wishing on a fountain - coin 1

authors notes:

teehee...everyone lets give sasuke a warm welcome to the story <3 i hope everyone enjoys his intro as an insufferable flirt bc i had fun writing him this way :3c

(oh also. kiba says 'ya' to mean both 'you' and 'yeah', but when he means yeah, i end it with an apostrophe to make it look a little different ! so...ya = you, and ya' = yeah! hope there's no confusion there <3)

now, without further ado...the chapter 💖💖💖

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The first step Naruto takes into his apartment, he steps on an envelope. It crinkles under his foot and he frowns, looking down at what made the noise. His eyebrows furrow and he bends down to pick it up, turning it over in his hands. It's a plain white envelope, no stamp or return address, and it's absent of Naruto's address, too. All that's on it, in black ink, is Naruto's name. Naruto tucks the envelope under his arm as he leans out his front door and takes two quick looks down either end of the hallway.

It's obvious that someone slipped the envelope under his door and he knows the chances are slim but he can't help but think that maybe the person who delivered it is still lurking around, waiting to see Naruto pick it up. But, seeing no one, Naruto retreats into his apartment then closes and locks his door. He places his keys on a hanger beside the door, the bright yellow tag on them (a 'gift' from his buildings management after he lost his first pair...which he had actually found afterwards, hidden inside his fridge. Oops?) standing out against the plain beige of the wall. He kicks his shoes off before ripping open the envelope on the way to his living room, curiosity nagging at him.

There was only one person who knew where Naruto had moved to, and there was no way he would be able to deliver an envelope to Naruto by hand. Not that he would, either; Iruka, his kind-of sort-of not really dad, was the type to give Naruto a call. A letter? Well, Naruto isn't quite sure who would send him something like that.

That is, until he opens the envelope and a cheque falls out and flutters to the floor. Naruto's eyebrows furrow and he bends over to pick it up, but he stills halfway when he sees the amount on it. His eyes widen and he quickly snatches the cheque up, reading the amount on it once, twice, five times before the number sinks in.

Naruto doesn't even bother reading who's sent the cheque to him because he already knows who it was; all he does is dial their phone number and hold his cell phone up to his ear. Naruto begins pacing around his small living room as his phone rings, managing to walk the length of it twice before his call is picked up.

"Jiraiya, what the hell?" Naruto snaps as soon as his call is answered. He stops near the entry to his kitchen and taps his foot against the floor, narrowing his eyes when the person on the other end of the phone lets out a hearty laugh.

"Hey brat, whatever happened to 'hello'?" Jiraiya's voice is lighthearted and has a slight teasing edge to it; it does nothing but make Naruto's annoyance grow.

"There is no time for 'hello'. Why did you give me a cheque for five thousand dollars?"

Jiraiya is silent and Naruto waits impatiently for a response, letting out a petulant huff in the meantime.

"Uh...well, kid, I know you just moved and all and I figured you should have some extra cash for a rainy day. Some 'just in case' money."

"This is more than 'rainy day' money. This is...this is..." Naruto furrows his brows as he thinks of a comparison. "...monsoon season money. I don't need this much money for anything." Naruto says, then nods to himself. "I can't accept it, Jiraiya. I didn't do anything for it-"

"You don't need to do anything to get money from me."

"I do for five thousand dollars!" Naruto exclaims, affronted that Jiraiya thinks he'll just take the money from him. There is no way -- absolutely no way that Naruto can take money like this just because. He has worked for every single dime he has ever made and never taken a handout from anybody for anything, and he certainly isn't going to start now. Especially not from his godfather.

"Naruto..." Jiraiya sighs, all lightheartedness from earlier gone. Naruto stiffens up at his change in tone.

"I was hoping you'd just take the money without even mentioning it to me, but that money is for your safety."

At these words, Naruto chews on his bottom lip nervously. He knew the moment he saw the amount on the cheque that it was probably about that. The dark chapter of his life he hoped he had left far, far behind him, something he never wanted to remember...all of it came rushing back and it took all of Naruto's strength not to collapse to the floor. Naruto shakes his head, then realizes Jiraiya can't see him.

"Jiraiya...I don't need something like this. I'm fine now." Naruto says, but his voice wobbles and holds less conviction than he wants it to. "I'm...I'm not where I was last year. I'm on my own now, yeah?" Naruto forces a smile and tries to make his voice sound stronger and less like he's going to cry at any second. "So I really don't need it."

The two fall silent and for a second, Naruto thinks he's changed Jiraiya's mind. He begins to formulate an adequate 'thank you' in his mind, but then...

"I know you're in a better position now, but I want to make sure you're never dependent on someone else again, Naruto. This money is so you always have something, no matter what."

Naruto's words die in his throat and he bows his head, slumping against the wall of his living room. Again he falls silent, Jiraiya's words having taken the breath out of his lungs.

"...I'm never going to let something like that happen to me again, Jiraiya." Naruto manages, his voice barely above a whisper. He hears Jiraiya shift and in Naruto's mind the older man is sitting the way he used to when Naruto would be sent home early from school, or after he'd been suspended, or after he'd been in a fight, or after any number of situations where Naruto was the victim of something. If Naruto were to close his eyes he could see Jiraiya leaning forwards in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands pressed together as if in a silent prayer.

It makes Naruto feel both sick and loved in equal measures.

"Naruto," Jiraiya begins, voice soft. "I know that you think you'll be able to keep yourself safe after what you went through, but you never know someone's intentions until it's already too late. This money is so that you can always get away if you need to; it'll be enough for you to take care of yourself until you can get somewhere safe."

"...what if I never need to use it, old man?" Naruto unconsciously slips into his old way of referring to Jiraiya. "What if I never need the money but you do and you don't have it, and-"

"I hope you never need to use it, but you'll have it in case you do. As for me...well, I'll be fine. Other perverts made me quite the rich man." Jiraiya lets out a laugh and Naruto can't help the small smile it brings to his face.

Then, Naruto hears Jiraiya sigh and it's like he's been waiting for years to exhale. "Let me do this for you, Naruto; it's the least I can do for all the times I wasn't there when you needed me."

Immediately, it's as if a dam inside Naruto breaks and he bites down on his lip hard to keep from crying. He clenches his eyes shut and sinks down to the floor, thumping his head back against the wall. He takes a deep, shaking breath.

"You...you always did the best that you could." Naruto says softly, voice cracking and threatening to break. "You were a fifty-year-old bachelor-"

"Hey, I was forty-nine and you know it!"

Naruto lets out a soft laugh as a tear rolls down his cheek, followed by another and another before he loses count. He hastily wipes them away and rests his forearm over his eyes before remedying his statement.

"Sorry...you were a forty-nine-year-old bachelor who had never had kids before when suddenly, practically overnight, you had to take of a toddler. You tried, Jiraiya."

Naruto hears Jiraiya sigh again and on his end and it's like he wants to say something, to argue back at Naruto, but then he stops and it's quiet between them again. Naruto really does mean what he says; he's never once blamed Jiraiya for his less-than-stellar job of being his sudden guardian and has always appreciated what the man did do for him. Without Jiraiya...Naruto probably wouldn't even be alive.

In the lull of their conversation Naruto has managed to calm himself and as he's wiping his cheeks of any stray tears, he hears Jiraiya clear his throat.

"Well," Jiraiya begins, his voice sounding a touch scratchier than it had before. "Just make sure you keep that money somewhere safe, Naruto. And don't let anyone else know you have it, and I mean no one; not even Iruka."

Naruto lets Jiraiya's words sink in and he answers with a quiet 'yes'. If Jiraiya didn't even want Iruka - arguably the person Naruto trusts the most in this world - to know where his money is, then he's serious about Naruto needing it.

And if Jiraiya is that serious, then it's the least Naruto can do to accept his gift.

"That's my boy." Jiraiya's voice is lighter when he speaks again and his change in tone immediately has Naruto brightening up. "How are you settling in? Has it been alright so far?"

Naruto debates whether or not he should tell Jiraiya of his struggles so far, but based on what Jiraiya had already done for him, Naruto worries the man will only send him more stuff he'd feel guilty for accepting if he knew the specifics. He decides being vague is the way to go.

"It's been a little rough so far, but I think my luck is starting to turn around. I was invited out tonight to meet some people my age!" Naruto says, smiling as he talks.

"Hey, look at that! Not that I had any doubt any godson of mine would have trouble making friends." Jiraiya says, voice full of pride.

Naruto is relieved that Jiraiya doesn't ask further questions, and before their conversations ends he decides to ask a question that's been nagging at him. "Hey...old man? How did you get this cheque to me? Are you around?" He smiles as he asks his last question and can't keep a small hint of excitement out of his voice. He hasn't seen Jiraiya for close to three months and he's really starting to miss him. After the stress of the move and now with the feeling of being completely on his own for the first time starting to set in, Naruto could really use seeing a familiar face.

"Ah...sorry kid."

Naruto's smile falls and he deflates, giving a small nod of resignation.

"I got your new address from Iruka and sent my letter to you in an envelope to your landlord."

"So...I guess there's no chance I can see you, huh?"

"Aw...if I knew how much you wanted to see me, I would have taken the money to you myself! How about this: once you're all settled in and feel comfortable, call me and I'll come visit. The end of May sound alright?"

Naruto thinks about Jiraiya's words; the end of May is a little over 2 weeks away. That would give him time to adjust to a new schedule, get back into his old routine, familiarize himself with the area... Naruto smiles and his excitement comes back, albeit not as strongly.

"I'd really like that, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya chuckles on his end and Naruto can imagine him smiling. "I'll see you then. In the meantime...stay safe out there, okay? I love you."

"I'll be alright, and...love you too." Naruto somewhat grumbles, but the words are genuine. Jiraiya bids him a short goodbye before they both hang up.

Done talking, Naruto lets his phone slip from his hand and onto the ground, then he brings his hands up and scrubs them over his face. He lets out a shaky, soul-deep sigh.

He had been feeling so much better recently after having moved on from a period of his life he was unsure he'd ever be able to crawl out of, but now it was all brought to the forefront of his mind. All the sleepless nights, the therapy visits, the worry that he still wasn't safe...

Anxiety starts thrumming through Naruto's veins like it's electricity and he hops to his feet, knowing he needs to channel his energy elsewhere before it takes him over. His thoughts can wait for later; for now, he needs to move.

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Naruto spends the rest of the afternoon and early evening cleaning. After he has vacuumed all his floors (mostly useless because he'd only been in his apartment a week), sorted through all his clothes (an annoying reminder of how little he had), broke down all his moving boxes (barely any as he didn't have many belongings), and cleaned his kitchen (nothing more than putting away some glasses and a plate) he flops back onto his bed and lets out a long, deep sigh as he stares up at his ceiling.

Now that he has a minute to lay back and just be with himself and his thoughts, he can't stop thinking about his conversation with Jiraiya. In the midst of cleaning he had figured out where he would hide the money - inside of an envelope that he'll place inside of a shoe box that he'll wrap in a blanket that he'll hide at the top of his closet - and now that he has a spot for it the reason just why he has it starts to weigh on him. It's a security blanket for a 'what if' situation that Naruto is hoping will never happen again.

He barely survived it the first time.

Naruto shakes his head fervently, hoping that maybe it'll knock those memories away so he never has to think about them ever again. All the fears he had, of what would happen to him if he wasn't exactly where he said he was going to be, if getting home after his job would take just a minute too long, if a parent of one of the children he looked after gave even the slightest hint they were interested in him...

If, if, if.

His life used to be full of 'ifs' and none of them would even have been his fault if those 'ifs' turned into things that happened; but he would always have been the one to pay the price, regardless.

A lump forms in Naruto's throat and he swallows down over it, cursing himself mentally at how dry his throat has gotten, and how wet his eyes are.

Kyuubi...

The name comes to Naruto's mind almost automatically and it makes him gasp and sit up in alarm, his eyes wide with panic. He frantically looks around his room, his heart thudding in his chest, before he realizes that he's safe. There's no one hiding in the shadows, no one watching his every move like a hawk and tracking him...no one. He's alone, completely by himself, and he's fucking safe.

His heart slowing down to it's normal rhythm, Naruto drops his head into his hands and grips at his hair. He stays like that until his neck starts to ache and his head begins to clear, his dark thoughts retreating back into the depths of his mind like shadows chased away by sunlight.

Instead, they're replaced with new thoughts, like the reminder that he agreed to go out tonight with people he doesn't know, aside from just one person - and even then Naruto only knows his name.

A nervous laugh bubbles up from Naruto's throat and he's unable to stop his rushing thoughts from going from zero oh my god what have I done?

What if Kiba's someone sketchy? I mean, sure he seems nice but a lot of people seem nice before they do something horrible! He could be a murderer, or a rapist, or a trafficker, or all three! And yeah, maybe Naruto is spiralling and surely if Kiba wanted to kill him and cut him up into tiny little pieces then he had ample time to do it while Naruto was practically hidden away from the word while at his garage and Kiba is probably just a regular, normal, everyday guy who thinks Naruto is cool, but-

Naruto's rambling thoughts are cut off by a sound coming from his phone; a LINE notification. He takes his phone out of his pocket and unlocks it, seeing two messages from Kiba.

roomie and i are abt to come pick u up! are you ready??

The next message is a gif of a cartoon shiba inu cocking his head from side to side, question marks floating around his head.

Immediately, all of Naruto's manic thoughts about Kiba disappear and he's left feeling foolish he ever had doubts at all. He quickly types out a reply and sends it.

mhm! totally ready ^-^

Naruto doesn't have any fancy LINE stickers, so he attaches one of the default ones; a cute brown bear throwing confetti in the air. Kiba replies immediately with the same cartoon shiba inu, this time it's clapping it's paws together.

A murderer-rapist-trafficker wouldn't have cute stickers on a messaging app, would they?

Naruto smiles to himself, his worried thoughts at bay for the moment. He slides his phone into his pocket so he doesn't forget it and, rather than just sitting around his apartment until Kiba arrives, decides to go outside and take a short walk. When he moved into his apartment he noticed a park across the street, and between everything that has been going on the past week he hasn't had any time to go to it yet.

Naruto thinks a little bit of greenery and fresh air is just what he needs right now.

So, he grabs a cardigan he had left out while sorting through his clothes and makes sure he has his wallet in his pocket before - just for a bit of good measure - grabs his switchblade from where he usually keeps it hidden under his pillow. He stashes it safely in his left pocket.

One can never be too careful, you know!

Then, he leaves his apartment to do some brief exploring.

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The park is absolutely wonderful, Naruto is pleased to discover. It's fairly small, maybe an acre in size, but there's plenty of freshly bloomed trees, the grass is thick and plush, and there is a desire path around the perimeter. There's also a few benches around the area and a stone fountain in the middle, the centrepiece of which is a lotus. Naruto walks up to the fountain and his foot hits something as he steps, the object hitting the front of the fountain with a soft 'ping!'. Naruto reaches down to pick it up; it's a coin. He looks at the fountain, to the coin in his hand, then back to the fountain.

Naruto always had wanted to wish on a fountain...

Smiling, Naruto turns around with his back to the fountain with the coin clasped in his right hand. He closes his eyes, and thinks about the wish he should make, easily settling on something he's wanted for a long, long time.

With the wish he wants to fulfill the only thought in his mind, Naruto repeats it silently to himself once, then tosses the coin over his left shoulder. He hears the coin plunk into the fountain and he opens his eyes once he's sure it's settled in the bottom. He walks to the fountain and peers down into it, the coin resting in the water.

Naruto nods to himself and moves away from the fountain, feeling a childish sense of anticipation forming in his mind. Will the fountain actually do anything? He wonders as he walks to a bench to sit and wait for Kiba. Could throwing a coin actually make a wish come true...?

Naruto sighs and tilts his head back to look up at the sky. It was nearing sunset, now; the days had begun getting longer as spring was midway through and the sunsets recently had been breathtaking. Soft blue skies had been making way for dusky pinks, deep oranges, and hazy reds, then slowly darkening and cooling to deep blues which then matured to inky black stippled with twinkling stars.

Now, though, the sky is that almost smoky sort of blue it is just before the sun makes it's way lower in the western sky before it dips below the horizon. A soft breeze blows by and Naruto closes his eyes as it ruffles through his hair, sending a chill through his thin cardigan. He takes a deep breath and basks in the calmness around him, though it doesn't last for very long.

Naruto hears a vehicle slow down near him and he opens his eyes just as Kiba is puling his truck over beside the curb. The car has barely stopped before the brunet is leaning over his friend in the passenger seat to wave at Naruto, a wide grin on his face.

"Heeeeeey! Naruto!" He calls out, loud enough that the whole neighbourhood can probably hear him.

Naruto smiles and stands before walking to Kiba's car. The brunet moves back into his seat and Naruto sees the passenger shoot a withering glare at Kiba before turning back to look at him. Naruto gives a small wave as Kiba pops back into view. "Oh, this is Shikamaru, by the way; my roommate and almost bestie." He flashes another grin but falls back into his seat when Shikamaru elbows him back into place, letting out a soft 'oof!'.

Naruto watches the two interact, holding back a laugh when Kiba sticks his tongue out at Shikamaru, whereas Shikamaru just rolls his eyes.

"Um...it's nice to meet you." Naruto says, looking at Shikamaru. He holds his hand out for Shikamaru to shake, slightly taken aback by the strength of Shikamaru's hand when he does so.

Naruto, covertly flexing the fingers of his hand because ow, quickly enters the car and buckles up, looking to Kiba when the man turns in his seat to look at him.

"It's nice ta' see ya!" Kiba says, grinning before turning back around in his seat to begin driving.

Naruto settles back in his seat, watching as the park fades behind them as they drive along the streets, the car comfortably quiet.

Then, Kiba and Shikamaru begin squabbling about the radio - Kiba wants to use his phone for music but Shikamaru argues back that if he hears Kiba sing along to one more song he's going to, and this is a quote, 'pull on the steering wheel and crash the fucking car', when Naruto quietly offers his own phone as neutral ground.

Shikamaru graciously takes it, unplugs Kiba's phone - he teases that he'll throw it out the window, which Kiba squawks indignantly to and snatches it back - and let's out a sigh when Naruto's music starts playing.

"K-pop?"

Naruto smiles sheepishly and nods.

"Thank God Kiba doesn't know a single word of Korean."

Naruto lets out a surprised laugh while Kiba makes a sound like a wounded animal.

"Shikamaru, you're a fucking menace." Kiba retorts and swats at Shikamaru, though it's easily swerved as Kiba has his eyes on the road.

The pop music quietly fills the car when Kiba visibly perks up, recognition on his face. He grins at Shikamaru, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Shikamaru takes one look at him and lets out a long, low groan.

"Fuck you."

Kiba lets out a triumphant 'whoop!' before he - off tune and with horrible pronunciation - begins to sing along.

Naruto smiles apologetically when Shikamaru turns around to look at him.

"Sorry?"

The rest of the drive continues the same; Kiba singing along when he recognizes a song, Shikamaru lamenting every life choice he made that brought him to this very point, and Naruto quietly sitting in the back seat. Every so often Kiba will point out something to Naruto - a convenience store, a fast food joint, the local mall - but for the most part there's not much talking going on. Naruto is grateful for that. It makes him feel like he's already been accepted as a friend; there's no need to fill the silence with forced small talk since there's no feeling of awkwardness.

Then, halfway through Naruto's favourite song, Shikamaru hands his phone back to him as Kiba pulls his car into a parking lot. They've arrived.

Naruto steps outside and looks up at the building, it's brick walls worn in a way that tells Naruto immediately that it's been there a long time. Despite its obvious age, though, it also looks lively. As he walks to the front of the building to enter it, the name of it pops off the front in raised, bold letters.

~AKIMICHI'S~

It's one of those restaurants that's between casual and fine dining, but also not family oriented if the long list of boozy drinks on the menu board outside is any indication. Shikamaru holds the door open for him and Kiba and they all step inside. Idle chatter fills the air around them as well as the clinking sounds of dishes, under which jazz music filters out of speakers at a fairly low volume.

He follows after Kiba as he begins walking, taking in the restaurant around him as he does so. It's well-lit with lamps hanging above each table, and everything follows a deep red, navy blue, and black colour theme, with gold accents here and there, mostly in the decor. There also seems to be a focus on booths rather than on tables, which gives the whole restaurant a more private vibe.

Naruto likes the place immediately.

When they reach their booth - a large horseshoe that looks like it could hold 12 people - there's already two people there, a man and a woman. Kiba grins and greets them both excitedly.

"Sai! Hinata!"

Kiba slides into the booth beside the woman and gives her a friendly hug, and when he pulls back he pecks her cheek. "Have ya guys been here a long time?" He asks after greeting Sai with a wave.

Hinata shakes her head and settles back into the booth when Kiba pulls back from her. "Just a few minutes." She says, her voice sounding like a whisper compared to Kiba's boisterous tone.

Kiba nods then, as if remembering he came with other people, pats the seat beside him. "Come sit!" He looks to Naruto and tugs on his hand. Naruto falls into the booth - a bit ungracefully - beside Kiba, nodding politely when Sai and Hinata both turn to him. Shikamaru slides into the booth beside him.

"Hi. I'm Naruto." He introduces himself, smiling softly at the two. Hinata smiles back and introduces herself as well, whereas Sai waits a moment. Finally, he gives a small bow from where he is seated and introduces himself. His voice is low and soft, and he has a Japanese accent.

"It's nice to meet both of you." He smiles again then turns to Kiba. "Is this everyone, or...?" He trails off, cocking his head to the side slightly.

Kiba shakes his head and takes his phone out. "It looks like Ino is already here," He nods his head in the direction of Sai, where a purse is resting against his hip. "And there should be two other guys, but sometimes they're a little...eh, y'know?" Kiba shrugs. "They'll come, just...later, apparently." He says as he scrolls through a message on his phone. Rolling his eyes, he puts his phone back into his jacket.

Naruto dips his head in a shallow nod, looking up when a flash of blonde rushes to the table.

"Oh my god, Kiba!" The blonde who practically ran to their table nearly squeals, her eyes on Naruto though her words are directed at Kiba. "Who on Earth is this?!" She questions, her eyes bright as they roam over him.

Naruto looks up at her a bit shocked, his lips quirking into a nervous smile. His gaze flicks over to Kiba but is brought back to the woman when she leans over the table, a blush springing to his face as her chest looks ready to spill from her dress. Naruto keeps his eyes on her face and his smile grows a bit strained.

"I-I'm Naruto." He manages to stammer out, desperately looking back to Kiba.

Kiba, taking pity on Naruto, stands and gently places his hands on Ino's shoulders. "Ino," He begins, gently pushing the blond to sit. "Please don't scare him away, ya'?"

Ino settles into her seat, narrowing her eyes at Kiba. "What do you mean, 'scare him away'? I'm excited you've brought someone so cute around!" She huffs then turns her gaze back to Naruto. She smiles sweetly, crosses one leg over the other and flicks her hair over her shoulder. It nearly hits Sai directly in the face, but he doesn't even flinch. "So...Naruto was it? Are you single?" She asks, leaning over the table slightly to get closer to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widen a fraction and he stiffens up. "Well...I am, but..." Naruto stumbles over his words; he's never been come onto so strongly before (and by a woman, no less!) and he wracks his brain to think of the gentlest way to let her down. Naruto can't believe his first interaction with this new group is rejecting one of them and outing himself in one fell swoop, but that truly does just fit his luck for the week, doesn't it?

However, before he can formulate a way to tell Ino there's no chance for her, Kiba once again saves him.

"Hon...I dunno if he's single, but I do know even if he is that ya don't have a shot." Kiba says, looking at Ino meaningfully.

Ino stares at him a moment, then visibly deflates and slumps back against the booth, crossing her arms across her chest. "The first cute guy you ever bring to the group and he's gay. Kiba, do you want me to be unhappy for my entire life?" Ino grumbles, shooting a sour look at Kiba.

"Aren't ya dating someone already? Brock, Jacques, or...fuck, I dunno his name...Throck?"

Ino's sour look darkens and she snatches a glass of water off the table, nearly drinking it all at once. "Your guess at this point is as good as mine." She places the glass on the table and frowns. "Where is the waitress? I need a drink."

Kiba and Shikamaru share a look before their attention is drawn away from each other because, as if summoned by Ino, the waitress stands at their table, her pad of paper at the ready.

She takes all their drink orders - soda's for Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata, coffee for Shikamaru, tea for Sai, and a Long Island iced tea for Ino - and places menus at their table. Nobody moves to grab a menu yet so Naruto decides not to either. It's not too long before the waitress is back with their drinks and passes them out, Ino quickly snatching hers up and drinking it before the waitress is even gone. She smiles a bit nervously and quickly leaves to get Ino a refill.

Ino ignores the looks the people at the table give her (minus Sai, who is quietly bobbing a tea bag in and out of his teapot) and focuses her attention on Naruto. She grins, completely unfazed by how fast she downed her drink.

"So...what made you move to Konoha?" She asks, leaning slightly over the table in interest. "A lot of people come here to run away, since we're a pretty big place. Is that why you're here? Escaping something?"

Naruto's mouth suddenly runs dry and he looks away from Ino to stare absently into his glass of soda, biting down on his lip.

Ino's mouth draws into a small frown and she sits back a bit, her expression cautious. Kiba decides to butt in.

"Ino, jeez, can ya give him a break? He's new here, ya'? Don't go asking him weird questions!" Kiba leans into Naruto, as if he's whispering a secret despite barely lowering his voice at all. "Don't mind her; she's been a gossip since she was in diapers." He shoots Ino a warning glance.

Naruto gives a small nod and looks back at Ino. He forces a smile and takes a small sip of his soda. The liquid chases away the dryness of his mouth and he's relieved when Ino doesn't push any further questions onto him.

"I moved here for work. I'm going to be a preschool teacher."

Ino's eyes light up and she looks at Naruto with renewed interest. "You're going to teach little kids? That's so cute!" She claps her hands together, places them under her chin, and sighs wistfully. "They're so sweet at that age, too."

Naruto nods in agreement, his smile less forced. "It's going to be really fun, I hope. I can't wait to start in the fall."

"The fall?" Ino questions, her eyes widening. "So, you have until then totally free?"

Naruto nods, smile turning sheepish when Ino groans.

"That's so lucky!!! I haven't had that much time off since high school." She grumbles, quickly snatching up her new Long Island from the waitress when she brings it over. "Here I am, busting my ass working at a florist, all while designing clothes and trying to start a boutique!" She slumps back into her seat, bringing her drink with her.

"You're a fashion designer?" Naruto asks, slightly cocking his head. It makes a lot of sense, he thinks; her look is perfectly coordinated, all the way from her makeup to her shoes.

Ino nods, deciding to sip at her drink this time. "Well...I should say I'm 'aspiring to be'. The only reason I have a shot at making it is because of these two over here, though." She motions to Sai and Hinata. "They're models." She elaborates when Naruto's brow creases in confusion.

Naruto looks to them. "You two are models?"

Hinata nods softly. "Yes. Clothing models, usually, though sometimes we do makeup." She explains modestly, a soft blush turning her cheeks pink.

"I can see why you're models; you're both very pretty." Naruto offers, smiling. Hinata's blush deepens and she stutters out a 'thank you', while Sai stares at him blankly. Hinata hurriedly whispers something to him and he nods, regarding Naruto with a faint, barely there smile.

Things fall silent for a few moments when suddenly Kiba claps loudly, gaining everyone's attention.

(Also the attention of a few nearby booths, but that's par for the course when Kiba is around; everyone is going to know he's there.)

"Should we get to picking our food?" He looks to Ino. "Or...do ya know if Neji and Sasuke are gonna be here anytime soon? Should we wait? Sasuke LINE'd me earlier, but it was just a thumbs up, so..." He trails off.

Hinata pipes up before Ino can start. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but Neji might be late. He needed to help Uncle with the business; something about an account." She smiles apologetically, to no one in particular.

Kiba's brow furrows but then he nods. "I guess that's fair. But..." Kiba trails off, looking at Ino meaningfully.

Ino rolls her eyes. "You-know-who is with who-knows-who, as always. Let's just order something for him and Neji, yeah?" She looks around the table and, when no one protests (Naruto stays silent, mostly out of confusion), hands out menus to everyone.

Kiba takes two for him and Naruto and hands the blond one, open to the appetizers. "We all usually order an appetizer each and share everything. That okay with ya?"

Naruto nods, already perusing the menu. There's a wide array of appetizers and 'things to share' listed on the menu, but there's a voice lingering in the back of his mind; the whispers of control he thought he had shoved far, far away.

'You'll eat what I pick for you or you won't eat at ALL.'

Naruto closes his menu with a loud 'snap!', only realizing how loud he was when everyone turns to look at him. He flushes and looks down, mind reeling to find an excuse. "I-" He starts meekly but is quickly cut off.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone; had an emergency meeting." A deep voice drowns out Naruto's and the blond graciously looks up to see his saviour. He's greeted with what he first assumes is a woman by the person's beautiful looks and long brown hair, but their voice is so deep that it throws Naruto a bit. They look at Naruto with curiosity and raise a brow, wordlessly asking, 'who is this?'.

Naruto places his menu down and clears his throat. "I'm Naruto. Kiba invited me here tonight." He smiles politely, but it grows a bit strained when the other person's expression stays neutral. However, they nod as they sit down.

"I'm Neji. It's nice to meet you." Neji nods again and offers a slight smile this time.

Kiba reaches over the table to hand Neji a menu.

"Do you know if Sasuke's gonna get here like...ever?" He asks.

Neji takes the menu with a shrug. "I messaged him before I left and he replied back saying 'he'd get here when he gets here'." Neji adds air quotes around the words before he removes his suit jacket and places it on the booth beside him. "You'd know better than I would, wouldn't you? He's your best friend."

Kiba rolls his eyes so far that it looks painful and he lets out an annoyed groan. "Ya', but he always blows me off when I ask where he is."

Neji shrugs again. "He knows where and when we meet. He'll get here when he gets here." With that, the conversation is over because Neji opens his menu and begins looking through it.

Kiba pulls a face at Neji before looking at his own menu, grumbling under his breath.

Naruto reopens his own menu and looks through it absently, relieved everyone seemed to forget about his outburst.

※※※※※

Nearly an hour later, Naruto can't believe how much he's enjoying himself. He had no idea how much fun it could be to sit around getting to know people while sharing food and conversation, but it was absolutely perfect so far.

Naruto found out that Sai had moved to Canada from Japan a few years ago to pursue modelling, but that, on the side, he also worked in traditional Japanese calligraphy and art. He also found out that Neji and Hinata were cousins and that Neji worked in a local ad agency, which is how Hinata had managed to land some pretty big jobs, aside from her normal shoots.

Nepotism really is the biggest leg up anywhere.

Other than that, the topics had ranged anywhere from what everyone was looking forward to doing over the summer (mostly work - being a young adult is almost all work) to interesting movies they'd watched recently. Naruto had been brought into each conversation so easily and he never felt left out, even if he didn't have anything to add. Through the evening all his worries had eased away so naturally that he hadn't even noticed when they actually faded away; instead, he just started to feel lighter and more comfortable than he had in years.

But more than feeling comfortable, he feels safe. He can't remember the last time he has smiled so much - and so easily - among people he's just met.

Probably because it's never happened before.

Kiba's in the middle of showing Naruto a picture of his dog - an absolutely massive Great Pyrenees named Akamaru - when a LINE message pops down from the top of his screen. He pulls his phone back from Naruto to read it then he grins widely, obviously excited, and immediately straightens up and cranes his neck as he looks for someone. Naruto looks up as well, but he doesn't know why; it's not as if he'd know who Kiba was looking for.

"Sasuke!" Kiba waves wildly, though his voice was loud enough to catch anyone's attention without it. "'Bout damn time." Kiba mutters under his breath. He catches Naruto's eye and he grins before his attention is taken by someone walking up to the table, everyone else stalling in their conversations as their attention is on the same someone.

And, my oh my ; what a someone he is indeed.

Naruto looks up when the person stops beside their booth and is greeted with, perhaps, the most attractive man he has seen in his entire life.

He's tall - probably a few inches taller than Naruto is, around Kiba's height - has obsidian black hair that sticks out in a way that would look ridiculous on most people but on him somehow works, has deep brown and upturned, almond shaped eyes, and the most flawless skin Naruto has seen on a living, breathing human being. Naruto has always wanted to see a marble sculpture in a museum, but with this man Naruto feels like he's just gotten the same experience.

To put it simply, he is drop dead Gorgeous ; capital 'G' absolutely necessary. Naruto quickly looks away, not wanting his staring to be obvious to the other man. He's sure the man is gawked at enough. He has to be; who the fuck looks like that in real life? It's almost offensive.

Sasuke smirks and sits down beside Neji, looking directly at Kiba. Everyone else has mostly resumed their conversations amongst themselves, seemingly unaffected by the Adonis that has sat at their table.

"I would have been here sooner, but I had something I had to do first." Sasuke says, his voice deep and smooth. If Naruto was standing, he probably would have ended up weak in the knees.

His appearance isn't enough? He needs to sound sexy too?

"Something or some one." Naruto hears Kiba mumble. He looks to the brunet and gives him a questioning look, which Kiba smiles wryly to.

"Whatever." Kiba rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch into a smile regardless. "Sasuke, this is Naruto, our guest of honour for the evening."

Naruto's ears grow pink at Kiba's words and he turns to Sasuke with a soft smile, but his expression changes to one of shock with Kiba's next words.

"And Naruto, this is Sasuke, the resident whore of our group." Kiba finishes his introduction with a cheeky grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Naruto makes a small 'o' with his mouth and he gives an absent-minded nod, but stays silent as...well, really, what should he say to that? He's unsure if it's being used an insult or if it's just a playful jab, so Naruto doesn't know if he should laugh or not. But, Sasuke doesn't seem to be offended...?

Sasuke rolls his eyes and flips Kiba the bird from where he's was sitting. "Fuck off, Kiba." He slides his gaze to Naruto and gives him a - particularly slow - once over.

Sasuke has a startlingly piercing gaze and Naruto immediately feels as though he's being mentally undressed. Almost unconsciously he pulls his cardigan tighter over his chest, suddenly feeling exposed. Sasuke catches his gaze and Naruto offers a shy smile in return. Then, Sasuke smirks and nods to himself. Naruto doesn't know what his expression means, but he can't help but feel that more than just being mentally undressed, he'd been mentally debauched. But...Naruto's surprised to find that he doesn't hate that thought.

Hot people sure do get away with a lot.

"You're the one Kiba rammed into?"

"Hey, I only ended up hitting him because I was talking to ya on the phone!" Kiba interjects. "It wouldn't have happened if ya didn't call me."

Sasuke pauses for a moment, staring at Kiba incredulously - no doubt wanting to call him out for implying he had anything to do with Kiba's accident - but then he looks to Naruto and smirks again.

"Hn. Guess I rammed him too."

Naruto grows pink at Sasuke's words; he picked up on the double entendre immediately. Sasuke shoots a teasing look at Kiba.

"And you were right; he's cute."

Naruto turns to look at Kiba, who groans and throws a fry at Sasuke.

"C'mon, man! Don't say that shit right in front of him! God, you're such a dick."

Sasuke smirks and flicks the fry back at him. Kiba sneers and eats the fry after he picks it up from where it landed on his shirt.

Naruto smiles, giggling at how flustered Kiba is getting. Kiba looks at him, and Naruto's smile widens, his eyes crinkling at the sides. Kiba is so red. From the tops of his cheeks across his nose and extending out to his ears...you can barely see his tattoos anymore.

"You think I'm cute?"

Kiba groans again and pulls his hood up to cover his face, slumping dramatically against Hinata. He mumbles something about his 'asshole best friend' and Hinata sympathetically pats his head.

Naruto giggles again then looks to Sasuke when he feels his eyes on him. Sasuke appears to be giving him another once over, this one even slower than the first. His gaze travels over Naruto's face (Naruto thinks his eyes linger on his lips for longer than they should but maybe that's wishful thinking), down over his chest, then back up to Naruto's face. He ends it all with a wink.

Now Naruto's the one who's blushing.

"Um," Naruto starts to say, having had his attention taken away from Kiba. "It's nice to meet you, Sasuke." He smiles, albeit a little more flustered now.

Sasuke places his index and middle finger beside his forehead before giving Naruto a polite - yet somehow cocky - salute.

"The pleasure would be all mine, Naruto."

"Ugh!" Kiba groans again, but more from disgust than embarrassment. He pulls back from Hinata and flicks his hood off his head before shooting an annoyed look at Sasuke. Sasuke looks back at him innocently, raising one eyebrow in question.

"Could ya wait for one meeting to pass before trying to be slimy to him? Wait...actually, just don't make a pass at him at all. Ever. Leave him alone, hetero."

Sasuke chuckles and rolls his eyes. "I'd prefer to be called smooth, Kiba. And I'm not making a pass at him; how could you say that when I'm obviously just being polite?"

Naruto notices Sasuke completely glosses over the 'hetero' part. He finds that a bit curious.

Kiba pulls a face, and Sasuke chuckles again.

"You've never been polite before. It's not in your DNA."

Sasuke steals a french fry off Kiba's plate and eats it before it can be snatched away. "Can you at least wait until h e gets a bad impression of me before you start slandering me? I think that's just common decency."

Kiba growls and pulls his plate safely out of Sasuke's grasp. "I can't run the risk that you'll taint him before then." He sticks his tongue out and blows a raspberry.

Naruto's interest is piqued at Kiba's comment but before he can ask about it, their waitress appears at their table with a tray of refills as well as a fresh glass of water for Sasuke. She nearly freezes when Sasuke looks at her (a completely fair reaction, in Naruto's mind) then blushes brightly and hastily puts down Sasuke's water and begins refilling everyone else's drinks.

"U-Um," She begins, then clears her throat, offering a nervous smile. "Can I get you anything, Sa- sir?" She hastily corrects herself and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes locked onto Sasuke.

Sasuke looks up at her as he leans back against the booth, his expression cool. "I'd like a coffee... Vivienne." Her name rolls off Sasuke's tongue in a way that makes her blush. Sasuke offers a charming smile and Vivienne smiles shyly in return before spinning around and rushing off.

Sasuke grabs his water and takes a sip of it, his eyes catching Naruto's across the table. Naruto's eyes widen slightly and he quickly looks away, instead choosing to look at...the salt and pepper shakers? Sure...that's a fine, neutral choice. They're quite charming, really; obviously hand painted with happy, blushing faces and drawn on arms that, when placed together, look as if they're hugging one another.

Naruto looks up at Sasuke through his eyelashes when he feels the other man's gaze still on him. Sasuke, staring at Naruto, pushes the shakers until they're against each other, then he winks. Naruto blushes and eats a fry to stop himself from smiling like he's smitten.

Quickly, their waitress is back with not only a coffee for Sasuke but also a plate for him. Between her running back and forth for refills - mostly for Ino, who was staying upright solely by resting against Sai - and replenishing their bottomless fries she had been working what seemed to be double time for their table.

Naruto makes a metal note to tip her extra well for all her work. She definitely deserves it.

Soon, all the food is gone and, in the midst of everyone talking with one another, their waitress comes by with the bill before whisking off again.

Shikamaru picks up the bill and opens it. He runs his eyes over the number quickly then narrows his eyes, his cocked slightly to the side. "Looks like it's $27.50 for everyone, plus tip, so..." He trails off, shrugging. "$35 for everyone."

Sasuke waves Shikamaru off as he pulls out his wallet. "I'll cover the tip myself."

Kiba narrows his eyes at Sasuke as he grabs his credit card out of his wallet. "Why are ya covering everyone's tip? Ya just tryna flirt with her?"

Hinata lightly hits the back of Kiba's hand, chastising him. "Oh, that's not true, Kiba. I'm sure Sasuke's doing it because she did well at her job, right? It was great service." She looks at Sasuke, her expression earnest.

Sasuke smirks. "She is, but I had sex with her a couple days ago. She does give great service."

Immediately, Hinata looks scandalized.

Sasuke's words are overly smug and they're met with a chorus of groans and boos; Kiba's the loudest and Ino's accompanied by a napkin tossed at his face. Naruto, however, furrows his brows and shoots Sasuke a frown. Sasuke, as if feeling eyes on him, looks up. His gaze meets Naruto's and his smirk falters for a second; Naruto's frown stays in place.

Sasuke's comment was...gross, to say the least. It immediately knocked Sasuke down a few pegs in Naruto's mind and the blond - despite only just meeting Sasuke - couldn't help but feel disappointed in him, in a way. He could be a whore all he wanted, but the way he talked about the waitress...that was uncalled for. It was demeaning.

Sasuke clears his throat as he stands and grabs the receipt book from the table, everyone's credit cards tucked inside.

"But you guys are always a handful and I'm sure she deserves a good tip after dealing with you all night, anyways." He looks only at Naruto as he speaks before leaving to pay.

Naruto watches as Sasuke leaves, his frown easing away as a question pops into his mind.

'Did he say that because of me...?'

He has hardly any time to dwell on his question as everyone starts clearing out to leave, and he follows suit. He scoots out after Shikamaru and is in the middle of putting on his cardigan when Ino rushes past him, looking ready to be sick. He watches after the woman, concerned. Hinata quickly rushes after her, and Kiba sighs from where he's still sitting in the booth. Naruto looks at him.

"Is she okay?"

Kiba nods and slips out of the booth, stopping beside Naruto. "Ya', she just must be 'off' with her boyfriend...again." He shakes his head and looks at Shikamaru. "She came herself?"

Shikamaru nods, sighing deeply. "Troublesome..." He mutters and moves to grab Ino's purse from the bench. He opens in and fishes through it before removing Ino's keys, then pauses and looks at Kiba. "I'll take her car but I am not driving her home. It's your turn." He shoves Ino's purse into Kiba's hands and gives him a look just daring him to protest.

Kiba immediately opens his mouth to do just that, but stops when Shikamaru narrows his eyes at him. "Kiba, last time she was drunk she threw up on me."

Kiba stares at Shikamaru - he even tries puppy-dog eyes on him, for good measure - but then sighs and slings Ino's purse over his shoulder. "She likes ya better than me, but- hey, where are ya going?" Kiba calls when Shikamaru starts leaving.

"Out for a smoke." Shikamaru calls with a backwards wave, leaving Kiba and Naruto alone at the booth. Kiba sneers at Shikamaru's back and relaxes against the table, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That no good lazy ass..." Kiba mutters, his expression almost a pout. He sighs quietly then looks at Naruto. "Sorry about Ino...and I'm sorry Sasuke and Neji were late, too. Actually...sorry about Sasuke in general." He rubs the back of his neck, grinning wryly.

Naruto shakes his head and quickly waves him off. He moves to lean against the table next to Kiba. "It's fine. It was fun getting to know everyone."

At this, Kiba brightens up. "Really? Ya had a good time?" His grin widens when Naruto nods and he slings an arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer. "That's great! I was worried it might be a bit much for ya!"

Naruto tenses at Kiba's touch but the other man's arm is just light enough on him that Naruto knows he can shrug him off if he needs to. He slowly relaxes at the friendly touch and he turns to look at Kiba. "Everyone was really nice, and it's a relief to get to know this many people when I just moved here." He smiles softly. "I didn't know how lonely it would be to move to a new town on my own."

Kiba lets out a quiet hum, seeming to understand, then rests the side of his head against Naruto's. "Well as long as we're around ya won't be alone!" He says, giving Naruto a small squeeze. "There's a lot of us so someones always ready to hang, y'know?"

Naruto nods and relaxes against Kiba's side. There's something so charming about Kiba that makes Naruto feel like they've been best friends for years, and not just people who met a few days ago. He feels like he can let his guard down around him, and the thought does make Naruto a little cautious, but his gut tells him that he can trust Kiba.

Speaking of...

"Can I ask something?"

"Shoot."

"Um...how'd you know I was gay?"

"The unwavering, unspoken bond between us gays; I've always been able to tell." Kiba says, wiggling his eyebrows. Naruto cocks his head to the side and Kiba laughs. "I found a pride flag when cleaning your car and took a guess." He explains, grinning.

It's like a light bulb turns on over Naruto's head. "Oh! I totally forgot I had that in there." He says. "I got it for a pride celebration I never ended up going to."

Kiba pulls back to look at him, expression curious. "Have ya ever been to pride?"

Naruto shakes his head. "No... I never had anyone to go with me, and I was too scared to go on my own." He explains, softly.

Kiba makes a small 'tsk!' sound and shakes his head. "You're definitely coming this year when we all go. No excuses."

Naruto's eyes widen slightly. "You guys all go? Even..." He trails off, hoping Kiba will understand.

Kiba does.

"Sasuke?" Kiba grins when Naruto nods. "He's always there; never missed one before since we started going five years ago. It's always been all of us. I first roped him into coming, and he just never stopped. Same with Hina, Neji, and Ino...Shika too, but I don't think he cares much if he goes or not." He rolls his eyes. "The one bisexual in our group and he can't even be assed to wear the flag." Kiba lets out a dramatic sigh.

Naruto is still shocked about Sasuke going to pride when he sees Hinata and Ino come back from the bathroom, Hinata hugging Ino around the waist as they walk. She smiles sympathetically at Kiba when Ino moves from her to latch onto him.

Hinata leans in close to Kiba and whispers low enough that Ino can't hear her. "Her and her boyfriend broke up for good. He was cheating on her."

Kiba sucks in a breath and looks down at where Ino has rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed. "Damn..." He shakes his head and looks back at Hinata. "Shika and I will take care of her. You go; Neji and Sai are waitin' for ya."

Hinata leans in for a hug and a kiss, then pulls back and looks sadly down at Ino. She presses a kiss to the blonde's forehead before straightening up. She sighs softly and collects her purse from the booth. "I'll see you later, Kiba." Then, looking at Naruto, she smiles. "It was nice meeting you, by the way. I hope I'll see you later too."

Naruto nods and smiles in agreement, and then Hinata leaves.

Kiba pushes off the table with Ino and balances her against his side as he adjusts her purse on his shoulder. "C'mon, we should go too."

Naruto makes sure they haven't left anything except a well organized table before following after Kiba. They pass by Sasuke on the way, flirting with their waitress as he gets through paying the bill. Naruto watches as Sasuke retrieves everyone's credit cards before pulling out his wallet, from which he pulls a brown bill. Vivienne's eyes widen and she shakes her head, pushing Sasuke's hand back when he holds it out to her. Sasuke persists, then leans in to whisper something to her-

"Naruto?"

Naruto snaps back around, looking to where Kiba is waiting for him by the door. He quickly walks to him and steps outside, hoping the blush he feels warming his cheeks isn't too obvious.

So...maybe Sasuke isn't a total asshole. I mean, anyone who tips $100 - especially when he was barely there for the meal - can't be that bad of a guy, right?

He's midway through putting Sasuke half a peg higher mentally when the man himself walks out of the restaurant. He walks to Neji, Hinata, and Sai and hands them all their credit cards. Then, he swoops down to peck Hinata on the lips before straightening up. To his side, Sai bows to him; to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke bows back. Sasuke's walking to Shikamaru when Naruto's attention is dragged back to Kiba struggling to keep Ino standing.

"Kiiiiiiiiiba," Ino whines, swaying as she does her best to stay upright against Kiba's side. "I wanna go home noooooow!" She slurs, before dropping her head onto Kiba's shoulder. "'M sleepy..."

Kiba turns his head to look at Ino, his expression one of annoyance but there's also a small furrow between his brows that shows concern. "We just gotta wait for Sasuke, and then we can go." Kiba looks up at Naruto then, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about this. I'll get ya home soon, ya'? I didn't know she'd end up like this."

Naruto smiles back and shakes his head. "It's fine, and I can get home myself, anyways; I'll just call a taxi or something."

Kiba's smile immediately falls to a frown and he shakes his head. "Nah...I picked ya up, I should take ya back home. We can just drop Ino off before I take you back. It won't take long, promise."

Naruto looks between Kiba and Ino, cocking his head to the side in thought. It isn't too late yet, but Naruto's starting to feel a bit tired after meeting everyone. It has been fun and he does genuinely like them all, but it's also been such a long time since he's been social like this. He's always considered himself more extroverted than introverted, but being in the situation he had been for so many years had definitely changed how long his social battery could last.

"Thanks, but...I'm actually getting a little tired." He smiles apologetically when Kiba's frown deepens. "It's fine, Kiba; I'm completely okay with it."

"But-"

Kiba's all set to argue when Sasuke sidles up next to Naruto, credit cards in hand. He tosses Kiba his and Ino's cards, and gives Naruto his. "I can take him home." He offers, to the surprise of both men.

Ino, however, doesn't seem surprised at all. She slowly removes herself from Kiba and stumbles to Sasuke, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself when she reaches him. "You aaaaaaaalways wanna take people home, you player!" She sways a bit and Sasuke grabs her waist loosely, just enough to keep her upright. She looks up at Sasuke and narrows her eyes before shaking her head and swatting his hands away. "Don' touch me theeeeeere...yer not my boyfriend..." Suddenly her face crumples and she falls against Sasuke, big tears cascading down her face. "No-Nobody is my boyfriend anymore..." She hiccups, her body shuddering.

Sasuke stands there dumbly, his hands hovering around Ino but not touching her. He shoots a look to Kiba and Kiba moves to grab Ino, when all of a sudden Ino steps back and hastily wipes at her face.

"No...no crying over a man, Ino." She tells herself, taking a deep breath. She nods to herself self-assuredly and looks back at Sasuke, her eyes searching his face. She nods again - for what this time is anyone's guess - and kisses Sasuke's cheek (it lands more near his ear, but she's close enough) before she, without another word, staggers to the parking lot.

Everyone watches her go, Kiba rubbing a hand over his forehead in exasperation. "Ay yai yai..." He mumbles, then sighs. He looks back at Naruto. "Are ya alright leaving with Sasuke?"

Naruto looks to Sasuke, smiling politely. "I'm fine with it, if he really doesn't mind."

Sasuke shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I don't have anyone to do after this."

Naruto grimaces at Sasuke's choice of words. What a dick.

"Oh, sorry. I don't have any thing to do after this. Being the whore that I am I sometimes forget if I'm doing things or people." He smirks when Kiba groans, his expression teasing.

It was clear by now to Naruto that Sasuke was completely unfazed by being called a whore; he'd practically made it a personality trait.

"Naruto...dude, I am so sorry to leave ya with him."

Naruto offers a strained smile in response to Kiba's words, letting out a surprised yelp when he's suddenly tugged against Sasuke's side, the other man's arm quickly wrapping around his waist and his fingers resting at the top of his hip. The hair on the back of Naruto's neck stands up and instinct tells him to shove Sasuke away as far away as he can. He whips his head around to look at him and fights down a blush when Sasuke's look turns from a teasing smirk to a charming smile.

And, oh, and Naruto could nearly melt into a puddle.

Seriously... what is Sasuke so hot for? His charm makes all of Naruto's worries fly away; he's almost dangerous, but not in a way that makes Naruto afraid.

"Kiba, please don't make me sound so horrible."

Sasuke holds Naruto close against his side, the blond not finding the urge to squirm away coming over him like he thought it would. Hell, the way it probably should. Instead, he finds Sasuke's warmth and pleasant hold on him all too comfortable and welcoming.

"Your cute blond friend will be perfectly fine with me. Won't you?" Sasuke practically purrs out in a tone that's been perfected over many, many pick-ups.

Naruto shakes himself from his admiring of Sasuke long enough to wonder if he really will be fine with this man he knows even less than he knows Kiba. He covertly moves a hand over his left pocket, running over where he knows his knife is. Knowing he has it in his pocket erases any fears he has of Sasuke. He'll be alright, even if something happens.

Kiba opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by Ino yelling for him. After a deep sigh, he shouts back at her. "I'll be right there, Ino!" He turns back to the two men, narrowing his eyes at Sasuke.

"Don't do anything to him, got it?" He points an accusatory finger at Sasuke, baring his teeth in a sneer when the man only cocks his head to the side innocently. "And you!" He slides his finger to Naruto, sneer falling away to a kind smile. "LINE me when ya get home so I know he kept ya safe, ya'?"

Naruto smiles at Kiba's words and nods in response. "I'm sure I'll be okay, but I will."

Sasuke, on the other hand, rolls his eyes. "Just go help Ino before she passes out in the middle of the parking lot. You deal with that blonde," Sasuke looks down at Naruto. "And I'll take care of this one."

Before Naruto can get lost in Sasuke's eyes, the other man turns back to Kiba. He raises a brow when another annoyed shout from Ino reaches them. Kiba lets out a loud groan.

"He has a name, dick!" Kiba calls out before hustling to where Ino has practically draped herself over the hood of his car. Naruto watches Kiba struggle with her for a minute before his attention is snatched away when Sasuke begins walking with him.

Naruto falls into step with him easily, turning to look at the other man.

Up close, Sasuke's almost more perfect. His jawline is strong, while somehow still soft; his eyebrows are identically shaped and evenly thick; his eyelashes are long and dark, casting slight shadows on his cheekbones; his nose has a high bridge and a soft curve at the tip; his lips are thick and look soft...Naruto wonders if-

Naruto wonders nothing, actually. It's not like he wants to see if Sasuke's lips are soft as they look, right?

...well, okay maybe he wonders a little bit.

Naruto lets out a quiet breath through his nose - not a wistful sigh, no no - and almost wishes he could find a flaw somewhere on Sasuke. Naruto thought up close be might be able to notice something; a hair out of place or maybe a spot of skin that isn't like freshly polished marble but-

"I think I should charge you money for how much you're staring at me. The view you're getting shouldn't be free."

Naruto immediately turns his head away at Sasuke's words, feeling his cheeks warm. Was he staring that obviously...? Really, he usually wasn't so sloppy.

...or, more accurately, he usually isn't so immediately taken by someone. Seriously, how is Sasuke even real? His looks should be illegal.

Naruto hears Sasuke chuckle and he looks back at him, feeling his embarrassment ebb away at the playful look on his face.

"I'm kidding. You're easy to fluster."

Naruto takes a moment to gather himself then gives a small, reserved smile. "Am I? I've never thought that about myself."

Sasuke guides Naruto to his car (where did he park that's so far away?), tugging him just slightly closer against his body to avoid him walking into a street lamp. He's practically flush against Sasuke's side now, close enough that he could feel every bit of heat from the other man's body and even smell his cologne.

...and the faint scent of perfume.

Ugh. Playboys.

"You are; I think you've been red the whole night."

Naruto brings his hands up to cover his cheeks (as if they would suddenly go back to their normal colour at his touch) and notices that they are slightly warmer than normal. Naruto curses himself mentally and wills himself to go back to his normal tan. With any luck, the chilled night air would help calm him down.

"Oh...um, it's a little warm?" Naruto lies, horribly. And, as if hearing him, a cold wind breezes past them that makes Naruto shiver. He immediately flushes in embarrassment and looks down at his feet. Sasuke's laugh is just as low and deep as his voice.

"Is that why you're shivering? Because you're warm?" Sasuke asks. There's an endearing chuckle in his words and Naruto finds himself smiling at the sound.

Naruto shrugs in response and chooses not to answer Sasuke, rather than trying to lie again. He looks around them, as if he'd be able to spot Sasuke's car. "How long do we need to walk before we get to your car?"

Sasuke points a bit ahead of them up the street, and Naruto squints. "Why did you park so far away?" He asks.

Sasuke pauses for a second before answering. "I was with someone earlier and she lives around here." He says simply and Naruto scrunches his nose up, understanding immediately what Sasuke means.

"Busy with the woman who made you terribly late to be with your friends?" There's a small bit of bite to Naruto's words that he couldn't hold back; it was practically automatic. If Sasuke agreed to be there at a certain time, he should have been there at that time; at least, that's what Naruto thinks.

He can practically hear Sasuke roll his eyes at his words.

"It's not like we have a formal time to meet. It's just...whenever."

"Everyone else was there at the same time." He pointedly leaves out the part where Neji arrived after; he at least had a reason.

To this, Sasuke snorts. It sends a prickle of annoyance through Naruto.

"You spend one night out with us and you think you can criticize what time I got here? You think you're that important?" Sasuke asks, but there's no real bite to his words...at least, not very much.

Naruto considers Sasuke's words and realizes that he does kind of have a point, annoying as it might be. So, Naruto swallows down any retort he has and pointedly turns his head away from Sasuke.

Soon enough, they've stopped beside a car. Sasuke's keys jingle as he takes them from his jacket pocket and the car makes a beeping sound as he unlocks it. Naruto moves to open the door when Sasuke beats him to it.

"No no, allow me." Sasuke opens his door for Naruto, bowing at the waist and sweeping his arm towards the now open door in dramatic fashion. "After you, Naruto; esteemed guest of the night."

Naruto can't see Sasuke's face due to his bowed position, but he doesn't need to see it in order to tell he's smirking; he can hear the teasing tone in his voice. He holds back the urge to call the man an asshole at the last second, just barely biting his tongue. He can just tease him right back.

"Funny, I didn't get the impression you were a gentleman."

Sasuke snaps his head up, eyes narrowed into a glare but it quickly falls away when he sees Naruto covering up a smile behind his hand, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Touché.

Naruto quickly takes his seat in Sasuke's car and the Uchiha follows suit after him, getting into the drivers side.

Before Sasuke can close his door, however, a voice calls out to him from across the street. He turns to look at who it was and his face turns halfway between a grimace and a smile. He waves then hastily closes his door; Naruto just noticed that the person was a woman before the door shut.

Sasuke really has no shortage of women, huh?

"So," Naruto begins as he clicks his seat belt. "You're the whore of your friends, huh?"

"Don't worry, I won't go after you. You're safe. Guys aren't my type."

"Oh, that's fine. Guys like you aren't mine. I don't like arrogant assholes who's only charm is their good looks." He says, voice overly cheery.

Sasuke slides a shocked look the blond's way, with Naruto managing not to laugh at his blatant shock of being almost outright rejected.

Sasuke is completely caught off guard by Naruto's words, and it's funny to see the wheels turning in his head as he struggles to find a way to reply. If Naruto is any good at judging people's character, then he's right to assume that Sasuke isn't one who usually gets turned down all that much. It isn't just his looks - which has no doubt ensnared more women than Naruto could ever guess - it's the way he carries himself; he's hot, he knows it, and he uses it. Naruto has known him for barely a couple of hours and he was already late because he was with one woman, and then when he arrived he flirted with another - one he'd already been with.

So, despite physically being Naruto's type, he couldn't be further from the type of man he would ever want - Naruto wasn't lying. It was a shame, though, because had he been a nicer person Naruto wouldn't have hesitated to give him a shot. Hell, he probably would have even been the one to take the shot!

But he never would, because Sasuke was self-absorbed and self-indulgent; Naruto had dealt with worse, but that doesn't mean he would ever want to deal with 'not as bad'.

Naruto smiles sweetly and gives Sasuke his address, completely avoiding the dumb-struck on the other man's face. "I'm sure you'll know how to get there, right? I don't think it's too hard to find."

Naruto settles into his seat and quickly his view is the sight of the city whizzing by, the only sound in the car of the road underneath them.

Where the ride to the restaurant had been pleasant, the ride back from it is almost painfully awkward. Sasuke makes no attempt to try conversation, and Naruto doesn't either; he's too busy wondering if maybe he had been a bit rude. Sure, Sasuke had been a bit of a dick that night and people like him usually bother Naruto more than they should, but...it's also not like he was wrong...?

Naruto's glad the ride is short and his apartment quickly comes into view. He's nearly itching to get out of the car and the tense environment, so when Sasuke pulls up the sidewalk he nearly jumps out. He turns to thank Sasuke for the ride home but doesn't even get the chance to; Sasuke has already yanked the door closed and is speeding off before Naruto can blink.

Naruto stands there silently, watching as Sasuke's car disappears off into the distance. He frowns, then turns on his heel and walks with purpose (he's most certainly not stomping) into his apartment building.

Naruto mulls things over as he makes his way up to his apartment.

'You were both taking jabs at each other.'

Naruto tries to remind himself as he opens his door and kicks his shoes off.

'Don't worry about it.'

He reminds himself as he gets ready for bed.

'It's not a big deal.'

He tells himself before laying down to sleep.

'...I was kind of rude.'

Naruto tells himself after he's unable to fall asleep, annoyed with himself.

So, sick of tossing and turning, Naruto lets out an aggravated 'hmph!' and rolls onto his back. He stares up at the ceiling and pouts. He knows why his mind isn't letting up and it's frustrating because he doesn't even need to feel guilty...like, at all. He rolls back over and nuzzles his face into his pillow before letting out a deep sigh.

One of the main life lessons Naruto teaches to children is to always be kind; that includes apologizing when you say something wrong. If you hurt people's feelings - even if it was probably warranted - you should always say sorry because you never know how your words can affect someone.

...but does that include apologizing to a grown man when all you hurt was his ego?

Naruto sighs deeply because he knows it does include that; even if it shouldn't, and even if it's just to make his own brain shut up, it does include assuaging ones bruised ego.

'If I promise to apologize to him, will you let me sleep? Please?'

Naruto asks his own mind, closing his eyes as his thoughts start to slow down.

His answer is the sweet, gentle fall into dreamland.