After driving around for a while, Naruto stopped in a parking lot off Vista Del Mar. He rolled the windows down and enjoyed listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. The night sky was dark, with little blips of light out in the ocean. Planes taking off from LAX flew overhead about every five minutes. At this time of night, the traffic was light. It was January, so it was cool, maybe in the mid-50s. He kept the radio on as he scrolled through some of the feeds on his phone, replying to friends, and eyeing the time. Not that he truly thought the bartender had been serious, but Naruto was a true-to-his-word type of guy, so he'd at least shoot him a text in about 15 minutes. If Sasuke didn't want to reply, he didn't have to. No hard feelings. He'd just ended a relationship prior to moving here, so it's not as if he was looking for anything serious.

With only a few other cars in the lot, Naruto reclined his seat, arms folded behind his head as he watched the night sky, thinking of his journey here and what his new life in LA would be like. He didn't have too much anxiety about the job or making friends, although he was eager to meet people already. Naruto considered himself to be a social person who wasn't much for introspection, which is why he did kind of hope Sasuke might return his text. He liked the song playing on the radio, so he turned it up before reclining again, humming quietly. It was so relaxing out here, he could've fallen asleep. He wasn't ready to return to his rental apartment.

At some point he must've dozed off because when his eyes opened next, a different song was playing, and it was quarter past the hour. Naruto, sitting up, grabbed his phone from out of the cup holder. He typed a short message to the number the bartender had given. Then, not expecting much, started the engine with the intent of going back home. As he was putting the gear shift into drive, though, his text notification went off, so he put the car in park again.

You're late.

Naruto smirked at the screen. Wow, were you waiting for me to text?

Yes, because I need a ride.

He laughed. Are you sure you didn't mean to contact an Uber?

Why do that when you could give me a lift home for free?

Wow, you're presumptuous. What makes you think I'd do that?

You seem like a nice guy.

Naruto strapped on his seatbelt. Is that code for "pushover"?

You're on your way already, aren't you? I'll wait up to 15 minutes before I ask some other hot blond man to take me home.

Naruto shook his head. People from LA were interesting, at least.

Fine, he typed. But I at least expect a reciprocal tour guide experience at some point.

Sure. But only because you tip so well.

"Tch." Naruto set his phone in the holder. He could just drive home, but what the hell for? Sasuke was hot, he was funny, and Naruto wanted to get to know him better even if that only meant in the physical sense since that was clearly the bartender's intention.

Setting his Waze destination to the bar, Naruto pulled out of the parking lot, an unabashedly wide grin on his face as the Waze lady bleated out the navigational directions.

Naruto parked on the side of the street, as close as he could get to the bar. Rather than text Sasuke to walk all of 20 feet to meet him, Naruto got out and headed toward the entrance, where he found Sasuke speaking with the bouncer now posted there. It was good to see him without a bar between their bodies. Sasuke's physique was slim, but muscular, dark hair spiked up in the back like a punk rocker. His posture was, how should he put it, not stiff, but… graceful? Sexy? The way he carried himself was so—Naruto licked his lips, sliding a hand into his front pocket as he approached the two men—confident. The bouncer noticed him first, then Sasuke.

"Right on time." Sasuke grinned.

"Make sure your rating reflects that on the app," Naruto replied.

"Hn." Sasuke gestured to the other bigger, broader man. "This is Juugo."

"Hi, Juugo," Naruto held his hand out. "I'm Naruto."

"Naruto," said Juugo, taking his hand and squeezing it harder than necessary. "You're not a serial killer, are you?"

"Uh, never been convicted at least?" He joked, but when Juugo didn't laugh, Naruto cleared his throat. "No, I'm not a serial killer."

"Isn't that what you'd expect a serial killer to say?" Sasuke inquired innocently.

Innocent, my ass. Sasuke, who was wearing a short-sleeved black t-shirt, gave Naruto ample opportunity to run his gaze over the man's tattoos. There wasn't much light to check out the details, but it looked as though he had a sleeve on one arm, and another that peeked out from beneath the other short sleeve of his shirt. Would there be more to see underneath his clothes? There were multiple hoops in his ears—cartilage included, and a tiny silver bar running through his right eyebrow. Naruto, meanwhile, had no piercings or tattoos to speak of. Seeing them on Sasuke might've excited him just a little. Though he came off as reserved (except the flirting), perhaps Sasuke was more wild than he'd originally given him credit for?

"See you tomorrow," Sasuke announced, patting the bouncer on the back of his shoulder.

"I certainly hope so," Juugo said, eyeing Naruto with suspicion.

While Naruto was busy frowning at the man with orange hair—come on, orange, really? What a tacky color!—Sasuke threw an arm around his shoulder, guiding him toward the car.

"Easy, tiger," Sasuke said in his ear, distracting him from his annoyance.

"Is he always like that?"

"He's security, so yeah, he's a little suspicious of people he doesn't know."

"I mean, do I even look like a bad guy?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Are you normally this insecure?" Sasuke's hand slid to his lower back, which was unusual for Naruto since he was used to taking the lead.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"What's happening here anyway?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke was playing with one of his earrings. "Let's just go for a drive and see where the night takes us, hm?"

"I thought you wanted a ride home."

"I do. I will. Do you want me to drive?"

Naruto pouted. "No, I'll drive. It's okay. It's how I'm gonna learn, right?"

"You're very correct. So, where would you like to go, Naruto?"

"Well, I already hung out by the beach, what's your recommendation?"

"Here's my recommendation," Sasuke said, voice low and sexy as he leaned into Naruto's space. "How about we go back to my apartment and fuck?"

"...I mean," Naruto swallowed hard, staring into Sasuke's eyes, drawn in by his intensity, intelligence, and awareness he wouldn't say no. "...That, uh. That sounds like a good option."

"Then let's get in your car," Sasuke's hand was on his waist, "And I'll tell you how to get there."

"Okay," he agreed, bewildered but very turned on by this impromptu scenario. "Let's go."

"You sure you don't want me to drive?"

Naruto glanced over at his passenger. The bastard was smirking. It's true driving around here made him nervous, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Don't you worry your pretty little head."

Sasuke snickered. "As long as it's not me that's making you uneasy."

"Hardly," Naruto blurted and, blushing, set his eyes on the red stoplight. "I mean, I'm glad to have company. I'm surprised you wanted to do this. What if I'm some crazy person?"

"I don't know, are you a crazy person, Naruto?" Sasuke turned down the volume of the radio. "How do you know I'm not crazy?"

"That's a good point, but you're just as at risk with me drivin' you around."

"That's all to win your trust," Sasuke replied. "Pretending to put myself in a vulnerable position."

"Is the threat of homicidal intentions your usual come on line, or am I just special?"

Sasuke chuckled again. "That remains to be seen. It's just banter. Banter does turn me on regardless of the subject. If the guy is keeping up with me at least."

"And am I?" Naruto asked, glancing at him briefly. "Keeping up with you?"

"Well," Sasuke said, dragging out the word until Naruto smacked him playfully in the arm.

"So, you said before, you've been here for five years?"

"Yes, by the way, turn right at this light and stay in the left lane. We're five minutes away."

Naruto did as he was told, stopping at the light, pausing for a few cars, and then taking a right at South Centinela Avenue.

"I'm originally from a town in Oregon no one's ever heard of," Sasuke explained. "I'm in a grad program at UCLA at the moment and bartend during the evenings."

"Wow, UCLA?" Naruto was impressed. "You must be pretty smart, huh?"

"Only at least more than you." Sasuke, looking at him, gave Naruto a very smoldering look that made it impossible for him to get angry.

"I have to admit, your banter is pretty good, Sasuke."

"I like the way you say my name. Say it again."

"Sasuke."

"You aren't fully Japanese, though. Are you?"

"Hey, it's rude to ask that question nowadays, but no. I'm not. My dad was, like, half Japanese, other half Korean. Mom was from here, but her mom was from Thailand, and so on."

"You have blond hair," Sasuke pointed out. "But it looks natural."

"You'll discover it's not so natural later on, I assure you." He smirked, turning again when Sasuke told him to until they were driving down what appeared to be a residential street.

"Just up here, where that red car is parked."

Naruto found enough room to squeeze in between a couple of cars. He was used to parallel parking after having lived in downtown Chicago for several years.

"You did that rather expertly," Sasuke commented once they took off their seatbelts and began getting out of the car.

The street was mostly smaller houses with a couple of, what appeared to be, apartment buildings or condos. A plane could be heard flying over their heads.

"We're not far from the Santa Monica airport," Sasuke told him. "There's an interesting restaurant there, where you can order bugs. If you're into that."

"Is that an offer for a date?" Naruto joked. "Or are you takin' a dig at my background."

"I would never," Sasuke drawled sarcastically, walking up the driveway of one of the smaller homes, Naruto following behind.

Sasuke unlocked the door, turned on the light, and slipped off his shoes by the mat. Naruto did the same. It was a small place. There was a living room with a decent-sized entertainment center, a desk in the corner, a big sofa and ottoman. There was a potted tree right next to the door. Naruto touched one of the leaves to see if it was fake (it was).

"I'd forget to water it if it was real," said Sasuke.

"That's too bad. I really like plants, but yeah, I get it."

"Can I offer you something to drink? Make yourself comfortable on the couch if you want, or I can give you a very short tour of the place. As I'm sure you know, LA rent is… pricey."

"I have noticed that," Naruto replied, tagging along as Sasuke walked toward the kitchen. The only thing separating the living room and kitchen was a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. The kitchen was small but had all the major appliances except a dishwasher. There was a bistro table, too.

There was also a single bedroom that he could see and a bathroom and another door that was closed but, likely, a closet. Everything was neat and tidy. There were a few larger, framed pieces of art on the walls, which were painted a darker gray. Sometimes the wood flooring squeaked under his weight. They were also slightly slippery for anyone wearing socks, apparently.

"So, I have about everything you could want," Sasuke informed. "Wine, beer, tequila, rum, whiskey… what's good?"

"Wine sounds good." Naruto stood by the table, trying to keep out of the way.

There was a large collection of alcohol bottles on top of the fridge.

"Red or white?" Sasuke asked.

"Either." He shrugged. "I'll have red."

"Good choice. I'll have the same."

Sasuke, walking past him to the cabinets, brushed against his side. Naruto's whole body reacted to the touch, but he kept it cool and slid his hand into a pocket. He watched as Sasuke poured the wine into a couple of actual wine glasses (Naruto tended to use regular glasses).

While Sasuke turned and leaned his hip against the counter, he offered a glass to Naruto. He took a couple of steps closer, grasping the stem, and, this time, brushed Sasuke's fingers. Sasuke sipped first, but Naruto couldn't help but stare.

"You're… really good looking," Naruto told him, his tone thoughtful.

Sasuke flashed a small grin. "You think so?"

"I do." Naruto drank his wine and licked it off his lips so it wouldn't stain. "I'm sure you know, or have been told, but I'm just sayin'. For the record."

"Thank you."

Sasuke's simple response pleased him; he couldn't stop smiling.

"No roommates then?" He asked.

"No. The place is all mine. I don't make a great roommate."

"No?" Naruto tilted his head. "To tell you the truth, I don't think I do either."

Sasuke looked at him for a moment. "Come here."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him, not budging.

Sasuke, studying him, also tilted his head and smirked. "I'll come to you."

He took two steps forward so that he stood directly in front of Naruto.

"You're stubborn," Sasuke observed.

"You're bossy," he replied.

"I know what I want."

"What about what I want?" His gaze lowered to Sasuke's lips, darkened from the wine.

"You're here, aren't you," Sasuke said. "I think we both know what you want."

"But," Naruto shifted his glass to his left hand, and, then, set his right at Sasuke's waist, resting its weight on the other man's belt. "Do you know how I want it?"

"Very smooth." Sasuke grinned. "Okay, Naruto. I'll bite—"

"—I bet you will," he murmured.

"Hn." Sasuke's teeth sunk into his bottom lip, a very enticing gesture. He closed the distance between Naruto and himself. "How do you want it?" He whispered. "How do you want me?"

Naruto wet his lips, eyes narrowed at Sasuke's mouth. "On your back. On me. In my lap. In front of me, on your hands and knees, on your side with me behind you."

Setting the glass on the table, Naruto grabbed one of Sasuke's wrists, eyeing the pale skin and using his fingers to trace a tattoo of extremely lifelike feathers that came just past his elbow.

"You have more of these?" He asked, raising his eyes to Sasuke's.

"I guess you'll have to find out." Sasuke smirked. "Do you have any?"

"Not at all." The skin between his brows wrinkled in thought. "But they suit you. So well."

"You're not afraid of giving compliments, are you?"

"Why would I be?" He asked, genuinely curious. "It's the truth."

"You are… " Sasuke set his glass on the counter, next to the sink. "Definitely from the Midwest."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He tugged the sleeve up a little further. "Why feathers?"

"It's a long story," Sasuke answered and, catching Naruto by surprise, cupped one of his cheeks and moved in for a blistering kiss. On reflex, Naruto squeezed the man's bicep, other hand swiftly moving from Sasuke's waist to the side of his head, fingers running through his hair. It was coarse to the touch and stiff from product, spikes in the back enticingly sharp. He pulled at Sasuke's hair, forcing his head back so that he could attack the man's neck, biting lightly and sliding his tongue up to the strong line of his jaw. The noises he made, the smallest physical reactions he received excited him. Thrilled him. He felt his back hit the edge of the counter, but the pain intensified the pleasure.

Sasuke was busy undoing Naruto's buckle. "Are we taking this to the bedroom, or what?"

"I can't imagine there being another option better than that," he panted, pulling Sasuke's shirt over his head, and revealing a chest tattoo that extended to Sasuke's lower stomach—a flock of gothic-looking blackbirds or crows, their inky-blackness ominous somehow.

Naruto ran his hand over Sasuke's abdominal muscles, appreciating the body that would soon be beneath him. He looked so fucking hot, Naruto forgot himself for a few seconds.

Sasuke laughed at him, taking hold of his hand and, in an intimate gesture (to Naruto), intertwined their fingers. He was led to the bedroom. Sasuke flipped on the light and, letting go of Naruto's hand, opened the top drawer to a side table beside the bed. The other man dropped a silver plastic tube and a condom on top of the striped comforter.

"By the way," Sasuke said as he began to remove his skinny jeans. "I don't often bottom."

"Oh," Naruto said. "I don't—yeah, I don't really either."

"Would you… consider switching if I take first?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto, who had actually never bottomed in his life, glanced at the condom and then up at Sasuke. He then dragged his gaze lower, following the flock of birds to the sizable bulge in Sasuke's dark blue Calvin Klein boxer-briefs. Fuck did he look so good it was hard to think straight. Story of his life, though. Should he admit this would be his first time, or would that make things weird? He didn't have an issue with it, it's just that no man had ever asked.

"No, yeah," he said eventually. "That sounds fair."

"You sure?" Sasuke asked. "You look uncertain. I don't mind—"

"No. I'm good. It's cool." Naruto pulled off his shirt and let it drop to the floor. He approached Sasuke, eyeing his body with appreciation while running his hands down his arms, sides, and, using the back of his hands, down the center of his stomach.

The thought of Sasuke fucking him made him feel oddly vulnerable. Almost like an out-of-body experience, but when Sasuke took hold of a chunk of his hair and yanked, Naruto was brought back to reality. Sasuke's palm hit flat against one of Naruto's nipples while the other man sucked at the base of his neck, abruptly pinching the nipple between two fingers.

"Aaah," Naruto let out, shutting his eyes as Sasuke dragged his jeans to the floor. Then his underwear. Next he knew, Sasuke was on his knees, holding his cock in one hand and licking up the side and underneath. He lost all ability to analyze or process anything other than the amazing feel of Sasuke taking him into his mouth, sucking on him and fondling his balls. He'd worry about that whole first-time conversation when it came up… but for right now, he wanted to jerk his hips and smash into Sasuke's pretty little face as that hot tongue worked him over. Follow it up by ramming into him from behind and making him moan while Naruto ran his hands all over those sexy tattoos and this hot, lithe body. It was going to feel so fucking good.

He couldn't wait.

TBC