A/N: This can be taken as a sequel to my other fic Riding the Tube but it's also a stand alone fic, you can read the other one before hand if you want to, but it isn't necessary
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Sasuke glared at the back of a blond head, he stood watching as Naruto engaged some random patient in mindless chatter about the wonders of ramen of all things. Sasuke shot another disapproving look at Naruto as he once again began to explain what ramen was to the Alzheimer's patient. Resisting the urge to strangle Naruto if only to get him to shut up, the dark-haired man continued to watch as the numbers by the side of the door lit up one by one. He shifted slightly, fingers itching to cause some sort of harm to the moron happily explaining a new elaborate version of his favourite food.
A drop of sweat ran down the brunet's back, it was spacious in the large elevator designed for carrying patients in beds, and it wasn't particularly crowded either. Sasuke was simply on edge, slightly uncomfortable with the environment, making his temper short and idiot blonds target practise.
Naruto looked up, somewhere in the back of his mind registering that the doors had pinged open for their floor. He saw Sasuke's outline walking at his usual fast measured pace, and yelled a quick goodbye to the old man in the wheelchair. He jogged out quickly to catch up with his friend; boyfriend was still a touchy word for them. The blond swung his arm around the fair-skinned man, only for quick reflexes to push the limb away. Blue eyes narrowed, a huff escaped past a mouth, but a pale hand brushed against another, while heels clicked on the commercial vinyl tiles.
Naruto gazed in fascination at the art hung on the otherwise white walls, adding colour and warmth to the corridor, the words blurring as he tried to catch the titles, the dedications. On the floor were painted lines, giving directions to the different wards, he stared bemusedly at them for a while, contemplating doing the 'look I can walk in a straight line' game before increasing his speed, his trainers squeaking as he caught up with Sasuke again.
Sasuke walked up the receptionist desk intending on asking for directions for the post-op patient ward only to find the woman occupied, frantically pushing through files and becoming progressively more distressed. Undeterred, the brunet was about the clear his throat in an announcement of obnoxious person present manner, but received an elbow to his side. Naruto glared at him, mouthing 'bastard' before pushing past, straightening his t-shirt and approaching the desk.
The woman looked up as Naruto's shadow made him known; she took in his winning smile, his bright eyes, blond hair, but his scarred cheeks caught her attention, and she stared unashamedly. Sasuke's irritation kicked up a notch; she worked in a fucking hospital for god's sakes.
"Where is room 402?" He broke in, he wanted to get this over and done with, so that he could go home, and just be at home. She drew her eyes away from Naruto and indicated the direction.
"It's on the next floor up." Her attention now riveted on the stunning Uchiha, whose hostility only added to his appeal. Sasuke didn't bother glaring at her, the directions he had received previously from a similar starry-eyed woman conflicted with hers.
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Back in the elevator, Naruto had the decency to look slightly ashamed as they were carried downwards, having hit the ground floor button because the 'G' looked like a '4'. They were pressed to the side because of the large electrical machinery in the centre taking up most of the room. Naruto considered kissing Sasuke, as he always did when in close quarters with him, but somehow he didn't think that some lip action would dissolve the thunder cloud that had mutated from the rain cloud that perpetually trailed Sasuke.
He watched as Sasuke's dark elegantly shaped eyebrows drew closer and closer together until they were expressing a full-out frown. Sasuke was usually good with keeping the dreaded facial expressions of any sort at bay, but in some rare off guarded moments he slipped, and Naruto would be there to see.
"What's your problem today?" Naruto broke the silence, trying not to look like he cared as he picked at a thread on his t-shirt, tugging at it and not expecting it to loosen.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his frown lines smoothing away to give way to a cool and indifferent look. "Why do you care?" he uttered with more bite than he had intended.
Naruto's eyes flashed darker before a wide grin spread across his face, one that would irritate Sasuke more than words could, "No reason."
Sasuke returned to his brooding, but amused blue eyes saw that it wasn't thundering over there anymore, just raining really heavily.
Finally reaching their floor, the elevator stopping with the weird sensation of the stomach trying to claw it's way into the throat and dropping back down again. Naruto led the way this time. They were on their way to see Jiraiya; an old mentor of Naruto's who had called the blond a whole week after he had been admitted and only because he was desperate from porn deprivation.
He followed the directions, the wards all looking the same, dumpy nurses in blue uniforms helping their patients, some looking lively and active, while others were placed on high beds, white sheets covering them, hooked up to countless tubes. Naruto's eyes wondered from elderly patient to elderly patient, his heart clenching as all his fears for Jiraiya were successfully pulled forward to the surface. They all looked so helpless, and very few had visitors.
Sasuke took in Naruto's clenched fists and his tightened jaw, he had always been sensitive to the pain of others and it often took all of Sasuke's effort to not scream at him that he couldn't change everything, he couldn't help everyone, and that it was just the way life was. Naruto should know better than to get upset over things he had no control over. He lifted his hand to touch a muscled shoulder; he placed it there moving his hand in a rubbing motion, and Naruto turned determined eyes on him.
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Naruto paused as they reached Jiraiya's ward, there were four beds in total, two against each wall, curtains drawn blocking the view completely. A rush of fear shot through him; he'd been ignoring the prickling sensation in the pit of his stomach since the phone call. He heard Sasuke 'tsk', and drew up a bright grin, and made his way to the back of the large room, where he had spotted spiky white hair.
They approached the bed where Jiraiya laid, sheets tucked around him, an IV imbedded in the vein of a hefty calloused hand. His skin pale, not its usual robust colour, his eyes closed; relaxed. Naruto would have started blubbering in tears until a large fake snore was emitted from a wide mouth, which even had a large drool bubble attached to match. Sasuke snorted from his position at the foot of the bed, and Naruto quickly wiped at the corner of his eye as Jiraiya peeked his open.
"Brat, are you crying?" Jiraiya's voice was a little raspy, but still conveyed his mocking tone.
"No!!!" Naruto's eyes widened impossibly as he began his tirade, "you're not even sick are you?! You pervert! You're here to grope the nurses! Well I got news for you, none of them are hotti-" The blond was cut off from his mindless rant with Sasuke kicking him in the foot.
"Idiot, keep your voice down."
Naruto caught one of the nurses glaring at him; she was actually quite good looking. He glared at the bastard instead before turning his attention back to the old pervert now winking at the nurse.
"She's really… right?" Jiraiya made the curvy hand motions to indicate his appreciation of her body. The nurse's eye twitched as she stomped away.
Naruto was nodding along until another kick from Sasuke had him shaking his head.
"Why are you here? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me? What's wrong with you? Are you dying…?" Naruto trailed off with his last question escaping causing all his nerves to tighten.
"Relax brat, it was just some minor surgery," Jiraiya shrugged it off, "my doctor.." He wolf whistled, "she's got knockers out to here!" He indicated on his own chest with his hands.
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he took in the interaction between the blond and white-haired pervert. Naruto began badgering him for information, and the only response he got out of the old man was demands for his porn and the occasional swiping at the blond. This of course only caused the IV to be yanked on leading to a Jiraiya whimpering in pain.
"Tell me what's wrong with you, and I'll give you your silly book," Naruto fished it out of his jeans pocket, extremely bent, and waved it tauntingly.
"Hah! Silly?! Look at how worn it is! You've read it at least five times!" Jiraiya chuckled as a blush spread across Naruto's face and the Uchiha-brat's eyes narrowed.
Jiraiya sighed as he recognised the stubborn look on the brat's face, "They said I have irregular beats in my heart; arrhythmia or something, they put this defibrillator thingy in my heart, and bing bang boom, I'm all better." Jiraiya grinned, hands making grabbing motions for the book.
Naruto was about to hand the hostage over until another thought occurred to him. "What was wrong with your heart?" Jiraiya despite his age was healthier than a lot of people in their prime.
Jiraiya's newly mended heart sank at the question, "It works too fast sometimes, goes outta beat," he replied vaguely.
Sasuke smirked, his mind putting the facts together as only his genius mind could.
"Eh? Why? When?"
"When I get excited," Jiraiya mumbled, saying goodbye to his porn.
"You mean when you're drooling over chicks and being a pervert and doing your lame-ass research?!" Naruto screeched in a low voice, Sasuke's pre-emptive foot having already dug into his shin.
Jiraiya was saved the hassle of listening to Naruto rant as the same nurse returned to inform them that it was the lunch hour now and that would have to leave. Naruto huffed determined to kick up a fuss but got dragged away by Sasuke.
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Sasuke sighed as he leaned back on the cracked wall behind him, he was in an off mood today, he knew that, he didn't need Naruto's constant pestering and pokes to the ribs to remind him. The blond had gone off in search of food, apparently if everyone was eating; it was torture for him not to be. After the repeated digs about Sasuke's skinny ass, Naruto had given up trying to get him to come along. It wasn't a pretty sight when Naruto ate anyway.
The sofa he sat on was lumpy and looked like someone had tried to chew on it. There were other visitors there too, but he barely saw them, he was thinking about work, the case that he was working on was the worst kind; ambiguous and with excessive media coverage. Taking the time to be here today with Naruto had put his schedule on hold, and although he didn't begrudge the blond for it, he was still under a lot of pressure.
Sasuke hated the hospital environment, hated the smell that he felt he could taste, the whiteness, the blandness. He had lost his family in a place so eerily similar to this that it made his skin crawl.
The television screen hung in the corner of the room, crackling now and again, the screen running florescent colours striped with black now and again, a soap opera played, the triviality of it made Sasuke's eye twitch, though he continued to watch, following the story line of why Ben had cheated on Isabel with the 'stunning' Alessandra, he couldn't help but snort when the evil twin appeared.
After a while, the constant crying of the baby in the corner caused him to lose patience, the mother hadn't even bothered to make any attempt at quieting it, captivated apparently by the TV show also. He left the room, the baby's wails echoing in his ears as he began his search for his blond twit.
Scanning the cafeteria quickly and finding only dull lifeless blonde hair there, he took the stairs back to the wards. As he approached the ground floor doors, they were thrust open unexpectedly. He was pushed out of the way by large hands covered in blood as a paramedic wheeled a patient along, moving at a fast pace. Three others pushed as a doctor straddled the chest of the patient, their front covered in the red sticky substance; the man's hand seemed to be stuck in patient's chest, shoulders moving in a pumping motion.
"Get out of the way!" Another doctor shoved him aside, their hands were clean. Dark eyes followed as a room was prepared quickly, the patient transferred to the bed, two nurses pushed by as well, and still Sasuke couldn't move more than a few feet away. Drug names were yelled out by the two doctors, the bright red was turning a darker shade, not seeming so fluid anymore. Another nurse wheeled in some heavy machinery. No one bothered to draw the curtains.
It took a disgustingly short amount of time, the pumping motions stopped, the tubes were pulled away, and the heart monitor was switched off. A doctor pronounced the time of death as the others began to leave. Sasuke caught a glimpse of the corpse's face, the man could have hardly been older than himself, a shock of spiky brown hair lying limp, a sheen over sickly skin, and a colourless tongue stuck out to the side, mouth lax outlined in crimson.
"Are you a member of the family sir?" One of the doctors seemed to notice him standing shock still. Sasuke didn't tear his eyes away from the deceased, his eyes seeing another face there. "Sir?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned a lifeless gaze on the woman. He shook his head in answer.
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When Naruto returned he found Sasuke sitting in the same position he'd left him, his suit jacket removed, sitting folded neatly in his lap, and dark eyes riveted on a TV screen. He found it amusing Sasuke was so caught up in a soap opera that he didn't notice him until he waved a hand in front of the pale face.
They spent the rest of the hour in the waiting room, Sasuke being even more cold and distant than usual. He had snapped at Naruto for whining about not eating the food he had bought the brunet, and become even surlier when Naruto engaged someone else in conversation.
Losing someone he loved wasn't something new to Sasuke, and this was usually the place it happened. He had watched the blond nuisance, and couldn't help but see the pictures of Naruto there where the body had lain. Illogical as it was, Sasuke was haunted with images of it, his fucked up psyche providing different scenarios of the inevitable. Sasuke saw Naruto where he had seen the rest of his family.
Naruto had sensed his increasing reclusive-ness and tried to pry out what was wrong, only to be met with verbal abuse. Sasuke's rational wasn't often stable; at times pushing Naruto away was the only way he felt he could keep him.
So they sat in the waiting room, Sasuke deep in those images not seeing the white cracked wall before him, and Naruto increasingly desperate to fix a relationship that had been patched up one time too many.
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Naruto balled up his fists in frustration, and punched at the buttons, which he immediately regretted as the elevator lurched and then came to a stop. His anger at Sasuke's silence coupled with their new situation pushed at his limit.
"Way to go, moron," Sasuke muttered, irritated. He pushed Naruto out of the way to see what the other had managed to do now. Pushing at the buttons; none of which lit up.
A crackling was heard above. We'll get the elevator on the move shortly, there just seems to be a short-circuit, please be patient.
Before Sasuke could let stream the insults at the blond, Naruto beat him to it. "This is your fault, you asshole!" his mouth was twisted into a harsh line, and his scars appeared darker, "I don't know what's up your butt today, but pull it out already; I've had enough of your shit."
"My fault?" Sasuke's voice was incredulous, "you. You're always my problem, haven't you figured that out yet?!" He shoved Naruto out of the way, making his way towards the back of their metal prison. "Just leave me the fuck alone alright?" he growled.
Naruto dove at Sasuke's back, but the dark eyed man was too quick for him, moving to the side so that Naruto was left grasping at air, meeting the floor painfully. He picked himself up with a rumbling deep in his throat. Sasuke had been acting more of an ass than usual.
"Fine, it's my fault yeah? Tell me what the fuck I did then you stuck up queen," Naruto growled, settling himself in the opposite corner, blue eyes darkened to violet as he watched Sasuke's darks eyes become distant, a familiar look for them.
"Nothing, you did nothing," Sasuke sighed out, looking to the side at the floor so that his eyes were hidden, a perfect picture of misery. Naruto grit his teeth in frustration, he had to pry every bit of information out of Sasuke, and it was never enough and always left the both of them more aggravated than they started out.
Silence reigned, Naruto's temper threatening to boil over again as Sasuke still refused to make eye contact. He watched as the brunet slid down to sit on the floor, mirroring his position.
After about 20 minutes of complete and utter silence Naruto broke, even though 10 minutes in the lights had blinked off, the contest of sorts had continued. He stood and made his way over to his friend, trying to seem casual as his limbs shook from sitting still for so long while glaring. He settled himself down, not touching, though close enough to feel the body heat; he took some comfort in knowing the bastard was always warm; always alive.
Sasuke shifted slightly, tensing as Naruto sat down, this was a peace offering but he didn't feel inclined to take it.
"Go away idiot," he muttered half-heartedly.
Naruto merely settled himself in to get more comfortable. He nudged Sasuke's raised thigh with his own. "You're gonna tell me eventually," Naruto spoke quietly; his voice having a pleading tilt.
Sasuke ignored him, with Naruto he had no privacy, no sense of self, it wasn't him anymore, it was them, some things he wanted for his own, even if they had everything to do with Naruto, they were still his feelings, he didn't want them changed, or to have to feel guilty for having them.
His thoughts were apathetic as a tanned hand moved to stroke at his thigh through the trouser pants. "Naruto…" he warned, again lacking the conviction to turn him away.
Naruto moved closer, pressing his side against Sasuke, his hand still rubbing at the thigh.
"Why does it always have to be like this with us?" Naruto's voice was serious as he turned his head trying to make out Sasuke's eyes in the darkness. No response as expected. He felt Sasuke's muscles stiffen as he continued with the soft caressing. Touching happened so rarely between them, only when one needed it and the other allowed it.
Naruto turned to press his face into Sasuke's neck, he wasn't immediately pushed away, and that was a good sign, his hand moved to trail fingertips over the thigh further away.
After a few minutes of stroking, caressing, feeling Naruto's warm mouth pressed against his neck, Sasuke angled himself away. He could almost see the hurt in the blue eyes, not quite desperate for him to yield, but enough that his heart thumped once a little too loudly. His fingers curled over Naruto's on his thigh, and pulled them away.
"Not now," he spoke simply, the words cutting through Naruto. The blond yanked his hand out of Sasuke's grip, anger coursing through his veins.
"I don't want you anyway." The words sounded childish even in Naruto's mind and he bit at his tongue, irritated at himself for always wanting too much.
More silence, more unbearable silence, anything to break the silence, but Naruto had already given in more than he had intended. The bastard could angst all he wanted to, Naruto was tired of trying to fix everything.
Another half hour passed, broken with the announcement that they would have to wait an additional hour, which led to more bickering and insults. Naruto had somehow managed to push himself up against Sasuke again, his body unconsciously seeking the warmth, his hand trailing circles on Sasuke's knee absently. When he heard Sasuke's breath hitch it only then occurred to him how much he had been invading the brunet's space, and how long he had been doing so for without being pushed away. Apparently his unconscious had better luck with Sasuke than he did.
Naruto squinted in the darkness, he reached over to brush the hair that was always there out of Sasuke's beautiful face, and he tucked it behind his ear, gently stroking the cheek as he did so. He could just make out the dark eyes watching him, and he ordered his brain to fuck off, he wanted to kiss him, and he didn't need the signals telling him it was a bad idea.
Sasuke was half lost in his thoughts of a life without Naruto, morbid images attacking his mind relentlessly, when he saw the glimmer of blue eyes watching his, feeling the very much there touch, his stomach lurched not entirely unpleasantly. Naruto's lips brushed against his own, barely making contact, but it was enough to send shivers down his spine. He felt cold, and the only source of life was the hand at his knee and the mouth against his.
Naruto pulled away, he wanted to see Sasuke, not just feel him. He moved in again, his mouth touching Sasuke's briefly in an upward movement which pale lips followed. He repeated this, causing Sasuke's head to tilt up every time their mouths connected, before his t-shirt was fisted and the kiss turned into something harsher. Naruto was a little surprised at the passion he felt in Sasuke's clumsy hard kisses and he allowed his hand to slip down along Sasuke's inner thigh.
Their kisses were rarely passionate, only really there as confirmation of their dysfunctional relationship. They were warm and soft, a tender side shown of the prim pale man and the calmer, loving side of the annoying blond.
Sasuke pulled away gasping for air, stiffening as he felt Naruto's hand moving along his inner thigh, so close to where he wanted to be touched but didn't at the same time. He pushed the hand away, his repressed personality on automatic.
Naruto wasn't hurt this time; he could tell the difference between rejection and rejection based on Sasuke's prissy attitude. "What are you frightened of? I'm not gonna bite it off you know," Naruto couldn't help the dig, or the grin that spread across his face as he imagined the brunet's affronted face.
Before Sasuke could answer, Naruto dove back in for another kiss, causing Sasuke's head to collide painfully with the metal wall behind him. He slipped his tongue in when a mouth opened to swear, sliding the appendage along the roof. One of Sasuke's arms was pinned to his side by Naruto's body and the other was pressed to the floor by a hand as his mouth was violated.
When Sasuke's mouth became pliable; Naruto slipped his hand back to Sasuke's thighs, stroking the inner of one, and the outer of the other, bypassing the centre entirely. Their mouths meshed together, slippery, wet and warm. Sasuke was kissing back with a sense of urgency that confused Naruto, but he wasn't about to question it.
Sasuke gasped when Naruto finally pressed his hand against his straining erection, his mind pulling at his opposite desires of needing more and pushing away. Naruto didn't give him a chance to decide though, his hand moving up and down over the cloth covered shaft, causing not nearly enough friction. The source of his pleasure moved away to tug at his hand, placing it on Naruto's own evident hard-on. His mouth continued to move against Naruto's, a frown crossing his face at the inappropriateness of their actions. The thought was quickly eradicated as Naruto returned to rubbing.
"Move your hand, bastard." Naruto spoke against his lips, freeing his arm to tug on Sasuke's hair, "Touch me, Sasuke; I want you to touch me." He breathed, breaking the silence of their gasps and pants.
"Uh.." was the only response he received. Naruto shifted his body, so that one hand remained rubbing mercilessly, in rough strokes over Sasuke's erection, the other free hand he placed over Sasuke's moving the hand, pressing it down firmly to feel the friction. His neck strained to keep kissing Sasuke, so that his mouth often connected with the corner of Sasuke's, but it was enough.
Soon Sasuke's hand was moving of its own accord and Naruto released it to work on opening Sasuke's trousers, tugging on the zipper, fumbling with the button, and finally pulling the hard velvety flesh out.
Dark eyes squeezed tight as a pale mouth opened in surprise as Naruto's hand closed over him, the rough skin of his palm moving across the sensitive head causing him to jerk his head away and bite down on his lower lip to keep from moaning loudly.
"I wish I could see you properly," Naruto whispered hotly in his ear, trying to work the precum over the rest of the cock, as Sasuke pressed down harder on his own. He pushed Sasuke's hand away briefly to release his own penis, hissing as he pulled it out, he pulled Sasuke's hand back, which surprisingly didn't pull away, rather gripped at the member, squeezing and releasing. It felt so good to be touched like this by Sasuke.
"I want to watch you," Naruto reiterated. He wanted to see the pale skin flushed with colour and dark eyes glazed with lust for him and only him.
They concentrated on bringing about their orgasms, Sasuke with his face pressed into Naruto's shoulder, Naruto leaning on the head of dark soft hair, both groaning, grunting with the occasional whimper. As Sasuke felt his release come close to the edge, he craned his neck to kiss at Naruto's open unresponsive mouth; he shuddered as one last pump caused him to spill out his seed into a tanned hand.
Naruto came a few seconds later, Sasuke's finger rubbing over the slit being too much for him to hold back. "Sasuke," he managed to breathe out, breathless, trying desperately to force air into his lungs. He rode out the orgasm, muscles twitching and the jolts of pleasure shooting through him, heightening every sensation
They lay still for a while, both breathing deeply from the intensity of the experience. Naruto was waiting for the moment where Sasuke would sink back into himself, where he would pull away, and the intimacy that they had just shared would go ignored.
As expected, Sasuke started attempting to clean himself up, paying no attention to the gaze at that would be following his movements in the dark. He wiped as much of the semen as he could on the floor, not feeling as much disgust at the act. He hoped, as he pushed his dick back in, that his un-tucked shirt would be long enough to hide any tell-tale marks.
Naruto listened to the sounds of Sasuke trying to clear away the evidence and sighed as he did the same, not giving a flying fuck at the moment whether anyone would be able to see the cum stains. He stood to zip up his jeans, and found Sasuke had too.
"Well bastard? Same old, same old right?" Naruto didn't bother to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He was met with silence, but he heard the shaky intake of air. "You gonna tell me now what's been making a nesting home in your ass?" Naruto was getting angry again, he could tell Sasuke was still upset over something; he just needed some sort of direction to go on.
He moved to pin Sasuke against the wall. "Tell me." He whispered; the words forceful, his grip on the pale arms tight and relentless. Naruto would never give up, especially when it came to anything Sasuke.
"I don't want you to die." The last word was spoken lowly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in frustration over admitting his irrational fear, he flinched, expecting Naruto's barking laughter.
Naruto heard the desperation in Sasuke's voice, the most amount of emotion the brunet had ever expressed and his heart twisted. He put his arms around Sasuke's waist, his chin hooking over the shoulder. Stroking the back muscles through the shirt with warm hands. Sasuke stood stiff, lost again in his thoughts, his hands loose at the sides.
Naruto moved to push his face into the crook between the neck and shoulder, absently counting the pulse beats. Nudging the pale skin there with his nose and breathing in the scent that was strictly Sasuke. His arms tightened around Sasuke, hands pressing deep into the shoulder blades. He wanted to show Sasuke that he wasn't going anywhere, and that he never would, but that was something he had no control over.
It was a full ten minutes before Sasuke's arms came to rest loosely over Naruto's, in an awkward but manageable position. He shifted to mirror Naruto's movement so that his face rested against Naruto's neck, arms reaching up to tug at blond spikes so that his closed eyes could rest in warm blackness.
It was with a soft sigh that some of the tension left Sasuke.
"Never leave me," was whispered in the exhalation of a breath, barely heard. Tanned arms were tightened, but some promises could never be made no matter how desperately one wanted to.
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