The Final Month.

Sasuke awoke in the middle of the night to a phone call. He turned over and glanced at the caller ID seeing it was Naruto's number. He answered it.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked with a yawn. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Sorry for waking you Sasuke." The voice didn't belong to Naruto, it belonged to Shikamaru.

"Oh Shikamaru." Sasuke sat up in his bed now worried. "W-what's going on? Is Naruto okay?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "He was having trouble breathing." Shikamaru starts. "He freaked out and ended up passing out, I brought him to the hospital a-and they said his blood was so low it damn near couldn't pump his own heart. We were lucky we got here in time."

"What hospital are you guys in?" By now Sasuke had already threw on some sweats and a shirt and was now ordering a Lyft.

"Little Company of Mary's." Shikamaru replied. "They're giving him a blood transfusion now just to see how he does."

"I'm on my way." Sasuke ended the call and looked over at Kiba who was snoring obnoxiously and kicked him. He stirred.

"What the hell dude?" He groans. "I think that was my kidney."

"Naruto's in the hospital." Sasuke says.

"Shit. Is he alright?" Kiba sits up. Worry etched deeply in his voice.

"He needs a blood transfusion." Sasuke answers. "I'm going to the hospital."

"Wait I want to come." Kiba scrambled out the bed and slipped into his shoes. The two of them left the dorm room and to the college entrance to wait for their Lyft. Once inside, Sasuke's mind raced. Naruto surely has been very winded and tired alot lately. Ever since they came back from visiting Sasuke's parents, it was like Naruto slowed down. He noticed the change in Naruto but decided not to pry because he knew that if his Fox wanted to talk, he would've when he got ready.

Sasuke shut his eyes as he trembles slightly. He bit down hard on his bottom lip and sucked in air. Why? Why didn't he notice it was Naruto's health? Why couldn't he notice that something serious was going on with his little Fox? Now because of his obliviousness, his love is in the hospital.

"Hey, you okay?" Kiba looked worriedly at his best friend. He placed A comforting hand on top of Sasuke's. He felt the raven tremble. Sasuke usually knew Naruto would be fine, but this particular time, something in Sasuke's gut told him something much deeper is happening to Naruto that Shikamaru wasn't telling him.

"Kiba." Sasuke's voice trembled as his body shook. "I-I-"

"Shh." Kiba brushed his fingers through Sasuke's hair to calm him. "Naruto's going to be fine dude. Don't stress yourself." 

"I-I can't help it." Sasuke continues. "Kiba, I should've seen these signs. He was always tired and short winded. Come to find out he didn't have enough blood cells to pump his own heart. If Naruto didn't panick like he did for Shikamaru, he would've died in his sleep." Sasuke looks at Kiba in all seriousness, but Kiba saw through that. Sasuke loved Naruto deeper than anything and neither of them saw it. Kiba saw the desperation in Sasuke's eyes. He looked sick, worried; helpless. The last time Kiba saw this look was when Sasuke told him that he and Neji were no longer together. He knew sooner or later, Sasuke was gonna crack.

Kiba pursed his lips together and took Sasuke in his arms. He squeezed him comfortingly. Sasuke continued to shake.

This is my fault. All my fault. He thought. If I would've just paid close attention to him he wouldn't be so weak now.

****

"You didn't have to come." Shikamaru says seeing the distressed look on Sasuke's face once they reached eachother.

"He's in the hospital Shikamaru." Sasuke looked at him coldly. A typical Uchiha trait he picked up from his father. A glare that always shook even the toughest guy. "I have to be here. If you didn't want me here, then you shouldn't have called me."

"Easy bud." Shikamaru held his hands up in surrender. "That's not what I meant. You look stressed. You're probably not stable enough to be here. I know how close you too are and the news has you worried, but Sasuke, we're freaking out too. Let's just hope this goes fine."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. "What else is wrong Shikamaru?" He asked sternly.

The boy looked at him. Running a hand through his long hair he sighed. He couldn't hide anymore.

"He-He has something on his liver too." He says.

"What?" Sasuke stepped to Shikamaru who turned his head away from the raven.

"While they were giving him the blood transfusion they noticed he has something that looked like a bruise on him." Shikamaru recalls. "They ran tests to see what it is and it looked like a mass. They don't know if it's fluid yet or what. And they also found out he has slight pneumonia."

"So what does this mean Shikamaru?" Sasuke asked almost frantically.

Shikamaru sighed. "It's pretty much nothing they can do about the mass. They've given him anti biotics for the pneumonia, we're just waiting to see what-"

"What do you mean there's nothing they can do about the mass?!" Sasuke was becoming angry.

"Sasuke listen-"

"No!" Sasuke shook his head. "There has to be something they can do."

"Sasuke." Kiba grabbed Sasuke's arm gently. He knew his friend was on the verge of snapping. He was so close.

"Where is he now?" Sasuke asked.

"He's resting." Shikamaru rubbed his neck. "You can see him if you want. Go through the double doors, make a left and he's the last door on the right."

Sasuke nodded before walking off. Shikamaru and Kiba watched him.

"Naruto's not going to make it through the night according to the doctor." Shikamaru says as he looks at Kiba. "I didn't have the heart to tell him that. Naruto has full blown pneumonia and it's bad."

Kiba slumped against the wall. "Sasuke's gonna go crazy."

"Naruto's a fighter." Shikamaru says. "I've been in this position with him plenty of times. Naruto has flatlined before. I thought I lost the only friend in the world I ever had that day. And something bought him back. But tonight, I might lose him. He's weak right now, but I swear I hope he's not weak enough to fight."

Sasuke walked into Naruto's room to see him sleeping. Oxygen in his nose, IV dripping down and the defibrillator beeping, monitoring his heart rate. Sasuke wanted to cry.

Upon hearing feet shuffle, Naruto fluttered his eyes open and seen Sasuke. A slow rise of the hand, and he motioned for the Raven to come to him. He listened.

"Naruto I'm-" Naruto placed his fingers on Sasuke's lips shushing him.

"D-Dont you dare blame yourself for this." Naruto says weakly. His voice barely audible. "I'm sick Sasuke. That's all this is."

Sasuke began shaking.

"Come lay with me." Naruto patted his chest softly. Sasuke noticing that his movements even gotten slow. His words barely audible and slurring.

Naruto...

Sasuke removed his shoes and climbed into the bed with Naruto. Naruto wanting Sasuke to lay on him but Sasuke refused. He'd rather have the blonde lay on him. Not wanting to argue, Naruto turned on his side and laid his head in the raven's chest. Naruto smiled warmly and closed his eyes, his head traveling up to stuff his face in Sasuke's neck. He exhaled slowly.

"Im so tired Sasuke." Naruto mumbles into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke shut his eyes and ran his fingers through Naruto's coils. His stomach churned listening to Naruto speak. He didn't sound the same from when he's usually tired from getting his treatments; This was pure exhaustion.

I've been keeping myself alive to see you. Naruto thought. To smell you. To feel you one last time.

"Ya'know Sasuke," Naruto cleared his throat and took in a large breath. He was so winded when he spoke, that he'd have to take a large breath after every sentence. "These past six months have been everything to me. Spending them with you makes everything worth it."

"Where are you going with this?" Sasuke asked feeling his eyes water.

Again, Naruto smiled. "Because, I love you." He answers. "I-I never thought I'd be able to open myself up to someone because of my illness but you proved me wrong. I'm so glad you spoke to me in the hallway; you don't even understand. I love you so much Sasuke. My Raven." Naruto paused to look up at Sasuke who was crying. "Aw, don't cry Raven." Naruto wanted to smile but he also wanted to cry.

"I-I love you too Naruto." Sasuke's voice trembles as the sakty tears fall down his ivory toned cheeks. He let out a shaky breath. "I loved you this whole entire time. I'll always love you."

"I wish I could be well enough to he your boyfriend." Naruto takes in a breath. "That way, I can take you on dates and spoil you." Another breath. "I just, want to show you how much I really love you is all."

Sasuke couldn't stop himself any more, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Naruto's. Smiling into the kiss, Naruto reached up and caressed the side of Sasuke's face as Sasuke gripped Naruto by his jaw.

They kissed passionately, neither battling for dominance. But more so just enjoying the taste of the other. Their body's pressing closer together, Naruto obliviously grinding into Sasuke's leg. Before they could get to ripping eachothers garments off, they stopped. Naruto smiled with closed eyes.

"I wish I could have more of that on the daily basis." He takes in a breath.

"Naruto stop talking like that." Sasuke says sniffing back snot. "You're gonna get better and you're gonna go back home. We're gonna eat and go out and be together. Okay?"

Naruto slowly nodded. Listening to the fantasy that Sasuke fed him. He would love to go home with his Raven, but he wasn't strong enough to do so.

"Stay with me tonight." Naruto says. He gets comfortable on Sasuke's chest. "I want to wake up next to my boyfriend in the morning."

Sasuke let out a breath that came off as a chuckle. He was honestly holding his breath, trying not to cry all over again.

"Of course I'll stay." Sasuke whispers allowing himself to get comfortable.

A nurse walked in just as Naruto was about to doze off.

"Oh sir I'm sorry but you can't be in the bed with the paiten-"

"He's fine." Naruto spoke groggily. He opened an eye giving the nurse an icy glare. Sasuke couldn't see it, but he saw the Nurse swallow a lump in her throat before she looked back at Sasuke.

"Uh, N-nevermind." She stutters. "Just be careful you don't cut off the breathi-"

"I said 'he's fine'." Naruto's voice interrupted her again. His icy glare never leaving.

The nurse cleared her throat again and walked out the room.

"You didn't have to be a brat." Sasuke tells Naruto once his eyes close.

"She knew I was trying to sleep." Naruto answers before drifting off once again. Sasuke couldn't sleep though. His mind raced. Naruto was so weak. And he's talking as if he's never going to see Sasuke again. Does Naruto know something that he doesn't?

He watched the blonde as he slept. He was so in love with Naruto that the thought of him being without him was impossible to imagine. Naruto's snores filled the hospital room, sounding over the beeping of the machines. Sasuke chuckled to himself. He always been the one to hate snoring. And now here he was, with His Fox, the man he was in love with, lay on his chest and snore. But he loved it. He loved the sound of Naruto's snoring. He almost craved it.

Sasuke removed his glasses from his face and stuffed them in his pocket. He closed his eyes and soon sleep greeted him as well.

****

Naruto's eyes fluttered open and they landed on a bush of raven. Naruto smiled as he admired his Raven as he slept peacefully, without a simple care in the world. This made Naruto happy. He'd survived through the night, despite what his doctor said. All determined to see Sasuke when he woke up one last time.

Naruto reached out and used his thumb to trace across Sasuke's lips, which caused the Raven to awaken from his slumber. His eyes fell on Naruto and he smiled softly.

"Good morning." He croaks out.

"Good morning indeed beautiful." Naruto replies causing the Raven to blush heavily.

"I've fulfilled my goal." Naruto smiles and lays back on Sasuke. 

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asks.

"I wanted to see you when I wake up and I did." His smile never left his face as he took in a deep breath.

"Tell me you love me, Sasuke." He whispers. Still struggling to form a perfect sentence without getting winded.

"Why?" Sasuke begins to panic. "Naruto don't you dare leave me."

"Hm, I knew you'd catch on sooner or later." Naruto says between breaths.

Sasuke began crying.

"Stop crying, please." Naruto says.

"I wanna be so selfish." Sasuke trembles. "I swear it."

Naruto chuckles. "I would tell you to be selfish, but I don't want to lead you on." A tear finally escapes Naruto's eyes. "I love you, so much....Sasuke."

"I love you too, Naruto." Sasuke listened as the steady beeping became slower. He watched Naruto's breathing become barely visible. Then...

Beeeeeeeep.

"Naruto?"

No answer.

"Naruto?!" Sasuke jumpped turning towards his love.

"NAARUTO!!" He shook the boy but got nothing. Nurses came rushing in and ushering Sasuke out. Shikamaru and Kiba rushing towards him.

"What happend?!" Shikamaru asked. Sasuke fell to his knees.

"He's gone!" Sasuke cried. "Naruto is gone Shikamaru."

Kiba helped Sasuke to his feet against the Raven's wishes.

Time stood still. Sasuke struggled to breathe as his friends tried their best to get him away from the room door. For what seemed like an eternity, The doctor came from the room and looked between the three. Sasuke sitting against the wall with his legs pulled to his chest, Kiba kneeling in front of him trying to calm him down, and Shikamaru with his back pressed against the wall trying his hardest not to cry.

The doctor cleared his throat before gaining their attention. Sasuke turned his head, refusing to look the man in the eye. He already knew Naruto was dead, he didn't need the confirmation.

"I-I'm sorry to have to tell you this b-but your friend-There wasn't anything more we could've done. I-I'm sorry."

His words hung in he air. Sasuke scoffed, sniffing back snot and let out a shaky breath. Shikamaru's head dropped. And so did Kiba's.

Nothing you could've done? Sasuke Thought. He knew he shouldn't have felt any bitterness towards the doctor but he couldn't help it. He never found out what the mass on Naruto's liver was. He never got to bring Naruto home and hold him. He watched as the nurses slowly wheeled all their medical mechines out of Naruto's now empty room.

"I want to see him." Sasuke says.

"Son I-"

"Let him." Shimamaru says looking over at the Doctor. "Things will go alot smoothly if you give him what he wants right now."

"You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand." Shikamaru says pushing himself off the wall. "We didn't just lose some friend. We lost someone dear to us. Someone who brightened our days and made living so much better. We lost a brother. My friend here lost his lover." Shikamaru paused determined to let that sink in to the doctor who stood there with wide eyes. "All he's asking is to see his love one more time before you stuff him in a freezer."

Silence filled the air.

"O-Okay." The doctor says. He steps aside and Sasuke struggled to his feet. His knees were weak. His legs were numb. He paced himself as he stepped inside the quiet room. He walked to the bed where his lifeless love laid. Eyes closed and mouth slightly opened. He looked as if he was just sleeping and he'd wake up any moment, demanding that Sasuke got in the bed and held him.

Sasuke pursed his lips together, but they quickly parted as he broke down. He fell on top of Naruto. He could feel the warmth leaving his Fox's body.

"You're such a jerk Naruto." He cried hysterically. He cracked. Sasuke cracked. He sat on the bed and pulled Naruto's body to his as he cried and rocked them back and forth. "You should've stayed with me."

"I love you Naruto." He screams. "I love you so much!"

"Please get him out of there." Kiba stresses looking at Shikamaru.

"I can't." Shikamaru says as tears fall from his eyes. "I lied to him Kiba. I told him it wasn't as bad as it truely was. I can at least let him grieve."

"He's going crazy in there Shikamaru." Kiba looks at the door, watching Sasuke rock, caress and kiss on Naruto's lifeless body.

"Then you stop him Kiba." Shikamaru looks over at the brunette, challenging him to pull Sasuke away from his dead lover. Kiba shoved a hand through his hair and sat on the floor.

"We'll wait for him." Shikamaru whispers.

An hour and a half later, Sasuke walked out of the room as they wheeled Naruto's body down to the mourge. He stood in the hall and watched as Naruto's arm slipped from under the white sheet, hanging loosely from the bed. The nurse picked his hand up, and stuffed it back underneath the sheets, giving Sasuke one last glance at his blonde fox before they boarded the elevator.

His eyes cuts to Shikamaru and Kiba, who've been standing there the entire time.

"I thought the two of you would've left." Sasuke croaks out.

"I didn't have the heart to leave you here Sasuke." Shikamaru says. He grabbs Sasuke's shoulder comfortingly. "We're gonna get through this together alright?"

Sasuke's eyes traveled down. This was his reality. There was no more Naruto. At all.

****

"Here Sasuke." Shikamaru handed Sasuke a small box wrapped in orange. His eyes softened when he saw the orange wrapping. He looked over at the lazy lad who smiled at him.

It's been a week. They've been making the funeral arrangements and decided to just cremate Naruto and hold a small memorial at his favorite place; the waterfall.

"What is this?" Sasuke asks.

"Open it." Shikamaru urges.

Sasuke tore the orange packaging off of the box. Opening the box he was greeted by a silver bullet linked onto a silver necklace. Sasuke looked back up at Shikamaru.

"What is this for?" He asks the lazy boy.

"Sasuke, we all know how much you love Naruto." Shikamaru starts. "So we all out our money together to get those closest to Naruto- like you and I, something to make you feel like he's still around."

"You're not answering my question Shikamaru." Sasuke says.

Shikamaru chuckled. "That bullet is filled with some of Naruto's ashes." He says. "I have one too." Shikamaru pulled the necklace from under his shirt. I don't know about you but I wont be stable when we pour his ashes down the waterfall."

Sasuke smiled pulling the necklace put of the box and putting it around his neck. He held the bullet in his hands as he looked at it.

"Thank you." He answers.

The day of the memorial came and Sasuke stood alongside Sakura. She gripped his hand through the whole process. He watched as Shikamaru removed the top of the Urn. Their eyes locked.

"Sasuke, let's do this together yeah?" He pursed his lips into a smile.

Sasuke climbed up the few rocks untill he stood alongside Shikamaru. He placed his hands on the urn as well. Shikamaru looked at him.

"You ready?" He asked him. Sasuke took in a shaky breath.

"Okay." Shikamaru nodded. "One.....Two....Three."

They both turned the urn over and watched as the ashes fell into the water and floated all down the waterfall into the small lake, crashing against more rocks.

"You're free now Naruto." Shikamaru whispers. "Enjoy your swim."

Sasuke wiped his eyes and clutched the bullet containing his share of Naruto's ashes.

"I love you Naruto." Sasuke says. "I love you so much."