What Dreams May Come.

Warning boy x boy, don’t read if you don’t like.



What Dreams May Come



AN: Yay, the wonderful Gaarasslave on Y! made me a beautiful picture fanart for this story. The scene is from an earlier chapter flashback where Naruto returns to Konoha to find it in ruins. You can see this absolutely beautiful picture at http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/554233/. So check it out. Its fabulous!



Chapter Twenty



Naruto watched as the physical therapist moved Sasuke’s stiff legs. His young lover attempted to remain unaffected by the exam but tears had begun to run down his face. The casts had just been taken off and the therapist was testing the range of motion of the joints as well as the muscle tone in the legs. The scars on his legs stood out a dark magenta against the pale skin.



It had been three grueling months of surgeries and doctors. Despite Itachi’s misgivings, Sasuke told his brother that under no uncertain circumstances was he returning to the mansion with him.



That had sparked an argument that had resulted in Itachi storming from the hospital room and into the hall. Naruto wasn’t sure if the man was hurt that he didn’t want him taking care of him or if he just wanted to make sure Sasuke was taken care of. Either way, Sasuke chose to stay with Naruto. Itachi reluctantly agreed to allow Sasuke to stay with Naruto under the agreement that Itachi would come and stay every weekend to check on Sasuke’s progress.



Naruto spent the next few weeks renovating his house to be more accessible to the wheelchair that Sasuke would have to use. The surgeries were hard on Sasuke as well as Naruto and Itachi. Sasuke began to lose weight. Naruto was beginning to be concerned when Sasuke would barely eat; even going so far as to offer to find him whatever he wanted.



It didn’t help. Sasuke ate just enough to keep the doctors from forcing the issue. Sasuke started to draw more into himself. He barely acknowledged Naruto’s presence even though the blonde only left his side to teach his classes and go home to shower.



When the doctor finally told Sasuke that his bones were finished mending and he could begin physical therapy soon, Naruto cheered. Now Sasuke could actually focus on something. Now he would start opening up again.



Another whimper escaped Sasuke’s lips as the therapist worked the injured muscles. Naruto turned pleading eyes on the woman.



“It’s going to be a painful process for him. He’s going to need a lot of assistance at first.” she said gently as she eased Sasuke’s leg down and covered him with the blanket.



“How long until he can walk?” Naruto asked.



“I don’t give time frames. If he works hard at it and doesn’t injure himself, it’s possible that he could be walking with crutches in a few months. But each patient is different so we will just have to see.” Naruto nodded and turned his eyes to Sasuke who was staring blankly at the wall.



“I noticed that he’s a little thin. It shows in his chart that he has been losing some weight.” Naruto nodded.



“He barely eats anything.” Sasuke shot Naruto a pissed off glance but didn’t say anything to contradict the words.



“Sasuke, you will need to eat healthy if you plan on walking. The therapy is going to be straining on you and you need to be in top condition if you want the quickest and best results.” The therapist smiled at the young man.



“I’m going to take him to PT for the next three days to get him orientated with what we will be doing. After that I’ll arrange for his doctors to release him to go home. I assume his home has been modified to be wheelchair assessable?” Naruto nodded and the woman turned to face Sasuke.



“Sasuke, I would highly recommend being as active as possible within your limitations. You’re going to need to build up your stamina for the months ahead.” said Lilo, the therapist.



“Hn.” was the only response she got. Nodding, the woman left Naruto and Sasuke alone.



“Hey Sasuke, isn’t that great? You could be out of here in three days.”



“Don’t matter.”



“What the fuck is the matter with you?” growled Naruto. He’d had enough of Sasuke staying lost in his own world. He had just restored the broken pieces of his heart and he wasn’t about to let Sasuke fuck with them again.



“I don’t want to talk about it.”



“Fine, I have class anyway.” Naruto stormed out of the room and down the hall. He swiped angrily at burning eyes. The bastard was doing it to him again. He was so tied up in knots from walking on eggshells around the bastard that he wasn’t sure which way was up and which was down.



“Uzumaki-san!” Naruto turned to see the Lilo jogging down the hallway towards him.



Naruto bowed politely and waited to see what she needed. The slender woman smiled sadly at the reddened eyes of the seemingly young man.



“I just wanted to tell you that it’s common for individuals to go into depression after an accident of this magnitude. Don’t let his attitude push you down. It’s hard for him. He knows that he won’t ever be as he was before. Even with therapy his legs were mangled. He will never be able to run a marathon and he will never be able to continue with martial arts which his brother told me Sasuke was very gifted in. The next few months and years will be a huge adjustment for him. Be patient. He will get over this hump.”



Naruto’s spirits lifted a little at the words. It was just as hard on him and Itachi as it was on Sasuke, just in a different way. Naruto was still having issues with the guilt over the accident. He kept telling himself that Sasuke could have avoided being injured if he had just watched where he was going instead of making puppy eyes at Sasuke. When you came down to it, it was his fault that Sasuke was going through this and that Sasuke would have to struggle just to be able to do the things that other people took for granted.



Naruto bowed to the physical therapist and made his way out the door. Sliding into the comfortable leather interior of his vehicle, Naruto leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He knew that Sasuke would over come this. The bastard in both lives was as stubborn as they came. He wouldn’t let something like this stop him from doing whatever the hell he wanted.



What worried Naruto was would Sasuke let him remain a part of his life? This relationship was so new that it might be more than Sasuke wanted to deal with. Biting his lip, Naruto opted not to think about it. He would stay by Sasuke’s side for the rest of his life, come what may.



Pushing the gear shift, Naruto pulled from the lot and onto the road towards the university. The faculty and staff had been surprisingly open about the relationship between Naruto and his former student, no doubt due to the aid of Tsunade and Jiraiya. There wasn’t a written rule that faculty couldn’t date students but it was something that just wasn’t done.



The university staff was also very helpful with Naruto as he attempted to balance his work with his need to be at Sasuke’s bedside. The history department all pitched in and arranged for Naruto to have a lunch waiting for him everyday after his noon class. Several of the senior majors in the department offered to TA his classes and help him grade the various essays that he assigned.



After the accident, Naruto had opted to use essays as the form of test for his classes. It would be something he could easily grade while at Sasuke’s side and he wouldn’t have to spend so many hours creating written tests and then typing them up. That was a chore in itself. The offer of grading help was much appreciated by Naruto since his classes were large due to the fact that most of them were compiled of freshmen students.



Walking into the empty classroom, Naruto took his book out and began to make a few notes for when class began. He always liked arriving a little early so he could review the assigned chapters. He pretty much knew the book by heart but that didn’t mean he wasn’t opposed to a little review. Unlike his childhood, Naruto developed into quiet the academic over the years.



“G-good M-morning, Uzumaki-sensei.” smiled Hinata as she arrived first to class.



“Good Morning, Hinata-chan. How are things working out with your father?”



“It’s still s-strained but t-things are l-looking up.” she blushed.



Naruto smiled. The first few weeks of class had been difficult for the shy girl. Her father had wanted her to quit school but with the help of Naruto she was able to stay in school with the aid of scholarships and grants instead of relying solely on her father’s good graces. The relationship was still strained with the two but Hinata was making an effort to communicate with her father.



“H-how is S-Sasuke-kun?”



“He’s ready to start PT. Just a few more days and he should go home. It’s going to be a long road.”



“B-but he has you. I t-think he will be just f-fine.”



“Thank you, Hinata-chan.” Hinata smiled and grew redder in the face as she left him to take her seat as more students began to file into the class.



Naruto stood as the last student settled in their desk. At least teaching would keep his mind off of Sasuke and the up-coming strain of PT.



~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~



Sasuke flopped back against the thin pillow as Naruto stormed from the room. Rubbing the ache in his chest, he grabbed the remote and flipped on the television. He didn’t really want to watch anything but the background noise kept the deathly quiet room from driving him mad.



At least he had heard one piece of good news. He would be going home in a few days. Shifting on the bed, Sasuke attempted to move himself into a position that would ease the aching in his legs and hips. God, it hurt. It never stopped. The most he could ever hope for was to eventually find a position in which the throbbing was reduced to a milder ache.



Once he was finished with the surgeries, Sasuke refused pain medication. He didn’t care if it felt like his legs were on fire; he wouldn’t become dependant on medication in order to be able to function. He had lost enough in the accident, he wasn’t about to lose the clarity of his mind.



“Fuck that.” he muttered to himself as he shifted yet again, releasing a pained groan as a muscle cramp shot up his left leg. That leg seemed to have the most damage.



“You know such language isn’t polite.” Sasuke jerked his eyes towards the door where Lilo stood in her pastel blue scrubs, decorated with little butterflies.



“Hn, not like it isn’t something you would hear a lot working in physical therapy. I’m sure the foul words that come out of people’s mouths are worse than that.” Lilo stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter as if that was the funniest thing that she had ever heard.



“Right you are, Uchiha-san. And I’m sure before the end of the day, you will be saying some of them.” she grinned evilly.



Sasuke scowled at her and crossed his arms across his chest, as if he wasn’t in enough pain as it was.



“It says in your chart that you refuse all pain meds. Any particular reason why?” Lilo asked as she flipped through her note pad.



“Yea, I like being able to think. That morphine they gave me made my mind fuzzy not to mention I don’t want to be dependant on pain medicine to be able to function.” Sasuke said before adjusting himself again. God was against him today, there were no comfortable spots at all.



“Sasuke, that morphine was intended to knock you out. The pain medicine that you would be given now will help ease your pain but it won’t make your mind hazy. I won’t lie to you, it is addictive but if taken as prescribed, the chances of you become dependant on it are slim.” said Lilo as she pulled out a chair and sat next to his bed.



Sasuke eyed her warily. She was up to something, he just knew it. Lilo smiled and pulled out a clipboard and paper from her bag.



“I noticed that your joints were really stiff when I was checking you over. Where did the pain hurt the most?”



“Why are you asking me now?” He shifted again on the bed. Why couldn’t she just leave so he could wallow in his misery alone?



“I thought you might open up more after Uzumaki-san left. Some patients open up better when their loved ones aren’t around. You know…he cares for you a great deal. You should talk to him. He’s hurting inside just as much as you are on the outside.”



“What are you my mother?” Sasuke snarled but inside he knew she was right. He could see the hurt in both Naruto’s eyes and Itachi’s. He was pushing them both away. It was just easier. He didn’t like them seeing him like this, his body battered and broken almost to the point of ruin.



“No, but when you are in a bitter mood, your body suffers for it. You won’t concentrate and that can set back process if you aren’t focused during our sessions. Now, back to my question.”



“Fine, my whole damn leg hurts. My knees were sore but not to the point that it hurt. My hips hurt like a son of a bitch and I fucking can’t find a comfortable spot on this bed to save my life. Happy?” Why couldn’t she just leave? He was tired of her questions and knowing smile. Lilo smiled at Sasuke’s obvious pout. It was a start.



Standing, Lilo adjusted the angle of the head of the bed and raised the knees. Grabbing a couple of pillows from the small closet, she rolled them and placed them beneath his hips and knees. Sasuke watched her work, his eyes cautious.



“There, how does that feel?” He leaned back against the bed and after a few moments, the support of the pillows eases his pain wracked muscles. Sasuke looked at her in surprise.



“How did you do that?”



“Old nursing trick for patients that can’t have their pain medicine yet but need some relief. Now, I want you to take your pain medicine everyday before our sessions. If you don’t take it any other time, take it then. By the time we are finished, it will be starting to kick in and you will need it, trust me. Our first session is in two hours, so see you then.”



Sasuke scowled at the barely hidden order to take his pain medication. He really did hate being ordered around. Nodding his head in acknowledgement of her words, Sasuke closed his eyes. Now that his body was in a somewhat less painful position, with the support from the pillows, Sasuke closed his eyes.



Naruto usually slept in a chair beside him. Since they couldn’t share the bed, Sasuke had to be content with simply having his hand held by the blonde. Sasuke would pretend to doze off every night and within a few minutes; Naruto would be cradling his hand in his own. It had become such a comforting ritual that Sasuke found himself longing for that touch now. He found sleep elusive without the simple touch of Naruto’s caressing fingers.



Though he couldn’t sleep without Naruto, Sasuke found himself drifting into a light doze. A nurse woke him a short while later to offer him his medicine before therapy. Sasuke eyed the pill with disdain but decided it might be wise to follow the advice of Lilo. He sure as hell didn’t want to end up embarrassing himself by asking for it later if the pain proved too much.



Grabbing his water bottle, Sasuke downed the pill and waited for the aid to come and lift him from the bed to a wheelchair. He didn’t have to wait long as a large man, dressed in white scrubs pushed a wheelchair into the room. Carefully lifting Sasuke from the bed, the aid settled him in the chair before pushing him from the room towards the therapy section of the hospital.



~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~



Naruto wearily pushed open the door to Sasuke’s room. He was surprised to see it empty. Was he at therapy? She had said that he would start today but hadn’t mentioned a time. Slumping in his normal chair, Naruto placed the bag of sandwiches that one his co-worker had given him to eat on the adjustable table.



Not really hungry, Naruto closed his eyes and began to doze. His energy levels were in the toilet. Ever since Kyuubi had disappeared, his body continued to struggle to adjust to the significant lack of that extra chakra boost. It was getting better but he still tired easy, not to mention the stress of worrying about Sasuke was taking a toll on him.



It wasn’t long before Naruto was snoring in the chair. Sasuke couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face at the sight of the drooling blonde sleeping in the chair as the aid rolled him into the room. The aid lifted Sasuke back into the bed, and he bit his lip to prevent the whimper of pain from escaping. Lilo hadn’t been kidding when she said it would hurt. He would hate to imagine what the pain would be like if he had opted to not take the pill.



The aid grabbed the pillows and adjusted them to a similar position as Lilo’s earlier trick. It wasn’t exactly the same but it was close enough to make him a little bit more comfortable.



The aid closed the door and Sasuke was left alone with the sleeping Naruto. The blonde was sleeping hard, evidenced by the heavy drool that pooled on the corner of his mouth. He knew Naruto wasn’t sleeping well either. That chair couldn’t be comfortable and coupled with Sasuke’s restlessness; the blonde was probably running on empty most of the time. It bothered him to see those bright blue eyes dulled with exhaustion.



Watching the blonde lulled Sasuke into a peaceful state. He wasn’t in intense pain, but rather his legs and hips ached from the stretches and movements that they had been put through. Blue eyes blinked open and long arms stretched above him.



“Sasuke?”



“Who else would be in this bed?” snorted Sasuke.



“Bastard.” Naruto muttered before grabbing the bag of sandwiches. Sasuke saw him and his stomach gave a decidedly loud grumble. He hadn’t been hungry in weeks but suddenly that sandwich looked down right delicious.



“Hey, idiot, toss me one.”



“One what?” Naruto asked, slightly confused at the question.



“Sandwich…” Naruto brightened considerably and offered Sasuke a tuna sandwich.



Sasuke bit into the bread and almost rolled his eyes in pleasure. The tuna was flavored with several spices and bread tasted homemade. It was the best thing he could remember eating in a long time.



“You’re eating, Sasuke.” Naruto smiled and watched happily as Sasuke devoured the sandwich in record time.



“I know that, dobe.” sniped Sasuke before grabbing Naruto’s own sandwich from his hand and inhaling it too.



“That evil bitch of a physical therapist worked me so hard I’m hurting in places that I’ve never hurt before.” Sasuke settled against his bed. His stomach hurt due to the fact that it was full for the first time in months.



“Heh, she seemed nice to me.”



“Nice? She put me on a table and tortured me until I was screaming obscenities at her.” Sasuke groaned as a small muscle spasm began to work its way through his left leg.



“Fuck!” Sasuke jerked as his leg muscles seemed to clench viciously. Gripping his thigh with a hand, Sasuke gritted his teeth at the pain. Naruto saw the pain that flashed across Sasuke’s face. His eyes were clenched shut and Naruto saw a little red stain his lips as the flesh was drawn between his teeth.



“Sasuke?”



“Muscle…cramp.” grated out Sasuke as the taunt muscle refused to loosen.



“Here, let me.” said Naruto as he settled on the bed beside his lover.



Taking Sasuke’s leg, Naruto began to press his slender fingers into the wounded muscle. The multiple surgeries and inactivity had taken their toll on him and the PT had forced the weakened muscles into motions that they were unused to. Pressing deep into the knot that had formed in the heavy muscle of Sasuke’s thigh, Naruto didn’t fail to hear the groan that escaped the clenched lips. Keeping his touch firm, he worked the painful muscle until he felt it loosen.



Sasuke slumped on the bed as the pain ebbed; Naruto softened his touches to more of a stroke. If Sasuke could have purred he would have. The touches, coupled with a full stomach and an exhausted body, pushed Sasuke into a deep sleep.



Naruto continued to caress the wounded body of his lover. His touches radiated peace. He trailed his fingers beneath Sasuke’s eyes, smoothing across the shadowed skin that testified to a lack of proper rest. Working his fingers across to the spiky hair that had grown long in the months since the accident.



“Before too much longer, you will start to look like Itachi.” whispered Naruto into Sasuke’s ear.



“Idiot.” mumbled Sasuke before drifting deeper.



Naruto trailed his fingers down Sasuke’s chest and across ribs that had become far too prominent. Caressing each ridge, Naruto worked his hands down until they could link with Sasuke’s fingers. He knew that Sasuke rested better when Naruto was touching him. Laying his head on the bed, Naruto worked his fingers between Sasuke’s before dozing off himself.



Itachi pushed open the door, expecting to see a dull eyed Sasuke and a sad faced Naruto. Much to his surprise he saw an extremely relaxed Sasuke and an equally relaxed Naruto. Both were sleeping and he wasn’t about to disturb them. He would have been stupid not to notice the deep bruising beneath both their eyes.



To see them sleeping so deeply was a blessing in itself. He would be happy once Sasuke was out of the hospital and in a less medical environment. Even though it irked him that his little brother refused to stay with him, Itachi understood his reasoning. He didn’t want the reminder of their parents especially now that he was in such a delicate state mentally as well as physically.



Itachi had eventually relented and agreed to allow him to stay with Naruto under the agreement that Itachi provide a licensed nurse to stay with Sasuke during the day while Naruto was teaching or in his office. Both had reluctantly agreed. Itachi had come down today to finish the arrangements with the nursing agency and decided to pay his brother a visit.



The past few weeks had been straining on their relationship. Though he visited every weekend, Sasuke barely acknowledged him and Itachi found himself missing his cute little brother. Seeing him resting a little more easily brought intense relief to Itachi. Sasuke was strong, he would get through this.



Smiling, he settled in the extra chair in the room and pulled out his laptop. He would stay for a couple of hours with the two. They were family after all and he’d been distant since the argument about where Sasuke would live. Turning his eyes to the lap top, Itachi continued to work on the brief as the lovers peacefully slept on.



TBC~



Thank you to Nickles, fairietayle, riddlestar, kunf_you_z-ed, and XZanayu for the reviews.