Standard disclaimer applies.

SasuNaru, yaoi, OOC and unbeta-read.

We apologize for having no updates for the last three weeks. This was because I- asashouryuu had no internet connection at home within the first two weeks. To make up for that, we were supposed to post two chapters on the 15th but the site was being an ass preventing any chapters to be loaded. Ah damn.

Cowritten by XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX so give her some love. And to those anonymous reviewers, please leave your e-mail address so we can personally reply to your reviews. Yoroshiku ne.

The dark-haired man almost dropped the ladle when he felt fingers lightly skimming his naked chest. "You're awake, I see," he said while calmly stirring the curry he was cooking.

"Come back to bed," his lover murmured against his neck, making him shiver.

"You're hungry. Dinner is almost ready."

A tanned hand reached forward to turn the stove off. "I'm hungry for something else." He purred.

He looked over his shoulder and gulped, feeling his pants tightened. His lover was wearing his long-sleeved shirt which was buttoned at the bottom to cover his groin but left the top buttons open to reveal his lover's chest, which was decorated with love-bites. He looked good on his shirt but he looked better without anything on and was writhing beneath him. He smirked. "Dinner can wait. Definitely," he murmured as he closed the distance between them and together, they abandoned again the world that was unforgiving to a love like theirs.

Chapter 4: Foolishness

Please just double take me
Just once
Or I'll hang my head in shame
You could make me feel special
You could make me feel real
- "Ignore Me" -T.A.T.U

"Fugaku" Mikoto said in a firm voice as she laid out her husband's clothes on their bed. "You're not paying attention to Sasuke. You'll miss how he grew up if keep on like this."

"I have to look after Itachi to ensure he'll be more than ready when he takes over the company. You should have known that by now."

"What about Sasuke then?"

"He'll just have to wait."

"But time doesn't stop… it doesn't wait for anyone."

The Uchiha gave her an annoyed glance. "That's why Itachi is on top of my list. I'll try to accommodate spending time with Sasuke in my schedule this week."

Eyes cast down, she nodded. "I see." But honestly, she didn't. And they both knew he won't accommodate nor would try because Sasuke was nothing compared to Itachi… because Sasuke was just an extra… a spare if things go wrong.

As Fugaku walked down along the hallway of his house in his crisp and elegant suit, he met Sasuke on his way to the front door.

"Good morning, otousan," the boy said, halting to greet his father who never replied back nor even acknowledged his greeting or presence. Sadness fleeted through his eyes before he blamed himself that his voice was too small to be heard. Next time, he promised himself, he'd have to greet his father in a louder voice.

Next time….

Fugaku closed his eyes longer than a blink as he dismissed Sasuke's greeting effortlessly. Every time he looked at his second son and saw his childish foolishness, he couldn't stand it. It was too innocent and pure and he didn't like it. The boy won't survive against the harshness of the reality if he keeps that up.

"Sasuke, do you want to eat something before you go to Naru-chan's house?" Mikoto asked.

"Naruto said we'll eat together with Gaara. Are you going to pick me up?"

"Your dad will visit Arashi-san's place to discuss something so you'll be going home together."

Sasuke's face brightened at the thought of him and his father together. "Really?" He asked with hope lacing his voice.

Mikoto nodded with a smile and deep inside her, she wished Fugaku would spend a quality time with him during their drive home.

Please… don't disappoint him.

-SasuNaru is love-

"How come your melon juice taste better than mine?" Sasuke asked Gaara as he took a sip from the latter's glass. The three were having a light snack at Naruto's dining room after playing soccer.

"It just is," Gaara replies shrugging his shoulder. "You can have it if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah," the redhead replied while eyeing Naruto's orange juice. Wordlessly, he took it. "I like orange juice."

Naruto gaped at him, "Then why did you ask me to give you melon juice?"

"Because it looks like I'm drinking chemicals."

Both boys owlishly stared at their friend before they burst out laughing.

"You're weird but a cool guy," Naruto said.

Weird but cool.

Taking that as a sincere compliment, Gaara smiled. Even if there were moments when he felt like an outsider in this group like when his two friends would talk about stuffs that happened during their early childhood, there were moments too like now when he felt really one of them. He grinned wider when Kyuubi settled on his lap and meowed. Feeling generous, he shared his snack with the very pleased cat.

-SasuNaru is love -

Gaara saw a big can which he hadn't noticed until that moment, sitting on the farthest corner of Naruto's cabinet. He grabbed the can and realized that it was heavier than it looked. He shook it, producing a jiggling sound. "What's this?"

The two other boys looked at him before sharing a look.

"Well… that is… actually," a blushing Naruto brokenly started. He gave Sasuke a distress look but his other friend was busy fighting a blush too or at least that was what it looked like to him. Stupid Sasuke. Seeing the pained look on Gaara's face of being left out again, Naruto gathered his courage and said, "That's our savings. Sasuke's and mine… it's for our marriage." He whispered the last word.

"What?"

"Our wedding," Sasuke said and his voice was tainted with pride. In his mind, he and his blonde would live happily ever after with nothing to worry about school, curfews and rules set by their parents.

"But that's not possible," the redhead argued.

"Why not?" the pale boy asked with a scowl on his face.

Gaara frowned before explaining what he saw on TV. "Because you're boys and wedding is only for a boy and a girl and they'll make babies." And he hoped to God that his friends won't ask him how babies were made because he didn't know. All he knew was that, it had to be a boy and a girl and neither of his two friends was a girl.

Blue eyes brightened as he realized something. "You can be our baby, right Sasuke?"

The dark-haired boy pondered the suggestion for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yeah, why not? So what about it, Gaara?" With the redhead as a family member meant thrice the fun!

"I guess it's not bad," Gaara answered hesitantly then understood that it meant he would still be part of them. "My father is a banker so maybe we need to put this in the bank."

"Why?" a slightly confused Naruto asked. Sometimes, he just didn't understand the words his red-haired friend spouted.

"It's safer. Nobody would steal your money."

"And I heard it will multiply. We'll have more than we gave to them but I don't know how," Sasuke chipped in.

"Well then let's ask Otousan," the blonde suggested.

The other two nodded

-SasuNaru is love-

Three pairs of eyes peeked into the study room after knocking on the mahogany door.

"Come in," Arashi called out, his smile beckoning them to step in while the stoic Fugaku looked at them indifferently.

Sasuke noticed the stacks of paper on the table in front of the two men and became hesitant. He knew his father didn't want him to be disturbed when he was working and now wasn't any different. Perhaps, they should come back again when neither of the men was busy. He slowed his steps, falling behind his two determined companions. Afraid that Kyuubi would start her own distraction, the boy picked her up.

"What can we do for you?" Fugaku asked too coolly, earning a displeased look from his partner.

"We are thinking how to put our money in a bank," Naruto said, addressing his father than the older Uchiha. He didn't understand why but the man had gotten scarier every time they met.

"Your money?"

Three boys nodded, Sasuke a bit too meek. He was avoiding his father's gaze, not wanting to see a glare from him at the same time expecting to be scolded for such interruption.

"We don't want it to be stolen because it that happens…" Naruto trailed off.

"Sasuke and Naruto won't be able to get married," Gaara calmly finished for him.

Both fathers stared dumbly at the three boys before their brains really registered the statement. Arashi chuckled at their foolishness and innocence while Fugaku scowled.

"Are any of you girls?" the older blonde inquired after tapping his chin as if he was giving the news a thought. Actually, he did. He was thinking how to explain to these kids that there were things that were impossible without hurting their feelings.

"No," the three chorused.

"So marrying each other is not possible."

"But we already have a child," Naruto argued, placing both hands on Gaara's shoulders and pushing him forward.

This time even Arashi looked disturb and his polo shirt slipped a bit from his left shoulder. Where did these boys get such impossible idea? Marriage was the last thing he had in mind when he was in their age.

A vein started ticking on Fugaku's forehead. "Stop this nonsense right now," he said in a clipped tone, his eyes blazing with cool anger. He looked at his son who stiffened immediately. "Sasuke…"

"I'm sorry, otousan," the boy said automatically, his hold on Kyuubi tighter than before. "We won't disturb you anymore." With that said, he left the room.

"Sasuke, wait!" Naruto said before following his friend together with Gaara.

The older Uchiha sighed trying to calm himself down. He never expected his child to be like this. Why couldn't Sasuke be more mature like Itachi? Was Sasuke really his child? He frowned. No, Sasuke was indeed his child because the boy looked so much like him that it was painful.

Arashi smiled, "They're just children, Fugaku-san. We can't expect them to understand how things work." He flinched as he became the receiving end of such cold glare. "One day, they'll forget such things."

"Why? Did you also have this kind of foolishness too when you were in their age?" Came the taunting voice of the Uchiha.

Arashi frowned. He hated that mocking tone. "What about you? Did you?" His voice turned cold almost biting like winter coldness. "Oh! I forgot. You were never a child to begin with."

The two glared at each other then both of them sighed. "I'm sorry," Arashi said quietly. "Perhaps we're both tired and they got us at a wrong time."

"Yeah. Maybe," Fugaku said as he dumbly rearranged the already arranged stacks of papers on his side.

-SasuNaru is love-

Fugaku and Sasuke's drive back home was tensed and quiet. The boy had tried to start a conversation with his father about his day but no matter how loud his voice was it seemed his dad never heard him. He was hurt when the older Uchiha turned the stereo on but he knew it was an unspoken order for him to be quiet. Sasuke fell silent and as he stared at the trees and houses speeding past his window, he told himself that he shouldn't talk such boring things to his father because the latter probably did the things he did with his two friends.

Sasuke felt relieved as they reached home and he immediately ran inside the house. He greeted his mother before bursting into Itachi's room.

"So what did you do today, little brother?" Itachi asked as closed the book he was reading to listen to his sibling talked about his day. But the younger one just shrugged his shoulders assuming that Itachi did the things he did too. What he didn't know was that, their father never gave the other a chance to experience a normal childhood. It was all about discussions of business and trainings about his future role.

"Don't be standoffish now," he said as he poked Sasuke's forehead. The other boy flinched and rubbed the slightly throbbing area.

"Don't do that," he pouted.

Itachi leaned his head against his propped up arm. "So? Spill."

"We played games. It was fun and-" Sasuke took something from his sling bag and placed it on the table. "We help the house maid cooked brownies and Naruto said that this is your share."

"They look delicious."

"You bet!" the younger chirped. "C'mon! You should eat it."

"I will while I'll help you with your homework."

As they walked to Sasuke's room, Itachi half-listened to his brother's narration. If only… if only he had that kind of freedom the other had. It didn't matter if it will only be for awhile as long as he tasted it. In his dreams, he would sometimes wonder what it would be like to be free… to live life the way he wanted to live and in his own pace.

-SasuNaru is love-

"You look mad? What happened?" Mikoto asked.

"I think those three are spending too much time together. They're giving each other dumb and impossible ideas," Fugaku answered. He was close to grinding his teeth into powder every time he recalled the exact words being uttered with much excitement and honesty.

"They're kids. What do you expect?"

"For them to act mature," the man snapped before leaving the room to talk with his older son. He got more annoyed when he didn't find Itachi in his room. He marched to Sasuke's and rudely opened the door.

"Itachi, we need to talk right now."

"But, I promised Sasu-"

"Now! I'm sure Sasuke can do his homework by himself. Am I right, Sasuke?"

"Yes, I can."

But Fugaku didn't pay or heed nor attention to his younger son's words. He stared at Itachi, impatience showing in his face. Itachi swallowed the bite of brownie he had in his mouth and then walked after his father.

Sasuke sadly looked at his homework and picked up his pencil. He could do it. He'd show his father that he could.

-SasuNaru is love-

As Fugaku drove Itachi to the Uchiha Corporations building, Fugaku began another tedious lecture on how the entire company rested on Itachi's shoulders. Itachi grew tired of the daily talks his father gave him, but dared not to express his opinion.

"It all weights on you, Itachi," Fugaku began with a semi-regal tone, "That is why, you must learn the inner-workings of this company as soon as possible."

Itachi merely nodded in response, allowing his father to continue.

"But," Fugaku continued, "In order for you to learn everything of this system, you must make time for it. Surely you can manage that, Itachi?"

"Yes, father." Itachi responded monotonously.

"Good," Fugaku exclaimed proudly, "You will have to finish whatever schoolwork you have quickly, sacrifices will be made if you're going to run this business."

Itachi already knew what his father had meant about the sacrifices, but nodded in acknowledgement and agreement to his statement.

"Don't let anything get in the way of your achievements Itachi, you're the only hope for this business."

A distraction, was that all Sasuke was to him? A distraction preventing him from learning all there was to know about the family business? Itachi stifled a distressed sigh, and continued to pay close attention to his father's words and orders. Once they had stopped in front of the large building, that appeared to be overlooking the entire city, Itachi let himself wallow in the slight feeling of self-pity.

'I must do of what expected of me,' He thought as he followed the older Uchiha into the elevator taking them into the top floor, 'anything less will drive father into depths of disappointment and possibly, insanity.' Itachi watched as the numbers at the top of the door slowly blinking, one by one, taking both father and son to the top floor. His father's droning was slowly, but surely becoming incoherent background noise to Itachi's ears.

'Sasuke, I'm sorry.'

As Itachi and Fugaku finally reached the top floor, the former observed the many doors aligning the narrow halls. He suddenly felt like a caged bird..

And his father looked down upon him as he held the scissors to his wings.

TBC