Written as a contest prize for Xaya

a/n: Don't do drugs!

The waiver was a bit blurry, but he supposed that was because of the sheer amount of alcohol they'd already consumed tonight. The girl behind the counter - she had neon blue hair and a flower pinned with a clip just above her ear - didn't appear to notice. Or if she did, she didn't seem to care. Naruto signed the piece of paper and handed her his credit card. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Sasuke flipping through the large blowouts of tattoos on the wall.

"Ha ha, what, are you gonna get a tattoo?"

Sasuke shot him a sharp look and then went back to flipping through the photos, but he kept sort of leaning toward the right as if he was about to fall over. Naruto laughed at him.

"Shut up," Sasuke mumbled and, when the chick behind the counter went into one of the curtained stalls, he came up to Naruto, standing inappropriately close.

Naruto put a hand to his friend's chest and pushed him back a few inches. "Y'alright there, tiger?"

"M'fine." He had hair in front of his eyes and kept rubbing his hand over his chest.

"Alright, you can come back here now," the woman called to them as she poked her head out. "He's ready for you."

Naruto smiled at her and waved a hand. "'Kay. Be right there." She tucked behind the curtain again. "You comin' with me?" he asked Sasuke, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke started tilting to the side. "Uuuuh..."

"I'll take that as a yes!" He grabbed his friend by the wrist and started dragging him toward the stall. He threw the curtain open with a flourish. "Yo. Let's get this party started!" He waved Sasuke's hand for him.

"Is he okay?" The blue-haired lady asked.

"Yeah. He's fine. Can he sit here?" He grabbed a stool propped against the wall and pushed it toward Sasuke. Gladly, he took a seat, his back straight and hands in his lap. His dark eyes were a tad glassy, but other than that, he looked surprisingly sober and attentive.

"Whatever," she said and sashayed out of the stall, leaving them with an older man, who Naruto presumed to be the guy who was about to pierce his nipple.

"Uh, hi," he said.

The man looked over, eyed him up and down, and then returned to organizing his utensils. He had orange-tinted hair - the color of Tang - and multiple facial piercings, most of which were in his nose and ears. He had one at the corner of his lip, too, and that's just the parts of his body Naruto could actually see.

"Just have a seat," the man told him.

"Cool." He hopped into the chair, which wasn't so different from one he would've seen at the dentist. The lights above him were incredibly bright. Some Jimi Hendrix played out of the speakers. "Hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke was slow to react to his voice. He'd been staring at the man in the corner. "You're an idiot for doing this, you realize?" he slurred at Naruto.

"Shut up. I liked you better when you weren't talkin'." Naruto crossed his arms to his chest, pouting. But by then, the piercing guy with the tangerine-colored hair rolled across the floor on his stool.

"Take off your shirt," he instructed Naruto while dragging his tray of tools over.

Obediently, Naruto slipped off his shirt and threw it at Sasuke. It hit him in the chest and fell into his lap, where he started to bunch it up into a ball.

"You want it in this one or the other?" the guy asked Naruto.

"Ah, this one's fine for starters," he answered, pointing to his left nipple.

"Alright, you're gonna feel a little pinch as I stick the needle through and another one when I get the ring in, but it shouldn't be too bad."

Naruto nodded and smirked. "Sounds good to me."

The man was about to pull up closer when he glanced at Sasuke, who was intently focused on Naruto's left nipple.

"Is he really alright?" he inquired of Naruto.

"Uh yeah. He's good... he just isn't a fan of blood and stuff."

"Just make sure he doesn't pass out on my floor and crack his head open. Our insurance doesn't cover that."

"Heh." Naruto took one of the cotton balls of the tray and threw it at Sasuke, hitting him directly between the eyeballs. "Wake up, bastard. You're embarrassing me."

"It's fine. I've seen people come here in worse conditions," said the man as he marked a black dot on one side of the nipple. "I'm gonna clean the area up a bit, just to let you know." He put something on a cotton pad and brushed it around the area. Then he grabbed a sterile plastic bag with the needle and ripped it open. He tossed it in the trash. Naruto didn't exactly want to look at it. He'd caught a glimpse of it earlier, and it was ... long.

Suddenly, Sasuke snickered aloud.

The other two men looked up at him.

"What is he on?" the man asked Naruto.

He shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. I thought he was just drunk."

"Take in a deep breath," he instructed Naruto.

He did as he was told, taking in a breath and as he inhaled, he felt the sharp sting of the needle going through one end and out the other. It wasn't toobad, but then he pushed the ring through and connected it with the tiny blue ball at the end. There was a little blood but not much, and the piercist cleaned it up one more time and sprayed it with some disinfectant.

"See, not too bad, huh?"

Naruto gazed down at the tiny metal hoop running through his very erect, very sensitive nipple. "Shit. That's awesome. What do ya think, Sasuke?" He looked up at his friend, who had his hand cupped in front of his mouth. He'd gone incredibly pale. Sasuke's eyes moved up slowly from Naruto's nipple to his face. He uncovered his hand as if to say something, but then he shot quickly off the stool to the garbage can in the corner of the room and vomited.

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. "Sorry about that."

The piercist shrugged. "At least he made it to the trash can. Maybe you should take him home?"

"Yeah, maybe." The man tossed Naruto his shirt and left the stall. Naruto got out of the chair and went over to Sasuke, who was vomiting a second time into the trash can.

Naruto put a hand to his back and started rubbing it.

Sasuke had the back of his hand pressed to his mouth. He turned and glared daggers at Naruto.

"What did I do?" Naruto asked, his hands going out in front of him.

Sasuke glared another few seconds before his face screwed up as if he was in pain and, one last time, threw up the entirety of his dinner from Chi-Chi's. "I fucking hate you and hope you die," he growled.

Naruto just rolled his eyes. "Tch. Drama queen. Once you're finished pukin', let's head back, huh? I've got something at home I want us to try."

Sasuke straightened himself up and used his shirt to wipe his mouth clean, ignoring the way Naruto raised his eyebrow at him for it. He took a step closer to Naruto. He was almost positive Sasuke had a piece of vomit in his hair, but he thought he'd keep his mouth shut about it since that's what friends did. Sasuke's lips spread into a - in Naruto's opinion - rather creepy pedorific smile and then he punched Naruto right in the nipple. He doubled over, coughing and grabbing onto his mantit, watching through a squint as a smirking Sasuke pushed the curtain aside and walked out of the stall.

Once back at Sasuke's parent's house - they were on vacation for a week and Naruto was crashing there - they went up into the den on the second level of the house. Sasuke collapsed onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. The window was open but the blinds drawn; they banged quietly against the frame as a slight breeze drew itself into the room.

Naruto took a seat at the desk and switched on one of the lamps near the computer monitor. He pulled out the plastic bag he'd had hidden away in his suitcase. "This may take a while," he said to Sasuke, who merely raised his hand in the air and waved it back and forth. "You could consider brushin' your teeth while I roll this."

With a groan, Sasuke got up to his feet, not looking entirely in command of his motor functions, and left the room. Naruto got out his iPhone and plugged it into the speakers, setting it to some classic rock station on Pandora. He listened to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as he spread out the rolling paper and opened the Ziploc bag. He went about the business of filling the joint with a mix of buds and a little bit of tobacco to help it breathe better. He rolled up a plain piece of an unprinted business card as the roach and settled it inside. Naruto started to roll the entire joint from the middle by using his thumbs, slicking it at the end with his tongue to seal it. When he finished, he set it down and searched around his pockets for a lighter.

Sasuke came in through the door and shut it behind him.

"Hey, Sasuke. You got a lighter somewhere? I can't find mine."

"Check one of the drawers," he said, smoothing his hair back. "I think there's one in there."

Naruto checked the first two drawers and then found a Bic lighter in the third. He lit up at the end and took the first puff, waiting a few seconds before letting the smoke pool out of his mouth in a cloudy ring. He sighed, took one more puff, and held it out for Sasuke.

"Here ya go," he said. "Sure you can handle this or should I put the garbage can out in case you have to puke again?"

"Shut up." Sasuke approached him and took the joint, their fingers brushing briefly. "I have no idea how you'restanding. I think we'd been drinking for about five hours straight before you decided to mutilate yourself."

Naruto smiled at him, spinning the chair back and forth, his head bobbing to the music. He snapped his fingers in tune. "I have a high tolerance. What can I say?"

"Pity you can't put that on your C.V."

"I know, right?" Naruto's eyes were bright as he watched him. "How is it? S'alright?"

Sasuke nodded, taking inhaling again. He handed it back to Naruto and went to sit in the papasan chair in the corner, right next to a wide bookshelf that took up most of the wall. It had all kinds of trophies and framed photographs of the Uchiha family as well as a fair amount of thick textbooks relating to law, philosophy, medicine, and science.

Naruto continued spinning around in circles, nodding along with a Creedence Clearwater Revival guitar rift. He stopped the chair long enough to turn up the volume. "Hope your neighbors won't mind." He chuckled. "So when's the fam comin' back?"

"Sunday," Sasuke answered. Naruto got up from the chair and went over to him, handing him the joint again. He left it with Sasuke for a while as he took a seat on the carpet, next to Sasuke's feet. "Did you hear that outside just now?"

"Hear what?" Naruto asked, shooting a glance at the window.

"I thought I just heard a car starting."

"Uh. Dunno. What about Itachi? What's he up to? He should've come here this week to hang out with us. Don't y'think it'd be hilarious to get high with your brother?"

"No."

"I could show him my nipple ring." Naruto waggled his eyebrows.

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure he'd love that."

"Ah yeah, 'Stairway to Heaven'. This song is gonna go on forever. Gimme." He held out his hand, placing it on the cushion and wiggling his fingers. Sasuke obliged him. Naruto moved it to his other hand and left his arm to rest on the rounded wooden frame of the chair. He puffed a while, listening to the music. Sasuke had closed his eyes, his hands folded on top of his stomach. Naruto let his fingers venture toward Sasuke's leg, tugging on his jeans, but not hard enough to disturb him. Sasuke tended to get mellow when he smoked. Not that he was terribly chatty otherwise, but with a little weed, Sasuke became a zen man.

"Why'd you pierce your nipple anyway?" Sasuke asked, eyes still closed.

"Felt like it." He gave the pant leg another tug.

"You're too impulsive." Sasuke's brow was furrowed.

"What's tooimpulsive?" he asked while leaning back on his hands. "Is there a right amount of impulsive to be?"

"Probably, but you're not at that level. One day you could get hurt."

"Hm." Naruto smiled lop-sidedly. "Are you worried about me?"

"Hardly."

He chuckled. "Yeah. Didn't think so."

Sasuke opened his eyes, looking directly at him. "Are you sure you didn't hear that?"

"I really didn't. Are you getting paranoid already? Who is it you're expecting?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling that the neighbors know what we're doing and are going to call the cops."

Naruto snorted. "They're not gonna call the cops."

Sasuke sat up and began pacing from the chair to the desk, sending fleeting glances at the window. "But the window's open. What if they smell it and call 911? My Dad would kill me if I got arrested."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at him. He ignored Sasuke and lay down on the carpet, joint tucked between his lips for a second as he folded one arm under his head. "You're hilarious. Would you just relax? Lay down here with me."

Sasuke stopped pacing and gazed down at him. "...Alright."

Naruto pushed the chair further into the corner and shifted over, making more room for Sasuke. He got into a kneeling position beside Naruto, who offered him the joint. Sasuke took a puff and leisurely spread out on the carpet. They shared it back and forth, both watching the paddles of the fan spin around in circles.

"That's fucking fantastic," murmured Sasuke, pointing at the fan. "I think I can see each paddle clearly moving. Am I supposed to be able to do that?"

Naruto snickered. "Yeah, man. That's your super power. You could be the next Iron Man or whatever."

"Hn. Who would you be then?"

"Wolverine, bro." He nudged Sasuke's arm with an elbow and made a motion like he was waving around adamantium claws.

"Nah. You're not cool enough to be him. You'd be Cyclops."

"Pfft. You'd be Cyclops. He's so boring."

Sasuke turned his head, appearing surprisingly offended. "You think I'm boring?"

"Of course not," Naruto answered quickly. "I'm fine with you bein' Tony Stark. Really. That suits you better than Cyclops."

"Hm. You could be Thor if you wanted to."

"I could?" Naruto waved his hand in front of his face, watching his fingers move. "Is it because I have a rockin' bod?" He shirked up his shirt and slapped his muscled stomach.

"It's alright." A slow smirk spread across Sasuke's face. "Not as good as mine though." He pulled up his shirt past his navel.

"Feh," said Naruto, prodding his friend's stomach. "You're too scrawny."

"No. You're just too fat."

"This is gettin' pretty low," he said, showing the joint off to Sasuke. "Should I roll another one after it's finished?"

Sasuke shrugged, bumping a shoulder against his playfully. "Sure."

"I can't tell if I think you can handle any more tonight." Naruto squinted at him, scrutinizing his level of sobriety.

"I'm not a child. You don't need to baby-sit me," he argued, his dark brows drawing together.

"Sometimes I wonder. I promised Itachi I'd look after you."

"What? When? Why would my brother ask you to watch over me?"

It was Naruto's turn to shrug. "Who's to say. We talk on the phone sometimes, y'know?"

Sasuke got up onto his side. "You do?"

"Uh, yeah. Sometimes. What's the big deal?"

Sasuke frowned. "I don't wantyou to talk to him."

Naruto looked at him incredulously. "Why's that?"

Sasuke sniffed haughtily and glanced away. "Because."

Naruto got up on his elbows and tugged the hem of Sasuke's shirt. "Because... why?"

"None of your business."

He let out a sigh. "You're weird, Sasuke. It's hard to tell what's goin' on in that brain of yours even at the best of times."

"Teach me to roll it?" Sasuke turned to him. Naruto still had a grip on his shirt.

"I don't think I should. It's a bad habit. I don't want you to pick it up."

"If you can do it, I can certainly do it."

"Uh huh. A point you demonstrated so well at the piercing parlor earlier."

Sasuke hunched over him, glaring. Once more, his face was inappropriately close to Naruto's. At least he'd brushed his teeth, though, as he could smell the mint coming from his breath.

"Teach me," Sasuke said again. "Even if you don't do it. I'll learn how to from someone else."

Unconsciously, Naruto raised up more on his elbows. "From who?" he asked, almost accusingly.

"I don't know. Juugo. One of Itachi's friends. A drug dealer. Who cares?"

"Oh yeah, 'cause your brother hangs out with a great crowd of guys. Most of them are such douche bags. They're psychos, Sasuke."

Sasuke sniffed defensively and leaned back finally, putting distance between them. "They aren't. I think they're cool."

Naruto lay back again, too. "You wouldthink that. But yeah, sure. I'll show ya. And then let's go downstairs and play some pool. It's gettin' stuffy in this little room."

"Sounds good," said Sasuke as he got to his feet first and held out his hand. Naruto took it and allowed himself to be pulled up as Pink Floyd began to play through the speakers.

A game of pool had more or less become Naruto crashing on the couch, listening to the music while watching Sasuke circle around the pool table repeatedly like he was trying to wear a path into the carpet, which he pretty much was doing. Then he went over to the lights and adjusted them to different settings for at least five minutes. Naruto could only laugh at him, his back sinking into the leather cushions and his arm thrown across his forehead. He was not entirely a sentimental person while drinking or smoking, but it did give him pause for thought. The past school year at the university had not been an easy one, and it may be an understatement to say just how relaxing hanging at Sasuke's house over summer break was for him.

Sasuke came walking up, holding the triangle for racking up the pool balls and some sort of large brush that looked like it could've been used on a horse. He kept shoving them at Naruto as if he wanted him to do something with them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto eventually asked him.

"Fine. I'll put them back." Sasuke turned around and went back to the table, throwing them carelessly on top of it.

Naruto shook his head in bemusement.

"Let's go outside," Sasuke suddenly suggested and, before even waiting for Naruto, went into the kitchen. Naruto was pretty sure he heard the door to the patio open and slam shut.

Naruto looked all around the room at first, slow to react to what Sasuke had said since he was acting so out of character, but, hey, who knew how people reacted after they smoked a strong bit of weed? Even he was feeling the effects of it, so he got off of the couch and followed after his friend. As he walked through the kitchen, he found a trail of clothes - Sasuke's shirt, jeans, and a pair of boxers. This had him somewhat worried, so he slid the door to the patio open, flicking on one of the outside lights.

Sasuke was in the pool, swimming in the suit he was born in. Naruto, jaw slack, stood in the doorway, unable to do anything but stare as the pale moonlight slinked its way across the ripples of water.

"You are fuckin' crazy, Sasuke," he told him, grinning his approval. He shut the door and walked toward the other end of the pool, by the stairs. He sat down on the concrete and started tugging off his socks. Naruto stuck his feet into the water. It was not what he would call warm, but it was a little refreshing.

Sasuke swam toward him until the water was shallow enough that he could simply walk the rest of the way. He slicked his wet hair back from out of his face. "You coming in or what?"

"Well I'm not just admiring the view here," he said.

Sasuke snorted. "I think I like this whole having the house to myself thing."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I really can't believe you're skinny dipping. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Hm. Impressed?"

Naruto nodded before getting to his feet so he could shimmy out of his jeans. He stripped his shirt off, raising his eyebrow when he caught Sasuke staring at him intently. "Like what you see?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just waiting for you to chicken out."

"Why would I chicken out?" Although his fingers stopped at the waistband of his boxers. "Are you gonna watch me as I take them off?"

Sasuke's head tilted to the side. He smirked slyly. "Maybe."

Naruto gave a shrug, hooked his thumbs under the waistband and pulled the boxers down to his ankles. He took a running leap into the water, tucking up into a cannonball. When he surfaced, he was grinning, his blond hair matted to his face and water streaking down his naked torso.

"How was that?" he asked.

Sasuke stood close by. "I'd give it a 5 out of 10."

"It was my form wasn't it?"

"Is it a little cold out, Naruto?"

Naruto splashed water in his friend's face. "Shut up. It wasn't that bad pre-entry, but yeah, now there's destined to be some shrinkage. It's not like I can use yours as a noodle either."

"A noodle? If it were that long, it'd just be uncomfortable for everyone involved." Sasuke began walking backward until the water went deeper and he had to tread. Naruto followed after him, the both of them swimming until they were simply hanging onto the edge on the opposite side of the pool, hidden under the long shadow of the diving board.

"Ah, I wish I'd brought my phone out. I'd text Itachi and tell him what we were doing."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "What is the deal with you and my brother lately?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto grabbed the edge of the diving board, hanging off of it as he kicked his feet under the water.

"Idiot. You know what I mean. Would you rather have spent this week hanging out with him here instead of me?"

"Are you shittin' me?"

Sasuke didn't answer, just gazed at him impassively.

"Are you... jealous?" Naruto asked, the corner of his mouth twitching. He would've laughed except Sasuke grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him down until he lost his grip on the board and plunged into the water. It would've been a lot more funny if his face hadn't almost smashed into Sasuke's dick as he went down. Apparently Sasuke had forgotten they were naked and the water rather clear. When he could get his head above water again, he sputtered and choked.

Calmly, Sasuke was clinging to the side again.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto asked, wiping at his eyes. "Are you trying to drown me or get me to suck you off?"

"One of those doessound appealing," Sasuke answered smoothly.

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Do I need to ask which you're referring to?"

"No. You don't."

"I think that's the last time I'm givin' you strong weed. I think it's turned you gay. I didn't even know drugs could have that sort of power."

"Shut up," said Sasuke. He reached across and flicked Naruto's nipple ring. "Is it okay for that to be in chlorine?"

"Says the guy who punched me there." Naruto tried to swat his hand away. "Why are you so touchy feely all of a sudden?"

"I can stop." Sasuke, again, reached out, and Naruto slapped his hand away.

"Cut it out, asshole! I'm not all that sober, and I'm sure you'll have a lot of explainin' to do if your parents find my floating, bloated body in their pool."

"Hn." Sasuke hung from the other side of the board, watching Naruto. Naruto watched him back for a while, unable to read his expression very well. Finally, he folded his arm on the edge of the pool and rested his head there, the front of his body pressed against the tiles.

"Naruto?" he heard Sasuke ask after a while.

"Hm?" he lazily responded. Water rippled and splashed as Sasuke drew up beside him until their elbows touched.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine. Just thinkin'."

"Sounds like a hazardous occupation for you," said Sasuke, nudging him.

"Very funny. Say," he peeked out from under his arm, "Do you really have a problem with me bein' good friends with Itachi?"

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction. "No... I don't know. Sometimes."

"Any particular reason?"

"Other than he's perfect and most people prefer to be with him rather than me? Because he's attractive and sociable?"

Naruto lifted his head up further out of his arms. "You can be sociable when you want to."

"Thanks, thanks for that."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Nothing, obviously. I don't want you to say anything."

"You act like I'm cheating on you by hanging out with him," Naruto replied, meaning it as a joke.

"Well," Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Isn't it sort of like that?"

Naruto only stared at him a while, finally remembering to blink when his eyes had gone all dry. "Um..."

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm getting out." He pushed up with his arms and climbed out, giving Naruto a healthy glimpse of his ass as he did. Naruto followed him with his eyes for longer than he probably meant to as water streamed down Sasuke's back and shoulders, thighs and calves.

With a huff, Naruto got out, too, and went after him. He was used to Sasuke's unpredictable moods. Not that Naruto was the most perceptive guy in the world to begin with, but Sasuke was an especially hard egg to crack. He wasn't always sure what was going on inside his head. By the time he went into the kitchen, Sasuke was in the other room with a towel wrapped around his waist. It occurred to him that he was standing naked in the middle of the kitchen, dripping onto the floor. He'd left his clothes outside. Oh well. He went into the half bathroom on the other side of the kitchen and found a bath towel, also wrapping it about his waist. Music was still on in the living room. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was playing. Sasuke was standing by the pool table, leaning over it as he aimed the cue at an invisible point. None of the balls were out on the tabletop. They were all neatly in their respective pockets.

"'Sup?" Naruto asked, heading toward him.

"M'tired, I think," replied Sasuke.

"Yeah? Wanna go to bed?"

"Think so. Maybe after a shower."

"Me too. I'll take the downstairs one?"

"That's fine."

Sasuke seemed to be dragging as he set the cue into the rack on the wall, silently passed Naruto, and headed up the stairs toward his bedroom. Mouth scrunched to the side in thought, Naruto watched him leave. He went about turning of all the downstairs lights except the one in the bedroom with the spare full bath. He also made sure all the doors were locked, and once everything was secure, he hopped into the shower.

He took his time in the shower, and every once in a while, he found himself staring or playing with his nipple ring. Had he really done that? Well, obviously. He got out of the shower, nearly slipping on the tiled floor but caught himself by grabbing hold of the towel rack. He dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He went to brush his teeth in front of the mirror. Man did his eyes look bloodshot and his pupils were still sort of dilated. He was starting to feel a little hungry, too. He was going to head up to Sasuke's room, but on the way toward the stairs, he noticed the kitchen light on and went in there.

Sasuke - in a pair of navy boxers and a plain white t-shirt - was standing in front of the stove, and there was a delicious smell in the air.

"Someone has the munchies," Naruto teased, coming up next to him. "Whatcha makin'?"

"Chicken quesadillas," answered Sasuke. "I was feeling hungry all of a sudden."

"Ha yeah. That happens. Me, too, though." He rubbed his stomach.

Sasuke turned to face him. "You're dripping all over the floor."

"It's water. It'll evaporate."

Sasuke shook his head. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes." He went back to focusing on the chicken and onion and whatever else was in the frying pan.

"I'm worth it though, aren't I?" Naruto asked, stealing a piece of chicken.

"I hope that was cooked all the way through."

"Feh. Bacteria's good for ya. It tasted cooked to me." He went over to the refrigerator, opened the door, and rummaged through it. "Want anything to drink? You don't want a beer, do you?"

"No, just a Coke is fine."

Naruto got them both a can of Coke and brought it over. "Anything I can help with?"

"Sure, you can get the tortillas out of the cabinet."

"Ah, sure." Naruto went through a couple of the cabinets before he found the unopened package of tortillas and brought it to Sasuke, setting it on the counter.

"Thanks," said Sasuke. He seemed fairly contemplative to Naruto at the moment, or was it that he seemed to be avoiding him just a little bit? Eye contact was scarce, but it could just be that Sasuke was tired.

"Everything cool?" he asked, hopping up on the counter and adjusting the towel so it didn't fall open and end up flashing Sasuke his goods.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Sasuke spared him an annoyed look.

Naruto shrugged, absently playing with the nipple ring. Briefly, Sasuke's eyes flicked to it and up again.

"I still can't believe you did that," he told Naruto.

"You were there!" Naruto grinned. "Why didn't you stop me? Isn't that why I keep you around? So that you can keep me from makin' those stupid decisions?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

Naruto's grin faltered. "Seriously, what's up with you? I thought we had a good time tonight."

"We did. It was fun. You really know how to party, Naruto."

The bitter edge to his voice did not go unnoticed by him. Naruto sighed and sat there quietly for a few minutes, occasionally sipping at his Coke. Sasuke hadn't touched his yet.

"Is this about Itachi still?" he asked since he couldn't figure out what the hell else could be bothering him.

"Not everything is about Itachi," growled Sasuke as he glanced up at him, glaring.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the tone. "Could've fooled me."

"Asshole," said Sasuke. He ignored Naruto after that and threw the tortillas into the pan, browning them. He piled the chicken and onions and peppers into one and put some cheese on top. He set it on a plate and handed the first one to Naruto without looking at him.

Naruto took it, mumbling his thanks.

"Come on. Let's sit at the table," suggested Sasuke when he finished making his own. Naruto followed him to the table. They sat caddy corner to one another, the silence awkward and palpable.

"S'good," Naruto said through his chews when he couldn't stand the quiet any longer. "You know. Sasuke. I mean, if I'm crampin' your style. If you'd prefer to just hang out here by yourself, I can head back early. I feel like I'm tickin' you off by being here."

Sasuke stopped eating, the quesadilla dropping onto his plate. "You want to go home?"

"No, of course not. But I don't want to make you grouchy either. Maybe we hung out too much during the school year and you're just tired of me?"

"Naruto, that's not it at all."

Naruto made a noise in his throat. "I can't tell then."

"It's just... it's not that at all. I'm... grateful that you've come to stay." He pushed his bangs to the side, holding them in place at his right temple. "Really."

Naruto gave him an uncertain smile. "Okay then. But you can tell me. If I'm annoying you."

"I thought I already did that?" Sasuke replied, his tone becoming more playful.

"True. Alright. I'm done. I'll do the dishes." Naruto got up from the chair, his plate in hand, but stopped when Sasuke grabbed for his wrist. Naruto looked down at him, his eyebrows arching in question.

Sasuke shook his head and let him go. "Nevermind."

"Okay..." Frowning, Naruto went about cleaning up the pans and his plate and when Sasuke was done eating his quesadilla, he took that one too. Neither of them said much, but Sasuke did eventually come up to him by the sink and dried as Naruto washed.

"There's like four dishes," he said to Sasuke, "I could've handled drying them if you're tired and just wanna go to bed."

"I'm fine."

When the dishes were put away, they just sort of loitered in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. Naruto itched a scratch on his left calf with his other foot.

"Want to go to bed?" Sasuke suggested after a few minutes.

"Is that what you wanna do?" Naruto asked, both of them staring at each other with him mostly trying to suss out what was going on with his friend tonight.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Naruto."

"Hm?"

"Would it be weird if I asked you to sleep in my room tonight?"

"Not thatweird, no. I don't mind. Do you want company?"

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Although... you might want to consider putting on some clothes."

"What? You don't want to sleep with me naked in your bed?"

"Who said you get the bed?" Sasuke smirked. "You can sleep on the floor."

"Heh. No."

Sasuke chuckled. "I'm headed up."

"Duh, then I'm comin' with you. Let me just grab some boxers out of my suitcase." He went into the spare bedroom and slipped on a pair of orange and blue striped boxers. Padding up the stairs to the second floor, he entered Sasuke's room. He was already on the side of the bed, closest to the wall. Out of habit, Naruto shut the door.

"Want me to turn off the light?" Naruto asked him.

"Yeah, but keep the fan on."

"Sure." Naruto jumped up on the bed and grabbed for the metal chain, turning off the light. He collapsed onto the bed, making the mattress shake and causing the springs to squeak. He wiggled around on purpose. "Damn Sasuke, it'd be pretty hard to have sex on here and not have your parents hear it. You need a new bed."

"No. Your ass is just too fat. It doesn't usually squeak so much when I'm on it."

"Heh. My ass is not fat. You're just confusing the fact that you have noass at all."

"I have an ass."

"Uh huh. Okay, sure. You know who reallyhas an ass?"

"So help me God if you say Itachi I will smother you with a pillow."

Naruto laughed. "What? No. I was gonna say that Kim Kardashian chick."

"Yeah right." Sasuke turned on his side and lightly punched Naruto in the shoulder. "Idiot."

"Itachi's ass is only a little bit bigger than yours, but it's nothing to write home about."

"I think I'd be concerned if you're writing home about my brother's ass."

"I think I would, too," Naruto replied, grinning, though maybe Sasuke couldn't see it in the darkness.

"You two... talk a lot?" Sasuke asked in a quiet voice.

"Like I said, just sometimes. It's no big deal. When I had a few issues last semester and needed advice, I called him once or twice since he offered the last time I saw him at the Christmas party your parents had here?"

"Ah." Sasuke shifted, rustling the sheet they were both sharing. "I could've helped you. If you'd asked."

"Eh. You were busy, too. I didn't want to be a bother."

Sasuke was silent for a half a minute before simply responding with a, "Hm."

"Is this your brother complex rearing its ugly head again? I haven't seen you this insecure about Itachi since high school."

Sasuke gave an unconvincing snort. "I'm not... insecure."

"No. Definitely not," he replied sarcastically, rolling to his side so that they were facing each other. The sheet dipped between their bodies, separating them by only a few inches.

"Naruto," he said firmly, "I don't have to prove anything to you."

This puzzled Naruto. "I never said you did." He could barely make out Sasuke's expression, but he could tell he was rather serious, like it had been something on his mind for a while now. "It's not like... he hits on me or anything if that's what you're thinking. There's nothing weirdgoing on."

"I'd hope my brother would have better taste than that."

"Hey, no need to be like that. I haven't done anything wrong. I've known Itachi as long as I've known you, even before he came out and all of that - "

"Shut up."

Naruto's mouth snapped closed with an audible clack of his teeth. Sasuke rolled over onto his back, throwing an arm across his eyes.

"Just forget about him for a second," sighed Sasuke. "This has nothing to do with him, really."

"Could've fooled me considering I feel like I'm being grilled here. Is this you playing detective like you're your Daddy or what? If you've got somethin' you want to ask me, then why don't you just say it."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said angrily.

"That's because you're not making any sense! It's impossible to even guess what we arereally talking about here. Are we tiptoeing around somethin' that I'm just not aware of? I mean, I have no idea, Sasuke. You're gonna have to spell it out for me, I guess."

"Tch."

"Don't 'tch' me." He inched over on the bed and grabbed Sasuke by the arm. "Just tell me, you bastard. And then we can go from there! What the hell do you want?"

Sasuke moved his arm and sat upright so that he could stare Naruto down, his dark eyes narrowed and focused. "Kiss me."

"W-what?" Naruto sputtered, nearly falling forward onto Sasuke when he raised the arm he'd been leaning on in his surprise. He caught himself at the last second. "Wait, what?"

"Stupid, you heard me."

"Ummmmmmmmmm. No?"

Sasuke sighed and then grabbed Naruto's hand, placing it on his cheek and holding it there. "It's a simple request. Just. Kissme."

"Is this a test?"

"It's certainly not an intelligence test. Or at least I hope not as you obviously would've failed."

"Hey now - " He started to protest.

"Kiss me, Naruto," Sasuke insisted, lowering his voice.

In the darkness, Naruto searched his face with some confusion, but Sasuke remained determined.

"Will this help you figure it out?" Naruto asked him.

Sasuke nodded, removing his hand from Naruto's. He ended up leaving it there, too stunned to do much else. Sasuke watched him, eyeing him with what was probably a restrained patience. Then he felt a finger flick his nipple ring. He looked down, just in time to see Sasuke's hand fall between them.

"I thought you were the impulsive type," Sasuke reminded him.

Naruto raised his eyes. "You told me to start bein' more careful about that."

"Nowyou listen to me?" Sasuke's voice was soft. He moved his hand to Naruto's waist, just above the top of his boxers. His fingers pressed very lightly against his skin and then started to brush along his side.

Unconsciously, Naruto tilted his head and brought their faces closer together. "You sure this is what you want?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes."

"Hmm." He let his hand slip from Sasuke's cheek to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. "Are you sure you're sure?" he asked against Sasuke's lips.

Sasuke's eyelids had fallen closed. His lashes were long, almost like a girl's. Naruto hesitated another second before letting his own eyes shut and moved in at an angle, pressing forward until their lips touched. He felt Sasuke's fingers tighten near his hip at the contact. Their mouths moved experimentally together, with Naruto sucking gently at Sasuke's top lip. He smiled when Sasuke tried to bite at him impatiently. Naruto's fingers traveled into Sasuke's hair, tugging at it. Sasuke opened his mouth to gasp, and Naruto snuck his tongue in. Hooking his thumb underneath the waistband of Naruto's boxers, Sasuke pulled him closer until they were flush. When Sasuke became a bit bolder in kissing him, Naruto put his hand on his shoulder and pushed him onto his back, their lips and tongues still connected.

When he finally forced some space between them so that they could both get a chance to breathe, Naruto's lips were parted, wet, and noticeably swollen. Sasuke's eyes were hooded and the pale skin of his chest and neck was now flushed. He was looking up at Naruto with an expression of confusion and desire.

"I can't tell," Naruto said huskily. "Did you get your answer or not?"

Sasuke licked his lips, slowly enough to draw Naruto's attention to it and make him quirk an eyebrow at the seductive gesture.

"I think so..."

"It's not a test," Naruto took in a deep breath, "Right?"

Sasuke shook his head. Tentatively, he reached for Naruto, pressing his palm against his cheek. "Not a test," he answered, and the way he said it, Naruto knew he was being honest.

"You look worried now," said Sasuke, wonder underlying his words.

"I am a little, yeah."

"Don't be worried," assured Sasuke. He let his thumb trace over Naruto's lips, tugging at the bottom one as if curious about it.

"Okay. I won't then."

"Good," and maybe for the first time that night, Sasuke smiled at him, making him do the same on reflex.

"Good," he repeated and then chuckled. "I feel like you've just marked your territory maybe."

"Are you my territory to be marked?" Sasuke asked and smirked.

"I think it's all good so long as you don't pee on me."

Sasuke lightly slapped his cheek and withdrew his hand. "As I recall, you were the bed wetter growing up."

"Shut up," said Naruto, giving Sasuke a shove. "That happened once, and I'd had a lot of water that night!"

"Okay," said Sasuke.

"I wonder if there was a little something else mixed in with that weed tonight."

"Like what?"

"Hell, I dunno."

"Let's just say tonight was enlightening for me." Sasuke tilted his head toward him as he rested it on the pillow.

"No shit!" Naruto laughed.

"You're not bothered?" asked Sasuke.

"No... maybe I should be, but I'm not... too bothered. No."

"Don't text Itachi about this."

"Heh. I'll try. I don't think he'd be all that surprised." Naruto lay down again on his back.

"No?"

Naruto shook his head and then let his gaze drift to the ceiling.

"Thoughts?" Sasuke asked him.

"Yeah, many. Many thoughts. I don't think I can hold on to just one at the moment."

"Alright. Maybe we can..." Naruto looked at him. "Talk about it tomorrow."

"Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat. "I think that'd be a good idea. Did you... want to cuddle or anything?"

"No," Sasuke answered decidedly.

"Right." Naruto scratched the side of his neck. "I didn't think so. Alright... cool. Are we... going to bed then? Or were you, like... expecting a handjob? Because... this is a bit new to me, so - "

Sasuke leaned over and covered Naruto's mouth with a hand. "Just go to bed, Naruto."

"Okay, good," he said with some relief after Sasuke moved his hand away. "Because I'm not sure how good I'd be at that."

Sasuke snickered. "Idiot. That's not why I wanted you to kiss me."

"No?"

He shook his head. "Well, at least not tonight."

"Heh." Naruto couldn't tell if Sasuke was joking or not. "I'll... go to bed then. Are you sure I'm not gonna wake up to find you - "

"Naruto. Let's talk about it tomorrow. I won't molest you in your sleep, don't worry."

"I mean if you did, I wouldn't necessarily stop you - "

"Go to sleep."

"O-oh, okay. I'll do that. Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"You kiss pretty good for a guy."

"Thanks... I think."

"What about me?" he asked. "Do I kiss well?"

"Sure. Why not."

Naruto frowned. "That wasn't very convincing."

"Then you'll have to convince me harder tomorrow or some other time."

That got him to go quiet. He settled under the sheet, thinking. "So, are we like kissing friends now? We kiss when we drink or get high?"

"Naruto, would you just shut up or I'm going to kick you out of the bed."

"Fine. As if it's easy to fall asleep after your best friend asks you to kiss him."

Sasuke's laughter was soft and genuine. "Then just pretend for a while. Let it happen."

"Thanks for the wise words, Yoda. Is this all because I said you could be Cyclops?"

"Yes, that's it. Goodnight, Naruto."

Naruto reached over and ruffled his friend's hair until Sasuke let out a growl, grabbed his wrist, and pushed his arm away.

"Night, Sasuke," he said, smiling crookedly as he settled his head onto the pillow.