AN: NC-17 a bit. cuz. i can't help it...

Disclaimer: Don't own

The next morning, Minoru woke up to fingers threading into his hair, massaging his scalp. He felt the older man chuckle as he buried his face into chest in front of him. He snaked his hands into the older man's shirt and smoothed it over his flank.

"You're so warm," Minoru mumbled, half aware he did so.

Naruto smiled and continued to thread his fingers into the dark locks. The dark head moved to his neck, breaths ghosting along his skin. The hand on his side moved around to his back, up to his shoulder blades, causing goosebumps to erupt in their wake. "Do you know what today is?" He whispered and the younger man hummed and the dark head pulled away to look at him with sleepy eyes. Cute, he mused with a smile and sealed their lips with a soft kiss. The younger man hummed in approval and the hand on his back smoothed to the small of his back and pulled him flush. He let a sharp breath through his nose when he felt the growing hardness against his own.

"We shouldn't," Naruto managed to breath out and Minoru nodded, but he couldn't stop himself from kissing him again. He sighed into the kiss when Minoru slid against him.

"We really shouldn't," Minoru whispered, letting out a ragged breath when a hand pulled at his hip, "What did you ask me?"

It took Naruto a moment to register the question, "What?" Minoru slid against him again, the hand on the small of his back slipping under the waistband of his pants.

Minoru swallowed when the older man's hardness pressed against his. He locked the older man in another kiss. He undid the older man's pants without thinking, and bit his lip when the older man's erection sprang free.

"I thought you said we shouldn't," Naruto whispered, a grin on his lips as the younger man took him into a loose grip making his hips buck involuntarily.

Minoru breathed sharply out of his nose, "I can't not - I lack self control when it comes to you -" he choked on a moan when the older man slipped his hand into his pants and gripped his erection."Naruto," he whispered and lips sealed over his swallowing his moan when the hand around him quickened its pace.

Their breaths mingled between them, Naruto pressed his hips forward and managed to take hold of both of their erections into his grip making the dark head trash into the pillows, lips parted as he panted for air. He choked on a groan as the younger man's hand moved to grope his rear. He rolled them, pushing up the younger man's shirt before bracing himself on a forearms as legs spread open for him. A hand found purchase on his shoulder blade while the other reached in between them and added pressure to the grip around them. They bit back their moans, and Naruto felt the body under him tense, his breath hitch - he sealed his lips over the parted pair swallowing Minoru's moans as his orgasm claimed him, his hot seed spilling and slickening their hold. He came soon after, burying his face into the younger man's neck as his hips bucked into their joined grip.

They panted for air as they calmed themselves. Naruto pushed himself back up onto his forearms and looked down at his flushed lover who gave him a breathless smile. He couldn't help but smile back.

"What were you trying to ask me?" Minoru asked once he gained enough of his composure.

Naruto planted a kiss on a flushed cheek, "Happy one month."

Minoru blushed under his already flushed face and smiled. He cupped a whiskered cheek and gave the older man a soft kiss, "Happy one month." He grinned, "This is a good start to today."

They managed to get out of bed when the mess in between them became uncomfortable. They considered their options and Minoru figured they could just take separate showers. There's nothing suspicious about that. He did however wipe off what he could off of himself with some tissues before heading down the hall and into the bathroom.

After his quick shower, he slipped back into his room and found Naruto flipping through his sketchbook. He smiled and towel dried his hair as he moved to the dresser and took out a change of clothes. Naruto headed to the bathroom soon after.

Once showered they moved to the kitchen where they found Kakashi and Iruka finishing their breakfast.

"Well look who finally decided to join is," Iruka teased, "Breakfast is in the oven staying warm."

Minoru smiled and have his dad a quick peck on his cheek, "Thank you."

"Mhmm," Iruka looked at Naruto as he sat down, "Good morning to you too," he said with amusement.

Naruto flushed, "Sorry! Good morning!"

Kakashi chuckled, "Someone seems to be distracted."

Minoru cleared his throat as he set the plates down and took his seat, " Anyway, I remembered that uncle Gemma and Raidou's anniversary party is next week, right?"

Iruka nodded and Kakashi quirked a silver brow, earning him a deadpan look, "I've been reminding you for the past week, love. Don't tell me you forgot."

"Okay, I won't tell you... But do tell me that the gift situation is already figured out."

Iruka laughed and nodded, "Yes, love."

"You're the best, you know that?"

Iruka grinned, "I do." He turned his attention back to the other pair, "Have you found something for them?"

Minoru sighed and shook his head and he took a bite out of his food and swallowed, "I was looking and thinking and then I got distracted...But I still have a week."

"I can help," Naruto offered.

Minoru smiled, "Okay."

After breakfast, they decided to do some shopping. And much to Minoru's disappointment he couldn't find anything that suited the couple.

"Why don't you paint them something?" Naruto suggested as they walked down a road lined with shops.

Minoru stopped and stared at the older man who turned to stare back in confusion, "That's a really good idea!"

Naruto frowned, "Don't sound so surprised!"

Minoru laughed, "Oh, but you're full of surprises!"

They continued walking, and Minoru dragged Naruto into an art store that caught his eye. "If I paint something for them, what subject matter do you think they would like?"

Naruto walked looked around and picked up a drawing pad, "Depends..."

Minoru gave the older man a curious look, "On?"

Naruto thought for a moment, "Representational or abstract?"

Minoru picked up a pen, and tested it's point on his hand, "Maybe... Both?"

Naruto stared at the younger man, "Both?"

"Yeah, like abstract representational. Maybe a landscape?"

"Of the village?"

"Maybe. Or just a color landscape, abstract, like representing the village through color and execution," he looked at the older man who had a smile on his lips that made him blush, "What?"

"Nothing," Naruto said and watched as the younger man looked at the paint brushes, testing their firmness on his hand, testing the different sizes and widths. He followed him through the the store as he looked at different paints, explaining to him what mediums do and different ways to use them. He always found it fascinating, and it always brought a warmth in his heart when he saw the younger man so happy. His eyes caught sight of a wooden mannequin doll and picked it up.

"Hello, my name is Woody."

Minoru stared at the wooden doll and snorted, "Hello, you have such an original name."

"Why thank you! You however can call me Mr.W," the wooden head bowed, "You can call me anything you want."

"Oh, but sir, a certain someone might get jealous if he sees me talking to you so intimately!"

"Ho ho ho! He doesn't have to know! You're too much of a cutie for me to just walk away!"

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr.W. Made out of such nice wood."

"Do take me home with you, what if I say I'll behave?"

"Oh, I don't know," Minoru looked away bashfully, "I did like it when you called me cute."

"You're quite handsome, you can use me as a reference all you want! Wouldn't mind having those blue eyes on me!"

Minoru snorted and felt himself blush regardless,"But I don't want to make a certain someone jealous, you see."

"He doesn't have to know," the mannequin waved his wooden hand at him in dismissal, "Plus I bet he's a cool guy."

"The coolest. Oh and the strongest," Minoru leaned in, "You want to know a secret?" He whispered.

"What?" The wooden face tilted.

"He's a really good kisser," Minoru whispered, "Like really good."

"I knew it! He is the coolest. Now I'm the one getting jealous!"

Minoru laughed, "Nothing to be jealous about Mr.W. One day you'll find your certain wooden someone and it'll be amazing." His eyes moved to the older man who was smiling back at him, "Really amazing."

They continued browsing, and Naruto helped Minoru choose a size for a canvas. He decided that eighteen by twenty four felt generic. But he did want a rectangular format. Naruto watched him with curiosity has he debated sizes and scale, saying that he didn't want it to be too big nor too small. He had narrowed it down to two sizes, thirty by forty and twenty eight by thirty six. Naruto watched as the dark blue eyes looked back and forth between the two sizes, and narrowed. Those dark eyes turned to him and frowned.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh, "What's wrong?"

"I can't decide!" Minoru sighed and looked at the canvases.

"Well," Naruto tilted his head, "You said you decided on a landscape, right? To me that twenty eight by thirty six feels more like landscape size than the thirty by forty."

Minoru nodded, bringing a hand up to his chin, "You have a point." With a nod he put away the thirty by forty and decided on the twenty eight by thirty six, "You don't think it's too long?"

Naruto tilted his head, "If I remember correctly, they have a pretty nice space over their couch that needs filling." He smiled at how the younger man's eyes seem to brighten at that.

Minoru bought the supplies and Naruto helped him carry the canvas. As they walked, a hand at the small of his back drew his attention to the older man and gave him a questioning look when he found him beaming. Naruto gestured with a nod of his head and he looked across the road to an ice cream parlor. He chucked and followed the older man inside. He managed to steal away in a corner, leaning his canvas carefully against the wall behind him.

Naruto returned with two cups of ice cream, beaming, "Brownie cheesecake for you, and green tea for me."

Minoru chuckled mischievously, and ate a spoonful, "This is the best one."

"Pfft, you have it all wrong," Naruto countered.

Minoru gave him an offended look, "Don't dare you speak ill of the brownie cheesecake!"

"The?" Naruto snorted.

"Have you even tried this?" Minoru gestured with his spoon, "Do you even know?" He shoveled a spoonful and pointed, "The ice cream taste like cheesecake and there's brownie pieces - actual brownies."

"Doesn't sound that great." Naruto laughed at the offended look on his lover's face, "You would swear that I offended you as a person!"

"Try it," Minoru pushed his cup closer to the older man, "And please take note that I don't share my ice cream with anyone. And I mean anyone."

Naruto sighed and shook his head, a smile on his lips, "Fine." He took a bit with his spoon and ate it. His brows shot up and gave the younger man a surprised look, "That is good!"

"You've been missing out," Minoru said with a grin and pulled his cup back, and glared when an intruding spoon came back to his cup, "Hey hey hey -" A spoon fight ensued, the plastic utensils clinked together as one blocked the other from its goal. To Minoru's horror, his spoon broke in half, making the shoveled end fly somewhere unnoticed. He looked from his broken spoon to the older man and then to ice cream and then back.

Naruto snorted earning him a glare, "Here," he gave the younger man his spoon.

Minoru took it with narrowed eyes, "Don't for a second think this means I'll share."

Naruto gave him a coy look, "Not even with me?"

Minoru continued narrowing his eyes as he took a bite, put the spoon in his ice cream and pushed it towards the older man, "Only 'cause I want to... And because I love you..."

Naruto smiled and took a bite, "Can I ask you something?" The younger man gave him a nod and took a spoonful of green tea ice cream and gave a look of approval, "You know that painting in my apartment?"

Minoru swallowed and nodded.

"What inspired it? I look at it every day, and since it's not representational, I see something different every time," he took a spoonful of ice cream, "But I've always wondered that was the muse behind it."

Minoru smiled, "What do you see when you look at it?"

Naruto thought about the painting, "It depends. Most of the time it feels happy with the yellows, reds and oranges, I think theres even some magenta in there and some bright blues and green. And the movements of the texture of the layers of paintings makes it feel almost like... Tactile? There some dark colors in there too that make the others pop more," He took a spoonful of green tea ice cream, "Regardless, I can never grow tired of it. I've always been curious what inspired it though."

Minoru took a spoon of ice cream and looked at the older man, "You."

Naruto felt himself blush, " What?"

Minoru smiled, "It's kinda silly. I was thinking about the whole 'underneath the underneath' and I was thinking about you... A lot. So...I painted. But before I even touched the canvas with paint, I wrote out a...Well...Confession. It was short. Simple. And proceeded to cover it with layers of paint," he smiled at the memory, "I thought about you the whole time, about how confused you made me feel, how happy I would feel being around you, about our friendship. It all just came out onto that painting." He smiled at the older man who seemed to be lost for words, "So, it makes me happy to know that it makes you happy looking at it."

"I...," Naruto swallowed, "I was the muse?"

Minoru chuckled and nodded as he ate another spoonful, "Yup."

"...What did you write?"

Minoru cleared his throat as he felt his face heat up, "You know...stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

Minoru peered up at Naruto, "Things," he cleared his throat, "Just...Things about stuff."

Naruto laughed, "Okay".

They left the parlor and walked back to Minoru's house to drop off the the supplies and to borrow Iruka's camera to take pictures if references. They set out again, taking snapshots from various places, of different locations. They found themselves on the Hokage monument looking down at the village.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm on medical leave for another ten days. I can work on that painting," Minoru took off the lens cap and focused it on Naruto when a breeze came by. The older man quirked an amused brow at him, "For my personal collection," he said with a grin.

Naruto chuckled, "You seem to be feeling better though. A few days ago you got winded from a flight of stairs," he frowned and looked at the younger man, "I was really worried about you."

Minoru gave Naruto a warm smile, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I've decided that once you're in the clear we're going to work on that."

"Thank you."

Naruto gave the younger man a questioning look, "For what?"

"For being so patient with me," he smiled and looked down at the camera, "I'm not even patient with myself when it comes to that."

"You should," Naruto smiled when dark eyes looked at him, "Maybe it'll make the process easier for you... Remember? Like with your paintings."

Minoru smiled widely at the older man, "I'll try." They sat in a comfortable silence as they looked out at the scenery. He turned to Naruto and found him already looking at him. The fond look he had in his eyes made him blush and look away and down at the camera. A hand cupped his jaw and directed him into a tender kiss, his heart skipped a beat at the emotion he felt behind it.

Naruto pulled away and smiled as glowing eyes opened to look at him and a warm smile spread on the younger man's lips. The dark head moved to lean on his shoulder as he looked at the scenery in front of them, he felt something he hasn't felt in a rather long time. He felt content. And he realized that this feeling had started to settled a month ago, when their friendship had become something more. When he didn't have to deny how he felt anymore, when he learned that Minoru felt the same. And when the dark head moved to plant a kiss on his jaw before standing and offering a hand to help him up, he found that he couldn't stop smiling.