A/N: *Looks at the "last updated" date* Oh dear. Has it really been a month-or-something since I last updated?! Dang it, I really loose my sense of time when I'm sick. Oh well. *sigh* I guess it's better late than never, right? :) Right..? Right? RIGHT?! O.o' Oh dear, it seems like all the medicine I've consumed in the last 72 hours is finally starting to get to me. ^__^' And I've finally entered the horrible world of the musing-and-soul-killing "working force"… Ugh. I cringe just thinking about it. O.O *Looks around suspiciously and then slinks off into the dark, creepy alley all suspiciously-like.*

Warnings: Mature audiences only. :)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR MIDNIGHT SECERTARY

"Talking"

"Thinking"

??? – Scene/Time Change

Whhhoooosh! XD

Tea? Would You Like Cream or Blood With That?

Sasuke was never one to be ruled by his emotions. He was calm and composed just the way his parents molded him to be. An Uchiha never allowed emotions to rule over logic. It was practically taboo in the infamous world of the Uchihas. The only emotions deemed worthy enough to grace an Uchiha's perfect features are annoyance, smugness, and disappointment in the failure of others due to the simple fact that they aren't an Uchiha. Well, the Uchihas weren't really known for their modesty.

"I am not jealous. I will not kill him. I am not jealous. I will not kill him." Sasuke chanted, then took a deep breathe and knocked on the office door.

"It's open," came the muffled replied.

The secretary took one more deep breathe before quietly pushing the polished door open to see Naruto sitting at his grand desk talking to Gaara, who was perched on top of the blond's desk leaning a little too close to the grinning president.

"Well, pushing him out a three story window doesn't really count as killing." Sasuke mused as he tried to keep a glare from crossing his features. "Excuse me President, but the reports from Sound Inc. have arrived and need your approval and signature."

"Got it," Naruto said dismissively. "Just leave them here and I'll get around to them."

"It looks like I'm in the way again," Gaara commented to no one in particular as he picked up the documents off the desk where Sasuke had put them.

"Oh don't worry about it," Sasuke replied sarcastically. "You're always in the way, but that doesn't stop you from coming every. Single. Fucking. Day."

It was true though. Gaara, Naruto's childhood friend, had been coming to the company almost every single day, and the amount of alone time the two would spend together a day has steadily increased to the point where they practically spent hours alone with each other. It was as if the two vampires were trying to emphasize the vast distance between humans and vampires. It wasn't that the raven was jealous of the two vampires. He just felt pushed aside and was only kept around because he was necessary.

"Naruto, I know that you wouldn't be so stupid to only hire him because he's my brother, but do you really have any use for someone like him?" Gaara asked as he slid off the desk and walked around Naruto's seat so that he could read over the blond's shoulder.

"That's because there aren't that many people I can use who know about vampires, and it's just more convenient if they do know." The blond answered absently as his eyes continued to read the document in his hands.

"I see," Gaara responded with a smirk and looked up to a silent Sasuke. "Especially if they have delicious blood, right?" Gaara added smugly.

"Do you want to fight? Is that it? You want me to kick your ass? Because I have nothing against kicking your ass. I will do it! I took Judo (*) for almost seven years and was captain of my high school Judo team, so if you want your ass to get kicked by some 'mere human', then keep talking!" said mental Sasuke who clearly has finally snapped. So, back in the "real world", Sasuke merely stood quietly and quickly turned his head to avoid making eye contact when Gaara turned to look at him.

The red head then sighed and moved away from Naruto. "Well, since you've got work to do now, I'll leave. Can I take a nap upstairs though?"

"You don't have to leave," Naruto quickly said. "Just stay here."

"No, it's fine. It's like I said: 'I don't want to be in the way'." Gaara reassured with a small smile.

"Would you like me to take you—"

"No." Gaara cut in. "I know the way perfectly."

"Of course," Sasuke nodded as Gaara walked past him.

As Sasuke watched the red head's retreating back, he tried to ignore the sharp pain in his chest. "Stop… Don't let him in. Don't let him go upstairs. Don't let him in the office. Don't let him into the places where your other partners aren't suppose to come in. Don't let him… Come so easily between us…"

"Uchiha?"

"Excuse me, sir." Sasuke responded with a slight bow. "This is all the information that you requested. Is there anything else you need?" The secretary asked professionally.

"Damn it… I have to make these feeling disappear. I'm his secretary and secretaries don't need such useless feelings. I'm starting to become just like his problematic 'meals'. I have to get rid of these feelings, or else I'll lose my 'usefulness'."

"Oh, and also, you have a meeting with the executive staff at 7 o'clock and at 8 o'clock you have a meeting with the manager of Uzumaki Inc."

"But I don't want to meet with anyone from Uzumaki." Naruto whined like a little child.

"Then should I cancel the meeting?"

"But don't we need inside information from Uzumaki on the merge with Leaf Inc.?"

"Yes," Sasuke nodded.

"Damn Kiba and his information," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke let a small smile cross his lips because he knew Naruto didn't really find the meeting as troublesome as he let on. The blond had created NFR just so he could support Uzumaki Inc. from the shadows while also making some money for himself. Naruto actually really treasures his family and close friends, vampire or not. But ever since the creation of NFR, Naruto had been avoiding his family and best friend more than ever. Sasuke couldn't help but feel like Naruto was trying really hard to distance himself from humans that he didn't have to interact with daily because of business.

"Uchiha!" Naruto called when he heard the faint noise of a door opening.

Sasuke turned from the door at hearing his name. "Yes sir?"

"Uh… N… Nothing," Naruto answered, looking back to the document.

"Then excuse me sir," Sasuke bowed politely as he closed the door.

A low growled slipped past Naruto's lips as his grip on the paper tightened, almost tearing the edge of the innocent report.

???

"Hello."

"Great… You're still alive." Sasuke mused to himself sarcastically. "Um… Didn't you go upstairs to take nap?" The raven asked.

"I thought it wouldn't take Naruto too long to look over those documents, so I decided to just wait here." Gaara answered with a sly smirk.

"I see… Well, the president is only going over already processed data, I think it would be alright if you were to go in right now," Sasuke said like the good, little secretary he was.

"Really? And why do you think that?" Gaara challenged.

"Because it seems to me that your relationship with President Uzumaki is very private and he doesn't seem to mind your company." Sasuke answered, restraining himself from punching the smug-looking red headed vampire.

Sasuke didn't understand what Gaara wanted from him. Why would the red head ask such a stupid question if he already knew the answer? Did he just want Sasuke to acknowledge that he has a very close relationship with the blond? Did Gaara find from some sick, twisted amusement in making Sasuke uncomfortable and angry?

"And why do you think that?" the red head repeated.

"I think that because he seems to accept you and opens his heart to you more than any other." The raven responded as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"But isn't your relationship with Naruto private too?"

"Uh… No… It isn't. I'm just a secretary. Our relationship only seems close because I manage almost all of his private affairs. It's merely a supply and demand relationship. A relationship where he has no need to open his heart to me." Sasuke explained. "Unlike you Gaara-san, I can't offer him the kind of understanding that you do."

An annoyed expression crossed Gaara's face before it changed back to his usual blank look. "Is this because I'm in the same position as him?" Gaara questioned. "Because I'm a vampire? Or is it because we both hate our parents?"

"Uh… Because—" Sasuke tried to explain his reasoning but was interrupted.

"You've misunderstood. It's true that Naruto's mother loved a human and so betrayed the vampire clan, and my father is a worthless human who is of no use to the clan, and many vampires have made fun of us because of this. But do you really think we lick each other's wounds? And we don't need some stupid human's pity either. I am me and Naruto is Naruto. So regardless of what other vampires might say, our pride as vampires doesn't suffer at all." Gaara finished, glaring at a stunned Sasuke.

He finally understood. Sasuke finally understood why Gaara and Naruto were so close and why they trusted each other so much. "Gaara-san and the president are both strong enough to fight their loneliness. They don't need to pity each other to understand each other. They're equals, and I… Don't stand a chance… I've already lost."

Sasuke bowed and quickly apologized. "Forgive me, I've said something rude."

???

Forcing his fingers to stop tapping impatiently against his desk, Sasuke waited for Naruto's voice to come across the speaker phone.

"Yea?" the blond answered.

"Inuzuka-san has arrived. I'm gong downstairs to greet him."

"Alright." Naruto answered as Sasuke hung up.

"Inuzuka?" Gaara asked as he rested his hands on Naruto's broad shoulders. "Is that Kiba? That cute, dog-lover best friend of yours?"

"Yea," the blond answered suspiciously.

"I promise to leave you alone after I see him." Gaara said sweetly, or as sweetly as Gaara could say something.

"Ugh. Fine." Naruto sighed tiredly. "Just don't eat him.

"Hn…Maybe," Gaara answered as he and Naruto waited for Sasuke and Kiba.

???

The Uzumaki company limo slowly stopped in front of the underground parking lot building entrance. The limo driver hurried out of his seat and rounded the vehicle so that he could open the back door to let Kiba out.

"Welcome Manger Inuzuka." Sasuke greeted.

"Hello Uchiha-san," Kiba greeted back with a wolfish grin. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a tag-along."

"Oh no, that's fine." Sasuke answered with a small smile. "I'm sure President Uzumaki won't mind."

But doubt inched into Sasuke's mind at the nervous smile that Kiba gave him. Now Sasuke was curious to see exactly who Kiba had brought along. Hopefully it wasn't Kyuubi.

"Oh shit…" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the next person who climbed out of the dark car. If he had known that ramen was going to be his last meal then he would have bought onigiri and tomatoes instead. The secretary let a polite, and extremely uneasy, smile grace his lips as he led the guests upstairs. At least if it was Kyuubi, Sasuke would have gotten a ten second head start. But now, he wasn't even going to get a one second head start.

???

Tense was putting it lightly.

Just as Sasuke had predicted, Naruto practically went ballistics when he saw his mother walk through the door with Kiba. It seems Gaara had only stuck around to see Kiba and when the red head saw Naruto's mother, he tried to make a run for it, but Naruto wasn't having any of that, and told Gaara not to leave, to which Gaara replied: "I don't think I should stay. I don't like being in a place where it's obvious I'm not wanted. I mean after all, Auntie doesn't want anything to do with vampires."

Naruto's mother looked nervously to her son and almost flinched at the glare that was directed her way. "I'm sorry." She quickly apologized. "I shouldn't have come."

"No." Kiba quickly jumped in. "Kushina-san, you sho—"

"Excuse me," Sasuke called everyone's attention to him. "Uh… Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable. I'll go and prepare some tea. The president seems to like it, so I'm sure you'll like it too ma'am. Gaara-san. It'll only take a few minutes." The raven motioned towards the chairs in the room and walked off to quickly prepare the tea, leaving three stunned vampires and a speechless human behind. Hopefully nobody dies by the time he returns.

???

After a few minutes, Sasuke finally returned with four cups of hot tea. Kushina, Kiba, and Naruto had all taken a seat in one of the chairs and Gaara stood stubbornly behind Naruto, refusing to take a seat. The raven hesitantly put a cup in front or beside each person that was seated and politely asked each if they wanted sugar or cream before handing the last cup to Gaara.

"Cream or sugar?" Sasuke asked, just like the first three.

"Do you have blood?" Gaara joked, or at least Sasuke hoped so.

"Oh of course. Let me just go to the blood bank down the street and get it for you, or better yet, let me just cut myself and bleed to death for you so that the blood is fresh for you damn tea." Sasuke sarcastically replied. "No, I'm sorry. Only cream or sugar." The raven answered with a strained smile.

"Then I'm fine." Gaara answered, taking a sip of tea.

Sasuke took a deep breathe so that he didn't beat Gaara with the tray he had used to carry the tea cups in with. He carefully placed the tray onto the president's desk (since they were currently in Naruto's office) and stood on the other side of Naruto.

A few minutes of silence passed before Kushina finally decided to speak up and break the awkward tension.

"Naruto, I'm sorry that I came without warning. I just wanted to congratulate you on your new company… It… Uh… Really is a great building." She finished uncertainly.

"Yea… Thanks," Naruto answered curtly. "So this is the 'important information' that you had to tell me Kiba?" Naruto asked in annoyance. "Then you're just wasting my time. Hurry up and take her home. Why should I talk to a woman who doesn't want to see a vampire even if it's her own son?"

"Naruto, what the hell man?" Kiba snapped.

"That's not true Naruto!" Kushina quickly said before Kiba could say anymore. "That's far from the true and you know it. I don't distance myself from you because I dislike you. I do it because I know you dislike me. I gave birth to you, a vampire, even though I had already left the clan. Vampires feed on humans and use them like playthings. I know I'm the one who caused the clan's hatred for you, so it's only natural that you'd hate me too." The red headed vampire paused to steady her wavering voice before continuing. "I can't even look you in the eye, and because of me you have to go against the whole clan. If you were born human, then maybe—maybe you wouldn't have to distance yourself from us, and suffer everything the clan has put you through."

Sasuke looked at Kushina in disbelief. During her whole speech, the secretary couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Very wrong. He glanced over to Gaara and saw an expression that mirrored Naruto's. Cold and uncaring, like they'd already heard all of this before, and perhaps, they had.

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault that you weren't born human."

She blames herself for causing Naruto's pain. Sasuke could understand this feeling, but he didn't think it was right that Kushina thought it would be better that Naruto was born human. Why would she wish Naruto was human? Does she regret being a vampire herself? Does she wish she was human?

"What the hell is wro—"

"But," Sasuke cut Gaara off before he realized what he was doing. "President Uzumaki is a vampire."

The raven suddenly felt nervous and awkward as everyone's eyes were suddenly on him because of his sudden outburst. Sasuke wasn't one for the spotlight.

"I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking. It's not my place to question Kushina-san."

"No it's fine," Kiba quickly reassured. "What do you want to say?"

"Well…" Sasuke suddenly felt very self-conscious. "I think that Kushina-san's feelings towards the president are… understandable. But, no matter what she wishes, the president is a vampire, and she shouldn't think of this as something to regret or that it's bad. Because, that would mean, she's rejecting everything that the president is. I can't understand the feelings of a vampire, but I think that the president lives proudly as the vampire he is. I don't think he's ashamed of being a vampire."

The raven tried not to cower away from the stares of awe, confusion, and bewilderment from the other occupants of the room. Then, nearly scaring Sasuke half to death, Kiba let out a hearty laugh and grinned brightly at the panicky secretary.

"You're amazing Uchiha-san. I'm glad you're with us." The brunette praised then heaved a heavy sigh and turned his grin onto Naruto's mom. "Come on Kushina-san. I think it's time we left."

The red headed vampire hesitantly nodded her head and pushed out of the seat with Kiba's help. With one last glance back at her son, she allowed Kiba to lead her out of the office and back down to the car with Sasuke leading the way.

"That kid would accept you even if you were alien." Gaara couldn't help but tease once the door was closed behind Sasuke, who was playing the good secretary and seeing the two guests off.

"Yea," Naruto agreed, searching for a cigarette. "If his boss tells him too, then he probably would without any questions."

"So then aren't you glad that you're his boss, Naruto?" Gaara asked with a small smile. "If you weren't, then he probably wouldn't have accepted you so easily."

"Well, if I weren't, then I wouldn't really need him anyways, would I?" Naruto asked, more to himself than to Gaara.

"Is that past tense I hear?" Gaara couldn't help but chuckle as the office door was cautiously opened.

"I just saw the guests off," Sasuke reported.

"Well then I'm off too." Gaara waved. "For some reason I feel like killing something."

"Then I'll see—"

"No thanks. I know the way," Gaara answered as he exited the room and nearly slammed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke stated once the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard. "I shouldn't have interfered like that."

"Yea, it was very out of character for you." Naruto agreed as he finally found a box of cigarettes hidden under a pile of folders on his desk. "But if you hadn't said it, then Gaara definitely would have, and at least you said it politely. But honestly, you should have just ignored everything she said."

"How could I?!" Sasuke protested. "She's a vampire as well and so saying something like 'I'm sorry you were born a vampire' just isn't something you to your son!" The riled up secretary then quickly calmed himself and quietly apologized for his outburst.

"No need to be sorry. It just sounded like you were defending your boyfriend or something." Naruto teased with a grin.

"S… Sorry." Sasuke apologized again, looking to the ground out of embarrassment and blushing brightly. The flustered raven felt like his emotions were getting harder and harder to control nowadays. Damn Gaara. Everything was fine until he showed up.

Naruto's grinned softened into a small smile as he reached forward and lifted Sasuke's chin so that the secretary was looking him in the eye.

"I told you that you didn't need to apologize." Naruto restated.

"I'm sorry that I got so emotional," Sasuke said as he moved away from Naruto's touch. "But a secretary can't allow someone to treat their boss that way."

"So this was just because of your job?" Naruto asked his voice suddenly cold and his expression dark. "Your damn secretary mask really pisses me off sometimes." The blond stated in annoyance as he grabbed Sasuke around the waist and pulled the shocked secretary against him. "It makes me want to rip apart your perfect mask." Naruto reached forward and grabbed Sasuke's large glasses and tossed them behind him, not caring if they landed on his desk or not.

"So should I make you work now? As a secretary?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

"No…" Sasuke protested as Naruto started to unbutton his shirt and kiss a trail along his neck. "Stop. Please. Stop."

Sasuke tried his hardest to fight against the feelings that danced across his body and the burning sensations that scorched his skin wherever Naruto's hands or lips touched, because he knew he wouldn't be able to resist the blond. He'd surrender everything to Naruto, if he asked.

"Do you really hate losing control so much that you're willing to do anything to keep it?" Naruto asked, gently biting at Sasuke's pulse point. "Why do you want to be 'the perfect secretary' so badly?"

"That's because if I'm not your secretary, then you won't need me by your side. Even if my blood is special, you wouldn't need me if I wasn't the perfect secretary." Sasuke tired to explain while trying to resist Naruto's touch. "I don't want to be a liability to you."

"But even if you weren't food or my secretary, I would still keep you near me… Because I want you."

The two then froze at Naruto's words and slowly inched away from each other. Sasuke stared at Naruto in confusion, and Naruto stared at Sasuke in bewilderment. A tense silence settled between the two as they stared at each other, not knowing what to do or how to act.

"What the hell just happened..?" (*)

TBC…

(*) Judo - a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by executing a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet)—as well as weapons defenses—are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori). – Wikipedia

(*) – Just in case anyone's confused, Sasuke is the speaker here. :)

Oh goshie! O.O Is that Naruto finally making a confession to Sasuke?! Dun dun DUUUUUN! So stay tune for the next chapter to see if the confession sticks! Which hopefully won't take as much time to post as this one did.

I'm really really really sorry that it took this long for me to post. Like seriously, it shouldn't have taken me this long, but it did, and I am ashame. v_v

So I will work double-time to hopefully get the next chapter out in one to two weeks… Hopefully. :3 Cross your fingers and pray guys. :)

Hope everyone enjoyed reading and sorry that this chapter may have seemed a little rushed, but I really wanted to update this week because I felt so bad that it had been forever since I last updated, so I hope everyone enjoyed reading, regardless of the rushing. :) Now I'm gonna head off to bed so that I stop writing this A/N before it's longer than the actual update. (How embarrassing would that be? XD)

Bunches of love and cookies. :D

And don't forget to review ~ Please. :3

— ohhowfluffyyouare