When Mud Plays Dirty

By: Disgruntled Minion and Akiru chan

It was hot, a blistering sort of heat that seemed to seep into the very bones. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the humidity in the air. The air seemed to trap you within its heat, keeping you prisoner to the summer weather.

Naruto groaned, fanning himself with the morning's paper that he hadn't even bothered to read. Not that he would have bothered to thumb through it; that was Sasuke's job. It didn't help that they had just spent the last three hours branding new calves and tending to the horses. Naruto was sure he had lost his weight in sweat while he was out, and was still soaked to the bone. He felt like a panting dog.

It didn't help that the lone fan in the room had kept to an agonizing rate and the fresh lemonade had long since warmed. The heat would have been tolerable if the air conditioning had been going. It was Naruto's misfortune that he had frozen the system. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to crank the AC down to near freezing; after all the colder it was, the quicker he would cool off. Right?

Apparently not.

After a stern lecture from both Itachi and Sai, plus some snide comment from Sasuke, Naruto was left to face the consequence as he sat in the kitchen dying from what he believed to be heat stroke, and what Sasuke claimed to be idiocy.

He glanced towards his friend, watching as he sat reading the pages Naruto had left of the newspaper.

"Please tell me there is a cool front coming in," Naruto whined.

Sasuke's eyes moved away from the newspaper and focused on Naruto. The kitchen's ceiling fan helped to move the air around and he had already cooled off from the morning work out. He sipped at the glass of water in front of him, the ice cubes clinking against the side lightly.

"You know, this wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't touched the AC. Now we have to wait until tomorrow to get the air back," he set the glass back down and watched as the sweat dripped down the side.

He couldn't help but rub it in; Naruto had set himself up for that. He was just lucky that the AC repairman was a friend of Sai's and agreed to help free of charge. Sighing at Naruto's pitiful looking state; he pushed the glass towards him.

"Drink some water; it'll help keep you hydrated."

Naruto pouted automatically, turning his nose up at the thought. "You know I don't drink that shit." He made a face, pushing his cup away from him. "Doesn't even have a taste. Water wasn't made to drink plain, why do you think Kool-Aid exists?"

"Kool-Aid is full of sugar, which you don't need more off," Sasuke answered. "Water is better for your body anyway."

Dark eyes settled on the cup and Sasuke reached forward to take another sip of it. He knew that Naruto wouldn't drink the water; he'd always had a dislike for it. Sighing, he stood up, set the paper on the table, and moved away from it.

He circled around Naruto, watching the miserable face and he tried to fan himself again, using another piece of paper for added measures. Deciding to take pity on Naruto, his hand tipped, letting the cold water spill from the glass and onto the mop of blond hair.

Naruto sputtered for a moment before going shockingly quiet. His blue eyes were large, arms held out to the side not knowing what to make of the sudden downpour. If it wasn't for the fact that he was feeling much cooler, he would have attacked his jackass of a friend. Perhaps he could drown Sasuke in the sink. Naruto could just toss him in the pond later and make it all look like an accident.

"Was that really necessary?" Because he surely hadn't asked Sasuke to give him an early morning shower.

"You were hot weren't you," Sasuke asked, setting the cup in the sink. "Now you can cool off faster."

He leaned back against the wall, watching Naruto shake the water from his hair and he rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure why Naruto was complaining, he'd help cool him down like he wanted.

Grunting, he grabbed his keys from the countertop and walked out of the kitchen. "I'm going to work on my truck; you can stay here and pout all day if you want."

"What? Back out in that Hell's heat? And here you call me the idiot." Naruto shook his head, sending water around the kitchen. It was vaguely reminiscent of a drenched mutt. "Let's go do something fun. Preferably in doors with air conditioning, or consists of swimming." The last part was mumbled.

Sasuke spun back around, dark eyes flashing dangerously. "She needs working on ever since you decided to be helpful and tried to add a sound system. To this day I'm still working out all the wiring that you messed up," he scowled. "I'm half tempted to drag your ass out there and make you help, but I want my baby in one piece."

"Not my fault the instructions were in fucking black and white. How was I supposed to know light grey meant blue and a shade darker grey meant red! They don't teach you that stuff in college," Naruto complained, while grabbing his glass and refilling it with lemonade.

"I guess they also don't teach common sense either," Sasuke muttered, stalking out of the kitchen and out of the house.

He was instantly hit by the thick, humid air and was tempted to go back inside. He pushed the thoughts aside and walked to his truck that rested happily in the shade. A toolbox was already waiting for him and with a sigh, he lifted up the hood.

The wires that connected to the engine had been messed up as well and the truck only ran for so long before it died in a sputtering rage. He checked the engine one last time to make sure nothing had changed since they brought the truck to the ranch.

Deeming it fine, he moved away from the top of the truck and dropped onto the creeper, sliding underneath the jacked up truck. Sweat was already starting to form on the protective eyewear on his face and he grumbled.

Footsteps approached him as he located the mess of wires that had somehow dropped from the inside of the truck to the underside of it. A foot tapped the sole of his shoe and he kicked back at it angrily.

"Seems like hot weather makes Sasuke cranky," an amused voice spoke. "And here I had brought you some cold water, guess you don't want it."

"Dammit Itachi," he cursed and pushed away from the truck. He looked up at his brothers smirking face and scowled. "I just want this problem fixed."

Itachi ruffled his hair. "I know."

Sasuke brushed the hand away. "It rained two nights ago and it's been cloudy ever since. I want to go to the fields."

"Sai will help you fix your truck, I told you that. You're just impatient." Itachi looked back at the driveway. "He should be coming back soon."

Soon was a slight understatement. Itachi always had a weird way of timing things perfectly, something no one seemed inclined to call him on. Sai was already pulling up in his own truck by the time Sasuke took his first sip of water.

He had obviously gone out to pick up some hay, if the mounds in the back of his pick up were any indication. Sai slammed the door behind him then gave a vague hello in the form of a halfhearted wave. He was never much of a people person, preferring the company of his cattle and machines.

Sasuke nodded to him and stepped away from the truck as Sai came closer. Itachi smirked and turned around, heading back to the house for some much needed cool air.

He sighed in relief as somewhat cool air brushed over his skin and his eyebrow arched when he saw Naruto sprawled out on the tile floor in the hallway.

"What are you doing?"

"It's cool. Heat rises." Naruto muttered, eyes still closed.

"So it does," Itachi answered and kicked off his shoes. He walked over to Naruto and placed a foot on his stomach, pressing lightly. "You know, my brother and lover are out there in the heat trying to fix your mistake while you lay here inside. I'd think you'd be looking to make it up to Sasuke somehow, if I were you."

Naruto cracked an eye open to look at the man who looked so much like his younger brother. Although Naruto was sure the evil bastard from hell gene had skipped Sasuke's generation. "Sasuke said I would just make a bigger mess of things," he explained.

Itachi's head cocked to the side. "This would probably be true, although I never said you had to help him with his truck. You know he's been dying to go out to the fields. I bet if you suggested it to him, he'd like that. Sai told me earlier today that the truck should be running today."

With his interested perked, Naruto sat up looking Itachi in the eye. "The fields? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Itachi answered. "It rained the past night so the fields are in good condition. Not too wet, not to dry."

Naruto jumped to his feet practically bouncing. It wasn't every day they got to go out and have there way with the land. He was out the kitchen door before Itachi could prompt him further.

"Sasuke!" He yelled, throwing himself at the older boy. Naruto ignored Sai who was shoulders deep in the engine; they didn't get along.

Sasuke grunted as Naruto's body connected with his and he turned his head, coming face to face with Naruto. "Yes?"

Naruto gave Sasuke a serious look that contradicted completely with the words that left his lips. "Me, you... Muddin' now!" He sounded more like a toddler than the University student he was.

Sai chuckled in the background, but Naruto ignored him.

"Maybe you forgot, but my truck is still out of commission and you only have a car. Cars don't work when you're tying to go muddin.'" Sasuke growled. He wanted to go mudding though, badly.

"Yes..." Naruto considered this for a moment. "But your brother said it should be fixed soon. Right Sai?" The other man just waved his free hand, but Naruto took that as a yes. "See, we can be in the fields by noon."

Sasuke smirked and if he hadn't been interested in Naruto, he might have kissed Sai for fixing his truck. As it was, he rather liked his life and didn't want Itachi chasing after him with an ax for doing so.

"Come on, lets go get changed and leave Sai to work in peace," Sasuke said, and unhooked Naruto's arms from his neck. He glanced back at Sai who looked at them silently. "Thank you for your help Sai, I really appreciate it."

"Anytime Sasuke, glad to help." The plainly fake smile was unnerving but nothing out of the ordinary. It was firm belief between Naruto and Sasuke that Sai had some bad wiring in his head. Although they figured that's what made Sai and Itachi such a great pair; they were both crazy.

They trotted back to the house, passing Itachi as he walked out to the driveway. He nodded to them and stopped next to the truck. Sai looked up at him and he arched an eyebrow.

"How long do you think the wires will hold for?"

Sai took a moment to answer, that sicken smile still of his face. "Long enough." Was the cryptic reply he finally gave.

Itachi smirked and moved closer to his lover, pressing a kiss to the pale neck. "I think this will work out for all of us in the end."

Sasuke jumped down the last few steps, landing heavily on the tile floor. Behind him, Naruto ran down the hallway, his footsteps echoing throughout the house. A tumbling noise made him turn around and he shook his head at Naruto. The younger male always slipped going down the steps.

"Come on, let's go. The truck should be off the jacks by now and we can see how she handles."

"She?" Naruto tried not to laugh at this small little revelation. "You hate the female race but your car is a she? Sort of hypocritical of you." Naruto couldn't hold back the snickers.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed Naruto out the door. "Yes well she is going to leave you here if you don't apologize." They stopped in front of the truck and Sasuke reached out to grab Naruto around the collar of his shirt before he could touch the vehicle. "Apologize to her."

"What? Like seriously?" Naruto cocked his head to the side. Sasuke couldn't be serious. "You want me to kiss and make up with your truck?"

Sasuke bristled. "I don't want you kissing my truck, but make up with it before you even set foot in it."

"It's an inanimate object. 'She' doesn't have feelings." Naruto's foot stomped on the floor rather childishly, but he wasn't giving into this nonsense.

A chuckle escaped Sasuke's mouth. "I assure you she does. I suppose that I could let you get in and let you see what happens, but your my friend and I don't want put you though that."

With a huff Naruto decided to just give in. He wanted to get out of here, and arguing wasn't going to help any. "Fine, fine. I'll apologize. Does she have a name to?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yes, her name is Jixer." Sasuke stated, running a hand over the dark blue truck, glad that Naruto finally agreed to apologize. His truck really did have a mind of its own at times and she didn't like it when people didn't respect her.

"What kind of name is..." Naruto trailed off on seeing the warning look Sasuke gave him. He quickly amended and went on with his apology. "Sorry...Jixer, I didn't mean to fuck you up." There he said it. It was done. Never again was he apologizing to a truck!

Sasuke nodded and walked around the front of the truck. "Thank you." The door opened up and he climbed into the cab, waiting for Naruto to get in as well. He chuckled as the door swung shut on Naruto's foot, catching him in the ankle and drawing a curse from him. "I told you."

The engine roared when he turned the key and Sasuke purred happily at the noise. He was excited that the truck was fixed and he could finally go to the fields that bordered the ranch. His foot found the gas petal and within moments, they were flying down the dirt road.

Naruto momentarily considered throwing some choice insults at the truck, but thought better of it. Who wanted a possessed raging trucking out to get them? Surely not him. Instead he leaned back and cranked up the radio, the only thing that still working without a hitch ironically enough.

Fingers tapping along the top of the steering wheel, Sasuke turned down onto an open patch of grass, where the old wooden fence was broken and no where to be found. The truck came to a stop and Sasuke poked his head outside the window, smirking at the large field of mud that waited before them.

He pulled his head back in and rolled the window back up, not wanting flying pieces of mud to pelt them in the face.

Naruto was bouncing in his seat with excitement. It was a rare occasion that Sasuke took him out to the fields. Naruto had grown up in the suburban setting thrust into a country school. Mudding had never been something he had grown up thinking as a recreational activity. It wasn't until his parents moved further from the city, that Naruto found himself in a country high school with what he used to consider hicks. Sasuke was the first one to correct his ill-informed vocabulary with a good punch to the jaw. It's funny how friends are made.

Sasuke on the other hand was practically raised on the back of a horse; his parents were one of the biggest breeders of championship Quarter horses, with medals in both Reining and Barrel Racing among other things. It was through Sasuke that Naruto was able to embrace his inner country boy and be introduced to mudding, cow tipping, and the joyful game of washers that he failed at.

Needless to say, mudding was a shameless treat for Naruto. He was half inclined to fly across the seat and hug and kiss Sasuke to death. Knowing his life meant more to him than that, Naruto kept to his seat.

Shifting the truck into a lower gear, the truck rumbled onto the fields, tires squishing the mud underneath the truck. Sasuke paused for a second, kicking his shoes off and tossing them into the back seat.

Sasuke wiggled his toes before his foot found the gas pedal, and the tires spun as they worked to gain traction. A moment later, the truck roared forward and dirt was kicked up in the air. Next to him, Naruto let out a whoop and Sasuke spun the wheel around.

The back end pivoted around the front, spinning them in a large circle and sending mud splattering across the hood. Sasuke waited for the truck to right itself again before he pushed his foot down on the gas pedal more, sending Jixer forward quickly.

Naruto whooped at the first splash of mud against his side window. The thick substance smeared leaving the outside world a blur. He couldn't bring himself to care, it was a field with nothing to see. The fun was in what was below their feet and tires.

"I'm so sorry I ever fucked up your truck!" Naruto yelled as a chunk of mud hit Sasuke's hood. They had hit a rather soupy wet mix of muck the front window being thoroughly covered.

Underneath them, the tires spun quickly, always working to gain better traction on the slippery surface. Sasuke peered through the covered window, not even bothering to think and just enjoyed himself.

He spun the wheel, forcing the truck into a tight turn again. Mud sprayed out behind them before the vehicle came to a stop and the engine hummed, asking for more. Sasuke reached down and unclipped his seatbelt.

"Come on, I'll let you drive for a bit."

The smile that bloomed over Naruto's face was practically from ear to ear. He nodded his head vigorously, unbuckling his seat belt as he did so. The only question was how he was going to get over there. At this point getting out of the truck was out of the question, so that left trying to shimmy over Sasuke. This was going to be awkward.

He watched as Sasuke slid to the center of the truck, waiting for Naruto to pass in front of him. Not one to waste time, Naruto got up and tried to balance while being hunched over in the low cab. It wasn't until his foot clipped Sasuke's left, that he was sent falling backwards into Sasuke's lap with an 'Oomph'.

Sasuke grunted at the extra weight and glanced down at Naruto. Had it been under any other circumstance, he would've tried something; the younger male was in a good position for him to do so. As it was though, it was hot inside the cab and having another body resting on top of him did nothing for his body temperature.

"If you really want, we can do that later," he said with amusement in his voice and he grinned at the red that bloomed on Naruto's cheeks. "But it's a little too hot and cramped in here right now."

Naruto gave Sasuke a none too gentle slap to the shoulder and jumped quickly from his friends lap. "Pervert. Don't say shit like that." The seat felt warm from where Sasuke had sat moments ago, making Naruto feel oddly comfortable. Shaking the thought from his head, Naruto pressed down on the gas feeling the tires spin. They spun and spun, but the truck failed to move. Naruto pushed down harder hoping for some small amount of give. Nothing came, and he looked worriedly over towards Sasuke. "I didn't do it!" Was Naruto's automatic response.

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You just dug us into a hole," he muttered. "Shift it into reverse and give it a little gas, otherwise we'll just stick more." His fingers itched to strangle Naruto and he was still reeling slightly from the blunt words Naruto had spoken earlier.

The truck lurched backwards, creeping out of the hole ever so carefully and Sasuke grunted. At least they were out of the hole, he was expecting it to be much worse. "Give it a little gas so the tires have a chance to catch."

Naruto followed suit, pressing down on the gas. The truck sputtered forward just a bit until a ominous groan filled the cab and all went silent. Blue eyes looked nervously to Sasuke. "Uh oh..."

It was a familiar sound, one that Sasuke had heard one too many times after Naruto's 'helpfulness'. He cursed and instantly leaned over Naruto, twisting his body so his head was underneath the dashboard.

Wires still hung exposed there, left over from the sound system job from hell. "No, no, no," he muttered. Without another thought, his hand reached out to open the truck door while his other hand unclipped the seatbelt.

With a grunt, he used all his power to push Naruto out of the cab, listening to him hit the mud with a splat. His eyes narrowed as they focused on the excess wires and he didn't even want to look underneath the truck and see the damage.

Naruto really should have seen it coming. Sasuke wasn't all too rational or forgiving when it came to his truck. He only wished he didn't have to get a mouth full of mud in return. Without thinking, retaliation finding its way to the forefront, Naruto reached up into the cab grabbing for whatever part of Sasuke he could. He ended up catching the back pocket of Sasuke's jeans and giving him a harsh pull.

He was expecting Sasuke to have a mouth and maybe nose and ear full of mud as well. Too bad he didn't expect to have Sasuke's ass on his chest, and the force of the impact sending him further into the mud till he was mostly submerged in the thick mess. The only thing that seemed to keep his head above mud level was his grip on Sasuke's thighs, and Sasuke's grip on the bottom of the driver's seat. If Naruto hadn't been in danger of drowning in shit, he would have been a little more self-conscious of just where he was grabbing.

Dark eyes flashed and Sasuke felt mud seep in between his toes. His body was twisted awkwardly in his attempt to stay in the truck and he was up to his calves in mud. He looked down at Naruto as the grip on his thighs tightened and he growled low in his throat.

"This is all your fault," he snarled and finally let go of the truck seat to grab the front of Naruto's shirt. The mud made a slurping noise as he lifted Naruto out of the muck to bring him closer to his face. "You killed my truck."

It took a moment for Naruto to fully spit the mud from his mouth before he could talk. When he did open his mouth, he sent Sasuke a heated glare. "My fault? I was following your directions! Don't get all piss ass at me."

"You were the one who started it with your makeshift sound system. We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't done that." The material slipped through his fingers and Naruto landed with a splat on his back, sending mud splashing everywhere.

That had hurt, Naruto was sure there was a stick digging into his back. It didn't help that the more they moved the deeper and slushier the mud seemed to get. With some effort Naruto withdrew with muck-covered hand, pointing an accusing finger at his friend.

"Yeah well Sai was supposed to fix the mess I made. Go take your anger up with him, not me. I've been hearing it from you for far too long. How many times do I fucking have to say I'm sorry. For once in you life can't you see this wasn't my god damn fault!"

It felt good to get that all out, although Naruto was afraid he might have gone a bit over board. Still it really wasn't his fault. Sai said he would fix the truck, and apparently he hadn't.

Sasuke's nose crinkled as a glob of mud found its way onto his face when Naruto accused him of being unfair. Some part of him knew that Naruto was right, Sai had been the one who had declared the truck ready. But at the same time, it also reminded him that Naruto had dug the truck into a hole, revving the engine long enough to make the wires drop and fray apart again.

Grunting he stood up and moved off Naruto's lap, not even carrying that they had been in such a compromising position. "Whatever," he muttered. He needed to get the truck out before it sank into the mud anymore, especially if it was going to rain tonight.

Naruto went to stand, hating the sound his movements made. It was that slurp like sound you often heard when trying to force that goo like stuff that he played with as a kid, back into its cup. The smell wasn't all that pleasing either, if anything it only help to sour his mood. Naruto was sure his shirt and jeans were now ruined. The day couldn't possibly get better. Oh how he loved sarcasm.

"How are you going to get this out?" His voice was monotone, not fitting Naruto's usual loud chatter. He watched as the truck tire seemed to sink down further. If Naruto didn't know any better he would have thought they had found themselves in a sink pit. Luckily it was getting easy to move as the hard clumps of mud were loosened and water was able to turn the clay like mixture into something akin to chocolate pudding.

"We are going to push, since the engine is dead once again," Sasuke stated. He wiped at the sweat forming on his forehead. There was no other choice but to push and it was going to suck the whole time. They didn't have any slats of wood to help give the tires more traction and he could only hope that this would work.

His hands rested on the grill guard and he looked back at Naruto. "Get your ass over here and help or I'll tell Sai who forgot to lock the gate last night."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yes Master." He gave a fake bow and made his way as best he could towards the back of the truck. Naruto saw no plausible way to actually push this truck through the slush. He could barely move himself let alone a truck.

Sasuke turned towards him and flicked him off, not wanting to deal with Naruto's sarcastic tone. He grunted and pushed against the truck, hoping somewhere deep inside that the mud would make the truck slid easier. Never mind the fact that the truck weighed a couple tons.

His bare feet struggled to find something to push against but they failed to catch a holding spot in the mud. Sasuke felt his feet slip out behind him, his sweaty hands doing nothing to stop him, adding in the fall as they slipped from the rack.

With a loud grunt, he belly flopped into the mud with one arm still raised slightly. His fingers twitched around the metal piece before the hand slumped down to join the other.

It was like watching a spoof in a cartoon, Naruto couldn't even begin to control his laughter. He knew it would only help to worsen the situation, but if only Sasuke could see himself. Naruto wished he had a camera this would have been perfect blackmail.

Sasuke's head reared back from the mud, eyes clenched together tightly. He quickly stumbled up and went to wipe his face off, but his hands were already caked with mud. Scowling, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his body, freeing himself of the excess weight. Wiping away some of the mud, he was able to see enough so he could turn the shirt inside out and clean of his face a little more.

Finally, he turned to Naruto, eyes flashing. The idiot was doubled over laughing and Sasuke took a step forward. The younger male didn't see him coming and without thought, Sasuke tackled Naruto to the ground.

Naruto sputtered for half a second as he tried to figure out what was happening. The next moment his body kicked into manual and he pushed hard at Sasuke's chest, pushing the other male to the side. Sasuke budged only a inch or so, still forcing Naruto into the mud. Without thinking Naruto's hand clung to a hand full of the muck and pegged Sasuke in the side of the head with it. By this time neither man looked much like a human, more like some mutated swamp monster.

In retaliation, Sasuke grabbed a hand full of mud and shoved it into Naruto's face before a hard shoe found his stomach. He grunted and stumbled backwards, his butt landing in the mud. Shaking his head to get the clumps of mud off his head, Sasuke stood back up, watching as Naruto did the same. All traces of blond hair was now covered in mud and it almost made him look like an Uchiha with the dark colored hair.

Naruto eyed his opponent, hands twitching at his sides. The whole scenario looked like some Wild West showdown. The lone ranger, which Naruto pictured himself to be, against the notorious bank robbing scoundrel, which was obviously Sasuke. Unfortunately guns were replaced by globs of mud, but it was a minor detail.

A spark of understanding flowed between them a moment before the shit went flying. Naruto tried to dodge what he could but he found it quite impossible. With each throw he covered more ground making his way towards Sasuke and inevitably his goal. With a lunge that would make anyone proud, Naruto slammed into Sasuke. They fell to the ground once again, Naruto in a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

Sasuke however didn't find the situation funny and was quick to roll them over, pinning Naruto into the mud once more. The laughter stopped and Naruto glared at him from the mud. He felt Naruto intertwine their legs before he flipped over, his back pressing into the sloppy mud once more. Naruto's fingers slipped on his slick skin, brushing up against his side and Sasuke yelped as a ticklish spot was hit.

He quickly squirmed away from Naruto and stood up. They both glared at each, panting heavily while the sun beat down on them overhead. The mud was cool, keeping them from overheating but it was also making the thinner patches of mud dry on their skin. He lunged at Naruto again, and they locked arms, glaring at each from across the short span. His fingers tightened on the younger males shoulder.

Naruto locked his elbows in place, keeping Sasuke a safe distance away. Chips of dry mud cracked and fell from Sasuke's chest. For whatever reason Naruto's eyes followed the flakes, and then back up to the pale skin that was exposed. He blushed, the red tint hidden behind mud, when he realized he had been staring at Sasuke's naked nipple.

Sasuke's hands left Naruto's shoulders, moving up to grab the collar of the shirt. They curled around the material and yanked at it, dragging the shirt up Naruto's back. His leg kicked out, knocking Naruto back down to the ground and tearing the shirt in the process.

"Shit!" Naruto's butt sunk into the liquid earth, his shirt hanging open where the buttons had popped off. Not really giving it a second thought; his shirt was ruined either way, he threw it off, leaving himself as bare as Sasuke. "You're not winning this Uchiha!" Naruto declared, although his tone hinted at bravado.

A snort left Sasuke's mouth and he shifted, his body weight settling evenly over his legs. "That's what you say, but you're just denying the inevitable. We both know you can't win." He felt a grin growing on his face and his body relaxing. The previous anger at his non-working truck had passed and now he was starting to find amusement in the situation.

If the truth were known, neither had much of an upper hand. The mud proved unstable and would hinder any precise movements they would have normally been able to make. A grin sprout over Naruto's face, his eyes no longer looking towards Sasuke's own. Instead they were trained into the others legs who sunk and shifted in the mud. In a quick movement Naruto used his own foot to shoot out of the mud and pull Sasuke down by the back of his knee.

Stumbling backwards, Sasuke's arms pin wheeled through the air before he landed ungracefully in the mud. He rolled to the side quickly and pushed his body up onto his knees, only to be tackled from behind. Naruto's body weight pinned him to the mud, his chest sinking into the mud. Twisting his body, Sasuke turned around to glare at Naruto, he hands clawing at the tan back.

The blunt nails didn't bother the younger blond and Sasuke finally reached down to grab a handful of mud. Above him, Naruto was grinning, proud that he had pinned him to the mud to where he couldn't move. It was a last ditch attempt to get free and Sasuke shoved the mud down Naruto's pants.

The scream that left Naruto's mouth was anything but manly. If anything he sounded more like a prepubescent boy. The cold mud slipped past the waistband of Naruto's boxers and to places Naruto would rather not have mud. It didn't help that Sasuke's fingers were tickling the sensitive skin on his lower left hip.

The thrashing body above him gave Sasuke the chance to slip away from Naruto. He squirmed out from underneath and was almost to freedom when Naruto's hand shot out, wrapping around his ankle. Sasuke's head turned to look back at Naruto while his hands clawed at the mud so he could keep moving. Instead, it only helped to pull the somewhat loose jeans down from his hips and he froze.

"Naruto stop," he cried out as Naruto continued to pull back on his jeans.

Not listening, Naruto used what little traction he could get to push himself back, Sasuke's pants firmly in hand. With a triumphant cry he stood, dangling the mud soaked jeans before Sasuke. "Got your pants."

Still frozen stiff, Sasuke's hands clenched in the mud and he felt the mud squish through his fingers. He could feel the mud making contact with his bare skin, oozing into every crease of his body and he twisted his torso to sit up so he could see Naruto.

"You," he growled and shifted his hips in the mud. "Are dead."

Naruto wasn't sure what he was seeing at first. His mind didn't want to register it and his eyes didn't seem to want to look away. Where Sasuke's boxers really should be, was nothing but skin and mud. It didn't help that Sasuke had yet to sink far enough into the muck to give him some form of modesty.

"You went commando?" Naruto finally dared to ask.

Sasuke turned around slowly, his body crouched like a animal waiting to strike. He could feel his leg muscles bunched up underneath him while he silently assessed Naruto. The younger male shifted nervously under his gaze and he watched as a muscle twitched. He smirked as Naruto turned around and tried to run through the mud, only to stumble everywhere.

He used the chance to jump forward, all modesty forgotten. His naked body pressed up against Naruto's, making them both stumble forward. His arm wrapped around Naruto's chest while his other hand reached down and popped the button. His foot found the bottom of the jeans and with a grin, Sasuke shoved Naruto forward.

Naruto went face first into the mud once again, legs tangled in his pants. He shifted quickly, kicking off his pants in a hope to escape. A laugh escaped his throat, and Naruto wondered at his sanity. There was nothing funny about this, yet here he was laughing at the whole situation. Perhaps it was just that ridiculous of a scenario.

Sasuke's hand lunged out, catching the waistband of Naruto's boxers. He smirked when Naruto froze and he leaned over the tan body. "Go ahead and move forward," he said. "We'll just get to see that fine ass of yours." He smacked the boxer-clad butt for emphasis, chuckling at the blush he knew was covering whiskered cheeks.

At this point Naruto didn't know what to think. He was used to Sasuke's constant teasing, but something about them both being naked or close to it made the usually teasing comment a lot more sensual and intimate. Naruto was at a loss as to what to do. In the end he decided to try and salvage some sort of normality between them. "Here I thought rednecks were a bunch of homophobes." He quipped, unsteady smirk on his face.

The smirk fell off Sasuke's face and he placed his foot on Naruto's butt. He pushed it forward, sending Naruto into the mud again and glared down at the blond. "And here I thought city slickers were all lazy asses," he paused. "Good to know that one of us was right about something."

Naruto just twisted his head around to glare. He didn't bother to get embarrassed about the way his ass hung out in plain view from how Sasuke still clutched his boxers. "I'm not lazy," he said. "I just have motivation issue when it comes to certain things." Naruto proceeded to pout.

"Well what do ya know, looks like we're both wrong then," Sasuke snarled, his tone harsher than necessary. He tried to calm himself down and let go of Naruto's boxers. "I'm heading back," he muttered. There were extra shorts in his truck usually, and it would have to do until he reached the ranch and he could get Sai to pull the truck out.

Oh this wasn't over yet. Naruto wasn't one to be out done, and Sasuke really should have learned not to turn his back on an annoyed Uzumaki. With not much else left to grab a hold of, Naruto was left grabbing at Sasuke's mud covered thighs, pulling him back without a second thought. "Get back here you bastard," he yelled.

Sadly Naruto didn't foresee another painful collision. At least this time it was his back that got the brunt of the force. His face was spared another meal of mud with the way his body was twisted to hold Sasuke back.

With flaying arms, Sasuke struggled to get out of Naruto's grip. His body was twisted in the tight hold and his face was dangerously close to the mud. If Naruto wanted to, he could shove his head into the mud easily. He brought up his arm and brought his elbow down, trying to catch Naruto in the stomach.

The slickness of the mud made keeping a solid grip more or less impossible. As Sasuke began his thrashing, Naruto found it in his best interest to let go and give Sasuke the freedom he wanted.

Sasuke scrambled off Naruto quickly, rolling into the mud. He panted and stood up, glancing down at Naruto. It was hard to read the expression on his face as it was caked in mud and Sasuke was sure that he looked no better. The mud had dried in clumps in his hair, weighing it down. Finally he sighed and looked away. "Let's go, we're obviously not accomplishing anything right now." Bitterness filled his voice.

For whatever reason Naruto felt as if he'd just been denied a toy. His face morphed into a frown and he dug his hangs deeper into the mud as if to state his resolve to stay to no one but himself. "Walking away Uchiha?" He paused, cocking his head to the side once. "Just because I caught you with your pants down. Although I can't say I don't enjoy the view." It didn't really matter what possessed him to say such a thing. Naruto figured if Sasuke could throw the homo-jokes around so easily then so could he. Too bad his voice lacked the humor it should have.

Turning around, Sasuke leveled a glare at Naruto. "Is that so?" he asked. "So why aren't you naked then? Scared?" he teased. Sasuke wasn't sure how to take Naruto's comment; the younger male sounded uncertain himself and it wasn't helping him any.

Naruto fully turned over to sit in the mud, his boxers already falling down his thighs. It would be so easy to just push them the rest of the way down. They were both men here, no reason for him to act like a virgin girl. The truth of the matter was that Sasuke had never seen Naruto fully nude and vice-versa. They had both been very aware of the other while dressing, feeling self conscious and oddly modest. Naruto chalked it up for worrying that perhaps he was lacking compared to Sasuke in size.

'Well,' Naruto thought to himself. 'I guess to get over your fears, you have to face them head on... or something like that.' With one quick movement his boxers were off and flying through the air towards Sasuke's bare chest.

The boxers landed on Sasuke's mud covered chest and his nose curled. They fell to the ground with a flop and he looked up at Naruto. His eyes skimmed over Naruto's body and froze at the odd mark that marred the skin over a tan hip.

He shifted closer before snorting. "What the hell kind of tattoo is that?"

Naruto blinked, and then blinked again. He had almost forgotten the small insignificant scar of ink that marred his hip. A late night escapade and too much alcohol had ended with this piece of permanent body art.

"It's a fish cake... you know the stuff they put on ramen in Japan," Naruto grumbled. "It's called a naruto."

Sasuke's lips twitched for a second before he was laughing. He clutched his sides as he gasped for breath and flakes of mud fluttered to the ground. "Are you fucking serious? You got a naruto tattooed on your body?" he tried to quell his laughter, seeing the somewhat hurt face. "I'm sorry, I can't help it; it's funny."

"Yeah well shut up." Naruto lowered his eyes, feeling more self-conscious than he had all day. Sasuke's laughs seemed to grow louder and more taunting. It was odd to hear his friend laugh, and usually Naruto enjoyed the sound. Right now though, Naruto wanted nothing more than to strangle the laughs right out of him. Without thinking much, Naruto walked slowly through the mud, coming to stand in front of the chuckling Sasuke. With a hard shove Sasuke was once again sitting hip deep in mud.

A grunt left Sasuke's mouth as his ass skidded along the mud. He looked up at Naruto, ready to chew him out but kept quiet at the hurt in Naruto's eyes. Feeling guilty, Sasuke smirked slightly. "So that's how you want to play huh?"

His foot swung out, catching Naruto behind the ankles. He watched as the younger male spun his arms for balance before stumbling forward. Sasuke reached out and grabbed the flaying arm, yanking him back down into the mud. With a grin, he rolled them around so Naruto was lying underneath them and pressed Naruto's shoulders down.

"Pinned ya again."

Naruto snorted, shaking his head. "What are you? Five? I pegged you for a DreamWorks quote fanatic, not Disney. You and Shrek would have gotten along quite well, with that gruff anti-social personality of yours." He poked Sasuke in the shoulder playful, a lazy smile on his face. "Although I guess that would make me Donkey." The laugh that followed that statement left Naruto feeling light and happy despite being held down into the mud.

"Does that mean I'm an onion then?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well not anymore, you've already shed all your layers." As if to prove his comment, Naruto looked Sasuke up and down pointedly. "You're more like a leek."

"Do leeks have layers?" he asked. His hand came up to peel back some chips of mud.

Naruto contemplated the question for a moment not really sure of the answer. "I'm not sure, so maybe leek wouldn't be politically correct." He kept quiet for a moment, becoming aware of how Sasuke was sinking lower and lower between his legs in the mud.

With ever inch crossed, Naruto was becoming more aware of just how unclothed they were. Soon enough their hips would be flush and Naruto was unsure if he could handle that. "Either way you smell as bad as an onion," He aimed at Sasuke, hoping it would prompt him to move or something.

Sasuke chuckled. "Well thanks, my ever faithful ass sidekick." He shifted his hips to keep from sinking down into the mud anymore and brought his hand up to Naruto's face. His fingers worked at peeling back the flakes of mud that were drying until tan skin was showing once more.

Naruto gave a soft giggle and looked to the side, giving Sasuke more room to work. "You think this counts as a free facial? My face is going to be soft as a babies butt. Every last bit of it."

"Hmm, I think I should try that theory out," Sasuke muttered. Not even thinking, his head lowered until his lips pressed against Naruto's. They were chapped from playing in the sun and tasted slightly of dirt but it was a quick touch, one that had him pulling away before Naruto could react.

For a moment Naruto was unsure about what had just occurred. His lips felt odd, not tingling, but more sensitive than they should be. The kiss in itself was soft, gentle even. Nothing more than lips against lips, but there was no denying that it was indeed a kiss. Naruto opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly after.

What was there to say? Thank you? What the hell? Kiss me again?

None of them sounded right, but all of them voiced just what Naruto was thinking at the moment. It both confused and scared him. Silence was his best bet, for once he would think before speaking. It was safer that way.

The silence settled heavily around them and Sasuke refrained from biting his lip. It was unsettling and Sasuke hoped that he hadn't just fucked up their friendship over his little action. Rolling to the side, he slid off Naruto. "We never speak of this again?"

The idea of forgetting such a simple gesture felt silly, yet accepting that it happened seemed to be a loaded gun. Such a small bullet having such a devastating affect when let loose. Naruto nodded, finding it easier to do so then to voice his thoughts. It was easier this way, no awkward feelings. They were men, and men didn't deal with feelings. It sounded stupid, but somehow it justified their actions.

"It's getting hot, I wanna go back and get cleaned." His nose wrinkled as he looked Sasuke over once more. "I wasn't kidding when I said you stunk. Beg me and I might let you have the shower first." It was funny how easily Naruto could shift back into the familiar, or maybe he had never left it.

Standing up, Sasuke glanced down at Naruto. He held out his hand to the younger male, helping him stand up. He looked over them and couldn't help but chuckle. They were covered from head to toe in mud and even though they were both naked, the mud covered up so much that it was impossible to tell.

They trudged through the mud, small flakes of mud coming off as it cracked at the creases of their skin. Sasuke wondered if there were enough towels in the toolbox to cover them up so they could walk back without someone calling the cops on them.

A loud whiny sounded from the edge of the fields and Sasuke turned around. He froze when he saw the two horses standing off by the fence and he could feel the gaze of his brother and Sai resting on them.

"My my my, what have we here?" Itachi drawled, amusement heavy in his voice.

Naruto was the first to react, falling down into the mud once again to hide his lower half. It was one thing to have Sasuke naked, but another thing entirely to have both Itachi and Sai gawking at him. "It's all that assholes fault." Naruto pointed to Sasuke with a huff and a frown.

"Sure way to blame me," Sasuke stated. He would've pushed Naruto back into the mud but they were almost dry and he didn't want to start another fight in front of his brother. "No, it's Sai's fault; he said the truck would work." Sasuke pointed to his precious truck. "Does that look like its working?"

Itachi chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't have worked it so hard."

"The engine died, it had nothing to do with the mud or working it hard. You did this on purpose," Sasuke yelled, voice echoing across the field.

"I did no such thing," Itachi answered back. His voice dropped so only Sai could hear. "You did such a thing though."

Sai chuckled but stayed quite, he wasn't about to bring Sasuke's wrath upon himself.

"Hurry with those towels. I'm getting mud in weird places again." Naruto kept his hand out stretched waiting. He was really starting to wonder if he could take back what he had said earlier. Sasuke didn't deserve the shower first.

Grunting, Sasuke climbed up into the bed of the truck, his ass sticking out in the air for a brief second. He grabbed the towels from the box and tossed one down to Naruto, keeping one for himself. Jumping down, he wrapped the long towel around his waist and scowled at his brother.

"Well?"

"We did bring an extra horse, just in case, but you two will have to double."

"Please tell me you're kidding." Naruto didn't see how this could turn into anything good. The way he saw it he was either going to have his dick uncomfortably close to Sasuke's ass or Sasuke's dick pressing into his own ass. Maybe he would just walk the five miles back, or not. Deciding he would rather not have his most prized appendage getting up close and personal with Sasuke's ass, Naruto claimed his seat at the head of the horse. "I got heads! You're stuck with tails."

Naruto left Sasuke to think that one over as he tried to clamber up the back of the roan mare. It didn't help that Itachi hadn't bothered to saddle the horse. He didn't want to admit he needed help but a boost at the very least would have been appreciated.

"At least you know how to ride a horse now," Itachi commented as he watched Naruto struggle to get on the horse. "We didn't want to get the tack dirty if we had to bring you back. Saddles can be a pain to clean."

Sasuke snorted. "Why? You wouldn't have cleaned it, you would've made us." He finally took pity on Naruto and wrapped his hands around the tan waist when Naruto hopped up again. It was true that Naruto had finally learned how to ride after staying with them for so long. Teaching him had been the best summer of his life.

"Thanks," Naruto said, giving a hand to help Sasuke up as well. Once Sasuke was settled, Naruto reached for the reins and began to situate himself. A grim line formed from his lips, the mud had begun to dry scrapped and chafed in all the wrong areas. His dick was sitting uncomfortably to the side, mud itching as it crumbled off. For a moment he had a vision of a banana drenched in hardening chocolate. Naruto found himself sympathizing with the banana. He didn't think he would be able to eat one any time soon.

Grimacing, Sasuke shifted behind Naruto. It was going to be a long ride back and all he wanted to do was shower. Then he wanted to take Sai's truck out to the fields so he could bring his truck back before tonight's storm. His hands rested on the mare's rump, the walk was slow enough that he didn't need to hold onto Naruto. After practically growing up in the saddle, bareback riding was easy to sit, even when he was doubling with Naruto.

Naruto kept a firm grip on the reins and allowed his fingers to curl into the coarse mane of the horse. He had fallen off many time in the past when Sasuke had taught him to ride, and neither time was an experience he wanted to repeat.

With the mud drying, the heat once again became close to unbearable. He was chafing in places he didn't want to think about and Naruto was sure that he was going to have the weirdest sunburn. The skin that was visible to the eye tingled and burned. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if he ended up looking like some kind of odd Dalmatian.

Sasuke looked up when Itachi reined his horse closer to their mare. He could see the amused smirk on his brothers face and ignored it as he looked back down, peeling off layers of mud.

"You two will have to use the outside shower before you even think about setting foot inside the house." Itachi said. They were already walking through the gates to the pasture and with a clean house, he didn't want mud everywhere.

"I figured as much," Sasuke answered and slid off the horse once she stopped. More pieces of mud cracked from his body and he grimaced as it pulled at the skin. His feet found the stone steps that led to the shower and he darted up them, ignoring the mud.

Naruto followed behind, sulking at the card fate had dealt. He wasn't fond of cold showers since he knew heated water didn't flow to the facets outside. On second thought though, it would be a nice way to cool off.

The showers themselves were nothing but two spouted heads behind one of the small barns used to hold tack. A small area of cement was poured to keep the floor from becoming a muddy mess.

"Is there shampoo or something? Clean towels would be nice too." Naruto turned to Itachi, hoping the older man would at least be kind enough to grab some from inside.

"There's some Mane 'n Tail in the stalls already and I'll bring some towels out." He didn't want them dripping in the house and they would only track more dirt in that way.

"Thanks Itachi," Sasuke called from the showers, already rinsing off the mud. He hadn't bothered to wait for Naruto to join him; the first and foremost thought was to get clean so he could get his truck back.

Besides, the showers weren't that big and after a while they would be bumping into each other. No doubt that would lead to elbows in the faces and after wrestling all day, he'd rather avoid that.

The water looked inviting, but the space not so much. The small slab could questionably hold two despite the twin showerheads. Naruto carefully approached, hand out to feel the temperature of the water. It was lukewarm due to the sun heating the pipes, but he didn't mind it quite so much.

Dried dirt soon turned to mud, and Naruto found himself smearing it around his body. Itachi had come and gone with the towels and soap, leaving them to clean in the quiet of the country afternoon. Once or twice the moo of cattle could be heard, but otherwise it was silent.

"This is going to take forever to come off," Naruto complained, flicking off a clump on his shoulder.

Sighing, Sasuke wiped the water from his face. "Turn around." He waited until Naruto hesitantly shifted, his back hitting the water. Grabbing the body wash, he squirted some in his hand and started to spread the gel on Naruto's back.

The soap foamed up quickly and mud started to run down Naruto's back in rivets as Sasuke rubbed at the dirty skin. He pulled the younger male back under the water to rinse off the suds before lathering up his back again, this time getting off anything that he had missed. Once Naruto's back and shoulders were clean, he pushed the bottle into Naruto's hands.

Naruto mumbled out a 'Thank you' and began on his front, ignoring the fact that he still had mud crusted between his butt cheeks. He wasn't sure if he could manage cleaning any of his private areas with Sasuke in the shower, and by the look of things Sasuke must have thought the same thing. The older of the two was slowly washing the mud out from his hair, his upper body clean. Mud still caked to the underside of his cock and balls and Naruto was sure he had the same unpleasant situation occurring in his ass crack as well.

Sasuke offered him the shampoo once he was done washing his chest. Naruto's hair was probably the most matted mess. It would be surprising if he could get it out without much of a fight. He layered the shampoo in his palm, massaging it through the mess. It was easier than he had thought, but not pleasant in the least.

With Naruto busy washing his hair, Sasuke took the time to finally clean the rest of his body. He really didn't care anymore if Naruto was in the shower with him, he just wanted the mud off his dick. It was uncomfortable and he was tired of acting like a skittish colt, they were both guys and both had the same problem at the moment. Might as well cowboy up now.

Squirting some soap into his hands, he started working on his ass and the back of his legs. He kept his head bowed, knowing that he'd either want to stop or deck Naruto if he looked up and saw the younger male looking at him. Mud hit the concrete as he continued cleaning himself, refusing to stop.

It was systematic; grab the soap, lather, and wash. When the soap ran out, you grabbed more and repeated. Simple as that. It helped that he was comfortable around Naruto and he was sure that in a few days they would laugh at this.

It wasn't until the splats of mud mixed soap hit the hard concrete that Naruto looked up from where he had fixed his eyes to search for the source. The action was innocent, merely driven by curiosity, but when Naruto's eyes came in contact with Sasuke; all else seemed to freeze.

Pale hands were tending gently to his flaccid cock. The appendage was carefully cradled in Sasuke's left hand as his right washed away the mud and grime. Such an act shouldn't have seemed memorizing, but Naruto couldn't look away. His own hands had long since fallen from his hair, allowing the now cool water to rinse the remnants of soap and mud down his body and to the floor.

Feeling eyes on his body, Sasuke looked up. He smirked at Naruto as he rinsed the rest of his soap of his cock, glad that it finally clean. "I'm not helping you with yours. Unless you want me to," he joked. He picked up the soap bottle and tossed it to Naruto. "Wash my back for me and I'll be out of here so you can finish up in peace."

Naruto blushed, but he didn't bother looking away. His eyes met Sasuke's determination shinning within their blue depths. If Sasuke had no need to be shy then why did he? Wasn't everything a competition between them anyways?

"Fine, fine. Just let me finish up here." By here he gestured to his own nether regions. Naruto worked fast, his nerves pushing him through. He quickly cleaned off his front, bring careful not to scratch the sensitive skin with the grainy flecks of mud. To save some of his dignity, Naruto turned towards Sasuke giving a full on view of his cock, but hiding his ass as he cleaned it.

The mixture of soap, mud, and water made an odd squishing noise as he cleaned, causing a bright blush to bloom on Naruto's cheeks. He quickened his pace then, ignoring the sounds. How did Sasuke get away with being as quiet as he had been while cleaning? It just wasn't fair.

Sasuke chuckled at Naruto. Leave it to the younger male to always make a competition out of everything. He let the water run over his back, washing away more of the mud while he watched Naruto out of the corner of his eyes.

"Great, just what I wanted, you washing my back after its been all over your dick and ass," he drawled sarcastically.

"Quite your whining." Naruto moved forward to stand toe to toe with Sasuke. He gave him a demanding look and motioned him to turn around. It felt good to finally be cleaned, but it would be better once they could be dry inside the house.

Sasuke's back was easy enough to clean; most of the mud had already washed off itself. "I don't think you really even needed my help," He said, taking a step away once he was done to allow Sasuke to turn and face him.

"It felt dirty still," Sasuke answered, shrugging slightly. "I wanted it washed with soap, not just water."

He rinsed the rest of the soap off his body and turned the water off, glad that the mud was free of his body. Towels were already waiting for them and he started to dry himself off, wincing at the red skin. He knew that he had gotten sunburned and washing himself so harshly hadn't done much for it either.

"What, no thank you?" Naruto cocked a hip, hand on his waist. "You're just going to up and walk away. See if I'll ever wash you again."

"You said so yourself, it was almost clean. I had to do more work with yours," Sasuke paused and tossed a towel at Naruto. "But thank you. Happy?"

Naruto stepped forward invading Sasuke's space. His finger came forward to poke into a bare shoulder and push Sasuke back only slightly. "No not really. Never have been much of a fan of bastardliness." It didn't matter that Naruto had obviously made up that word, it was true nonetheless.

Still Naruto couldn't help but tilt his head upwards. It never had quite occurred to him that Sasuke was slightly taller. It had never been an issue, and Naruto never thought it would be. Even now he didn't feel any less of an man as he had to look up to see eye to eye with Sasuke.

Tan skin wrinkled upon Naruto's forehead as he frowned in thought. All irritation seemed to slowly ebb away, leaving mild curiosity. The kiss scratched at the back of his mind. He didn't know what brought the memory he had promised to forget to his attention but Naruto was willing to blame it on the close proximity.

Being the impulsive person he was, Naruto felt the need to put some reasoning behind what had happened and if it meant anything to him at all. After all, weren't straight men supposed to freak out and proclaim their masculinity if found in a homosexual situation? Naruto surely didn't feel like pulling out his chest hair; not that he had any to pull, to prove he was still a man. So did that make him gay?

Not thinking much more on it, he leaned up and cocked his head to the side. When his lips touched those of another, he felt his heart stop for a moment. The action surprised him just as much as it probably shocked Sasuke. For the quickest of seconds Naruto wondered what they hell he was doing and what he was trying to prove, or did it even matter? Sasuke's lips were warm, chapped from the humid air, but they were comfortable. So Naruto only pushed further into Sasuke's space.

Sasuke felt his back being pressed up against the shower wall as he took a step backward. He wasn't sure if it was due to shock at what Naruto was doing or if he was trying to escape it. His mind reminded him of the kiss earlier in the day, how he had started it and he pushed back against Naruto.

Their damp skin brushed against each other and his hand came up to grab Naruto's neck. His fingers brushed over the skin and he pulled back slowly, watching the younger male's reaction.

Naruto blinked a few times, eyes wide and calculating. His mouth opened, then closed and he looked away.

"I don't feel gay." It was said with such earnest confusion, that it made Naruto seem like a small child coming to some understand he couldn't fully fathom.

"Well, are you gay?"

Naruto thought the question over and shook his head. "No, but... I liked kissing you."

A chuckle escaped Sasuke's mouth and his fingers teased the drying hair on the back of Naruto's neck. "That's good to know, cause I liked kissing you too."

Smiling Naruto pecked Sasuke on the lips quickly once, pulled away and went in for another. He did this about a dozen times before pulling back to laugh. It was light and full of mirth, like a man witnessing something he never thought possible. Strange how nothing seemed to change. Naruto still felt the exact same. He didn't feel like going straight out to get a manicure or pedicure. He surely didn't feel like going shopping with the girls while carrying a 'man purse'. If anything Naruto felt manlier for pushing past any insecurities that lay before him.

Who would have thought that kissing Sasuke would feel just as normal as punching him.

End