Life's Little Changes

The next morning Naruto found himself shoved violently away, Wednesday he hit the floor as his teddy bear stood and walked away.

Wait, did Naruto have a teddy bear? And where was Sasuke?

The week was shaping up just lovely for the two, they sat quietly in the car both to and from school, didn’t say even two words passing in the halls and Sasuke was back to having lunch with his friends and scowling at everyone.

Aside from the fact that Sasuke seemed to take a personal interest in humiliating him during basketball, Naruto’s life wasn’t too bad. He still had a place to stay, despite how uncomfortable it was between the two and Tamari brought enough lunch to share with him each day. Of course it wasn’t fun that she refused to sit around Shikamaru so now he saw even less of his best friend, but every time she kissed his cheek he felt it was worth it.

After all, having a girlfriend was what he always wanted, right?

Another bonus was that Gaara seemed to lose interest in him, something he was highly thankful for!

It seemed that between him dating someone and how mad Sasuke was at him, he wouldn’t be able to get whatever the red-head was after anyway.

Sasuke’s friends went back to treating him as if he didn’t exist, but that was fine with him, at least that creepy Neji had backed off.

When Tamari asked if they were to meet up at the dance that Friday, Naruto gave a whoop, jumping in the air and gathering quite the bit of attention. He was going to a dance! And would have a date!

Oh yeah, life was good!

“You know, Sasuke, if you continue to glare like that they might just burst into flames eventually.”

Dark eyes met pale ones, neither backing down.

“Sasuke, are you going to the dance this Friday? I was thinking we could go together?”

His attention diverted to the pink haired Sakura.

“I’m going and no.”

“What’s wrong Sasuke, things not work out like you planned between you and that loser?”

“Mind your own business, Kiba.”

“What did you ever even see in him to begin with?”

The other boy suddenly found his back pressed forcefully into a tree, a pissed Uchiha nose to nose with him.

“I said to mind your own business.”

His week was going horribly. Sure it was for the most part back to normal, but that didn’t mean he was so content with normal anymore.

Naruto wasn’t cracking nearly as many jokes and he had no desire to go swimming with the other boy, that was when his guard had started to come down the first time, and it wasn’t happening again.

He refused to share food or drinks with the blonde, even smacking away the tan hand when it looked as if it was reaching for something of his.

He used basketball to vent some of his pain and anger, but watching the blue eyes looking up at him from the floor, confusion in their depths only seemed to twist the knife more. Didn’t he realize what he was doing?! Knowing that idiot, he was completely clueless.

And Naruto was.

It was in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had even risen that he woke up to the sound of whimpering. Rolling over and forcing blue eyes open, he was shocked at the sight.

Sasuke was still asleep, his head tossing as he whimpered and mumbled under his breath. But what had truly caught the blonde’s attention was the tears.

The Ice Prince was crying in his sleep.

“Mommy… no… no… daddy…”

“Sasuke?

He sat up a bit, looking down at the boy still caught in his nightmare.

“Mommy… Itachi… no!… please… don’t do it… Itachi!”

Naruto shook the pale shoulders just as dark eyes shot open, the Uchiha gasping for breath as sobs still tried to escape.

“Sasuke?”

The eyes finally seemed to focus though they still looked half trapped in the nightmare.

“Nar-uto?”

“Yeah, you okay?”

It took a few deep breaths but he had himself mostly under control again.

“I’m fine.”

“Whose Itachi?”

“What?”

Dark eyes looked fearful for a minute.

“You woke up screaming his name.”

“Oh, no one, go back to sleep, idiot.”

Sasuke rolled away, shivers still shaking his frame and tugging at the more sensitive boy’s heart. He really didn’t know what the other had been through and suddenly realized that fact. He had an instinct on what might help, but it could also piss the other off more.

Well, worse come to worse he would be sleeping the rest of the night on the couch or get punched.

Shifting in the bed, he slowly pressed his body against Sasuke’s, holding still when the other tensed but continued when he wasn’t shoved roughly away. It took a few seconds of maneuvering, during which he kept waiting for the Uchiha to flip out on him but instead he eventually had himself spooning the other, his front pressed snuggly against the other’s back, face nestled against the pale neck and shoulder and his tan arms contrasting as they held the other body.

“What are you doing?”

It was barely a whisper, but still enough to be heard.

“Holding you.”

“Why?”

“Because you need it and I care.”

He wasn’t shoved away, but he also didn’t realize that his words started fresh tears, stabbing and slicing at the other boy’s heart.

So Naruto cared about him, but not in the way he had wanted.

The next morning found the two even more quiet than before, the Uchiha being even more distant and closed off. That day not even Neji could get a rise out of him and he didn’t play basketball at all, instead excusing himself from gym altogether for not feeling well.

He hadn’t dreamed about that night in years…

Something had woken him up, maybe his parents had their tv up too loud? Either way he was awake and thirsty so the youngest Uchiha climbed from his bed and headed down the hall.

“Mommy? Mommy I’m thirsty.”

He could see the light flickering through the barely open door as he dragged his feet down the hall, a yawn escaping before he pushed open the door.

And a nightmare beyond anything he could imagine was spread out before him.

There was blood everywhere, his parent’s tv toppled to the floor, one bedside lamp lay shattered against a wall, the other toppled and flashing off an on erratically.

The worst was in the bed, both his parents, he could barely recognize them, so much blood, so much blood everywhere.

It looked as if someone had pinned them to the bed with knives through their limbs, gags in their mouth and then dissected them. Though what his young mind didn’t register, thankfully, was that judging from their faces and the way their bodies were contorted, the dissection began while they were still alive.

That was a fact he found out much later, and had managed to work it’s way into his memories of that night.

“Sasuke, what you doing in here?”

Tear stained eyes looked up at his brother.

“I-Itachi?”

“Yeah, what are you doing out of bed?”

Couldn’t his brother see?! Why was he so calm?!

“M-mommy… daddy… what happened?”

“Don’t worry about that, did you get up because you were thirsty?” The young Sasuke nodded, his thirst having previously been forgotten. “Do you want a drink of my cocoa?”

“O-okay.”

He just made it back to standing, with his brother being so calm, was this all some trick?

He was handed the mug and took a big drink, only to have it stop in his mouth, dark eyes wide.

It was too thick, almost clotting and it was salty! Cocoa wasn’t salty.

He dropped to his knees, spitting it out and wiping his lips to find blood smeared all over his hand now.

While his brother laughed, the young boy’s stomach emptied of everything it contained, leaving him retching and coughing on his hands and knees.

“I thought about killing you next, Sasuke, but you’re too little, it wouldn’t have been any fun. Did you want another drink? Mommy made it just for me.” More insane laughter filled his ears, his mind reeling at how wrong his reality had suddenly become while his brother took another long drink from the mug. “But don’t worry, I’ll come back for you later, when you’re older and more fun… unless”

That was when it seemed an explosion of noise and lights hit, all these people suddenly filling the room, several grabbing his older brother as another person picked him up, carrying him quickly from the room.

It was later that he realized it was the police that had arrived, one of the neighbors calling them because of the “odd” sight in his parent’s bedroom before the curtains were closed and screams began.

Sasuke bolted upright, the damp cloth falling from his head as he quickly regained his bearings.

The nurse’s office, he remembered now that he wasn’t feeling well and went there to lay down. That memory had struck again, leaving him cold and shaking.

Sasuke grabbed the nearest trash can before violently emptying his stomach, the sound instantly bringing the nurse.

“Uchiha? Are you alright?”

He wiped his mouth with the damp cloth offered.

“Yeah, just a nightmare.”

“Maybe you should go home?”

“I’m not fit to drive yet and Naruto has one more class.”

“Why don’t you relax, if you’re not up again five minutes before the bell then I will have Naruto notified to meet you here.”

He nodded before falling back on the bed again, dark eyes staring at the ceiling.

Itachi, his sick, demented brother who now sat in prison. He hoped for the rest of his life, the man would never be fit to be loose in society, not by Sasuke’s standards anyway.

When school let out he was already sitting behind the wheel of his car, his composure almost back to normal.

“Oi, Mr. Perfect, you missed gym.”

“I know.”

“What happened?”

Naruto buckled his seat belt as they made their way from the parking lot.

“I wasn’t feeling well.”

The blonde scooted closer to his door.

“You’re not going to get me sick before the dance, are you?”

“No, calm down idiot, I don’t have a cold.”

“Is it because of that dream last night?”

Dark eyes hardened as Sasuke gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Naruto didn’t have homework for once but the two boys still spent the night in silence.

They ate dinner without a single word, you could tell it was hard but every time the blonde would lift his head to say something, Sasuke would meet his eyes briefly and shake his head no.

When Naruto tried to join him to watch tv, the dark haired boy merely got up and left the room, it was later that he found him on the computer but the screen was closed before he could see what the other was looking up.

That night they slept facing away from each other again.

Friday was even harder since the two boys didn’t have school to distract them.

“How about we go swimming?”

“No.”

“Play a video game?”

“No.”

“Watch movies?”

“I’m going out for awhile.”

“Great! I’ll go with you.”

“NO!”

Blonde eyes blinked at the harsh tone, what had he done to deserve being yelled at like that? A deep sigh taken by the pale boy made him think he might relent, but instead Sasuke walked away without another word.

It was about an hour later that the bell rang, startling Naruto from the computer game he had been engrossed in.

Sasuke wouldn’t ring the bell.

His stomach dropped and he swore the temperature plummeted at the sight of the two boys standing there.

“Is Sasuke home?”

“No…”

Kiba was glaring at him like his simple answer wasn’t enough.

“Aren’t you going to invite us in?”

A blush stained his cheeks at his own behavior, most likely they just wanted to wait for Sasuke to get back, so he stepped aside and motioned for them to enter.

“I don’t know when he will get back, but if you want to wait you can.”

“That’s fine.” Pale eyes were on the tan boy as their owner sat down, Kiba once again taking the chair. “It gives us a chance to become better acquainted.”

Alright, that didn’t sound good and he was seriously starting to freak Naruto out.

“I-I think we know each other just fine.”

His nervous habit kicked in, causing him to plaster a grin on his face while scratching the back of his head.

“But we have hardly spoken, much less without Sasuke around to interrupt.”

“Umm, he uh, alright. So what did you guys want to talk about?”

“There were a lot of rumors going around.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Kiba finally put his two bits in.

“So were you dating Sasuke or just sleeping your way into his house?”

“What?!” Naruto was instantly standing. “You jerk! Just try to say that to my face!”

“I already did.” His smirk made the blonde’s blood boil. “And I now understand why he calls you an idiot.”

“Kiba, enough, this isn’t what we came for.”

“Yeah, why are you guys here?”

“Naruto,” Neji’s calm voice made him want to step back, or at least try to flee the room. “Did you and Sasuke have… relations?”

“Relations? What do you mean?”

“We know that the two of you have been sharing a bed.”

“Yeah, but nothing happens.” His blush returned. “I mean, he has his side and I have mine.”

“So you found no physical comfort in each other?”

He didn’t notice until then how close Neji had gotten and a glance at Kiba showed the other boy smirking, an evil glint in his eyes.

“N-no.”

He went to step back but found the loveseat behind him, falling would have been nice just to put more space between them. He didn’t get his wish when pale arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back to Neji’s chest.

“You should be more careful, you could get hurt.”

This. Was. Not. Good!

He was trying to kick start his brain into gear but it just kept repeating that phrase.

“I-I’m fine, honest. Please let go.”

“What is it that he sees in you? What do you have that no one else does?”

“I don’t know!”

The blonde planted both his hands on Neji’s slender chest, pushing as hard as he could and would have sighed in relief when the other let go, that is if his back didn’t hit another chest.

Why was it that he never figured out a trap until it was already sprung?!

A glance over his shoulder showed him the smirking visage of Kiba, and he hadn’t even heard him leave the chair.

“But we want to know.”

Blue eyes were huge as he looked between the two, his heart racing in his chest.

“And who knows, you might decide that Uchiha isn’t to your tastes after all, I do still have that room.”

“I don’t… date guys.”

Neji merely smirked, it was chilling.

“Is there something we don’t know about Sasuke?”

“W-What?”

He suddenly found his wrists in an iron grip.

What was with these guys and grabbing his wrists?!!

“I saw how you watched that fight, in the locker room. Your friend had to close your mouth and even then your eyes never left his body.”

“I don’t know what you mean!”

Suddenly Kiba’s voice was much too close to his ear for comfort and made him swallow the lump of fear growing in his throat.

“Did you think no one would notice you? How hungrily you watched Uchiha’s naked body as he fought over you, or the blush when he touched you. Do you only follow so easily after you’ve been fucked?”

Alright, that was it. Cold sweat began to break out, blue eyes darting for a means of escape.

“Let go of me! We haven’t done anything but kiss!”

His mouth instantly shut when his brain registered his admission, though both the other boys merely smirked.

“Is that so? Very unlike Sasuke to not go after something he wants.”

Wait, go after something he wants?! But they were just friends!

His struggles increased when his hands were suddenly above his head and cold hands slipped under the hem of his shirt.

“Stop it! Let go of me!”

The tongue licking up the back of his ear made him shudder violently in revulsion.

“Just relax, you’ll enjoy this.” That awful tongue was back at his ear. “And if you’re really good you might end up with two boyfriends who can be very giving.”

“No! Let go!”

A gasp tore from his throat when both nipples were pinched harshly.

“I told you that you’d like it.”

The cold hands moving south made his struggles increase, the tan body bucking and twisting in it’s captor’s iron grip.

“Do you always give Uchiha this much trouble?!”

“No! But he wouldn’t force me!”

Neji’s voice was too smug.

“Then you two have been together.”

“No! But…”

“But what, Naruto? Is he better than us? Would you fight us but welcome his cock?!”

The voice was getting dangerously low and the hands were grabbing at him with more force, making the panic rise.

“YES! Let me go! Sasuke! Help!”

Kiba’s chuckle was dark enough to raise the hairs on his neck.

“You’re supposed to scream our names, not his!”

“What. Are. You. Doing?!”

All movement stopped as tear filled blue eyes turned to the cold voice he was never so thankful to hear before.

“Sasuke…”

Kiba’s hands finally released his wrists and even though he wanted to sink where he was with relief, he scrambled over the loveseat to stand behind the Uchiha, resting his head between the other’s shoulder blades as his body shook.