Surface Tension

The smooth leather of the couch stuck to Sasuke's bare, sweaty skin as they sat watching the evening news. Thursday October, 5th, flashed at the lower corner of the screen. He was naked, sitting sideways with his legs pulled up to his chest, and had pulled the blanket from the back of the couch to cover himself. Feeling both overheated and cold had made him uncomfortable to say the least. Naruto had pulled his shorts back on sat on the floor at the other end of the couch. The blond boy had not spared him a passing glance since they'd finished their fourth sexual encounter of the day around half an hour ago. Sasuke was sure that he had more sex in the past week than he had in the past five years. Naruto had not been joking when he'd said that he was insatiable.

Sasuke's body was sore in every way imaginable. Every muscle ached from the different positions Naruto had put into, but he couldn't fault the blond boy, as he had initiated it just as much. They'd kept to rules unspoken between them. Their physical closeness was sexual only, no cuddling, no sleeping together. And of all the many surfaces of their small apartment that Naruto had drilled him into, a bed had never been one of them. Something about it seemed too intimate for both of them, and that wasn't what this relationship was. Sasuke liked it this way, it was simple. No complication of emotions, just sex. Good sex.

But now he wanted Naruto's attention again, and the boy was ignoring him in favor of sports highlights that Sasuke had no interest in. Blue light flickered against his tan face, emphasizing the chiseled features and strong jaw. Sasuke stretched out one of his legs to lightly kick the boy in the shoulder. Naruto didn't budge or tear his gaze away from the TV to even look at him. Sasuke nudged him again, and this time the boy pushed his foot away in annoyance but still didn't look over. Sasuke weighed his options and, feeling impish, decided to nudge him one last time. This resulted in Naruto grabbing his ankle and yanking him off the couch. He hit the ground with a thud that nearly knocked the wind out of him. Grabbing the back of his head, that he'd hit rather roughly on the carpeted floor, he groaned rolled onto his side, but the other boy wasn't done with him yet. Still holding his ankle Naruto pulled him closer and turned to lean over him on all fours. Sasuke glared up into annoyed blue eyes.

"No." he told Sasuke flatly.

"Did I wear you out already?" Sasuke attempted to bait him, still holing the back of his own head. He knew this level of sexual activity wouldn't last. According to what Naruto had told him, it had been about a year since either of them had sex, and this was merely result of a lot of backed up energy.

"Not in the slightest." He reached down and brushed Sasuke's bangs out of his eyes, "but I do have to get up early and am going to bed as soon as this is over." he pointed at the tv, indicating the sports report he'd been trying to watch before Sasuke had interrupted him.

"What for? There are no classes tomorrow." Sasuke pointed out bringing his hand up to run his fingers down Naruto's muscled chest.

"Classes, no. Practice, yes." Naruto took both of his hands and pinned them to his sides. Sasuke sighed in defeat and the boy moved off of him and sat back where he had originally been.

"What practice?" he inquired apathetically, sitting up. He didn't really care about the answer, but there was still very little he knew about Naruto, and if they were going to be a convincing couple for his family next week, he should probably start learning.

Naruto turned slowly to look at him again, mouth slightly open. "Do you really not know that I'm on the football team." Sasuke stared blankly at him. "How did you think I knew Jugo? We were on the team together last year."

Sasuke just shrugged "I just thought you were muscle headed gym friends or something."

Naruto laughed. "You really live in your own little world, don't you?" He shook his head and stood, giving up and trying to finish watching the new. "Good night, Sasuke." he waved over his shoulder as he retired to his own watched him go, disappointed that their night was over. He sighed heavily and lay back on the floor to stare up at the ceiling.

One week. Ten days, until they had to face his parents, and they hadn't done anything to prepare for the encounter. His mother would be the easier one to impress. Sasuke hoped the just seeing him "happy" would be enough for her to try and persuade his father to leave him be. But his father... he'd never really gotten the feeling that his father thought of him as anything more than a spare pawn in his political game. His brother had always been the real prize for his family, and no matter how hard he'd tried, or what he'd accomplished, it had just never quite been enough.

While Sasuke had a good relationship with both his brother and his mother, there had still always been a sort of disconnect between them. A barrier that Sasuke couldn't identify. He'd wondered before if it had to do his behavior during his adolescence and the strain it had put on their family. The decisions he'd made since becoming an adult hadn't helped anything either. Not going to the school his entire family had gone to. Deciding to become a surgeon instead of going into the family business. Coming out as gay, which he was sure his family thought was a decision to further rebel and embarrass the Uchiha name. None of those things had ever been his intention however. He'd wanted to walk his own path and be himself, but he was still proud of his heritage and of baring his family name. He didn't want to lose on either side.

A shiver ran down Sasuke's spine and he searched for the warm blanket that had previously been staving off the cold. He pulled it around himself once again and clambered to his feet, feeling he might as well go to bed also. Yawning, he wandered into his own room and buried himself under the covers. He had ten days to figure out how to make this charade believable. By just the following day, however, a problem arose with his plan: Naruto had begun ignoring him again.

Sasuke was beyond irritated with his roommate, and sat fuming in the cafe with his friends. He'd confronted the boy yesterday about being on the receiving end of silent treatment, to which Naruto had replied, "Ask me about all this next week."

"We leave next week, you idiot. One week exactly from today." Sasuke scolded him loudly.

Naruto has flinched at his words, and rubbing his temples told him, "Fine, ask me Friday. Relationships aren't difficult. You're smart aren't you? Two days should be enough time to teach you how to think about someone other than yourself." And with that the boy had closed himself in his room again, and Sasuke hadn't seen him since.

Sasuke was so consumed by his own thoughts that Suigetsu and Karin's arguing didn't even bother him the time they all packed up for the day, Sasuke realized that he hadn't written down a single note from their discussions or text. They bid their farewell's but Jugo pulled him aside after the other two had exited the cafe.

"Come see me at work tomorrow around noon." Came the gruff request of his oldest friend.

"I can't, I've got-" Sasuke started to try and blow him off.

Jugo held up his hand to cut him off, shaking his head, "Wasn't asking. It'll be worth it and help you with your Naruto problem, though." And he left without waiting for Sasuke's confirmation. He stared blankly after his friend's retreating back. Everything felt as though it were teetering on the edge of something Sasuke didn't quite understand, and there wasn't anything he could do push the outcome either way. All he could do was wait for the pieces to play their part before making his next move, and the suspense was killing him. All his nerves were on fire that night as anxiety coursed though his body, keeping him from much needed sleep. By the time he stood in the waiting room at the Veterinary office in which Jugo worked the following morning, it was with dark circles under eyes and short temper.

The swinging door to his left finally opened and Jugo beckoned him into the back, and then ushered him into another a side room lined with cages. "Give me like fifteen minutes," he said distractedly. "Play with the cats and try not to bite anyone else's head off while you're here. You nearly had the receptionist in tears." He left as abruptly as he'd dragged Sasuke back into this room.

Sasuke let out a deep sigh. He hated this place, the hospital smell mixed with the smell of cats and the overall depressing atmosphere. He should have called Jugo to see if he was busy before heading over, and perhaps he wouldn't have had to wait like this. He turned around and walked down the row of cages stopping to look in at their occupants, petting those who asked for it. He liked cats, always had, but had never been allowed to have a pet of his own growing up. Sasuke wasn't sure what Jugo had meant by, "play with the cats," as most of these poor creatures did not look to be a state that suggested they were in the mood for joyful frolicking with a moody twenty-something year old. As he reached the final cage however, a small orange paw reached out for his attention follow by a soft mewling, and Sasuke froze. He knew this small orange kitten, at least he was pretty sure it was indeed the same one he often saw Naruto feeding outside their apartment. It had the same white spot on its face and black tip to its tail, only it was now missing one of it's front legs. The little kitten purred as Sasuke scratched under its chin through the bars of the cage. Was this what had effected Naruto's mood so drastically the past few days? How long had the kitten been missing?

The door to the room opened and Jugo entered looking harassed and tired. Dark circles hung under his eyes as well, and his orange Mohawk sat flat and lifeless. "You can take her out, she's mostly healed." he told Sasuke in a tired voice, noting where he stood.

"Was this what you called me here for?" he asked, pointing at the cat, feeling slightly manipulated. The kitten mewled again to regain his attention.

"Did I ask you here to fall in love with a cute cat in hopes you'd give it a home?" He asked raising an eyebrow, sounding confused, "No, but she's yours if you want her. You just have to take her angry gray friend in there with her." He strode over and opened the cage, gently lifting the orange ball of fur out and placing it in Sasuke's arms. Then reaching back into the cage, he grabbed a second kitten that had blended in with the gray of the bed in the back. It was small disheveled looking tabby, with long fur, that hissed and swatted at Jugo as he lifted it too out of the cage. "The orange one was brought in about a week ago after being attacked by a dog." He placed the second kitten in Sasuke's arms as well. The little thing balled itself up in fright. "That one is just another stray, but they bonded, so we kept them together."

"The orange one is the one Naruto has been feeding near our apartment." Sasuke told him flatly.

"Ah. I understand your question now." he stated rubbing his eyes. "No, that isn't why I called you here. That is the first I've heard of that or I would have called Naruto, as I'm sure that's at least part of what's bothering him." He pulled up a folding chair for Sasuke and one for himself. "No, I just wanted to talk and to answer your questions, and since I've been so busy lately, I thought this would be easiest, though I may have to randomly run out of here if I'm needed." He gave Sasuke a tired smile and the sincerity showed in his eyes. "Want to start with your questions?"

Sasuke nodded, feeling more at ease than he had all weekend. "How do you and Naruto know each other?"

"We were on the football team last year and became sort of like friends." He shrugged lightly and waited patiently for Sasuke to continue. Sasuke nodded again as he thought. He knew Jugo had been on the team, but quit at the end of last season to more seriously pursue his veterinary career. "Which was also why I recommend him to you as a roommate when you were looking last year. I thought you two could be good friends as well."

"You know about my arrangement with him too, dont you." It wasn't really a question as Sasuke had been sure for awhile he knew the answer.

"He brought it up to me after you asked him." Jugo confirmed, "Wondering about whether the request was genuine or not. I told him that you hadn't mentioned anything about it to me, but since, even though I knew you were gay, you'd never actually told me, that you telling him attested to your sincerity."

"And the party?" Sasuke was feeling much more relaxed as played with the orange kitten, occasionally petting the gray one, earning a low growl from the grumpy thing.

"I may have given him a push, yes." He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, but Sasuke just nodded once again. He'd realized as Jugo was talking that just having some answers had eased his mind considerably. That or he had just reached the point of exhaustion where his emotions had stopped functioning. Sasuke said nothing else, so Jugo continued.

"The other thing I had wanted to talk to you about..." He paused, seemingly unsure to how to say what was on his mind. "Well... part of the reason he's being so distant, and not just with you... well he told me last year, he's never really liked his birthday."

Sasuke looked up from the now sleeping cats. "What?" He was confused about what that had to do with anything currently going on.

Jugo rolled his eyes at Sasuke, "Today is your boyfriends birthday, which he apparently spends alone every year, due to not having anyone close to him. Hence the cold shoulder he's undoubtedly giving you."

Sasuke blinked at him, feeling a bit guilty. "Oh," he said, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do with this information.

Jugo sighed heavily. "You are hopeless."

Sasuke was too tired to defend himself, and thus found himself sitting on his own bed as the kittens chased rolled around playing in the bedspread. He'd told Jugo several times that they were not allowed pets in the apartment, but here they were anyway. He wasn't sure if it was because he was too exhausted to argue, or it was because of his childhood desire to have a pet of his, that he'd agreed to take both kittens. Sasuke had grown very fond of the tabby and had decided to keep that one for himself, leaving the orange one to his roommate. He'd called and spoken to the landlord and after a long argument on the matter, they'd agreed on a steep "pet deposit" that Sasuke had paid for with his family's credit card. He changed from his street clothes into a pair of black shorts and black sweatshirt and waited until he heard Naruto come home. He then waited a bit longer, feeling extremely awkward about the whole thing, and had no idea how to go about it.

When at last he found himself standing outside Naruto's bedroom door, he had decided to tuck the gray kitten into the hood of sweatshirt and orange one into the front pocket. Both kittens and worn themselves out playing and were fast asleep. He knocked on the bedroom door but received no answer. Trying the door, he found it unlocked. That was trusting, he supposed, but then he never locked his bedroom door against Naruto either. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door to find Naruto sitting at his computer desk with his back to Sasuke. The large gaming headphones and absorption into whatever he was playing had led to him not hearing Sasuke enter. He tapped the boy on the shoulder causing him to jump and quickly remove his headphones.

"Sasuke..." came the reproachful response upon seeing that it was only Sasuke. Before he could continue, however, Sasuke pulled out the orange kitten and thrust it into Naruto's hands. Silence fell Naruto stared at it, and Sasuke stared at Naruto. He hadn't expected it, but the feeling of guilt had returned. The sadness was far more evident to him in the boys eyes now, but Sasuke knew that he should have noticed sooner. They may not be real lovers, but perhaps Jugo was right and they could at least be friends.

Naruto continued to stare dumbfounded at the sleepy little ball of fur in his hands. It purred and stumbled forwards awkwardly on its three legs, clearly recognizing the boy who had so consistently kept its belly full, and tried to climb up his chest to snuggle against his face.

Naruto helped it along and looked up at Sasuke, opening his mouth to ask questions, but Sasuke cut him off with a deep kiss, "Happy birthday." His own tiredness seeped into his voice as he brushed Naruto's shaggy hair out of his eyes.

He gave a soft, "thank you," in return, still at a loss as to what was happening. Sasuke smiled as a perverted sense of pride filled him at stumping the blonde boy out of his usual aloof and cocky demeanor. He pulled the grumpy Tabby out of his hood for Naruto to see as well.

A voice echoed out of Naruto's headphones calling his attention back to reality. "Can I take care of this last game and we can talk?" He asked tentatively. The small kitten had taken up residence on his shoulder and seemed perfectly content with its new perch. Sasuke agreed and crawled on to Naruto's bed against the wall behind them. He scooted over the lay against the wall, setting the kitten down beside him where it huddled against his chest, and waited for Naruto to be done with his game.

The blond boy's earthy scent on the pillows and the softness of the bed called him into a sleep he had not intended.