Sasuke was inclined to follow Naruto out, but having been together for this long, he could tell when Naruto needed space or when he was beginning to fall into one of his moods. Instead of going after him, he continued to run his eyes over Nezumi's photograph collection, all of which were extraordinarily beautiful despite a notably somber perspective. He wondered if Naruto had picked up on it, too.
"You could make this into a book," he suggested and meant it.
"Already workin' on it."
Sasuke glanced at him briefly. He'd met men like Nezumi before - talented, intelligent, arrogant, ambitious, and always drawn to what they can't have. He meant what he'd said to Naruto earlier, that he trusted him, and ever since around Christmas with Shion, Sasuke had made it a goal not to act impulsively when he felt jealous. That was something he needed to get over.
"Do you have a favorite?" Nezumi asked, watching him closely.
Sasuke directed his attention to the left side of the wall where there was one photo in particular of a young man with white hair who appeared deep into the novel he was reading.
"Who is he? An actor?" Sasuke attempted to read the title, but the book's cover was obscured. "It looks like he's wearing a wig."
"That's his natural hair color if you can believe it. It happened overnight, I guess you could say."
Sasuke hummed. "I like his expression. It's focused, but soft. There's a warmth to the image, as if this isn't about the subject, but, rather, a moment the photographer wanted to remember. It's more sentimental than most of your others."
"Heh. You really are an observant one," Nezumi muttered. "He had a fancy degree in ecology but hadn't ever read a single play by Shakespeare until we met. Can you believe there are people like that? Man." He stopped and dragged the pad of his thumb across his lower lip. "You know. I'm at work on a new project. You and Naruto might consider bein' a part of it. There's a gallery in Boston that's quite interested in what I've shown them so far."
Sasuke was actually a little intrigued given Nezumi's obvious artistic talent, but that didn't stop him from replying sarcastically, "I'm sure Naruto would be thrilled. And would these photographs involve shooting us clothed?"
Nezumi smirked. "I've done intimate portraits before if that's what you're askin'. Beats a bunch of grainy cell phone pics, am I right? And you'd get all of the copies. For a fee, of course."
"Is this just an excuse for you to see my boyfriend naked?"
"You wound me, Sasuke." Nezumi clasped his hands behind his head like Naruto often did. "I am nothing if not a professional when it comes to my art."
"Right," he replied doubtfully. "I think I should get back to Naruto."
Sasuke gave one last glance at the young man with the white hair before deciding to return to the living room.
Naruto was in the middle of telling a story about this terribly racist cabbie from their trip to New York when he noticed Sasuke and Nezumi walking into the room together. He decided to ignore them for the moment despite feeling the heavy weight of their gazes, even after he finished. While the rest of the group continued chatting and laughing, a couple of the other actors started in on their own amusing anecdote about some backstage shenanigans. However, he didn't get hear it all the way to the end because he was unexpectedly pulled aside by the woman who'd been playing the piano earlier.
"You're very funny," she said, speaking in a charming French accent. "Tell me, do you play? Do you like the piano?"
"I do, very much," he said, distracted by how very pretty she was. Why was everyone here so good looking as well as talented? "I can't play, though. Well, I think maybe I can do House of the Rising Sun after hearin' my boyfriend play it so many times, but other than that..."
"He is your boyfriend?" She asked, looking over to where Sasuke stood. "I thought maybe you and Nezumi - "
"No, no." He shook his head. "I met Nezumi a half a year ago in some bar in my hometown. It was just chance that we even ran into each other tonight."
"I see. Well, your boyfriend is also very beautiful."
"Thanks." He grinned. "I agree."
"You are also... very attractive, Naruto. Your eyes are the most exquisite shade of blue, but you look... a little sad, oui?"
"I do? I don't think so," he lied. "I feel pretty good. At least I've had enough drinks to be feelin' pretty good anyway."
"Mmhmm." She dragged him to the piano where she had him sit beside her on the bench. "I'll have you know that besides being a classical pianist, I'm also a bit of an intuitive. Very sensitive to other people's emotions, although I feel that you are the same, too." Lightly, her fingers danced across the keys as she began to play a melody that was as beautiful as it was somber. "This is how you feel, no? Sometimes I'll start playing something, and someone will come up to me and say 'How odd, Sophie. I was just in the mood to hear something like that'. It is very strange, I know. I come from a line of gypsies. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother spent their time traveling across Western Europe, playing their music."
"I don't think I've ever heard of a musical psychic," he said. "I'm surprised you haven't been given your own TV show."
"See! Very funny." She stopped playing and picked up his hand. "Would you mind if I read your palm?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Like, right now?"
"You're a skeptic?" She brushed her fingers across his palm.
"I dunno. Maybe? I try to keep an open mind about stuff. Just, if I'm gonna die tomorrow, I think I can live without knowin' that."
"Luckily it doesn't work that way," she said. "Though I do not think that is anything you need worry about."
Naruto chuckled and happened to glance in Sasuke's direction. He was still talking to Nezumi.
"God, get a room," he mumbled under his breath.
"Yes, I see," she said, drawing his attention back to her, which was probably a good thing. "This is your life line right here. You'll have a long life, full of love and... children."
"Really?" He asked.
"Definitely. I see it quite clearly. Not many. Just one. Perhaps two."
"Seriously? And they're mine...?"
"Yes, they're very much yours. One will look very similar to you... a boy, I think."
"Hm. And, uh... who's... um, you know? The co-parent?"
She brought his hand much closer to her face, carefully running her finger all over his palm. "I see dark hair. Beautiful eyes... someone you care for very much. This doesn't happen right away. No. In fact, you can expect many changes to happen before then. Possibly within the next... few months? It may be difficult for you, this change, but if you listen to your heart, you'll know what is the right thing to do."
"Hmm. Okay." He was still thrown off by the whole kids thing even though he definitely wanted some. "Anything else?"
"I see, how do you say? A fissure on your heart." She looked into his eyes. "I can feel it. You suffered a loss when you were young. One that still weighs on you heavily. You're thinking about this person now. You know of whom I am referring?"
He nodded. "I do... Yeah."
"Can I tell you something?" She asked, holding his hand in hers now. "Something very important."
"I guess so?"
"This person, she... I have the sense that... she's visited you. Or, she watches over you. Maybe you felt her presence. Like, she protected you? Were you in any accidents recently?"
"I mean... I was in a car accident at the end of November."
"I think it could've been worse had she not intervened. I do not mean to make you anxious, but it is something I feel I need to tell you. And also..." For some reason, she smiled and tilted her head as if hearing something he couldn't. "I think you wonder whether or not she would be proud of you, and I would like to tell you that she is. Very proud of the man you have become."
Not that he'd ever been to a psychic before or even believed in that kind of stuff, but...he felt his eyes start to sting as he became overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude.
"Oh, I am sorry! I did not mean - " She wiped one of his tears away with her finger. "I get carried away sometimes."
"No, it's okay." He grabbed for her hand and held it tightly between his own two hands. Then, feeling compelled, he kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you."
"But I feel bad. It was too much. I said too much."
"No. It's fine." He smiled, wanting to reassure her. "It's just kinda surreal you say all that 'cause, we saw you playin' when we first came in, and I remember thinkin' to myself, 'Wow, she's got hair just like Mom's'."
"Do I?" She smiled. "It is your mother? I do really think that a lot of wonderful things will come your way."
Naruto let go of her hand. "I'd like to think that some already have."
Sophie nodded while tugging at her necklace. "Yes, I think so."
"Sorry, I should probably go find a Kleenex, huh? Look at me. Tearin' up like an idiot." He rubbed at his right eye.
"There's no shame in showing your feelings," she scolded him lightly. "You're a good person, Naruto. Good things do happen to good people."
"Thanks again," he said, and she gave him a final pat on his cheek.
Naruto got up slowly from the bench. Since he wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, he nearly ran right into Sasuke as he headed toward the kitchen. His boyfriend caught him by the arms.
"Naruto," he said softly. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. "Yep. M'good. Just need to get a Kleenex before I start drippin' snot everywhere."
Sasuke appeared doubtful and just as it seemed he was set to interrogate him further, Nezumi appeared with a shot of something green.
"Here," he told Naruto. "Looks like you could use this."
"He doesn't need more alcohol," Sasuke argued.
"I'm fine, guys," he said, seeing that they were both worried about him.
Sasuke and Nezumi shared a dubious look. He was starting to understand how Sasuke felt about Kiba when he nagged about their bromance. Weren't they supposed to be rivals? He eyed them warily, wondering if he should be concerned about how well they were getting along.
"Yeah. I think I'm gonna need this."
He swiped the shot from Nezumi's hand and slung it back.
"Now you two can get back to your conversation. Don't worry 'bout me." He returned the glass to Nezumi."Thanks for the shot."
Smiling crookedly, Naruto offered him a pat on the shoulder and then went to find which of these doors was the bathroom.
"That's... not entirely usual behavior for him," Sasuke said, wondering what the hell that woman said to Naruto and why she thought she could get all touchy-feely with him.
Nezumi set the glass on the buffet table. "That's Sophie. I'd wager that she read his fortune. It's one of her hobbies, I guess."
"And these are your friends?" Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Naruto doesn't believe in any of that, so I doubt he get that upset over anything she had to say to him."
Nezumi grimaced. "I didn't believe in that kind of crap either. At least until I made the mistake of getting drunk one night and letting her do it to me. It was," he swallowed, "Unsettling to say the least."
"And," Sasuke inquired drolly, deciding to humor him. "What did she tell you?"
"What do you think?" Nezumi smirked. "That I would meet a man with pale hair who would change my life forever."
Sasuke glared at him. "In your dreams."
"Now that you mention it - "
He held up a hand, shaking his head in disgust. "Perhaps she was referring to that man in the photo. Him you may have a chance with if you're lucky."
"Or." Nezumi crossed his arms. "Maybe he was simply crying because she told him he'd be stuck with you for the rest of his life."
"I suppose that could be something worth crying about," he replied with a straight face.
The other man snorted. "Y'know, Sasuke. I'm tryin' pretty hard to dislike you. Could you indulge me this one time by not bein' self-deprecating? It almost makes you appear like you have some humility."
"I don't believe we're close enough for me to indulge you anything," he replied.
"Fine, if not in that regard, then how about somethin' else? I hear you play some piano, or is that just a vicious rumor?"
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably and ran a hand through his hair. "I know how to, but I'm nowhere near the level of your red-headed fortune teller friend. Besides, I should check on Naruto."
Nezumi raised a brow as he crossed his arms to his chest. "I thought he said not to worry about him. He's a big boy. I'm sure he can take care of himself."
"I'm not going to leave him alone when he's upset," he said.
"If you do, I'll be happy to offer him comfort in your place."
Nezumi's arrogance was almost getting on his nerves, but he was clearly just trying to get a rise out of him.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I'd hate to have to break your arms given the various talents you have in which you might need them."
"Threatening me already?" Nezumi's grin turned slightly feral. "But you didn't even ask me my safeword yet, pretty boy. Tsk, tsk."
"Hn. You're not my type."
"Don't worry, sweetheart. You aren't mine either. I prefer bigger breasts." Nezumi slid his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Thinkin' about what you said earlier, I suspect you're bein' grossly modest about your musical abilities. Especially since you're a creative director at one of the top agencies in the country."
Sasuke found himself caught off guard. "You looked me up?"
"I didn't have to. I have a lot of contacts in the music industry as you can see, but with only a first name to go by, I couldn't be sure."
He nodded. "Of course."
"I hear your agency will be openin' an office in Berlin. That could be interesting, don't y'think? And will Naruto be joining you, or can I take him off your hands? I'd make sure he's well cared for."
Sasuke frowned, ignoring the provocation regarding his boyfriend for now. "How did you hear about that?"
"Like I said." Nezumi brushed some invisible lint off of his shirt. "I have connections and ways of gettin' information. I suppose I also shouldn't know that you've been offered a position as partner. Very impressive considerin' you must be around my age."
"That's..." He dug his teeth into his lip. "There hasn't been a formal offer, and that's not something I've mentioned to Naruto yet."
"Hey, I'm not gonna rat you out, don't worry. That's between the two of you." Nezumi let his hair fall free before retying it. "No need to look so nervous."
"If you'll excuse me," he said. "I'm going to check on Naruto."
But before he could leave, Nezumi grabbed him by the arm.
Sasuke glared at where he had a hold of him. "What is it?"
"I know he's your boyfriend, but I do like Naruto. For the record, I wouldn't want him to get hurt is all I'm sayin'. He's a nice kid."
"I appreciate your concern, but I think I know what Naruto can or can't handle."
Nezumi nodded and let him go. "Sure, pal. Just tryin' to be helpful. No need to get your panties in a twist."
Sasuke stood there, even after Nezumi left him alone. His heart was racing for some reason. He'd only barely considered the possibility of relocating to Europe given that no firm decisions had been made by the agency's executives yet. He was going to bring it up eventually, but for now there were more important things for him to worry about. Like making sure Naruto hadn't passed out on the bathroom floor yet.
Naruto was washing his hands when he heard the knock on the door. He hurried up with drying his hands, and then unlocked and opened the door.
"Oh," he said. "It's you."
Sasuke scowled. "What's with that greeting?"
"I said I was fine! I just had to blow my nose and take a piss. I'm not a kid, y'know." He stuck out his bottom lip.
"Really? Because you sound like one right now." He pressed a hand to Naruto's chest and pushed him backward, locking the door behind him.
"Hey," Naruto said. "Someone might need to get in here."
"Then they can hold it." Sasuke crossed his arms, frowning. "Why did you get upset before? And what was up with her touching you all over?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and decided to hop up on the edge of the sink to sit. "She wasn't touchin' me all over. She… is some kind of gypsy, palm readin' pianist or whatever. I dunno."
"I see. Nezumi mentioned something like that."
"Did he? You two seem to be gettin' along pretty well. Have you sent him a friend request yet?"
Sasuke took a step closer to him and let his hands rest at Naruto's waist. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound jealous."
"I'm not. I'm glad you've found a friend."
"Naruto." Sasuke smiled at him and, reaching for a piece of his hair, tucked it behind an ear. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I dunno. Go ask Sophie. She has the answers to those kinds of things."
"Alright. What is it she told you? It must have had quite an effect on you, after all."
Naruto shrugged, allowing his gaze to conveniently drift somewhere else. "Not much."
Sasuke put a hand to his cheek and forced him to look his way. "Please. Tell me."
Naruto felt his resolve crack. "Don't… say 'please'."
"Why shouldn't I?" He let one of his hands wander down Naruto's chest.
"'Cause. It… I'm tryin' to be mad!"
"Wait." The humor drained quickly from Sasuke's face. "Why are you mad?"
"No reason." Naruto crossed his arms, and Sasuke dropped his hands to his sides so that he wasn't touching him anywhere.
Sasuke sighed. "What, did she tell you I was going to cheat on you? It's also perfectly possible this whole group is set to help Nezumi out in scoring points with you."
"No, you ass. She just said some things about my mother! And… geez. You really are paranoid. Why would Nezumi go to the trouble of all of that? Makes no sense. If he wanted to make a move on me, why would he bother spendin' the whole night hangin' out with you?"
Sasuke tilted his head. "So you are jealous."
Naruto exhaled through his nose. "Fine, yeah. Maybe. So what?"
Bowing his head a bit, Sasuke let out a chuckle. "This is new to me. Usually it's me that's the jealous one."
"That's not true," he argued. "I've been jealous before. Like, when we met Yahiko."
"What are you talking about? You two were getting along just fine when I got back to the house."
"Oh, that's right. You did get jealous then. Hm. Well, then there's that intern!"
"Naruto." Sasuke shook his head. "He was 19 years old."
"So? That's perfectly legal. How am I supposed to compete with all these young guys you work with who idolize you, and c'mon. You're their boss. Tons of people go for that kind of thing."
"First of all," said Sasuke. "You're 24 years old. You're not some geezer."
"Oh, that's great. Thanks a lot." Naruto put a hand to his boyfriend's chest and pushed him back a step.
"Second of all," Sasuke said, grabbing the front of his shirt and getting close again. "I don't want anyone but you. If anything, I've been putting up with Nezumi's sexual harassment towards you all night."
"Huh? Sexual harassment?"
"He's very much into you. Although…"
Naruto blinked at him when Sasuke didn't continue. "What?"
"I did observe this photo in his bedroom… a man with white hair. You may have competition."
"Oh, really? I wanna see. He told me somethin' that made me think he'd met someone else while he was travelin', but he wouldn't tell me."
"I don't think he's interested in letting you play matchmaker."
"Even so. I wanna see what he looks like. Does he seem nice? Is he good lookin'?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And why are you so curious about Nezumi's love life?"
Naruto bit his lip as he looked at him. "Dunno. Guess I'm just interested."
"Oh, are you? Still thinking about that threesome you brought up earlier?"
Naruto took hold of his boyfriend's hip and pressed their bodies together. "You did say a threesome is," he did his best Sasuke impression, "'Is something every man should try at least once before he dies'."
"I don't sound like that." Sasuke wound his arms around Naruto's neck. "If it's something you want, I suppose I can't deny you anything."
Naruto's eyes narrowed at his boyfriend's mouth. "I thought you said you'd never share me."
"As long as it's only physical," Sasuke lowered his voice, "You're not allowed to fall in love with anyone but me."
"Oh?" Naruto leaned in, almost to where their lips could touch. "You think I'm in love with a guy like you?"
"A guy like me?" Sasuke repeated, his eyelids lowering as he regarded him.
"Mm." Naruto brushed his knuckles against Sasuke's cheek. "Y'know. Smart. Funny. Talented… Sexy."
"If I'm all that, how did I end up with a guy like you?" Sasuke smirked.
He was joking, but it sort of hit a nerve with Naruto, so he leaned away.
"What?" Sasuke asked. "I was obviously joking, Naruto."
"Yeah, well." He cleared his throat, and before they could finish their conversation there was a knock at the door.
"Just a minute," Sasuke told them. He gave Naruto a hard stare. "Do you want to go home?"
"No, it's not... No. You seem to be enjoyin' talkin' to all these people. Don't mind me. I'm just… in a weird mood. I'll go have another drink and maybe calm down. Ah, I'll go look for that photo. You should go… network."
"Naruto."
Naruto slipped past him. "We should get out of here. There are people waitin'." He had his hand on the doorknob.
"There's something I want us to talk about later, okay?" Sasuke told him, and his tone made Naruto's heart begin to beat faster.
"Is somethin' wrong?" He asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "No. But. It's not a big deal. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Naruto nodded, studying the other man carefully. "You know… Sophie told me an interesting thing."
"I wouldn't put much stock into anything she said, Naruto. There are people who'll take advantage of your kindness if you let them and tell you anything you want to hear."
Naruto frowned. He'd wanted to mention the thing about them having kids. Not to mention those things Sophie had said about his mother… really meant something to him. He wanted to at least believe in that.
"Y'know. You may be the smartest guy I know, Sasuke, but you're not always right about everything."
"What was that for?" Sasuke asked him. "I was only saying – "
There was another more insistent knock on the door. "Are you guys about done in there? Seriously! There's a line forming!"
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto yelled. "We're done here." He opened the door and went out, nearly bumping into Inukashi.
"Took you long enough," he grumbled.
Naruto stopped and blocked his way. "You've got some mouth on you."
"Tch. If you're tryin' to hit on me, I'm not interested."
"Uh, in what way did that sound like I was hittin' on you, you jerk?"
"I figure if you're interested in Nezumi, you'll hit on just about anything." He brushed past Naruto and went into the bathroom, stopping when he saw Sasuke. "Oh that's great guys. Can't you at least use the bedroom if you're gonna mess around? Sheesh."
Naruto was about ready to tell him off – or worse – but then Sasuke walked out, brushing past without even looking at him. He watched his back as he headed for the living room.
"Great," he muttered, and while he wasn't paying attention, Inukashi pushed him out of the way and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door in his face.
Naruto let out a sigh, feeling guilty. He was being super sensitive tonight, and he knew it. But it was weird, right? Sasuke had, so far, paid more attention to all of these artists than him tonight, and it was supposed to be a date. It's not like Naruto hadn't offered that they could go home and fuck around. If Sasuke was cool with turning down sex to do some networking, then whatever. Naruto could have fun without him. He looked toward the one end of the hallway where he could follow Sasuke and try to work it all out, or… he could go back to Nezumi's bedroom and snoop around.
Maybe he just needed some time alone. He walked into the darkened bedroom and flipped on the lights. For a while, he stared at the wall of photos, looking at each starting from the top and going left to right until he came across the one he'd missed earlier.
"Ah," he said and reached out to touch it.
The man was around his age, although he looked as if he could've been younger except he had this stark white hair. He wondered if it was dyed? He'd seen people his age with gray hair, but this white was interesting. Naruto wondered what his name was, but then he noticed a tiny scribble at the photo's corner. He leaned in close and squinted at it.
"Shion," he read. "Huh? That's weird."
"Weird name for a weird guy, I'd say."
Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked over his shoulder at the person standing in the doorway. "Nezumi?"
"Yo." He put up a hand in greeting. Nezumi had a glass of wine in his hand. "Noticed you didn't come back with Sasuke. Everything alright?"
"Yeah," he said. "We sort of… aren't on the same page tonight, I guess."
"That so? Can't say I'm too sorry to hear it."
Naruto snorted. "It happens. Couples fight sometimes."
"Of that I'm all too aware," he said and let out a sigh as he came to stand at Naruto's side.
"So, is this the guy? The one you met after me?"
"Why," said Nezumi, nudging him in the side. "Jealous?"
"Ha ha. Why does it say 'Shion' there?" He pointed at the name on the photo, which was written in Nezumi's handwriting.
"Because… that's his name. It's a type of flower. His mother named him that. Apparently she liked flowers and plants."
"You seem to know a lot about him, Nezumi. I take it you two might've spent more than a half hour together?"
"You mean unlike us," Nezumi replied and handed his glass to Naruto.
"You don't want it?"
"No." He was frowning, so Naruto wondered if maybe it was a bad idea to bring this up. Who liked to talk about exes anyway? Assuming that's what Shion was to Nezumi.
Naruto took it from him and drank about a quarter of it right away. "Do you… wanna talk about it?"
Nezumi looked at him and smiled faintly. "Not really."
"It's just strange, you know," he said. "That's… the woman I was with before Sasuke. Her name was Shion."
"Ah, well. If I ever run into him again I'll have to let him know that he shares the same name as a girl."
"So… you don't talk to him anymore, or what?"
"I thought I said I didn't want to talk about it?" Nezumi's tone remained light, though, but he kept staring at the photograph.
"Well, yeah, but then you kept talkin' about it, so I thought maybe you really did wanna talk about it."
Nezumi glanced at him for a few seconds and then laughed. "Are you always this earnest?"
"Um. I dunno. I just, you know. If you wanted to talk about it, I'd be happy to listen. Plus, I'm really curious about him. What's he readin' anyway?"
"Hamlet," Nezumi answered. "I told him if he didn't read some of these classics I had lyin' around the apartment where I was staying, that I'd kick him out."
"Wait, you were livin' together?"
Nezumi sighed. "It's… complicated. I'm sure you can relate?"
"Heh. Yeah." Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"Fine. I know I can trust you, but where to start?"
"Well, when did you meet him? How long after you met me?"
Nezumi hummed. "Maybe a month. I was in Cincinnati by then after returning from my publisher in New York. He'd been kicked out of where he was staying. The idiot didn't even know that he was in a rough neighborhood when I ran into him. So, I said he could crash at my place since I was usually in and out during the day. I was doin' some shows at the playhouse there."
"So how long did that last?"
"Maybe… two and a half months?"
"I see. That's… I mean, that's kind of a long time to be sharin' the same space with someone." Naruto took another sip of his wine. It was white, like he preferred, and not too sweet or too dry. "You seem more of a red type of guy."
"Pardon?" Nezumi raised an eyebrow.
"The wine, I mean. I woulda guessed you prefer red."
"I prefer hard liquor if I'm honest," Nezumi replied. "Anyway, I know you prefer white, so I brought it for you."
"Of course. Are you tryin' to get me drunk?" He asked. "So that you can take advantage of me?"
"Why?" Nezumi smirked at him. "Do you think a plan like that would have much success?"
Naruto snickered. "I don't think Sasuke would be too happy about that. So, back to Shion. What… happened? I mean, you sound like you still care about him."
"Did I say that?" Nezumi's tone became slightly more sharp; Naruto observed him carefully.
"You didn't have to," he said in a soft voice. "I mean, I'm no expert, but even lookin' at the photo I can feel your affection for him through this."
"Are you suggesting we're a pair of star-crossed lovers?" He asked. "I wouldn't go that far."
"Yeah, and that didn't turn out so well for Romeo and Juliet, did it?"
"When I met Shion, he wouldn't have been able to even get that reference." Nezumi smiled, though it was crooked and his eyes held a certain sadness… or regret maybe?
"Well, I only get maybe 70% of Sasuke's references if that makes you feel better," he joked.
"It doesn't especially, and I'm sure you get more than that, Naruto." Nezumi looked over at him and took his empty glass from his hand, their fingers momentarily brushing. "By the way. Whatever happened to your Shion?"
"Eh. That's not such a great story," he said.
"I don't mind hearing it. I wouldn't mind having something else to think about right now if you don't mind."
Naruto swallowed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced you to talk about it."
Nezumi waved a hand. "It's alright. There are some fond memories, but… unlike you and Sasuke, we were opposites that didn't attract, I suppose."
"Hm." Naruto held his tongue since he didn't know enough about the situation to argue with Nezumi over his own feelings. "Alright then. Um. Let's see. Shion and I broke up… more than two years ago, I guess? We'd been broken up for about a year when I met Sasuke, so that sounds right. I met her in college, but she was older than me."
"How much older?" Nezumi asked as he ran his finger along the side of another photo in the same row as Shion's.
"Five years."
"Is that so? I'm impressed. Your romantic life sounds… diverse, huh? Older women and Asian men. I'm sure that's only the half of it."
"Nah. My love life was pretty average. You should ask Sasuke about his – " But, he stopped himself. "Wow, yeah. I think I've had too much to drink."
"You don't have to explain to me. I can guess just from looking at Sasuke that he's probably a man of… experience."
"Yeah, well. That's all in the past. Anyway, what was I sayin'?"
"You had an average love life."
"Right. We'd been dating for three years. We broke up a few times during then, though, but we always ended up back together until… I finally grew a pair and broke it off for the final time. Then, maybe a week or two later, she moved to Europe 'cause, well…" He sighed, thinking about the conversation he had with her around New Year's. "Doesn't matter now. We grew apart is all. She wasn't the one."
"Is Sasuke the one?" Nezumi asked, and when Naruto met his gaze, his look was both intense and meaningful. It was also very sincere, so he decided to be honest.
"Yeah," he said, nodding firmly. "I think so."
"How unfortunate for me." Nezumi undid the knot in his hair and let it fall down to where it nearly touched his shoulders.
"I can't believe I didn't realize who you were when I saw you on stage. Or, that I had no idea you were a guy."
"I think that's a compliment," he said. "Means I was doin' my job."
"You really were great. I couldn't keep my eyes off of you whenever you were on stage."
Nezumi's lips parted just slightly and he dabbed his tongue across the bottom one. "You shouldn't say things like that to me. You might give me hope. But, I know it was an innocent comment, so I'll merely say… thank you. That night we met at the bar, I wanted somethin' like this. Just to sit down and talk to you. Find out more about you. Who you are."
"I'm really not that interestin'," he said. "Just ask Sasuke."
"Why would I ask Sasuke when I could ask you?"
"Um." Naruto felt his cheeks heating up under Nezumi's gaze.
"Does me being attracted to you make you so uncomfortable? I know you're with Sasuke."
"No, I, uh – " He scratched behind his neck. "Sorry. I guess I feel awkward. I don't really get why you're attracted to me. Not that I'd want you to be into him, but I would think Sasuke'd be more your type? You both have a lot in common, and you're so… weirdly similar about some stuff."
"Saying that is, I think, flattering in its own right. I could almost entertain the notion that had I met you before he did, then maybe I'd have had a shot, too. In convincing you that men make excellent companions… and lovers."
Naruto cleared his throat. "Of that I'm already well aware. Sasuke's my best friend. I dunno what I'd do without him."
"So you… would follow him anywhere?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess. Why do you ask?"
Nezumi shook his head. "Just curious. How did you know… when the two of you met, that he was the one?"
"Wow, I dunno if I could really explain it, but I guess I'd say… I was just drawn to him?"
The other man looked stricken by his words for some reason.
"Nezumi?" He asked.
Nezumi seemed to rouse from his thoughts after a minute. He plastered on a smile that Naruto knew was fake despite the man's otherwise excellent acting skills.
"It's… nothing," Nezumi told him, but he still appeared shaken. "Maybe we should join the others? I think when I left, Sasuke was about to accompany one of the ladies on the piano."
"Sasuke was?" He frowned. "He doesn't even play when I ask him."
"No?"
Naruto shook his head. "Cool. Guess he'll do what he wants when it comes to impressin' people who are like him, but if it's just me – " He stopped, though, not entirely sure why his feelings kept getting hurt over and over again tonight. It was probably just him. It wasn't anything Sasuke was doing. He knew how important work was to Sasuke, so he shouldn't complain. If anything, he should've tried being more supportive tonight, but…
"Naruto?" Nezumi came toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? You look pale."
"No, I'm – " But he was feeling suddenly dizzy. "Um, would you mind if I just laid down on your bed for a while? I think maybe it's all the wine, and I forgot to eat tonight since we were in such a hurry to get to the show."
"Sure," said Nezumi. "Should I get you some water? Or, I could make you a sandwich or heat up some leftover soup? I don't have much, but I'd like to offer you something."
"Don't go to any trouble for me," he said. Even the lights were beginning to hurt his eyes.
Nezumi put a hand to his forehead. "You're a little warm."
Naruto shut his eyes at the touch. It felt really cool against his skin. Nezumi took him by the arm and walked him over to the bed, forcing him to sit.
"I'll bring you something, so just relax. I'll turn the lights off when I leave. Do you want me to get Sasuke?"
Naruto looked up, glancing at the other man through bleary eyes. "Uh, no. He's… havin' a good time. Don't bother him. I'll just rest a bit. I'll be good to go in 10 minutes or so."
"Alright. I'll be right back with some water and somethin' to eat. Don't pass out on me now."
"Sure, sure," he said, trying to wave his hand, but he let himself fall back onto the bed.
Last thing he remembered was Nezumi untying his shoes for him and placing them somewhere near the bed. He even yanked back the covers for him and made sure he was under the blankets. Naruto gave a yawn and turned onto his side, fluffing up the pillow under his head. It smelled like Nezumi. Like wind, and earth, and… hmm… trees. He was suddenly reminded of walks he'd take with his mom and dad when he was younger, through the woods at the back of his old house. He could hear the door squeak as Nezumi closed it almost all the way.
Naruto stared at the tiny crack of light, thinking about his mother and all the things Sophie had said earlier. He shut his eyes tight, his chest aching, and part of the pillow becoming wet with the tears that began to slide down his cheek.
Stupid Sasuke. If he wasn't so busy showing off to all those people, maybe he'd come and find him and tell him how dumb he was being. He probably could've texted him, but like he'd told Nezumi… he just wanted to let him do his thing. He'd feel better if he could just rest his eyes for a while. Then he'd get up and join the party again.
Sasuke was almost glad that Nezumi had asked him to play because he needed a distraction. He didn't know what was going on inside Naruto's head and as he hadn't come back after their talk in the bathroom, he figured that Naruto was avoiding him on purpose. It turned out that both Sophie and Zelda were also amazing singers who had trained in opera at Juilliard, so he played their accompaniment while they sang in Italian, a duet between the male and female lovers in La bohème. He was sure Sophie could've played this piece far better than him, but his mother happened to love a lot of Puccini's works. Even if he hadn't played it for many years, it seemed to come back to him with ease. He paid attention to their voices somewhat, maybe out of habit. Both women were so solid though Zelda's voice felt far more natural and raw as she hit the vibrato. Both had clear projection and knew how to hold their diaphragms in a way to make the most of the short breaths they were allowed.
He played on autopilot as his mind drifted. The rest of the group had gathered around them, quiet and expressions serious. He forgot what it was like to do these kinds of impromptu performances - probably not since high school. Because of work, he might have to, on the rare occasion, play here and there to demonstrate what he wanted out of an artist or what direction to go but most of his duties were relegated to the production side of music business.
While they neared the end of the song, he happened to glance up and noticed Nezumi walking from the direction of his bedroom. The look on his face made him anxious, and he appeared to be waiting for him to finish, so when he did, as discreetly as he could manage, he got up from the bench. Though Zelda and Sophie tried to get him to play another, he politely excused himself and walked over to Nezumi.
"You play better than I expected," said Nezumi. "And my expectations weren't even that low."
He ignored the praise, which sounded earnest. "Where's Naruto?"
"In my bed," Nezumi answered neutrally.
"Pardon?"
"Don't look at me like that. It's not what you think. And, for the record, I could've gone and taken care of him while you sat at the piano, playin' your musical genius heart out."
"Enough with the bullshit," he said, growing impatient. "What's going on?"
"Fair enough." Nezumi scratched his cheek, glancing down the hallway.
Sasuke did the same, noticing that the door was closed and the lights off. He looked at Nezumi and took one step forward, his eyes narrowed at the other man with the intent to get physical if he had to, but that only seemed to amuse the silver-eyed man.
"He's fine," said Nezumi. "He said he felt dizzy is all. That he hadn't eaten before you guys came, so after all of the drinks, he just needed to lie down."
Sasuke immediately started to go that way but Nezumi grabbed his shoulder.
"Just let him rest, Sasuke. That's all he wanted. I was about to get him some water and a sandwich."
"I can do that much," he said. "Show me where everything is."
"How about... you bring him a bottle of water, and I'll get him somethin' to eat. I got the impression..."
"You got the impression that what?"
Nezumi shook his head. "He seems upset about something."
"Did you tell him about Berlin?" He grabbed the front of the man's shirt.
Nezumi immediately pushed him off and glared. "That's not my style." His eyes flashed. "We were just talkin'. Not about anything especially deep. He mentioned an ex-girlfriend. That's about it. Then he got really pale so I had him lay down on the bed."
"Shion?" He asked uncertainly. "Why was he talking about her?"
"That's between him and me. Now, if you don't mind. I told 'em I'd be gettin' somethin' so he doesn't pass out. Are you going to help, or are you going to continue to get in my way?"
"No, I'll... help."
"Then come this way." Nezumi knocked hard into his shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen, Sasuke following behind him, his mind wandering and no place good.
He wondered why Naruto had talked about Shion and why he hadn't come to find him when he wasn't feeling well. He could've gone to get the car and taken him home. He didn't realize that Naruto hadn't had anything to eat. Sasuke had just come home from work, and Naruto was running late from the boat shop, so he just assumed he'd picked something up on the way -
Sasuke frowned, annoyed with himself as he thought about all of the concessions Naruto had made tonight and how he didn't seem to be having as much fun as he usually did when they went out. He just assumed that given he'd been the one to receive the invite that he'd wanted to come, but he'd been detached all night. Had he done something wrong? Had he not picked up on something Naruto'd been trying to tell him? Why would Naruto want to stay if he didn't even want to be here?
"Here."
Sasuke blinked when Nezumi thrust an unopened bottle of water at his chest. He looked down at it as if he didn't know what it was.
"Are you gonna take that to him or what? Tell 'em I'll bring him somethin' in a sec. Anything he doesn't like on his sandwiches?"
"No...," he said, still distracted from his racing thoughts. "Wait... he's. He doesn't like weird cheeses."
"Weird cheeses?" Nezumi repeated and laughed while taking out bread from a cupboard. "What's that even mean?"
He half-smiled even though his chest was beginning to feel tight. "Anything that's not mozarella or cheddar, I would say."
"Alright. No brie or gruyere then. Got it." Nezumi continued to chuckle.
Sasuke started to go, but then he stopped and turned back. "Thank you," he said, and Nezumi glanced at him with some surprise. "For taking care of him. I shouldn't have left him alone."
Nezumi shrugged as he opened the refrigerator door. "It's no problem. I'm used to takin' care of these soft-hearted and emotional types. Maybe I'll ask Sophie what the hell she told him that's thrown him off."
"I'll go in first then."
"Good luck." Nezumi got to work on making Naruto his sandwich, so Sasuke went in the direction of the darkened hallway.
He approached the door quietly. He didn't really want to wake Naruto if he was resting, but if he hadn't eaten and was dehydrated, it might be a good idea to make sure he at least had some water. Quietly, he pushed open the door, and the light from the living room helped at least to provide a path toward the bed. Naruto appeared to be under the covers, and Sasuke could hear his even breathing. He went to the side of the bed and gazed down at his boyfriend. He had his back to Sasuke, and had pulled one of the pillows to his stomach.
Sasuke felt an ache in his chest as he reached down and then paused. He wanted so badly to brush Naruto's bangs out of the way, to get in the bed with him and put his arms around him, but maybe he was still mad. Maybe he'd stayed in here because he didn't want to see him. Sasuke had said something earlier that upset him, and though he hadn't done it intentionally, it wouldn't be the first time he said something that hurt Naruto's feelings without him realizing it.
A weird thought occurred to him. He'd accused Nezumi earlier of telling Naruto about the possible relocation - and maybe he'd also had too much to drink to consider this - but maybe... could Sophie have said something strange to him earlier? Why were all of these paranoid thoughts running through his head even now? Was it really so impossible that Nezumi could've set them up? If he knew about Sasuke and what was going on with his agency, then why couldn't he have told Naruto -
Oh. But Naruto had said that she'd mentioned something about his mother.
Shit.
"Naruto," he said before he could stop himself and got down on his knees beside the bed. He placed the water on the nightstand and took hold of Naruto's arm, shaking him.
His boyfriend didn't immediately wake and growing more worried, he shook him harder and raised his voice, not caring if he woke him.
"Naruto!"
Naruto let out a groan. "Why are you yellin'? I'm tryin' to - " He sat up suddenly. "Sasuke? Wait. Where am I?" He rubbed at his head and glanced about the room.
"Idiot," he said, angry all of a sudden. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What the hell?" Naruto sat up. "What's your problem?"
"You tell me."
"I dunno what you're talkin' about."
"Fine." He picked up the water and handed it to him. "Here's your water."
"Oh." Naruto glanced at it, then at Sasuke, before tentatively taking it from him. "Where's Nezumi?"
"Why? Would you have preferred it was him taking care of you?"
"What are you talkin' about? Don't be an asshole."
"That's what I do, isn't it? Be an asshole. I say things you don't like. I never say the right thing. I'm selfish and don't even notice things like when you're not feeling well because you didn't eat before we went to the play."
"Sasuke," said Naruto. "My head is killin' me, and you're not makin' sense." He sipped at his water and looked toward the door.
Sasuke couldn't get it out of his head that he was waiting for Nezumi. He'd screwed up again, and Naruto didn't even want anything to do with him right now.
"Sorry," he said. "...I should've let you sleep."
"It's fine. I only wanted to rest my eyes. I didn't mean to fall asleep anyway. Thanks for the water."
He was looking at Sasuke, but Sasuke didn't know what to say.
"Don't leave me," he whispered.
"What?" Startled, Naruto nearly spilt some of the water as he moved his arm.
Sasuke wanted to get in the bed, but it wasn't theirs. So he couldn't. Before either of them could say anything more, there was a gentle knock at the door as Nezumi came in, carrying a plate.
"You're up," he said to Naruto. "Feelin' better? Did the water help?"
"Uh." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Um, this isn't - "
Nezumi came up to Sasuke, looking at him strangely. "You don't look so hot either. Don't tell me you two are contagious? Here." He took the bottle from Naruto and set it aside. Then he handed Naruto the sandwich, seemingly without having any awareness of the tension in the room. "Eat it. You'll feel better. I made it how Sasuke said. No weird cheeses or anything."
"Ah, um." Naruto gave another quick glance at Sasuke. "Thanks, yeah. I appreciate that. Sorry to be so much trouble."
Unlike Sasuke managed to do, Nezumi took a seat on the bed, beside Naruto. Sasuke felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. He'd never been provoked into violence without reason before, but he felt an extremely homicidal impulse. Part of his brain was even aware that Nezumi wasn't doing anything but showing concern. Sasuke shouldn't lose his cool anyway. He'd managed to last this long tonight without going all Clockwork Orange on anybody.
He took in a deep breath and decided to just focus on making sure Naruto was feeling better.
"It's good," Naruto said quietly.
"It's all those normal cheeses I used."
"Do you wanna try some?" Naruto offered his half to Sasuke, but he could only seem to shake his head.
"What's up with you?" Nezumi asked. "Cat got your tongue?"
Naruto shoved him. "Leave Sasuke alone. He's had a long day."
"Of course. I always forget how protective you get of him." Nezumi grinned. "Would it help if I turned on the lamp?" But without waiting for Naruto's response, he reached across - momentarily brushing Sasuke's arm - and turned on the light.
It wasn't much, but now Sasuke felt even worse about getting angry. Naruto, indeed, looked pale, and his cheeks were flushed. There was perspiration on his face and neck as if maybe he had a slight fever. On impulse, he put his hand to the blond's forehead.
"You're warm," he said.
"I'm fine." Naruto gave him a quick smile, but Sasuke didn't believe him.
"Don't lie." Nezumi stood up on the bed and hopped over Naruto to sit on the other side of him. He leaned against the headboard, right next to Naruto. "You look like shit."
"Oh, that's great, thanks a lot." Naruto laughed as he eyed Nezumi, even smiling at him.
Sasuke felt another one of those pangs of intense jealousy. Why was he so bad at giving comfort when Naruto needed it? Just like after the car accident, Naruto had to rely on Kiba to make him laugh and take his mind off of all of the heavy things probably going on inside his head. Yet, Nezumi could do this with ease, and they might as well have been strangers.
"You." Naruto suddenly turned to him again, his bottom lip sticking out. He grabbed at Sasuke's shirt, tugging at it. "Sit down. You're makin' me nervous."
Sasuke didn't know what else to do but comply. He held Naruto's gaze for a while, aware of Nezumi's eyes on him, too.
"He gets like this when I'm not feelin' well," Naruto explained, even though he was still looking at him. "You shoulda seen him when I stepped on a piece of glass from a plate one time."
Nezumi let out a quiet laugh. "Is that so? Not a fan of blood, are you, Sasuke?"
His voice was rough as it came out. "No." He cleared his throat. "I don't like when people I care about get hurt."
Naruto just looked at him, and there was a heavy silence that built until Nezumi broke it.
"You know," he said. "I... spoke to Sophie before I came in. I hope she didn't say anything, uh... that upset you, Naruto."
Naruto's head snapped in the other man's direction. "Did she tell you what she said?"
"I just asked her without bein' too obvious. It wasn't any of my business, but it seemed, y'know, you were upset after the two of you spoke, and havin' had a readin' from her before... I can tell you that she's the closest I've ever come to believin' psychics are real."
"Heh. Yeah." Naruto took another bite of his sandwich after picking off some of the crust. "She didn't say anything bad, she just brought up somethin' that - " He wiped some crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and Nezumi chuckled at him again, clearly finding Sasuke's boyfriend very entertaining. "Kinda made me happy and sad at the same time."
"Yes. She did the same to me. You try to forget your tragic childhood backstory and then, bam, some pseudo-French Juilliard-trained piano prodigy is bringin' up dead family members and potential future unrequited romance."
Naruto started choking on his sandwich, and Nezumi immediately pounded him on the back. Sasuke shot a glare at the other man for playing his role when he was the one who couldn't seem to get it together right now. If Nezumi hadn't showed up, they probably would've just ended up in a fight because Sasuke was too much of an idiot to say the things that he knew he should say.
"I wasn't expectin' that," Naruto said. He glanced, almost timidly, at Sasuke.
"I'm afraid I'm not in on it." Sasuke met Naruto's stare, very much wishing they were alone. But the extra company didn't seem to be bothering Naruto at all. In fact, he looked a lot better now that he'd eaten and laughed some. "What exactly did she say to you? About your mother?"
Naruto's small smile wavered. "I thought you didn't believe in that stuff."
"I don't, but whatever she said meant something to you, so in that way, it means something to me."
"I think even my heart skipped a beat with that one," said Nezumi. "I would've guessed Naruto was the romantic."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but Naruto's sigh brought his attention back to him.
"In a way you were right," Naruto said to him. "She told me things I'd always wanted to hear."
Sasuke raised a brow, patiently waiting.
Naruto gave another sigh before looking at Nezumi. "Are you opposed to hearin' personal stories?"
"Not at all." Nezumi folded his arms to his chest. "Especially if it's about you."
Naruto snorted. "Yeah, well. My mom died when I was about 12. So, y'know." He shrugged. "Abandonment issues and all that goes along with that. Bad temper. Occasional low self-esteem and inappropriately-timed existential dilemmas."
"Ah, I see. You had one of those dilemmas after speaking with Sophie?"
"I guess," Naruto answered. "I get sad when I think of my mom sometimes, but Sophie told me really good things. Stuff that was specific and she couldn't have guessed at unless she knew me really well. Maybe stuff only Sasuke would know - " He glanced at Sasuke briefly - "And maybe a couple of my other good friends. Not really stuff I voice aloud, but yeah."
Nezumi hummed thoughtfully. "The same happened to me. I usually don't talk about my past since what's the point? But she knew... details. Stuff that no one would really know. Not even anyone close to me. Not that there are many of those to begin with."
"No?" Naruto asked.
"What about you, Sasuke?" Nezumi asked, changing the subject. "Any skeletons in your closet? Maybe you should go have Sophie do a readin' for you before everyone takes off. Join the club."
"I'll pass, I think," he said, absently tugging at the comforter, around where Naruto's leg would've been. "There's not a lot she could tell me that I'm not already aware of on some level."
"I don't think I'd want Sasuke to talk to her," Naruto murmured.
"Why's that?" Sasuke asked before Nezumi could say anything like it looked he might.
"Just... I'd rather not see you get upset. Then again, if you don't believe in that stuff, maybe it wouldn't bother you. You could discount it or whatever, analyze it like you usually do, break it down and tear it apart."
Sasuke let the sting of Naruto's words and tone wash over him.
"Sorry," Naruto said quickly. "I didn't mean for all that to come out like that."
"No," he said, touching his thumb to his bottom lip. "You did. And you aren't wrong."
"Sasuke."
He held up a hand. "It's okay, Naruto. I did discount it earlier. It meant something to you, and I told you it didn't mean anything."
"Yeah, but - "
"Lovers' quarrel," said Nezumi. "How very passionate the two of you are. This is like watching a play. You both care so much for each other that you've made yourself ill and he's," he was looking at Sasuke, "Become almost emotionally volatile and dangerously stoic. As an outsider looking in, let me tell you this just comes across as misplaced sexual tension."
"Wh-what?" Naruto stammered and punched Nezumi in the shoulder.
Nezumi rubbed at his arm and glared. "What was that for?"
"For - you know. You can't just say whatever you think all of the time!"
Sasuke snorted. "That's hilarious. Coming from you? Really, Naruto."
"Oh, what. The two of you are gonna start gangin' up on me again?" Naruto put his plate on the nightstand, next to the water bottle, and flopped onto his stomach. He grabbed a pillow and used it to cover his head.
Sasuke looked at his boyfriend, then at Nezumi, who looked like he was about to choke on his laughter.
"How do you do this?" Nezumi asked him. "It must be so draining to be with this guy."
"You have no idea," he replied, smirking. "But it's worth it."
"Hm." Nezumi grabbed for the pillow and snatched it away. "That's my pillow. You're not allowed to do unnecessary things with it."
"It's not like I was humpin' it," Naruto argued, his bottom lip still sticking out.
"Oh, no? Well, in that case, you can have it back." He dropped it on Naruto's head.
"What time is it anyway?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke checked his watch. "It's late."
"How late?"
"After midnight," he answered.
"Seriously? Shit. We still gotta drive back."
"I suppose we could get a hotel."
"Please," said Nezumi. "Don't waste the money. You can stay here if you want. You can have my bed since you've already sullied it, Naruto. Luckily I have OCD so I change the sheets often."
"We couldn't impose on you like that," Naruto said.
"I don't mind. The others will be leaving shortly. I'll take the couch. I just ask - please don't have sex on my bed."
Naruto's cheeks went bright red. "Yeah, right." He glanced at Sasuke. "What do you think?"
"I hate to move you around when you're not feeling well. If you really think it's not a bother," said Sasuke. "We might take you up on your offer."
"No skin off my back," said Nezumi. "It's the least I can do after lettin' one of my friends traumatize you."
"Oh, shut up!" Naruto thwacked Nezumi with a pillow. "I'm so sorry I got all upset over her sayin' my dead mother would be proud of me and she kept me from dyin' in that car accident I had."
"Wait, what car accident?" Even Nezumi looked surprised.
"Jesus, Naruto." Sasuke slapped his forehead. "Didn't you just tell Nezumi not to say everything that came to his mind?"
"Yeah, well, you two are just gonna keep makin' fun of me if I don't say anything. Whatever. Just leave me alone and go enjoy your newfound bromance."
"Oh, boy," said Nezumi.
Sasuke could only hang his head. "You can't possibly be interested in this still."
Nezumi pulled at the tie in his hair, letting it fall. "I have to admit. He might be more high-maintenance than I could handle."
"Oh, was Shion high-maintenance, too?" Naruto blurted.
"Shion?" asked Sasuke. "Your Shion?" He cringed at his own words.
"No, not my Shion," said Naruto. "He has a Shion, too. That guy with the white hair."
"So much for secrets," said Nezumi, blowing out a breath that lifted his bangs as he re-tied his hair. "Must I tell him the story, too?"
"Not if you don't want to. Nah. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
"I don't think I could stop you if I tried." Nezumi smirked.
Naruto was smiling at him in this goofy kind of way.
"Oh, please," said Sasuke. "Get a room already."
The other two men stared at him in what... might have been shock.
"That's... really fuckin' hilarious," said Naruto.
"Hilarious?" mused Nezumi. "I'd say it's a rather fantastic suggestion." He elbowed Naruto in the side. "Maybe he can take the couch and the two of us can share the bed?"
"Over my dead body," said Sasuke and backed it up with a glare that would've sent lesser men running out of the apartment.
"I did spend some time on the streets as a child," said Nezumi. "I may have those sorts of skills."
"Sasuke studied martial arts. He's pretty good. He uses moves on me all the time, though his brother's even better, but that guy's a friggin gen-"
Sasuke shifted his glare to Naruto.
"Brother?" Nezumi seemed interested. "So there's two people like him roaming the world? How frightening."
"Heh. Tell me about it. Luckily they seem to use their powers for good."
"Ah, I see," said Nezumi. "So neither of them has fallen to the dark side?"
"Oh God." Naruto grabbed his chest. "You like Star Wars?" He looked excitedly at Sasuke and pointed at Nezumi. "He likes Star Wars."
"Good for him," said Sasuke. "Now if I go use the restroom, will it be safe to leave the two of you alone?"
"Sure. We'll keep our hands above the blankets." He held them up and nudged Nezumi.
"Oh, alright." Nezumi held his up, too. "Scout's honor. I promise not to touch your boyfriend below the waist."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Now you went and made him mad," said Naruto. "Go on then. Go do what you need to do."
He got up, wanting to smack the both of them upside the head, but he was much too proud for that kind of behavior. He wouldn't so easily rise to their baiting even though... Naruto would pay for this tomorrow, and he couldn't wait to dole out his punishment.