Wow! I actually came back! Sorry to anyone who has read the first chapter of my other fic, "Seasons of Love." I didn't really know where it was going, so I decided to delete it and do some more work on it before I repost it. But first, I decided to write this oneshot to give you a complete story to read. Again, sorry for the delay! (and please don't hurt me!)

Warning: angst and slight shounen-ai

Rated for angst

Disclaimer: Hellooo, FANfiction, duh. Oh, well. I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters.

Rain poured down. The ground seemed almost alive as crimson snakes of blood slithered across it. It was all over. Everything was all over. He couldn't live anymore. He couldn't. It was too much…

Naruto woke with a start. He'd had nightmares before (when a monster inhabits your body, all your dreams are nightmares), but this was different. He had had this dream for a week, always waking to find the sterile white walls of his hospital room. Each night, the dream seemed to get more vivid, more and more like reality. Naruto cast his gaze around the room and sighed with relief when he saw Sasuke still lying on a small cot beside his bed. Naruto shivered, remembering his dream, remembering Sasuke's eyes going blank, trying to tell him something before death took him. He remembered the others—all of the Konoha ninja—struggling for their lives, so weak they could barely stand. Then, death. All around him. No one ever survived but Naruto, but only because it was his nightmare. Even Kyuubi would have had to struggle to heal him from those vicious, subconscious wounds.

As sunlight started to pour in from the open window, Sasuke began to stir. Most of Naruto's friends had agreed to go home, but Sasuke refused. He always stayed—night and day—at Naruto's bedside. He scowled at the sun, then turned a gentle smile onto Naruto. Naruto had always imagined seeing that smile, but was always disappointed, until he managed to get injured enough to be admitted to the hospital for a week. The dark-haired boy had confessed his love for Naruto that very first day, and Naruto had nearly cried with happiness. It had only been a week since then, but it felt like the two had been together forever. Sasuke stood up and leaned over Naruto's bed. Naruto smiled as he received a gentle good-morning kiss and made some room for the raven to lie down beside him. The two boys stayed that way for the rest of the morning, nearly falling asleep against each other, until the door burst open.

In came Lee, shouting about love and youth, followed closely by his teammates as well as the rest of Rookie Nine, minus Sakura. Sakura was working somewhere in the hospital and would come to check on him later. They all spent a few hours chatting—Naruto complaining about being stuck in the hospital, Sasuke complaining about a headache, and the rest talking about anything and everything about the outside world. When it started to get close to the time for Naruto's daily check-up, people started to leave, one by one, every few minutes. Naruto barely realized their absence as he continued to babble to the remaining guests. By the time the doctor knocked on his door, even Sasuke had managed to slip away unnoticed.

"Good afternoon, Naruto. How are you feeling today?"

"Hello, Tsunade-baa-chan!" and to the young nurse behind her: "Hey, Sakura-chan!" As always, he thought he saw a shadow of sadness flicker on their faces, but, as always, he blamed it on his imagination. The two medic kunoichi stepped over to him to start his daily tests and listen to him talk about all the guests he had that day. With every word, the two women seemed to shake their heads in despair. Naruto started complaining about the hospital and how boring it was and couldn't he go home already? "Ne, ne, why am I still here? It's been a week already and I feel fine! Can't you let me go?"

The young nurse looked up. "Naruto…" she started, but the older woman held up a hand to silence her. They continued their tests in silence. Even Naruto was quiet for once.

Once the two women were back out in the hall, the younger immediately pulled the older to the side of the hall.

"It's been a year already, shouldn't we tell him the truth?"

"What truth!? That all his friends are dead? That his whole village is annihilated? That we aren't who he thinks we are? Don't you think he's broken enough!?"

"I'm sorry, I just…" the nurse trailed off and started to cry. The older woman hugged her and rocked her gently.

"There, there. Shh. I know it seems cruel to deceive him, but he's living in his own mind now. There's nothing more we can do for him." She let go as the nurse started to rub her eyes. They started to walk down the hall, hearing Naruto shout a loud greeting to someone. They didn't have to look to know that no one was entering that room.

Aly: Okay. So I tried a little angst. Please tell me how I did! I need all the help I can get!

Sasuke: -reads fanfic- You sure do need help. Mental help.

Aly: O.o Okay, okay. I will NOT let you upset me! -starts to tear- I won't cry! I won't… -sobs uncontrollably-

Naruto: SASUKE-TEME! WHAT DID YOU DO? Are you okay, Aly?

Aly: No, he called me crazy. -points an accusing finger-

Naruto: o.o Aly, you do know you're on ffn, right?

Aly: Yeah, so?

Naruto: And you do know you're talking to fictional characters, right?

Aly: Yeah, so…OOOHHHH…Sorry, Sasuke.

Sasuke: Hn.

Aly: Well, I guess all that's left is to say: PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you.