Standard disclaimers apply.

This fic is:

1. SasuNaru, yaoi, OOC and unbeta-read.

2. co-written by XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX.

Oppressive and bitter silence welcomed the Uchiha as he stepped inside his condominium. He turned his head to its source and found his blonde sitting by the window sill blankly staring at the starless night. He knew that the blonde was an I-will-never-give type so seeing such hopeless look on him broke his heart. And yet it was familiar just as the atmosphere present was. Lately, ever since their parents' discovery, the blonde wore that look too often and they had more arguments than before.

"I'm home," Uchiha announced.

His lover looked at him. "Oh. Welcome home," he replied flatly. He climbed off the sill and started moving towards the kitchen to prepare dinner. On his way, he passed by the dark-haired man who gripped his arm.

"A second ago, what were you thinking?" There was something about his look that prickled his skin.

I realized that my greatest fear and my worst nightmare are the same.

"I was thinking of letting you go."

The taller man stiffened when coldness seared his whole being while his strength was momentarily sapped. How could this blonde who held his heart, ruled his being and owned his body think of such thought?

The blonde looked at his feet. "Don't get me wrong, I lo-"

"Then why let go?" the other demanded.

But if sparing you from the pain means letting you go,

"Because it won't be long before our parents would take a desperate measure and knowing how vicious your father can get, I..."

"Shut the fuck up!" Uchiha screamed. "Is this another demented idea your martyr self suggested?"

"No, you don't understand," the blonde protested weakly. He was just so tired… mentally and emotionally.

"When I jumped into this relationship, I am aware of what I was and am doing and its consequences so your sacrifice is unasked for!" And he hoped his words would reach his lover. They had to.

The blonde fought back the smile at those words. He couldn't let his resolve be shattered by those words no matter how sweet they were. He had to be steadfast.

"I-" He yelped when hands grabbed his shirt collar…

I'd live that nightmare and endure this fear.

Chapter 14: To be hated

Speak to me, don't mislead me, the calm I feel means a storm is swelling;
there's no telling where it starts or how it ends.
Speak to me,
Why are you building this thick brick wall to defend me when your
silence is my greatest fear? Why let your shoulders bend underneath this
burden when my back is sturdy and strong?
Speak to me.
-"Trouble me", 10000 Maniacs

"What do you want to talk about?" Sasuke said. He looked in a hurry when in fact he was glad that this meeting was delaying him from meeting Naruto.

Neji Hyuuga remained cool despite Sasuke's superior tone. Ignoring the younger teen's arrogance, Neji knew he would make a very capable vice-president. "I want you to run for vice-presidency under my banner and I won't take no for an answer."

Sasuke straightened from the wall and smirked. "It's decided then." With that, the two went on their own way.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Naruto first entered the classroom, there were whistles and snide comments on his cuts and bruises. But when Sasuke entered, there were just mumbles and inquiries about his condition coming from his fangirls.

He walked straight to Naruto's desk wondering what to say. He knew he shouldn't leave things like that between them and the blonde too was thinking like that.

"You look bad, dobe," he said lightly.

The blonde grinned, "Speak for yourself."

And their friends who were tensed during that silent moment relaxed. They didn't know what happened but they knew things were better now. That was what Sasuke and Naruto were. Their anger would rage fiercely like a storm but when it left, there was nothing but clear blue skies and fine weather.

"Ne, Sasuke," the blonde started. "I finally decided."

The dark-haired teen just nodded. He didn't know what Naruto decided but he didn't give a damn.

-SasuNaru is love-

Naruto pressed himself against the wall as five girls leaned forward with their face pleading.

"No really, I haven't really paid attention to Sasuke's habits and favorites. Why don't you ask Gaara? He's the observant one."

"But Gaara…" one of the girls trailed off while batting her eyelashes. "Why don't you go ask him then?" The other girls held their hands together as if in prayer.

"Ladies, that would be weird. Why would I ask something about Sasuke?" He gulped when the girls reached for his jacket, tugging it desperately at the same time whining. God! Was there no end to his torture? "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you."

The girls squealed and paid attention.

"If you want Sasuke to like your gift, don't give him chocolates," he informed them in a conspiratorial voice. "He likes bitter green tea especially those that came from Kyoto."

"Brand name?"

The blonde tapped his chin while his listeners looked at him expectantly. "The tea from Kurosawa store. That's what he likes the most." The girls grinned at him and thanked him. Naruto just grinned back and watched them go. "Sorry, "he muttered under his breath.

-SasuNaru is love-

The Kurosawa owner was surprised when he received a lot of orders online overnight but he wasn't the man to complain on his fortune. In fact, he spent a long time thanking the gods for this fortune.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke looked at the gifts almost pouring out from his shoe locker and those that were piling on his table. Chouji picked one and unwrapped it. Shikamaru out of boredom followed suit.

"Tea?" Chouji muttered while holding it out for his friend to see. Shikamaru also looked surprised to see that the gift in his hands was tea as well.

"Do you like this kind of tea?" Shikamaru asked.

"What tea?" Sasuke said and took the ones Chouji offered to him. He looked at it blandly. "Hell no but my mother does. It's bitter. Too bitter for my taste."

And the Uchiha's statement over the Kurosawa tea spread all over the school like wildfire, and his admirers were enraged over the cruel joke that Naruto had pulled on them. And they saw no reason on why they shouldn't retaliate.

-SasuNaru is love-

The next morning, the first thing that Naruto noticed was that once he reached for his shoes in his shoe locker, was that his shoes were no where to be found. That meant that he'd be walking in nothing but socks all throughout the school. That is, until Gaara gave him a spare pair. The next thing he noticed was the word 'jerk' in yellow paint filling his whole desk. And if it weren't for Shino, he would have sat on his chair wet with paint.

They had gotten a new desk and chair for Naruto solving the current problem but it didn't stop them from wondering who would pull such a nasty prank and how many were in it. As for Naruto, he shrugged it off with a grin.

Naruto just patiently nodded as a many people were beginning to rudely bumping into him, even in a wide, nearly empty hallway. Gaara was irritated so when a girl tried to bump into the blonde again, he gripped her right shoulder too tight it made her whimper. "Move," he commanded because the redhead always commanded and never plead.

With each passing day, the pranks were no longer just pranks. They became something worse, much worse. It was downright nasty bullying and teachers couldn't do anything because they didn't know who the culprits were. All they could do was warn the consequences of bullying but it didn't stop the girls. Naruto shrugged it off. He knew it was a consequence of what he did. He knew the culprits but didn't say anything about them because he saw it as an act of cowardice. He just sighed when his Physical Education uniform had stains on them. At least Kiba who had a stomachache at that time and had stayed at the medical room, let him borrow his.

When his water bottle went missing, Hinata had given her untouched one saying she wasn't thirsty at that moment.

Shikamaru caught him when he accidentally lost his balance when he made his way down the bleachers.

Surprisingly, Ino had taken the ball that was meant to hit him during their section's friendly ball game.

Shino had entered the room first and true to his assumption, two erasers loaded with chalk dust fell upon him. He just adjusted his dark glasses before moving to his seat.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had shown his protective side of the blonde. He accompanied Naruto to the comfort room, got him his lunch and made sure the blonde's things were placed on his desk or locker. He was tensed when someone other than their friends would approach Naruto or look at their way.

But the more he tried to protect the blonde, the worse things had gotten and Gaara decided he had enough.

"I need to speak with you," Gaara said as he entered Sasuke's room. He had come all the way to Sasuke's residence so he could speak with his other childhood friend alone.

Sasuke swiveled his chair to regard Gaara before giving the redhead his permission to sit on his bed. The redhead closed the door and sat on it.

"It's about Naruto," Gaara said.

"I know. You wouldn't come here for anything else," was Sasuke's knowing reply.

"Stop protecting him. You're making it worse."

The raven-haired boy scowled. He wasn't blind. He noticed it but what could he do? Naruto… He clenched his fists. Naruto had lied for him. Naruto had done that probably after he had accused him of treachery. He now knew what the blonde said about him making up his mind. He had been the caused, he realized that. That was why he had to protect the blonde. That was the only way he could make up for what he did.

"It won't make things better, Uchiha," Gaara told him matter-of-factly.

"Are you telling me to just watch as they made fun of him? Do you think I can do that knowing that I…"

"If you care for him than stop protecting him. Like I said, you're making it worse. Back off, Uchiha!"

Sasuke's brow twitched in annoyance. "No, I can't do that."

"You will for Naruto's sake."

"Then who would protect him?" Sasuke growled.

Unable to stand it anymore, Gaara grabbed a fistful of the other male's shirt. "Don't be so full of yourself. There are others who are protecting him. Leave it to us." Having said that, he released his grip on Sasuke's collar harshly and left the room.

"Dammit!"

He hated how his protecting of his best friend only made things worse instead of better. For once, Sasuke began to feel like he was helpless, not strong enough to protect someone he cared about. Sasuke soon began to hate and fear this feeling of powerlessness growing inside of him.

He wanted to do everything he could to make sure nothing happened to Naruto...but... he couldn't.

With a sigh of defeat, Sasuke slumped into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Naruto, I…

-SasuNaru is love-

"Look at how pathetic he is," one girl walking beside Sakura said as Naruto came into their view. Their conversation had been fashion until they spotted the blonde. "What a lame lad. No wonder, no one wants to go out with him."

"He didn't ask anyone, y'know" Sakura said with a smile on her face as if reminding them.

"We don't know about that, Sakura," another one replied. "He probably did it on secret. He's sly that way."

"You have to excuse me. I'm going to walk with him." Because she couldn't take anymore of their childishness and she knew that Naruto wasn't like that. Even if she had only known the blonde for a short time, she was more than certain that he wasn't like that. Her friendship with him was more important than these stupid girls.

One girl grabbed her wrist. "He doesn't deserve your friendship, y'know. He's only a backstabber."

The pink-haired girl scowled. "I don't think I can stay with you and talk about some stranger I don't know about. I prefer to walk with a dear friend." Having said that, she snatched her wrist and turned around. She called out Naruto's name and ran after him.

Naruto isn't that kind of a person. Absolutely not.

-SasuNaru is love-

Unfortunately, it was not just girls who were now pulling pranks on Naruto. Seeing that the Let's-bully-on-Naruto game was hot, there were guys who had joined the ride. Sasuke watched at the sidelines as Naruto was being slandered. He watched patiently as their friends did all they could to be the blonde's line of defense. Kiba's and Chouji's fights against some guys seemed to skyrocket and accidents during their section's Physical Education class increased as Gaara, Shino and Shikamaru retaliated. With discretion in their plan, they made it look like plain accidents and there was no way that evidences would point to them as the instigators.

Because no matter what others told me…

But Sasuke had his limit too so when he heard someone calling his blond friend 'dead last', he moved before he could even stop himself. Fuck what Gaara told him! He was the only one who was allowed to call Naruto that. He was the only one because when he said it, it meant nothing. It was just a word to provoke the blonde… a word that someone could go and comment, was his pet name for his blond childhood friend.

He slammed the guy against the wall and punched him again and again. He didn't say anything. He just continued attacking the guy. He directed all his anger to this guy and he would continue punching him if Naruto didn't pull him back.

No matter what I told myself…

"Calm down, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped as he pushed Sasuke away from the unconscious guy.

I always find myself fighting for you as if my fate is to be your protector…

"Calm down?" Sasuke countered, his eyes glinting with anger and murderous intent. "How could you just say that when this is about you?"

I don't understand any of this but I…

"Sasuke…"

The dark-haired teen slumped to the ground and thumped his head against the wall. "Fuck it, Naruto. Why did you do that for me? It was uncalled for. You don't have to suffer for me." He closed his eyes as he let out a ragged breath. Most of the times, Naruto's actions were beyond his understanding.

Naruto sat beside his friend. "It's okay. I won't let them get to me. I'm strong, Sasuke."

But I know that I can't forgive anyone…

"Are you?" Sasuke asked as he gazed down on those blue eyes. There was no sarcasm or mockery in his voice when he said that, just plain worry… worry for his best friend… worry for the person who was so close to him physically and emotionally… worry for this person who was making his heart beat faster.

Anyone who hurt and will hurt you…

They held each other gazes a bit longer before Naruto looked away, his cheeks a bit flushed. There was just something about the way Sasuke gazed at him that made him so self-conscious. "Let's not leave the guy there. We should bring him to the medical room."

Because I am your guardian…

"Or we could drop him from a flight of stairs on our way there," Sasuke suggested wickedly, making the blonde chuckle.

Because I…

As expected, with a few carefully made warnings here and there and with the help of Neji who was Naruto's acquaintance through Sasuke, things had become controlled. Two months later, there were less bullying on Naruto but he was still Sasuke's fangirl's nemesis. But Naruto could live with that and his friends could tolerate their hatred as long as they won't hurt the blonde.

I care for you more than I should.

TBC

-sighs- More confusion...

On Chapter 15, -giggles-... I couldn't even summarize it because it's just so... I dunno. But in any case, please look forward to it. -asa-chan