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

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Lonely Faces (*aka. - Roommates)


Chapter 17


Naruto was running down a large stone corridor, his footsteps echoing off the cobblestone walls as he tried desperately to reach the door at the other end. It didn’t seem to be coming any closer, even though he could see the torches around him whip by and the cracks in the marble floor mark his progress, he didn’t appear to be moving nearer.

Suddenly the ground below him began to fall away, crumbling into a black abyss of cold emptiness. He started to scream and thrust out his hand, grabbing a torch bracket, still firmly placed on the wall, but it wouldn’t hold his weight. The bracket broke and he helplessly fell into the darkness, the torch still in his hand, illuminating the nothingness, only allowing himself to be lit by the flickering flames. The torch slowly began to die out as the air rushed past, casting Naruto into the ever pressing darkness, until it was only black.

He continued to fall into the void of loneliness and despair, nothing but the sound of the wind rushing past his ears to keep him company and the cold frost biting at his skin.

A feeling of warmth began to reach his face and a he started to see a light at the bottom of the abyss.

A soft whisper came from his right. “Naruto …”

He turned to see Kiba, illuminated by the faint glow from beneath.

“Kiba!” he cried, trying to alter his trajectory to get closer, but it didn’t work.

“Naruto …” he whispered again, reaching out for him.

Heat was now radiating from below him and he shifted his attention lower. A fiery inferno met his gaze, flames roaring upwards to scorch them. Naruto shut his eyes and waited for the inevitable burning pain, but it didn’t come. Instead he heard a loud, ear-piercing yell from beside him and looked over.

He and Kiba were enveloped in a massive column of fire, but Naruto couldn’t feel a thing. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Kiba, his flesh slowly burning and melting off his body as he screamed at the terrible pain.

“KIBA!” cried Naruto, trying desperately to get to him.

The screaming ceased as he disappeared into thin air with a loud crack.

“Kiba …”

A deep maniacal laughter reached his ears as he continued to stare at the spot where the man he loved had just vanished, the moisture leaking from his eyes evaporating instantly in the heat. He looked around for the source of the laughter, now getting louder as he continued to plummet.

Flames rose around him, converging on a point a few meters away from his face. They twisted and writhed until they took on a discernable form; the head of a giant fox. Naruto trembled with rage and fear as the head persisted in its devout cackling.

It abruptly stopped laughing and looked at him intently.

“Hello kit.” it said, its voice low and raspy.

Naruto looked at the creature, his mouth slightly open. “… That voice …”

The head snickered. “Do you remember yet; who you really are?”

“… What are you talking about? Who are you? What have you done to Kiba?” asked Naruto, his tone strained.

“I guess you don’t remember.” said the head, grinning maliciously. “I am Kyuubi, your faithful servant, here to serve and protect you as you work under those who made you what you are.”

“What are you talking about? What am I? Where’s Kiba!?” he yelled, glaring furiously at the fox.

“You need to remember who you are, and why you were put here.” said the Kyuubi, anger lining his voice.

“Where is Kiba!?” he shouted, rage in every syllable.

The Kyuubi growled in frustration. “Forget your ties to the foolish mortal you have claimed as your mate. The time approaches when you will be ready.”

There was another loud crack, and Kiba reappeared, screaming at the top of his lungs as the fires swallowed him. “Naruto! Naruto! NARUTO!”

-

“Naruto. Naruto, wake up.” said Kiba, gently slapping the boy’s face beside him.

“KIBA!” cried Naruto, opening his eyes as he desperately reached out for the person that was no longer there.

“Naruto are you ok?” asked Kiba, looking shocked.

Naruto looked around; he was back in Kiba’s bedroom at the Inuzuka’s home, pale moonlight filtered through the blinds covering the window. It had been a day since they left the hospital, two days since Kiba had woken from his coma. He was lying on his side on Kiba’s bed, his back to the brunet. Kiba was looking over Naruto’s shoulder, his face creased with worry lines, bandages still wrapped around his head.

Naruto sighed and wiped his face with the back of his hand; he was covered in cold sweat and was shivering profusely.

“Yeah, j-just a bad dream …” he said, holding Kiba’s arm closer to his body.

“Okay,” said Kiba, kissing him lightly on the lips.

Naruto looked into Kiba’s eyes. “I’m sorry I woke you. Is your head feeling any better?”

“Yeah, I guess your ‘morning after pills’ have more than one use.” said Kiba, recalling what the boy called his industrial strength aspirin.

“You should get back to sleep, you need rest.” said Naruto, tenderly stoking Kiba’s bandaged forehead.

“M’kay,” he replied, nuzzling his face into the space between Naruto’s shoulder and neck.

Naruto’s pulse began to slow as he felt Kiba’s breath grace his skin lightly. After what he had just witnessed happen to the brunet, he felt he needed tell Kiba what he meant to him, what lonely depths his heart had plunged at the sight of his demise, but at the same time, he didn’t want to worry him.

“… Kiba?”

“… Yeah?”

Naruto pursed his lips, trying to find the right thing to say.

“… I love you.”

Kiba moved his hand to the boy’s neck and brushed away some sparse hairs, kissing the skin softly.

“… I love you too.”

-

“Hey! Wake up you two!” said a bright, cheery voice.

Kiba opened his eyes and began blushing, noticing that yet again he was spooning Naruto in front of his sister.

“Hana! You don’t have to come into my room to wake me up!” cried Kiba, removing his hand from around Naruto’s stirring form.

Hana put on a pouting face. “Aww, but I must! You two are just too cute!”

Naruto smirked at Hana.

“What if you walked in on something you wouldn’t want to see your brother doing? You know, something to do with my rear and his gear.” he asked slyly.

“Eeeeeeeew, way too much info!” she said, covering her ears.

Naruto began to laugh and Kiba smiled; he was beginning to be like his old eccentric self again.

“Anyways, you two better get ready, remember, you promised you’d come shopping with me.” she said sweetly.

“Argh! I don’t want to!” said Kiba, flopping back down onto the bed.

She grinned at them. “Well too bad, you promised. I need someone to help me pick out some clothes, and who better to ask than your gay brother right?”

“Look, just because I’m bisexual doesn’t mean I magically acquire a fashion sense.” said Kiba exasperatedly.

Hana scowled at him. “I wasn’t talking about you, I was talking about Naruto. He’s got a great sense of fashion!”

Kiba had to agree with this statement on some level; though his taste in clothing was a little more colorful and attention grabbing than his own, it was none-the-less stylish.

Naruto quickly got up and stood next to her. “Hehe, sure Hana, I’ll make you look fabulous!”

Kiba let out an explosive sigh as the two began dancing around the room, chanting the word “Fabulous!” over and over again.

-

A couple of hours later, Kiba, Naruto and Hana were walking up the snow covered streets of Kohana, browsing through the various shop windows. Kiba was already carrying a large amount of shopping in both arms; apparently having a head injury didn’t excuse him from his duty.

Occasionally, Hana and Naruto would shriek in unison at something they spotted and rush inside to make the purchase. It was on one such occasion that he waited outside while they ran in.


“We won’t be long, just a minute or two!” said Naruto, kissing his cheek as they nearly trampled the other shoppers on their way in.

Kiba rolled his eyes and glanced down the street absentmindedly. He stared for a moment as he recognized a familiar pink haired girl chatting with a dotty looking blond.

‘Oh crap …’ thought Kiba, as both girls spotted him and headed straight for him, evil looks on their faces.

“Hi Kiba, long time no see.” said Sakura condescendingly.

“Sakura, Ino.” he said, nodding in acknowledgment.

“So, where’s this boyfriend I’ve heard about?” asked Ino, gazing around.

“In the shop with Hana,” said Kiba coolly.

Sakura walked closer with a mischievous grin. “Oh, he is, is he?”

Before Kiba could do anything, she grabbed his head and kissed him forcefully on the lips.

Kiba pulled away, sputtering. “What the-?”

Sakura’s grin grew even wider as she spotted a certain livid whiskered blond standing outside the shop door.

‘Heh, now you’re in for it Kiba!’ she thought, watching him stomp over.

Kiba started to stammer. “Naruto, I didn’t- she made me-”

“I know Kiba, I’m just going to have to ring this little bitches neck!” yelled Naruto, running at her.

Hana caught him at the back of his collar, just in time to stop his slap from connecting with her face. “Come on Naruto, she isn’t worth it.”

She had turned around and started back down the street when Ino spoke up. “Yeah, that’s right, walk away fag hag.”

Hana stopped for a moment, but continued walking.

“Pff, she’s so pathetic she has that gay boy do her shopping for her.”

Hana stopped again, the vain in her temple growing larger, but once more persisted in walking.

“It doesn’t help that her and their whole family are as ugly as the day is long.”

Hana snapped. She trudged over and stopped an inch away from their faces.

“Well, since you are no longer going out with my brother, I guess I can finally say this. I’ve never liked you, and you’re forehead’s nearly bigger than your ass, which let me tell you, is quite a fucking achievement,” she said, spit flying from her mouth.

She removed the glove covering her hand. “And one more thing.”

In one swift movement, she smacked them both, hard across the face.

They gaped at her, clutching the hand shaped mark on their visage.

“Now get the hell out of here before I open a can of whoop ass on you Bitches!”

Both girls turned tail and ran for their lives, screaming at each other. “This is all your fault Ino-pig!” “Shut up Billboard-brow!” “Ino-pig!” “Billboard-brow!” “Ino-pig” “Billboard-brow!” “Ino-pig!” “Billboard-brow!”

Naruto and Kiba nearly fell on their asses from laughter as they watched the retreating girls’ backs.

“Ha-ha-Hana! That was great!” said Naruto, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

“Yeah, way to go Sis!” said Kiba, still trying to control his snickering.

“Well, it’ll teach those Hell Whores not to mess with me or my brothers!” replied Hana, barely concealing her own smile.

Once he had regained his composure, Naruto turned to Kiba with a wry smile. “So, Kiba. Me and Hana, well more me, were wondering how you felt about leopard spot undies?”

Kiba’s eyes widened in shock. “WHAT!? Why would you be asking that?”

“Oh, no reason …” said Naruto, walking non-chalantly up the sidewalk.

“Naruto!” said Kiba warningly, blushing slightly as he followed him.

Hana just laughed. She could clearly see that Naruto’s mood had improved a million fold since Kiba awoke, and had never really ever seen Kiba this happy in his entire life, usually being an antisocial stick in the mud. She knew that nothing could pry these two apart, and was happy that her brother had finally found the happiness he so rightly deserved.