Standard disclaimer applies:

Co-authored by XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX.

When he had bumped into a certain blonde, the Uchiha heir didn't know if it was plain coincidence or not. The older male seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Uchiha," the other said, with so much hatred dripping from that voice.

"Kazuma-san," he said coolly. He checked his urge to beat the man into a pulp for what he had done to his own son. He was about to continue walking when the older male's inquiry brought him short.

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Then stay away from him."

"If you love him as much as I do, you'll let him be happy."

Kazuma snorted. "He is and will be suffering. If it wasn't because of you, I wouldn't have beaten him up."

The Uchiha scowled and growled back, "Don't blame me for your lack of control." He nodded then said, "Have a nice day, Kazuma-san." Then he left to avoid the fistfight that would break between them if he'd stay longer. He was beginning to hate everyone and wish for their disappearance. Why couldn't they be together? What would it take for them to be together? Why was their love not enough?

WHY?

Chapter 17: The storm only she sees

I'll close my eyes and then I won't see
The love you do not feel, when you're holding me
Morning will come, and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then, to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight.
-'I can't make you love me', George Michael

When the first rays of sun highlighted the far mountains, Sakura had finished preparing bento for two people- hers and Sasuke's.

She had a satisfied smile on her face as she did a last-minute inspection on her work. It was better than she had imagined and she was certain that her crush would like it.

"Sakura-chan?"

The girl turned around and beamed, "Morning, mom!"

-SasuNaru is love-

Ino, Sakura and Hinata flustered over the sheepish blonde who had an obvious cut on his lips.

"You should stop fighting," Ino told him. "Who was your opponent this time?"

Naruto fought back a blush as he answered, "Sasuke." It was a half-truth. Although Sasuke did cause the cut, it wasn't because they were fighting. Indeed not. There were no fists involved. At the mention of his close friend's name, the three girls fell quiet for different reason. Hinata was wary of Sasuke while the remaining two didn't want to get on their crush's nerves.

Sakura chuckled, "You're no match for Sasuke-kun, then. He's uninjured."

"Sasuke-kun is definitely way better than you," Ino stated. She nodded her head twice showing that she agreed with herself.

Naruto thumped his head on his desk, suddenly put off with the troubles he had to go through for dating a popular bastard. Why couldn't he like someone like Gaara? He frowned. Gaara was also a popular bastard. Not as much as popular as Sasuke but nevertheless popular and a bastard. He groaned. How the hell was he going to tell Sakura and Ino about him and Sasuke?

-SasuNaru is love-

When the bell for lunch break pierced through the silence, Sakura practically leapt from her chair and approached Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, I made this for you." And she placed the lunchbox in front of him.

"There's no need-"

"But don't you, most of the time, eat cafeteria food?"

"Y-yeah but I'm..." he paused. He couldn't tell her that he was going to the culinary room because he was certain that she'd accompany him. "Then I'll gratefully partake."

Sakura beamed. "I'll get the lunchbox later, ne?" And she skipped her way to her friends.

Take that, Ino-pig!

-SasuNaru is love-

When Sasuke reached the culinary room, Naruto was almost done preparing their lunch.

"You have bento with you, today?" a surprised and slightly disappointed Naruto stated more than asked.

"Sakura gave it to me. Had no choice but to accept it," Sasuke explained in an exasperated voice as he settled on a chair. He hoped that this time, nobody would interrupt them. He just wanted to be alone with Naruto.

"Then you should eat that."

"But I want to eat what you-"

"I can cook for you anytime."

"Why can't I eat both?" Sasuke argued and reached for his share. He growled when his hand was slapped away.

"I don't want to see you pigging out."

"That will be a waste if you throw it."

Naruto smirked. "Who said about me throwing it? I'll give it to Shino after his club's meeting."

"I hate you," Sasuke muttered as he settled for Sakura's bento. But then an idea occurred to him. "Why don't we give to Shino the bento Sakura made?" He was proud of himself for thinking of such perfect idea.

This time, it was Naruto who growled. "Bastard! It is easy for you to say such insensitive thing because you don't have an idea how much effort she put into making it hoping that you'll like it!"

And his boyfriend's irritated voice annoyed Sasuke who almost snapped in reply, "You also don't understand my situation!"

Tensed silence followed Sasuke's outburst and continued as they ate their lunch. But no matter how angry they were with each other, such feeling would ebb slowly thus halfway during their lunch, they were back to their usual mood and talking. Or to be exact, Naruto talked and Sasuke listened.

Right now, Naruto could no longer tolerate that Sasuke was and had been staring at his mouth for quite some time now.

"Is my mouth more interesting than my topic?" he asked with a vein ticking on his forehead.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied with so much honesty that it made the other teen blushed. He even surprised the shorter male when Sasuke reached forward and thumbed the cut he made on those soft lips. "It's nice to know that it weren't my fists that made it."

Before the blonde could think of a retort, Sasuke had leaned forward and painstakingly dragged his tongue on those luscious lips. He pulled back, smirking when he heard the cluttering sound of Naruto's chopsticks as they fell to the ground.

"B-b-bastard!" Naruto murmured. He bent down and picked up his chopsticks longer than usual as he tried to hide his beet red face and steadied his crazily thumping heart.

-SasuNaru is love-

I refuse to remember when my anxiety was born because I am afraid to know of its cause.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino called out as the teen finished his laps around the ground. "Sit beside me," she invited without looking like she was begging. She gave Sakura a look knowing the girl was flanked by Shino, Chouji and two of their other classmates. But her crush stopped one bleacher away from hers. A sliver of pain passed through her eyes.

It haunts my dreams and distracts me when the sun is up.

"Oi, dobe. Move your things," he ordered calmly.

"You suck, Sasuke-teme. I finished my laps ahead of you," Naruto informed him haughtily. Seeing a small wet area on the dark-haired teen's would-be seat, he grabbed him and wiped the area with his towel.

He wiped it with his towel. With his towel, Ino noted. He did it when he could have let Sasuke-kun sit and then laughed at him a second later. Had Naruto grown out from his childishness?

Lately, such anxiety had gained more weight until I am burdened with it... until I began to think that apocalypse will happen in the next dawn. Will it?

She arched an eyebrow when Sasuke having emptied his bottled water, drank from Naruto's. She knew they'd been doing that from Kiba who eagerly told them about the gross things Sasuke, Gaara and Naruto did during their childhood. She knew and yet looking at Sasuke doing that hurt her more because he could have gone to the nearby fountain.

What are you to each other?

And Hinata was also thinking of the same thing.

-SasuNaru is love-

For a reason I don't understand… even during sunny days all I can hear is the sound of the falling rain and it echoes through my whole being.

For a reason that she didn't know, Sakura felt anxious while loitering at the rooftop together with her close friends. It wasn't the loitering with them that was a novel idea to her but the fact that it was Sasuke who had told them to meet him at the rooftop was. Sasuke! And that fact evoked a nasty and cold feeling in her. Even Ino seemed to fidget and so was Naruto who was trying to distract himself by arguing with Kiba.

What is this gathering all about?, she wondered.

Sasuke's apathetic look as he regarded his friends belie the nervousness he felt for what he was about to do. But nothing would stop him from telling them. He had to tell them because... because he wanted to.

His nervousness had affected his voice as it came stiff and almost polite. "For more than a month now, Naruto and I are dating." His eyes settled on Naruto's blue eyes. "And this is not a joke."

Unfortunately, his last statement was lost to everyone who was surprised with his admission. But even if it did, they knew Sasuke wasn't a person who would make such tasteless jokes.

I can even hear the deafening thunder and see the blinding lightning.

Naruto instinctively leaned back when he became the receiving end of everybody's gaze. He knew they were waiting for his violent reaction but he couldn't give any. With eyes shining with subtle pride, he said, "It's true."

Silence among them was never heavier than at that moment as they, except Gaara, tried to digest the news. To them, it seemed absurd that of all people it had to be Sasuke and Naruto considering how much they argue and yet at the same... at the same time, it was just right in a Sasuke-Naruto way.

One stifled sob broke the silence and everyone looked at the source of the sound- Sakura.

The thunder and lightning is never lucid than now when this unbearable pain suffocates me.

Sakura pressed her hands tighter against her mouth when a slew of angry and hurtful words threatened to leave her lips. Without even much of a glance to her friends, she left because it was just too much… too much for her to accept and too heavy for her to bear.

"S-sakura-chan!" Naruto called out and when a strayed teardrop landed on his left hand, he gave chase.

The pink-haired teen maneuvered her way through the flight of stairs and along the hallway, never paying heed to the voice desperately calling her name. She had no reason to listen to it nor stop her moving. There was one word that resonated through her whole being- run away. Run away from the reality that was too painful to be real.

She let out a short cry when a hand grabbed her wrist and whirled her around. She prayed that it wasn't Sasuke because she didn't want to be hurt anymore. She had always imagined for Sasuke to run after her but for a different reason... for a different cause.

Through her tears, she found out it was just Naruto and she felt disappointed because a minute part of her wanted it to be Sasuke. She scolded herself for being a fool despite what was happening. She should had learned by now that the Uchiha never chased anyone who didn't have impossibly blue eyes, tanned skin, golden hair and Naruto for their name. In his eyes, she was just a nobody... she was just a figure in monochrome color like everyone else.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto murmured. He was lost on how to comfort his friend. Was there a way?

"Y-you are always with him since your early childhood," she said between sobs. "Isn't it enough? The time you spent with him? Didn't you consider that there are others too who want to spend their time with him? To stand beside and comfort him? That I want to be that person?" she had almost screamed the last statement.

Blue eyes were darkened with guilt at that statement. "It's not about that. I-"

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk with you."

Naruto became even more desperate. "But Sakura-"

Stormy emerald eyes glared at him and told him coldly, "Shut up!" She wrenched her wrist from the blonde's loose grip and fled.

… And I wish lightning will strike me dead. When will this heavy storms ends?

"Sakura, wait!" Naruto was about to go after her when a hand stopped him. "Sasuke!"

"Leave her," was Sasuke's reply.

"But I... I want her to understand," the blonde stated firmly. More than anything else, he wanted Sakura to listen and understand him. After that, even if it would hurt him, she could do anything she wanted. She could even stay away from him but only after she had listened to his side.

"One day, she will but not now. She's hurting."

Naruto looked outside through the window. "I wish none of this happened." And he was so engrossed with his worry that he didn't see Sasuke flinching or see the pain that fleeted through his face.

Sasuke inserted his hands in his slacks' pockets. "Then you can go after Sakura and tell her it is just a big joke." To anyone, his voice was flat and indifferent but to Naruto, it held cool anger that was masking his pain and disappointment.

For a second, Naruto stared at the path where Sakura ventured to before he went after Sasuke because no matter what happened and would happen, he would always choose Sasuke. Wordlessly, he jumped on his boyfriend's back causing the other teen to lurch forward. But instead of scolding the grinning blonde, Sasuke just gave him a small smile.

"But I will never regret 'us'."

-SasuNaru is love-

Kiba sighed and plopped down on Shino's bed. "Sasuke and Naruto?"

"You're still bothered with that?" Shino asked without taking his eyes away from his ant farm.

"I dunno. All this time, I thought they are asexual. I didn't know they swing that... they swing towards each other." Kiba didn't understand why but he believed that both boys couldn't be attracted to anyone but to each other. It was obvious to him that those two had a world of their own where even Gaara wasn't part of.

"Their ending up with each other is as natural as the insects' blood is yellow," Shino said, his voice as neutral as ever. "Don't make such gross associations!" his friend barked. At him He turned around, his glasses reflecting the light from the ceiling. "Don't tell me, you're jealous."

Kiba's reaction was instantaneous. He jumped to his feet and pointed at the bespectacled boy. "That's even more disgusting. Sorry to tell you this but I only have my eyes set on Hinata." His eyes widened and his hands flew to his mouth as he realized his mistake.

Shino chuckled almost wickedly while adjusting his glasses.

-SasuNaru is love-

Hinata quietly sat on the chair in her bedroom and stared at her hands daintily curled on her lap. She closed her eyes and let her feelings overwhelm her. She had always known that Naruto's most beautiful smile appeared when Sasuke was with him. She had known but had hoped. She smiled bitterly for herself. When the dull pain in her chest would vanish, she was certain that she could be truly happy for them.

Please give me time to heal.

-SasuNaru is love-

"Those two are really troublesome," Shikamaru said as he stared at the dusky sky. He knew he should have been on his way home but the urge to lie on the field near the river was too strong to be ignored.

"I'm worried about the girls. They took it so badly," Chouji admitted. After Sakura had left, Ino had calmly left too while Hinata stayed until everyone decided to go home. But he knew, all of the girls were depressed. He wondered if Naruto and Sasuke had told Neji, Lee and Tenten. He sighed in relief that Tenten didn't fancy the Uchiha because frankly, he didn't want to see another friend depressed.

"It can't be helped," the lazy lad drawled, "just as it can't be helped that those two are now an item."

"S-shika, are you saying that you knew this would happen eventually?"

Shikamaru took a moment before he answered shyly, "Yeah, somehow." Anybody would if they witness what he had witnessed at the culinary studio. That had been the most obvious warning he had seen even though Naruto and Sasuke weren't aware of the attraction that gravitated around them pulling and pushing them towards each other.

"As expected from you!" an amazed Chouji exclaimed as he none-too-gently pat his friend.

-SasuNaru is love-

Ino pushed her feet off the ground to give the swing she was sitting on its momentum. She let the gentle movement comfort her as the painful confession replayed on her mind. But why would she feel betrayed? she asked herself. Sasuke wasn't hers from the very beginning and he had given no reason for her to hope so it was foolish of her to feel this way. She sighed. She had quietly asked Naruto not to be the villain of her love story when it had been a one-sided one all along. She bowed her head and later on chuckled almost insanely when it hit her that Naruto was the protagonist and she? She was just one of the supporting characters in this love story that was bigger than hers.

I will not become a villain.

TBC