Author's note: Sorry this chapter was a little late. I've been really busy...anywho. The school year's starting, and the laziness has set in. I'll do my best to stay consistent with my updates, but...I can't promise. I won't have a lot of free time.

Long chapter up ahead. Enjoy!

Sasuke paused as he was about to open his door, suppressing a smirk as he glanced over his shoulder at Naruto. The blonde had a very persistent frown on his face as he stared at his own door, his key unturned in the lock. The frown growing, a worry line appeared between the blonde's eyebrows.

"Kiba'll be back in a few hours," Sasuke heard the blonde murmur. The key remained unturned. "A few hours, tops. So stop being a wuss!"

Shaking his head, Sasuke turned to face Naruto and leaned back against the wall beside his door.

"You know, if you're that uneasy about waiting for your roommate, maybe you should have protested earlier."

Glancing up, Naruto gave him a sour look. "Did you see how happy Dog Boy was when she offered to make him a late dinner? Like hell I'd break that up." His shoulders heaved lightly as the blonde visibly grit his teeth and glared at the door handle. "I'm fine."

After a long moment of watching Naruto's continued inner struggle, Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"…You could just spend the night with me."

It took everything Sasuke had not to burst out laughing at the look he received for that one. Naruto had frozen for a good three seconds, then slowly pivoted his head to stare blankly at the Uchiha. Lips twitching at the continued stare, Sasuke tried to look innocent.

Eventually, Naruto managed to reply, "…What?"

"I said, come spend the night with me." He lost the battle with his mouth, an amused smirk crossing his elegant face. "I'll even let you keep the lights on."

…Damn, that sounded suggestive. His lips twitched again. Not that it'd be a bad thing if something…nice happened tonight.

When Naruto's eyes suddenly narrowed, Sasuke began hoping that his thoughts hadn't appeared on his face. To cover it up, he shifted his smirk into a challenging one.

"What's the matter, Uzumaki? You're not afraid of me, too, are you?"

Instant scowl. "In your dreams, Uchiha."

Sasuke tipped his head to the side as the blonde continued to hesitate. "Then what's your problem? At the very least, I can try to get your mind off that movie."

That may not have been the best thing to say. Sasuke mentally smacked himself upside the head when Naruto gave him the "Are you sure you're not a child molester?" look again. The Uchiha stifled a sigh.

"Seriously, Naruto…I'd prefer being forced to stay up a few more hours to having you stare at the ceiling or have nightmares all night."

Lips shifting into a pout—which made Sasuke want to rush up and nip at that bottom lip, since it was being offered—Naruto finally removed his key from his still locked door and shoved it in his pocket. "How'd you know I get nightmares?"

Sasuke shrugged, straightening away from the wall. "It wasn't a difficult guess, Naruto. Now get your ass over here."

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto complied and followed the Uchiha into his room. He passed the shorter boy as Sasuke turned to shut the door, murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like, "Promise not to bite?" One of Sasuke's eyebrows shot up.

Pondering the implications of those words, Sasuke threw the lock, turned, and decided to sit next to where the blonde had collapsed onto his bed. After a moment of silence, he gave Naruto a curious look.

"Why are you afraid of scary movies, anyway?" He narrowed his eyes slightly when Naruto gave him an offended scowl. "Considering why you're here right now, Uzumaki, I think it's a valid question."

The other boy gave him a long, cold stare, but since Sasuke was more practiced at it than he was, he gave up and sighed.

"Well…alright. I saw Beetlejuice when I was a bit too young for it, and it gave me nightmares for weeks." Lying back on the bed, he folded an arm over his eyes. "I avoided scary movies for years, but every time I watch one, without fail, I have nightmares about it."

Sasuke regarded the larger boy in silence. After a moment, Naruto lowered his arm and glared.

"You do realize that it you tell anyone about this…"

The Uchiha smirked, lifting a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

Grunting, Naruto rose up onto his elbows. "Well then, Smartass, what are you going to do to get my mind off that movie?"

Oh, I can think of a few things… Putting a clamp on his thoughts, Sasuke looked around his room. When his eyes alighted upon an object on his dresser, the Uchiha hesitated, then mentally shrugged. Oh, what the hell.

Naruto blinked at him as Sasuke rose, snagged a box of cards, and returned, sitting next to the blonde with one leg tucked underneath him. Taking the cards out, the Uchiha shuffled them and smirked.

"Up for a round of cards, dobe?"

The blonde thought for a moment, then sat up and mimicked the brunette's smirk. "Don't be surprised if I wipe the floor with you, Uchiha."

Sasuke snorted. "This from the guy who wears his heart on his sleeve." Lifting his head, he gave Naruto a challenging glare. "Please, Uzumaki, surprise me."

"What are we betting, anyway?"

The Uchiha paused. "I'm not sure." He watched as the blonde pursed his lips in thought, and he began questioning his intelligence at inviting the boy over as his eyes zeroed in on Naruto's mouth. As the blonde continued to ponder, Sasuke idly considered suggesting strip poker.

"Got it." Sasuke mentally shook himself as Naruto grinned and leaned forward. "We'll bet favors. Something the loser has to do without complaint. One piece of paper counts as one favor." His grin growing, Naruto rose, snagged a sheet of computer paper from Sasuke's printer, and began tearing it as he returned.

Blinking up at him, Sasuke processed this new information. Something Naruto would have to do without complaint? He didn't bother suppressing the determined smirk that settled on his face.

"Get ready to lose, Uzumaki." There's no way I'm passing up on an opportunity like this.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Just deal already."

As he complied, the Uchiha couldn't help but wonder if he should put any meaning behind the evil smirk that came and disappeared on the blonde's tanned face.

Sooo close… God, I'm so CLOSE… Just a little longer… YES!

Grinning in victory, Naruto slammed his cards down on the bed.

"Eat that, Uchiha! Four of a kind, baby!"

A very specific part of Naruto's anatomy should have shriveled up and died at the venomous glare Sasuke gave him. Scowling, the brunette tossed his cards—a full house, so no wonder he was pissed. He kept losing by one level—on the bed. His expression grew darker as he took in the tower of papers in front of the blonde and the dwindling pile in front of himself.

"Aww, don't make that face, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure you'll win the next round," he reassured as he collected his small mountain of favors. Licking a finger, he thumbed through them. "Just because you'll be utterly beholden to me for…oh…the next four years doesn't mean you can't still get a few menial chores out of me."

Grumbling under his breath, the Uchiha gathered the cards and roughly handed them over to the blonde. Naruto grinned.

"What was that, Sasuke-kun?"

"I said, how can anyone win with a poker face like that, dammit!" He gave a frustrated glare at the pile of favors sitting in front of the blonde. Naruto blinked innocently.

"Poker face? I have a poker face?"

Sasuke's scowl darkened. "If you can call that clueless expression a poker face." Folding his arms over his chest, the Uchiha shifted to lean his back against the wall beside his bed. "It doesn't even matter if you're winning or losing, you just look more confused as the game goes on."

Because he knew it would irritate the brunette, Naruto put a lost expression on his face and scratched the back of his head.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about, Sasuke—" A quick growl came from the boy next to him, "—but do you want to keep playing or call it a night?" He heaved a yawn and stretched his arms up over his head to emphasize his point. "I'm getting kinda tired."

Naruto swore he heard Sasuke's teeth grinding before he finally gave a grunt of agreement and put the cards back in the box. Grinning, the taller boy scooted over to the side of the bed against the wall and fell back, flopping his legs upon the Uchiha's lap. Sasuke gave him an exasperated look.

"Did you have to do that?" he questioned irritably, shoving the blonde's legs off him and sliding to the edge of the bed. A frown on his lips, Sasuke cleared Naruto and his piles onto the floor, set the deck of cards next to them, and grumpily lay down next to him. Folding his arms behind his head, Naruto stared up at the ceiling.

"Say…Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Do you think I'm sexy?"

Through the corner of his eye, Naruto could see the bottom drop out of Sasuke's thoughts. The brunette stared at him for a good ten seconds before he turned lightly red and scowled.

"What the hell kind of question is that, Uzumaki?"

"An honest one. Do you think I'm sexy?" Turning his head towards the Uchiha, Naruto grinned cheekily at the "embarrassed and struggling with it" expression on the other boy's face. "Well?"

Visibly gathering his composure, Sasuke gave him a flat look. "I would think you're narcissistic enough to not need to fish for compliments, Naruto."

"Just because I think I'm gorgeous doesn't mean I don't need to hear confirmation from someone else." He paused for a second, then let his mischievous grin return. "And you still haven't answered my question, Sasuke."

The pale boy let out something akin to a snort and looked away. "You're impossible."

"…So, is that a yes?"

"What?"

"You never said, 'No, I don't think you're sexy.' So is that a yes?" Oh, I am evil, aren't I? He chuckled when Sasuke's face turned a few shades redder.

"I never said anything about thinking you were sexy, Uzumaki," he stated calmly. Naruto's grin widened.

"But you're still not saying no." He let out a laugh at the murderous glare he received. "C'mon, Sasuke, just admit it. You think I'm hot, sexy, and steamy, don't you?"

At the rate Sasuke was grinding those teeth, he wasn't going to have anything left by morning.

"Naruto, you are not going to get me to say that."

"Why not?" Naruto lowered his eyes to half-mast and smirked. "I think you're sexy."

Sasuke sputtered, then scowled. "You're only saying that to tease me, you asshole."

So if you said it, you wouldn't be teasing? "Who said I was teasing? I honestly think you're gorgeous."

That earned him a long, assessing stare. "You…do?"

"Would I say it if I didn't?" Shifting against the pillows on the boy's bed, Naruto resumed his contemplation of the ceiling. "I don't have a problem admitting that my best friend is a babe, so I don't see what your problem is."

Sasuke flushed at the "babe" comment, but Naruto couldn't be sure if it was because he was embarrassed…or ready to kill him.

"So…you're admitting that you're attracted to me, Naruto?"

The blonde looked over at that, pursing his lips. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

From the frozen look on Sasuke's face, Naruto guessed that the Uchiha hadn't expected that response. The blonde shrugged mentally. Well, it's the truth, isn't it? Before Sasuke could formulate a reply, Naruto resumed his attack.

"Still, this isn't about me, it's about you. Why won't you admit that you think I'm hot?"

Scowling, the brunette looked away and muttered, "Why bother? I'm sure Neji and Gaara tell you often enough."

Naruto blinked, a furrow appearing between his eyebrows. "What was that? What do Neji and Gaara have to do with this?"

Sasuke gave him a cold look. "Oh, nothing," he replied sarcastically. "Nothing at all."

Frowning, Naruto rose up onto his elbows. "Why the hell do those two bother you so much? Because they like me?"

The Uchiha scowled. ""Why wouldn't they bother me? Every time I see you with one of them, they're all over you!"

"Well, why does that bother you? It's my business, isn't it?" His own temper rising, Naruto glared at the boy next to him. "Don't tell me you're jealous of them, Uchiha."

Sasuke opened his mouth to deny the comment, then clicked it shut and looked away. Naruto's eyebrows rose.

"…Sasuke?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" the brunette snapped, looking back at the blonde with anger simmering in his eyes. "If I had a bunch of guys chasing after me, how would you feel?"

Not expecting that, Naruto blinked. "I…I don't know, Sasuke," he replied, exasperated. "And how the hell is this about me again? Jesus, man, why does it take an interrogation and a pair of pliers to get anything out of you! Would it kill you to actually say what you're thinking for once in your fucking li—"

Sasuke abruptly leapt on the blonde, shoving the bigger boy's shoulders to the mattress while he straddled him, fury in his obsidian eyes. Naruto's voice cut off with a squawk. What the hell—?

"FINE, Uzumaki! You want me to say what I'm thinking? YES! I'M FUCKING JEALOUS! You happy now?" He didn't give the shocked blonde a chance to reply before he continued. "How can I not be jealous when every fucking time I want to spend time with you, one of them comes up!"

"H-Hey, you're the one who brought up—"

"I DON'T CARE!" Sasuke's grip on Naruto's shoulders tightened, and he leaned down, placing his face inches away from the blonde's. "It doesn't matter how, they come up! And, dammit, you'd be jealous, too, if you were in my place. How am I supposed to feel with those two trying to take advantage of the guy I—"

Naruto's eyes grew saucer wide as he stared up at the pale boy above him. The blood draining out of Sasuke's face, the boy audibly swallowed and sat up. Immediately rising up onto his elbows, Naruto locked the Uchiha with an earnest gaze.

"The guy you what, Sasuke?" he questioned, his voice low. Swallowing again, the brunette looked away.

"N-nothing. Just forget it." Sasuke tried to get off him, but Naruto's hands shot out and gripped the boy's hips, keeping him in place. Ignoring the blushes that rose on both their faces at the movement, Naruto pressed the issue.

"Sasuke. What were you going to say?" Please, just say it this time! "I'm the guy you…what?"

The Uchiha said nothing for a long moment, refusing to meet Naruto's gaze. While he waited, Naruto's thumbs began absentmindedly stroking Sasuke's hip bone. Taking a shaky breath, Sasuke squared his shoulders.

"You're…my best friend, Naruto." He's hedging. "I…care about you."

The blonde frowned. "Being my best friend and getting that jealous don't usually go hand in hand, you know."

Sasuke made an annoyed noise, still refusing to look Naruto in the eye. "Just drop it, Naruto," he requested, his voice suddenly soft. Naruto hesitated, then released his grip on the other boy.

An awkward silence settled between them as Sasuke climbed off the bed and hesitated in front of his dresser. After a moment, the brunette opened a drawer, pulled out a pair of black lounge pants and shirt, and changed quicker than Naruto would have given him credit for. A light frown on his face, Naruto let his eyes roam the expanse of skin that briefly flashed before his eyes. His gaze latching onto the boy's blue boxers—Naruto idly wondered if he'd bought them before or after the laundry incident—the blonde missed the slow smile that was working its way onto his face.

"…Is that why you have a picture of me on your desk?" he asked suddenly.

The Uchiha froze, his shirt tugged halfway down his torso. Turning slowly, he blinked at the blonde. "What?"

Not bothering to tear his eyes off Sasuke's exposed stomach, Naruto lifted a hand and pointed at the small picture frame hiding behind Sasuke's computer monitor.

"I meant to ask before…I saw it when I came in here to write the report." He lifted his gaze to Sasuke's, not entirely surprised to see a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression on his face. "I remember when you took it, but I never expected you to actually keep it."

Sasuke finally resumed pulling his shirt down, his face suddenly blank.

"It's a good picture. Besides, you have pictures of me in your room."

"True…" Taking in the rigid line of Sasuke's shoulders, Naruto decided not to point out that he had pictures of all of his friends somewhere in his room. Sasuke, however, had only deigned to place Naruto's likeness in his. Maybe I should just let that speak for itself… Shaking his head, he, too, slid to the end of the bed. "Whatever, man. I'll let it drop."

Standing, Naruto simply shrugged out of his shirt and pants and crawled back to his place on the bed, ignoring the surprised stare burning into his side.

"You're going to sleep in your boxers?" Was it just him, or did Sasuke's voice sound awfully strained?

His face buried in a pillow, Naruto didn't bother to look up. "Is there a problem with that? I don't feel like going home to rummage for a pair of PJ's." When Sasuke remained silent, Naruto lifted his head and glanced over at him.

The boy's cheeks were bright red, and if his expression were any indication, his thoughts were far from clean at the moment. Grinning, Naruto rolled onto his back and slooooooowly stretched his arms up over his head, showing off his muscles as he did so. He chuckled low in his chest when Sasuke's face turned another shade redder and the boy placed a hand beneath his nose.

"See? I knew you thought I was sexy."

Sasuke's eyes abruptly snapped up to meet Naruto's. Muttering something under his breath, the boy went to turn off the lights.

"What was that, Sasuke-kun?"

"Just go to sleep, dobe."

Laughing lightly, Naruto slid under the covers and rolled to face the Uchiha as the brunette climbed into bed beside him. Despite being immediately presented with Sasuke's back and ignored, Naruto watched him for a few minutes.

"Hey…Sasuke?"

"What now, Naruto?"

"…Thanks for letting me spend the night."

The room was silent for so long that Naruto decided that he wasn't going to get a response. Rolling onto his back, he shut his eyes and began to fall asleep.

"…Anytime, Naruto."

A sudden weight upon Naruto's waist dragged him rather inconsiderately from his quiet little dream world. More than a little annoyed, Naruto peeled his eyes open.

"What the hell…" He trailed off, blinking himself awake. The boy above him stared down with unreadable dark eyes.

"…Sasuke?"

Smirking, the Uchiha ran his hands up Naruto's chest and leaned down, his bangs framing his face. Swallowing hard, Naruto took in the other boy's surprising lack of clothing, aside from his dark blue boxers.

"…Um, Sasuke? What are you doing?"

The Uchiha snorted, leaning back slightly. "The question is, Uzumaki, what could you be 'doing'?"

Naruto felt his cheeks begin to heat at that. Above him, moonlight and shadows played over the brunette's features, giving him an air of mystery. Swallowing again, Naruto turned his face away.

"Look, Sasuke, I really don't think—"

"Usuratonkachi. Why do you need me to say what you already know is true?"

Naruto's breath caught at the hushed tone of Sasuke's voice. Looking up, the blonde locked eyes with the Uchiha and stopped breathing altogether. The Uchiha's eyes shone with emotion despite his stoic expression, and everything Naruto had wanted to see, everything he had hoped against hope to see in those eyes…was there. Lips parting, he placed a lightly trembling hand upon the boy's pale cheek, then inhaled sharply as Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Lifting a hand to cover Naruto's, Sasuke opened his eyes again.

The blonde's heart thumped sharply in his chest as he locked gazes with the boy above him. As though mesmerized, he lifted his other hand and placed it just below the boy's jaw, gently caressing the outline of Sasuke's deceptively delicate-looking features with his thumb.

"You're an enigma, Naruto," Sasuke suddenly stated quietly. "I don't know what you want from me. You keep sending mixed signals."

"I'm sorry." Naruto's voice emerged just as quietly.

"Do you even know what you want, Naruto? What are you really trying to gain?"

Blinking, Naruto considered the boy above him. Sasuke was watching him with oddly intense eyes, as though he was expecting something very specific as a reply. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, suddenly aware that he was being placed in the Uchiha's shoes. Is this how I looked at him? Like I was screaming for an answer that he couldn't possibly understand?

Naruto shifted his grip on the brunette's face, framing his cheeks with his hands. What's your answer, Sasuke? What are you looking for?

Smiling, Sasuke shook his head and gently clasped Naruto's hands within his own.

"Dobe. It's not my answer. It's yours."

Frowning, Naruto opened his mouth to reply—

—And Sasuke's eyes abruptly retreated into his head, his face melting into a grotesque mask. Blood welled up from beneath Naruto's hands and began trailing down the panicking blonde's arms. Sasuke's hands tightened about Naruto's, and a rough, demonic voice emerged from his throat.

"KETCH 'EM. KILL 'EM."

"GAH!"

Chest heaving, Naruto sat straight up in bed. Swiping at the sweat beading on his brow, he glanced wildly around…but his demonic Sasuke was nowhere to be found. The real one slept peacefully beside him, fully clothed, his palms resting open beside his face as he breathed softly through parted lips.

Naruto took a deep breath, shaking his head to clear the horrific vision from his head. Jeez…THIS is why I hate scary movies! Closing his eyes, he placed a hand over his racing heart to calm himself down.

It was just a dream… It was just a dream. You can relax now. Sighing, he lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Sasuke just haaaad to pick a scary movie, didn't he?

After a long moment of silence—and waiting for the shadows to stop staring at him—Naruto rolled onto his side and contemplated his sleeping bedmate. Sasuke looked so peaceful beside him, his fingers curling gently as he slept. Smiling gently, Naruto lifted a hand and gingerly brushed the boy's raven hair out of his face.

Sasuke… For some reason, the longer Naruto contemplated his friend, the faster his heart began to beat. Memories of the last few weeks floated through his mind: the fights, the quiet moments, the banter, the flirting, the irritation… The blonde found himself grinning when he remembered just how cuddly the normally prickly Uchiha was when he was asleep or caught off guard. Briefly, he wondered what would happen if he pulled the brunette into his arms right now. Would he pull away, or would he snuggle up against him?

"How am I supposed to feel with those two trying to take advantage of the guy I—"

Unbidden, Naruto's heart sped up at the remembered words. What was he going to say? The guy I like? The guy I love? Or just the guy I want to be with? He sighed lightly in frustration. Why won't he just tell me?

"…What are you really trying to gain?"

Naruto frowned at that. Why was Sasuke's confession so important to him? Yeah, he wanted to make sure that he wasn't just a fling, but…why did that answer suddenly feel…incomplete? Why did it seem deathly important that he hear Sasuke say, "I like you"?

And, while we're on it, why the hell wouldn't his heart stop pounding?

During his musings, Naruto missed the fact that he was absentmindedly caressing Sasuke's cheek with his right hand. Making a soft noise, the brunette turned slightly into the touch.

"…Naruto…"

The blonde held his breath, removing his hand from Sasuke's cheek. The boy immediately frowned, turning his head as if searching for the contact.

"Naruto…" he repeated, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why won't you…"

Intrigued, Naruto shifted closer. "Why won't I what, Sasuke?" he whispered. The sleeping boy was silent for a long moment, leaving Naruto to wonder if that was the end of their little "conversation."

"…Why won't you…kiss me?"

At those words, Naruto's heart took off like a rocket, thundering so loudly in his chest that he was surprised it didn't immediately wake the Uchiha. Taking a shaky breath, he smiled down at the boy. The hand he had used to touch Sasuke's cheek wandered over to the Uchiha's hand, gently interlacing the fingers. Shifting so that he was hovering over the other boy, he leaned down.

"You only had to ask," he whispered, and the blonde gently placed his lips upon Sasuke's.

Naruto closed his eyes at the contact, his heart squeezing as Sasuke's fingers tightened on his own. After a moment, he eased back, staring down at the Uchiha with heavy-lidded eyes.

Why isn't my heart slowing down? Taking another calming breath, Naruto untangled his fingers from Sasuke's, lest he should wake the other boy. He lay back down, blue eyes fixed on his best friend. The Uchiha took a sudden breath, eyes fluttering open as he gave the ceiling a blank, sleepy stare. He turned his head, making a low noise in his throat as he spotted the blue-eyed gaze aimed at him.

" 'N. You're awake?" His voice emerged as a low mumble, his words slurring together. Naruto smiled softly in response.

"Just a nightmare."

Sasuke gave a dissatisfied grunt. "Thought y'came here…to 'void that."

Watching the Uchiha lose his battle to stay "awake," Naruto gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, Sasuke. Just go back to sleep."

A light frown crossed the boy's face as he let his eyes drift shut. "D'n tell me what to do…usura…tonkachi."

The blonde chuckled lightly, watching sleep recapture the brunette.

"Say, Sasuke?"

"… 'N?"

"…Can I hold you?"

A corner of the Uchiha's lips lifted into a sleepy smile. "…Sure…"

Needing no further excuse, Naruto gently pulled Sasuke into his arms. The smaller boy wrapped an arm about the blonde's waist, shifting until his head rested upon a comfortable spot on the blonde's chest. Feeling his heart slowly calm itself, Naruto closed his eyes, buried his face in Sasuke's hair, and inhaled sharply.

The warmth of the body next to him gave Naruto's brain a helping hand into the realm of sleep. Relaxing, Naruto yawned and settled himself against the pillows. I'll figure out what all of those emotions were tomorrow, he thought as his mind drifted off.

He didn't have a single nightmare for the rest of the night.

Neji was not having a pleasant morning. A light frown on his noble face, he sat at his normal seat in the Star Café and glared at the air in front of him. The waitresses had yet to approach him, slightly wary of his current mood.

Naruto…and Uchiha? His pale eyes narrowed slightly. The previous night, Neji had gone to Naruto's room to retrieve his notes, as promised, but no one had answered the door. Uneasy, the Hyuuga had approached the open door of the blonde's neighbor…and had been told that Naruto had gone on a double date. With Uchiha.

The ensuing laughter had ceased instantly with a glance at the Hyuuga's expression.

Placing his elbows on the table, Neji tapped the tips of his long, slender fingers together. If he went on a date with Uchiha, especially after that weekend they spent together and that show he mentioned, does that mean that I'm running out of time?

"Well? What do you think?"

Pausing, Neji glanced up at the girl standing beside him. She had a hand on her hip, a pad in the other hand, and a raised eyebrow on her face. The pair of buns atop her head clashed with the businesslike expression on her face as she lightly tapped her foot. Lifting an eyebrow of his own, Neji gave her a cool reply.

"What do I think about what?"

A corner of her mouth twitched. "Are you going to order something, or do you think you're content with scaring off the air in front of you?"

That…almost sparked Neji's sense of humor. "Green tea."

That corner twitched again, but the girl never lost her businesslike exterior. "Right away."

As she strode off to place his order, Neji noted with mild interest that the girl tended to march instead of walk. Returning his gaze to the empty seat in front of him, Neji resumed frowning lightly.

Naruto still doesn't trust me, but...I can't afford to sit back and wait while he takes Uchiha out again. His eyebrows furrowed, then smoothed. I'll just have to find my way there, make sure that I take advantage of the opportunity…and present Uchiha with none.

He idly shifted his eyes to watch people walk past the café, his heart still uneasy. I can't help feeling like that double date was a problem…a big one. Sighing softly, he folded his arms on the small table. Though I suppose there's nothing I can do about that now.

A few minutes later, the waitress returned and set the steaming cup in front of him.

"There you go. Maybe this will help with the ice forming on your shoulder."

Her statement was said so matter-of-factly that Neji had to pause while reaching for his cup to digest what she had said. Eyebrows lifting at her boldness, he turned to face the impertinent girl.

"That was rather rude. Do you treat all of your customers this way?" he replied coldly.

She appeared to be unfazed by his tone. "To the ones who scare off the other waitresses—who, by the way, are currently sitting in the back, squealing about how gorgeous they think you are—yes, I do."

Neji's eye twitched. "I take it you are a woman who likes to speak her mind."

"You have a problem with that?" Interestingly enough, the girl's tone wasn't angry or defensive; instead, she seemed torn between mild interest in his answer and wanting to take the next table's order. His lips quirking slightly, he corrected his slightly imperfect posture.

"No, but I do find it interesting that you would choose to speak your mind so heedlessly." A smirk was tugging at his mouth. "You are, after all, in a restaurant setting."

"I'm not picky." She shifted her stance. "Besides, you struck me as a man who could take a few honest comments."

"How could you be sure? I might be inclined to get you fired."

"That would be petty, and you're too proud for that."

"Am I now?" Amused and intrigued, Neji gave her a small smile. "Do tell."

She gave him a satisfied smirk. "You have a perfected glare, you barely let your emotions show, and you sit like your back is strapped to a wooden plank. Yes, I think you're proud."

Neji frowned at the "plank" comment. There's nothing wrong with my posture. "Is there a problem with being proud?"

"Not until you start demeaning others, but that's a topic for another day." Pausing, she tilted her head to the side. "Why were you staring down the seat in front of you?"

When Neji frowned and looked away, she shook her head.

"Alright, so that topic's off limits." She folded her arms over her white uniform top, looking down at him curiously. "Do you want me to leave you alone now? A few more minutes of your staring and I think that chair will be good and frozen."

Neji's first instinct was to tell her to leave, but a part of him was intrigued. This girl was the first to actually confront him on his attitude, and she seemed quite intelligent. After a moment, he looked up at her and studied her expression.

It won't affect her either way if I say yes or no, he noted bemusedly. Still, her comments presented a small challenge, and they could certainly keep his mind of his troubles with his love life. A soft smirk on his face, he gestured to the seat in front of him.

"Sit down, if you will." He arched an elegant eyebrow. "Unless you have tables to tend to."

She paused, thinking it over. "None that the other girls can't handle." Pulling out the chair, she sat down and smiled dryly. "Maybe now they'll actually focus on their work instead of you."

"You seem to have no trouble with your focus," he noted.

"I have money to make. Sitting back and simpering has no appeal or purpose," she stated calmly. Smiling, she held out a hand. "I'm TenTen, Pre-law."

"Hyuuga Neji, Pre-med. A pleasure, I'm sure."

She barked out a short laugh. "We'll see about that. I can be very frank, and some of the more proud types don't enjoy that."

Amused, Neji took a sip of his tea. "Then perhaps we shall see who irritates the other first, Miss TenTen."

She gave him a challenging smirk. "I assume we shall."

-End Chap 17-

Author's note: This was my first draft, which I rewrote because this Sasuke was a bit too ooc, but it was a bit too funny for me to toss completely. Enjoy.

Sasuke was fairly sure that he'd never seen Naruto twiddle his thumbs, but the blonde looked like he was giving it serious consideration as he stared at his closed door. Biting his lip, Naruto looked uncertainly at his door, then glanced at Sasuke, then back at his door. Sasuke smothered a smirk as he turned back to the blonde, one hand on his hip.

"What's the matter, tough guy? Afraid to be alone?"

"No." Naruto scowled at him, but the expression faltered before he grumpily turned back to his door and fished his key out of his pocket. Sasuke tilted his head, intrigued by the worry line that had appeared between Naruto's eyebrows.

"...Oi. I'm not planning to go to bed yet, so if you want..." he paused as Naruto turned to look at him. "Well, we could hang out for a little while if you really want to."

Naruto pouted, narrowing his eyes warily. "You're not making fun of me, are you?"

Chuckling lightly, Sasuke opened his door and let himself in. "It's up to you, Uzumaki."

The Uchiha left his door open as he started milling about in his room, and sure enough, the blonde appeared in his doorway. He glowered at the brunette.

"Don't read too much into this, Uchiha. I'm not here because I want to be."

"Yeah, yeah, 'macho, macho man' routine. Flex your muscles, beat your chest and roar, if it makes you feel better." Sasuke smothered a laugh at the murderous look Naruto gave him. "Relax. I'm not going to make fun of you."

"You just did, smartass." Grumbling under his breath, Naruto closed the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. "And...thanks."

Smirking, Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed and patted the spot beside him. He folded his arms, his smirk melting into an amused smile as the blonde gracelessly flopped his butt down next to him.

"Why do scary movies bother you so much, anyway?" He lifted his hands at the look Naruto gave him. "It's a valid question."

Naruto gave him a long assessing look, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Leaning back on his hands, he looked up at the ceiling.

"...I'm not sure, really. I think I watched too many of them when I was little. You know, before I figured out that they weren't real."

"Which was...last year, I'm assuming?" He winced at the rather forceful punch he received in the shoulder. "Sorry. Continue."

Naruto hmph'd, glaring at the boy next to him. "I'm done, thank you very much." Letting out a sigh of frustration, he flopped backwards onto the bed, his arms up over his head. "You know, if you're just going to tease me, I'll be better off waiting for Kiba to get back."

"I'll be good, Naruto." Sasuke wasn't quite able to keep amusement out of his tone. Can you blame me? I haven't held the upper hand like this in a long time. "When is he getting back?"

"How should I know? He said Hinata wanted to make him dinner or something because he was too nervous to eat beforehand." He sighed again, then gave a slight smirk. "Still, I think the evening went rather well for him. Hinata nearly jumped into his lap during the movie."

"You almost jumped into mi—"

"Will you give it a REST!" Scowling, Naruto sat up. "That does it. I'm out of here."

Laughing, Sasuke snagged his arm as the tall blonde stood. "Oh come on, Naruto. You've dealt worse to me."

The boy pouted. "But it's funny when I do it."

"Hypocrite." Sasuke smirked at the sour look on Naruto's face, both fully aware that Sasuke had a point. "Now sit down."

The blonde sat down so heavily on the bed that he nearly bounced Sasuke right off it. Smothering a smile, the brunette slid back on the bed, scooted over, and settled himself behind Naruto. The blonde sent him a glare over his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just lean back, dumbass." When Naruto hesitantly complied, Sasuke looped his arms about the boy's chest and drew him closer. He rested his chin on the blonde's shoulder, fighting off a smirk at the faint blush that crossed the bigger boy's cheeks. "There. Feel better now?"

"I thought you hated touching people."

"I'll make an exception, just this once." He closed his eyes, relishing the feel of Naruto's muscled back against his chest. One hand began to idly drift back and forth over the blonde's chest, gently mapping out the muscles he found there. Inhaling deeply, he shifted against the boy. God, he feels good...

After a long moment, Naruto sagged against him. "I knew it. You're a clingy guy in disguise, aren't you?"

"...Something like that." It was taking all of his self control to keep from letting his hands roam to more...interesting places. "Are you feeling better?"

"I feel like a teddy bear." Despite his comment, Naruto smiled. "But yeah, I'm feeling better." Shifting his shoulders, he snuggled into Sasuke's hold. "You're comfy."

"Must be all of that refusing to work out."

"...And what's with all the jokes tonight?" Sitting up, he turned around and gave Sasuke an odd look. "You've been in an abnormally good mood ever since we got ready to go to the movies."

The Uchiha lifted an eyebrow, dropping his arms from around the blonde. "Is that not allowed?"

"It's weird, and it's freaking me out." After gazing at him for a long moment, Naruto abruptly reached forward, snagged Sasuke's wrists, and pushed the boy flat on his back with his arms over his head. He grinned at the shocked look on the Uchiha's face. "That's better."

Sasuke's heart started pounding as he took in the suggestive position Naruto had put them in. Swallowing, he pasted a smirk on his face.

"And how does this change anything?"

"Because you're cute when you're flustered." Naruto chuckled when Sasuke's face took on a hint of pink, releasing the boy and sitting up. "But anyway, this did help me get over the movie."

Sasuke didn't get up, keeping his arms up over his head as he watched the blonde. "Does that mean you're leaving?"

"Into that dark, empty room? Hell no."

Smirk widening, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Afraid ghosts will come out of the walls?"

"Worse. I'm afraid you'll go crazy, hunt me down and kill me."

The brunette laughed at that, missing the way Naruto's grin faltered for a moment. "You're safe from me, I promise." Hesitating, Sasuke gave Naruto an assessing look. I may be pushing things a bit, but... "Naruto..."

"What?"

"Do you..." Sasuke hesitated again, then decided to take the plunge. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"

Naruto looked like Sasuke had just slapped him with a live trout. "...What?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke sat up. "I didn't mean it like that." Well, ok...I kinda did. "I just thought I would offer, since you can't be sure Kiba won't kill you in your sleep."

"Kiba's not as scary as you are." Naruto considered it for a long moment while Sasuke kept his expression as bland as he could with his heart leaping in his chest. "Well, alright. If you're sure I'm not going to bug you."

"You always bug me, Naruto." Yes! He's staying! Sasuke smirked dryly. "But this time, I'll put up with you."

"Gee, thanks for the generosity," he replied dryly. Sighing, he lay back on the bed and folded his arms behind his head. "I feel like you're babying me."

Chuckling, Sasuke lay down beside him. Naruto gave him a sour look. "Don't say it, Sasuke. I don't want to hear it."

The Uchiha lifted a hand in acknowledgement, then folded it across his stomach. The two boys lay in silence for a few minutes, both staring up at the ceiling as though it were the single most interesting thing they'd ever seen...shy of paint drying. After a while, Sasuke rolled his head to the side and looked at the boy next to him.

"You're thinking about something."

"Yeah? How can you tell?"

"I smell smoke." He smothered a smile when the blonde stuck his tongue out at him. "So, really...what are you thinking about?"

Naruto hesitated for a long moment, then apparently abandoned whatever he was really considering and smirked at the brunette.

"I'm thinking about how lucky you are to have a fan club. Girls mobbing you at every pass?" He heaved a wistful sigh. "It must be wonderful."

Snorting, Sasuke resumed his perusal of the ceiling. "It'd be wonderful to you. You'd probably take the excuse to score around the clock."

Frowning, Naruto whacked Sasuke on the chest. "Give me a little more credit than that, man. I'm gorgeous, but I'm not a manwhore." He paused. "I'd only score halfway around the clock."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "If you're that narcissistic and you don't have the fangirl squad trailing after you, I'd hate to see what happened if you did."

"Probably nothing. A guy can only love himself so much."

"In your case, I'm not so sure." After a moment, Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. "Besides," he mumbled, "I'd think you have enough people chasing after you as is."

Naruto glanced over at him, eyebrows lifting. "What...you mean Neji and Gaara?"

The Uchiha's gaze snapped over to the blonde, his expression darkening. "Yes, I mean Neji and Gaara. How long did it take you to figure out that they were after you?"

The blonde furrowed his eyebrows at that, frowning. "Well, sheesh, Sasuke! It's not like I asked for them to like me." Sighing, he passed a hand over his eyes. "Actually...I was just thinking about them. About what I'm going to do with them."

One of Sasuke's eyebrows twitched. I see. So he's laying here right next to ME in MY room, and he's thinking about my rivals. That's just perfect.

-end chap 17.2-