AN: It's coming to a close! I think. Soon. Also, NC-17

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Two months later...

Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been trying to read the same page to a book he had been putting off for the past what seemed like half an hour. He propped his chin on a hand rested on an arm rest. His eyes landed on the cross word puzzle book that rested on his coffee table. With a sigh he reached for it and tried working on it again.

Thirty minutes later the book landed on the on the coffee table followed by a deep sigh. Naruto vaguely wondered what time it was as he got up and wandered into the kitchen. He opened his fridge mindlessly and realized he wasn't hungry. He wandered to his bedroom and looked out the window, of he has to guess it was well past 2pm maybe 3pm. He plopped down onto his unmade bed and looked up through his window. He closed his eyes and let the cold autumn breezes lull him to sleep.

Naruto woke up with a start. And stared at his darkening ceiling trying to figure out what woke him. There was a soft knock at his door and he pushed himself up and stood, turning on the lights as he went. He knew who it was before he even opened it. Minoru gave him a warm smile as he let him in. He watched him as he toed off his shoes and placed the bag he brought with him on the coffee table. Warm midnight blue eyes looked at him as he took off his jacket and draped it over the chair.

"We were expecting you," Minoru said gently, a soft smile on his lips.

Naruto forced a smile and scratched at the back of his neck, "Yeah... I'm sorry..." Was the best be could do. He averted his gaze and moved to sit heavily on the couch. Minoru moved to sit next to him, facing him with a foot hooked under a knee. He closed his eyes when gentle fingers threaded into his hair, and he felt some of his tension leave him.

"Are you okay?"

Naruto swallowed and gave the younger man a sideways look, "Kind of," he admitted, "I just... Felt like being alone..." He placed a hand on Minoru's thigh when he felt him tense as if moving to get up, "Its okay, I can be alone with you." He said with a smile and the younger man's expression softened. He sighed and dropped his gaze, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't this year for some reason...I try to, but sometimes it's hard..." He swallowed and the fingers in his hair continued their combing, "It's hard not think about all the people... All the loved ones people lost, including Iruka-sensei," he said solemnly, "So many people lost loved ones, Minoru...including myself. It's hard to celebrate knowing that. When I was younger, it was somewhat easier, especially when Iruka-sensei is so enthusiastic, but I felt terrible at the same time..."

Minoru moved his hand a whiskered cheek, making the somber cerulean eyes look at him. He remembered in the past, there would be times Naruto disappeared, Iruka explained to him that sometimes that's what he did. Sometimes, most of the time, they would be able to catch him the day before or after. If not they would celebrate their birthdays together five days later. As they got older, Minoru would make excuses to see him, to seek him out when he would do his disappearing act. Not until recently did he understand what Iruka meant when he said "of course he would let you in, even when he wants to be alone." Even though, the solemn expression and tone the older man carried still made his heart ache, "I'm sorry, Naruto."

Naruto offered a small smile, "There's nothing that can be done about it, I learned that a long time ago. I try not to think about it, but sometimes..."

Minoru thought about his words, "I know that for a lot of people, today is a day for mourning and remembering. But...today is also the day you were born, the day an amazing person was born, despite what others put him through. And...I think that deserves to be celebrated, and recognized, at least a little bit."

Naruto's protest died on his lips as Minoru straddled his lap in one smooth movement. His hands naturally landed to rest on the strong thighs. The loving look the midnight blue eyes held made his heart flutter, and the warm hands that gently cupped his face made his skin tingle.

"Happy birthday to you," Minoru sang softly and planted a kiss on the older man's forehead, "Happy birthday to you," he kissed a whiskered cheek, "Happy birthday, Naruto," he kissed it's pair, "Happy birthday to you," he brushed his lips against the older man's as he sealed them together in a tender kiss.

"Happy birthday, my love," Minoru said softly with a smile. He saw something in the cerulean eyes, something he couldn't quite name, before the older man wrapped his arms around him and buried his head into his chest. He kissed the crown of the blonde head and held him. His hold around him tightened when he felt him shiver, "Do you want part of your present?" The blonde head pulled away and looked at him.

"Present? What is it?"

Minoru smiled and tugged off his shirt in one languid motion, making a show out of it, "Me."

Naruto swallowed and a smile tugged on his lips, his hands gravitated towards the expanse of fair skin, "You?" He smoothed a hand up the curve of the younger man's spine and pulled him closer as the dark head nodded with a hitch of breath, "That's the best kind of present there is" he whispered against skin, brushing his lips over the younger man's clavicle, following it to a shoulder and kissing the sensitive scar there. He directed Minoru into a kiss, their tongues slid together as one of his hands moved to a dark nipple to tease it into a nub.

He didn't even notice when he stopped thinking, he didn't even notice when he became so distracted by the man on his lap. What he was aware of though, was the hardness that swelling against his own.

"I made a -," Minoru was effectively cut off by lips, and tongue, and hands, making him moan softly into the older man's mouth.

Naruto broke the kiss and let hands pull off his shirt, "Made a?" He asked brushing his lips against the younger man's neck. Minoru managed a vowel before he was cut off by his own gasp when he traced invisible patterns with his tongue over that sensitive spot under his ear, "A?" He sucked before he could respond, making the hips against his ground down into his. Hands moved to his nipples and pinched, making his hips rock up towards the younger man's.

"C-cake -," Minoru choked out between a gasp, and hands momentarily paused, allowing him to manage saying his statement, "I made you a cake," he said a bit too breathlessly. Cerulean eyes blinked at him and looked behind him at the coffee table before blinking at him again.

"You made me a cake?"

Minoru chuckled and nodded, "Your favorite. Well one of. Double layered chocolate and vanilla cake with a center on cream and strawberries," he laughed nervously, "It was between that and strawberry shortcake." Cerulean eyes stared at him for a moment before a hand came up to cup his cheek and lips sealed over his. He almost yelped when Naruto stood and his legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.

Naruto laughed as he let Minoru use the momentum to maneuver them. Minoru laughed with him as he was pushed down onto the bed. He moaned when Minoru ground down his hips slowly, their erections rubbing through the fabric of their pants. Lips kissed his neck, brushing down the tendon and following it down to his clavicle. His back arched when his hot tongue traced a sensitive nipple, "Minoru," he said breathlessly as that wonderful mouth moved lower and hands deftly tugged off his pants. His whole body flushed when a hand held his erection at the base and Minoru's tongue swirled around the head.

Minoru made love to Naruto, with his lips with his mouth, with his tongue, with his hands. He drank his orgasm, every single drop. He made the sun kissed body writhe in pleasure as he teased his prostate, teased his sensitive body. He teased the older man as he prepared himself for him, making a show for him, knowing just how much he loved it. He made love to him, filling himself with that thick rigid length and the older man moaned and growled under him. He rode him, taking him deep inside and couldn't help the laugh that escaped him when Naruto groaned and rolled them over, when he hooked his hands under his knees and pushed his legs apart wider. When he thrust hard and deep into him, hitting his prostate with perfect aim.

Naruto's eyes were fixed on the younger man, fixed on that flush face, that arched back as he thrust deep inside of him. He groaned when Minoru reached down for himself, stroking his erection in time with his thrust, "Minoru," he circled his hips, and clasped his hand over the younger man's. Half lidded glowing eyes focused on him, before a sharp thrust made them screw shut with pleasure.

"Na-ruto - Y-yes - "

Naruto grinned breathlessly, "Come for me," he purred, "I want my present to come for me." Minoru arched under him, crying out his name as he came, hard, in their hands. He groaned as Minoru continued moaning, his hot seed spilling onto his taut stomach. "Gods," he groaned as his rhythm faltered, and drove to the hilt as he came inside the younger man. He leaned down and lips met his in passionate kiss as their hips rolled together.

Minoru chuckled when Naruto pushed himself up onto his forearms and looked at him with a stated smile on his lips. He planted a kiss on a flushed cheek, earning him a soft sigh, "Did you like this part of your present?" He said softly and laughed at the look the older man gave him.

"I think its safe to say that I did," Naruto teased back and nosed the younger man's jaw, "You're saying this is part?"

Minoru nodded and sighed softly when lips kissed the scar on his right shoulder, "The other part is at home," he explained, threading his fingers into the blonde hair, "I did however bring cake!"

Naruto's head snapped up to look at the younger man, "Cake!" Minoru laughed, vibrating under him. He knew there was a silly smile on his lips but he couldn't bring himself to care not when Minoru was laughing like this, smiling at him, and tracing his brow, "I love you." And the way Minoru blushed made his smile widened. He got out of bed and made a quick trip to the bathroom to retrieve a damp towel, giving both of them a wipe down, chuckling when Minoru squirmed. He wandered into the kitchen to retrieve a couple of forks and grabbed the bag off the coffee table. His eyes landed on Minoru who pushed himself up against the headboard, the sheets barely around his waist, when he walked into bedroom.

Minoru watched as the older man took it the square box out the bag, placed it on the bed and removed the lid. He smiled at the beaming smile that spread on Naruto's lips. "Wait," he said with a laugh right when Naruto was about to dig in. He dug around the bag and made a triumphant noise and withdrew an orange candle, placed it in the center of the round cake. He snapped his fingers and lit the candle,"Make a wish."

Naruto found himself staring at the candle, and moved his gaze to the younger man, "I have a dilemma."

Minoru smiled with amusement, "What's your dilemma?"

"What if I don't have a wish?"

Minoru tilted his head, "There's nothing you want to wish for?"

Naruto smiled, "Everything I want is right here." His smile widened when he saw a flicker in the midnight blue eyes.

Minoru cleared his throat and adjusted the sheet around his waist, trying to fight off a blush before looking at the older man, "There must be something."

Naruto looked up in thought and smiled before blowing out the candle. He chuckled to himself as he took out the candle and placed it in the lid.

Minoru grinned as Naruto took a bite, "Good?"

Naruto moaned, "This is damn good, Minoru!"

Minoru laughed and ate the offered piece Naruto fed him, "It turned out good!"

Naruto happily took another bite, "You sound surprised."

Minoru grinned and swiftly swiped his finger on the frosting and transferred it to a whiskered cheek, he laughed at the offended look Naruto shot him. He learned over and licked it off, "Happy birthday, Naruto."

And Naruto realized, that for the first time, in a long time, he felt happy - genuinely happy - during his birthday. A warm smile graced his lips as he look at the younger man as he took another piece of cake with a fork, "Thank you."

Minoru looked at Naruto confused, and realized that he wasn't referring to the cake. He felt a blush rise on his face but smiled anyway. And laughed when swift fingers smeared frosting on his cheek.

Two weeks later...

The sound of pencil scratching on paper filled the silence in Naruto's bedroom interrupted by occasional murmurs. Naruto wrote down the last word in his crossword puzzle and looked up at the younger man sitting under the window. He watched him from where he sat propped up against the headboard. A smile tugged on his lips when he scratched his head with his pencil before hastily writing down a word.

The funny thing was that this whole "crossword race" game was Minoru's idea. They bought identical books and whoever finished the crossword puzzle first won. The prize depended on the number of the page, even numbers were lunch, odd numbers were dinner and tens were anything the winner wanted. That meant anything. To much of Naruto's amusement, Minoru had gotten increasingly better and faster at solving the puzzles. This one in particular was on an odd numbered page.

Minoru glanced at Naruto when he felt his eyes on him, "What are you - wait - are you done?"

Naruto quirked his brows, "Oh yeah, I finished a few minutes ago."

Minoru stared and looked down at his unfinished puzzle, and then glared, "Why didn't you say anything?" Naruto smiled and shrugged at him, "Oh just wait! We'll see about the next one," he cracked his knuckles and looked at the older man, and noticed the intent look in his eyes, "What?"

Naruto's smile widened at the slight blush that appeared on the younger man's cheeks. There was a long moment of silence before he started, "How do you feel about...Looking for an apartment with me?"

Minoru's eyes widened a fraction and he blinked at the blonde that was smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you asking me if I want to move in with you?"

Naruto furrowed his brows slightly, "No, I'm asking if you want to co-inhabit a living space that we choose together."

Minoru tried to feign a glare but a smile played on his lips. He bit his lip and crawled towards the older man and straddled his lap with a grin, "Co-inhabit, huh?"

"Mhmm," Naruto simply responded, and smiled when a faint glow appeared in the midnight blue eyes.

"I would love to," Minoru said softly and threaded his fingers into the blonde locks, "I would love to live with you," he slipped his lips over his lover's, feeling the curve of his smile widen.

"My wish came true," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"What did you wish for last year?"

His smile widened, "You."

As he witnessed the blush that spread on the younger man's cheek and the flicker of chakra that graced the midnight blue eyes, Naruto still couldn't believe this was real. He couldn't believe that he was fortunate enough to fall in love with his best friend. Let alone have his love returned.

And when he cupped a blushing cheek, tracing Minoru's bottom lip with him thumb and he playfully took it between his teeth, he smiled.

Nope, not a dream.