What does Sasuke dream about when he sleeps?

I haven't been able to ask him outright, and even if I get up the courage, I know he'll never answer me. It's Sasuke. But now, as I'm watching him curl up on his side, curl into my side, I just have to wonder: Is he dreaming about me? Is he having a nightmare about his brother, or worse, Orochimaru? I shudder just thinking about it. Damn snake-bastard.

Beside me, a small moan escapes his lips and he shifts again, his eyebrows drawing together. I feel myself frowning. No matter what dream he is having, I can't do anything about it; I'm out here, in the world of the wakeful (or the land of insomnia, whichever you'd prefer). Stupid Sasuke, why don't you ever tell me what you're dreaming about? How am I supposed to help if I'm way out here, outside the realm of your mind, away from you completely? And suddenly, I hate the fact that he is dreaming. I want to shove him awake, even if he glares at me and mutters "dobe" through the pillow, I don't care. I suddenly don't like the fact that Sasuke's in a completely different place than me, where I can't do anything--I'm helpless.

Just like before.

Stupid, stupid Sasuke.

Is this a dream? I look around at the dark, maroon-hazed landscape, nothing in sight but some tufts of dead, scraggly grass poking up through cracked and dried ground and a withered tree out some distance from me. The tree feels like it's beckoning me with its gnarled branches, like fingers, and I can't stop myself from starting toward it. In dreams, you can never stop yourself; in nightmares, it's even worse.

As I get closer to the dead tree, harsh bird calls slam against my eardrums: Crows? And I see the source of the offending noise perched low on one of the decaying branches. Not a crow, a raven. A silken black body that appeared to be formed out of water instead of feathers, and horrible, beady blood-red eyes. I reach for my shurinkan pouch and discover it's not there. Of course. Stupid dreams.

CAW! it glares at me and I glare back. Abruptly, I can feel the dormant Sharingan stirring up in the back of my mind and I forcefully push it back down. Taking out the Sharingan here would be pointless and a waste of chakra (as if that mattered in these stupid things anyway). The raven lifted off with another obscene cry and out of nowhere, millions of ravens spiraled up from the dark, dead ground, filling the air with their rushing wings and nasty calls. Black feathers rained down around me, and I lifted an arm to shield my eyes just in case one of them decided to attack me. Are they rabid or just cra--

My eyes were pulled downward of their own accord. Standing at the base of the dead and gnarled tree with a bloody katana in his hands was my brother, Uchiha Itachi.

"It took you a while to get here, Suke."

Hate, anger, embarassment, bewilderment--it all rushes over me in a wave of fear so strong, I literally stumble. The ravens are still ascending, still screaming, still raining feathers, and Itachi is still staring at me.

"How...? How are you--?"

"You didn't really believe you could kill me, little brother, did you? So young, so naive."

"Sh-Shut up!" I don't know what else to say; I know it sounds stupid. He does too. But one thing keeps on tugging at the back of my mind: He's dead, Sasuke, get a hold on yourself! He's dead, this is a dream! But even as I scream this at myself, logic is drowned out by the roar of the flapping wings and the rise and fall of the ravens' shrieking and my Sharingan activates in an instant, sensing the threat, sensing the similar blood close by. I stand numbly as my gaze slips to the sword.

"Ah, you remember," Itachi smirks, and as if to rub salt in a freshly-opened wound, he lifts the slick blade up to his face and licks some of the blood away. A tiny sliver of it drips from the corner of his mouth. My stomach lurches. I'm getting sick and I feel my breaths coming faster, being pulled in and out raggedly. I'm getting angry too, almost blind with rage. I feel my fists clenching, tighter and tighter, until my nails dig into my palms so hard it makes my eyes sting with tears of pain. "You were crying then, too."

I scream. The ravens swoop away from me, leaving me open, giving me air to breathe, but I'm not. I'm seething with rage and my body aches for this fight--to kill him again. You've ALREADY killed him! Calm down, you idiot! I'm running toward him, my hands clasping in the dragon seal. No, no nononononononoNO!

"KATON NO JITSU!" Fwoosh! I reared back, away from the flames that suddenly painted the area. They were everywhere. The ravens were gone. And slowly, ever-so slowly, Itachi walks out of the fire towards me, his shoulders shaking up and down with laughter. I feel small, I feel helpless. There's no one coming, dumbass. No, there isn't.

"Sasuke...?"

I can't look away from Itachi, the sword, drawing closer.

"Sasuke, please... Come back!"

Who...was that? Itachi seems oblivious to it.

"Wake up, Sasuke! Come on, you've gotta wake up!"

...Naruto?

"Sasuke!"

It IS Naruto! I realize I've been looking up, away from my brother. My gaze shoots down quickly, but he's nowhere to be seen. There's no fire and no ravens either. Just a dead landscape.

"Come back home, Sasuke..."

"Yeah, I'm coming," I put my hands in my pockets and turn away from the dead tree, walking back the way I came.

Sasuke's eyes flutter open as I continue to hold my breath. He looks around hazily for a minute, then turns his face up to me. "Na...ruto...?"

I breathe a sigh and force a smile. "Yeah." Whatever he had been dreaming about, it was bad. He started whimpering in the middle of it, but I won't tell him that. He'll be too embarrassed to sleep over again, and I don't want to ruin things.

He looked confused, though: "Did you...?"

"Did I, what?" I blink. I honestly had just woken him up, that was all. A shake wasn't doing it, so I had to pull him into my arms and call into his ear as I rocked him (not telling him that one, either).

After a moment of looking at me, his pale lips twitch into some semblance of a smile, and he actually lays his head against my chest, closing his eyes once more.

"Thanks..."

I really, really want to know, but I won't press it. Maybe one day, he'll get enough courage to tell me about this one. But for now, I just hold him and watch him drift back to sleep, and I feel my own eyelids getting heavy.

"Stupid Sasuke..."

"...usuratonkachi."

I fell asleep with a grin, and I know he did too. Have good dreams this time, Sasuke.