Disclaimer: The characters and concepts of Naruto belong to their creator/owner. I make no profit from this.
Warnings: Swearing, angst, yaoi.
A/N: Authors Notes are at the end! As of the last chapter, word count is 107,786, review count is 884 and hit count is 114, 406. Thanks for all your wondeful encouragement people!
Thanks go out to my beta Chibikoi for editing this, and for providing such wonderful support!
Chapter 22: Just Say Yes
"That the new girl, huh?" Genma called as he emerged from the tack room with his arms full of rope and halters. "She's a hottie alright. Make sure you treat her good, or I'll be taking her off your hands."
Genma patted Sora's shoulder as they passed and Naruto grinned at him. It was good to have Genma back amongst them, and he was glad to see that he was in good spirits.
Sora tossed her head as they emerged into the bright sunlight, eager to get going and Naruto shared her enthusiasm. It was a beautiful day to be riding, and he was just itching to see how she would perform.
Kakashi was waiting for them in the center of the outdoor arena. He was untangling a lunge line with a single minded attention that he understood all too well. The older man stood drenched in sunlight, his casual cargo pants, plain tank top and old boots was a testament to just how relaxed he was. They obviously weren't expecting any guests for the time being, and Naruto felt a twinge of disappointment. That meant that Sasuke wouldn't be making an appearance that day, and despite the man's reassurances, Naruto had to wonder if it was because of last night. He forcefully dismissed that notion though. Sasuke had made it clear that it wasn't anything he was ashamed of, and Naruto was glad. Sasuke was his confidence, and all he had to do was trust in him, which wasn't difficult at all.
Naruto shook himself back to reality and closed the gate carefully once they had entered the arena. Sora was looking around as he led her towards where Kakashi was waiting and she was crowding him as they walked. Slapping her shoulder lightly to get her attention, Naruto pushed her over a little so that she wasn't stepping on his feet all the time. She reminded him of a bumbling youth sometimes, with the way she was so eager to take everything in at once.
Kakashi looked up as he halted Sora before him.
"You all ready?"
Naruto nodded, steadying Sora as she shifted impatiently behind him.
"Good. Get those stirrups secured and attach the reins to her saddle."
Naruto obeyed immediately, running the stirrups up and feeding the stirrup leathers through the foothold to keep them in place high up on the saddle. This was done so that they wouldn't hit her sides as they lunged her. Once he had done this on both sides, he unbuckled the reins so they were hanging in two separate pieces and attached them to her saddle. While he was doing this, Kakashi fastened the lunge line to her bridle and picked up the lunge whip, a long, thin stick with a small length of material secured to the end.
"Right. Why don't you go and get yourself ready over there while I lunge her?" Kakashi suggested. "I think we'll have a bit of an audience for this."
Naruto looked up, over to the side of the arena where plastic seats were set out, and noticed that Genma and Raidou, Tenten and Shikamaru were all sitting down and talking.
"Is that all right?" Naruto asked.
He wasn't uncomfortable with the idea that they would be watching him ride, he was just unsure how Sora would react in front of a bunch of strangers.
"lt's fine. Besides, they're working, and as long as they keep working, I can't dictate where they do it."
He was right, Naruto realized. Genma and Raidou were expertly stitching broken leather and canvas back together, while Tenten and Shikamaru were rubbing harness oil into the tack and reconditioning it so it was useable and clean.
"Go and get your gear on. I'll get her started."
Naruto nodded and patted Sora's shoulder as he crossed the sandy arena to where his friends were sitting.
He sat himself down next to Raidou and set about pulling off his work boots and pulling on his longer riding ones.
"Looking forward to riding her?" Raidou asked, squinting over to where Sora was trotting sedately in a wide circle around Kakashi. "She has lovely movement."
"Yeah. She was pretty good when I rode her at Kato's," Naruto replied, picking up his leather gloves and pulling them on. "She has a few problems with jumping though. Reckon I'll have to start all over again with her on that."
"Will you have enough time before the competition? It's not that far away." Genma said. "Me and the others don't have much to worry about. I mean, the horses we'll be riding are all experienced and know how to do it all. We just have to introduce them to the new routines. But if you're training her from scratch, that'll be difficult. You'll be worked off your feet."
"You heard about the competition already, huh?" Naruto asked before shrugging. "I'm pretty sure we can do it. She's intelligent, and I'm guessing a fast learner. I don't think it'll be a problem."
"Still, if she's.…"
Sora had bolted out of her easy canter and shied backwards, pulling strongly against Kakashi's firm hold on the lunge line. Naruto watched as Kakashi stood patiently and waited for her to calm down before he approached her, gathering up the slackening line as he did so. He scanned her over quickly before starting over again.
"Bit skittish, isn't she?" Shikarmaru commented, breaking the silence.
"You should have seen the stink she kicked up when I first tried to get her over some simple jumps."
"And you think you can get her over that before the competition?" Raidou asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at him before returning his attention to the reins he was repairing.
Naruto shrugged.
"Pretty sure."
"How much you wanna bet on it?" Genma asked Raidou, his grin evident in his tone.
Tenten groaned. "Seriously, do you guys have to bet on everything? This is a big deal for Naruto, and all you guys can think of is making money from it? Pathetic!"
"Bullshit." Genma grinned at Naruto and winked. "I'm betting on you Naruto, so you have my support. I know you can do it."
Naruto smiled at him and blushed as Raidou retaliated.
"Of course I have faith in him, but I don't think you're considering all the factors in this..."
Shikamaru sighed and set aside the rag he was working on.
"Too noisy," he muttered as he lay back in the grass.
Naruto caught the affectionate look Tenten sent Shikamaru's way and smiled. She caught his eyes and blushed slightly before shifting over to sit next to him.
"How's things going with you guys anyway?" Naruto asked her softly as he tightened the buckles on his boots.
"Just fine. We're getting along a lot better now," Tenten confessed.
Naruto smiled at her. "I'm glad. You're good for each other."
"Thanks Naruto." She looked at him closely. "And you? How's things with...you know?"
Naruto flushed scarlet and looked down at the grass, unsure how to answer.
"What?" Tenten asked in an excited whisper. "Did something happen?"
He shrugged uncomfortably and flushed a deeper shade of red.
"What what what?" Tenten pestered, her voice lowered. "Did you...you know?"
"Naruto!" Kakashi called.
His head shot up to where the pale man stood waiting, holding Sora steady in the center of the arena.
"I gotta go..." he mumbled, shooting to his feet and hurrying out towards Kakashi. He didn't miss the open mouthed look of surprise and delight on Tenten's face though.
"You did!" she hissed out after him.
He waved a hand at her, but couldn't deny the humor in the situation. All things considered, he was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. For once, his doubts were refusing to take root in his mind, and he was glad. In fact, he was feeling better about himself than he had in years, and it was amazing to feel that way. Suddenly all the things that he hated about himself didn't seem so significant anymore, and all the ghosts in his past were staying there for the time being. He'd be damned if he didn't take advantage of that.
Kakashi handed him the reins.
"She's a bit funny, this one," his boss mused as Naruto lowered his stirrups and prepared to mount.
Naruto smiled at him.
"She's got a lot of personality though. That's what counts right?" he replied.
Kakashi returned his smile and ruffled his hair as he gripped the saddle and slipped his foot into the stirrup.
"It is. You need help to get on? She's a big girl."
Naruto shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"Right, well I'll leave you to it then. Run through the normal warm up routine we use on the other horses to start with, and we'll take it from there."
"Right."
Naruto had to jump a few times to get enough power to pull himself up into the saddle, but it wasn't too difficult. Sora shifted restlessly underneath him as he settled in the saddle, and he patted her in reward for standing steady for him.
"Just ignore the people over there, girl. It's just you and me again," he murmured as he slid his foot into the other stirrup and gathered the reins.
"Off we go."
Sora moved forward with little prompting and Naruto guided her out to the worn track around the edge of the arena. She was nodding her head and chomping at the bit as they walked, and Naruto could feel how tense she was underneath him. He had good reason to suspect that she was going to give him trouble.
Naruto relaxed his elbows and dropped his shoulders back, settling into position easily.
"Looking good Naruto. Take her through the routine," Kakashi called.
It had been awhile since he'd had someone sitting and watching him ride, calling out suggestions and instructions. The last person to do that had been his father when he was teaching Naruto how to ride.
Sora took advantage of his distraction and tossed her head high before bolting forward into a canter. Naruto gathered the reigns and immediately slowed her back to a walk.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry girl," he murmured as he turned her in a sharp circle before until they were back on track. It was a way of letting the horse know that they had done something wrong. If the horse kept messing about, and the rider kept turning the sharp circles, then eventually it would get drilled into them that what they were doing wasn't right.
There were other tactics of course. Some people stopped the horse and pulled their head around so the horse was looking back at them, and would hold them there for a few seconds. Others would make the horse back up a few steps before continuing forwards. Neither of these would work on Sora though, because she had a sensitive mouth.
Once she was walking again, he moved her forward into a trot and they started trotting out the circles, half circles and serpentines as a warm up. She completed each, albeit reluctantly. Her ears were back against her neck, and though Naruto was talking to her softly, and going easy on her mouth, she was still unhappy.
Sighing, Naruto pulled her back to a walk and nudged her over towards Kakashi, who stood up and came forward to talk to him.
"What's bothering her?"
"I have no idea. I think I'll take her for a quick gallop if that's alright. Maybe that's what's wrong."
Kakashi nodded.
"Run her down the road and back up. That should do the trick."
Naruto nodded and wheeled Sora about towards the gate that Kakashi was opening for him. Her ears automatically went forward when she saw the open gate, and Naruto grinned, already feeling the rush of adrenalin and excitement. He loosened the reins slightly and urged her forwards. She needed no encouragement though, and as soon as she felt him lean forwards she sprang into a gallop from a walk, taking off faster than he thought possible.
She could easily match Taira for speed, he thought to himself as they thundered down the road leaving a trail of dust in their wake. And Taira was a thoroughbred.
She had settled into a steady rhythm, and Naruto just slipped into that state of mind that always gripped him when galloping. He stopped thinking and just started to feel, becoming a part of Sora as she ran. He could feel her breathing heavily as they moved, could feel the heat of her through the warm leather, and the way her muscles bunched and released in a perfect cycle.
The wind screamed past them, whipping Sora's mane and tail into his face, but he didn't care; they were flying, almost as if her hooves weren't touching the ground.
They came to the end of the road too soon. Naruto was forced to slow her down enough to turn around, and then they were roaring back up the way they had come. Sora was slowing down, some of the fire that had been upsetting her spent and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. By the time they pulled up by Kakashi, Sora was dancing, her bad mood gone.
Naruto patted her neck, grinning from ear to ear as he praised her. She arched her neck and snorted, tossing her head.
"Right. Ready to get some work done now?"
She bobbed her head as if agreeing, and he laughed as he turned her head back towards the ring.
- - - - - - - -
Naruto was had just dismounted from Sora when a loud bang sounded from behind one of the stable blocks. Sora panicked and shied away from him and Naruto was barely able to keep his grip on the reins. Genma and Raidou were on their feet in seconds, with Shikamaru and Tenten scrambling to follow.
Moments later Kiba could be heard yelling.
"KAKASHI!!!" he roared. "THE WATER MAINS HAVE BURST!!"
"Great. Just what we need," Kakashi groaned, running his hands through his hair. He looked over to where Naruto was attempting to soothe Sora.
"Go and tie her up, then come and help us get this sorted."
Naruto nodded, watching the group hurrying away before he patted Sora's shoulder again.
"C'mon girl. Let's get you sorted out then, shall we?"
Within ten minutes, Sora was unsaddled, wiped down and back in her stable drinking deeply from her water and Naruto was jogging around the second stable block and straight into the middle of the fray.
Genma, Raidou and Kiba were trying unsuccessfully to quell the flood of water gushing from the exploded pipeline, while Tenten and Sakura were trying to calm two spooked and soaking wet horses behind them. Shikamaru and Kakashi were no where to be seen, and Naruto presumed that they had gone to turn the water off all together.
Genma was cursing enough to make a hardened sailor blush, and Naruto smothered his laughter. All three of them were soaked to the skin. Kiba glanced over his shoulder at him and grinned.
"Get that smirk off your face and get your ass over here."
Naruto stripped off his jacket and went to help. Within seconds he was soaked as well, and laughing with Raidou and Kiba as an unexpected spurt of water hit Genma in the face. The flood of water had turned the dirt all around them into sludgy mud, and they were soon coated in it.
All of a sudden, the rush of water stopped and they all stared stupidly at it for a moment before laughter from the girls behind them broke them out of their shock.
"What are you laughing at?" Kiba grumbled, climbing carefully to his feet. "I didn't see you guys helping out."
"Are you serious?" Sakura scoffed. "Number one, I'm wearing a white shirt. Number two, what's the point? There was no way it was going to stop until they turned the water off. So now you're all muddy and wet and for no reason."
Genma was scowling ferociously at her, but he wasn't really mad. Naruto accepted Kiba's offered hand of help and climbed to his feet, trying his best not to slip on the mud. But despite his excellent sense of balance, he felt his feet slip from underneath him and knew he was doomed. Unfortunately, he grabbed onto Kiba for help and only succeeded in dragging him down too. He sprawled on his back in the mud, with Kiba landing very ungracefully on top of him and knocking the air from his lungs.
He was vaguely aware of the others laughing their heads off, but he was more focused on Kiba's heavy weight crushing his ribs. Before he knew it, something was bubbling up from inside him, from the depths of his stomach and the next thing he knew it was flying from his mouth before he could stop it.
Naruto was laughing. Honest to god, genuine laughter was bursting from him in uncontrollable waves. It was the first time he had laughed like that in years, and he felt fantastic, better than he had in what seemed like forever.
Kiba pushed himself up and jeered down at him.
"Nice work Naruto. Now we're covered in fucking mud and there's no way Kakashi's going to let us shower."
"No, we'll just hose you guys down," Raidou was laughing helplessly, his hands braced in his knees.
"That's the last time I help you out," Kiba grumbled good naturedly as he climbed to his feet once more and moved to the safety of a nearby patch of grass.
Naruto finally managed to quell his laughter, but could feel it threatening once more. As it was, he sat there grinning. He hadn't felt so light nor so free for a long time; longer than he could remember, and it felt good. It felt like he could finally be himself, kind of like a moth emerging from its cocoon. He was shedding the darkness of his past, breaking from the confines of his depression and becoming the person he had wanted to be for a long time. And that was a person who was happy with himself and the world, and his place in it.
Sakura burst out laughing once more.
"You should see your back," she giggled as Kiba turned around.
Amid more grumbling and cursing, Kiba strained to get a look before giving up and stripping his shirt off entirely.
Naruto looked up as Raidou and Genma appeared at his side and each grabbed one of his forearms before hauling him to his feet.
"I think that hosing down idea was a good one," Raidou commented, as he attempted to flick some of the goopy mud Naruto was cased in off his arm.
"Well, it would be if we had water," Genma amended.
Naruto raised his hand to brush his wet hair off his forehead, but stopped when he saw the dark mud smeared all over it. A thought struck him and he grinned up at Genma, who glanced down at him looking puzzled.
A moment later he jumped backwards with an outraged cry as Naruto swiped his muddy hand down the side of his face. Naruto laughed and danced backwards out of the way as Genma attempted to grab him.
Things degenerated from there, until they were engaged in an all out mud flinging war. The girls shrieked at Kiba and Raidou targeted them, and Naruto was laughing and pleading with Genma, who was trying to get his revenge on him.
It was a short war that could have gone on for a lot longer if Kakashi and Shikamaru hadn't reappeared.
"I can't leave you guys alone for a minute, can I?" Kakashi sighed as he joined them.
Shikamaru had stopped next to Tenten, and after considering her for a long moment, he reached out and flicked a lump of mud off her cheek.
"Let's get this pipeline fixed then, so we can get the water back on and hose you guys off."
It was a relatively simple task to repair the broken pipe, so it wasn't long before the water was running once more. After that, followed an all out water skirmish, which left them exhausted, but considerably cleaner.
- - - - - - - - - -
Naruto was one of the last people in the stables as the last light of the day started to fade. It was a Friday night, which meant the others would be going out. Some of them went to visit friends or family, others went to the bars or pubs nearby, while the girls usually met up with their friends at some nightclub or another further away in the city.
They had long since learned to stop asking Naruto if he wanted to join them. Naruto wasn't one for socializing much. He was shy and tongue-tied the majority of the time, and he could never seem to find the words to start up conversations with complete strangers.
If he was honest with himself, then he'd admit that he actually needed the alone time he got on Friday nights. He was a private person; spending most of his time in the company of others sometimes became an ordeal for him with all the secrets he had to keep, and the truths he had to hide. He needed time to recover himself and regain the inner balance that he needed to get through each day.
The others had all called their good byes out a short time ago as they'd all gone their separate ways. Naruto had had a long hot shower once they'd left, letting his tired muscles relax after a long day of hard work.
But he found that after a day of so much excitement and with so many things going on, he was unable to sit down and relax. So he had made his way to the stables and picked up a broom. It might make him seem like a simple person, but sweeping was therapeutic to him. The repetitive action was soothing, and let him just get lost in the motions, not having to think too much or too deeply as he focused on his body's movements. Oddly enough, it was during these times when he was able to come to some of his best conclusions.
A sharp nudge to his shoulder startled him, and he turned around in surprise only to come face to face with a curious Taira.
The dark horse was looking down his nose at him, and Naruto laughed as he set aside his broom and reached up to rub his ears.
"I'm sorry boy. Was I ignoring you?"
Taira lowered his head and rubbed his head against his shoulder.
"Oh I see. So you just wanted someone to use as a scratching post." he teased as he continued to rub his hands over the huge horses face. "Well, you're just as confident as your master, aren't you? No surprise there."
"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted."
Naruto whirled around, making Taira jerk his head up. Sasuke was standing behind him, his hands shoved in his pockets and a smile playing around his lips. Naruto was blushing hotly and he shuffled his feet in embarrassment.
"You weren't supposed to hear that," he mumbled.
He knew enough by then to know that Sasuke wasn't mad.
"I gathered."
Sasuke was smiling openly at him as he stepped closer. He was looking particularly fine, even in a pair of stylish black track pants that probably cost more than a fortnight of Naruto's pay, a plain white t-shirt and a dark gray v-neck sweater. His dark hair was pulled back from his face, revealing a facial structure that would make a sculptor start sweating in anticipation. Naruto was struck once more by just how breath-taking Sasuke was. It was enough to make him go weak at the knees.
"Hi." Sasuke's smile softened as he moved closer.
"Hi," Naruto whispered back as Sasuke lowered his head and brushed his lips across Naruto's for a lingering, chaste kiss. Naruto felt that familiar heat engulf him, and had to remember how to breathe.
Sasuke ended the kiss after a few moments, and brushed his knuckled gently over Naruto's cheek before looking over his head towards Taira.
"I hope you're not trying to corrupt my own horse against me."
"He doesn't need any help in that department," Naruto replied, turning slightly as he followed the direction of Sasuke's gaze. Taira had lost interest in them and was busy socializing with the small bay gelding in the stable next to his.
Naruto turned back to Sasuke and smiled up at him.
"It's good to see you again so soon."
Sasuke raised a hand and ran his fingers through Naruto's hair, and he shivered, remembering the way that same hand had tormented him so the previous night.
"Right back at you." he murmured. "Actually, I came here for a reason."
Naruto frowned as Sasuke sobered, his eyes turning serious.
"Is everything alright?"
"I need your help with something," Sasuke replied, and Naruto couldn't help the instinctive bite of anxiety that followed.
"Wait here," Sasuke told him as he turned and disappeared around a nearby corner, heading for the entrance to the stables.
Naruto shifted, agitated for a moment and wondering what Sasuke could possibly need his help with. After a moments internal debate, he followed after Sasuke.
A dark blue sports car was blocking the entrance to the stables, and Sasuke had one of the back doors open and was leaning in.
He straightened up carefully, and Naruto saw that he was holding a box in his hands when he turned around.
"Thought I told you to wait back there."
Naruto shrugged slightly uncomfortably, his eyes focused on the tattered brown box in Sasuke's hands, curiosity and confusion making him forget about his usual skittishness whenever Sasuke was present.
"Come over here and sit down." Sasuke told him, nodding towards two empty crates that were sitting nearby.
Naruto did as he was told, watching as Sasuke sat down on the other one before he gently set the box down at there feet.
"What's..." he began, but Sasuke was opening the box and lifting out something wrapped in a leather jacket. He settled it in his lap and pulled back the layers on fabric to reveal a small shape, shuddering minutely and not moving much at all.
"I found him on the side of the road when I was driving back home this evening," Sasuke said quietly, watching as Naruto reached out a hand and lay it on the shivering puppy's back.
He wasn't very big, and couldn't have been more than a month or two old, and Naruto's heart ached for the terrified puppy. But even worse was the rough bandage that was wrapped awkwardly over the puppy's shoulder. Naruto fingered the edge of it gently, noting the blood soaking through.
"It was the best I could do at the time. I didn't know what to do with him, and I thought that you might."
Naruto nodded absentmindedly and very carefully slid his hands under the puppy so he could lift it into his own lap. This elicited a tiny whimper from him, but the puppy didn't even struggle or try to fight him and he frowned.
"It's good you wrapped him in the jacket," he murmured. "He was probably cold. It's this wound I'm worried about though."
"Should we take him to a vet?"
Naruto shook his head. "Let me look at it first. There's a first aid kit in the tack room. Would you mind...?"
Sasuke was on his feet before he even finished the sentence, and he disappeared. Naruto lifted the puppy up to his face, looking into his half closed eyes. He was worried about how unresponsive the puppy was, although that could be due to the fact that he was cold and frightened. Who knew how long he'd been out there in the cold without his mother. If the cardboard box was anything to go by, then Naruto guessed the puppy had been abandoned. He told himself not to get too attached to the tiny creature, because he'd probably have to give it to the pound.
He cradled the puppy to his chest, stroking its small head.
"You don't need to be frightened anymore," he whispered. "I'll look after you."
Sasuke returned then, and Naruto lay the pup back on his lap and accepted the kit from him. He unwrapped the crude dressing Sasuke had applied, and inspected the jagged, raw looking cut on the puppy's front leg. It wound its way around to the shoulder, and Naruto winced in sympathy. It looked quite nasty, but didn't seem to need stitches.
"It doesn't look too serious," he said. "I'll clean it, and put a proper bandage on it."
Sasuke just nodded and watched as he undid the kit and set about his unpleasant task. First he had to pick out all the tiny bits of gravel and dirt that was stuck in there, stopping every few minutes to pet the whimpering pup and whisper words of comfort to him.
Once that was done, he swabbed the area with antiseptic and applied a wad of gauze to it, which Sasuke held in place as he wrapped a small bandage around it.
He straightened up, and began to pack away the things he had used. Sasuke was scratching the pup's ears and Naruto had to smile at the compassion Sasuke was displaying. It struck him then that this was the side of him that the others hadn't thought existed. They all thought he was a cold, unemotional Uchiha like the rest of his family. But the person Naruto was sitting with was just as human as anyone he knew.
The puppy was lying in the valley his closed legs formed, and Naruto carefully placed him back in the warm leather jacket before setting him back down on his lap once more.
"Will he be okay?" Sasuke asked.
"He should be. I'll keep him with me tonight, put a hot water bottle in with him, and check his dressing in the morning. Then I guess we'll take him to the pound tomorrow," he replied, looking wistfully down at the small dog. He'd always loved dogs when he was little, and he'd always begged his father for one as a birthday present when he was younger. But his father had always shook his head and replied that it was no lifestyle for a dog, with the way they were always moving from place to place.
But Naruto had seen the way he'd played with all the dogs at all the stables they'd lodged at over the years. His father had loved dogs, and Naruto had always shared his fondness for them.
"You don't have to, you know," Sasuke told him, watching him quietly. "You could always keep him."
Naruto looked up at him in surprise.
"No, I don't think..."
"Why not?" Sasuke asked. "When was the last time you did something you wanted to, just for yourself? If you want to keep him, then it won't be a problem."
Naruto chewed his lip as he looked down at the pup sleeping in his lap and stroked its silky soft ears softly. He really wanted to...There was no way he could resist taking care of such a needy animal. The truth was, he had fallen in love with the puppy the moment Sasuke had lifted him out of the box. He looked like a black retriever, and although young, he had huge paws, a tell tale sign that he would become a pretty big dog when he was older.
"I'll have to ask the others first." he conceded, although in his heart he knew that there was no way he could give him up now. He was an orphan, just like him, with no home and no one to love him. And he was so very frightened and small, and Naruto would only worry about the little guy if he let him go tomorrow. After all, he knew what it was like to be scared and hurt, and there was no way he could stand to watch another living being suffer the same misery that he had.
Sasuke smiled at him, seeing that he had won Naruto over, and he smiled back.
He kept his hand on the puppies back, and watched his sides rise and fall as he breathed.
"I'll take care of him," Naruto said. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I figured that you'd know what to do. Besides, now you'll always have someone with you."
Naruto smiled. And whenever he looked at the puppy, he'd remember how Sasuke had saved him from an uncertain fate at the side of a road. Just like Sasuke had saved him.
"Where is everyone anyway?"
"They're all out. It's Friday night, after all," Naruto told him. "What about Ino-sama and Neji-sama?"
"Sleeping off last nights hangovers," Sasuke replied. "No big surprise there. But how was your day?"
"It was a good day today," Naruto said, his eyes on the puppy. "A good day."
Cool fingers lifted his chin and he looked into Sasuke's dark eyes, drowning once more in the storm of emotions he found there, unable to identify most of them, but seeing warmth there nevertheless.
"I'm glad," Sasuke murmured as he leaned forward and kissed Naruto.
He sighed as he lost himself in the sweetness of Sasuke's kiss. He'd been longing to taste him all day, striving to remember exactly how it felt to have those wonderful lips against his own. Naruto raised a hand and brushed it over Sasuke's cheek.
He was bursting with emotions, so strong and entirely indefinable, and he wasn't sure what to do with them. Should he hold them in, and lose himself in their wonderful depths, or should he let them overflow, and show what was in his heart to Sasuke?
The kiss ended slowly, and Naruto pulled back slightly to study Sasuke's face, smiling at him. Sasuke leaned his forehead against Naruto's, entwining their fingers and raising his hand to his lips.
He shivered at the feel of those soft lips on the back of his hand.
"I have to go," Sasuke whispered.
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
Sasuke nodded as he straightened.
"We'll be down tomorrow morning for a practice session."
"We?"
"Ino and Neji are coming too." Sasuke grinned at him. "But I'll see you later on as well. If you don't see me by eight then come up to my rooms."
Naruto nodded as Sasuke stood up, looking up at him. Nimble fingers brushed through his hair momentarily and a warm kiss was pressed to his forehead, before another was pressed to his lips.
"Take care of that puppy," Sasuke whispered against his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."
TBC
A/N: The stables where I used to work years and years ago had a water mains that burst on a regular basis, which resulted in a flood of water, lots and lots of icky mud and a very dirty Kate. It was interesting, to say the least...
Hope y'all liked this chapter. It was a bit fluffy wasn't it? And I'm now taking suggestions for the naming of that puppy. Ideas, anyone?