By the time Naruto and Sasuke returned from grocery shopping, it had been nearly two hours. Shopping with Naruto was an experience in itself. Half the time, Sasuke would be walking and, the next thing he knew, Naruto would disappear. He'd find him in a previous aisle, investigating labels, and squinting at the Japanese characters. On the other hand, Sasuke was not big on shopping, so he was the type to prefer doing errands as quickly as possible. It took a bribe of ice cream to get Naruto out of there. He had questions about everything, and when Sasuke didn't know the answer, Naruto would then go and harass the owner, even though he only spoke broken English.

After they drove to a larger chain store in a nearby outlet area, he left Naruto in charge of the s'mores, and not that Sasuke was particularly fond of hot dogs, he got a mixture of beef and turkey franks as well as a few buns (white for Naruto and wheat for him).

On the car ride home, Naruto chatted at him much more than during the ride there. Apparently all the shopping (or was it the ice cream?) put him in an incredibly good mood. Sasuke stored this information away for future reference. If he ever wanted to snap Naruto out of his more melancholy moods, all he need do is bribe him with junk food.

When they pulled into his neighborhood and he pushed the garage door button, it was then that he discovered his father was home. For some reason, he suddenly felt nervous about the prospect of Naruto meeting his dad, but he wasn't quite sure why.

"Is that your dad's car?" Naruto asked when they pulled into the garage.

"Yes." He glanced at Naruto. "Just to warn you, my father can be... a little stoic."

"I'm not worried," said Naruto. "I'm usually pretty good with parents."

"Well, just try not to make any fart jokes while we're eating lunch."

Naruto chuckled. "Why would I do that? Have I even made a fart joke since you've known me?"

"No, but that's what I'm saying. Don't choose now to make your comedic debut. It's in your best interest, trust me."

Naruto nodded. "I understand. I'll be on my best behavior." He saluted.

Once he'd given his disclaimer, the both of them retrieved the grocery bags from the back seat and brought them upstairs to the kitchen. Sasuke returned his mom's keys to the hook. She was already there, grabbing all kinds of pots and pans from several different cabinets.

"That was a long trip. I hope you two had fun," she said. "When you have time, Sasuke, your father would like to see you in the living room."

Sasuke set his bags on the counter, and Naruto did the same.

"We bought some things for tonight's bonfire," he said. "Do you want me to put everything away?"

"No, dear," said Mikoto. "Go say hello to your father first. If Naruto wants to afterward, I can teach him something about how to make ramen."

"Oh wow, really?" Naruto asked. "Can I help you chop stuff up?"

"Of course," she replied. "I'd appreciate the help."

"Are you sure y'don't want us to help you put the groceries away?" Naruto took the sunglasses off of his head and slipped them into his back pocket.

"Don't worry." Mikoto smiled. "I'll take care of it."

"Come on," said Sasuke, tugging on Naruto's sleeve. "I'll introduce you to my father."

Sasuke led the way to the living room, Naruto following close behind him. He still couldn't help but feel uneasy. Perhaps he could attribute it to that paranoia he tended to experience when things were going well. They found his father sitting on one of the recliners, reading today's newspaper.

"Hello, father."

Fugaku lowered the paper and, without much expression, looked at him first and then Naruto.

"Hello, sir," said Naruto.

"Naruto," said Sasuke, "This is my father, Fugaku. Dad, this is Naruto."

Setting down the newspaper, his father stood up and approached Naruto, extending his hand. Naruto took it and shook it firmly.

"Naruto," said Fugaku. "I've heard a lot about you this week. I hope Sasuke has been seeing to it that you're comfortable at our house. I apologize for not making your acquaintance last night."

"Thank you for allowing me to stay this weekend," said Naruto. "I really appreciate it. Sasuke showed me around the city yesterday. He's been takin' good care of me at school, too. He was the first one to give me a tour and show me where all my classrooms are."

"I'm glad to hear that," replied his father. "Sasuke's on student council, so I expect he often takes on leadership roles at school."

"Yeah." Naruto slid his hands into his pockets. "I've already noticed that everybody in our class, and even the older students always listen to what he has to say and respect him. You must be very proud to have such intelligent and talented sons."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "Indeed. Their mother and I have very high expectations for the both of them."

"And I'm sure they won't let you down," said Naruto.

"Sasuke." Fugaku's gaze shifted to him. "I'd appreciate it if you help your mother prepare lunch. I'm pleased that your friend has taken an interest in a traditional Japanese meal." He glanced at Naruto. "I often used to eat ramen as a child. I remember watching my mother make it. Sometimes I would help her chop the vegetables."

"Ah, really?" Naruto asked, with great interest. "I was gonna help out with that today. If that's alright." He nudged Sasuke in the side. "And if Sasuke deems it okay to let me near the knives."

"I'm not sure if you should be around sharp objects," Sasuke commented quietly. "But I'll keep a close watch."

"Is that so?" Fugaku asked. "I did hear an interesting rumor at work yesterday."

"Did you." Sasuke shared a look with Naruto, but the other boy seemed oblivious.

"I'm sure you can fill me in on the circumstances later. No use in discussing it now."

"Of course, father," he replied, and bowed his head slightly.

"Naruto," said Fugaku. "It's good to meet you. Please let us know if you need anything. It's not often Sasuke brings friends home, so we'd like to do our best not to scare you away."

"It was good to meet you, too," replied Naruto. "I think I have to worry more about scarin' Sasuke off, I'm sure. He's been pretty good to me so far, even if I'm sure I've only caused him trouble this week."

"Sasuke's a tough boy," Fugaku remarked. "I'm sure he can handle anything you throw his way. Also, I hear you're to be on the varsity baseball team? Very impressive for a sophomore."

"Yes, sir. It was the only way I could afford the tuition. They let me in on a scholarship. I like playin' the game, though, so I'm excited for practices to start."

"I've often told Sasuke he should go out for more sports, but he doesn't show much interest in anything besides track and martial arts. If he spent less time on music, then, perhaps, he'd have more access to scholarships once he applies to a university."

Sasuke glanced down at the carpet.

"Actually, I'm not sure there's anyone as athletic in our class as Sasuke. I can barely keep up with him, and between him havin' the highest scores in the class and track and bein' able to play instruments, I don't think he'll have a problem goin' anywhere he wants."

"Naruto," said Sasuke, already embarrassed and wishing he'd shut up. "There's no need to say all that."

"Why not?" Naruto was scowling. "Your dad should know that not only are you a friggin' genius and a great athlete, but you're also a decent guy. There are some jerks at the school, I can tell you that, but Sasuke's a good person. I thought so from the first day we met."

"I would hope that for the price of his education, there weren't so many jerks at your boys' school, but I suppose, that there's something to learn when one encounters difficult characters or situations," said Fugaku. "But, thank you, Naruto. We've tried to instill both of our sons with a sense of right and wrong. I'm glad to hear that Sasuke's been accommodating you and living up to our expectations."

"We'll leave you to your newspaper, Dad," said Sasuke, and he grabbed Naruto by the wrist. "Come on. I'm sure mother is waiting for our help."

"Ah, yeah. I'm comin'. No need to drag me," complained Naruto.

When he and Naruto were about to enter the kitchen, the other boy pulled him to a stop.

"What was that about?" he asked Sasuke. "You got all quiet and weird."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you do. I just wanted your dad to know what a good person you are, Sasuke."

"He does. My father shows his affection in his own way."

Naruto hummed disbelievingly. "What was he talkin' about when he mentioned rumors at work?"

"What, you don't remember Dosu's threat?"

"Oh. Shit." Naruto frowned and rubbed his temple. "That guy said he was gonna have his dad talk to your dad. He didn't seem mad, though. I mean, it's all on me. I'll explain that to him if he asks about it and make it clear you didn't have anything to do with it."

Sasuke was also frowning. "I'd rather you stay out of it altogether."

"I think you're bein' paranoid."

"It's a possibility."

"So are we gonna help your mom or not? I'm starvin'." He pushed Sasuke through to the kitchen.

"How can you be starving? We had a big breakfast three hours ago, and I bought you an ice cream cone."

"Yeah, but I have a fast metabolism, so I gotta eat all the time or I get tired."

"Good," said Sasuke. "Then maybe you'll take a nap and be quiet for a while."

"Why?" Naruto asked in a hushed voice, nudging Sasuke in the arm. "You just wanna cuddle again, don't you? You're so romantic. Never woulda expected that from you."

Sasuke glared, but he didn't bother replying since his mom noticed their arrival. She turned to them and held out an apron for Naruto. It was just this plain blue thing, no flowers, but it still caused him to let out a laugh at the other boy's expense.

"Here Naruto," Mikoto said. "If you're going to be chopping vegetables, you should wear this so you don't get anything on your nice sweater."

"You... want me to wear this?" Naruto asked and glanced at the apron like he was afraid of it.

Sasuke smirked at him. "You really would make the perfect little housewife in that."

"Hmph." Naruto took it and put it on. He struggled with tying it in the back. "I'm comfortable with my masculinity, so I don't mind wearin' a frilly apron."

"It's not that frilly, is it?" Mikoto asked. "I think it suits you well."

"No, ma'am," said Naruto. "It's just fine!"

"Let me help you with that." Mikoto finished tying it for him.

"Doesn't Sasuke have to wear one?" Naruto asked.

"Believe me, I've tried before," answered Mikoto. "He won't need one. We'll let him boil the noodles."

Naruto laughed. "That's a good job for him. Who can mess that up?"

Sasuke glared at them both. "Maybe I should leave you two alone? Since everyone in this household seems to take issue with my cooking skills."

"Don't be such a drama queen," Naruto told him. "You can help me chop stuff. I like workin' with you. Even when you can be such a jerk."

Surprising him, his mother chuckled to herself.

Even though he was sulking, he did join Naruto at the counter and proceeded to help him chop vegetables (he gave Sasuke the onion).

"You want to see me cry, don't you?" he asked.

"Hey, if I'm gonna wear this apron, then you can suffer the onion."

Since his mother was rinsing something out in the sink, Sasuke leaned into him and commented in a low voice, "If I'm honest. It doesn't look too bad on you."

Naruto snorted. "Pervert," he said. "Maybe I'll wear it to bed tonight."

"I wouldn't complain if you did."

"Not sure it would cover my ass, though."

"How awful," he remarked.

"Slacker," said Naruto. "Keep your mind on your work. If you get distracted while choppin' that onion and cut off a finger 'cause you're thinkin' of my ass, I'm not gonna feel very sorry for you."

"As if I'd have any interest in your ass."

"Tch. I have a great ass."

"You are an ass."

"Whatever, Uchiha. I already know you love my company."

Sasuke didn't say anything as it was obviously a rhetorical comment. Not that it was entirely inaccurate, but there was no point in admitting it. Instead, he decided to enjoy the domestic moment and, after a while, Naruto began a whole other conversation about some fellow students while they shared the job of chopping the garlic, ginger, and leeks.

Behind them, his mom bustled around, and when they were finished with the vegetables, she told Naruto about the various kinds of broth you could make and the bases for each - salt, soy sauce, miso. Typically, she stocked up on broths from previous meals, so they could use some of the pork broth they already had in the pantry. Sasuke had seen his mother do this plenty of times, so he wasn't nearly as interested in the process as Naruto. He decided to leave the two of them to bond while he went in search of Itachi. His father was in the living room, watching Fox News, which was unfortunate. He found his brother in the basement playing Grand Theft Auto.

"Did you give up on playing the chef?" Itachi asked as Sasuke took a seat on the sofa.

"It was getting a little crowded in there. Plus, Naruto seems to enjoy being with our mother."

"That's kind of you to give them some bonding time. I think mother likes your friend very much."

"I can't tell if father feels similarly."

"If you can't tell, then it probably means he doesn't dislike him."

"Maybe," he replied. "Are you going to let me play?"

"No."

He watched Itachi's character on the screen shoot at a police officer. "Naruto and I are thinking of having a bonfire tonight."

"Oh? Maybe I should invite some of my friends over, or would we be imposing?" Itachi glanced over his shoulder and smirked.

"Do what you want."

"Maybe we'll hang out for a while before we go into the city again. Naruto doesn't want to do more exploring?"

Sasuke drew his feet up onto the couch and adjusted the bottom of his pantleg. "I didn't ask, but he seems as though he's enjoying just hanging out here. He was excited about the bonfire. He's forcing me to make s'mores."

"Forcing you, hm?" Itachi chuckled. "I'm sure he really had to twist your arm. I've seen the way you two are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that for once you're showing interest in someone outside of yourself. Doing what Naruto wants to do, thinking about his comfort and needs, and putting them before your own. You know what that means, don't you?"

Sasuke didn't reply, but he did pick up a pillow from off the couch and throw it at his brother.

"I'll take that as you know exactly what it means. By the way, is there a particular reason you asked about Yahiko being in town?"

Sasuke nearly choked on his spit before he was able to reply in a steady voice, "No. I just hadn't heard from him in a while."

"I see. I thought maybe you had a crush on one of my closest friends." Turning off the console and TV, Itachi stood up from the chair, put it back into place and walked - with his hands in his pockets - over to the couch.

"Make up your mind," said Sasuke. "I thought it was Naruto I had feelings for."

"Why can't you have feelings for both? But let me remind you that the majority of my friends are at least five years older than you, and if any of them were to lay a finger on you, I would obviously have to castrate them, kill them, and bury their bodies somewhere."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Very charming. As if my standards are so low that I'd be interested in any of your friends."

"That's good to hear. Naruto, on the other hand, is a great match for you."

"I wish you'd stop talking about this," he said. "Besides, I already told you that Naruto's not interested in boys."

"He seems interested in you, though. I heard what he said to father. He's very protective of you."

"He was also very protective of Sai." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"True." Itachi rubbed his chin.

Less than a minute later, they heard someone stomping down the stairs, and because it sounded as loud as a herd of elephants, it was clear that it was Naruto.

"Yo." He stopped at the foot of the stairs, smiling broadly when he spotted Itachi. "Good to see you again. Any big plans for tonight?"

"Not big plans, no. Maybe going to a bar or two later on with some people I know."

"That's cool. I wish we were old enough to get into bars."

"I'm sure I could figure something out if you really wanted to go, but it's nothing especially exciting."

"Really?" Naruto came over and plopped on the couch, right next to Sasuke even though there was plenty of room for him to sit on the other end. "I think it would be fun. You probably have pretty cool friends, eh?"

"What makes you say that?" Itachi asked, sounding amused.

"Uh, because you're a cool guy?"

"See, I told you he'll compliment anyone," said Sasuke.

"Yes, it does seem he's a natural flirt," remarked Itachi.

"I am not a flirt," argued Naruto. He turned to Sasuke. "I am not flirting with your brother. That would be weird."

"You think?" Sasuke asked him and gave him a shove. "Do you have to sit right on top of me?"

"Yes," said Naruto. "Because I know it bugs you."

"You smell like soy sauce," Sasuke told him.

"Well, I'm sorry that I was busy slavin' over this awesome lunch your mom and I are makin' for you."

Sasuke smirked. "Mom had Naruto wear an apron."

"Did she?" Itachi crossed his arms against his chest and smiled. "She did always want a daughter, I think. Perhaps we really can adopt Naruto into the family. If you had been a younger brother of ours, we would've dressed you up in lacy pink dresses and put bows in your hair."

Naruto laughed. "Isn't that what you did with Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at him. "Are you saying that for the reasons I think you are?"

"Why not? You have a very pretty face. Like a girl."

Sasuke glared even harder. "Do you remember what happened with Dosu? Would you like me to do that to you?"

Naruto stopped laughing. "No, not really. I thought you were gonna break his arms off."

"Maybe because you're blond, I should assume that you're very stupid."

"You already call me stupid all the time!" cried Naruto.

"But not because you're blond."

Naruto began to scowl and make little huffing noises.

"He's going to pout now," Sasuke told his brother. "It's what he does when I've offended him."

"It seems as though the two of you are getting to know each other quite well. Naruto," questioned Itachi. "Sasuke says you're having a bonfire tonight. I was wondering if it would be alright for me to invite some friends? We won't stay long, but I think they'd enjoy meeting a good friend of Sasuke's since they aren't used to him having any."

"Good friend?" Sasuke mumbled, and Naruto punched him in the arm.

"Sure! That would be great," said Naruto. "I'd like to meet your friends. We bought enough stuff for hot dogs and s'mores to feed the whole neighborhood."

"I do love a good s'more. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll give them a call and see if they're available."

"Alright, cool," said Naruto, and they both watched Itachi head up the stairs.

After he was gone, Sasuke smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?" Naruto glared at him.

"I don't know. A few things."

"You're such a jerk to me sometimes."

"It's how I show my affection," Sasuke replied.

Naruto leaned against the couch and yawned; Sasuke glanced back at him.

"You tired?"

Naruto nodded. "A little. All that grocery shoppin' and cookin' kinda made me sleepy."

"You could take a nap."

"Don't wanna." He closed his eyes and rubbed his lips together, settling his hands on top of his stomach.

"You look like you're about to fall asleep."

"Lean back with me," said Naruto. "Against the couch."

"I don't respond well to people telling me what to do," he replied softly.

Naruto cracked open an eye, grabbed a hold of his sleeve, and pulled him backward to where their sides touched - shoulders, arms, thighs. It was always a little bit distracting for him when there was physical contact between them. Still, it was pleasant and warm and he was reminded of when he woke up in bed with Naruto in his arms.

"Are you sure you don't want to go into the city tonight?" Sasuke asked. "I could even drive us so that we don't have to take the bus."

"Only if you want," he said. "It's fine with me if we stay here. Makes me feel relaxed."

"You look relaxed."

"Thanks again for last night," Naruto murmured.

Sasuke shut his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose. "It was nothing."

"It was something," said Naruto, "To me. It meant something."

Sasuke chewed on his lip, eyes cracking open. Naruto's hand rested on his thigh, and he thought about reaching for it. "When are you going to tell me why you punched your hand through a window?"

"Nothin' to tell. I got angry, so I punched the glass. Had to get some stitches."

"Why did you get angry?"

"Why are you askin' so many questions?" Naruto's eyes opened, and he stared at Sasuke curiously.

"Because," he said. "I want to know more about you. What made you angry enough to hurt yourself."

"It's not like I did it purposely to hurt myself. I'd had another stupid fight with my dad. I didn't really wanna move here 'cause all my friends are back in Illinois, but he seemed to think it was best for the both of us. I think he just didn't wanna be reminded of Mom all the time, y'know?"

"I haven't met your dad yet," said Sasuke, "But I imagine he really did think it was best for you to get away."

"Yeah, well. Like you said, you don't know my dad, so I wouldn't go assumin' stuff."

"Naruto," he said. "Rather than be angry all the time, wouldn't it be easier to... talk about it sometimes?"

"I'm tired of talkin' about it," said Naruto. He sat up on the edge of the couch, hunched over, and arms drawn to his lap. "That was part of the condition for lettin' me into the school. I had to talk about it to people. How do you think I'm so familiar with the nurses?"

Sasuke sucked in a breath. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"Well, why would you? Who wants to tell people they've gotta see a shrink or whatever. I mean, Jesus, my mom died. Did they expect me to just bounce back like nothin' ever happened?" He looked behind him at Sasuke, expression angry and full of hurt.

"Maybe it's because you sometimes put up a front. All of the jokes and pranks in class. The laughing and the smiling."

"What am I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, getting even more angry. "Sit around and cry all day? Feel sorry for myself? I did cry, and I ran away, and it didn't change anything. It wasn't gonna bring her back."

"Okay," he said simply. "No one's expecting you to act a certain way. There's no defined way of handling grief, Naruto. I'm sure it's very difficult."

Naruto released a frustrated breath. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's sweater and gave it a tug. "Relax. It was much warmer when you were next to me." He gave another tug, and Naruto was back against the couch again.

"Are you tryin' to take advantage of me when I'm all vulnerable?" Naruto asked, smirking.

"No," he said. "I'm just trying to keep warm. You're like a furnace."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm hot-blooded, I think. Told you you wanted to cuddle me."

"This isn't exactly cuddling."

"Only 'cause we're on the couch. If we were on the bed, I bet you'd totally wanna spoon me again. Or," he nudged Sasuke, "I could spoon you."

"Hn. As if I'd let a brute like you spoon me. You're too rough."

"M'not," said Naruto, and he leaned his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "I can be gentle."

"Can you?" he asked in a low voice.

"I guess I wouldn't mind takin' a nap before lunch. Your mom said it would be another hour or so."

"If you want. You know where the bedroom is."

Naruto reached for his sleeve and tugged at it, causing Sasuke's arm to rise and fall, and then rise again only to let it drop.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked him.

"Physical contact calms me down."

Sasuke smirked. "Is that so? In that case, I can think of ways we can occupy our time."

Naruto chuckled darkly. "I bet you can. I suppose I could be talked into a little makin' out. Maybe you need the experience. How many guys have you kissed anyway?"

"Two," he answered.

"Really? I expected more."

"That two includes you."

"Oh." Naruto lifted his head to look at him. "Really?"

"Why. How many girls have you kissed?"

"A few, I'd say." Naruto frowned. "Is it hard to find, y'know, other guys to kiss. Like, how do you know if a guy is gay?"

"How did you know Sai was gay?"

"Well, for starters, the first conversation we had, he kept askin' questions about my penis."

Sasuke chuckled. "That sounds like him."

"Wow, so your first sexual experience was also your first kiss?"

"Well, I did go to this summer camp once when I was 12, but I'm not sure I can count that as a proper kiss. I suppose we could say I've kissed..." He counted on his fingers while Naruto watched. "Four."

"Wow, you slut." Naruto grinned. "Was it band camp?"

"Math camp actually."

Naruto laughed some more. "Nerd."

"I am Asian, after all. It's what we do."

"That's racist!"

"Put your head back on my shoulder," he said.

"Tch. Bossy." But Naruto rested his head there again. "Thought we were gonna go take a nap."

"I got distracted when you offered lessons on making out."

"I don't think you need lessons based on when you kissed me at school."

"Is that so?" Sasuke nudged the top of Naruto's head with his chin. "Was it good for you?"

"Not sure. I was too busy bein' shocked. I kinda thought you were just fuckin' with me. And then I thought, wow, he's really desperate to get me to shut up."

Sasuke hummed. "I don't know why I did that. I've never done anything like that before."

"Except at nerd camp," Naruto pointed out.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know." Naruto sighed. "I have a confession to make."

"Mm?"

"The more I hang out with you... the more I feel like there are all these different sides to you, and I have a hard time findin' one that I don't like."

"That's not much of a confession," said Sasuke, though he couldn't deny his heart began to beat faster hearing this. "Confessions are usually something like... I enjoy wearing women's clothes, or I stole $20 from my mother's wallet."

"Odd," said Naruto. "It felt like a confession somehow."

"You do tend to see the best in people. I imagine there's not many people you don't like."

"I don't like those asshole juniors," said Naruto. "If you hadn't come in, I woulda kicked the shit out of them."

"Then you definitely would've been expelled," replied Sasuke. "No matter how close you are with the staff."

"I'm sure you would've saved me somehow."

"I'm not really sure I'm the best one for that job." He gave his own sigh, which caused Naruto's hair to rustle.

"I dunno. You say you're not good at comfort, but you were pretty damn good at it last night."

"That was the first time I ever really tried," said Sasuke. "Giving comfort is awkward for me. I'm not as good with people as you are."

"I think you are. You just have your own way of doin' it." Naruto gave another yawn.

"Should I take you to bed?" Sasuke asked and patted Naruto's thigh.

"Heh. You said it that way on purpose."

"Possibly."

"Maybe if you say it one more time, but in a sexy voice."

"Alright." Sasuke turned his head, resting it against Naruto's. In a significantly lower voice, he asked again, "Should I take you to bed, Naruto?"

"Even comin' from a guy that's still pretty hot." He wiggled a bit, so Sasuke let him up, but Naruto didn't move off the couch right away.

Sasuke was smirking because there was a hint of a blush on the other boy's cheeks. It made him look... very ravageable. He reached over and swept Naruto's bangs out of his eyes. Naruto's lips parted at the gesture.

"Stop seducing me," Naruto mumbled.

"Why?" he asked. "Is it working?"

Naruto bit his lip. "Kinda."

There was a sudden rush of warmth throughout his body. Sasuke could only stare at him for a while, feeling as though if he did anything at this point, it would include pushing Naruto down onto this couch and kissing him breathless.

"What are you thinkin' right now?" Naruto asked. "You've got a look."

"It might be best I not tell you what I'm thinking."

Was it just him or was there an incredible amount of chemistry between them right now? Naruto refused to get up, and Sasuke sure as hell was going to prolong the contact as long as he possibly could.

In fact, before he could help himself, he began to lean in. Naruto's eyes were open, but they started to slip shut as he moved in closer -

But then the stairs creaked, and Sasuke was quick to back away and put distance between them. Not more than 10 seconds later, his dad appeared in the basement doorway. He looked from him to Naruto.

"What are you two doing down here with the lights and TV off?" He asked.

"We were talking," Sasuke answered quietly. "Naruto's tired, so he was thinking about taking a nap. I told him he could have the bed."

"Is that so?" asked Fugaku. "Are you not feeling well, Naruto?"

Naruto cleared his throat, sitting up straighter. "No, sir. I feel fine. It's just been a long week. It's the first weekend I've had in a while where I've been able to sleep in."

"Sleep is important for young boys," said his father. "Why don't you lie down before lunch? You do look pale. Have Sasuke bring you some tea."

"Tea would be great," said Naruto. "I think that'd help a lot."

Sasuke finally found the ability to stand up. "Come on," he told Naruto. "I'll make you some tea and make sure you're comfortable."

Naruto looked at him first before nodding. "Sure."

Sasuke pulled him to his feet. He bowed his head at his father and said goodbye. Naruto followed him up the stairs.

"I'll get your tea," Sasuke mumbled.

"You don't have to," Naruto replied, although they went into the kitchen anyway.

Sasuke remained frazzled, but Naruto fell into a conversation with his mother as if nothing had happened. Or, maybe Sasuke had imagined it all in his head? Hadn't it seemed like Naruto would've let himself be kissed? Crap, though. If his father would've come down even just a minute later...

Without really thinking, he set the kettle on the stove. There was only one burner left with all the other pots still being used for the ramen. It smelled amazing, and his stomach even rumbled. Without asking Naruto which type of tea he preferred, Sasuke found a bag of his favorite and set it in the mug.

When Naruto slid up against him after a few minutes, he nearly jumped.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "You're not very good at coverin' up how you feel. You look like a nervous wreck."

"I'm sorry I'm not a master of disguising my emotions like you are."

Naruto frowned. "It's not like he walked in on anything that can't be explained. Nothing even happened."

Sasuke shook his head. "Let's not talk about this here."

"You always say that. You always say you don't wanna talk about it, but maybe we should talk about it."

"Fine," he snapped. "But not here. Later."

"Alright. By the way, the kettle's whistlin', you might wanna take it off?"

Sasuke hadn't even noticed, but he quickly turned off the burner and poured the boiling water into the mug. Because his hand was shaking, he accidentally spilled some of it on his own fingers.

"Jeez," Naruto said, and took the kettle from him. "Go run your fingers under the water. I can do this."

Sasuke glared at him, but Naruto gave him a push toward the sink.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" asked his mom. "Did you burn yourself?"

"I'm fine, mother."

"Are you sure there's nothin' else we can help you with for the ramen?" Naruto asked. "Sasuke and I were thinkin' about a quick nap. Or, well. Now I'm not so tired, so maybe we could go for a run or somethin' since it's so nice outside."

"There's definitely time for either," said Mikoto. "I'll call you when lunch is ready. It should be another hour. I'm sure you're hungry, too. Since we're eating so late!"

"I'm fine," said Naruto. "I had a lotta pancakes."

When Sasuke turned off the water, Naruto walked by and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Come on, Sasuke. I'm gonna have to borrow some clothes to run in."

Sasuke found himself being dragged to his bedroom. He didn't even have time to protest as Naruto rushed him inside and closed the door behind them.

"What's all this about?" Sasuke asked.

"You and I," said Naruto. "Should probably have a talk. But we're gonna go for a run first, 'cause I sure as hell need to clear my head, and I bet you do, too. Now, what do you have that's gonna fit me 'cause your ass is way fatter than mine, and I don't want my shorts fallin' down while we're runnin' around your neighborhood. Your neighbors might complain, and then you might really be in trouble with your dad."