The Top Floor

AN: Again, this chapter is a collaboration of KandKL and mirandler43.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, or any of its characters. If I did, the boys would be getting it on. And ninja uniform would be no uniform.

Warnings: This chapter is a wee bit dark at the beginning. If you don’t like, please stop reading now.

Onward.

He found that Shikamaru was already back at the door, staring in with terrified eyes.

“Neji!” Shikamaru charged into the room, only to be shoved out roughly by a burly doctor.

Sasuke made it to the door just in time to see Neji slump to the floor, unconscious, a syringe sticking out of his shoulder. In time with Neji, Naruto also collapsed in a heap.

“NEJI!” Shikamaru was frantic, scrambling against the doctor restraining him.

“I need oxygen in here!” a panicked call echoed from the room. “He’s not breathing…”

On cue, two stretchers were brought in and set in the common room. Several nurses exited Neji’s room, cradling a lifeless Naruto between them, hurriedly placing him on the stretcher. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face and he was quickly wheeled out of the room. A line of nurses trailed after them, leaving only few behind to lift the unconscious Neji onto the other stretcher, the wire still clamped in his fingers.

Shikamaru watched in shock as Neji was wheeled out of the room. The door slammed shut loudly, causing them all to flinch. Sasuke realized that he was trembling and he fell to the floor in a heap. He felt a weight on his arm and realized that Kiba was holding on to it like a vice. He heard Shikamaru fall against a wall behind him, and they sat there for a few moments, shaking with adrenaline and fear.
Naruto…

Sasuke was having trouble getting his heart from his throat. Kiba still held on to his arm, looking up at Sasuke’s face like a lost puppy.

“Kiba…it’s ok,” his voice croaked as he spoke, still trying to get his pulse to settle. His arm stroked Kiba gently in an effort to imitate a Naruto-like gesture.

In response to his words, Kiba scrambled gracelessly into Sasuke’s lap, curling up into a ball, small whimpers escaping him. He wrapped his arms fully around the shaking boy’s frame, Kiba’s tears causing him to well up. He squeezed Kiba tightly, letting out a shaky breath and closing his eyes.

Shikamaru stood a few feet away, staring at the wall with wide eyes; his shoulders slouched as he leaned heavily against the wall. The scene was flashing over and over in his mind; Neji falling to the ground with a sickening thud.

Sasuke could feel the damp of Kiba’s tears trickling down his neck as Kiba clung to him. He struggled to get his feet below him, and pushed himself to a standing position, Kiba held in his arms. Sasuke noticed how alarmingly light Kiba was as he carried the crying boy to his room. He left the door open and approached Kiba’s bed. He gently set him down amidst the mess off blankets and sheets, prying the boys arms from around his neck.

Kiba curled into a ball when Sasuke covered him with his white blanket. Sasuke patted his shoulder softly and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Shikamaru was no longer in the common room, and Sasuke saw the door to his room slightly ajar. He knocked quietly, opening the door slowly when he got no response. He found Shikamaru pacing in his room at a restless pace. Shika didn’t even look up when he heard Sasuke enter. Sasuke decided to be direct:

“Shikamaru…why was Neji placed here?”

This stopped Shikamaru’s pacing. He turned and looked at Sasuke with eyes so reading, searching. He seemed to decide it was alright to trust him, because he sat on the bed with a sigh and Sasuke followed suit.

“Two years ago, Neji was admitted to a low level mental hospital for depression. The set up was much like here, they had roommates. Neji’s was a depressed individual, and suicidal too. Their room was like Naruto’s, leaving no chance for the boy to kill himself, so he asked Neji to help…and Neji did. Or tried too. God…the accident today was so much like it” he murmured, fingering the hole in his mattress from which the spring had been ripped.

“They caught him and he was sent to a juvenile detention facility. But, he closed in on himself and refused to communicate with anyone. Fearing for his mental safety, they put him here. Their idea was radical, not to mention dangerous. They were going to try and rehabilitate him by putting him back into social situations, that being, living with us.”

Sasuke was shocked. He’d been living with a killer and he didn’t even know. “That’s so dangerous…”

Shikamaru nodded. “If you haven’t noticed, all of us that live here are orphans. The state has control of what happens to us. So, when the hospital insisted that all safety precautions had been taken, the papers were signed and they moved him here.” Shikamaru had a reminiscing look in his eye as he continued. “At first, he wouldn’t talk, he wouldn’t do anything. But eventually…we got to know each other…” Shikamaru’s voice trailed off as he stared at his hands. He suddenly looked up to meet Sasuke’s gaze. “They had him so heavily medicated…they thought it was impossible for him to get those thoughts into his mind.”

Shikamaru bit his lip to force back a whimper.

“He…won’t be coming back.”

The pain in Shikamaru’s eyes was too intense for Sasuke, who dropped his gaze almost immediately. He wasn’t really sure what to do. He wanted to comfort Shikamaru but his mind kept racing over all the times Neji had spoken to him insolently or had thrown a threatening glance his way. Who knew how long it would have been before Neji had tried something on him? Neji didn’t even seem to mind Naruto and yet—

“Neji is not a killer,” said Shikamaru, bringing Sasuke’s rather selfish train of thought to a screeching halt. “I don’t know what Naruto could have said to convince him to...act as he did. But I know that he isn’t a murderer by nature.” Sasuke could only nod. Shika took a deep shuddering breath. “There must be something the doctor’s haven’t figured out yet, some kind of trigger...” He abruptly stood up and resumed his agitated pacing. Sasuke watched the boy tensely drum his fingers against the legs of his pants as he walked back and forth across the room.

Shikamaru turned to Sasuke. “How long has Naruto been here?” he asked tersely.

“I-I’m not sure,” Sasuke stuttered.

“Long time. And Neji’s been here longer.” More frantic pacing, further drumming of fingers. “This should have happened before now!” he exclaimed as though he had just discovered something. “Which means something has changed...”

Sasuke looked on in stunned silence. Shikamaru had now opted for tapping his temple insistently and adopted a faster pace. Sasuke was waiting for holes to appear in the carpet. Shikamaru kept muttering almost incoherently, then stopped moving so quickly that Sasuke jumped. With eyes narrowed suspiciously, he turned to face the innumerable equations scrawled on wall.

“It must be Neji. They must have changed something in his treatment.”

Sasuke shuffled his feet. “Um...wouldn’t he have told you that?”

Shikamaru whirled to regard whatever poor soul had dared to disagree with his logic. Sasuke visibly withered. “It’s just that you two seemed really close. Wouldn’t he have mentioned--”

“No. Neji isn’t exactly loose-lipped. Or they changed it without telling him...”

Sasuke was growing uncomfortable with Shikamaru’s slightly paranoid conclusions. But who wouldn’t be upset if their...special someone...could very well be never seen again? Maybe this was just Shikamaru’s way of dealing with the situation.

“Get out.” Shika’s low, almost menacing growl took Sasuke by surprise. He glanced in worry at Shikamaru, who was now glaring at the open door. Deciding it best to just leave the boy alone, Sasuke quickly made his way through the door and closed it softly behind him.

Sasuke shook his head forcefully. Of course Shikamaru was acting strangely. He had just lost his best friend. And really, it wasn’t any of Sasuke’s business how Shika chose to behave anyway. With that thought firmly placed in his mind, Sasuke strode purposefully into his own bedroom, which was still rather bare. A few pieces of paper lay scattered on a desk in the corner and some socks were peeking out of the top of a suitcase at the foot of the bed, but the room was otherwise plain and orderly. Sasuke plopped down heavily on the bed and laid his head down on the pillow. Before he could even lift his feet from the floor he had fallen asleep.

~

Blood. He could smell it.

Sasuke’s eyes flickered open quickly, and he leapt out of bed. His shirt, his room…all was drenched in blood. He coughed, wiping the slimy substance form his face with the back of his hand as he ventured forward fearfully. The floor was slick, and he had to hold on to the wall to keep upright. He reached the door and called,

“H-hello?”

Everything was black, except for the blood. That stood out with frightening clarity against the dark backdrop.

He slowly made his way across the room, groping at the walls as he went. He saw something glint on a corner, and he made his way towards it. Oh god, the smell…it was so intense that he could barely breathe.

He reached the corner and fell to his hands and knees to fumble around for the object that had caught the light (from where, he didn’t know). He felt a sharp pain on his palm as he grasped the object,

‘A knife…’

and the knife sliced open a wound. He could feel the blood seeping out and mingling with that on the floor. Something to his left caught his attention, a pair of feet standing a few feet away. His breath caught in his throat as he felt a blade pressed closely to his throat, hot breath of another tingling down his neck. He was frozen in place, his heart hammering in his chest. He heard their mouth open to speak, but all he heard was a quiet, distant whimpering.

Confused, he tried to raise his head, only to have it forced down again, followed by more whimpers.

He could feel the cold as the covers were inched off him slowly-wait, what?

Sasuke’s eyes snapped open, to see Kiba at the end of his bed, gripping his blanket tightly in his fisted hands, his soft mewls coming from deep within his throat. Sasuke blinked a few times focusing on Kiba as his dream began to wear off. Kiba was staring at him, tears brimming his eyes.

“Kiba” Sasuke grunted quietly, sitting up in his bed. “What...?”

Kiba didn’t move from his spot, but his whimpers subsided a bit. Sasuke swallowed a cough and patted the spot on the bed next to him as he swung his feet over the edge. Kiba paused for a moment before shuffling quietly and sitting down. Sasuke leaned his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands, trying to separate reality from the horrible dream he had been having. Kiba sat next to him quietly, waiting for him to lift his head. Sasuke felt him shift and he raised his head, letting out a sigh.

Kiba leaned on him softly, closing his eyes as he did so. Sasuke felt curling up in a ball and closing out the world. When had everything gone so wrong?

Just that morning, things had been perfect (well....it’s all relative). Naruto had been back, and everything had seemed...right.

But now, now Naruto was gone. The one thing that Sasuke had begun to care about in this new reality had been torn away from him. He didn’t even know if Naruto was alive. He had heard nothing from the doctors in the hours since the accident. His hope had begun to fade.

This is exactly what had happened last time too. He had found himself somewhere he belonged and the ones who had accepted him had been ripped away.

His memories and his dream ran together in his mind as he replayed them over and over again.

“It’s light outside” he heard Kiba comment softly beside him. Kiba played with the hem of his blanket between his fingertips.

“Yeah?” Sasuke let out wearily. He must have slept for a few hours for it to be morning already. He felt Kiba shift again, the boy’s ADHD showing even then, when he was tired.

“Are you okay, Kiba?” Sasuke asked, his hand resting atop Kiba’s.

In the back of his mind, he wondered when he had developed the maternal instincts that he had been showing in the last few hours. The boy used to frighten him, and now? He felt responsible for him and, surprisingly, he harbored no ill will towards Kiba like he thought he would have.

“Is Naruto okay?” Kiba’s voice was a weary whisper but laced with concern and above all, confusion.

“I don’t know, Kiba.”

I don’t know.

~

Kiba and Sasuke sat on the chairs in the common room, their cereal bowls sitting empty on their laps. Shika sat on the floor a few feet away from them on the floor staring at his cereal with a wide, wary eye. He hadn’t taken a bite yet and he was glaring at the bowl with one eye slightly narrowed. He poked it occasionally, but he made no move whatsoever to eat it.

Sasuke watched this with slight concern. The boy was acting very weird. Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion as a flake of bran shifted in Shikamaru’s bowl, causing the boy to jump visibly, then to glare even more venomously, his face inches away from the bowl.

Sasuke half expected the bowl to burst into flame from the constant glower.

Kiba sat beside him, spoon hanging out of his mouth as he watched his roommate with a look of suspicion.

“Shikamaru....you aren’t going to eat?” Sasuke asked cautiously.

Shikamaru’s head snapped up and his eyes met Sasuke’s. “Hah. Just because they got you to eat it doesn’t mean that I’m that dumb!” A frighteningly high pitched laugh followed this.

Kiba’s eyes were as wide as saucers at this point. He reached over and yanked on Sasuke’s sleeve harshly, looking from Sasuke to Shikamaru and back at Sasuke. Sasuke gave him what he hoped what was a reassuring look but deep down he felt the same way.

Shikamaru seemed to be falling off the proverbial deep end.

Just as Sasuke moved to gather his and Kiba’s bowls, the door to the hall opened and a nurse walked in. Styrofoam bowls fell to the ground and Sasuke and Kiba stood, watching her.

“Naruto is stable,” she said with a slight smile.

Sasuke let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Naruto was alright, he was alright. Sasuke felt Kiba’s stare on his face, a confused expression on his young face.

“Naruto is okay, Kiba,” he said, letting a small smile appear on his face at Kiba’s reaction. The boy face split in a huge grin and he let out a happy squeal, bouncing up and down slightly.

“Shika, Naruto is OKAY!!” Kiba hollered happily, facing the boy who still sat on the floor.

Shikamaru hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor, but he was watching them with an angry expression. He didn’t seem moved by the information at all; if anything, he was angered by it.

“And Neji?” he hissed at the nurse.

An uncomfortable look crossed her face and she frowned. “He’s being held in custody. There will be a hearing today to decide his future.”

Shikamaru’s glare fell to his food again, a soft grunt escaping his lips. Sasuke turned his attention back to the nurse as did Kiba (who still had a slight up-down motion as his legs bounced). Sasuke’s smile disappeared and a solemn look settled in his face.

“I want to see him.”

The nurse looked uncomfortable again. “Well...that’s not allowed. He’s under strict supervision and they don’t want him under any stress right now.”

“I want to see him.” Sasuke repeated, this time with more force. He had spent the last half of a day fearing for Naruto. He had to make sure the boy was fine.

“I’m afraid that’s just not-,”

“I WANNA SEE HIM TOO!” Kiba screamed as he jumped up and down, his hand raised above his head.

The nurse’s eyes widened.

Sasuke grabbed Kiba harshly, effectively halting his hopping. His gaze fell to the nurse again. “Let us see him.”

The nurse looked at them carefully. The brunette boy had such an expression of hope on his face as he tried to stay still. The black haired boy watched her with firm eyes, a glimmer of concern below the surface.

“Alright...but you boys have to be quiet!”

“Yay!” Kiba would have jumped again except for the fact that Sasuke was still restraining him.

As the nurse opened the door and ushered them into the hall, Sasuke whispered in Kiba’s ear, “You need to calm down right now. If you are too loud, we can’t see Naruto.”

Kiba nodded quickly and he visibly calmed himself. The nurse locked the door behind them and then she led the down the hall to the stairs. They walked in silence for a few minutes, crossing through countless halls and doorways. Finally, they arrived at their destination. The whole left wing (they were housed on the right wing) of the building was a running hospital, bustling with nurses and doctors.

“Follow closely,” she instructed, weaving her way through corridors expertly.

Sasuke grabbed Kiba’s hand and lengthened his stride to keep up with her. They reached a quiet, almost empty hallway and the nurse slowed.

“We’re here,” she said softly. “Be quiet, boys.”

They both nodded and followed her as she approached a nurse sitting outside of a closed door. Sasuke’s eyes roved the door before them.

Naruto...

The nurse guarding the door gave both Sasuke and Kiba wary looks as their nurse explained their situation to her. She paused, but nodded in the end, unlocking the door and glancing at Sasuke.

“Don’t get him too wound up. If his heart rate rises, you’re out of here. He’s in a very fragile state.”

Sasuke nodded and opened the door, stepping through and pulling Kiba after him. Naruto’s head lifted when he heard the door, and when he saw who it was, his grin almost matched Kiba’s.

“Naruto!” Kiba yelled, bounding to the bed and sitting on the chair next to it. He sat on the very edge of the seat, leaning towards Naruto with shining eyes. Naruto reached out a hand and took Kiba’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“How are you, Kiba?”

He let out a small squeal and nodded quickly. He seemed unable to form words, he was so happy. He opened his mouth a few times but he could only make sounds of joy as he watched Naruto with wide eyes.

“I missed you, Kiba,” Naruto said, a soft smile crossing his face.

Tears began to brim Kiba’s eyes and he whimpered slightly. Naruto made a comforting sound and reached out and ruffled Kiba’s hair affectionately. Kiba leaned into it like an affectionate puppy.

“Missed you too,” Kiba squeaked, looking up into Naruto’ eyes with a solemn look.

Sasuke watched this from where he stood at the door. It seemed his time as Kiba’s surrogate mother had ended. He was surprised that he wasn’t more relieved.

They continued to talk for the next few minutes, mostly about what Kiba had done in the hours Naruto had been absent. Naruto listened with genuine interest, nodding every few minutes. Kiba continued to talk in a relatively sedate tone until his eyelids began to droop. He slumped forward as he fell asleep. Naruto gave him an affectionate smile and leaned back.

A nurse entered and gently shook Kiba. He awoke slowly, his eyes fluttering slowly open.

“Kiba, you should go back to your room and take a nap.”

“Nooo...” Kiba protested weakly as she pulled him to his feet. “I want to stay here.”

“It’s okay, Kiba, you’ll see me later alright? Go and take a nap,” Naruto said, giving him a reassuring look.

Kiba pouted, but he followed the nurse out all the same, giving one last look to Naruto before the door closed. Sasuke wasn’t really sure what to do with himself then. He stood staring at the closed door until Naruto’s voice startled him out of his apparent listlessness.

“Sasuke.”

Sasuke swung his head in Naruto’s direction. Naruto gestured to the chair beside the bed, recently vacated by Kiba. “Come here.” Sasuke wasn’t sure what it was about Naruto that made him obey. All he knew was that if it had been anyone else he would have at least afforded a moment for an arrogant smirk.

Sasuke sat down in the chair and stared at his knees. He could only fidget with the hem of his shorts for so long before the semi-awkward silence got to him. “So...how-how are you?”

Naruto laughed softly. “I’ve been better. How are you doing, Sasuke?”

Sasuke just shrugged. “It’s been kind of boring with you and Neji gone. It’s awfully quiet. Shika just keeps...muttering...and stuff.”

“How’s Kiba doing?”

Sasuke’s head shot up to stare at Naruto. The boy was looking serenely back at him, seemingly unaware of the beeping machines surrounding him. Sasuke’s eyes fell to the thick bandaging gauze wrapped around Naruto’s neck and suddenly all he could see was Neji, forcefully pulling that stretched spring around Naruto’s neck with that horribly purposeful look on his face. Sasuke’s stare rapidly became a glare.

“You’re stuck here, like this, and all you can think about is Kiba? What’s wrong with—”

“Sasuke! Relax!” Naruto interrupted Sasuke, whose voice was swiftly escalating in volume.

Sasuke’s glare took on more intensity. “Relax?!

“Yes! Relax!”

“I’m serious Naruto!”

“So am I, Sasuke,” said Naruto quickly, with a hint of frustration in his voice. “I’m still here. I’m okay!” Sasuke’s eyes fell to the bandaging on Naruto’s neck. Naruto craned his neck down to catch his eye again. “I’m okay, Sasuke,” Naruto said softly. “Really.”

Sasuke sighed and looked back to his knees. “But...but what if Shikamaru hadn’t pushed the alarm? What if the doctors hadn’t gotten there in time?” Sasuke played with the hem once more. “What if you had...had...” he seemed to choke on his words, unable to say them. “What if Neji had succeeded?”

Naruto looked pointedly at Sasuke. “But Neji didn’t succeed.”

An awkward silence filled the room.

Sasuke looked around the room nervously. “So...what have you been doing? I mean, are you bored?”

Naruto laughed inwardly at the obvious attempt at change of subject. “Not much, really. I was out for a few hours after they brought me here, and then the doctors had to run a bunch of tests. And then I pretty much just sit here. There’s no tv or anything. It pretty much sucks.”

Sasuke nodded. Yeah, that would suck. “What would they need to test?”

Naruto sighed. “I don’t know. They’ve already done it all already. I should be used to it by now.” Sasuke detected a hint of frustration in Naruto’s voice, the first time he had ever heard any impatience on Naruto’s part, especially regarding his condition. “Except it’s twice as much now. I guess they want to get as much data as they can as close to the attempts as possible.”

Sasuke nodded again, not really sure what to say to that. Fortunately Naruto saved him.

“So, how is Kiba doing, really?”

Sasuke leaned back in his chair. “I think he’ll be alright now, since he got to see you. He acted kind of lost and was actually pretty clingy.”

“Haven’t you ever seen him with me?” asked Naruto.

“Well, yes, but he’s never given me the time of day. But I guess his only choices were me and Shikamaru, and, well, Shikamaru never really was the affectionate type, much less now.”

Naruto looked puzzled. “What do you mean, now?”

Sasuke reclined a little more and propped his feet up on Naruto’s bed. “He’s been acting a little...strange ever since you and Neji left. He keeps saying things about Neji’s doctors changing his treatment without telling him, and he wouldn’t eat his cereal this morning either. He’s starting to act really distrusting, even towards Kiba.”

Naruto shrugged. “I suppose with Neji’s leaving, Shika’s schizophrenia was triggered.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto. “Schizophrenia? Shikamaru’s a schizo?”

Naruto nodded solemnly. “Yes, he is. He’s been pretty good lately. I think he got some new meds. Anyways, it must have been the shock that caused him to relapse. There’s not really any other explanation.”

More silence.

Sasuke looked back to his hem, which was by now slightly frayed. “Naruto? What exactly happened with you and Neji?”

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his bed, glancing down distractedly at his sheets. Then, squaring his shoulders, he looked back to the boy in the chair.

“I knew I would have to eventually tell you what my problem is. I just didn’t expect to have to quite so soon.” Naruto took a deep breath but before he could jump in to whatever explanation he had in mind, Sasuke held up a hand to stop him.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yes.”

Naruto looked baffled. “How?”

“Shikamaru showed me your folder,” Sasuke admitted.

Naruto’s gaze fell to his lap, embarrassed. Not only did Sasuke know his problem, he knew details that Naruto would have never planned on telling Sasuke in the first place. His cheeks burned at the thought of what Sasuke must have seen in that file.

Sasuke watched Naruto’s silent discomfort, desperately wanting to say something to get that look off of his face but his mind drawing a blank. Before he knew it he was on his feet and standing next to the bed. Naruto looked up at him with wide eyes but, startled by what he had seen in Sasuke’s face, quickly averted his gaze, cheeks flaming further. Sasuke had looked at him with such unabashed intensity. Naruto hadn’t known Sasuke for very long but he knew enough to know that not many people had been graced with that much attention from the Uchiha boy.

“I’m sorry,” Sasuke whispered for the second time in a day.

Naruto’s eyes jerked back up to Sasuke, a glint of anger showing itself. “Don’t pity me,” he hissed.

“I’m no--”

“How would you feel if the roles had been reversed, if you were the one in here and I was the one who had read symptoms and medications and notes that only other doctors are supposed to see? You have no idea how mortifying this is.” Naruto fastened his eyes on his toes at the end of the bed. “This isn’t even fair. You get to know every detail about my problem and I don’t know anything about you at all!”

Sasuke hastily grabbed Naruto’s wrist. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, silently wondering at how easy it was becoming to say that phrase, considering he had never said it any other time of his life.

Naruto suddenly looked back at Sasuke with trepidation. “What exactly did you see?”

Sasuke hesitated. Naruto pressed him, “What?”

“Just...stuff. Like you said, symptoms...”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “No, you saw more. You’re an awful liar, Uchiha.”

Sasuke almost did a double-take at the insult (he for one considered himself excellent at fooling people, but whatever) but remained focused on the problem at hand.

“...pictures.”

Naruto’s mouth dropped open in horror. He hastily wrenched his hand from Sasuke’s grasp and bent forward to cradle his head in his hands. Sasuke quickly reached over and grabbed the wrist again, trying to tug it away, but Naruto resisted, causing Sasuke’s grip to slip and the hand to slap back into Naruto face. Sasuke’s hands flew to cover his mouth.

Oh shit.

Naruto peeked out at Sasuke from between his fingers. Sasuke winced at the glare he was receiving. “So now you’re hitting me?”

Sasuke dropped his hands. “I didn’t hit you!”

“Yes you did!”

“I did not! That was your hand!”

Naruto snorted, which coming from behind his hands ended up sounding like a nasally congested hippo. “Yeah, well, my hand wouldn’t have hit my face if you hadn’t manhandled me!”

Sasuke stared at Naruto, who was now dropping his hands, his lips in a slight pout. Sasuke struggled to hide the smirk that frantically trying to surface. Naruto looked up at Sasuke and, much to Sasuke’s chagrin, started to laugh softly. He managed to remain stoic for a whole three seconds before joining in.

Naruto leaned back in his bed, letting the last weak whimpers of laughter escape him. Sasuke remained standing beside his bed. With the remnants of a smile on his face he watched Naruto close his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Naruto said so softly that Sasuke almost didn’t hear him.

“Why?”

Naruto frowned slightly. “I’m sorry that you had to see that folder, and everything inside...I wish I could have just told you.” He looked up at Sasuke, who couldn’t quite think of the right thing to say. Naruto shyly took Sasuke’s hand in his. “Did it scare you?”

Several things flew through his mind, things he should say to make Naruto feel better or, more importantly, to hide his true thoughts. But before he could stop them, the pictures were flying before his eyes again and suddenly he was watching Neji focusing intently on killing Naruto. He blurted out the only thing he could think of.

“The only thing that scares me is the thought of something like that happening to you.” Sasuke looked back at Naruto, whose cheeks were slightly red once again. Sasuke gripped Naruto’s hand tightly. “What happened, Naruto?”

Naruto closed his eyes again. “I’m not sure. I was playing with Kiba and all of a sudden...it was like something took over. I was thinking of Neji, and how he had acted during the outdoor break yesterday, and...It’s scary, Sasuke,” he continued, opening his eyes again to look up at his friend. “It’s really scary. Whenever it happens, I have no control. I can see everything, but it’s like I’m watching as someone else uses me like a puppet.”

Naruto took a shaky breath. “I walked into Neji’s room and told him that...that I wanted to die, and I needed his help. God, I can’t believe I used him like that!” Sasuke pulled Naruto’s hand to his chest unconsciously. “Neji took control from there. He got some kind of wire or something and wrapped it arou--”

“Shh,” Sasuke stopped him softly, worried at the increasing shakiness of Naruto’s voice. He didn’t know what he would do if Naruto started to cry. “You don’t have to tell me. And you’re right, it isn’t fair that you don’t know anything about me.” Naruto looked up at Sasuke. “I would tell you if I knew anything, but I don’t even know why I’m here. I don’t even really know what my problem is.”

Naruto just nodded. “It’s okay, Sasuke. You will tell me when you want me to know.”

Sasuke smiled softly. Naruto smiled back and closed his eyes once more, sighing quietly. Soon he was breathing deeply and steadily. Sasuke worried that he had tired him out. He stared at the bandaging on Naruto’s neck lightly, a frown creasing his forehead. He sincerely hoped that Neji would not be returning because he wasn’t sure he could let him escape this whole incident without punishment.

The sound of the door opening startled Sasuke out of his revengeful thoughts. The nurse who had brought him to Naruto’s room bustled in and started to chastise loudly, which Sasuke swiftly interrupted with a few arm flails and frantic pointing at Naruto’s sleeping form. The nurse stopped her yelling and with a resigned sigh quickly gestured for Sasuke to leave with her.

Sasuke took one last look at Naruto’s now peaceful face, no hint of the previous conversation marring his innocent features. Brushing a stray blonde lock of hair out of the sleeping boy’s eyes, he squeezed his hand once more and left the room with the nurse. He didn’t marvel over his change in feelings toward Naruto, as he probably would have a few weeks ago. All he knew was that he never wanted to see Naruto in that much pain again.

He followed her out of the room. He eventually found himself in the common room, the nurse locking the door behind her. Sasuke approached Kiba’s door and he could hear soft snores. He smiled and walked to his room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he saw his bed, he heard it calling to him. He sat down on the edge of his bed and he collapsed to the side, his eyes closing with exhaustion as his head hit the pillow.

He was out for two hours.

Sasuke drifted out of a sleep more peaceful than he had had in a long while. He sat up and ruffled his hair, taking in a deep breath. He sat for a few moments, letting the sleep wear off when he felt a presence in the room. His head swiveled towards the door and he felt his heart leap to his throat.

Shikamaru sat on a chair near his door, leaning onto his knees, staring at him.

“Uh...” Sasuke pulled the covers around himself self-consciously. “H-hey Shika.”

“What did you say?”

The tone he used made Sasuke nervous.

“What do you mean Shikamaru...?”

Shikamaru sat up in his chair, his face serious. “What,” he asked curtly, “did you say to them?”

“Shikamaru, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sasuke said softly, his eyebrows furrowing.

“What did you say to them? Those ‘doctors’ and ‘nurses’,” He made quotation marks with his hands as he talked.

“Umm, Shika? They’re real doctors...”

Shikamaru snorted. “You don’t want to talk? Fine.” He stood, pushing his chair back and heading out the door. “I’m sure Kiba will have something to say.”

Sasuke pushed himself out of bed quickly, grabbing Shikamaru’s elbow to stop him. The dark intensity in Shikamaru’s voice made him very nervous.

“Please leave him alone. He’s finally asleep!” Sasuke pleaded, tugging in his elbow again.

To his alarm, Shikamaru broke free and strode purposefully towards Kiba’s room.

“Shikamaru, stop!” Sasuke ran after him, managing to get into Kiba’s room before Shikamaru did.

Sasuke stood between Kiba and Shikamaru, holding his hands out. “Just stop, please,” Sasuke whispered fiercely.

The look on Shikamaru’s face sent chills down Sasuke’s spine.

“Since you won’t talk, he will!” he said motioning to the sleeping boy behind Sasuke, his voice slightly raised.

“Please, shhh!” Sasuke hissed.

A grunt came from behind him and he heard Kiba sit up.

Fuck.

“Sasuke...?” Kiba asked softly, rubbing the sleep from eyes and yawning.

“Kiba, what did you say to them?” Shikamaru demanded, stepping forward.

Sasuke stepped back and he felt the bed on the back of his knees.

“Shikamaru? Wha...?” Kiba trailed off quietly as he looked between the two boys.

Shikamaru clenched his jaw. “Enough bullshit. What the hell did you tell them?”

Sasuke felt a sudden wave of protectiveness as he felt Kiba move behind him. He felt the intensity in the room and he suddenly feared a repeat of yesterday.

“Shikamaru, you need to calm down.” Sasuke ordered sternly.

Sasuke saw a vein in Shikamaru’s forehead pulse with anger.

A voice from the door made them all jump.

“Shikamaru, time for your therapy-...” Ten Ten’s voice trailed off as she saw the tense situation. “Boys...what’s going on?”

“I’m not going,” Shikamaru said, giving her a sharp glance.

Ten Ten frowned and approached him slowly. “But you have to...”

“I’m not going.”

“Shikamaru, you know that therapy sessions are required here,” she started, trying to understand the situation.

Shikamaru glared. “No. You can’t make me!”

Ten Ten reached subtly to her belt and pressed a button. “Shikamaru,” she tried again. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

He backed away from her quickly, the look of mistrust obvious on his face. His panic only increased when a nurse and Shizune walked through the door.

Shizune approached him slowly. “Shikamaru, what’s wrong? You can trust me.” Her advance was slow, and she talked in a soothing voice.

Sasuke felt Kiba holding onto his hand tightly from behind.

Shikamaru let out a loud laugh. “Trust you? Trust you?!” His back was against the wall and his eyes were narrowed.

“Shikamaru...” Shizune started. “Have you been taking your meds?”

Shikamaru panicked and lunged out towards Shizune, causing everyone to scream and jump back.

“Where is Neji?!” Shikamaru demanded, his head swiveling around the room, his body in a crouch.

“He’s being detained, Shikamaru, calm down!” Shizune said in a stern voice.

“What have you done to him? Where is he?!” Shikamaru was screaming at this point.

Kiba was shaking against Sasuke’s body as he watched the scene.

Shikamaru was pacing rapidly, shooting seething glares at everyone in the room.

“You will not take me-,”

Shikamaru never saw the nurse appear behind him and stick him with the needle. Shikamaru fell to the floor, with a sickening, all too familiar thud.

The nurses and Shizune laid Shikamaru’s unconscious body out flat and checked him for injuries. Ten Ten grabbed Kiba and Sasuke by their arms and pulled them out of the room quickly. She led them into Sasuke’s room and moved Kiba to sit on the bed.

“You two need to stay in here for a while, okay?” she said as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sasuke pushed Kiba down onto the bed gently, pulling the covers over his body.

“Don’t worry about it Kiba, just sleep,” he murmured quietly.

“But...Shika...”

“Kiba stop. Don’t worry about it, just sleep. Please,” Sasuke said firmly.

Although in the back of his mind he was wondering if there was something wrong with the water, seeing as how people seemed to be dropping like flies, Sasuke could feel anger rising up in him. Shikamaru had put him, and Kiba, in danger. How could he do that, after all that had happened in the last few days? He watched Kiba protectively as the boy slept.

He realized slowly as he sat on the bed, that he and Kiba were the only two left...

~

The beeping was what woke him. Shikamaru’s eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the dim light. He was in the hospital. They had put him there. His eyes shifted around the room quickly, noticing the rather obvious cameras around the room. The monitor beside him began to beep rapidly as his heart rate rose.

They were responsible for this. They had taken Neji, and now they had him. His heart beat at an alarming rate as he surveyed the room, looking for possible escape. He heard stern talking outside our door and he tried to calm his racing heart and listen. The conversation was incoherent to Shikamaru, but he could tell the tone was serious. He heard some clinking too.

He heard the door open and his heart took off again as his head snapped up. He heard a ominous,

“We’re watching. Remember.”

A shadow appeared at the door and he saw a figure enter into the shadows. Shikamaru tensed, ready to evade his opponent if necessary. A voice from the figure froze his thoughts in their tracks.

“Shika,” the voice said in a low, rumbling tone.

It was Neji.

Shikamaru let out a squeak of a breath and a quiet “Neji” as Neji quickly crossed the floor and pressed his lips against Shikamaru’s urgently. Shikamaru responded, trying to ignore the tears running down his cheeks as his lips pressed against Neji’s harshly, relishing in the feel of his presence and the smell of his hair.

Neji pulled back slowly, his eyes locked with Shikamaru’s. It was only when Neji reached up to brush away Shikamaru’s tears that he noticed that Neji’s hands were handcuffed together.

“Neji” Shikamaru breathed, resting his forehead against Neji’s. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, but it wasn’t from fear.

Neji reached up and cupped Shikamaru’s cheeks gently, brushing away more tears as he leaned in and kissed Shika again, his lips brushing lightly against those of the genius.

“Don’t cry, Shika,” Neji murmured softly, placing fluttering kisses on his forehead, his temple, his jaw line. “Please.”

“Neji,” Shika exhaled softly. “I was so worried...”

“I know, I know,” Neji whispered, sitting himself on the bed next to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Neji’s waist, nuzzling against his chest, breathing in his scent. They sat for a few moments like this, wrapped in each others arms. Shikamaru broke the silence.

“Why...How did they let you in here?” Shikamaru asked quietly, his fingers playing with the buttons on Neji’s shirt.

Neji hated the restraints on his wrists as they stopped him from holding the crying boy next to him. “You weren’t calming down...They said that if they gave you any more sedatives that your heart might be in danger. So...they brought me in.”

“You weren’t even gone a day, but I felt like my heart was being ripped out,” Shika whispered. He rose to his knees and faced Neji, his hands tangling in dark hair as they kissed again. Their foreheads rested against one another’s as they parted.

“I know...” Neji’s voice trailed off, and his eyes flickered to the door.

Shikamaru turned and heard voices behind it. Neji took his chin between his fingers and he turned Shikamaru’s head to face him.

“Listen to me Shika. They’re going to take me away soon-,”

“No!” Shikamaru cried, the look on his face one of terror.

Neji pulled away slightly and commanded Shika’s attention. “Shika, listen to me. It’s going to be okay, I promise. They said they’d let me visit you-,”

A door opening cut off his sentence. A doctor and a security guard stepped inside, the security guard holding a night stick in his hands.

“Time to go, Neji.”

Neji saw the panic on Shikamaru’s face. He was crying again. Neji held Shikamaru’s face in his hands gently.

“Shikamaru, listen to me! It will be alright, okay? Trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you. We will see each other again, okay?”

“No...” Shikamaru was shaking his head, tears falling freely down his face. “Please, don’t...”

“Shika, please,” Neji pleaded.

“Please don’t go Neji!” Shikamaru cried quietly, his shoulders shaking.

Neji leaned in and captured Shikamaru’s lips again. He felt Shikamaru’s hands tangle in his hair and he moved his lips pleadingly, trying to tell Shikamaru how he was hurting too.

A rough hand on Neji’s shoulder forced them apart, their breath fast, their eyes locked together.

“Let’s go,” the guard grunted, pulling Neji completely off the bed and towards the door.

“Shikamaru, I want you to get out of here, okay? Get back with Naruto and the others. Take your meds, and promise me you’ll be okay when I visit you.”

Shikamaru nodded, tears dripping off his cheeks. “I promise,” he whispered.

The guard pushed Neji out of the room and the doctor gave Shikamaru a soft look.

“I’m sorry Shikamaru, I am.”

He left the room then, giving Shikamaru one last sympathetic glance.

The door shut then, locking away the boy alone with his tears.


17 pages! 17 freaking pages! Yeah, that’s a lot. Mostly because KandKL and I live in different states but she's been staying with me for the last week and our creative juices were f-LOwing. Good times.

We know this chapter was probably a little emotionaly taxing, but no worries, by the end of the next chapter there will be mucho comedy! (mirandler43 gets a slightly worrysome glint in her eye; humor is her job and she' really excited!)

Thanks to everyone who’s been reviewing. It makes my and KandKL’s day when we get a new one. :D Some responses:
Yaoi Lady: Thanks for all the compliments! (authors blush) And thanks for the patience. We're trying to get a new chapter up at least once a week.
DAUGHTER of an bitch: Haha, thanks! I hope we satiated your...Neji/Shika...desires. There will be more to come with those two as well. Stay tuned!
Psylocke - NaruSasu Addict: Wow, amazing? You're too kind!
Bum: There. There's your Neji/Shika as ordered. Was it good? I (mirandler43) enjoyed it. I'm not much for fluff but this one grabbed me. KankKL took care of that part. I do the funny stuff. :D


KandKL and I were IMing the other day when we were brainstorming ideas for the opening scene with Neji and Naruto, and for whatever reason I, at least (can't speak for her), have a really hard taking anything seriously. So whenever there's some melodramatic moment we have to get all the sillies out first, and here was our first take:

Nurses- Get off him!!
Neji- Just give me a second....
Naruto- GAWL Neji, hurry up!
Nurses- ::attack Neji::
Neji- Hey! Do not touch me! Dammit Naruto, stop breathing!
Naruto- I’m trying, I’m TRYING!
Neji- Ahh, there, done.
Naruto- ::iz ded::

Are we horrible people for thinking this is funny? Anyways, keep up the reviews, you’ve been great.