Inspired by: Dancing by Elisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Enjoy my fab one-shot.

He was bleeding. Alot. He removed the hand pressed against his wound and winced at the amount of blood pouring out of it. He hadn't been so hurt in a long time. And he was alone; no one to help him take care of it. He'd been stumbling around this forest blindly, not sure where he was. The pain was making him light-headed and woozy, and distorting his vision. Everything was a blur to him.

'Come on, just one more step,' he told himself. 'Now one more step. Now one more step. Now one--'

His knees buckled beneath him, sending him face-first to the hard ground. As he lay there, he wondered if maybe this was his punishment. For killing his brother. Kami was going to make him die slowly and painfully. He could understand that. He could take that. Just as long as no one was there to see him this way.

Almost as if on cue, he heard quick footsteps, then someone dropped beside him. "Oh Kami, Sasuke! Sakura-chan, help!"

Sasuke groaned and tried to turn himself away from his friend even as a pair of white boots caked with mud ran towards him, as a girl's voice cried out, "Sasuke-kun! Are you hurt?!"

"Go...away..." he managed to mumble.

She ignored him and said, "Naruto, help me turn him over. I need to get a look at him, to see where he's bleeding."

"Stop..." he protested weakly as tan hands worked with pale to roll him over onto his back. "Don't...help...me..."

"Shut up, Teme!" Naruto told him fiercly. "Just let Sakura-chan heal you, you bastard!"

"Naruto, please. Could you go wet this?" The blonde huffed at Sakura's words, but strode off all the same.

"Gomen nasai, Sasuke-kun. He's just worried about you." A cool hand touched his face, brushing across his eyes. "Why won't you look at me, Sasuke-kun? Please, open your eyes."

"Not...worthy..." he muttered, hardly knowing what he was saying anymore.

Her breath caught, and he heard the pain in her voice as she said tightly, "I'm not worthy?"

"No, not...you...I'm...not...worthy..."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," she said softly, caressing his cheek. "Don't belittle yourself like that. Even if it does make for a nice change."

At her melodious laugh, he forced his eyes open to stare at her. If anything, she had gotten more beautiful in the year since he'd last seen her. Her bubble-gum pink hair was slightly longer, still framing her cute face, her eyes still that bright apple-green that he liked so much. He didn't even look at the rest of her. Her face was enough. Her smile was enough. "You're still...gorgeous..." he told her, again not thinking of what he was saying.

Her eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled. "You're delirious." She set about inspecting his wound, a flush of pink still on her cheeks. But as she assessed the damage, her smile dimmed, then faded. "Kami, Sasuke-kun. Did you get into a fight with sixteen grizzly bears or something?!"

"No...killed...Itachi..."

Her head snapped up, and her eyes met his pain-filled ones. Compassion darkened her irises to an almost emerald green as she said, "I am so sorry, Sasuke-kun. Sorry you had to do that. Sorry that we weren't there to help you."

"I...wouldn't...let...you..."

"Still, I should have tried harder to convince you. Should have found a way to help you." Her hands fisted in her lap, and he was startled to see her eyes were filled with tears. "Should have brought you back to Konoha, so that we could help you find Itachi. Should have worked harder to keep you in Konoha that night you left."

"Sakura, I--" He paused to take a deep breath of courage, then said, "I never really wanted to leave, but I felt I had to. Get more power. Defeat Itachi. Avenge my clan. Then rebuild it. But..." Another breath. "I was wrong. Orochimaru wasn't the answer. And I've regretted my decision ever since. But you know me...I'm stubborn. An Uchiha thing."

She smiled again, though the tears were spilling over onto her cheeks, then nodded, as if to tell him to keep talking. So he took yet another deep breath and said, "And, I really want to go back to Konoha. And...I've really missed you."

"I've missed you too, Sasuke-kun. Like you wouldn't believe." Her smile got wider, and brighter. He loved it so much.

"But my wound..." His hand found the stab wound on his chest and, pulling it away, saw the bright red blood on it. "It's serious. And I really don't think...I'll make it."

Just like that, Sakura's smile disappeared. "No, Sasuke-kun, don't talk like that. Please don't talk like that. I'm Tsunade's apprentice, second only to her in the art of healing. I'll heal you. Believe in me."

"I do, Sakura-chan, but...Itachi's sword...dipped...in poion, he said...before he...died..."

"POISON?! Sasuke-kun, why didn't you tell me sooner?! I've got to get it out of there--"

His hand caught hers as it reached for his chest and held it hard. "No. Don't bother."

"Sasuke-kun, I have to--"

"Please, Sakura. I...have to tell you something."

She stopped struggling in his grip and stared down at him. "What? What do you want to tell me?"

"I..." His eyes squeezed tightly shut, then opened again. "I...I love you."

Her heart skipped a beat; her pupils dilated in shock as she stared down at him. "Wh-wh-what did you say?!"

"I love you, Sakura. I think I always have." His grip on her hand tightened almost to the point of pain. "And I understand if you don't love...me...anymore..."

"Sasuke-kun, I will love you until Naruto stops eating ramen; and seeing as he's progressed to sixteen bowls in one sitting, that won't happen for eternity." Her smile was gentle as she brushed his bangs out of his face. "I'm glad I'm here with you."

"Me too." They stayed that way for a minute, not speaking. Then Sasuke said, "Sakura...?"

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Can I...can I kiss you?"

Her mouth formed an O of surprise, then stretched into a smile. "Hai, Sasuke-kun."

She leaned down to him, and he raised his head slightly. His blood-stained hand slid around her neck into her hair and fisted a handful of it, and brought her closer. He felt her warm breath on his lips, and it almost made him groan aloud. She caressed his cheek, then cupped his face in her hands, and settled her lips over his. He'd never tasted anything sweeter.

But it wasn't to last. "Uh...Should I leave?" Naruto's voice asked uncertainly, and Sakura broke the kiss and almost fell backwards.

"Dobe..."

Sasuke closed his eyes. The pain was unbearable. He managed to open his eyes again, and looked straight at Sakura, who was staring down at him with a light flush on her cheeks. "Sakura...Thank you..." he managed, then the blackness took him.

XxXxXx-.-.-.-.-xXxXxX

"--gonna wake up soon?"

Sasuke was floating dreamily along, thinking of Sakura and how much he would miss her, when he began to hear the voices. They were insistent and familiar, but he didn't want to hear them. Were there people he knew in Heaven? Or...was he going to Hell? All the innocent people he'd killed...It wouldn't surprise him.

"I hope so. Look, go home and get some rest. I'll call you if something changes."

His brow furrowed as he tried to shut the voices out. Maybe he was hearing his own memories, because that voice sounded strangely like Tsunade, and, as far as he knew, she was still alive and well.

"I want to be here when he wakes up. I love him, Tsunade-shishou. And he loves me."

And that was Sakura's voice. What the heck was going on?! Why was he hearing these things?! Wait, she'd said she loved someone. But she'd said she loved him. Did that mean...he was alive...?

He twitched his fingers experimentally. Yup, they moved. So he was still alive!! "S...saku...ra..." he murmured, more a croak than anything.

"Sasuke-kun?! You're awake!" Her voice was excited, and got closer to him.

He opened his eyes slowly, for his eyelids felt like they weighed more than lead. But it was worth it, to see Sakura's face swimming above him. Wait, swimming? His eyes were blurry for some reason. He reached up a hand to his face, and was surprised to find there was something wet around his eyes. Kami, was he crying?! Uchihas weren't supposed to cry!

"Sasuke-kun, thank Kami!" Sakura cried out, then immediately quieted when he winced at her volume. "You've been in a coma-like state for three weeks. But you're okay now."

He blinked away his tears and said, "You...saved me?"

"Hai. Itachi lied to you. There was no poison in your system. Just a huge katana wound." Her own eyes were over-bright, and she swiped her arm across her eyes. "You're okay now! You're okay now, and you're back where you should be, in Konoha with me! And Tsunade-shishou is working on getting you a light sentence for your desertion. So everything's gonna be okay now!"

He took her hand in his and gave her a genuine smile and said, "Hai. It'll all be okay now."

"Aishiteru, Sasuke-kun. Forever and a day."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently, replying, "Aishiteru, Sakura-chan. Forever and TWO days."

I don't do fluff very well, ne? Anywho, review review review!