Special shout out to Fox Loves Shinigami. Thanks for reviewing!
&&&&&&&
The boy lay in his arms, still hovering near death. He had yet to open his eyes. Zabuza would have lain Haku in the bed, but the boy whimpered and moved around too much, agitating his wounds, when he wasn't in Zabuza's arms.
Haku's shiny, soft raven hair was in a distorted, lumpy, disheveled braid. Zabuza had done that because when loose, it got horribly tangled and got in the way when he bathed Haku or tended his wound. Haku's long, dark lashes stood out against his pale skin; his full, pink lips parted, and chest barely rose as he breathed shallowly. He was naked save for thick bandages on his chest. His slender, supple body was wrapped in a thin cotton sheet to protect him from the late August breeze.
Zabuza sat on the couch, feet propped up on the scratched coffee table. Haku lay sideways in his lap, blanket tucked securely around his thin body. His head lay on Zabuza's strong shoulder; he was curled into his chest. Zabuza laid his head back.
He'd just finished feeding Haku warm milk. The boy's stomach couldn't handle anything else- yesterday, Zabuza tried giving him soup broth and Haku threw it up. So Zabuza was reduced to heating milk on the dinky, two burner, electric stove- the cramped roach home was too cheap for a mircrowave.
Zabuza sighed and looked down at Haku, brushing stray wisps of hair away from his soft, sweet face. He used to be a monster. Never would he have believed he'd ever feel this way about someone. Now, Haku was his moon, his sky. The feelings had taken root in his dead heart and grew so slowly and quietly it took something as dramatic as Haku dying to make him realize them.
TBC
