Part Six

He's never said what he means, but does that mean he never means what he says? Naruto couldn't verify that contrapositive right now; but in any case, it had been Sasuke's actions that had originally gotten him closer to the man, all those years ago.

"You want kids? Some of your own? Carry on the Uchiha legacy? You can't have that with me," he explained, seriously, and with only a sliver of spitefulness in his voice. "You want the world to recognize you as a brilliant man? Powerful, resourceful, untouchable? You can't do that with me in the picture. You want your parents' approval?" He took half a beat, while Sasuke just watched him, emotionlessly. "Guess what, Sasuke? I don't belong there with you. I realise you have your dreams and that was your reason for breaking up in the first place. But those work for me too. They become part of my reasons for believing that it's useless with you. I have no future with you."

Suspending reality, and for a second, believing that Sasuke could actually love him now, where would that leave them? He could never pop out mini Uchihas. The business world would never take him seriously should they find out about a male lover he kept at home, and the in-laws would never accept Sasuke being gay, much less with someone so … like him. It was a dead-end, and Sasuke could do better than that.

On the side of his mind, he wondered, 'Did it ever hurt to think about me? How broken my heart is? Was?' He mentally shook his head at the slip, but the tears in his eyes had already confirmed the present tense of his meaning.

"I'm an Uchiha regardless of who I'm with, what profession I decide on, or what my dreams are. I understand that now. But even if my family doesn't get that, it doesn't make me any less of who I choose to be. I am an Uchiha. And by that name and everything it is, I swear, Naruto, if you take me back now, I swear I'll never let you go."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Even swearing by his name, that was of course something he took seriously, by now, they were just empty words. Like the phrase 'I love you' was nothing more than a phrase. Sasuke's never said this much before.

Maybe that meant what he said carried more truth. Maybe on the contrary, it meant less. But Naruto wasn't used to such declarations, and therefore by human nature, did not immediately place trust in the unfamiliar. "Really?" he jested, completely unconvinced. "Never?"

"Never."

The confidence in his voice, startled Naruto into looking into Sasuke's dark eyes. And as soon as he did, it clicked in his mind. The thought came so impulsively, that he wavered. "Did you-?" He narrowed his eyes. "You didn't just-." Naruto shook his head, trying to not undermine his doubt. Sasuke's face remained in stone,effectively nullifying the uncertainty. "You-!"

He tried to take a step back, but met a strategically placed wall instead. "Naruto…"

"Sasuke-!" he warned. "Don't-"

"Please marry me."

TBC

Ekk. Next chapter is the one that follows directly after this one. I had to.
Review, please!

YHS
xDelfin