Disclaimer: The characters and concepts of Naruto don't belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners and creators. Lyrics are from "Harbor" by Vienna Teng

Warnings: Yaoi, swearing, violence and other scenes which may offend some readers. Please don't read if this type of thing isn't your cup of tea.

See Authors Notes at the end!

Chapter 26: These Words

You've got a journey to make

There's your horizon to chase

So go far beyond where we stand

No matter the distance

I'm holding your hand

Sasuke was going to kill him.

Naruto stared dazedly up at the slate gray sky above him and tried to breathe again. He was badly winded, and a horrible ache had taken a hold of his body, the kind that you got straight after you got thrown from a horse as he had just been.

Sora had taken off at the frantic gallop, not doubt on the other side of the jumping paddock. That was her whinnying he could hear.

The sound was soon drowned out by the thundering of hooves on hard packed ground.

Yup, he was doomed.

But before he could linger on that, a sharp, white hot pain seized his back in a vice like grip. He bit into his lip to stop himself from crying out as the pain swept through him in waves.

Just what he needed. They were barely weeks out from the show and he'd managed to get himself thrown from one of the biggest horses in the stable.

They'd finally made progress with her jumping, and she was showing an aptitude for the sport once she had gotten over her initial fears. He'd been taking her over a fancy jumping course he and Sasuke had designed, in order to test her readiness for the show. They'd watched Sasuke and Taira fly over the course with an ease that was enviable. Sasuke made it look so easy and elegant, as if it were as natural to him as breathing.

It wasn't, that was for sure. He'd learned that the hard way. Sora had been doing fine up until they'd reached the small water obstacle they'd devised. He'd lined her up and checked her in as he always did. They'd launched into the air but at the last second she had panicked and refused the jump, twisting sideways in order to avoid the fence. Naruto had been taken unaware and unprepared and had gone flying from her back.

And there he was, lying flat on the ground and unable to move from the horrible, stabbing pains in his back.

Sasuke was there in seconds, jumping off Taira's back and falling to his knees before Naruto's side.

"Naruto? Are you hurt?" Sasuke's strained voice made him open his eyes once more and try to smile.

"I've been better," he managed to gasp through the pain.

"Kakashi's on his way and he's sent for help," Sasuke said calmly, although the grip he had on Naruto's hand was painfully tight.

That was okay though, because it meant Naruto could squeeze right back against the pain in his back. He didn't need a doctor to tell him that it was bad. People broke all sorts of bones horse riding, and backs were easy to damage.

"Can you tell me where it hurts?" Sasuke's hand was on his forehead, stroking his hair back from his skin.

"Back," he whispered, closing his eyes to block out the look on Sasuke's face.

"You're going to be fine Naruto," Sasuke whispered. "Help's on the way."

Before he could reply, Kakashi was kneeling on his other side.

"It's his back," Sasuke told him quietly. "He hurt it when he landed."

"Naruto, can you open your eyes for me?" Kakashi asked, taking his wrist and measuring his pulse.

He did so, squinting out the light from the sky above. The pain had receded a little, and if he tried not to move then it kept getting a little better by the moment.

"That's good. Can you tell me if anything else hurts?"

"I can't feel anything else," he replied.

Noticing the dismayed glances they shot each other he was quick to reassure them.

"I just meant that my back hurts too much. I can still feel me legs and feet." he elaborated. "I don't think I need to go to the hospital. Just get me to my bed and I'll be fine."

"Nice try," Kakashi said dryly. "You know the protocol with any falls, Naruto."

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes once more. "I know."

His whole body was throbbing as a matter of fact, and his back didn't hurt unless he moved. He was going to have some impressive bruises that was for sure.

"Your nose is bleeding," Sasuke said suddenly.

He opened his eyes to see him pull a tissue from somewhere and hold it briefly under his nose.

"Ah. Here they are," Kakashi murmured, looking off up the feild.

Naruto closed his eyes again, knowing that Sasuke and Kakashi would look after him. He was suddenly exhausted and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and drift off, but Sasuke grip tightened on his hand.

"Stay awake, Naruto," he murmured. "Don't sleep."

" 'm awake," he reassured him.

It was probably a good thing that Sasuke was so good at disguising his emotions. He and Kakashi were both calm and controlled in such a situation, and although he knew that he could be in big trouble, their professionalism gave him the strength to stay calm despite the pain.

"Is he okay?" he distantly heard Tenten's voice demanding, but her voice came from far away, as if she was calling from the end of a tunnel.

"He'll be fine," Kakashi said. "I need you and Kiba to get Taira and Sora to the stables. Genma, get that back board over here and do your thing. It's a good thing you were a paramedic, because we need to get him inside before it starts to pour on us."

"Raidou's calling an ambulance...."

That was the last he heard before he fell into oblivion.

"You'd better wake up soon or I'm going to be really angry with you." a voice stated from somewhere nearby.

He managed to pry his eyes open and stared up at the unfamiliar white ceiling in confusion. He didn't hurt anymore, which was a good thing. And he felt warm and dry, so he was obviously out of the field.

"There you are."

Sasuke's face appeared above his bed, a small smile on his face. If he was smiling, then it couldn't be that bad could it?

"Sasuke?" he croaked.

"Here."

A straw was pressed against his mouth and he obediently drank the water that he offered, glad to wet his parched throat.

"You're safe," Sasuke told him, stroking his hair for a moment. "I had you transferred to a private hospital. You're going to be fine."

"My back?" he asked tiredly.

"Not broken," Sasuke said promptly, giving him a full smile this time, his relief written in every line on his face. "Just some muscle strain and soft tissue damage the doctor said. You're going to be fine."

At hearing that, Naruto relaxed completely, a burden lifting from his shoulders that he hadn't known he was carrying. The restriction around his chest eased as his fear lifted. If he had broken his back, then he would lose everything; a job he loved, horses. Sasuke.

He closed his eyes against the tears of relief, and a moment later felt the brush of lips against his forehead for a long, lingering moment.

"You scared me so badly," Sasuke whispered against his skin.

"Sorry."

"I have to go. You get some rest. I'll be back later."

Naruto nodded without opening his eyes and felt another kiss pressed to his check.

"Sleep well, Naruto."

He did just that before Sasuke had even left the room.

He knew the doctors had said he would be fine, but the pain currently gripping his lower back begged to differ.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he lay on his stomach, frustrated and helpless against the raging pain that was gripping him. They'd told him he couldn't have another dose of medication for another hour, but he honestly didn't think he could last that long.

Kakashi said they would be releasing him today and he couldn't be more glad. He'd been stuck in hospital for three days, bored, restless and in pain. They were releasing him at last provided that he get lost of bed rest and kept movement to a minimum. He might not have broken his back, but it hurt like a bitch, so he doubted that even if he wanted to get out there and work, he probably wouldn't get more than a few steps.

His doctor, a kind man who smiled too much and made him want to scream, had said that gentle exercise over the next few weeks would help.

At the rate he was going, he wouldn't even be able to get up to walk out the damn doors of the hospital.

"Naruto!! You're awake!" Kiba said gleefully, bounding in the room with Genma and Tenten on his heels.

He managed a tight smile then squeezed his eyes closed as another wave of pain gripped him.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked worriedly, a hand touching his shoulder gently.

"Back hurts," he whispered, relaxing slightly as the pain abated once more.

"I thought they were giving you pain meds for that?" Genma asked from the chair beside his bed.

"They are. I'm not allowed another dose yet," he replied, opening his eyes once more and managing another smile.

"Damn doctors," Kiba muttered going to the door and poking his head out. "What good are they if they don't help when someone's in pain?"

"Er....I would have called them but I can't reach the button," Naruto replied sheepishly.

The nurse who had gotten him up that morning had forgotten to put it within his reach. Genma reached forward and hit the button insistently for a couple of minutes, a frown on his face.

"Kakashi and Iruka are coming this evening to break you out of here," Tenten informed him brightly, obviously to try and brighten his spirits a little. "You'll feel better once you're at home."

"I'm sure I will."

"Kakashi has been in a mood ever since you were hurt," Genma said thoughtfully. "I reckon Iruka's been upset with him for letting you get hurt."

"Nobody let me do anything," Naruto corrected him tiredly. "It was an accident. Sora refused the jump after we'd taken off and I wasn't prepared for that. There was no warning at all. It was just a stupid accident."

"I've no doubt. Well, you'll be back on your feet in a few weeks and that's all that matters." Genma said certainly.

Naruto smiled at the faith the man had in him; even if he felt it was slightly misplaced, it was touching none the less.

"I'll probably miss the show though," he said bitterly, trying not to let it show.

He'd started to look forward to the challenge it presented as well. It had been a chance to prove his worth, to show what he was really made of. He wasn't proud of a lot of things in his life, but his skills with horses were something that he had worked hard on, and was proud of what he had achieved with them.

The show had been something that he could work towards and he had wanted to show Sasuke that he was worth the effort he had put in. Now all that was in doubt and it depressed him immensely.

"Maybe, maybe not," Genma said reasonably. "If you're sensible about getting your rest and taking the time to heal properly, then you could be better in time to compete."

"Sora's not ready. I haven't finished her training...." he protested.

"Don't you worry about that now," Tenten put in. "Raidou has taken that over. He insisted and Kakashi let him."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

Raidou was a man who kept himself to himself, and while he cared for his friends, he liked to keep from interfering in their matters as much as possible. It wasn't selfishness, but a respect for others that presented itself in a different way.

"Yeah really. He's been really annoying about it actually," Kiba snorted. "Won't let anyone interfere or help him out. He's out there first thing in the morning, waking me up and covering most of your chores."

Naruto felt a flash of guilt at that, and Genma flicked him lightly on his arm.

"None of that. He wants to do it. We've offered to help, but he just won't let anyone. He doesn't want you to worry about anything while you're getting better."

"Sora will be ready for the show," Tenten smiled at him confidently. "Raidou is an excellent trainer and he wants you to ride in the competition more than anything."

"In other words, hurry up and get your ass better before I lose my cool and strangle him," Kiba grumbled before backing up from the door as a nurse appeared. "Finally! What does it take to get some service around here?"

"Oi, lay off you imbecile!" Tenten scowled at him. "Lets go get a drink while she makes Naruto comfortable."

She grabbed Kiba's arm and dragged him forcefully out the door, ignoring his loud protests. Genma made as if to follow, but Naruto managed to reach out and grab his arm.

"Stay?"

Genma smiled at him and clasped his hand. "Of course."

"Naruto-san, are you in much pain?" the nurse asked as he lifted the blankets away from his back and bustled around the other side of the bed.

He nodded wordlessly.

"I can't give you any more pain medication for another half an hour Naruto-san. But I might be able to do something to help," she said apologetically. "I'll be back in a moment."

She hurried out of the room and Genma smiled warmly at him.

"This is a nice place, huh? Private room, friendly staff. I bet the food is better than what you'd get in a hotel." Genma said.

"It's not bad, for a hospital," Naruto agreed, not adding the fact that he hated hospitals more than anything.

The smell of disinfectant and cleaning chemicals, the sounds of the life support machines and those of the injured and the dying. The way death seemed to hover heavily in the air. Things went wrong in hospitals. People died when they shouldn't, lives were ruined by the loss of loved ones, wounds were created that couldn't be healed by any medicine or surgery.

His father had died in a hospital. He had sat at his side as he'd lingered on the fine line that separated life and death. He had listened, in shocked, numb silence to the machines that had tried to keep him alive and breathing. He had listened to the sound of his heart as it had stopped beating.

Yes, Naruto hated hospitals with an anger that made him sick to the stomach. He couldn't wait to get free of this one.

"Bet you're pretty sick of hospitals by now, eh?" he asked weakly, trying to distract himself from those dark thoughts.

"Pretty much. Hayate's been in and out of them since we were teenagers and I always go and visit him. Still, it if weren't for them he'd probably have been dead a long time ago."

"I guess you're right."

The nurse returned them, holding a heat pad in her hands.

"This may hurt for a few moments, Naruto-san, but after that you will feel a lot better," She told him, gently pushing up his shirt.

Naruto had been told there was a lot of bruising in the area, but the way Genma's eyes widened at the sight of it told him that it was probably worse than he had imagined it to be.

He gasped as she lay the heat pad along his back, the warmth of it almost unbearable and bringing tears to his eyes. He buried his face in his pillow and tried not to tense too much, knowing it would make the pain worse. Genma gripped his hand throughout the worst of it though, and after awhile, he relaxed again.

The heat did seem to work pretty well, the pain abating as warmth radiated along his back. It also made him drowsy and by the time Tenten and Kiba returned, he was half asleep.

Genma was stroking the back of his hand softly, and the sensation was enough to soothe him further.

"Is he asleep?" Tenten whispered to Genma.

"Not quite. But he will be soon." the older man replied. "We should leave him to rest."

He went to get up and release Naruto, but he tightened his grip on Genma's hand, even as he closed his eyes.

"Stay for a little longer. Please?" he mumbled sleepily.

A hand touched his hair gently. "Of course."

Knowing that he wasn't alone again, he slipped off and escaped the last of his pain. It was probably their presence that kept his nightmares at bay.

By the time Kakashi and Iruka arrived that evening, he was dressed a pair of warm pajamas that Tenten had brought him, and was mostly pain free. Moving was still difficult though, and painfully slow. Besides his back injury, he had an impressive array of bruising covering his body, the worst being on his left hip and some bruised ribs.

Still, after a series of scans and tests had proved that he wasn't suffering from some horrible internal injury, the medical staff had concluded that he had been rather lucky to escape such a serious fall with so little injury.

His back could have been a lot worse. He could have cracked his skull open instead of having a mild concussion (the splitting headache had had the first day hadn't felt mild though) and he could have broken any number of bones.

He fell asleep again on the car ride home (that was starting to get annoying too) and he sleepily complied with Kakashi and Iruka's quiet requests as they got him out the car. He mumbled a hello to everyone in the common room, barely noticing how quiet they were as they watched Kakashi carry him to his bedroom.

After that, he was wrapped in his blankets and lying on his stomach, warm and safe and glad to be home again.

The next week passed in a bit of a blur for Naruto. He spent a lot of his time in his room sleeping. Whether that was due to his medications or the fact that he was still recovering from his injuries, he didn't know.

Sometimes, someone would help him out into the common room so he could spend some time with everyone in the evenings. He'd last maybe an hour or two before he fell asleep or succumbed to the pain in his back and had to be taken back to his room. His appetite was practically non-existent, and his legs started to ache from lack of exercise. He was an active person, and he hated being cooped up inside for so long. There was only so much entertainment he could get out of his books and the television. The others spent time with him, talking to him and keeping him entertained.

But the weather was miserable, the rains coming down steadily, and it made for a rather depressing atmosphere. He also didn't see much of Sasuke either, and he missed the dark haired man intensely.

By the second week though, the pain and stiffness in his back had lessened somewhat. He found he could walk short distances without much aid and he could move around a little easier. He was still cautious and slow, not wanting to injure himself further.

After all, Raidou was working his butt off for Naruto's benefit and he'd be damned if he let that go to waste.

He spent his time shuffling around the living quarters in the morning and resting for the remainder of the day. The doctors had said that gentle exercise would help, and sure enough, he felt himself becoming a little stronger and more alert each day.

Despite his growing independence, his friends kept a close eye on him, insisting that he didn't do too much or walk too far. Naruto was a little bothered by all the attention, but he tried not to let it show too much. The very fact that he had so many people watching out for him was enough to keep his mouth in check.

On the Thursday of the second week, he felt ready to take it to the next level. It was mid afternoon, and the place was quiet as it usually was at that time. The rains had finally stopped and Naruto managed to slip his caretakers. He shuffled slowly but steadily towards the stables, keeping one hand on a wall or handy prop to keep himself steady. There was a mild ache in his back that warned him against going too far, but Ani's stable was so close.

With a triumphant grin, he clung to the door of Ani's stable, elated with his progress.

"Hey there, boy," he smiled at Ani, who had almost fully recovered from his own accident.

Once more, the young horse was napping in the warmth and dryness of his stable, and Naruto was very much inclined to join him. Quietly sliding the bolt of his stable back, he stepped inside and closed it after himself.

Lowering himself to the floor was tricky, but he managed it without much pain, and then he was leaning against one of his favorite animals in the world. Breathing in the familiar scent of clean horse and saw dust, Naruto closed his eyes and pressed his face into Ani's mane. The white horse snuffled at his leg and nuzzled him gently before closing his eyes once more.

Movement at the corner of his vision had Naruto opening his eyes fully. Chance was wriggling through a gap in the bottom of Ani's stable, and he smiled as he watched the puppy ramble towards him through piles of sawdust.

Chance had almost doubled in size since he had taken the pup in. He was healthy and happy and playful, everything a puppy should be. And he loved Naruto with all his heart. He loved everyone in the stables, but he always preferred Naruto's company to anyone else's. He had shown a particular fondness for Sasuke as well, and secretly, Naruto considered Sasuke to be his owner as well as himself.

He pulled the puppy onto his lap and scratched behind his ears. Chance yawned mightily and curled up, sprawled on Naruto's lap.

Naruto settled himself more comfortably against Ani's side and closed his eyes, rather tired from his first adventure into the world again.

He'd just rest his eyes for a minute before he went back inside.....

"Naruto, wake up," someone said quietly, shaking him gently.

He opened his eyes groggily and focused on Sasuke's smiling face.

"Sasuke?" he frowned, looking around. "Where'm I?"

"You mean you don't remember coming all the way out here to Ani's stable?" Sasuke was still smiling at him, his eyes alive with amusement.

The heat at his back was Ani, he realized, and Chance was squirming in his lap. It had grown dark outside once more; the stable lights were on and he could hear the sounds of the horses settling down for the night.

"You've given Kakashi and Genma quite the scare disappearing like that," Sasuke continued, he was squatting in front of Naruto with a hand resting warm on Naruto's leg. "And I find you curled up here. I should have known."

Naruto smiled sleepily at his lover and held out his hand. Sasuke took it and raised it to his mouth for a gentle kiss.

"If you were so tired you should have gone back to bed. Did you make it out here all by yourself?"

He nodded.

"I wanted to see Ani," he frowned though, taking in Sasuke's riding pants and boots. "What are you doing down here?"

"I just finished exercising Taira for the evening. C'mon. I think I should get you back inside. Think you can walk or do you want me to carry you?"

"I can walk," Naruto insisted as he lifted Chance off of his lap. The puppy leapt at Sasuke and tried to attack his leg. The Uchiha leaned down and gently pushed him away before slipping an arm around Naruto's waist and helping him to stand.

Ani surged to him feet behind them and shook himself off as Naruto closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Sasuke's warm, strong chest.

His back was aching strongly, reminding him that he hadn't taken his meds that afternoon. Sasuke kept and arm around his waist and raising a hand to cup the back of his neck.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, his voice rumbling pleasantly through his chest under Naruto's ear.

"Just tired," he murmured in reply, lifting his head and smiling at Sasuke.

The Uchiha ducked his head and kissed Naruto lingeringly, and Naruto sighed, having missed the taste and feel of him. Sasuke nipped at his lower lip gently before pulling away and resting his forehead against Naruto's.

"I missed you. Sorry I haven't been around much. Itachi and I were called to the city for some family business."

Naruto smiled and kissed him chastely.

"It's okay. I'm not your keeper or some obligation you need to attend to everyday," he told him quietly. "I'm just glad to see you.

Sasuke stared at him searchingly for a long minute, before turning them towards the stable door.

"Let's get you back to your room before Kakashi starts organizing search parties."

As he'd expected, he got a lectured from Kakashi (or as much of one as the man was capable of giving) before Sasuke settled him in his room. Kakashi would be back in an hour to help get him up to the house for dinner, which gave them some alone time for a bit.

As usual, seeing Sasuke in his room did funny things to Naruto's stomach. He was settled on his bed and his blankets over his lap and a cup of tea on his bedside table.

Sasuke was once again wandering around him room, touching things carefully as if he were reacquainting himself with the place. He wandered past the bookcase, and over to his dresser, where Naruto had finally gotten the courage to place a picture of his mother and father that he'd found in storage.

Most of the boxes they had found were pushed away into Naruto's cupboard, where he'd sort through them completely when he had enough courage and strength to do so.

The truck...Kakashi had allowed him to keep it with the others behind the stables. It would need some work, he knew that, but he hadn't the time to do that either. He would though.

He'd thought about selling the thing, but he couldn't bear to part with a vehicle that his father had treasured as if it had been a part of their small and fractured family. And it had been. Naruto had grown up riding in the passenger seat of that truck, and even if he'd been able to find the courage to get rid of it, he didn't want to. It was one of the relics left behind from his family, and parting with it seemed unbearable.

But he had been able to put up a few more pictures of his family, and one of those was a picture of himself sitting on the hood of that pick up truck, and his father leaning against it next to where he was perched. They'd both been beaming proudly in that photo, laughing at something that Naruto couldn't remember.

Sasuke paused there, and smiled when he looked at it. He reached out and touched the face of his younger self in that photo.

"I'm glad you've put these up," Sasuke told him at last.

Naruto smiled at him as he turned around. "I'm glad you went with me. Thank you again."

"I can only hope it was of some benefit to you Naruto," Sasuke replied, returning to his bed to sit facing him.

Naruto looked down at his lap.

"I think it was. I mean, it wasn't pleasant at all...seeing all his things like that," he paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "But I think I needed to. It doesn't make it any easier, but....it helped remind me of who he was and that he wouldn't want me to be like this. He would want me to move on and be happy."

"And are you happy?" Sasuke asked slowly.

Naruto looked up at him.

"I think I'm finally getting there."

And it's all thanks to you, he added silently.

TBC

Author's Note: As you are all no doubt aware, I abandoned this story for quite some time. There is no excuse for that besides the fact that I am by nature rather fickle, and my interest tends to jump from fandom to fandom.

However, my interest in this particular fandom has re-ignited, and I have returned in hopes of finishing my stories.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. My writing skills may be a little rusty, so I hope you can forgive any mistakes and point them out to me! Please feel free to leave comments, constructive criticism and any thoughts you may have on this story. They are always welcome!!

And also, please watch out for updates regarding my other story "A Brief Alliance" as this is also on its way.

Thanks again for your patience, and I hope you review to let me know what you think!