Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.
A/N- The thing that Shikamaru says at the end is a Russian proverb. And...Sasuke smiles. A lot. I'm going with happy and not demented, freaky smiling.
"I don't get it."
Sasuke doesn't look up from the scroll he is studying.
"That's not a first." He grins as a hand swats the back of his head and finally looks up across the table at his pink haired friend.
Sakura shoots him a glare, but one without malice and plays distractedly with her own scroll. It's for a mission; they should be studying- he has too much at stake to screw this up. People don't quite trust him yet; he has to keep pulling off perfect missions.
"No, I'm serious." She says and bites her lip looking hesitant for a moment before barging ahead in a way that is startling familiar. "You're Sasuke Uchiha."
"Yes, thank you for pointing that out." He says dryly and places his scroll down on the table, admitting to himself that he isn't getting much studying done at the moment.
"Why are you single?" Sakura demands. Sasuke winces, suddenly terrified that his friend is going to start stalking him again. He'd thought she'd gotten over him in the time that he had been gone. "You're gorgeous, smart- could have practically anyone in the village, so why are you still single?"
Sasuke shrugs and tries to answer but he isn't sure how.
"Do you like being alone?" She asks, chewing on her lip and frowning.
"No." He denies quickly and then stops to think about it. Being alone had suited him for years. But now- now he dreads going home to an empty apartment, the mansion long since abandoned. He wonders what changed. He knows what changed.
Naruto comes bounding over to them and plops down in the remaining chair at the table with a dramatic sigh. In the time that Sasuke had been gone, the blonde had grown, baby fat disappearing and leaving sinewy muscle and long limbs.
"Tsunade is being a hag."
Sakura rolls her eyes and drags her scroll closer to her as Naruto sits forwards to pester her. Sasuke wonders why Sakura doesn't stop and stare at the intense shade of blue Naruto's eyes are.
::
They're supposed to be training but halfway through Kiba tackles Shino to the ground and refuses to let him up.
Sasuke does not blush but he turns away the second they start making out.
"Will you two cut it out?" Naruto has his hand clamped over his eyes, lounging in the grass, tapping out some invisible pattern on his leg with his other hand. Sasuke takes a seat next to him, back carefully turned from the pair a little ways away.
"Have they finished yet?" He asks.
Naruto moves his hand slightly, colours and covers his face again.
"Nope." Sasuke snorts as his voice comes out a little higher.
Naruto doesn't look, just reaches out and whacks his leg and Sasuke holds still letting him.
"What do you think of it?" Sasuke asks carefully. He doesn't specify, already knowing that Naruto will know what he means. There are quite a few of same sex couples in the village; when you are a ninja you should never waste a moment.
"I think they should stop making out so we can get back to training." Naruto says loudly, and then lowers his voice back to normal. "I dunno, I think it would be weirder if they weren't together."
Sasuke knows what he means. He can't remember the years were Shino and Kiba weren't attached at the hip. It seems wrong to think of one of them without the other.
"What do you think?" Naruto tilts his head towards him and Sasuke is suddenly struck dumb as the afternoon sun plays across his face and through his golden hair. "Sasuke?"
"I think they're happy together." He says quietly and Naruto's hand slips slightly. Blue eyes peer curiously at him. He swallows hard. "And they're lucky to have someone."
Naruto gazes at him and Sasuke feels open and raw under the gaze. No one knows him like Naruto does.
"You have someone too." He starts to say but before he can say anymore Kiba comes out of nowhere and if it weren't for their reflexes they would be in the middle of a tackle. Naruto and Kiba take off across the field, laughing, loud and carefree.
"All done?" Sasuke smirks over at Shino, noting the flush to his cheeks.
Shino pulls the collar of his jacket up higher and Sasuke just knows he's rolling his eyes behind his glasses.
"Kiba can be very…affectionate." Shino finally says and Sasuke can't help it. He grins and laughs.
::
"We need to get them a wedding present." Iruka reaches out for a pen to go with his pad of paper and one instantly appears in his hand. He glances up to shoot Kakashi a grateful smile and then turns his head back down, thinking hard.
"We could get them something for their apartment."
"I was thinking of something more fun."
For the sake of his sanity, Sasuke pretends he doesn't see how Kakashi leers or how Iruka turns a strange shade of purple.
"Um…yes. So, dishes." Iruka scribbles something down on the paper and ignores the silver haired jounin leaning over his shoulder.
"What about weapons?" Naruto asks, hands soapy from where he has been conned into doing the dishes. He pauses and a grin lights up his face. "Or…"
"Ino already said she doesn't want ramen." Sasuke reminds him, eyebrow raised.
"What about baby stuff?" Sakura asks, somewhat dreamily from where she is inspecting the wall of photographs their two ex-teachers had put up. All four men turn to stare at her. "What?" She demands. "I think it's a great idea!"
"Sorry Sakura," Naruto grins and snickers. "I'm just picturing Ino pregnant."
Sasuke takes a moment to think about this and realizes that it is both a terrifying and hilarious prospect. Shikamaru wouldn't know what hit him. He laughs and is pleased when Naruto meets his gaze and starts laughing along.
Sakura seems to be fighting off her own grin as she imagines it as well.
"Alright, no baby stuff." Iruka makes a note on the paper before twisting in his seat to look at the blonde. "How are those dishes coming along?"
"All done." Naruto holds up his soapy hands, shaking them and Sasuke tries to duck but still ends up with bubbles clinging to his hair. He glares as Naruto starts to laugh and then his eyes widen.
He tries to warn Iruka (sort of) but he's too slow.
Kakashi dumps a bowl of warm, soapy water over the other mans head, eye twinkling at the furious spluttering and so caught up in his victory that he misses it as Iruka reaches back, grabs a sponge and throws it so it hits Kakashi in the face.
The laughter that fills the room is infectious and before long they're all involved in an all out war.
Sasuke manages to dump a cup of water over Sakura's head before he's tackled from the side and suddenly a very soapy blonde is half on top of him, covering him in bubbles.
His laughter catches in his chest as he stares up at the other man, wet blonde hair falling into his eyes and clinging to his face. Blue eyes filled with humour and victory pin him in place better than his strength ever could. Sasuke fights back half-heartedly, smile still wide as he tries to cover Naruto in the bubbles he's being covered in, himself. But his hands keep lingering over the wet, bare sections of Naruto's skin and the black t-shirt he always wears is clinging to his chest.
"Let's call up the others." Sakura appears over Naruto's shoulder and pulls the blonde off of Sasuke. He tries not to miss the warmth too much. "And throw a party or something."
"It's eight at night." Iruka protests, hair dripping down around his shoulders but he's grinning as well and is probably thinking of where everyone is at the moment.
"Need a hand?" Naruto grins down at him and Sasuke realizes he's still lying on the floor, in a puddle.
He smirks, brushes off some of the bubbles and accepts the hand up. Sasuke catches the knowing look Iruka shoots Kakashi but decides to ignore it for the moment.
"So," Naruto drops his hand, almost regretfully and it makes him warm all over. "About this party…"
::
Somehow they manage to get away with an amazing day. No rushed missions, no rain- there isn't even a cloud in the sky.
Sasuke thinks that this is perhaps a much better present than anyone could have given the couple.
The rookie nine are there and team Guy and probably half of the village as well. Sasuke spots Gaara and his siblings ten minutes into the proceedings and hides a grin as Lee cries into the Sand ninja's shoulder.
Chouji stands up next to Shikamaru, looking proud and possibly close to tears as well, while Sakura and Hinata stand up next to Ino. For a moment Sasuke wonders if everyone is going to be crying at some point or another but Sakura has dry eyes. She looks proud and happy- no that would be an understatement. She couldn't look happier if it were her own wedding.
Everyone looks amazing. But one person stands out in the crowd.
"May I have this dance?" Sasuke cuts in gracefully and sweeps Ino away from Lee after a nod. "You look beautiful." He tells her. Her hair is pulled back but still hangs down passed her shoulders and her wedding dress hugs her curves, falling gracefully around her feet. But it's more than that, it's the way her face is flushed, eyes bright from happiness and it only glows brighter when she looks at her new husband.
"You don't look too bad yourself." Ino tells him with a wink. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Sasuke tells her and means every word. Things have changed since he came back. He's changed. Certain things are more important now.
"I'm so happy for you."
"Aren't I supposed to be saying that to you?" He asks and twirls her quickly. She laughs and squeezes his hand.
"Well yes, but I mean- since you came back," The unspoken since you came back with Naruto, hangs above them but doesn't feel heavy, not like a burden at all. "I've never seen you smile this much."
He thinks about it. If he's honest he hasn't smiled this much since he was little, long before his parents murder, long before meeting a certain blonde. It feels like a muscle he hasn't used in a long time but that he is using a lot now. It feels great.
Sasuke smiles in response and lets Chouji cut in.
He wanders towards the refreshments and stares for a moment as he spots a bowl of ramen sitting in the middle of the selections.
"Ino insisted." Shikamaru says, grabbing a cup of something fruity but is most definitely spiked.
Sasuke turns back to the dance floor, watching the various couples out there, watches Chouji try not to trample Ino's feet and Ten-Ten and Neji dancing, watches Sakura with a brown haired man he swears he recognizes from long ago, and Naruto drag a unwilling Temari out onto the floor.
Naruto all dressed up and looking…amazing. But he always looks amazing and Sasuke for the life of him cannot figure out why he never saw it before he left. Was it the years apart?
"Shikamaru?" The other ninja turns towards him, eyebrow raised in a silent question. "When you look at Ino, what do you see?"
He's almost certain that Shikamaru isn't going to answer; the old Shikamaru wouldn't at least. But the old Shikamaru wouldn't have proposed, wouldn't have gotten married. It appears that in the span of time he'd been away, everything had…shifted.
As though to prove Sasuke's point, a soft smile appears on the other ninja's face.
"Something that no one else here can see." He says and Sasuke frowns because he can see that Ino looks beautiful, was there more to it? Shikamaru glances over at him and scratches his chin, thinking.
"We do not love people because they are beautiful," He says and Sasuke gets the feeling he's quoting something. "They are beautiful because we love them."
Ino chooses this moment to come rushing over, giggling and still glowing but now Sasuke knows that he's not even seeing half of what Shikamaru is seeing.
"I need to borrow my husband." She says, grasping his hand and leading Shikamaru out onto the dance floor.
"I don't think I've ever seen them this happy." Sasuke doesn't jump as the other man appears at his side, just leans towards him and feels Naruto do the same. Their shoulders bump and then press together. "Everyone looks great."
"One in particular." Sasuke agrees easily.
"Yeah, Ino looks amazing." Naruto grins over at him but Sasuke catches his eye and holds it.
"She does. But I meant you."
Startled blue eyes, so bright and vibrant stare back at him. Sasuke can feel himself smiling a little at having finally been able to startle Naruto into silence. He pulls away slightly and turns so that he is fully facing Naruto, then holds out his hand.
"Care to dance?" He asks.
Blue eyes dart down to his hand and then back up to his face. A wide smile breaks out across Naruto's face, making his eyes crinkle and sparkle and he lights up in a way that Sasuke is sure no one else can see but himself.
"Of course." Naruto grabs his hand and leads him out onto the dance floor. "But I'm leading!"
Out of the corner of his eye he spots Sakura's suddenly knowing smile and she tips her head to him, and he nods back.