Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Soup's On	By : OfFansAndFlames Category: Naruto AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1793 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned. I make no money on this fiction.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
The next time Sasuke opened his eyes, the sun was resting at its highest point in the sky. His room had become warm, almost uncomfortably so. His head was still resting on Naruto's chest. They must have fallen asleep together. One of Naruto's legs sprawled off of the bed, and he emitted a loud snore. This must've been what had roused him, Sasuke assumed.
According to his bedstand clock, it was almost 1 in the afternoon. Sasuke felt less congested, stronger, and more alert. His headache and nausea had both diminished, and the dizziness was gone. He felt refreshed and in lighter spirits. It was uncanny how much more manageable things could seem after a good sleep.
Sasuke froze as he felt cooled cum on his ass, thighs, and stomach. Right. He remembered now so vividly what they had done just before Sasuke had drifted off. The thought made him blush, just softly. No one had to know this, of course.
They weren't virgins anymore, were they? The thought was foreign, almost unreal. Yet his room was unchanged, posters here and there, and the sun at its standard place in the sky. Other than his own memories and his disheveled state, there wasn't a shred of evidence.
And he still couldn't believe he'd let Naruto play the "pitcher," for his first time no less. He must've been in a pretty interesting frame of mind. Yet he didn't regret it. Issues of pride and dominance aside, it had felt amazing.
However, experiencing that didn't revoke Sasuke's smoldering passion to plow his entire length into Naruto until the blond screamed out his name. Nothing could ever make him give up on that. He hadn't committed himself to this role, which he intended to make clear, to say the least. Even watching Naruto sleep so obliviously aroused these temptations, but he had stayed home from school for a reason after all.
He couldn't help but feel a little closer to Naruto as he glanced up at Naruto's face, which had not settled into the most attractive expression in his slumber. He remembered how they'd moved together early that morning, before the sun was in full bloom. How they'd felt the very same pleasure in unison, gripping on to each other so tightly. As alluring as the memories were, they didn't make the sensation of drying semen on his nether regions any more pleasant. Sasuke slid himself off of Naruto, cleaning himself off with some tissues at his bedside.
"Mmmnn, S'uke," Naruto groused, finally waking up.
Sasuke didn't answer, throwing a soiled tissue in the trashcan and picking up a clean one.
"G'morning."
"It's afternoon, dumbass," Sasuke replied, his voice healthier than it had been the past several days. His throat had been soothed by sleep.
"I really got you messy, huh?" Naruto asked, snickering with satisfaction.
Sasuke glared back at him.
"That could've been the best hour of my life, just sayin'."
And he'd gotten a smile out of Sasuke now, though a slight one.
"Thank you, Sasuke. I'm so happy you were able to see someone in me who…"
Pretty early in the morning for such kind of talk. Sasuke groaned, cleaning some aftermath off the sheets. God, it had even gotten there?
"Sasuke! Are you even listening?!"
"Yeah, I heard you," Sasuke grunted.
Naruto sighed, "I woulda cleaned you up, but… You kinda just went out cold, and I think you even purred at some point. You were sooo frickin' cute. I didn't have the heart to wake you up."
Sasuke stared back at Naruto in pure disbelief.
"Bullshit. Cats purr, not people."
Naruto merely smiled nervously.
"Hey, I'm just tellin' you what I heard! It coulda been a quiet snore I guess. It was hard to tell."
Sasuke continued his task, and Naruto gently grabbed Sasuke's wrist.
"Cut that out. I wanna clean you off."
"No, I got it."
"Nooo," Naruto whined, pulling Sasuke back into him and kissing his shoulder. "I hereby pronounce today…National Pamper Sasuke Day."
"I object."
"Objection overruled."
Sasuke sighed, "Don't I get a say in this? It's my holiday, after all."
Naruto wrapped both arms around Sasuke's chest, the paler boy obviously the larger of the two. The image seemed oddly inverted. Naruto kissed Sasuke's neck, and Sasuke gave a mild half smile.
"Nope."
Naruto was out of bed, completely clean. How had he managed to sneak out of bed without waking Sasuke? Maybe Naruto was a little more graceful than he had thought.
"Now, lemme clean you up…"
Naruto gently hoisted Sasuke out of bed, following Naruto close behind. Sasuke had still managed to keep his shirt on, which saved him at least a little embarrassment.
"Hey, Sasuke… I know there's a bathtub in…" he hesitated. "In Itachi's bathroom."
"Yeah…" Sasuke frowned.
"I wanted to bathe you, but…I mean, if that would be weird for you…"
"It's a disaster in there, Naruto," Sasuke sighed deeply. "I'll clean it up later. Right now I honestly…"
"No, no," Naruto interrupted, smiling at Sasuke.
Naruto guided Sasuke towards the room, the splintered door hanging askew as several screws had been torn out of the frame. The bed was made perfectly, as if Itachi had done it himself. Sasuke's mouth hung ajar with both shock and relief.
"I couldn't have you fuss over that when you already felt so crappy, so I took some liberties. Come on."
But Sasuke merely stood, staring at Itachi's bedroom. It looked as though nothing had even happened, with the obvious exception of the door. It had been a wreck in there. Sweat, vomit, blood, and God knows what else… He'd been dreading this, actually. Dreading everything coming back to him the instant he saw the aftermath, dreading getting down on his hands and knees and scrubbing before the stench got too bad, being so harshly reminded. He gazed back at Naruto, his gratitude obvious.
"Ah… You don't gotta look at me like that. It wasn't much trouble," Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Thank you," Sasuke said quietly.
Naruto blushed darkly, causing Sasuke to smile and smirk. He walked ahead of Naruto now, into the bathroom. The tiles were a perfect white, and even the toilet paper had been rolled to the ideal length. He didn't even know that Naruto possessed the ability to be this tidy.
"Maybe you'll make a good housewife after all."
Naruto bent over into the tub and turned on the hot water. Sasuke didn't mind the location. After all, it wasn't like Itachi ever used it, and it was the only tub in the house. The water had filled up about half way when Naruto stood in the water, chuckling as he kicked it around. He really was like a kid sometimes…
"What are you doing?"
Sasuke had assumed that Naruto was going to bathe him while he lay in the tub. It was small. Far too small for two men.
"Uh… Getting in?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shook his head.
"There's no room for both of us."
"Hey, only one way to know for sure."
Naruto turned off the water, lying back into the tub. The warmth felt amazing over the chill winter air.
"Get on top of me."
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"It'll never work."
"Saaasuke, come oooon. Don't be a little miss prissypants. What's the worst that could happen?"
Sasuke sighed. Well, Naruto had done all of this for him. Maybe he did owe him at least an attempt. He lifted his shirt over his head, much to Naruto's approval, and attempted to lie down on Naruto.
Naruto slipped off to the side, a loud squeak as his skin rubbed against the bathtub floor. The water splashed against the wall. Sasuke fell into the space Naruto's body left, both of them on their sides, legs tangled. Naruto's head was being pushed underwater, so he scrambled to the top, causing Sasuke to be rolled over onto his stomach, the younger fighting to keep his head above water.
"What the fuck, Naruto…"
"BREATHE. I CAN'T BREATHE."
Naruto had probably done a 720 with his body at this point, flopping in every possible direction it seemed. Sasuke fought against him, trying to remain still.
"I told you this would never work!"
Naruto coughed.
"Sasuke, you're elbowing me in the chest!"
"Your heel's in my stomach! How did you even manage that?"
"The water! It went up my nose! There's water up my nose!"
This was supposed to be soothing and romantic. He'd kind of futzed that one up.
"For Christ's sake…"
The sound of water splashing, the boys grunting, and skin squeaking on the bathtub floor mounted as the boys fought against each other for limited space.
"My nose burns!"
It seemed so quickly that Naruto's body just happened to slide into the correct position, and Sasuke's body compressed perfectly into the bends of Naruto's frame. It was a little awkward, considering that Sasuke was a tad bit larger than Naruto, but it seemed to be working. Both boys froze in their tracks. Finally.
"Hah! I told you so!"
He couldn't be serious…
"I would smack you right now if I weren't so averse to moving."
"Come on, see? We fit perfectly."
Sasuke arched a brow, his voice dry, "Yeah, after we spent a good thirty seconds flopping around each other like a pair of mentally challenged sea mammals."
Naruto guffawed, his laughter echoing off the tile walls. Sasuke's face settled into a smile, his quiet laugh inaudible over Naruto's. The water rested just below Sasuke's chin.
There was no need for shampoo, as Sasuke had cleaned his face and hair earlier that morning. His body, however, was a different story. Naruto lathered up a washcloth, rubbing it against Sasuke's taut shoulder. Sasuke pouted, but he allowed Naruto to slowly scrub his shoulder, then his upper arm, and down to his elbow.
Naruto gently rubbed over Sasuke's forearm, quickly taking note of a long but faint scar running down it. Naruto hummed an unrecognizable tune softly as he held Sasuke's hand upward. He meticulously scrubbed over his palm and each and every digit. Sasuke really was being pampered, having such care placed into every detail. A part of him wanted to shoo Naruto away. He didn't need any coddling.
Naruto noticed another scar on Sasuke's shoulder as he moved. None of them were all too horrible, save for a nasty gash on his knee, but there were many… He'd only briefly noticed them before. Any situation in which the two of them were naked together, the mood was generally passionate and lustful. But now, as he scrubbed every inch of skin, he could afford to be more observant.
"Why d'you have so many scars, Sasuke?"
Perhaps not the most tactful way to ask, and Sasuke snickered at Naruto's awkwardness.
"Some sports, but for the most part, fights I got into."
"Fights? About what?" Naruto asked innocently, now moving down Sasuke's left upper arm. The muscles there were strong.
"Anything and everything."
"Oh… 'S hard to believe." Naruto flustered, correcting himself, "I mean, I believe you! But it's just… You almost seem like a robot sometimes."
"A robot?" Sasuke smirked. "I wonder if I should be insulted."
That wasn't exactly a compliment, come to think of it. He was trying so hard to make Sasuke happy, and here he was putting his foot in his mouth at every turn. Dammit.
"Ah…" Sasuke felt Naruto squirm beneath him. "That came out the wrong way. I mean you seem so calm… It's tough to imagine you losing your cool much."
Naruto was blushing as he scrubbed Sasuke's elbow.
"Not very good with words today, are you?"
Naruto playfully flicked the back of Sasuke's head, his finger lost to the thick black locks.
"I was different back then. Me against the world, I thought."
He had lashed out. Soon after the accident, his temper was almost impossible to contain. He rarely yelled at people, but he would quickly snap back at them. He wanted nothing to do with them. He was quick to disrespect and dismiss. He'd brought tears to Sakura's eyes on several occasions, and though he'd generally apologize later, the fact remained.
In other situations, it wasn't solely his temper… It was the simple fact that he enjoyed causing people pain when they had it coming. He loved watching them suffer, asserting his control. These were all variables he could manipulate, and these worthless imbeciles would be under his control as he pummeled them senseless. Because this was indeed one of the few things he could truly control.
Sai's broken nose was by no means the first or even the worst damage he'd caused. It had simply been the final straw, and for the sake of his brother and his future, he agonizingly forced himself to straighten out. Yet this spark resourcefully found new outlets, from shoplifting to the company he kept. And even now, it still hadn't been removed from him. He just found other things more important: like the blond he was cradled into right now, for instance.
Naruto craned his head downward and kissed Sasuke's neck, then his jawbone. He gently inclined Sasuke's jaw backwards, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"I like who you are, Sasuke, but I think I woulda liked you either way. It's not always so obvious at first, but you're a really good person."
Naruto still said this? The compliment no longer panged him with guilt or melancholy. Naruto knew who Sasuke was and what he did, and he still made this call. But did Sasuke agree? He honestly didn't know.
"I'm a good person, alright. I'm a fucking saint."
Naruto chuckled, "Don't get ahead of yourself, bastard."
Sasuke snickered, feeling comfortable as Naruto scrubbed his hand, and now his chest.
"Naruto…"
"Yeah, Sasuke?"
"What about your scars? You've explained a few, but…"
Sasuke didn't need to continue. They were both aware of what he was referring to. Naruto's limbs were scattered with milder scars, and there was a pretty brutal one spanning his shoulder blades. The scar was about seven inches long and thickly indented. Naruto stared down at Sasuke.
"You said it yourself. I'm clumsy."
Naruto moved the cloth from Sasuke's chest to his back.
"Naruto…" Sasuke sighed skeptically.
"No, I'm serious!"
"Well, then what about the one on your back?"
Naruto paused. It was, without a doubt, the largest scar on his body, violent and deep. Sasuke stared at the water beneath them.
"When I was ten, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to skateboard down the tallest slide in the county. And that's just what I did."
Sasuke tilted his head back, arching a brow.
"You're fucking serious?"
"What were you expecting? Some tragic backstory?"
Sasuke shook his head, sighing, rolling his eyes, but chuckling under his breath. It was a fair enough assumption, given the scars on Naruto's face and the new addition to his tailbone, courtesy of that nameless vagrant Sasuke never did get to destroy.
"'S not funny! That bitch needed thirty-seven stitches!"
"God, you were every bit as stupid then as you are now."
Naruto knew how he'd retaliate. Tickling fingers searched for success along Sasuke's trunk and neck, their efforts futile.
"The hell are you doing?"
"I'm trying to tickle you."
"Good luck with that."
Naruto grunted, reaching around and pinching Sasuke's nipple. Sasuke jerked in surprise, soon after grabbing a few of Naruto's leg hairs and pulling. Naruto emitted a high yelp.
"Fine, fine," Naruto grumbled. He now was scrubbing Sasuke's ass and thighs, between the two of them. Fortunately the water had taken most of the debris from Sasuke's body, but he scrubbed regardless. Naruto felt a sweat begin to work up on his forehead and neck.
"Here…" Naruto handed Sasuke the washcloth, blushing slightly. "Take care of this part yourself. I don't trust myself."
Sasuke made quick work of it. It was nice to finally feel clean again. Naruto pulled the washcloth out of Sasuke's hands and attempted to scrub Sasuke's legs, which seemed all but possible in this position.
"Should we…" Naruto paused, considering his words before proposing the unthinkable, "…Move?"
Naruto did have a point. Besides, he was getting a little tired of being in such a…dare he say, vulnerable position.
"We plan first."
Naruto nodded fervently. Neither of them wanted a repeat of their first attempt.
"Okay…" Sasuke answered, pausing to think. "So in the end, we're going to face each other at opposite sides of the tub. Our legs will overlap each other."
"Got it."
"You will slide out from under me. Let my body balance on the tub as you move farther back. Once your legs are on your half of the tub, I will lift myself up and pivot, then slide to my end of the tub. Understand?"
"Just like Twister!"
"There's no rush. Slow, controlled movements, Naruto."
"Yeah yeah. I'm goin."
Dammit, he was supposed to wait for Sasuke's approval. His lower half slid back quickly. It was so tight, and there was hardly any room for Naruto's body to back into. Sasuke gripped both sides of the tub as he scooched forward. Good.
"Easy…" Sasuke cautioned. "I'm going to pivot in a few seconds. I'll tell you when."
There was a swear and a flop, and Naruto's head slammed into the brim of the tub as his entire body twisted. How Naruto had even ended up in this position, Sasuke hadn't the slightest clue. But his rapidly twirling legs took Sasuke with him. Sasuke pushed himself back from a near collision with the tub wall, struggling to get the top end of his body to the opposite side. And there was flopping, and splashing, and the familiar squeak of their bodies against the tub bottom.
"This is what you call 'controlled movements,' Naruto? Really?"
Naruto gurgled loudly, and it was safe to assume that Sasuke's complaint had fallen upon deaf, water-muffled ears. Sasuke was pushy this time, forcing himself to the other end. Finally Naruto emerged from underwater, sputtering.
"Are you brain damaged?!" Sasuke snapped.
Sasuke's previously dry hair was now drenched, and he stroked it backwards. It had an uncanny way of transforming his entire face, his forehead completely bare.
"You weren't doin' it right!" Naruto coughed.
"There was hardly anything to do! All you had to do was slide yo…"
"I was put on the spot!"
"It's not brain surgery, Naruto!"
"You pivoted too fast!"
"I wasn't even pivoting yet!"
Naruto pointed accusatorily, "Don't lie to me! You pivoted."
"You…" Sasuke paused, looking a little conflicted before continuing. "You're bleeding."
"What?!" Naruto demanded, his voice venturing a tad bit higher than he would have liked to admit.
Sure enough, a diluted trail of blood was streaming from Naruto's temple and down his cheek. Naruto croaked as he saw a dab hit the water.
"Stop whining."
Sasuke moved closer to Naruto, and Naruto couldn't help but stare at Sasuke as his damp face came so close to his, staring at Naruto's forehead intently. A plump drop of bathwater dribbled down Sasuke's outer cheek, and Naruto noted the creases of Sasuke's pale lips in detail. Sasuke moved Naruto's hair out of the laceration, gently soaping it. After all, though the bathwater was a bit sudsy, Sasuke hadn't been exactly clean before getting in.
"It's not bad. You must've just busted a capillary."
"I never said it was bad," Naruto answered defensively.
Sasuke smirked, using fresh water from the faucet behind him to rinse the wound off. It had been tended to, yet Sasuke continued to stare. Quite closely, actually.
"Uh… Not to be rude, but can I help you with anything, Sasuke?"
"You need to shave."
Naruto stared back at Sasuke for a moment, rubbing his palm over his upper lip and chin. He did feel a bit of hair growing in, but it seemed spotty.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Ah… Okay then…" Naruto answered his eyes drifting nervously. He couldn't say it. He wouldn't admit it. Not to that bastard.
"You don't know how to shave, do you?"
"Of course I know how to shave!" Naruto answered defensively.
"You haven't asked for a razor even once since you've lived here."
Dammit, what sixteen-year-old male didn't know how to shave? It wasn't his fault his facial hair had come in so late!
"Well yeah, cuz I don't need to shave much. But I still know how."
"Alright. I'll get you a razor, and you can take care of it then."
Naruto was silent. How difficult could it possibly be? You just…drag the thing down your face, right? He'd seen it in on TV and in movies. It didn't look challenging. But then again, he didn't know if his pride could handle Sasuke finding him with a face full of knicks. And knowing himself… Well, he was Uzumaki Naruto. How could anything ever go wrong?
Sasuke smirked, obviously understanding the situation from the start. He had wanted to watch Naruto suffer a little first, but he'd had his fun now. Naruto blushed lightly and stared towards the wall.
"Though…" Sasuke felt his own chin. "I guess I'm getting a little stubble. I'll join you."
It was humiliating enough that his boyfriend had to be the one to teach him how to shave. In fact, the very same day that he took Sasuke's virginity, after Naruto had literally plowed inside of him, Sasuke had to be the one to teach Naruto how to shave? What kind of perverse irony had fate bestowed upon him? At least Sasuke was being subtle about it. Proof that he wasn't a total dick.
Naruto finished washing Sasuke's legs, and finally the two of them were clean. They drained the tub and stood, drying off their bodies and wrapping their towels around their waists. It would be best to do this in Itachi's bathroom, Sasuke decided. The bathroom counter and mirror were both longer. Otherwise they'd be feuding over precious counter space and Sasuke's portrait sized bathroom mirror.
Sasuke came back with both his razor as well as a disposable one, and some shaving cream. He shut the drain and filled it up with cold water. They stood next to each other, Sasuke's height reaching a couple of inches above Naruto's. Sasuke placed the shaving cream on the counter between them, lathering some into his palms and rubbing it against his chin, jaw, and cheeks. Sasuke wasn't lying, actually. He was due for a shave, and his favorite time for doing so was just after showers.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke nervously, attempting to be inconspicuous. Sasuke saw Naruto perfectly out of his periphery, and even out of the mirror for that matter, but he mercifully pretended not to. Naruto fetched himself a generous (very generous) handful of shaming cream and rubbed it onto his skin. Sasuke was using his left hand to pull his skin taut, slowly moving from his left sideburns towards the center of his face.
Naruto, meanwhile, stared at his razor for a bit. He dragged the razor in a long stroke down the side of his face. It was difficult to see if this had been successful or not. In retrospect, maybe he didn't need so much shaving cream. Just to make sure he'd gotten all of his hair, he shaved from his chin towards the top of his head, in a long haphazard stroke.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're supposed to shave with the grain, not against it."
"Grain? Like…as in grains?"
"You're supposed to shave in the same direction the hair grows," Sasuke sighed, frustrated. "Only go against if you're in a pinch, or you'll give yourself razor burn."
"I already know that," Naruto grumbled. "You weren't paying attention. I was in a pinch."
"How are you supposed to even know if you've gotten a clean shave or not with that much shaving cream on your face? You look like Santa Claus."
Sasuke ran his finger down the part of Naruto's face that he had attempted to shave, pushing some of the cream aside. Sure enough, a faint streak of blood had formed. He'd already managed to knick himself? Naruto was rather injury prone today, it seemed. Wheat brows knit together.
"Naruto," Sasuke exhaled, "Do you want me to teach you how to shave or not?"
"Fine," Naruto said quietly, huffing. It was embarrassing, yes, but he might as well admit it and get it over with.
"Clean your razor."
Sasuke twirled his own in the sink, getting off any shaving cream and hair left behind. Naruto followed suit, splashing just a bit.
"Use your opposite hand to stretch the skin, and then just shave downwards in short brushes. Don't use much pressure."
Naruto slowly dragged the razor down his cheek again. He could do this, right? As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke really was helping him here.
"Don't shave at that angle. It's too easy to knick yourself. Try to keep the blades more parallel with the skin, like this."
Naruto watched Sasuke and nodded. Easy enough.
"Like this?"
"Yeah, that's fine."
Sasuke hadn't expected to teach someone how to shave any time soon. He didn't mind it, however. Actually, a smaller part of him enjoyed instructing Naruto, showing him these things. Sasuke occasionally glanced over at Naruto to make sure he wasn't doing anything too stupid. Naruto was doing reasonably well, though he was leaving thin streaks of hair behind every now and again.
"You're missing some spots. Try to work on smaller sections at once."
"Okay, okay, I'll get to them," Naruto answered impatiently.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Naruto knicked himself again.
"Dammit! What am I doing wrong?"
"It happens to everyone. You just need practice."
Naruto nodded, staring in the mirror intensely. He had to get this right. If he was careful enough, moved slowly enough, he wouldn't knick himself. Maybe Sasuke would be proud of him then, would be surprised at how quickly Naruto had learned.
Sasuke remembered standing beside his father in Naruto's position, wondering why the man hadn't just let Sasuke learn himself. After his first several strokes, he began to see why. But his father was patient, uncharacteristically so. Sasuke wanted to do this perfectly, wanted to impress his father. Sasuke was frustrated when he saw his first speck of blood, but his father had merely smiled.
"You're growing up now," his father had said.
They stood on a maroon plush rug, working over a pair of simple yet elegant sinks. Sasuke had frowned.
"Yeah, well growing up is a pain in the… A hassle."
Fugaku chuckled, and Sasuke recalled his father's laugh at that particular time so specifically. This was one of the last memories Sasuke had of his father. He smiled, glancing at Naruto, who was taking this very seriously now. Naruto was appearing to get into the groove, and shaving was soon demanding less of his mental energy.
"Sasuke…"
"Hm?"
"When did you start shaving?"
"Fourteen."
Naruto was visibly discouraged. So early! Was he just a late bloomer? Naruto's frown didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.
"One of the curses of a pale complexion and dark hair."
Really, Naruto needn't be so embarrassed. As Sasuke had said himself, their complexions were very different. There was also the fact that Naruto had been severely malnourished for the past year, which could have well delayed puberty for him. As much as Sasuke enjoyed teasing Naruto, he did not enjoy seeing him genuinely insecure.
Naruto nodded, feeling a little reassured by Sasuke's words. Maybe it really was just because of his complexion, as Sasuke said? With a face as pale as Sasuke's, and hair so black, Sasuke probably couldn't get away with much.
"How often do you shave?"
"About three or four times a month, these days. But I have to do it more often the older I get."
"Have you ever thought of growing it out?"
"You mean like…a beard or something? A mustache?" Sasuke perked his eyebrow. The idea of his face with either one of those was repugnant to Sasuke. Besides, he didn't think his facial hair was even thick enough for that yet.
"No, I mean just a little stubble. Christ, that would be sexy."
"I'll think about it."
Finally they were done, though Naruto now had a couple small pieces of paper towel on his face. Naruto had graciously volunteered to cook Sasuke breakfast. Sasuke hesitated. The nausea had diminished, but he was uncertain of whether he could digest even the safest of foods. Naruto's cooking? Well, that remained to be seen.
Naruto watched the eggs with utmost dedication. They must be fluffy, not a bit crusty or hard. They must be cooked evenly. He kept the heat on low. This is what Sasuke had told him to do. He wouldn't fail, no. But now… What had happened? A piece of notebook paper by the stove had caught fire. Fuck. He reached in. It didn't matter if he burned himself. Sasuke could not smell that smoke, not after everything that had happened. He fortunately made it to the sink before he'd been burnt.
And there it was. The scent of smoke. Sasuke's palms sweated, and his chest tightened. He hated that smell, yet he ignored it. The grating screech of the smoke alarm. Sasuke covered his ears, pretending to be annoyed by the sound rather than perturbed. He heard clamoring of metal in the kitchen as Naruto quickly slapped a pot over the smoke alarm, racing in immediately to check on Sasuke, who was sitting on the couch.
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," Sasuke mumbled, sounding a little winded.
He'd been trying to cook a meal for the guy, and he'd just set off a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm of all things, after Sasuke lost his parents in a fire and was allegedly prone to panic attacks. Every attempt he made at making Sasuke feel better was exploding in his face. The bath, now this… Could he get anything right?
Naruto sat down with Sasuke on the couch, wrapping his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and pulling the Uchiha into him.
"I told you, I'm fine."
As pushy as he could be at times, Naruto was a welcome distraction. Naruto kissed Sasuke lightly, their lips briefly pecking together. It was unnecessary. Sasuke could handle such a trivial thing. The fire alarm had finally stopped.
"I'm sorry… I really wanted to make things easier on you today, and… I'm just making everything worse and causing hassles left and right. That's…really all I ever do, huh?"
Naruto shot up, waving at Sasuke dismissively.
"Fuck, sorry, sorry. Ignore that."
He hadn't meant to say that. He really hadn't. He'd always been told he should think before he spoke. Today was about Sasuke. Sasuke had so many issues to deal with at the moment that they made Naruto's head spin. He did not want to burden Sasuke with the additional responsibility of consoling his bruised ego.
"Naruto…" Sasuke frowned. There were a lot of things he could've said. Naruto had been the one holding him together. If Naruto hadn't been there, what would he be doing now? How much farther would he have drifted?
"You are helpful. I'm glad I don't have to do this alone."
Naruto smiled at Sasuke, but Sasuke had begun to stare off.
"'S wrong, Sasuke?"
Sasuke shrugged.
"Saaasuke…" Naruto weedled, poking Sasuke in the side. Sasuke grunted. "I wanted to make you happy today. Is there a pesky little thought getting in my way?"
Sasuke sighed, "Just… I feel like I shouldn't be lazing around like this. With winter break coming up, people are gonna be more eager to buy, and there's a lot of money to be made."
He hadn't wanted to mention this in front of Naruto. He knew Naruto disapproved, but again, Naruto had insisted that Sasuke be open with him, many, many times. Sasuke hated to admit that he'd started to enjoy Naruto's intrusions.
"I'm really worried about you, Sasuke."
The corners of Sasuke's lips drooped, and Naruto rubbed his right forearm now. Naruto's hand made its way over the thickened scar tissue Sasuke had received in a fight several months ago.
"I'm fine."
"You just found out that the hospital's going to operate on your brother after all. So why not just…stop this?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"There's a followup surgery too, and what about after the operations? What about school and food and medications?"
Silence. Naruto stared at his lap, hesitantly bringing his eyes up to Sasuke.
"What if… What if I could make some money too?"
Sasuke glanced back at Naruto questioningly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw an ad on TV the other day. There's this center a few blocks out where you do like…random labor all day, and they pay you for it?"
Sasuke nodded, "Oh, yeah, my friend did that over a summer. You have to be sixteen though."
"Well, one good thing that psychopath of a foster parent did… He got me an ID."
"You're saying… That's a risk, Naruto."
Naruto sighed, "Yeah, but you're taking a pretty big risk yourself. A very stupid, reckless risk. Besides, think about it… They pay you in cash the same day, they said. Which means it's probably under the table, which means that they can't find me through my paycheck, right?"
Sasuke perked a brow. How did Naruto know these things, anyway?
"Yeah, Suigetsu just said they gave him a couple twenty's at the end of the day. You just show 'em an ID or something and get to work if they need you."
"Forty bucks?!" Naruto beamed. "I could do that every day! That's…I suck at math, but that's somethin', right?"
He would've volunteered odd jobs long before, but he couldn't exactly be coming and going on a whim with Itachi's schedule so unpredictable.
"You do understand the risks, right? The more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is…"
Naruto had been frightened by the prospect, yes. It was a risk. Hiding out in a park was one thing, but working with a wide variety of people and clients, actually going through an agency… Yet things with Itachi had escalated so quickly. And honestly, just seeing Sasuke suffer so much that morning, hearing him come completely undone… He had to do something.
"Yeah, I know. But it's not like I haven't spent most of the last year in public, right? 'Sides, I think I'm getting cabin fever. Haven't you ever seen the movies?"
The idea excited him almost as much as it frightened him. He was glad to finally have the ability to help out, to finally serve a purpose. He imagined that Sasuke often felt the same throughout his relationship with Itachi. And it was also true that he was getting pretty damned sick of the same rooms day in and day out. He couldn't believe he would even think this, but what he wouldn't give for the outdoors and sunlight…
"When I was on the streets, I just kept moving farther and farther out, so I wouldn't get caught. The only reason I stayed here so long was…"
Sasuke snickered, "Because you couldn't resist me, hm?"
"You're a douchebag," Naruto laughed. "I just want you to stop doing this, Sasuke," he added, his voice quieting.
With a frown, the paler male decided to only respond to what suited him, "To be honest, the beach was only closed up for trash pickup for a couple weeks."
"So you were really going to the park on purpose?"
It had been a little awkward to admit, though it had served as a distraction.
"Yeah… If I was gonna pick up trash all day anyway, I might as well have some company."
Naruto beamed, hugging Sasuke tightly. Sasuke cast Naruto back a light smile in return, waiting a moment until speaking again.
"Thank you, Naruto."
"'S fine, don't worry about it. I've been bumming off of ya for months now. And…as horrible as what happened to your brother is, the fact that he's staying in the hospital will make this even safer."
Sasuke nodded, slowly. Yes, his brother. As much as it pained him, it did make his arrangement with Naruto much simpler. It would buy them time. Naruto's remark brought his mind to another very important issue.
"Itachi being admitted to the hospital should buy us a few weeks at least, but Naruto…" Sasuke's eyes stared resolutely into Naruto's. "He's going to find you eventually. We need a plan."
"Yeah…" Naruto answered, frowning and staring towards the ground. Sasuke's words unpleasant, but this was reality.
"I've been researching the laws. It's a little…confusing."
Sasuke hated to admit this, but he was confused. He researched article upon article, but there was so much legal jargon to sift through, and not everything was black and white. There were so many different conditions to consider, and certain elements were just up to the judge. As prideful as Sasuke was, he would've jumped at the opportunity to ask Itachi for some help.
"You could try to become an emancipated minor, but you'd need to go to court for that. It takes a while and is expensive. Or you can just…go back to..."
"I'm not going back," Naruto insisted, stubbornly.
"Naruto…" Sasuke sighed. "I understand your hesitance, but if you were an outsider, what would you suggest to yourself?"
"I'd say it was their decision, because I could never really get what they'd gone through."
He was dismissing Sasuke, rather childishly. Yet he had done the same for Sasuke. As much as he despised the idea of Sasuke's current vocation, in the end, it was Sasuke's decision. He could not comprehend what Sasuke was going through, losing both parents and now possibly even his last remaining kin, though this was admittedly unlikely. Whether he liked it or not, Sasuke's efforts very well could reduce his brother's risks.
Over the past several months, they had become very familiar with each other. They defended each other, protected each other, and supported each other when no one else would. They related to each other on a level that neither them had even believed to be possible. Yet despite this, there were things about each of them that the other would never understand. But to Sasuke, Naruto's remark just sounded like stubbornness.
"Be logical. What are the chances of something like that-"
"No offense, Sasuke, but you're not one to lecture me on being logical and minding probabilities."
How had the mood shifted so quickly? Whose fault was it? The boys glared at each other, each as annoyed as the other.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, his voice placid but menacing.
"You're selling drugs, and you know what? Chances are, your brother will be fine, but you aren't taking that into account. You're overreacting, again."
Naruto threw his arms up in exasperation. Why was he saying this? Yes, he'd been frustrated with Sasuke's behavior for a long time, but was now really the time to lash out? How could he have told Sasuke that he was overreacting after the past twelve hours' events? Just after Naruto had beaten himself up about somehow maiming all of his attempts to soothe Sasuke's nerves, he was fighting with him?
Sasuke wanted to yell at Naruto, wanted to explain how scared he was and exactly what was at stake here. He wasn't overreacting. He just didn't want something horrible to happen. Sasuke supposed that this was just how Naruto must have felt. Naruto had become defensive, hadn't he? Sasuke wanted to defend himself too, but why?
"Well, you're a big kid," Sasuke spoke calmly, noting their minimal age difference with dry irony. He stood, staring down at Naruto vacantly, "Make the decision yourself."
There were so many other things he could say, so many different ways he could argue his viewpoint or speak up for himself. But when Naruto spoke like that, he wondered if his lover had a point. Perhaps he was overreacting. Perhaps they were both being ruled by their fears. Still, his only motivation in speaking had been to help Naruto. How could Naruto have the nerve to say something like that to him after last night?
It didn't matter. For now, he just wanted to be far away. He hadn't meant what he'd said. He would have time to convince Naruto, to work on him. Perhaps Naruto really could make it on his own, on odds and ends, in a state far away. But what kind of future was that? And selfishly, he thought, he could not let yet another important person disappear from his life.
As Sasuke walked off, so mildly, Naruto's teeth clenched. He would have much preferred a slammed door. What he said had been true. Sasuke had overreacted. The decisions he was making brought the Uchiha family more risk than safety. But still, Naruto should have had the discipline to hold his tongue, at least for now.
Sasuke quietly ascended the stairs. The older male was tempted, for a moment, to follow him. Maybe they'd both been wrong. But how could he apologize when he was still fuming like this? Sasuke was, after all, being hypocritical by being upset. Naruto wasn't exactly in the mood to speak with Sasuke either.
Sasuke had homework to work on. He had more meaningful ways to invest his time. He read his biology textbook for fifteen minutes while lying in bed, stopping to knead at his aching temples every few moments. He only heard silence from the lower floor. What exactly was Naruto doing down there?
Somewhere during the chapter on cellular respiration, his thoughts went black. Perhaps his body still yearned for rest. When the echo of a fist on a door persistently dragged Sasuke out of slumber, it had already become dark. These winter days had grown short.
"Come in," Sasuke grunted.
Naruto had checked up on Sasuke shortly after their disagreement, but upon finding him so deeply in slumber, he had decided to wait until he could finally find a way to prepare a half decent meal for the two of them. As Naruto entered, Sasuke looked up, and their eyes met. Neither of them said anything. They just stared quietly.
"Hey," Naruto frowned, his brows knit together. He was holding a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, pouting. "I didn't want to throw them away."
Sasuke sighed. It was be petty not to take the meal, but that was what he'd been tempted to do. Instead he propped himself up, taking the plate onto his lap and taking a small and hesitant bite.
"This is better than I've seen you do," he admitted.
Despite Naruto's sour mood, Sasuke's compliment still had full effect. Any compliment from Sasuke did, really. Their silence stretched on, and just as Sasuke reached out for his textbook again, Naruto spoke up.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry. I was being a dick."
"It's fine," the younger murmured, not taking his eyes from his textbook just yet.
"I know you were just trying to help..."
"Yeah," Sasuke responded tersely.
Another pause. A sigh, from Sasuke now.
"I'm sorry, too."
Sasuke thought apologizing would make his previous decisions seem less legitimate or his word less credible. But in speaking it, he had shed a burden. He didn't like the feeling. He didn't enjoy being angry at Naruto. He didn't like fighting him - at least not like this.
The tension diminished but did not terminate. Apologies were wonderful niceties, but apologies did not make decisions. A pensive air seemed to hang around them as they slowly came to terms with the severity of the situation they were in, and the undeniable truth that one way or another, a decision was inevitable.
"You're right, Sasuke," Naruto admitted quietly. "Looking at it, from the outside… I should turn myself in."
Sasuke frowned, leaning forward and wrapping his arm around Naruto. He rested his lips inches from Naruto's ear.
"I'll protect you, Naruto. If anyone fucks with you, I will destroy them."
"I know, Sasuke," Naruto answered with a smile. There was no way Sasuke could promise something like that. "I know."

Author's note:

(Please read, important.)
I'm going to be leaving for Europe for several weeks. Staying at a friend's house in Istanbul and moving west and north... Yeah, it's a saga.
I mention this because there's going to be some changes in update schedule. I want to ensure that I'm updating consistently and not leaving you guys hanging. So for a few chapters, I'm going to be updating every other week instead of every week.
So yeah, I'm sorry about the change in schedule. I'll return to weekly updates when I get back. Thanks for being understanding.
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