A/N: Two things.
1. If you hadn't heard, I wrote a story/script for a Japanese Drama CD voiced by Naruto and Sasuke's seiyuus. Details in profile if you want to buy!
2. I have a few more chapters written. I'll update every week (depending on how many readers review). One does include Naruto's backstory.

Special thanks to Sqry, who sent me a generous Starbuck's card that made it possible for me to keep writing while I'm unemployed

Take Me to Church

Sasuke awoke when he heard the sound of knocking at his door. He couldn't remember if he'd locked it after Naruto returned. Speaking of, he rolled over and found Naruto wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, mouth partially open while he slept. He looked excruciatingly exhausted so, as quietly as he could manage, Sasuke slipped out of bed and, on his way to the living room, closed the door part way so Naruto could keep sleeping.

Another series of knocks sounded and instead of peering through the peephole, he opened the door to glare at his visitor.

"Good morning," said Neji. "It's almost ten in case you're curious."

Sasuke held open the screen door. "Why are you here?"

"Did Naruto make it back in one piece?"

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, knowing he probably looked like shit.

"He did," Sasuke answered. "He's still sleeping. Rough night."

Neji nodded. "He… " The other man smiled. "Was extremely entertaining last night. And you, how are you feeling?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Do you want to come inside?"

"That's a very personal question, Sasuke." Neji smirked as he passed by, purposely bumping into his shoulder. "As you may know, my answer to that is always an emphatic yes."

Sasuke shut the door. He didn't feel the need to acknowledge such a comment.

"Did you sleep on the couch?" Neji gestured toward the bed he'd made for Naruto.

"Uh, no."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "I guess Naruto really is a forgiving type of person."

"It's not like that." Sasuke, crossing his arms, glanced in the direction of the bedroom. "Why would you let him walk all the way back here?"

"I told him not to," Neji replied, almost sounding offended. "Like I told you to wait until I had a sober driver. But, unfortunately, I wasn't in the best condition to run after him. Interesting how stubborn the two of you are. Sakura's fine, by the way. I drove her home a while ago. You should call her later and apologize. I hope you know that."

"I'll handle it." He tried not to let his feelings about being lectured show on his face. "If you were only interested in Naruto's well-being, you could've texted."

"I did text and call, but you didn't pick up. Neither did Naruto."

"You have Naruto's number?"

Neji smiled. "Of course."

The bedroom door creaked, and they both turned to look. Naruto stood in the doorway, eyes so puffy he could do little more than squint. The collar of his t-shirt hung low, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone.

"Hey, Neji," Naruto greeted and even offered an almost affectionate smile. "What's up?"

"'What's up'?" Neji repeated in a scolding manner. "That's all you have to say for yourself?"

"Heh." Acting sheepish, Naruto came to stand between them, and Neji placed an arm around his shoulders. "You're better off I left when I did. I obliterated Sasuke's toilet this morning."

"Charming." Neji glanced at him. "And did Sasuke take care of you? Did he hold your hair back while you were sick?"

Sasuke was watching Naruto's expression, which faltered just a bit, so he was apprehensive to hear his reply.

"Yeah, he did. Brought me water and Tylenol and made me a bed."

"It looks like you took advantage of it." Neji said sarcastically, nodding toward the couch. "Seeing as you ended up in his bed."

"Neji," Sasuke said.

"I'm simply relieved the two of you worked out your differences. I admit I was worried I'd come here and find evidence of manslaughter."

"It's fine," said Naruto. "I yelled at him, he apologized. We'll work it out on our own. We were both drunk. Not that that's an excuse for anything. Anyway. How's Sakura?"

"Hmm… Sakura?" Neji shifted, gaze wandering around the room only to land on Naruto's duffel bag. "She wants you to call her later and let her know you're okay. She didn't look as put together this morning as she did last night. I'm sure she's glad you didn't see her in that state."

Naruto grinned. "She was fun last night. The shit she had you doin' ̶ ah. Hey, I had some lipstick on my collar. Was that you or her?"

"You don't remember?" Neji asked, and Naruto shook his head. "I think that's something I'll let remain a mystery for a while. You were quite the flirt."

Naruto's cheeks turned bright red. "I was? What did I say? Please tell me I didn't reveal anything too embarrassing?"

"I may or may not have photos and videos of your antics on my phone. No, you didn't say anything, but your handstands and other gymnastics impressed the crowd."

Sasuke scowled. "Ignore him, Naruto. He's only trying to rile you. However, it is likely he does have photos and video since he's prone to blackmail."

"Don't act like you're not curious about what I have, Sasuke." Neji removed his arm from around the blond. "If Sakura can recover, I do believe there's interest in going out to a club tonight. That is, if both of you feel up to it. Drinking is completely optional."

"Club?" Naruto asked, seeming interested. "What kinda club?"

"Dance. Do you dance?" Neji asked. "I mean, other than what you showed us last night."

Naruto groaned and covered his face. "What the hell did I do? This is your fault, you know." He sent Sasuke a playful glare, but Sasuke, still feeling guilty, had no response to give.

Neji chuckled. "Nothing that wasn't charming, I assure you."

"Hah, well. I might be interested if I can drink some water and take a nap later. But Sasuke… doesn't dance, right? That wouldn't be any fun for you?" Naruto addressed him. "Would it?"

"Sasuke doesn't dance?" Neji asked. "Since when? I've seen you dance plenty of times. You make a rather attentive partner."

"That was different," he answered. "We were in my hometown, and Naruto was trying to set me up with a friend. The circumstances were awkward."

"Awkward, really?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto tried to set you up with someone?" Neji laughed. "Why is that funny to me?"

"It's a long story," Sasuke replied. "One we don't need to tell as I'm sure you'll be leaving soon."

Naruto was giving him an unhappy look, too, but with those puffy, bloodshot eyes of his, it was hardly intimidating.

"We'll let you know about tonight," Sasuke spoke for them. "I think today we're going to relax here, and if we feel up to it later, I'll take Naruto around campus. What about you?"

Neji rolled the cuff of his black track jacket. "I was on the way to the gym. I won't bother asking if either of you wants to join me."

"I don't think I'd last five minutes on a treadmill before I'd throw up," said Naruto.

"That would be unfortunate." Neji slid his hair over a shoulder and set his eyes on him.

Sasuke was becoming curious as to what he was scheming. "So now that you've checked up on us and know we're both alive, I'll give you a call later about tonight."

Neji stepped directly in front of Naruto to kiss Sasuke on the cheek. "Happy New Year. I expect you to spoil him today. You know, Naruto, he really can be charming when he wants to. You just happen to bring out some sides of him I don't think I've ever seen."

"I dunno whether that's a compliment or not, but you seem to have him pretty well-trained yourself," Naruto told Neji.

Neji let out a gruff laugh. "Did you hear that?"

"I heard it," he mumbled. "But I'm choosing to ignore it."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Naruto clarified. "I meant you two seem really close. Ah, but I guess that would make sense since…" He stopped and cleared his throat. "Crap."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you done?"

"Yes. Yeah, I think so." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks for checkin' in on us."

"Any time." Neji, leaning over, also placed a kiss to Naruto's cheek. "Get some rest."

Sasuke walked him to the door. He almost wanted to push him out the rest of the way for trying to start trouble, which is just what Neji liked to do. Once he was gone, Sasuke shut the door and locked it before turning around.

"What was with that well-trained comment?" Sasuke asked.

"I dunno. You seem a lot more obedient when he's around. You get all quiet and… blushy. I shouldn't have brought that up, but it's not like you and him are a secret, so..."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke approached him, desperately wanting to fix the blond's hair but restraining himself. "Neji's very physical, and if you could remember any of last night, you'd know it's how he likes to get a reaction."

"It would be okay by me if you admitted you liked him," Naruto said.

"I do like him. He's a friend of mine."

"You know what I mean."

"I could argue a similar chemistry exists between you and Sai. Why not date him?"

"Because I'd like to stay friends with him." Naruto folded his arms behind his head and tilted slightly when he put most of his weight on his left foot. "I feel like we've had this conversation before. If I liked someone, I wouldn't punish them by making them date me."

"That's..." Sasuke sighed. "It is possible, though, for two friends to have sex without either requiring anything romantic."

"I agree," replied Naruto. "But, honestly. I was always under the impression you were lookin' for somethin' romantic? So, I can see why you keep sayin' that about Neji despite the way the two of you are with each other. I guess if I was in your shoes… yeah, it is hard to be cool when you're around someone you've slept with."

Sasuke could've jumped on that comment in regard to Sai, but he was more taken aback by Naruto's previous comment. "Wait, can we go back to the part where you think I'm looking for romance? When have I ever said that? I would think you'd tell me I'd be terrible at romance."

"No, I wouldn't," Naruto argued with a frown. "And seriously?"

"Yes. I'm being very serious." He narrowed his eyes. "Why would you think that?"

Naruto blinked at him as if confused. "I'm not trying to start a fight. I thought it was obvious. You seem to want somethin' similar to what you had with Gaara, don't you?"

Stunned, Sasuke started to walk away on instinct. "It's too early in the day for this conversation."

Naruto caught him by the wrist. "That is not a bad thing, Sasuke. At all. I figured if you were only lookin' for something physical, you wouldn't have rejected Sai. Though I admit our friendship would've taken a completely different turn if you hadn't. After getting to know you this week, I can tell you're searching for something. I'm not gonna presume you can have that with Neji, but… I dunno. I think the two of you are pretty good together."

"We're friends, Naruto," he said irritably. "I already told you that. I'm not so childish I'd lie about having a crush on him. If I was interested, I'd pursue him, so I'd prefer you trust me in deciding who I want to fuck around with and who I'd want to date. He's a friend I happen to sleep with on occasion because we have chemistry. That's not equatable to romance."

"Okay." Naruto let go. "I won't say anything more about it."

"Yeah, right. That'll be the day." Sasuke walked away and went into the kitchen.

He was alone no more than a minute before Naruto followed, keeping his space as he leaned against a built-in bookshelf just outside of the kitchen, watching him.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Sasuke asked, trying to ignore the heavy gaze.

"You're not really mad, are you? After last night, I'm positive I get a free pass anyway."

"I'm not mad," he replied. "And, yes, you do get a free pass, which is why I'm not throttling you as we speak. You and Neji get along, why don't the two of you date?" Sasuke opened the refrigerator, scanning the groceries he'd bought yesterday.

"Don't you think that would be a dick move on my part?" Naruto asked. "If I was to date a guy you're sleepin' with?"

Sasuke closed the fridge and looked at him. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Huh? You think I'd date Neji? And, no, I wasn't bein' that serious because one," he held up a finger, "He's a very good friend of yours and two," he held up a second finger, "He lives far away and I'm just visiting, and three, I can tell Neji isn't lookin' for a commitment, which is perfectly cool."

"Did something happen between the two of you last night?" Sasuke asked, feeling a strange stirring in his gut. "I thought you were into Sakura."

"I liked them both." Naruto frowned. "Was I not supposed to?"

"Like or are attracted to?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"I…" Naruto leaned away from the shelves and straightened up, a noticeable tint to his cheeks. "How do I answer that?"

Sasuke sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not as if that should come as much of a surprise given your history."

"My history?"

"You know what I mean, and I'm not going to be mad or judgmental if you think you're attracted to either or both. I don't really care."

"It's not like I was gonna bone them," Naruto said rather sarcastically. "Come on."

Sasuke couldn't identify exactly what he was feeling about such a prospect. It wasn't jealousy, it was more like confusion because he genuinely could not understand what it would feel like to legitimately be attracted to men and women.

"So, is this you coming out to me as bisexual?" He asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"I don't really like labels, but… between you and me… I am startin' to wonder."

He couldn't tell if Naruto was kidding this time. "Well, great. I'm sure Neji will be thrilled to hear this." Sasuke opened the refrigerator. "What do you want for breakfast, Naruto?"

"You don't have any more questions than that?" Naruto asked.

"You hate when I ask you questions. I only want to know what you'd like to eat."

"How do you feel about goin' out tonight? I don't, y'know, want us to… I don't wanna fight with you. I don't like it, and I don't get why that happens so often between us."

"It doesn't happen that often," he murmured, becoming flustered. "We're not fighting right now. It's called a discussion. Although, it's a very confusing one."

Suddenly, Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and stood only a step behind. It felt like he was looking straight through him. His heart began to race, and for just a second, he thought Naruto might kiss him. But, that being impossible, of course it didn't happen. Instead, Naruto picked something out of his hair ̶ a white piece of fluff ̶ and flicked it away.

"Sorry," said Naruto. "Was bothering me."

"...Right."

While he inwardly collected himself, the blond returned to his post by the bookshelf.

"I'm fine with whatever you want. I'd be okay with cereal. Anything heavier than that might not be good for my stomach."

"...How about French toast?"

"Oh, that sounds good. Can I have some strawberries with it?"

"Anything else, your majesty? Fresh whipped cream, perhaps?"

"If you've got it." Naruto smiled. "I want lots of syrup, too."

"Fine. So long as you get out of my face for a while. Go fix your hair."

Naruto touched his hair. "Why, what's wrong with it?"

"You look like that kid from Jurassic Park after he grabbed the electric fence, that's what. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Fine. I'll go preoccupy myself, but let me know if you need any help."

"Sure. I'll let you know if I have any more attractive friends you can think about banging."

"Cool. You can invite them to the club tonight," Naruto replied with equal sarcasm. "I can't believe you hid it from me that you like to dance. You just didn't wanna dance with me. I see how it is."

"Aren't there any cartoons you can go watch on TV?"

"Heh. I'm gonna go rest up 'cause there's no way we're not goin' out tonight, and this time I won't let you get away with bein' a dick."

"Great," said Sasuke. "Maybe we can make it your coming out party."

Sasuke turned on the TV while they ate breakfast only to quickly turn it off in disgust after 15 minutes of watching the news.

"That's enough to make me lose my appetite," he said.

Naruto set his plate on the coffee table and pulled his knees to his chest. "I don't get it. I really don't. More people should stand up, you know? Why are Christians so silent? Why do they support him? It's irritating. Doesn't the Bible say 'by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people'?"

"Maybe they're confused about what side they should be on. It's only going to get worse, you realize." Sasuke set his plate on top of Naruto's and, with a resigned sigh, ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, I know. But I have hope that things happen for a reason and eventually good will win out."

"How exactly do you envision that happening?" He asked.

"You gotta believe in the good in people." Naruto grinned. "Didn't you learn anything from Star Wars?"

"But this is real life," Sasuke argued. "Even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes."

"You've experienced some of the worst stuff life can throw your way, Sasuke, and you haven't become a husk of a human being."

Sasuke smirked. "Haven't I?"

"Nope. Do you know what will make you feel better?"

"Sex?"

Naruto snorted. "Well, maybe, yeah. I was thinkin' somethin' I can be involved in, though."

Sasuke stared at him in comic disbelief. "Do you need a written invitation?"

"Shut up. You hit on everyone but me, so don't act cute ̶ "

"Do you want me to hit on you?"

"Huh? That's not what I ̶ . I wasn't bein' serious."

"Hm."

"What I was gonna suggest was goin' to the club tonight." Naruto rested his head on the back of the couch, staring at him with those stupidly big blue eyes.

"I do not hit on everyone but you," Sasuke mumbled, glancing away.

"Why is it that I can say you do somethin' that you also say I do, and then you get mad at me?!"

"What are you talking about, idiot?" He let his head fall back onto the couch, too.

"You say I'm into Sai, and then I'm flirting with Ino or Neji and I'm also into Sakura… like, am I a whore in your eyes?"

Sasuke actually smiled. "I see potential."

Naruto laughed loud and hard, then flashed an impish grin. "Let's have fun tonight. I just wanna not think, and I want you to not think with me. Is that okay?"

"Yeah… I know what you mean. If you want to go, we can. I'll text Neji later."

"Thanks for the French toast. It was really good."

"Thank you for… " He bit his lip, thinking about this morning when Naruto had come into his bedroom. "I want you to…"

Naruto watched him as he struggled to find the right words.

"Trust me." He felt his cheeks burning. "I don't want to date Neji. We have sex, we have things in common. He may know how to put me at ease when I'm upset. That's all it is. I didn't mean for it to seem like I thought you were interfering. It really was that there's a part of me… that's jealous of you."

The array of emotions crossing Naruto's features were transparent and many.

"Thank you for saying all that," Naruto replied slowly. "And I feel that… around you… more than anyone else, I tend to feel more guarded than usual."

Sasuke searched his face again. "...Why?"

"Would you believe me if I said I wasn't sure?" Naruto sighed, closed his eyes, and opened them again. "Do you remember that night you forced me to cry in your arms?"

"Uh huh, yeah," Sasuke answered dryly. "I bullied you into crying so that I could then comfort you as I recall."

"Good, glad we're on the same page." Naruto's blue eyes momentarily brightened. "I told you I was afraid, and I still feel that way."

"Why, though? I'm not going to think less of you for anything that's happened in your past."

Naruto stared up at the ceiling. "Like I said, I don't know what it is. I know I'm going to end up telling you… and that scares me. And it's not that I'm really scared you'll think I'm a monster or anything… it's more like… " He looked over at Sasuke. "Being friends with someone like you, which I want to be… aah, how can I explain this?"

"You don't have to, Naruto. It's okay. I rub you the wrong way sometimes, so it makes sense you'd be cautious around me. It's reasonable. I'm not offended."

"You do rub me the wrong way sometimes, yeah." Naruto gave a dark chuckle. "But that's not it. You're like Sai, yet you're very different. He doesn't care I'm a pastor's son. In fact, he doesn't give a crap about it and probably doesn't enjoy when we talk about religion. You, though… have higher expectations of me. I guess because of who I am. I don't think I've ever had a good friend who also went to any church I've gone to. I'm not sure why that is, but here you are, so it's new for me, and I've already told you more than some of my closest friends know."

"Because I badgered you about it."

"Yeah, there's that. I'm sorry, too, Sasuke. About last night. I remember the thing I said to you before you left, about wanting to know if I was as miserable as you are… I didn't… I don't know why I said that. I'm usually better about keeping my temper. Maybe you hit a nerve in sayin' I couldn't 'save' you or anybody because the truth is… I'm not sure I can either. Yeah, we have the power to save ourselves, but I don't go around thinkin' I'm makin' a huge difference just because I go to church or do a few favors for people."

There was an ache in his chest as he listened to Naruto, watched him speak, and realized he'd only served to plant more doubt inside his mind. The blond's hand lay between them; Sasuke reached for it. Naruto raised an eyebrow, but he didn't pull away when Sasuke held it, nor did he look especially surprised or put off by the gesture.

"What's good about you, Naruto, is that you lead by example. Not that I've heard you preach about anything, but that's how it should be. You treat everyone you meet equally and with patience and kindness. I know you're human and not perfect and, frankly, I…" He swallowed and paused to gather courage to speak the truth. "I like that about you. I don't think you've fallen nearly as far as I have, but I do admire you. How you are with people, your view on life."

Naruto's eyes looked glassy, and so Sasuke thought he'd said too much. However, Naruto merely squeezed his hand tighter before glancing at the ceiling again. Still, Sasuke watched his face, watched every minutia of change he could observe. He hadn't always been able to tell what Gaara was thinking or feeling, and he couldn't say he always knew what was on Naruto's mind… but he never doubted for a second those emotions Naruto showed so openly.

"Heh." Naruto snickered. "Is this all because I said you hit on everyone but me?"

"Yes, I'm only saying what you want to hear so I can get you into my bed."

"I've already been in your bed," Naruto commented, picking up their joined hands and dropping them on the cushion again. "Talkin' to you is always so damn intense. It's almost exhausting."

"...Sorry." He would've pulled his hand away if Naruto hadn't held onto it.

"No, it's fine. That's the kind of guy you are… intense. I like it, but it's also… scary. Ah, maybe intimidating is the right word?" Naruto's eyes were on his, and it was almost enough to make even him feel uncomfortable.

This thing he sensed between them sometimes, it wasn't a sexual chemistry, although he could see how that would easily be ignited if either of them decided to go there, but… it was some sort of deep, unexplainable understanding. He wouldn't say Naruto was his destiny. Sasuke thought Gaara ̶ meeting him and being with him before he died ̶ was fated. So, what was Naruto? His second chance? An opportunity to find peace after these last few years? Or, was it that he was here to do something for Naruto?

"I'd have your back in a bar fight," Sasuke offered. "If that's any consolation."

Naruto finally let go of his hand. "I know you would."

"Now that we've concluded our heart to heart, should we get out of here for a while?"

"Yeah." Naruto rubbed a hand over his face. "Fresh air would be good."

"Would you like to walk around and see my campus?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "I really would. Will you be my tour guide?"

"Of course." Sasuke stood up and collected their dishes. "It'll be nice to feel useful to you for once."

Naruto picked up their glasses after stacking them. "Huh? You're useful, although that's a weird way of puttin' it. You helped me clean my house, you go with me to church, you feed me, drive me places, take me out to fancy restaurants ̶ " He smiled at Sasuke. "See, you can do romance if you want to. You've got all the qualities of what probably makes a good boyfriend."

"'Probably'?"

Naruto followed him to the kitchen. "I've never thought of myself as bein' a particularly great potential boyfriend, so I wouldn't know."

"I'll have to ask Ino about that," Sasuke replied.

"High school relationships are different than adult ones. Obviously."

Sasuke gave pause for a second and Naruto, almost immediately realizing what he'd said, apologized.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. That was a bad choice of words."

He shook it off. "It's fine. I know what you're saying."

"Shit. In my case is all I'm speakin' for," Naruto added. "That's all."

"I know, Naruto." Sasuke set all of the dishes in the sink. "You're one of few people who let me talk about him, so I appreciate that. One of few I can talk about him to."

Naruto hovered near the bookshelf. "I like when you talk about him."

"People really do get uncomfortable when you bring up the dead, hm?"

"Sometimes." Naruto's voice was low. "When you give them an opportunity, it's surprising how much people will open up, though."

"I'm sure. In your position, you must hear a lot of stories about grief."

"I do. They really appreciate when you ask about the person. It means a lot. I feel the same when someone asks about mom. You do that. Ino does, too."

"I always wanted to ask you about that picture of you and her. The one on your dresser."

Naruto chuckled. "Ah, that? Mm. When we were at the Grand Canyon? My mom was kind of a hippie, I guess. After the divorce anyway. She used to be more conservative when I was really young. Then she left dad and got into yoga and granola and… it was fun. I liked when it was just me and her. She was easy to talk to. Sakura reminds me of her a little, but my mom was way more goofy. The shit she used to say ̶ "

When Naruto stopped speaking, Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at him.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said when he noticed Naruto getting choked up. "That she's gone. Whatever you went through… but I'm glad you have fond memories of her. It's important to hold onto those."

"Yeah, definitely." Naruto wiped at his eyes, but it looked like he didn't want Sasuke to see him upset, so Sasuke returned to washing dishes. "I think I would've really liked Gaara. I'd like to know the guy you fell madly in love with as a teenager. Was he a good kisser?"

Sasuke snickered, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. "Yeah, he was an excellent kisser. Excellent at everything."

"Not selfish?"

"Far from," Sasuke replied, smiling.

"What if no one can compare?"

"I don't see the point in comparing. I'm not trapped in that time or anything. I've dated since then. I just haven't found the right person."

"I see. Well, I hope you do. I'm, uh, gonna go get ready and stuff. Maybe make a couple phone calls."

"Okay," he said. "I'll shower after this, and we can get going."

"Hey, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned to look and caught Naruto smiling.

"Tonight… I'll let you hit on me just a little. 'Cause you're bein' pretty great right now."

"Am I? Well, I'll see if I feel up to it later then."

"Heh. Alright. Thanks again for breakfast."

"No problem."

He turned around, which was good because his face felt hot and his heart was doing all kinds of erratic things in his chest. What the hell was that? He knew he thought Naruto was attractive, but…

Fuck it. Maybe he should make a move. Why not? Life was too short, right? What's the worst that could happen anyway?

After walking around campus for a while, they were in the process of crossing his university's large, open quad. There were only a few people out on this New Year's Day. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, though the mountains in the background looked covered in white.

"Your campus really is beautiful," Naruto remarked. "I like that you can see the mountains. Do you ski much?"

"I've gone a few times with Neji and some other friends. What about you?"

"Not really. By the time we moved from Wyoming, I wasn't super old, and there's not a whole lot of snow in San Diego."

"What about surfing? Isn't that a thing people do there?"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, I do surf. I like the beach a lot. I miss it. There's somethin' relaxin' about being around water."

"We do have water here, too, a very famous lake just that way." Sasuke pointed.

"True, you do have that. I doubt I ever would've seen it if you didn't invite me here."

"Have you ever thought of," Sasuke stopped on the sidewalk, "Going back to college?"

Naruto came to a stop beside him. He was wearing that dumb orange beanie today. Sasuke reached over and pulled it off.

"It's not even that cold," he said.

"Ah, my hat!" Naruto reached for it, but Sasuke held it aloft. It wasn't until Naruto kicked him in the shin that he gave it up by tossing it at his face. "Jerk."

"It's bright orange. What are you, a hunter?"

"I love this hat." Naruto pouted. "I don't know if college is for me. When I'm on a campus, I always think it's cool, but if I didn't do so great the first time, why would the second be any different?"

"I imagine going to a community college is significantly different than a public or private four-year university."

"True." Naruto put his hat on again. "I like the idea of the freedom you get out of it, too, but I had that when I was livin' with Sai… other than, well, I was livin' with another guy."

"Wasn't it difficult?"

"What?"

"Living with a man you'd slept with who still seems… attached?"

Naruto squinted as he gazed up at the sky, which was bright and clear except for a few low-hanging clouds. "No. Honestly? It was kind of nice bein' taken care of, and at the end of the day, Sai is my best friend. So, we'd talk and laugh and… it was nice."

"But not a relationship?"

Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's back. They started walking again.

"I don't think so because it's not as if we didn't see other people during that time," Naruto answered.

"How did Sai feel about that?"

"I guess it depends on if he was seein' someone else, too."

"I appreciate that you're answering my questions," Sasuke murmured.

"I don't find them especially invasive," Naruto replied. "I was naggin' you about Neji, and I am a little curious about the two of you, so it seems fair."

"I figured I'd already answered any questions you may have about Neji."

"You did. You don't wanna date him. I see the convenience of havin' that sort of relationship while," Naruto bumped into him and grinned, "Gettin' somethin' else out of it, too."

"It's been a while," Sasuke confessed.

"All the more reason to think you were genuinely mad at me last night. You totally could've hit that." Naruto chuckled, and Sasuke gave him a push that sent him stumbling into the grass.

"I have a feeling you could've hit that, too."

Naruto ducked his head. "Yeah. I kind of think I could've, too."

Sasuke grabbed hold of the arm of his coat and pulled him forward and back. "Why don't you give it a shot at your coming out party tonight? I'm sure Sakura will be happy to hear she at least has a chance."

"A threesome? Yeah that's the kinda thing a pastor's son should be doin'. I thought you said I was good at settin' examples."

"You'd be my personal hero if you could pull it off." Sasuke smirked and let go of his arm.

"Really? Why?" Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Sasuke noticed he hadn't brought any gloves with him. Then again, he hadn't either.

He shrugged. "Maybe it's because you're a pastor's son that seeing you let loose would be interesting."

"I'm still a Christian, you know. I don't expect everyone to wear a chastity belt or wait until marriage, but I do believe in moderation."

"Unless alcohol is involved," Sasuke remarked. "I can't even fathom what it's like to be attracted to men and women. Wouldn't it get messy?"

"Aaah." Naruto threw his hands in the air. "If we're really goin' there, I guess I'd say… yeah, it's probably messy if I think about Sai and Ino." He turned to Sasuke. "Just as an example, mind you. They fight like cats and dogs, not as bad as Karin and Sai, but it still always feel like it's about… me?"

"I did pick up on that when they were here, yes. I'm sure it's even more difficult when they're your friends. Can I ask you what may be an intrusive question because I'm genuinely curious?"

"If it's for research purposes," said Naruto, "I suppose I can't get too upset."

"Are you generally… more attracted to men or women? Are you more attracted to Sai or Ino physically? Or… Neji and Sakura? Do you have a preference?"

"Er." Naruto glanced around them as if looking to see if anyone was listening. It was only them, of course. "Are we really goin' with this idea that I'm bi? I dunno how comfortable I feel about it, not that I think there's anything wrong with it."

"If you don't feel comfortable with the idea, then no. You can be whatever you want."

"It's not that I disagree it's an option for me, it's more like, um. I've never called myself that. Even Sai's never really called me that, and I would argue that it's not a 50-50 split except… I am attracted to guys sometimes. Or, I find them to be attractive more than I'm attracted to them."

Sasuke took this in quietly, trying to see it from Naruto's perspective. After all, there was a time in his life that he thought there was something wrong with him for not being attracted to girls as much as he was guys. There was a gray area for him, too, however short. If he hadn't ever met Gaara, there may have been more ambiguity. There was also a part of him that very much wondered if Naruto found him attractive. He'd spoken of Sai being attractive, as well as Neji. Maybe Sasuke wasn't his type, and, even for him, that was a tough question to ask, so he decided to avoid it altogether.

"How does it feel to say all of that out loud?" He asked instead.

"Strange," Naruto replied.

"Strange-good, or strange in a bad way?"

"It feels good to talk to you about it, because you always have this objective way of asking things and replying, too, so I know you're piecing somethin' together for yourself, but, more often than not, when you ask me questions, it makes me think about these things, too. Stuff no one else asks me, and stuff I often don't ask myself. Knowing you like guys helps, too."

"Does it now," he said mildly.

"I only mean that it feels like you'd understand everything it entails bein' attracted to a guy or with one. I guess I feel most unsure 'cause I've… it's always been Sai. Then there's the guilt, too."

"Guilt?" Sasuke stopped again, in front of a sculpture of a large bull. "For liking men?"

"No." Naruto scoffed. "For admitting being attracted to a guy who isn't Sai. How the hell would I bring that up to him? I learned pretty fast not to mention when I thought another guy was hot… or I can't even imagine talkin' to him about dating a guy. Although, yeah, there's that whole series of issues that would come up if I genuinely started dating another man, right? But, like I said, I'd suck at it regardless of datin' a man or woman."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," said Sasuke. "You don't start a relationship worrying about whether it's going to fail. You get into a relationship because you at least like or tolerate the person and are somewhat attracted to them, right?"

"I guess that's a pretty low-bar description of a relationship, sure."

"Maybe it's commitment you suck at?" Sasuke suggested, humor in his tone.

"Like I said, I think I do better in relationships where there's distance."

"Mm. I know. You keep me at arm's length all the time. However, I can see that not expecting anything to come of spending one night with Neji or Sakura because they're here and you're back home would make it easier to consider them."

"Less Sakura than Neji, though I still think Sakura's hot." Naruto grinned. "I can't tell if Sakura's as, uh, commitment phobic as Neji."

"Is Neji hot, too?"

"I think I don't need to tell you that."

"Would he be your type?"

"I… don't know if I have a type, but it's hard not to agree he's an attractive man, right? I think it's the hair. And the snarky personality. He's such a fuckin' flirt, too. Last night he ̶ " Naruto gave him a weird look right before he clamped his mouth shut.

"Last night he what?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Naruto looked off to the side, and his cheeks appeared to be growing even more red than they already were.

Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. He would've interrogated him further, but his phone went off in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was Sakura.

"It's your girlfriend," said Sasuke. "Did you want to answer?"

"Shut up, asshole, and answer your damn phone."

"Hn." Sasuke hit the call button. "Hello?"

"Really, you think a text is going to make up for the crap you pulled last night, Sasuke? Like, what the hell? And then you let Naruto walk all the way to your apartment by himself. I am so mad at you today! Is he even okay? He drank Neji and I under the table, literally."

"I don't know what that means, and my plan was to apologize to you in person tonight. Naruto's fine. He's here with me now." He glanced at the blond, who was watching him.

"Where are you?"

"On campus. Showing him around."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone!"

"Neji made it sound like you weren't feeling well, so I figured you'd be sleeping it off."

"Well, I'm fine now!"

"Hm. You can always meet us somewhere if you'd like. We had a late breakfast, but if you haven't had lunch…?"

"Oh, you know what sounds good right now?"

"I can't imagine."

"Gelato!"

"You realize it's about 34 degrees out?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the conversation; Sasuke approached him, placed a hand on his chest and gave him a push backward for no reason. All Naruto did was glare, but it was kind of sexy.

"I'll meet you there in about 20 minutes. I mean, if it's okay with Naruto."

"I'm sure if Naruto hears it's what you want, he'll agree."

"Really? Stop teasing me. After last night, I already know you ̶ "

"That's great, Sakura," Sasuke cut her off. "We'll meet you there in 20 minutes." He hung up on her. That was a conversation he didn't want to get into with Naruto in front of him.

"Did you just hang up on Sakura?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"It was the end of the conversation."

"For you maybe," Naruto replied. "What did she say?"

"I hope you like gelato because she wants us to meet her for some."

"Oh, that's why you mentioned the temperature. No, that sounds good. You don't like sweet things, though, do you?"

"...How do you even remember that?"

"I listen to what you say, that's how."

"Ah. Is that how it works?"

"Why'd you tell her that if it's what she wanted I'd say okay? You're embarrassing me, man."

They were walking by one of the buildings Sasuke often went to since, in the basement, it housed several studio spaces for the art students.

"Please, she was flattered, and you already told me you think she's attractive. We have some time to kill before she meets us, would you like to see my studio space?"

"Studio space?" Naruto asked. "You have a studio space?"

"Of course I do," he replied.

"So, it has some of your art and stuff?"

"It does."

"And… you're gonna let me see it?" Naruto's surprise was almost insulting.

"Why wouldn't I?" He asked.

"Because you've hardly let me see anything you've done. I've seen more of Gaara's drawings than yours."

"Well, you're lucky as Gaara, even at 17, is still a better artist than I am now."

Naruto smiled. "I like when you say things like that."

"You mean 'the truth'?"

"No… just…" Naruto glanced away from him, smiling still. "I really like the way you talk about him because I've never heard you talk about anyone else like you do him. Like he's your idol. It's… cute."

"I guess I can't think of him as having had any flaws," Sasuke said thoughtfully. "Although it's also annoying to get cute while Sakura and Neji are always hot. I think I'm beginning to develop a complex being around you."

"Oh, right," said Naruto. "Like you don't know how attractive you are."

While Naruto was busy laughing it off, Sasuke's insides started doing somersaults.

"I didn't know you thought I was," he muttered.

"What did you say?" Naruto asked.

"I said… don't touch anything when I bring you down there."

"Ah, okay. I won't. I'm excited. Like, really. I'm jealous of people who have your kind of talent. I guess there really are perks to goin' to a university like this."

Sasuke was still stuck on the notion of Naruto thinking him attractive to say anything else, so in the short amount of time it took to enter the building and head downstairs to the studio space ̶ it was as if he'd completely forgotten how to make conversation. Luckily, Naruto seemed content to take everything in, though there was nothing exceptional to the building itself. On the upper level was a performance space usually used by the theatre students and a student-run art gallery. Down in the basement it was dark and the hallways filled with excess furniture other departments no longer needed.

He had to swipe his ID to get inside the room, which held about 20 partitioned off studios reserved for painting, drawing, sculpting, and so on. There were other buildings on campus designated specifically for art students, but he came here the most often. They were the only two here, so he flipped on a couple of the lights and led the way to his assigned space. Somewhere along the way, Naruto got distracted by all the artwork students had taped and pinned to the walls of their "cubicle".

"This is so frickin' cool," said Naruto and, jogging over, caught up with him right as he stopped in front of his work area.

On the walls were pencil drawings, paintings, and various graphic design projects he'd worked on for his classes. There were works in progress scattered across his desk, too. Usually it was a lot neater, but it had been finals before he'd left. While Naruto visually dissected everything pinned to the walls, Sasuke decided to straighten up some of the scattered papers and utensils.

"You're really good, Sasuke." Naruto was standing in front of one of his black and white sketches for a drawing class. "I'm kinda mad you've never shown me your art before."

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can make a Titanic moment out of it sometime? You can pose for me like some French prostitute, perhaps?"

"Heh. I'm not too opposed actually. Well, not the prostitute thing, but I think I'd frame it and put it up in my house. You've obviously studied the male anatomy very well."

"Hn. You noticed?" Sasuke stood beside him as Naruto eyed a sketch in which he'd used a full-body portrait of a famous male ballet dancer in a rather provocative pose as a reference.

Then, Naruto moved on to some of his paintings. He'd been playing more with oil lately and didn't feel confident in it, but he was making progress. For some reason, they always came out looking so dark, though. Naruto touched the corner of another sketch, one Sasuke had done of the cemetery where Itachi was buried. There was a raven sitting on one of the headstones.

"Who's this in the background?" Naruto asked, turning to him.

"Some woman," he answered.

"That's vague… why did you sketch her? Is she visiting someone?"

Sasuke sighed. "I don't remember why I drew her in there. Something from a dream, I'm sure."

"A ghost, maybe?"

"I'll leave it up to your interpretation," he replied. His phone vibrated in his pocket, so Sasuke pulled it out and read the text.

"Sakura's just parking and walking there. We should get going."

"Bummer."

"We can always come back another time, depending on how long we're staying here."

"Sure, yeah." Naruto smiled at him. "Wouldn't want to keep Sakura waiting."

Still, Naruto seemed to linger until Sasuke went up to him and took him by the elbow.

"I said you could come back," he told him gently, flattered in a way.

"I'm comin'." Naruto followed, and Sasuke, letting go of his sleeve, turned off the lights before pushing him out through the door.

TBC