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wild-moony-joonie · 5 years

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Game Night

Author: Laura(me)

Warnings: Suggestive ig. Swearing, nerds being nerds. Lots of Gay.

Pairing(s): Sasuke/Naruto(Sasunaru).

Synopsis: Naruto has a lot of things he’d like to avoid, and as hard as he tries. He just can’t avoid some.

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Somehow his mom had convinced him to come to this stupid game night, Kakashi-sensei was throwing at the academy. Naruto inwardly groaned as he thought about the torture to come, Sasuke would inevitably win all the games Kakashi didn't participate in. With that smug smirk and dark hooded eyes. Naruto shook his head, his orange and black snapback shaking slightly. He adjusted it so that the bill was in the back, his longish blonde hair poking out from underneath and hiding his blue eyes. He slipped his ear buds in as he walked along the sidewalk, his cream hoodie and dark green jacket with red accents perfect for the fall evening weather. His jeans made slight swishing noises as he continued the two city blocks to the academy.

"Hey Loser! Wait up!," The shout came from behind him. Naruto was considering ignoring the jerk, but instead turned around and pulled one earbud out.

"What do you want Sasuke?" Naruto snapped, impatient with the raven haired boy approaching him.

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to walk with you," He smirked at Naruto, his cocky expression always present. He had pushed up the sleeves of his black leather jacket and purple hoodie, with the gray shirt tails of a button down sneaking out from underneath. Sasuke pulled his hood up over his lavender baseball cap, attempting to hide his somehow effortlessly perfect behead, which shade matched his laminated blue-black jeans.

"You excited for me to kick your ass?" The taller boy whispered in the ear unoccupied by an earbud, shoving his hands into his pockets. Naruto jumped surprised by his sudden closeness.

"Uhmmm, what are you talking about? You know I'm only coming cause my mom made me."

Sasuke made a sympathetic face,

"I can practically stand my mom. All she ever talks about is me getting a boyfriend, I mean since she learned I'm gay. I swear, she's more obnoxious than Itachi constantly knowing everything."

"Hmmm, must be pretty bad. Itachi's such a know it all," Naruto muses.

"You come out to your parents yet?" He asks nonchalantly.

"Yeah, they accepted it pretty easily, my mom is now just glad she can talk to me about hot male celebrities,"

"Who's your favorite?"

"Tom Holland," Naruto says, now picking his nails as they slow down, prolonging this moment of comfort in each others presence.

"Ugh, Hiddleston," He wrinkles his face up at the thought of Holland. Just as he says this, they round the corner to their high school. They walk in the doors and check into the booth, run by a couple of fellow juniors. Sakura and Ino, and of course they both start obsessing over Sasuke, mainly because nobody but Naruto and his family knows that Sasuke is gay, despite the blonde being openly Pan Sexual.

He nods to them and then moves on, he quickly follows. they walk in to find Iruka-Sensei running Just Dance. They simply share a glance, and Naruto pulls his earbuds out and wraps them up. They simultaneously step in line next to each other.

"Hey Naruto!," Naruto turns and sees his best friend Kiba, running towards us. Sasuke makes a displeased noise, and the shorter boy elbows him hard, shooting him a firm glare.

Naruto's POV

" Sakura looks great tonight! Did you see her?" Kiba gasps like a fish, I hold my hands out palms facing towards him.

"Whoa slow down there Kiba, take a few breathes, don't die on me," I say laughing softly at his words, and mentally wondering what he brought it up.

"Yeah, but all she talks about is Sasuke," Kiba groans, standing up, and puts his face in his hands, dramatically pulling at the strings of his blue sweatshirt. He turns to look at Sasuke, with a woeful expression pulling at his face, "You're soooo lucky, you know that?"

Sasuke suddenly bursts out laughing, hard. Harder than I've ever heard him laugh in all my years of knowing the jerk. Laughing so hard it catches everyone's attention. Laughing so hard that he starts wheezing. He bends over holding his stomach, and I can't suppress a giggle, which soon turns into to full out laughing. I'm now wheezing, clutching my stomach.

Sasuke and I lean into one another gasping for air, between bursts of laughter. HIs hands grip my waist as he leans into my chest, his body shaking with laughter, gasping for lost breath. I lean into his touch, finally starting to calm down.

"What's so funny guys?" Kiba asks, peering curiously out of his sweatshirt, suspicion painting every feature on his face. Sasuke leans in close to Kiba, and whispers,

"Can you keep a secret?,"

I lean nonchalantly on Sasuke's shoulder, smiling softly at Kiba.

"Yeah, you bet I can." Kiba replies, brushing Sasuke's hand off. Crossing his arms. Sasuke glances at me, and I grin, imagining what Kiba will say once he hears.

"Kiba..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm gay...," Sasuke waits a moment for this to sink into to Kiba's brain. When it does Kiba's eyes get really wide and he burst out laughing.

"Do you see why it was funny now?" I chuckle, cocking my head at Kiba.

"Yeah. Also, you know that you two would make a really cute couple now that I think about it. Like realllyyyy cute."

"That's out of the question," I say firmly, removing elbow from Sasuke's shoulder, turning away from the both of them.

"Oh Princess, don't be like that," A voice coos in my ear, pale muscular arms winding around my small waist. Pressing me into a rock solid muscular chest. Everything fades away... except for Sasuke. His presence is sending my heart pounding in my ears, his smell, his voice the only thing surrounding me. I instantly panic and step on his foot and elbow him in the sternum, He catches my elbow as I turn, and raises his eyebrows slightly.

"What was that for?" He asks, trying to hide his disappointment at my reaction, " Am I really that far into the friendzone?"

" Honestly Sasuke, you're not in the friendzone by a mile," I whisper, shocked by whatever compelled me to say these words in front of him. He smirks and leans closer to my face, teasing me,

"What was that Na-ru-to? I couldn't hear you." His says loud and clear, I suddenly remember Kiba. I turn to him, and can't help but chuckle at the slack jaw. Clearly shocked by the sudden tension between Sasuke and I. Electricity is crackling, ready to strike. But I'm not ready, not ready to admit that I'm gay for Sasuke and have been for years so, I won't. I glance at the line, and realize that we only have two people in front of us. I pull out my phone, ignoring Sasuke's smug smirk. And realize that I have thirty-two text messages, and ten missed phone calls. All from my mother. I glance at the time on my phone, and my blood runs cold. It's ten twenty-two.

"Shit!," I swear.

"What?!" Kiba and Sasuke, look at me concerned.

"I was supposed to be home by ten, shitshitshitshitshit!" I ramble, shoving my phone in my pocket and grabbing Sasuke by the arm.

"Bye Kiba!," I yell over my shoulder as I drag a dead weight Sasuke behind me out the door.

"Bye Sasuke!" A chorus of girls cheer in a sing-song voice as we pass them outside the school.

"Whoa, slow down Blondie," Sasuke says behind me, twisting his wrist out of my hand, and grabbing my belt loop. Forcing me to stop.

"I'm soooo late my moms gonna kill me!" I panic, and shake my head at him. My earbuds jangling against my thigh. I look up and see Sasuke's calling someone on the phone.

"Who are you calling?" I say in distress.

" Your mom," He says in a bland tone. Then continues, "Hi, It's Sasuke... yes, it's my fault Naruto is late. I made him stay with me... no but thank you... yes, you too. See you tomorrow... okay, bye," He hangs up and slips his phone back into his pocket on the darkened street corner. In the streams of moonlight, Sasuke is gorgeous, his hair casting shadows on his narrow face. His skin turned silver by the bleached light. He leans in and looks at me, then glances at my lips, and I know what comes next. Normally, under any other circumstance, I would stop him. Go home, shut him out. Get some sleep. But he looks so good right now I'm dying, and the electricity I felt earlier could put power wires to shame right now. So I give in, I caress those pale soft lips with my own. I give in and slide my hands into his hair underneath his hood. I give in and part my lips. I give in, and honestly, it's about damn time.

#sasunaru #naruto #sasuke #Uchiha #uzumaki

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Forty: Very Subtle ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ SasuHina, vulgarity ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows] [ AO3 Link ]

If there’s one thing Sasuke struggles with in regards to his actions, it’s...subtlety. Whether it’s bold pronunciations of revenge against a certain someone...or a declaration of becoming Hokage upon a battlefield in the midst of a war, he’s not the sort to mince words, or actions.

A habit he’s...tried to work on the past few years, what with his return to Konoha. At first he’d cared little about his reputation or how people perceived him and his manners. But times changed, as did his circumstances. And he’s made honest progress into thinking before speaking.

Just...not always.

A huge influence into his gentled behavior has been, of course, his relationship with Hinata. At first acquaintances, then allies, then coworkers, and lastly spouses...they’ve each rubbed off on each other over the years. Whether it be Hinata’s tempering of his, well...temper, or his insistence she garner a little attitude herself. So she’s taken a bit more seriously, that’s all. He quickly grew tired of her letting everyone walk all over her. Even her teammates seemed to indulge in her compassion and generosity a bit too often for his liking.

Something he himself tries to be conscious of.

For the most part, Sasuke’s managed to rein in his blunt approach. He’ll still give deadpanned looks and resort to sarcasm, but - in all fairness - it takes a bit more, nowadays, to rile him that far.

...except...for certain circumstances.

“All right, I’m heading back.”

“Whaaat? Already? But - but we just got here!” Naruto throws up exasperated hands, half-clothed in shorts, sandals, and wrapped limbs. “You’ve been putting off sparring with me for ages - it hasn’t even been an hour, teme!”

“You have your Hokage lessons, and I have my police work,” Sasuke replies flatly. “We’re both busy more often than not. I also have a wife, just like you do. Consider me overloaded with responsibilities...which means less time for sparring, yeah.”

“Sasukeee…!”

“Don’t Sasukeee me.”

Lips purse in a pout. “All right, fine - but you owe me another round before next week to make up for it!”

“Whatever makes you happy.” He actually has a rendezvous with said aforementioned wife for a date night. They’ve both been so swamped with cases lately, there’s been little time to spend together. And if he’s going to do that, he needs to get home and shower before the day slips away completely.

So, they both regather their gear (which...is mostly just clothes) before leaving the training grounds behind. All the while, Naruto decides to ramble about his Hokage preparatory training. Apparently Kakashi’s been hounding him extra hard this week. Which is also why he’s extra disappointed they’re calling it quits so early.

“One a’ these days, I’m gonna drag him out for a spar!” Naruto enthuses, throwing mock punches as they walk. “See how he likes it, huh?” Noticing Sasuke’s no longer beside him, Naruto looks back. “Uh...Sasuke…?”

He’s not listening. Instead, a single dark eye stares steadily ahead about a block.

Trying to lean into his line of vision, Naruto perks a brow before doing his best to follow it. And...then he sees what the Uchiha sees.

Hinata’s standing outside a shop, a bag of...something in her arms against her chest. Opposite her, body language all too forward, is some man neither of them have seen before. A jōnin, by the looks of it. And though Hinata looks all too done with his advances...it’s clear he’s not heeding her.

Having come to a full stop, Sasuke then begins marching determinedly forward.

“Whoa whoa, wait - hold up!” Naruto grabs his friend by the arm, earning a venomous glare that loosens his grip and stumbles the blond back. Hands lift defensively. “I’m just sayin’, uh...y’look a little intense there, buddy.”

“No shit.”

“Aaand maybe you should, uh...see if she can handle it herself? Hinata-chan’s a big girl, Sasuke! She can take care of herself, right?”

Indecision flickers over Sasuke’s face. On one hand...Naruto has a point. Hinata is also a jōnin level shinobi, and on top of that one of the best wielders of the Byakugan in her clan. If she really wanted to, she could probably lay this guy flat on his ass the moment she decides to. And he doesn’t want to fight all her battles. She can handle herself. She’s not a maiden in need of defending.

But on the other hand, the longer this goes on without her acting, the hotter Sasuke’s blood boils in his veins, until he can hear little more than his furious heartbeat in his ears.

“...uh…?”

No more waiting.

Leaving his old teammate behind, Sasuke crosses the block with an unmoving eye, everyone around him skittering out of his path and looking at him incredulously. At least they know he means business.

“I told you, I’m married.”

“What, so we can’t have a friendly chat?”

“Friendly, sure - but this is getting a bit beyond friendly, and I -!”

Hinata’s cut off as Sasuke steps between them. With one hand, he grabs the offender’s shirt front, lifting him up with hardly an ounce of effort. Immediately he squirms with a yelp. “H-hey! Put me down, asshole!”

“Are you deaf?” Sasuke hisses. “She’s married. To me. That is my wife you’re chatting up. And if you don’t clear off and leave her alone, I’ll take your tongue. See how easy it is for you to bother married women after that, asshole.”

By now, Sasuke’s Sharingan flares to life, and the offender goes ghostly pale as he realizes just who’s talking to him. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to -”

“I don’t give a damn what your intentions were. I’m putting them to a stop. Now. The only thing left you should be doing is scampering down the road with your tail between your legs.” Sasuke drags his face an inch from his own. “...I see you near her again, I’ll take more than just your tongue.”

Shaking so hard it’s difficult to tell he’s nodding, the man lands with an oomph as Sasuke drops him, scuttling backward before finding his feet to run.

“Hn…”

By now, Naruto’s closed the distance between them, standing beside Hinata completely deadpanned with hands shoved in his pockets. “Well that was very subtle,” he praises sarcastically. “You handled that like a pro.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I did. He knows not to bother Hinata, and I didn’t have to maim him.”

Hinata, in the subsequent silence, simply blinks large eyes in the aftermath. “...um…”

“Next time some idiot bothers you, just knock him on his ass, Hinata,” Sasuke insists, turning to her coolly.

“That’s...not exactly good manners…”

“And neither is someone ignoring a wedding band and continuing to hit on someone already married. Tell them off, and if that doesn’t work, go a step further and send him flying. Talking only gets so far with people like that.”

She just heaves a small, exasperated sigh.

“Well, I better skedaddle,” Naruto then announces, stretching. “See ya later, teme. Try not to assault anyone else on the way home, huh? Cops might arrest ya!”

The Uchiha just scoffs, moving on and waiting for Hinata to fall into step with him.

“...I really could have handled that.”

“Yeah, you could have. But would you have? Even now, you’re too soft on people like that, Hinata,” Sasuke rebukes with a sigh. “You’re allowed to speak up if someone’s making you uncomfortable. And sometimes, you have to talk with your fists if their ears aren’t working. If you don’t, then I’ll do it for you.”

It’s her turn to look coolly to him. “You don’t have to protect me.”

“I only will if you won’t.” He comes to a stop. “...Hinata, you’re important to me. The closest outside my blood. I don’t...like seeing people treat you like that. But what’s worse is that you don’t stand up to it! It’s already clear that being around me - around us - is going to make your life harder. So you’d better get used to being hard back, or something’s going to happen to you.” There’s a momentary softening, butting his brow to hers. “...and then I’ll have to do a lot worse than roughing someone up a little.”

Looking up at him with doe eyes, Hinata wilts ever so slightly. “...I’ll try to be more...vigilant about it.”

“...good. Now, let’s go home, and get ready for that date.”

“...oh! I thought you’d forgotten!”

“Of course not. I told Naruto I couldn't spar for long. But I need a shower before we go anywhere else.”

“Yes. Yes, you do.”

...y'know what? I think I'm late often enough by now, there's not much point in my apologies. So...we'll skip that from now on, ahaha~ Annnyway, I got inspired as soon as I read this prompt. Because let's face it: Sasuke is...NOT, in any way, a subtle person. So of course I read it as sarcastic. Or rather, Naruto did. But can you blame Sasuke? Hinata's just too soft on jerks like that. She needs to be more like Sasuke! In...some regards, anyway. But with that, we're all caught up for tonight. Thanks for reading!

#uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #uzumaki naruto #sasuhina #vulgarity //#a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina

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behindheremeraldeyes · 6 years

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Title: Whatever Happened to Christmas . Summary: It’s been some long, and exhausting months for Sakura, and Christmas didn’t seem to be helping her in any way. Her friends are worried about her, but she wouldn’t let them help her. Therefore, there was only one person who could, truly, help her. . A/N: It’s finally here, everyone!! God, I can’t tell you how excited I am for this! I’ve finally had time to let it all out in a SS fanfic, and you guys really can’t imagine how relieved I felt after this fic! This one, particularly, has become quite special for me, especially after everything that happened last year. It became my escape fic, and god, there’s so many personal things in this fic that I kinda feel exposed XD Still, I owed you that much after all your patience with me. This is my come back fic, and it’s christmas themed! I hope you guys enjoy it, and please, tell me your opinion! It’s really important! . . . The clock was almost hitting 11:50pm when she finally realized it was time to head home. She had already changed into her winter clothes, her lab coat already left in her office and her heels already clicking their way towards the exit of the hospital. Her chakra reservations were quite low after a 36 hours shift, and yet, there was a sad scowl plastered on her lips at the idea of leaving so soon. Exhaustion creeped under her skin, for sure, but nothing a cup of coffee and some minutes with her eyes closed wouldn’t fix.

Sakura didn’t want to leave, for sure. She didn’t want to leave the safety of her work place, to an empty house where she would have to worry about dinner for one, and do nothing productive for the rest of the evening. The pinkette wanted to stay and help her colleagues during one of the busiest nights of the year, and more than anything, she wanted to help people go home safely to their families.

She’s a doctor, and that’s her job. That was what she was trained to do.

But ironically, the same woman who trained her was the one sending her home that night. And all because, apparently, she was too young to be spending yet another holiday inside that hospital.

A sigh escaped her lips as she tried her best to think back to all the previous holidays, as if to mentally try to prove her master wrong. Sakura knew she had been spending a little longer at the hospital than most of her colleagues, but it was not like she considered it to be harming in any way. She’s a medic, after all. She’s used to the sleepless nights and the canceled plans, and more than anyone, the Godaime should understand those circumstances.

Through the years, Sakura has come to understand that there is no such thing as peaceful times in the hospital. Even if the war was just a ghost from the past now, and even if the Shinobi Alliance had, indeed, lowered the mortality numbers, they still lived under the ninja system, where battles happened constantly and wounds could be as fatal as ever if not treated quickly.

They were still humans, by the end of the day. They could still bleed to death because of a kunai wound, and they could still die because of stupid things such as getting wasted during the holidays.

War or no war, medic ninjas were needed around the village. However, according to her master, medical ninjas also needed a break during some time of the year to celebrate life and eat a bunch of junk food to fill their energy tanks. And if she was not going to realize that by herself, then Tsunade would use all her power and her loud threats to make sure her dear pupil would spend Christmas away from those white, sterilized hallways.

And so, after weeks of direct confrontations around the hallways and weeks of constant changes on the names of the doctors that would be spending Christmas on duty, the Godaime ended up using her last resort on her wisest student. By orders from the head medic in Konoha’s hospital, Haruno Sakura was forbidden to be anywhere near that building during December 25th, unless she was actually dying and in need of medical help. Her schedules were erased, other medics had promptly taken over her work, and even Shizune would be there to help cover for all the pinkette’s surgeries.

Spending such busy day without her around would be hard, but that was how things were going to be. Sakura was going to enjoy a holiday break, even if they had to force her to do so.

She was not going to waste another chance of celebrating her youth because of her workaholic tendencies.

Or at least that was what Tsunade thought before her tricky apprentice found a way to twist her master’s words.

Sakura was not, indeed, spending the 25th at the hospital, no. Tsunade had been clear about that, and she was not going to disrespect the Godaime’s orders in front of everyone else. She would be spending Christmas home, just like her master told her to.

But she didn't say anything about Christmas eve.

And even if it wasn’t what she wanted, leaving a bit before midnight would have to be enough for that year.

When she finally arrived at the hospital’s lobby, her eyes didn’t miss all the elegant clothes people were wearing while waiting for whoever was in need of medical help. All the decorations also helped create the whole christmasy atmosphere around the hospital, and if Sakura were to be honest, those lights and stars would be the closest thing of a place to celebrate she would get that night. No matter how many times her best friend had invited her over, the pinkette just didn’t feel like listening to Ino rambling about how she was missing the chances of hooking up with a hot guy during the holidays.

Honestly, Sakura was just tired of people telling her how to live her life. Of course, she was going to obey Tsunade because she is her boss, but that didn’t mean she would be going out to party and do stuff such as going out to bars or having fancy, family dinners. Her master had the power to end her working schedule, but she certainly couldn’t force her to behave like a normal person.

And that was going to have to be her win for the night.

Another defeated sight escaped her lips, as she ran her fingers through her pink locks. It was probably time for her to go home, she knew, but leaving was a lot harder than she had expected. She turned her emeralds around for one, final look and was surprised by the sight of the one who was probably designated to take care of her patients for the night.

Apparently, she was the only apprentice who had been forced to leave.

“ Shouldn’t you be out by now?” Shizune said, stopping in front of her with a pile of papers in hands. “ If she finds you here, well… I bet you know what will happen, Sakura.”

“ Yeah, yeah… I know.” She smiled, her eyes curiously trying to read whatever was written on those papers. “ She wasn’t happy when she saw my name on today’s shifts, so I probably shouldn’t be giving her more reasons to actually fire me.”

“ Oh, she wouldn’t do that… But I can assure you that it would be quite painful.” Both of the girls chuckled, even if they were really aware of what their master was capable of. “ Still, don’t be too hard on her. She just wants you to have fun.”

“ Well, I certainly will.” Sakura started, taking a look at the clock hanging near the reception’s desk. It was certainly time for her to leave, and Shizune had no time to waste that night. “ There are tons of medical articles waiting for me at home. It’s going to be insane.”

“ I bet it will. Have a good night, Sakura.”

“ You too, Shizune-senpai. And Merry Christmas.”

And with a small, kind nod, the two medics parted ways. While she was heading towards the monotony of her home, Shizune was about to spend her holidays tending the wounded and discussing cases with their master during the coffee break.

Life certainly wasn’t fair.

The winter breeze welcomed her small form as soon as she exited the building. Instinctively, the Haruno girl brought her coat closer in order to shield herself from the cold, and as she made her way towards her apartment, it was impossible not to allow her mind to drift back in time, to a past when everything was simpler and she would still have that same, bubbly energy to celebrate christmas with the people she loves.

So much has changed, she thought.

Back then, she would spend the night with her parents and early in the morning, after opening her presents, Sakura would rush through the streets of Konoha so she could meet her boys and wish them a merry christmas. They would all exchange presents while drinking a hot chocolate, and they would end up spending the entire day together, enjoying the free time offered to the genin teams during the holidays.

Those were good times, for sure. Those were happy times, when the future still promised better days for the four of them.

A future that promised to keep them all together.

Oh, what a delightful future that was. None of them could’ve ever predicted how different things would be in less than 10 years.

In less than 10 years, the members of the team 7 literally went to war and back. Hearts were broken, bonds damaged, and even if, eventually, they found their happy ending, some things just couldn’t be fixed anymore. The boys weren’t just boys anymore, and she certainly wasn’t a little girl anymore. They were all forced to grow up faster than normal people should, and even if Naruto was able to hold onto his dream, Sakura couldn’t say she had the same luck. Deep inside, perhaps, there was still something left from her younger version, but most of it— most of her was already long gone.

She no longer neglected her physical practice. Her social life was quickly replaced by her job and her love— oh, that beautiful and pure love she has always nourished for that raven haired boy… It was still there, for sure, but it certainly wasn’t the same. It was stronger, now. More responsible and concealed, especially since her emotional expectations in life were close to zero now. She no longer expected him to proclaim his undying love for her, in the same way she no longer expected to be one of the reasons for him to finally settle in the village.

Sakura was no longer a child, and she knew better than to raise her expectations just to see them all crumbling down around her. He wasn’t coming back anytime soon, and even when he did, there was no use in getting all excited since it wouldn’t take long before he left again. It was a harsh way of thinking, and many were the times when Naruto scolded her for that, but it was the only way she knew that would keep her heart from breaking after every damn goodbye.

And so, Haruno Sakura, the girl who used to spread joy and laughter around the village and who used to love everything about christmas, turned into a skeptical workaholic at the age of 18. While all of her friends were out having fun, there she was, walking around the lonely, illuminated streets of the village, protecting herself from the shivering breeze as she tried to get home to her hot tea and the paperwork she had managed to take from the hospital.

Growing up really sucks.

By the time she finally got home, the clock was already marking 18 minutes past midnight. It was officially christmas, and as she had expected— or not expected at all— Sakura feels nothing different. She left her purse on her dinner table and headed straight to the bathroom so she could take a nice, warm bath. The hot water ran down her muscles, soaking her pink hair and allowing her to finally let out a deep breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Sleep was far away from her thoughts even if she had just returned from a long shift, and at that moment, she decided she deserved to spend a little longer under the running waters.

It had been a while since she had last had those minutes to relax, and even if most times she didn’t really have time to miss them, not even the pinkette would be stupid enough not to enjoy those limited moments that had to be forced into her life by the people she loves. Her eyes closed at the warm sensation of the water running down her cheeks, and she didn’t know something as simple as water could leave her skin so sensitive, to the point it tickled.

It felt good and warm, and by the time she was finished with her bath, it was almost 1am. Sakura put on some comfortable, flannel pajamas, and even if it was cold outside, she didn’t bother drying up her short hair. The silence of her apartment and the few lights she had left on reminded her of the years neither Naruto nor Sasuke were around, and much like back then, the pinkette decided to take her mind away from that reality and focus on her responsibilities and a relaxing cup of tea. A chamomile one, her favorite.

With her bare feet against the wooden floor, the medic nin walked towards her small kitchen and started to boil some water that would be enough to fill at least three small cups. She rested one hand on the counter next to the oven, and scratched the back of her neck with the other, massaging the area near the junction with her shoulders. Sakura closed her eyes, and her mind started to wander through her memories again, but that time, she focused on the present instead of the past.

The images of a smiling Naruto filled her mind, as she tried to imagine how happy he probably was at that moment. That was the first time he was spending Christmas away from Konoha, and even if he had sent her a letter complaining about the heat wave of the desert, she knew he was having fun. That knucklehead accepted the Kazekage’s invitation to spend the holidays at Sunagakure, and he was complaining about the weather and the sand.

That idiot, she thought.

Still, it was not like she wasn’t happy for him. Gaara’s friendship is really important for the blonde, and having a chance to deepen that bond was something Naruto was really looking forward to.

He was certainly going to enjoy his holidays. And at that moment, she could only hope the third, original member of their team was also having a good time.

As it was expected from the Uchiha, no one knew where he was or what he was up to. It had been weeks since his last letter arrived for her, and apart from the usual ‘I'm alive, therefore I’m writing you a letter’ thing, the raven haired boy didn’t really disclose much information. Perhaps, she thought, as a smile decorated her face; that he wouldn’t tell her such things so she wouldn’t go after him.

Her smile quickly changed into a smirk, and she couldn’t help but mentally call him a bastard. It was not like she would simply abandon her life and go after him. Not anymore, at least.

A sigh escaped her throat at the thought. “ Sasuke-kun…”

The memories of the Uchiha have always been the ones to bring her more emotions. All the time they’ve spent together and all the things they’ve been through were enough to make her worry about him even if he’s one of the best ninjas the world has ever met. Especially during the holidays, she wonders how he’s doing or if he’s cold. She wonders if he found a place to stay, and if this place has people who are treating him well.

She wonders if, perhaps, he has found someone worthy of his heart. And if so, she wonders if he will be spending christmas with her.

It’s a stupid thought, for sure. She has no right to be jealous over him, and if anything, she should only be happy for the man who has always meant so much for her. His happiness is the most important thing, and more than anything, Sakura wished him a merry christmas, wherever and with whomever he was.

Unlike her, she just hoped Sasuke wouldn’t miss the chance of spending the holidays with his significant others.

And indeed, he wasn’t.

A knock on the door surprised her by the time boiling water was acting on the plants. At first, she thought she had heard things. Who on earth would be knocking on people’s doors at such wee hours of the dawn?

Her brows arched in confusion, and it wasn’t only until there was another knock that she decided to move. She checked the clock just to make sure she wasn’t insane or anything, and when she realized it was almost 1:30 in the morning, Sakura concluded that the person at her door was either from the hospital due to an emergency, or Ino trying to drag her towards her christmas party. If it was the later, then, perhaps, she could return to the hospital under Tsunade’s exception.

If not for her low levels of chakra, the Haruno girl would’ve sensed the enormous power coming from the other side of the door, and perhaps, her reaction would’ve been different by the time she opened the door. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and she had to lean against the doorframe in order not to fall. She could barely feel her nose due to the cold breeze hitting her face, but at that moment, all she could think of was how much she had missed those deep, dark eyes of the raven haired boy.

That was certainly a christmas miracle.

“ Sasuke-kun… You’re back.”

“ Aah.” He nodded, his expression as peaceful as ever. His eyes roamed around her in the same way hers were memorizing all the changes he had suffered since the last time they met. He was still wearing that same black cloak, and his hair was still as spiked as ever, but the lines of his face were stronger and a lot more mature than before. His chin had more angles now, and his lips seemed softer as his face displayed a soft expression.

Uchiha Sasuke looked good as ever, and she wasn’t surprised by that at all.

Though, believing in Santa would've been a lot easier than believing he was actually standing there on her doorstep. And judging by the color of his nose, it was also possible to say he was cold.

“ D-Don’t just stay out there! Come on in! It’s freezing out here.” She said, stepping aside and giving him space to pass.

“ Thanks.” He muttered, entering her apartment and promptly removing his cloak. For many were the times he had been there to pay her a visit, some formalities were already left behind, and he certainly didn’t need an invitation to walk around and feel at home.

They both headed towards her living room, and he was the first to settle down on her couch. His eyes didn’t miss the mess of papers spread on her center table, and he would be lying if he said all that mess didn’t bother him. Not because of his cleaning mania, no, but mainly because of the time of the year.

Maybe, the info he had gotten wasn’t an overreaction, after all.

“ Tea?” She came from behind him, offering him a cup he promptly accepted. She didn’t add any sugar, for she knew his preferences, and even if he didn’t like chamomile, he could stand the taste of it if not sweetened like the way she drinks it.

Sakura, then, sat on the chair across from him, bringing her legs up so she sat with them crossed instead of how normal people should sit. An awkward silence settled in between them while they sipped their tea, and she patiently observed him with those big, emerald eyes of hers. As always, the Uchiha was a master with words.

“ So…” She started, sighing and deciding it was already too late for any small talk. “ What are you doing here, Sasuke? You don’t really want me to believe you’re here just because you’ve missed me.”

A smirk crossed his lips, as he was impressed by how direct his teammate has become. His eyes shifted from the papers to her green orbs, and she felt himself relax at the sight of the pink haired girl confidently looking at him. “ Hn, you don’t waste time, do you?”

“ Not when your teammate shows up at your apartment at 1am.”

“ Fair enough.”

“ Though I can start asking you about your journey and tell you all about Naruto’s newest attempt on learning fire ninjutsus.”

“ Tch, that Dobe…” He sighed, trying not to judge his best friend’s weird ideas. The Uchiha remembered the blonde writing something about that in one of his letters, but he never thought he would actually try something so stupid.

What a great Hokage he was going to be in the future.

But at that moment, the future of Konoha didn’t seem important. When he looked back at her, he realized her judging stare was still on him, and Sakura was still waiting for her answer. And by the look in her eyes, she wouldn’t simply accept a half lie such as his needs to refill his supplies.

She wanted the truth. And that was exactly what he was going to give her.

A sigh escaped his lips as his hand slowly moved to his pocket before fishing out a couple of crumpled papers and leaving them on her center table. He watched as her eyes widened in curiosity, and once she reached out and started reading whatever was written there, the Uchiha decided he could finally start talking now that he had given her the evidences that would prove the veracity of his words. “ You see, apparently, you’ve been doing some things that are leaving all these people worried, Sakura. I’ve received letters from your parents, Naruto, Ino, Kakashi and even from the Godaime.”

“ Are you serious? Why would they even do that?”

“ Hn, they are worried about you. ”

“ Why would they be? I’m fine. Just because I’m taking some extra-shifts at the hospital every now and then it doesn’t mean there’s actually something wrong.”

“ Are you sure about that? According to the letters, your extra shifts seem to be something important.”

“ Oh, not you too, Sasuke-kun! It’s just my job!”

“ I know… But by the way they all described it, you are not okay, Sakura. It seemed like you needed help."

“ Help?” She lifted an eyebrow in confusion while reading the words the Yamanaka girl had written him. Apart from the lack of formality, the blonde had written things such as ‘workaholic’, ‘exhausted' and ‘get back home and use your Uchiha magic on her’. Even if her friend, indeed, seemed to be concerned, Sakura couldn’t help but feel annoyed at all those overreacted assumptions. “ What the hell, that pig actually told you I’m suffering from Christmas Depression-shannarou!”

An uncomfortable silence settled around them after her words, and it was as if he was holding back something that was killing him inside. It’s true that by the way those people had described Sakura’s current situation, Sasuke expected things to be a lot worse than what they actually seemed to be. During his travels, he has seen people who are going through depression crises, and fortunately, the pinkette didn’t look like them at all.

Even if she did seem tired and she had certainly lost some weight, the Haruno girl, indeed, looked fine, and that was why the Uchiha pondered whether or not he should say what was on his mind. Maybe those people were overreacting. Maybe they were just plotting to bring him home so they could try to set them up. Maybe she didn’t really need him and anything he could do or say would be useless.

Still, as he kept looking at her house and the lack of Christmas decorations, Sasuke decided that perhaps there was more than his eyes could tell. And so, when she was trying to read Naruto’s messy handwriting, the Uchiha cleared his throat and took a deep breath. If there was really something wrong with her, he was going to find out. “ … Are you, Sakura?”

“ Uh?” She lifted her head, connecting their eyes as she looked at him with a confused expression. “ Am I what, Sasuke-kun?”

“ Are you suffering from Christmas Depression?”

Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and soon, her confused expression changed into an angry one. Her brows knitted downwards, and she glared at him after abandoning the papers back on the center table. “ Are you seriously asking me that, Sasuke?”

He felt shivers running down his spine, still, he didn’t back off. He simply nodded, not taking his eyes away from hers. “Aah.”

“ Of course not, Sasuke! Damn it, why can’t people just leave me alone?!”

“ Alone? What do you mean?”

“ Tch… I’m just trying to do my things, you know? But apparently, just because what I want to do isn’t considered to be normal for a girl of my age, then there’s something wrong with me!"

“ It’s not like that, Sakura.”

“ Yes, it is! Just because I didn’t want to go to Ino’s party or because I took some extra shifts at the hospital; people think there’s something wrong! Even you decided to come all the way back to the village during Christmas just to make sure I wasn’t going crazy! Gosh, this is so… This is so annoying!”

Her hands curled into fists, and perhaps, were her chakra reserves a little higher, her couch would have been destroyed by her irritation. Sakura was mad and tired, and apparently, not even she was aware of whatever was happening with her. It was evident that the pinkette was under a lot of stress and she was trying to cope it with more work and even a certain isolation he understood very well. She could not be aware of that, but she was avoiding her family, friends and even herself, seeking comfort in her professional obligations and not allowing herself time to realize how lonely she actually was, let alone decorate her apartment for the holidays.

Haruno Sakura was, indeed, lonely. And loneliness didn’t suit her at all.

Especially not during Christmas. Especially not when he was around.

His expression softened at the sight of the girl in front of him, and promptly, Sasuke started to think about something that could help her feel better. His mind took him back to their younger days, when the pinkette was nothing but a bubble of happiness around that time of the year. Sakura used to be the personification of Christmas itself. She would invite the whole team for the dinner her mother would prepare, and he remembered how her eyes would shine every time she would take her time watching the tree and all its ornaments.

Oh, yes… The Christmas Tree.

The most significant and beautiful thing about Christmas, or at least that was what he thought. He didn’t know exactly why, but Sasuke has always been fond of all that beautiful mess of ornaments and lights displayed around the green branches of the tree. Maybe it had something to do with Itachi and his own family celebrations, he didn’t really know. Still, every time his eyes saw that colorful mess, it was like a nostalgic and comfortable flutter took over his chest and made his lips curl up in something that could be considered a smile.

And perhaps that was what she needed, he thought.

Perhaps Sakura needed that one, simple moment of joy to remember how Christmas should feel, in the same it felt when she was a child.

She needed that, more than anyone at that moment. And the Uchiha— well— he needed a tree.

“ Sakura.” He started, firmly, and slowly, her eyes met his. She was paying attention, curiosity spread around her face at such sudden, confident tone. “ We need a Christmas Tree.”

Her expression turned blank after she listened to his words, and she didn't know for how long she was left spacing out, just trying to understand what he was talking about. “ What?”

“ A Christmas Tree.” He repeated, standing up and looking around her apartment. “ Do you have one?”

“…. Why would you need a Christmas Tree now, Sasuke?”

“ You didn’t decorate one this year. We’re doing it together now.”

The pinkette opened her mouth a couple of times as she tried her best to form the correct phrase for this situation. She blinked a couple of times more than necessary, and it wasn’t until she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the couch that she could finally come up with something. “ Are you high?”

“ What?”

“ Seriously… Did you eat some kind of mushroom around the woods lately that just left you… high?”

“ No… Why are you even asking me that?”

“ Because…” She stood up, placing both hands on her waist. “ I’m not sure you’re aware that you’re suggesting for us to find a Christmas tree and decorate it at 3 freaking am of Christmas day.”

“… So what? It’s not my fault you didn’t do it earlier.”

“ You… How dare yo—“

“ Do you have it or not, Sakura?”

His eyes were strongly connected to hers, and at that moment, she saw no sign of joke or opium intoxication in him. He meant every single word of his crazy idea, and he was not going to give up on that so easily. Of all the things the Uchiha has done in his life, showing up at her apartment and demanding to decorate a christmas tree was by far the most illogical one. It just didn’t make sense, and were Naruto telling her this story, she wouldn’t have believed a single word of it.

Uchiha Sasuke had certainly gone crazy. Or maybe it was all an illusion created by her own mind. Either way, Sakura was too tired to argue at that moment.

If he wanted a Christmas tree, she would give him one.

A defeated sigh escaped her lips, and after massaging the bridge between her eyes, the pinkette started to walk towards her front door. His eyes were glued on her, and she could feel as he observed as she left her apartment, her bare feet touching the cold floor outside. She disappeared from his sight, and after a couple of minutes, when Sasuke thought she had run away, the Haruno girl came back, a considerably big tree hanging on her shoulder, as she walked through her living room. She looked different now, as she easily placed that tree on the floor. It was as if a new fire had been lit inside her, and perhaps, that was a good start for the night.

That, or maybe she had really snapped after his great idea.

“ Why are you just standing there, Sasuke? You can bet your ass you’re gonna help me with this tree, and I don’t care if you have only one arm-shannarou!”

“ Hn.” He smirked at her glare, deciding not to push her any further after she actually showed up with a Christmas tree. He approached her, and watched as she tried to get rid of the small bushes that had gotten stuck on her clothes. “ So you did have a Christmas Tree.”

“ Tsunade-sama gave it to me the other day. I left it downstairs to see if anyone would take it, but apparently, no one even touched it.”

“ I really can’t imagine why.”

“ Tch, I can’t believe you’ve convinced me to do this…” She looked at his tall figure towering over her, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his presence.

“ It will be fun, you’ll see.”

“ You better be right, Uchiha Sasuke.” She smirked at him, unconsciously licking her lips as if to plan her next steps. “ I’ll go get the ornaments and the lights. Make us some decent coffee because it will be a long, christmas night.”

“ Hn. It’s not like you have anything better to do.”

“ Fair enough.”

By the time the tree was fully decorated, the sun was starting to creep out from behind the Hokages’ monument. With the help of some shadow clones, both of them were able to finish everything without many problems. There was a comfortable silence around her living room, the lights of the tree being the only source of light in her apartment.

It was way too late to even check the clock, and even if normally they would try to keep some sort of decency around each other, neither of them seemed to care about that anymore, as Sakura was lazily laying on her couch, her forearms resting over her eyes, while Sasuke sat on the floor, with his back pressed against the front of the same couch and his arm resting over his knee. They were breathing in a peaceful rhythm, and due to the close distance they were from each other, it was possible for them to hear — and for the Uchiha to even feel— the air leaving the other’s lungs.

In the same way her breath tickled the back of his neck, his strong, musky scent invaded her nostrils, and even if normally that would leave them both a bit bothered, that kind of intimacy felt unusually comfortable at that moment.

And for being Haruno Sakura, intimacy usually came with words.

“ Sasuke-kun…” She started, laying over her right elbow so she could face the back of his head. Her hair was falling over her forehead, covering the yin seal, as her eyes softly observed the man in front of her. At some point during their Christmas activities, Sakura finally realized that she was actually spending some good, harmless time with him, and that was certainly enough to warm her heart. “ How was it like before the whole thing? Christmas at your place, I mean…”

His answer wasn’t immediate, as he brought back the memories of his childish days. There were really good ones that featured the brightest smiles of his family, and he didn’t need a lot of time to come up with the words they were both expecting to hear. “ Hn, it was great. My best family memories must be from Christmas, when I would help Itachi with all the decorations and we would fool around all day.”

A smile made its way to her lips at the image of a small Sasuke running around with his big brother, She didn’t know him well back then, but from the pictures she has seen around, it was easy to tell he had had a happy childhood while it lasted. “ And what about your parents? Did they like Christmas?”

“ My mother liked it a lot. She was the one to start all the decorations and prepare the banquet for us. She was always smiling during that time of the year, and I can’t recall a single Christmas without her cinnamon cookies.” He smiled at the memory of that delightful taste, and enjoyed the relaxing feeling that talking about his deceased family brought to his heart. Even if there was a time he couldn’t share a single memory without feeling the anger taking over his senses, now, the Uchiha felt good while sharing the simple things from his childhood. He liked to talk about them, but it was not like he would share such things with anyone, no.

It had to be someone special. Someone like Haruno Sakura.

“ And what about your dad? Not a fan of the holidays?”

“ My father was different… He liked Christmas, but he never really voiced his thoughts.”

“ Really can’t imagine anyone like that.” She teased, and she could see the smirk that grew on his lips.

“ Every year, he would spend time with us while we decorated the tree, then, eventually, he would tell my mom how everything was beautiful.” He turned his head to face her, his expression now changed in a certain curiosity as he somehow tried to solve a mystery from his past. “ By the end of the night, right after my mother sent us off to bed, I remember seeing my father joining her at the living room. He would sit on the couch next to her, but I never found out what they would do after that. Itachi would always pull me away before I could see anything.”

“ Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun. They were just trying to have a romantic time together. It’s Christmas, after all. It’s a good time for couples.” She chuckled at him, curling up closer to the edge of the couch. Her eyes were on him now, and she hadn’t noticed how close their faces were until she caught herself looking straight at his long eyelashes. His scent was still messing with her senses, and she suddenly felt her heart beating faster.

What on earth was going on? Could it be…

“ Aah… You’re probably right.” His eyes were on hers now, and at that moment, he saw how bright they were as they reflected the christmas lights from the tree. She smelled like soap, and for the first time that night, Sasuke managed to see a kind and loving expression on her face. It was similar to the one she used to wear when she was younger, but this time, it was deeper and more mature. It was possible to see the traces of the hardships she had to go through during her life, and if anything, all those stories hidden behind her exterior just made the pinkette a lot more captivating.

It made her even more beautiful.

And— oh, he really couldn’t hold back anymore.

“ Yeah… I am.”

After her whispered words, a new silence took over the apartment. Neither of them really knew who was the first to do it, but before any of them could tell, their lips were already pressed against each other in a soft, chaste kiss. It tasted like coffee and the sugar from the Christmas cookies she had gotten from her patients; and it felt warm like a fireplace. His back still remained pressed against the couch, and her elbows were holding her in place, as they didn’t feel like parting their loving connection.

Neither of them knew how long it had passed until they slowly broke away. Their faces remained just a couple of inches apart, and as their hot breath tickled their warm lips, both Sasuke and Sakura allowed a soft smile to take over their expressions.

That kiss felt indescribably good. It felt relieving, as if it was something that should’ve happened a long time before. Their hearts were beating as one at that moment, and for sure, the pinkette could feel the tension disappearing with every breath she took.

God— how good that felt. After months of complete, emotional stagnation, Sakura could finally feel something. Tears threatened to stream down her face at that moment, as she felt her cheeks growing even warmer than before at the simple thought of a simple kiss bringing back a rush of emotions to her heart. She had been feeling so lonely lately that she had feared she would never feel things the way she used to feel.

Even if she had repeatedly told everyone she was fine, the pinkette, more than anyone, knew that wasn't completely true. She didn’t know exactly what was happening to her, but there was something that wasn’t right, and it weighed like a heavy rock. She had managed to put it aside for a while, but when Christmas came, she saw herself all alone and with nothing left of the girl who used to love that time of the year so much.

She hated feeling like that. She hated feeling nothing, and she feared never feeling anything again.

Perhaps, she really was going through Christmas Depression, as Ino had said. Perhaps, she really needed help.

And at that moment, he was giving her everything she needed.

He was giving her the best Christmas present she could’ve asked for.

“ Thank you, Sasuke-kun…” She said, biting her lower lips as she held back her tears. She was looking deep into her eyes, and felt her heart skipping a beat when she found the softest expression taking over his dark irises. He knew exactly what she meant with those words, and more than anything, he was happy to have been able to help.

Yes, Uchiha Sasuke was happy. Happy to have helped her, happy to be home and certainly happy to have kissed her lips. Not ignoring those letters had been a great decision, and now, more than ever, he was happy to be home, with her.

It felt comfortable and even relaxing after spending the whole Christmas night decorating a tree.

It felt familiar, even if neither of them had ever shared a moment like that before. Sure, it brought back memories and made them think about the infinite ‘what if’s of their lives, but it certainly didn’t feel regretful or depressing at all. It was a different kind of Christmas for the ninjas, and not even during their innocent days had they felt so at peace during the holidays.

That was definitely a different and nostalgic Christmas for both of them. A really good one, nonetheless.

“ Aah… Merry Christmas, Sakura.”

“ Yeah… Merry Christmas, Sasuke-kun.”

#sasusaku #sasusaku fanfiction #ssfanfic #myssfics

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ombreecha · 7 years

Text

Other Fish, and Mister Rights

Series: Lifetimes Fandom: Naruto Pairing: SasuSaku Rated: T Prompt: Yes, I know this is your sweatshirt and that we broke up five months ago but it's really comfy okay. I totally don't wear it because like it still smells like you or is the only thing that even remotely feels like home since I moved out. Pfft. Absolutely not.

Break ups.

Everyone she's ever met had been through them from her close friends to acquaintances. Her best friend had been through multiple and had always seemed to bounce back stronger than ever citing that the boy who had let her go just was not the right one. There's the slightest roll of her eyes at that mentality.

It's standing in this one bedroom apartment she's finally unpacked herself into that really shatters the revelation that there was no going back. The ceiling of white, and rough texture overhead was nothing like the smooth one she knew well. The kitchen was smaller than the one she had spent the last few years cooking, and cleaning on her days off. The bedroom did not hold the same warmth she had grown accustomed too. The place didn't hold the fragrance that was so undeniably them—her floral mixing with his earthly almost cinnamon scent.

She can only huff at her train of thought. It was a new chapter and a new start. Moving forward is what she needed to do. It's falling back within the chair and flipping through the channel guide that distracts her in the eerie quiet of her new home. She was long past the days of chocolate ice cream tubs, and sappy love stories to lighten her mood. The silence of the room eats away at her though. The apartment is almost suffocating in its newness.

Standing her ground had always been a strength of hers. She would not let this drive her away. She was adaptable she'd learn to live peacefully within her new home.

Home—the word tasted almost bitter in her mouth.

It's days in she thinks she's adjusting to her new apartment. The hospital keeps her busy, and preoccupied. The job is a blessing in disguise as it had been the last five months. It kept her from thoughts lingering of ebony eyes, and pale skin. It kept her from seeing soft smirks, and an upraised eyebrow.

Interning at the hospital gave her feeling and life when her own was falling apart around her. Doctor Tsunade was guiding her down this road and she couldn't be more thankful to the woman. She had been kind, and knowledgeable and kept her from falling off track. The blonde too had cited there was other fish in the sea.

She felt the curve of her lips turn into the cheapest of smiles. What no one seemed to realize is she didn't want other fish—she didn't want other men. She had wanted him, and only him.

He sadly didn't want her though.

The thought is as bitter as her definition of home, but it's as she's following into the next appointment behind her mentor that she clears her mind to focus on the tasks at hand. There's pride in her work, and the troubles of the twenty-six year old girl she was outside these walls could wait.

Days turn to weeks, and she's finally thinking she's finding stability within the walls of her new home. There is a whisper in her head that tells her she's just ignoring it all, and she knows it's true but that's not going to stop her. This is working for a good bit, but all good things have to come to an end.

The sweatshirt she sees deep within her closet ends it all. There's no denying it's his. She's not even sure how she had made off with it. It's a deep rich navy, and long in the sleeves. Her fingers find their way onto the cloth removing it from the hanger that holds it. It carries a hint of his scent, and she can't help but cling it to her chest as she lets tears that she thought had long since dried roll down her cheeks. There's a shudder of a breath—she needs to get a grip. It's time to grow up she's not sixteen.

Curiosity makes her slide it on over her head. Standing in front of the vertical mirror on her wall she notes it's baggy on her, but that only helps to make it comfortable, and man does it makes her feel at home. She missed this, no, she missed him.

Pushing the sleeves up she grabs for her red beanie to keep the chill off. There's a need to visit her favorite cafe the fear to go there since their break up washed away with this simple sweatshirt of his. Maybe this was another form of letting go?

The trip is quick, and she's beaming as she sips her salted caramel mocha, and nibbles at her egg and sausage sandwich. She muses within her head that she dares someone to question her breakfast food in the middle of the afternoon.

The days that follow go quickly and she's fallen into a good routine. She's using his shirt for lounge wear, and it's got her smiling a little brighter, and walking a little taller each day that comes and goes. It's a momentary happiness within her world when she's not Sakura Haruno, the intern at Konoha Hospital but Sakura Haruno, the heartbroken twenty-six year old.

She's been given a Saturday off this week and she welcomes it gladly after so many late nights, and early mornings. There would be no heels, no skirts, and no blouses today. She's slipping the sweatshirt over her head preparing to go out before slipping on her readers. She's meeting her loudmouthed best friend for some shopping, but before that she's craving another coffee, and breakfast sandwich from her beloved cafe.

It's as she's waiting she pulls her rose-colored stands up into a messy bun, and reading through her social media feeds. There is no notice of the eyes that watch her form or the notice of the firm pressed lips set in her direction. Her names called and she takes the order with a smile giving a thank you before turning to finally take notice in the male that's all ebony and all pale. Her hand has halted in bringing the white paper cup to her lips.

He's everything she remembers with his one upraised eyebrow, and soft smirk. He's walking toward her and she feels her heart flutter darting her eyes from his to the polished floor beneath her feet. Her mind is screaming to start walking. They were a long list of used-to-be's, and now nothing more than strangers. His shoes come within her gaze upon the floor and it only makes her throat constrict at his closeness as he stands before her clad in jeans, and an almost identical long sleeve shirt—this one's charcoal. Prayers enter her mind that he won't realize she's wearing his shirt.

The anxiety she feels is awkward and thick as she swallows and, oh god she's rambling, "This isn't what it looks like and I mean I don't wear this thinking of you—us—or whatever it is this probably looks like, and I mean it's comfy and I just—"

"Sakura." his voice sends an almost physical shake throughout her being, and it's just as smooth and deep as it always had been.

It's enough to make her look to him properly instead of leaving her gaze awkwardly on the floor. There's thoughts of the harsh words that fell from their lips in their argument that ended it all, there's thoughts of every tear she's shed since he broke up with her, and there's the thought of his eyes on her as she closed the door to the apartment that was once theirs.

She doesn't know at what point she mindlessly followed him to a table and sat with her coffee and food untouched in front of her. There is the need to remove her eyes from her fidgeting fingers upon her lap, and to excuse herself. Pale green are almost shy as they looked to see him, and he almost looks bored with his head resting in his palm. He's looking out the window of the small cafe in what looked to be boredom—it only serves to remind her she never truly had a clue what he was thinking or feeling—and that other hand his drumming lightly upon the table.

The silence is thick between them, and it only serves to make her bitter that even now, five months later no less, she doesn't know what to say to him. The lines she had rehearsed in all of her made up possibilities of if she ever saw him again seemingly lost within this moment. The drumming stops and he shifts those ebony she had loved so much to her. God does he look tired.

They're still not speaking, and it feels like the argument that had quickly repeated within her mind only a small moment ago is echoing loudly within the establishment. Fingers are curling and uncurling and it serves to only make her fidget.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun—I mean Sasuke-san—I need to be going Ino is waiting for me." her voice is soft and hesitant, and she's mentally screaming at herself for using the affectionate suffix upon his name. They are used-to-be.

He still doesn't speak and it's enough to frustrate her to remove herself from the table. Grasping her cup of coffee, and taking her sandwich in her other hand she starts to raise.

"I've missed you." his voice is muffled from his hand, and she feels like she's completely heard him wrong causing her brows to pinch together.

"What?" she whispers standing fully as she watches him fidget at her question.

He bites his bottom lip reflexively. She's seen it enough times now to know it's habitual, "I miss you."

The words make her flex her fingers upon the poor cup within her grasp. She wants to yell at him. She wants to scream at him. She wants to cry out at his claim. Five months. It had been five months since he watched her walk out that door, five months since she practically drowned within tears wondering all the whys and what she did wrong, five months since she first moved back in with her parents, and only one since she found her new place, and it had been five months of absolute longing and torture knowing she didn't want other fish in the sea, or other mister rights—she had just wanted him.

"It doesn't work that way." she mutters gaining his movement to look up at her, "We—you broke up with me?" there is a shudder at the question.

His hand has finally found it's partner giving it a notable squeeze, "I know." he almost sounds pained at admitting it.

There's a shifting of her weight unsure of how to proceed. The smart intern tells her to walk away, but the heartbroken twenty-six year old tells her to stay. She is not Sakura Haruno, intern at Konoha Hospital, right now. She knows she is Sakura Haruno, the heartbroken girl, in these moments, and god does she know she's going to stay right here and listen to whatever he says to her.

The realization is enough to make her set her things back onto the table and sit back down. Elbows rest upon the table as fingers dig within her rose-colored stands pulled into the messy bun. Palms are pressed against her forehead as she gazes at the table, "I cried so much."

"I know." his voice sounds even more pained in this admittance.

"I wondered all the whys, and what I could have done better."

"I know."

"I moved out."

"I know."

"I hoped—waited."

"I know."

Every statement she whispers gives way to the feeling of her chest tighten in that familiar way it does when she's about to cry, and with every response he lets fall she can hear the words tightening laced in what she guesses is bitterness, regret, and assumed panic.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?" her lips are pressing firmly to keep herself together, and force back the stringing tears that threaten to fall.

"Sakura." his voice is a shudder as he pronounces her name, and his fingers have found their way upon on of her own pulling it from her face.

His actions force her to close her lids to keep herself from looking at him. The tears she had tried to keep at bay leave their place to hit the table. Her body shakes as she tries to keep herself together. She cannot and will not break down in this cafe. There is the feeling of his lips upon her knuckles as his hands hold onto the one he has pried from her face. Each kiss is soft and short with hesitance as if he's afraid he'll scare her from him—as if she'll disappear out of his world.

"I came here every day." the admittance he gives is weak toned as if it is taking everything he has to say such a thing.

She croaks out a strangled why, and he's taken her hand from his lips to the table rubbing soothing circles upon her palm, "It's your favorite place—I missed you." she knows he really means that he hoped to find her here.

She's pulling at her hair roughly as she continues forward, "What do you want?"

The chair he sits in is scratching against the floor as she feels him standing and pulling her form from her own. Her free hand has come up to shield her face from any who might see her in such a tearful state. He's shuffling more placing her cup within her hand. His hand has settled for holding her food and pressing upon her back leading her from the cafe.

He knows she will hate herself later if they continue this here, and he knows she likes to handle their matters privately away from prying unknown eyes.

She is settling her heart as they walk into the cool air. There's the smallest note to text Ino, and apologize for standing her up. Clearing her throat she sips her barely warm coffee, "There's a lot for us to work out."

His fingers run up her back and laying upon the joint of her neck, and shoulder allowing his thumb to rub soothing circles at the back of her neck, "I know."

There is a shake within her being as she tries to keep herself calm. There is no true destination. He won't lead her to their place—no it was his place now—and she wouldn't lead him to hers. All the problems that had been overlooked, and all the things they had said needed fixed before they got to the point.

The scent of his shirt fills her nose with the deep breath she takes. The scent is comforting in this moment, and it reminds her of the home she had months prior, and may have with him in the future, "I'm wearing your shirt." she lets out a broken shudder of a laugh.

"I know." his voice only bares the smallest of pain in her admittance as he gives a gentle squeeze at the base of her neck.

There were other fish in the sea, and yet none of them would be him. None of them would have the same earthly almost cinnamon scent that made her feel at home. There were other potential mister rights in the world, and yet none of them could ever be home to her in the way that he was. None of them would have his ebony eyes, pale skin, soft smirks, or an upraised brow.

Regardless of how things went from here she would move forward to see where it led her. She would move forward to find her way back home. She would move forward in hope that it led to him.

She didn't want other fish, or mister rights—She just wanted him.

#ssfanfiction #sasusaku fanfiction #sasusaku fanfic #ssfanfic #sasusaku #ombree:fics #ombree:lifetimes

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jouissezduprintemps · 7 years

Text

Those Damned Books

Rating: T Words: 3334 Fandom: Naruto Summary: Kakashi realizes that his apartment isn’t big enough. Tenzo does his best to remain the responsible one. Kakashi ANBU era. KakaYama.

Tenzo’s breathing was soft an even, his lips parted ever so slightly in his sleep. The way he positioned his body, at first, made Kakashi wonder if he was feigning it. His kouhai lay on his side, knees bent in a fetal position, with one arm draped over his torso and the other bent so that his hand rested beside his face on the pillow. Kakashi had waited long enough to realize that this was, in fact, how Tenzo slept. For whatever reason, he hadn’t noticed it before now. Rather, he didn’t care to notice. It amused Kakashi to no end, comfortable as he was when splayed out in all directions when he slept alone.

As he lay sandwiched between the wall and the warm body next to him, he reflected that, now, he really needed to get a new bed. It was one thing for his legs to hang off while he slept; after last night, there was the added challenge of not kicking Tenzo to the floor when his vivid dreams took him. But, a new bed meant less space in a flat he’d already filled. Maybe it was time to move. He was twenty after all, an age considered by almost everyone that qualified him as an ‘adult.’ It couldn’t hurt to find a place that had more than six walls, if he counted the two that separated the bathroom from the rest of his home. Hadn’t his landlady mentioned an opening?

After their fight, when Kakashi had finally come down from his traumatic reaction, Tenzo refused to leave him alone. Too tired to argue anymore, Kakashi relented and allowed him to stay. He winced at the memory, regretting what was said and how he’d spiraled into those parts of himself he didn’t want Tenzo to see. Hopefully, his kouhai wouldn’t ask about it when he woke. Doing his best not to jostle the bed, Kakashi was all kneecaps and elbows as he flipped himself over onto his stomach, falling into a comfortable position. He froze for several seconds to make sure Tenzo was still asleep before reaching up to the shelf on his headboard, pulling down his most recent copy of Icha Icha.

He bent the covers back to loosen the spine, and the pages made that satisfying crinkling sound that each new book gets only once. Bookworm that he was, it was one of Kakashi’s favorite things. It was better than sex. Well… almost. Eagerly, he opened the cover to the title page, taking a moment to read the short inscription that prefaced each volume he owned. In scratchy handwriting below the printed title read:

To Kakashi~

Now that you’re over eighteen, the old man won’t be able to confiscate this package! (Though, you always seem to find a way around that one. Your sensei and I are so proud.) Enjoy, but not too much. Make sure you actually get outside and talk to some real, live girls every now and again, eh?

Until the next volume

xJiraiya

Kakashi smiled as he deciphered the characters, which was a challenge with how Jiraiya wrote. He bit back a chuckle, wondering if Lord Hiruzen had tried to get his hands on this volume. For a Hokage, old man Sarutobi was terrible at hiding things. As he got older, Kakashi wondered if he had been hiding the other volumes at all, or if he was making a show of it to cover his backside. He turned the crisp page, full of excitement now that he could see the conclusion to the cliffhanger last volume tortured him with – and for three years, at that!

He allowed himself the luxury of reading through the first chapter, which was a denouement from the previous book’s closing chapter. It was probably a trick to sell more copies, but Jiraiya loved leaving the books just before the best part. Curiosity sated, he took the page between his fingers, intent on beginning the second chapter. A knock on his front door had him, regretfully, dog-earing the first page in this volume. It was inevitable that almost all of them would suffer the same fate at one point or another, but there was just something so melancholy about marking the first one.

The volume found its place back on the shelf as the knock sounded again. “’Comin!” Kakashi called, stumbling over Tenzo gracelessly. As he slipped, he took the man down with him, tangling them both in a pile of sheets and limbs that landed with a dull thud that only a human body could make.

“Are you okay?” The knocking became insistent. “Kakashi-taichou!”

Disoriented and sleepy as he was, Tenzo was the first to recognize the voice. “Yugao!” he hissed.

Kakashi swung his arms frantically, gesturing to the other side of his apartment. “Bathroom!”

Tenzo ran as quickly and quietly as he could to the one room of Kakashi’s flat that wasn’t part of his ridiculous open-floor plan. To his dismay, Kakashi realized he was dressed only in his boxers. Shit, he couldn’t keep Yugao waiting any longer if he didn’t want her to think something was wrong. Hastily, he took his blanket and wrapped it around himself like a cloak, clumsily holding the edge to his face in lieu of his mask.

When he cracked his front door, Yugao had her fist raised to knock again. Awkwardly, she lowered it. “Kakashi-taichou, you scheduled training for the new recruits for over an hour ago.” She studied him with suspicion, eyes inquiring about his fashion choice.

Fuck, that was today. Well, it wasn’t like he was never late. He’d gotten over that eccentricity after Obito. His team should know by now to proceed as instructed without him when it came to training. “Right. Yeah, I’ll be right there. I just overslept.”

“Please hurry.” She turned to leave, but stopped to look over her shoulder. “And Taichou, remind Tenzo if you see him. We sent Itachi-kun to his apartment, but it was empty.” Beneath her words ran the message because he’s the reliable one, and we’re actually worried.

Kakashi waited until she teleported before closing the door. He slumped with his back against it, letting out a sigh of relief. “Fuck, that was close.”

“Too close,” Tenzo agreed. “It’s lucky she didn’t think to look for chakra signatures.”

“She had no reason to.” Kakashi shrugged. He picked his pants up from where he’d tossed his dirty clothes in a pile the night before.

“Guess not.” Tenzo pulled his undershirt down over his head, puzzled at the strange tightness across his torso. Once he pulled it down, the excess fabric at the neck showed him his error. “Nope, yours.”

“Trade.” Kakashi tossed him the proper shirt before Tenzo removed his, passing it over. It would have been amusing if they weren’t so late, and if that mistake wouldn’t have been serious among their teammates.

“What’s our cover?” Tenzo asked as he tightened the straps on his armor.

“I don’t need one. They’re used to it by now. Yugao will probably tell them I overslept or something.”

“Well, what about me?”

“Yeah, that’s tough… I don’t know, you were doing something good. Being helpful. Carrying groceries for an old woman? Getting a cat out of a tree?”

“Are you mocking me?”

“You don’t understand. Obito was late every single day, and it was because of crap like that.”

Tenzo was surprised to hear Kakashi speak so casually about his friend. Even Kakashi seemed caught off guard by the way his visible eye widened. Trying not to make a big deal out of what he considered an essential step of the grieving process, Tenzo broke the silence. “Cat out of a tree it is.”

“Right. Um, I’ll go out through the window, and you… wait, I don’t know, thirty seconds then phase through the door?”

“Done.” Tenzo watched as Kakashi climbed out his window before disappearing in a silver flash. Thoughtfully, he picked up the discarded blanket and took a moment to make the bed, unable to leave it in disarray. He’d be preoccupied with it all day, otherwise. Cat mask in hand, he activated his jutsu before walking through the locked door like it was made of water.

In an instant, he was on the training grounds, only a few feet behind Yugao. He jogged forward, informing her, “Sorry I’m late.”

“Everything okay? You’re never late.”

“Tsuki-chan’s kitten got stuck in one of the big oaks. It’s so small, I didn’t think it could get down itself.”

“You’re a bleeding heart.” Yugao looked in front of them, where young ninja were sparring, two-on-two. “I had to send a few home, already. Nothing special, a call you or Kakashi-taichou would’ve made.”

“I trust you,” Tenzo affirmed. “He’s running behind again, is he?”

“After I sent Itachi to find you, and he came back empty-handed, I went to find him myself. The state he was in, we’ll be lucky to see him at all. At least you’re here, now. We can finally get things going.”

Securing his mask over his face, Tenzo stepped forward and gave a sharp whistle, at which the sparring came to an immediate halt. “Switch from taijutsu to ninjutsu!”

“Sir!” chorused the recruits before turning back to their opponents.

Tenzo sensed an abnormal surge of chakra behind him, and he turned on his heel to face the potential threat. To his surprise, Lord Hiruzen was looking on, studying the recruits as they fought.

“Lord Hokage!” Tenzo lowered into a bow, which Yugao followed not a second later.

Hiruzen waved his hand lazily. “Relax. I just came to see what the new group was like.” His brow creased when he realized that there were only two agents in front of him. “Where’s Kakashi?”

“He should be on his way here shortly, my lord,” Yugao assured the hokage.

Hurizen pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’m going to ban those damned books from this village.”

“Books, my lord?” Tenzo inquired.

“Jiraiya’s drivel he’s peddling as romance novels. They’ve caused me nothing but trouble, much like their author…” He frowned. “Every time he publishes a new one, like clockwork, he sends a copy to Kakashi. Really, these are jonin-level ninja we’re talking about. The next time-” Aware that he was rambling, he shook his head, dismissing his train of thought. “But that’s why you’re here, Tenzo. You know, Team Kai needs a new captain.”

“I’m honored, sir, but I think it’s pretty clear that I’m needed on Team Ro.”

Unable to argue with his logic, the hokage shrugged. “It’s open if you change your mind.” Turning his attention back to the recruits, he mumbled, “I think Uchiha is the last one we’ll be getting out of this year’s batch. Keep them going for now, for appearances. Give them one more practice before sending them home.”

“Yes, sir.” Tenzo bowed once more. While an unfortunate turn of events for the recruits, it wasn’t uncommon in the slightest. The ANBU were the best of the best. Any ninja who fell outside the top one percent wasn’t worth the armor they’d wear. It was a sad, somewhat cynical fact that most of these ninja would be buried in their uniform just the moment after they put it on. He watched Hiruzen walk down the road. Yugao waited until the hokage was out of earshot before speaking up.

“That’s disappointing. Predictable, but still.”

“We were able to get a handful this time around, which is better than usual. There’s nothing we can do; Lord Hokage’s veto makes it a done deal.” Tenzo cracked his knuckles. “Itachi’s already proven to be more of an asset than Kakashi-senpai thought.”

“Yeah, I guess we didn’t need him, after all.” Yugao was clearly annoyed that she ran across the village for nothing. “Really, those books can’t be that interesting.”

“I can lend them to you if you’re curious.” Kakashi’s voice spoke from behind. Yugao and Tenzo jumped, spinning to face their captain. Sure enough, his nose was in his latest volume, and he raised his hand in a wordless greeting. “The plot is really compelling.”

Yugao snorted. “Sure.”

“Lord Hokage told us to send these recruits home at the end of the day,” Tenzo informed his superior, trying to be businesslike. “He’s not accepting any of them.”

“Why the end of the day? We can just send them home now.” Kakashi peered over the top of his book.

“He wants to keep up appearances.”

“Oh, for god’s sake.” Kakashi closed his book with a snap and strode forward, whistling far more loudly and sharply than Tenzo had done. Once he was sure he had everyone’s attention, he declared. “None of you made it. Go home.”

Amidst displeased grumblings and several swears, the recruits began to disperse when they realized the ANBU agent was serious. “Kakashi-senpai,” Tenzo began in a scolding tone.

“What? It’s a waste of their time, and it’s a waste of ours. I came all the way out here just to tell these guys that they didn’t make the cut. If Lord Hiruzen gets angry, it’s all on me, okay?” In a fluid motion, he re-opened his book, sticking his free hand in his pocket.

Yugao and Tenzo looked at one another, a silent exchange passing between them before Yugao vanished. She saw no reason to stay, after all. Tenzo began to form a series of hand signs when Kakashi glanced up at him. “I need a second set of hands later. Think you can come by in a couple hours?”

“Um, yeah, sure,” Tenzo agreed, puzzled by his request. If Kakashi actually asked for help, he needed it. That wasn’t his way of using double entendre, and there was nothing in his body language to suggest it should be taken that way.

“Great.” He smiled, and, with a slight wave, Kakashi started walking in the direction of his home.

The sun had reached its peak when Tenzo, freshly showered and in a new set of civilian clothes, trudged up the steps to Kakashi’s apartment. The front door was propped open, which made him instantly suspicious. The ruckus from inside told him Kakashi wasn’t alone.

“It’ll be fine!” Guy’s booming voice said in assurance.

“I know you can lift it. It’s the cardboard that’s the problem.” He could practically hear Kakashi rolling his eyes.

“I know a thing or two about structural integrity.”

As Tenzo climbed the last step, he was able to see Guy standing in front of the bookshelf, piling paperbacks into a cardboard box. He stepped over the threshold and caught sight of Kakashi in his kitchen. He was barefoot, standing precariously on the countertop as he retrieved something Tenzo couldn’t see from on top of the cabinet. He looked over his shoulder at Tenzo, but, with both hands occupied, he had to settle for a verbal greeting. “Yo. Thanks for coming.”

“What’s going on?” Tenzo asked with caution.

“I’m moving. I thought I told you.”

“What? When did this happen?”

“Hmm, three, four hours ago?” Sensing his confusion, Kakashi explained, “My landlady owns the whole building, and there’s this family on the first floor that just moved out. You know, to get a house. It’s a little more expensive, but hey, I won’t be getting letters every month complaining that I exceed maximum capacity by roughly ten every couple of weeks.”

“Just start packing boxes,” Guy declared. “Don’t worry about what goes where. He’ll have it unpacked tomorrow morning, I’m sure.” Bandaged hands reached down and lifted the cardboard box, which he balanced on his shoulder to keep from tearing at the bottom. “Down to 105!” After informing Tenzo of the new location, he strode out the door to deposit the box.

Tenzo took advantage of his absence to say, “Kakashi, you can’t just make decisions like that.”

“Why not?” Kakshi asked as his feet touched back down on the floor. “I need more space, the apartment’s vacant, and I don’t have to go looking.”

“Because it takes more than three hours to decide whether or not to move. It’s a big decision.”

“Not for me. Actually, I think it would be nice to have a real bedroom, with a bed I fit on. Maybe I can use the kitchen now. Or, I could have the guys over and keep them in one room. Think about it, one room. I won’t have to clean the entire place.” He smiled, his eyes turning into crescents. “C’mon, Tenzo. 200 square feet to 400.”

Tenzo looked around the cramped apartment, which was, truly, not big enough for even one person to live in. “I mean, as long as you’ve thought it out.”

“I have. It would be suicide to bring a new mattress in here, and the one I have just isn’t cutting it.”

Before Tenzo could comment, Guy returned, flashing them a thumbs-up. “Told you I had it.”

“Yeah, you did, Guy.” Kakashi gave a placating grin. “Do me a favor and grab the bookcase next, would you? I’ll feel better once they’re back in place.”

“You know your attachment to books is strange, right?”

“Not going there.”

Guy responded with a laugh. “Whatever you say, Kakashi.”

What few belongings Kakashi possessed were easily moved down to the bottom floor, with only a few of the larger pieces requiring more than one person to navigate down the stairs. The new apartment was far nicer, containing a full-sized kitchen, a living room, and, as Kakashi was so thrilled to have, a separate bedroom. Even though he lived alone, he sorely missed his privacy when he had company. His friends were too nosy for their own good, most of the time.

Guy departed once the last of the boxes were safely inside. Choza was treating his old squad to dinner, to celebrate Ebisu’s promotion to special jonin. Left to the task, Kakashi and Tenzo set about unpacking in relative silence. The book case in the living room was slowly filled in a system that only Kakashi could understand, and Tenzo managed to find a place in the kitchen for everything.

The walls were bare, and the space seemed overwhelming, but it was something to get used to. Kakashi wouldn’t care much about decoration, and Tenzo planned to slowly introduce various wall hangings or pieces to the apartment when he visited. All at once would be too much for Kakashi; better to ease him into it.

The white-haired man was kicking the leg of his couch lightly, almost prodding it, with a displeased expression. Tenzo waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, Tenzo relented.

“What is it?”

“I don’t wanna sleep on the couch,” came a grumbled response. They’d spent so much time moving and unpacking that he hadn’t taken care of his sleeping arrangement. All he had was a box of blankets and pillows sitting on the floor of the empty bedroom.

He sighed. “You’re asking me if you can stay the night, aren’t you?”

His lack of protest told him all he needed to know.

“Just… come on.” Tenzo gestured for him to follow. “This is why I try to make you think things out, you know?”

“Maa, Tenzo, don’t lecture me. I’ve had a long day moving.”

“Yes, I’m aware. Do you have your keys?”

Kakashi withdrew his hand from his pocket, keyring around his middle finger. He held lazily at eye level before returning it to its place. With that, the door was shut and locked, and the pair set off.

“You know, when someone helps somebody move, they usually pay them back by buying dinner or alcohol,” Tenzo informed his companion.

“I would, but I don’t have my wallet.”

“We can go back for it.”

Kakashi shook his head, walking with his head tilted toward the ground. “Can’t. Locked myself out,” he lied, keeping his best poker face. He stumbled when Tenzo bumped him with his shoulder, a gesture he hadn’t expected in a public setting.

“I can’t stand you, Senpai.”

#kakayama #naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto fanfiction #fanfiction #kakashi hatake #yamato tenzo

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