A/N: Thank you so CapturedByNoodles and Niomalia for reading through/beta'ing this for me! Endings always take forever to write, so it helps to have people with me on it. Next chapter will also likely be a little more than two weeks, but who knows.

Speaking of which, it is super annoying when I leave a note telling people the next chapter will be late and then I have people leaving snippy anon comments or PMing me that "I am late" with the chapter. It makes writing fanfic so much less fun for me because it honestly just pisses me off. I might take a small break between this and the next long fanfic I write and focus on short stories and oneshots for a bit. Some authors only post long fics when they're mostly written, and I might try that just so I don't get these sort of annoyances anymore. We'll see. I write to de-stress, not deal with ANOTHER group of people who will yell at me when I miss a deadline (esp one that isn't even real).

Chapter 25 - Not a date, right?

Sasuke had spent the last few days texting and talking with Naruto. They had stayed away from the topic of their break-up, both of them knowing that the things they had left to talk about were better discussed in person. So they'd talked about their work, what they had for lunch, whether or not Naruto would kick Sasuke's ass at basketball (which they agreed would need to be put to the test when he got back).

It was almost disconcerting how comfortable it was to talk with Naruto. Sasuke didn't like talking in general. He wasn't someone who made small talk or felt the need to fill empty silences with useless chatter, nor had he grown up in a household where anyone else did that. But with Naruto, even the dumbest stuff seemed suddenly interesting. It had been like this back when they were in college. Whether Naruto had been talking about some joke that could be made out of the way someone's name sounded or the way the rain looked when it was falling, there was just something about the way the blond would go all in on a topic that just seemed to draw everyone else in with him.

Sasuke had forgotten what it was like, how easy it had always been for Naruto draw him out of his shell, getting him pissed off or laughing out loud at something ridiculous or small. It made him feel… so much more alive. When had it stopped? Sasuke tried to remember. They had still talked the first few months of his work, but then he'd begun noticing Kabuto's disapproving glare whenever he talked to Naruto at the office. The projects had gotten harder, Sasuke kept getting more and more responsibility, coming home later and later…

He scrubbed his hands over his face. It had happened so gradually, he hadn't really even noticed that they were growing further and further apart until Naruto had just walked out. At the time, it had seemed totally out of the blue, but in reality, it hadn't been.

When he thought about how it felt now, to be talking so much with Naruto again, and compared it to how things had been before the break-up…

Naruto had been right.

Their relationship had ended long before Naruto had left him. And Sasuke had let it just slip away without even fucking noticing. The thought made him sick and furious with himself. He always prided himself on being smart. So where the fuck had his head been over the past two years? It wasn't that he wasn't proud of his success in his career, but it wasn't enough. His job couldn't be the only thing in his life. Sasuke hadn't realized how empty and lifeless his life had become until that moment.

And now Naruto was willing to be friends, but was dating someone else. Was Sasuke too late? Anxiety filled his stomach as he thought about seeing Naruto when he came back. What if Naruto was really over him? Naruto had always been pretty easy to read when it came to his feelings for Sasuke. If the attraction was gone, if all there was left was friendship, Sasuke would be able to tell. It was the first time in Sasuke's life he ever felt hatred for someone he hadn't even met. What the hell was Naruto doing dating a sex club owner? He tried not to think about what it must be like between the two of them. All the experience Gaara had that Sasuke never had.

Sasuke straightened his tie and grabbed his jacket as he headed for the office, trying to get his mind focused on the day ahead rather than on the past.

Naruto heard his phone go off, and looked around the hotel room trying to find it. He'd been really trying to play with different kinds of lighting with his last shoot, so he'd been up late, early and everything in between. He followed the sound and finally found the device between the cushions of the small sofa in the hotel, where he'd fallen asleep the night before talking with Sasuke.

He saw the number on the screen and grinned. "Gaara!" he answered, realizing it had been several days since he'd heard from the man. Usually, it would have upset him, but he'd been distracted by Sasuke enough to not notice this time.

"How is your latest going?"

Naruto scrubbed his hand sleepily over his face. "Good. Fucking exhausting, but cool. How are things at the club? I… uh… tried you the other night, but I didn't want to bother you."

This was always the hard part for Naruto. He knew that they weren't exclusive. Gaara probably wouldn't mind if Naruto straight-up asked him if he'd slept with anyone else since they started seeing each other, but he knew himself well enough to know he wouldn't handle the answer particularly well.

Gaara seemed aware of this, too, as he paused slightly before responding. "It's never a bother to hear from you, Naruto. I might not always be able to take your call, but you shouldn't feel uncomfortable about calling."

"Right. Right, I know," Naruto said, pushing his fingers through his hair. "So, anyway, I got some really cool shots of some of the temples around here. It's really beautiful. Have you ever been here?"

"Not for many years. Your job is interesting… one project has you shooting a sex club. The next has you visiting holy sites. You have a very diverse career."

Naruto laughed at the dry tone in Gaara's voice. Gaara was a serious guy, but he didn't take himself too seriously. It was one of the things Naruto liked best about him.

"True. I have to say, the monks and priestesses I've met haven't been nearly as fun to hang out with as you, though."

"Hm. That's good to know. I suppose I should make up for your lack of entertainment when you get back. Are you stopping by on your way home?" Gaara's voice had pitched to a low rumble, causing heat to build in Naruto's stomach. He had missed Gaara. But he'd promised Sasuke they would get together for dinner when he got back.

"I'm meeting up with a friend on Friday night, but that's usually a crazy night for you, anyway. How about I come up on Monday? Or you could come down, if you can some time take off."

There was a slight hesitation, and Naruto realized this was the first time since he started sleeping with Gaara that he'd turned down an offer to come see him.

"Monday is fine. We'll figure out which city over the weekend."

Gaara didn't ask who Naruto was meeting on Friday, and Naruto realized that Gaara was probably used to his lovers seeing other people. Of course, Naruto was getting together with Sasuke just as friends, but he realized that Gaara wouldn't be upset either way. The idea was unsettling, and Naruto felt almost hurt by it. He shook the feeling off, knowing he was being ridiculous. He certainly didn't want to hurt Gaara. He'd never been the kind of person to try to get his lovers jealous on purpose.

"So what else is going on?" Naruto asked, forcing himself to not be weird about things.

There was another slight pause, but then Gaara replied. "My shogi partner just got a job in the US. She'll be moving later this week. I don't suppose you play?"

"Yeah, I know the basic rules, but I'm pretty sure you'd be bored to tears if we played. Strategy really isn't my thing."

"I seriously doubt you'd be boring at anything you tried, Naruto."

Naruto laughed. "Well, maybe I'd be comic relief, but not a challenge. But, hey! Actually, I have a friend who is crazy good at pretty much any kind of strategy game. Smartest guy I know. If you come into town on Monday, I can introduce you." Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he thought about what Shikamaru would say if he actually invited him over to meet Gaara.

"Then we'll plan for Monday at your place." Gaara replied.

Naruto agreed, wondering why he felt slightly guilty for meeting up with Gaara after agreeing to have dinner with Sasuke. But it wasn't like Sasuke had asked him on a date. Sasuke just wanted to clear the air from all the shit that had happened at the end of their relationship so they could start fresh as friends.

It was all fine.

Sasuke drew a breath before knocking on the glass office door. Neji looked up from whatever work he'd been doing, his face blanking momentarily before he gestured with his hand for Sasuke to come in.

"Sasuke. Trouble with the new team?" Neji asked, perfectly polite and businesslike. They'd both been promoted, and - despite the ongoing collaboration between their two companies - they no longer worked directly together.

"No. Everything's fine. I had a meeting with the board here today, and I thought I'd see if you wanted to grab a coffee. If you're busy, I can just head out." Sasuke gave Neji an easy out. If the man didn't want to talk to him outside of required meetings, Sasuke would understand.

Neji held his gaze for a minute, then picked up his phone. "Push my one o'clock back by half an hour."

He stood, taking his designer jacket off the mahogany coat rack in the corner and pulling it on. "You're buying."

Sasuke's lips curved, and he felt a weight in his chest lift slight.

There was a decent coffee shop in the cafeteria of the building, but Neji led them to a smaller cafe a few blocks down the street. Sasuke ordered them two black coffees while Neji found them a table.

"So," Neji said, taking a small sip of the coffee Sasuke had handed him. "I am going to assume you are not here to tell me that breaking up with me was the biggest mistake you ever made and you want to start seeing each other again."

Sasuke glanced down at his own coffee, aware that - while Neji was jesting - there was a truth to the underlying wish held within the words.

"Neji, I owe you an explanation."

Neji arched a brow, but said nothing.

"When we started… dating, I had just gotten out of a six year relationship. My only relationship."

Neji took a sip of his coffee before replying. "It had been several months. But yes, I was aware."

"I thought, at the time, that I was over him."

"But you weren't," Neji finished. "You're back together with him, then?"

Sasuke's lips twisted ruefully. "He's seeing someone else."

"Ouch," Neji said, and Sasuke could tell that the man actually meant it, regardless of whatever bitterness he might be carrying from their break-up.

Sasuke's left hand was resting on the table, and he lifted his fingers slightly in dismissal of the sympathy he knew he didn't deserve. "Even though you had said our relationship was going to be temporary, I would never have agreed to it if I had realized… that things weren't resolved for me."

For the first time since their break-up, amusement and warmth lit Neji's eyes. "So you're human after all, then."

Sasuke breathed out a small self-depreciating laugh. "Evidently."

There was a slight pause before Neji set his cup down. "My family introduced me to my fiancé last week."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he searched his friend's face for whether this was as troubling to him as it would have been if Sasuke had been in his shoes. Neji's face seemed completely calm.

"Her name is TenTen. She is… not what I'd expected."

Sasuke considered his words carefully before asking. "In what way?"

Neji smiled slightly. "She's… actually tolerable. And more than happy to find that I was not over sixty and balding, despite my other drawbacks."

"Congratulations?" Sasuke said, realizing he would never understand what it would be like to come from a family like Neji's, to have his major life decisions made by someone else to increase the family's power and wealth.

Neji's smile widened. "You'll understand if you are not invited to the wedding."

"I'm sure I couldn't have afforded the suit that would have been required," Sasuke said drily, his hand gesturing at Neji's clothing.

"That's what rentals are for, Uchiha."

Sasuke looked at the clock. Naruto would be there in less than half an hour. He wondered if he should start dinner before Naruto arrived, or if they would cook together like they used to. Sasuke had no illusions that this evening wasn't going to be tense. Naruto had agreed to come to Sasuke's place mainly because they had things to talk about that really couldn't be talked about in public. Starting with Sasuke's relationship with Neji.

Sasuke also knew that conversation wasn't exactly his strength, especially about anything personal. Put him in the room with a bunch of tech investors and ask him to talk about the latest innovation he was working on, and he was fine. But this sort of thing...

"Fuck." He raked his hand through his hair. He hoped he didn't screw it up worse than it already was. The only thing that made him feel somewhat less panicked was that Naruto was fully aware of how bad Sasuke was at this. Hopefully the man would give him at least partial credit for trying if it all went to hell.

Sasuke really didn't have any experience with trying to win someone over, either as friends or lovers. Before Naruto, it had only been a few one-night-stands as he figured out his sexuality, none of which he had to do anything for except make eye contact, and they were willing to do pretty much whatever he wanted. He'd never had to exert any effort. With Naruto, they hadn't really dated so much as just… collided. They went from hating each other to sleeping together in a single day.

The mental images the memories evoked had Sasuke forcibly reminding himself that there was basically zero probability of Naruto ending up in his bed after dinner. Given that Naruto was currently seeing someone else, Sasuke knew that the best case scenario would be if they could navigate through some of the shit they'd put each other through enough to form some sort of friendship. They had skipped that step the first time around, but it was clear it would be necessary now.

He wondered if he would be able to handle it if all Naruto ended up wanting from him in the end was friendship. It wasn't something he'd experienced before… the uncertain feeling of not knowing if someone wanted more. He thought briefly back to his relationship with Neji, and wondered if the man had felt the same thing when he'd asked Sasuke out… unsure if Sasuke would ever want him back. It made him feel slightly guilty, and he was glad he didn't believe in fate or he would be worried that Karma was going to take pleasure in teaching him a lesson.

Was Naruto really over him?

Sasuke thought back to the night he'd met up with Naruto at the coffee shop. Naruto's gaze had skimmed over him when he'd taken his jacket off before snapping back to Sasuke's face, but that didn't really mean anything. It could simply have been Naruto recognizing the sweater, but nothing more. Sasuke had never worried about his own physical attractiveness. If anything, it had been an annoyance, with so many people fixated on obsessing over his looks. But with Naruto, Sasuke knew that his looks wouldn't be enough to sway him either way. It wasn't that Naruto didn't notice Sasuke's appearance. The blond had made it more than clear on many occasions just what Sasuke did to him. But Sasuke knew for a fact that it wasn't his looks that Naruto was drawn to. Just because Naruto found him attractive didn't mean anything would ever come of it, unless they fixed their other issues.

He glared at the fridge, then finally settled on a compromise of chopping the meat and vegetables he was going to need for dinner, but not actually cooking it until Naruto arrived. Sasuke reminded himself for the millionth time that this wasn't a date. In fact, there was a high chance that it would end with Naruto storming out and never speaking with him again.

Sasuke looked at the recipe for ramen sitting on the counter, and he wondered if preparing something that would cause third degree burns if thrown was really a good idea after all.

"Shit," he muttered, pulling out the grater and shredding the ginger. He wasn't sure if he was cursing the tenuous nature of his relationship with Naruto or Sasuke's clear inability to know how to handle it.

Probably both.

His phone buzzed, and Sasuke picked it up to see a text from Naruto.

Be there in 10

Naruto walked up the steps of his old apartment building. He realized he had been avoiding this part of town since the break-up. He felt a little numb as he pushed the button of the elevator, images flickering through his mind.

Sasuke pinning him against the smooth, shiny wall of the elevator, kissing him desperately as they fumbled with the fastenings of each other's jeans, hoping no one got on the elevator with them.

Naruto alone in the elevator, storming out to go get coffee when Sasuke had been too caught up in work to even notice Naruto had gotten one of the most significant phone calls of his life.

Carrying the last garbage bag of his things out to his car, the key to the apartment left behind with Sasuke.

The elevator chimed, signaling he'd reached his floor. Naruto slowly walked down the corridor, everything disconcertingly familiar. He wondered if it had been a good idea, coming to Sasuke's place. He knew that they had things to talk about that couldn't be talked about on the phone or in public. But - in retrospect - Naruto wished he'd had Sasuke come over to his new apartment instead. There were just… too many memories. And the good ones hurt just as much as the bad.

He paused at the door. The key to the apartment no longer was on his key ring, so he drew a breath and knocked, hoping he didn't look as tense as he felt.

Sasuke heard the knock on his door just after he'd finished washing his hands. He wiped them dry on the kitchen towel then walked over to open the door, his stomach tight with nerves.

Naruto stood in the entryway, one hand scrubbing the back of his head while he shifted his feet. Sasuke's gaze took in the slightly strained look in Naruto's eyes as his gaze slid around their old apartment. It felt strange to have him back in the home they used to share, the space immediately seeming to breathe back to life.

"Hey," Naruto said. "I, uh, brought some beer. For the movie. Or dinner." He handed Sasuke a six-pack. Naruto usually brought beer to Kiba or Shikamaru's place when they had a movie night with the guys, and Sasuke realized Naruto was trying to signal that here. Wine was for dates. Beer was for friends.

"Thanks." Sasuke accepted the drinks and walked to the kitchen to put them in the fridge while Naruto removed his shoes and jacket. Sasuke noted he was dressed casually, with comfortable jeans and a long-sleeved, grey T-shirt. Sasuke felt slightly over-dressed in his black jeans and dark blue button-down.

Naruto followed him, looked at the piles of neatly cut vegetables and meat. "What can I do to help?" His eyes landed on the package of rice noodles, then widened. "Ramen? Awesome!"

"Hn." Sasuke's lips twitched, and some of the awkwardness left the air.

Naruto grabbed the recipe card that was on the counter, skimming over it while Sasuke got out a pan. "Man, I haven't made ramen in forever."

Sasuke quirked a brow. "I thought that you'd cook it every day when you had the choice."

Naruto shrugged, his face looking tense again. "Yeah, I mean… it's a lot of work for just one person, so…"

Sasuke's jaw tensed, frustrated that even simple conversations were evidently beyond him. He had never been good at small talk, but there were landmines everywhere. The ginger and garlic wasn't as brown as he would like, but he added the meat anyway, setting it to cook. If Sasuke was going to screw it up by talking, he might as well talk about things that actually mattered.

"Naruto," Sasuke turned to face him. "You have to know that nothing happened between Neji and me while you and I were together. He was just someone I worked with."

Naruto's face was tense, but there was no mistaking the uncertainty and insecurity in his expression. Sasuke's fingers clenched and flexed as though trying to make up for the fact that his mouth wasn't able to find the right way to solve this problem.

"He didn't even ask me out until four months after you'd moved out." Sasuke raked his hand through his hair, remembering back. "Our project had ended, so we were no longer working together. Neji had gone back to his company. One day, he showed up at my office and asked me to dinner. I thought there was some problem with the project or the paperwork, and -"

He cut off as Naruto erupted with disbelieving laughter. "Seriously, Sasuke? Shit. I almost feel bad for the guy."

Sasuke breathed out, a slightly self-mocking look on his face as he added the water to the pot. "Neji was… somewhat exasperated that he had to spell it out for me." Sasuke's expression turned serious again. "But my point is that I really hadn't even considered it before then. Whatever you want to say about the other things I did wrong in our relationship, I never cheated, Naruto. You know me well enough to know I wouldn't bother. And I sure as hell wouldn't lie about it now."

Naruto met his gaze, his eyes searching Sasuke's face for something Sasuke could only hope he found there. Slowly, Naruto nodded.

"Ok. I guess… that makes sense. You wouldn't have wanted to fuck things up at work by being caught in some office thing."

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice sharpened. "It wasn't like that. I wasn't just waiting around for the project to finish to make a move."

"But Neji was."

Sasuke paused, knowing it was likely true. Neji hadn't known Sasuke was seeing anyone until the day Naruto had gone to get him at the restaurant when his phone had been off.

"He might have been. But I wasn't."

The sound of water boiling over from the pot caused both their heads to snap up and look over.

"Fuck!" Sasuke grabbed the lid, lifting it off the pot as he turned down the heat.

Naruto looked over at the vegetables. "Which of these are we supposed to add now?"

Sasuke grabbed a pair of glasses from the counter as he picked up the recipe card, putting them on as he read it.

"Everything but the carrot slivers and cilantro. We put the noodles in now, too."

He looked up to find Naruto staring at him.

Naruto pulled his lower lip between his teeth, then abruptly turned back to the stove, concealing the slight flush that etched along his cheekbones. "You got glasses?"

Sasuke realized that Naruto hadn't seen him with them on before. He'd only had them a month or two, and really only needed them for reading.

"Yeah. I was getting headaches. Neji -" Sasuke saw Naruto's shoulders tense, but continued. "- suggested I get my eyes checked out. Itachi was about the same age when he got glasses."

Naruto continued to stir the pot for a moment without speaking. Then he said, "How did Neji handle Itachi in 'big brother' mode?"

Sasuke shrugged, taking the small batch of cilantro leaves and tossing them in the soup. "He never met him."

Naruto looked sharply over to Sasuke, but Sasuke didn't elaborate. Itachi hadn't left Sasuke much choice about meeting Naruto within basically a couple of weeks of their dating, but Sasuke had been fine with it. In truth, Sasuke had wanted it, though he was careful not to admit it at the time. Or ever. Itachi was already unbearable enough without the knowledge that Sasuke actually had wanted him to approve of Naruto.

"Oh. So… they stopped the headaches, then? The glasses?"

"Hn," Sasuke said, skimming the recipe to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything, and missing the way Naruto's eyes had darkened as they took in how Sasuke looked in his glasses.

"They, um… look good. I mean, professional and all," Naruto said, quickly, taking the empty cutting board over to the sink and rinsing it off.

Sasuke put his glasses back on the table and walked over to stir the noodles.

"So… you never introduced him to Itachi?"

"It wasn't that serious. Neji's family was arranging a marriage for him."

"Oh," Naruto said, looking down. "That must have been hard."

Sasuke arched a brow. "Because he's gay?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "No, just… that… I mean… you two have a lot in common and it just seemed…"

"I broke up with him before they picked out his bride."

"Still," Naruto said.

"It wasn't because he was going to marry someone else."

"Really?"

Sasuke didn't answer for a moment. "It just wasn't what I wanted. We were better as co-workers. We're working on being friends now."

"Like us," Naruto murmured, but his brows were still drawn together in a frown. Sasuke fought the urge to say that his relationship with Neji was nothing like the one he had with Naruto. "But…" Naruto bit his lip, cutting himself off.

"What?" Sasuke asked, turning to face him. Naruto looked like he was struggling to say whatever it was he was trying to force out.

"It's just… I guess I'm still surprised that you wanted to end it. Neji just seemed like the kind of guy you would be happy with. With everything you had in common and just… suck that it couldn't work out." The words might have been hard for Naruto to say, but they were sincere. Despite how things had ended, Naruto wanted Sasuke to be happy.

Sasuke looked at Naruto directly. "Neji and I have a lot in common. And it makes us great work partners. It wouldn't have worked for anything more than that, even if his family wasn't pushing him to marry." Sasuke would have said more, but the reality of Naruto currently having a boyfriend made Sasuke hold back. Things were not fully resolved between him and Naruto. Telling Naruto he wanted another chance at this point would likely only make Naruto uncomfortable. One thing Sasuke knew for sure was that Naruto would never cheat. Which meant that he would have to be sure he had a reasonable chance of winning Naruto back before he told Naruto how he felt, or Naruto would stop seeing him even as a friend.

The room stilled, as both men looked at each other, Naruto seeming to be searching Sasuke's face for something, though Sasuke wasn't sure what he was looking for.

The timer went off, signaling the noodles were done.

As they brought the food over to the table, Sasuke glanced over at Naruto. "So, what about you?"

Naruto looked over at him. "What?"

"Are you seeing anyone?" Sasuke's voice was carefully casual.

Naruto tensed. "Yeah, I…," he paused, appearing to be searching for the right words. "There's a guy I met through work."

Sasuke forced his face to remain expressionless as he sat across from Naruto, watching the blond stir his ramen while they waited for it to cool. Naruto's description seemed… vague. Maybe things weren't as serious as Sasuke had thought, though he really couldn't see Naruto in a casual relationship for very long.

Naruto had always wanted stability. Roots. Family.

"He owns a club I was shooting. He doesn't live in town, but we see each other when I'm between shoots or he can take a day off from the club."

"Gaara," Sasuke said, watching as Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at Sasuke's knowledge of the name. "He was the owner of the club of the book that just came out."

"Right. Yeah, Gaara," Naruto looked slightly uncomfortable, but Sasuke wasn't sure if it was due to the mention of the man's occupation or the fact that Naruto was just uncomfortable discussing the new boyfriend with the old one. "I guess Kiba told you about him?"

"I knew you were seeing someone before Kiba came over here. I saw you on your way out, remember?" Sasuke took a bite of his food, then swallowed, deciding he didn't want to talk about the hickies he'd seen on Naruto at the coffee shop. "But I could tell it was him when I saw your photos of him in the book."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Most of the pictures in the book weren't of Gaara."

A trace of a smile touched Sasuke's lip. "I remember what it was like to be the focus of your work, Naruto. You drew him out the same way."

Naruto looked down, his thumb moving over the bottle of beer, wiping at the condensation. "Yeah. I guess so. Gaara said sort of the same thing when he saw the photos I'd taken of you."

Sasuke stilled, and Naruto was quick to clarify. "Just the ones in my portfolio. Obviously, I mean… just those."

They ate a bit in silence.

"Your pictures were good, though. In the book," Sasuke said.

Naruto quickly swallowed. "Thanks. It was actually sort of a cool project. At first I was a little unsure about it. I didn't want to just shoot a bunch of porn, even though Kiba thought that would be the best idea ever. But then I found out more about what the book was actually about, and I decided to do it."

Sasuke arched a brow at him in question, though he had read the book and knew what Naruto was getting at.

"Things are starting to change a bit in the gay community. The book was supposed to be part of it, though it was a risk for Gaara to allow so much publicity for his place. But there's more acceptance now, at least in places. Gay marriage isn't illegal anymore in a lot of cities in Japan," Naruto started.

"It isn't legal, either. They just decriminalized it in a few cities. There's still a long way to go."

"I know. That was why Gaara allowed the book. He wanted to make it… less taboo. Less something that needs to be kept hidden. Sex clubs are pretty much mainstream in Tokyo."

"Not the gay ones."

"Exactly. No one wants to talk about those. But this book does."

Sasuke looked at the obvious excitement and admiration in Naruto's expression as he spoke about the man. He felt the food he'd been eating settle uncomfortably in his stomach.

They finished dinner and began clearing the dirty dishes away.

"It's good that you're excited about your work," Sasuke said truthfully, hoping he kept the bitterness out of his voice.

Naruto laughed and grimaced self-consciously. "Yeah. I guess it's a lot better than all those stupid birthday parties I always used to shoot."

Sasuke flinched imperceptibly as memories of all the fights they had about Naruto 'wasting his talent' on small time jobs. At the time, he hadn't understood that Naruto was just prioritizing Sasuke over his job, rather than simply having no ambition. While it was true that Naruto hadn't made it clear what he was doing, Sasuke also hadn't been open to hearing it. They had both been focused on opposite things back then. Sasuke knew he needed to undo some of the damage he'd done in the past.

"Jiraiya was able to see things in even the birthday and wedding photos," Sasuke stated.

Naruto focused on pouring detergent in the dishwasher despite the fact that it wasn't even half full.

"Look, Naruto, I…," Sasuke began, but Naruto cut him off.

"Don't. Sasuke, I know that you were frustrated with some of the choices I made. We both know I basically lucked into the job I have now."

"It wasn't just luck, Naruto. If you didn't have the skill, Jiraiya would never have hired you. Yes, I was frustrated with you. You didn't talk to me about any of the decisions you were making. Especially the job you gave up. But that doesn't mean you aren't damn good at what you do."

"Yeah, like you're one to talk about not communicating," Naruto countered, but there wasn't really any anger left in it. Mostly resignation, and that hit Sasuke even harder than Naruto's anger would have. "You were never even home to talk about stuff."

"I was in the beginning. I talked to you. Shit, I must have bored the fuck out of you with everything I was saying about my job and what was going on and what I was trying to do," Sasuke looked over to the corner of the kitchen, then back at Naruto.

"No, I wasn't bored -"

"You told me all I did was talk about work. You were probably right, but I'd been working my whole life to finally stand on my own and see if I really was worth anything. I had a boss riding me and I didn't know how to handle it. Obviously, I didn't handle it well when it came to our relationship. But you didn't even tell me big stuff. Like about that job you turned down. We should have talked about it, Naruto."

"I… know." Naruto sighed, leaning forward, bracing his hands on the counter and looking down at it. "I just… talking wasn't going to change the outcome. I knew what I wanted."

Sasuke felt his chest tighten at Naruto's unspoken words. I wanted you. It was exactly the opposite of what Sasuke had accused Naruto of at the end, the night they'd broken up.

'This isn't about my job, Sasuke. This hasn't been working for a long time! The only reason this is a surprise to you is because it hasn't been important enough to you for you to fucking notice!'

'And you've always been the kind of person to just sit back silently and wait for someone to fucking notice you, right, Naruto? It's funny how you didn't decide to leave until you got a job to support yourself. I guess now that I'm not useful, you can find someone else.'

'You can't really think that I -' Naruto's voice choked off, and Sasuke had to look away. He could not look at Naruto anymore. The betrayal of everything was so overwhelming that he didn't know what he would do if Naruto came too close to him right now.

'I don't know you at all, Naruto. The person I thought I was dating wouldn't just give up without even trying to talk it out. What am I supposed to think? You walk practically the day you got that fucking job offer.'

They had read each other so completely wrong back then. Naruto lifted his head up, looking over at Sasuke. The remembered hurt as clear in Naruto's eyes as Sasuke was sure was in his own.

"So, we gonna watch this movie, or are you going to pussy out and spend the rest of the night reading differential equations or some shit?" Naruto asked, a forced grin on his face. He was willing to try to move past things. At this point, that was all Sasuke could ask for.

Sasuke met his gaze for a moment, then nodded. It would take a while to repair things. Watching a movie was as good a place as any to start.

Naruto headed to the bathroom while Sasuke pulled the movie up. Sasuke was on his way back from the kitchen carrying two of the beers Naruto had brought when he heard the buzz of an incoming text. Naruto's phone was sitting on the table right in front of him, a text message glowing on the screen. Sasuke wished he hadn't been close enough to read what it said.

From Gaara: Still on for Monday night 'entertainment'? I should be to your place by 8. I have someone opening for me Tuesday as well.

Sasuke walked past it, not wanting to think about what kind of date Naruto was going to have with the sex club owner in his apartment, or the fact that it was going to be a two day event. He clenched his jaw, but there was nothing he could do about any of it.

"Hey, Sasuke. Movie up?" Naruto asked coming out of the bathroom. "Don't fast-forward through anything. You have to see it from the very beginning."

Sasuke watched from the corner of his eye as Naruto picked up his phone and checked his messages. He couldn't help the small satisfaction he took at the fact that Naruto didn't text Gaara back, but instead came and sat with Sasuke to watch the movie.

Naruto didn't know why seeing the text from Gaara made him feel guilty. Gaara wouldn't care, and this wasn't a date with Sasuke. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He decided he'd text him back later, once he was home and he was feeling less confused. The apartment was almost exactly how Naruto had left it so many months ago. The spaces on the wall where his photos had hung were still bare. The book shelves had filled in somewhat, but the shelf that Naruto had stored his camera equipment was still empty.

The bathroom had only a single black towel, perfectly folded.

To cover up his emotions, Naruto sprawled in the corner of the couch, looking over at Sasuke with a grin as he pushed play. He hoped the movie would settle his head, give him space to get his emotional footing.

The film opened with a quick flick through the comic and a nod to Marvel. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's clear anticipation. They both looked back at the screen as the opening credits started to roll:

Some Douchebag's Film...

Starring some Hot Chick...

Directed by an Overpaid Tool…

Produced by Asshats….

Sasuke's lips curved in sardonic amusement, and he could see what Itachi might have liked about this already.

Naruto's grin widened. "See? It's a movie even assholes can love. Just ask Itachi," Naruto commented, mirroring Sasuke's own thoughts about his brother.

"Hn," Sasuke looked away from the screen, his eyes locking briefly with Naruto's.

Naruto turned his face back to the screen as a car chase and acrobatic mayhem of dead bodies, wedgies and counting bullets ensued. He could feel Sasuke's eyes lingering on him, but he forced himself not to turn and look. Things were messed up enough without Sasuke picking up on the not-so-latent attraction that Naruto still felt for him. Sasuke seemed to be trying to turn his exes into friends, and Naruto didn't want to screw that up by acting like he was still hung up on Sasuke.

Naruto laughed at the implausible, over-the-top violence losing himself in the movie. He reached for his beer, taking a drink. When he glanced over to see if Sasuke was enjoying himself, he found Sasuke's eyes focused on his mouth, which was wrapped around the glass neck of the bottle.

Naruto felt his body seize as he caught what, at first, he thought was a flicker of desire in Sasuke's dark eyes. But when he blinked it was gone and Sasuke was back watching Deadpool blow up a sci-fi laboratory. Naruto tried to do the same, hoping the movie would distract him from the growing awareness of Sasuke sitting next to him. An entire couch cushion separated their bodies. Naruto's fingers splayed on the leather of the empty space between them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the way the dark denim of Sasuke's jeans hugged his firm thigh, and tried not to react to it.

Naruto forced himself not to think of how many time he'd slid from the couch to kneel between Sasuke's thighs, how the pale fingers dig into the leather, the way Sasuke's head would fall back, the cords in his neck standing out when Naruto would -

No.

Naruto drew a shuddering breath. He was just getting caught up in memories because it had been so long since he'd been in the apartment, and he'd missed Sasuke. It was messing with his head, but he could do this. He could handle being friends. Sasuke was more than just his sex appeal. Naruto was not going to ruin things by being like every other asshole who just wanted to get into Sasuke's pants. He was better than that. They both were.

The movie ended, and Naruto was torn between relief and disappointment that the evening was over. He stood, collecting their beer bottles.

"So? What did you think? Awesome, right?" Naruto asked over his shoulder as he took the bottles to the kitchen to put in the recycling bin.

"Hn. It was ok," Sasuke allowed, amusement in his tone at Naruto's squawk of indignation.

"What?! 'Ok' my ass. That movie is awesome."

Naruto looked up to see Sasuke leaning against the counter, smirking at him. The sight pulled at him in a way he tried to not think about.

"You starting a new project this week?" Sasuke asked casually. "Or do you have more temples to shoot."

"I fly out on Friday for a shoot, but just for two days. After this, Jiraiya says he wants me to do some sort of geology piece. I think I'm going to sign up for a few rock climbing classes before then. Knowing him, he'll have me trying to get a picture of some pebble on top of Mt. Freaking Everest, or in some brothel's wishing well."

Sasuke breathed out a chuckle, then tilted his head slightly to the side. "If you're serious about the rock climbing classes, I'd be willing to try it, too."

Naruto blinked. "Really? Would you have time?"

Sasuke gave a small shrug. "Like I said, I have a lot more control over my schedule now that I don't report to Kabuto. One or two classes a week would be fine."

"Sure! That would be awesome. Then at least I know I'll be better than at least one person in the class." Naruto grinned at Sasuke.

"Fuck you."

"Office boy. You've probably gone soft."

Sasuke's eyes seemed to darken for a moment, but then he just shrugged again. "We'll see about that."

"I'll set up our first class for this weekend."

Naruto put on his shoes and jacket, feeling the weight of Sasuke's gaze on him as he did. He hadn't so much as shaken Sasuke's hand the entire evening, but his body was practically vibrating in awareness of Sasuke's presence so close to him. He wondered if Sasuke had this effect on everyone, or if it was just something in the way Naruto was wired, like a lightning rod of awareness for this one man.

He finished zipping up his coat, and shifted somewhat awkwardly as he realized it was time to leave.

"Um, thanks. For having me over and… talking about… everything."

Sasuke shrugged from where he was leaning against the wall by the coat rack. "We needed to clear the air. And the movie wasn't as horrible as your usual picks."

"Hey!" Naruto laughed in mock anger.

"So. Rock climbing?" Sasuke asked.

"Definitely. I'll text you later."

Sasuke nodded as Naruto left, closing the door behind him. Naruto leaned his head against the door briefly, the hallway dim and silent with the lateness of the hour. He'd had a good time with Sasuke, even if it had just been cooking dinner and watching a move he'd already seen.

Any doubts that Naruto had had about Sasuke having feelings for Neji before they broke up had been put to rest. Whatever Sasuke was, he wasn't a liar. Naruto headed for home, feeling lighter than he had in months.

Sasuke looked around his empty apartment, the stillness of it standing out in sharp contrast to the way it had felt when Naruto was there. The evening had gone better than he had expected, given that neither of them was particularly great at talking about things.

And Sasuke had noticed that Naruto had never called Gaara his boyfriend. If he had met Gaara on the book project, then they hadn't been seeing each other that long, which gave Sasuke some hope. Plus, Gaara lived out of town. Sasuke decided he was going to take full advantage of the fact that he lived closer.

Starting with rock climbing.

To be continued...

A/N: - Next chapter will involve time skips and may or may not be the final, FINAL chapter in this fic, depending on how a few things play out. We may need an epilogue, but I'm not sure.