Author Notes:

Thank you for clicking to this story. It will be a simple one, probably around eight chapters. I just went to a restaurant I really love the other day and this story hit me there. So yeah, expect a lot of mushiness, food and love in this story, I'll try to stay away from the drama xD. Many thanks to my lovely beta, SimplyCliche, for her amazing work, without you darling, this work won't be posted… ever.

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me… unfortunately.

A jade-eyed girl with a light complexion tied her rosy locks into a high bun, using the green ribbon that was a kind gift for her twenty third birthday, before she fixed her form-hugging apron around her slim curves. When she had finished sprucing herself up, she lightly skipped into the kitchen and – upon opening the wooden door leading to the kitchen – greeted its occupants chirpily.

"Good morning, everyone~!"

She was hit with a dreadful black aura, which stained the often serene environment with a great deal of negativity. The waitress made her way further into the kitchen. When she dared to crack an eye open, she shrunk away from the restaurant owner's deathly glare. The glare seemed to be honing in on the unfortunate employees that dared to meet the heated stare. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other three chefs beg for her to ease the atmosphere around their boss so that they could finish their jobs. Sweat-dropping, she gave off her agreement. The girl carefully approached the morose-looking male as she repeated her greeting for his, as well as everyone else's, benefit.

"Earth to Naruto~ I said good morning~!"

When no response was forthcoming, she waved a hand before the male's face and managed to elicit a response from his clear cerulean eyes, which blinked and turned towards her. As his smooth and well-cut features, along with his sun-kissed skin, faced her, she felt her jealousy flare up at his perfectly tanned form. No matter how many hours she spent tanning or how much money she spent doing so, her skin could never seem to reach that degree of clarity and softness that Naruto had been blessed with from birth.

However, the waitress had to suppress her jealousy as his trademark grin was plastered onto his previously-sulking lips. With a sigh to the sudden shift in his features, Haruno Sakura listened to the heavenly voice greet back.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. Ah, I'm sorry… I didn't see you there."

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes at his lame apology. "Yeah, you were too busy frightening your staff to notice little old me. So, what's gotten your panties in a bunch so early in the morning?"

The white hat, which had been concealing spiked locks of burnished gold, was taken down from its perch on his head. Naruto allowed his features to twist into another frown and gave off his reason. "Well… he's here again."

It didn't take a genius to figure out who the blond was talking about and, within moments, she sighed and cast a baleful glare at the irritated male. "Just ignore him, Naruto. You can't afford to get mad every time he comes to dine."

"Look, I don't have any personal problems with the dude… but if he wants to eat in my restaurant, he'd better change that disgusted look of his! My food isn't trash that should be received with such an ungrateful expression!"

"You can't control how everyone perceives your cooking, you know. Besides, Naruto, there are a lot of customers who love it, like me, so don't allow him to get to you like this. His opinion doesn't even matter, for goodness' sakes."

"Yes, it does! Every opinion matters! I make food for everyone to enjoy and take comfort in, not… not so people would eat it like they're eating a horse's dung!"

Sakura sighed and turned to gaze out the small glass window that separated the kitchen area from the dining area while Naruto seethed. In a single glance, she was able to locate the seat of the male who'd driven her boss to his wits' ends… and, as always, he was calmly dining in his accustomed spot. The sight of the females gawking at the handsome male and forgetting their dishes in the face of his ethereal beauty seemed to fit in almost seamlessly with his dignified air, which only served to drive Naruto to even greater paroxysms of irritation and anger.

The pink-haired waitress couldn't blame the girls; after all, the dude was smoking hot! He had a face that seemed to be carved by angels, and even that lofty description wasn't enough to express how beatific and divine his features were. She was sure that, if she was given the chance, she would write a poem dedicated to those dark eyes that seemed to look coolly at everything and yet reveal nothing of their owner's thoughts. His aquiline nose, which matched up well with his fine and even eyebrows, could've inspired her to sing a ballad about his beauty, and his plump lips… she could probably spend the rest of her life kissing them without feeling an ounce of wooziness.

Shivers went down her spine as she beheld the sole perfection of his features and she bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep a dreamy sigh from escaping her mouth.

Yes, she was an unashamed fangirl, just like those idiotic girls outside, who didn't mind the thought of becoming slaves to such a hottie. However, before her drool could stand a chance of leaving her mouth, which would result in her futile attempts to explain her lack of anger towards the raven haired male, Sakura jolted herself out of her nice fantasies and quickly straightened up under the chef's scrutinizing gaze.

"Sakura! Stop daydreaming about your lives together right this instant!"

Sakura sheepishly smiled, before she stuck her tongue out at being caught red-handed in her delightful reverie. "Sorry, Naruto, but c'mon~! That dude's absolutely hot! He has the most handsome face, the picture-perfect hair to go with it… and, God, that body is just beyond words!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and directed his attention to something beside the raven haired male as he grumbled complaints under his breath. "I don't see how that chicken-butt hair of his or his puny body could appeal to you… but if you want to daydream, then do it when you're not on the clock. Tables six and eleven need tending to, so go and attend to them, please."

She was about to comment on the 'puny body' comment but, since it was clear that Naruto was trying his best to forget the presence of the perpetually-revolted male and actually focus on other paying customers for a change, Sakura smiled at his determination. With a final thump on his back as a means of encouraging him to persevere, she went out to do her own job and left him to do his own.

Ever since Sakura had known Naruto, she had realized that he was incredibly fond of food. The blond used to love eating and was in a fairytale love story with every single dish he tasted, to the point where he'd stay late at his father's restaurant and watch him work. All his childhood memories seemed to revolve around him playing with a recipe his father had taught him. As far as Sakura knew, Naruto's childhood revolved around the mysteries of culinary arts.

Even when his family's restaurant was demolished right after he'd lost his parents in a tragic accident, Naruto was drawn to the empty space and would often be found sitting at its ruins, where he'd stare at the crumbling rubble for hours on end. He'd told her of his desire to become a chef in their first year of high school. Waxing on about how he wanted to revive the restaurant and seeing people's heart fill with content and happiness because of his cooking, and she had accepted his dream for the heartfelt ambition that it was.

Sakura had encouraged him every step on the way, despite the fact that it was a very hard path to walk. Naruto didn't have any superior skills or mind-blowing talent for the craft – in fact, the first meal he'd cooked for her was lousy as hell and she'd puked it out – but, even without skills or experience, Naruto managed to ace his profession. His hard-working nature, which made him seem like the most hard-working person anyone could ever meet, allowed him to sacrifice his life so that he could dedicate his energy to the art of cooking. With the combination of his inner determination and his undying will, he was able to shine.

Although misfortune befell him in the form of failed events and his initial expulsion from his culinary school, he didn't give up. Instead, Naruto continued to work in different places as he gained experience and stocked up on his culinary knowledge. Sakura had held the biggest respect for the unyielding soul of his and, as a result, she had supported him dearly in every step he took.

Eventually, when his cooking became accredited and praised, doors started to open up for him in recognition of his hard-earned skills. People came to like his meals and, by using his savings, Naruto bought a small restaurant in a cozy neighborhood that soon overflowed with the same atmosphere that his father's restaurant once had. He was finally forging his own golden path through life at the young age of twenty-five and, to be honest, she couldn't have been more proud of her gold-hearted friend and his abounding determination to succeed.

After she'd taken a rag and headed towards table six, Sakura started wiping down the table. Since she was still studying business at college, she had taken a part-time job as a waitress to earn some income on the side, so that she could help both herself and her best friend.

However, as she cleaned the table, Sakura couldn't help herself from glancing at the black-clad raven haired male – who had just finished his dish – or prevent her heart from skipping a beat. She almost fainted when their eyes locked but, when he signaled for her to come, she did so as professionally as she could… after disposing of the rag, of course, and straightening out her outfit so that she looked a little better in front of the male.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'd like my check, please."

The pink-haired female nodded and went over to the register to get the bill, while the envious eyes of nearby female customers glared at her for having the privilege to talk to the sexy guy. With a great deal of pride and a slight bit of smugness, Sakura ignored them and collected the slip of paper she needed, before she offered the bill to her customer.

"There you go, sir."

The raven haired male gave the bill a cursory glance, before he withdrew his wallet. With a curt nod, he handed his money to her, before he stood up and made his way out of the cozy restaurant. Sakura wiped her drool, which had managed to leak out this time, and made her way towards the register to deposit the bill as she absentmindedly counted the money. However, when she counted an amount that was more than the appointed price, Sakura blinked in startled surprise and frowned to herself.

"Maybe he read it wrong…"

"Read what wrong?" A soothing voice asked.

Sakura glanced at the black-haired male sitting behind the register and quizzically answered him. "The customer that just walked out paid a lot more than the bill's price had asked."

"…Let me see."

She handed the slip of paper and money to the sunglasses-wearing male and waited for him to confirm her words, but she had barely handed it over when he, too, frowned slightly. "You're right."

"Told ya."

"Well, there's nothing we can do now, since he went out and there's a rather slim chance of you finding him. I suppose the best option would be to wait around until he comes again and give him his money back then."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully, before she smiled and began to turn away. "Alright, I'll go to my work now, Shino."

"Work hard."

"I always do~"

With that, the waitress known as Haruno Sakura skipped merrily to table six to continue cleaning it as more customers entered the restaurant famous for its cheerful chef and wonderful staff.

"Oh, wait a moment! Are you talking about the dude who always gives Naruto a hard time?"

Shino nodded as he changed back to his regular clothes, since his shift had finished bare minutes ago. He glanced at the male who had been doing the same shift as him and answered.

"Yes… do you know him?"

Disheveled brown hair whipped in Shino's direction as a pair of excited black eyes and a foolishly large grin, which seemed like it was about to break the face of its wearer into two, met his impassive gaze. "Yep~! He comes here for dinner every Thursday."

"I don't know if I should be thankful for you, Kiba, since you could actually memorize something in that empty head of yours, or whether I should be scared that you've evolved from a first class dog to an amateur stalker."

The male known as Kiba dressed himself, before he smacked his friend on the back. "Shut up, A-hole! I just remembered it because he's always doing it."

"Doing what?"

"Giving really lofty tips."

The taller of the two frowned and tried to get an explanation from the shorter one. "What do you mean by that? Does he always give more than the meal's worth when he pays?"

"Yeah… I followed after him the first time it happened and I tried to return the money back, but he refused to take it back. He said that what he paid was the actual worth of the meal, which was contrary to the face he made when he was eating it… but who cares when we get more money~!"

Shino smacked the stupid brunet on the back of his head as he glared levelly at him. "I take my words back; you're still a stupid mutt. In any case, when'd this start happening?"

"Hey! Stop hitting me! I'll get permanent brain damage if you continue!"

"Your brain's already damaged, so there's nothing for you to lose anyway. Now tell me, when did he start doing this?"

"Jerk. But honestly, I can't remember… it might've been two or three weeks, or maybe even a month… I dunno, man…"

"And you've been putting the extra money in the cash register, right?"

"'Course~"

Shino pulled on his jacket and sighed quietly. "Well, that explains a lot then. I've been detecting an increase in the amount of the money the restaurant produces and I'd been planning to pull an all-nighter to review everything and see where it was coming from… but now I know."

"If you'd just asked me, I'd have told you, you know."

"Don't talk, mutt. You did more than enough damage already as it is; Naruto needs to know about this and you should've informed him earlier."

Kiba scowled and sulked at his friend, who was about to rat him out to their boss when he hadn't done anything that he considered to be wrong. "Why are you telling him? There's no need; we're just making a lot of money from someone who thinks our cooking's worth it, so what's the problem?"

"Business isn't run this way, idiot. Besides, if he really thinks our cooking's such a blast, he wouldn't be eating it with such a disgusted expression."

"B-But…"

"Besides, Naruto wouldn't allow someone to do something like this in his restaurant. Prices were made to fit both the restaurant and the customers, so increasing or decreasing the price depends on us, not them. Something like this shouldn't be allowed to happen, yet you let it happen for so long. You just gave a huge blow to your boss's pride and you don't even realize it, you damn mutt."

Kiba sulked, despite the fact that the place where Shino was standing at a minute ago was empty, and puffed his cheeks as he continued dressing to start his shift. "Jeez, what's pride got to do with this? I just saved us a lot of cash… stupid Shino."

Naruto tried to wipe his dark anger from his features and concentrate on the soup he was making, which he only succeeded in doing after five failed attempts. Last night, Shino had come and told him about the extra funds that had been accepted inside his restaurant without his knowledge, and he'd given the foolish Kiba a piece of his mind. How the hell could he accept the money that was an obvious mockery to the chef?!

If that money was given from the desire to tell him how wonderful the dishes he cooks were then Naruto wouldn't have been this pissed about Kiba's acceptance… but this had been an obvious challenge and a sign of downright mockery to him. As far as he could see, the money clearly spoke of his disdainful opinion for the chef, who was responsible for the dishes he'd eaten, and its scornful contribution to the chef's lacking skills so the future diners wouldn't experience nausea while eating it. Thinking about this only inflamed the angry blond more.

When his anger began to overcrowd his mind, he called one of the chefs in the kitchen and assigned the soup to him, before he pulled off his hat and went out to the dining area. Soon enough, whispers followed his entrance into the area and he was obliged to smile at the customers that had come to enjoy a nice meal in his comfy diner. After a few perfunctory conversations with some of the customers, he made his way towards Sakura, his best-friend-slash-waitress, and interrupted her with a huge sigh.

"Sakura, look… when you see that dude, come call me."

She blinked and tucked the pencil and paper inside her pocket, before she attempted to clarify his words. "That dude?"

Naruto sulked in annoyance and repeated her words. "Yes, that dude!"

"Which dude are you talking about, idiot? We have lots of dudes that come and go here, you know! And besides, you should know that I'm not some kind of psychic that can memorize their names on sight."

As he rolled his eyes at her short temper, Naruto attempted to give an explanation that would satisfy her. "It's the one I want to kill with my bare hands and bury in a place where the sun doesn't shine because he eats my food in such a horrible manner!"

When everything clicked together inside her mind, her mouth broke into a grin and she nodded in satisfaction. "There now; that wasn't so hard, was it? But sure thing, Naruto. I'll do the minu–"

She abruptly paused and turned around when the door's bells rang to indicate the arrival of another customer. In less than a second, Sakura summoned her usual working-smile on her face as she ignored Naruto's presence and greeted the customer. "Welcome~"

Sakura almost squeaked in surprise when her eyes met the fathomless black ones of the source of Naruto's agonies as he walked coolly into the restaurant. All he did was give her a fleeting nod before he sat in his accustomed seat in the diner. However, Sakura was jolted out of her surprise when the pen and paper she'd absentmindedly withdrawn from her pocket were snatched from her hands by the blond standing next to her.

"Thanks, Sakura; you can go attend to another table now, because he's mine."

Sakura blinked, while her innards upended themselves at the forbidding tone Naruto was using. Before he could move away, she grabbed onto his jacket and worriedly probed him for his intention. "What are you going to do?"

"…I'm just going to have a conversation with him, that's all."

"But Naruto, you've got to remember that you can't make a scene, okay? Remember how hard you worked to get this place? Kicking the ass of the only jerk who doesn't like your cooking won't solve a thi–"

A tan hand swiftly covered her mouth and stopped her restless warnings as its owner attempted to calm her down. "Relax, baka, I won't do anything that would harm my restaurant. I'm not that stupid and I'm not kicking anyone's ass, so you can relax. I just need to have a conversation with him."

The peculiar glint in his eyes did nothing to assure her but, since she didn't exactly have the power to stop him, Sakura removed her hands from Naruto's jacket and allowed him to make his way to the customer's table. All she could do, as she watched him leave, was silently pray that his reasoning wouldn't lose to his fiery temper.

Black orbs gazed up towards the window as a shadow flitted across the light, before its owner stared into the heated gaze of charming azure orbs. Seconds later, the lips underneath them moved in speech.

"Our special today is the Potato Soup with Garlic Cream, and it's perfect as an afternoon meal due to its high nutrient content. It also comes with a wafer of crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and thinly sliced green onions, which pack a punch of flavor into the meal. It's ready to be eaten within twenty minutes –"

"You're the chef here."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Naruto nonetheless confirmed it. "I am one of them, yes."

"And why would one of the chefs go out of his way to cater for a mere customer?"

"…We're short-staffed today. In any case, sir, what would you like to order?"

The handsome stranger rested one side of his face on his open palm as he glanced through the menu once more. "That soup you mentioned isn't here."

"Yes, our special soup hadn't been listed as of yet, since we're short-staffed… as I'd mentioned earlier."

"Aha. Well, in that case…" With eyes that shone with a spark of challenge, arrogance and smugness that rubbed Naruto in all the wrong places, the black haired customer handed the menu to Naruto and glibly requested his meal. "I'll be taking it with a glass of water, please, chef."

Every ounce of Naruto's being told him to smack that smirk right off the customer's irritating face with the back of the menu, but he was a professional and, thus, he resisted the urge to do so. There was no way he was going to lose the good reputation he spent his entire life creating to a simple provocation from a stinking shithole, and that was that!

So, as he gave the customer a practiced and slightly strained smile, Naruto nodded and walked back to his kitchen. He returned to the soup that he'd assigned to the other chef minutes earlier and questioned his progress, before he continued perfecting it until it was to his lofty standards. When he'd proudly poured it into the assigned dish and decorated it to his satisfaction, he sent it to his customer with one of the available waiters, while he looked out from the window in the kitchen.

He hadn't been lying when he said they were short-staffed, and it wasn't because he couldn't get people, either. Other problems included the budget and the restaurant's infancy – it had yet to reach its first anniversary– along with their experimentation with food and his handling of the everyday troubles of the restaurant, like managing the allocation of finances for bills and payment. Responsibility after responsibility were trying to put obstacles in his path and obstruct his dream, but he never lost sight of his goal. It was for this reason that…

"He can't hate this dish this time!"

However, his proud and confident mien didn't last long… for, as soon as the spoon entered the diner's mouth, the familiar dissatisfaction overtook his facial expressions again, and Naruto could not suppress his feelings for any longer. He shoved his way through the kitchen doors and stormed towards the grumpy customer's table, before he flatly asked the other the burning question on his mind, without holding back.

"Why do you hate my food?"

"…Pardon me?"

"I'm not one to brag or anything like that, but I'm really quite sure that it's not THAT disgusting!"

The raven continued to stare silently at the fuming chef without showing any emotion on his face and, when another explosion was imminent from the blond, he calmly offered an explanation.

"I can't enjoy your cooking. It just doesn't approve to my taste, that's all."

"I knew it! If that's the case, then why the hell are you here!?"

"Because people keep claiming that your cooking's good." Although the reply to his question came a lot faster than last time, Naruto gritted his teeth as his anger escalated.

"You can't just keep stuffing your face with things you find repulsive on the sole basis that other people reckon it tastes good! It's both an insult to them and to the chefs who spent all that time making your meal! If you can't enjoy it then don't eat it!"

The raven haired male looked at the other as if he'd lost his head, before he simply stated his thoughts. "That's impossible."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is. When have you heard of a person living without food, hm?"

As he rolled his eyes at the question, Naruto countered his customer's statement in an equally sarcastic tone. "Well then, stop eating the type of food you don't enjoy, sir."

"Food is food, and it's necessary for my body to function. It doesn't matter if it tastes good or bad, so long as it gives me the energy I require."

Seeing as he felt like he was talking to a stubborn wall that wasn't about to budge any time soon, Naruto endeavored for another approach as he fished out an envelope from the back pocket of his jacket. "What's this then? If you think my cooking's so tasteless, what's the point in giving us more money than as listed on our menu?"

"Because it deserved it."

The blonde's mind clanked to a halt as he processed those words. He shook his head and looked back at the raven in disbelief, before he attempted to clarify his statement. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me; I gave you extra cash because your food deserved the extra cash."

It was at this moment that his temper flared to life and a prominent vein on his head popped from the sheer force of his suppressed anger. "Are you fucking with me!?"

The customer appeared to be unaffected, as if the hurricane Naruto was turning into had no sort of effect on him, and calmly explained his situation. "No, I'm not. The food here tastes disgusting, to put things bluntly. However, when I compare it to other restaurants, it tasted less disgusting than theirs. Therefore, I paid more… because, as I said before, the taste doesn't matter to me and your food, though revolting, was perfectly made and tasted less horrible than the rest. Got it?"

"…Sir, you're crazy."

The customer's black eyes rolled at his comment as he continued with his soup, as if Naruto had never voiced his opinion. "Take it the way you want; it doesn't really matter to me. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my lunch now."

Naruto sulked at the sentence but, since he had nothing nasty to say in response, he started walking back to his kitchen. However, before he was halfway towards the door, a sudden and extremely bizarre idea flared inside his head and sent him careening back to the raven's table. In fact, his customer had barely put the spoon back into his mouth, before he was jolted by hands that had appeared out of nowhere. They hit the table with a loud BAM and forced his eyes, along with some of the neighboring customers' surprised gazes, to lock onto the young chef's heaving form.

"You're going to eat my cooking for five days a week, and I'd make whatever dish you want. For every dish you eat, you're going to state what you like and hate about it. Of course, if you don't have any ideas, I'd pull something out and you need to score it. So what do you say to that, sir?"

The startled male blinked at the chef as if he'd gone straight out of his mind. "Huh?"

Naruto smugly straightened up and explained it to him. "That's the deal you'll be taking if you want to eat at my restaurant."

When he grasped the gist of Naruto's words, the raven acerbically refused his deal. "Why do you think I'd take any sort of deal with you?"

"Because you can't be satisfied with tasteless food for the rest of your life!"

"Food is energy, taste–"

"Matters! If you hate what you're eating, then eating would be more than a chore to get your energy! I just can't live with myself when I know that another person is suffering from the inability to live properly, and I'd feel even worse if I knew that I didn't help at all…"

"Look, no one's asking you for help, you know. If you're going to keep on hounding me then I'll just go to a different restaurant and eat."

"Go to another restaurant then. However, if you decide to dine somewhere else, please don't come back here again. I can't tolerate your facial expressions when you're eating my food."

"…Well then, I suppose I'll take my leave."

The raven took the coat he placed onto the chair beside him and pulled out some money from his wallet. Before he could put it on the table and pay for his meal, though, his hand was grabbed by the irritated blond.

"There's no need for you to pay for that, since you didn't eat it."

"I ordered it and took a few sips from it, so I should–"

"I said that there's no need, so there's really no need for you to pay. Now, please leave if you've got nothing else to say."

When he'd stowed the money back into his pocket, the customer walked out of the restaurant and many heads turned to watch him leave. As the restaurant settled down again, Naruto released the breath he didn't know he was holding and sighed tiredly to himself. He didn't mean to kick the other out like that; if anything, he just wanted to make his feelings clear, but…

However, before he could begin the steep descent into self-loathing, Sakura came and dragged him back to the kitchen, where she proceeded to howl at him for driving the only decent-looking customer they had in months from their restaurant. The chef only nodded in apology, thanks to his preoccupied mind, and the only thoughts he could entertain revolved around the male who had left with an empty stomach because of his harsh words.

Soon enough, a single question floated to the forefront of his brain and proceeded to nag at him for the rest of the day:

Why did it bother him so much what happens to that douche?

Three weeks had passed since that day and there were no traces of the customer who had made him feel nothing but pure anger. Naruto pulled his hair backwards and chose the ingredients he wanted to make his dinner with. He liked vegetables, precisely green and red peppers. To him, they made everything taste wonderful, be it rice, omelet, soup, or a normal steak. Since his youth, he had made it a habit to add them alongside fennel to his cooking. Of course, in the restaurant, he would only use the right amount of seasoning to perfect the dish; at home, however, he was in his own little heaven, and he enjoyed adding them without consideration to anything.

Naruto hummed as he stuffed his bag with green peppers and funnel, picking up some oregano and saffron since his stock was running low on along the way. Afterwards, he headed to the meat department and grabbed some salmon for the rice he was cooking, finishing by selecting some grapes and avocado for the sauce by the fruits. It was considered a rich meal for dinner, but he felt like eating some salmon with fresh basil alongside a spicy avocado and grape sauce. His desire for food was too great to be ignored, after all.

Finished with his shopping, he made his way to the cashier and waited until his turn came about. Three minutes later and with a smile painted upon his face, he was given his purchase as the cashier bowed to him and asked that he come again. In response, Naruto gave a small bow of his own and walked out of the supermarket. His apartment was about half an hour away by foot and, as the night's cold air hit his face, he pulled his jersey closer towards himself and continued onward.

A silly smile came to his lips in anticipation of the dish he was going to make and stupidly he began jogging while paying extra attention not to damage the ingredients he was carrying. Yet, before he could even reach half the distance, drops of early rain fell on his face and he blinked. Telling himself that there was no way it was going to rain that minute – with the weather report coming off rather cold and humid with no signs of a downpour – Naruto dismissed the drops as fleeting misgivings and paid them no heed.

However, with the next step he took, his vision blurred and the street before him was clouded with a heavy shower. He wasn't even given enough time to absorb what had happened when the storm hit. The blond chef blinked the abruptness away. Gritting his teeth, he broke into a sprint complete with curses that dripped from his wet lips.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!"

He was lucky to find shelter under a tree just before he was drenched to the bone. Naruto caught his breath and checked his ingredients, his face brightening upon finding them intact. His fishes were still fresh as were his vegetables, fruits and seasonings. Pulling the carton bag closer to his body, he took off his jersey and wrapped it around the bag. A chill ran down his torso at the cold air, and the chef released a sudden sneeze at the sensation.

Now… what was he going to do?

There were three choices available to him. Option A, his house was about twenty minutes' walk, fifteen if he were to hustle. He could go there, but the risk of catching a cold was great, and he needed to work tomorrow. So, he put a lid on that choice and moved onto the next. Option B was to call someone to come pick him up; yet, upon feeling for his cell phone and finding himself unable to locate it, Naruto came to the unfortunate conclusion that he had left it at home. Thus, option B was a bust as well. Naruto sighed as the last reasonable choice blazed in his head; it was either that or risk pneumonia in this storm. When another sneeze left his nose, the blond had made his decision and went with his last option:

He ran the short distance back to the supermarket in the hopes of securing an umbrella.

About half way there, his body began giving up on him. He wasn't giving his lungs enough oxygen since he was running without inhaling enough; on top of that, his vision was blurred by the vicious drops that sealed his surroundings from him, adding stress to the weird way in which he ran in an attempt to prevent rain from reaching his ingredients. It was no surprise, then, that his legs began slowing on him; before long, he was forced to succumb to a walking pace.

Continuing to curse the weatherman who hadn't mentioned anything about a damn rainstorm hitting, he walked against the wind. A fleeting thought about putting his bag in a secure place and retrieving it when the sky cleared up came to his mind, but he dismissed it in the next minute and hit himself mentally for thinking such a thing. Without warning, a car pulled in front of him, and Naruto had to take two steps backwards to avoid having it crash right into him.

Feeling anger building at the stupid driver who almost murdered him before he got to make his infamous salmon rice, Naruto used all of his power to hit the hood of the car as he glared at the driver. He was still unable to see straight due to the rain.

The front lights of the black Benz flicked on him, blinding him even further as the car was adjusted so that he faced the passenger's door. The door was slowly opened and his words hung in the back of his throat at the appearance of the customer who had turned his life upside down with his psychological problems against food.

Naruto felt the resentment he had for the raven haired male and the anger at being nearly run over hit him at full blast.

"Can't you fucking see where you're driving, asshole?!"

Cool, coal colored eyes looked at him as if he hadn't uttered a word; his presence was acknowledged with simple ease. "Get in."

Blond brows furrowed in confusion when the words finally sank in. "Why the fuck would I get in with a person who was about to murder me let alone I don't even know!?"

"…I wasn't going to kill you, I just miscalculated the spin and my name's Uchiha Sasuke, so we're no longer strangers. Now, get in."

"Humph, still not good enough of a reason. Why are you here anyway?"

The raven haired male who identified himself as Sasuke rolled his eyes and threw out the cigarette he was smoking. "I'm offering your ass a drive and you should shut that trap of yours and just accept it. Or do you want to stay here in the rain and die off the next day with a fever? I don't care either way."

Naruto looked at the male who was – weirdly enough – giving him a helping hand. All his senses screamed that he shouldn't get into that glittering car, that he should walk away and resume his plan. However, looking at the bag he was protecting, he knew he wouldn't make it in time to prevent his fishes from spoiling. Thus, with a reluctant gaze, he got inside the fancy car and closed the door behind him.

"Good choice."

"Shut up, I didn't do it because you asked."

"Whatever."

Naruto rolled his eyes and pulled the wet jersey away from his bag to check his ingredients, another relieved smile crossing his features when he saw that his purchases were safely protected.

"Where's your house?"

His attention was robbed away from his ingredients and back to the male beside him. He answered with a sigh. "When you reach the end of this street, take your right and then after three blocks, your left."

"Hn."

The raven haired male continued driving, the road plan imprinted inside his head. Nonetheless, Naruto couldn't stop from asking: "Why are you helping me, anyway?"

"…"

"Do you live around here? Did you happen to see me when I was running and thought 'oh, look! That's the bastard of a chef who kicked me out of his restaurant. Ahhh… I need to help him before he gets hit by the storm?'"

His sarcastic tone was met with a sharp turn that had Naruto buckle the seatbelt he had forgotten. A smirk formed on those rosy, nicotine tinged lips as their owner responded.

"I don't live around here, yet I had some work in the area and happened to see you. What I thought though was, 'I wonder if I left him here, would he die'?"

The chef couldn't help rolling his eyes at remark as a sneeze broke free from his lips. He tried to act tough, but the driver saw right through him and turned the heat inside the car up. Naruto hated the small gesture and, in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness he felt inside, made a bashful retreat.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, jerk. I wouldn't die even if you killed me."

"A very interesting theory, care to try it?"

"Of course, but you have to go first."

"It's your theory; you should be the one to try it out."

Naruto frowned and pulled his bag close. "You've got a really nasty personality."

"Says the one who can't fathom a 'thank you' to the one who'd saved his ass from a damn storm."

"…Touchy, aren't we?"

"Hn."

Swiftly and rather acutely too, the car stopped before a humble looking building. Naruto grinned at the sight of his home and answered the question the dark eyebrow, still raised, was asking of him.

"Yes, this is my apartment. Though shabby and almost on the brick of falling over, it's mine and I'm proud of it."

"No one said anything."

"Yeah right."

Clutching his bag of groceries and putting his jacket above his head as protection until he reached the pavement of the two floor building, Naruto opened the door and stepped out. He took his bag with him and, before he closed the door, gave Sasuke a huge, bright grin. "Thank you for the ride, Ass~"

He closed the door and hurried out up to his apartment. Searching his pants for his keys, Naruto felt a presence approaching from behind and, just when he was about to turn Kung Fu on the potential thief lurking behind him, a deep tone made him blink in obvious surprise.

"…You dropped these." Pale fingers wriggled a set of keys towards his face. Breaking free from the trance he was in, Naruto snatched the keys from the surprisingly tall man. "You're a very forgetful person."

The blond tried to look past the embarrassment his actions had provided for him, turning his back to the male who'd helped him twice in less than half an hour. "Well, I guess I owe you another thank you then."

"I'd rather a meal than a thank you."

His ears stung after the sentence and Naruto directed his widened eyes at Sasuke. His astonishment, however, was quick to turn into a scowl as he spat aloud: "You sure you want to eat my filth?"

"…I told you, I don't enjoy food. That doesn't mean it's filth."

"When you keep eating as if it is, then it is. And no. I'd rather 'thank you' a million times than be subjected to seeing your disgusted face with my food in your mouth."

With that Naruto opened his door and walked inside. However, just when he was about to close it shut before the raven haired male's face, a pale hand reached out to hold it in place. His forgotten rage resurfaced at the action.

"Let go!"

"…"

"I told you to let go or I'll slam it on your fingers!"

The threat was obviously fake; Naruto knew he couldn't do it, for he was one to appreciate hands above all else. But the other man didn't know that. The blond held strong to that notion, hoping that the one who'd rattled him for close to a month would disappear from his doorstep. Unfortunately, his demands had long since been ignored.

"…I CAN'T EAT!"

Naruto blinked at the sudden shout. It took his brain a few moments to process the words, but when it did, his brows furrowed. "…What?"

"I can't eat." Sasuke repeated himself in a composed tone. "Since I left your restaurant, I can't eat in any other place… everything tastes like shit."

"I thought everything always tasted like shit with you."

"Yes, that's true. But… it's like it gotten shit-ier, if possible."

"That's not even an adjective."

"…"

Sighing when he heard a thud on his door, Naruto loosened his grip on the wood and cracked the entryway open. He found the handsome male with his head banged against the wood. The suit he was wearing was drenched alongside his hair, and his pale complexion and dark orbs shone brightly in the dreary background. The talented chef was certain that, if Sakura had been near, she'd have died of a fangirl overdose on part of the male's unfathomable handsomeness. But she wasn't here, and this was him; the only thing that appearance did to him was cause his insides to cringe in jealousy.

Still, he maintained his initial annoyed expression, facing the black eyed beauty as he spoke. "So? What do you expect me to do about it? You already established that my food isn't to your liking."

"…No," Sasuke disagreed with a slight shake of his head. "I didn't say that. I said it tastes less horrible."

"Which means you don't like it."

"The lesser of two evils."

"You don't like it." Naruto insisted, stubborn as ever.

"…"

"Now," Trying to stave his nerves in the face of the stubborn mule he was conversing with, the blue eyed male asked again: "What do you want me to do?"

Sasuke cast his eyes downwards, as if searching for the right answer to his question. They wandered everywhere – to the ground, to the pot of flowers beside Naruto's neighbor's door, to the drenched balcony – before he was able to formulate the appropriate words and look Naruto straight in the eyes.

"Cook for me! I have no other choice. Besides yours, I can't stomach anything. If I continue like this, I'd surely die. I didn't realize this but these past weeks, everything I eat I either throw up or force it down my stomach with medications, my body needs your cooking to survive."

Naruto looked the raven haired male up and down. It was apparent that he'd lost some weight since his last visit to the restaurant and, though he didn't like it, his heart was already being swayed by his condition. The individual before him didn't appear all that needy; in fact, he seemed smug and stuck-up. If someone were to pass them by, there was no way he or she would stop to think that he was asking a favor of Naruto. However, as a chef, the blond couldn't turn his back on someone asking for his food. It didn't matter how much he disliked the other person. The decision to help was made, but that didn't mean that Naruto wouldn't exact some revenge on behalf of his food.

With a devilish smile, he flat out rejected the Uchiha's request. "My heart only extends so far, baaaaka, so I refuse. Find another person to be your mockery."

Sasuke bit his lower lip and frowned. "I didn't want to do this since it's not my style, but you're forcing me to it."

Now, Naruto raised a golden brow at this, already expecting the worst. "What, pretty boy? You're going to fight me on this?" His legs automatically took on a fighting pose. "Because I warn you, I may not look it, but I have a black belt in karate, so you better not."

"I'm blackmailing you!"

Naruto blinked at the unexpected reply and his fighting pose gave in. "…Huh?"

"I just drove you home and saved you from a storm. You have to repay me with food!"

"Wha…?"

"You're stupid, aren't you?" The raven said with furrowed brows. "I just said it, if you don't repay me –"

"You're the stupid one here, what will you do if I don't? Tell the world you've saved my ass?"

By now, small tears were forming in the corner of Naruto's eyes from stifling his laughter. When the determined face of his blackmailer gave way to thinking features that swiftly turned to sulking in the face of a problem with no solution, the blond couldn't stop his laughter. It broke free like a ragging hurricane, and he had to support himself to keep from falling.

Pale cheeks colored with faint red, Sasuke stuttered. "S-Shut up! I haven't thought that far yet!"

"Hahaha… and what would you have done if you did? Hahahah… seriously, you're one amusing guy!" Drying the tears that left his eyes, Naruto put one hand on the raven haired male's shoulder and tapped it. "Alright! Since you're not the jerk I assumed you to be, and you did give me a much needed laugh, I'll be generous enough and whip you something to eat."

The sulking face turned slowly into the passive mask Sasuke had had from the first moment he met the young chef and, to show Naruto he was glad he'd agreed, he nodded.

Detecting the nod and deciding that he'd gotten his share of revenge, Naruto gave his intruding visitor a grin.

"Now, c'min and close the door behind you."

The handsome one followed the instructions and watched as the chef picked the bag of ingredients off the floor and hummed his way inside. Feeling no need to stay beside the door, the Uchiha pulled his monks off and used the crocs that were placed beside the door to waltz within the abode.

The interior of the apartment wasn't all that different from the outside, but it was neat. He could detect the age of the walls and the sparsity of the furniture the blond owned; yet, somehow, the place felt cozy and warm. He continued further and at the sight of the high-tech kitchen amidst the rundown apartment, surprise took him over. It didn't fit. Everything around it was ancient and old, but the kitchen was new and modern. It made Sasuke feel as if it'd been robbed out of a magazine and glued into this pathetic hellhole the chef called a house.

Naruto was nowhere to be seen, but the bag of ingredients had been placed on the counter. Not knowing what to do, Sasuke continued standing and examined the place with an eye of uncertainty about the surroundings. It was then that the blond came in the kitchen, his damp clothes replaced with new ones and a grey towel hugging his neck. Not a second later, Naruto was performing his magic, arranging everything from within the bag where it belonged. Sasuke was done examining everything by then and, though the apartment was small and old, found it welcoming, just like the restaurant. He realized that he didn't hate it.

"Why are you eyeing my home like that?" The sizzling sound of onion being added to hot oil filled his ears as the blond spoke. "If you don't like it, you can just leave."

"I didn't say anything."

"But you think it's old and would fall over in any given second. Seriously, you need to try and change those expressions of yours."

"My expressions are fine the way they are." Sasuke chose to reply in a way that wouldn't cost him his meal, knowing he would only regret it later if he did.

"No, they aren't." The blond turned back to his dish and started cutting the carrots. "The way it only turns when you're experiencing disgust or satisfaction isn't appealing, learn to smile."

There was no answer, so Naruto glanced backwards to see what his unexpected guest was doing. He rolled his eyes when he saw him messing with the remote to open the TV. True, his set was as old as Rome, but God! It wasn't like it was all that old… just from the era when flat screens were nothing but a myth.

So, washing his hands, he went over to the set and opened it, coughing in the meanwhile with faint, embarrassed features. "This's how you open it."

"…I think you need to be introduced to technology."

"S-Shut up! I like it the way it is. Anyways, I haven't watched it in a long time, so I'm not sure what type of programs they have on –"

"Oh, I wasn't planning on watching, so don't worry about it." The raven haired male interrupted him without issue.

Naruto blinked. "Then why did you want me to open it?"

"I didn't want you to open anything, I was checking out the remote and you interfered and opened it yourself."

"Well yeah," Naruto said, a puzzled look caught on his face. "But why would you go inspect a normal remote control if you don't want to watch TV? That just doesn't make sense."

"I just didn't want to listen to you blabbering about my expressions, okay? Now, go back to cooking, I'm starving."

Scowling, Naruto sent a kick at the rude male. "You know, for a person who's practically begging for a meal, your lips sure spurt venom."

Sasuke returned his expression with a smirk, leaning against the couch's arm. "My lips always spurt venom; it's the way I live."

"And it'll be the way you die."

"No, I'd die of starvation because you're choosing to move your mouth instead of your hands."

Naruto didn't blame himself when his hand slipped unintentionally and a flying spatula found its way, along with some stray drops of sauce, into silky, black locks.

"I really don't see why you need to stay the night because of something as trivial as this."

Pouting at the idea Sasuke had provided after his hair and the upper parts of his suit were doused in sauce, Naruto placed three dishes on the table and sat on the ground.

"My suit's ruined."

"You have a car, you can just go home. No wait, you should go home. It's eleven at night, you were going home."

Sasuke used the towel to dry his hair as he sat down on the opposite side of the blond. "I wasn't actually, and it's your fault my clothes got dirty, it's only fair that you should clean your own mess."

"Well, if you weren't such an annoying jerk, that wouldn't have happened."

The raven haired male rolled his eyes and took hold of the chopsticks. He began devouring the dishes shortly thereafter, not giving a second thought to what they were, and Naruto furrowed his brows in response. He had to suppress the blow to his ego as he watched the dishes he'd spent two hours on being shoved into the dark hole of the male's mouth, not so much as a minute spared to savor the flavor. Unable to hold his tongue any further, the blond decided to explain in detail the food he'd prepared.

"Sticky rice with tomato purée, curry powder, honey, soy and cornflower brazed with sesame oil, salt and pepper, which made the sauce. Even though dinner should be something light and easy on the stomach, you made it clear you want energy, so I made you these spicy bean tostadas with pickled onions and radish salad, and… hey, you! Are you even listening to me?"

Sasuke stopped mid-stuffing to blink. "Hmm… wistening."

"Dear God! At least swallow first!"

After doing just that, the raven haired male repeated his words. "Yes, listening."

"You sure don't look like it," he finished with a scowl on his face.

"I'm eating it, aren't I? What more do you want?"

"You to make me feel like you liked it."

Sasuke put down the chopsticks and the bowl with a sigh. "I already told you… I can't taste food. You should stop trying to make me taste it, it won't work."

"No one's trying to make you do anything," The chef stood and started making his way to the bathroom. "Anyways, I'm going to take a bath, I didn't take one the minute I walked in – though I was drenched – because your ass was about to die of hunger, so don't you dare think about robbing me!"

"Don't worry, even if I wanted to, there's nothing here for me to rob."

"Good."

With that, Naruto took a change of clothes and went off to his bathroom. Once inside, he turned on the water and allowed his tub to fill, taking the time to discard his clothes and rub some soap onto his body. By that time, the tub was filled with lukewarm water, water that allowed his blood vessels to open and the tension to dilate out of them. Cracking his neck, he craned his head backwards and took three deep breaths, allowing the tiredness to be withered away from him.

Then he sighed.

What the hell was he doing? Allowing a perfect stranger inside his home, his castle, the place that Sakura was only allowed inside after three whole months of constant begging – the place he called his own. Why would he allow a person with such a bad personality inside? No, wait. It wasn't a completely unpleasant temperament; rather, it felt as though the raven haired male was missing out on life… like he had been shut inside a damn hole where he was unable to interact with humans and thus lacked the proper way to interact.

Yes, lack of manners. That was it was. Or, more precisely, lack of emotions.

Naruto ran a hand through his locks and took a small dip in the water. He emerged seconds later when his ears picked up on a loud thud - a loud thud that traversed the distance of his living room, past the bathroom's door, through the water and to his ears. Wrinkling his brows at what might have happened; he quickly emerged from his tub and wrapped a towel around his waist. With a scowl that belayed his annoyance at being interrupted from the bath he was longing for, he left the bathroom.

"What the hell did you do?"

The scene before him unfolded as the words left his mouth. His annoyance turned into amusement in a matter of seconds, laughter escaping his mouth like a drunkard's music for the second time that night. There, on his bed, lay a rather shocked Sasuke. His middle section had begun sinking under into his bed while his torso and legs hung high on the mattress. It seemed as though a hole had formed the minute he lay down, sucking his stomach in with no preamble.

Sasuke blinked and used his hands in an attempt to push himself up and escape the unexpected mess. While maintaining a grip so as to refrain from sinking again or causing another abnormal accident, he bounced to his feet and looked at the blond with a look of utter confusion.

Naruto paused in his laughter and went over to his bed. He removed the mattress and exposed three, long boards of wood. The middle one was broken in half and on the ground, whilst the two other remained intact.

"You broke it."

"…"

"But don't worry about it; I was planning on changing it anyways,"

The dark eyed male blinked, ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, before looking Naruto right in the eyes. It was only a moment before he exploded. "JUST WHAT FREAKING CENTRY DO YOU LIVE IN?! You live in rundown apartment even through you own a decent restaurant! you have old TV set even though you earn enough to buy new one! And now, your bed is of such poor quality that only lying for a second would render the wood broken!? Seriously!"

The chef rolled his eyes. "Now look here, just because I own a restaurant doesn't mean I'm made of money. I take from my earnings what I need. I don't need a fancy place since this apartment is just fine. I don't need a fancy TV set, since I don't even watch TV all that much. And for the bed, I told you, I was planning on replacing it… if you'd just sat on the place I left you at, this wouldn't have happened."

Black eyes looked at him then flitted back to the bed; they traversed the room, the high-tech kitchen, and Sasuke sighed. "I think I'll go home after all."

"Now that you'd broken my bed and eaten my food you want to run?"

"Didn't you want me to leave from the very beginning? I'm just honoring your wish."

"Hn. It doesn't matter any way to me, do whatever you want. But please, don't make it a habit to come crash and eat."

"If it's money –"

"And don't you dare insult me with something like that!" Naruto warned with a finger to Sasuke's face.

Sasuke frowned. "I don't get you. You don't like me –"

"That's it. I don't like you." The blond rudely interrupted the male before he could enter into another discussion when his head throbbed, and walked towards his front door. "Now, if you want to leave, be my guest."

With that, he opened the door, and, before Sasuke could react, a strong gush of wind and rain hit Naruto. He had to struggle to lock his door again before the interior dripped with water. Looking at his wet rug and the mess his front hall was in, he sighed at the doom.

"I guess I'm staying the night then." Sasuke's remark made him cringe.

"…Yeah, as much as I dislike you right now, I can't let you go home when it's this bad. Anyways," Returning to the warmth of his living room, Naruto went to his closet to retrieve two futons. After moving his coffee table, he laid them out on the ground. "You don't have any problems sleeping on this, do you?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then I guess I don't."

"Great, I'm going to continue my bath now." Before departing back to the bathroom, Naruto fixed him with a skeptical gaze. "Please, try not to wreck another thing as I'm a way."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat on the futon. "I'm not a child."

"…I highly doubt that."

From the corner of his eyes, Sasuke watched the blond head to the bathroom and brought one of the pillows discarded on the side of the bed to put it under his head. Heaving a sigh, his mind began wondering; here he was, inside the house of the stranger that was always coming to his mind… No, not the person, but the taste. The taste his buds disliked. Try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking of that taste and the one who'd created it.

The human who got so angry that he'd kicked him out of his restaurant simply because he refused to enjoy the food. It'd never happened to him before – it was a first of its kind, a novel experience, and that's what Sasuke perceived as the reason behind his taking note of the taste. Yet, he had been fascinated by the taste long before the blond had kicked him out. So the question now was… why?

Since his youth, he had only consumed food in order to function. He knew perfectly well that energy was needed to lead on a normal life, so he ate. Not once had he stopped to memorize the flavor or the taste; it just didn't matter. At least, it hadn't mattered until he reached this degree of hatred - this degree of hatred in which he forced himself to ingest food for no other reason than survival. Sasuke knew his psychological problem would need to be addressed at some point in the future, but he'd never cared to make the effort.

The operative word was "future", after all. Not now, not two hours from now or the next day; but the future. And, if luck was on his side, the distant one at that.

With that thought to finalize his train of judgments, Sasuke's eyes wandered the small apartment when a pajama-clad blond emerged from the bathroom, drying his locks with a towel that was soon discarded in a nearby basket. Silently, he followed him with his black orbs as he took hold of the empty dishes and placed them in the sink to wash them. Not a word was exchanged between them, and Naruto scooped himself something from the fridge before bringing it to his futon – placed beside his own with a distance of two to four centimeters separating them due to the small size of the apartment – to begin his own meal.

"Didn't you have dinner?"

"Obviously not. With you demanding I make you food, I forgot to feed my own self."

"I still don't get you."

"That makes us two."

Naruto started eating after that and Sasuke stayed silent, watching as the blond ate. The chef could detect the black orbs boring holes into him and decided to act as if nothing was happening while he enjoyed his blissful dinner. When he finished, he washed his dishes, cleaned his kitchen and switched off the lights in the room. Stepping into the living room, he paused.

"I'm switching off the lights now; do you need anything before I do?"

"No."

Naruto offed them and grabbed two thick blankets before lying on his futon. He placed one over himself whilst throwing the other Sasuke's way. "G'night."

"…You're going to sleep? It's still twelve thirty."

"It's not 'still', it's 'twelve thirty'. I don't know about you, but I have a business I'm running, and I need to be awake by seven to prepare, so I have to sleep now."

"Does that mean I should expect an early rise tomorrow?"

"That you should do."

"Hn."

Naruto flopped onto his right side and started drifting off to sleep; yet, before his consciousness could fully withdraw from him, a sound so calm and serene floated to his ears with a question that – for a reason beyond him – made him tingle.

"Hey… what's your name?"

He felt a desire to turn around and bash the male for intruding this far and not even knowing his name. However, he was too drained to start a fight this instant, so discarding logic and Sasuke's lack of proper etiquette, he softly answered.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hmm… Naruto… a very unique name indeed."

Naruto had his back to the other so he didn't know what kind of face Sasuke was making, but if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that his heart skipped a beat with the words.

"My dad and mum," he found himself gently talking without realizing he was doing so, "they liked this novel. It was written by my grandpa. The hero's name was Naruto, and my grandpa had real pride in that hero, since that novel was the masterpiece of his life. So, when I was born, out of their desire to honor my grandpa and, at the same time, have me receive one of the many wonderful traits that Naruto had, they named me 'Naruto'."

"Hmm… and that's the reason why you wanted to be a chef?"

The blond paused before answering, contemplating whether to truthfully answer or evade with a smartass reply as was customary of him. He closed his eyes and felt no malice, hatred, or any other strong, dark emotion to be feared, nothing to give him cause to raise his guard and not speak his mind. So, with the notion that this total stranger might not be all that bad, he chose to answer honestly.

"…No, I love food and was always perplexed with the way small ingredients would create a dish that would lighten up someone's soul or bring a smile upon a sour day. It's an honor to be able to create that dish, and that's why I became a chef."

"Because you wanted to make people feel good."

"And make myself feel good. Food isn't just about energy that supplies us – it's more than that. It's the soul, the spirit and the essence in which we are brought from. When you eat, you fill yourself up and your behavior turns, especially when you eat something you like. You become happy and rejoice. That's why I enjoy making food; I enjoy the smiles and the happiness."

Sasuke paused a bit, thinking whether he should ask his next enquiry or refrain, but believing that such things are better put on the open, he tenderly questioned. "Is that why you were upset with the way I ate?"

"Yes." Naruto affirmed with no hesitation. "Any chef would see it as an insult that his food was perceived with such a result. Something that he or she had spent time on was being eaten with such abhorrence, if not anger, it'd be sadness that would control them. Therefore, Uchiha-san, I don't want you to ever eat while looking disgusted or on the verge of vomiting."

"…'Sasuke' is fine."

"But we don't know each other and dropping honorifics on first meeting is a bit…"

"I don't care if you want me to call you 'Uzumaki-san', but for me, it feels wrong." Sasuke spoke with a tone that told Naruto of how sincere he was being. "If you're calling me or addressing me, 'Sasuke' is best."

The blond felt something inside of him warm at the words and he allowed his lips to conceal a smile. "Fine… Sasuke it is, and you should call me Naruto, too. It won't be right if I was the only one allowed to trespass."

"Alright. So Naruto," the raven haired male tested the name on his tongue, causing the chef to flinch in response, "It's not really like that; not like I strive to find the food extra disgusting to rail the chefs or anything of that sort."

Unable to hold the conversation with his back to Sasuke, Naruto turned on his other side so he'd be able to look the male directly in the eyes. "It's what then?"

Sasuke's eyes moved from the ceiling to lock onto azure ones. Nothing came out of his mouth, but Naruto could sense the reluctance, dissatisfaction – and some… anger? – boiling inside of him. In the dim apartment, only the haze of the illuminated lights coming from outside sharpened Sasuke's surroundings and Naruto's silhouette. He turned his eyes away and answered after a much awaited silence.

"Is that offer of yours still on the table?"

"…Offer?"

"You said I can eat your cooking for five days a week. You'd make me whatever dish I want and in every dish, I'd state what I like and hate about it. And if I don't have any ideas, you'd pull something out and I need to score it. That offer."

Naruto nodded as his words were repeated to his face, bit by bit. "Do you always memorize conversations with others?"

"Only ones that really matter."

"So… my offer mattered?" Naruto asked, his mouth already relaxing with another smile.

"Not the offer itself, but the energy and the vibe behind it. It's been a while since I heard something that was so… vivid."

The chef scowled at the choice of words. "Although I don't really get what you're saying, if you want that offer, I'm willing to do it. However, this time, I can't take it to your house, you'll have to come to the restaurant and eat it."

"Your initial offer didn't include my place to begin with."

"Really? Well, then I must've thought it but didn't say. Anyway, if you agree, I don't mind cooking for you."

Sasuke sat upright and extended his hand. When the blond only blinked at it, he explained: "This is a business agreement; we need to shake on it."

Rolling his eyes at the gesture, Naruto grasped his hand. "I don't really like to think of it as such because I'm only feeding you, but if you want to, then so be it."

Then they shook hands. Naruto firmly held the pale one in his and Sasuke did the same. The heat that was generated with the friction seemed to worm its way towards their cold fingers and warm them. Naruto felt a soft smile replace Sasuke's expression and, softly, he allowed Sasuke's hand to slip out of his grip, after which he looked the raven haired male in the face with a grin.

"Tomorrow morning, you go home, freshen up then come to my restaurant for lunch, 'kay?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Good. Now, let's sleep, we have a long day to go tomorrow~!"

With those as his finalizing words, Naruto slipped inside his blanket and closed his eyes. The storm that had attacked him hours ago had dulled to simple, soft drops of rain that added to the soothing background, and, before neither of them knew it, sleep had descended onto their tired forms, lulling them to dreamland where anything and everything was possible.

Thank you all for reading so far, stay tuned for chapter two. Do review please; I'd love to get some feedback from you.