Neither Sasuke nor Naruto moved for a long time. Their breaths slowly evened out, each man languorous in the afterglow.

Gradually, Naruto became aware of the growing numbness in his left leg and arm, over which Sasuke was sprawled, as well as pressure in his bladder. He hated to move; being so close to Sasuke this way was in some way better than sex, better than their kisses. He recalled a feral cat he had courted in his childhood, unable to accept its rejection. With uncharacteristic patience, he had gradually wooed it closer and closer to him, using purloined tuna and staying absolutely still. When it had finally deigned to sit beside him, he had never wanted to move, fearful that the cat would revert back to its stand-offish ways should he disrupt its peace. He felt a similar reluctance about moving away from Sasuke, as if moving would break the spell that lay over the two of them in their mutually spent state.

Realizing that it was inevitable, he gently budged Sasuke's shoulder over and moved from beneath him. Sasuke yawned and flopped over onto his side. Naruto walked out into the dark hallway, quietly searching for the bathroom.

He winced as he switched on the bathroom light. His eyes had become accustomed to the darkness. He regarded himself in the mirror after relieving himself. Red and purple marks bloomed randomly over his neck, chest, sides, and thighs. His sperm, along with Sasuke's, dried in caked splatters over his lower abdomen. He looked completely debauched, but he thought distantly that he liked seeing the evidence of their intimacy over his body. Being marked by Sasuke felt right.

He splashed his face with water and rinsed out his mouth before looking through the drawers for washcloths, thinking back over everything that had happened between him and Sasuke. It may have been awkward, or inexpert, but Naruto had never experienced anything so thrilling or so intimate in his entire life. He and Hinata had learned, gradually, how to please each other. Their lovemaking had even been sweet, in its own way, an expression of mutual respect and affection. He had never experienced the intense, mutual attraction that he felt with Sasuke, though, and it made all the difference.

Moving pretty fast, lover boy. Might wanna slow down.

He pushed his gnawing doubts far back in his mind. He'd use the daylight to think. Right now, he wanted to bask in all these amazing, new feelings coursing through him like a cocktail of potent drugs. He wet two cloths with hot water and wrung them out before walking back to the bedroom.

Sasuke was lying on his back, now, his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted. Naruto knelt on the bed beside him, peering down at him lovingly. He placed a gentle kiss on Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke mumbled unintelligibly and grabbed at him.

"Shh, baby. I'm just cleaning you up a little. Go back to sleep," Naruto whispered. Sasuke grunted in response. Naruto gently washed Sasuke's hands before wiping the crusted semen off of his stomach and penis.

"Mmm," Sasuke moaned, rolling onto his side and nuzzling into Naruto's arm. Naruto washed himself off before lying down beside Sasuke and putting his arm around him. He'd never seen Sasuke so unguarded. He had the sense, once again, of being peculiarly privileged to see this side of him.

Sasuke snuggled into him, their bodies fitting together comfortably. Naruto drifted off into a light, contented sleep as he basked in the warmth of Sasuke's body against his.

He wasn't sure how much later it was when he was awakened by Sasuke moving away from him. He watched through half-lidded eyes as Sasuke stood, the outline of his body barely distinguishable from the shadows. He burrowed into the warmth he left behind as Sasuke walked down the hall. He could hear the bathroom faucet running, then he could hear kitchen cabinets opening and closing.

He was half fearful, as he heard Sasuke's footsteps approaching again, that he would be told to get up and leave the warmth of the bed. Sasuke sat beside him on the bed, though, and offered him a glass of water. The gesture touched Naruto and soothed him. He accepted, eager to relieve the dryness in his throat.

Sasuke peeled the covers back on his side of the bed, and Naruto stood as he slipped between them.

"Come back," he directed, holding the sheets and blankets up in invitation. Naruto happily slipped into the warmth alongside Sasuke, who snuggled in and laid his head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around him, laying a hand over the back of Sasuke's head to feel the soft, black locks.

"You're so warm," Sasuke mumbled. Naruto smiled as he pet his head indulgently.

"You're so perfect," he whispered in reply. He felt Sasuke shaking his head against his chest. "Don't argue. You made me feel stupid-good."

Sasuke grunted dismissively, but Naruto felt him smile against his skin.

"I can't believe nobody ever gave you a proper blowjob," he mused. "How is that even possible?"

Sasuke groaned. "This, again? Why'd you care?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Seems somebody would've offered by now."

Sasuke sighed, his warm breath rushing over Naruto's skin pleasantly. "My ex-wife offered. It felt too intimate. Didn't want to ask that of her."

Naruto laughed. "You're so adorable." Sasuke pinched his side. "What? You are. For what it's worth, I loved doing that with you."

Sasuke looked up at him. "Were you nervous?" he asked.

Naruto squinted and laughed. "Nervous as all hell. I was so afraid I was going to hurt you, or that you wouldn't like it."

Sasuke smiled crookedly.

Naruto suddenly realized why he must've asked. "Were you?"

Sasuke looked away. "Maybe."

"You were! You were nervous, too!" Naruto gloated.

"So what if I was? I don't really have a lot of knowledge about how to do this," Sasuke said. "You always seem to know exactly what you're doing."

"I gave you flowers. I obviously don't know what I'm doing," Naruto laughed.

"Are you disappointed?" Sasuke asked, and the tone of his voice made him look twice. The doubts and insecurities were battling Sasuke's customary reserve, he could plainly see.

Naruto smiled and kissed Sasuke's lips. "Not at all. I loved everything we did together. Nothing in my life has ever felt that good."

Sasuke burrowed into his side again. "I'm sorry I didn't do the same for you," he murmured.

Naruto playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up. Or I'm gonna get diarrhea of the mouth again. You made me come harder than I've ever come in my life. I have zero complaints."

Silence stretched between them as they held each other, each man lost in his own thoughts and sensations.

"Naruto." Sasuke broke the silence.

"Yeah?" Naruto didn't know what Sasuke might say next. He wished futilely that they could just lie silently twined in each other's arms for an eternity.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Sasuke said hoarsely.

Naruto smiled wryly. "I don't either, Sasuke."

"I don't know if this is what you want… I mean, just this," Sasuke said, and Naruto could hear the plaintive note in his voice.

He sighed, thinking how best to say everything he felt and thought. "Sasuke, I want you. I want you this way, I want you making fun of me at Italian restaurants while the hostess spies on us, I want you walking on the beach with me, and talking to me while our kids run amok. I just want… I just want to be with you. But I don't know what I'm doing at all. I only ever dated my wife. My life is chaos right now. I don't know what promises I can make to you, except to promise you that this is definitely not all I want."

Sasuke lay against him, thinking. "I don't know what I can offer, either. But… I… it… I..." Sasuke coughed and cleared his throat. "I like this. I like you, Naruto."

Naruto held Sasuke close to him. Tears stung the corners of his eyes; he blinked them back. "I like you, too, Sasuke."

Naruto was unsure of the time when he woke again. Sasuke slept soundly next to him, and he could distantly hear birdson from outside. He peeked out the curtains to see a twilit sky. He walked to the living room to retrieve his phone from his jeans pocket. It was 5:30; he'd have to be at work in two hours. He rubbed his eyes as he pulled his clothes on, then walked back to the bedroom.

He stood looking at Sasuke for several minutes, loath to part from him. The sheet had bunched around his waist, and with the day's first light threading around the curtains, Naruto could see all the places he had bitten and kissed Sasuke the night before. He felt the stirring of desire in his belly and realized that he would never leave if he didn't do it quickly. He knelt and kissed Sasuke's face softly, pleased to see him smile peacefully in his sleep, then turned and walked out. Locking the door of Sasuke's apartment behind him was one of the most difficult things he had ever done in his life.

Sasuke, I kissed you goodbye. I didn't want to wake you up. I had to go to work. I had a wonderful time with you. 3, Naruto.

PS—Call or text me, you bastard!

Naruto smiled as he texted Sasuke's number, knowing it would be one of the first things Sasuke looked at on his phone when he woke.

Shikamaru sifted through a stack of files and papers on his side of the desk. Naruto groaned inwardly. He was aware of how silly he must sound to his sensible vice principal, but he persisted anyway.

"I know she looks great on paper, Shikamaru, and she did well on the psychological profile, too..."

"The psychological profile that you insisted upon, Naruto, and which, might I add, was a stroke of genius," Shikamaru cut in.

"Yeah, I know all that, but I dunno, I just don't feel..."

"Naruto." Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "We have to fill this vacancy by the end of the week. She did just fine in the interview, the board members like her, and she's not just great on paper, she's perfect on paper. There is no reason at all not to hire her."

Naruto leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair. "Fine. Do it. Call her and tell her she has the job."

As he sat up, he saw Shikamaru staring at his neck. He adjusted his collar self-consciously, realizing he must have seen the love bite peeking out when he'd leaned back.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and stood up. "Good. I'm glad this particular death-march is over. Who knew hiring a secretary would be so complicated?"

Naruto laughed. "Running a school is nothing but one huge complication," he said. "Sorry, Shikamaru. You know how I am about gut feelings."

"Yes, I do, and I identify. But… when all we have is your gut feeling standing between us and time with our families, then I have to make a stand."

The words caught Naruto off-guard. He didn't have a family anymore, not the way Shikamaru did. Recognizing that he had put his foot in his mouth, Shikamaru flinched.

"Hey, Naruto, it's been a while since you came over. I know things have been tough, but Temari and I still feel the same about you. You know you're welcome any time, right?" he said solemnly.

"Yeah, Shika, I really do. Thanks. You've been a real friend, not to mention a kick-ass vice principal. I appreciate it, man." Naruto smiled. Shikamaru was his polar opposite, but he really did value their friendship and their working relationship. He was a calming influence when Naruto needed it the most. He was also capable of structuring their mutual tasks without being overbearing or making Naruto feel stupid, something not many people could accomplish.

Naruto tidied up his desk the best that he could. He wasn't exactly eager to shut down the school for the next month and a half. He wasn't sure how he would order his days, now that he was on his own with no looming piles of paperwork or grant research to fall back upon.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled when he recognized the number.

"Should've woke me. I overslept. Had a nice time too, idiot."

Shikamaru walked back into the office as Naruto read Sasuke's text.

"What is up with you, Naruto? Have you met somebody?" he asked. "I didn't want to pry, except that I wanted to pry. You didn't exactly do a good job of hiding that hickey on your neck, amateur," he teased.

Naruto blushed. "Yeah. I mean, I know it's soon… but… I dunno. I have no idea where it's going, though. So, knock on wood, and all that shit."

Shikamaru looked at him levelly. "You're divorced. There's nothing wrong with getting out there and seeing what's available. But I know you, Naruto. You're not a play-the-field kind of guy. Just be careful."

Naruto nodded in embarrassment. He was glad when his office phone rang and cut the conversation short.

"Thanks for calling Konoha International School!" he answered.

"Naruto?" came a female voice.

"This is Naruto, yeah."

"Hey! It's Sakura Uchiha. Do you have some time to meet with me today?"

Naruto smiled. He liked Sakura a lot. She'd been a supportive member of the PTO, always volunteered her time generously, and she was a great mom.

"Sakura, for you, I can make time," Naruto said. "When did you have in mind?"

"How about lunch? In, say, half an hour?"

"I can do that. Where do you wanna meet?"

"How about Tzatziki, over in the town center? I can get there easily on my break without anybody catching me and giving me more work to do."

Naruto laughed. "I kinda know what you mean, there. Tzatziki, then, in a half hour."

"See you there, Naruto. Thanks!"

He frowned as she hung up. It suddenly occurred to him to be concerned; Sakura was Sarada's mother, Sasuke's ex-wife. He felt uncomfortable.

"Hey, Shikamaru, go home. I'm gonna slip out for lunch. I'll close everything down and arm the system when I get back."

Shikamaru saluted him and kept at the task he was working on.

Tzatziki was slightly crowded when he arrived. He'd come early, knowing his ability to lose track of time. Knowing Sakura's time away from the hospital was at a premium, he quickly located a table for two and waited. He took out his phone and read Sasuke's message over and over, grinning stupidly the whole time.

"Naruto?"

He looked up to find Sakura standing beside him. He rose and kissed her on the cheek. "Sit down, Sakura. How've you been?"

"Great! Busy! How about you? I know things must be both less and more hectic with the kids out of school," she said. As he looked at her, he thought that Sarada was bound to be a beautiful child with Sakura and Sasuke for parents. She had Sakura's delicate features, plus Sasuke's striking hair and eye color.

"Ya know, I'm just glad that I get to shut that school down today," Naruto answered with a laugh. "Let's get our food ordered before Leaf Medical Center finds an emergency for you to work on."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "You know it. Lunch is on me today, by the way. Let's call it Uzumaki Appreciation Day."

Naruto smiled. "You don't have to get my lunch, Sakura."

She waved away his argument. "I insist. It's the least I can do for Sarada's favorite real-life hero."

Naruto laughed heartily. "Tell her to find some flashier heroes," he said. "Boruto can tell her all the reasons my cape has been denied me."

Sakura shook her head, smiling. "I will not. She respects you a lot, and I wouldn't change that."

Naruto felt pride swell inside of him. He loved his job, despite its mundane aspects, and knowing that he'd made an impression on one of his most beloved students made him feel as if he had done something right in his life.

"She's a great kid, Sakura. You're a great mom," he said sincerely.

They waved the waiter over to order, Greek salad with grilled chicken for Sakura, grilled pork loin for Naruto.

"So, Sakura, is everything ok? I mean, I'm glad to have lunch with you any time, but did you need to talk to me about something?" Naruto asked, a little nervously.

Sakura smiled. "Am I that transparent? Ok, yes, I have ulterior motives." She shook her head and waved her hands when she noticed Naruto's concerned look. "It's nothing horrible, I promise. I have no complaints, and Sarada is doing better than ever. I actually… well, I wanted to talk to you about Sasuke."

Naruto's stomach churned as he pondered what Sakura could possibly be thinking.

"Sarada told me you guys are friends," Sakura said.

"Well, yeah. He's great," Naruto said cautiously.

Sakura laughed. "He's definitely something. He's a good guy, Naruto, however he may come across."

Naruto nodded. "He's been nothing but good to me. Even if his pet term for me is 'baka.''

Sakura shook her head. "Just as charming as ever. Did you really get him to go swimming with you?"

Naruto looked at her in astonishment. "Yeah. Why, is he scared of water, or something?"

Sakura put her face in her hands and laughed. "No. He's a good swimmer. He doesn't like most people enough to do something like that with them."

"Oh." Naruto cleared his throat as he thought.

"So are you two a couple?" Sakura said directly.

Naruto looked down. "I'm not sure, Sakura. It's… new. Wait, how did you know I was..."

Sakura grinned. "It's called gaydar, Naruto. With all the Lonely Moms Club members throwing themselves at you pretty much nonstop, I thought you must either be hi fidelity or completely oblivious."

Naruto blushed. So far, the people he'd discussed his sexuality with amounted to Hinata and Sasuke.

"I'm not judging you, Naruto. I kind of hoped you would be a couple."

Naruto looked at Sakura closely. Her bright green eyes were just as kind and honest as they always were.

"I don't know what to say," he mumbled.

"Don't say anything. I'm not going to out you or anything like that. I want Sasuke to be happy. That's what I wanted to discuss, really."

They paused as their food arrived.

"Sakura, that's kind of you. I want you to know, whatever happens, I am not going to change towards Sarada. She's probably my favorite student, if I'm being honest, and I'd never hurt her intentionally," Naruto rambled.

"I'm not worried about Sarada. She knows about her dad's orientation, or has guessed it, anyway. I have purposely left the confirmation to Sasuke. I don't have the right to take that from him," Sakura responded. "I know it sounds weird, but my concern is about Sasuke. And you, too, if I'm being honest."

Naruto fidgeted in his seat. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what else Sakura might say.

"Sasuke doesn't talk about it much at all, but he's had a very hard life," Sakura said quietly.

This Naruto had surmised. He had always known this about Sasuke, before they'd ever exchanged more than a few casual words.

"His parents were murdered when he was eight. His brother disappeared for years."

Naruto understood, now, why he had felt such an immediate connection to Sasuke.

"I'm not sure what happened next, but things got really bad for him our freshman year." Sakura looked down at her hands. "This is all his story to tell. I don't even know most of the details; I never got close enough to him to learn everything that happened. He disappeared from Konoha when he was about 14."

Naruto suddenly had the urge to cry. More than ever, he wanted to run back to Sasuke and hold him to his heart.

"Naruto, please, I don't want to come off as the jealous ex-wife or as possessive or… controlling. But underneath the cold exterior, Sasuke is in pain. Please, please, please, if this is just a flirtation for you, rethink it. I don't blame you if that's what you want. But Sasuke… he never lets himself get close to anyone. I can only name one person that he is friends with. Please..."

Naruto smiled, ignoring the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. He closed his hands over Sakura's. "He's so lucky to have you, Sakura. Sasuke is special to me. I am not out to flirt with him or use him. Believe it."

Sakura nodded in gratitude. "I just want to know how you met him," she said with a sly grin.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed his hands over his face. "At a bar."

Sakura looked at him in disbelief. "A bar? You met Sasuke… in a bar?"

"Yep. I made a complete idiot of myself. I was drunk. I tried to make him dance with me."

Sakura's mouth dropped. "You managed to get Sasuke to dance?"

"I am pretty sure he did it to shut me up, because I was obnoxiously telling him how pretty he was. Then, I decided to cry in the middle of the dance floor and he took me back to his apartment so no one would rob me while I was out of my mind.

Sakura held her sides as she laughed. "I can't believe this. I'm surprised he didn't knock you out."

"I am, too, honestly," Naruto confessed. "I ran into him again a week later, and, well, yeah." He scratched the back of his neck nervously as Sakura continued to guffaw.

"Oh, Naruto. You must be special," she said breathlessly. "But Sarada and I already knew that." She looked at him fondly.

Naruto was profoundly grateful for Sakura. He had always felt a special kinship with her, but he began to think she'd be a good friend to keep close. Her concern for Sasuke confirmed his belief in her selfless nature and in Sasuke's inner goodness.

"You know, Naruto, I don't know what Sasuke told you about our marriage..."

"He told me that you had been very good to him and he wanted you to have the life you deserve, Sakura," he interrupted quickly.

She looked sad. "That's what I assumed he had told you. But listen. Our marriage falling apart doesn't rest solely on Sasuke's shoulders. I pursued him relentlessly from the time we were kids. I never knew who he really was. I though I could single-handedly cure his sadness. It was selfish of me. We weren't even sober when we got married, when I got pregnant with Sarada. I have so many regrets." She blotted her eyes with her paper napkin, smearing her mascara slightly, before she continued.

"Sasuke may portray it as all his fault, but it wasn't. It was a relief to come clean about things with him. Most of all because it meant he could maybe get close to Sarada without having to go through me and my preconceptions about him. And… because I really do want him to be free to find a loving relationship."

Naruto smiled sadly. "You don't have to tell me any of this, Sakura. I can't judge you or Sasuke. We were all kids trying to make grown-up decisions. I want you to know that he thinks you're a great mom. I don't know him as well as I want to, but I do know he respects you. He seems to be trying with Sarada, too."

Sakura's lips twisted in an ironic smile. "He's trying. It's hard for her, you know? She wants his validation so badly, but Sasuke..."

"Is Sasuke," Naruto said knowingly.

"Is Sasuke," she agreed. "They are spending more time together. Don't tell either of them, yet, but I'm going on a vacation in a month, and Sasuke's going to be her sole caretaker for the two weeks I'm gone."

"Sakura, you're sneaky!" Naruto laughed. "I like the way you work." He thought about spending time with both Sasuke and Sarada. It was an appealing thought.

"He asks me about her, you know," he said thoughtfully. "He wants to know her better."

Sakura nodded. "I know he does. But I also know his ability to keep people he cares for at arm's length. I hope they get past that."

"Me too," Naruto said quietly.

By the end of their lunch, Naruto felt that he'd known Sakura his whole life. She was remarkably easy to talk to, and beyond their mutual interest in Sarada and Sasuke, she shared his beliefs on education and child-rearing. They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet weekly for lunch.

"I'm a good person to bitch to," she said, "and if you ever need to commiserate about Sasuke, I've got you covered." She winked at Naruto and hugged him. "Thanks so much for meeting me, Naruto. I'm cheering for you and Sasuke."

"Thanks for lunch, Sakura. I'll be good to him, I promise."

"I know you will. I'll message you next week sometime. See you later, Naruto!" she said as they broke apart.

Naruto exited the restaurant, unaware that a pair of narrowed, brown eyes followed him as he made his way to the door.

Naruto drew out the process of closing down the school. It was lonely, without all the chatter from the students and the constant foot traffic. He sighed as he stood in the doorway and looked around the dark, empty halls. He loved his job. The school was precious to him, in a way he had never anticipated when he'd been the black sheep of the elementary wing. Now, being away from this building made him feel a little lost.

He punched in the codes to arm the alarm system before slipping out the door and locking its three locks. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize that he was being watched. He shuffled to his car and was about to slide into his seat when someone harshly grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"You fucking bastard!" was the last thing he heard before a fist crashed into his face. Stunned, he looked up.

With one eye now swollen, it was difficult to make out who was shouting at him and threatening him. A pair of brown eyes, narrowed into slits, swam into focus.

"Kiba?" he asked in disbelief. "What the hell?

"You piece of shit. Your divorce just went through. What the hell are you doing running around with Sakura fucking Uchiha? Do you have any idea how much this is gonna hurt Hinata?"

Naruto stumbled backwards before the adrenaline kicked in.

Knock his dumb ass out. Who the fuck does he think he is?

Kiba continued shouting at him, occasionally punctuating his statements with shoves. "She deserved better than you, you fucking son of a bitch!" Kiba frothed. He drew back his fist again, but Naruto caught it.

"Kiba..."

"Fuck you, Naruto. I've loved that woman my whole damn life. You ruined her life. The least you could do is not run around all over the place with your new girlfriend."

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted. He grabbed Kiba by the shoulders. "I wasn't out on a date with Sakura. She's a friend, and we were having an important conversation about her daughter.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Naruto!" Kiba raved. "I saw you kiss her and hug her. Publicly." He kicked at Naruto, and Naruto wondered if Kiba's anger had been festering for years, waiting for the right occasion to boil over.

"Kiba… listen to me… I wasn't out with Sakura on a date!"

"Yeah, right..." Kiba started.

"Kiba! I'm not dating Sakura. I'm gay, Kiba. You get it? I'm gay. Sakura knows this."

Kiba regarded him stupidly. "You're not gay, Naruto. What the fuck are you talking about? You were married to Hinata for 12 years. You have two kids together. Don't give me that shit."

"Kiba, shut the fuck up! I'm gay. That's why Hinata and I divorced. Can you get that through your thick fucking skull? I'm not seeing other women, because I'm not attracted to women. I like men."

Kiba stepped backwards, still glaring at Naruto. "You'd better not fuck with Hinata anymore, Naruto," he threatened. "She deserves better."

Naruto sighed and looked down. "That's one thing we can both agree on." He didn't move until Kiba had huffed back to his car and driven off, leaving nothing but the acrid odor of hot rubber behind him.

His face was still swollen the next day when he arrived to take Boruto to karate. He laughed off Hinata's concern, angry at both himself and at Kiba for giving her any reason to be concerned.

Boruto swaggered out to the car with his characteristic insouciance. "What the hell happened to your eye?"

"Watch your language, Boruto."

"Whatever. Give whoever did it a hug from me." Boruto slid into the passenger seat.

Naruto drove silently. He knew whatever he said would only fuel Boruto's anger. He reminded himself that Boruto was still young, that he was struggling at least as much as Naruto with all the changes in their lives.

"I'm taking judo, by the way," Boruto said triumphantly. "Jii-chan said I could."

Oh, no, he didn't...

"Jii-chan isn't your parent, Boruto," Naruto said flatly. Inwardly, he seethed. Hinata's parents and sister had become increasingly permissive with Boruto, overstepping both Hinata's and Naruto's boundaries. This, though, was beyond the pale, and Naruto could barely concentrate on the road.

You've gotta take your brat down a peg. You're getting soft.

"I'm taking judo, and that's final!" Boruto said self-importantly.

Naruto laughed. "You have no idea what 'final' means, Boruto. Did you realize you need both parents to sign for you for classes?"

"I don't care what you say. I'm taking it. I don't even know why you care. Jii-chan is paying for it. Aunt Hanabi thinks it's a great idea," Boruto declared smugly.

"Aunt Hanabi and Jii-chan aren't legally responsible for you, Boruto. I was actually thinking of letting you take judo, but I'm thinking, now, that you don't need to. Did you realize that honor is a big part of martial arts training? So how does playing me and your aunt and grandfather against each other fit in?"

"That's all a bunch of bullshit and you know it," Boruto said. "It's a way to kick ass. Honor has nothing to do with it."

Isn't it about time for him to learn your way of kicking ass?

Naruto pulled the car off onto the shoulder and stepped hard on the brake. Boruto looked frightened for a moment.

"I will be telling the dojo to bar you from judo lessons. I may even withdraw you from karate tonight. This is how you're gonna do things, Boruto; you're gonna clean up that mouth of yours, and you're gonna stop running to jii-chan and Hanabi when you don't get your way from me or your mother, and you're gonna behave respectfully, or you will not take any martial arts classes for the next several months. Is that clear enough for you?"

Boruto gaped at Naruto in horror. He had clearly not expected this reaction.

"Yes, sir," he finally muttered halfheartedly. They drove the rest of the way to class in silence.

Naruto slumped against the wall of the dojo as he watched Boruto. His son was clearly ahead of all his classmates, and he clearly knew it. He worried that his self-assurance would end up hurting him, literally, in his next tournament. It was still impressive to see him move through the katas, and more impressive, still, to watch him spar. He was far more graceful than Naruto had ever been; Naruto had become proficient in karate, as well as other martial arts, but he knew his movements had always been crude compared to Boruto's.

He recalled how thrilled Boruto had been to get his karategi; he'd been five, and eager to follow in his footsteps. He'd been unbearably cute, of course. He had insisted on wearing the gi to kindergarten the day after he'd received it. He told everyone he was going to be a great karateka, just like his dad.

The memory saddened Naruto. He knew he was mostly responsible for the breakdown in his and Boruto's relationship, but he couldn't, for the life of him, see a way out of it. If he sat idly and allowed Boruto to insult him, Boruto became angrier. If he apologized, Boruto dismissed it. If he shouted back, as it was increasingly easy to do, Boruto just came away with more fuel for future attacks. He wondered if he would ever be able to see to the source of Boruto's pain, if he'd ever be able to mend things with him.

When class was over, Boruto changed and slinked out to the car without even a sideways glance at Naruto. He followed helplessly and got in the car.

"You hungry? We can go get burgers," he suggested.

Boruto shrugged.

"Hey, I know what to do. Let's drive through Dairy Melt and get burgers, then let's go eat at Beacon Park on the cliffs."

Boruto shrugged again.

Asking Boruto his preference for dinner resulted in another silent shrug. Naruto ordered their cheeseburgers, then drove to the park. Boruto sat silently, and when they arrived at the park, he sat silently beside Naruto on the cliffs and silently ate his burger.

Naruto had just finished his food and was about to get up and throw away his trash when Boruto finally spoke.

"When were you going to tell me?"

The question confused Boruto. "Tell you what, Bolt?"

"That you're gay."

Naruto closed his eyes tightly and hung his head. "Who told you that, Boruto?"

"Is it true?"

"Yes."

He couldn't look at Boruto, but he could feel his blue eyes boring into him.

"Were you ever gonna tell us?"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, Boruto, I was. I just didn't want to do it right after the divorce." He swallowed. This conversation was a lot harder to have than he'd imagined it being. His stomach turned.

"Boruto, who told you?"

Boruto looked away and squinted, as if he were trying to rid himself of an unwanted sensation.

"I heard Kiba talking to Mom."

Naruto seethed.

You should have taken care of this back at the school. Shoulda fucked up that big mouth so he couldn't talk shit for a while.

"Are you ashamed of me, Boruto?" he asked hoarsely.

"For being gay? No." Boruto swung his leg and rested his arm on his knee. "But why, Dad? Why did you lie to Mom and us?"

"I didn't…" Naruto sighed. "I… didn't realize," he said weakly.

Boruto stared at him in shock. "How is that possible? How could you not know that about yourself?"

The tears Naruto had been holding back for two days tumbled freely down his cheeks.

"I wish I could tell you, son." He wiped at his eyes. "Things were different when I was your age. It wasn't viewed as 'normal' then. It was expected that you grew up, you married a girl, you had kids. I just wanted… I wanted to do what was expected of me."

"So marrying Mom was just what was expected of you? You didn't love her at all?" Boruto asked incredulously.

"I loved her very much," Naruto said. "I still do. I just am not… I'm not capable of loving her… the way she should be loved by a husband."

"Is that why you never came home at night? Because you hated your life and hated us?" Naruto could tell that Boruto was near tears himself.

"I didn't hate my life, and I most definitely didn't hate you. Any of you. I just felt like… like I didn't deserve you. Like my whole life was a fake." Naruto hadn't realized how true that was until he said it out loud. The many years of feeling like an impostor pressed against him as he considered what to say next.

"Did you even want me and Himawari?" Boruto asked. He sniffled slightly.

Naruto looked into his eyes. "More than anything," he said. He put his hand over Boruto's shoulder. "I know I've messed up a lot, but having you and Himawari was the best thing that ever happened to me. I finally had a family. I wanted to give you a safe, happy life. I just… messed up. You all deserved a lot better than me."

Boruto stood up and stalked off towards the garbage bins. By the time Naruto caught up to him, he could tell he'd been crying in earnest.

He knelt down to bring himself eye level with his son. "Boruto, listen to me," he murmured. Boruto looked up hesitantly, and Naruto could see the anguished confusion in his eyes. "No matter what, I love you and Hima. I want to be part of your life. Please forgive me."

"What does it mean to be 'part of your life'? You can't even tell me the truth! I could understand not saying anything to Hima, but you could have told me!" Boruto's hands balled into fists.

"I'm telling you the truth, now," Naruto said.

"Please just take me home," Boruto muttered. He strode back to the car, furiously wiping at his face and eyes.

Naruto's face ached from Kiba's punch and from the tears that wouldn't stop.