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“... ACHOO!”
Sasuke shook his head, but resolutely did not look at Naruto. Still . Naruto pouted, hugging himself tighter.
“Do you really-”
“I told you to wear a real coat,” Sasuke cut in. “I told you to wear a real coat and what else, Naruto?” His pout deepened.
“I know what you said, but-”
“A hat.”
“UGH!”
“A scarf.”
“I know, okay? I know you know I know, y’know? Why-”
“And gloves. With fingers .”
Naruto huffed, throwing himself back in his seat.
“We’ll be at the cabin soon,” Sasuke informed curtly, “so stop acting like that.”
Naruto huffed again, trying to force his jaw shut so his teeth wouldn’t chatter. The cold cut straight through the uninsulated metal chairlift.
“If I’d known we were gonna be at the top of Mt. fuckin’ Everest I might’ve listened, y’know,” he grumbled under his breath.
“It’s hardly Everest. Now adjust your attitude before I adjust it for you,” Sasuke warned, casually examining his nails.
“ You’re not wearing gloves…”
Sasuke’s jaw set, and he finally turned in his seat.
“ I’m not complaining I’m cold.” Naruto shivered, but this time it wasn’t just the chill in the air. It was the promised danger of Sasuke’s low voice that made shivers race down his spine. Fuck, fuck, calm down- “And not that I need to justify myself to you, but I’m used to this climate and you know I run hot, I can’t help it.” God, I know, you couldn’t stop running hot if you tried, Naruto thought. He licked his lips. Not because of the thought, not because of Sasuke’s voice, not because Naruto knew they’d be alone together until the approaching blizzard- which the others were currently stuck in- died down and they were able to finish the drive to the mountains and the hike up it. It’s just ‘cause my lips are chapped and it’s cold, he reasoned. That’s it. No other reason.
He chewed his lower lip, watching Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. He was tapping away at his phone in one hand and toying with a lock of hair in the other. Naruto wanted desperately to play with it himself, but Sasuke was fussy and didn’t like being touched, so he stayed where he was, hands tucked under his arms to keep them warm, and he pouted.
The lift eventually screeched its way to a halt, and they disembarked. The snow already went up to Naruto’s ankles, freezing the joints in their sockets. Shouldn’t have worn sneakers… Sasuke just sighed exasperatedly at Naruto’s complete lack of preparation for this trip.
“I think there’s an old pair of boots in the closet,” he relented at last. Naruto couldn’t help but smile as he followed Sasuke into the old cabin.
The place was beautiful. It was all medium-brown hardwood and plush blankets, and a homey brick hearth.
“Itachi was up here two weeks ago,” Sasuke informed before Naruto could ask how it was so clean, leaving his boots at the door. Naruto dropped his soaking wet sneakers beside them and wandered in. “Let’s see if he didn’t clean this out, too.”
He slid a folding door open in the hall and rummaged through the shelves. Naruto peered out the nearest window. The town in the valley below was just a pocket of light from here as the sky grew darker. Soon the winds would pick up, and the town would be invisible through the thick sheets of snow. For the moment, though, it was just a flurry. Hard to believe Sakura and Kakashi and Yamato and Sai are stuck in the middle of the blizzard right now with how peaceful it looks here…
“Usuratonkachi.”
Naruto turned. Sasuke was still rosy-cheeked as he handed Naruto a pair of boots.
“Sasuke, these are too big!” he whined immediately.
“Then wear extra socks,” he answered dispassionately, walking to the fireplace and throwing some logs in. Naruto pouted. Again.
“But I don’t have extra socks!”
“You can have mine. You gonna take those clothes off, or just keep dripping on the floors?”
“Huh?”
Sure enough, as he glanced down, Naruto realized his jacket was dripping wet- good thing I wore a waterproof one, at least - and the tattered cuffs of his jeans were leaving wet splotches everywhere. A devious idea entered his mind, and he felt the corners of his lips curl into a Grinch-like grin.
“Oh fine, fine, if you insist.”
And with that, he stripped. Not just the wet things like his jeans and socks. His jacket, too. And his shirt. And finally, his underwear. At worst, it’s a funny prank he beats me up over. But at best…
He sauntered up to Sasuke as he lit the fire and locked the metal grating shut, allowing the heat through but reducing the chance of Naruto doing something stupid like shoving his hand in it. The floors creaked with every step, but Sasuke didn’t react, watching the flame carefully to make sure it took.
“Did you even move your wet clothes to the- wha-ju-sh-fu…!”
Naruto bit his tongue to keep from laughing as Sasuke finally looked, eye-level with Naruto’s… nethers. They went comically wide, and his already rosy cheeks blushed a stark red.
“ Why are you naked ?!” he finally managed.
“You said take off my clothes!”
Sasuke blinked owlishly, then promptly smacked himself in the forehead hard enough to leave a mark.
“I meant the wet ones , usuratonkachi!”
“It was all wet!” he lied.
“No way it was!” He scratched his cheek and stuck out his tongue with a grin.
“Hehe, well… I was too cold to tell what was or wasn’t wet, so I just took off all of it!”
Incredulous. Disbelieving. Mildly appalled by the blatant stupidity before him. All of these were accurate descriptions of Sasuke’s expression, and Naruto was determined to remember this image of Sasuke’s stunned, gold-rimmed face forever. He’s so cute…
After what felt like a long while, Sasuke finally shook his head and rose, covering his eyes.
“How you survived to adulthood, I’ll never fucking know,” he mumbled under his breath. Naruto debated pretending he hadn’t heard, but ultimately decided to push Sasuke’s buttons a little more.
“It was easy with people like you looking after me!”
“That’s the thing, though,” Sasuke’s voice sounded from another room. “I shouldn’t have to take care of you. You’re a grown-ass man, act like it.”
“Aww, but you’re so good at it, Sas!”
“Don’t call me Sas when I’m mad at you,” he gritted out, returning with a blanket he tossed at Naruto. “Get in that,” he ordered, unwinding his scarf from around his neck. Naruto anticipated him to stop at his sweater, maybe his tee shirt if he was feeling warm, but he didn’t. Soon Sasuke was bare-chested, too, and his fingers were deftly unbuttoning his ski pants. Oh? How the turntables…
“Hey, why’re you getting naked?!” he squawked.
“If you’re so cold you can’t tell what’s wet and what’s not, then you need to be warmed up now,” he reasoned easily. “And I’m not getting naked.”
He dropped onto the floor in nothing but underwear and socks, plucking the blanket from Naruto’s hands and unfolding it.
“Useless,” he griped.
“Asshole,” Naruto spat back. Sasuke just rolled his eyes, scooting closer to wrap them both in the same blanket. Naruto’s heartrate immediately picked up speed. “What the hell are you doing?!” he cried, his own cheeks flushing now, too.
“What’s it look like, dobe? Warming you up.”
Sasuke took Naruto’s hand. He hissed at the sting of Sasuke’s body heat.
“Tch. Look, you nearly gave yourself frostbite.” He shook his head, but he started to rub warmth into Naruto’s hand anyway. He squirmed. That hurts… way more than I thought it would… “Stop moving.”
“But it buuuuurns!” he whined, biting his lip.
“May this pain teach you to dress appropriately for the weather, then.” Naruto frowned, tears starting to form in his eyes as his feet, which were closer to the fire, started stinging, too. I may have taken it too far this time. I didn’t realize how cold I was…
“Don’t talk like that! It creeps me out!”
“It’s a boon.”
“I thought that was a monkey?”
“That’s a baboon , you absolute dork.”
“Hey, don’t call me a dork! You’re the one with an English degree!” he scoffed.
“At least I have a degree.”
“HEY! That’s a cheap shot and you know it!”
To Naruto’s surprise, Sasuke’s lips pursed and brows furrowed.
“S’pose so,” he agreed after a long moment’s silence. He wriggled his fingers, gesturing for Naruto’s other hand. He gave it hesitantly. Why isn’t he mocking me? Why isn’t he playing the game? Is something wrong?
He wasn’t sure whether he should ask or not. Sasuke looked deep in thought, and Naruto himself was trying not to cry from the stinging sensations rising all over his body now. Yeah, took it too far. Ow, ow, ow…!
Sasuke mumbled something Naruto didn’t quite catch.
“Huh?”
“Your face,” he repeated, gaze flicking up for only a second before dropping back down to Naruto’s hand sandwiched between both of his. “It looks like it hurts.” Naruto nodded a little, wary. He doesn’t sound like he’s planning a surprise attack or anything. He seems… sad. “I was…” He swallowed. Nervous . Naruto blinked. Sasuke’s never been nervous with me before. What- “… just wondering how to warm it up better, is all.”
Oh. Naruto felt himself deflate inside, but only long enough for another idea to spring to his mind. Followed by several others. Oh, so many options…
“Well… your hands are doing the trick on mine. Maybe they’d work on my face, too?” he offered, hoping he sounded innocent enough that Sasuke couldn’t guess his other ideas.
“Hm…”
Sasuke searched his face. Naruto’s back tensed, sitting up a little straighter. He has such beautiful eyes… They looked like hot coals with the rich reds and golds of the fire reflecting in them. With an agonizing slowness- or at least to Naruto it was- Sasuke raised his hands and cupped Naruto’s cheeks gently in his palms . Oh… that’s… Naruto swallowed this time, clearing the lump of nervousness forming in his throat. They were face to face, making direct eye contact, and neither were looking away. Sasuke’s expression was inscrutable, simply peering into Naruto’s soul with those sharp obsidian eyes. You see everything, all the time. So why can’t you see how I feel for you? Are you…
“Are you seeing it now, Sasuke?”
Naruto stopped breathing. I didn’t mean to say that out loud! Oh no, I really am stupid! He’s gonna friend-dump me, no no no! Sasuke’s head tilted to the side just so, like a puppy, like a predator, like a child, like a god.
“All I see is you, Naruto.”
The way he said it turned Naruto’s heart to one of those flaming logs in the hearth. His mouth felt suddenly dry. He forgot what words were or how to speak them. Sasuke’s thumb traced the ridge of Naruto’s left eye socket. He could easily jam it into Naruto’s eye and destroy it. He could just as easily admire it. And he was. Or he seemed to be. Admiring. Admiring Naruto’s eye. Maybe I’m being delusional. Maybe I’m crazy, maybe -
“There’s… something I’ve been… wanting to tell you…”
Naruto spoke Sasuke. He knew when it took that long for him to finish a sentence, it was something big. Important. Emotional. Don’t get your hopes up, don’t get your hopes up- wait, wasn’t this what I was hoping for all this time? But what if I’m wrong, oh my god Sasuke, just spit it out! Sasuke’s lower lip shifted, and Naruto knew he was pinching the inside of it between his teeth, unsure if he should continue speaking. It looked so plush, glossed only with chapstick and the snowflakes that had dissolved when he set foot in the cabin.
“What is it?” Naruto encouraged, softly, no pressure. And he waited, eyes and heart open, as scary as it was. Sasuke swallowed again, soundlessly.
“I…” He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath. “I’m sorry.”
Huh?
That was the only thought Naruto had time for before those lips were on his. Naruto’s eyes went wide, painfully wide, but he couldn’t close them. He was paralyzed with shock. Sasuke’s lips moved against his, but when he found Naruto’s still and cold as stone, he pulled away, taking those soft lips and warm hands with him. He drew back further than he’d been before, cheeks a different kind of rouged now, gaze drifting to the floor and lower lip finally between his teeth in earnest, chewing anxiously.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, hardly a whisper. Naruto remembered how to breathe.
“What for?”
“Everything. Nothing.” Naruto swore there was a thin shimmer of tears in his eyes “This was stupid. Just forget it-“
Naruto grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down before he could fully stand. He lost his balance, diving into Naruto, and he caught him in his arms, holding him tight to his chest.
“For once, it’s not. It’s really not.” Sasuke reared back in surprise, but Naruto caught him by the back of the head, half-numbed fingers tangling in his hair. “And you have nothing to be sorry for.”
It was nice to kiss Sasuke again. It was even nicer to feel his breath hitch rather than only hear it. It was even better when Sasuke registered what was happening and kissed him back, his hands finding their way to his skin again. His thumbs kneaded the spot behind Naruto’s ears, fingers nearly lacing at the back of his neck, and Naruto’s mouth opened for just a second to sigh at the feeling of warm fingers on his cold nape. Sasuke’s mouth opened, too, in another shuddered breath, and Naruto took advantage, pushing him a little closer and letting his tongue swipe against his lower lip. Sasuke did the same, and with permission granted on both sides, their tongues eagerly explored each other’s mouths. Sasuke swirled his tongue around Naruto’s. Naruto slid his teeth against Sasuke’s. They settled into a rhythm, sneaking breaths of fresh air whenever they tilted their heads a different way. It could have been minutes or hours, Naruto couldn’t tell, but finally they had to separate for real breaths, panting hot on each other’s faces. It felt like static sparks all over. Sasuke’s breath smelled minty, reminding him of the candy canes they’d had in the car, parked way down in the valley somewhere. It felt like ages ago already.
“You don’t hate me for this?”
Sasuke’s words broke Naruto free of the trance. He blinked a few times, then crushed Sasuke in the tightest hug he could.
“Of course I don’t! How could I hate you for liking me? And the kisses, damn! Did you practice? You’re so good at it, I-”
“Can’t.. breathe…!”
“Oops, sorry!” Naruto let go, and Sasuke would have toppled backward if Naruto’s hand hadn’t slid down to his lower back, steadying him. “It’s just… I’ve felt the same way about you, too, y’know? For like… a long time.” He sheepishly scratched at the back of his head with his free hand. “I just… I wasn’t sure if you teased me back because you liked me too, or because you were actually annoyed by me, and I… g-guess I was afraid to find out for sure, y’know?” He smiled a little, blushing. “I was planning to confess to you today, too, y’know.”
Sasuke huffed an incredulous laugh.
“So we’re both idiots.” Naruto grinned widely at the fond smirk on Sasuke’s face.
“Yep! That’s why we’re so good together, y’know!” He cleared his throat. “A-assuming you… w-want to be together, that is?” Sasuke shook his head, but he smiling for real now, a rare, beautiful thing that made Naruto melt inside.
“Usuratonkachi. I see no reason not to be.”
They shared a lot more kisses that night.