Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of its associated characters!

Summary: COMPLETE (new chapter up everyday - total of 35 chapters!). Sasuke's a writer whose been writing the same words for years. He's tired, he's annoyed, and his money situation is...pretty messed up, even by student standards. Enter Naruto. Modern AU (College/University), Sasunaru/Narusasu. Posted for Sasuke's birthday!

A/N: Okay, I know, I know! It's past midnight. But it's the last night of camp so everything ran over - I haven't had a moment of free time all day! It's been a blast, though. I'm sorry the chapter is late, but I hope you like it!


Enter Naruto

Chapter 26: Surprise

"So," Iruka started, sitting down at the table. Naruto paused, breakfast halfway into his mouth. Sasuke just huddled his coffee closer to himself.

"So?"

"So," Iruka said again, "we have a surprise for you."

"Oh—are you telling him?" Kakashi's voice came from the kitchen. "Wait for me!"

The grey-haired man shuffled into the room, yawning.

"What's up?" Naruto put down his fork, glancing between his parents.

"We have another Christmas present." Iruka was smiling—he looked as if he could barely contain himself. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of his coffee.

"We didn't want to tell you until it was for sure," Kakashi said, "but we got the email last night."

"The email for what? What's going on?"

They seemed to glance at each other, before Iruka spoke.

"We're getting a dog."

There was a pause—Sasuke watched as Naruto's jaw slowly sagged further open—

"We—what?"

"He's an older dog—well, three years old, so—"

"We're getting a dog?!" Naruto leapt to his feet.

Iruka nodded and Kakashi laughed.

"Sasuke!" Naruto spun to him, eyes absolutely glowing. "I'm getting a dog!"

Without waiting for Sasuke's reaction, he spun back to face his parents.

"He's three? He's a boy? Does he have a name? When can we get him? What's he like? Have you met him? What does he look like? Does he—"

Sasuke reached over and covered Naruto's mouth with his hand.

"Yes, yes, yes, today, I have no idea, not yet, and I think he looks like a pug," Kakashi answered, looking at Iruka for confirmation.

Iruka nodded, and Sasuke released Naruto's mouth.

"A pug!" Naruto was fully yelling, now. "Wait—we're getting him today?!"

"Mhm," Kakashi said, sipping his coffee. "We were hoping you two would come with us to pick him up."

Sasuke blinked, taken aback at his inclusion.

"YES!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air.


Naruto rocked back and forth on his heels, nearly dancing on the spot. Really, how much paperwork did you need to do to get a dog? It was like his own adoption all over again.

He snorted a little at his own joke, turning back to where Sasuke stood—a little ways away, frowning at his phone.

"What's wrong?" Naruto trotted back to him.

"I…got another email." Sasuke's voice was quiet.

"You get a ton of emails. What—"

"From a publisher." He looked up, eyes a little wide—

"Oh," Naruto stared at him, "oh—oh, shit, Sasuke—that's—" he laughed, running a hand through his hair, "damn—I told you you were amazing!"

He ducked around Sasuke to peer over his shoulder.

"They want to meet the same day as the first publisher—a little later."

"Yeah," Naruto rested his chin on Sasuke's shoulder, smiling so wide he thought his cheeks might burst, "Oto Publishing, huh? We should tell Kakashi."

Sasuke shook his head.

"They emailed me, not Kakashi. I…"

"Sasuke," Naruto rolled his eyes, "Kakashi isn't gonna be offended if you meet a publisher other than the ones he contacted."

Sasuke's scowl only deepened.

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered, "but we tell him after both of the meetings—'cause by then you'll probably have your decision. Right?"

Sasuke turned back to his phone—Naruto took his silence to mean agreement. Good enough.

"How did they even get your email, anyway? If not through Kakashi?"

"I'm not…sure. They do have a website. With published books." Sasuke frowned at his phone. "I've heard of some of these. And they—they used my pen name. In the email, I mean."

"Huh," Naruto peered over his shoulder, "…I'm coming with you, right?"

Sasuke smirked back at him. "Of course you are."

"Okay." He nudged Sasuke with his hip a little. "Meet them after you meet with the first one and if it seems super sketchy or something we'll get the hell out of there."

"Alright." Sasuke poised his fingers over the phone. "I'll let them know."


"Pakkun," Naruto tested the name out for the thousandth time, rolling around on the floor with the dog. "He's so cuuuute!"

Sasuke fought a smile. The dog seemed content to just sit on the floor and sleep, but Naruto had no such ideas.

"It's hard to tell which one is the puppy," Kakashi commented. Sasuke snorted, amused. Naruto really was like a puppy, desperately trying to egg an older dog into playing with him.

"He wanted to meet you, you know," Kakashi said. Sasuke turned to look at him.

"Last year—and the year before." He scratched his chin.

"…Naruto?"

Kakashi nodded.

"He always asked me if he could—after he finished reading your writing. Every time." He let out a soft chuckle. Sasuke stared at him.

"Why…?"

Kakashi gave a wane smile.

"I'm not sure. Something about you must have spoken to him." He turned back to watch Naruto, who was rubbing Pakkun's belly. Sasuke followed his gaze.

"I suppose he's always believed in you."

Sasuke swallowed against the lump in his throat.

Stupid usuratonkachi.

Stupid, stupid, amazing usuratonkachi.

"Why didn't you…?"

"Let him meet you?" Kakashi turned to him with an amused look. "I tried. It's not my fault you took so long to take my advice."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide at the implication—the advice—Kakashi had always suggested oddly specific places—at oddly specific times—for him to try writing in a public place. Sasuke had always just figured the man knew the area well enough by his own experience, but—had he—had Naruto always been—

He opened his mouth—

His phone rang.

Sasuke's stomach dropped as he looked at the screen. Naruto was at his side in an instant.

Their eyes met and Naruto gave him a firm nod. Almost automatically, he pulled Naruto with him—Kakashi's words still spiraling through his head—as he moved to the other room. He couldn't even feel as nervous as he ought to—Naruto quietly shut the door behind them, moving close enough to brush against Sasuke, and Sasuke couldn't resist letting his fingers graze Naruto's palm.

The touch settled what little nerves he had left.

"Hello?"

"Sasuke." His father's voice was clear and stiff, as it always was. No greetings, no fluff—just business.

"Father." He vaguely wondered if he just ought to call the man by his name.

"I would like to set up a meeting," he continued, as if Sasuke was just another one of his colleagues. "Does Friday at seven work for you?"

"AM or PM?" Sasuke asked, as if it mattered to him.

"PM."

"…Fine. That works."

There was a pause. Sasuke's frown softened.

"Is that all?"

"No."

Sasuke waited for his father to elaborate, sharing a confused look with Naruto. Why did his father keep pausing?

He heard the sound of a throat being cleared—once, and then again—

"Did you—" he started, just as he heard his father's voice say "I thought—"

They both paused.

"…Sorry, go ahead." He squeezed Naruto's hand.

"Ah," his father cleared his throat again, "yes, well."

Another pause. Naruto pulled their hands up, pressing a kiss to the back of Sasuke's hand.

"Would you like to meet at your…location?"

Sasuke blinked.

"…My location?" Naruto's house? Surely—

"The location where you have been living."

Oh. Oh. His apartment.

…Why did his father want to see his apartment?

He frowned, considering it. Was he okay with his father knowing where he lived? He would likely find out at one point or another, but…

"I would…like to see it."

Sasuke rocked back on his heels. That was—not what he expected. A thrill ran through his body.

Well, fuck. What did it matter if his father knew where he lived? It wouldn't make any difference. And—if worst came to worst—he could move. He could live with Naruto—even—if the blonde would let him. He could—just—

"Alright," he heard his voice say.

"Oh," Sasuke liked to imagine he heard a hint of surprise in his father's voice, "I—I will get the address from Itachi, then."

Sasuke frowned.

"I can just text it to you," he pointed out.

There was another pause.

"Yes—that would—that works. Thank you."

He had never heard his father sound so awkward. He fought a smile.

"You're welcome." He raised an eyebrow at Naruto, whose face had just broken out into a brilliant smile. "See you then."

"Ye—see you then."

There was a click, and Sasuke turned to Naruto, who stared at him with expectant eyes.

"How do you feel about heading back to my place on Friday?"


"It's gonna be a crazy next few days," Naruto sighed, getting under the blankets. It was more to himself than anyone else, but—

Sasuke fixed him with a fierce glare.

Naruto blinked at him.

"What?"

"Yes, thank you, Naruto." He scowled, turning away from him—and taking the blankets with him.

Naruto frowned at his back for a moment.

Yeah, no.

"Okay, asshole," Naruto pressed himself right up against Sasuke, snaking an arm around his waist, "no need to bite my head off."

Sasuke didn't reply, but Naruto could feel how tense he was. His body was like stone—or, well…Naruto eyed the way his hair contrasted against his neck…his body was like—porcelain, then. Kinda like stone.

Naruto traced his fingers back along Sasuke's hips, sitting up a little. It pulled the blankets down to Sasuke's waist, but he still said nothing. He didn't move at all, either. Naruto hoped he wasn't going to shut down again, like he had after they visited his family…

He lifted Sasuke's hand, pressing a soft kiss to his fingers—and then another, and another, all the way up the back of his hand, around his wrist, back down his palm…Naruto smiled softly, pulling away. He could already feel Sasuke coming back, just a little.

He pressed his thumbs to Sasuke's palm, kneading his skin softly—using grip to massage down each finger, massaging the back of his hand, and then moving up, pressing his fingers to Sasuke's wrist, rubbing them up his forearm, past his elbow—Sasuke was still wearing a shirt, unfortunately—

Sasuke's body turned, just as Naruto reached past his bicep, rolling to look at him. That neutral, detached expression was gone, now, but Naruto really wasn't sure this one was any better—

"Sorry," Sasuke whispered softly. Naruto leaned down to press their foreheads together.

"You're nervous." He ran his thumb over Sasuke's cheek. "You get a free pass today."

"A free pass to treat you badly?"

"A free pass to let me know that you're stressed," Naruto threaded his fingers through Sasuke's hair, "even if you can't do it in the best way. I'd rather know."

Sasuke let out a breath, and Naruto could feel the way his body relaxed—just a little. He pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose.

"I mean, you don't need to tell me anything." He pulled back, giving Sasuke a soft smile. "Sometimes it helps to talk and sometimes it really doesn't, I know. But I don't want you trying to hide yourself from me."

Naruto paused, content just to search Sasuke's eyes for a moment.

"Okay?"

He felt Sasuke's chest fall with the weight of another breath.

"…Okay."

Naruto smiled—trying not the let the relief show on his face as he ducked down again.

"Turn over," he mumbled into Sasuke's neck. "I'm gonna give you a real massage."

"You don't have to do that."

Naruto snorted, pulling back to give Sasuke a look.

"Oh, yeah, 'cause it's such an inconvenience for me. I just hate touching you. It's not like I'm in love with you or anything." He nudged at Sasuke's body until it turned—he might've imagined it, but he swore he caught a hint of a smile on that face.

"Yeah," he let out a breath, bunching Sasuke's shirt up to his shoulders—hands moving up at soft, pale skin, "nothing in this for me at all..."

He pressed a kiss to Sasuke's shoulder blade just as he started to knead his thumb along the muscle. Honestly, tearing himself away from Sasuke was pretty much the hardest thing he had to do every day. He just—he just couldn't get enough of him.

Naruto pressed his thumbs on either side of Sasuke's spine, low down on his back—moving them up as he pushed—

It was like he was addicted. It wasn't even about the lust—Sasuke was always gorgeous, obviously, to the extent that it could get really fucking aggravating because Naruto was just always so fucking attracted to him—but—

He moved his hand up to Sasuke's shoulders.

He was just so…drawn to Sasuke, even now. He had felt it from the moment they met—maybe even before—and he had expected it to calm, over time, but…he felt like he was always fighting the urge to touch him—talk to him—hell, just look at him. If Sasuke wasn't in the same room, he automatically sought him out.

He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, massaging Sasuke's neck a little.

He was…in it pretty bad. Maybe a little more obsessed than he ought to be. He pressed a kiss behind Sasuke's ear, down his neck…

But he had never felt like this before—so he was just learning as he went along. And, really, so was Sasuke—so they could just learn together, right?

"…Are you trying to turn me on?" Sasuke's muffled voice came from underneath him—Naruto realized he might have been paying a bit too much attention to Sasuke's skin with his mouth—

"No," he said honestly, pulling back, "if I was trying to turn you on, I'd be massaging much lower."

He squeezed Sasuke's butt for emphasis—laughing as it made the Uchiha roll back to face him.

But Sasuke's eyes didn't hold a glare—like Naruto had expected—and—

Naruto's eyebrows raised.

Sasuke's pajamas did absolutely nothing to hide that erection.

"You know," Sasuke said, his casual voice belied by the heat in his half-lidded eyes, "I'm not going to be able to sleep unless you tire me out."

Naruto's grin widened.

"Your wish is my command."


A/N: The big reveal! Who called it that Kakashi was the captain of the SNS ship? :P (Although, for the record, he just thought it would be good for Sasuke to meet someone like Naruto. He didn't anticipate the whole, y'know, falling in love thing.)

Tomorrow I'm traveling back from camp and I will be exhausted, but the chapter shooould be up at a way more reasonable hour. Thank you all for being so patient with me!

See you then,

- Kinomi