Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN.

A/N: Hey guys...so this one got the most hits and I lengthened this chapter considerably so you should re read or skim and then read whatever.

In Due Time

"Wrong. Wrong. I was born with the wrong sign, in the wrong house, with the wrong ascendancy. I took the wrong road that led to the wrong tendencies. I was in the place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons and the wrong rhyme. On the wrong day of the wrong week I used the wrong method of the wrong technique. Wrong. Wrong," He hummed as he cooked breakfast. His face was set in a soft smile as he flipped a pancake successfully for the third time in a row. His son grinned from the table his pink hair in harsh contrast to his tanned skin. Blue eyes peered out from his face.

"Daddy I want an elephant," Koji called from the table. He was missing his front teeth a new development that had been met with the tooth fairy and two dollars.

"Elephants are hard. How about a bunny?"

"I want a cat," he demanded. "Bunnies are lame."

Naruto went about making a little cat face pancake and then used chocolate syrup to make the whiskers and face with a triangle piece of strawberry for the nose and blueberries for eyes. He set it in front of his son who said a quick thank you before digging into his masterpiece. This was the average morning in the Uzumaki household though sometimes it was eggs not pancakes.

He'd take him to preschool and head off to work. He worked to keep their small apartment and he wanted to keep making pancakes. He smiled at him. Haku brushed in from another room to look at Naruto. "I've got a date for you tonight," he said sternly.

"A date?"

"Yes," Haku said with a firm tone of voice. He sat down and stole the plate of pancakes Naruto had made for himself. "A nice quiet man who's interested in finding someone to love. You're going."

Naruto sighed. They'd been through this a thousand times. A thousand million times.

His mittens were orange. Orange and fuzzy and didn't match his navy blue coat. He had a matching orange scary that was half tucked into his coat. But he didn't care he liked it that way. It didn't matter that under the coat, and orange mittens he was wearing a clean button-up navy shirt with a beautiful blue-green tie. He had black slacks on and a nice pair of black shoes. He looked good in what Haku had bought him to wear for this date.

In what Haku had forced on him before he left. The restaurant was expensive but Haku had shoved bills into his wallet determined to get him together with someone, anyone. Naruto was happy without. Plenty happy without. After all he had full custody of Koji not that Sakura didn't visit sometimes but with work she really didn't have time. She didn't really like kids anyways.

He entered the restaurant and passed his mittens and coat over to the coat check. He stood awkwardly in his outfit as he told them he was meeting someone there for the Haku reservation. He'd be at the bar. Naruto ordered a beer and gave the bartender cash. He sipped the beer and waited. He kind of wanted to go home but if he went home Haku would stab him. He sighed.

So he sat and waited and finally gave up on waiting and ordered a steak at the bar. There were several other people at the bar but they weren't noticing him other than a glance or two and he wasn't noticing them. He dug into his steak savoring the flavor and topping it off with another beer. He'd noticed one man sitting on the opposite end of the bar from him. He'd been there with several other men but they'd left. He was drinking a white Russian slow and calm. He didn't look like he was nursing it and he wasn't talking to anyone.

People were looking at him. It was hard not to. He was beautiful, strikingly masculine but delicate. His suit was black and well fitted and looked expensive, I don't mean like a hundred dollars expensive. I mean a thousand dollars expensive. It was the type of thing he didn't think he could ever pull off. Dressed in the clothes his model housemate had picked out for him he still felt self conscious. Suddenly the orange mittens he sported out of habit were garish and embarrassing.

He watched the man tuck a loose leaf of hair behind his ear and take a sip of his drink. The man clanked Naruto's way and their eyes locked for only a second. They were so pale a lavender he doubted if they were real. Nervously he looked away at his own empty plate and almost empty bottle of beer. He missed Koji and his little grubby hands. No matter what happened and where he was those little hands would always make him feel better.

Another beer was set on the bar in front of him. "I didn't-"

"Compliments of Hyuga-san," the bartender said and pointed to the end of the bar.

Hyuga wasn't even looking at him but his white Russian was full again. Naruto finished one beer and started on the new one. It was a different brand and significantly smoother than the other. He read the label appreciatively and then took another long sip. Naruto wasn't sure what to think of that. Usually when someone bought you a drink it was to get you to notice them, or to flirt. But this man knew he'd already seen him, and he didn't even look at him after he ordered him the drink.

Was he supposed to walk over there and say something? Naruto wasn't comfortable with the dating scene anymore. Not after everything went to hell. Not after he had a kid. I mean what kind of man would want to date him, a man who worked almost as much as he spent at home with his son.

Not that he was bitter. He loved Koji. He loved him endlessly but his life had been Koji and working to keep Koji since he'd been born. Maybe for once he wanted something just for himself. He was just beginning to work up the courage to get up and talk to the man when he got that feeling of someone standing near him. He looked up into those too pale eyes and was handed a business card. "I'm free on Saturday." His voice was deep and thick and smooth.

Naruto blinked at him and then down at the card.

Hyuga was looking at him expectantly.

Naruto looked back at him. "I-I'll call."

He nodded and left in a perfectly fluid movement.

Naruto finished his beer in silence looking at the business card in front of him. Neji. His name was Neji. When he asked for the bill the bartender said that it was on Hyuga-san's tab.

Naruto picked up his garish mittens on the way out along with his warm coat. He called a cab from his cell and took it back to his cozy little apartment.

Haku was waiting for him. Koji had long been put to bed. Haku always looked perfect his long hair reminded Naruto of the man he'd just been given the card of. Naruto smiled. "I got stood up."

Haku's eyes grew noticeably wide and he looked a bit surprised. "He stood you up?" He looked down and to one side and mumbled a few choice statements about how he should have known and, several choice words about where he could shove himself. Then he looked at Naruto with suspicion. "So why are you all smiles then?"

"I got a number," he set the card down on the dining room table and poured himself a glass of water.

Haku was reading the little business card with fascination. "You do realize who this is right?"

"No," Naruto paused. "Should I?"

"He owns one of the most exclusive management agencies in the world," Haku sounded breathless. "I would give a million dollars to be in the same room as him." He looked up at Naruto. "And you have a date with him."

Naruto snatched the card from Haku's reverent fingers. "I'm going to bed."

He made his way through the three bedroom to Koji's room and opened the door a crack. He could never sleep without saying goodnight to his son. Koji sleepily lifted his head to look at him. Naruto smiled and came into the room to sit on the edge of Koji's bed. "Hey" he ran a hand over his little angels pink locks. It was all he'd really gotten from Sakura and he couldn't say he minded. "Why are you up?"

"I wanted to know what happens next," he said sleepily, blue eyes straining to stay open.

"Daddy's tired," he said with a yawn. "How about we start early tomorrow and have an extra long chapter?"

Koji rubbed at his eyes and snuggled into his pillow and brought Kyubi, his stuffed fox, tight to his chest. "Ok," he said softly.

Naruto leaned down and gave him a loud octopus kiss, something he and Koji had invented. Koji giggled as Naruto stood and left. The nightlight in the corner casting his shadow against the door. "Sleep tight my little Kitsune."

Koji said nothing lost in his dreamland.

Naruto sighed and made his way to his own room and his own dreams.

Days passed where Naruto considered calling Neji to set a time for the date. He was running out of time before Saturday and it was on a Thursday night with Koji looking expectantly on that Naruto finally got up the guts to call.

The phone ran three times and then a cool even voice answered. "Hyuga Neiji."

Naruto had been expecting a secretary not the man himself and he'd lost all track of what he had intended to say. Naruto let out a baited breath and said in a rush, "You said you were free Saturday?"

There was a chuckle from the other side of the phone and it sent shivers down his spine. "I was wondering when you would call."

The way he said it made it seem accusatory. It seemed like Neji was cockily assuming that Naruto had nothing better to do. Ha, well two could play at that game. "It's hard to find the time to make personal calls."

The chuckle returned and the tone sounded a bit amused from the other line, "I see. How about I pick you up at 8 my mysteriously busy blond."

This man had a way with words. Naruto felt both complimented and insulted by that tone at once and he wasn't sure what to feel about the whole thing. "8 is fine." Their conversation slipped into an exchange of an address but no name. Naruto sort of liked that his name was a secret. It was like he held this thing above Neji's head.

When he hung up Naruto felt proud of how well he did and his smile only grew when Koji tugged on his hand and showed him the picture he had drawn of the ninja's from Naruto's story. It had oddly bright yellow hair and his eyes. He was flattered that his son thought him the great ninja from his bedtime stories.

"Quite an artist you are," he said as he stuck it to the fridge, which was mostly covered with Koji's artwork.

Koji grinned at him happily and raced back to draw some more pictures.

Naruto smiled all of his nerves dissolved. He called Haku as promised. "Did you make the appointment?"

Naruto laughed into the receiver. Haku was obviously working right then and as part of his job personal calls were forbidden. That was why Naruto was listed in his phone as personal assistant. "Yeah Saturday at 8. You're going to make me go shopping aren't you."

"Yeah. We can do that tomorrow after I get out of my shoot at like 4. Does that work in my schedule?"

"Uhm yeah as long as Koji can come," he said with a grin. The only thing he found more fun than this was when he was on speaker and had to play along as well. It made him feel like maybe he was the ninja Koji made him out to be.

"Ok we'll do that then. Bye."

"Bye," Naruto flipped his phone shut and smiled. "We're going shopping with Uncle Haku tomorrow."

Koji have a heaving sigh, "But he always takes forever to pick out anything."

"Don't you want Daddy to look good for his date," he said nudged.

Koji was determined to get a mommy whether that mommy was a boy or a girl didn't matter to Koji. He'd been determined to have that other person in Naruto's life from the beginning. His face lit up. "You have a date?"

"Yep," he said with a grin.

"Uncle Haku better take you then." Koji gave his clothes an up and down look. Naruto was just wearing jeans and his favorite orange t-shirt that day. "You need the help."

Naruto laughed and tackled his son for a tickle fight. The house was filled with the happy shrieks and bubbly laughter of father and son.

Neji of course did a background check on the man he'd seen at the bar. He wasn't sure what made him hand over his number in the first place. He'd always been content with professional lovers. The kind that was discreet and expensive. Neji liked expensive, but this man was neither of those things. There was just that little something that made Neji curious about him.

He shifted the gear in his Aston Martin DB9. It was one of his favorite cars and the sleek black exterior certainly painted a pretty picture. A sexy picture he hoped. Regardless all he had asked of his private detective was whether the man might want to be with him for anterior motives. That had been a resounding no. It was likely he hadn't even heard of him.

The small apartment building he pulled up to was quaint and cozy looking. Though quaint had never been his thing he could appreciate the hominess of the building. He located the correct buzzer and got his first hint to the name, Uzumaki-Momochi. When he made it to the door it was opened by a beautiful perfectly tanned blond. Usually he had a thing for perfection but the thin scars on his face were beautiful. He smiled at him and opened the door wider.

Neji looked about the little entry way with interest. The first thing he noticed was the neat display of shoes. Among the larger adult shoes were small pairs of children's shoes. Neji was surprised at first but when he was invited in further while the blonde busily bustled around the room one of the most striking children Neji had ever seen was sizing him up. He must have been only four or five but he had the most striking pink hair and his father's glowing deep tan. From the darker skin his oversized bright blue eyes literally shone. He was swinging his feet back and forth from his seat at the dining room table.

Neji maintained a cool exterior. So his beautiful charismatic nervous blond was a father… that was a bit of a surprise. But it was defiantly one he could live with. Neji wasn't big on kids but this one seemed well behaved and as far as he was concerned he didn't have to be involved with the child only the father. And the father, he glanced back at the man before him. He was a picture. All lean muscle and tan skin he looked nice in the perfectly fitted slacks and button-up red shirt. It was of acceptable quality especially considering where he lived but it was also nothing compared to his Armani ensemble.

The blond leaned over and said something in the child's ear. The child grinned turned to place a loud kiss on his father's cheek. The blond then gave the brat a smile so dazzling he vowed he would spend more time around the kid if he could see it more often. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't breathing when an out of breath man stumbled in the front door. He was pretty in a very feminine way and Neji half recognized him. "Sorry I'm late," he said as he tossed snowy garments onto hooks and hastily grabbed some other ones. He was a model, Neji realized, and that meant he knew who he was.

"Go on now," The model said shoving the blond towards the door and opened the fridge to peer inside.

The blond was laughing and all smiles as he slipped on a coat, and a matching orange set of mittens and scarf. He smiled at Neji. "Sorry about that. Ready?"

Neji nodded and opened the door for the blond. He didn't pause and gape at the car but once he settled into the interior he asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

"Dinner," Neji answered smoothly.

He didn't look at the man next to him but he could sort of picture the look of curiosity. He'd expected more questions and after a few silent minutes he looked over to find the man watching things pass the window and tapping idly on his knee. If he had been any other man, namely a non-Hyuga- man, he would have pouted.

The blond looked over at him and smiled. "Any guesses on my name yet?"

Neji cocked a brow. It was a 50-50 chance, "Momochi."

A glowing grin lit up his face and his eyes sparkled. Neji looked back to the road. "That's my roommate."

"Uzumaki," he said with finality.

There was a chuckle from beside him. "What about my first name?"

Neji sighed. It was going to be an interesting night.

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