A Matched Set

“Matched Set”

Chapter One

“Uzumaki!”

At that familiar, commanding tone the boy let his head flop forward onto his cluttered desk, the messy blonde halo that was his hair only helping to set the various pages a-flutter.

“B-better hurry Naru-chan, or he’ll only y-yell more…” the girl at the desk across from his whispered. Her name was Hinata, a pale, shy girl, but a dedicated worker and a caring friend.

Naruto, or Naru-chan as he was known around the office, straightened his small frame with a groan, before grabbing that all-important file folder.

“UZUMAKI!”

“G-good luck, Naru-chan.” Hinata said with a quiet smile. The boy stood up quickly, running a hand through his unruly golden curls, deep blue eyes filled with laughter. “Thanks, Hinata-chan.”

He crossed the short, carpeted distance quickly, mouth turned up in a sardonic grin.

Everyone else in the office, hell, almost everyone else in his life called him by that obnoxiously cute diminutive, “Naru-chan”. Except for that teme… No, never, him. That bastard always had to scream Uzumaki, that bastard always had to be so rude, and condescending, and soft-skinned, with beautiful black hair, and a soft, kissable…

With a mental slap and a smile plastered over his face, his stepped through the glass office door, just in time to cut off another growl of his name.

Sasuke Uchiha, or “That Bastard” as he was known around the office (though never to his face) sat facing him, cold onyx eyes glowing with impatience and frustration. Those long, pale hands lay steepled before him, fingers laced loosely.

“Took you long enough, baka.” He said acidly, tossing his head to the side to move his bangs in a wistful, almost girlish gesture.

“I’m sorry, Uchiha-sama, but I had to gather-“

“I am uninterested in your foolish and often stupid excuses. The only thing that is of any importance, is what is in that file.” Sasuke paused allowing a blush to spread profusely over Narutos features, before adding a barely audible,”Dobe”

Naruto ground his teeth, the smile on his pouty mouth as bright and hollow as a light bulb. Oh, if he could only shove this report down the man’s throat. That pale graceful neck working as Naruto pounded his….file…down that throat.

The blonde swallowed nervously, his mouth dry. Now was really not the time, he thought, his face flushing once more.

“I-I…uh…”

Great now I sound like Hinata-chan, he thought lips turning up in a tiny smile. He inched forward another step, file folder held nervously in front of him. He cleared his throat.

“Akatsuki Industries has shown serious signs of weakening. Our undercover worker, Hyuuga Neji, has been looking into their financial accounts and found clearly traceable evidence of money laundering and embezzlement, not to mention suspicious activity around several of their tougher acquisitions. I have copies of all the records here.”

He stepped forward once again, placing the manilla folder gently on the bastard’s desk then stepping back. After weeks of research and Naruto talking the proud Hyuuga into seducing the head of the company, they finally had what they needed. What everyone had been hoping, praying, and working free overtime for. Enough evidence against Akatsuki Industries to get them down. AI’s leader was Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke older brother and now they were playing sibling rivalry to the extreme. To many noogies and wedgies, Naruto supposed.

Now Naru-chan watched nervously as those long fingers grasped the folder and pulled it towards him. The brunette looked over the various documents, for the first time bothering to read the helpful sticky notes Naruto left to explain the complicated romp through tax returns, old checks, police reports and stolen e-mails. It had taken him twice going through the whole thing, with Neji at his elbow, to fully understand it, but understand he did.

Neji had not been happy at the ‘Seduce Itachi’ plan at first, but he later admitted it had been one of the best lays of his life, if rougher than he normally liked.

Neji and Hinata, cousins and Naru-chan’s best friends (Hinata gave him the nickname) were the first people he told, completely drunk of course, when he’d discovered he was gay. He and Neji had considered dating, but later decided to simply remain very close friends. Not that they didn’t find each other attractive or anything, there just wasn’t that spark.

Sasuke shut the folder with a snap, making him look up expectantly.

“Good job.”

The words came out even, that cool, deep, tone that Naruto wished he could wake to after a night of sweaty, squirming dreams. He sighed mentally. Sasuke’s voice was the absolute paragon of sexiness.

“Take the rest of the day off Naru-chan, with full pay of course.”

Said the bastard as an apparent afterthought, before leaning back, head propped on his hands, staring at the ceiling. And just as Naruto’s brain began to realize it had been complimented, no to mention called by something else than his surname, the beautiful bastard began to smile.

A glorious smile, that made Naru-chan’s throat and pants tighten considerably. And as he let himself out of the office door a few moments later, only one thought was ringing in his head.

‘Fucking gorgeous…’

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The blonde let himself into his car a few minutes later with a sigh, suit jacket and tie crumpled carelessly in the back along with a million fast food wrappers, chip bags and old junk mail.

He fumbled in the change container for a few moments before his fingers looped around his keys. Soon his Lexus was rolling out of the parking lot, his eyes only half-focused on the other cars and irate drivers around him.

He had been crushing on his boss for as long as he could remember. At least as long as long as he had been working for Uchiha Corp. And while he highly doubted Sasuke was straight, (puh-leeze), he also held no hope that he felt any thing towards his cheery, blonde assistant. Even now with that sinful smile fresh in his mind, Naruto was not comfortable enough with denial to ever believe something could happen.

He sighed, tan fingers sliding over the wheel as he turned into his driveway, only to slam on the brakes, his soft, cherry mouth falling open in shock.

A boy lay sprawled across, his small frame blending into the grey asphalt.

“Shit.”

Naruto muttered, pulling impatiently on his seat belt, launching himself out the door as it finally snapped free.

He was only a year or two younger than himself, maybe 18, Naruto guessed. He was dressed all in black, black jeans, black shoes, black hoodie. The sleeves of the hoodie had been torn off leaving his slender arms to glow against the grey of the surrounding asphalt, except for a deep purple bruise blooming on the kid’s bicep. He was slim, his face fine-boned and delicate, with a head of glorious deep, blood-coloured spikes, dark and matted from the soft drizzle coming down around them.

“Hey,” Naruto said, dropping to his knees beside the guy, “Are you okay?”

His eyes blinked open, soft red lashes pulling up to reveal, huge, cat-like green eyes, liquid and utterly dazzing.

“Does it look like it?” he murmured, his voice a soft, somber, almost musical sound.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the blatant sarcasm, refusing to be turned away.

“Well do you need a ride?” Naruto asked, flicking his eyes up towards the sky, their easily reflect able nature turning them from cerulean blue, to a flickering, opalescent grey-violet. He wasn’t sure why he felt so compelled to help this angry, sarcastic guy. Maybe he felt that if he let him lie down in the road, everyone would just continue to roll on forever, never stopping, never caring.

Those eyes flickered open again, beautiful emerald glaring at him. The boy’s mouth tightened almost imperceptibly, that candy pink softness hardened by annoyance.

“I just want to lay here okay? It hurts to move.”

Naruto blinked.

“Well.”

He knelt there staring at the boy, for a long moment before standing. Naruto started to walk away. He’d offered, he’d tried and obviously being a good Samaritan simply wasn’t enough today. Suddenly he paused and turned back.

“Listen, if you don’t want the doctor visit to go on a record, I have a first aid kit at home.”

Once more those eyes blinked open, flashing spring at the sky, drops of rain sticking to the lids and lashes.

“Why me?” asked the boy. His voice was the same monotone it had been, face a blank mask. “Anyone else stupid enough to lay in the middle of a driveway would have been run over without a second glance.”

He struggled to sit up, raising his body weakly.

“I’ll just go find a highway.” He muttered.

Naruto tried to help him stand, but his hands were shoved off. As the kid stood and began to limp away, Naru-chan called out almost desperately.

“What’s your name?”

The guy, not really a kid at all, turned and smirked, the first human expression the energetic blonde had seen on his face.

“Gaara. Sabaku n-“

As the bewitching jade-eyed red-head pitched forward suddenly, Naruto couldn’t help but wonder almost sadly,

‘Why me?’