Everything in Between

Chapter 36

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"Ino!" Temari was clasping her cell phone in one hand and running down the hall excitedly. "Okay, okay!" she ran into the room, since the door was wide open anyway, and saw Tenten look at her like she'd lost her mind as she ran to the other blonde and squeezed her phone excitedly. "Okay, so I just got back the inspection report, and everything looks good, so I called in an offer!"

"Oh man…really?" Ino couldn't help thinking that any minute now, Temari would yell "psyche!" and point at her, laughing, as it was revealed that this whole house plan was just an elaborate trick. But she really couldn't see why Sakura would trick her as well, and she was starting to actually believe that maybe Temari really wanted to do this. "Oh man…should we tell Shikamaru!"

"Oh! Yeah, let's tell him!" she shook her cell phone excitedly as they ran down the hall, Tenten still blinking after them in confusion. At this point, they were trying to keep the plan under wraps, partially because there weren't enough room for all of their friends in the house, and partially because it wasn't definite yet, but Temari had wanted to tell Ino, and since they seemed to be back together, she had of course consented to tell Shikamaru as well. He seemed much less excited about this than the girls, but Ino felt he was just trying to be aware of the possibility of the plan falling through. "And Sakura, we should tell Sakura. Oh man, if this goes through…we'll have to decide who to have stay with us. I mean, I was making out a list of people who might be interested, and it was fifteen people, and it's like, even with couples sharing rooms, that's just not going to work out."

"Oh, well you can cross Lee off the list, if you had him on there." Ino hissed as they reached Shikamaru's room, saw that Chouji, Kiba, and Hinata were present as well, and gestured frantically at Shikamaru to come out in the hall. "Tenten was just telling me, apparently over spring break, he enlisted, and he's shipping out next week."

"What?" Temari pulled a face. "Doesn't he even want to finish school first?"

"Apparently he told Shino something about realizing his destiny in a vision while he was meditating…something." Ino shook her head in confusion as Shikamaru joined them, looking a bit annoyed at the interruption to his studying, but obviously not about to say anything, as Ino and him had only made up recently, and he didn't really want to push his luck. "I don't know, but I'm kinda sad, you know? Like…he's a little weird, sure, but he's always so optimistic and full of energy, he'd probably be really good with kids."

"Yeah, he'd probably clean the whole house all the time as like…exercise or something, too." Temari sighed. "Well…too bad, I guess."

"Are you still on about that house?" Shikamaru asked, and Ino clapped her hands excitedly.

"Yep! Temari called in an offer!" she giggled.

"Did you low-ball them?" Shikamaru asked the other girl, and she scowled at him.

"I offered a fair price." She insisted. "I'm sure they'll be more than happy—" her phone rang and she listened a moment. "Yes? Okay, then make a counter offer." Another pause, and Shikamaru couldn't help chuckling at how serious she looked. "Go up two hundred, meet them halfway." She listened a while longer. "I'm not an idiot. That place needs some refurbishment, they can't try to blindside me with…okay, two-fifty, but that's it. Okay, I'm counting on you. Don't disappoint me. I expect a call in five minutes to say you've closed or I'll—yes I know that!" Temari hung up, rolling her eyes. "Impossible. Honestly, I'd be my own realtor if I had a license, these people."

"You sound so high-powered over there," Ino giggled, feeling rather giddy. "I expect you to run off to a board meeting or something, or like, call your broker and go over your portfolio."

"Oh, crap, I need to do that." She frowned. "I haven't checked in with him for ages."

"You have stocks?" Ino was still giggling.

"Well, if you have that much money, it's idiotic to let it just stagnate. I have to keep on top of things, or between lawyers for Gaara and things Kankurou drives off cliffs, we'd be in the poorhouse in no time." Her phone rang again and she turned away. Ino jumped up and down, giggling, and ran down the hall to tell Sakura. Shikamaru couldn't help smiling after her, and while he was wary of the idea of living in the same house, sharing a bedroom like they were married, having a baby…well, it was happening, and she was so happy, which was really an excellent change from the last several weeks before spring break. He couldn't really argue with that, could he?

He should really be grateful to Temari for coming up with such an excellent solution to their problems, but he felt like he could see that there would be a whole new batch of troubles caused by this solution. He would like to believe that everyone, Ino and him included, had been through enough trouble this year that they would simply live harmoniously together without any fights or disagreements, and definitely without any drama, but even though he loved her, he had serious doubts that Ino could go a whole year without squabbling with anyone. That wasn't even to mention some of their friends, who seemed to be addicted to drama. If Naruto and Sasuke were in the house…

"Yes!" Temari hung up her phone and did a little victory dance, and immediately, the two girls chattering excitedly a little bit down the hall ran over to join her. "We got it!" she high-fived Sakura and Ino, and Ino leapt at Shikamaru, kissing him so thoroughly he forgot very promptly to worry about the wisdom of having a house full of college students raise a child. After all…if Ino was happy, that was all that really mattered, wasn't it?

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I'll be in the photo lab.

Sasuke shifted the hot cup in his hand and frowned. Naruto had asked for Sasuke to bring him coffee, saying that he was exhausted, and not nearly finished with his work. He had spent a long time out of the house recently, saying he had a lot of pictures to develop, and some project to work on.

"But I want to see you, it feels like we've barely seen each other lately." Naruto had been on his way out the door when Sasuke woke that morning, and had planted a quick kiss on Sasuke's cheek before rushing out. "Bring me coffee when you get out of class, we'll hang out. I'll be in the photo lab."

It was all very well knowing he was in one of these dark rooms, but how was he supposed to know which one? They didn't have windows or anything, he couldn't just peer inside, and he didn't want to open the doors, ruining Naruto's exposures, or just pissing off some other unfortunate photography student. He realized his options were to either knock on all the doors, or to ask someone. Both seemed annoying, since they involved contact with other people, which was something he generally avoided if at all possible. He stood there, looking at the doors, willing Naruto to appear, and feeling apprehensive and foolish.

Because of all the time he'd been spending away from the house, Sasuke hadn't had a chance to speak to Naruto at all. Well, that wasn't strictly true. He'd had sex with him, so clearly it wasn't like they hadn't seen each other at all, but as soon as things were finished and Sasuke would be ready to talk to him, Naruto would pass out. It gave him a weird feeling that Naruto was avoiding him, but that seemed stupid to think, since obviously they were sleeping together, living together. It was just that he was busy.

"Hey, are you meeting someone?" a young woman asked him, blushing slightly, and Sasuke was jarred out of his thoughts, annoyed at the obviously smitten look in her eyes. Could he have no peace?

"Yes." He answered shortly before realizing this might be a good chance to solve his problem. "Do you know Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Yeah, of course!" she smiled brightly, the way Naruto always made people smile. It was amazing he couldn't see what it meant to be with him, how lucky Sasuke was, but there was no reason to question his good fortune, really. He'd probably only end up messing things up. "I think he's developing pictures…should be in Dark Room E, that's his favorite one." She beamed at him and opened the door to a dark room, disappearing herself and leaving Sasuke looking at the room she had directed him to.

Maybe now he'd finally get a chance to talk to Naruto. After all, if he was drinking coffee and taking a break from his project, it only made sense that they would talk. He just wanted Naruto to feel comfortable, to be able to do anything he felt like with Sasuke, and not be afraid he was being compared to other people, not be afraid that he wasn't good enough. Sasuke knew it was his fault things had gotten to this point, and it was his responsibility to fix it.

"Naruto?" he knocked on the door.

"Come in," the voice was solemn, but still recognizable, and Sasuke opened the door slightly, afraid of damaging something, but when he stepped inside, he frowned as he saw pictures hanging from lines, containers of the fluid used to develop photographs…but no Naruto. Was he out of his mind, he thought he'd heard Naruto's voice.

Click

Sasuke turned swiftly at the sound of a door being locked, and he dropped the coffee, feeling foolish, he didn't even feel the burn of the hot fluid on his hand as he saw Naruto standing behind him, looking at the ground seriously, as though considering the problem of the coffee.

"You spilled it." He frowned, and Sasuke caught his breath, relieved to see his lover there after all.

"Sorry, you scared me, I didn't—" he cut himself off as Naruto moved in on him swiftly, pushing him up against the table, and he couldn't help himself flushing. Being this close to Naruto, having him act so aggressive…it was intoxicating.

"Let me see," Naruto pulled the burned hand up to his eye level, considering it for a moment before sucking on Sasuke's fingers so suddenly that the other man felt himself become hard almost at once. "Does it hurt?"

"N…no." Sasuke wasn't sure what was going on, but he liked it. Naruto looked like he was going to devour him, and his heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Clean it up." Naruto nodded to the ground. "There's some paper towels over there." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, and Sasuke would have just stayed where he was, pressed between Naruto and the table, but the blonde stepped back, and Sasuke, too surprised to question anything, nodded and stepped past him, reaching for the roll of paper towels, only to be shoved against the wall roughly. "You're hard, aren't you?"

"I…I…" Sasuke had no idea what to say to the voice in his ear, but he was hard, he was painfully hard, and he could feel fluids leaking from his length, he was so aroused. He wasn't sure if Naruto was angry at him, or what was going on, but it was incredibly hot.

"I asked you a question," Naruto's hands went around his waist then, one popping the button of his fly, the other wrapping around to grab the obvious proof of his arousal through his jeans. "Do you want me?" he breathed, his breath puffing against Sasuke's ear, and then he felt Naruto kissing his neck, and he felt like he was on fire. Now that the initial shock was wearing off, he regained some of his confidence.

"Yes," his hands were against the wall, where he had reached out to stop himself from running into it too forcefully, and he pressed back, rolling his hips, grinding his ass against Naruto, and feeling his arousal even through all the cloth separating them. "Please…I want you."

"Right now?" Naruto asked as he lowered Sasuke's pants marginally, his tone husky, but there was a hint of concern there, and even with what was happening, it was so like Naruto to worry about moving too fast or hurting him, Sasuke couldn't help smiling, couldn't help feeling a warmth deep inside of him that only intensified the heat of lust that was overwhelming him at the moment.

"Fuck me," Sasuke hissed, wriggling to help Naruto reveal his ass, his erection pulling free from the denim prison, was almost immediately encircled by Naruto's hand, hot and familiar and firm, squeezing him so that he couldn't help crying out before speaking again. "Right now, I'm ready, just—"

He hadn't even realized that Naruto had opened his own pants already, and when he felt the shaft, hastily slicked with spit, slide into him, he felt his knees give way, and he scrabbled on the wall for purchase with his hands, crying out and arching his back. Naruto was still working his length, and now he braced himself with his other hand against the wall, lacing his fingers through Sasuke's own, as he felt wave after wave of pleasure threaten to wash him over the edge.

He hasn't even moved…he just put it in, and I almost came, just from that.

"You're so…so tight." Naruto's voice was strained, and his hands squeezed closed slightly. Sasuke could tell he was hesitating, was afraid of hurting him, even now, after they had reached this point. He had never entered without preparation before, and he could imagine the difference was enough to push him to the very edge of his control.

"I need you…please…fuck me." Sasuke would have been ashamed at the pleading tone of his voice, the way it shook as though he was close to tears, if it had been anyone but Naruto, but feeling that mouth against his neck, being surrounded in him, there was nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of. "Please…"

"Shit…" Naruto's own voice cracked, and he pulled back, slowly, excruciatingly slowly, and Sasuke spoke again.

"Make me scream." The words seemed to unleash something in Naruto, something he had managed to always control before, and he let out a strangled noise before he slammed back into Sasuke, and pulled back, again and again, fast, hard, and wild. It took everything Sasuke had to brace himself from having his body crushed against the wall, and then it took even more to concentrate on not collapsing in a boneless heap from the pleasure, the feeling of his prostate being nailed over and over again, the sounds of Naruto grunting and moaning and hissing his name as he slammed back in over and over. It was too much, he felt like he was being completely dissembled and remade again, and that was when his orgasm hit, and he did scream, because it was all too much, and he felt Naruto coming, heard him calling out, and they both fell against the wall, somehow not slipping down to the ground as Naruto panted, kissing Sasuke's neck, kissing every bit of skin that peeked out above his collar, their fingers still intertwined, and his other hand still holding Sasuke's softening length.

"Jesus…that was…that was…" Sasuke finally remembered how to speak again, but it was difficult. "What got into you? You were…like…"

"Was…was it okay?" Naruto was still struggling with speech himself, and he wondered if you were allowed to lay down and cuddle after doing something like that.

"Naruto," Sasuke stumbled slightly as he turned, feeling Naruto fall out of him, and not sure if he could even pull his pants back up. It seemed like so much effort now. "That was the best…best sex ever. I'd get hard just…thinking about it."

"You aren't." Naruto pointed out, using his now empty hands to wrap around Sasuke, to embrace him, and squeeze him tight, "not now."

"Gimme a minute, man." Sasuke sighed, and they both chuckled, their faces close, kissing long and slow, just savoring the feeling, the taste of each other. "What made you…you've never been so…"

"I thought you wanted it…rougher." Naruto flushed, as though he was somehow able to get embarrassed now, like he hadn't just slammed Sasuke against the wall of the dark room and fucked him so thoroughly Sasuke was very sure that if he attempted to walk, he would just collapse. "I mean…I can't hit you, I just can't, but I thought it would be okay if I just…just maybe sometimes…"

"Naruto, you don't need to hit me, I told you." Sasuke's hands held Naruto's face between them, one thumb moving over his cheek. "I told you already, I like how you treat me, I don't want you to hit me. But yeah…that was amazing…if you want to do that…like that more, that'd be…"

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Naruto couldn't hold back any longer, and Sasuke laughed. "Only I didn't…and I thought maybe if I just…I thought that's what you wanted."

"It didn't hurt." Sasuke assured him. "Is this why you haven't been topping lately? You were worried if you didn't do that I wouldn't be satisfied?"

"Well…I mean, you said you like rough sex." Naruto pointed out, a petulant frown on his face, and it was hard to believe this was the same man that had taken him so forcefully only minutes earlier.

"Yeah, but I also like it slow, and drawn out, and even just kind of normal, I like all of those." Sasuke assured him. "Everything you do drives me crazy, can't you tell? I always want you, and whenever we're together, every time is great. Did you…how did you like it?"

"I was worried I was going to hurt you, but it was…you were so hot." Naruto shuddered, his eyes flickering closed as though he was reliving the memory. "It felt like…I couldn't get enough."

"See, it can be good any way." Sasuke kissed him softly. "Slow lasts longer though, right?"

"Yeah…but now I know that I could do it fast if I needed to." Naruto smiled brightly. "Like, I have to go to class! But first a quickie!"

"You know, I'm pretty sure everyone heard us." Sasuke told him, and Naruto blushed deeply. He clearly had not considered this.

"Well…oh well." Naruto shrugged. "Everyone we live with hears it all the time, too…so I don't care."

"I love you." Sasuke kissed him. "But next time you're worried about something, just tell me. Everything always works out when we talk about it, if you haven't noticed."

"Yeah…but that way was more fun." Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke had to agree.

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"So we were wondering if you would want to move in with us." Temari finished, beaming at Naruto. She considered the other man in the room, sitting on his bed and reading a book as though he could somehow avoid being drawn into this if he was just quiet enough. "If you want, Sasuke can share a room with you, but if you guys break up again, he has to move out."

"Sorry, Sasuke, I think Naruto's a little more…" Ino paused, trying to term it delicately.

"Nurturing?" Sakura suggested, and Ino nodded.

"Well?" Temari prompted, and Naruto just shook his head, his mouth agape.

"Ino…you're pregnant!?" Temari wondered if he'd heard anything past that bit. "Oh man, why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to get you out from under Sasuke long enough." Ino examined her nails idly as she explained Naruto's lack of gossip knowledge.

"Seriously, I thought we'd have to book an appointment." Temari rolled her eyes.

"We could have pulled him out of class." Sakura suggested, and Ino shook her head.

"That'd be a no-go, too, I have this friend, told me they were doing it in the dark rooms the other day." Ino pointed out, and while Sasuke managed to look completely unaffected by this news, Naruto flushed scarlet.

"Guys! Geez, that's private." Naruto stammered, clearly a bit embarrassed, and he shifted to what he felt was a far better topic of conversation. "Ino, how far are you?"

"Not very," she pinked happily, looking like she also felt this was a far more interesting topic. "Just ten weeks. I'm supposed to do an ultrasound tomorrow, though."

"Man, and your parents, they're okay with all this?" he was very excited, and Ino momentarily considered how much easier this would have been if Naruto was the father, since he was clearly very enthusiastic. Yeah, probably would love to change the diapers if I could get him out of Uncle Sasuke's bed. She almost started laughing at that, and covered it up with a cough.

"Well, they were surprised, yeah, but I explained everything, and they seem excited. My mom wanted a bunch of babies, but she had endometriosis so she was lucky to have just me, and I think she's just excited that I don't seem to have the same problem." Ino shrugged. "My father…he pretty much goes along with whatever my mom decides, so yeah, I think my only concern is that my mom will try to like, steal the baby."

"What's…endo…whatzit?" Naruto made a face, and Sakura giggled before taking pity on him.

"It's a disease where your uterus starts like, overgrowing and stuff, and usually they have to remove it." She explained. "And it can be genetic, so yeah, in a weird way, Ino's lucky."

"I mean, I wouldn't have minded being lucky like six years later…but hey, now's cool too, I guess." Ino rolled her eyes.

"So do you want to come stay in the house with us and take care of the baby?" Temari asked. "It'll be so cute!"

"Oh man, Ino, if it's a boy, okay," Sakura held her hair over her head in the lazy, messy ponytail Shikamaru often wore. "Like this! Put his hair up, and then…just imagine Shikamaru holding him like that!"

"That would be kind of cute." Ino admitted. Now that everyone seemed so excited, suddenly being pregnant seemed a lot better to her, and she had started to take on what Temari characterized as her "glow." Shikamaru had even pointed out the other day that she seemed so much happier lately. It had been scary at first…but now it seemed really exciting, too.

"What about Shikamaru, is he excited?" Naruto wanted to know. "I mean, he must have been a little…surprised, right?"

"Huh, talk about an understatement." Temari shook her head. "He totally flipped out."

"He would prefer we refer to that as his nervous breakdown." Ino told them, and the girls all giggled, mostly happy that time was in the past, even though it had not been that long ago. "But yeah, you know Shikamaru. It's not like he's prancing around handing out cigars, but he seems…really dedicated." Her voice wobbled a bit, and Sakura smiled, patting her back.

"Aw, it's so good to see you guys so happy again." She cooed, and Sasuke let a snort of disgust escape him, which they ignored rather well.

"Wow…well, I mean, that sounds awesome, but I mean, I have to talk to Sasuke, see what he wants to do, because I can't just force him to be in Baby House." Naruto explained.

"Can we not call it Baby House?" Ino asked. "It makes me feel like I'm going to be on a reality show with like ten other pregnant girls."

"Sasuke, hey, do you…do you want to go live in the house with everyone next year?" Naruto climbed up on the bed, and made a face of such pitiful pleading that Sasuke knew how this was going to end as soon as he met his eyes. "It'd be really funny, and you'd be with all your friends, and you could help me take care of the baby."

"Baby handling requires clothes on, by the way." Temari pointed out.

"Ooh, unless I'm having baths with it." Ino noted.

"Okay, for everyone that's not Ino, baby handling requires clothes." Temari amended.

Sasuke sighed heavily. He could see where this was heading, and he was not sure he liked it, but at the same time…Naruto looked so excited.

"Well…I thought maybe next year…we could get our own apartment." He attempted, and the pout Naruto was aiming at him intensified. He felt his resistance buckle. "But…if you want. That's fine."

"Yay!" Naruto hugged him so hard he dropped his book, losing his place, and choking a little, but it was okay, because Naruto was clearly ecstatic. "This is gonna rule! I'm so excited! Who else is gonna stay in the house?"

"Well, so far, a lot of people want to stay there." Temari shrugged. "I didn't think there'd be room for everyone, but Kankurou's going to help make the basement nice, and then Chouji and him are gonna stay down there. So Gaara's got a room, which means Neji will be there, and I'll be there, obviously, and Ino and Shikamaru, and Sakura and Sai, and Kiba and Hinata, and I told Shino and Tenten they could stay, but they're only allowed to bring three pets, and Ino has to approve them."

"Whoa, that's awesome!" Naruto was clapping happily, but Sasuke was hoping this was a very large house. He was not sure he wanted to live in close quarters with that many people, and he was already starting to worry about having given in to Naruto so easily.

But then…he looked so happy.

It would be okay, he was sure.

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The End!

This story will be continued shortly in the sequel, Cause and Effect, which I will start working on posthaste. Although…jade already knows this and I think she and I are the only ones reading this…so yeah.