Chapter 6

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his blond hair as he sat out in Sasuke's living room. Whatever had happened out there, it had scared Sasuke, and the Uchiha had been unable to do much once Naruto had gotten him home. The fox had held him for a long time, whispering comforts into his ear, and then finally getting Sasuke to calm down and stop trembling.

It hadn't been long after that that Naruto managed to get his medicine into him, and the concoction had sent him into sleep, his head against Naruto's shoulder.

Now Sasuke lay in his bed, sound asleep and dreaming, his eyelids fluttering periodically as he dreamed. Naruto had sat with him for some time, making sure that he would sleep undisturbed, and then he had left to make himself comfortable in the living room, not knowing where he could sleep.

The entire Uchiha complex felt… haunted. Naruto didn't want to use the word because of what it implied, considering the past events, but there was no other word for it. Every home and building there was empty and old, dusty and filled with cobwebs and other such things. It felt like a ghost town; again, for lack of better words.

Only the main house had any sort of light to it, and that was only because Sasuke still lived there. Quite frankly, if Naruto had known that the complex felt this way, he would have offered Sasuke an alternative a long time ago. He didn't know how the Uchiha could stand living in such a cold, empty place.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he lay on his side on the couch, curling up and trying to get some sleep. He didn't think he'd be able to, but he ought to try, at the very least.

He was awoken abruptly in the middle of the night; his mind whirling and senses tingling. There was no obvious reason for his awakening, but some part of him thought that something was wrong with Sasuke, and so he got up, moving quickly through the house towards Sasuke's room.

He pushed open the door to see Sasuke sitting up in bed, staring towards the wall silently. He moved forward, putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and shaking him slightly. "Sasuke?"

Dark eyes moved to his, and Sasuke shivered faintly. "Naruto…"

"Are you alright? What happened? Why aren't you still sleeping?" Naruto questioned, folding his long legs and settling down beside Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments, and then he shook his head slightly, blinking. "Naruto? What happened?"

That was a bit of a shock. Naruto blinked, bewildered. "What do you mean what happened? I walked in here to see you sitting here, staring at the wall."

Sasuke seemed confused. "You…did? The last thing I remember is waking up…" His eyes grew a little frightened. "I don't remember sitting up Naruto. Or you coming in the room."

Naruto swore softly at that, and his fingers clenching on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke's breathing had sped up a little by now, his air very frightened as he stared into the space over Naruto's left shoulder.

The blond frowned, shaking Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke?" There was no response. "Sasuke, stay with me!"

Sasuke snapped to attention, looking into Naruto's blue eyes. "Naruto…" he whispered, his voice shakier and more child-like than Naruto had ever heard it. "Naruto, I'm scared."

Some part of Naruto's heart wilted at that. Sasuke would never normally admit something like that, for it to warrant those words, Sasuke had to be terrified. The jounin moved closer, wrapping Sasuke in his arms and holding him close to his chest. "It's alright, Sasuke… I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you…"

Sasuke's arms snuck around Naruto's back, his hands clenching in the fabric over his shoulders. The Uchiha buried his face in Naruto's shoulder, holding back the fearful tears that threatened to escape.

"Stay with me, Naruto…"

Naruto nodded, slowly lowering them down to Sasuke's bed, pulling the blankets over their bodies. "Sleep, Sasuke, I will watch over you. I won't leave, I promise."

Sasuke curled up against Naruto's chest, his cheek against his warm collarbone and his right hand entangled in the shirt over the other's heart. He nodded off to the sound of Naruto's breath, strong and even in his ear.

Naruto did not sleep that night, worry for the raven-haired man lying against his chest stealing his rest from him.

Naruto awoke to warmth surrounding him. He breathed in deeply, shifting slightly beneath the covers and then going still once more. He could feel a warm weight on his chest, and he opened his eyes to see black hair spilling across his chest, tickling his throat and moving along his shirt.

He smiled, bringing up a hand to brush it over Sasuke's soft hair, smoothing the dark strands away from the boy's face as he looked into Sasuke's peaceful features. It wasn't often that he got to see Sasuke like this, after all, he wanted to treasure it while he could.

Sasuke's face was totally and completely relaxed, eyes moving beneath his eyelids as he dreamed. His dark lashes were just barely brushing his pale cheeks, his soft pink lips parted slightly for his breath, warm and spicy. Naruto breathed deep, the smell of spice and warmth; fire, coming to him.

Naruto grinned. Sasuke smelled like his favorite element.

The blond continued to run his fingers through Sasuke's hair silently, staring up at the ceiling as he did. Sasuke shifted against his body, moving closer and then going still once more, breathing deep and then sighing faintly. Naruto felt a hand against his side twitch and then go still and he smiled again, resisting a chuckle.

He lost track of time as they lay there, but after a while he had to get up; the bathroom was calling his name. He carefully worked his way out from under Sasuke's body, leaving the room and going to the bathroom.

On the way back to the bedroom he heard something. A very soft thump... Naruto swallowed, hearing something that sounded like a struggling human breath. Apprehension prickled at the back of his neck as he moved into the bedroom. He could barely see, but he could see the pile of Sasuke's body on the bed in front of him.

He dropped to his knees and lifted that slight weight, half-cradling it to his chest as it twitched and shuddered and spasmed. Sasuke's head fell backward over Naruto's arm, and the little light coming from the window washed over his face, casting shadows over slack features and half-open eyes that were rolled back until they're totally white.

Sasuke made this pitiful little gagging sound, his parted lips pale in the soft white light. Naruto's heart twisted into a cold knot in his chest, he could only think of Sasuke as he jerked and rode out the seizure, his fragile body seemingly ready to break apart in Naruto's arms.

'It won't stop!' Naruto thought frantically after what seemed forever. He had never felt so helpless in his life, he wasn't supposed to touch Sasuke, it could hurt them both. Blood ran from the Uchiha's nose, the soft chokes and whimpers still echoing from his spasaming throat.

And then it was suddenly over. Sasuke grew still, falling back against the blankets that Naruto had bunched underneath him to keep him from injuring himself. Naruto moved forward slowly, but just as he prepared to touch the Uchiha he suddenly stiffened and his arms and legs moved towards his body again.

'No…'

And the seizure began again.