Sasuke looked down at Haku, who was still sleeping as the sun began to peak out behind the land. He patted the boy's hair, checking his forehead now and then. Apparently sometime during the night or the early morning, Haku had developed a fever, and Sasuke was doing his best to monitor it, but he did not dare leave his side for fear that the fever might worsen or that he would be found out by his parents. He hadn't told them that Haku was back yet, and at this point, he still wasn't ready to. He couldn't be sure about how they would react to the news.
After he had passed out, Sasuke had carried him through the forest as quickly as possible, making it home within the hour. He had actually had an easy time avoiding his parents, who had been out at the market when they arrived back. The Uchiha had carried Haku up to his room and laid him down in his bed and cared for him since then. He felt like a worried mother at the moment, fussing over her sick child. Little did he realize that the feelings within, which were growing by the second, were far more than he'd have ever thought.
He needed to get a thermometer to check Haku's temperature, but he was afraid of what might happen if he chanced leaving Haku for anymore than a second. He pondered it for a moment, finally deciding that if he was going to care for the boy, he needed to know any possible details. Sasuke had never cared for someone that was sick before. As a matter of fact, he had never taken care of anyone. He looked down at his hands, unsure that he was doing all of this right, but he didn't dare ask his mother.
Sasuke hurried into the bathroom, grabbing the thermometer and returning to the room as quickly as possible. He looked down at Haku, still asleep, thinking about how much he looked like an angel. He touched his cheek with the back of his hand as he had done the previous night. The wedding seemed so far now even though it had taken place just last night. Now it felt like they were in a whole different world. He looked down at Haku, wondering if the feminine boy was going to be bitter. After all, Sasuke had made him a promise that had proved impossible to keep.
Or had Haku seen this coming? He pondered that thought for sometime before he noticed Haku slowly coming to. Sasuke kept his eyes on him, watching as his beautiful brown eyes were revealed from underneath their eyelids. His hair was a bit damp from the sweat, and he looked paler than usual. Sasuke looked down at him, worry written all over his face. Haku was extremely sick now, and it was the Uchiha's fault. He looked away, feeling that he didn't deserve to be in the other boy's presence. It was a hard feeling that he was not used to, but then again, he wasn't really used to any of this. He had never felt like this with anyone. It was intense.
Haku was beginning to come to, his eyes opening slowly. Right now his surroundings were completely blurry, so he did not know where he was. However, he remembered Sasuke catching him in the forest when he had passed out. Maybe he had killed him there. Was he dead? It was possible. He focused on the person standing over him and looking down, trying to see who it was, but his eyes would not allow him to. His vision was still far too blurry, so he finally gave up.
It was only another moment before Haku felt a gentle hand upon him, pushing his hair away from his face. Who was there with him? Maybe it was his mother, coming to welcome him to the afterlife. A small smile broke out on his face at the thought and he reached up to touch her. He was regretting it almost immediately, as apparently it hurt for him to move. He quickly placed his hand back at his side, hoping that it would go away as he did so. And it was then that he heard a somewhat distorted voice.
"You will be better off if you don't move. You're running a fever."
He could barely make out what was being said, and he gave only a slight nod as he felt a hand upon his forehead now. He was still alive, and the other person what not his mother. So then, who was it exactly? Surely Sasuke could care less about what happened to Haku. After all, he had lied right to the Uchiha's face, and even though he hadn't wanted to, what was in the past could not be undone. The thought drove Haku mad, and he squeezed his eyes tighter, wanting to forget about what had happened. He didn't understand why he was meant to suffer so much in this life. He was quiet as he mumbled to himself, though apparently the other person heard him.
"Rest Haku-kun. You're going to need it. I will take care of you until you are feeling better. After all, you are my wife, so it is my duty."
Haku's eyes went wide at the words, and if he had been feeling bad before, he was now far worse. Why was Sasuke suddenly taking care of him when the Uchiha had made it clear that he never wanted to see him again? He was so very confused by this whole thing, but it hurt too much to think. He opened his mouth to speak, but hardly anything came out. Had Sasuke poisoned him? Exactly what had he meant when he said 'take care' of Haku? He wasn't sure that he wanted to know. After all, it was his own fault. He had agreed to go through with this, to make the Uchihas look like fools, and he was sure that his punishment would be no less than death.
There was that hand again. It felt so wonderfully cool against Haku's very hot skin. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but from the sounds of it, he was very sick. It scared the feminine boy that he couldn't see in order to have a better idea of what was going on. The thought of knowing that Sasuke was there, but having no idea as to why was extremely frightening, but Haku wanted to trust him, and to believe that he was there to help, so he pushed his fears to the back of his mind, choosing to trust the Uchiha, even if it was only one sided.
Sasuke looked down at the other boy, watching as he tried to focus. He noticed the gorgeous brown eyes that feel upon him, and he wondered what Haku's reaction would be. However, when the feminine boy squinted his eyes, the Uchiha realized that he couldn't see clearly, a thought that made him sad and worried. He placed a comforting hand on Haku's head and spoke, wanting to soothe him and to reassure him. After all, no matter what had happened between them, they were still husband and wife, a thought that earned a soft chuckle from Sasuke as he watched the boy.
Haku was indeed so feminine, and even though Sasuke now the truth of his gender, he was just as beautiful as ever in the Uchiha's eyes. Despite having felt a bit betrayed at the fact that Haku had lied, Sasuke still cared for him, and was worrying about him more than anything right now. If he got through this, what would happen when Sasuke's parents became aware of Haku's presence? Would they kill him on sight. He had a feeling that he already knew the answer to that, and that fact made him feel sick to his stomach. The knowledge of losing this boy was too much for Sasuke to bear at the moment, and he soon found tears carelessly making their way from his eyes down his cheeks, and to the bed's surface, right near Haku's pale hand.
He knew now that he needed to speak to his parents and hopefully clue them in on the situation without them overreacting. He wanted Haku alive, realizing now that he needed the boy more than he had ever needed anything in his life. Sasuke had to give the elder male a chance to live, no matter what the cost. If he absolutely had to, he would give up his own life to ensure that the other got to live a life filled with happiness and love. He would give himself up for Haku, something Sasuke never thought he would be capable of doing for another person. Now, as that thought popped into his head, he made his way out of his room and into his parents.
He stared at the door in front of him, afraid of what was to come. Sasuke was not sure that he was ready for such a confrontation, as he had never really been one for words. He had always been more of a quiet and withdrawn boy, preferring to be on his own or with maybe a friend, though he didn't have many of those either. They were more like fanclubs because of his good looks, and if it had been legal, he would have used his Great Fireball Jutsu to get rid of them. And now that he had found someone with which he might be willing to open up a bit more, it seemed that it was highly likely that the person he was interested in getting to know was not going to be along much longer. He had to do something before his parents confirmed their decision and put it into effect.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, looking into the room to see his parents sitting together and talking quietly among themselves. They glanced up when they saw Sasuke standing in the doorway, and his mother gave him a sweet smile as her greeting, while his father looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to state the reason that he had just suddenly burst through their door. Sasuke stood there, trying to summon the proper words, but they would not come to him.
"I… He's here… I need… Alive…" He stammered, not sure how to get it out.
"What is it you're trying to say Sasuke?"
He looked away, clearly frustrated at what he was trying to get out. He couldn't figure out how to get it out. Finally, his frustration built up to the point that he busted out crying. Sasuke stood where he was, shaking as the tears fell down his cheeks. They were tears for the boy who he was falling in love with, knowing that he couldn't allow him to die. But what could Sasuke do? He felt so very helpless. He knew that his parents wanted to kill Haku, but that was not what he wanted. He wanted to find a way to make this work.
Sasuke sat down with his mother and father and began to have a heart to heart conversation, telling them of Haku's return, and of his true feelings for the boy. They listened closely, wanting to know their son's opinion on the whole matter and come to a decision together, as the boy's deception had the most effect on their son. They spoke among themselves once more, a third now in the conversation, giving nods or 'yes' and 'no' where it was needed. He hoped that this whole conversation would end in Haku's and his favor, but there was no way to be sure. His parents had always been difficult for him to read.
The thoughts of poison had now faded from his mind completely, as he had ruled it out as a possibility. Sasuke was being very gentle, very careful with him and he found himself enjoying the other's attention more and more, even if it had come at the worst of time. Things were hitting rock bottom at the moment, and Haku genuinely hoped that the only way that they could go was up. It would be a relief to have something go right for once in his life, though he didn't foresee that happening anytime soon. He had already sealed his fate by disguising himself as a woman and marrying the young Uchiha.
Haku closed his eyes, wanting to rest some more, but was met with many nightmares. They started off in his childhood, when he was still a very young boy living with his real parents. From there, they progressed, going a bit into his future as he saw his adoptive parents forcing him to dress as a girl for the first time, or at least his mother. His father was sitting back with an irritated look, trying to talk sense into the woman before him, though she would not have it. Haku was her daughter as far as she was concerned, and apparently there would be no changing her mind.
The nightmare jumped a bit further, to when he had first laid eyes on the handsome Uchiha. He had never really told his mother about that, seeing as he had always felt that it was of little relevance. He had been walking peacefully through the woods when a figure had zoomed past him and he had caught a quick glimpse of the face, seeing the Sharingan and instantly recognizing the other man as the one he was going to marry in the future, as the Sharingan was the kekkei genkai that belonged to the Uchiha clan, most of whom were now dead. He had remembered hearing about it, though he couldn't remember exactly how. What stood out most in his mind was a single line: "Tragedy struck the family, but a boy leaves a glimmer of hope in our midst." And that boy was Sasuke.
The last part of the nightmare was the worst, as it was the part of this vision that allowed it to even be classified as a nightmare. He was standing in the middle of the balcony where he and Sasuke had been the night before at their wedding reception. The mirror from his room was there in front of him, and he was looking into it and seeing the lie that he had been forced to go along with. The word 'deceit' was etched into the glass, and when Haku went to touch it, blood began to seep from it. He quickly backed away, wanting to get away from the unpleasant sight as soon as possible. He needed to have some sort of reassurance. As if on que, Sasuke showed up, leaping onto the balcony. However, his face was not friendly or welcoming. He had a sneer, and he pointed at Haku, the sky and the Uchiha's eyes changing to blood red at the exact same time. Haku stared in horror, back further and further away. He was against the edge of the balcony, and he felt it give way, crumbling underneath his weight as if it was centuries old. Then he was falling down away to large flames below, which grabbed up at him, ready to engulf his body.
Haku woke up, taking a deep breath in as he did so. His fever had most definitely risen, and he was feeling far worse than before no thanks to that nightmare. It was one of the worst he had ever had. He lifted his head a bit, the room spinning around him as he did so, but he was determined. He wanted to get up and walk, to go find Sasuke and feel that cool touch once more against his skin. However, the little strength he had mustered to stand up quickly left his body, and his knees hit the floor. Haku let out a small gasp, not having expected his knees to give out so quickly. He knelt on the floor, his right arm wrapped around his stomach as he bent over with pain, and his left hand placed on the wall next to him. But when Haku heard the conversation that was going on in the other room, he quickly forgot about his pain and crawled over in an attempt to listen in. He heard Sasuke's mother say something, but it was too muffled. However, the next words from her mouth rang clearly through his ears.
"Then we have reached our decision."
Author's note: Raining Beauty here. Sorry it has been taking me so long to update. This chapter was extremely difficult to write. Can't wait to see reviews. Hope you enjoy.
