Titanium (SasuNaru)

3. Hatsunetsu

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."

-Thomas Paine

~

"I love you." He whispered, and felt a cold hand on his.

~

The next morning came quite quickly, Sasuke waking up first. He grunted and opened one eye to see the blonde still sleeping next to him. He gently untangled their legs and moved the blond's head from his chest and stood up beside Naruto as to not to wake him up.

'Has his fever gone worse ?' Sasuke thought as he heard the blonde's heavy breathing and his red cheeks. 'Or is this some kind of side effect of the sickness ?' Sasuke grimaced. 'I'll get Sakura to check out... I'll just get him some cold water and more blankets...'

"Just rest, Naruto." He whispered when he saw blue hazy eyes opening. With a noise of agreement, Naruto closed his eyes once more. Sasuke sighed and moved a blonde lock from the flushed cheek.

"I'll be right back." He informed even when he knew the blonde didn't hear him.

~

The time Sakura came, Naruto had woken up again. Sakura concluded along with Tsunade that the fever was a side affect of the sickness. Naruto had to stay in bed for the day if not longer. Of course that was a hard task for the blonde who despised staying in one place for longer than an hour. Sakura had to threaten him and promised to make him some ramen.

A healthy version of course, not the salty unhealthy ones he always devours.

"Naruto, Sasuke will stay with you for now, I'll be in the kitchen. Make sure he stays hydrated and on the bed, Sasuke." With a last smile towards the tired but restless patient, the woman left to do her cookings.

"S'uke.." The blonde croaked. Sasuke hmmd in question and the blonde pointed towards the closed window. "Could you open it ?"

"It's windy, I don't think it'd be a good idea, Naruto." The blonde huffed and used his puppy eyes on the Uchiha, who relented under the cute stare. Grumbling something unintelligent under his breath, his opened the window, just a little. He didn't want to die by his former teammates hands who would murder him if she found an even more sicker Naruto when she'd come back.

"Thanks..I love listening the birds singing..." Naruto muttered while sipping some water and placing it on the nightstand next to the bed. Sasuke nodded and sat down next to his lover on the bed. He started to massage the blond's scalp with gentle movements, lulling Naruto back to sleep.

That's the scene Sakura walked in. She smiled, seeing Naruto sleeping and Sasuke dozing off while his hand was on the blond hair. She walked towards the bed and woke Naruto for his now healthy ramen.

Naruto was ecstatic to eat ramen, even if it tasted bland and boring without the unhealthy salt among other thing, he still thanked his friend cheerfully for the food.

Sakura and Sasuke smiled fondly towards the blond eating his precious ramen on the bed, momentarily forgetting the cruel truth that in a few weeks, they wouldn't be able to see his obsessive ramen eating nor his bright smile that colored the white walls in every room he was.

~

"Morning sunshine, or should I say evening ?" Naruto groaned in to his pillow. Ever since yesterday he had been doing nothing but sleeping or eating. Now his fever had lessened but he was still feverish. It was Ino and Sakura who were annoying the hell out of him.

"Oh don't be like that, Naruto. You know we do this just because we love you." Ino whined while continuing her work on Naruto's hair.

"Does loving me include braiding my hair and putting bows on it ? No." Naruto grumbled and Sakura snickered next to Ino.

"But you look so cute, and we had nothing else to do. Sasuke is still on his mission." Sakura said and Naruto groaned. Because the raven haired bastard went to a mission to Kumo, he had to had baby sitters. And on top of it the most annoying kunoichi duo. His sanity was doomed.

"He'll be back in no time and we'll leave you alone, we promise. Right, pig ?" Sakura said while handing yet another little red bow to the blonde girl.

"Yes, we promise indeed, fore head." Ino answered without any real malice behind their nicknames. "We promise indeed." Naruto gulped and prayed to whatever heard him to bring Sasuke back home.

~

"Thank the heavens you're back !" Naruto exclaimed once the raven Jounin came back from his mission. Sasuke raised an eyebrow while the two women left with innocent smiles on their faces. Naruto's hair was now back to 'normal', as Ino and Sakura promised to take the braids off with the bows.

Sasuke sat down with a sigh next to the blond and the two kissed. "What did I miss ?" Sasuke asked and Naruto shivered.

"Please not those two ever again. I can handle them if they're alone, but when they're together, I'm doomed." Naruto replied with a groan. Sasuke shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm back now so you're safe again, usuratonkachi." Sasuke whispered fondly while hugging the blond. Naruto just smiled at his lover.

~

There were good days, like when Naruto's health allowed him to go outside, meet his friends, go to Ichiraku. Have fun with his lover and see the sunset. Maybe plan a prank with Konohamaru. Those days were the most brightest.

But there were also bad days. Those dark and depressing days when you remembered that Naruto didn't had much more than a week of time to live. To be alive. Those were the days when Naruto could barely move a muscle, too drained to even think about rising from the bed. It was always cloudy and dark on those days, like even the weather picked up on the depressed atmosphere.

Those were also the days when you remembered the losses. Sandaime, Asuma, Jiraya, Neji, all of the dear loved ones that Konoha had lost. Kakashi would visit his teammates graves, Rin, Obito, and his sensei, the Yondaime. Team Gai would visit Neji's grave after visiting the bedridden Uzumaki. Others did the same.

Only Sasuke was with Naruto the whole time. Even when the blond was sleeping, even when he wanted to be alone.

But everyone were already grieving the loss of Naruto. The Naruto that they had befriended. The Naruto Sasuke loves. The Naruto that'll leave them soon. Fore ever.

Yes, times seemed dark indeed. Not even Naruto's bright smile would lift their moods above the negative.

And at that night. Sasuke cried.

~

AN//: Thank you for your patience. This angsty story is about six to seven chapters long. I'll update another of my stories in a few days.

Peace out,

Naru__chan