A/N - This is my first fanfic...please be gentle...also I do not have a beta yet so if anybody out there has any suggestions I would be happy to hear them.

Warning: I own a lemon tree and picked a few ripe ones just for you. What? You don't like lemons? Then off with you, go on, shoo

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and do not profit from the things I do to him

The dark-haired boy wandered the empty streets of Konoha, lit only by the moonlight and the occasional street lamp. There was a light breeze bringing a slight chill to the autumn air. Sasuke walked with his hands in his pockets and his head up, staring at the clouds that moved slowly across the night sky.

While his body was winding through the various alleys of the village, Sasuke's mind was elsewhere. His thoughts drifted back to the recently completed mission, where he and the rest of team 7 had intercepted rival ninja on their way to attack a small village on the border of the Fire Country. He thought about his team and how they had grown to work together so fluidly. He thought about Naruto...

It had been several years since Kakashi-sensei had convinced Sasuke to attempt a friendship with the loud-mouthed blond. Kakashi saw their budding rivalry as an opportunity to bring the boys together as teammates. He bought the boys dinner and watched from behind a book as they sat quietly across from one another. Sasuke was annoyed by the insinuation – that he needed friends. It had been a few years since his family was murdered and he was surviving just fine on his own. Nonetheless he had agreed to this meeting and decided to try and make the best of it.

The two of them chatted until their food arrived and Sasuke found himself smirking as the blond dug into his meal as if he hadn't eaten in days. After dinner the boys were relaxed and Sasuke found himself actually enjoying the company, though he would never admit it. He even agreed to meet up with Naruto again, maybe for lunch and a visit to the arcade.

Over the years the two boys became good friends in addition to teammates. In practice they were competitors, constantly trying to one-up each other; in battle they worked in harmony, supporting each other in their actions; privately they had become inseparable, getting together for a meal or to hang out just about every day.

Sasuke kicked a pebble down the street, his mind returning to the empty battlefield from a few days ago. The rival ninja had retreated, suffering a few casualties. The forest was empty save for Team 7. A stray shuriken flew from the dense tree line, catching Sasuke off guard. It sliced him just below the hip, causing him to fall to the opposite knee. Naruto ran to his side, looming above him, prepared to attack. Nothing happened – nobody came forward, no more attacks.

Naruto knelt behind his raven-haired partner and pulled him into his lap, he looked around for Sakura but their medic ninja partner was nowhere to be seen. Naruto cursed her name and began to bandage the wound himself. In a firm, but gentle motion he began to wrap the wound on Sasuke's thigh. He held the padding on the outside and moved his other hand around Sasuke's leg, gently tugging the material into place. Sasuke watched his partner's hands work and he shuttered slightly at the sensation, he felt his stomach flutter. What is this feeling? He had wondered.

Naruto patted the bandage and with a smile he reassured Sasuke that he would live. He looked around again for Sakura, wondering if she was wounded too. He did not see her in the bushes just beyond the tree line. Neither of them had seen her when she threw the shuriken.

Sakura had watched their relationship blossom for years now and had long given up her pursuit of Sasuke when she realized he would never reciprocate. But it became painful to observe when she realized that neither boy recognized the true feelings they shared for each other. So she had decided to give them a little nudge.

She stepped into the clearing where her teammates sat and apologized for not getting to them faster. She looked over the bandage Naruto had placed and complimented him on how well he had done, for a novice. They made their way back to the village and Sakura wondered if she had succeeded, if anything had changed.

Something had changed. Sasuke could not place it, but he could feel something was different. They had returned to the village and been debriefed but part of Sasuke's mind was still in that clearing. He could not let go, did not want to let go, of that sensation - Naruto's fingers moving against his leg, pressing into his flesh.

Sasuke had never felt that kind of nervous excitement before. It was not like the feelings he got in battle, it was more akin to the way he felt when he first kissed a girl – Sakura as a matter of fact. Why? He thought again. He had pondered this question for days now and was no closer to finding an answer.

And so tonight he decided to visit the object of his obsession. He had wandered across the village, through the streets and alleys until he arrived at the familiar building. He looked up to the open window, the shade was half drawn. He took a deep breath and then, in three quick moves he was inside the apartment.

The blond lay sleeping, sprawled out across the bed. He had kicked off the sheets, save for one leg that seemed tangled. His face, one arm and part of his chest rested in darkness, while the rest of his body was exposed to the moonlight. His skin, while tanned, appeared pale under this light. He did not wake as Sasuke silently entered the room, but sensing the familiar chakra Naruto rolled over - unconsciously offering half the bed to his friend.

The raven-haired boy smiled and crawled onto the mattress. He laid motionless, staring at the ceiling. His eyes moved, watching the blond sleep for a moment and then back to the ceiling. His lids became heavier and heavier until finally Sasuke drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Naruto awoke to the feeling of a warm body next to him. His eyes shot open in confusion, he looked down to see and arm draped lightly across his torso. His breathing quickened and he followed the limb to it's owner. He sighed when he recognized the pale face and spiky black hair of his best friend. He was still confused, but no longer concerned about the body laying next to him. Naruto did not remember his partner coming over the night before. He remembered a dinner of ramen and a few beers while he looked over some mission files, then he went to bed – it had been an uneventful evening.

Slowly he moved the arm and inched off the bed, careful not to wake Sasuke, who looked so peaceful. He put on a pair of shorts and walked across the studio into the kitchen. Quietly he began to make a pot of coffee. The aroma quickly filled the apartment and Sasuke was roused from slumber.

"Another late night at the bar?" Naruto asked with a grin. He was at the sink cleaning two cups.

Sasuke sat up and stretched, "Fuck you" he replied with a yawn. Perfectly normal banter.

Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, trying to remember what had happened. He knew why he had come over, but did not remember actually talking with Naruto. Judging by Naruto's nonchalant attitude, Sasuke decided he must have just fallen asleep.

"So...to what do I owe this pleasure?" He smirked as he poured the coffee, black for both of them.

Sasuke staggered up and made his way to the round table located in the corner of the apartment that served as a kitchen. He sat and shook his head.

"You don't remember?" Questioned the blond, "I know you're not hungover, which means you came from home. So... you walked across the entire village in the middle of the night and you don't remember why?"

The pale boy shrugged. He couldn't remember his pep talk; the things he had planned on saying, the questions he had planned on asking. Naruto wasn't buying it, he know something was on his partner's mind. Sasuke stared blankly at his cup of coffee. "Well if you don't want to talk, I have errands to run," Naruto said as he stood up.

He reached for Sasuke's cup and was caught by the wrist. The dark-haired boy shot a searing look at Naruto, he was having difficulty controlling himself. He let go of the blond, "Its about what happened on our last mission..." Sasuke trailed off.

"What? Granny Tsunade not happy?" Naruto sneered, returning the cups to the sink.

"No, nothing like that," Sasuke said, there was something in his voice that sounded almost like guilt, "Why don't you have a girlfriend?" the pale boy asked.

Naruto was surprised by what seemed to be a sudden change in topic, "What do you mean? I've been with lots of girls," he retorted, almost offended.

This was true. Naruto had grown up to become a strong shinobi and people respected him for his power – and his ability to control his power. People respected him and were attracted to him, especially the ladies. Despite this popularity, or maybe because of it, he never stayed with any one girl.

"What about Hinata?" Naruto asked after giving the question more serious thought.

"She doesn't count."

No, I guess not. Naruto thought about his complicated relationship with the girl. She loved him so deeply and would die to prove her feelings for him but he did not reciprocate. While their "relationship" was the longest that Naruto had ever had, he never really had his heart in it. Sure they had been intimate and he liked being with her, it was still shallow somehow. Their "break up" was mutual; Hinata realized that he would never open himself up to her, perhaps he was too scared, and she would rather be a dear friend than an ex-girlfriend.

"What about you?" Naruto retorted, "I don't see you strutting around with a girl on each arm."

Sasuke's eyes moved beyond Naruto, focusing on the ceiling, the floor, the bed and then darting nervously back to Naruto, "I haven't found the right one I suppose," he said with a smirk.

This wasn't untrue. Sasuke also had his pick of girls in the village – often before Naruto – but none of them kept his interest and they all seemed too needy; wanting to know what he thought and how he felt. Every girl seemed to think he was a hurt puppy needing to be nursed back to health. Sasuke hated the implication – that he was weak. It was his own fault for putting on the cool and brooding facade and he knew it. People either thought he was secretly hurting or a dick, either way suited him as long as they left him alone. There was only one person Sasuke had ever felt close enough to to actually open up and that person was in the room with him.

"What does this have to do with the mission?" Naruto asked leaning against the wall.

Sasuke's pulse quickened, he hadn't prepared his thoughts. He leaned back in his chair, trying to appear calm. Should he just be honest? Should he try to get Naruto to admit his feelings first – that is if he even had any? Ever the stoic shinobi, he opted for the latter, "I was just thinking about that sneak attack, you know, when I was injured," he paused to see Naruto's reaction, which appeared to be a mixture of intrigue and pride, "well, you just took care of me," Sasuke fumbled, "my wound," he recovered.

"uh-huh..." Naruto was anxious to see where this was leading.

"I just wondered, if you ever cared for a girl the way you cared for me – my wound," he finished his thought and was waiting for a response. Take the bait.

"Well, I don't have to bandage a whole lot of my dates..." Naruto began, but seeing the disappointment in Sasuke's eyes he continued, "But, no I guess...I mean..." he was searching for the right words, "I mean, I care about you," He could feel his body become flushed, "I mean, your my teammate right? I got to keep you alive," Naruto laughed nervously.

Sasuke smiled, it wasn't what he wanted to hear but it made him happy nonetheless, "Yeah, right," he stood up and patted Naruto on the shoulder as he walked out, "I'll see you later."

Naruto stood still for a moment still processing his conversation with Sasuke. He shook his head and moved to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He turned the shower on and waited for the steam to rise before stepping in. He soaked up the hot streams of water and began to wash. He thought back to the battlefield of this last mission, to the moment Sasuke was hit.

He remembered the pit he felt in his stomach when he saw his partner was injured. He remembered running to aid his friend. Naruto tried to think about the event objectively, in the heat of the moment it all seemed so normal, but perhaps he had done something without realizing it. His friend had fallen and Naruto had knelt behind him, he pulled his partner to his lap. Cradled him. He reached down and held Sasuke's leg while he bandaged. Caressed him. His hands moved quickly and he wrapped the material, he brushed his friend's leg. His groin. Naruto was rinsing the shampoo from his hair, recalling the event. He suddenly felt nervous, perhaps even a little giddy. It was the same feeling he had the first time he felt a woman's breast on accident – sort of – Sakura as a matter of fact.

Have you ever cared for a girl the way you cared for me?

"Of course!" he said as he stepped out of the shower, steam rising from his toned shoulders. As he toweled off he realized that must have been what Sasuke was getting at, that Naruto had touched him the same way he would touch a girl.

"So I insulted him!" Naruto exclaimed to Sakura. He had come to her looking for advice, as she was the only other person that knew Sasuke as well as him. He had explained the events that took place on the mission – since he thought Sakura had not been present – and this morning's conversation. During his shower, Naruto had realized he had treated Sasuke the way he would have girl, the way he tended to him – like he was helpless. If there was one way to piss off his partner, it was to treat him like he was fragile.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, it was all she could do to keep from smacking him across the head, "So let me get this straight," she said in exasperation, "Sasuke came to your house in the dead of night to talk to you about the way you touched him during the mission and you think it is because you offended him?"

"Yeah..." Naruto responded, confused.

"You think that Uchiha Sasuke, the most stubborn and prideful boy you have ever known, waited three days to sneak into your bed to tell you that you hurt his feelings?" She huffed.

"Yes?" the blond furrowed his brow, not sure what Sakura was getting at.

"Did it ever occur to you that if you had done something to upset Sasuke he would have let you know then and there? Like every other time you do something stupid and he hits you and calls you an idiot?" She was trying not to get too involved, it was a delicate topic after all.

"No...not really," Naruto replied, his lips pursed.

"Idiot," she mumbled.

Despite what Sakura said, Naruto decided to offer his partner an apology; he invited Sasuke to the bar for a few drinks. Naruto arrived first and claimed a booth in the back, away from the rowdy patrons. He saw his dark-haired friend enter and waved him over. Sasuke made his way through the crowd, hands in his pockets – his normal gait. He scooted into the seat across from Naruto, who poured him a cup of sake. Naruto had a flushed grin on his face, a sign he was a few rounds up on the new arrival. Sasuke smiled back and lifted the cup to his lips, the alcohol burned on the way down – warming his core.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry!" Naruto said, raising his voice above the roar of the growing crowd.

"For what?" Sasuke asked, thoroughly confused.

"For treating you like a girl," Naruto replied, his faced filled with genuine guilt.

Sasuke poured himself another cup of sake, still unsure what was going on, "Naruto, I don't..." he was cut off.

"Look I know you can take care of yourself, I don't know why I did what I did," the blond was blushing, "I just don't like seeing you hurt...not that you get hurt..." he was nervous and rambling.

Sasuke smirked, he now realized what Naruto was talking about, "It okay, Naruto," he said, looking to the blue eyes staring at him, "I'm not mad at you."

"Oh, good," Naruto blinked, now he was confused, "then what did you mean?"

Sasuke shifted in his seat, even he didn't know what he meant. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips, and said what he thought he meant, "I wanted to know if you touched me the way you would touch a girl...if you wanted to touch me the way you would touch a girl..."

Naruto stared, obviously a little bewildered by the statement. He sat back in his seat, letting the words marinate. He quickly scanned his memories of Sasuke, the interactions they'd had and the way they had grown to be so close. He looked down for a moment and then, with an expression of clarity he responded, "I have never thought about it before, I have never wanted to before..."

"Okay..." Sasuke interrupted and proceeded to pour himself another cup of sake, it was going to take quite a few to get over this moment.

Naruto reached for the raven-haired boy, holding his wrist, "I am not saying 'no'."

Now it was Sasuke with the bewildered look. Just what exactly were they talking about? Even though he had brought the whole thing up, he still wasn't sure. Before he even realized what was going on, Naruto had paid the bill and was standing next to the booth, hand outstretched. Cautiously, Sasuke accepted the blond's hand and was lead out of the bar, into the street. The streets which had been so empty the night before were now teeming with people, people that didn't seem to notice or care about the two boys walking briskly hand-in-hand. Sasuke was still trying to process the sudden change in venue as Naruto was rattling the key in the lock to his apartment.