Author's Note: I'm back with my third fic! This is another one-shot SasuNaru story (so if you don't like yaoi, I suggest that you don't read). I have an AMAZING beta now, xxpapercutxx (check out her stories), so there shouldn't be any mistakes. All flames will be given to Axel from Kingdom Hearts. I just had to right this (). Read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
In Two Weeks
It all happened so suddenly.
"Mr. Uchiha?" the grim-faced doctor asked as he stood in front of me.
I nodded my head, too afraid to speak.
The man's eyes filled with compassion.
"I'm…I'm very sorry to tell you this. It always pains me to say this to someone," he declared softly, "but Mr. Uzumaki…he…he only has a few weeks to live."
I struggled to retain my face's composure. It's funny how that simple sentence can split a heart in two. My heart.
Shakily, I questioned, "Do you know exactly how long he'll survive?"
"In two weeks, Naruto will probably be…"
I raised my hand up as a signal for him to stop talking.
I attempted to smile, but the pain shone through my obsidian eyes, "Thank you. Your help is much appreciated, Doctor."
The man humbly nodded and scurried into another room, shaking his head sadly.
It was then that I broke down.
The world started to turn round and round endlessly. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Dizzily, I fell onto my knees.
Huge salty droplets fell from my eyes onto the blue floor. Sobbing was not something I did very often, but when I did cry, it was long.
"Why?" I pleaded, clutching a crumpled, shredded brochure. "What did he ever do to deserve this?"
My heart felt like someone clawed it out and smashed it into tiny bite-sized pieces. My throat was sore and dry, making me desperately want to throw-up.
What did he ever do to deserve this? He was always happy, always smiling. He barely complained, and only did so when he wanted more ramen. Why take his life away when I was the one who did so many bad things? I was always selfish. I was never happy. I was the one who deserved to die.
Naruto was the reason I changed for the better. Naruto was my reason for living. But God wants to take him away from me…
"Mr. Uchiha," a nurse called in a concerned voice, shaking my arm. "Mr. Uchiha, are you okay?"
I glared at the stupid, dumb woman, going into hysterics. "Would you be okay if the only one you loved was taken away from you? Answer me, damn it! Would you be okay?"
She soothingly responded, "I think you need some rest, sir."
I ignored her remark, and instead questioned, grasping her arm, "Can I see him? Can I see Naruto right now?"
She shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, but visitors aren't allowed in his room. Besides, I think some sleep would suit you better. I'll ask if you can see Mr. Uzumaki tomorrow."
I nodded, letting go of her wrist. "I'm sorry. It's just…I can't really think straight right now."
She smiled at me, understanding my behavior, as if she's dealt with this situation hundreds of times before. "It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry for you. I'll let you sleep in the waiting room again, if that'll make you feel better."
"Thank you. That would be great."
— — —
Sleep came by faster than usual. This past week, I hadn't had any rest at all. But for some reason, dreams…vivid dreams swirled through my head easily…
10 Years Ago:
A red Frisbee swirled into my yard.
"Kiba!" a little boy screamed. "You threw it too far this time!"
A voice retorted, "It's not my fault that you can't catch a simple Frisbee."
"Well, it's not my fault you have no aim!"
The boy named Kiba asked "Well, aren't you going to get back, Naruto?"
"Of course not! I'm not going into that yard! That's were that rich kid lives," the kid named Naruto retorted. "Why don't you get it, if you want it back so badly?"
"I'm…I'm not going into the Uchiha's yard!"
After several minutes of silence, the boy named Naruto spoke up.
"Fine, you baby! I'll get it."
I was sitting in the yard, inspecting the Frisbee and thinking about the boys' conversation. What was so wrong about my yard? What's the problem about being an Uchiha? I couldn't help it that I was rich.
Five minutes passed until I heard a soft knock on my fence.
"Hey, rich kid," a blond boy about my age (eight) asked through a hole, "Can you hand me back my Frisbee? I kinda need it back."
I shook my head.
"Why not?" the boy questioned.
"Because rich kid isn't my name. It's Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke," I retorted smartly. "And I won't give you back your toy unless I can play with you guys!"
At this, the blond looked very puzzled.
"Why would you want to play with us?" he asked loudly. He looked very confused. "Why don't you play with your other rich friends?"
At that question, I looked at my feet, but I answered him nonetheless.
"I want to play with you guys," I said softly, "because I don't have any friends."
The rest of the afternoon was spent playing Frisbee.
And after that day, I spent every day with Naruto.
(— — —)
My Sixteenth Birthday:
Hooray. Today's my birthday. I get to spend a whole day with my ungrateful relatives. I'm so excited.
Hopefully, Naruto will come by today.
Ugh…now that I think about it, I do think about that dobe a whole lot. A bit too much by my standards.
Do I really have a crush on him? I mean, he's so stupid and clumsy. How could I fall for an idiot like him?
He is a cute idiot, with those little whisker marks on his face and that sweet-smelling blond hair…
I have to stop obsessing about him. If my parents found out…hell, if Itachi found out, I'd be the laughing stock in the whole Uchiha family. Wait, forget about my family, if Konoha found out…Wouldn't that be just wonderful?
And what's more, I bet Naruto himself doesn't like me. So I should just forget about his right? Right?
Ding-dong
Oh. My. God. Naruto's at the door! Does my hair look okay? Is there anything in my teeth? Oops! I think I forgot to…
Okay, I sound like my fan girls. Sasuke, calm down! Just breathe in, and breathe out. He's Naruto for crying out loud! I shouldn't need to freak about my looks when I'm with him! It's not like he even notices.
"Hey, could someone open this door," Naruto yelled, banging his fist against the door. "Hurry up already!"
I ran down to the door, taking deep breaths. I look fine. Don't worry, Sasuke. Naruto doesn't think you're an idiot. He just thinks you're a moron.
But I opened the door.
"Hey, birthday boy," Naruto said. "How do you feel, being sixteen and all?"
I shook my head, smiling, "Naruto, I feel the same."
At this statement, the blond pouted. Quite adorably, actually.
He complained, "You sound so enthusiastic. Come on, Sasuke! You have to be happy for once! You can drive now!"
"Naruto, I got my permit a few months ago. I've been able to drive."
He frowned, "Well, fine! Burst my bubble!"
I laughed, "Whatever."
"Hey… don't you have to celebrate your birthday with your annoying family?"
I groaned, "Thanks for reminding me."
"Wait a second! I have an idea!" Naruto grinned, as if he had just discovered how to package World Peace in a bottle. "Why don't you come with me and we'll hang around Konoha instead? You know you want to! It'll be fun, Sasuke!"
I responded, "I don't know. Spending quality time with the Uchiha's seems like it would be so much fun."
Naruto laughed, "I'm taking that as a yes! Come on!"
As soon as I said that, he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the house.
Most of that day was spent "Naruto-style." Ramen eating contests and acting like an absolute moron were just some of the completely random and useless things we did that day.
At around ten o'clock, though, the dobe decided that dragging me blindfolded towards the middle of nowhere was a perfect gift.
"Hurry up, Sasuke," the blond complained. "You walk way too slow."
"How am I supposed to walk faster if I can't see a single thing?"
Naruto shrugged, "You're supposed to be the smart one here. Answer your own question, buddy."
I growled. "Naruto, just where are you leading me?"
"Well, that's a surprise, now isn't it? You don't want to spoil the surprise." He continued to lead me by the hand. His palm was very warm, and felt so soft yet…okay, I'll stop now.
"But it's my birthday so I should decide what I want to do."
I swear I saw Naruto stick his tongue out at me, even through the blindfold.
"Well, birthday boy, you just have to wait a few moments longer because we're almost there."
"Where exactly?"
So he dragged me for another thirty minutes—yeah, I'm guessing that when he said "we're almost there" really meant "wait another eternity" — until he finally stopped.
"We're finally here," he said proudly, untying the blindfold.
A huge lake with crystal clear clarity glittered and lapped on my blue sandals. All around me I could see thousands—no, millions—of bright fireflies sparkling and flying around my raven locks. Salty-smelling grasses bordered the large body of water, overwhelming my senses.
"You bought me a pond?" I retorted, trying to hide my amazement.
Naruto sighed, "No, teme! And it's not a pond; it's a lagoon! A lagoon! There's a difference."
"So you bought me a lagoon, then?"
Naruto nearly collapsed. "No!"
It was my turn to fall down. "Then why did you drag me here?"
"Well, this is my secret spot," Naruto said, gesturing around the area, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I came here all the time when I was little, ever since Mom and Dad…passed away.
"This was the place I always ran away too, when my problems got too big for me to handle," he smiled, remembering the past. "I spent most of my time crying here. Crying and feeling sorry for myself. Until I met Kiba-kun. Then I started to store up my emotions and let it out on him. I wonder how he ever survived." He laughed gently, blue eyes glistening from tears.
"Where did he go to anyway?" I asked.
At this, Naruto simply said, "He left; he had to move away because of his family's vet business. I miss the baka. I wonder how he's doing."
I nodded my head.
Naruto sat down on the wet ground, motioning for me to do so also.
"But anyways, the best part about this place is the view," the blonde breathed, pointing to the sky. "The stars here are brighter than any other place in Konoha. I remember sitting on this same exact spot, gazing at them endlessly. Sunrises and sunsets aren't nearly as great, but mind-blowing nonetheless."
We didn't talk for a while after that. We just silently brooded in our own thoughts, staring at the sky, cherishing this moment. I made several very pathetic attempts to hold his hand, but my anxiety got the better of me.
"Kiba has never seen this place," Naruto spoke up suddenly. I nearly jumped. "I was always afraid he'd laugh at me—I knew he would call star gazing a waste of his very valuable video-gaming time."
"Really?"
Naruto answered, "Yup. To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to show someone…anyone… this, but I never got the chance to. Until now."
"Not even Iruka-sensei?" I questioned, surprised that he would have kept such a personal place from his beloved guardian.
"Nope," he said. "But then I thought, 'Why not show Sasuke for his sweet sixteen? Even if he laughs at me, I can punch him in the face.' I couldn't afford anything, and I wouldn't know what to buy the rich, handsome Sasuke. In the end, I decided to show you something you could never buy and something personal to me. I…I just hope my logic was correct."
At this, I let out a warm laugh. "You worry too much about what I want."
He grinned, "Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"
More time passed by. I was getting worried about the time, but I didn't want to waste the moment. Hell, I didn't want to leave Naruto. Period.
But, nonetheless, I looked at my watch; it read 12:11.
"Naruto, its past midnight, damn it! My family is going to kill me if I go past my one o'clock curfew." I yelled frantically, dragging him by the hand.
"Are you serious?" Naruto screamed too, just as frantically. He stood up. "Oh man, Iruka is going to kick my ass. Literally!"
With Naruto leading, we ran towards the Uchiha household. It seemed like an hour had passed by. My parents were already not pleased that I skipped the family reunion…god, what would they do to me if I came home past one?
Soon, we finally skidded to a halt at my fence.
"What…time…is…it…now, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, panting heavily, sweat drenching his blonde hair.
I glanced at my watch, too afraid to look at the time; this time it read 12:53. I told him hastily.
"Yes! We made it just in time," he laughed. "I thought for sure we'd be late."
I glared at him, "So did I."
"Ah, well, I'd better scram. If I'm not home by one-fifteen sharp, Iruka will ground me big time. See you tomorrow then—if you're not grounded."
At that, he turned around, putting his hands in his pockets, and started to walk home.
"Thanks, dobe. Today was surprisingly fun. Best birthday I've ever had in years," I called out, stepping through my grand, black gate.
"Oh, I forgot one thing!" he slammed his palm on his forehead. "Sasuke, wait!"
Naruto then spun me around, and kissed me right there on the lips. It was short, even dry, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. When we finished, he just turned back towards his house, waving goodbye.
"Love ya, Sasuke!"
I mumbled, too soft for him to hear, "I…I love you too."
(— — —)
A couple of months after I turned seventeen:
The phone started to ring.
"I'll get it, Itachi," I yelled upstairs.
"Hello, this is the Uchiha household. Sasuke is speaking."
A cry sounded on the other end. I immediately knew who it was.
"Naruto…Naruto. What's wrong?" I asked gently, trying to hide my worry.
"Sasuke, I have…" Naruto said, weeping between words. "Sasuke…I have…"
"You have what, Naruto?"
"A brain tumor. A malignant one too," he sniffed. "When the doctors finally got the results, they told me…that I had a brain tumor."
I tried not to drop the phone.
"But they said it was nothing to worry about last week…" I softly stated, trying to deny what he just told me... "They told me. Personally. They said so…This must all be a mistake. A mistake."
"No. It can't be. They showed me the pictures and everything," Naruto cried. "Sasuke…Sasuke, I don't want to die. Not yet. I'm seventeen…only seventeen for God's sake…"
"I'll be at your house in a couple of minutes. Don't worry, you won't die. I won't let them. I won't."
We both hung up the phone. I got Itachi to drive me to Naruto's apartment. I cried bitterly during the entire car ride.
(— — —)
Yesterday:
"Mr. Uchiha?" the grim-faced doctor asked as he stood in front of me.
I nodded my head, too afraid to speak.
The man's eyes filled with compassion.
"I'm…I'm very sorry to tell you this. It always pains me to say this to someone," he declared softly, "but Mr. Uzumaki…he…he only has a few weeks to live."
I struggled to retain my face's composure. It's funny how that simple sentence can split a heart in two. My heart.
Shakily, I questioned, "Do you know exactly how long he'll survive?"
"In two weeks, Naruto will probably be…"
In two weeks…In only two weeks, my Naruto would be gone.
— — —
"Mr. Uchiha?"
I opened my eyes. The nurse from yesterday stood before me.
I immediately jumped up, "Is something wrong? Is Naruto okay?"
The nurse soothed, "He's fine. I just wanted to tell you that I got permission for you to see him."
My heart jumped. Then I ran to his room.
— — —
Soft blips from the medical machinery filled the room. Naruto, my beautiful blonde kitsune, was sleeping peacefully on a white bed.
I shook his arm softly to awaken him, "Hey, wake up, dobe."
His eyelids flittered, and life finally returned to his blue orbs.
"Sasuke," he whispered, smiling. "Took you long enough."
I ran into his welcoming arms, and hugged him tightly. I felt small water droplets drip down both of our cheeks.
"It's okay," I murmured gently. "Everything will be okay now. Everything's okay now."
He burst out, "But I don't want to die yet, Sasuke. Not yet. I haven't seen everything…I haven't done everything. We're supposed to die together! Just like in that movie."
I responded, "Don't worry. I'll follow you. Sooner or later, I'll be up there. I'll be fine. Everything will be fine."
For a few hours, we just held each other, in complete denial of the unavoidable.
Soon, the moon was rising into the navy sky. Naruto kept dozing off into sleep.
Reluctantly, I said, "Get some rest, dobe."
He looked incredulously at me. "But what if…"
I squeezed his hand. "If anything happens, I'll be right here. You need sleep."
He rolled his eyes, but kissed me on the forehead nonetheless. He learned early on that you could never win against an Uchiha.
"Well, then…love ya, Sasuke-kun," he mumbled, closing his eyes.
"I…I love you too, Naruto."
— — —
I spent every waking moment with him since then. We made each other laugh, and cry. We talked about the past, the future.
But I could do nothing to prevent the inevitable. I felt helpless. I was helpless.
I was sleeping on a chair in Naruto's room when someone shook me awake.
"Uchiha Sasuke?" the doctor called to me nine days after he told me the news. "I'm very sorry to say this, but…Naruto has just passed away a few moments ago. It was very sudden; I never expected this to happen so soon."
"None of us did," I answered, feeling hot, burning tears pouring out of my eyes. "None of us did."
The doctor finally walked out, after asking me several times if I was okay.
"I guess you're in a better place now, hmm? You finally get to see your parents again," I whispered, holding his lifeless hand, "I…I just hope there's lots of ramen in heaven."
— — —
2 Years Later; Naruto's Birthday:
Uzumaki Naruto
1988-2006
Beloved son and friend.
Will be missed forever.
I placed a bouquet of bright orange flowers in front of the gravestone. I can't believe that I've lived two years without him.
If you could call it living. For the first year after his passing, I was a heartless body. Literally. Thank God for college; the homework kept my mind off of him.
"Happy Birthday, dobe," I whispered. "I didn't know what to get you, so I bought these instead. You probably hate flowers, though, right? Maybe I should've gotten you a pack of instant ramen instead."
At this, the wind let out a warm breeze and the trees rustled, "You worry too much about what I want."
I grinned, tears streaming down my eyes. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"
— — —
()Dedicated to Mrs. Pat, who too had only two weeks to live…She died from a brain tumor on Halloween this year. May she rest in peace.
— — —
Author's Note: Wow! This ended up so much longer than I intended!
I nearly cried writing this…nearly. If you wept all over your keyboard and destroyed your computer chips doing so, please don't sue me.
Thanks you so much for reading this (gives you bouquets of flowers and boxes of candies)! I'm sorry if this depressed you. Again, I'd like to give a special thanks to xxpapercutxx, beta.
Oh, and don't forget to leave me a REVIEW!
