Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The camera flickered on, filling the screen with a messy bedroom background – half shelves of colorful palettes, half disaster zone. In the center sat Naruto Uzumaki, face already half-done in a sunset blend of pink and orange eyeshadow. His signature whisker stripes were sketched across his cheeks in bold, glossy black liner, catching the ring light every time he moved.
“Alright, alright, I know what you’re thinking,” Naruto said, leaning so close to the lens his bright blue eyes almost swallowed the frame. “Why is Naruto uploading again instead of studying or cleaning his room like a responsible adult? Easy answer: because I have a responsibility to the world. To the fandom. To justice.”

The live chat scrolled along the side, his medium-sized but loyal following already teasing:
- Justice for what?
- Here we go again lmao
- It’s another Steve and Bucky rant, isn’t it?

Naruto grinned, sitting back and swiping a shimmering highlighter over his cheekbones. “You know me too well. Today we’re doing a ‘Get Ready With Me While I Save Canon From Bad Opinions,’ which is a long title, but trust me, it’s important. Because my nemesis-” he pulled a dramatic face, lowering his voice like a horror narrator—“RavenEyes – has once again personally attacked me. With words. On YouTube.”

Chat erupted.
- NOT THIS AGAIN
- lol nemesis? He doesn’t even know you exist
- spill it spill it

Naruto stabbed at his palette with a brush like it was a weapon. “First of all, rude. Second of all, he totally does, because how could he not when I’m out here, doing the lord’s work with these whiskers?” He pointed at his cheeks, then sighed dramatically. “But anyway. He made this whole video – like forty minutes long, guys, forty – talking about queerness in Marvel. And okay, fine, some of it was cool. Some of it. But then-” Naruto slammed his brush down with enough force to make powder poof into the air, “-he said Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes aren’t soulmates. Aren’t. Soulmates.”

He paused to look directly at the lens, mouth flat.
“I know. A crime.”

Chat lit up again, half in outrage, half in jokes.
- how dare he!!!
- arrest him immediately
- naruto for president of stucky nation

Naruto swirled blue shadow into the corner of his eye, voice climbing. “Like – hello? They literally went to war together. They literally died for each other. Steve jumped out of a plane for him! Who jumps out of planes for just a ‘bro’? No one, that’s who. Except maybe me, if you bribe me with ramen, but that’s different.”
He leaned back, rolling his eyes. “And okay, I get it. RavenEyes is all about the, like, high-brow media analysis. He’s got his little essays and his citations and his mysterious faceless brand. But listen here, Voice Man – sometimes vibes matter more than essays. And the vibes are GAY.”
That earned a flood of emojis in chat. Naruto laughed, applying mascara with practiced ease.
“Oh, and while we’re here – why don’t you ever show your face, huh? What are you hiding, RavenEyes? Secretly a lizard person? I mean, you’ve got that deep, smooth voice, so maybe you’re, like, one of those mysterious hot guys who ruin lives in anime. Except-” He caught himself, brush hovering mid-air. “Not that I think your voice is hot. Or anything.”

Chat immediately pounced.
- HAHAHAHAHA HE THINKS HIS VOICE IS HOT
- omg caught in 4k
- voice kink confirmed

Naruto’s ears turned pink, but he bulldozed right through, talking faster. “ANYWAY! Doesn’t matter. What matters is that RavenEyes has bad takes, and it’s up to me, Naruto Uzumaki, to correct them. So consider this a formal declaration of war.”
He angled his face toward the camera, whiskers sharp, eyes glittering in the ring light, lips quirked in a cocky grin.
“Your move, RavenEyes.”
And with that, the video cut to his usual outro music, leaving his followers screaming in the comments and spamming his DMs about how unhinged he was.

Satisfied, Naruto turned off the ring light.
It all sounded more dramatic than it was. His chat consisted of maybe ten people who regularly commented, others came and went. They knew him for his make-up and occassional coke rants like this one.
It wasn’t like anything would actually come from it. There was no way popular video essayist RavenEyes would even notice this lukewarm ‚diss‘ posted by a beauty channel with less than 10k followers. (Naruto was working hard to crack that barrier by the end of the year.)
But it was fun to have an imaginary showdown with the mysterious man with the deep, smooth voice. Naruto actually loved his videos about queer media and fandom spaces. RavenEyes was smart and something about the way he talked was just … Electrifying.
Maybe it was a little bit of projection on Naruto’s part. It was a nice feeling to know that another gay man had made it big on YouTube without making his brand being the sassy friend. RavenEyes seemed to be unapologetically himself – confident, alloof, intelligent. And gay.
Naruto looked at himself in the mirror over his dresser and sighed. He took the make-up remover and got to work.

Time to become himself again.

Chapter Text

Naruto didn’t think anything of it at first. He uploaded the rant, wiped highlighter off his fingers, and went about his day like usual: Slurping ramen while ignoring his laundry pile, replying to a few comments, then getting ready for his shift at the garden center.
He helped an old lady carry a giant monstera to her car, entertained three kids while their parents decided on the color of their pergola and stocked the Halloween decorations in the seasonal department.
Then he snuck off with Shikamaru to their personal little spa: They had set up a lovely outdoor show area, complete with two loungers next to a side table, a pool, and fake cicada chirping from the radio behind the lush palm trees. And the best part: no cameras. They could make themselves comfortable and none of the shift managers would ever notice. It was brilliant.
Naruto was scrolling through his comments and showing Shikamaru a few especially funny ones.
„So you’re still at this, huh,“ Shikamaru asked.
Naruto frowned. „What do you mean – aren’t you watching my stuff?“
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. „Sorry man, make-up isn’t really my thing. I told my bitch about it but I don’t know if she followed you.“
„Well, now you have to watch a couple of my videos or I’ll tell Temari what you called her,“ he grinned and Shikamaru jolted up.
„She’d kill me!“
Naruto jiggled his phone. „You know what to do.“
„Fine,“ sighed Shikamaru. He took out his own phone, presumably to subscribe to Naruto’s channel.
„You shouldn’t call her that either way,“ Naruto said, observing his friend scrolling through his playlists.
Shikamaru grunted while clicking on the newest ‚Get ready with me‘. „You know I don’t mean it.“
„Still.“
„Okay, okay, Mother Theresa,“ he sighed, watching intently as the Naruto on the screen put on blue eyeshadow. His eyes flickered to the real one and he furrowed his brows. „Did you take all of this off before you came?“
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. „Not like I can serve customers while serving cunt, huh.“
Shikamaru grimaced and looked back at the small screen. "Why not? It turned out pretty cool."
Naruto's face lit up. "You think so?"
"I'm no expert, but... Yeah, sure."
Naruto suspected Shikamaru only said that to get off the hook on his comment about Temari, but it still made him happy. Since he knew the video, his eyes wandered and got caught on the top comment. It was written in all bold letters by a regular on his channel.
Expecting some fun commentary, he took out his own phone, refreshed the page and looked at the comment. And he froze instantly.

- RAVENEYES REPLIED TO YOU MAN!!!

Naruto almost threw his phone into the fake pool. “Wait—no way, NO WAY,” he muttered, fumbling on the touchscreen. He clicked—and there it was, plain as day, under his pinned comment:

- RavenEyes: “You’re loud, misinformed, and clearly think eyeliner is a debate tactic to make people overlook your ‚interesting‘ points.

Naruto’s jaw dropped. He stared at the words like they were cursed scripture. What a dickhead!

The chat in his latest upload went feral an celebrated anyway.
- RAVENEYES COMMENTED OMG
- THE WAR IS REAL
- Naruto, your enemy has entered the battlefield

He felt Shikamaru's wary gaze on him. "What’s up?"
Naruto opened his mouth—and closed it again with a snap. How did you explain what was going on to someone as offline as Shikamaru?
"The guy I was talking about in the video..."
"That... Raven?"
"RavenEyes, right," Naruto nodded. "He left a comment on the video!"
"Ah... I guess he's not happy?"
"No, he's a total asshole, look!" Naruto complained, showing Shikamaru his screen.
His friend read it, then stabbed him in the back with a shrug. "What did you expect? You called him out and criticized his work."
„Well, he’s not the first one to call me ‘loud’ so, like, thanks, I guess – but also ‘interesting.’ Interesting. Which is basically a compliment.”
He puffed up his chest like a peacock, but then he slumped back in his chair, heart hammering. In truth, he hadn't expected a response at all. RavenEyes receives thousands of comments daily from his millions of fans. How did he even notice that – and so quickly?
“Why would he even bother?” he muttered, more to himself. “I’m just… me. He’s huge. I don’t—” He cut himself off, shook it off, and pulled a grin back on. Play it loud, play it silly. Don’t let them see you sweat.
„Well, he’ll see what it gets him!“ he said, already typing up a response.

- NarutoUzumakupi: “You can’t spell ‘wrong’ without RavenEyes.”

- RavenEyes: “That’s not how spelling works. But I wouldn’t expect accuracy from someone who thinks whiskers count as serious criticism.”

- NarutoUzumakupi: “They’re iconic. Don’t be jealous just because you’re faceless.”

- RavenEyes: “Maybe I prefer substance over spectacle.”

- NarutoUzumakupi: “Maybe you’re scared your face can’t compete with mine.”

As he typed, he almost forgot Shikamaru was at his side. Even when they got back to work, he was distracted, and the discussion continued into the night.
The exchanges were heated, but even fans noticed: the two weren’t really insulting each other. There was rhythm to it, like sparring partners who knew exactly when to jab and when to pull back. Naruto noticed that this banter took up more and more of his attention, and he didn’t mind.

This went on for about a month. While their audiences didn’t pay as much attention to their discussions anymore, Naruto grew more and more fascinated by the other creator. He had always enjoyed his video essays, but never engaged with his other social media. Now he looked RavenEyes up and found out that his TikTok and Instagram were run by another man. Only his Twitter account seemed to be personal.
In that time, Naruto followed Raven’s other Social Media accounts, which he soon learned were run by another man.

Then, a week later, came the moment that tipped everything.

Naruto was sprawled across his bed when a dozen DMs hit him at once: “HE FEATURED YOU. CHECK NOW.”
He clicked the link with sweaty palms.
The title: “Queer Subtext in Marvel: Fan Readings, Canon, and Why Both Matter.”
It was a boring name, but that was quite common for Raven. Naruto looked at the timer – almost two hours! He got snacks, got comfortable on his couch and tuned in.
RavenEyes’ deep voice hummed through Naruto’s speakers: “Some guy with whiskers on his face tried to roast me this week…“
And there it was—Naruto’s own face, screen-capped mid-eyeshadow, grinning like a lunatic. RavenEyes even replayed a clip where Naruto said, ‘The vibes are gay, end of story.’
“Crude,” Sasuke’s voice said dryly, „but while he was very, very wrong in his conclusions, he had a point about emotional resonance.”
Naruto threw his pillow at the wall and shrieked, “HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!” But when he replayed it a third time, cheeks hot, he couldn’t ignore the twist in his stomach. Hearing his own words quoted in that smooth baritone… it was – ugh. Unfair.
The essay itself was, well… kind of brilliant.
RavenEyes broke down the difference between fan interpretations and canon intent, his voice carrying through examples from comics, interviews, even queer theory texts Naruto had never heard of.
Naruto found himself muttering responses aloud. “Okay, but friendship can be romantic, too!” or “EXACTLY, that’s what I said—oh my god.”
By the end, he had crumbs on his hoodie and a buzzing in his chest. He hated to admit it, but… the guy knew his stuff.
Of course, he had no intentions of telling him that in the comment he was about to leave.

NarutoUzumakupi: “Okay, first of all, rude for stealing my face. Second of all, you sound like a textbook. And third of all—Steve and Bucky are STILL soulmates, fight me.”

It took less than an hour for RavenEyes to reply.
- RavenEyes: “You’re still wrong. But at least you argue with passion. Try again.”

Naruto stared at the screen, heat crawling up his neck. His fingers flew across the keys.
- NarutoUzumakupi: “Oh it’s ON, Mr. Never-Shows-His-Face. Next video incoming.”

From there, it snowballed.
Within days, Naruto’s sub count skyrocketed. His inbox was flooded. His chat was wild with new faces.

- Whisker Boy vs RavenEyes is the collab we NEED.
- I subbed for the chaos, stayed for the eyeshadow.
- Naruto’s right though… the vibes ARE gay.

Naruto put on his brightest grin for the camera, laughing like it was all part of the plan. “Guess the world’s finally catching on to my genius!” he joked in his next upload where he welcomed his new Subs and thanked everyone for their support.
But when the lights turned off, he sat in the dark for a moment, staring at the subscriber counter climbing higher and higher. His chest tightened. They’re not here for me… they’re here because of him.
He rubbed at the fading whiskers on his cheek, then put his smile back on. No need to wallow! Keep it loud. Keep it funny. Don’t let them see you doubt. He would make them return for him.

He hit his goal of 10k about a week after Raven’s video and it didn’t stop there. It seemed to get easier the bigger his following had already become, who knew.
Staying in touch with his growing community the way he was used to, however, was significantly more difficult. This saddened him, but he tried to at least communicate regularly with his long-time fans.
The rest of the year was a blur. He received his first collaboration offers, and brands offered him deals. Managing it all was a bit overwhelming and lonely, cause he couldn’t talk to any of his real life friends about it. They supported him, sure, but none of them knew what it was like. The loneliness was made havier cause he barely even had time for his discussions with Raven, and he often found himself missing them.
But he really had no reason to complain. This was what he'd wanted since he started the channel. He'd done it.
And it had only taken a little push from a velvet voice.

The email came early the next year:
“You are officially invited to CreatorCon: meet & greet, panels, and community building. We’d love for you to join us.”
Naruto reread it three times, heart in his throat. CreatorCon. His first YouTuber event. Real creators. Big creators. And—he realized with a jolt—RavenEyes was on the list of attendees.
He grinned at the camera in his next stream, wild-eyed, whiskers sharp, voice brimming with fake bravado. “Well, guys. Looks like I’ll get to meet my rival who started all of this in person. Hope he’s ready for war.”
The chat exploded with laughing emojis. But inside, Naruto’s stomach flipped.
War? More like a heart attack waiting to happen.

Chapter Text

The convention hall buzzed with voices, ring lights, and the low hum of camera gear. Naruto smoothed down the sleeves of his oversized orange hoodie for the fifth time, ignoring the way his hands kept fidgeting. His whiskers were on point, eyeliner winged sharp enough to kill a man—if only his knees weren’t wobbling like Jell-O.
You belong here, he reminded himself. Of course you do. You’re Naruto Uzumaki, future icon, whisker legend. Totally not freaking out.
“Totally freaking out,” he muttered, breath shallow.

From the outside, though, no one would guess. He bounced into conversations with fellow creators, laughed too loudly, dropped compliments like confetti. His fans in the livestream chat ate it up:
- Look at him go!!
- our boy is thriving 🧡
- he looks nervous tho lol

„Naruto?“ The event coordinator smiled at him coyly. She wore pale lavender contacts under her blue fringe. „I would like you to meet RavenEyes, if you’d like.“
His heart pumped even faster than before. „Sure, let’s go!“
He followed Hinata to a more secluded area. When they passed a glass door, Naruto caught a glimpse of his reflection and cringed a bit. Shikamaru had pushed him to go all out on his Make-Up – „That’s what they expect to see,“ he had said and he was right – but Naruto still didn’t feel comfortable in public with the bright orange eyeshadow and lashes.
It objectively looked good. It made him nervous nonetheless.
He shifted his attention to a man seated on a couch, scrolling on his phone. He had to be the infamous RavenEyes.
Naruto had imagined him a dozen different ways: smug nerd in glasses, pale vampire, faceless shadow. He wasn’t ready for the sharp jawline, the silky black hair falling into his eyes, or the way he carried himself like he was bored of the whole world. His skin was bare, but shimmered like pristine marble and certainly knew an expensive care routine. Fitted ripped-jeans on long toned legs, oversized band shirt, posture loose but elegant – the man looked like he belonged in a magazine spread, not under fluorescent convention lights.
Naruto’s brain short-circuited for a second. Then he snapped back, plastering on his biggest grin. “Well, well, well,” he said, swagger in every step as he approached. “If it isn’t Mr. Bad Takes himself.”
RavenEyes glanced at him, expression cool, unreadable. Now Naruto knew where his user name came from: His eyes were dark like a raven in a rainstorm.
“And you must be… Mr. whiskers.”
Naruto clutched his chest theatrically. “The Mr. whiskers. Respect the brand.”
Sasuke’s mouth twitched – almost a smile, maybe, if you squinted.
„Okay, I’ll leave you to it,“ Hinata said with a smile.
Naruto shifted awkwardly, and Raven raised a brow. „Sit,“ he demanded sternly.
Frowning, Naruto followed the order. „Not a dog, ya know …“
„Hm… A fox is close enough,“ he said, dark eyes glistening.
Naruto fiddled at the paper cup of coffee in his hand. For once, he wasn’t performing for a lens or in the semi anonymous comment sections of a YouTube video. He fiddled with his straw, trying not to notice how Sasuke’s gaze lingered on him, sharp and curious. After months of endless back and forth, he didn’t know what to say, now that he was faced with his rival. His unfairly hot rival, at that.
„So …“ Sasuke said, leaning back. „Naruto’s your real name?“
„Huh …? Uh, yeah“, he nodded, playing with the member card on his neck that probably had made the other man ask that. „I assume yours isn’t Raven, huh?“
The other man had tucked his card in his shirt. He was silent for a while, examining a group of female influencers having a mini photo shoot in front of a photo wall.
„Sasuke,“ he finally said when they left.
Naruto’s eyes grew big, then he smiled sheepishly. A real name … That felt like they’d gotten closer already.
„Naruto!“ he said happily and Sasuke chuckled.
„I know.“
Naruto blushed, then he quickly changed the topic.“Anyways, are you finally gonna admit I was right about Stucky?”
“You weren’t,” Sasuke replied flatly, then softened with a sigh. “But… you made me appreciate the ship more.”
Naruto blinked. “Whoa. Is that… did you just concede a point? Mark your calendars, everyone – RavenEyes is human after all.”
Sasuke ignored the jab, eyes narrowing slightly. „You’re just as dramatic as in your videos.“
„Well cause that’s who I am!“
„I wonder…“ Sasuke said, without letting him out of his sight.
Naruto fidgeted with his drink. „Uhm… You don’t seem like a guy who’s into shipping discourse, anyways.“
„I’m not“, Sasuke agreed. „I talk about queer discourse in media, and that involves romantic and sexual relationships. But it’s different from ‚shipping culture‘.“
„How so?“
„I might make a video on it.“
Naruto grinned. „Just for me?“ he teased.
„Just for you“, Sasuke chuckled suprisingly gentle, then he studied Naruto’s face. „You don’t seem like the type of guy to wear make-up either.“
„Well, any ‚type of guy‘ can do it“, he retorded. „Not as well as me, tho, obviously.“
Sasuke rolled his eyes. „You know what I mean.“
„Yeah …“ Naruto rolled the cup between his hands. “I’ve done this since high school,” he chuckled. “Stole my mom’s makeup bag before class, locked myself in the bathroom mirror before first period. The fluorescent lights made everything look worse, but for those ten minutes before anyone walked in, I actually liked my reflection.”
„It doesn’t now.“
Naruto looked up, heat creeping up his neck. Sasuke seemed a lot nicer in person. Still challenging, of course, but Naruto hadn’t expected him to be so prone to making compliments. It was almost as if he was flirtig… But there was just no way!
„You wouldn’t say that if you saw my whole gyarou phase in highschool,” he blurted out, his brain short circuitig again. Still, he was grinning at the memory. “Bleached pigtails, glitter everywhere, nails so long my teachers almost lost their minds.“
„Sounds lika a ‘disruption of the learning environment’,” Sasuke teased.
„Nearly got me expelled!“ He laughed, but his voice softened. “Thing is… it was the first time I felt like myself. Like I could actually breathe.”
Sasuke was quiet, studying him. Finally, he said, “Books were that for me. Stories. Characters that… saw me, when no one else did. Family, friends, classmates – they didn’t get it. But those authors did.”
Naruto tilted his head, surprised by the admission. “So that’s why you got into media analysis, huh?”
„Basically,” Sasuke said simply, eyes dropping to his cup. „Studied literature and gender studies and tried to write myself… Still am, actually.“
Naruto leaned forward, eyes wide. “What?! Show me! I wanna read something!”
“No.” Sasuke’s tone was final, but there was no bite to it. More like a door he wasn’t ready to open.
Naruto pouted. “Fine. But one day you’re giving me a sneak peek. I’ll wear you down. Believe it.”
„We’ll see about that,“ Sasuke said with a spark in his eyes.
Soon enough, Hinata called them to the next event. Naruto found himself next to Raven – Sasuke, he reminded himself, feeling a little giddy every time about this little piece of personal information, this little proof that he was no longer just a fanboy to a popular YouTuber – almost the whole day. The banter flowed easily, like they’d been circling each other for years and finally found the same rhythm. Naruto kept his grin sharp, kept his voice cocky, because it was safer that way. Safer to tease, safer to pretend.
And safer to navigate this new environment. Sasuke’s self assured nature gave him stability, something to bounce off of. They had as much chemistry as online, one that could keep the whole room entertained easily.

The only problem was that Sasuke was way too attractive up close.
Sasuke was a safety net, but at the same time way more dangerous than he expected.
The stream started with a blinding grin and a sparkle of neon blue eyeshadow across Naruto’s lids. His whiskers were extra sharp today, thick black lines slashed across his cheeks like battle paint. “Yo! What’s up, guys!” he shouted into the camera, nearly knocking over his mic with the force of his wave. “We’re back, live, in HD, and your boy survived his first ever CreatorCon without combusting! Believe it!”

The chat exploded.
- 👏👏👏 proud of you whisker king
- YOU WERE AMAZING NARU
- best con debut ever tbh

Naruto slapped a hand to his chest, pretending to swoon. “Aw, stop, you’ll make me blush.”
He struck a pose, then collapsed into laughter. But as the compliments rolled in, his grin softened. He leaned closer to the camera, voice dipping just a bit lower.
“Seriously, though. I gotta thank you guys. Like—CreatorCon? Me? I thought they emailed the wrong person. But then I got there, and it was crazy, all these creators I’ve watched for years – and somehow, me, in the middle of it. I wouldn’t have been there without you guys supporting my loud, ridiculous self.”
The chat flooded with hearts and crying emojis. Naruto rubbed at his cheek, suddenly grateful for the thick foundation hiding the heat rising under his skin.
He was glad to change the subject when questions started rolling in.
Favorite panel? Did he meet so-and-so? Any funny behind-the-scenes stories?

Naruto answered with his usual flair, rambling into tangents about the free snacks and the disaster that was his hotel hair dryer. And then came the big one.
soooo… what was it like meeting RAVENEYES?
Any ‚heated battles‘ in your hotel sheets with the eternal rival 👀

Naruto choked on his water. “Wha- why are you all like this?” he sputtered, waving frantically at the chat. “I knew it! I knew this was coming. Y’all are obsessed. Obsessed, I tell you.”

The comments only got worse:
- ship name WHEN
- was he hot irl??
- kiss already lmaooo

Naruto threw his hands up, laughing too loudly. “You guys are impossible. Fine, fine, I’ll answer. Meeting RavenEyes was… uh…” His voice trailed, and he tugged at his hoodie collar.
He thought about their conversation on the backstage couch, way more personal than a first meeting would call for. About the comments that could be ‚flirting‘ if anyone but Sasuke made them. About Sasuke’s intense gaze that never let him go.
“He’s actually… pretty cool,” Naruto admitted, tone reluctant but betraying the small smile tugging at his lips. “Y’know. For a jerk.“

The chat wasn’t letting go.
- PRETTY COOL?!
- our boy is smitten 😏
- spill it spill it spill it

„Still has terrible takes, don’t get me wrong, but-” he stopped, realizing he was rambling. Naruto groaned and flopped forward dramatically onto his desk. “Why do I do this to myself? I swear, you guys are gonna get me canceled one day. I mean, Sasuke was-!”
Silence. His own words echoed in his ears.

The chat exploded.
- WAIT WHO
- SASUKE??
- DID HE JUST NAME DROP??
- LEAKED LEAKED LEAKED

Naruto froze like a deer in headlights. “…Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

The comments scrolled faster than he could blink:
- too late whisker boy, receipts exist
- #SasukeReveal trending incoming
- Naruto you’re in TROUBLE lmaooo

Naruto buried his face in his hands, muffling his groan into the mic. “Oh my god. He’s gonna kill me.”

Chapter Text

The comment sections had turned into a battlefield — emojis as artillery, ship names as flags.

On every new upload – whether it was Naruto’s glittery neon cut-crease tutorial or Sasuke’s latest broody deep-dive into queer-coded villains – fans knew to scroll down for the real entertainment.
- NarutoUzumakupi: “Amazing analysis as always, Sasuke!“
- RavenEyes: ““Stop using my real name, Usuratonkachi.”
Naruto’s reply came minutes later, pinned at the top for maximum visibility: “Oops 😇 I’d apologize but you look too grumpy when you’re mad, so I’m doing it again on purpose.”

The fans were losing it.
- just collab already you cowards
- ship name: NaruSasu
- Nooooo it’s definetly SasuNaru

After his blooper, Naruto had called Sasuke to apologize. It was a livestream, so he couldn’t undo the damage – tho he didn’t upload the footage.
„It’s fine.“
Sasuke’s deep, calm voice crept up Naruto’s spine. He cleared his throat. „You sure? You’ve managed to stay completely anonymous for four years and then here I come…“
„It’s not like I didn’t know you were loud,“ he teased, but then he sighed. His silence felt heavier than Naruto had expected, so he kept quiet to let the man think. „It’s for the best, I think. I guess … It’s time to really be myself.“
Naruto choked. It sounded like Sasuke was implying that Naruto had helped him to step into himself a bit more, be more open. But that was delusional. Sasuke was so self assured, he didn’t need someone like Naruto to push him anywhere.
Still, after he basically got the okay, Naruto fueled the fire whenever he could. He’d grin at the camera mid-video and say, “Oh, my rival Sasuke posted the most boring essay yesterday. Don’t watch it, unless you need a nap.”
But his grin never quite matched the bite in his words. And his fans could tell.

The breaking point came during a joint livestream. Sasuke had joined Naruto’s channel—again—and the chat was already vibrating with chaos, shipping edits, and an endless string of fox and raven emojis.

They’d been answering fan questions for an hour – favorite makeup brushes, top three comfort movies, their takes on the new superhero show – when someone in chat inevitably brought up the topic:
- They’re so cute even when naruto doxed 😭😭

„Oooh, not again,“ Naruto whined while Sasuke turned toward him, arms folded across his chest like a judge about to deliver a sentence.
“They’re right,” he said flatly, “why did you think blurting my name to thousands of people was a good idea.”
Naruto groaned so loudly his mic peaked. He flopped back dramatically against the couch cushions. “DUDE, I SAID I WAS SORRY – like, at least fifty times!”
“Not enough,” Sasuke replied, voice like stone. “You owe me.”

The chat was spiraling:
- justice for sasuke!!!
- he deserves compensation
- make him pay!!

Naruto dragged a hand down his face. “Fine. What do you want, bastard? Free eyeliner for life? An apology video where I cry?!”
Sasuke tilted his head, feigning consideration, then he vaguely gestured at the camera. „Let your fans decide.“

Naruto knew that wouldn’t end well for himself, and he was proven right. The chat immediately flooded with suggestions:
- EMBARRASSING STORY TIME
- MAKE HIM SAY WHY HE DOES THE WHISKERS
- fox boy lore!!

Naruto sat bolt upright, eyes wide. “Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Not that one. Absolutely not.”
Sasuke smirked, leaning a little closer. “Sounds perfect, then.”
The chat spurred Sasuke on, and Naruto groaned into his hands. “Fine. FINE. You want the whisker origin story? You monsters win.”
He sat up, fiddling with the edge of his hoodie, cheeks warm under the makeup. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. His tone softened, losing the usual bravado.
“When I was a kid, I was, uh… obsessed with foxes,” he admitted, sheepish. “ Like… probably my first hyperfixation, now that I think about it. One Halloween, my mom made me this whole fox costume—tail, ears, everything. She even drew whiskers on my face with eyeliner. I loved it so much that I begged her to do it every single day. And she did. For months.”
The chat was exploding with heart emojis. Naruto smiled faintly, softer now.
“When I changed schools, my new classmates legit thought I just had whiskers naturally. And I guess, when I got into makeup later, I wanted to keep it going. Just… part of me now, I guess.”
For once, he wasn’t yelling or clowning—just speaking simply. The stream was quiet for a beat, like everyone felt the shift.
Then Naruto clapped his hands, breaking the spell. “Anyway, that’s your embarrassing story! Hope you’re happy, Sasuke!”
“Ecstatic,” Sasuke deadpanned. But his gaze lingered a little too long, like he’d seen something more.
And Naruto, cheeks warm, shoved him lightly. “Shut up.”

Later, when the cameras were off, the air between them was quieter. The glow-ring went dark, leaving only the hum of the computer fans. Naruto leaned back against the couch, picking at the seam of his sleeve. He wasn’t bouncing or shouting, just… still.
Sasuke noticed. “You okay?”
Naruto hesitated, then exhaled.
“Yeah. Just… thinking about her. My mom.”
Sasuke blinked, caught off guard.
“She died a few years ago,” Naruto said softly. “I don’t talk about it on camera – I guess I had no place to judge you for keeping your privacy,“ he chuckled. But… she’s the reason I even started doing makeup. The whiskers were her idea first.“
Naruto rubbed at his cheek, whiskers smudging slightly. “Guess that’s why I keep the whiskers. It’s… like she’s still here. Kinda dumb, huh?”
Sasuke was silent for a long while, then he slowly placed his hand over Naruto’s. “…It’s not,” he said quietly. “It’s… beautiful.”
Naruto glanced at him, a small, grateful smile tugging at his lips. “Thanks, bastard.”
Sasuke looked away, ears a little pink. “Hn.”
And just like that, the silence between them felt less heavy.

Naruto’s fans noticed something, too. The more collabs he did, the more his audience responded—not just to his chaos and jokes, but to his quiet moments. His thoughtful comments about identity, belonging, self-expression.
And Naruto was starting to realize something terrifying. People weren’t just laughing at him. They were listening.

Chapter Text

The video opened with Naruto practically vibrating in his chair. His eyeliner wings were dramatic, his whiskers sharp, and his grin feral.
“Okay guys,” he announced, leaning close to the camera, “today is the day. The day legends are made. The day I get to make RavenEyes – aka Mr. Broody McBadTakes – pretty. Wish me luck!”
He yanked Sasuke into frame before the man could escape. Sasuke sat stiffly in the second chair, arms crossed, expression flat as a pond.
“This is humiliating,” Sasuke muttered.
Naruto gasped theatrically. “Excuse me?! You’re about to look FABULOUS. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The chat was already losing it:
- HES REALLY HERE OMG
- ravoneyes looks like he’s being held hostage 😂
- naruto’s grin = chaos incoming

The brush dipped into the pale foundation Naruto had bought for Sasuke. Naruto leaned in, squinting at Sasuke’s face with exaggerated seriousness.
“Your skin is unfair,” Naruto grumbled. “Like, what do you even do? Just glower at the mirror until your pores run away?”
Sasuke arched a brow. “You’re just jealous.”
Naruto snorted. “Oh my god. Did you just sass me on my own channel? The audacity.”
The banter rolled easily, like a tennis match – Naruto loud, dramatic, Sasuke cutting in with dry retorts that only made Naruto louder.
When Naruto started blending eyeshadow, he leaned close enough that Sasuke could feel the warmth of his breath.
“Don’t blink,” Naruto warned.
“You’re hovering.”
“That’s called artistry, bastard.”

The chat exploded:
- THE TENSION???
- HELLO?!!
- flirt speedrun any%

„So… What’s your favorite Marvel film?“ Naruto asked while he worked. He had decided on eyeliner and Kajal to enhance Sasuke’s deep eyes.
“‘The Winter Soldier’,” Sasuke said without thinking.
Naruto almost dropped his brush. “Excuse me?! ‘Ragnarok’ clears. Easily.”
„I though’t you’d agree just on your shipping opinions.“
„Well, from that angle it’s obviously an amazing movie but have you seen Chris Hemsworth?!“
„I have,“ Sasuke deadpanned.
Naruto grunted. „Not your type, I guess?“
„He is, actually,“ Sasuke said, a glint in his eyes. „I like them blonde, buff and dumb.“
The way Sasuke looked at him made Naruto feel like he should be offended. „Hey-“
“You like it because it’s loud and colorful,” Sasuke changed the subject quickly.
Naruto gasped, clutching his chest. “You mean because it has taste.”
“Because it’s loud,” Sasuke repeated.
Naruto muttered something about “uncultured bats” under his breath, which sent the chat spiraling with laughter. But in the back of his head he wondered if Sasuke just compared him to Chris Hemsworth – who he said was his type.
But there was just no way that could be true.

By the end, Sasuke’s makeup was flawless. Naruto had chosen to keep it light except for the eyes. He had just added a soft pink lipgloss that lightly shimmered on Sasuke‘s mouth. It exhentuated his regal features and dark edge.
He beamed at the camera.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone fabulous – behold! The makeover of the century!”
Sasuke gave the camera a flat look. “I regret this.”
Naruto cackled. “No take-backs!”

Sasuke shoved Naruto lightly out of frame, and Naruto howled with laughter. The fans ate it up.
- THIS DUO IS EVERYTHING
- WE NEED MORE CONTENT TOGETHER
- collab series WHEN

„Anyways, we have to watch Ragnarok now,“ he decided, already setting up the TV.
It was a bit of chaos until everything was set up, but then he was tugged in next to Sasuke on the couch and they watched a movie. And another one. And another one.
Naruto leaned on Sasuke’s shoulder mid-stream, laughing until his eyeliner smudged. Sasuke brushed stray bangs from Naruto’s face once without thinking, and the chat collectively lost its mind. Once, during a somewhat creepy scene, their hands ended up clasped under the sheets – and neither of them seemed to notice until fans clipped it a hundred times over.

- brooooo they’re already married
- hand holding is not platonic sorry

Naruto denied it every single time. “Dating? No way, guys, he’s just my bro!” he’d laugh, cheeks pink under the makeup.
But whenever he said it, Sasuke would glance at the camera, slow and deliberate, a little smirk tugging at his lips, like he knew something Naruto didn’t.
And the fans went feral.
It was way past midnight when the marathon finally ended. Naruto rubbed his eyes, smudging what was left of his eyeliner, and groaned.
“Okay, I’m officially dead. No more ghost nuns, no more cursed dolls. I can’t do it.”
Beside him, Sasuke stretched, calm as ever. “You screamed at a curtain.”
“That curtain moved!” Naruto protested, jabbing a finger at him. “You saw it!”
Sasuke just gave him that infuriatingly smug little smirk, and Naruto’s stomach did its usual traitorous flip. He shoved down the thought, yawning instead. “Whatever, man. I’m crashing.”
Naruto flopped onto his bed without even bothering to change. Sasuke raised a brow from the doorway. “You’re seriously going to sleep in jeans?”
“Too tired,” Naruto mumbled into his pillow. Then, quieter: “...You can stay if you want. It’s late.”
Their eyes met and Naruto swallowed. „I don’t have a guest room, so … It’s just this bed.“
For a beat, Naruto thought Sasuke would refuse. But then, wordlessly, Sasuke pulled off his jacket and slid onto the other side of the bed like it was the most normal thing in the world. Naruto’s pulse kicked up immediately.
He knew he had the biggest crush on Sasuke, and he felt sort of alone in it. Usually, he would share everything with community - he basically live streamed his relationship with his last boyfriend, up until the nasty breakup.
But with Sasuke, it was something else. For one, cause he obviously would see Naruto's gushing on camera and he didn't want to ruin their friendship with his feelings. But he also didn't think this would ever lead to anything. Sasuke was smart, and Naruto was really bad at hiding his feelings. Sasuke had to know that Naruto was completely smitten with him. But he never said anything or made a move. The only reason for that could be that he wasn't interested in Naruto romantically.
So Naruto had resigned himself to staying friends.
The mattress dipped under Sasuke’s weight, and the air between them shifted – close, warm, a little charged. Naruto tried to keep breathing like it wasn’t a big deal, like this was totally casual, like he wasn’t hyperaware of how good Sasuke smelled, faint cologne mixing with the lingering sweetness of the lip gloss Naruto had put on him earlier.
Silence settled over them. Sasuke lay on his back, arms folded behind his head, eyes tracing the ceiling. Naruto turned onto his side, facing him before he could stop himself.
The soft glow from the desk lamp caught on Sasuke’s features – sharp, beautiful, unreal. The gloss had mostly worn off, but Naruto could still see the faint shimmer at the corner of his mouth.
His chest squeezed. He wanted so badly to say something – anything. But the words tangled.
Instead, he whispered, “Thanks for hanging out. Today was… fun.”
Sasuke shifted his gaze from the ceiling to Naruto. For a moment, his expression softened, almost unreadable. Then, quietly: “You’re ridiculous.”
Naruto huffed, half a laugh, half a defense. “Gee, thanks.”
But Sasuke’s eyes lingered on him a beat longer than usual, and when Naruto finally looked away, his cheeks burned.
They didn’t touch, but the space between them felt like it was humming, like something unspoken had cracked open.
Naruto buried his face into the pillow. Tomorrow, he’d laugh it off. On stream, he’d joke about how Sasuke hogged the blanket or whatever.

But right now – just for tonight – he let himself feel it. The warmth, the closeness, the quiet comfort of Sasuke breathing steady beside him.

Chapter Text

Naruto could’ve gone on like this.
Make reaction videos to bad horror movies together. Their hands clasping under the desk during a long horror stream.
The chaotic gaming livestream where Naruto screamed every time something moved on-screen and Sasuke calmly roasted him the entire time. Naruto would lean on Sasuke’s shoulder mid-stream, laughing until his eyeliner smudged. Sasuke brushed stray bangs from Naruto’s face once without thinking.
He could’ve done it. At least that’s what he told himself.

And this stream, too, was supposed to be casual – just them playing a co-op game, Naruto screaming every time an enemy jumped out, Sasuke roasting him in his usual monotone voice. Business as usual.
Naruto should’ve known it wouldn’t be when he chocked up as soon as the camera switched on.
„Damn.“ His chocked laugh sounded like a cough. „I prepared a speech and all, but now that I’m here I can’t find a thing to say!“
„Gotta be a first.“
Sasuke’s teasing was gentle and when Naruto looked over at him, his eyes were warm. Reassuring. Making Naruot’s heart beat like a drum.
„Well, thanks for that, asshole!“ He punched Sasuke’s shoulder, but then steadied himself, looking back at the camera.
“You guys… It’s been a year since we’ve blown up. Wow.“ His voice shook, but he didn’t cover it. „Many of you’ve stuck with me since I was a nobody with a crappy webcam and marker whiskers. I always thought people just watched me to laugh at the clown, but… turns out you actually listen. You care. And… I’m proud of myself. For real this time.”
He exhaled, then leaned into Sasuke’s shoulder, smiling so wide it hurt. “But don’t think that means I’m gonna stop roasting this guy.”
Sasuke smirked. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The screen filled with hearts, emojis, screaming fans, and donation alerts chiming like fireworks.
- JUST KISS ALREADY
- THE TENSION IS ILLEGAL
- you’re fooling no one naru
- sasuke’s eyes been heart-eyes for months

Naruto’s laugh was too loud. He waved his hands at the flood of messages. “Okay, okay, guys, chill! We’re just friends, alright? Just friends!”
His voice cracked on the word. The grin on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Who would want to date that bastard, anyways?"
Sasuke stared at him. Silent.
Naruto's palms got sweaty. He kept talking, as always when he was nervous. "I mean, he has a terrible taste in ships and he's always sort of grumpy and-"
Then, deadpan as ever, he leaned over, cupped Naruto’s jaw, and kissed him. Just like that.
Naruto froze, eyes wide, his whole body short-circuiting. When Sasuke finally pulled back, Naruto just… gaped at him.
“D-did you-”
“Dense idiot,” Sasuke cut in, still calm, though his ears were a little pink. “I’ve been into you since the first comment. You really didn’t notice?”
Naruto blinked. Then laughed, a soft, real laugh, bubbling up until it made his eyes crinkle. He grabbed Sasuke’s hand, squeezing tight.
“…Guess I’m not the quickest on the uptake,” he admitted, grin crooked.
Naruto looked back at the camera – which he had completely forgotten –, still holding Sasuke’s hand, and for once, he didn’t hide behind a joke.

The chat exploded. The stream lagged under the flood of emojis.
- ?!?!!?!?
- OH MY GOD
- CANON. WE ARE CANON.