Sorry for delay on this upload. I started up some summer classes at my university and got distracted. Please enjoy~

Sasuke couldn't fall asleep for a long time. His face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. He had not kissed someone like that, not even Joseph, in a long time. It felt like love, but the thought of that made him shake his head. Not something as cliche as love? He groaned and buried his face in a pillow. Elaborate thought analyzing every aspect of the kiss gave way to sleep at some point after 2 a.m.. Turbulent dreams of angry professors, bad jokes, and good kisses mixed together to entertain him until the next morning.

When he woke, Sasuke's first thought was of what the day had in store. Memories came trickling in slowly. It was a Saturday, that meant in all likelihood he did not have to leave the apartment. A lengthy paper was due online by midnight. He chastised himself for putting it off for so long. 'Yesterday…'

"Oh shit!" Sasuke cried, sitting up quickly. The images of the night before rushed in. His face got redder and redder the more he remembered. Embarrassment faded and in its place was elation. He could not stop smiling. The expression felt weird on his face. He had kissed Naruto and it felt right. Like the fit of a well-worn shoe, the two were already intimate with each other. The kiss felt like finally remembering the name of that something that had been on the tip of your tongue. It was the release of feelings of joy and passion Sasuke did not realize he had been keeping bottled up. All he knew was he wanted to do it again.

As he climbed out of bed, his eyes began to burn. In all the activity of the night before, Sasuke had forgotten to take his contacts out. He slowly opened his door and listened for the sound of anyone else in the apartment. It was still early in the morning, the time of the day when usually just he was awake.

Once in the bathroom, Sasuke looked at the reflection of himself in the mirror. A 21 year old man stared back at him. In the stark lighting of the bathroom the bags under his eyes were more pronounced. He reached up to touch his jaw. Some stubble was beginning to grow in he observed with a frown. After his contacts were out, Sasuke lathered up his face with shaving cream. He had forgotten he left the bathroom door open and he didn't notice Sakura step in.

"So where did you two go last night?" She asked, as if appearing out of nowhere to Sasuke. He had begun to pull down the razor when she spoke. He was relieved he hadn't jumped and cut himself.

"Oh, out, sorry," Sasuke mumbled as he continued to shave.

"You guys ditched me, assholes," Sakura said with a smile on her face. "So, where did you two lovebirds go?"

"Got some burgers then came home, nothing too exciting," Sasuke said casually. He dipped his razor into the running water of the sink as he turned his head to regard his handiwork.

"Did anything happen between you two last night?" Sakura peered into the mirror. She screwed up her mouth and picked at something in her teeth. Even though she was doing this not-so flattering action, Sakura had grown into a brilliant, beautiful young woman. Sasuke looked at her and smiled slightly. 'In another life, maybe.'

"We kissed," Sasuke said in a calm voice. Sakura's eyes widened. Her mouth had opened and she was speechless for a couple of moments. Sasuke continued to shave on the other side of his face.

"You fucking stud," She praised jokingly with a solid pat to Sasuke's back. He rolled his eyes. "I knew it was only a matter of time." Sakura pumped a fist and glowed with immense pride.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke had finished shaving and was rinsing off the excess cream while maintaining eye contact with her through the mirror.

Sakura scoffed and crossed her arms. "You two have always been destined for each other. Go together like peanut butter and jelly. You know it's true."

"None of that destiny crap," Sasuke groaned but his heart leapt at what she had said. Deep down he agreed with her but knew all talk of 'destiny' was childish.

"Destiny aside, you two were both fresh out of relationships at pretty much the same time. I don't think it's much of a coincidence," Sakura admitted loudly. Sasuke turned to her with a raised eyebrow. Before saying anything more, Sasuke closed the bathroom door. He reached into the shower and let the water start to run. "Oh how elaborate," Sakura said with a laugh at his attempts to conceal what they were about to talk about.

"What do you know about her? Naruto said something about a girlfriend last night," Sasuke said conspiratorily. He was not one for gossip but this was different he assured himself. Sakura beamed; gossip was what kept her going.

"From pictures I saw of the of them they were really serious. Living together serious."

"So, I lived with Joseph. That didn't stop him from dumping me," Sasuke said bluntly.

"Well," Sakura sighed dramatically. "Her name was Hinata, I think? Real cute girl, innocent-looking. Just Naruto's type, let's be honest. Hey! Don't look at me that way. Anyway, all of their pictures together were obnoxiously perfect but some time over the past summer something happened. They simply broke up," Sakura said with a shrug.

"And you have no idea what happened?"

"Nope, seemed pretty sudden and out of the blue to me. But again, all I have to work off of are pictures they chose to post. You should just add Naruto and then you can see yourself." Sasuke cringed at that idea. He tried his best to avoid most forms of social media that involved interacting with people he actually knew. "But, obviously she seems to be behind him if you two are kissing now." Sakura grinned widely. Sasuke was not so sure. He was suddenly wary of what this all meant to Naruto. Of course, Sasuke knew he was making an issue out of nothing. Finding something unnecessary to worry about was what his mind did best. "Where is he, by the way?" Sakura asked distantly.

"He's not here?"

"No, his shoes are gone and I thought I heard him leave earlier."

Sasuke's jaw set in immediate anger. 'Fuck him.' The kiss must have been so bad he had to leave the apartment as soon as possible. 'Screw him for not being able to face me.' Sasuke's rush of fury had been plainly drawn on his face and Sakura regarded him nervously.

"Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm just going to take a shower," Sasuke said in a voice that was so deadly calm Sakura was scared. She quickly stepped out of the bathroom. He stripped out of his sleeping clothes and got into the hot shower. He did not care that the water was scalding his skin. His mind raced with millions of reasons why Naruto had left. More than half were negative reasons, mostly involving the need to abandon Sasuke. Other more reasonable options such as Naruto simply going out for a run were drowned out by the extreme and unreasonable. The tightness in his throat told him this was a panic attack.

Immediately, Sasuke was disappointed in himself. Why would he have an attack over something so minute as Naruto leaving? He reached back toward the nozzle of the shower and cooled the water down. He sat down, his head in his hands as he tried to calm down. 'How pathetic. You're an adult, get a handle on yourself.' Sasuke had the back of a hand on his forehead and he laughed lightly to himself. He hated the hold over him Naruto unknowingly had.

Sasuke stood and finished the shower without incident. As he stepped from the shower, his heart was back to normal speed and his breathing was acceptable. Sasuke dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist before heading back to his room.

As he dressed, Sasuke heard the front door open and shut. He took a deep intake of breath before opening the door to his room. Still reeling from the influx of unanticipated anger, Sasuke went to his desk and sat. His hands were restless, so they pulled at the strings of his sweatpants.

"Good morning," Naruto said softly from the doorway. Sasuke looked up to see Naruto in baggy shorts and a sweatshirt. The neckline was darkened with sweat and Sasuke internally slapped himself in the forehead. 'Out for a run, of course.' Naruto's eyes were dark with an emotion Sasuke couldn't place. His mouth broke into a smile and he moved into the room. Sasuke noticed with a pang of wistfulness that Naruto left the door open. He didn't want to do anything that required privacy.

"Morning," Sasuke spoke in a dejected tone. Naruto's brows furrowed at the sound. He brought a bag around from behind him that Sasuke had not seen. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise as Naruto held the bag out for Sasuke to take. He did hesitantly and looked inside. At the sight of the blueberry and raspberry scones inside his stomach rumbled. Naruto laughed lightly.

"I also got you a coffee," Naruto said sheepishly. "I didn't know how you took it so I got just black. A guess."

"A good guess," Sasuke smiled briefly up at him. Naruto left the room and reappeared with two coffee cups wrapped in sleeves. Sasuke had already started eating a raspberry scone by the time Naruto got back. The only other available seating was Sasuke's unmade bed but Naruto sat down without complaint. He held out a coffee for Sasuke who took it with a nod of thanks.

"So," Naruto started before taking a sip of his drink. Sasuke popped a bit of scone in his mouth and watched Naruto. "About last night." Sasuke swallowed hard and waited for Naruto to continue. When he didn't Sasuke realized he was supposed to speak.

"Yeah, I had a good time,"

"Oh, me too," Naruto scrambled to say quickly. His eyes flashed down to the floor. Sasuke did not like this at all. His chest was tightening like something was wrong and since the expression on Naruto's face told him that something was indeed wrong he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Naruto was startled by the question. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I don't know," he admitted. "That was an amazing kiss last night but I feel bad. Guilty somehow." Sasuke said nothing to pressure Naruto into continuing. He tried his best to keep his expressions neutral but after Naruto said that it was difficult to maintain an impartial facade. Upon seeing Sasuke's hurt appearance, Naruto reached out quickly to rest his hand on Sasuke's. Sasuke stiffened.

"You need to explain what is going on here," Sasuke said firmly, pulling his hand away. "First you tell me you want to get to know me again before we go further. I told you pretty much all you need to know about my life for the past three years. We kiss. And now you're being hesitant." Sasuke was speaking as clearly as he could but Naruto heard the shakiness to the tone. "We are both adults. Please don't toy with me like this. Just tell me what you want." Sasuke's eyes burned. He knew if they couldn't move forward together now they never would. The thought of not having Naruto like that tore at his heart. These past few weeks had reaffirmed the love he felt for Naruto when they were both in high school. He wanted to feel some sort of lamentation for the relationship he had forged with Joseph but he couldn't. What he felt for Joseph was a pale comparison for what he knew he felt for Naruto. It was more than the love between partners but the deeply ingrained adoration someone felt for that person they knew better than themself.

"Sasuke, I…" Naruto trailed off before getting to his feet. Sasuke's face was sincere in the emotion it displayed. Naruto had not seen such expression out of Sasuke in a long time. His shoulders loosened as he released a long sigh. He set down his coffee. "I met her on the second day of classes and she was great," Naruto's eyes were darkened with sadness and Sasuke tried not to visibly react. Blue eyes focused on Sasuke and Naruto sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure you want to hear?"

"Yes," Sasuke said with a firm nod. Even though he knew Naruto would never say it. Sasuke could see it written plainly on his face. He needed to tell his story.

And so Naruto began to tell his tale of woe.

Like Sasuke, Naruto was still reeling after the end of his relationship with Sasuke. He was at odds with himself on where to place the blame. Naruto could understand Sasuke's perspective. To him, it felt like Naruto was abandoning him to go to a different university. As the new school year began, Naruto had been out of sorts, not his usual bright demeanored self to match his bright hair. He was not going to let the memory of Sasuke keep him down however.

The girl he met was named Hinata. Her light eyes and kind smile opened Naruto's heart to friendship. That's all it was in the beginning, a harmless friendship with no intentions of anything more. At least that was how Naruto felt. In the back of his mind, he had the feeling the girl felt something more toward him than he toward her.

The months passed and their relationship grew to something resembling a serious connection, whatever that meant. Naruto was not so much confused by Hinata's motivations but his own feelings. He actually was interested in pursuing more of a relationship with her but he was still caught up on Sasuke. The memory of a Sasuke in his mind more perfect than the real thing held him back. He could not come to terms with the fact that he would likely never see let alone get back together with Sasuke. The more time Naruto spent with Hinata, the clearer the picture in his mind of a future with her became and more Sasuke began to fade.

Hinata was a different partner than Sasuke. From the way they talked to the way they made love, it was all different for Naruto. The feeling was scary. He had grown up with Sasuke and fostered a love for him that matured over time. For Hinata, his emotions were a contrast. They had blossomed so quickly he wasn't even sure what he was feeling was love. Where Sasuke was a difficult conversationalist, Hinata was more of an open book for Naruto.

Their first year of college ended and they moved into an apartment together off campus. At first it was magical, them together all the time. Cooking meals together and taking hot showers as one. It was such a distinct feeling he had not experienced before. When in high school and younger, his parents were gone a great deal. At times it felt like he lived alone. To have someone always there at first felt uncomfortable. Hinata was quick to pick up on his discomfort and was flexible to change their dynamics to one more suitable for him. The next school year passed easily.

Neither one of them had explicitly done anything wrong to end their relationship. The feelings simply faded. The things that had not bothered Naruto before began to grate on him. Hinata had told him the same. One of the last things she had admitted to him was she realized Naruto was not as completely dedicated to the partnership as she was. This of course came as a surprise to Naruto. Consciously he had given her his all. But she knew he was holding back, not giving himself up completely. Nearing the end of school year, Hinata made it obvious she was going to move out. Naruto reached out to Sakura and she recommended he transfer schools. A change of scenery would do him good.

It was not really until Naruto accepted attending the new university that he realized he would be near Sasuke again. The fact that he had not thought about it scared him.

"It wasn't like I forgot about you," Naruto said, his blue eyes looking toward Sasuke desperately. "I just...I had put you in a box in the back of my mind so I couldn't tarnish your memory by thinking of you all the time." Naruto's eyes were glistening Sasuke noticed.

"You and Hinata parted ways friends, so why do you feel guilty?" Sasuke was not sure he was ready to hear the answer. Naruto let out a shaky sigh.

"I left you behind, Sasuke. I made sure you remained in my past. I spent so long putting you there that bringing you into my present is painful." Into Naruto's face was carved deep regret and guilt. Sasuke expected to feel hurt, angry even. When he wasn't and actually felt something resembling sympathy he was surprised.

"Thank you for telling me all this," Sasuke's coffee had gone lukewarm as he listened to Naruto. This was not how he had pictured his Saturday going.

!

Naruto's throat was tight with anxiety. He was not surprised he had told Sasuke everything. Sasuke had always been the one Naruto knew he could trust. Now he was worried how Sasuke was going to take what he said. He knew he had not conveyed what he meant clearly about his hesitation with Sasuke.

Most of him wanted to explore a possible future between them but again there was the fact that Sasuke and the memory of him contrasted so greatly with the man before him. In their younger years Sasuke was dark, broody, and likely emotionally stunted. But now he had a better sense of himself, Naruto could see. He had grown past the angst and self-pity. Not all the times between the two of them had been difficult. Most had been some of the best memories Naruto had. He wasn't wary because of his recent relationship with Hinata. No, he was tentative to open his heart to Sasuke again.

"Don't think about the bad things," Sasuke said with a smile. He stood from his chair and held a hand out for Naruto to take. "I always get stuck on all the unnecessary shit. I say just push past it. Or at least try." Sasuke's eyes were earnest and caring. Naruto looked at Sasuke's hand for a long moment. He suddenly realized this was all up to him. Sasuke was ready to step into the mysterious world of romance with him but he was leaving the final step to Naruto to take. Naruto's face cracked into a wide grin and he took Sasuke's offered hand and stood.

"Let's give it a try," Naruto said softly. Sasuke's smile widened and Naruto's heart leapt at the sight. They kissed gently, for the briefest moment before they heard rustling by the doorway. Both of them glanced to see Sakura clapping quickly at them. Sasuke rolled his eyes before reaching out to close the door on her.

"Assholes!" Sakura cried.

Sorry they aren't together right away! Just realistically I was thinking about how they would need to get over a couple hurdles first. Thank you again for reading!