Credits: Thanks to Nez for this wonderful idea:) And yeah, blame me for the crappy title and the weird summary. Also thanks to R. Liam, hiddengoldeneyes and Gonrie for giving me feedback/opinions before I post this piece!
Warning: SasuNaru, yaoi, shounen-ai, heavy AU, weirdness (?), OOC (?), some fluff :D And… I'm sorry Gaara. Hahaha. From the very start, you have no chance with Naruto in this fanfiction T.T;; The rating might go up in the later chapters. This isn't going to be simply be like Naruto-becomes-a-maid and then-he-falls-in-love-with-Sasuke and they-live-happily-ever-after-the-end:P There's going to be plot, because I like complicated things XD;; It's still going to be romance and have a happy ending, but let's change the process a bit, yeah:)
"Doctor, will he be okay?" Uzumaki Naruto, eighteen, asked the older man. His tone was worried, and his deep blue eyes were gazing imploringly on the male that was sleeping on the white-covered bed.
Doctor Ryuuzaki sighed deeply. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, since he knew that doctors usually sighed like that when they didn't want to say some bad news. Then, did that mean, that, that…
"I thought that his insomnia was only transient insomnia—since, after all, this started after that trip to America, right?" The doctor started to explain, while Naruto squirmed on the plastic chair. His tanned hands sought Gaara's pale ones, and the blond felt a moment of relief that at least, his boyfriend could sleep—even though it's drug-induced.
Naruto nodded in assent.
He won in the raffle draw for a trip for two to America two months ago. It was an academic trip set during their vacation just before entering university. Normally, Naruto wouldn't have cared enough for academic trips—especially for History Museums. But then, the pocket money was huge and it was like a honeymoon trip for them anyway.
Back then, he and Gaara were enjoying their relationship—they already finished enrolling in the same university, they already moved their things into their shared room in the dormitory…
And then, just after going back to Japan, Gaara wasn't able to sleep at all.
They thought it was just jet lag. But days melted to weeks, which evolved to two months of near-zero hours of sleep. Black rings have already formed beneath Gaara's emerald eyes, sure signs of exhaustion.
Actually, Naruto was surprised that Gaara managed to be stable for that long—since after all, sleep is important for the body. But then, he quickly dismissed the thought; he should be happy that Gaara managed to hang on.
"I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san, it seems that the disorder became a chronic one…" The doctor continued to explain, but those words weren't perceived by Naruto.
He was busy holding Gaara's hands, an act that the redhead disliked immensely, and murmuring his boyfriend's name.
"Gaara…"
My Personal Maid
Chapter One
"Naruto, we're going to visit Gaara later, okay?" Inuzuka Kiba said brightly, though there was something shadowing his voice.
Naruto almost sighed. Ever since Gaara was hospitalized, everybody seemed to be too kind to him. Sure, he wasn't in the mood for declaring that his life was fun, but they didn't have to tone down all their actions. They didn't have to act superbly kind to him, because they feared that he was too fragile and this thing would break him into innumerable pieces.
Gaara was important to him, very important, but he wouldn't break down so easily, because he firmly believed that he will be cured, and everything will be all right again.
"Yes! We shall accompany you in your time of need!" Rock Lee exclaimed, but his enthusiasm felt faint and faked. Naruto mustered a pleasant smile; he hoped that it looked sincere enough. Even the ever-exuberant Rock Lee was somehow tamed by Gaara's absence due to his insomnia.
The blond knew that since Lee is coming, Neji would also visit Gaara, since after-all, Kakashi-sensei assigned the ever-stoic Hyuuga to help improve Lee's standing on everyone's eyes.
Or rather, Kakashi-sensei just wanted Lee to keep out of trouble, at all possible costs.
"Thanks, guys," Naruto said, and he meant it. Though he resented the way his friends treated him like a fragile piece of glass, he was glad for the support that they offered him. The doctor said that Gaara needed to sleep as much as possible, and it meant that injecting those drugs, which have high chances of causing nasty side-effects, and…
"Move, dobe."
Even though Naruto wasn't facing the person, he could easily guess who the speaker was. After all, he only knew of one person who possessed that oh-so-deep voice that girls fancied. Naruto recognized the speaker's identity however, not because he was one of the person's numerous fans, but because he could recognize the patronizing tone. And of course, the annoying nickname.
"Who are you calling a dobe, huh?!" Naruto exploded, turning, then waving his arms around. His friends went back to their seats, because this encounter happened every single day for the past two months.
"There's only one dobe to me," Uchiha Sasuke, heir to the influential Uchiha Corporation, smoothly stated, pink lips tugged slightly upwards in a condescending smirk. Two girls waited patiently by the Uchiha's side, staring at him with such adoring eyes.
Naruto recognized Sakura-chan, his classmate since primary school. He has always been infatuated with her 'normal-girl looks', but that was before. Now, the blond was disgusted with the way she made cow-eyes at someone who doesn't even regard her presence at the slightest.
Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration. His earlier somber attitude was gone in a blink, and he was replaced with a ball of nerves –he felt buzzed, and energized, and contented, surprisingly. He felt this feeling again –this intense surge…- this feeling that made him want to show Uchiha that he wasn't inferior, that he was worthy of something other than that cold indifference.
"Sasuke-kun, you're so cool…" Sakura and her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, murmured softly. Naruto felt another stab of that urge. What was so good about Sasuke anyway? Gaara was better, because Gaara actually talked to him in words that are not insults. Gaara actually accompanied him. Gaara actually listened to him. Gaara actually understood him.
That intense urge curled and uncurled repeatedly near his ribcage, near his heart, near his stomach. That feeling is getting stronger, stronger, and he was feeling dizzy. He could feel warmth spreading from his neck, up to his cheeks… Why was he staring so intently into Sasuke's eyes, anyway?
Dizzy… warm…
Naruto swayed on his feet, wobbly and unbalanced, while Sasuke's fangirls ignored him, while his friends were dumbstruck.
Sasuke…
And he fell towards the floor… into darkness…
Sasuke…
"Ch, you're so troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, as soon as Naruto managed to sit up and open his eyes.
Naruto gazed down at the white sheets that pooled around him –and he recalled Gaara, in that hospital, sleeping deeply- and then he regarded Shikamaru with a grateful smile. "Thanks for carrying me here, Shika," Naruto stated, recognizing the place as the nurse's office.
The expression on the boy genius' face was a cross between disgust, amusement and horror. It was actually funny to see Shikamaru smirk and sigh at the same time.
The blond laughed, since Shikamaru seemed to be unable to decide which facial expression to do first. "No need to be shy about it—"
"I didn't carry you here." The other said, fixing Naruto a cool stare. Naruto stared back, confused.
Naruto blinked, and then started to ask. "Then, who—"
"I carried you here," A voice interrupted the blond's statement again. Naruto snapped his head around, locating the source of that annoyingly-suave voice. Horrifyingly enough, Uchiha Sasuke stood there, leaning casually against the door. It was a pose that Naruto recognized from models on those large billboards, but the blond was too frustrated from being interrupted too many times to care.
"Ch, like hell you—"
"…Missed your boyfriend already?" Sasuke interrupted him again, and while Naruto was getting ready to exclaim about being interrupted and such, the wiser part of his mind told him to pause. After all, Sasuke was an insufferable, arrogant, icy bastard, but he rarely showed such strong disdain. The way he said the word 'boyfriend' was too brittle, too emotional for a certified Ice Prince like him.
"Go to hell," Naruto mentally congratulated himself for sounding venomous and for actually not being interrupted.
Sasuke took a step closer towards the bed. The tugging feeling on Naruto's chest grew stronger.
Shikamaru watched, as Naruto and Sasuke bickered and insulted each other.
Shikamaru watched, as Naruto tried his best to match Sasuke's wit, easily forgetting that the visiting hours would soon be over.
Shikamaru watched, as Sasuke effortlessly shot down the blond's comebacks, smirk widening at succeeding to prevent Naruto from going to the hospital.
"…Ch. Troublesome."
"But can't I see him, pretty pleaaaaaase?" Naruto asked the nurse sweetly, trying his best with the puppy-eyes-technique.
It didn't seem to affect the stern nurse though, who simply fixed him with an unimpressed glare. "Visiting hours are over."
Naruto pouted—an act that he wasn't even aware that he did. "Aww, please—"
"Uzumaki-san," Doctor Ryuuzaki said calmly, and the blond turned to him eagerly. Instead of taking pity on him, though, the doctor motioned for him to follow. Naruto frowned, feeling uneasy as they entered the doctor's office.
Doctor Ryuuzaki took a deep breath, just as Naruto sat down on one of the available seats. "Uzumaki-san, Gaara-san needs to be transferred to another hospital."
Naruto sat immobile, cerulean eyes opened wide, disbelief and worry etched into his expressive face. The doctor continued with his speech, seeing that Naruto seemed too shocked to comment. "His disease is becoming worse, since his brain electrolytes are decreasing rapidly, an aftershock of the two months lack of sleep. Our hospital lacks the equipment for progressive monitoring of his internal organs' state, and we also don't have a specialist regarding this rare instance of chronic insomnia…"
"Central Hospital for Sleeping Disorders is affiliated with a strong Neurology department, and it could help Gaara-san recover faster…" The doctor continued to explain in a grave voice, eyes intently surveying Naruto's face for any reaction.
"Okay," The blond said shakily a few moments later. "If it would help Gaara recover… then… okay."
The Central Hospital for Sleeping Disorders is found in America.
Gaara would be sent to a place so far away…
It's much more expensive there, of course, but they're the most affordable hospital, when it comes to this type of treatment therapy.
Naruto clenched and unclenched his fists, hidden inside the pockets of his orange jacket, as he walked away from the white hospital building.
Before Gaara-san can be transferred though, you'd need to pay at least 50 of your bills in this hospital, or you'd have to pay a down payment for the initial NMR brain scan.
They were both orphans.
Naruto thought that maybe, just maybe, that was the reason why he and Gaara understood each other. Though, Gaara had two older siblings; Temari-san and Kankuro-san were already working, but their jobs are far-away from Tokyo. Gaara, then, was almost-always alone in his house.
I know that Gaara-san is only supported by his siblings, but this transfer is needed for him to recover, and uncover the exact extent of his disease. Brain surgery might be needed if his sleep-center was damaged. There are money loans available from the government—you could try applying for it…
Naruto's neighbor and self-assigned guardian, Tsunade-baachan, could only finance for the two of them. He wanted to help Gaara, but in order to do that, he needed to have a stable source of income.
He had already called Temari-san and Kankuro-san, but they both said that they're not sure if the money they have would be enough, but they promised that they'd try to lend from somebody. Naruto wanted to help, because he cared for Gaara, a lot.
What can I do…?
His mind was busy with thoughts about money and Gaara and hospitals, and he didn't notice that he walked straight into somebody. The person he bumped into grunted, as Naruto fell on top of the stranger.
Naruto blushed at his clumsiness, ears burning as he felt the passersby staring at him strangely. A dozen apologies were already at the tip of his tongue, but when he looked at the stranger closely, he found out that the other wasn't that much of a stranger, after all.
"You bastard!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing an index finger accusingly, not making any move to get up. The depressing thoughts about Gaara disappeared from the foreground of his mind—not that Naruto noticed it. There was something with seeing Sasuke that made him forget almost everything—and while he knew it wasn't healthy, he had no idea of how to stop it from happening. Plus, the idea of focusing on Sasuke completely made his heart skip a beat.
"Tch, get off, moron," Sasuke said tightly, and the blond peered at the Uchiha curiously. Sasuke might have been an uncaring, arrogant asshole, but there was something that sounded pained as he spoke just now. There was something reddish near Sasuke's forehead—and—
"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, sounding annoyed and curious and pained at the same. Naruto stopped himself. He gazed at his outstretched arm, and then to his wandering hand, and then to his fingers, which gently wiped away the blood that trickled away from Sasuke's wound.
Naruto shifted his stare to Sasuke's face, looking blank and horrified and fascinated, all at once. There was really something about Sasuke…
The blond then wordlessly got off Sasuke –Naruto still looked adorably confused about his own actions- and offered a hand to help Sasuke up. Surprisingly enough, for someone who detested touching others, Sasuke accepted the offered hand.
"I'm sorry," Naruto muttered, loud enough for only the other male to hear. Sasuke nodded at him in an odd gesture of reassurance. "I'm fine, idiot."
Naruto's heart skipped another beat.
It was a few minutes after Sasuke was whisked away by the car he called to fetch him. Naruto's fingers were still mildly stained by the reddish-brown color of Sasuke's blood, all thanks to him knocking Sasuke down onto the concrete sidewalk. It was good that his injury wasn't serious…
Naruto would have frowned at himself for worrying so much about Sasuke, but a large advertisement caught his eye.
Wanted: Personal Assistant
Salary: 1500 US Dollars per week
Qualifications: Good communication skills, hard-working, trustworthy, high school graduate, appealing personality, preferably male, at least 17 years old
Contact Person: Mr. Kentaro Kawashima, 93799217
Screening: February 21, Wednesday, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Bring: ID, Résumé, Application Letter, Passport/Driver's License (if applicable)
Job Description:
And that was all Naruto read, as he frantically wrote down the number on his palm, and dashed for his apartment.
At last, he found a great job!
Not too far away from the advertisement, a dark-haired person inside a sleek, black car watched Uzumaki Naruto. The enthusiasm on the blond's face was too genuine, to the point that he almost didn't believe it. He was sure –a hundred percent sure- that Naruto didn't read the advertisement completely—judging from his personality and from the happy expression on his face.
Uchiha Sasuke smirked as he reveled in his cunning plan. "Take me back to the mansion," He ordered his driver in an icy tone, black-colored eyes reading the advertisement he posted up.
Wanted: Personal Assistant
Salary: 1500 US Dollars per week
Qualifications: Good communication skills, hard-working, trustworthy, high school graduate, appealing personality, preferably male, at least 17 years old
Contact Person: Mr. Kentaro Kawashima, 93799217
Screening: February 21, Wednesday, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Bring: ID, Résumé, Application Letter, Passport/Driver's License (if applicable)
Job Description: Assist the employer at all times; will be required to work full-time on week-ends; will be asked to stay on the office's staff suites
Sasuke's eyes read the small-printed words near the end of the advertisement—something that he was really, really sure that Naruto didn't read.
Employer: Uchiha Sasuke.
To Be Continued
A/N: Hmmm, now, I think my summaries are getting lamer x.X The original version was supposed to be Naruto getting money to cure Iruka but I've seen fics like that (like, my fanfic Possession). I tried my best to make this as realistic as possible; research on insomnia and blah-blah is done here, but of course, if there are some discrepancies, feel free to point it out :)
This fanfic is all thanks to Nez (Maraming Salamat po sa prompt na ito!). Also, I'm quite tired of seeing the third-party-always-loses scenario (uh-huh, especially in tele-dramas) XD;; This time, Sasuke is the third party and he –will- win, yo :P
Hmm, my final note is that, this story is of mixed genre: so I just put Romance there :) There will be times when there's angst (it's Sasuke there, of course, there's angst) and drama; there will be moments where everything's lighthearted. And well, again, watch out for plot, LOL there are lots of hints in this chapter already XD
Promotion: I posted 3 oneshots: Ouroboros, Wish!, and, Buy Me a Date. Please, Teacher! Chapter Three. A Thief's Kiss Chapter 3. Hahaha XD;;
Please review :)