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“You know,” Naruto starts, slurping on some ramen he made in Sasuke’s kitchen, “I think Iruka-sense and Kakashi are gonna tie the knot.”
“What?” Sasuke replies back, looking up from the book he is reading. Naruto is perched on one of his counters, legs crisscrossed and a goofy smile on his face as he eats his instant noodles.
“Tie the knot. You know, marriage and all that sappy stuff.”
“Since when were they together?” Sasuke inquires.
“Since like foreverrrrrr” Naruto says, dragging out the r. “Like before you left forever.”
There is a sudden dampen on the mood. Sasuke lives in an overwhelming guilt for leaving, and Naruto feels a similar weight for letting him go. It is in the past though, Sasuke has been back for almost a year. It hasn’t been the best, learning to live without an arm and adjust back to life in Konoha despite people’s glares has proved to be one of Sasuke’s biggest challenges. He is extremely fortunate to have Naruto by his side. Naruto who has faced the same stares and judgements and still has a smile on his face. Naruto who in similar fashion is learning to live with a new arm. Naruto who helped him at his lowest and has never turned his back on him.
“Interesting.” Sasuke says, to bring the mood back up. “Do you think you will be invited? They have always liked you the most after all.”
“I don’t think that's true. But I hope so. I hope you're invited to. It would be fun to see you there or go together.”
“It would be nice to go together.” Sasuke affirms with a small nod.
It is a rarity to see him go along with an antic Naruto proposes so easily, but that does not mean he does not want to agree. On the contrary, Sasuke has to bite down the urge to agree with everything Naruto comes up with, fearful his agreements would show too much of his own feelings. It is a private thing, his thoughts on people. Unless he truly hates someone, Sasuke has made it a habit to never reveal his true emotions.
Naruto gets up and washes his bowl clean as well as the few other thrown in dishes. It is so disgustingly domestic that Sasuke lets out a small smile. There is a secret will in his heart to keep Naruto here with him forever.
“It’s late, I should be heading out.” Naruto says.
“Get back safe.” Sasuke replies, wishing the words he could say are ‘Stay the night’.
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“Sasuke!” Naruto runs up to him on a walk around the village
“How are you Naruto?” Sasuke asks, silently inviting him to join alongside him.
“Just wanted to see you, see what you were up to.”
“Just a walk. I like to go on them semi-frequently. It calms my head. I like the trees and the flowers and just observing the happenings of the people as they pass.”
“That sounds nice.” Naruto walks a few seconds longer with him then stops. “Aren’t you gonna tell me to leave?”
“If you want me to. But,” He chooses his next words carefully “if you would like to join me I would not be opposed. I do like to be silent though.”
Naruto hums with a smile and walks alongside him. It truly feels domestic in a way, the two of them walking side by side with Naruto occasionally remarking about something interesting he spots along the way. Sasuke smiles a little at each remark, and makes small conversations out of them. He finds it endearing, Naruto’s will to find something to engage with him in any way he can. Many people in his life have wanted to interact with him because of his family name, seldom want to interact with him.
Eventually they reach his doorstep with an awkward pause.
“I should probably be he–” Naruto begins.
“Stay!” Sasuke blurts out. He tags along to the statement “If you want”
Naruto smiles bashfully, a look seldom seen on the young man. “Really? You’re ok with that?”
“It’s getting late. And you have stuff here. And you seem to want to talk more about something. I have your favorite ramen here too.” Sasuke prays he does not think about that last one. He hopes Naruto assumes he brought it to Sasuke’s, not that Sasuke buys it for him knowing he comes around so frequently.
“You’re too kind, Sasuke.”
“Usuratonkachi.” Sasuke mutters in an attempt to hide the joy in his voice.
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Naruto stays the night. He stays over the next night as well because he fell asleep during a movie marathon with Sakura there as well.
On the third day they went over to Naruto’s house under the guise of taking care of his plants he had vaguely been neglecting. They are scattered across his house for the best optimal sunlight per their plant type, making the endeavor a longer one. When prompted, Naruto does not give a real reason for why he has so many plants ‘I just like ‘em’, he would say. The real truth is he has a desperate need to give other things a better life than the one he had. He believes in a life full of love, nurture, and care. Of course, he would never tell anyone that, so someone like Sasuke who admires his skill at keeping them all alive just sees that he deeply cares.
“What’s your easiest plant to take care of?” Sasukue asks Naruto absentmindedly.
“Probably a spiderplant, why? If you're thinking of getting one, I can just give you one of mine. I propagate plants, you know. I can also help you in growing her” Naruto says.
“Her?”
“Yeah, my spiderplants are girls.”
“So you’ll help me then?”
“Yeah. I’ll bring one or two of my full ones over too so that we can measure its growth.”
“Sounds like a deal.”
Naruto smiles. It’s one of those bright and shiny ones that infects anyone looking towards him with a similar joy. It is the one that makes Sasuke melt and wants to follow the man across from him to the ends of the Earth. He is so thankful that Naruto chased him around all those years, and he knows that he will never be able to do enough to repay him.
As they leave, Naruto grabs one of his favorite plants, a propagated side plant, and a few sweaters to sneak into Sasuke’s closet.
“That one?” Sasuke asks.
Naruto nods.
“But isn’t that one like the best of the best? Like your favorite?”
“Well yeah. But, she could use a new view. And don’t tell the others, but I know she likes you best and you like her best.”
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He stays the night again. And again and again and again.
He never stays in the same room as Sasuke. Always stays on the couch like a gentleman. He washes dishes and helps clean around the house while his clothes seep into Sasuke’s closet. His objects start to litter areas of Sasuke’s apartment, a toothbrush on the sink, a second towel set up on the door, a few more bowls and more than a few packets of his favorite ramen.
Some more plants make their way into the house, still Naruto sleeps on the couch. It is a bigger place than what Naruto has had in his life, so it is easier for him to sneak his things in.
“Do you ever think about sleeping in a bed?” Sasuke asks Naruto one night while they are washing dishes.
“I don’t wanna impede.”
“You have so much stuff in here I think we have passed that line.”
“Yeah, but there’s a difference between my stuff and me. Besides, you have never invited me in, I’m not just going to enter your bedroom and sleep next to you.” Naruto pauses for a moment. “It is a different line, one that we haven’t crossed yet.” One that Naruto did not think was ready to be crossed yet. One that he wished would be crossed.
“You should sleep in the bed tonight, it can’t be healthy to sleep on that couch every night.” Sasuke needs that line to be crossed.
“And where will you sleep? I don’t want to kick you out of your bed.”
“I will sleep wherever you want me to.” Sasuke says, leaning a little closer.
“Well don’t kick yourself out just cause I am in the bed.” Naruto says, neck flushing a raging red color.
Sasuke’s face flushes. It’s confirmation that the line is being crossed. He wants it to see how many lines can be crossed. They have to go slow, one line crossed at a time.
They’re timid at first, Sasuke helping Naruto set the bed up as he likes, and gathering some items for the couch. There was a silent beckoning from Naruto, amidst the changing of sheets and moving of blankets he moved Sasuke’s couch blanket slowly back into his room.
“Come read something with me.” Naruto says after the bed has been made. “I have all this paperwork I have to read for Kakashi. He’s gonna send the wedding invites, by the way. We are both going to get one, but do you want to go together?”
“Sure and sure.” Sasuke follows Naruto into the bedroom and sits next to him on the bed. It is domestic and intimate, a grotesque scene to Sasuke for himself to be with anyone, with the exception of Naruto.
No rather than be grotesque this is everything he could have wanted. The lines are being toed, and he is hungry for more. He needs it in his soul, to be enveloped by the man sitting next to him. He needs to wake up to that infectious smile and fall asleep listening to his soft giggles as they talk about nonsense.
Sasuke leans his head on Naruto’s shoulder, taking a glance at the legal policy on the scroll. It was a bunch of menial nonsense really, just civil workings to keep Kohona running smoothly, but it was important to understand Naruto and his aspirations, so Sasuke reads with him.
Naruto puts a hand on Sasuke’s hair and ruffles it. “It's getting late. Stay with me?”
With Me. A ringing in Sasuke’s head. Though it’s nothing he had not heard before, it felt different this time. Not a plea with the other people tacked on the statement. Not a dying wish. It is a will, strong and secure. He wants Sasuke, not just for the concept and good person points, but for a real, true desire.
“Let me change, I’ll be back.” Sasuke says with a definitive smile on his face.
It is beautiful, unlike anything Naruto had ever seen. He is glad Sasuke turns away, because his face is flushed darker than ever before. And Naruto is so glad this is what his life has turned into. There is no one he would rather love than Sasuke, and he is pretty sure Sasuke returns the feeling.
When Sasuke returns, Naruto moves towards the wall and motions for Sasuke to come into the bed with him. Both are red hot in the face, but smiles dancing across their faces.
“So.” Naruto says, drawing up a blank. All he can seem to do right now is giggle.
And his giggle turns into laughter which makes Sasuke giggle a little bit. They lay in bed together giggling and laughing more and more from nothing, and Naruto takes a deep breath for a bit of composure and looks at the rare sight across from him in awe. Sasuke in full laughter, a smile on his face, laughter as sweet as silver bells coming from him. It's magical. It’s entrancing. Naruto finds himself falling in love again and again and again with each new puff of laughter that comes from the other man’s mouth.
“I’m in love with you.” Naruto murmurs, barely able to hear it come from his own mouth.
Sasuke does not hear it, but goes silent anyways on a count of being out of breath. He is red in the face and a little disheveled, but he could not be happier.
“Did you say something?” he asks Naruto, a small smile still dancing across his face.
“Um. No..?” Naruto cautiously responds, face beet red.
Sasuke looks at Naruto with a serious expression and grabs his shoulders to pull him in a little closer. “I love your laugh. Have I ever told you that?” He asks “Definitely not, but I needed to right now.”
Naruto looks at him stunned and Sasuke continues.
“I love your laugh and I love your smile. Every day I wake up happier in the past some days, weeks, however long this has been happening because I get to wake up to you. I have been waiting for this line to be crossed, the one where we share a bed. It is all I’ve ever wanted since we were kids, to share a proper bed with you and have a proper morning with you, not just ones on missions. Naruto, you’re spellbinding.”
With the spur of the moment confession leaving his mouth, Sasuke promptly shoves himself into hiding with his head against Naruto and the bed.
With a moment to let the declaration sink in, Naruto places a hand on Sasuke’s head and lifts it gently. “I did say something earlier.” He says in a voice so soft it is almost a whisper. “I said ‘I’m in love with you’.”
Sasuke looks stunned. “Why?” he asks with such genuine intrigue. The thought of his feelings being reciprocated had been nothing more than a wistful dream for so long.
“Because you’re you. You’re headstrong and had an egotistical streak and you always believed in yourself. You stick to your beliefs and you care about things so deeply. If something even interests you a little bit, you devote so much to it. It is truly admirable, your wills. But beyond that I love you for you. You are one of the only people who was able to look past everything about me to see me for me. You took time to know me. You cared. Perhaps it is naïve to fall in love with one of the first people who actually cares for you, but I have been called far worse. Sasuke, you are filled with such passion and intrigue, how could anyone not fall in love with you.”
“Naruto… you deserve someone who hasn’t put you through nearly as much turmoil as I have. I have been cruel to you. I mean, you have a fake arm due to me! I can’t possibly fulfill such an important role in your life.”
“But you do, and it will only ever belong to you. Besides, you're missing your arm because of me. It was not exactly a one sided thing. But it does not matter, I want you. I need you, Sasuke. Because you may be one of the only people in the world to actually treat me as a person, and certainly the only one from such a young age to treat me generally as an equal.”
“I love you, Naruto.” Sasuke puts a hand to his face and touches their foreheads together. “You saw past my sob story as well, you treated me as an equal and a person, and I love you for that. And if we are naïve to fall for one another for such reasons, we must be absolute fools to still be in love after all this time.”
“I am going to kiss you now, is that alright?”
“I’ve been waiting for a proper kiss since we were twelve.”
Their breaths can be felt on the other’s lips, everything is tense. They walk on a very thin line, feelings thrown into the air left and right. The finish line is less than an inch away, a small movement of the head will plunge them into the deep end.
Naruto makes the move. A cautious, featherlight kiss to Sasuke, who grabs Naruto’s head and pushes them endlessly closer, laughing as he does so.