"Checkmate."
Sasuke clucked his tongue. "Dumbass, you can only make a checkmate in chess."
"This is almost the same thing," Naruto said pleasantly, turning over one of his pieces in his hand. "Plus, I deserve to have a checkmate. I fought off all those spiders that fell out of the box."
"By screaming for me to get rid of them?" Sasuke grumbled, stacking his piece over Naruto's once he cornered it.
"Hmph," he stared at the board after he was left with only a couple of choices—both leading to him losing. "I thought you were gonna kill them all. But that was smart."
"It was common sense," he replied, smirking as Naruto reluctantly moved his piece. "And, as usual, you were no help."
"I got the paper for you to slip under the box," Naruto protested. "I just didn't wanna accidentally kill one, you know?"
"I'm sure of it." Sasuke placed his piece over Naruto's and smirked. "Your turn."
Naruto scowled and touched his checker piece as if it was covered in acid, groaning as Sasuke moved his piece over that one, too. "No more of these mind games," he said, rolling over onto his back and throwing his arm on his stomach.
"Fine," said Sasuke. "What now?"
Naruto tilted his head back to see him. "Will you let me think about it while you make me some hot chocolate?"
"This is your own house," he scoffed.
"Yeah, but you make it taste better."
Sasuke pulled his blanket tighter against his shoulders and pushed himself off of the floor. "That'll be ten dollars."
"For your horrible bedside manners?" Naruto asked, grabbing Sasuke's leg to hoist himself up. "I don't think so. What about a complimentary kiss?"
He pushed Naruto's face away and made his way toward the kitchen. Kyuubi trotted along by his ankles, weaving between his legs and almost making him trip. Annoyed, he picked the cat up by the scruff of his neck and carried him into the kitchen, where he placed him back on the floor.
Naruto leant against the counter. "Kyuubi says thanks for the free ride."
"He looks like he wants to scratch your eyes out," Sasuke noted. "Where's the powder?"
"By the mugs in the biggest drawer," he replied. "C'mon, Kyuu," Naruto hoisted Kyuubi onto the counter, scratching him a few times on the small of his back.
Sasuke nearly smacked himself in the face. "People eat there."
"He's an indoor cat," Naruto cooed, leaning heavily against Sasuke. "It's not like he's super dirty, Besides, he gets up on the tables all the time."
Sasuke shook his head and sighed, taking a sauce pan from where they were hanging against the wall. Naruto brought him some milk and marshmallows, helping him spoon in the cocoa powder into the boiling milk.
"Will you put in the marshmallows while it's still cooking?" Naruto asked quietly. "I like it when they're burnt."
Sasuke dropped a few in. "You're too picky."
"No," Naruto mumbled. "It tastes good."
"It tastes disgusting."
"You're the one that doesn't even like sweet stuff!" Naruto stirred the hot chocolate on his own.
"It doesn't take that to realize how processed it tastes."
"You know what it tastes like?" Naruto gave him a suggestive look. "Chocolate." He turned the oven off and poured the contents of the pan into his favorite orange mug. Naruto dropped some more marshmallows into it and turned back to him.
Sasuke watched him take his first sip and grin like an idiot. "You look like a little old man."
"That's what I'm gonna be soon," said Naruto. "I'm gettin' old."
He caught a whiff of the hot chocolate and scrunched his nose. "I must be Benjamin Button?"
Naruto pursed his lips. "Not really. You look a lot older than me, anyway. Does your back hurt?"
"Of course not," he said, dodging Naruto's searching hand. "Stop exaggerating."
"Mah," Naruto whined, drinking some more of his hot cocoa. "I'll stop talking 'cause this is so good."
Sasuke watched him fondly while he was distracted by his drink. "You have a tendency towards placebos."
"I do not," Naruto argued. "If you'd taste some of the stuff you make compared to what I make, then you'd understand. It's not the same."
They entered the living room and Sasuke knelt down to clean up their board game, neatly tucking it away in its box. He leant against the back of the couch and stretched his legs out before him, letting out a small yawn.
"I kinda feel like taking a nap," Naruto said, carefully placing his mug on the floor. He used Sasuke's thigh as a pillow and wrapped his arms around his leg, squeezing him lightly.
Sasuke sat in silence for a few moments, just because he was tired. "Do you have no sense of personal space?"
"I can't help it," Naruto drawled, his cheek smashed against Sasuke's leg. "I'm a touchy person."
Sasuke sighed but set his hand on Naruto's forehead, moving his thumb over his hairline.
"'Specially when I wanna give you a bunch of affection," he continued. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke-"
"Enough," he murmured, giving a chunk of Naruto's hair a gentle tug. "Don't I put up with this throughout the week? No wonder the girls have stopped trying to talk to me."'
He felt Naruto shrugged. "Guess I accidentally claimed my territory."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You own no part of me."
To break the sudden tension, Naruto grabbed his hand. "It's just a saying. They probably found someone else to mess with."
He grunted and relaxed back into the couch, frowning as Naruto took his hand and made Sasuke's fingers scratch his scalp. He let his hand go and Sasuke took up the scratching by himself, smirking when Naruto let out a pleased hum.
"Just like your cat," he said.
"Speak of the devil," Naruto said, watching Kyuubi saunter his way over to them. The cat stretched before stepping on Naruto's chest, curling up on his stomach. He purred away happily as Naruto scratched the underside of his chin, swishing his fluffy tail.
Sasuke gave him a good scratching behind the ears that had Kyuubi tilting his head into his touch, the volume of his purr raising and his paws kneading into Naruto's shirt.
"You're clawing my nipple," Naruto groaned. "Stop it!" He shifted slightly and Kyuubi hopped off of him, perching himself on the arm of the couch.
Sasuke glanced down at Naruto and chuckled. "You have cat hair all over you."
"Always," Naruto sat up and brushed some of it off. "You made him claw me extra hard."
"What can I say? He loves the way I scratch him."
Naruto grunted and quieted down for a few seconds. He pressed his shoulder against Sasuke's and turned towards him, knocking their heads together. Sasuke glanced at Naruto's stunning eyes and, for once, let his gaze rest there, studying all of the varying blues they held.
Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Sasuke took the opportunity to lean in and press a kiss against his lips. After a moment of surprise, Naruto responded, his fingers winding into the hair at the back of Sasuke's head to keep him there.
He moved his lips against Naruto's, still grounded by the feeling of warm, soft lips against his own. Sasuke considered his mild fascination with Naruto's lips—they were full and almost never chapped, even in this cold weather. He loved the way that, whenever they kissed, Naruto's lips covered all of his own when he dominated the kiss. When Sasuke dominated the kiss, his top lip would always press into the seam of Naruto's, ready to suck or nibble on it, just as he was doing now.
Naruto sighed and deepened the kiss for them, holding Sasuke's jaw in his hand. He almost scrunched his nose when he found that Naruto tasted like chocolate and marshmallows, but quickly got over it once that tongue pressed demandingly against his. Tugging at his hair, Sasuke followed his lead, flicking his tongue against whatever he could inside of Naruto's mouth.
Once he found that he couldn't sufficiently breathe through his nose any longer, Sasuke broke away and fisted Naruto's shirt in his hand, panting lightly. He felt like his skin was on fire. Naruto licked his lips and sighed against Sasuke's, dipping his head to press his nose against Sasuke's neck. He laid a light kiss at a spot that made Sasuke's breath hitch with just that gentle touch. It turned into an open-mouthed one that dragged up and down the curve of his neck and to the hollow behind his ear.
Naruto licked his earlobe and blew gently on it, taking it between his teeth and nibbling on it lightly. Sasuke let himself melt back into the couch, feeling his head spin as Naruto sucked at a tender spot on his neck.
He grabbed Naruto by the hair and tugged their faces closer together, their lips colliding again. It held a more hungry pace, turning needy and loud as more and more of their tongues became involved and their breaths became shorter. When either one of them couldn't breathe, Sasuke would break away and let his neck be marked or work on marking Naruto's.
Mine, he thought, yanking roughly at Naruto's hair as their teeth clanked.
"'M getting you back," Naruto whispered, pulling away slightly. He pointedly ignored the bulge in Sasuke's pants as he pressed his hand on his stomach, delivering another harsh nip to his chin. "C'mon."
Sasuke stood without any protest, stopping to kiss Naruto wetly just a few times. It took a while for them to reach Naruto's room, since for every few steps they made, Naruto was pressed against the wall and the licking flames of determination and arousal in Sasuke's core heightened. He let Naruto's thigh slip between his and grind lightly for a few moments, making him let out a shaky sigh.
Sasuke cursed Naruto for being so attentive as he used the spots on Sasuke's neck in the best and worst ways, making his jaw go slack and his fingers on Naruto's skin dig in.
Barely, they made it to Naruto's room, kisses characteristically messy and hurried. He almost stumbled over a shirt on the ground but could care less as they fell onto the bed in a clumsy pile of limbs. Sasuke's lips smacked loudly against his and it had grown painful to kiss because of all their tugging and nibbling, but he didn't care. He pulled Naruto closer and gasped as their bodies pressed together tightly.
Their hips slowly rocking against each other, Naruto's fingers dragged his shirt up. Sasuke interrupted their grinding to reluctantly break their kiss so he could help Naruto get it off, tossing it somewhere by the foot of the bed. He cupped the back of Naruto's neck in his hand, forcing his tongue past the seam of his lips.
Naruto snaked a hand between them and lightly brushed over the hardness in Sasuke's pants. He grew bolder with his movements and ran his hand down the outline of the bulge in his jeans, cupping it every once in a while. Sasuke couldn't help but buck his hips into the grip, feeling his face scrunch up every time Naruto sped up his hand.
He didn't protest when Naruto began to work at his belt, struggling to undo the buckle before yanking it out of its loops. He made quick work of his button and zipper and then Sasuke was relieved of some of that pressure, nearly slipping out of the slit in his boxers. Naruto's lips had long grown sloppy and metallic-tasting against his own.
Sasuke shivered as Naruto barely skimmed his hand over his cock before reaching into his underwear and grabbing him by the base. With a firm grip that contrasted his tentative pace, Naruto stroked him from the base to his tip, wiping away the bead of pre-cum that had formed there. Sasuke worried his lower lip as he continued stroking, feeling his heavy breaths against his upper lip as he did so.
"Told you I'd get you back…" Naruto murmured, helping him shimmy out of his jeans a bit more. They fell around Sasuke's knees.
Sasuke struggled to keep his eyes from fluttering as Naruto's pace sped up. "Shut up," he said, pushing his hands under Naruto's top so that he could rid him of his shirt. Sasuke ran his hands over the lean muscle and warm skin he found there, rubbing his palm over Naruto's nipple until it hardened. The thought that they were moving a bit fast barely flew by in his mind; with Naruto, there was no right timing.
"You're really sensitive," Naruto commented, pausing in the middle of a stroke and just gripping him tightly.
Sasuke grunted, tugging at the sheets slightly with a hand. He thought that Naruto was one to talk—while Sasuke had only ever done this to himself, Naruto didn't have much experience, either. He felt Naruto's eyes on him and remembered that he lay almost completely exposed to the other, with only his pants around his knees.
They started kissing again, and Naruto let his cock go. Sasuke didn't mind too much, instead choosing to immerse himself into their kiss that seemed to burn him from the inside out.
Naruto's hands drifted back down to his ass, massaging and squeezing it. He pulled his cheeks apart every once in a while, distracting Sasuke from the action by pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Sasuke started grinding their hips together again, making him lose his grip momentarily. He held in a groan as his bare cock dragged against the material of Naruto's jeans and the hardness confined by them.
He pulled back slightly as Naruto's finger dipped into his crack, watching his expression carefully. Naruto's pupils had dilated and his cheeks were covered by a healthy flush—he looked to be a bit distracted by his own ministrations, but Sasuke watched him as he did so. He pressed his lips together as Naruto ran his finger over his hole, unwavering but yet still cautious. Naruto did it again—twice, three times, four, until he was circling his finger around it and robbing Sasuke of his breath.
Slowly, Naruto applied pressure on that finger until he barely sank inside, waiting for Sasuke to say something. Sasuke rested his face in the crook of his neck, breathing heavily and leaking pre-cum all over the front of Naruto's jeans. When he didn't move again, he glanced up, wondering why he'd stopped.
Naruto's eyes widened quickly and he blushed. "Sorry," he stuttered. "Are you—I mean, is this—"
"Yes," Sasuke grumbled, pushing himself up on his elbows so that he hovered over Naruto's face. He kissed him slowly, and it became thick with feelings that had been bothering him over the past few weeks, nearly flooding and spilling over.
Sasuke reached behind him and took Naruto's wrist, pushing on it slightly so that Naruto's finger sunk in about halfway. He paused, taking a good moment to get used to the feeling. Naruto twisted that finger a bit, making Sasuke hold in a gasp.
Naruto pushed it in all the way, keeping it there for Sasuke to get used to. He caught his lips again, even though they weren't coordinated enough to do so much at once. Naruto raised his other hand to push Sasuke's hair out of his face, making the light sheen of sweat that had formed on his forehead cool.
With a quiet grunt as a warning, Naruto moved his finger inside of him, pulling out slightly and twisting it. Sasuke held his breath and kept his hips from rocking back into that finger as Naruto kept his movements up, picking up the pace after a while.
"Sasuke," he whispered, slipping his finger out only to push two in halfway. Naruto grabbed his cock and pumped it once again, bringing a small moan from his lips as he thrust his fingers in and out of him.
Once Sasuke found that Naruto had actually paid attention to what he responded to, it was near impossible to stay quiet; his breaths against Naruto's neck were shallow and he could hear his pulse in his ears each time Naruto pushed his fingers in especially deep. He had found a spot inside of him that made him curse, and ever since, Naruto hadn't left it alone.
Between strangled gasps and repressed groans, Sasuke struggled to undo Naruto's button and fly, feeling his abdomen tense as he did so. Each time he moved, his cock dragged against Naruto's bare stomach or his jeans. He could only manage to get them down around his knees, and with Naruto hitting that damn spot over and over again, he couldn't concentrate.
Sasuke fell relaxed on top of him, gripping a chunk of his hair with his hand. He pushed his hips back against those fingers, having long gotten over the initial reluctance he'd had towards it. It felt too damn good not to, and damn it when this was over and he wouldn't get Naruto back, even better.
"More," he managed, giving Naruto's shoulder a harsh suck. He groaned as Naruto gave a particularly long and hard stroke inside of him.
"Fuck," Naruto breathed, rolling on top of him. He slipped his fingers out of him only to grab the back of Sasuke's head, bringing their lips in for a kiss that opened his mouth wide. Sasuke nibbled lightly at his tongue, using his own to trace the back of his teeth.
Naruto barely broke away and pushed his hand against Sasuke's lower stomach. His lips brushed against Sasuke's as he spoke. "I have lotion," he said, leaning over him to rummage around in his nightstand's drawer.
Sasuke heard the dull click of a cap before Naruto came back into his view, a few red marks on the side of his neck. He let his lips pull into a dry smirk as he eyed them, watching as Naruto poured a generous amount of lotion onto his hand.
Naruto glanced back up, his eyes narrowed. He leant back down for a short kiss before pushing two fingers back into Sasuke, this time with a much more slick entrance.
Sasuke had liked the friction before—it was something new, and it was something that he was definitely not getting over. But this—Naruto was able to move a lot faster and slightly deeper. His breath caught in his throat as Naruto's chest pressed against his and his blue eyes darkened as he watched his fingers slipping in and out of him, digging his heels into the mattress.
Frantically kissing, Naruto slid in another finger, taking his sweet time to rotate his wrist and nearly make Sasuke arch off of the bed. He held in a considerably loud groan, instead letting himself sigh.
"C'mon," Naruto mumbled, cupping his cheek with the hand he wasn't using. "You sound so fucking good…"
Naruto gave another strategic thrust of his fingers and Sasuke nearly fell into pieces under him, bucking his hips into them and gasping. He tightened his grip in Naruto's hair and tugged on the handfuls he had, resting his head back on the pillow. "Now."
"Should I use four?" Naruto asked, looking a bit insecure for a moment.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Naruto barked out a laugh. "Says the one who was about to blow his load just 'cause of a couple fingers."
Sasuke bit his lip. "Shut up."
"Okay, okay," Naruto said, grabbing the bottle of lotion again. He poured some onto his hand and tossed it to the side again, giving himself a few strokes to slick his cock with it.
Naruto leant forward and gave him a soft kiss, gazing into his eyes after. "Tell me if it hurts."
Sasuke nodded and placed his hands on the back of Naruto's neck, pressing his thumbs into the hollows behind his ears. Naruto nudged one of his legs, so he folded it by Naruto's side.
Naruto held his cock as he aligned himself with Sasuke's entrance, pushing lightly just to test the waters out. He slid in enough so that the head of his cock was almost completely inside, glancing at Sasuke for his input. When he grunted, he pushed another few inches of himself inside, his face scrunching up as Sasuke squeezed around him.
"Shit," Naruto said under his breath, tightening his grip on Sasuke's hip. He leant onto his other elbow, pressing his face into Sasuke's shoulder.
"Too much for you?" he asked, a bit breathlessly. It earned him a challenging glare.
"'Course not," he replied, letting his hip go. Naruto put his hand on the other side of Sasuke's head now, hovering over him. With a quiet groan, he pushed all the way in, their hips meeting.
Sasuke gripped his shoulder roughly, nearly overwhelmed by that feeling of fullness. He moved his legs experimentally, trying to find a comfortable place to rest them, choosing to hook them behind Naruto's. He shut his eyes as Naruto laid a tender kiss on his neck, running a gentle thumb over his other shoulder.
Sasuke brushed a hand over himself, noticing that his cock had turned an angry red in from all their grinding and teasing. He was almost painfully full and hard against his stomach.
"You can move," he murmured, rubbing his hand across Naruto's forehead and wiping away some of the perspiration there.
Naruto peppered a few more kisses on his shoulder and propped himself up, brushing their lips together. He grabbed Sasuke's hip and, after an intense few moments of eye contact, pulled out so that only the tip of his cock remained inside.
Naruto paused and then pushed all the way back inside, hips slapping against each other quietly. Sasuke grunted, leaking just because of how deep Naruto had managed to sink into him on the first try. He pulled out again and repeated the action, this time with much more certainty in himself and a glint in his eye.
Naruto thrust his hips in short, hard thrusts that left Sasuke gasping and struggling to grip onto his hair. He pressed the back of his heels into Naruto's thighs, urging him to do more, anything at all.
"Fuck," Naruto breathed, hiking one of his legs up to his chest. "You feel so good…" He shifted his weight and thrust back in, the sound of his hips smacking against Sasuke's much more prominent. His movements grew rushed as his shoulders tensed under Sasuke's fingers.
Sasuke bit his lip as Naruto rocked in and out of him, blissfully deep and quick. He panted as quiet whimpers and moans were dragged out of him with each thrust, digging his fingers into the sheets and pulling them up. Naruto's hot stomach dragged against his cock with each movement, becoming slick with his pre-cum, making his groan a bit louder than it was meant to be.
Naruto gripped his thigh harshly and kissed him, their tongues sliding against one another until a bit of saliva started to form at the corners of their mouths. It was everything that Sasuke would have originally protested against—it was loud, sloppy, inexperienced, and much more primal than he was used to. It was hard to drag air into his lungs when Naruto changed angle once and wouldn't stop hitting that spot again, forcing moans and quiet murmurs of pleasure from him.
"Naruto," he breathed, curling his toes as his thrusts changed pace. "Fuck!" Sasuke's vision turned blurry, but because of his eyes crossing or something else, he didn't know. He didn't know, and that was what was so frustrating and pleasing about it, that Naruto didn't even need much instruction and he was doing everything right already.
He could feel Naruto's lips mouthing over his neck and cheek, his hands grabbing his ass over and over and pushing his legs wider. Naruto's breaths were loud in his ear, his groans and choked-off words barely coherent to him. The more Naruto tried to say something, the more that pooling of pleasure settled low into Sasuke's hips, making his cock swell.
Sasuke grabbed himself and almost groaned in relief, stroking himself quickly in time with Naruto's thrusts. He tilted his head back and let Naruto's tongue travel over his throat, letting out a guttural and desperate moan.
"Sasuke," Naruto moaned, his back tensing under Sasuke's hand. "God, m'really close-"
Sasuke forced his tongue into Naruto's mouth, reaching behind him and grabbing a firm ass cheek. Naruto hummed into his mouth, making a few thrusts that sent him dangerously close, and because he was in fact right there, Sasuke moved his own just to get him in as deep as possible.
Naruto grunted loudly, his nails digging into Sasuke's hips and leaving marks there. His hips made a few last erratic thrusts before he stilled, pumping them slightly. He came with a gasp and a shout of his name, pressing his face into Sasuke's neck the entire time, keeping him in place.
Sasuke followed right after, spilling onto his own stomach with a loud groan. He squirmed for a few seconds as the pleasure washed over his body, making him feel incredibly lightheaded. All Sasuke heard was his own blood rushing by in his ears and Naruto's panting.
After taking a moment to recover, Sasuke let go of his cock and considered the most powerful orgasm he'd had had nearly left it numb. He felt Naruto stir against him before he pulled back, looking sated and proud of himself.
"You okay?" he breathed, brushing Sasuke's hair out of his face. With a shaky sigh, he gently slid out of Sasuke.
"Are you," Sasuke returned, politely ignoring the cum that trickled from his ass. That would be something else to get Naruto back for.
"'Course," Naruto said, studying his face closely. Then, he flushed, ducking his face back into Sasuke's neck again.
Sasuke let a breath of air from his lungs, despite his racing heart. "What?"
"Nothing," he said quietly. "I'm just gonna get emotional. That's all."
Sasuke snorted dryly after a second. "What's different?"
Naruto wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed lightly, sighing into his neck. "Nothing. You're still the most important person to me."
Sasuke felt something inside of him cave in—the very last defense against Naruto, he knew. Had there even been a point in setting them up? Eager to get that feeling of vulnerability away (but there was no fleeing from Naruto), he said the first thing that popped into his mind: "Not Kyuubi?"
Naruto laughed. "Not Kyuubi. You."
Maybe he knew that there was no point in fighting it, because it would just reach him anyway. Naruto's feelings weren't seasonal—they weren't temporary in any form. Sasuke knew that once Naruto truly and deeply cared for something, he did just so with all of his effort.
Naruto was a pure person, just as he was. He had no idea how he'd found someone who could be his match and his opposite at the same time. He had no idea how he'd found someone so damn annoying and endearing at the same time.
Sasuke had a slight idea on how lucky he'd been to even meet Naruto. Blessed, even, because the other drew everyone and everything in like a moth to a flame.
"Sasuke?" he asked, drawing him from the muddle of his thoughts. Sasuke became aware of the drying swear and semen on his stomach, and the not-so-appealing scent of he and Naruto combined together after exerting themselves.
"…You smell," he murmured, casting his eyes down to a blemish he'd left on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto rubbed his arm, stopping to squeeze his shoulder. "I disagree."
"Well," Sasuke squeezed his shoulder back. "It's true."
"Then I guess it's time for a shower," he grumbled, rolling off of Sasuke and sprawling next to him. "Care to join me, master?"
Sasuke sneered and shoved Naruto's face away, sick of that obnoxious grin that had been thrown at him all day long. "I'm the guest. I get those opportunities first."
"Take pity on a beggar?"
"Do you even know what that is?" Sasuke sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, slicking his damp bangs out of his face. "Join if you want, but you only get a fourth of the spray."
Naruto sighed. "You're lucky I woulda given it to you anyway, you freakin' jerk."
Sasuke chuckled and pushed himself off of the bed, watching intently as Naruto sat up and followed him. They stood in the center of the room, face to face, only a couple of inches between their nude bodies.
He said nothing, instead wiping away some of the drying sweat on Naruto's neck. Naruto ran his fingers through the hair by his ears, tugging on it gently and rubbing his fingers into his scalp. He used both of his hands to push it completely out of his face. "I like your widow's peak."
Sasuke almost shivered as the cool air reached the warmer parts of his face. He didn't find a purpose in backing away from the touch—Naruto had seen him for the being that he was already. He guessed that he could keep the other around for a while, if he wasn't too annoying…
He turned and left the room, leaving Naruto behind.
"Sasuke?" he called. "You're not really hogging the water, right? Right?"
Sasuke shut the car door behind him and immediately reached for his seatbelt, ignoring the other presence in the car.
"A hello would be nice," said Shisui, deftly raising a brow at him. "For not having seen your favorite cousin in a long, long time."
Sasuke gripped the middle console and the safety handle above his head, nonchalantly dipping his head. "Hello."
"What about your brother?" Another voice interrupted. Itachi leant forward, regarding Sasuke through his wide, protective sunglasses.
He turned around in his seat and narrowed his eyes at Shisui, eyeing his strangely curly hair. "How long have you been there?"
"About an hour," he answered. "There was traffic."
Sasuke clucked his tongue and turned around again, resting his hand on his cheek. "Just pick up the idiot and we can all go."
Shisui made an exit on the highway, leaving his blinkers on for the next turn. Itachi pressed his back against his seat. "That reminds me. You've never done something like this before. Why now?"
"What's-his-name has an influence on you?" Shisui asked, the corner of his lip tilting up. "I can't wait to meet the man who's worthy of little Sasuke."
Itachi snorted and flicked his temple, shaking his head in amusement. "They're glued together by the hip."
He ignored his brother, glancing out the window. The snow that had fallen had unfortunately turned ugly and brown again, but some small footprints were visible in the batches of it that were otherwise undisturbed.
"That doesn't sound very good," Shisui put in. "Are you sure he's not making Sasuke do his homework?"
"He's perfectly capable of doing it himself," Sasuke grumbled.
"I'm not entirely sure," said Itachi.
Shisui gave a small, pained expression. "So we celebrate the New Year with the Americans and discover that he's dumb all in the same night? Sasuke-"
"He's not stupid," Sasuke grumbled. "Sometimes," he muttered under his breath, making sure that either of his family members wouldn't hear it.
His cousin gave pause and then smiled at him. "See. I haven't met him, but I already like this kid. He's gotta be something special to hold your opinion like that."
"Just be quiet."
"Ah," he sighed. "He gets stingier and stingier over the years. How refreshing."
After a few more minutes of driving, Shisui pulled into Naruto's neighborhood, craning his neck to see all of the houses. "Which one is it?"
"The one at the end," Sasuke replied. He waited until Shisui drove a bit further until he held out his hand. "Stop."
"I see this being his house," Shisui said thoughtfully, glancing at the garland strung around the yard and the bright welcoming signs. "Very… exciting."
"What does it look like?" Itachi asked.
Sasuke's eye twitch and he turned around in his seat again, glaring at the hands Itachi had placidly rested on his lap. "Why did you even come when you just got your eyes dilated?"
"You need supervision."
"I'm seventeen."
"Unfortunately…" Shisui said mournfully. "He's right, Itachi. He grew up too fast. We're gonna have to let him run around by himself pretty soon."
His brother grunted. "Naruto is a good boy, but you two get into a lot of trouble together."
"Balderdash!" Shisui chuckled. "You keep him in check, right, Sasuke?"
"Why do you need to-"
"Is he running at us?" Itachi asked, glancing out the window. "Or is that the cat?"
Shisui glanced away from the two of them and tilted his head. "Look at him go."
Sasuke sunk down further in his seat, shutting his eyes and pressing his head back into his seat. He heard the door handle jiggle a few times before it was thrown open and a gust of cold air came inside the car.
"Perfect timing," Itachi noted.
He turned as Naruto stuck his head inside, yelling into Sasuke's ear. "Hey, guys!" Naruto wrapped an arm around his neck in a pathetic excuse for a hug and tackled Itachi into the back seat, groaning as he squeezed the life out of his brother.
"What energy," Shisui snickered, bringing Naruto away from excitement.
Naruto flushed lightly and smoothed down the front of his shirt, offering Shisui a sheepish grin. "Hi?"
His cousin laughed quietly and held his hand out. "Nice to finally meet you, Naruto."
He grabbed the hand and shook it strongly, using his other to scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah! Sorry for… bein' loud, y'know. Sasuke always gets mad at me for-"
"Shut up," Sasuke interrupted.
"See?" Naruto jabbed a thumb at him. "He's mean to me on a daily basis."
Shisui rolled his eyes. "He's being him." He started the car up again and turned along the curb, heading back out of the neighborhood.
"Sasuke being Sasuke," Naruto sang to himself, falling back into his seat. He turned to Itachi. "Why do you have those things on?"
Shisui chuckled quietly and gave Sasuke an unreadable look. "I see why you like your little friend so much."
Sasuke frowned. "He's not my friend."
"What is he? Chopped liver?" he asked, glancing away from Sasuke to place his eyes on the road again. "I swear that you have trouble calling your own mother 'mom'."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Shisui and ignored him, turning back to the window. He drowned out Naruto's chatter and watched the buildings as they passed by, growing taller and taller, and the streets winding, becoming more filled with citizens as the night grew on.
Even as they got to the restaurant on the twentieth floor of a building, Sasuke kept to himself and did his best to keep Itachi from walking face-first into a wall. The fireworks downtown had started about an hour ago—they showed no signs of stopping soon, even though the new year was in a couple of hours. As Shisui and Naruto held most of the chatter at their table by the window, and as he fixed the napkin on his lap to protect himself from the next tall glass of water Naruto was bound to spill, he struggled to keep his thoughts in check.
So much, almost too much, had happened in almost a couple of months. Sasuke thought about what his life would currently be like if he had stayed in California… without Naruto. Without being closer to his extended family, and without a city that he felt truly involved in. He'd made some nicer memories, and more questionable ones bordering on the lines of pure stupidity. It was a lot for him to take in and absorb, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Not without Naruto.
"Hey," he murmured, elbowing him in the side. Turning away from Shisui and Itachi's conversation, Sasuke eyed him suspiciously.
"What?"
"Y'know, I don't think I've ever asked this before, but…" Naruto gave him a small smile. "About when you become one of those really famous lawyers. I was thinking that you'd get me outta hell if I ever got framed or something, 'cause you'd be so good."
Sasuke thought about that for a moment. "It would be nice to have some peace and quiet-"
"I'm being serious!" Naruto made a frustrated gesture with his hands. "Like, if someone accused me of murder, you'd get me away from that 'cause you know me."
Sasuke heard a curse word slip from Itachi's mouth and glanced over there curiously, raising a brow. It was rare that his brother cussed…
Naruto turned a bit pale. "Sasuke? You'd get me out, right?"
"I don't think you would give me any other choice," Sasuke replied. "Plus, I may or may not go into the specialty that you're talking about. There's a lot, Naruto."
He frowned. "Oh no. Would you visit me in jail?"
Sasuke sighed and pinched his thigh, making Naruto jump a couple of inches into the air. "Idiot. Just keep yourself out of that kind of trouble."
"I can't make any promises," Naruto grinned. "But I'll try to stay on everyone's good side. Even yours… but I'm already on it."
He narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think you're on my good side?"
"A lot of reasons that would take too long for me to list," he said cheekily. "I think the top one is 'cause I'm your best friend."
"You're not my-"
"Boyfriend-"
"Shut up-"
Naruto groaned in frustration and leant back into his chair. "Then what the hell do you think of us?"
Sasuke sipped his water calmly and shrugged, leaning back into his chair just like Naruto was. "Nothing much."
Naruto squinted at him and then grinned. "Well. Whatever you say, I have a pretty good idea of what's really going through your mind."
Sasuke gave him an irritated glare and turned to glance out of the window, watching as a shower of blue sparkles fell over the skyline. He'd ignore Naruto as much as he wanted to, but it wouldn't make a difference because he had nestled himself a little area in Sasuke's day-to-day life.
There wasn't a name to them that could even begin to describe the roiling pull between them.
Best friends, lovers, soulmates, partners—there was nothing to label or contain the sincerity of the bond they shared. Sasuke and his relationship with Naruto's was everything yet none of anything that he could think of. But, each time he tested those names, he always came out with one conclusion:
They were more than all of that.
A/N: Well, thank you for supporting me along this wild journey. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, and hopefully this is the last we'll see of teen!Sasuke and Naruto. Let's see, what do I want you guys to know... I listened to a lot of Beyoncé writing this. Watched a lot of Marvel and The Walking Dead. Thought about running away from this fic, but onto more important things. Now that they're canonly older, I want to finally jump into that. A couple of other fics may be in the planning with both of them in their 20s or so. That jail talk was a foreshadowing to one that may be written... but it would be evil. I also want my try at a canon fic to attempt to undo the last disaster of a chapter. If you'd like to contact me, I'm on tumblr and twitter, and links are in my bio. Anyway... thank you for your reviews and kudos, and make sure to send me some love if you liked this fic, too. See you soon!