Escape from Pain

Lullabye for a Stormy Night

[Prologue]

For so long I've only watched from afar. 

I've seen the horrible way that he's been treated; I've seen the way he desperately seeks to be accepted and acknowledged. It didn't seem like such a big deal at the time - since it didn't have anything to do with me. 

Or at least... that's what I had thought. 

In fact, I was no better than the rest of them. I was horrible to him as well - if not worse. 

Just because he would get on my last nerve, no matter how often he was burned he would always show a smile and act like an idiot, even though it was clear to me, he'd rather curl into a ball as he cried and screamed. He was trying to act tough..... Pisses me off. But then,  it all seemed to change after that day. 

I saw him for what he really was: He was like me. I'd been passing by his apartment one night, by pure coincidence of course - I get rather restless at this time of night - That's when I heard it. It was loud and unmistakable, filled with such sorrow, pain and terror. 

It was Naruto screaming. 

Quickly going to his window to find him asleep in his bed, tossing and turning in his sleep, I felt my chest tighten at the sight. I forced the window open and rushed to his side as he screamed again. I tried to wake him, but it just wouldn't work, there would be no saving him from whatever nightmare that consumed his subconscious mind. 

Yet that didn't stop me from trying, "Naruto!!! ..... Naruto!!!" What the hell? What am I supposed to do? I sat on the edge of the bed and tried to hold him down, he's surprisingly stronger than he looks (In his sleep anyways) "Naruto....." With a sigh, I moved up and lay back across the headboard, trying to find a comfortable position before carefully looping my hands under his arms and pulling him into me. His body pressed against mine as his head rested on my chest, though I was forced to lock my arms around him tightly because his squirming body was unknowingly fighting my hold and it was difficult to keep a grip but somehow, I managed to restrain him. It wasn't until his body quit jerking about that I noticed a few drops of tears had been falling from his eyes and my chest tightened again, the sudden need to help him became unbearable. 

Then, thoughtlessly, my body began to move on its own as I tugged him in even closer against me, while my hand moved up and caressed his (surprisingly-silky) blonde hair, as I hummed a quiet tune - one that my mother once used when I was having trouble going to sleep - which always seemed to work on me. Even in his sleep, it seemed to of relaxed him as it once had done to me and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, she's no longer here to sing it to me - Not since my brother Itachi killed them all. I'm alone now. The thought of that night, sends a sharp sting of rage and pain through me; I'm going to kill him, I'll avenge their deaths and some day revive my clan.

With these thoughts running through my head, I'd forgotten for a moment where I was and the fact I was still holding the sleeping blond in my arms with my fingers still carding through his hair. And by the time I did notice, I could see the sun begin to rise from outside his window.

Looking down at him, who was now sleeping soundly again, he'd apparently snuggled himself  more into me and a sudden thought of how natural this seemed to be, came into my mind. Somehow, I didn't mind it at all, which seemed strange because.... ever since I lost my family I never let anyone close and it almost made me feel like the hole that was cut through my heart and drowning me in loneliness was suddenly beginning to mend. 

Another thing that I was becoming pissed off about, I don't have time for all these sentimental feelings - I have to focus on avenging my clan..... don't I? It's what I'm supposed to do right? That's what would've been expected of me right? Since I'm the.... last one. The only Uchiha in Konoha.

Then a realization dawns on me, I'm not the only one whose alone in this village - Naruto is also alone.... He's the only Uzumaki in Konoha, which strikes me as odd.... he's been alone since the beginning, hasn't he? He knows what it's like, he understands, because he's alone too. 

Just like me - We're the same. 

We lay there for what seemed like forever to me, of course, it couldn't of been any longer than an hour or so of us just sitting here, with Naruto curled into me as I played with his hair - as if this were a normal occurrence; as if I did this with him every night. A small smile played on my lips at the imagery that slowly began filling my mind at the idea of that.... wouldn't that be something. Me coming over to his house in the dead of night to comfort him, simply because I like the way he feels pressed against me all calm and quiet like.... as if he belonged in my embrace like this, as if he belonged to me.... 

The sound of Naruto beginning to stir once again cut me out of my thoughts and I realized it would be best if I left now, or else I'd have to explain why I was here in the first place, to which I have no desire to admit I may of been slightly worried about him.

So quietly and carefully, I slid out from under him, getting his pillow back under his head and pulling the covers over him. Taking one last moment to really look at him for once, taking in his every feature that I've overlooked in the past, I realized that he was really beautiful. Especially with the morning sun's light gleaming past me, radiating onto him and making it almost look as if he was the one radiating this light, this warmth instead of the blazing fireball in the sky. And in that moment I decided.... that yes, someday, somehow, I was going to make this boy mine.... no matter how long it takes to convince him. 

Bending down so that I was eye level to his sleeping face, I carded my fingers through his hair one last time. "One of these days, I'm going to get us out of this place and then we can both find a way, to escape from pain..... I promise" Leaning forward, I placed a kiss to his forehead before sneaking back out the window and heading back home. 

~

Chapter End.

Created on [Feb 18, 2015]