SasuNaru, yaoi, OOC and unbeta-read.

In collaboration with XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX.

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They entered the Uchiha's bedroom, naked and rubbing on each other, tensing on every friction.

The dark-haired male pushed the blonde onto the bed then a second later followed the latter, covering the latter's naked body with his own.

"No more," the blonde gasped out causing the other male to tensed, thinking the former no longer want to continue. "No more foreplay," he clarified. He had enough of it. He was already aching with need and dying with desperation to have this emptiness be filled. As if to drive his point home, he thrust against his partner's groin, bringing their erections together.

The Uchiha got the point and did what he must do.

His body snapped in an arc at the sudden rush of pain. His blunt nails dug into tensed shoulders, immediately leaving half-moon marks and if it weren't for the mouth that covered his, the neighbors would have heard his howl of pain.

He felt his lover's tongue licking his tears making him realized that he was crying. "You okay?" he heard him asked worriedly and he just nodded. "A little bit painful," he lied. The man above him chuckled, "You mean a lot?" Despite the pain, he did chuckle because his lover was just being sweet in his own sweet way.

The bed groaned under the weight and movement of the two men beginning to lose themselves within the throws of passion for the first time. Tears kept flowing from beautiful blue eyes as his boyfriend's movements were getting more frantic. Gaining a faster pace, yet still being gentle enough not to hurt the man beneath him, whose nails kept digging into the skin of his back. In the blur of flesh and movement, a loud moan was ripped from the blonde's throat. All movement stopped, and burning lust cooled as worried settled in. Just as he was about to voice his worry, he was interrupted, "Hit... that again… please..." panted the blonde.

Puzzled, the dark-haired man asked, "Where? Here?" And he thrust again and this time, banging that spot harder. He felt himself harden at that long moan he managed to wring from his blonde. He continued moving, steadying his rhythm so the male beneath him could adjust and catch up with him.

The blonde shook his head. He could feel it... his lover... hot, hard and throbbing. He could feel its slickness and he liked the feeling of it. He wrapped his legs around slim waist and pulled his close. He opened himself up in sweet surrender. "More," he begged.

The blonde pushed against his lover, wanting more... straining for more. He wasn't innocent. He had been with women but the pleasure he felt now was different and it wasn't because he was at the receiving or maybe it was because of that. Either, the sensations were drowning him, shoving him towards his lover. He choked for more.

He felt himself complying to his blonde's request as he plunged into his partner's scorching heat again and again. Tanned arms tightened their hold on pale shoulders, as if wanting to meld both bodies into one being. The bed creaked under the gaining momentum of the dark-haired man losing himself into his lover's body. Before the moans of the man underneath him became any louder, he caught the panting mouth with his lips and initiated a kiss that would weaken his blonde's knees. That is, if they weren't wrapped around his waist, pulling him more into his addictive heat.

After what was like a short moment at the same time eternity, the two reached the zenith of their passion. The dark-haired man came first grunting. At the feeling of his lover spurting deep inside him, filling him, the blonde came a second later and he buried his head into the pillow to muffle his scream.

A second later and with their body still trembling from the orgasm that conquered them, they shared a lazy kiss.

Shizuka na tsuki no hikari
Anata no meku mori ni yori sou
Kasanaru omoi yureshi
Kotoba ni deki nai ai ga afure dasu

You are my everything
Eien wa nakutemo
Hold me just for tonight
Tokire nai de
You are my only one
Tashikametai
Kono omoi wo anata ni tsutaete
-"You are my everything", Sowelu

Chapter 25: Secrecy

Sasuke glanced. Coincidentally, Naruto did the same. Sapphire eyes on sable ones. Obsidian pools against cornflower blue ones.

Although, such brief eye contact would never be enough to convey what they felt and thought.

I missed you.

How are you?

I want to talk with you.

I dreamt of you.

There were too many words and gestures for this eye contact to convey everything in just a second or two.

To be at the same place, to reach out only to grasp air, to have this longing, to know that they could only watch the other from afar... it was heart wrenching to say the least.

A calm Sasuke leaned back on his seat during his meeting with all the club presidents. On his left was Gaara whom he had called on the eve of his return to school. Gaara had only said few words on that night. He just listened to him discussing the choices given to him and what he chose. He wanted Gaara to explain it to Naruto and obviously the redhead did, because he found understanding in the midst of hurt in those blue eyes.

I can only protect him from a far now.

Don't worry. With these hands I'll protect him.

Those had been Gaara's words before he left him at the park. Somehow, it stirred jealousy and insecurity within.

Seated on his right was no other than Naruto. Such closeness made every part of his body yearn to pull the blonde closer; to take one kiss, just one and then to caress him. He knew he could do that. He just had to stretch his arm, but the thought of London held him back. Always held him back like the bars of a cage that put his sweet freedom just out of his reach.

Naruto clasped his hand tight to hide their shaking as they wanted to seek Sasuke. The dark-haired boy's closeness blanketed him and almost close to the point of drugging him. The other side of his body that directly faced Sasuke burned achingly with the want to be touched and to be pressed against warm, pale skin. He bit the inside of his mouth, wishing for the meeting to end quickly so that he could get out from here and salvage his remaining control.

Gaara watched his close friends' silent anguish and he too was torn. He was torn between his own selfishness and consideration. With his friends' situation, he wanted to get rid of Naruto's heartache...but he knew that it would always be Sasuke. Sasuke was the person to hurt him directly or indirectly and to make him happy. Sasuke was the sword that cuts him and the medicine that heals the wound. He could only be the balm so that he might as well help these two. But how? He didn't have an answer to that. Well, even their most intelligent and genius friends were lost on what to do too.

-SasuNaru is love-

Like the light and teasing touches of a mischievous lover, memories of the glorious days brushed against Fugaku's consciousness distracting him. And he could blame this distraction on his foolish son. If it wasn't for Sasuke, the memories would have never blossomed in his sub-consciousness and seeped into consciousness. Stupid, useless son!

"What?" he snapped when there was a knock on the door.

"Arashi-sama is here to see you," their butler said.

At his permission, Arashi entered. The man looked calm, but his eyes... his eyes were in different state. From his past experiences, Fugaku knew the blonde was mad. Ah- dammit! Mad and breathtaking, a little voice told him.

"We need to talk about Sasuke-kun and my son," Arashi started.

So he wasn't the only one who fervently disapproved of their sons' relationship, eh? Fugaku was pleased to know.

"You! What made you do such a foolish thing? Why disapprove?" Arashi demanded in a voice shaking with anger. God! He had thought Fugaku would- Argh! Dammit! What a traitor!

The Uchiha looked at him almost owlishly. What the hell? Did that mean Arashi- No, it couldn't be. "Am I to take that you approved?" he asked calmly.

"From the very beginning, yes!"

"And when did you know?"

Arashi scowled at the man's infuriating calmness. "Almost a month now"

Fugaku scowled. Arashi knew earlier and he didn't even mention anything to him. What a traitor! He glared at the blonde. "How dare you!" His voice was vicious and sharp.

"How dare you, indeed! You knew the pain and misery of it! You went through it first-handedly so why?"

"Because I don't want my son to suffer the same thing!" Even as a child, Sasuke had so much hope and innocence that the boy painfully reminded Fugaku of himself and it hurt. It hurt so much that he had put a distance between him and his younger son. Then he started building a barrier between them, hoping it would minimize the boy's sickening optimism. He wanted to prepare his son for the cruelty reality brought. He would have succeeded if not for Naruto, who always, albeit unconsciously; negated his meaningful actions. Seeing his child grew together with Arashi's dead-ringer was unbearable. It always left a crack on the dam he created for those bitter-sweet memories. How much he loathed it. He hated Naruto.

"Liar!" Arashi snapped back. He knew Fugaku too well to know when he lied and when he told the truth. The two glared at each other while their intelligent minds worked on how to attack and counterattack.

Arashi became wary when Fugaku approached him in what he thought to be calculated steps.

Shrugging his shoulders, Fugaku inserted his hands into his pocket and said, "I'll let them see each other, in one condition." He watched as hope lit up those cerulean eyes. Was Arashi that desperate? He moved closer, invading the blonde's personal space. "A one night stand with me." Inwardly, he cackled evilly when he saw Arashi looked befuddled. It was absolute that the blonde would refuse and would blame himself for the missed opportunity. He used that to his advantage. He was an asshole, but he could overlook such a fact and all for the Uchiha reputation to be clean.

A one-night with Uchiha... a small part of him tingled with excitement, but he knew he couldn't. Even when Fugaku was so close to him that the warmth of their bodies welded into one, he just couldn't. With eyes dark with raw sincerity, he said, "I still love you. You love Mikoto-san. I love my wife dead as she is. I respect our wives, so I can't even if I want to."

I still love you too! The small part of Fugaku's heart that Mikoto could never conquer screamed and ached. He knew the blonde would refuse, but he was still mad for being turned down. Even after all these years, the desire to have him by his side forever was still there, currently half-dormant, thanks to their sons.

"Can't you let them be together?" Arashi pleaded softly.

Fugaku gulped quietly. That voice...He always had a hard time refusing to that voice. He closed his eyes a second longer than a blink before he looked into cerulean pools. "Don't ask me of that, Arashi," his voice and his eyes were pleading to the man who understood him the most. "I can't allow anyone to stain the family name."

Things had definitely changed now. Time had made sure of that. Where had the Fugaku he knew gone to? "So its all about being Uchiha," Arashi murmured and slowly distanced himself away from his former lover, pain and disappointment in his eyes.

The Uchiha inserted his hands into his pockets, less he'd end up doing what his mind did- reaching for the blonde who was looking at him like a criminal. A flare of irritation flared in him. "It is the only constant thing in my life! The one thing that preoccupied and helped me recover after we broke up, so don't you dare look at me as if this is a crime!" In the end, Arashi never did understand him. What a pity!

"All I want is for them to have what we couldn't have!" Why couldn't he understand that?

"Is that it, Arashi?" the other man viciously snapped. "Or is it for something else? Are you still hung up-"

"No!" the blonde retorted automatically, his voice cold and deadly.

"Are you doing it because you saw us in them? Because you thought by allowing them to be together, you can change our ending?"

"I'm not selfish and obsessed!" He absolutely wasn't, but dear God, Fugaku was right. He saw Sasuke and Naruto as a chance to have the ending that had been deprived from him. Was it a crime to think of it? "And you!" he continued harshly, his eyes shooting fire. "The only reason you're being insensitive is because you want someone to suffer what you went through; because you don't want anyone to have what you couldn't have!"

Fugaku snorted. "You're stupid!"

"And you're an asshole." With that Arashi stormed off leaving a snarl on the Uchiha's lips.

Fugaku stepped back until his hips were against the edge of his table, defeated. He sighed as he raked a hand through his hair. Dammit all! Everything had become so fucked up and he barely knew what to do.

-SasuNaru is love-

Itachi took furtive from one family member to another at their dining table, wondering what and who caused this heavy, palpable tension even their kind mother seemed to emanate.

A part of him was alarmed to see his brother so distant, not to mention so hollow. While their father looked ordinary, if not for that ghostly scowl plastered on his normally indifferent face. Their mother, on the other hand, looked like she was about to burst into tears, but pride was holding her back. Everyone looked so strange that Itachi felt he was too ordinary.

He slightly looked up from his plate when his younger brother stood up and wordlessly left, his plate unfinished.

Mikoto frowned in worry. She had done everything she could think of to convince her son to eat like he used to, but to no avail. This expression of rebellion of his was harmful to his health. She glanced at her husband and stated with finality, "Since I'm going shopping tomorrow, I'll bring Sasuke with me. It will be a good change of environment from school and here."

Fugaku just nodded.

"Sasuke?" Itachi said after entering his brother's room. "I'm going to Uzumaki's place to deliver souvenirs and-"

"I'm busy," Sasuke said flatly, never stopping from writing.

Itachi arched an eyebrow. Strange. "I'll just tell Naruto you said 'hi'." A notable pause from Sasuke before the younger lad shrugged his shoulders, "Do whatever you want."

A silent Itachi stood there a few seconds longer before he left.

Sasuke sighed. While you're at it, tell him I missed him. He scowled at his paper where Naruto's name; which he had unconsciously written, was on. Dammit! The paper was his final draft!

-SasUNaru is love-

After sharing few minutes with Arashi in his study room, Itachi went to the backyard, where he was told Naruto was.

He saw how surprise brightened the dullish blue eyes, before it was crushed by disappointment. Obviously, the blonde had mistook him for Sasuke for a brief second, and he covered such blunder with a grin so wide it should hurt.

"Itachi-nii! You're back! Since when?"

"Past noon. I came here to deliver presents," Itachi said as he settled them on a wooden bench.

"What tourist spot did you visit?"

"I was busy the entire time."

"But surely you had time to have fun."

"Work is fun," Itachi stated in a flat voice. But deep down, he knew it wasn't true, but he continued convincing himself anyway because to work for an Uchiha was an honor, and because it was the only thing taught to him by his father. But surely-

"There must be more to life than just work," Naruto finished his thought.

Feeling awkward with the topic, Itachi shamelessly maneuvered the conversation. "Sasuke brought some strangers home and-"

"They must be Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu- members of SC and the group he hangs out with," Naruto explained, loneliness too deep and strong for him to completely hide.

The older male looked curious. Could a lover's spat really cause this much trouble? But what did his parents and Arashi got to do with th- Realization dawned on him. "Naruto-kun, don't tell me-"

"Your parents knew thanks to some bastard, and now we can't interact with each other or else Sasuke will be sent to London!"

Itachi remained quiet for awhile, evaluating and re-evaluating the situation. Interesting, he thought. "Heh... I never thought that the fearless Naruto Uzumaki would one day have his tail between his legs," he commented mockingly, causing the other boy to scowl. "What a loser!"

The blonde jumped to his feet and stood in front of him. "Didn't you hear what I said? Sasuke will be sent to London, and I don't want that! Absolutely not!" He swore that if Itachi insulted him again, he'd punch him, hard.

Sable eyes regarded him indifferently. "So you're going to do nothing but sulk?"

"What am I supposed to do then?"

Itachi stood in front of the confused boy and held his chin up so their eyes would meet.

Naruto valiantly held his tears back. There was no point of crying. Tears would never ever help him seek the answers he needed. He stared back into obsidian eyes wishing. Oh! How much he wished that it was Sasuke doing it.

"Sulking is for cowards, Naruto-kun," Itachi told him with whatever tenderness he felt for the lad. "For the brave, there are only two choices: fight or let go." Then he held two fingers and poked the blonde's forehead.

Naruto stepped back and massaged the aching area. "What was that for?"

"To snap you out from any illusion you are in. You know the answer to the question you asked earlier." Itachi turned and started leaving.

"H-hey! Get back here," the blonde called after him. "You didn't tell me about your stay!" Yet the man continued walking away.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke obediently and disinterestedly followed Mikoto inside the mall like a dog following its master. He didn't even give a damn when his mother stood in front of the mall's theater. Nor did he care to answer when she asked what movie he wanted to watch. He even just shrugged his shoulders when his mother went to the ticket booth for a boring; according to the reviews, movie. He didn't even question her when she gave him two tickets, leaving none for her. Then he heard her say, "Thank you for coming here." She wasn't talking at him, but to someone behind him. Curious, he looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened.

"What's with that face, Sasuke-teme?"

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke looked please to find the theater almost empty as he, together with Naruto walked in and seated themselves at the farthest part of room.

The moment the movie started, he draped an arm over Naruto's shoulders and pressed his lips against a tanned nape. "Fancy meeting you here," he whispered jokingly, his hot breath fanning the sensitive skin.

With his stomach churning in a good way, Naruto turned his head and whispered in reply, "She called me last night, asking me to come here to meet you. She even assured she'll take responsibility of this meeting." He flicked his tongue out to trace Sasuke's left outer shell. "I wonder why she's doing this."

Between nips on Naruto's right ear, Sasuke asked huskily, "Does it matter?"

"No. Just kiss me, bastard."

Sasuke grabbed a fistful of blond silky hair and yanked his head. Without further ado, he crashed his lips against Naruto's waiting ones. The sweet and rough contact made them moan softly through half-lidded eyes as they looked at each until the sensation of their tongues dancing around each other made their lids fall shut.

Too engrossed with their kiss, Naruto let his hands wander at their own accord. He wanted to convince himself that Sasuke was with him. That this stolen moment was real and not just a dream that would leave him empty with tears cascading down his cheeks like always.

While his hand gripped blond hair, his other slowly slid on a tanned nape before traveling lower and lower. Naruto gasped as Sasuke's hand slipped underneath his shirt. "Sasuke," he whispered, not in warning, but encouragement. As if that tone wasn't enough, he moved closer.

Sasuke opened his mouth wider while checking his urge to drag Naruto over his lap. "Dobe," he murmured between ragged breaths. In reply, the blonde just dragged him back to their place where time could never reach.

They groped, caressed, explored to their heart's content, but just stopped short from touching each other's erection and/or making them cum. They pressed and pulled obviously hungry for the other's taste, warmth and presence.

On and on, they continued.

"Sasuke," Naruto moaned wantonly. "I'm so hard."

Before Sasuke could say anything, he felt his right hand which was over the blonde's left back pocket, vibrating. He took Naruto's mobile unit and in a whisper answered his mother's call.

Naruto looked at the big screen and was surprised to find out that the movie was tying the loose ends of whatever plot it had. No wonder he was so hard and wet... he had made out with his boyfriend for quite a long time.

"My mom wants us to join her for a light meal. Let's go," Sasuke told him. He nodded and followed his lover out. The moment they stepped out, Naruto dragged Sasuke to the restroom.

"How do I look?" he asked the Uchiha. He wanted to look more than presentable to Mikoto.

"Okay."

"Just okay?" he asked, almost irritated.

Sasuke looked again, but this time, with so much intensity that the blonde squirmed. Then in a split of second, he stood near his lover and latched his mouth on tanned nape, sucking.

Naruto's vision slightly blurred at the sensation such an act brought. He immediately grabbed onto Sasuke as his knees shook.

Sasuke looked at his handiwork, then at Naruto before saying, "Better." The blonde glanced at the mirror and brushed a finger on the glaring hickey of which a part of it couldn't be hidden by any collar, much less a shirt.

-SasuNaru is love-

Whether it was out of concern, worry or curiosity, Mikoto shamelessly observed Sasuke and Naruto and their interaction. She noted that nothing had changed between them to give away to any audience that they were lovers. The way they talked made them look more like brothers. The way they laughed reminded her of best friends and the way they would casually threw insults in, they sounded like rivals who held begrudging respect towards each other. Was this what being lovers meant to them? Besides, since when did insults become pet-names?

"Don't!" Naruto's voice snapped her out from her thoughts. "I hate vegetables."

"Eat them," Sasuke commanded.

"But-"

"Eat them or I'll shove them down your throat in a very effective manner."

Mikoto swallowed her chuckles with her drink. Then, she smiled cluelessly when a slightly blushing Naruto looked at her. She hid her amused smile behind the rim of her cup and continued watching, while wondering if Sasuke would try his hand on entendre again.

The rest of the day was spent in a light-hearted mood, walking around the mall, occasionally walking into random clothing stores merely to look at the different articles of massively-produced fabrics. It was only later that Mikoto told her son that they should head home, due to the fact that the sky was turning a pinkish hue through the mall windows.

Mikoto thanked Naruto for being able to spend the day with her son. It quickly hit Naruto that this might be the only time he might have with Sasuke, however, he didn't feel as lonely as he used to. He was in fact, grateful that he was allowed this small window of opportunity to see his boyfriend, even if it was for a short period of time. He took one last glance into the obsidian pools he grew so fond of, before he only saw the back of his boyfriend's head before the two figures of Sasuke and Mikoto eventually faded.

' I guess I should go as well.'

With a cheek-splitting grin that wasn't directed at any particular person, the blonde turned around walking towards the nearest bus-stop that would take him home.

-SasuNaru is love-

Without taking her eyes from the road, Mikoto took a sideward glance at her youngest son. Upon seeing the ghostly smile upon his usually stoic face, she knew she did the right thing, even though she went against her husband's wishes.

"Okaasan, thanks for today," she heard him say. "Even though you're aware of the trouble you'll get yourself into if father finds out."

"Let's make sure he won't, okay?" she said.

Sasuke nodded, relieved and grateful at the same time. However, when his mother pulled over the side of the road, a tremor of nervousness passed through him.

Mikoto turned the CD player off and looked at the lad. "Sasuke," she uttered softly, but it was the softness in her voice that commanded the lad's full attention. "Before this revelation, every time I saw a homosexual, I'd see nothing wrong with it, because he was just a stranger and I'd think of how lucky I am to have two sons who are perfectly straight. So imagine when I learned that you're a ho-"

"I'm not," Sasuke interrupted and before his mother would reprimand him for lying or for trying to make a fool out of her, he continued, "In a sense that random guys don't turn me on. Only that dobe. It has to be Naruto to make me feel this way."

Mikoto nodded. "But it doesn't make a difference that I was disappointed... very disappointed beyond words."

Sasuke lowered his gaze.

"However, to see you this happy... to be full of light, I... I'll do my best to accept and embrace your sexual orientation. Just... give me time, okay?"

Warm hope exploded in Sasuke's heart upon seeing how sincere his mother was. He nodded and gave her a rare smile. Like Itachi, his mother was still neutral, but she was going to decide which side she'd be on. If she was able to accept his relationship with Naruto, then she would be an ally. Even though her support would be nothing

if pitted against his father, Sasuke wished she could accept things because in their family, it was only her whom he could find comfort.

He blithely crushed all miserable scenarios that came to his mind if his mother would share his father's sentiment. She had to understand. She must understand because women were creatures of the heart.

-SasuNaru is love-

That night, Gaara visited Naruto's place and noted how bouncy his friend was. They played computer game, but in the middle of it, he noticed that the blonde's concentration had deteriorated, which made the game boring. Actually the game was boring, but the blonde's streak of competitiveness always changed it.

Naruto would never forget the look on Sasuke's face when they had met that afternoon. He never felt so missed before that moment. He'd never forget how his lover looked when they parted... when Mikoto drove away. It was gut-wrenching. He didn't want to see such a look on that handsome face again.

Sulking is for the cowards. For the brave, there are only two choices: fight or let go.

He paused and looked at Gaara. "Gaara," he said, "I'm letting Sasuke go."

TBC

Question is would Sasuke allow Naruto to let him go?