The Running Free

Title: The Running Free
Author: Xin

Note: Update FTW! Thanks you once again to all my reviewers. Love you guys!

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Naruto sat in the car, staring at the steering wheel; not really wanting to go to work, but more importantly, not wanting to be away from Sasuke. He had yet to start the engine and the car was still in its parking space at the hospital. The pregnant blond ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at his boyfriend. “I’m calling in, I don’t want to go.”

Sasuke was expecting something like that to happen. Although unlike school, Sasuke had no problem with Naruto taking some time off from work. In Sasuke’s opinion, Naruto didn’t even need a job, Itachi and Sasuke could support themselves plus five babies and still have money left over. But Naruto flat out refused to just go to school. Sasuke had questioned him about it about a year previously and Naruto just told him that he would rather make his own money to do with what he wanted, instead of asking his boyfriends for money. Sasuke still didn’t quite understand, but then again, he was brought up in a world of glamour and riches, so money was always available to him. No matter how much he asked for, he got; no questions asked.

He grabbed Naruto’s hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing them gently to the blonde’s fingers. “I’d love for you to take off work. I could use some company at my eye exam.” The truth was that Sasuke was extremely happy that Naruto was possibly going to go with him. He really wasn’t looking forward to going by himself. It was a bit scary to have a date scheduled for surgery and not have anyone there to comfort your fears and nervousness.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke’s words and leaned over to claim his boyfriend’s mouth. He pulled back after a short time and started the car. Pulling out of the parking lot, he made his way across town to the ophthalmologist’s office. He glanced over at Sasuke when he felt eyes on him and raised an eyebrow at the obvious staring. “What’s wrong?”

Sasuke looked away with a slight blush. He didn’t expect Naruto to actually notice him staring; he couldn’t help it though, the blond was just too beautiful. “Just admiring how beautiful you are.”

Naruto frowned and looked back at the road. “How the hell can you think that I’m even remotely good looking? I’ve already gained like twenty pounds; and don’t say I haven’t, because I know I have. So just stop saying shit that you don’t mean.” Naruto didn’t know why he was reacting the way he was. He always loved getting comments on his looks from Itachi and Sasuke. Not that he was vein or anything, he just loved getting a self esteem boost once in a while. But now, all he felt when they commented him on his looks was anger and his slef esteem was taking most of that built up anger. Why the hell couldn’t he just accept the fact that they still thought he was attractive? It frustrated him to the point of tears. He tried to hold them back, but a few managed to escape.

Sasuke felt horrible for mentioning anything about vanity to Naruto. He really needed to shut the hell up and think before he opened his mouth. He saw how much it had affected his boyfriend and wanted to try and make him feel better. “Pull over, baby, I want to talk to you.”

Naruto didn’t want to argue, so he just nodded and pulled the car over to the side of the street and parked. He looked at Sasuke and immediately saw the guild in the younger Uchiha’s eyes. He felt bad for snapping at Sasuke, it had just slipped out and he couldn’t control it. “I’m really sorry Sasuke; I love you and I know you always mean what you say. It’s just so hard to believe it when I have freaking nature working against me and my body.” He felt the tears well up again and wanted to just punch something. He hated crying, he despised it; especially when it was in front of his lovers. His strong lovers who could take on anything and it always seemed like they had to take on his problems as well. He hated putting that kind of a burden on them.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s hand and started to pull Naruto toward him. “Come here, sit in my lap.” Luckily for him, the car had very spacious seats, so it wasn’t impossible for two to fit comfortably.

Naruto turned the engine off and maneuvered himself onto the raven’s lap so that he was straddling the other. He rested his head on Sasuke’s shoulder and just let himself be comforted. His tears finally started to fall as Sasuke whispered soothing words of comfort. He let them fall, knowing that he could cry around his lover and not be ridiculed for the act, even though he felt horrible for making Sasuke deal with him when he had more important things to worry about.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto’s waist, noticing the blond was starting to cry once more. He kissed Naruto’s cheek and ran soothing hands up and down his back, trying his best to make the blond feel better. He knew that bystanders were probably thinking the wrong idea, considering their position and where they were, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to make sure that Naruto knew that he was loved; and that’s all that mattered.

He whispered soothing words to the blond; something he didn’t do too often; he usually left that part up to Itachi. His brother was far better at the whole comforting thing. “Tell me what’s bothering you, baby. Whatever it is, we can figure something out.”

Naruto wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s neck. “I’m just scared. I don’t know, it’s a mix of everything; worrying about the baby, worrying about you…” He trailed off as his throat tightened up once more.

“You shouldn’t be worrying about me Naru, I’m fine…” He was about to continue, when his cell phone went off. He wanted to ignore the call, but once he saw the apartment number, he decided to pick up. “Hang on, baby.” He opened the phone and let Naruto rest his head on his shoulder once more. “Hey ‘Tachi, what is it?”

“I just wanted to let you know that our Uncle called just now. He said he wanted you to come in today if you could. I guess he wants to talk to you about something.” Itachi’s voice had no hints of worry, so Sasuke didn’t really think it was anything bad.

“Okay, I guess I can go after my eye exam. Did he say what he wanted to talk to me about?” Hopefully it was good news.

“He didn’t say, but he said it was good and for you not to worry.”

Sasuke gave an unconscious sigh of relief. “Alright; we’ll be home later than we were planning then. Or are you going to go with us?”

He could hear the confusion in Itachi’s voice. “What do you mean us? Naruto’s not going to work?”

“He’s not feeling up to it today, which is fine. I don’t mind if he has some time off. But yeah, he’s going to my eye exam with me.” He gently rubbed Naruto’s back, noticing the blond had started to drift off in his lap.

“Alright then, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to either appointment. I won’t be able to get there in time.”

“It’s alright, I know you would rather be with me, but school is important too. I got to go though baby, we’re already going to be late.” After a goodbye from Itachi, Sasuke hung up his phone and looked down at the now sleeping blond boy. The raven ran his fingers through the blond locks; he really didn’t want to wake Naruto up; knowing how exhaustedhis love was. But they really did have to go. With a gentle nudge, Sasuke started the task of waking his lover.

Naruto groggily opened his eyes and wondered where the hell he was. He was on someone, but he was in a cramped space. He looked up to see Sasuke and remembered that he was in the car with said raven. “How long was I asleep?” he asked quietly, not quite ready to move just yet.

“Not very long, just a few minutes.” He kissed the top of the blond head and wrapped his arms more securely around his lover. “Are you ready to go?”

Naruto nodded. “Do you think you can drive? I’m still a bit tired.” He didn’t want to risk getting in a wreck just because he thought he was awake enough to drive; better be safe than sorry.

Sasuke nodded and he opened the passenger’s door, letting Naruto step out for a moment so that he could climb into the driver’s seat. Once Naruto was back in and the door was closed, he started the car and drove off once more.

It was silent for a few minutes and then Naruto spoke up; not being able to handle the quiet any longer. “So what did Ita say? I fell asleep while you were talking to him.”

Sasuke glanced over to the blond quickly before answering. “He said that Madara called. Apparently he has some good news for me. He wants me to go to his office today if possible.” To say Sasuke was thrilled was an understatement. He might finally be able to get his stomach surgery and get rid of his cursed cancer once and for all. His thought soon turned in a different direction as he thought of how that might affect his surgery for his eyes. What if they were really close together? He would have to wait to get one of them done later. Obviously he couldn’t wait to get the cancer removed, so the only other option was to postpone his eye surgery; possibly losing even more vision. Damn it, he just dug himself into a depressed hole; he really needed to stop doing that.

Naruto though, being the observant one that he was, picked up on what Sasuke was thinking right away. “If it comes to you having to choose between surgeries, Sasuke, I want you to get the gastrectomy, at least then you’ll still be alive.” Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn’t stupid or vein enough to pick his eyesight over his initial life. He just wanted to make sure that Sasuke was on the same page.

Sasuke nodded. “I know. That’s what I was planning on doing. But I don’t even know that that’s what Madara wants to tell me. I’ll just have to wait and see.”

Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s hand and held it for the rest of the drive to the Ophthalmologist. He didn’t want to think about surgeries or anything like that, he just wanted to know that Sasuke would be alright in the long run. He had to be for his and Itachi’s sakes as well as their baby’s.

Once they were parked and out of the car, they made their way into the building and to the right suite.

Naruto sat down in a chair while Sasuke signed himself in. He looked around the waiting room and noticed that it was pretty crowded.

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto after signing in and grabbed the blonde’s hand. “How are you feeling? Any better?”

“I guess. I don’t really feel sick, I’m just really tired. How long do you think we have to wait?” He really had no desire to sit in another waiting room for who knew how long. He wanted to go home and take a damn nap, maybe eat something; he was started to get a bit hungry.

“Not too long, I usually only have to wait about five minutes when I come here.” As if on cue, the door opened and Sasuke’s name was called. He stood up and made sure that Naruto followed him into the back where the examination rooms were.

The nurse lead Sasuke to a room a few doors down and instructed him to sit in the chair that had many metal contraptions attached to it. She led Naruto to a chair nearby, so that he would be out of the way, but still in the room with Sasuke. “How has your vision been Sasuke? Has it gotten any worse?” She proceeded to take a quick look at his eyes with a tiny little light, knowing that the ophthalmologist would do a more thorough exam later.

“I’ve been having trouble reading for long periods of time. The pages get really blurry after about an hour and I get headaches.” He leaned forward and rested his chin on the slit-lamp (1) that the nurse had brought in front of him. He was instructed to try and keep his eyes open and to look straight ahead. A bright yellow light shone straight into his pupil; making his eyes water and he tried not to close them.

The nurse reached around the machine and held Sasuke’s eye lid open with her thumb and pointer finger, so that it would be easier on his eye muscles. She wrote her findings down on the notepad and turned the machine off. “Alright Sasuke, the doctor will be here in a bit.” she said sweetly before exiting with a wave in Naruto’s direction.

Naruto had never been to one of Sasuke’s eye exams, and frankly, when he saw the chair Sasuke was going to be sitting in, he felt scared for his lover. He had no idea what all those…things did and he really didn’t want to know either. Once he was sure the nurse was gone he got up and walked over to his love. “Are you alright? What the hell did she do to you?”

Sasuke chuckled. He had forgotten that Naruto had never been to an Ophthalmologist before, so he wouldn’t know what the hell was going on. “It’s alright baby, I’m fine. She just flashed me with a damn bright ass light. That’s pretty much what the whole exam is going to consist of. It will be even worse when they dilate my eyes.”

Naruto winced, even though he didn’t really understand, he could certainly imagine. “All I know is that this crap looks freaky.” He grabbed Sasuke’s hand and leaned down to kiss the boy’s lips. It lasted only a second and then he pulled away and went back to his chair.

Just moments after Naruto sat down, the doctor made his entrance. “Well, how are we doing today Sasuke? And Naruto, it’s been a while hasn’t it?”

Naruto smiled and jumped out of his seat. “Neji? What the hell are you doing here? You’re Sasuke’s doctor?”

TBC

Yes! Neji has made his appearance. Just to let everyone know, for the sake of the fic, Neji is a recently graduated college student. He is 25 in the fic. He will be Sasuke’s ophthalmologist. It’ll all become clear next chapter don’t worry.

1. Slit-lamp: So this little thingy is a machine that shines a bright light straight into the pupil and can determine the health of the eye. It also helps the doctor see better into the pupil. This machine can also be used for glaucoma testing as well. (testing eye pressure).

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