Standard disclaimer applies.
SasuNaru, yaoi, overfluff and OOC.
Beta-read by Karina-chan
The younger Uchiha male scowled at the two figures in front of him. "So this is all about being an Uchiha?" he spat at his parents. This was his worst confrontation he had with them regarding with his love life. Why couldn't they accept that he deeply loved the blonde? Why must there be restrictions? He disdainfully looked at his mother who was screeching.
"Uchiha! That name places food on our table and clothed you. It gave you everything you wanted since birth!"
"But not the love I wanted… not the love I have with my blonde!" he shouted just to drown out his mother's screeching. Pain exploded in his cheek when his father slapped him hard, but it was nothing compared to what he felt in his chest. Deep down, he knew this was his last struggle… his last attempt to win this war.
"Stop this foolishness! What you have will never last long… You'll never be happy because that person is too sympathetic for his own good," his father said coldly and then his parents walked away, leaving him alone in his drowning and self-loathing. It was few minutes later when he left the Uchiha mansion for his apartment where his lover was.
The blonde was about to sit on the couch when the front door opened. He frowned when he noticed that his lover was drenched. But he did have an umbrella, right? Yes, he did. It was clutched tightly to the point where the knuckles turned white from the force of the grip.
"What the hell are you thinking walking under-" He stopped when the other male lifted his dark eyes to his and what he saw almost made him fall to his knees. There was defeat and pain in those obsidian orbs and a plea of understanding from him.
The blonde sighed because at that moment he also made his decision. An image of his lover's parents and his own flashed across his mind. He clenched his fists and mentally bowed in defeat, 'You have won.'
The dark-haired man approached his precious person, not minding that he was leaving wet trails on their very shiny floor because such thing was inconsequential at that moment. "I-"
The blonde shook his head and raised a hand to caress a cheek. "We are in a situation where we are each other's happiness and sadness and where the threat of being disowned hangs above us."
The two stared at each other. There were so many things to say but they found no words appropriate enough to make them begin. In the end, they just breathed each other's names and then there were just caresses. And they desperately clung to each other with the knowledge that love wasn't enough to make them win the war that they had fought for almost two years.
And all this time, I thought love is the most powerful among things…
Chapter 3: The beginning of darker days
Ano hi boku no kokoro ha otomonaku kuzuresattaKowarete sakende mo keshisarenai kioku to
Kurayami ga hitomi no naka he to nagare komu
Mou iro sae mienai ashita he to shizumu
"Colors of the Heart" by Uverworld
"You're late again!" an eight-year old Sasuke said as he none-too-gently hit the blonde's head the moment Naruto met him at the school gate of their elementary school. Yes, he and Naruto were going to the same school after pleading their parents a year ago. Today was the first day of their class as second graders.
The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I overslept!" Before his friend could say anything, he reached up to take a Sakura petal that got tangled on dark hair strands, replacing Sasuke's small scowl with a gentle smile towards his blonde friend.
Shall we go?" Sasuke asked. The blonde nodded and together, side by side with their shoulders blushing they walked under the rain of pink petals.
-SasuNaru is love-
As the two small boys walked side-by-side along one of the school's many dully-painted hallways, when sky-blue eyes met dark sea-colored eyes. The other boy also had red hair, and was glaring at the person who was lecturing the boy about making more friends, 'Must be his mom.' he thought.
The green eyes turned and regarded the bright blue eyes that stared at him. Naruto repressed a small shiver by the cold gaze that was pointed directly at him as he walked pass the room.
"You okay?" The voice snapped the blonde from his reverie with a shock.
"Huh? Y-yeah, I'm alright!" Naruto said with a wide grin spread across his features.
Sasuke decided to not press further and continued to walk to their classroom.
'Those eyes.'
Even if it was for barely a second that he'd seen those dim sea-green eyes, he could still remember every detail with such a short glance and the meeting of their gazes.
'Those eyes were so lonely.'
Blue eyes later lit with determination as a thought hit him
If he has no friends then I'll be his friend!
-SasuNaru is love-
Blue eyes scanned the room during their recess looking for a certain person he had seen earlier that same day.
'He looks like he should be in my grade.' Naruto thought, 'But where is he?'
The blonde's gaze traveled across the small classroom for what felt like the millionth time, until blue eyes sparkled with recognition.
'It's him!'
The boy was sitting at the back corner of the room, scribbling something on a piece of paper. Looking at him, all alone and quiet caused Naruto's heart to clench. He tugged at Sasuke's shirt.
"What?" He snapped.
Naruto, being used to his dark-haired friend's rapidly shifting moods, ignored the harsh tone and leaned forward whispering something to his ear. Sasuke turned to the redhead's direction then back at his friend. He suddenly felt insecure. Naruto wanted to befriend the redhead and what if…. What if… his position as the blonde's best friend be taken away? 'What if…' His trail of thoughts stopped as he felt a warm hand gripping his. In that moment he remembered what Naruto told him.
I like Sasu-chan the most… forever.
'..Forever..' Sasuke thought with a small smile.
"Come with me?"
The pale boy scoffed but he let his hand be held by small tan fingers that were wrapped tightly around his wrist as they walked toward the back of the classroom.
Innocent but wary emerald eyes stared at the two boys standing in front of him, one of the boys appeared quite calm, while the other looked nervous.
"What are you drawing?" Asked the blonde in a timid tone.
Pale arms swiftly covered the small sheet of paper, "Nothing that concerns you." The red-haired boy growled.
Sasuke watched as Naruto flinched at the boy's cruel tone. He almost wanted to hurt the boy when he saw a small flash of hurt reflecting through blue eyes, but the blonde soon regained his sunny composure, "Would you like to play with us?" he asked with his usual cheery vigor.
"And then what?" Came the redhead's monotone reply, which was laced with slight curiosity. Despite his attitude towards the blue-eyed boy, he was still inviting him to play with them. Although he would never admit it, he always had wanted to play with the other children, and this boy, whose brightness rivals that of the sun, was giving him that chance.
"Then we could become friends" Answered the slightly irritated Sasuke.
The blonde boy gave the redhead a bright smile and thrust forward a tanned hand, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Uchiha, Sasuke" Replied the dark boy standing patiently next to his blonde friend.
The redhead slowly reached for the tan hand and took a hold of it timidly with his own, "Gaara, Sabaku Gaara.
-SasuNaru is love-
"Bye Sasuke! Bye Gaara!"
"Bye Naruto" Replied the two monotonous voices.
Both stood and watched as the blonde's back disappeared in the horizon before they both turned to one another.
"Later, Uchiha.." Gaara mumbled with a soft tone.
"Bye Gaara." Sasuke responded.
As both boys went their separate ways, Sasuke could have sworn he heard a whispered 'Thank you' before Gaara ran off toward the direction of his home.
Sasuke let out a short-lived grin before dashing toward the direction of his home, anxious to tell his mother, father and Itachi about a new friend he made today.
With new determination, he ran faster.
-SasuNaru is love-
"I'm home!" Sasuke half-yelled, half-panted.
"Welcome home" Answered a gentle voice before emerging from inside the kitchen, "How was your first day Sasuke?"
"It was great, Okaasan!" Sasuke replied enthusiastically, "Naruto and I made a new friend!"
"Good for you, Sasuke." Mikoto smiled, "Tell me about your new friend, what's their name?"
"Gaara," Sasuke responded as his mother turned her back to fix dinner. Sasuke continued his conversation knowing that his mother was listening.
As dinner was being prepared and served, Sasuke told his mother about Gaara. How he and Naruto first met the boy, and what they played during recess. His mother was truly happy that Sasuke had made another friend, this way he wouldn't put all of his attention on Naruto.
"Sasuke, you should tell your father all about your new friend," Mikoto happily suggested.
Without another word, Sasuke dashed up the stairs leading into his father's study.
-SasuNaru is love-
"Do you deem yourself worthy enough to handle this big of a responsibility in the future, Itachi?"
The thirteen-year-old merely nodded as his father continued to lecture him on preparing to take over the Uchiha Corporation. He seemed too young to be preparing for such an important matter, but Fugaku sought to give Itachi the knowledge and basics of owning Uchiha Corporations. The earlier he knew about the system, the better.
The lecture continued until a rapid pair of footfalls made themselves present until the door opened in a rush, revealing a wind-trussed Sasuke with happiness ever present in his dark orbs. Fugaku's temper slowly rose from the unwanted interruption in the middle of an important point.
"Otousan!" Sasuke began, "I made a new friend at school tod-"
"Sasuke!" Fugaku started with a tone that reeked of authority, "Right now I am currently discussing important issues with Itachi here. I am fairly busy right now, and don't wish for your childish stories to interrupt with my business. Understand?"
Sasuke was taken back by the feeling of rejection he currently felt from hearing of his father's obvious disinterest in what Sasuke had to say. "I-I understand..." Sasuke softly whispered before tiptoeing back into the hallway and shutting the door quietly behind him.
'He's just busy right now. I'll talk to him when he's not working...' Sasuke thought as he made his way down the stairs and ate his dinner in dead silence.
However, Fugaku was always working and the news Sasuke wanted to tell him so badly started getting older and older until it disappeared from the boy's mind like a vapor.
TBC