Touching the untouchable

Chapter 13

Naruto glared at the white gauze pad on his arm as the doctor wrapped the medical gauze around it multiple times. Itachi insisted on coming along and he now stood next to Naruto, patting the blond's head. It wasn't hurting the blond per se but the blond was getting irritated by the fact that he'd have to change the dressing every few hours and he can't do anything strenuous with his arm. "Glaring at it wouldn't make it go away." Itachi teased. The blond turned to shoot Itachi a mock glare as if trying to glare the man out of existence as well, making Itachi chuckle.
The blond had to get a long row of stitching as the wound had been much bigger and deeper than any one of them had realised. The doctor smiled at Naruto when it was finally done, almost laughing at the miserable look on the blond's face when he started telling the blond how to change the dressing and when to do so. "I know I know. I've done it before." Naruto muttered to himself, making them look at him in some sort of shock and curiosity.
"Not the first time I got injuries aye." Naruto said without any further explanation as he stood, ready to leave. The doctor tucked the supplies into a bag and handed it to Itachi, "take care of your boyfriend." With a pat on the back. Naruto froze in shock but Itachi didn't protest the label as he shook the doctor's hand, thanking him. Naruto thanked the doctor quickly and sped out of the room. Itachi had taken Naruto's suit jakcet and thrown it away and the bloodied white dress shirt sleeve had been cut off by the doctor, who kindly rolled it up for him to make it look normal and intact. 

"Are you uncomfortable with what the doctor called you?" Itachi asked after a while of silence as they wait for medication.
"Well, no but I thought you would be." Naruto admitted truthfully, keeping his eyes trained on the floor before him, somewhat afraid of meeting Itachi's eyes. The Uchiha turned his head to face Naruto, unfazed by the fact that Naruto was not even looking at him. 
"Honestly I am not. In fact, I like the sound of that." he said nonchantly. 
"What?" Naruto gaped in shock, making Itachi raise a hand to push his jaw up and to also stroke his cheek along the way. No other conversation was exchanged as they retrieved the medication, paid and left.

The next morning when Naruto walked in after getting coffee for Itachi from a cafe just down the road, most people were in office already, they looked at him weirdly and were whispering to each other. Naruto frowned at that, it was getting uncomfortable and bring up bad memories. When he was young, people around him did that a lot because of the unusual scarring on his face, almost like they were whiskers, and that he was too small for his age or that he was too skinny or ugly. They always bullied him for it, slowly turning verbal abuse into physical abuse.
Naruto quickly ducked into Itachi's office, he put Itachi's coffee on the desk with a soft thud. The Uchiha raised his gaze to look at him with an unreadable expression. Naruto stiffened, unsure what Itachi was about to say to him. "I'm sure you noticed something... odd on the way back here." Itachi said softly, watching as Naruto's eyes darted towards the outside office and then nodded slowly. Itachi held out the tablet he was holding to Naruto, making the blond frown in confusion before the frown turned into an expression akin to shock.

Right there, an article on the gossip magazine titled 'young CEO and heir to the Uchiha corporation spotted in the hospital with a blond!' Below the title was a picture of them sitting side by side, there was a soft loving look in Itachi's eyes when he looked at Naruto when stroking his cheek. Naruto didn't know if he was glad or upset that his face isn't visible. With his face not being visible, he was among the many Japanese people with blond hair in their prefecture, people are going to gossip about him now seeing as he was the only one in the office with bright yellow hair, even the Yamanaka's hair isn't this bright!

Naruto scrolled to read the article, Itachi sat quietly whilst watching his reaction. The blond finished and there was slight anger flashing in his eyes, Itachi was about to say something when the smaller male spoke up. "How could they write about you like that?! This is ridiculous!" Naruto snarled, making Itachi blink in surprise. He had thought that Naruto was upset that their privacy had been infringed and all... he had thought that Naruto didn't like him that way and did not want people to get the wrong idea. "It is okay, I am used to it."

"No! People shouldn't be dragging you through the mud like you're a bad person when you're nothing like that." Naruto protested, putting down the tablet as he'd rather not have launched it across the room later in his fit of rage towards the paparazzis. Itachi shook his head, amused at Naruto's reaction. "It really doesn't matter, Naruto. When you are at the top in any industry, people are going to talk, especially people that are jealous." Itachi said softly as he stood up. He leaned on the edge of his table, looking at Naruto who suddenly blushed and looked away. Itachi cupped Naruto's neck, running his thumb on Naruto's cheek again. Itachi almost exploded in happiness when he noticed Naruto leaning into the touch. "The question is, what do you feel about this?" Naruto swallowed unsure how he should say it; he likes Itachi, he really does... but what are people going to say about Itachi when they find out that Itachi is with a nameless orphan?
Itachi took a deep breath, careful not to show any expression to influence Naruto as he wanted Naruto to make a decision on his own. "You don't have to give me an answer now, Naruto." The blond looked conflicted by that but Itachi smiled at him softly, rubbing Naruto's cheek affectionately before moving his hand away. 

"Work?" Itachi asked, wondering if Naruto wants to start working now or if the blond wanted to take a break and go home for now. Naruto nodded, standing up straighter. "We should go and buy you a new suit." Itachi muttered, remembering the events from yesterday when Naruto protected him and got hurt.
Naruto laughed at the pained look on Itachi's face, sweeping Itachi's fringe away from his eyes. Itachi stared at him with his dark red eyes, watching his every move. Naruto smoothed his thumbs over Itachi's eyebrows as if trying to smooth out his frown. "I still have this suit."
"You will need more suits than that." Itachi muttered, being critical about the lack of suits. Naruto laughed again before skipping away with his cup of coffee, reminding Itachi of his appointment happening in an hour before closing the door. 'Why does he have to be so adorable?