Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

I want to thank everyone who read the first part of my two-shot! And to my reviewers who I couldn't reply back to, a special, big thank you!

Enthralling

en·thrall: 1. To hold spellbound; captivate. 2. To enslave.

Part (2/2)

Sasuke watched in detachment as crowds of people inside the regional mall bustled around him hastily with increasing chatter and quick footing. A light trickle from outdoors was sounding against the said building's wood carved skylight up above; the clear liquid falling on the glass in a continuous reverberation. Walking aimlessly through the throng of shoppers, the dark haired teen ignored the concerned looks coming from Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji—two of a handful of his classmates whom didn't utterly irritate him. Still, that didn't mean he was going to open up to them about his sour mood.

It had been roughly been two weeks since his steamy encounter with Naruto; and yet, the Uchiha couldn't seem to neglect the sting of betrayal underneath all his anger. As a result of his distress, Sasuke had either spent time with Shikamaru and Chouji or had focused on various assignments for his college. In all that time not once had he seen Ino, inside or outside of their university's campus. It wasn't as though he were avoiding her on purpose—he had in fact texted her a couple of times on his cell—it was just hard to imagine seeing her without wanting to see Naruto. And in wanting to see Naruto again, a burning fury would circulate throughout his body, making him question why he was still inwardly longing for the backstabber.

As much as he hated admitting it to himself, he had been hurt deeply by the other boy. The kind of hurt that left people shivering involuntarily as they replayed their awful memories over and over again in their heads. To think that an unruly teenage boy could affect him like this was more than disheartening. Because the truth of the matter was, Sasuke had never before dwelled on any of his failed conquests. The sum of males who had turned him down were few and far between, anyway. Why should he care whether or not a certain man rebuffed his advances when there were so many others able and willing?

Looking back on his past, Sasuke could conclude to himself that none of the men he had been attracted to had meant anything more to him other than a sexual appeal. Even Neji, his only true boyfriend, hadn't been able to worm his way completely through the Uchiha's defenses. After all, he had cheated on the older boy a few times throughout their relationship and had been able to move on after their break up. Though when it came to Naruto, Sasuke couldn't envision wanting to look at another male, let alone wanting to sleep with one. Such a revelation was both perplexing and electrifying for him.

Still ambling alongside his mentioned acquaintances, the raven teen then scowled as Chouji suddenly halted in his steps and directed him and Shikamaru toward the food court. The three boys made their way to a long line in front of a packed, fast food establishment in a center cubicle. His angered face diminished a bit when he saw Shikamaru shooting him a guarded, troubled expression.

"What?" Sasuke almost snapped, looking pointedly back at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed loudly, bowing his head and causing his jet black hair to glisten against the mall's falling lights. After lifting his head back up, the other teen murmured, "Okay, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"It can't just be nothing. You're moodier than usual."

"Good luck trying to figure it out."

"Why do you feel the need to be so difficult?"

"Hn."

"This is so troublesome," the Nara pronounced with a shake of his head. "Why do I even bother?" He seemingly asked himself.

"Look, Sasuke," Chouji decided to arbitrate as Sasuke's countenance took on a more infuriated feature. "We worry about you, that's all. I know it's not any of our business—"

"—I'm glad you recognize that it isn't—" Sasuke cut in snidely.

"—but, what's so bad about talking to us? It might make you feel better," Chouji finished as he disregarded Sasuke's input, his portly face looking expectant.

"I sincerely doubt it," retorted the dark haired teen, discounting the bemused looks on his fellow brunettes' faces. "Seeing as though I'm not hungry, I'll wait for you guys on the other side of the court." With a sharp turn of his shoe, Sasuke walked away from the others, his stride long and precise in his disdain.

Before he was out of earshot from the mass of people waiting to order their meals, he heard Shikamaru's stifled voice saying, "Whatever's bothering you, Uchiha, I suggest you do something about it. Your mood is really starting to bring us down."

Scoffing at the Nara's words, Sasuke went and found a red cushioned bench near the end of the food court. Taking a seat, the black headed Uchiha fished in his pockets to bring out his cell phone. Toying with the device to pass the time, Sasuke's nimble fingers stopped their movement abruptly when a familiar, musical laugh assaulted his ears. Gawking outward, the teen's body stiffened as his dark orbs gazed upon the tanned beauty that had been consuming his intermingled lust and anger.

Naruto was leisurely strolling several feet away from him, three other teens keeping up beside the blond as they all chuckled together. Sasuke felt his teeth grit almost involuntarily as he recognized two of the three outward friends—the supposed girlfriend Hinata and the glaring redhead Gaara. The third teen was a nameless brown haired girl who kept sending Gaara looks of adoration.

While tracking the others' progress with his eyes, Sasuke had an overwhelming urge to stalk toward the Uzumaki and confront him in regards to what happened between them.

Whatever's bothering you, Uchiha, I suggest you do something about it, Shikamaru's voice drifted back into his mind.

Oh, he was going to do something about it, alright. With a devious smirk, the raven stood upward from the bench and sauntered in the direction of where the four aforesaid teens were heading. To not call attention to himself, Sasuke dexterously maneuvered within the crowd, blending in perfectly as he followed the unwary blond. In his head, Sasuke began thinking of ways to get the boy alone without gaining suspicion. His chance came quite smoothly as Naruto ceased his walking outside of the public restrooms and whispered something to his friends. The girls nodded in unison prior to Naruto entering inside the hall that led to the lavatory. Gaara appeared as though he had wanted to go with him, but the lighter brunette female playfully held him back.

With Naruto's friends occupied amongst one another, Sasuke took full advantage, slipping easily into the hall as the swarm of people in the area slightly increased. He trailed the other male with light steps, intending to remain watchful for the time being. After Naruto pushed passed the restroom's door, Sasuke leaned against the opposite wall to wait as the younger finished his business.

Hearing the toilet flush from the other side of the door minutes later, Sasuke moved away from the wall and stalked to the entrance of the men's singular restroom. As soon as Naruto walked out, Sasuke shoved the stunned teen back inside, switching on the light and locking the door in quick succession. Naruto's heated protests died on his lips as he weirdly stared back at the raven.

Amused by Naruto's reaction to him, Sasuke purred slyly. "Hello, Naruto. Fancy meeting you here."

"Sasuke, w-what the hell, man? What do you think you're doing?"

"Following you," Sasuke confessed unabashedly.

The younger's face somewhat paled. "You've been following me? Wha—? That's sick! What's the fuck's wrong with you?"

"I like the way you said my name before," the older teen responded with a wicked leer, ignoring Naruto's questions. "Now you're only a couple steps away from moaning it."

The blond haired male's face went from confused to angry in two seconds flat. "You perverted bastard! How dare you talk to me like—!"

Naruto's intended rant was prematurely cut off as Sasuke pushed and trapped the blond with his body to the wall on the other side of the restroom. Before Naruto was able to complain, the raven demandingly pressed his lips against Naruto's soft ones. Naruto made a sound of surprise, struggling in the older's hold as Sasuke used his right knee to separate Naruto's legs in order to rub his up and down against his clothed groin.

Naruto gasped at the sensation, beginning to feel rather afraid of the older teen's aggression. The Uchiha took Naruto's distraction as a way to plunge his tongue into the other male's mouth. While swirling his wet muscle within the blond's orifice, Sasuke increased his knee's motions, prompting Naruto to reluctantly moan around the raven's lips. And as the pleasure mounted below Naruto's waist, he felt as his body surrendered to its gratifying needs.

Uzumaki shook as Sasuke continued to fondle him, experiencing a similar pang of guilt like he had felt the first time the two of them had done something like this. Damn, it just was not fair! He shouldn't even like this man! The same man who was so conceited and selfish that he was willing to use his sister for his own egocentric agenda. The fact that he had feelings for such a person was all together stupidly risky.

Releasing the other's lips yet resuming his knee's rubs, Sasuke asked hoarsely. "Why can't I stay mad at you? I feel my anger draining despite the fact that you betrayed me."

Naruto's eyes flashed furiously at the older boy's remark. Reaching his hand down, the blue eyed male ceased Sasuke's fondling in his lower region. He then gave the other an irritated glare when Sasuke's smirk widened at his show of defiance.

Pushing against Sasuke's chest with his other hand, Naruto huffed out in disbelief. "I betrayed you? How about the fact that you betrayed my family? You've been using Ino as a convenient cover up this whole time!"

"I'm doing whatever I have to," Sasuke stated with a shrug. "Besides, if Ino can't see what's right in front of her eyes, then it's her own fault."

"You son of a—"

Replacing his knee with his hand, Sasuke shushed any insults Naruto might've spewed by stroking the younger teen's shaft through his blue jeans. Naruto tilted his head back, colliding with the wall almost roughly. Naruto didn't seem to register the pain; he whined and whimpered sensually as the familiar ache of a climax crept from within him.

Watching the tanned teen's blushing face, the dark haired male whispered. "My feelings for Ino are nothing more than a friend. I know it's wrong for me to lead her on, but I can't stop thinking about you. You're all I desire, Naruto."

The blond's eyes fluttered repetitively as Sasuke pushed harder against his clad member. Naruto's rising moans and pants echoed off the walls of the restroom, the enclosed space outwardly becoming more heated. Just before Naruto had a chance to release, a meek knock at the closed door stopped both males; Sasuke ceased his hand and Naruto ended his thrusting hip movements.

"Naruto-kun," the recognizable stutter of Hinata's voice spoke from the other side of the restroom. "Are you o-okay? You've been in t-there a long t-time."

Sasuke glared at the door while Naruto tried to control his breathing. "I'm…fine, Hinata-chan," he managed to let out with a slight puff. "I'll be out in a sec."

"Okay, I-I'll wait out front for you," the girl replied rather uncertainly.

Once the sound of her footsteps lessened in hearing distance, Naruto said softly to the older teen. "We should stop doing this. It isn't fair, and I feel guilty. Not only because of Ino and my mom, but because of my girlfriend. The last thing I want to do is break anyone's heart."

Staggered with the other teen's genuine words, Sasuke was about to open his mouth to oppose when the cell phone in his pants pocket vibrated. The black haired Uchiha growled at the disruption, figuring the call was from either Choji or Shikamaru to find out where he had wandered off to. Naruto used the other's agitation to slither from him and walk towards the door. Reaching for the door handle, Naruto was unexpectedly held back as Sasuke wrapped his right arm around his waist.

"I know you want me as much as I want you, Naruto," hissed Sasuke in the other's ear. "You're body responds to me, after all. When you're ready to stop lying to yourself, come find me."

Briefly closing his eyes with a sigh, Naruto then left the men's lavatory after Sasuke had removed his arm from him. The raven stood there with a frown on his face, internally musing on how making out with Naruto in a public restroom could leave him both excited and discouraged at the same time. Regrettably, Sasuke still wasn't as satisfied as he thought he would've been with the encounter…

o-o-o

…That had been three days ago.

At the present moment, Sasuke was lying down on his bed in his dorm room on a Saturday evening, still unconsciously waiting for Naruto to somehow make contact with him. The uncertainty of not knowing whether or not the blond boy wanted to see him was keeping the teen from sleeping soundly during the cool nights. Add to the fact that Ino hadn't tried to call him as of late made for a relatively out-of-character Uchiha.

Paranoid thoughts and scenarios had started swarming in his head, the majority of them having to do with one, big question: did Naruto go ahead and tell Kushina about the raven's main objective? It would certainly explain why his girlfriend, whom acted as though she couldn't live without him, hadn't bothered him in any fashion. Yeah right, Sasuke rapidly disagreed with himself, if the dope had told on me, one of those women would have found me and ripped me a new one by now.

Sasuke was snapped from his reflections when a sturdy knock pounded against his dorm's solid door. The said male scowled at the noise, hastily deciding to ignore whoever had the impudence to disturb his brooding period. He had had enough of being interrupted, thank you very much. He flinched in annoyance as the same unknown person on the other side of his door kept knocking incessantly.

Lifting his body off his bed rather sullenly, Sasuke walked across his room and then opened the door. He was in the process of giving the figure on the other side a piece of his mind when he came face to face with gorgeous crystalline irises. Naruto was standing right in front of him, a half, sad smile upturning his lips. The Uchiha stared mesmerized at him, emotions of shock and giddiness overriding his system. Was the boy he craved actually right there, right now, at his university, no less?

"Hey, teme," the blond started, his blue eyes a contrast to what he was wearing—a dull, brown soccer uniform with matching cleats. "I didn't think you would be here even though Ino has said you like to spend your lame ass in your dorm." Naruto's grin expanded some, disregarding the wince Sasuke gave at the mention of Ino's name. With a dramatic sigh a long pause later, Naruto lastly stated. "I broke up with Hinata today."

Those last six words from Naruto was all Sasuke needed to hear.

For the first time in…he didn't know how long, Sasuke offered a true smile, no smirk or glare involved. Grabbing onto the younger's collar, the raven pulled Naruto inside and shut the door. He then locked the barrier before spinning back around and kissing the daylights out of Naruto. The blue eyed blond responded in kind, circling his arms on the Uchiha's shoulders and pressing his body closer to the taller male's.

Neither teen took their time in removing their clothing, their garments haphazardly falling to the floor in haste along with Naruto's visitor pass. Within seconds, the boys were standing together as naked as the day they were born, eager hands caressing skin on skin with earnest. Sasuke pushed Naruto onto his bed prior to climbing on top of him. The golden teen hesitated slightly in a halt before he gave the other a sultry grin, their bodies then intertwining together in stimulation as Sasuke covered Naruto's upper half with his own.

Sasuke fed off the younger's mewls as he lowered his hand down Naruto's cleft and prepared him with his fingers, panting alongside the flushed tanned teen. Naruto clawed at Sasuke's back as he felt the other touch the bundle of nerves that made up his prostate, twisting and turning his limbs in order to breach Naruto more deeply. With the other teen being distracted, Sasuke slanted his body to the right and used his other hand to rummage through the drawer situated beside his bed. Finding the condom he had been searching for rather effortlessly, Sasuke then removed his fingers from Naruto's pulsed opening and gave him a meaningful look. Naruto, eyes half-lidded, nodded his head in confirmation.

What proceeded were the grunts and moans of the pair after the black headed male had pushed his rubber covered member inside of Naruto. The headboard of Sasuke's bed began to thump repeatedly against the dorm's walls as Sasuke shoved himself into Naruto's velvety inner muscles again and again. Their groans mounted as the telltale signs of coming loomed nearer; and as they cried out their completion, Sasuke and Naruto held onto each other, Naruto's back arching almost painfully.

Collapsing on one another, the two teens rested their still twitching bodies on the comfortable bed in the aftermath. Revolving his body to lie on his back, Sasuke used his arms to haul Naruto up on top of him, kissing his spiky crown before gliding his fingers through the yellow tresses. Naruto panted on the other's perspiring chest, feeling his body relax despite the sudden ache in his lower backside.

Elevating his head so that he was eye level with the raven, Naruto said with a labored breath. "I'm…going to have to…leave soon; my mom will…wonder what's…taking me so long."

"Am I to assume you came straight from your soccer game to see me?" Sasuke's orbs sparkled in mirth.

"My mom thinks Kiba and I are out…celebrating our win," revealed Naruto with an impish smile, calming the last of his breaths.

Pressing a chaste kiss to Naruto's lips in his delight, the black headed teen said softly. "I wish I could have been there to see your victory."

"Hmm, I think I would've liked that."

"But I'm glad you came."

"…Yeah, that too."

"Hn. Do you want me to give you a ride?"

With a look of both amusement and remorse in regards to their coupling, Naruto countered with, "Didn't you just do that?"

The fall period thrived accordingly as the days grew colder and the chilly winds wafted through the outside air. The once fading green leaves of vegetation morphed into brown and orange, foreshadowing the upcoming holiday season. The reality of such a change coincided with Sasuke's growing relationship with Naruto, at least as far as the raven was concerned. He would find himself pondering his affair each time he had left his dorm to get together with Naruto, the surrounding weather being his guide.

Following their first night of passion, Naruto and Sasuke had seen each other a number of three times on the sly, mindful of how dangerous their affiliation with one another really was. There had been one instant where the blond's conscience had become too much for him and he had attempted on breaking things off with the other teen. Sasuke, of course, had had none of that; he had found a more pleasurable way in lessening Naruto's guilt trip that day.

The last time they had been together, the dark haired teen had brought up the painful subject of Naruto's deception. He had recalled asking the other why he had tricked him.

"You know why," Naruto had said initially.

Sasuke had frowned at him. "It wasn't just because I was using Ino and you were mad at me. If you had wanted to expose me, you could have gone another way about it."

Naruto had been quiet a long while before he divulged, "I had had a…hunch that you were more interested in me than in my sister, but I wasn't able to call you on it," Sasuke wasn't surprised with the blond's previous notions, he waved his hand to signal for the other male to continue. "It wasn't until the day you picked me up from soccer practice that I was certain you were attracted to me."

"Is that right?"

"Yep! The way you had acted toward my friends and the things you had said in the car had clued me in."

"And that's when you came up with a plan to blackmail me," Sasuke deadpanned.

"I figured I'd be killing two birds with one stone. I had been attracted to you too, and I had wanted to see your reaction. Who've imagined that I would end up regretting my decision to trick you and end up sleeping with you anyway?"

Because of that conversation, a mere 'taste' of Naruto wasn't enough for him anymore. The Uchiha wanted him all—mind, body, and soul. Sasuke's rapt obsession with the blond as of consequence was almost to the point of being unhealthy now. He was captivated, entranced by everything that was Naruto, and he had told the boy as much. The blond's response to that had been to angle his head like a curious puppy and smirk while saying, 'You are so in love with me'.

Perhaps I am, Sasuke had inwardly granted.

Unfortunately, the times Sasuke had seen his blond hadn't been sufficient for him. Sasuke wanted to be with him all the time. Yet, obstacles such as college work, family, his girlfriend—who had started contacting him again to state that she had been busy, and other nonsense were in his path. He would count the days for when he could be with his desired once more, praying that his next meet with Naruto would be more delicious than the last.

o-o-o

Sasuke was not happy.

Not at all.

Standing in front of a buffet serving counter, the dark haired teen had to endure his girlfriend trying to needlessly fix his navy tie adorning his blue suit. Ino, wearing a tailored green dress, had been rambling on as she messed with his attire, oblivious to his growing ire. To the right of him stood an elder man, a mutual friend of his parents, whom had been chatting with him for the last ten minutes in a one-sided conversation. In the background, swarms of people were mingling about; laughing, cheering, and conversing to their hearts' content. It was clear to see through the pale boy's visible frown that all the 'jollity' was infuriating Sasuke to a precarious level.

It was nearing the middle of December; and as a way to flaunt their success, Sasuke's family had invited friends, acquaintances, and associates for a gathering to their estate. The well-over 9,000 square foot property stood on an elongated stretch of green acre; the outer surface of the structure built with a more traditional style. The red tiles of the roof made for its completion as the rest of the house was painted a light mahogany.

The interior of the estate was a lot more modern; the lobby hall was decorated all in marble, colors ranging from vanilla to gold. Antique white walls ornamented the bulk of the place and there were chandeliers hanging on every other corridor on the lower floor. Expensive furniture had been rearranged in different sections to accommodate the many tables that were either in or out of the huge kitchenette.

In a polite gesture, Sasuke had welcomed Ino along with Kushina and Naruto to his parents' festivity, mainly because he didn't want to suffer through such displeasure alone. When the four of them had first arrived at the gathering, they had been seated in one of the four tables set in a quadrangle in the living area. Sasuke's parents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, had been cordial enough hosts earlier in the evening, greeting them properly as they entered inside of the house. Throughout the night, as more guests turned up, Kushina and Naruto had seemingly roamed away from them to do their own thing.

It frustrated Sasuke to no end that he didn't know where his secret lover was and that he had to be stuck with the other's blonde sister for company. And even though Sasuke admired Naruto for being such a social butterfly, it was times like these that he wished the younger boy was more reserved like he was.

Still drowning out the aforementioned older man's ceaseless talking, Sasuke was startled when a random hand came clamping down on his left shoulder. Thinking it was Ino, the raven opened his mouth to reproach her about touching his clothing, rotating his body a little so he could speak.

Sasuke's body balked in astonishment as a familiar male voice said from behind him, "It's been awhile, hasn't it, Uchiha?"

Turning completely around, the dark haired teen was met with the transparent orbs of his ex-boyfriend. Hyuuga Neji was facing him with an outward apathy, his black tuxedo complimenting his refined looks. The two males gaped at one another in equal silence for a moment as the people surrounding them resumed their interactions.

Ignoring the indignant squawks he received from the talking man as he stepped away mid-conversation, Sasuke aloofly replied. "Indeed, it has. I'm surprised my parents have allowed you to enter their home and attend their gathering."

"I've been keeping my distance from them. Besides, your father can't say too much since he and my uncle are now in collaboration," Neji expressed nonchalantly.

"Hn."

Neji gave the other dark headed male a stoic smirk. "A man of a few words," he commented before stepping closer to Sasuke and eying him appreciatively. "You look good."

"As do you," Sasuke commended, discreetly moving backward from the Hyuuga. Six months ago, he would've been thrilled with such a heated look from the older teen. Now, the stare Neji was giving him just made him feel uncomfortable.

The longer haired brunette's face softened as he said, "I've been thinking about you lately."

"Oh?"

"Yes, quite a bit, actually. I miss our late nights. How long has it been? Half a year, you think?"

The Uchiha crossed his arms with a snort. "I don't keep tabs on such things, Hyuuga."

"So you're denying it?"

"No, I'm just not going to stand here and pretend like I give a damn."

"You don't seem eager to see me," Neji observed with a frown. "Is it because you found someone else to satisfy you? Did you find yourself a new boy toy?"

Sasuke glared, his body instinctively stiffening. "Keep your voice down," he whispered heatedly.

"Still trying to live up to your family's expectations, eh? How unfortunate," the purple eyed Hyuuga said with a mocking shake of his head.

"You don't know what you're—" Sasuke cut himself off as he viewed two particular teenagers walking and conversing side by side on the other part of the red carpeted floor.

Naruto and that infuriating Hinata girl were talking amongst each other, as though the two of them hadn't split up weeks before. Sasuke felt rage build within his core, even as he lustfully soaked up the blond's sapphire, ensemble, complete with a periwinkle tie that brought out the brightness of his eyes. Neji's eyebrows furrowed the minute Sasuke stopped talking in the middle of his sentence and stared straight ahead. Wanting to see what Sasuke was gazing at, the Hyuuga male followed his line of vision.

An angered scowl suddenly appeared on Neji's face as he recognized the blond across from them. "What is he doing here?" The older teen's cruel sounding voice was enough to snap Sasuke out of his furious stupor. "And what gives him the right to still be talking to my cousin?" He questioned in a dangerously low tone.

Once Neji's words registered in Sasuke's head, the latter looked momentarily bewildered. "That girl's your cousin?" Sasuke absently pointed his finger at the sparkled gown bearing Hinata. No wonder I thought she looked like Neji our first meeting, Sasuke mused.

"Yes, she is," Neji disclosed conversationally. "And that boy," he snapped the word 'boy' in irritation, "is the bane of my family's existence, the damn hoodlum."

"Shut your fucking mouth," Sasuke snapped, unable to stop from fuming. "Just because he's a bit…defiant doesn't mean he's a bad person."

"You say that as though you know him," Neji seemed incredulous, staggered with the other raven's hostility and language.

"He's my girlfriend's half brother."

"Ah, yes, one of your staged harlots, is that right?"

"None of my girlfriends are prostitutes, Hyuuga."

Neji shrugged, appearing unconcerned with Sasuke's modification. "It really is a small world then. My cousin having dated your girlfriend's thug of a brother. I guess the apple really doesn't fall too far from the—" He was broken off from his offenses as Sasuke shoved him roughly with a growl. A few guests in the vicinity peered over at the two boys with looks of curiosity and outrage.

"You better watch yourself," the enraged voice of Sasuke said hotly. "I have no qualms about kicking you out of this house right now."

The older brunette narrowed his eyes in response to the Uchiha teen's threat. He was cheated out of defending himself when a blonde he vaguely remembered from his high school days came right behind Sasuke and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sasuke's irate countenance was swiftly replaced with a blank look as the said girl rubbed her halfway revealing breasts against his back.

"Sasuke-kun," the blonde purred, trying to sound sexy. "I'm sorry we got separated. This nice older couple starting talking to me and—" Neji drowned out the female's whiny voice, figuring Sasuke was doing the same with the total indifference on his face. Piecing together the clues that this was Sasuke's new girlfriend, the Hyuuga could deduce on how this annoying girl was related to that blasted Uzumaki boy. Why Sasuke would waste his time on such a ditz was beyond him.

Finding his eyes somehow straying to the mentioned blond male, Neji was bothered to see that the Uzumaki was still standing near his sweet cousin. If it wasn't for the people surrounding them, Neji would have gone over to the boy and antagonized him. He couldn't understand why Sasuke was sticking up for such an unruly teen; that it to say, until he saw the look on the other raven's face as Sasuke subtly glowered at Hinata.

As soon as the blond looked their way, he shot a tender grin at the Uchiha, winking at him afterwards for good measure. Sasuke's mean stare gradually melted into a smile.

Neji's narrowed eyes lowered into slits at the warm display.

o-o-o

"Ah…Sasuke…"

"…Nngh…"

"I…I…can't…hold it…anymore…"

"Just…a little…longer…"

Naruto was bouncing up and down on Sasuke's lap, his strained thighs straddling the other's hips as he and the said raven grunted simultaneously in their lovemaking. The morning sunlight was seeping through the glass window behind the two on the padded bed, the bright light illumining the males' glossy skin. The sound of flesh hitting against flesh ricocheted throughout the hotel room they had paid for, the heavy smell of sweat permeated the gathered space.

Hoisting his body more forward to position himself at a better angle, Sasuke raised his hands upwards on Naruto's waist to help the younger with his movements. The feeling of his shaft being sheathed in the blond's internal walls was enough to drive Sasuke insane. When Naruto's moans increased in volume, the raven quickened his penetration, and began nipping at any available skin at his disposal.

Naruto was the first to release, his back curving as his essence splashed onto his quivering stomach. Sasuke wasn't too far behind; the image of the tanned teen's pleasured face driving him over the edge. Breaths huffing, chests heaving, the pair of males stayed in their upright poses as pulses of aftershocks circulated throughout their bodies. The white sheet that had been covering them before hand was now tangled near their lower limbs, the material of the fabric sticking to their damp legs.

Sasuke recovered quickly as he sucked on Naruto's neck before digging his face onto the vulnerable column. The younger teen chuckled breathlessly at the tickling sensation of the raven's breath against his collar, more than aware that the other was still connected to him. Both boys hissed in pleasure when Naruto absentmindedly wriggled on his place on the other's lap.

The moment the blond tried to lift his body off of the Uchiha's, Sasuke tightened his hold on him, the embrace becoming reasonably distressed. Naruto wanted to sigh at the unusual behavior. It had been this way ever since Sasuke's parents' event two days previous. It was as though the dark haired teen thought Naruto was bound to leave him. The blue eyed blond had a pretty good idea about what was going on with the older, but he wanted to confirm that verbally.

"You are a sex fiend," the Uzumaki joked as Sasuke's anatomy twitched inside him. "What, do you want another go-around? We've done this two times already."

Sasuke was silent for a lengthy few minutes. Eventually, his muffled voice questioned, "Is that an invitation?"

Naruto smiled, glad that Sasuke wasn't as upset as he thought. "Maybe," he said, being able to finally pull away from Sasuke's member after the said teen had released him. "But let's take a break first. I want to talk about what's been going on with you."

Removing the condom that had been wrapped around his organ, Sasuke tersely stated. "I don't know what you mean. There's nothing going on with me."

"Total bullshit," Naruto denied, wanting to mope as he watched the older teen climb off the bed and head towards the hotel's bathroom. "You've been acting prissy, and you know it. It's like you're hormonal or on your period. You're not turning into a girl on me, are ya, Uchiha?" Receiving no answer, the blond settled with what was on his mind. "Okay, I really didn't want to be the one to bring this up, but you leave me no choice. Are you mad because I was talking with Hinata that night?"

"…That girl has nothing to do with me," the black haired male coolly muttered from inside the bathroom after a long pause.

"Aha!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping from the bed in all his nude glory before sauntering to the doorway of the john. "I knew it! I knew you were mad! This proves it!"

"How does 'this' prove anything?"

"Because whenever I mention Hinata's name around you, you act all angry and usually respond with 'that girl' or something of the like."

"You sound ridiculous," Sasuke retorted before snatching a hand towel from a metal hook attached to the wall.

Easily ignoring the blond's other claims coming from his mouth, Sasuke then used his right hand to turn on the granite sink's facet. He drenched the cloth with the pouring water prior to shutting it off and squeezing out the excess liquid from the towel. Stepping closer to the other, the Uchiha wiped down Naruto's soiled belly in a circular motion. Naruto's orbs widened at the arousing feeling; he grinded his teeth as the dark haired teen resumed with his cleaning. Sasuke was so focused with his swabbing task that he flinched when Naruto's hand rubbed up against his bare side.

"There's no need to be jealous," assured Naruto. "Hinata and I decided we were better off as friends, and that's exactly what we are. I wouldn't be here risking my ass if I didn't want to be with you."

Sasuke gave him a half smirk, inwardly satisfied with the other's words. "I'm not jealous," he feigned, cleaning off the rest of Naruto's residue. "I told you before that she has nothing to do with me, and I meant it. I'm just glad you understand that you're mine now."

The golden teen rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Y'know, you're not the only guy I've been with."

Sasuke could sense the common fury wanting to boil over inside him. "Let me guess—you and that redheaded friend of yours, correct?" Naruto hesitantly nodded his head with an uncomfortable shrug. "Did you ever sleep with him?"

"Why should it matter to you?"

"Just answer the question."

"Only once. We mostly just fooled around with each other. Before I started dating Hinata, I broke off the whole affair with him. Gaara wanted more from me than I was willing to give him. One of our good friends, her name's Matsuri, has had a crush on him since we were little; but because of me, Gaara has never given her the time of day. It's kinda sad, actually."

"Matsuri? You mean that brown haired girl I saw hanging out with you and your friends at the mall that one time?"

"Yeah," the blond disclosed casually before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait—you really were following me that day, weren't you? Kami, you are such a creep."

Sasuke didn't say anything to deny the question. Instead he threw the damp towel into the sink and grasped the younger's hand to lead him back to the bed. Sasuke was still feeling irate, and he wanted, needed to be inside his lover to lessen the emotion. The early day's sunlight had been traded in with a gloomy dimness, the steamed window presently being encased with petite clumps of snowy hail.

Shoving Naruto onto the bed, Sasuke shot him a sinister leer from above. "I ought to punish you with the way you've been talking to me."

"You're the one who should be punished."

"How so?"

"You were so worried about me and Hinata, when really I should be more worried about you."

"I'm not following your logic, Naruto."

Heaving his upper body on his elbows, Naruto continued with, "I saw you with Neji the asshole that night, and I saw the way he was looking at you. Got anything you'd like to share with me, eh?" By the end of his inquiry, the blond's voice had taken on a sharp edge, his blue eyes darkening almost to a black hue.

Naruto let out a yelp, completely overwhelmed, as Sasuke aggressively grabbed his wrists and slammed them above his head. Sasuke covered his naked body with the blond's own, trapping their manhoods together. Ignoring the slick friction it created below his waist, the raven teen looked the other straight in the eye with a scowl. The amount of anger he had been experiencing was at the moment doubling in intensity.

"The issues between Hyuuga and I are our own. It's none of your concern."

"Why is it okay for you to be mad and up all in my business but not the other way around, huh?"

"That's because you aren't really mad; you're just a smart-aleck."

"My dad used to call me that," Naruto firstly jeered before a wistful expression settled on his face.

Sasuke became startled with such a profound look coming from the generally cheerful male. Thinking back on his hurtful remarks, an unexpected regret began to form within his mind; his remorse prompting him to release the younger's wrists. The obsidian eyed teen had thoughtlessly reminded Naruto of his deceased father, a man Sasuke had heard very good things about from both Naruto and Ino.

Naruto's father, Namizake Minato, had been a very caring person who had been loved by his friends and family, from what Sasuke had learned. He didn't know the full story about the man's death; Ino had only given him snippets of the event throughout their relationship. What he did know was that a nameless man had murdered him outside of a gas station over something trivial.

And now, because of Sasuke's stubbornness, he had made the younger boy relive the past.

Meaning to rectify his insensitivity, the Uchiha said softly. "Naruto, I didn't mean for you to bring your dad up like that," the older teen decided to keep talking once he saw that the blond wasn't going to respond. "Neji's my ex-boyfriend, but there is nothing going on between us now. Trust me."

"I didn't think anything was going on between you two. I just wanted you to see that I can get jealous too," whispered Naruto after a few minutes, a smile reaching his watery eyes.

Overcome with the beauty of Naruto's smile, Sasuke leaned down and kissed his forehead with sweet affection. "I'm sorry about before," he apologized before an urge of blurting out his feelings came through. "I love you, moron."

It was the first time Sasuke had admitted those three words out loud to the other. He thought he had gone too far with his admission when Naruto's appearance took on a shocked value. His worries were laid to rest as Naruto's astonished face morphed into a look of adoration.

"I love you too, bastard," he shot back sincerely.

Hence, for the next three hours, the pair of teens occupied the single hotel room, engaging in a number of gratifying activities with one another. Prior to leaving the luxurious mentioned building, Sasuke couldn't shake off the feeling that he and Naruto were being watched as they made their way outdoors to find the valet.

"Hey, Shikamaru, what's the answer to number five for our history work?"

Shikamaru and Sasuke snapped their heads in the direction of their mutual classmates' voice near the floor. Chouji was sitting down, Indian style, on the carpeted surface while Shikamaru took refuge on a lone chair in the corner and Sasuke lounged on top of his dorm's appointed bed. The trio of males had stacks of notebooks, class books, and assignments on or in front of them; the three were studying for the college exams that were scheduled to finish before the winter break.

The amount of school work presented to him wasn't a challenge for Sasuke; still, it took away precious time he could be better spending with his blond lover. He couldn't wait—figuratively speaking, of course—for the upcoming week to come to an end. Once the exams were out of the way, the raven could find means of encountering his Naruto without the interference of others. Maybe, if he played his cards right, he and the younger teen could travel somewhere together. The mere thought made Sasuke want to snicker like a wicked villain.

"Figure it out," answered Shikamaru to the slightly bigger boy, severing the Uchiha's sinful reflections. "You're smart enough."

"Figuring stuff out is hard, and it makes me hungry!" Chouji proclaimed. Sasuke appeared amused with the Akimichi's protesting as Shikamaru grumbled underneath his breath previous to leaving the chair he had been sitting on to help his friend.

An abrupt, harsh rap at the door alerted the boys, making Sasuke stare angrily at nothing in particular and rising from the bed. "I'm getting more and more annoyed with people needlessly knocking on my door," he icily spoke as he ambled to the barrier.

"I hope it's someone bringing us food, I'm starving," Chouji said in a hopeful manner.

Disregarding Chouji's absurdity, Sasuke opened the door, unsurprised to see Ino on the other side. What did surprise him, however, was her red, puffy eyes and livid expression. "Ino, what—?" Sasuke didn't get a chance to complete his query as the blonde teen backhanded him across the face.

Staggering over his feet, the dark haired male lifted his hand to his cheek to access the damage. His skin was hot to the touch, and it stung in a throbbing twinge as he caressed his fingers over the skin. Chouji and Shikamaru stood up from the floor, entirely shocked that any female would voluntarily strike the Uchiha. Just with that hit alone, Sasuke could tell what the girl was so upset about before she even opened her mouth.

"You're horrible," Ino started, frustrated tears cascading down her flushed cheeks in rivulets. "Absolutely horrible. How could you? How could you do this? How could you stomp on my heart like this?!"

"Yamanaka-san, I think there has been a misunder—" Chouji tried, wanting to be the voice of reason.

"Mind your own fucking business!" Ino screeched over the brown haired teen, keeping her eyes on the seemingly unaffected raven in front of her. She resumed with her rant swiftly. "I didn't want to believe it," she directed at Sasuke. "I didn't want to believe that man when he told me you had screwed with other men before."

The two brunettes behind Sasuke enlarged their eye sockets at Ino's admittance. Sasuke wouldn't easily waver; his eyes darkened as he hissed, "You can't prove anything."

"Oh, yeah?" Ino taunted in all her heartache. "Then what the hell are these, huh?" She fumbled momentarily in her black carrier bag before throwing out photos of Sasuke and Naruto together, the snapshots falling to the ground. They were from the time the two had been in the hotel. "My brother? My own brother, Sasuke?! Was I so repulsive to you that you had to turn to my sixteen-year-old brother of all people?! Answer me!"

Sasuke knew he was trouble, he knew it. His whole life could be ruined with such a scandal. Yet, all that came out of his voice box was, "Where did you get these?"

Ino chuckled, the sound hollow. "I hate you. I never thought I'd used those words on you, but they're true now. I hate Naruto, too. I hate you both. You two are disgusting! Disgusting!" A crazed smirk emerged on the girl's lips as she said nastily. "And I'm going to make sure you never hear from Naruto or me again." And with that, she spun on her heel and trudged away. She called over her shoulder one last time with, "Don't even think about coming to our house! My mother would surely kick your ass!"

As the threat 'never see Naruto…' rang in his head repeatedly, the raven's uncaring face all but crumpled into horror. His body appeared to have frozen in his stance at the blonde's spiteful hollering came back to bite him. Paying no mind to his still astounded classmates, Sasuke hurriedly seized his cell phone on his drawer and then headed out of his dorm.

He tried to catch a glimpse of Ino's pale blond hair in the horde of young people, but the mass of walking students obscured his vision. He raced through campus, striving to locate her for the subsequent twenty minutes, but to no avail. Thinking quickly, Sasuke took out his mobile and searched through his archives for Naruto's name. He called in Uzumaki's cell number, listening to the phone ring a total of seven times; nonetheless the blond didn't answer.

Sasuke was panicking internally. He had to find a way to contact his beloved before it was too late. With only one destination in mind, the black headed boy stalked through the university's hallways, ignoring everyone and anyone who tried to grab his attention. Marching across his school's parking lot as he departed from the structured building, Sasuke entered inside his vehicle and turned on the ignition to put the car in drive. Exiting the campus's grounds to reach the highway, Sasuke made his way to the neighboring high school.

The roads weren't fully packed, but the remaining snow sticking to the earth and the asphalt generated a rather slow form of driving. It took a lot longer than it would have originally to get to his given locality; the path of the sun lightening mid-high was in the ocean colored sky. Sasuke nearly dashed out of his vehicle after he parked it diagonally to the construction, his clean shoes clobbering on the melting ice on the sidewalk. He rudely passed the waiting parents and other such persons as he attempted to be one of the first to come inside the school, scoffing at their exasperated exclamations.

Having already checked the time before he left his university, Sasuke was thankful that the high school was still in session and that it was the sheer early afternoon. The last bell of the day rang promptly as floods of teenagers suddenly escaped from the entrance to the building. The raven pushed by the onlookers, callous to his very environment. All he could think about was getting to Naruto.

Naruto…Naruto…Naruto…

"Surprised to see you here, Uchiha," a smug, haughty voice glided throughout the depths of the school's crowded halls. "I hope you're not looking for that Uzumaki kid. I heard from my cousin that his mother came earlier to take him out of class."

Words could not express the quantity of hatred the dark haired teen felt from the owner of that superior voice. Stopping right in the middle of the hallway, blocking some of the students around, Sasuke gradually revolved his body and stomped antagonistically toward the older teen. The self-satisfied look on Neji's face was gone in a millisecond as Sasuke punched him so hard the other fell against the lockers. Knowing that the other brunette male was 'that man' that Ino had been referring to was plenty in pushing Sasuke into abhorrence.

Wasting enough time on the fucker and the stunned onlookers, the raven steadily ignored what Neji had said about Naruto and searched for him in the classrooms anyway. And so, for the next hour, all Sasuke did was look and ask around for the blond. He had even hunted for the two known soccer coaches; but one of the groundskeepers had said the two had requested for an earlier vacation.

On the verge of exhaustion, Sasuke had a last ditch effort to locate his lover—at the principal's office. He walked to the corridors that led to the workplace of the staff; unfortunately the secretary on shift couldn't reveal such information about students and the principal had apparently left for the afternoon. With a civil 'thank you' to the desk worker, Sasuke circled back to where he had entered the walkway and headed out of the office.

The Uchiha had barely taken three steps in the hallway before he collapsed on his knees in defeat. A faint sob reached his lips as he clutched at his chest as though he was in pain, refusing to let the tears that had materialized from the corner of his eyes break free. Vibration from his pocket almost brought the distraught teen to life as he delved in his pouch and grabbed his phone. As soon as he saw that it was a call from his parents, his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

Breathing harshly in his agony, Sasuke mentally willed his emotions to shut down for a spell in order to think logically about his situation. In the raven's mind, he still needed to see Naruto, even if it was to say goodbye temperorarily. Because one way or another, he would consider a solution so that the golden headed male could be his arms once again.

With determination in his eyes, Sasuke stood upward from his crouched position, sauntering through the halls as he buried his cell back into his jean pocket.

A/N: The sequel for this fic, Enchaining, is finally up! I decided to not delete any of my stories from this site, I'll just be extra careful with my material. Thanks to those authors and/or writers who messaged me, and asked for me to keep my stories up.