Author's Note: Wow this took an incredibly long time to do and I really don't know why. I know how I wanted it to end...I guess I just didn't know how to approach it? Who knows, at least it's done now right? This chapter is why I rated it "M". I didn't make it extremely graphic because, remember, this is about the feels. Despite that, I hope you like it.

Before I forget, to Clover71: Yes, that is Naruto's illness exactly. Great job on picking that up. Did you guess? Thank you to those who reviewed, read, and liked this even though it made you cry. It makes me very happy that you gave it a chance. :)

Enjoy!


I awaken in a cold sweat, body shaking, and lungs burning for air. I lay in bed, eyes wide and staring as I wait for my heartbeat to slow. I reach up to touch the corner of my eye, wetness trailing past my hairline and into the pillow beneath my head. Had that all been a dream?

I sit up, looking at my trembling hands for a moment when a thought hits me. I swing my legs over the bed, feet hitting the floor with a soft thud. I glance at the clock just after eight pm and make my way to the door. I fling it open to find just the man I was looking for with his fist frozen mid-knock.

"Oh, er, good morning, Sasuke. I was just about to-"

"What day is it?"

"The 23rd I believe. Why?"

"Good."

"Wait, what? Sasuke-!"

I slammed the door shut and headed for the closet. It's only been three days since I arrived home with an empty feeling buried deep within me. As I dressed, I came to a conclusion that had my heart, my soul, soaring. The dream had not been a premonition, but a message. I was not going to let this chance pass by me again for I knew now that regret was a bitter pill to swallow.

I yank open my bedroom door again walking briskly past the man still waiting for an answer.

"Try to hurry. You have a meeting in-" The silvery flash of a watch. "-two hours."

I nod in his direction and continue down the hall, grab my keys hanging by the door and step outside. The sun is bright and warm, the sky clear and without a cloud in sight. I can't help but be reminded of a pair of eyes with the exact color, the exact feeling. It was the reflection of the summer sun on water in those depths.

Sooner than I expected, I'm turning into the hospital parking lot, waiting for a red sedan to finish backing out of the space it was occupying. Drumming my fingers against the steering wheel, I pull in, parking as neatly as possible.

I stand outside the car, fists clenched, and willing my heart to calm. The dream was not real, everything is alright. I'm reassuring myself over and over, hoping and praying to any and every god that has ever been worshiped. Despite accepting my feelings toward my hospital roommate, I can't help but feel extremely anxious. When was the last time I had accepted someone other than family into my heart?

With each step I take, the knots in the pit of my belly grow, making me wince in discomfort. I enter the lobby and pass by the reception desk without so much as a glance. No one takes notice. Upon reaching the third floor, my luck runs out when I bump into a familiar set of over-sized breasts. I glance up to come eye to eye with my doctor.

"Sasuke Uchiha. What a surprise."

I grunt in response.

"I honestly don't know what kind of answer I expected." She begins to rub at her temples.

"I need to see Naruto."

Her stance immediately becomes defensive. Glare in place and arms crossed tightly. "Is that so? Why the change of heart?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you." I try to sidestep past her, attempting to reach the hallway behind her. An arm shoots out, effectively close lining me and temporarily cutting off my airway. I fall to my knees clutching my throat and wheezing slightly. "That was a bit excessive, don't you think?" I choke out.

I can hear the smirk in her voice. "Hardly."

Still rubbing a sore neck, I stand and turn a narrowed gaze at her. "Let me pass." She merely snorts, an eyebrow raised in challenge. It takes a fair amount of will power to keep from growling at her. "I'm not going to hurt him."

She opens her mouth to say something- a snarky comment, I'm sure- but I cut her off. "Not again. I swear to you."

Her teeth click shut and she stares at me for a long time. Whether she saw something in me or she came to her own conclusion, I don't know. After a moment she simply walked away with a submissive wave of her hand, leaving me to stare after her. With a small shake of my head and a small smile gracing my lips, I head down the hallway.

I stand outside the door marked 503 resolutely, my hand poised over the door handle, shaking lightly. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to prepare myself and take a deep, shuddering breath. Heart pounding loudly in my ears, I turn the handle and push open the door.

"Sasuke."

I hear myself give a sharp intake of breath before my eyes flutter open at the sound of his voice. The smile on his face and the light in his eyes freeze me in my tracks as I read the meaning behind his expression. I murmur out a soft "Naruto..." before the smile on his face cracks into a full blown grin that makes him brighter than any star.

"Come here, Sasuke."

As if my body were waiting for those words to fall from his lips, my legs are suddenly jolted into action. Before I know it, I find myself wrapped in warm arms and the smell of sweet chocolate.

"I'm so sorry." I breathe into his neck, burying my nose into his shoulder. I feel his body shake in a small chuckle and my arms tighten around him.

Fingers are suddenly threading through my hair and Naruto is whispering to me, telling me that he was never angry and I had no reason to apologize. Yet, I can't stop from telling him how sorry I am and asking for forgiveness over and over, but we both know that my pleas are not only aimed toward him. So, he let's me and simply continues to stroke my hair.

At some point, I joined Naruto in his bed and we simply lay there, comforting each other without saying a word. I don't know how long it was before I suddenly found myself waking up to the darkness of the room. I feel Naruto shift gently beside me, my body curled around him.

"Did I wake you?"

I pull myself away and prop my head against my arm. My lips twitch into a small smirk as I see Naruto mirror my position. "No."

"That's good." The smile he gives me has my heart lurching. His eyes question and I answer, a conversation that only the two of us could understand, wrapped in our own world. After a moment, he finally speaks. "I've been meaning to give you something."

He reaches toward the bedside table and is startled when my hand overtakes his own and grasps the little blue bird he was aiming for. I sit back in the bed and cradle the little paper ornament to my chest. My eyes glued to the neatly folded lines of the bright parchment, voice whisper soft, I begin to speak.

"'I know that we don't know each other very well, yet I feel like you are someone I have always known. Someone I have always been waiting for. I watch you every day from behind this curtain, especially when you sleep. Did you know you cry out from your nightmares? It makes me want to hold you, comfort you; but I know better. We have a lot in common, you and I. Did you know that? You think you don't have anyone left, the people you loved are gone. I beg to differ. Someone special once told me, 'The loves of your life never leave, they just appear in a new form.' Keep walking, Sasuke, and make life beautiful once more. Did you know that something will make living worth the pain is just around the corner? Even if I'm not around, I want to be there for you Sasuke. I love you. Did you know that? I love you. Don't let go. I love you, Sasuke.'" As I finish, I look up at him, to those wide blue eyes, and smile.

Although Naruto's face is frozen in shock, swirls of emotions are crashing in his eyes. One in particular catches my attention and my throat suddenly goes dry. His voice comes out very soft as he questions me. "H-how did you know?"

A sad, knowing smile crosses my features as I look away from him once more, turning to look out the window. "I had a dream before I came here. It made me realize a lot of things that I had been denying to myself. In that dream you-" I choke off my sentence, unable to finish it. My fist clenches the sheet beside me, knuckles white. "The thought of losing you. It hurt me more than I could possibly bear again. I realized that," I take a deep breath and meet his eyes, "I love you, Naruto."

I say no more as I wait for him to respond. He stares at the hands in his lap as the silence stretches on. Suddenly his head whips up to look at me, eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. "Is this a dream?" His hand reaches up to cup my face and my own follows to press my face closer to that trembling warmth. "Is that true?"

I turn my head to press a kiss into his palm. "Yes."

The smile on his face is incredibly sweet, unguarded, and so purely beautiful that I can only sit there in stunned awe. "Then," he says faintly, bringing his free hand to the other side of my face, "may I...?"

I close the space between us, our lips meeting in a simple pressing of skin. The kiss is tender, our lips sliding gently against each other. His hands slide down my face to circle my neck as my own press softly into the small of his back, bringing us closer. There are so many words spoken in this touch that it leaves me breathless. Stay with me. Don't leave me. I don't need anything but you. I adore you. You are mine. A peaceful sigh leaves him as I pull away and touch my forehead to his.

"I love you...so much."

Naruto's arms tighten around me. "And I, you, Sasuke." He angles his face toward me once more. "Again."

Our lips meet over and over, softly, harshly, passionately, lovingly. Naruto silently pleads for more and yet I am unsure. I could never hurt him. He notices my hesitation and begins to murmur sweet, encouraging words in my ear as he leads my hands around his body. Slowly, I comply, pulling back to remove my own shirt before turning my attention back to Naruto. I finger the thin hospital gown, undoing the buttons in the back one by one before sliding it off. I lay him back on the bed, our bodies illuminated by the glowing lights outside the window. I slide a hand down his chest, over the wrinkled, reddened flesh lightly. He silently watches as my hand trails over the healed wounds. I cup his neck, slide down his arm, retrace it back down his side, over his ribs, his hip, where my hand stops at the flimsy waistline of his pants. "Does it hurt?"

He shakes his head. "Not anymore. It's just uncomfortable."

"I see. That's good. I'm glad." I bring my lips to his chest and kiss the line where smooth, unblemished skin meets with the fading burns. Despite is words, I move carefully, dragging my lips and hands everywhere they can reach. I hear Naruto sigh above me while his fingers curl lightly into my hair. It feels nice and I wish this moment would stay still, but I can feel the anticipation rolling off Naruto. Who am I to deny him?

Slowly, our movements increase as passion overtakes us, our bodies angling into a sitting position. Our hands and mouths are all over each other. Naruto kisses my neck, sucking gently. I run my fingers up his torso, my thumb brushing a nipple. He shudders and sucks harder, his own hands falling to let his fingers dip just below my waistline to run along my hips.

My patience wearing thin, I wrap a hand around the back of Naruto's head to keep him pressed against me while my other hand goes down to cup his erection. I hear his breathing hitch as I continue to stroke him teasingly. The hands at my hips tighten as I wrap my fingers around the clothed member and pump rhythmically, leisurely.

His muffled moan vibrates down my spine and spurs me on. I pull the drawstring and slip the light blue scrubs up and away from his leaking sex. I feel him shudder a moment before I wrap my hand around him once more, my thumb brushing over the head softly. Naruto's hips buck, pulling greater pleasure from my working fingers. I sit staring for a moment, mesmerized, as he thrusts into my hand. A low groan escapes my throat and suddenly Naruto stops, breathing harshly.

"You too." He murmurs breathlessly. Nimble fingers make short work of my buckle, the sound of a zipper being pulled down reaches my ears. Pleasure shoots throughout my body as his fingers close around my hardened flesh. "No underwear, Sasuke? How unexpected." Naruto chuckles.

I feel a soft smirk on my face as I answer him. "I was kind of in a hurry."

His face is close to mine again and I can feel myself falling into those cerulean depths, the shades of blue breath-taking. Warm breath brushes my face as he speaks against my lips. "Makes things easier."

Inflamed, I lift him from the bed by the rear and place him on my lap. I shudder as I press our bodies flush against each other, the pressure on my groin painfully delicious. Naruto's arms are wrapped around me, a hand in my hair, and back arched slightly. He lets out a stuttering rush of air when I kiss along his neck, then a throaty groan when I push my hand in-between us to grab at our erections.

The room is filled with soft sighs and moans as we clutch, release, and lose ourselves in the pleasure of having such intimate places sliding along the other. My face is buried in his neck and I breathe his scent in, basking in the smell of cocoa and rain. Naruto's head is thrown back in bliss, quiet words of love falling from his lips.

I increase the pace of my hand around us, my fingers sliding easily from the fluid leaking from our heads. I can hear Naruto's moans increase and I find it difficult to keep my own pleasured gasps from growing in volume. I'm gripping harder, moving faster, and I feel our bodies tense in anticipation. Naruto's hands on my shoulders are digging into the muscle there but the pain is drowned out by the simultaneous feeling of my teeth biting into my lip and the rush of orgasm ripping through me. Naruto's own cry comes from deep in his chest, the sound like that of a sated beast.

Warmth from both completed desire and blissful happiness fills my chest, my mind, and my heart. Out of breath, I hold Naruto closer to me as his own hold tightens. Shifting slightly, I move to lay us back down in a comfortable position and pull the blankets around us. I press his head against me, close to my heart and curl around him. I comb my fingers through his hair tenderly while I whisper to him. "I know you wanted more, but I want to wait for that until the day I can take you out of here."

Although I can't see his face, I know that he is smiling. "I'll look forward to it."

I place an affectionate kiss to his forehead as I settle down for sleep. Chuckling, I murmur sleepily, "I had a meeting today, but I missed it."

Naruto is shaking in my arms in silent laughter as he shakes his head and clicks his tongue in mock scolding. "Shame on you. I hope it was worth it."

I smile. "Always." With that, I slip into peaceful sleep.

Hours later, the door creaks silently open as the blond doctor peaks her head inside, taking note of the beeping monitors. Eyes wide, she brings a hand to her mouth as she gasps and stares in shocked disbelief. The hand on the knob slides off as she slides down the doorway to the floor. Tears prick at her eyes and she clutches her chest. "Oh my God." She breathes out. "Naruto..."

Her eyes are glued to the forms on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Relieved, joyous eyes fall on Naruto. Face serene and peaceful after so many months. There, Naruto Uzumaki slept. What a beautiful sight.

"Thank God."

Suddenly my eyes are open,
Everything comes into focus.
We are all illuminated,
Lights are shining on our faces, blinding.
We are, we are, blinded.


Author's Note: Oh goodness, I'm choking on the fluff. Ugh lol. I don't know how I feel about the ending...I feel it was too short compared to the previous chapters. I didn't go with a full blown sex scene since I tend to get kinda graphic *cough* and the story didn't call for that. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone.

Constructive criticism is appreciated and reviews are most welcome. Thank you. :)