Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns them. But I wanna own them. If anyone wants to
send me a Naruto and a Sauske and an Itachi plushie, I'll love you forever.
Author's note: I'm drugged right now. Yes, you read right. Drugged on painkillers. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out on Friday and I'm in pain, and I'm drugged and I started this fic late last night and finished it during the short moments of lucidity I had today. So if it's fucked up, you know why. And I happen to love this fic. So enjoy and please review! Poor little me needs the boost.
***
The teen watched his blank ceiling un-amused, inspecting the cracks and twists of the intricate patterns that had formed over time. He wiggled in bed, the ceiling turning blurry for a few seconds before it regained its sharpness.
"21... 22... 23..."
He'd been counting the lines for hours now, but he always lost count after 50 and had to start all over again. He was bored. He was in pain. And he was freaking hungry! But Iruka had told him not to eat ramen for the day. Actually, he had told him not to move at all and stay in his bed all day long. If anything was worse than not eating ramen (a hard thing to do, mind you), it was to stay still in one place for a day. Although he hadn't had much choice.
He was too weak to move anyway. And his arm felt on fire. He really should have just gone to the hospital when he cut it open, but it was so hard to bear the disgusted and cold looks from everyone in that building, even if he told everyone he didn't give a shit... And he didn't want to face any of the other Gennins. They'd just make fun of him. So he'd come straight home. And forgotten about the wound the moment his stomach growled, demanding to be fed its daily dosage of ramen.
He'd woken up the next morning with his arm the size of a baseball bat with hews of purple and blue and searing fire shooting up its length. He knew it was infected right away. And then he cursed his stupidity. He was old enough to know when a wound needed to be treated! So why hadn't he gone and gotten it treated? Why had he ignored it? He had to wait for Iruka to show up at his house mid-morning before anything could be done. He hadn't felt like getting up, much less walking all the way to the hospital.
Iruka had thrown a fit. He'd picked him up faster than he could think and had run to the hospital, ordering the doctors to help him. Next thing he knew, he was back in his bed, looking at his ceiling and wondering when he could eat. Iruka had been asleep on a chair next to him, his arms folded over his chest, his soft snores permeating the room.
It was nice to know someone was there for him.
But then Iruka had to go teach a class. He had apologized profusely to him, promising the blond that he'd come back and he'd make him some food, and Naruto had simply smiled and nodded, masking his anger and hurt at being left alone.
"...I want my mom..."
Sighing, Naruto draped his forearm on his head, watching the ceiling behind blurred eyes. He was sick of acting strong. He was sick of being alone. He wanted his mom. He wanted the comfort she could provide him... He wanted a family that'd take care of him. He wanted an adult that loved him because he was who he was, who loved him from the moment he was born. He wanted... so many things.
A knock at his door snapped him out of his reverie. Who the heck would be knocking at his door? Iruka never knocked, he just waltzed in like he lived there.
"Yeah?" He coughed at the end of his question and scowled himself for sounding so pathetic. He wasn't supposed to show weakness.
He could hear the soft opening and closing of the door and the shifting of a body in the hallway, slowly making its way to his room. Who could it be? It definitely wasn't Iruka... He barged in. And that old pervert never visited him (and he called himself a Hokage *hmphs!*) And who of the other kids his age would come and visit him? They all hated him... Even Sasuke and Sakura who were on his team.
Oh, he didn't have any illusions about those two. He'd ruin things enough for both of them over the last couple of days since the Academy graduation for them to hate him. But still... All he wanted was for them to acknowledge him. It's not like he was asking for the world. Just a simple hello, or a nod at his direction when he showed up, or a reply to his comments.
Pff! Who was he kidding? That was probably the most difficult thing for someone to do. Heaven forbid they actually considered him human... Especially the adults. None of them could know what it was like to live his life. And he wasn't cruel enough to wish it on anyone else either. They'd never make it. They'd all go mad.
"Naruto."
The sudden voice made the teen start and push himself up on his bed only to collapse back down when his arm protested violently. He knew that voice. He knew it and it was the last voice he expected to show up at his house. Low and confident with a hint of darkness and insanity, it was the last voice he wanted to hear.
"Sasuke... The fuck you doing here?"
"What's it look like? I'm visiting your sorry ass."
"Well, my ass if just fine, so you can leave now."
Silence. Did he leave? Did he actually go away? Naruto sighed again, closing his eyes tightly against the strange emotions going through him. He didn't want Sasuke there. But then he didn't want to be alone either... Opening his eyes slowly, blue eyes focused once again on the cracked ceiling overhead. It really was a fascinating thing to watch... Lines and dark holes twisting and connecting, each one completing the other.
"What happened?"
Damn! He was still there, watching him, observing him... Why was he doing this? Why was he so interested? Why couldn't he just let him be and do like the other kids and wish him dead? Why couldn't he just... pretend he didn't exist?
"I tripped down the stairs."
"Point one for the stairs."
Naruto growled deep in his throat. He didn't have the energy or the mind to fight Sasuke at the moment. All he wanted was to sleep. Closing his eyes, the blond teen felt his stomach grumble and winced. Actually, he wanted to eat. And he wanted to eat now. And he wanted to eat ramen! Not healthy food! Ramen! And he most certainly did not want to answer Sasuke's stupid interrogation as to how he got his arm cut open on a stupid tree branch by stupid teenagers who were harassing him again!
"Who were they?"
Naruto blinked, watching Sasuke's blurry face slowly regain focus. Wow! He looked pissed... And... Did Naruto just say that out loud? Did he just...
"Who you talkin' about?"
"The people who beat you up."
"You beat me up."
"After I kicked your ass. Who beat you up?"
Fucking Sasuke. Who did he think he was?! He didn't have to acknowledge so hastily the fact he beat him up the day before. Well, he had, but Naruto had given him back what he deserved. The black eye Sasuke sported was proof enough of that. Although it didn't suit the pale teen that much. It was too colorful for his skin. A cut would have been a better match for his complexion.
Why the hell was he thinking about what kind of injury would match Sasuke's skin better? Was he that out of it? Wait, Iruka had made him take painkillers. And painkillers tended to mess up his mind. If calling that old pervert uncle was any proof of that (which he thought it was), painkillers and him did not match. And the way Sasuke was looking at him wasn't helping. It was making him think strange things about his skin. And how white it looked. And how-
Ok! Stop. Right there. He needed food. Right now.
"I'm hungry."
"I'll make you something if you tell me who did this to you."
"Like hell you can cook."
"How do you think I lived so long by myself?"
"I always thought you'd make a good beggar."
"Fuck you."
"Too tired. Maybe later."
Naruto heard a short clicking of the tongue. That usually meant Sasuke was going to play mute from then on. He'd managed to piss him off. Again. Not like it was anything new, but someone needed to kick Sasuke off his high pedestal and put him back with the poor, innocent ninjas who weren't as 'cool' as he was. Not that Naruto was part of that class. No way.
Naruto was way cooler than Sasuke.
"Why are you here?"
Naruto groaned as soon as he asked. He really should keep these questions to himself. That way he could make up something pleasant as the reply. Like imagining Sasuke was there because he was worried about the teenager who could beat him up, thus needing to understand what threat had befallen the village if the teen who was more powerful than him had gotten beaten up. He didn't want to hear something like 'Because no one else would visit you.' He already knew that was the truth. And he didn't like the truth.
He never liked the truth about anything.
"I guess... I was worried."
"What?!"
"Kakashi-sensei told us you were sick. You wouldn't have missed a mission unless you were dying."
"Am I dying?"
"You sure look the part."
Naruto snorted. Well, Sasuke was there because he was worried but not because Naruto was stronger than him. Either way, he wasn't going to tell Sasuke the truth. He didn't need to know the truth. No one needed to know the truth except Iruka. Because he trusted Iruka with his life. Because Iruka had proven to him he could trust his life to him. And the truth was embarrassing. Beaten up by a bunch of older Gennins... How pathetic. He'd rather have lost a battle to the stairs than to a bunch of losers like those guys. He could always beat up the stairs later.
"Point one for the stairs. I'll beat it up later."
"I'll help you."
"I don't know if you're strong enough to beat up the stairs."
"I think I can hold my own."
Another click of the tongue. Those clicking became Sasuke. Naruto didn't know anyone else who clicked their tongues so many times in a few minutes. It was amusing. Maybe he should start counting how many times Sasuke clicked his tongue instead of counting the cracks in the ceiling. But the cracks in the ceiling were more interesting. He always lost count of them. He didn't think he'd be able to lose count of Sasuke's tongue clicking.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Ramen."
"Besides ramen."
"Food."
"I'll make you soup."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Close enough to ramen."
He felt Sasuke's weight lift off the bed. When had he seated down? Blinking several times, Naruto continued to stare at his ceiling as the throbbing pain in his arm slowly came back. He'd need more painkillers soon. For now he could deal with it. If he didn't move and kept his sight focused on what was in front of him he could ignore the pain. He could just listen to Sasuke working in his kitchen (and cursing every couple of seconds because of the mess) and watch his cracked ceiling.
Maybe he could keep count past 50 this time.
"1... 2... 3..."
As his eyes slowly closed, he could smell what Sasuke was making in the kitchen. Maybe it wasn't so bad to depend on someone. Maybe Sasuke really was worried...
Either way, the stairs still took the first point.
Author's note: I'm drugged right now. Yes, you read right. Drugged on painkillers. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out on Friday and I'm in pain, and I'm drugged and I started this fic late last night and finished it during the short moments of lucidity I had today. So if it's fucked up, you know why. And I happen to love this fic. So enjoy and please review! Poor little me needs the boost.
***
The teen watched his blank ceiling un-amused, inspecting the cracks and twists of the intricate patterns that had formed over time. He wiggled in bed, the ceiling turning blurry for a few seconds before it regained its sharpness.
"21... 22... 23..."
He'd been counting the lines for hours now, but he always lost count after 50 and had to start all over again. He was bored. He was in pain. And he was freaking hungry! But Iruka had told him not to eat ramen for the day. Actually, he had told him not to move at all and stay in his bed all day long. If anything was worse than not eating ramen (a hard thing to do, mind you), it was to stay still in one place for a day. Although he hadn't had much choice.
He was too weak to move anyway. And his arm felt on fire. He really should have just gone to the hospital when he cut it open, but it was so hard to bear the disgusted and cold looks from everyone in that building, even if he told everyone he didn't give a shit... And he didn't want to face any of the other Gennins. They'd just make fun of him. So he'd come straight home. And forgotten about the wound the moment his stomach growled, demanding to be fed its daily dosage of ramen.
He'd woken up the next morning with his arm the size of a baseball bat with hews of purple and blue and searing fire shooting up its length. He knew it was infected right away. And then he cursed his stupidity. He was old enough to know when a wound needed to be treated! So why hadn't he gone and gotten it treated? Why had he ignored it? He had to wait for Iruka to show up at his house mid-morning before anything could be done. He hadn't felt like getting up, much less walking all the way to the hospital.
Iruka had thrown a fit. He'd picked him up faster than he could think and had run to the hospital, ordering the doctors to help him. Next thing he knew, he was back in his bed, looking at his ceiling and wondering when he could eat. Iruka had been asleep on a chair next to him, his arms folded over his chest, his soft snores permeating the room.
It was nice to know someone was there for him.
But then Iruka had to go teach a class. He had apologized profusely to him, promising the blond that he'd come back and he'd make him some food, and Naruto had simply smiled and nodded, masking his anger and hurt at being left alone.
"...I want my mom..."
Sighing, Naruto draped his forearm on his head, watching the ceiling behind blurred eyes. He was sick of acting strong. He was sick of being alone. He wanted his mom. He wanted the comfort she could provide him... He wanted a family that'd take care of him. He wanted an adult that loved him because he was who he was, who loved him from the moment he was born. He wanted... so many things.
A knock at his door snapped him out of his reverie. Who the heck would be knocking at his door? Iruka never knocked, he just waltzed in like he lived there.
"Yeah?" He coughed at the end of his question and scowled himself for sounding so pathetic. He wasn't supposed to show weakness.
He could hear the soft opening and closing of the door and the shifting of a body in the hallway, slowly making its way to his room. Who could it be? It definitely wasn't Iruka... He barged in. And that old pervert never visited him (and he called himself a Hokage *hmphs!*) And who of the other kids his age would come and visit him? They all hated him... Even Sasuke and Sakura who were on his team.
Oh, he didn't have any illusions about those two. He'd ruin things enough for both of them over the last couple of days since the Academy graduation for them to hate him. But still... All he wanted was for them to acknowledge him. It's not like he was asking for the world. Just a simple hello, or a nod at his direction when he showed up, or a reply to his comments.
Pff! Who was he kidding? That was probably the most difficult thing for someone to do. Heaven forbid they actually considered him human... Especially the adults. None of them could know what it was like to live his life. And he wasn't cruel enough to wish it on anyone else either. They'd never make it. They'd all go mad.
"Naruto."
The sudden voice made the teen start and push himself up on his bed only to collapse back down when his arm protested violently. He knew that voice. He knew it and it was the last voice he expected to show up at his house. Low and confident with a hint of darkness and insanity, it was the last voice he wanted to hear.
"Sasuke... The fuck you doing here?"
"What's it look like? I'm visiting your sorry ass."
"Well, my ass if just fine, so you can leave now."
Silence. Did he leave? Did he actually go away? Naruto sighed again, closing his eyes tightly against the strange emotions going through him. He didn't want Sasuke there. But then he didn't want to be alone either... Opening his eyes slowly, blue eyes focused once again on the cracked ceiling overhead. It really was a fascinating thing to watch... Lines and dark holes twisting and connecting, each one completing the other.
"What happened?"
Damn! He was still there, watching him, observing him... Why was he doing this? Why was he so interested? Why couldn't he just let him be and do like the other kids and wish him dead? Why couldn't he just... pretend he didn't exist?
"I tripped down the stairs."
"Point one for the stairs."
Naruto growled deep in his throat. He didn't have the energy or the mind to fight Sasuke at the moment. All he wanted was to sleep. Closing his eyes, the blond teen felt his stomach grumble and winced. Actually, he wanted to eat. And he wanted to eat now. And he wanted to eat ramen! Not healthy food! Ramen! And he most certainly did not want to answer Sasuke's stupid interrogation as to how he got his arm cut open on a stupid tree branch by stupid teenagers who were harassing him again!
"Who were they?"
Naruto blinked, watching Sasuke's blurry face slowly regain focus. Wow! He looked pissed... And... Did Naruto just say that out loud? Did he just...
"Who you talkin' about?"
"The people who beat you up."
"You beat me up."
"After I kicked your ass. Who beat you up?"
Fucking Sasuke. Who did he think he was?! He didn't have to acknowledge so hastily the fact he beat him up the day before. Well, he had, but Naruto had given him back what he deserved. The black eye Sasuke sported was proof enough of that. Although it didn't suit the pale teen that much. It was too colorful for his skin. A cut would have been a better match for his complexion.
Why the hell was he thinking about what kind of injury would match Sasuke's skin better? Was he that out of it? Wait, Iruka had made him take painkillers. And painkillers tended to mess up his mind. If calling that old pervert uncle was any proof of that (which he thought it was), painkillers and him did not match. And the way Sasuke was looking at him wasn't helping. It was making him think strange things about his skin. And how white it looked. And how-
Ok! Stop. Right there. He needed food. Right now.
"I'm hungry."
"I'll make you something if you tell me who did this to you."
"Like hell you can cook."
"How do you think I lived so long by myself?"
"I always thought you'd make a good beggar."
"Fuck you."
"Too tired. Maybe later."
Naruto heard a short clicking of the tongue. That usually meant Sasuke was going to play mute from then on. He'd managed to piss him off. Again. Not like it was anything new, but someone needed to kick Sasuke off his high pedestal and put him back with the poor, innocent ninjas who weren't as 'cool' as he was. Not that Naruto was part of that class. No way.
Naruto was way cooler than Sasuke.
"Why are you here?"
Naruto groaned as soon as he asked. He really should keep these questions to himself. That way he could make up something pleasant as the reply. Like imagining Sasuke was there because he was worried about the teenager who could beat him up, thus needing to understand what threat had befallen the village if the teen who was more powerful than him had gotten beaten up. He didn't want to hear something like 'Because no one else would visit you.' He already knew that was the truth. And he didn't like the truth.
He never liked the truth about anything.
"I guess... I was worried."
"What?!"
"Kakashi-sensei told us you were sick. You wouldn't have missed a mission unless you were dying."
"Am I dying?"
"You sure look the part."
Naruto snorted. Well, Sasuke was there because he was worried but not because Naruto was stronger than him. Either way, he wasn't going to tell Sasuke the truth. He didn't need to know the truth. No one needed to know the truth except Iruka. Because he trusted Iruka with his life. Because Iruka had proven to him he could trust his life to him. And the truth was embarrassing. Beaten up by a bunch of older Gennins... How pathetic. He'd rather have lost a battle to the stairs than to a bunch of losers like those guys. He could always beat up the stairs later.
"Point one for the stairs. I'll beat it up later."
"I'll help you."
"I don't know if you're strong enough to beat up the stairs."
"I think I can hold my own."
Another click of the tongue. Those clicking became Sasuke. Naruto didn't know anyone else who clicked their tongues so many times in a few minutes. It was amusing. Maybe he should start counting how many times Sasuke clicked his tongue instead of counting the cracks in the ceiling. But the cracks in the ceiling were more interesting. He always lost count of them. He didn't think he'd be able to lose count of Sasuke's tongue clicking.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Ramen."
"Besides ramen."
"Food."
"I'll make you soup."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Close enough to ramen."
He felt Sasuke's weight lift off the bed. When had he seated down? Blinking several times, Naruto continued to stare at his ceiling as the throbbing pain in his arm slowly came back. He'd need more painkillers soon. For now he could deal with it. If he didn't move and kept his sight focused on what was in front of him he could ignore the pain. He could just listen to Sasuke working in his kitchen (and cursing every couple of seconds because of the mess) and watch his cracked ceiling.
Maybe he could keep count past 50 this time.
"1... 2... 3..."
As his eyes slowly closed, he could smell what Sasuke was making in the kitchen. Maybe it wasn't so bad to depend on someone. Maybe Sasuke really was worried...
Either way, the stairs still took the first point.