Author Note: Hi. Its been a few months since I was last here with an update but believe me that I didn't forget. So much happened since last time that I was in no shape to write. But now I'm back and I have to thank my sister and my best friend for that. You helped me too, every review was a great booster and made me happy for many reasons. Well, enough of this sentimental stuff. What really surprised me was that so many liked Yue since it was a character that I created on a whim. I can easily say that Yue is more complex than I've given away. Also, if there is someone out there that are willing to be my beta-reader and talk about new stories with me and give me your personal oppinion then give me a shout. This chapter came out a little darker than I wanted but I think that most knows that life isn't fair. Now, I give to you, with out further delay, Chapter 18 of Music In My Heart.

I'm also giving credit to Weavers for her wonderful and gorgeous picture she have drawn for this story. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend that you do: I don't own Naruto.

Pairings: Sasuke x Naruto. Itachi x Yue.

Warning: This is mainly a shounen-ai story. Boy loves boy.

Music In My Heart
By Monkan

Part 18

'He' was the most fragile of them both. He didn't need his eyes to know that, all he needed was to hold him in his arms to know. The tenderness that always held a touch of fear. Each time they let go of each others from an embrace, there were a lingering feeling that left him breathless. A ache in his chest that he couldn't explain. Every time their fingers brushed against each other there were a soft trembling that disappeared as soon as he gripped his beloveds' hand as if to reassure himself he was still there. The gentle moments they shared were sweet but he knew that they were both growing up and that aspect frightened him. Would memories be all they had left when they grew up? The mere thought of that made the ache in his chest to grow.

Even now it was the memories that reassured him that what they had was true. It gave him a feeling of knowing that the path before him was open and that on the other side he would wait for him. Everything they had said and done were precious to him. Each whispered word as they held each other in the night was carved into his memories. Even in the moments of silence he could hear his voice saying he loved him. And every time he heard those words his chest felt strangely warm.

Naruto lay curled up in his bed, the cover stuffed up around his waist as he hugged himself in hope to chase away the lonely feelings. His eyes half shaded by his eyelids as their crystal clear colour stood out from beneath golden tresses.

Every time he thought about Sasuke he felt warmth swell up in his heart and even though it had scared him at some point he now welcomed the warm feeling. Every day he spent time with Sasuke made him feel happier and he looked forward the next time they could meet. He even sometimes dreamed of Sasuke holding him in his sleep. He even dared to admit that he longed to meet the other boy. When they kissed he didn't feel awkward about it anymore, he even wanted Sasuke to kiss him more often but didn't dare to say it.

He wasn't scared or shy anymore from physical contact with the dark haired boy, in fact he noticed that he hoped the other boy would touch him in some way. Be it a gentle touch on the arm or a sweet embrace as they slept on the same bed, it didn't matter. He still liked Sasuke but now it was even more than back then. In fact he wasn't sure how much his feelings for the other boy had grown but they weren't the same. He had thought long and well about this, even scared himself with how deep his feelings had become for the dark haired teen. Could he say them? Could he take that step and face his own feelings as well as Sasuke's?

The new prospects of this change scared him, it wouldn't be the same... or would it? Would he regret having said them or regret not saying them? Would Sasuke be able to stay with him if he remained in their current relationship? What was their relationship anyway? Sasuke said he loved him and he even accepted him as he was, even his mostly blind eyes. Sasuke had said time and again that he loved him and that he wanted to be with him but for how long would that feeling remain the same if he received nothing in return? Wouldn't he get bored and move on? No. No. Not Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't a liar and besides that...

Naruto sighed softly into his pillow. There were no garanty that they had a future together. Or that they would remain by each others sides forever. He even knew that he most likely would never have a normal life with his bad eyes. But if he lost Sasuke he knew he would be heartbroken but... could he really say them? It would change everything.

Could he really say...

"I love you, too."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The days were feeling both slow and fleeting. Sasuke sat at his desk in school and sometimes took one little note of something to keep track. The whole class was listening intently to their teacher as they went through some trouble in math. He could hardly believe that a month had already past since Christmas but then again, time had seem to go faster ever since Naruto entered his life.

Naruto.

Just the image of the blond boy in his mind made him smile slightly. If someone had told him five months ago that he would be here today, loving his love even more than when he first confessed then he wouldn't believe them. But then again they always said that love was something you couldn't understand unless you've experienced it, and they were right. He had had no idea how it was to really love someone. He had loved others in the past when he was but a toddle but he couldn't remember it well. He had even been scared of falling in love again after Nuriko. Even scared of saying "I love you" to Naruto because of the scars Nuriko had left behind.

Nuriko. The one person that hurt him the most. They, along with her little sister Yuiko had grown up together and back then he hadn't known anything. They had been close and even shared a peek on the cheek from time to time but he never really loved either of them. But Nuriko had loved him, to the point of obsession. At that time one of his brothers friends, a girl had been coming over many times. He had a crush on her, a childish thing compare to what he had now but still it was enough to ignite Nuriko's wrath. It all went wrong after that and one day he came home and there he found the girl on the floor with blood splattered about her. It had all been written of as an accident but only the family knew what really had happened. Nuriko had been banned from coming close to them ever again. Sasuke had gone into chock and it devastated the whole family.

Sasuke had to give himself a mental kick to get out from the memories. But that was in the past now. He had a new life now, Nuriko couldn't hurt him, he was in love and he wasn't a little child anymore...

Not a child anymore. He was finally growing up. He would be 17 this year, enter High-School and start his own life... with Naruto. That thought warmed him and if he had to admit it, he really enjoyed the idea of him and Naruto living together. He had to talk to Naruto about it, he knew that, and he also knew that there were a chance Naruto would refuse him but for now he could dream about it. He could dream about all the things he wanted to do with Naruto. Celebrate all the holidays and birthdays together. Not having to sneak around the house in fear of others finding them. Sharing a bed nightly and cuddle with him in his arms. Go to the park in the summer and just enjoy each others company. They would be independent and live their lives as they saw it. They could take one day at the time and be happy.

He was so into his daydreams that he didn't notice how the class ended and barely noticed when all the others started to fill out. He unconsciously followed and went to his next class. All the time his head was full of things he wanted to do in the future.

Sasuke knew that at their current status it was still one-sided love from his part and it hurt slightly when he thought that Naruto would never come to love him. But he also knew that he couldn't force Naruto to fall in love with him, if anything he was just happy the other boy... no... teenager actually, hadn't rejected him and told him to never come again. The fact that Naruto had given him a half-on-half confession that he 'really, really liked him' gave him enough hope for the future. It might not be today but someday Naruto would surely come to love him.

He had been in love for only five months but he already knew that he would love Naruto for the rest of his life. He didn't know how, he just did. Each week that passed he fell in love all over again with Naruto. It was both frightening and wonderful to be in love. He had even realized that he got a little jealous when his classmates said they wanted to meet his unknown "best" friend. He was facing all the ups and downs to be in love but he could handle them. No one else had been really important in his life before he meet Naruto and now all that mattered to him was Naruto.

As long as he had Naruto, that was all he needed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Later that very same night Sasuke was visiting Naruto. They both felt relaxed as the minutes ticked by without either of them doing anything really. For a while Naruto had played the violin but he felt like it told to much of his feelings that he had to stop himself before Sasuke found out. Now they sat on the couch in the living room, Sasuke not doing anything in particular while Naruto finger read his book which he had neglected as of late. That is, tried to read it for his thought kept falling back to his earlier thoughts. Should he tell Sasuke how his feelings had changed or just let it be for now. He looked up and even though his vision was blurry he could still make out the dark hair, pale features and the blue shirt he was wearing tonight.

He had to admit that Sasuke was a good looking guy but it wasn't only that that he had fallen for. It was...

Upon feeling Naruto's eyes on him, Sasuke looked up and looked back at Naruto's clouded eyes. He tried to guess what was going on through the others mind. Naruto looked hesitantly for a moment before closing the book.

"Sasuke..." Naruto began but the words stuck on his tongue. "I... that is... you..." he felt how he flushed with embarressment. "Recently I..."

In his attempt to say something the phone rang and the moment was broken. Naruto cursed silently when Sasuke walked up to answer for him.

He really felt like a fool. Why wouldn't the words just come out?

"Itachi?" he heard from across the room. "Why are you calling?"

Naruto stayed silent as he waited. Suddenly he felt how the air in the room froze.

"What did you say?" Sasuke whispered over the phone. His mind wouldn't accept what he had just heard and while he waited he barely realized that there was a long pause before the voice at the other end came back.

"...father and mother have been in a car crash!"

To be continued.