Winter's Fate

Chapter 9

While watching over Itachi 24/7 wasn't the worst job in the world, sleeping at the hospital had quickly gotten old for Naruto. The beds weren't soft enough, it always smelled like antiseptic, and even earplugs couldn't guarantee a good night sleep when the intercom would loudly announce at random all throughout the hospital when someone was needed or a code was being called. Therefore, on occasions like today when the Uzumaki had the time to go home for a few hours, he barely hesitated. He'd walk home, nap, shower, and return in the evening with some food in hand. Honestly, he could go without the nap or the food, but the shower was non-negotiable. Some people could relax as they showered in a stall with several other guys talking loudly to each other while showering in the surrounding stalls, but Naruto wasn't one of those people. He'd rather take his time, sort through his thoughts, and revel in the peace that is being alone under warm flowing water.

At least, that's what he'd typically do after finally getting home from an extended stay at work, but with a patient like Itachi, he was anxious to get back. With that in mind, Naruto couldn't help but take a quick nap and hurry through his shower while his mind wondered. Although Itachi was in fairly good health considering, the Uzumaki still worried about him. Anything could happen while he was gone. He should have checked his vitals again before he left and made sure his pillow was fluffed and it'd probably help the raven if he peeked in on Shisui and- God, he was turning into his Papa. Next, he'd be cooking for the guy.

He shook off the thought as he climbed out of the shower, grabbed the thick yellow towel off the edge of the sink and ran it through his unruly hair. When it was mostly dry he moved the towel to the mirror above the sink and wiped the condensation off. Naruto sighed at the sight of his own, still tired, eyes. The steam from the shower helped relieve his tension and focus his mind, but despite the refreshing nap he took beforehand and the feel of the relaxing hot water, his body still beckoned him to his bed. Whispering soft words of the wonders of sleep. Itachi. That word was all his mind needed to remember in order to shut up about its needs and push him forward. As his thoughts began to drift to the man in his care, he couldn't help remembering their earlier conversation. How uneasy Itachi seemed about the impending visit from his father. Something didn't sit right with Naruto's instincts. His memory couldn't overlook the ravens sad and conflicted eyes when he spoke of Kakashi and reminded Naruto of how lucky he was to have the man for a father.

Naruto had always cared for every one of his patients in the past, but something was different about Itachi. Maybe it was the fact that he was gentle, or that, despite his pain, he seemed to easily control his bouts of irritability, whereas most patients would've lashed out - usually at Naruto - or complained, Itachi was different. He was always kind in his requests for assistance, and Naruto seemed drawn to him. A pining to be more than just a caregiver. The persistent want to be... a friend.

Walking into the bedroom from the connected bathroom, Naruto threw a large overnight bag onto his queen-sized bed, then grabbed the essentials he would need. Some comfortable clothes from his chest of drawers, a new tube of toothpaste, etc. His bedroom was simple in style, the walls were a pale shade of yellow with cream crown molding along the top and furniture to match. A large throw rug with yellow and hints of orange that the white bed frame sat upon gave a splash of warm color to his cold wooden floor, and his yellow bedding matched the floor-length curtains behind the bed with the cream lace overlay he loved so much. Those curtains were almost never closed, always allowing light to shine in from the only large window in the room.

Wandering into his walk-in closet, Naruto decided to wear his turquoise colored hospital uniform tonight, then grabbed his orchid color scrubs, his navy-blue ones and his black and burnt orange uniforms, packing them neatly into the bag, uncertain of when he would return. Naruto loved color, even though there were few choices to choose from in hospital uniforms unless you worked in the Pediatric Wing, he made up for it in his casual clothes and the decor of his apartment. The various artworks he had collected over the years hung elegantly on the walls with seemingly no rhyme or reason, most of which were warm and colorful abstract pieces. A family photo of him and his dads sat on his white nightstand, next to one with all his friends at the hospital. A bookshelf across the room from his bed held quite a few photo albums mixed in with medical books and fantasy tales. Most of the pictures there were of him with his patients and their families.