Stay [SasuNaru]

Chapter 4

The walk home made Sasuke uneasy. He had to pass by the broken street sign again. He refused to look at it, in fear he might see his blond friends ghost again.

He thought back to the conversation that they had on the roof. If there really were other spirits trapped, why could he only see Naruto? It was something that he didn't understand. Naruto said he had unfinished business, but what did that mean exactly?

Shaking his head, Sasuke tried to shove it off as his mind playing tricks on him. He was in shock from the news he had received about Naruto. After all, he felt personally responsible for Naruto being hurt in the first place. If he has just listened to what the blond had to say.. maybe he would have been okay.

Looking up, Sasuke hadn't realized where he was walking. He intended to go home, but it appeared that his conscience took him elsewhere. He stopped in front of the hospital. Glancing towards the windows, he saw a familiar blond face in one of them. He felt his heart rate increase and his palms started to sweat.

The wind blew, causing his hair to cover his eyes momentarily. When the wind settled, the blond was gone from the window. Almost like he didn't have control over his movements, Sasuke's feet took him inside the building.

He paused at the reception desk, feeling awkward. The lady smiled at him and asked him if he needed assistance.

"I'm, uh, looking for a.. someone who is here" he spoke softly, but still loud enough for the lady to hear him. She asked for the name and suddenly Sasuke panicked. "Uh never mind, I'll check back later"

Before the woman could respond, Sasuke had bolted out the front door. Once he was outside, he grasped his shirt and took short rapid breaths. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like the entire weight of the world had fallen onto his chest when she had him who he was looking for.

It wasn't that he couldn't say Naruto's name. It was more like he felt he had no right to be there. Like he had no right to check on the blond's condition since he had been responsible for the accident in the first place. What right did he have asking about Naruto when Sasuke pushed him away like that?

He didn't look up towards the windows again in fear of seeing the blond hair again. Sasuke was really struggling with the guilt that ate at his insides. Once his breathing was under control, he headed towards home.

Once Sasuke arrived at home, he entered his house slowly, hoping not to make any noise. He really didn't want Itachi to be there. Not because his brother was probably still angry at him, but because if he heard the news about Naruto, Sasuke was sure Itachi would drill him with questions.

Sensing that no one was home, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. He took his shoes off and proceeded to his room. Without changing or really doing anything else at all, he flopped face down into his bed. Everything from day left him feeling more exhausted than he's ever felt. He at least had the comfort of his bed to help release the tension he felt that had built up. He laid his head to the side and let his body relax into the bed. Within a few minutes, Sasuke was fast asleep.

**

Sasuke was awoken by a sudden knock on his door. Before he could answer, Itachi opened the door to see his little brother visibly depressed on the bed. When Itachi stepped into the room, Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, peering at the floor.

"Hey. I heard what happened with Naruto.." the elder brother wasn't really sure how to comfort the younger in this situation. He hadn't seen Sasuke this depressed since the passing of their parents.

Sasuke didn't respond and fidgeted with his fingers, eyes still locked on the floor. He could feel his emotions welling up again and he was trying his hardest to control them.