Thirty minutes into the spar, Sasuke was on the floor panting like a dog, bleeding like a stuck fish, and Kimimaro still didn't feel better.

As his bones retracted back into his flesh, he concentrated on the familiar pain. The skin folding back over as the bones crunched and cracked back into place, the feeling of the skin stitching itself together again - all of this was strangely comforting as he flexed his arm and coughed lightly into his other hand. Even the feeling of his lungs rattling was better than having to remember the past three weeks.

Something inside of him clenched just at the mention of it.

Kimimaro didn't quite know how to feel. To be honest, he wasn't very good at it. But somehow, this small span of time had managed to shake him up quite a bit.

And, if he were to push down his pride and admit it, this felt a lot worse than watching his clan get massacred. Mostly because they were manipulative bastards, anyways, but watching them get blown to pieces still wasn't anything he'd wanted to witness.

But that wasn't the issue. The issue was Kidoumaru. Kidoumaru, who had been, once again, avoiding him in the halls, avoiding speaking to him unless necessary, and was, once again, refusing to look him in the eye. Kidoumaru, who had been acting like they hadn't gone out on one of those 'Dates' that Kabuto had prescribed and had basically been pretending that Kimimaro had not even caught the disease in the first place.

Kimimaro's stomach clenched again. For a moment, he worried about whether this was what killed the shinobis who caught the Crush. He would have to ask Kabuto about that.

Kidoumaru needed a lesson in respect. It was his fault that Kimimaro was sick in the first place. He could at least take some responsibility. Kimimaro might die from this humiliating disease, and the younger man wasn't even around long enough to schedule another 'Date'. Kabuto had said once a week would be sufficient, yet it had already been three since their last. At this rate -

He blinked, then pushed his hair behind his ears. For at least the fifth time this week, Kimimaro was unsure of why he was so concerned of how Kidoumaru was acting. Of course, this was for the better (or that was what he told himself). It wasn't as if he wanted the rest of the compound to know of his new ailment; Kidoumaru had the decency to know that.

And yet, he just couldn't convince himself.

Sasuke hissed.

Kimimaro glanced back down, staring passively as the boy struggled again to his knees, hissing rapidly through his teeth. Even after four years of living in the same village as him and living down the hall from the Uchiha, Kimimaro had never thought of him as a man. He felt that he was more a child than anything resembling a man, so fixed on revenge the boy had been. And now that Itachi had finally passed on (simple deterioration), the boy was wandering aimlessly through life in the compound - sparring, isolating himself, brooding. Kimimaro wasn't sure if he'd ever grow up, but it didn't make much of a difference to him.

"Again," Sasuke groaned, struggling to stand. The next second he had doubled over, clenching his side (where Kimimaro had struck him rather hard).

"Don't be foolish," was Kimimaro's simple reply. His hair fell back in his face again (Sasuke had torn out the bands that usually kept the hair at his temples from flying around), and he brushed it back out of his face impatiently.

You see, Kidoumaru? He thought. I no longer have the patience for anything. This is your fault. Take responsibility.

Vengeance? He let the thought pass through his mind before breathing out through his nostrils deliberately. Kimimaro had no need for vengeance. Especially not for -

"Foolish." Sasuke barked a laugh, and Kimimaro very nearly turned around right then and there to walk away. "Am I so foolish, for wanting power? For wanting to be able to defeat my brother?"

"Your brother is dead."

"I know!"

It was such a roar that Kimimaro nearly flinched back. Instead, he only allowed his eyes to widen slightly as Sasuke chewed on his lower lip angrily, his normally pale face flushed.

"I know," the boy said again. Something in his expression seemed to crumble before he closed off again to the world. Again, Kimimaro silently cursed Kidoumaru. Before this crush, he wouldn't have even noticed the boy's internal brooding (probably, though he was cursing Kidoumaru for this more out of mild frustration than anything else). "Spar with me again."

Another pulse of irritation. "I've already beaten you twice. Accept your defeat." Finally, he turned to go.

And Sasuke attacked.

Luckily, Kimimaro was fast enough to block the blow; Sasuke's kunai barely chipped the bone now protruding out of Kimimaro's arm. As Kimimaro held his ground, he caught a glimpse of wild, crazed eyes whirling with Sharingan and immediately looked away. Their arms trembled, each pushing to force the other back.

"Don't mock me," Sasuke gritted out, his teeth clenched. Kimimaro could hear them grinding together furiously, could see the blood staining their edges. "I will not be made a mockery of."

"You are making a fool of yourself," Kimimaro said simply, not letting on that he was tired, nor that his legs were beginning to shake slightly. He hadn't taken his medication today, a last minute, arrogant decision that he now regretted. While it didn't help substantially, it did help keep his stamina intact. "This will not prove a thing to anyone."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and Kimimaro, from the corner of his eye, could see the dots spiraling, whirling faster and faster. He could feel his legs bending under the pressure of the boy's kunai, and he briefly wondered whether the boy would kill him. "You - "

"Hey, hey."

Kimimaro's grip slackened for a second, just enough for Sasuke's to push forward. He stumbled back, his stomach clenching again before, slowly, he turned to where Sasuke was facing as well.

"Look, as much as I like to see you guys bonding, I think it's time to take a break, yeah?" Kidoumaru grinned, and Kimimaro's stomach clenched again. "Jiroubou made some awesome pie today. You guys should try it." When neither of them moved, Kidoumaru rolled his eyes. "Come on, don't be scared. It's just a little pie, and unless you're allergic to gooseberries, I think you'll be okay."

Sasuke's lips thinned before quietly straightening up and walking inside, leaving the elder two out in the training grounds alone. Kimimaro watched as the boy disappeared inside before letting his eyes flicker back to Kidoumaru, who was scratching the back of his head and watching -

Him.

If Kimimaro's stomach clenched even tighter, he was fairly certain that he would need to go see Kabuto.

"So, uh." Kidoumaru scratched the back of his head again, grinning sheepishly. "Uh, you wanna go inside?"

At first, Kimimaro had the most disgruntling urge to respond to him, even to take the hand the younger was offering to him. Then, slowly, deliberately, he shook of the urge and pushed himself up to a standing position, staring down the younger until Kidoumaru slowly lowered his hand and locked eyes with him. For a few moments, they stood in complete, tense silence. Nothing moved.

Kidoumaru's expression had changed from sheepishly amused to nervously guarded in a matter of seconds. The whites of his eyes were more prominent now as he stared back, standing out against his brown-grey skin. Kimimaro noticed that his eyes weren't actually completely black - tints of grey and murky brown lurked on the edges. He could hear the sound of their breathing, completely in sync.

Almost on reflex, he flexed his fingers. Kidoumaru tensed.

"Are we going to go in?"

Kidoumaru nearly jumped a foot. Kimimaro had to smuggle down a sudden surge of satisfaction, and an unfamiliar feeling of - of something. Something that made him feel quite nauseous.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Kidoumaru reached for the back of his head, and then, pausing, lowered his hand. A brief smile flickered back over his face, and Kimimaro felt his stomach clench again. "Okay."

They began to head back in silence. Kimimaro walked as evenly as possible, not letting on that his legs were feeling quite weak to Kidoumaru. The only indication that he wasn't feeling quite up to snuff was that he walked slightly behind the younger, though that was more to keep an eye on him than anything else. Kimimaro had never trusted anyone to walk behind him, and Kidoumaru was no exception. Especially since the man had passed this disease on in the first place.

He was not going to let this chance go.

"Kidoumaru."

The man nearly jumped again. Kimimaro felt a flicker of annoyance at this, but watched passively as Kidoumaru glanced over his shoulder to look at the elder, eyes wary. "Yeah?"

"Another date is in order."

And Kidoumaru walked into a tree.

As Kidoumaru spluttered, holding his nose and blinking furiously, Kimimaro continued as though the blunder had not just occurred. "Kabuto previously prescribed weekly dates at different locations, which we have not followed up on. As this is a life-threatening disease and it seems that you are the cure, it would be prudent for you to go on another one of these 'dates' with me tomorrow."

"Um." Kidoumaru cursed briefly before, eyes watering, wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "That was really sudden - "

"As you are the cause of this disease," Kimimaro interrupted, feeling as though he needed to get his point across this instant, "it would be unwise of you to decline - "

"I wasn't declining." Kidoumaru swore again before looking back up at Kimimaro. "Just, you took me by surprise."

Kimimaro felt something jump. He swallowed. "So you will go."

"Yeah, sure." Kidoumaru coughed, then smiled wryly up at the elder. To Kimimaro, it felt as though the disease had just kicked him rather lovingly in his chest. "Have anywhere in mind?"

"It would be best if you chose again." Kimimaro hardly went anywhere besides the compound as it was; Kidoumaru was the more social. They both knew this. Kimimaro was unsure of why Kidoumaru had even bothered to ask.

"Well, there's this great sushi bar over on the east side of the village." Kidoumaru tilted his head. "You up for it?"

"We will meet at six-thirty at the designated location." They had almost reached the compound now; inside, Tayuya's raging could be heard, slurring syllables together. "Is that acceptable?"

Kidoumaru shrugged, then smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Kimimaro nodded. "Tomorrow, then."

"Yep."

They stood there for a moment outside the gate. Kimimaro suddenly remembered the first Date, where he had left Kidoumaru standing at the gate alone while he left to report to Kabuto. As though he remembered too, Kidoumaru shifted slightly backwards, reaching back up to rub his head. Kimimaro watched his fingers, tapered at the callused tips before thickening at the joints. The sudden urge to grab the younger's fingers was fierce, and he had to stuff it down.

Idiotic disease.

And, without another word, he pushed open the gate and, once again, left Kidoumaru standing alone outside of the gate and let the gate clang his goodbyes for him.

As you can tell, I did not beta this chapter. Decidedly a bad choice, but, eh. Oh well.

But, the second date is here! Tell me what you think might/should happen and what you thought of this chapter. I realize it's kind of choppy, but that comes with abandoning a story for a few months, I suppose.

Reviews are not necessary, but ultimately loved. :)