The lights were off, and Hinata considered for a moment just turning around and going back home.

But she had already decided, and she was truly worried about Sasuke. After all, it was barely eight in the night. If Sasuke had his lights off at this time, then it meant he was truly sick… or maybe he wasn't home. Regardless, she had to try.

She gave a small glance at Ko, standing next to her, before pressing the doorbell. She waited for a moment, resisting the urge to use her Byakugan because Ko was right there, but as time passed and no one answered, she started becoming a little impatient.

Before she realized it, Ko reached out and pressed the doorbell again. She looked at him with surprise, and the man just shrugged. "If he doesn't come in the next minute, we'll leave, ok?"

Hinata nodded, still a bit taken aback by her caretaker's action, and turned back towards the door, waiting. There was not a sound for a little while, but after a few more seconds, she thought she heard slight movement from the other side. Like someone dragging their feet.

Sasuke opened in the next second, his eyes droopy and tired and a small frown between his brows. He stared at Hinata with evident shock, before his eyes turned towards the man standing next to her. Slowly, he returned his attention to her and asked; "what are you doing here, Hinata?"

His tone of voice was sleepy, and she realized she had probably woken him up. Guilt took a hold of her chest, but she pushed through to ask what she wanted to know, what she came here for. "Are you alright, S-Sasuke-kun? You didn't come t-today to class…"

His frown deepened, and he took another few seconds to respond, making Hinata squirm. "I'm sick" he said easily, confirming what she already suspected. "I couldn't get out of bed this morning" he continued, and then, almost as an afterthought; "I want to sleep."

"I-I see! Sorry to bother you" she pursed her lips, and just as Sasuke nodded and was about to close the door, she spoke again. "And s-sorry to keep bothering you, but, did you eat? D-Did you take medicine…?" she had to know. She had to make sure he was taking proper care of himself.

Sasuke sighed, looking weary, and although Hinata felt bad for keeping him here when he should be sleeping, she didn't relent, because this was important. The boy let his head lean against the doorframe, and closed his eyes before answering. "I ate some leftover rice this morning… I didn't have enough energy to cook. And I don't have medicine either, so I didn't take any…" he sighed again. Hinata frowned.

"T-That's not good. You won't get b-better if you don't eat properly or take your medicine."

"Well, I can't do much about that, now can I?" he asked irritably, his patience running thin. Hinata winced at his tone and he finally opened his eyes. "I really want to go back to bed Hinata. Is this all you wanted to know?"

"I…" it was, but now she was even more worried. Without thinking, she looked back at Ko, not knowing what to do. Luckily, her caretaker seemed to know exactly what needed to be done.

"I don't want to be much bother, Uchiha-san, but if you don't mind telling me, what exactly are your symptoms? That way I can run to the pharmacy to buy something for you."

This seemed to make Sasuke mad. He straightened, glaring at the older man with unhidden hostility. "I don't need your help."

"N-Now, Sasuke-kun, p-please let us h-help…"

"No" he said firmly, turning his eyes to her. "Leave me alone. I only need to sleep and tomorrow I will be better. In fact, you staying here it's just making me…" he slurred at the end, his body swaying slightly. Hinata gasped, and without thinking, lurched forward to keep him from falling over. Once stable, Sasuke slapped her hand away, but his glare had less force, with his eyes so glassy. "Just leave" he asked, voice more subdued.

Hinata pouted, however, she had become even more determined after that brief moment when she touched him. He had a fever. He needed medicine.

"K-Ko-san, please go to the pharmacy and b-buy something to get Sasuke-kun's fever down… I'll stay here" she said, looking up at her caretaker. Sasuke made a sound of protest, but Ko simply nodded, turning around before the boy could say anything. When Hinata turned to look at him, he was glaring.

"I told you not to…"

"Go to bed" she ordered, or at least tried, with as much firmness as she could. Before her courage left, she pushed her way inside, and took her shoes off all under Sasuke's intense gaze. "You said you o-only ate rice this morning, right? Let me cook you something."

"No" he refused to move from his spot on the doorway, stubborn. Hinata sighed.

"I'll prepare some c-congee. It will be good for your stomach."

"I want you to leave" he repeated, and Hinata frowned.

"I-If you really wanted me gone, then you would have c-closed the door on my face when you had the chance" she retorted, running out of patience. Sasuke was taken aback, and so was she when she realized what she just said. Turning around, feeling her face getting hotter, she walked towards where she thought the kitchen was, and repeated, without looking at him; "go to bed. I-I'll bring you the congee once it's r-ready. It will go well with the m-medicine Ko went to buy."

She didn't hear anything else from him, and she didn't turn around to see if he had done as she said. She didn't want to lose the small courage that had gotten a grip of her thanks to her worry for his wellbeing, so she just went on, taking a moment to look around the kitchen and trying to figure out where his stuff was.

It was a nice kitchen. Not too big, but it was clean and seemed to have all the necessary materials. She opened the fridge, finding it mostly empty except for the vegetable cabinet at the bottom that contained… half a tomato.

She took out the tomato and a bit of rice, noticing he was also running out of it and would need to buy more soon. Silently, she started cooking, jumping up in surprise when the doorbell rang. As she made her way to the entrance, she noticed Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, and she sighed in relief, thinking that meant he went back to bed.

It was Ko, who raised the plastic bag with a small smile. "The pharmacist told me children could take this" he explained when he took out a small bottle of syrup. Hinata nodded and grabbed the bottle, before returning to the kitchen. To her surprise, Ko didn't follow her. "I'll wait outside. I don't want to come in without the owner's permission" he explained when she looked at him questioningly.

Hinata blushed, knowing she had done just that even though Sasuke had told her he didn't want her to, but quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind. She finished the congee and cut the tomato in small pieces, putting it on another plate, and with a tray she found in another cabinet, she took everything to Sasuke's room.

His room was big, as well as the bed. He had a desk and a seetee on one corner. A big sliding door made of glass gave her a sight of a balcony with potted plants and a garden table. It wasn't what she was expecting. She had thought his room would be as impersonal as the rest of the house.

She approached the bed, and Sasuke turned, looking at her with sleepy, narrowed eyes. "H-Here is the food and some m-medicine. Drink it after you're done eating" she placed the tray on his lap as he sat up. He didn't say anything, taking the spoon and playing a bit with his food as she watched. When she didn't move, he sighed, pointing at the seetee with reluctance.

"If you're going to stay here, at least sit. It's unnerving having you standing there without saying anything."

"O-Ok" she did as told, and waited until he was finished before taking the tray from him. She put it on the side table and took the bottle, briefly reading the leaflet to know how much he needed to drink, before serving it in the small plastic cup that accompanied the product and giving it to him. Sasuke looked like he was going to protest, but he desisted in the last second and drank, making a face.

"Why is it sweet?" he complained, giving the cup back to her. Hinata tilted her head.

"Maybe because it's for c-children…"

"Ugh" Sasuke shook his head, and lay down, giving his back to her. Hinata took this as her cue to leave, and was about to wish him good night when he talked again. "I didn't expect you to come so late."

"Huh?" she blinked.

"I was… I was expecting you to come sooner" he explained after a while. Hinata's heart jumped, and she clenched her fists in front of her chest, feeling suddenly very guilty. She wasn't even going to come. She was very glad she had decided at the last second to do so.

"I-I'm sorry… today was Sakura-chan's birthday… and I went to her house to have dinner with her f-family…" she said, glancing down. Sasuke didn't say anything, makind her nervous. "I would have come s-sooner but I had already made plans, a-and…!"

"It's fine" he interrupted. Hinata clamped her mouth shut. "You have your own life…" he added, probably feeling her tension. And then, in a smaller voice; "thank you."

The small silence that followed was… weird. Hinata gulped, unsure of the reason and how to handle it, and only said a small; "you're welcome" before grabbing the tray and leaving the room. She occupied herself with quickly washing the dishes, and when she was done, she peeked inside his bedroom one last time. Sasuke looked asleep.

She went out of the apartment, finding Ko leaning against the railing. He straightened as soon as he saw her. "Is the boy fine?" he asked softly.

Hinata nodded. "He a-ate and took his medicine, and is now sleeping…"

"That's good."

"T-Thank you for listening to my selfishness, K-Ko-san… and for buying the medicine. I-I'm sorry you had to wait outside this whole time…" she apologized shyly. The man shrugged, dismissing her worries with a wave of the hand.

"I don't mind. I'm just happy I could be of help. Now" he walked towards her, giving her a kind smile; "shall we go home?"

"Y-Yes!"

When they arrived at the compound, her father didn't ask what took them so long, as she had expected, though he looked at her in a way she couldn't comprehend. Hinata wondered briefly if maybe Hiashi knew she had kept in contact with Sasuke, and what he thought about it, but surely if he did, he would have already talked to her, right?

Right?

I know all this with Sasuke being sick and Hinata taking care of him is a little cliché, but thinking about it, surely Sasuke must have gotten sick at least once in the years after his clan's downfall, and with Hinata's maternal personality even at the age of nine... well, I think it was inevitable.