Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Summary: After the fight on the bridge (Zabuza and Haku arc), Sasuke spends a highly uncomfortable night; and receives an unexpected visitor.
Author's Note: I have been having severe writer's block. And one thing that always augments that is finding a simply fabulous story. On the one hand, it inspires you and you loose yourself for a few weeks in someone else's world. On the other, it leaves you so hopelessly behind you just stare at your paper in tears knowing you can't compare. That's an experience I've recently had, in reading Naruto. But I decided I could do a little something about my writer's block, in any case, by indulging in a fanfic drabble. So indulge, I did.
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Sasuke got Inari's bed, orders of the woman of the house. Not because he was hero of the hour; but because he was invalid of the hour. He'd protested some, not out of modesty, but because, for reasons unknown to him, he didn't want to spend all night upstairs alone. But he wasn't about to say that, so upstairs was exactly where he ended up.
Upstairs alone in this creaky old house, just as sleepless as he would have been in the dog-pile of houseguests in the living room. Damn.
Maybe it was the pain from the innumerable wounds left by Haku's needles. The pain wasn't excrutiating, just a dull pain that ached no matter what position he was in.
Damn Haku. Did he have to be so thorough?
Sasuke's back hurt. He tried shifting to his side.
Ow! Crap. Bad idea, he thought, the needle-wounds on his side protesting.
He let out a sigh, glaring out the window at the water that spread all over the village. Maybe it was the noise from the waves. It was annoying, he decided. Land of Waves. How did these people stand living with that incessant noise?
Wait. He did live as part of Team 7, with Naruto. Scratch that. The folks in the land of waves didn't know the meaning of the word noise. And talk about incessant.
Sasuke managed to crack a grin, wincing slightly after he did, from a scratch on his cheek.
He went back to staring out the window, blocking out the events of the day, the fight on the bridge. All of it. His eyes hurt. He knew he was tired, and he still couldn't sleep.
He must have drifted somewhat, because it was through a haze he heard a padding up the crooked, old stairs. They stopped, hesitant, outside his room. The door creaked and the padding resumed, stopping next to his bed.
Sasuke, still mostly asleep, couldn't see through the haze. But his slight movement must have led the other to believe he was awake.
"You don't mind me up here, do you?" he heard a hesitant voice.
A stupid voice, some part of his semi-conscious mind said.
"I mean…could I…?" the voice was even quieter.
Ugh. Sasuke just wanted him to stop talking.
"Whatever, dobe," he managed, turning his face back into his pillow. Sleep.
After a moment he felt someone else slowly climb into the bed and pull the covers up. He must have drifted again, spacing out for a few moments. Next he knew, the other boy (it had to be Naruto), had snuggled up to his side and buried his face in Sasuke's marred back.
Ow. Ow ow ow. Ow!
He thought about growling at the other boy to stop; but sleep won out. He was warmer now anyway.
Sasuke slept fitfully, waking several times (at one point because the ridiculously old bed-frame seemed to be shuddering of its own volition); but every time the younger boy seemed to be out cold. The lucky idiot's scratches had healed already and he slept like a log.
When Sasuke woke for the fifth time, his mind was clearer than it had been all night. He realized his position was highly uncomfortable and there was a heavy weight on his side. He groaned, blinking, and realized the weight was Naruto.
Why was he up here again? Maybe the other boy had gotten tired of sleeping on the floor and wanted to but in on the bed deal. Sasuke realized he had his arm around the blond boy, whose head was buried in his chest. And his arm hurt. And his neck hurt. Darn, Naruto. As if a million needle-punctures weren't enough. He thought about shrugging the other boy off when he realized something else.
His shirt was damp.
What the…
He craned his neck to try to get a look at it without moving the other boy. Then he craned his neck further, propping up the arm Naruto was using as a pillow, trying to get a look at his face.
He was…
Crying?
Sasuke blinked in total confusion.
"Hey. Dobe?" Sasuke whispered. No good. The other boy was really asleep. Crying in his sleep.
Come to think of it, maybe the bed wasn't shaking on its own, earlier. Maybe that was sobs, shaking it.
"Dobe?"
Why would the other boy be crying?
After all, it was me who died. Not him, Sasuke thought sarcastically. Wait…maybe that was it. They were Shinobi. But they were only twelve years old. Maybe seeing a comrade cut down in front of you...especially if it was your fault….maybe that had shaken up the other boy more than he knew.
That might explain Naruto's coming up here also.
Makes more sense than choosing this godawful bed for its own merit, Sasuke thought.
He shifted, turning towards the smaller genin, tightening the arm his friend's head was pillowed on. Absently he stroked the other boy's hair with his other hand.
Gradually the tears slacked off.
"Hmmph." Now he really was sore. And it would be worse tomorrow. Darn you, Naruto; as if I wasn't hurting bad enough already. And now the cot wasn't only cold, but rather wet, at least Sasuke's section of blanket and shirt were. And he was the one who was injured and almost killed today. No fair.
His hand continued its course in the other boy's hair, absently, as the other slipped back into a deep and peaceful sleep. Sasuke actually laughed slightly, shaking the rickety cot again.
The other gennin, in his sleep, had his arms around Sasuke's waist so hard it would have hurt, battle-wounds regardless. Even subconscious, Naruto got his message through:
"Don't you dare die on me again."
Sasuke finally closed his eyes, despite his uncomfortable position.
"The things I do for you, dobe."
This time, when he fell asleep, he stayed asleep, despite the needles and the constant noise in the Land of Waves.
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Thank you for reading the poor writer's-block afflicted gal's drabble. I hope you enjoyed.
By the way, Did you know that if you press that little button that says "review" an angel gets its wings? The world is really funny that way.