Chapter 3

"Oi, Naruto-chan!" A man burst through the front door, slapping Kakashi on the back as he marched through the foyer. "I come bearing gifts!" The man announced this proudly as he hoisted a gift basket into the air.

"Naruto isn't here, Kiba." Kakashi deadpanned. "He's out with Sasuke."

"What!" The brunet gasped. "I told him I would be stopping by around this time." He fake sobbed.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Which is probably why he left in such a hurry..." The other seme gave him his signature puppy dog eyes. "You know there's no need to beg. You're going to make yourself at home anyway." The silveret said matter-of-factly as he gestured to the sitting room.

Kiba happily skipped to the next room, setting his basket down on the coffee table and throwing himself onto the sofa. "Akamaru!"

A huge dog came bounding through the still-open front door, tracking dirt through the house. "I keep telling Naruto, "Get a restraining order."." Kakashi said to himself as he went to get a mop, ""But no", he says. "He's my childhood friend", he says!"

It was a wonder that Sasuke's eyes hadn't popped out of his skull by now.

He was currently strolling along a sidewalk, albeit closely behind Naruto. The fresh air was warm and clear and the sun shone brightly in the endless blue sky. Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he'd been outside for so long. People paced everywhere, semes in expensive suits hurriedly scurried to work and ukes in elaborate cloaks- some even in regular house clothes- held their husband's hands as they spent the day together. Sasuke couldn't believe it.

"I was thinking." Naruto began, feeling a burst of pride that he was able to give Sasuke this experience, "That it would be nice if we could go out today." Sasuke was still awestruck at the sight of all these ukes walking about so freely, so he didn't reply. "So, what do you want to do first?"
Sasuke's eyes wandered over to an uke who was holding a young child's hand, his seme holding the other as they gently swung the giggling boy into the air as they walked. This uke's cloak was a bright yellow with orange embroidery around the neck and sleeves which were dappled here and there with small gems. He looked back down at his plain black cloak. Naruto caught wind of this and grinned. "I know of a place where they sell really great uke's clothes." He took Sasuke's hand. "My mother used to go there, and my uke-friends are always talking about it." Again, with these seme-uke friendships! Sasuke hadn't known that it was even legal to be close friends with the opposite gender.

They had arrived to the store in a little less than ten minutes. It was a rather decently sized building and the sign was distinctive and brightly colored. From looking through the window, you could tell that the store earned a good revenue because it was heavily stocked with merchandise and filled with happy patrons.
A bell jingled happily as they walked inside. The interior was tastefully decorated and beautiful clothes were on display.

An uke walked over to them and asked, "Welcome! Do you need help finding anything?"

"No," Naruto smiled his signature smile, "We're fine."

"Alright then!" The man said cheerily, "I'm right over here if you need anything."

As Naruto and Sasuke made their way to the section of cloaks, the raven asked hastily, "He works here?" The blonde nodded.

"Don't tell me you think ukes aren't allowed to work." Naruto asked in awe, how could anyone be so kept in the dark? Naruto noticed the uke look to the side in embarrassment. "I mean, ukes can work. But it's not that common for them to be qualified for higher-paying jobs. The more serious ones." He saw Sasuke roll his eyes at the blatant discrimination against ukes.
To change the subject, Naruto picked up the nearest cloak he saw. He unfolded it and held it out in front of Sasuke. "What about this one?" It was a bright pink with a lace back- far too revealing for the other man's tastes. Sasuke crinkled his nose and shook his head. "Oh," the seme put the cloak down, "Your favorite color is blue, isn't it?" He picked up one in a light blue hue. It was made from silk and the sleeves faded out into a darker blue. Sasuke nodded and Naruto smiled. "I like this one too."

By the time they had finished shopping, the orange sun had sunken low into the west. Naruto and Sasuke carried bags of clothing (including lingerie- which Sasuke didn't know of, of course.), various decor for Sasuke's room and of course, books upon books. Inside, Sasuke felt as giddy as a child on Christmas morning.

"Hey Sasuke." Naruto tilted his head toward the general direction an ice cream parlor. "How about we stop for ice cream?" He adjusted one of the heavier bags in his grip. "After we put these in the car?"

Sasuke's fingers tightened around the handle of his bag. His stomach growled quietly. "I don't like ice cream."

"Then how about we go somewhere else? I know a place-"

Sasuke cut him off, "I'm not hungry."

"Oh, okay." The blonde struggled to keep up with Sasuke. "You didn't eat very much this morning."

"I have an uneasy stomach in the mornings." Sasuke said casually.

"But eating so little is unhealthy for you-"

"Naruto, I was lonely last night." Sasuke suddenly said, stopping and standing in front of the man, their chests gently brushing together. "Why can't I sleep with you?"

Naruto's mind completely went blank and his cheeks became rosy. "I thought th-that you'd be more comfortable that way." He swallowed. "I didn't think you'd want to sleep in my bed."

Soft fingers slid down Naruto's side as big, dark eyes penetrated the seme. "You were wrong." It wasn't like any of what Sasuke was saying was true. To be honest, he relished the solitude. He was pretty sure that he would be just fine with not having a seme in his life. All Sasuke really wanted at the moment was to stop talking about food.

They walked to the car in silence after that. When the bags had been put in the back and both men were sitting securely in their seats, Naruto's hand slid quietly over to where Sasuke's own sat on the armrest. His palm practically cradled the raven's hand, which slightly alarmed Sasuke. If Naruto wanted to, he could hurt Sasuke badly. Sasuke's stomach churned a bit at the thought, but settled as the tan fingers threaded themselves through his own ivory ones. Could he really trust Naruto? Was he just being so nice to Sasuke simply to get the raven in bed? And if, God forbid, Sasuke actually fell for the blonde, would Naruto only show his true colors then? So many doubts swam around in Sasuke's head that he felt as if he'd burst, like a dam pushed to its limits.

"Sasuke." Naruto said. The raven looked at the blonde, who had a thoughtful look in his blue eyes. "You know I'm not a blithering idiot, right?"

Caught. There was no point in lying now. "Apparently not."

"Right." Naruto's hand squeezed Sasuke's. "I won't ask any questions about him. Or about what he's done to you. Because it's all in the past." Naruto paused as he thought of what to say next. "But I just want to make sure that you understand something." Sasuke began to grow uncomfortable with the emotions being shown. It wasn't often that anyone expressed feelings so strongly towards him. "Whatever your father has ever criticized you about is wrong." Sasuke turned his head away. "You're fine the way you are."

Sasuke snatched his hand away and glared at Naruto. "I don't need your sympathy!" He hissed.

"That's right." Naruto agreed. "What you do need is your own approval."

"Shut up."

"You're saying that to the person who just blew his whole paycheck on you?" Naruto teased.

Sasuke faced the front of the car and rolled his eyes. "You're a spoiled little rich boy. You have money to burn." The raven shook his head and whispered to himself, "Dobe."

"I would threaten to take everything back..." Naruto reached into the backseat and pulled something from a small shopping bag. "But I want to keep these." He swung around a pair of frilly little black panties on his index finger.

Sasuke arched a brow. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Naruto-chan. What color is the thong you're wearing now?"

"Ha ha." Naruto mock-laughed. "Don't worry, you don't have to wear these until Monday. I hate Mondays, and seeing you only wearing these would really brighten my day-" A hand pressed against his mouth as another snatched at the lingerie. Naruto snickered and tucked them behind his back, but Sasuke only pinned him between himself and the car door.

"I don't have to wear them at all, you little fucker! Give them to me, Naruto!"

"If I'd known you'd be this eager to wear them I would've taken you with me to pick some more out." The blonde muffled through the hand. He silently regretted it as Sasuke pinched his nose shut, a hand still over the seme's mouth.

"We're home!" Naruto called.

"So are we!" Kiba said as he entered the foyer, Akamaru close behind. "We've been waiting for you to come home all day!" The brunet noticed Sasuke and stepped closer, taking a handful of chips from the bag in his hands and stuffing them into his mouth. "So this is Sasuke, huh?" He swallowed. "Itachi is a lot hotter, I have to say. This one is just too... cute. I can't imagine him being that good in bed. But Itachi!" Kiba exhaled sharply, "What I'd give to spend a night with him!"

Sasuke was swinging back a bag containing an expensive alarm clock, ready to smash the thing against Kiba's cranium, when Kakashi popped up behind him and seized the bags that Naruto and Sasuke held. "I'll go put these somewhere... safe." The silveret said.

Naruto took Kiba by his hood and dragged him into the next room. "Kiba!" He whisper-shouted, so that Sasuke couldn't hear them. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

The brunet arched a brow and leaned against the wall before throwing the empty bag into the waste bin across the room. It landed in the container with a soft crinkle. "I was just being honest, Naru-chan. He has the sex appeal of a kitten." Naruto looked at him questionably. "Absolutely zero!" Kiba clarified.

Naruto shook his head and looked around closely so that he knew Sasuke wasn't nearby. "He's self-conscious enough as it is..." Naruto muttered. "But don't tell him I said that. He'd kick my ass. Seriously. I think he would."

"Naruto!" Kiba hissed.

"What?!"

"You're whipped!"

"I am not!"

"You're so whipped!" Kiba insisted. "Sasuke will begin to think that he has power over you!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "No he won't, Kiba!"

"Then assert your dominance! You're the alpha dog, Naruto!"

"You need to stop thinking in terms of dogs, jackass. We're not animals!"

"What I mean is that this isn't right, Naruto!"

"He's only been here for three days. There hasn't even been enough time for anything to go wrong!"

Kiba narrowed his eyes. "Things went wrong the moment you saw him at the wedding!"

Naruto's blue eyes cast their gaze downward. "Shut up, Kiba."

"Whatever." The brunet sighed and threw his hands up in defense. "Be the laughingstock. I don't care, but I don't agree with this." Kiba had been raised in a very traditional home. Though not as strict as Sasuke's father, he was a firm believer in gender roles. Despite this fact, he and Naruto were like brothers.

The blonde man scoffed, "Which is why you're still single. Because you're over-controlling."

"This isn't about my supposed faults, Naruto!" He barked, making the blonde arch a brow. "This is about yours." He said bluntly before crossing his arms stubbornly.

"I'm done, Kiba." Naruto sighed. "Please. Go home."

"Fine." Akamaru trotted happily to the brunet's side. "When you come to your senses, let me know." With that, Kiba took his leave, and Naruto facepalmed.

Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. "Sasuke?" He called.

The man eventually found Sasuke in the raven's bedroom, newly painted a dark blue. He was fiddling with a CD he'd bought, clearly unsure as to how to use it. "How do I make it play music?" He asked as if the disc itself had specific buttons on it. Naruto smiled.

In a sitting room that branched off from the Great room, Naruto plopped a CD of Sasuke's choice into the stereo. As soon as the system began to play music, Sasuke's eyes grew wide and intrigued.

"I spend my money on the regular miracles,
Just like you, like me, like everybody else.
Up on the sun, lookin' sad and beautiful,
Just like you, like me, like everybody else!"

"Is an uke singing this?" The raven asked. He examined the CD case- the song was named Harlem by a band called New Politics.

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just that I haven't heard an uke sing like this before."

"Seriously?!" Naruto squeaked as the chorus ended. "You've got so much to learn."

"Here come the jets, hide my money in your tube socks,
Run like me, like hell, like everybody else.
Hair metal on a Japanese boom box,
Kicks like you, like me, like everybody else!"

Naruto put another CD in by another band called Modest Mouse. "You seemed bored with the other one... I think this might be more your style." He explained, picking up on Sasuke's mood toward the upbeat song.

"I backed my car into a cop car the other day...
Well he just drove off sometimes life's okay,
I ran my mouth off a bit too much oh what did I say?
Well you just laughed it off it was all okay."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's better. He screams a lot."

Naruto nodded. "Maybe something else?"

The raven haired boy picked up a CD with a gothic looking seme on it. "This one."

Naruto pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay then."

Sasuke arched a brow at the music that started playing. "This isn't so bad."

"And I don't want you and I don't need you!
Don't bother to resist, or I'll beat you,
It's not your fault that you're always wrong!
The weak ones are there to justify the strong.

The beautiful people, the beautiful people,
It's all relative to the size of your steeple.
You can't see the forest for the trees!
You can't smell your own shit on your knees!"

"This is amazing." Sasuke stated bluntly.

Naruto sweatdropped. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

"I think this song is very insightful. And accurate."

"There's no time to discriminate,
Hate every motherfucker,
That's in your way!"

Hey you, what do you see?
Something beautiful, something free?
Hey you, are you trying to be mean?
If you live with apes man, it's hard to be clean!"

"Whatever you say." Naruto chuckled.

"The horrible people, the horrible people!
It's as anatomic as the size of your steeple!
Capitalism has made it this way,
Old-fashioned fascism will take it away!"

Naruto clamped his hands over his ears. "Turn it off Sasuke!" He hollered. That damned song had been playing for the past two days. The blonde thought his ears might fall off.

A simple, drowned out "No." Was his only reply.

"I'll burn it! I swear I will!"

"I dare you." Sasuke said from the other room.

Defeated, Naruto retreated to his bedroom and threw a pillow over his head. It smelled of vanilla and something distinctly Sasuke. The uke had been sleeping with Naruto, and even though nothing like that had happened yet, it made Naruto feel happy- as if they were officially a married couple. Suddenly a new song began to blare from downstairs.

"Lately I been, I been losing sleep,
Dreaming about the things that we could be.
But baby, I been, I been prayin' hard,
Said no more counting dollars,
We'll be counting stars.
Yeah, we'll be counting stars..."

Naruto closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a doze as the scent of Sasuke enveloped his senses. He just rested there for a while, letting the music run through his mind.

"I feel something so right,
By doing the wrong thing!
And I feel something so wrong,
By doing the right thing...
I could lie, could lie, could lie,
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive."

"Naruto..." Naruto looked in the general direction of where the voice came from and put down his coffee before going to see what the raven haired man needed. Today would be the day when Sasuke got to see his brother after a long, long wait. He found the man staring at something beside the front door.

"What's this?" Naruto asked. Sasuke was holding a gift basket. He took the card and read it. "From Kiba. Oh, yeah. He stopped by the drop this off! I forgot..."

"That's rude." Sasuke huffed.

Naruto merely shrugged and examined the sweets and general frilly stuff that you typically buy for newlywed ukes. "I have a feeling this was more for you anyway." The blonde was immediately proven wrong as he moved a book titled "How to Take Care of Your New Uke, for New/Stupid Semes." Beneath it was an abundance of sex toys, flavored lubes, candles, and lingerie. Before Sasuke could make out what exactly was in there, Naruto snatched the basket out of the raven's hands. "I'll just go put this away!" He chuckled nervously.

"What?" Sasuke asked and crossed his arms. "What was in there?"

Naruto gulped and looked around, trying to come up with a plausible lie. "Ramen. Lots and lots of ramen."

Okay guys. Sorry for the delay, I've just been swamped with finals and shit like that. And my computer's charger went kaput, so I had to wait until a new one was delivered before I could publish this. But I just got it about an hour ago and decided to clean this chapter up and post it for you guys. That being said, I hope you all had a great winter break! Remember to review for more chapters, feedback is always appreciated.

The songs mentioned in this story do not belong to me and are owned by their respective writers. I just like them, so I merely incorporated them into the story. I just have a feeling that Sasuke would enjoy listening to Marilyn Manson, haha.

Links in the song will be posted in my profile, if you want to listen to them for yourself. They're all great, I promise! Thank you so much for reading!