Fingers tangled in hair. Legs tangled in sheets. Mouths mashed and tongues twisted together. He had dreamt of this for so long; wished for it with all of his being. Naruto broke away from Sasuke for a moment, pausing to breathe. His bright blue eyes gazed into what used to be cold onyx eyes, which were now deep and warm. Sasuke half whispered, half moaned "Dobe…" before Naruto resumed their bliss.
Naruto awoke to find Sasuke sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded together and face resting upon them. Naruto sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and crept over to where Sasuke was sitting. Wrapping his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, Naruto was just beginning to nibble Sasuke's ear when Sasuke murmured "I've made a mistake." Naruto sat back, a look of shock washing over his face. Sasuke stared back, his features icy and frozen; his eyes no longer warm, as they had been the previous night. As Sasuke got up, dressing and then silently leaving the room, a single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek and onto the bed sheets.
Once outside of Naruto's apartment, Sasuke leapt into the trees. It wasn't long before the tears in his eyes made him stop running. He stopped on top of a tree branch trying desperately to hold his mind together. Suddenly, a pain in his head brought him to his knees. His head throbbed and sent his already twisted stomach heaving. He coughed up what little he had eaten the previous night. He attempted to stand, leaning his weight against the tree, but another stabbing pain in his head caused him to lose his balance. He fell of the tree branch, hitting the ground with his shoulder. The pain from his shoulder mixed with the stabbing in his head. Sasuke held on for a few more agonizing seconds until his vision blurred and he succumbed to the pain.
Naruto angrily wiped the tear off of his cheek and got out of bed. Slowly, he put on his clothes and walked out the door. He didn't know what to do with himself. He knew that he didn't want to stay in his apartment all day, but he knew he definitely didn't want to talk to anyone either. He decided to take a walk through the woods. Naruto walked determinedly along the dirt path that led through the woods surrounding the leaf village. He kept his head low as he walked, his mind reeling. Why had Sasuke left? He'd been so sure that Sasuke would finally be his. Suddenly, he heard a soft thwack off in the distance. Leaping into the trees, he followed the sound.
Sasuke was lying on his side at the base of a large tree. His shoulder was bleeding and his skin was covered in a slick sheet of sweat. "Sasuke!" he cried, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Naruto dropped down from the branch he had been standing on and raced over to where Sasuke lay. Naruto kneeled down, placing Sasuke's head gingerly into his lap. Sasuke's eyes fluttered open, and he stared at Naruto. "Sasuke! Thank god you're alive!" Naruto said, the thudding of his heart beginning to slow. "What happened?" Naruto's head whirled around with questions as he looked at Sasuke. "Naruto. Let go of me." Sasuke's cold tone knocked Naruto out of his trance. He released Sasuke's head and stood up, watching Sasuke pick himself up off the ground and inspect his shoulder. Now that Naruto knew Sasuke was alright, all of the questions swimming around inside his head came out. "Sasuke, why did you leave? Did I do something wrong? What-" His string of questions was interrupted when Sasuke suddenly doubled over, clenching his head between his hands and struggling not to cry out. Naruto caught him just before he fell to the ground.
Sasuke opened his eyes and looked around. He was in Naruto's apartment. He sat up, looked to his left, and saw Naruto staring at him. "Why did you leave…?" Naruto asked quietly. A frozen look came over Sasuke's features. "Simple. I made a mistake." Suddenly, Naruto leapt to his feat, knocking the chair he been sitting in backwards. "Really Sasuke? Because that's not what it sounded like last night!" Naruto's blue eyes burned with intensity as he glared at Sasuke. Sasuke flopped back onto the mattress. "What am I supposed to say to you Naruto…?" he asked softly, the iciness melting from his features. Naruto didn't know how to answer. He flopped back into the chair. Slowly, he looked Sasuke over. He had never seen Sasuke so defeated. Sasuke was lying back on the mattress as if he didn't have a spine. His face was sunken, and the mask if icy composure that usually covered his face was completely gone. Naruto didn't know what to do with him, this new, vulnerable Sasuke. "I…I don't know Sasuke. I…I thought that…last night…" Naruto trailed off, still unsure how to talk to Sasuke. "Last night was a mistake Naruto, I already told you that." Although the iciness from his features was gone, Sasuke's voice still had a bit of an edge to it. "Sasuke…you know that's not true…you now! It…I…I've wanted you for so long…I, l-" Before Naruto could say it, Sasuke stopped him. "No Naruto, I can't be with you. I don't love you and you don't love ma and in a few weeks I'll be gone." "What do you mean you'll be gone? Sasuke! I love you! Speak you, speak to me! Do you know how it feels? Do you know how it felt going home every night wishing I could stay with you, wishing I could touch you?" Naruto's eyes had regained their fire and his voice was rising. "Do you know how it feels Naruto? Do you know how it feels to be the one who's always leaving, always walking away? I'm always leaving you Naruto! I left Konoha, and I left you! I came back, but I ignored you still!" Sasuke's voice rose too, and his eyes regained some life. "Every time I saw you, Sasuke. Every time you walked by me; ignored me. It hurt Sasuke! My heart was shattered into a million pieces. But last night, I thought I could finally…be with you. My heart healed with you last night…Do you know how it feels to have your heart crushed…so many times…?" Naruto's voice lost its edge and got quieter. "Why can't we be together? Why are you always walking away?" Naruto's eyes stared into Sasuke's as they filled with tears. "Naruto…" Sasuke said softly, "Don't cry, please, I couldn't take it. Naruto…I…I love you. But I can't be with you. No matter how much it hurts me to walk away, no matter how many times I've beat myself up because I wasn't with you, you'll be better off without me. I'll be gone in a few weeks anyway." Sasuke trailed off, avoiding Naruto's watery gaze. "Sasuke. If it's true…the way you feel. Then why can't you stay? Why do you keep saying that you'll leave in a few weeks anyway? Sasuke! Please! You have to tell me!" Naruto grew frantic. He got up out of his chair and sat on the bed next to Sasuke. "Sasuke…please…" He reached a hand up to Sasuke's face and began stroking his cheek. Sasuke looked at Naruto, his eyes filling with tears. 'Naruto…I can't be with you… because…" Sasuke stopped, his face twisting in pain. "Sasuke!" Naruto screamed as Sasuke's body heaved and he coughed up blood.