My Soldier
by Bevino

beta'd by Word Salad

"Sorry, Mr. Uchiha. It seems like your brother still is missing." Sasuke sighed. This was the third hospital he had been invited to, to identify a injured soldier as his brother. It had gone three months since he had got the telegram about his brothers disappearance, and none of the hospitals had shown any results. The man he was currently looking at had the same looks as his brother, but it was no way near the real one. Sasuke drew one of his hands through his hair. He wondered if he would ever see Itachi again. It was one thing to get a letter saying that your family member are dead - he had got one that told his dad was a year ago - but it was even worse to not know where they where at all, at the enemies or six feet under. Or at the enemies six feet under.

But still being as polite as he was, he nodded slightly to the pink haired nurse as he lifted his suitcase from the white floor. Almost everything in the big room was white. It was one of the largest war hospitals in the county, and each room contained 300 beds with soldiers that had to get better - either for going home or out in the war again. The ceiling was high, and everywhere doctor's and nurses moved around, taking care of the patients that laid in the bed with white bed clothing. Sasuke was not very fond of hospitals, let them be ordinary or for soldiers. He thought it had something to do with the smell, but maybe it was just to many - sick - people in them. No, Sasuke wasn't very fond of them, and that was one of the reasons (one of the others was that he didn't really had business in the place any longer) why he wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He didn't bother to put on his jacket, and let it hang on his arm as he hurried his steps through the beds, followed by the nurse that seemed to caught a crush on him the minute he walked into the place.

"We will send a notice if someone else that may be your brother comes in," she said as she tried to follow his long steps. She had to jog at his side. Sasuke was just about to answer, that maybe they didn't need to bother next time, when he got a empty milk carton thrown in his head, right above his left ear. He stopped in his tracks and followed it as it landed some feet away from him. A plastic knife was thrown through the air, landing on a bed next to the throwers.

"For crying out LOUD! NARUTO!" The person in the bed yelled. He had brown hair, and his right arm was tightly secured in a steel construction lifted over his head. "Stop throwing your goddamn stuff on me!" A loud laugh was hear from the other bed, and Sasuke was faced with a boy with band aid over his eyes, his both legs plastered. The boy was dressed in white - as the other also was - and he had golden hair with whisker marks on his cheeks. He was grinning like a happy child, as he took his fork and threw it in a random direction. It landed four bed away on a rather big guy, also with brown hair that had band aid around his head.

"You little fucker! Stop throwing things!!" the one yelled, taking his uneaten apple that was places on his tray with food and threw it on the blonde. Well, it was supposed to land the said person, but the brown haired threw to short, hitting a red head in his head. This one also had band aid around his head.

"FUCK! What do you think you're doing, Kankurou!?"

"Not my fault, Naruto started it!" the man called Kankurou yelled back, grabbing a banana and threw this away to. This time it hit the blonde - Naruto - in the stomach, who stopped his laughing that turned into a loud groan instead. He growled (at the same time he begun laughing again) and took his banana and let it fly through the air as he apparently though Kankurou was in. He was lucky - the banana first his the red head in the head, thereafter it bounced (the banana, not the red head) into Kankurou's.

"SHIT!" They both cried in unison, and Sasuke could see that they looked a lot like each other, probably brothers.

"What did I hit?" Naruto asked curious, trying to raise in his bed as he could see through the covering over his eyes. As an answer to this, a bunch of various thing was thrown on Naruto's bed (milk cartons, apples, forks etc) and he protected himself as good as he could with his free arms over his head.

"Stop this RIGHT NOW!" the pink haired nurse finally yelled, as she just had seen what was going on while she had watched the whole scene. "Naruto! Every time! You have a trash can right beside your bed!" She walked up to his bed and hit him over the head. The blonde rubbed it and pouted.

"But Sakura, there's no fun in here...," but Sakura - the nurse - only snorted at him as she collected the leftovers from the food and dumped it in the dumpster. As the blonde heard her walk away, he stuck out his tongue at her back, and then grinning happily. And, to Sasuke's surprise, he turned his head directly at Sasuke.

"Hello." Sasuke wondered how the boy could actually know he was there, but let it go as he picked up the milk carton and put it on Naruto's tray.

"Hn," he said as a reply. The boy picked up the can and shook it as if to see if there was anything left, and looked really disappointed when it wasn't.

"Here for a relative?" he asked happy, his legs moving as happy as they could since he couldn't move them so much. Sasuke shook his head, but when he remembered that the boy currently didn't have anything to look with, he said a short 'no'. Sasuke didn't know why he didn't just walk away, but he found this person interesting, and that was something he rarely did. People, from his point of view, was often disturbing or something you could use (something Sasuke did now and then). The blonde padded on the bed as to monition Sasuke to sit down, but instead Sasuke grabbed a chair nearby and put it close to the bed.

"Then why are you here?" Naruto asked curiously, smiling widely as he had nothing better to do. Maybe Sasuke was just something that made the day less boring for a bored guy in a hospital, but honestly - he didn't care.

"I was here to identify someone as my brother," he said. "It wasn't him though." Naruto nodded, knowingly as this had happened him a hundred of times (something Sasuke doubted), and after a minute of thinking or so, he spoke up, whispering.

"Hey, grab the milk from," - he pointed at the red head - "will ya?" Sasuke grinned, and did was he was told.

Somehow, he kind of wanted to come to this place again.

"Sasuke! The blonde half-yelled as Sasuke approached his bed some day later. The day was a sunny one, and it shone through the windows places up high, down on the beds. It shone in the hair of Naruto, and the straws were sparkling with the yellow colour. And even though Sasuke didn't see his eyes, he was truly beautiful. "They're gonna test my eyes today!"

It was something about this boy - man - that made Sasuke curious (something he had found himself rarely get) and even though he didn't like hospitals, he was fond of Naruto. When he was at the factory the whole day, he could find himself thinking of Naruto, when the bell rang that told the workers that it was lunch-time, he wondered it Naruto was throwing forks. When he woke up, he wondered if Naruto was snoring (even though he didn't know if Naruto was a snorer or not) or if he was wide awake, disturbing the ones who actually tried to sleep. Those thoughts made Sasuke a little happy, and he had visited the hospital every day since he met Naruto.

And speaking (thinking) of Naruto, he always knew it was Sasuke. It was almost as if he could sense the boy's presence, or hearing on the foot-steps who was approaching. When Sakura came, he always knew. When Gaara (the redhead in the bed next to him) threw a fork or pillow on him, he knew who it was. Even if Naruto made everybody else suffer. Sasuke only found it entertaining.

"That's great, dobe!" he lightly insulted the blonde, getting an angry smack on his arm by the boy.

"Bastard!" But Sasuke couldn't help but to snicker. When Naruto showed him to sit down, he sat down (on the bed this time), and folded his hands in his knee. He listened on Naruto talking about a day (Sasuke could've never realize so much interesting things happened in a hospital), when Naruto yelled at his neighbours (who found Sasuke surprisingly okay, since Naruto had been calmer since he came), and finally to when Sakura (the pink haired nurse) come to check his eyes. When Sasuke had asked Naruto earlier the same day about the colours of his eyes, Naruto had answered simply; "They're blue." Sasuke found that Naruto had been lying, because that wasn't blue, the colour of his eyes. It was some deep colour, taken from both heaven and the ocean, deep and yet light, living, playful. He had big eyes, and the short lashes was reviled when Naruto started to blink.

"How the sight, Naruto?" Sakura asked kindly. Naruto looked at her, smiling with both eyes and mouth and face.

"It's great Sakura! I can see everything clearly!" Thereafter he turned to Sasuke, eyes widening in amusement. "Aaahh...that's how the bastard look like." Sasuke felt a vein pop up in his forehead, but forced a smile on his lips.

"Good for you." Sasuke had learned, that Naruto was placed in the hospital after a major attack at the front. A shell had exploded right next to him (which had been all because he was so great, Naruto had inserted here), and the splinter had cut right through both of his legs, some other small parts of his body, and his eyes. He hadn't been able to see for about two months, and the happiness he showed by finally doing so was total.

"Kiba!" Naruto laughed and pointed at the brown haired next to him. "You look like shit! Gaara! You look like a hamster! (Sasuke had really no idea what he meant by that)," and continued with this until Kankurou made it out of his bed (whilst holding his head bitterly) and his Naruto in his head with his plate from the lunch earlier. As they where messing and playing around, Sasuke sat still on Naruto's bed. The unknown beating in his heart, the fluttering in the bottom of his stomach, the sight of Naruto and his sparkling eyes. Sasuke knew it wasn't good this feelings, to feel like this to a person you maybe wasn't even yet to call friend, but he guessed that he could do nothing but surrender. Surrender to love and let himself fall into it's warm embrace.

And that is where he left his thoughts (smiling) and for once he joined the playing groups of injured soldiers.

"You're loosing your touch, boss," one of his workers said. Sasuke looked at him, and stared out of the window of his office, down on the machines. The other workers sat and ate their lunch, laughing. Sasuke guessed he (the worker that is) was right.

Days turned into weeks, and soon Naruto would bet free from his bedded time. The plastering was soon to be taken off, a wheel chair was placed near his bed, special ordered for the blonde.

"Want to meet my brother, Naruto?" Today was a rainy day, but yet Naruto was still so beautiful in the light from the windows. When his hair seemed to stand up to the sun, it laid flat on his head. He was almost like a sun flower, always trying to face the sun. The blue (it was true, Sasuke though, that blue was the most identical colour to describe the eyes with) eyes, rising from a book placed his knee (he had made it half through, and he had showed Sasuke the cover of it when the Uchiha had asked him which book it was - Oliver Twist), looking a little suspicious and surprised.

"Why not?" Sasuke nodded and helped him over to the wheel chair, placing the blanket in his knee so he wouldn't freeze. Naruto could have moved the chair by himself, but Sasuke dragged the chair to another part of the hospital. The walked through the paths, between the beds all clothed in white, occupied with soldiers. Some of the more injured than the other, some of them almost well. The wheels on the old chair creaked a little, and Naruto was leaning back against the back support, his head sometimes bumping at Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke didn't know why he really liked (loved) Naruto, but yet he did. Maybe it was the energy, or maybe the fact that with Naruto he felt safe, felt like he could be himself (show the real himself), and not worry about all the bad things that was happening in the world. Earlier, he had only had his work (not even his brother) but now he also had Naruto.

Hoped he had.

Sasuke stopped at the end of a bed, and rolled Naruto next to it. In it, a person laid, sleeping. Itachi's eyes was closed, sometimes a little pull was noticed on the eyelids, his chest heaving slowly up and down. Naruto stared at him with his clear eyes.

"You look a lot like him, you know." Sasuke grunted in reply. "How long had he been here?" Sasuke looked up in the ceiling, watching a fan rotating over their heads.

"A week."

"You've been with me all the week, almost all the free hours." Naruto said, a hint of accusing heard in his voice. Sasuke's eyes followed the blades, and then he looked down on the back head of Naruto.

"Yeah."

It was later that evening, Sasuke realized that he hadn't gone home. It was late (passed eleven) and normally past visiting time (everyone saw Sasuke as a member of the hospital crew or the soldiers by now, so no one really cared). He was back at Naruto's bed, holding the former soldiers hand as they sat quiet.

Want to sleep here tonight bastard?" Naruto asked, telling Sasuke that he had been thinking of the same thing. Sasuke nodded, and not long after they asked Sakura about some clothes he could sleep in, he was re-dressed (still only sitting at the edge of the bed). Naruto tugged at his bottom lip, before turning his head up to meet Sasuke's black orbs. "Sing me a song Sasuke."

"I can't sing," Sasuke answered.

"Please."

Sasuke scratched his cheek as he blushed, trying to think of a song he knew. The only one he remembered was a song his mother had sang for his dad sometimes (one of the few memories he had of her, sitting at the piano, shining). He cleared his throat and quietly began.

"See the pyramids along the Nile.
Watch the sunrise from a tropic isle.
Just remember, darling, all the while
You belong to me."

His voice sounded hoarse (almost dead in his ear) and he was slightly tone deaf (not at all as good as his mother). Naruto snickered and closed his eyes, smiling softly.

"You were right. You can't sing." Sasuke grunted, blushing even more. "Continue."

And he did what he was told.

"See the marketplace in old Algiers.
Send me photographs and souvenirs.
Just remember when a dream appears
You belong to me.

I'll be so alone without you.
Maybe you'll be lonesome, too.
And blue.

Fly the ocean in a silver plane.
See the jungle when it's wet with rain.
Just remember till your home again
You belong to me."

Naruto smiled at him, and held up his blanket for Sasuke to creep under. Somewhere in a bed not far away (he didn't know whose it was) someone giggled, but he couldn't have cared less.

A few days later he poked Naruto on his leg, that was finally free. Naruto tried to kick him, but Sasuke could easily jump away from the attack.

"Sakura told me you had nowhere to go." Sakura had really told him that, when she had offered him some lunch as he had taken a day off from work (not really caring about food). Naruto pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why would she know?" Sasuke smirked.

"She also told me she grew up with you. She if anyone would know." Naruto growled under his breath and turned his back to Sasuke, picking up the book he was reading, turning the pages without really looking at them. Bangs hanging before his amazing eyes. Then he sighed and let his back fall to the bed, eyeing Sasuke upside down as his head fell outside the side of the bed. His legs were swaying back and forth on the other side, bumping into the floor now and then.

"I was an orphan you know. War game me a room for the night and food for the day." Sasuke wondered, how it would feel to live that kind of way. He, who never really had anyone either, didn't even had to think about food and somewhere to sleep, since the money always had been there, and probably always would be too.

Some nurses walked by, and a doctor (who smiled at them quickly). Sasuke shoved his hair out of his eyes and sat awkward down on his knee's, taking the blonde head in his hands, facing the upside down Naruto. He brushed his nose against Naruto's whiskered cheek, hearing Naruto sniffling (as Sasuke smelled something he had never smelled before), feeling the blonde lean into his touch, slowly caressing back with his face. The blue orbs was hidden behind closed eyelids, a small smile gracing his as well as Sasuke's lips. Only when Naruto bit his nose playfully, Sasuke retreated, looking into Naruto's eyes, asking. Naruto smiled, opened his eyes and threw his arms over his head to hold Sasuke where he was. And Sasuke couldn't do anything other than stay where he was, until Naruto let him go.

When he later packed the few belongings Naruto had in a suitcase borrowed from the hospital, he heard Naruto hum the melody from the song he had sang for him.

In the end, Sasuke still couldn't believe how lucky he was, as he rolled Naruto the way up to his house. He couldn't believe how lucky he was, as Naruto later that evening took his food right under his nose, when distracting him with a chaste kiss on the cheek. And Sasuke could certainly not believe how happy a human could be, just to hold your loved one in your arms, and knowing that nothing could keep them apart (yes, probably there were many things that could keep them apart, such as death, but Sasuke tended to not think about stuff like that - even when Naruto sneezed him right in the ear). And when the morning came, he couldn't believe how different Naruto looked like when he laid in Sasuke's bed, and not the hospitals.

He carefully slid out of the bed, trying his best not to wake Naruto up (which he succeeded at), and got himself ready in the bathroom. He made breakfast, leaving half (more of it) to Naruto for him when he woke up, and put on his outdoor jacket and grabbed the keys to his new car. But the second Sasuke opened the door, he heard a insulted gasp.

Sasuke looked up the stairs, and saw Naruto half-way down the stairs (of course without his wheel chair), almost tripping. Sasuke dropped the keys on the floor, fumbled with his suitcase as Naruto tripped the last of it (but still gaining his balance at the last foot).

"Naruto? What the hell are you doing, walking around like this!?" Sasuke almost screamed in his ear.

Tch, it's your fault you know. Being a rich bastard like this and not even know how to say good bye proper." Naruto that had been held up by Sasuke's arms, broke loose as he bent down and pressed his lips onto Sasuke's. They hadn't really kissed yet, not on the mouth and not this visible. Sasuke felt it tingle in his toes and in his stomach, as he pressed up further on Naruto's smiling face. When Naruto broke loose some seconds later, he patted Sasuke on the head.

"Come back safe."

"I'm only going to work," Sasuke grunted, as he fished up the keys from the floor.

"Ah. Come back safe and earn much money."

Sasuke only snorted.

But when he stood at his car, a milk carton was thrown in his head, bouncing and landing on the gravel path.

"You don't have to come back safe though!" Sasuke turned around and saw Naruto, now in his wheel chair, sitting on the front porch in the open door (Sasuke had no idea where he got the carton from). Sasuke looked at him, trying to catch on.

"Why?" he asked as he didn't.

"Well...," Naruto said, fox smiling put on his grinning face once again. "We already have a wheelchair you know."

And Sasuke laughed, waved, and drove off. He came to his work, took off his jacket, threw his suitcase at his desk, and sat down. He heard a knock on the door, and his secretary walked in. She held some papers in her arms, and one in the mouth (Sasuke came to understand later that he hadn't done his job properly those last weeks). When she finally spitted it out, she said in a tired, hopeless tone;

"Mr. Uchiha, your brother called you earlier and asked how the business was going." Sasuke eyes her, questioning. Sasuke looked up from his work and smiled.

"I'll call him right away."

The End

Right.

The song is "I Belong to You" by Patti Page.
I hope the fanfiction was readable.

/Bëviño