Title: Forever Silent

Beta'd By: Moiraine Lendreth

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, a prominent business man, never gets a day of peace or an ounce of silence. But what happens when he gets exactly what he wants? Will the silence be too much to bear?

Rating: Teen

Pairings: SasuNaru and other various pairings

Warnings: Be aware of slight language, adult situations, and pairings. (Yes, this is Yaoi)

Disclaimer (Applies to all chapters): I do not own Naruto in any form.

Silence has a voice,
yet not many hear it
When was the last time
you actually listened
to the silence?
Could you hear it?
Or was it too much to bear…
to be forever silent?

A tired, dark haired man leaned his forehead against the cold windowpane, slumping a little as the train pulled out of the station. His bloodshot eyes stared back at him through the foggy glass; he was paler than usual, but that was nothing new. Sudden weather changes always affected him in more ways than one. Straightening up in the seat, his red eyes drifted to the leather briefcase perched on the top shelf. He detested that briefcase and its contents. Inside were countless tasks and a mountain of paperwork that needed to be completed before the week was over; it was frustrating. He barely had a life as it is…no thanks to his brother. Pushing back fallen strands of his dark hair and sighing in defeat, he turned bleakly back out the window, to wait out the long journey home.

He may not look it right now, but he was Uchiha Sasuke, the CEO of Uchiha Transportation Services. After inheriting the business at the young age of sixteen when his parents died in a fatal car crash, he had been forced to live up to the standards of a hardworking, dedicated company executive—albeit one without any sort of social life whatsoever. It should have been his brother suffering this torture, but Uchiha Itachi disappeared after that fatal night, and Sasuke has only seen him twice since then. Not that he minded in the least; those were two times too many considering the man deserted him.

Now, several years later, Sasuke has recently celebrated his 23rd birthday (a glass of champagne and a short toast) and he's the richest man in Tokyo. Alone, true, but still rich.

Hah. Like he gave a damn.

The vibration of his phone sent waves through his coat pocket, startling him from his thoughts. The man fingered the flap thoughtfully, pursing his lips before answering the phone.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Sasuke, we have a problem. Yamota-san just fired three people from the Finance Department. They were supposedly siphoning cash from several project budgets while tweaking with the financial statements."

The young CEO rubbed his temples to ease the oncoming headache.

"So you are telling me we just fired three people and let them go with our stolen profits? That's just perfect. Do me a favor and bring them up on charges. We can't just let them go like that…and find me some replacements ASAP. Post flyers, put ads in the papers, do whatever it takes—just get me some people. Once you do that, notify me about the appointments. I'm going to screen these people myself. You got that?"

"Yes, I'll start immediately. Anything else?"

Sasuke considered for a moment. "Yes, schedule the appointments later on in the week. I won't be in for a few days. I need a break, or else I swear I'm going to break down if I don't get some sleep."

A chuckle from the other end. "Understood."

"Thanks, Kakashi." The Uchiha closed his phone shut. His headache seemed to intensify from the news he received. Anymore news like that and he might just go crazy. Sasuke sighed and returned to gazing out the window. It would be about another hour before he made it home, and the idea of sleep seemed just perfect.

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The train pulled to a halting stop as it reached the station. The poor braking made the young Uchiha hit his head on the window, his eyes opening blearily to the already-dark sky. Glancing at his watch, he grabbed his briefcase from the top shelf and peeked out of the compartment. Everyone was filing out, dragging their huge bags and suitcases; he scowled. He hated waiting, and it was evident that he'd have to sit for a good while more before he could get off the train without getting squished between bulky luggages. Sighing, he decided to wait before his headache caused him to pass out and sat back down. After about fifteen minutes, the train was empty except a few older passengers. Sasuke took his briefcase with a huff once more and headed for the open doors.

As he reached the exit, Sasuke caught sight of a young man sleeping soundly in one of the seats, his blond hair spiking wildly in every direction. A dribble of drool trailed the corner of his slightly open mouth. Sasuke contemplated on whether to wake him up before leaving. His groaning muscles and persistent headache answered for him; besides, the blond haired man looked comfortable where he was.

He continued to walk briskly to the station entrance, hoping to catch a passing taxi. As luck would have it, there was a taxi already waiting when he got there; Sasuke's mood lifted slightly. Maybe his day would not be a total wreck after all. He thanked the heavens silently as he made it to car. The driver rolled down his window as he approached.

"Are you Uchiha Sasuke?" the man asked. Sasuke grunted before pointing to a huge billboard with his face plastered on it.

"Does that answer your question?" he snapped. His response wasn't intended to be harsh, but bloodshot eyes, a fatigue-ridden body, and a growling stomach could make anyone angry. Surprisingly, the driver was not fazed. He was a middle-aged man who seemed to have dealt with all kinds of people and was content with his job. His brown hat leaned to the side as he took a swift of his cigarette and turned around.

"Yeah, I was just making sure because I'm here to pick you up. I got a call from someone named Hatake Kakashi."

"Hn." The Uchiha opened the door, tossing his bag in the seat. He couldn't figure out why Kakashi didn't send him his limo instead. Though, if you knew Kakashi, he would be too lazy to do things like that and manage to be incredibly late for every appointment, too.

He closed the door and the driver was about to pull off when he heard a commotion outside. A young man was pushing past people with his bags and running to a taxi. To his taxi, to be specific. The Uchiha gave the man a long look before realizing that it was the same man he saw sleeping on the train.

The blond dropped his bags on the pavement alongside the taxi. He looked quite winded, his face flushed from running, as he searched in his bag for something. He eventually found what he was looking for and held it through the window to the driver. The driver read it silently before turning to his passenger in the backseat.

"This fellow here needs to get to the other side of town before midnight. He was wondering if he could share the fare with you. So what should I tell him?"

"Tell him…" the Uchiha looked over the blond, taking in his ruffled clothes and sweaty, panting face. "Fine."

When the driver nodded to the young man still standing outside, he broke into a wide grin that lit his entire face. Sasuke blinked in mild astonishment. He didn't think anyone could smile like that. He watched the man heave his baggage into the taxi's trunk before sliding into the backseat, still grinning from ear to ear at the driver. He didn't say a word though. This angered Sasuke somewhat, who had been brought up under the impression that everyone must be treated with courtesy, no matter the social standing. On hindsight though, his anger could be blamed on his broody mood.

The ride was a quiet one; except for the driver's occasional cough and the whoosh of passing cars, there was no sound inside the car. Sasuke was finally beginning to relax, knowing that in a few minutes he would be home, but something about the man next to him nagged at his brain. He supposed it was because the man didn't talk, but he wasn't quite sure. The blond sat very still, his eyes focused out the window for the past fifteen minutes, his face devoid of any emotion. It was a sharp contrast to the grin he had sported when he climbed in. It was pretty unnerving. The Uchiha cleared his throat before asking a question, suddenly feeling the silence become oppressive.

"Are you new to this part of town?" The blond turned to him, his eyes boring into Sasuke's face before nodding. His eyes were what struck the businessman most. They were a deep, hypnotizing crystalline blue that seemed like endless pools.

"You know…you shouldn't be sleeping in trains. You can get robbed that way." The blond seemed to consider his words before shrugging and turning back to the window.

"Hn. Then get robbed," the Uchiha said tersely, agitated by the other passenger's rudeness. The blond said nothing in response.

Shortly after, they arrived at a housing complex in the middle class part of town. The blond pulled out his wallet and gave the driver half of the fare before exiting the car. On his way out, Sasuke saw the wallet slip out of the other's pocket and drop onto the car seat. He quickly stepped out of the car as the blond retrieved his items from the trunk.

"You dropped this." The blond made a face before reaching for his wallet. The Uchiha pulled it back, just out of reach.

"Not until you tell me your name. I haven't heard you say one thing." The blond glared and attempted to reach for his wallet again. Sasuke pulled it out of reach again, and he frowned.

"Just tell me. I'll tell you mine…I am Uchiha Sasuke," The blond stepped back for a minute and stared. His face was unreadable but his blue eyes were glazed over with…what? Disappointment? Sadness? Anger? Something wasn't right, but he nodded and held out his hand in agreement just the same. Sasuke placed the wallet in his palm as he waited for a response.

There was none, just the rustle of the trees.

The blond picked up his bags and started walking up to the apartment building, leaving a confused CEO. Sasuke quickly followed him into the building.

"Alright, fine. I can understand if you won't tell me your name or anything. But is it too much to ask to hear you say 'thank you'?" The blond looked at him as if he wanted to say something, but held out his hand instead. A handshake of apology, Sasuke supposed; he pushed the hand away.

"Don't tell me you're a mute or something," He said mockingly, his lips turned into a smirk.

The blond's eyes changed to a dusky blue before setting his lips to a firm line. Sasuke noticed the quick change in the atmosphere and studied the blond's reaction. The blond seemed offended but before he could define what happened, a tan hand grabbed the silver doorknob and opened the door. He gave Sasuke one last glance before closing the door in his face. Sasuke stood there confused and unaware before walking back out to the taxi.

Did I say something wrong?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke reached his large estate not long after, not bothering to look at the small roll of bills he threw at the taxi driver as he stepped out. He took his shoes off by the door before walking to the kitchen for a light meal. He found some white rice and vegetable stir fry on the stove left by his personal team of cooks. Sasuke heated himself up a plate of food and grabbed a glass of wine before walking to his study, seriously considering giving his kitchen staff a raise. He really wasn't paying them enough for their dedication and flawless service.

He plopped down on the auburn sofa in the study, preferring to enjoy his meal there. Sasuke felt so comfortable in the room for some reason; maybe it was the silence, which he craved more than anything. As he finished his plate, his thoughts strayed back to the blond in the taxi. He still didn't know why the man refused to say anything to him…and then slam a door in his face.

But why should he care? It's not like he would ever see the blond again.

Sasuke stood up, stretching his muscles before returning to the kitchen to clean his plate. He washed the plate in hot water before retreating upstairs. His bed looked so inviting at that moment with its silky sheets and double-stuffed pillows, but he needed a shower. Grabbing a pair of boxers and his towel, Sasuke went straight into his bathroom and did just that. The shower wasn't long but it felt so relaxing that when he stepped into his bedroom, he fell face first into his bed. Too bad the soft bed only soothed his body because his headache had yet to go away.

The blond he met earlier was still floating in his head, and he couldn't figure out why that man's reaction bothered him so much. He helped the blond out of pure kindness and what does he get? A door slammed in his face as a 'thank you'; he hadn't even insulted him to deserve such treatment! All he said was 'Don't tell me you're mute or something.' What's wrong with that?

Wait…

Hold on…

Maybe he was mute…

Damn.

Uchiha Sasuke did not get much sleep that night.

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Hope you enjoyed the edited version!
Reviews are appreciated :)