(Author's Note: If you're reading, please remember to review! Warnings and disclaimers apply to all chapters.)
And the Beat Goes On
Chapter 9: Bad News
Gaara sat up, feeling slightly sick. The putrid scent of the hospital was heavy in the air and it clung to his nostrils.
He was alone now. For this, he was glad. He needed the time to think, to plan. Sasuke seemingly had a much stronger hold on Naruto than he would have liked to believe.
He had to admit, it was pretty low to do what he'd done. But Naruto. . .the blind blond had defended Sasuke! Naruto had yet to notice the possessiveness Sasuke regarded him with. Gaara had noticed that whenever someone conversed with Naruto, whoever it was, even Iruka, that Sasuke glared at them jealously. It was as if he was scared of losing Naruto.
Now, that just wasn't fair. Naruto seemed like a completely social person, had the rest of society allowed him to join in. He was rambunctious, funny, talkative; the kid never shut up, never stopped moving.
He didn't have many friends to begin with. There were a few people who could tolerate Naruto: Hinata, Iruka, Sasuke. He knew himself to be included amongst those ranks. Sasuke seemed to think he had first claim to Naruto, some sort of special right in which he could cut Naruto off from everyone else. That might have fit Sasuke's possessive, jealous, anti-social nature, but it certainly wouldn't do anything for Naruto.
Sasuke needed to realize he wasn't special. He needed to realize that he wasn't going to be allowed to cut Naruto off from the world the boy needed so much. And Naruto was too blind to liberate himself, to see what Sasuke was doing. Sasuke may have not even been conscious of what he was doing.
Well, now it was time to play the 'consoling friend'. Sasuke was probably in much worse condition than himself, especially emotionally, if not physically. That would probably merit a two-week "vacation" from school or so Gaara reasoned. That was good. That was all the time he needed to weave himself into Naruto's life.
At first, he'd play the apologetic. He'd feign true sorrow and regret for what he'd done. Naruto was blind enough to fall for it. Once he had Naruto believing he was sorry, he'd do a few nice things for Naruto (what, he didn't know. He'd find out when the time came) and let him know he just wanted to be his friend. As soon as he had Naruto ensnared, once he had the blond boy's trust, he could easily open the blue eyes he admired so much to Sasuke's envy.
He didn't want to destroy the relationship Naruto and Sasuke had. It obviously made Naruto happy and if there was one thing Gaara found he liked, it was seeing Naruto happy. The smile that engulfed his entire face was priceless and it made Gaara want to smile too.
Naruto needed someone to look out for him. He had Sasuke, and Gaara wouldn't deny that Sasuke was, at the very least, dedicated to Naruto. And although Sasuke had nothing but Naruto's best interests in mind, he was a danger to the blond. There was nobody to safeguard that, until now.
No, Gaara wasn't there to ruin Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. He was there to perfect it. And he was determined to succeed.
There was the sharp clack of shoes on the tiled floor and Gaara glanced to his left. A nurse, a woman of about forty-five, had walked into the room, carrying a bundle of stuff with her. She smiled, almost sadly, at him. "Good afternoon, Gaara," she said politely, walking past the bed and started putting file folders where they belonged.
When at last her arms were devoid of paperwork, she turned to him. "The doctor will be in to see you in just a moment."
And with that, she was gone. True to the nurse's word, the doctor entered the room. He nodded to Gaara, then picked up the paper work the nurse had placed at the end of the bed. He glanced it over, making some noises such as 'hmm' and 'hnn'. Gaara wanted to hit him.
Finally, the irritating man of medicine looked at Gaara. "Well, Gaara, it seems we have some bad news for you."
Gaara merely continued to glower at him. The doctor paused, as if for dramatic effect. "It would appear you've got Hepatitis B."
Gaara choked. He had what!
"Now. . .it's not a life-threatening situation. Most cases are fairly mild."
And with that, the doctor launched into the procedures he should follow, what the symptoms were, and so on and so forth.
Gaara barely heard a word he said. Had he contracted this disease before the incident? Most likely. And if he had, had he passed it to his victim? Again, the answer was most likely. And what happened if Sasuke and Naruto -
He felt cold.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Sasuke poked at 'breakfast'. He wasn't sure what it was, but it certainly didn't look edible. He seriously doubted Naruto had any culinary skills. Secondly, he had quickly lost his appetite. He felt very, very tired and very queasy.
Naruto jabbed him angrily in the shoulder. "Well! Aren't you going to eat it? After all that work, you're just gonna let it get cold! Hmph! I thought you said you were hungry!"
Sasuke shoved the plate across the table and rested his head on his arms. "Don't feel good," he mumbled.
Naruto blinked. "What? You don't feel good?"
Sasuke shook his head and yawned. Naruto sat down beside him and looked at him concernedly. "It's. . .is it something to do with what happened? 'Cause, ya know, it's not your fault and -"
Again, Sasuke shook his head. "I just feel. . .sick. And tired," he murmured. He stood up, rather slowly and unsteadily. "I want to go to bed," he announced.
Naruto rose, regarding the other boy gravely. Sasuke was a shade paler than normal. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, dark circles having formed about his eyes, accentuating the sooty colour of them. "You don't look so good," Naruto said softly.
Sasuke gave him a soft smile. "I don't feel so good either."
Naruto took his arm, mindful of the wounds, leading the other boy, allowing him to rest some of his weight on the shorter's shoulders. "You're awful warm," Naruto stated after a moment or two of silence.
"I'm cold," Sasuke said, shivering as if to prove his point.
Naruto led him back upstairs, and somehow, they managed to get Sasuke back into bed without killing him first. The ebony-haired boy yawned and snuggled under the blankets, shuddering. He instinctively pushed up against Naruto's warm hand when it was laid across his forehead.
"You've got a fever," Naruto said. "I think you've got the flu."
Sasuke merely turned over, wrapping the blankets about himself tightly. Naruto sat down on the floor at the edge of the bed. "Get some rest," he told Sasuke quietly.
Mentally, he was wondering if somehow, the mysterious illness wasn't related to the incident. Had Sasuke been fretting over it while he slept? He doubted Sasuke would have woken him up, even if he was having a nightmare. Naruto knew he was a heavy sleeper. Iruka often told him he could sleep through a tornado.
Maybe Sasuke's being sick was a compounding of nightmares, worry, shock and injury. Maybe it really just was the flu. Naruto really hoped it was, because at least with the flu, Sasuke would be over it in a couple of days. If it was the former. . .Sasuke could take months, even years, to get over it. He may not ever get over it.
"Naruto?"
The blond started. He'd been so deep in thought. . . He glanced up at Sasuke. "Yeah?"
"Could. . .you. . .uh. . ."
Sasuke's voice was so soft, Naruto could barely hear him. Colour had been struck back into his cheeks, even if for a mere moment, by embarrassment.
Naruto stood up. "What is it, Sasuke?"
Sasuke twisted the edge of the sheet between his forefinger and thumb. "Could you. . .um. . .read. . .a story?" He looked at the blond, flushed with embarrassment. His eyes were watering, from not only sickness, but humiliation.
Naruto was struck stupid. "What? Why?" he managed to ask, after about a minute or so of dumb silence.
Sasuke looked away. "Mom. . .always. . .used to. . .when I was little. . .when I was sick." He sighed. "I haven't been sick since. . ."
Naruto stood in silence, trying to process what Sasuke was saying. And then it clicked. If Sasuke hadn't been sick since his mother passed on, he had never had reason to miss the comfort of her when he was sick. If she had read him stories while he was ill, then that action was firmly connected with comfort and safety in his mind.
"Sure," Naruto said off-handedly, feeling his own throat close up a bit. He'd been too old for silly things like that when Iruka adopted him, and he'd never had a mother to administer it. He realized, with a bit of a shock, he had no ideas connected with comfort and safety.
". . .what do you want to hear?" he heard himself asking vaguely.
Sasuke shrugged. "It doesn't matter. . .anything's good. There's books on the shelf."
He pointed weakly and Naruto looked at the shelf. It was filled with hefty texts, and novels of all types. Sci-fi, horror, mystery. . .Naruto thought he spotted a few romance novels amongst the army of books.
He looked back at his boyfriend. "You want one of these things read?" He sounded incredulous. He wasn't going to read an entire novel out loud!
Sasuke shook his head. "No, you moron. Down there. . .at the bottom."
Naruto looked on the bottom shelf and found an army of books, obviously for beginning readers, which Sasuke had long discarded. There were fairy tales and lots of other easy-reads. Naruto couldn't decide on one, so he closed his eyes and pulled one off the shelf. He opened his eyes and read the title.
How utterly fitting. The story he'd picked was "Guess How Much I Love You". He could feel his cheeks heating up already.
Sasuke frowned. "Hurry up. Just pick one."
Naruto turned back to him. "Okay. I've got one." He trudged back over to the bed and sat down. Almost instantly, Sasuke had cuddled up against him. Naruto blushed harder. It was amazing how being sick affected people.
"Which one did you pick?" Sasuke asked with a yawn. He leaned against Naruto. The blond, he decided, made a very good pillow.
Naruto blushed and his voice shook a little bit, but he read the title anyways. "Guess how much I love you."
Sasuke gave Naruto a funny look. "Um? A lot? Can you read the story now?"
Naruto coloured some more. "No, you dork! That's the title of the story!"
"Oh," Sasuke said and blushed a little.
Naruto opened the cover of the book and cleared his throat. He started to read. "Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. 'Guess how much I love you.'"
"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," Sasuke yawned.
Naruto blushed and tried to continue. "This much -"
Sasuke spread his arms out, then wrapped them gingerly about Naruto's waist. "But I love you this much," he murmured sleepily.
"I love you as high as I can reach -"
"I love you as high as I can reach."
"I love you all the way to my toe -"
"And I love you all that way up to your toes."
"I love you as high as I can hop -"
"But I love you as high as I can hop."
"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river -"
"I love you across the river and over the hills."
Naruto blushed, realizing they were keeping up the dialogue in the book. He growled lightly and tried to continue reading. "I love you right up to the moon."
Sasuke smiled. "I love you right up to the moon and back," he mumbled. "And I mean that."
Naruto blushed and dropped the book. "Bah! I thought you wanted a story read!"
Sasuke smiled and nuzzled Naruto. "I think this is better than any story. Besides, it's not my fault you picked the sentimental one."
Naruto was silent for a moment, then he said, softly, "Did you really mean what you said?"
He looked at Sasuke, who glared back, looking insulted. "Of course I meant it," he whispered. He pulled himself up a bit and kissed Naruto's cheek. "G'night," he murmured.
He lay back down. Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's head, hesitantly, petting the other boy, stroking his soft hair. "Sleep tight," he murmured. Sasuke didn't say anything. He'd gone to sleep.
Naruto sat there for a long time, thinking. Why did it mean so much to him when Sasuke had said that? Why did he care if Sasuke really meant that he loved him. Iruka said he loved him all the time, and he told Iruka the same. But it didn't hold the same importance.
He lay down, still thinking. He listened to Sasuke's slow, even breathing. He wanted to cry. He didn't know why, but he wanted to cry. He pressed his face against Sasuke's back. He didn't care if he got sick. He really didn't. Sasuke had said he loved him. He started to cry. He bit his lip to keep his sobs in check. He didn't want to wake Sasuke.
That was too bad however. Sasuke woke up. "Huh. . .Naruto? What's wrong?"
Naruto shook his head, and mumbled, "Nothing."
Sasuke turned over and folded the blond into his chest. "Shush. . .why are you crying?"
Naruto grabbed hold of Sasuke's shirt. "Because you love me," he whimpered.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Iruka stared at Kakashi. Kakashi stared right back. Iruka blushed. "Um. . ."
Kakashi said nothing. Iruka tried to find something intelligent to say. "So. . ."
Kakashi smiled. "How are you this morning?"
Iruka shifted uncomfortably and paused. He suddenly felt very, very stupid. He was still fully dressed, as was Kakashi. He resisted the urge to bash his head against his pillow. "Very, very stupid," he replied, answering Kakashi's question a little belatedly.
Kakashi frowned. "How so?"
Iruka waved his hand carelessly, dismissing the subject. Kakashi poked him. "Would you be adverse to getting up and making breakfast?" the silver-haired one asked, a hint of hopeful glee evident in his voice. Iruka looked up at the other teacher. Kakashi looked hopefully at him. He looked kinda like a kid at Christmas.
"Fine," Iruka sighed, getting up off the bed.
Kakashi made an exclamation of happiness, then tackled-hugged Iruka. Iruka, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, wasn't expecting that, and consequently, both of them tumbled out of the bed, onto the floor.
Iruka proceeded to untangle himself from the other man, giving Kakashi a half-hearted glare. Kakashi merely closed his eyes and smiled. "Have I mentioned how much I love your cooking?"
- - - - - - - - - - -
Orochimaru grumbled. He wasn't a very happy Orochimaru. Oh, no, he was in fact, quite angry. First of all, he'd just been recruited to go check on Gaara and try to figure out why the freakish child had massacred Sasuke, courtesy of Itachi.
Of course, he could have refused. Yes, he could have refused. That was, if he had some sort of death wish. When Itachi told you to do something, you did that something, no matter what it was. The only circumstance under which you would refuse to do that something, was if you wanted to die a very slow, agonizing, torturous, painful, utterly excruciating death. In Orochimaru's case, it would probably be death by abstinence.
As such was the case, he was currently very displeased. He stomped up the stairs of the hospital as, he couldn't stand elevators, and wandered down the hall, trying to remember which one was Gaara's room.
At last, by pure chance, he stumbled across the room. Gaara was sitting up, staring off into space. He wasn't thinking too intently, or so Orochimaru assumed, because he looked rather blank.
"Hello," Orochimaru called, in an effort to get the red-haired one's attention.
Gaara snapped back to reality, and turned his glaring green eyes on the disturber of his peace. "What do you want?" he growled, recognizing the face from earlier.
Orochimaru gave a little wave and smiled nervously. "Uh. . .I got sent up here to see how you were and such. . ."
Damn it, those eyes were creepy. And he had thought Itachi was scary when he glared.
Gaara continued glowering. "I'm fine, thank you," he snarled.
He'd been hoping that Orochimaru would go away, but it was a vain hope. Instead, the black-haired nuisance bounded into the room and pulled up a chair. "Oh, good then! Perhaps you can answer a few questions for me then!" he said cheerfully, a grin spreading across his face.
Gaara wanted to hurt him. Badly. Break him into bits. Absently, he felt the small lump on the back of his head that served as a reminder that this one was not to be messed with. He grunted in reply.
"Good. Now, first off, why the fuck did you do that to Sasuke?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Gaara, waiting for his reaction, for his answer. He really didn't like this guy.
Gaara refused to look at him now. "I did it. . ."
He trailed off and Orochimaru waited, somewhat impatiently, for the rest of the answer. Gaara turned back to him, smirking. "I did it to help Naruto."
Orochimaru blinked, dumbfounded by the boy's apparent ignorance of the consequences of his actions. "What! Are you insane! You think that by hurting Sasuke, you're helping Naruto! You freakin' nutjob!"
Contempt for the boy welled up, made him want to yell at him some more, call him some nasty things, but he was too angry for that. The words wouldn't come. He fell silent, but only for a moment or two, before he sneered, "Tell me. How in your sick, twisted little brain do you figure that hurting Sasuke is good for Naruto?"
Gaara smirked. "I don't have to tell you anything."
Orochimaru sat back in his seat, frowning. "I see," he said slowly. "I guess you'll be explaining yourself to some other people, then."
Gaara gave him an inquisitive look. Orochimaru vacated his chair and walked to the door.
"I. . ."
Orochimaru turned back, hearing the start of what he thought was a confession. Gaara looked back up at him, his eyes ablaze. "I've got Hep B," he said suddenly.
It took the older boy a moment or two to register what he meant. "Oh. . ."
Gaara gave him a pointed look. "Keep him away from Naruto," he growled.
Orochimaru didn't reply. He turned and left the room, nearly falling in his haste. His mind was whirring. Why did. . ?
He dashed back down the stairs.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Itachi trod up the stairs. He paused outside the door to Sasuke's room, then knocked lightly. The noise went unheard and he allowed himself entry, pushing open the door.
After a brief debate, it had been decided that Itachi would be the one to break the news to Sasuke. Orochimaru had never quite understood the phrase "delicate situation" and was liable to very blunt about it. And so, there Itachi was.
Sasuke and Naruto were curled up together, sound asleep. Itachi felt a pang of guilt for having to disturb them. He called to his brother.
Sasuke, however, remained oblivious to the world. Naruto, on the other hand, stirred and glanced over at him with bleary blue eyes. "Itachi?" he asked sleepily, raising himself from his spot on the bed.
Itachi frowned, not sure what to do next. On one hand, he didn't want to wake Sasuke up, but on the other hand, he didn't want to tell Naruto in place of Sasuke. "Yeah," he said at last. "Can you wake Sasuke up?"
Naruto yawned. "I dunno. . .he's not feeling good. . ."
Itachi felt kind of sick when Naruto said that. Any slight, silly hope he'd had that somehow or other the virus hadn't been passed to Sasuke had just been thrown out the proverbial window. "Oh," he said softly.
"Just tell me what you wanted to tell him and I'll let him know when he wakes up," Naruto offered, rubbing his eyes.
Itachi was silent for a moment, then decided to go ahead and tell the blond. Naruto, in truth, had just as much right to know as Sasuke did. "Gaara's got Hepatitis B."
Naruto just looked at him stupidly. "He's got what? And why do I care? I hope whatever he has is really terrible and kills him. He deserves to die."
Naruto's eyes snapped with anger and determination and he made his last statement with such conviction that it was almost scary. Itachi shook his head in dismay. "Naruto. . .Hepatitis B is something that's passed from person to person by things like kissing and. . ." He paused for a second. "And sex."
It took Naruto a moment to understand what he meant. "You mean that. .?" The blond glanced worriedly at Sasuke, who was still nestled against him, content in sleep. He looked back at Itachi.
Itachi nodded. "Yeah. He's got it."
Naruto looked sad, then angry. "Is it deadly?" he asked, his voice unsteady. He kept his eyes down.
"It can be. . ."
Itachi trailed off, not wanting to scare Naruto. "Most of the time it's not."
"He'll get better?"
Itachi looked indecisive as to how he should answer. "He should get better, but there's no guarantees."
They were silent for several minutes. Naruto looked at the older Uchiha, worry clearly scrawled across his face. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked quietly.
Itachi really wished he had of told Sasuke. Sasuke wouldn't have asked all these questions. "Don't kiss him or anything like that, okay? We don't want you to get it too."
Naruto nodded and looked back at Sasuke, who was still lost in slumber.
- - - - - - - -
Sakura kept glancing at the empty desk in the third row. Tsunade-sensei kept droning on and on, but the pink-haired teen paid no attention.
Dammit! Where was Sasuke! She really, really needed to talk to him. Oh, her last "date" with him might have been a complete disaster, but she held it as being Naruto's fault. Of course, there was the whole 'Sasuke's gay' controversy going on, but Sakura was ready to prove all the nay-sayers wrong. Sasuke liked girls!
The annual fall fair was being held two weeks from Saturday. It wasn't anything special, really, just a few rides and a midway, but everyone made a big deal out of it. The fair grounds were always crowded with mothers and fathers, small children and grandparents. Groups of teenagers hung out there, because there was nothing better to do. And of course, there was always a multitude of happy couples.
This was her chance! Naruto wouldn't be there. Naruto never went to the fair. Ever. It was like an unwritten law. Of course, he never went to dances either, but he had asked Hinata to go with him then. She knew for a fact that Hinata was going to the fair with Kiba. She'd overheard them talking. Of course, it made logical sense for Naruto to go with Sasuke, if they were indeed. . .that way, but if Sasuke was going with Sakura, then Naruto would have no one at all to go with and therefore, wouldn't go.
But dammit, she needed to ask Sasuke now! Before Naruto got his claws hooked into Sasuke, before the blond convinced Sasuke to go to the fair with him. And before other people asked her to go.
She glanced over at Lee, who was sitting near the back corner, intensely focussed on his work. She hastily looked back to the front and nearly shuddered. She'd never go with Lee! She knew he was bound to ask her, as he had done every year since they started high school. She really didn't like lying to him, especially since it meant that if she went to the fair and he was there, she'd be found out.
She hoped Sasuke wasn't sick. She decided that she'd stop by the flower shop after school and take him some flowers, just in case he wasn't feeling well. Poor Sasuke! Sick and all alone! That was the only logical explanation for Sasuke not being in school.
Of course, there was another, more sinister reason. She didn't want to think about it, but every so often, it flitted across her mind, making her shudder. What if Sasuke had been kidnapped, well, not really kidnapped, but something like it, by Naruto and Naruto was now horribly defiling her beloved!
Ino jabbed her with a pencil. She gave her friend a funny look. Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion. Ino sighed and gave her a signal that meant she'd talk to her later. Ino was failing English and couldn't afford to get on Tsunade's bad side.
Sakura sighed and looked back toward the front of the room. This promised to be a long day.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Hinata sat at her desk, musing. She hadn't told anybody yet, but she was going to the fair with Kiba.
The entire thing was still a mystery to herself. Why had Kiba asked her, of all people? She hadn't thought he liked her very much. More importantly, she wondered why she had accepted. She thought that maybe it was because she understood how much courage it took for someone to risk being rejected flatly.
Besides, Kiba wasn't such a bad guy. He was a little loud-mouthed, and he could be rude, but then again, so was Naruto and she didn't mind him.
She could imagine what her parents would have to say though. 'You're going with that Inuzuka kid!'
It didn't really matter what they thought of her, however. They'd always liked her sister better anyway. They might object to Kiba at first, but eventually, any qualms they had would fade into the background, just like always.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Shikamaru glanced at Ino, who seemed pensive. The vaulting sky above was a perfect blue and it seemed to match her eyes as she stared skywards.
"You'd better watch where you're going."
She brought her gaze down to look at him. "Hmph," she said.
"Fine," Shikamaru said. "Don't complain to me when you trip and fall over a rock."
"I won't trip and fall, pineapple-head!" Ino shrieked, bringing her hand down over his head.
Shikamaru winced, but said nothing. They walked on together in silence. Shikamaru glanced at Ino. "So. . .what's up?"
Ino sighed. "Oh, Sakura. . .She's being stupid again."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"She's going to ask Sasuke to the fair."
Shikamaru nearly fell over. "That moron. She doesn't know he's with Naruto?"
Ino shook her head. "She knows, but she doesn't believe it. She's insane. I tried to convince her not to ask him, but you know Sakura."
"Bull-headed and stubborn," Shikamaru supplied. "Much like someone else I know. . ."
Ino threw him a glare that meant it was time to shut up. They were silent for a moment or more. Then Shikamaru turned back to Ino. "So. . .you going to the fair with anybody?"
Ino shook her head. "No. I was going to go with Sakura, but now she's got her almighty plan, so. . ."
"Why don't you go with me?"
Ino stopped and stared at Shikamaru. The black-haired boy struggled to keep down a blush. After a moment, she said, nervously, "I'll think about it."
They parted ways shortly thereafter.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hey, Sakura -"
Sakura froze. She knew that voice, she knew who was talking to her and she didn't want to turn around.
She found herself face to face with a smiling Lee. Goddamn him, why did he have to be so persistent!
"Would you like to go to the fair with me?"
Sakura spluttered for a moment, trying to grasp an excuse. "Lee, really, I'd like to go -"
"Great!" Lee clapped her on the back, smiling even wider. "So, we'll go Saturday, around eight?"
"Lee -"
"That'd be good for me, is that good for you?"
"Ye -"
"Great! That's great!" Lee exclaimed, then gave her a brief hug and hop-skipped away.
Sakura blinked. "But. . . I'm going with someone else," she said pathetically to the air. She sighed and hung her head. What else could possibly go wrong?
Everything that could go wrong, would go wrong, eventually.
- - - - - - - -