In the morning, Sasuke was the first up, and rather than roll around, Naruto had stayed within his arms. He didn't know what gave him the courage to make this happen last night, but it was a very wonderful and perplexing thing in his eyes. Even so, he thought it best that, before Naruto got up, he should let go, and, yet... he didn't want to. Naruto's body was warm against his, and even the snoring didn't bother him. It's wasn't that he wanted anything sexual to happen (not like he would complain if it did); it was really the closeness he enjoyed. When he'd experienced sex for the first time, there'd never been anything like this - it had just been lust and self-gratification at best. This was something different.
Reluctantly, he removed his arms from around Naruto and, carefully, crept out of bed. While leaving the room, he closed the door behind him so that Naruto could continue to sleep.
Half in a daze, Sasuke went into the bathroom in order to relieve himself, wash his hands and face, and brush his teeth. Once he finished, he walked down the hall, but didn't see anyone in the living room. However, hearing noises coming from the kitchen, he strayed that way and found his mother washing dishes. She had on a pair of jeans and a long black sweater.
"Good morning," he said to her. "Can I help?"
Seeing him, Mikoto smiled warmly. "You can dry as I wash. How about that?"
"Sounds fine." He opened one of the drawers beside the sink and pulled out a hand towel.
"Did you sleep well?" asked Mikoto.
"I did," he answered. "Naruto's not up yet."
"He looked tired last night. I wonder if he isn't sleeping."
"Maybe not," he said, not feeling like it was his place to mention the dreams.
"We'll let him sleep then," she commented with a decided nod of her head. "Your father had to go into work this morning."
Sasuke frowned as he dried a small green bowl with a chip on its edge and placed it on the counter. "That's unusual, isn't it?"
"I think he has a very important account he's working on, and he wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch. You know your father. Everything has to be perfect."
"No kidding," he mumbled, and, glancing out the window, noticed his brother's car in the driveway. "Is Itachi home?"
"I haven't seen him yet, but his bedroom door is closed, so I imagine he's still sleeping."
"I wonder who he went out with?" Sasuke asked absently.
"If you want," said his mother while sweeping her hair out of her face, "When Naruto gets up, maybe the two of you can take my car to the Asian food store and get us everything we need for ramen. You know all the ingredients, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Are you feeling okay?" She stopped what she was doing to wipe her hands over her apron and feel his forehead. "You seem... distracted."
"I'm fine," he replied, offering her a crooked smile.
"Would you like me to make you some breakfast?" His mother asked worriedly. "Maybe you need to eat."
"No," he shook his head. "I'll wait for Naruto."
When they'd finished with the dishes and put them away, his mom mentioned something about going into the backyard (probably to investigate the plot for the garden or check on the koi), so after Sasuke left the kitchen, he wandered down the hall to Itachi's room and knocked on his door.
A few seconds later, the door opened. Itachi was dressed, but he looked like he hadn't been up for very long. He was wearing a pair of reading glasses.
"Good morning, Sasuke." Itachi left the door open and went to sit on the edge of the bed. "Did you have a fun time yesterday?"
Sasuke pushed the door closed. "It was fine."
"What did the two of you do?"
"We went to the record store and the arcade, ate pizza, and then came home."
A smile curved the corner of Itachi's lips. "Sounds like a date."
Sasuke took a seat beside his older brother, hunching forward as he ran a hand through the back of his hair.
"Did anything... happen between the two of you?" Itachi asked.
Sasuke glared half-heartedly at him. "What do you think?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking. You did sleep in the same bed, didn't you?"
"That doesn't mean anything has to happen."
"Does he know how you feel yet?" Itachi removed his glasses and rubbed one of the lenses against his shirt before putting them back on.
"Where did you go last night?" Sasuke asked, changing the subject.
"Out with some friends."
"Anyone I know?"
"Probably." Itachi studied him closely.
Sasuke's gaze drifted toward the half-open window. "Was... Yahiko there?"
"No. He and Konan went somewhere for spring break."
"Alone?"
"Why are you asking?" Itachi sounded suspicious of him.
He shook his head, feigning disinterest. "No reason."
"Very well." Suddenly, he felt his brother's hand on the back of his neck. "I saw your teacher last night. He said Naruto caused quite the commotion yesterday."
Sasuke snorted. "What did he have to say about it?"
"Not much. Just that Naruto confronted a couple of boys for picking on a friend of his."
"Is that really all he said?"
"Why? Is there more that happened?"
"No," he replied. "It's just... astonishingly accurate for Kakashi."
"Were you there when it happened?"
"It had already started by the time I got there. Naruto was confronting two older students who often cause trouble. They fought a bit, and I intervened."
"Did anyone get hurt?" Itachi asked.
"Not really," he said. "I sent Naruto to the nurse's office since his nose was bleeding, but it was more of a precaution."
Itachi tugged at one of the spikes at the back of Sasuke's head. "Kakashi mentioned you talked to the principal on Naruto's behalf? Is that true?"
He sighed. "Don't you two have anything better to talk about than me?"
"Of course not," replied his brother. "I love knowing what's going on in your life."
"You're annoying," Sasuke muttered.
"It's normal," said Itachi, with a chuckle, "To want to protect the people you care about."
"Why does it have to be about that?" Sasuke asked, already knowing he sounded defensive. "They were harassing another student, and Naruto stepped in to stop them. It's no different than what I did. Some people just don't want others to be able to get away with that kind of crap."
"If you say so. I don't know why you're getting angry about it. You did a good thing, and, theoretically, so did Naruto."
"I think I'll go take a shower," he mumbled, getting up from the bed. He felt annoyed, and he was tired of talking about Naruto and Sai and feelings.
Leaving his brother's room, he had it in mind to grab some clothes and take a quick shower, but when he opened his bedroom door, he found Naruto sitting on the edge of the bed, checking something on his phone. Sasuke, despite himself, paused in the doorway. Naruto glanced up from his phone.
"Hey."
"...Hey," Sasuke replied. "I thought you might still be asleep."
"Nah." Naruto set his phone on the nightstand, beside Sasuke's. "I've been up for maybe ten minutes? Just thought I'd check my messages."
Sasuke entered the room, leaving the door open a crack. He couldn't really read Naruto. Did he even remember waking up in the middle of the night?
"Somethin' wrong?" Naruto asked him. "You look kinda constipated."
Sasuke scowled. "Shut up, idiot."
The other boy snickered. "That's better. Much more like the Sasuke I know."
He cleared his throat. "Did you... sleep okay?"
"I think so, yeah. I mean. I feel pretty well-rested? That's kind of unusual. I haven't been sleepin' so well this week."
Sasuke nodded, coming to the conclusion that Naruto either didn't remember last night or was pretending it didn't happen, which sucked on both accounts but was probably something he should've expected. "I was going to take a shower, but you can take one first if you want."
"You don't want to take one together?" Naruto grinned lop-sidedly as he scratched at his shoulder.
Sasuke blinked at him. "...What?"
"Um. I was kiddin'? It's called a joke. Are you sure you're okay? You're actin' kinda weird."
"I'm fine. I momentarily forgot about your juvenile sense of humor. Do you still want pancakes?"
"Only if you do," Naruto replied, having not taken offense. "M'kinda hungry."
There was an awkward pause before Sasuke, while pulling at his t-shirt, said, "Later, Mom thought maybe we could go to the store and get some ingredients for lunch. You and me, I mean. We'll take her car."
Naruto nodded as he pulled his leg up onto the edge of the bed and wiggled his foot. "Oh right. Are we gonna have ramen? I feel like I mighta had a dream about it."
"If you still want to, yes." Sasuke took a few steps closer and crossed his arms. "Who dreams about ramen?"
"Me apparently. But, yeah, sounds good. If you think I'll like it. It doesn't have any funky cheese in it, right?" Naruto leaned back on his arms, grinning widely.
Sasuke smirked. "I don't understand how you can be in such good shape when you eat nothing but garbage."
"Wait. What did you just say?" Naruto asked and laughed at him. "Did you just compliment me?"
Shit. "No."
"Uh, yeah. Pretty sure you did. You said I was in good shape."
Sasuke glared. "Stop smiling. I only meant you're not as flabby and obese as you probably should be considering your diet."
"Is this doin' somethin' for you?" Naruto asked and lay back on the bed, striking a provocative pose as he folded his arms underneath his head. The waistband to his pj pants was twisted, and for the three seconds that Sasuke happened to look, he caught a glimpse of the blond trail of hair that went from there to Naruto's navel.
He couldn't decide if he wanted to strangle or pounce him.
"Cocktease," he muttered, and Naruto burst out laughing again. Sasuke looked away. "You really suck."
"Well," said Naruto. "Maybe if you play your cards right?"
"That's it. I'm going to take a shower," he grumbled and, ignoring the other boy, went about searching for a pair of jeans and some band t-shirt he found at the top of a pile in one of his drawers.
"Ah, don't be that way," said Naruto. "You're not gonna jerk off in there, are you?"
Sasuke snorted as he pulled out a pair of underwear. "I wouldn't flatter yourself."
"Oh. I didn't mean over me... wait, would you do that?"
When Sasuke had found everything he was looking for, he stopped to glare at him. "Not even if you paid me. Maybe I'll think about Sai. Since he and I have apparently been screwing like rabbits."
"I know that's not true," Naruto said. "Especially since he doesn't seem to like you very much."
"Is that so? Did he tell you that?"
Naruto made a flippant gesture with his hand. "Mm. He told me once that he thought you were a conceited, stuck-up jerk."
"Then why did you suggest last night that you thought he and I - "
"- Just because the two of you might hate each other doesn't mean y'might not wanna, y'know, fuck."
Sasuke stood at the foot of the bed. "Why are you imagining my sex life exactly?"
Naruto tilted his head and pressed his lips together. "I'm curious."
"Are you now?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were gonna take a shower."
"That was when you were being annoying, but now you have my attention." And if Naruto didn't stop rubbing his lips together and obscenely sprawling himself across his bed, there was going to be a problem.
"Y'know...as your friend," he paused, apparently waiting for Sasuke to contradict him and when he didn't, continued, "I have an interest in your life and the things that have happened to you."
"This includes my sex life? I'm gay, Naruto. Why would you want to hear about the sex I have with other men?"
"Fine," said Naruto, frowning. "Sorry I asked. And to think I defended you when Sai said all that stuff."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Pout all you want, but I never asked you to defend me. I don't care what Sai thinks of me."
"Fine," Naruto said again. He sat up, but he was obviously getting angry. "Do you even care what I think of you?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to retort: No, but because it wasn't true, he couldn't get himself to say it.
"I'll take your silence for a no," said Naruto. "That's great. That makes me feel good. If you don't care what I think, why did you bother asking me to stay here this weekend?"
"Naruto," he said sharply. "Would you shut up?"
Naruto's jaw snapped closed, and he glared fiercely.
"Don't glare at me either," Sasuke said in a near-whisper now.
"Stop tellin' me what to do," Naruto spat, getting up onto his knees like he was ready for a fight.
"I'm only saying it for your own good."
"What the hell are you talkin' about? Are you threatenin' me?"
Sasuke dropped the clothes and got onto the bed. He took hold of Naruto's upper arms and pushed him down onto the sheets.
"Let me explain it in a way that even a moron like you can understand," Sasuke said in a husky voice while hovering over him. "Every time you look at me like that, I want to pin you down like this and kiss you, so when I tell you to stop, you better listen to me, because I will kiss you again."
Naruto's lips parted and he uttered a breathless, "Oh."
Sasuke raised himself to his knees, so that he straddled the other boy's thighs, and seeing that Naruto was now sufficiently stunned into silence, he crawled off of him, grabbed his clothes, and headed to the bathroom to take what would probably be a very cold shower.
It took a while for him to calm once he was in the shower. He couldn't figure out why Naruto could so easily rile him like that. He typically had a better control over his emotions, and, come on, it was part of his heritage to be more reserved than this. While he washed his hair, he only became more frustrated with himself, and then he started to get angry at Naruto for provoking him. Was he just making fun of him? Didn't Naruto know how difficult it was for him to be in a situation where he always felt like he had to be careful? Sasuke tried to block it out as he washed the shampoo from his hair and proceeded to nearly scrub the skin off of his limbs with the rag. By the time he finished showering, his skin was red, splotchy, and raw. As he stepped onto the floor, he considered writing a hateful message to Naruto on the mirror since it had fogged up, but with his luck of late, one of his parents would stumble in and see it.
It felt as though he'd been in there forever by the time he dried off, shaved (not that he really needed to), put some product in his hair, and got dressed. It was like he was intentionally stalling. He was going to dry his hair, too, but the more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to leave Naruto alone in his room for very long. He'd be the type of person who found it hilarious to get on someone's computer or phone and go through the browser's history or send obscene texts to one of their classmates.
His paranoia getting the best of him, Sasuke barged out of the bathroom and into the bedroom only to find it empty. His laptop was shut, his phone was still plugged into the charger. Nothing looked askew. There was a small pile of Naruto's clothes on the corner of the bed, which, shockingly, had been made. Even all the pillows were piled neatly in front of the headboard.
Confused, he ran a hand through his wet hair. "Well, shit."
He left the room in search of Naruto, but it's not as if there were many options for where he could've gone. At first, he thought he might've bumped into Itachi, but, instead, he found Naruto talking (and laughing) with his mother in the kitchen. They were standing close to the stove, and his mom was letting Naruto pour what he assumed to be pancake batter onto the hot skiddle. It also looked as though Naruto had taken the liberty of borrowing one of his shirts.
"Now be careful not to burn yourself," said Mikoto.
Naruto smiled at her. "I'll be careful, don't worry. I'm no amateur when it comes to pancakes."
"I can tell. You're doing so well. When I let Sasuke make them, sometimes they have a funny shape, but don't tell him I said that."
"Ha, really? Your secret's safe with me. Figures he can't be perfect at everything."
"Oh no, dear," Mikoto put a hand on his shoulder. "I assure you that my son has his flaws."
"Aw," said Naruto as he placed the large measuring cup they were using on the counter. "Aren't moms always supposed to think their sons are perfect?"
Mikoto giggled as she wiped her hands across her apron; Sasuke cleared his throat, and the both of them turned to look at him.
"Are you sure you want to let Naruto stand next to an open flame?" he asked.
"Hey, I'm doin' a good job. Ask your mom."
"I don't have to," he replied. "I already heard her comments about my pancake-making ability."
"Oh, Sasuke," said Mikoto. "Don't be silly."
"Well, you're welcome to take over," said Naruto. "I wouldn't mind takin' a shower. I feel all sweaty and gross."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Did Sasuke tell you where the towels are?" asked Mikoto.
"I'm sure he's seen where they're folded on the towel rack in there," Sasuke remarked.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Sasuke?" she asked him. "You're very crabby today."
He scowled. "I'm not crabby." He noticed Naruto pulling a face. "And you, stop smirking."
Naruto laughed. "I can't help it." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's kinda remindin' me of when I used to cook with my mom."
"Really?" Mikoto asked. "Did your mother enjoy cooking?"
"Yeah, she did. I'm not sure she was always good at it, but she liked it."
"Does your father like to cook?"
"Uh." Naruto's smile wavered. "Yeah. He used to. I mean, he does. But he used to grill out. We don't really have a spot to do that now, so if he makes anything, it's a lot of spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. I'm fine cookin' my own meals, too. I'm happy with a sandwich or fast food or whatever."
"I'll certainly keep that in mind. Sometimes I make so much food for our family that we have far too many leftovers, and Sasuke's such a picky eater that he won't eat anything he has to reheat."
Naruto's cheeks changed to a shade of pink. "That's okay. Dad and I are doin' alright by ourselves. I wouldn't wanna impose, and I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't be too happy about havin' to drag stuff all the way to school."
"Mom, you're making Naruto uncomfortable," said Sasuke. "Just let him go take his shower."
"That's not true," Naruto argued. "It's a very nice offer. I may have to take you up on it sometime." He smiled at Mikoto, but Sasuke knew well enough to be able to distinguish it from one of the other boy's more genuine smiles. Then his gaze landed on Sasuke. "You should probably flip that." He pointed at the pan. "It's gonna burn soon, I bet."
"Alright," he said, and as they passed each other, their shoulders bumped. "Don't take too long. We'll set it out on the table."
"Sure thing. I like short showers. Be right back."
Sasuke stopped, turned, and watched him leave the room. Afterward, he quietly grabbed the spatula and flipped over the pancake.
"Why are you talking like that to him?" Mikoto asked. "Did you two have a fight?"
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know what you mean. That's how we usually talk to each other."
"I think he was having fun helping me."
"He probably was," replied Sasuke. "But, I don't think he wants to be treated differently because of his mom."
Suddenly, Mikoto leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "See, I told you you're a very thoughtful boy. He seems to be enjoying himself. Naruto was telling me that his father has been very busy with work so they don't get to see each other all that much."
"Is that what he said?" He kept his voice neutral since he didn't want to allude to the fact he also thought that even when they did spend time together, they weren't exactly getting along.
"Yes, we talked a little bit about everything since you were in the shower for so long. By the way, I heard from your father. He should be home in time for lunch, so don't forget to go to the store after breakfast."
"I remember," he said, and used the spatula to take out the perfectly round pancake and set it on a plate. He started to pour in some more batter but, somehow, it didn't seem quite as nice as Naruto's. He frowned at it and heard his mother laugh.
"Maybe since Naruto's pancakes are so perfect, you can consider adopting him," Sasuke remarked sarcastically, which only made his mom laugh even harder.
"I'm not opposed to that." Itachi appeared in the doorway. "Naruto's far more fun to be around. Much less moody."
"You've only met him the one time, and you act like you two are the best of friends," said Sasuke.
"I think he's charming," said Mikoto. "I'm sure your father will, too."
"I wonder," he said.
"Sasuke's just jealous," said Itachi.
"What exactly am I jealous of?" He asked. "I don't care if the two of you like him. He's a tolerable person."
Itachi chuckled, and when Sasuke turned around, he very much caught his brother and mother sharing a look.
"You two are annoying," he said, and handed the spatula to his mother. "I'll go set the table."
"Oh, Sasuke," said Mikoto. "We're only teasing. It's not often you bring friends to the house, so we'll be better behaved from now on."
"Somehow I doubt it," he said and went through the cabinets to set out a stack of plates. Then he found some silverware and laid out a few napkins. Ignoring his brother and his knowing smirk, Sasuke went into the dining room and placed the table for the four of them.
Figuring it would be a little longer before Naruto got out of the shower, he returned to the bedroom to retrieve his new record. He brought it downstairs and placed it with the other albums (ordered alphabetically by band and genre). Most of them were his, but some were Itachi's, and a few of them belonged to his parents. His mother especially liked to listen to them with him sometimes.
As he was doing some rearranging, he heard someone coming down the steps.
"Was that fast enough for you?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke glanced at him. He hadn't seen Naruto in normal clothes since the first day of school, but today he was dressed in a pair of light-colored blue jeans and a thin cobalt sweater that really brought out the color of his eyes. His hair was damp, but it was already starting to stick up at the top.
"Whatcha doin'?" Naruto stepped closer. "Wow, that's a pretty awesome collection. Can I see?" He took a seat beside Sasuke on the carpet and started pulling the records out.
"Do you mind?" He asked. "I have these in a certain order."
"I won't mess it up," Naruto replied calmly. "I know you're OCD about your things."
"Don't let your hair drip all over it either."
"Your hair's still wet, too," Naruto argued, pushing an album by The Animals back into place. "What's with you? You're kinda grouchy. I thought you were gonna jerk off in the shower, so you should be more relaxed, right?"
He caught the other boy as Naruto started to smile and couldn't deny the frustration he felt. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Of course."
Sasuke opened his mouth to do just that, but he was unable to get the original question to come out, so instead he said, "Do you want to have a bonfire tonight?"
Naruto's smile became even more blinding. "Really? That would be... really fun! Can we have hot dogs and s'mores and all that?"
"If you want," he said, trying to ignore what Naruto's childish excitement was doing to him. "We still have to run to the Asian food store, so I suppose we can stop by somewhere else and get whatever we want."
Naruto was biting his lip. "I kinda wanna hug you right now."
"Please don't."
Naruto chuckled before speaking teasingly, "If I argue with you, you're not gonna try and kiss me, are you?"
Sasuke glared. "I might. It seems to be the only type of threat that works, which makes me wonder why you'd willingly want to hug me."
"Tch. What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto frowned as he pulled out another album.
Sasuke pushed it back. "Really?"
"Yeah, really. I dunno what you mean."
"Let's see. If someone makes it clear that they don't want to have physical contact with you, then it would be confusing if they suddenly want a hug."
"Wait. What? What are we talkin' about right now? I'm confused."
Sasuke stared at him. "Are you mocking me?"
"Uh, no. I don't know what you're gettin' at. Honestly. If you think I'm bothered about before... I'm not. I just figured you were tryin' to get me to shut up 'cause you thought I was annoying."
"I always think you're annoying," he said.
"Okay then."
Sasuke wanted to bring up the fact that Naruto was the one pretending last night never happened, but he didn't think it would be worth it.
"Sasuke." Naruto placed a hand on his knee. "Are you mad at me? Did I do somethin' wrong?"
He glanced at the floor and slipped a piece of hair behind his ear. "No." Sasuke shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I won't be offended. If I'm doin' somethin' that pisses you off - if you just tell me, I'll stop doin' it. As simple as that."
Sasuke stared at Naruto's hand. "Do you really want me to be honest?"
"Um, yeah. I prefer that. I'm surprised you're askin' me, though. Usually you don't hold back at all."
He was about to tell Naruto how he felt about all the teasing and mixed signals when his brother called to them from the top of the stairs to let them know breakfast was ready.
"It's nothing." Quickly, he got to his feet and shut the record cabinet.
Naruto blinked at him a moment before standing up, as well. "Can we at least talk about it later? I don't think it's nothing."
"I said it's nothing." He smiled weakly at the other boy. "Would you go up the stairs already? I wouldn't want you to miss out on your perfect pancakes."
"Hm. You're bein' weird, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."
"Sure you are, Sherlock." Sasuke gave him a light push from behind to start him up the stairs and then followed suit.
"Heh. Guess that would make you Watson. I definitely don't think you could pull off the main character."
"Yeah, right," said Sasuke. "As if anyone would ever watch a show called Naruto."
"Shut up," said Naruto. "I bet tons of people would watch my show."
"In your dreams," he said, giving Naruto another push that caused him to stumble and grab the hand rail.
"Bastard!"
"Hn. Don't be using that language in front of my mother."
"Tch. You're just mad she likes me better than you."
"Of course," said Sasuke. "After all, I'm just one of the side characters."
Breakfast had been eventful. Without his father there, the meal felt incredibly light-hearted. Not to say his dad wasn't a good man. Sasuke knew that he was. So, if Naruto told a few colorful stories while they were eating, no one was particularly bothered. Even he had almost choked on a piece of pancake a couple of times, and, honestly, it was always great to hear his mother laugh. Plus, he learned a little more about Naruto's life in Illinois. He spoke often of this Gaara person, making it hard for Sasuke not to get at least somewhat jealous.
Before they went to the store, Naruto had gone out with his mom into the backyard. Sasuke lingered by the koi pond, half listening as his mother talked to Naruto about all of the flowers she wanted to plant soon. Surprisingly, Naruto was familiar with a few names, but, then again, he had mentioned something about gardening with his own mom. In a way, he was happy to have brought Naruto here. Not because of the obvious, but because he thought Naruto was genuinely enjoying the time he spent with his mom.
Eventually, Naruto wandered over to him and crouched by the edge of the pond, poking his finger into the water. During the winter, they kept the fish in a large tub out in the shed, but it had been warm enough for the past month to put them back in.
"So," Naruto said. "Where are we gonna have this bonfire?"
"There's a fire pit a ways back. Should be some wood piled up already, but I'll have to check."
"That's cool." Naruto glanced up at him, squinting because the sun was in his eyes. "Kinda like camping."
"I don't know." Sasuke smirked at him. "Can I trust you around fire?"
"Even cavemen could handle fire, Sasuke." He tugged at Sasuke's pant leg. "I know you think I'm dumb. But I can handle that much."
He almost felt guilty. Was it terrible of him to find it amusing he might be giving Naruto a bit of a complex?
"Why are you smilin'?" Naruto asked. "It's kinda creepin' me out."
"You're paranoid, Naruto," he replied. "I'm just enjoying the weather."
"Yeah right." Naruto stood up beside him. "I'm ready to go to the store if you want."
"You know." Sasuke had to hold his hair out of his eyes as the wind picked up. "Your eyes look incredibly blue in the sunlight."
Naruto's head tilted just slightly, and he gave Sasuke one of those lop-sided grins. In a low voice he asked, "Are you hittin' on me right now, Sasuke Uchiha?"
"I'm paying you a compliment," he answered. "Accept it gracefully."
"Then... thank you." Naruto's smile became wider, and he laughed while pushing his hair back. Sasuke found he was growing to love that sound. "It's weird what it does to me when you're bein' sincere."
"Why?" He bumped into Naruto's arm. "What does it do to you?"
"How should I answer that with your mom about 15 feet away?"
Sasuke smirked. "Does it make you feel something that wouldn't be appropriate to mention in front of my mother?"
Biting his lip, Naruto glanced down at the grass.
"You're biting your lip again," Sasuke told him.
Naruto sighed. "You sure are in a much better mood than you were earlier."
Sasuke stiffened and looked the other way. "Sorry. I was... distracted."
"By?"
He glanced up again. "Hm?"
"By what were you distracted?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Stuff," he answered. "Things."
"You're the master of vague, Obi-Wan," Naruto mumbled.
"Ah, our very first Star Wars reference. We should commemorate this moment forever."
Naruto snickered. "I'll be sure to write it down in my diary tonight."
"I'd like to read that," Sasuke teased. "If I can. Your handwriting's terrible, and it's probably nothing but misspellings."
"Like I'd let you read my diary. Then you'd see all the little hearts surrounding your name."
"I was wondering why you were so quick to accept my invitation to stay this weekend."
A piece of dandelion floated by on the wind and landed in Naruto's hair. Sasuke picked it out for him and tossed it to the wind again.
"You collect bric-a-brac like a magpie," Sasuke said absently.
Naruto let out a sharp laugh. "What? I've never heard that expression before."
"Really?" asked Sasuke. "My grandmother used to say it all the time."
Naruto hummed. "I love this weather. It rains so much here. I'm glad to see the sun." He squinted playfully at Sasuke. "I bet you like it, too. Since it brings the blueout in my eyes."
Rather than get annoyed, he was beginning to like when Naruto mocked him. Actually, it was easier to throw the other boy off by reacting calmly instead of just returning an insult.
"I do," said Sasuke. "It also brings out all of the different colors of blond in your hair."
Sasuke put a hand to Naruto's shoulder, stared at him, and then gave him a tiny push. Naruto wobbled, but it wasn't enough to even cause him to take a step.
"What was that for?" asked Naruto and suddenly smirked, "A love tap?"
Sasuke grinned at him. "I'd tap that."
Naruto let out a loud laugh that caused his mother to look their way.
"Come on," he said. "We should probably get to the store before my dad comes home."
"Mmkay."
He and Naruto, after saying goodbye to his mother, grabbed the keys from off of one of the hooks in the kitchen. Naruto returned to the bedroom to retrieve his wallet and a pair of sunglasses. Then they went downstairs and through the garage, where Naruto made a few audible noises of pleasure over all of his father's tools.
"That workbench is awesome," said Naruto. "My dad had one like it at our old house. I think he misses bein' able to do stuff with his hands."
Sasuke immediately thought of an inappropriate comment to make, but kept it to himself. They got into the car, and he hit the garage door button.
"Nice car," said Naruto. "It smells new."
Sasuke was adjusting the mirror before he began reversing into the driveway.
"It's about a year old," he said.
"Well, I like it. Ah, do you wanna borrow my sunglasses?" Naruto took them off the top of his head and handed them to Sasuke. "Kinda bright, don't you think?"
"Are you sure?" He asked. He had a pair but thought he might've left them in his locker.
"Yeah. S'cool. I always lose mine, so I have to get a new pair about every other month."
"If you don't mind." Sasuke took them from him. They weren't anything special. Black frames. Probably not terribly expensive. It was nice, though. That they belonged to Naruto.
Their driveway was a half circle, so it was easy to get out onto the main lane that winded throughout the entire neighborhood. He turned on the Sirius radio to one of his favorite alternative stations.
Naruto must've been distracted by the scenery, because he went quiet for a while. It reminded him of all the stories he'd heard mothers tell about taking their babies for a ride in the car to get them to stop crying. Maybe Naruto was a bit like that?
When they turned out of the gated community, they had to get on the highway for only a few miles. It left him to think about the many sides to Naruto, and how every single one seemed rather appealing. There was the immature side that could be both annoying and entertaining. There was the angry, self-deprecating side. He was also incredibly kind and compassionate. And then there were moments of introspection like this, where he wondered what Naruto was thinking. Sometimes he wanted to ask, but he didn't always feel like he had the courage. It's why he could never accept when someone made a big deal about him supposedly being popular. He knew that he had flaws when it came to people and how to communicate, even on the smallest levels. Whereas, Naruto was exceptionally good at striking conversations with everyone.
After another mile, he couldn't help himself. "What are you thinking?"
"Oh. Sorry. I think I zoned out." Naruto stopped looking out the window and glanced at him, showing a small smile.
"I don't mind that," he said, keeping his eyes on the road. "I was just wondering what you were thinking."
"Honestly? I guess I was thinkin' how odd it is that I'm cool with you drivin'. Usually I don't like that for some reason. I mean, someone our age."
"But you rode a motorcycle with your friend Gaara."
"True. But. That was before. Things make me more nervous now. I dunno why that is." Naruto pressed his fingertips to the window.
"If you need me to stop at any time, let me know. I didn't know driving was an issue for you."
"It's not, really. Not driving, I guess. It's somethin' else. If I start to think about things... it's weird. If I upset myself too much, I get kinda worked up. Like last night."
Sasuke glanced at him sharply. "Last night?"
Naruto looked back at him. "Yeah, y'know. When I had the bad dream?"
He turned his eyes to the road, frowning. "I thought you forgot."
"Huh? Why would I forget?"
"I don't know," he mumbled. "You didn't mention anything about it when you woke up."
"Why would I? You were there. Remember? You scratched my head for, like, forever."
Sasuke felt his cheeks heating up. "It's what my mom used to do to calm me down."
"Well, it worked." Naruto returned to staring out the window. "I can't believe you thought I forgot. I never forget good things people do for me. Never."
He felt ashamed. That he'd jumped to the conclusion Naruto was purposely pretending not to remember. He supposed it made sense that Naruto wouldn't bring it up, especially if he didn't consider it a big deal. But, to Sasuke it had been a big deal. Then again, maybe Naruto wasn't aware just how difficult it was for him to provide comfort to others. That, in fact, it had been his first attempt ever on anyone outside of his family, and even then, he wasn't terribly good at it.
Just as he was about to take their exit, he said, "You're full of surprises, Naruto. You know that?"
Naruto looked his way. "Do I make your life a little more exciting?"
"It seems so, yes."
"You're glad I moved here?"
"It's not the worst thing that's ever happened."
"Tch. Jerk." But, Naruto remained smiling.
"Where do you want to go first? To the one store to get hot dogs and marshmallows, or to the Asian food store to get everything for ramen?"
"Your call. I'll go wherever you go."
"I don't believe you have much choice in the matter," he replied. "Asian food store is closer. Let's go there. That way we can spend more time at the other getting whatever you want."
"Even alcohol?" Naruto grinned mischievously.
"Neither of us looks anywhere close to 21."
"Hey. Speak for yourself."
"What are you going to do? Rip your shirt off and show them your stomach?"
Naruto scoffed. "You ass. That would probably work on you!"
The corner of his mouth curled. "Probably."
"Asshole!" Naruto shouted. "You even admitted it!"
"So."
"So?! Wait. What are we talkin' about?"
"You were about to take your shirt off, I believe."
"Oh. No. And it's not a shirt, it's a sweater."
"My mistake."
"It's blue," Naruto said, obviously in the mood to be obnoxious, "Does it bring out the color in my eyes?"
Sasuke glanced at him calmly. "It does. It looks really good on you."
"Dammit. It's hard to pick a fight with you when you're bein' so..., so... what's the word?"
"Gay?" Sasuke supplied.
Naruto snorted. "I was gonna say nice, but yeah I suppose that's a bit gay."
"Like when I held you in my arms last night so that you could go to sleep." After saying that, Sasuke immediately bit his lip. Shit, where the hell did that come from that he would even joke about it?
Naruto's mouth was hanging open. "I cannot believe you just went there."
"Me either," he said, but laughed anyway. "It's your fault. You always talk without a filter. It must be rubbing off on me, and if you make one comment about my phrasing, I'll punch you in the shoulder."
They were already in the parking lot, and Sasuke was being careful to navigate around the elderly drivers. And people said teenagers were terrible drivers. When he finally parked the car and turned it off, there was a moment where the two of them just stared at each other. Respectively, they were both grinning, and he had a feeling that they were thinking very similar things.
"You like being with me, don't you," Naruto said to him, his expression cocky.
"Is that a statement or a question?" He unsnapped his seat belt.
"You're always so evasive. I think I'd drop dead if you were ever straight-forward when it came to personal questions."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking questions you might not want to hear the answer to?"
"Why would I not wanna hear that you like spending time with me?"
"Maybe I don't want to answer if it's just going to be to feed your ego."
"Wow, you really think I'm that shallow?" Naruto unclicked his belt, too, and it slowly retracted to the top. "Maybe you're the one that's scared. Ever think of that?"
Sasuke stopped smiling. "Maybe."
"Ah, don't do that." Naruto poked him in the arm. "I'm not givin' you a hard time. I'm just sayin'... I'm probably a lot more open-minded than you think. If you ever feel like trustin' me that is."
"If you knew how terrible I am with people, I think you'd be impressed with my recent progress."
Naruto leaned forward and then reached for the sunglasses. He pulled them off.
"That's better. I feel like I can learn more from your eyes than what you're actually sayin' sometimes."
"That's a little bit cheesy," said Sasuke.
"I don't mind. It's you, so it's fine if you know I have a cheesy side."
His lips parted. "How can you trust me so easily? We've only known each other less than a week."
Naruto shrugged. "It's intuition, I guess. Somethin' about you makes me find you easy to trust."
"Putting your trust blindly into people can be very dangerous."
"If you're a cynic," he replied. "But I prefer to be optimistic. For the most part anyway. Actually, I'd been a bit cynical lately. When I see you, though. I kinda wanna go back to bein' optimistic."
"...Why?"
"Dunno. So that we balance each other out?" Naruto grinned and slid on the glasses.
"Alright, Maverick," he said. "Let's get the stuff for your damn ramen."
Naruto chuckled and lightly punched the car roof. "Yay! Ramen!"
"Idiot. Get out of the car before you break something." Sasuke opened the door and walked around toward the trunk. When Naruto met him there, he waited for them to start walking together toward the store before smacking him on the back of the head.
"What was that for?" Naruto shoved into his side.
Sasuke smiled at him as he shoved him back. "Love tap," he replied. "Couldn't help it."
