 'what do I want to do today' they get an activity right away but when they think 'whom do I want to do it with' my name would never come up. A way of life so familiar I'm actually shaking to think that it might change even a little bit. Can people like me find friendship? He looks up when the bell rings to let lunch end. Packing up his things he heads out of the lunch room with a warm feeling in his stomach. If Gaara came back today, his life would be complete, he was sure of this.

So then how? How did it end up like it did? He smiled seeing his house just a few steps ahead and he reached out for the door opening it and slamming it closed after him. Was it the plan from the start? I should have known something was up when they were all being so nice to me- I should have known! He locks the door, then hurries upstairs when their bangs start up on the other side. Rushing down the hall he stops when he hears Sasuke in his bedroom.

"Lee?" He calls to him. Tooth pulled and heavily medicated the boy has been sitting in his room looking out the window for most of the day. He told Kakashi that he could go to work or do errands if he needed to, that he is too old for a sitter now. "Lee come here what's wrong?" He calls again when he doesn't see him.

"Sasuke." The boy hurried into his room in tears, climbing on the bed into his arms. "Tell them to go away, please make them stop."

"Okay, but who?"

"Kiba and his friends. They chased me home and they're planning to," he sniffed back tears that were already running down his face.

"Planned to what?"

"When school let out they all met me at the front hall to get our sneakers and Kiba said that he had a surprise for me-..."

Blocking his path, Kiba shoved the boy lightly on the chest. "What's the hurry, bobblehead. I thought we'd all walk home together."

"I can't, I wanna get home early today."

"But we're friends now, and friends walk home together- infact, friends do a lot of things together."

An odd smile appears on Lee's face when seeing the rat pack gather around him. "Like what?"

"Remember, we were gonna get our hair cut together."

"But I really don't need one just yet."

"Oh but I think you do." He snaps his fingers.

Chouji knocks Lee to the ground then as his nickname 'big sit' so best describes him he sat down on Lee pinning him completely still.

"What are-... Get off!!" He wriggled to get free.

"Shave him, Naruto."

Naruto pulled the device from his backpack. He may have laughed but his eyes said that he was sorry. And sure as he thought, he never got a minute alone with the Hatake child to tell him about what he planned to do. But seriously they will grow back. Bending over, he saw true fear for the first time as Lee's eyes widened. The lanky child gathered strength from who knows where knocking Chouji off of him and within the blink of an eye they grunted on impact of the boys fist landing on their face and once they were haulted for a moment, Lee shot off running.

"After him!" Shouted Kiba.

Why those dirty little-... And Naruto too! He pulled his shaking brother from his body, then looked him in the eye. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Outside. Neji is just coming up to the door, Shikamaru beside him joking about something until they see the pile up at the house.

"What are you all doing at my house?"

"Neji, you gotta let us in!" Says Kiba.

"Alright," not bothering with the why he pulls out his key. "Sasuke really should find quieter friends."

Said boy was on his way downstairs, Lee waiting at the top looking down to see what would happen but he only ended up running back into his bedroom when the small group easily shoved his brother out of the way and rushed upstairs.

"Neji why'd you let them in?"

"I thought they were here for you." He explains.

Everyone rushes upstairs after the small crowd.

"Which room is his Naruto?" Asks Kiba following the blond.

Everyone piled into Lee's room.

"He's in the closet!" Grabbing the knob Kiba pulls it hard nearly yanking a terrified Lee from the closet but with all his strength he tugged it closed.

"Please stop it!!" He shouted through the door.

"Oh come on! Just a little off the top." Bunrashi has the shavor by now, more than ready to do some work with it.

"Please stop!!" He cried. "Somebody please help me." He cried out louder.

"Cut it out!" Yelled Sasuke grabbing Kiba by the neck from behind.

Neji is shoving them away from the door as well. "Lee are you alright?" He calls through the door.

"Just make them go away..." He continued to chant these words.

Sasuke and Kiba have a little struggle until the bluenet punches the boy in the gut.

Grunting, he holds his stomach with one hand the other up in retreat. "Alright alright, no need to get rough." Kiba backs away from the boy.

The two brothers stand in front of the door glaring down the land slide of people. Lee's whimpering stopped as Neji pulled open the door.

"Lee, its ok. You can come out."

Lee is gone.

..........Rewind........

Sasuke walked downstairs to an opening front door. Lee couldn't hear what they were saying too well as it was crowded out by the sound of his heavy breathing. His fathers door pulled open on its own, going inside he then goes into the closet as that door opened as well.

"Gaara?" He whispered only to be answered by the light shutting of the closet door. "Gaara is that you?" He asks hearing the stampede rush past the room into where he could only assume was his bedroom.

A gentle tearing sound caught his attention to the left. Confused, Lee reaches out toward a skinny strip of orange light. Moving what appeared to be a door, he walks up a set of six stairs catching his breath at what he sees. It a secret room! Well, an attic to be more precise. Do his fathers know about this? No, they couldn't know because the wall paper looked freshly torn. Looking around he sees a twin bed on rusted brass bars, beside it a small table with a lamp that has been turned on for his sake but other than that and a lot of dust there isn't anything else in the-......

What's this? Wondered the male. Walking across the room toward the far corner he sees a long freezer. Someone was living up here... His fingers land on the lid, raising it he quickly turns around when the sound of the door he entered in the closet closed and a heavy set of foot steps was heard. They've found me... He thinks about hiding but when he sees Gaara all his fears go away.

"Gaara." He says in a very happy tone but quietly so the others don't hear him. Rushing across the room he wraps his arms around the boy smiling when he feels his astrol energy hug him back. "I've missed you so much."

"When did you get back?"

"A few days ago.... didn't you know?" He refused to let him go even when the boy began to walk forward shoving him back.

"I woke up this morning and you still weren't home but all your things were, I assumed you went to school." He moved away from him, if not for being a spirit he never would have gotten out of his lovers firm grip. "Then I came home and found those idiots chasing you. I fooled them though by disguising myself as you, they think you've disappeared somehow."

Lee was glad that Gaara lured him into the room then. But a thought occured to him. "So then you weren't mad that I left."

Gaara smirked for a second then said as his face dropped. "You've given me too much for me to ever be mad at you." He trailed off so heavily Lee had to question it.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I love you." He raised his hands. "And this way, nothing will ever come between us again." He shoved him hard knocking him into the large freezer, the lid dropped down firmly sealing it shut.

Frantic, Lee shoved at the lid but it refused to budge. "No. No! Gaara let me out of here!" He banged on the lid jumping out of his skin when he felt something touch him. "Whose there?" He asked the stark cold darkness.

"It's me." There was an odd sound, kind of like biting into a carrot before a mini glow light lit the freezer with its blue glow.

"Gaara, why did you knock me he-...." His words stop as he looks down and sees something laying in the cold completely frozen. His lips twitched as he tried to find the right words but nothing was coming to him.

Knowing what he wanted to ask, Gaara nods. "Yes Lee, this is my body... I found it this afternoon."

"But how?" He blinks over the looks of the frozen child's blue lips, ice crystals stuck to his lashes, entire body blue.

Gaara looked down at his frozen figure. Placing his hands on his own face he caressed his frozen cheeks with his thumbs. "When you left, I went to fix your broken wall..... I forgot the things in the closet when I was done and when I turned around to get them, the sun hid behind the clouds darkening our room. ...It came back to me after that, hard and painful."

"The day you died?" He unknowingly rubs his arms through his uniform jacket. No wonder their electric bill is so high.

Gaara nods. His eyes are very sad as he crawls over to Lee wrapping his arms around him he pulls the boy so that he is laying on top of his corpse. Lee had to tremble from the fright of it all- boyfriend or not a corpse is a corpse, but Gaara's touch took away the fear in him as he smoothed his hair about his head. "My uncle killed me Lee.... I thought he loved me."

Lee gasped hearing that. He knew something was off about that man! The way there were no pictures of him anywhere but he had plenty of his other nephew and niece, the way the man completely shut down when hearing Gaara's name. That sick bastard froze him to death!

"I never saw it coming..." Gaara went on speaking quietly. "I was there in my room, I thought he had left for home but he hid here in his secret room above the rest of the house.... Those sounds I used to hear at night, they were similar to what I hear your parents doing sometimes."

"What does that mean?"

"My uncle and father became lovers after my mothers death, the reason he would be over so early in the morning when no one ever heard him come in is because he was staying in this room." Gaara made a sound that seemed like it was supposed to be a laugh. "When I think about it, it was so obvious that he rarely ever went home and he must have known the house inside and out because he suggested it to us when we moved to this prefecture."

"How did you-?"

"He snuck up on me and tried to strangle me. I put up a fight but he knocked me to the floor, when I tried to get away again he just quit strangling and snapped my neck."

That broke Lee's heart, he could feel tears coming to his eyes and his shuddering breath swallowed back hard.

"The reason I'm bound to this house is because he hid me here so that no one would know of what he did."

"And he told your siblings that you were at boarding school, that he was the one who took you." His words are stumbling now a bit with all the cold rushing around him. "Gaara. I'm scared." Lee whispered before his tears spilled onto the frozen body he's laying on.

"Don't be. I'll be waiting for you when you wake up." He continues to pet the boys head. "We'll be so much happier this way, I promise."

Lee nods roughly, coughing as the cold held his lungs a little too long, but he still had a bit of air left. "I... lo-... I love you."

"I love you too."

But it didn't stop his fear so much, he's too young to die. Gaara was too young to have died. He'll miss them, all of them. They'll never know how much. Pulling himself up a bit, he places his lips to the frozen childs his steadly shaking body stopping ever so slightly as his last breath gave out.

In Lee's room.

Naruto shoved Kiba out of the way, walking into the closet. He hit this wall and that, pulled himself up to the level of the shelf to give the wall up there a push, a tap on the ceiling but nothing gave way. Can people just vanish?

"Lee?" Calls his younger brother looking in the closet as well, shoving clothes out of the way. "Lee come out." moving out of the closet, he shakes his head in disbelief. "He't not in there."

"That's impossible." Says Neji searching the closet for his self. "He couldn't have gotten out we were right against the door, we would have felt it push open."

Kiba looked horrified. People don't just disappear. "What the hell kind of trick is this?"

"Neji," Sasuke grabs the boys arm. "Lee was in that closet, we both saw him go in there- we heard him!"

"Don't tell me that! I know!" He looks back at the empty closet.

Chouji was the first out the door calling over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here you guys! I don't wanna be around when their parents come home."

"M- me either. come on Kiba." Calls Bunrashi grabbing the boys jacket cuff.

"Sasuke-.." Naruto began to say but the cold look the boy gave him silenced his words.

Shikamaru was on his hands and knees banging on the floor looking for trap doors or something. "I know I heard Lee in here, we all saw him when Kiba yanked the door open so what happened to him?"

They heard the others yelp when the front door opened and Kakashi walked in. Baffled at what they were scrambling for he called out to his kids.

Neji and Sasuke turn their heads to the sound of their names, then looking back at each other as if asking the other 'what the hell are we gonna say' they straightened up and started for the door.

"Neji?" Calls Shikamaru.

Turning around, he cocks a brow.

"I'll stay here with you." Though it wasn't said as a question his voice was asking for permission.

Neji nods then walks out of the room.

"I'm staying too.... I won't go home until Gejimayu comes back." He says this to Sasuke who gave him nothing in return.

But on his way out he hears the Nara boy smack Naruto before asking. "Why the hell were you chasing that boy home?"

"I didn't want too-..." And the conversation was gone.

The two boys walk slowly down the stairs Kakashi looked at them questioningly; who wouldn't as sad as they look.

"Did I miss something?" He asks.

"I'll tell him." Volunteers Neji taking a seat on the couch as if telling the others to do the same.

"Neji? What's wrong?"

"It's Lee.... Kakashi-san.... he's gone."

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke explained to him what Lee had told him and Neji went on to tell him what happened afterward. Kakashi thought they were just joking with him, he even laughed but seeing as how they weren't even stifling smiles, he rushed upstairs to search the room for himself. Finding nothing but the boys dropped school bag in the hall, he instructed them to search the house from top to bottom. They do, but find nothing. The five of them sit in the living room once again telling Kakashi what happened but nothing added up to where Lee could be. Its not possible for someone to just vanish.

"Gai is not gonna like this."


Gai heard the news and took it like Kakashi had, he thought it was a joke, but no one was smiling. He damn near punched Naruto for what he'd done but Sasuke stopped him saying that he hadn't meant to do it, that Kiba had put him up to it- not that he was exactly talking to the boy either but he couldn't let him get socked by a grown man that can really punch. The cops were called and they searched the house with Gai at their heals calling out to Lee to stop hiding himself but the boy was nowhere to be found. The police said that Lee might have slipped out the door, that they will keep an eye out for him but that wasn't good enough for Gai. He had Neji and Sasuke make flyers with Lee's picture on them and their address and number while he and Kakashi and Shikamaru and Naruto went out to search the streets for him.

The group worked until nearly one in the morning on Gai's insistance alone but the two youngest gave out a long time ago. Shikamaru was called home by his mother via cell so he had to go. Neji stayed with his second family as long he could but eventually Kakashi ushered them all home saying they'll look in the morning.

Day after day went by but no one heard a thing about the boy, no one saw him. Lee was literally just gone. 3 months passed and someone called them saying thay saw Lee and had him at their home with them. Gai nearly hurt himself on the way up the stairs of the owners home but when they got inside it was not Lee they found. True the kid has black hair and his name is in fact Lee, but it isn't his Lee. More time went by and a shock for all of them Neji's father called him and he was going home for good. He told the family that he will look everyday for the lost boy and he would keep in touch then he walked out the door. More time passed and Sasuke and his fathers had a miserable Christmas and new year. They spent time at the shrines wishing that Lee would be found. Nothing.

A year went by, then another. Lee still did not return. Kakashi hated what this was doing to Gai and he suggested, only for his lovers sanity, that they sell the house and move away from the bad memory but Gai was repulsed, refusing. More time passed and Naruto came by with news that he had no news but he really wanted to make sure things were ok between him and Sasuke, his response to that was somewhat but he still refused to speak to him. More time passed and they got a letter from Neji, he's doing fine but he's heard nothing about Lee and he hasn't seen him.

More time passed and Gai eventually cracked and the family started to pack up for moving. But it was strange because the whole time they were doing this it felt like someone were there with them, watching them. Gai couldn't be sure but at one point he felt a hand touch his and he heard a gentle whisper that everything was gonna be okay and a faint 'otousan'. The family packed their car up a month later after saying their goodbye's to everyone and with one last look at the home they started the car-.... But Gai went back into the house for something. Sasuke watched from the window but the movement of the blinds in Lee's old room caught his attention. Could he still be in the house? Hiding in a place no one knew of? No. Lee isn't like that, he would never hurt his parents or his brothers, maybe he's just seeing things because he wants to believe that his brother is still alive and well somewhere, that they'll hear news about him the police already have the change of address and they said they'd keep them informed. When Gai returned, he looked up at his sons window one last time, waving and he wasn't sure but, he felt like someone had waved back. With that, the car drove away.

Lee frowned for a second, but as his hand lowered from the window he reached over taking the hand of his lover into his own. It was gonna be a change but, he can live with it.

THE END

...........

A.N: This was based on a true story well except for everything I made up. But the story roughly goes a child told his parents many times there is a monster in his closet but they never believed him. He tells a kid at school and somehow some of his brothers friends found out about it, they laughed and chased the boy home saying that he was a baby for still being afraid of monsters. Once inside his home they locked the boy in his closet and called names at him through the door, his brother finally said that's enough and when they opened it he was gone. To this day no one knows what happened to him. Thank you for reading!! Fantasy.