Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Warnings: shounen-ai/yaoi, fluff. Angst?Mentions of violence.

Dedicated: to Shenmi Meiren. Thank you, thank you, thank you, darling, for those lovely post-cards! I'm still smiling when I see them. Also a thank you to Felicia, who introduced me to Yann Tiersen's music.

A/N: To complain about my lack of updates, send me a PM. Please leave a review if you're still interested in what I write. There will be a few more one-shots before I update any of my multi-chaptered stories, if there are readers interested.

All Apologies

Tenth of October

Dead leaves crunched under Uchiha Sasuke's feet; cool air filling his lungs, only to come out as warm smoke. His dark, narrow eyes were focusing on someone not ten metres ahead. His eyes couldn't leave the lean form, and he barely noticed the young man's choice of clothing.

Despite the harsh wind, making the leaves dance in the air, the other had chosen to wear a thin, black trench coat. The boots on his feet seemed to be a size to big, and his long fingers were covered in orange mittens. The young man's blonde hair was ruffled, giving him a slightly tousled look.

Yet, Sasuke didn't notice. All he could stare at was the blonde man's face.

The rosy, scarred cheeks; the ice blue eyes and the plump lips. The lips parted as ice blue eyes found Sasuke walking closer. Warm air escaped those beautiful lips, the sound of soft laughter followed. Sasuke didn't hear. All he could see was beauty, tragedy. Both heavy and apparent in those cold, blue eyes.

"Sasuke."

That, he could hear. The calm, agonised whisper. His name. He wanted to hear it again, finding it incredibly enchanting. He took a step closer. Red, yellow and brown leaves crunched under his boots. Mere centimetres kept them apart, their clothes an insulting barrier.

Their hot breaths mingled, everything turning into shades of grey. No more black and white, no more right and wrong. Sasuke raised his gloved hand, the black leather whining quietly as he moved his fingers over the other's cheek. He trailed his index finger slowly over that straight, perfect nose.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke leaned down ever so slightly, his pale lips almost against the other man's. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and put his hands on the other's hips. He wanted to feel warm skin against his hands. As he parted his lips to speak, breathing out hot smoke, he felt mitten-covered fingers in his charcoal-coloured hair.

"Naruto."

The other let out a small whimper, almost inaudible. Uzumaki Naruto had closed his eyes, dragging his feet to get closer to the taller man. His grip in Sasuke's hair didn't falter, even when he opened his moth against Sasuke's.

The inevitable kiss was almost shy. Hesitation lay over them like a heavy blanket, making them slow down. Sasuke could feel Naruto's fingers leave his hair, only to fall down on the Uchiha's broad shoulders. Not even the strange, deep moan that came from Sasuke's throat stopped their careful kiss.

No tongues entered until Sasuke pulled Naruto closer, his strong arms wrapping around a slim waist. He wished that this would last forever, and his tongue came in contact with Naruto's. He could feel the blonde man starting to warm up, to finally relax in Sasuke's arms.

When they parted, Naruto immediately hid his face in Sasuke's jacket. Sasuke could feel how Naruto tried to take as deep breaths as possible, understanding that the other was crying. Sasuke closed his eyes, letting his large hands caress Naruto's back.

"I love you."

Sasuke hugged Naruto tighter upon hearing the other's thick voice. There was only one thing he could answer to that, but it seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Not now. Instead of replying, he pulled Naruto down with him to the leaf-covered ground.

His behind met cold, hard ground and he pulled Naruto in between his legs. He had never seen Naruto cry, and had never thought that Naruto was capable of shedding tears. Yet, now – watching those salty drops rolling down scarred cheeks, escaping blue eyes – it only seemed natural.

"I love you."

Sasuke didn't answer. He let go of Naruto, letting the blonde man sit between his spread legs. He took off his gloves, putting them on the ground next to them. He cupped Naruto's face, feeling warm skin. Beautiful. He placed a small kiss on one of Naruto's scars, tasting salt. Beautiful.

Naruto took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Sasuke almost found the urge to smile, yet he didn't. He was unsure if his body even remembered how to smile. It was a long time ago he had needed to make a facial expression at all. The blonde man was getting too upset, riling himself up.

Naruto had always been emotional. Either too happy, too angry or too sad. Sasuke had always found it entertaining.

"I love you."

The desperate tone made Sasuke wince, and he removed his hands from Naruto's wet cheeks. He leaned down, his forehead against Naruto's. And he answered,

"I know."

UAUAUA

Later that night, tenth of October, Sasuke drove in silence back to the Uchiha Compound. Alone.

UAUAUA

Two years earlier.

The air was heavily scented with female perfume and cheap cigarette smoke. The ballroom was empty, however, silence bouncing against the walls. It would have been dark in the room, had the chandelier not been lit.

The chairs and tables were pulled to the sides of the huge room, covered with white cloth; leaving the wooden floor completely empty, save for the beautiful piano in the middle. Dust had formed a thin layer upon the black instrument and its keys.

The ballroom had not been used properly for almost a year, up until now. The tall, heavy doors were pushed open by a lean, young male. Naruto was smiling widely upon the sight of the unexplored area. Laughter erupted from his throat, and he turned to drag someone else with him.

"Naruto, no–"

"Ssh, Sasuke!"

Naruto dragged Sasuke inside, closing both doors behind them. His smile didn't disappear, even though he could easily see the displeased expression Sasuke wore. He put his hands on Sasuke's broad shoulders from behind, pushing the older teen forward.

"Play!"

The demand wasn't answered, but Naruto was stronger than he looked, succeeding in pushing Sasuke to the piano. Neither boy had been in the ballroom before, as it was for adults only. They were mere teenagers, turning eighteen in two years.

"Play something, Sasuke! For me?"

Sasuke stared at the piano, refusing to look into his friend's eyes. He knew too well that he would only be distracted if he looked at Naruto. Beautiful, beautiful Naruto.

"Hm. Fine."

He sat down by the piano, dust flying into the air. Sasuke tried not to inhale, waiting for the dust to settle once again. Naruto coughed next to him, having been thoughtless enough to breathe in. Sasuke pressed down a key, noticing that it sounded rather okay. He had never expected the piano to be playable.

Unconsciously, he straightened his posture and made himself ready to play his favourite song. If he had to do something, he would do it well. He didn't want Naruto to think that he was useless. His fingers moved graciously over the keys, soft and beautiful music filling the ballroom.

He didn't notice as Naruto sat down next to him, but continued to play. Black, blue-tinted strands of hair stuck to his cheeks, but he didn't notice how it tickled his skin. He didn't notice, but he did feel Naruto's eyes on him.

Whenever Naruto was close, he wanted to do the best he could. Whether it was to challenge to blonde teen or to impress, he was unsure. Thanks to his recent thoughts, he believed it was the latter.

The song he had chosen was short, and when it ended, he could think straight again. The feel of Naruto's eyes on him was still there, as it had been the entire song, but now he could also feel Naruto's body heat. The scent that was purely Naruto – summer rain and forest – was covering the smell of cigarettes and perfume.

It took him a while before he looked at Naruto, waiting for praise. He didn't expect anything less, but found himself strangely satisfied when Naruto smiled warmly. The blonde teen's voice carried a proud tone that made Sasuke's heart beat faster,

"Incredible, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't answer, unconsciously leaning closer to Naruto. It wasn't until his nose bumped into Naruto's that he noticed how close they were. Automatically, his eyelids started to lower. The satisfaction he had felt mere seconds ago had faded away, and now he craved another kind of recognition.

"Sasuke? Are–"

Pressing his lips against Naruto's, he cut the younger teen off. It felt amazing, just like in those dreams of his. Naruto's lips were red and wet from saliva once they pulled apart. Sasuke found it oddly arousing. He didn't give Naruto a chance to think before he leaned down again, capturing Naruto's lips with his own.

Mere seconds later, Naruto responded. Long fingers sneaked up over his chest, Naruto's lanky arms coming to wrap around Sasuke's neck. He put his hands on Naruto's back, trying to pull them closer. It wasn't until Naruto had straddled him that he felt satisfied.

Naruto's tongue against his was amazing, and Sasuke could only moan when he felt Naruto's lips travel away from his mouth. He put his own pale lips against Naruto's neck, brushing and tickling before giving the smooth skin a kiss.

Naruto gave a small sound, somewhat choked. Sasuke kept a chuckle inside as he returned to Naruto's lips. He knew how ticklish his friend's neck was. Saliva mixed erotically in their mouths. The feeling of being unstoppable, the feeling of being perfect, didn't leave until a few seconds later.

When their world crashed down.

"Explain."

The chilly voice made Sasuke freeze, having Naruto jumping off his lap. Naruto clumsily stumbled, pressing down a few keys as he tried to steady himself. Sasuke wiped his mouth, refusing to look up and meet his father's stern glare. Sasuke could only hear Naruto's heavy panting, as he tried to calm himself down.

Before they got a chance to explain, Fugaku spoke again. His voice was cold, his entire aura carrying a vibe of finality.

"Naruto-kun will leave this room immediately. He will not come back ever again."

Sasuke looked up at his father, finding himself unable to breathe. He had never imagined that his father could be this cruel. He refused to watch as Naruto left the room, his steps echoing hollowly in the silence. All Sasuke could stare at was his father's angry face, the wrinkles that had formed between his eyes.

Not until the doors were opened and closed, and Naruto's steps were no longer heard, did Fugaku continue. The angry tone would normally have had Sasuke ashamed, but not it only irked him. There was no way fate could be this teasing. He had just gotten what he craved.

"When you turn eighteen, you will see. You will have finished your studies and realised that there are better things than Naruto-kun."

Sasuke bit his lip. He was in no place to defend Naruto at the moment.

UAUAUA

Later, the same day.

There was not a servant in sight. Why, Sasuke couldn't understand. The scent of newly washed laundry filled his nostrils, and the air was damp. He had never spent much time in the laundry room, as it was the maids' duty to do the laundry. Yet, he found it oddly calming.

He had gone there to gather his thoughts, though it didn't seem to work. His mind was a mess; dreams, hopes and 'what if's' mixing painfully with reality. His dress shirt was getting wrinkly. His body was getting restless.

"Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke looked up, straightening his posture a little. The maid blushed awkwardly as she tried to stutter out what was on her mind. He guessed that she had already been flushed when she arrived, for it was getting warmer and warmer in the mansion.

"Uchiha-sama... Uchiha-sama has asked for you, Sasuke-sama. He would like to talk…talk with you."

Sasuke nodded once, dismissing the older girl. He got up from his place on the floor. He ran a hand through his hair, hoping that it was not ruffled, trying to straighten his dress shirt. While he knew that his father was not a man of compromises, he could perhaps make a good expression enough to have the punishment gentler.

He hurried upstairs, almost jogging through the corridors to get to his father's office faster. Once he reached the heavy, dark brown door, he stopped. He had always been fast, and was therefore not very out of breath when he knocked calmly at the door.

It was opened, not by Fugaku, but by someone else.

"Minato-sama."

Sasuke bowed, closing his eyes in panic when he did so. He stayed in the position, almost waiting for the blonde man to hit him. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes slowly. He could almost sense Minato's impatience.

He stood up again, entering the room. Minato closed it harshly, walking up to Fugaku. Sasuke glanced around in the room, seeing nothing but mahogany furniture and books. No Naruto. The little hope Sasuke had felt upon seeing Minato's handsome face was crushed.

Of course Minato wouldn't bring Naruto to the Uchiha manor after such a scene. Namikaze Minato was known for his over-protective streaks when it came to his only son.

"Minato-san has been kind enough to oversee your act of clumsiness, Sasuke. Be grateful."

Sasuke nodded once, knowing that he would not be taken seriously if he opened his mouth. He stared on the ground, respecting his elders the way he had been taught. He was lucky enough that Minato didn't beat him senseless.

"He has agreed with me that you and Naruto-kun shouldn't meet. Who knows how long this has been going on."

Sasuke felt something wet against his cheek, but didn't make it out. He kept silent and listened as his father spoke. He had no rights. Not now, not until he grew up.

"On Naruto-kun's eighteenth birthday, you will be able to choose. You are either to stay in this family, or to leave with him."

Sasuke could practically hear Minato's thoughts. Self-secure thoughts that Naruto would never leave the Namikaze household for someone as unimportant as Sasuke. Fugaku looked smug, as if he knew that Sasuke would never choose Naruto over the family.

Sasuke kept the smirk at bay, hiding his joy inside. Naruto would always be worth more than what Fugaku called family. When time came, he and Naruto would be together again.

The End

A/N: I don't know, it was more of an impulse-ending. Not satisfied with it. Hope you liked it. Thank you for reading! Please be a doll and review. Don't nag about my multi-chaptered fics, thank you. Tell me if you're still interested in what I have to publish. Mucho love to Shenmi!