Work Text:
“What is it like to work this closely with someone for seven years?” The interviewer flicks her hair back, smiling encouragingly and Naruto leans forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs.
“You know, it’s funny because to me, we’re family by now. Like, when you’ve been working with the same people for such a long time, you just kinda grow together. You know each other so well. You celebrate birthdays, weddings, births and all that. It’s insane. I’m incredibly lucky to have that.”
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“Isn’t he cute?” Menma says, bouncing in place as Charasuke’s older brother enters the room.
“Who is?” said brother asks, taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack before coming over to them, seeing the blush on his brother’s cheeks that Menma is talking about. He smirks and leans his head to the side. “You know when I’ve last seen him like this?” he asks conspiratorially.
Menma shakes his head but Charasuke’s blush only deepens, his forehead creasing in anger. “Don’t you dare! You swore never to tell him!”
“Tell me what?” Menma looks between the two brothers, mouth hanging open and eyes sparkling. “Come on, now you can’t keep it from me anymore!”
Charasuke crosses his arms in front of his chest. “It’s a secret.”
“You wish!” Menma says. “I deserve to know.
The older brother snorts, nodding towards a horrified Charasuke. “When my little brother came home the day he saw you in school for the first time, Menma, he looked just like this, blush and all.”
Menma gasps, glomping onto his boyfriend and nuzzling his nose into the pale neck. “You’re so cute.”
Charasuke’s cheeks are warm and deep red. He clenches his hands into fists, ready to take them to his brother’s face. But then again—Menma seems happy.
Itachi smiles and Charasuke sighs, encircling Menma’s waist. “It’s still a secret.”
At least Charasuke gets kissed against the kitchen counters for ‘being adorable like that’, Menma’s words, not his, effectively keeping his brother from preparing his after-work snack.
Small victories.
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“Do you enjoy being famous? I mean, before this series, you were a normal teenager and now everyone knows your face and name. Isn’t that difficult at times?” The interviewer raises her perfectly plucked eyebrows, turning towards the camera to make sure the audience can see her expression.
Sasuke sighs, uncrossing his legs and crossing them the other way. “At times. My life has become very hectic since being cast for this role and it can be hard to keep my private life separate from my work life. I am very grateful for the opportunity and support I have been shown, though. Everything in life has its advantages and disadvantages.”
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“I’ll take the usual, please.“
The barista nods, turning towards the coffee machine. “Plain black coffee, right?“
Sasuke nods, taking out his wallet, ready to pay as a small figure enters his peripheral vision. He looks up, meeting the green eyes of a teenager. She’s twirling her long blonde locks around her forefinger, blinking shyly. Sasuke raises an eyebrow. “Can I help you?“
She blushes. “Uhm, I—you—you’re Uchiha Sasuke, right?“ The fingers in her hair fiddle with the strand nervously and she’s licking her lips.
Sasuke sighs, forcing his face to form a small smile, to appear at least a tiny fraction of friendly. As Naruto told him he should. “Yes, I am.“
Her eyes light up. “That’s great! I—uhm—I’m a huge fan of ‘Road to Ninja’ and I would love an autograph. Or a picture?“
“How about both?“ Naruto’s voice chimes in and Sasuke swears the poor girl is going to have a heart attack.
She whirls around with her mouth hanging open. “Uzumaki Naruto?!“
“At your service!“ Naruto laughs, mock-saluting her. “Did the grump treat you nicely? I swear, he’s super kind, it’s just his face that isn’t.“
Sasuke snorts, rummaging through his bag to find the autograph cards he carries around these days, handing one to Naruto. “Stop flirting moron and sign.“
Naruto laughs, winking at the girl, taking the card and the pen Sasuke‘s holding out to him. “On it!“
Her eyes keep moving between them and as they pose for a picture, Sasuke can hear her mumble about them being the same in real life as they are on screen.
They don‘t comment on it, she bows and thanks them. Then she‘s gone.
A second later, Karin comes through the door. “What‘d I miss, boys?“
Sasuke shrugs. “Nothing much. You want a coffee, too?“
That evening, the picture goes viral. Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke with a fan. Naruto‘s left arm is hidden but Sasuke‘s isn’t.
A wedding band gleams proudly.
The caption: GUYS! Are you thinking what I‘m thinking?
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“If you could change one thing about your experience on set, what would it be?”
Naruto cocks his head to the side, looking past the woman. She turns towards the audience for a moment, opening her mouth and widening her eyes in excitement before turning back towards the blonde man.
Naruto bites his lip. “Anything?”
The woman nods. “Anything.”
“Hm,” Naruto’s brow creases. “That’s a tough one. I guess—“ He stops, looking to the side for a second. Then he sits up straight and focuses on the interviewer again. “I guess I’d want to be able to make a distinct difference between the feelings my character feels and my own because—you see, sometimes it can be hard to draw the line, especially with a character you’ve been playing for nearly a decade. I know Menma so intimately, his feelings and mine kinda mash at times. You know what I mean?”
“Oh, I think we all do,” The woman says with a bright smile, winking at the audience.
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Naruto leans in further, allowing the smile on his face to grow bigger. That looks better on camera, the director said. Menma is a smiley boy anyway.
“Come on, baby. Just one kiss,” Menma begs.
Sasuke crosses his arms in front of his chest. “No way. We’re in public, Menma.”
“And?” Menma throws his hands up in exasperation, shaking his head. Naruto’s heart starts to beat faster as he takes a step towards Sasuke. “We’ve kissed in front of your family! What’s the problem with doing it in a cinema? An empty cinema.”
Sasuke gnashes his teeth, making the muscles in his jaw tense visibly. Naruto knows the camera will zoom in on that. He knows it will look amazing. His own eyes linger a second too long.
“Cut!” The director shakes his head. “Naruto, your response needs to be quicker, about two Mississippi, yeah? We talked about that. Alright, again.”
They get into position. “Action!”
It’s not that the scene is hard, it’s not. They have done far more intimate ones, way more emotionally troubling ones, before. It’s also not that Naruto’s tired or doesn’t know his lines or anything.
It’s Sasuke.
It’s his stupidly toned chest beneath the perfect shade of midnight blue cashmere. It’s the chisel of his jaw, the strength of his expressions. It’s Sasuke’s fucking eyebrows arching so disgustingly perfect every single time Naruto misses a cue.
“Come on, baby. Just one kiss,” Naruto begs.
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The interviewer flips her hair over her shoulder again, looking at Sasuke with intent. “How did the series change your life? Apart from fame and money and all that. What did it change for you, personally?”
Sasuke looks over at Naruto, receiving a bright grin. A smile graces the delicate features in response. “I think it’s safe to say I found the person that makes me whole on set. There are a lot of changes that come with celebrity status, but what surprised me most and what I am most grateful for is the deep and lasting personal connections I was able to make.”
As the interviewer announces what a lovely sentiment this is and how wonderful it is that Sasuke seems to be this grounded, Naruto reaches out to pat the back of Sasuke’s hand.
It’s nothing. It’s everything.
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Sasuke pats the pockets of his jacket for the second time, making sure the small square box is still there, waiting for the right moment.
It’s nothing fancy, Sasuke wouldn’t want it to be. It’s a simple ramen restaurant. One that used to be a food stall at the corner of Naruto’s and Karin’s college apartment. One that grew alongside Naruto’s profile. Now that he is sought after and anyone who watches his interviews knows how much he likes this restaurant—it’s hard to get a seat.
Unless you’re Naruto.
This is fortunate because like this Sasuke was able to rent out the whole place and invite them in, for a nice dinner. And other things.
Oh god, he’s nervous. He has been thinking about this since the end of last season. Since—
“You ready?” Naruto asks right behind him and Sasuke jumps, cursing.
“What the fuck, idiot?” he turns around, looking behind Naruto, not seeing his cousin yet. Sasuke deflates, bumping his fist against Naruto’s shoulder. “How can a loudmouth like you be this fucking silent?”
Naruto shrugs. “Heck if I know. So, you ready? Got everything?”
Sasuke pats the pocket a third time and nods. “Yeah. I’m nervous, though.”
A warm hand squeezes his shoulder and Naruto’s smile radiates, almost blindingly. “Of course you are. You’re about to ask my cousin to marry you. Anyone would be—“
“You’re what now?” Karin’s voice has both of their heads whipping around. She’s still standing in the doorway, holding her purse in one hand and her car keys in the other. “Sasuke?”
Sasuke glares at Naruto who shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Oops?”
“Oops? You fucking moron! How is she ever going to say yes now, huh? Can’t you ever shut up, you son of a—“
This time the hands on his shoulders are cold and smaller. More delicate. There’s two of them as well and they’re not attached to the blonde idiot but— “Karin, I—“
She shakes her head. “It’s okay. We can beat him up later.”
“But—“ he starts but Karin’s eyes flash a dangerous purple.
“I want my ring.”
Sasuke laughs, retrieving the box and putting two month’s worth of searching for the best design on a perfectly manicured finger. As if she knew.
Karin admires the diamond, kissing Sasuke slowly and deeply.
When he looks up, Naruto is gone.
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“So, last question,” the woman says with a smile. “We are all dreading it but given the fact that the upcoming season will be the last—what’s your outlook on life? What are your plans for the future? Any follow-up projects lined up already?”
Naruto shrugs, laughing sheepishly. “Honestly, I am not quite sure. I love filming but this has been an incredible and consuming journey. I think I need some time to relax before jumping into new projects.”
The interviewer nods, ignoring Sasuke’s frown. “That makes sense. So what are you going to do? Go on a vacation? Elope? What’s the plan?” She laughs and Naruto chimes in, shaking his head.
“That’s the thing—there is no plan and that’s exactly what I need. Just… time away. I will be back, though, don’t worry. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”
Naruto’s laugh is bright and clear, drowning out the shadows in his eyes. The audience claps and the interviewer thanks them for their time.
The lights fade out and both Naruto and Sasuke fall silent.
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“Oh, really? You’ve been there?” Naruto asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “That sounds so cool. Tell me more?”
Gaara does. Given how quiet he is, that’s a surprise. Naruto thought he would be the one talking all day long, running around with Gaara and showing him the ropes. But instead, now it’s Gaara, telling Naruto about his siblings. About growing up in the desert. About pretty flickers of light that can cause your death.
It’s fascinating. Naruto loves listening to Gaara’s calm voice. It’s deep and a little raspy, probably because he doesn’t use it that often but it soothes something inside Naruto, something hidden so deep inside his heart that he has always been afraid to look at.
“That’s amazing! I would love to go!” Naruto exclaims and it feels like he’s constantly repeating himself but that’s okay because Gaara is still talking and their arms are touching. Somehow, that’s all Naruto needs at the moment.
Gaara stops in his tracks and reaches for Naruto’s hand after another intriguing story about an encounter with a spider on their driveway. “Naruto, I know we’ve only met each other yesterday but—would you want to go out with me? It can be as simple as a lunch date, I just—“
Naruto can feel the burn of familiar dark eyes prickling in the back of his neck. He takes Gaara’s hand, allowing himself a smile. “Lead the way.”
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Bonus: People come and go on a set like this all the time. One season there’s a new love interest and there’s a lover’s quarrel because of it. The next a long-lost family member appears. It’s nothing new, nothing exciting.
It shouldn’t be.
But here Sasuke is, sitting in his makeup chair, getting turned this way or that to make sure he looks perfect for the next scene and all he can do is watch. Watch Naruto laugh as he leans into the new actor on set.
Gaara.
Sasuke doesn’t even know his last name. But he knows he hates his guts.