Chapter Text
Naruto could've sworn his floor shook under him or that his walls groaned around him. He could almost hear the barricade blocking his door tumbling forward as he hid under his worn bed in the other room. The shadows snuggled him in a comforting embrace offering false asylum. His arms hugged his knees fleetingly, trying to aid his shivering form every time a crash or roar sounded in the musty lit room.
It was hell. There was no other word for his situation, no verb or noun could possibly explain it as well. What he did to deserve such treatment was beyond his comprehension.
The door crashed and Naruto pressed himself to the cracked wall to hide himself further, the shadows jealously coating him in the comfort of the dark.
It was almost frightening how fast some of the villagers rampaged through, and how fast they seem to forget where most children hide in blind fear. Not that it mattered. Naruto had left a well planned trail away from the apartment and back out into the streets for such an occasion. After all, when idiots charge through they don't expect a child to be able to lure them away. They expect the obvious. It had worked in the past and he'd hope it'd work again.
Naruto's breath became shallower as footsteps neared him. The deep drum of each lumbering collision pulsated as if the beating heart of a drum were just five feet away from his bed, from his asylum. Then the voice of a woman came from deeper in, perhaps the kitchen.
“Have you found the demon yet?”
The feet stopped in front of him and a deep bellowing voice answered, “Not yet,” his voice sounded deep, yet hoarse, probably from all the yelling they did outside, "He's...!"
A pause.
"He's probably gone. I can't find him!"
“There's no way he's already gone!” The woman said, her voice sounded ragged, almost like the mans, “We've all been right outside his door, there's no chance he got out!”
Naruto chanced flicking his eyes to and fro to see where everyone was and he deduced, with a little timing, that they were ready for it. Behind him trembled a rope just waiting to unleash, but Naruto waited terrifically before deciding to trigger one of his traps. Hopefully they would take it as him trying to run out. “You remember last year right?” No response. The woman must've nodded. “Right, so if you do than you should remember that he ran out the kitchen window last time. It's footsteps told that much.”
The woman sighed, “Huh, alright. Just make sure that you check under the bed. Never know if the little demon is hiding under there.”
This time Naruto saw the man's feet turn to him. It was time. Naruto released a rope near him from it's simplistic knot and a loud crash echoed from his bathroom. He knew no-one was in there because he heard no footsteps and if they were. Well he had another plan.
The man's feet in front him clobbered to face his bathroom with a certain rage to it.
“Hey! Did you hear that!”
Another pair of feet came closer and into his sights as he prayed to whoever was up there that they would take the bait. “Please, go. Please, leave!” Naruto whispered hopefully.
After five minutes spent listening to the rumblings and ramblings of the villagers in his apartment silence came along with his best-friend out of one of the mirrors in his bathroom.
“Naruto, they're gone.”
Deep blue eyes opened slightly to widen at the sight of his best-friend's own dark-brown ones. The girl could sense his confusion apparently and decided to clarify, “Remember Naruto, I can manipulate and create ice and if I so choose I can even enter it.”
"I didn't leave you, and never will," she whispered gently.
Naruto nodded and smiled shortly. The girl reached under and pulled him out before holding him close. She really was the only one who understood him, in his opinion. His pseudo Jiji couldn't, he wasn't there often enough—he was Hokage after all. Ayame-nee and Teuchi-san couldn't, they could only see his happy facade when he visited their stand. Iruka came close because of his own orphanage, but also couldn't in the end because of his own lack of experience with dealing with, this.
Naruto scrunched his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around the girls waist all the while burrowing himself in the crook of her neck. He could feel her put her chin on the back part of his head in a comforting gesture.
“Promise me something.” Naruto muffled out.
The girl held him tighter. “Yes?”
“Please don't ever leave, Haku.” Naruto didn't need to hear her answer for he knew her response by heart now. He could only guess he needed reassurance from time to time.
Haku chuckled, “I promise.”
Nearing dusk Naruto and Haku laid together in his bed with him closest to the wall with Haku's arms entangling themselves around him in a soft embrace. Haku preferred it that way Naruto guessed. It was her idea to when she first came to witness long ago. She'd said that she'd 'act as his shield on his darkest nights' and the same for her. He would stay in their little fortress and would stay sheltered by the wall and her. A protective cocoon she'd joked.
Naruto turned his head to gaze a second or two to meet her own. Staring serenely she slowly grew to garner the smallest of smiles on her face before resting and closing her own. He looked further at her hellish black hair contrasting her beautifully pale skin and before he knew it he found himself looking further down at her usual nightwear. A pink shirt with matching modest shorts.
Naruto blushed momentarily.
What is wrong with me? Every time I look at her my face heats up and I swear my heart skips a beat.
Shaking his head Naruto looked back up and wriggled himself around until he was facing her fully. Taking an extra dose of needless courage Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close until there was no more room between them.
Naruto's breath hitched at the sound of her voice. “Naruto, promise me something.”
“Anything.” Naruto said.
“Never leave me.”
He smiled and held her closer. “Of course”
After a short moment of silence Haku wrapped one leg around Naruto and looked up. Naruto was about to ask what she was doing, but was silenced after Haku gingerly kissed his cheek causing his face to redden and her to smile. She giggled a second at him simply from how comical he looked.
“Tomorrow's the first day at the academy, Naruto.” Haku exclaimed softly, breaking Naruto from his embarrassment.
Naruto nodded. “I know. I wonder how people will react when they see us.”
“Who knows. I just hope that we get put in the same class.”
“I know. After all the trouble Jiji went through to clear your name I'd hope we were.”
“Yeah... Hey, how did Hokage-sama do that anyways?”
Naruto shrugged. “I asked him and he said it wasn't difficult but said it was also not easy either. He said something about,” Naruto raised his voice to a superficial tone, “a little girl being capable of traveling along with 'The Demon of The Bloody Mist' was next to ridiculous!”
Haku giggled gently and closed her eyes. “Good night, Naruto.”
“Good night, Haku.”