Hello, one and all! I know it's been...uh...like a year...since I put a chapter up. I have been seriously slacking on this story. And I do plan to finish it! I really do, it should be done in the next two chapters. So sorry for the huge wait, but here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own these chapters. If I did, that last chapter wouldn't have EVER happened.

Warning: SEXUAL STUFF WITH MEN! BE WARNED!

Chapter Seven: A Taste of the Future

If there was one thing you could count on, it was the fact that I'm always late. It wasn't my fault, though! Fate just liked to make it seem that way. I would always plan to be on time, but then a bus would appear in front of me or roadwork would randomly start right on my route. The world enjoyed watching people yell at me. Like last night, for example. I got an earful for being late to the Thanksgiving dinner being held at my house. Sasuke nearly bit off my head when I finally walked into the house a half hour later than I expected. I wanted to blame it on the late council meeting, or the traffic from the busy holiday. All of my excuses had shriveled up when getting an Uchiha glare.

Luckily, my mother was just as bad with timing as me. I probably inherited my bad luck from her. She had just finished up dinner, later than she planned that morning. Dad had adapted to us and our bad time management, and hadn't even hesitated to start up another episode of his show. Sasuke had been the only one on time, which explained his silent anger. He wasn't going to yell at my parents, he was far too respectful for that. But me? Yeah, I felt those glares all throughout dinner. Mom eased through dinner with constant topic changes. From soccer to mid-terms, mom's mouth continued to move. Dad wasn't as talkative, but made sure to give his opinion when she called upon him.

The had a relationship others could only dream of. I know my parents had their problems; what couple didn't? The stuff they argued about was small, and they never went to bed angry at each other. Even in high school, people saw their unique chemistry. Dad had instantly taken a liking to mom, who was more than a pretty face. She had spunk and spirit, and many wondered how such a mild-mannered man would find such a fascination with mom. But he did, and he tried to court her for most of their freshman year. Of course my mother refused any interest in him, swearing that no man was worth the aggravation of a relationship. Sophomore year started off the same, until dad proved that he wasn't like any other man. Making an absolute fool of himself at the talent show, dad sung a song and dedicated it to her. That would have pretty cute, except dad sucked at singing. And I mean like, animals would howl whenever he opened his mouth. He had known that getting on that stage to sing was just going to make him the butt of everyone's jokes for the rest of the high school. But dad did it, just to make mom laugh and notice him.

It worked like a charm, and the two started dating soon after. In their senior year, the two had been voted "cutest couple". It had been a given, from what dad says. For a moment, I thought about my own superlatives. Being labeled gullible was a little annoying, yet I knew it was well deserved. Me and Ino made our fellow blondes proud. Class clowns was pretty obvious, since Kiba and I never took life seriously. School was just a big playground to us, despite getting yelled at more than a few times. If they wanted us to pay attention more, maybe they shouldn't have such boring subjects! A class about the history of Ramen would have gotten me on honor roll every year.

When it came to my last category with Sasuke, I wondered how we came to people's minds when they were voting. We weren't like my parents, who seemed made for their superlatives. Or...were we? I snuck a glance to Sasuke while my dad asked him a question, thinking about the relationship we had. Did people really see us like that? Not just a couple, but two people they would want to see together? There was no way! But even as I denied it, the thought plagued me for the rest of the night. It made any alone time with Sasuke uncomfortable. I was beyond ready to get him out of the house.

So of course,my parents asked if Sasuke was going to be staying at our house that night. They were going away for the holiday weekend, and didn't like me to be alone in the house. Sasuke knew this as well, and had texted me the night before about. Seriously, my parents talked to this ass way too much. We had planned for Sasuke to sleep over Friday and Saturday. He had wanted to stay last night as well, but I declined, saying I had another meeting in the morning.

It was the truth….sort of.

I was late for my lunch 'meeting' because a grandma in front of me decided going twenty on a main street was acceptable. The clock assured me I was only ten minutes late, which in Naruto time wasn't bad. Most of my friends might even say it was an improvement. Why did I have to sleep in on this day, of all days? I scrambled to get out of my car, barely remembering to lock it as I hurried up the stairs of the restaurant. Even with my late start of the morning, I could have been on time. In fact, I had been in an okay mood despite the task at hand.

After our pep rally on Wednesday, I informed Kakashi that I had decided to meet with Itachi for lunch. The pervert seemed happy with my decision, and we agreed on Friday. I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, which seemed to fit Itachi's schedule as well. The hidden information had also contributed to my feeling of awkwardness at dinner, each glance to Sasuke twisting my stomach in knots. Every time I opened my mouth to contribute to conversation, Itachi's name was at the tip of my tongue. Why was I so bad at keeping secrets? Probably because I had a big mouth. Sasuke's mocking smirk flashed through my mind at the familiar insult, giving me a sudden urge to punch the smug bastard. So what if he wouldn't know why? I'm sure somewhere in our friendship, he deserved a punch I never gave him.

It wasn't until I got into my car late Friday morning that I realized that the bastard teacher hadn't given me the address to the restaurant. In our age of technology, I could have still made it to the restaurant with my GPS if I punched in the name of the place. Except Kakashi had 'forgotten' to give me that, as well. In a panic I called the teacher, who conveniently didn't pick up his phone until the very last minute. Now I was cutting it close, and I watched my attempt to be on time dissolve into thin air when Grandma Slowpoke cut in front of me.

If there was ever a time that Mario Karts was the law of the road, it was now.

So flustered by the time, I tripped into the doorway of the restaurant, almost falling flat on my face. Luckily the place was empty, and for a moment I wondered if Kakashi had played another trick on me.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" The gentle voice of the greeter caught me off guard, and I could only nod dumbly when realizing when she had asked. She bowed politely, then waved her arm toward the only table occupied. "Mr. Uchiha had been waiting for you."

"Well he can thank that pain in the ass teacher for that," I grumbled, ignoring her puzzled look to walk toward the well dressed man. I knew what Itachi looked like from all the years of hanging out with Sasuke. Still, the older man gave off a pretty intimidating aura. Maybe it was just part of being an Uchiha. Sasuke had that effect on people, too. Normally I could brush off the glare from the younger brother, but I wasn't as used to Itachi.

"Good afternoon." His voice was cool, but not with the same type of chill that Sasuke used. It was controlled, but didn't give me the instant need to fight with him. Awkwardly I sat down at the table, wondering if I was dressed nicely enough for this place. Once again, pervert Kakashi strikes again. I brushed my jeans off as I looked back up at Itachi, trying to muster the bright smile I had been known for.

"Long time no see."

"I suppose that is true." He sipped from a steaming cup, and I had to bite back the need to growl when recognizing the smell of the hot beverage. Seriously, what was with everyone and tea?! Did it become the national drink and nobody told me about it? My attention was brought away from the evil beverage when Itachi lifted his menu casually. "Have you ever eaten here before?"

"No, it's uh…" Way too formal for a high school kid. Did Itachi forget that I still got allowance as my main means of money? One appetizer from this place would be the equivalent of a week of chores. Then again, the Uchihas were always well off. He probably came here all the time as a child.

"Don't worry about the price. You're my lunch guest; I'll be taking care of the bill." Not wanting to remind Itachi of our difference in economics, I tried to look for something in my price range while I shrugged.

"I have a pretty cheap pallet. Ramen works just fine for me."

"I'm not sure that they serve that dish here, although a bowl of noodles does sound delicious at the moment." Okay, what? I blinked, then repeated the motion as my gaze shot back up to the older male. Itachi ate ramen?! What was going on in the world? Sasuke would burn down every ramen shack if he could get away with arson and it didn't show he actually cared about something. I was a little more than shocked to discover that Itachi could swallow the 'heart attack in a bowl'. Our eye met for a moment, and I swore there was a sliver of amusement in his gaze before he looked back down to his tea. "Despite what you may think, Sasuke is not a carbon copy of myself."

"Right." Two minutes into our conversation, and I had already made myself look like a broke idiot.

...Okay, so I was kind of both of those things, but that wasn't the point! Feeling my cheeks burn in an embarassment that seemed to come easily in the presence of an Uchiha, I mentally thanked God that the waitress came to check on us. Itachi ordered a lobster risotto, showing his flexible range of food. I stuck with a steak, wondering what impression that gave to my lunch partner.

At the thought I paused, scowling at my own nervous thoughts. What was going on with me? I had never, in the eighteen years I had been alive, worried about other people's opinion of me. I wanted to make people proud, and enjoyed having friends who saw me in a positive light. But if someone considered me strange or wrong, what did I care? Their opinion wasn't going to change who I was; I was born to be strange. And before I walked into the restaurant today, my spirit had always been proud of that. So why, when in the presence of Itachi, did I get so concerned about the smallest of things? Taking a slow breath to try and remove my negative thoughts, I steeled my gaze and turned it on the quiet man in front of me.

"Not to be rude, but before this conversation goes any further, why am I here?" Itachi didn't seemed bothered by my blunt question. Then again, I don't think an earthquake would had ruffled his feathers. Itachi quietly signaled the waitress for another cup of tea, then turned his attention back to me.

"You're not as trusting as you used to be. I'm glad to see that. It makes my proposition feel a little less...reckless."

"Proposition?"

"Come fall, there will be an opening in the company that I work with. It pays very well for an opening position, and the experience will look good on any resume."

"I'm not following," I admitted, Itachi sliding his finger along the rim of his cup.

"They are looking for a very specific type of person. Energetic, personable, but able to handle themselves under stress. A leader, as well. And from what Kakashi tells me about you, the position seems to be a very compatible match with you."

"M-Me? You're asking me to come work for you?" Well this wasn't what I was expecting from this lunch conversation. Itachi was a hard man to read, but this was coming from left field. How was I supposed to prepare for this? Despite my blatant shock, Itachi casually thanked the waitress who brought his tea and our food. The steak was placed in front of me, but I barely noticed the delicious meal. My eyes stayed glued to Itachi, unable to accept his suggestion as reality.

"Kakashi continues to tell my company that you have a spark that is rare, but would be vital for our expansion plans in the next few years. I trust Kakashi with his business intellect, and so I came here to speak with you personally." Itachi took a bite of his meal, then finally lifted his head to look at me. I must of looked stupid, my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide. He sent a familiar smirk, and I shook my head quickly to think of a response.

"Wait, but your company is in Japan."

"Well, yes. You'd have to move away, which is why I wanted to talk to you now. I understand the move takes some time, as I've done it once myself. I'd like to give you some time to discuss this with your family and see what questions they have."

"Jesus, you're serious." I swallowed hard when Itachi nodded, my hand running through my hair to try and quell my uneasy stomach. "But what about Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Did you offer the position to Sasuke?" Itachi sighed and took another bite of his food, reminding me that I hadn't touched my steak yet. Not wanting the expensive meal to go to waste, I started to cut my meal up while Itachi answered my question.

"Sasuke is a talented young man, and has just as much drive as I did at his age. He is at the top of his class, and I've watched him become a person who gets what he wants. If I added him to our payroll, I'm sure he would succeed in almost any position that I put him in. There is only one flaw with Sasuke; he is hell bent to prove his worth outside of my company. Kakashi has asked Sasuke if he would ever be interested in working for my company. The words that my little brother used were quite colorful."

"That hard head," I mumbled, slightly muffled by the food in my mouth. I swallowed quickly, then pointed my fork toward my chest. "So does that make me your second choice or something?"

"The position we'd be interested in you taking on would be a job that Sasuke would struggle with. It requires a lot of social interaction with our clients, which my brother struggles with. That is your expertise, however, and so I came to your first. My brother is unaware that I am scouting you, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while."

"Don't worry about him finding out; I'm turning down the offer." It was the first time I had felt confident in anything I had said during the entire lunch. Itachi showed the slightest of interest in my answer, so I shrugged and stabbed my steak again. "I do appreciate the offer, though. And I can't wait to brag to my parents. I'll make sure they don't tell the bastard though, so don't worry."

"May I ask why you're declining my offer so easily?" I blinked, my fork pausing in my mouth as I looked back up from my plate. His hands were folded in front of him, eyes not revealing anything going on in his head. "Is it not something you're interested in?"

"Well, I'm not sure." I laughed at my own answer, my grin big as I continued. "I never really paid attention to what your business does. Sasuke used to talk about it so much, I just blocked him out."

"Then how do you know that your answer is no?"

"Because my instincts told me no. So that's what I went with." And it was the truth. As soon as the shock wore off from Itachi's offer, my heart was already sure I was going to deny him. It was nothing against Itachi, or the corporation. I would probably do really well in it, since college had always been an iffy subject with me. I could get scholarships because of my soccer skills, but I was still working on the grades thing. Getting a job right out of high school would probably make sense. And hell, knowing Itachi's success in the business, I knew he wasn't bluffing about the good pay. Still, my heart ruled most of my decisions, and this time was no exception.

"Does it have anything to do with your close relationship with my brother?" Huh? Where did that come from? As if reading my mind, Itachi casually reached for his tea cup. "Kakashi had also told me that your relationship has taken an interesting turn."

"We're not in a relationship!" I snapped out, no longer interested in the meal in front of me. It was hard to eat when your stomach suddenly twisted into knots.

"Really? So my brother still hasn't told you about his feelings?" Again, I was thrown for a loop. Seriously, was this a soap opera? How did this man know so much without even living in the country?! Damn pervert teacher. Still, the way that Itachi framed the question had me curious enough to take some of his bait.

"Still?" Itachi nodded, a hint of a smile pulling the ends of his lips up.

"One of the last conversations I had with Sasuke revolved around his hidden feelings for you. This was several years ago, before I left the country. It wasn't hard to realize that my little brother had started to develop a crush for you. There were many things in this world that Sasuke didn't mind losing; you were not one of them. It didn't take much to discover his romantic feelings for you, but it was not my place to tell you. So, I took the secret with me to Japan, silently wishing my brother good luck with your rambunctious soul."

Sasuke had told me that the last time he had seen his brother was three years ago. I had never bothered to ask what the talk was about. Now, to hear that it was about me, was a little nerve wracking. Sasuke had liked me for that long? Why had I never noticed it before? I thought about my gullible superlative, and wondered if it should have been changed to 'most oblivious'. Sasuke had probably been giving out signals of his desire for me since day one, but I just never picked up on them. Man, I was an idiot! I would have smacked myself if not remembering I was still in the middle of a conversation with Sasuke's older brother.

"The bastard and I...we're...figuring things out," I said, not sure how much information I should give the older Uchiha.

"But I'm to assume that you have romantic feelings for him?" Did he have to be so blunt? I felt my face start to warm, now unsure of how to answer. Could I say with 100% honesty that what he asked was true? I liked kissing Sasuke. Hell, I liked just being around him at this point. But the sex part was still a little…

"That's the part that's still being figured out," I admitted, not liking how the sentence felt coming out of my mouth. Itachi watched me for a moment before he nodded, as if deciding something for himself.

"Then I shall leave you with this; I like who you have become, Naruto. I can see that you have become a man who deserves respect. It's a shame that you won't come work for me. I encourage your relationship with Sasuke, with this one warning." There was a shift in the air, and I felt the hair on the back on my neck stand up. Itachi's tone only altered a bit, yet it sent goosebumps travelling down my arms. "If I find out that you play with my brother's feelings, I will make you disappear without a second thought."

"Wh-what?"

"I encourage you to think about that before you move forward with this relationship haphazardly." The stare that met mine was cold, as if Itachi had done this type of threat before. Just what kind of business was he involved in?! Sure my skin now matched Sasuke's in paleness, I jumped slightly when the waitress came back with the check. As if he hadn't just threatened my life, Itachi glanced to my plate with a look that feigned concern. "You should get a box to bring that home. It would be a waste not to."

Too freaked out to speak, I mutely nodded at Itachi's suggestion. The waitress left for only an instant, returning to place my lunch into the box. She then placed it in a bag and held it out for me, her warm smile showing she hadn't heard the lunch conversation. I snatched the bag quickly as I stood from my seat, nearly knocking it down in the process.

"I have to go," I managed to get out, Itachi not seeming affected by my nervous behavior. Instead he casually glanced down to his check, signing with little effort.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time. Just remember that Kakashi will be giving me regular updates, so please treat my brother with care." Without warning my eyes narrowed, the panic from before dissolving at his statement. My hand fisting into the handle of the bag, I felt a bubble of anger surge inside me.

"With all due respect, I don't need your guidance on that." For the first time since the dinner started, Itachi looked caught off guard.

"Oh?" I didn't stop to think about my words, letting my heart do all the talking.

"Sasuke's not just some guy who I like; he's my best friend. Even if I can't ever fully return his feelings, I'm never going to string him along. That's not my way of doing things. We may not work out; we fight just as much as we ever have. He's the pain in the ass, and he says I'm a nuisance at best. Love is a far way away. But..I'm not going to give up on him just cause you threaten me. He means more to me than your job or almost anything else in this world." I glanced up at the clock on the wall, realizing that I had already stayed longer than I wanted. Swearing, I quickly ran to the door as I waved behind me. "Have a safe trip back to Japan! And visit more often, Sasuke misses you!"

I left the restaurant, not noticing the white-haired teacher who had appeared from the back of the room.

"Since there is no position open in the company, am I safe to assume your real reason for this trip was to see if Naruto was serious about Sasuke?"

"I wanted to see if that man could make my little brother happy."

"Ah, I see. Will you be seeing Sasuke?" There was a lull in their conversation, Itachi slowly rising from his seat with a shake of his head.

"No, my plane leave in two hours. It's better he doesn't see me; his anger toward my betrayal keeps him motivated. I wouldn't want to take that from him." As the dark haired man passed the teacher, a quiet comment was left with no response.

"You're a good brother, Itachi. You always have been."

As I ran through the halls of the deserted school, I couldn't get Itachi's question out of my mind. I should have been more concentrated on his threat, but I passed that off as soon as it came to my mind. Itachi was a little weird, but I doubted he would really kill me. Or maybe that was just hopeful optimism. I was known for being good at that. The real problem I had with the lunch was Itachi's question about my romantic feelings for Sasuke. There were some, obviously. I didn't just let any guy stick his tongue down my throat. But could I really go all the way with a guy? I swallowed as I jogged up the stairs, my nose scrunching at the idea. But the look wasn't from disgust; it was from confusion.

Because things between Sasuke and I had gotten a little heated the last time we had been alone together, I decided that I needed to do some 'research'. Making sure my parents weren't home, and every window and door was locked in my house, I scanned my computer for something I thought I was never going to research. Porn wasn't a strange idea to me; I was a teenage guy! Wet dreams weren't my thing, but even I liked some 'alone time'. I knew that I had never really been picky about porn; so long as it turned me on, I was okay with it. But now, as I tried to look at a good 'guide' for two males having sex, I felt myself searching for something specific. Most of it freaked me out; gay porn was even more freaky than straight porn. Or maybe it was because I wasn't gay. Despite my attraction to Sasuke, I knew he was a very rare case. Watching two random guys naked didn't really affect me.

If anything, seeing what these 'bottoms' went through was a little nerve-wracking. It looked painful, awkward, and made me shut the laptop with very little info gained. How the hell did anyone find that enjoyable?! I squirmed in my seat, not wanting to shove anything in places they didn't belong. But would I be able to convince Sasuke to let me top? I knew the answer instantly; neither one of us would go down without a fight. He was a force to be reckoned with when he wanted something, but there was no way I was going to be some submissive weakling.

But if neither one of us caved, could we really be together?

I let the thought leave my mind when I finally found the classroom that Tenten had told me to meet up in. Because there was no school, the photographer had asked to get the rest of my superlatives done. She had also asked Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke to come for their pictures. I entered the room quietly from the back, realizing that they had started the photo shoot without me. Ino was standing next to Tenten, who was taking pictures of the two nominated for 'most successful'.

"You guys look amazing!" Tenten's voice seemed muffled as I took in the scene in front of me. I never thought of Sakura in business attire, but the pink haired woman pulled it off well. With a black pencil skirt and a matching jacket, the pink shirt she wore underneath showed a little more cleavage than the normally modest girl would expose. Her hair was pulled into a business-style bun, wearing a pair of glasses I was sure she didn't need. But damn if they didn't fit her face well. I glanced to her feet, realizing her height was coming from a pair of heels she seemed unsteady in. Despite her lack of balance, I had to admit she looked good. Maybe it was some sort of kink (I had really been studying the porn thing), but seeing her dressed like that made my grin a little lecherous.

Well, until I saw Sasuke. My smile dropped when catching a glimpse at my best friend. Sasuke was good-looking in anything he wore, but a suit always seemed to add an edge to him. The red tie was slightly undone, mixing the look of professional with...sex. Could sex be used as an adjective? That was the only way I could describe him. His hair still looked like a duck's butt, but it didn't take away from his attractiveness. I wanted to blame my rush of arousal on Sakura, but I knew the truth. I was turned on by Sasuke, too.

"A real power couple, if I had to say." Ino's teasing made Sakura blush, Sasuke scoffing but remaining silent. A sharp pain squeezed my heart, my vocal chords freezing. Nobody had noticed me, too focused on Sakura and Sasuke's 'visual compatibility'. I leaned quietly next to the doorway of the room, watching as the indescribable feeling in my stomach grew.

"Okay, now Sasuke sit in the left chair, and Sakura in the right. Both grab the big trophy in the middle, and we'll take the picture." Tenten instructed the two toward their spots, the desk covered with their awards and trophies. Between the two, they had enough to cover the entire desk. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and puffing my cheeks out with a glare. Did the two of them really have to show off? I had awards too! But did you see me going around, shoving them in people's faces? I bet they both had a tea award-

"Did you get the picture? Sasuke's probably tired from his college interview this morning." How did Sakura know Sasuke's schedule so well? The quiet man sent her a look, but from this far away I couldn't see the tone of his eyes. Whatever it was made Sakura laugh, leaning over to poke his forehead. "Don't glare so much, or Naruto's going to leave your wrinkly forehead."

"Hey!" My voice echoed through the room, and four set of eyes shot back to me. Ino's knowing giggle contrasted Sasuke's arched eyebrow, showing his confusion from my outburst. Huffing, I walked across the room in a hurried pace. "You guys started without me."

"You were late." Of course Sasuke would mention that.

"That's not my fault!" I snapped out, Sasuke glaring at my obvious irritation. Before we could fight anymore, Ino wrapped her arms around one of my own, her smile bright.

"Perfect timing, Naruto! Now we can get our picture done while Sakura and Sasuke change."

"Thank god; these shoes are so painful." Sakura was quick to kick off the shoes, Ino moving away from me to grab what I assumed were her heels. I glanced back to Sasuke, who was shrugging the suit's jacket off. He started to move out of the seat but I cut him off, my hands curling around either arm rest. He glanced up at me with a scowl, though I wasn't in the mood to smile either.

"Am I supposed to say something?" God, he was such a prick. Contrasting feelings clashed inside of me as I glanced down at him, noticing the tie was still in tact. I don't know what my fascination with the garment was. Not wanting to think about it, I looked back up to Sasuke's face.

"I had lunch today with...with someone who offered me a job right out of high school." Remembering that I wouldn't tell Sasuke about Itachi, I quickly omitted the information. Sasuke sent me a look of disinterest at the statement, but I caught it when I spoke again. "It's overseas, though. I'd have to move."

"Why are you telling me this?" His scowl showed annoyance, but I wasn't fooled. For a second, I saw his eyes flicker with a flame of apprehension. It was lost as he looked away from me, as if bored from what I was saying. Why couldn't this guy ever just be honest with me? Were we always doomed to play this game of feelings. Growling, I grabbed his tie and yanked him toward me.

"I declined, bastard."

"Why would you do that?" Our eyes met with intensity, my hand fisting tightly in the fabric of his tie. My conversation with Itachi seeped back into my head. Had he really liked me for all these years? A month ago, I would have seen his indifference for my choice of career as a normal Uchiha trait. I wouldn't be looking at the way his composure was ruffled by how close we were. His cheeks were barely dusted with pink, while mine were fully blushing from how close our faces had become. Back then, I wouldn't have the urge to kiss him, to try and make him admit that he would miss me if I left. But right now, that was all I could think about. Our relationship had shifted.

And for the first time, I felt okay with that.

"Are you two almost done with your lover's quarrel?" Ino's question was followed by a giggle, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked over to the three girls, forgetting that they had been there the entire time. I swore and looked down at my position, realizing I had straddled Sasuke in a slightly provocative way. Quickly I scrambled off of his lap, laughing awkwardly while brushing my shirt off to distract myself.

"Whoops!" Sakura smacked her forehead at my reply, though Ino only grinned in understanding. It was only then that I realized that Ino had lost her shirt, revealing a pretty purple bikini top.

"Let's get this thing going, Naruto. You didn't forget your bathing suit, right?" Instantly I shook my head, taking no time to yank my own shirt off. I wiggled out of my jeans, exposing the bright orange swimsuit I knew annoyed Sasuke. Ino let out a whistle as she walked toward me, tossing a towel my way.

"Looking good, ." I laughed and sent her a wink, snagging her under my arm once she was close enough.

"Have to stay in shape to keep up with my vice president." Ino playfully smacked my shoulder, but didn't remove herself from my friendly hold. Instead, she flipped open a piece of paper with the words 'fourth floor pool' written in big letters. The words were a reference to a joke that was played on the freshman every year. Upperclassmen would talk about the pool that resided on the fourth floor, and then give ludacris instructions to the freshmen on how to get there. Playing with the gullible theme, Ino and I decided to 'look' for the pool for our superlative. Ino ducked under my arm, and it took me a second to realize what her plan was when I felt two hands on my bare shoulders.

"Here we go!" I barely had time to react, grabbing under her thighs when she jumped onto my back, her arms wrapping around my neck to hold the map out in front of us.

"Your boobs are squishing into my back," I complained, Ino plopping her head onto my shoulder to look over at me.

"Since when does Naruto compare about boobs?" I snickered at her statement, and I couldn't resist replying.

"Boobs in front of me are fine. Can't see them from the back." Ino rolled her eyes at my statement, but grinned while she glanced over to Tenten.

"We're ready when you are." Tenten nodded as she started to angle the camera to take a picture, Ino pressing her cheek to my own so we could both pretend to look at the 'map'. It was an easy picture to take, since Ino and I were both pretty photogenic. Tenten only had to take a few snaps before she informed us she got the picture, Ino dropping off my back with ease. I stretched my arms over my head, glancing to where I had previously left Sasuke. When I noticed he was no longer there, or even in the room, a bad feeling started to creep into my stomach.

"Where did the bastard go?"

"I think he said something about going home early. He just left," Sakura explained, making me quickly grab my clothes. I barely shouted a goodbye to the group of girls in the room, yanking on my shirt as I ran out of the classroom. My bare feet hit the marble floor of the school as I sprinted through the halls, realizing that all day I had been running. Guess I didn't have to worry about my skipped work-out that morning. Jumping the last few steps of the stairs, I pushed through the high school's back doors and scanned the parking lot. Easily I found Sasuke's car, and the driver yanking his door open.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He glanced up at me as I stomped over to his car, ignoring how my feet protested the harsh feel of the pavement.

"Home."

"You're supposed to sleep over tonight." His eyes narrowed at my statement, his hand clenching against the top of the car door.

"Shouldn't you be asking Ino that question?" I blinked at his question, then slowly shook my head.

"Why would I do that?" Making sure that he wouldn't run away from the conversation I dropped my clothes on the front of his car and pushed the door with my hip, Sasuke releasing it so I could sit between him and the car. "What's going in that dumb head of yours now?"

"Nothing." But it was clearly the exact opposite. I let out a loud groan, then took a deep breath to try and not snap on the agitated man in front of me. Why did Sasuke have to be so emotionally constipated? Playing Sherlock, I thought back to the few moments before Sasuke left. Me and Ino had been posing for our photo, and I had complained about her boobs pressing into-

Ah.

"Jesus, this again?" I punched Sasuke's chest, though not enough to hurt him. Though he looked even more displeased with my response, I grinned up at him with a hint of laughter in my voice. "Ino's hot, but she's not the one I want."

"Your actions say otherwise." He sure became snarky when he was jealous. I sighed, trying not to lose my temper at Sasuke's response. It wasn't like he was the only one who had some doubts; seeing him and Sakura together always bothered me. Maybe it was because neither one of us had the confidence of a title. At the moment, I couldn't even properly tell Itachi what we were. If it was frustrating for me, then I was sure Sasuke was feeling the same way. Not to mention he, according to Itachi, had liked me way longer than I realized. How many times had he been bothered by something I did? All this time, Sasuke had kept his feelings to himself, and probably never expected me to respond to them. Just seeing him interact with Sakura made my stomach twist. Watching me flirt with Ino or any other girl for years must have been tough for him. No wonder Itachi was so concerned.

I didn't want anyone to question my intentions anymore.

"The only one who I want to be with is you." Lifting my hands to his face, I pulled the taller man down to kiss him. His hands dropped to the car behind me, but I didn't mind as I pressed my tongue against his lower lip. The kiss was slow but sensual, my lips exploring more intently than ever before. His tongue brushed mine soon after, and I grunted into the kiss when his body suddenly pressed mine into the side of the car. Hands that had been cradling his face now creeped back into his hair, directing the kiss to deepen. His mouth was warm, making my body shiver each time he ran his tongue along the seam of my lips. Our hips pressed together like magnets, easily feeling the effects of our make-out. My legs parted for him, encouraging the slight thrust of his hips into mine. Though fabric dulled the sensation, my moan quietly echoed in his mouth from the pleasure my body experienced. Finally he pulled back from the kiss, both of us panting from the lack of oxygen. I opened my eyes slowly, glancing up to the flushed cheeks Sasuke now possessed. A swell of pride filled my chest when realizing I caused this. Sasuke moved down to brush his lips against mine, his voice tinged with arousal and leaving no room for me to refuse his command.

"Let's move this to your house."

I had thought that the car ride home would have cooled down my raging hormones and left room for me to question what we were doing. It was pretty obvious that my theory was blown out of the water by the way Sasuke shoved me onto my bed, and how eager I was to help him out of his shirt. Our hands were frenzied as we continued to kiss, both trying to disrobe the other as fast as we could. He had the advantage, as my swim trunks needed little help yanking off. I was stuck unbuttoning his dress shirt while cold fingers slid up my chest, taking the last garment of clothes I had on with them. Being naked with Sasuke mostly clothed was embarrassing, and for a moment I debated covering myself. I focused instead on getting Sasuke's shirt off, tossing it across my room. My hands travelled down to his pants, but were halted when Sasuke pinned them over my head. I glared up at him, Sasuke smirking at me before kissing me again. His lips were demanding, only leaving my mouth to trail along my sensitive neck. I shuddered, my toes curling into my sheets when his body rubbed into mine slowly. It was hard not to cry out when his teeth bit into my neck, but I was nervous my voice would give away how much I enjoyed the feeling.

Sasuke's fingers left my wrists, travelling down to trace the indents of my abdominal muscles. It tickled, but made me shiver at the same time. I closed my eyes when his questing fingers found my hardened arousal. Though I wanted to feel more of his skin, my body was focused on the way his hand stroked me slowly, forcing a set of low moans from my mouth. Sasuke had too much raw talent. I bit my lower lip hard when a strong stroke cause my hips to arch up, wanting to feel that delicious friction again. He seemed to understand my body's cry, his pace increasing against my body. Pleasure clouded my mind, and I was unable to ignore the fact that this searing heat wasn't a dream. Sasuke Uchiha turned me on more so than any other woman who had touched me before him. It felt dirty, but yet my body only seemed more aroused at the idea. It had to be Sasuke. In that moment, that once fact made my eyes open in revelation. Male or female, top or bottom. None of that mattered to me. If it wasn't Sasuke...

"Mo-more." Sasuke's actions paused at my strained word, black eyes clashing with my own passionate gaze. My chest heaved with pent up emotion, a cocktail of fear and excitement. He didn't move, and I realized it was because he was unaware of what I was implying. Damnit, was he was going to make me draw him out a map? Cheeks darker than ever, I rolled over to my knees and propped myself up. My eyes glued shut while I mumbled my next instruction at him. "Ju-Just fingers. And if you hurt me on purpose, I'll kill you."

"It's going to hurt, idiot." There was a tone to Sasuke's voice that made it sound like it wavered, and I was tempted to look back at him to investigate. My pride refused to let me. My whole body tensed when I heard him shift, his weight moving away from my body before coming back after a few seconds. The bare skin of his legs brushed the back of my thighs, making me realize he had taken it upon himself to get rid of any barriers between us.

My head quickly dropped onto my arms in front of me, mortified at the situation. Just this morning, I had been debating how I was going to trick Sasuke into being bottom. Now, I felt my breath halt when a soft hand brushed against the sensitive skin of my lower back. It massaged the skin there slowly, trying to calm my body enough to accept his touch. I breathed through my nose as I struggled to ignore my nerves, and my muscles slowly relaxed into Sasuke's touch. He didn't lower his touch for a few minutes, making it a gradual pace that didn't scare me.

Even with the slow movements, my teeth automatically clenched when his first fingers slid inside me. Pain and discomfort were immediately felt, and Sasuke's movements seemed too choppy to produce any pleasure. I tried to bear it, convincing myself that I was strong enough to get through this. It hit me then that Sasuke was a virgin. He knew the basics of things, because some things were programmed by nature. But this wasn't the same as having sex with a girl. I hissed when he tried to push in deeper, painfully rubbing the inside of my body. This couldn't be the right way to do this. My brain searched for any information I had learned from my porn research, my eyes opening when I realized that we had forgotten something crucial.

"Lube." His motions stopped behind me, and I used the pause to pull away from his hand and scramble to the side of the bed. It hurt a bit to move after Sasuke's first attempt to touch me, but I ignored it to grab the lotion from my nightstand. I slowly turned back to Sasuke, nervously running my tongue against my lower lip and tossing the bottle back to the silent man. "It'll make it easier."

"You never said you tried this with a woman before."

"I, uh...I haven't. I wanted to be ready, so I looked up some stuff."

"For us to have sex?"

"Well, yeah! It's not like I would ever do this with any other guy!" His eyes faintly widened, and I puffed my cheeks out and glared away from him. Why did he have to make everything so weird? Now we were stuck in this funky atmosphere and neither one of us were talking. I tried to think of something to say to erase the awkward silence, but before I could, Sasuke had yanked my leg hard enough to pull me back towards him. My back hit the mattress, my protest paused when I felt a slick finger sliding into me. I gasped at the different feeling, no longer experiencing the discomfort from the first time. My leg was held open as Sasuke moved his finger, watching my face silently. The gasp that came from my mouth paired with my hands clenching, unsure of how to react to this. I expected to feel wrong. What guy who had a preference for women would feel right? My eyes closed when another finger brushed against my entrance, soon joining inside me. My legs quivered and widened, my cheeks flushed from my unconscious action. I tried to cover my eyes with my arm, but Sasuke was quick to yank the limb away. His free hand held my wrist down firmly, and I arched my back at the helpless feeling of pleasure. My moans were triggered when Sasuke curled his fingers inside, striking something that made my whole body tremble. What the hell-

"There it is." Another stroke of that spot in my body made me cry out in shock, Sasuke's hand leaving my wrist to tease the tip of my arousal. His name came out as a strangled cry as my hips surged forward, unsure where I wanted to move. His hand was hot against my cock, but the way his fingers thrusted into me was making me dizzy.

"Fuck, fuck, please...fu-fuck!" I wanted to stay quiet, but the pleasure I was feeling was too much to contain. Sasuke refused to relent, and my eyes screwed shut when his fingers buried inside me the same time his tongue swiped against my tip. Instantly I was seeing white, my mouth hurrying to warn the man above me. "Wa-wait, stop I'm-"

"No." There was a hint of a growl, and my head smashed back into the bed when his mouth covered my arousal. I tried to hold back, my body quivering. Sweat trickled down my forehead, his fingers gently separating inside of me before rubbing that sweet spot inside of me. My hands now grasped his head, fingers digging into his hair to try and slow him down. Sasuke refused to listen, increasing his thrusting while his tongue snaked out to rub along the base of my shaft.

"Sasuke!" The way I called his name expressed my desperation, my orgasm hitting into me like a title wave. The pleasure I felt made my whole body convulse, my hips refusing to stop thrusting toward Sasuke's mouth. Everything felt hypersensitive, and every motion only encouraged me to indulge in the feeling. My hands finally released Sasuke's head, dropping to the bed the same time my hips did. Breathing heavily, I tried to ease my sore throat with a deep swallow. Sasuke's fingers slowly moved out of me, but a feeling that should have scared me only made me feel empty. I hesitantly moved my legs once Sasuke sat up, wondering if I was going to be able to walk tomorrow. My hand wiped the side of my face, my eyes slowly returning to Sasuke's reddened face. Since he had taken his own clothes off, it wasn't hard to see how my orgasm had affected him. I had been pretty loud, and our previous intimacy showed how much he enjoyed oral appreciation.

I didn't hesitate to attack, shoving Sasuke back before my hands were on him. My hand had no hesitation in grasping him, watching the way Sasuke's eyes darkened in arousal. His hands kept him propped up to watch me touch him. His tip was wet with precum, and I felt my eyes linger of the liquid. As if one of Pavlov's dogs, my mouth watered with curiosity. Twice now, Sasuke hadn't second guessed giving me a blow job. My fingers crept along his hardened skin, but my mind wasn't on the sensual touch. I snuck a look to Sasuke's face, the silent man's head now tilted back to enjoy my hand. Sasuke hadn't asked for anything from me; he'd been letting me go at my own pace this entire time. Each time I pulled back, Sasuke would wait until I was ready to walk again. Years had gone by since he had told Itachi his feelings, but not once had he tried to push me into something I didn't want. I parted my lips slowly, only stopping my hand when I leaned my head down toward his arousal.

My tongue registered the bitter taste of his precum before my lips fully enclosed his tip. Sasuke's quiet moan urged me to continue, despite knowing little of what I was doing. I placed my hands on his thighs to keep them spread while holding his hips steady. I could barely keep mine still when he had given me a blowjob. Sasuke probably had better control than me, but I could still feel his legs tightening up when I hesitantly lowered my mouth. By reflex I swallowed, and it seemed to affect Sasuke more so than I thought. His hand grasped onto mine, and I felt myself smirk a bit at the shaky breath he gave out. Wanting to please him more, I started to slide my mouth along his shaft. I closed my mind off to any worried thoughts, focusing on returning the favor to Sasuke. My tongue barely starting to squirm against him. My fingertips dug in his inner thighs, and my speed started to increase. He seemed to enjoy the slight pain, and the first real moan from Sasuke made my pride expand. If I could get Sasuke to react like that, I could get past my internal struggles.

Each dip of my lips went lower, ignoring the slight feeling of choking to push myself to the limits. My eyes started to tear up conditionally, but I kept them closed as I swallowed again. The second swipe of my tongue made the man above me tense, and my eyes suddenly shot open when something shot against the back of my throat. In a panic I jerked back, some of Sasuke's cum dribbling past my lips. Not sure where to put his orgasm, I instinctively swallowed, then immediately coughed when realizing what I had done. Sasuke was now on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he huffed from our earlier play. Sasuke was going to try and get his bearings, then make some sort of excuse to get away from me. I crawled over him slowly, our faces now inches from each other as I sent him an awkward smile. He scowled at my look, his hand reaching up to tap against my forehead.

"Whatever Itachi said, don't worry about it." My eyes widened at his statement, Sasuke rolling his eyes at my stunned expression. "I should be offended that you assumed I'd look over your lunch meeting with a 'man from overseas'."

"Damnit, I shouldn't have said anything." I shoved my head into the pillow above Sasuke's shoulder, not expecting the cool hand pressed against my back.

"Itachi likes to do things behind the scenes. I don't mind normally, but when it comes to you, I will step in."

"Then I guess what he said was true; you've been hiding your feelings for me for years." He stared up at me in silence, but that was more telling than anything he could have said. I grinned brightly, the confirmation making something warm surface in me. Sasuke was quick to grab the pillow, flipping it over his head and smothering my face into the soft fabric.

"Shut up." By the time I wrangled the pillow away, Sasuke had slipped out from under me and was heading toward the shower.

"Hey! You know, that's not how you show a guy you're interested!" If he heard me he didn't show it, disappearing into the bathroom. The shower started, and I scowled while dropping my head back onto the pillow. Why did he have to be such a prick? I glanced at my wrist, which had a slight bruise starting to form. He really didn't want me to cover my face. I couldn't stop my small smile from appearing as I flexed my fingers, realizing he had wanted to see my reactions fully. Even if it hurt a bit at first, and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to walk normally tomorrow, I had learned something frightening and exciting today.

There was a chance I would really have sex with Sasuke.

I hope you all aren't dead. I totally need to apologize 100 more times for waiting so long. If it makes you feel better, this only took me three days to write. So hopefully I will post another chapter in the next couple weeks.

Also, I may eventually start another NaruSasu story...I just can't let them go! -cries-

So, will Naruto really have sex with Sasuke? Will they ever become a couple? Is there anything else that may stand in their way? What will become of their superlative picture? And will Naruto ever let tea alone? Review and find out!