Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 6: Conversations with Women
O-0-O-0-O
Naruto had wanted to stay and accompany his friends throughout the mall for the remainder of the afternoon; but when Sasuke received yet another seemingly urgent call from his father on his cellphone, the two grudgingly (or at least on Naruto's part) declined the offer proposed by Kiba. And so, with a friendly farewell from both Shino and Kiba and a last perverted comment from Sai, the five teens parted ways after finishing their lunches at the restaurant.
"I'm going to have to drop you off at your grandparents," Sasuke explained as they sauntered across the parking lot and headed for his vehicle, "my father insists that I come straight home."
After climbing into the car and buckling his seat belt, Naruto murmured with a pout. "Man, this sucks. I wanted to spend some more time with you."
"You're not getting soft on me now, are you?" Sasuke teased, pulling out of the parking space and putting his car into drive.
"Not a chance, dipshit."
The Uchiha smirked at his boyfriend's vulgar language. Surprisingly, it was one of the characteristics that Sasuke found rather interesting about the younger boy. The obscene words spoken just illustrated that the brass blond wasn't afraid to be who he was; that no matter how others would perceive him, he would always stay true to himself. An interesting quality, indeed. One for which the dark haired teen admired very much about the other.
Ignorant of Sasuke's affectionate musings toward him, Naruto absently slumped lower in the passenger seat. He then glanced out the window to watch as the multicolored scenery passed them by. Moments later, he leaned his head against the cool glass and moved his eyes from the dreary New England landscape to the yellow and white painted lines parallel to each other on the asphalt of the public road. The fast pace of the highway somehow got him thinking about all the hardships he and Sasuke were bound to face in the upcoming months. This thought alone left him feeling uneasy once again.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, unconsciously, a feeling of depression washing over him.
Without taking his eyes off the road, Sasuke intoned just as softly. "You don't need to feel sorry. It's not your fault."
Who's the soft one now? He wanted to taunt back, but taking a good look at the older teen's exasperated expression, he mentioned instead. "You still shouldn't have to put up with this—your family, I mean." Then, added as an afterthought. "Neither should Itachi."
Sasuke didn't say anything, but a small sad smile did happen to reach his lips. Using his left hand to control the steering wheel, the ebony haired teen used his right to squeeze Naruto's clad jean knee in way of showing his gratitude.
The ride to Naruto's grandparent's house only took about ten minutes since the mall was mere miles away from their neighborhood. The Namikaze's Victorian-era home was the second to last house on the left side in a rounded cul-de-sac. Sasuke maneuvered his vehicle to the slower lane in order to stop precisely in front of the walkway that led to the three-story residence. The older boy let the engine run as he looked over at the lighter headed male. Naruto stared right back, not willing to break the precious eye contact.
"I couldn't keep ignoring the phone calls," clarified Sasuke in means of an explanation.
"I...understand." And Naruto did, to an extent. It still didn't change the fact that his boyfriend had been fine with disregarding his calls the other day.
"I'll pick you up later."
"Okay."
Grabbing a hold of the underside of Naruto's jaw, Sasuke gently pulled that angelic face closer to his. Naruto was quicker though; he placed his lips chastely on the older boy's with a loud smack. The kiss ended as fast as it had started; and without another word, the blond unfastened himself from the seat and exited from the car. After Sasuke's vehicle disappeared from his line of sight, Naruto trekked in the direction of the house, his spare key already in his grasp.
Just when he was about to insert the key into the lock, the door opened to reveal a busty blonde haired older woman with honey colored eyes. Tsunade Namikaze was astonished to find her grandson that she had barely seen in the last two months all of a sudden standing outside of her front door.
"What are you doing here, brat?"
Naruto shrugged. "Sasuke dropped me off." He wasn't ready to give out any other information than that.
Stepping aside to let her grandson walk into the entrance hall before closing the door, Tsunade jeered with a sarcastic edge. "Sasuke? You mean that prissy Uchiha with a duck ass hair style?"
"Grandma, don't call him that!"
Tsunade gave a surprised face at his outburst. "It's true though, isn't it? Those Uchihas have always been a little unbalanced..."
"Grandma—"
"Especially Madara! Jeez! I mean, who the hell shit in his cereal?"
"Will you stop—"
"Always walking around with his head up his ass..."
"Just shut up, you old hag!"
A thunderous countenance emerged from the older female's face as she hollered. "Who're calling an 'old hag', you snot nose butt!"
"What's going on here?" A new voice piped in loudly to cease the rising voices. Tsunade and Naruto snapped their mouths closed and spun around to face an older man with spiky white hair and red lines running down his eyes. Jiraiya Namikaze stared on with confusion but a bit of amusement as well. Tsunade was blocking the younger blond from his sight, only when she moved away did the same astonishment overwhelm his face and a big grin appeared. "Hey now, I thought I recognized the other voice. You'll have to excuse me, kid, my hearing is not as great as it used to be."
"That's okay, gramps," Naruto said sincerely before he was engulfed in a bear hug provided by his grandfather.
Releasing the boy seconds later, Jiraiya eyed his grandson up and down. "Well, you look good. How's school?"
Naruto sheepishly began rubbing the back of his head, feeling as though he were being put on the spot. "It's okay, I guess. It gets kinda boring, though."
"Oh, I'm sure your wacky, underdeveloped brain has found ways for you to entertain yourself." Tsunade had the same sarcastic tone from before, but this time fondness had crept in her voice.
Naruto playfully stuck his nose in the air, outwardly disdained. "I'll have you know that I've been making good grades in all my classes."
"I'll bet," she stated good naturedly. The older blonde then gestured with her right arm for the teen to come closer. "C'mere." Naruto strolled over towards her and the two embraced one another. "It's actually good to see you."
After some more pleasantries, the three ambled into the kitchen, searching for something to drink for all of them. Even though he had been reluctant about of seeing his eccentric grandparents previously, the warmth that they always managed to smother him with erased any bad thoughts he had had before he came to the house. Naruto told them as much as the trio sat down at the kitchen table together as a family.
O-0-O-0-O
Naruto was in his grandparents' extra room an hour later, lying on a bed and staring upward at the ceiling while involuntarily scratching at his scalp. He could hear Jiraiya and Tsunade conversing on the other side of the wall and had to stifle a chuckle when his grandmother began fussing at the insufferable man. Probably has something to do with his 'research'...
Light trickles suddenly sounded from outside the bedroom window. The golden teen furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment as the drips grew to a mild precipitation and the rain plunged downward moderately on the roof and exterior of the house. The pouring reverberation of the rain brought a sense of loneliness to the blue eyed blond and Naruto found himself missing his regal Uchiha. The said boy had texted him earlier saying that he wouldn't be able to pick him up the rest of the weekend, but that he definitely would on the morning before school started.
Thinking of Sasuke, Naruto began imagining the other's succulent creamy skin, his full pouty lips, his appealing body, and his smoldering onyx eyes. The picture in his mind was so arousing that the blond could feel his manhood hardening to awareness. He tried to eliminate the sinful descriptions from his mind, but his thoughts were lodged in stubbornly.
The erection he began to sport refused to dwindle, and the teen wasn't in the mood for a cold shower, so there was only one thing left to do. Slowly, ever so slowly, Naruto sloped his right hand down his torso until he reached his button and zipper on his jeans.
Once he was able to loosen his jeans, the teen slithered his pants down and lowered the top of his boxers slightly to reveal his pulsing shaft. Taking a firm grip of it, he started at the base of golden curls and moved his way up to the slippery head, repeating a stroking pace over and over again. Naruto hissed through his teeth as he experimentally touched the moist slit with his index finger. As the pleasure increased, he became more confident and pumped faster to bring himself to release. He moaned as his motions grew in their intensity. Naruto was so close, he could feel it, a drop of sweat from his temple traveled alongside his face to land on his upper shirt as he bucked. I'm...I'm about to—
"Yo, brat, your mother's on the phone!"
—die of a sudden case of blue balls. The sound of his grandmother's voice crashed his arousal, sending his penis to morbid flaccidity. The abrupt stop of his approaching climax actually made the lower part of his body hurt. Tucking his penis back inside his boxers and pulling up his pants, Naruto silently swore to himself that that would be the last time he ever jerked-off in his grandparents' home.
Removing himself from the bed, Naruto stalked out of the room and made his way to the hallway's nightstand where a corded phone was located. He wiped his hands on his jeans before picking up the receiver. "Hi, Mom," he acknowledged with a huff. He was trying to get his breathing back to normal.
"Hi, sweetheart," Kushina Uzumaki returned cheerfully, oblivious to the way her son had answered the phone. "It's good to hear from you. I didn't quite believe your grandmother when she called and said you were over there."
"Yeah, I kinda wanted to take a break away from school. How are you and Dad?"
"I'm fine. Your dad is fine. He's in a meeting right now though, and its lasting hours."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"One of the corporations he's trying to salvage won't agree to his negotiations. It's been like this for months, unfortunately. But enough worrying about us, I want to know how're doing. How's everything?"
"Everything's...good." Damn, he hated how he sounded so awkward! He only got to talk to his parents during certain birthdays, holidays, and intervals. Why couldn't he at least chat with some decent composure?
"Just good? Nothing exciting? How 'bout girlfriends? Do you have a girlfriend? I know the last time we talked you had said something about liking some Haruno girl—"
"I don't like her like that anymore, Mom. We're just friends," Naruto interrupted her, not wanting to go through that line of questioning.
"Oh, okay. So no girlfriends, I take it?"
Naruto used the bottom of his shirt to wring his unoccupied hand around, wondering if he should tell her the truth. Ah, the hell with it. "No, no girlfriends, but I am in a relationship." He hoped his mother would get the hint so that he wouldn't have to explain further.
"I'm not sure I understand you." Apparently, luck wasn't on his side.
"I'm...with the same sex."
His mother was silent for awhile. Then, a quiet. "...I see."
"Are you upset?"
Kushina spoke with a tinge of puzzlement. "Why would I be upset?"
"'Cause I also like guys." Or at least one guy.
"Sweetie, your father and I love you no matter what. Neither one of us would care whether you had a girlfriend or a boyfriend, okay?"
Naruto blew a sigh of relief. He should have known that his mother would be okay with him dating another boy. His folks were pretty open-minded, after all. "Thanks, Mom. I love you guys too."
"So...you're in a relationship," the Uzumaki woman reiterated, confirming more to herself, "how long have you been together then? Do I know this person...uh, boy? C'mon, honey, give me the details." By the end of her inquiring, Kushina was practically squealing in his ear. Naruto groaned inwardly; seriously, his mother could be such a girl sometimes! And of course she had to ask the questions that he really didn't want to answer.
"Our relationship is...complicated at the moment. That's all I'm willing to tell you right now."
"At least tell me that he's treating you well."
"Actually...yeah, he is. He's rather caring despite everything."
"Good. I'm glad," Kushina said genuinely. After a long pause, that unexpectedly wasn't uncomfortable, she asked. "Now, are you and your boyfriend sexually active?"
"Mom!" Naruto whined, embarrassed. The color red had taken over his face.
"I just want to make sure my baby is being safe and protected."
Sitting down on the carpeted floor because his legs had grown tired, Naruto mumbled. "Mom, that's not cool. You don't ask stuff like that." Kushina's only response was to giggle.
O-0-O-0-O
"Hey, Karin, I gotta ask you something that's been bugging me since the last time we spoke—how come you're not Sasuke's fangirl anymore?" Naruto asked a certain bespectacled girl that just happened to be sitting down next to him again on the football ground's bleachers.
It had been four days since the blond had stayed with his grandparents. True to his word, Sasuke had picked him up on Monday morning and drove him back to the academy, the cold weather from their outer surroundings making the both of them understandably docile. The rainfall from Saturday had eased some, but wispy drizzle appeared on and off all through the beginning of the week. For a second time, Naruto was in the arena, supporting his covert black haired boyfriend as he and his team went about their offensive drills.
He and Karin had been talking for a couple of hours as the evening came, and it baffled Naruto how at ease the both of them were with each other. The whiskered teen could even go as far as calling her a new friend. She wasn't at all like Ino and Sakura whom although great friends could be overbearing at times. Karin seemed to have a sharp air about her; it was like she was able to read other people just by looking at them.
Naruto waited for Karin to answer him, and didn't have to wait long as she said quite plainly, "I told you before, he's a lost clause."
"Yeah, but I want to know why. What changed your mind?"
Supposedly contemplating the question as a frown touched her mouth, Karin started carefully. "I guess it was the first time I noticed 'that' look in his eyes."
Naruto rose a golden eyebrow. "And what look would that be?"
"Y'know, that sparkle you get in your eye when you have finally found someone special?"
"No, I don't know."
The redheaded teen rolled her eyes and continued. "Yes, you do. When people first fall in love, they start acting all weird and annoying. People can see that. And it's not just with the eyes either, it's their whole being. Once I stopped being selfish and saw that look, I knew it would never work out romantically between us."
Naruto wasn't sure whether he should choke on his own spit or lean closer to the girl and ask more questions. The things she were saying sounded intriguing, but the concept of Sasuke being in love, with him no less, was unbelievable. They were currently boyfriends and before that they had been best friends. In that sense, Naruto knew that he liked the dark haired boy and vice versa, but love? The emotion was a foreign preception. Not to say that they couldn't grow to love each other, but the two had a long way to go before they reached that point.
Watching as the coach signaled the players to finish up their practice, Naruto said accordingly. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm actually glad you're not a fangirl anymore. No offense, but fangirls are crazy."
Karin began laughing, but halted abruptly and clutched at her chest, cringing. Naruto gaped over at her, bewildered. "You okay?"
"I think so. Just some shooting pain, is all."
The blue eyed blond nodded his head, feeling worried, but deciding to let it go for now. At the end of practice, Sasuke, walking amongst his team, had twisted his body around to give Naruto a profound stare before heading right to the locker rooms. Naruto had to wonder as he left the grounds if that was what Karin had been referring to when she mentioned 'that' look to him.
Oh, boy. Naruto's still in denial. Heh.
