The Top Floor

Disclaimer: This story is being co-written by KandKL of fanfiction.net. We do not own Naruto, nor do we intend to profit financially from this story.

Onward.

Previously:

Kiba lifted his head and met Naruto’s concerned gaze. “There’s these people...”

Sasuke’s mouth dropped open. Was Shikamaru right?

“Yeah?” Naruto prodded gently.

“They want me to live with them.” Dark, confused eyes looked up at Naruto.

“Naruto, they want me to leave.”


The room stilled, far quieter than it was accustomed to being while occupied. The eerie silence settled slowly, heavily, like a film, trapping everything and everyone underneath it in a suspended state.

It was Lee who first breathed life back into the room.

“Leave?”

The simple question seemed enough to snap everyone out of their stupor. Kiba swung his head to look over at Lee, who by now had turned around on the couch and was sitting on his knees, hands grasping the back support lightly as he stared at Kiba curiously. Kiba nodded with unusual solemnity, his eyes still marred with confusion.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who, much to his unease, hadn’t moved or even reacted to Kiba’s sudden news, save for the slightly wider eyes. He walked softly along the length of the wall, past the bedroom doors until he reached the last one.

“Like, on a trip?” Lee asked innocently.

“No,” came Naruto’s quiet voice. Sasuke nearly winced as he watched the blonde lower his head minutely, a slight frown crossing his face.

“But...” Lee looked at Kiba, his confusion painfully obvious.

“I have to leave, Lee,” Kiba said. “For good.”

Sasuke quickly turned the handle of the doorknob he’d been reaching for and ducked his head inside the room as he heard Lee start to splutter in disbelief. Shikamaru glared up at him from where he was lying on his bed, reading.

“What, you’re too good for knock--”

“You need to get out here,” said Sasuke lowly, cutting Shikamaru off. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the urgent tone.

“Kiba.”

That was all the information Shikamaru needed. He nodded and rose from the bed, closing his German book and tossing it haphazardly on the pillow before following Sasuke out the door.

“...in four days,” Kiba was saying as the two walked in.

“What’s up, Kiba,” Shikamaru said nonchalantly as he sauntered over to the table. Pulling out a chair, he plopped down with a small sigh, lazily stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles while shoving his hands in his pockets.

Kiba swallowed hard, looking almost miserable at having to make his announcement again. “There’s a man and a woman, and they want me to go live with them.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Kiba nodded, looking at the older boy for some sign of...anything, really. Acknowledgement, acceptance, approval...

Shikamaru sat up suddenly with a grin. “That’s awesome!”

Kiba’s eyes shot open wide at the unexpected praise of the situation. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Shikamaru said excitedly, quickly looking at Naruto and then at Sasuke standing behind him before returning his attention to Kiba, who was starting to look a little more lively now. “You get to live with a family, Kiba. That’s so cool.”

Kiba perked up. “Yeah?”

“Yup,” Shikamaru nodded and leaned back in his chair once more, looking very self-assured. Sasuke stepped closer behind Naruto, extending a hand and nudging Naruto’s arm softly. Naruto glanced back at him, eyes awash in an emotion Sasuke did his best to ignore, giving him a small smile. He leaned in until his lips were next to Naruto’s ear, nuzzling against the blonde hair with his nose.

“Kiba needs you,” he murmured quietly. He felt Naruto’s body tense, whether from his breath against the shell of his ear or from the weight of what he’d said, he didn’t know; but to his relief Naruto relaxed a moment later and nodded slightly against his nose. Naruto turned back to Kiba, smiling brightly for his benefit.

“Yeah, Kiba, maybe you can get a dog!”

Kiba looked at Naruto in surprise before his eyes lit up. “I can get a dog?!”

“Well, I don’t know for sure,” said Naruto quickly before things got out of hand. “You’ll have to ask your parents.”

Kiba’s eyes got big. “Parents...” he said softly. Sasuke watched as Kiba processed that thought, a look of awe surfacing on his face. Naruto squeezed his hand where it was on Kiba’s shoulder and smiled down at him.

The moment was effectively ruined when Lee loudly demanded to know what name Kiba was going to give his new dog. Kiba jumped up.

“I’ll call him Kiba!”

“No!” Lee yelled, disapproval marring his face. “You can’t name the dog after you!”

Kiba frowned in thought. “How about Rex?”

“Or Shadow!” Lee interjected.

“Or Earl!”

“Or Reiseauβkunft!” Lee proclaimed, scrunching up his face in an effort to pronounce the foreign word.

“Ew, NO,” Kiba yelled.

“Is it bad that even though I know I only have four more days to enjoy this, they still annoy me?” Shikamaru asked in a bored tone, turning to Naruto and Sasuke as the two boys kept arguing over suitable names. Sasuke laughed, hoping the keep the mood light. Naruto turned around, his smile receding a bit, and Sasuke suddenly had a chestful of blonde. He wrapped his arms around Naruto and hugged him tightly in an effort to convey all of the thoughts racing through his mind that he couldn’t quite bring himself to say out loud. As quickly as Naruto had initiated it he withdrew from the embrace, grin firmly back in place, causing Sasuke to smile weakly. How ironic; he’d asked Naruto to drop that mask from the beginning of his stay, and now he wanted nothing more than for Naruto to hold onto it for just a bit longer.

“Four days,” said Naruto quietly, a resolute look taking hold in his eyes before he walked quickly past Sasuke towards the still bickering boys.

“Kiba! Let’s play a game!”

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest, face carefully blank as he watched Kiba run for the crayons and paper. He heard Shikamaru sigh behind him and looked back over his shoulder to see him leaning back in his chair, face just as blank.

~

The ball snapped back to his hand with a quiet thump and Sasuke twirled it around in his palm for a few moments before throwing it at the wall opposite him again. It bounced back again, harder this time. His arm shot out to the left to snatch the ricochet shot before it bounced out of his reach, and he was surprised by his own quickness.

For the last hour or so his mind had been surprisingly blank, focusing on the tan ball as it bounced between the wall and his hand, and nothing else. When Kiba had spilled the news earlier that night that he was going to leave, everything seemed to switch into a dull slow-motion. Naruto had gone off to entertain Kiba, but Shikamaru, Lee and himself found themselves standing in the common room for several minutes in silence, no one moving or speaking. No one knew how to react.

It was well known at St. Olaf that patients were discharged from the hospital if they were deemed “healthy” by the hospital’s main staff of doctors, but no one really expected it to happen to them. Especially not to Kiba. Sasuke had waited for Naruto and Kiba to emerge from Kiba’s room for a good twenty minutes, but the sounds of giggling and laughter showed no signs of slowing, so he had finally retreated to his own room. Finding one of Kiba’s toy balls in the corner, he began the mind-numbing game of playing catch with himself.

It had been more than two hours, and Naruto and Kiba were still playing. He wanted nothing more than to have some time alone with Naruto, to assure him that everything would be okay, but Naruto had jumped back into the hectic life of Kiba, if only, Sasuke surmised, to keep his own mind off the impending departure. And although this irritated Sasuke to a degree, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was doing precisely the same thing.

The ball bounced out of his reach and he watched it roll mockingly away, too tired to move and retrieve it. He let his head fall to his chest wearily and he heard the sounds of Kiba’s shrieking laughter filter through the space under his door. He found his mind drifting back to Kiba’s sad news...Where is he going? He’s not well enough to live in a regular home, so he must be being transferred to another hospital...but why? He was doing fine here...He grunted out loud and shook his head. Not now; he wouldn’t think about it until later. Right now he was tired. He eyed his bed and gave a short sigh, psyching himself up to get to his feet and make it over to his bed.

After several moments of failed inspirational thoughts, Sasuke resorted to crawling over to the bed on his hands and knees. He collapsed onto the bed and wiggled under the thin blanket quickly, unconsciously releasing yet another sigh. He was surprised with himself...Kiba’s news had shocked him, yes, but he didn’t expect to feel so...drained.

He closed his eyes and pulled the covers over his head. The mattress groaned as his shifted to his side, and he was reminded of why he had opted to sleeping with Naruto for the last week. He ignored the squeak of the springs beneath him as he shifted again, letting a slow breath out from pursed lips.

After several minutes of tossing and turning, sleep came.

~

The wind whipped his hair across his face and he could feel cool, tall grass rippling against his legs. Sasuke stood slowly, eyeing his surroundings warily. He was in the middle of a green plain and he could see mountains in the distance.

Great. He was dreaming. He folded his arms over his chest and searched the area apprehensively for dangerous projectiles or rivers of blood or anything equally cliché that was usually associated with his nightmares.

Nothing.

He became suspicious as he moved to his left towards a grove of trees. He could hear faint voices beyond the line of trees and he waded through the tall grasses towards the sound. When he reached the woods, he stopped short.

A family sat in the middle of the clearing in a circle, a basket sitting in the middle. A man, a woman and two children. He immediately recognized the adults as his parents and the eldest child as Itachi. He could see a five-month-old version of himself being bounced on his mother’s lap. He watched in confusion as his father silently passed out rice balls around the circle.

Sasuke moved forward, inching towards the family, banking on the idea that his family would not be able to see or hear him, as in the movies. He was about fifty feet from the small group when his mother called out, “Hello!”

He froze and swore to himself. Why could they see him? He gave his mother a weak smile, praying that she didn’t recognize him as an older version of her young son. “Hi,” he responded. He didn’t move from his spot, waiting to see her reaction.

She just smiled pleasantly at him. “Would you like to join us?”

Sasuke watched his father give Mikoto a disapproving look. “Please, Mikoto,” he said lowly.

Mikoto looked back at him evenly for a few moments before returning her gaze to Sasuke. “We have food, if you’d like some.”

Sasuke bit his lip, undecided. His father was giving him an all too familiar warning look, daring him to come closer and sit. He could feel his mother’s soft, encouraging eyes watching him and he saw Itachi looking at him, disinterest written all over his young face. He had been conditioned to fear and respect his father all his life, and yet...this was a dream, what could he do? And the sight of his parents, even though it was a mere figment of his imagination, was drawing him in.

He stepped forward and sat next to Mikoto and baby Sasuke.

Mikoto smiled, looking pleased. “Rice balls?” she offered him, holding out the box.

“Yes, thank you,” Sasuke murmured, taking one and setting it on his lap. He was fighting the smile that was trying to work its way onto his face...he was sitting next to his mother, after so long.

Conversation picked up again as Sasuke listened and chewed on the rice. Most of the talk focused on Itachi and the school he was going to be attending the coming fall. Itachi answered questions asked of him evenly, politely. He seemed to bore with the whole situation after a few minutes and he stood, walking over to Mikoto and holding out his arms.

Mikoto smiled brightly and she handed up the gurgling baby Sasuke into Itachi’s arms. Sasuke felt something in his chest tighten as Itachi pulled Sasuke in close and nuzzled his neck as he walked off to another part of the clearing. He was embarrassed at how hard he had to struggle to get out his next words.

“So, your sons...” he trailed off.

Mikoto placed a hand over her chest. “They’re perfect.”

Sasuke found himself surprised. “Really?”

“Itachi and Sasuke...are my life.”

Hearing this made emotion well up in Sasuke in a way that he wasn’t prepared for.

“Mom...” his voice cracked.

A loud bang jerked Sasuke’s body awake and he lay almost panting on his bed. He stared at the ceiling as Naruto appeared in the corner of his vision.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you asleep?” Naruto asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyebrows furrowed in apology.

Sasuke didn’t speak. He was trying to erase the weird feeling that was surrounding him. He felt fuzzy...sad, yet happy, almost like he was floating.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked, placing a hand on Sasuke’s wrist. “You okay?”

Sasuke nodded slowly.

“Another dream?” Naruto asked softly, stroking his arm gently through the blanket. He obviously thought it had been another one of Sasuke’s nightmares.

“Yeah...it was different, though...”

“In a good way or a bad way?”

“I...don’t know,” Sasuke muttered as he sat up, rubbing his forehead. “Just reliving my childhood, I guess.”

Naruto nodded but didn’t respond beyond that. Sasuke leaned towards Naruto, a curious look on his face. “You...you’ve never told me about your childhood, Naruto.”

Naruto seemed a bit startled, but he recovered quickly. “It’s not very interesting.”

“I’m curious,” Sasuke said, scooting so that his hip aligned with Naruto’s.

He didn’t want to think about his dream and Naruto didn’t want to think about Kiba. Naruto seemed to realize that this was the perfect way to avoid he dreaded subject and he sighed.

“Your parents,” Sasuke pressed. “What were they like?”

Naruto shrugged. “I don’t know, really. They died when I was three.”

The obligatory “I’m sorry” escaped Sasuke. Naruto waved him off. “It’s fine. I don’t remember them at all, and I’ve come to terms with that. All I know is what my foster parents told me.”

“Which is...?”

“My mom was a dance teacher.”

“Like...exotic?”

Naruto punched Sasuke in the arm. “Ballet, smart ass. I guess she had her own studio and everything. My dad was into some business, I never really found out for sure. Anyway, I was sent to a foster home, which was great. They were nice people and they really seemed to like me.”

Sasuke nodded. He was surprised at how calm and detached Naruto was about never having met his parents.

Naruto continued. “Then when I was seven, I had my first “accident”.” Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “I jumped off a twenty foot balcony.” Sasuke was sorry he asked and he bowed his head slightly. “They thought it was just me being a crazy kid, so they never really paid attention to it. Then the next year, we were doing arts and crafts in school, and I took a scissors to my wrists.”

Again, Sasuke was amazed at how nonchalant Naruto was about everything.

“They got concerned then, so they brought me to a doctor. They weren’t much help, since my condition is the first reported of its kind. They didn’t understand how I could continue to try to kill myself when I truly didn’t want to die. My parents resorted to keeping me under near constant surveillance for a few months before I tried again. They decided then that I was too much for them to handle, and they admitted me to a treatment facility.”

The story was actually depressing Sasuke. Naruto smiled at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. “It’s not that bad, Sasuke.”

“Yeah, well...I think it is.”

“Well, it gets better. Wanna hear?”

Sasuke nodded.

“Well, I was moved around a lot when I was younger, to different hospitals, because no one seemed to know what to do with me. My foster parents visited me a lot at first, several times a week. But as the years passed, the visits turned annual, and now...I haven’t seen them in two years.”

Sasuke glared, feeling anger against Naruto’s foster parents rising in him. “I thought you said it gets better.”

Naruto grinned again and moved to his forehead pressed against Sasuke’s. “Then I got transferred here. Which is good. I live here for a long while, getting to know the boys...Kiba, Shika and Neji. And then, the best thing happened.”

Sasuke was lost in Naruto’s eyes, reveling the feeling of Naruto’s breath fanning over his face. “Yeah?”

Naruto’s smile grew. “Yeah. You arrived.” He closed the distance between them and kissed Sasuke gently, his hands moving up to cup Sasuke’s face. Sasuke sighed and let his hands rest around Naruto’s neck. “This is the best time of my life, you know.”

Sasuke nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Naruto moved in again, his lips hovering over Sasuke’s before brushing against them lightly. “I never want this to end.”

“Me neither.”

Naruto leaned forward and nuzzled into Sasuke’s shoulder and Sasuke’s arms wrapped around him, holding him close. “I’m glad you came.”

“Yeah, me too.”
~

Naruto ambled through the wide doorway and into the common room, reaching behind him to shut the door softly. Shika waved half-heartedly at him from where he sat leaning back on the armrest of the couch, not looking up from his book. Naruto began walking towards the couch when Sasuke’s head lolled lazily over the armrest of the couch to look at him.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the less-than-normal sight. “Hi?”

“Hi,” replied Sasuke comfortably, though his voice came out strained and higher in pitch from stretching his neck so far backwards.

“Where’s Kiba?”

“Ten-Ten told him to start packing.”

Naruto nodded as he plopped down in the chair next to the couch, his lips forming a small silent “o” in acknowledgement. A small sigh prompted Naruto to look strangely at Sasuke again. “What’s with you?”

“…huh?”

“What’s with you?” Naruto replied condescendingly.

“I’m bored,” Sasuke said in a very Shikamaru-esque tone. Naruto grinned as he curled his good leg underneath him.

“Why don’t you help Kiba pack?”

Sasuke snorted. “Not that bored. Besides, Lee’s helping him, and I think that’s all the energy that room needs.”

Naruto smiled at that, though the expression had a bittersweet undertone to it. “Does he even have a suitcase? I’ve never seen one.”

“Don’t know.”

“Hey Naruto,” Shikamaru’s voice interjected fluidly into the small talk.

“Yeah?”

“Where are the crutches?”

Sasuke looked sideways at Naruto, then jerked his neck upright abruptly. “You don’t have crutches anymore?”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “You are so observant.”

“Shut it, wise ass.”

“You need to stop hanging out with Shika,” Naruto said as he furrowed his eyebrows, which of course attracted the imminent black glare. “So anyway, I just have to keep wearing this brace and not put too much weight on my leg, and I’m good.”

“Sweet,” said Shikamaru in what sounded like an absent-minded tone. However, the not-so-discreet nudge to Sasuke’s knee with his toe suggested that Shikamaru was otherwise.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the offending toe before looking up at Shikamaru, who he was surprised to find staring right back at him. Shikamaru twitched an eyebrow up. “Sasuke. Naruto doesn’t have to use crutches anymore.”

Sasuke could only manage a confused expression.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in irritation. “Sasuke.”

“Shika.”

“Dude, he doesn’t have crutches anymore. I think he may be fit for…” he paused to insert a suggestive smirk, “for activities.”

Shikamaru’s smirk remained fixed in place as he watched Sasuke processing the mildly cryptic message. Wait for it…

Sasuke’s eyebrows suddenly jumped, and he swung his head to look at Naruto, who stared back at him warily.

“You don’t have crutches anymore.”

“Yes, I’m aware, thank you,” Naruto said. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Sasuke’s gaze became a bit harder. “It’s payback time.”

And suddenly Naruto understood. His eyes grew wider as Sasuke’s narrowed a bit. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he stood up as gracefully as he could.

“I, uh, have to go to the bathroom…”

And with that he turned and began walking as quickly as a boy in a walking cast can, the hair on the back of his neck practically standing as he heard Sasuke quickly rise and follow behind him.

Shikamaru groaned. “Not in the bathroom…”

Naruto was too busy attempting to beat Sasuke to the bathroom to pay any mind to Shikamaru, and Sasuke too caught up in the slowest chase he’d ever experienced.

“Really, Sasuke, I have to go to the bathroom!” Naruto said anxiously.

“Yeah, somehow I don’t believe--”

Suddenly a Kiba-shaped blur cut off Naruto’s path to the bathroom, ducking in ahead of him. Before Naruto could even form a question, though, the boy shot out of the room and back to his, a small trail of white floating behind him.

A small stretch of silence. Then, “…was that toilet paper?”

“I don’t know,” Naruto said in a bewildered tone. He took the few steps he had left in front of him and peeked his head inside the bathroom.

“Oh my god.”

“What?” Sasuke asked as he walked up behind Naruto, looking over the blonde’s shoulder into the room.

“Oh my god,” he said, sounding somewhat amused. “Shika.”

“What?” came the inevitable groan.

“Come look at this.”

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath but stood up anyways, tossing his book on the couch and walking over to the pair.

“What’s got you pansies so…” he said, his voice trailing off as he looked inside.

The bathroom was completely bare.

Well, almost completely bare. The trashcan still sat by the toilet, and there was still a bar of soap freestanding on the shelf in the shower. Other than that, though, the bathroom was completely bare.

Shikamaru let out a sharp bark of a laugh.

“Hey!” Naruto said indignantly. “He took my towel!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Oh no. Not the magically non-germ-infested towel!”

Naruto glared at him heatedly. “Shut up, wise ass.”

“Children,” Shikamaru grunted.

“Yeah, magic,” Sasuke said lowly, pointedly ignoring Shikamaru. “It’s amazing how your germs and your dead skin cells aren’t dirty, but everyone else’s are.”

Shikamaru took the opportunity to smack both boys on the back of their heads. He also took the opportunity to laugh at their indignant noises.

“Excuse me,” a voice said from behind them before the owner quickly started shoving his way through the three human roadblocks. Shikamaru, Sasuke and Naruto watched in bewilderment as Lee knelt down beside the toilet and reached behind its tank with certainty and pulled out a squeegee.

Sasuke’s left eye twitched. “What the--”

Lee didn’t let him finish, opting instead to throw himself like a kamikaze through the mass of bodies once more with the optimism of a fifteen-year-old on LSD. And, surprisingly, he cut a path through Naruto and Sasuke fairly easily.

Shikamaru was another story. He shot a hand out and grabbed a fistful of Lee, effectively halting his progress but not halting his efforts. Frantically Lee swung his body, trying to dislodge Shikamaru, but the older boy held fast while grabbing the only visible part of the squeegee with his free hand.

“Give it back!!”

“NO!!”

“Lee, you BRAT!”

Sasuke and Naruto stood motionless, watching the scene unfold before them with wide eyes.

“Shika…” Sasuke finally forced past his lips, “…you own a squeegee?”

Shikamaru just grunted, whether in acknowledgement of ownership or just from the effort of trying to get the thing back, Sasuke couldn’t quite tell.

“And you didn’t tell me?!” Naruto shrieked.

“LEE! I am SO serious!”

“That’s how the shower stayed so mold-free,” mused Naruto. Sasuke looked at him with one eye narrowed.

“What?” Naruto blinked innocently.

Sasuke’s eye narrowed a little more. “You’re a freak. Why am I sleeping with you?”

Lee’s side of the scuffle stalled at the words as he beamed proudly in Naruto and Sasuke’s direction. “Oh, such a wondrous display of--”

“HA!” Shikamaru suddenly yelled as he wrenched the squeegee out of Lee’s slackening grip. Lee looked back at his empty hands in shock before reverting to the tried-and-true full-power pout mode.

“Why do you want that, anyway, Lee?” Naruto asked while hesitantly eyeing Shikamaru and the squeegee he was clutching with far more affection than was normal for a person to show an inanimate object.

Lee sighed dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. “Kiba didn’t know what to pack, so I told him to pack everything.”

Shikamaru stared at him disbelievingly. “Wha—why…Lee!”

“What?”

“He can’t pack everything!”

“Yes he can,” Lee hastily corrected Shikamaru, much to his eye’s twitching displeasure. “This way he won’t forget anything.”

“Yeah, well he doesn’t need to take all of my shi--”

Before anyone knew what was happening Lee made a grab for the squeegee, and due to Shikamaru’s surprise, managed to free it again and run with it to Kiba’s room. Shikamaru uttered an undefinable sound of rage as he followed, Sasuke and Naruto on his heels.

“Kiba, catch!” Lee was yelling when the three broke into the room.

“NO!” Shika shouted, but Lee threw it anyways. Unfortunately for Lee and Kiba, however, Shikamaru was much bigger than either of them and thus was able to pluck the flying squeegee from the air with relative ease.

Kiba made a whiny noise of protest, but almost immediately, Naruto was standing in front of him, blocking his view of Shikamaru and distracting him from the situation.

“Kiba, why are you packing everything?”

Kiba looked down then at the overflowing suitcase that was settled on top of his bed. Sure enough, a roll of toilet paper sat atop the heap. “I don’t know what to pack.”

“Well, just pack whatever belongs to you,” Naruto said, sitting down next to the suitcase. He turned and began to sift through the pile, setting the toilet paper in his lap and pulling out other various bathroom items.

Kiba frowned at the roll. “But what if they don’t have what I need?”

Naruto looked up at Kiba. “Don’t worry,” he said with a small smile. “They will.”

“But what if they don’t have toilet paper?” Kiba asked solemnly, snatching the roll from Naruto’s lap and holding it against his chest. “I need toilet paper.”

Naruto fought the urge to laugh, settling for ruffling Kiba’s hair instead. “They’ll have whatever you need, Kiba. And if they don’t, then you can just ask them for it.” He smiled at the boy. “Okay?”

Kiba nodded, but the worried look remained in his eyes. “I still don’t know what to pack.”

“Here, Kiba, think of it this way,” said Sasuke, who suddenly materialized at Naruto’s side. “You can pack the stuff that is only yours, but if it’s something that other people have to use, too, then you need to leave it here.” Sasuke gently took the toilet paper from Kiba’s hands. “This, we all have to use, too. So you have to leave the toilet paper.” Then Sasuke knelt down and picked up Nar-Nar. He held it out to Kiba. “Nar-Nar is only yours, so he gets to go with you.”

A look of understanding dawned on Kiba’s face then. He pulled a VHS tape out of the pile and held it up to Sasuke. “So this has to stay?”

“Yep.”

Kiba grinned and set it on the opposite side of the bed. “And this?” he asked, holding out a white towel.

“Yeah, that’s mine,” said Naruto hastily, grabbing the towel and folding it into a rectangle.

Sasuke smirked. “See, if Naruto was leaving, he would get to take the towel because only he is allowed to use it.”

“Shut up, Sasuke.”

Lee picked up an origami monkey off the thick carpet and walked over to Kiba. “You can take this, Kiba!”

Kiba squealed in true Kiba form, and soon the heap was being dismantled into two smaller heaps on the bed.

Naruto nudged Sasuke’s calf with his hand and nodded toward the doorway, where Shikamaru still stood, his squeegee clenched in his fist at his side. Sasuke shook his head.

“He likes that thing far more than is natural.”

Naruto laughed with a snort. “At least he isn’t hugging it anymore.”

At that point, Shikamaru swung evil eyes on the two of them and Naruto chose to become a mute.

Sasuke had always been immune to glares and the like, however. “Why do you have a squeegee?”

Shikamaru’s face actually colored slightly, much to both Sasuke and Naruto’s surprise. “It was a…because I--” he spluttered, then looked pointedly at Sasuke with eyes hard once more. “You know what? I don’t owe you ANY answers!”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Fine, Shika. Calm down. I won’t touch your squeegee.”

“That’s right you won’t,” Shikamaru said loudly. Sasuke’s eyebrow hiked up even further.

“You’re a weird guy,” Naruto said, his eyes wide.

Shikamaru glowered but turned, muttering something about “face” and “weird” on his way out of Kiba’s bedroom.

“Well,” Naruto said abruptly with a forced sigh as he stood from the bed, “I’m going to go to my room.”

“Why?” Sasuke asked. “There’s nothing to do in there.”

“Exactly,” replied Naruto, brushing past Sasuke. “I’m safe as long as I’m in there.” Sasuke wrinkled his nose in question.

“Cameras.”

Comprehension dawned on Sasuke’s face, and he quickly sprung into action, chasing Naruto out of the room and down the hallway.

But then his ears were filled with laughter and his vision filled with white terrycloth, and he had to stop. He heard the door slam shut ahead of him, muffling the laughter, but the corner of his mouth twitched upwards as he swiped the towel off of his head.

He shrugged his shoulders. The chase may be slow and somewhat limited, but it was better than lying on the couch doing nothing.

“I’m wiping this thing all over my face,” he called to the closed door and grinned at the outraged sounds he could faintly hear seeping out from under it.

~

The air was tense as they sat around the room in silence. The noise of the door leading to the hall opening made Naruto jump visibly, and the others to look up at the people who entered the room. Shizune was first, followed by two others, a man and a woman. Shizune quietly shut the door behind them.

“Boys,” she addressed the group. “This is Mr. and Mrs. Boyd. They’re going to be Kiba’s new caretakers.”

Mr. Boyd was a tall, CEO-type man with salt and pepper hair that was just beginning to thin. Mrs. Boyd was petite and blonde. A large purse rested on her arm, which was wrapped around Mr. Boyd’s. They were both very American and smiling pleasantly.

“Where’s Kiba?” Mrs. Boyd asked. Her voice was light and fluttery.

“He’s still packing,” Naruto said in a muted voice.

“I’ll go see how he’s doing,” Shizune said, excusing herself to Kiba’s room.

The room filled with tension once again. The Boyd’s looked around the room nervously. The situation was becoming radically uncomfortable very quickly. Mrs. Boyd’s mouth opened, but she closed it again. No one spoke. Their reception was obviously not as warm as they had hoped.

The boys were standing in a semi-circle facing the couple. Naruto was leaning against the back of the couch, his eyes downcast. Sasuke stood beside Naruto, their shoulders pressed against each other’s and Sasuke’s hand gently playing with Naruto’s limp fingers. Sasuke’s tired eyes were trained on Mrs. Boyd’s eyes as they flicked across the room. Lee was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his hands folded in his lap. Shikamaru watched the couple with narrowed eyes and arms folded across his chest.

The silence was becoming unbearable.

A loud beep echoed through the room, and everyone jumped. Mr. Boyd checked his cell phone, which was flashing, and excused himself to the hall to answer it. Thankfully, Shizune chose that moment to appear in Kiba’s doorway.

“How’s everything going?” she asked.

No one seemed keen on answering, so Shikamaru said, “Fine.” His tone was harsh, almost aggressive as he stared down the defenseless Mrs. Boyd. Shizune gave him what was clearly a warning look before returning Kiba’s room.

Soon after, Mr. Boyd entered the room again, depositing his phone into his suit pocket as he shut the door. He seemed to have gathered his courage in the hall as he met the boys’ eyes and asked, “How about some introductions?”

Again, no one moved. Sasuke shifted his weight to his left foot. “Sasuke.”

The Boyd’s nodded, encouraged by the lack of hostility in his voice. They waited for someone else to speak.

“Lee…” a tiny voice sounded from the green-clad boy. His eyes were so uncharacteristically solemn that Sasuke had to look away.

“It’s nice to meet you Lee,” Mrs. Boyd said with a smile. His eyes stayed trained on the carpet and he didn’t respond. “You must be Naruto, then,” Mr. Boyd said.

Naruto’s head snapped up at mention of his name. “Yeah.”

Mr. Boyd stepped forward and shook Naruto’s hand warmly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto.” He seemed sincere and Naruto gave him a small smile

Sasuke watched, his body itching with the desire to pull Naruto into a hug and drag him away from all of this. But he wouldn’t. Naruto needed to be here. For Kiba, and, well, for everyone else, too. Something Naruto had said a few weeks ago drifted into his head: “Okay, so I’m the glue. I’m the one who keeps everyone happy and in line. What about when all of you leave me. What then? What the hell have I done to deserve that?”.

He felt a sudden pang of guilt as he realized the truth behind what Naruto had said, and it made him want to hold Naruto even more. He settled for grabbing Naruto’s hand in his.

Shizune appeared, a suitcase in hand and Kiba trailing her into the common room. But before Kiba could even glance at the boys, their demeanors had changed. Naruto straightened his posture and Lee got to his feet, both securing their usual bright smiles in place. Shikamaru let his posture slouch significantly and his hands were shoved into his pockets. Sasuke let go of Naruto’s hand and called out, “Hey Kiba.”

Kiba smiled at him in his usual manner as he bounced around the room. He gave Lee a hug, which Lee returned with bone-crushing fervor. Kiba let out a happy squeal when Shikamaru returned his hug with a loose arm, gently patting the boys brown hair. Sasuke gave Kiba a tight squeeze before releasing him, and then Kiba faced Naruto. Sasuke could see a miniscule bit of shine leave Kiba’s eyes as he pulled Naruto in for a quick hug.

“Bye, Kiba,” Naruto said, ruffling his hair affectionately.

A chorus of “good-bye”s and “take care”s sounded around the room. There was a moment of silence before Mr. Boyd took the suitcase from Shizune’s hands and stepped forward.

“Ready to go, Kiba?” He beckoned for Kiba with his free hand. Kiba stepped forward with one last wave to the group.

Mrs. Boyd laid a gentle hand on Kiba’s shoulder, directing him towards the door. As Kiba passed under the door frame, he halted so quickly that Shizune bumped into him from behind.

“Kiba?”

Kiba’s fingers flickered out to run along the sides of the door frame slowly. His eyes were trained on the floor, and he didn’t speak.

“C’mon, Kiba, its okay,” Mrs. Boys encouraged, beckoning to him with her hand.

Kiba didn’t respond. His fingers trailed along the grained wood and his eyes looked up at the top of the frame.

“Kiba…it’s time to go,” Shizune said. She knew Kiba would stand there all day if no one made him move. She nudged his shoulder gently. “Let’s go.”

A nearly inaudible, soft whimper escaped Kiba’s lips as he stared upwards with forlorn eyes. Sasuke watched Naruto’s eyes widen under knitted brows as he leaned forward slightly.

“Kiba,” Mrs. Boyd called out, gently placing Kiba’s hand in hers. The contact seemed to break Kiba sharply out of his reverie and he jumped with a slight gasp. He regarded her with dark, scared eyes before his head snapped around to look back into the room.

Kiba was fast. Before anyone could realize it, he had jerked from Mrs. Boyd’s grasp and with a tattered sob, threw himself into Naruto’s arms. He hit Naruto so hard that they both fell to the ground with a thud. They knelt, facing each other, Kiba fisting the front of Naruto’s shirt as he cried into his chest. Naruto wrapped his arms around Kiba’s shaking frame and held him tightly, his face burying itself into Kiba’s shoulder.

“Naruto,” Kiba cried softly, his mouth hanging open as tears streamed down his face.

“It’s okay,” Naruto whispered into his hair, rocking him back and forth.

“Naru—Nar…” Kiba couldn’t form words as he sobbed mutedly, his shoulders racking.

“Kiba, it’s okay,” Naruto repeated, his voice cracking as he bit his lip to try and force himself to stop shaking.

They all watched in silence. Lee had turned and hid his face, silent tears running down his face. Shikamaru’s head was bowed and his eyes were closed beneath tightly knitted brows. Sasuke felt tears well up as he watched Naruto valiantly fight back the tears in his own eyes as he held Kiba tightly. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd watched with torn expressions.

“Naruto, I don’t wanna go…” Kiba’s voice came out high and airy around his uncontrollable sobbing.

“I know, Kiba, I know,” Naruto whispered. “But you have to, Kiba.”

“Nooo…”

Naruto glanced up and saw Shizune giving him a weary but stern look. He pulled back from Kiba slightly, causing the boy to clutch him tighter. “Kiba, you have to.” He ignored the rapid shakes of Kiba’s head and continued. “Just think, Kiba,” he said in a soft, sing-song voice, “you’ll be able to play outside all of the time. You’ll have your own dog, your own puppy.”

Kiba sniffled.

“You’ll get to go to school and make lots of new friends,” Naruto said, his fingers weaving through Kiba’s short hair. “And you’ll have a mommy and a daddy--”

“I want you!” Kiba’s cry came out so sharply that all those who watched jumped slightly. “I don’t want them, Naruto, I don’t like them!”

“Kiba has a plane he needs to catch.” It was Shizune who spoke. Her eyes held compassion but they were somehow hardened too.

“Kiba--”

“No, no…”

“Kiba, listen to me,” Naruto ordered gently. Kiba stilled and looked at him through watery eyes. “Kiba, I love you. I love you. Okay? I always will. I will love you even if you’re on the other side of the earth.”

Kiba’s lower lip trembled pathetically.

“But now…Kiba, now it’s time to go.” Naruto stood slowly, pulling Kiba up with him. “It’s time to go,” he repeated, his eyes locked with Kiba’s. He pulled him close for a gentle hug. “It’s going to be alright.”

When they pulled back, Kiba regarded him with a hurt expression. “Okay?” Naruto asked, smoothing Kiba’s hair back. “’kay…” Kiba responded almost silently.

Silence filled the room for a few moments before Mrs. Boyd held out her hand. “Kiba?”

Kiba looked solemnly at Naruto, who nodded. With a little nudge to his arm, Kiba stepped forward hesitantly. Mr. Boyd squeezed his shoulder and nodded to Shizune. And with one last look back, Kiba was led away from his family, with the comforting arms of his new parents wrapped around him.

Shizune’s eyes were still hard. “We’ll have group later,” she said as she followed them out.

The door clicked shut with a finality that echoed through the room. Worried eyes turned to Naruto. He noticed their stares and a broken smile etched onto his face, pointedly ignoring the tear that had just spilled down his cheek. “I’m going to go rest for a while.” He moved swiftly off into the direction of his room.

“Naruto, please…” Sasuke whispered, his heart aching.

Naruto turned, his smile forcing itself in place. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Don’t worry,” he insisted, his hand trembling on the doorknob to his room.

“Don’t do this Naruto, don’t shut yourself out,” Sasuke said in the most forceful voice he could muster.

“Its fine, Sasuke.” Naruto disappeared into his room then, the door clicking shut behind him.

~

Although Shizune knew that the group therapy sessions had never been a favorite aspect of St. Olaf for the boys, none of them had compared to the hour they had just been forced to sit through. Shizune had been solemn, understanding that the overenthusiastic approach wouldn’t work this time. She tried to get them to talk about it. She asked why they were so upset.

“Because we’re a family, and our fucking kid is gone,” Shikamaru had said with a set jaw as he stared at the wall.

No one spoke after that, and she quickly gave up, leaving the boys to their silence while they counted down the minutes until they could leave. She had known since she had found out that Kiba was to leave that the boys would have trouble adjusting and would probably mope for quite a few days.

This, though, this was beyond moping. This was grieving.

Naruto had his cheek laid against the cool plastic of the table and his eyes closed. Sasuke seemed to be watching him covertly in silence, biting his lip occasionally. Shikamaru and Lee sat on the opposite side of the table. Lee’s arms were clamped around his sides in a vice-like self-hug. His eyes were dull. Shikamaru was trying to look bored by tapping his finger on the table, but she saw when he glanced at Naruto nervously and then at Lee.

She had never been in a room that was so…heavy.

She checked her watch and breathed a small sigh. “You boys are free to go.”

She watched as the four stood slowly and began the slow procession from the room. She stood. “Sasuke, could I see you in my office for a few minutes?”

Her voice seemed to startle Sasuke and he jumped a little before responding, “Y-yeah, sure.”

He followed behind her in silence, zoning out to the click-clack of her heels on the linoleum. They reached her office and she motioned him in. He collapsed into the designated chair that sat opposite her desk and bit at a hangnail while she eased herself into her chair.

“Sasuke,” she said pleasantly, folding her hands on her desk.

He connected his gaze with hers, letting her know that he was attentive.

“Sasuke, how are you?” she asked, her raised eyebrows conveying her interest.

He stared at her, hard. “Shitty,” he deadpanned.

She just nodded a little and kept watching him. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. What else did she want to hear?

“Other than Kiba, how are things?” she asked softly.

A little gust of air escaped from between his lips as he scoured his mind in an attempt to remember any day before this one. He struggled to get his mind on any other emotion besides the burning grief. “Uhh…” He thought of Naruto, and he felt his heart beat painfully in his chest. “Good, I guess.”

Again, she said nothing, only watched him as his eyes skirted around the room, trying to avoid her prying gaze. It took several minutes for her to speak again.

“How are your moods?”

“My…moods?”

“How have you been feeling—any sudden bursts of anger or sadness?” she asked, leaning forward over her desk.

“No,” Sasuke answered, leaning back in his chair as she leaned toward him. “It’s been pretty level.”

“That’s good.” She said it in a condescending tone, and Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. He needed to get back to Naruto. “When was your last incident? Was it the one with Kiba and the teddy bear?”

Way to make the whole thing sound retarded, Sasuke thought to himself. “Yeah, that was the last one.” Come to think of it, he hadn’t had any sort of hallucinations in what seemed like ages.

Shizune wrote something on a pad on her desk before asking, “And your dreams, how are they?”

The close scrutiny was making Sasuke increasingly uncomfortable and he shifted in his chair again. “Well, I haven’t had a nightmare in a while, I guess…now they’re mostly just kind of random—you know, normal dreams.”

Shizune nodded. “Any dreams that have stuck out to you as important?”

He explained as briefly as he could his recent dream involving his family and their picnic. She seemed pleased with this answer and wrote more down on her tablet. Sasuke bit at a new hangnail.

Shizune let out a sigh then, breath escaping her in a long whoosh. She raised her eyes to lock eyes with Sasuke’s, but she didn’t speak. She seemed to be analyzing. Sasuke cringed as the hangnail tore off and he rubbed his thumb against his pants while staring at the carpet.

“Sasuke, there’s something I need to tell you.”

…shit…

She paused again, then. Why the hell can’t she finish a damn thought today?

She began again. “You’ve been here for, what, about two and a half months?”

This startled Sasuke. Had it only been that long? It seemed like ages ago since he had first met the boys. And all of that stuff that had happened…two months? Naruto’s attacks, Neji leaving, Shikamaru’s freak out…all of that in two months?

He had fallen for with Naruto in just two months.

Shizune watched as he visibly reminisced over his time spent at St. Olaf. “Sasuke,” she called, shaking him out of his thoughts. Now was not a good time for…

She got silent again, and Sasuke had to fight the urge to throw something at her. “Yes?

She sighed and said in a low voice, “I hate to say it, but I think that your time at St. Olaf is coming to an end.”

The simple utterance of those words made Sasuke’s heart fall through his stomach. “No.” He could barely hear his own words; the sudden buzzing inside his head was so loud.

She sat quietly, allowing his frayed mind to catch up with what she had said.

“No. No, no, no.” The words were tumbling out of his mouth like a mantra, and he didn’t even know what he was saying. His hands gripped the arms of the chair that he sat on.

Denial, Shizune noted silently.

“I’m sorry, Sasuke.”

“NO!” Sasuke stood up so quickly that his chair almost overturned. He was leaning over her desk before he could stop himself. “I am not leaving. You cannot make me leave. This is my home. You can’t kick me out of my fucking home!”

Anger.

She stared into his burning eyes with her own calm ones. “I’m sorry, Sasuke. This is the way it has to be.”

Sasuke’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to come up with something to say besides “no”. She nodded to the chair and he sat numbly. “I can’t go, Shizune, you don’t understand.”

Shizune let his rambling continue for several minutes before he slowed down and then finally stopped, taking a deep breath. “No, Shizune.”

“It’s not up for debate, Sasuke,” she said patiently.

“This is not happening to me…” Sasuke cried as he held his head in his hands.

He stayed quiet, so she took that as a cue to continue. “We’ve been doing extensive tests on you, Sasuke. All of the doctors agree that you’re ready to go home.”

This is home, she could read in his eyes as he looked up slowly at her.

“This is a treatment facility. Your symptoms have been alleviated, so there is no reason to hold you any longer.”

“You’re not holding me, I want to be here,” Sasuke said lowly. “So, fine, I’m cured. Me staying here isn’t hurting anyone.”

“Sasuke, there is a two year long waiting list to get into St. Olaf We can’t afford to keep people around just because they’ve made some friends. You’re lucky your uncle is such a powerful man, or you would be at the end of that waiting list, just like everyone else.”

“Shizune, I can’t…everything I have is here. Everything.”

“It’ll be hard, I know it will,” Shizune consoled. “But you will get through this. All of you will.”

“Please, just let me stay.” Sasuke felt pathetic right then as he begged, but he couldn’t stop. “Just let me stay for a few more months.”

Bargaining.

“Sasuke, stop. It’s not just about the waiting list. This environment of tests and doctors in unhealthy for you. You need to get back to a life with some sense of normalcy. You’re at a very tender age…” She stopped when she realized that Sasuke wasn’t listening to her.

He cradled his head in his hands, not speaking, not moving. “I…I can’t do this,” he spoke at last. “And with Kiba leaving…can’t it wait?”

Shizune saw that he was genuinely concerned for the well-being of his roommates, not only asking for selfish reasons. “We’ve all thought about it, the doctors and I. We’ve decided that top priority is to get you to a healthy environment. The boys are used to their roommates switching out.”

“You saw what Kiba leaving did to them.”

Shizune sighed with a small smile. “No offence, Sasuke, but Kiba had been here for years before you arrived. I understand that you’re close; trust me, I’ve seen it. And I’m not telling you to just forget them, just that it’s time to move on.”

Sasuke sank back in his chair, defeated.

“Your departure is scheduled for Thursday afternoon--”

“Shizune, that is five days from now.” Sasuke’s voice was weak and his mouth hung open slightly with disbelief. “You’re giving me five days?”

“We can’t give you any longer than that. There are so many new patients looking for a spot…” She saw Sasuke’s shoulders slump.

They sat in a draining silence for a few moments before Sasuke spoke quietly. “Can I please go back now?”

Shizune stood. “Sure. Can you get back alright?”

He stood and moved to the door. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I can tell Naruto, if you want me to.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it.” He strode out of her office then, his hands jammed in his pockets. She shut the door.

And depression…

Sasuke had just neatly cycled through the five stages of grieving in under ten minutes. These next few days would be a whirlwind for him, but he didn’t have a choice—none of them did.

She rubbed her temples as she slumped into her chair and scooted up to her computer to check her email.

~~

Sasuke felt like he was going to throw up as he stood outside the door to the common room. His mind was racing and his hand shook on the door frame. His life had come to a screeching halt, and he was still trying to pick up the pieces.

He knocked twice.

The door swung open a few seconds later, revealing a very irate looking Shikamaru. Sasuke gave Shikamaru a wide berth as he entered and he made a beeline to his room, hoping to get there without interference.

He jumped when Naruto appeared before him. He looked sad; his eyes still dull from the day’s stress. Naruto’s arms wrapped around Sasuke and slipped his handseasily into Sasuke’s back pockets, pulling them close together. Naruto let out a sigh into Sasuke’s shoulder and Sasuke let his chin rest atop blonde hair.

Naruto looked up with solemn eyes and whispered, “Everything will be okay, right?”

Sasuke felt his heart rip in two as he closed his eyes and held Naruto close.

“Yeah, things’ll be fine.”

~~

Hey all. Sorry about the wait.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed last chapter! Like always, drop a line, and if you want a response, just be sure to leave me an email address. :]

I also wanted to say a big “thank you” to those of you who were polite about the whole NaruSasu thing, even if you didn’t agree with it. KandKL and I got a lot of heat about that, so it was nice to hear people disagreeing with some dignity and grace. And thank you very very much for all of the positive feedback as well! I was really insecure about that chapter, and it was so wonderful to hear that some people liked it.

Good news for ya’ll…KandKL and I are utterly addicted to this show called Supernatural, and our new thing is to use that as collateral for updates. This chapter, we knew we’d taken quite awhile, and we finally were like, okay, NO SUPERNATURAL EPISODES OR FICS UNTIL WE UPDATE. That sure kicked our asses into gear. So the good news is that if the wait gets excessive again, we know how to motivate ourselves. :D

That’s about all I got. Peace and love ya’ll.