AN: A short that isn't PWP/NC-17. WOW.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Minoru took out a mug from the cupboard and placed a chamomile tea bag in it as he waited for his water to boil in the tea kettle on the stove. He took out some unsalted crackers and placed them in bowl. He turned off the kettle before it began to whistle, knowing that otherwise it would be too hot for Naruto, and poured it into the mug to let the chamomile tea steep. He took the tea and crackers and moved back into the bedroom where Naruto was rolled over onto his side huddled under the blankets. He placed the mug and bowl on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed and combed his fingers through the blonde locks. Naruto sighed in discomfort as he pressed the back of his hand on his forehead and frowned when he found that the older man still has a slight fever.

Naruto had woken up in the middle of the night with chills and stomach cramps and inevitably led him to find solace in the bathroom. He had been retching on and off for the rest of the night. To much of Minoru's relief, Naruto had finally stopped emptying his stomach and was back in bed but couldn't fight off the restlessness.

"Hey," Minoru said softly and brushed his fingers on a whiskered cheek making tired cerulean look at him, "You need to get some liquids in you."

Naruto sighed and took a moment before slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position and screwed his eyes shut at the throbbing in his head. He opened his eyes to find the midnight pair looking at him with concern. He took the offered cup of tea and sighed at it before taking a sip. "If I throw this up..." He mumbled into his cup and Minoru frowned.

"I'm hoping you don't," Minoru reached over for the crackers and offered one to the older man who cringed at it, "It'll help settle your stomach."

Naruto sighed and took the offered cracker, "This is stupid," he mumbled and nibbled at the cracker, "And I hate it."

Minoru gave his husband a soft smile, "I'm sorry."

Naruto took another sip of his tea, and looked at the younger man, "At least I have a hot nurse to look after me," and managed a wink.

"You're sick and yet..." Minoru shook his head and watched as Naruto took another small bite of his cracker. He reached over and placed the back of his hand in his forehead, "You still feel warm."

Naruto took a sip of his tea and looked at Minoru from over the rim of his mug, "I'll be okay."

Minoru frowned, "You have a fever, it's gone down but..." He trailed off when Naruto shook his head which was followed by a grimace, "No arguing," he stood and went into the bathroom to look in the medicine cabinet and came back shortly after with a bottle of pills, "I know you don't like taking medicine but it'll help with your fever."

Naruto frowned.

Minoru tried to not find it cute. He shook out a pill and handed it to the older man, "I'll go get you a glass of water."

Naruto sighed and watched as Minoru left the bedroom, and couldn't help but notice how even his eyes hurt. He looked down at the pill in his hand and sighed again. He didn't like talking medicine, it always made him feel - for lack of a better word - weird, before it made him feel better. He vaguely wondered if it was mental. But in the end he appreciated that Minoru respected that, and only made him take it when it got really bad. He slowly looked up when Minoru came back into the bedroom with a glass of water and replaced it with the mug in his hand. He gave himself a moment before popping the pill in his mouth and swallowed just enough water to wash it down.

Minoru took the glass of water and handed him the tea and crackers. He watched the older man as he slowly ate a cracker, almost cautiously, "is it going down okay?"

"I think so?" Naruto said a bit too hoarsely, "Only time will tell..."

Minoru rubbed a covered thigh in a soothing gesture, "You'll be okay."

Naruto sighed.

After making sure he ate at least three crackers, and finished at least most of his tea, and making sure he fell asleep, he let him rest. He settled himself on the living room with a pillow on his lap and propped open a sketchbook but found it hard to focus. He looked up when he heard the bedroom door open and Naruto slowly walked to the living room.

Minoru couldn't help but smile as he moved around the coffee table and towards the couch, "You're suppose to be sleeping."

"Couldn't sleep," Naruto mumbled and slowly moved to last down on the extra space next to Minoru and laid his head on the pillow in Minoru's lap, "Better."

Minoru softly chuckled and reached over to the blanket that rested on the back of the couch and draped it over his husband. He threaded his fingers into the older man's hair, and felt him relax against him. He closed the sketchbook on his lap and reached for the book on the side table next to him. He opened it from where he left off as his fingers continued to mindlessly comb through the golden locks. After a few pages Naruto sighed and shifted, he looked down at the older man and pressed the back of his hand on his forehead. He sighed in relief when he realized that Naruto's fever had gone down, but it was likely that he was still having trouble sleeping. He looked up in thought, trying to remember the song Iruka sang to him when he was little and couldn't sleep when he was sick. He closed his eyes and hummed.

"Helping the kids out of their coats…," he sang in a soft voice, "But wait the babies haven't been born...Unpacking the bags and setting up...and planting lilacs and buttercups…," he gently threaded his fingers into the older man's hair, "But in the meantime I've got it hard, second floor living with a yard...It may be years until the day, my dreams will match up with my pay…" He opened his eyes and looked down at the older man, smiling when he noticed the handsome features had relaxed, "Old dirt road...knee deep snow...watching the fire as we grow...old…," he traced the older man's brow and temple, "I got a man to stick it out...and make a home from rented house...and we'll collect the moments one by one...I guess that's how the future's done. How many acres how much light...Tucked in the woods and out of sight...Talk to the neighbors and tip my cap...on a little road barely on the map…" he trailed off humming the melody, partly because he didn't know the words after that, he actually wasn't even sure if those were the lyrics. But Naruto had seemed to relaxed further into sleep, so he kept humming, that's what mattered.

Naruto stirred awake and found himself in the living room with his head on a pillow and under the blanket that they kept on the couch. He sighed and looked around the darkened room and caught the sound of Minoru in the kitchen. He sighed as he slowly sat up and a smile tugged on his lips when he realized that the throbbing headache was gone. He stood up and wavered from a bit of lightheadedness that he blamed on his lack of food. He wandered into the kitchen and found Minoru stirring a pot that smelled like soup. Midnight blue eyes turned to him with a smile and the younger man gestured for him to taste.

Minoru blew on the broth for a moment before feeding it to the older man, smiling at the way cerulean eyes lit up, "I can't tell if I just burned you, of it it's good."

"A little bit of both, but mostly that it taste good," Naruto smiled as Minoru pressed the back of his hand on his forehead.

"You fever is gone," Minoru said with a smile and cupped the older man's cheek, "Think you can keep down some soup? Your second favorite, chicken noodle!"

Naruto chuckled, ignoring how his stomach complained from soreness, "I think so." Minoru gestured for him to sit, and he did, but not before giving the younger man a kiss on the forehead.

Minoru served the soup in two bowls and grinned when he heard the older man humming a familiar melody. He looked over at the older man who was looking at him with a fond look in his eyes. He moved to the table with the bowls of soup in hand and placed one in front of the older man, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Naruto grinned, "Me too."

Minoru laughed and gave the older man a chaste kiss.

"Like I said, I have a wonderful hot nurse."

Minoru choked slightly on his soup and wasn't going to admit how he maybe burned his tongue.