Cinema [Yandere!Sasuke x Reader] AU

Scene 25

It's been four months. Four months since the break-in, four months since the auction, four months since [Name] has seen Sasuke. She hit him up a few times within that four months, but never received a response. At first, she thought he was mad at her, or perhaps his phone broke. Then she remembered his illness and allowed his absence. If he needed time away, then so be it, who was she to dictate or justify his actions? Sasuke was a grown man making grown-man decisions.

However, a few days later, Naruto calls. She answers, in the middle of her studio gathering paints for her next project. "Hey, Naruto, how's it going?"

"Have you seen Sasuke lately?" He's direct to the point of his call. The thought of entertaining pleasantries never even crosses his mind.

Her mind reels for a moment. The panic in his voice raises the hairs on her arms and she stands up straighter than before. "No. Why? What's up with him?"

Naruto groans over the receiver. "Well, Ma is upset 'cause we haven't seen him since the auction. He just won't come home and he's not answering his phone."

[Name] pauses. She feels her chest compress as she sits on the stool before the half-painted canvas. "Do you think he's okay?" She asks breathlessly. She wants to ask another question, but the words shiver in her throat thinking of the possibilities.

"We wanted to give him some space," Naruto explains, "So, a week went by, then a couple weeks went by. We tried his phone, but he didn't pick up. Dad wanted to get some projects outta the way and two months passed. I have my own thing and just... Life got in the way, you know?"

It sounded like Naruto wanted to explain away his mistakes rather than outwardly say he forgot about Sasuke for a bit. Surely, this revelation ate him up inside prior to this call---he's supposed to be the dependable brother, the one Sasuke calls on whenever he's in a bind, the one that always knows where Sasuke is; he is his brother's keeper. It's not his fault, however. No one can keep tabs on someone that doesn't want to be found.

"I get it," [Name] mumbles, despite wanting to say something else.

"If he's on the streets, Ma's gonna be so, so mad at me," he chokes out. It's hard for [Name] to tell if Naruto is more upset at the thought of Sasuke being homeless right now, or the possibility of Kushina being pissed off. To her, one is obviously more important than the other, but different people have different priorities. "I don't mean to bother you with this---it's my fault---but, could you help me find him? Or report him missing?"

[Name] sighs. She ponders it for a while. This family is the same one that jumpstarted her career as an artist. Wealthier clients have trickled in for her pieces. Abstract art seems to be the trend for those kinds of people. Color but with intent, was something one of her clients said to her as they commissioned a small piece. All in all to say, without them, [Name] wouldn't have made it this far. Sasuke is a friend, and he possibly needs help.

She places the paints back on the wooden shelves and shrugs off her smock. "Yeah, I'll help."

It's not long until Naruto comes to pick up [Name] in his car. They travel around the town, searching in Sasuke's usual spots and hangouts. They ask shared friends regarding his whereabouts or if they've heard from him recently. His social media has gone cold. His number is no longer in service.

The longer [Name] sticks to Naruto's side, the more drab he becomes. The once bright blue eyes become lightless with every dead-end. His warmer skin tone pales to an ashen grey, evolving into a pallid and unremarkable complexion. The worry shows on his face, ages him by the hour. The bags under his eyes reveal themselves in the setting sun---a purplish blue that sinks his eyes further into his skull. As they ask some friends at the gym---the last place Sasuke would be---Naruto begins to sweat.