Oh insomnia, I'm thankful that you at least didn't occur the night before my final. On the plus side, it gave me time to write some of this story. :) Always a silver lining, folks.

Also, while I may be extremely late, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May 2011 be better than 2010! And may I write more stories/fanfics in 2011. ;)

Unfortunately, the bad news for it being a new year is that I'm entering a new semester in college and so far, it's a real bitch. The first week was only half a week and I felt like I was drowning in the amount of work! So much reading! But I think I'm finally getting in the swing of things and am getting my work done speedily. As a result, I've finally finished this fanfic and I hope you all enjoy it. And yes, I know the title is lame.

In Sickness

His boyfriend was sick. Not in that mentally disturbed way, but in that "I don't want to leave my bed, please don't let me throw up" way. (Although he didn't doubt that Deidara wasn't completely right in the head.)

No, the blonde artist had taken to lying on his bed all day and huddling within a cocoon of blankets due to his unhealthy state. Occasionally, a miserable moan or cough would come from the form hidden beneath the mountain of covers. Sniffles could be heard from the lump that was his boyfriend and despite the number of layers wrapped around him to keep him warm, Deidara would still shiver at times due to his illness.

Itachi stood at the door with a slight frown. Knowing that Sasori wouldn't want to deal with a sick roommate and had escaped to one of the residence hall's common rooms, the raven had come by to check on his friend and partner once he was finished with his classes for the day. He wasn't pleased with what he found.

Uncertain as to whether or not the blonde was sleeping or not, Itachi quietly ventured further into the room, grabbing a desk chair as he went. Once he arrived at Deidara's bedside, he settled himself in the chair and lightly placed a hand on the lump in the bed.

"Deidara," he called softly to check if the artist was awake.

There was a groan as the form beneath his hand shifted and a mass of golden hair peaked out from the top of the blankets. His normally cream skin was flushed with a fever and his hair was a mess.

"What're you doing here, 'Tachi?" the artist asked hoarsely with a sniff.

"Checking on you," the Uchiha gently replied as he moved to stroke the male's cheek. "How you feeling?"

"Like shit."

Since Deidara's cheek was burning against Itachi's hand, he didn't doubt that. The raven frowned at the thought of the other man feeling so horrible. "Did you take anything?"

The blonde shook his head only to cover his face with one of his blankets and cough.

The prodigy sighed before rising from his seat. "I bet you don't have any medicine either. I'll go out and buy some. When I get back, you're taking some."

Itachi saw Deidara nod just before he buried himself within his blankets once more. After he was settled, the raven took his leave. Closing the door quietly behind him, Itachi made his way down a flight of stairs and went to his own room. It was early December so there was no way the Uchiha was going to venture out into the cold in merely his grey turtleneck and a pair of jeans. Once he got to his room, he found his coat and threw it on before collecting his wallet from his desk.

It wasn't that far of a walk to the nearest convenience store. There was one in the campus town which was only about a five minute walk from the residence hall.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, the Uchiha walked out into the chill, thinking about his boyfriend as he went. For as long as he'd known the blonde, he'd never seen Deidara so sick. Although he remembered seeing the artist throw up before and taking care of him during the course of their relationship, that had been a result of alcohol consumption. Actually, he vaguely recalled the artist making a visit to the trash can the night they got together almost two months ago.

Itachi shook his head at his aimless thoughts as he entered the local convenience store. He easily located the correct aisle for the over-the-counter medication and stared at the various products. After briefly pondering Deidara's symptoms, the Uchiha grabbed a box of daytime cold multi-symptom medicine as well as nighttime.

With the drugs in hand, the raven was about to head to the check-out, but decided it would be best to pick up a few other things. Uncertain of what exactly he should buy, Itachi pulled out his phone to call the expert. After pressing the correct speed dial button, he held the phone to his ear and waited for three rings before the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mother," Itachi greeted with a tiny smile.

"Oh Itachi! It's so good to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mother. I was actually hoping you could help me with something."

"Of course dear. Anything."

"Well, one of my friends is sick and sent me to buy him medicine. I figured I should pick a few more things while I was out to help him out. Is there anything in particular that helps with a cold?" There was a part of the raven that felt bad for keeping his relationship with Deidara a secret from his family, especially his mother. The two had been dating for about two months and his family had no idea. Hell, they probably didn't even think he knew any homosexuals, much less was so familiar with the inside of one's mouth. Still, Itachi knew that his choice of lover wasn't exactly something that he should share over the phone and decided to save the conversation for another time.

"Oh that's so sweet of you, pumpkin." Itachi's eye twitched slightly at the nickname. "Let's see...well, it's important that he gets plenty of rest and is comfortable. He needs to stay warm so make sure he has a good blanket. And if he had a stuffy or runny nose, he'll need tissues."

Itachi made a mental note to pick up some more boxes of tissues.

"He needs to stay hydrated too so make sure he gets plenty of fluids. Orange juice would be a good buy. Just make sure that it isn't too cold when he drinks it. And chicken soup has been proven to help when you're sick. Just ask Sasuke. He usually stops whining after I've fixed him a bowl."

The genius could hear his little brother expressing his displeasure at his mother's comment. He needed to hold back a chuckle as he walked to the appropriate aisle, grabbing a basket as he passed the stack.

"Oh hush, Sasuke," he heard his mother say. "Itachi is just as pathetic as you when he's sick. He's just quieter about it."

"Thank you Mother," Itachi sighed with a trace of sarcasm in his tone. Holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder, he grabbed a couple cans of soup and deposited them in the basket. "Was there anything more?"

"Um…put an extra pillow under his head. The slight elevation will help. And if your friend is up for it, a nice, hot shower wouldn't be a bad idea. But only if he's feeling well enough to get out of bed."

"You do realize that I'm not his nurse. I'm just picking few things up while I'm at the store. I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself. I'm not going to hold his hand," Itachi lied as he continued about the store. So far he'd collected the medicine, soup, tissues, and some tea after debating whether or not Deidara liked it. In the end, he figured couldn't hurt to get it and dropped it in his basket before proceeding towards the orange juice.

"Of course not, dear. I never said you were going to. Just pass along the advice. He'll probably appreciate it."

The Uchiha prodigy couldn't help but think of Deidara's response to his suggestion of a hot shower. The artist would definitely try to show his appreciation regardless of whether or not he was sick. Itachi could already see his boyfriend's perverted grin as he said he wouldn't mind Itachi taking a shower with him.

"I'll pass the message along," the raven muttered. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem, sweetheart. I'll talk to you later. Love you!"

"Love you too. Bye."

With that, Itachi hit the end call button and slipped his cellphone back into his pocket. Glancing down at the basket in his hand, the raven went over the checklist in his head to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Once satisfied, he proceeded to the checkout then headed back to the dorms, bags in hand.

"What took you so long?" was the artist's weak inquiry once Itachi had returned.

"I ended up getting a little more than I originally planned," the genius explained as he rummaged through the bags for a can of soup. "I'm going to make you some chicken soup. Do you have a bowl?"

Without taking his head out from under the covers, Deidara pointed to a pile of (surprisingly) clean dishes in the corner. Itachi went about preparing the soup using the microwave then brought it over to his boyfriend when he was satisfied with the product.

Placing a hand on the blonde through the blankets, Itachi gently coaxed his lover to sit up and eat. As Deidara slowly worked at the soup, Itachi did his best to clean up the used tissues scattered about the bed and floor. After taking care of the garbage, the raven read the back of the cold medicine package and got out the appropriate dosage. He handed to two pills to the blonde in the bed and told him to take them. Deidara made a face at the pills before popping them in his mouth and drinking the rest of the soup to help swallow them.

With the soup gone, Deidara passed the spoon and empty bowl off to Itachi. The Uchiha made to stand, but was stopped when a hand shot out to grab the bottom of his shirt. Glancing down at the ill artist, the prodigy lifted a brow in question.

"Where are you going?" the blonde asked meekly.

"I was just going to wash the dishes."

There was a brief pause before Deidara muttered "Don't leave."

Itachi sighed as he bent over to brush his lips against his boyfriend's heated forehead. "Okay. Let me just put the bowl down."

As Itachi walked over to set the empty bowl down on Deidara's desk, he heard the blonde settling back down on the bed behind him. On the way back to Diedara's bedside, he grabbed a new box of tissues and placed them on the shelf above the blonde's head. Just in case the artist needed them.

Itachi had to roll his eyes when Deidara grasped his arm and gave a few weak tugs. The Uchiha could tell by the look in those blue eyes what his boyfriend wanted.

"Need I remind you that you're sick?" Itachi asked. He didn't even wait for a reply before releasing a sigh. "Then again, it's probably too late to worry about that now."

Deidara could do nothing but watch in stunned silence as his boyfriend carefully climbed over him and flopped down on the bed beside him.

"There's a trash can beside the bed if you need it," Itachi murmured as he maneuvered himself under the covers.

The blonde soon found himself pulled against his lover's form. The raven's left arm was acting as a pillow beneath Deidara's head while his right was wrapped around his waist and holding him close. The artist's head was tucked underneath Itachi's head. He was so close that he could feel the Uchiha's body heat. Although Deidara was mildly concerned that such contact was being initiated by his normally stoic boyfriend, it was something he was grateful for. He was no longer shivering.

"I didn't realize that I needed to be sick in order for you to show me that you aren't a block of ice, un."

He hadn't meant to say it. He blamed the fever for making his mind all hazy. Deidara felt Itachi's grip on him tighten before his boyfriend placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"I'm sorry I can't shower you with the affection you deserve," Itachi answered softly and Deidara could hear the sadness in the prodigy's voice.

The blonde was aware that he had a shy lover and in all honesty, he appreciated how hard the raven tried. He made sure to eat dinner with the artist as well as lunch whenever their schedules allowed it. When he could, Itachi would walk him to class. In the beginning, he would only walk close enough for their arms or shoulders to brush once in a while. It was a big step for the man who required more personal space than most. But not as big as when Itachi took the artist's hand and intertwined their fingers for the first time a little over two weeks ago.

The couple had received many looks and at first, Deidara feared that Itachi would release his hand. He'd chanced a peek at his boyfriend to find his expression blank, but his onyx orbs were at ease and showed his contentment.

Itachi could feel Deidara's smile as he nuzzled into the Uchiha's neck. Lips brushed against his throat in a loving kiss before the artist spoke again.

"You give me plenty. Trust me."

The raven made to voice his disagreement, but his boyfriend seemed to sense that it coming.

"Don't you dare ruin this moment for me, Uchiha."

Itachi couldn't help it. He chuckled. The low sound was like velvet to Deidara's ears, but it was far too brief for the blonde to fully enjoy it. It was quiet and polite just like the man from which the sound had come. Deidara could actually hear the smile in it.

Glancing up, blue eyes discovered that Itachi was indeed wearing a minute smile which was being directed at the blonde. All the usual signs of stress had disappeared from the Uchiha's face and for Deidara, it was nice to see his boyfriend so at peace even for this brief moment.

Itachi's right hand shifted to the back of Deidara's head as he bent forward. Realizing the raven's intention, the artist quickly pressed his hands against his boyfriend's chest to stop his actions. Itachi quirked a perfect eyebrow in question.

"We can't," Deidara argued. Thanks to the look in those coal black eyes, he was struggling to remember why exactly Itachi wasn't allowed to kiss him. "I'm sick, un."

Itachi's hand released the back of his head only to grip his chin and hold him in place.

"I don't care," he replied.

With that, their mouths met. The kiss was slow as Itachi's lips gently massaged the blonde's. Eyes sliding closed, Deidara sighed happily into the kiss. His heart fluttered and he felt lightheaded when Itachi's hand released his chin only to slip beneath the artist's shirt. Itachi's hand settled on his boyfriend's waist and due to Deidara's fever, the raven could feel heat radiating from Deidara's skin through his palm.

Suddenly, Deidara turned his head away and coughed. Itachi heard some sniffling so he retrieved a tissue for the blonde which Deidara gratefully accepted. After blowing his nose, he settled himself in his boyfriend's arms once more. The raven caught his partners muffled apology and was quick to dismiss it.

"It's not your fault," he murmured. "Now rest."

Deidara hummed contently as Itachi stroked his cheek with his thumb sympathetically before wrapping his arm around the blonde once more. The Uchiha held the other close as he drifted off.

-xxx-

Itachi moaned pitifully from beneath his blanket when a weight dropped down behind him on the bed. He heard a chuckle from his roommate as the newcomer began poking him.

"Itachi," Deidara called in a sing-song voice.

The pokes to his shoulder became shakes which caused motions that sent a wave of nausea through Itachi. Fighting the sensation, he curled his body and buried himself further into the blankets. Receiving no satisfactory response, the blonde pulled the blanket off Itachi's head.

"Come on 'Tachi. You promised me a date once I was feeling better. I'm better now, un," the younger male explained.

Curious about his boyfriend's behavior, Deidara leaned over to get a good look at him. Seeing his flushed face and miserable expression, he immediately understood.

Itachi stared up at him with red, half-lidded eyes. He also had dark circles under his eyes and his voice was a little hoarse as he spoke.

"Sorry Dei, but we're going to have to reschedule that date," Itachi apologized.

The blonde's heart fell, but it wasn't because of disappointment about the date. All thoughts concerning the date were forgotten once he realized his boyfriend had caught his flu. It was the Uchiha's condition that now consumed his thoughts and the knowledge that Itachi was now sick because he'd taken care of him that was upsetting the artist.

Still, Deidara had to give the raven a smile and some comforting words because he could see genuine remorse in those dark orbs for denying the artist of something that at the moment seemed so trivial.

"It's no big deal Itachi," he replied softly. He brought his hand up and cupped the prodigy's heated cheek. "These things happen."

Those beautiful, coal eyes disappeared behind Itachi's eyelids. Long, black eyelashes stood out against the pale skin of his cheek. The Uchiha's dark locks were free of the usual ribbon and messy from sleep. To most, the sight of Itachi in his current state would show them that he wasn't perfect. Deidara, however, could only see how wonderful his boyfriend was. For the past few days, the other man had demonstrated concern for the artist while ignoring the possible effects to his own health. Even now, his expression was a peaceful one. Almost as if he was relieved that he was forgiven. Itachi had a heart and to Deidara, that was definitely not a flaw.

There was a sudden knock at the door to which Kisame responded to with a shout of "It's open!"

A rather short red-head entered the room. Sasori's face was apathetic as he observed the three other males in the room. Deidara's hand shifted from Itachi's face to rest on his chest as he directed a grin at his typically grumpy roommate.

"Hey Sasori! What brings you here?" the blonde asked.

"I'm going to grab some lunch," the redhead explained. "Anyone else want to go?"

"Hell yes!" Kisame declared as he hopped down from his lofted bed.

"Well, Itachi is sick so I doubt he wants to get out of bed and I'm not really hungry," Deidara replied.

"Guess it's just us then," Kisame stated as he threw on his coat and collected his wallet and key from his desk. "We'll see you guys later."

Once the two were gone, Deidara looked back at Itachi with a chuckle. The man looked exhausted lying on the bed with his eyes closed.

"I can't believe you're sick. When Kisame said you were still in bed, I just thought he meant you were sleeping in like every other weekend, un."

"First of all," the raven began in a raspy voice. "I only sleep until 1 when I stay up until an ungodly hour. Second, what's wrong with appreciating sleep?"

The blonde wore a smile as he leaned down to press his lips against Itachi's flushed cheek. The prodigy's eyes slipped closed at the pleasant gesture. Deidara's lips then brushed the shell of the Uchiha's ear as he whispered "Nothing."

Itachi snorted at that. "Says the man who has no problem with just 4 hours every night."

The artist hummed in amusement before settling himself beneath the blanket with Itachi.

"Did you take some medicine?" Deidara asked as he pressed against the Uchiha's side. His right leg hooked over Itachi's hip and tangled with his boyfriend's legs as he cuddled the other male.

"Aa," Itachi answered with a sigh after a brief cough.

"Maybe you should try eating something. After that, you can take a nice hot shower," Deidara suggested.

"Maybe later," the prodigy replied. "Right now, I just want to relax as best I can."

While most would have sent the artist away after those words, Itachi proceeded to wind his arm around his boyfriend to hold him close. With a soft smile, Deidara nuzzled the older man's throat. He stroked Itachi's chest in a soothing manner while occasionally kissing his partner's neck.

The contact was innocent…until Deidara accidentally brushed Itachi's nipple through his shirt. A sound akin to a purr rumbled through the raven's chest and throat. The groan sent a spark of arousal to the artist's groin.

Itachi's arm tightened its hold on the blonde as he unconsciously tilted his head to allow Deidara better access to his neck. Deidara stole a glance at the raven to find his eyes still closed and his pleasure showing on his features. That was enough of an invitation for the artist. Deidara's hand slipped beneath Itachi's shirt and caressed his chest. Nipping his companion's neck playfully, he teased the raven's nipple.

"Dei," Itachi breathed.

This moment in your life is being interrupted to

bring you a phone call from your mother.

Itachi groaned in irritation and blindly reached for his cell phone located on the shelf above his bed. The moment his fingers wrapped around the device, his wrist was quickly captured and he was forced to look at Deidara for an explanation.

"Call her back later," the blonde begged as his free hand slid beneath his boyfriend's shirt and up his chest.

Please answer this call immediately. If you do not, you

know they will just call again…and again…and again.

The Uchiha gave his companion a look that said the ringtone was right. Defeated, the artist dropped his head on Itachi's chest and allowed the prodigy to answer the phone.

"Hello Mother," Itachi rasped after briefly clearing his throat.

"Oh sweetheart! You don't sound good. Are you sick?" the woman asked.

"I caught a bit of a cold," the young man explained.

"You hardly ever get sick. You must've got it when you were helping your friend," his mother remarked. "Are you taking medicine?"

"Yes."

"If you aren't feeling well enough to go to class on Monday, don't be afraid to stay in bed. It won't do you any good to drag yourself to class and not be able to focus."

Bored, Deidara allowed his hands to wander and Itachi's t-shirt was pushed up as a result of the artist's actions. The prodigy gasped at the sensation causing the blonde to grin. Teasing the raven's nipple with his thumb, Deidara felt his boyfriend tense beneath him.

"Dei," Itachi growled in warning after quickly covering the mouthpiece of the phone.

The artist grinned up that the other man before giving him a swift peck on the lips.

"Itachi? Is everything all right, dear?"

"Yes! Everything's fine!" the prodigy answered in a hurry. "Just a coughing fit."

"All right then. I'll let you get some rest. Take care. Be sure to take some medicine and drink plenty of fluids."

"Of course Mother. I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

"I love you too honey! Bye."

"Bye."

Deidara began giggling the moment Itachi hung up the phone.

"You're so adorable when you talk to your mother," the younger male stated.

"And you like to cause trouble."

The artist hummed in amusement as he shifted his position. Itachi swallowed hard as Deidara's weight settled across his hips.

"It's really too bad that you're sick, un," Deidara murmured. His hands ghost up the Uchiha's sides in feather light touches. "I don't mind taking care of you, but we are definitely limited in the number of fun activities we can do."

"Hn…you can't tell me you miss such activities because we haven't exactly done anything yet, Dei."

"I know, but things happen. You can't always plan those sorts of things. It could happen someday, right?"

The question was rhetorical, but Itachi felt the need to answer anyway.

"Someday, we will. When it's right."

The blonde stared at his boyfriend in surprise. The hue to the raven's face has darkened faintly. Itachi was telling him that he was serious about him. He wanted to be with the blonde. And that knowledge made Deidara's heart soar.

The pair is quiet for a moment before goosebumps raise across Itachi's flesh.

"Dei, it's cold."

With a smile, Deidara leaned forward to press a kiss to Itachi's chest.

"I'm on it, 'Tachi."

After fixing Itachi's shirt so that it covered his torso, Deidara settled himself beside his companion. Deidara brought the blanket up to cover their bodies before hooking his leg over Itachi's hip and resting his head on the older man's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" the Uchiha asked as the blue-eyed man threw an arm over him.

"Warming you up," the younger replied while snuggling against the other man.

Deidara was caught off guard when Itachi rolled over to bridge above him. The voice of the man on top of him was low when he spoke.

"You do a very good job."

It's been a long time comin'
And the tables' turned around
'Cause one of us is goin'
One of us is goin' down

Itachi's head fell onto Deidara's shoulder as he groaned in annoyance.

I'm not runnin'
It's a little different now
'Cause one of us is goin'
One of us is goin' down

Rolling to the side, Itachi reached for the shelf above his head and retrieved his cellphone. After a brief cough, he answered the phone.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"Hey. Listen, Mom's been harping on me to call you for the past twenty minutes. Thinks you're keeping some kind of secret that you'll tell me since we're so close," his brother stated.

Itachi sighed and massaged his temples with his free hand. "What gave her the idea that I'm hiding something?"

"How should I know? If there is anything that you're keeping to yourself, it's probably for good reason. If it was any of our business, you would've said something. Just give me something to tell her so she gets off both of our backs."

Itachi glanced to the side to find Deidara watching him. He's not sure if the blonde could hear the conversation. Because of that, he found it difficult to give his brother an answer. If he lied, Deidara would know that his family wasn't aware of their relationship. On the other hand, his family would find out before he was sure they could handle the information if he told the truth now.

"Tell her that I have nothing to share at this point in time. There is no need for anyone to be concerned. Everything is just fine with the exception of my cold which is being taken care of."

"All right. Well, I won't keep you. You should get some rest. I'll talk to you later, Itachi."

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

"Take care."

"You too."

After hanging up, Itachi exhaled heavily. His eyes slide closed as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Your family doesn't know about us yet?"

The raven's eyes opened and slid over to study Deidara's face. "Does your mother?"

The artist nodded. "Of course. You're brought up in almost every conversation, un."

"Your mom also knew that you're gay. My family has no idea of my true orientation. They think I'm straight. My mother always talks about me finding a nice girl and grandchildren. I don't want to disappoint her or my father. He's so close-minded too."

"Shhh," Deidara soothed. "It's okay. You'll tell them when you're ready and they will accept it even if it takes some time."

"Right," Itachi sighed. "So do you have any idea what you want to do for our date?"

"Hm..there's the diner, the mall, a club. Maybe a movie or picnic. A day at the park would be nice.

The prodigy chuckled. "Why do I get the feeling that you've thought about this?"

"I didn't have much else to do while I was sick," Deidara said in defense. There was a pause before the artist spoke again. "So what do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want is fine with me. As long as you're happy."

The blonde's mouth curled up in a mischievous smile as he regarded his boyfriend's peaceful expression. The man's eyes were closed as he lay back on his pillow. Just as Deidara opened his mouth to share his decision, Itachi spoke.

"Except the club."

"Oh come on!"

Yes, I see it taking a lot of effort to get Itachi to a club. The whole dancing and public thing make me think that Itachi would need a lot of encouragement. :)

Like always, I appreciate any and all reviews. They make my day.