Hello, readers! Sorry for the late update because I just spent two days. It was boring, sure, but it gave me the right to not take my final exam. Hooray for that. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review!
Madara went back to her office, feeling drained. She had run around the school, passing out sign-up sheets, and all she wanted to do now was sit back and rest. She glanced up at the clock, and realized class would start in five minutes.
"Great. There goes my break." Madara grumbled internally. "Now I feel even more tired, for some reason. Drowsy, and a little hot. Maybe it's because of running around? Come to think of it, I think I've been having a mild headache since the minute I got out of bed." She thought as she walked back to her classroom. Hashirama smiled at her when she entered, and she smiled back. Mito glared at the exchange from her seat, but Madara was too tired to even notice. She took her seat beside him and rested her head on her table. At least she could steal some rest before class started.
Hashirama was a bit confused, and worried. Asuma sensei was on the podium explaining stuff that involved a lot of literary techniques, and everyone was nodding off, as usual, but Madara? She never slept in class, and now she was completely out cold on her desk.
"So alliteration and rhymes are easy to get mixed up, so here's how you distinguish them…" Hashirama lost his focus long ago, and it wasn't coming back to him any time now. He stared at Madara's sleeping form instead. She was usually alert and her face was always serious, yet when she slept, the seriousness disappeared. Her face became peaceful, and her serious aura was replaced by a relaxed one. Yep, it was better than watching Asuma teach. Somehow, her face seemed a bit red. Why?
"Since I've finished explaining all this, you guys had better be finished with all the work!" Asuma yelled, startling the sleeping students awake. "If you're not finished, work!" Everyone immediately started working in a frenzy. Hashirama gently shook Madara's shoulders.
"Madara, wake up. Asuma will come and check your work soon." He said, shaking her shoulders a bit more forcefully. Madara finally woke, her eyes opening one after another. They were unfocused and droopy, and her cheeks were flushed.
"Hashirama?" Her voice was a bit hoarse. It didn't take long for Hashirama to figure out Madara was probably sick. He placed his palm on her forehead quickly.
"Madara, I think you have a fever." Hashirama whispered. Madara stared at him with unfocused eyes, obviously dizzy from overheating. "Come on. I'll take you to the nurse." He raised his hand, effectively catching Asuma's attention. "Sensei, can I take Madara to the nurse? I think she's sick."
"Oh, your girlfriend is sick, ne? Kaichou?" A voice sounded from a rows behind them. Hashirama turned towards it, only to stare into the fakest smile of all time.
"Sai, she isn't my girlfriend."
"You act like her boyfriend, Kaichou." Sai replied cheerfully, his smile dripping fakeness. Hashirama never really gotten along well with Sai, because Sai's hypocritical personality clashed way too much with his own. He never considered other people's feelings, speaking whatever that came to his mind.
"Sai, work on your stuff. Hashirama, you take Madara to the nurse." Asuma said, breaking up the potential fight. Hashirama glared at Sai, before leading Madara out the classroom. Almost everyone had their eyes on him, and when he passed Neji, he could feel his lavender eyes boring holes into his back. When he passed Mito, though, the target wasn't him. Mito glared at Madara with something that felt suspiciously like jealousy. He didn't get that at all.
Madara swayed lightly on her feet, slightly leaning onto Hashirama. Gently, he looped an arm around her shoulder, to prevent her from falling down. Seeing this as acceptance, Madara put her weight onto Hashirama, panting softly due to fever.
"I feel dizzy. The ground's spinning." She whined. Hashirama chuckled in spite of himself. Madara was so cute when she was sick, all limp and whiny. It was as if she had never grown up.
"You'll feel better when the nurse gives you some fever-reducing medicine." He replied. Madara pouted, her misty, unfocused eyes making her even cuter and sexier. Hashirama quickly pushed those thoughts down. It was NOT appropriate to think of his best friend this way, especially when she was sick! "Ah, there's the nurse's office."
"I thought we would never get there."
"Of course we would." Hashirama laughed, rolling his eyes. "Come on, lazy bones! Let's get moving." They trudged on a few more steps, until they were right in front of the office. Hashirama quickly knocked on the door and turned the knob. His aunt looked up lazily, obviously not amused to find two kids standing in front of her, and especially when one was her nephew.
"Tsunade san, can you give her some fever-reducing medicine?"
"Brat, let me check her first. Maybe I can send her packing, so she can escape school for the day." Tsunade smiled, a sake cup in her hand. Hashirama caught sight of the cup and gasped in horror. He hoped his aunt wouldn't give Madara the wrong medicine.
"Come here. Let me run a check on you." Tsunade ordered. Madara didn't object, walking towards the nurse. Tsunade popped a thermostat into her mouth, taking the reading quickly.
"My, my, you really have a fever. Just go back home and rest." Tsunade announced, waving her hand nonchalantly. Madara glanced at her, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed.
"No one is at home. My parents are on an international meeting. They won't be at home for another week." She murmured. Hashirama contemplated silently. Madara obviously had no one at home to take care of her, so she couldn't go home. Wait a minute, what if he took her home?
"Madara, would you like to go to my home?" Hashirama asked tentatively. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, and Madara rolled her eyes in irritation.
"Your dad will cut me into pieces and burn them if I set foot in your house." Madara said in an oh-you-dolt tone. Hashirama laughed awkwardly, feeling stupid. How could he have forgotten how his father exploded all those years ago? "The other way around might be plausible, but you have to be absent for the next four periods of class."
"You mean me going to your house?" Hashirama stared at his friend, incredulous. "Of course I can, but are you sure you want me around when you're sick?"
"It's not like I have a choice."
"Um, I can't do much, you know…"
"It doesn't really matter. Just be there." Madara murmured, leaning forcefully back onto the left side of his body. Hashirama blushed, and he swore his aunt smirked at him with amusement dancing in her eyes.
Yes, yes, I know Hashirama is Tsunade's grandfather, but I just can't come up with a better school nurse. Having Kabuto as the nurse is downright creepy and an OC somehow doesn't work.