Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Torrid	By : KageKitsuneXXX Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4665 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
A/N: I'm back again, and I come bearing a gift of over 6000 words (eep!). The question about estimated length of the story has come up again. I had thought this story would be the same length as 'Role Play', but I certainly guessed wrong. Again, I suck at estimating these things! .
Hm, but looking ahead, I suspect I may hit the twenty chapter mark. Improbable that I'll go more than a couple of chapters beyond that. Improbable, but not impossible, since I initially thought I'd be winding down to my epilogue by chapter 12. Heh.
Now please enjoy the chapter. As always, I can't wait to hear what you thought!

"You are so drunk." Naruto looked up at Sasuke, grinning his amusement as his friend's body slumped after his orgasm, his eyes going soft and unfocused.
Naruto reached up and stroked his cheek, grinning wider as the man responded eagerly to it, rubbing his face against the warm hand, only to lose his balance and topple gracelessly from his perch atop Naruto's hips.
"So drunk." Naruto turned over, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at the stunned and flushed man next to him.
"I'm not drunk." Sasuke defended. He would know if he was drunk, and he wasn't. Sure, it was his first real encounter with alcohol, and maybe he had indulged in copious amounts, but he instinctively knew his limits. Yes, he did feel a little giddy and the world was spinning, a lot; but then, that always happened when Naruto was around anyway. He wasn't drunk- he was a man.
At least according to Japanese tradition since it was his twentieth birthday. He hadn't intended to celebrate it, having been taught a long time ago that birthdays were frivolous, self-indulgent things. But then, Naruto had gotten so excited about it, babbling about the stupid non-event incessantly; so soon, Sasuke had gotten a bit excited too. Inevitably, he became convinced that the day was important after all, and maybe it was worth celebrating. In that spirit, he caved under Naruto's boundless enthusiasm and pledged to try to make the day special.
As it would turn out, 'special' didn't take that much at all. Naruto readily agreed to blow off all his classes to spend the full twenty-four hours with him. They spent most of the morning making love in the double-bed of Sasuke's apartment, until it approached late morning and Naruto decided that they should spend some time in the sunlight.
By Sasuke's estimation, they did random, silly things as he followed Naruto's lead; having absolutely no clue what a man should do for his birthday or the proper way to mark his entrance into adulthood. Today, he simply followed without argument, happy because Naruto was so happy, and it was infectious enough to keep him buoyed all day. He eventually realized that Naruto was simply doing his own favourite things, from the ramen stand to sight-seeing, capitalising on Sasuke's agreeable mood.
Naruto had rounded off the afternoon with a visit to the botanical gardens, and there in the semi-privacy of heavily-wooded paths, Naruto had hazarded intertwining his fingers with Sasuke's and pulling him along. Just this once, Sasuke decided that he wouldn't pull away. It was his special day and he would reject reality, just this once.
"I'm so glad you were born in the summer, Sasuke." Naruto added softly as he pointed out trees and flowers Sasuke really had no interest in. He had a feeling Naruto would have said that no matter the season he had been born in; and not for the first time, Sasuke felt lucky to have been born at all.
He was treated to dinner too, Naruto having saved up to afford the swanky restaurant. He then spent most of the evening lording the fact that he was now legally allowed to imbibe alcohol over an appropriately jealous Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't develop much of an appreciation for drinking though, since it turned out he was a sloppy and chatty drunk.
How he ended up back in his apartment from the restaurant was a pleasant blur. He smiled goofily at his best friend and his sporadically appearing clones, loving every moment of the day. It was such a far cry from the awkward, strained dinners with his parents and the bittersweet moments, as a child, when Itachi would sneak extra treats into his room for his birthdays. As if reading his mind, Naruto brushed the hair out of his face and asked casually:
"What did your parents say when they called?"
Sasuke wrinkled his nose, clearly not drunk enough to find the topic bearable. "Nothing new…"
"Yeah? What did your mom say?"
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, knowing there was a build to the line of questioning. "She wished me a happy birthday, and said I should have a nice day. What else is there to say?"
"Well what did your dad say then?" Naruto prodded gently.
Sasuke huffed, fidgeting under Naruto's stare. "If I recall correctly, he said that I was to remember who I am and my responsibilities. 'You are a man now, Sasuke, and I expect you to put aside childish indulgences. Our clan has invested much in you and much return is expected. I continue to trust you will not be the disappointment your brother has been.' Yeah…that was pretty much it." Sasuke gave a short, bitter laugh. It was nothing to complain about, the 'greeting' had been a lot better than he expected.
He heard Naruto sigh, knowing that his friend held on to some insane hope that his father would one day turn into this warm, affectionate man, who would show his son the love he desperately craved. Sasuke had no such delusions, at least he felt he didn't. His father was what he was and 'affection', for want of a better word, would have to be earned. The sooner they all accepted it, the easier life would get- maybe. He felt himself frown, but soon the unpleasant thoughts were blown away as Naruto kissed him along the side of his face.
"Your father loves you, Sasuke. More than anything. He just doesn't know how to show it yet- not the way you'd want."
Sasuke ignored the pointless sentiment. What did it matter anymore? He would much rather forget about his family and focus on more pleasant things. He leaned up, pressing his lips to Naruto's. As the kiss deepened, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what his father would think if he knew his investment of a son, spent much of his milestone day with his best friend's cock in two of his major orifices.
Maybe he was drunk after all, because instead of feeling the crippling anxiety at the thought of his father's appalled and disappointed face; Sasuke could only manage to find it a little funny.
"What?" Naruto arched a brow as Sasuke started snickering.
"Pfft, nothing." He was this close to giggling, imagining his father in the throes of a gay-induced conniption fit.
"Come on, share the joke already!"
"It's nothing…"
"Tch, drunk bastard." Naruto snorted, annoyed at being left out of the joke.
"Not drunk," Sasuke retorted, ignorant of the fact that he was slurring his words. "I'm not a bastard either. I just play on one stage."
"Yeah, I know." Naruto murmured, trailing a hand over the contours of Sasuke's body.
Tingling warmth continued to spread through him, bolstering his sense of safety and well being. Sasuke decided it was the sake, although he'd always heard that alcohol was depressive. He looked up at Naruto and felt the heat expand, coursing through his veins.
"You know what I am though? I'm fire."
Naruto rolled his eyes at the cryptic statement, wondering if he should pledge to get Sasuke drunk on a regular basis, or to keep him away from alcohol at all costs. His friend was a bizarre type of drunk.
"Fire, huh? Whatever you say, Sasuke."
"All Uchihas are fire." Sasuke continued flippantly, not the least bit offended by Naruto's blatant patronization. "At least we're supposed to be. I guess there's always going to be that oddball with a different elemental affinity."
"Elemental affinities? Do people still talk about those things?"
Sasuke scoffed, finding Naruto's cultural ignorance laughable.
"Are you joking? Fire is what made the Uchiha Clan legendary." Sasuke sighed at Naruto's dubious, though indulgent, face. Clearly it was up to him to inform and educate. "Back during the Heian Period, when the military power of clans was taking root, our elders had the idea to build on the legends of elemental affinities. By the time the Mongols invaded, rumours about our ability to breathe fire had spread all across Japan."
"Yeah, how'd they manage to sell that load of manure?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's exaggerated look of shocked indignation.
"I'll have you know that with a little practice, any Uchiha worth his name can breathe fire. I could turn you into ash right now!" Sasuke puffed out his cheeks and glared at Naruto with narrowed eyes- this prey merely rolling his, clearly not intimidated. "Okay fine, so maybe we needed a little help. A couple packets of flammable liquid in the cheeks, a spark and a little bit of good timing… Before they knew what was happening, our enemies would be engulfed in flames. Soon it got to the point where they'd turn and run at the sight of the Uchiha symbol on a banner."
Naruto was clearly impressed. "That's actually really cool. How comes you've never told me this story before?"
Sasuke shrugged. "It doesn't sound as impressive when you've heard the legend a million times, lumped in with a sermon about why the Clan must perpetually strive to reinvent and sustain that greatness. I can tell you from personal experience though, that the real skill lies in not poisoning yourself on the gasoline, or setting yourself on fire."
Naruto stared, mouth agape, as he took in his friend's incredulous claim. "You've done that?!"
"Yeah, it's our clan's initiation ceremony. You're only an Uchiha in name until you do it. Itachi did it when he was eight, so I tried to do it when I was five."
"Didn't it hurt?"
Sasuke shrugged inelegantly. It had, but not nearly as much as the look on his father's face, each time he tried to execute the Great Fireball technique and failed. When he had finally pulled it off, after weeks of enduring the burns and bitter taste, his father's satisfied look and official words of acceptance had made everything worthwhile.
"So cool though," Naruto mused as he flopped unto his back. "I wonder what my nature affinity would be."
"That's easy," Sasuke yawned idly as he moved to sprawl across Naruto's chest. "You're wind."
Naruto was unenthusiastic about his newfound designation. "Wind, seriously? I was thinking something like lightning or even water."
"I could see you as lightning, maybe, though you're not. You definitely can't be water."
"What, why not?!"
"Because I'm fire… idiot." Sasuke enunciated, feeling as if he was talking to a block of wood.
"Oh," Naruto responded before the full implication of what Sasuke said hit him. He grinned down at the top of Sasuke's head. "Oh… Well fine, I guess I'll just have to make do with 'wind' then."
"Ugh, you still aren't getting it!" Sasuke felt irrationally annoyed at Naruto's blasé attitude towards his given affinity. He sat up abruptly and glared down at the surprised blond. "You're wind, you're air; that's… that's everything!"
Naruto only stared up, confused, and Sasuke felt like throttling him.
"Can't you imagine what it was like back then for my clan, going into a battle with the wind behind them? Their flames went further, they burned hotter; and if the wind was against them…"
Sasuke sighed, his brain was definitely getting fuzzier around the edges, but he struggled to maintain his point, not stopping to wonder why he was suddenly so passionate about convincing Naruto about the merit of being wind.
"There's no fire without air. You can't imagine how scary it is, when the wind is gone. It feels like your flame is going out, you can't breathe, you can't feel, there's just…" Sasuke squinted, trying to remember and form the words. "There's just cold and quiet."
Naruto blinked up at him, stunned. "Sasuke…"
"It's totally different when you're here, when there's wind." Sasuke tried to focus properly, realizing belatedly that he was starting to fall in and out of his own metaphors. Yet, he also found himself powerless to stop. "When there's wind, the flame grows, it's warm and it's bright and it leaks into your blood, threatening to incinerate you from the inside. That's scary too, but it doesn't matter, because you're fire and you need wind."
Sasuke sighed again, exhausted. His train of thought derailed completely and he was already forgetting what just he was talking about. He glanced over at the clock- it was well past midnight, his birthday having ended hours before. The special day was done and it was time to return to reality.
"Sasuke, do you really mean all that?"
Sasuke squinted, confused at the soft, hopeful look on Naruto's face.
"I'm tired." He said abruptly and stretched out on the bed with his back to Naruto, willing himself to sleep, knowing at some point, somehow, he had said too much.
Before he could escape in unconsciousness, he felt Naruto's arms encircle him, the length of the always warm body pressing against his.
"Hey Sasuke, one day tell me that story again." Naruto whispered holding Sasuke closer. "Doesn't have to be tomorrow or anytime soon. But one day, when I need it the most, remind me that I'm the wind."
It was no surprise that Naruto's birthday was the polar opposite of his. Sasuke tamped down his frustration as yet another girl broke away from the crush of bodies to hit on him as he stood leaning against the wall. Tsunade-hime had spared no expense planning her adopted son's special day. Despite the impressive size of the hall, people seemed to be jammed in from one corner to the next, everyone seemingly a close, personal friend of the guest of honour.
Sasuke steadfastly ignored the droning girl before him, opting instead to keep his gaze on the tall, blond beacon in the roomful of people. The party was loud and raucous with almost everyone drunk- since Naruto was one of the last of their age group to hit the milestone. The only sober people in the room appeared to be himself, Kakashi, who sat in a corner with his nose firmly jammed into an advanced copy of Naruto's Icha-Icha publication; and Kiba's painfully shy girlfriend, who had her hands full keeping her boyfriend in line. Tsunade sat in a corner, drunkenly swapping stories with Jiraiya-sama, the most prominent and revered member of Naruto's ever growing collection of father-figures.
Sasuke hated the crowd and the boisterous party. He was especially annoyed that he hadn't even been able to say two words to Naruto all day, the knights having kidnapped him the evening before. He was tempted to just leave- it wasn't as if Naruto would notice or care anyway. Still, he stayed, knowing that Naruto would notice and would care and that the least he could do was to stay and endure the stupid party.
"Naruto-kun!"
Sasuke was distracted from his brooding by the sound of a woman's voice climbing over the noise of the celebration. He identified the girl as Sasame, another of Naruto's special interest cases. Back in the Academy, Naruto and Sakura, with Jiraiya's help, had managed to get the girl out of an abusive relationship. Why Naruto was always the primary focus of her gratitude, was a question that always managed to irk Sasuke. He watched as the girl stumbled towards Naruto on unsteady legs- the fault of either her ridiculously high heels or the liquid courage she had been knocking back all night. She wended through the crowd, calling to Naruto until he finally heard and turned around.
Sasuke stiffened as the girl threw herself at Naruto, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately while the crowd hooted its encouragement. He did leave then- only stopping when he was a safe distance from the party to breathe in the cool night air and try to stop seething.
It bothered him sometimes, more than he cared to admit, about just how different they were from each other. He understood that Naruto thrived in the company and affection of others, and that he needed other people to help keep him happy. But then, that wasn't strange at all, it was human nature and perfectly normal. He was the freak whose entire world boiled down to one person. What bothered him even more was that he knew would always have to make that compromise; for if he had learnt anything from his own life, it was that he was never enough for the people who meant the most to him.
Feeling himself starting to sink to a low point, Sasuke was then startled by arms suddenly encircling him and squeezing him tightly.
"I've missed you." Naruto murmured into his ear, the scent of sake wafting from him. "Why'd you leave? Is it because of what Sasame did? She didn't mean anything by it; she's just a little drunk…"
It wasn't fair that one person had the power to affect your mood this much. Sasuke shook his head, his annoyance and angst evaporating as he disengaged from Naruto, concerned that someone might see them despite being in the thick of the gardens.
"I'm sorry I haven't seen you all day, Sasuke. They haven't been giving me a chance." Naruto apologised gently and sheepishly, flushed from the sake, as he scratched the back of his neck. "I kind of wanted a day like the one we had for your birthday, you know."
"We'll do it the day after tomorrow." Sasuke said abruptly, surprising even himself. He relaxed at Naruto's hopeful smile.
"Really? Yeah, I'd like that."
Sasuke suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do. "I have your present."
Naruto's smile turned vulpine and the blue eyes darkened. "Yeah, I've been looking forward to it all day."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and fished around in his jacket pocket. "An actual gift, you total moron. Here."
He unceremoniously thrust the small, unwrapped item towards an astonished Naruto, who immediately inspected it. "It's a CD…"
"I know what it is, idiot. I made it- it's a compilation of the classical songs you said you liked."
Naruto smiled widely at him and he covered his increasing fluster by frowning darkly.
"Sasuke, you made me a mix-tape? How eighties of you!"
If it hadn't been his birthday, Naruto would have been a dead man. Sasuke simply remained silent as Naruto carried on his scrutiny of the disc. "Thank you, Sasuke. Did it take you long to track down the songs?"
Sasuke shrugged as he always did. "I had most of the sheet music, the rest weren't hard to locate. The most trouble I had was finding a quiet place where I wouldn't be disturbed and that had half-way decent acoustics."
Naruto froze for a moment, staring at the CD "You're the one playing on this?"
"Well yeah, I mean, it wasn't a big deal."
They both knew that wasn't true. It had taken Sasuke weeks to find the ideal, secret spot to record his performances during his limited free time. His drive for perfection had him playing one song obsessively until he finally deemed the performance adequate. Naruto ran his fingers over the disc, handling it almost reverently.
"I can't believe you went through all this trouble."
Sasuke felt his face burn and was grateful for the deepening cover of darkness. "Whatever, just try not to lose it immediately, because I'm not going to do this every time you're careless and if you show it to anyone I'll-"
Sasuke was cut off as Naruto yanked him into a crushing hug, burying his face into the older man's neck. "I-idiot, you're cutting off my air, and…are you crying?! Why are you crying?"
Naruto refused to raise his head from Sasuke's neck, muffling his explanation into the man's collar.
"I don't know! This is so uncool right now; I'm supposed to be an adult." Naruto hiccupped. "I'm just really, really happy right now!"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, glancing furtively about to make sure there were no interlopers. He finally succumbed, hugging Naruto back tightly as his idiot sniffled in his shirt. He'd give in just this once. After all, birthdays only come once a year.
Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly into a box he had filled during one of his activity flurries. He had unconsciously packed everything of Sasuke's into the brown container, all the little knick-knacks and conveniences the man had invariably left in the apartment. He reached down, rifling slowly through the miscellaneous items- a bottle of aftershave, a cell phone charger, a toothbrush- he hadn't even noticed how many little things Sasuke had quietly moved into the apartment, subtly making it his home as much as it was Naruto's.
He chewed his bottom lip, dropping Sasuke's razor back into the box before rubbing his neck tiredly. He felt hollow, and he wasn't surprised, since half his soul was gone. Somewhere, somehow, they had miss-stepped. They had started off the wrong way entirely, but that could have been fixed, couldn't it? But every so often they'd take another wrong turn, veering further from the path that would have kept them together. He was as much at fault as Sasuke, he figured maybe even more so. He couldn't help but start dialling back, maybe if he'd said something at anothertime, or been more insistent. Why hadn't he tried to force Sasuke's hand sooner?
Because you would have lost anyway and you needed more time.
Shifting through the contents of the box again, he retrieved Sasuke's cologne. Idly he sprayed a few puffs into the room, and realized immediately that it was a mistake, because in flood of scent, Sasuke was there again, filling his room, filling his head. He contemplated calling one of his friends to hear a distracting voice of reason. Only he didn't want to talk to or see anyone but one person. He didn't want to break down or do something stupid either; not after he'd finally convinced his friends it was safe to leave him on his own once again. Naruto groaned and ran his hands agitatedly through his hair as he contemplated the box. He paused, hesitating only briefly before getting up and preparing to go out.
It was only polite to return someone's personal possessions.

"Sasuke, may I come in?"
Sasuke opened his eyes, squinting against the harsh glare of the computer screen. He had fallen asleep on his desk again, all his energy abandoning him lately. He rubbed his face tiredly, sitting up awkwardly as his body protested the movement. He was twenty-six years old, but right now, he felt ancient. His limbs were heavy and cumbersome and lethargy plagued him no matter where he was or what he was doing. He looked around his study, momentarily confused about what had awakened him.
"Sasuke?"
It took him a second to place the voice. "Oh, come in, Sakura."
She pushed the door open tentatively, peeking around to find him seated at his desk. "Am I disturbing you?"
Sasuke almost burst out laughing at the enquiry. Now that was a trick question if he ever heard one. "No, of course not."
She smiled and entered the study, with all the confidence of a mouse entering a snake pit. It occurred to him that maybe he should offer a warm, encouraging smile to his still-skittish wife. He decided against it, knowing that even if those underused facial muscles could pull off such a valiant effort, he'd only manage to scare himself and terrify her.
Once he began his research, he had been overwhelmed at the amount of information available about being a good husband. Apparently he had been sorely lacking. Unfortunately, all the advice sounded either tedious or impossible. The fact of the matter was that though she had always been a good friend, his wife simply did not interest him. Outside the context of their childhood friendship, she held no attraction whatsoever. With every passing day, it was becoming increasingly obvious just what an uphill task this marriage was going to be.
Still, he had promised himself that he wouldn't punish Sakura for a situation to which she had also fallen victim. A promise he had promptly forgotten in his attempt to keep Naruto with him, only to have it blow up in his face. His father also kept exhorting him to 'honour' her and treat the marriage as a love match, since Sakura doubtlessly did. Sasuke was still surprised at his father's consideration for the woman's feelings. He knew Sakura was infatuated with him, but he doubted she, as would any modern woman, was thrilled at the prospect of being thrown into a marriage of someone else's design.
He watched as she sat on the couch adjacent to him, knowing she was testing the boundaries of his renewed pledge to make an effort. He wondered what would have been any different if he felt something, anything, for her. He was also starting to wonder if it had been a mistake, digging his heels in against Naruto's advice.
*** "Sasuke, you don't have to go through with this, you can't go through with this! Just tell her. Hell, I'll tell her for you! Sakura-chan will understand and she'll help you figure a way out of this without pissing off your dad or the acquisition falling through! Just tell her about us, tell her that you're-"
"That I'm what? That I'm gay? Is that what you were going to say?" The quietness of tone belied the sharp edge to it. An edge that remained no matter how many times they rehashed the stale argument.
"This is me, Sasuke. There's no one else here. You don't have to pretend to be something you're not. I know you don't want to tell your dad, and I'm not saying you should. But it's Sakura-chan, you can trust her, and you know she won't judge. She's our friend and for something like this, you have to tell her; she deserves to know."
"What I do with you doesn't make me one way or another. Sakura can't know and you're going to swear to me that you won't tell her!" ***
"Sasuke?"
He blinked, dragged out of his reverie.
"Are you okay?"
When she had gotten there? "I'm fine, just a little tired."
"I'm not surprised- you're in here working all night." Sakura smoothed her skirt, brushing away imaginary lint. "And then you're up before me in the mornings. It's like you never come to bed."
He didn't go to bed, choosing to spend the nights in the study or the guest bedroom. He discovered his pledge was nowhere strong enough to sustain a physical relationship with her on any level. The last few trials he had been dismal failures, as he was unable to recapture that 'lightning-in-a-bottle' moment he had had in Paris. The instability of his relationship with Naruto and his increasing physical repulsion to his wife had combined to completely defeat his libido within the context of marital relations. Even now he could feel his patience with his wife's presence wearing thin. Something about her sapped both his patience and his tolerance. Thankfully, she gave him a quick out.
"I was thinking of going to Ichiraku's to get us some ramen. Does that sound good to you? What would you like?"
He wondered if that was what she had really intended, or if she simply needed to escape as well. "That sounds perfect. Miso will be fine."
After she left, Sasuke slumped onto the table, surprised he had stayed both civil and upright for as long as he had. He stared broodingly at his screensaver, while running his hand over the worn-out laptop.
"Sasuke?"
For a second he thought he'd fallen asleep and had started dreaming. He sat up abruptly, locking eyes with his newest visitor. They were both silent, simply staring at the other, until Sasuke's gaze fell to the box in Naruto's hands. It didn't take long to recognise the items- apparently there was a part two to the eviction.
"Sasuke…" Naruto began hesitantly and Sasuke turned his attention to his laptop, bringing up the next quarter's budget projections. In his peripheral vision, he could see Naruto shift uncertainly. "I just came to-"
Naruto trailed off lamely and Sasuke felt himself snap under the strain of waiting. "What? Why are you here? If you want to return my stuff, just dump it and leave."
"You came by my apartment the other day." Naruto finally spoke up, bolstered by Sasuke's attention. "Why, what did you want to say?"
Sasuke leaned back in his chair and regarded his guest with an icy look. "Maybe I came by to pick up my things, but your watchdog was having none of it; so thanks for doing me the favour."
"So that's it then? Everything ends, our friendship, everything? It's been twenty years, Sasuke, and you're saying we can't salvage something because I won't sleep with you anymore? You said it was separate."
"IT WAS SEPARATE!" Sasuke hissed, unable to block Naruto out any at all. "I tried to keep in separate, but you wouldn't let me. You walk back in here hoping to 'salvage' our friendship? I wasn't aware there was room for that by the end of little oration where you barred me from your life. All after you'd finishing fucking me and moaning about how we belonged to each other."
"You forced this situation-"
"Bullshit, you knew! You always knew. I have never lied to you once about anything- You know exactly who I am and I told you exactly what this was from the very beginning. You accepted, you knew the conditions and you accepted!" Sasuke was on his feet, buoyed out of the chair by his anger, hurt and frustration. "You aren't satisfied with the arrangement anymore so you're ready to quit and blame me. I am sick of playing the villain in this little drama you and Sakura seem to have concocted. You're the one who accepted and you're the one who ended this!"
Sasuke stopped and tried to breathe before pinning Naruto with a glare. "You left me! Not the other way around. So what gives you the right to walk back in here wanting to 'salvage' a friendship?"
"Things changed, Sasuke. You know that as well. Don't pretend things are the same as were back in the Academy. Back then, I accepted what you offered, even though it was less than I needed, because I wanted to be with you. But the conditions changed. It wasn't just us anymore. There was no way I could sustain this."
"Well, now you're done. So there's no need to concern your pretty head that anymore, is there?" Sasuke sat down and have his full attention to the flickering screen. He could see Naruto pause, uncertain of how to proceed, before placing the box on the sofa and turning to go.
"I want to be with you, Sasuke; but I need things to be different, and I can't compromise anymore."
Sasuke watched as the door clicked shut, leaving him sitting in the yawning, cold silence of his study. He waited, feeling his heart slam against his ribs and hearing the sound of his own ragged breathing. His fingers bit into the arms of his chair, trying to fight down the panic clawing away at his insides. It was better this way, to let it end before the damage became catastrophic for the both of them.

"Don't go."
The simple plea stopped Naruto in his tracks, midway across the living room.
"Just wait," Sasuke whispered, coming up behind him. He stopped just short of holding him, his hands hovering over Naruto's shirt, itching to feel the heat beneath it. "Wait, don't go, you're not supposed to go."
Sasuke inhaled deeply, trying to figure out a workable solution. "I can do better, Naruto; I can make all this work. You were right when you said I wasn't managing everything properly. I didn't realize just how much effort I needed to make with Sakura, and I didn't find the right balance. But I know now, and I can make it all work."
He rested his head on Naruto's shoulder, giving into the need to touch him, already feeling himself getting a little high off his scent. "I need to put in more effort. I understand that now. Just give me a chance to prove it to you. I can make this all work."
"You're not enough, Sasuke."
Sasuke's blood froze in his veins. He felt as if he'd been slapped in the face. He stepped away, thoughts scattering. "For a second there, you sounded just like my father."
Naruto turned quickly, grabbing him quickly before he could retreat to the safety of his study. "That isn't the way I meant it. You know that."
He cradled Sasuke's face, forcing him to stop his withdrawal and look at him. "Sasuke, it's not supposed to be this hard- not for Sakura, not for me and definitely not for you. You can't do it all. It's not about finding a balance or putting in more effort; it's about being who you are and being with the person you're supposed to be with. Sasuke, you can't please everybody."
"I'm trying to do what you want."
"I want you to choose!" Naruto said desperately. "Just choose to be with me, and be happy. Why is this so hard for you?"
Sasuke shook his head, stepping away from the one thing that always clouded his judgement. "You want me to choose between you and my family. I can't do that. I won't do that."
"But Sasuke, I'm your family too…" Naruto said softly, shoulders slumping tiredly as he watched Sasuke begin to shut himself off.
"No. No you're not. You don't know what a family is- you've never had one. You go around collecting all these people and you call them your family, but they're not… not really. Family is bound by blood and duty. My parents are my family; Itachi is my family, my clan is my family and now, so is Sakura. A person doesn't get to choose his family; but he accepts the way they are and honours them and their ways. I don't expect you to understand this, but it's just the way it is. I won't be forced to choose."
Naruto stared at the expensive carpet before looking up at Sasuke. "That's the thing- you always choose, Sasuke. You just never choose us."
Any further dialogue ended as Sakura breezed through the door, laden with food. Startled, Naruto turned abruptly- knocking a decorative vase off the mantle, which smashed before he could catch it.
"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed as she quickly put the food on the table and ran over to where the man was trying to pick up the pieces. "Seriously? First you destroy my kitchen and how you're smashing my vases. Are you purposely trying to wreck my home?"
Naruto stood looking helplessly from the broken pieces to Sakura to the silent, avoidant Sasuke. "I should go… I'm sorry."
"I wasn't being serious… Naruto!" She watched as Naruto left without a further word. She looked at Sasuke, bewildered. "I didn't mean anything by it."
"It doesn't matter, Sakura. It's fine." He turned away and went into the study, closing the door firmly behind him.
She stood alone in the living room, standing over the shattered vase, looking from one closed door to another. "What just happened?"

Naruto wasn't even sure how he made it back to his apartment. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the spot where Sasuke's box had been. If it wasn't for that one bit of evidence, he could have told himself he never left the room. Now the last bit of crushing finality descended and all he had left was a half-finished bottle of cologne that he had forgotten to put back into the box. Well that, and one other thing. He walked around to his night drawer and quickly located his treasure. He popped open his CD player and inserted the disc, randomizing the playlist. A second later, Sasuke's rendition of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' filled the room. He reminded himself to transfer the songs before the CD gave up the ghost from overuse. He lay on the bed, devoting himself to listening to the soothing music for the rest of the night- all the wind knocked right out of him.

In the quiet of his study, Sasuke opened the bottom drawer and quickly shifted through a few papers to find his treasure. It was his graduation photo, not the noble, stoic official one, of course; but the one Naruto had crashed, waiting at just the right moment to run up and throw an arm around Sasuke and grin mischievously into the camera, flashing a peace sign.
He had known Naruto was going to do it too. He saw the boy fidgeting about on the edge of the set, just timing the whole thing. He had approached the photographer later, asking for a copy of the picture. He had been surprised how great it had turned out. They had both looked happy, just with different volumes of expression. He trailed a finger over the widely grinning face, and reminded himself that he needed to get it reprinted soon. The photo was starting to get a little frayed from all the handling.
He looked over to the picture of his family on the desk, in it his mother stood out as the lone image of smiling cheerfulness- his brother and father looking strong and silent, while he did his best to imitate at four years old. He filed the graduation photo away into its secret slot, and looked back to the family picture at his brother. His father wasn't the only one who wished he was more like Itachi.
His brother was different from them, always had been. His brilliant mind seemed to always resist the conformity to the clan. Even though he was the golden child, eventually he fell out of favour for being too much of an iconoclast within a clan built on legend. Before long, Itachi had left. It was inevitable with the strained relations between himself and the clan heads, including their father. Soon Sasuke found himself suddenly receiving an odd, stilted version of the attention he had always wanted.
His brother was still his hero, despite their father's continued attempts to discredit him in Sasuke's eyes. He wished more than anything that he was that brave. Itachi was never afraid to incur the displeasure of their father, and he was never afraid to go after what he wanted. If he had been more like his brother, he wouldn't be here now, trapped in a loveless marriage, struggling to gain the approval of a father who seemed to have no interest in giving it.
If he had been like his brother, he'd have chosen Naruto and run, clinging to the true happiness at which his father had only hinted. If he had been like Itachi, he would have been smart enough to have done all that; instead of sitting here alone in the dark, feeling his flame go out.
TBC
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you thought.
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