"Did I ever tell you about the time your deceptively nice brother introduced me to his priceless sword collection?"

...

Give and Take

"You're trying to send me to my death, aren't you," Naruto hisses while Sasuke tries to drag him by the elbow away from the bathroom. Blunt nails clawing at the doorframe unwillingly slip across the smooth surface in spite of the continuous protests from their owner.

"Shut up and be a man."

"I am," Naruto says, "because not going means being able to keep all the parts that make me a man. You know, all those parts you just so happen to like? I won't be a man anymore if I lose them. And then what are we supposed to do for our anniversary next week? Or later on tonight even?"

"One night," Sasuke says. He grits his teeth and manoeuvres Naruto down the hall and in front of the small TV appearing even smaller surrounded by various piles of books and folded clothes further crowding the already cramped apartment. "You promised me one night."

"Did I ever tell you about the time your deceptively nice brother introduced me to his priceless sword collection? Right after he found out we were dating? Well, when we went to Yamaguchi for your aunt's wedding, he showed me these pictures on his phone of that room in his condo, you know, the one with all those really, really sharp and pointy things in all kinds of shapes and sizes that he said were even sharper and pointer than they appeared on the phone.

"At first I didn't believe him, because he tried to convince me his phone—the Docomo one that just came out that April, right—had a camera capability as good as my Nikon. A phone like that could never replace my baby, but let me tell you, those swords didn't look anything like the wooden one you used to hit me with in college."

"So he likes to collect swords." Sasuke reaches to undo Naruto's messy attempt at fixing his tie, lifting the collar of Naruto's white shirt and making a new knot. "Probably because he likes kendo, but that's nothing new. He's the one who sent me a new shinai when I told him your head broke the one that lasted me through high school."

"Of course he did. You volunteered me to be your practice dummy."

"That and I didn't want to forget my basic drills."

"That's the same thing you claimed then."

Sasuke shrugs. "You know Itachi taught me. That's why I still keep up with it on the side."

"Which is nice and all, but you're missing the point I'm trying to make here."

"Then make it."

"He's a ninth-dan, Sasuke."

"I know. What about it?"

"A ninth-dan." At Sasuke's continued silence, Naruto glares at him with an irritated huff. "They don't even award that grade anymore. And all those trophies Itachi has, they're sitting around not collecting dust for good rea—"

"Hold still."

"Th—that's too...tight."

Sasuke licks the corner of his mouth and knocks away the hand Naruto begins to raise to pull on the tie. "I don't see what my brother's accomplishments in kendo have to do with anything."

"Did I already mention that extremely sharp and pointy sword collection he has?" Naruto wheezes at the already constraining fabric being adjusted around his neck before Sasuke finally decides to loosen it a bit. "Because if I didn't, I'll be more than happy to tell you exactly what he told me about—"

"I have dinner with your parents sometimes. Why does it always have to be such a hassle to get you to have dinner with mine?"

"Uh, maybe I should bring up the fact that my parents actually liked you the first time they met you?"

"Was that before or after you left me alone at your house, with a group of complete strangers that happened to be half of your family tree?" Sasuke says. "Since, despite all the instant ramen your mom strangely keeps stocked, you just had to go to the only convenience store open after ten—on the other side of the prefecture—to satisfy your craving for a packet of freeze-dried beef flavouring because you didn't want chicken or miso."

Glancing to the side, Naruto gives a nervous laugh. "Okay, so let's not bring that back up, but still, I mean, does it really make me a coward if I say I'm not so confident about running into your mom and dad again?" After a moment, he adds, "Especially when it involves your brother."

"Yes."

"Sasuke."

"Naruto."

"Sa-suke."

"There's nothing wrong with my parents. Or my brother."

"No, it's just me they see as the problem."

Sasuke lets one hand fall to his side and runs the other through his hair. "They're my family, Naruto. If nothing else, I expect you to respect that."

"I do. Really, I do, except it's..." Naruto sighs. He pushes his tongue against the back of his front teeth, placing his chin on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's hard to keep it up when it feels like they don't think I'm good enough for you."

"I think you're good enough for me. That's all that should matter."

"Easier said than done when it's not just the two of us."

"If you don't think you're good enough for me by now, leave half the rent here and take the rest of your crap out the door."

Naruto lifts his head and stares at Sasuke with wide eyes. "B-but, Sasuke, I...I have to wear a tie."

"Stop complaining. I don't like wearing ties, either, but you can take it off on the way back home."

Naruto makes an exaggerated moan. "Didn't you say this was supposed to be casual?"

"It is."

"You're making me wear a jacket and a stiff shirt and a tie."

"I'm letting you wear jeans."

"At one of the most expensive restaurants in Narita?" Naruto shakes his head. "We can barely afford an apartment this close to the city as it is."

"You'll live."

"The scraps off the floor are probably worth more than half my paycheck. How the hell do you consider that kind of environment casual?"

"It's casual for me," Sasuke murmurs, focusing on straightening the lapels of Naruto's light grey jacket that don't require any more attention. "I just wanted to..."

"Sasuke, I...I know. I didn't—"

"Besides, you're not paying."

"Yeah." Naruto snorts. "Like that makes me feel any better. I still couldn't afford it even if I wanted to. And that's only if the five of us share an appetizer, so it's kind of a blow to my self-esteem, all right. Go easy on me."

"Then consider this retribution for standing me up at the train station."

"Don't tell me you're still not over that."

When Sasuke refuses to speak, Naruto presses his lips together, narrowing his eyes at Sasuke.

"I can't believe you're still not over that, Sasuke. It happened what—two years ago?"

Taking a step back, Sasuke assess Naruto from the bottom up, finishing with a pointed look that eventually reaches Naruto's gaze.

"Right." Naruto rolls his eyes. "I forgot how long you can hold grudges."

Fingers gripping the once immaculately placed tie, Sasuke yanks Naruto forward. "I don't hold grudges."

"Sure you don't."

A frown tugs at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "I don't."

"Uh-huh, yeah, okay, but you can't say I didn't know how to make up for it." There's a teasing glint in Naruto's gaze that develops into something more sly. "You weren't complaining when we—"

"Finish that sentence."

"It's kind of cute, though," Naruto says, with a slight tilt of his head. "You being upset because you thought I stood you up on our first real, official date."

"Because only a moron like you would walk around with a phone you don't charge and then get lost on the Samatsu Line."

"I found you eventually, didn't I?"

"But I didn't know then, so what was I supposed to think?"

"See? Even now you're being all sentimental about it."

Sasuke smirks. He releases his hold on Naruto's tie then neatly arranges the tie and shirt to make them look presentable. "Sentimental, huh?"

"Yeah." Naruto nods with a grin pressed against Sasuke's cheek. "In a completely Sasuke way, of course."

Sasuke pulls back. He watches Naruto with eyes a little more open, the beginning traces of a smile replacing his characteristic smirk making sharp features just a little bit softer.

Until his expression shifts into something decidedly uninviting.

"Make sure you have everything so we can go. Itachi's flight should be landing soon. You need to be at the airport before the plane."

The colour drains from Naruto's face. "You didn't say anything about meeting Itachi at the airport. I thought we were going straight to the restaurant? Aren't your parents staying in a hotel—the same hotel Itachi's supposed to already have checked in earlier?"

"His plane was delayed."

"And you didn't think this was something you could have shared beforehand?"

Sasuke makes his way towards the middle of the room. Slowly, he leans down without bending his knees to grab a set of keys and Naruto's phone lying on the low coffee table. "Didn't see a need to."

Despite himself, Naruto's mouth begins to form another grin. "You're a vindictive bastard when you want to be, you know that?"

Sasuke hums absently in agreement. "That's why you're going alone."

And then Naruto's grin falters. "W-what?"

"I'm going to pick up my parents while you pick up Itachi. It's after five already, and our reservations are for seven, so you'll have to meet us there."

"You want me to go to the airport alone? To pick up Itachi? By myself? Alone?"

"He suggested it. Not me."

"And where was I in this decision?"

"Sleeping."

Naruto ends his spluttering with a squeak Sasuke ignores.

Keys hidden in the palm of his hand, he turns back to face Naruto. He leans forward with his mouth almost brushing over Naruto's bottom lip. "You better hurry if you're going to make the 5:23 train."

"...the train? Why are you sending me alone in that kind of confined space with Itachi?"

"Because unlike our parents, my brother doesn't mind taking the train." An arm goes around Naruto's waist, and Sasuke slides the hand holding Naruto's phone in the back pocket of dark jeans. He slips his hand out, leaving the phone inside the pocket and looking more than just a little pleased when he feels Naruto swallow the lump in his throat.

"Just think of it as incentive not to get lost this time."