Two
His head hurt.
Really hurt.
It was pounding in his forehead, his temples and the bridge of his nose. He rubbed a weary hand over his forehead. It was hot and sticky. His throat hurt. Like he'd been eating golf balls or something. Raw and scratchy. His nose was blocked up and horrible. He breathed heavily through his mouth. Looking back in the mirror, he noticed the red flush across his cheeks hadn't gone away, and he looked paler everywhere else. It was weird.
With a groan he stumbled out the bathroom and went splat on his orange covers. He hurt.
He'd had a nightmare last night. Gone to Sasuke for comfort... almost unconsciously. He'd been half asleep and... It had been an automatic reaction. And then he'd woken up and...
Urk.
He felt really awful.
"My heeeaad hurts." He moaned into the pillow and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. His nightmare flashed behind his eyelids and his whole body tensed up. His head pounded like a drum.
Thump.
Kai was there. His stepfather. His abuser.
Thump. Thump.
He had a gun.
Thump.
He was laughing.
Thump. Thump.
Laughing.
Thump.
Orochimaru.
Thump. Thump.
Tall and dark. His hands reaching towards...
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump...
His eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright. The strangled cry that was let loose turned into deep cough that wracked his chest with shivers and made a sick feeling clench in his stomach.
"Naruto?" dark eyes peered around the doorframe, "You all right?" Naruto flopped back down and grunted into his pillow in response. Itachi rolled his eyes and laughed. "Taken up the Uchiha grunting I see, I'm being dragged out to the shops with Mum, see you later. Try not to stay in bed all day, lazy!" Every word echoed in Naruto's head and he found himself groaning again. He threw a pillow at Itachi as the evil, evil man laughed and ducked back out the door. The pillow hit the wood of the door with a thunk as it snaps closed and Naruto can't be bothered to go fetch it.
He's not sure how much time passes.
Light streams in the window and persistently decides to hit his face at whatever angle he happens to roll at. He feels too hot under the covers. Too cold without them. The fabric itchy and rough, being dragged over his skin like sandpaper. He feels tired. So tired. His throats sore. He needs a drink. He can't find the energy to as much as sit up. He's so thirsty. His head hurts. Pounds. His throat feels hot and tight and he can't breathe out his nose. It feels like there an iron band tightening around his forehead.
"Urrrrk..." he rolls over and buries his face in the mattress, trying to avoid the blasted sunlight on his eyes. He finds he can't breathe like that, and rolls to the side again, mouth gaping like a fish out of water. But the suns in his eyes again. Burning through the tightly squeezed lids in red and blotchy patches. He rolls over again. The mattress seemed so lumpy. He rolls over once more. He just couldn't get comfortable. His chest felt tight.
Hot.
Cold.
Uncomfortable.
Hot.
Cold.
Uncomfortable.
Hot.
Cold.
Unco...
"Naruto...?"
...mfortable
Hot.
Cold.
Uncomfor...
"Naruto? You ok?"
...table.
Hot.
Cold.
Uncomfortable.
"Naruto!"
And someone was shaking him by the shoulders. They should stop that. It hurt. He hurt. Stop it.
"Stoop'it" He flicked out his arm and tried to give them a good shove. They were disturbing him. Being annoying. He didn't want to get up. He felt ill.
"Naruto." The voice was stern and tined with a horrible sense of concern. "Naruto, hey." He found he'd been rolled onto his back by none-too gentle hands and a hot palm was being pressed to his forehead.
"Stopp't" he groans and flaps at the hand, squiggling away from it. His hands get slapped back.
"You've got a fever, you're ill, idiot." The voice was concerned and shaking "Why didn't you tell one of us, dobe? Hey... Naruto... hey, look at me... Naruto!" He got flicked on the nose, and he forced his eyes open in annoyance.
"Wha?" Startling blue eyes met coal black. Dark hair. Young face. Concerned eyebrows. "S'kay?"
"Yes, dobe, who else? What were you thinking...?"
"N't think'in. Head 'urt"
"Not thinking? That much is evident, idiot. Is there even a brain in there?" The tone was surprisingly affectionate. Almost kind. Caring. Worried. Weird...
A cold cloth, that he surmised to be his favourite orange flannel, met his forehead with a wet splat, and careful hands folded back his covers to his chest. Footsteps walked away, soft on the padded carpet. Curtains were drawn with a too-loud scrape. The pillow is plonked back onto the bed and his head is lifted up in an unexpectedly gentle manner and placed on it.
"S'kay..." He peels his eyes open again to look at him. The hand is on his forehead again. Naruto shrugs it off. The flannel is better. Cooler.
"You're really ill dobe." The look on Sasuke's face sends chills up Naruto's spine. Worry. Concern. Fear. "I'll get some medicine. Ok? ... ok dobe?" Naruto groans into the pillow. "Dobe? Dobe? Hey..."
"Yer.. f'ne..." Naruto's weak hand waves him off. "plze?"
"Yeah, sure..." And with a small smile Sasuke leaves.
Naruto buries his face back into the newly reacquainted pillow with another groan.
He just felt so... awful.
...
...
A.N: Yo! Lenle's been off up and down the county with NO INTERNET (seriously – it was traumatizing stuff) oh... plus I'm ill... (laughs evilly and inflicts her cold on Naru-chan) so it took me a while longer to update...! Sorry 'bout that, and that the chappie was so short! XD
Hopefully will have another one up tonight to make up for it! :D
If you liked it, drop moi a review! :D :D :D
Happy Christmas in advance! :D