While they were on the subway and headed toward the ferry landing on the southern tip of Manhattan, they joked around while the train car jostled them into one another every so often. It wasn't a very full car, so they snagged a couple of seats with plenty of room to spare.

"I'm kind of surprised," he said to Sasuke. "When I first saw you, I mean if we leave out our first interaction, I would've thought you were a lot more, hm. Cold?"

"How am I supposed to take that?" Sasuke asked without looking too bothered about it.

"I think it's your style is all. Like… you're nice. Or, is this your seduction routine?"

"Why? Is it working?"

"Tch." Naruto knocked into him. "Yeah, it is. I think it's funny. Usually there's all that anticipation before somethin' happens, and it's not as bad 'cause we got it out of the way, I s'pose."

"I'd like to think there's a lot more left to explore," Sasuke replied. "Objectively speaking."

"Yeah, but you know what I mean, right?"

"I think I do. I do believe, though, that if at any point I wasn't into you, I would've acted more coldly, or even called it off."

"That's harsh, but I guess that no-nonsense approach makes sense."

"Why? Would you see a date through just to be polite? Even if you have no obligation whatsoever, and staying might lead them on?"

"That's a good point," he said, nodding contemplatively. "Am I too nice?"

"You probably are, but it would take me more time to know for sure. Maybe we're simply different. I couldn't force myself to do that for a stranger, but given your profession, it makes sense for you to have a certain level of patience and compassion?"

Naruto gave him a funny look. "Does that mean you're lacking in both then?"

"With strangers, I said."

He took this information, weighing Sasuke's candidness against this being an admission of a potential personality clash between them. Why did he keep thinking long-term anyway?

"You don't like that, do you?" Sasuke asked. "You look conflicted."

"Heh." Naruto smiled at him. "Sorry. No. I'm still thinkin' about, y'know, whether we're compatible when you're not even interested in dating. I'm tryin' to turn it off. No reason we can't just make a night of it, right?"

"Did I say that's all this was?"

"Wait, it's not? I thought you said - "

"Like I mentioned, I have no expectations. That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying your company right now, or enjoying talking to you without any pre-determined way for us to get to know one another. What you see, I'm afraid, is what you get."

"You really are direct, aren't you?" Naruto commented, both liking and loathing this quality.

"I imagine that, hypothetically, there are things you would both like and dislike about me if we were to get to know each other over time. Then again, it would be different had we started as friends versus this, but throw in that we've already had a sexual encounter, and I don't see the point in trying to predict for a situation that… I don't have any precedent for."

"I'm not sure whether I wanna kiss you or slap you around a little." Naruto squinted at him, but in the end, just having Sasuke's body pressed up against his side was satisfying.

"Why not do both?" Sasuke asked, smirking.

"Are you into that, Sasuke?"

"Depends on the person."

"Okay, rephrase then. Could you be into that with, say, me?"

"Yes, Naruto." Sasuke leaned in closer, his eyes bright. "I could be into that with you."

"You're… really fuckin' charming when you wanna be, you know that?"

"I am putting in effort to win you over if that's what you're wondering, but what I want to win you over for is something I don't know yet. I did say I'm content to go with the flow."

"I think I need things to be more concrete maybe," Naruto replied, "But I think it's all that training and workin' in a hospital that's made me that way. I used to be pretty spontaneous."

"Maybe we can even each other out then."

"So, are you or aren't you proposing a future something or other?"

"I think it's fair to say that barring a massive blow out between us, that, yes, I am."

"Really?" Naruto smiled so wide he was clearly giving away his thoughts on the matter. "Like, a second date would be okay with you? Even if we didn't do anything tonight?"

"I wouldn't expect any man to put out for any reason," Sasuke replied. "Well, maybe a hooker, but that's another story."

"Ah! Do you have a story like that?" Naruto lowered his voice. "Have you really been with a hooker?"

"Do I look like I need to hire a hooker to get laid?" Sasuke asked, his features cooling just a little, like he might've been offended, which wasn't his intention at all.

"No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Yeah." Sasuke searched him. "Definitely too nice."

"Maybe you could teach me how to be mean?"

Sasuke let out a laugh. "I could. You're a New Yorker, aren't you? You should already have the ability to be aloof from time to time."

"I can do that, but I'm not with just anyone, I'm with you. We don't know each other, but you're more than a stranger, right? You're my date."

"..."

"What?" He asked. "Did I say somethin' wrong?"

Sasuke's cheeks were flushed, and he glanced away from him.

Naruto tugged on his jacket sleeve. "What's up?"

Sasuke looked his way again, leaning in so close it almost startled him. "I want to kiss you. I'm trying to stop myself."

"Why?" He grinned. "I know you're not shy when it comes to that kinda thing."

"Do you want me to?" Sasuke asked, still staring at him with those bedroom eyes.

"I hope that's rhetorical," Naruto replied, returning his words from earlier.

Just when it looked like Sasuke might follow through, the train announced it was about to reach the final stop, which meant having to get out and trek a couple of blocks to the ferry terminal.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked. "Have you ever even ridden the ferry?"

"Sure, once or twice maybe. Not a lot of need to go to Staten Island."

The train came to a stop and, by then, there were only two other people in their car. They got out together, walking up the flight of the stairs and out the turnstile. Once outside, he followed at Sasuke's side, admiring the clear sky above and the lack people and congestion.

"It's nice out," he remarked. "It takes forever to get here from uptown, and I'm usually so busy workin' or recoverin' from workin' that I don't get down this way much."

"Do you enjoy it?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Your job, I mean. If you work so much, and I imagine it's very stressful. If you don't have a lot of free time. What's the draw?"

"Saving lives is the draw," he replied, sending him a smile and folding his arms behind his head while they walked. "If I had to say it's 'cause it was less time than med school, you can find a job just about anywhere, and… yeah, you have to really like helpin' people because you see a lot of not nice things, and there are days I take it home with me, but I guess I just… love the thrill of each day bein' different. You know what I mean?"

"Not especially," Sasuke replied. "My job has become fairly monotonous, so I'm thinking of applying elsewhere, but having a stable job and income is important."

"It's important, I won't argue that." Naruto dropped his arms to his sides. "But, you also don't wanna stay at a job where you're unhappy or not fulfilled, or, in your case, somethin' that's not challenging enough."

"Why in my case?" Sasuke asked.

Up ahead, he could see the mostly glass building that housed the terminal for the ferry.

"You're smart," he answered as if ticking off a grocery list. "I feel like you're the kinda guy who has a lot goin' on inside his head, and those types need a different puzzle every day. You clearly don't wanna do somethin' that's boring, so I assume the work you do now isn't challenging."

"I don't know," Sasuke said, holding the door open for him. "I imagine it's challenging for other people."

Naruto went inside, waited for him, and then they proceeded up the escalator, him on the step above Sasuke's, but turned around so that they could face one another.

"Heh. But not for you, huh? Are you a genius or somethin'?"

"I consider myself to be intelligent," Sasuke replied. "What about you? What's the reason you need to have a job that's different each day besides boredom?"

"Is that your way of sayin' you don't think I'm nearly as smart as you are?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say that, but also…" He smirked. "Yes."

Naruto laughed as he stepped off the escalator and glanced around at all the other people waiting to get on the ferry. There were a few food vendors, too. It looked like they'd made it just in time since the overhead monitors showed the next ferry would leave in about 15 minutes. They decided to have a seat on one of the benches, and at least once or twice Naruto had this odd inclination to grab for Sasuke's hand, but he didn't know why.

"Eh, you'd make a good doctor," he said randomly. "They always look down on nurses."

"I wasn't saying I look down on you." Sasuke's tone became stiff; Naruto noted that he could become very defensive and sensitive whenever he thought Naruto was making assumptions about him. Even if he hadn't finished his point yet.

"Well, I wasn't really sayin' you would. I was musin' on the environment in general because of what you said. You're pretty defensive sometimes, you know that?"

"I don't like anyone making assumptions about me is all," Sasuke replied. "Do you?"

"Well, no, but I also wait for them to explain themselves, too."

"Fair enough." Sasuke was clearly still bristling, so there was a minute of tension between them before the other man sighed. "Sorry. I don't know why I said that. I wasn't even bothered."

"Hmm." Naruto stared. "It's okay if you were. I mean, it's not okay for me to offend you, but if you were offended, I'd want you to tell me. I joke a lot, but maybe we don't know each other well enough for you to be aware that you shouldn't take me so literally."

"I should've asked you what you meant instead of jumping down your throat." Sasuke stared back, and Naruto found he wanted to tell him a lot of things only to remember that this was a first date and it would be weird to start talking about very deep, personal things out of nowhere. It was just that Sasuke was reasonable and very easy to talk to.

"What?" Sasuke asked when Naruto had been staring at him without saying anything for five minutes. "Are you angry at me?"

"No." Naruto scrunched his nose. "Stop doin' that. I was only thinkin' you're easy to talk to, but then you got all defensive on me again. I bet you have older siblings."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What would make you guess that?"

"Just a hunch." He shrugged. "Do you?"

"An older brother." Sasuke shifted on the bench, causing his elbow to brush against Naruto's side. "He's in Japan. When my parents divorced, he stayed there with my father."

"Ah, and you moved with your mother to L.A."

"Yes."

Naruto thought this might be a sore subject, so even if it was his instinct to ask more questions (because that's how he got to know people), he decided to hold back. Divorces could be messy, and if Sasuke's mother needed to put an ocean between her and Sasuke's dad in order to move on, then maybe that was a conversation for a fourth or fifth date. For a while, Sasuke glanced around the waiting area, which made Naruto feel bad. He didn't mean to sour their good mood.

"Hey, Sasuke?" He asked, and Sasuke turned to him, very attentively actually.

Again, all those things he wanted to say came to mind, which was so strange because what about Sasuke made him that he could bring up anything, and Sasuke would understand where he was coming from, whether he agreed with what Naruto said or not.

"I'm only thinking," Sasuke said as if reading his mind. "It's a good thing."

"Okay. I wasn't sure because you went all quiet on me. I did wanna say… you're easy to talk to. I'm holdin' back a little, though, since, y'know, I can lose sight of social boundaries from time to time. I don't wanna piss you off or anything, because I'm havin' a good time with you."

"Is my defensiveness rubbing off on you?" Sasuke was smiling, but he bowed his head and looked down for a second before looking up at him again.

"I hit a nerve, didn't I?" Uncomfortable, he laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe. My brother, when we do talk, says similar things to me. You reminded me of him is all. Most of the time he's teasing, but he can also be a hard guy to read. It must be a reflex on my part."

"Is he a lot older?" Naruto asked.

"Five years," Sasuke answered. "He's very bright and successful over there. I'm sure our father is very proud. I know my mother is. Before you say it, yes I guess that does mean I have a brother complex."

Naruto bit his lip, trying not to smile because it was a thought that occurred to him.

"I didn't say anything," he said.

Sasuke nudged him. "You didn't have to," and under his breath added, "Jerk."

"Ah, I get a pet name already?" Naruto bumped him back. "I feel special."

"You were so much more reserved earlier," Sasuke told him. "What happened?"

"I was reserved?" He asked in surprise. "When? When I kissed you in the bar?"

"I kissed you," Sasuke replied, the humor returning to his eyes.

"Ah, true. It was so long ago," Naruto said, feigning dramatics, "I guess I forgot the details."

Sasuke let out a dark chuckle as he curled in on himself a bit and folded his hands together, dropping them in his lap. He looked so… adorable doing that. Like, younger than his age. It was such a pure and boyish moment that he was seconds away from taking hold of his chin and kissing him. So, when Sasuke turned to him, he must've noticed something in Naruto's face because his eyes also became slightly hooded while they looked at one another.

But, again, they were interrupted by the announcement that the ferry would begin loading passengers. He was the first to get up and stretch, mostly because that particular instant where the chemistry between them was so apparent freaked him out a little. He was left thinking about his last boyfriend, and how it had started so similarly to this, and did he want a relationship, did he want to go through that all again, including that whole courtship process. What if he got attached to Sasuke, but it turned out he wasn't really his style? Yes, he knew it was a first date, but it was hard not to give at least some thought to where this was headed.

Sasuke approached his side, very lightly touching his arm, but even though it was light, Naruto flinched away from the contact.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, sounding concerned.

Naruto tried to push the feeling down, opting for a false smile. "We should get in line, eh?"

He started to walk away, but Sasuke caught him by the arm.

"Did I say or do anything wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "I was just thinking is all. Uh, but not about stuff that's great to bring up on a first date-thing maybe?"

"Okay." Sasuke searched his face.

"Really, I'm fine," he said. "But… when you're worried… you look really hot."

Sasuke smirked. "Is this you trying to deal with your issues by cracking jokes?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to ask about that?" Sasuke put an arm around his shoulders and got him moving toward the already-forming line. The touch didn't bother him this time.

"You mean, like what's my relationship to my mother, or how did my father feel about havin' a gay son, that sort of thing?"

Sasuke snorted. "At least that'd be something I could relate to."

"Eh, it's not about that. I was thinkin' about… well. Like I said, inappropriate."

"Picturing me naked already?" Sasuke teased.

"I've already pictured you naked," Naruto replied frankly. "Tch. Don't dig for compliments."

"I don't have to," said Sasuke. "When you give them so freely."

They were in line, but hearing him sound so sincere, Naruto turned to him, and Sasuke removed his arm from around his shoulders. Curiously, Sasuke eyed him, and Naruto, having reached his limit, took hold of the lapels of the man's leather jacket and dragged him closer, forcing Sasuke to take a short step forward. There was a warmth in his chest, and his eyelids felt heavy.

"For maybe 10 minutes, can you not say anything that makes me wanna kiss you?"

"You ask the impossible," Sasuke said, lowering his voice. "Maybe if I keep my mouth shut."

Naruto smirked, his hand sliding down the length of the zipper on Sasuke's coat. "Do you remember anything about that night? I mean… Me? If it was good? I can't say I remember every detail perfectly, but I know that I really enjoyed blowin' you against that wall."

"It's hard to forget something like that, or do you figure that's an act I get up to frequently?"

"I figure it's an act you could get as often as you wanted 'cause you're sexy as fuck," he answered, his voice also low and husky, fingers trailing up the zipper again. "I'm not saying it's somethin' you get up to, just that you could if you wanted, and it would be justified."

"Well, I'm not like that…" Sasuke wet his bottom lip. "Are we going or not because if we aren't, I'm going to pull you into a bathroom stall and suck you off for feeding my ego all night."

"Is that all it takes?" Naruto smirked. "I say a few nice things, and you're like putty in my hands?"

"That's some very interesting phrasing," Sasuke replied, and Naruto had to chuckle. "Come on then." He put an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "I'll take you on a different kind of ferry ride."

While the line started moving forward, Naruto slipped his arm around Sasuke's waist, keeping his hold on him loose. He kept laughing every once in a while, and could easily say that he was in a very good mood. When was the last time he clicked with someone this well?

"What do you keep laughing about?" Sasuke asked, moving away from him only when they'd walked up the ramp and onto the boat, heading up the stairs to the main level.

"Nothin'." Naruto glanced at him and smiled. "Where are we goin'?"

"Follow me." Sasuke briefly grabbed the cuff of his jacket sleeve to pull him to the right. They went through a door that led outside, where there were several benches that ran the length of the ferry. It was apparently the spot to be because everyone was already trying to lay claim to the seats or up against the rail.

"Must be prime real estate, huh?" He asked.

"It's got the best view of the skyline and Statue of Liberty," he replied.

"Ah, have you ever been? I mean, all the way up and everything?"

"I haven't. Have you?"

"Hm. No, I can't say I have. I haven't done much of any of the touristy stuff, to be honest. I get a panic attack just walkin' through Times Square."

"That's enough to terrify anyone," Sasuke mumbled.

"Hey, Sasuke." Naruto turned to him on the bench.

"Hm?"

"Have you… ever had a date like this? Where you just did whatever?"

"I can't say I have," Sasuke answered with a furrowed brow. "But, like I said. I don't date much. I don't like to date. To me, this doesn't feel like a date."

Naruto didn't know if he should take offense or not. He bit his lip. "No?"

Sasuke glanced at him; the ferry pushed away from the dock, moving slow. Some people were getting off the bench to go stand against the rail, obscuring some of the view.

"I only mean," he said. "That it doesn't feel as forced as other dates. It doesn't feel forced at all."

"Maybe any date could be like this if you wanted it to?" Naruto asked. "Maybe these are your style of dates. You were the one who suggested leavin' the restaurant. Why do that?"

"I don't know." Sasuke did that thing where he shrugged up his shoulders again. Naruto's gaze fell to his hands, which were both gripping the bench. "I guess I thought if we stayed there, it'd feel suffocating? It just felt like the right thing for us to do. Am I wrong?"

Sasuke was looking at him so intensely. He swallowed, once again distracted by how good looking the other man was, especially those damn dark eyes. It's almost like they served to back up the intention behind his words. So serious. By nature, Naruto wasn't an especially serious person. Work made him serious. When lives were at stake, he was serious.

"No," he replied. "Clearly I don't think you were wrong. I followed you. I'm havin' a good time, and I like that you feel comfortable. It makes it easier for me to get to know you, too. Can I ask you a couple of those cliche questions you hate so much?"

Sasuke smirked, staring straight ahead as he leaned back against the bench and spread his arms out, one going behind Naruto. "Go for it. I'm in a good mood."

"Ah, very generous." He smiled, leaning back, too, so that he was resting against Sasuke's arm. "What do you look for in a guy? Let's forget the fact you don't like datin', and have now said that to your current date two or three times tonight, but… what do you like?"

"You're asking me what my type is?" Sasuke turned his head, looking at him again.

He nodded. "Yeah, basically. Out of curiosity more than anything."

"Well, if it's only for curiosity's sake," Sasuke murmured. "I'd say if we're speaking romantically, it would be a man who's independent. I wouldn't want anyone who's clingy. He should be honest, in theory, but I don't mind admitting I have a temper sometimes, so I might not always show that I appreciate frankness. But, I do."

Naruto, crossing his arms, gazed across the waters at the Jersey shore lit up against the night sky. "Alright. So. Not clingy and honest. Also willing to put up with your mood swings."

"I didn't phrase it like that," Sasuke grumbled.

"I was paraphrasing. Please continue. Or, is that it?"

"Physically, he should be fit. Not horrible to look at, around my height or taller, active."

Naruto nodded again. "Sounds reasonable. Like a gym rat, though, or a few times a week?"

"No gym rats," Sasuke answered. "Too much maintenance. I don't want to be eating kale every meal."

"Kale is good for you," Naruto chirped, shooting him a sly grin. "Iron is good for you, Sasuke. It helps build stamina."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying about my stamina?"

"Oh, nothin' much." Naruto grinned even wider. "The details are so very fuzzy."

"What about you?"

"Are you askin' about my stamina, or the type of guy I'm into?"

Reaching over, Sasuke suddenly flicked him in the forehead. "Stop being cute. What kind of guy are you into? The stamina I can figure out on my own."

"Ow." Naruto felt the spot.

"I didn't even flick you hard."

"It was the emotional scarring that hurt," he replied. "Heh. My type, eh? Are we wanting to keep it general, or am I goin' off actual past relationships?"

"Either," Sasuke suggested. "Both."

"Last was older than me, but not by much. Uh, very serious. He was in med school. I met him while I was doin' a practical for one of my senior capstone classes. He was a surgical intern."

"That certainly sets the bar high," Sasuke remarked. "I'm surprised to hear he was serious. You seem the type to be into someone more easy-going."

"I usually am," said Naruto. "I liked his serious side, though. Thought it was sexy, but he was a perfectionist kind of. I mean, that's somethin' you kinda want in a surgeon, but as a boyfriend… eh."

"And how was his stamina?" Sasuke asked, while taking hold of Naruto's shoulder and pulling him slightly closer. It was getting cold, so the warmth was nice.

"Technically flawless," Naruto answered thoughtfully. "But, not a lot of passion."

Sasuke chuckled. "What did he look like?"

"Pale complexion, dark hair." Naruto looked pointedly at him, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "He had long hair, very, uh, kinda aristocratic features. I used to say to myself he had a very symmetrical face. These intense, pale blue eyes. That's what originally caught my eye. Also the way he carried himself. He was very confident, capable. I was young. He seemed so reliable, and I'd only ever had screw-up boyfriends. Guys in bands or they only wanted to go out and party, and I'd be like 'Yeah, I have a 12-hour shift at the hospital tomorrow'."

"So, what happened?" Sasuke asked. "I take it you weren't with this guy the night of your birthday?"

"We still talk. It just sorta fizzled out, and bein' a guy who was going to become a great surgeon, but slummin' it with a nurse? I think he probably wanted an upgrade."

"Is that why you made the one comment earlier? About doctors and nurses."

Naruto frowned. "I dunno. Maybe. It's a thing that happens pretty often. You get used to it."

"All I learned from that is a guy who's reliable. Possibly of my complexion," Sasuke stated it as if it's a question, so Naruto replied with a noncommittal nod of the head. "Not a doctor, and you're growing out of the partying stage and want someone more mature. Are you… looking for a serious relationship right now, Naruto? Or are you in the market for something short-term."

"That is the question, isn't it?" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, slightly distracted as the Statue of Liberty started coming into view. "I dunno. I agreed to a blind date because, like I said, a friend of a friend of a friend, and my friend wouldn't let up until I said yes. How much they knew about you specifically, I dunno, but whoever your friend is was also adamant."

"Colleague," Sasuke corrected. "We're barely friends."

"So you do what your barely friends ask you to do?"

"It was a supervisor, so, in this instance, I thought it would be beneficial."

"Hm. Interesting. I should probably be mildly insulted, but we're both in the same boat." He grinned, realizing his own joke. "That pun wasn't planned, by the way."

Sasuke snorted. "Why don't we agree we're having a good time, and see where the rest of the night goes? I'm not opposed to a second date, assuming you don't reveal anything too crazy."

"Where would you draw the line?" Naruto asked.

"That you have to ask worries me," Sasuke glanced at him.

"I don't think I have anything too crazy. I also would prefer you're not a racist. Or a bigot. Preferably not a Republican, but we can work around it so long as you didn't vote for Trump."

"I think I agree with you on all those points, and, no, I'm far from being Republican."

"Thank God," he said. "I hoped you weren't one of those self-loathing gays."

"You think all gay men who are also Republican are self-loathing?"

"Not all," Naruto replied. "Nowadays? It's hard to tell. I don't really understand the point of supporting a political party that works against your interests."

"Maybe they think as long as we have gay marriage, the rest is just details."

"Yeah, but how long are we gonna have that? They could repeal that, too, and next we can't adopt kids either, can't buy our cake from that bakery around the corner for our civil union, and we're back to the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy."

"I don't know about you," said Sasuke, "But I worked hard to come out of the closet, so I won't be going back in any time soon."

Naruto smiled, slightly invigorated by Sasuke's words. "I like your gay pride, Sasuke. Do you go to parades and stuff? Ever been to any of the ones held in the city?"

"Once here. In San Francisco. Not as much in L.A., but the scene there is… different."

"How so?" He asked. "I've been once is all."

Sasuke shrugged. "A little more wild, but also a little more fake."

"Hm. I'll take your word for it."

There was a comfortable silence for a while between them, the low hum of the ferry's motor relaxing him further against Sasuke. They were just passing the Statue of Liberty now, so more people were taking photos from against the rail. Naruto gazed up at the stars.

"What do you wanna do after this?" He asked.

"Are you always wondering what happens next?" Sasuke squeezed his shoulder. "Can't you relax?"

"I dunno. I really used to be a lot better at it, but now I guess I do think more about time management, and so I end up thinkin' 'well what comes next' so that I can prioritize. It's a work thing, hard habit to break."

"Ah," Sasuke said simply, accepting him at his word. "Understandable."

"I could try to cut back on that. When I'm not at work, I need to learn to relax. I should do more yoga or somethin'. I usually just go work out, occasionally do spin classes, and run."

"Maybe try some more outdoor activities," Sasuke suggested. "Like kayaking or paddleboarding."

He hummed placidly. "Maybe I should. Do you do that kind of stuff?"

"I do," Sasuke replied.

"Not gonna offer to take me sometime?"

"I'm thinking about it."

Naruto chuckled. "You're an interesting guy."

Sasuke glanced at him. "That should be my line."

"This is relaxin', though. I think it helps when you're forced to just stay put. What happens when we get there?"

"We come right back," said Sasuke. "Unless you want to hang out in Staten Island."

He made a face. "Not really."

"Meanwhile, I'm going to use the restroom." Sasuke, removing his arm from around him, got to his feet. "They have a concession stand in there, do you want anything? A drink, or…?"

Naruto smiled at the offer. "Nah, I'm good. But thanks for askin'."

"Sure. I'll be right back."

He watched him go, liking Sasuke's unhurried, casual pace. Not to mention his ass. He could never get tired of watching him walk away. Smirking, Naruto got to his feet and decided to go stand against the railing. He took out his phone with the intention of taking a couple of photos, but realized he had several missed calls and a message. His heart sank since it was probably someone at the hospital paging him to come back in. Well, fuck. Not having much of a choice, Naruto listened to his messages, which meant having to sit through an extremely long, nearly incoherent one from his roommate who'd apparently been drinking tonight.

The next one, however, was from a colleague asking if they could switch shifts. She'd take Naruto's early shift tomorrow, and he'd take hers on Saturday. It would've meant he didn't have to worry about cutting the night short with Sasuke. Not that the other man necessarily would want to spend it with him. He should do it anyway since she was asking as a favor, but…

Sasuke had returned and, spotting him by the rail, came to stand beside him, giving him an inquisitive look, but otherwise waiting for Naruto to finish.

"It's work," he said, by way of an apology as he ended the call to his voicemail.

Sasuke nodded. "Do you need to go after this?"

"The opposite, sort of."

Sasuke's eyebrow went up. "What do you mean?"

"Uh, a colleague asked if I wanna switch shifts this weekend. I was supposed to go in at 11 tomorrow, but she said she wants to take my shift, and I'd work hers on Saturday."

Naruto searched the other man's face, but he didn't give a reaction one way or the other, so it was hard to discern whether this news interested him at all, pleased, or displeased him. He decided to think on it for a few minutes, and, dropping his phone into his coat pocket, turned to look out at the water.

"You don't want to switch with her?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't have to. I mean, what did you wanna do after this anyway?"

Sasuke leaned into him slightly. "What are you doing right now?"

"Huh?" He asked. "What do you mean?"

"I can tell you're waiting on me to say something. You can just say it."

"I'm not really waitin' on you to say anything, just couldn't read if it mattered whether I switched shifts or not. If I don't, I'm not gonna be able to stay out forever, or I'll be a wreck tomorrow."

"It's not my place to ask you to take it or tell you not to," Sasuke replied.

"No, I know," he said. "I was just thinkin' is all." Naruto looked at him and smiled.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Naruto asked calmly.

"I don't like games. For the record."

"It's not a game," he said, a little irritably. "I know it doesn't matter to you whether I switch or not. I'm only thinkin' about my options. It's not like I can jump off the ferry, right?"

"I mean, you can," said Sasuke. "I'm fairly sure I'd stop you, though."

"Heh. That's nice of you to say."

"Of course, if you do switch, we don't have to worry about what we do or how late you can stay out. But, I know you said you already had that long shift, so you might be tired already."

"I am tired," he said. "But, I'm good. Thanks."

Sasuke hummed in a dubious way next to his ear. "Your mood's changed."

Well, he couldn't disagree with that, and not having a reasonable explanation for it, decided it was best to be quiet for a while. The water was choppy, but it didn't have affect the way the ferry moved. It was still a smooth ride. Sasuke remained next to him, close enough that their arms almost touched as they leaned against the railing. He didn't say anything either. It wasn't an awkward silence per se, just contemplative. At least for him. They remained that way for about 10 minutes before Sasuke cleared his throat.

"What if we, after this, walk to the bridge?" Sasuke asked. "It's a mile from the terminal. It should take 20 minutes."

"Okay," he said simply.

"That was easy."

Naruto shrugged. "I've lived here almost six years and never walked on the Brooklyn Bridge. I think it sounds like a good idea."

"Okay." Sasuke nudged him. "So, when are you going to tell your colleague that you want to switch shifts so you can hang out with me longer?"

Naruto immediately perked up. He turned his head so quick to look at him he likely gave himself whiplash. "What?"

"If we're headed that direction already, we can make our way through Brooklyn."

"Tch. You just wanna get me back to that club, don't you?" He asked.

"I'm not in the mood for dancing tonight," Sasuke replied. "I do live in Brooklyn, but I'm not trying to gradually force you closer and closer to my place or anything."

He said it with such a straight face that Naruto barked out a laugh.

"Jerk." Naruto pressed against him and sighed. "I'll tell her it's cool, but you're under no obligation to spend any more time with me than you want to or can stand."

"I know. I would've thought you'd pick up on the fact I'm not the type of guy to stick around when I don't want to just to be polite."

"I know," he said. "I was just sayin'. I've kinda got the munchies."

"Tch. I said I'd get you something from the concession area."

"Nah. It's okay. Maybe there's somewhere along the way to the bridge we can stop?"

"If you want," Sasuke said mildly.

"You didn't really eat anything tonight. Aren't you hungry?" Naruto asked.

"You let me have some of your shawarma earlier."

"What? You don't like that kinda food? You told me you weren't racist!" He teased, faking outrage. "What kinda food do you like? I guess I picked Amelie for us to meet, but you didn't offer any suggestions, so one of us had to."

"Japanese food," Sasuke replied.

"Tch. Typical."

"You didn't let me finish. In order of favorites: Japanese, Italian, Thai, Indian, and whatever fried chicken falls under. I like all Asian foods, really. I'm not too terribly picky. Simple is best. But with a lot of flavor. Sound familiar?"

Naruto almost choked on his own laughter. "What is with you? You got all… funny on me."

"I can be funny," Sasuke replied defensively. "When I'm in the mood." Again, he slipped an arm around Naruto's waist, but it was very brief. Almost like he didn't mean to.

"What was that?" He asked, not letting him get away with it.

"Nothing."

"Uh, pretty sure it was somethin'," Naruto taunted. "Only 'cause you pulled away. You didn't mean to do that, did you? Ah, see. I'm rubbin' off on you. You wanna put your arms around me and exchange witty one-liners and ask questions that help us get to know each other!"

"Shut up," Sasuke told him, placing a hand to his shoulder and pushing him away.

Naruto inched back toward him until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "Sasuke."

"What."

He snickered. "You're bein' really fuckin' cute right now, you know that?"

"Tch."

"Oh, keep doin' that. Yeah, it's doin' somethin' for me."

"Then you have a very twisted assortment of kinks," Sasuke replied, turning to look at him while the wind caused his bangs to scatter across his forehead. "What? You're staring now."

"Yeah, because - " He stopped himself and, biting his lip, debated whether or not he wanted to do the thing he wanted to do.

"Because?" Sasuke asked, waiting for his answer.

"Because I'm gonna end up pullin' a you. Now you've got me all self-conscious!"

"What? What did I do?" Sasuke argued.

"Now I don't know if you'll freak out if I try somethin', you know, kinda affectionate."

Sasuke's expression changed, like he was closing off, but then he gave Naruto this look as he straightened up instead of leaning over the rail.

"What's that look, huh?" Naruto asked softly, his smile going crooked.

"Surprised you'd second guess yourself is all," Sasuke answered, still staring at him in that intense, magnetizing way.

"Says the guy who freaked out when he put his arm around my waist. Anyway, the moment's passed, but I won't hesitate next time," he said. "I promise."

"I see. A sneak attack." Sasuke nodded. "Now I'll be expecting it. You'd make a lousy ninja."

"Tell me about it," he replied with a snort. "I like bright colors too much. You should see my scrub collection."

"You know, in all my life, I don't think anyone's ever said that to me." Sasuke broke into a smile.

"No?" He asked. "No one's ever invited you into their place and done a little fashion show for you where you got to see their assortment of hospital scrubs?"

Grabbing hold of the rail, Sasuke leaned back on his heels. Another gesture that made Naruto want to jump on his back, but Sasuke's words about clinginess came to mind, so, once again, he didn't act on impulse. He really didn't want to turn Sasuke off. It was hard for him to not act on the things he instinctively wanted to do. It's like he kept forgetting they were strangers.

"Say, Sasuke…?" He asked, without really having a coherent question in mind.

"Yes, Naruto?"

When Sasuke flashed him one of those boyish, mocking grins, Naruto caught him by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Sasuke didn't immediately respond, so he almost thought he'd done something wrong, but then the other man gripped his coat and returned the kiss. But, rather than match Naruto's more insistent pace, he slowed the kiss down. A hand settled on his hip, but then both of Sasuke's arms wrapped around him, and he deepened their kiss. Naruto slid his fingers through Sasuke's hair, loving its coarseness and the short tips. Ah, that felt so much better. He was relaxing now that Sasuke was being so responsive and even taking control of the kiss, sometimes pulling back just enough to look at Naruto and nip at his lips. He liked to make eye contact, too, which got Naruto to thinking about sex with Sasuke and having those eyes staring back at him while they fucked. Shit, he was going to get hard if he didn't control himself, and they were on a family-friendly ferry ride at the moment.

Reluctantly, he pulled away first, but he remained in Sasuke's arms. He suddenly grew shy, so when Sasuke laughed and dragged him into a hug - even patting his back - he was surprised. It was so affectionate, but in an intimate kind of way. It seemed un-Sasukelike. Or, did Sasuke merely open up naturally over time? He was a hard guy to read. Sasuke had told him he wasn't into dating, but had agreed to a blind date. Was he contradictory, or did Naruto have the right to believe he might be making a slight impression on him? The prospect excited him because he really liked Sasuke and wanted the other man to like him back. But, he had this fear, only because of things Sasuke had said throughout the night, that if he pushed too hard or acted too much like himself, that Sasuke would get scared off. It's not like Naruto had been looking for anything serious. He worked so much he didn't think about things like dating or boyfriends, but… Well, people always said love came to you when you weren't looking for it. Of course, this wasn't love or anything, but Naruto couldn't help thinking of something more happening between them. In the future anyway. Because Sasuke was… not really his type. Only because he'd never really met anyone like him. It was new and exciting, and also… scary.

While Sasuke was watching him, there was an announcement that the ferry would be docking and then immediately de-boarding. Everyone would have to clear the boat and then get right back on. As other people started shuffling toward the exit, they were still looking at one another.

"You look like you're thinking a lot of things," Sasuke whispered.

"I am. I'm thinkin' about all the steps in performing a tracheotomy."

"Pardon?"

"Nothin'." He shook his head and forced a grin. "I'm just doin' that thing again where, yeah, I'm thinkin' about all the steps involved with something, the decisions you have to make, what's right or what's wrong, and then how bein' indecisive can be fatal in certain situations."

"This isn't one of those situations," Sasuke replied, and, taking hold of his hand, led him toward the other end of the ferry. He gave Naruto's hand a squeeze, and Naruto squeezed back.

Though, this was beyond nice, that fear inside him grew.

"You shouldn't be so nice to me," Naruto said, without having really planned to.

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked, swinging their hands as he gazed up at the sky, then at him.

"I'm starting to like you a whole damn lot, and I don't wanna freak you out."

Sasuke stopped walking; Naruto's terror rose as they stood face to face.

"That's the terrifying situation you were talking about?"

Naruto pulled a face. "Well, when you put it that way, sounding all mocking and stuff…"

"I'm not mocking you," Sasuke replied. "I'm… flattered, and I like that you told me."

"Why does it feel like you're gonna follow that up with a 'but'?"

"I don't know," answered Sasuke, and he turned again while dragging Naruto along with him. "I guess we can talk about it on the way back, or on our walk to the bridge, or wherever we stop along the way so that you can get something to eat and calm down some."

"Tch. I'm calm!" Naruto stuck out his bottom lip, even though Sasuke wasn't looking at him. "You think you're so damn smooth. Jerk. If I knew any Japanese, I'd curse at you!"

"Uh huh." Sasuke pushed him forward a few steps, forcing their hands to let go, but then he slid an arm around Naruto's waist, turned to him, and nipped at his ear. "Naruto?"

"What?" He grumbled.

"Shut up for a while, won't you?"

Naruto glared at him, but didn't say anything further.

Sasuke smirked.

Naruto glared harder. "You suck."

"I knew you wouldn't last more than 30 seconds."

"When you phrase it like that," Naruto also smirked, "It's like that night in the alley is comin' back to me so clearly now! Did you even last 30 seconds?"

"I don't remember the exact amount of time it took, but if it was that short," said Sasuke, "We might have to stop somewhere on the way to pick up some kale."

Naruto laughed so hard, he hunched forward and nearly tripped over himself as they were walking toward the ramp off of the ferry.

"How dare you question my stamina for a second time," Sasuke mumbled. "You're going to give me a complex."

"It's okay." Naruto slipped his own arm around Sasuke's middle. "If you do come too fast, that just means I get to do it all over again 20 minutes later or so."

"I bet you know all about the male anatomy, don't you?" Sasuke asked. "As a nurse, I mean."

"Heh. I knew what you meant. Ass."

"Hn."

"So, basically we're gettin' off this thing just to turn right back around and get on again?" Naruto asked him.

"Basically," Sasuke replied. "Which means neither of us gets the chance to run away."


TBC