Lonely Faces (*aka. -Roommates) | Chapter 23

Beta: abnegation218

Lonely Faces (*aka. Roommates)


Chapter 12

“AKAMARU!” yelled Kiba, running out onto the road.
Naruto stood at the curb, his face contorted in shock and fear, unable to move.
“Akamaru, c’mon boy!” cried Kiba, bending down and lifting the dog’s limp body into his arms, tears running down his face.
The driver of the car got out and starred, shocked by when he had done. “…I-I’m sorry, I d-didn’t see him coming…”
Kiba sat trembling as Akamaru’s blood dripped from his hands to the white snow below. Naruto snapped out of his shock immediately, Kiba needed him.
He ran over and put his hand on Kiba’s shoulder. “It’s going to be ok.”
Kiba looked at him, his eyes sparkling from the tears, and nodded slightly.
“You! Take us to the nearest animal hospital!” ordered Naruto, turning to the driver of the car.
The driver stuttered for a moment, before speaking. “A-ah, yes. Of course.”
“Kiba, where’s the nearest Vet’s office?” asked Naruto calmly.
“T-the one o-on Kinsley street.” said Kiba weakly.
“I’ll call your mom and let her know what’s happening.”
-
The car screeched to a halt outside the animal clinic, Kiba and Naruto leaped out and ran to the entrance, the lights were out. A man and a woman stood with the door open, the man placing a key in the lock.
The woman noticed them coming towards them. “The clinic is closed for the day.”
“Please, you have to help my dog!” said Kiba, stopping in front of the pair.
The man looked down into the boys arms and paused.
“Elisa, prep the O.R.” he said, reaching in his pocket.
The woman looked at the dog, then the boy, and nodded solemnly. She ran into the building and the lights came to life.
The man removed a stethoscope from his white coat and put it in his ears. He brought the round disk to the dog’s chest and listened.
The man waited for a moment or two and removed the instrument. “His breathing is shallow and his pulse is erratic. We need to get operating now.”
The trio rushed into the building, following the doctors lead, blood falling in drops to the beige floor. They stopped at a counter and the doctor pulled on a set of latex gloves from a box of disposables. He gently lifted Akamaru; cradled in his owners arms, and told them to stay there as he opened a set of double doors and entered.
Kiba stood where the doctor had felt him, not moving, staring after the doctor. It wasn’t until Naruto put his hand on Kiba’s shoulder ten minutes later, did he reluctantly let himself be led to the bathroom to clean the blood from his hands, and to a seat in the waiting room.
Moisture ran silently down Kiba’s face as he leaned his head on Naruto’s chest and Naruto stroked his hair comfortingly.
Naruto kept his face hidden from Kiba as he too began to cry. ‘This is all my fault. Kiba is hurt because of me again. The leash slipped from my hands. He must hate me.’
They heard footsteps coming from the hall they had come in through and quickly wiped away their tears. Ms. Inuzuka, Hana, and Rich rounded the corner.
“Oh suck it up, buttercup! It’s not like the thing’s dead.” said Rich, smirking sardonically at the two boys.
Kiba turned away, cringing his face in anger and sadness. Naruto wasn’t going to take this anymore.
“Listen, Dick!” he said, his gaze assuming its alarming ferocity.
Richard looked unfazed by the boy’s sudden fierceness. "I don't recall saying that you could call me that."
Naruto put on a face of mock concern “Oh, you didn’t?! But I think Dick suits you so much better. Wouldn’t you agree, Dick! I'm not calling you Dick because it's short for your name, I'm calling you Dick because it describes your personality. So, you listen here Dick, leave Kiba the fuck alone! He's been through enough without you getting on his back!"
Richard’s gaze was impassive but his hands, which were balled, giving away his clear frustration.
Naruto grinned. “Oh, are you mad? Well then, hit me, otherwise, suck it up, buttercup!”
The man’s fists shook with suppressed rage, he clearly had anger management issues, and Naruto was determined to make him angrier than he had ever been.
“Go on, you don’t want a gay guy to make fun of you, do you? After all, we are just a bunch of effeminate pansies. Hit me. Hit me!”
Rich just stood there, his entire body quivering with the effort to keep himself under control.
Naruto grinned again and turned his back on him. “I guess I was right, we aren’t just girly little people are we, Dick?”
Richard snapped. He grabbed Naruto’s shoulder and spun him around.
“No little fag is going to talk to me like that!” he said, clutching Naruto’s collar and pulling back his fist, ready to strike.
Ms. Inuzuka gasped and tried to hold back his arm, but was flung back. Hanna stood, rooted to the spot, looking petrified. Kiba was looking at Naruto, and registered the look in his eye as the same he had when he was defending Kiba from the boys who beat him up.
He couldn’t let this happen, Naruto might hurt him badly, he didn’t have control when he was like this.
Richard swung his arm, it would make a direct hit on Naruto’s face. There was a swift, almost imperceptible movement and Naruto stood with his hand clasped tightly around Richards fist. Richard was visibly shaking as his efforts to move his hand met nothing but complete resistance.
He roared and released his collar, throwing his other fist at him, and it too was caught with effortless ease.
“Richard, stop it now!” yelled Hana, seemingly unwilling to talk at all.
Kiba leapt from his seat and ran between them, forcing Naruto to look into his face. He stared for a moment, the gaze that could stop a rampaging bull aimed directly at Kiba. Naruto’s eyes softened slowly and he let go of Richard’s hands.
Richard looked, if possible, even angrier. “You little bastard!”
Rich’s elbow made contact with Kiba’s head and he flew to the side, falling in a heap as the chairs scattered around him.
The fire returned to Naruto’s eye’s immediately, forcing Richard to take an involuntary step back.
Just when Naruto looked ready to strike, Hanna stepped forward. A resounding smack filled the room as she slapped Rich, hard, across the face.
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on my brother! Either of them!” she screamed with a face to rival Naruto’s.
Richard looked like he was just hit by a bus. He rubbed the large red spot on his face as he gawked at her.
“Get out of here, Dick!” she yelled, her face red with fury.
Richard tripped over his own legs as he scampered for the door, unwilling to provoke her further.
“It’s about time you stood up to him like that!” said Ms. Inuzuka, helping Kiba to untangle himself from the chairs he had landed on.
“Yeah, well, I won’t let anybody touch you without being punished. That includes you Naruto … Naruto?”
Kiba turned to face him. Naruto was staring furiously at the spot where Richard had been a few seconds ago. Anger lined every feature as he bared his canines, growling slightly. He looked like something primal had been released. He opened his fists and outstretched his fingers, holding them like claws.
“Naruto!” he cried, sprinting forwards.
“Stay back!” said Naruto, his voice quivering.
Kiba slowed, but didn’t cease his progress towards him.
“Naruto…” he said, reaching out.
His hand landed gently on Naruto’s shoulder. “Naruto, it’s ok, he’s gone.”
Naruto began to shake more violently. His breathing became shallower as his face contorted further with rage.
“Stay away!” he yelled, his voice taking on a raspy edge.
Hanna and Ms. Inuzuka looked at Naruto, shocked by what they where witnessing.
Tears traced lines down Kiba’s face. “Naruto, stop it! He’s gone! You don’t have to protect me!”
He ran forwards and held Naruto, tight, in his arms. Kiba could feel the heat leave Naruto’s body as his tense form became limp in Kiba’s embrace.
“…Kiba…” he whispered, his voice trembling from weariness rather than anger.
“It’s ok, everyone’s fine.” said Kiba soothingly, stoking the back of Naruto’s neck.
His arms slowly reached around his figure and he returned Kiba’s hug.
Naruto, is this what you where afraid would happen if you became violent again? That you would lose control? That you would hurt someone while in that state?
He looked down at Naruto as the fluid from his eyes wet Kiba’s shirt.
I won’t let it happen. I won’t let you go through that pain. I’ll be here to stop you. I’ll be here to protect you.
To protect you from yourself.
____________________

A/N: Srry this took me so long, been moving. Anyway, if you don't get the last bit, review the chapters where Kiba got beat up, and when Sasuke came on to Naruto on his B-day. It is very important to the plot! Especially coming up! Now, I know allot of you are going to yell at me for not saying much on Akamaru's condition, but this scene took longer than I thought. Anyway, you'll find out next chapter. ;)