Bet You Can't

When Naruto was 15, his friend Kiba showed him porn for the first time.

He had always known what it was, but never had any interest in looking it up himself. It made him feel sneaky, especially when Kiba would click the “18 years and older” button like they were breaking the worst law in the world and the police would come crashing through their door at any second.

Porn was weird. The people made weird noises, they moved in weird positions, and Naruto wondered if that kind of sex actually felt good. Something about watching people fuck each other made him feel...indifferent. Kiba seemed to enjoy it, and that made Naruto curious about something.

One day Sasuke came over, and the two lounged around Naruto’s room for a while in comfortable silence. Sasuke scrolled through his phone, lying flat on Naruto’s bed, and Naruto approached him with his headphones and a wicked grin.

“Wanna see something weird?” He asked Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced at him, his interest slightly piqued. Naruto never failed to entertain him on that aspect, and he sat up as Naruto settled next to him. They both put in an earbud and looked at Naruto’s phone.

Naruto started the video and watched Sasuke’s eyes widen in horror.

“Is this porn?” Sasuke hissed, his voice just a whisper. “Naruto, you’re not supposed to be on these sites!”

“Why? Because it’s 18 and over? They don’t know I’m not 18.”

“And if your mom checks your history?”

“You know she wouldn’t do that.” Naruto scooted closer and pointed at the screen. “Kiba really likes this one and I wanted to know what you think of it.”

Sasuke frowned, his eyes glancing at Naruto’s door before going back to the screen. For a few minutes, the only sound between them was the moaning coming from the headphones.

Sasuke grimaced. “Is that position even comfortable?”

“Right?! That’s what I said!” Naruto exclaimed, a little loudly, and Sasuke leaned away from him with an annoyed look. “Sorry.”

A few more minutes went by and he looked at Sasuke again.

“So?”

“So what?”

“Is it turning you on?” Naruto smiled and made a pointed look at Sasuke’s groin. Sasuke took out his earpiece and sighed.

“What the hell are you looking at?” Sasuke pushed him and Naruto laughed at his uncomfortable expression. Sasuke mimicked Naruto’s action, his eyes now locked on Naruto’s crotch, “Did it turn you on?”

Naruto pushed Sasuke back, nearly knocking him off the bed. He laughed again, but he realized this one sounded a little strained. For some reason, Sasuke looking at him like that made his body feel hot and he wanted to change the subject.

“You better be careful who you show that to. Kushina will lock you in the house and never let you out again.”

His mother Kushina was definitely that type of person. She would go through the ends of the earth to protect her only son, but what Sasuke didn’t know, and didn’t need to know, was how open they were with most things.

Only a few weeks ago, his parents had given him the oh-so-dreaded sex talk and Naruto admittingly considered jumping out of their kitchen window and running for the hills. Something about his father in a pink apron and his mom smiling at him angelically made him wish he were somewhere else. Like at school. Or the bottom of a ditch.

It didn’t go as badly as he thought it would. They basically told him to like whoever he liked and to be safe if things were getting serious. Or not serious. Sex before marriage was unrealistic, they said, but babies would trap him forever. They asked him if he needed them to buy condoms for him. That was weird.

His parents had always been so open to Naruto’s quest for sexual understanding, and when he told them that he was sure he was bisexual, his parents didn’t even bat an eye.

“Oh, of course you are honey.” Kushina replied in a sing-song voice as she slipped pancakes on his plate. “You’ve always loved everyone.”

“Sexuality is a spectrum.” Minato flipped the pages of his newspaper, pretending to be fully engrossed, but Naruto could see him smiling. “Did anyone in particular make you feel this way?”

Naruto had been 18 at the time, and he had known that he was bisexual for a while, but never had the guts to say it out loud. He figured if he couldn’t spit it out to the two people who’d accept him no matter what, he’d never be able to accept things for what they were.

He couldn’t tell his parents that his dreams were being haunted by Sasuke. His name was somewhat taboo now, and hearing his name still made Naruto’s stomach twist into a solid knot. It was a mixture of anger and sadness, twisted together into something that had contributed to Naruto’s recent explosive fits of anger and impulsive behavior.

Or maybe that was just puberty, Naruto couldn’t tell.

What really pissed him off was how instead of beating Sasuke to a pulp in his dreams like he wanted to, Naruto was pounding him in a completely different way and it was annoyingly hot. If he thought too hard about Sasuke shirtless, or in his bed, or the noises he made in his sleep, or imagined the way he’d moan his name, Naruto would immediately excuse himself to hide the stupid physical reaction that came with it.

He could not tell his parents he had a crush on Sasuke.

No, no, no. Naruto didn’t even want to admit it to himself. It was so fucking embarrassing, he could cry.

Other than that, Naruto had a great relationship with his parents.

Naruto chewed on a twizzler as he connected to their video call, his mind still a million miles away. Even though they texted on and off throughout the day, Naruto hadn’t done a video chat with them since last semester. He didn’t have much to say; he had relatively behaved himself this semester and didn’t have any close calls with death like his parents seemed to assume.

To be fair, he would have kept his alcohol poisoning incident a secret if he could, but the hospital had called his parents and that was a whole lecture Naruto knew he deserved but didn’t want at the time. His poor parents were already sick with worry; he promised to never pull any shit like that again.

“Hi honey!” His mother Kushina popped up on the screen with a bright smile on her face. She had her thick red hair tied up in a bun, and she looked like she was in the middle of cooking.

“Hey mom.” Naruto shifted to get comfortable on the couch. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Your father and I are trying to make a pear spiced pie! The block is having this pie contest and we figured we may as well give it a shot.” Kushina wiped her cheek, leaving a white streak of powder in its wake. “It’s not going well, but we’re trying.”

“Pear spice, huh?” Naruto smiled at that. “What are the spices?”

“Uh…” Kushina looked around the counter before rolling her eyes. “That’s Minato’s job! I’m just throwing stuff in a bowl and hoping it turns out right.”

“I keep telling you that’s not how it works…” Minato appeared on-screen, his blue eyes gave away how much fun he was actually having despite his tone saying otherwise. 

Naruto had grown up with parents who were hopelessly in love with each other. It was the loud, but soft and accepting love that Naruto always wished he could find. He wanted to love someone like his parents loved each other. They loved him too of course, way too much, but Naruto kind of missed it when he was away.

“I hope you guys win! Will you make me one when I come home?”

“Well…” Minato looked at the carnage around them before smiling. “How about we just buy you one of your choice instead?”

With that, Kushina and Minato broke into laughter.

“All that aside, how is your semester going Naruto?” Kushina’s face turned serious. “You better be getting those assignments in and going to class, young man.”

“Yes, mom.” Naruto groaned, his twizzler falling from his mouth. “I am an outstanding B student, aren’t you proud?”

“We’re always proud of you, Naruto.” Minato wiped his hands on a towel, his eyes trained on the screen. “Since the day you were born, all you’ve done is your best.”

Naruto swallowed, and he wondered why his father’s words made him want to cry. They always said cheesy shit like that to boost his ego, but he kind of needed that reassurance today. It made him feel better, especially when he still felt like he was stumbling through his life.

“Thanks Dad.” 

“Anything else new with you?” Kushina asked. “I know you’re always getting into something!”

“Well…” Naruto picked at his shirt, unsure if he wanted to say more. “I’m...talking to Sasuke again.”

His parents looked at each other, eyes wide, and Kushina slammed her hands on the counter. 

“What?! Since when? Details!” 

Naruto sighed, already regretting his decision.

“It’s not a big deal. We just hang out on campus sometimes or do homework together.”

“What got you two talking again?” Minato asked carefully. He knew Sasuke was a delicate topic, and in the past he had made the mistake of bringing him up and triggering one of Naruto’s many emotional breakdowns at the time.

“We just bumped into each other at some party.” Naruto tried to brush away that topic as quickly as he could. They didn’t need to know the details. 

“Have you two made ou– I mean, have you made up?” Kushina ducked to the side when Minato swung his towel at her.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, wondering if he had misheard her.

“Kind of? It’s still weird, but...It’s fine. I’m fine.” Naruto shrugged. It was too complicated right now, and honestly, he didn’t even know what he’d do with an apology anyway.

“Sasuke was always such an adorable little boy.” Kushina put her hands to her cheeks as she stared off in space. “I told his mother to watch out because you could just tell he was going to be a little heartbreaker! Now you and Sasuke are so handsome I can’t stand it!” Kushina squealed and Minato let out a tired sigh.

Naruto pressed a hand to his forehead and mirrored his dad, knowing this was just another trait of his mother. The obsessive doting could be so embarrassing.

“What’s most important,” Kushina lifted up a finger sternly, “are you two being safe?”

A few seconds of silence ticked by as Naruto stared at her in confusion.

“Huh?” Naruto blinked. “Safe?” Like drugs? Was she referring to his drinking habits?

“KUSHINA.” Minato had turned bright red, his full attention now on his wife. Naruto watched him mouth to her, “Why would you say that?”

“Oh please Minato, I know how boys are, especially around this age. Remember when you used to–”

Kushina cut off when Minato literally dragged her out of the frame. The sound of shuffling followed and then Kushina’s laughter faded in the background.

“Naruto we are so proud of you, please call us if you ever need anything or just want to talk! Don’t worry about us, we’re good, enjoy your semester!” Minato gave a quick smile before disconnecting the call, leaving Naruto to stare at the black screen in shock.

He had never heard his dad speak so fast in his life, nor had he ever hung up on him.

Naruto started to realize what his mom was implying and he could feel his face burning. Why the fuck would she ask him that?! Did she know something he didn’t?

Naruto gasped.

Had his parents...seen the video? He didn’t have a clue where it was circulating, but he assumed it was probably possible that someone shared it with them. His parents were annoyingly well-versed with social media and they were also...ridiculously nosy.

Naruto dropped his head into his hands. He hoped he was wrong. He really hoped he was wrong.

On Monday, Naruto met Sasuke for lunch in the cafeteria. He looked as good as he usually did, but Naruto noticed that he was wearing a turtleneck sweater. As they settled at their table and began to eat, Naruto reached across the table and pulled Sasuke’s collar away to confirm the reason why.

Naruto immediately felt bad, since Sasuke’s skin had always been so pale and blemish-free his entire life, and now an ugly purple bruise dominated the right side of his neck like someone had punched him.

“Geez, I’m really sorry.” Naruto pulled his hand back and sat down again. He opened his chicken tenders with a lot less energy than when he had bought them, his face set in a scowl.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sasuke said, opening his wrap. 

They didn’t talk about what happened Friday night. It was almost as if it never happened, aside from the remaining mark on Sasuke’s skin and the occasional memory that would float around in the back of Naruto’s mind.

Being around Sasuke felt weird.

It was completely different than how it was a week or so ago. Now, it felt like there was some kind of energy floating between the two of them and Naruto wondered if it was all in his head. He had the strangest desire to touch Sasuke. He sat on the other side of the table, too far for him to reach, and his skin felt like it should be touching something.

He wondered if it was because he could vividly remember the feeling of Sasuke’s naked body pressed against his, and it almost felt like they were puzzle pieces, clicking together to become something whole.

Naruto bit into his chicken and frowned as he chewed. His crush on Sasuke had clearly never gone away; that was something he needed to acknowledge. If possible, his feelings had only gotten stronger. It was just too damn confusing because he wanted to be mad at Sasuke, not be itching to fuck him.

Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn’t giving any indicators about how he felt. He stared out the window, a million miles away, and Naruto wondered where he’d go when he zoned out like that. Sasuke did that a lot; he was never one for talking to fill the silence, and Naruto noticed how he too had gotten quieter these past two weeks.

On Tuesday, Naruto only had time to meet Sasuke in the quad between his classes. They had a brief conversation by the fountain about nothing in particular, and Naruto got that feeling again. It charged the air around him and almost made him forget they were out in public. He lightly touched Sasuke’s shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, brushing his nose against Sasuke’s as he pulled away.

Sasuke looked down, face slightly flushed, and Naruto hesitated before stepping away. He wanted to ask Sasuke if he could feel it too; whatever it was, and what did it mean? 

Naruto let it go and walked to his next class, his hands buried in his pockets. There was no way he could ask him that. Yet, that feeling in his gut only grew as the day went by.

On Wednesday, Sasuke came over to Naruto’s apartment after class to hang out and Naruto found himself excited for once. He wanted Sasuke around, and when Sasuke smiled at him it made him think Sasuke wanted to be around him too.

The sun had long set, and Naruto lay outstretched on his bed relaxing next to Sasuke, who had his eyes trained on Naruto’s TV. They had watched an entire season of some baking show and Naruto caught himself dozing off. 

Naruto rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around Sasuke, making sure to press himself flush against the other boy’s body. Sasuke gave a disgruntled huff but didn’t protest further about Naruto spooning him. It seemed like he was getting used to Naruto’s need for contact, and Naruto could swear Sasuke melted into it too. 

While Sasuke watched TV, Naruto buried his face in the gap between Sasuke’s shoulder blades, slowly drifting to sleep to the muffled sounds from the show. It felt warm and oddly natural; Naruto couldn’t think of a time he had felt more comfortable.
 
That was until Sasuke started squirming.
 
At least, it felt like squirming. Sasuke would shift every now and then as he tried to get into a comfortable position, but every movement brushed against Naruto’s groin. He continued to hold Sasuke tight, wondering how long it would take him to finally find the right position. It was almost comical; if he really wanted to be comfortable he could just kick Naruto aside.
Sasuke wiggled for a few more minutes before he suddenly stopped moving.
 
“Hey…” Sasuke finally said aloud, his voice low. Naruto assumed he was talking to him, but he pretended not to hear him. “Why are you hard?”
 
It’s definitely not because you were grinding against me for the past half-hour.
 
Naruto tried his best not to smile, fearing Sasuke would feel the movement against his back. Instead, Naruto started to wiggle his hips against Sasuke and pulled down the collar of Sasuke’s shirt to suck at the back of his neck. Sasuke squirmed forward, his neck straining away from Naruto’s mouth.

“Cut it out that tickles!” Sasuke’s tone started off serious, but an onslaught of quiet laughter replaced it as Naruto sucked on his neck, slowly leaving another dark purple bruise. Sasuke’s laughter slowly morphed into heavy breathing, which only picked up when Naruto slid a hand down the front of Sasuke’s shorts. His other hand roamed up and under Sasuke’s shirt to pinch at his chest hungrily.

“What is it with you and touching?” Sasuke complained as he squirmed again in Naruto’s grip, but he didn’t make any request for Naruto to stop. Naruto listened for it, wondering how long the guy would let him go before he pushed him away, but judging by the way Sasuke grew in his hand…it didn’t seem like it was going to be any time soon.

For a few minutes, Naruto just worked his hand in Sasuke’s pants, listening to the soft moans Sasuke made as his hand pumped along his length. There was something about it that made Naruto’s head spin; it left his body aching for more contact. He wanted more heat and more friction. Yet as he rubbed against Sasuke’s ass, it didn’t seem like it was enough.
 
With Sasuke curled up against him, moaning as Naruto jerked him off, Naruto felt like his heart was thundering in his ears. He could barely hear anything else. It almost distracted him from the aching desire he felt between his legs. Almost.
 
He hated to admit how badly Sasuke was turning him on.
 
Naruto pulled down the waistband of Sasuke’s shorts and underwear, letting his erection spring free against his stomach. Sasuke didn’t utter a word of complaint; he still seemed to be fully distracted by Naruto’s handiwork, and Naruto couldn’t blame him.

Naruto shifted as he pushed down his pants and scooted closer. In one smooth motion, he slid his erection between Sasuke’s legs, shuddering at the sudden warmth that now surrounded his dick. Naruto took hold of Sasuke’s waist and slowly thrust against him, making sure he rubbed against his balls as he rolled his hips up.
 
Sasuke arched against Naruto’s chest as a louder moan slipped out. Naruto went back to giving Sasuke a few quick-paced pumps that left Sasuke gasping.
 
“Naruto, wait!  I’m—” Sasuke’s warning was cut short when his body jerked against Naruto’s. Most of his release went in Naruto’s hand, but Naruto could see the milky fluid splattered on Sasuke’s stomach as well when he peered over the boy’s shoulder. Despite the strong orgasm, Sasuke was still hard. Naruto continued to rub against Sasuke, groaning as the heat started going to his head.
 
There was no way just rubbing against Sasuke would feel this good. It was almost ridiculous, and Sasuke letting him do it was something else altogether. Sasuke never seemed like the type to have sex with anyone, and yet he seemed to be okay with Naruto touching him like this.

Naruto wondered if Sasuke had even masturbated before. What did he think about when he did it? He wondered what Sasuke would think if Naruto told him who he often thought about.
 
In a heated daze, Naruto took his index finger, still slick with precum, and probed at Sasuke’s ass. He waited for Sasuke to tell him to stop or give any kind of indication that he was taking things too far…but he didn’t utter a word. Sasuke only moaned when Naruto slid in a finger, exploring inside the boy’s body until he brushed against something sensitive. Sasuke jolted with a gasp, squirming again as Naruto worked in his second finger. After a few more seconds of teasing, Sasuke finally moved.
 
He rolled over slightly, laying half-way on his back to shoot Naruto a somewhat annoyed look. Naruto zeroed in on the way his hair clung to the sides of his face.
 
“Naruto, if you’re going to do it…just do it already.” Sasuke sounded out of breath, but his eyes were firm. It didn’t sound like something Sasuke would say. At all. Naruto wondered if he had misheard him.

“You want me to just…'do it’? Are you sure?” Naruto took his fingers out and gave Sasuke a questioning look. There was no way.
 
“I wouldn’t say so if I wasn’t sure, dumbass.” Sasuke quipped back, a scowl began to make its appearance. “Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Naruto exhaled, his hand tightening on Sasuke’s hip. Sasuke was being serious and Naruto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His body felt like it was on fire, fueled by every inch of skin pressed against Sasuke, and the thought of anything more was...overwhelming.

“R-right…” Naruto tried to breathe, his mind suddenly fuzzy. Naruto rolled over to reach into his bedside drawer. He fished around until he found his lube and a condom; he lightly patted Sasuke’s hip before opening the bottle. When he spoke, it felt almost robotic. “Okay, on your knees, hips up.”

Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance at the command and Naruto helped him flip onto his stomach. He hesitated before getting into position, and Naruto could see the way he clenched the sheets below him.

Naruto noticed the tension immediately and he paused.

“Sasuke I don’t want to do anything you’re uncomfortable wi–”

“I’m only uncomfortable because you’re asking me to put my ass in your face.” Sasuke muttered, his eyes trained down. “Is this going to hurt?”

“No. If it does, let me know and I’ll stop.”

Sasuke sighed at that, but got on his hands and knees. Naruto tried his best not to stare in awe as he coated his fingers and brought them to Sasuke’s ass again. The boy jolted under his touch, but took his digits a lot easier than before.

Naruto could still see where his muscles tensed, and Naruto gave his back a light rub before rolling on the condom.

“Just relax Sasuke, I promise I won't hurt you.”

Sasuke grunted at that. 

Everything was starting to feel oddly surreal and Naruto wasn’t sure what to do with it. He could hardly believe that he had Sasuke fucking Uchiha naked in his bed, ass flush against his dick like they weren’t sworn ex-best friends. It was weird.
 
It was exhilarating.
 
Naruto took hold of Sasuke’s hips and lifted them slightly as he pushed in the tip. The sensation immediately made Naruto squeeze his eyes shut as he huffed out a strained breath of unfiltered pleasure.

“Hnnn…” Sasuke whimpered as Naruto pushed deeper, his body beginning to protest. Naruto paused, taking notice of Sasuke's shallow breaths underneath him. When Naruto slightly adjusted, Sasuke let out a pained hiss.

“Hey, are you okay? Am I hurting you?” Naruto rubbed Sasuke’s back. He frowned at the tension he could feel beneath his pale skin.
 
“I’m fine…” Sasuke replied after a few seconds of strained breathing. “Just…give me a minute…”
 
Naruto hummed in acknowledgment before bending over to suck at the back of Sasuke’s neck again. He made sure to keep his weight off Sasuke’s back as he hovered over him, and somehow the extra skin touching made Naruto feel like fireworks were going off in his bloodstream. His hand returned to Sasuke’s dick, giving strong, generous pumps until he felt Sasuke’s body start to adjust to his. He twisted his hand along Sasuke’s length, listening to how the boy groaned and jolted under his hand, fully distracted again.

As he felt Sasuke relax in Naruto’s grip, Naruto pulled back a bit before thrusting deeper inside. Taken fully by surprise, Sasuke cried out as he came again, all over Naruto’s sheets. His back heaved as he tried to catch his breath.
 
“That’s two for zero now.” Naruto chuckled as he nuzzled Sasuke’s shoulder blades again. “You’re feeling really good tonight, huh?”
 
“Shut up.” Sasuke shot back, but its bite was nowhere to be found. He seemed to be more focused on catching his breath, but Naruto didn’t exactly plan to let him do that just yet.

Naruto braced both hands on Sasuke’s hips and gave another firm thrust. Sasuke cried out again as the sensation shot through his body and Naruto tried to think of anything but the sweet pressure around his dick. He didn’t want things to end this early.
 
“Idiot, wait!” Sasuke’s plea fell on deaf ears as Naruto started to move again, and each thrust left Sasuke gripping the sheets tighter, moaning as Naruto rocked against him.
 
As Naruto adjusted his angle, he noticed how Sasuke tried to muffle his voice in the sheets when it started to leak out. Naruto lightly pulled the sheets away and leaned forward to whisper in Sasuke’s ear.
 
“Don’t be shy Sasuke, I need to know what feels good for you.”
 
Another thrust made Sasuke moan again before a certain adjustment left Sasuke whimpering underneath him. Naruto took advantage of the sensitive spot and slammed deep, relishing in how it left Sasuke a shaking mess in his hands.
 
“Naruto slow down!” Sasuke cried as Naruto rammed in again, their skin slapping together with a satisfying sound. He dropped his head and shuddered when Naruto returned to jerking him off. It was like Sasuke couldn’t keep up with his own body, and Naruto could feel how he was reaching his limit too. Naruto wanted to flip him over so badly just to see his face as he pleaded with him, begging him to draw it out longer. To see his flushed face and that almost desperate look in his eyes right before he came…
 
“Naruto, wait…you’re too…I can’t…!” Naruto found it adorable the way Sasuke tripped over his words as if his brain were short-circuiting. He could no longer hold back his vocal displays of affection as Naruto thrust into him, and it only took a few more seconds before Sasuke’s body tightened, his orgasm ripping through him with a surprisingly loud cry. It was enough to send Naruto over the edge too, and he pushed in deep as he let the feeling wash over him.
 
Exhausted, the two boys collapsed on the bed. Naruto immediately pulled Sasuke close, happily spooning him again. He could feel Sasuke’s breathing slowly returning to normal along with the small spasms as his body calmed down.
 
Naruto dared to rub against Sasuke again, this time in a completely joking manner, and found himself smiling.
 
“Want to go another round?” Naruto asked jokingly, already knowing the answer.
 
A few heartbeats of silence passed before Naruto got a response.
 
“Naruto,” Sasuke said quietly, his tone surprisingly docile, “please just let me sleep.”
 
Sasuke didn’t utter another word, and Naruto could tell that the guy had fallen asleep in his arms. Naruto found himself hugging Sasuke closer as he pulled the comforter over them and finally let himself drift off into a dreamless slumber.

Naruto blinked awake on Thursday morning pressed against Sasuke under his blankets and felt ridiculously happy. Sticky, but really happy.

For a while, he just breathed in Sasuke’s scent and focused on the way his body rose and fell against his. Sasuke shifted, and Naruto felt his heart flutter when Sasuke rolled over into his arms, still fast asleep.

Naruto counted his eyelashes and pulled him closer against his chest. Things were warm and calm at the moment, but once Sasuke woke up it would be a different matter. Things would get weird again. There was now another awkward factor to their relationship.

He never thought this was how he’d have sex with Sasuke.

Hell, he never imagined that he’d kiss him again when they got older, and now he held Sasuke in his arms like they were actually dating.

Sasuke wrinkled his nose in his sleep. He looked so peaceful when he slept, like nothing could possibly bother him. Naruto noticed how Sasuke would sometimes curl into a perfect ball, locked up tight even in his sleep. Naruto wondered what Sasuke was trying to protect himself from, and if that haunted him even in his dreams.

Now, his body slotted perfectly against Naruto’s, their legs intertwined beneath the sheets. His hand rested against Naruto’s chest, and if Naruto hadn’t known better he would have thought he was an angel.

Naruto ran his fingers through Sasuke’s hair, watching the strands slip and fall between them before he brushed his hand across Sasuke’s cheek.

As the morning drifted by, Naruto happened to glance at his alarm clock. He didn’t have class on Thursday, but he remembered that a certain someone did.

“Shit, Sasuke, wake up.” Naruto lightly shook him, and Sasuke groaned in annoyance. He refused to open his eyes, and Naruto proceeded to pinch his cheek. “You have class today, don’t you?”

“Stop.” Sasuke murmured, sounding still asleep. 

“You never miss class.”

“I don’t care.” Sasuke buried his face in Naruto’s chest and fell asleep again. Naruto didn’t know what to do. He simply stared at him and got comfortable again on his back, pulling Sasuke close so he could rest his head on Naruto’s chest.

And so they slept into the late afternoon together. Naruto found it oddly peaceful drifting in and out of sleep; he’d be graced with waking up to Sasuke in his arms as if his bed were an alternate dimension where his dreams could be reality. Once he left the bed, things would go back to the way they were, and he hated that.

Around two, Sasuke blinked awake. He stared off into the distance as his gaze refocused, and then he turned to look at Naruto. They stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, and Naruto was terrified of what Sasuke would say.

Sasuke blinked at him, his expression still soft. Naruto wondered if he was sleep-talking.

“My body hurts.” he muttered, rubbing at his back. “I couldn’t walk to campus if I tried.”

Naruto ducked his head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

Naruto glanced up when Sasuke didn’t reply. He kept his gaze on Naruto, his face its usual blank slate. When he spoke, his words were painfully blunt.

“You have a pretty big dick.”

“Sasuke!” Naruto gasped, completely taken off guard. Those were six words he never imagined he’d hear Sasuke say. Especially to him.

“What?” Sasuke yawned, unfazed. “I’m not wrong.”

“You…” Naruto sputtered, his face turning bright red. “You say it so casually…”

“You act like you’ve never heard me say dick or something.”

“We...We’ve never talked about…that kind of stuff.” Naruto subconsciously tightened his grip on Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed. “And yet here we are.”

“How are you? I mean, I know you said you’re sore, but...are you…?” Naruto wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say. How did he feel about this whole situation? Did he regret what they’d done? Did he hate him?

“Tired.” Sasuke replied after a few seconds. “I kind of have to pee.”

Naruto started to shift to help Sasuke up, but Sasuke stopped him with a hand.

“No, I’m not moving.” Sasuke shook his head. “Not for a while.”

“Oh...okay.” Naruto settled back down. “Is...is this okay? Lying like this?”

“It’s fine.”

Naruto bit his lip as another bout of silence passed through. Things were....getting weird again.

“You have something you want to say, don’t you?” Sasuke propped himself on his elbow and leveled his gaze with Naruto’s. “You’re not one to be quiet like this.”

“I have a lot of things I want to say.” Naruto blurted out, but he quickly caught himself. He needed to take things slowly, and he didn’t want to make things worse than they already were. “Are we...going to talk about this? Or are we going to add this to the list of things we don’t talk about?”

Sasuke stared back, his finger idly tracing the creases in Naruto’s sheets.

“What do you want to talk about, exactly?” Sasuke frowned, finally breaking his stony expression. “The part where I let you hit it, or the part where I’m missing class to lay around in bed with an idiot?”

Naruto slightly pulled back at that, his eyes searching Sasuke’s face to see if he was being serious or not.

“I just don’t understand.” Naruto finally said. “You never make any sense, you know that, right?”

“I think you’re assuming a lot of things about me are the same when they’re not.” Sasuke replied, matter-of-factly, and then he shrugged.

Even though he felt irritated, Naruto calmly ran his thumb up and down Sasuke’s forearm. He watched his body move like it was separate from his will; when it came down to Sasuke, his body really did whatever it wanted without thinking about the consequences.

In his 21 years, Naruto had his fair share of kisses and hookups with different people. After every one, Naruto went on with his life the next day and rarely thought about it again. Maybe a memory would float to the surface and he’d reminisce, but that was it. A hookup was a hookup. Sex was just sex. He never had any particular feelings towards anyone else; he had always been distracted by Sasuke, like an addiction he couldn’t shake off.

Sasuke’s name had echoed through his head nonstop to the point where Naruto feared it would never go away. He had so many feelings he had managed to bottle up and put away, and now everything was spilling out again. He couldn’t tell Sasuke the truth.

Why did he love someone who could throw him away for three years like it was nothing?

Not a text or even an email for fuck’s sake. Birthdays and holidays came and went. It felt like they became strangers again.

So what was this? Two strangers hooking up for the hell of it? Were there any emotions involved in it at all?

Naruto felt like he had poured out a part of him, and as soon as he let Sasuke go, that part would go with him. It was like Sasuke was bleeding him out dry, and while it felt so good, it also felt cold and hollow.

Sasuke was right. Naruto tended to assume things about Sasuke that were probably not true anymore. A lot of things could happen in three years. If Sasuke had an undeniable talent, it would be hiding the truth. His face rarely gave anything away, and he managed to stay calm in some of the most stressful situations. It was just the way he learned how to protect himself, but no matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn’t get Sasuke to open up. As much as he wanted to believe that Sasuke couldn’t lie to him, Naruto had to assume that Sasuke lied to him probably as much as he would to anyone else. He thought he knew Sasuke better than anyone, he had been confident about it, but…

He didn’t know the Sasuke that stared back at him now, naked in his bed.

“So how can I get to know you?” Naruto asked him.

“What do you want to know?” he could tell Sasuke was humoring him, but he had to milk it for what it was worth.

“Hmm…” Naruto adjusted his blanket with a pensive expression. “Do you hook up with people often? The Sasuke I remembered hated when people touched him, I can’t imagine him having sex.”

“Oh, you want to know about my sex life?” Sasuke flopped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling as he thought. “It’s nothing extensive. I’ve had a couple, but I don’t do it often.”

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and caught his conflicted expression.

“The Sasuke you knew was a virgin. I guess I didn’t have my ‘sexual awakening’ yet. Next question.”

“Wait, what ended up being your sexual awakening?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, next question.”

Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance. “You’re stingy.”

He launched into a Q&A with Sasuke for the next hour or so until Sasuke’s bladder had finally reached its limit. Naruto hopped out of bed and threw on a pair of boxer briefs while Sasuke slid out of bed, wincing as his body clicked back into place.

Sasuke took a deep breath and then a step forward. He crossed the room with a slight limp in his step, and Naruto approached him with a coy smile. Sasuke grimaced back at him.

“I feel like you rammed a fucking power drill up my ass.”

“Oddly specific, but I’m sorry?” Naruto put a gentle hand against Sasuke’s back as they walked down the hall and into the bathroom. While Sasuke emptied his bladder, Naruto tweaked with the shower until the water ran at the perfect temperature. He let Sasuke go first, leaving to strip the sheets from his bed for laundry. He paused and stared down at the fabric in his arms, wondering what the hell his life had come to. 

He felt like he had done something wrong. 

He had given in to a fantasy he’d had for years, and now that it had come true, he didn’t know what to do. The itch was still there, but he was afraid to get sucked into the habit. He couldn’t touch Sasuke like that again. He couldn’t let himself think that this was a possibility for him. If he thought Sasuke would love him back, he was sorely mistaken. 

He didn’t fuck Sasuke for a basic hookup, he fucked him with all of his fucked up emotions involved, and somehow that made it seem worse.

Naruto threw his stuff in the washing machine and watched it spin in a daze. Kiba was going to laugh at him. Naruto was probably going to have to pay Sasuke a thousand dollars. There was no salvation.

Not long after his shower, Sasuke got dressed and Naruto walked him to the door again. This time, Naruto pressed a kiss to Sasuke’s cheek and took a step back to see how he’d react.

Sasuke looked back at him, his eyes surprisingly soft. Naruto couldn’t make out any particular emotion, but at least it wasn’t something negative.

“See you tomorrow.” Sasuke smirked, and then he left. Naruto watched him go, his hand tight on the doorframe.

With a heavy sigh, Naruto shut the door and locked it before walking back into the kitchen to see Kiba standing in the center of the room, arms crossed against his chest.

“Naruto.” Kiba said slowly. “Since when have you and Sasuke been fucking?”

Naruto froze in his tracks, his eyes sliding to the fridge for the sake of avoiding eye contact.

“Did you uh...did you hear us?”

“Did I hear you?” Kiba raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes to full moons. “Naruto, I’m sure the whole fucking apartment building heard you! Half the block probably fucking heard you!”

Naruto felt his face burning. He hadn’t realized they were being so loud.

“Never in my life did I think I’d hear Sasuke fucking Uchiha moaning on the other side of my wall.” Kiba shook his head, but Naruto could see him smiling. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Good for you!”

“I’m really sorry Kiba.” Naruto hung his head in shame. 

“Nah, I’m not mad. Just giving you a hard time like you do to me.”

“Well the last time you both were screaming and someone called the police, sorry I was a little snippy.” Naruto rolled his eyes and started back towards his room. “Not to mention it was three in the morning.”

“Love has no schedule.” Kiba laughed.

“Oh, so where is she now?”

“Shut up, asshole.” Kiba’s smile wavered before his expression grew serious. “Naruto, you know what you’re doing, right? Like, are you still in love with him?”

Naruto dropped his gaze. “I...don’t know.”

“He treated you like shit and then bounced for three fucking years, Naruto come on.” Kiba caught himself getting heated and took a breath to calm down. “I guess it doesn’t matter with feelings. You’ve known him your entire life.”

Naruto couldn’t find the right words to reply. Kiba was right and he was usually the voice of reason in his head. It really didn’t matter in the end when his feelings took over even his basic common senses. It was frustrating and it made Naruto wonder if he was playing himself. He just didn’t know.

“Either way I’m here for you man.” Kiba gave Naruto a pat on the shoulder as he walked by. “I’m not going to give Sasuke the same treatment. You might hate me, but I’ll knock him out if I have to.”

Naruto smirked. “I believe you. I’d be careful though, Sasuke has more fight in him than you’d think.”

“Yeah he’s a black belt or whatever but I’ll still throw down.” Kiba muttered under his breath. 

Naruto chuckled at that and retreated to his room for the rest of the night.

Naruto never expected his Friday to go the way it was.

He and Sasuke sat across from each other at Sasuke’s dining room table, fully engrossed in their textbooks. Midterms were sneaking up on them, but Naruto had been avoiding school like the plague. 

Naruto slammed his book closed with a huff and crossed his arms across his chest.

“I give up. There’s too much shit I don’t know and I don’t have time to learn it.” Naruto admitted he dropped the ball the past week; he knew he had his tests coming up and once again procrastinated until he screwed himself over. He already had a hard time focusing, so he should’ve known damn well he wouldn’t be able to study it all in one go.

“Naruto, I thought you were the one who never gave up on anything?” Sasuke dropped an elbow on the dining table to give him a quizzical look. “Since when do you throw in the towel that quickly?”

“Since I realized I have the attention span of a baby bird.” Naruto quipped back. “You know I’m an idiot, why are you acting surprised?”

Naruto directed his glare out the window. He was frustrated, and he knew he shouldn’t take it out on Sasuke. It just pissed him off how perfect his notes were: color-coded with neat highlighting and side notes...how the hell could he pay attention and make it look visually appealing? Sasuke had always been on the honor roll, too. Studying was just second nature to him now. Naruto couldn’t function like that.

Sasuke sighed. Naruto heard him get up from his chair and he approached Naruto’s side of the table. He casually seated himself in Naruto’s lap, swinging his arm across Naruto’s shoulder. Naruto’s eyes shot to Sasuke’s in disbelief while Sasuke ran his fingers across Naruto’s forearm in a slow, deliberate crawl.

“I know it’s hard.” He said, his voice dipping dangerously low. “So what if I reward you?”

“Reward me?” Naruto swallowed, his attention suddenly very focused on the weight Sasuke was putting on his crotch.

Sasuke guided Naruto’s free hand back to his textbook, and together they flipped back to the chapter he was studying. Naruto used his other hand, which was trapped behind Sasuke’s back, to rub circles along Sasuke’s spine with his thumb.

Naruto wished he could say that this was a more efficient method, but when Sasuke explained the content in his smooth, borderlining sexy voice, Naruto found himself listening more to the way he sounded and not what he was saying. He had to force himself to pay attention, as he wanted nothing more than to find out what this reward was.

While Naruto worked on the practice exam at the end of the chapter, Sasuke drummed his fingertips along Naruto’s shoulder and kept his eyes on Naruto’s work like a hawk. Naruto finished his last question and gave Sasuke a reluctant look, but the boy was still scanning his test and mentally scoring his answers. He knew he had failed it, and he was hoping Sasuke would see that it was hopeless and that they should give up.

And do other things. Naruto licked his lips and then mentally kicked himself.

No, this is exactly what he promised he wouldn’t do. Yet, Sasuke sitting on his lap wasn’t exactly doing wonders for his pact of celibacy. Being in close proximity with Sasuke was difficult enough after their last night together; Sasuke seemed to be perfectly fine with physical contact if not more prone to being in his personal space. It seemed like their hook-up didn’t change much for him. For Naruto, it felt like he had seen a part of Sasuke that he wasn’t supposed to see; like at their last outing at Choji’s party, there were things that Naruto hadn’t thought he’d ever do with Sasuke, but now that they’d one them Naruto wasn’t sure how to react. 

“Not bad.” Sasuke finally said. Naruto looked up to see Sasuke staring back at him, a small smile on his face. “See? You can do well if you try.”

“Do I get my reward now?” Naruto asked impatiently, already fiddling with Sasuke’s weight in his lap. Sasuke slapped the back of his head in annoyance.

“You only did one chapter out of three, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“But Sasuke, you said…” Naruto whined, tossing his pen back on the table. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Naruto.”

With another huff, Naruto turned his head again to look at Sasuke. Sasuke, in turn, cupped Naruto’s jaw with his hand and pressed their lips together. Naruto quickly kissed him back, because kissing Sasuke felt almost like getting high, or some weird kind of instant gratification Naruto never knew he craved. It was instant happiness, but it felt like it only lasted a second.

As soon as it started getting good, Sasuke pulled back and tapped at Naruto’s shoulder.

“Start the next chapter.”

Naruto blinked, realizing how today’s lesson was going to go.

“Are we still going to watch movies later?” 

“If you can finish this.” Sasuke shrugged. “Then yes, we will.”

Naruto bit his lip, readjusted Sasuke’s weight in his lap, and flipped to the next chapter with a determined look in his eyes.

The study session ended a couple hours later, and Naruto emerged from the experience with a bittersweet feeling. He had managed to do well for two out of three chapters, which on one note gave him two pleasant rewards. Unfortunately, since he failed to get three out of three, he had to miss out on Sasuke’s “grand prize” and he was feeling particularly bitter about that one. He had begged Sasuke to make an exception, but he stood firm with his decision and spent his time on the opposite side of the couch and curled in a blanket, his eyes trained on the TV screen.

He didn’t understand Sasuke at all. Sometimes it felt like Sasuke wanted to be as close to him as possible, and then there were times like this when Sasuke would purposefully keep his distance. 

Naruto pouted. Maybe he was just getting spoiled; it was rare enough that Sasuke showed any sort of affection, he had learned his lesson growing up with him. Sasuke wasn’t really the one Naruto would go to for comfort or validation; the few times he had gone to Sasuke he ended up with a semi-sympathetic pat on the shoulder or an awkward bout of silence when he didn’t know what to do. To be fair, Naruto wouldn’t have been exactly sure what to do if Sasuke had run to him in tears over a breakup with a girl he barely knew.

Even so, Naruto still wanted to go to his best friend when he was in distress, and he wanted Sasuke to feel like he could do the same for him. Naruto had just accepted that Sasuke wasn’t as in-touch with his emotions, but he now realized what bullshit that was. He was sure Sasuke held the ability to show affection, especially now that he had witnessed it first-hand. He just happened to be very private with it, and that was something Naruto could understand. 

So Naruto kept his spot on the sofa, refusing to move for the rest of the night until their movie went off and the two boys picked themselves up to go to bed. Naruto tried to hide his excitement over sleeping in Sasuke’s bed again, eager to put his head on the cloud-like mattress and hopefully sleep late into Saturday morning. He didn’t mind a low-key Friday night, and some much-needed sleep would definitely put him in a good mood.

Naruto bundled under the sheets and mumbled a good night before falling into a perfect, dreamless slumber.

Naruto woke up in the morning to a surprisingly bright room. Sasuke had forgotten to close the curtains, and Naruto could see why he’d invested in them in the first place. He had a great view, but the sun was almost offensive to the eyes when waking up, and Naruto almost put his head back down under the covers. 

Instead, he stared straight ahead and watched as Sasuke blinked awake beside him.

The two stared at each other in comfortable silence. Naruto studied Sasuke’s face, and realized that his features were so much softer in the morning. No scowling, no rage towards the world, no sadness. It was like he woke up with a blank slate, possibilities infinite, and somewhere in that softness Naruto felt like he was sinking. He wanted to reach out and kiss him, and part of him was deeply annoyed by that. He promised himself he wouldn’t touch him like that anymore. It was selfish and it was wrong. 

And yet, Naruto felt his resolve start to crumble as Sasuke shifted closer to him. He moved slowly, and once he got close enough he gently pressed his lips to Naruto’s, who of course welcomed it with open arms. As they kissed, Sasuke took a hold of Naruto’s shirt and rolled onto his back, pulling Naruto up and on top of him. Naruto kissed Sasuke back hard, letting his body weight push them into Sasuke’s mattress. 

Sasuke arched slightly off the bed, grinding his hips against Naruto’s, and it was in that moment that Naruto realized that his earlier promise to himself was futile. Sasuke was capable of pulling the strings, controlling him like he didn’t have a mind of his own.

With a growl, Naruto’s hands pinched at Sasuke’s waist, sliding down the waistband of his pajama pants and underwear. Sasuke lifted his hips again to let Naruto slide off his pants, and he in turn moved to tug at Naruto’s shirt. Naruto straightened up and discarded it himself, tossing it somewhere to the side before he helped Sasuke out of his. Sasuke pulled him back fast, and Naruto could feel something different in Sasuke’s movements. His actions were sure, but heavy, and Naruto knew exactly what Sasuke was trying to say without even opening his mouth.

He needed Naruto, at this very moment. There was something that couldn’t be said aloud, something too painful to admit, but Naruto could feel it because he felt the exact same way. 

Instead of using their words, their mouths found each other. Naruto ran his hands over Sasuke’s stomach, trailing down until he reached his straining erection. Sasuke arched again, desperate for contact, and whined when he was met with just another kiss. 

Naruto continued to tease him, peppering Sasuke’s body with kisses from the base of his neck to his belly button. Naruto lingered there, running his tongue across the ridges of muscle on his stomach. Sasuke flinched under him and Naruto felt his fingers trail through his hair before finding a nice grip on the back of his head. He slowly dragged Naruto back up to his lips.

“Stop fucking around.” Sasuke didn’t sound mad, but Naruto could hear the impatience in his voice. Naruto melted back into the kiss and settled between Sasuke’s legs, pressing their chests together under the sheets. He pushed into wet heat and took Sasuke in his arms to hold him as close as physically possible. Sasuke held him back, his body molding perfectly against Naruto’s with every thrust. He kept his thighs tight against Naruto’s hips and rocked against him with everything he had; Naruto could feel it in his grip. It was like he was desperately holding on, and this time he wasn’t holding anything back. 

Sasuke met his affection with moans and whimpers; his hands twisted in Naruto’s hair, his back would arch off the bed, and he left scratches across Naruto’s back as he pushed into him, indulging in the way Sasuke’s body eagerly accepted him. Naruto felt obliged to give Sasuke everything he needed in the moment, and he rocked into him hard and steady, focusing on how Sasuke’s body responded back to him.

As Naruto could feel Sasuke amping up, a loud buzzing came from the bedside table. Naruto slowed his pace and looked over to see Sasuke’s phone lit, dancing across the nightstand with an incoming call.

“Ignore it.” Sasuke commanded, his grip getting tighter. “Don’t stop.”

Never in his life had Naruto followed instructions so quickly, and he picked up the pace again until Sasuke had both hands pressed against his headboard, head thrown back as he came hard with a loud cry. Naruto let Sasuke grab a few needed breaths before he ducked back down to pull Sasuke into another kiss, hot and excited. Naruto shifted onto his knees and took hold of Sasuke’s thighs.

Naruto wasn’t sure how long they went at it, but the sun started rising higher in the sky and Naruto was convinced that nothing could be better than this. It was so hard for him to keep track of time, or anything for that matter, when he had Sasuke in his hands, unraveling at the seams as he moved. 

“Ah, there!” Sasuke moaned when Naruto adjusted his angle. “Fuck, Naruto.”

It wasn’t fair. Sasuke’s vocal reactions were going to be the death of him. He had never been so turned on in his life, and he knew this wasn’t going to last long enough. He wanted to brand this into his memory forever: Sasuke, naked and panting underneath him, muscles flexing underneath the taut ivory skin in Naruto’s hands, his cries every time Naruto hit a sensitive spot, and god don’t get him started on Sasuke’s expression. When his eyes weren’t squeezed shut in pleasure, they were looking up at Naruto, eyes begging and vulnerable, and fuck did it do things to him. For once, Naruto could see Sasuke actually feeling and he was doing it unapologetically. Naruto wanted to make it worth his time.

"Hnngh!” Sasuke jolted against Naruto when he pushed in deeper. “Naruto–”

“Keep saying my name.” Naruto leaned forward, pressing Sasuke back into the mattress.

Sasuke gasped at the new angle and Naruto squeezed his thigh affectionately. He knew he couldn’t say the words out loud, but he hoped if he thought it hard enough Sasuke would hear him.

I want to know what my name sounds like when you’re desperate.

Naruto wanted to know what it sounded like for Sasuke to need him. It was a weird, twisted desire of his, but it nonetheless got stronger as Sasuke started to edge towards his climax again.

“Harder, Naruto.” Sasuke groaned and he tilted his head to meet Naruto’s eyes. They swam with emotion, all too complex for Naruto to understand, but something in their intensity made Naruto’s heart ache. He could feel Sasuke sucking him in, his hips desperately matching Naruto’s thrusts, and then he started moaning his name. 

Sasuke tilted his head back, eyes falling shut as he gave into the feeling. “Naruto!”

Naruto bit his bottom lip, forcing his concentration to stay in place. He could feel himself losing his rhythm, his body simply slamming into Sasuke desperate for release, and the squirming boy underneath him wasn’t far behind him. Sasuke’s legs spread a little wider, his whimpers only background noise until Naruto could make out his name again, falling from Sasuke’s lips like he was begging. He was so close, teetering on the edge until Naruto would let him go.

Naruto braced his hands on either side of Sasuke’s head and thrust deep, his body slotting back against Sasuke’s perfectly until–

“Naru–Ahhhn!” Sasuke cried out, thighs locking hard against Naruto’s, and in that same moment Naruto lost himself, moaning Sasuke’s name as he spilled into him. His body collapsed onto Sasuke’s in exhaustion and he slightly rolled to the side as he tried to catch his breath. He could feel Sasuke panting underneath him, his body slowly coming down from the high. After a few moments, Naruto sat up to check and see if Sasuke was alright.

Sasuke remained on his back, chest heaving as he calmed down, and Naruto could tell he was out of it. He stared up at the ceiling, a somewhat relieved look on his face, and Naruto leaned over him to stare down into his eyes.

“Was it really that good?” Naruto asked, open for praise. Sasuke blinked, brought back to Earth, and glanced at Naruto.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess.” Sasuke murmured, clearly unaware what Naruto had said to him, and Naruto chuckled at that. He kissed Sasuke again, and he slowly kissed Naruto back, relaxing into the embrace. Naruto shifted to suck on the side of Sasuke’s neck, and Sasuke held him close, neck arching to give Naruto a better angle. It was like they couldn’t stop touching each other; Naruto had to have a part of Sasuke at all times, and Sasuke didn’t seem too keen on letting him go. Just as things were starting to warm up again, Sasuke’s phone began to buzz, the sound cutting straight through the mood.

Sasuke rolled over with an irritated grumble and snatched his phone off the table. Just as he unlocked the home screen there was a faint knock on his front door.

“Oh shit.” Sasuke said as he stared at his phone. 

“Oh shit?” Naruto echoed, his eyes landing on the phone. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Itachi.” Sasuke slid out of bed and threw open his closet door. He disappeared inside before coming back in sweats. Naruto stopped him before he could leave the bedroom.

“What?”

“You need to wear a shirt.” Naruto told him as he pulled on his own pants.

“Why?”

Naruto took a finger and swiped at some splatter near Sasuke’s belly button.

“Oh, no reason.”

Sasuke looked down and swore under his breath. He ducked back into the closet and returned with an oversized T-shirt on. Naruto tried his best not to look like a bird’s nest as he adjusted himself and followed Sasuke to open the front door.

Like Sasuke had said, it was indeed Itachi, and he didn’t seem to be too pleased about being kept waiting. 

“Well, good morning you two.” Itachi murmured as he looked between them. “Sasuke, I didn’t know Naruto was going to be with you this morning.”

“What did you want?” Sasuke asked, clearly not interested in chitchat. Naruto hoped Itachi couldn’t tell Sasuke was still out of breath. He tried to keep his own expression as blank as possible. A poster child of innocence.

Itachi quirked an eyebrow. 

“For brunch? That we had planned for today?” Itachi cocked his head to the side, his dark hair falling over his shoulder. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

Naruto shot an annoyed look at Sasuke, but it went unnoticed. Sasuke only stared back at his brother blankly.

“We did?”

Oh god his brain still isn’t working.

Naruto mentally kicked himself for pushing Sasuke so hard. The guy needed a nap before even trying to have a conversation with someone. He knew that feeling too well.

Itachi sighed. “Yes, we did. We said ten-thirty, and it’s ten forty-five. I can tell you aren’t ready yet so I’ll wait, make way.” 

With that, he walked into the apartment and both Naruto and Sasuke immediately parted to let him through. As Itachi passed his brother, he leaned slightly forward and sniffed him; Sasuke flinched away and retreated a few steps.

“Give me fifteen minutes.” Sasuke muttered and went back down the hall, leaving Naruto with the devil himself.

“Naruto.” Itachi directed his iron gaze to him, but Naruto didn’t feel particularly scared. He knew Itachi well, and he knew that Itachi had a soft spot for him. That, and Itachi could smell fear. That was the last thing he wanted him to catch on to.

“Sorry Itachi, I had no idea he had plans with you.” Naruto scratched the back of his head and offered a sheepish grin.

“That’s alright Naruto, I’m not mad or anything.” Itachi dropped into the nearby armchair and crossed his legs. “Long night?”

“Huh?” Naruto blanked, his mind reeling about why Itachi would ask that. Was it obvious? Did he know what they were doing?

“Sasuke never sleeps in this late, I assumed you two were out partying or something.”

“Oh! Yeah, we were pretty tired.” Naruto nodded, most likely a bit too quickly. He hoped Itachi didn’t notice that.

“How’s your relationship coming along?”

“Ah…” Naruto trailed off, unsure how to answer. Now that was a heavy-loaded question, and Naruto wished he could give a positive answer. “To be honest, I don’t know. It’s just confusing and I never know what Sasuke’s thinking so what I think is good might not be the same for him and…” Naruto trailed off as he felt himself rambling. “I just don’t know.”

Itachi hummed in acknowledgment. “Well from what I can see, Sasuke is having the time of his life right now.”

Naruto’s head snapped up. “What? How can you tell?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m his brother,” Itachi scratched his chin as he thought, “but I can see a difference in his behavior. He talks a bit more now, maybe he’s a little less grumpy? His attitude is different when I know he’s going to see you. It’s like he’s a kid again.”

Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the floor, unsure what he was supposed to do with that. Personally, he couldn’t tell the difference at all. Maybe Sasuke was hiding it from him?

“Naruto, Sasuke absolutely adores you.” Itachi said suddenly, and when Naruto met his gaze again, he made sure to lock him in it. “You two are also more alike than you think.”

Naruto sighed. He would just have to take Itachi’s word for it then, since Sasuke sure as hell wouldn’t tell him. If he absolutely adored him, why did he kick him aside for three years like he meant nothing to him?

“Now, I hope you have an appetite. Like I told Sasuke earlier, it’s my treat.” 

Naruto blinked. “Oh, wait. You want me to come?”

“Absolutely.”

“I don’t know…” Naruto couldn’t imagine making eye contact with Sasuke now. There were just too many things going on in his brain for him to think let alone talk with his brother…

“The council has already decided.” Itachi shrugged, and as if on cue, Naruto’s stomach growled loud enough for Itachi to hear it across the room. 

“Ah–” Naruto had every intention to politely decline, but as he tried to form the words, Sasuke walked back into the living room, hair still damp from his shower. He had changed into dark jeans and a sweater, and Naruto tried not to get excited when the smell of his shampoo wafted in his direction.

“Ready?” Itachi stood and smiled at Sasuke. “It’s fine I invited Naruto along, right?”

“Sure.” Sasuke gave Naruto a quick glance before he gestured for him to follow Itachi out the door. Naruto swallowed his last excuse and went along with the two brothers. He really hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. 

A distinct memory Naruto had all but forgotten made its way dead and center once they walked into the restaurant. It was the feeling of being out of place, especially beside Sasuke and his brother, as they sat down at one of the tables and picked up their menus. Maybe it was the gold lining the alcoves above them or the opera music playing in the background, but it certainly wasn’t anything like the diners he and Kiba would hit up the morning after a raging party. Saturdays were for greasy food and shitty pancakes; that was a tradition they rarely broke.

Naruto didn’t even have to read the menu to know that this place was way above his price range. Even with Itachi paying, it felt almost juvenile. He knew it was bad when the menu didn’t even have prices next to the meals.

He remembered the first time Sasuke’s family had brought him out to dinner with them. The place was flashy, the waiters glided across the marble floors like figure skaters, and Naruto had been so perplexed that he couldn’t eat with his hands. He had been seven at the time, and while his parents did go to nice restaurants, he had always been able to use his hands, for fuck’s sake. Also, those restaurants didn’t use more than one fork. He would just watch what Sasuke did and mimic him, terrified he would make a mistake and look stupid. Especially in front of Sasuke’s dad. Itachi had always been the one to silently point to the right utensil whenever Naruto had looked confused. 

Although Itachi was sneaky and conniving, he had always treated Naruto well and never made him feel stupid, but Naruto didn’t know what he was like outside of his family. For all Naruto knew, Itachi could have a different personality and only acted a certain way in front of him. 

Naruto looked up from the menu and his gaze bounced between Itachi and Sasuke, each seated across from each other. They both held their menus the same way, and their dark eyes scanned the options in front of them. It was almost comical how similar they were; aside from Itachi’s longer hair and sharpened features, the two brothers were almost identical.

Sasuke bumped Naruto with his knee to get his attention. Naruto looked over, but Sasuke kept his eyes on the menu rather than him. 

“What are you going to order?” Sasuke asked.

“Probably whatever you order.” Naruto admitted with a shrug. He felt it was the easiest solution, and he honestly didn’t know half the words written on the menu anyway. He needed a kid’s menu or something. If only they had chicken tenders.

Sasuke peeled his eyes off the menu and gave Naruto an incredulous look. 

“So you’re going to order a garden omelet?” His tone was disbelieving, and it only made Naruto want to prove him wrong.

“Looks like it.”

“You hate vegetables.” 

“It’s never too late to start eating healthy.”

Sasuke sighed, setting his menu down. He looked off towards the kitchen, purposefully avoiding both Naruto and Itachi’s stares.

After placing their orders, they shuffled between lukewarm conversation and bouts of all of them being on their phone at once. Naruto tried, consistently, to ignore the little voice he had in the back of his mind. 

The little voice was Sasuke crying out his name as he came.

Sitting next to him was a nightmare.

He felt like his body was on high alert, and Sasuke sitting so close was only evoking vivid memories that had only taken place an hour before. He knew exactly what Sasuke looked like underneath his clothes, and he knew exactly where his turtleneck sweater hid his hickies. His imagination started to get a bit too graphic for a casual brunch, and he knew the last thing he should be thinking about was bending Sasuke over their table and fucking him in a public place.

Naruto swallowed and looked away from him. He felt like he was starting to sweat through his jacket.

The waitress drifted by, dropping off their food, and Naruto caught Sasuke staring out the corner of his eye. It was like he was waiting for Naruto to eat it first, the cocky bastard.

Naruto hesitated before picking up his fork and knife, and he cut a nice chunk of his omelet as confidently as he could. He brought it to his mouth and chewed, wondering what the fuck was in it. The texture bothered him a bit, but something about the cheese made him feel like it was worth it. It wasn’t bad at all. If he had to eat something like this once a week for his vegetable intake, he wouldn’t be mad. 

When Sasuke realized he wasn’t going to get a reaction out of him, he turned his attention back to his own plate.

It was just a bitter coincidence that they both reached for the pepper at the same time. The second their hands touched, they both flinched back. The action itself was so dramatic any family in their section would have seen it if they were paying attention.

Naruto dared to look at Itachi, and he watched them both intently, mid-sip of his coffee.

“Did you guys have a fight?”

“No.” Naruto and Sasuke replied in unison. Naruto remained silent, assuming Sasuke would say more, but he seemed to assume the same as Naruto. They both glanced at each other in annoyance, realizing that this just made everything look worse.

“Of course.” Itachi breathed. He took a few more bites of his french toast before he set his fork down and looked at his brother. “Sasuke, I’ve been meaning to ask...when are you going to bring Naruto over to see our parents?”

“I’m not.” Sasuke muttered, his attention focused on his fruit salad. Naruto picked up his mimosa and downed the rest of it, praying it would magically refill itself in the next ten seconds.

“Why not?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I just thought, since you two are in a serious relationship, that it would be important.”

Sasuke stabbed his pineapple aggressively, his glare so intense Naruto could feel it when he averted his eyes.

“We aren’t that serious.” Sasuke said coldly. It was his clear ‘stop pressing the matter’ tone that Naruto knew too well, but he assumed Itachi knew it better. It never stopped him; in fact, it made him bolder.

Naruto picked up his water and started to down that too. Now felt like a good time to have to use the bathroom.

“Not that serious.” Itachi chuckled to himself. He folded a hand under his chin and tilted his head to stare Sasuke down. “So it’s only about sex then?”

Naruto coughed, spraying half the table with water. Patrons around them turned in confusion, and Naruto purposefully avoided their stares. There was a clatter when Sasuke dropped his fork, and Naruto was shocked at how fast his face turned red.

Naruto thought he was bad at hiding things.

Dead silence hung over their table for a few seconds.

“Well, judging by your reactions I hit the nail on the head.” Itachi shrugged before he took another bite of his french toast, looking pleased with himself.

“Itachi.” Sasuke hissed. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Language, Sasuke. I’m good friends with the owner here.”

Sasuke pushed his plate away, and Naruto almost expected him to get up and leave.

Naruto looked down at his own plate, his appetite long gone. This had been a mistake, and Naruto was starting to regret everything dearly.

Itachi continued to eat without a care in the world, his smirk only growing the longer Sasuke glared at him. Naruto looked between them in disbelief; he really should have just taken his ass back home. This was awkward. Really fucking awkward.

Naruto prayed Itachi wasn’t implying that he’d heard them. Assumption was fine and all, but the embarrassment of being caught…

Something in Sasuke’s body language told Naruto what he needed to know. 
He was desperately trying not to lose his temper and make a scene, something he was good at when they were younger, and Naruto recognized that deadly look in his eyes. Sasuke was beyond pissed and Naruto planned on walking home to avoid the consequences.

“Excuse me?” Naruto waved down their waitress once the silence got too unbearable for him. “Can we have some to-go boxes?”

The young lady blinked back at him, confused.

“I’m sorry sir, but we don’t have those here…I can take your plate though if you’re finished!” she gave him a sympathetic smile and walked away back towards the kitchen.

Naruto stared after her, his heart sinking. He mentally kicked himself for asking such a stupid question.

“Of course you don’t.” he whispered and fell back into his chair in defeat.