Because when Sasuke had asked again and Naruto had again replied with his infamous "Because you're my friend," bullshit, Sasuke almost didn't confess at all. But the Usuratonkachi had to go and describe how he hurt too when he saw him hurting and how he just wanted to make his pain go away. Then there were the times he'd readily thrown away his life, his dream, for him. It had to mean something, right?
So he confessed. In the hospital, as they were laid on beds beside each other. Naruto had laughed first. And Sasuke is feeling he should have gone along with that, let the idiot think that's what it was. Taken that escape out. But no!
Perhaps it was the decade of waiting, at least for the right response, and having lost everything besides, he would not have it. He wanted to make Naruto understand.
But then he'd gotten angry, yelling at Sasuke, not noticing the embarrassed flush taking over his cheeks. Or maybe just not caring. Just like he didn't care if his yelling would wake up the occupants of the surrounding rooms. Sasuke grit his teeth and silently turned away, that slight movement of the head all that was possible for him at the moment, to indicate he was done with the conversation, though his roommate of course, didn't get the message.
Thankfully, or not, Naruto's rant ended by the time the nurses burst in. What they came into was both the boys glaring at opposite walls and the unmistakable charge in the air. They were scolded for waking up other patients and strictly told to keep it down and go to sleep already- it was way past bed time anyway.
They didn't speak for days after that, and Sasuke made a fuss to be let go. He had already decided on even before the who fiasco that he wouldn't get the prosthetic arm no matter what. Now the decision seemed all too perfect for him, and he didn't budge despite all the coddling Sakura did and even the lecture Tsunade gave. Naruto didn't try to convince him.
Sasuke thanked his intuition as he was leaving the village, seeing as how Sakura had once again reverted to the fangirl from hell and seemed determined to get him. It disheartened him somewhat to see that all the words they'd ever exchanged when they'd tried to bring him back had just washed over the woman's head. It was like she was willing to disregard anything he said or did if it didn't fit her image of him if she could just have him.
Of course, the whole redemption reason he gave wasn't complete bullshit. He was feeling quite deserving of the lonely travels, though he wasn't one to complain seeing as what it was saving him from.
Seeing Naruto was simultaneously like a slap in the face and a breeze of forgiveness. He didn't bring up that night again, or the topic, despite the tiny spark of hope that ignited again at the fact that Naruto had kept his headband till now. Damn hope. There was no such thing. But despite that fact, it irked him how he could not completely squash that feeling inside. After all, he'd seen exactly what Naruto thought of that.
XXX
It was heartless, he thought, to send your marriage invitation to the person you rejected so ruthlessly. And he was so messed up he actually felt he was deserving of it. He didn't go. No point in going, unless he had the guts to stop the wedding. And after that eventful night, he knew he definitely did not have the guts for it. Sasuke instead consoled himself with the fact that he wouldn't have to deal with Sakura if he didn't go.
XXX
The whole thing happened too fast. The depression was overwhelming, Kakashi was overbearing, the guilt too much and he just wanted it all to stop. He'd agreed. He'd agreed to fucking marrying Sakura. Even as he was agreeing, he was screaming inside his head at the mistake he was making. At how Naruto's idiocy had finally rubbed off on him. He was falling.
Perhaps Naruto empathized with him somewhat- at least enough to start talking to him again. Or maybe he was able to see through to how upset he was and felt bad for him? Either way, Sasuke was ready to eat up any positive thing life threw at him, and he fell for Naruto's words and managed to stay long enough for the wedding without constantly feeling like crawling out of his skin and dying. In retrospect, all of that time spent training or hanging out didn't give him time to freak out about the whole wedding thing.
Sakura wanted her right as his wife and he'd known he wouldn't be able to go through with that. Seeing as she barely had morals when it came to him, he thought drinking himself into a stupor was the only way out for him. Whether or not Sakura used him the way she'd been wanting to her whole life was a mystery to him, and the first thing he did was flee the morning after.
To his relief, Naruto always kept in touch with him even after, and it hadn't been a distraction to get him to stay for the wedding like he'd been afraid. They even met sometimes, secretly of course, outside the village. With the Forest of Death being warded off, they had a pretty neat deal with a quiet place with the seclusion.
XXX
Naruto had two kids now, and he wanted more frequent meetings. Sasuke easily complied, never admitting that he was affected by the gesture, and thanking his luck for being able to cover it with the fact that he had more intel to bring. He suspected though, that Naruto knew at some level.
Whatever had started between them was Naruto's doing really. While his heart didn't break for the wives, he knew they didn't deserve it. He'd been angry at Naruto the first time, not bothering to go easy on him and reminded him of how harshly he'd rejected Sasuke when he'd confessed so long ago.
But Naruto had his words and his ways and those clear eyes- which he found out the first time he was breached by the blonde, weren't so clear and pure as they appeared to be. There was guilt- he knew what he was doing, but there was determination- he was going to do this.
Sasuke did remain strong, despite his initial fears of what would happen if he let Naruto have his way once. He did not, in fact, let the emotions and the raw power do him in and shatter his fortress. He did not let the tidal waves of love sweep him away nor the high of finally being accepted and having his feelings reciprocated let him soar high enough to be burnt.
He instead took control of when their meetings would take that road. Which he kept to a minimal. But Naruto said he could get behind it- said he deserved it for having taken so long to coming to terms with what he'd always felt as well.
Sasuke figured he couldn't forgive and he couldn't forget. Not entirely. But he thought it would be okay. Perhaps they could be okay.