Disclaimer: They aren't mine, etc, etc. Don't sue me.

A/N: Sorry for the delay folks, life up and tackled me by surprise. Please enjoy and a heartfelt thank you to those who read this story. Cookies to those who review.

Chapter Three: Small Admissions

"Where's the clone?" Naruto asked, frowning, already knowing the answer but wanting to find out from Sasuke himself. The blonde eyed the little brunette lounging against his bedroom door jam, blonde eyebrows rising into his hair, wondering if his friend's sense of style had been corrupted by Orochimaru. The Uchiha had a swath of cloth wrapped around his waist that was knotted at a pale hip and that was it aside from the bandages around his chest. It made Sasuke look as if he was wearing an orange skirt of all things and the jinchuuriki frowned, trying to remember if he even owned an orange tea towel.

Sasuke shrugged, small shoulders only slightly stiff as the movement pulled his wounds. He had at least allowed the clone to rewrap his injuries before disposing of it and for that Naruto was grateful. "You took too long."

The blonde shifted the box in his hands, redistributing the heavy weight and listening to the pieces within slide around while the shopping bags dangling from his wrists rustled. Yeah, he was late but it had taken a while to get everything Sasuke would need during s stay, not to mention doing it all while remaining inconspicuous. Though he had done it all out of the goodness of his heart, after all that running around had tired him out and coming home to be chastised by a stupid skirt wearing teme… It did nothing to sweeten the blonde's already fairly sour mood. He responded to the brunette's comment with a very impatient, "So?"

"He tried to dress me in an inappropriate outfit and I stabbed him with a pin."

Naruto sighed, expecting as much. He frowned again as Sasuke turned his back on him, the orange fabric catching the overhead light in an all too familiar way while the brunette moved further into the room and out of the other's path. The blonde glanced down at his own orange and black outfit, horrified. "…Is that cloth from a pair of my pants?"

Sasuke looked over his shoulder, expression smug. He smirked up at Naruto. "I told you I couldn't run around naked, dobe."

"I can't believe you cut up my pants!" The blonde said, outraged, stomping after the other into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find them?!"

Standing in the middle of the room, Sasuke paused and turned, looking up and down Naruto's tall frame critically. The Uchiha had never been much of a fashion follower but he did have a good idea of another color that would look better on the blonde. "You'd look better in blue. It would bring out the color of your eyes."

Besides the Uchiha symbol would stand out better against the darker backdrop. Thinking about Naruto wearing his family symbol, of being marked plainly for all the world to see that the blonde was taken and loved… It was a turn on and Sasuke shifted his stance slightly to hide the fact that he was aroused.

Naruto flushed crimson and pointedly did not look at Sasuke while setting down the box he held, preoccupied with placing the bags he carried on the floor near the bed. Fully freed from his purchases, the blonde stood upright and leaned backward, groaning, vertebrae popping so noisily that Sasuke wondered if something had broken. Naruto widened his stance and reached upward, stretching his body fully before relaxing and sighing, gaze turning to the box.

"'Some assembly required.'" Naruto frowned as he read the small print on the side, wondering absently if a kunai would work as an impromptu screwdriver. Picking up the box, the blonde turned and sank to the floor, folding his long legs before him as he opened the package. "I hate it when they say that."

"What's wrong with putting it together?" Sasuke, who had moved to lean against a bedpost, wandered over, taking a wide route that ensured Naruto could see him at all times. The blonde was fighting with box's lid, muttering angrily, and it was clear that the Uchiha had no desire to be hit by a stray elbow as the blonde struggled.

Naruto's excitement of finally getting the box open evaporated, leaving the blonde subdued. He began laying out the pieces of wood inside the box on the floor, silently, waiting until he had emptied the box of all its contents before responding. "It usually means there are small parts. Small parts break easily between large fingers."

Blue eyes glanced at Sasuke.

Ah. The Uchiha snorted dismissively, then moved until he could climb on top of Naruto's hand. "Good thing I don't break that easily." He smirked and strode forward over the blonde's wrist and up his arm where he began using the wrinkles in the cloth of Naruto's sleeve as handholds to climb up to the blonde's shoulder. From there he used Naruto's ear to boost himself up on top of the blonde head and looked down at the mess before them. "What are you building?"

"Well, I figured you might want some privacy while staying here." Naruto said, and from the blonde's voice alone the Uchiha knew he wasn't going to like whatever the blonde said next. Immediately the blonde felt Sasuke stiffen. "But there weren't a lot of options…"

He pulled open the instructions and the Uchiha's dark eyes fastened on the image displayed at the top. He grabbed a hand hold of blonde hair and yanked, shouting. "A doll house?!"

"It was the only thing I could find!" Naruto whined, reaching up to grab Sasuke. The brunette swatted the hand away irritably but did release his grip on the other's hair. The hand hovered for several seconds more then retreated as the blonde lamented about bald spots. Paper crinkled as Naruto smoothed the instructions on the floor, one tan finger following a line of text while his other hand reached for the appropriate pieces. Sasuke made leaned forward slightly, using the blonde's forehead protector as a handhold to prevent him from tumbling forward.

"Dobe, it says insert part 'A' into slot 'B.' You're holding part 'F' and mashing it into slot 'E!'"

"Yeah well, I don't do this very often." Naruto grumbled, body jerking as he pulled the wooden pieces apart. The movement destabilized the Uchiha, making Sasuke scramble to grab thick chunks of blonde hair in order to stay put. He gave one handful a particularly nasty yank to communicate his displeasure over being nearly unseated.

"Give me the directions!" The brunette demanded.

"I don't think they'll fold that small."

Sasuke reached forward and smacked Naruto's forehead before speaking. "At this rate you'll destroy the pieces before we can even assemble the damn thing!"

Petulantly, Naruto ignored him and continued to try and make pieces not meant to go together fit. Sasuke waited, listening as the blonde made frustrated sounds and watching as his friend became more and more agitated.

Naruto threw up his hands in surrender, reaching for the sheet included for the doll house and folding several times until it was a size that the Uchiha could handle. "Fine! You read, I'll assemble. Just don't get a paper cut or anything. I don't know how to reattach an arm…"

Sasuke accepted the paper, annoyed that even folded as small as it was the paper forced him to extend his arms as far as they could go. Finding the appropriate selection, dark eyes scanned over the text briefly before issuing instructions to the waiting blonde.


Even working together, it still took them two hours to build the damn house.

"Dobe, honestly, why didn't you go with something simple?" Sasuke asked, flinging away the instructions, exasperated as he looked over the three story monstrosity. It was white- white walls with white floors, just completely white both inside and out. The wood was thicker than he would have imagined what was possibly necessary for a doll house and he honestly didn't know why Naruto hadn't just gone with something cheaper and thinner. Admittedly, though it was cool and was a whole house that could be opened wide by unlocking the latch on the side that held each side together. The front door worked, the windows opened and closed and there was even a sun deck at the very top of the building that the Uchiha could reach via a set of stairs and another working door from the third story. It had to be the top of the line model but, honestly, it wasn't as if Sasuke would be staying in it for that long…

At least that's what he hopped. Orochimaru's jutsu would eventually wear off; he just had to wait it out.

Naruto shifted, making Sasuke growl in warning not to repeat the action. "They were too flimsy. I was afraid they would collapse on you."

Oh. Sasuke didn't thank the other for his thoughtfulness verbally, but began running his hand through the thick blonde hair idly.

"So, did you want to decorate it now?" Naruto asked, and the tired drag to his voice did not go unnoticed by the brunette.

"Just give me a towel for bedding and some of the clothes you got me." Naruto's stomach growled loudly and Sasuke forced himself to not smirk. "Then we'll make dinner."

"Pfft. Towel." Naruto muttered, leaning forward carefully to snag the handles of one of the shopping bags and dragging it over. He offered his hand to Sasuke and the Uchiha climbed onto it, allowing himself to be deposited gently on the small sun deck. He watched as Naruto began rummaging around in the bag, withdrawing several small boxes. "Like I wouldn't get you a bed."

The diminutive Uchiha leaned against the railing of the deck, surprised that beds could be made that small and that Naruto would remember to get one. The blonde unwrapped one of the smaller boxes, parted the tissue paper and pulled out Sasuke's new bed, holding it up for the brunette to see. "Ta da!"

It was a low fourposter that greatly resembled the bed in his former bedroom in his parents' home in the Uchiha district, a fact that Sasuke suspected was deliberate and not merely coincidental. Naruto was trying very hard to make adjusting easy for the Uchiha and the brunette was grateful. He even smiled as the blonde undid the latch on the side of the house and opened it enough to set the bed in one of the upper rooms. Naruto pulled something else from the shopping bag and turned his attention back to the house, fussing with something for so long that Sasuke's patience ran out but, before the brunette could say anything, the blonde sat back beaming.

"There- your bed's made. Now for some clothes." Naruto said happily, pulling a smaller shopping bag out of the larger one, then digging through it. "Clothes, clothes, clothes…"

Finding something, Naruto looked up at Sasuke grinning mischievously and the Uchiha swore to Kami that if the dobe pulled out a maid uniform or something similar, that he would kill the jinchuuriki and not feel guilty, secret crush or no.

The blonde held out an orange T-shirt and a pair of black pants to the miniature brunette. "I looked around but they were all out of blue or white. I asked them to hold me a few when they come in."

"No boxers?" Sasuke asked, examining the clothing and wrinkling his nose at the Velcro clasp near the neck of the shirt and at the back of his new pants.

"Dolls are popular here but not that popular apparently." Naruto said, shrugging as he stood. He preformed another full body, bone popping stretch then eased his hand over the back of his neck tiredly.

"Dolls?" Sasuke stared up at him, appalled and outraged. "You went shopping for me in a doll store?!"

Naruto frowned down at him before sinking to the balls of his feet in a squat so that they were relatively eye to eye, his puzzlement as to what the problem was clear. "Where else was I supposed to shop? I don't know how to sew well enough to make anything, teme, and normal shops don't carry size 'Extra Teeny Weenie!' There is no 'shrunk ninja' section for gear or weapons or food! Tell me Sasuke, where the hell else would I be able to shop for you besides a doll shop?!"

The blonde was angry and, belatedly, the Uchiha realized that Naruto had every right to be pissed with him. His friend had gone to a lot of trouble without any form of protest, had done the best possible considering the situation, and here Sasuke was, throwing it back in Naruto's face, acting like a spoiled child.

"You're right." Sasuke said, feeling his face flush brightly. It was hard but he forced himself to meet Naruto's angry blue eyes with his own dark ones as he apologized. "I'm sorry."

Startled at the admission and his sudden victory, Naruto blinked, anger evaporating. He looked away and scratched the back of his neck "Yeah, well, I'd be pissed, too, I suppose." He looked back at Sasuke, a grin splitting his face. "Now, go change out of your skirt so you can come help me in the kitchen. I don't want to be flashed if you have to bend over."

Sasuke, still feeling slightly defensive after his very unUchiha-like apology immediately retaliated at the perceived slight that he had nothing between his legs worth looking at. Once he was normal sized again, he was going to make sure that Naruto got a good long look at exactly what he had to offer, damn it.

"Afraid you might like what you see?" He taunted.

"No." Naruto said, standing and heading for the door. "I'm afraid I might see that stick up your ass and never be able to forget the sight." He shuddered in the doorway and hugged himself dramatically. "The nightmares…!"

"I'll show you what's stuck up my ass!" The Uchiha exploded, his face flushed as he waved his new shirt at the blonde staring at him. Immediately Sasuke wished he could curl up and disappear as Naruto continued to stare at him wide eyed from the doorway. The brunette's face burned and he gave into the temptation to bow his head under the pretense of examining the stitching of his new shirt as Naruto's slow, heavy footsteps echoed in the room. Eyes firmly on the orange fabric, Sasuke could feel Naruto's body heat wash over him as the other crouched down in front of the doll house again.

"I really hope that someday you do, Sasuke." Naruto said softly, voice somber. It made Sasuke look up, confused, his heart hammering as he tried to decide if the blonde was making a lecherous comment or not. But Naruto's face was serious, his eyes sad as he regarded Sasuke solemnly and the sight made the Uchiha's heart beat rapidly for an entirely different reason.

Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto stood and walked out of the room without another word, leaving the small brunette utterly confused and feeling vaguely ashamed.


Dinner was a quiet affair between them. Sasuke had changed into his new clothes but didn't have the heart to tell the blonde that the itched badly and that the jinchuuriki would have to take them back tomorrow. He doubted the Leaf shinobi would appreciate it, especially since Naruto's energetic personality seemed to have vanished after their conversation. The blonde picked at his food, moving it listlessly around his plate as his eyes stared at the table, deep in thought and the Uchiha felt a great trepidation fill him at the prospect of disturbing his friend's thoughts.

Sasuke didn't feel like eating either but he forced himself to finish his meal since his body needed the nourishment to heal. He was being forced to eat with his fingers, something he really didn't enjoy, but Naruto had been unable to find usable utensils in his size that didn't smell of lead. So the Uchiha nibbled on a grain of rice the size of his fist, absently tapping his fingers against the plastic of his plate and cup where it sat on his table. The blonde had purchased a small doll-sized kitchen table and a matching chair so that the brunette could sit down with him for dinner with some sense of normalcy.

Unfortunately, Sasuke felt anything but normal as he watched his friend push food around his plate. The Uchiha was confused and still bothered by his friend's earlier comment, unsure as to what he should do or how to broach the subject to get the blonde to explain. It made him angry that he couldn't seem to figure out Naruto's words- he was supposed to be a genius but here he was, baffled.

Naruto had always accused him of being emotionally repressed which, ironically, had always made Sasuke show more emotion. Since the blonde had been the only one capable of getting past the walls Sasuke had put in place to keep everyone else at bay. The idea had been to not let anyone else ever get close to the Uchiha's heart again so that he would never have to feel the soul-crushing loss that accompanied losing another precious person a second time. Sasuke had worked hard to close himself off from those around him but… It had been so lonely behind those walls, so cold and empty that when Naruto- bright, warm and friendly Naruto- had come along Sasuke had been practically begging for freedom. Naruto had overwhelmed the barriers the Uchiha had set in place and had encouraged Sasuke to show more of himself, had made the brunette want to smash those barriers from the inside, desperate to connect with another person again. He still felt the need, the urge to reach out and connect with Naruto, but he didn't know how to bridge this divide between them. His ineptitude was choking him, the words building up in his throat until they finally forced their way out.

"I missed you!" Sasuke blurted, cheeks burning as the meaning of his statement sunk in, wondering what kind of insanity had overtaken him. It had to be the poison, yes that was it, the poison made him do it! Though he kept his face blank, he watched Naruto fearfully for signs of rejection.

The blonde froze and slowly raised his head to look at the Uchiha. Blue eyes stared at him questioningly, trying to pull more words from Sasuke except that the brunette didn't have any more. When the Uchiha remained quiet, Naruto sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest as he watched the diminutive ninja while he spoke. "Wow, did it hurt that bad?"

The brunette blinked, confused again. "Did what hurt that bad?"

"Pulling some of that stick out." Naruto deadpanned.

The blush returned, pissing him off and Sasuke said the only thing that would come to mind. "Dobe!"

Silence stretched between them for several seconds before a snort came from the jinchuuriki.

"You should see your face! You look like a tomato!" Naruto's smile was brilliant, like the sun bursting through the clouds, but it was only when the blonde threw back his head and roared with laughter that the Uchiha truly knew that things were okay between them again.

Still though, he could hardly allow the insult to go by unpunished. As Naruto continued to laugh, Sasuke scooped up a handful of rice off his plate, packing it tightly into a ball before throwing it, nailing the blonde between the eyes. The Uchiha smirked openly, tilting back in his chair smugly as he enjoyed his victory.

At least until Naruto picked him up, chair and all, and set him on a bookshelf with no way down short of falling to his death. Then it was Naruto's turn to smirk, which he did with great relish as he sprawled out on the couch in his small living room and turned on the TV, raising the volume to drown out Sasuke's loud protests.


"Aw, come on, Teme." Naruto whined softly, shifting slightly and making the bath water slosh around the edges of the tub. "You're not still mad, are you?"

From his perch on an overturned tea cup located on a corner bath ledge near the spigot, Sasuke ignored him, sitting stiffly in the corner, his back turned toward the blonde as the brunette lathered his body with suds from the sliver of soap Naruto had cut for him. The jinchuuriki could see the twin lines of the healing wounds on the pale expanse directed at him, and sighed quietly. He didn't view the marring as ugly since, to Naruto, Sasuke had always been beautiful and the scars the brunet would carry because of this injury didn't so much as take away from that beauty but enhanced it in a way the jinchuuriki couldn't really explain.

The blonde leaned his head back, pouting quietly. In retrospect he probably shouldn't have pushed Sasuke to share or trapped the ailing ninja in a place he couldn't escape from. Emotional sharing was not the Uchiha's strong suit; Sasuke repressed, bottling everything up, and Naruto firmly believed that this behavior had contributed in a big way to the brunette's defection.

But Sasuke was here now and Naruto refused to repeat the mistakes of the past. He wanted his friend to share openly about his fears and dreams, to talk about his time away like any normal person would do after an extended absence. Naruto was determined to get Sasuke to open up but maybe this had been too much, too soon and he contented himself with the knowledge that he had at least opened the door to such communications. It was up to the Uchiha now if Sasuke would walk through it.

Naruto sighed loudly and closed his eyes, irritated at his own exuberance. He should have waited but waiting had never been his strong suit to any degree just like sharing had never been Sasuke's. He felt his lips twist into an almost smile, finding it ironic that they balanced each other out in these areas- Naruto was always willing to share what was on his mind and Sasuke had patience to spare.

He tried to relax in the warm water, to let the tension in his muscles go, but couldn't, too worried about the new potential rift between himself and Sasuke he may have caused. The blonde shifted several times, suddenly annoyed by the fact that he was too tall for the cramped tub, something that had never been a problem before now. The porcelain seemed to dig into his back no matter what position he took when he huffed at the ceiling in irritation, the blonde noticed how obscenely cracked the surface above was. Naruto frowned, unhappy and dissatisfied. He had already gotten clean in a brief shower prior to drawing the bath and the whole point of the soaking in the water had been to relax. Now that his mood had been ruined, it was definitely time to get out of the tub.

"Hey, Sasuke, you done?" Naruto asked, staring blankly at the ceiling, letting his voice drag. He was apparently not fully recovered from his week of sleepless nights and he had no desire to fall asleep in the tub. The blonde was still irritated and vaguely angry but they were familiar emotions, the same he had felt immediately following the Uchiha's departure. Naruto had learned to deal with them in the subsequent years afterward and though they would dampen his evening, they would not keep him awake as they once would have.

"How many stores did you go to?" Water splashed, presumably the brunet rinsing himself off with the empty toothpaste cap Naruto had given him to serve as a bucket.

It wasn't quite a question the blonde had been expecting and Naruto's eyebrows rose into his hairline, lips pursing as he thought of his answer, mentally retracing his route. "Hmm. Let's see... There was the doll store for furniture and clothes. Then the toy store for the house 'cause the ones at the doll store looked like they'd fall over if I blew on them." Naruto yawned, his eyes tearing in the process. He rubbed at his eyes, idly shifting his knees above the waterline and submerging his upper body slightly lower. "I think that's it… No, wait, I went to the pet store at some point…"

"The pet store? I'm not a pet, dobe!" Sasuke's annoyance could be plainly heard and Naruto cracked an eye in time to see the Uchiha jump from the bath ledge to Naruto's nearby knee. Unfortunately, Naruto's skin was still slick and, in a very inelegant display, the brunette slipped, falling onto the towel the blonde had draped around his waist for modesty and politeness; he was sharing the bath and somehow going commando as usual seemed rude with Sasuke there. The Uchiha seemed to feel the same way and had used the orange swath he'd been wearing earlier in a similar fashion.

"Are you alright?" Naruto reacted immediately reacted, reaching down to cup his hands around the fallen Uchiha. He brought Sasuke to rest against his chest, holding him there as the blonde pushed himself higher above the water line. Sitting up, Naruto peered down anxiously at the diminutive brunette over, carefully running his fingers over the small body in a search for broken bones. When he found nothing, he focused on Sasuke's head, disturbing the soaked dark hair as he hunted for signs of head trauma.

"I'm not made of glass, Naruto!" The Uchiha snapped, moving stiffly as he righted himself. He began shoving the blonde's fingers away roughly.

Irritation welled within the blonde. "No, you're not, but you can still be hurt fairly easily by the same stuff that you would normally brush off. Sasuke, you are six inches tall and whether you admit it or not, this does have a significant impact right now!"

"I'll be back to normal soon!" Sasuke hissed at him, face flushed faintly red from anger or embarrassment, Naruto wasn't sure which. "The jutsu has to end eventually."

And that would bring a whole other set of problems, the blonde knew. "I know it will end, Sasuke, but...Wait," Naruto frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Teme, how long have you been like this?"

"Not long." Sasuke said evasively, suddenly preoccupied with rotating his right shoulder.

Naruto cupped his hands around the brunette and sat up suddenly, glaring down at the annoyed brunette. Placing his thumbs carefully on Sasuke's chest, he pinned the Uchiha firmly, his voice a low growl as he spoke. "How. Long."

"…" Dark eyes glared up at him with anger so strong, so clear, that Naruto should have been running away as fast as he could to get out of retaliation range. The blonde, though, was familiar with how Sasuke used his anger to mask other emotions and ignored the defense mechanism in favor of searching deeper into those dark depths, quickly finding the fear and desperation hiding underneath.

"Teme," The blonde asked, his voice softening though his eyes bore intently into the Uchiha's. "How long have you been like this?"

Sasuke was quiet for several tense seconds but some of the fear Naruto had detected earlier leaked into his expression. "…Two weeks."

It was Naruto's turn to be quiet as he processed this information. Sasuke had been bite sized for two weeks- it was a miracle he had made it to Konoha at all given the abundant wildlife residing within the forests surrounding the village. The blonde forced the fear he felt for his friend to the rear of his mind and smiled reassuringly at the brunette. "You're right; the jutsu can't last for much longer, a few more days at the most. You should treat this like a vacation and enjoy it, Teme."

The confident words sounded hollow to Naruto's ears but Sasuke nodded as if he believed and that was enough for the blonde. They finished their bath together and climbed out, Naruto quickly wrapped around himself before covering the Uchiha with a dry corner of cloth. He proceeded to dry the tiny ninja thoroughly making Sasuke's dark hair fluff up in all directions much to the brunette's annoyance. It made him look like a dandelion and Naruto said as much, grinning wickedly as he walked to his bedroom, Sasuke fuming silently on his shoulder.

The blonde set the brunette on the bed then bent to fish around in one of the larger shopping bags, pulling out a set of pajamas for Sasuke to change into.

"These ought to keep you warm." Naruto said, pleased with the set he was presenting and not understanding the incredulous expression covering his friend's face.

"I'm not wearing those." The Uchiha said flatly.

"Why not?" The material was soft enough, something that the blonde had listed as a necessity for Sasuke's pale skin, and the color pleasing- a baby blue. Naruto didn't understand what the problem was. "What's wrong with them?"

"It's covered in ducks, dobe!" Sasuke fumed, pointing at the set of nightclothes angrily. "I'm not wearing that!"

Naruto frowned, studying the patterned clothing and trying to keep a straight face. "Not real ducks, Teme, rubber duckies. There's a difference. See rubber duckies…"

"I know what the difference is!" Sasuke shouted, irate. He was standing still as a statue, pale skin flushed red, little fists clenched tightly at his sides. The Uchiha would have looked fierce if his hair hadn't still been standing out at all angles, the ends curling slightly as they dried.

"It's blue." The blonde wheedled, unable to keep from smiling at the other, knowing it would only irritate the brunette further. Their fighting was a form of stress relief, always had been and probably always would be, and Naruto had missed it terribly while Sasuke had been gone. He laid the set down on the bed near Sasuke, as if putting it in closer proximity would make it more enticing to the small ninja.

"No."

The tone was petulant and Naruto turned around, pressing his lips together to hold in the laughter trying to escape. To keep a straight face he concentrated on drying himself off, undoing the knot of cloth at his waist and pulling his towel off, wadding the material. He kept his back to the bed as he slowly began using the towel to lightly remove the moisture still clinging to his body. He fell easily into his usual bedtime preparation routine, absorbed by it almost instantly as he scrubbed the cloth through his hair then moved to dry his upper body before bending over to do his legs. Straightening again he lifted each leg, drying each foot one at a time.

A sound from the bed made him abruptly remember that Sasuke was in the room, startling the blonde and making his jump. He hastily covered himself with the towel, holding it awkwardly with one hand while scratching the back of his neck sheepishly with the other. "Um, sorry? Went on autopilot... Oh, hey, you're wearing the pajamas! Are they too hot, Teme? You're face is all red again…"

"I'm fine!" The Uchiha snapped, pulling his top down as far as it would go. "Hurry up and get dressed!"

"Right. Sorry." The blonde strode over to his closet immediately and wrapped his knuckles against the wooden door before opening it and pulling out a random sleep set of pajamas and a pair of boxers, absently brushing the fabric from habit before getting dressed. When the last button was done, he walked back to the bed and held his hand out, waiting for Sasuke to settle on his palm before lifting it upward.

"I think this might be more comfortable than my shoulder. Besides, I need my hands free while I make a snack." Naruto said, pulling open the breast pocket of his pajama top and waiting for Sasuke to slide inside. He took a step and then stopped, snickering quietly.

"What?" The Uchiha asked, sounding annoyed as he settled, steadfastly not looking up at the blonde.

Naruto snickered again, as he began to move again. "I've got an Uchiha in my pocket."

The blonde had no idea how right he was.