After giving Sasuke some basic lessons on how to reverse the boat and pilot it out of the dock area without hitting anyone, Naruto thought it would be okay to let him continue steering. He'd always learned to do things by, well, doing them, so he figured this was the best way for Sasuke to learn, too. Of course, Sasuke was some kind of a genius because Naruto needed only tell him something once and he remembered. He sat in the seat across from Sasuke, sunglasses on as he sipped from a bottle of Bud Light. It was a bit early in the season so there weren't many boats out on the water. They'd maybe passed one other speed boat and a schooner earlier on.

"You're a natural," Naruto said.

He was grinning at Sasuke, who looked perfectly comfortable in the captain's seat. The water was a little choppy, but they weren't going too fast, maybe 25-30 knots. The sun was out, the sky was clear, and they were currently heading to a cove where they could throw out the anchor and just chill for a while until they needed to pick Kiba and Ino up. The wind felt good, too, as Naruto toed off his sandals.

In case they felt like tubing, Naruto had tied up one of the huge inflatable tubes to the back of the boat. After a while, he got up so that Sasuke would be able to hear him as he gave directions to slow down while they went under one of the bridges. They steered for the shallow area next to a sandbar. Sasuke cut the engine, and Naruto went up to the front to get the anchor and toss it over the side.

"Music?" Naruto asked. "You might have to search the radio but feel free to find somethin' you like."

Sasuke ended up settling for a classic rock station where "Simple Man" was playing.

Naruto was satisfied with this choice. "Turn it up, would ya?"

"I don't recall you being this bossy," Sasuke replied even though he did turn it up.

He got up from the captain's seat and came to where Naruto was sitting in the front, his feet up on the side of the boat while it gently tossed with the waves. Sasuke had a beer in hand and sat on the opposite side of the bow.

"Probably don't get to do a lot of this in New York, eh?" He asked.

Sasuke took a sip of his beer. "I've been out on a yacht, but I can't say it was moving. More for parties. I'm not sure it's ever actually taken a turn out at sea."

"What a waste," said Naruto. "We've sold nice boats to some pretty rich guys up in Chicago who are lookin' for somethin' to impress colleagues or women. They take 'em out on Lake Michigan maybe a few times a summer at best."

"I suppose as long as they've paid for it, it shouldn't matter what they do with it."

"No, it doesn't." He made a face. "I guess it's the same as those guys who fork out for an expensive sports car just to drive around the city. What's the point of a Ferrari if you always gotta drive it 25 miles per hour or stick it in a garage?"

"I'm sensing you're no fan of the upper class?"

"Ah? I don't mean to be judgmental. I guess I've worked with too many guys like that and felt that... they're mostly assholes. Not all, but about 95% of them are pretty difficult to work with."

"I could be one of those assholes," Sasuke pointed out.

"Wait." Naruto sat up. "Are you rich and just didn't tell me?"

"I thought it wasn't my money you liked me for," Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"Hm. That would explain why you pay for everything. You wouldn't even let me get the damn ice, or the beer."

"Consider it as payment for letting me crash with you." Sasuke tipped up his sunglasses. "Are we going to get in or what?"

"Want to?"

Sasuke nodded and started stripping off his shirt while Naruto set his glasses to the side and did the same. When he turned around, Sasuke was still standing there, staring at him.

"What?" He cracked a grin. "Are you waitin' to try and push me off or somethin'?"

"Maybe." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, squinting into the sun.

"I'm sure I won't be the first body they find floatin' around here." He got up on the seat, put one foot on edge, and did a forward somersault into the water.

Three seconds after he surfaced, Sasuke was already right beside him.

"Show off," Sasuke said.

"How'd I score?" He pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes.

"Six and a half at best."

"Harsh." He splashed at Sasuke. "Was it my form?"

Sasuke smirked. "No. I think you have a very good form."

"Heh. So we've got another half hour to ourselves before we gotta pick up Ino and Kiba. What do you wanna do until then?"

Sasuke reached for his hand under the water, and Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. Before he could ask what he was up to, another arm went around his chest and suddenly he was being thrown over Sasuke's shoulder and tossed head first into the water. When he surfaced, Sasuke was laughing at him.

"Tch. Jerk. That's the last time I think you're gonna try somethin' romantic."

"You were asking for it, come on."

Naruto swam toward him. "Just you wait until the other two come, and it's 3 against 1."

"You mean when they team up with me, I'm sure? At least I know Ino will be on my side."

"Kiba wouldn't turn against me."

"No," Sasuke said thoughtfully. "Probably not."

"I can't tell if you like him."

"I like him," Sasuke replied. "But I feel as though I have to be careful about your bromance."

"Ha, yeah, we are pretty close, but Kiba's cool."

"Right, and how will he react when he finds out about you and me?"

"Ah, well." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure. He's not gonna like it very much that I kept him in the dark about New York. I usually tell him everything."

"You never once mentioned anything to him or Ino since then?" Sasuke asked. "Not that I'm judging. I'm simply curious."

Naruto glanced toward the trees for a second. "I wanted to tell him when I first got back. I told him about you but spared 'em the details, y'know. Then Shion came back and - "

"The sex was really that good, huh?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked at him. "It wasn't just about that. If all I wanted was sex, I could've found someone else. It's hard to explain, but despite what Ino and Kiba say about her, Shion was a good person and she was good to me. Maybe not for me. But we had stuff in common."

"You both had lost a mother," Sasuke said.

"Yeah. There was that. I liked havin' someone who understood what it was like."

"I think I can understand that."

"I don't wanna make this heavy when we're just havin' fun... but I thought about what you said that one time. I mean, when I was with her but you were on my mind. What you said about me havin' just lost one parent but still havin' dad... I thought, well maybe you needed to find someone who'd experienced what you had. Maybe I'd never be able to understand."

Sasuke flinched. "Naruto, when I said that... I didn't even mean it. I was angry and frustrated and I took it out on you."

"I know that, too. I knew it even then, but I figured there was a reason you said what you did. Maybe there was some truth to it."

"No." Sasuke came up to him and grabbed both of his arms, hands sliding to Naruto's wrists and holding them. "I want you to understand that back then I was afraid of you in a lot of ways."

"Afraid?"

"I loathe to admit it, but you made me nervous. Even from the beginning. I knew you were dangerous."

His eyes widened. "Why do you say that?"

"I didn't want to be hurt again?" Sasuke let go of one of his wrists. "I was attracted to you but you weren't available. I didn't want to fall for you. But over and over again, I felt that attraction."

"That was probably just hormones," Naruto muttered and began biting at his lip.

"There was that, too," Sasuke said, tilting his head. "But it wasn't only that kind of attraction. You were so... annoyingly persistent. You were easy to talk to. I told you about things I'd never spoken to anyone about except maybe my brother."

Naruto drew him closer and ended up setting his chin on Sasuke's shoulder. He breathed out a sigh as Sasuke's arm came around his waist.

"I kinda feel like you're someone I've known for a long, long time."

"Me, too," said Sasuke, and he brushed his lips against Naruto's neck.

"Should I tell Kiba about stuff today, I wonder? Or maybe I should wait until you're gone."

"That's up to you."

Naruto lifted his head up to look at him. "What if he freaks out on me?"

"Do you really think he'd do something like that?"

"I dunno... Honestly, I think it could go either way. I guess I'm surprised that Ino gave you her blessing. How exactly did that conversation go?"

Sasuke let him go and drifted back a few feet, floating there. "She apparently suspected something based on how you and I were looking at one another when I showed up at your apartment."

Naruto didn't know why, but he smiled. "How we were lookin' at each other?"

"I don't know that she necessarily knew how you felt..." Something indiscernible flashed in Sasuke's eyes that made him curious. "But I think she sensed myinterest. That and when I didn't immediately hit on her last night."

"Yeah, she looked pretty fuckin' hot."

"Uh huh."

"I mean... for a friend."

"Right."

"Don't be that way." Naruto swam over and threw an arm around his neck, attempting to drag him around in a circle. "At least you have me for this weekend."

"Only for this weekend?" Sasuke asked. "How cruel."

"S'your fault for runnin' off to England."

"Would you prefer I not go?"

"What?" Naruto moved off of him and stood there stupidly.

"I could cancel the trip and move here earlier."

"I - " He rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't ask you to do that."

"Just like you couldn't ask me to not have sex with other men while I'm gone?"

"Well... yeah."

Sasuke nodded. "I won't ask you the same either."

He chewed his lip again. "I really hate talkin' about this."

"Okay, so let's not." Sasuke smiled at him, but he looked tired, which worried him a bit. "Maybe we should start heading to where we need to pick up Ino and Kiba."

"Yeah," he said. "Maybe we should. Wanna drive us there?"

"No, it's all yours. I imagine it's an activity that's very relaxing for you."

"It's one of 'em," he replied jokingly.

Sasuke slapped him on his back. "You're hilarious."

"Ah, like you wouldn't agree. Although when I met you, you were tense as hell, so maybe sex isn't as relaxin' for you as it could be?"

"Maybe so. I probably just haven't found the right person yet."

Naruto spared him an unimpressed look as he started climbing up the ladder. "Gay."

Sasuke snickered. "Here, let me help you get your fat ass up onto the boat."

xxx

Two hours later, after having picked up Ino and Kiba at one of the nearby landing areas, the four of them were speeding around on the lake. Sasuke was sitting beside Ino who was the one piloting the boat. Naruto and Kiba were hanging from the tube and apparently trying to knock one another off. They were yelling at each other but the engine was so loud that it was impossible to make out what they were saying.

Ino, of course, looked beautiful as usual. She wore a pale blue bikini, sunglasses, and had her hair tied up in a knot on her head. She was watching the boys as she was steering, but they were still hanging on even when she kicked up the speed. Eventually, they lost Kiba, and Naruto started laughing so hard that he slipped off, too. When they circled around to pick them up, they were both laughing still.

"Ino," yelled Naruto. "Kiba lost his shorts again!"

"Kiba, get your damn shorts back on," she shouted at her boyfriend. "You're going to scare the fish!"

They both swam to the back of the boat once Kiba had his trunks on. They were pushing and shoving at each other like a couple of children as they climbed the ladder.

"Who's next?" Naruto asked. "Sasuke, you wanna have a go?"

"Yeah, Sasuke and I are going now since you two hogged the tube the last three times!" Ino put her hands on her hips.

"What? You said you didn't want to!" Kiba shouted.

"Well, I changed my mind."

"Sounds fine," said Sasuke. "Shall we?" He held out his hand for Ino to take, and she did so while also sending Kiba a glare.

"Hey, don't forget that's my girlfriend," said Kiba.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Sasuke replied.

Naruto seemed to be eyeing them as he and Ino went off the back of the boat. They swam to the tube, and he helped Ino get on first.

"Just to warn you," she said, "They won't take mercy on us."

Sasuke glanced at the boat and saw that Kiba was the one driving. "I figured as much."

Naruto was waving at them, so Ino signaled that they were ready. The boat took off, and Sasuke didn't have too much trouble holding on, but Ino started swearing about something almost immediately. She only lasted another few minutes before she slid off and gave a screech. So, Sasuke, looking back, let go to see if maybe she'd hurt herself. However, as he swam up to her, he realized that wasn't the problem.

Ino was treading water but also trying to use one arm to cover her chest. "Sasuke," she said. "I lost my top somewhere."

He tried his best to keep a straight face. "Okay. I'll... look around."

Naruto and Kiba were talking smack from the boat, apparently not having realized what was up. Eventually, Kiba pulled around to see what was going on.

"Hey, you didn't last very long," Kiba shouted.

"I lost my bikini top, you asshole!" Ino splashed at the water. "Sasuke's helping me look for it."

"What? Don't - Argh!" Kiba waved his arms.

Naruto was laughing and kind of leering so Kiba put a hand in front of his eyes.

"Don't you look at her, Naruto. Or I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Where am I supposed to look?"

"Whatever. I'll go help. Sasuke, you better search for that thing without checkin' out my girlfriend's rack!"

Sasuke and Ino shared a look, and then she rolled her eyes. Kiba jumped in to try and help, but Sasuke was the one who ended up finding it floating next to the tube. He offered it to Ino with a slight smirk.

"Thanks," she said.

Kiba swam over and got in between them. "Hey!"

"Oh, Kiba, shut up already. Sasuke isn't going to look!"

While Ino and Kiba started squabbling, Sasuke decided to head toward the boat. Apparently Kiba was trying to help her tie it in the back but was actually just copping a feel. He climbed up the ladder and glared at Naruto, who was in the driver's seat, laughing his head off.

"You think that's funny?" He asked.

"I do," Naruto answered. "You shoulda heard Kiba up here. He really thought you were gonna try somethin' on his girlfriend."

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe I should mention to him she's not my type."

"Go for it."

"Naruto," he said, moving to stand in front of him.

"Yeah?"

"You look a little drunk."

"I might be. A little. You might have to drive us back. Wanna sit on my lap while you do it?"

Sasuke pressed his teeth into his lip. "Can I?"

Naruto pat his leg. "Sure, right there."

"You are drunk."

"So?" He took hold of Sasuke's wrist and pulled him down. "They're too busy fightin'. They aren't even payin' attention."

It didn't quite feel right to Sasuke, though, so he started to get up - but Naruto pulled him back down. His look was intense and serious.

"Don't run away," he said.

"I wasn't."

"Then okay." He let go of his wrist.

Sasuke didn't move. He knew Naruto was drunk and probably wasn't ready to show off any type of PDA to his friends, but Sasuke really wanted to...

"Ahem."

They both looked back and found Ino standing there with Kiba.

"What are you two doin'?" Kiba asked. "Looks like you're about to make out with each other."

Ino elbowed her boyfriend in the side. "God, Kiba. So what if they were?"

"Wait, what?" Kiba asked.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto to gauge his reaction, but he seemed surprisingly placid.

Kiba walked up to the both of them. "Seriously. What's up with the two of you? Somethin' has felt off since Sasuke got here."

Naruto sighed. "Can't we just have a good time, and we'll talk about it later?"

"Wait, so there is somethin' goin' on?" Kiba glanced at Ino.

"Kiba, you're being a butt right now," she said.

"But he said there's somethin' goin' on!" He pointed at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Well, if there was something going on, don't you think Naruto would tell us?"

"Yeah, I guess." Kiba was gazing expectantly at Naruto. "Well?"

Naruto gave Sasuke a gentle push after placing a hand to his back, so Sasuke stood up, and Naruto stepped in front of him.

"Nothin' is goin' on Kiba. But..." He glanced over his shoulder at Sasuke and then back at Kiba. "I like Sasuke."

"Yeah, I know ya like, Sasuke. It's not like you can't have other friends. I'm not a crazy person." Kiba removed his sunglasses.

"No, I mean... I kinda like Sasuke. As in, maybe... more than a friend."

Kiba started laughing. He laughed so hard, he bent over and slapped his thighs. "Ha ha, yeah, you got me. That's hilarious."

But when he noticed he was the only one laughing, he stopped.

"Wait... what's goin' on? I know you're kiddin' 'cause you're straight."

"I am straight," said Naruto, hoiking a thumb over his shoulder. "But apparently I'm kinda gay for him."

Sasuke, meanwhile, wasn't sure when he should step in as this seemed to be between Naruto and Kiba. He hadn't really expected this to come up so soon and hadn't even considered what the consequences might be if this caused a fight between Naruto and his friends. He thought Naruto would've denied it if it came to that... but he supposed Naruto was one person who was always constantly surprising him.

"So, what? This whole time you and him have had a thing?" Kiba asked, and he was starting to sound angry.

"No. I had no idea he was gonna show up yesterday, but he did. I know it's gonna be hard for you to understand. Hell, I'm not even sure about what's goin' on yet, but I need you to not... make this a big deal. Especially when he and I are in the process of figurin' everything out."

Kiba shot a glare at Sasuke. "What the hell did you do to him in New York?"

"Kiba." Naruto pressed a hand to his friend's chest, attempting to calm him down. "Sasuke didn't do anything. Like I told you, I haven't heard from him in a long time. He knew I was with Shion. Nothin's happened, okay? We're... just talkin' about stuff right now, which is why I haven't mentioned anything to you. If you wanna talk about it later, we can, and I'll tell you everything. But gimme some time, alright?"

Kiba looked hurt, and he did glance one more time at Sasuke before turning around to face Ino. "...Did you know about this?"

Ino seemed calm. "I think it's pretty clear there's something going on between the two of them, dummy. But it's not any of our business, and I think they're both trying to figure it out, too, so let them do that before you butt in."

"Tch. Why's everyone gangin' up on me? This is great. You think you know a guy..."

"Hey, you ass," said Naruto, "I haven't changed at all - "

Sasuke put his hand to Naruto's back, but Naruto stepped forward.

"Kiba. We'll talk about everything when Sasuke's gone. Trust me, yeah?" He put a hand on Kiba's shoulder.

Kiba nodded. "Fine. But I'm pissed off 'cause it feels like everyone was tryin' to hide somethin' from me. And that's not cool."

"Sorry." Naruto gave Kiba a pat on his cheek. "It's not like that. I was gonna tell you somethin' when I knew what the hell was goin' on. You're gonna have to trust me on that. Have I ever lied to you before?"

"Uh, yeah. Probably."

"I mean about somethin' big."

"No... you haven't."

"You like Sasuke, don't you?" Naruto asked. "You told me so."

"Well, yeah, but I didn't know - "

"Does it matter?"

"...No, I guess not."

"Then we're cool?"

"Yeah... sorry." He looked at Sasuke, too. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to ruin the afternoon."

"It's okay," Sasuke told him. "It wasn't our intention to keep you in the dark. Like Naruto said, he didn't know I would even be coming out here."

"Alright. It's... okay. Just... let me know where you register, I guess."

"Oh, Kiba. Jeez." Ino came up and smacked him in the arm. "Naruto's still Naruto, and he's not suddenly gay. And not even bi, right?"

"Uh, no? I don't think so?" Naruto answered.

"See. We need to stay out of their way, okay? We'll talk about it when we get home." She kissed him on the cheek, and Kiba slipped an arm about her waist. Then she gestured for Naruto. He went up to them and got dragged in by Ino. Sasuke watched the three of them hug it out and by then, it seemed everything had cooled down.

Naruto left them and came up to Sasuke.

"It's cool," he said. "I needed to tell him anyway."

"I hope I didn't fuck anything up. I know how much Kiba means to you."

"Nah. I know Kiba pretty well. He just feels bad for bein' left out. He won't abandon me or anything, so don't overthink it. Okay?"

Sasuke nodded, finally realizing both of his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. He'd been more anxious about this than he'd realized. Maybe this wasn't a smart decision. To come all the way here and impose himself on Naruto. Now he was fucking things up with Naruto and his friends.

"Alright, well," Naruto said, turning from him. "Maybe we'll bring the tube in and head for the dock? I think we've all had enough fun for the day."

"Sure," Ino agreed. She and Kiba took the seats at the back, and they both helped tow the tube on board.

Sasuke was left standing at the front while Naruto sat heavily into the driver's seat.

"Ah, right," Naruto got up again and switched to the seat across the way. "You drive, Sasuke. I'll take over when we gotta dock it. Or, I'll show ya how."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yep." Naruto grabbed him by the shorts and gave him a push toward the driver's seat. "Alright, captain. Take us home."

xxx

Once they were in the truck, they were both quiet. Naruto had a lot on his mind at the moment and Sasuke looked like he did, too. He kept staring out the window and frowning. Normally Naruto would've tried to crack a joke but he was thinking about Kiba. He should've said something when he came back from New York, but when he never heard from Sasuke after so long, it hadn't seemed worth bringing up when he couldn't define what had happened, and then he was back with Shion. Who knows, maybe at the time Kiba would've preferred Sasuke to Shion?

Wait. No. When he left New York, there wasn't any indication that either of them were interested in finding out what was between them. Of that, he was sure. He knew now that Sasuke was serious, but he also had it in the back of his mind that Sasuke knew nothing about relationships. And it's not as if Naruto knew what it would be like to date a guy. Yet, he obviously couldn't deny that there wassomething there, and Sasuke had come all the way out here. He knew Sasuke well enough to understand that, for him, coming without a plan was not exactly within his comfort zone. He'd taken a shot, and Naruto could respect that. He'd also apologized for not calling. He could consider the slate clear, but now what?

"Shit, I totally just missed the turn," he said.

Sasuke glanced his way. "Are you sure you're sober?"

"I am, I am. I was just thinkin'. It's no big deal."

At the next light, he did a U-turn. They were going to his dad's house since he was up in Green Bay visiting old work buddies. Only five minutes later, he pulled into the driveway next to the boat shop. The shop was connected to the house through a short hallway. There were a few covered boats out in the front lot and some jet skis. Everything else was inside the warehouse.

"There's the shop," Naruto commented while they were both sitting there without saying anything.

"Ah," was all Sasuke said.

"You okay?"

"I feel," Sasuke started to say but then shook his head. "Can we go inside?"

"Yeah, of course." Naruto frowned, watching as Sasuke got out on his side.

He followed suit, his house keys jingling in his hand as they walked to the porch. Sasuke held the screen door open for him as he unlocked the other door and pushed it open. It was a little warm inside since his dad had turned the air down.

"Well, here's the house," he said, heading into the kitchen while Sasuke went the other way, toward the living room. "There's a game room downstairs, bedrooms are upstairs. There's a shower in my room, or there's Dad's and then one downstairs."

Sasuke had a hold of his elbow as he walked by the dining table. He stopped, almost abruptly, and suddenly took off his sandals without Naruto even saying anything about it. While he was standing next to the leather couch, he dragged his hand across the top of it.

"It reminds me of the house in Seattle," he murmured.

"Yeah? What was your house like?"

"We still have it," said Sasuke. "My brother stays there, although he has an apartment downtown. It's closer to work."

"Ah. How far away did you live from downtown then?"

"Hm. Twenty-five, maybe 30 minutes," Sasuke replied, looking thoughtful.

"You went to college there, right? I mean, I think you said you dropped out?"

"Rubbing that in my face, are you?" Sasuke asked, but he wore a faint smile.

"I do have a degree now." Naruto leaned over the counter, also smiling. "Aren't you proud of me? I bet lotsa people woulda thought I'd drop out."

"I'm sure your father wouldn't have let you get away with that." Sasuke continued roaming around the room, and then he found a family portrait that was hanging on the wall by the fireplace. He stood in front of it for a long while.

Naruto decided to walk over to him. "Dad really likes that photo of us."

"You look like a very happy family." Sasuke turned to him, and he looked so fucking sad in that moment that Naruto thought he might get choked up, too. Knowing what he was thinking and feeling because Naruto felt it, too.

He tried not to let it show, though, and, instead, took Sasuke by the hand.

"I'll show you my room," he said. "And let you have first shower."

"Aren't you worried about Kiba?"

Naruto swung their hands between them. "Yeah, but now I'm worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because, when you're sad, I feel it. I don't like it."

Sasuke gave him another pained look, so Naruto drew his hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles.

"Naruto..."

"Come on then," he said lightly. "You can snoop around my room like I did yours."

He led Sasuke through the living area and up the stairs to his bedroom. It wasn't the house he'd grown up in, but it had been home for a while, and his dad had built it mostly by himself (with Naruto and Kiba's help, too).

"I'll, uh, let you have a look around while I see if we have towels."

While Sasuke headed for the bookshelf, Naruto went into the bathroom. He checked that they had a couple of towels and that there was some shampoo at least. He also took the chance to relieve himself. Once he washed his hands, he was back out in the room again. Sasuke was sitting on the bed, going through one of his yearbooks.

"Oh God, a yearbook, really? At least tell me it's junior or senior year when I wasn't so... short."

"You were short?" Sasuke glanced up from the book and smirked.

"I was a late bloomer, what can I say?"

"I'm sure. And no, this is from your freshman year, I believe. Based on the things other people have written on it. I wanted to find that friend you always talk about."

"Ah, Gaara? Yeah. He'd still be in that one. I think he moved maybe near the end of our sophomore year?"

He took a seat beside Sasuke, pointing out people in the different photos. There was one of Kiba with his jock friends - before he and Naruto really started hanging out. There was one of him and Gaara in shop class, goofing around. He'd made this paddle and was pretending to spank his friend with it.

"And you lecture me?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We didn't have that kind of relationship," he said. "Ah, Gaara. I wish he was around. We certainly got into a lot of trouble. My dad used to get so pissed 'cause just about every other day I was in detention for startin' fights or smartin' off to teachers."

"You? No way," Sasuke said sarcastically.

Naruto knocked into him. "And you were the perfect student, I'm sure? Class President and all that?"

"I wouldn't say I was a perfect student, no. I used to argue with this homeroom teacher of mine."

"Did you?" He asked, feeling curious about what Sasuke was like in high school. "It was all that repressed sexual tension, I bet. You probably had a thing for him, eh?"

Sasuke looked positively disgruntled by his accusation. "That... I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Rather, he used to report to my brother about the things I did. Apparently they used to get a drink together sometimes."

"I know you don't wanna hear this, but your brother sounds fuckin' awesome."

Sasuke didn't reply; Naruto'd forgotten that seemed a sore topic as of late.

"He may seem like a pain sometimes," Naruto said. "But you really are lucky to have a brother who cares about you."

Sasuke clapped the yearbook closed and set it on the bed before giving him a hard glance. "You have Kiba."

"I do. Family doesn't end in blood, but... y'know. Bonds like that are really important."

"I'm aware," Sasuke replied stiffly.

As it wasn't Naruto's place to push him on the subject, he dropped it.

"Well, there are towels in there if you wanna shower. You can take whatever clothes I have here, too. Underwear's in the top drawer, and there are jeans or shorts or whatever you want. T-shirts. Help yourself to - "

He got cut off when Sasuke leaned in and kissed him. It took him a second to adjust, but his eyes fell shut and he let Sasuke continue to take the lead. He felt the cold press of Sasuke's tongue as it sought entrance to his mouth.

Sasuke pushed him down onto the bed, and if he didn't know any better, Naruto would've thought he was searching for something. The only thing he could do in reply was put a hand on his back, holding him firmly to where he lay against his side. When the kiss ended, Sasuke bowed his head and tucked himself under Naruto's chin.

"Shower with me?" Sasuke asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto's lips parted, his hand having stilled at the center of Sasuke's back. "...Okay."

He kissed the top of Sasuke's head, flashes of that time in the Brooklyn apartment coming back to him. When they'd been in the bathroom and Sasuke seemed so... resigned and sad. It had been terrifying coming in and seeing Sasuke under the water, and then to see how fucking black and blue he was all over his body.

"It's fine, Sasuke. Let's go. You feel cold."

He got up first, kicking his shoes toward the open closet, and then he pulled off his shirt. Sasuke was still sitting on the side of the bed, so Naruto went over to him again. The other man raised his head to look at him, his dark eyes revealing something that caused Naruto's chest to clench.

Naruto put a hand on top of Sasuke's head and just left it there. Sasuke grabbed at his waist and pulled him forward to where he rested his head against Naruto's stomach. Naruto played with his dark hair, running fingers through it. It was still damp. For the first time, he noticed a bluish tint.

"C'mon. I'll take care of you," he told him softly.

"I don't want you to." Sasuke's voice was starting to sound raw. "You took care of me last time. This time should've been different."

"What are you talkin' about? Who knows what stupid shit I would've gotten into had I not met you that weekend?"

"I didn't make things easy for you then. And I'm not making them easy for you now either."

"It's okay," he replied, pulling at a longer piece of hair by its tip. "I think I can handle it."

"I... should've thought more about how all of this would affect the life you have here." He raised his head and looked up at him. "I keep fucking things up. I thought... I was getting better."

"Jesus, Sasuke... it's..." He sighed, but then, with a look of determination, he held the sides of Sasuke's face in his hands. "You haven't fucked anything up. You surprised me is all. I thought you'd dropped off the face of the planet, but I do like you. I mean, I already told my friends that there was somethin' between you and me, so now we really do have to go for it."

Sasuke scowled at him. "We don't have to go through with anything just because you feel obligated to - "

"Shut up." He stroked his thumb across Sasuke's bottom lip. "Let's shower, okay? You'll calm down when we're in there. Just like in the bathtub that time, yeah?"

The corner of Sasuke's lips curled. "Will you wear your shorts in this time?"

"Nah. I think it's time I move past that."

"I'll behave... or at least try to. Who knows what seeing you naked might do to me."

"Not the first time I've heard that," he said and laughed.

"I bet."

Naruto grabbed for the bottom of Sasuke's shirt and hauled it over his head. "I'll throw our stuff in the washer... maybe we can have pizza delivered? We should probably spend the night at my apartment, though. Since your flight is so early tomorrow...? To get you there by 9, we'll have to leave at around 7.30 or 7.45."

Sasuke nodded but still looked in a daze. "Okay."

"Hey, don't look so grim when I promised to get naked in the shower with you."

Suddenly, Sasuke stood, bringing them directly in front of each other, with very little room to spare between their bodies. He tilted his head, breath blowing hot against Naruto's lips. Naruto felt fingers at the waistband of his swim trunks, but then they moved to untie the drawstring. He was holding his breath. The fingers snuck beneath the waistband to where he could feel them against his stomach. Sasuke started tugging at the shorts without breaking eye contact. Eventually they slid off his thighs and landed in a pool at his feet.

"See?" Naruto said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Tch."

"You wanna sneak a peek, don't you?"

"God, yes."

He laughed. "Then why don't you?"

"I'm trying to be a gentleman. I'm not used to it, so be patient with me."

Naruto chewed at the side of his lip. "My turn?"

"If you want."

He kept his eyes on Sasuke as he reached for the drawstring, finding it odd that one of his hands was shaking just the slightest bit. Not that Sasuke said anything or probably even noticed. He untied the shorts, while grabbing hold of the elastic band, leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Then, Naruto pulled the shorts further down. He'd already seen Sasuke naked so whether he looked or not didn't much matter, but he looked anyway. At least so that he could remind himself that he was really doing this. Sasuke seemed to get it, though. He didn't try to do anything and simply let Naruto adjust to the situation however he needed or wanted to.

Naruto laughed as he let out a shaky breath. "Are we good?"

"Yes," Sasuke said. "Definitely." He took Naruto's hand.

He rubbed at the back of his head. "I hope you don't mind that I like to sing in the shower."

Sasuke led the way to the bathroom. "I do mind, but I think given the circumstances, I can make an exception."

"Asshole," Naruto said and pulled ahead of him as they walked inside.

Sasuke waited nearby while he turned on the shower. He turned around, which was when Sasuke's gaze noticeably trailed downward and then up again.

"Hey, don't judge," he said, cracking a grin. "The water causes shrinkage."

"I... am a little worried that you consider that as 'shrinkage'."

"I know, right? I was tryin' to be modest."

"Don't bother." Sasuke came up to him while Naruto held his hand under the spray of water. "Now I get where all of your confidence comes from."

Naruto started to blush. "Are we gonna get in or are you just gonna ogle me all night?"

"Both," Sasuke replied and leaned in but only to place a kiss to Naruto's cheek. He went in first, and Naruto, when he stopped smiling like an idiot, followed after.

Four months later

When Sasuke spotted his first large suitcase as it shot out onto the conveyor belt, he artfully maneuvered his way through the rest of the crowd to get it. A few minutes later, his second suitcase appeared, as well. In a hurry, he towed both behind him and nearly collided into a man about his age without stopping to apologize. Normally polite when traveling, he was uncharacteristically terse with the girl at the rental car place. She took forever explaining rental policies that he'd already heard maybe one hundred times before. He finally snatched the paper out of her hand so that he could sign it, and she handed over the keys.

Dragging all of his luggage behind him, he popped the trunk and threw everything inside. He checked his watch, looked up at the sky as a British Airways airbus flew overhead, and then got into the car. He'd only been home from Europe for two weeks, which had basically given him just enough time to box his belongings up for the moving company and take care of any other arrangements. The only thing he hadn't expected was a strange phone call from his brother that he hadn't had time to return yet. The cat was with Deidara, but as apparently his ex-roommate had a cross-country trip to Seattle planned, they'd be seeing each other shortly.

As he hit one of the first tolls coming out of the airport, Sasuke cursed. He had to sift through a bunch of British coins and Euros to find some quarters. He'd been so eager to get on the road that he hadn't stopped to get cash from the ATM.

After passing through at least two more tolls, he was on his way, following the fastest route on his phone's GPS. It seemed like forever before he was able to take the exit for I-57. The right lane was full of semi-tractors and trailers that he constantly had to dodge around, along with several Wisconsin drivers who refused to move out of the passing lane. He might be from Seattle, but he also considered himself part New Yorker, too, so he wasn't afraid to lay on the horn.

Finally, the exit for Joliet appeared after about 45 minutes of slightly reckless driving. He'd just have to remember not to mention the speeding part to Naruto, but who could really blame after four months apart, with only Skype and the occasional phone call to make the separation tolerable. Naruto had sent him a spare key to the apartment even though Sasuke's flight would've got in after Naruto was already off of work.

That was, of course, until Sasuke took an earlier flight out of Newark without telling him.

xxx

Naruto was in the office at the boat shop, half-paying attention to this rep guy he had on the phone while filling out an Excel spreadsheet based off of last month's sales. He kept having to retype numbers because he just couldn't concentrate. Sasuke was flying in today and was going to be staying with him until he found a place of his own. He was both excited and nervous because 1.) Sasuke hadn't met his father yet and that was probably going to happen and 2.) After all the...stuff... they'd talked about over the phone and whatever, he was kind of anxious how that would work now that they were going to be in the same room.

He felt his cheeks heat up as he thought about one conversation in particular. In the end, after Sasuke had last spent the weekend at his apartment, he'd told him he was free to do what he wanted. There was a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy just to be safe. He didn't want to assume Sasuke had or hadn't, and Naruto always refused to talk about it during the brief time they had to catch up on stuff that was going on. He got to talk to Sasuke maybe a couple of times a week. Sometimes he wasn't able to speak to him at all if Sasuke was busy. That was fine because Naruto had his own stuff to do. Work had kept him busy, and he'd made sure to pay special attention to Kiba so he wouldn't feel bad about being left out of the loop. Eventually, Kiba had settled down, and Naruto'd discovered that he'd been more upset about the "dishonesty" than the whole... maybe going to date a guy thing. Talking to his dad about it had been awkward but easy. He was surprised but also supportive and very interested in meeting Sasuke.

While Naruto was still on the phone, Ino came into his office and kept smiling at him. All he did was raise an eyebrow. He sometimes thought Ino was nearly as excited as him about seeing Sasuke again. She sat on the corner of his desk, then moved around to watch him type, then walked to the front of his desk and leaned over it.

Naruto, hardly even paying attention to the media sales person on the line, decided to cut the call short.

"Listen, Brady, can I call you back next week? Just send me what you have in an email and we'll get back to you if we wanna go with your new rates, okay?" He eyed Ino, who continued bouncing around like she'd had one too many Red Bulls. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. Talk to you then."

He hung up and was astonished that Ino didn't throw herself across the desk.

"Well?" She asked.

"Well, what?"

"Have you heard from Sasuke yet?"

"Uh, no?" He checked the time on the computer. "His flight doesn't get in - no, it doesn't even take off from New York for another hour and a half."

"Well, he's going to text or call before he takes off, right?"

"I dunno? Does he have to? I'm gonna see him tonight no matter what."

"Just... just don't hog him! I know you two need to catch up," she stopped long enough to give him a suggestive leer. "But I wanna see him, too! So does Kiba."

"Sure," he said. "I'm just helpin' him find a place before he starts his job in a couple of weeks."

"Right, right. It's just that he could've looked for a place in Chicago but has decided to stay in Joliet..."

"So?" He grinned at her while picking up a pencil that he tapped on the edge of the desk.

"It's been a long time since you saw him last, so what's the plan for tonight?"

"As if that's any of your business," he said. "But since he's gettin' in later, then we'll either grab a quick dinner or have somethin' delivered. Hm. I guess I could make somethin' if he wants?"

"Ugh, maybe not. You don't wanna scare him off now that he's finally in the same country as you."

"Hey!" He chucked his pencil at her. "I take offense."

"Your cooking is terrible, Naruto. Everyone knows that. The only thing you can make is instant ramen, and you even burn that sometimes."

"Don't you tell such vicious, vicious lies!" He cried, standing up. "That is libel, and I could sue!"

"I believe that's slander, idiot," came a deep, familiar voice. "Libel is written, slander is spoken."

Naruto looked toward the doorway, where the other man was standing. "Sasuke!"

Ino turned around, too, and practically flew into Sasuke's arms. He returned the hug with some amount of affection. Naruto watched them, his eyes tracing the lines of Sasuke's face the entire time. He looked... different somehow. But he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey," Naruto said to him, almost shyly.

Ino was shooting him a sly look. "Well, I'll leave you two kids alone. I'll see you soon, Sasuke." She scooted out of the office rather quickly and closed the door as she left.

Sasuke, with his hands in his jean pockets, slowly approached him.

"You're early," Naruto told him, unable to keep from smiling. "You look... good."

Sasuke came a little closer, his expression not entirely readable even as he grabbed for the bottom of Naruto's tie.

"First time seeing you in dress clothes," he said. "In person anyway."

Naruto bit his lip. "Did you miss me?"

Sasuke placed a hand at the left side of his waist. "We spoke almost every week."

"So you didn't miss me?"

"I missed being able to touch you if that's what you mean," Sasuke said, his voice low and hand traveling up Naruto's back.

"You're not gonna bring up all of the stuff we, uh, talked about over the summer, are you?"

"Hell yes, I am." Sasuke smirked.

"Pervert." Naruto grinned and pulled him into a hug, his arms wrapped firmly about Sasuke's shoulders. "Welcome back."

"I know I'm early, but I wanted to see you. I'll head to your apartment and wait until you're off."

"Nah, no way. I'll take the rest of the day off. Ino can handle things, and she can always call in Kiba if somethin' comes up. Dad's at the lake helpin' a customer, but, um, yeah, we have dinner plans with him tomorrow?"

"Okay." Sasuke looked just the tiniest bit nervous now.

He let go of Sasuke and took a step back.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

He shrugged. "Nothing... I'm... I dunno. Adjusting. To havin' you here for real."

"Do you need help... adjusting further?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Oh, great. We have phone sex once and you're gonna hold it over my head forever, aren't you?"

Sasuke snickered. "Yeah. I am. Although, as I recall... it was one-sided. Unfortunately. For some reason you insisted on me going to bed before I could return the favor."

"Yeah, well." Naruto looked away. "It did the trick, didn't it? And it was already, what, nearly 4 a.m. there?"

Next he knew, Sasuke reached for the front of his white dress shirt, took hold of his chin, and kissed him on the lips. It had been a while, but the feel of Sasuke's body was familiar, as was his kiss and even the feeling of his hands while they skirted up to his shoulder blades. They continued kissing for a few minutes, sometimes murmuring little, affectionate things to one another. Sasuke had promised to keep in touch, and he'd been true to his word. It had made Naruto feel more sure about a lot of things.

"So," Naruto said when they parted. "What would you like to do? Head straight back to the apartment? I can drive with you or meet you there...?"

"You'll drive with me." Sasuke checked his watch. "It's several hours too early for dinner, and I've been cooped in a plane for the past two and a half hours, so I'd be happy to do something else."

"Hm. We could get some coffee?" Naruto suggested. "We can go to Starbuck's. Then maybe we can go to the Italian place nearby for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Cool, let me just save some files and shut my computer down." While he did that, Sasuke walked around his not especially large office. Only looking at things but not touching.

When Naruto was done, he grabbed his jacket. "Hey, did you remember that thing I asked for?"

"That 'thing'?" Sasuke said.

"Yeah, that thing. Don't tell me you forgot my thing."

"I could never forget your thing, though I've only seen it once."

"Ass." Naruto rubbed at his cheek. "Clearly not what I meant."

"Yes. I brought your sweatshirt. I got you two since I couldn't decide. One from Edinburgh and another from Liverpool."

"Awesome," he said. "Have I ever told you how awesome you are?"

"No, but now there should be plenty of time to tell me that as often as you'd like."

"I know, right? It's kind of crazy." He jingled his keys. "Sure you don't want me to drive?"

"Nope. I rented an electric car just because I know how much you like those."

"Oh God," Naruto groaned. "What if someone sees me drivin' in a car like that?"

"You're more worried about that than, say, making out with me in public?"

"Yeah. I'm mostly over that. But so help me if you put me in a Prius - "

"It's not a Prius," said Sasuke. "If that makes you feel any better."

"Only mildly." He walked over to Sasuke's side, the both of them looking at one another.

He felt happy. Sasuke looked happy. And Naruto really wanted to give this a shot.

"Coffee then?" He asked Sasuke.

"Yes, coffee," replied Sasuke.

xxx

As Sasuke pulled out of the lot, he glanced at Naruto, who was watching out the window. Naruto seemed different - or should he say far more at ease? - than when last they met. They'd spent a lot of time communicating in ways that didn't always result in Sasuke solely thinking about sex. Though he thought about that a lot while in Europe, and he certainly had plenty of opportunity. However, he'd wanted to make sure that he and Naruto spoke at least once a week, even with the six hour time difference. It sometimes meant that he'd be Skyping with Naruto when it was in the early morning hours in Illinois or vice versa. He especially liked the nights when Naruto would be inebriated and extremely flirty while they talked.

Hm. And then there was the one night...

"Sasuke."

"Yes, Naruto?" Sasuke was trying to keep focused on the road ahead.

"Nothin'," said Naruto. "It's just that... I'm really glad you're here."

"Oh?" He spared a glance at him.

"Yeah, I could get used to havin' you around."

"I'm so glad to hear it," he replied and moved a hand to Naruto's knee.

Naruto squinted at him. "Buy a guy a drink first."

"Don't worry, I will. I'll take you out to dinner tonight, get you drunk, and then we'll go back to your apartment..."

"And, what, fall asleep?" Naruto asked. "'Cause you look tired."

"I was going to say play some Call of Duty," he mumbled. "And I'm not tired."

"M'gonna rip you apart if we play. Just to warn ya."

"Are we still talking about the video game?" Sasuke shot him a very smug look. "Or something else?"

"Yeah, you definitely need a nap. You always get horny when you're low on sleep."

"It's jet lag," said Sasuke. "The giddiness will pass once I get a full night's sleep. Until then I may end up hitting on you at every available opportunity."

"Ah, just like every time we've ever been in the same city together." Naruto smiled at him, probably thinking he was very funny.

Sasuke gave his knee a squeeze. "I think what you meant to say is 'Sasuke, I like you so much more these days, and because of how much I missed you while you were gone, I kept myself pure while you were away'."

Naruto burst out laughing. "Uh huh. Yeah. That's, yeah. I'm gonna write that one down and tell it to Kiba later."

"I hope you're not laughing because you shacked up with the yoga instructor." Sasuke frowned, but he was at least 82% sure that Naruto hadn't shacked up with anyone. Not that he would've held it against him as obviously they would be moving forward with whatever they had that kept getting bigger between them. He'd even managed to get Naruto to agree to a tentative 'first date' for next Friday.

"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto said to him facetiously. "How did the men in Europe not all completely fall for your charms?"

But, then he put his hand on top of Sasuke's.

Sasuke would've loved to reply with an especially witty retort, but Naruto's hand on his... the way he kept looking at him so warmly, like he was really glad about Sasuke being here...

Yeah. He could definitely get used to this. Even though it had been difficult, he was so grateful toward himself. Just for making that decision after Naruto left New York - to just, become better. To actually believe that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for him. And now he was here. He'd just got back from Europe, and he had a new job, and Naruto was... entirely open to something happening between them.

When they arrived in the Starbuck's parking lot, they stayed in the car even after Sasuke had turned the ignition off.

"Maybe we can make this our first date," Sasuke suggested

"A coffee date?" Naruto asked.

"Well, and then I plan to take you to dinner. We'll have wine."

"And play video games," Naruto added. "You should've brought the cat, though. We're definitely gonna figure out a name for him by the time Deidara drops him off next month."

"Must we?" Sasuke asked. "I think he had a name once."

"How did he have a name and then suddenly he didn't?"

"I forgot." He shrugged. "Mother named him after one of her favorite uncles or cousins. Itachi might remember. Why don't you search for a decent name on your phone while we're in there?"

"Ah, that's a good idea!" Naruto unclicked his belt and pulled out his phone.

"I did say once we were inside. If you do that now, we'll be in the car all night."

"But it's really important!" Naruto argued.

He undid his belt and reached for the sleeve of Naruto's shirt.

Naruto glanced at his sleeve and then up at Sasuke. "What's up?"

"Stop grinning like that or I'm going to kiss you."

Naruto covered his mouth. "Like this? Now I'm not grinnin'."

Sasuke leaned in and kissed the back of Naruto's hand. He didn't even care that it was in the way of what he wanted most. Naruto moved his hand and gave him an especially goofy grin.

"Let's go in," said Sasuke.

"Yeah... let's." Naruto was the one who leaned in this time and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's. Afterward, he licked his lips and stared at him. "You're a good kisser, you know that?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

Naruto chuckled. "Alright, we're goin' in, but I'm buying this time."

"You can if you insist, but I'm getting dinner."

"Fine, then I'm gonna eat a lot, just so y'know. I really like that one Italian place's breadsticks."

When they got out of the car, he and Sasuke shoved each other around a bit, at least until Naruto needed to hold the door open for two older women who were coming out. He held the door open for Sasuke, too, but then tried to trip him as he went past.

"So immature," said Sasuke. "What do I see in you?"

"My charm and wit?"

"No, that can't be it..."

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno then. I don't have much to offer beyond that, I'm afraid."

"That's so far from the truth I might have to smack you."

Once they were inside, he noticed that it was crowded. Searching around, he found one table for two next to the area with all of the napkins, sugars, and straws. They got into line.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked him.

"A tea is fine."

"Hm. I wanna get a frappuccino but they say that there are as many calories in a frap as there are in a cheeseburger."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you turn into a woman while I was away?"

"Jerk." Naruto gave him a shove. "Do you think a guy gets to look this good without thinkin' about stuff like that? And you called me the misogynist?"

"Look at you," said Sasuke. "Maybe Ino let you borrow her copy of The Feminine Mystique."

"Mm. Yeah. We started a book club while you were gone, so that it would help the time go by faster."

Sasuke snickered. "Ah, I've missed your sarcasm, Naruto. I have to admit, no one over there made me laugh quite as much as you."

"Yeah, the British seem pretty stiff generally."

"The Welsh are fairly congenial," he said, half-thinking about a guy he'd met at a festival who hadn't been especially subtle about wanting to hook up.

Naruto gave him a look. "Uh huh."

Sasuke grinned. "Jealous?"

"No," Naruto huffed, pulling out his wallet. He ordered for the both of them, and then they went to snag the last remaining table before someone else did.

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"Did you find any good names yet?"

Naruto hummed and got out his phone again. He looked especially serious as he began scrolling through some list. "There's the usual names. Mittens, Socks, blah blah, boring, blah Whiskers."

"Let me see." Sasuke took his phone from him and glanced through the names. "How about something less cliche."

"Well, yeah, but I can't - " He grabbed the phone from Sasuke. "Wait. How about this one?"

"Which one?" He asked. "I can't see the screen anymore, idiot."

"Shut up." Naruto showed it to him. "This one seems good. It's cute, right? Ollie?"

"Hm. It's as good as any of the others, I suppose."

"Really? You're really gonna let me name your cat?" Naruto asked.

With him grinning like that, how was he supposed to say no.

"Sure," he said. "Why not?"

"Cool. Alright. Well, now the cat has a name. I should text Deidara. Ah, or maybe we should wait? And get a collar with a license and his name on it and maybe get him a dish with his name on it - "

"And get him some monogrammed stationery and carry-on luggage."

"Tch. Just 'cause you don't know what it's like to go for years without a name. And everyone just calls you 'Cat'. Although, I think I had a goldfish once that I only ever called 'Fish' until he died a few months later."

"You should be a writer with stories like that," Sasuke said.

The female barista called out their orders, and as Sasuke got up to get them, Naruto did, too.

"Don't worry," Naruto said. "I got it. This part of the date is mine. You can have dinner."

Sasuke's lips parted, but Naruto was gone before he had a chance to reply. Naruto saying the word 'date' and insinuating that they were on one did very strange things to his head and his heart. Okay. That was definitely a flutter he'd not quite experienced before, and now even his cheeks were starting to feel warm.

Naruto sat back down at the table and pushed Sasuke's drink his way.

"You alright?" asked Naruto.

"Yes." He wrapped his fingers around his cup of tea and actually smiled. "I'm... very good."

"Yeah? Good." Naruto was smiling, too. "So we're still on for dinner after this?"

"Yes," he said. "...It's a date."

The End.