ChiByakko n' I challenged each other to some fics. This was the first response from me...

Challenge rules:
1) 1000 word fic, give or take 50 words
2) Ashvolt's Pairing: Sasuke/Naruto.
3) No training or missions!
4) No other characters can talk!

NIGHT VISIT

By Ashvolt
Editing by ChiByakko

Naruto woke to pounding on his apartment door. He groaned and tried to mash a pillow over his head to block out the noise. Damn it, who was inconsiderate enough to wake him up?

The pounding continued getting louder until his pillow couldn't drown out the noise. Whoever it was, they were persistent, Naruto would give 'em that. He finally threw the pillow off, resigning himself to the inevitable.

Footsteps slow and uneven, he sleepily trudged to the front door. He flipped on the overhead light switch, and opened the door with a yawn, eyes closed.

"Okay, you'd better have a good reason..." Naruto mumbled.

"Just let me in already," the person snorted.

Naruto blinked. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke stared back expressionlessly.

Naruto sighed. "Come on in. What're you doing here?"

Sasuke stomped in, leaving puddles of water behind him. His clothes were glued to his chest and legs as he moved around, and his feet made squelching noises as he removed his shoes.

"You're wet."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's obvious, idiot."

Naruto shrugged, unable to work up the energy to get mad. Instead he grabbed a towel out of the closet and threw it at Sasuke. "Here."

The boy caught it without looking, then stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving him in boxers. Smooth, pearly skin glittered in the fluorescent lighting of Naruto's apartment, revealing the curve of finely honed muscles.

Naruto blushed and pointed towards the bathroom. "Jeez, get undressed in there!"

Sasuke smirked, but headed into the bathroom. After a quick search through his room, Naruto handed Sasuke a pair of pants and a shirt through the door.

"Here. You can wear these," Naruto muttered grumpily.

Sasuke stepped out several minutes later in black drawstring pants and a black t-shirt. His hair still looked damp, but it wasn't plastered to his head like a second skin anymore, falling into its more natural spikes in the back.

Naruto was laying on the couch, his head pillowed in his hands, eyes closed. He wasn't quite asleep yet, but a few more minutes of undisturbed time and he probably would have been. The rain tapping against the glass made a soothing lullaby of sound. At Sasuke's quiet footsteps, though, he blinked his eyes open partway and yawned, sitting up.

"So, what were you doing out in the rain this late at night?"

The boy shrugged. "I was training. I got caught in the downpour on the way back, and your place was a lot faster to reach than mine."

Naruto gave Sasuke a suspicious look. "Hmm..." When Sasuke didn't say anything, Naruto let the subject drop and shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, guess that means you're staying the night. It doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon."

The blond got up and pointed at the couch he'd been laying on. "You can sleep here. I'll bring in some blankets and a pillow and stuff."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I can't. It's not long enough."

Naruto knew that the other boy was right – the couch barely sat two people. While it was good for a short nap, a full night of rest on it was out of the question. But still... the only other place was... "Argh, fine. You can sleep on one side of the bed. I hope you know that you owe me big time, Sasuke!"

Sasuke just smirked.

Naruto lay on one corner of his narrow bed, watching the patter of the rain against the window and listening to Sasuke's slow breathing. Sasuke was next to him, his back turned. Naruto had checked once, sneaking a look on elbows, and from the peaceful, almost innocent expression on Sasuke's face, the boy truly was asleep.

Despite how tired he was, Naruto found it impossible to fall back asleep now. He was too aware of the boy, of his warmth, so near his own. He wasn't used to it, after a lifetime of sleeping alone. The presence of another person, right next to him, left him awake and wondering how it had come about.

He knew it was simply from necessity; Sasuke had gotten caught in the rain, that was all, and Naruto's place was a lot quicker to reach.

But it was nice to pretend that Sasuke had stopped over because he wanted to see Naruto, that the rain was just an excuse. It made him feel warm all over, that someone could acknowledge him in that way.

Smiling, he closed his eyes.

Daylight was streaming through the window when Naruto next woke up. The sun was making up for the rain the other day and was shining brightly.

Slowly, he noticed that he was warm, almost too warm on one side. His brain pondered this, trying to puzzle through why. Finally he figured out his arms were wrapped around something large and soft and warm, and that's where the heat came from. It was too large and hard to be a pillow, too soft to be a scroll or a practice dummy...

The thing snorted. "Geez, wake up already," it said.

Naruto's brain woke with a jerk, as all the blood rose to his cheeks. His arms were wrapped around Sasuke's waist, clinging like one of those damn fangirls. Worse, it seemed his hands had crept into Sasuke's borrowed shirt, and were still resting on the smooth, creamy skin underneath.

Naruto fell out of bed in a tangle, taking bedding and pillows with him. He cursed as he bumped his head.

Sasuke sighed and got up, crouching near Naruto. "Idiot, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto grumbled. He let his hands fall away from his head and looked at Sasuke curiously. "Um... why are you still here? I thought you would've left the first chance you got..."

Sasuke gave him an exasperated look. "Do you think I could move with you wrapped around me?"

Naruto's blush intensified. He felt his ears burning, knew his neck must have been red.

Sasuke paused, then said slowly, each word measured, testing, "...If I got lost on the way home tonight, do you think I could stay over again?"

And then all Naruto could do was nod, smiling like the idiot Sasuke often accused him of being.