Chapter 21

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Naruto's jaw was beginning to ache. His mouth felt like it was cracking around the edges. His face hurt.

But, damnit, he couldn't stop smiling! All day he'd walked around grinning so wide some of his coworkers thought he was going to dislocate his jaw. Naruto couldn't seem to help himself. He couldn't remember ever being so happy- not even ramen had this kind of effect on him.

Sasuke, for anyone who knew him, was acting equally strange. He was being patient with all the staff- even the girls from accounting who were notorious flirts when it came to the Uchiha- and he was being helpful. HELPFUL. Usually Sasuke's idea of being helpful was critiquing derisively until the subject burst into tears (male and female alike) or simply doing it himself. Instead, he was offering suggestions. SUGGESTIONS!!

Half the staff had bets going on as to whether their bosses had: a) their brains eaten by form-stealing aliens b) taken up some sort of mind altering drug or b) Had finally cracked under the pressure and were going to start speaking in tongues and climbing up walls.

So far, b. was a heavy favorite. Though a. was a close second, with a dedicated support group….

Sakura was equally chipper, though for her this was quite less noticeable, especially with everyone's attention so focused on Naruto and Sasuke. She simply hummed a little as she worked and talked to her plants, as she was prone to do when in a good mood (she had begun this habit after killing the hall plants, out of guilt).

"Naruto! Did you fill out the budget forms for Kiba-san's department?" Naruto, who had been leaning against Hinata's desk discussing the increasing rate of applications for the manager's positions, glanced up.

"Nani?" The blond asked, face blank. Sakura rolled her eyes and marched up, handing him a manila folder.

"You need to approve them, Kiba's staff is expanding and he needs to be able to use more resources. Maybe you should go over them with Sasuke-kun first, to make sure there aren't any complications?" Sakura offered, smiling knowingly. Naruto didn't seem to notice, but his face lit up at the prospective of having an excuse to go pester his…

His….

Naruto's face flushed lightly. His boyfriend.

"Okay!" Naruto chirped, an adorably light-hearted smile spreading across his features. He gathered up the papers, and half-walked, half-jogged in the direction of Sasuke's office. The Uchiha always- even when he's in a good mood- holed himself up in there. Naruto, on the other hand, spent so much time out of his office he couldn't be entirely sure where it was anymore….

"Sasuke! Sakura wants us to do stuff!" Naruto called pleasantly as he pushed open the Uchiha's door, turning the handle with his elbow. Sasuke glanced up from his desk, giving Naruto a curious look. A small smirk crossed the Uchiha's mouth, and his eyes instantly locked on Naruto's form. The blond blushed cutely, moving over to toss the now-messy stack of papers onto the Uchiha's desk.

"Hey." Naruto said softly, leaning over the desk until he was only a few inches from Sasuke's face.

"Hey." Sasuke responded, tone slightly mocking, before he placed his hand on the back of Naruto's head, and pulled the other man into a kiss. It started out a bit awkwardly- the sudden pressure was uneven and not very sensual- before the two adjusted to their positions and the kiss softened pleasantly. Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's desk to keep from falling over, and Sasuke rose a bit from his chair. Not the most comfortable way to make out, so Naruto decided to make it easier.

By climbing over the desk. Papers slid onto the floor, pens scattered. Sasuke felt only a slight flare of irritation at this before he moved his chair back enough for Naruto to slide into his lap.

Yes, this was much better.

"Were you busy?" Naruto asked, tugging on Sasuke's tie playfully. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Of course. I do own a company, you know." The Uchiha retorted, giving Naruto a small smirk. "Shouldn't you be busy too? Honestly, when do you find time to get anything done, the way you play around?" Naruto wrinkled up his nose in a way that made Sasuke want to smile. He didn't, of course, but the initial desire was still there.

"Hey, it always gets done, doesn't it? Besides, you like it when I play around." Naruto retorted. Sasuke gave him an amused look.

"Oh, I do, do I?" Sasuke responded thoughtfully, weaving a hand around Naruto's waist and sliding it under his jacket. Naruto squirmed and blushed, running his own tan fingers down Sasuke's chest lightly. The Uchiha smirked, and squeezed Naruto's hip lightly causing the boy to jump a bit and his face grew redder.

So cute.

The thought was through Sasuke's head before he could stop it and he felt his heart speed up. God, he was getting so sentimental. Naruto was cute? When had it become normal for him to think like that? How long had he been thinking like that?

Sasuke's train of thought was rather abruptly derailed when Naruto leaned down and kissed him again, sliding his fingers beneath Sasuke's jacket to caress his sides. Sasuke moaned pleasantly and brought his free hand up to play with Naruto's soft hair. Naruto shifted in his lap, sending heat up his thighs and groin. Sasuke jerked upward involuntarily, and Naruto chuckled into his mouth. Sasuke responded by doing a very, very un-Uchiha like thing. He used the hand still pressed against Naruto's side, and began to tickle him.

Yes, tickle him.

Naruto seemed equally surprised by this and pulled away from the kiss slightly, staring down at Sasuke with wonder, before the sensation caught up with him. The blond began to squirm helplessly, giggling and shaking his head about wildly. Sasuke continued the assault, staring up at Naruto with a kind of stunned fascination. Was he really doing this? Was he really…tickling him?

And did Naruto have to respond in such an adorable way?

Sasuke stopped his actions abruptly; catching Naruto's squirming hips and jerking the blond close. Naruto's blue eyes widened, and the soft warmth of his breath (he was panting slightly) fanned across Sasuke's mouth and nose. Sasuke smirked. Naruto blushed.

Then the phone rang.

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin, sliding off Sasuke's lap and hitting his head on the desk as he fell the floor. Sasuke spared him a slightly concerned glance before picking up the phone. Naruto's mouth fell open, and from his spot on the ground he kicked slightly at the Uchiha's legs.

How dare he answer the phone when they were making out? Er…kind of making out…

"Uchiha Sasuke." The dark haired man announced, ignoring Naruto's pouting. "Ah, yes. Of course. No, I'll be down. Hold him there. Thank you." Sasuke dropped the phone and glanced down at Naruto, looking rather amused. "Comfy?"

The blond scowled, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You'll be right down? Hellllooo. Forgetting something?" Naruto grumbled.

"Yes, actually. Forgetting we're at work. And as much fun as it is, getting you off is not beneficial to our shareholders." Sasuke replied, eyes glittering with a hint of smugness. Naruto wondered if it was just wishful thinking, but he thought maybe there was a hint of disappointment too. "Perhaps, if we were to set aside some time in the future, we would be able to carry this further. Friday night, perhaps?" Sasuke's voice was void, and his face was suddenly very passive. Naruto stared up at him, mouth opened in a little 'o' and understanding slowly trickling into his eyes. Then, when reality finally hit, a wicked grin crossed the blond's face.

"Sasuke…are you…asking me out? As in, like, a date?" Naruto demanded, mirth flaring into his eyes. Sasuke stiffened and glared at him.

"So it would seem." Sasuke grumbled, voice a bit defensive. Naruto just grinned from his spot on the floor. "We have been out together before, it's not like it's a big deal."

"Not a big deal? We've gone out for work Sasuke! This would be like…like…a real relationship." Naruto prattled, feeling suddenly light-headed. His stomach fluttered.

"I was under the impression that that's what this was." Sasuke retorted, eyes darkening. It suddenly occurred to Naruto that Sasuke may think that he was teasing him. The Uchiha did seem rather put off. But Naruto couldn't help it- he wasn't trying to offend him it's just…

The idea was just so…

"Wonderful." Naruto murmured, rather breathless. "That's a wonderful idea, Sasuke. I would love to go on a date with you." The Uchiha looked a bit startled, and shifted awkwardly in his chair. He turned away, breaking eye contact. Naruto choose to ignore the slight hints of red dusting his cheeks.

"Good. I'm…." Amazed. Overjoyed. In Love with you. "looking forward to it." Sasuke murmured, then cleared his throat and stood abruptly, casting Naruto a quick look (the blond was still sitting on the floor, but he didn't seem to care anymore).

"I have to go meet Ino downstairs. We're meeting with a member of the board. Don't just sit there with your mouth hanging open and finish those papers before I get back, got it dobe?" Old Sasuke was back. Cool, collected, over confident Sasuke. Naruto smiled.

"No problem." Sasuke nodded and turned, heading toward the door. As he shut it behind him, he could swear he heard a soft, warm voice murmur "boyfriend."

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Naruto was on air for the rest of the day. Even more so than he had been earlier that morning. He'd practically skipped to his car on his way out of work. He'd had only a slight moment of regret- Sasuke had to work late tonight. Some of the shareholders were antsy about the merger now that word had gotten out that Sasuke was no longer heading it. No matter how brilliant Naruto was, the shareholders would always be more comfortable working with someone with the name Uchiha. Now Sasuke had to spend the rest of the evening talking them down of the ledge they were ready to jump from….Personally, Naruto would have just pushed them and been done with the matter…

Either way, Sasuke was stuck working, which meant that tonight he was off to his lonely little apartment that a few days ago had seemed welcoming and comfortable.

Stupid Sasuke and his stupid ability to make anyplace feel like home.

Naruto nodded absently to the doorman as he entered, fiddling with his keys and thinking about Friday.

Friday.

His favorite day of the week. Warmth spread through his stomach. As he rode the elevator up- he had had enough of stairs this past week- he hummed to the lull of the placid music, a smile plastered on his face. The elevator gave a tiny jolt, and the doors slid open. Naruto smirked and hit every button on the counsel before he hopped out. For Naruto, Happy was often the equivalent of mischievous.

As Naruto turned to head down the hall he froze and shock crossed his face. There, against the wall, arms resting on his bent knees, sat Gaara. The red haired male had his head down, leaning against his propped arms. For a long moment, Naruto couldn't move, he just stood there, staring. Gaara never looked up.

The blond sighed softly, and made his way over. He should have known this day was going to good to be true. He pressed his back against the wall and slid down, sitting down beside the other male. Gaara turned his head slightly, his eyes glowing behind his arm. Naruto could see light scratches along his skin near his elbow, and a nasty one along his cheek. Concern flashed across Naruto's face, and he unconsciously reached out, his fingertips brushing against Gaara's face before the red-head jerked away sharply, turning his head away. Naruto bit his lip, and let his hand fall.

"Hi." Naruto murmured, blue eyes soft and concerned. Gaara frowned. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter." Gaara said softly, voice rough but emotionless. Naruto sighed again and stared down at his feet. "I've come to apologize." Gaara added, turning his head slightly so he could stare straight ahead, still away from Naruto. The blond looked a little surprised by this announcement.

"Oh." He said, voice soft. "I see." Gaara glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"I didn't mean to upset you. That was never my intention." The pale red head continued. His voice didn't change, the pitch and tone still apathetic and calm, but Naruto couldn't help but feel as if the man was hurting.

"I know." Naruto murmured, blue eyes softening and he glanced over at Gaara carefully. The other man continued to look straight forward. "I'm sorry too. About what I said. It wasn't true." Naruto whispered, fingers playing with the fabric of his pants nervously.

"It doesn't matter…" Gaara murmured, looking off to the side, away. Naruto swallowed.

"No. It does matter. What I said- I was wrong. I didn't mean it. I was mostly just angry at myself. Because- Because I love Sasuke, you see? And…and when you kissed me….I liked it. I was mad at myself for being so...weak. I took it out on you. What I said- was so horrible. Gaara- Gaara I think you're a good person. I never meant what I said." Naruto's voice was insistent, and as he said it, he reached out and touched Gaara's clothed arm gently. The red head didn't flinch, but he still kept his eyes averted.

"I've placed Kankuro in charge." Gaara said softly. Naruto blinked in confusion at the sudden change in topic.

"W-what?" He asked, blue eyes flickering with surprise.

"I've placed Kankuro in charge of the merger. I will not be responsible for any more of the negotiations for the dealings with Konoha." Gaara clarified, pale hands forming fists briefly before relaxing, his pale fingers hanging loose over his knees. Naruto felt his heart jerk painfully.

"That's not what I want." He gasped, staring at Gaara with a look of sudden loss. "I don't want you to just go away!" Gaara's eyes finally turned to him, confused. Naruto's blue eyes were sad, and he looked down at his feet meekly.

"I…I mean…I will never love you, the way that I love Sasuke. Sasuke is...Sasuke." Naruto worried his lip nervously. "But…I like to think that there is always a way to care for someone, trust them, and be there for them…I guess what I mean is that, somewhere along the line, you became someone I care about. And…Even…Even if you leave, and we never see each other again…" Naruto looked up, blue eyes gentle and the edges of his mouth were tilted upward. "I'll still always smile when I think of you." Gaara's eyes widened and a sudden warmth spread through him. His heart ached in a way that was strangely wonderful. Pressing his hand against his chest, Gaara was amazed at how fast his heart pounded. Suddenly, Gaara felt so…

So…..

Blue eyes widened with shock when pale arms suddenly wrapped around his neck, and Gaara buried his face into Naruto's shoulder. The blond felt his mouth open in a slight gasp that never surfaced. He thought he heard- so silent he could barely hear it- Gaara whisper 'thank you'. Naruto smiled softly, and wrapped his arms around Gaara's waist gently.

Okay, so maybe all he could do for Gaara was be there. Maybe all he could do was care for him.

But maybe…Maybe that was enough?

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Author's notes

Almost done! I'm both happy and sad…

I hope this doesn't disappoint anyone. Being that the climax is over, I wanted to wrap up the GaaNaru side a little less dramatically. I like it, but that's not to say everyone else will….

Oh well, what's done is done.

Oh, and by the way,

I, AthenaAlpha, have made a shocking discovery: Finals suck. Finals suck ass.

Just thought you all should know.

You'll hear more from me later!

Ciao,

AA