Disclaimer: All Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto-sama.

Author's note: The last chapter had bagged a lot of reviews and put us on cloud 9. Thank you. With regards to Chapter 30, I and XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX are dreading your reaction. In fact, we had readied ourselves for flames or hate mails. We know Tobi's real identity, but we love his comical side so we retained his psuedonym along with his funny personality. In any case, please enjoy.

Warnings: Two time skips, yaoi, OOC and unbeta-read.

The dark-haired man sighed. It had been two days since he realized that he was falling in love, and now, he was in love. For someone who had been dating women, the Uchiha wasn't panicking or denying that he was attracted to a male. To a blonde. To him.

Maybe the reason why he was calm about it was because for the first time, he was seeing someone beyond sexuality and social norms. He wanted to court the blonde, but there was one problem though- he had no idea how. Dammit!

Fortunately, an opportunity was presented to him under the guise of calligraphy exhibition held at his university. He had learned on that night of their first meeting that the blonde was interested in calligraphy which was a surprise because he too liked it.

Casually, he invited Shigure who he knew had no interest. His friend refused but told him that he knew someone who would be happy to join him admiring ink and paper. Then the next thing he knew, he was talking with the blonde on the payphone, agreeing where and at what time they would meet.

It was only when he hang up did he realized that he had just wrung an unofficial date from the blonde and he was inwardly grinning.

That was the outing that paved way for the Uchiha to frequently hang out with the blonde who welcomed his company.

Mou tomadou kotonaku
Saki he susumu shika nai no
Hitori ni naruto kimi wo omoidashite shimau kedo
Aisuru yue ni wasure kaketeta
Hontou ni yaritai koto wo zutto

-"Never let go", Miliyah Katou

Chapter 30: Moving on

Gently and quietly, time passed by like the ever-present, bringing changes, both subtle and not.

Three years had passed since then and everybody had adjusted well to the choices and decisions they made.

Sasuke, despite the change of environment, was popular in his school. Not only for his good looks and intelligence, but also because of his cold and indifferent personality- which everybody seemed to see as an authentic Japanese attitude portrayed in movies and anime. Hundreds of females were after him and when he paid no attention, rumor-mills worked overnight spreading that Sasuke Uchiha was gay. That rumor alone sent a number of homosexuals chasing after him, but he treated them in the same matter he treated his fan-girls- callously. In the end, everybody believed that Sasuke was just delaying his self-gratification. They were still wrong. Sasuke had no plans of committing himself to another. His relationship with Naruto had taught him that love was nothing but fetters covered with scented ribbons. If he wanted to reach his goals, he was better off alone. Definitely better.

Alone, he celebrated his little triumphs; dreamt of his greater glory, frustrate on his little mistakes and suffered his disappointments. He was always a lone figure attending his classes or walking along the school halls and he wanted that solitude. He protected it fiercely.

-SasuNaru is love-

Gaara groaned against his pillow at the incessant ringing of his mobile phone. He answered the call in a voice as cold as ice to let the caller know how displeased he was for being woken up. But Sakura's excitement couldn't be put off by Gaara's irritation, after all Naruto was coming back from his six-month training abroad.

"You know what day is today?" she asked.

"Yeah. Wednesday."

If only both of them were talking face to face, Sakura would have hit him hard, but since they weren't, she just cursed him. But Gaara knew... he knew it too well because he marked this particular occasion in his calendar. He was just as excited as everyone, perhaps more.

"Be that way," she huffed, "but make sure-"

"Naruto gets to his welcome-back party," Gaara finished for her in a mocking seriousness. After hanging up, he tossed his mobile unit and stared at his ceiling.

Today, he comes home.

His heart tightened at such thought. He missed the blonde so much that it hurt, and the agony of waiting for this day had been almost as unbearable as his silently loving the blonde. Yes, after all these years, Gaara still hadn't confessed or made his feelings known. However, this time what was holding him back was his fear that he'd end up as Sasuke's substitute. He didn't want that, so he remained quiet.

Unbeknownst to him, he was always on Naruto's mind.

Naruto couldn't keep the grin splitting from his face when the copilot announced that in a moment they were going to land. He would be home. After six months of grueling and intensive on-the-job training, he would be home.

Gaara.

Considering that he had been in love once, Naruto immediately recognized the feelings that he had nurtured for the past months. He just didn't realize it until he was away from the redhead. Like before, he was experiencing the joys and sorrows of what he thought to be an unrequited love. Sometimes, he'd bemoan his fate of falling for bastards, but at least he was moving on. No, he had moved on and the feeling was exhilarating.

-SasuNaru is love-

Gaara felt his heart jolt the second he spotted Naruto among the crowd. The blonde became leaner and grew slightly taller since the last time they met, but still attractive... strikingly attractive.

"Hi," Naruto greeted with a small smile. It was funny how he sounded giddy and nervous at the same time. Was this what happened to people when they were in love regardless of age? "I'm home."

"Welcome home," Gaara replied casually, but his voice was warm and such warmth went straight to the blonde's heart.

Their gazes met and the beauty of their reunion isolated them from everyone, until the blonde broke their eye contact.

"Let's get my luggage," he suggested.

"Yeah, let's," Gaara agreed as he inserted his hands into his pockets when he so wanted to pull Naruto into a tight hug and tell him that he missed him. "You look like hell."

Naruto chuckled. "I hadn't slept for two days." The redhead cocked an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Friends were throwing farewell parties and I just had to be there."

"Well, you have us to make sure you get a lot of sleep. After your welcome-back party, that is."

Naruto grinned. Gaara winced slightly as he continued, "Sakura bestowed the honor of having my place to be the venue."

-SasuNaru is love-

"Naruto," Sakura cried out and practically threw herself at him. "I so missed all your noise."

"And I so missed your brute strength," Naruto replied.

The female smiled good-naturedly before linking an arm with tanned ones. All at once, Naruto was surrounded by friends and the warm gathering he found himself in touched him.

"You and Hinata?!" Naruto exclaimed. "When did you have the courage-"

"A week ago, but we wanted to surprise you," Kiba said.

"Don't they make a lovely couple?" Ino cooed, making Hinata blush. Being a girl who loved to be updated on everyone's life, she asked, "And you?"

"Me?" a confused Naruto echoed.

"Have you met someone?" Shino clarified, his dark glasses glinting under the light.

Kiba nodded, immediately getting into his two friends' teasing mode.

"Of course not. I was too busy. It was just kitchen and dormitory."

"Really?" Chouji asked.

"There's no need to be embarrassed with your conquests, Naruto-kun!" Lee assured him. "We should live life with burning passion! Right, Neji?"

Neji sighed, rolled his eyes and agreed just so he'd be spared from Lee's lectures. "Whatever you say, Lee."

"I'm not lying!"

"It's written on your face though," Shikamaru quipped.

"You guys can't imagine the rough training I have."

Kiba grinned at the perfect opening. "Rough training as in, 'ah! ah... ah! Faster! Ah... harder... ah...'! "

"Kiba!" Hinata slapped him in his arm hard causing Naruto to stick his tongue out.

Even though Gaara hadn't participated, he was discretely listening with him half-expecting Naruto to admit what everybody was accusing him albeit teasingly. He paused from sipping his beer when Naruto glanced at his direction. He just slightly raised his beer can and the blonde smiled.

"Stop teasing Naruto," Tenten said then added with a grin, "for now. Everything is ready so let's eat."

Everybody went to the table and Naruto made sure he sat beside Gaara. Although he welcomed his friends' presence, he couldn't wait for them to leave so he and Gaara could catch up on each other. Those emails and phone calls weren't enough. Just not enough.

-SasuNaru is love-

"Naruto? Naruto," a voice called out, causing him to force his lead-heavy eyelids open.

"Gaara?" He scanned the room and found no one else. "Where's everybody?"

"They went home already."

He nodded. He thought that he was only dreaming when he had exchanged farewells and goodnights with the others. "I'll help you clean up."

"I made them to do that before they left," a smirking Gaara informed.

"So you want me to go back to my apartment?"

Gaara took in his drooping eyes and tired look. "You can sleep in the other room."

Naruto smiled gratefully and stood up. Gaara sighed when Naruto bumped into his coffee table and lost his balance. Wordlessly, he half-dragged his friend to the other room. He then gently dumped him on the bed and tucked him in. "You just arrived and you're already this troublesome."

He paused when a tanned hand gripped his left wrist. "Because you're kind," Naruto murmured.

"I guess I am," he replied as he gazed into sleepy blue eyes which were regarding him with sincerity.

In his sleepiness, nothing was clearer to Naruto but Gaara and his kindness. Each of his kind gestures were replayed on his mind vividly until it became a mosaic and then he saw it- the reason of his kindness. Gaara loved him, silently but loyally. He had always loved him but he- Naruto had been blind until now. However, he was glad that he had not noticed it when he was still with Sasuke because things would have turned awkward among the three of them.

"Sorry for making you wait," he said and then he pushed himself up at the same time pulled Gaara, their lips meeting few seconds later.

Gaara's eyes widened at the gesture and its suddenness. What was happening? He looked at Naruto who had his eyes closed, blush tainting his cheeks. Was it okay? Could he? He heard a soft voice deep within him saying that it was okay. Gaara braced his hands and leaned forward, his tongue meeting Naruto's halfway.

When they pulled back, Naruto caressed a cheek and told him with so much affection, "I missed you so badly." Then he fell asleep with a smile on his slightly swollen lips.

Gaara brushed few golden hair strands from tanned forehead before he smiled. Naruto had certainly moved on and the knowledge was exhilarating.

-SasuNaru is love-

Gaara was surprised when he turned around and saw Naruto who was naked from waist up, standing at the kitchen doorway. He looked like he had just step out from the shower room.

"I didn't hear you taking a bath," Gaara said before he emptied his glass of water. He cocked an eyebrow when blonde walked up to him with a serious face.

"Did I make things awkward between us?" Naruto asked because he remembered what they shared that night as vividly as if it only happened a second ago.

The redhead just jerked him forward and kissed him hard. "Was that a good enough answer?"

The blonde licked his lips. "I don't know. My brain is still asleep, so you'll have to convince me."

Gaara smirked, his intent clear.

Naruto moaned as he stepped forward, bringing their bodies closer and deepening their kiss that seemed to know no end. Gaara ran his hands on the blonde's sides, stoking the fire.

"Can I touch you?" he murmured.

"Very much so," the blonde replied breathlessly. Unfortunately, before Gaara could touch him, the doorbell rung.

"I'll get it," Naruto murmured then hurriedly went to answer the front door. For a second, his heart stopped when he saw who was behind the door, but his mind immediately made the difference. "Itachi," he uttered and looked at the stranger behind the man. "New guy?" he asked. He had met Kisame, Sasori and Deidara, but he had never actually met the man Itachi was with.

Itachi nodded. "This guy is Tobi. Tobi, this is Naruto."

Tobi's eyes widened and hugged the blonde. "I heard so much about you from Deidara-sama and Sasori-sama. I'm so honored to finally meet you."

"Let Naruto go before I'll decapitate yours arms," an irritated voice ordered few meters behind them. Tobi paused, glanced at the annoyed redhead then back at Itachi.

"Possessive, isn't he Itachi-sama?"

"If you won't listen to him, I might carry out his warning before he can," Itachi said. Sometimes, he just couldn't stand the other male and his being too friendly and unfocused.

At his warning, a sheepish Tobi let Naruto go. "I was just excited to meet someone with excellent cooking skills but lacks intelligence."

"What did you say?" an insulted Naruto demanded.

"Tobi."

"Yes, Master Itachi?"

"Shut. up."

Ignoring the other visitor, Gaara said, "It's good to see you, Itachi, but I can't stay any longer. Have to be in school."

"Please excuse our intrusion," Itachi replied.

"Excuse us," Tobi repeated.

Gaara turned to Naruto. "See you later?" he asked while tossing a shirt to the latter.

"Yeah."

Itachi didn't miss the two hickeys on tanned nape and it didn't take five seconds for him to put two and two together. Naruto found someone new- Gaara and deep within, he was relieved because Naruto had moved on. Now, if only Sasuke had moved on emotionally.

"I'll be having coffee and bread for breakfast. What about you guys?"

"Coffee and bread," Itachi replied.

"Japanese meal," Tobi replied then changed his choice when Itachi glared at him. "I'll be having what Master Itachi will have."

When the three of them were settled and eating breakfast, Naruto asked what he wanted to ask.

"What brings you here? Work?"

Itachi was a member of the Akatsuki- an organization who preserved art and destroyed anything that insulted it. They thought of themselves as people who were enlightened by the god of art while the rest of world, especially those that were victims of their criticisms, thought of them as just radicals. In any case, it was an affiliation that made Itachi travel here and there.

"Sort of. Then I met Shino-kun who told me that you've returned and out of exhaustion, stayed in Gaara's place. But I think it's not about that that you're here with Gaara."

Naruto placed a hand over the marks, more in embarrassment than denial. "It was really exhaustion before things fell on where they should."

Itachi shrugged his shoulders in indifference. There was a short silence before Naruto inquired, "H-how's Sasuke?"

"Getting closer to his goals."

A small smile graced the blonde's mouth. "I see. Then I'm glad that he left."

"He didn't leave, Naruto-kun. He threw everything away." Itachi saw how blue eyes widened slightly. "And that's the truth." He also saw the cracks and stains he had created. Naruto was no longer the boy who with his flawlessness and innocence fascinated him in an unromantic way since the first time they met. Was his freedom worth the corruption of the person that had been almost like a brother to him? For the first time, Itachi felt guilty.

-SasuNaru is love-

"Dad, I'm home," Naruto announced in a loud voice as he stepped into his father's study room, and then paused when he realized belatedly that his father had a guest. "Sorry."

Arashi nodded and said, "Welcome home. You were a day late in visiting me here."

The younger blonde looked sheepish, "They threw a welcome-back party for me and I ended up crashing at Gaara's place. Then, I went to my apartment before coming here." He grinned as he continued, "I hope you have no plans in dining out tonight. I want to show you how far my skills have improved."

"Did they now?" Arashi said teasingly.

"You'll join us, won't you, Uchiha-san?" Naruto's voice was polite and indifferent just as Fugaku wanted it to be from the very beginning. Not 'Uncle' but 'Uchiha-san'.

Fugaku snapped out from his stupor and immediately answered without bothering to confirm. "Yes, I will."

Naruto grinned and excused himself.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Arashi quipped with a sadistic pleasure gleaming in his blue eyes.

Fugaku didn't bother to reply, but the blonde knew why the former had looked pale the second he saw Naruto. His boy looked exactly like him when he was on that age and for Fugaku to be reminded...

"You should have seen him when Sasuke-kun left and you'll have a good idea how I looked like back then," he said.

"Don't start now," Fugaku warned him. Why couldn't Arashi accept that he had to do what he did with his younger son and let go? But he knew why. His decision for his son was like their past- hovering over them like a shadow and always bothering them.

Arashi leaned back. "No, I won't." But his eyes were telling the other male that the reason why he wouldn't wasn't because the latter warned him, but because he decided to.

-SasuNaru is love-

"To jobs that pay the rent!" was the chorus as everyone made a toast, their voices echoing in the empty restaurant which was supposedly closed for the day. It had been more than a year and each of them had found stable jobs and few of them, love.

Tenten let her eyes wander around the place. It had been her first time being in Chouji's restaurant where Naruto was the head chef. "I'm surprised you made your own," she told Chouji.

"I wanted to start from zero rather than just take over my father's," the man replied with a shrug.

"Speaking of taking over," Sakura started, "Your father wasn't against you being head chef, Naruto?"

"We basically agreed that I can do what I want, but when I'm thirty, I'll be taking over his place."

"That's seven years," Hinata said.

"Yeah, but by twenty-five I have to spare time to learn SOPs and all."

"That's just troublesome," Shikamaru quipped.

"Yeah."

"I think Arashi-san is too young to resign," Ino said with admiration on her eyes to the man who was kind, charming and cool. "He could still manage."

A teasing Naruto leaned forward. "Why don't you transfer your admiration from my father to me?"

"And make Gaara jealous and mad?"

"Yeah. So we can have a hot and angry sex," he replied, winking.

Ino glanced at Gaara who was smirking and silently challenging her in his eyes. "Can I watch?"

"For a payment," Gaara replied while casually draping an arm over the blonde's shoulders.

While Ino made an attempt at trying to make the redhead jealous, the others looked on and shook their head at Ino's fanaticism on yaoi. Crazy girl.

-SasuNaru is love-

Naruto's gasp of pain when he was slammed against the wall was smothered by Gaara's hot and demanding mouth.

"Hot and angry sex, eh?" the redhead whispered huskily, making the blonde shiver. "Why don't we scratch angry out and just have hot sex?"

"My pleasure," came the lustful reply.

Totally and perfectly in tune they strained against each other, commanding, possessing and stealing. It was so easy to become a liquid fire when the hands that caressed were those of desire personified and easy to let go and be lost in the forces of attraction together with him.

Naruto's cry rang out in the redhead's quiet apartment as they reached their pinnacle and free-fall together.

-SasuNaru is love-

"Good morning, Mr. Uchiha," the general manager of the Uchiha company London branch greeted Sasuke as he get off from his car and walked into the building.

"Good morning, Shinagawa-san," Sasuke greeted.

"Our wait for you formally joining us is finally over," the older man said.

"Shall I presume then that everything is ready?"

"Of course. Everything."

"Thank you."

When he walked into his office, the interior design was exactly what he wanted... calm but commanding. He thanked the general manager once more before seating himself on his leather chair.

He had come this far with him throwing away what held him down. There was only one thing he needed to do now and it might be difficult- gaining his father's respect.

On that night, he poured himself a glass of wine and made a toast to his new job by himself. And for the first time in years, he let himself think of Naruto.

Was the blonde doing fine? He must be because he had known him for a long time to be certain that Naruto would always get back to his feet no matter how hard his fall was. Did he move on? A major part of him believed that he did. It had been more than four years now, surely he had moved on. He wanted Naruto to move on and yet, every time he thought that he did, he felt his heart would burst with pain. He told himself it was okay for Naruto to move on; to find someone else; to love someone else; to embrace and be embraced by someone else. It was okay, he told himself and yet, he couldn't convince himself to believe that he was fine with it. He still loved the blonde after all these years. It was obvious that he hadn't move on. He didn't want to move on… couldn't.

-SasuNaru is love-

The next morning, Itachi looked at the online newspaper and saw Sasuke's image splashed on the business section of the website. The headline announced Sasuke's formal entry to the family's company in London.

Itachi's gaze stayed longer on his brother's picture because of the way Sasuke looked so jaded and so emotionless. That hurt. Sasuke reminded him too much of himself when he was still the successor and of their father. Even at that young age, he looked like his soul and spirit had been eaten by the monster that was their family name.

An empty shell, his mind pointed out. Yes, an empty shell and it won't be long before Sasuke would be nothing but a working machine, living life mechanically.

Unable to bear their resemblance which his selfishness had caused and the future that awaited Sasuke, Itachi closed the browser window.

Damn.

TBC

Here I am again, shamelessly pimping my other one-shots. I posted them in my livejournal account as public so if you have time, please read and enjoy them. Thanks.