The thing that woke Naruto up was the weight of something crashing down on top of him. In his confusion, he attempted to roll over only to find Sasuke next to him - totally unfazed - and with a long-haired man in a vinyl red mini plus black vest/corset-thing sitting on top of his back.
"By the way," said Deidara, "I totally snapped a few photos on my phone of the two of you. It's so adorable! I sent it to the group, of course - "
"Deidara," Sasuke said, "If you don't get off of me in three seconds - "
"I can't, Sasuke-dear. Can't you see I have my legs crossed, and if I move, Naruto's going to see the goods?"
Slowly, Naruto rolled over while rubbing at his eyes. The scene was so ridiculous that he couldn't help but laugh.
Deidara smiled brightly. He had his long, blond hair in a braid that fell over his left shoulder.
"You look like you're ready to go," Naruto told him.
"Oh, not even! I probably won't even wear this out. I usually change about 10 or 12 times, plus I have to do my makeup - "
"Don't you have makeup on already?" Naruto peered a bit closer. Indeed, Deidara had on a fire engine red shade of lipstick, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner...
Deidara clucked his tongue. "Oh, you innocent, blue-eyed baby. I just want to take you in my arms and hold you to my bosom and - "
"I think you can stop right there," said Sasuke. "Now, regardless of Naruto seeing your," he cleared his throat, "boy bits, get the hell off of me."
"Fine, fine. Naruto avert your eyes for a second."
Naruto shut them before he ended up in a situation where he would be scarred for life. He gave it a few seconds until he opened them again only to see Deidara rifling through Sasuke's closet.
Sasuke rolled over onto his side. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Finding something for Naruto to wear. Obviously."
"Can't I just wear this?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke and Deidara both glanced at him.
"No," they agreed in unison.
"Tch. Are all gay men this shallow?" Naruto grumbled as he sat up and leaned against the wall, surveying his clothes. He thought he looked decent.
"Yes, most likely," Deidara answered.
Sasuke drew himself up, as well, and pulled a pillow into his lap. Naruto sent him a curious glance. The other man's hair was disheveled and his eyes still droopy with sleep.
"Then you should do somethin' about your hair," he teased.
Sasuke glared, but it wasn't especially intimidating given the fact he hadn't fully woken up yet apparently. "We can't all wake up with sexy bed head like you."
"Who? Me?" Naruto self-consciously ran a hand through his hair. "You're gonna give a guy a complex."
"Tch. Don't give me that false modesty crap."
"Now I might be grateful you bailed on me at the hotel," Naruto told him and pushed his fist into Sasuke's shoulder. "You're clearly not a mornin' person."
"How about this?" Deidara asked.
"Um, that's a jock strap." Naruto turned to Sasuke, "Why do you keep your jock straps in the closet?"
"Because he's liable to go through my underwear drawer to find them," Sasuke replied. "I'm not opposed."
"What?" Naruto barked out a laugh. "I'm not wearin' that. Because, one: it's, like, negative degrees out, and two: that's Sasuke's?"
"I'm glad that the cold is a greater deterrent than the fact I've worn it before."
"Oh, is that why you've got that pillow in your lap, bastard?" Naruto picked it up and threw it on the floor.
"I was in the mood to cuddle, and I didn't think you'd be a very willing participant." He smirked in a manner that would've been slightly unsettling to anyone.
Naruto squinted at him suspiciously. "I've got my eye on you, Uchiha."
Sasuke stared back placidly. "I bet you do."
"What are you on? Did you wake up and become a different person?" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest to cover himself from Sasuke's lecherous gaze. "Don't objectify me. Maybe you should have a wank before we go out."
"That's not a bad idea," said Sasuke. "I want to be able to last through the night. I shouldn't let myself get excited over just anybody rubbing up on me later on."
"So, a no to the jock strap?" Deidara chucked it on the floor behind him and continued rummaging through the closet, occasionally picking out various tops and bottoms and either hanging them up or tossing them on the chair.
"You are going to clean that up," Sasuke informed him, ending his and Naruto's staring contest.
Deidara shushed him. "If you'd let me hire a maid like I wanted to, we wouldn't have to worry about it."
"You can do what you want," replied Sasuke. "It's your money."
"Yes, yes, but I'm trying to embrace a more Bohemian lifestyle."
"He means his mother cut off his credit cards," Sasuke said to Naruto.
"Why, is she rich or somethin'?" He asked.
"You could say that. She owns this building we live in, too. She did all of the interior design."
"Ah, is that so?" Naruto pulled his knees to his chest. "I was gonna say that I really liked the style, but I thought it was... kinda masculine."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Deidara asked. "We are men, after all. Were you expecting feathered boas and neon silks?"
"Maybe if he checked out your closet," said Sasuke. "But, yes. She does have a very refined taste. It's too bad she passed none of it on to him."
"Speaking of taste," said Deidara while pulling out a pair of what looked to be leather pants. "Pray tell, when did you purchase these as I have yet to see you in them?" He proceeded to take them off the hanger and compared them to his own body. "I wonder if these would fit me, but black? So drab. I need to introduce more color into your wardrobe." He tsked, threw them onto the bed, and stormed out of the room.
"Did he give up?" Naruto asked but, before Sasuke could reply, Deidara appeared again with a few t-shirts. "I thought about white," he threw that one down, "But I think it's so tacky. I think you could do black, but with your eyes, maybe this baby blue, or even a heather gray? What do you think, Sasuke?"
"The lighter blue," he answered.
"Hey," Naruto gave him a shove, "Do you really think I'm gonna wear your leather pants out to a gay club?"
"Why not? I said you had a great ass, didn't I?"
"What?" Naruto shoved him again. "What's gotten into you? I wanna have fun, not be mauled to death."
"You're worrying about it too much," said Sasuke. "You're being very closed-minded. Just think of it as a good way to get some free drinks and attention. I'll be by your side most of the night. I won't let any of the big scary queers take advantage of you."
"Wait, can you say 'queers'?" He scrunched his nose. "Isn't that a bad word?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I think that'll be fine, Deidara. Although, now I'm even less sure we should invite Suigetsu."
"I'm more worried about Karin," Deidara said off-handedly while folding and setting the outfit on the corner of the bed. "By the way, don't even think about wearing underwear with those." He pointed at the pants. "Now, if you do not mind, I'm going to go pick out a few outfits for myself. Sasuke, feel free to help your blond friend into those. I am absolutely dying to see him in leather." Deidara disappeared again and Naruto felt like his head was spinning.
"I'm too sober for this," he confessed.
"Well, we can certainly fix that." Sasuke slapped his hand down hard on Naruto's thigh.
"Ow! You jackass. You're askin' for it!" He rose to his knees with the intention of maybe starting a fight.
Sasuke eyed him with a degree of wariness. "You might want to wait to wrestle me until after I've had a shower." He slid to the foot of the bed, where he proceeded to stand and stretch.
"Wait," said Naruto. "You're not really gonna go have a wank, are you?"
"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" Sasuke regarded him with another cool smirk.
"Yeah, you definitely don't need a wing man, do you."
"Nope." Sasuke ripped his sweater over his head and tossed it in the direction of the growing pile on the floor.
Naruto stared at his naked, muscled back and found himself a bit envious. He hadn't been working out as much as he usually did this winter. Not to say he was in bad shape, but it was annoying how perfect Sasuke seemed to be. Didn't he have any flaws? Well, besides the drinking and... possible sex addiction.
Of course, Naruto was left to ponder what it meant to have a sex addiction. He liked sex. A lot. But he was more of a relationship guy than a one-night-stand sorta guy. Although, he could understand why a lot of men could be attracted to that lifestyle. Living in a smaller city it would be more difficult... or maybe that was all in his head. Hm.
"Naruto."
"Huh? What?" He looked up from his lap after zoning out.
"If you want to make yourself a drink, there's some liquor in the cabinets downstairs. Help yourself."
"Okay, I might do that. Should probably make a couple of phone calls, too."
"Hm." Sasuke placed his hand against the door frame.
"What's with that face?" Naruto asked.
"I have a feeling you're going to call the girlfriend."
"Ex-girlfriend," Sasuke corrected dryly. "Whatever the two of you are. At least she can rest assured that there won't be a lot of women where we're going. Well, a few..."
"Shut up," he growled. "I wasn't gonna call her. We're doin' our own things right now."
"Okay." Sasuke put his hand up in placation. "Sorry I asked. I'll be in the shower if you want to join me."
"Okay. Wait, what?"
But, Sasuke was gone, and Naruto momentarily abandoned. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. There were no missed calls or texts. He glanced at Sasuke's laptop.
"Wonder if he has any porn on there? Wait, what am I talkin' about... I don't wanna see that... Hm, but I'm kinda curious what he's into? No wait, what is wrong with me?"
Naruto flipped around on his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. It smelled like Sasuke's cologne. It was a good smell. He began to wonder if he was really prepared to go out tonight? At first, he was just thinking of it as a joke kind of. He could see himself and Kiba going out for fun... but going out with two gay men, one of which was a cross-dresser... and in New York City no less. It felt intimidating somehow. Could he be cool? He didn't want to embarrass himself, and he didn't want to embarrass Sasuke as clearly this was his stomping ground.
Wait, no. He was Naruto Uzumaki, and he could totally handle himself in all situations, and so what if other guys approached him. He could do what girls always did when approached by guys they weren't interested... flee into Sasuke's arms for protection.
Naruto snickered. "You're an idiot, Naruto. Get over yourself."
He crawled to the foot of the bed and unfolded the shirt and pants. He'd never worn leather pants before and had never had an interest in doing so... but if he was going to be doing all kinds of new things this weekend, why stop now? Assuming he really could fit his ass into those. He snuck a peek at the label.
"Yeesh. Label whore."
He supposed he'd have a shower, too, but in the meantime, he might as well go pour himself a drink or three so that this process could go a whole lot smoother. He wasn't usually an anxious person, but for some reason... he was tonight. Naruto tried to pinpoint exactly what his problem was... he didn't have an issue with the gay thing, but he really didn't want to... what was it... Ah, well.
Naruto jumped off the bed and while heading down the hallway toward the stairs, heard the shower running. Deidara's door was shut with club music blaring behind the door. With a small smile on his face, he made his way down the stairs, found the liquor cabinet, and decided he'd be responsible for creating his own courage.
While exchanging a few texts with his friend Neji (he was fun to drunk text), Naruto had already consumed a couple of vodka drinks. He'd found some orange juice in the refrigerator and decided on a Screwdriver. Earlier, he'd searched for some Red Bull or Coke, but apparently they didn't believe in energy drinks or caffeine here. After about 20 minutes, he dragged himself up the stairs, the vodka bottle in tow, and stumbled into Sasuke's bedroom without knocking. The door had only been partially shut, but when he entered Sasuke's room, he found the other man standing in front of the closet with only a towel wrapped about his waist. Sasuke didn't pay him any attention as Naruto collapsed on top of the bed.
"I brought y'some vodka in case you wanted any."
Sasuke looked over his shoulder at him, eyes running from his socks to the tips of his hair. "Wasn't that full?"
"Yes, now it's half-full," Naruto replied with a grin. "Unless you're a cynic and see it as half-empty."
"I didn't think you could become even less intelligent if you tried, but now I see what alcohol does to you."
Naruto didn't take offense. "Yeah, well I know what it does to you. You end up flat on your face on my bathroom floor."
"Touché," said Sasuke, and he returned to going through all the clothes in his closet (and there appeared to be a lot of them. "Were you able to make the phone calls you wanted?"
"Nah. I just called my dad, but he might still be at work. There's this friend of mine, though, who gets annoyed when I drunk text him, so I started drunk textin' him."
"Very charming."
Suddenly Naruto sat up, the vodka in the bottle swishing around. "You did have a wank, didn't you? You're all... stoic. Like yourself again."
"Fine, then hand me that bottle." Sasuke walked over to the bed and grabbed the vodka from his hands. The cap was already off, so he took a long swig before returning it to Naruto.
In his slightly buzzed state, Naruto started to smile broadly. "We're gonna have fun tonight, aren't we?"
Sasuke gripped the edge of the bed and leaned over him. "We are going to have adangerous amount of fun."
Naruto blinked at him several times, watching a few beads of water drip from Sasuke's hair to his chin. The other man burst into one of those predatory grins he'd seen before and set his hand on Naruto's head.
"You look worried," he said to Naruto.
"Should I be?" He asked with a frown.
Sasuke removed his hand and shrugged indifferently.
"Well," Naruto said, maybe a bit awkwardly, "I'll leave you to get dressed. Mind if I use your shower?"
"I don't mind." Sasuke went over to the closet. "You know, you don't really have to wear those if you don't want to. They get incredibly hot... and sticky."
"Heh. Are we still talkin' about the pants?" Naruto set the vodka on Sasuke's desk.
"Hilarious."
Naruto got up from the bed and folded his arms behind his head. He watched Sasuke for a while as he searched through about 30 different tops (most of which came in shades of black, gray, or dark blue).
"Sasuke," he said.
"Hm?"
"Thanks for takin' care of me this weekend."
Sasuke turned around, a dark eyebrow arched in question.
Naruto gave a small shrug, a crooked grin, and then shoved his hands in his pockets. "Just sayin'. I didn't really know what I was gonna get up to here, and I think I was lookin' for somethin'... but I didn't have high expectations or anything. Now... I'm kinda grateful I ended up at that bar."
"You're not going to propose to me, are you?" Sasuke asked.
"Asshole," he said. "Way to ruin the moment."
Naruto picked up his pile of clothes, determined to wear the leather pants simply because Sasuke didn't think he would.
He wasn't really angry, but he did abruptly leave, mostly because he was kind of embarrassed he'd said something as awkward as that. He'd meant it, though. This entire weekend, he could've spent it alone, simply moping about in his hotel room, but hanging with Sasuke so far... even meeting Deidara... it felt right somehow. Like, fate or something. He was meant to meet them, and so he was glad he came to New York. Even if Shion was going to give him hell for it over the next month or two.
Naruto passed by Deidara's door, which behind it played some hideously obnoxious dubstep thing that was already giving him a headache. He wondered how Sasuke could stand it. Then again, maybe Sasuke appreciated all kinds of music?
Making his way into the bathroom, Naruto placed the clothes on the corner of the sink counter, which held a variety of hair products lined against the mirror. He picked one up, uncapped it, and gave it a sniff. Surely Sasuke wouldn't mind if he borrowed some of this stuff. Not that he really knew how to use hair product. Usually he only gave his hair a comb through and then he was done. Except on the rare occasion that he spiked it a bit, though it mostly tended to do that on its own so long as it was cut short.
There were already some towels on a rack above the toilet, so he grabbed that and a rag. He stripped off his clothes and set them in a pile on the floor near the door. Vaguely, he thought about pushing the lock, but it wasn't likely Sasuke would burst in on him... Deidara might, though.
Naruto wasn't a prude, so he really didn't give a crap. He turned on the shower and hopped in, letting out a sigh of pleasure as the hot water hit with an erotically awesome pressure that led him to consider whether he might want a wank, too. But then he'd be wanking in the same shower Sasuke wanked in? That was a bit like incest, right? No wait, that wasn't right. He shook his head, picked up the shampoo bottle, and read its contents. He contemplated not using it as it was some salon-brand that probably cost a lot of money. Still. He used just a dollop as he proceeded to wash his hair.
Ah, and there was body wash, too. This was great. Much better than the shower in his own crappy apartment. If Sasuke could see it, he would definitely make fun of it and call it shabby. Weird that he was pondering the idea of Sasuke ever visiting. He could return the favor by showing him around Chicago.
But, when would he ever have the opportunity to do that?
Naruto snickered as he imagined how Sasuke and Kiba might get on. Ino... well, she'd just hit on him like crazy, and Shion... For some reason, he didn't like the idea of the two of them meeting, but he couldn't put his finger on why.
Lifting his head, Naruto let the spray hit him in the face as he ran his tongue across his teeth, tasting a whole lot of vodka.
He should stop thinking so much about... everything. That wasn't very much fun, and Sasuke obviously had the intention of having a good time tonight, so Naruto would resurrect the side of himself from Freshman year that used to live on parties, drinking, and... well, women wasn't an option, so just... Well, whatever.
Best to have no particular expectations as that way he could be undeniably surprised by the events of tonight. For some reason, he didn't think he'd go wrong so long as he left it all in Sasuke's hands.
Once Naruto stepped out of the shower, he wrapped one of the towels around his waist and started nosing through all of Sasuke's hair products. He grabbed the mousse - skimming the back label - and squeezed some into his palm, giving it a sniff before beginning to work it through his hair. Watching himself in the mirror, he styled it in a few different ways until it mostly just stuck up in oddly-shaped clumps. He was interrupted by a knock at the door, and without even giving him enough time to reply, Deidara barged in, wafting perfume in his wake.
"I guess it's too late to say 'occupied'," Naruto commented as the other blond man hopped onto the counter.
"Oh, please. I knew you'd be decent since the water shut off 10 minutes ago." Deidara picked up the bottle Naruto had been using. "What, no comment on my outfit? I thought we could match."
Deidara was wearing a pair of shiny black and red pants that weren't quite leather. Maybe closer to vinyl as they did seem to squeak every time he moved. There was zipper on the knees, and the top was some kind of matching strapless get-up that flared out around the waist. Deidara's hair hung over both shoulders in a pair of long, curled pigtails.
"Don't take this the wrong way," said Naruto, "But you remind me of Harley Quinn from Batman."
"I don't get that reference, but whoever that is looks like me, I'm afraid." Deidara sniffed. "So, anyway. Why is it you aren't in your pants yet? They didn't fit, did they? Do you need some help? Drop the towel, and I'll be happy to squeeze you in - "
"Deidara," said Sasuke as he appeared in the doorway, wearing jeans but no shirt. "What have I told you about barging into my bathroom? That especially includes when someone else is in it."
"We're all men here, aren't we?" Deidara asked innocently.
"It's debatable," answered Sasuke.
"I find that highly offensive," replied his roommate. "Just because I have feminine attributes doesn't make me any less of a man. I should report you to the Elders."
"Shut up. Get out." Sasuke stepped in, took Deidara by the arm, and shoved him out into the hallway despite the older man's protests and threats to tattle on Sasuke to his brother.
"Sorry," said Sasuke. "He has no concept of privacy. I figured you would've locked the door."
"Why would you figure that?" Naruto asked.
"Seriously?"
He shrugged. "No harm, no foul. I used some of your stuff there, but I think I only made it worse."
"That's because your hair's still wet. It works best when it's dry."
"Ah, is that how it works?" He eyed the other man. Sasuke had on a pair of dark jeans that hung low at his hips and a brown leather cuff that wrapped around his wrist. "Is that all you're wearing? You're gonna get cold."
"I should say the same about you. Dressed in a towel? I didn't think you were thathungry for attention."
"Ha ha, very funny." Naruto crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.
Sasuke tilted his head to the side, observing him for a moment. "I found a pair of jeans you can wear. I promise you'll be more comfortable wearing them than those." He pointed at the leather pants still folded and waiting on the toilet seat.
"I said I'd wear them." He smiled. "A man shouldn't go back on his word."
"Suit yourself. But... do you want some help with your hair?"
"Hm." Naruto ran a hand through his hair, frowning slightly. "You're the expert."
"Hop up here." Sasuke took him by the arm and urged him to sit on the counter.
He moved to stand in between Naruto's legs and reached for one of the many black bottles. All that was required of Naruto was to sit there and let Sasuke work his fingers through his hair. He kept his eyes shut for a while, partly because it was unexpectedly relaxing and partly because Sasuke was so exceptionally close.
"You should see the faces you're making," Sasuke said, voice low and gruff but not without a little humor in his tone.
"I didn't even realize." He opened his eyes and found Sasuke as close as he was the night before when he'd pushed Naruto against the wall. "How do I look? I wouldn't wanna shame you in front of your people."
"Indeed," said Sasuke, taking the comment in stride. "They might revoke my member's card."
"Should I do yours afterward?" He scratched his fingernails across the counter.
Sasuke smirked. "Not unless you want to lose both of your hands."
"Ah, but that would ruin a few of my favorite hobbies."
"For some reason, I doubt you're talking about your place on the lacrosse team."
"Heh. Funny. Ah, that feels good." Naruto sighed in pleasure. "How often do you hear that you're really good with your hands?"
"A fair amount." Sasuke picked up a different container that looked to be styling wax. He worked it through Naruto's hair, carefully shaping spikes at the top and then rubbing it through the hair at the back of his head. "There."
He took a step backward, frowned, fixed one more stand of hair that he then tucked behind Naruto's ear, and then gave a satisfied nod.
"I think that'll do for now," he told Naruto. "One more thing." He picked up the hairspray and held a hand over Naruto's eyes before spraying it.
When he finished, Sasuke kept scrutinizing his work while Naruto watched his face intently. It was somehow very amusing and interesting to see this side of Sasuke. Concentration looked good on him, and he was suddenly having odd feelings of... inferiority.
"Alright," Sasuke said so abruptly that it snapped him out of his thoughts. "When you get dressed, try not to screw up my hard work. And if they're too small, you can always borrow one of Deidara's skirts."
"Tch. Bastard." Naruto gave him a kick. "I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Sasuke slid a hand into one of his pockets. "I think it won't be a whole lot different than what you're wearing now. Both provide easy access."
"It's true. I am naked under here." Naruto played with the bottom of the towel. "Don't tell me that excites you."
"Please. I have much better taste than that. I don't hit on everything that moves. Only men who appeal to a certain set of physical standards."
"As I recall, pretty sure you've at least implied my ass is hot."
"Pretty sure you've also implied you think of me as good looking, but I'm not expecting you to bend me over this counter any second."
Naruto's cheeks flushed. "Well, no. That would be... rude. Wouldn't it? Buy a guy a drink first."
Sasuke was staring at him.
"What?" Naruto asked.
"Nothing." He pat Naruto on the thigh. "Good luck with the pants. I'll help you finishthe look when you're done primping in here. By the way," he started to say but then leaned in close and sniffed. "You smell like me."
"Well, yeah. I used your shampoo and body wash. I hope that's okay."
"Hmm."
"I'll pay you back in drinks. I'm sure some of these are, like, a thousand dollars a bottle."
Sasuke smiled at him for a breath. "I can always get another as a gift... from all of my sugar daddies I have out there."
"I bet." Naruto hopped off of the counter, idly scratching one side of his chest. "M'gonna lock the door this time, so don't even think about pretendin' you forgot somethin' two minutes after you walk outta here."
"You think I play games like that when I want something?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto bit the corner of his lip. "No." He shook his head. "I don't."
"Good." Sasuke took a few steps toward the door. "I'll be in my room."
"Okay." Naruto watched him as he left and shut the door behind him.
When Sasuke left, Naruto gave a brief glance at the doorknob, which he had no intention of locking. Sure, he liked his privacy, but he also wasn't particularly modest or anything either, and if it wasn't anything that scarred Deidara - what should he care? Then again, over the next five minutes he was probably going to be lying on the bathroom floor trying to wiggle into these god awful things. He just hoped they really would get up over his ass. The last thing he wanted right now was for Sasuke to be right about anything.
Maybe an hour after he got the pants on, Naruto and Sasuke were sitting on the bed, drinking what had to be their third Screwdriver while waiting for Deidara to apply the finishing touches to his outfit. He'd changed again. Apparently because Sasuke'd agreed with him about the Harley Quinn similarity.
Naruto was almost disappointed since if he was going to bang any female super villain, it might as well be her. Of course, he shouldn't have said that aloud because Sasuke wouldn't stop taunting him about having a secret cross-dressing fetish.
"What do you want me to do?" Naruto asked, licking his lips. "He's supposed to look like a woman, right? And he does. So it should be a compliment!"
"But don't tell him things like that minutes before we're ready to leave. Now we're going to be stuck here at least another 30 minutes. Aren't you getting hot yet?"
"What? In these?" He rubbed his hand over the top of his thigh. "I kinda like how they feel."
"I can tell. You keep touching yourself."
Naruto let out a laugh. "I can't help it. Wanna give it a try?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was leaning against the one wall the bed while Naruto sat next to the pillows.
"Don't worry," he said. "I won't bite."
"I think you've already had too much to drink. And here I was just thinking I might get out some additional party favors."
"Oh, like what you had last night that made you so ill?" He held up a hand. "No thanks."
"It's just weed. It won't kill you."
"Ah, okay. Thought you were gonna have me snort a line of coke. I gotta tell ya. That shit does a number on my sinuses."
Sasuke chuckled and got up on his knees. He stretched first and, catching Naruto's eye, ended up leaning over to drag a few fingertips up his left shin. His thumb followed the curve of Naruto's knee.
"Tease," Naruto told him.
With a smirk, Sasuke slapped him on the thigh before bouncing off of the bed. "Of course my clothes would look good on you."
"All clothes look good on me," Naruto mumbled with false bravado and set his glass on the desk. He watched as Sasuke walked around to the other side of the desk, sat down, opened one of the drawers, and pulled out some familiar paraphernalia.
"Have you used one of these before?" Sasuke held up the vaporizer pen for him to see.
"Sure. Once or Twice."
"Good. I don't want to find you hiding in a corner somewhere because I didn't give you a heads up that it's a lot more clear. I'm afraid this batch is pretty strong, too."
"No need to apologize for good weed. Must be nice to have money, huh? You can get the best of everything."
Sasuke grunted and while he prepared everything, Naruto picked up Sasuke's drink and emptied it for him.
"Mooch," he told Naruto after looking up from what he was doing.
"Ha. I didn't even know you were paying attention."
"I am surprisingly good at multi-tasking. Would you believe?"
"I believe it," he said. "I believe you're good at a lotta things, so nothin' would really surprise me."
"Hm."
Naruto shuffled further down the bed so that he could lie on his back. He didn't end up wearing Deidara's shirt since Sasuke thought he'd look better in one of his own, which was just this black, short-sleeved tee that had an almost meshed material that went up both of the sides. It was a little snug, but Naruto attributed that to his very muscular chest.
A couple of minutes passed when the bed dipped, and he opened his eyes to find Sasuke sitting next to him. He handed Naruto the vaporizer, which he took, inhaled a couple of times, and then returned it. Sasuke started to crawl over him to get to the other side of the bed, and because he felt like it, Naruto slapped him on the ass.
"That one's free," said Sasuke, "But do it again, and I can't promise to hold myself back."
"Right. So is this you restrainin' yourself? I imagine it's pretty hard to be around me and not wanna," he pulled up his shirt as a joke, "Take advantage of it."
Sasuke situated himself against the wall again, his legs crossed as he smoked. He had on the same jeans from before and a fitted navy t-shirt. His hair was styled and spiked in the back. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would've thought Sasuke could be a model. They were about the same height. There was also the way Sasuke carried himself. Naruto was a self-assured guy. He liked being around other self-assured guys, too.
"You're staring," said Sasuke. "Were you really waiting for a response to that?"
Naruto laughed and rolled onto his side so that he could face him. "Nope."
"My belt looks good on you."
"Does it?" He asked and fingered the chunky belt buckle.
"Still having fun touching yourself, I see. Don't stop on my account. I wouldn't mind a little pre-club show."
"Considerin' how hard it was for me to get these on, I doubt it would be a very sexy thing to watch me gettin' them off. Unless you don't mind me fallin' on the floor."
"On the floor, on my bed. Wherever you feel most comfortable." He handed Naruto the vaporizer again and pulled his knees to his chest.
"I can tell you where it wouldn't be comfortable." Naruto started snickering as he grabbed for the bottom of Sasuke's pant leg.
"Pray tell, where might that be?" Sasuke asked dryly.
"In the ass," he replied. "Mine, to be specific."
"Don't knock it until you've tried it." Sasuke nudged him with his foot. "I take it you and the girlfriend aren't particularly experimental?"
Naruto almost started choking as he handed Sasuke's pen back to him. "Totally uncalled for."
"It's not, really. If a straight man insists anal sex is 'uncomfortable' but engages in anal sex with his girlfriend, then where does the dislike for it originate?"
"It was just a joke. But, I guess... I dunno. I mean... you..."
"Me," said Sasuke. "Are we back to this again?"
"No, shut up. I was gonna say... just, when it comes to two guys, there's the guy that initiates - "
"The top?"
"Yeah, the top or whatever. And you are - "
"I would be a top, yes. In at least..." Sasuke took a moment to steal another puff. "Ninety-nine percent of situations."
"What about the one percent?"
Sasuke smirked. "Don't you know it's not polite to discuss politics amongst friends?"
Naruto snickered. "I walked right into that one. So, we're the same, right? We both like to be the ones to do the, pardon my French, fucking."
"Yes. We're no different except you fuck women, and I fuck men."
"Is it easier, would you say? Just out of curiosity." Naruto sat up some more and started to reach for the glass on the desk only to remember they were both empty.
"Do you want some more?" Sasuke asked.
"Nah, I get all weird if I mix too much alcohol with weed." He leaned against the wall, his legs straight out in front of him. "So what was I sayin'?"
"You were saying something is easier."
"Ah, right. So, in regard to men... I mean, would you say it's pretty easy to get laid? Guys know what guys want, I would assume, and... no matter their sexuality, guys probably go out with the thought of gettin' laid in mind."
"Sounds accurate so far," said Sasuke.
Naruto nodded. "Then, I mean... you could potentially always go home with someone every night. Guys would be quick to say yes without all the..."
"Bullshit?" Sasuke supplied.
"I wasn't gonna say it like that."
"Mhmm. Because you're a gentleman?"
"I get why women feel that way, though. It's not like I haven't had girlfriends explain it all to me. I mean, if they were really interested all the time, would they go out in groups? That way, if a guy harasses them, some girlfriend will drag her away or whatever."
"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Sasuke asked and stretched out a leg to nudge the side of Naruto's.
Idly, Naruto glanced at the bare foot. "I think it's a part of most straight dudes' experiences. Clubs are... awkward. I'm not sayin' I've never picked up a chick at one, but it's... not as satisfying."
"Doesn't bother me any."
"Yeah, well. As we've already discussed. You like to screw around, and I... I like to at least get their name first."
"Harsh," said Sasuke.
"Am I wrong?"
"Not entirely, but the culture is different, I suppose. It's different between two men." Looking thoughtful, Sasuke blew out a rather heavy breath and pushed a piece of hair behind his ear. "Not all gay men want that or enjoy that lifestyle. I'd like to say... especially as they get older. But... if you want sex without any strings attached, then living in a city like New York... being surrounded by attractive options... who could resist?"
"Mm. It's not like I never went on Spring Break. I get it."
Naruto rubbed his lips together as they looked at one another. He noticed Sasuke's eyes narrow slightly.
"S'up?" He asked.
"Nothing," answered Sasuke. "Should we go see if Deidara is ready? If he's not, how about you and I head out anyway? He can call a cab."
"Ah, we've waited this long, but yeah. I gotta get back at him for bargin' in on me earlier."
"I hope you don't live to regret those words."
"Should I let you blindfold me first?" He watched Sasuke as he got up and moved his legs out of the way when Sasuke nudged him with his hand.
"If that's your idea of foreplay, then I'd be willing," he replied to Naruto as he stored his stash in the desk again.
"I dunno that I've ever tried."
Sasuke gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously?"
"Hey, I've done other stuff. Usually I'm the one that initiates all the tricks."
"No wonder you and your girlfriend are always breaking up," said Sasuke.
He walked closer to the bed again and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
"Tch. I don't think sex is the problem at all," said Naruto. "We've never had issues in that department. If anything, that's the time we seem to get along the most."
Sasuke didn't reply. He studied Naruto for a little while before holding out his hand. Naruto took it, and Sasuke pulled him out of the bed and to his feet.
"It's weird seeing you in my clothes and having you smell like me," Sasuke murmured, still holding onto his hand.
"Do you think that if I smell like you, it'll be enough to keep the other guys from comin' on to me?"
"Hn. Like I've marked you with my scent?" He let go of Naruto's hand.
"Sure." Naruto folded his arms behind his head and smiled. "Although, that doesn't mean you can't get your thang on."
Groaning, Sasuke put a hand to his forehead and pushed Naruto's face in the other direction. "Please don't say anything like that ever again."
Naruto laughed. "I'll be cooler once we get there."
"Doubtful." Sasuke let his arm drop to his side.
"What did you say your friends' names are? The ones meetin' us there?"
Sasuke sighed. "Suigetsu. Suigetsu and Karin. There might be some people from work, too, but they'll be around later."
"Karin... she hot?"
"That is not a word I would use to describe her," said Sasuke, "But I can see you finding her attractive."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He actually felt a little offended.
"Exactly what I said. That you might find her attractive. As a straight man. Then again, she's fairly abrasive. I'm not entirely sure of your type, Naruto, but I'm almost certain she's not it."
It was on the tip of Naruto's tongue to ask if he always took home guys with stellar personalities, but he found that he probably didn't want to know, or could already guess the answer anyway.
"Shall we?" Sasuke asked. "Before he listens to the Spice Girls album again."
"Heh. Yeah. So, if they say 'If you wanna be my lover, y'gotta get with my friends'. Does that mean I gotta go through you to get to Deidara? I still wish he woulda left that Harley Quinn get-up on."
Sasuke raised a brow. "I'm seriously beginning to question your sexuality."
"Good thing you're takin' me to a gay dance club then, eh? What a great opportunity to experiment with my new found gayness."
"Uh huh." Sasuke eyed him with all the amusement of someone who'd just smacked him in the face with a pie. "You realize that I'm finding this... let's just say. It is going to be fascinating to watch you tonight."
Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Voyeurism? Now that's somethin' I have tried."
Sasuke glared and smacked his hand off. He walked away from Naruto and out of the bedroom.
"Ah, don't be that way." Naruto chased after him. "We're gonna have fun tonight, Sasuke! I swear!"
When the taxi arrived at the club and as Sasuke paid - Naruto went around to the other side to open Deidara's door and escort him out. They were all bundled up despite Deidara's eagerness to show off his newest outfit. Snow was falling heavily, and it couldn't have been more than four or five degrees out. It surprised him that people (all men that he could see) were lining up to get inside. He'd tried to ask some questions on the ride over so that he could gauge what to expect. All he'd really made out from what Deidara said was that the crowd swung toward leather, which meant very little to him.
He and Deidara waited for Sasuke. Apparently, being with Deidara meant they were on the VIP list because, rather than having to wait to get in, they were able to immediately enter the club. He was fairly sure he saw Sasuke slip the bouncer something into his hand. Naruto would've figured on some kind of cover, but if there was, no one asked him for money. They did get a stamp on their hand, though, even without having to show an ID. Sasuke, lightly placing a hand to his back, escorted him over to the coat room, where a bald man in a leather vest took all of their coats, scarves, gloves, and hats.
Deidara had opted for a strapless black leather dress with some funky chains and straps that wound about his back. The boots he wore looked like he could kill someone with them - the heel was thin and at least a good four inches high. Almost as soon as Deidara was free of his (faux) fur coat, he seemed to disappear into the crowd without so much as a parting wave. It would've been way too loud to speak. The dance floor was already packed as was the bar, and the music was incredibly loud. Lights flashed in hypnotic blues, yellows, greens, and reds. If not for Sasuke's hand on him, he wouldn't have known where to go.
Sasuke made a gesture with his hand about getting drinks, and Naruto nodded, following behind the other man as he smoothly maneuvered his way through the mass of moving bodies. Luckily, the alcohol and weed kept him from thinking too much about what was actually happening - men in various states of dress dancing up on each other. In its own way, it was a bit like exploring a foreign country. He felt pretty mellow, though. His eyes ran over various faces. Most didn't seem to pay him any attention (why did he think he'd stand out?) but it was interesting that every once in a while he caught glances being sent their way. He assumed they were looking at Sasuke, though.
Naruto felt a bit guilty that if other guys saw him with Sasuke, they'd assume they were together. He didn't want to cramp Sasuke's style, so maybe after he got a drink, or Sasuke's friends showed up - he could... find a way to entertain himself so that he didn't get in the way of, well, whatever he did when he came to these places.
As they crept their way to the bar, Sasuke gestured for the bartender who gave him a big wave and immediately came over. Objectively, he was a good looking guy. Late 20s, dark hair, dark eyes, dark complexion. When Sasuke leaned between two other men to talk to the bartender, they both smiled as they spoke to one another. While Naruto waited a few feet behind, he kept his eyes on the dance floor. He hadn't been to a dance club in a long time, but the scene was pretty cool. It's not as if he was ready to jump in, but watching could be fun.
Next thing he knew, Sasuke bumped up against his side.
"See anyone you like?" Sasuke asked near his ear.
Naruto gave him a helpless look. "I am totally out of my element, I think."
"You'll be fine. Once you drink more. Speaking of." He went back to the bar to grab their drinks. One was a dark orange in color and the other was a very pale yellow.
"What's in that?" Naruto asked as Sasuke handed him the orange cocktail.
"Does it matter?" Sasuke clanked his glass against Naruto's. "Congratulations. I don't usually buy men drinks, but you looked like you needed something strong."
"Thanks. Do I look that out of place?"
"Yes. You do." Sasuke smirked. "It's obvious it's your first time. I'm almost embarrassed to stand next to you."
"Tch. Don't let me cramp your style," he said. "Just do what you usually do. I can take care of myself."
"Hm. We'll see. Just keep drinking that." He nudged Naruto's glass before gazing out at the crowd.
Naruto thought he looked like he was assessing his prospects. He was curious about the type of guy Sasuke would be drawn to first, but at the same time...
He took another gulp of his drink when someone knocked into his elbow, nearly causing him to spill everything onto the floor.
"Oh hey, my bad," said a man around his age with silvery hair tied back into a ponytail. "Ah, Sasuke. I was lookin' for you." He glanced at Naruto again, eyes roving down and then up again. "Who are you?" He glanced at Sasuke. "Who is this?"
"He's not interested," Sasuke said immediately. "Where's Karin?"
"That batshit wench? Who the fuck cares. She's probably still in line."
"She knows Deidara put her on the list," said Sasuke.
"Fine, I dunno. She's probably leering around one of the back rooms."
"Naruto," Sasuke turned to him. "This is Suigetsu. Feel free not to shake his hand. You don't know where it's been."
"Hey," Suigetsu said. "I can tell you exactly where it's been. You from New York? I haven't seen you around before."
Naruto shook his head. "Out of town."
"I see." Suigetsu shared a look with Sasuke that did not go unnoticed. "Lucky dog."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, but Sasuke simply shook his head dismissively, insinuating the following comments should be ignored. It's not like he was offended. He was in a gay club, after all. While the two men caught up with each other, Naruto stood by and drank. When his drink was gone, he wandered over to the bar, where he found an open seat next to a guy who looked a lot like his friend Neji - long, dark hair, tight black t-shirt, and jeans. When Naruto sat, the other man gave him a quick glance. It took a lot longer for him to get the attention of the bartender than it had for Sasuke, but eventually he was able to order a couple of shots and a whiskey (neat).
He'd bought the shot for Sasuke, but when he looked behind his shoulder, he wasn't there anymore. Instead, Naruto pushed the extra shot toward the stoic man beside him.
"Want it?"
The man looked at him, almost suspiciously, but apparently decided it was safe to take it.
"Thanks," he told Naruto.
"Uh, that's not a come on or whatever. I had a friend over there, but he's disappeared, I guess."
The other man smirked. "Is this your first time?"
"In New York?" He asked.
"In a gay club."
"Ah." He drank his shot and wiped at the side of his mouth. "Is it that obvious?"
"You seem uncomfortable."
"I s'pose I am, I guess. Feel kinda out of place."
"Well, don't. I'm sure you'll attract a lot of attention. Do you want some advice?"
"I guess? Sure?"
"Just be yourself. That's what most people do. You don't have to pretend to be anything else while you're in here," he told Naruto and turned toward him on the stool.
Naruto smiled. "Thanks. I'll try my best. You here alone?"
"Waiting on a friend." He returned Naruto's smile. "You? You said you... were here with someone?"
"I was, but... I dunno where he went."
"Don't worry. You'll make a lot of friends here... if friends are what you're looking for. Especially when you're so generous with your drinks."
"Heh. Y'think? Hm. In that case, should I get another round? Will that be okay with your friend?"
"Honey," he leaned in closer to Naruto. "If he cared about other men buying me a drink, he would've been here on time. Am I right?"
"Seems logical to me. Why not? Next one's on me." He waved the bartender over again, asked for another round of - he glanced at his new friend and let him pick his choice. While they were waiting, Naruto looked out at the dance floor again, searching for a sign of Sasuke or even Suigetsu or Deidara.
It was too bright to be able to pick them out possibly. They were likely already dancing, which was fine. Naruto wouldn't have known what to do with himself, so drinking seemed the best option for now. And, after all, he'd always been the type of guy to make new friends wherever he went. Plus, like he'd said to Sasuke earlier, he didn't want to get in the way of his usual routine. He'd already forced Sasuke to hang out with him last night... guy probably wanted some space.
The man to his side put a hand to his shoulder. "You okay?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm cool," he said and, when their shots arrived, he picked his up.
They clinked their glasses and after he swallowed the liquor - which tasted like kerosene - Naruto licked his lips and found his eyes wandering toward the floor again.
"Did you want to dance?" The guy asked him.
"Ah, nah." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm... not much of a dancer. Two left feet."
"You keep looking that way. I thought maybe you were waiting for a dance partner."
"I wouldn't want to make your boyfriend mad."
"Boyfriend?" The man asked, brushing his long hair behind his shoulder. "Who said anything about a boyfriend?"
"Right, well..."
The man laughed. "You're really adorable, you know that?"
Naruto lifted an eyebrow, eyes slightly wide at the compliment. He touched his cheek. It felt hot.
The man laughed again and leaned in close enough that their elbows touched. "Are you sure you don't want to dance?"
Naruto immediately waved his hand. "No, really. I'm..." It seemed oddly impolite and unrealistic to bust out the "Actually, I'm not gay" speech, so he kept his mouth shut and continued drinking his whiskey.
It wasn't a whole lot longer, though, before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Want to dance?"
Naruto turned around sharply only to be faced with a very attractive red-headed woman in a sleek red dress with bright red pumps.
"You're Naruto, right?" She asked.
"Yeah... I am."
"Naruto," she said while pushing up the strap that had just fallen off her left shoulder. "I'm Karin."
Without giving him a chance to finish his drink, she grabbed him by the arm and started yanking him in the direction of the dance floor.