Summary: "They have loved, they have broken up. He left, putting the other to a sleep which lasted far more than it should."

He was hurt, but he was never alone. There was always someone there for him, someone to support him. Naruto learnt to stand up and walk again. Embrace his bad memories and move on. But after one night, he learns that everything he knew was a lie.

He had woken up from the coma, but the sleep still lasts. And Sasuke is the only one who can wake him.

Warnings: SasuNaru, mentioned other pairings, yaoi (boy on boy), lemon scene, cursing, attempted angst, attempted disturbing themes.

A/N: This is my first time publishing a story in this site. I was scared before, because English isn't my native language and I thought that I wouldn't be able to express myself as I wanted. I finally managed to translate my fiction and here it is, although I'm a little nervous about publishing.

This will be a two-shot. The first part of the story is kind of for introducing, lemon happens in this chapter. The second part is much more longer and it will be posted when I finish translating that part.

I want to say that, I actually don't like writing in Simple Present Tense and POV. I like writing as third person, but this fiction is better in Naruto's POV, so I decided to publish it this way.

I want to thank the amazing Dior Crystal for beta-ing this fiction and giving me suggestions on how to improve it! She is amazing at everything and very creative at writing, you should definitely read her stories if you haven't yet! I love you, Melissa! -3-

THE SLEEP

"We should break up," he said, his onyx eyes staring at mine with such intensity that it felt like he was reading my soul. Time was frozen, I was dumbstruck, my mouth opened just enough that I would be able to breathe properly. He was silent. He looked away.

"Why?" I asked, my voice hoarse, my throat dry. He didn't answer that question, doing me a favor in some twisted way. I didn't want him to say that I wasn't enough. I could never be as perfect as him, I had never been.

"It should end already. It lasted longer than necessary," he said, his voice so cold that I trembled. The sky roared, it began raining. The sky was crying instead of me.

He turned his back to me and left. He didn't even spare a second glance at me.

Minutes passed. I ran after him. I searched for his shining black car which had the letters "SN" on the license plate. I couldn't find him. He wasn't there. He wasn't there for me anymore.

The cars honked. The drivers shouted at me, cursing at me for standing in the middle of the road.

There was rain, there were lights, there was a high-pitched sound of a brake being applied too soon. I turned to look.

I had found him.

And my eyes closed.

Hurts.

This is the only thing I can think about right now. With every breath I take, my throat hurts, like I'm swallowing boiling water, my lungs don't want to listen to my brain's commands. I feel something covering my nose and mouth, then I understand that I'm not breathing on my own. It hurts. My eyes hurt, I cannot open them. My head is ready to explode, my ears throb like I am under high pressure.

I hear some voices. They are hoarse and quiet, like they don't belong to this world. I cannot understand what they are saying, I wouldn't be able to with this throbbing inside my head anyway.

I feel warmth on my fingers, someone is holding my hand. Their skin is soft. They have long fingers and nails, it hurts when they tighten their hold. I hear a sound like the door opening, then they start talking again. I want them to stop talking. The noise is disturbing.

They are hovering over me, I feel their shadows. I want to open my eyes but it feels like my eyelids are sealed. I want to talk but this thing covering my mouth doesn't let me and my lungs protest. Someone starts talking again, their tone is different than before. I hear a sigh, then someone starts sobbing. I wonder why.

Both of my hands are now held. Their fingers caress my skin, squeezing my hand, making me feel warm inside. They keep on talking, the crying has stopped. I can hear the words "miss" and "sleep". I want to open my eyes, I command my body. Open eyelids, open. Open if I say apple, do not if I say pear.

Apple.

They stop talking. I cannot understand anything. Their hold on my hands tighten. When I feel the needles sinking into my pupils, I realize that I managed to open my eyes.

I close them almost instantly. It is way too bright, someone has to turn off the lights! Everyone is holding their breath, I can hear them. They want me to open my eyes again, I guess. Okay then. I try again. I feel my eyelashes parting, then I narrow my eyes and take a look around.

They haven't turned off the lights. There are two women standing over me. The one at the right has short pink hair covering her beautiful face, her emerald green eyes filled with tears. A tear rolls down her cheek, my heart beats faster. I turn to look at my left, her huge breasts don't let me see her at once; but then she bends down and I am looking at her warm brown eyes, her blonde hair looking so soft and shiny. I know them.

Sakura-chan. Granny Tsunade. It feels like years passed. I want to hug them, but I can't even move a finger. Sakura-chan hides her face in her hands, Tsunade squeezes my hand and smiles. I see a white-haired man coming closer, he puts a hand on Tsunade's shoulder and smiles down at me. Pervy sage. I turn to look at Sakura-chan again, but a familiar face attracts my attention.

"Naruto-niichan!" he shouts, hurting my ears and grinning with his teeth showing. Konohamaru. There is an old man standing at the end of my bed, he is staring at me with a white file in his hands.

I am trying to smile, but I guess they couldn't see it because of the thing covering my mouth. I look around. Where is this place? Why am I here? Why can't I remember what I did yesterday? It feels like my brain is blank, it hurts when I try to think and focus.

The old man walks closer to me and he bends down, his cold fingers touching my eyelids. He opens them with his fingers and examines my eyes with a light, I try to close my eyes but can't. Tears fill my eyes and just when I feel I am crying he lets go. I take a deep breath, blinking a few times to get used to the feeling.

"He is definitely awake right now, but I am guessing that he will go to sleep in a short time again. He has been sleeping for so long that it is impossible for him to stay awake longer. He will be staying at the hospital for about four months and his physical therapy will start. His wounds are completely healed, he doesn't have any problem apart from his muscles' sleeping state. We are going to remove the oxygen mask tomorrow. May he recover soon."

The old man leaves the room after saying those words. Everybody is staring at me with smiles on their faces.

He said something about sleeping for so long. Maybe this is why I can't remember what happened yesterday night. Maybe my "yesterday" was actually weeks before.

I want to watch them more but my eyelids close. I am fighting to keep them open, forcing myself to stay awake. I missed those faces, I don't want to let them go right now.

"Sleep, dear," says Granny Tsunade, smiling. "Sleep. We will be here when you wake up."

And my eyes close again.

I leave the embrace of sleep almost grudgingly, my muscles hurting and protesting. The room is so dark, the only light I have is the moonlight. Turning my head to right, I see a silhouette with big breasts, seems like Granny Tsunade didn't leave me alone. I smile, at least I try to, but the damn mask on my face doesn't let me.

My arm itches, I feel like scratching it so much that it hurts. There are needles in my arm. I didn't realize them last night but now they make me feel uncomfortable, the need to scratch my arm annoys me.

I try to lift my right hand and it doesn't listen to me. When did my hand get this heavy? I try, cursing at myself and repeating the words silently, "Rise, rise!"

I can feel sweat on my forehead, the rooms feels hot, why doesn't my body listen to me? I keep on forcing myself, biting my tongue in the process.

I feel a warmth on my finger, then I realize that I managed to rise a finger. I want to shout and make everyone know that I did it, but it is still too early to boast. I move that finger freely, then I work on my other fingers. Slowly, like the ice is melting, my hand now listens to me although my muscles fight against me.

When I finally manage to lift up my right arm and scratch my left hand, I feel the sweat on my brow slide down my cheeks. The light has gotten brighter, seems like it is morning already. I feel exhausted, the idea of sleep sounds so alluring that I do not resist my closing eyes this time.

I wake up once again, this time a burning sensation in my arm makes me. After adjusting to the light, I turn to look at the source of my pain and my eyes land on a black-haired woman, smiling at me tenderly. I try to smile back and that makes me realize that I don't have the mask on my face anymore. This makes me happy, now I can breathe on my own and maybe I can start talking tomorrow.

"You are getting better and better everyday," says the black-haired nurse, changing the needles in my arm. "My name is Shizune, I was in charge of looking after you when you were in coma. I am so glad that you are here with us again."

Coma? Now this explains everything. I want to know how long I have been sleeping, but I can't ask. When she's done changing the needles, she turns to look at me and slowly strokes my hair. It feels good, makes me sleepy again.

"A lot of people came to visit you, they are waiting outside your room. I will let them in, but you should promise me to not tire yourself too much, okay?"

I nod excitedly, I want to see my friends as soon as I can. I wonder if they have changed. I look at the clock on the wall, I have slept till the afternoon. I decide to do some exercise and I start moving my fingers.

"Naruto!"

The door opens and three people come in, they are the same faces I saw yesterday. Sakura-chan runs to me and hugs me, her vanilla scent fills my nose and I let out a content sound. Her shoulders are shaking, I guess she is crying.

Granny Tsunade smiles at me with tired eyes, Pervy Sage stands next to her and winks me. I smile.

They look at me like they are amazed. Tsunade's eyes fill with tears and Sakura-chan starts sobbing, Pervy Sage keeps grinning at me. Women, they are always so emotional...

"I missed your smile so much, Naruto!" says Sakura, looking at me with slightly swollen eyes. "I can't believe you are here with us again… Thank God."

"You've been missed, boy," says Jiraiya, patting my head. "There are a lot of people waiting outside, they all want to visit you. When we told Iruka that you have woken up, the poor man ran to the hospital in his pajamas, now he's throwing a fit outside. The nurse won't let more than three people come in together, so I'll let him in now." He winks at me before leaving the room and I smile at him, the mention of Iruka's name makes me excited. He's the first one to acknowledge my existence, the first one that I can call my "family."

The door opens again and instantly, a man in brown pajamas gets inside.

"Naruto! Oh God, it is real! They weren't lying! You're awake!" he says, his soft brown eyes now filled with tears, my eyes sting and I feel the need to sob. He hugs me and I close my eyes, letting him cry on my neck. I lift my arm up to hug him back, but before I manage to, he stops hugging me and starts examining me with his eyes.

"I missed you so much… Thank God… Thanks…" He holds my hand, his fingers caressing mine. I feel a tear roll down my cheek, he sniffles and hugs me again. As we cry together, Sakura-chan starts sobbing and Granny Tsunade bites her lip to keep herself from crying.

When he finally lets me go, I look at him throughly, he hasn't changed a bit. He sniffles and rubs his eyes, making me smile at the cute act. The door opens once again and Jiraiya's head appears.

"I'm sorry that I'm disturbing but there are others that want to see Naruto too. Some of you have to leave the room".

"I will," says Sakura-chan, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief. Tsunade pats Sakura-chan on the head and turns to look at me. "I will leave too, dear, I didn't cry to act tough but I have to go to the bathroom and let my tears out."

I nod and watch them leave the room. Two people come inside and I recognize them instantly, one because of his familiar mask and the other because of his completely unnatural pale skin.

"Yo, Naruto."

Says Kakashi-sensei, holding my other hand. He smiles at me – at least I think that he does, his mouth cannot be seen because of his mask - and I squeeze his hand. His face lightens up.

"Whoa, Naruto. It has only been one day and you can squeeze my hand already. You really are something," he says and pats me on the head.

"Whaaat! He squeezed your hand? Naruto, squeeze mine too!" Iruka says, looking at me with excited eyes. Kakashi-sensei chuckles and I squeeze Iruka's hand too, then his eyes fill with tears.

"Oh, come on…"

"Shut up, Kakashi! I can't help myself!" Iruka-sensei starts sobbing in his hands and Kakashi-sensei glances at me, sighing. I grin and watch him offer a handkerchief to Iruka-sensei, then he hugs him around his shoulders. Iruka turns to him and hugs him, this act makes me smile more and wonder when they have gotten so close. I know Kakashi-sensei is trying to get Iruka, but I never thought that Iruka would let him.

I turn to look at my pale friend, Sai. "Hello, Naruto-kun," he says, a smile appearing on his face. It doesn't feel like his smile is fake this time, maybe it's because I missed him.

"How are you feeling?"

I smile and nod, trying to tell that I'm feeling perfectly fine and I'll be able to talk tomorrow, but of course I can't do that with just a smile. He chuckles and watches me with soft eyes, I feel like I wouldn't even get angry if he calls me "dickless" now like he always does.

A loud noise attracts my attention and I look at the door, it suddenly opens and a boy with brown hair and red tattoos on his cheeks dashes inside, shouting.

"Dude! Naruto, I can't believe you have woken up, man!" I grin at my best friend, Kiba. He lightly punches my arm and I let out a noise sounding like a chuckle. Just as we were about to hug, Jiraiya comes in and frowns at Kiba.

"Kiba, what the hell are you doing? The nurse doesn't let more than three people come in at once!"

"It's okay, Jiraiya-san. I will leave," says Sai and he turns to me. "See you later, Naruto-kun."

"…Iruka, I think that you should leave too," says Jiraiya, folding his arms and looking at Iruka who is still crying on Kakashi-sensei's chest.

"No way! I'm not leaving!"

Kiba turns to me and shrugs. "Man, we missed you so much! You've been sleeping for so long! Everyone is outside, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Hinata, Shino… Even Gaara and his siblings came from the Suna! And oh, I should say that Gaara's glaring at everyone outside. He wants to come in as soon as he can," he says, chuckling.

This many people… Everyone came for me, just for me. My heart flutters in my chest, I feel like crying again, I'm losing my manliness, dammit! But one name, that one name I long to hear… The name I've been hearing inside my head. He isn't here.

"Come on. Talk! You just keep smiling!" Kiba pokes me, an impatient expression on his face.

"His oxygen mask has been removed this morning, Kiba," says Iruka, frowning. "Of course he can't talk now!"

Kiba scratches the back of his head, smiling. "Eeh, sorry…"

And the door opens again, Jiraiya looks inside with a tired expression on his face.

"I'm sorry but all of you have to leave Naruto now. Gaara is glaring at everyone, he is going to murder someone if I don't let him in."

"No! Of course not!"

"Come on, Iruka. And I brought you clothes, you should change your pajamas already." Kakashi-sensei pulls Iruka's wrists, trying to make him leave.

"Pff, okay! Naruto, I will come back again, okay?"

I nod and smile at him. Kakashi-sensei takes him outside. Kiba ruffles my hair and I glare at him, he knows that I hate it when he does that. He just grins and leaves the room along with Kakashi-sensei.

"Look at this! The sleeping beauty has woken up!"

I turn to look at Kankuro, he walks closer and pats my shoulder. He looks bigger now, seems like he has gotten taller. I look at Temari, she looks the same as ever. She strokes my hair and smiles at me tenderly. "You've been sleeping for far too long, Naruto."

I stare at Gaara's eyes. I tremble, I really missed my friend. Kiba might be my best friend, but there is this bond I share with Gaara that cannot be replaced with any other. We can talk without saying a word, we can be there for each other even though there are miles between us.

He walks closer to me, Kankuro steps aside to give Gaara more space. He takes my hand between his cold ones.

"I knew you would wake up. No matter how much you slept, I knew that you would wake up. You wouldn't give up so soon."

I spent the whole day with my friends. They came in and went out, Shino talked more than three words for the first time, Hinata was brave enough to hug me tight and Neji didn't stop her this time, Lee cried so hard for the first time in his life – I'm not sure about this though - Tenten didn't shout at Lee for being over-emotional, Shikamaru didn't yawn while he was in my room, Choji didn't eat anything for about half an hour and Ino brought me beautiful flowers from her parents' flower shop. I couldn't talk to them, but I am sure that they understood the words I wanted to say from my eyes. I couldn't see any big changes in their appearances, seems like I wasn't asleep for a long time.

In the afternoon, when Granny Tsunade, Pervy Sage and Iruka-sensei were in my room, my doctor visited me and checked my condition. He said that I'm perfectly fine. I showed him that I could lift my arm up and move my fingers. He thought that this is big progress and he congratulated me. I was really happy and proud, but when he left my room, my body was hurting all over.

The next day, when I wake up, there is Sakura-chan sitting next to my bed, seems like she stayed in my room for the night. She smiles at me and asks my nurse, Shizune, questions about my health while she is changing my needles again. My nurse told me that they will let me drink water today, so that I can moisten my throat and start talking.

Water feels... different. It feels good while it is flowing down my throat, but it makes me nauseous when it arrives at my stomach. I try to talk but my throat itches and I start to cough, leaving me tired and panting. She suggests to me to take it slow, she smiles for the last time and leaves my room, leaving me and Sakura-chan alone.

"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are drinking coffee downstairs. Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei will come to visit you again today, " she says, smiling tenderly. "How are you feeling?"

I gulp and clear my throat, blinking a few times. "G-good," I say. It sounds different, like a stranger talking, hoarse and deep. Sakura-chan's face lightens up, a small smile gracing her features. She bends down and hugs me.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little," I say, my voice sounds hoarse again. It sounds more like my real voice with every word I say and this makes me pleased. I grin at Sakura-chan and ask her the question I have been wondering about for too long.

"What... Happened to me?" I ask. Sakura-chan looks down for a second. After a minute, she looks at me again, her emerald pupils look like they have gotten sharper.

"You had an accident. You were standing in the middle of the road. You were hit by a car and you flew across the street, you bumped your head on the pavement. We ran to the hospital and they told us you have become paralysed. Your doctor told us that your condition was serious and if you didn't wake up in three days, you wouldn't be able to move your lower body for the rest of your life... We were so nervous. You woke up on the second day, though. Your left knee was broken, so you were taken into surgical operation as soon as you woke up. They anesthetized you during the operation. You didn't wake up after the operation and we learnt that you were in a coma.

Your doctor told us that if you didn't wake up in a week, the chances of you waking up again was really small. A week passed, everybody came to visit you, but you didn't wake up. After the third week your doctor suggested to us to switch off the machines that helped you live. We refused that but... but we were all losing our hope. Except Jiraiya-sama and Gaara. They kept believing that you were going to live, they never lost their hope in you. And now you are here! ... I'm so happy Naruto, s-so happy..."

She hides her face in her hands and starts crying. I close my eyes.

Accident. I'm trying to wind my mind back to that day. There was rain, there were lights, cars, there was him. His eyes. His words.

"We should break up-"

"Sasuke," I say. Sakura turns to look at me. She nods.

"He was the one who hit you. But you were the one standing in the middle of the road, so he wasn't sentenced. I haven't seen him since the day of your trial..."

I feel like somebody is suffocating me. I take a deep breath and open my eyes. I should be able to face the truth.

"How long I have been sleeping for?"

"The accident happened nine months ago. You were in a coma for about eight months."

I feel something warm on my cheeks. It caresses, strokes, tickles. It feels relaxing. I feel it travelling my face, it combs through my hair and touches my nose, stopping when it touches my lips. I feel it caressing my cheeks again, going upwards, touching my cheekbones lightly. It slowly reaches my eyelids. I open my eyes.

Too dark. Too bright.

The light is switched off, the only source of light is from the moon. There isn't anyone in the room, except me and 'him'.

He is looking at my eyes, his palm is still on my cheek. The sound of our breaths fill the silent room. I'm studying the features of his face which is lightened by the moonlight. There is something in his eyes that I can't understand. It feels awfully unfamiliar.

His hair has gotten longer. His black bangs fall on his pale cheeks, creating a beautiful contrast.

"Naruto."

His voice is the same as I remember, I can't help but get goose bumps. His voice is strained, like he is holding himself back. I take a deep breath and swallow the lump in my throat.

"Sasuke."

He doesn't take his eyes away from me. Minutes pass, we keep staring at each other. If I hold him, he will leave. If I close my eyes for a second, he is going to leave. Why is he here? He's supposed to act like I don't exist.

He bends down. I can feel his hot breath on my cheek. He leans his forehead against mine, looking at my eyes like he is seeing through my soul, reading me like an open book.

"They aren't as blue as I remember," he whispers.

I gulp. It's impossible to think when he is this close to me. I can't answer him. He closes his eyes, his long black eyelashes caressing his high cheekbones.

I can't believe he is here, I can't believe he is on my lips. He takes my upper lip between his own, caressing my cheeks slowly. I don't do anything. His lips are the same, they are soft and have this unique taste that I can't get enough of. His tongue licks my lower lip and enters my mouth without any hindrance.

There is wetness, warmth. His tongue travels the inside of my cheeks, the roof of my mouth, inviting my tongue to play with his. I can't. He tightens his hold on my chin and tries to go deeper, leaving me breathless. I want to breathe. My eyes sting.

He lets go of my lips. His plump lips shine in the light with saliva, looking slightly swollen. I feel a tear roll down my cheek. He wipes it away with his thumb.

"Every night... Every night, when there was no one... I was here with you, waiting for you to wake up. Waiting for you to respond me, shout at me, touch me back..." His soft voice is like a lullaby to my tired ears. I feel his hot lips on my wet cheek.

"You are a fool. An idiot. I was going to leave you... Not the other way around. It wasn't supposed to be that way. I was going to leave you behind. You... you ruined everything." He buries his face in my neck. I sob.

"Leave. Go away." I am not ready for this. I'm not ready to embrace my bad memories yet. My voice trembles, not much louder than a whisper, but I know he heard it.

I don't want him here. It hurts. I want him to leave.

He inhales my scent, rubbing his nose against my neck. Drawing his lips near my ear, he whispers.

"You don't know for how long I have waited for you. You don't know what I went through, you don't know how many times that I wanted to shoot myself. You don't know how much I hate you."

I feel my neck getting wet. I can't stop myself from sobbing, I can't breathe, I can't hear him. With every breath I take, my chest hurts, the emotions I have tried to ignore rising and suffocating me. His chest moves in sync with mine.

"For being my only weak point... for making me love you, no matter how much I resist... for being so special that even though I want, I cannot leave... I hate you."

His lips are on my earlobe, sucking, biting, licking. He is slowly climbing to my bed, I can feel his weight. His lips leave my neck, his hands are travelling down my body. He kisses my wrists and licks the places where I have needles inside my arm.

I refuse to open my eyes.

"Leave."

I can feel him sitting on me, his lips finding mine once again. He bites my bottom lip and lets it go, my breath hitches. He mumbles to my lips.

"I won't leave. You are mine."

His tongue is on mine again. His hands grasp my head and I start kissing him back. He smells amazing. His taste is never enough. I lift my hands with little difficulty and wrap them around his waist. He buries his face in my neck once again, biting, sucking, claiming. I take a shaky breath when his hands find my crotch and squeeze the bulge there. A moan leaves my lips.

"This muscle of yours works perfectly fine, love," he says, a smirk evident in his voice. He lets my hardness go and presses down, I can't help but moan quietly. Why is this happening? Why am I letting him?

I am closing my eyes and his touches become more daring, every part of my body is burning up for his attention. He presses himself down on me, silencing my moans with his lips.

"Look at me," he whispers. "Look at my eyes, Naruto." Opening my eyes slowly, I come face to face with his deep black orbs. There is something familiar in those eyes. They are burning.

He plunges his fingers into the glass of water my nurse left for me. He kisses the tip of my nose and draws his fingers down, down until he reaches my entrance. It tickles, I bite my lip.

And it hurts.

"Shhh... Shh, this is nothing. It will go away, love," he whispers into my ear. I cry, he doesn't stop. He scissors his fingers and I try to relax but it is impossible. I don't feel like I am ready but he doesn't care, he takes his fingers out but I know that this is not the end. The moonlight shines on his handsome features, his bangs covering his eyes. He spits on his hand and strokes himself, using his saliva as lubricant.

Stop, I whisper. Stop.

My insides are torn apart, he is tearing me inside to be able to find himself a place in my body. A scream leaves my throat but he silences me with his lips, fully sheathed inside of me. It hurts, burns, I bite my lip and he moves backward.

"I love you. I love you," he whispers, moving his hips. I close my eyes and try to get used to the feeling of him throbbing inside of me, he thrusts in and out and hits that bundle of nerves-

My entire body trembles like I had an electric shock, I cannot see anything but pure white, sinful pleasure. With every thrust my back arches, he silences my moans with his hand and keeps burying himself deep inside me. I cannot see anything, I cannot hear anything besides my own moans and his pants, I can't smell anything but our body liquids. I watch a sweat drop, and roll down his muscular stomach, rolling down and down until it reaches me.

"Nnngg-! S-!"

"Quiet, Naruto, quiet, love-"

His hand goes down and starts stroking me in sync with his thrusts. I can't breathe enough, my lungs are protesting, my body is still too numb to be able to experience such intense acts and I feel myself breaking once again.

With a final thrust and stroke on my shaft, I reach my orgasm. My whole body trembles and my muscles give up, my brain closes itself once again, like my own body refuses me- His warmth fills me right after, and the last thing I hear is the whisper of my own name from his mouth.