Work Text:
Sasuke Uchiha sat silently before the desk of his social worker, trying desperately to understand the words being spoken to him. He wasn't deaf, but he might as well have been considering that after a freak head injury while swimming had left him brain damaged in his frontal lobe, unable to understand the simplest words without intense focus. He had been a physicist on the road to a brilliant career and now he was trapped in his own mind, only capable of stilted speech and reading and writing of the simplest words.
They told him that the language center of his brain was damaged. After two years of therapy, he could read a few words and speak, but listening to people talk was like hearing a foreign language. It took several seconds for him to process the spoken word, and even then, he didn't understand everything, having to fill in the words as best he could. Most people assumed he was retarded because his words were slow and his responses even slower. Sometimes, he wondered what they would say if they knew his IQ was higher than their whole family combined, not that it did any good to have a high IQ if he could barely read.
His situation left him angry and bitter. No one could understand what he was going through or how far he had fallen to get there. The once renowned Sasuke Uchiha, whose gross yearly income had consisted of over two hundred thousand dollars, was now forced to take employment in the jobs no one wanted. Was it any wonder that he grew angry with his employers and allowed his temper to take over?
"Sasuke, this is the fifth job in as many months that you've been fired from. I understand your anger, but if you want to be a benefit to society, you need to understand your limitations."
He only understood every other word, but was able to substitute well enough given several seconds that he understood the gist of her words and promptly stood. "You...know...nothing. I am...scien...tist."
The social worker, a somewhat pleasant woman by the name of Kurenai Yuhi, sighed. His brother, Itachi, probably called in some favors to have him assigned to her. She did not take any shit from anyone and did her best to help those under her guidance.
"Sit down, Sasuke." She didn't continue until he had retaken the abandoned chair. "You're not a scientist any longer. You can't work in that field and you need to accept that."
Sasuke scowled and shifted his gaze away from her to the motivational poster on the wall. They were less a motivation to him and more of a catalyst to his boiling anger. He was a scientist, and now he was regulated to jobs as a bag boy in grocery stores. If that was not a reason to be angry, he did not think anything was.
"Have you been going to your speech therapist?"
He didn't bother to look at her as he processed her words, only nodding when he decoded the question. Not that it really helped. Going to therapy would not bring back his language. Its only use was to make him more understood by the 'normal' people. His ability to understand people had plateaued out. The doctors said that he would probably never understand more than he did now. The world would forever see him as a retard, even if his mind housed the intellect of a near genius.
"Your brother wants you happy, and you sitting around in the dark is not what is going to help you get on with your life."
His snort was almost comic in its delay. Kurenai understood the reasons for his slow responses, but his employers and fellow employees did not. They assumed he was another one of those retards they were forced to hire for good business PR. Not a day went by that he didn't long to kill everyone who made a snide remark or laugh when he mixed up his words.
"Listen, I've got a job for you. Luckily, you won't have to deal with many people. A local vet has put in a request for someone who can come in and feed the animals in his kennel, clean out the pens, and unload supplies that are delivered. Are you interested? The only person you'll have to deal with is the vet since you would be working after hours and most of his employees will be gone."
Not having to work with people? It sounded too good to be true. He was not really fond of animals, but he didn't mind them. If dealing with a bunch of mutts was what it took to keep Itachi and Kurenai off his back, he would gladly accept the offered job. His brother was not a rich man and still he used what little extra money he had to help support him. That reason alone kept him from balking at the menial job presented to him.
"The pay's not much and it's only part time, but it has the option to become fulltime if things work out."
"Fine."
Kurenai smiled brilliantly. "I'm glad to hear it. Here is the address. Can you read it?"
Sasuke accepted the note and stared at the scribbles, picking out the occasional word here and there until he deciphered the script enough to understand. "Yes."
"You can start today at five."
He nodded and rose from his seat, not even bothering to say goodbye. It took too much out of him to speak while dealing with his own personal frustrations. Even when he was not angry, speaking was a difficult chore. The closest he could describe the process of talking was like reaching into a fog in hopes of pulling out a familiar word. Language was now pointless, leaving him trapped alone in a world where communicating with other people took every ounce of his strength.
His neurologist explained that over time, he might grow more comfortable and possibly regain some of his language skills as the brain made connections around the damaged portion. Brain damage was a hard thing to predict and was dealt with on a case to case basis. After two years, he was not holding his breath in hopes of regaining his lost career. At this point, he would be happy just to be able to understand fully what was being spoken to him. There were days, like today, when he wished that motorboat had simply killed him rather than leaving him damaged beyond repair.
At least the brain damage had not taken away his ability to drive. Granted, he'd had to replace the sharp sports car he had driven with a cheap brown sedan, but at least he was not restricted to using public transportation to get around. His mind was perfectly fine, it was simply the words that became scrambled when his brain attempted to decode them.
Finding addresses based on words had resulted in extreme frustration on his part when he had first begun driving again, so he and Itachi had spent the better part of two weeks memorizing every street in the city. His brain had nothing better to do and if he could work out complex equations while working as a physicist, he could damn well memorize the streets in the city.
Thankfully, the address was the simple Lee St. It was one of the streets running parallel to Main St. and simple to find. The name of the place caused a bark of laughter to spill out of him. Golden Frog Veterinary Clinic. What kind of idiot named their business that? The place sounded more like a Chinese restaurant than an animal hospital, which did not speak well for the dogs and cats treated there if the rumors of Chinese restaurants were true.
Closing the door with a slam, Sasuke straightened his polo shirt and ran his palms over the material of his khaki trousers. Even if this was a bottom level job, he could not help but be nervous considering the lack of success in his previous work environments.
He had just walked into the small waiting room of the clinic when a pretty young woman with startling pink hair looked up from where she was tidying up at the receptionist desk. "Oh, you're just on time. I was about to lock up the front door. What's your pet's name?"
He blinked several times as he processed the words. "I'm here...job."
Fuck. Even he knew he sounded like an idiot.
"Oh." A disappointed look spread across her face. "We're not hiring at this moment."
Sasuke frowned. He was certain that Kurenai had said the job was already his. Getting his point across to this woman was going to be a challenge. "I'm... job is...mine."
"Now just a minute..."
"It's alright, Sakura. I've been expecting him."
Sasuke shifted his attention to the new arrival and froze. The words were a frustrating muddle, but the voice was very familiar and one he had not heard since he graduated high school. It could not be, but standing before him was the idiot jock of Konoha High...Naruto Uzumaki. How in all the heavens had that moron been able to get into college, let alone graduate from it with a degree in veterinary medicine?
"Sasuke?" Naruto's brows shot up into his hairline. "Fuck, I thought you were someone else. It's great to see you. Are you picking up an animal for someone?"
The words were spoken so fast, as was standard for Naruto, that Sasuke had no hope of doing more than picking out the random word. It left him completely dumb to what Naruto said and he nearly turned on his heel so to give Kurenai a huge piece of his mind.
And he would have, but he really needed this job. The settlement money was beginning to run low considering all the medical bills from the specialists and therapists. He could only rely on his brother for so much before he became too much of a burden.
Naruto stepped forward excitedly and extended his hand to grab Sasuke's in a firm shake. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Sakura, this guy was the valedictorian of our graduating class and my rival all through school. He made everything look so damn easy. Last I heard you were going to be some hotshot physicist. What are you doing back in town? I just recently came back a few months ago, myself."
Sasuke stood quietly, letting Naruto jabber on. The idiot probably wouldn't stop until he was good and ready anyway. At this point, he stopped listening altogether. There was no point anyway since he couldn't keep up with what was being said.
"Hey, Sasuke, are you ignoring me?"
He turned at the sound of his name and slowly processed the question before frowning. "Naruto...can we...go to your...office?"
It took all he had to make the question as normal as possible. His speech remained stilted, but at least he hadn't transposed any words.
Naruto blinked several times before gesturing to the door. Sasuke did not need to be a genius to read the confusion on the idiot's face. He might look normal on the outside, but when he spoke, the true extent to his damage was made abundantly clear.
With Naruto leading the way, he took a moment to glance around the place. It was clean, or as clean as a vet's office could be...and surprisingly well organized. He was about to mentally congratulate Naruto for having learned to be neat until they stepped into pitifully cluttered office. Naruto actually had to take some crates of folders from a chair just so he would have somewhere to sit. Apparently, the moron had not changed all that much.
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke turned his attention back to Naruto and handed him a paper Kurenai had typed up. It was easier than trying to explain things himself. Attempting to do so generally ended up with him becoming frustrated and his speech deteriorating even more.
He watched and waited for the pity to spread over his former classmate's face. It was something he was used to, but seeing it from Naruto would be a hard lump to swallow so he braced himself for it.
Only it did not come.
"Can you understand me?"
Surprise spilled through him at Naruto's words, spoken slow enough that he only took a few seconds to comprehend. "Yes."
"Can you read?"
Anger rose in him and he bit the inside of his jaw and tightened his hands on the material of his trousers. "Of course."
Naruto stood and moved to sit on his desk before him. "Sasuke, how bad is it?"
"A challenge...to talk. If you...talk fast...can't read." Sasuke shook his head and clenched down on his trouser again. Damn it. Already he was mixing up words. "I mean...understand."
"But you can read, right?"
"Yes...just takes...a minute."
Naruto smiled and nodded, scribbling down a few things on a pad and handed it to Sasuke. "Can you read this?"
Sasuke glanced at the paper and willed his brain to decipher the squiggles. It took a minute, but he felt some since of accomplishment in doing so. "What is it?"
"It's dog food. Depending on the dog, some require special food. That's the amount they get and that's the type."
Sasuke nodded. He could follow lists. Even if he could not read the words, matching them would not be difficult. His understanding of numbers was not so bad. "I understand."
Naruto shifted where he sat, his gaze never altering. It was making him decidedly uncomfortable. "What?"
"How did this happen, Sasuke?"
"Accident."
"Car?"
"No...swimming...brain..."He struggled to find the right word. There was no feeling worse than having a word on the tip of his tongue and being unable to push it out. When that happened, he became frustrated and finding the word became all that much harder.
"Brain damage?"
Sasuke met Naruto's eyes and glared. " Frontal lobe...hurt. Still here...just trouble...talking."
"I can tell that just by looking at you. There is no man alive who can put so much meaning in a glare, Sasuke."
At Naruto's grin, Sasuke intensified his glare, but only superficially. Inside, he was relieved. Maybe working with Naruto would be better than the previous jobs.
"If your brain is still able to think, why aren't you writing physicist equations in whatever gibberish you see in?"
"Guess."
Naruto scratched at his jaw. "I guess not being able to talk and write well could put a damper on a scientific career, especially if people can't understand it."
"Bingo."
"Well, look on the bright side, Sasuke; at least it doesn't change your personality. You were always the sort to sit and brood in silence. Not that much has changed as far as I can tell."
Sasuke blinked at him, eyes widening before being rolled upward. Naruto proceeding to burst out with laughter only served to bring questions to the forefront of his mind. "What?"
"Yep, you're exactly the same."
"How?"
"I was on the receiving end of those eye rolls all through school."
Sasuke snorted and smiled, the last of the tension leaving his body. "Thank you...Naruto."
"Come on, I'll give you the tour." Naruto pushed away from the desk led Sasuke through the building. Frogs seemed to be a theme, and as ridiculous as he found it, he would deal with any theme as long as it resulted in a job.
"Back here are the kennels. We usually keep dogs back here over night after surgery to make sure they get some rest before going home. We also board animals when their owners go out of town. You'll be in charge of putting food in their dishes and making sure their water bowls are full. Any empty cages will be cleaned as needed and bedding washed. You'll need to mop the exam rooms and the waiting room."
Sasuke noticed how Naruto's speech was slow, so unlike his usual speedy voice. It was rather nice and he suddenly longed to close his eyes and relax by simply listening to the timbre of his voice. It did not matter what he said just as long as he kept talking. Knowing Naruto, such a thing would not be a problem.
"Hours?"
Naruto paused and considered. "Well, you start at five, but I suppose it would depend on what you have to do. I don't expect you to be here past nine or ten."
A barely perceivable frown creased his brow. Part time hours would not garner him much money. Even worse, he was nothing more than a janitor for the clinic. It was not much of a step up from bag boy at a grocery, if it could be called a step up. But, it would mean not having to deal with people other than Naruto or the occasional vet tech.
"You know," began Naruto. "This doesn't seem right. You're the smartest guy I know. You shouldn't be doing this sort of thing."
Sasuke broke free from his morose and glanced up at Naruto. He had never considered him a friend and Naruto was the only one who considered them rivals. Yet, the compassion in his voice was soothing relief to the turbulence. There was no pity, only compassion.
"It's fine."
Naruto linked an arm around his's neck and grinned. "Now we're working together. That's pretty awesome at least. Who would have ever thought that Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha would work in the same office?"
He might have responded hotly if not for the spicy scent of Naruto's aftershave working its way into his nostrils. It took every ounce of his strength not to take a deeper breath. Recovery and stress had all but taken away his sex drive, yet now, one inhalation of some generic aftershave and he was ready to drop his trousers like a two dollar whore.
This was Naruto, for fuck's sake.
Thankfully, Naruto released him and he was able to put distance between them. He instantly regretted the loss of the warm body pressed against him and the smell of his aftershave.
"Here is the list with everyone's food, the amount, and when they should be fed. Initial it when you feed them and if you have any trouble, you can call me." Naruto dug through his white lab coat and withdrew a business card. He pulled a pen from the pocket and scribbled a number on the back. "That's my cell number."
Sasuke accepted the card with a nod. "Thank you."
Naruto shifted nervously on his heels. "Well, I guess I'll let you get to it."
Staring at Naruto's disappearing back, he could have sworn there was a trace of panic on his face. It could have been the lighting or his imagination. He pushed aside the thought, not wanting to dwell on Naruto, least his body act without his consent. Turning his attention to the empty kennels, he decided to focus on work as an aid in keeping his thoughts from drifting where he did not want them.
oOo
With a frustrated shove, he pushed the kennel back into position and walked to the chart detailing the dog feeding schedule. There were only five dogs housed in the kennel, each one numbered. It took longer to figure out the measurements than it should have, but while numbers were a bit easier than words, it still took time. He nearly celebrated when he finished closing the last kennel, dog inside munching happily on kibble.
He was tired, but fulfilled. It was the first day of work in ages that he wasn't picked on or fucked with. If all the days were like this, absent of people, he thought he would happily continue to work there without any qualms or altercations. Naruto had poked his head in on him about an hour into his chores, but he had simply waved him away. Now, he wanted to go home, take a shower, and relax. Hopefully, there would not have any additional chores for him tonight.
"Hey, you're finished. That's great."
Speak of the devil.
"I can...leave?"
"Yeah, sure...but, would you like to go get something to eat? It's kinda late, but I know this great diner that's open twenty-four hours."
He really didn't want to. His cash was tight and he was saving what he could to help ease Itachi's burden. Even one meal out would set him back more than he was willing to allow.
"Please, Sasuke."
He never thought such a pleading face would cause his unshakable willpower to crumble. Damn Naruto. "Fine. Just coffee."
Naruto's grin was almost luminescent. "Awesome. You can follow me in your car."
Rolling his eyes, he walked determinedly from the office and to where he had parked his car toward the back while Naruto locked up. When he saw Naruto jump into the cab of the orange truck he had seen upon arriving, he rolled his eyes again. Of course. He had forgotten the idiot's unhealthy love of that particular color.
The diner Naruto mentioned was only three blocks away, a quaint little place with checkered table cloths and cakes and pies displayed on the counter. He supposed the place was nice. Three years ago, he would never have given it a second look. Now, it was nearly fine dining. The fall from the top had been a long one indeed.
"You'll like this place. I've fallen in love with it." Naruto half-dragged him to a booth and settled in while looking avidly at the menu. "Everything is good here and you can get breakfast any time of day. How great is that?"
Sasuke could not help but smile at Naruto's excitement. He was almost like a child. It was endearing and brought to him a sense of calm and relaxation.
"What are you going to have, Sasuke?"
"Just coffee."
Naruto snorted and shoved a menu into Sasuke's hand. "Pick something."
"Hello, Naruto. This is the third night this week. What keeps you coming back, hun?"
Naruto's grin could have lit the entire block. "I've decided to make you my wife."
The woman, not a day under fifty years old, snorted and placed two glasses of water on the table. "What will it be?"
"Just coffee," stated Sasuke, which earned him a slap from Naruto's menu.
"Ignore him. We'll both have the breakfast platter and a glass of orange juice."
The waitress chuckled and rolled her eyes as she walked off. As soon as she was out of hearing range, he turned on Naruto. "What...was that? I said...just coffee."
"Stop being such an asshole. You're paler than a sheet. I bet you forgot to eat today, didn't you?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his companion. It wasn't that he forgot to eat, but he was trying to make his food last a few extra days. At least the grocery stores he'd worked at offered employee discounts to most of the items found inside. Now, he was going to have to make do with less.
"Please? My treat."
His stomach was cramping and a hot meal sounded absolutely fabulous. He gave in a little too quickly, but Naruto seemed to have that effect on him of late. With a nod, he once more had Naruto's broad smile directed toward him.
"We're going to have to get you a set of keys made so you can lock up if I'm not around. It's going to be so great having you around, just like high school with me talking and you ignoring me between shooting scowls in my direction."
Sasuke grunted and took a sip of the coffee the waitress brought to him. He almost moaned at the rich flavor. It felt like ages since he'd had a good cup of coffee. When he glanced at Naruto, he almost dropped the cup at the intense look in his blue eyes.
"What?"
Naruto licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Just for a second, it looked like you were about to have sex with you coffee."
The usual delay passed and his cheeks turned a bright red. "What?!"
Naruto grinned and sat back with a satisfied look on his face just as two large platters of food were placed before them. "Eat up."
If he had not been so hungry, he might have punched Naruto for even suggesting that. But, hunger won out and he set about eating.
And, nearly moaned again.
It was not five star qualities, but it was hearty and filling. There were no more words between them, both too involved in eating to bother making conversation. It was something he was grateful for since talking exhausted him almost as much as working.
Naruto sat back with a happy sigh just as Sasuke was finishing up the accompanying hash browns. "Thanks for coming with me, Sasuke. We never got to hang out much in school. I always thought you hated me for some reason, but I couldn't figure out why."
He glanced at Naruto through his lashes. "Different life."
"Yeah."
Throwing a twenty onto the table, Naruto stood and stretched his arms over his head. "We'll have to do this again."
Sasuke agreed. It was nice. He never would have thought he would one day share an amicable meal with the bane of his high school career.
The two walked out of the diner and into the chilled night air. He was surprised that Naruto veered away from his truck and walked Sasuke toward his car. "You know, I had a crush on you in high school."
As soon as the words clicked in Sasuke's head, he jerked his gaze to meet Naruto's. "I...see."
"I know you can't talk too well, but would you consider going out with me sometime."
Instead of blushing, his cheeks paled and he dropped his gaze. "I'm...not..."
Naruto wrapped his hands around Sasuke's arms. "I don't care if you can't talk good or if it takes you three hours to understand what I say to you. I can talk enough for both of us."
Any sort of relationship had seemed impossible to Sasuke for so long. Now, he was being asked out on a date like nothing was wrong. "I..."
Naruto did not allow him to finish the sentence. His lips descended on his in a hot caress. A warm tongue stroked his lower lip, but did not force entrance. A gentle warmth settled in his stomach. He could lose himself in a kiss like that. It was nice before reality set in and he gave a hard shove to the body pressed against him.
"No...not..." Slamming his fist onto the hood of the car, he struggled to express his thoughts in words. It was so damn hard when all he wanted to do was kiss Naruto again.
"Sasuke," whispered Naruto, his hand lifting to brush at Sasuke's cheek as disappointment played out across his face. "It's okay. I understand."
"No." He shook his head and reached out to snag Naruto's wrist as he began to move away. "Too fast. I need time. It's been too long."
The words weren't exactly eloquent, but they were the smoothest he had spoken since the accident. "Please."
The look of disappointment left Naruto's face and he grinned brightly. "Does that mean you'll go out with me?"
There were other things he should be concerned with like money and the insanity that accompanied him from his language processes being so slow. He would never have any job higher than minimum wage regardless of how functioning he became. Because of the accident, he was nearly illiterate and no amount of schooling would help.
"I'm...broken. I won't get...better."
Naruto's gaze softened and he reached out again to stroke callused fingers over Sasuke's cheek. "You're not broken, Sasuke. You're still you and I like you just the way you are. A little bump to the head couldn't change who you are and you're still the asshole I crushed on all through high school."
He shook his head. "Idiot."
Naruto forced him to lift his head and their eyes to meet. "Does that mean yes?"
"Maybe."
"I can work with maybe."
Naruto lowered his head again, this time his lips brushing against Sasuke's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke."
With those words, he walked away with a decided bounce in his step toward his truck. While Sasuke did not bounce joy as Naruto had, his heart felt a bit lighter. Maybe Naruto did not realize what he was getting into, but it felt right. Anything between them would not be easy; Sasuke's brain damage ensured that much.
But, at least for a while it would be nice. As Naruto said, he could work with that.
The End.