AN: So this is probably going to be a short story, a few chapters of so. I've already got part of chapter 2 written. It's just something I'll plot out in my free time. Please read and review if you would like me to continue on! Also, I'm thinking it's going to be NaruSasu.

Chapter 1: Sick

His whole body ached as if it had been stretched past its limits repeatedly, muscles spasmodically clenching and straining as sweat slicked across his skin. To add to it, the fierce rolling of his stomach was not helping matters much. He had already gone to the bathroom to throw up at least 15 separate times since waking at about five in the morning, and it was only nine now, the sky still a pale blue and the sun partially concealed by trees.

He kept replaying the last mission over and over in his head. His Anbu squad had been assigned an assassination mission, which wasn't so bad really. Though he couldn't say he particularly enjoyed it, Sasuke was way past being squeamish about killing people. The real problem was that he hadn't slept a wink in about a month, his nightmares were absolutely hellish, and the man they had been sent to kill was a subordinate of Orochimaru's, the person who was the instigator for a terrible period in his life and the reason why he was so full of self loathing. The man who was to be killed had been unremarkable to say the least, but he had talked as if in rapture about some of the worse things Sasuke had done while with the snake sanin and the way the man's eyes had basically undressed him gave him the creeps even now, at least a week later. Just thinking about it made his stomach flip.

Shooting up from the dark blue couch he had been sprawled upon, Sasuke jumped cleanly over the dusty coffee table in the center of his living room and darted into the quaint powder room near the main staircase. The sound of his retching echoed noisily throughout the large, empty house, and only worsened his shitty mood. Once finished, he flushed the toilette and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand before slumping against the cool porcelain. It felt so good against his heated and flushed skin.

Ever since returning to the village things had steadily gotten worse and worse. After killing Orochimaru and then Itachi, he had been found and dragged back by Naruto and the remainder of team 7, but to him it still felt like he was running. He was so tired that every part of his body hurt, and whenever he closed his eyes he was afraid of what he would see lurking in the darkness behind his eyelids. When he did manage to get an hour or so of sleep in, he would always dream about the Valley of the End, subsequently bringing his much needed rest to a premature end.

Sasuke could never actually remember anything from the dream itself except for the sinking feeling of dread in his stomach and the memory of Naruto's eyes dulling as his hand shot through the brighter boy's chest. Whenever he woke up he could almost taste the metallic tang of the chidori in his mouth, and sometimes he could even feel the way Naruto's heart had fluttered weakly against the inside of his wrist. It was one of his most frequent and worst nightmares, and after waking up he would be physically sick for the whole day. He just couldn't forgive himself for his past actions, and he doubted he ever would. It would haunt him for the rest of his miserable existence.

Not only that, but Itachi was finally dead, his lifelong goal accomplished. He had never really thought about the 'after' once his revenge had been carried out. He supposed he hadn't ever planned on there even being an after. Was he supposed to just live on happily now that he had slain his own brother? It only served to make him just like the bastard, familial blood staining his hands. As a child he had always adored and looked up to his Aniki and had wanted so much to be just like him, to gain approval and make his father proud. Now it seemed the wish had been granted, though a bit too late. They both had turned their backs on their village, and Sasuke had left behind the only person he had ever really cared for outside of his family, just to return time and time again to repeatedly hurt him and make an attempt on the other's life. Even though he was back for good he still felt alone and lost like the little boy he had once been, nothing more than a machine going through the motions of living. The only thing that kept his mind off the nightmares and the hollowness inside him were missions.

Now 18 and part of Anbu, Sasuke often went on team missions. His squad consisted of Naruto, Sakura, Neji, Shikamaru, and Ino. It was probably one of the only things he looked forward to anymore as it was the only time he got to be around Naruto. Said ninja would only talk to him when it was absolutely necessary, and they were often only paired together during combat so there wasn't really much time in between for Sasuke to try and repair what little camaraderie he had managed to destroy by leaving, but it was soothing all the same just to be around the other boy. He simply enjoyed listening to Naruto laugh and joke with the others even when he was not included, which he usually wasn't. He could easily think back to a time when he'd thought he would never see nor hear Naruto laugh again, and it was nothing short of a relief to realize he had been wrong.

After every mission they were usually allowed a week or so off before the next one was assigned, but for Sasuke that was too much time. Too much time left alone and to his self deprecating thoughts. He knew he was being pathetic, but he couldn't find the will in him to care. Instead of taking the time off like the rest of his team, he would sign up for solo missions and always make it back just in time for the next group assignment. He was probably working himself too hard, but who cared? Certainly not himself. If he could help it, he tried to stay out of the village as often as possible. As long as he wasn't alone for long in this shell of a house then everything was fine. He remembered to eat occasionally, slept when he thought he was too exhausted to dream, and spent all the rest of his time training, on missions, or being sick. Exactly like he was now.

Sasuke's stomach clenched another time and he turned his head towards the polished white toilette bowl, but there was nothing left in him to throw up so he just dry-heaved repeatedly until he thought he would choke up a lung. Fuck, this always happened when he wasn't able to go on a mission during the usual down time. Something about Tsunade thinking he was wearing himself out or something. What a joke. It was either that or this, throwing up like some pitiful creature. Gods, he was so disgusted with himself. He knew he was being weak and self centered, dwelling on all his emotional baggage and problems like he was.

Sasuke stood up with the support of the sink and slumped against it before turning on the faucet and rinsing the acrid taste from his mouth. Quickly splashing his face with the cool water, he kept his gaze away from the mirror and attempted to walk out of the bathroom, but his legs were unable to hold him up properly. His head spun from dehydration and lack of proper sleep, so he just slumped against the door frame and crawled on his hands and knees back to the sofa, pride be damned. No one was around to see him anyway.

Shuffling back into the warm embrace of his more favored piece of furniture, Sasuke remembered all the way back to when his mother used to sing him lullabies on the faded blue couch. He had been a young and stubborn child, unwilling to obey his bedtime. Now, though, he refused to let his eyes droop for fear of the nightmares. That was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. When he was a child the fabric of the sofa had always smelled of his mother's perfume and the sandal wood incense she had liked to burn in the house. Now it only smelled of dust and the remnants of his childhood. He watched impassively as the light slowly changed in the room until he was sure it was dusk, another uneventful day in the life and times of Sasuke Uchiha.

To keep his mind occupied and away from the worst of his thoughts, he thought about Naruto. He hadn't really known his true feelings towards his teammate until after Itachi was dead and Naruto had found him bleeding and half-dead himself. The realization had come while everyone else had been asleep that first night and the campfire had been just embers. The stars had been bright in the dark and with nothing better to do, Sasuke had spent most of the time watching them shift in the sky. His wrists and ankles had been chained with chakra restraints and though he had been given a pallet to lie on, he instead chose to lean against the nearest tree, ever cautious and alert. Slowly but surely his attention had drifted until his eyes were on the sleeping form of Naruto, watching in the half light as his chest rose with every breath. Every once and awhile, hidden blue eyes would move beneath fragile tan eyelids, caught in the thrall of a dream.

Sasuke knew that Hawk was following them and would probably approach him soon and try to free him from his restraints. He had entertained the thought of allowing them to do so and leaving with them, once again running from Naruto and the village, but his heart had skipped a beat and clenched painfully, the muscle telling him no. He couldn't do it. He couldn't keep running anymore. Now that Naruto had him, he couldn't find the will to keep fighting. He could no longer deny the feeling that being around Naruto created within him. In the end he had been strong enough to kill his beloved Aniki, but he was weak when it came to Naruto.

Now, lying on the old sofa of his childhood, sick to his stomach and wishing that he could just die in his sleep, Sasuke realized he liked the way Naruto's eyes narrowed when he smiled. His blushes were absolutely adorable and his voice could easily take on a low and husky quality when he was serious or sad, as if he had been smoking for years. Sasuke found it oddly appealing. When he was nervous or lying, he would talk really fast and use large words, and he also favored his right hand in combat. The blonde happened to be a few inches taller than him, and he was practically made of muscle. Where Sasuke was slim, fast and graceful, Naruto was strong with broad shoulders and agile like a cat. The other could easily keep up with him in a fight and technically they were among the stronger ranks of ninja in the village.

All of team 7 had trained under the legendary sannin, which meant they were basically the next in line for the title. Sasuke had never really thought about it before, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be titled the snake sannin as Orochimaru had been. The thought of being anything like Orochimaru made him nauseous all over again. Just when he was sure he was going to have to move back to the bathroom, he heard a rather loud rapping sound.

It startled Sasuke so much in his feverish state that he gave a small yelp and promptly fell from his perch on the sofa. Perplexed, he raised himself up onto his elbows, enjoying the cool feel of the hardwood floor against his exposed skin, and glanced around cautiously before the sound repeated itself. Blinking, he realized someone was knocking on his door. Well that was new.

Grumbling to himself about random visitors, he got shakily to his feet and limped towards the door in the front hall. His muscles were all stiff from being sick, and he cursed whoever had disturbed him. Not bothering to see who was on his doorstep, he just yanked open the door, prepared to glare at whomever was on the other side until they left, and was startled to see Sakura and Naruto both standing across the threshold.

Sakura smiled beatifically at him, her emerald green eyes sparkling in the approaching dusk. Naruto just turned his head to the side and away from him. He hadn't even bothered to look at Sasuke when he opened the door. This fact made Sasuke's chest hurt which in turn made his head hurt even more than it already was. Cursing his stupid feelings (It always only made him feel worse, dammit!), he raised a silent eyebrow in question.

"Hello Sasuke-kun. Naruto and I stopped by to tell you that our team has an extra week off, so we won't be going on a mission any time soon." Sakura's voice was high and cheerful, nothing like the fan girl squeal of her younger years but still grating enough to pierce through Sasuke's aching head. He didn't actually dislike the girl. In fact she was probably the only one who talked to Sasuke anymore, but sometimes she could be a little annoying.

Clearing his throat, he answered. "Thank you for the notification Sakura. I appreciate it." His voice came out sounding raw from all the vomiting and misuse, and he winced at the horrible pain it caused.

Sakura's smile slipped off her face and was replaced with a worried frown. "Sasuke-kun, are you okay? You don't sound too good."

"No. I'm fine. Just a cough." Internally he snorted. Well, that was a lie. He hadn't really been doing that much coughing.

"You're sick?" The deeper voice startled Sasuke, causing him to jump slightly, and he turned to look at Naruto. How long had it been since the other had last spoken to him?

Frowning slightly at having to repeat himself, he answered."No. No, I'm not sick, just a little under the weather." His voice still came out rough and it was painful to say the words, but he choked them out anyway. Maybe he should have drunk more water or something, he mused.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he placed a large hand on the center of Sasuke's chest and pushed, forcing him out of the doorway. "Same shit, different pile, now move out of the way so Sakura can check you out." At the moment, Sasuke was too weak to really protest any further, and his throat hurt too much to get into an argument, so he relented and moved back towards the living room to sit on the couch. Standing up for so long was making his head spin.

As soon as he was sitting comfortably, Sakura was kneeling in front of him, her back facing the coffee table. Her green eyes peered curiously up at him, and she raised her hand from off her pink clad lap to feel his forehead.

Sasuke flinched beneath the sudden and unexpected contact before relaxing against the cool hand. It had been so long since someone had actually touched him in any way that was non-violent. It made his heart beat pick up slightly, his body expecting some sort of pain to follow even when his mind knew there was no danger.

"Golly, Sasuke-kun! You're burning up!" Sakura said, her voice rising in pitch, her hands moving down to feel the glands in Sasuke's neck.

"Naruto, go get some water. It appears he is slightly dehydrated," She said, her voice all business as she continued to assess the body beneath her fingers. "and don't make it too cold!" She called after him.

The sound of footsteps moving further into the house sounded behind Sasuke, and then he heard the muffled racket of cabinets opening and closing. The sound ceased as Naruto found the correct one, and the sound of flowing water took its place as the cup was filled. As soon as he came back with the glass of water, Sakura removed her hands and took it from him. Extending it out to Sasuke she said, "Drink it slowly. You may have a bit of a sore throat."

Nodding slightly in assent, Sasuke took it from her, relishing in the cool feeling of the glass before taking a small sip. The pain was almost immediate and surprisingly made his eyes water. Well that couldn't be a good sign.

Coughing wetly, he set the glass forcefully onto the coffee table, some of the water spilling from its confines to slip down the side of the glass and over his fingers. So this was why he never drank water when he got sick like this. Well fuck Sakura for making him realize the atrocity of a sore throat.

"Hmm… Sasuke maybe you should take some medicine or something. Do you have any in your medicine cabinet?" Sakura asked voice still serious.

"No. When I was-"He interrupted himself, clearing his throat painfully. "I am immune to most medicines and other such things as a result of certain….testing. It would do no good." Orochimaru had preformed many different experiments on him. As a result, Sasuke was no stranger to pain or sickness. In the end his body had built up immunity to most poisons and even things as miniscule as cough medicine.

Suddenly Naruto was standing right behind Sakura, eyes flashing furiously. He spoke in that a deep husky voice that sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. He couldn't say if it was from fear or excitement.

"You mean to say that that bastard of a snake tested on you as if you were a lab rat! How Stupid do yo-"

"Naruto, that is quite enough! Calm down!" Sakura stated in a stern voice. She turned her gaze away from Naruto's angry one and back into Sasuke's startled black eyes. He had known that Naruto would find such a thing terribly disgusting and probably pathetic, but the knowledge did nothing to help the burning in his chest at the strong disapproval. He refused to believe that it had anything to do with Naruto himself. It was just another symptom of some sort. In his mind he rolled his eyes. Just pile on the denial.

"It appears that you are really sick Sasuke. I think that maybe we should take you to Tsunade for a full check up of some sort if what you say about... the medicine, is true." Sakura's eyes were completely serious and seemed to say that she would be willing to use force if he objected. Naruto backed away as she said it, moving to lean against the wall behind her in an obvious show of agreement. However, this did not deter Sasuke from disagreeing.

"No." If Tsunade did do a full checkup of some sort on him, she would probably notice his lack of sleep and other such things. If that happened she could take him off missions! He couldn't be left alone all the time like that with nothing to do! Otherwise, he wouldn't be accountable for his actions. To add to that, he really did not want Naruto, or Sakura for that matter, to know how pathetic he had gotten on his own since returning to the village.

"But Sasuke-," Sakura began.

"NO."

"Please just-"

"I said no, Sakura"

She seemed to sigh as if in defeat, but when she looked back up at him, her clear green eyes were far from resigned.

"I really did not want to have to do this, but Tsunade said that if you refused…"

"What are you-," Sakura cut him off.

"Naruto, syringe." She held her hand out and slightly behind her towards Naruto who moved forward. Sasuke could hear his sandals on the hardwood floor but did not remove his eyes from Sakura's face. He was too stunned to do anything else. So Tsunade had suspected something all along. That was why she banned him from the solo missions! Oh, this was not good.

Before Sasuke could fully comprehend the situation there was a sharp sting in his upper thigh where Sakura had effortlessly slid the needle through his thin ninja issue pants and into his skin. He reached out and grasped her wrist harshly, preparing to pull it out, but Sakura kept it there with the use of her chakra infused strength. He felt her smoothly push the plunger and then everything started to get oddly light and fuzzy.

Sakura slid the syringe from his skin, and placed the contaminated needle into a small plastic bag as Sasuke leaned further back into the couch, everything spinning above him. She stood and moved around the coffee table and as soon as she was out of the way, Naruto was there replacing her. Sasuke tried to focus on his face, but all he saw was a blurry mix of blue and gold before he squeezed his eyes shut to keep the room from spinning.

He felt a warm breath ghost over his skin before burning hot hands slipped beneath his knees and shoulders and he was swung into the air. The feeling didn't last long before he was pressed firmly into what felt like a wall. The last few things Sasuke registered were the immense warmth that enveloped him and comforting vibration against his ear.

"He's so light. It must be true what Tsunade said." The voice was deep and sad, reverberating inside his body.

"Don't worry. She figured it out just in time. He'll be fine." This one sounded sure, but wavered slightly.

"I hope your right."

Then Sasuke was out like a light, falling into his own darkness.