By the time he reached Uchiha Corp, the nerves had crystallized into something cold and sharp. The building's lobby was all steel and glass, the kind of architecture designed to make you feel simultaneously insignificant and watched. He rode the elevator to the top floor, arms braced at his sides, eyes fixed on the rising red numbers. When the doors opened, the usual suspects were already assembled in the waiting area: Karin, perched on a bench like a gargoyle in a pencil skirt; Suigetsu, sprawled with the studied indolence of a man who'd never cared about punctuality; and a pair of junior analysts who looked like they'd never slept outside of a spreadsheet.
Naruto ignored the cluster and moved to the boardroom, arriving at exactly 9:59:30, neither early nor late. Sasuke was already at the head of the table, hair immaculate, posture surgical, an island of composure amid the fidgety sea of his staff. There was no smile, but his eyes flickered up when Naruto entered, a moment of recognition too brief for anyone else to catch.
Naruto took his seat directly across, opened his folder, and waited. The minute hand swept forward, and at the precise stroke of ten, Sasuke called the meeting to order.
"Thank you for being punctual," he began, voice even and unyielding. "Let's begin with the project status."
The analysts went first, reciting metrics and milestones like clockwork. Naruto watched Sasuke's face for any sign of deviation from the script, but there was nothing—just the calculated movements of a man in total control of the room. Karin presented next, her delivery flawless but edged with the brittle energy of someone spoiling for a fight. When she handed the floor to Naruto, her eyes lingered on him, dissecting his every twitch.
He kept his own presentation simple: no jokes, no tangents, just the facts. "We're on track for the third draft," he said, projecting confidence even as he could feel Sasuke's gaze burning a hole through his chest. "All feedback from last week has been incorporated."
"Except for the ending," Karin interjected, crossing her arms.
Naruto looked at Sasuke, who nodded. "We'll address that in the next section," Sasuke said, voice cool. "Mr. Uzumaki, please continue."
The meeting played out like a tennis match, every word volleyed across the table and returned with equal force. Suigetsu, who'd spent most of the hour doodling sharks in the margins of his notepad, finally piped up during the financials.
"You know, Sasuke, you've been way less murder-y these days," Suigetsu said, grinning as he tapped his pen against his teeth. "Almost like you've found religion, or maybe just better pharmaceuticals."
A chorus of nervous laughter rippled around the table. Sasuke didn't react, but his jaw ticked once, a micro-expression visible only to those who knew what to look for.
"Perhaps you could try focusing on the agenda, Suigetsu," Sasuke replied, voice glacial.
Naruto suppressed a snort, earning a glare from Karin, who'd already made it clear she found nothing funny about this project or its personnel.
As the meeting wound down, Sasuke closed his folder with a soft click. "I'd like to discuss some of the proposed changes to the adaptation," he said. "Mr. Uzumaki, can you stay behind?"
Naruto nodded, trying to ignore the heat rising in his face. He kept his eyes on the page as the rest of the team shuffled out, Karin lingering until the very last second.
"I can stay and take notes," she offered, voice syrupy but eyes hard as diamond.
Sasuke shook his head, the barest hint of a smile pulling at his lips. "That won't be necessary."
Karin's gaze lingered, sharp and suspicious, before she gathered her things and swept from the room, heels clicking like gunfire.
The door hissed closed behind her. For a heartbeat, the silence was total. Then, slowly, Naruto looked up and met Sasuke's eyes—two dark, infinite points across the battlefield of the conference table.
The hush in the conference room was so total, so profound, it almost seemed to push back against the city outside. The skyline blazed, a thousand lights winking behind the UV-filtered glass, but inside everything was muted and blue, suspended in the aftershock of what had just not-quite-happened.
Naruto stood at the long table, back to the door, pretending to review the proposed revisions while his pulse hammered in his ears. He turned a page, then another, not reading a word. The seconds ticked by. He could feel Sasuke behind him—close enough to alter the air, not close enough to make a sound.
He reached the bottom of the agenda and flipped it closed with a practiced snap. "So," he said, forcing brightness into his voice. "What's the urgent edit?"
Sasuke's footsteps were slow, almost cruel, as he closed the distance. When he spoke, it was with a smirk Naruto could feel rather than see. "Nothing," Sasuke said. "I just wanted a second alone with you."
Naruto spun around, ready to tell Sasuke exactly where he could shove his corporate mind games. But when he turned, the words evaporated on his tongue. Sasuke stood closer than expected, tie loosened just enough to reveal the hollow of his throat, eyes dark with something that wasn't business at all. Naruto's mouth opened, closed, opened again. His fingers found the edge of the table behind him, gripping hard enough that his knuckles went white.
The floor creaked once, and Sasuke was suddenly there, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His arm snaked around Naruto's waist, spinning him against the table's edge. The briefcase clattered to the floor, forgotten. Naruto's protest died in his throat as Sasuke pressed against him, their bodies fitting together like missing puzzle pieces. Sasuke's hands gripped the table on either side, caging Naruto in.
"Someone could walk in," Naruto whispered, eyes darting to the door even as his body betrayed him, arching closer.
"Let them," Sasuke breathed against his neck, then claimed Naruto's mouth with bruising intensity.
The kiss was electric—mint and coffee and years of wanting. Naruto's fingers twisted in Sasuke's shirt, pulling him impossibly closer while Sasuke's tongue traced the seam of his lips. Every nerve ending screamed for more, even as his rational mind registered the footsteps passing in the hallway outside.
Naruto broke away, gasping. "We can't—not here—" But his hands were already sliding beneath Sasuke's jacket, mapping the contours of his back.
Sasuke's eyes were wild, pupils blown wide. His usually perfect hair fell forward as he pressed his forehead to Naruto's. "Five more minutes," he murmured, voice ragged.
"Thirty seconds," Naruto countered, even as he tilted his head up for another kiss.
Sasuke's hands slipped under Naruto's shirt, fingers tracing fire across bare skin. Naruto shuddered, biting his lip to keep from making sounds that would echo through the entire floor. The distant ding of the elevator sent a jolt of panic through him, but he couldn't bring himself to push Sasuke away.
Sasuke's lips brushed against Naruto's ear. "Tonight. My place."
Naruto's eyes darted to the frosted glass door. Someone's shadow passed by—was that Karin? His heart hammered against his ribs, but when Sasuke's teeth grazed his neck, he tilted his head to give better access.
"We shouldn't—" Naruto whispered, even as his fingers tightened in Sasuke's perfectly pressed shirt. The conference table dug into his lower back. "What if someone—"
Sasuke silenced him with another kiss, this one deeper, hungrier. When Naruto pulled back to check the door again, Sasuke simply followed, recapturing his mouth without breaking stride.
"Let them see," Sasuke murmured against his lips, voice low and unconcerned. His hand slid possessively down Naruto's back, fingers digging into his ass.
A moan escaped before Naruto could stop it. He froze, mortified, certain the entire floor had heard. Sasuke just smirked and pressed closer.
For a minute, they just stood like that—bodies pressed together, sharing the same shaky breath. Naruto felt every inch of Sasuke's intent, the want simmering beneath the calm surface, and for the first time since they'd started this insane thing, he let himself want it back, openly and without apology.
Then the spell broke. Naruto's phone vibrated on the floor where it had fallen. Sasuke's jaw clenched, his fingers digging slightly harder into Naruto's hips before reluctantly loosening. The tiny muscle at the corner of his eye twitched as Naruto stepped back, hands still fisted in Sasuke's shirt, as if letting go would send them both tumbling into the void.
He looked at Sasuke, really looked—at the wild hair, the bruised mouth, the flush on his cheekbones. At the hunger, undiluted, in his eyes, now shadowed with frustration.
"I need more than these stolen moments," Sasuke said, voice soft but unwavering, his gaze flicking briefly to the offending phone. "I can't keep pretending it's just business."
Naruto swallowed, suddenly so aware of the ache in his chest he could barely stand it. He tried to laugh, but it came out shaky. "Is this where you propose, or just ask to fuck in the copy room?"
Sasuke didn't smile. "Answer the question, Naruto."
Naruto's fingers drummed against the table edge. "You know, Karin's probably got her ear pressed against that door right now." He glanced at his watch. "And I've got that call with marketing in ten—"
"We can reschedule it." Sasuke stepped closer, eliminating the space Naruto had tried to create. "Stop deflecting."
Naruto's lips twisted into something not quite a smile. He looked down, brushing invisible dust from the table.
"We agreed to keep it professional during work hours," he said, voice steadier than his hands. "Non-fraternization clause. Remember?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "We can change the contract." His hand hovered at Naruto's waist, not quite touching.
The space between Sasuke's fingers and his shirt felt charged, dangerous. Naruto's throat tightened. Eighteen again, standing at the lake, watching disgust bloom across that perfect face. The memory flickered like a warning light.
He pressed his forehead to Sasuke's, unable to look him in the eyes. "I just—" The words stuck. His fingers found Sasuke's sleeve, twisted in the fabric.
Sasuke leaned in, pressing his lips to Naruto's with a gentleness that made his chest ache. Unlike their earlier kisses, this held no demand, just a promise. When he pulled back, his thumb traced the curve of Naruto's jaw. "We don't have to do anything tonight," he murmured. "I just want to be with you. Even if it's just takeout and falling asleep watching something terrible."
For a long, suspended second, Naruto let himself believe it. Then he stepped back, just enough to breathe again. He smoothed his shirt, picked up his phone with fingers that didn't quite feel like his own.
"I'll see you tonight," he managed.
Sasuke's smile reached his eyes, something rare and unguarded. "I'll be waiting," he replied.
Naruto turned, left the boardroom with the ghost of Sasuke's smile following him. His lips curved upward as he walked, lost in thought about broken things rebuilt. He was so distracted he nearly collided with someone at the elevator.
Papers scattered across the polished floor as Naruto stumbled back, cheeks burning. "Sorry!" Looking up, he found himself staring into bright green eyes framed by—of all things—pink hair. The woman smiled, already crouching to gather his documents.
"It's alright," she said, handing him the stack with slender fingers. Their eyes met briefly before she stepped around him, the scent of cherry blossoms lingering. Naruto jabbed the elevator button, mentally kicking himself for being so wrapped up in Sasuke that he couldn't even walk straight. As the doors slid open, he glanced back, stomach tightening as he watched the pink-haired woman turn down the hallway—directly toward Sasuke's office.