Welcome to Chapter 22 of Concrete Boy. This will be one of the last chapters in the hospital, so don't worry if you're getting bored with the surroundings! I'm planning on Naruto being released within the next chapter. Now, please enjoy!

Since the Yang siblings had been reunited with Naruto, they practically lived in the boy's room. Itachi forced them to go to a hotel each night, but during the day, they spent as much time as they could in room 237. This gave Sasuke time to go home and get some much needed rest, much to his chagrin. When they went back to the hotel in the evening, Sasuke returned and kept watch outside Naruto's room. He no longer felt welcome inside, but still felt the need to be near the blond. The others had not visited yet, as they were discouraged from doing so until someone contacted them. Naruto had been under enough stress; he didn't need nine strangers attacking him with their affections.

Sasuke cringed as he remembered the siblings' telling the boy about their parent's passing. They had been warned, but they all knew that Naruto would know something was up and ask questions. The blond handled it better than they had expected, but Sasuke wondered if that was a good sign. He had responded as if he was remembering a sad memory instead of hearing the news for the first time. He had hoped the experience would trigger some memories, but it hadn't, at least not that Naruto was saying. Not even the past three days with his siblings had jostled anything loose.

There had been a few instances where Naruto had to be sedated due to withdrawal symptoms, but he had only been violent once since he remembered his name. No one had been hurt, but it had scared the Yangs. Seeing Naruto act like a demon was not something new for Sasuke, especially after the fight he had with him at Orochimaru's, but it still unnerved him.

He was currently standing outside of Naruto's room, as the siblings watched over a sleeping Naruto. I suppose it's now or never. Clearing his throat to catch their attention, Sasuke then motioned for them to join him in the doorway. Once they were standing before him, he asked quietly, "How long can you stay here?"
Kyuubi tilted his head slightly in confusion. "What do you mean? Here in the hospital or…?"
Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes. "In Konoha."

Kurama replied, "Two more weeks, max. Our bosses are being flexible about the whole thing. We haven't taken a vacation or a sick day since we started our jobs, so we have a lot of time saved up."
"Naruto should be released from the hospital in the next few days. He will then be placed in the custody of the Uchiha family until he recovers and suitable housing arrangements have been found."

Kyuubi muttered in a snarky tone, "Uchiha family, meaning you."

Sasuke inclined his head and replied evenly, "By extension, yes, me."

Kurama piped up again, "How long until his memory returns?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No one knows. It could be a week, it could be years, or it could never come back."
Kurama frowned and paused before asking, "Medically though, he's fine?"
Nodding, Sasuke answered, "As far as the doctors can tell, yes, but there's always a chance that something will crop up later during his recovery process. Especially if his memories of his captivity come back." He paused, studying the worried faces before him. "Two weeks will more than likely not be enough time to get his memory back, but it should help with the healing process. As long as he has the ability to contact you whenever he needs to, things should go fine from then on."

"If he's going to be living with you, why aren't you spending time with him? He doesn't remember you, so wouldn't you just suddenly having to spend every day together freak him out?" Kyuubi questioned, frowning.
Kurama added, "Yeah, why have you only visited him once? From what I've heard, you never left his side before he regained some of his memory. Now you just sulk outside his door and refuse to talk to him."

Sasuke stared blankly at them. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"Oh, but I think you do. You're about to be taking care of our little brother for us, so I think we deserve an explanation. How do we know we can trust with him?" Kyuubi crossed his arms and glared.

One of Sasuke's eyebrows rose and he glared back. Kurama rolled her eyes and sighed. "Really, boys? Here, let me solve this problem." She grabbed Sasuke by the arm and dragged him into the hospital room. Sasuke followed numbly, shocked by the contact. She then pushed him into a chair next to the bed. "Sit and talk with him. You're not allowed to leave until we come back." Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but something about her steely gaze stopped him. He shut his mouth and stared past her at the wall. She stalked out of the room, grabbed her gaping brother by the arm, and proceeded to walk down the hallway.

Sasuke sat there for a few minutes, which felt close to hours, staring at the wall. He pointedly avoided looking at Naruto, even though he could see him out of the corner of his eye and knew he was awake. "She's scary, isn't she?" A soft voice broke his avoidance and he glanced at Naruto, who was looking at him with sleepy, amused eyes. He cursed his inability to stop himself from looking at the blond when he spoke. "She has been threatening to do something drastic for days. I see you've finally pushed her to the breaking point. I wouldn't leave if I were you. Last time I went against her when she's like this… I feared for my life when she found me." He shuddered slightly, but laughed as he did.

Sasuke briefly felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards. Naruto grinned, apparently noticing this small change in his demeanor. "Could you explain how we know each other? I've been trying to remember you, but it hurts to think about it."

Sasuke shook his head. "A little. I cannot, however, talk about events that happened during the years you've lost, that would be directly influencing what you remember and could result in false memories."
"Why could Kyuubi and Kurama talk about what happened during the five years I forgot then?" Naruto asked, confused.

"That is different. They can speak about their lives during that time, because you were not there. They spoke about your parents' accident, but never went into incredible detail. However, if I were to go into detail about how we know each other, it could end badly." Sasuke explained quietly, staring over Naruto's shoulder as he spoke.

Naruto nodded, smile fading slightly. "Ah. Please tell me what you can, though." His voice was urgent, almost pleading.

Sasuke inclined his head slightly. "Of course. There isn't a lot I can say though." He paused. He wanted to tell Naruto everything. He wanted to tell him how sorry he was for the way he treated him, but he knew better. He had to take this slow. "We knew each other through school."

Naruto rubbed his temple and furrowed his brow in concentration, as if he was trying to remember their connection. He winced shortly after and he frowned.

Sasuke watched this, but quickly averted his gaze when the boy looked up. "Don't force it. It'll come back on its own."

"Are there ways to help speed up the process?" Naruto questioned.

"There are. Certain places, people, or phrases may help trigger some memories or feelings." Sasuke replied, still avoiding the blond's gaze.

Realization filled Naruto's eyes and he made a noise of recognition. He muttered something under his breath that Sasuke didn't quite catch. "Do you remember anything?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep the hope from his voice.

"I think so. Just a feeling, but I suppose it's a start." Sasuke could feel the blond's eyes searching his face and he had to fight the urge to meet the blue gaze.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, hoping the boy would elaborate.
"When am I leaving the hospital?" Naruto asked, changing the subject.

"Within the week."

"Good. I'm tired of laying in a bed and I'd really like to be able to pee on my own. I don't understand why I can't walk to the bathroom. It's literally feet away." Naruto said with exasperation, while gesturing towards the bathroom across the room.

Sasuke smirked, shaking his head slightly at Naruto's comments. He replied, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Ah, yes, well, the doctors are very particular about such things. Fighting them only seems to encourage them."

"Yeah, I've noticed that. I think all doctors are secretly sadists. It's not like my legs are broken. Is it really that bad if I walk to the bathroom, I mean come on!"

A soft, breathy whisper of a chuckle left Sasuke's lips. "I'll see what I can do."

There was a pause in the conversation while Naruto stared at Sasuke before he replied, "Really? I was just complaining, but thank you! I'd love to get back on my feet, even if it is only to walk to the bathroom."

Sasuke inclined his head and went to get up from his seat, before remembering Kurama's words. He inwardly winced and settled back into the chair. "Are you a police officer?" Sasuke turned back to Naruto, brows furrowed in confusion. "Kyuu and Kura won't say anything about who you are. You and Itachi seem to know an awful lot about what's going on, more than a citizen would, and you appear to have some form of authority…"

Sasuke listened to Naruto ramble before holding up a hand to stop him. "Yes."

"Yes? That's all I get?" Sasuke nodded and Naruto let out an exasperated sigh. "Basics, right?" Sasuke nodded again. In an attempt to distract Naruto from asking more questions, especially any potentially sensitive ones, Sasuke pushed the nurse button. Soon after, a nurse walked in and asked, "Is something the matter, sirs?"

"No, ma'am, the patient is merely wondering when the catheter will be removed and if he will be allowed out of bed in the near future." Sasuke could feel Naruto glaring at him and he smirked slightly.

"I see Naruto's been complaining again." The nurse teased, causing Naruto to flush. "I will check with the doctor and be back momentarily." Sasuke inclined his head in thanks as she left. He then returned his attention to the blond, who was still flushed. "That was your grand solution?"

Sasuke nodded, "I'm under strict orders not to leave this room and I rather value my life. It was the best I could do under the circumstances."

"Ah, yes, the fearful wrath of Kurama Yang. A wise decision. I suppose I'll let this one slide. Next time, I expect to be amazed." Naruto nodded gravely, but a grin stretched his lips by the time he finished talking.

"I look forward to next time, then." Sasuke murmured. He lowered his gaze to the bedsheets, as if they were incredibly interesting. He rested an arm on the hospital bed, hand on the bed. They sat there in silence for a while, until Naruto cleared his throat. Sasuke raised his head and met the blond's gaze before he could stop himself. Even if he had been looking at the blond throughout their conversation, he had never looked him directly in the eye. This time, there was no avoiding it.

It was like being swallowed by a deep blue ocean. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could escape from the cerulean orbs that were searching his own so deeply. His heart started pounding against his rib cage and his cheeks started to warm. He licked his lips nervously. His mind was screaming for him to run, to look away, but his body was frozen in place.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered and Sasuke swallowed hard. His heart beat impossibly faster. It felt as if it was going to explode when he felt a rough, emaciated hand grasp his own. For some reason, Sasuke had expected Naruto's hand to be cold and small, but it was warm and as big as his own hand. "You better help me get out of this bed the minute the doctor says I can."

The words snapped Sasuke out of his trance and he jerked his gaze away from Naruto's, cheeks warm and pink. He cleared his throat and snarked, "I better? That sounds suspiciously like a demand."

"Uh-huh, it is. I'm waiting for the doctor's say-so for your sake, so you should at least help me get back on my feet." Naruto replied, a smug smile on his lips.

"Fine. Only if you promise not to push yourself beyond your limit. If it hurts or you feel tired, tell me." Sasuke replied. He leaned back in his chair and went to cross his arms. In doing so, he realized his hand was still in Naruto's. He went to move it, but, much to his surprise, Naruto gripped it tighter. Sasuke's eyebrows raised slightly, but he didn't say anything, merely readjusted in the chair.

"Where will I be going once I'm cleared to leave?" Naruto asked, tilting his head slightly at Sasuke. "Or am I not allowed to know?"

"You will be coming to my home." Sasuke replied quietly, glancing at the blond's face as he spoke. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

Sasuke could tell the blond wanted more elaboration and he frowned lightly. He wasn't sure how to explain the reasoning without giving specifics. "My home was the logical choice. Being a police officer with ties to an amnesia patient who would otherwise need to be under protective detail tends to tip the scales."

"Everything has to have it's perks, right?" Naruto laughed and Sasuke rolled his eyes. He almost got lost in the blond's eyes again, but was saved by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Sasuke turned towards the door to find that the nurse had returned. She had a goofy grin on her face and he was reminded once again that they were still holding hands. He made no move to remove his from Naruto's though. He was going to take all that he could get. Besides, the blond was gripping his hand like a life-line at the moment, so it was a bit difficult to even move his fingers.

The nurse chimed happily, "The doctor said the catheter could come out today and as long as the patient has someone to help him, he is free to start moving around." She approached the bed, hands already gloved. "Now, if you'll excuse us for a moment, sir." Sasuke stood up to leave and Naruto's grip tightened. "Please stay." He murmured, an almost desperate tremble in his voice. Sasuke studied the boy's face, curious as to why the blond suddenly seemed fearful. His brow furrowed slightly and he inclined his head. "Fine, just keep your back to me and your eyes forward." The nurse sighed, shaking her head, though she was clearly amused by the situation.

Sasuke turned away from her and met Naruto's gaze. He gave him a faint, encouraging smile and then the blond shut his eyes. Threading their fingers together, he rubbed his thumb over Naruto's first knuckle. Naruto seemed to relax a little, though he winced a few times while the nurse was working. Thankfully, it was over quickly. "There we go, all finished. You are all set, just push the button if you need anything. You should get up soon, that way I don't get in trouble for not pulling up your covers." With that, she left the room, supposedly with the catheter in hand.

Naruto opened his eyes and relaxed his death grip on Sasuke's hand. He squeezed the raven's hand gently and smiled. "Does that mean I get to walk now?" Naruto asked excitedly. Sasuke couldn't help but return the blond's smile with a small one of his own. He nodded and scooted the chair back with his foot to give them some room. Naruto briefly let go of Sasuke so he could swing his legs off the side of the bed. He grabbed an offered pale hand with his own left hand and started to slide forward until his toes touched the floor.

Sasuke's right hand hovered over Naruto's waist to catch him as the blond slowly put weight on his legs. He wobbled backwards when he tried to put his full body weight on them, but Sasuke caught him easily. "Woah." Naruto muttered. He leaned on Sasuke and took a deep breath. He shuffled one foot forward, legs shaking. "This more difficult than I had hoped."

"Your body has been through a lot and is probably still reeling from the effects of withdrawal." Sasuke said quietly. Naruto's face scrunched up with concentration and his breathing accelerated. He managed to move a few more steps before his knees buckled. Sasuke's grip tightened to keep him from falling and Naruto leaned completely on him, turning into his grip and laying his head against Sasuke's chest. "I'm tired already." Naruto muttered. Sasuke hesitated, but then wrapped his other arm around the boy to better support him. Naruto was quiet for a little while and his breathing started to even out. Is he falling asleep?

Sasuke adjusted his grip on Naruto's half limp body so one arm could slip under the boy's knees. Gently as possible, he picked the blond up and carried him the few feet to the bed. He lowered Naruto down and pulled the blankets over the thin boy. As Sasuke draped the blanket over his shoulders, he noticed sleepy eyes on him. "Everyone keeps saying withdrawal, but no one has told me what I'm addicted to." Naruto murmured.

Sasuke smiled softly. Even half asleep, the boy still had many questions. "A unique and very potent heroin mixture. It should be completely out of your system soon." He wondered if the boy would even remember this when he woke up.

Naruto sleepily nodded and his eyes flickered shut with a yawn. "I'm sorry, Sasuke." The words were so faint that Sasuke wasn't sure if he heard them correctly. What does he have to be sorry about? His brow furrowed briefly and he sighed. Reaching out, he gently brushed some blond hair from Naruto's forehead. His fingers lingered on the boy's temple for a moment. "I'm the one that is sorry. You did nothing wrong, dobe." He whispered sadly in return. Stepping back, Sasuke settled into the chair, that was still pushed to the end of the bed, to await the return of Kyuubi and Kurama.

Naruto was awoken by voices outside his room. His eyes flickered open to see Kurama dragging Sasuke into the room and plopping him into a chair. It was an amusing sight and Naruto would have laughed if he was more awake. Sasuke then spent the next few minutes staring at the wall and ignoring Naruto. When he'd enough of the awkward silence, Naruto piped up and started to talk. He was pleased to find that he could make the raven smile. Even if it was faint, it filled him with an overwhelming joy that had him grinning for reasons beyond him.

The conversation ranged and Naruto's brain hurt from trying to remember how he knew Sasuke, but he was enjoying himself nonetheless. He wasn't sure what it was about Sasuke, but he found him incredibly easy to talk with. He felt comfortable being his normal goofy self around him and Sasuke seemed to be opening up a little as well. From what he had observed, Sasuke wasn't the smiling and joking type and yet, he was teasing Naruto right back with faint smiles on his face.

Naruto realized that the feelings he had been having whenever he saw Sasuke could be the first step to remembering something. "Why you, though?" He muttered under his breath without realizing it. Sasuke had asked him whether or not he remembered anything and he felt a stab of pain at the hope in the raven's voice. You must have been something special to me, Sasuke. I really wish I remembered you.

He felt another surge of happiness when the raven let out a breathy chuckle. Naruto suddenly wanted to make the brooding Uchiha laugh more. It felt like a rare treat every time he heard it and he couldn't wait till it graced his ears again.

Finding the Uchiha was a police officer was surprising, but Naruto could definitely see the raven as an officer of the law. He just seemed like the type. This new found fact about Sasuke cleared up some confusion Naruto had about the last few days.

When the raven stared into his eyes almost longingly, Naruto felt the overwhelming need to grab the raven's hand and in moment of rashness, he gave in. He felt his heart race and he knew he was blushing. To try and pull himself away from the obsidian eyes, Naruto said the first thing that came to mind. Thankfully, it startled both of them enough to break eye contact.

However, Sasuke moved to lean back and went to move his hand out of Naruto's grip. He wasn't having any of that and tightened his grip. Something about the skin on skin contact was calming Naruto down, but causing his heart to race at the same time. He knew it didn't make sense, but it was the truth.

Naruto was secretly pleased when he found out where he was going to be staying while he recovered. He looked forward to the chance to get to know Sasuke better. He was happy that when the nurse returned, Sasuke didn't attempt to remove his hand. Though, Sasuke did try and follow the nurse's request, Naruto didn't want to be alone. This wasn't the first time he had a catheter removed and it was incredibly uncomfortable. Somehow, he knew the experience would be better if he could feel Sasuke's presence beside him. Sasuke listened to his plea and, much to Naruto's surprise, purposefully looked into Naruto's eyes and smiled softly.

Naruto shut his eyes as the nurse began and was grateful for the distraction of Sasuke threading their fingers together and rubbing Naruto's knuckle with his thumb. When the nurse was finished, he was incredibly excited to get back onto his feet. The experience didn't go quite as well as he had hoped, as he only made it a little ways from the bed. Naruto was glad for Sasuke's help, but it was embarrassing how fast his heart was beating. He wasn't sure what exactly possessed him to snuggle into Sasuke's chest after the raven caught him. He had felt so tired all of the sudden and Sasuke looked so warm and comfy.

Before he knew it, he had started falling asleep and Sasuke's arms were around him. He briefly remembered being picked up and placed gently on the bed. The feeling of blankets being placed over him woke him slightly, and he muttered out a question that popped into his head. He barely heard what Sauske said, something about heroin and systems. As his eyes shut, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Sasuke." He felt a touch to his forehead and warmth resting on his temple for a few moments. The last thing he heard before he fell asleep was a single word, something full of affection and that felt… right.

This was interesting to write, but in a good way. It's been a while since Sasuke and Naruto interacted in a positive way. For those who may ask, no, this isn't going to be a quick romance. Naruto is merely remembering pieces of his buried feelings for the raven and Sasuke... well, you'll just have to wait and see about that. :) Please stay tuned for Chapter 23, which should be out by mid-January at the latest. (I'll let you guys know if I run into any problems.) As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to PM me or leave it in the comment section. Thank you!