[A/N] I don't know where this came from XD It's kind of weird, but please enjoy it? Happy reading~
Falling
They don't hate each other anymore.
Neither of them can pinpoint when exactly that happened, nor can they explain how their intense rivalry subsided into a kind of bittersweet, competitive friendship.
Regardless, they're friends now, though Sasuke won't admit it.
—
"She's pretty," Naruto remarks suddenly. His blue eyes look dazed as he watches a group of girls, fellow second-years, who are giggling and gossiping amongst each other across the classroom.
Sasuke, who is sitting properly in his chair (though he has one leg propped up, holding his arm), looks up at the blond lounging on top of his desk. "That Hyuuga girl?"
Blue eyes blink. "Huh? No. I'm talking about Sakura-chan."
"Haruno?" In his surprise, Sasuke drops the mechanical pencil he was writing his homework with. It hits the wooden surface of his desk and rolls off the desk's side, falling to the floor with a clatter.
Haruno Sakura is clingy, and she uses a fake, high-pitched tone when she talks, at least to Sasuke. Certainly not down to earth. She's genuinely smart, though, unlike the other girls, but her treatment of Naruto is on level even worse than when Sasuke hated him.
Hyuuga Hinata suits Naruto a lot better, in Sasuke's opinion, since she's actually sincere and even seems to harbor a crush for the overly energetic blond. But even she isn't exactly a perfect fit—too shy, and never speaking her opinion. Naruto likes to argue, he overcompensates for his lack of academic ability with his athleticism/loudness, and he's too hyper all of the time. Hinata wouldn't be able to survive with the blonde. Naruto's too stupid for any sane person to handle.
So nobody can, really, except Sasuke.
—
Naruto invites him over for a movie one afternoon, out of the blue, and Sasuke obligingly accepts.
The apartment is small. It's crowded, stuffed with cup ramen, and always feels comfortably warm. Sasuke's been here several times, though Naruto doesn't often come to his place, because the blond knows that Sasuke infinitely prefers this apartment to the cold, spacious, richly garnished house of the Uchiha family.
They watch a poorly done action flick. Naruto gets rather into it, being the stupid clown he is, while Sasuke watches him more than the TV screen. He never fails to be amused by the smaller boy's antics.
When the movie is nearly done, Sasuke gets up, citing the bathroom. Naruto grunts, and half-heartedly moves out of the way. Sasuke takes a step forward, and his foot lands on the edge of a slippery pillow. Soon enough he finds the momentum throwing him towards the ground and Naruto's lap.
Like the idiot he is, the blond reaches up, attempting to catch Sasuke as he falls. "Clumsy ass bastard!" Naruto shouts.
"Idio—" Sasuke unintentionally crashes his mouth into his best friend's, rather painfully.
They pull apart once Sasuke gets a sturdy stance on the floor, his weight on his knees and his palms pressed against the ground on either side of Naruto's legs. His pelvis is trapped between his best friend's thighs, he discovers, and when he looks up again, the slight flush on Naruto's cheeks alerts him that Naruto has also realized this.
Then, locking eyes and lacking explanation, their lips meet again, this time starting gently but growing increasingly needier.
The crappy movie is forgotten as they both delve into the unexpected, warm kiss.
—
They keep it a secret, that they've kissed.
Neither of them mentions the fact they should keep it a secret, they just know.
Because Sasuke's every female student's idol.
Because Naruto's got a thing for Sakura-chan.
Because they're both men and best friends, and that's not supposed to happen.
It would make everything fall apart.
—
The second time Naruto invites Sasuke over for a movie, it happens again.
This time because Naruto pinches the Uchiha's nose, and in retaliation, the older boy roughly pushes the blond backwards; Naruto falls onto his back, and Sasuke immediately straddles him, smirking as he pins the tan arms to the floor.
"Are you gonna kiss me?" Naruto asks suddenly, his eyebrows drawn together slightly in what Sasuke would have called a grimace, if that cerulean gaze hadn't had a hint of a glow.
Leaning in dangerously close, Sasuke murmurs against his best friend's nose, "Would you be mad if I did?"
"Try me."
—
"Sasuke—" Their lips move against each other as they speak.
"What?" the Uchiha asks impatiently.
Naruto pulls away slightly. "What the fuck are we doing?"
"Kissing," is the dismissive reply, and the distance is closed once more.
After a moment, the blond murmurs, "Are you really okay with this?"
"Why else would I be doing this?"
"This is fucked up."
"I know."
Naruto shuts up and lets his best friend kiss him, and their entwined bodies fall onto the couch once more.
Well, they're screwed.
Somehow they're both okay with it.
—
"I got a girlfriend. Sakura-chan."
Sasuke blinks, and reaches for the pitcher of boiling water. "That Haruno girl?" he asks.
Naruto nods. "She came up to me today after school and asked if I liked her, and I said yeah, and then she said she'd be my girlfriend."
The Uchiha pauses for only a second. "Is that so."
"Yeah. So…" Naruto fidgets. "Uh… Yeah." We can't do what we've been doing anymore.
Sasuke picks up the pitcher and carries it to the table, where Naruto is waiting with two opened cup ramen. "You pour it," the older boy says, handing the pitcher to his best friend.
"Aa? 'Kay." The blond lets the water fall and carefully fills each cup up to the line.
Something feels off in the atmosphere, but neither have the courage to speak up and ask.
—
Because they're second-year students, they're required to fill out a letter of intent for their futures.
Sasuke writes higher education.
Vaguely, he wonders what Naruto wants to do in the future. Probably become a ramen shop owner, or he might write something stupid like, I want to be the Prime Minister of Japan!
Then he remembers the blond laughing about how Sakura-chan wants to be a doctor and she's so smart and pretty I bet she can do it and be the best in Japan! No, the whole world!
Anger suddenly flushes through him and the paper is crumpled in his fist.
Later, when he hands it in to the teacher, Sensei remarks, "Looks like it's been through a lot. Did it fall into a stampeding herd of antelopes or something?"
Sasuke just shrugs and walks away.
—
Naruto is ordered to stay back until his blank letter of intent is filled out. He's the last one to do so.
"Just write something that sounds reasonable," Sensei sighed before leaving him alone in the classroom. "When you're done, put it on my desk."
The blond stares at the blank sheet for a while, then gets a brilliant idea.
I'll become the Prime Minister of Japan!, he writes, and second choice is to become a ramen shop owner.
He leans back in his chair. He knows Sasuke is aiming for a top university in the city.
Naruto sighs, feeling like he's somehow falling behind. But he doesn't want the bastard to abandon him yet.
So, he adds, Actually, I think I'd like to go to university.
—
(Maybe he's just possessive.)
Whenever Sasuke sees that pink-haired girl, Haruno-whatever, he wants to hurt her. She comes up to talk to him a lot, smiling, trying to set up times where she, Naruto, and him can all go together. She's... clingy.
(Maybe he's just the monopolizing type.)
For some reason, she's really annoying, more than usual. Sasuke wants to yell at her, tell her she's being too obvious. Tell her to stop. But instead, he just turns and walks away.
(Maybe he's jealous.)
He doesn't dare touch Naruto's happiness.
(Maybe he's falling.)
—
"God dammit."
Dark eyes gaze at the pink and orange image of the sinking sun. "She wasn't worth it."
"I know." The blond leans his head against the rough wall, his hair messier than usual. He sits at the second to bottom step on the fire escape and doesn't look up at his best friend, who stands leaning against the rail a few steps above him.
"Then stop crying."
"I'm not crying."
Sasuke says nothing. Naruto sniffles. They remain like that for five minutes, and then Sasuke knows he has to say something.
"You're so lame," he mutters.
"Shut up, I know! I'm not perfect like a certain fucking Prince Uchiha Sasuke-sama, okay?"
"I never liked her."
"I know! That why it pisses me off so much because she liked you this whole time!" Naruto reaches up to wipe his falling tears with his uniform sleeve. "Dammit! I can't even hate you for it!"
A pause.
"Stop crying."
"I'm not crying!" Naruto jumps up, landing on the ground, and points an accusing finger up at his best friend. "I'm just really pissed off, okay!"
Sasuke steps down so he's on the same level as the blond. "You can blame me if you want."
"Like hell I can!" Naruto grabs the front of the Uchiha's shirt. "Dammit, I can't hate you no matter how badly I want to right now!"
Sasuke suddenly slams the other boy backwards into the wall, his dark eyes impossible to read. "You're a fucking idiot," he growls.
The blond's face is covered with frustrated tears. "I know, okay?"
"Stop crying."
"I'm not—"
He's silenced by an impatient kiss.
A few seconds of surprise later, it's reciprocated.
It's the first time they've kissed in months, and it makes it all the more heated.
—
Naruto wonders if this could be considered a rebound relationship.
But he knows he's healing because of it.
(He never knew his best friend could kiss so gently.)
Yet he wonders if taking advantage of Sasuke like this won't send him falling headfirst into hell.
—
Naruto gets over her surprisingly fast.
"I thought you said you were absolutely head over heels in love with her?" Sasuke asks suspiciously.
"Yeah." Naruto shrugs. "But I've found something more worth the while."
"…That Hyuuga girl?"
"No." The blond suddenly turns solemn. "Sasuke… listen to me. And don't you dare laugh or I'll punch you."
Sasuke knows that when his best friend says his name, it's something serious. "What is it?"
There's a pause, and the Uzumaki averts his eyes. "I need you."
"…Aa?" Sasuke blinks a few times.
"I need you, I said. It's not love that I feel; it's really not—though I can't promise that I don't need your touch. I'm fucked up and I like it too much." Naruto suddenly meets the Uchiha's eyes. The blue eyes are bright. "But give me everything you've got and I just might fall for you."
Dark eyes stare coldly. "Are you trying to sound cool? Who said anything about me wanting you to fall for me?"
The blond's face turns bright red. "W-wait. You don't…? Shit, I was so confident…" Naruto turns away and mumbles to himself. "Man… I'm so stupid… can't believe…"
Sasuke watches him for a moment, slightly amused, and then embraces him from behind.
The smaller boy lets out an embarrassing squeak.
"Fall for me," Sasuke breathes into the red ear. "That's an order."
—
Time passes.
He starts to fall.
—
"Uchiha-san, I love you! Please go out with me!"
He doesn't even know the name of the girl who's bowing to him right now, whose fists are trembling.
"I can't."
She straightens, brown eyes melancholic. "Can you please tell me why?"
He cocks his head slightly, and rubs his neck. "I've already fallen for somebody else."
—
"...and Sasuke-kun told her that he's already in love with someone."
Naruto drops the pile of papers he's supposed to hand out and they fall everywhere onto the floor. "Shit," he mutters, and gets onto his hands and knees and starts picking them up.
Next thing he knows, there's a pair of pale, big hands helping him, and when the blond looks up, it's a black gaze that looks back.
Sasuke hands the Uzumaki the stack of retrieved fliers. Their hands brush; Naruto's cheeks burn red.
"Idiot," Sasuke says, without malice.
—
Time passes.
He's fallen.
—
As third years, nothing seems to particularly have changed, except that Naruto actually studies for his tests now, especially the mock exams.
When he is asked about his improved grades, Naruto only replies, "I've got a good tutor."
Sasuke is, indeed, a good tutor. He's like a whip, merciless and harsh. Learn this, learn that. Still, Naruto can't afford to fall; he works hard because the reward is sweet.
—
Because Naruto got a shocking 92 on his most recent mock exam, he's allowed to pick the venue for their 'date'. Like always, he chooses his apartment, some cup ramen, and a badly done action movie.
But it's pleasurable for Sasuke, too.
"We're so fucked up," Naruto groans, when their lips pull away.
"It's too late to be saying that when it's already been a year."
It doesn't change the fact that they're holding hands right now, or that their shared kisses feel almost too good, or that the blond's company is the only thing making watching this horrible action film bearable for Sasuke.
"Hey, where's the popcorn?"
"You dropped it earlier."
"Oh, shit, it fell everywhere! Help me clean, bastard!"
"Do it later." A hand suggestively creeps up the blond's chest.
"F-fine."
It doesn't change the fact that they have each other, and that's enough for them both.
—
Naruto gets the crazy idea of making a thousand paper cranes so that his wish of getting into the same university as Sasuke will come true, and so, with Sasuke's observation and companionship, the two spend each evening at the Uzumaki apartment, stacks of vividly-colored square paper adorning each and every available surface of the already-crowded home.
"Naruto."
"What?" The blond glances up from his failure of an origami crane.
"I love you."
The crane tears into two pieces as the blond's face turns tomato red. "Th-that's too sudden, you bastard!"
Sasuke smirks.
Naruto drops the ripped crane and the shredded paper falls to the floor as the blond tackles his best friend/lover, and murmurs "I love you, too" into his ear.
—
They keep it a secret, that they've fallen for each other.
Neither of them mentions the fact they should keep it a secret, they just know.
Because Sasuke's Sasuke.
Because Naruto's Naruto.
Because they're both men and best friends, and that's not supposed to happen.
But it happened.
That's all.
—
Naruto doesn't get in.
"Stupid cranes," he mutters. "Didn't work."
Sasuke cocks his head. "Didn't you get waitlisted?"
"...Yeah."
"You have a chance."
"Eh. I'm not gonna fall for that."
The Uchiha sighs. "Believe in it, Naruto. That's what you do best."
—
Maybe it was the lucky crane Sasuke made for him, sitting in his pocket, that allowed him in.
Naruto doesn't know.
But they're going to university together next year.
He feels like he's falling, gently, gently, into a sweet, cool pool.
Sasuke's cool arms embrace him from behind and Naruto realizes he's the happiest he could ever be.
—
As graduation approaches, they don't feel any sadness.
They haven't fallen apart yet.
(They know they never will.)
.
.
.
END.