Archive of Our Own ^beta

It had been a year, almost to the day, since the war ended. Sasuke had been in and out of the village, working with Kakashi in an extremely stiff and tenuous relationship. He wasn’t trusted, not completely. But Kakashi knew he couldn’t hope to best Sasuke in battle, and Naruto wouldn’t let that happen anyway. Circumstantial immunity. Luck. Mercy, from the Great Shinobi Hero, who Sasuke owed the most.

The man himself wouldn’t think of it as mercy.

“Sasuke, before you go,” Kakashi said in his usual lazy manner, “don’t forget tomorrow is Naruto’s birthday.”

Sasuke had paused with his back to Kakashi, half hanging out the window of the Hokage office. “Hn.”

He jumped into the moonlit air and stood on a roof just below the office. He closed his eyes and reached for Naruto’s chakra. Sasuke found him in a training field half a mile away. Naruto was heaving after receiving a particularly hard blow from… himself. His mouth quirked up in a smile. He had grown unused to those particular muscles working during his young life.

They were getting a workout in the past twelve months.

“Naruto,” he called as he landed on the training field behind his only friend's back.

Naruto turned around and grinned ear to ear. He ran over to Sasuke, his necklace bouncing against his bare, sweaty chest. Have some shame, dumbass. Sasuke averted his gaze slightly, as if that helped when he had the rinnegan.

“Sasuke! I didn’t know you were in town.” Naruto held out his unbandaged arm for a fist bump. Sasuke obliged, but only because he owed the other man so much.

“That’s the point, idiot.”

Naruto smiled his crooked smile and Sasuke’s chest squeezed. He couldn’t help but return the expression when he saw it.

“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto waved off the insult, “How long?”

There was a note of hope in his voice. Sasuke always dropped in on Naruto when he was back in Konoha, even when he didn’t set out to. One way or another, he always reached out for his chakra. Every time, it was warm and comforting. It was accepting and unconditional. Like a tap to the forehead from Itachi or a hug from Mother. Sasuke dare not deny the Great Shinobi Hero anything.

“Until the morning after tomorrow.”

Naruto, impossibly, smiled even wider. “Wanna train with me?”

“No.”

“Aww man, why?!” Naruto pouted and stuck his bottom lip out in defiance, “Afraid you’ll lose?”

Sasuke chuckled, “No, dumbass. Because you're gross already and I’m tired from my trip. Let’s go.”

Naruto didn’t sulk for long. He snagged his jacket and undershirt from the ground nearby and slipped them on while catching up to Sasuke and matching his stride. They strode through the village streets, Naruto babbling on about Sakura’s improvements to the hospital and how he was almost, seriously, really super close to beating Shikamaru at Shogi. Sasuke didn’t like walking through the streets of Konoha.

While Naruto may still accept him unconditionally, almost no one else shared the feeling. Sasuke would never let go of the pain the village had caused him and countless other children. At the same time, he always had a twisted sense of satisfaction when villagers shrunk away from him. Naruto noticed, of course he noticed, he had received the same treatment once. Their hatred and fear had turned to reverence. But only for his deeds.

Sasuke felt that twisted barb of possession twist his insides. He had no right to it, but it was there. He considered it a part of his atonement.

They walked the familiar path to Naruto’s apartment. It was much nicer than the one he grew up in. Sasuke thought the village owed him his own home for all he’d done, but he certainly wasn’t in charge. The plants inside were just as lively as they were a month ago. The vines seemed to bend towards and grab at Naruto as he passed, giving each an encouraging and proud grin.

“You wanna go first?” Naruto asked, gesturing to the bathroom. This had become routine. Whenever Sasuke visited, he stayed with Naruto. He had nowhere else to go, firstly, but secondly, and more importantly, he wanted to. Sasuke nodded and silently stalked off to the bathroom, relieved to soften his muscles under the hot water.

After the final battle, Sasuke was forced to reckon with his feelings. He had realized then that it was no use to go against Naruto’s fiery will. Whatever he set his mind to, he would eventually achieve. Sasuke was consumed by that fire and gratefully let it burn him up. It was, after all, the only thing that had kept him alive. Perhaps it still was.

He turned off the shower and toweled off, a more difficult task with one hand than washing was, and dressed in clean clothes. They were Naruto’s extras, but being roughly the same size, it made no difference to Sasuke what he slept in.

When Sasuke left the bathroom, he strode out to see Naruto stretching, wearing only his underwear and the crystal necklace. His tanned skin was unmarred by scars, unlike Sasuke’s, and his hair fell gently over his forehead. Sasuke stared for a long time, until Naruto moved to his third stretch. Naruto met his gaze and turned red across his nose, cheeks, ears, and down to his chest. The flush was beautiful on him, and Sasuke held his eyes, unrelenting.

I’m not like you, he thought, can I make you understand?

“Asshole, think my stretching is funny?” Naruto murmured, brushing past Sasuke on his way to the bathroom. “It’s important after training.”

Sasuke watched him all the way, appreciating the toned muscles Naruto had developed in their time apart. Naruto slammed the bathroom door. Sasuke was left in silence for all of three seconds before Naruto peeked his head out of the bathroom again.

“Hey, you didn’t use the bath? I coulda waited ya know.”

Sasuke shrugged. He’d made a routine of making everything as efficient as possible, so he rarely soaked after his scrubs. This was the first time he didn’t do so at Naruto’s apartment. He was antsy this time. Naruto squinted and slipped back behind the door. When Sasuke heard the water start to run he flopped back onto Naruto’s bed and stared at the ceiling.

One of the biggest failures of Konoha was how they kept children alone in those slums with no support. This apartment, though new since Pain invaded Konoha, still held so much of Naruto. Above the bed, Naruto had hung a handmade orange flag with the red Uzumaki crest in the center. Sasuke followed the spiral over and over and over.

Sasuke jolted from his sleep when Naruto left the bathroom and entered the dark room, the light from the bathroom behind him turning his hair a soft gold. Naruto leaned over Sasuke, who had his left eye shut tight.

“Guess you’re taking the bed tonight,” Naruto chuckled. He was always smiling. When he was getting beat in a fight. When he was moments away from death. When someone stole his bed for the night … when Sasuke stole his bed for the night. Naruto turned away to grab his spare futon from the closet when Sasuke grabbed his bandaged wrist.

“Mm? What’s up?” Naruto asked, wrist hot under Sasuke’s cold grip.

“Show it to me.”

“Ehh but I’m still not really used to it yet. It creeps me out, and Granny says —”

Sasuke cut him off, “Show me.”

Naruto swallowed, but he obeyed. He gently took his arm from Sasuke’s hand and slowly unwrapped the bandage. The skin was white, lighter than Sasuke’s, and it looked delicate in the darkness of the room. Sasuke sat up and looked closer at the foreign skin. It was jarringly cool toned. Chakra pathways stood out like veins, tinted red with nine-tails. Sasuke, mindlessly, traced a finger up the lines to the spot where the arm had been grafted on.

The white skin was rough, almost like wood or scroll paper. It was a deep contrast to the soft warmth of Naruto’s own golden skin. Sasuke wasn’t sure how long he’d been gently prodding at the seam and comparing the textures when Naruto cleared his throat.

“Weird right? That spot kinda hurts though, so if ya don’t mind letting me go.”

Sasuke obliged. His fingertips felt cold. “The whole arm doesn’t hurt?”

“I can’t really feel as much with it. It’s all kinda dull.” Naruto shrugged before reaching down to yank the futon he had wedged between crumpled blankets, scrolls, clothes, and plushies. “Remember when we talked about the phantom pain stuff? I still get that. So unfair. But Granny Tsunade says it’s normal — probably. Just gotta keep doing the massages. You still doing them?”

Sasuke shook his head, leaning back on his one arm. The other felt like static. Occasionally, fire would shoot up his lost limb all the way to his eyeballs. The fits would sometimes last an hour, and he ended them with his shirt soaked through.

“Now who’s the dumbass? Come on,” Naruto rolled out the futon next to the bed, but sat next to Sasuke and reached for his arm. “Wait, can I?”

“Go ahead,” Sasuke said, “And still you, by the way.”

Naruto laughed and pressed his thumb, the warm one, the real one, into the soft meat below Sasuke’s shoulder. He gritted his teeth and leaned forward in pain.

“Yeah, I know. It’s better if you lie down, but…” Naruto trailed off, his hand hesitating.

“Should’ve said so earlier, dumbass.”

Sasuke flopped back down and Naruto sat above him with Sasuke’s missing limb in front of his folded knees. Naruto smiled gently and went right back to his ministrations, his forehead scrunching with focus. When he pressed a spot that made Sasuke hiss, he relented, only to return with a more circular and gentle motion. He never pressed too hard or worked a spot too much.

“When did you become a medical ninja?” Sasuke teased, as though sweat weren’t dripping down his freshly washed skin.

Naruto didn’t let the conversation distract him for once in his life, and Sasuke gritted his teeth again when Naruto hummed. “When me and my best friend took each other's arms off in a war.”

There was no malice and no guilt. He stated it as a simple matter of fact. Sasuke smiled and Naruto balked. “If you’re smiling, I’m not doing it right.”

Sasuke pushed him away, “If you keep poking me I’ll kill you.”

“That’s more like it!” Naruto laughed, “One more thing. Hey, don’t make that face, it’ll help.”

Naruto gently placed his palm on Sasuke’s tender shoulder and he immediately felt a pleasant, numbing warmth envelop him. He felt Naruto’s chakra rush through him, taking that same pathway of pain that sometimes left Sasuke writhing, and dulling it to a near-pleasant hum.

“Don’t do that.” Sasuke scolded. Naruto sat back on his heels, a sad look in his eyes. They were so blue and light, they still sparkled even in the dark. “Don’t share your chakra just to dull my pain. It’s a part of the reason I don’t want a new arm.”

“Dude, you’re so dramatic sometimes.” Naruto snorted and climbed off the bed, his warmth passing over Sasuke’s legs. “I’m not gonna let you sit there hurting if I can help it. Deal with it.”

Sasuke scowled at him, but there was neither heat nor ice behind it. Whoever Sasuke tried to be in the eyes of the world, Naruto only ever saw him as he really was. Naruto saw his heart at its very core, past his actions and words and into the truest desires he had. Like it was easy.

Sasuke watched as Naruto picked up his arm bandage, before dropping it again. He flopped onto the futon and rustled around with various blankets and pillows. Soon enough, as quickly as always, Naruto was snoring from the floor below him. Sasuke couldn’t help the easy smile that slid across his face. He closed his eyes, arm lying over his stomach, and happily fell asleep to the raucous noise beside him.

The sun was blinding in the morning in Naruto’s apartment. The windows faced east, so the hot, golden light poured onto the bed and Naruto never remembered to close the blinds. Sasuke would normally lift his arm to cover his eyes, but Naruto, as usual, had crawled back up onto his bed and was burrowed into Sasuke’s side and cradling his arm.

The first time Sasuke had stayed over was the last time he hadn’t woken up sharing the bed with Naruto. The futon was a formality at that point. No matter if Sasuke claimed the bed or the futon, he’d wake up with the blonde nuzzled into him, curled around him, holding hands with him.

Naruto had jumped up and scooted away quickly the first time they woke up cuddled together. Sasuke had just watched him carefully, clearly having been awake for a while, until Naruto calmed down enough to laugh sheepishly and ask if Sasuke was hungry.

The second time, Sasuke stayed awake almost the whole night. He observed as Naruto tossed and snored. As if he were a heat seeking missile, he slowly rolled closer and closer to the edge of his bed. That time, Naruto was on the floor and Sasuke’s hand was dangling off the bed. Naruto’s fingers brushed against his own, and like it was a signal the boy crawled up, eyes still closed, and slotted himself evenly against Sasuke, whatever position he was in.He never once stirred and spent the rest of the night completely silent and still.

“Mm’ mornin’ S’ske.” Naruto yawned, nuzzling closer into Sasuke’s ribs.

“You’re tickling me,” Sasuke protested, tugging his arm away. Naruto spun like a yoyo and rolled off the bed, crashing onto the floor.

“Oiii so mean, ya bastard!” Naruto yelled, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes were still closed against the bright light of the sun. He looked so right drenched in the morning light, his warm features were perfect against that golden fire. Then he cracked open his eyes, the open blue was so welcome. Sasuke shivered like he had just jumped in a cold pond.

Sasuke watched as Naruto’s brain booted up. He walked around like a zombie at first, in a routine. Going from the bathroom, to the kitchen, to the balcony, back to the futon, until he jolted up and ran back on the balcony.

“What’s wrong, Naruto?” Sasuke just started lifting himself up off the bed when he heard it. The village below was bustling and loud, especially for sunrise. He made his way over to the balcony, standing next to Naruto, where the blonde leaned over the railing wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Sasuke placed his hand under Naruto’s jaw to snap it shut.

“Sorry — it’s just, is that — is this a — a festival?”

Sasuke turned his attention to the crowds below, marveling at the stalls set up on either side of the main street, from the gate to the Hokage’s office, and smiled at the orange flags and Uzumaki symbols everywhere.

“It’s for you,” Sasuke said simply, watching as the realization dawned over Naruto. Naruto gripped the railing so hard Sasuke thought he might break the metal. He was smiling so wide. There were tears welling up behind Naruto’s eyes, making the blue sparkle even more, impossibly. Sasuke smiled at him.

When Naruto turned his head to meet Sasuke’s eyes, it took everything he had to not cry along with him. Naruto had brought him back to himself, but that was still too much.

Then, Naruto started pacing in his apartment, his nervous energy practically filling the room with a physical miasma that Sasuke had to wade through.

“It’s all so much,” Naruto panted, walking around, “I’ve barely ever had a birthday and now there’s a whole festival? I don’t know if I can…”

Sasuke grabbed his arm- his real arm, and pulled Naruto towards him so they were only a foot apart.

“Do you want to celebrate?”

“Wh- yeah, but it’s a lot.”

Sasuke nodded. “Then celebrate. If it gets to be too much, we can come back.”

Naruto nodded, then his eyes widened and Sasuke felt his arm tense beneath his fingertips. We? Naruto’s eyes practically spoke when their gazes met. Sasuke nodded. There it was again. How could he dare deny Naruto anything? Especially when the reward was a smile so bright and sincere it nearly melted him on the spot.

“I might hide a little, though,” Sasuke added. Naruto nodded and moved hesitatingly towards Sasuke. So fast, before Sasuke could emotionally register what was happening, Naruto wrapped Sasuke in a hug. Then, he jumped away and towards his dresser to start worrying over what to wear. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

He turned around and looked back down at the nascent festival before sliding the balcony door shut. It was easy to be with Naruto. So easy. The blonde was annoying, energetic, and thickheaded, but Sasuke always tamed into such easy synergy with Naruto that he hardly wanted to be anywhere else.

And because of that synergy and their bond, he was confident Naruto felt the same. He was a little less, but still somewhat confident that Naruto also shared the deeper aspects of Sasuke’s feelings. Knowing him as well as Sasuke did, he figured he just needed more time to figure it out.

Naruto was still babbling on, holding shirts up against his chest and worrying over which looked best, when there was a knock at the door. He froze, a black jacket clutched in one hand and an orange t-shirt in the other.

“Ah, one second!” He yelled, his voice still husky with sleep. He looked pleadingly at Sasuke as he grabbed the bandages off the ground and quickly started wrapping his new arm back up.
Sasuke nodded and sauntered over to the door. He opened it easily and was met with Iruka, whose eyes widened.

“Ah, hello there, Sasuke,” Iruka said with caution, his eyes raking over Sasuke. He now realized he was still wearing what were obviously Naruto’s pajamas. Sasuke rapidly assessed the situation, eyes darting between his clothes, Naruto, and Iruka. Safe, probably. Naruto considered Iruka a father. Despite Iruka’s apparent dislike for Sasuke, he definitely wouldn’t do anything to make Naruto uncomfortable. Sasuke stepped aside and let Iruka inside.

“Iruka!” Naruto had finished wrapping his arm up and ran over to his old teacher, who tugged him into a protective hug.

“Happy birthday, Naruto.”

Sasuke backed into the bathroom with his clothes in hand. He turned on the shower to drown out the noise of their conversation and rinse off the sweat from the physical therapy the night before. When he exited the bathroom, Naruto was dressed in his usual orange sweats, but he had chosen a form-fitting black long-sleeve as his top. Iruka must have helped him.

“Alright, you’ve got me pumped up!” Naruto cheered, arms above his head. “Sasuke! The festival is also for the end of the war, so I’m a little less freaked out.”

Sasuke placed his hand on his hip and nodded, “That’s good. A whole festival just for you would go right to your head.”

“Asshole! No it wouldn’t! You were the one who said — ” Iruka placed a hand atop Naruto’s head before he woke up the next door neighbors with his yelling.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Sasuke, will you be joining us today?”

Naruto looked between them apprehensively, before saying, “Don’t worry about it Iruka, Sasuke doesn't like crowds, so.”

“I’ll come.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Sasuke nodded and threw on his cloak and sword. Iruka eyed the weapon at his hip, then smiled politely before Naruto turned around to grin at him. Sasuke schooled his expression and held back a sigh. It wouldn’t be an easy day, but he’d do it for him.
Naruto led the way out of his apartment. He immediately forgot to lock it, so Sasuke slapped the back of his head and held his hand out for the key. Iruka tried, and failed, Sasuke noted, to keep a neutral expression rather than one of disgruntled approval. A regular lock wouldn’t stop any high level ninja, but it certainly keeps out the snooping citizens and kids.

Their first stop was the entrance gate, but Iruka wouldn’t say why. Naruto kept guessing the whole way there.

“Is it Killer Bee?” Naruto shouted, finally thinking he had the right person. Iruka laughed.

“You’ll see.”

Naruto whined. “But it’s my birthday.”

“Don’t guilt trip me. That’s exactly why it’s a secret. Everybody wanted to surprise you.”

“Everybody?” Naruto asked. As they neared the gate, Sasuke saw Kakashi and Sakura holding an amicable conversation with a trio. The flare of red hair was unmistakable. Sasuke scowled as Naruto shouted, “Gaara!”

Gaara’s head whipped towards Naruto, and Sasuke could see the gentle smile from here. Anger bubbled up inside him again. He let it simmer as Naruto ran full speed to the Kazekage. Iruka stayed steadfast beside Sasuke, an annoying smile on his face. Sasuke was itching to hide in the treeline and watch from a distance, but at that moment Naruto arrived at the gate and looked back at Sasuke, smiling wide.

“Sakura, Kakashi!” Naruto shouted, “And Temari and Kankuro! How come you’re all here?”

“Well, it’s a very important day, Naruto,” Kakashi replied teasingly.

“No, I mean, you traveled all the way from the Sand? You were able to, like, get the time off or whatever?”

“Well I told him he couldn’t about a hundred times,” Temari sighed, “but here we are.”

Naruto smiled and jumped to hug Gaara, who slowly accepted the affection with a soft smile. Sasuke let the anger burn and boil and eat him from the inside out, and forced himself further to sit in silence with it.

“It’s important to keep good relationships with fellow villages.” Gaara said. “Besides, today is a crucial day for the Allied Shinobi Forces, too.” He paused. “Happy Birthday.”

“Happy Birthday!” Sakura cheered, grabbing Naruto’s shoulder and shuffling him into a tight hug.

“Gah,” Naruto gasped, “Sakura! Hurts, hurts!”

When she let him go, Sasuke could see that her eyes glistened. Beneath his anger, he felt a pang of guilt. It was his fault that she had to worry about Naruto like that. He knew she was thinking how lucky they all were that Naruto was even alive for this birthday. Sakura looked at Sasuke and furrowed her brow. She still hadn’t forgiven him, rightfully so.

Sasuke didn’t bother to pretend. He stood in silence a few feet back, watching Naruto yammer away happily. Kakashi stood casually next to Sasuke, his Hokage cloak abandoned for the time being, it seemed.

“It’s good to see you here today, Sasuke.”

“Hn.”

“I know he appreciates you being here…”

“Save it.”

Kakashi was definitely, unabashedly smiling under his mask. “Ah, so scary.” He said lazily. Sasuke grunted, the anger simmering and boiling and bubbling under his skin. Kakashi loved to push his buttons. Sasuke didn’t have fun with it the way he did when Naruto pushed. It would be a while more before he would be willing to open himself up to Kakashi again.

Kakashi clapped his hands together, calling everyone's attention.

“Well, Kazekage, I’m afraid that while you’re here we should attend to some business. Naruto, I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to borrow him for the morning.”

Naruto dutifully shook his head. “See you later, Gaara! We’ll have those meetings some day soon!”

Gaara smiled his stupid, soft smile that was so obvious it made Sasuke twist his expression in distaste. They watched as the Kage’s made their way down the main strip towards the Hokage office. Before Sasuke could return his expression to neutral, Sakura caught his eye.

She simply raised an eyebrow in judgement. Her eyes held a warning. Don’t fuck up his birthday, on top of everything else, they said. He lowered his head and breathed out, forcing himself to look neutral.

“Okay, Naruto, we have a busy day planned, so let’s go!” Sakura said happily, grabbing Naruto by the arm and dragging him along. He grinned his toothy, flashy grin and let himself be led.

Sasuke hung back a few feet at all times. He watched the alleys as they moved through Konoha. The crowd would make it so easy for an enemy to strike. Sasuke had been anxious since childhood. He only liked his brother and Naruto, he worried over everything, and obviously the massacre made it worse. So now he saw every flaw in every situation and always made sure to formulate an exit plan

As Naruto walked down the street, elbow locked in Sakura’s, Sasuke noticed the very same villagers who once isolated Naruto now waved in awe. Naruto, being himself, waved back and treated everyone with the same, genuine kindness. Sasuke sneered as soon as the villagers were out of Naruto’s sight. They didn’t have the right.

Their first stop was the Yamanaka flower shop. Sasuke didn’t recognize a thing about it, though he couldn’t remember if he had ever been inside before the war anyway.

“There he is!” Ino shouted from behind the counter. She hopped over and wrapped Naruto in a hug, kissing his cheek with an exaggerated mwah. Since when did he become so close with everyone? Probably during the years you were a rogue terrorist. “I have something for you!”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. “For me?”

Ino ran behind the counter again and grabbed a bouquet of sunflowers offset by some purple flowers Sasuke couldn’t identify, and two white roses.

“Woahhh, this is so beautiful Ino!” Naruto smiled. They chattered energetically, Sasuke watched from just outside the open doorway. He saw the other two, Shikamaru and Choji, slowly making their way to the shop with some pale guy Sasuke only half recognized.
If they were surprised to see Sasuke there, none of the three of them showed it. Shikamaru and Choji passed him by with a simple “yo”, but the third man just stood there smiling a hollow and trained smile.

“Sasuke.” He said. It sounded accusing. Sasuke didn’t dignify it with a response. “It’s so nice to see you take a day off from abusing Naruto to be here for the festival.”

Sasuke’s eye twitched. So that’s how this guy played it. The excited conversation in the flower shop was growing in volume as Sasuke stood outside, silently staring down the pale man.

“Sai!” Ino shouted, her smile audible. Sai turned his head to her and politely smiled. There was something real behind this one, though. He nodded his head to a rapidly approaching Naruto and the smile widened into something even more natural. Yet it looked wrong on him.

Sasuke grimaced at the conversion being brought to him. He stood behind Naruto, slowly backing away as the blonde whipped his bouquet around as he talked animatedly. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was glowing in his light.

Iruka wished Naruto goodbye until dinner and they moved along, friends joining Naruto left and right. He was allowed to play as many games as he wanted, all for free, all day. Some vendors even thanked Naruto for playing. The crowd he amassed just to watch him play rigged games probably paid the entirety of their rent. Sasuke rolled his eyes and watched, always from the mouth of an alley. Every now and then, Naruto would meet his eyes. Sasuke watched as those blues widened in surprise, then softened with relief, and finally crinkled with his too-big smile. Each time, Sasuke returned the smile, unthinking.

The shy Hyuuga who had been so obviously in love with Naruto her whole life stuttered something to him. He laughed, oblivious. Naruto gingerly slipped a sunflower from the bouquet and handed one to Hinata, who blushed so fiercely she looked burned to the third degree.

The Inuzuka kid appeared beside her and threw his hands in the air, stomping on the ground. “Ino made that for you, you know! Don’t just give them out! Hinata doesn’t want it!”

“Hey Kiba, calm down! If you want one too I’ll give you one!” Naruto pulled a purple flower from the bouquet to give to Kiba.

“I don’t mind, Kiba. I think it’s sweet, really.” Ino added. Naruto turned and gave her a sunflower, which she tucked into her hair. He handed out flowers one by one until the group looked like a moving flower field. Sasuke jumped above the awnings to stand atop a roof and watch the crowd, his eyes scanning for nonexistent danger.

Despite years of practice in dimming his chakra signature, Naruto immediately locked eyes with him. His eyebrows scrunched together in concern, so Sasuke shook his head. The blonde’s mouth dropped open in realization, and then he tilted his head, winking at Sasuke before letting his gaze drop to his friends.

Sasuke followed along their path from the rooftops, occasionally gauging the sun and wind. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, dyeing the few clouds a blinding gold. Above it, the sky bled an inky midnight. The stars would be out soon.

Sasuke felt his chest squeeze at the sight.

Dinner was held at the Nara estate. Naruto walked beside Shikamaru, who frequently laughed and elbowed the blonde. They had gotten so incredibly, unexpectedly close, that Shikamaru took to calling Naruto "just like a brother (troublesome)” behind his back. Sasuke reeled the first time he heard it. The very large and twisted part of him wanted to claim every aspect of Naruto for himself, no matter how contradictory, and that’s what he used to say about Naruto.

Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to Naruto. And in the end, that’s what mattered.

Naruto quietly asked after the altar, slipping away in a show of uncharacteristic stealth to pay his respects to Shikamaru’s deceased father. Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt. Not that the war was his fault, but he certainly didn’t care that it was coming until it was far, far too late.

When the blonde rejoined the group, he quickly corrected his serious expression into one of happiness. Sasuke stayed glued to the shoji screen as everyone shuffled around the long, traditional table. Iruka and Kakashi burst into the room as the voices dimmed, holding bags of food and a cake balanced precariously. Gaara and his siblings stood shadowed behind and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto and Choji cheered at the sight of the food being spread in front of them and everyone took their places to eat. Soon, Sasuke was the only one standing.

“You gonna sit or what?” Choji asked impatiently, “I’m hungry.”

Sasuke looked at Naruto, Gaara kneeling on one side and Sakura on the other. He wheeled around the table and wedged himself between the Kazekage and Naruto and placed his hand on his knee. He avoided eye contact with a very obviously grinning Kakashi.

They began to eat, cross talk and clinking near unbearable for Sasuke. But Naruto’s thigh was so warm against his and every time Naruto grabbed more food from the center of the table he leaned over so Sasuke felt his entire side. Naruto made sure to look at him every time, his face inches away and smiling. So generous with his smiles. It was a problem for Sasuke’s jealous nature. He had no problem noting that the smiles Naruto gave him were more tender, more knowing, more familiar than those for anyone else.

“Stop reaching over me, idiot.”

“Or what?” Naruto asked mischievously.

“Or I’ll eat it all before you can get to it,”

“Ehhh no you won’t. It’s my birthday!”

Sasuke breathed out a laugh, only loud enough for Naruto to hear. His silence was an obvious enough concession, apparently.

“You’ve been like a shadow behind Naruto all day.” Kakashi said, bored, chin resting on his hand. Iruka elbowed him in the ribs gently and shot him a stern look. Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist.

“More like a scary guard dog.” Kiba said. “Even Akamaru isn’t that protective.”

Sasuke felt heat creep up his neck. He had been caught.

“Woof.” Sai taunted. Sasuke knew he was red in the cheeks. He felt the heat and kept his head bowed, simmering. The silence was pregnant, about to burst, until Naruto saved the day. As always.

“Well, uhhh, well- oh! Cake! Cake please!”

Iruka nodded and stood, placing the cake at the center of the table. He lit the candles and shut off the light. The soft hum of “Happy Birthday” grew louder with the group's confidence. Sasuke didn’t sing, but he watched Naruto closely.

He watched his bright blue eyes, flickering gold with the small flames, grow wide as he gazed around at his friends. Tears welled up, so he covered his eyes with his forearm. Something possessed Sasuke, he realized he was lifting his arm. He gently touched the crook of Naruto’s arm and slowly lowered it. Naruto looked at him in silent questioning. He was raw and tender.

Sasuke felt an incomprehensible tug-of-war between wanting to consume him bit by bit and cradling him close.

“Make a wish!”

Naruto snapped his wet eyes back to the candles. He squeezed his eyes shut and blew. Ino slammed a bottle of sake down on the table and Sasuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. After a few minutes of rowdy shot-taking and cake-eating, which Sasuke denied with thinly veiled disgust, he stood to take a breath outside. He walked into the dark, where he could simmer in the shadow of the trees. The light shining through the shoji screens barely reached him here. He could just see his breath in the cooling October air.

It didn’t take long for the shoji screen to open and someone to follow him outside. Sasuke smiled, lifting his eyes to meet Naruto.

“Not having fun?”

“No.”

Naruto laughed. “Asshole.”

“Mhm,” Sasuke reached his hand out to Naruto, who took it unquestioningly.

“Can I ask you somethin’?”

Sasuke didn’t respond, just looked at the blonde. He was nervous. When Naruto stayed uncharacteristically silent, his body twitching, Sasuke sighed and nodded, worried for the question that could come.

Naruto swallowed, darting his eyes to the ground. He stepped closer and with his free hand, slowly reached up to cup Sasuke’s jaw. Sasuke’s breath pitched in surprise. With his reflexes, it felt like Naruto was moving in slow motion. He noticed his sharingan had activated. Sasuke watched as those blue eyes fluttered shut and Naruto pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

His lips were surprisingly soft. He moved them gently against Sasuke’s, fingers curling into the cleft under Sasuke’s ear, making him shiver. Sasuke squeezed Naruto’s hand and let his shoulders relax. Naruto pulled back, only inches, wearing an expression more nervous than Sasuke had ever seen it.

“That wasn’t a question,” Sasuke managed, his voice lower than he expected. Naruto brought a lot of surprising things out of him. In fact, the day Naruto stopped surprising Sasuke would be the day hell freezes over.

“No?” Naruto asked, breathy.

Sasuke leaned his head in, touching their foreheads. He let his eyes close as he moved his lips to meet Naruto’s. This kiss was deeper than before, and his sharingan ensured he would remember every minute detail. Naruto’s small whimper as they met, his nails dragging along Sasuke’s jaw, his warm hand dropping Sasuke’s in favor of possessively palming his ribs.

Naruto swiped his tongue across Sasuke’s lips. Sasuke parted them and let Naruto lick along his mouth. The blonde moaned into his mouth, deep and feral. Sasuke almost choked with how fast that noise went to his groin. They jumped apart when they heard the screen slide open.

“Naruto!” Sakura called into the dark.

Naruto turned his desperate eyes onto Sasuke. His lips were shining with wet, my spit, he thought with pride, and he looked so beautifully flush Sasuke could barely hold back from crushing the blonde's lips back into his.

“Later,” Naruto growled out. It was a promise. Sasuke smiled, bringing his fingertips to his own slick lips.

“Wait,” Sasuke beckoned, waiting for Naruto to turn around again. “Happy Birthday, Naruto."

Naruto groaned and threw his head back. Always so animated. “Later!” He yelled this time, jogging back to the house.

When Sasuke finally managed to get the social Naruto back to his apartment, he heaved out a sigh. Keeping the hyperactive blonde on a task was near impossible. Even when the task was to go home to sleep, which he had been begging to do.
Once inside, Naruto’s energy didn't cease. He leaned over each of his plants, watering them and chatting with them about his day. Sasuke felt his chest tighten, thinking of him as a child having nobody to talk to but his plants. He couldn’t handle the emotion right now, with Naruto in front of him, finally alone, so he just teased him instead.

“Do you ever shut up?”

Naruto turned his head. “Asshole.” He rolled his eyes and turned a loving gaze onto a plant that looked a little brown in some spots. “You can do it,” he whispered.

Sasuke had to grip the front of his shirt to handle the sight. “At least that big mouth of yours has some use.” Naruto didn’t have a particularly big mouth, but Sasuke was now the one who needed to fill the space.

Naruto snorted, “You have no idea what I can do with my big mouth.”

Then he froze, realizing what he just said. He slowly swiveled his head to Sasuke again, who was just as frozen. Something built between them in the growing seconds. It felt like when Sasuke was first learning Chidori. Lightning building in his palms slowly, slowly, until it cracked and split open.

“Oh yeah?” Sasuke goaded. He internally scoffed. If he wasn’t so taken aback, he could’ve done so much better than that.

But it worked.

“I mean — well, uhh — I think, maybe I’m good at it… ” Naruto fiddled with his sleeves, talking faster than usual. “It was just a couple times, I mean, I guess I don’t really know.”

A couple times? Sasuke flared, and before he could ask that question he instead growled out, “With who?”

Naruto’s eyes widened, his voice grew impossibly high and he waved his hands, as if trying to will away the conversation. “No, I mean — it’s not — I —”

Sasuke moved towards him, grabbing both of Naruto’s wrists in one swipe and gripping them, pushing until Naruto was against the wall and his hands were crowded against his chest.

“Who?” He growled again, the voice that came out of him was raspy and altogether foreign. “Gaara?”

Naruto’s face went blank, and for a second Sasuke felt the need to murder so deep within himself he thought he went back in time. “What? No!” Naruto flushed all the way down his neck, “God, no, it’s so much worse.” He squirmed, fruitlessly, under Sasuke’s burning glare. Of course, he could get out if he really wanted to, they both knew. “It was… me.”

It was Sasuke’s turn to blush. He couldn’t stop the image from projecting itself onto his eyelids when he closed his eyes to swallow thickly.

“You… you sucked your own dick with shadow clones?” Sasuke asked, incredulous. He loosened his grip on Naruto’s wrists. The blonde flailed out and pushed him.

“Yes! Okay? Yes! I was curious!” Even the back of Naruto’s neck was dusted with pink, Sasuke noticed as the other man walked away. Sasuke couldn’t take it anymore. The entire day, he had been about to burst. His whole life, he had been patient. But staring at Naruto’s back, the black fabric clinging to his toned shoulders, the blush sinking into the collar, the dam broke.

“Show me.” He demanded for the second time that day. Naruto turned around, eyes wide and mouth parted in a small, soundless ‘oh’. Sasuke moved closer, wrenching Naruto’s jaw between his thumb and pointer finger. Naruto swallowed. His irises were shaking.

“O-okay,” Naruto breathed out. Sasuke heard the unmistakable sound of a clone popping in, and he laughed. The tension dissolved a bit, until Sasuke punched the clone in the stomach.

“Maybe next time,” Sasuke started, stepping even closer to Naruto, “I’ll watch,” He leaned into Naruto’s ear, “but maybe I should’ve said, prove it, dumbass."

When he leaned back, Naruto was wearing an impossible expression. If the dam wasn’t broken before, it would've been now. Sasuke wanted to eat him alive. He looked so surprised but so eager. Then, he seemed to come back to himself and he lifted his eyebrows mischievously.

“You might wanna sit down then. Like I said, I’m pretty good at this.”

“A bit full of yourself for someone who hasn’t actually sucked anyone else off.”

Naruto grinned. It was a challenge, and with how long Sasuke had been waiting - his whole life, really - he knew it was stupid to challenge Naruto on this. But it was how they communicated.

“Well?” Sasuke challenged again.

Naruto dove at him and kissed Sasuke so hard he hit his head against the wall. He grimaced and Naruto took the opportunity to lick inside his mouth. His lips and tongue tasted like cake. Sasuke felt his cock go stiff so fast he would be embarrassed if Naruto hadn’t moved so hungrily to his jaw and started nibbling like he was the one who’d be eating the other.

“I think I’ve wanted this since, I don’t know,” Naruto kept biting and licking, and Sasuke tried to muffle his noises but he knew he was breathing funny, so he just gripped Naruto’s shoulder as he lowered himself down, “way too long. Maybe always.”

Naruto had Sasuke’s pants off terrifyingly fast, lowering the waistband to his mid-thighs. His eyes went wide, the blue in them sparkling so bright and wanting that Sasuke tipped his head back against the wall to breathe out and look at the ceiling.

“You’re really, really hot, fuck.” Naruto, he knew, was staring at him. “This is definitely better than I imagined."

“Imagined?” Sasuke teased, somehow, through his brain going haywire.

“Yeah,” Naruto responded, shyness long gone, since he knew that would affect Sasuke the most, “A lot.”

He didn’t give Sasuke another second to think about it before he gave Sasuke an experimental drag of his finger along the bottom of his shaft. Sasuke shivered, refusing to make noise. Naruto hummed before taking the head into his mouth. This time, Sasuke groaned. He couldn’t help it. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. Warm, so warm, soft and wet. Naruto sucked gently, twice, before flattening his tongue over the slit and collecting the precum pooled there.

Sasuke chanced a look down, his hand digging into Naruto’s shoulder and he knew immediately he had made a mistake. Naruto was looking up at him, eyes half lidded in a haze of lust and pride, and he kept that eye contact as he took all of Sasuke into his mouth, slowly.

The noise Sasuke made was so undignified and broken, it started with a choke and lifted an octave when he felt himself hit the back of Naruto’s throat. The blonde simply blinked, so full of himself, so full of him, and then hummed.

“Ghh — fuck,” Sasuke’s breath hitched. He knew Naruto’s shoulder had to be hurting, the way he was gripping him, but he needed to get purchase on something. That was his only anchor. Naruto drew back and came off of Sasuke’s dick with an obscene pop. His chin was glistening with drool and precum.

“Sure you don’t wanna sit?” Naruto grinned lopsidedly.

“Fuck off." Sasuke huffed out.

Naruto shrugged, “Your funeral.”

Sasuke was going to respond with something clever, he really was, but Naruto was back on him and taking him all the way so easily, over and over again. His warm hands were on the sides of his thighs, and when Sasuke bucked his hips involuntarily, Naruto’s nails dug into his flesh. That only increased his pleasure, and he threw his head back against the wall again.

When Naruto popped off again, he immediately replaced his mouth with his hand and stroked Sasuke’s drool-slick cock in a steady rhythm.

“You taste really good,” Naruto said against his shaft. Sasuke shivered and felt his knees start to go weak. Naruto took him again, sliding down halfway and finishing the rest of the stroke with his hand. He went all the way down one more time, his tongue flat against the bottom of the shaft, and with Sasuke’s dick in the back of his throat the entire time, licked the shaft up and down.

“Fuck!” Sasuke yelled, far, far too loudly, and with complete abandon. His vision went white and his knees sank into Naruto’s shoulders. Naruto shifted his grip to Sasuke’s hips and pinned him against the wall, keeping him steady. The heat building in his stomach was near unbearable. 

Naruto leaned back, and Sasuke whined- whined, with the loss of Naruto’s mouth.

“Aww, it’s okay, I’m gonna let you finish,” Naruto kissed the base of Sasuke’s cock. His voice was wrecked and hoarse. “I was just gonna tell you to cum in my mouth. You taste so good I wanna swallow it.”

Sasuke didn’t even have a chance to reply. The words had him so worked up and the last few bobs of Naruto’s head all the way to the base had Sasuke gripping Naruto’s hair so hard he was sure he ripped a clump out. He knew he had to be shoving Naruto’s head down against him, but as he came, his cock releasing with every beat of his heart, he found he couldn’t stop.

He also knew, distantly, he was making noise, he was choking on his own tongue with how strangled the noises were, but he kept cumming. It had to be almost a minute. The whole time, Naruto was still flicking his tongue and dutifully swallowing.
When Sasuke loosened his grip, Naruto popped off and Sasuke looked at him. His lips were swollen and puffy, his chin was covered in drool, and there were tears spilling out of his eyes, but he was smiling so big and smug Sasuke knew he was fine. Sasuke slid down the wall, his legs shaking, and he shivered when his bare ass hit the cold floor.

Naruto hummed, satisfied with himself, and gently rubbed his hand through Sasuke’s hair, pushing his fringe back behind Sasuke’s flushed ear.

“Good?” Naruto asked.

“Hn.” Sasuke replied, though his voice was still shaking.

“Asshole,” Naruto laughed, dropping down to sit on his ankles. Sasuke noticed how hard Naruto was, but he could barely move yet, nevermind return the favor.

“That was… ” Sasuke trailed off. Like a god themself granted me favor. Though, by the look on Naruto’s face, he had already known how good he made Sasuke feel. Sasuke started coming back to himself. “You must have done it to yourself a lot.”

“Can’t you be genuinely nice for once?” Naruto shook his head.

“You like it,” Sasuke was starting to feel his legs again.

“I have no idea why, but yeah, I do.” Naruto turned a pout onto Sasuke. His heart hammered in his chest. “But you know, it’s my birthday, and —”

Sasuke crashed his mouth into Naruto’s, teeth clacking. He tasted subtle iron on the inside of his mouth. They opened their lips, mouths moving fluidly against one another, perfectly matched in all things. Naruto’s tongue was so warm and wet and salty with Sasuke’s cum, prodding and excited like the man himself. Sasuke reached his hand up to grip Naruto by the nape, forcing him to slow the kiss. He sucked at his bottom lip and bit, enticing a moan from the blonde. When they parted, his blue eyes were hooded and out of focus. His nails dug into Sasuke’s shoulders as he panted into Sasuke’s mouth. Sasuke felt himself, impossibly, growing hard again against his bare thigh.

“You know,” Naruto started, clarity coming back to his eyes, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re a little weak to my pouts.”

“You better not use it against me.”

“Or what?” Naruto challenged.

In answer, Sasuke stood and rammed Naruto into the wall so hard, dust fell from the ceiling. Naruto gasped, instinctively hitching a leg up around Sasuke’s hip. Sasuke kissed him slow and hard, the force pinning Naruto’s head against the wall. He used his other hand to grip Naruto’s raised thigh from underneath, digging his nails in to make the blonde moan into his mouth.

“Off,” he demanded, backing away from Naruto and slipping his own shirt off. Naruto complied, peeling his black shirt off to reveal the smooth expanse of his chest. Sasuke pushed his hand to the blonde's ribs greedily, palming the unmarred, tanned flesh. Naruto breathed heavily, and Sasuke memorized the feel of his ribs rising and falling under his palm.

Sasuke flickered his eyes down to Naruto’s tenting erection and licked his lips. Naruto mirrored his look and slipped his pants off without being asked, hissing when his dick bobbed up against his stomach. He stepped out of his underwear and let the fabric pool around one ankle, obediently stepping back against the wall with Sasuke’s hand still possessively on his stomach.

They kissed again, faster and more desperate. Naruto’s hands roamed Sasuke’s body, tracing over scars and bone and sinuous muscle. Sasuke slid his hands to Naruto’s leg and hitched his thigh over his hip again. They both hissed into the mere inch between their mouths as the length of their cocks pressed against one another.

Naruto’s cock was red and leaking, Sasuke felt the heat against his bare belly. He ground his hips up, slow and wanting. Naruto threw his head back, crown sliding against the wall, neck stretching bare and perfect for Sasuke. He bit and sucked at Naruto’s throat, wishing the nine-tails chakra would let those marks stay.

“Sas-s’ke — ‘ske!” Naruto whined, trying to buck his hips up. Sasuke kept his hand firm and bruising against Naruto’s jutting hip bone.

“More?” Sasuke asked against Naruto's neck, his voice low with lust and breathy with need. He wanted Naruto to come undone, so he still didn’t let him move.

Naruto nodded with his eyes squinted shut. He dug his nails into Sasuke’s bare shoulders.

“Let me see your eyes, Naruto,” Sasuke licked up the column of Naruto’s throat and felt the heady moan vibrate against his tongue. He backed away to see blue eyes, hooded and wet, staring at him in wonder. Sasuke smiled and thrust his hips up with force, their slick cocks rubbing together in divine friction.

“Ungh!” Naruto groaned, throwing his arms around Sasuke’s neck and dragging him into a kiss. “Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke,” he breathed out with every thrust. Sasuke felt a pressure in his body, rolling his eyes back at the sound of his name gasped from those lips. “Fuck —”

Sasuke felt Naruto’s arousal throbbing against his own, twitching at the friction of their movements.

“Close?”

“Yes, yes, fuck!” Naruto shouted. Sasuke crushed him with a kiss again, speeding up his hips as Naruto slipped up and up the wall with the force. “Ggnnh,” Naruto grumbled against his mouth. Sasuke felt the muscles of Naruto’s stomach flex as he came, spilling warm and slick against their bellies. Sasuke ate and licked the garbled noises falling from Naruto’s mouth.

He let his grip up slightly and Naruto took the opportunity to slide his hand to Sasuke’s still-hard cock and stroked him off in the small space between them. The tension in his groin built until he came in white ropes over Naruto’s already dirtied stomach. They panted together, foreheads touching.

“You’re so pretty, Sasuke.”

Sasuke scoffed, backing away from Naruto. He looked like a painting, his head leaned back against the wall with his mouth parted and eyes hooded. The marks Sasuke made with his mouth and teeth, though they wouldn’t last long, were glaring red. The shimmering white of both of their cum mixed on Naruto’s belly made Sasuke feel desire so deep within his soul he was scared of what else may lie there.

“I should be saying that about you.”

Naruto grinned and held out a hand to drag Sasuke to the bathroom. They showered off, cramped in the small shower, kissing slow and languid as the water rinsed away their mixture.

“Hey,” Naruto said as they toweled off, “You can come more than once too?”

“Not ever before now,” then Sasuke turned towards Naruto, horrified, “too?”

“Oh yeah, I can go all night.” Naruto grinned lopsided, chest puffed with pride.

Sasuke shivered. “I have my work cut out for me then, don’t I?”

“You sure do.” Naruto said, whipping Sasuke’s ass with his towel. Sasuke yelped and turned a burning glare onto Naruto, who laughed and Sasuke was so weak to him he folded right away. Naruto Uzumaki was beautiful, stupid and incredible. Naruto Uzumaki was his.

And he could not dare deny him anything.