This is another birthday fic, and my first attempt at Sasuke/Naruto. I didn't go into as much depth as I would have if I was writing a multi chapter. This paring is very very complicated and there's not much I can do in a one-shot so this isn't how I would write them normally. Well, maybe a little… But anyway, I plan on doing an epic fic someday with these two, but not any time soon. I have too many ideas lined up at the moment. I had originally planned on continuing this, but I just can't. I have too many things on my plate, and I'm stressing too much over it. But anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Dangerous

Naruto shuffled the grocery bag from on arm to the other and fumbled with his keys. Unlocking the door to Sasuke's apartment, he carefully disarmed two booby traps before he stepped over the threshold. As the blonde toed off his shoes and headed for the kitchen, he didn't bother searching for Sasuke's chakara signature. If there were booby traps on the front door, that meant his best friend was out and wouldn't be back for some time.

Humming a tune he didn't know the words to, Naruto unloaded bread, milk, frozen meat for stir fry, and twenty bags of instant ramen. He opened the cupboard above the sink labeled with a bright orange sticky note proclaiming "Naruto's stuff! Touch and you die! Believe it!" and shoved all twenty bags inside. Sasuke had cussed him out several times for stuffing his well organized cabinets with instant foods and the occasional box of Ding-Dongs or Twinkies. He had cleared this cupboard and told the blonde he could cram as much stuff as he wanted into it but nowhere else.

So Naruto had forgotten about a half eaten banana muffin and the thing had rotted in the back of the 'canned soup' shelf once… the dark – haired bastard didn't need to throw a pissy fit over it…

A loud knock sent Naruto hurling himself over the kitchen counter to open the front door. Kiba stood on the other side, picking his teeth with a toothpick and looking extremely bored.

"Hey," Naruto grinned, "what's up, retard?"

"Nothing much, asshole," Kiba replied with a roll of his eyes and a small smirk. "Shikamaru wants to know if you and Sunshine want to come over to Neji's tonight. He's got this new flat top stove thing and Shika's gonna make oden."

"Shikamaru can make oden?" Naruto leaned against the door frame and cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kiba shoved his hand in his pockets. "It's good too, kinda pisses me off a little. It's like there's nothing that jerk can't do."

Naruto chuckled and straightened. "Yeah, we'll be there- well, I'll be there at least. I have no idea where Sasuke is. He might not be back until late."

Kiba shook his head. "Nope, Shika said you both have to come or no oden."

Naruto looked incredulously at his friend. What? No free food unless he find Sasuke? Damnit! Why did the asshole have to disappear today? What the hell?

Kiba broke out into a toothy grin. "Don't look at me like that! I'm just the messenger! Go bitch at Shika- after you find Sasuke."

Naruto grumbled but promised Kiba he would find his raven – haired teammate and be at Neji's around six. Kiba gave a quick salute before descending the steps and hopping onto Akamaru's back.

"Oi, Naruto?"

"Yeah?" the blonde pulled the door back open.

"When's the last time you were home? Like, at your own apartment?"

Naruto frowned but didn't let how much of a sore subject that was show on his face. Sasuke never brought it up, and Naruto never brought it up because Sasuke never brought it up, and because no one ever brought it up, the whole subject just slowly turned taboo without Naruto even realizing it.

"A month… maybe…" Naruto mumbled. "Why?"

Kiba shrugged. "No reason, just curious."

"Yeah, well," Naruto made a shooing motion with his hand, "go be curious somewhere else. I'll see you tonight."

Ten minutes later, Naruto was running over a sea of red-tiled rooftops. He quested out for Sasuke's chakara, but so far had come up with nothing.

Naruto was feeling a little frustrated as he sometimes did after someone brought up his living situation. Kiba's question had reopened an old wound and gently prodded infected flesh. Yeah, he spent most of his time outside of work with Sasuke. Yeah, he never went home anymore because he had a toothbrush in the cup next to Sasuke's sink, and a few changes of underwear piled on top of Sasuke's dresser. But the bastard he never officially asked Naruto to move in. He shouldn't really need to, but one did not move in with someone else when the two had never actually talked about it.

Naruto suddenly berated himself. He had no grounds for thinking this way. It wasn't as if Sasuke and he were a couple or anything. Yes, they were best friends, yes, they were rivals, and yes, they had one or two encounters where the lines between friendship and something more were a little blurred, but those encounters hadn't meant anything beyond a friend helping out a friend. Mission sex was mission sex. Everyone did it, and everyone forgot about it once it was over. The one other time it had happened they had both been so drunk Naruto didn't even count it. Friends that were strictly friends could live together, just look at Genma and Raidou. But friends that bordered on friends with benefits living together was risky and crossed perilous lines into realms that seemed similar to things like relationships. No, officially living together was very very dangerous.

Especially since Naruto was in love with Sasuke…

Naruto was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the purple aura of Sasuke's chakara signature. The brunette was somewhere to his left and very distracted if he was that easily detected. The blonde turned toward the signature, supposing Sasuke was sitting on or near the Hokage monument, and wondered what in the world the Uchiha was doing that was making him so careless.

Although Sasuke had returned to Konoha more than three years ago, he still had to be cautious when moving around the village. Many people protested the pardon the Uchiha received from Tsunade, and a small percentage of the population believed Sasuke to still be evil and working as a rogue spy.

Naruto always worried when Sasuke went out alone. Never worried about Sasuke per say, no the teme could take care of himself just fine. Naruto worried about the poor idiots that might try and harm the dark – haired geinus. If you ever wanted to make Hatake Kakashi the Copy Ninja's head explode, just ask him about his time as Uchiha Sasuke's bodyguard. Never before in the history of Konoha were there so many poor attempts at someone's life in a two month period.

As Naruto neared his friend, he quested out with his chakara, letting Sasuke know he was there. It wasn't necessary of course; the other probably knew Naruto was coming as he left the house, but the blonde was courteous all the same.

Sasuke was sitting directly above the face of the Fourth. He still wore his jonin uniform, minus the flak vest and weapon pouch. Both accessories lay at his side easily within reach. The Uchiha stared out over the village with a far off look in his eyes. His raven hair blew in the gentle breeze, dancing over the skin of his cheeks, and his fingers played with long blades of grass plucked from between his feet.

Naruto moved to stand beside his best friend and sat silently, looking out over Konoha and wishing he had the sharingan so he could see it the way Sasuke could see it. He knew the view would be breathtaking; hundreds of individual chakara signatures all living and moving together. The very lifeblood of Konoha mixing and mingling as one person's aura connected with another.

Naruto wanted to see if everyone's auras were purple like Sasuke's, or if that was just the Uchiha's unique shade. He didn't wonder why Sasuke's chakara was visible to him anymore. It just always had been because the two of them had always been connected. Naruto had since he was young, imagined everyone's chakara color was based on their personality, or maybe their powers. He figured his was orange because… well… what other color could it possibly be? Sakura's was probably pink, why not? Kakashi's was probably something like blue. He could just ask Sasuke, but somehow that question seemed to cross some of those dangerous lines again, so he would just keep on imagining.

"What do you want, dobe?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

"Don't call me dobe, teme," Naruto snapped.

"Okay," Sasuke replied. "Sorry asshole."

The banter was routine, they didn't mean it like they used to. Now the terms were more endearments than insults; habit had gained influence and things like 'dobe' and 'teme' stood in place for dangerous words neither allowed themselves to utter.

"So why were you looking for me?" Sasuke murmured.

Naruto leaned back on his hands and crossed his outstretched legs. "Shikamaru wants us to have dinner with him and Neji tonight."

"What's for dinner?"

"Kiba said Shikamaru's making oden."

"Inuzuka?" Sasuke groaned. "You get you and him together and the stupidity level of the room skyrockets."

"Aw come on, Sasuke!" Naruto wined. "That's such a low blow, don't hold me accountable for shit I do when I'm drunk!"

Sasuke was silent for a few minutes and Naruto was sure he was going to refuse but then the brunette sighed. "That sounds alright. You occupy the dog-boy and maybe Hyuga will play shogi with me."

The blonde smiled and turned to look at his friend. "You don't wanna play with Shikamaru?"

"I don't like to lose," Sasuke muttered, "but even worse than losing is when someone dumbs down their playing so that I get a sympathy win. Nara does that after he's won two or three games."

"Neji doesn't?"

"No he doesn't," Sasuke said. "Hyuga gives every game one hundred and ten percent. That's why it's worth more to play with him."

"But you said you hate to lose."

"I do, but I won't lose forever. When I finally do beat Hyuga, I'll know I really have bested him because he'll have given his all."

Naruto looked at the ground. "Makes sense… but I still like it when Shikamaru lets me win…"

Sasuke smiled and shook his head. The two sat in comfortable silence as they watched the sun lower over the tops of the trees. The air cooled significantly, but not enough to be uncomfortable.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hn…"

Naruto shifted his feet and chewed the inside of his lip. "What were you thinking about before I got here?"

Sasuke turned from the view and looked at Naruto for the first time that evening. His eyes were tired like he hadn't slept and his skin seemed pale and stretched. He regarded the blonde curiously for a few seconds before he asked.

"Why does it matter?"

Naruto sat up straighter and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"You know everything about you matters to me, baka. You're my best friend."

Sasuke chuckled without humor and looked at the ground.

"You're so stupid."

Naruto slammed his hands down on the ground and folded his legs underneath him so he could lean forward. "Damnit, Sasuke! You always do that! I just wanted to know if you were okay 'cause you looked like you were worried or sad or something! I don't get why you always have to-"

"I was thinking about the future…" Sasuke interrupted.

Naruto abruptly stopped. He sat staring at Sasuke, blinking stupidly, wondering what was more strange: the fact that Sasuke told him what he had been thinking about, or what it actually was Sasuke had been thinking.

"The… the future?" he tried to regain his composure.

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto's heart quickened and the tips of his fingers started to tingle. The future? What did he mean by future? Was he bored because his clan was avenged and he didn't have a brother to kill anymore? Was he talking about his ANBU trials? Oh gods, was he thinking of retiring? Becoming a civilian? No, that's ridiculous, why had that thought even crossed his mind?

Naruto tensed as another thought burrowed its way into his head. What if he meant the future of 'us'? Naruto knew it was highly unlikely. The odds of Sasuke sitting on top the Hokage monument, pondering his relation- no, his friendship with Naruto were about a bazillion to one… But did Naruto dare to dream? Dare to hope even a little?

Apparently, Sasuke was not going to talk about it. "Come on," he said quietly as he stood and retrieved his flack vest and weapons pouch from the ground. "I'd like to take a shower before we head over to Neji's."

Naruto stood as well and followed the dark – haired nin back home over the rooftops. He tried to push his traitorous thoughts to the back of his head, but his mind was not cooperating. He wanted desperately to have answers to his dangerous questions. He wanted desperately to know exactly what Sasuke felt for him… but as his best friend opened the door to the apartment and headed down the hallway without speaking to him, Naruto sighed heavily.

He was pretty sure he already knew the answers he was seeking...

X x X x X

Sasuke watched Naruto roll around on the floor with the Inuzuka kid and fought the urge to launch himself across the room and tear out the dog-boy's lungs. No one got to touch Naruto like that except for him. No one. Granted they were just wrestling, very drunk wrestling, but the little tattooed bastard had taken every chance he could to grope Naruto's ass. He better get his filthy paws off the blonde before the raven – haired nin feed the Inuzuka to his dog.

Sasuke didn't mind that Naruto acted like an even bigger retard than usual when Kiba was around, but he pretended he did to mask the real reason he hated to see the two together. Kiba was always touching. Always sniffing, always petting, always rubbing and cuddling…

"Oi, Uchiha," Nara's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Pay attention."

Sasuke looked across the shogi board at the lazy genius. He sat with his stubbled chin resting in the palm of one hand and a cigarette dangling from his other. The nin looked at him with that infuriatingly knowing smile and motioned to the pieces.

"It's your move."

Shikamaru had roped him into a game when Hyuga had downed one too many swallows of sake. The usually elegant nin and declined a third round, tossing his hair over his shoulder and saying his focus was clouded and he couldn't play anymore if the room was going to keep spinning. Now Sasuke sat before the Nara, losing his fifth round. Badly.

Sasuke scowled and tried to ignore Naruto's howls of laughter as Kiba buried his face in the blonde's side and nipped playfully at the dobe's skin. He moved his rook, capturing Shikamaru's bishop, and promoted the rook to Dragon. Shika took a long drag of his cigarette and cocked an eyebrow at the dark – haired nin.

"Should I be insulted, flattered, or confused with how you're playing right now, Uchiha?"

"Hn?" Sasuke frowned.

"Do you see where my lance is?" Nara motioned with his cigarette. "You just set yourself up for failure. It's so blatantly stupid I didn't even figure it into my initial calculation."

Sasuke looked down at the board and almost growled when he saw the configuration of pieces. He had set himself up for Shikamaru's lance to capture his king in less than two moves. There was nothing he could do now but forfeit.

"I apologize," Sasuke muttered. "My head's not in the game."

"That's for damn sure," Neji slurred from the couch.

Sasuke glared but said nothing as he helped Shikamaru replace the pieces and move the small table to the corner out of the way.

"Are you done?" Naruto yelped from the kitchen floor. "Can we watch the movie now?"

"Yeah, we're done," Shikamaru said.

Sasuke moved to a reclining chair as Naruto and Kiba launched themselves onto the couch on either side of Neji. Kiba flopped over and rested his head on the arm rest and placed his feet in Neji's lap. After Shikamaru started the movie, he moved to the floor at Naruto's feet.

Sasuke tried to pay attention to the film, but his gaze kept drifting to the couch where Neji and Naruto were sitting. Fifteen or twenty minutes into the DVD, the older nin had started to run his finger through Naruto's blonde hair. Sasuke had experienced a painful flare of jealousy before reining it in carefully. He sat and watched the Hyuga's fingers gently rubbing at his dobe's scalp, watched his dobe's eyes slowly slide closed, and his dobe's head slowly lower to Neji's shoulder.

God Damnit Naruto! You're not supposed to fall asleep on anyone but me!

But who was he kidding? He had no right to dictate what or who Naruto fell asleep on. The two of them were nothing more than friends with a little fringe benefits. Things like relationships and commitment weren't something Naruto was looking for. The fox-boy cared deeply for his friends, and probably cared a little more for Sasuke than most, but if the bastard was going to settle down with someone, it wasn't going to be someone who had betrayed him already once before. Not to mention the fact that Naruto no doubt would never consider being with another man if he truly intended to be the Hokage someday.

No, he would no doubt end up with that Hinata girl. She was pretty and was heir to a powerful clan. She could bare him children and would make him very happy with no complications like occasional death threats or assassination attempts in the middle of dinner.

But oh gods Neji was making him so angry. Sasuke's blood was boiling as the Hyuga whispered something into Naruto's ear. The blonde nodded and the two shifted so Naruto ended up with his head resting in Neji's lap. Kiba pulled his feet off to accommodate and Neji resumed running his hand through the blonde spikes.

If Sasuke had been in a more controlled state, he might have noticed Shikamaru watching him intently with a triumphant smirk on his face. The Nara mentally patted himself on the back and turned to watch the end of the movie…

X x X x X

Sasuke opened the door to his apartment and shuffled inside with an unconscious Naruto on his back. He felt the first tell tail signs of drool on his neck and almost threw the idiot on the floor right in the entryway. Gods he was a moron, and a pain in the ass, and stupid and absolutely beautiful and irresistible and… and… fuck why did he loved him so much? What the hell was wrong with him? If Sasuke was in love with a moron, didn't that make him a kind of moron also?

Shoving those thoughts out of his head, he carried his best friend to his room and dumped the blonde on his bed. He quickly stripped off the issue jonin pants after taking his shoes and unwinding the black leg wraps. He pulled off the long sleeved shirt and carefully placed Naruto's forehead protector on his night stand. When he finished, he stood over the unconscious figure and smiled softy. The dobe curled on his side in his white t-shirt and orange boxers, hugging Sasuke's pillow and sighing lightly in his sleep. He was so endearing, so absolutely enchanting like this. Sasuke stayed up more nights than he cared to admit watching Naruto sleep, but tonight he decided tonight was not a night for watching. He had sat through two hours of Neji molesting his blonde and he needed to reclaim his territory.

Sasuke slipped out of his pants and long sleeved shirt, set his forehead protector next to Naruto's, and climbed into bed with his friend. He molded himself against Naruto's back and pulled the slightly shorter man tightly against him with an arm around his waist. He buried his face in the soft golden hair and breathed in the musky, earthy scent that was all Naruto.

He decided before he drifted off into sleep, that the time had maybe come to talk to his best friend about some very dangerous things…

X x X x X

Neji rubbed his temples and groaned as Shikamaru closed the door behind Sasuke and an unconscious Naruto.

"So did it work, or did I just get really fucked up for nothing?"

Shikamaru threw a blanket over a sleeping Kiba and smiled.

"I believe it did. If looks could kill you'd be in hell about now."

"Oh good," Neji tried to pull himself up but the room tilted and he lay back on the couch cushions. "I was worried I had just made love to Naruto's head for nothing."

Shikamaru moved to lean over the Hyuga and kissed him softly on the nose. "No, you did good." The Nara slipped one arm around Neji's shoulders and the other underneath his legs and lifted the older man easily. "I must say though, I got a little jealous seeing another guy's head in your lap."

Neji rolled his eyes and pressed his face into Shikamaru's neck. "It's Naruto, Shika…"

When Neji was situated in bed, Shikamaru leaned over and placed a chased kiss on the cursed symbol adorning the Hyuga's forehead. "Sleep well, love," the Nara whispered.

"You're not staying?" Neji whispered.

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "But Kiba's here… This is dangerous… I thought you didn't want anyone to know about us…"

In response, Neji pulled a fully dressed Nara into his bed and attacked his lips. Shikamaru kissed back running his hands through Neji's hair and placing himself comfortably between his lover's legs.

"I don't care if Kiba knows," Neji whispered. "I just sat for two hours touching someone besides you and I need you to fix it… Stay with me…"

Shikamaru readily agreed, and in the back of his mind, he made a mental list of people he and Neji could get together with this method. If Neji acted like this every time afterward, he was going on a mission to find every single person in the entire village a mate even if it killed him.

END