“Let’s play a game.” Naruto rolled over on his side to look at you. The two of you were laying on the roof of your house; it was a beautiful, clear night, and when Naruto excitedly suggested the two of you stargaze, you couldn’t say no. The two of you had been dating for about six months now, and you loved how passionate Naruto was, and how excited and, yes, headstrong he could be.
You rolled on your side to face him, smiling. “What kind of game?”
Naruto grinned brightly. You always said yes to his requests, but he was overjoyed each time as if it were the first. “It’s called questions...I think,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Basically, we just take turns asking each other questions.”
“Like personal questions?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to start?” You nodded. “Okay, what’s your favorite color?”
“Blue, like your eyes.” Naruto turned a slight shade of pink, and you couldn’t help but grin. “What’s yours?”
“Orange. Okay, next question. What’s your favorite food?”
You chuckled. “Probably pork buns. I’d ask you, but I think I already know the answer, ramen addict.” You pinched his cheek gently, and he smiled despite himself. “Okay...who was your first kiss?”
Naruto blushed. “So we’re getting personal, huh?” His face had fallen a bit, and you stared, trying to figure out what you had said wrong.
“You don’t have to answer…”
“No, it’s fine.” He laughed it off, rubbing his neck again. “My first kiss was actually with Sasuke...it was an accident, though, I swear!”
You snorted. “You kissed Sasuke? I didn’t realize you liked him like that, Naruto.”
Naruto looked flustered. “It wasn’t like that! I just fell on his face, is all.” You laughed even harder, and he wrinkled his nose. “I thought all the girls in the class were going to murder me. They sure looked like it.”
“Wait, the whole class saw it?” You exploded into a fit of laughter -- the situation was just too funny. You were a year below Naruto at the Academy, so you were always in a different class, and now you wished more than ever that you were just a year older so you could have witnessed this. You wiped away the tears that had formed in your eyes from laughing so hard. “That’s hilarious.”
“Psh, not really,” Naruto said. He sounded a bit grumpy, but you knew he wasn’t really hurt by it. You squeezed his arm lovingly and he smiled back at you. “Okay, so you know my first kiss now. Who was yours?”
Your heart plummeted as you realized what you had to tell him. “Well, um, actually,” you stammered, feeling flustered. You rolled onto your back to look up at the stars, and felt Naruto’s eyes on you, waiting for your answer. “It was with Shikamaru.”
Naruto laughed. “Shikamaru? I didn’t realize he could get girls. Isn’t he too lazy to try? Kissing him must have been like kissing a fish.” He stopped, noticing your silence. You didn’t dare to meet his eyes.
“Actually, uh, Shikamaru and I dated for a while. It was while you were off training with Jiraya.”
Naruto’s face fell. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he said, quiet but slightly angry. You turned to look into his face, and saw in his eyes that he was hurt. It made your heart ache. “Shikamaru’s one of my best friends. Why would you keep that a secret?”
You looked down, picking at a loose shingle. “I was worried you’d be upset,” you said quietly. You took a deep breath and spoke more loudly. “I mean, we only dated for a few months when we were 16, it’s not like it was anything serious.”
“Did you lose your virginity to him?” Naruto asked quietly, and your eyes snapped back to his, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. You and Naruto had done the deed a couple of months into your relationship, and while it had been his first time, it hadn’t been yours, and he knew that. You felt as if all the air in the open sky, once clear and cool and inviting, had been sucked away.
“Yes,” you said, nearly whispering, and Naruto closed his eyes. You could see his hands shaking with anger. He had been working for the past few years to control his outbursts, you knew, and you had been the one to help him with that many times. But he had never been angry at you before, and you knew he felt betrayed.
“Naruto--” you reached out to touch his shoulder, but he pulled away, sitting up. His eyes never looked at you, but instead looked up at the stars.
“I can’t believe you’d sleep with a lazy jerk like him and wouldn’t even tell me,” he said, clenching and unclenching his fists. You saw a single tear roll down his face.
“I’m sorry.” You didn’t move, knowing the best thing now was to give him some space. “He and I were only kids then, it wasn’t like we are now.” Naruto froze, and turned back to you, his eyes searching yours.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” you trailed off, and your eyes fell back to the roof, but you willed yourself to raise your head and look him back in the eye. “We were both inexperienced and just kind of fumbling around. It wasn’t really that great, honestly. We broke up not too long after that.” A slight smile flitted across Naruto’s face.
“Not that great, huh?” he said, and you felt his anger dissolve. You resisted the urge to smile.
“Oh yeah, maybe like a C in bed at best. He was kind of lazy.” Naruto laughed. “Plus,” you said, sitting up and placing a hand gently on his shoulder, “I didn’t love him like I love you. And that love makes everything a million times better.”
Naruto grinned brightly. “So what am I, then? Like an A?”
You smiled back at him. “An A plus, I’d say.” His face lit up, and he leaned in to kiss you, gently at first but growing deeper. He pulled away, breathing heavily, and rested a hand on your cheek.
“Why don’t we go inside and I’ll show you what an A plus feels like?” he teased quietly, and you nodded, letting him press his warm lips against yours again.