Umm. *looks around nervously* Wow, it's been a loooong time since I posted anything. I've had this story on hiatus for two years ... TWO YEARS! Time just flew by! I got a review today for this story and that made me feel like wayyyy guilty, so I pulled up what I had written for this chapter (which was only the first three paragraphs) and finished the chapter. I can't promise that I'll be prompt and post chapter 5 any time soon but, apparently, I can be guilted into it. -_-' I suppose this stems from the fact that I love so many stories that the authors have seemingly dropped. I originally put all my stories on hiatus because of personal issues stemming from my back injury and, well, I'm sure you don't want to hear my life story but ... we'll just leave it at being depressed and losing my will to write. Even when I get ideas for stories, scribble the ideas down, I, then promptly set them aside. I kinda refer to it as Shikamaru syndrome as I don't want to really do anything but watch anime, read, or sleep. Kind of depressing, actually. I'll try to work up the enthusiasm to write chapter 5 though. No promises on when it'll happen but, hey, at least you know I'm alive and the story isn't dead so ... that's a plus I guess.

Anyway, I still don't own Naruto or have a beta.

And, I hope you enjoy this chapter ... it's been a long time coming!

Naruto nervously eyed the door that led into their bedroom at the inn. When they'd first arrived Naruto had hastily blurted out an excuse of wanting to explore the town and had asked Kakashi, his husband (damn, but he was still having trouble with that) to take their bags up to the room and he'd meet him up there in an hour or so. Now here he was trying to work up the courage to open the door.

"Just go in there Naruto," Kurama growled from his mindscape. "The longer you stand in front of the door, the harder it's going to be to work up the courage to go inside. It's not like Kakashi is going to bite you ... much," Kurama stated, laughing at his last statement. The marriage between Naruto and Kakashi was an endless source of amusement to the fox.

Kurama had been in a deep sleep ever since the end of the war due to chakra exaustion. He'd only woken up about forty-five minutes before, while Naruto was still aimlessly wondering around town. Naruto had initially been happy to have his friend awake. At least, until he'd filled Kurama in on everything that he'd missed out on. The very second the blond had told him of his marriage to Kakashi, Kurama had burst into laughter. He'd laughed so hard he'd fallen over and then literally rolled around Naruto's mindscape as he continued laughing at the situation the blond now found himself in. Needless to say, Naruto had not been amused. Not. At. All.

It didn't help matters that Kurama now seemed to get his jollies from trying to make Naruto blush with all the not-so-subtle innuendo he kept sprouting. Considering the fact that the blond had traveled with Jiraiya for three years, you would think it would be hard to make him blush. But when all the insinuations being made are about him and his former sensei ... well, Naruto's brain simply couldn't take it. The blond swore that smoke was probably coming off his face with how hard he'd been blushing in the past half hour or so. Damn fox.

Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose as he eyed the door once more. Perhaps it was best to just go in quickly. Like ripping off a bandage. Yeah. He reached his hand out and grasped the door knob, but just couldn't work up the courage to actually turn it. He groaned. Taking his hand off the door knob he rested his forehead against the wood. He'd been out here for a good twenty minutes already and -

The door opened and Naruto started to fall in, only to be caught by Kakashi. He looked up to find Kakashi, without his mask, looking down at him in amusement.

"You've been standing out here for a while now. I was wondering what was taking you so long to let yourself in. Do I make you nervous, Naruto?" the older man asked, a mischievous smile on his face that simply said, 'I'm up to no good.'

Naruto knew that he was doing it on purpose. Kakashi knew that he found him attractive without his mask. He had to be doing this on purpose.

Kurama started laughing again. Naruto blushed even brighter. Damn fox. He enjoyed seeing Naruto squirm.

Kakashi couldn't fight back the grin on his face as the blond ducked his head down, refusing to look at Kakashi. The mere sight of his face affecting the blond in such a way made Kakashi want to do things to his lovely husband that would make Naruto blush for years to come, but he was wise enough to know not to push himself on his spouse too soon or his plans to seduce the blond would never come to fruition. If he pushed too soon it would take weeks or even months for Naruto to let his guard back down, and then it would be like starting over from scratch. Any progress made would be erased.

And that simply couldn't happen.

So, Kakashi led his sexy husband into their room and made some vague excuse about going to grab them some food and left Naruto to his own devices for a bit so that he could unpack, settle in, and calm his nerves. Hopefully by the time he returned with dinner Naruto wouldn't be quite so tense around him.