Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto universe.

Characters: Sasuke, Naruto
Relationships: Naruto x Sasuke
Rating: T
Summary: Sasuke gives in.
Word Count: 700

When I Come Undone
January 3

The kunai was still curled loosely in his fist when Sasuke woke. For a moment, he thought everything was okay. That he was safe. Home. Then, reality settled like a heavy weight in his chest. He had no home, he was never safe. And he tightened his fingers around the kunai, pulling it close like a security blanket.

It was storming again. Still. Thunder boomed loud enough to wake the dead and lightning bathed the walls in ghostly light. A cold wind howled and shuddered against the thin walls of the apartment. Sasuke's teeth chattered. He curled into the blankets and brought his hands to his chest. Ready to strike.

Lightning raced down his arm. White-hot light gathered in his palm. Branches of it flashed up and down his arm. His veins glowed blue under the thin skin of his wrist. But it didn't burn. Not the way the fire had. The lightning felt right, pleasantly warm, like it was supposed to be there.

He shook himself and let the lightning die on his fingertips. Uchiha didn't use lightning. They had always been more comfortable with the village's fire jutsus. The ones that Sasuke had struggled with for so long.

Trembling, he brought his fingers to his lips, tracing the shiny and smooth scars a hundred fireballs had left. He would never win with a fire jutsu. Not if he was up against someone like Gaara; not when he was facing Itachi. No matter how much he longed to draw the fire from his lungs again. How much he wanted to be one of them again.

He coughed.

Acid burned his throat. He rolled off the bed and onto his feet. Rough, wooden floors prickled against too sensitive skin and his knees felt like jelly. But, he made it to the bathroom under his own power before his knees buckled and he hit the tiled floor with a painful and jarring crash. Then, he retched into the toilet, holding himself upright with a white-knuckled grip. The ramen Naruto had forced down his throat burned coming back up. Hot tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.

Blood stained the grey landscape. Itachi's. His. The red was the only spot of color, bright and glistening. Burning with the reflection of the black flames. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

Arms shaking, Sasuke wiped his lips with the back of one fist. Blood stained his skin when he pulled his fist back. A dim and distant part of his mind screamed something was wrong. He needed to get up, to find a medic. Find somewhere safe. But he could barely think through the steps, barely see past the effort to just stay upright. To fight back the next cough, the next wave of bile.

Then Naruto was there. One hand held Sasuke's hair back. And the other rubbed comforting circles on Sasuke's back, carefully skirting the edges of the injury. Naruto was holding him up.

He was still holding the kunai in one fist. A hot flash surged through him and Sasuke whipped around to strike a pale and worried Naruto. Naruto twisted awkwardly, trying to keep a grip on Sasuke and dodge at the same time. The kunai bit into Naruto's bicep. It was a shallow cut, barely more than an annoyance, but Naruto still flinched away.

A fresh wave of fire raced through Sasuke's injured arm and the kunai slipped through slack fingers. The swing had been too wild, too reckless. He should have been smarter.

"What the hell?" Naruto was shouting. But his voice sounded muffled and far away, like Sasuke was underwater. "What's wrong with you? I was only trying to help you!"

"I don't…" Sasuke started to protest. But it came out a harsh and ragged cough. Without Naruto's support, Sasuke crumpled to the floor, curling around himself. The cool tile felt good against his hot face. Vaguely, he was aware that he must be burning with a fever. It was just too much effort to care now. Even the energy to protest Naruto's worried yelps had faded into nothing.

And, besides, the storm still pounded in his ears, drawing him back to sweet oblivion.