Chapter 3
Okay. So. Things were bad. Really bad. Because Sasuke still stood there, gobsmacked, and couldn’t will his mind to come up with anything that wasn’t a curse word.
He contemplated slamming the door into Naruto’s face but with that, he would have DEFINITELY embarrassed Sakura, his only somewhat friend. So he simply found himself in a hopeless situation where it was he who was feeling embarrassed and annoyed.
Because the officer? Really?
He wanted to know what had he done in his previous life to deserve this kind of punishment. Because if he knew, he’d absolutely make it right in a matter of seconds just so he wouldn’t have to get into that shiny police car that parked on the road and ride to the hospital with Naruto who clearly found pleasure in torturing him.
“Ehm” Naruto cleared his voice, drawing Sasuke out of his thoughts. His eyes snapped to the man’s face, taking in his blue eyes once again. He remembered how he deemed him as handsome before he opened his mouth. Sasuke didn’t want to think about that, or the fact that deep down he still found him stupidly handsome even after all the inconvenience he had caused him. “You must be Sasuke then” Naruto finally said after he noticed Sasuke wasn’t going to say anything.
Being in shock was probably an adequate explanation for Sasuke’s current behaviour. Maybe his mind had finally given in to all the stress, pain, and irritation this Naruto had caused him over the span of two days.
“I am Sasuke, yes. I see that your manners are nonexistent. You can call me Uchiha-san” Sasuke finally said. Naruto broke into a short laugh.
“Are you mad? Who even does that?” He laughed nonchalantly. Sasuke felt his eye twitch.
“I do,” he said sternly. Naruto gave him a funny look then shook his head while muttering an ‘of course’ in a tone that implied Sasuke was a hopeless case.
“What was that?” He asked glaring at the blonde. He swatted a hand.
“Never mind. Let’s get you to a hospital then” he said as he took a step forward ready to loop his arm around Sasuke so he could help him to the car. Sasuke put up a hand, horrified at even the mere thought of those muscular arms ever touching his body.
“Yeah I don’t think that’s gonna happen” he tried to even take a step back to create some greater distance between the two of them. Naruto took a step in time with him.
“What do you mean? Your foot is broken” Naruto reminded him with a puzzled expression. Sasuke sighed.
“You are not taking me to a hospital, because a cab will. Then you will call Sakura and say you have given me a ride” he concluded. Naruto’s puzzled expression didn’t change until he shook his head in that same helpless manner again clearly dissatisfied by Sasuke’s suggestion.
“And why the hell would I do that?” He genuinely seemed disgusted by the thought of him having to lie to Sakura. Or maybe about leaving Sasuke here with a broken foot. Sasuke could only guess, trying to suppress the flicker of hope that had bubbled in his heart at the possibility of someone caring for him.
“I didn’t ask for your help in the first place!” He scoffed and Naruto frowned.
“You’re right” he gritted out. “Sakura did,” he said. He didn’t say it directly but heavily implied that under no circumstance was he willing to lie to Sakura about anything. It was amusing how Naruto seemed to be a great friend. Someone who cares, who protects, and is honest. But Sasuke didn’t linger on that thought for too long.
Because Naruto’s accusing tone churned a never-before-felt feeling in Sasuke’s stomach: guilt.
Was he really willing to fool Sakura like that? Even if she’d never know, would he be able to lie to her this easily and continue looking her in the eye? Wouldn’t he lose his dignity?
He didn’t even need to think about the answer it came to his mind easily.
And even if Sasuke was stubborn he also had great pride. And he knew that a respectable man, a friend, wouldn’t misuse Sakura’s help or trust. And that is why he came to the decision to resign.
“Yeah. She did” he said in a renunciative tone. Naruto let out a huff of breath at that, to emphasise Sasuke’s response was just how he expected. Like if Sasuke had asked him to lie again he would have lost all respect for him. It made Sasuke feel like a bad person for even suggesting it in the first place.
“Great. Now that we have established this, I think it’s time you get checked out by a professional. Come on, I’ll lift you” Naruto must have seen Sasuke’s absolutely horrified expression because he broke out in a laugh. “What? You think I can’t manhandle you?” He asked jokingly while wiggling his eyebrows.
Sasuke unintentionally drew his gaze on Naruto’s toned arms.
“Oh no, I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem with that” By the time Sasuke realised what an embarrassment had just left his mouth it was already too late. Naruto first stilled as Sasuke blushed awkwardly. Then he threw his head back laughing and Sasuke couldn’t help but think, Naruto’s laugh was rather nice. It was raspy but quite pleasant to hear.
Then he buried this thought deep into his bones where he’ll forget about it but could also forever remember it when his moments of solitude become unbearable.
“Good to know you appreciate my-“
Sasuke needed to divert the topic. Like, immediately. So he rushed to say something, anything as fast as he could.
“With that being said, you are definitely not going to lift me up!” He got out, his voice desperate and shaky, his face still red. And thank god Naruto seemed to detect his urge to divert the topic because he shut up and was giving him his full attention now. “You’ll do plenty enough by just stepping close and supporting my right side until we reach the car. And maybe you could also lock the door after ourselves so, you know, I wouldn’t suffer a burglary”
“Are you seriously questioning my competence as a police officer?” Naruto asked and Sasuke could only roll his eyes.
“Oh just shut up and help me you arrogant fool” Naruto just laughed stepping close to Sasuke. He was not taking him seriously and Sasuke didn’t like that. He also didn’t like that he didn’t end up putting as much venom into that order as he would have liked to.
Naruto carefully looped his arm around Sasuke’s body, under his right shoulder, and held him in a stern hold.
Sasuke had to keep his breath. Because he could feel his heartbeat rising and it was only a matter of seconds before his mask would slip away and show how much he enjoyed the closure. It was something after all, that he hadn’t experienced a lot. It was new and comforting. And Sasuke just wasn’t the kind of man who would let others have the chance of seeing him come undone. Not under any circumstance. Not until he was living and breathing. He guarded his heart in a cage he was sure no one would ever have the key to.
But he had to admit, for a second, he did play with the thought of Naruto ever getting close to it. In a way no one ever had. In a way, Sasuke had long accepted no one ever could.
And he’d be damned if this two-minute warmth of a body pressed against him didn’t do things to his heart. If it hadn’t let a tiny bit of betrayal flicker inside of his cold soul, that maybe he couldn’t hate Naruto as much as he wanted to.
That maybe what he longed for, wasn’t loathing this man, but loving him.
“You can let me go now” he then said in a cold tone to drive away his internal crisis of wanting to be loved. It was stupid after all. And Naruto hated him anyway it was only fair for him to hate him ten times more.
“Of course,” Naruto said and he respectfully let his arm fall from the back of Sasuke. But he did let it linger for a moment and Sasuke just couldn’t allow himself that kind of pleasure. So he shook it off until Naruto completely released him.
“Thanks,” he said as he eyed the police car to which Naruto had just opened the door.
“Are you sure you’ll manage?” Naruto asked as he jogged back to Sasuke after locking the door. He was clearly doubting his own abilities. His pride spoke instead of his rationality when he nodded in reassurance. Naruto just scoffed, readying himself for the show of Sasuke figuring out how to get himself in the car.
Sasuke did in fact not manage. He absolutely failed and embarrassed himself before Naruto finally decided he had had enough of seeing him suffer and offered help again.
“Come on, I’ll lift you in. It will only take a moment” Sasuke shook his head way before Naruto had actually got to the end of that sentence.
“No thank you, as I said I’ll manage. Maybe if I hold onto here” he wondered loudly. Naruto let out a huff of laughter.
“You are unbelievable. Sasuke, let me help!” It was almost like Sasuke was the one torturing him and not the other way around. Because hearing his name out of Naruto’s mouth did things to him that he wasn’t willing to ever admit. In his girlish embarrassment, he could only stutter.
“I told you, it’s Uchiha-san”
“You can’t be serious with that! What are you a fifty years old Ojii-san?” He laughed embarrassing Sasuke even more. “Just stop being difficult!” He begged. He was whiny, and Sasuke realised it actually hadn’t surprised him. And Sasuke couldn’t stand whiny adults which was a great drawback to reality where he knew he could never tolerate Naruto for too long. And so he was just about to prove to Naruto how he was perfectly okay with getting in the car by himself (by stepping on his aching foot but all for the greater goal) when he felt himself being lifted up, only just as much so he could comfortably scoot onto the seat without any pain.
“See? It wasn’t that hard now, was it?” Naruto asked with a cheeky, proud grin on his face. Sasuke rolled his eyes and didn’t say thank you. But nor did he say ‘fuck off’ and that was an improvement after all. “I’ll take that as a yes”
“Whatever, just don’t be too full of yourself” Naruto laughed again, the laugh being half muffled when he closed Sasuke’s door.
There was a slight chance that Sasuke was disappointed by not hearing it, but that thought only existed for a mere second. So it wasn’t the end of the world.
But maybe that was just something Sasuke liked to tell himself.
“You have all your IDs right?” Naruto laughed at the offended expression that Sasuke made. Even the assumption of him being that disheveled offended him. Maybe he had a possibly broken leg but his brain was still working. “I’ll also take that as a yes,” Naruto said before Sasuke could have given voice to his opinion on the matter.
And so they had started their way to the closest hospital.
The car was filled with Naruto’s endless chatter and Sasuke couldn’t will himself to mind no matter how much he wanted to.
It felt great to not be surrounded by quiet for a change.
He didn’t voice this though, just kept it to himself.
In the hospital which smelled heavily of sanitiser, Sasuke got called in relatively fast. Which was a delight as he was starting to get really uncomfortable by the stares he had received. He was sitting with a good-looking officer after all. People must have suspected that he was either a convicted felon or was dating Naruto. Both of those options were false assumptions and people who believed either were entirely in the wrong. So when he heard his name, it was a relief to get away from all the prying eyes.
“People need to mind their own businesses” he muttered but only received a hum of agreement from Naruto who for some reason felt obliged to follow him into the examination room by pushing the wheelchair he forced him into.
Sasuke at this point didn’t dare question it. He just simply went with the flow and accepted his fate of being embarrassed by being in a squeaky wheelchair.
“So” the doctor stared at the paper Sasuke had filled out at the reception, then looked at him from over his reading glasses. “What seems to be the problem?”
“I have hurt my ankle when I mistook a step yesterday.
I thought it was going to be better by today but I accidentally tripped again this morning” Sasuke looked up to Naruto with an accusing look. Naruto just avoided his gaze. The doctor nodded then scooted closer with his chair to where Sasuke was sitting. He took Sasuke’s leg without any further warning or permission. Sasuke tried to not be too angry about it, the man was a doctor after all, and that was his job.
“Yeah the swelling is quite concerning” he stated. Sasuke held himself back from saying no shit, Sherlock. He was taught to be respectful, especially to the elders. So he had stuck with that. “I’m going to write you in for an X-ray. Until then I don’t want to touch it too much in case it really is a break” Sasuke nodded and took the paper the doctor had handed him. Naruto pushed out his wheelchair without him having to ask at all.
They made their way to the X-rays in quiet, the only noise being the rhythm of Naruto’s shoes colliding with the hospital floor.
The nurse let them into the room and helped Sasuke sit up on the bed. He got a lead vest to protect his cells and chromosomes and then the machine took pictures of his ankle from all directions. It hurt to turn his foot when asked, but it wasn’t that unbearable.
They were done relatively quickly and were sent their way back to the doctor who had received the pictures via e-mail in the meantime.
And they were still quiet.
Not like Sasuke was bothered by it, after all his home served as a place of solitude as well, it was just rather unusual. He had expected Naruto to be the same chatty person who could never shut up as he was in the car. It was strange. Even stranger that Sasuke actually felt the absence of his talking.
“Erm” Initiating a conversation was definitely not on Sasuke’s bingo card. But when the silence still lasted when they were waiting to be called in again, Sasuke started to feel suffocated by it. “How come you’re not talking my ear off?” Naruto snapped out of his thoughts with surprise.
“I am not fond of hospitals” he bit out. Sasuke hummed and let the conversation die. But he knew it was a matter of seconds before Naruto would explain further. He tried to hide how intrigued he actually was. “My dad has been here last month. He got shot. He was the captain before me” Sasuke’s eyes grew and Naruto must have known what he was thinking because he clarified a moment later “Oh no, he’s alright now, but it was scary. I haven’t been here since. I didn’t know that bitterness from then stuck with me like this. Anyway, he sort of retired and made me the new captain which is pretty cool. Apart from the paperwork, that’s horrible.”
“Yet you keep adding to it” Sasuke muttered. It was meant with malice and irritation but Naruto just laughed it off.
“Stop parking there and maybe I’ll stop.” He challenged in a playful matter. Sasuke suppressed his urge to smile.
“You wish” he snorted. Then he was called in before Naruto could come up with anything snarky to say to that. Thank god.