AN: another chapter! NC-17!

Disclaimer. Don't own.

One week later...

Naruto and Minoru stood outside of the restaurant they agreed upon waiting for the third and last person of their party. Minoru unintentionally shivered and rolled his shoulder and moved to stand closer to Naruto who smiled and wrapped an arm around him, pressing his lips onto his forehead.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

They both twitched in surprise and they both glared.

"What did I tell you?" Minoru said a harsh whisper. Naruto laughed which earned him a glare from the Uchiha.

Dinner went smoothly, small talk and a bit of sake helped. So did talking about incidents that happened when when they were younger.

Minoru snorted.

Naruto glared, "It hurt!"

Minoru laughed, "Well it's only appropriate for a technique called '1000 years of pain'."

"Technique?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Minoru laughed and placed his hand on his husband's shoulder, "That story will never get old."

Naruto groaned, "No, I can see that."

Sasuke watched with amusement as Minoru laughed and Naruto half-heartedly glared. He watched them with curiosity as Naruto exclaimed about something like he usually did and Minoru only snickered in response. Minoru turned to look at him then, pointing accusingly at Naruto who narrowed his eyes at him.

"Naruto doesn't want to admit that Kakashi kicked his butt."

"I was...not as experienced," he said lamely glaring at Sasuke who chuckled in response.

"It's okay," Minoru said with a snicker, "I believe you."

"How did this happen?" Sasuke asked out of curiosity, and gestured between the two men.

Naruto grinned, "I hit the jackpot, obviously."

Minoru shook his head with a fond smile on his lips, "It all started on my eighth birthday when I met this doofus," he gestured to Naruto with his thumb and laughed at the mocked offended look his face, "About ten years later we're being blind idiots for like four years."

"Four years?" Sasuke questioned unbelievingly and looked at Naruto, "How are you so blind?!"

Naruto glared, "Why does everyone say that?!" He looked at Minoru, "I wasn't the only one!"

Minoru nodded in agreement, "I totally agree," he chuckled, "We were such idiots." He noticed how Sasuke smiled at them before taking a drink from his cup. He remembered when Sasuke approached him when he was in the art store when he and Naruto had first gotten together, when he felt the need to apologize for making him uncomfortable.

"You're good for him."

He reached under the table and placed a hand on one of Naruto's strong thighs, an unspoken thank you. And when cerulean eyes gave him a quick look, he knew he understood.

Their dinner progressed, and they called it a night not too long after. As they walked home, Naruto wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders and smiled when an arm wrapped around his waist. He came to a stop when Minoru stopped walking and pulled him into a warm embrace.

"You're so warm."

Naruto chuckled at the muffled whisper against his neck, "Let's get you home so I can warm you even better." The bright beaming smile Minoru gave him was priceless.

Two weeks later...

Minoru found himself randomly encountering Sasuke on either his way home, or to the academy to help Iruka or to the hokage tower. After a while he vaguely wondered if Sasuke was doing it on purpose. This time he bumped into the Uchiha while he was at the grocery store gathering ingredients for what he had planned for dinner while Naruto tidied up the apartment.

"Fancy seeing you here," he told the the older man as he approached him.

"A man's gotta eat."

Minoru chuckled and looked at the basket he was carrying, noticing he only had a head of lettuce, "Eating light I see."

Sasuke glanced down at his basket and then back to the younger, "... Haven't decided."

Over the past couple of weeks, Minoru and Naruto have noticed the subtle changes in Sasuke's demeanor. His comments were more light hearted, less hard edged. But it was still rare, sometimes it seemed that it happened subconsciously, other times it seemed that Sasuke would catch himself. A change, Minoru assumed, a good change.

Minoru noticed how the dark eyes cut away and he followed their gaze to a certain pink haired kunoichi.

Sasuke's gaze slowly moved back to Minoru when the younger man grinned at him knowingly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He glanced at Sakura who was bagging some produce, "Go talk to her."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue, "What - "

"Please don't be an idiot," Minoru said with a glare.

Sasuke's brow twitched, "What - " he whispered harshly and Minoru took a step back, "I'm not the idiot -"

"Sasuke?"

Minoru swiftly turned in his heel before Sakura could see him and rounded the aisle. He casually walked down, misleading looking at products on the shelves as he went.

"How've you been?"

"Good... And yourself?"

"I've been good, keeping busy and what not," Sakura laughed, "It's good to see you..."

"It's good to see you too, Sakura," it sounded like Sasuke hesitated, "We should... Catch up, one of these days."

"I would love that," there was a smile in her voice.

Minoru smiled to himself and glanced to his left when he caught a woman trying not to look at him, smiling to herself. He furrowed a brow and looked down at what he was holding and flushed when he realized he was holding a "For her pleasure" lube. He hastily put it down and casually walked away. He quirked a brow when Sasuke passed by and shot him a look.

"Hey!" He called out and Sasuke glared at him, and if he didn't know any better, he would have guessed that he was rather flustered, "So...'catch up' huh?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue and glared harder, "Idiot."

Minoru snorted at the way Sasuke walked away and nearly bumped into someone - which earned him another glare.

This was going to be interesting.

Two weeks later...

"So how's Sakura?"

Sasuke furrowed his brows and looked back at his book, "I don't know."

"What do you mean? You saw her didn't you? What did you call it... Oh yeah, 'catch up'."

Sasuke sighed, "That was a week ago." He looked at the younger man and found him giving him a deadpanned expression, "What?"

"Are you actually this dense?" Minoru asked carefully, earning him a glare, "Naruto warned me, but I didn't think it was this bad."

Sasuke's expression reflected pure offense, "What?! What are you even talking about?"

"Do you like Sakura?" It was a simple question, a straightforward question. The fact that it made Sasuke uncomfortable gave him his answer.

"It's complicated," Sasuke answered and looked around the park they were in, "It's complicated.'

It was a long shot but he was going to try anyway, "Why?" There was a long moment where Sasuke looked out to the park, where families and children were picnicking or lounging. He looked back down at the book on his lap and Minoru thought that maybe he didn't hear him. He shifted, moving to lean back on his hands and looked out into the playground where some children were playing tag.

"I've put her through too much."

Minoru almost missed it, he had to strain his hearing to catch it. He gave the older man a sideways look and found him still looking down at his book. He looked back out at the playground, recalling what Naruto had told him - which was practically everything. "And yet..." Sasuke looked at him finally a confused look on his face, "And yet she obviously has feelings for you, and you for her. If that were truly the case, I don't think this would be happening."

Sasuke knew Minoru had a point, but he refused to believe it, "Like I said, it's complicated."

"Does that mean you won't even try?" Minoru asked after a moment, "Does that mean you're willing to be an idiot and just let her slip by?"

Sasuke mentally frowned and looked back down at his book. It wasn't that easy, and the fact that Minoru had him thinking about it was unexpected. Because frankly he preferred not to think about such unnecessary things -

"I only say this because I know how it's like to be one of those idiots, to go years refraining and suppressing," he chuckled and shook his head slightly, "It's hard."

Sasuke looked out to the park for a moment before looking back down at his book. Something was nagging at him and he glanced up at Minoru who was distracted by the children playing tag on the playground. A long moment passed before he shut his book and spoke, "Do you still resent me for what I did?"

Minoru was half surprised by the question. He let out a deep sigh before sitting up completely and rotating, hooking his feet under his knees to face the older man, "I'm going to talk about this once, and then I don't want to talk about it again, okay?" Sasuke nodded in understanding. He looked off to the side towards the park, a child screamed in happiness and ran laughing.

"Naruto means everything to me," he started, still looking out to the park, "He's always meant everything to me," he moved his gaze to the older man that was intently listening, "And you've hurt him, so many times, when you two were younger and even recently - "

"Minoru -"

"Let me finish," Minoru interrupted gently, keeping his calm, "I understand what happened, I understand that he told you to leave him, I understand all of that." He sighed and his brows furrowed, "What I don't understand is why you didn't go back - even if he thought he wasn't going to make it, even if you thought he wasn't going to make it - why didn't you go back..."

Sasuke moved his gaze to the playground, not really watching the children but not being able to look at Minoru, "To be honest, I didn't even think about it," he sighed and looked at Minoru, "Not until I got back and you looked at me wondering where he was," he noticed the slightest flicker of Chakra in the younger man's before he quickly averted his gaze. His expression softened, and he mindlessly shifted the closed book in his hands, "It wasn't until then that I realized my mistake."

It took Minoru a moment to realize what just happened. Sasuke was admitting to his mistake. Not until now - more than a year later, was he admitting that what he did was a mistake. That in some shape and form, he did feel guilty for not going back for Naruto. He just couldn't admit it.

He remembered what Naruto had told him, how proud Sasuke could get, so cocky that it would even keep him from asking for help - even indirectly. And if he followed what Kakashi taught him about "underneath the underneath", this whole asking for friendship, camaraderie, companionship - whatever he wanted to call it - must be so out of his element, must be so foreign to him, he must have given it so much deliberation that choosing him wasn't on a whim. Choosing the person whose husband he left behind - and then admitting it was a mistake to him - all of this, wasn't on a whim. It was deliberate. From what Minoru could tell, Sasuke was genuinely trying.

"If you don't give what you and Sakura could have together, you'll turn around and realize that mistake too," Minoru said with a smile and the older man considered him for a moment before looking back out to the park.

"I'll think about it."

Two weeks later...

Naruto stepped out of the art store with an accomplished smile and turned to make a quick drop off at Lee's. As he turned the corner he bumped into Sasuke who gave him an equally surprised look, "You're back!" He exclaimed and chuckled, "Minoru mentioned that you were going to be gone for a while."

Sasuke nodded, "I got back last night." His eyes fell on the package under Naruto's arm.

Naruto followed his gaze, "Ah! It's going to be out anniversary soon," he scratched at the back of his neck, "Was going to go hide it at Lee's even though Minoru is away on an assignment right now."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, "For how long?"

Naruto smiled, "Maybe a week, so he should be back in maybe four days." He hesitated, "Want to walk with me?" Sasuke shrugged and nodded.

They walk to Lee's was short - quiet, and short. But neither one of them seem to have minded. And Lee tried not to look too surprised.

It was already getting dark when Naruto walked back home. When he entered their apartment he moved straight to the bedroom, and plopped onto the bed. He found himself starting at the ceiling and looked over to the empty space next to him. A fond smile pulled on his lips, Be safe.

And three days later, when he was woken up by Minoru crawling into bed with him and snuggling into his warmth, and wandering hands sent sparks across his skin; when warm lips met his in a tender kiss, and he eagerly delved his tongue into the younger man's welcoming mouth, making him moan softly into his - he knew he was safe.

One week later...

Minoru ended his shift in the mission room, gathering his things before heading out. As he left the building he found Sasuke who gave him a small smile.

"Hey," he greeted casually, "I remembered Naruto is away, so I thought maybe you would want to get dinner?"

Minoru offered the older man a smile, "Not tonight."

Sasuke eyed the younger man. Something seemed... Off. He wasn't sure what, maybe because he didn't know him entirely well enough, but enough to know something seemed off, "Are you alright?"

Minoru smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just, not in the mood." He moved to walk past the older man, "I'll see you later."

Sasuke watched him as he left. Something was wrong.

Sasuke walked the dark roads of Konoha like he did a lot of the time when his mind felt too preoccupied, too busy. Thoughts of a certain pink haired woman were most of them. He felt restless. He didn't like this feeling.

He heaved a sigh and glanced at the bookstore as he passed it. And briefly thought about going in before it closed. He saw a poster on the window about the book series Minoru told him was Naruto's favorite.

"Our anniversary is coming up in a couple of months..."

He stared at the poster.

How long ago was that. He furrowed his brows in thought, and mentally frowned at himself when he realized that he didn't know the date to their anniversary. Something clicked.

Pocket watch.

Naruto's pocket watch.

He furrowed his brows in thought, trying to remember the date that he knew was engraved when Naruto had showed it to him, What's the date today? Sasuke looked down the road and then he realized their anniversary was the day before. He realized that Naruto wasn't back from his assignment that he left for a few days ago.

He frowned at himself when he realized that that must've been why Minoru seemed out of sorts. His frown deepened when he realized that he didn't exactly know what to do with this newfound information. He stood there for a long moment until he made up his mind, with a click of his tongue mostly to himself, he made his way to Minoru's apartment.

Paintbrushes clicked on the sink as Minoru washed them. Colors swirled down mixing and thinning as they went. He sighed as he worked the paint out of the bristles, making sure there was no residual paint left in them. When he deemed them done he patted them dry, removing any excess water and sticking them into a jar, bristles up, to air dry. He washed his hands, soaping them thoroughly as he did. As he turned off the sink and dried off his hands he froze. A smile pulled on his lips when familiar strong arms wrapped around his waist and lips kissed under his ear. He turned around to face his husband and bright cerulean eyes met his.

"Hey," cool hands cupped his face and a thumb traced his bottom lip, "I'm sorry I'm late." Minoru shook his head at him and directed him into tender kiss that didn't take long to turn heated. He snaked his hands into the younger man's shirt, smoothing them over his sides, around to his back and pulled him closer. Minoru slid against him, making him sigh into the kiss, making a shiver run down his spine. They pulled away breathless and he tugged his husband's shirt off, pale hands gave him the same treatment. Glowing eyes gave him a once over as pale hands trailed over his skin, causing goosebumps in their wake. Their lips slipped together in a languid kiss, their bodies coming flush. He moaned at the feeling, at Minoru's warmth - that he wanted more of.

Minoru didn't even realize when they reached their bedroom, he was too focused on Naruto and his skin and his touches and his mouth. That mouth that moved to his neck, making him moan when those lips brushed along his throat, over that spot Naruto loves to tease. Deft hands undid his pants and pushed them past his hips, meeting them drop to the floor before pushing him onto the bed. He grinned and sat up, kissing Naruto's chest, teasing a nipple with his tongue which earned him a deep moan. His hands undid Naruto's pants, and licked his lips when his erection sprang free making his own twitch and making him moan low in his throat. Fingers threaded into his hair when he pressed his tongue on the sensitive head, moaning when Naruto's breath hitched. He wrapped his lips around him, and gently sucked.

Naruto's hips bucked and a deep moan ripped out of him as Minoru massaged his length with his hot tongue and mouth, "Minoru," he breathed and groaned when Minoru took his deeper, "Oh - God -" he pulled Minoru away before it became too much and tilted his head back, exhaling through his nose when he grinned up at him and licked his lips. He locked him in a hot kiss and pushed him back into the bed, crawling over him as he shifted further back. He wrapped an arm around the younger man's waist and brought his pelvis flush with his and rolled his hips. Minoru arched under him, moaning at the friction of their erections slick with saliva and precum. Eager hands threaded into his hair and directed him into a hard kiss that made his hips grind harder and pale legs wrap around waist.

Minoru panted for air when Naruto pulled away and gave him a warm smile as he cupped one of his flushed cheeks. He rolled his hips as Naruto leaned over to the nightstand, and pressed his lips on pulse as his hands trailed over his flanks, "Naruto," he moaned out when the older man rolled his hips.

"So eager," he said softly, his voice husky and chuckled when Minoru groaned, "Always so eager for me."

Minoru's retort died on his lips when slick fingers traced his entrance, "Yes," he whispered without realizing and rocked his hips, "Y-yes -" he choked on a moan when two fingers pushed inside of him and slowly began pumping, and crooked, "Na-ruto!"

Naruto moaned in response, his eyes fixed on his husband's face as it trashed to the side with pleasure, spreading his legs wider for him. He leaned down, making a trail of kisses to a dark nipple, making the fair skinned body arch towards him. He moved lower, over the taut stomach, doing his tongue into his navel. Making a wet line down over his lower abdomen and swirling his tongue on the head of the erection that begged for his attention. Minoru's breath caught when he ran his tongue along the shaft of his arousal and pressed on his prostate.

"Naruto - oh God - please -" Minoru felt a pulse go down his spine and to his arousal when Naruto did it again, "Na-ruto-"

Naruto grinned as he leaned over his panting husband, and withdrew his fingers. He slicked his aching member, smiling when Minoru shifted closer and gave him a breathless smile. He planted his hands on the slender hips and slowly pushed into him, into that tight, welcoming, enveloping heat, "Gods Minoru," he breathed out, moaning when Minoru rolled his hips. He leaned over him, bracing himself on his forearms, smiling when Minoru cupped his jaw. Fingers traced his brow and jawline, moving to his neck, following the tendon to his clavicle and shoulders. He closed the distance between them, slipping his lips over the panting pair and rolled his hips, making Minoru gasp against his mouth.

Minoru moaned and panted for air as their rhythm turned heated. His hands found purchase on Naruto's hips, following their thrusting, feeling the muscle work under his touch, "Naruto." Cerulean eyes roamed over him, fixing on him, sending an electric pulse through him, "I love you," he breathed out, his hands moving to strong shoulders. Naruto smiled breathlessly at him and his already frantic heart skipped a beat.

"I love you, too," Naruto said softly, and reached in between them, making Minoru cry out his name and arch under him when he took him into a firm grip, "I love you so much, Minoru" Glowing eyes looked up at him through dark lashes, and lips parted in a silent moan - he felt Minoru tense under him, the hands on his shoulders flexed.

"D-don't s-stop - Na-ruto - I -"

"Never," Naruto moaned as Minoru came in his hand, spilling his hot seed in between them. "Gods, Minoru," he gripped a hip as he continued thrusting, losing himself in his husband's heat, in his touches and kisses, in his love. He came inside of him with a deep moan, burying his face into the crook of his neck as his hips continued rolling, hearing Minoru's soft moans next to ear. Gentle hands directed him into a soft, languid kiss and couldn't help but smile into it, "Happy anniversary, my love."

Minoru smiled widely and softly chuckled, "Happy anniversary," he swiftly rolled them over and rolled his hips, bearing down on his husband's length, "Happy anniversary." Hands smoothed over his hips moving around to grip his rear and spread his cheeks, making him moan and gasp when Naruto's rigid length slid in even deeper, "oh god, Naruto." Naruto grinned up at him and raised his knees for better leverage, making him lean forward. He rolled his hips, moaning when Naruto thrust up into him. He was reduced to vowels and Naruto's name, each upward thrust was perfect, the angle was perfect. It was always perfect and always so good. He could never get enough of him - of this man - this wonderful man that he was so deeply in love with. Hungry cerulean eyes roamed over him, watching him, fixating on him. Sun kissed hands trailed over his stomach, over his sides, his chest, moving to tease his nipples. A heat washed over him, his erection twitched, Naruto thrust sharply into him - he drop down to his forearms and licked the older man's bottom lip, feeling his pants of air against his skin. Their lips met in a tender kiss, and Naruto's hips faltered, his hands found purchase on Minoru's hips. Minoru panted for air as Naruto broke the kiss with a groan, arching his head back as his orgasm claimed him, spilling more of his seed inside of him, "Na-ruto-"

Naruto's breath hitched when Minoru tensed on top of him, his thighs squeezing tighter along his sides, his hands gripping the sheets near his head. The slender hips ground down on him as he came, his hot seed spilling onto his stomach. He cupped a flushed cheek, stroking his cheekbone with a thumb and smiled when glowing eyes slid open to look at him and leaned down for another kiss. Minoru bucked against him when his hand gravitated towards his sensitive member, coaxing more of his seed out of him.

"I love you," Minoru said with a soft smile, "Welcome home."

Naruto smiled widely at his husband and combed his fingers through the unruly dark locks, "Home." Lips kissed his cheek. Yes, he was home.

When Sasuke reached Minoru and Naruto's apartment, and lifted his hand to knock. He froze. He could feel that something was going on in the apartment. Something he shouldn't interrupt. He dropped his hand and chuckled at himself with a shake of his head. He gave the door a look and simply walked away.

He found himself in a tree, like he usually did. It was a habit of his. He found it helped him clear his mind, sort his thoughts. Thoughts. He was doing a lot of thinking lately, part of him didn't like it. Part of him wasn't used to it. He let out a heavy sigh as he looked up at the evening sky, and frowned when he found himself thinking about Sakura.

Sakura who was relentless.

Sakura who could be loud.

Sakura who had a temper.

Sakura who had a punch to go with that temper.

Sakura who never shied away from him. If anything, she only got closer. Even when he tried to push her away.

Sakura who looked at him with warmth and understanding.

Sakura who wanted to...For some reason be with him...

Sakura who... He couldn't stop thinking about...

He heaved another sigh and looked down to his left and his eyes fell on what happened to be the window to Naruto's and Minoru's bedroom.

He didn't mean to perch up this high up in a nearby tree. It was complete chance. Complete chance that he had happen to get this sight. It was a complete accident. And he meant to move away to give them their privacy. He meant to go find another tree in which he couldn't see them - because in their defense, he could only see them because of how up high he was, because of the part in their curtains. But he found he couldn't. There was something about how they showed their affection to one another, something about how Naruto undressed his husband, how they kissed, how he touched him. Something about the energy between them. There was something about how Minoru pulled him closer and kissed his torso, how his hands touched his husband.

Sasuke had the decency to blush when Minoru started doing things with his mouth, when Naruto threaded his fingers into his hair. When Naruto pulled away and Minoru grinned up at him before he kissed him, and pushed him down onto the bed before crawling over him and pulling him closer. He looked away from the intimate moment with thoughts of moving. But found himself looking back at the window. Found himself growing curious and using his sharingan...to find their Chakra blending together, reaching out for each other. There was an obvious bond between the two men that went beyond what could be seen. There was a bond that only they truly knew. There was a tenderness and love only they experienced. This was more than just sex, this was more than just two bodies coming together. No. This was something that was completely over his head, completely far from what he could even phantom Because the way their Chakra mingled, the way they touched each other, it was something he thought was foolish to even think was possible. And yet, there it was. Two becoming one.

And there he was still thinking about Sakura.

He looked away from the window, when he felt his face go cold.

"Don't tell Naruto this...but I envy you two sometimes..."

His heart dropped with realization and his gaze unwillingly moved back to the window, noticing that the couple had changed positions, their Chakra looked brighter, even Naruto's looked different. There was harmony, there was love, there was a strong connection. He swallowed and turned away, somewhat upset at himself as he left his perch.

Because he was, indeed, being an idiot.