Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; Masashi Kishimoto does. So sue me!

Chapter 5: Illness and Beginning of An Explanation

Shino stirred and looked at his alarm clock. It read 5:30 p.m. He immediately jumped up from the bed and began to panic. His mother would be getting home in about half an hour, and he had skipped school! Iruka was probably going to talk to his mother about him not being in class. What was he going to do?

Suddenly, Shino heard a tired moan that brought him out of his thoughts. He looked back to the bed and saw Shikamaru turning on his side in his sleep. Shino was confused. Shikamaru had sweat covering his face and his breathing was shallow. His eyes were squeezed tight, and he had begun to mumble in his sleep.

Shino went back to Shikamaru and gently shook him in an attempt to wake up his lover. "Wake up, Shikamaru," Shino said softly. Shikamaru drew in a sharp breath when Shino touched his shoulder. Shino drew his hand back when he felt the intense heat from Shikamaru's shoulder. He then felt his forehead, and it was alarmingly hot.

"Don't...leave...me...Shino," Shikamaru mumbled roughly. "I...don't...want...you...to...leave...me...Shino...stay...with...me." Shikamaru gripped the sheets tightly, gasping in pain and scaring Shino out of his skin. What is wrong with Shikamaru? he thought to himself. He was just fine before and after we made love. How can he possibly be this warm?

Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes, still sweating and gasping for air. He looked over and saw Shino standing beside him. He smiled weakly. "Shino," he rasped. "You're still here. I thought you left me."

Shino blinked in surprise then smiled. "Why would I ever leave you, Shikamaru?" he asked his lover. "I think you might have a fever. I am writing my mother a note saying that I am not here. Then, I am taking you to your house for your dad to check up on you, okay? I'll make an excuse as to why you and I were not in school today, so do not worry about it, got it?"

Shikamaru nodded, and then fell asleep again. Shino chuckled softly and picked Shikamaru up, carrying him down the stairs. Shino went into the kitchen, wrote a note, then picked Shikamaru back up and carried him out of the house.

Pounding was heard on the door of the Nara house. Shikaku rose from his chair and answered the door. He gasped in horror when he saw his son being carried by the Aburame boy. Even more so, he saw horrified to notice his son was struggling to breathe.

Shikaku stepped to the side. "Bring him in, Shino, and lay him on the couch," he told the Aburame boy. "I'm going to check on him as soon as he's set down."

Shino nodded and headed towards the couch. He set his lover down and watched as he gasped heavily for air. Shino turned his head and noticed Shikamaru's father was walking down the hallway to get something, so he took this chance to kiss Shikamaru on the forehead. Shikamaru moaned in pain and took Shino's hand.

Shino began to blush, but gripped his lover's hand with the same force. "Shikamaru, can you hear me?" Shino whispered to him.

"Shino..." Shikamaru gasped. "I...love you...don't ever...leave me..."

"I will never do such a thing," Shino whispered back. "Do not try talking, Shikamaru. You will lose your breath a lot faster."

"P'mise?" Shikamaru gasped.

"Of course," Shino replied. "I love you too, Shikamaru."

The next sound heard was a loud crash. Shino turned his head quickly and saw that Shikamaru's father was standing in the room with a stunned expression. The object on the ground was a bowl of cold water. A washcloth also fell to the floor from being held in the other hand.

"You love each other?" Shikaku asked Shino.

Shino hesitated, and then nodded with a defiant look. "I love him with all my heart and soul," he answered Shikamaru's father. "If you object to this, then I am truly sorry, but Shikamaru has already admitted that he loves me, too."

Shikaku surprisingly smiled, then nodded. "I'm not saying I disapprove of it. I just never knew that Shikamaru felt this way about another guy. Anyway, how did he get like this, anyway?"

Shino looked to the ground. "Well," he started. "It is kind of a long story. This all started when we...had...sex."

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