The Third

On Saturday morning Sasuke packed his bags and drove to The Cowlstock Resort. The resort was known for its luxurious rooms, vast golf course and a grand casino. There were different restaurants and nightclubs nearby, and the resort was famous for the diverse selection of activities. It was no coincidence that Mr. Sowenger had decided to make reservations there.

Sasuke had read through the brochure Mr. Sowenger had handed him on Friday, and he was not feeling the excitement the slogans on the cover had promised him. He was annoyed about the whole arrangement—there was nothing as irritating as spending the weekend surrounded by people and entertaining a potential investor. To make matters worse, Mr. Igleheart was reputedly an avid golf fan and could spent hours on the golf field—whereas Sasuke couldn't stand golfing.

Before the torture in the golf field, there would be other activities, all designed to torment him in different ways. The mere idea of an upcoming scenic cruise was enough to turn Sasuke's mood sour. The boat would be filled with loud (and possibly drunk) tourists, and even louder children. The waves would rock the boat and people would wobble around and stand too close to him. Just thinking about it now made his stomach twist unpleasantly.

Sasuke arrived at the resort just five minutes past nine. He was almost an hour early, as he was not going to jeopardize the potential deal by running late. The hotel grounds were still vacant, apart from someone taking a leisurely morning stroll.

Sasuke handed his car keys over to the valet, and climbed the stairs to the front entrance. He checked in at the front desk and glanced around the lobby. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't really a surprise.

With more than enough time to spare Sasuke got seated in one of the elegant armchairs in the lobby, trying not to worry about if Naruto was running late.

At 9:45 am, with approximately fifteen minutes to spare, Naruto finally made his entrance. He was dressed in dark colors—a leather jacket and a pair of tight jeans—effectively drawing the attention to himself. For a moment Sasuke just stared, unable to process the sight. It was an unsettling view in a way that Sasuke couldn't completely understand, and for some reason it took a lot of willpower not to focus too much on the way the jeans cling to surprisingly muscular thighs.

An odd feeling gnawed at Sasuke the whole time Naruto spent chatting up the female receptionist. The receptionist seemed pleased with the conversation and kept smiling and touching her hair. Naruto certainly didn't seem to be in a hurry—never mind the fact that Mr. Igleheart would be arriving any minute now.

Eventually, and with one last smile, the receptionist handed the keycard to Naruto, who finally managed to detach himself from the front desk.

Sasuke stood up when Naruto headed towards him. The blond was smiling widely at him, and Sasuke could already feel the trademark scowl taking over his own features.

"You're late", Sasuke stated, as Naruto got closer.

Naruto's smile faltered a bit. "Well, hello to you, too."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, narrowing his eyes in irritation. "Hurry up and go get changed. You look like you crawled out of Forever21 -catalogue."

"Come on", Naruto groaned. "We're here to have fun! Even Mr. Sowenger said that we are supposed to have a good time–"

"This is not a vacation", Sasuke said. "We are here to work."

"Who says we can't do both?" Naruto scoffed, letting his gaze linger on Sasuke. "Maybe you should go change?"

"Excuse me?"

Naruto looked a bit vexed. "You seriously plan on wearing a suit the whole time? Shouldn't you…slip into something more comfortable?"

Sasuke felt his scowl deepen. He was about to comment on how comfortable Naruto's jaw was about to feel when his fist would collide with it, but Mr. Igleheart decided to show up before Sasuke even had a chance to open his mouth.

Mr. Igleheart was easy to recognize. He was a tall and bony guy, with an over-grown grey hair that was sticking out in every possible direction. He was dressed in a bright colored Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. He had decided to accessorise with huge pink-rimmed sunglasses and a massive gold watch, and it would have been an understatement to say that people were staring. Other guests in the lobby actually stopped what they were doing and turned to ogle at the man. Mr. Igleheart did not seem to neither notice nor care about the attention he was getting, as he was busy studying the resort's layout while his assistant was left to take care of checking in.

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other with uncertainty, but Naruto recovered quickly. "Mr. Igleheart!" Naruto sang out and marched towards the older man. Sasuke followed, feeling more than just a little out of place.

Naruto reached out his hand in an energetic greeting. "Good morning, sir. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, from Sowenger IT. It's an honour to finally meet you."

"Ah, yes. Likewise, my boy." Igleheart croaked, shaking Naruto's hand with vigour. Then he shifted his gaze to Sasuke. "And you are?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, sir", Sasuke answered, reaching out in turn to shake Mr. Igleheart's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. How was your trip?"

"It was quite alright", Mr. Igleheart answered, eyeing Sasuke thoughtfully. "Do tell me", he then continued, "why on earth are you wearing a suit?"

Sasuke opened his mouth in confusion, but Naruto jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow before Sasuke managed to say anything. "He just got back from a meeting", Naruto lied. "He didn't have time to change his clothes yet."

"Yes, of course", Mr. Igleheart stated, his earlier bafflement turning into approval. "Off you go, then. I think I will help myself to breakfast while you go freshen up."

"Yes, sir." Sasuke answered. "My apologies for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it. I was getting hungry anyway", Mr. Igleheart answered, turning to motion to his assistant. "Kakashi, find me something to eat."

The assistant, a silver haired man who had been standing a little bit further away from them, nodded politely. Despite his hair, the assistant looked a lot younger than Mr. Igleheart. He had incredibly sharp eyes that left an uneasy feeling lingering in the back of Sasuke's mind, but Naruto nudged him again, effectively disrupting his thoughts.

"You heard him", Naruto insisted with a smug smile. "Hurry up and go change. Or do you perhaps need a helping hand?"

Sasuke was absolutely fuming, and it took his last ounce of self-control to not attack Naruto right then and there. Having an all-out brawl in the hotel lobby wouldn't help him with the promotion, but it sure would lift his spirits. Perhaps he should just wait and push the idiot overboard during the scenic cruise.

xxx

Sasuke was glad that he had packed more casual clothes with him. Perhaps it had been some sort of premonition or just an ominous gut feeling that had made him overpack, but it did end up saving him some time—otherwise he would have had to drive all the way back home to change.

He had changed into one of the outfits his mother had forced him to buy on one of their biannual shopping trips. His mother had a weird urge to drag him with her and basically force him to buy clothes that she deemed fitting. Sasuke knew that his mother meant well, but he didn't really feel like himself unless he was wearing a suit. Suits were reliable and proper—in a suit he knew precisely who he was and what was expected of him.

The outfit he was currently wearing wasn't even overly laid-back—it could have passed as smart casual, if it wasn't for the black suede biker jacket. Sasuke could see the irony in that. He had just scolded Naruto about his choice of clothes, and now he was basically dressed like him.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, running his fingers through his hair. He felt completely out of his element. He was wearing jeans, for heaven's sake. The last time he had been wearing jeans was probably in college, and Sasuke could hardly concentrate on anything else beside the fact that the jeans were uncomfortably tight on him. He could already see the spiteful smile on Naruto's lips, and it made him feel even worse.

With a defeated sigh he shot one last glare towards his reflection. Then he hurried out of the room before he had a chance to change his mind.

He knew he was fuming when he got in the elevator to go downstairs. The mellow elevator music only made him more irritated. His murderous glare was back in full force by the time he reached the ground floor and the lobby.

A low whistle yanked Sasuke out of his homicidal thoughts. He lifted his gaze up and saw Naruto, who was standing just a few feet away, gawking shamelessly at him.

"What the hell", Naruto gasped, "it really is you!"

Sasuke snorted. "A solid deduction. Am I supposed to be impressed that you can actually recognize your colleague?"

"You look… You look different, that's all", Naruto retorted, sounding a bit sheepish. "I mean, I– I'm just amazed that you actually own something other than the same suit in million different shades."

Sasuke scoffed tiredly and barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Who would have guessed."

"Well, I am still in shock." Naruto shrugged, slumping into one of the armchairs situated in the lobby. He leaned back, stretching to get more comfortable. His T-shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of tanned skin—and Sasuke's head went completely blank.

It was ridiculous. Naruto was basically slouching in the chair, and Sasuke wanted to lecture him about manners. Instead, his throat felt tight, and it was hard to look away. Sasuke had to force his gaze back up and focus on Naruto's shoulders, since it was a more familiar and much safer territory. This, however, wasn't as helpful as he had hoped—now he was uncomfortably aware of the way Naruto's leather jacket stretched over broad shoulders.

"See something you like?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke flinched.

Naruto was looking smug, a wide smirk on his lips, and for some godforsaken reason Sasuke felt his face heat up. He turned his gaze away.

"Sit properly", Sasuke snarled as soon as he was certain that his voice would sound fairly normal. He cleared his throat, just to make sure. "Try to remember that we are here to represent the whole company."

Naruto made an effort to object, but it was cut short as Mr. Igleheart and Kakashi blessedly decided to join them just then, and they were ready to head towards the harbour—Sasuke almost eager to get on the boat.

He desperately needed some fresh air, and even the most cursed cruise ship would certainly be better than whatever had been happening just now.

xxx

"Oh my god", Naruto wheezed. "I can't believe– ahaha. I can't–"

They were both seated on a stony brink of a fountain near the harbour, and Naruto was laughing so hard that he was gasping for air. Sasuke was glaring at him with murder in his eyes, but Naruto just laughed harder.

"Who would have thought that– that–", Naruto stammered, "that you of all people would get seasick! This is the best thing ever!"

Sasuke pressed his head in his hands and screwed his eyes shut. "Sure. This is great", he groaned, his voice flat.

The scenic cruise had been pure torture, as expected. Sasuke had spent the whole time first sweating and then shivering with cold. Every wave that rocked the boat had made his knees weak and his insides turn around. Even now, on the solid ground, he could still feel the swaying of the boat. He felt nauseated just sitting there. Listening to Naruto gasp for air amidst his laughter didn't help.

"I'm sorry", Naruto sputtered. "I truly am. It's just… It's you! You! Sasuke Uchiha, defeated by seasickness… on a scenic cruise!"

Sasuke tried to ignore him, concentrating all his willpower on breathing.

After they had gotten off the boat, Mr. Igleheart had demanded Kakashi to find him an ice cream bar. Sasuke had politely declined the invitation to join them, and Naruto had stayed with him—despite the apparent mirth caused by Sasuke's misfortune. At first Sasuke had been somewhat grateful for the company, but now…

Naruto pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. "I shall remember this day as long as I live."

Sasuke breathed through the nausea and wondered idly why he hadn't thrown Naruto overboard when he still had the chance. He could have solved a lot of problems with that.

xxx

Almost an hour later, Mr. Igleheart and Kakashi returned.

"Everything alright, my boy?" Mr. Igleheart questioned. "You should have come with us to get some ice cream. I'm susure it would have made you feel better, don't you think? "

Sasuke stared at Mr. Igleheart, the remnants of nausea still coiling in the pit of his stomach. "I–", he tried, "I don't think–"

Luckily, Kakashi interrupted the conversation with a polite cough. "Mr. Igleheart has a proposition concerning the golf game that was scheduled for the afternoon."

"Ah, yes", Mr. Igleheart nodded. "Thank you, Kakashi. Indeed, I don't feel like playing today. It's my horoscope, you see—the stars aren't in position. But there's a winery tour that sounds very interesting. They offer wine tasting, and I think it could really lift up our spirits."

Sasuke swallowed a disheartened moan. A winery tour sounded like yet another form of torture, and a sure enough way for him throw up. He wanted to take a long shower and crawl into bed, but he didn't really have a choice. He saw Naruto glance at his direction—possibly to see if Sasuke would try to chicken out—and Sasuke would rather take another scenic cruise than give Naruto any more chances to gloat.

So, Sasuke smiled politely at Mr. Igleheart. "Wine tasting does sound good", he said, although his voice was a bit hoarse.

"Excellent", Mr. Igleheart exclaimed, clapping his hands together for emphasis. "Wine tasting it is, then!"