The Cat's Out of the Bag
"He did whaaaaat? I'll kill that son of a bitch!" Naruto screamed in unrestrained rage.
Sasuke actually jumped away in shock at Naruto's reaction. It's not like he expected Naruto to be like, 'he was fucking Lee? So what, that's no big deal', but this angry? He'd never seen Naruto so angry in his entire life and he was sure if he was listening to the different torture methods Naruto was muttering under his breath he'd be cringing and backing away slowly from Naruto.
"Naruto...?" Sasuke asked tentatively.
"Huh," Naruto said snapping out of his murderous aura when he heard Sasuke's voice and seeing Sasuke's expression he knew he must have been worrying Sasuke.
"Sorry Sasu, I didn't mean to freak you out." Naruto said softly.
"It's fine," Sasuke said relaxing now that Naruto was himself again.
"I'll go get your stuff for you, okay?" Naruto asked gently.
Sasuke nodded and gave Naruto an appreciative smile. Naruto returned the smile and ruffled Sasuke's hair. He got a scowl and a glare in return. Naruto knew he hated it but he always did it anyway. Naruto then went into his room and grabbed a few duffle bags.
"Think this will be enough for all your stuff or do I need to find something else that can help carry all of it?" Naruto asked.
"I'd think so, but if not I'm sure there's something there you can use." Sasuke shrugged.
"M'kay, I'll be back soon then." Naruto smiled at him.
"Okay...Naruto," Sasuke paused, "Don't get into a fight with him... okay?"
"...Alright," Naruto sighed surprising Sasuke, "But I ain't gonna be nice to him."
He'd been expecting Naruto to snap at him about how he shouldn't give a shit what happens to him. Naruto's back was facing him and he could just barely see the turned down corner of his mouth on one side. Sasuke's eyes softened, he knew when Naruto was doing something because he was being asked to even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. He walked up to him and tugged at his sleeve to turn him around.
"Yeah, what is—huh?" Naruto said startled at suddenly being hugged by Sasuke out of nowhere.
"Thank you," Sasuke whispered sincerely.
"There's no reason to hug me over this, silly." Naruto said hugging Sasuke back anyway.
"I swear if you ruin a moment by calling me that ever again I'm going to strangle you." Sasuke muttered.
And Naruto just couldn't help it, he burst into a huge fit of laughter.
"What the hell's so funny?" Sasuke said indignantly, pulling out of the hug.
"I-It's just that sentence," Naruto struggled out in between his laughter, "It sounds so unlike you."
"Che moron," Sasuke said looking away in embarrassment.
Naruto ruffled Sasuke's hair again before turning and waving at Sasuke as he left laughing. Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance but threw a reluctant bye at Naruto.
Once Naruto arrived at Sasuke's place he knocked on the door, his leg twitching impatiently. He didn't care about giving Neji such a courtesy but he knew Sasuke would want him to which was the only thing stopping him from bursting through the door at this moment.
Neji opened the door with an, "Oh, it's just you."
"Whatever Neji, just get out of my way," Naruto growled barely restraining himself from strangling him.
"Where's Sasuke?" Neji asked as he was shoved aside after he didn't move.
Naruto dignified that with a glare that would have just about anyone cowering in fear. Neji on the other hand seemed unfazed by the glare he was receiving.
"You aren't going to hurt me, Sasuke obviously told you not too, or you would have attacked me by now. So where is he?" Neji demanded.
Naruto turned his back on Neji and went into what would be Sasuke and Neji's shared bedroom. He could easily tell what was Sasuke's he knew him too well. Neji came into the room and watched him pack up all of Sasuke's things in the room before he went up to Naruto and pinned him against the wall and demanded to know where Sasuke was again.
"Go to hell Neji," Naruto sneered, "You could point a gun at my face and I still wouldn't tell you."
"Let's see how long that dedication of yours lasts." Neji suggested and punched Naruto in his stomach.
Naruto gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. Neji gave him no time to recuperate and sent another punch of the same calibre to Naruto's stomach, easily accomplishing to prevent Naruto from retrieving his breath. Neji repeated this until it looked like Naruto was about to pass out from a lack of breathing.
"Where is Sasuke?" Neji asked.
"Go die in a ditch somewhere why don't you?" Naruto glared.
Neji sent another punch at Naruto's stomach but Naruto easily blocked it this time. Naruto smirked at Neji clearly telling him the same trick won't work twice. Naruto and Neji then proceeded to duke it out with each other. Unfortunately Neji was winning and Naruto couldn't find a way to get the upper hand, it didn't help any that the scene with Sasuke kept popping up in his mind making him hesitate. He hated this, he just wanted to take Sasuke's things and leave.
Naruto hated to admit it but he was pretty sure Neji was going to win this fight, but he'd be damned if he told Neji anything. Naruto cursed when he soon found his head getting bashed against the wall by Neji with all his might and his consciousness slowly slipped away from him. When he awoke he found himself tied up to a chair and Neji sitting in the one across from him. He glared at the man and Neji only smirked in response.
"I'll have to thank Sasuke next I see him," Neji smirked, "Never would have beaten you otherwise."
Naruto could feel the dried blood over his eye and cursed his pounding head to hell. He forced himself to focus on Neji despite how his head protested such actions. Neji continued to talk to him, taunting him, trying to rile him up and get a reaction out of him. Neji was failing miserably at that. Naruto's only response was a steely look that promised agonising pain once he was released from his bindings.
"I see I'll be getting no reaction out of you," Neji said, "So, I'll just torture you until you tell me where I can find Sasuke."
"I'll never tell you a thing." Naruto glared raising his head with a determination in his eyes that went unmatched by anyone.
Neji then spent the next hour or so tormenting Naruto, breaking every finger on his right hand, then his wrist and then his shoulder and continued with the torture until he decided in this he couldn't win. Naruto's care and protectiveness over Sasuke was too great to be destroyed.
Neji then left Naruto stuck sitting in that chair in his pain, then proceeded to go down to his car and head to Naruto's. Like really, where else would he be?
Naruto was using his left hand, desperately trying to reach his phone. After a while he got it and called Sasuke. It was funny how Sasuke was his first priority to him right now when he should be calling for an ambulance before he passed out but all he could think about was Sasuke. He had to make sure Sasuke got out of there. He felt a fear he had never felt in his life, if anything happened to Sasuke he didn't know what he would do.
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked confused answering his phone.
"S-Sasuke," He gasped out, "Neji... he's..."
Naruto dropped the phone, losing his strength and it crashed to the floor. Naruto's body slumped in the chair and he could feel himself slipping away again. He could vaguely hear, as if somewhere far away, Sasuke screaming his name in a worried and scared tone.
"S-Sasuke... get out of there... Sasuke." He whispered, not being able to raise his voice loud enough to reach his phone before consciousness left him yet again.
At that same time at Naruto's place Neji walked through the door and Sasuke's head snapped over to him and the anguish he felt with Neji was replaced with anger as things seemed to click together. Neji was the cause of the pain Naruto was feeling.
"What did you do to Naruto?" Sasuke demanded.
"What? He managed to call you in his condition? He's dedicated if nothing else," Neji said, "I was planning to come here and tell you that I'd managed to break him and get him to tell me where you are but as it turns out Naruto's will in protecting you was too strong. Strong enough to hold out and call you to try and warn you of my arrival when what he should be doing is calling an ambulance apparently."
Sasuke clenched the hand he was holding the cell phone with. Ending the call he knew Naruto couldn't he proceeded to call 911, he had to get an ambulance to Naruto's location. Neji's eyes darkened and he advanced on Sasuke.
"Oh that's right, I told Naruto I had to thank you next I saw you because really if you hadn't asked him not to hurt me he wouldn't have been hesitating and unconsciously restraining himself so thank you Sasuke, thank you." Neji said.
Sasuke almost dropped the phone at the thought this all wouldn't be happening if he had just kept his mouth shut.
Neji backed Sasuke up against the wall and Sasuke had just barely been able to tell the woman on the other line that Naruto was injured and needed an ambulance and the address of where he was before Neji had knocked the phone out of his hand, sufficiently ending the conversation. Neji then easily pinned Sasuke to the wall and was just starting to force himself on Sasuke when Kakashi entered the room.
"Hey I just came too—Sasuke!" Kakashi exclaimed seeing Sasuke struggling against Neji and immediately intervened and pulled Neji off him and restraining him.
"What's going on here?" Kakashi demanded.
"Get lost, you're not wanted here." Neji said.
Kakashi's eyes darkened, "I do believe this is not your property and therefore you do not have the authority to kick me out. Sasuke, are you alright?"
"No, no I'm not." Sasuke said sinking to the floor.
"Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked suddenly. There's no way Naruto would have allowed this, which would have to mean...
"H-He's at my place and I, I don't think he's alright." Sasuke said barely above a whisper.
Kakashi's eye widened before narrowing on the man in his grip and demanded, "What is Naruto's condition?"
"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, Sasuke did just call the police after all, he's in no life or death situation." Neji said grudgingly. Kakashi then proceeded to lock him in Naruto's washroom, where there were no windows. Then he went back over to Sasuke once he was sure Neji wouldn't be getting out.
"Sasuke, it's going to be alright," Kakashi said, "Naruto's tough, it takes a lot to take him down. He'll be begging to leave the hospital by tomorrow morning, I'm sure."
"This is all my fault." Sasuke muttered sadly.
"Don't be ridiculous Sasuke, this isn't in any way your fault." Kakashi said.
"Yes, it is! If I hadn't asked Naruto not to hurt Neji, Naruto would have won and he wouldn't be..." Sasuke said his voice shrinking with every word.
He looked to be on the verge of crying. This took Kakashi aback, he was certain the only people Sasuke had ever openly showed such emotion with were Naruto and Neji so for him to look like this in front of Kakashi meant he was extremely upset. When Kakashi thought about it though Naruto always seemed to have this sixth sense when it came to Sasuke, he swore whenever Sasuke was upset Naruto knew about it before Sasuke could even turn up on his door step. It was amazing really. Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't here to make Sasuke feel better right now.
"You're being stupid Sasuke, it's not your fault Naruto finds it difficult to break his promises to you," Kakashi said, "Naruto would say the same thing and you know it."
"When does Naruto ever really blame me for something," Sasuke said, "It's like I can't do anything wrong in his eyes."
"I wouldn't be surprised if that were true besides," Kakashi said, "Naruto would hate to see you so upset, so he'd find a way to make it not your fault even if it was."
Sasuke couldn't help but smile at that because he just knew it was true.
"Why couldn't I have fallen for someone like Naruto?" Sasuke asked no one in particular.
"I don't know Sasuke." Kakashi said with this sad look in his eye. Sasuke assumed Kakashi thought it was unfortunate that Sasuke fell for someone like Neji but somehow that just seemed off to him.
"Don't forget though, Naruto will always stand by your side no matter what." Kakashi said.
"Yeah," Sasuke said with a small smile.
Kakashi had come to realise that talking about Naruto helped bring his spirits up. It really wasn't much of a surprise though seeing as he had always been a comfort in the past. He was always someone Sasuke could depend on, he was there, solid, secure. Something Sasuke would always be able to fall back on.
"Come on, let's go to the hospital so we can see Naruto once he's allowed visitors. I'll call the police on the way to tell them about what happened here, alright?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke was on his feet at the first mention of seeing Naruto and was already making his way to the door when Kakashi had finished. Kakashi pulled out his phone and called the police making his way to the car with Sasuke and explained what had happened, the officer told Kakashi that they should stay where they are, Kakashi apologised and said he couldn't do that, that a friend of theirs had been attacked earlier, telling the man that a call had already been made earlier for that situation before the attack he was calling in now happened and that they were going to be at the hospital to be sure to see him once they were allowed.
The man on the other line was arguing with Kakashi and telling him he could not do that, but Kakashi cut across him and said that they were already gone and on their way to the hospital and then gave the man a quick goodbye and hung up on him.
Once at the hospital they sat in the waiting room, it was one of those ones where people went off to when waiting to see a loved one. Sasuke had his knees up in the fetal position, rocking himself back and forth on the couch staring at the ground. Kakashi solemnly hoped that they would be allowed to see Naruto soon or at least get some news that he was going to be just fine, that would probably help Sasuke out a lot.
By the time they were allowed to see Naruto and they had been interrogated on both incidents they had to wait again because Naruto had woken up and was being questioned on what had happened. Once that was done Sasuke and Kakashi entered the room and Sasuke was desperately trying to restrain himself from tackling Naruto and sobbing onto his shoulder.
Naruto looked over at Sasuke and smiled making a gesture for him to come closer with his good arm. Sasuke obediently walked over to him. Once he was close enough Naruto reached out and pulled Sasuke down onto the bed next to him. He put his arm around him and told him to stop sulking. Sasuke didn't say anything he just reached out and clenched onto Naruto's shirt burying his face into Naruto's neck as his sobs broke free.
After Sasuke had calmed down Naruto finally acknowledged that Kakashi was in the room.
"Hey Kakashi, don't s'pose I could convince you to not tell Iruka about this huh?" Naruto asked.
"Afraid not, for the reward later is too great." Kakashi smirked.
"Wow, I'm being sold out for sex." Naruto chuckled.
"Now, I never said that." Kakashi said.
"I do believe it's called 'reading between the lines'." Naruto grinned.
"Yes, we've established that the both of you are prevents," Sasuke said, "Can we move on now?"
Kakashi and Naruto both laughed and then Kakashi said he was going to call Iruka now and left the room.
"So, Neji didn't hurt you right?" Naruto asked Sasuke all of a sudden.
"No, Kakashi showed up before he could do anything." Sasuke said from his spot on the bed.
"That's good. So anyway, you need to stop sulking." Naruto said.
"Che, I'm not sulking." Sasuke said.
"Yeah, and I don't love you." Naruto said sarcastically without thinking that sentence through.
"What?" Sasuke said surging upward to stare at him shocked. He now understood the look Kakashi had given him earlier when he mentioned wishing he fell for someone like Naruto.
"Aheh, did I say I don't love you? I meant to say I love you." Naruto said nervously.
"Naruto..." Sasuke said.
"Heh, yeah?" Naruto asked.
"I... when?" Sasuke asked not being able to say anything coherent.
"You know, I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto said looking anywhere but at Sasuke.
"Yes you do," Sasuke growled, "And we both know that you're trying to cover it up and failing at it might I add."
Naruto was saved—for now anyway—from the awkward situation by Kakashi walking back into the room. He informed them that Iruka was on his way here. Naruto had the expected reaction of groaning and making a complaint of how it all was just so unfair. Sasuke, as anyone would have expected, said nothing to this but Kakashi noticed that he was staring intently at Naruto and how unpleased he looked. Obviously, something had happened while he was on the phone with Iruka.
"...Should I leave you two alone?" Kakashi asked.
"No, why would you have to do that?" Naruto asked.
Okay, he knew he was being an ass to Sasuke right now but could you really blame him? He'd just let slip to his best friend, who just so happened to be grieving over his psychotic cheating boyfriend, that he was in love with him. Yeah, he could so see that going over well. And really, what was he supposed to say to said best friend? Was he supposed to say 'oh yeah, I've been in love with you since the 6th grade but by the time I had the gull to tell you I found out you liked Neji so I silently let my heart be torn to pieces as you told me about how happy you were and how you were in love with him and seeing you two together in public because he made you happy.' Yeah, that was just a no. So yes he had no idea what to tell his best friend and so yes he was avoiding the conversation to come.
"I think you should." Sasuke said with a frown, his eyes never leaving Naruto. Naruto was still pointedly avoiding looking at him but he could still feel Sasuke's intense stare. He would be squirming profusely if it wouldn't have hurt so much. He said absolutely nothing to Sasuke's contradictive comment.
"Er, I'll come back when Iruka shows up... and I'll be sure to knock first." Kakashi said.
When he saw Naruto nod, which he really hadn't expected all things considered, he left the room. Naruto gulped, he was internally crying at this point and panicking like crazy.
"How long Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
"...A while." Naruto offered.
"More specifically," Sasuke hissed.
"...You know, before now." Naruto said.
Really, he wasn't doing this to be an ass, he just wasn't comfortable with telling Sasuke this.
"Well, why the hell didn't you ever tell me?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto just gave him a look that said it's-obvious-think-about-it because he didn't think he could answer that with words in a very nice way and Sasuke didn't deserve any attitude from him.
"Still, you could have told me then at least... at least I wouldn't have went on about our relationship." Sasuke said.
"It made you happy Sasuke, so why would I do that?" Naruto said staring moodily out the window.
"Do you think I'm happy now?" Sasuke yelled.
"Oh yeah because I had so planned this part to ever happen," Naruto said sarcastically.
"God, I really can't believe you sometimes!" Sasuke said standing up.
"Goddamn it Sasuke, I've been perfectly happy with my life! You were happy and that's all that mattered, that along with your safety is all that's ever mattered to me okay? I'm content with my life, I've accepted it, I accepted it when you told me you liked Neji all those years ago!" Naruto yelled.
There was a sudden silence between them. Sasuke didn't know what to say and Naruto just waiting.
"Would you really never have told me?" Sasuke asked sounding hurt as he crashed into a chair leaning over and putting his face in his hands.
"Sasuke I just... I didn't want to complicate things between you and Neji, so I don't know, maybe, I never really thought much about it ever actually happening," Naruto paused then, "It's not like I didn't want to or anything because god, I swear I did."
Sasuke thought back to when he'd told Naruto he liked Neji. How he'd told him he'd missed his chance and he wasn't going to let Sasuke miss his. He hadn't really lost his chance had he? No, he'd just thought he did because Sasuke had to open his mouth and tell him about Neji. He just assumed that Sasuke didn't like him that way and to be honest he'd never thought of him that way. At the time if he'd had to choose to date either Neji or Naruto the result would have been the same. Sasuke knew that, it just sucked. He wished, oh he wished he'd fallen for Naruto.
Sasuke got up and Naruto looked up at him, eyes filled with concern. Sasuke didn't really look at Naruto's eyes as he came over and laid down wrapping an arm around the blonde's neck and pulling himself closer and burying his face in Naruto's neck again like he had earlier. Naruto's arm was immediately around him, holding him against him.
"I don't know what to do anymore Naruto," Sasuke said, "I'm so used to turning to you, to falling on you and... and I..."
"Keep coming Sasuke, keeping falling on me, it's okay really it is," Naruto said, "Even if I can't be with you I don't want anything to change, anything."
Sasuke just nodded his head against Naruto's neck and stayed there, immobile. And then, there was a knock on the door and Kakashi and Iruka entered the room.