Chapter 2
A bitter-sweet dream part 1
It's always difficult to tell when you're dreaming or awake. Your mind is still clouded in the dreams or nightmares that in their true essence are the things that you are worried about when you're awake.
Sometimes reality feels like a dream, and sometimes dreams feel like reality.
And right now, Sasuke was sure that this was a very vivid dream.
Because honestly, if this wasn't a dream, then he didn't know in which crazy world he was in.
Don't get him wrong, waking up in a bed with his all body aching was practically a daily routine. After a whole life of training nonstop for days disregarding his limits and health, he was more than used to it. This was not an exaggeration, and that bad habit had only gotten worse after he went to Orochimaru, and after… a succession of many scarring events that made this bad habit into a psychological need.
Waking up in a hospital room was also not something out of his reality spectrum. God only knows how many times he would wake up in a sterilized room that immediately stimulated his response to sickness. The years of being in and out of rooms with this particular smell had not given him immunity, and it had actually made his conditional response even worse.
Nope, it was all normal, but then, when you add this third element in this 'normal' reality, you cannot but be sure that it was definitely a dream.
Naruto was sleeping by his side.
See, definitely a dream. And the more the raven haired rogue glared at the snoring blond that was currently holding him like he was some sort of body pillow the more he was convinced.*
Forget the fact that their noses are touching; forget the that he can feel the warm breath coming out of slightly open lips; and definitely forget that the smoldering hold that the blond ninja has on him is making his breathing scarce.
This was a dream.
A very vivid dream and nothing more.
So again, what was stopping him from throwing the idiot out of bed?
And the answer is… complicated, but mostly guilt.
It was a dream after all, and it would end pretty soon, unlike his current situation of being stuck in a hideout for at least more three months.
He barely had the time to sleep with the headline ending soon. Orochimaru was weak but not that much. If he didn't finish his training in time, before Orochimaru asked for his body…
It's most likely because of that reason that he is having this dream. It's was probably an incentive to train harder. A weird kind of incentive, but he got it. He had unfinished business with Naruto.
And just thinking that overpowering the snake sennin was not even the hard part of his plan... If he does make it, which he will, he has definitely a lot of thing to settle straight.
Starting with the real idiot, not this personification of him, but for now, it would do.
He rubbed his nose accidentally with the blond's when he turned his head to face again that whiskered face he had grown familiar to.
Naruto had grown up so much, (although he himself did too). It was the fact that they hadn't met in ages while they grew up that made the difference stand out more. He wondered who of them was taller. The real blue eyed ninja would surely have a fit when he found out he's shorter for maybe an inch or two. Would he be upset in case he was the one shorter? Well if Naruto made a big deal out of it, he would just ignore him even if it irked him a little.
Sasuke stretched his legs, and pushed with his bare feet into Naruto's legs, in order to get the blonde to release the leg that he was holding with his own leg. He noticed that his feet were cold when he touched the other's foot.
This reminded him of the time when he used to rub his feet on Itachi's since it was fun to hear his brother gasp at the sudden cold on his skin. Itachi would always rub back in order to warm his, complaining about his freezing toes. It was the same for the hands. His brother always compared them with ice cubes, while blowing warm breath on them.
He really shouldn't remember things like this. It always made him sad and frustrated.
The raven haired rogue then gasped softly when he realized that unconsciously he had start rubbing his foot softly against Naruto's and stopped abruptly. Not even in a dream he would be caught doing something as lame as that, even if his feet were freezing cold which was the case.
He would have died of embarrassment if he was caught doing something so childlike. Even if it was to the most childlike person he ever met.
Now that his legs where free, he started to squeeze out of the hold the blond had on him by crawling backwards, just like a cat would do when stuck.
Once he was free from the blond, he looked around until he found a window, from which he could see an early rising sun in a pink colored sky. The light wasn't bright, but it had been enough for him to be drawn to it.
The light snoring though, brought his attention to the sleeping idiot next to him again. It was hard not to be drawn to the big silly grin in that whiskered face.
"Humm… Sasuke…", he heard the blond mumble.
Why would I have a dream of Naruto dreaming about me? I guess it wouldn't be a dream if it wasn't weird.
"Pwetty…"
In response to that outrageous statement which made something in Sasuke snap, the raven haired rogue promptly shifted his body in order to aim his leg at the blond's stomach.
"Even if this is a dream!" the rogue started muttering." Don't say weird things about me in your sleep, usuratonkachi!"
And with that he swiftly kicked the blond in the gut sending him straight to the floor.
Satisfied with the shriek he heard, his chest swelled with pride, and superiority. That would teach the idiot not to call him… weird things.
"Ouch! That god dammed hurt! What the hell was the idea you…?"
The blond had started ratting, but stopped when he looked up to the raven haired boy who in return was watching him. Their gazes locked neither one of them being able to figure out what the other was thinking or in Sasuke's case what was coming next, since it was a dream.
The wide smile that went from one ear to another and the bright blue glimmering eyes, made the onyx eyes soften.
It was amazing how your mind could capture a person so well to the point you can't tell the difference from the true one from a dream one.
"Sasuke. You're finally awake!", the blond almost jumped at him as if he couldn't believe he was really there.
For a moment, the onyx eyed rogue thought that the blond was going to hug him. They were again close, Naruto had jumped to his feet and was now leaning on the bed with his arms supporting his weight. But just as quick as it appeared, the smile and enthusiasm of the blue eyed ninja was gone.
The raven's heart clenched, painfully, in his chest. Would the Naruto he knew do that sorrowful expression when he saw him? He didn't doubt it. Not even an idiot like him would ever be able to trust him again.
"Define awake, dobe. Am I not just dreaming?"
He hadn't intended to sound so sour and bitter. However, what else should he sound like? This was a dream. And an annoying one to that, if the frustration he was feeling was of any indication. He just hoped this dream wouldn't end up with him waking up crying and feeling frustrated with himself. He hated those. Especially if they involved Naruto or Itachi, it wouldn't be the first time he woke up in tears over the sadness and pain he harbored towards them.
"What?", the blond asked not understanding what he said.
"I said, dobe, am I not dreaming still?"
Sasuke was now a bit mad at the fact that he was looked as if he was the one off.
"You're not dreaming, Sasuke. You're in Konoha. I brought you back! The war is over and the Ten tails and Obito are gone. And guess what I'm a Hokage! I'm the seventh hokage."
The seriously look on Naruto's face made it hard for him to swallow such statements.
"Wait, wait! What war? Ten tails, aren't there only nine? And who is Obito? Konoha? And you, the seventh Hokage? Don't make me laugh, dobe. Even in a dream you're too full of yourself."
"Sasuke, don't you remember?"
The look on the blonds' face was pissing him off.
"Remember what? This is a dream, dobe. There is no away you're a Hokage! At least not yet! Not while I'm still under Orochimaru's guidance, and definitely not before I kill my brother! You're a fast learner but it is impossible to grow that strong in just a few years, at least to the level of Hokage you would still be lengths away from it still!"
Was he really that intimidated by Naruto? He knew he was scared of him getting stronger by day, but still, it wasn't humanly possible to get that stronger in a few years, right?
What a lousy dream, and the worst was the look on the blond's face. He hadn't meant to snap out like that. His only consolation was the fact that this was a dream, and that he could have a second chance on this matter with the real Naruto.
However when the blond turned his back to him and left, it took all that Sasuke had of self-restraining not to ask where he was going. Even in a dream he couldn't help but feel he was being abandoned.
Would he be abandoned too once he returned to Konoha? He really shouldn't ask himself questions to which he already knew the answer. Because abandoned wouldn't be the right word. If he was lucky enough to not end up in prison, he would never be trusted again. Things would never be as they were, no matter his reasons, he had done unforgivable things.
If he returned to konoha, it would only be so he could set things right, because once he said what it needed to be said, he would probably leave and never come back.
He was going to truly be alone.
And since he had brought it on himself he had no right to complain.
He knew that, but it didn't make him feel better.
Sasuke stared at the door for a long time before, he directed his gaze to the pillow. Lying down, he hid his face on the soft surface, reminding himself that crying wouldn't solve anything.
He really hated this dream.
Review please. In my opinion this one turned out better than the original.
