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Crazy is Relative	By : Shaylilin Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1133 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
A/N: No Gaara in this chapter, but the next chapter will be
devoted to him.� Sasuke and Shikamaru
figure some things out between them.�
Thanks to those who are still reading this story.� It makes me happy to know you enjoy it.
Review Responses:
Numba1yaoigirl:� I
know.� After I started this I got a
Shika/Sasuke urge going.� I think I�ll
cover that eventually.� Thanks for
reading and reviewing.� *cookie*
Nejislady: I didn�t mean to make you cry! *hands tissue* I
have a plan for Shika.� It�s going to be
rocky at first, but I think we�ll control this disease eventually.� Next chapter will address Pein a little
bit.� He�s mostly just a side character,
but he�s going to keep popping up in Sasuke�s progress, so he�ll get a little
reveal. *cookie*
Sneakyfox: Thank you!� I�m glad you liked the last chapter.� I hope you like this one, too.� *cookie*

Chapter Six

Shikamaru sighed as he followed Tsunade up to the floor
above his.� �I don�t know how much longer
I can do this, Tsunade.�

She smiled softly at him.� �I know,
Shikamaru.�� She knew he would be better
soon and they could talk about what happened.�
Not for the first time she wished she could give the poor boy a
medication that his body wouldn�t reject.�
There were none left to try right now.�
There weren�t any new medications for bipolar disorder being created
even at the moment.

When they reached the new ward Shikamaru would be staying
in, Tsunade showed him his room.� She
pushed the door open and waited for Shikamaru to enter before walking in behind
him.� She sat down at the computer desk
while he sat down on the desk.� �It�s
your third episode this bad.� We�re
keeping you up here for three weeks this time before an evaluation to see if
you can be brought down or need a few more weeks up here.�

Shikamaru nodded.� He
knew this was bad.� �Tomorrow, okay?� We�ll talk about it all tomorrow.� I just want to sleep.� I�m numb.�
I�m empty. �I just want to sleep.�

Tsunade nodded and pulled a blanket from the locked cupboard in his room.� �Get some rest.� I�ll wake you for supper.�

Shikamaru lay down, trying to sleep but feeling overwhelming
guilt about hurting Sasuke the way he did.�
He was berating himself and knowing that it would make no difference
anyway.� He just had to do what Sasuke
said and not do it again.� He sighed and
finally managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.

It seemed like an eternity later that Shikamaru was being
shaken awake by Tsunade.� This floor and
the high risk floor didn�t have wake up bells because of the fragile psyche of
the patients themselves.� ��M up.� Shikamaru said as he sat and rubbed his eyes.

He sighed as he heard the door shut.� He knew Tsunade would give him his space
until he was ready to talk.� She was
about the only person he could stand on this floor.� He shook his head.� Rather she was one of the few people he could
stand in the entire institution.� He ran
down his mental list of people he liked or could at the very least stand in the
institution and wasn�t surprised when the list was ridiculously short.� It had been short outside the institution
though as well.

He saw the commons area down the hall and took a deep
breath.� Maybe since this floor was less
crowded he�d have the opportunity to sit by himself and just eat and go back to
sleep.� Why couldn�t he have just gone to
sleep before, instead of hurting Sasuke so badly?� He sighed and moved through the lunch line,
noting there were no knives on this floor.�
Like he�d try to kill himself with a butter knife; he may as well trying
killing himself by cardboard cuts.

He sat down at a currently deserted table and pushed his
food around his tray with his fork.� He
knew he�d have to eat or they�d take it as a sign he wasn�t getting any better,
but he didn�t feel like eating today.� He
just didn�t have an appetite.� He sighed
and forced himself to eat at least the mashed potatoes he�d gotten before
standing and dumping his food and going back to bed.

The next morning he sighed.�
The pain was back, which meant his numbness was gone.� He wanted to talk to Tsunade now.� He went through his morning routine the best
he could without his toothpaste.� Did
they really think he�d kill himself with a toothpaste overdose?� He sighed again and headed out the door to
where he knew Tsunade�s office was.� It
was probably too early for her to actually be in, but he could leave her a
message.� He knocked at her door and was
surprised to hear her tell him to come in.

He opened the door and sighed as he shut it behind him.� �Troublesome.�
I didn�t think you�d be here this early.�

She shrugged.� �Kakashi told me how much
you were upset about hurting someone else on the floor, and the way you were
yesterday, I just wanted to be available to you when you needed me.�� She smiled at him reassuringly.

Shikamaru sighed and sat down.� �Yeah.� He�s the only person down there I think
really understands me.� He�s also the
only person down there who actually has a problem and isn�t just a spoiled rich
brat.�� He frowned before slumping back
in the chair.� �I�m horrible to have done
this to him when I know what his brother did.�

Tsunade frowned.� She
knew about Sasuke.� She and Kakashi often
got together to discuss plans of attack for specific cases.� Kakashi had told her the two of them were
getting along really well, but she hadn�t expected Sasuke to have told
Shikamaru about his brother.� �He�s told
you a lot then, huh?�

Shikamaru nodded.�
�I�ve told him things I haven�t told anyone other than Kakashi before,
too.�� He sighed and ruffled the hair in
his ponytail.� �I don�t know why I�ve
felt an instant connection to him, but I did and I still do.�� He looked at Tsunade with pained, watery
eyes.� �How could I do that to him?�

Tsunade sighed.�
�Shikamaru, we both know you didn�t mean to cause Sasuke pain, so let�s
move away from that kind of thinking and try to figure out how you got to this
point in the first place.�

Shikamaru nodded.� �I
know I was thinking about how much better off my parents would be financially
if I were gone and didn�t need this place anymore.�� He sighed.�
�I was thinking about how as much as Sasuke and I flirt, he�d never want
me and I�m not going to find anyone.�

Tsunade sighed.� She
knew he had logical reasons behind all of his thoughts.� You had no choice when you had an IQ over
200.� She nodded.� �I wish I had a medication to try, but there aren�t
any that we haven�t tried, and there are none being developed right now.�

Shikamaru waved a hand in dismissal.� �It�s all right.� I�d probably just puke it up or stop
breathing like I did with the last two anyway.�
I�ve given up hope of finding medicine.�

Tsunade frowned.� �I
think I�m going to schedule a daily session for us just after your game of
chess with Sasuke.� I think that will be
the best time; do you agree?�

Shikamaru nodded.� �I�m always a lot more
calm after spending time with him.�

�Good.� That�s taken
care of.� Now we need to get you some
breakfast.� The staff will have all ready
put up your blankets.� Just ask someone
and you can get your toothpaste for long enough to brush your teeth.� Not that I really need to tell you the
procedures up here.�� Tsunade motioned
the door.� �Eat something, even if it�s
not much, okay?�

Shikamaru nodded before exiting the room and heading to the
lunch area.� He found that though he was
still upset enough he didn�t want to eat, it came easier to him than it had the
night before.� He managed to eat both
pieces of toast and half of the pieces of bacon he was given. �He sighed and tossed his tray, still managing
to avoid everyone.� He got his toothpaste
and brushed his teeth.� He knew his
parents would be here today.� They always
made a special trip after an incident.��
He didn�t want to see them.� His
father would know the reason why he thought he had no other way out, but his
mother would be hysterical.

He sighed and leaned back on his bed against the wall.� He watched out the windows and sighed.� This was going to be a long three weeks.� He let some tears slip down his cheeks before
brushing them away.� There was a clock
just outside his door in the hallway.�
Sasuke would be coming up sometime today, too.� He really wanted to see Sasuke.� He couldn�t apologize with words, but he
could with actions.� He could hold Sasuke
tight and promise with that single action that he�d never hurt his friend
again.

***********************

Sasuke sat at a table with people whose names he didn�t know
and didn�t want to know.� He couldn�t
bring himself to sit at his usual table when Shikamaru wasn�t there.� He looked over to see Pein glaring at him and
Konan fussing over the guy like he was a fucking invalid.� It was just a broken nose; Sasuke�d had plenty of those in his life so far.� Sasuke pushed the food around his tray for a
minute before he finally ate it.

He emptied his tray and moved through his after-breakfast
routine.� He took his book and went to
the oak.� He couldn�t concentrate on what
he was reading though, and he found his eyes constantly wandering to the
windows of the second floor.� It was as
if he thought he might catch a glimpse of Shikamaru through the windows.

It was true that he�d never been a relationship person, but
he thought if ever he could be it would be for Shikamaru.� There was something so special between them
though that he was afraid of tarnishing it with lust, and he was certain that was the only reason nothing more than intense friendship
sparked within him for his beautiful friend.�
Besides, he could tell that Shikamaru had a crush on Chouji, who had
come to visit a few times.

Sasuke smiled as he remembered the look on Shikamaru�s face
when talking with his best friend.�
Shikamaru told Sasuke that Chouji had never once judged him for his
disorder.� The pudgy boy had the kind of
personality that even Sasuke could get along with.� It wasn�t quite the same as Sasuke and
Shikamaru, but it was a perfect compliment to their
personalities.� Chouji spoke more, but
never without something to say.� He was
smart, though Sasuke could see him trying to downplay it sometimes.

Sasuke sighed and glanced up at the windows one last time
before closing his book and standing up.�
He was making his way back to the building to wait until his scheduled
time to play chess with Shikamaru when he saw Chouji and Shikamaru�s parents
coming across the lawn.� He held his hand
up in greeting only to be crushed to Shikamaru�s mom�s chest as soon as she was
close enough.� Sasuke could feel her
silent sobs as she held tight to him.� He
put his arms around her in an unfamiliar act of comfort.� Pain welled in his chest as he realized yet
again what a family was supposed to be.�
Shikamaru�s mom let out a breathy �thank you� before releasing him and
turning away to compose herself.

Sasuke nodded.� Chouji
clapped Sasuke on the shoulder.� �Really,
thank you.� Kakashi told us it was you
who found him and you who checked on him.�
We�re glad he had you to look after him.�� Sasuke nodded again, not trusting his voice
to work.� Shikamaru�s dad didn�t say
anything, but just held his hand out to Sasuke with a bag in it.� Chouji shrugged.� �Open it in your room.� It�s a special
thanks from the three of us.�

Sasuke shrugged but nodded.�
�I don�t need thanks.� Shikamaru
would have done the same for me.�

Chouji nodded.�
Shikamaru�s father smiled softly.�
�We�re going to head up to see Shikamaru now, but I�ve requested
permission from Kakashi to take you out for supper one night this week.� Would you like that?�

Sasuke smiled and nodded.�
He really did want some time out with a normal family.� �I�ll ask my father�s permission, but I would
like that very much.�

Sasuke watched the small group head back inside and couldn�t
help the small smile that broke across his face.� Maybe he wasn�t really messed up; maybe he
just needed to be part of a normal family and not his fucked up excuse for a
family.� He sighed and decided he should
go make his phone call and then talk to Kakashi for a few minutes before his
chess game.

He sighed and went to the private phone near the nurse by
the door.� He sighed and shook his head
as he dialed his home number.� His father
would most likely tell him he could not go and since he was 18, the permission
would be dependent upon his father�s sole discretion.� The phone rang twice before he heard Itachi�s
voice, �Uchiha residence.�

Sasuke swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.� �I need to speak with Father.�

Sasuke could hear Itachi�s smirk on the other end of the
line.� �I kill someone and end up at home
on lockdown.� You run away and end up in
a mental institution.�� A soft, mocking
laughter flowed through the line.� �One
minute; I�ll get Father for you.�

Sasuke waited until he heard his father�s voice.� �Uchiha here.�

Sasuke sighed softly before stating his question.� �I know you are busy, so I�ll get straight to
the point.� The family of one of the
other boys here wants to take me out to dinner as a thank you for saving his
life, and I�d like you to give Kakashi permission for me to go.�

Sasuke waited with bated breath for his father�s
answer.� �If Dr. Hatake thinks it will
help your progress, I will allow you to go.�

Sasuke let out the breath he�d been holding, �Really?�

Fugaku sighed.� �I�m
not heartless, Sasuke.� I want you to get
better; I really want you to go.�

Sasuke felt the tiniest of smiles tilt the corner of his
lips.� �Thank you,
father.� Please, visit again this
week.� I want to talk to you about
something, face-to-face.�

Fugaku could also feel his lips twitching upwards.� �I�ll be there Friday.� Good bye, Sasuke.�

�Good-bye, Father.��
Sasuke hung up the phone and sighed.�
He wasn�t sure how he�d managed to that, but he was glad for it.� He did need to ask his father a question and
he didn�t want to chance Itachi listening in on the line.� Sasuke made his way to the employee
offices.� He walked down the corridor
until he found Kakashi�s office, still carrying his unopened present with
him.�

He knocked on Kakashi�s door and slipped inside when Kakashi
told him to.� He sat down quietly.� �Did Mr. Nara ask you to dinner?�

Sasuke nodded.� �Yes,
though I don�t need any more thanks from anyone about this.� I did because I care for Shikamaru and I know
he would have done the same for me.�

Kakashi smiled.� �So
when do you want to go?� Mr. Nara said
he�d come back to find out what works for you.�

Sasuke shrugged.�
�Whenever works for him, except Friday.�
I�ve asked my father to come for a visit.�

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.� �You�re
inviting him here?�

Sasuke nodded.� �I
have something I need to talk with him about, and I don�t want to chance Itachi
listening in on the phone line.� But I
wanted to talk to you.� I was thinking,
maybe I�m not really sick and only messed up because of my fucked up family
situation.� Maybe if I had grown up in a
home like Shikamaru�s, maybe I�d be okay?�

Kakashi shrugged.�
�There�s really no way to know that until I know what things were going
through your head when you ran away.�

Sasuke nodded.� �I
just don�t think I can tell you yet.�
Please forgive me.�� Kakashi
nodded and Sasuke stood.� �Please let me
know when Shikamaru�s family would like to go out.� I�ll be waiting in my room for you to bring
me upstairs.�

Kakashi nodded.� �Of course, Sasuke.��
Sasuke walked to his room and pulled the nicely wrapped present from the
bag.� He meticulously unwrapped the
present, always having felt loathe to tarnish such a beautiful image.� Under the wrapping was a plain white
box.� He opened the box and found a small
photo album with pictures of little Shikamaru up through just a few weeks ago.� At the end of the album was a picture Chouji
had taken of Shikamaru and Sasuke just three days before.� Sasuke smiled and placed the album in his
bedside table drawer.� He�d show
Shikamaru another day.

Sasuke took a nap while waiting for Kakashi.� He was feeling kind of drained after speaking
to the Naras, his father, and Kakashi in one day.� He was longing for the familiarity of playing
chess against his best and only friend.�
Sasuke woke a few hours later to Kakashi knocking on his door.� �Just a second,� Sasuke said as he sat up and
straightened out his clothes.� He slid
his feet back into his shoes and opened the door.� �Thanks for setting this up, Kakashi.�

Kakashi waved his hand in dismissal, �Not at all.� Tsunade and I both think this is beneficial
for both you and Shikamaru.�� He led
Sasuke through the halls to a private staff elevator.� Kakashi waved his ID badge across the
electronic keypad to activate the elevator.�
�Shikamaru�s father will be here on Thursday evening to pick you
up.� I have your word you won�t try to
escape while they are thanking you?�

Sasuke nodded.� �I
guess I�d probably just wind up back here anyway.� There�s no sense in making everyone here I
regard with respect angry with me.�

Kakashi smiled as the door opened and the two of them
stepped into the elevator.� �I want to
have a session with you both Thursday after your night with the Naras and
Friday after your father visits.� Is that
going to be a problem for you?�

Sasuke shook his head.�
�I�m not going to get into trouble for punching Pein, am I?�

Kakashi chuckled.� �Well,
considering that no one saw the incident and you were busy with Shikamaru, I
think we can let this one time slide.�

Sasuke smiled just a bit and nodded.� He saw Shikamaru waiting in a common room
when the elevator arrived.� He took a
deep breath and smiled to Kakashi as he stepped off the elevator and over
toward Shikamaru�s table.� �You drugged
up enough to lose?� He asked with a sad smile across his lips.

Shikamaru looked into Sasuke�s eyes and was relieved to find
there was no contempt for him.� Sasuke
might have been hurt by Shikamaru�s reckless attempt, but he wasn�t angry at
Shikamaru.� He didn�t hate
Shikamaru.� He smirked at his
friend.� �I could win in my sleep.�

The game was normal.� Small chunks of conversation about things that no one else would
really understand.� Shikamaru won
the game.� Sasuke smiled and nodded
before looking at hands he hadn�t realized he was wringing.� �Your parents came to see me.�

Shikamaru sighed and nodded.�
�I know.� My dad said he�s taking
you out as a way of thanking you.�

Sasuke shrugged.� �I
told them you would have done the same for me and I didn�t need thanks, but
yeah.�� He smiled softly.� �I got the nerve to call and ask my dad for
permission, and he actually gave it to me.��
He sighed.� �Itachi answered.�

Shikamaru frowned.� �Come
sit with me?�� He motioned to the couch
that was in front of the faux fireplace.�
Sasuke nodded and waited until Shikamaru was seated before laying his
head on his friend�s lap.� �Are you doing
all right?�

Sasuke nodded.� �As
well as I can with my brother being an issue and my friend being removed from
me.�� He frowned.� �Did they tell you I broke his nose?�

Shikamaru shook his head.�
�Kakashi mentioned you punching him, but not the end result.� Did you get into trouble?�

Sasuke chuckled softly and shook his head.� �No proof, or
something along those lines.�� Shikamaru
let himself smile.� His depression was
breaking just by being around Sasuke today and seeing that though he had hurt
the boy, he was not being held 100% accountable.� Sasuke sat up.� �I know you were feeling down, but if you
want to talk about what specifically someday, all you have to do is let me
know.� You know I won�t judge you.�

Shikamaru nodded.� �I
know, Sasuke.� I know.�� He sighed and took a deep breath.� This was either going to make him much worse
or help the situation out greatly.� �Can
I kiss you?�

Sasuke looked into Shikamaru�s eyes and understood what they
were saying.� He wanted to know if there
was more between them, just as Sasuke had constantly asked himself.� Sasuke nodded.� He was afraid Shikamaru might feel something
for him and make things worse, but there was the possibility that he�d feel
something too or Shikamaru wouldn�t feel anything.� Sasuke licked his lips nervously as Shikamaru
leaned closer to him.� He didn�t know
when his eyes shut, but when Shikamaru�s slightly drier, lightly chapped lips
pressed against his, he jumped in surprise.

Shikamaru threaded his fingers through Sasuke�s hair,
pressing the soft, moist lips against his own.�
He opened his lips slightly and ran his tongue along the crease in
Sasuke�s lips.� Sasuke opened his mouth
and tentatively brushed his tongue against Shikamaru�s.� The kiss grew more passionate and breaths
were coming out in pants.� When they
finally separated for air, Sasuke was slightly apprehensive for what he would
see in Shikamaru�s eyes.� He hadn�t felt
the spark.� Sure the kiss was hot �
hotter than any he�d had before actually � but it was just his hormones, and
not his heart.� He could never be with
Shikamaru without his heart being in it.

Shikamaru opened his eyes.�
He wasn�t attracted to Sasuke.�
That wasn�t the right way to put it.�
He was extremely attracted to Sasuke; a person would have to be blind
not to be.� The kiss was missing the
spark.� There were many true emotions
there, but the heat of the kiss had been hormones and nothing more.� He smiled softly at Sasuke�s clenched
eyes.� The boy was clearly nervous about
what Shikamaru was feeling.� He whispered
softly, �I guess Chouji is the one I want.�

Sasuke opened his eyes in relief at Shikamaru�s words.� He saw the love Shikamaru had for him, but
recognized the same lack of spark.�
Sasuke let his head fall against Shikamaru�s chest.� �Have you kissed him yet?�

Shikamaru laughed softly.�
�I don�t even know if he�s gay yet.��
He smiled as Sasuke chuckled softly and put his head back in Shikamaru�s
lap.� �I love you, Sasuke.� I promise not to let things get that bad
again, even if it means you have to stay near me, okay?�

Sasuke nodded and wrapped his arms around Shikamaru�s waist
before falling asleep to the stress-relieving caress of his best friend�s
hand.� Shikamaru smiled at Sasuke as he
slept.� His friend looked so
peaceful.� He meant the words he told
Sasuke.� There was no way he�d hurt
someone he loved with so much of his being ever again.� He needed to talk to Tsunade in a few
minutes, when Kakashi came back up for Sasuke, and he needed to talk to her
about what his new plan for controlling his disease was.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Crazy is Relative