Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sorry guys, it's a little shorter than usual. Hope it's good anyways.

Chapter Thirteen.

Sasuke opened his eyes groggily and happily cuddled into the warmth that was pressed against his back. He felt Naruto's lips on his neck in a tender caress and he all but purred. He turned onto his back and pulled the blond on top of him. The smile he got in return made his heart leap into his throat. He kissed the boy softly and smiled back at him. "Good morning Sunshine," Naruto murmured. Sasuke was starting to get used to hearing that.

"Good morning Gorgeous," he murmured back and Naruto blushed. He thought Naruto wasn't shy? "You owe me a date," he said quietly. Naruto raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "I asked you out and you turned me down because you didn't want me to fall for you. Well not only have I already done that, but you're healthy now and there's no reason for us not to be together, so you owe me a date. Tonight. At seven thirty."

Naruto smiled a bit ruefully and said, "Deal." A very steamy make out session followed. "I don't feel like training today. I just want to stop and smell the roses if you know what I mean. Will you stay in with me and maybe watch a movie or something?" He looked hopeful and yet wary. Sasuke really wondered if he thought he'd rather train than spend time with him. He certainly hoped not.

"I'd love to." They spent the day watching romance movies/chick flicks and Sasuke held Naruto through the whole thing. Around five o'clock Naruto suddenly stiffened due to a scene in the movie they were watching at that moment.

"Oh God Sasuke, I kissed you in front of everyone! I tried to make sure that no one knew that anything was going on between us for your sake, but that kind of ruined that plan. I'm so sorry. What are we going to do? Maybe we can just say that it was my reaction to the good news and you just didn't want to ruin my moment in front of everyone..." He trailed off as Sasuke placed a finger over his lips. When he had his full attention he pulled his finger away and kissed him lovingly.

"I don't care who knows because I plan to make it public knowledge as soon as possible. I'm not worried about any of that. I want people to know that you're mine." Naruto's eyes were wide.

"But what happens when you leave me? Everyone will think you're gay and you might have trouble finding a girlfriend." He looked torn about the whole situation. Sasuke felt gut punched. Did he really think he was going to dump him after he went to all that trouble just to keep him? Did he really think that his love confession meant nothing?

"What did you just say?" he asked sharply.

Naruto looked confused. "Did I say something to make you angry? You're glaring," he murmured looking down self-consciously.

"Damn right you did," Sasuke said sternly. "Do you honestly think that I am going to leave you? After I just spent a month trying to save you? After I told you I love you?"

"But this won't last Sasuke. You were shaken up because you were in unmarked territory and I was familiar. That's what started this. And yeah, you grew a little attached and freaked out when you found out that you were losing me, but now that you know that I'm going to stick around this will all end in eight days," he said with a shrug as though it was common knowledge.

"If I want this to end in eight days then why am I taking you on a date? Why are you letting me?" he asked angrily.

"Because you're still trying to make me happy. And I still want to pretend." Naruto looked like Sasuke's anger was confusing him, but the raven was pretty much fuming at this point.

"You're an idiot!" he said through his teeth. "What do you think last night was? What do you think our first time was? Do you think that was just me pretending? Because if you do then you really must not think highly of me. I don't just do that with anyone Naruto. I love you. What part of that is so hard to understand?" he growled.

"All of it," Naruto whispered, eyes wide and face pale. He genuinely looked surprised and suddenly some of his words from last night came floating back to him. Even if it's only this once... He'd really thought that he only had nine days left and he wanted to feel that particular experience before they were up. Sasuke wanted to hit something, though admittedly it wasn't Naruto.

"Well let's see if you can understand this. I'm taking you on a date every night for the rest of this bet. We will not make love until that time is up and you agree that I genuinely want you. And when I'm still around next year then you can tell me that you were wrong and we'll forget about this stupidity. Until then I don't want to hear you utter this asinine thought again. Understood?" Naruto looked like he was about to cry. He nodded jerkily and got up off of Sasuke.

"I'm going to go get ready," he whispered, but Sasuke knew that this time his shower was for comfort more than anything else. He hated that Naruto was upset because he thought he was never going to make love to him again, but he had to prove that this was about more than just sex. He was still going to hold him through the night, still going to kiss him - especially in public - and he was still going to tell him he loved him. And in eight days if he still didn't believe him then he'd find a way to make him play poker with him again and he'd make a new deal. If a stupid bet was what it took to keep him by his side he'd renew the damn thing every month for the rest of their lives. But he would not be intimate with him if he was going to insist that Sasuke just saw him as a fling. Sighing, Sasuke got up and followed Naruto into the bathroom. The door was locked, but it was easy enough to force open. He stripped slowly, aware as hell that Naruto was glaring daggers at him through the shower door. He pointedly opened the door wide and took his time stepping in. As soon as the door was closed he pulled the hurt blond into his arms. The strength seemed to seep out of him as he grew heavier in his arms until Sasuke was the only thing keeping him up. The raven gently wiped a tear away.

"I'm sorry I upset you, but I want you to know that I'm serious about this. I don't say 'I love you' easily; when I do say it, I mean it one hundred percent of the way. If holding back is what it takes to get that through to you then that's what I'm going to do. But I promise you this. Even if we don't make love again before the bet is over that in no way means that I will never make love to you again. As a matter of fact I intend to do just that everyday for the rest of my life starting eight days from now. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded slightly and Sasuke held him closer. "I really am sorry that I made you cry though. Forgive me?" Naruto nodded against his chest again. Sasuke pulled his face up for a slow kiss. "Alright. Let's finish up in here so that we can go get dinner, okay?" Naruto gave him a small smile before going back to what he'd been doing. Sasuke tried not to let the blond's silence bother him as he lathered his hair.

. .

Naruto was sitting silently across from him at the dinner table. They'd gone to a quiet little shop just on the outskirts of town and were currently eating some of the best food Sasuke had ever had. The blond was staring miserably into his bowl. "Naruto, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I don't know why I'm so sure you'll leave. It's just, well, everybody leaves. My parents left, the villagers turned their backs on me, even Jiraiya dropped me off and left and I thought he enjoyed my company. I guess I've just loved you for so long without you returning the sentiment that I can't really wrap my mind around the fact that you care. And I hate that I'm upsetting you. I don't want to believe what I do, but I can't seem to push it away..." He sighed heavily and seemed to deflate before Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke reached across the table and slid his hand over the blond's. "Naruto, your parents loved you. They didn't want to leave you, but they had to in order to protect you. I had hoped you might have come to terms with that when we were battling Kyuubi. Secondly, the villagers are selfish, arrogant pricks who aren't even a tenth of the person you are. And lastly, Jiraiya left you here for your sake. He wanted you to be happy and to stay with your friends. He wanted you to have a sense of security and maybe take your fledgling relationships with the people your own age a little farther. He just wanted what was best for you, but he did care about you Naruto, still does. That's why he still comes around, why he searched so long and hard for a way to save you. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" He waited for the boy to nod before capturing his lips in a slow kiss. When he pulled away he looked deep into those beautiful blue orbs. "And I love you Naruto. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life. I know you've been hurt and that my own blindness has added to your doubts, but I really, truly want you and care about you. And if you can't wrap your mind around it then don't try, just wrap your heart around it and stop worrying so much." Naruto smiled slightly.

"I do love you Sasuke. You know that, right? I'm in no way trying to push you away..." He looked down again.

"I know." He smiled reassuringly at him. Just as he was about to prod Naruto into eating he heard a happy squeal and turned to see Hinata hanging off of Kiba's arm. She refrained from running up to the table and interrupting their date, but only barely. "Hey, Kiba. I'm having another get together at my place this Saturday. Will you spread the word?"

Kiba grinned and Hinata looked excited. "Sure thing. See you Saturday." They took a table on the other side of the shop to give the new couple some space. Sasuke turned back to find Naruto watching him curiously.

"I thought you don't like parties," he said skeptically.

"I don't particularly like them, no, but you do. Besides, I have something I need to do there. It will be the perfect opportunity." Sasuke grinned mischievously. Naruto looked interested but he didn't ask. "Come on. Let's go home." Sasuke took some cash out of his pocket and set it on the table leaving a rather generous tip. He pulled Naruto with him and waved vaguely to the other couple as he reached the doors. They walked slowly back to Naruto's place, hand in hand. It was quiet, but for the first time tonight it wasn't a tense silence. Naruto was staring up at the moon. "What are you thinking about?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Naruto looked at him and smiled a genuine smile. "I was just thinking that you were probably right and I should stop worrying so much. I think I'm going to take your advice and just quit thinking about it."

"I'm glad," Sasuke said happily as he brought Naruto's hand to his lips in a kiss. They continued walking and it wasn't long before Sasuke was shedding his shoes and walking into the cozy apartment. It was funny how this place had come to mean so much to him lately. He went into the bathroom and felt Naruto following him. He wanted to wash his face before he went to bed. As he stood up and wiped his face dry he glanced at Naruto who was leaning against the counter.

"Kiss me Sasuke," Naruto breathed. They were the same words he'd said so many nights ago in exactly the same spot he'd said them. Unlike last time though Sasuke was fully comfortable with pressing Naruto into the counter and kissing him senseless. When they surfaced for air the blond blushed and looked at the ground. "Look, I know you said that you wouldn't touch me until this bet is over, but can you at least hold me tonight? I have trouble sleeping when you aren't there..." he muttered uncomfortably.

"I had already planned on it," Sasuke informed him before swooping in for another kiss. Tonight hadn't turned out to be a total bust after all. He smiled as he led Naruto to his bed and stripped them both down to their boxers before crawling into bed behind the emotionally exhausted teen and pulling him close. He smiled against the tan boy's neck and felt the blond scoot closer. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.