Work Text:
“Transferred?”
“Yes, at the end of this month.”
Uchiha Sasuke blinked and stared at his manager, taken aback by the suddenness of the news. The blonde sitting before him shuffled some papers together and tapped the ends against the desk, a stalling maneuver perhaps meant to give him time to gather his wits.
Clearing his throat, Sasuke lowered his eyes and asked quietly, “Did I commit a violation of some sort to warrant this transfer, Senju-kachō?”
“On the contrary,” she began, settling the papers on the desk. “Your knowledge and skills are coveted assets, and the branch office in Osaka is in need of someone with your expertise. The duration of the job is up in the air, but it comes with a pay raise.”
Sasuke nodded, unable to find a reason to refuse the request. He had a feeling it wasn’t really a request anyway.
“You’ll get a few days off at the end of the month to arrange the move. Lodging will be provided through the company dormitories, but feel free to find a residence in Osaka. Finish up your current project, if you can, and I will redistribute your upcoming workload.”
Sasuke bowed, recognizing the end of the conversation, and turned from her desk. He walked to the door, and as he reached for the handle, turned back and beckoned softly, “Senju-kachō?”
“Hmm?” she inquired, not raising her eyes from the paperwork in front of her.
“Is it possible to keep my transfer quiet?”
Tsunade looked up, her amber eyes a bit wide in surprise. Scrunching her nose in thought, she leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. “Is there any particular reason you’d like to keep it a secret?”
Sasuke hesitated before replying, “I only worry that the news will… distract my coworkers.”
Tsunade barked out a laugh. “Distract might be understating it a bit. My inbox will be filled with complaints from the office ladies about your departure.” She continued to chuckle as she bent back over the documents. “Fine. I’ll inform the proper people.”
Sasuke whispered his thanks as he bowed then left the room to return to his desk. He bowed slightly to the greetings he received in the halls as he made his way back, sitting down quickly at his desk to avoid small talk with his coworkers.
Transferring wasn’t a big deal in itself, and Sasuke hardly cared what the office ladies would think of it, save knowing he’d get little to no work done before the end of the month if he had to constantly listen to their stuttering attempts to say goodbye and not cry at the same time. But after the momentary shock had worn off of suddenly being told something like that, Sasuke had instantly seen it as his golden opportunity: a clean break.
His dark eyes slid to the side, peeking at the desk next to his through the black bangs that framed his face. As he took in the scattered knick-knacks and poorly concealed stash of candy amongst the chaotic sea of paperwork and chewed pens, his mind drifted back to three years ago when the burning and insistent misery that currently ate at him had begun.
~*~
“Uchiha-san, you’re back!”
Sasuke settled his coat over the back of his chair and turned to greet the pink-haired young woman who held the dubious honor of being Tsunade’s second assistant. “Good morning, Haruno-san,” he murmured quietly as he nodded in greeting.
“How was your trip?”
“Uneventful, but the discussions indicate progress.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” She smiled at him and lifted one hand to push a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m happy that you were able to return today. The new hires started yesterday, and the welcome party is tonight. I hope you’ll be able to make it, as one of them will be your neighbor.” She pointed at the desk next to his, and Sasuke finally noticed the little odds and ends that made the space look occupied.
“If I can,” he replied. He’d need to see what all there was to catch up on, but he’d go if he could make it. It would save him from the office ladies’ piteous moans tomorrow of not showing up. She nodded and opened her mouth to say something further when a voice from behind cut her off.
“Sakura-san! What an honor to have you grace my lowly desk when I only started yesterday.”
Sakura turned to respond, but it was lost to Sasuke as he tried hard to remember to breathe. The man strolling up to Sakura hadn’t changed at all since high school. His blond hair and blue eyes still brightened up the room, and his mouth still stretched into an easy grin that showed off his white, even teeth. The light scarring he’d received during an unfortunate incident at a sporting match could still just barely be made out on each cheek and confirmed all the more for Sasuke that he was actually gazing at one Uzu-
“-maki Naruto-san, please meet Uchiha Sasuke-san,” Sakura was saying as she extended her hand to indicate Sasuke. “Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san also attended Konoha High.”
“Really?” Naruto asked excitedly as he extended his hand. “How long ago?”
The familiar cold ache that had receded slightly upon seeing Naruto again rushed back in to fill him as he slowly extended his hand to return Naruto’s greeting. “Fifteen years ago,” he said quietly as Naruto shook his hand.
“Wow,” Naruto said as he released him. “Me, too! I didn’t think there was anyone there I didn’t know!”
Sasuke suppressed the urge to flinch and look away, but just barely. They’d spent three years together in the same home room and a few of the same classes. And while they’d never been friends, it actually hurt to know that the blond didn’t remember him because…
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Uchiha-san,” Naruto said as he bowed. “Please guide me.”
Because he’d loved Uzumaki Naruto ever since.
~*~
Shaking off the disturbing memory, Sasuke concentrated on his work, hoping to leave before Naruto returned to his desk for the evening. The blond had been working on a big project for the company for the last few weeks, pulling crazy hours that sometimes had Sasuke not seeing him for days at a time. As a couple of hours passed and rolled into late afternoon, he felt with some relief that today would be one of those days.
His cell phone rang at four, the name Uchiha Itachi flashing across the screen, and he swiped his thumb across the surface to accept the call. “Moshi moshi,” he murmured quietly.
“Otōto,” Itachi greeted. “Will you be joining me and Ino-san tonight for dinner?”
Sasuke frowned as he tried to remember if they’d made plans, but he enjoyed having dinner with his brother and his girlfriend—Sasuke’s former admirer, he never let Itachi forget (though Itachi was always prompt to point out that Itachi proved the superior man in the end)—and found no reason not to accept the invitation. Plus, he had to tell Itachi about the transfer anyway.
“Hai, and I have something to discuss with you.”
“We’ll see you soon.”
Sasuke ended the call and set his phone down on the desk. The bright screen showed him the current time and temperature outside, a brisk 18 degrees common to the month. It would start to get closer to 10 degrees by the end of the month in both Tokyo and Osaka, and Sasuke didn’t relish setting up a new home and work space in the frigid months of November and December.
He looked at the small calendar he had toward the back of his desk, counting the number of days until his transfer. It was currently October 8, and Tsunade had said that he would get a few days off to prepare, so that gave him roughly fifteen days to complete his project or get it to the state that someone could easily pick it up.
As he returned his attention to his computer screen, an unwanted thought intruded upon his mental calculations: October 10 was Naruto’s birthday. As if unconcerned with the impediment to his work progress, the thought caused him to look over at the man’s desk, wondering if Naruto would even have time to celebrate with his current workload.
Not that the blond ever celebrated his birthday. The closest he ever got, to Sasuke’s knowledge, was the yearly party organized by the office ladies. Sakura had organized another for this coming Saturday, even though Naruto had tried to talk her out of it once again. Sasuke felt the only reason Naruto relented was because it was more like a gōkon than anything. And the reason the usually cheerful young man didn’t celebrate…
Sasuke’s brow furrowed as he scanned Naruto’s desk for the usual vase of flowers and didn’t find it. Naruto always had flowers this time of year, even back in high school, so Sasuke highly doubted the blond had suddenly stopped caring. Maybe he’d been too busy even for that…
Sasuke’s thoughts were suddenly halted by the arrival of their focus. Naruto sat down heavily in his chair, groaning as he stretched his arms above his head. After hearing some popping in his back, Naruto lowered his arms and sighed, turning his attention to Sasuke with a tired smile.
“Hey, Sasuke. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”
Sasuke allowed a polite smile to form on his lips as he nodded and returned his gaze to his computer screen and resumed typing. “It just proves how hard you’ve been working, Naruto-san.” He knew Naruto was frowning at him without even looking.
“Hey, now, didn’t I say you could drop the keigo? We’ve been working together for three years.” Leaning closer, he added in a quieter voice, “And you know, we went to high school together and all.”
Sasuke’s fingers nearly paused in their typing, but he stubbornly refused to allow his emotions to get the better of him at Naruto’s words. He merely hummed in agreement and changed the topic. “Are you almost done with your project?”
Naruto blinked as he leaned back into his chair then grinned. “Yep, just finished up today. Senju-kachō will present tomorrow, and with any luck, the next phase will begin in a couple of weeks. Until then, I can breathe easy and actually get some sleep!” Naruto chuckled as he sat up and started to straighten the papers on his desk.
“That’s good to hear. Haruno-san and Hyuuga-san were worried that you wouldn’t be able to make your birthday party on Saturday.” He saw Naruto flinch from the corner of his eye, frowning slightly at the reaction. Yes, Naruto definitely still cared, so where were the flowers? It was on the tip of his tongue to ask when Naruto’s desk phone rang. Sasuke politely disengaged his attention as Naruto took the call.
“Eh, Senju-kachō has a few questions, which will probably take a couple of hours to thoroughly answer,” Naruto said as he hung up the phone. He stood and fiddled with several things on his desk before stepping back and pushing in his chair. When he didn’t immediately leave, Sasuke stopped typing and looked up at him. “Will you still be here, Sasuke?”
Sasuke glanced at the time on his computer and shook his head. “I’m having dinner with my brother and Ino-san.”
Naruto might have looked disappointed for a second before grinning, but Sasuke chalked that up to Naruto’s somewhat strained—because of him—relationship with Ino. They’d been good friends in high school, but Ino was still a bit miffed at Naruto and still took it out on the blond whenever they got together to hang out.
“Well, have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Naruto still didn’t move to leave. He cleared his throat a couple of times before asking, “Will you be coming on Saturday?”
That was an excellent question. He’d waffled back and forth on the answer since he’d received the invite, but the hesitant expression on Naruto’s face had him opening his mouth and agreeing before he could think better of it. Naruto’s face lit up with a huge grin at his answer.
“Great! See you tomorrow!” And Naruto was gone, leaving Sasuke a little bewildered in his wake.
Unable to figure out what exactly happened—and not really inclined to give it much effort—Sasuke returned his attention to his computer and completed a half hour’s amount of work before he decided to leave for the day. He informed Sakura that he was leaving and made his way down to the sidewalk outside, where he slid into the crowd with the other commuters and headed for the train.
The stop closest to Itachi’s apartment wasn’t too far from the stop for the office, so Sasuke elected to stand for the duration of the ride and allow someone going farther a chance at a seat. He looked idly about him as the train departed the station, trying to clear his mind and release the tension that had accumulated in his body through the day. A quiet dinner with his brother and Ino and perhaps some sake would help alleviate most of it, but he could never seem to be completely relaxed, especially in the last three years.
Pulling his thoughts away from that path, Sasuke tried to distract himself by reading what he could of the newspaper an older gentleman sitting in front of him held up. He’d gotten a fair bit into the front page story when his stop came up, and he exited the train with a few other people, trying to avoid the sea of people pushing to get on.
He headed for the exit and made it out onto the sidewalk without any trouble, and Itachi’s complex was only a few blocks up from there. It was a rather convenient location, with several supermarkets, convenience stores, a shopping district, and the train station in walking distance. He knew Itachi liked the area, but he also knew that his current apartment wasn’t a large enough space to raise a family. If Itachi and Ino ever got that far, Sasuke knew Itachi would need to look for a house, and he thought he might just have a solution. One of the many reasons he needed to tell Itachi about the transfer involved what to do with their familial home in which Sasuke currently resided; he hoped Itachi would be willing to move into it.
It was close to six when Sasuke arrived at Itachi’s door, and since his brother worked from home, and so knew he was there, he didn’t bother to knock as he made his way inside. Bending over to take off his shoes, Sasuke called out to let Itachi know he was there, “Ojamashimasu.”
“Sasuke-kun!” Ino entered the small hallway as Sasuke put on his slippers. “Dōzo ohairikudasai,” she said as she bowed. Sasuke returned the bow and stepped up from the genkan. Ino hugged him quickly before grabbing his arm and guiding him to the dining room. “Dinner is just about ready.”
Itachi was setting the table as Ino deposited him in a seat and returned to the kitchen. Itachi gave him a nod in acknowledgement and then nodded to the chilled bottle of sake already set out. “Help yourself.”
Sasuke murmured his thanks as he reached for the bottle and a small cup. As he poured, Ino arrived with several plates of food—her experience as a waitress in high school put to good use, at least—and waited for Itachi to sit before settling in her own seat. She released her long blonde hair from the bun she’d had it up in while cooking and grabbed her chopsticks.
“Itadakimasu,” they said together and started eating. After a few bites, Ino poured herself some sake and asked Sasuke about his day.
Sasuke wiped his mouth with a napkin and debated announcing his transfer right now. He didn’t want to upset either of them while eating dinner, but he never had been one for putting things off. Taking a calming breath, he looked at each of them before saying, “Senju-kachō called me into her office today to inform me that I will be transferred to the Osaka branch at the end of the month.”
Silence met his announcement, both Itachi and Ino’s eyes wide in disbelief. Itachi quickly recovered, and while Ino sputtered beside him, he asked, “And there was no way to refuse?” When Sasuke didn’t immediately answer, he said, “You didn’t want to refuse.”
“What?!” Ino cried out in shock. “How could you want to leave?”
Sasuke dipped his head forward and hid behind his bangs as he tried to find the right words to smooth this over.
“Is this about Naruto?” Ino asked suddenly. When Sasuke snapped his head up and stared at her in shock, her look changed from one of suspicion to one of dismay. “I knew it. I knew his working at your company was a bad idea!”
“Ino-san, you could hardly do anything about the company hiring Naruto-kun,” Itachi said calmly as he studied Sasuke.
“I know that! But maybe I could have talked to Naruto about, I don’t know, not bothering Sasuke-kun or something?” She looked at Itachi helplessly and then turned the look on Sasuke. “I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun.”
Sasuke cleared his throat and tried not to blush. “Please don’t apologize, Ino-san. There really wasn’t anything you could do.” He sighed. “And it’s not really about him. There really was no way to refuse the transfer, and I couldn’t help but think this was an opportunity… for a fresh start.”
He looked over at Itachi. “For all of us. There’s currently no telling how long I will be in Osaka, so I wanted to discuss the house with you.”
Itachi’s eyes widened slightly again before an odd look crossed his face and passed just as quickly as it had come. Itachi nodded and said they could speak about it while they cleaned the kitchen. Sasuke agreed even as Ino protested that they didn’t have to do that, and they resumed eating. Sasuke returned Ino’s question and asked about her day, hoping to displace the thoughts of Naruto currently in his head and the slight feeling of guilt for having practically lied to her about him by paying particular attention to her gory stories of life in the emergency room.
~*~
Naruto rushed into the entrance of the izakaya where Sakura had arranged to have his party. After the Thursday session of question and answer had turned into accompanying Tsunade to the presentation on Friday had turned into a follow-up presentation today, Naruto was running late. He was panting for breath, having run from the train station, but he managed a smile when Sakura noticed him and waved from the reserved tables.
“I’m sorry I’m late!” he said with an embarrassed grin as he reached the table and sat down in the empty space indicated. He grinned even wider when he saw that his seat was next to Sasuke. He greeted the man quietly, pleased when Sasuke returned the greeting with a small smile, before greeting everyone else.
“It’s all right, Naruto-san,” Sakura said as she pushed a small dish of edamame in front of him. “Uchiha-san just got here, as well, and told us about Senju-kachō keeping you longer than anticipated.”
“Really? Thanks, Sasuke,” he said as he looked at the man beside him.
“Of course, Naruto-san,” Sasuke said quietly as he lifted his sake cup to his lips.
Naruto frowned, but refrained from pointing out yet again how distant Sasuke always was with him. Then again, Naruto had been a complete ass and had forgotten who Sasuke was when they’d first met, so he couldn’t really blame Sasuke for his attitude. But they’d been working together for three years already. And he’d remembered Sasuke eventually—thanks to Ino—so he didn’t really understand why they couldn’t get along better. Plus…
Naruto’s gaze dropped to the table.
Plus…
“Naruto-san, would you like some beer?”
Naruto looked up at the question to see Hyuuga Hinata holding a bottle of beer with a soft smile on her face. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, but her bangs slipped around her face to contrast with her blushing skin. Naruto smiled back and thanked her, holding out an extra mug placed near his seat.
“How’re things in graphic design, Hinata-san?” he asked as he pulled his filled mug back in front of him. As she began to tell him how her current project was coming along, he couldn’t help but notice every move Sasuke made beside him, and he berated himself for it. Hinata was trying to tell him information he asked for! But he really couldn’t help himself.
After finally realizing the mistake he’d made when they’d first met—and he knew Ino still hadn’t completely forgiven him for it—Naruto had become what some people might call overly fixated on Uchiha Sasuke, first from trying to make up for the blunder and then from… realizing that Sasuke was kind of… hot.
Trying to be friends with the man had somehow progressed into mildly flirting with him, and three years later, despite Sasuke’s cold and reserved attitude, Naruto had started to develop the warmest of feelings for him, though he dreaded to give the emotion any kind of name. Based on Sasuke’s attitude, it would probably be some kind of masochism to call the emotion what it probably was, but Naruto noticed all sorts of sides to Sasuke of which he knew Sasuke himself was unaware. Little hints of kindness and sadness that echoed how the man had been back in high school surfaced every now and then—like now, as Sasuke surreptitiously moved Kiba’s glass from the edge of the table so that TenTen wouldn’t be drenched in beer while Kiba flailed about—that always threw Naruto back into the memory that had helped him remember who Sasuke was in the first place.
~*~
“I’m sorry, man!”
Naruto could only stare in shock at the flowers that were strewn across the floor, the water quickly spreading around the broken vase and under the rows of desks. He’d returned from the cafeteria to find some guys screwing around near his desk, and as he’d moved to chase them off, one had bumped into the desk and sent the flowers crashing to the ground.
He didn’t hear the apology—didn’t want to hear it—and he turned his rising anger on the perpetrator. Dropping his yakisoba bread to the floor, Naruto launched himself at the other boy, taking him down to the floor and trying to beat the shit out of him, but someone was pulling at the back of his gakuran while another was pulling at his right arm. Someone was shouting for the teacher, and before he knew it, Iruka was tearing him away from the boy and shoving him out of the classroom.
“Naruto, what has gotten in to you?” Iruka asked, his arms crossed in front of him.
Naruto fisted his hands by his sides and avoided eye contact. His chest tightened, and his eyes began to sting. He clenched his jaw, determined not to cry, and, after a moment of silence, Iruka placed his hand upon Naruto’s shoulder, a gesture, he supposed, meant to be one of understanding.
“I want you to stand out here until you cool down.”
Naruto remained silent, still stubbornly looking at the floor, and Iruka gave a small sigh before he returned to the classroom. Making a rude noise in frustration, Naruto bolted down the hallway to the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reached the door to the roof. He barged through it and stalked over to the fence that ringed the rooftop, his eyes burning with unshed tears. The convenience of being alone wore at his determination to not cry, and the tears began to slide down his cheeks as soft sobs escaped his throat.
He didn’t know how much time passed—probably only a few minutes—but his sobs ceased and his tears subsided until he was left staring out over the school yard bleakly, his fingers clinging desperately to the chain links in the fence.
“What’s wrong?” someone asked quietly behind him, and Naruto whipped around to find the person that had intruded upon his solitude. He only briefly caught sight of black hair and a masculine face before embarrassment caused him to look down at the ground.
“Nothing,” he said defiantly, knowing his eyes were probably red from crying. He glared at the other boy’s shoes then lifted his arm to wipe his face against his sleeve. When he let it fall to his side again, he caught sight of the book and bag held in the other boy’s hand. “What are you doing up here?” he asked.
The book and the bag waggled back and forth as the boy moved his hand, showing them off. “I was trying to enjoy my lunch break.”
Catching the hint that he had disturbed the boy with his outburst, Naruto looked to the side and opened his mouth to loudly protest when his stomach decided to let him know that it did not appreciate the impromptu brawl that had cost it its lunch. He closed his mouth and could practically feel the blush crawling up his skin.
“Where’s your lunch?” Naruto could hear the frown in the other’s voice.
“I dropped it.”
“Hn,” was the reply, and as Naruto scrunched his nose in thought at what the noise could possibly mean, the other boy moved and sat down near Naruto with his back against the waist-high wall under the fence. “I have extra, if you don’t mind curry bread.”
Naruto wanted to decline, but his stomach growled again, and with another blush and another rude noise of frustration, he sat down next to the boy, facing slightly away from him, and held out his hand for the bread. The other boy placed it in his waiting palm, and Naruto brought it around and tore into the wrapper.
After a few bites, he swallowed his mouthful and mumbled, “Thanks.” He received that odd noise again as an acknowledgement, but the food had helped with his temper as well as his hunger, so it didn’t set him off. He took a giant, calming breath as he crumpled up the bread wrapper, surprised when the other boy held out his hand for it. Naruto gave it to him and watched as it disappeared into the bag at the other boy’s side.
Turning his head to face forward, Naruto reclined against the wall and just looked up at the sky, wondering if he should return to class today or just skip. He didn’t really feel like going back, and he wasn’t one hundred percent sure that he wouldn’t try to jump that asshole again when he saw him. He huffed out a breath and banged his head lightly against the wall.
“Why did you drop your lunch?”
The sudden question startled him, and he quickly sat up and looked at the boy next to him. “Huh?”
The other placed a pale finger on his open book and looked up at Naruto, the sun glinting off the lenses of his horn-rimmed glasses, obscuring his eyes. “I asked why you dropped your lunch.”
“Oh.” Naruto leaned back again and shrugged. “I had to in order to pound this guy’s face in.”
There was a beat of silence before the other asked incredulously, “You were fighting with someone?” There was an unspoken part of the question that Naruto clearly heard of why he hadn’t been sent to the principal’s office or something, and it made Naruto grin.
“Well, I didn’t really get any good hits in on the guy, and Iruka-sensei understands why I did it, so he only banished me to the hall.” He shrugged again. “I didn’t want to stay in the hall, so I came up here.”
“Why were you fighting?”
The innocent question made the grin fall off of Naruto’s face. He suddenly remembered that this person had seen him crying, and it made him slightly uncomfortable. He bowed his head down, letting his blond fringe shadow his eyes.
“No real reason,” he whispered.
“So you’re the type of person to cry over a fight that had no real reason behind it? That’s interesting.” Naruto could practically hear the smirk in the other’s voice, and he bristled.
“Bastard,” he mumbled, “I wasn’t… crying over the fight.”
“Then why were you crying?”
“None of your damn business!” Naruto yelled.
He heard the flip of a page and a small sigh. “That’s true. Forget I asked.”
Naruto brought his knees up to his chest and ran his fingers through his hair, tightening the grip in the hairs at the nape and tugging. After a moment, he curled his arms around his legs and mumbled into his knees, “The fucker ruined my flowers.”
He heard the book close and the sound of cloth shifting over concrete. “You were fighting because someone ruined your flowers?” the other boy asked. “The flowers were that important to you?”
“Yes,” he hissed out, his eyes narrowing to glare at nothing. “They,” he stopped, trying to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.
“You don’t have to tell me,” the boy offered softly.
Naruto nodded, but he really did want to tell someone. Sometimes it was tough holding it all in. He was sure his dad knew how sad he was on the inside, but they never really talked about it, and Naruto had never told his friends at school. Maybe if he had, the guy wouldn’t have been in a position to ruin the flowers.
“They’re for my mom,” he eventually said, his voice low and his eyes shut tight. “She… she died in childbirth. I take flowers to her grave every year on that day.”
“Childbirth?” he heard the boy mumble. “Your birthday? Then today is…?”
Naruto nodded. “I don’t really celebrate it.”
Before he really knew what happened, Naruto was up and heading toward the door to the stairs, his wrist in the firm grip of the other boy. He was dragged down the stairs quickly, a wild thought that the other was going to his classroom to confront the guy that had smashed his flowers forming in his mind, but suddenly he was jerked in the opposite direction of his classroom and toward the exit.
He found himself outside, still gripped tight by the other boy, and they were headed for the school gate. Naruto thought that maybe he should be protesting this, but he still really didn’t want to go back to class. So all he did was follow behind the other, alternating between glancing at their surroundings to try to figure out where they were headed and looking at the boy’s head and wondering how much gel it took to get his hair to stay up in the back like that.
Eventually, he recognized the neighborhood and stared in shock as the boy led him to the Yamanaka flower shop. The door was held open, and Naruto was ushered inside. Ino’s dad looked up from the counter and greeted him with a smile.
“Naruto-kun, what brings you by at this hour?”
Naruto was at a loss for words until the other boy poked him in the back. “Eh, konnichiwa, Inoichi-oji-san,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head and grinned. “The flowers I bought this morning kinda got ruined. I guess I’m here to replace them.” He got another poke in the back for that.
Inoichi frowned slightly. “I’m sorry, Naruto-kun. Let me get you a fresh bouquet.” He moved about the shop quickly, putting the same bouquet together that he had that morning. Then he brought the flowers behind the register and wrapped them in red cellophane. Naruto started to reach for his wallet, but he felt the other boy move slightly behind him, and Inoichi said, “No charge, Naruto-kun.”
“Really?” he asked with a grin as he reached for the flowers. “Thanks, Inoichi-oji-san!” Hugging the bouquet lightly to his chest, he turned to leave the shop. When he stepped onto the sidewalk, he realized that the other boy wasn’t with him, but when he turned to look, the other was just coming out of the shop, his hand quickly slipping in and out of his pocket.
“You should get going. They said there might be rain tonight.”
“Go where?” Naruto asked. He squinted at the other boy, trying to see past the glare off the boy’s glasses.
“To the cemetery, baka. I imagine you weren’t really going to go back to class.”
Naruto stared wide-eyed at him before he smiled softly and looked at the flowers. “That’s true,” he murmured. He suddenly looked up. “Eh, my bag’s still in the classroom.”
The other boy shifted his book from his right hand to his left and used his right hand to push his long bangs back behind his ear. “I’ll ask Ino-san to bring it to you.”
“Oh, thanks!” Naruto said, extremely happy that he would be able to make his visit now.
“You’re welcome, Uzumaki.”
Naruto nodded and turned to leave before he cursed himself as stupid and quickly turned back. “Hey, what’s your name?”
The other boy had also turned to leave, but at Naruto’s question he paused. He didn’t answer at first, but finally, without turning around, said, “Uchiha Sasuke,” very quietly and walked away.
~*~
When Ino had confronted him about forgetting Sasuke, Naruto had felt like the biggest asshole that had ever lived. Sasuke had done such a nice thing for him—had even paid for it, according to Ino—and Naruto had forgotten him. And the only real reason Naruto could think of how he’d forgotten Sasuke in the first place was that, ultimately, the Sasuke of back then was forgettable.
Now Naruto could remember times that he had observed Sasuke, but those instances had never stuck in his memory. Sasuke, more than anyone, seemed to be a slippery subject that alluded attempts at being converted into long-term memory. He had been so introverted and quiet in high school, never speaking up in class or participating in school activities. And he hadn’t changed much over the years, though he no longer wore glasses. He was still quiet and introverted, though having a job seemed to make him do better in the socializing department, but he still had that sense of touch-me-not that encouraged distance and disinterest. Sometimes Naruto mused that if Sasuke went away again if Naruto would forget him a second time.
He had a strong suspicion that forgetting him wouldn’t be the case this time around.
“Naruto-kun?” Naruto glanced up, startled, to see Hinata gazing at him in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Eh,” he started, lifting his right hand to rub at the back of his head. “Gomen, gomen. I guess I spaced out there a little. I’m fine!”
“You must have had it rough with this project, Naruto-kun,” TenTen said from the other side of the table. She set her elbow on the table and leaned her cheek against her fist. “I heard you finished on Thursday, but Senju-kachō must still be running you ragged.”
Naruto chuckled. “It’s not too bad. Just wasn’t able to do something today that I had planned.” He smiled ruefully as he thought that he hadn’t been able to visit his mom’s grave on his actually birthday in some time, at least not since before being hired to a big company like this one. But this year he hadn’t even had time to buy the flowers yet.
“Don’t defend her, Naruto!” Kiba complained from next to TenTen. “She’s been running us all ragged. Shino and I got three new projects yesterday that are supposed to go to Uchiha.” Sasuke twitched slightly beside Naruto. “When I asked her why she gave them to us and not him, all she said was she could easily assign them to my replacement, so I shut up and walked away.” He glared into his beer before transferring the look to Sasuke. “What gives, Uchiha?”
The table was quiet as they waited for Sasuke’s response. When it looked like he wasn’t going to answer, he released a quiet breath and said, “I have had a personal issue come up that requires my immediate attention. Senju-kachō instructed me to continue with my current project and that she would assign any new ones elsewhere.” He bowed as low as he could. “I apologize for the inconvenience, Inuzuka-san.”
Naruto knew that both he and Kiba were dying to ask about this personal issue—Naruto because he was concerned, Kiba because he probably didn’t believe him—but both remained silent. TenTen picked up the conversation and moved it to more neutral territory, and the party continued. After about fifteen minutes, Sasuke gained Naruto’s attention.
“Please excuse me, Naruto-san, but I must leave. Please inform Haruno-san and thank her for the invitation.” He turned so that he was sitting seiza, his hands on his thighs, and bowed slightly. “Otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu.”
Naruto turned to mirror Sasuke’s seiza and bowed. “Arigatō gozaimasu.” When he lifted his head, he saw a small smile on Sasuke’s lips before the other man gracefully rose from the table and stepped down from the platform.
“Are you leaving, Uchiha-san?” Hinata asked, which garnered the attention of all the ladies present.
Sasuke finished putting on his shoes and bowed to them. “I must.”
“He’s probably got a hot date!” Kiba called while pointing at Sasuke’s hand. Naruto finally noticed that Sasuke’s jacket over his arm covered a bouquet of flowers in the man’s left hand. He could just make out a bit of red cellophane, and his breath caught in his throat. He looked up quickly at Sasuke, but the man was speaking to Sakura. When he turned to leave, Naruto gracelessly stood and jumped down, hurriedly putting on his shoes as he tracked Sasuke through the restaurant.
“Naruto-kun, where are you going?” Sakura asked.
“I’m just seeing Sasuke out, Sakura-san. I’ll be right back.” Without looking back, he followed after Sasuke, hoping he didn’t lose him once the other hit the street. As he passed through the entrance and came onto the sidewalk, he looked to his left and didn’t see Sasuke. Cursing under his breath, he looked to his right and found Sasuke waiting a few feet away, his jacket still covering the flowers despite the crisp chill to the night air. Naruto quickly moved that way.
“How stupid would you have felt if I’d been gone?” Sasuke asked in his quiet voice, a strange mix of playfulness and irritability coloring it. It stunned Naruto momentarily, not having ever heard Sasuke tease him before, but he recovered quickly and smiled.
“Probably no stupider than usual.” He stopped just an arm’s length from Sasuke, noticing again the difference in height between them, though he wasn’t that much taller. Sasuke grunted quietly and pulled the bouquet out from under his jacket, presenting it to Naruto. He grabbed the flowers, looking in wonder at the same bouquet that Inoichi-san made him every year, and felt a suspicious stinging in his eyes. “Why?” he asked.
Sasuke frowned and looked at the flowers. “I noticed on Thursday that you didn’t have any flowers on your desk like you have the past couple of years. When you were called in to work a bit more on your project, I thought… perhaps you hadn’t had time to get them.”
Naruto stared at Sasuke, that warm feeling he refused to name causing his heart to beat faster in his chest. When he didn’t say anything, Sasuke backed up a bit and continued, “I apologize if I’ve overstepped my bounds. If you’ve already… gone, I’ll take them back.” He reached for the flowers, and Naruto hugged them brutally to his chest as he shook his head.
“No!” he said a little too loudly. “I mean, I haven’t been yet. I was so busy. You were right, I hadn’t the time to pick up the bouquet.” He loosened his hold a bit on the flowers and smiled at Sasuke. “I was just stunned that you—” Remembered was what he had been going to say, but he stopped and bit his lip.
Sasuke was still frowning, but he didn’t look mad. “That’s not the kind of thing that one would forget,” he said. “Especially not me,” he whispered, but it had been so low that Naruto wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly.
Sasuke cleared his throat. “You should get going.”
“Go where?” Naruto asked, feeling a slight bit of déjà vu.
“Back to the table, baka. I imagine you don’t intend to offend Haruno-san and Hyuuga-san by leaving your own party.”
Naruto stared wide-eyed at him before he smiled softly and looked at the flowers. “That’s true,” he murmured. Though he felt staying with Sasuke was a better use of his time. He suddenly looked up. “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”
Sasuke raised a thin black brow in question as he put on his jacket. “I have dinner plans with my brother to discuss something.”
Naruto nodded. “How about lunchtime? Are you free?”
“Why?”
“I’d like to pay you back for this. How about lunch? Or coffee or something, if you can’t do lunch.”
Sasuke’s brows drew downward, and Naruto thought he was about to reject the offer when Sasuke nodded slightly. “Lunch will be fine. Where should I meet you?”
Naruto grinned at him. “Rāmen Ichiraku, noon. Okay?” Naruto noticed the slight twitch of Sasuke’s eyebrow and chuckled. “I promise you’ll love it.”
“All right,” he said with that slight frown. “Have a good night, Naruto-san.”
“You, too, Sasuke,” he replied. Sasuke bowed again and walked away; Naruto didn’t move until Sasuke was out of sight, and then he took a moment to sniff the flowers to hide his ridiculously huge grin. This was proving to be one of the best birthdays of his life.
~*~
Sasuke had not slept well. He’d spent all night debating the wisdom of meeting Naruto for lunch in between dreams that he couldn’t remember, but had left him feeling a strange mix of aroused, angry, hopeful, and devastated.
He’d spent three years keeping Naruto at a distance, trying hard not to let his feelings for the blond show, trying hard without being mean or unprofessional to make Naruto think it wasn’t worth his time to try to be friends with Sasuke. And during those three years, Sasuke had suffered for his feelings for the blond; completely his own decision, of course, but it had hurt more than a little bit to have the object of his desire so close.
Sasuke had also spent some part of the night trying to figure out why he’d never tried for anything with the blond, especially when sometimes he was sure Naruto had been flirting with him, but had ultimately convinced himself that Naruto had only been joking around and would never like someone gloomy and cold like Sasuke. And when thoughts of Naruto’s reaction to his transfer would start to intrude on his musings, Sasuke only had to remember that Naruto had forgotten him once; he should be able to easily do so again.
And with that thought, Sasuke had been able to settle enough to get some sleep. He’d go to lunch with Naruto—after all, it was only in repayment for the flowers—and kept the thought foremost in his mind that he would be leaving in a couple of weeks. Not enough time for anything drastic or devastating to happen, right?
So the morning found him almost eager for the meeting, as he debated what he would wear and if he should keep up the polite distance he practiced at work. His gut instinct told him that he should, but the flowers had nothing to do with their working relationship, and so neither should the repayment lunch. He kept up the internal debate through several outfit changes. He finally settled on jeans with a pair of black boots and a black sweater, as well as that he would let Naruto dictate the tone of conversation, though he had a feeling it would lead to a very informal setting almost immediately. He donned a black leather motorcycle jacket and left the apartment.
He arrived at the restaurant promptly at noon, spying Naruto standing outside and leaning against a light post. He was dressed in jeans as well, though his jacket was a bright orange, and he had a green and white-striped scarf around his neck. Not something he would ever wear himself, but Sasuke had to admit that it didn’t look horrible on the blond.
“Naruto-san,” he greeted as he neared.
Naruto looked up at him and smiled, pushing off the light post and moving closer to Sasuke. “Sasuke, thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Sasuke stood there dumbly for a second, feeling more awkward suddenly than he had about it all night, but Naruto quickly motioned to follow him into the restaurant. Sasuke had expected a noodle stand, but he was relieved to find it was an actual dine-in restaurant, and he filed in behind Naruto and followed him to a table.
“I love this place,” Naruto was saying as Sasuke removed his jacket, placing it on the back of his chair, and sat down. “It gets pretty busy during the week since other businessmen come here during lunch. I love coming in on a quiet Sunday and being able to enjoy an unrushed bowl or two of rāmen.”
“Hn,” Sasuke said as he perused the menu provided on the table. He heard Naruto chuckle, and he looked up in question.
“Sorry,” Naruto said. He folded his arms atop the table and leaned forward. “I was just reminded of the first time I heard you make that noise. I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what it meant or even if you meant to make it.” Naruto’s eyes seemed to sparkle in mirth. “Still not entirely sure.”
Sasuke wanted to avert his eyes, but he kept looking at Naruto and refrained from making the “noise” again. Instead he said quietly, “My family has never been all that proficient at verbalizing thought and emotion. I believe the ‘noise’ you hear is something my brother and I, at least, use to try to meet the social requirement of showing interest.”
Naruto chuckled again and leaned back. “Fair enough.” He nodded toward the menu. “Have you decided what you want?”
Sasuke looked down at the menu again. “Yes, I believe so.”
Naruto looked over and waved down a waitress. When she came over, they had a quick personal conversation, during which Sasuke learned her name was Ayame, and then she took their orders and parted with a shy smile for Naruto. When she’d gone, Sasuke raised a thin brow in question.
“You seem very familiar with her.” He hesitated before adding, “A girlfriend, perhaps?”
Sasuke watched as a blush grew over the bridge of Naruto’s nose, and the blond rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. “Ah, does it seem that way? I mean, she’s a nice girl, but I’m not really interested. In her.”
Sasuke found that interesting, that Naruto was specifically not interested in her. “Is there someone you are interested in, then?” Sasuke smiled a little. “Haruno-san, maybe? Or Hyuuga-san?”
Naruto’s eyes widened, and he quickly moved his hands in front of him and waved them frantically to negate Sasuke’s suggestions. “No!” He stopped his movements and placed his hands on the table. “I mean, no, I’m not interested in them either, though they’re very nice ladies.”
“Yes, they are,” Sasuke agreed quietly. Ayame came back with glasses of water, and when she left, Naruto cleared his throat.
“So, I just wanted to thank you again for the flowers. It was….” He trailed off, his eyes on the table and his brow furrowed in thought, a not completely unattractive look to Sasuke. He reached over and grabbed his water glass with his right hand, his thumb running up and down the side and smearing the water droplets that had formed. “I was very… moved, I guess, and appreciative that you remembered and thought of my mother, right down to the red cellophane.”
Sasuke hesitated only a moment, wondering if he should share his thoughts with Naruto, before he replied, “I know what it’s like to lose loved ones and no one care. You… you haven’t told anyone, I don’t think, about your mom and the flowers, so I didn’t want you to sacrifice the memory of your mom for your job.” Sasuke wasn’t sure he expressed his thoughts as clearly as he intended, but Naruto’s smile reassured him that his meaning was clear enough.
“That’s… so like you.”
Sasuke was going to ask what he meant by that, but Ayame showed up with their orders, and he missed the moment to ask. But that was okay, because Naruto dug into his rāmen with gusto and probably wouldn’t have answered him anyway. Sasuke smiled slightly and started on his own order of katsudon.
After a few minutes of eating, Naruto cleared his throat and asked, “So, ah, how’s your brother doing? I think Ino’s been a little worried about him lately. She’s kinda melancholy, which is not like her at all.”
Sasuke paused in picking up a piece of pork, wondering what he should say. Ino was ‘melancholy’ because he was leaving in a couple of weeks, but he wasn’t going to tell Naruto that. He decided steering clear of how Ino was acting was a good way to avoid saying anything suspicious.
“Itachi is fine. I think he’s doing a job right now that’s more taxing than usual, but since he works from home, it shouldn’t be too bad.” He debated adding to that with the information Itachi had given him only recently. “There is something else that’s been on his mind lately. I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone.”
Naruto’s eyes brightened at the thought of a secret. “I swear!” He leaned over eagerly, practically vibrating as he waited for Sasuke to continue.
Sasuke, playing along with Naruto’s suspense, looked out of the corner of his eye to see if anyone was paying attention to them before stage whispering, “He’s going to ask Ino-san to marry him.”
Naruto’s jaw dropped in shock, and he jumped up from his seat, sending it skidding back a bit as he leaned bodily over the table. “Are you serious?!”
Sasuke chuckled quietly and told Naruto to sit back down. When Naruto complied, he said, “Yes. He told me the other day.” He was quiet a second, thinking about Itachi starting down a road that Sasuke couldn’t follow, before he added quietly, “The ring is beautiful.”
“Holy shit!” Naruto said just as quietly. He leaned back and bit his lip, trying to stifle a very large and silly grin. After a moment, Naruto rubbed his hands through his blond hair and sat forward. “Ah! Maybe you shouldn’t have told me. How am I going to keep this from her? I’m going to laugh and cry and everything else as soon as I see her!”
“I believe in your ability to restrain yourself.”
“Ha! You’ll be disappointed there,” Naruto said. He turned and motioned to Ayame to bring him another bowl before addressing Sasuke again. “I’ll just have to avoid her until he pops the question. Which will be when, exactly?”
Sasuke shrugged as he returned his attention to his katsudon. “I think he wants to ask permission from her parents first, so not soon. Perhaps he’ll be able to in a couple of weeks.”
“Man, how am I going to avoid her for two weeks?” Naruto leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Sasuke focused on his katsudon so he wouldn’t stare at Naruto’s bottom lip, which he had sticking out in a slight pout. “What are you doing for the next couple of weeks?”
Sasuke looked up quickly, his eyes a little wide as he wondered why Naruto was asking. Ayame popped up next to the table and set Naruto’s second bowl down on the table before rushing off to help a family that had just entered the shop. When Naruto looked up from his dish and arched an eyebrow, waiting for an answer, Sasuke finally asked, “Why?”
“Well, I thought, if I have to avoid Ino for the next two weeks, you know, to keep the secret that you probably shouldn’t have told me—lesson learned, right?—then I could hang out with you, if you have the time.”
Sasuke was about to open his mouth to say that he was going to be extremely busy, which he was since he had to pack up his possessions and either store them or ship them to Osaka, but he hesitated. He couldn’t help but realize that this was an opportunity he’d probably never get again—spending time with the person he loved. It would certainly only be as friends, but it would still be a nice memory, right? And Ino would probably be more than happy to pack up his things for him. And she’d probably make Itachi help her. That would be more than worth spending two weeks hanging out with Naruto.
“I have time,” he said quietly. He looked back down at his bowl when Naruto suddenly smiled at him, because when Naruto looked that happy just to spend time with him, Sasuke felt kind of bad that he would be leaving Tokyo—and Naruto—behind.
~*~
It amazed Sasuke how quickly two weeks could go by. He’d been right when he thought Ino would help him pack up the house, and with her help, he got all his possessions either stored or shipped. He’d also been right that she’d made Itachi help—it had been glorious—but Sasuke had given the house to Itachi as a wedding gift, so he supposed Itachi had felt some responsibility for cleaning the house out.
But he’d also spent those two weeks hanging out with Naruto, which had also been glorious. They’d seen movies, been to several restaurants and bars, and sometimes just taken walks and talked about anything and everything, it seemed. Sasuke didn’t know how Naruto could be so dynamic and yet take such pleasure in the littlest things, but the time they spent together had opened Sasuke up to the little pleasures in life, too. Simply being with Naruto had made Sasuke happier than he’d been in a very long time.
And tomorrow he was leaving for Osaka. He’d tried very hard all night not to think about it or how Naruto would react when Tsunade told everyone tomorrow at work about his transfer, but that had only led to him drinking more than he should and getting very drunk. But Naruto wasn’t any better, and they made quite a sight as they stumbled through the train station hanging off each other and laughing at nothing. At least the station was practically deserted, since it was just before the next to last train on a Wednesday night.
Naruto tried unsuccessfully to swipe his card at the turnstile, so Sasuke grabbed it and slowly swiped it through, shoving Naruto into the metal bar and pushing him through to the other side. He fished out his own card and repeated the action for himself, smirking triumphantly at Naruto once he joined him. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and walked toward a column to lean against as they waited for the train. Sasuke joined him and stood in front of him facing the track.
“It’s so awesome hanging out with you, Sasuke.”
“You’re a grown up, Naruto. Should you still be saying the word ‘awesome’?” Sasuke ignored the silly grin and the finger poking him in the arm.
“You called me ‘Naruto.’”
“Hn.”
Naruto broke out into giggles at his response—manly giggles. Sasuke tried to curl his lip in disgust, but he couldn’t quite do it right when he was trying so hard not to smile. It took several seconds, but Naruto finally calmed down and let out a sigh.
“Why can’t any of the girls around here be like you, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
Naruto shrugged, a tiny smile curling his lips. “I don’t know. I guess… I don’t have to pretend with you. I can be myself, and you can be yourself, and it’s cool and comfortable and like we’ve been doing this forever. I just don’t get that feeling with girls. It’s a shame, really.”
“Why does it have to be a girl?”
The words were out of his mouth before he could think better of it, and he missed Naruto’s reaction to the question as he tried to make sure nothing of his own embarrassment and anxiety showed on his face. But he didn’t miss the rustle of Naruto’s coat as he stepped closer to Sasuke and pressed the front of his body into Sasuke’s side.
“It doesn’t,” Naruto whispered in his ear.
Sasuke cut his eyes to Naruto, the only outward sign that he’d even heard the words, but it was enough for Naruto, because his right hand came up to rest on the small of Sasuke’s back while his left hand cupped Sasuke’s right cheek and turned his head enough for Naruto to claim his lips in a light, hesitant kiss. When Sasuke didn’t immediately pull away, Naruto took that as a sign to continue, and the kiss became harder and wetter, as Naruto’s tongue plied Sasuke’s lips open and delved into his mouth.
Sasuke moaned at the feeling of Naruto’s tongue twisting about, and he turned his body to press into Naruto front to front. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around Naruto’s neck. Naruto’s left hand had moved from his cheek to join his right hand on his back, and he used them both to press Sasuke even harder against him. Sasuke broke the kiss to gasp, giving Naruto the freedom to move his lips down to kiss and suck at Sasuke’s neck. Sasuke felt the gentle touch of teeth on the sensitive skin, and he ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair, applying a bit of pressure to tell Naruto it was all right to mark him.
Which Naruto did with an ungentle bite and harsh suck. Sasuke’s shout echoed in the emptiness of the station, and Naruto answered with a growl of satisfaction. When he lifted his lips from Sasuke’s neck, he stared at his work and then flipped Sasuke around and backed him up to the column. He leaned down and started to mark the other side of Sasuke’s neck in the same manner, and then he kissed a path upward until he could claim Sasuke’s lips again, and they started the whole thing over.
Sasuke’s pants were starting to get a little too tight, and he didn’t know if he could hold himself back before the train came. The pleasure and the alcohol were coursing through his veins, seducing him to let all thoughts of what could go wrong go and embrace the right now. Naruto’s body moved sensually and constantly against his own, and he could feel Naruto’s answering arousal against the juncture of his leg, a tantalizing thought that would not be moved from his mind. He was two seconds away from shoving his hand down Naruto’s pants when they were both startled by the sound of Naruto’s phone ringing.
“Shit,” Naruto said breathily as he leaned against Sasuke to catch his breath. Then he leaned back and fished his phone from his coat pocket. Looking at the screen, he cursed again. “Shit. Sorry, Sasuke, I have to take this.”
Sasuke nodded, but Naruto was already bringing the phone to his ear and walking away. It gave Sasuke an opportunity to regain his breath and ask himself what the hell he thought he was doing. Making out with Naruto was not part of the plan! But it had been…
Sasuke swallowed as he looked down at the ground, remembering the way Naruto’s tongue had invaded his mouth and the way his body had pressed into Sasuke’s. It had felt so good!
But now that the passion was cooling, realization took its place. While he’d relented on his strict behavior toward Naruto, giving in enough to enjoy his last weeks in Tokyo, going any further was nothing but folly. He didn’t want to hurt Naruto, knowing that whatever feelings the blond had that had prompted the make-out session—be they love, like, or even just lust—Naruto would definitely be hurt if they did anything tonight and then Sasuke just disappeared.
No, he couldn’t do that to Naruto, who—despite instances of memory loss—was a good person. Shaking his head of the last dregs of lust-induced fog, Sasuke looked up at Naruto and watched as he leaned against a far wall and talked into the phone with a frown on his face. Sasuke could hear the train coming, and he looked over at the track and then back at Naruto, lifting his arm to indicate that the train was almost there.
Naruto nodded and then used his right hand to shoo at Sasuke, telling him to go. He mouthed ‘sorry’ and waved, a slight smile on his face. Sasuke was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t get to spend just a little bit longer with his… friend, but—no. This was best.
The train pulled into the station and opened its doors. Sasuke pushed off the column and waved at Naruto before boarding the train. He kept looking at the blond until the doors closed and the train took off. As the train sped onward, Sasuke didn’t move from his spot, his eyes unfocused as he tried to blank his mind of the thought that he probably wouldn’t see Naruto again. Even if he ever did come back from Osaka, Naruto was a very good worker and would probably have moved on to bigger and better things. And even if he didn’t, what were the odds that Naruto would ever want to see Sasuke again, after Sasuke kept his transfer a secret? He couldn’t even pretend that Naruto would forget him again, not after the past couple of weeks.
This was enough, though; the past several days were enough for Sasuke. He’d go to Osaka and keep these days as a very nice memory and go on with his life. That was really all he could do. He finally closed his eyes and turned his head to the side a bit, his brows pinched as if in pain, and the train sped on.
~*~
Sasuke had thought that November in Osaka was cold, but it couldn’t even compare to late December. At least it wasn’t snowing. He took in the dark sky and held back a sigh. He needed to finish up his work before he could think about the cold walk home.
He looked around at his coworkers and smirked. At least he wasn’t the only one working late. But while he was doing so because he had nothing better to do, the others were doing so because they waited until the last minute to do anything.
He could remember the day he started, almost two months ago. He’d met with the human resources supervisor, Orochimaru-san, who, after having Sasuke sign some paperwork, had escorted him to his new department, where he’d been introduced to the laziest bunch of people he’d ever known.
The branch manager, Jiraiya, had been sleeping at his desk. The tech team, made up of Nara Shikamaru-san and Akimichi Chōji-san, had been staring out of the window at the sky and eating (barbeque-flavored) potato chips. Hatake Kakashi-san had been sitting at his desk reading a book that was certainly not appropriate for the workplace. Orochimaru-san had wished him the best of luck and had left Sasuke standing there in barely concealed shock.
But, after working with them for two months, Sasuke could say that while their work ethic was questionable, they were still good people. None of them were married, so they all lived in the company dorms, which forced Sasuke to be more social, though that really wasn’t the hardship Sasuke thought it would have been. All in all, the only thing he could regret about the transfer was leaving Itachi behind. And leaving…
“So what are your plans for tonight, Sasuke-san?” Chōji asked him, interrupting a dangerous thought.
He blinked and turned his attention to the question. “I have no plans, Chōji-san.”
“I don’t believe that,” Jiraiya said from his desk. “There’s no way you’re alone any day of the week, let alone tonight.”
“What he means, Sasuke, is that it’s hard to think someone as good-looking as you wouldn’t have a date on Christmas,” Kakashi said as he typed something on his phone.
Sasuke scowled slightly. “And what are you doing tonight, Kakashi-san?”
“Well,” Kakashi drawled, rolling his head in Sasuke’s direction with a distinct leer on his face.
“Tch, don’t get him started,” Shikamaru interrupted. “Listening to his perverted hobbies is not only troublesome, but disturbing as hell.”
“You’re just jealous,” Kakashi snapped, pretending to be upset that his chance to embarrass Sasuke had been lost.
“As if.”
“Anyway, Sasuke-san, if you don’t have any plans, would you like to join us for barbeque? We’ll be meeting up with some other friends—Asuma and Yamato-san,” Chōji continued.
Mention of the company owner’s son piqued Sasuke’s interest, but not enough to entice him to accept the invitation. He thanked Chōji, but apologized and excused himself, saying that he would like to call his brother and start his weekend of rest early.
He returned his attention to his work, but the thought of Itachi brought on thoughts of Ino, who, thinking she was doing two friends a service, kept Sasuke abreast of Naruto’s affairs. She often told him how upset Naruto had been when Tsunade had told them all that Sasuke had been transferred, which Sasuke knew would be the case, but Ino seemed to think that it wasn’t because he was angry at Sasuke, that it was something else altogether. Sasuke couldn’t imagine what else it could be, though, but anger at Sasuke for not saying anything.
He let out a small sigh and quietly began to shut down his work space. He tried very hard not to think about Naruto, but almost everything seemed to call him to mind: Chōji’s random conversations about rāmen always reminded him of Naruto’s enthusiastic and obsessive love of the dish; conversations with Itachi always led him to the thought that he’d have to return to Tokyo for the wedding and probably see Naruto at the ceremony; conversations with Ino led to the same, on top of her actually talking about Naruto; even just walking around on a clear, sunny day reminded Sasuke of Naruto’s blue eyes and blond hair.
He stood and wrapped his scarf around his neck and put on his long coat as he bid everyone goodbye and walked to the elevator. He buttoned up his coat as he waited for the car, and when it came, he walked on and pressed the button for the lobby. He pulled out his phone to see if he’d missed any calls or texts from Itachi or Ino, but saw nothing but an email that he could ignore for the time being. He placed his phone back in his pocket and watched the panel above the door count down the last few floors. The doors slid open quietly, and Sasuke walked out into the lobby. He pulled his coat tighter about him, bracing for the cold as he pushed against the door and exited out onto the sidewalk.
He came up short, startled and at a loss for words when he came face to face with Naruto, who leaned against the empty bike rack by the curb. The blond had on his green and white scarf and a long black coat. He smiled hesitantly at Sasuke and pushed off the bike rack, shuffling forward a couple of steps to stand in front of him.
“Um, hi, Sasuke,” Naruto said.
“… Hi,” was all Sasuke could manage to say back, his mind whirling in confusion and his heart beating wildly in his chest.
Naruto looked embarrassed, and he brought his right hand up to rub at the back of his head. “Um, sorry for showing up suddenly. I just… I couldn’t stand not seeing you, so I begged your brother for your address.”
Sasuke blinked in surprise. Itachi hadn’t said anything.
“Well, he refused, but I at least knew where you worked.” Naruto looked up at Sasuke and blushed. “Ah, I’m not keeping you from something, am I?”
Sasuke still couldn’t speak, so he shook his head.
Naruto let out a huge breath of air and bent over slightly. “Man, I’m so glad.” He straightened and smiled at Sasuke. “This may be a bit forward of me, but I have some food and Christmas cake, so how about we enjoy them at your place? And we can talk about some things.”
Sasuke thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest at the thought of going back to his place with Naruto, but he controlled it with a couple of breaths and said, “Okay.”
Naruto smiled brilliantly and motioned for Sasuke to lead the way. The dorm was only a few blocks away, and Sasuke thought conversation would be awkward, but he couldn’t help looking at the bag that Naruto had picked up when they started walking and asking, “How did you manage to get Christmas cake this late in the day?”
Naruto laughed lightly. “Well, it turns out Hinata has a younger sister who’s going to university here and asked her to gather some things for me. They’re both such sweet ladies.”
Sasuke didn’t say anything to that, but they were close enough to the dorm for it not to matter. He swiped his ID card through the reader and held the door open for Naruto, who thanked him quietly and headed for the elevator. Sasuke joined him and pressed the call button, hoping he didn’t have to wait long for the car. Thankfully, the doors opened immediately, and they both stepped on. Sasuke pressed the button for his floor and leaned back against the wall. Naruto fidgeted slightly next to him, his fingers squeezing and shifting over the bag’s handles.
When the car came to a stop and the doors slid open, Sasuke lead Naruto down the hall to his door and stepped back to let Naruto through when he’d unlocked and opened it.
“Ojamashimasu,” Naruto said quietly as he stood in the genkan. Sasuke followed him in and closed the door, taking off his coat to hang up and then asking for Naruto’s. He motioned to the guest slippers he had lined up to their left and began to remove his own shoes.
He led Naruto into the living room, and they sat down on the cushions around the low table. Naruto began to pull out the items from the bag, and Sasuke reached for the cake box. He popped open the lid and stared at the tiered cake with white frosting and strawberries. He couldn’t believe it—it really was a Christmas cake.
“Hopefully the tartness of the strawberries will cut down on the sweetness,” Naruto said. Sasuke looked up at him. “You don’t like sweet things, right? At least, that’s what everyone at the main branch says.”
“Hn.”
Naruto smiled and started eating. Sasuke closed the box and started eating, too. Naruto asked him a few questions about how he found Osaka and what his coworkers were like, but nothing too personal or about the last time they had seen each other. Eventually the tension got to Sasuke.
“Why are you here, Naruto?”
For a moment, Naruto had this look on his face like he was going to play dumb and answer flippantly, but he quickly became serious and stared at Sasuke intensely. “I wanted to ask why you never told me about the transfer.”
Sasuke didn’t know what to answer at first, knowing he’d not told him solely as protection for his own feelings, but not answering wasn’t an option. So he went with the only other thing he could think of, the thing he could never really convince himself of in the end: “I didn’t think you’d care.”
“I see.”
Sasuke couldn’t look at Naruto, so he couldn’t tell what he meant by that or how Sasuke’s answer made him feel. He heard Naruto shift across from him.
“Well, I did care, Sasuke. At first, I was… at a loss. It felt like Tsunade was speaking some other language when she told us you’d been transferred. I couldn’t grasp it. I could only think about how, just the night before, I’d held you in my arms and given in to the impulse I’ve had almost since the moment we met again.”
Sasuke looked up, his eyes wide at Naruto’s confession.
“Then I was angry,” Naruto continued, a mild glare pinching his brows. “Like, fist-cracking angry. I couldn’t understand why you hadn’t told me, why you just left without a word, like I didn’t mean a thing to you.” Then his brow smoothed out, and he averted his eyes toward Sasuke’s balcony door. “Then I thought, maybe I had it all wrong. I really thought hard about everything I knew about you. I finally realized that, with how angry Ino had been at me for not remembering you from high school, I must have really hurt you.”
“Yes,” Sasuke whispered quietly, though he hadn’t really meant to speak it out loud. He bowed his head down to let his bangs cover his eyes.
“Because you liked me, right? Since high school?”
Yes, but this time he didn’t say it out loud.
“I like you, Sasuke.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“It occurred to me that if I didn’t know what I meant to you, you might not know what you mean to me.” He faced Sasuke again, a small, hesitant smile on his face. “I like you, Sasuke.”
Sasuke swallowed. “I like you, too, Naruto,” he said quietly. It embarrassed him to say it out loud, but he managed to keep his head up and his eyes on Naruto, mostly because Naruto looked as embarrassed as Sasuke felt, with a very red blush over the bridge of his nose. Sasuke cleared his throat. “So what happens now?”
Naruto also cleared his throat. “Well, I’d like to say that we continue where we left off two months ago, but a lot of that was lust and alcohol. And I thought that maybe, if you returned my feelings, I could give one of these slow romances a shot.”
Sasuke smirked, sure that any romance between the two of them would probably accelerate out of control sooner rather than later. Sasuke had been restraining himself longer than Naruto, after all; he wasn’t sure he could give a slow romance a shot.
“Okay,” he said eventually, smiling at Naruto and hesitantly reaching his hand over the table for Naruto’s. Naruto gave it readily, folding their fingers together and running his thumb back and forth over the back of Sasuke’s hand.
“Let’s cut into that cake, huh?” Naruto looked over at Sasuke’s wall clock. “I’ll stay as late as I can, but I do have a late meeting with Senju-kachō tomorrow. What time does the last train run?”
Sasuke let Naruto’s hand go to stand to get a knife from the kitchen. He was disappointed that Naruto wouldn’t be able to stay longer. Pulling open a drawer, he said, “You… could stay and catch a morning train.” He returned to the table and pulled the cake box toward him, avoiding Naruto’s eyes.
“Sure, thank you,” Naruto said. After Sasuke had served the cake, Naruto gained his attention by saying his name quietly. He looked at Naruto in question. “What are you doing for New Year’s?”
“I have no plans.”
“You’re not going to visit Itachi?”
Sasuke smiled slightly. “I think he’s taking Ino-san on a trip.”
“Oh, then, can I come visit you?”
Sasuke was momentarily stunned that Naruto would even have to ask, but he scoffed and cut into his cake. “Of course, baka.”
“Heh, okay.”
The cake was really sweet, but in light of current events, he really couldn’t find it in himself to care. After a moment, Naruto got up and moved to his side of the table, sat down next to him, and took Sasuke’s fork away from his mouth. He leaned forward and licked the frosting from Sasuke’s lips before kissing him tenderly.
Sasuke’s heart fluttered in his chest, and he thought fleetingly that this was the best Christmas he’d had in a very long time.