Whoa, that took me longer than I thought it would... Ah, well. Here is Chapter 8! Please enjoy. : )
When morning arrived, Naruto awoke, well rested. He felt a lot better than he had the day before, and when he got out of bed, his legs didn't shake and he could walk steadily across the room. He grinned as he walked down the hallway to the kitchen, where Sasuke was pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He had to hold back a snicker when he saw the state the raven's hair was in, but the snort that resulted caused glaring onyx eyes to turn in his direction. "What?"
Naruto shook his head, but did not open his mouth, afraid that if he tried to talk, he'd start laughing. As Sasuke set down the orange juice and crossed his arms, Naruto bit his lip. "Naruto..." Naruto finally gave in and started laughing. "Your...your...hair!" He gasped out. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes and he held his chest as he tried to control his laughter. Sasuke glared while muttering, "Shut up." He turned away, putting the juice back in the fridge. "Get a hold of yourself." Naruto stuck his tongue out after he got his breath back and sat on a stool. "Seriously, though, you should do something about your hair. I normally wouldn't compliment you on your hair style, but your duck-butt is better than whatever is going on at the moment." He snickered as he pointed at Sasuke's hair. The ends were sticking up every which way, parts were plastered to his face, and it looked more like a bird's nest than the normal duck-butt.
Sasuke glanced back and rolled his eyes before making breakfast. Naruto grew silent and watched Sasuke as he cooked. The man was wearing an oversized long-sleeved t-shirt that practically hung off his frame. The black color stood out against the pale skin. Naruto realized with a slight smirk that the raven was wearing sweats instead of jeans. As his eyes wandered to the back of the man's head, Naruto's smirk faded. There was something about the way the hair looked from the back that reminded him of someone.
He paled as he realized who he was thinking of. He shuddered and buried his face in his hands. His stomach churned slightly and he groaned. "Naruto?" He raised his head to look into onyx eyes that held the faintest bit of concern. Naruto smiled slightly, "It's nothing, I'm fine. Just hungry." The raven raised an eyebrow slightly and then turned back to the stove.
Naruto ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He was glad when Sasuke placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. He was able to concentrate on eating and keep thoughts of other things at bay. He wolfed down the food, grinning at the crispy bacon and perfectly cooked eggs. Man, he really is good in the kitchen. I can't wait till lunch!
He hummed happily as he devoured the delicious meal. He had almost emptied the plate when the fox muttered something about the Uchiha watching him again. Naruto glanced up and saw the raven eating his food quietly, eyes trained on the plate. You're crazy, Kyuu. Teme isn't staring at me. The fox rolled its eyes and Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly as the demon relayed an image into his mind. Unwavering onyx eyes watched him as he hummed and swayed slightly in place.
Shaking the image from his mind, Naruto finished his plate. He stood up and moved around the island, stepping behind Sasuke to put the dishes into the sink. Naruto felt shivers go up his spine as he felt Sasuke's presence behind him. The other boy had turned around to place his own dishes in the sink, and in the process was leaning past Naruto.
Licking his lips nervously, Naruto froze, his hand still on the plate that was now almost lowered into the sink. He was not used to the raven being this close voluntarily. Before Sasuke left three years ago, any close contact had been brought on by Naruto and not the raven. Now, however, things seemed to be different and it worried Naruto. There was an odd fluttering sensation in his lower abdomen and he wondered if he was getting sick again. He swallowed hard and glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye.
What he thought he saw made his heart stop beating for a moment. He abruptly let go off the plate, causing it fall with a crash in to the sink. Naruto scrambled back, tripping on his slightly unsteady feet in the process. He fell back against the counter and stared at Sasuke, relieved that it had been his imagination that the raven's hair had turned a dull gold.
"Dobe?" Naruto steadied his breathing and offered a fake smile to the Uchiha. "Thought I saw something, don't worry about it." He forced a chuckle from trembling lips and moved out of the kitchen slowly. His legs were shaking and his heart was still racing, but Sasuke didn't need to know that he had been, and still was, completely terrified of what he had thought he had seen.
Making his way down the hallway, Naruto kept a hand on the wall as he walked. I'm such an idiot. There is no way that...that he could find me. I'm safe. You're safe, Naruto. He is gone, and for all you know, he could have died!
Tsunade would have told you if that atrocity had breathed his last. She wouldn't keep such a thing a secret.
Naruto grimaced at the truth in the demon's words. No matter how much he wanted to believe that the man was dead, Tsunade would have informed him if he had died. Letting out a shaken sigh, Naruto moved into his room and collapsed on the bed, curling into a small ball. He clutched at his churning stomach and whimpered softly. He stared at the wall and tried to lose himself in the color. As the blond started to zone out, images went through his mind, taking over his conscious for a few moments.
The blond swallowed hard as blue eyes stared into his own. Fear and confusion filled the woman's eyes as the boy picked up a knife. "Go on, Ru-Ru. Be a good boy." The deep voice soothed his nervousness and Naruto turned back to smile at the older version of himself. "I will be, Papa." A gentle smile slipped across both their lips before the boy turned back to the woman, who started to struggle against her bonds. "Don't do that, ma'am. If I don't do this, Papa won't be happy. I have to be a good boy and do what Papa says. Isn't that what children are supposed to do for their parents?" The eight year old tilted his head slightly at the woman's frantic head shaking. He turned back to his father in confusion. "Don't listen to her, Ru-ru. She's just nervous and scared, like you and me."
"You're scared and nervous too, Papa?" A warm chuckle echoed through the small room. "Of course, fishy, but all that nervousness and fear goes away when you finish the ritual. We will all feel better once this is done." Naruto grinned and then bounced towards the woman. He raised the knife as he smiled gently at the woman, "Don't worry, ma'am, Papa says it will all be okay and these scary emotions will go away once we're done." He giggled, "Guess what? Papa is always right, so there is nothing to be afraid of anymore! Sleep well, ma'am." He lowered the knife and as the woman's muffled screams began, his smile became reassuring.
Naruto blinked rapidly, coming back to reality, and sat up, still clutching his stomach. The churning had increased and his skin felt cold and sticky. He could feel the burning sensation of tears as they made trails down his tan cheeks. Rocking back and forth on the bed, Naruto tried to calm his racing heart and churning stomach.
"Naruto?" He raised his head slightly to see Sasuke standing in the hallway, watching him worriedly. The sight of Sasuke worrying about him made Naruto start to sob and he had the overwhelming urge to throw up. He sprang from the bed with surprising speed and agility for someone who was shaking and still recovering from being in the hospital. Pushing past Sasuke into the bathroom, Naruto barely made it to the basin in time before the contents of his stomach forced their way out of his throat.
After what seemed like an hour, Naruto raised his head and weakly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His stomach was still churning, but he no longer needed to throw up. He flushed the toilet and went to get to his feet, but found his legs were shaking too much to support his weight properly. It was then that he noticed Sasuke was standing in the doorway of the bathroom with his arms crossed over his chest. "I leave you alone for ten minutes, and this is what happens?" The raven shook his head before entering the bathroom. "I assume your stomach is churning?"
Naruto went to shake his head no, but groaned as the churning sensation increased and the pain doubled. "I take that as a yes." Sasuke sighed and Naruto tried to protest as the raven picked him up, but could only manage a quiet groan. As he was placed on the soft mattress of his borrowed bed, Naruto winced. The pains were increasing quickly and he was afraid that he was going to have another full-blown episode. "Take these."
Naruto had not realized that Sasuke had left the side to retrieve the glass of water and two pills that he was now holding. Naruto took the offered items and swallowed the medicine with a few sips of water, scrunching up his face in disgust at the taste of stomach acid. He set the glass on the bedside table and took a few deep breaths. He smiled slightly at Sasuke and whispered, "Thanks." The raven replied with a grunt. Suddenly feeling tired, Naruto shut his eyes and listened as the other boy left the room. He knew that sleep was not the best answer, not with the memories still fresh in his mind, but he couldn't deny his body what it was trying to force on him.
He managed to open one eyelid, however, when the footsteps returned and the bed dipped. He was surprised to see Sasuke sitting beside him, leaning against the headboard with a book in his hand. The raven met his tired, one-eyed gaze and offered a simple explanation for his actions. "The medicine could have adverse effects and I would prefer you not dying in my house." He turned back to his book and Naruto shut his eye, not having the will to question the raven's answer.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, he became aware of a gentle warmth enveloping him and Sasuke whispering, "Sleep well, dobe." Moving into the warmth slightly, Naruto fell asleep and slept soundly, free from dreams and memories. When he awoke an hour later, Naruto felt extremely cozy and almost content. The scent of vanilla filled his nostrils and whatever was creating the warmth surrounding him was moving. Confused, Naruto opened his eyes slowly.
Naruto let out a very 'manly' squeak as he realized that he was currently curled against Sasuke's chest with one of the raven's arms draped across his waist. His heart rate increased and Naruto could feel his cheeks grow warm. He wasn't sure how Sasuke would react if he woke up to this situation. Nervously biting his lip, Naruto carefully tried to move away from Sasuke, but as soon as he moved, Sasuke's arms drew him closer. Naruto swallowed hard as his face was pushed into the raven's chest. The scent of vanilla came to him again and Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Breathing in deeply, Naruto smiled softly at the scent. It seemed...very Sasuke-like, and for some reason, it made him happy. Looking up, Naruto felt his heart skip a beat. Sasuke's mouth was open slightly as he breathed through his mouth. His hair was messy and some of it had fallen in front of his closed eyelids. His features seemed softer as the raven slept, and he almost looked at peace. He is beautiful, almost like an angel. I wonder why I haven't noticed it before. Wait...What am I thinking? Sasuke Uchiha, beautiful? That medicine must have gone straight to my head!
Someone is in denial, someone in is in denial, someone is in denial...
Naruto ignored the chanting demon and again tried to move away from the raven. He had almost succeeded when Sasuke let out a quiet moan and drew him close again. Making a snap decision, Naruto shut his eyes and evened his breathing, pretending to be asleep. He was prepared to be shoved out of bed with a grunt of disgust. He was not prepared, however, for Sasuke to chuckle warmly and gently place his lips on Naruto's golden locks. When the raven had released him and gotten up, Naruto groaned and opened his eyes slowly. "Did the medicine help, dobe?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, the churning is gone now." He yawned and got to his feet, relieved that his legs did not betray him. Walking to the living room, he sat down on the couch with a sigh. "It's only 11:00? Man, what am I going to do in this big, ol' boring house of yours, Sasuke?"
The raven entered the living room and rolled his eyes, "There is plenty to do here, usuratonkachi." Naruto turned to the raven and narrowed his eyes at the insult, though it was spoken with little irritation. "What do you suggest we do, teme?" The raven approached with a strange look in his eyes. Naruto searched the raven's face, worried about the Uchiha's intentions.
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