Black Widow Moan

by dolphina23

Sasuke and Naruto meet by chance on the train. Sasuke is a former Marine with baggage of his own and Naruto is a jewlery designer not looking for another mistake. Will they be able to connect?

bAuthor/Artist/b: dolphina23

bFor/b: table_chan

bTitle/b: Black Widow Moan

bRating/b: R

bSummary/b: Uchiha Sasuke is a magazine journalist and a Marine reservist, comfortable but very private in his sexuality. Nearly late for an interview about a 'slice-of-life' piece depicting suburban mothers who also hold careers, he boards a later train. Among the passengers is enigmatic and care-free jewelry designer Uzumaki Naruto, whom Sasuke has just met and feels a powerful attraction to. But will Naruto allow another man into his life . . . and heart?

bWarnings/b: rough sex, foul language, angst, minor fight

bA/N/b: Okay, for the first commissioned piece (so to speak) I've ever undertaken, this was a lot of fun. I do hope it's received well, and in the spirit of my love for these characters. Enjoy!

bAlso note: Black Widow/b is a term for many Southern Pacific locomotive trains, from which I have taken the design for use in my story. I do not own any stock in the train company or any part of Naruto, nor do I want to. I'm perfectly happy with what Kishi gives us to play with on our own. 

bcenterBlack Widow Moan/center/b

centerI./center

centerChance Meeting, And So . . . Keep the Engine Running?/center

The sun burned down on the pavement as Sasuke ran. It was still August, and this year's Indian summer had started out hotter than any before it. His breathing was starting to hurt his ribs and they complained loudly with every inhale. But he pushed on, unwilling to stop even for a moment. He wasn't going to make it if he did. Up ahead, he could see the tracks and the large, hulking black train on them. The red stripe running down the side and the sleek lines of metal really did make it a menacing creature. Though, he wouldn't have gone so far as some train enthusiasts and dubbed it a black widow.

Reaching the doors, Sasuke inhaled sharply and leaned into the cool metal of the frame for a bit. He had the time now. He could relax. The whistle blew and the conductor called for any straggling passengers to enter the train. Sasuke smirked thinly and slid through the open doors to grab a seat. He rifled a thin hand between the strands of his dark raven hair as he sat down. He hadn't had time to style it that morning and it was making him feel out of place. The fact that he'd had to call over at his last appointment for the week to push it back made it even worse.

It wasn't his fault that he needed one final interview for Circle Magazine's Slice-of-Life Married Women in the Workplace piece. The article just didn't feel right with the ones he already had. But having to show up later than planned was all on him and he hated it. He didn't even have his laptop computer to help him while away the hour until he reached the city. Living outside of San Francisco, with its picturesque hills, trolleys and stunning architecture certainly didn't help his situation. His brother Itachi, in all his dislike of the smog and smoke, had decided that they move from their apartment in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of Central District, coincidently his destination for that morning, to South San Francisco City inside San Mateo County. South San Francisco City was filled with crowds of the older generation, and tourists, as opposed to beautiful, bustling, older and yet edgy in parts San Francisco.

But Sasuke could not afford the expensive costs of living, even thirty miles outside the city limits, on his own. He had only just started at the magazine after his tour in the U.S. Marines had ended and he'd chosen Reserve duty rather than another active course. The train underneath him shuddered and yawed back and forth a tiny bit, breaking his thought patterns. Most people who lived in the area seemed not to feel it. Sasuke figured he still had to get used to it.

Tapping the hard plastic of the chair arm to the rhythm of the tracks helped him focus better. He hummed under his breath and uncrossed his legs only to cross them the other way. One of the other passengers was staring at him, smiling a little, and Sasuke wanted him to stop. His instincts from his recent stint in the Marines were still fairly sharp and they put him on edge. But as he glanced over again, the man smiled wider and chuckled quietly at him. His laughter was dry, throaty and deep. Sasuke found he didn't mind it. Or, at least he wasn't offended enough to change seats.

"You're worse than me. Or so I've been told," the young man said.

Sasuke turned his head to look at him properly and had to blink away his surprise before turning, a little too quickly for his tastes, to face the window again.

"I think it's very clear that I'm not the type to converse with strangers. But in case you missed the cue, buzz off," he said rather politely.

The young man Sasuke now recognized as someone who rode the train regularly whistled lowly at him.

"Ah, well I've been told to learn to keep my mouth shut too. But then, I've always thought it makes for a horrible way to meet people."

Sasuke took another hard look at his fellow passenger and felt the stirrings of attraction. Deciding it might be worth the effort, he smiled thinly at him. The man's striking blonde hair, natural light tan and clear blue eyes that seemed to shift color endlessly made for an enticing backdrop to that rough voice anyway. Even the light scars that reminded him of whiskers on each cheek pulled him in. So, Sasuke fought his training and pushed aside the warning bells that reminded him they were in a public area.

He got up and gestured with his hand for the other man to shift over a seat.

"Hello, my name is Uchiha Sasuke. How are you this fine morning?" he quipped dryly.

The young man's smile brightened further until Sasuke swore he could see all his teeth. But it didn't grate on his nerves the same way it would if it were on one of those Barbie doll, pageant queen look-alikes. It really was charming, more so for the fact that the other man seemed oblivious to it.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It seems we have more than one thing in common already."

Sasuke wondered what he was referring to. Oh, he understood that they both had to have oriental parentage and likely grew up using Japanese as much as English. Usually Sasuke wouldn't have made the slip when speaking to someone who obviously didn't look Japanese. But talking to someone whom he wasn't sure was flirting, and in a public place no less, always made him nervous. Normally he could tell from the first few words in a conversation whether or not someone was the same as him, even without it. But this Naruto was as much an enigma as he was so straightforward.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, we both ride the train regularly, right? That's something."

With that stunning grin on his face, Sasuke still couldn't tell what Naruto was doing. But he wanted to find out. He just hoped he wouldn't end up with the possible angry eruption if it were all a misunderstanding.

Sasuke couldn't help rolling his eyes at him.

"Right. Yeah, there's that. Although, if you told me a little more about yourself, maybe we'd have even more than that to start with."

"Ah, well I work in the city. But that should be obvious considering what train we're on. I own my own shop, classic jewelry and original designs by yours truly," Naruto said proudly.

Sasuke leaned in a little and could smell his cologne, strong and robust and intoxicating. He breathed in sharply and leaned back again. Naruto sat in a relaxed pose, leaning back into the cushions and only rolled his head to the side to look at him when he spoke. He got so distracted that he hadn't even really been paying attention to whatever it was Naruto had said. He mentally shook himself and cleared his mind.

"What about you? What do you do?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke considered the question a moment. He was trying to find the best way to let Naruto know that he was interested in more than just the usual polite banter.

"Well, right now I'm on my way to an interview. I work for Circle Magazine.""Hmmm? A journalist, huh? You know, that magazine sounds familiar. Do you guys do interest pieces? Like for tourism?"

Naruto was smiling at him, but there was nothing hidden in it. Nothing to let Sasuke know that he was flirting . . . and it irritated him. It was so hard to balance his desires with his work and home life as it was. His family had no idea what he did at night and he wanted to keep it that way. If not for his career in the military, and now in the Reserves, then to at least keep his father's company, a very edgy Advertising Firm, from dealing with the fallout. He couldn't risk being discovered but neither could he banish the thoughts swirling through his head after meeting Naruto. It had been a long time since he'd last gone out on a date, satisfying himself with online chatting to get him through the rough patches. But it was lonely, so very lonely.

"Yeah, we do, or we have before. I mean, I only just started so this is the first major piece I've done since graduating."

Naruto glanced at him with interest then. It was the first time Sasuke saw it as something other than his trying to be friendly. The look gave him the courage to keep talking.

"I started college late, because I joined the service right out of high school," Sasuke explained.

"So, how old are you?" Naruto asked, keeping his voice light and airy.

Sasuke wondered if it tasted like summer, he seemed so warm. He found it much easier, suddenly, to tell him so many things.

"Twenty-six. I spent three years in the Marines."

Naruto whistled quiet and long before turning to give Sasuke a better view of his face. The effect was remarkable, at least to Sasuke. The light from the opposite windows caught his eyes and his hair and reflected the color back brightly. It was almost surreal.

"Almost the same as me, but my birthday's not until October. But I guess I'll have to keep my distance when you get mad though."

"You don't have to do that!" Sasuke rushed to reassure him, frowning. Did Naruto think he was some kind of crass brute? There were plenty of Marines in his same position who used the time to earn discipline, work ethic and money for school.

Naruto, eyes twinkling, snickered a bit, and it turned to full out laughter the longer he tried to hold it in.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you," he said after regaining control.

Sasuke huffed and turned to face the seat in front of him. The train was slowing down. They were nearing the transport exchange in southern San Francisco. From there, Sasuke would catch a trolley to the Pine Lake Park residences in the Southwest district. He could always study the maps again while they waited. He still had to get used to how convoluted the city was compared to South San Francisco City, better known as south city. At least he was coming to terms with the local phrases and the more sedate way of living than he'd been used to while traveling between different bases.

"Hello? Hey, are you going to accept my apology or what?" Naruto glared at him from the next seat so sternly that Sasuke decided to let him off easy, if only because he was so handsome like that.

"On one condition," Sasuke offered. iDon't think, just say it. If he gets angry, let him take a swing or two,/i he thought.

Naruto stiffened and narrowed his eyes until they almost closed.

"It had better not be anything weird," he nearly whispered.

iOh, lord, save me if I have it wrong,/i Sasuke prayed.

"Have dinner with me," he asked, calm and collected as all his family bearing would allow.

Naruto blinked. And then he did it again, more slowly. He didn't look angry or disgusted, so maybe Sasuke had a chance. But the moment Naruto looked down and then away he knew he was lost.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said quietly. "It's not that I wouldn't want to, though." Now Sasuke was confused. Naruto was interested? He was, perhaps, attracted to him? But the look on his face was loud and clear. Whatever he had in mind, it wasn't a date.

"Well, no harm done. Excuse me." Sasuke rose up to return to his earlier seat. Luckily, none of the other passengers were close enough to hear any of it, for which he was grateful.

That would have been the end of it. Except that Sasuke heard Naruto when he took a call a few minutes later, and though he was careful not to eavesdrop, just the rough gravelly cadence of his voice was enough to wreck his focus again. When the train finally slowed to a complete stop at the change-over station, where there were buses, trolleys and taxis lined up to catch the departing passengers in the saw and beat of the city, Sasuke stood up quickly.

Naruto had nearly made it to the front of the train, and the doors by the time Sasuke had caught up to him. He reached into his pockets and combed through his shoulder bag finally finding a steno pad and a pen. Tearing off a piece he hurriedly scribbled the name and address of a café not too far from the neighborhood of his appointment and pressed it into Naruto's hand. It was warm and calloused and Sasuke wondered how it had gotten that way.

"In case you change your mind," he mumbled as he brushed past him to the doors.

Naruto caught the strip of paper in a loose fist before it could fall. He looked down at it only when he'd arrived at his shop and opened the doors for the day.

It read: iBeaker Street Café, twelve noon, just coffee, no rings required./i Naruto found himself unable to hold in his laughter. He must have looked quite unhinged to the passing shoppers out front. His little jewelry shop, flanked by small eateries and down the road from one of the major colleges as well as several expensive dress and art shops just might be closed for lunch it seemed. Indeed, he felt the risk might just be worth taking after all.

Still, he'd have to ring up his father and let him know about it. He might live out in south city, but Naruto felt more secure in dating again after so long a break if his father had a few words of support for him. And he always did. Shaking his head and smiling, Naruto went in search of the cordless phone that forever seemed to be lost amongst invoices, order sheets and loose sketches. Crying out in triumph he lifted the other available phone up from the detritus, the one tied to the desk by the limited range of a cord, and dialed his father's number.

Hatake Kakashi, Naruto's adoptive father, answered the phone on the third ring. Naruto brightened up instantly when he heard his voice.

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"Naruto? You know I'm at work," Kakashi said, slightly irritated.

Naruto held out his hand, asking forgiveness, even though his father couldn't see him. It was a habit he developed while away at college. All the late night frustrated calls about tests, research, and portfolio work: Kakashi had sat through them all with patience and guidance, even if it meant directing Naruto to another person who could help more.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I just wanted to see how you were, is all," Naruto tried to mollify him. But he couldn't keep the slightly nervous edge of excitement out of his voice.

"Naruto," Kakashi warned, having picked up on it. "What's really going on?"

"What, I can't call my father just to say hello?" Naruto questioned, trying to sound hurt. Kakashi's rough bark of laughter came over the line and Naruto grinned with his eyes closed.

"Am I really that transparent?"

"You know you are. Now what's happened? Has your business gotten even better? A new client? Maybe a celebrity?"

Naruto fiddled with the phone cord for a moment, thinking of Sasuke's eyes, his smile, that warm hand in his, and finally of his last lover Sai. He wasn't sure, now, if this chance was truly something positive, but his father had always made such decisions so much simpler just by talking with him.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked, uneasy about the prolonged silence.

"Um, well, I was just going to say that I think I might have met someone but . . . ," Naruto started.

"But, what?" Kakashi asked quietly, pushing Naruto gently forward as he always did.

"Well, I'm not sure it's been long enough. Don't you think it's too soon?"

Naruto was reminding his father as if he wouldn't always remember that man. His son had poured so much of himself into that relationship, only to be burned and spurned and played with nearly the entire way.

Kakashi tightened his free hand into a fist and sat back in his office chair. Luckily his next class, Japanese Feudal History, didn't start for another hour. Naruto always managed to catch him in his office at the right times, unlike many of the students at the University of San Francisco.

"Well, there isn't a set limit on waiting to date again, Naruto," he said calmly. "You just need to be sure of what you want, and then try to go after it. It's not as simple, or as complicated, as you think. People can fail at anything, any time, and probably more than once. But I've told you before that it shouldn't hold you back and only will if you let it."

Though Kakashi had been tough with him in the beginning, firm in his discipline to keep Naruto from graduating to real trouble instead of just the few pranks he'd pulled as a child, Naruto had always been comforted by the steady presence of that resolve. He trusted his father. He supposed it was the same feeling as though they were truly related. Naruto shook his head clear, strange thoughts filtering in through his nervousness. Of course Kakashi was his father.

Naruto chuckled a tiny bit deep in his throat. "So, if I said I was going on a date at lunch, and closing up the shop to do it, you wouldn't think it was weird?"

He twirled the cord tighter around his finger and waited, nearly holding his breath. His father's opinion meant a great deal to him.

Kakashi frowned on the other end, but kept his voice light. "Today? When did you two meet?"

"Earlier, on the train into the city." Naruto held his breath again, waiting to hear that it was a bad idea so he could go back to making the latest piece he'd sketched out earlier in the week. It wasn't that he didn't want to try, or wasn't attracted to Sasuke, but he just wasn't sure he could put himself out there so thoroughly only to get taken so blindly again. Any excuse would save him from the effort, and the cowardice of running on his own.

Kakashi sighed deeply before answering, rubbing his aching neck as he leaned back in his desk chair. "Well, if you like him enough, try going out on a date. You know better than anyone what to avoid and how to judge people."

"What the hell does that mean?" Naruto grated out, bristling while leaning back against the front counter of his shop.

"Calm down, sunshine boy. You know I'm not trying to say anything bad. I just mean you were always good at sensing inner strength, attraction, things like that. But that's not what you want to hear right now, is it?"

Kakashi twirled the chair around a couple of times before stopping to squint at yet another one of his student's attempts at referencing the value of turn of the century rockets in warfare. He continued only when he'd heard Naruto sigh on the other end, sure that his son had gotten through his minor fit. Naruto had always been quick to anger, but usually waited it out if only because he could easily lose control any other way.

"You want me to tell you not to go because you're worried it'll turn out like what happened with Sai. But, the difference with him is he had issues buried deep within himself, and for all that you're sensitive to others around you it's not always simple to see that kind of thing. But that doesn't mean I want you to closet yourself up in that shop, forgetting that there is a world of possibility if you dare to search for it."

Naruto harrumphed under his breath and frowned petulantly.

"Now you sound like a greeting card or something," he mumbled.

Kakashi grinned in his seat and twirled his chair again. The bell rang, signaling five minutes to the next class. He had a lecture starting in the east hall at that time, but stayed where he was. It wouldn't do to be late constantly but the dean had met his son several times and was a family man himself, so if he were to ever question Kakashi's commitments, which he never did, he would understand. Kakashi ran slim fingers through his prematurely silver hair that stuck out in a veritable shoulder-length mess all over his head. His dark eyes trailed over the last few end of the semester assignments and he made a mental note to take them home to go over later. Naruto's voice hummed over the line again and Kakashi congratulated himself on the amount of patience he was still able to pull off where he was concerned.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted begrudgingly. "I know they're not all like him. It's just . . ."

Kakashi, not at all an overbearing or nosy parent, still knew Naruto's thoughts well even without having to see it all play out on his face as it usually did. That was perhaps the only flaw he was willing to consider, if it could even be called that. He shrugged and cradled the phone against his ear so he could start gathering his things for the lecture.

"Now, now. We've talked about this before. And if you need to do it again, you know I'll always listen. But it's time you went after a bit of that confidence you had when we first met. You remember?"

Naruto smiled warmly and stopped fiddling with the cord between his fingers. How could he forget? That day, so many years ago when he was no older than eight years old stuck in a revolving door of the child welfare program. He had walked right up to Kakashi, a visitor at the time intending to simply lend support to a friend looking to try adoption, and declared he would be going home with him before the day was done. Kakashi had tried to warn him off, letting him know that he wasn't in a good enough place to take on parenting, but Naruto wouldn't listen. He was stubborn and smart, despite the things the Group Home advisor tried to warn him about. He had the brightest smile and leaked an energy that Kakashi wished he could have more of. It was so welcoming and full of things he hadn't let himself feel for a very long time. So, he had taken the boy home, that very night, after signing temporary guardianship papers that had been rushed through the channels faster than a racing scull cuts through water.

"Yeah, I remember. Uh, thanks, Dad. I think I'll take a walk before heading out to lunch."

Kakashi understood. Naruto had never been very comfortable letting down enough walls with anyone but him, and even then it wasn't often that he so openly talked about his relationships. Kakashi wondered if it had to do with the fact that he wasn't homosexual but discarded as just an aberrant rant that had no place in his head right now.

"You can't go yet, though. You haven't told me anything about him. What does he look like? What's his name? Where does he work so I can show up at his door and discreetly threaten him with my shotgun?" Kakashi teased.

"Dad!" Naruto cried indignantly. He knew it was a joke but didn't trust his father to not mean business when it came to his love life. He preferred keeping any potential boyfriends alive as long as possible, especially if it started getting serious.

"You're not going to do anything to Sasuke! We've only just met! I'd like to keep my crazy, perverted father a secret . . . at least until after I've gotten a chance to warm him to the idea. Asshole."

Kakashi clicked his tongue at the language but didn't comment on it. "My, my. So, this Sasuke person is taking you to lunch then? Perfect. That should be just enough time to do a little research," he drawled lazily.

"Dad," Naruto warned. There wasn't any real edge to it but Kakashi acquiesced. He did have a class to get to eventually after all.

"Fine, fine. I'll wait until after you tell me about the date tonight. Sushi okay with you?"

Naruto smiled and curled the phone cord around his fingers again, partly nervous about later and partly enjoying his father's presence even if it wasn't in person. They had dinner in the house Naruto had grown up in at least once a week and tonight he wouldn't miss it for anything, not even the chance at getting closer to Sasuke. Maybe, if things went well he could . . . but that could wait.

"Sure. I'll see you at seven. And . . . thanks again, for what you said."

"Anytime, little mule." Kakashi answered using his favorite nickname he'd dubbed Naruto with, probably in the first week he'd spent at the house.

Naruto hung up the phone and restlessly straightened up the shop until nearly eleven and then decided to take the walk he'd suggested while on the phone with his father. It would give him a chance to burn off a little of the nervous energy still coursing through him and he would get to stretch his legs for a bit. Grabbing his keys and twirling them around a finger, he whistled tunelessly as he locked up, stepped out into a bright California sun and sauntered up the road to catch one of the many trolleys that ran up to the Haight-Ashbury district where the café, and Sasuke, were located.

centerbII./b/center

bcenterWith Folly, Breed Disaster/center/b

Sasukegritted his teeth and stared at the welcome sign in the door of Beaker Street Café from his seat at a corner booth. There were far too many people around him at the moment. He hadn't expected for a small café that served very few things aside from coffee to be so crowded on a weekday. A young couple enjoying their lattés sat at a table not far from him. There were many businessmen and women scattered throughout the café's small terrace tables outside and in the booths lining the walls. It was loud and smoky. Apparently it was one of the few businesses that chose to ignore the state-wide smoking ban that had gone into effect last year.

Sasuke hated smoke. He hated smokers. Most of all, he despised busybodies. He hadn't accounted for what he would do if there happened to be a lot of customers. He felt uneasy at the prospect of sitting down to lunch with Naruto. It wasn't that he was no longer interested. But the buzzing conversations, the curious glances from some of the women, especially at his hair and eyes, made him edgy. It would be so much easier if he could just take Naruto back to his house. Itachi was away on a business trip that week so they would have the whole place to themselves.

But something was different, even in the few words they exchanged on the train. He could no longer see himself as the user, the playboy. Just sleeping with Naruto, even if it were an occasional thing, wasn't going to be enough. He could somehow feel it, deep inside his gut. But that didn't change the fact that he was very uncomfortable with the presence of so many strangers. Worse, there were so many men congregated inside the small café.

That made the unease in his stomach twist and morph to a living creature full of its own stories. None of them were good. He'd lost a few close friends, very much like him, who had tried to live more balanced lives. That meant they had been more active and vocal about who, and what, they were. Sasuke could not fathom being that kind of man. More than that, he would not shame his father, his father's company, or his mother's family who were very strictly traditional in their mindset. Having a gay relative, a grandson, a son, would likely disappoint them to no end.

Sasuke stood up from his chair and resisted cringing as it scraped the linoleum with a tired screech. A few eyes glanced his way and before his mind could trick him into believing anything would come of it, he quickened his pace through the door. Without even taking a last glance back, Sasuke made his way to a nearby trolley-stop and boarded the first one that took him closer to the train station, and home.

Naruto turned the corner onto Beaker Street and nearly bounced in his steps toward the café. He was a little early but that was fine. He could see the other shops lining the street around the small eatery and they looked interesting. He hadn't spent much time outside his shop in a long a while. There was a new clothing store down the road, he noticed. It seemed to be more of a punk/goth place, but perhaps they had some nice tee-shirts he could look through. He usually preferred solid colors but if one had an interesting joke or saying, he wouldn't mind the slight dent in his wallet. His jewelry had been selling well pretty much since he'd opened up shop, thanks to his friend Shikamaru. The man, though his choice in style was strange to Naruto with a ragged spiked bun of dark hair almost always a part of it and a copious amount of wallet chains and eyeliner for his equally dark eyes, was a genius when it came to self-advertising. Naruto had done a stint just walking the streets while wearing a shirt emblazoned with his shop's logo on it, handing out fliers to passers-by. Smiling in his cheery way and looking all handsome and nervous at the same time, (Shikamaru's words not his), Naruto had seen the fruits of his marketing campaign on the first day.

Whole crowds of women, and a few men looking for gifts for their girlfriends, had entered his shop then. And it hadn't really stopped since. There was a lag every semester because many of his patrons were college kids or professors, but he still pulled in enough window shoppers from the street, mostly tourists, as well as businessmen to buy swanky watches or watch-pieces, that he had already begun turning a profit. And he'd only been open for six months.

Humming to himself as he pulled the door of the café open, Naruto perused the current customers inside quickly. He didn't see Sasuke, but then he had a few minutes still. And Sasuke had said he was doing a piece for the magazine, so he might just be running late on the interview. Naruto settled into a booth in the corner to wait. Three cups of coffee and an hour later, Naruto drummed his fingers on the table, quietly fuming. He knew this was going to be a bad idea. Swirling the last of the Hawaiian blend in his cup and downing it in one large shot, he stood up and left a generous tip on the table before leaving the café.

He alternated hardening his jaw and fisting his hands as he steadied his breathing. It wasn't fair to just assume Sasuke was an insecure asshole. If he had thought to accept Sasuke's date while they'd been seated, he could have given him his number. And then Sasuke could have called if the interview was running beyond schedule or he had to travel back to his office for something. Naruto knew where Circle Magazine had its California branch offices in San Francisco. They were in the Southeast district, along with a cavalcade of other businesses and industries. But he had a sinking feeling that, had Sasuke really wanted to be there and yet couldn't make in on time then he would have found a way to let him know, even if it was to call the café.

Naruto hunched his shoulders and stared down at the pavement the entire way to the trolley-stop, and all the way down the street that housed his shop. He was even more irritated when he found Shikamaru had opened it up for him and was now serving a customer. The gesture would have been nice, a friendly move to keep him from losing any afternoon business from people out to lunch and walking by. But it made his temper large and fierce, with teeth.

"What the hell are you doing, Shikamaru?"

The man glanced at him with his heavily-lined, lazy expression that always made him look stoned. His eyes turned down at the outside corners and the dark features all helped the effect. His short stature hid Shikamaru's well-built and toned frame, something Naruto knew well considering all the sauna time the two had put in together at California College of the Arts.

"I could ask the same about you, but I see the date didn't go well," he answered.

Naruto grumbled nonsense under his breath but made sure Shikamaru heard it when he murmured about kicking his ass out back later. He didn't mean a word of it, but needed to vent. Seeming to understand it all, Shikamaru nodded at him and went back to answering his customer's questions. Naruto fled, slowly, through the store and to his office in the back where he slammed the door as loudly as he could. No one in the front would hear it because the walls there had sound dampening material. His workshop was behind the office. All the noise from the blades, ovens and other tools that he used to cut shape and mold the jewels and settings would have offended his customers. Shikamaru entered a good while later, closing the door and crossing his arms as he did so.

Naruto and he had never dated as Shikamaru wasn't gay. But Naruto had finally come out to all his friends and his father, inadvertently, when his old school friend Sakura wouldn't stop needling him for a date at a Memorial Day party. Shikamaru had been there and had simply shrugged and asked him jokingly if he thought he was hot in his leather pants. Then he'd smiled and waved a hand, as if to dismiss it as just another part of his quirky, somewhat annoying friend. Everyone else, aside from Sakura who was so embarrassed that she had started to cry and a few of his male friends who he hadn't been that close to anyway, had pretty much accepted it. Naruto would never regret having done it, not even when Sakura had tried to send out her brother and a few of his friends to kick the shit out of him. He'd spent a few days in the hospital and then had gone back to his life just as it was, completely content in his choices and his way of doing things.

"So?" Shikamaru asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Naruto grumbled, placing his face in his arms as he sprawled out on the desk. Shikamaru frowned.

"You know me. Of course you do. We went to school together, all the way back to kindergarten. So try again."

"But that's exactly what happened," Naruto snapped, disgusted with himself.

"Ah," Shikamaru said. He understood. Naruto had been stood up. Well, it wasn't the end of the world, but he could see his friend was taking it harder than he should. And with good reason considering how his last serious relationship had ended. Or, for that matter, how it had carried on, with Naruto taking on the brunt of the work and having to hide from his lover's parents or friends whenever they happened to drop by unannounced or calling himself Sai's 'friend' whenever they were introduced.

The jingle of the bell above the door caught their attention and Shikamaru frowned harder. He thought he had locked it so he could see what was up with his idiot of a best friend. Though he would never call him that to his face, and certainly not unless Naruto really were acting as if he didn't know better. He might not be as book-smart as most but his world knowledge, thanks to his father, and his ability to see into people and the sensitivity he treated them with made up for any flaw. Shikamaru glanced around for the newcomer as he came out from the hall leading to Naruto's office. His dark hair and eyes and the very Asian features weren't a surprise. It was common, especially in San Francisco which had one of the largest Chinatown districts of the western Untied States. But the tiny intake of breath from behind him pulled him up. He narrowed his eyes at the stranger and walked around the counter slowly to greet him.

"Welcome to Kinetic. How can I assist you?"

The young man studied him for a bit before looking behind him, to Naruto. Shikamaru unconsciously moved his feet to cover his line of sight but Naruto spoke up, ruining the tension building in the silence.

"Did you get lost?" Naruto asked him through gritted teeth. The man shook his head.

"Was your wallet stolen? Did your interview run late? Forget a kid at home?"

Again he shook his head.

"Then why the hell are you here, Sasuke? I think you should leave."

Shikamaru sucked in a breath as he listened to Naruto fight to keep his anger in check. It could get ugly, pretty fast, but he knew his friend had enough sense not to start anything, though he never minded finishing it. Sasuke stepped back a little. He hadn't counted on meeting with the level of hostility coming from Naruto. But he was himself a good judge of situations. And not just from the service. Naruto was obviously friends with the gothic character in front of him. The protective stance wasn't necessary, though, not from the way Naruto carried himself.

Naruto turned to go back to his office but before he could get very far, Sasuke rushed through Shikamaru's guard and around the counter to take his arm, stopping him. Naruto countered by ripping it away and swinging his fist in a deceptively slow arc that caught Sasuke in the chin. Sasuke stepped back quickly and raised his hands in front of him, trying to calm them all down at the same time. He inhaled deeply and said what he had repeated in his head the entire way over.

"I came to apologize, for not showing up. I'm not used to . . . dating. Normally, it's one-night stands or occasional meetings without any attachments. That's how I've been living for a long time. My family . . . They wouldn't understand even if they said as much. And I'm not sure, still, if I'm capable of this," he said quickly and quietly.

He waved his hand in the air to encompass the shop but they all knew what he was referring to. He wasn't sure he could deal with a public affair. Before Naruto could tell him he wasn't interested in someone who couldn't handle simply being honest, Sasuke pressed on.

"But," he hedged, not sure if he was overstaying what little welcome he had, "I'd like to try. With you, I'd like to try, Naruto. I know we only just met, but there's something about that smile."

He gave a tiny, hopeful one of his own and Naruto could see how it softened the angles of his face well.

"You're shop's open until ten, right? I could come by then, and . . . we could go to dinner. If you want to give me another chance, that is."

Naruto didn't answer for a moment and it stretched out so long that it made Sasuke shift his feet carefully. He lowered his gaze and tried to stop his heart from hammering out of his chest. His jaw ached and his pride had already run right out the door.

"Alright then. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." He seemed contrite to Naruto. His whole manner was confusing. But if he was serious, really trying to go beyond the relative comfort of the box he'd hidden his sexuality under then Naruto could relate to that. Why should he punish someone for doing their best to live better? Especially when he had, not too long ago, been the same as Sasuke?

"I can't," he spoke up, and was surprised to find his voice even, considering his insides squirmed from all the nerves, the tension and the almost fight he'd gotten into with this man. "Not tonight, anyway. I have dinner plans with my father."

Shikamaru was staring at him, wide-eyed and awake for what seemed like the first time since they'd met.

"Oh," was all Sasuke said. He couldn't seem to find his tongue in his mouth anymore to ask again.

"How about tomorrow?" Naruto supplied helpfully.

"Sure, yeah," Sasuke relied, grateful he hadn't stumbled over it and his voice hadn't shaken or cracked. He resisted the urge to wipe his hands on his pants. Turning to meet Shikamaru's curious gaze, he nodded.

"I'm sorry for the trouble." Shikamaru nodded back, hesitantly, and Sasuke smiled in relief.

"And I'm sorry I don't have time to look through more of the store. It seems to be doing well. Maybe tomorrow. My brother's been after me to get a new watch so I'm not rushing to get to work on time," he rambled on, feeling lame.

Naruto huffed out a tiny laugh behind his hand, so quiet it seemed Sasuke hadn't heard it. Really, it was kind of cute how nervous he was and there wasn't any hint through it all that Sasuke was playing some kind of game. He felt better after seeing it, at any rate.

"Well, tomorrow then," Sasuke said when he turned back to Naruto, giving a tiny bow. Naruto answered with one of his own, out of habit more than anything else, and waved. Once Sasuke had left the shop Shikamaru turned to stare at him, stunned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine," Naruto answered. He was still staring at the door, shaking his head and Shikamaru waved a hand in front of his face to get his full attention.

"Naruto, did you tell him about the shop?" Shikamaru wanted to know. It wasn't everyday that his friend decided to overcome his fears and put himself on the market again.

"Uh, yeah I think I mentioned that I sell jewelry and my own designs, or something. Why?" Naruto looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering why it mattered.

"Because he just went through the trouble of looking you up and tracking you down. That's either something like a stalker or else somebody who really wants to date you. Either way, I'm tagging along on the first date," Shikamaru told him calmly.

He went over to flip the lock on the door and the 'welcome' sign to 'closed' before sauntering behind the counter and grabbing a clean, white cloth to wipe it down with. Naruto gaped at him.

"The hell you are, Shikamaru! I don't need a babysitter. Have you forgotten what those friends of Sakura's look like now?"

It was true that the attack had left Naruto with a few stitches in the back of his head and a couple days of observation at the hospital because he'd ended up passing out from a concussion. Well, that and the bruising on his knuckles along with several bad scrapes here and there. But all four of the others had gone home looking far worse. A few of them had permanent scars from surgery to correct internal damage. And one was now missing a small portion of his penis when he made the mistake of thinking he could use it to teach Naruto a lesson by trying to force him into a blowjob. Now the guy had an inch less to work with.

Shikamaru frowned darkly.

"I never want anything like that to happen again, which is precisely why I'm going with you." Naruto opened his mouth to protest but Shikamaru raised a hand and fixed a glare in his direction. "No arguing. Now, help me lock this place up. It's about time you let your Dad in on what you're doing tomorrow. While we wait for him, you can tell me what you know about this guy."

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. Honestly, his family and friends were such a chore. But seeing Shikamaru's look harden, he relented.

"Okay, okay. We'll close up and head to my Dad's. He's got some snacks there, I'm sure. We'll key up a movie or something. Just don't grill Sasuke when he shows up." Seeing Shikamaru smirk, he added "Or, during the date!"

Shikamaru laughed and Naruto grinned as they worked on getting the shop ready for the next day and closing the metal pull-down gate in front. The glass set inside each was actually some version of Plexiglas material that made it nearly indestructible in case some idiots decided to try to rob the place. The alarm set, and the preparations done, they headed out toward the bus station to catch the mid-afternoon train home. Naruto would have to get a car soon. It was hell on his father's gas bill to have to pick him up every night, even if Naruto would have been fine with taking the bus.

He refused to think about what he was going to wear to the date. He'd let Shikamaru take care of it. He was surprisingly good with fashion and Naruto wondered, idly, as he'd often done in college, if he wasn't hiding a secret life as a clothing designer. Grinning widely, he raced along the sidewalk to the section that spread cement pylons out at intervals and vaulted them easily.

Shikamaru watched quietly and hoped, for his friend's sake, that this was the chance he'd been looking for. He had always been drawn to Naruto. Never before or since could he be so open about himself, not to anyone else. The fact that his friend just happened to love differently made no difference to him. He was strong enough to live the way he wanted without bowing to the public tides. And if it meant that Naruto was happier, healthier, for living the way he wanted to, then that was all Shikamaru needed to know.

He ambled along the sidewalk behind his friend, shuffling his feet a little as he went. He had heard the name Sasuke in connection to a businessman who owned an influential and innovative advertising firm. They both were part of a very well respected, and linear, Japanese family. He felt his forehead creasing up and took a silent breath to calm his nerves. Naruto would be just fine, even if he had to be the one to see to it. No one was rich, or powerful enough, to go against his genius and win, especially not if someone he cared about was involved.

bcenterIII./center/b

bcenterSome Kind of Wonderful/center/b

Sasuke pulled a thin, dark blue jacket from out of his closet. It was nearly seven and he was due to meet Naruto at a new seafood restaurant, in the east district, at eight. He knew he shouldn't be late. Their first date had gone well, if a bit awkwardly. Naruto's friend, Shikamaru, had ended up going with them but had left about an hour into the evening. It had given them a chance to finally breathe and get to know each other better without a chaperone. Sasuke had found the time he'd spent with the man surprisingly delightful, given their first encounter and his own reticence about dating. They'd been discussing art and architecture, as Sasuke found the style of some of the newer office buildings to be fascinating, when they'd seen that the waiters were beginning to lock up.

And while this would be their third date, the second having entailed a picnic in the park and lazy conversation about their respective jobs, Sasuke was feeling excited at the prospect of going out again. He was slowly coming to terms with being out in public, and in more ways than one. Naruto had accidentally brushed his hand the other day when they'd met by chance at the same coffee shop that he'd intended to take him out to. Rather than shy away, as he'd been wont to do in the past, Sasuke had brushed his fingers up Naruto's wrist and grabbed hold of his fingers. They'd stayed that way until Naruto's turn had come up. When he left, he had brushed against Sasuke's hip silently and Sasuke had fought the urge to gaze around the room to judge people's reactions. At that time, Sasuke realized just how far back he'd been holding himself, and how far he would have to walk to get back to some semblance of the world he wanted.

Slipping the jacket on, he turned to look himself over in the full-length mirror attached to his door. His face pulled into a grimace and he went back to looking through his suit jackets, hoping to find a new one or at least one that he'd be satisfied with.

"Try the red silk dress shirt and the black jacket you wore to graduation. With the black tie that has the thin red stripes it will be just fine, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked over at his brother, Itachi, and pulled a face. The man had a very irritating habit of appearing without making a sound. It had been especially embarrassing during Sasuke's teen years considering there had been no locks to the doors in his parents' home.

"I don't need any help. Least of all from you."

Sasuke and Itachi's parents lived in an estate in the northern section of San Francisco and their father made regular trips to Hollywood and New York and other places that held branches of his advertising firm. He had been expecting his sons to follow after him, securing degrees in business.

But Itachi had announced that he would be studying biology and medicine, to become a scientist. He now worked for a pharmaceutical company in the same district that Sasuke worked. And while his father Fugaku hadn't been displeased with the revelation that Sasuke too would be branching out into other things, Sasuke had always felt like he had disappointed him. That regret was compounded by having to rely on his brother for support until he'd cleared enough pay to get his own space.

"No need to get mad. I'm just trying to help. It must be some girl, to get you so flustered," Itachi commented.

Sasuke frowned deeper and stopped fidgeting with his jacket. Their mother Mikoto, gentle and unassuming as a warm summer rain would have no issue with Sasuke's choices, he knew. She was proud of him no matter what path he had followed in school. All she wanted, as she often said while smiling over a mixing bowl filled with the makings of some grand dessert, was for Sasuke to be happy. Sasuke was certain that if he called her and told her who he was dating that she would be in the same place, brushing stray hair away from her eyes that had come loose from a bun atop her head. He imagined she would say that there was nothing wrong with loving someone and she was happy he had found it. His father and brother, on the other hand, were so close with their feelings, keeping them so hidden, that Sasuke could never be sure of anything without asking. And that was something he had never dared try, at least, until now.

"It's not a girl," he mumbled through his teeth, keeping his back rigid.

Itachi frowned. "What was that, Sasuke?"

He was sure he had heard it correctly, but felt his stomach churn at the thought.

Sasuke leveled a steady gaze at his brother and tried again, louder. "I said, it's not a girl. His name's Naruto, the guy I told you I made friends with on the train. We're dating."

Itachi took a deep breath to steady his nerves and stared back at his brother. "Oh," he replied quietly.

"That's it?" Sasuke asked. It irritated him, sometimes, that he and Itachi didn't seem able to connect. His brother's next words startled him, though.

"Well, is this the way you've always been living your life? And I don't mean the fact that you're gay. I mean that it's hard, for servicemen, to get . . . attached. I've heard that many tend to lose friends easily. So, is this man, this Naruto, someone you hope to see more of . . . become serious with?"

Sasuke took a step back and shook his head, trying to wrap his head around everything. His stomach felt tight and he took in more air.

"Are you saying you aren't offended? That it doesn't matter to you who I date, as long as I'm not playing around?"

"Honestly? I would have preferred something different for you, a more accepted way of living your life. But, that's more because this world can be very cruel. I fear for you now, but not because I'm disgusted by who you choose to love. That would never happen. You're my brother," Itachi answered quietly.

Itachi was so calm and nonchalant that Sasuke thought, for a moment, he was being toyed with. But taking a harder look at his brother's eyes, he saw that they had softened.

"You really don't care that I'm . . . gay?"

Sasuke lowered his head to gaze at the aged and gnarled hardwood of the floor. He felt a hand touch his shoulder but refused to look at his brother.

"Not one bit, Sasuke. If you're happy, then that's all that I'm concerned about. So you don't have to worry about what I think. And you shouldn't. Don't worry about father, either. He's not as hard to know as you think."

Sasuke huffed in disbelief at that. Their father had never had too much to say to Sasuke even when he was small. But then he thought back to something his mother had said when he was seven and had reached the top of his class in every subject. His father had merely nodded and clasped his shoulder. When Sasuke had brought it up later, his mother had smiled and told him that his father spoke more about him than his brother to anyone and everyone they met at parties. He was very proud of his sons but Sasuke especially held a very prominent place in everything Fugaku said and did with his life. Sasuke still had not believed her, but perhaps he hadn't been looking hard enough for it.

"Try talking to him over a game of chess sometime. He'd like that and it will make you feel better. He'll appreciate you being honest and I'm sure he won't see you any differently than I do. As for mother, the two of you were always close. She loves you and so does father, hard as you might find it to believe. We are your family. Nothing you could do would make us less proud or make that any less true," Itachi added.

And while his voice hadn't changed, the hand on Sasuke's arm kneaded the muscles gently. Sasuke couldn't seem to control his breathing well. He shuddered and shrugged out of his brother's grip. Looking up, finally, he saw that there really was more to Itachi than he had ever bothered to know before. And that thought made him sad. To be accepted was something he'd never really dared hope for.

"I'm sorry. I really thought it was better, keeping it hidden."

"I can see that, little brother. There's no shame in not wanting to suffer. Some people . . ." Itachi hesitated. He seemed to drift as Sasuke watched. "Some people don't know what they want. If you do, then go after it. Even if you never get it, it will be worth knowing that you did whatever you could to get it."

It seemed to Sasuke that he was going to say something else, but he didn't ask. Instead, he wrapped his arms awkwardly around his brother. For the first time since he was small he felt as though he had the old Itachi, the brother that would carry him all the way home from school. The person he'd looked up to ever since he could remember. Being a part of the Marine Corps had taught him a lot of things: how to survive in chaos, how to fight, about honor, and had given him the chance to be accepted into an elite group of men and women. But he had felt separated from his family for so long. And all the travel to other countries was like stepping further onto a vast, vacant planet: one that had no mercy and no place for someone like him.

"Itachi . . . ," Sasuke started. He had meant to thank him for helping him to see the way back to the world. But his brother turned away and strode toward the door.

"You really should wear the red shirt . . . and the tie and jacket. You've only got another fifteen minutes before you'll be late. Whatever you may think, it's never nice to keep a date out in the cold," he shot over his shoulder as he left.

The impish smile Sasuke could see a portion of when he turned his head was enough to clear the air.

"I told you, I don't need your help," Sasuke railed at him petulantly.

When the door was closed, however, he walked quickly over to his closet and pulled out the cranberry red silk dress shirt, striped tie and black jacket. Stripping, Sasuke changed clothes completely, adding a pair of lightly pleated dress pants to the mix. When he studied himself in the mirror again, he growled. The effect was more slimming and far more sophisticated than the other jacket and shirt. It would look even better under the soft lights of the restaurant he was taking Naruto to that evening. He mussed his fingers through his gelled hair to keep it light and stalked out of the apartment. He heard Itachi's quiet laughter as he slammed the door and growled again. iSo much for brotherly love,/i he thought while hurrying to his car. He was running late and Naruto was waiting, after all.

Naruto walked along the quaint, cobbled sidewalk quickly. He swung his arms in a wider arc than usual and clasped his hands into fists every now and then unconsciously. He was nervous. He could feel the almost pleasant knot in his stomach. But, for the life of him, he couldn't decide why. It was his third date with Sasuke and things had been going well. But maybe that was the problem. Trying to focus on the street, Naruto took a few even breaths to calm himself down before spotting Palais de la Mer.

It was an overblown name, Palace of the Sea, and the decor on the outside of the building seemed to match, with fluted columns and stone planters filled with flowers. There was even a fountain. He felt under-dressed despite wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie. His feet bothered him in the new dress shoes and they squeaked as he walked. He felt a hand going up to rub at the collar of the stiff shirt and nearly grabbed it to bring it back down. He didn't do so well in such fancy places, but Sasuke had recommended it. He'd said that his brother had gone there often and loved the food and the lighting.

Naruto was still very curious about Sasuke. He hadn't said much about his family, or his time with the Marines. But Naruto thought it would be rude to ask about the service at least. Perhaps he'd gone over to Iraq. Knowing how torn and broken the country and its people were and how badly they wanted to be rid of what they most likely viewed as outsiders, Naruto would not ask, not yet.

Naruto shuddered as the wind picked up off the bay and brought with it the acrid scent of salt and sand. The restaurant was located many miles from the shoreline but that scent seemed to get into everything. Though, he didn't mind it as much as he used to. Hell, he'd even gone surfing a few times with his roommate and Shikamaru.

Hearing the scuffing of heels on pavement, Naruto turned to see Sasuke walking up to him, hands in his pockets and that dark, sultry look in his eyes. Naruto felt his knees weaken though, to his credit, they didn't betray him.

"Hey. Did you wait long?" Sasuke said with a short wave of his hand. Naruto smiled and pushed off the low stone wall he'd leaned on, the one that wound its way throughout the turnaround in front of the entrance.

"Hi. No, uh, it's fine. This place is amazing." iIt's just a little too grand,/i Naruto wanted to say. He twisted the edge of his jacket in one hand. Hopefully, Sasuke couldn't see it.

The fountain gave off a soft light that framed his features and Sasuke pulled up to admire it. He glanced over at the water sprouting from carved fish, cupids and mermaids, then to the stone base where mica sparkled in the rock and back up at Naruto. Tilting his head, he smiled and held out a hand. Naruto took it, hesitating only a moment, and Sasuke guided him away from the wide steps of the Palais de la Mer.

"Uh, Sasuke, what are you doing? The entrance is back that way," Naruto asked, feeling the muscles in his stomach tighten up more.

"I know," Sasuke said serenely. "I just thought, looking at that fountain, that it's probably filled with stuffy waiters and a menu written in French. I should have researched it more but I got a little distracted with work. We'll go somewhere else. Don't worry, I know a place."

"Uh, alright," Naruto said, letting Sasuke lead him to his car. It was a lovely Mercedes: a brand new CLS class, fully automatic, with a rear spoiler and a paint job that changed color with different light. Right now, it was a shiny blue-black, much like Sasuke's hair. Naruto took one look and thanked his father for suggesting he buy a new suit. The only other one he owned he'd used for his college graduation and any other function, like the art shows he always went to, because he couldn't care less about fashion. He wanted to look nice, yes, but not to the point that he spent five hundred dollars on a new pair of shoes. Sasuke was apparently doing better than most other first-time journalists. Naruto whistled lowly and shook his head.

"How on earth did you get a car like this?" But then he glanced up and saw Sasuke squinting at him and ducked his head.

Naruto quickly tried to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

Sasuke wiggled his fingers that were entwined with Naruto's and stretched their arms out a bit before answering.

He lowered his head and commented dryly, "It was a gift. From my father, for completing my three-year tour in the Marines. I never did anything but my job as a loadmaster, but he though it was enough. I never really . . ." Sasuke trailed off, not sure Naruto was interested in hearing about it. But Naruto smiled encouragingly and Sasuke huffed out a sigh before speaking again.

"I never really understood why. I suppose I thought I should have done something like get sent over there."

Sasuke waved a hand around him as if swatting at annoying insects and grimaced. Naruto had heard the term often in the news and docudramas about the war effort. 'Over there' meant over in Iraq. And that meant the possibility of being torn apart by an improvised explosive mine, watching your friends get cut down by heavy machine gun fire, or something equally as appalling. Instead of getting into the car as Sasuke held the door open, he stepped lightly in front of him and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders.

"I'm glad you got this without having to do that. Though I guess it seems, to most people, like a joke. But I'm sure your father was very proud of you and really didn't know any other way of showing it. That's what I see, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, his breath coming out in little puffs that brushed the long bangs away from Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke let out a breath and stepped a little closer, feeling their bodies almost touch in that electric way that seems to pull into itself, guiding their hips together. The contact seemed to startle Naruto. Sasuke felt him jump a little. But he brought his hands down to knead the muscles just above the connection lightly and Naruto relaxed. Sasuke bit his lower lip, unsure of how long he could keep it going but more scared of what would happen or what he might do if it continued. Stepping back so they were no longer touching with their bodies but keeping his hands where they were, Sasuke leaned his forehead down a spare inch or two to meet Naruto's. He closed his eyes sighed happily.

"I think . . . ," He started to say and then brushed his lips against Naruto's temple. "I think, maybe, you have a point. And that, maybe, I should have moved here a long time ago."

Naruto tilted his head back, a little sad when Sasuke's warmth floated away. "What does that mean? That you should have moved here earlier?"

He thought he knew, but it felt too quick to have such feelings. And yet it seemed to make things simpler. He knew where Sasuke stood now. And he found himself drawn in to the same smoldering and sultry look Sasuke had given him at the start of the evening. The same look he'd been wearing when they'd met. Sasuke smiled with his eyes, a tiny curve to his lips, and leaned his head down again. But this time his mouth brushed against Naruto's and the effect was instant. Naruto gasped at the tingling heat and Sasuke closed the gap made by it. Their lips brushed, touched and held on smoothly. Then the kiss ended, but not before Naruto felt his knees go weak again.

"iI/ithink, maybe, we can skip the date," Naruto murmured into the juncture of Sasuke's neck.

He played his tongue out to flick it over the skin and Sasuke hissed and tilted his head back. He wrapped a hand into Naruto's hair and pulled him forward for a heated, passionate press of lips. Naruto felt his teeth pressing into the inside of his mouth and screwed his eyes shut. The force of their second kiss nearly brought him off his feet. Sasuke's other hand held him still and firm from around the waist. They broke away to pant into each other's space. But Naruto, not to be outdone, nipped and licked at Sasuke's mouth and Sasuke returned with just as much, if not more, passion than before. They finally broke away for good, Sasuke stepping back to run a shaking hand through his hair and lean on the side of the car, breath heavy. Naruto, eyes widened from passion and also having trouble taking in air, stared at him mutely. Sasuke smirked devilishly.

"No, I think dinner first then maybe, if you want, we'll try this again. I don't want you to think I'm easy, after all," he quipped.

"Huh," Naruto said at first, still trying to catch his breath. Then he snickered.

"Yeah, no one would think that," Naruto shot back with a hint of sarcasm. He grinned, secretly happy. And not just from the amount of chemistry he and Sasuke seemed to share. He ran through Sasuke's words in his head again and realized that they had been meant for his benefit, so that he would be able to feel comfortable around Sasuke should they end up taking it farther than a kiss in front of some swanky restaurant. A sudden thought struck Naruto, though, as he got settled into the soft cloth of the car's interior.

"Hey, you have a car!" he exclaimed rather stupidly.

"Yes, Naruto. I'm so glad you've finally noticed it," Sasuke emitted dryly, raising an eyebrow at him, as he got into his side.

"Well, I mean," Naruto carried on, looking down at the dashboard and frowning. "Why don't you use it? You take the train and trolleys around the city instead. Why?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and gestured at the spotless leather and soft velvet around them.

"Well, just look at it. Would you risk taking this out all the time? Not to mention, it's cheaper to ride the train than to spend money on gas the way the prices are at the pump."

Naruto nodded in agreement. It was the one thing that kept him form buying his own. Public transportation in San Francisco was not only easier on his wallet, but it afforded him constant changes in view and the ability to move around the city just as easily as if he drove. Still, it was too nice a vehicle to be left sitting at some garage for months, only to be let out when Sasuke felt it was worth it. Then he smiled - pleased that Sasuke thought a date with him was worth the possible risk of theft to his highly expensive present.

"Yeah, but just think what this thing can do on curves."

Sasuke stared at him a moment. They'd come to a red light and were waiting for the changeover. He laughed then, a light and airy giggle. Soon, Naruto was laughing right along with him and the heat of their earlier passion died off completely. It was now very comfortable in the small space, enough that Naruto was able to relax back and enjoy the rest of the ride.

After dinner, Sasuke had offered to take Naruto home to his small apartment in the southeast corner of South San Francisco City instead of Naruto having to take the train. The thought both exited and unnerved him. But Naruto agreed and they were now crawling sedately through his neighborhood, their hands lightly clasped together in the space between the seats. The steakhouse they had eaten at had turned out to be a much better choice than the French restaurant. The air inside was warm but not stifling, the lighting just low enough, and the accents along the walls with the scrolling ornamental flowers in the wallpaper had fed the night with a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Naruto had enjoyed himself, almost too much.

He'd also learned more about Sasuke, his family and the places he'd traveled to. Sasuke, when Naruto had commented about how much more relaxed he'd seemed than on their first two dates, wondering if he really had gotten better at trying to be more open with his lifestyle choices, had told him about what his brother had said to him.

Naruto had squeezed his fingers and smiled in that delightfully cheerful way, saying, "I'm glad it worked out. I had a feeling, from what little you told me about them, that they wouldn't react badly to it. I'm really, really glad for you."

Sasuke had been happy when he'd heard that, surprisingly. It's not that he'd been thinking Naruto would say something rude just that his words, his smile and the comfort he offered made him feel so good. On the other hand, he was also a bundle of raw nerves at this point. He was worried about the rest of the night, how Naruto would react if they continued their earlier exchange and why Naruto seemed to fidget away every time Sasuke got too close.

He wondered if he'd been too forward in his eagerness to touch, and taste, the other man. There hadn't been anything more than some light teasing between them, with their hands, over the tabletop at dinner. The interaction no longer worried Sasuke as long as he didn't think about it or look at the other patrons.

Slowly, he was becoming more comfortable with his decision to be more open about himself, not that it was anyone else's business what he did with his life. But he wasn't hiding it anymore. His talk with Itachi had helped immensely in that regard. The fear of alienating his parents, especially his father who he'd thought was already some kind of different species altogether, had weighed so heavily on his shoulders. He slid the car to a gentle stop in front of the right house number noting a car in the driveway. He arched an eyebrow in Naruto's direction and squeezed his hand gently. Naruto didn't pull away this time, just leaned into Sasuke's shoulder.

"Do you have company?" Sasuke asked off-handedly, even though he desperately wanted to know.

"What?" Naruto asked confused, and then leaned over Sasuke's lap to look at the car.

"Oh! No, that's my roommate. Guess I should have said something earlier, but I wasn't sure how you'd react. Honestly, I didn't think I'd be able to get so close to someone so quickly, especially after . . ." Naruto stopped, afraid he'd said too much in his nervous ranting. Sasuke cocked his head and the corners of his mouth turned down. But he didn't look angry, he looked interested maybe even a tiny bit concerned.

"Especially after 'what', Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto took a deep breath and his hand traveled to the door handle.

"I had a great time, Sasuke. I want to do this again . . . really. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Sasuke sat in the car a moment before pushing himself out quickly and jogging a little to catch up to Naruto on the step.

"Hey," he said, grabbing lightly onto Naruto's elbow. "Don't do that. Come on, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine but don't just run."

"I'm not running," Naruto cried out, backing into the door and glaring at him. "I just didn't want to bring it up after we had such a good time at dinner, that's all."

He lowered his head until the mess of spikes on top floated down to cover his eyes, something Sasuke noticed he did when he wanted to hide the look in them. Then Naruto took a deep breath and tried to explain.

"It's really no big deal, anyway. I had a boyfriend for a while. We broke up about six months ago. I'd been seeing him for almost two years but it always felt more like I was doing something wrong: always hiding, being treated in public and around his friends and family as just another one of the guys instead of his lover. I hated myself for a while because of the way I let him make me feel. So we broke up and I swore I wasn't going to ever let myself get involved with someone who couldn't be more open."

Sasuke thought it had to have taken some enormous strength to do the things Naruto had. And, all for the sake of trying to find a better way to live the way he wanted. He mentally berated himself for even asking.

"I'm sorry. You didn't have to do that, Naruto. I just got confused with the way you were at dinner. And I like you. In fact, I think it's more than that. Even though it's so soon, I . . ." He stopped suddenly to collect his thoughts and pushed on before Naruto could reply.

"I'm not saying it's going to be perfect. There might still be a place or a situation that freaks me out when we're there together. You know, like we were tonight. But I'm honestly feeling better than I have in years. I like this new road I'm on and I have you to thank for it. So, if you want to take it slower, we can. Just don't say you want to quit."

Naruto still had his head down and his hands balled into fists. His shoulders shook with tension which made the laughter that bubbled out of him both surprising and unsettling to Sasuke. When Naruto looked up his eyes were clear and bright, no trouble in the waters, just a lovely light blue. Sasuke found it captivating, how they could change with his mood, the light or even the time of day.

"You and I definitely need to go out more 'cuz you really don't know me well enough yet. I don't give up so easily, even when it's hard. And for the record," Naruto said stepping closer.

For a moment Sasuke nearly brought a hand up to cover his guard, memories of the fast movements and hard hit he'd gotten from Naruto in his shop dancing behind his eyes. Naruto closed the gap between them, and gently, he kissed him. The anger that had smoldered and turned his eyes a smoky blue faded and they returned to the light color Sasuke had seen a few moments before.

"I like you too," Naruto finished.

"Now are you coming in for coffee? You can meet my roommate. But, maybe I should tell you," Naruto threw over his shoulder, turning toward the door, "He's in the military. I'm not sure what branch, so if you want to wait until he goes to bed, I can deal with it."

Naruto was giving him an easy out. Or maybe it was a test, to see if his resolve was truly getting stronger. Sasuke wasn't having any of it though. He'd already considered putting in full discharge papers even before meeting Naruto. Now, he had only to get them to his superiors on Monday and he would be free of the double standard, discriminating bullshit. Not that he hated everything else the military had done for him, or the mission statement and the position they represented for their country. He had to clear his throat, though, both from the lingering taste of Naruto and from the anxiety he fought down to its proper place. Striding up the steps coolly, he reached for the door handle, wrapping his fingers around Naruto's warm hand.

"I think I can handle it, Naruto," he said with a touch of heat. "If you really want to have my company, who am I to say no?"

Sasuke was joking with him again, but part of him was serious and that part was just a little scary. When had he gotten so risqué? Scratch that. He remembered well how he used to seduce his partners only to leave them the first chance he got, so he changed his grip to rub at the back of Naruto's wrist.

"But, it's more that I want you to know I'm not going anywhere."

Naruto raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything more as he opened the door to his apartment. The living area that the front door opened into was spacious, covered in light grey carpet and had tasteful and bright prints from local artists on the walls. The CD collection that Sasuke suspected was Naruto's framed a thirty-two inch TV screen and there were a fair amount of DVDs on the shelves below the entertainment unit. The couches and chair, in light cream and soft cotton, looked very inviting. Sasuke suddenly felt very at home and wondered if it was just an effect leftover from the restaurant or from being in Naruto's presence. The sound of pots clanging together drew his attention and Sasuke could see tile peeking out of a doorway he assumed led to the kitchen.

They both took their shoes off at the door, a habit that Sasuke, and no doubt Naruto, carried over from their Japanese heritage. Walking into the kitchen, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, stunned, at the sight of Akimichi Chouji in front of the stove. He was sure the man was military, a Marine in fact, because they had served in the same Reserve unit for the past year. They'd only seen each other and spoken a few times in passing. But, seeing him now, Sasuke realized why Shikamaru had gotten him so wary. He remembered hearing the name from Chouji. They were best friends from high school, and the way Chouji had spoken of him, Sasuke had actually thought they might have been lovers.

Chouji turned, a smile brightening his face and accenting the henna tattoos he wasn't allowed to where to unit meetings or while training on base. The veritable bush of sandy brown hair and warm, brown eyes only added to the effect. He was very solid, despite looking overweight, and actually only had to drop a maximum of ten pounds any time they had fitness testing to keep in shape per military guidelines.

"Oh! Naruto! You're back! How'd it go?" Then he seemed to finally catch sight of Sasuke, who was having trouble holding his laughter in. He finally couldn't help it and let loose with a peel of near hysterical proportions.

"Huh?" Chouji said, blinking at him. "Sasuke? What are you doing here? Did I miss a meeting?"

Naruto was looking back and forth between them, confused, when Sasuke held up his hand and shook his head.

"No, there's no meeting, Chouji. Doesn't matter anyway since I think I'm getting out completely. I didn't want to say anything until it was official though." The last he said over his shoulder to Naruto while reaching out to grasp Chouji's hand in a form of a handshake popular with Marines.

"Wait you two know each other? And you," he said looking at Chouji, "You're in the Marines? I thought you said you were in the Coastguard before going to some kind of reserve duty."

"The Coastguard?!" Chouji said while making a face. He turned to Sasuke, who looked down just as disdainfully and sniffed. "No, that was my father."

"They're pansies," Sasuke said in answer to Naruto's question before he could even ask. Naruto rolled his eyes and threw up his hands dramatically.

"Whatever, Chouji. Look, now that I know Sasuke's not going to get into any trouble, do you mind?"

Chouji blinked at him for a second and then looked at Sasuke, then back over to Naruto. Suddenly, he brightened up and smiled.

"Oh! Yeah! Sure! You know, I always thought you two would be good together," he said in passing.

He ducked back into the kitchen to look sternly at Naruto making his slanted, narrow eyes nearly disappear in the flesh of his overly round cheeks. But it was still menacing, especially after hearing what he'd really been doing in the service. Naruto backed up a few feet, and then a few more.

"What?" he asked

"Don't touch the oven! I'm making apple cobbler. It's for Shikamaru's birthday. If you do . . ."

Naruto waved his hands in front of him comically and called, "Okay, okay. I get it. Can you go now?"

Chouji nodded, satisfied, and then turned to nod at Sasuke before rounding the corner to what Sasuke assumed was the bedroom area. He was curious, but followed Naruto to the couch to sit and talk a little while the instant coffee he had set up percolated.

"You've got a pretty large collection of music, I see," Sasuke commented. What he really wanted was to kiss Naruto again, but he didn't think it would go over well if they started with it.

Naruto nodded and grinned with his eyes closed.

"It took me a while, and quite a few pieces of my income from the shop, but I thought it was all worth it. You want me to put some on?"

The question opened up an idea in Sasuke's mind. He'd seen some of the titles and Naruto's style seemed to be eclectic enough to have what he wanted to listen to.

"Do you know 'A Bitter Song'? It's from a group called . . ."

"Butterfly Boucher," Naruto finished for him, looking excited. "It was one of the last ones I picked up. Not too many people know about them. I'm surprised you like it."

Naruto got off the couch to put the CD in and went to check on the coffee. When he came back, two steaming cups of aromatic Hawaiian blend in hand, Sasuke shrugged and answered him.

"It's not usually my thing, but it sounded too good when I heard it for the first time a few months ago. There's a haunting lilting quality that was almost as sad as the lyric. I like it because you can think of a couple of things the singer meant rather than it being so obvious."

Naruto settled in to face Sasuke, one knee bent and up on the cushion with his arm wrapped around it.

"Yeah," he said quietly, letting the strains of the piano in the song wash around the room. They sipped quietly at their drinks for a moment. Then Sasuke set the cup down on the dark wood coffee table in front of him.

He leaned into Naruto's space but hesitated before closing the distance.

"You know, Naruto. There's something else I want to do more than listen to some good music."

He kept his voice light, not forcing anything.

"What's that?" Naruto murmured, even though he could guess.

"I want to kiss you right now," Sasuke answered evenly.

"Then, why don't you?" Naruto replied.

Sasuke took the cue and moved in. Their lips met gently. He opened his mouth a little to touch his tongue against Naruto's soft lips. Naruto made a small sound in his throat and opened for him. Their tongues mingled together wetly, beautifully. Sasuke reached a hand to caress Naruto's knee and slid it up his thigh when Naruto shifted to lower it. But it wasn't enough.

Sasuke titled his head and gripped Naruto's shirt front, pulling him closer. The kiss hardened and he breathed in slowly, drinking in the scent of coffee, Naruto's cologne and his own that all washed together in a sea of heady and dark richness. He reached for the button at the top of the black shirt Naruto wore, but hesitated.

"I want to take this off," he said, more to let Naruto know that they could stop, if he wanted.

Naruto's eyes had glazed over a little as he looked up at him, breath sharp and quick to Sasuke's ears.

"Okay."

Sasuke leaned back and started to unbutton the shirt slowly. When he'd reached the juncture of his slacks, Sasuke stopped. He pulled from behind Naruto instead, grazing the small of his back slightly. Naruto shuddered and sighed. The jacket went first, then the shirt and Sasuke was drunk already. Ribbed abdominal muscles bunched and contracted at his touch and Sasuke let it go to his head, all of it. Naruto's chest, a lovely hint of honey in the color, was completely shaved. And, though Sasuke kept some of his own, he always enjoyed the silky hardness when a lover of his didn't have any.

"What about you?" Naruto asked, suddenly a little nervous. But it was more excitement than a bad feeling.

Sasuke let his bangs cover some of his face and let the passion that balled in his stomach reach his eyes. He'd learned how to do that a long time ago, knowing how it brought things out in people that made sex so much better than he had ever imagined before doing it. Sasuke nodded and placed Naruto's shaking hands on his chest. The feeling was warmer than earlier in the night, out in the cold. Naruto grasped the material and rubbed it between his fingers, the thump of Sasuke heartbeat just a few inches away. Naruto reached upward and undid the first few buttons quickly, slowing down as he exposed more of Sasuke's pale, nearly glowing skin. But Naruto hesitated after the shirt and jacket came down.

Sasuke could feel his erection growing more impatient. They kissed again, slowly. And again, it wasn't enough. Sasuke ran his tongue around Naruto's lips and nibbled at his mouth lightly. Naruto's hand strayed to the belt securing Sasuke's pants and stayed there. That was all that Sasuke needed. But before he took it further, he grasped Naruto's chin in the fingers of one hand and titled it until he could see his eyes.

"Naruto, I want to ask you about something, before this goes further."

Naruto nodded after a moment and Sasuke continued.

"How do you feel about making this . . . a little rougher?" Naruto frowned and Sasuke hurried to correct his mistake.

"I don't mean for you. I like . . . well, if you use your teeth a little, that would be enough. Don't worry about me, I know when to say something if it gets to be too much."

Naruto studied him a moment, but he found Sasuke's hand caressing his thigh to be a distraction. He nodded his head slowly, not trusting his voice just yet. Sasuke came in for another kiss, but made it just as slow as before. He didn't want to make Naruto more uncomfortable than he already seemed to be.

"You sure?" Naruto asked as he started to undo the buttons of Sasuke's pants.

"Yeah," Sasuke said breathily.

"You want bottom, or top?" he thought to ask before he got too close. It already had become stifling in the room, the music, on replay, began again and Sasuke groaned. Naruto had just brushed his crotch with the palm of his hand.

"I like bottom, actually. But if you want it rough, maybe we could try it the other way for now."

Sasuke wasn't usually on the receiving end, not that he didn't like it. But he understood Naruto's reticence. And it was their first time together, so he didn't want to ruin it.

"Sounds good," he mumbled into Naruto's ear distractedly.

Naruto pushed Sasuke's pants and boxers away as much as their position would allow and felt for Sasuke's penis blindly. Wrapping his fingers at the base, he moved his hand upward fast and hard. He played his teeth along Sasuke's earlobe and turned his head to capture Sasuke's lips in a bruising kiss. When Sasuke called out in the mounting pleasure, he tried to stifle it. Naruto breathed a laugh near his cheek.

"Don't worry about Chouji. He's dead to the world the moment his head hits the pillow. I've only had a few lovers over, but I learned that pretty quickly."

Sasuke nodded and closed his eyes as they fought for a better place. It was awkward, but only for the time it took for Sasuke to get his and Naruto's pants off completely. When they were both naked, seated in front of one another, Sasuke caressed Naruto's elbows and used them to pull him close for a sweet, gentle open-mouthed kiss. Sasuke had curled his legs in at first and he now straightened them out, bent his knees and widened the gap. Naruto took the hint and slid in between them.

He reached down with one hand to caress Sasuke's balls while using the other to fist his hair tightly. Another bruising kiss and Sasuke was moaning. Naruto used his teeth again to play at a nipple, his head bent low, and Sasuke nearly screamed. It was so good. He wondered, with what little presence of mind left to him, how Naruto could know just how far to take it. But he got his answer with the next thing Naruto whispered, right in his ear.

"Is this good? I just tried to do what you reacted to more. Is this what you like . . . Sasuke?"

It was so sultry, not dark or commanding at all. Sasuke nearly felt himself melt at the rich, scratchy baritone. He slid his hands around Naruto's back, playing with the muscles and nodded into his shoulder. Naruto, his own face now near the crook of Sasuke's neck, bit down lightly with just enough pressure behind it to make Sasuke's vision turn white.

"Ah, Naruto. I'm so close. Could we . . . ? I mean, do you have anything? Not that I think you're the kind of guy . . . ," Sasuke faltered and stuttered his way around his swollen lips and tongue.

He felt so hot, so aroused. But to not have protection, to not even have asked about it, made him self-conscious and was slowly killing the mood. His cock was so wet and hard too. It brushed against Naruto's stomach, the muscles there flinching contracting, and Naruto's own stout cock meeting it at times, that Sasuke bit at his lip again. He felt rather than heard Naruto's silent laughter. But he untangled from Sasuke's grasp long enough to reach for his pants.

"I'm not easy, just prepared," he said, then looked to Sasuke, a challenge in his eyes. Sasuke said nothing, just waited for Naruto to roll the condom on.

When Naruto got back into position, this time with Sasuke's hips snugly against his stomach and Sasuke's cock trapped in the wonderful heat of their bodies, Sasuke moaned again. Naruto huffed and moaned as well, sweat running down his beautiful skin to mix with Sasuke's own. Naruto reached down again, trying to work a finger into Sasuke's tight bottom, but Sasuke moved his hand away.

"I like it rough, remember? Just do it. Please!" He added the last bit because Naruto had hesitated. Indeed, he'd looked almost worried.

But Naruto relented and steadied himself with a deep breath. He grabbed Sasuke's hips, pushing upward slightly, to give himself more room. Sasuke helped by leaning onto his shoulders, careful not to put too much weight forward. It was awkward at first, Naruto having trouble getting his cock to slide easily into Sasuke. But a little more force and he felt it surrounded by Sasuke's inner walls, a lot of heat and nearly choking pressure. But it was so good, so welcoming. With Sasuke clawing at his back and moaning in pleasure, Naruto pushed up slowly again. A few more experimental pushes and he settled into a steady rhythm. The pressure around his cock had eased just enough to make the heat melt into it. God, it felt so good.

"Naruto, yeah, just like that," Sasuke whispered into his ear. Naruto curled his fingers around Sasuke's hips tighter and pushed in harder, deeper. Sasuke felt the initial bit of pain and irritation on his inner walls ease and there was nothing but unbridled pleasure. Soon, it was unbearable, the feeling of Naruto's cock spreading warmth and a pleasant tingling into his own cock and upwards to his stomach.

Sasuke cried out and threw his head back. His voice died on him then. He couldn't handle it anymore. But Naruto, so intuitive, seemed to sense it. Or maybe he was just as close. He sped up his thrusts and soon they were both shouting out, hoarse and rough, in each other's ears. It took a few minutes before Sasuke was able to slide off of Naruto. He gathered some of his clothes, intent on finding some way of cleaning up, when a hand stilled him. Naruto looked at him, desire still flickering embers and sparks of electric blue in a field of storm grey.

"Are you leaving . . . Sasuke?" And though the question was calm and unassuming, Sasuke felt the heavy molasses it laid down at his feet. But he wasn't worried, not at all.

"Not unless you want me to. I told you, I'm not going anywhere."

And although he had meant it differently than the present situation called for, that was all that Naruto apparently needed. He smiled gently, so beautifully. It lit up his whole face. Instead of replying, Naruto got up and beckoned for Sasuke to follow. Once he'd been shown into the bathroom and taken the time to clean up, Sasuke went in search of the rest of his clothes. But when he entered the bedroom Naruto had indicated as his, the shades were drawn, the lights turned down low and there was Naruto, still nude and laying over the covers. Sasuke laughed under his breath and decided he could match that easily. He deftly removed his clothes and slid down next to Naruto. His new lover grumbled in his sleep a little and turned to his side. But Sasuke's shoulder impeded his hand and he blinked awake.

"Hey there, lover. Mind if I join you?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded, then frowned and shook his head. Sasuke laughed softly again and snuggled in beside him. The night was warm, even if only in Naruto's bedroom. Naruto nodded off again in moments and Sasuke lay awake for not too long after. He felt better, somehow, knowing that Naruto was there. And Naruto dreamed off nothing, one hand loosely draped over Sasuke's hip. For the first time in a long time, he dreamed of nothing and slept soundly while another person shared his bed.