This was not what he had been expected upon his arrival at the damn Hyuuga party. He hadn't expected the blond to be waiting for him at the entrance, anxious blue eyes watching every new entrant, biting his lips as he played with his fingers, fidgeting. He wasn't entirely sure he had expected to see the blond sitting alone at a table, not just because he knew Naruto's friends would be there to keep him company. But this.... This he had not anticipated.

And silently, he cursed his brother to hell.

Who the hell gave the Hyuuga Bastard and the Sabakuno Bastard permission to touch his blonddobe? Who had said Naruto was open for the taking? Definitely not him.

Because he certainly hadn't thought he'd walk into the damn party he was only even going to because of Naruto, to find the blond in the middle of a group of people, only some of which were staring astonishedly at the scene, lips pressed intimately with the red-headed Sabakuno brat, only then to be pulled away and shoved against the Hyuuga reject's lips.

The sight of Naruto with anyone but him had gotten him nearly running, and with no thought in his mind but to get the blond away, he had quickly reached out for the blond as soon as he could, pulling him against his chest, instinctively needing to feel the blond's warmth against his body.

And then he turned his glare against the two men who had dared to touch what was his. Uchiha property was not to be shared. Ever.

It was a law.

And then he heard that voice, that beautiful, perfect voice which sounded best when filled with ecstasy in bed...

"Sasuke..." Naruto murmured, his brain finally rejoining the rest of him.

Naruto was peering up at the Uchiha from his strange position, his back pressed against that familiar hard chest, blue eyes blinking at him in confusion. "Sa-"

And Sasuke decided it was his turn. He leaned down and gently captured those lips with his own, his hands gripping onto Naruto's shoulders tighter as he pulled the blond as close to himself as possible, his tongue gliding in between Naruto's lips and into his hot mouth. Naruto moaned, and Sasuke was certain the two bastards had heard.

When he pulled away Naruto looked dazed, and as Sasuke took a moment to glance in the direction of Hyuuga and Sabakuno, was satisfied to see the rage filling their faces.

He smirked, licking his lips luxuriously as they watched.

"You-" Hyuuga began, his fists clenched tightly. Murder was rampaging in Gaara's eyes as he looked on.

"What do you think you're-"

But before Hyuuga could finish, Sasuke spoke. "I see you both have met my lover."

The color drained from Hyuuuga's face and Sabakuno looked confused, the fire quickly extinguished from his eyes.

"Your what?" Gaara asked quietly.

Sasuke's smirk intensified, and he was indeed very pleased with himself. "Uzumaki Naruto is my lover. And you two," here he glared," what the hell do you think you were doing with him."

Hyuuga and Sabakuno both glared at Sasuke, before letting their eyes drift back to the blond beside him.

Naruto seemed to finally be coming back into himself, the heat which had stolen onto his face fading. He turned and looked up at Sasuke, blue eyes wide, and Sasuke's smirk was successfully stifled when he saw that flash of anger in those beautiful eyes.

He stood up and tried to look nonchalant, clearing his throat and speaking before Naruto could, sensing danger when Naruto opened his mouth. "And now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking things from here." He reached out a hand and grabbed hold of Naruto's arm, ready to pull him away from the lustful bastards.

"Hold on, just one minute, Uchiha," Hyuuga spoke harshly.

Sasuke paused and turned to face the two men again, and just managed to hold back a growled "What." Instead he clenched his jaw, annoyed, and said, "Is there something you need, Hyuuga?" Sasuke could see both Hyuuga's and Sabakuno's eyes look at Naruto at that, and had to hold back another growl.

His eyes turned to slits as he placed himself between Naruto and the two men, both of which were moving closer, trying to maneuver themselves in such a way they could pull the blond to their side. Sasuke ground his teeth.

"I don't buy it, Uchiha," Hyuuga spoke authoritatively. "If Naruto-kun is your lover," and Sasuke flinched at Hyuuga's familiarity with his blond, "you certainly have not put a good enough claim on him. If he were my lover, I, for one, would never allow him to attend an event such as this alone."

Sabakuno inclined his head, as though agreeing, but his aquamarine eyes never left the blond's face, which was red, blue eyes wide as he watched.

"Circumstances," was all Sasuke said as a reply.

Hyuuga huffed. "I think you wish Naruto-kun were yours, Uchiha. That is what my eyes tell me. After all, he certainly didn't put up any fight just now. If he were really your lover, he wouldn't have allowed himself to be touch by anyone but you, don't you think?"

Hyuuga was winning, he could tell, and his eyes drifted toward the blond, who was watching as Sasuke fumed.

"You're slipping, Uchiha. One would have thought you'd never allow for something such as this. But perhaps, you're just in a one-sided affair." Hyuuga's eyes again went to Naruto and he smiled slyly. "Finally, someone who can resist an Uchiha."

"Hyuuga," Sasuke growled. "You don't know anything. And this isn't one-sided. Naruto and I have been seeing each other for a while. So you can just fuck off."

Hyuuga looked pleased that he was so effectively irritating Uchiha Sasuke.

"Naruto is mine, Hyuuga. Today was a special circumstance, but if I ever see you anywhere near him again, I swear you will regret it."

"So you say." Hyuuga glanced once more at Naruto. "But we'll see."

"Are you challenging me, Hyuuga?" Sasuke hissed.

The other man stood up taller, his eyes flashing. "I am. I don't think you are deserving of such a beauty."

"I, too, don't think you should be allowed to keep him all to yourself, Uchiha. Nor is Hyuuga worthy," Sabakuno finally spoke. He still stood impassively beside Neji, but his eyes were fixed unwaveringly on the blond, an intensity in those eyes.

Naruto flinched away, and unconsciously he grabbed onto Sasuke's coat, his fist clenching around the fabric as he edged closer.

All three men noticed the action, and Sasuke smirked as Hyuuga frowned and Sabakuno looked murderous.

"Naruto-kun, surely you wouldn't rather be bothered by an Uchiha. They are self-centered, arrogant, unfeeling men. He can not treat you as well as you deserve," Hyuuga spoke.

Naruto tried to open his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think of anything to say. "I-"

Sasuke was pissed at the two men who had been assaulting his blond, but as Naruto stood there not saying anything, not defending their relationship, after he had not done anything to stop the two men from stealing kisses from him, he was getting more and more infuriated with Naruto himself.

"Damnit," he scowled, and decided he couldn't take it anymore.

"Just stay the hell away from him," he growled at the two other men, and in a rushed movement, he grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him away, storming off out of the party, out of the crowds and into the dim hallway.

"You're going to lose, Uchiha, this time," Hyuuga called from behind as Sasuke dragged Naruto through the crowd.

He was pissed, and it was really taking all of the strength and control he possessed to keep it in check. He didn't want to lash out at the blond, but he was struggling to contain his anger at the whole situation. He always seemed to find, however, that when it came to the blond, it was always a struggle to keep his cool. Impossible, actually.

He ground his teeth and pulled the blond further, his grip probably harder than it should be. But really, the idiot shouldn't have allowed those two anywhere in the same vicinity of him. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became, the more he wanted to rip those two bastards apart and the more he wanted to ravish the idiot blond, prove that he was his.

Suddenly he felt a pull from behind and he realized Naruto was yanking him back, trying to get him to stop. He did, too abruptly it seemed, as Naruto then ran into him from behind.

"Ow," he muttered as Sasuke released his arm and he rubbed at it. Sasuke watched the blond for a moment, then was given a glare that made him pause in confusion. "What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard!"

Sasuke was taken aback. In his experience, he had always been given the impression people liked for their partners to get jealous over them. And besides, hadn't that been the very reason Naruto had decided to pursue him, because he was an overbearingly overprotective, possessive guy? So, why the hell was the idiot blond mad at him for being the way he wanted him to be?

"What?" he finally managed, scowling at the blond for making him so confused.

"You heard me, you bastard. What the hell is your problem? I mean, gah!" Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation.

"What the hell are you talking about moron? Are you trying to tell me," and his voice got deeper and more menacing, "you would have rather stayed with those two..." He left it hanging, he couldn't think up a good enough word to describe them.

"No, you jerk. That's not... I mean..." Naruto sighed, then seemed to pick up steam and started again. "Maybe that would have been better. Maybe you should have left me with them. At least they were paying attention to me," and he involuntarily went red as he recalled just the kind of attention they had been lavishing on him, "And they, at least, had the decency to ACTUALLY BE HERE."

" The hell. I am here, you moron. Am I not standing right in front of you right now? Are you blind as well as stupid?"

"Bastard! I don't know why I'm bothering to indulge you, you jerk. You promise all this crap and then you flake out. I mean, it's your fault those perverts assaulted me. If you had actually shown up like you said you would-"

"Once more, are you blind? Do you not see me standing here, at this ridiculous party, right now? I only made any effort because you wanted me here," Sasuke growled.

"But you're late! You made me wait for you and I thought you were ditching me and I was afraid you weren't gonna show at all, that maybe..." and his sudden rushed speech slowed down and he turned away, not wanting to show how desperately he had thought these things, "maybe... you didn't want me anymore."

Sasuke's anger subsided and wide dark eyes stared at the blond. "What?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Naruto shrugged. "It's not that hard to believe, really. I mean, you promised you'd come, but then you didn't show up. I waited and waited, and I was bored and lonely and I couldn't enjoy myself at all. I was... really looking forward to this. And you knew that, but still. You weren't here."

The blond looked back the way they had come and sighed. "So what do you expect, you jerk. What was I supposed to do? I thought you weren't gonna come, and I didn't want this to be a complete waste, so I thought I'd at least not sit the entire time. And in my defense, those two perverts came after me."

Sasuke opened his mouth to comment, but closed it again and frowned.

"But at least they were here." And Naruto glared at Sasuke, and Sasuke's scowl deepened.

"Well it wasn't my fault I was late. That damn brother of mine... Shit, I swear I'm going to kill him," Sasuke growled. Naruto looked surprised, his blue eyes going wide.

"Your brother?" he asked cautiously.

Sasuke ground his teeth and leaned against the wall, trying to contain his once more steadily growing wrath.

All day he had been anticipating this stupid party, not because he cared about the party itself, especially not because he was anxious to see that damned Hyuuga, but because of his blond. Of course he knew just how excited Naruto was, how he had been looking forward to today, to tonight. He had every reason to want to fulfill his beautiful blond's expectations.

But then there was his brother.

It really seemed, increasingly so, Itachi had every intention of making his life a living hell. Every possible opportunity was spent making things difficult for him, keeping him from fully enjoying his beautiful, immensely enticing lover.

Today, then, of course, would be no exception. Itachi, to the end of making things as difficult as possible for his younger brother, seemed to know all in regards to anything that might result in Sasuke's happiness. While he might not be fully aware of the planned end result of the party, he had knowledge enough of the matter that he knew Sasuke was going. The fact that he knew of Sasuke's loathing of all things social spiked his curiosity, and thus it was only natural he discovered his little brother's lover was the reason Sasuke was going.

And so, regardless of the fact today was Saturday, Itachi had called a "Super Important Emergency Meeting" at the family's company, where he had then spent five hours imploring the group of CEOs of the vast significance of keeping peanut butter on door handles.

After the initial confusion, seeing as how the President spoke of the matter so... seriously, the others had no option but to take it seriously as well. He did make it sound, somehow, like a not ridiculous idea, but Sasuke, himself, mostly just tuned out his brother the entire time, instead imagining the lovely night he had ahead of him. He didn't care what his idiot brother did, just so long as he was left out of it.

Eventually, however, he realized time was getting away from him, and that the party was about to begin and he wasn't ready. Then it had already started, then he was a half-hour late, an hour late, an hour and a half late, and he swore he was going to grind his teeth to dust.

But Itachi wouldn't shut up, and the others had stopped interrupting. Now that egotistic sadist was free to go on and on about his ridiculous, last-minute cause and all of the "many uses such a policy in the company could address". At that point, Sasuke would have gladly just ditched, slip out to "go to the bathroom" and just not go back. No one would notice. No one would care.

Unfortunately, Itachi would punctuate certain arguments with an "Isn't that right, Little Brother?" or "Don't you agree, Sasuke?" or, most dreaded, "As my little brother will help me explain..." At which point Sasuke would have to participate and agree and be there. He did try to sneak out, several times in fact, but it seemed Itachi was watching him, as every time he made a move like he was going to get up, Itachi would call on him with one of his little expressions.

And it seemed Itachi had every intention of drawing out this stupidity for as long as possible.

And so, by the time Sasuke had been able to make his escape, it was already late, and he still had to stop by his apartment and make himself presentable in public. In a hurry or not, he was still an Uchiha, and he still had an image to maintain.

And he had rushed to get to this stupid party only to find that damn Hyuuga and Sabakuno touching his property. Damn Itachi.

He looked again at Naruto, who was still watching him curiously, and he ventured an explanation. "I got stuck in a last minute meeting my brother called, and I couldn't get out."

Naruto glared. "And you couldn't call?"

Sasuke twitched involuntarily. "It's not proper to use a cell phone during a meeting. And besides, my brother abhors being interrupted. He insists at the beginning of meetings that all cell phones are turned off. And believe me, no one wants to be the one whose phone rings while my brother is giving one of his long-winded, self-important speeches."

Naruto frowned.

"And he didn't allow for any breaks. He made it difficult for anyone to even go to the bathroom- bastard." Sasuke scowled.

"Oh," Naruto said, biting his lip.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Look. I-" He paused, trying to think what to say. He hated to say it. It was a very un-Uchiha like thing to say, and he hated to represent himself as un-Uchiha-like. But he looked again at the blond, his blond, the same blond who could have nearly been taken away from him. "I'm sorry," he said at last.

Naruto blinked big, blue eyes up at him.

"I know you were looking forward to this, and I'm sorry I got held up. But I'm here now, and the night isn't over," and he couldn't believe how cliché he was sounding, "We can still fix it."

Naruto bit his lip and looked like he was thinking about it. Sasuke wanted to hit something (preferably Itachi), but he waited as patiently as he could for the blond to make up his mind. His whole body felt tense as he waited, holding himself back as Naruto chewed thoughtfully on his lip. Damn he wanted to kiss the blond idiot. And it really pissed him off that those two bastards had gotten a taste.

He swore he was going to destroy them one day for it.

Naruto meanwhile was thinking seriously about the day's events. He had been feeling horrible earlier, just because of this man who now stood before him, looking irritated. He's the one who should be irritated, who had a right to be irritated, since that asshole hadn't gotten here when he should have, hadn't been here to spend the evening with him. He wouldn't then have gone off into the crowd, wouldn't have met either of those two men, wouldn't have let them kiss him. It was Sasuke's fault.

So why shouldn't he go back in there, say "fuck you" to the Uchiha bastard and go back in and have fun. Meeting those two other guys had made it clear he could easily find another rich, possessive jerk to date, another guy who would be just as effective in keeping perverts away from him. Someone better than Sasuke.

Sure, Sasuke seemed even to be able to fulfill that duty now, getting him away from those two, but it would have worked even better if he'd been there on time. Okay, so maybe it wasn't entirely his fault, that brother of his maybe had some part to play. But still! Naruto didn't buy that there was nothing the gorgeous, dark haired man could do to tell him he was going to be late. Instead, the jerk just let him be lonely, thinking the bastard wasn't gonna show, thinking he was being dumped, rejected.

Naruto frowned. No, he shouldn't forgive him. While it did seem to be quite an effort for him to actually apologize, he shouldn't let Uchiha get away with it. He couldn't be faultless. No matter that Naruto might, possibly, kinda sorta actually have feelings for the bastard, he shouldn't give in. There wasn't a strong enough reason to. He could find someone else, someone better.

Naruto avoided letting his mind think there is no one better.

Sasuke continued to wait for Naruto to say something.

Naruto frowned at himself. He had to push that thought away. There were so many things about Sasuke that irritated him. But then, those same things were why he had chosen Sasuke in the first place. The things he had been looking for. And while they annoyed him, he also actually kinda liked them a little. Not that he would ever admit that- to anyone.

Naruto sighed. He really was pathetic. He was just being stubborn, that he was sure about. He looked up at Sasuke, whose dark eyes were turned to him, waiting. Sasuke was trying his best to be patient, but Naruto could see the tension in his arms. Naruto sighed again and shut his eyes.

He was going to give in. He knew it the moment Sasuke had arrived. Sasuke would always win. He bit