Naruto panicked when he first awoke. He was not at the house he'd shared with Hinata, but he wasn't at his new apartment, either. His senses went on edge as he attempted to sit upright, only to find himself too dizzy to accomplish that feat.

"Don't make any sudden moves," a rich, deep voice warned. His panic trebled as he tried to remember where he'd heard that voice before and what he'd done to run afoul of its originator.

He sucked in a sharp breath as a tall, dark-haired man looked down at him.

Those eyes. Those deep, dark, eyes…

"Oh, fuck," Naruto muttered.

The eyes crinkled at the corners as their owner smirked in amusement. "Do you remember my name?" the deep voice asked.

Shit. Shit, shit, and fucking shit again.

"S… Sas… u...ke?" Naruto stammered.

This seemed to amuse the dark eyed man. "Are you sure it isn't 'Lord Bat Goth Father?"'

Naruto vaguely remembered insulting the man whose hospitality he was currently abusing.

"I'm really fucking sorry," he mumbled.

"Oh, it's ok. It's not every day that someone calls me "Lord Bat Goth Father" and "pretty" on the same night." A glass was placed in front of Naruto's face. "Drink. Slowly."

Naruto carefully took a few sips of water. The dizziness, which had subsided, washed over him again.

"Drink again."

Naruto complied, both embarrassed at his drunken antics and angry at Sasuke's scrutiny. He knew he had no right to be angry at Sasuke, but his brain was not functioning properly at the moment, and he didn't feel like trying to be a better person while nursing the worst hangover he'd experienced in his life.

"The bathroom is the first door on the left in the hall," Sasuke told him. "Go get showered and I'll make breakfast."

Naruto stood carefully.. He was pleased, given the haze surrounding his memories, to see that he was fully clothed.

He stumbled off down the hall to the bathroom, grateful for the chance to wash the odor of stale alcohol off of his body.

As the hot water pelted his skin, he thought back about what he remembered. Had he really made Sasuke dance with him? And had he really confided in this stranger about his divorce? How much had he divulged? And why, since he had clearly—and could remember clearly enough to know that he had—made such a thorough-going ass of himself was Sasuke being so nice to him, now?

A single, sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "I left clothes for you on the counter," Sasuke said through the door.

"Thanks," Naruto replied. His head did not appreciate him speaking loudly enough for Sasuke to hear.

He finished his shower quickly. He dried off and slipped into the indigo-blue tee shirt that Sasuke had left him, followed by black sweat pants. On a moment's impulse, he lowered his nose to his shoulder and sniffed, hoping to find Sasuke's scent on the shirt. All he could smell, however, was a faint trace of generic detergent fragrance.

He walked carefully back towards the living room. He could hear Sasuke moving quietly in the kitchen; the aroma of coffee and toasting bread filled the open living space. A lump formed in his throat. One of his favorite parts of his marriage had been waking up to the sounds and smells of Hinata cooking breakfast. It had been so novel to have someone care for him and cook for him in that way. He remembered feigning sleep just so he could revel in the sounds and smells of Hinata cooking in the mornings.

He swallowed hard and ambled towards the small, round table in Sasuke's living room.

"Did those clothes fit?" Sasuke didn't look up from the stove top as Naruto sat.

"Yeah, thanks." Naruto scratched his head absently. He noticed a bottle of ibuprofen and a generous glass of water on the table.

"That's for you," Sasuke said bruskly; he set a plate and a fork down in front of Naruto and nodded towards the medicine and the water. "Take at least two. Finish the water. I don't know how experienced you are with hangovers, but you will regret it if you don't."

Naruto smiled weakly. "I'm not much of a drinker," he admitted. "The first and last time I got this drunk was the night before my wedding."

Sasuke chuckled dryly as he pivoted back to the kitchen area. "I suppose that's one way to bookend your marriage."

Naruto guzzled the water, grateful for both the relief of hydration and for having a reason not to reply. He couldn't stop thinking of all the years he had wasted of Hinata's life with his dishonesty. Even if he hadn't intentionally lied to her, he had still failed her and stolen the prime years of her life from her. He didn't know how he would ever forgive himself.

Sasuke returned with a serving plate laden with fried eggs and bacon. "Here. Eat. You need the protein to counteract the nausea and the other residual effects of the alcohol," he ordered, and Naruto didn't argue. He helped himself to an egg and a slice of bacon, aware of Sasuke's probing stare.

"Is your stomach sick?" Sasuke asked.

"Not really. Not since I rehydrated. Thanks."

"Coffee?"

"Please."

Sasuke returned and took his place across the table from Naruto, who slowly raised his eyes to Sasuke's.

"There's cream and sugar in the kitchen if you need it," Sasuke said, sliding Naruto's coffee mug across the table.

"This is good. Thanks," Naruto replied softly. He hadn't been queasy before, but looking at Sasuke eye to eye made his stomach flip unexpectedly. Naruto chalked it up to being hung over and mortified in front of a perfect stranger, one who had seen him at peak obnoxiousness.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto started clumsily, "I'm… really sorry. For everything. For what it's worth, you could have just left me at the bar. I know I made an ass of myself, and you really shouldn't have let me impose on your night and your morning this way."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hn. You acted like an idiot, but aside from the "Lord Bat" comment, you really weren't as much of an ass as you could have been." Naruto didn't know how he managed to convey amusement without cracking a smile; nevertheless, he could see laughter in the depths of Sasuke's dark eyes.

"God," Naruto groaned. "I was so obnoxious. I'm amazed you didn't punch me."

"I considered it." This time, Sasuke's mouth turned upwards slightly. "Dancing is not your forte, by the way."

Naruto put his hands over his face and groaned again. "Did I really do that? Did I really pester you into dancing with me?"

"You sang, too. Or tried to, at least. Again, not your strong point."

Naruto felt that Sasuke was enjoying his discomfort, but it didn't bother him. To the contrary, it felt… comfortable. He had grown accustomed to people accommodating him unctuously, although he didn't enjoy it. Being teased about being stupid and drunk, however, felt normal and right.

"You weren't that bad, dobe," Sasuke said. That same almost-smile touched his lips again. "Trust me, I've seen worse."

"What's the worst thing you've ever done when you were drunk?" Naruto asked him.

Sasuke looked at him levelly. "Impregnating a girl and marrying her," he said.

The half-smile was gone, and it seemed to Naruto that a window in Sasuke's eyes shut down while a door to a long, dark hallway opened.

"Eh. Sorry for prying," he mumbled.

"No need to be. It was the first and the last time I was ever intoxicated," Sasuke answered. "And, while not ideal, I did gain a daughter and a good friend from that escapade."

Naruto grinned. "You have a kid?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes. One, and only one," Sasuke replied. "You?"

"I have two," Naruto volunteered around a mouthful of food. "My boy is 11 and my daughter is 3. Not that I'm much of a dad to them," He finished bitterly.

Sasuke regarded him unblinkingly. Naruto suddenly felt exposed.

"You are shockingly honest," Sasuke said after a long stretch of silence.

"Yeah," Naruto muttered. "The gay guy who was married to a woman for 12 years because he couldn't even admit to himself that he was gay is an icon of honesty."

Sasuke frowned. "Airing your insecurities to strangers gives them something to exploit."

Naruto fumbled with his napkin. "I dunno. I just spent the last 12 years exploiting the first person who ever believed in me because I couldn't be honest." He speared the yolk of his egg, spilling it over his plate, before cutting a bite for himself. "Besides," he said, lifting the fork to his mouth, "You don't seem like the exploiting type."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "You really don't know what my type is," he said in a low, quiet voice.

"I guess you're right," Naruto conceded. "But I've seen exploitation. I recognize it. I don't see it in you. And if you were," he said, pointing his fork in Sasuke's direction, "You'd have had plenty of opportunities last night."

Sasuke continued to frown as Naruto made his point. "There are multiple ways of manipulating and exploiting people, Naruto," he said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "But you don't seem to be the kind of person who would. I mean, yeah, you could, and if something important were on the line, you probably would. But you wouldn't do it just to entertain yourself."

Sasuke had lowered his face as Naruto had talked. At the last sentence, though, his head jerked upwards. His eyes widened, and for a fraction of a second, his lips parted in surprise.

He scowled, eyeing Naruto warily.

"You are very confident about your assumptions," he said.

Naruto marveled internally at the change in Sasuke's features; he hadn't thought it possible to actually surprise or frustrate the distant man. It seemed he had struck a chord, however, and he continued.

"You volunteered your information to me," he said evenly. "When I started rambling about my divorce last night—and I do have enough recall to remember that—you could have just filed it away for your own information. But you didn't. You actually surrendered your own, personal details to me, a stranger. You had ample opportunity to take advantage of my drunkenness, in any number of ways, but you didn't. You brought me into your home and inconvenienced yourself. You're sitting across from me eating breakfast. Why? What could you possibly do, now? Poison me? Blackmail me? My marriage is already over, my relationship with my children is already strained. I have no other family I could disappoint. You could possibly manage to get me fired, but there doesn't seem to be any reward in that for you."

Naruto shrugged. "I've lied to myself for over 30 years, now. I don't feel like wasting my time on pretenses anymore. It doesn't suit my nature. So, if you have something up your sleeve, whatever. I've known dangerous people, people who could and did fuck with me. You aren't like them."

Naruto finished his egg, scraping his plate with his fork while Sasuke sat quietly.

"Naruto," he said softly, after several minutes, "You don't really know what I'm like."

"I am actually starting to get a pretty good idea," Naruto answered back. "At least enough of an idea to feel comfortable talking to you. I mean, maybe not comfortable," he laughed. "You heard me sing. You heard my whole sad-sack sob story. You saw me try to dance. With you."

He couldn't stop smiling as he went on.

"I mean, you are the only person, other than my wife, that I've come out to. You probably think I'm a total dumbass and a loser. And I'm ok with that, because you'd be right."

Sasuke's expression soured. "Don't tell me what I think, Naruto. You really have no idea."

Naruto nodded. "You're right. But if someone acted around me the way I acted around you last night, I'd think they were a dumbass. I'd probably like them better for it, because someone like that at least isn't fooling anyone."

Sasuke quietly sighed. "I don't think you're a dumbass. At least not any more of one than the average human. No one is at their best after pounding scotch on the day their divorce is finalized."

Naruto snickered. "Well, thanks. I do appreciate it. And, uh, thanks for telling me about yourself a little. I don't have any friends who've gone through a divorce, so seeing that someone like you could actually be divorced, for the same reasons, and still be an awesome person gives me hope."

"Tch." Sasuke smirked. "Don't make me your measure for success, Naruto," he said lightly.

"Nah, it's not like that. But you can still stand upright, yeah? You're not holed up somewhere wasting away. You've even been super polite and understanding to an obnoxious stranger. That tells me that, yeah, maybe shit feels grim right now, but I won't die. You see?" he asked.

Sasuke just looked at him and shook his head. "Whatever. Dobe. Come on. I'll take you back to your car."

"You're Japanese."

"No fucking shit," Sasuke muttered.

"Sorry. That sounded rude. I mean, I am, too. Outside of my community, though, I don't randomly meet a lot of Japanese people."

Sasuke studied him quietly, and Naruto felt he had a good idea of what he was thinking.

"I suppose I'm half," he said. "My mom was. And my dad… well, he fell in love with Japan before he fell in love with my mother. He was a fluent speaker. I didn't get to know either of them, but they did manage to make sure I could attend a Japanese bilingual school. I'm the principal of that school, now."

He smiled broadly. "What are the odds?" he asked. "Two gay, divorced men of Japanese descent meet in a bar in the USA."

Sasuke snorted. "You say whatever comes into your mind, Naruto."

Naruto was used to hearing this; his friends and teachers had always compared him to a bull in a china shop. He was accustomed to his thoughtlessness aggravating those closest to him. Sasuke, though, didn't seem aggravated. He seemed to state it as a simple fact.

"Yeah, I guess I do," he chuckled. "But it's easy to talk to you."

That seemed to catch Sasuke off-guard, and Naruto was gratified to see a faint pink flush spread across Sasuke's cheeks.

He really is beautiful, Naruto thought wistfully.

"If you're the principal of the school, then shouldn't you be at work by now?" Sasuke prodded.

"Nah. I took a couple of days off to arrange my new living quarters. The school year is winding down, besides. What time is it, anyway? And have I kept you from getting to your job?"

"It's 10 am," Sasuke replied. "And if I had to be anywhere urgently, trust me—we wouldn't be sitting here."

Naruto found this amusing. "Ok. I get it. But thanks, again. It was super nice of you to go through so much trouble for me," he said.

"No problem." Sasuke nearly whispered.

Naruto felt that it was remarkably easy to smile around Sasuke, and he took comfort in that. He hadn't experienced a genuine smile in so long; the sensation was almost foreign.

"Let me take you to your car," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, sure. I'll help you with the breakfast dishes."

"No, that's not necessary. There aren't many. They'll give me something to do later tonight," Sasuke said, waving towards the kitchen dismissively. He rose, holding his hand out to Naruto.

Naruto gratefully took his hand and stood, realizing that he and Sasuke were roughly the same height. His eyes skimmed over Sasuke briefly. He wore a charcoal grey dress shirt with black buttons, black trousers, and a black waistcoat, which accentuated his trim waistline and narrow hips.

Naruto blushed and looked down, realizing that he was still holding Sasuke's hand in his. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. He couldn't look up. He suddenly recalled the powerful attraction he'd felt for Sasuke the night before; if he looked into his eyes now, he thought he might be incapable of restraining any impulse to announce his attraction.

"No thanks necessary." Sasuke did not remove his hand from Naruto's, but he didn't grasp Naruto's hand, either. It was now Naruto's turn to blush. He swallowed hard and dropped Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke cleared his throat and walked towards the door; Naruto followed glumly, putting his shoes on by the door and trailing behind as Sasuke led him to his car.

The drive to the bar was brief and silent. Naruto admired Sasuke's profile as he drove. He considered himself very fortunate to have run into Sasuke the night before; not only had he been exceptionally patient with Naruto's antics, he had also given Naruto the space to speak honestly and openly for a little while. To Naruto, it was almost as if he were able to take a deep breath after being underwater for hours.

It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes, growled a familiar voice inside. He grimaced, making an effort to silence the relentless inner criticism.

All too soon, it seemed, they were parked alongside Naruto's car in front of the bar. "Thanks again, Sasuke," he said, as he exited the black sedan. "For everything."

He watched Sasuke drive away before closing himself into his own car.

His mind was full of thoughts of Sasuke, of their conversation over breakfast and memories of their interaction at the bar. He didn't realize until he almost turned in at his old house that he had driven right past his new apartment.

Swearing disgustedly, he made a sloppy u-turn and drove back towards the flat he now rented. He didn't appreciate the gated entrance, or the shimmering swimming pool. He wondered idly if he would ever bring Himawari and Boruto to the pool when they visited. The idea of his children visiting him made him feel sick inside. With a heavy sigh, he pulled into a parking space in front of his building.

He climbed the concrete stairwell to the fourth floor. He walked past his door at first, then doubled back to it, still unfamiliar with the layout. He struggled longer than was necessary with the key in the lock, then opened the door to greet the boxes and furniture that haphazardly crowded his new "home."

What now? He thought dismally, taking in the disarray.