Sorry, I took a while, but here's the next chapter.

Warning: FLUFF. Lots of fluff. (I had to, sorry.) And something usual for this story, yeah.

-.- sigh. Geez, I'm in no mood to write anything that even vaguely resembles fluff, since my head is aching and all. But bear with it. I'll try my best. And by the way, you will not hear anything from me for a week, since I'm going to France this weekend. (Which is like…three days from now.) Okay, so I am really really excited about going to France, but I'll be away from computer for a week! OO Terrifying idea. Okay, there will be of course gorgeous stores and equally gorgeous French people, but….but…still. (And I am still going to take hundreds of fanfics and all that stuff with me.) I'm not rich, not at all, so I'm afraid that I'm going to lose all my money there… -.-

And I still have to get cosplay-things and all, since in August there will be a cosplay and anime and manga event at the capital of my beloved home country. I'm going to cosplay as ANBU-Sasuke and L from Death Note and I am too excited. Xx I'm all jumping around here. Oh my.

Sorry, I rambled again.

On to our lovely story, here we go!

The two boys just stared at each other. Two very different boys, from different sides of the world.

One blond and one brunette.

Blue eyes watching black, the latter swallowing the other. While Naruto's gaze was full of worry and sympathy – but also a little joy -, Sasuke just stared at him impassively. The blond boy smiled almost shyly as he watched the awakened patient, but he didn't dare to say anything. There was no tension, the atmosphere was almost calm, as Sasuke blinked in a very confused manner and finally let go of Naruto's wrist, moving his black gaze almost hesitantly away. He blinked again as he noticed Gaara standing next to Naruto – Gaara just stared – and looked at Iruka for a long time, before turning his gaze back at Naruto, who hadn't looked away even for a second.

"A-are…y-y-you…" Sasuke coughed. It really seemed that he wasn't quite aware of his surroundings and Naruto was a little scared that he might panic.

"W-where…?" Sasuke only murmured quietly, head turning a little around. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again.

"It's so bright…" The blond boy next to him sighed and barely kept his hands from moving, from caressing that bluish black hair, from offering any kind of comfort that he seriously wanted to give to the other. Sasuke's voice had sounded so…small and confused. Naruto turned and looked at Iruka, who nodded a little and smiled gently. Blond smiled back at him and turned his gaze towards Sasuke, who was still gazing around the room with half-lidded eyes, murmuring something to himself.

"You are still in the hospital…Sasuke." Naruto said quietly, still smiling calmly. The young Uchiha seemed to flinch at mentioning his own name and looked away, biting his lip. Naruto sighed and was quiet for a while, looking at Gaara for a while, asking the other boy to turn off the other one of the two dim lamps in the room. The redhead did so, but returned to stand at the position he was a little earlier. Small smile from Naruto made Gaara take a step back. It was time like these, that some outsider would wonder if those two had some kind of telepathic connection, since they seemed to communicate even without words. But it was just the fact that they had known each other for so long and now Gaara understood that Naruto didn't want anything to bother the poor patient in the bed, who had just recently opened his eyes and looked at the world again. Gaara turned his eyes away, as Naruto bowed at Sasuke and smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, I am indeed Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, nice to finally see…eye-to-eye." Now that made Sasuke glance at him again. He looked like a little boy with his dark eyes wide like that and lips slightly parted, as he seemed like he couldn't believe that. Naruto reached out a shaking hand and even dared to touch a lock of bluish-black hair. For a moment he even smiled, but then he noticed something that made his smile fade.

"Sasu…ke…?" The raven-haired boy was actually…crying.

He had turned his head; so that his bangs covered half of his face, but Naruto saw two glistening tears on his deathly pale cheeks, saw how those too skinny shoulders trembled. Naruto sighed and kneeled next to the bed, hand reaching out and his fingers touching the other pale cheek, only very lightly. When Sasuke flinched, Naruto quickly retreated his hand, only to put it in top of Sasuke's. This time, the patient didn't flinch, but just continued to cry silently. One look at the blond's sincere, smiling face and Iruka turned to leave. Gaara only shrugged, but he turned around as well and left the room, left the two their peace. They could have been grains of sand to the two boys in the room. Naruto didn't even realize, that his thumb was tracing soothing circles on Sasuke's slender hand. Although his touch was feather-light, he still felt Sasuke shiver, even while tears were still flowing freely.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered and his sorrowful smile faltered. He had such a strong, sudden urge to hug the other boy, but he knew that Sasuke wasn't ready yet. Not ready to feel that much yet. Just, not yet. Even this – him touching the Uchiha's hand was a big step. With his free hand he rubbed his eyes and yawned. He hadn't even realized how tired he was until now, thoughts of Sasuke had invaded his mind so. And with another loud, jaw-clenching yawn, the blond boy drifted to sleep and saw no dreams.

Half an hour later, Iruka finally returned and opened the door to peek in. He couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of him. Naruto's head was laying at the edge of the bed, his other hand on top of the white hand of the one person, whose skinny wrists were tied on to the bed. When Iruka curiously went closer, he saw that the poor boy named Sasuke Uchiha was in a deep sleep, seeing no dreams, in that calm, relaxing slumber. And Iruka saw also that for the first time in all those years, Sasuke's face was peaceful, beautiful hair framing that smooth face, long eyelashes barely touching his cheeks.

Iruka smiled and backed away, stealing the last glance towards the two boys, before retreating from the room. That blond boy was such a miracle.

Another half an hour and somebody woke up.

Sasuke blinked and frowned.

Where…am I?

He tried to raise his hand to rub his eyes, but realized that it was tied to the bed, so he could hardly move it. Sasuke sighed. He knew why. He knew perfectly well although he wasn't sure if he was supposed to know something like that.

Oh well.

He turned his head and his eyes widened.

What?

He saw only a mess of golden hair and a big, tanned hand actually… touching his own. Sasuke opened his mouth but only a small wince escaped. The pale boy couldn't move, and couldn't turn his eyes away.

Why?

Sasuke couldn't understand. His mind had been such a mess – yes, it was still a mess, but… somehow. Yes, he could see.

He could actually see.

Was this real? Was this actually real? Was he really here? What was 'here'?

Was this still the same place? That…that hospital?

Sasuke only vaguely remembered the day that he had been brought. Everything else was covered in the dark, screams and blood. And darkness.

Wait…

His own screams. His brother's blood. Oh God…

Sasuke flinched and turned his head, gulping. His throat hurt, his eyes hurt. Even thinking hurt.

"Sasuke?"

A voice said and made the panicking boy turn again. Sleepy blue eyes were glancing at him with worry. Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but then returned to biting his poor lip. Naruto smiled at him.

"Are you okay?" The blond asked. Black eyes blinked and stared at him blankly. Naruto reached out his hand to touch his face, but Sasuke flinched and backed away, staring at him wildly. Naruto sighed worriedly.

"Really, now…I'm worried about you." Blond whispered quietly and never moved his eyes away from Sasuke's face, frowning in worry. Sasuke's hand had started to shake, but the boy didn't move again, just stared back.

"D-don't…touch me." The pale boy said in a trembling voice and to Naruto's shock, he had started to cry again. He felt so tired, suddenly. He didn't want this! He didn't want any of this! All he had wanted was to live happily with his beloved family, to play with his big brother.

He hadn't wanted this to happen.

Did someone actually believe that an 11-year-old kid knew anything about how the world goes?

He hadn't wanted that his big brother – that he loved more than himself – would go on a killing rampage and do all…that. And touch him that way. The way…that…he didn't want to remember that anymore.

Sometimes, it just doesn't go the way you would want in to go, that is one thing Sasuke had learned the hard way, Naruto realized as he watched the other boy tremble on the bed. It must have been the end of the world to the poor thing as he found out what had happened. And Naruto felt that he just couldn't live Sasuke alone. He wanted Sasuke to feel again, to feel that he was wanted, that someone still cared about him, even though his whole family was gone. The blue-eyed boy kneeled again and took other pale hand in between his own. First, Sasuke seemed to panic, but didn't snatch his hand away. Naruto couldn't help but feel tears in his own eyes too, as he squeezed the slender hand gently, putting his forehead against the cold skin. Why? Where was the warmth that told that this person here was alive?

Where was the gentle beating of a heart? Naruto couldn't feel and he started to cry. His tears made Sasuke's hand wet, but the pale boy just stared. Why? He couldn't understand. He just couldn't. Even though he was still trembling, strange warmth was slowly making its way inside of him and he felt the nightmares drifting away from his mind. Just with this…

Just with this simple touch, this…this boy was making him actually feel.

Sasuke was so confused. He couldn't understand, no, he took in every little thing about the other, the blond, messy hair that hang too long at some places, the now closed bright blue eyes – Sasuke somehow remembered that he had never seen a person with eyes so blue and beautiful – and tanned skin and those strange three lines on his each cheek. That strong, tall build.

To Sasuke, this boy was some kind of…embodiment of the light that he had lost so many years ago. Oh, maybe it was only three or five years – Sasuke had lost count a long ago – but to the poor Uchiha, it felt like a lifetime. And he felt odd hurt in his…heart, as he saw that certain boy crying.

Like he was the one at fault because of this.

That boy…Naruto…

Crying, because of him!

Sasuke had thought that nobody cared enough to cry. Not after that…incident. But still…

Sasuke's lips trembled, as he tried to reach out his other hand.

"Please…" He started, blinking and trying to clear his vision from his own tears that were threatening to fall.

"Please…don't…" What was he saying?

He wasn't sure. But he was sure about one thing. And that was the fact, that he didn't like that someone cried just because he was here. Just because he had been through…that. Nothing! He wanted that crying to stop, right now. He couldn't bear it, someone other's, and that boy's, tears were totally unbearable, horrible!

"Please stop it!" Sasuke cried, his other hand just inches away from that golden hair. Naruto raised his head and looked at him.

"W-what?"

"Don't… d-do that." Sasuke's lips were shaking; he couldn't look at that tear-stained face.

"Do what?" Naruto blinked.

"Don't…cry." Sasuke whispered in a small and sorrowful voice, not looking at the other boy again.

"Don't cry…because of me." The last remaining Uchiha managed to say, gulping down the nasty lump at his throat. Naruto squeezed his hand again, his thumbs caressing his palm, sending shivers running up and down his body. Naruto quickly wiped his face and his eyes and smiled at the other boy.

"Okay, Sasuke. I…I won't. I won't cry." He said and let go of Sasuke's hand. The other boy didn't say anything, but kept his head turned away. Naruto bowed and smiled.

"I have to go now for a little while. I'll be back really soon. So don't freak out on me again, or Iruka-sensei."

I'll take care of you.

"Okay, Sasuke?"

I really do want to.

"…Hai."

"Good boy." Naruto said gently, touched Sasuke's hand one more time before exiting the room. Sasuke's black eyes glanced after him.

He had wished that other boy would hold his hand a little longer.

A/N: There you have it, my dear readers! Reviews, lots of reviews, if you please.  And don't you agree that Sasuke deserved a little fluff after all that suffering…don't worry, Naruto-kun will be back soon. Now I'll have to go. And please, go review my other stories – I know there aren't much, but... ;;'

I love you all.