A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I'm out of town and haven't had a lot of time!
Intensity
The chronometer on the wall said it was eight am when Sasuke woke the next morning. He felt infinitely better, the pain in his hands lessened to a dull ache. They were stiff, but the stabbing pain was gone. All the wires and tubes were gone, too, save for the saline IV. Which was good, because he had to pee in a really bad way. Easing his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up and was pleased to find his legs supported him without shaking. He hurried to the bathroom, pushing the IV pole along with him, and closed the door.
Only to be confronted with a new problem. His bandaged hands were stiff enough he couldn't really grip anything. Not the waistband of his scrub pants, not the lid on the toilet. But he managed to sort of wedge his fingers under the toilet lid and push up, doing the same for the scrubs.
Holding himself to take a much-needed piss, however, was out of the question. The absurdity made him snort a sardonic laugh. The anxious complaints of his bladder convinced him sitting was fine, and he managed.
When he finished, he extracted a sanitary wipe from the small dispenser on the bathroom counter and wiped his fingers as best he could. When he walked back out, Kakashi was perched on the chair still by the bed, reading one of his questionable adult books.
"Good morning," he said without looking up as Sasuke made his way back to the bed. "Shizune will be here in a minute to check your hands, then I think we should be able to get you out of here." He finally lifted his eye from the pages of his book. "You look a lot better, kiddo."
Lowering himself onto the edge of the bed, Sasuke studied his guardian's masked face. He could hear a wealth of relief and affection in the man's tone, and it warmed him. "I feel better," he murmured. Then his curiosity wouldn't let it go unanswered any longer. "Are you really going to put the other band on yourself?"
"Yes," Kakashi replied. "It will benefit you to spar with a properly trained Controller, since you learn best by example. Tsunade has taken an interest in Naruto, as well."
"Really?" Sasuke said, more to be polite than because he cared. "Why?" Okay, maybe I am a little curious.
"She would be the next Hokage if anything happened to our current," Kakashi replied, "and I guess she figured she would help out her successor."
Sasuke snorted. "As if that dobe could be Hokage."
Kakashi chuckled. "You might be surprised. He could have exactly what it takes."
His tone of voice gave Sasuke pause. After a moment he asked, "Iruka knew Naruto from Konohagakure. Did you?"
"Nope," Kakashi answered. "I went to the capitol city with your family, so I never met Kushina's kid."
A ghost of a memory threaded through Sasuke's mind. Naruto said the circumstances of his parents' deaths were strange. At the time he hadn't thought much of it. "How did his parents die?" he found himself asking.
Kakashi shook his head. "Ask him. It's a deeply personal story, one I'm sure he finds very painful. Not unlike your own."
Sasuke looked away, hearing the unspoken insinuation. In other words, I wouldn't want people talking about me behind my back, so I shouldn't ask about him behind his.
Shizune opened the recovery room door, then, entering with a smile. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun. You're looking much more alert this morning. Feeling better?"
"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "Ready to get out of here."
She laughed softly. "I'm sure. No one likes infirmaries. I guess that makes me pretty unpopular."
"You need a bigger chest," Kakashi offered. "Like Tsunade."
Sasuke coughed lightly to cover his sudden embarrassment while Shizune gave the man a frosty look. Then she strode to the bed and deliberately turned her back to him.
"Let's get these bandages off and see how the healing's coming along," she said, voice warm. "Tsunade-sama herself used a healing jutsu, and there is no Shinobi anywhere more skilled than her."
Sasuke held his hands still while she unwrapped and discarded the bandages. To his surprise, the damage was already more than half healed. Clean pink scabs already covered the wounds. Shizune probed them with gentle fingers before making a sound of satisfaction.
"Healing nicely. There won't even be any scars."
She reached into the pocket of her white coat and pulled out a tin. A pungent aroma filled Sasuke's nose as she carefully rubbed the pale green gel over the wounds. Then she massaged the gel into his palms and each joint on each finger. When she was done, significant mobility had been restored, and Sasuke slowly flexed his hands into fists.
"Good," Shizune said. She began re-wrapping them in clean bandages. "I'll remove them tomorrow, then you should be fine. I'd also like to run one more blood test to make sure the clotting factors in your blood are normal, then you can get out of here. No sparring today."
Sasuke quickly calculated the time before nodding. It had been more than twelve hours since he'd taken Poison, it would be fully metabolized by now. He didn't fail to see Kakashi watching him closely. Sasuke pretended not to notice. As Shizune headed out, ostensibly to get what she needed, he heard a familiar voice.
"Hi, Shizune-san!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Good morning," she replied.
Sasuke had never been so glad to see the idiot. Potentially awkward situation with Kakashi: avoided.
"Hi, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said as he trotted into the room with altogether too much cheer.
Seriously, was there ever a second when this idiot wasn't full of energy and beaming that mega-watt smile?
"Yo, Naruto-kun," Kakashi replied. "You don't get to play hooky from class a second day, I'm afraid. Sasuke will be going back, too."
"Damn," Naruto said with a gusty sigh. "I wouldn't have minded one more day. But I'm glad to see you looking so much like your normal self, Sasuke! Who knew I'd ever be glad to see the frigid bastard, ne?"
The words should have rankled, and they were definitely deserving of a venomous barb in reply. But something about Naruto's face distracted Sasuke. The blonde had a sort of knowing gleam in his eye. It was different from anything Sasuke had ever seen in his countenance, and it put his guard up.
What are you up to, usuratonkachi?
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto drawled, "mind if me and Sasuke talk alone for a sec? Just want to ask him about something real quick."
"Sure," Kakashi said easily, standing up. "When Shizune's done, Sasuke, go ahead and head back to your room. Get dressed, go get some breakfast. You've been cooped up long enough." As he passed, he ruffled Sasuke's black hair. "You've gained a little weight. I'm glad."
As soon as he was gone, Naruto turned on the full power of his fox grin. "Ne, Sasuke. Have any good dreams last night?"
Highly suspicious of both his tone and that stupid grin, Sasuke glared up at him. "No. What do you want, idiot?"
"You sure about that?" Naruto insisted. "Any drug-induced fantasies?"
It was such a dumb line of questioning it kind of put Sasuke's back up. "You ever broken a bone and had to be on morphine?" he asked, pleased by how even his voice remained. At Naruto's nod, "Well, can you remember anything that happened while high? It's the same with Poison, dobe."
"Hmm. So you can't remember a particularly . . . pleasant dream? Because thanks to this band, I do." Naruto tapped the metal still around his wrist.
"Good for you," Sasuke grunted.
Moving so quickly Sasuke didn't even really register it, Naruto plopped down beside him and buried his nose in Sasuke's hair. "Don't you want to know what I was doing in your dream, Sasu-ke? Or should I say, who?"
The combination of unexpected touch and even more unexpected words made Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise. He felt heat rising in his cheeks and shoved Naruto back with a hand right over the idiot's face. "Like I would ever dream something like that, moron."
The blonde laughed, licking Sasuke's finger. Seriously licked it. Yelping, Sasuke yanked back and glared at the blonde.
"You're blushing, Sasu-ke."
The way he said his name, with that sort of lilting hitch in the middle, made Sasuke feel strange. Where the hell was Shizune, and why was she taking so long? Why did he have to be alone with this idiot who was giving him such a weird look? Why was he suddenly leaning backward, heartbeat picking up speed and fluttering madly in his ribcage? And why the fuck was Naruto leaning forward?
And when the fuck had his stupid grin been replaced with a small but arrogant smirk? And why the fuck was it (just the tiniest, minutest little bit) sexy?
And why wasn't he trying to pull away?
The door opened. In the blink of an eye Sasuke put twelve inches of space between himself and a certain blonde idiot. Shizune smiled at them both as she moved to Sasuke's side.
"I'll just take a sample," she said, "then you can go. I'm sure you'd like a hot shower and clean clothes."
Nodding, Sasuke obediently held up his arm. She inserted the needle, and Sasuke looked away. He hated the color red. He was so used to needles he barely even felt it anymore, and ten seconds later she withdrew it.
"There," she said, slipping the syringe into her coat pocket. "You're all clear. Those bandages will keep water off your injuries, so you can take a shower. Remember, no sparring today. And try not to overdo it if you decide to practice chakra exercises."
Sasuke nodded again, gratefully standing. He ignored Naruto as he grabbed the clean uniform Kakashi had brought him. He continued to ignore the blonde as he went into the bathroom and changed. His hands barely protested. Naruto was still there when he came back out, wearing that extremely obnoxious (and not sexy, damn it) smirk.
"Want me to wash your back?" he asked.
Sasuke blinked, somewhat taken aback by this incredibly changed (and forward) behavior. He couldn't think of any catalyst. Sure, the guy had been a bit fixated on Sasuke, but that was hardly surprising. Sasuke was considered one of the five best Coordinators of this year, and he was an Uchiha. His Sharingan would be coveted by nearly any Controller.
But this . . . this was new. This was a kind of interest Sasuke couldn't remember anyone ever directing at him. This was more intense, more focused, more . . . predatory.
It was unsettling. But even more unsettling than the interest itself was how it didn't feel unwanted. It didn't make Sasuke angry or make him want to punch the idiot in the mouth. It made him uncertain, nervous even. But it was a different kind of anxiety than fearing Kakashi might find out about his drug use.
It was a fluttery kind of nervousness in the pit of his stomach, light and . . .
Realizing he'd been silent for almost six seconds, Sasuke forced himself to refocus. "No, idiot," he managed in a fairly normal tone.
And took a startled step backward when the blonde loomed instantly into his personal space. When the hell had he started moving so fast!
"You sure?" Naruto purred, so close his nose was almost touching Sasuke's. "I have it on good authority I'm great with my hands."
Sasuke could feel himself blushing, and he shoved past Naruto so the idiot wouldn't see. "I'm going. If you want to spend time with me so bad, I'll meet you in the cafeteria for breakfast. Half an hour."
He could feel the idiot's pleased fox grin all the way out of the infirmary.
~o0o~
Naruto couldn't stop grinning as he made his way around the student dorms, rounding up Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. He didn't know yet what to make of the lavender-eyed Coordinator, she seemed awfully shy and could barely make eye contact with him for one second before blushing and looking away. But Sakura and Ino seemed to like her, so she was okay by Naruto.
As they neared the cafeteria, Naruto feeling giddy over the prospect of Sasuke joining soon, he heard someone call his name.
"Naruto!"
Already grinning, Naruto turned and beckoned to Suigetsu. "Hey. Come have breakfast with us. Sasuke's gonna be along soon."
In the last week or so, Naruto had gotten to know the other "princes of The Academy". He liked Suigetsu a lot, and he didn't particularly mind Gaara either. In fact, the only one he didn't like at all was Neji. That guy had a stick the size of a building shoved up his ass.
"Sweet," Suigetsu said. "When you two gonna be released from your sentence? I was promised a spar with you in gun form. I don't like not getting what I want."
Naruto snorted. "Few more days."
"Hi, Suigetsu," Ino chirped, linking her arm through his. "You can partner again with me. You're a lot of fun."
"You're not too bad yourself," Suigetsu returned, winking at her before outrageously waggling his eyebrows.
Ino laughed and tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder. "Handsome devil."
Pleased by this comfortable atmosphere, the group got their breakfast and sat down. Less than thirty seconds later, Suigetsu waved Gaara over. Who surprised Naruto by pushing Choji to the side so he could sit by Naruto. The redhead leaned closer to Naruto, speaking for his ears alone.
"Thank you."
Blinking, startled, Naruto looked at him. "For what?"
"Being there for him."
"Yo, Gaara!" Suigetsu said from Naruto's other side. "Let's you and me team up with the girls and go head-to-head! Me and Ino against you and Sakura. Whaddaya say?"
Gaara just nodded, tucking slowly into his pancakes.
Naruto ogled him for a few more seconds before Kiba abruptly kicked him under the table.
"Oi, birdbrain."
"What!"
Kiba smirked, nodding to Hinata. "She asked if you'd like to partner with her."
"Oh," Naruto said, flashing her his fox grin. "I'd love to, but rain check?" He held up his left hand. "This band prevents me from partnering with anyone except Sasuke. But I get to take it off in a few days, then I'm all yours!"
Which made her blush madly.
"There he is!" Suigetsu said, waving. "Over here, Sasuke!"
Sasuke wore a very mellow expression as he brought his tray to the table, and Gaara made room for him between himself and Naruto. Somehow, it felt as if the quiet (but damn intense) redhead was giving Naruto his approval. Completely unable to control the impulse, Naruto grinned and leaned toward Sasuke to once more bury his nose in that raven hair. It was soft and clean, now.
"Mm, you smell nice," he murmured.
Sasuke pulled out of reach, but he did so slowly. The glare he gave Naruto was weak at best.
"It's lavender," Suigetsu explained. "Gaara gives it to him."
"Actually," Sasuke corrected primly, taking a rather dainty bite of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, "it's Gaara's shampoo. I just always use it."
"You've got good taste," Naruto said, nodding, wrestling with the ridiculous urge to grab Sasuke and smooch him.
It's kinda weird, right? I mean, I thought he was cute and all, and I really wanted to get closer to him and stuff so we bond at the end of the year. But I never really thought of him like that until I knew he liked me. And now he was having all kinds of new thoughts.
Thoughts like, what would it feel like to kiss Sasuke? What would it taste like? What would it be like to touch him? To hear his voice? Would Sasuke gasp and moan? Or would he be stoic and quiet? Had he ever had sex before, or would Naruto be his first?
Naruto realized he was kind of acting like a hunter with a fawn in his sights. First, he had to get Sasuke to admit to liking him.
Not that there was any doubt. For starters, Sasuke hadn't protested sitting next to him. Nor did he protest how close they were currently sitting with shoulders brushing. And he hasn't once complained about all the other times I've touched him, Naruto remembered. He'd simply been trying to get Sasuke used to the idea of companionship.
If his actions had other, more pleasant side effects, well so much the better!
An animated discussion about their various sparring experiences had started up in the group. Naruto quickly threw in, eagerly detailing his and Sasuke's battle against Kakashi. He was particularly keen to brag about Sasuke.
"He was awesome!" he concluded. "If I'd been a little more patient, we would have won for sure."
Sasuke, who'd been watching him throughout his narrative, gave him a sort of flat look. "No, we wouldn't have. It would just have delayed the inevitable. I doubt we even lasted two minutes."
"Kakashi's an impressive Controller," Gaara said in a thoughtful tone.
"I wonder what he looks like under that mask of his," Sakura said. "I bet he's handsome."
"Do you think if we asked, he'd let us see?" Ino added, looking at Sasuke.
Who just shrugged. "Probably not."
The rest of breakfast passed pleasantly, putting Naruto in a very good mood by the time morning classes started. He reluctantly parted ways with Sasuke, who promised (along with Gaara and Suigetsu) to meet him and his friends in the cafeteria for lunch before getting in more sparring. It felt like a very good thing, befriending Suigetsu and Gaara. Maybe he could convince them there had to be a better way to help Sasuke than drugs.
And a better way to help themselves.
~*o0o*~
After classes were over for the day, Sasuke set about trying to find Neji. He didn't get very far before Naruto found him, instead.
"Sasu-ke!" he called. "Where you going? Wherever it is, knock it off. Let's go outside and enjoy the sun. It's still nice and warm."
Sasuke opened his mouth in automatic protest, but for some reason his heart wasn't in it. "Okay."
The blonde blinked. "Really? Giving up without a fight?" He leaned dangerously close. "I'm gonna start thinking you like me, Sasu-chan."
He started swinging before he remembered his hands. Pulling the blow, Sasuke glared at him.
Which made the idiot start chuckling. "Heh, guess it's my lucky day, Sasu-chan. You can't hit me with your hands like -"
Shifting his weight to one foot, Sasuke kicked him in the gut. So hard the moron doubled over, arms clenched around his stomach as he tried to breathe. "It's my lucky day too," Sasuke mused. "It's way more satisfying kicking you." He strode past Naruto.
Moments later, strong arms wrapped around his upper chest. A broad body plastered itself to his back. "You're such an asshole!" Naruto wheezed. "Kicking a guy when his guard is down!"
Sasuke shuddered when the breath behind those words fanned, warm and pleasant, over his ear. "Would you stop being so obnoxious for ten minutes?" he demanded, pleased by the steadiness of his voice.
"Me? Obnoxious?" Naruto protested. "I'm offended."
"I rather doubt it," Sasuke said dryly. "Get off, already. I thought you wanted to go outside."
To his relief, Naruto released him to trot at his side. Unnecessarily close. "Yanno," he commented, "I really like Gaara and Suigetsu. How did you three meet?"
"I met Gaara when I was . . . about seven, I guess," Sasuke said, a little surprised. Few people liked Gaara. Found him too intimidating. "He lived in the capital city, too. I met Suigetsu at an Uchiha clan gathering maybe two years later. His mother married a distant cousin of my father's. We all became friends easily and naturally. Most adults who knew us couldn't understand why we liked Gaara, though."
"Hm, dunno why," Naruto said, folding his hands behind his head. "Sure, he's a little intense. But he's obviously pretty damn smart. The kind of guy you'd want to have your back, yanno?"
Sasuke gave him a sideways glance. "I do."
"And Neji?" Naruto asked. "How'd you meet that guy?"
Making it perfectly obvious he didn't like Neji. But you like Gaara and Suigetsu? Sasuke found it strange. "The Hyugas and Uchihas are both old, prominent clans who've always been charged by the Hokage to protect the Imperial country and its people," he said absently. "Why don't you like him?"
Naruto frowned at him. "What makes you think I don't like him?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Please. Subtlety is hardly your strongest point."
With a ridiculously thoughtful expression, Naruto folded his arms and nodded. "I'm an honest sort."
"You're an idiot."
With a suddenness that left Sasuke dizzy, he was tangled up in Naruto's arms. "You don't really think that, do you?" Naruto said, low and soft, their faces altogether too close. "If you did, you wouldn't give me the time of day. Right, Sasu-ke? You'd ignore me."
Perhaps subtlety wasn't Sasuke's strong point, either. Why did he feel so helpless? His emotions and thoughts all snarled together in an inextricable mess, and he couldn't sort them out enough to come up with a response. An excuse. All that came out was a faint, "You're still an idiot."
Just fucking great. That may as well have been a confession.
Clearly, the same thought occurred to Naruto, because that (not sexy, damn it) grin came back. "Thought so." He unwound the embrace, but he didn't release Sasuke, keeping one hand around the other teen's wrist and breaking into an easy jog. "C'mon already, I want to enjoy the sun before it sets!"
It was a beautiful evening, to be sure, and once outside Sasuke allowed it to calm him. Naruto led the way across the grounds until he found what he must have felt was the perfect spot. Only then did he release Sasuke, and the raven waited for the blonde to sit first before folding himself down a safe-ish distance away.
"So you didn't answer how you met that guy," Naruto said, leaning back against the tree and folding his hands behind his head.
"And you didn't answer why you don't like him," Sasuke retorted.
The blonde closed his eyes. "Fair enough. You answer mine, I'll answer yours."
Curious about Naruto's thoughts, Sasuke shrugged and got comfortable. "All right. Like I said, our clans have known each other for generations. My father served alongside Neji's father. I met Neji when I was just a tiny kid, but I never really got to know him until I was older. Ten, maybe. We didn't really become friends right away. I thought he was stuck up. But my father instructed me to get along since likely we'd work together in the future."
Sasuke sighed, flopping down into the grass on his belly, propping himself up on his elbows. "Even so, I still avoided him. He really intimidated me. And he told me once I was spoiled and lazy." He snorted. "I guess I kinda was. I got a lot of attention from my family, especially my mother and brother, so I just sorta expected everyone to treat me like that. When he didn't, well. I was a kid." He shrugged again.
Then the good mood evaporated. "But after . . ."
When he faltered, Naruto gently inserted, "After that night?"
Sasuke shot him a quick look, ready to snap he didn't need pity, but Naruto's eyes were still closed. He sighed again. "Yeah. Neji was really there for me. He was the only person, aside from Gaara and Suigetsu, who didn't treat me differently. He still pushed me, still demanded excellence. I just . . . sorta came to lean on him. And when the memories would get too . . . close, he always tried to find ways to take my mind off it."
"Like drugs?" Naruto asked softly, and this time he did open his eyes to level Sasuke with an intense gaze.
Uncomfortable, Sasuke looked away. "Yeah, but like I said, it was my idea. He refused, at first. But one night when he and Gaara walked in to find me with a knife . . ." Biting his tongue, Sasuke struggled with the shame and guilt until it choked him.
A warm hand squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, you won't find any judgment here, Sasuke."
The raven Coordinator glared at the Controller. "Like hell. You've made it abundantly clear you don't approve of my nasty little habit."
Naruto returned the glare, watt for watt. "I don't like it because it's not a solution, and drugs are poison. That shit you take is aptly named, I'll say that for it. I don't judge, and you know it."
Sasuke held his gaze, this time. "Is that why you don't like Neji? You blame him?"
Rolling his eyes, Naruto leaned back again and closed them. "I don't like Neji because he's a superior asshole. He looks at you like you're this sad little wreck who would be lost without him. Like he alone holds the key to your salvation, and it's through a drug that will kill you. That's why I don't like him."
Surprised by the venom in the other teen's voice, Sasuke looked over at him in silence for several long moments. Finally, "But he's done nothing to you."
"He's done to my Coordinator."
Sasuke blinked. Then rolled his eyes and shifted onto his side, back to Naruto. "I'm not your Coordinator, idiot."
For a time, neither said a word. Sasuke mulled over Naruto's comments, confused by them. Just when he'd about decided to bring it up again, he heard Naruto sit up and scoot closer to him.
"Ne, Sasuke," Naruto said, "something's been bothering me. Itachi killed pretty much your whole family, right?"
Sasuke's entire body tensed, anger immediately flaring at the idiot for deliberately poking an open wound. "You know he did," he gritted.
"How?"
Clenching his hands into fists, oblivious to the pain, Sasuke forced himself to remain still. "How what?"
"How did he manage to kill so many people without anyone lifting a finger to stop him?"
The anger fizzled away. It was just too wearying. He unclenched his fists and ignored the pain. "Not all of them were Shinobi," he replied dully, "and those who were turned out to be helpless against a rare but deadly Uchiha clan ability."
Strong hands abruptly curled around his own, stroking over his bandaged knuckles. "You made yourself bleed," the blonde said quietly, then lips pressed to Sasuke's temple. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
Lifting one shoulder in a rather awkward shrug, Sasuke just shook his head. "It isn't some huge secret."
Another short pause. "What was the ability?"
"A version of Sharingan," Sasuke answered. "A much, much stronger version. He . . . he used it on me that night, too." Hatred, raw and poisonous, surged up inside him. "I have no idea why he was so cruel, but when I find him again, I plan to make him tell me."
"And then what?" Naruto asked, low and cautious.
"I'll kill him," Sasuke hissed, grinding his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Then maybe he would finally be freed of this constant agony.
A heavy weight settled on his back, pushing him down into the grass as arms curled around him. "I guess I can't change your mind," Naruto murmured, "so when the time comes, I'll help you however I can."
Startled, Sasuke pushed against Naruto until he managed to roll over onto his back so he could stare up at the blonde. "Why? It has nothing to do with you."
Blue eyes, bluer than the clearest tropical waters, regarded him with naked emotion. "Because that's what Controllers do for their Coordinators."
The honesty, the caring, the concern in those words were so unexpectedly disarming Sasuke actually felt his eyes sting. Horrified, he grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt and yanked him down into a rough embrace so Naruto couldn't look at his face. "Idiot!" he breathed. "You're such a fucking idiot, Naruto."
A quiet chuckle as Naruto embraced him in return. "Yeah. I really am."
But, Sasuke thought as he desperately hoped Naruto couldn't feel him trembling, so am I. So am I.