'Until the End' by Breaking Benjamin

I watched as he slept, wincing as he shifted lightly. Worry was clouding my face, and I knew I couldn't do much for him when he was asleep. I had to wait till he awoke.

The news caster in front of me was going on about some child going missing in New York. Some Senator's kid. I glanced at the picture.

Damn. He's...really ugly.

(Good ol' Uchiha charm!)

The noises from outside my dorm were getting louder, and I turned down the television, listening with my head cocked. They passed, and I cut the screen off completely, turning to get up and wake the still slumbering blonde under my sheets. Hesitantly, I rested my hand on his hair, kneeling next to his side of the bed. He groaned and I hid the frantic look on my face behind my usual mask. He shifted again, putting more of his sunshine colored head into my palm. I let myself smile that one smile that for some reason, only he could bring me.

Then, cautious, I put my other hand flat on his shoulder and muttered, "Hey Naruto. Wake up."

He mumbled something and shook his head. I scowled and fought down the urge to yell. How dare he sleep when I was eating myself alive with worry. He shifted and his face was clear then. I let my frustrated breath go as I saw his features, digging my fingers softly into his locks, massaging his head. His cheeks were definitly going to scar. He had...whiskers.

I smiled, and then felt the guilt begin to barracade me in my mind again, along with that nagging sensation that it was infact, my complete fault this had happened to him. I started shaking, retreating back to sit on the couch, putting my head in my hands and knew the tears that came wouldn't roll somenly down my cheeks. They never did.

Except last night.

I flinched away from the voice in my head.

Except when you thought you might lose him.

Blocking those thoughts, raised my eyes and started to watch him sleep.

The fan above us shifted my window's curtain to the right and the new sunlight hit his face, making me hiss again with angst. The bruises lining his neck were black and green, not a pretty color. He groaned slightly and turned, hesitating when his back moved.

A finger twitched erraticaly, and his eye lids moved rapily, the actual eye underneath shifting aswell.

I sat straighter, sensing his discomfort.

He whined, a low pitched sound that carried a chill down my spine, just as it had the last two times. I stood and stepped closer by a few inches. He whimpered and I got even nearer, worried yet again, the brief reprieve over.

Not again. Please God not again.

I winced as another low whine echoed around my dark dorm room, lit only by the faint sunlight coming through the slit in the curtain.

Oh no.

He began to toss his head, slowly at first, and then faster. I knelt by the bed and grabbed the hand that stuck out from under the covers, rubbing the back and palm almost frantically.

Nononono.

It was Naruto that'd suffered last night, but I was suffering now.

I had to cope with being the cause of my best friend being beaten, raped, and almost dying.

I had been at last ninety-nine point nine percent at fault, I knew. The other point one percent was the others. The ones who did it.

The tears that never spilled came to my eyes, and my other hand found his temple, stroking it quickly. He began to whimper quietly.

"Naruto? Baka, wake up!" I murmured, still rubbing his hand. He moaned, shifting and crying out softly when his butt ground into the bed. It'd happened twice that night. His forehead was getting hotter against my thumb and he was beginning to sweat profusely.

I swallowed, hoping it would stop before he started to scream. Not the screaming. I didn't know if I could handle it a sixth time in two days.

I hung my head, swallowed again, and looked back up at the sound of another whine. I thought back briefly to the last two times since we'd gone to bed.

Once when he'd woken to find me curled up next to him, shirt riding up to my shoulders against his hand, face dangerously close to his, but personally, I think he'd just freaked a little then. But the second time was for real. He'd had an episode just like this when his ass had thrusted-by mistake, of course-against my bent knee, awakening the memories.

"No, please. Just no!" He started to whisper madly into his arm, which had snaked it's way up against his face, pressing on his mouth, his other hand was still firmly in my pale grip, though struggling faintly now.

I tightened my hold on his hand, trying not to squeeze to hard because his wrists were sliced by who-knows-what. He whined yet again, and then it really started.

"Please," It began quietly, "Please stop. Someone help me!" His legs bent and he whimpered, his own grip lackening. I gulped, hardly prepared.

His arms twitched, and then a muffled cry erupted from beneath his bruised arm, strangled and loud, "Help! No! No more, please! Help!"

I felt my tears barraging me from my inner human, but the seventeen years worth of pride had built up quite the immpressive blockade, and I swallowed past the lump in my throat, hoping he wouldn't begin to scream.

He did.

"Help! No! Get off! Ngh-no! Help! Sasuke help! Help me, please!" His face twisted and I looked away, no longer able to help it. The sight of him writhing like this was...difficult to bear. Even for an Uchiha.

Especially for me.

I hadn't ever felt so horrible for calling someone an idiot, and for a moment, the absurditity of it nearly tossed me into hysterical laughter. But of course...who am I? Sasuke Uchiha. Uchiha. They never laugh, cry, or smile.

Ha! I broke all three rules in twenty-four hours, I thought crazily as I let out a tiny chuckle just so it'd be out of me. Then, summoning my courage, I looked strongly back at the now thrashing blonde teen. His bruises stood boldly out against his otherwise heated skin, that sweated and shone.

The sun slid through the widened gap between the curtains, spread by the fan.

I could see his pupils moving under his lids and I grasped his shoulder, beginning to hum. It always seemed to tranquilize him somewhat.

Suddenly, to my relief, Naruto sat straight up in my bed, screaming (Not to my relief) and shouted, "SASUKE HELP ME!"

I leapt up and grabbed his other hand, and took his fragile form, sobbing loudly, into my arms, trying to calm him.

"Shh. Dobe. I'm right here. Right here. They can't ever hurt you again. Ever. You're safe. Safe."

I don't think I've ever spoken so much in one breath in my ENTIRE lifetime. And all to one person too.

Big week for us.

Hello! yes, my fans, I am so sorry this bit is so short, but I was immeresed in something else and had to get this out b4 my real summer hits because i probably won't be updating majorly until i get back from moms in September. I am sorry, but still, I hope you liked it.

REVIEW!