(mis)adventures in clubbing & rewriting trauma

authors notes:

nyehehehe...hello everyone <3 back at it again with chap 4!!! i hope you all will like this one...i had fun writing it :3c

also...hey. hey guys. you know something i found out for this chapter? pocket knives are illegal in canada. fucking illegal, like can you believe that??? and not only that!!! anything that ~can cause bodily harm to another person~ is illegal to keep on you in this country!!! like, i was sooooo fucking shocked. if that aint just the dumbest thing i ever heard.... like, tf am i supposed to do if someone wants to mug me?? let them??? let me have a knife dammit!!!

(oh double also, please tell me if this chapter drags on a bit bc i feel like it does but what do y'all think...i always end up writing a lot ||OTL my writing program i use says it'll take over an hour to read it like. there is something wrong w/me)

without further ado, chapter 4~!!!

※※※

☾ Eclipse.

The name of the club glows on the front of the building, it's neon lettering a beacon in the night. Naruto stares up at the sign; the name Eclipse is bright purple and written in a calligraphic font, emerging from the shape of a waning crescent moon in brilliant white.

When Naruto had passed by the club earlier in the day, he hadn't paid much attention to the club because of how unremarkable it looked in the daytime; just like any other building in the town dead outside its operating hours. Now though, it's come alive. There isn't a line, but there is a fairly steady stream of people entering, and a few clustered groups outside.

Naruto takes a quick scan of the sidewalk outside the club, trying to spot Kiba. He texted him when he was able to make out the glow of it's sign and Kiba sent an excited message that was, and this is it directly, '!!!!!!!!!!! ILL COME GET YOU 😍😍😍'. He takes another look at the people loitering around when he stumbles and barely catches himself, a body crashing into his. He lets out a yelp of surprise, his entire body tensing up when the person wraps him up in a hug.

"Naru!"

Kiba's voice sounds beside his ear and Naruto breathes out loudly in a whoosh, his body relaxing into Kiba's firm hug.

"Kiba!" He says when Kiba pulls back but keeps a grip on his biceps. Kiba's grin is wide and friendly, his eyes small crescents with the expression.

"I'm so glad ya agreed to come!" He says as he swings an arm over Naruto's shoulder, tugging him against his side. "We're all here except Sai and Hina; they got caught up at a shoot. Oh, and Neji, but he's always working." Kiba rolls his eyes as they go up to the club entrance, stopping when Naruto gets carded. The bouncer looks over the edge of Naruto's ID to make eye contact with the blond, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You sure you're 23, kid?" His voice is gruff and raspy, and Naruto flushes in embarrassment.

"Um...y-yeah?" He lasts approximately one more second of the bouncers stare down before he turns to Kiba, his eyes wide.

Kiba sighs and scratches his cheek. "Axel...c'mon. Ya know me! I wouldn't bring someone underage here." He takes Naruto's ID from the bouncer and hands it back to Naruto.

Axel runs his eyes over Naruto one more time before grunting and accepting Naruto's payment of the cover charge. He steps aside and waves them through, his expression still a bit pinched.

Kiba hurries Naruto inside and breathes out slowly. "Sorry, he's kind of a hard ass sometimes." He wraps an arm around Naruto's shoulder again, turning to grin at him as they walk into the club.

Naruto shakes his head softly, looking at Kiba. "It's alright, I don't mind getting carded." He smiles, but lets out a yelp when Kiba playfully pinches his cheek.

"It's 'cause ya got that baby face!" He laughs and knocks their heads together softly, pulling Naruto in close. "Ya look great, by the way. Super cute."

Naruto blushes and dips his head in a slight nod, then takes a glance down at his outfit, most of the items 'new'. He had managed to almost fill his wardrobe today, and he was glad it wasn't all for nothing. For the night out he had chosen a pair of light wash skinny jeans (tastefully distressed, of course), a maroon and black marbled t-shirt, black & white lace up runners, and a black jean jacket; the last two items the only things he already had.

Naruto smiles shyly and looks back at Kiba. "So do you. I like the, um...mesh?" He says, looking at the fishnet showing through the massive rips of Kiba's baggy jeans. It actually looks like there's more fishnet than there is denim.

Kiba looks down at himself, eyebrows furrowed, then he throws his head back with a laugh. "Oh, the stockings! Ino said I should wear 'em." He tugs at the bottom of the tight black crop top he's wearing, abstract geometric designs in rainbow colours adorning it. "This too." He pulls a face and looks at Naruto. "I look sexy, but my stomach is cold."

Naruto lets out a startled giggle, his smile growing when Kiba shoots him an amused glance. He assures Kiba that he looks great, and then they fall silent as they make their way deeper into the club.

Naruto looks around the interior as they walk, his mouth making an 'o' shape as he takes in the surroundings. It's an almost completely open space (save for a small section just outside the bar where there's a smattering of tables) and, matching the name of the club, much of the interior is celestial inspired. Above the bar is a reflection of the moon that, if Naruto's right, reflects the phase the actual moon is in. Tonight, it's blacked out; a new moon. The walls of the club are black (or a deep blue, but it's hard to tell) and patterned with stars; the tiling below them matches the walls colour and sparkles with flecks of some sort of inlay, probably mica. The lights on the walls are starbursts as well, and Naruto can just see the start of the dance floor (or, the crowd that makes up the dance floor) and hanging above it is a disco ball, sparkling away as it turns, throwing off reflections of coloured light around the club.

There's also a fair amount of neon signs on the walls; among them is the solar system with all the planets flashing in different neon colours, a constellation that Naruto thinks might be Orion, and a multi-coloured UFO sucking up a couple of green aliens.

It's so different from the club Kyuubi had dragged him to that Naruto feels any lingering worries fade away, and they've completely disappeared by the time Kiba stops at a booth. They're quite far from the bar here and much closer to the dance floor; the music fills Naruto's head with a steady thump-thump-thump as it travels over from the DJ booth.

Shikamaru's on his phone and he barely looks up when they stop at the booth, but when he does it's with a double-take at Kiba's outfit.

"Christ, I forgot you were wearing that." He sighs and shakes his head, going right back to his phone.

Kiba puffs his cheeks out and slides into the booth beside Shikamaru, sticking his tongue out when Shikamaru slides another glance at him. He snorts but nods at Naruto, who smiles and moves to sit. However, before he can, Sasuke slides out of the booth. Naruto smiles and opens his mouth to greet him, but before he can Sasuke moves past him with nothing more than a nod in greeting. Naruto blinks and watches Sasuke's retreating back, his eyebrows furrowing.

Had he done something wrong? Something from that morning...? He thinks back to their interaction as he slides into the booth, his face colouring when he recalls the end of their meeting. Sasuke leaning in close to him, his voice low and verging on sexy, his mouth mere inches from Naruto's own-

"Oh my god, you!"

Naruto is pulled from his thoughts when Ino latches onto his arm from where she's sitting, her grip tight. "Kiba didn't tell me you were coming tonight!" She exclaims, a pout on her face as she shoots Kiba a quick glare. When she turns back to Naruto, she has a bright smile on her face.

"Ino, I totally told ya. Ya just got drunk and forgot." Kiba chimes in, rolling his eyes.

Ino shoots Kiba another glare, this time not pouting. "I am not drunk!" She hisses, a surprising amount of venom in her slightly slurred words. "I'm just...I'm just a lil tipsy." Her glare falls and she holds her thumb and forefinger out, a couple of centimetres between them.

Naruto lets out a strained laugh but looks back at Ino when she sighs, almost dreamily, and rests her head against Naruto's shoulder.

"It's nice you came again." She says, the same dreamy tone from her sigh in her voice.

Naruto opens his mouth to thank her, when she continues on.

"It's so great to have some eye candy for once."

Naruto snaps his mouth, at a complete loss for what to say to that. He's flattered and offended in equal measure, but at seeing the lost look breaking through Ino's tipsy-but-almost-drunk expression...he pushes the emotions to the side. He gives her head a sympathetic pat and Ino nuzzles against his shoulder again before shooting up in her seat.

"Sasuke...I love you." She says, sitting up and removing herself from Naruto's shoulder when Sasuke arrives back at the table. She sweeps her hair off to one side and reaches for a drink on the tray he's brought with himself, but he holds it just out of her reach.

"After this, you're getting a water; actually, two waters." Sasuke says, staring at Ino seriously.

Ino whines and looks up at Sasuke earnestly, fluttering her eyelashes. When Sasuke doesn't falter, she mumbles out a 'fine, whatever ' before snatching up a glass and drinking from it. Sasuke rolls his eyes and settles into the booth beside Naruto. He picks up two of the glasses and hands one to Naruto, but he shakes his head.

"Oh, um, thanks, but I don't really drink-" He starts but cuts himself off when the music from the dance floor booms, the sound swallowing up most of his words.

Sasuke leans in closer to him, and Naruto blushes lightly. He leans in as well, mortified at the way his voice cracks when he repeats what he started to say before. Sasuke shakes his head and presses the glass into Naruto's hand.

"I remembered you didn't drink at the restaurant; this is a virgin."

Naruto falls silent at Sasuke's words, the cold glass in his hand making his hand wet from condensation. A fruity smell floats up from the drink and Naruto takes a small sip of it, then another when he feels his face heat, hoping the coolness of the drink will chase it away.

Naruto almost can't believe Sasuke had paid enough attention to him to remember something pretty small; hell, it wasn't something Naruto even said . So far, Sasuke's shown that he's a much kinder person than his cocky persona would have anyone believe and Naruto can't lie; it only makes him more attractive. He takes care of his friends, picks up on tiny details most people would miss or not even care about, and seems, at least to Naruto's limited point of view, to be supportive of the fact that most of his friends aren't straight.

...and, sure, there's also the whole 'being a womanizer' part of Sasuke, but everyone is allowed their quirks!

A giddy feeling bubbles up in Naruto's chest and he smiles down at the drink in his hand, taking another sip of the fruity concoction before stealing a glance at Sasuke. He almost fumbles the glass when he notices the raven staring at him, chin resting on his hand. Naruto sets the drink down and places his hands in his lap. He rubs them over the denim of his jeans, partially to dry them and partially for a distraction.

"Um...thanks for the drink." He says, lifting his gaze back to Sasuke. Sasuke's answer is a small hum in the back of his throat, only audible because of their closeness.

Their closeness also makes Naruto partially forget they're in a group and not the only two people in the world, which is why Ino's shriek a few moments later makes him nearly have a heart attack. He squeaks where he's sitting and turns to look at the blonde, biting his lip when Sasuke chuckles at him.

"Hina and Sai are on their way!" Ino cries out happily, her thumbs tapping furiously at her phone screen. Her smile is bright when she looks up and turns to Kiba. "You!" She grabs his hands in both of hers, her expression turning serious. "You need to go to the dance floor and make sure there's room for all of us, right away." She nods resolutely and slumps back into the booth, her hands wrapping back around her drink. "I'll wait here for them." When Kiba doesn't immediately move, she makes a shooing motion at him.

Kiba rolls his eyes but grins and hops up anyways, Shikamaru's hand clasped in his. "You heard her. Let's hurry up and get out there before it gets too crowded!" He doesn't wait for an answer before he tugs Shikamaru out of his seat, despite his friends' loud protests.

"Kiba, let me go! Wait-!"

Shikamaru's protests are lost to the thumping of the bass and Naruto cranes his neck to see them disappear into the crowd. He's in the middle of thanking his lucky stars that Kiba had left him alone when he feels a hand close around his wrist. He looks up to see Sasuke staring at him and Naruto immediately starts to shake his head.

"No, no way am I going out there, I- Sasuke!" Naruto yelps when Sasuke stands up and brings him with him. He crashes against the man's chest and looks up at him, any more protests dying in his throat when Sasuke looks at him with a charming smile, his eyes practically twinkling.

His brain very nearly turns to mush.

"Kiba meant us, too, Naruto ."

If there's any shred of Naruto left that wants to sit back down, it disappears in a flash at the way Sasuke practically purrs his name. His voice, so deep and sexy...it's like silk .

Weak-kneed and nearly catatonic, Naruto lets Sasuke lead him to the crush of bodies that is, apparently, the dance floor. Naruto is distantly aware of Sasuke maneuvering behind him to grab his hips as they move further into the crowd, but honestly he's still a little faint from the way the man said his name. When he finally registers Sasuke's touch on him, he begins to recite a mantra in his mind.

It's so he doesn't lose me, it's so he doesn't lose me, it's so he doesn't lose me.

Then - and Naruto now feels slightly delirious - they catch up with Kiba and Shikamaru among the people, but Sasuke doesn't let go of him. If anything, he grips him a bit tighter and pulls him closer as he begins to sway in time to the thumping of the music.

The incessant beat of whatever pop/electronica/dance fusion/housecore trapbeat whatever the fuck song thrums through Nauto's chest and fills him with the nagging feeling to dance dammit, dance!, but there's an even more nagging feeling of ohmygod Sasuke's behind he's grabbing my hips he's touching me I can feel his body heat ohmyGOD and, really, it's all Naruto can do to keep his head on straight.

Mind the pun, of course.

Near them, Shikamaru and Kiba dance along to the beat - okay, Kiba dances along to the beat and Shikamaru tries to not look like he'd rather be dead - through one song and when another, somehow louder, song starts up Kiba shoots Naruto a look, shakes his ass, and lets out a laugh just barely audible over the music.

Naruto stares at his new friend, slightly perplexed, and nearly jumps a foot in the air when he feels Sasuke's breath beside his ear.

"Are you planning on standing still all night?"

His voice is more like velvet this time and it sends the same rumble through Naruto's chest as the music does. His heart feels as though it trips over itself before picking up and starting again, but now beating twice as fast. Naruto looks at Sasuke over his shoulder, his mouth going dry when he notices the closeness between them. He flicks his tongue over his lips - cool Naruto, be cool when he notices Sasuke's gaze fall to his mouth - and leans back so his voice isn't lost to all the noise.

...or is it just to get closer to Sasuke? What a question!

"I'm not really much of a dancer."

He pulls back a bit, smiling sheepishly when Sasuke just stares at him, one perfect eyebrow raised. In question or judgment, Naruto isn't sure. Then, he chuckles and drags Naruto back a few inches, erasing any space between them.

"Then," Somehow, Naruto is able to hear Sasuke even though he's practically whispering. "You can just follow me."

Before he can protest, Sasuke begins moving to the music again and takes Naruto along with him. Hesitantly, Naruto begins to sway with him; he wasn't lying when he said he isn't much of a dancer and he knows it's obvious. He can feel how wooden his movements are at first; his hips jerkily moving from side to side and his legs wanting to awkwardly bend as he moves. He jumps when Sasuke chuckles beside his ear and moves his hands up to his waist.

"Relax a bit; you're too stiff."

"Um...it's a bit hard when you're holding me like this."

"Oh? Should I let you go?"

"No!"

Naruto freezes at his outburst and a flush begins creeping up his neck. A few people around him and Sasuke glance at them before they get preoccupied again by dancing. Naruto shakes himself from his embarrassment when Sasuke begins swaying again, and this time tries to relax himself to the other mans touch; it's easier said than done, but with the start of another song he feels himself ease into the beat. Sasuke says something encouraging to him - he can't really make out what he says but is it really important, all things considered? - and he feels himself almost melt into the movements, his joints loosening and his moves becoming easier, more fluid. Sasuke's hands fall back to his hips and, while he isn't 100% positive, he's pretty sure his grip is a bit firmer now. Naruto shudders when Sasuke places his lips beside his ear, his breath fanning over his skin.

"You're not that bad."

Naruto thinks he could die, absolutely die , right there on the spot.

He bites his lip to keep away the grin that's threatening to take over his face and instead focuses all his attention on his and Sasuke's pseudo-dancing; they're mostly swaying and almost grinding on each other, but at least they're on beat.

The volume of the next song is a little lower - still thumping, no change there - and Naruto can make out the words of it as it starts up; some sultry pop song that's uber popular. Sasuke chuckles suddenly, the sound rumbling through his body and into Naruto's; he barely contains a shudder. He looks at Sasuke, curious, and Sasuke nods his head towards where he last remembers Shikamaru and Kiba being.

He looks up and scans the crowd - when it got so busy Naruto has no idea - and notices Kiba and Shikamaru a few feet from them; Kiba has his arms draped around Shikamaru's neck and Naruto can hear, just barely, Kiba's voice singing along to the song playing. Shikamaru's arms are wrapped loosely around Kiba's waist and his hands are clasped against his lower back. He catches Naruto's gaze across the floor and he rolls his eyes so far back into his head that Naruto can only see the whites of his eyes.

Naruto laughs and the emotion loosens him up even more; he falls back against Sasuke, his body practically moulding against his as he rolls his hips back in a grind. He looks back at Sasuke over his shoulder when he hears him grunt quietly. Blushing at the slight narrowing of Sasuke's eyes, Naruto does the same movement again. This time, he feels Sasuke's grip on his hips falter, as if he doesn't know if he wants to keep him close or shove him away.

"Naruto..." Sasuke's voice is little more than a growl beside his ear, delightfully deep but also slightly tense with restraint. It sends a shudder through Naruto and he quickly recovers when he feels his hips stutter in their movement.

Naruto cranes his neck and turns his head. His lips brush against Sasuke's cheek - accidentally, but not completely unintentionally - and Naruto grins at the way Sasuke's breath hitches. It was faint, but there.

"Are you having fun dancing?" Naruto asks innocently, dropping back enough to look directly at Sasuke. He blinks a couple of times - his eyelashes do flutter, but just slightly! - and he fights down a giggle when Sasuke's Adam's apple bobs in his throat.

Naruto watches Sasuke struggle to find words for another moment before he leans up again -- this time, his lips brush Sasuke's cheek in a way that's fully intentional. "Because I'm having lots of fun." When Naruto pulls back he makes sure to smile at Sasuke before turning back in his arms and resuming his swaying -- though it really isn't just swaying anymore.

They make it through one more song like that but, Naruto notices with immense satisfaction, Sasuke is a bit more stiff with his movements. He really only notices because they're so close together (practically fused together, really) and, although he feels almost giddy for beating Sasuke at his own game, he figures he should also give the man a break. So, reluctantly, Naruto eases himself away from Sasuke enough so they're not plastered together and moves a bit more conservatively. He hears Sasuke grumble something and he looks at him over his shoulder, smiling sweetly. He's about to ask what's wrong - though he's got a pretty good idea of what it is - when his attention is snapped away by a flash of blonde. It's Ino, her long ponytail trailing behind her as she practically launches herself into the crowd, Hinata following after her, and Sai after Hinata.

He follows the trio with his eyes as they move towards Kiba, who grins widely when he notices them. He pulls back from Shikamaru and launches himself at them, seeming not to notice when Shikamaru practically sprints when he's free. Kiba grabs Hinata by one hand and spins her around gracefully, then does the same with Ino. He appears to want to do the same to Sai, but the man easily evades him.

Naruto laughs softly at the interaction, then yelps when someone knocks into him, hard; the current song is much more upbeat and the people around them have evolved from grinding and dancing, to jumping around and dancing. He looks at Sasuke over his shoulder, not even needing to ask.

Naruto's glad his impression that Sasuke doesn't do more than grinding disguised as dancing is right.

Sasuke nods and struggles through the crowd with Naruto, his hands never leaving him. They bump into a different person each step of the way, but eventually they stumble out of the crush of bodies. Naruto stops and takes a deep breath when they're on the fringes of everyone, not knowing how badly he needed air that's not tinged with sweat and who knows how many perfumes and colognes. It's almost like a different world; they're just a step from the dance floor but things are immediately less intense here. The bass isn't as loud, the air isn't as stifling, and the energy isn't as high.

The lack of energy in particular hits Naruto hard. Once he started to dance it was hard to stop, but now that he has stopped he isn't sure how he was ever dancing to begin with; he feels ready to collapse. He lets Sasuke lead him back to the table - Shikamaru isn't there, Naruto notices - and he graciously drops into the booth after Sasuke takes his seat. The cushion is soft beneath him and he slumps over the table, letting out a deep sigh as any remaining energy fizzles out of his body. Naruto turns his head on the table, smiling softly when he sees Sasuke looking at him.

Immediately, he remembers the way he acted on the dance floor and it takes all his strength not to die from embarrassment right there at the table. Naruto can't remember a time he's ever been so bold with someone before, but...it just felt right . Sasuke's flirtations, the atmosphere of the club, the way they were dancing...it was only natural for Naruto to want to fit himself into that.

Plus, if he's being completely honest...he finds it exhilarating the way he and Sasuke were almost silently competing with each other, seeing who would break first.

Naruto gives himself the point, obviously.

"Um...that was really fun, thanks." Naruto says, bringing his head up to rest his chin on his hands. He looks back out at the dance floor, the strobe lights catching everywhere on the disco ball and refracting all the colours of the rainbow around the interior of the club. He hears Kiba let out a whoop somewhere in the distance - he can tell it's him immediately - and he turns back to Sasuke when he hears him chuckle.

"It was." He agrees, then tilts his head down to Naruto. "Even though we were barely dancing." He murmurs, voice low enough that Naruto needs to strain to hear him.

Naruto finds himself smiling broadly to Sasuke's words, and he turns his head into his hand to cover up most of it. There's a question on the tip of his tongue, but he pushes it away; he's much more content to sit with Sasuke, admiring the man silently.

He's a different kind of attractive in the dim lighting of the club, and Naruto is suddenly conscious of his heartbeat. The lamp light catches on his cheekbones and jawline the way brighter lights don't and it casts soft shadows on his features, making everything just a tad bit more defined. His eyes are unmistakably dark, but they reflect small sparkles of light back at Naruto; pinpricks of colour from the disco ball. Even his hair seems to glow, the black locks shiny in a way that looks fresh out of a shampoo commercial. Naruto bites his lip and averts his gaze, his breath hitching when Sasuke reaches out to smooth through Naruto's hair, the touch soft. Naruto closes his eyes, but a faint warning bell starts ringing in the back of his mind. Nothing too loud or obvious, but it's there.

Like the soft tinkling of a chime as the wind picks up before a storm.

Naruto isn't an expert on the subject of straight men (is anyone?), but from his experience they don't usually touch other men like this.

Especially gay men.

But, a thought nags at Naruto, Sasuke doesn't seem like he's self-conscious around gay guys the way most straight guys are. He's perfectly comfortable around Kiba, and the way he flirts with Naruto is more than just his personality. He knows (or, he's a least pretty damn sure) Sasuke doesn't mean anything by it, but it does toe the line of being a bit more than completely harmless.

But, another thought tugs Naruto the other way, he's been friends with Kiba for a long time; their comfort around each other has been forged in years of being around one another.

He and Sasuke don't have that history; they don't, actually, have anything. At least, not anything more than (perhaps, if Naruto is picking up on what he thinks he's picking up on) some sort of faint mutual attraction.

Which is fine; totally fine, right? Straight guys can find other guys attractive without it being anything, right? Straight guys can flirt with gay guys without it having some nefarious meaning to it, right?

...right?

Naruto runs through his mental Rolodex of guys he's known his entire life - which is sadly quite small, but thankfully mostly straight - and feels that sinking feeling synonymous with realizing something you don't want to admit to.

Naruto opens his eyes slowly when he senses Sasuke moving closer to him, and he freezes in place when he notices just how close to the other man has gotten. He jumps when Sasuke moves the hand in his hair down to cup the back of his neck; his hand might as well be hot enough to burn. The smirk on Sasuke's face is the expression of someone who has won something.

Or, Naruto thinks with a sudden bitterness, someone who's gotten caught doing something they shouldn't, but knowing they don't care about the consequences because they always get what they want anyways.

Sasuke shifts closer to Naruto, the hand and the back of his neck rubbing along his nape as he leans in...

Naruto surges away from Sasuke in alarm, his eyes widening. "What are you doing?" He questions, an edge creeping into his voice. He thinks back to the two of them earlier when they were in the cafe, when Sasuke had leaned into him much the same way... At the time, Naruto had fallen into the flirting and Sasuke's charm, but here in the club with the neon lighting everywhere and low thump of bass that echoes through the air, Naruto can't help but feel that Sasuke is only having fun with him. Inside a club, there's a different set of rules; rules that Naruto is only too familiar with. Most anything can be an invitation; a look, a brush of hands, swaying together to the beat, kissing someone...

His mind wanders back to when they were on the dance floor, the way they were grinding on each other. Sasuke's hands on his hips, gripping firmly as Naruto teased back against him...

Naruto thought their flirting game had ended on the dance floor; evidently, he's wrong.

The warning bell that was so quiet a minute ago is blaring now, and Naruto knows why immediately.

It registers a dull pain inside Naruto, though he wishes it doesn't.

Sasuke stares at Naruto, his smug look slipping away with each second. "I was planning on kissing you."

Another dull pain pangs Naruto and he pulls back from Sasuke more, nearly perching on the end of the booths seat. He notices that while Sasuke doesn't outright follow him, he does lean in a bit closer to him.

Naruto balls his hands into fists on his lap, angry at himself for letting himself think, for even a moment , that maybe Sasuke wasn't some douche-y straight guy; that he wouldn't take the first instance to try something with Naruto.

Although , Naruto thinks to himself, maybe it's all my fault .

"Do you think just because I'm gay I'd let you kiss me?" Naruto asks, the same edge as before still in his voice, but now it's not as strong. Sasuke shifts beside him; this time, he does move closer.

"Well...yeah, but-" Sasuke begins, but Naruto doesn't stick around to hear the rest. The dull aches only grew sharper with Sasuke's affirmation and Naruto pulls back from him in disgust. He shoots Sasuke a hurt look before turning around and rushing off. He doesn't know where he's going; he just struggles through the crowd of dancing people until they thin out and the music isn't as loud.

Outside of the throng, he looks around and assesses his surroundings. In his escaping the crowd, he's moved closer to the bar. Behind him is a hallway that leads to the bathrooms (he can't hide the chill that runs down his spine at the sight of them), and in front of him is the way to the entrance. He entertains the thought of leaving, but he knows he can't just leave without telling Kiba. He worries his bottom lip between his teeth and considers at least going outside for a minute, to get some air. He's about to do just that, when someone comes up behind him and wraps an arm around his waist. At first he thinks it's Sasuke so he turns around to yell at him, when he freezes stiff. It's not Sasuke; he has no idea who it is.

The unknown man leers down at Naruto; he's got close to a foot in height on Naruto, and by the looks of his broad chest and thick arms, he's got a lot of weight and strength on him, too. Immediately Naruto tries to distance himself from the man, but his grip is strong. Naruto pales when he feels the way the strangers' fingers dig, almost painfully, into his side.

Just like when Kyuubi would grab him; would curl his fingers enough for Naruto to feel it, to feel his strength and know he couldn't get away.

A sob works it's way up Naruto's throat and he bites down on his tongue - hard - to keep it inside. If Naruto knows anything about men like this - and he does - then two of the things they look for are weakness and vulnerability. Naruto can't show even the smallest hint of either; if he does, the man will strike. Instead, Naruto swallows down his fear and prepares to shrug the man off, to show that he can't be shoved around. Guys like this are normally cowards; it's why they pick people they know they can easily overpower and take advantage of. If worse comes to worst and the person fights back, the aggressor can use their brute strength to subdue them.

But they aren't usually expecting it, and it's easy enough to catch them off guard.

So, Naruto makes his attempt. He places his hand over the fingers at his waist and pries them up at the same time as he tries to spin out of the man's hold. It works and for a moment Naruto is free, but then the man grabs Naruto's hand almost painfully, a cruel smile on his face.

"Mm...I like it when you fight back."

But sometimes, the men are determined enough to not care.

Naruto swallows thickly at the stranger's words and frantically looks around them for help; the bartender is at the other of the bar wiping down a spill, the bouncer is at the entrance completely out of Naruto's view, and everyone else is pre-occupied by dancing.

Naruto thinks about crying out, but as soon as the thought passes the man begins tugging him backwards...in the direction of the bathrooms. His throat feels like it closes up and dread pools in his stomach, his entire body entering panic mode. He tries to dig his feet into the ground with each step, but the man is strong enough to drag him. Tears sting in the corners of his eyes and his breathing quickens as they near closer to the bathrooms, when he finally fights through his fear enough to yell.

"N-No! Let me go!"

The stranger pauses and Naruto stumbles at the suddenness of it. He catches himself before he falls against the man and he scrabbles back as much as he can, wrestling his hand in his grip. The man rounds on him, his face furious. He lets go of Naruto's hand and that gives him a small spark of hope before he realizes the man is now moving to grab him by the hair; his hand hovers in midair, stopping when someone rushes up behind Naruto.

"Get the fuck away from him!"

Naruto's heart leaps into his throat and relief floods through him.

Sasuke .

Sasuke quickly reaches the two and he shoves Naruto behind him and glares up at the man, his expression cruel. "If somebody says no, that means you back off." He practically growls, the words rumbling out from deep in his chest. His hands are clenched at his sides and his shoulders are tense; he's ready for a fight should the situation arise.

Naruto reaches a shaky hand out towards Sasuke, hesitating before pressing his hand against his back. He feels Sasuke's muscles tense up under his hand and he takes a step closer to him. "I-I'm alright, Sasuke." Naruto stutters over his words, his voice faint and shaky. He watches as Sasuke shakes his head, and he bites his lip when Sasuke takes a step forward. His hand falls back to his side and hangs limp.

The mans voice has a cruel edge to it when he speaks, and his lip curls in a sneer. He takes a step towards Sasuke, his hands in fists at his sides. "You heard the little bitch; he's fine. We we just going to have a little fun-"

Sasuke doesn't let the man get in another word. In one swift movement, he closes the distance between the two of them and brings a fist up to land a solid right hook to the mans cheek. The man stumbles and falls against the wall, a howl escaping him as he clutches at his face. Sasuke curses and shakes his hand out, glaring at the man.

Heavy steps stop near the hallway and Naruto turns to look over his shoulder. Sasuke's attention briefly flickers over as he shakes his hand again.

The bouncer, Axel, stands there, anger twisting his features. In one hand he holds an expandable baton, his other hand empty.

"Axel," Sasuke's voice is rough with barely contained rage. "This fucker was trying to take my friend into the bathrooms. He was saying no."

Axel glances at Naruto, frowning as he takes in his ruffled look. Naruto gives a shaky nod, biting down on his lip. Axel stomps into the hallway, grasping the man by the back of the neck when he tries to run away. He notices the mark that's quickly bloomed on his face and shoots a glare at Sasuke. Sasuke stares back at him, unwavering.

"Self-defence. Check the security cameras."

Axel shakes his head then turns his glare back to the man, his grip on his neck tightening until the man cries out. He steers him out of the hallway, growling words to him the entire way. The man manages to shoot Naruto a look before they're out of view; Naruto shrinks back and wraps his arms around himself, his gaze on the ground.

A minute passes before he's able to calm himself down, his heart feeling less like it's going to burst through his chest. He chances a glance up and feels tears well up his eyes when he notices Sasuke staring at him; he bites down on his lip to keep it from trembling.

Sasuke cautiously reaches out to him and grabs his hand. His gaze searches Naruto's face before he begins leading Naruto down the hallway.

Panic grabs a hold of Naruto again and he feels the urge to fight back but there's a part of his brain clawing him back from that edge. He clings to that small voice and focuses his thoughts on the warmth and gentleness of Sasuke's hand. He's not dragging or forcing him to go anywhere. He's not doing anything to hurt him. Hell, he had protected him from someone who was trying to hurt him. So, mentally stomping on his anxiety, he lets Sasuke lead him down the short hallway and into a room at the end of it.

The room looks to be a lounge area; it's completely deserted and doesn't seem to be often used, but there's nothing that says it's off-limits. There's a small bar against one wall, a banquet style table against the wall that leads off from the bar, and in the middle of the room is a sunken area with three large couches in a U-shape surrounding a table. Naruto looks around, stumbling when Sasuke leads him to one of the couches. They both sit down on it and then...they say nothing. Naruto averts his gaze to the floor and Sasuke rubs over the knuckles on his hand almost unconsciously, his gaze unfocused as he glares at the table. Naruto steals a glance at him and notices the way his jaw is clenching and how drawn up his shoulders are, every part of him rigid. His body is still coiled for a fight.

Naruto reaches out to touch him, then thinks better of it and keeps his hands to himself. He drops his hands into his lap, fists loosely clenched, and he clears his throat. Sasuke slowly brings his gaze up; Naruto swallows down his shock at the anger in his eyes. He offers a strained smile and watches as Sasuke slowly comes back into himself, the anger mostly retreating. There's still a hint of it, but it's not all-consuming anymore.

"Um!" Naruto's voice squeaks out and he flushes in embarrassment, immediately snapping his mouth shut again.

A squeak; he had made an honest to God squeak.

Can the floor just open up beneath him and swallow him up? Is that too much to ask?

He watches as Sasuke bites back a laugh and tries to fight a smile, but the corner of his lips twitch and they lock gazes. Naruto's flush deepens at the amusement in Sasuke's eyes, but he finds himself smiling too. He clears his throat and drops his gaze from Sasuke's. He picks absently at a loose thread from a rip on his jeans.

"Thank you for what you did. I tried to get away, but..." Naruto trails of with a shrug. He wraps the loose threads he's playing with around his finger and tugs on it a couple times, tight enough it makes the tip of his finger turn red. He stops when it starts to hurt and he drops his hands back to his lap.

Sasuke gives a small shake of his head. "I'm glad I was able to get there. I've seen that guy around before, and he's..." Sasuke appears to weigh his words, some of the anger from before seeping back into his expression. "He's a lonely creep who's usually all talk, but sometimes he tries to get at people outside." Sasuke shifts a bit, uncomfortable. "He...doesn't like the word no."

Naruto nods solemnly and brings his hands up to chafe over his arms. "I know the type." He murmurs softly. He can feel Sasuke staring at him, so he forces a smile and shakes his head. They're silent for a moment then, pointedly looking at Sasuke's hand, Naruto speaks. "Your hand...are you alright? You hit that guy pretty hard."

Sasuke looks at his hand as well. He relaxes it from the fist he's still holding and extends all his fingers, then clenches it again. "It's fine. I've hit guys harder." He shrugs, but when he looks at Naruto he has a slight smirk on his face. The expression quickly falls and he turns his body closer to Naruto. "Are you okay? Did he...?" Sasuke's question hangs in the air like a storm cloud buzzing with electricity.

Naruto keeps Sasuke's gaze for a moment before he looks down at the floor. He wrings his hands in front of him before he laces his fingers together, the fidgeting doing nothing but bringing up anxiety. "No, he...he didn't hurt me." He says, voice soft. He squeezes his hands together almost painfully, his knuckles turning white before he relaxes the pressure. He does it again, tensing then relaxing; the purposeful contract and release of muscles makes it easier to rid himself of all the rigidness in his body.

All of it melts away together.

"I was just, um...I was mostly scared." Naruto lets out a wobbly laugh, staring down at his feet. "He's a lot bigger than me, so it was good you got to me. But, um...h-how did you know what was happening?" Naruto swipes at his cheeks when he looks up at Sasuke, unsurprised by the wetness he feels under his hands.

Sasuke holds his gaze before he clears his throat and flicks his eyes to something a little over Naruto's shoulder. "After you got up, I followed you. I...wanted to explain to you why I did what I did."

Naruto stiffens up at Sasuke's words, all the tension from before working it's way back into his body. He can practically feel it ratcheting and tightening each muscle until they're all pulled tight as piano wire.

In the panic of what happened, Naruto forgot why he'd ended up alone in the first place, but now it's all bubbling back up. Mostly though, it's the betrayal he really shouldn't feel from someone he doesn't know and how dumb it makes him feel.

Shaking his head, Naruto wraps his arms around himself and scoots away from Sasuke on the couch. Mirroring his movements, Sasuke also scoots back. When Naruto finally looks up, he tries to make sense of the blank expression on Sasuke's face. Without all the flirting and smugness, he's almost startlingly stoic. His eyes are slightly narrowed and there's something about Sasuke that's so closed off; guarded, almost.

Everyone wears a mask, and it seems like Naruto is starting to see under Sasuke's.

Unless, that is, this is just another mask.

"You have to let me explain. Naruto, I didn't mean-"

"I don't."

Sasuke bristles, like a cat with his hackles going up. Surprise is evident on his features when he looks at Naruto, but he quickly replaces it with a look of indifference.

A different mask from the flirtatious one he usually wears; a different mask from the one he was wearing just moments ago.

How many masks does he have, and what's his real face?

Sasuke bites the inside of his cheek and his fingers clench the slightest bit tighter on his arms where he's crossed them. "No," He begins slowly, and Naruto thinks he detects a bit of annoyance in his tone. "I guess you don't need to let me explain if you don't want to. But," He says, cutting off Naruto before he can say anything. "I'd like it if you did anyways." He raises his chin slightly when he finishes talking, his jaw clenched.

Naruto stares back at him, weighing things in his mind; angel and devil on his shoulders. Let Sasuke explain, or not? Does he deserve the chance to push out an excuse, or to put the blame on Naruto for being a tease?

Or, the angel on Naruto's shoulder chimes in, does he deserve to clear the air and apologize for assuming something?

Before the devil on his other shoulder can offer further words of (non)wisdom, Naruto opens his mouth. "Fine. You can explain."

Naruto might have imagined it, but he thinks he sees a flicker of victory pass over Sasuke's features before it's wiped away. It happened so fast, he really isn't sure if it was there or not.

Sasuke straightens up and turns his entire body to Naruto, his body as rigid as Naruto feels he is. "Alright..." He mutters, then blows out a slow breath. "You weren't wrong when you asked if I tried to kiss you just because you're gay. That is why I tried it, but not for the reasons you're thinking." The last half of Sasuke's sentence comes out in a rush, and a bit louder than the rest of it.

Naruto looks at Sasuke skeptically, but nods for him to continue.

"I..." He stops and furrows his eyebrows; Naruto can almost see the gears in his head turning. Without meaning to, he cracks a small smile; it's obvious Sasuke's trying to be genuine with his words and if Naruto's being totally honest...it's cute.

He brings himself back to the present when Sasuke looks at him; he drops his smile to be blank faced, but he isn't fast enough. A blush creeps up his cheeks; Sasuke's sly smirk is enough to tell Naruto that he noticed. Sasuke's smirk falls quickly, though, and he continues.

"I just figured that since you're gay, you wouldn't care if I tried to kiss you. Not...because you're gay, but because you're fine with guys. I know if I try to kiss a girl, they'll probably be fine with it; I was thinking along those same lines. If I tried to kiss a straight guy, it wouldn't really...work, you know?"

None of this really works in the first place because you're straight, Naruto thinks, but he decides to keep that to himself. Sasuke is...something of an enigma, Naruto is realizing; all the parts of him that make up the image of Sasuke he has forming in his mind are continuing to contradict one another.

"So...you thought that because I like guys and you're hot, that I'd be okay with you kissing me? That all that means that I like you, like, on default?"

Naruto says, clamping his mouth shut when he realizes what exactly he said. Sasuke realizes, too, because one of his eyebrows goes up and some of his usual smugness falls back into his expression.

"You think I'm hot?"

"Oh my God..." Naruto breathes out. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, once again wishing for the floor to fall open and haul him into it's depths. "It's not like it's a secret, and that's not what we're talking about." He opens his eyes and looks at Sasuke, almost breaking at the teasing curve to his smirk. He pushes the thought aside. "Is that why you thought you could kiss me and I'd be okay with it?"

Sasuke nods after a moment and has the decency to look embarrassed...at least, a little bit. "In plain words, yes. I thought you'd be fine kissing me because...well, because I'm me, I guess."

Naruto shakes his head at that and looks down at his lap, but he's smiling. "Do you have any idea how conceited you are?"

Sasuke chuckles and leans into Naruto, as if he's going to tell him a secret. "Do you have any idea how far it's gotten me?"

Naruto covers his mouth to hide a laugh and slides a look at Sasuke, the laugh coming anyway when Sasuke wiggles his eyebrows.

Then, Sasuke straightens up and Naruto follows suit, his expression suddenly curious.

"And..." Sasuke rubs the back of his neck, looking almost uncomfortable. "For what it's worth, I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that, regardless of how I thought you'd react." With what looks like a supreme amount of effort, Sasuke apologizes. His face pinches in a bit, reminiscent of when a child says sorry; like it's the last thing they want to do, but doing it anyway because it's right. But...he at least looks genuine.

Naruto smiles again and cocks his head slightly when Sasuke looks back at him. "That looked hard for you." He teases, biting his lip to keep a giggle from bubbling up.

Sasuke's eyes search Naruto's face, and he falters a bit under the scrutiny. As Sasuke leans into him teasingly, Naruto leans back, placing one hand behind him to brace himself.

"I'm not used to people not wanting me to kiss them." Sasuke says coolly, his gaze dropping to Naruto's lips. Naruto notices the way his eyes narrow, just slightly, before raising back up to look into his eyes. Naruto's mind cycles through things to say, snappy retorts or clever comebacks and...nothing. He comes up with a big, fat nothing .

Son of a bitch, Sasuke has him nearly tongue-tied.

But, he manages to scrape up a smile as he places his hand over Sasuke's mouth, probably more pleased than he should be at the way Sasuke freezes when he does so. "Maybe it's time you get used to it." He stares at Sasuke, as if daring him to push his luck when he drops his hand down to his lap.

They're both still for a moment and Naruto has the satisfied thought that he's caught Sasuke completely unawares and taken him out of his element. He knows Sasuke's someone who gets whoever he wants whenever he wants them and Naruto won't lie...it's a bit exciting to be someone Sasuke can't just take.

Not that Sasuke would ever actually want him for more than just some fun...right?

Because Sasuke is straight , Naruto quickly reminds himself before his thoughts begin to go haywire.

Although...what exactly is that saying? Straight as a rai-

"I guess I'll have to settle for simple flirting." Sasuke's voice pulls Naruto from his thoughts, a teasing lilt to his tone.

Naruto's thoughts stop like a record scratch.

Sasuke stares at Naruto for a moment before smirking and leaning in close to him again. Naruto bristles but keeps his ground, even as he feels a prickly sensation over his skin.

"Is flirting still allowed, or is that crossing a line, too?" Sasuke asks, slightly cocking his head.

Naruto stares back at him then shakes his head and cracks a small smile. "Do you know how to talk to someone without flirting?"

"Not someone like you."

Sasuke's answer is immediate and blunt and it shocks Naruto, his flurry of thoughts spinning around his head again at what Sasuke means by that.

How does he manage to find a way to turn things around no matter what? Naruto will think he has the upper hand, think he has something over on Sasuke, and then he gets it all taken away because Sasuke doesn't react the way Naruto expects him to.

Naruto could scream. He really could. Instead, he settles for a kind of diplomatic maturity.

Don't rise to the bait, and there's no way to get caught.

Naruto shakes his head. "Flirting is fine. Just...nothing more." He smiles, but he can feel the lie in it. "A guy like me might get the wrong idea." The words come out before Naruto can filter them through his mind and he mentally curses himself. It's too raw, too true.

There's a question on Sasuke's face and he struggles with it before covering it up.

What mask is he using now?

"And a guy like me might not mind it." Sasuke mutters.

Naruto thinks he might not have been intended to hear that, because Sasuke stands and starts to leave before he's even finished talking. Naruto stays where he is, practically frozen in his seat, but he whips his head around to watch Sasuke. He quickly loses focus.

Might not mind it? Mind not fucking mind it?

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Rather than his thoughts going haywire, they've now completely stopped, his mind choosing to go over Sasuke's words on a loop.

He doesn't notice when Sasuke leaves the room; he only snaps back to reality when Sasuke peeks inside to look at him. "Are you coming?"

Naruto hesitates, and that makes Sasuke step back into the doorway. He observes Naruto a moment and his voice is softer when he speaks next. "That guy won't be coming back; the security here is actually pretty good. Once someone is out, they're out."

Naruto lets a moment pass before offering a strained smile to Sasuke. He shakes his head, still coming back to himself. "I know, just..." He trails off and shrugs, looking down at the ground.

"...don't stay here too long. Kiba will wonder what happened."

Naruto looks up just as Sasuke walks away, and he lets out a deep sigh once the raven is completely out of sight. He scrubs his hands - they're trembling, he notices - over his face then keeps them on his cheeks, as if trying to keep himself together. "Oh my god... Oh. My. God." He whispers to himself, shaking his head and slumping back into the couch. He stares up at the ceiling, unblinking, trying to make sense of...well, everything.

Mostly, he's trying to make sense of Sasuke; something that proves to be difficult because so much of Sasuke doesn't make sense . He's straight, but has no qualms flirting with a gay guy. Or dancing with a gay guy. Or wanting to kiss a gay guy. Hell, the only reason any of that happened is because Sasuke initiated it!

And, sure, it could mean nothing and Sasuke could simply be the most shameless flirt the world has ever known, but...

No. Naruto won't let himself think any further than that; won't let him think about all the masks Sasuke seems to wear, and what's one more?

Naruto blows out a tense breath, a tremulous smile breaking on his face.

Despite everything...he does have to admit to himself that it was fun to have that kind of attention on himself.

It's nice to feel wanted.

Naruto makes his way back to the table a few minutes later, only leaving once he's sure he doesn't look like an anxious mess any more. The first thing he notices is that Sasuke's not there; the next thing he notices is that everyone else is.

When Naruto arrives at the table he's greeted with a cheer from Kiba and he watches as the man tries to crawl over Shikamaru to get him. Shikamaru grunts and elbows the man back, glaring at him when Kiba just looks back at him innocently, cocking his head.

Naruto smiles and sits down across from the two men then takes - what he hopes is - an inconspicuous look around the table.

"Where's Sasuke?" He asks, saying a mental thank you when his voice comes out normal.

Kiba motions behind them, gesturing at the dance floor. "Some girl snatched him up. Last I saw 'em, they were sucking face and humping each other." Kiba's words are muzzy and have a slight slur to them, the sounds all dragging into one another. He drifts to the side as he speaks until he's resting completely against Shikamaru, his head nuzzling into his shoulder. Shikamaru lets out a sigh and looks like he wants to shrug Kiba off, but then he catches Naruto's gaze and leaves him where he is.

Naruto dips his head in a shallow nod and then he can't stop himself; he straightens up and looks out over the crowd as much as he can. The disco ball is as sparkly and dazzling as ever, making it almost impossible to see anything -

A glint of silver catches Naruto's eyes and he looks to the side, his breath momentarily hitching. What caught his eye was the flash of light on an earring, but that's quickly lost to Naruto because, like a perverted version of Where's Waldo? , he found who he was looking for.

Sasuke and a brunette woman are off to the side of the dance floor - more outside it than inside it, really - and -- what was it that Kiba had said? 'Sucking face and humping each other'?

Yeah...they're doing that. Or, more accurately, they're doing a version of that. The woman is pressing herself as close to Sasuke as humanly possible while he runs a hand under the front of her shirt, his mouth trailing kisses all along her neck, both rocking against each other.

Naruto has the thought to ask about the clubs rules on whether fucking is allowed out in the open or not; he would hate for the business to get in some sort of trouble for indecent exposure, you see.

...

Is it only because it's Sasuke that Naruto cares at all? Well-

Yes, his brain supplies immediately. It absolutely is.

Gritting his teeth to his thoughts, Naruto turns away from the sight and, for good measure, slumps down an inch or two where he's sitting.

...okay, maybe it's three inches, but only because the lady's earring keeps on reflecting silver flashes of light right back at Naruto, as if taunting him.

Here I am with the guy you could have made out with earlier, but instead you had to get offended and-

Naruto picks up a glass off the table and drains it in one long drink, his mouth filling with a lukewarm version of the fruity flavour he had earlier.

He doesn't know if he's annoyed or grateful the drink isn't alcoholic.

Kiba stares at him blearily from across the table, then grins and sits up straight. He reaches across the table and grabs Naruto's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Let's go dance again!" He announces and Ino's head whips around from where she's mid-conversation with Hinata, a glint in her eyes.

"Yes, oh my god." She breathes out, already standing and trying to climb out over the back of the booth. She only stops when Hinata squeaks and tugs her back down, mostly because Ino's skirt had completely flipped up and she was at very near risk of flashing everyone in the vicinity. Ino falls back into the booth with a giggle and she wraps herself around Hinata, nuzzling against her neck. "C'mooooon, Hina! More dancing!"

Hinata lets out a nervous giggle and looks at Shikamaru where he's sitting. Shikamaru groans low in his throat, the sound very nearly a growl, and he shoots a glare at Kiba. Kiba doesn't notice and is already getting ready to hop up, still holding Naruto's hand.

Naruto has made the deduction that Shikamaru and Hinata are something like Kiba and Ino's babysitters on nights like these, and he can only imagine how many times they've had to play their parts in this circus.

He thinks they deserve a small break.

Naruto shoots smiles at Hinata and Shikamaru. "I can go with them, if you guys want to stay. Well, me and Sai, I guess?" He asks then looks over to the man, smiling when Sai blinks up at him. Shikamaru and Hinata share another look, then look back at Naruto; the grateful expressions on their faces are nearly priceless. Shikamaru lets out a long sigh and scoots closer to Hinata, his head falling to rest on her shoulder.

Hinata smiles and dips her head in a nod to Naruto, then shifts to rest her head against Shikamaru's. "Thank you, Naruto, and...sorry in advance." She giggles, watching Naruto stumble when Kiba latches onto his arm and begins tugging him to the dance floor. Sai follows, one arm wrapped around Ino's waist.

Naruto shoots a worried look to the table behind him before his vision is filled with people, helpless as Kiba all but drags him into the crowd.

Immediately, Naruto regrets coming back out.

Dancing with two drunk people is...interesting, he's quick to discover. Both Kiba and Ino seem to gain back the stability they had lost as they start moving, but the energy and frantic movements they have is beyond what Naruto can compete with. He tries to keep up - mostly so he doesn't get jostled away from the group and end up lost - but it really does take almost every ounce of energy he doesn't have not to get swept away. The gyrating, the jumping, the twisting, the twerking - which is, apparently, Kiba's favourite move - is a bit like being tossed around in a tornado. His only consolation to it all is that Sai seems to be in a similar state, his body mostly moving because everyone else around them is moving and the crowd has the unique ability to squeeze out anyone who's not shaking their ass like their life depends on it. It's comforting to know he's not the only one struggling.

It's such a stark difference to earlier with Sasuke, and Naruto has to admit he prefers dancing with him than whatever... this is.

Him and Sai share a look in the flashing of the strobe lights and Naruto offers a strained smile; Sai looks back helplessly, his black eyes almost impossibly wide as he tries to keep up.

Then, like lifeguards coming to save two drowning souls, two men swagger up to them as they eye up Kiba and Ino. Ino waves at one of them excitedly then grabs Kiba's wrist, nodding at the men. As fast as they've strolled up, they men have whisked Kiba and Ino deeper into the people and out of Naruto and Sai's reach. They share another look before getting the hell out of there .

Kiba and Ino will be fine .

Naruto doesn't think he's ever moved faster at any point in his life than he does as he makes his way back to the table.

It's been, what, a couple of minutes? Maybe? Naruto doesn't know, but he's fucking zapped of what energy he had left, which - considering the night he's had - wasn't much.

He slips into the booth and looks at Hinata and Shikamaru, wide-eyed. "Do you guys do that every time you come out with them?" Sai slips into the other side of the booth, his body deflating as he slumps over the table.

Hinata nods gravely, and Naruto wonders how they're all still alive.

After that, a little over an hour passes by mercifully well for Naruto. At one point, he notices Kiba and Ino stumble to the bar, knock back a few shots, then disappear back into the crowd; Shikamaru notices too and lets out a deep sigh, rubbing over a spot in the middle of his forehead.

Sasuke makes his way back some time after that - a smudge of lipstick on the collar of his shirt...not that Naruto was looking, or anything - and is there for, oh, maybe a minute before a petite woman with black hair gets his attention and he's off again, with little more than a glance at the table in goodbye.

Naruto stares after him, startling himself when he notices his hands gripping the table and he loosens his hold, then pauses when he feels... something under the pads of his fingertips.

What on Earth...?

Naruto yanks his fingers out from under the table, a horrified expression on his face. "Oh, my god..." He breathes out, staring down at his hands. "I just touched something cold and sticky under the table-" He cuts himself off before he can squeak out the last of his words. He looks to Shikamaru with wide eyes, the other man staring at him with poorly hidden amusement.

Shikamaru jerks his head to the right and Naruto slides his eyes in the direction. "Go wash up. It's probably nothing gross, but..." He trails off, ominous enough for Naruto to spring to his feet and begin walking.

He's only half-aware that he needs to get to the bathrooms to wash up, the other half of him making a mental list of the potential gross somethings he touched.

Then, he practically screeches to a halt when he gets to the bathroom door, his blood rushing in his ears as his heart rate begins to speed up. He feels barely an inch tall as he stares up at the bathroom door, ubiquitous shadow image of a man in the usual spot. Naruto feels his hands get clammy and he immediately wants to wipe them on his pants, but then he remembers the sticky... whatever he touched and thinks better of it.

He's just here to wash his hands; that's all. It's a choice he's making for himself, and he's alone, and all he needs to do is get inside that room, stalk up to a sink, and wash off whatever filth he touched. So, with a deep breath, he plucks his feet from where he feels rooted to the floor and pushes the door open. It might squeak as it opens, but the sound of his heartbeat is so loud in his ears he's deaf to anything else. He practically flies to the sink, his mind focused on the sole goal of getting clean.

The chill of the water shocks Naruto and brings him back to the present; the steady thrum of the music that bumps through the walls of the club, the loud rush of the water from the faucet, the harshness of the lights above him, and the almost itching feeling on his hands because goddamn it what did he touch ?

Naruto lathers the soap into his hands generously. The soap has a pleasant citrus-y smell to it and it's easy to forget that Naruto had touched God knows what under the table, and as he scrubs the soap into his hands he looks at himself in the mirror. The fluorescent lights above him cast a bright light over his face, the scars on his cheeks standing out more starkly than he's used to. He stares at his reflection, following the marks with his eyes as he begins to rinse the suds from his hands. He shakes his head and cuts the water off and, as he does so, a sound reaches his ears. Many sounds earlier had covered it up before, but now Naruto hears it loud and clear.

"Ah...ah...ahn!"

A woman moaning, followed by the unmistakable sound of skin slapping against skin.

Naruto's face flames and he turns around the dry his hands off so he can leave, when he freezes in his spot. In the last stall, at the back of the bathroom, is Sasuke, partially hidden behind a blonde woman's body.

There's just enough of him visible for Naruto to be able to tell it's him, and Naruto freezes. He shouldn't watch - he knows he shouldn't watch - but it's as if he and the world have frozen and Sasuke and the woman are the only people still moving. Sasuke's head is tipped back, one of his hands moving at the woman's chest while the other is hidden down the front of her skirt, covered just enough that Naruto can't actually see anything; he doesn't know what sort of luck he had stored up for that. The woman is bracing herself with one arm on the stall, her other hand covering her mouth.

If she's trying to be quiet, she's doing a horrible job of it.

Naruto blinks furiously at the scene in front of him, still frozen in place as his hands drip water onto the tiled floor. Naruto wonders why they didn't close the door - it's not as if bathroom stall doors are complicated - but that thought makes his stomach churn.

Maybe the woman wants people to see her; maybe Sasuke wants people to see him. Maybe the door doesn't lock. Maybe the door was locked but was jostled open.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Maybe the woman doesn't want the stall locked because she'd been assaulted in one, because Kyuubi took Naruto into a stall just like that one and made Naruto bleed and cry and hurt...god, it hurt so fucking much -

Naruto comes back to himself with a sob, the sound ripping through his throat. He slaps a hand over his mouth to keep any more sounds in and he stumbles back a few steps. His legs feel like jelly and it's honestly a small miracle he's managed to stay standing. He turns around slowly and fumbles for paper towel; he ends up ripping off far more than he actually needs in his haste. He quickly wipes it over his hands without caring if he gets them completely dry as he unsteadily makes his way to the door. He tosses the paper on his way - he hopes it lands in the garbage - and yanks on the door handle.

The door feels heavier than it did when Naruto entered and it closes with a low thud. He relaxes himself against the door and takes in a long, deep breath.

Then another.

Then another.

He shakes his head and pushes off the door once his breathing is back to normal. A neon sign catches his eye and Naruto takes it as an almost divine sort of advice.

ESCAPE! 🚀

Naruto will do just that. With one last deep breath, he scrubs his hands over his face and starts on his escape.

Naruto nearly runs down the hallway and back to their table, his heartbeat hammering away once again and emotion choking up his throat. Kiba's nowhere to be seen, nor is Ino; Hinata and Sai are there but talking to each other, so Shikamaru is the only one who seems to notice when Naruto snags up his coat and pulls it on. One of Naruto's arms gets stuck and he struggles to shove it through the sleeve, puffing his cheeks out and blinking away tears of frustration when it doesn't work. He catches Shikamaru's eye where the man is watching him, his expression neutral but verging on concern.

Finally, finally , Naruto dons his jacket. He hastily wipes an arm over his eyes and then looks at Shikamaru. He tries for a smile, but he can feel that all he manages is a grimace.

"I'm, uh...I think I want to get home." He croaks out, voice tight with emotion he doesn't even want to begin processing.

"Okay," Shikamaru says slowly, voice careful. He stands as well and grabs his own coat. "I'll walk you home."

Naruto shakes his head quickly, holding his hands out in front of himself to further emphasize his refusal. "It's alright, I can get myself home."

Shikamaru pauses and looks Naruto up and down. Then, he shakes his head and shrugs his coat on. "No offence, but I don't think you can."

Naruto opens his mouth to protest, but he really can't find it in himself to search for the words to refuse Shikamaru. He closes his mouth and wraps his arms around himself, dropping his gaze to the floor. "...okay." He mumbles. He digs out his wallet and grabs money, when Shikamaru stops him. Apparently, Sasuke pays for drinks when they go out clubbing.

Naruto jams his wallet back into his pocket with more force than is probably necessary and bites down on his lip. He shakes his head when Shikamaru looks at him and hastily says goodbye to Hinata and Sai - Hinata bids him a gentle 'goodnight' when she notices his expression; Sai replies with an equally gentle 'oyasuminasai' - before he spins around and rushes to the exit. He hears Shikamaru curse behind him but he doesn't let it stop him from leaving.

There is a chill to the night air when Naruto gets outside and it fills his chest with a freshness he doesn't know he needs. He takes in a deep breath and slowly exhales, the air puffing out in a soft cloud. He turns when he hears footsteps behind him, sighing when he notices Kiba trailing after Shikamaru.

Shikamaru offers a shrug in response.

Naruto shoves his hands in his pockets and walks closer to the pair, turning his gaze to Kiba. "Um...it's pretty late, so I want to get home. This was...it was really fun, Kiba. Thanks for inviting me out. Sorry I just tried to leave, but...I didn't want to bother you." Naruto's words are only partially a lie; he struggles to smile through it.

Kiba gives a small nod to his words and sways a bit where he stands; he steadies himself on Shikamaru's shoulder. "Thanks for comin'. And...yer sure it was fun? I kinda thought...I dunno, this wasn't for ya. I notice ya disappeared for a while." He smiles sheepishly and runs a hand through his hair.

Naruto bites down on his lip and looks away, barely managing to nod. "It...it was fun." He croaks out, his throat tight.

He can sense the shift in Kiba's emotion and he takes a step back from him and Shikamaru, needing the distance. He stares off into the distance, his breath coming in shallow.

Kiba's gaze flickers to Shikamaru, then to Naruto, then back to Shikamaru, his eyes wide and almost pleading. He reaches to Shikamaru and tugs on his jacket sleeve, nodding his head in Naruto's direction. Shikamaru shrugs but shakes his head when Kiba moves to the blond, placing a hand on his arm. He leans in and speaks in a voice too low for Naruto to make out what he's saying, but whatever it is, Kiba's shoulders drop and he gives a sad nod when Shikamaru is done. Shikamaru sighs and tilts Kiba's head up, murmuring something else to him. Kiba looks back at Naruto and nods, then stretches up and gives Shikamaru a chaste kiss. He whispers something to him before stepping back and moving to Naruto. He pulls him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around much." He says, his words not quite as slurred as before. "It was just...Ino. Y'know. Heartbroken and stuff. Gotta get drunk to make it better." He mutters, his explanation more to fill the silence than anything else. He sighs then crushes Naruto to him; his comfort is entirely too much at the moment.

Naruto awkwardly pats Kiba on the back, shooting a beseeching look at Shikamaru. "It's alright," He begins, a strain in his voice. "I had enough fun, it's just been a lot."

KIba pulls back enough to look down at Naruto, his eyes wide and shining, his bottom lip bitten between one of his sharp canines. He looks like he wants to cry. Then, he starts to shiver and Shikamaru practically peels him off Naruto. "Go back inside, Kiba; you're going to become a frozen twink if you stay out here in... that ." Shikamaru delivers the last word with thinly veiled disgust, raking his gaze over Kiba's outfit.

Kiba's tears immediately dry up and he puffs his cheeks out as he chafes over his arms. "Hey, I'm a twunk at least and you know that!"

Shikamaru stares at Kiba silently, his expression comically blank. Then he closes his eyes, sighs, and scrubs his hands over his face. "For fucks sake, just kill me now." Naruto hears him mutter and he stifles a laugh. Kiba looks back at Naruto but Shikamaru quickly spins him around. "Get your twunk ass back in the club before I fucking paddle it, Kiba. And before you say anything, no, I don't care that you're a top. I'll absolutely wreck you."

Kiba's teeth audibly clack as he shuts his mouth and lets out a huff. He steals a glance at Naruto over his shoulder - Naruto thinks he notices a redness to his ears, but that could just be the chill of the night - before sulking back into the club, his shoulders slumping.

Shikamaru lets out another sigh and shakes his head. He starts for the sidewalk, but Naruto reaches out and grabs his sleeve.

"Um...so, not that I'm trying to get away or anything, but I really can get home by myself." He looks up at Shikamaru, hoping a small smile will convince the other man to leave.

It doesn't.

Shikamaru crosses his arms. "When you get to the end of this block, do you go straight or turn left to get to your apartment?" He looks at Naruto, his expression blank.

Naruto opens his mouth to answer, then closes it immediately after. He leans forward just enough to see the intersection at the end of the block, and he squints as he tries to read the names of the streets. It's too dark and they're too tall for him to make them out. But...he does remember he turned down a street at some point...

He looks back to Shikamaru, a tentative smile on his face. "...left?" He guesses, hope rising in him when Shikamaru smiles.

"Trick question; you go right."

Naruto's smile falls and he lets out a groan as Shikamaru chuckles. "That's not fair! That wasn't an option!"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and steers Naruto down the street as they begin walking. "Hence why it was a trick question. Besides, if you really knew the way home you would have known that."

Naruto shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket, pouting, but he does have to admit that Shikamaru was right...even if he is a bit embarrassed.

"Was he okay? Kiba, I mean." Naruto asks as they reach the end of the block and wait for a light to change for them. He turns to look at Shikamaru. The streetlights cast everything in a burnt orange light and reflect off Shikamaru's hair, making it look something like a fireball.

Shikamaru shrugs. "Fine, he's just an emotional drunk. And clingy. And more needy than probably anyone." He pulls a face, and Naruto can imagine all the drunk Kiba's he's hand to endure. It drags a smile from him and he nods sympathetically.

"He...seems like a lot." Naruto says carefully, relieved when Shikamaru nods sombrely in agreement.

"You don't even know the half of it. He's bad enough on his own, but when Ino gets like this too?" Shikamaru lets out a whistle. "Troublesome."

Naruto smiles to himself and hops on the white lines as he and Shikamaru cross the street. He hops onto the curb and looks at Shikamaru over his shoulder. "He's nice though." Naruto stops and tilts his head a bit. "You're all nice." He amends as Shikamaru falls back into step with him.

Shikamaru grunts and they continue to walk, then:

"Even Sasuke?" Shikamaru asks, looking at Naruto from the corner of his eyes. It's an innocent enough question, but Naruto can't help but feel it's more loaded than it should be. After a minute of thought, he gives a neutral answer; a nod. Shikamaru hums in thought afterwards and then pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. He offers one to Naruto, but he refuses. Shikamaru shoves the pack back in his pocket, lights up, and takes a drag. He glances back at Naruto, this time with a tiny smirk on his face.

"If Sasuke's nice, then what did he do to want to make you leave?"

Naruto stutters to a stop, almost tripping over his own feet as he does so. He stares at the back of Shikamaru's head as he keeps walking before noticing Naruto had fallen out of step with him. Shikamaru stops and Naruto quickly catches up, ducking his head when he feels a flush work it's way up his neck.

"I-I...he didn't-"

Shikamaru raises a brow at him, and Naruto immediately cuts himself off. Naruto doesn't know how Shikamaru knows, but he knows that, well, he knows . But, really, it's not like there's much to know. So they danced a little. So Sasuke almost kissed him. So Sasuke saved him from being assaulted.

I mean, it's not like Sasuke was his sole reason for leaving the club! Sure, him wanting to leave had been precipitated by the fact that he caught Sasuke having sex with a random woman and that brought up unpleasant memories, but it's not like that was Sasuke's fault, right?

...once Naruto starts trying to convince himself of things, he knows he's lost.

Naruto slides a shy glance to Shikamaru. "...how'd you know?"

Shikamaru shrugs and the end of his cigarette glows red as he breathes it in. "Most things come back to Sasuke in some way or another. And judging by the way you two were dancing earlier, I figured I'd connect the dots."

Naruto bites down on his lip nervously, choosing not to answer.

Shikamaru blows out a puff of smoke as he considers Naruto, his gaze calculating. "Not to sound like a conceited asshole, but I'm a genius, Naruto. I can visualize entire chess matches, beginning to end, from the first few moves and know exactly how to win and lose in every way that's possible." He takes another drag and shrugs. "It's not hard to see that you and Sasuke had something going on."

Naruto's blushes again and he brings his shoulders up, the lower half of his face dipping into the collar of his jacket. "It was just dancing..." He mumbles, kicking a piece of gravel on the sidewalk.

Shikamaru snorts and side-eyes Naruto with enough judgment to make a priest confess. "Is that what you're calling it? I'm sure you could probably feel his dick with how close you were."

Naruto goes redder than ever and lets out an embarrassed half-moan, half-whine that ends in a strangled sound deep in his throat. He kicks another rock that comes into his path. It pings off a street lamp and rolls into the street, settling on the pavement.

Naruto wonders, briefly, if you can suffer from burns if you blush hot enough.

Naruto shakes his head as they round a corner and he clears his throat. "It wasn't that different from you and Kiba." He grumbles.

Shikamaru, to Naruto's surprise, chuckles at that. "It was completely different, and I don't think you're dumb enough to believe that it wasn't."

They fall silent again and soon enough they reach Naruto's apartment. Naruto stares up at the building, mentally counting the windows until he reaches his own. Seven in from the left.

Shikamaru shifts beside him and Naruto looks over to see him snuffing out his cigarette before tossing it in the trash. Then, Shikamaru leans back against the building and cocks his head, looking at Naruto as if assessing him.

Naruto tugs his coat around himself tighter and shifts from foot to foot.

"...what?"

Shikamaru crosses his arms over his chest, his expression unchanging. "I just think it's a bit strange," He begins after another bit of staring, his voice giving away nothing to Naruto. "That Sasuke stuck to you the way he did. Normally, Kiba's his go-to partner."

A cold wind blows past and Naruto turns around to brace his back against it; his hair ruffles and he shivers when the breeze chills the back of his neck. "Um...Kiba was with you first?" He offers. He feels himself lose any thread of understanding when Shikamaru smirks and pushes off the wall.

"I don't think you're dumb enough to believe that either, Naruto." He murmurs, and, try as he might, Naruto can't stop a small, hopeful smile from forming.

Shikamaru shivers against the cold and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Want me to walk you up?" He asks, and it's like their last bit of conversation didn't happen; it dissolved as easily as their breath in the air.

Naruto shakes his head and roots around in his pocket for his key. "I'll be fine; it was enough that you walked me home." He pulls his key out of his pocket and slips the key ring around his finger, the metal pleasantly warm from being in his pocket. "You really didn't need to, but thanks."

Shikamaru looks like he wants to say something, but then he stops himself, shakes his head, and gives a slight smile. He continues with something different. "You don't know the streets well enough yet, and it's dangerous this late."

Naruto takes a furtive glance around them, (a moot point since they're entirely alone), grins, and discretely pulls his knife out of his pocket enough to expose the handle. "I can take care of myself." He looks up at Shikamaru, his grin growing at the appreciative look on his face. "What about you? You said it's dangerous..." Naruto falls silent when Shikamaru pulls something out of his own pocket.

Shikamaru smirks. "So can I."

Naruto lets out a startled laugh, looking back at Shikamaru. "Aren't tasers illegal?"

"Aren't pocket knives?"

Naruto's smile is a little bit sly as he hides his knife back in his pocket. "I won't tell if you won't."

Shikamaru mimes zipping up his lips. Naruto smiles and turns away from Shikamaru, then looks at him over his shoulder.

"Thanks again for walking me home. Sorry it took you away from the club." He smiles apologetically.

Shikamaru snorts. "Don't be sorry; I hate clubbing. Any chance I have to get out of there, I take."

To this, Naruto cocks his head and looks up at Shikamaru. "Then...why do you go?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "Because Kiba asks me to."

Because Kiba asks me to. Shikamaru says it in a way as if it answers everything completely, when it just opens up more questions.

But, Naruto doesn't have the energy to think of the inter-group personal relationships between everyone now, so he accepts Shikamaru's words as if they're simple.

He bids the man goodnight and steps inside his apartment building, sighing at the warmth he walks into. He peeks out of the door window to watch Shikamaru jogging across the street and he keeps watching until he's a blur in the streetlights, then nothing at all once he's gone.

Naruto smiles, then makes his way up to his room. Once inside, he practically sprints through his nightly routine, excited at the thought of going the fuck to sleep .

Just as he's about to settle into bed for the night - or morning? It is almost 2, after all - his phone chimes. It's a LINE message from Shikamaru.

This is what I was talking about: emotional and clingy 😑

The next message is a picture of Kiba, settled sideways over Sasuke's lap in their booth. His arms are looped around Sasuke's neck and his face buried in his shoulder, his cheeks wet with tear tracks. Sasuke stares back at the camera, his expression completely blank, but Naruto thinks he detects a slight narrowing of his eyes.

Naruto tries to stifle a laugh by placing a hand over his mouth, but a small giggle still escapes him. He types a response.

is he okay? whats he crying abt??

Fuck if I know. Probably how much he loves all of us and how lucky he is to have us as friends

Yknow. Drunk person nonsense

Naruto giggles again and looks back at the picture, leaning in close to get a better look at the picture; this time he notices something. He zooms into the picture, focusing on Sasuke's face. It could just be a trick of the lighting, some sort of shadow, but Naruto thinks he sees a red spot on Sasuke's cheek.

He shoots Shikamaru another message.

did sasuke get hit???

He bites his lip as he waits for a response, his mind going to the man from earlier. Sasuke said security was good, but what if he'd somehow snuck in and tried to fight Sasuke? Or what if Sasuke had gone to fight him ?

Naruto's phone lights up with a response.

Yeah :/ Ino's ex found out where we all were and came around trying to get her back. He and Sasuke got into it when Sasuke told him to leave

Sasuke won btw. The other guy ended up with a split lip and a ban from the club. Total loser

Naruto lets out a soft breath of relief. He doesn't know what he would do if Sasuke had gotten hurt more on his behalf; once that night was more than enough.

omg!!!

Naruto sends back. He types a message about how he's glad Sasuke's alright, reads it over, and deletes the entire message. Instead, he sends,

are you guys leaving soon?? its so late :o

Yeah. Sai's helping Hinata get Ino home, and I get the pleasure of dragging Kiba's drunk ass with me 😒

The things I do for this man...

Naruto smiles sleepily, his phone fading to black as the screen times out. Then, it lights up again.

Sasuke's leaving too, icyww

He stares at Shikamaru's message, and wonders if he's really that obvious. It must just be because it's Shikamaru; the genius.

And isn't it just Naruto's luck that his new friend group has a genius who can read him like an open book?

Before he can even consider his next move, he's already typed and sent a message. He can try to convince himself that his question is because he's dead tired, but...is it really?

with a girl?

Then, panic rushing through him because oh my god why did I ask that??? , he sends another message.

not that it, like, matters or anything!! just like...yknow. safety and stuff

That hardly even makes sense. Good Christ.

Three dots show up on Shikamaru's side, disappear, then come back again.

Technically no...he's not leaving with a girl, but he does have one to stay with.

Naruto bites down on his lip and nods at his phone.

Yeah. Of course Sasuke does.

Of course.

i hope you all get back safely!!! dont be scared to zap someone if you need to :p

He sends a LINE sticker of a panda lying on its back with the words 'Good Night~' above it, and doesn't wait for Shikamaru's reply. He turns off his notifications, drops his phone onto the pile of clothes near his bed, and curls up under his covers. He lets out an embarrassed groan as he draws his legs up to his chest.

Naruto might be the first person in history to die from embarrassment. He really might be.

So, it must be a small mercy of fate that as soon as he closes his eyes he falls asleep.