Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of its associated characters!

Summary: COMPLETE (new chapter up everyday - total of 3 chapters!). Sasuke hates Christmas. Sasuke is at a Christmas party. Sasuke is very, very unhappy. Modern AU, Sasunaru/Narusasu. Posted for Christmas!

A/N: You guys are so nice! Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos and everything - I'm so happy you guys liked this little fic. I hope you like this chapter, too! Special shoutout to r0kket for helping me brainstorm movies ;)

Also, as a warning, this chapter contains explicit content. Please avoid it if you are underage!

'Tis The Season

Chapter 3: Let Your Heart Be Light

Sasuke was thirsty.

Sasuke was warm, comfortable, and desperately not wanting to leave this bed yet, but...ugh. He was going to have to.

He sucked in a breath and forced his eyes to open. He wasn't awfully tired, but his eyes still burned—the light streamed in through the cracks in the curtains, and…

Sasuke didn't have curtains.

"...Oh."

Naruto. Naruto—the blonde who hadn't been able to remember the name of. The one who had read him like a book. The one who had kissed him. The one who had stayed up, holding his hand and talking about such distant memories that Sasuke didn't know when he had stopped listening and started dreaming—

Sasuke slowly—slowly—leaned over the side of the bed.

Empty.

Okay. He let out a breath. Naruto was awake—and had let Sasuke sleep, which was something to be grateful for. And—oh.

A cup of water, a bottle of painkillers, and another cup with...coffee. On the bedside table.

Sasuke ducked his head.

Stupid annoyingly helpful blonde.

Sasuke took two painkillers and downed the water with it. The coffee was very welcome, too, although—oh. Now that he moved it, he could see the small container of sugar, and the even smaller one of cream.

But Naruto had left it black—and it was still warm. Sasuke hugged the cup closer to himself.

What a weird guy.

A weird guy that Sasuke barely knew, and was going to be his coworker for the next six months. A guy with which a relationship could spectacularly backfire, no matter the level of intimacy—no matter how—how bright his eyes were, or how charming or perceptive or patient or honest or fucking hell—

Sasuke was already falling for this person.

Damn it.

"Oh, you're up!"

Damn it.

Naruto, bright and awake and with oven mitts on his hands holding a steaming bowl of something, nudged himself through the doorway.

He looked like a fucking dream.

"How's the hangover?"

"...Fine," Sasuke said, staring intently into his cup of coffee.

There was a pause, and then he heard Naruto snort.

"Mhm, okay. Here." He slid the bowl onto the side table, and pulled off a mitt with his teeth. "I'll get you more water."

He tucked the mitt under his arm and grabbed Sasuke's empty cup, and then he was out the door.

Sasuke stared at the doorway until he came back. No oven mitts this time, but the cup was fully refilled, and Naruto passed it to him with a blushing, brilliant smile—

"I, um," Naruto scratched the back of his neck, "I dunno how much you remember from yesterday, but you can stay as long as you want here. And you can leave whenever you want—just let me know, okay?"

He remembered...everything, he thought, although he might have rather not. That level of vulnerability was something he was rapidly growing less comfortable wi—

"And—oh, crap, you don't have any food allergies, do you?"

Sasuke shook his head, opening his mouth to reply—

"Oh—okay, good—um, and, um, I made soup 'cause it's kinda cold today but just let me know—"

Oh.

"—if you don't like it or something—I can make anything else, I really don't mind. And, um—"

Naruto ducked his head again and shuffled his feet as he spoke, and Sasuke—

"If you—"

"Naruto," Sasuke cut him off. "Thank you."

Naruto's face flushed a bright red, but he beamed. Sasuke shook his head a little and went back to staring at his coffee, considering the fact that he very obviously was not the only one feeling nervous.

Beside him, Naruto shuffled in place.

Sasuke snorted.

"You can sit down, moron," he said. "It's your house."

"Wh—hey!" Naruto laughed and ducked onto the bed, shoving at Sasuke's leg as he crawled across the bed. "You are just as much of a dick in the morning, oh my god."

"I think you'll find I'm more of a dick in the mornings," Sasuke said quietly, and Naruto was immediately laughing again. He rolled over to rest his head on his arm kicking his feet up behind him as he grinned at Sasuke.

"Not a morning guy?"

Sasuke held up his coffee cup, now empty.

"Absolutely not."

Naruto laughed, but was already pushing himself up—

"D'you want more? I can ma—"

"I'm alright," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "relax, moron. Have you eaten?"

Naruto threw him a sheepish grin, and then nodded.

"Yeah," he said, laying back down, "when I woke up. I let you sleep longer—didn't know if—if you'd wanna sleep the day away or the hangover away or if you'd been sleeping well in your apartment with no sheets, and—um, crap." Naruto put his hands over his face. "I'm rambling again—sorry."

"You do tend to do that, don't you?" Sasuke said, watching him. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Naruto let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, actually. Please punch me to shut me up when you want."

"Will do. Ramble away."

Naruto pulled his hands away from his face to throw Sasuke a shy, embarrassed smile.

"Yeah, um...if you wanna use my shower, you can. The hot water takes a bit to warm up, so just let it run for a little. I left my spare toothbrush on the counter if you want it—it's still in the package—and you can borrow whatever clothes you want—and uh, um, if you want to stay for longer, like a couple of days, I just bought a case of briefs and I haven't opened them yet and you can have them if you want and oh my god Sasuke please punch me in the face—"

Sasuke put a hand over his mouth.

"Stop laughing!"

He couldn't, though, because this nervous babbling mess beside him was so fucking stupid—and Naruto was grabbing at his shoulder now, pulling his hand away from his mouth, but Sasuke couldn't stop himself from—

"Sasuke!" Naruto said, scrambling all over him. "Come on—"

Naruto pushed at him until Sasuke fell back, but Naruto still had ahold of his wrists—he ended up overtop of him, pinning him to the mattress as if—

"A little forward, don't you think?" Sasuke asked, the same words he had said the night before.

Naruto's tongue darted out between his lips—

And then he pulled back.

"You—" he laughed, "okay—I'm gonna take a shower. Eat your food before it gets cold."

Naruto didn't bother waiting for the water to heat up. For one, he didn't want to use up all the hot water if Sasuke wanted to use it, too, and for two—for two—

Naruto leaned against the tile and let out a breath.

For two, he needed to step the fuck back.

It wasn't that Sasuke didn't seem interested—he, well, he was pretty much almost definitely interested—but—Naruto was just...on another level right now. Too far gone, and he just—just wanted Sasuke to kiss him. Or make some sort of move beyond teasing the shit out of him, and that was stupid, and he knew it was stupid, but just—Sasuke was just so—

Naruto felt like he was going nuts. He liked this guy way too much and way too fast and if his brain would just slow down for once in his life for fuck's sake—

Naruto gently banged his head against the tile.

He just...liked him way too much.

Had it been his coffee breath?

Sasuke spun the broth around the bowl, and watched it swirl. Maybe...well, he supposed he hadn't exactly brushed his teeth last night.

There was nothing subtle about Naruto. Not a single part of him, and his interest was just the same. He was nervous and blushing and shy and giddy and what the hell? Why had he pulled away like that?

And why was Sasuke so disappointed about it?

He should have been relieved. Office relationships were never a good idea. They weren't. They weren't. They...oh, fuck it.

Sasuke finished the bowl and shoved it back onto the table.

It had been fucking delicious. And Naruto was kind and understanding and Sasuke already fucking liked him so it was too damn late. It was done. And Naruto liked him too. Right? He must. There was no way he didn't.

Maybe he, too, wasn't thrilled at the prospect of an office relationship?

Sasuke let out a breath.

He didn't know.

…

Maybe he could just ask, and watch Naruto babble responses until one of them answered all of his questions. Maybe…

Sasuke heard the shower turn off, and he sat back up.

First thing was first—he'd brush his teeth and take his own shower. And then he'd figure out what to do.

Well—Naruto had been right about one thing at least. Sasuke did want to use his shower.

He hadn't expected the hand Sasuke had brushed along his stomach on the way, or the way he'd tossed his shirt to the floor before the door had fully closed—

Naruto let out a breath, and firmly turned his attention to scrubbing the dishes. Sasuke had finished the soup—completely, which either meant he had liked it or he'd dumped it down the sink and made a decent effort to hide it. Naruto would take either one.

Naruto turned the tap off and went to dry his hands—and then he was acutely aware that the shower was no longer running, either.

"This package of briefs you mentioned," the voice came from behind him, and Naruto spun around, "where can I find it?"

Naruto's brain short-circuited.

…

"—ruto. Moron."

"Hm—what?" Naruto jerked his head up—Sasuke had been talking to him, of course, naked-Sasuke-only-in-a-towel had been talking to him and Naruto could see the drops of water slip down his neck to his collarbone to his pecs to his navel and Jesus Christ what Naruto would do to lick that drop right off him—

Sasuke grabbed his face.

"Wuh," Naruto said, eyes wide.

"Hello," Sasuke said, still squishing his face together.

"Hi," Naruto squeaked.

"I'd like to put some clothes on."

"Oh," shit, that had sounded way too disappointed— "I mean, uh, oh—"

"Where can I find them?"

"Um," Naruto swallowed, "the—drawers, um, second for p-pajamas and first has the box of, uh, underwear—you can just take it—"

Sasuke let go of his face.

"Thanks."

Naruto did his best not to collapse onto the floor as he left.

Well.

Sasuke shut the door behind him and let the towel drop to the floor.

That had been a relatively successful experiment.

Sasuke smiled to himself as he opened the first drawer. Naruto had responded—well, it had taken all Sasuke had not to immediately start laughing at him again. But he genuinely did want some clothes.

He pulled on Naruto's (well, his, now) new set of briefs, and wandered over to his clothes. He didn't mind wearing them again—Naruto had changed out of pajamas and it made Sasuke feel the need to do the same. He ought to have at least some semblance of being put together.

He pulled his pants on and his phone fell out of them, clattering onto the floor. He had completely forgotten about it.

It wasn't dead yet, which was good—less than halfway. And—

Sasuke stopped.

Oh.

Naruto gently knocked on the door of his bedroom. He figured Sasuke ought to have changed by now, and he also figured that he really ought to just talk to Sasuke about what was going on as opposed to clamming up every time the guy looked remotely attractive...

"You can come in."

Sasuke was sitting on the bed, still shirtless—wearing his jeans from last night—staring down at his phone.

The words Naruto had had died in his throat.

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke didn't move.

"I…" he said, still staring as his phone flittered to a black screen, "forgot what day it was."

Damn.

He'd been doing so good.

"Y'know what this time of year calls for?"

Sasuke looked up.

"Movies."

Sasuke opened his mouth—

"How d'you feel about gore, Sasuke?"

Sasuke closed his mouth, and then shook his head with a small snort. "I'm fine with it."

"Hm," Naruto said, already making a list in his head, "you seen Ghost Shark?"

"Ghost...what?"

Naruto grinned.

"Get comfy, asshole."

"The shark can—" Sasuke started, staring at the screen.

"Yup."

"But the water isn't—"

"Yup." Naruto popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"But that doesn't make any—"

"Oh yeah."

Sasuke gave him an incredulous look.

Naruto met it with a grin and held out the bowl.

"Popcorn, Sasuke?"

"That was the worst thing I have ever seen."

Naruto laughed and nudged at his knees. He had ended up nearly leaning against them, during the movie, slapping at Sasuke's shin every time something progressively more ridiculous had happened—

"It's only gonna get worse from here," he said, using his legs to push up, off of the bed—

"Okay," Naruto said, kneeling at the laptop hooked up to the laptop, "let's look at out options. Oh! I mean, there's always Sharknado—"

"Jesus Christ, no," Sasuke sat up further, ready to fight the blonde for control, "no more sharks."

Naruto's snort very quickly turned into a laugh, and he ducked his head again.

"Okay, okay, no sharks….what about…there's one about birds—"

"Is that a tire?"

"It—Rubber is a—hang on—oh my god, a tire that comes to life and kills people with its psychic powers," Naruto read out, immediately clicking on the link. "This is amazing."

"I—wait, no—"

"Too late! Too late, we're doing it, shove over," Naruto cackled, bouncing up onto the bed.

"Ugh," Sasuke lamented, not moving in the slightest. It gave Naruto the excuse to push at him, which was a reaction that Sasuke was growing more and more fond of—

"Should I make more popcorn?" Naruto paused, midway into nudging Sasuke's shoulder.

"We still have some," Sasuke said, ducking over the side of the bed to pick up the bowl.

"What! You hog—"

"You were going to knock it over, moron—"

"I was not! Gimmie—give it—"

Sasuke held the bowl further out of his reach.

"Sasuke!"

It worked. Naruto crawled over him, sloppily straddling his hips as he reached for the bowl—

Sasuke slid it onto the bed beside him and swiftly switched their positions.

Naruto went from fighting to flustered in a heartbeat.

"Loser," he told the blonde's wide eyes.

"You cheated," Naruto protested, but it was soft, and a little bit breathless.

Sasuke's smile widened, but he pulled back. He grabbed the bowl of popcorn on his way.

"Ugh, you're the worst," Naruto said, sitting up, "what'd we miss?"

The bowl was in Sasuke's lap, now, and it forced Naruto to press close to Sasuke to conveniently get at it. Not that Naruto had previously seemed a big fan of Sasuke's personal space, but still.

"If it's anything like the last movie," Sasuke said, "absolutely nothing."

Naruto laughed and leaned into Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke shifted his arm to make it more comfortable, firmly telling himself that his hand's placement on the bed meant he wasn't putting an arm around Naruto.

No matter how much like that it felt.

"This is weird," Naruto muttered, popping a bit of popcorn into his mouth, "let me know when you want me to make dinner."

"This is a movie about a tire that kills people. You chose this. And—"

"Hey, no, you chose this. I was all for Birdemic."

"Bird…?"

Naruto popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"We'll watch it next."

Sasuke heaved out a breath, and it sounded something like a laugh.

"Will you need help?"

"Help?"

"With dinner."

"That—no, no," Naruto tilted his head back towards him, "unless you really want to. I'm at your beck and call, remember?"

Sasuke leaned back against the headboard, letting out a breath. Right. His prize. That…

"Oh, crap, you forgot again, didn't you? And I reminded you—damn it—" Naruto pulled away so he could turn around, hands raised awkwardly in the air as if unsure what to do with them—

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to make me forget?"

"I'm more just trying to distract you," Naruto said softly. "Is it working?"

Sasuke snorted.

"I suppose it's where you thrive."

Naruto's face broke out into a small grin.

"It is, actually," he said, nodding. "All of my old report cards say so. Naruto is always distracting others in class—"

Naruto dissolved into laughter as Sasuke shoved at him. He was so stupid and warm and Sasuke just—Sasuke hated today. He'd sleep through it, drown himself in whatever music or alcohol or movies or anything he could get his hands on to just have it over with. And yet, this year—

This year...he didn't want it to end.

"You are the strangest person I've ever met."

Naruto let out a small, shy laugh.

"I hope you meant that as a compliment."

He did. And he was done waiting.

"The criteria you listed yesterday," in the doorway, when Naruto had looked shy and caught out and something close to resigned, "are they the same today?"

Naruto blinked.

"The...criteria?"

"For you being attracted to me."

Naruto tensed.

"Um," his eyes darted down to the mattress as he sat back on his heels (someone on the TV screamed in the background), "yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"Remind me of them."

Naruto met his eyes. Sasuke visibly saw him suck in a breath.

"Not straight."

Sasuke held up a finger.

"Um," Naruto said, staring at it, "sober."

Sasuke held up another. Naruto's gaze moved back to Sasuke's face.

"Attracted to me…?"

Sasuke held up a third, and Naruto sucked in a breath.

"Um—"

"I have criteria of my own."

Naruto stared at him for a moment, and then relaxed with a small smile.

"Yeah," he nodded, "of course—um, hit me."

"Attracted to me."

Naruto ducked his head and slowly raised up a finger.

"You know that that attraction implies you're not straight, right? You didn't have to make them two separate criteri—"

"Oh my god, you asshole!" Naruto shoved at his shoulder, simultaneously rubbing his hand on his face as if debating hiding away. "I was nervous, okay?"

"Not very good at twenty questions, are you?"

"Sasuke! I'm changing my first thing to must be a fucking dick—"

Sasuke laughed, and Naruto ducked his head to hide his smile. As if he could.

"Good," Sasuke said, "because my next one is must be a moron."

"Oh, come on. I'm—you—"

"Oh? You don't fit the bill?"

Sasuke watched, with the laughter bubbling up in his chest, as Naruto despondently raised his second finger.

"You're the worst."

"So you've told me," Sasuke said, watching him. "I have more."

"'Course," Naruto said, nudging himself a little closer. "Keep going."

Sasuke's tongue darted out against his lips.

"Go turn that fucking movie off."

Naruto crumbled into laughter.

"What?" he said, already getting to his feet. "Possessed tires don't do it for you?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed on his face all the same.

"Although," Naruto said, closing the laptop and turning off the TV, "I do have some rubbers if you know what I mean."

He threw Sasuke a grin.

"A little forward, don't you think?"

"Oh I swear to god, Sasuke—" Naruto nearly launched onto the bed, "you and that fucking line—"

Sasuke caught his hands as Naruto laughed and tried to grab at Sasuke's own—

"A million hints," Sasuke said, "and you haven't taken a single one."

Naruto ducked his head.

"I wanted you to take my hints," he grumbled, but his smile moved closer to Sasuke's all the same.

"Mm," Sasuke said, feeling Naruto's breath on his lips, "I should do that, then."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered, "you should."

Finally.

Sasuke fell back into the pillows as Naruto pushed forward (although, the momentum could have easily come from the hand Sasuke had in Naruto's hair)—Naruto's lips were warm and perfect and finally—

It felt like filling a craving. It felt like satisfaction itself on his lips—like low, coiling heat in the bottom of his stomach—like Naruto's fingertips slipping underneath the sleeves of Sasuke's shirt—like his soft, languid tongue that rolled and turned and pressed with Sasuke's—

He was falling, again.

He'd thought he'd already finished. He'd thought he'd hit the ground, at least once today—surely, there was a limit to the things you could find to like about someone. Surely, there was a point where the fog would clear, where the giddiness would fade, where Naruto would no longer be new and charming and so consistently kind—

"Fuck," Naruto pulled back just to crumble into Sasuke's shoulder, "I like you way too much."

Sasuke let out a soft, breathless laugh. What was this? What even was this feeling, where Naruto's warmth was imprinted on him like burns on his skin, where he looked into Naruto's eyes and then he was lost to them, where Naruto kissed him and his mind sunk its claws into the feeling and refused to move—

"What's on your neck...?" Naruto pulled back, running two fingers along the skin—

"I was bitten by a snake," Sasuke told him, "when I was twelve."

"The—on your neck?! Wh—was it venomous? Are there even any snakes around here? Oh my god, I'm never going outside again—"

Sasuke reached up and put a hand over Naruto's mouth.

"Itachi had the bright idea to go to Australia," he said, "over Christmas."

Naruto, still with Sasuke's hand over his mouth, nodded. It hadn't been the exotic, away-from-it-all vacation Itachi had wanted, but it had certainly been better than here at this time of year.

"I'm not sure if the snake was venom—"

Naruto's muffled voice yelled something about "Authalia!" and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It didn't use any venom, then. Moron. I was fine."

He pulled his hand away and Naruto leaned forwards, again. Sasuke closed his eyes as he felt Naruto's lips press against his skin—

"Glad you're okay," he whispered, and Sasuke didn't know if it was the warmth of his breath or the warmth of his words that made him tremble, but he did—more and more as Naruto moved his kisses to trail along his neck, his collarbone—he gripped Naruto's hips just to have somewhere to hold, something to hang onto—Sasuke was just—

Falling.

"Naruto," he whispered, and then his lips were occupied once again. Soft and tantalizing, Naruto's hand traced up Sasuke's body as their mouths moved together—Sasuke pulled at his hips and then they—oh—they rolled, and—

Naruto pulled back, eyes as glazed and unfocused as Sasuke's own—

"Um," he said, lips swollen and panting, "if I cross any boundaries—"

"I'll kill you, don't worry," he muttered, using the moment to flip their positions.

Naruto laughed a small "oh my god, Sasuke," as his back hit the bed, and Sasuke couldn't help but laugh too, because Naruto was so stupidly considerate, so incessantly compassionate when all he could be doing was focusing on his own pleasure—but that was alright.

Sasuke was happy to focus on it for him.

It was a series of his own kisses that had Naruto melting in his hands, this time—except it was along the hem of his pants, just along the bottom of his—

"Do you have a tattoo?"

Sasuke pulled the fabric up.

"Wh—oh. Oh, um, yeah," Naruto sat up a little, "it's, uh—actually, my mom was a—well, I dunno if she was famous or anything but she was a really successful artist—um, remind me, I've got a book in the living room I can show you, but—"

"Your mother? Your foster mother?"

"No," Naruto sat up a little more, "my birth mother."

Sasuke immediately sat up straighter.

Naruto raised his hands, and let Sasuke toss his shirt to the floor.

"It was something she, uh, worked on with her husband though. Or, uh, my birth dad, I mean. They—both did it. I thought that—I dunno. Sorry, I'm—I'm rambling again."

Sasuke ran his hands along Naruto's stomach.

"Ramble away."

Naruto let out a breathless laugh. Sasuke let his body relax—stretch and settled against Naruto's, so he could trail his fingers along the markings, the spiral around Naruto's navel and the symbols that extended from it—

"Um," Naruto said, and it cracked right in the middle, "I just—I went a really long time without knowing who they were—"

Sasuke moved his lips to Naruto's skin.

"And—um, I, um—just wanted, um, a physical connection to—fuck, Sasuke, I can't think when you're doing that—"

Sasuke smiled.

"Doing what?" he asked, letting his fingers dip under the hem of Naruto's pants.

"Sasuke—"

Sasuke's chest rested against Naruto's hips, and even all the layers of fabric between them, there was nothing subtle about the erection rapidly pressing harder and harder against him.

"Something you want, Naruto?" he mumbled the words into Naruto's happy trail.

Naruto let out a desperate, breathless laugh.

Sasuke met his eyes with his own, intently resting his hands along the hem of Naruto's pants.

"Take off your shirt, at least, you asshole," Naruto said, laughing and blushing and if he just kept smiling at Sasuke like that, Sasuke thought he might do anything in the world—

"You do tend to like it when I do that, don't you?"

Sasuke managed to undo his first three top buttons before Naruto recovered enough to respond.

"You know what—" Naruto sat up, grabbing at Sasuke's shirt, "you cocky fucking asshole—yes. Yeah, I do, and you know that and you've been using it against me all day—"

Sasuke laughed as Naruto pushed him back, muttering obscenities about the injustice of Sasuke's existence, to pull at his shirt. Naruto was just so—

"Stupid," Sasuke muttered, as his shirt fell somewhere onto the floor. Naruto let out a soft laugh, as if it had been a compliment—but then, maybe it had been—and turned his kisses to Sasuke's exposed skin. Sasuke arched into the touch (easily, comfortably, automatically) and his fingers moved to play with the hem of Naruto's pants again, waiting for the blonde to stop him.

He didn't.

Sasuke took the invitation and ran. Naruto's pants were loose and easy to slide past—easy to slip under, to feel the heat of Naruto's cock—to let his palm glide along it—

Naruto's breath came out as a hiss as he tensed and buckled, all at once. Sasuke pushed back against him just as firmly, meeting the tension with his own. It held Naruto in place, up on his knees and collapsing against him—

"S'not fair—" Naruto whined, twisting his face into the nook of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke bit down on his laugh, but his chest shook with it nonetheless, and Naruto obviously noticed.

"Asshole," he breathed, one hand working Sasuke's zipper. In retrospect, tight-fitting jeans made this whole process far more inconvenient than Sasuke cared for it to be. Naruto must have agreed, from the soft noise of discontent in the back of his throat—

"You're so—" Naruto said, with a strain to his voice that matched the daze in his eyes, "Sasuke, I—"

Sasuke gave him another slow, thorough pump. There was some growing part of him that wanted to take his time, here—to make this last, to tease Naruto until he was nothing but a trembling mess in his hands—but then—

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed again, and it commanded Sasuke to let go. It commanded him to pull back, so Naruto could get those clothes away, and so Sasuke obeyed—

"Jesus Christ," Naruto whispered—a mutter under his breath, but Sasuke heard it nonetheless. Sasuke reached out and grabbed Naruto's hands before they could be back on him, directing them to Naruto's own pants, instead. He wasn't the only one filled with desire—he wasn't the only one lost to this whirlwind of hunger, emotion, connection—

And then Naruto was naked, and pressed up against him. It was a shame, really, because Sasuke desperately wanted several more moments to take in the view—but, for now, memorizing it with his own body would have to do instead—

"Sasuke," Naruto groaned into his ear, and Sasuke let himself fall back. His legs were apart with Naruto in between them, and those blue, hooded eyes looked down at him with a question and a promise—

"Yes," Sasuke said, and Naruto's eyes widened. It was a surprise that Sasuke recognized; he'd felt it in his own heart ever since Naruto had walked into that kitchen and immediately set him at ease.

Sasuke was falling.

Naruto kissed him with intent, then. With purpose—a kiss to relax him into the sheets underneath him, a kiss to tell him that Naruto would listen, would be there, would do—

"Whatever you want, okay?" Naruto asked as he pulled away, but it hadn't needed saying at all. Sasuke had known.

And as Naruto reached into his bedside table—the second drawer, Sasuke noticed and noted for future reference—Sasuke felt something jump in his stomach. Naruto's kisses were hot around his hips and he could feel the bottle of lube against his thigh—Naruto shifted back and gently spread Sasuke's legs wider apart and Sasuke's blood spiked with excitement—

"Come up," Sasuke whispered, and Naruto obeyed, one hand sliding along the bottom of Sasuke's thigh until their lips met again. Naruto's hips sunk between Sasuke's legs and then they moved, and Sasuke couldn't help but bring his other leg up, too, to cross them over Naruto's back—to pull him closer, closer, closer, ah—

"Sasuke—" Naruto panted into his mouth, "nngh—"

Sasuke pulled him closer.

"Nngh—god, Sas—I have to—" Naruto groaned and pulled back, "let me stretch you."

"Only if you kiss me," Sasuke answered, dazed and breathless—

Naruto laughed, and Sasuke distinctly heard the cap of the lube open.

"Demanding asshole," were the words muttered into Sasuke's mouth, "I love it."

Sasuke responded by wrapping his arms around Naruto, even if he had to twist to let their mouths meet properly—Naruto was a bit off to the side, now, so he could press his fingers—

"Still good, Sasuke?"

—just at the entrance, not in, not yet, but Sasuke could feel the coolness of the lube that coated them—

"Mm," he answered, tilting his head up for another kiss. Naruto seemed happy to oblige, from the way his smile spread across Sasuke's lips—from the way his fingers pressed a little harder, until they—

"Nngh—"

"Talk to me, Sasuke," Naruto said, trailing kisses along his skin. "Is it okay?"

"Yeah," Sasuke breathed—

"Want me to make it better?"

Sasuke bit his lip and nodded. He was halfway to wanting more, already, with the slick, slow way Naruto's fingers stretched through him—

Naruto laughed his way down Sasuke's chest. Sasuke closed his eyes and focused on the sound—on the feeling—on Naruto's breath on his hips, moving closer—oh—oh—

It took everything Sasuke had to keep his hips pinned as Naruto took him into his mouth. He was already tempted to rock with Naruto's fingers—to find a rhythm with them as they found a rhythm in him—but with Naruto's mouth, hot and wet and Sasuke opened his eyes to find Naruto's focused on him—

"Something you want, Sasuke?" he taunted—teasing Sasuke the way Sasuke had teased him—and Sasuke's skin broke out in chills. It was the look in those eyes, centered on him as if Sasuke's soul was laid bare for them—laid bare for Naruto—

Naruto took Sasuke into his mouth again, and Sasuke's response dissolved in his mouth. It was all his mind could to do remind him to breathe—breathe, fuck, he was just drowning in this pleasure, just encompassed by it, it was so—so—

"Naruto—Na—"

Naruto moved up to swirl his tongue along he head of Sasuke's cock.

"Yeah?"

"Moron," Sasuke used the word to try and catch his breath—

Naruto let out a breathless laugh.

"You try'na tell me you're ready, asshole?"

Sasuke breathed out a "yes", heavily influenced by the way he sunk down on Naruto's fingers as they pressed up into him again—

And then they slipped out.

In the time Sasuke caught his breath, Naruto already had the condom slipped on. Naruto's tongue darted between his lips, pressed together, as he lubed himself up—

"How do you want me?" Naruto whispered, wiping the remnants of the lube on his hand onto a tissue.

Sasuke reached out and pulled Naruto forward by the wrist. The answer was inside him—all over him—he pulled at Naruto until the blonde crawled over top of him, hands running up Sasuke's legs as Sasuke raised his hips in preparation—one of Naruto's hands curved up, under his back, and the other reached up to slip a pillow under Sasuke's hips—

"Sasuke—you can still kill me at any time, 'kay?"

Naruto threw him a grin, which rapidly widened as Sasuke laughed—

"You stupid idiot," Sasuke told him.

Naruto laughed with him, giving Sasuke's hips a tight squeeze—pulling them just enough to increase the pressure—

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Naruto pushed forwards.

It was a good thing Naruto had a grip on Sasuke's hips—a good thing that the pillow was there, too—because the pressure had Sasuke somewhere close to crumbling in Naruto's arms. Sasuke breathed out once, and then again—

"God, Sasuke—" Naruto buckled forwards, gasping his name out. "You feel so—ss, fuck—"

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed out, "come here."

He reached his arms out and Naruto was in them in a heartbeat, capturing his lips in a slow, meaningful, incapacitating kiss—if Sasuke had been standing then he was sure he would have fallen—

"Move," he whispered into Naruto's mouth, and Naruto answered it with a soft moan into his. His hips pressed forwards—just barely—and Sasuke collapsed back into the pillows—they pushed forwards more and Sasuke's back arched—they pulled back and Sasuke—

"Ah—hah—"

"Sasuke—" Naruto leaned forwards, arms crossing under Sasuke's waist to pull him in—to help him bend, as Naruto's kisses broke his gasps for breath—

Sasuke raised his hips and crossed his legs behind Naruto's back.

"Nngh—fuck—"

Everything tightened, all at once—Naruto thrust in and Sasuke met it with all he had, and then again, and again, and again, again, again, again—

Naruto leaned back and pulled Sasuke up with him, until he was on Naruto's lap (legs around him, arms around him, Naruto's mouth was hot and wet and it met Sasuke's tongue with the same wild desperation humming through Sasuke's veins)—Sasuke rocked his hips forward and Naruto groaned into his mouth—

"You're so good, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, "so good, hah—"

Sasuke ducked his head into Naruto's shoulder and just breathed—there was so much (too much) in his head, between the pleasure and the emotion and Naruto, oh god, Naruto—

"Sasuke—"

Sasuke threw his head back and the rest of his body fell with it—

"I've got you."

All he could feel was—

"You can let go."

All he could feel was—

"I've got you."

Sasuke crumbled.

It was with Naruto's own moan (the clench of his hands, his nails digging into Sasuke's skin) that Sasuke came. The blonde fell forwards and Sasuke clung to him, as if he was the only thing keeping Sasuke from being lost to these waves of pleasure—these echoes, flooding through him, in time with the gasps of Naruto's breath against his skin—

"You're—" Naruto strained out, "you're just fucking good at everything, aren't you? God—"

Naruto sagged against him, pressing his forehead to Sasuke's skin. Sasuke closed his eyes and muttered a soft "moron".

It made Naruto laugh, and press a soft kiss behind Sasuke's ear. It was only a second before Naruto kissed him again—on the cheek, this time—and pulled back.

Sasuke let his eyes flutter open as he felt Naruto brush the hair from his face.

"Hey," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke met his gaze with a soft smile.

"I like you."

Sasuke snorted and made a point of eyeing the way their hips were still pressed firmly together.

"I should hope so."

Naruto laughed, and Sasuke wrapped a hand around his neck to pull him in for a kiss. Soft, slow—almost lazy, with the easy way their mouths moved together.

Naruto rested his forehead against Sasuke's as they pulled apart.

"You're not so bad yourself, you know," Sasuke whispered quietly. He both heard and felt Naruto's soft laugh.

"Tell you what," Naruto said, twisting his head in away that almost felt like nuzzling, "you get cleaned up, and I'm gonna make us dinner. Okay?"

Sasuke's smile widened. Not that he wasn't hungry, but—

"And you aren't going to get clean?"

"I mean," Naruto pulled back a little, "yeah, I will, but you can go first—if you..."

Naruto's voice trailed off at the look Sasuke gave him.

"Moron," Sasuke said. "A million hints—

Naruto cut off his sentence with a firm, laughing kiss.

"You dick," Naruto muttered. "I like you so much."

Naruto pulled back, and Sasuke threw an arm over his face to hide the way it was flushed. With all he teased Naruto, it was Sasuke with his heart beating its way through his chest.

"Gonna pull out now, 'kay?"

Sasuke made a noise of agreement. He pulled his hand from his face and watched as Naruto left him with soft, slow precision.

He threw the condom out, and held out his clean hand.

"C'mon, Sasuke."

Sasuke took it.

If his body had been up to it, Naruto could have stayed in the shower all day. Sasuke was warm and wet and so fucking tempting, god, he couldn't even get hard properly again and all he wanted to do was worship Sasuke's body—

"Onions." Sasuke shoved a cutting board in front of Naruto's face, and Naruto leaned back so he could scrape everything into the pot. They'd both gotten pretty hungry after the shower, though, so other aspects of their bodies would have to wait.

For now.

"What else d'you want?" Naruto asked as Sasuke glanced through his fridge. They'd opted for another stew—heartier, this time—'cause of the cold. Something about today made Naruto just want to curl up in a blanket with Sasuke...maybe he'd make some hot chocolate, too…was that a Christmas-y thing? Naruto didn't know. It didn't feel like it, somehow, but maybe it would to Sasuke—

"Here," Sasuke pulled out a bag, and then two more, "the rest of this."

Sasuke passed it to him, and Naruto made a point of letting his hand linger. He felt so—giddy, right now. Just as if he was walking on air—on sunshine—whatever the saying was. Naruto was living it. He felt so—

"Moron," Sasuke said, placing a hand on Naruto's waist as he reached around him.

Sasuke had been awfully touchy-feely too—a hand on Naruto's waist, a brush of his knuckles along his arm, a press of their hips together...Naruto felt as if the warmth was just bursting through him, now.

"You smile too much," Sasuke muttered, turning back to the chopping board.

"You don't smile enough," Naruto countered, meaning every word. Sasuke's smile was fucking heart-breaking.

Sasuke snorted. "You sound like my brother."

"Aw," Naruto laughed, adding the rest of the veggies to the pot and closing the lid, "I think I like your brother. I—crap, what was his name?"

"Itachi. You clearly can't like him that much."

Sasuke gave him a look as he left the kitchen.

"Hey!" Naruto trotted after him. "You're one to talk, you didn't even remember my name!"

"Mm," Sasuke said, letting Naruto press him against the armrest of the couch, "clearly I'd already decided to just call you moron."

"Wow," Naruto bounced his body against Sasuke's, laughing, "you asshole—"

"And there's my name."

It was the surprise that got Naruto that time—even with all of Sasuke's snarky responses, they still always caught Naruto off-guard.

"You're so fun," he said softly, tilting his head a little. He could see Sasuke's face flush at the words. "Did you wanna finish the movie?"

Sasuke let out a breath.

"I…" Sasuke sighed despondently, staring down between their bodies, "want to know how it ends."

Naruto let out a delighted laugh, and pulled Sasuke by the wrists.

"They got you! The tire got you—you like it—"

"I don't like it, I just want to—"

"Keep watching it, uh-huh, uh-huh, sure—I'm sure you hate it so much—"

"Naruto, you—"

Naruto laughed again as Sasuke practically tackled him onto the bed. He made no move to fight back as Sasuke pinned his wrists down—Sasuke's face was flushed, but smiling (that soft, hidden smile that Sasuke always looked like he was trying to fight)—

"You're the biggest idiot in the world."

Naruto looked up at him, smiling. There was not a word in that sentence that felt like an insult.

"You're not close enough to this idiot," he told him.

Sasuke's eyes softened, and then he took the hint. Kissing Sasuke was just...Naruto sighed into his mouth and wrapped his arms around him (Sasuke had let go to pull at Naruto's body, too). So addicting. So, so addicting. Naruto felt like he could lay here and do this forever.

Sasuke made a small noise into his mouth, almost like a sigh. Maybe it had been a response to Naruto's own, because god, this was so easy. So good—sex with Sasuke had been mind-blowing. He'd never been with someone who fit with him so well. It was like he responded to every move Naruto made—and everything Sasuke wanted was so clear to him, somehow, Sasuke's body was so easy to read—

"Sasuke," he whispered, feeling it as Sasuke's hips dipped to press against Naruto's, "if you want, the—"

"Second drawer, I know," Sasuke said into his mouth, hands already under Naruto's shirt—

Naruto laughed. Of course Sasuke knew.

"Then—y'know, something else you should know," Naruto said, as Sasuke pulled back, "is that I'm—I don't have a preference. For positioning."

He did, sometimes. With certain people—with certain lovers. He had no worries with Sasuke, though.

They fit so well together.

"Just so you know—what's on the table." Naruto shifted under Sasuke's gaze.

"...You're on the table?"

Naruto shifted again. He couldn't duck his head properly when he was under Sasuke like this—

"If you want."

Sasuke watched him for a moment longer, eyes trailing up Naruto's face with a heat that made Naruto want to duck, again—

"Moron," he whispered, and then they were kissing again.

Naruto made a mental note to wash these sheets before they fell asleep tonight.

It ended up being perfect timing. Once Sasuke was finished with Naruto—and oh, how he'd finished Naruto—the food was ready. Sasuke grabbed two bowls while Naruto changed the sheets, and then they sat, side by side, as the movie unpaused.

"I," Naruto started, "can't remember a single thing we missed from the start."

Sasuke snorted.

"I'll be honest," he said, "I don't think it was very much. Did you want to restart it?"

Naruto laughed.

"Nah," he said, "I think I can keep up with the plot."

"Is there a plot?" Sasuke asked, voice nonchalant, but eyes sparkling with laughter—Naruto loved that look on him. He nudged his shoulder into Sasuke's as he laughed again, vaguely staring at the screen. He just wanted to look at Sasuke...the shirt dipped down, off his shoulder (where Naruto had probably been pulling at the fabric), so Naruto could see the scar on Sasuke's neck again. It was barely there, anymore...Naruto supposed it had been a while, but…

"Oh, I forgot," Naruto sat up a little, glancing towards the door, "I have that—that book of my, uh, birth mother's art, if you—"

"Bring it here."

Sasuke was very delicate with it. He didn't know how easy it was to get a copy of something so precious, but he wasn't about to take any risks. He flipped through the book gently and slowly, taking each picture in as they came. Sasuke had never been one for the finer pieces of art, but this was a glimpse into the heart of someone Sasuke who clearly meant something to Naruto.

Naruto made small, soft comments and pointed out each time his birth father's name could be seen on the page (Minato Namikaze, Sasuke thought to himself, and Kushina Uzumaki). He burned their names into his memory.

"She's very talented."

Naruto looked down at the page with a soft, sad fondness.

"Was."

Oh.

Sasuke slipped his arm around Naruto's waist in the subtlest way he could. The blonde still leaned into the touch.

"They died on my birthday, actually. Both of them."

Some sort of horror lashed through Sasuke, then—something strong and twisted and painful—

"I'm never celebrating anything ever again," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto laughed, soft and aching. "I'm sorry Sasuke," he said. "I didn't mean to remind you."

"It's alright." It was there, really, like a gaping hole in the back of his mind. Memories surrounded by an aching pain. "It never really goes away."

Naruto rested his head on Sasuke's shoulder.

"No," he sighed softly, "it doesn't."

There was a pause. Naruto settled further into him.

"I think I've done a decent job distracting you, though. I'm gotta step it up. You're not gonna know what hit you."

Sasuke mind stuttered and paused over the words. Naruto was facing away from him, so he wasn't sure what the blonde was thinking, but—

"Naruto," he called his attention to him, "you aren't only a distraction. To me." That's not was this was. That wasn't what this was to Naruto, was it? A way to kill the time they both hated? A way to kill the memories? No, that—

"Okay," Naruto sat up straight to face him, "okay—so, okay, I wanted to talk to you—and this is—okay. I know everybody says you're not supposed to date co-workers and it's a bad idea and everything and I know it is because if it's a nasty break-up then you have to deal with that shit every day when work is already shitty enough but I…" he let out a resigned breath, "I really like you, Sasuke. And you're only here for six months, so it's not even really like I'm dating a co-worker, and—fuck me, I'm rambling again, Sasuke—"

Sasuke laughed. He couldn't help it. Naruto groaned and put his face in his hands, so brimming with embarrassment over laying his feelings out in front of Sasuke, but it was so clear. Everything Naruto said was so honest. So earnest. So—

"Ramble away."

He loved this part of Naruto.

Naruto peeked up at him through his fingers.

"Ugh," he said, pulling his hands from his face, "okay. I, um, okay, you're—you're not a distraction to me either. You probably know, but I want you to know for sure 'cause I—honestly, I really suck at the whole casual thing, Sasuke. And if that's what you want, you really gotta tell me now because—"

"It's not."

Naruto sagged in relief.

"Thank god," he said, breathless. "Then—um, like, exclusive stuff—that's okay with you?"

Sasuke let out a soft snort.

"That's about all I'm open to," he answered honestly.

Naruto's face lit up like the sun.

"Yeah? So we're—we're dating?"

Sasuke watched him for a moment longer.

"Yes, we're dating."

Naruto nearly leapt into his arms.

It was strange, really. Sasuke hadn't thought he could feel so brimming, so bursting with happiness—especially today. Especially Christmas Eve. Sasuke had hated every second of the day. Every second of the days around it. But now…

Now, it was the day after Naruto had kissed him. It was the day after Naruto had grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him around the room until Sasuke had realized he was having fun. It was the day Naruto had held his hand and made him breakfast and forced him to watch the worst movies in the entire world—and then, the day that Naruto had finally kissed him again—

It was the day he started dating Naruto.

Sasuke smiled as Naruto kissed him again.

What a good day.

A/N: And that's it! I hope you guys liked it! I want to have lots more written for you in the year to come :)

Until next time,

- Kinomi