I want to thank all of you for being so patient with me. This story sure has been a slow burn, hasn't it? But it's time to get your party poppers ready! And it's not even Valentine's day yet!

*rubs hands* I have no idea how you're going to react to this but I am looking forward to finding out.

Chapter 28: Ignition

xxx

Things calmed down once Naruto assured everyone that this sort of thing was pretty common between them, and there was no need to worry. Sasuke even apologized for it, though only after Naruto had elbowed him a few times. Luckily the chidori had been a tiny one so the floor and couch hadn't suffered any burn marks.

"You know, maybe if you had a better sense of humor I wouldn't have to fear for my health every time I cracked a joke," he grumbled as they stood in Charasuke's room, Sasuke digging through his closet.

Sasuke only tsk'ed, not that Naruto had expected an actual answer. Besides, with Sasuke's back turned towards him he could stare at him as much as he liked. And now that he'd actually admitted to himself how much he liked it, well, it was like he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to. Cuddling Sasuke during the movie had been awesome, even if the movie itself was absolute crap.

"Does this guy have nothing but thin shirts or tank tops?" Sasuke muttered to himself, crouching down so he could search the lowest shelf.

"At least he could have given me a shirt!" Naruto complained, trying not to think of just how snugly the tights fit over his crotch and ass.

These sorts of pants should be illegal! Sure, it was comfortable, and it allowed him to more easily leech off Sasuke's body heat, but it was a bit cold with evening approaching.

"Hm, maybe this one…" Sasuke pulled out something soft and knitted, colored a dark red. "Try it."

Naruto eyed the sweater with suspicion. He wasn't exactly enjoying wearing Charasuke the pervert's clothes, but he supposed it looked innocent enough. Taking a moment to figure out which way was what, he pulled it over his head, happy to notice it was big enough to reach halfway down his thighs.

"I guess it fits," he said a little hesitantly, trying to adjust it over his shoulders so it didn't hang off one side.

The sleeves were short enough not to cover his hands, but he wondered if the collar really needed to be shaped like a V, showing part of the tank top. The color was the worst part, though. Red? Really?

Looking up, he noticed Sasuke had a rather funny expression on his face.

"What?" he asked, pouting. "You're the one who told me to try it."

There was a small Uchiha emblem embroidered onto the left part of his chest, the bright red of it clashing with the sweater's darker color. Seriously, what was up with this clan and putting their symbol on absolutely everything!? He'd even checked the pants to make sure there wouldn't be one across his ass, or something ridiculous like that.

"…better than your jumpsuit at least."

"What?! And when are you gonna stop hating on my clothes!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Naruto felt like smacking him. Also like kissing him. But mostly smacking.

"Here, take these too."

Naruto caught the thick pair of socks Sasuke threw it at him, torn between blushing and glaring.

"I'm not going to get a cold," he muttered, but didn't bother putting up a fight.

Instead he dragged his feet over to the bed and sat down, pulling the socks on and wiggling his toes once he was done. He couldn't deny that they were cozy.

He wished Sasuke would come sit next to him, so he could lean on his shoulder. Just for a minute. Just so he could smell him and not Charasuke's cologne.

"I guess he keeps his winter clothes stored away," Sasuke mused, shutting the closet before turning towards Naruto, hands slipping down into his pockets. "Ready?"

Naruto wanted to say no. I need a hug first, he wanted to say. Anything to reassure him that Sasuke wasn't annoyed with him, wasn't thinking about their conversation by the pond. He wanted to know what Sasuke had been about to say. He wanted Sasuke to kiss him. He wanted-

He took a deep breath, staring down at his now sock-clad feet. He really liked it when Sasuke cared about him, even if it was something as small as giving him socks when the sweater would have been enough. Rubbing his toes together, he swallowed against the thickness in his throat. When no one else was there to distract him, he couldn't push these thoughts away. Work had been difficult because he'd kept fretting over the past few days, to the point where even Kurama got tired of it.

Maybe all the tension and lack of sleep was finally catching up to him, because the thought of going back downstairs and having to act all happy was incredibly unappealing.

"Maybe I'll take a nap before dinner," he said in a quiet voice, keeping his eyes fixed on his toes.

"…alright," Sasuke replied after a short pause, though not moving from his spot.

He wished Sasuke would stay with him, wished he'd ask if he wanted company. But Sasuke didn't ask, and Naruto didn't either.

"Just tell me when dinner's ready, okay?"

He pulled his legs up and scooted further up the bed, not caring that Charasuke had probably done lots of perverted things in it and he shouldn't want to sleep in it. Or maybe he cared a little now that he thought about it, but Sasuke wasn't going to agree to any of that anyway so he might as well just cry.

You're being dramatic, Kurama chastised him as he slipped underneath the covers.

I can sulk if I want to.

You don't even have a reason to!

Who says I need one!

Burying his face in a pillow, Naruto listened to Sasuke's soft footsteps as he left the room, closing the door behind him. This was good. Now Sasuke had a chance at bonding with his family without Naruto there to distract him.

Are you even listening to yourself?

Just leave me alone.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he curled into a ball and tried to force his body to sleep.

It didn't take more than ten seconds.

xxx

Sasuke shut the door behind him and turned around, finding Shisui staring at him with a bucket full of cleaning utensils in one hand.

"Everything alright?"

"Naruto's taking a nap," he explained, frowning a little.

He wasn't entirely sure where Naruto's sudden mood swing had come from, and unsure of what to do had decided to simply leave him be and hope he was just tired.

"I hope he isn't getting sick," Shisui grimaced, and Sasuke shook his head.

"He never gets sick."

"Oh, okay then. Wanna help me clean the bathroom?"

Shisui held the bucket in front of him, a hopeful grin on his face. Shrugging in agreement Sasuke followed after him, figuring he might as well. Maybe his cousin's cheerful personality would distract him from the feeling that something was wrong with Naruto and it was all his fault.

"Aah, I'd almost forgotten how stern Mikoto is," Shisui sighed, handing Sasuke a sponge to use for the bathtub while putting himself in charge of the sink and cupboard. "Cleaning is the worst."

Rolling up his bandage, Sasuke only hummed in response. Personally he didn't mind cleaning so much. Not now, at least. Back when he still lived in his old house he'd always kept things as clean as he could, mostly out of respect for his dead mother.

"Ooh, hey, since you're taking it off anyway, can I see the mark?"

Shisui was leaning over his shoulder, and Sasuke only hesitated a moment before opening his palm.

"Hmm. It looks so innocent. I always expected something flashier when I heard the stories."

"It's annoying enough like this," he muttered as he turned on the tap to soak the sponge.

"Ha, sure. So what's up with Naruto and ghosts, huh?"

"He's an idiot, that's all."

Shisui laughed at that, but didn't ask any follow-up questions. Instead he hummed a tune Sasuke didn't recognize, though he could instantly tell it was one of those annoying ones that got stuck in your brain for days. Busying himself with scrubbing he tried to clear his thoughts, but Naruto's face wouldn't stop hovering in front of his eyes.

He should probably tell him about the mission, but he just knew that Naruto would get upset, and his stomach churned at the thought. In fact, just remembering Naruto's downcast expression as he announced his nap was enough to make Sasuke gnaw on his lips. It was as if everything he did made Naruto sad or upset, and it shouldn't be like that. And even so, Naruto kept sticking by him.

Letting out a sigh he rinsed the sponge, then poured some more soap into the tub and continued his work.

He knew that he was feeling things much more strongly now, or rather, there were certain emotions he could feel accurately now. At some point he knew he'd have to actually deal with them, but it was so much safer to just push them away and ignore them. He just couldn't help feeling that this point was coming up a lot faster than he wanted to.

Especially since his initial reaction to Naruto crawling into bed had been to follow him.

"So, Obito told me and Itachi the whole story," Shisui said, his tone so conversational that it took Sasuke a few seconds to realize what he'd said. "He hasn't told the others though."

Sasuke had frozen, fingers clenching around the sponge. He should have realized from their talk on the couch.

"Really," he replied, keeping his voice void of emotion.

"I just figured you should know."

When he glanced over at Shisui he found the other man cleaning calmly, tongue caught between his teeth as he worked on a stubborn spot of dirt. Was that it? No reaction?

"Also you've got clearance for that mission, but between you and me, I think Tsunade just wants to assess you. She's a lot more calculating than she looks." He leaned back, satisfied with his work apparently. "Then again, she's the Hokage for a reason."

He turned, meeting Sasuke's gaze. Through his calm, Sasuke could tell he was concerned.

"I'm going to assume you haven't said anything to Naruto yet. He seems the type to demand coming with."

Lips twitching, Sasuke averted his eyes.

"What are you, a mind reader?"

"No. But, uh, I've learnt from personal experience that your boyfriend gets a lot less upset if you let him know things in advance."

Sasuke said nothing. His stomach was churning again, breaths turning shallow. Naruto would get angry, of course. He'd demand to come with, or beg Sasuke not to go.

Or worse, he'd pretend it was all fine.

"Are you sure you want to go? I mean, considering the mission details…"

Sucking in a slow breath, Sasuke resumed his scrubbing.

"It's fine." I'm not weak.

He could tell Shisui was frowning at him, hesitant to keep prying.

"I'll talk to him."

"Hm," was all Shisui said, dissatisfied but letting it go for now.

The remaining time they cleaned in silence, only commenting on their progress. Once they were done, Shisui gathered everything up and gave him a quick smile, saying he'd go ahead.

Which left Sasuke with no other choice than to return to Charasuke's room.

He hesitated outside the door for a long moment, struggling with the fact that his breathing wouldn't calm down, his hand gripping the door handle too tight. Inhaling deeply, he leaned his forehead against the door, closing his eyes. He shouldn't be feeling like this. It shouldn't be this hard.

But he did and it was, and no matter how desperately he tried to shake it off he couldn't escape the feeling of anxiousness that crawled through his body.

It wasn't just telling him about the mission. He should apologize for earlier, he should explain, should let Naruto know that no matter how he felt about the mission he wouldn't go if Naruto thought it was a bad idea.

He rubbed the middle of his chest, feeling a tight sort of pain in there. Even if he should, he wasn't sure he'd be able to. It was… difficult. If he stopped to actually think about things instead of ignore them, he'd realize how big of a mess he was and how badly he was dealing with his emotions right now.

You'd think it would have been harder back then, he thought bitterly to himself. Then again, he hadn't been himself, not entirely. Not during his darkest moments, at least. Did Naruto understand that? That Sasuke hadn't wanted to hurt him, hadn't wanted to-

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, pushing the door open before he changed his mind.

Naruto was still tucked into bed, breathing softly. Sasuke's willpower almost failed him right then and there, eyes running over his sleeping form. His knees felt weak. His head filled with cotton. Why.

Why did Naruto even think he was worth it?

Walking slowly, he made his way over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Naruto was lying on his left side, one arm underneath the pillow, the other pulling the covers close to his chest. His lips were downturned, as if he dreamt of something unpleasant. Sasuke hoped that it was only a silly dream about the world running out of its ramen supply.

Chances were it wasn't, however, because soon Naruto let out a small whimper and curled in on himself, burying his face in the pillow. It was only a couple of seconds before Sasuke found himself on his side as well, adjusting his body so that Naruto was curled against him instead. The problem with finding a good position for his right arm was solved by Naruto's subconscious movement, removing his left arm from underneath his pillow so he could settle both hands against Sasuke's chest.

Letting out a shaky breath, Sasuke carefully maneuvered his arm underneath the pillow instead, pushing lightly at Naruto's head so that it rested more comfortably. The end result was Naruto moving even closer, Sasuke's arm folding around his shoulders in a half hug. He placed his cheek against the top of Naruto's head, strands of hair tickling his nose.

Oh, this had been a bad idea. A very bad idea. Despite knowing this, Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to move. Or rather, the only part of his body that managed to move after that was his left hand, as it disregarded his commands completely in order to brush fingertips along Naruto's jaw and cheek.

Naruto sighed in content, causing Sasuke's chest to constrict painfully. He tried to swallow, but there was something thick lodged in his throat that wouldn't let him. So he concentrated on breathing, slowly, in and out, doing his best to match Naruto's pace.

He didn't want to think, didn't want to feel, because everything was hurting all over and he shouldn't be so selfish to hold Naruto like this, like he was the only one allowed to. He should just wake him up, tell him about the mission, and then head down for dinner. So why didn't he?!

Somewhere along the way he had closed his eyes, and now he buried his nose in Naruto's hair and inhaled, fingers combing through the soft locks. He was a selfish and terrible person, and Naruto deserved better. It was just that, Sasuke didn't want him to have better. The second part he had only realized earlier, upon seeing Naruto wearing the Uchiha clan symbol. It hadn't felt wrong to see him wearing it, in fact, Sasuke had felt a strong, almost frightening urge to cover him in as many of them as possible.

It was stupid. Ridiculous, even. And he doubted he would have felt that way if they'd been back in their own dimension, but here, that clan symbol was linked with different things. Sasuke was still struggling with that concept but he wasn't dumb, oh no. No matter how much he denied it, deep down he knew that his feelings regarding Naruto had always been different.

Naruto shifted slightly, pressed his face harder against Sasuke's chest. He could feel his heartbeat quicken, tried swallowing around the lump in his throat again. His left hand was cupping Naruto's neck, fingers running circles through the baby hairs at the base of his skull.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed softly, and he could feel his whole body become warm, nose filled with Naruto's scent.

This was worse than bad. He should be controlling his emotions, reining them in like usual, ignore them like so many times before. He shouldn't be trembling like this, or clinging to Naruto in desperation. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless in his entire life.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered again, his right palm flattening against Sasuke's chest and dragging upwards to cover his heart.

His limbs felt frozen, and yet his arms tightened around Naruto, left hand finding a better angle as it dipped underneath his sweater to caress heated skin. His heart slammed against his ribcage underneath Naruto's palm, too loud, and he really should be pushing Naruto away now.

As if reading his thoughts, Naruto pressed himself closer to him, rubbing his nose and forehead against Sasuke's chest. His breath hit Sasuke in warm puffs of air, moistening his shirt as their legs ended up tangled without Sasuke's consent, the covers suddenly absent. Oh, he certainly should be pushing him away but he'd be blatantly lying to himself if he thought he could. He'd never managed to push Naruto away before, had never managed to truly let go of him, so why would he succeed now, with him safe and secure in his arms like this?

"I like you."

The words tumbled out of Naruto's mouth, spilled against his chest, so simple and quick but Sasuke's whole world tilted.

Spun.

Crashed into place.

Exploded and then glued itself back together.

"I like you so much."

There were dots dancing in front of his wide open eyes, and only when Naruto's hand curled into a fist and hit his chest did he remember to breathe. He struggled to fill his lungs with air, feeling them burn, his heart too large to fit in his chest and leaving them no space.

It took him too many tries to find some semblance of control again, and by then the only coherent thought inside his brain was he's awake?! The rest of his thoughts were a jumbled mass of panic mixed with a little bit of everything. But mostly panic.

Opening his mouth, Sasuke's words were cut off by Naruto pushing him onto his back.

"Don't even think about it," Naruto growled, grabbing his wrists and holding them above his head. "You're not getting out of this."

Sasuke blinked up at him, speechless. How had Naruto known he was going to tell him that he was mistaken, that it wasn't like that. That Sasuke couldn't, wouldn't, take him seriously.

"I'll decide for myself what I deserve and want," he continued hoarsely, blue eyes seeming to darken as they bored into him. "And you…"

He faltered, face flushed, grip tightening around Sasuke's wrists. Sasuke tried not to think of the fact that Naruto was straddling him, leaning over him to speak against his lips, heating Sasuke up from his toes all the way up to his fingertips.

"Sasuke, I can't believe you," Naruto pleaded, face lowering so that the tips of their noses touched. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

Sasuke blinked. Opened his mouth. Closed it again.

"Wh-" He swallowed, licked his dry lips and bit them.

What the hell was Naruto on about?! Sasuke hadn't said anything, so unless Naruto could read his thoughts-

If his heart hadn't hurtled itself against his ribs, Sasuke would have thought he turned to stone. Slowly, he closed the fingers of his left hand into a fist, his joints stiff and unwilling. He hadn't put on a new bandage after helping Shisui clean, and as the consequences of this dawned on him, his breath left him in a frightened little exhale.

Oh.

Naruto knew.

"Don't look at me like that," Naruto whispered, a hint of pain flashing through his eyes. "You're the one who said that what they have is better than anything we went through. Why can't we-"

Sasuke could hear Naruto swallow, could feel his breath hot against his mouth as he tried to speak again.

"If I'm your most important person…"

Feeling his defenses crumble into dust, Sasuke's body tensed in expectation. There was a ringing in his ears, blood pounding through his body, his chest heaving against Naruto's. He wasn't ready. It was too much, too soon and too fast, but Naruto only hesitated a second before pressing their mouths together.

Oh.

Sasuke didn't know what to do. This wasn't like the previous times Naruto had kissed him. Actually, this wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced before. He stared up at Naruto's closed eyelids, lips slightly parted, mind still reeling. Naruto's mouth felt soft but the contact was blazing hot, as if he was sucking in a fire ball instead of sending it towards an enemy. Then Naruto's hands eased their hold on him and slid down his arms, and Sasuke shuddered.

"Narut-"

His protests were silenced by another kiss, more demanding this time as Naruto cradled his head in his hands. This time, the fire wasn't just burning his lips, but his chest and stomach and thighs as well. He could feel his toes curl, legs bending at the knees and heels digging into the mattress, fingers grasping helplessly for the sheets. Naruto's lips were molded to his, coaxing him to respond, sliding over his sensitive skin until he choked on a heavy sigh.

When Naruto lifted his head to separate them they were both breathing in harsh pants, invisible sparks flying between them. Naruto's eyes were wide and unblinking, like he couldn't believe they had just kissed.

Sasuke certainly couldn't believe it. Then again, his entire body was tingling, shivering in anticipation for something more.

"Don't you dare say this is wrong," Naruto gritted out through clenched teeth, fingers digging into Sasuke's scalp.

Wrong? The only wrong thing here was that Naruto had stopped kissing hi-

Oh. Ooooooh. Oh no, this was so wrong, so many levels of wrong that-

Naruto slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I said don't. Don't even think about it."

Sasuke wanted to argue that it's not like he could control his thoughts, especially not lately, but then again, he wasn't going to start anything when Naruto looked like that. So he swallowed the protests and kept silent, trying his best to not do anything at all, really, because this was uncharted territory now.

"I…" Naruto hesitated, pushing himself up to sit above Sasuke instead, hands clenching into fists in his lap. "I mean, I didn't really imagine it was gonna go like this, but…"

While Naruto gnawed on his lips, looking anywhere but at him, Sasuke tried to wrap his mind around the situation. Naruto had kissed him. Naruto hadn't imagined it was gonna go like this.

The key word here was imagined, wasn't it?

"What do you mean?"

If his voice came out a little strange and rough he'd never admit it.

"Umm, well…" Naruto was scratching his neck, blushing furiously. "You were thinking all those things about me, and I just-" He caught his lips between teeth, staring at a spot on the wall somewhere above Sasuke's head.

"I wasn't-"

Sasuke swallowed, then realized his hands were still gripping at the sheets by his head. Also, Naruto was sitting on his thighs. He wanted to ignore that, he really did, but it turned out to be extremely distracting whenever Naruto squirmed a bit in discomfort.

"Sasuke, I read your thoughts. I won't hesitate to do it again if you try denying it!"

They stared at each other, though Sasuke tried to narrow his eyes into a glare. He probably didn't succeed well because Naruto had slammed his hands down on his hips, pressing down on them, and what the ever-loving fuck was his body doing?! Not what he told it to, that's for sure.

This whole situation was going to be the end of him, he could tell. Who knows what deep secrets Naruto had seen? And Sasuke couldn't even blame that on him because he'd been the one to put his hands all over Naruto in the first place. It was awful. It was-

Oh god. Naruto had, in his irritation at Sasuke's silence, curled his fingers so that his nails dragged against his stomach through the thin material of his shirt. And Sasuke had, in panic, thrown his arms down to grip at Naruto's hand.

But.

But.

Naruto's mouth had formed a perfect circle, his eyes impossibly wide as they watched him, like Sasuke had suddenly grown an extra head. He wished he had, because the breathy gasp leaving his mouth had not come from him. No.

"Sasuke, you-"

"Dinner's ready!"

Charasuke's bored voice travelled up the stairs and through the door, jolting them both out of their stupor. Naruto squawked. Sasuke used his legs to shove him off the bed.

"Goddammit Sasuke!" Naruto groaned from the pile of limbs he'd become on the floor, staying in that position for a few seconds which allowed Sasuke to remember his ninja skills in order to forcefully calm down his panicked body. "And I mean both of you!"

Naruto untangled himself but stayed on the floor, shoulders slumped and lower lip jutting out with his side towards the bed. Sasuke tried not to look at him. It was difficult. His mind was still spinning out of control but at least his body was listening again as he sat up, though his voice betrayed him when he tried using it.

"Let's just go eat," he mumbled, throat dry and lips feeling numb from the earlier tingling he'd felt.

"I don't want to," Naruto told him childishly, crossing his arms and legs and scowling at the floor. "And I don't want to go see Orochimaru later either. In fact, I don't I want to go anywhere at all."

Sasuke had almost forgotten about their check-up. It didn't sound very appealing to him either, but anything was better than staying in this room.

"Well too bad because-"

Sasuke voice dried up when Naruto raised his head to look at him. Maybe because Naruto wasn't looking at his eyes.

"I'll go if you kiss me."

Sasuke's lungs dried up as well.

He tried breathing, he really did, but it seemed all his body functions were failing him. Mouth pursed, Naruto got on his feet and took a few stumbling steps to reach the bed again, kneeling in front of him with an expectant face. Sasuke would have pushed him away again, would have told him to stop being a moron and quit messing around, but the strong emotion in Naruto's eyes…

This was what he'd been running from, at thirteen years of age. This raw power Naruto held over him, and the knowledge that he was such a willing victim.

He didn't want to think about it. His mind couldn't grasp the concept, couldn't deal with everything that came with this knowledge and every consequence it would lead to, should he give in.

He wasn't ready. But would he ever be?

"Hey," Naruto whispered, inching closer, breath washing over his mouth, fingers running along his jawline. "Stop thinking so much."

Soft lips landed on the corner of his mouth, stayed there with light pressure, light enough that he could easily move away. Naruto breathed through his nose, eyes closed, hands on Sasuke's shoulder and knee. There were reasons this was bad, weren't there? Lots of them, too. Sasuke couldn't remember.

"They'll come looking for us," he said, which wasn't what he wanted to say but it was probably for the best, anyway.

Naruto hummed, kissed his cheek, kissed his jaw. This was getting dangerous.

"Naruto," he warned, pressing his fingertips against Naruto's chest.

His mouth was now hovering just underneath his ear, brushing against the skin there, his heavy sigh spreading warmth through Sasuke's veins.

"I'm just," Naruto mumbled, tensing up. "It's just..."

Holding his breath, Sasuke clenched his eyes shut, feeling the shiver in his neck when Naruto's fingers travelled up his skin.

"Sasuke…"

"Oh please, don't mind me."

They both jumped, Naruto almost shrieking as he turned towards Charasuke who was leaning in the doorway and scrambling to get out of bed.

"We weren't doing anything!" Naruto's voice sounded panicked as he held his hands out towards Charasuke, skin bright red all the way to his ears. "Dinner! It's dinner time right! Let's go let's goooo!"

He ushered Charasuke out into the hallway, nervously blabbering about how hungry he was and how he really should have called them or knocked. Once they were out, Sasuke fell back onto the bed, all his strength gone just like that.

He crossed his arms over his face. Took a deep breath. Wondered if it was too late to join Juugo as a hermit in the forest.

When he exhaled, he tried to pretend he wasn't a boneless mess with an aching chest and lips he wanted to scratch and rub until the stupid tingling stopped. He couldn't tell if he was glad that Charasuke interrupted them or if he wanted to lodge a kunai between his eyes, but either way it seemed his body could no longer be trusted around a certain blond moron. The extra beat inside his chest had turned into a buzz, poking at him to follow Naruto downstairs.

He groaned, and it sounded just as pathetic as he felt. Today was so full of shit.

What Naruto was going to say? "It's just... I'm kinda hard."

Well, maybe not. But I was contemplating it. We'll save that for later. :D

And it seems Sasuke has finally accepted bitter defeat? Bet you didn't expect him to accidentally confess huh? Mwahahaha. Sometimes I just love writing.