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It Started In An Elevator	By : Daydreamer79 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 2501 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I make money from it

Chapter List
- 1-It Started In An Elevator
- 1
It Started In An Elevator

Silence filled the office as Sasuke Uchiha read over the reports dumped onto him by his brother. It wasn't that Itachi was being particularly cruel or manipulative, because he could be both if given the right circumstances, it was just that his brother only trusted one other person to handle the upper level litigations and that person happened to be Sasuke. Itachi had a wife and children after all, he shouldn't have to stay late at the office when his family waited for him at home where as Sasuke had nothing but a cold apartment and a stupid stray cat that had taken up residence with him.

Sighing, he rubbed his gritty eyes, pushing his reading glasses up on his forehead with the action. There were times when he wished he had what Itachi did...or at least someone other than a cat waiting for him to come home.

And there were other times when he said screw it. He was happy with his lifestyle. Working long hours was fine. He didn't mind because he didn't have someone waiting for him and no real inclination to find anyone to fill that inconsequential void.

He shook his head. It was pointless for him to continue staring at the same line and time he put down the file for the next day. His brain was too tired to bother with it at this point.

With a sigh, he pushed back from his desk and stood with a wince, feeling bones popping in his back and his muscles throbbing from remaining in the same position for so long. He really was beginning to feel his age. At thirty, it just wasn't as easy to pull late nights and exist on only three hours of sleep as it was at twenty.

He plucked his briefcase from his feet and grabbed his coat from the stand behind his door. As he strolled through the dimly lit floor, he considered his dinner. There was little more than a few protein bars and maybe some canned soup at his apartment. His stomach rumbled and he shook his head. There was a decent diner on the drive home. Stopping there would only take a handful of minutes.

Calling the elevator, he glanced at the nearby stairwell, but brushed aside the thought. He was too tired and it was late. It wasn't as if anyone else would be about to cause the elevator to delay or crowd him with the press of bodies.

The thought had just flitted through his mind when the doors opened and a wide-eyed man stood before him with a janitorial cart. "Oh...wow, I didn't think anyone would be here this late."

Sasuke was too tired to care. He stepped aside but the man shook his head. "My next floor is two down. If you like, you can wait for the next elevator."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and considered instructing the man on just who he was, but was too exhausted for even that. He merely bit the proverbial bullet and stepped into the contraption with no thought other than food and then his wonderfully comfortable bed.

The man, a blond sporting a healthy tan and bright eyes, hummed a low tune under his breath as the doors closed and the elevator began to move. Sasuke ignored him until the elevator gave a sudden jolt and stopped where it was.

"What the fuck?" He glared at the man as if it was his fault and reached over to press the button that would send the elevator down. Nothing.

"Ummm...it will probably start back up in a second. Sometimes the computers that run these things stutter."

Sasuke grumbled an unintelligible sound and pressed the button again. He just wanted to get some dinner and then get home.

"You know, that won't help."

For a brief moment, he considered murdering the man and then calling Itachi to help him hide the body. With his manipulatively intelligent brother, there was not the slightest chance he would be caught. There was that working for him at least.

"Well, then what would you suggest?"

"Waiting?"

"Brilliant. I can see why the company hired you."

"Well, Mr. Smart Ass, what would you suggest we do?"

Sasuke reached over again, this time pressing the emergency call button. He'd never been in a situation like this, but figured the button was there for a reason. He only hoped someone was there to answer the call.

There was a bit of static, followed by a voice. "This is security."

Sasuke arched his brow. He didn't think the elevator call button connected to the security desk, but figured it was probably rerouted at night when the building was all but deserted. "This is Sasuke Uchiha. I was leaving the office and now I'm stuck in one of the elevators."

"I understand, Mr. Uchiha. I'll call someone right away and we'll get you out of there as quickly as possible."

Sasuke's lips turned up in a smug smirk, his gaze shifting to his companion. "That's how someone with a brain does it."

His amusement turned to exasperation when the janitor trapped with him in the elevator stuck his tongue out at him. Did that idiot not know who he was? It was his damn family name on the building and the idiot was sticking his tongue out at him.

The janitor began humming again, as if not having a care in the world. Just the sound of his high spirits sent annoyance through Sasuke. "Will you stop that?!"

"What?"

"The humming. It's getting on my nerves."

There was a sniffing sound, and the humming lowered but did not completely stop. Was that little shit separated from him by only a janitorial cart being annoying on purpose? God, the sooner he got out of this blasted contraption, the happier and saner he would be.

A small tic began in his jaw and he turned his gaze away and waited calmly for the elevator to begin moving. With him being the occupant trapped inside, he thought for certain they would have it running again within a matter of minutes. When the matter of minutes, however, turned into a half of an hour, his faint uplifting of mood plummeted and the static masked voice called into the small space once more.

"Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke glanced up with relief. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid we're having trouble locating a technician at this hour. We're doing our best and have called in several people, including your brother to solve this problem as quickly as possible."

"How long?" growled out Sasuke, his temper as short as he could ever remember it having been.

"A couple of hours at least."

"Hours?" Sasuke was sure his head was going to explode. He was going insane and it had only been a little over a half of an hour. He was tired. He was hungry. He was beginning to become more than a little homicidal at the thought of being forced to remain in the same space as that blond idiot.

"You have our apologies. We're working as fast as we can." The static stopped and the room went silent again.

"I guess we're gonna be here for a while."

Sasuke ignored him and leaned against the mirrored interior. If he did not know better, he would have almost thought his brother had arranged this little trap. Torturing him had always been a long sitting pleasure with Itachi.

"You know, we can talk or whatever. It will pass the time. I'm Naruto, by the way, Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke's eyes closed and he counted to ten in his head before shifting his gaze to where the man, Naruto Uzumaki, stood. "Just shut up."

"Hey! Stop being such an ass. I was only being polite since we're stuck here." Naruto sniffed indignantly and slumped against the wall. "I was just trying to keep us from being bored."

"Not everyone is a moron and needs every moment of every day occupied with needless prattle."

Naruto gave a sniff and shoved his hands into the pockets of his gray jumpsuit. "Not all of us are assholes either," he mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Sasuke only having caught the tone of the mumble knew it was not something pleasant and it irked him that this little shithead janitor thought to even act like that.

Apparently Naruto had no qualms with telling Sasuke exactly what he had said. "I said, not all of us are assholes either."

Sasuke looked over the divide created by the carts with angry eyes. "You're fired."

Naruto met the dark gaze with a look of defiance. "You can't fire me."

"My name is on the fucking building. I can do whatever the hell I want."

"Oh...last time I looked, a man named Itachi Uchiha signed my paychecks...and from what I recall you saying earlier, your name is Sasuke Uchiha."

"Itachi's my brother. If I say fire you, he'll fire you without batting an eye. Not like there aren't a million low wage bums out there to hire and refill that spot."

Sasuke was pretty damn annoyed at this point. He was just a hair's breathe from lunging around the cart and strangling the man without so much as a passing thought. He hated when he got this way and lost control, but he was at the end of a very short fuse.

The tongue came out again and Sasuke stared at him blankly. "What are you, like five?"

Naruto snorted before sliding down to the floor of the elevator. "You're just a stuck up prick."

The anger and frustration that he was fighting exploded within him. He almost blanked out as he jerked the cart out of the way and wrapped his fist around the loose gray material of the coveralls, pulling Naruto to his feet. Their noses nearly touched as he stared down at him breathing hard and angry.

"Whatcha gonna do, tough guy?"

The fist, clenched at Sasuke's side, tightened and he was moments away from plowing it into that defiant face when the loud rumbling of his stomach gave him pause. Both of them glanced down in the small space between them. Embarrassment pushed back the anger as Naruto grinned and gave a small bark of laughter.

"Hungry much?"

"If you must know, you little shit, I was in the office and had to skip dinner."

Naruto cocked his head. "Not a very smart thing to do. You never know when you're going to end up trapped in an elevator for hours on end."

Sasuke growled, only to have it halted by another rumble from his stomach. God, why was his stomach choosing now to make such a fuss?

Naruto brushed away Sasuke's hand and pulled out a small brown paper bag from the cart. His hand reached inside and pulled out two Snickers bars. "This was going to be a snack for me on my break, but I guess I can share with you. Don't want you fainting or anything. Those idiots might think I killed you or something. I can't afford another lawsuit."

Sasuke eyed the candy bar, before jerking his eyes to meet those of sapphire blue. "Another lawsuit."

Naruto grinned and giggled before tossing Sasuke one of the bars. "I'm just teasing. Jeez, you're like a prime example of why corporate America is destroying us. Just look at you, you have no sense of humor. You're like a perpetually pissed off robot or something."

"Only around you," grumbled Sasuke as he ripped open the brown wrapper and took a bite of the chocolate covered nougat, caramel, and peanuts. Damn, when had Snickers begun to taste so damn good? He didn't even like sweets, but fuck, that was the best candy bar he'd ever tasted.

Naruto grinned and took a bite of his bar. "Good, huh? I never thought I'd see someone cum from eating chocolate, but to each their own."

Sasuke felt a twinge of annoyance, but pushed it aside in his gluttony. He would forgive the little shit since he had given him one of his candy bars. That was at least worth postponing his death for now.

"So," began Naruto, "what kept you up here so late? There aren't usually many people about this late."

"None of your business."

"Jeez, you're a regular Chatty Cathy. I'm just trying to pass the time, don't bite my head off."

Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh and slid slowly into a sitting position on his side of the cart. "Just going over the reports of a new account the company acquired."

Naruto gave a low hum. "Sound's boring."

Blinking his eyes, he glanced around the cart at Naruto before barking out a laugh. Naruto's head shot up and he stared at him for several seconds before grinning broadly. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he felt himself relax completely in the presence of another person.

"It would only be boring for someone like you."

Naruto scowled and extended his middle finger to Sasuke. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You probably never went to college, so you aren't trained to know what to look for in that sort of job. It would be boring to you. People like you wouldn't last a day in my job."

"Show's what you know," mumbled Naruto as he leaned his head against the elevator wall and stared at the image reflected back at him. "You don't know anything."

Sasuke felt a small tendril of shame wash through him. It was a strange sensation to feel compassion for anyone. In most cases, he wanted nothing to do with anyone and would not have batted an eyelash if they dropped off the face of the earth. An hour trapped with a stranger in an elevator and he was all ready to comfort him for whatever slight he had done to him.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke though the reflection. Sasuke was surprised at the faint sight of depression visible on his face and he wanted to make it right. "Look...I'm sorry."

Naruto turned from the wall to face Sasuke. "It's fine. No harm."

Long silence extended between them—companionable silence. Sasuke was disappointed though. In that short time, he had begun to enjoy the way Naruto never let the quiet settle before he was speaking. In the beginning, he thought it frustratingly annoying, but now, he wasn't so sure he liked the silence now that he had gotten attached to Naruto's voice.

"How long have you worked for Uchiha Corp?"

Naruto blinked and glanced at Sasuke. "A couple of months. It pays its employees a lot better than some of the other companies and even janitors get damn nice benefits. There is a serious waiting list to work here, but my godfather is head of hiring janitors, so he hooked me up once a position opened up."

"You're lucky."

"Yeah, he's a good guy, bit of a pervert, but it's easy to overlook. I was in a really bad place, nearly kicked out of my apartment. At rock bottom, I suppose. This job was a lifesaver. I suppose I'd better start looking for work again."

Sasuke started and stared almost dumbly at him. "What? Why? I thought you liked it here."

"You fired me." A teasing smile spread across Naruto's face. "Don't you remember?"

He did remember, and a fresh wash of shame worked through him. Clearing his throat, he looked away, focusing on something other than Naruto as he spoke. "You gave me one of your candy bars, so we'll just call it even and never speak of it again."

He made a point of not looking at Naruto, but somehow he did not have a choice. The large barrier of the janitorial cart that had stood between them—almost like a wall and in some ways, represented their places in the world with Sasuke as the rich executive and Naruto as the lowly janitor—was pushed aside and against the wall. Naruto took a seat beside him, enough space between them so not to make him uncomfortable.

"Thanks."

The silence that followed between them this time, while still companionable, was much more pleasant for Sasuke. He felt as if something monumental had happened. And when the elevator gave a sudden jerk and began moving, he was almost disappointed. His time in the presence of this infuriating yet strangely companionable man was finished.

"I guess this is good-bye," said Naruto, extending his hand in sort of a peace offering.

Sasuke wrapped his hand around Naruto's. It was warm and slightly rough with callouses, as if the man was familiar with manual labor. "I suppose it is."

"Thanks for not firing me, but if you decide to do it anyway, I won't hold it against you."

He released Naruto's hand just as the doors opened and saw his tired brother and a frazzled electrical technician staring at him in relief. Not saying a word to either of them, he walked past and toward the parking garage where his car waited patiently for him. Itachi wouldn't take his attitude personally. If anything, he would probably find it amusing for Sasuke to be so weathered by the experience and it went without saying that Sasuke would not be into work the next day.

His ride home was a blur. He didn't even stop for food, but rather unlocked his door, walked into the bedroom all the while shedding clothes until he wore nothing but his boxers, and crashed onto the plush mattress. His cat, a short haired tabby, jumped up beside him and curled lovingly against him. As his eyes fluttered closed, he replayed the warm feel of rough hands scraping at his palms and his body gave a shiver just before he was tugged into oblivion.

oOo
A warm sense of contentment filled Sasuke as he shifted on the bed and yawned broadly. His back arched much like a cat and he slumped back onto the mattress with a sleepy sigh. There was a warm tingle in his loins and on habit, his hand slid down his abdomen and into his boxers to wrap around the hard length pressing upward against his stomach.

A pleasure-filled growl rumbled from him as his hand began its slow tug upon the flesh. Instinct more than thought guided him through the sleep-hazed act. His second hand traced lightly over the puckered nipples rising up from his chest before sliding down to cup and tug firmly at his balls. His breath began to stutter and catch as the simmering heat started its rise and promised satiation.

Arching up, he felt that familiar rise crest through him. His teeth latched onto his lower lip and his hand sped up its motions. He was almost there when a sudden image darted into a mind that was only focusing on the pleasure and not any real fantasy.

Bright blue eyes and tanned skin tempted him, but it was the ghostly touch of calloused hands that finally sent him over the edge. A gasping cry was torn from his throat as his body went ramrod stiff and hard spurts of ejaculate erupted from him.

"God," he shouted.

His hips continued to pump up through the orgasm until he collapsed in a limp heap. Morning masturbation had never been quite that interesting before. His mind was still muddled until the haze brought on by his release eased and he realized just the route his mind and body had taken in this morning ritual.

Dark eyes popped open and he stared at the ceiling, his hand still inside his boxers and covered with his release. "The fuck?"

That guy, Naruto, couldn't have been his unseen lover. The thought was almost inconceivable. For one, he barely knew the guy, and two, he pissed him off more often than not if their only encounter was anything to go by.

The last vestiges of pleasure fled and a scowl pulled down his features. Damn blond. He couldn't recall the last time he had masturbated to the thought of a man. He didn't discriminate between the sexes, but in recent years, women had appealed more to him and then out of the blue, this janitor with his wide eyes and smart mouth had wormed his way into his masturbatory fantasies.

"Fuck this shit." He wiped his hand on a few tissues tugged from the box at his bedside and then flopped back down into the mattress so to try and recapture the warm pleasure of sleep. But sleeping was the last thing on his mind and before he knew it, he was on the phone with the company's head of personnel.

"Sakura Haruno speaking."

"What days and hours does Naruto..." Fuck, what was his last name? Had he even given it to him?

"Shit, his name is Naruto and he works as a janitor. What are his hours?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to give out that sort of information to strangers."

Sasuke jaw tightened and his hand threatened to crush the cellphone pressed to his ear. "This is Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh! Mr. Uchiha, I didn't realize."

"I know. Now tell me what his hours are."

There was a pause and he could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. "There is a Naruto Uzumaki who works with janitorial services, but I'm not sure I should give you that information."

"Give me the damn information," he barked into the phone.

"He works Monday through Friday from eleven p.m. until seven a.m."

Sasuke ended the call without another word. She wouldn't have known what floors he was assigned to, but it didn't matter. He would track him down and find out exactly what this was.

It was too late to bother with going in and he felt it much more satisfying to think of Itachi having to handle both their jobs for a day, not that his perfect brother would have much to worry over. Sasuke was more than efficient at his job and ran a tight ship that could survive a day, or several days, without him there to glare down his nose at those working under him. All Itachi would need to do was sign his name in the appropriate places.

Stretching out on his leather sofa, he flipped though countless channels before settling on a jazz station and opening his laptop. There were a few projects he could work on. None of them were time sensitive and mostly small projects he was managing on the side.

Time flew as he focused on the tasks laid out before him. Before he realized it, it was nearly midnight. The day had passed in a blur with him only stopping his work periodically to grab something to eat before focusing once more on his computer. It was probably a bad sign of his workaholic tendencies, but at least the time had passed. He stood, stretched lazily and walked calmly to his bedroom closet.

Pulling on a pair of loose jeans and a thin crew sweater, he took his keys and wallet and left the apartment. His trip to the corporate building was only interrupted when he stopped at his favorite diner and ordered several meals to go.

The security guard at the desk barely batted an eye as he walked by with his packages of food and rode the elevator to his floor with more than a passing amount of trepidation. A sigh of relief escaped him as he stepped out and carried the food to his office before leaving once more and beginning his search for Naruto.

He, surprisingly, was not hard to find at all. In fact, when he stepped onto the eighteenth floor, he was hit with the sound of very off key singing coming from one of the back offices. As he rounded the corner, he was graced with the sight of Naruto singing and dancing to music being blasted into his ears by a cheap mp3 player.

Instead of disturbing the show, he simply leaned against the wall and watched. Though it annoyed him a little, his eyes drifted over the body that was hidden beneath the larger coveralls. He couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was hard muscle or soft flesh.

He hoped it was the former.

A broom was plucked from the cart and Naruto doubled over in his big solo. It was rather humorous to see him performing as if he was surrounded by a million adoring fans instead of the silence of empty offices. His hips gave a final thrust before he bowed gracefully to the empty room. "Thank you, you've been a wonderful audience."

Naruto then turned to leave the office and was graced by Sasuke leaning against the wall. "Shit!" he screamed.

Sasuke clapped slowly as Naruto tugged the buds from his ears. "A riveting performance."

The other pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled a sigh. "I aim to please."

"A little advice, "said Sasuke. "Don't quit your day job."

The rolling of blue eyes caused him to smirk in amusement. He was so caught up in seeing him that he nearly forgot everything else.

"What are you doing here?" asked Naruto finally.

"Consider it...a showing of gratitude for your generosity last night."

"Generosity? You mean the candy bar? Well...it was either part with that or risk you turning cannibal and eating me. A small sacrifice for my health."

Sasuke scoffed and motioned for him to follow. "Come with me to my office."

"What? I still have to finish this floor."

"Consider this your break, you are allowed those, aren't you?"

Naruto nibbled on his lower lip, causing Sasuke to bite back a shiver of unwelcome lust. Damn, where was this coming from? He'd never been this interested in anyone upon first meeting.

"I am the boss. You won't get into trouble."

Wearing down Naruto proved easier than he hoped and soon they were entering the office where the smell of food had filled the space. He could practically see Naruto drooling at the scent.

"You planning on meeting someone?" asked Naruto calmly.

Sasuke merely shrugged and gestured to Naruto. "You fed me, so the least I can do is return the favor."

Blue eyes went wide. "I don't think all this is comparable to handing over a Snickers."

"Maybe not, but humor me."

The plastic containers were opened and inside were a variety of dishes. The diner might go by the title diner, but they had some of the best food and not all of it the sort to be found in greasy spoons. Sasuke had included a hamburger and fries, spaghetti and meatballs, steak strips and mashed potatoes, and savory herb and lemon grilled chicken with crisp vegetables.

"I think I must have died."

"It's probably gotten cold," commented Sasuke dryly.

Naruto blinked and grinned. "Easily fixed."

Between the two of them, they carried the food into a small break area and one by one, microwaved the meals until they were warm again. Afterwards, they made their way back to Sasuke's office and sat on the comfortable leather couch with the food spread out before them.

"This is amazing."

Sasuke merely smirked with satisfaction at the sound of Naruto's voice. That purr of contentment went straight to his crotch. Damn, he sounded like he'd just had the best sex of his life.

"It's better than sex."

Sasuke started and jerked his gaze to Naruto. Had he said anything out loud? Judging Naruto's satisfied look, it was just coincidence that their thoughts were on somewhat similar paths.

Swallowing the pool of saliva in his mouth, Sasuke raked his eyes over Naruto. Those loose coveralls kept him from truly admiring him, but his hands were damn sexy. Lean and elegantly formed, they were a partial tease at what was hidden from view. Sasuke had always had a kink for well-made hands and Naruto's hands were definitely sending that kink into overdrive.

"I haven't eaten this good in ages. Maybe we should get stuck in an elevator more often."

God, I hope not, thought Sasuke. He doubted he would be able to restrain himself from fucking Naruto against the wall for anyone in the security office to see. A blush settled on his cheeks at the thought.

Clearing his throat, he focused his thoughts less internally and more on Naruto. "I've wanted to ask, why did you take janitorial services as your choice of profession?"

Naruto snorted and looked at Sasuke as if he had grown a second head. "Who in their right mind would want to clean up after people?"

"Obviously you."

There was a rolling of eyes and then a sigh. "I don't want to do this, but there isn't much else. I've a degree in architecture and building design, but none of the firms will hire me. There's just no work and it doesn't help that I got my degree with night classes from a small university."

Sasuke's heart gave a hard thump. It wasn't the first time he'd met a college graduate who worked manual labor because of the economy. Hell, he'd heard a rumor that one of the employees in the mail room was a doctor, but because he was an immigrant from some small country, his license did not transfer. Still, hearing that Naruto wasn't just some bum who dropped out of high school hit him a bit harder in the gut.

"I tried for almost a year to get a job. I even offered to work at a discount, but those bastards wanted diplomas from big name schools to add to their fold and the smaller firms just didn't have the money to pay me even if I worked half salary. If not for Jiraiya, I'd probably be on the street. At least this job pays decent enough and offers benefits that a janitor could only dream of, even if it isn't the most glorious."

"Do you still put in your application to firms?

Naruto shook his head. "All the places in town have my information, but I doubt I'll be getting any calls from them."

Sasuke was silent as Naruto finished his meal and patted his stomach with satisfaction. He had put a serious dent in the food. How such a lean body put away that much food baffled him.

"I guess I'd better get back to work. Thanks for this, Sasuke."

Sasuke watched Naruto go, not even the least bit upset that he had used his given name instead of the requisite Mr. Uchiha. Instead, he found his hand reaching for his cell and calling Itachi.

"Someone better be dead for me to get a late night call two days in a row," growled Itachi into his ear.

"Shut up, you ass."

"Sasuke?" Itachi's sleep heavy voice sharpened. "Are you stuck in an elevator again?"

"I wanted to know, do we still have that architecture firm on retainer?"

"Planning on building something?"

"Yes or no?"

Itachi sighed. "Yes. What do you want to know for?"

"I'll let you know," said Sasuke before hanging up as a plan fermented itself in his mind.

Sasuke didn't sleep that night. He returned home to shower, change into his usual suit, and grab his briefcase before striding into the office. As per usual, his secretary was waiting for him with a list of calls from the previous day and a lovely fragrant cup of coffee containing cream but no sugar. Some days he thought he loved the woman. He would have probably married her if she were not old enough to be his mother.

"Margret, find the number for the architecture firm the company uses and call them up for me."

"Yes, sir."

Sasuke was scanning over a copy of something Itachi wanted his input on when the phone on his desk rang. "Yes?"

"I've Mr. Hatake from the Hatake and Partners on the line."

"Put him through." Sasuke sat aside his paperwork and smiled. He liked when he got to bully people and he was definitely planning on doing some bullying.

"This is Kakashi Hatake. I understand you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, I did. To be frank, I have a project I want you to handle for me. It's been something I've been working on for a while and now it's getting ready to enter into the next stage of development." Which was completely true. In fact, several of his side projects were ready, but he had thought to wait until the new year before he set about moving forward with them. Things, however, had changed.

"My firm would be most happy to handle any project you direct toward us. Have your secretary fax me the information and I'll get our best architects on it."

"That's the thing, this project comes with a stipulation."

"Stipulation?"

"Have you received an employment request from a Naruto Uzumaki within the last year or so?"

He could hear Hatake whispering to someone in the background and smirked. The man was pretty steady on his feet, he gave him that, but he knew his question had shaken him a little.

"Ah, here it is. He applied six months ago. His application was rejected."

Sasuke hummed and twisted a bit in his chair, suddenly feeling protective of Naruto for reasons he could not even fathom. "Why was that?"

"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in the reasonings of office politics."

"Try me. You would be surprised what I would be interested in."

"The truth is, I liked the kid. He had a good head on his shoulders and was fairly talented from what I could tell. He could use a bit of hands-on experience, but I think he could have been an asset. It almost hurt to call him up with our decision."

"Oh?" Sasuke stopped twisting his chair. "Why did you decline hiring him, then?"

"The partners were adamant about pedigree. We deal with a lot of large corporations and image is everything. Businesses like to see us as having hired employees from universities such as Harvard, Yale, and such. People with a degree from Konoha College night courses just doesn't make much of an impression. I was outvoted. It's times like that when I regret having brought on partners, but at the time, it was necessary."

"I see."

"If I may ask, why are you asking about Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Well, I asked because you're going to take him into your firm or lose all the business of the Uchiha Corp. That should rally the partners behind you." A smug look spread across Sasuke's face. "I'm fairly certain that my company is one of your largest accounts."

There was silence on the line, causing him to pause. "Will it be a problem?"

A warm chuckle rumbled into his ear. "I don't think it will be a problem at all."

"Good. I look forward to our continued business." He paused before ending the call. "And, one more thing. Let's keep this a secret from Naruto."

"I don't have a problem with that."

"Good." Sasuke replaced the phone and smiled with satisfaction. That was his good deed for life.

oOo
Sasuke was scribbling out some notes when the doors to his office were thrown open and Naruto along with his frazzled secretary were standing before him. He arched a brow at the two of them before standing. "It's alright, Margret."

She sniffed delicately before giving Naruto's shoulder a little poke. "Next time make an appointment, young man."

Naruto grinned apologetically to the woman before turning to Sasuke. "You won't believe this. I can't believe it."

Sasuke smiled at Naruto's enthusiasm. Over the past few days, he had purposefully stayed late at the office. Naruto had made a habit of dropping in shortly before his shift began. It was a welcome end to the day for Sasuke.

"What is it that has you so excited?"

"You're looking at the newest member of Hatake and Partners. I put in an application ages ago with them, and I was called up just a little while ago. They're shorthanded and Kakashi remembered me."

"Kakashi?" Sasuke was a little ticked at Naruto's use of familiarity with the man, but was willing to overlook it this once in favor of savoring the exuberance coming from his companion.

"He said I could call him that. You don't know how much I've needed this. Not that I didn't mind working for your company, but I've college loans to pay off and I was barely making ends meet." Naruto lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist. "I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life."

"I'm glad."

"Hey, can you leave? We can go out for drinks. It's almost five and I've already turned in my notice with personnel. Jiraiya even said I could have the night off as a congratulation gift. What do you say? My treat."

There was no way Sasuke would have turned down that offer, even though he had no intention of making Naruto pay for it. "I believe I can make room in my schedule for you."

The two made their way past a shocked Margret and down the elevator. There was a bar across the street. Naruto downed several shots of whiskey while Sasuke sipped on some very pleasant scotch. He could see his companion was set on getting drunk and the way he was tossing them back, that eventuality was not far off.

"You know, S'uke...there is a downside."

"A downside to what?"

"Quitting Uchiha Corp."

Sasuke arched a brow and gestured for him to continue. He was rather amazed that he was even able to talk considering the number of shots.

"I won't get to see you anymore." Naruto grabbed another shot and downed it fast. The man's throat had to be numb by now...hell, his whole body had to be numb.

"You can see me other times."

Naruto nodded and plopped his jaw on a fist and stared at Sasuke. "Not the same."

"What's not?"

Naruto slid down from his stool and moved close enough for Sasuke to smell the scent of liquor on his breath. He could see where the pupils of his eyes were blown wide and how the pulse in his throat thrummed erratically.

"Nothin' is the same."

Sasuke's eyes went wide when Naruto's lips flattened themselves against his. That was something he had not quite expected or prepared for. It wasn't a very pleasant kiss. Naruto's lips were quite wet and he tasted like cheap whiskey.

But, it was the most perfect moment that Sasuke had ever experienced in his life. Everything seemed to click for him. He wanted the moment to go on forever, but it ended far too quickly when Naruto pulled back with a laugh.

"I think I'm drunk."

"I know you are," whispered Sasuke before handing the bartender his credit card. He only took his eyes away from Naruto long enough to sign the receipt. "Come on; let me take you somewhere to sleep it off."

He was not sure why he brought him to his apartment, but soon enough Naruto was sprawled on his bed and snoring. He looked as if he belonged there.

Sasuke pulled off his shoes, then set to work on Naruto's before laying down on the bed beside him. They weren't touching, but he liked the way it felt. Some part of him rebelled and he chose to ignore it in favor of staring at the sleeping face before him and before long, was pulled into sleep as well.

Sasuke awoke to the sound of running water and jerked up in bed. Staring around his bedroom, he blinked through that final bit of sleep. Naruto?

The water stopped running and several minutes later, Naruto stepped from the bathroom wearing nothing but his jeans with a towel hung around his neck. "Oh, did I wake you?"

Sasuke blinked at him before shaking his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Me? I'm fine. I can drink myself into a near coma and then wake up the next day like nothing happened." Naruto shifted nervously. "About last night..."

"What about it?"

"Yesterday is kind of a blur. Did I say anything wierd?"

Sasuke arched a brow and smirked. "You mean, did you offer to bear my first born?"

"Did I really?" Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "Geez, what the hell did they put in my drink. What was I thinking saying that to you?"

With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke moved past Naruto and toward the bathroom. "You didn't say anything."

When he stepped out of the bathroom a half of an hour later, the smell of cooking food filled his senses and he followed it to the kitchen where Naruto was just putting a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast on the island. At his feet, Sasuke's cat was rubbing against him as if the bitch had found the mother load of catnip. Even she adored Naruto and he chuckled when Naruto offered her a piece of bacon to which she latched on and began eating.

"Breakfast?" he asked, looking up with a grin.

Sasuke nodded and sat down. One bite of the eggs and he was certain that Naruto had missed his calling. Whatever he had put in them, brought forth a burst of savory flavor to a normally very bland food.

"Good, huh?" Naruto dug into his own plate. "My dad taught me to cook. He died when I was in high school."

"I'm sorry."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "It was a long time ago. I miss him, but you can't keep living in the past."

Sasuke thought it wise all around to change the topic. "When do you start work?"

"I have two more weeks as a janitor and then I start working with Hatake and Partners."

"Good. I'm happy for you."

Naruto grinned and traced his fork though the plate of half eaten eggs. "You know, you didn't have to do it."

"Do what?"

"Get me the job."

Sasuke's eyes shot to meet Naruto's gaze, surprise written on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid, you know. I confess to being a trained architect and then a few days later, I'm offered a job at one of the most prestigious firms in the city. That's one hell of a coincidence. I should be mad at you, but I'm not. I'm just happy you cared. What you've done for me is worth a lot more than the cost of a candy bar."

"I'm not repaying you for anything."

"Then why?"

Silence stretched out for several seconds before Sasuke spoke. "Because I wanted to."

"I don't know what to say. I'll never be able to repay you."

Sasuke cocked his head and thought for a minute. His true nature came out before he could stop it. He was not nice by nature and everything he did had an ulterior motive. Naruto might bring out the best in him, but it was definitely not his defining trait and he took advantage of weakness like he was born to do so.

"How about you start with a date?"

"Start what?"

"Paying me back."

Naruto frowned as confusion spread across his face. "What do you mean?"

A smirk quirked Sasuke's lips. "I'll take payment in you going out with me."

Understanding flushed Naruto's cheeks and he shifted in his chair. "You're an asshole."

"I'm aware of that." His hand reached forward to wrap around Naruto's wrist. "How about it? You can start this Saturday."

"What if I don't want to go out with you?"

"That's your choice." Sasuke was certain his heart was going to beat a hole into his breastbone. "But, I hope you want to."

Naruto's face was impassive for all of a second before a bright smile practically lit up the kitchen. He leaned across the table and brushed a kiss over Sasuke's lips. "Do you go through this much trouble to ask everyone you like out?"

"No," said Sasuke firmly. "None of them are worth it."

A pleased expression crossed Naruto's face. "Good, because none of them can have you."

Sasuke blinked before chuckling. He found he did not mind that stipulation at all.

The end.
AN: written for princess5775 on ygallery. Enjoy
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