A/N: The title comes from Elvis Presley's "Love me tender", cause I'm corny like that. It's going to be a two-shot. Lemons in the second part. ;)

A/N2: For this one I drew my inspiration from Rosswen's The Love of My Life (it has an absolutely adorable shy Sasuke who wears glasses, and I just needed more of that), and Big by runicclover, which is a pretty amazing one-shot and has a very nice lemon in it.

Warnings: low self-esteem and social awkwardness on Sasuke's part, support and understanding on Naruto's; pining, light making out. Self-betad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and make no profit.

Sasuke had always been tall. Well, perhaps, not in kindergarten, but certainly taller than his classmates in grade school. He hit his growth spurt in the fifth grade, shot up during summer and came back to class a good five inches taller. He felt awkward and out of place ever since.

His thick black hair that lay limply around his face and a pair of horn rimmed glasses (the ones that were on sale the day his brother finally took him to the optician) may have added to his self-consciousness. The Uchiha, and he was one of the last representatives (aside from Itachi - his older brother, and Madara - their great uncle and guardian), all possessed these features. That is, high stature, dark manes and bad eyesight, yet Sasuke felt he was the only one who got the short end of the stick and turned out much lankier and clumsier than any of the relatives he used to know. And those would be his parents, and their parents, and also his and Itachi's cousins Shisui and Tobi. All of them perished tragically on a Christmas Eve gathering some fifteen years ago. Sasuke was eight at that time and didn't remember much now, but suspected it had much to do with his gloominess and social awkwardness in later years.

It was not that he couldn't make contact with his peers, it just happened that every time he tried to start a conversation a heavy lump would stick firmly in his throat and prevent any coherent sounds from leaving him to hold a proper conversation. And at rare occasions when his mouth would cooperate Sasuke found himself struggling to think of the right thing to say and often ended up embarrassing himself, saying something completely out of place.

His unkempt appearance didn't add him much charm either - worn clothes, tattered school bag and books - all of them hand-me-downs from Itachi, as Madara was exceptionally hard up when it came to buying any of them new stuff, even if they really needed it. That was one of the reasons why Itachi found himself a part-time job so early in his teens. If Sasuke remembered correctly, his brother started working at the local book store since he was fourteen, barely a year after their parents passed away and they were left in Madara's care. The man was strict and bitter about life in general, but good at heart. Deep, deep down.

There was time when Sasuke tried to groom his hair to make himself look at least a bit more presentable. He remembered asking Itachi to give him a haircut, and he thought it turned out quite alright, before he went to school the next day and made himself a laughing stock. The nickname "duck butt" that the meanest boys from his class gave him still stung, as it was the first time he wanted to look good and thought he succeeded. The stifled snickers and undisguised booms of laughter made a huge dent in his self-esteem. The brunet grew out his hair since that fateful day and only cut it when the tips started brushing his shoulders.

But his height always made it worse. He never wanted to be the centre of attention, but those few inches he had on everybody else in class even while seated constantly drew glances in his direction. To top it all he was a straight A-student, commonly known as 'a nerd'. It wasn't event that he wanted to get good grades or particularly tried, he just had no better thing to do, and no friends to hang out with.

Well, when he turned fourteen he found a job himself, and worked part time at the music shop. That was his guilty pleasure - music. Ever since he was six, when Itachi first gave him his brand new walkman to listen to some rock band, Sasuke fell in love. He secretly took the small rectangular box at any given chance, listening to every tape his brother got, until one particularly rainy day in autumn he crushed it, the player slipped from his long clumsy fingers only to be trodden on by his large feet clad in Madara's heavy boots. Sasuke truly lamented the loss, especially since he couldn't immediately get a replacement, their budget being short as it was. That's why once he got a paying job, he set out a goal for himself - to save up enough money to buy a new player. And he did just that, it only took him a year and a half.

Still, being hard-working and studious didn't bring him any friends. It seemed that one needed more than that to be noticed and accepted. But Sasuke couldn't understand what it was that he was so obviously lacking. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror it seemed that he only had an excess - of height, that is. Also, probably, of dark clothes but it wasn't something he was ready change, money being one reason and his personal taste the other (so what if he liked navy blue and black, he had white in his wardrobe as well, only it turned more grey with age). And he certainly couldn't grow shorter, which really pissed him off and put a permanent frown on his face and an awkward hunch to his shoulders.

When puberty hit Sasuke full force there was yet another part of his body that brought him aggravation. His cock, which was infuriatingly proportional to the rest of his body, got stiff at the most inappropriate times, like the time when he got hard in PE - the more the boys bellowed dirty remarks and the girls gasped and curiously craned their necks, the more he wanted the old green floorboards to swallow him whole, it brought Sasuke so much humiliation. He hated his body at that moment and felt he was completely helpless and powerless over its reactions. The brunet even restrained from touching himself to get some form of release, as if punishing his body and himself for his perpetual inadequacy.

That was probably why at the crucial moment when he had to get it up, Sasuke failed. It was a girl from the parallel, who probably wanted to see if the rumours of his size were true, and made some pretty straightforward advances on him. He was seventeen then and still had no sexual experience, even with his hand. Yet the girl appeared to know it all and when she first approached him after classes one Friday, she got straight to the point, "Hey, Uchiha, wanna go behind the bleachers?" And Sasuke wasn't as oblivious as some of his classmates claimed he was, so he immediately knew where this was going. Still, it took him almost a whole minute to process the invitation, and when he finally got the message that was written all over the girl's generously made up face, her blouse lacking a couple of top buttons, and her skirt hiked a bit too high up, all he could do was give a jerky nod and a nervous shrug. It turned out to be enough as the next thing he knew, Sasuke was being dragged none too gently by the arm in the direction of the baseball field.

Once the teens reached their destination, Sasuke had his first kiss, and his first feel of a girl's body. He wasn't too impressed. Maybe it was the suddenness of it all, or just his nervousness that made him fidget and accidentally squeeze the offered tit too hard, which earned him an irritated slap on the thigh. The girl worked incredibly fast on his belt, as if she trained beforehand, came a lone thought through the brunet's mind, and all too soon he felt her pulling his length out of the opening in his shorts. His limp member was still fairly long, and the girl took a sharp inhale before glancing slyly at him, looking like she wanted to tell him a secret, and started rubbing him in firm rhythmic motions of her cool and clammy palm. Sasuke stayed hopelessly unresponsive and didn't know how to react, was he supposed to do something in return, say something at least - he had no idea. From the sappy romance novels he borrowed from Itachi (who took damaged books home from the store to repair them) he knew that boys are to tell girls something nice about their appearance, about how they smell and how they dress. Sasuke was no poet though, so the only thing he could come up with at such short notice was, "Your hair smells like fish." Well, that was true.

The perplexed expression on the girl's face when she looked up told him that was not enough, so he added, "It suits you." Well, in his head it sounded more like 'the way you wear your hair looks good on you', but it must have come out wrong, as the girl stood straight in a flash and a moment too late the unfortunate brunet realised that her rapidly approaching knee was aiming for his bared balls. It was painful, but the words she shouted while angrily stomping away hurt much worse. "You sick fuck!' she said, "No wonder no one wants to be with a freak like you!"

That day Sasuke decided he was not made for relationships with girls, or any relationships for that matter, he'd simply ruin everything the moment he opened his mouth. And that brought him to the present day, a tall, dark hunching young man of twenty three, still a virgin, and painfully alone. Of course he had his family, but since he left home three years ago and started living by himself in a small rented apartment at the outskirts of Konoha, he rarely had the time and any particular need to visit them often. Itachi called more or less regularly, though after getting a promotion he worked so hard for at the law office, Akatsuki, he now had too much on his plate to babysit his brother like he used to. So Sasuke had plenty of time to wallow in self pity with no one around to disturb him.

He was in his last year of college, studying engineering. Machines always seemed to him more pleasant companions than people, and they didn't judge him by his looks or his lack of social skills. He was ready to get into the monotonous routine once he graduated, working at some factory with endless drafts, calculations and metal parts, until he met him. The sweet little angel by the name of Naruto Uzumaki.

Well, technically it was long before they actually met each other, and at first it was more of a one sided observation, if Sasuke had to name it. But that didn't bother him in the slightest. Probably it was for the better anyway, because the brunet felt their relationship would end as soon as he introduced himself, Naruto branding him a freak of nature that he was.

Unlike him, Naruto was small. Standing no taller than 5'5'' with a head of blond slightly curling locks, big blue eyes, smooth boyish face and a slender frame he appeared younger than he was. In fact, when Sasuke first spotted Naruto at Ichiraku's one warm summer evening, he thought he finally hit his rock bottom and became a complete freak of nature, as he felt his heart skip a bit and then clench longingly at the sight of an innocent unsuspecting minor. The brunet lived in inner turmoil for two days and a half, debating with his conscience, and loosing miserably. Then he decided to learn more about the object of his sudden but strong infatuation.

Ichiraku Ramen was a small but cosy restaurant held by old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame. Sasuke knew the place when it was still a stand with only four stools for hungry patrons, and even remembered eating there once or twice with his brother when they were in the area. Itachi's more frequent choice was a tea house across the street that served the best dango in Konoha. Sasuke himself also preferred to go there when he felt like a cup of tea and some light snacks (which were often all he could afford), and had a nice table by the window which he liked to think of as his. It gave him a good view of the street, the restaurant and the small shops that framed it.

It was from that spot that he watched Naruto working, fetching bowls full of steaming soup and noodles from the counter and getting them quickly to their final destination with practised ease. It was actually mesmerising to see the little blond move around the often crowded place, especially during lunch hours. He was agile and energetic, always wearing a sincere warm smile when he greeted the newly arrived. Sasuke even fantasized a couple of times how he would save up enough courage and cash and walk straight across the street into the brightly lit place where his personal sunshine would smile at him and, perhaps, they would even chat a bit while he took his order. Thankfully, the windows of the restaurant were large enough for Sasuke to follow practically every move of the blond, which made his fantasies almost palpable.

That, however, didn't answer his urgent question about Naruto's age. Actually, at that time he didn't even know the blond's name, the distance making it impossible to make out the letters scribbled messily on the tag. It was only when Sasuke, much to his surprise and, when the initial wave of shock subsided, immense delight, practically ran into the object of his dreams at the university canteen. Of course, he fled as soon as he realised his angel could notice him as well, and he was not ready for that just yet. But nothing could stop the brunet from finally learning more about the object of his dreams (which became incessant at that point).

A couple of days into his unassuming observation of Naruto and his group of friends, a perpetually tired looking brunet with a bushy ponytail, a loud-mouthed overly enthusiastic brown-haired guy who sometimes brought his enormous white dog with him, and a pudgy redhead who was always eating something, Sasuke found out all the information that he craved for. Well, he also might have hacked one of university computers to get Naruto's personal file, but that was something he refused to dwell on for too long, not wanting to admit to himself just how much of a stalker he had become. It turned out the little blond was in his second year, studying botany, which meant he had some classes in Sasuke's science building, but mostly went to the building on the other side of campus. He didn't live on university grounds though, but the address given in the file was invalid as well (Sasuke checked). It seemed the man, and he was thankfully 21 already, lived somewhere near Ichiraku's, but Sasuke always failed to catch Naruto on his way home after he finished his evening shifts.

That didn't dissuade the brunet, as Sasuke felt he had all the time in the world. He didn't hope to actually get acquainted with the sweet angel, Sasuke knew they belonged to completely different worlds, but knowing he could keep watching him from afar, bathing in the warm light of Naruto's smile and carving each small detail about the man into memory, made him feel more alive than he did in years. That was why an unexpected chance to finally approach his unattainable ideal one October evening caught the brunet totally off guard.

The yearly autumn festivities were approaching fast and it looked like that day Teuchi gave Naruto the task to decorate the restaurant appropriately. Given the old man's workload, he must have forgotten to warn the blond in advance, which left him cutting bright paper and putting self-made garlands around the place long after closing hours. Sasuke watched him through the whole process until a waitress cautiously approached him and said that the tea shop was closing as well. At first the brunet was reluctant, Naruto wasn't finished yet, and he hardly ever left before the blond. But as Sasuke glanced at the windows of the restaurant to see the lights switch off and a perfectly recognisable shadow move to the back door, he hastily snatched his heavy grey bag from the floor and started across the street in a sudden bout of determination.

When he reached the mouth of the alley, his legs were shaking enough to make him stumble clumsily on a small crack in the pavement. Fortunately, Sasuke managed to catch his balance and not fall face first to the ground, which would have cost him the last bits of his rapidly waning courage. The brunet straightened himself and tried to calm the heavy pounding of his heart by taking a couple of deep breaths. Then he heard metallic clatter of the dumpster lid, rustling of plastic bags and irritated huffing from the alley. Sasuke stepped into the dark passage, his footsteps echoing off the dingy brick walls, which must have startled Naruto, who turned sharply in his direction with a loud gasp, and the bag he was trying to stuff into the container almost slipped from his hands.

"Jesus, man! You scared the hell out of me, believe it!" the blond practically shouted at him and then let out a nervous laugh. God, Sasuke was already making him uncomfortable. He was truly despicable. Still, the brunet didn't have time for self-loathing at the moment, as he saw that his angel was waiting for some sort of explanation. He simply couldn't afford to look even creepier in the searching blue eyes. They were so beautiful Sasuke felt he was drowning in the azure depths, and those plump lips – they looked like the softest rose petals, dusty pink and inviting.

"Uh... You alright?" the melodious voice that now sounded more strained brought the brunet back from his transfixed state.

"I... I was just-," Sasuke gulped in an attempt to make his awfully dry throat work. "I wanted to make sure everything's fine here," he awkwardly gestured to the narrow damp space around them.

"Um... It is?" Naruto looked puzzled, but more relaxed, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit. Well, even if Sasuke was two feet away from him, it was pretty obvious he would tower over the blond if they stood closer. Despite his overall harmless appearance, lean built, large glasses that sat a bit askew on the brunet's straight nose, and hands restlessly clasping the strap of the grey messenger bag that hung off his left shoulder, Sasuke was fucking huge compared to the blond. Of course his precious little sunshine felt uneasy, and he was doing a poor job of making it better.

"I could help you with that," Sasuke had an impression he put his life's meaning at stake with this offer, now it was all or nothing.

"I guess? If you want to," Naruto looked more perplexed than anything, but said nothing otherwise when Sasuke approached him tentatively and easily threw back the heavy lid that the blond was struggling with a minute ago.

"Wow, thanks, man," Naruto quickly disposed of the garbage and shook off his hands. "I'm Naruto by the way." The reply came before Sasuke could stop himself.

"I know."

"Huh?" the blond's eyes widened comically, and the brunet felt a strong urge to smack himself up the head, but then his eyes fell on Naruto's orange jacket that was open and gave Sasuke a glimpse of his working attire. Naruto followed the taller man's gaze and spotted the tag with his name in bold green letters on it and a small frog at the side. He let out a light chuckle and grinned up at Sasuke, who was stunned for a moment, it was just his dream come true (okay, maybe his dream didn't include a dimly lit dirty alley and a large dumpster next to them, but it was still better than nothing).

"What's your name?" asked the blond when Sasuke remained silent for too long. They headed out of the alley into the quiet deserted street.

"Sasuke," the brunet managed to say without stuttering. He was beside himself with joy and disbelief that everything was that simple.

"Nice to meet you, believe it," and with a blinding smile, that melted Sasuke's heart and made him all queasy and warm inside, Naruto went for a handshake.

Sasuke must have died and went straight to heaven, because when he he took hold of Naruto's small, finely shaped hand he was on cloud nine. A few of street lamps cast dim, almost intimate light on the blond and made him look ethereal. Sasuke revelled in the feel of a smooth palm completely engulfed by his own so much that he failed to notice a knowing smirk that lit Naruto's features for a moment, making him look like a sly fox up to something. The brunet also seemed to have lost all track of time, as the next thing he knew was Naruto breaking the wonderful contact between them and making one step back.

"Hey, thanks for the help," Naruto stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark trousers. Sasuke knew it was the beginning of the end. Now he had to part with his angel, let him go just like that. His heart clenched painfully, as the brunet let out a resigned sigh.

"Yeah, I... yeah," he didn't have the nerve to ask the blond whether they would meet again. Sasuke was already grieving the loss, when Naruto suddenly pulled something out of one pocket and held out for him to take.

"Here, take it as thanks," Sasuke stared quizzically at the two wrinkled cards that the blond presented to him. "That's my coupons for free ramen."

"Your- but what about you?" Sasuke couldn't believe the blond was so generous he was ready to give up his free meals for a complete stranger.

"Oh, don't worry, old man gives me a bunch of those every week, I just can't live without ramen, it's so good," Naruto explained enthusiastically, drawing out the sounds and waving his hands for emphasis. Then the blond looked Sasuke straight in the eye, making him blush slightly under the scrutinising blue gaze. "You should try it too. You know, I thought I saw you somewhere before and now I got it - you're that guy who sits at the tea house all the time but never comes to Ichiraku's. You totally should change your preferences," at that Naruto grinned at him cheekily and nudged him in the ribs (his elbow actually hitting him in his side) as if they were close friends already.

"I will," at that point Sasuke was ready to promise anything just so his angel would keep talking to him.

"See you then," Naruto gave him a short wave and started up the street, leaving the brunet standing in front of the closed restaurant in stunned silence for a couple of minutes until he finally came to his senses. But it was too late, Naruto already went too far to hear Sasuke's weak 'see you' murmured in response. A small happy smile never left his face that night, and he fell asleep gazing at the crumpled coupons held firmly in his hand - it was a promise of his future meeting with Naruto, his tickets to the heaven he now got a glimpse of.

What happened in the next two months was like a beautiful fantasy Sasuke would never have been able to conjure up on his own. When he first came to Ichiraku's, the little blond greeted him just like the brunet dreamed he would, and then brought him the most appetising meal he had in months. After that they met regularly.

Naruto must have guessed Sasuke was hard up so he occasionally slipped him a coupon or two when they parted in the evening. And a couple of times Sasuke even invited Naruto to tea after his shift, and they sat at Sasuke's self proclaimed table, chatting casually while sipping the hot beverage. Of course, Naruto did most of the talking but Sasuke was more than eager to listen to his voice and watch his lovely lips move.

As days passed, they became closer. Naruto introduced the brunet to his friends - Shikamaru, Kiba and Chouji, and sometimes they hung out together, not that Sasuke particularly enjoyed their company, but as long as Naruto was there it was bearable. What Sasuke liked most was learning new things about his sweet angel. And Naruto was like an open book - so honest and sincere it made the brunet want to protect him from the world.

He told Sasuke how he lost his parents when he was small and stayed at an orphanage for three years before his godfather Jiraya took him in. Together with the "old pervert" (a nickname Naruto used to refer to his godfather, which made Sasuke truly worried until he realised that the blond said it affectionately) he travelled for a long while. Constantly changing schools and Naruto's fiery personality, which he said he inherited from his mother, made it difficult for him to fit in, but he never gave up, and made a lot of friends around the world thanks to that.

It was when Naruto told him about a friend from Suna, one Sabaku Gaara, that Sasuke learned perhaps the most important piece of information - Naruto was bi. It came up when the blond was recalling how he loved the colour of the guy's hair the moment he saw him. "Too bad he was straight as an arrow, but we stayed good friends," said Naruto then, and at Sasuke's intense inquiring stare clarified, "I swing both ways."

After that fateful moment Sasuke couldn't keep himself from fantasising about how he would come out to Naruto about his feelings, and by then he was one hundred percent sure he was madly in love with the blond. But he kept silent. Even if Naruto liked men it didn't guarantee that he would like Sasuke as a boyfriend. He knew he was lanky and clumsy, and a charity case to boot. Naruto deserved so much better.

So Sasuke decided he wouldn't let himself hope for something that was most likely unattainable and just revelled in every minute he got to pass with his precious sunshine. The brunet made himself believe that seeing Naruto's warm smile, listening to his charming voice, his joyful bouts of laughter that was so contagious, and occasionally making their hands brush as if on accident would be enough for him. And it was, until one day in early January.

The New Year party that the blond threw at Ichiraku's, inviting Sasuke along with his other friends, has come and gone. Naruto encouraged the tall man to bring his brother as well, but the mere thought of Itachi meeting his lovely angel and seeing right through Sasuke's helpless obsession sent shivers down his spine, so he lied that his sibling was, "unfortunately", out of town. They had much fun, and Sasuke got to see Naruto killing it at the portable karaoke set that Kiba hauled over to the restaurant. The blond even tried to persuade him to try it himself, but he politely declined. Maybe if it were only the two of them, he would have sung for Naruto, but with everyone else watching Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of the heavy lump obstructing his throat. And he absolutely didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of his love.

Then, a week later, Sasuke found himself at Naruto's place, having an improvised movie night with beer, popcorn and pizza. Naruto just got his paycheck with a little bonus from Teuchi and insisted that they celebrate it together. It turned out the blond lived in the attic of an old house in the neighbourhood. It wasn't much, but he could pay the rent himself. The space was cluttered with mismatched furniture and Naruto's clothes was lying in the most unexpected places. Sasuke could swear he spotted a pair of bright green boxers hanging off the blue lamp in the corner, which made him blush slightly. He obviously didn't complain, but Naruto went into a last minute cleaning spree and frantically stuffed his things in the half opened drawers of an old oak dresser that missed a leg and leaned heavily to one side.

Sasuke liked it at Naruto's apartment. It was nicely decorated with lively colours, greens, yellows, blues, and orange of course - Naruto's favourite colour. Surprisingly, that didn't make Sasuke want to gouge his eyes out, but rather gave a homely feel to the place. Or maybe it was just Naruto's presence that made it all better. Any place was a good place if Naruto was there. His beautiful angel filled Sasuke's dull uneventful life with purpose and meaning, he added colour to his monochrome world, and he would do anything to keep it that way. Sasuke simply wouldn't bear it if Naruto distanced himself from him because of something stupid he did or said.

They ordered a large vegetarian pizza, with "lots of tomatoes", as Naruto instructed the guy on the phone, and then winked at Sasuke. It made the brunet warm inside – he loved tomatoes but never actually told the blond about it. To know that his angel learned this small detail about him on his own was extremely endearing.

When the pizza arrived, the popcorn popped on the stove (Naruto didn't have a microwave but that couldn't stop him) an the beer cooled in the fridge to ice-cold temperature, they settled comfortably on the surprisingly springy couch that could transform into a bed. The movies they got from the rental shop nearby were mostly old Christmas comedies and dramas – something Sasuke would hardly ever watch on his own, but for Naruto he was determined to endure anything.

They started watching on the opposite sides of the couch, but three cans of beer and one movie later Naruto was pressed comfortably into his side. He lay his blond head on Sasuke's shoulder and squeezed his arm every time something funny or embarrassing transpired on the screen of the small second-hand TV. But Sasuke couldn't care less about the cheesy plot, his eyes were glued on Naruto and the place where their bodies were connected. The brunet could feel his angel's heat seep through the layers of clothes and melt into his own skin. If he concentrated hard enough he could imagine they were touching skin to skin, with no barriers between them. And the vibrations produced by Naruto's hearty laughter made the contact so much more delicious.

"Hey, Sasukee, you watchin'?" Sasuke blinked and snapped his eyes to Naruto's face, which was now turned up towards his. Blue eyes met black, and the brunet suddenly realised how close they really were. And also that Naruto was rather tipsy already. Sasuke discovered the his low alcohol tolerance at the party a week ago, and the knowledge sent tiny giddy sparks all over his body. Naruto was beautiful like this – his cheeks flushed crimson, his gaze a bit unfocused and a shade deeper than usual. But what practically set Sasuke on fire inside was the way Naruto said his name. His voice dropped lower and the slight slur gave it a bedroom quality. Sasuke could listen to it forever.

"Sasukee!" well, maybe not when Naruto got irritated, Sasuke didn't want to make his love mad with him.

"Yeah. I'm watching," the way he said it must have come out more intense that was appropriate in the context, because Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes darken, and narrow a bit. He immediately felt a surge of panic wash over him as he felt the blond tense and push away from him slightly. The apologies were ready to pour out of his mouth when without as much as a warning Naruto kissed him.

It took Sasuke's brain a few moments to register what was happening, and when he did, his mind went into overdrive, while his body froze with shock. All he could think about was soft plump lips pressing against his, then moving timidly, caressing and gentle, as if waiting for something. This was the turn of events he couldn't even dare to dream about, Naruto was so close Sasuke thought he might burst with excitement. But it didn't last long, because all too soon Naruto was backing away.

"Sorry, I..." Naruto let out an awkward laugh. Wait, why was he apologising? Sasuke blinked at the blond in confusion, noticing how his gaze cleared and filled with a sharp emotion. Was it guilt? A vague sense of foreboding tugged at the brunet's insides, as Naruto cleared his throat and continued, "I thought I read it right. Just... Let's just pretend this didn't happen," he avoided Sasuke's eyes, and made a move to get up. "D'you want more popcorn?"

"Wait!" Sasuke's voice almost broke, as he grabbed Naruto's hand at lightning speed, not letting him go. The blond turned to him, and Sasuke could clearly see how vulnerable he was. It was very him to hurt the one he loved most not even doing anything. Or, maybe he hurt him exactly by not doing anything. Did his angel think Sasuke wasn't reciprocating his feelings? God, Sasuke was ready to hit himself, he was such an idiot!

"I wanted it," Sasuke gulped nervously, but continued to look Naruto straight in the eye. "I wanted it more than anything." He let his words sink in and intently waited for his love's reaction.

"Then why didn't you..." Naruto started with a quizzical look on his face, and Sasuke knew this was the moment to tell the blond he didn't deserve him and the kiss was like a blessing that he was unworthy of. But somehow what came out was, "I was afraid you wouldn't like it."

Naruto searched his face, and as seconds ticked past Sasuke started to think that he had blown his only chance. That's why when his little sunshine tackled him to the couch the brunet almost yelped in surprise.

Naruto wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke's waist and buried his face in the hollow of his neck. The brunet carefully hugged him back, still not believing it was real and afraid that his angel could disappear any moment. He tightened his hold on him, and dared to press his face into the blond locks, deeply inhaling the sweet cinnamon scent of Naruto's shampoo. This was heaven. Nothing could possibly compare to this moment of pure bliss.

But Sasuke was quickly proven wrong when Naruto wiggled back to a sitting position and, gently getting hold of his face, kissed him again. This time Sasuke got it together and started answering as best he could. He knew he moved clumsily and probably did a thousand things wrong, but Naruto paid it no mind, and soon deepened the kiss. When the brunet felt his love's hot tongue lapping at his mouth he gasped in delight, letting the wet muscle in and gliding his against it in response. Soft smacking sounds, that almost got drowned out by the track playing in the credits, were driving Sasuke crazy.

Naruto traced the lines of his cheekbones, then slipped one hand into his hair, lightly taking hold of black locks. Sasuke didn't realise that his own hands tightened around the blond, pressing him more into his large frame. Naruto made an encouraging noise and, breaking the kiss to readjust his position, swiftly got into the brunet's lap. Sasuke saw stars.

Here he was, on a couch in a dimly lit attic room that smelled of popcorn and of pizza, with a lapful of the most beautiful and perfect being in the world, who genuinely seemed to like him. At least for the moment. But even if this was only a one time thing, Sasuke was going to cherish the memory of it for the rest of his life.

His little angel shifted a bit, his hips grinding against Sasuke's thigh. He felt the hardness of Naruto's cock, practically unconstrained by the light sweatpants the blond was wearing, and that made the brunet moan into the kiss, which was getting more heated with each second. Their mingled breaths were laboured now, and when Sasuke cracked one of his tightly shut eyes open, he could make out through the slightly fogged up lense the beautiful rosy blush adorning Naruto's features.

Just as Sasuke was going to go at the sweet mouth moving against his with doubled enthusiasm, Naruto broke the kiss and looked at him, blues sapphires smouldering with heat and desire. Sasuke drank in the sight entranced, so much so that he almost missed the way his angel slipped one hand down his chest and over his abdomen, until he felt it land on the hem of his pants. The blond noticed his intense stare and caught Sasuke's confused eyes, gazing into them in question.

"Would you like me to..." and Naruto pointedly looked down at his crotch, running the tip of his tongue across the plump bottom lip. At first Sasuke's mind stayed perfectly blank, but then the gears started turning with such speed, the brunet's vision spun a bit. He jerked back in panic and uttered a terrified, "No."

Naruto was going to see. If Sasuke understood correctly what his sunshine implied (and it was hard not to, thought it was still hard to believe), that would definitely be the end of whatever that was they were having. No more kisses, no more gentle hands on him, no more Naruto pressed so close. Once the blond saw his atrocious body, especially down there, he would definitely be repulsed. Sasuke hated the idea so much he felt his half hard member go limp again, and he preferred it that way, because then his monstrous size wasn't that obvious.

The brunet couldn't think straight, so he didn't notice the startled look on Naruto's face when he urgently scrambled from the couch, quickly but carefully dislodging the blond from his lap.

"I... I'm s-sorry," Sasuke stuttered, and started to back away from his little angel, still seated on the couch, all dishevelled and warm, so inviting and pliant just a minute ago but tense and rigid now. And that was all his fault. Sasuke felt hot shame fill him to the brim, his eyes were stinging, and he was starting to hyperventilate. "S-so sorry, I can't... I'm not g-good enough... I don't-," deserve you the brunet wanted to say, but didn't make it, as his foot caught the twisted side of the green rug by the door, and he tumbled down to the floor, knocking over a coat rack and a small stool next to it in the process.

Sharp pain bloomed across Sasuke's face, and the world around was still dancing when bright yellow blurred into his line of vision. The blood was ringing in his ears, but soon Sasuke could make out his sweet sunshine's concerned voice, "-alright? Sasuke! Can you hear me?" Sasuke blinked but when the picture didn't clear he realised his glasses must have fallen off. He groaned.

"Oh God, you got me real scared! You're bleeding," Naruto seemed genuinely worried, and Sasuke put one hand clumsily to his face, touching where the throbbing was most intense. His nose was indeed gushing out blood. He must be really unsightly now, Sasuke thought bitterly. "I'll go get a towel, don't get up yet," the blond gently let go of his head, which Sasuke didn't notice he was holding up until the support of the warm hands left him, and hurried into the kitchen area. It was barely three steps away, so Naruto returned almost immediately.

"Hold it, I'll get some ice," Sasuke grasped the cloth awkwardly, and pressed it to his face, blindly searching for his glasses on the floor. Luckily, they fell on the rug and didn't break, because he definitely wouldn't be able to replace them now.

Naruto returned with a pack of dry ice, and it was then that Sasuke saw a look of absolute remorse on his paled face. Gone was the charming flush and the excited gleam in his eyes, which now looked dull and sad. Sasuke felt his heart clench. When the blond caught him staring, he sighed dejectedly, "I'm the one who has to be sorry here. It's all my fault really, I was too eager," Naruto wasn't looking at him as he was saying this, as if he himself felt ashamed.

Sasuke felt yet another pang of guilt. They were doing so well until he decided to act up and bolt away. But he couldn't quite comprehend what Naruto was telling him. His angel was perfect and everything he did was perfect as well. "No, it's-," Sasuke was ready to tell him so, but the blond continued.

"I just couldn't wait any more. The moment we met in that alley I felt this pull, you know, and I thought you were interested too, so I just... You must think I'm such a slut to go down on you on our first date," Naruto finished with a self-deprecating laugh, which made Sasuke sick to his stomach. He couldn't take it.

"Don't call yourself like that! You're an angel, the most kind, beautiful and gentle being in the whole world! You're the best thing that happened to me in my life, and I would die to make you happy, but I just do everything wrong all the time," the words came on their own, what Sasuke was afraid to say before was tumbling out, as he lay bare his feelings before Naruto. He simply couldn't tolerate hearing the blond berate himself like that.

When Sasuke plucked the courage to look Naruto in the eyes again, he saw that his love was completely stunned. The he slowly stretched his arms towards the brunet, who was half sitting on the floor, and embraced him tenderly, pressing Sasuke's bloodied face to his chest, not minding the mess at all.

"Oh, Sasuke," was all Naruto said, as he gently caressed the back of Sasuke's head. Sasuke hugged the blond across the waist, revelling in his warmth. They sat in silence for good ten minutes before Naruto spoke again. "We still have a couple of movies, wanna move back to the couch?"

Sasuke hummed in agreement. It was half an hour later that some of Naruto's words came back to him, making the brunet furrow his brows. "Naruto," he started uncertainly, and the blond immediately looked up from where he was comfortably curled against his side, both of them covered by a large orange blanket. "What you said about this, you said it was... a date?" Sasuke still wasn't sure, maybe he misheard it somehow, he had more pressing matters to take care of after all.

Naruto blushed but didn't look away. "Hah, yeah, I thought that we... I mean, if you want it to be?" The blond must've noticed the same frantic gleam that was certainly there in Sasuke's eyes when he practically declared his undying love for the blond, but there was also a great amount of uncertainty and self-doubt there, so Naruto continued before he could answer. "We can take it slow, you know. I don't want to push you or anything, believe it," the way Naruto said it, with hope shining shyly in his eyes and a light blush across his cheeks, he was adorable and simply irresistible, so Sasuke couldn't help but kiss him.

Naruto smiled into the kiss, and Sasuke knew that for once he did something right.

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