06. Feelings, feelings and even more feelings

An excited squeal woke Naruto the next morning and he sat up, looking around groggily.

"Wha…?" he mumbled and rubbed his eyes. Then he blinked and looked around again.

He was not in his room. The bed he sat in was twice as big as his, the walls were creamy white instead of the bluish color he had at home and the room was entirely too clean. There was no desk chair burdened with a pile of clothes, no open wardrobe with half its drawers pulled out and no course books stacked in the corners.

It took him another moment to remember he was actually in Sasuke's house.

Great.

"Na-chan!"

Naruto's gaze dropped and fell upon Emi, who was staring up at him from over the edge of the bed, her eyes wide and her lips spread in a toothy grin. Naruto let out a small snort at her impossible bed head while she started climbing up onto the bed.

"Good morning, Emi," he said as he leaned over to help her.

She let out a breathy, excited laugh as she fell into his lap and he laughed with her, patting her head to smooth her hair. He would need to brush it thoroughly later.

"Na-chan, daddy said you're staying forever!" she exclaimed happily and righted her self in order to sit properly in his lap.

Naruto's hand faltered and his eyes widened.

"Forever?" his voice cracked. "No – I didn't – we never –"

His spluttering was interrupted by a knock on the door and he looked over to see Sasuke standing in the doorway, fixing the cuffs of his crisp, white shirt – which sent his heart fluttering in his chest. Dammit! Why did he look so good?!

"Emi, I did not say anything of the sort, but I did tell you to calm down," he said before he turned to Naruto, an eyebrow quirked. "I hope you slept well?"

"Yeah…" Naruto said slowly, feeling all too bothered by the three undone buttons in Sasuke's shirt.

Emi turned to her father, bouncing in excitement. Naruto grimaced at the pressure on his knees, although it successfully kept his mind out of the gutter.

"Daddy, daddy, is Na-chan our family now?" she asked. "Is he my brother now?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto looked at her blankly. Then Naruto burst out laughing. Emi gave him a confused look while Sasuke stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Oh, baby," Naruto chortled. "Your daddy's old, but not that old."

Emi continued to look confused but Sasuke narrowed his eyes, although Naruto could see the twitch at the corner of his lips.

"There's breakfast downstairs," Sasuke informed. "You should take the day off from school, give things a few days to cool off. I'll take Emi to kindergarten."

Naruto wrinkled his nose then sighed. One day was fine, he reasoned. It was Friday anyway, so that would give the whole thing three days to be forgotten. And he really hoped things would calm down by Monday so he didn't have to hide or dye his hair.

"Fine," he muttered.

Sasuke gave a nod and turned, disappearing from the doorway. Emi stared up at Naruto expectantly and he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Na-chan, I wanna stay home with you," she said.

Naruto smiled but shook his head.

"No can do, sweetie," he stroked her hair.

She gave him her best pleading look and he laughed before he launched into a tickling attack, making her squeal with laughter as he gave her stomach a raspberry. Then he released her to gather her in his arms and get out of bed.

"Come on, let's get you ready," he cooed.

"Okay," Emi agreed breathlessly and put her arms around Naruto's neck to bury her face in his shoulder.

He smiled into her now even messier hair and walked them across the hall to her bedroom, where he put her down on her bed. Then he opened her pink closet, tilting his head as he scanned her clothes.

"What do you wanna wear today?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"Pajamas!" came the instant reply and Naruto chuckled. He should have known, since that was always the same answer every time, without fail.

"Jeans and t-shirt, then," he decided and smiled at the small huff he received.

Sasuke was warm. There was a fuzzy, cottony feel growing in his chest at an alarming speed.

And it had absolutely nothing to do with the coffee he was drinking and everything to do with the image of a bleary eyed Naruto with his soft-looking hair standing every which way. He had looked so comfortably inviting Sasuke had actually had the urge to join him and Emi on the bed and just call it a day. Although, if any one ever asked he would insist it was only because his head hurt and he was feeling slightly under the weather – which was true as well.

This was going in a very weird direction.

He bit his lip not to smile but couldn't help the snort that left him. What was he doing?

He cleared his throat and put on his serious, business face as footsteps sounded in the stairs. It wouldn't do to be out of it, daydreaming (Sasuke still hated the term) about lazy days with his daughter and Naruto. He needed to be serious; Itachi was going to arrive soon to pick Emi and him up.

Emi skipped into the kitchen. She had her favorite princess t-shirt on and her hair was pulled into two pigtails. Naruto sauntered in after her, shooting a small smile at Sasuke who couldn't care less when his business face melted into an answering tug of his lips. Screw Itachi.

"Emi, you have to eat quickly or we'll be late," Sasuke said as the two of them took their seats by the already set table.

Emi grimaced but dutifully grabbed the box of cereal to pour in her bowl, mumbling unintelligibly. Sasuke was quite proud when she managed to get every single fruit loop inside the bowl without any bouncing off the sides.

"Hey grumpy," Naruto chided playfully and pinched her cheek. "I'll make something good for you when you come home, so you have to go to kindergarten, understood?"

Emi brightened up immediately and Sasuke shook his head while he rubbed his temple, his previous headache making itself known again. He would need to have a talk with her about how easily bribed she was. And he needed to speak to Naruto about keeping the sugar intake at an acceptable level.

The rest of their breakfast consisted of Emi listing food and pastries she would like to eat and Naruto diligently took notes, nodding and humming. That cottony warmth filled Sasuke's chest again and the word peaceful crossed his mind.

Then, Itachi honked his horn and Sasuke startled. So much for peace.

"Come on, Emi," he sighed. "Time to go."

Emi put her spoon down and gave Naruto a pleading look. Sasuke kind of wished he could do the same, but refrained. Naruto only laughed before picking her up and setting her on his hip.

"You heard your father," he said and bopped her nose.

Sasuke moved to take the dishes off the table but Naruto waved a hand at him.

"'S okay, I can do it," he smiled. "I'm not going anywhere today anyway."

"But, I didn't hire you to be a butler," Sasuke protested and Naruto rolled his eyes. He only let Naruto do house chores when he had to leave for work early or came home late.

"I know, but I'm gonna live here too for a while so I should do my part, right?" He shrugged and looked at Emi. "Let's get your backpack, sweetie. And you should go get your work stuff," Naruto tossed at him over his shoulder as he left the kitchen, Emi's arms clutching almost desperately around his neck.

It took a moment for Sasuke to move, the hand he had reached out to take Emi's bowl falling back to his side while a feeling of content – well, more like the feeling of being a domestic family – spread through him. It was ridiculous, really. It had only been, what? One night? And Sasuke already felt as if this was supposed to be forever.

Maybe Emi had had a point.

He had never been one for domestic life, but right then and there he was sure he could get used to this; waking Naruto up together with Emi, being at the breakfast table together since their schedules would match better while they lived in the same house, and always knowing there would be someone other in the house to talk to than a four-year-old.

Itachi was right; he should cherish his blooming friendship with Naruto, Sasuke thought as he and Emi waved at him before they entered the car. Another very domestic thing Sasuke wanted to get used to.

Itachi gave him a curious look as he took his place in the passenger seat but said nothing, a secret smile spreading on his lips. Sasuke wasn't sure what the smile meant, or if it was just there because of Emi's chatter about all the pastries and food Naruto was going to make for her, but it might have had to do with the fact he still didn't have his business face on.

Naruto closed the front door and let out a shaky breath, leaning his forehead against the cool wood.

Goddamn Sasuke!

He didn't know if it was on purpose or not, but ever since yesterday Sasuke had seemed softer. Or maybe Naruto was letting Itachi's words get to him. He didn't know what, but he did know that Sasuke had had a warm, fond smile on his face nearly the entire breakfast. And the worst (best) part of it? It wasn't only directed at Emi.

Naruto couldn't help the giddy smile spreading on his lips.

Not that he thought Sasuke returned his feelings – which he couldn't even if he wanted to, since he didn't know about them – but because of the homey feeling it inflicted in Naruto. He had never felt like he belonged this much with anyone as he did with Sasuke and Emi and even Itachi. They already felt like the family he'd never had. The orphanage had been a poor substitute, even though he had loved all the kids he had gotten to know, and even Gaara – who had been the closest friend he'd ever had – never really filled the hole his own mother and father had left, even if he had never known them.

He hummed to himself as he made his way back to the kitchen, cleaning the table and loading the dishwasher, feeling unusually domestic. Not that he hadn't done chores before; he had cooked food for Emi and Sasuke a few times and even prepared breakfast. But this was different since he was living in the house now and wouldn't leave for school or home.

He was making it a much bigger issue than it needed to be, but he couldn't care less. He wanted to get used to this – living with Sasuke and Emi.

And it scared him a little. Because what if Sasuke decided Emi didn't need a caretaker anymore? Or she grew up enough to handle herself? What would happen then? Would they simply bid their goodbyes and never see each other again? Naruto was too invested in both Emi and Sasuke at the moment to be able to cut all ties.

Sighing, he went back upstairs to take a shower. He was interrupted, however, as the muffled sound of his phone floated into the hallway and he frowned. He hurried back to his room, frantically searching for the device and found it in the back pocket of the jeans he had worn the day before.

"Hello?" he answered breathlessly.

"Naruto!" Itachi greeted cheerfully. "Are you by any chance free at the moment?"

Naruto snorted and there was another voice in the background, muttering grumpily.

"Yeah… weren't you and Sasuke the ones who put me under house arrest for today?" he asked.

"I'm appalled you think we'd hold you hostage," Itachi chuckled. "Anyway, it seems my dearest baby brother has forgotten where he put some very important papers we need for this afternoon. If you could be ever so kind and go look in his office, I would be much obliged, your highness."

Naruto let out a suffering sigh at the teasing tone.

"Are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" he grumbled as he exited his room and made his way down to the end of the hallway, where he knew Sasuke's office was.

"Hm," Itachi hummed thoughtfully. "I haven't decided."

Naruto rolled his eyes while his hand paused for a moment as it fell on the door handle. He had never been inside and he wasn't sure Sasuke was so keen on letting him see whatever he was working with. What if it was confidential? He was co-owner of an entire technological empire after all.

"Did Sasuke say I could enter his office?" Naruto wondered. "I don't want to overstep boundaries or something."

He could practically hear the eye roll on the other end of the line and a muttered 'here'. The line crackled as he assumed the phone travelled form one hand to the other and then Naruto's heart did a little dance.

"Hello? Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Uh," he cleared his throat, not at all prepared to speak to the other. "Yeah, hi…"

Sasuke let out a small chuckle and suddenly Naruto was very warm. He clutched the phone tighter as a grin spread on his face again.

"You know my office?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded before he remembered the other couldn't see him and hummed instead since he didn't trust his voice to not completely betray how giddy he felt.

"I think some papers with charts and names might be on my desk in there, could you look?"

"Sure." He bit his lip as his voice came out breathless and happy.

Thankfully, Sasuke seemed not to notice and Naruto sure as hell wasn't going to mention anything so he determinedly opened the door, forcing his embarrassment away.

Sasuke's office was – unsurprisingly – tidy. The desk to the left had neatly stacked papers placed squarely in one corner and a laptop centered in front of a comfortable looking armchair. A few post-its were stuck to the pin board hanging above the desk with names, numbers, and dates. There were pictures of Emi pinned to the board as well, showing her as she ran around the yard with a ball, sat laughing on Itachi's shoulders as they weaved through a crowd in a market, covered in flour with a laughing Sakura in the background, sitting beside an older woman on a double swing hanging from an apple tree with a man pushing them. And then there was one where she was asleep, curled up on Sasuke's lap with her thumb in her mouth. She couldn't have been more than two years old and Sasuke's gaze was soft as he looked down at her, his arms circling her tiny body protectively.

Naruto didn't notice he was grinning widely until his cheeks started straining and he cleared his throat, his gaze shifting to the numerous other pictures of Emi and many of her creative drawings taped to the walls.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked and he jumped. He had completely forgotten he was still on the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Did you find them?"

"Uh, just a moment." He shuffled some papers around. "Charts and names you said?"

"Yeah, the charts should be for the months of May through July and the name list should be attached to them."

Naruto spotted the mentioned papers and made a triumphant noise.

"Found them!" he said cheerily. "D'you want me to go leave them at your company?"

"No, it's fine," Sasuke said and Naruto felt a little disappointed. He couldn't deny he was curious about where Sasuke worked. "Itachi will go get them once he's dropped me off. I have a few clients to meet."

"Oh, okay…" Naruto put the papers he had disturbed back in order. "Well… See you tonight, I guess."

There was a pause and Naruto raised his eyebrows at a pouty Emi in the picture in front of him.

"Yeah," Sasuke answered, suddenly very quiet but it sounded as if he was smiling. "See you tonight."

All Naruto managed to do was smile goofily before Sasuke hung up.

Sasuke smiled down at the phone in his hand, lost in the warmth, which was once again spreading through his entire body. It wasn't until Itachi cleared his throat loudly that he looked up to see his brother throw him a pointed but amused look. Sasuke quickly schooled his expression and handed him the phone. Thankfully the rest of the ride was spent quietly as Emi for once was in her own little world in the backseat – most likely imagining whatever Naruto was making for her – and Itachi seemed to decide not to mention anything.

Until they dropped Emi off. Of course Sasuke shouldn't have expected anything else.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or did you actually look like a love-struck teenager who was on the phone with their crush?" Itachi was chortling as Sasuke returned to his seat after having walked Emi to the door of the daycare. "Oh, this is priceless."

Sasuke scowled at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Sasuke, my dear brother, I think you are getting yourself into unknown territory," Itachi cackled as he pulled away from the sidewalk. "I know Naruto was getting close to you, but this close? I never knew you could look like that. And not to mention, you forgot important papers! Is hell freezing over?"

"I have no idea what kind of messed up fantasy you've conjured up in your head," Sasuke growled. "But I would like for you to refrain from doing anything to Naruto."

Itachi laughed harder.

"Oh, believe me," he said between breaths, "At this rate I won't have to do anything. This machine is oiled enough to run itself."

Itachi started laughing again.

"You're insane," Sasuke grumbled and decided to ignore his brother by looking out the window.

Itachi continued to chuckle every now and then for the rest of the ride while Sasuke glared out at the passing buildings, trying to ignore the embarrassment creeping up his cheeks.

Because, Itachi might not be so far off after all.

It only occurred to him this morning that the things he had been feeling around Naruto were way stronger than he had felt for anyone before. Because, honestly, Naruto had made him daydream about him, twice, and if that wasn't a tell tale, Sasuke didn't know what was. The first time he'd brushed it off as just being unused having a close friend around all the time, because by now he considered Naruto to be quite close, but this morning Sasuke had actually considered snuggling up in bed with him (and Emi), and Sasuke had never ever snuggled.

Then there was that fluttering his heart had done as well, and the content of having Naruto close, and the warmth and the all around happiness he was experiencing.

This was getting bad. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized what he was feeling, the worse it got.

What was the proper conduct for this kind of situation, even? Was Sasuke considered Naruto's boss? Or were they friends? Sasuke would like to think of them as friends.

That hugged.

And maybe kissed.

And… what?

Sasuke groaned in exasperation and Itachi shot him a curious look. He continued to ignore him.

Besides, did Naruto even feel any attraction towards him? Sasuke was good looking, he knew that, but it didn't mean every single person on the planet would be attracted to him. Sure, he had been blushing a few times when they had locked eyes and he had been smiling and staring at Sasuke quite often, but that didn't mean he was attracted… right?

Sasuke wanted to bang his head against the window.

"This is highly amusing," Itachi chuckled and Sasuke could only let out a resigned sigh.

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for my absence! I haven't even had the time to answer comments, and yeah... sorry... I'll go do that as soon as I post this!

I might've mentioned this before, but I have a lot going on so it might take a while between chapters, but I will finish the story! It's all there in my head, I just need to put it into words and it takes time.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it isn't proofread and filled with mistakes.

See you in the next chapter!

Bye!