Disclaimer: Naruto and all the characters in this story belong to their rightful owner. I make no claim on their creation!

Warnings: Yaoi, Sasuke/Naruto relationship, some swearing and violence. If you don't like boyxboy pairings, then don't read this!

Authors Notes: I know it's been a looooonnnnnggg time since I updated this story, but I've finally decided to get this story done, because I love it so much. I hope you enjoy, and please forgive if this chapter is no good. I'm just getting back into the writing game!

Chapter 29: Love Through the Lies

Something's in the air tonight
The sky's alive with a burning light
You can mark my words something's about to break
And I found myself in a bitter fight
While I've held your hand through the darkest night

Nothing Left to Lose by Mat Kearney

Sora was gleaming like a precious metal, and looked so perfect she could have been carved from marble. The heat from her body had warmed the leather of her saddle, and it was the only part of him that felt warm.

The sun shone brightly, but it did little to warm the chill he felt inside. He felt numbed and in shock, even though they had performed flawlessly for the dressage test, he had felt as if he were watching from elsewhere.

He bowed to the judges and urged Sora towards the exit of the ring. Applause broke out from the audience, but he did nothing to acknowledge it, even though he knew that his comrades, as well as Sasuke had been watching.

It was like something in his mind had switched off after the events of the morning. He had moved through the motions of preparing for the first day of the competition, grooming and saddling Taira and Sora, showering and dressing himself in his formal riding attire. He had warmed up both horses soundly, and both had been on their best behaviour for him.

It hadn't helped that Sasuke had been distant and almost cold with him whenever they had been forced to interact. Combined with the strange looks he had been receiving from Kiba and Raidou, and the obvious kindness and concern from Kakashi and Genma, he felt like an outcast, or a leper.

He wiped his forearm against his sweaty forehead and nodded to the rider entering the ring.

Kakashi approached him with Raidou at his side.

"Good work Naruto, you went really well out there," the older man said, smiling at him as he grasped Sora's rein. "Take her for a cool down, then put her away for the night. Kiba has already taken care of Taira for you. Sasuke placed second in the dressage."

"They're releasing your score now, Naruto," Raidou said, looking over at the scoreboard on the far side of the arena. They waited in silence for the judges to release the scores.

"Hm, good placing. Third," Kakashi looked back up at him.

Naruto nodded again. "I'd better get her settled," he mumbled.

"Okay. See you back at the hotel? Dinner is at six."

He already knew that he wouldn't be attending dinner after today. Isolation was probably the best bet after such a rough day, and looking people in the eye was a rather hard thing to do.

With a small wave at his friends, he turned Sora for the practise arena's for her cool down.

As he passed the stables, the sight of Sasuke caught his eye and he pulled Sora to a halt. Sasuke had disposed of his formal riding jacket, and was standing with a man who Naruto had never seen before. He watched, a heavy feeling in his gut as they smiled at one another, and Sasuke pulled the guy into a tight hug.

The unknown man had vibrant red hair, and pale skin, he could see that much from where he sat astride Sora. He appeared to be a little shorter than Sasuke, and was dressed in baggy jeans, with a tight fitting black t-shirt and heavy, military style boots.

He watched them together as they talked, painfully noting the way Sasuke was smiling and talking with such animation.

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat; after the way Sasuke had been so distant with him before the competition, seeing him so lively with someone else cut him deeply.

Sora was getting edgy, so he directed her towards the ring for an extra-long cool down, determined not to look their way again.

Sasuke clapped Gaara on the shoulder again with a smile.

"It's good to see you again," he repeated himself as he ran a hand through his hair. "I tell you, I thought I was going to go insane having the listen to Ino for another day without intelligent conversation."

"From the rumours I've heard flying around, there's a lot more going on than that," Gaara replied dryly, as he looked around at all the people and the horses.

Sasuke exhaled, as his thoughts turned immediately to Naruto and the new conflict that had arisen. He really didn't care what the other stable hands thought of their relationship, especially the pink haired girl Haruno. Like many others before her, she had acted as though she had some claim over him, and that she had a right to him. It only deepened his spite for her, because he couldn't stand people who treated him like he was a statue, with no opinions or thoughts of his own.

That was another reason he had been so drawn to Naruto. Naruto treated him like he was more than his looks or money. He was interested in Sasuke as a person, as someone who mattered and meant more than his material possessions and his status.

Sasuke might not care what other people thought, but he knew that Naruto did. He knew how guilty his lover felt about their secret, and how ashamed he was of hurting his friend, and it had torn at him to see how much Naruto was hurting. It pained him more than anything to know that there wasn't anything to do to help the situation either, but leave it alone to settle down.

Sasuke knew that he was way more invested in the relationship than any other he had previously had. In fact, Naruto had quickly become his reason for getting up every day, and had become the centre of his life. The depth of emotion he felt for the guy was enough to make him choke up and feel as if he were suffocating, as if he could be driven mad by how much he needed to be involved in Naruto's life and wellbeing. Making him happy had become top priority for Sasuke, and he knew that he was in too deep.

If he had been sensible, he would have broken it off before they had both become so invested, but it had become impossible and unthinkable too quickly and had spiralled out of control so fast his head was still spinning.

Sasuke loved Naruto. He loved him more than his art, and his music and his horses and anyone he had ever known, and it was too late to do anything about it, despite the impossibility of their situations.

He couldn't be open about the relationship with his family, because of the repercussions for Naruto. The person he loved so much had rebuilt himself around the job and the life he had at the estate, and there was not a chance in hell that he would be the one to tear it away from him.

If this Haruno Sakura did though, there would be hell to pay.

He returned his attention to Gaara, who was watching him closely.

"I think there's more to this situation that you've told me," Gaara said quietly, as he watched Sasuke.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. "There is. And I have no idea what I'm doing anymore. You can see why I need you around."

Gaara's mouth quirked. "The delegated voice of reason again, am I? Why don't we get a drink and you can tell uncle Gaara all about it?"

Sasuke grinned and slugged his arm. "Uncle Gaara? You're not nearly wise enough to fill that position, my friend."

"Are you going like that or are you changing?" Gaara looked him up and down. "Nice pants. If they were any tighter, I would have thought they were a second skin."

"Shut up, you…"

Steam swirled in the air around his body as he stepped from the shower. It was late, and he was tired, but his mind was too busy whirring away to let him rest. Naruto had resorted to a hot shower to easy his aching muscles.

He hadn't been able to face going to dinner, as he had suspected, and his appetite had been non-existent all day.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he stood in front of the foggy mirror and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He wanted to see Sasuke, and ask him the questions that were burning in his mind, but he hadn't been in his room, causing the weight in his stomach to grow in size.

Sickened with the desperate need to talk to Sasuke, he had retreated to his room for the evening.

Looking back at him was the bruised face of someone who had ruined everything he had worked for. The thought of Sakura's anger was weighing heavily on his mind, and he wanted to go and apologise and explain himself, but Kakashi had forbidden it for the time being, and he had submitted to the wiser man's advice.

With a heavy sigh, he left the steam filled bathroom and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, he stared at his hands blankly, wondering what to do next. He was startled by the ringing of his cell phone, and answered it automatically, without pausing the see who it might be.

"Hello?"

"Naruto, it's Ten Ten," came the familiar voice over the line. She sounded tense and upset, and Naruto knew immediately why she was calling.

"Hey," he replied heavily. "I guess you've heard then."

"Sakura has been ranting on the phone to me for the last hour and a half. Everyone here has heard too. Iruka is upset."

Naruto nodded, even though she couldn't see it.

"I thought as much. Didn't take too long then."

"Are you okay? I heard that she hit you, and that Sasuke was involved."

"I'm okay," he reassured her. "She didn't hurt me."

"I'm so sorry Naruto. I would come if I could but I can't leave Shikamaru here by himself…"

"I know. Its fine, I understand."

Tenten was quiet for a long moment.

"You're pretty humiliated, huh?" She asked quietly.

"It wasn't the way I wanted people to find out," he agreed, blinking away the burning in his eyes. "Kiba won't even look at my anymore."

She sighed. "He's never been exactly comfortable with same sex relationships, though he's too polite to act on his opinions. Still, I would have thought that he could overcome that for the sake of your friendship."

"I don't think it's that. I think it's more my choice of partner," he admitted, finally voicing one of the worries on his mind.

"How is Sasuke with all this," she asked suddenly. "Have you had a chance to talk to him about it yet?"

"No. He made it pretty clear he didn't want to talk earlier. I don't know where he is now." He hesitated once more, not sure if he should voice his other insecurities.

"What is it?" she asked, sensing that there was something else. He inwardly cursed her apparent telepathy when it came to this sort of thing.

"I…I saw him. With this guy."

"Saw him doing what?"

"They were just talking but…"

Someone banged on his door abruptly, causing Naruto to jump, badly startled

"Hold on a sec, Tenten. There's someone at the door."

He carried the phone with him to the door, and opened it to find Sasuke standing there. For a moment they stood there, staring at each other before he remembered Tenten was listening.

"I have to go. I'll call you back later," he said quickly, before snapping the phone shut.

"Are you going to just stand there practically naked, or do you want me to come in?" Sasuke asked, with a quirk of his mouth, despite the lack of humour on his face.

Wordlessly, he stepped back, the phone held limp in his hand as he closed the door.

"I think we have some things we need to talk about," Sasuke said, turning to look at him, taking in his undressed state.

Naruto blushed, cursing the fact that Sasuke could still do that to him despite the long weeks of their relationship.

"I should….go put some clothes on…" he said quickly, making his way to the bedroom.

He jumped when Sasuke followed him, and pulled him to a stop by the bed. Before he knew it, he was turned around and pulled into Sasuke's arms. He automatically relaxed and hugged him back, feeling Sasuke exhale into his hair.

They stood like that for a long time, until Naruto started to shiver minutely from the cold. Sasuke released him, and gave him a small push.

"Get dressed. I'll wait for you in the sitting room. I don't think this conversation should be had in the bedroom," he glanced at the bed. "We tend to get…distracted."

With another hot blush gracing his features, Naruto hurriedly pulled on some sweats and a jumper worn soft with use. Scrubbing his hair dry, he dropped the towel uncaringly on the floor and hurried to join Sasuke, who was standing at the windows looking down at the city below. He stopped a few meters behind him, unsure if he should continue. Sasuke turned to look at him after a moment.

"I'm sorry," he said slowly.

Naruto was shocked. He had never heard Sasuke apologise to anyone before and he had a reputation similar to that of the rest of the men in his family – stubborn, prideful and unwilling to admit that he had made a mistake. In that way, at least, he was like his father and brother.

"About last night," Sasuke clarified for him. "I was…careless in my actions. I didn't think it mattered if your friends found out about us but…it obviously does to you. I risked your lifestyle for my own selfish reasons, and it wasn't fair of me to…."

Naruto couldn't stand to hear any more, so he stepped forward and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's desperately. Sasuke froze, but relaxed and kissed him back after a brief moment of hesitation.

"I do care what my friends think of this. But the thought of losing you hurts worse than anything else," he explained quickly. "I feel horrible for lying to Sakura, and hiding this from everyone, but making you lie for me isn't fair either. If you…if you still want me, then…then you should know that I love you. I love you more than anything else."

Having finally said those fateful words, he lowered his head to avoid Sasuke's burning gaze. "But if you…if you don't love me back, then that's okay too. I'm not angry."

"Don't love you back?" Sasuke demanded. "How could I not?

He jerked his eyes back up to Sasuke, only to find himself crushed in a strong embrace and kissed thoroughly. He could barely breathe, as Sasuke plundered his mouth with his own.

With desperate hands, they undressed each other, hardly able to bear not being able to touch for those long moments that it took to get naked.

Naruto was pushed roughly down onto the bed, but he didn't care in the slightest as Sasuke's heat and weight pressed him back into the wickedly soft mattress.

"You should know…" Sasuke murmured as he pressed hot wet kisses to his skin. "That if you want slow and soft tonight, you're not going to get it."

Naruto could only moan helplessly as Sasuke took him in his mouth, his skilled mouth and tongue taking him to the brink faster than ever.

He didn't want slow and steady, he wanted the blazing passion that Sasuke was covering him in, burning for his touch and his kiss.

"Sasuke, I'm…." he gasped out, desperately not wanting it to be over yet. Sasuke pulled back and looked up at him, as he trailed his fingers further back and touching his entrance.

They hadn't done that before, with Naruto being naturally shy and Sasuke sensing his uncertainty on the subject. But there was none of that anymore. He wanted Sasuke, wanted all of him in any possible way, in his body, in his heart and in his mind.

Naruto met his eyes steadily.

"We won't if you don't want to," Sasuke told him his voice slightly hoarse, despite his stroking fingers. That touch send a whole different type of fire racing through his veins, and his mind flickered back briefly to that distant conversation he had had with Iruka, and he blushed hotly again.

"I want to," he said honeslty. "Please."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment longer before pressing a kiss to his hip.

"Wait here."

He pushed himself up on his elbows and watched as Sasuke went to the bathroom and returned a few seconds later with a bottle held in his hand. He couldn't help but stare at Sasuke, at his beautifully sculpted body and the burning heat in his eyes as he settled back down on Naruto once more.

"This will feel strange at first, but it will feel good," Sasuke murmured as he covered his fingers with the clear fluid. "I promise."

Naruto lay awake in the quiet of the pre-dawn hours. Sasuke was wrapped around him, a steady, burning heat at his back. His soft breaths fanned his skin slowly, almost hypnotic in its rhythm. But sleep still alluded him. His body was even more tired than before, and he smiled as he remembered what he and Sasuke had shared that night. Sasuke had shown him pleasure beyond any he had known before, and despite his previous apprehensions on the subject, he had no regrets.

Sasuke stirred behind him suddenly as if sensing he was the centre of Naruto's thoughts, and warm lips brushed his shoulder blade gently.

"Still can't sleep?" Sasuke whispered.

Naruto shook his head silently, and moved closer to Sasuke.

"You're worried about tomorrow?"

"No, not yet. Just…thinking."

Sasuke propped his chin on his shoulder, and slid a hand up his chest.

"About that Sakura girl and this morning then," Sasuke concluded, unerringly reaching up and brushing his fingers across his bruised cheek and split lip.

"Do you think I should leave it for now, or try and talk to her tomorrow?"

"I think that you should focus on the competition for now and give her room to cool down. Maybe after, when we get home, she will be more willing to…listen to reason," Sasuke replied thoughtfully.

Naruto shifted and rolled over onto his side to face him and traced his fingers over Sasuke's lips.

"You don't like her much, do you?"

Sasuke didn't reply for a moment, and captured Naruto's hand with one of his own before brushing his lips over his fingers thoughtfully.

"I don't like people who fawn over me as if I'm a prize to be won. I am tired of being seen only as the handsome son of a billionaire, with a bright future following in his father's footsteps and making money. I want to be someone more than that…"

Naruto watched Sasuke's eyes go distant when he spoke, and smiled at him.

"You are more than that Sasuke. And I'm sure you'll be amazing at anything you try in the future."

Sasuke smiled at him, and rolled on top of him and Naruto grinned back as he wrapped his arms around him.

"You have too much faith in me Naruto," Sasuke smiled.

"Nah, I don't think so. I saw you out there today. You were amazing."

"Same should be said for you. Fourth place on the first day of the competition is no easy task," Sasuke pressed a lingering kiss to his mouth.

"Yeah, well, I could have…" he began but was cut off by Sasuke's mouth once more.

"Naruto, you will do just as well tomorrow. And no matter how you place in the competition, I will be proud of you. I know that this hasn't been easy for you, and I admire you doing it despite your fears."

Naruto smiled at him once more, warmed all the way through by the compliment.

"And tomorrow, there is someone I want you to meet. He's a very close friend of mine, and I think you'll like him."

Naruto frowned, thinking back to the red haired man he had seen earlier, but decided not to comment. Tomorrow would bring its own new set of problems, and he didn't want to start thinking about them just yet, especially not when Sasuke was doing such pleasing things to his neck.

TBC