Sometimes I'm a selfish fake, you're always a true friend. And I don't deserve you 'cause I'm not there for you, please, forgive me again. I wanna be there for you, someone you can come to. Runs deeper than my bones, I wanna be there for you...
Two month and sixteen days ago, Uchiha Sasuke walked into Konohagakure and collapsed in front of what used to be Uzumaki Naruto's small apartment. He was covered in blood and even as he lay unconscious, unaware of everything going on around him, his eyes bled slowly, a macabre imitation of tears.
Four days ago, the blond ninja walked back into Konohagakure on one of his many routine visits and nearly left again when he felt Sasuke's familiar chakra within the village's walls. He didn't bother to put his things in the apartment Tsunade kept for him, he went straight to that distinctive chakra and was forced to restrain himself. Before him, sitting with absolutely perfect posture, was his best friend. The longer he looked at Sasuke, the more he actually saw. Sasuke's arms were behind his back, his legs tied to the legs of the chair.
"Sasuke-teme?" Naruto asked softly, his voice confused as he took in the pale, dark-haired man before him.
Crimson eyes lifted and stared blankly at the blond man. A soft voice lifted in the quiet of the room, "Naruto?"
"Is this... is this a joke?" Naruto asked as he walked deeper into the room, closer to Sasuke tied to the chair. "Is this a trick?"
"No," Sasuke murmured. "Not unless you are."
Sasuke was feeling rather speechless at this new development. He'd thought Naruto gone for good, training with his perverted teacher. He wasn't supposed to see Naruto ever again. He didn't want Naruto to see himself this way. It was unfair of Naruto to see his failure, to see just how far he'd fallen. It wasn't right.
Naruto had done everything he could to find him. He'd fought tooth and nail to try to save Sasuke. And Sasuke had only hoped to be able to die without having to see the blond. Without having to show Naruto that things weren't always going to work out. If he'd died in secrecy, he would have been able to die and leave Naruto with hope that he would be able to find and save Sasuke.
It would have been the least he could have done.
"Why are you here?" Naruto asked in a voice that was choked and unsure.
He could do nothing else, he could be nothing anymore. He was ruined, he was used and worth nothing. All he could do was die.
Once, he would have fought to stand at Naruto's side, as his friend and companion. He wouldn't have minded being Naruto's lover either. But he was selfish, arrogant, and he was pig-headed. He didn't deserve to stand beside Naruto. All of the dedication, the love, the faithfulness Naruto had given him and he'd thrown it away for whispered promises of power. He hadn't stood beside Naruto when the blond had needed him.
Swirling shades of blue, slow dancing in your eyes. Sun kisses the earth and I hush my urge to cry. I wanna be there for you, someone you can turn to. Runs deeper than my bones, I wanna be there for you.
Sasuke watched the tears rolling down his face. He wanted to do something... anything to make them stop. He wanted Naruto to return to the joyful, happy idiot he'd always known. He wanted to die, knowing that Naruto would live on, knowing that Naruto would survive and be happy. The blond moved forward and didn't stop until he'd fallen to his knees before his former teammate.
"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, bowing his head, letting it rest gently on Sasuke's knees.
"Naruto, why are you here?"
"Because I felt your chakra."
"I'm a criminal; I'm not the Sasuke you remember. I've changed. You've changed. We aren't the same anymore. Go on; forget about me like you should have done long ago."
"I can't," Naruto protested. "I can't forget about you."
"Untie my hands," Sasuke ordered.
"I can't. You're a... a criminal."
"I can't hold you with my hands behind my back."
Naruto's tear-filled blue eyes lifted to Sasuke, guilt and fear and shame playing in those incredible orbs. Naruto let his head rest against Sasuke's flat stomach as he reached around the captive man and freed his arms.
If Sasuke so chose, he could escape.
Sasuke wanted to cry. He wanted to have the ability to humble himself, to not care about his pride and his status, to just cry.
Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto, held him as tight as he could, desperate to stave off the end as long as possible, if he could have Naruto in his arms. The only thing he'd ever regretted was leaving Naruto behind.
"I wish I could have been a better friend for you," Sasuke whispered. His long, lithe fingers played in Naruto's blond hair, tangling in the silky smooth tresses.
'Cause I hear the whispered words, in your masterpiece beautiful. You speak the unspeakable through... I love you, too.
"You were... you were enough," Naruto protested softly. He wanted to tell Sasuke everything, to tell Sasuke that he loved him. He wanted Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed as he bowed his head. Naruto was desperate, was searching for anyway to try to hold onto that little bit of innocence that was still left. He wanted to stay the way they had always been. The playful camaraderie, the innocent hints of something more than just friendship.
"Sasuke, you know... you know that..." Naruto trailed off softly, warm tears soaking through Sasuke's thin, generic shirt.
"Naruto... today is the last night I have," Sasuke whispered. "I'm going to be executed in a couple of hours."
"No!" Naruto cried, sitting back on his heels. "No."
"It's my time. It's my price for treason," Sasuke said as matter-of-factly as possible. "I'm prepared to die."
"Sasuke..." Naruto's voice was a helpless whine as he forced the words past his lips.
"Don't say it Naruto. Not now, not before I'm led off to die," Sasuke ordered.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Naruto mumbled. "We can both disappear and leave and never come back."
"No we can't. They would come after us and I'm just tired, Naruto," Sasuke whispered. Pulling on Naruto, Sasuke forced their faces inches apart. He wasn't going to allow Naruto to say something so very painful just before they were torn apart so very finally.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke didn't say anything, he pressed their lips together. He know exactly what it was that Naruto wanted to say and allowing him to, responding to him, it would only hurt Naruto more.
His tongue slid out and caressed Naruto's bottom lip. He wanted to maintain this moment as long as he could. Linger in its perfection, its beauty. Naruto was his and would be until he died. And for the last time, Sasuke regretted leaving, regretted returning.
A quiet knock on the door, interrupted them.
I wanna be there for you and be someone you can come to. The love runs deeper than my bones (and) I wanna be there for you.
They broke apart, Sasuke pushing Naruto away as he straightened up. Without waiting for an invitation to enter, the men at the door came in, somber and morose.
Kakashi-sensei and Ibiki-san strode purposefully into the room. Kakashi's singular dark eye downcast and teary. It was time to go, and they were his final escort. This was one of the hardest things Kakashi had ever had to do.
"Uchiha Sasuke, for treason against Konohagakure, you have been sentenced to death by beheading," Ibiki murmured finally. His deep eyes watched as Kakashi freed Sasuke's feet, both ignoring the desperate cries of the blond at his feet, of the fact that his hands were already untied. "Do not attempt anything else and stand. You will be escorted to the execution ground by Kakashi-sama, I, and four hidden ANBU. Are you prepared to die as punishment for your crimes?"
"I am," Sasuke nodded.
"Any final words?" Kakashi asked, looking pointedly at the weeping blond jinchuuriki.
"I... I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could've come to me. I'm sorry Naruto. I... I loved you."
I wanna be there for you...
[Reviews - 1]
Table of Contents
- Text Size +
Story notes: 'There for you,' is from Flyleaf