Lights Out Trilogy One Shots (NaruSasu)

Time is Up

Takes place between Lights Out and All or Nothing

It had been four years since Sasuke had started college, three since he and Naruto started dating and two since they had started living together. Overall, Sasuke could say that life had been good in the past three years. Ever since he finally stood up to Orochimaru, the man for the most part left him alone. There were still times that he'd see the man, but he never approached him. He knew the run ins weren't just a coincidence, they were reminders, but they had become less frequent over the years.

Sasuke had gotten better over the years about walking alone at night without the fear that Orochimaru was going to pop out of nowhere and do his worst. It had to be a well lit area and only a short distance, but it was progress. He wasn't completely over his fear. On the rare occasions Sasuke would stay home while Naruto went out with friends he still had a nightlight as a comfort blanket for when he went to bed alone.

It had been about two months since graduation and just over a week after his twenty-second birthday when things started to fall apart. Shortly after graduation Sasuke had started to work at the Uchiha corporation with his brother and Kakashi.

"Are you sure you're okay walking out by yourself?" Itachi had asked as Sasuke made his way towards the exit. No matter how many times Sasuke said he was fine, the older brother in him would always worry about his wellbeing. He knew Sasuke tried to act strong, but inside there was still that part of him that feared what might happen.

Sasuke nodded, "I'm sure. It's a short walk to the car and we have some of the best security." He questioned himself for a moment, having a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I haven't seen Orochimaru in a while, I think he's finally given up," he told his brother, more as a reminder to himself than a reassurance to Itachi.

The elder Uchiha nodded as he watched Sasuke leave, still apprehensive about everything. Orochimaru had been oddly quiet over the past year. They all wanted to believe it was because he finally moved on from his obsession with the youngest Uchiha, but he he couldn't help but feel like the man was just a snake lying in wait for his prey to get comfortable before he strikes again.

Sasuke removed is jacket and loosened his tie as he made his way out of the building. It was hot out, almost the peak of the summer season. He nodded a goodbye to the security guard before walking towards the parking lot. He couldn't shake the eerie feeling as he made his way to his car, looking around at his surroundings as he walked. He shook his head, deciding that he was just being paranoid because of what Itachi had asked him.

"Sasuke," a voice called out behind him, sending a shiver down his spine. It was voice that he knew well. It was ingrained into his brain and haunted his worst nightmares. "I suppose I should wish you a happy belated birthday," Orochimaru appeared in front of him, his hand pressed against Sasuke's car door. "Twenty-two is a very important birthday after all," the smugness in his voice was thick. He wore a dark hoodie, the hood pulled over his face to obscure his identify from the cameras in the parking garage. "It's rude to ignore someone," there was a glint in his eyes that caused Sasuke to become worried.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to remain strong though there was a slight waiver in his voice. He hadn't expected the older man to approach him after so many years. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't still scare of the man no matter how many years had passed. The fear didn't just go away. No matter how comfortable he may have become, there would always be that lingering fear that Orochimaru was hiding in the shadows. Unfortunately, this time he was right. Perhaps he always was and the man just never showed his face.

"Four years since you became an adult," the older man smirked as the hand that wasn't pressed against the car door ran down Sasuke's arm. "It's an important milestone for us," he whispered before clutching his arm tightly.

Sasuke tried to pull away from his grip, but it seemed to be iron clad. "What are you talking about?" he tried to sound uncaring, as if he weren't affected by the mere presence of the other man. "There's no milestone."

"But there is," the other man grinned. "You see, time is up," he told him. His grip was strong and hurt, but they both knew it wouldn't bruise. Just gripping someone's arm wouldn't be considered assault even if it did bruise. It was a warning of something more to come.

"Is that a threat?" he growled, not sure where the conversation was going.

"Think of it as a warning," Orochimaru shrugged. "You see, four years after adulthood is how long it takes for the statute of limitations to run. You can't cry child abuse anymore Sasuke," he explained, causing Sasuke's eyes to widen. "It's been hard to stay away."

"You're still stalking me," he argued. "And if you try anything it will be assault or attempted assault." He was more reminding himself of the consequences if Orochimaru did anything than he was telling the other man. He was reminding himself that if Orochimaru tried anything further he could go to the police and report it like everyone said he should have done as a child. He reminded himself that he wasn't a child anymore, he was strong enough to tell people what was going on. Yet somehow the man in front of him made him feel like a child all over again. It brought back all of the memories of the words the older man had said so many times about how no one would believe him and how he had friends in high places that could make things disappear.

"Hm, do you have any proof of me stalking you?" he asked, both of them knowing that he didn't. "I haven't done anything that would be considered assault during the last three years," the smirk on his face never fading. Sasuke wanted to punch it off his face, but that would only cause him trouble.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," Sasuke lied. The slight tremble coursing through his body gave away the truth. He wanted to not be afraid. He had gone to years of therapy to try to get to the point where he wasn't afraid. But the truth was, he'd probably always be at least a little scared of the man in front of him. Years of abuse wouldn't disappear just because he talked about his feelings and tried to work out ways to cope with the bad days. There were still days where the overwhelming fear would take hold and he'd close himself off from everyone and everything. He'd tried to learn new ways to cope, but it would generally just end with Naruto holding him close and trying to reassure him as Sasuke lost himself to the dark thoughts that would plague his mind. He still had nightmares that'd leave him crying in Naruto's arms or cause him to curl into a ball as he tried to remind himself that it wasn't real and he was safe.

"We both know that isn't true," Orochimaru chuckled. He stepped closer, never loosening his grip on Sasuke, "Don't worry, we won't start today. It'll be when you least expect it." He finally let go, once again running his hand down Sasuke's arm with a smug smile.

Sasuke knew that he was trying to get under his skin and put fear into him and it was working. "Leave me alone. Haven't you gotten tired of this yet?" he asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice.

"Tired of it?" Orochimaru laughed. "Sasuke, we're just getting started," he warned before stepping away. "I'll be seeing you," he promised before disappearing into the night.

Sasuke opened his car door and collapsed into the driver's seat. He was visibly shaken and needed to calm himself down before going home. If he went home in his current state he knew that Naruto would sense something was wrong and he didn't want to worry him. He felt there was no need to worry him yet. It could be just a threat that Orochimaru would never act on. "Fuck," he cursed to himself and he took deep breaths.

In that moment he made a choice. No one needed to know, not even Naruto. He knew it was breaking his promise by not telling the blonde, but he couldn't bring himself to do it yet. He wouldn't do it unless it became necessary. He put on on a strong facade and kept it inside, pretending everything was okay.

When Naruto asked him if he was okay later that night he lied and said everything was fine. He tried to believe it himself that nothing would happen. He forced himself to believe that Orochimaru was just playing another mind game and that was as far as it would go. He had no idea how wrong he was.