A/N: Greetings, everyone. I hope everyone is having a great summer. The conclusion to the not-date is finally here, and I hope it's worth the long wait. Btw, anyone into Good Omens lately?

Warning for one long-winding POV that leads to sexy stuff at the end (or as we used to say in the olden days, lemons). I'm honestly not sure how to tell you where to stop if you're not into that stuff, so stop when it becomes uncomfortable, okay? You don't have to read anything you are not comfortable reading.

Chapter 54: Intoxicated

Naruto knew the moment he looked at Sasuke that something was wrong.

It wasn't his expression but rather the lack of one that ticked the blond's off. All liveliness that had become so familiar to him was now gone, and in front of him was the Uchiha Sasuke he knew back in their genin days - cold, aloof, restrained - a man who wore a mask of no emotion because he had too many to hide.

When Sasuke turned and walked briskly way, Naruto took a step to go after him, but then he heard Satsuki clicked her tongue and said, "What a shame. He's so rude for someone so handsome."

That comment made Naruto stopped on his track. His chest burnt with cold ire as he turned to her and said with as even a tone as he could muster, "The only person I see being rude here is you, Satsuki."

She narrowed her eyes at him, displeased by his tone, and the blond was prepared for another snide when, to his surprise, she paused. Her lips twisted up into an eerie smile as she took his arm in a death grip. "Never mind that. The dance is about to start, so let's get ready, shall we?"

Naruto didn't get a chance to protest when Satsuki pulled him into the gathering, Umeko and Minae just a step behind. People were walking in, forming lines on the dance floor, partners taking opposite positions facing each other. The blond caught a glimpse of spiky black hair somewhere near the drink stand, but he wasn't able to get a good look before someone blocked his view. Minae hit him lightly on the arm then, jolting him back to her and Ume, as she told the shy girl to teach him the moves for the line dance. It was pretty obvious at this point what these two were trying to do. He gave Satsuki a look, but she just shrugged before turning to Umeko to give her another push.

But then, Umeko's cheeks turned dusty pink as she looked up at him through her eyelashes, and Naruto knew instantly that, no, they weren't set up; he was the only one set up.

Honestly, he didn't expect this from Ume. Well, maybe she wasn't the mastermind, but he still couldn't see how this came about. They had met each other only a few times before since she had been Sensei's day-time student and not one of the kids in the house. They had probably exchanged greetings twice. Apparently, that was enough for her to pine so hard that Satsuki and Minae decided to meddle.

He could almost see Suigetsu rolling his eyes in his mind's eye and telling him how it was his fault for being obtuse. But was it really his fault for not seeing this one coming? It was not like he intended for a wide-eyed civilian girl to like him.

"Sorry, you were saying?" the blond asked after he realized Ume just asked him a question, leaning forward to signal that he couldn't hear her very well. Umeko stuttered a little before raising her voice, but she still wasn't loud enough to break through the loud chatter of people around them. He could read her lips somewhat, but she didn't get to finish the sentence when the drumming began, signalling the beginning of the dance. Naruto straightened up then, getting ready. He'd pretty much agreed to a dance, and that was all he was going to do before saying goodbye. He really shouldn't give Umeko the impression he had any interest or was ever going to stay.

The chorus began to sing not soon after, and the mass of people began to sway to the beat of the drum, moving a step at a time as they went around the center stage in repetitive series of motions that Naruto didn't know anything about. He was missing all the beats as he tried to copy the people around him, jumping and swaying just a split second slower than the rest. Umeko was smiling encouragingly at him, and Naruto tried to smile back to indicate that he was trying. But it was hard to keep his focus on the dance when a glimpse of jet-black hair would distract him now and again. As they made their way around the center stage, Naruto tried his best to catch a sight of Sasuke, but his friend was nowhere to be found.

And Umeko noticed. Her expression turned from confusion to dejection the longer the dance went on. Naruto was sure she got the message now, but he would have to make his escape as fast as he could before Satsuki and Minae caught wind of what was going on. So as soon as the music died and the cheering began, he leaned forward and told Umeko how lovely it was to have a dance with her and took his leave, using the chaotic movement of the crowd to shake off Satsuki whom he was sure was coming after his hide.

He went straight to the drink stand he last saw Sasuke and surprised its owner when he asked for the whereabouts of his friend. "That boy went that way. He just came to pick up a third." the man said after the blond gave him the description. "I don't know how he could go through them so fast. I'm wondering myself if he's okay."

For all the blond knew of Sasuke's ability to handle his drink, he knew the raven was definitely not doing okay. He thanked the owner and went straight in the direction of a giant tree the man had pointed out to him. Tables were set up there to accommodate socializing between town members, and Naruto could see old men and women gathering in groups to chat and watch the dance. Sasuke, though, was alone at one of the tables, slumping forward on his arms with three porcelain bottles in front of him.

Naruto couldn't say he was relieved, but the unease inside him faded a little. He sighed as he approached the table and prodded the raven on the shoulder. "Hey, it's time to leave."

Sasuke lifted his head up - surprised, confused, then irritated. Naruto couldn't help a grimace as he studied his friend's face. His skin turned from pale to red, and his eyes were unfocused. Sasuke was beyond drunk. He was smashed. "Why are you here?" the Uchiha asked. His voice was slurred and glum.

"Taking you home, of course," the blond replied. He reached for Sasuke's arm to help him up, but the raven pulled away from his grasp.

"Go take that girl home," was the curt, cold, and controlled response before Sasuke turned to his alcohol. Naruto pulled the upright bottle out of his reach, earning a glare from the raven-haired man.

"You're coming home with me right now," said the blond.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't need to do what you say."

Naruto narrowed his eyes back. "Is that a challenge?"

The raven slapped his hands on the table, startling the crowd with a loud bang. The chatter around them died in an instant now that people were looking at them, wary of a fight that might go down soon. Naruto, however, kept his gaze on Sasuke as the raven pushed himself up in what was supposed to be a menacing stance. He just looked tipsy. "Bring it on then, dead-last."

So Naruto walked over, got down on one knee, and threw the Uchiha onto his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Sasuke shouted as Naruto began walking out of the square.

The sea of people parted as everyone tried their damndest to not look curious. The blond ignored them in favor of wrestling Sasuke's kicking legs into submission. "Then stop being a child," he said. "And stop making a scene."

"'M not! You're the one making the scene."

"Who makes me do this anyway?"

"Uzuma- Oww!"

Naruto was surprised by how loud that smack was. He could hear gasps from scandalized gentle folks who just saw him slap his friend hard on the buttock. "No name-calling," he shushed. That was a close call, too close for his comfort. Sasuke was clearly too drunk to understand what he was saying, so Naruto had to take him out of there as fast as he could. He swerved between people, making apologies left and right, until he could find the first side road that took them away from the main street and made a run for it.

The town outside of the festival area was quiet, which seemed to have calmed the raven down somewhat. Sasuke didn't make much fuss as Naruto carried him through the deserted streets. In hindsight, that should have alerted the blond that something was wrong, but he was too focused on getting them back to Sensei's place that he didn't realize something was off until they were halfway to their destination and the raven's body began to convulse. "Holy shit. Okay, hang in there." He quickly put the Uchiha down on his feet just in time for the raven to turn away and hurled the content in his stomach onto the ground.

Naruto winced as Sasuke continued to empty his stomach onto the dirt road. Watching someone retching was always unpleasant with the gagging and the nauseating smell of acid and half-digested food. Naruto never understood why anyone would subject themselves knowingly to such a fate by drinking to excess, least of all someone as smart as Sasuke who was now squatting in front of his own sick and continued to heave into the pile looking like he was ready to plant his face into it.

As the heaving continued, the blond sighed and squatted down beside his friend. "You seriously need to learn how to drink properly," he said as he rubbed his friend's back up and down - the only thing he could do, really, in a time like this. The raven answered with another barf but this time nothing much came out but bile. A good sign, Naruto supposed, since it meant that there was nothing more for Sasuke's body to eject. The blond reached into his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and handed it to the raven who looked equally surprised and confused. "For your face. You look like you just dunked it in a ditch."

Sasuke looked at him through layers of sweat, tears, and mucus then at the handkerchief. "It'll get dirty," he said, still not taking the cloth. Naruto sighed again, this time with all the exasperation he had been saving up, before he reached for the raven's chin and began wiping away the wetness and mucus himself.

The Uchiha let out a surprised noise, but that was about as far as his protest had gone. The raven actually did stay still until Naruto was done with cleaning up his face and even let the blond helped him back up on his feet. Unable to, might be more the case, judging by how unsteady Sasuke's stance was once they were standing again. A walk back was clearly out of the question. "Is it okay if I carry you?" The raven's head immediately whipped in his direction, his eyes wide in horror, and Naruto quickly added, "Not on the shoulder, promise."

Sasuke stared back at him a little longer, his eyes still wary, as Naruto waited patiently for an answer. He wasn't going to push it, although he had no idea at all what he was going to do if Sasuke said no. Walking was going to be painful, but that might be what they might have to do.

Luckily, though, Sasuke nodded, and Naruto could barely contain his relief. "Okay," the blond muttered as he placed one arm behind Sasuke's back and bent down to get the other behind the raven's knees before picking him up. The motion, as slow as the blond thought it was, sent the Uchiha into a panic and his arms locked around Naruto's neck in fright. "Hey, hey, I got you," the blond whispered as he adjusted his grip and began walking down the dark, empty street once again. "Geez, I didn't know you're so jumpy."

Sasuke loosened up his arms simply for the pleasure of pulling back and glaring at the blond. Naruto couldn't help but notice how the piercing stare was greatly dimmed by how glazy the raven's eyes were. "You're confusing."

The blond lifted his eyebrows.

"You're too nice to people," Sasuke rambled on as if what he just said made perfect sense. "You make them misunderstand your feelings."

"My feeling?" He wasn't sure where this thread of conversation came from. "What about my feeling?"

What he didn't expect was for Sasuke to pout. "I hate you," he hissed under his breath before going back to burying his face against Naruto's neck, leaving the blond in absolute confusion. This was not the first time someone accused him of being an emotional retard, but usually that person was Suigetsu and usually something had happened to warrant that comment. This time he had no idea what it was about. Was it about Umeko? Why would Sasuke care? To be honest, Naruto was more afraid of Satsuki waiting for him at Sensei's door than of Sasuke being mad at him when it came to the fiasco with Ume.

Thankfully, no one was waiting for him at Sensei's house. The entire compound was quiet and the gates were locked just the way they were when everyone left. So to gain quick access, Naruto decided to jump over the fence, prompting Sasuke to once again near choking him in surprise. The raven really was more jumpy when he was drunk, and the blond made a mental note lest the Uchiha decided to strangle him to death the next time Naruto moved him too suddenly. For now, though, he brought them over to the kitchen so that the raven could clean up while the blond searched for a painkiller.

Sasuke, with his face washed and his mouth rinsed, looked at the glass of water and the small white pills with a scowl on his face. He wasn't too pleased, Naruto could tell, but he took them both from the blond and swallowed the medication anyway, much to the jinchuuriki's relief.

That relief was short-lived, though, when Sasuke stood up and declared, "I can walk now."

Looking at his uneven steps, Naruto disagreed. "Let me carry yo-"

"No," said the Uchiha as he stumbled forward, pretending and failing to have any semblance of a balance. "I'm fine."

Naruto groaned. "You're not. You're drunk."

The raven glared at him. He then turned and headed for the stairs. That was when Naruto decided to walked up behind him, swept him off his feet, and carried him all the way up to the second floor and into their bedroom.

"Hey!" was Sasuke's only responded. He moved about in Naruto's arms. The blond wasn't entirely sure what he was trying to accomplish aside from making the trip a little more dangerous for both of them. When they finally reached the bedroom, the blond put him down, earning himself another glare. "Would you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Acting like that," replied the raven. He looked like he wanted to say more but his brain was clearly failing him. "You're frustrating!"

"And you're not making sense," Naruto said, rubbing his temple. He was starting to get a headache now, too. "You should get some sleep. I'll get you a futon."

"Hey!" was the only thing the raven managed to say before Naruto ducked past him to the closet. He really had no idea what Sasuke's objection was about, and he didn't think he had any chance of figuring it out considering how drunk the raven was. There wasn't much he could do than to have Sasuke sleep it off.

"You're doing it again," said the raven, annoyed, as the jinchuuriki walked past him with a set of bedding in his arms. Naruto completely ignored him as he laid the futon out on the floor. But not for long, though, since Sasuke decided to get his attention by throwing himself at Naruto.

"Hey!" the blond shouted. Despite being tipsy, Sasuke somehow managed to get enough momentum to throw Naruto off balance and got them both sprawling on the futon. "Get off!"

Sasuke, however, didn't seem to be listening. The moment he could reoriented himself, he crawled right on top of Naruto, straddling him and pushing the blond down as he scowled at him from above. "Why are you taking care of me?" the raven asked. Naruto wasn't quite sure if Sasuke looked confused or frustrated.

"You can't take care of yourself right now, Sasuke." Naruto replied and wasn't surprised that the Uchiha looked indignant by the answer.

"You can take care of that girl instead."

Naruto lifted an eyebrow at that comment. So this was about Umeko? "I'm pretty sure Ume can find somebody else," he said, trying again to get up, but Sasuke's hand was firm on his shoulders and his weight full on Naruto's hip.

"What about Satsuki?"

Naruto had no idea where this was going, but he gave the honest answer, "I'll leave her to Minae, honestly."

"Karin?"

Was Sasuke listing the girls at him now? "Hopefully, not. Too energetic."

"Suigetsu?"

Naruto honestly didn't expect that name to be on the list and he let out a laugh in surprise. "Hell, no. I'd pay to see Suigetsu get smashed. That'd be funny."

The raven's lips curved up in response. There was a mischievous twinkle in his half-lidded eyes as he gazed down, smirking all the while. Whatever had been frustrating him seemed to be gone now as he leisurely stretched out on top of Naruto. "So, you're saying," he whispered, "you're only doing this for me."

It might have been his tone or the rasp in his voice or the dark flame in his eyes that made Naruto forget how to breathe. The blond had never seen the raven like this - like fire and hunger and darkness rolled into one - and he made Naruto's heart speed up uncomfortably in his chest. He was sure Sasuke could feel his heart racing since the raven had one hand on his chest as he shifted forward. His face was close enough for Naruto to smell alcohol in his breath.

Then Sasuke leaned down and kissed him.

It was a peck, lasting only a split second, but it struck like a lightning. Sasuke had just kissed him, and Naruto's brain had no idea how to process it, didn't even have a clue as to how it happened. So he laid there, staring up into a pair of curious dark eyes like the idiot he had always been accused of being.

Then Sasuke grabbed his face and kissed him again, this time with a sharp press of their lips that was hard enough to bruise. Naruto was knocked out of his reverie by the smack of their front teeth and the sensation of a tongue prodding its way into his mouth. And that was when the blond about had it. He flipped them over, pushing the raven down with a forearm across the chest as he pulled back for air. His lips was tender and covered in wetness at this point. He rubbed it off and was glad that none of that was blood. "You have no idea what you're doing at all, do you?" He had to wonder how drunk Sasuke actually was to think of randomly kissing him like that.

The raven's eyes turned sharp at the comment, at least as sharp as his drunken haze would allow him. He was clearly offended. "Of course, I do. They kiss in Jiraiya's books all the time."

Naruto's brain came screeching to a halt again. Did Sasuke just seriously say he was using Icha Icha Paradise as reference? "Idiot, nobody cares about kissing in porn. It's just a prelude to sex."

Even on his back and underneath him, the raven could still lift his nose up and made it look like he was looking down at the blond from the top of the world. "And you think you can do better, dead-last?"

The hair on the back of Naruto's neck stood up at the challenge. The familiar sensation rushed down his spine like every time the raven insulted, pushed, or gloated him. "Definitely better than you, bastard."

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed into slits, and Naruto almost shivered. "Show me, then."

For a split second, the blond felt like they were back there again, being thirteen and knowing no better way to interact than to punch each other in the face. But they were talking about kissing, and for the next second Naruto was sure he heard it wrong.

That was until Sasuke tilted his head to one side and smirked. "What? Are you just all talk after all, scare-dy-cat?"

He drawled each syllable of the taunt almost to a singsong, and Naruto could feel his heart pounded at the familiar rush. "You ask for this, remember that," he said, and Sasuke hummed mockingly in reply. Naruto fully planned to thoroughly wipe that self-satisfied smirk off his face by the end of it.

He settled his weight to one side of the raven, stretching out unhurriedly, as Sasuke's eyes trailed after him, reading his movements just as he would in a spar. But if this was a spar, it was one Naruto was sure he knew the terrain way better than Sasuke ever did. "A kiss is not about knocking lips with each other, you know," he said as he propped up on his elbow, his free hand toying with the collar of Sasuke's kimono. The raven narrowed his eyes in response. The corner of Naruto's lips pulled up in a smirk as he brushed his knuckles along the strong jawline, marveling as Sasuke's cheeks turned even redder. "It's a kind of a conversation," said the blond in a whisper now. He leaned closer until their faces were barely an inch apart but stop just before he could reach those lips. He could hear Sasuke holding his breath, his eyes searching in confusion. But Naruto just held his gaze there -firm and unyielding. Sasuke's Adam's apple bobbed. "You have to say hello first."

And with that, he brushed his lips lightly over the raven's. It was chaste, a little more than a peck, but enough to feel the tingle from the touch. Sasuke must have felt the spark, too, since he sucked in a breath as they parted. His eyes widened in surprise.

Now, Naruto thought, was a good time to gloat. "Was it good?" he asked, smirking back as Sasuke seemed to be stuck in a daze.

When he did come out of it, though, the raven didn't look pleased. "That doesn't count."

The blond lifted an eyebrow.

"You said that's a greeting," the raven continued. "That's not a proper kiss."

Naruto let out a huff. "Fair enough," he said, leaning forward once again. He brushed the knuckles of his fingers against the blushing cheek. "And I thought I was going to let you off easy."

At that, the raven snorted. "You are the one who's not getting off easy."

"Promises, promises," replied Naruto just as he tilted the raven's head to one side and placed a firmer kiss on his lips. He could feel Sasuke's breath stuttered at the contact, still surprised by the sensation before Naruto pulled away again, letting only the barest of touch to linger, before pressing back in. This time, Sasuke let out a sigh as his eyes fluttered shut, pushing back to meet the blond half way. His hand was now on the back of Naruto's neck, holding him firmly, clearly saying he wasn't accepting any backpaddling.

And Naruto didn't intend to. He nibbled at Sasuke's lower lip, letting his teeth dragged gently over the soft surface, and rejoiced when the raven let out another stuttered breath. He changed back to just lips-pressing before repeating the nibble again on the upper lip, earning a short sound of amazement and delight. That sound sent a wave of heat down Naruto's spine as Sasuke's hand travelled to Naruto's shoulder blade, his fingers pressing down almost painfully as he bit gently back. The blond could feel the tongue, wet and hot, occasionally licking at the seams of his lips. The raven seemed sure in the direction he wanted to go, so Naruto obliged.

He gave those reddened lips a lick - a test, really, to see if Sasuke was really up for the idea. The raven licked back. His sinful mouth opened wider as a permission, and Naruto felt the air rushing out of his lungs in a groan. Sasuke made a little noise as he tugged at the jinchuuriki's hair - demanding, really, for Naruto to get on with it - and Naruto's groin heated at the command as he slipped his tongue in. The contact was brief, just enough to feel the sensation of soft, wet muscles of Sasuke's tongue against his own, before pulling back to lips-to-lips kissing. The raven made a noise that almost sounded like disappointment before he opened his mouth and tugged at Naruto's hair again.

It was getting hard to keep his head straight like this, to remember that he was proving a point, with Sasuke responding so eagerly. With every kiss, Sasuke seemed to be wanting more, demanding for more even, and with every kiss, the raven was getting progressively better. Naruto had always known that Sasuke was a fast learner, but he didn't know quite how fast until he had the raven underneath him, kissing him back as if they had done it thousands of times before.

When Naruto flicked his tongue upward, brushing against the back of Sasuke's front teeth, the raven's body jerked. His hips bucked up against the blond's thigh and only then did the blond realize that Sasuke was hard - both of them were, in fact. He wasn't entirely sure if Sasuke realized what he was doing, but he rolled his hips up again, rubbing himself against Naruto. The pressure against his groin made Naruto groaned, which seemed to only encourage the raven even more. Sasuke's tongue entered the blond's mouth just as the Uchiha rocked up against him again, and Naruto nearly lost it.

But then he remembered that he had been here before - Yu-chan's body, hot in feverish arousal underneath him, begging him. And just like that, the heat ebbed as if quenched with cold water. His head was cleared of the haze, and he suddenly found the strength, as he had so many times, to pull away.

Sasuke made a disgruntled noise when he lost contact. His fingers dug firmly into Naruto's shoulders. "Where are you going?" the raven asked when he finally found his words again. His voice was raspy and thick and so obviously aroused that it made the blond shudder.

"We need to stop," he said.

The raven frowned. "Why?" he asked, confused and chastised. Uchiha Sasuke had never looked as small and unsure as right then, and Naruto felt a pang of guilt. This really wasn't Sasuke's fault. Naruto should have known better than to let things get this far.

"We just need to cool down a little, okay?" he said, brushing the tousled hair from Sasuke's face. "I'll be downstairs. Just-"

He didn't get to finish the sentence when he found himself on his back and Sasuke on top of him again. His weight pressed down on Naruto's hip and also unfortunately on his dick. The pressure was borderline painful, and he was about to push the raven off him when Sasuke asked, "Is this because I'm not a girl?" Something inside Naruto died at how hurt he looked. "What do you like then? Blonde? Brunette? Do you like big breasts? Would you rather fuck a skinny girl or a curvy one, or does that even matte-"

"Sasuke, stop," Naruto said, feeling lightheaded as he pushed himself up and sliding the raven down to his thighs. "I don't need you to find a girl for me, okay? Just get some rest."

Sasuke grimaced in distaste. "Who says I'm going to find one. I'm going to be one."

At that, the blond's brain pretty much shut down. He was sure this time he really heard it wrong.

But the raven just kept talking. "I don't know if I can act all sweet and submissive, but if you like that, I can try-"

"Okay, just stop right there."

This time, Sasuke did. The blond couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow drunk, stoned, and trapped in a genjutsu. Then horrible thoughts began bubbling to the surface. Had this happened before? Was Sasuke always flirtatious when he was drunk? Had he ever tried to kiss someone else? What had happened afterwards that he-

"Don't ever offer something like that to anyone, alright?" Naruto said, his stomach cold with dread and hot with rage at the thought of someone taking advantage of his friend like this. "You're drunk off your ass. You don't know what you're doing. You can't even control your chakra like this. What if somebody-"

"I can." Sasuke huffed, lifting his nose up. "I've done it with Jiraiya before."

...What?

"Jiraiya did WHAT?"

The words came out as a growl as if coming from the pit of hell as Naruto's body flooded with wrath. He might have frightened the raven, but he honestly couldn't care less in that moment. The blond grabbed both his arms and pulled him in, staring right into those wide dark eyes. "What did he do to you?" Naruto asked, or rather demanded, because he wouldn't be able to stand not knowing. If that salacious excuse of a sannin had laid his hands on Sasuke, Naruto would hunt him down, cut his balls off, and stuff them down his throat.

Sasuke pulled out of his grasp, and Naruto first reaction was to pull him back, but the raven grabbed his face and said, "Just stop it." Naruto scowled at him. The raven scowled back. "He was testing my chakra control. We had a couple of drinks, and I used your jutsu to surprise him, that's all. What are you getting scary for?"

What for? "He didn't touch you?" Sasuke frowned at him, confused. There was no sign on his face to indicate any distress or that he might have lied, and Naruto let out a long sigh as relief washed over him. His head hang as he sucked in a large breath. "Thank fuck."

"For what?" Sasuke asked. He sounded genuinely befuddled, and Naruto didn't know if he should be alarmed or irritated or outright mad.

He went for all of them. "You can't leave yourself defenceless like that," he said as he looked up at the raven, annoyed that he was the one who needed to explain this to the supposed genius of the Uchiha clan. "What if some creep-ass found you instead of me? What were you going to do then? Could you even fight him off? Have you ever thought of that? Seriously, Sasuke, you need to know your limit. You can't just go drinking yourself sick every time you feel like it."

The raven didn't look too pleased about being lectured at. His face was scrunched into half-scowl half-pout. "Like you would know. You don't even drink."

"Sure, and guess who didn't puke his guts out. Not you." Sasuke pouted harder, but he didn't disagree, and Naruto wasn't entirely sure this conversation was going through at all. "I'm not saying you shouldn't drink, okay? Just… you need to learn to stop before you get hurt. That's all."

They stared at each other some more. Sasuke still didn't look entirely convinced, but Naruto could see that he was thinking about it, which was the very least Naruto had hoped for. "Fine," said the raven finally, "you come with me next time, then."

The blond blinked. "Huh?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. His arms slipped around Naruto's neck as he continued to pout. "Since you're so worried, come drink with me next time."

For a split second, the blond thought of reminding the raven that he didn't drink, but he supposed he could keep an eye out for Sasuke if things did indeed get a little out of hand. "Okay," the blond said tentatively. A smile crept up the raven's face as he did so. There was smugness there, sure, but also happiness. Naruto realized then that this was Sasuke beaming with joy as the raven leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips.

Naruto let out a noise in surprise when Sasuke's body pressed up against him. His weight firmly settled on the blond's still-sensitive cock and made him squirm. The raven froze a little before he pulled back, confused by what just happened. Then he looked down, and Naruto knew he noticed.

When Sasuke looked back up again, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that made the breath catch in the blond's throat. Without warning, the raven rolled his hips downward, hard.

"Oh, fuck," was the only word leaving the blond's mouth as a shot of pleasure sparked through him like lightning. Sasuke adjusted his weight slightly, his hands grabbing onto the blond shoulders, then rolled his hips down again, this time in successive waves that nearly sent Naruto's eyes rolling into his skull.

"Is it good?" the raven asked, his hips still doing that devilish, rhythmic thing. And, dammit, it felt good, too good. And all Naruto could say in reply was a groan as his eyes squeezed shut and his hands grabbed onto Sasuke's thighs like dear life. He didn't know if he wanted the raven to stop or to keep going as his fingers dug in hard enough to bruise.

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed out, "look at me."

Blue eyes met black at that command because Naruto honestly couldn't do anything else, not when Sasuke was like this - desire and sensuality and control all rolled into one. If Sasuke had asked for his soul, he would have given it right then - anything to please him, anything to keep making them feel this good.

He didn't fight when Sasuke kissed him again, sucking on his mouth with enough passion that made Naruto's head spun. The raven's hands pawed at the waist of his pants, clumsily searching for the tie. For a brief moment, those hands went up underneath his t-shirt and scraped at his abdomen, sending goosebumps up Naruto's back. The blond's entire body jumped.

Sasuke pulled back again, and Naruto knew from the look in his eyes that he's up to no good. "Don't you dare, bastar- Fuck!" His whole body jerked when Sasuke's fingers made contact with the bare skin on his waist, running up and down in a way that made Naruto's entire body twisted. The blond fought all he could, laughing all the while, but he couldn't really get away with the raven sitting on top of him, using the advantage of his position to make Naruto collapse onto the bedding in a helpless, giggling heap.

But that didn't last for long. The first moment Sasuke pulled back even a little, Naruto grabbed him and rolled them over. He quickly attacked the obi, pulling it off to get to the waist line. And he knew Sasuke saw that coming. The raven tried to thwart him off, but not before Naruto was finally able to lay his hands on him, making the raven shouted in surprise as the fingers brushed over the skin of his belly. Sasuke tried to move out of Naruto grasp, but the blond pulled him back underneath him and continued his attack.

"Naruto, stop!" the raven shouted in between hysterical giggles and surprised laughter - the sounds that Naruto find surprisingly motivating. "You, bastard!" With that came a foot aiming for the blond's chest, and he dodged just in time to not get sent flying backwards. Another foot came right after, and Naruto locked them both on either side of his waist. That, however, left his torso wide open for attack, and the jinchuuriki was sure Sasuke was going to take his revenge.

Except he didn't. The raven just lay there underneath him, panting, with both his legs around the blond's waist. His hair was disheveled, and his kimono already half slipped off, showing the expanse of heated skin flushed from exertion and alcohol. But what struck Naruto was his dark fathomless eyes filled with mirth and sparkled with joy, like a moonless night sky filled with stars. And Naruto felt like he couldn't breathe.

Those legs tugged him forward and in a trance Naruto let himself be led. He didn't know why the raven had this kind of power over him, didn't really question it as he leaned in and brushed his lips against Sasuke's. Warmth flushed his body when the raven kissed back, just lips to lips and nothing more, and it made him want in a way he had never wanted anything. And Sasuke let him have. He didn't fight when Naruto latched his mouth on the raven's pale neck. If anything, those legs tightening around the blond's waist were telling him to keep going. The way Sasuke sighed when Naruto's hands caressed the flushed skin of his thighs sent a rush of blood down to the blond's groin. And if that wasn't enough to tell the jinchuuriki that Sasuke was enjoying this, the wet stain on his brief was. The raven practically rolled his hips into Naruto's hand when the blond massaged the hard bulge between his legs.

And just as Naruto thought he was about to lose his mind, Sasuke reached out, hooking his finger on the blond's pants and tugged. "I want to touch you," he whispered, and Naruto groaned. He immediately undid his pants, fumbling at the knot because he was getting too impatient to work on it properly. Sasuke certainly didn't help when he reached forward and palmed the blond through the clothes, clearly bored of waiting.

"Give me two seconds," was what Naruto managed to say before he finally pulled the string loose and instantly the raven's hand was in his pants, rubbing along the length of his cock, and Naruto's mind might have exploded a little. The sensation of hot callous hand nearly made him come, but just nearly. He squeezed his eyes shut and just managed to pull himself together enough to stop the raven. Sasuke made a disgruntled noise as his hand was pulled away, although he didn't otherwise protest. That gave Naruto enough time to kick off his own pants and turned to the raven to tug at his.

Sasuke seemed to know instantly what he wanted and lifted his hip to let Naruto pull the brief down his legs and off him. The blond honestly couldn't get rid of that particular piece of clothing fast enough. His body burned with need as he pulled Sasuke into a kiss. The raven didn't seem to mind Naruto taking charge this time. He just let the blond pressed him back onto the bedding as the jinchuuriki nipped lightly on his skin. He let Naruto press in between his legs as he hovered over the raven, rubbing their cocks together as he tried to gain some friction.

Sasuke sighed at the touch, his hand reaching down to help, and Naruto groaned. Their hands together felt tight and he couldn't help but snap his hips forward, earning a groan of approval from the raven as their cocks slid against each other. So Naruto kept going, moving faster and faster, until Sasuke let his eyes fell shut. Short, wet pants escaped his lips as the raven began rolling his hips up against him.

"You close?" Naruto asked. He wasn't far himself.

Sasuke forced his eyes opened and nodded feverously. "Don't stop." He moaned. "Don't you dare stop."

Naruto didn't think he would ever want to, not with Sasuke like this - lost in a storm of pleasure, gasping hotly with every thrust. His groin tightened as Sasuke's shaft throb against his, hot and heavy and ready. Naruto had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep his eyes open as the raven's face contorted and his head thrown back. Sasuke's back arched crying out a single word set the jinchuuriki's body aflame.

"Naruto!"

And just like that, Naruto was lost - entirely, utterly, and completely.

/***/

End of Chapter 54

A/N: And so, dear readers, they did it. I fret over this scene a lot, so please let me know what you think.

But we all know this is not going to end well, don't we?

Guest Here is the next chapter! I'll try to keep it coming as regularly as I can.

Guest I'm basically honour bound to finish this work at this point. But it may take forever, though. Sorry. Also, more Itachi is coming. :)

Guest Here is the conclusion!

Guest My favourite, too. :D And thank you for reading!

mwg20 Thank you! Drunk Sasuke is here, and things got out of hand. And, you're right, Naruto is as dumb as a rock, so things are only going to get complicated from now on.

YOURFANS Oh, trust me, this slow burn frustrates me, too. You'd think being the author means I get the say in this sort of thing, but nope! The characters are going to do what they are going to do - in this case, being utter idiots. I hope this massive narusasu moment can satisfy you for a while because, yeah, it's going to be a while.

Brenda Joyeux Thanks! And I totally made that story up using the story of Hades and Persephone as the backbone, but you're right, a lot of creation stories from the Japanese one to the Maori one actually have similar structures. There's a female creator of life and a male counterpart who sometimes (but not always, I don't think) represents destruction. I was watching too many episodes of Crashcourse Mythology when I was writing it, and it totally shows. :P

Teme of the year Trust me, it's always okay to leave more than one review to a work by any author. I'm actually really glad you like it so much! I hope you like this chapter as well even though things just got escalated. (Drunk Sasuke cannot be trusted around Naruto. Or should it be the other way around?) I don't know if we can say jealous Naruto has made an appearance since he's more of a worrywart than anything else (we already know that, don't we). I hope everything comes out natural in the lemon, too, since this is more awkward for me to write than romance. Let me know if you think it's okay.

Guest Haha, now that's a thought. I can see Suigetsu flirting with Sasuke just to rile Naruto up, but I think drunk Sasuke would be too busy being up in Naruto's business to even care. It still would be a hilarious setup, though, if you ask me. And yes, the backbone of the story comes from Persephone and Hades but with more consent and enthusiasm, just the things we need in 2019. It's really hard to see one of them as being Persephone, but if Persephone ever thought "You all can screw while I get laid" then that's totally Sasuke.