Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related to it.
I warn you now; this was written to make people cry (and to get rid of this annoying plot bunny). So proceed at your own risk.
It was a quiet night at Konoha Hospital, or at least it had been until a young man with jet-black hair came bursting through the front door, screaming his head off.
“Naruto! Where is Naruto?!” he shouted at the nurse on duty behind the check-in desk.
“Sir, please calm down.” the poor girl pleaded. She waited patiently for the brunette to calm down, twirling a lock of her pink hair absently in the meantime. “Now who is it you want to see?” she asked when he had composed himself.
“Uzumaki Naruto.”
She typed the name into the computer and waited. After a few seconds, the information popped up. “Uzumaki Naruto. He’s in room 37 of the Intensive Care Unit. Its right over-” she looked up just in time to see his retreating form practically flying down the hall, “there.”
-
Sasuke followed the signs to the ICU and kept going until he reached room 37. He finally reached it after what seemed like an eternity. He was about to go inside when the door opened and he found himself face to face with a blonde woman he could only assume was a doctor.
“Ah, you must be Uchiha Sasuke. I am Dr. Tsunade; we spoke on the phone earlier.”
“How is he doctor?” the brunette asked, anxious to go inside and visit the patient within.
“We’ll get to that in a moment, but may I first ask about the nature of your relationship with Mr. Uzumaki?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Sasuke snarled.
“It’s my business because, legally, I can’t allow you to see him without asking.” she countered.
“He’s my…everything.”
Tsunade raised one of her eyebrows on hearing that. “Excuse me?” she asked, confused.
“Naruto and I…we’ve been together since we were teenagers. We don’t have anyone else. We’re each other’s world.”
At once the woman’s eyes softened and then took on a pained look. This was the one part of her job that she truly despised. “I see. Well then, I suggest you sit down.” she gestured to a nearby chair. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.”
Sasuke complied wordlessly and stared up at her, quaking with fear and worry.
“The accident that Mr. Uzu–Naruto was in earlier tonight has caused him severe internal damage. We’ve done all we can, but we can’t stop the bleeding. I’m sorry.”
Sasuke’s froze; unsure and unwilling to believe that he had heard right. His eyes widened in shock and he cradled his head in his arms.
“No…you can’t – he can’t be…” he stammered, attempting to get up and unable to do so.
By now he was trembling so violently that Tsunade was worried the boy might be having a seizure. What she did not expect was for him to stand up and attempt to strike her. He missed, blinded as he was by the tears that fell like rain from his onyx pools.
“You…YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HIM! WHY CAN’T YOU STOP IT?! THERE’S GOT TO BE SOMETHING YOU CAN DO GOD DAMNIT! Something, there’s got to be something…” he pleaded, sinking down to his knees. Tsunade felt her heart twist at the sight.
“The impact ruptured several of his organs. We’ve got him heavily sedated so that he doesn’t feel much, but I don’t expect him to live out the hour. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
The Uchiha slowly got to his feet and nodded, wiping away his tears on his sleeve. “This will be the last time I ever get to speak with Naruto.”
She nodded and opened the door, closing it once he was inside and taking his place in the nearby chair. It was times like this that made her wish she had never become a doctor, or that life was a little less cruel.
-
Inside the hospital room Sasuke tried to get himself together as much as possible before walking over to the bed. He wouldn’t let Naruto see him for the last time looking like a wreck. For now he had to be strong, in order to ease his love’s passing. The pain would come later.
When he finally felt ready, he stalked over to the chair beside the bed and sat down. He had to stop himself from gasping at the sight before him. Naruto was hooked up to so many machines, their tubes and wires running every which way over his body; the only visibly human part of him was his face.
The blond had his eyes closed, denying Sasuke what he so longed to see. Those bright sapphire pools that always held so much wonder and love for him…somehow he felt that just seeing them again would make everything ok. If only such miracles were possible.
“Na-Naruto.” he whispered, stroking the boy’s cheek with his index finger.
Naruto’s eyes opened and slowly focused on his visitor. “Sasuke. You came to see me. You’re always doing that. People will think you love me or something.” he chuckled.
Sasuke had to smile despite himself; even at Death’s door Naruto was still cracking jokes. “The doctor,” he swallowed a lump in his throat, “thinks you’re going to be fine dobe.”
Naruto smiled at the use of his old high school nickname. “Liar. I know there’s nothing that they can do. But I’m glad you’re here with me teme. I was worried you wouldn’t make it in time.”
At this point Sasuke couldn’t take it anymore and began to break down in tears again. “Naruto I’m so sorry!” he choked through his sobs.
Naruto raised a hand from under the bed sheets and, with what little strength he had, brought it up to caress Sasuke’s cheek. “Don’t be. I’ve had a great time since I met you Sasuke. You saved me from my loneliness and gave me something to live for. I wish we could have had more time together, but it’s enough. What we have is enough for me.”
“Naruto…”
“Stop crying Sasuke. Uchiha’s don’t cry, remember?” he teased.
Sasuke smiled weakly and calmed down somewhat. He took Naruto’s hand in his and pressed it against his cheek, savoring the warmth of the blonde’s touch and committing it to memory.
“Listen Sasuke, there isn’t much time left. I want you to make me a promise.”
“Anything you want Naruto.”
Naruto stared at him seriously for a moment before continuing. “After I’m gone, I want you to keep on living for the both of us Sasuke. I want you to move on and find happiness without me.”
“But I…”
“No buts Sasuke. And don’t you dare kill yourself either. You have your whole life ahead of you and I won’t let you ruin it on my account. Promise me you’ll get past this and be happy again.”
“Naruto I can’t possibly-”
“If you love me then promise me!” Naruto shouted weakly.
Sasuke swallowed heavily before answering. “I promise you Uzumaki Naruto and I love you with all of my heart.” he swore. He bent down for what they both knew would be their last kiss.
Naruto sighed tiredly when they broke apart. “Good. Now that that’s done with I can go in peace.”
Sasuke tried to dam his tears, he really did, but in the end it proved to be a futile effort. Naruto’s eyes were growing dimmer by the minute and it was tearing him apart to watch.
“Hey Sasuke…tell me a story. Tell me about our life together.”
“Sure.” the brunette managed through his sobs. “We first met each other during freshman year of high school. You weren’t watching where you were going and ran into me. I almost kicked your ass.” Sasuke chuckled fondly at the memory.
“And then what happened?” Naruto asked.
“We eventually became best friends. Neither of us had any real family left so we became each other’s family and looked out for one another. I eventually got up the courage to ask you out on your seventeenth birthday.”
“What did I say?”
“You told me to go to hell and said it would be like dating your brother. Then I mentioned that ramen place you like so much and you changed your mind.”
“So I did. What next?”
“We went to the movies after dinner and ended up making out. We were each other’s first kiss.”
Sasuke looked up and noticed that Naruto’s eyes had closed. The only indication that he was still alive came from the steadily ebbing beep of the heart monitor and the slight rise and fall of his chest. Despite this, the blond was smiling brightly.
“A month or so later we made love for the first time and I knew then that I never wanted to spend another day without you.”
“Sooner.” Naruto whispered.
“Huh?”
“I knew…before then. Our first kiss. Ever since that day, I’ve been in love with a bastard named Uchiha Sasuke.” the blond chuckled.
Sasuke was shocked. “And I’ve been in love with an idiot named Uzumaki Naruto.” he murmured, staring at his love’s closed eyes.
Naruto smiled and squeezed Sasuke’s hand weakly. “M’ glad.” And with that, Naruto was no more. The heart monitor flat-lined and his arm went limp. Tsunade came rushing into the room.
Sasuke was beyond his grief at that point and barely registered being led out by the older woman. His love, his everything, his Naruto was gone and already the world seemed a darker, colder place because of it. But he had made a promise and he’d be damned if he failed to fulfill Naruto’s dying wish.
-
The funeral two weeks later was a somber affair. The only people to attend besides Sasuke were a few of the couple’s mutual friends, as well as a former teacher or two and Dr. Tsunade.
After the service had ended and everyone else had left, Sasuke stood looking down at the grave of his beloved. As a final gift to Naruto, he had a special message engraved on the tombstone under the blonde’s name. He stared down at it and smiled, before finally turning to leave his love behind; gone, but never forgotten.
Together forever, forever in love.
So did anyone cry? You have to tell me if you did; it’s the rule! And even if you didn’t cry, I would still love a review. Tragedy is pretty much new ground for me and I’d really appreciate some feedback on how well I pull it off. I’m worried about how the characters came across. On the one hand, they’re OOC in the context of their canon personalities, but on the other, they’re IC (I think) in the context of the situation. Oh well, I guess that’s the magic of AU stories. Review!
[Reviews - 14]
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