A Child's Love

Chapter 2

For the next few days, Naruto refused to talk to Sasuke. He successfully avoided the older male, and Sasuke thought it was for the better. If Naruto hated him, he would forget him easily. The thought of Naruto forgetting him wounded him like nothing else had in his whole life, but still, Sasuke swallowed his emotions and tried to act tough.

Sasuke sighed as he watched TV without actually seeing anything. Their parents had left to see around in the town, while Naruto had been given the duty of preparing dinner by his mother, so the boy was currently in the kitchen.

Naruto turned around in the kitchen, and then opened one of the cupboards to get a pot. He tried to get the metal item, but he was too short to reach it. So, raising on his tiptoes, Naruto managed to hold the handle of the pot with his fingertips, and drew it out of the cupboard. But he couldn't grasp it properly, and the pot fell down onto his broken shoulder.

Naruto cried out in pain as the heavy metal damaged his already broken bones. He fell onto his knees, and started crying softly as he tried to touch his shoulder. He moaned loudly as the slightest touch felt like electricity shocking through him.

Sasuke darted out of his place as he heard the loud crashing, and Naruto's cry afterwards. He gasped as he saw Naruto on the floor, curled up, and crying silently.

"Naruto!" Sasuke run to the boy's side and cupped his cheeks, making him look up to him. "Are you alright?"

Naruto took a deep breath, and then said something unexpected, "D-Don't touch m-me."

"Naruto?" Sasuke was shocked with the younger one's words. Even in such a pain, he still tried to avoid the older male. "Naruto, it's okay now. I'll take you to the hospital, okay?"

"No," Naruto whimpered and stood up on his shaky legs. "I'll go by myself."

"Naruto, enough," Sasuke hissed as he stood up. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

Without giving Naruto another chance to protest, Sasuke scooped the boy up easily, and carried him to his car.

"You hate me, why would you help me?" Naruto murmured through his tears.

"How in the world would I hate you?" Sasuke asked calmly as he put Naruto on the front seat, and fastened his seat belt. "You're an angel..."

Naruto just shook his head, and looked away from Sasuke. Letting out a deep sigh, Sasuke went to his side, and started the car quickly, driving to the village.

"Is it because I'm ugly?" Naruto asked in a tiny voice after a while, still facing away from Sasuke.

"What? No, Naruto," Sasuke glanced at the boy briefly. "You're so beautiful, okay? Don't say such things."

"Then I'm fat, I know that I'm fat," Naruto said softly.

"Naruto, you're not fat, okay?" Sasuke said calmly. "You're still growing up, so you need to eat a lot."

"Mom said that you're an important family in Tokyo," Naruto whispered. "I'm just a village boy, I'm sorry for even bothering you with my stupid feelings."

Naruto gasped as the car halted suddenly. Sasuke pulled the handbrake harshly, and then looked at the boy beside him.

"Never," Sasuke hissed as he took Naruto's face in his hands. "Never say such a thing again! These pure feelings you have for me cannot be compared to anything I've had before. You're so precious, Naruto... Why can't you understand that I'll ruin you?"

"It's okay, Sasuke. I understand, even if you think I'm a child, I do understand..." Naruto smiled sadly through his tears. "Just because I love oranges doesn't mean they have to love me back, right?"