We especially me, sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. I now a lot of you were looking forward for this chapter but you see, I went out of the country to relax and forget everything - work and writing. As much as I want to post two chapters, I can't do that without agreement from XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX whom I wasn't able to catch up on. But that didn't mean, we lost contact so everything is fine.

Enjoy this chapter.

Were he and Uchiha naive when they entered into this relationship? No, they weren't. They knew it before and discuss it during their second date. They knew what would and could happen if their parents find out. They even agreed that discretion was the key to their relationship but they were hoping that their parents wouldn't know. To hope didn't mean to be naive because hoping was equivalent to living. So they had hope and practiced discretion and sometimes it would hurt and disappoint them that they couldn't really show to the whole world what they found in each other and what they could be together. There were only few places they could display their affection and few people, who were all their close friends, supported them.

Everything had been so wonderful to be a reality and too good to be true and now they had been rudely awakened from their dream. He knew he couldn't go back to sleep and wished for the same dream... no... he couldn't do that because he wasn't the type to just sit and wait. He was going to make his dream a reality and the only way to do that was to do it with his two hands. Hands which had learned to hold protectively, to caress seductively, to touch reassuringly and to give pleasure to his beloved.

His blue eyes burned with determination. Yes, he would gain everything with these two hands. He looked up at the sky and raised his hands before fisting them as if he had captured the burning disk.

I won't stop fighting... to do so would mean death. I will fight for us so please... please...

Chapter 16: Too late

Itsudatte kimi dake wa kawaranai de soba ni ite
boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara
kono yokan ni kizuita kara
Itsudatte boku dake wa...
kimi o hanashitari wa shinai kara
boku ga kimi o mamotte miseru kara...
kono yokan ni kizuita kara
-"Kimi no tame ni dekiru koto", Gackt

Strange. Too strange.

Shino wasn't talking about ordinary strangeness because that was equivalent to Sasuke and Naruto's normalcy when they were together. He was referring the peculiarity of how these two were treating each other. Their conversations gave the bespectacled boy a feeling that there was an underlying message and that their eye contacts seemed to have another purpose other than to provoke the other. To anyone, it may seem nothing out of ordinary but Shino was one of the observant persons in their gang and right now, he was discretely observing two of his friends while they were inside the overly crowded train.

Knowing that it was crowded and trying to protect their female friends from being groped by pervert assholes, the boys had surrounded them. Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji and Kiba were behind the girls. Gaara was on the left. Neji, who had together with Tenten and Lee hang out with them more often since he became student council president, stood on the right. Sasuke, Lee and Naruto were in front of them.

The pushing and shoving as the train admitted more passengers led to Naruto being plastered between Sasuke and the wall. One jerky movement and the blonde was sandwiched and he would have been flattened if Sasuke didn't pressed his lower arms against the wall.

"You okay?" he asked quietly when tanned hands clutched his chest.

"Other than I'm suffocating, yes," the blonde whispered back.

"Then stop fidgeting."

"The bar is digging into my right hip bone, asshole!"

Sasuke just 'hmm'ed and before the blonde knew it Sasuke's left hand was placed between his hips and the offending metal bar and he couldn't help but blushed at the tender gesture. He looked at Sasuke who was just staring straight ahead trying to keep his face from blushing. He smiled softly and just flattened his hands against the other teen's chest and stared over his shoulders.

In there lay the strangeness, Shino observed. Normally, Naruto would hiss and growl about such close proximity but now he just kept quiet. Not to mention that he wasn't bothered by Sasuke's closeness. In fact, he looked calm in a way that was even strange to Shino. And Sasuke? He wasn't teasing the blonde nor silently mocking them. He was just standing there almost holding the blonde without looking like he was. When did such calmness settle between the two, anyway?

"Those two seem strange," Shino quietly told Shikamaru as they made their way to the turnstiles.

"You mean more troublesome?" the lazy brunette muttered unknowingly proving Shino that he had also noticed. He stole a glance from Gaara. If the redhead noticed anything, he didn't show it. That was Gaara for everyone.

Not only was Gaara observant he was the only one who knew the two the most. He knew something had changed between Naruto and Sasuke but he couldn't tell what it was. But he was certain it had something to do with his talk with Naruto almost two weeks ago. Although the fact that his two childhood friends were keeping secrets from him caused uneasiness in his heart like ripples on water surface, he trusted them enough to know that they would tell him sooner or later.

-SasuNaru is love-

After their group outing, Naruto and Sasuke insisted to walk Gaara home and the redhead let them.

Gaara straddled his chair and apathetically stared at the other teens who meekly sat on the carpeted floor. A fine eyebrow arched at such act. "Well?" he asked when the silence was too strained for his liking. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to sit on the carpet."

Naruto let out a forced chuckle while sheepishly rubbing his nape. He darted a look at Sasuke who looked a bit paler and was pursing his lips. Like his boyfriend, worry and fear within them intensified. They didn't know how Gaara would react especially with that indifferent mask he put on. Would they be scorned? Would he be disgusted? There were a lot of possibilities that words seemed to get stuck in their throats. Each second that heavy gaze was on them, silence wrapped its hands around their necks to choke them to death.

"Sasuke and I-"

"Naruto and I are dating each other," Sasuke told him. He had cut Naruto off to make sure that all Gaara's anger would be directed at him in case the redhead would not take the news kindly.

Gaara owlishly stared at them as his brain slowly processed the information.

Words flew out from Naruto's mouth at the redhead's continued silence. "We've been meaning to tell you ever since we got together but…" he paused to unclench his fists. "But we don't know how to tell you. Even now, we don't but we don't want to keep this longer from you so-"

"Naruto, shut up," Gaara said quietly and slowly making the other two teens tensed.

This was it, both Naruto and Sasuke thought. This was the end of their friendship and all because they couldn't stop the attraction that sizzled between them.

"Your panicky voice strains my nerves," the redhead continued as he tilted his head to the side. His emerald eyes never left them. Naruto was obviously fidgeting now while Sasuke… he tried not to and failing. Gaara snorted. How pathetic. "I wouldn't give a damn if you guys are marrying."

"Eh?" The two chorused, surprised that there had been no violent reaction. To someone, the redhead's statement was one of apathy or grudge but to his close friends it was his way of assuring them that it was okay; that he didn't hate them. Too relieved, Naruto lunged towards his close friend and hugged the life out of him. Sasuke just watched. He usually didn't like it when the blonde would go on hugging people but he could tolerate this moment. He could because he was relieved too. He didn't have to lose one important bond because of what he and Naruto felt for each other.

"Uzumaki, you better let go of me at this instant or I'll detach your arms," Gaara threatened but his cold words were less meaningful as he was still helplessly smothered in Naruto's firm embrace. And when he thought he was going to die before he could carry out his threat, the blonde had released him. "Were you trying to kill me?"

"I'm just happy," Naruto informed the breathless teen.

"Should I get the bank book ready?" Gaara deadpanned referring to the account he made for their 'wedding money' the two had saved up. His two friends had decided that considering Gaara knew more about money, the redhead should look after it. Of course, Gaara happily accepted the role. Few years after, with the help of Temari, he was able to open an account for the money entrusted to him.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke inquired.

"Marriage is not far from dating," Gaara explained. He became amused when the two blushed. The novelty of a teenage Sasuke blushing amused him more.

"Like I said what are you talking about?" The Uchiha none-too-gently hit him in the head. "I'm just dating the dobe."

"You're talking as if I'm not here," Naruto grumbled. Before the other teens could give a sarcastic reply, the blonde's phone rang.

"Sasuke," Gaara said. His visage and voice were very serious.

Sasuke glanced at his friend, his obsidian eyes meeting with emerald orbs. Even though those eyes spoke nothing but silence, he could read what lies beneath the calmness- worry and insecurity. "I don't want to hear your warnings and threats. I know what I'm doing." He smirked. "And Gaara? Despite my relationship with Naruto, nothing changes. You're still on our top list."

Gaara smirked because it was easier to do so than to smile at those reassuring words. It was nice to hear them but neither Sasuke nor Naruto understood him. Hell, he didn't understand himself until few minutes ago.

I finally understand but it's useless already.

"You don't have to say that because I know where I stand."

Yeah, I know and I realized this isn't where I wanted to be.

-SasuNaru is love-

As they walked on the lamp post-lined street away from Gaara's house, Sasuke grabbed a tanned hand in his. In broad daylight or in front of many people, he couldn't do such simple gesture. The only thing he allowed himself was to drape an arm around his boyfriend under the pretense of camaraderie when he wanted the meaning of such act to be deeper.

"People will see," Naruto warned him. His hand remained limp in pale ones when he wanted to return the hold. He was wanted so much to do so.

"We're alone now."

"But how long? What if someone from school-" He was cut off as Sasuke took his lips the moment the two rounded the corner. While his mind protested at such bold action, his body immediately melted into the kiss. He shivered when he felt the wet muscle slid into his mouth. He grabbed onto Sasuke as his knees threatened to give up on him.

"Aren't you going to complain now?" Sasuke murmured teasingly, his breathing as ragged as Naruto's. He smirked when the blonde merged their lips again and his eyes fell shut at the beauty of this shared intimate gesture. He slid his hands to settle on his boyfriend's hips, feeling and holding him close.

Naruto moaned when Sasuke sucked his tongue before toying with it. The more his mind reminded him where they were, the more thrilled he was and the more his senses heightened to all the feelings such gesture awakened in him. And when they wanted more and knowing they couldn't, they pulled apart and stared into each other's smoky eyes.

Naruto raised his hands and cupped Sasuke's face for few seconds before he dropped his hands to his side. The wave of longing he felt for his boyfriend was now completely under his control. "We have to get going or we'll miss our ride," he said and grabbed a pale wrist. Slowly, his hand slid to hold a pale hand which immediately returned the gesture.

Under the cover of the darkness which had become their ally, they walked quietly and hand in hand.

I don't want to let go of this hand that holds so much warmth.

-SasuNaru is love-

By the window, Gaara stood watching his close friends walked the street that was by now very familiar to them. His eyes narrowed slightly when Sasuke took Naruto's left hand. But he didn't look away even when his heart shed more tears. And when they disappeared around the corner, Gaara snapped the curtain close and grabbed his aching chest.

"Fool," he sneered to himself. Up until his childhood friends' confession, he wasn't aware that he was attracted to the blonde. He thought everything he did was out of friendship and he refused to think that there was something beyond that until Naruto had been taken from him. He frowned. Taken? From him? He laughed at the absurdity of his pathetic thoughts. Naruto was never his to begin with. He was always Sasuke's.

When they were still children- Sasuke's.

When they were elementary- Sasuke's.

When they were junior high- Sasuke's.

It was Sasuke's before so it should follow that it should be Sasuke's now. And he? He was just a welcomed intruder to a relationship that had began God knows when. He was just an audience who got the front seat in watching how their relationship hidden beneath friendship emerge similar to how a caterpillar shed its cocoon and become a butterfly. He was just that- an intruder and an observer. He had no right to be other than that. He should understand that! He should-

Damn it!

Angry tears fell from his eyes and Gaara fell on his knees... weeping for his lost chance.

-SasuNaru is love-

Even if the hands that hold you aren't mine...

"Gaara-" Naruto whined as he saw his friend among the crowd of students moving towards the school. "Good morning!"

"Good morning."

Even if the person you're with isn't me…

"About last night," the blonde paused while averting his eyes. No matter how many times Sasuke had assured him, he still wanted to make sure that it was okay for Gaara.

"I told you it's okay so stop wearing that look!"

As long as you're smiling that beautiful smile of yours, I'll teach myself to be content with that.

The blonde's gaze flew towards his face. "Really? You're not kidding?"

"Do I look like I am?" the redhead countered. Blue eyes stared at him calculatingly before he heard his friend's reply. "I don't know. You have that same apathetic look." Then Naruto grinned.

"Thanks, Gaara."

And I'll learn... I'll learn because...

"Hey, Gaara! What are you doing there standing stupidly?" Naruto's voice filtered through his thoughts. The blonde was now standing few paces away from him flailing his arms to get his attention. Without saying anything, he started walking towards his friend.

Because I like you.

TBC

It's 4:06 here in the morning and my eyes are very exhausted that my vision is getting blurry so excuse me if my notes don't make sense. And I know: Poor Gaara.