Author's note: Again I participated in the Secret Santa exchange in the Sasuke x Naruto FC on narutoforums. This year my target was Potato whom wished for something 'cute and happy and fluffy' (which – as we know – is sort of my thing *smile*). C is as usual my fantastic beta. (: Disclaimer: In case it's not obvious; I do not own Naruto or Sasuke or the ninjaworld they live in together ;)
A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.
– Ingrid Bergman
"Ah! There's nothing like a nutritious meal after training!"
"So why do I once again find myself eating ramen?"
Naruto stopped shoving noodles in his mouth for a second to give Sasuke a wide-eyed look.
"What do you mean?" He burst out after swallowing. "We always eat ramen on Tuesdays!" He looked at the food hanging from his chopsticks. "And Fridays." He added. "And sometimes on Saturdays or Sundays."
"Exactly." Sasuke deadpanned and took a bite of his own noodles.
"Come on!" Naruto grinned brightly. "It's not like you hate ramen."
Sasuke glanced at him.
"No." He admitted.
Naruto seemed satisfied with ending the conversation there because he promptly finished his dinner and paid for their meal while thanking Teuchi and his daughter Ayame for the food.
Sasuke silently followed him outside when he left the ramen stand.
He was always following Naruto these days – something neither Sasuke nor Naruto could seem to get fully used to. After all – for all those years before it had been Naruto following Sasuke.
So Naruto looked over his shoulder every so often to make sure Sasuke was still there – just as he did now.
And Naruto smiled before turning forward again.
Sasuke stayed half a step behind, watching Naruto greeting villagers, speaking to old friends and get an acceptance Sasuke knew Naruto could only have dreamt of as a child.
Except for the occasional nod from some of Naruto's closer friends Sasuke mainly went ignored. Naruto had erased any animosity that could have been directed Sasuke's way – and instead people simply didn't show much of an interest in him. This suited Sasuke perfectly.
Sasuke could count the people that seemed genuinely interested in him and his well being on the fingers of one hand – and those people were the only ones he bothered to answer when they talked to him.
The few times Sasuke struck up conversation himself was with Naruto – normally when they were alone, or at least when none of Naruto's friends or admirers could be found in their immediate space. But most of the time Naruto was the one opening up the conversations between them – and seemed happy to do so.
Naruto stopped briefly to share a laugh with some children met on the busy street. Sasuke watched him interact with the kids so easily. Naruto was bright and easy to smile – children were naturally drawn to him now that no parents told them off about it any longer. Sasuke liked it better this way. Naruto was in his right element now – being able to talk to anyone as he liked.
When Naruto started walking down the street once more he again threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure that Sasuke was in his place half a step behind him.
Of course Sasuke was – where else would he be?
There was no other place in this village for him. In fact – there wasn't really any other place for him in the universe after the ninja world had been brought together in an alliance never before seen in history.
He was completely and utterly pardoned on Naruto's insistence, as well as stuck with being under Naruto's watchful eye and protecting wing for the same reason. That stubborn idiot. Perhaps the fact that Sasuke didn't argue also contributed to the decision.
The decision that Sasuke could stick around – as long as Naruto took responsibility for him.
Sasuke really didn't have anywhere he would rather be. It wasn't like he had anything elsewhere. No family, no home, no friends. And so he silently stuck with Naruto – and there he was.
Sasuke quietly watched Naruto wave and holler something at Kiba and Hinata on the other side of the street – a grin stretching from ear to ear. Sasuke could tell he wanted to get home though – by the way his gaze flickered slightly to the side; down along the road, before flickering back just as fast.
Stuck half a step behind Naruto gave him all the opportunity in the world to study him. He was almost constantly observing Naruto – there wasn't really much else that held his interest anyway, and with Naruto being a constant companion it was impossible not to focus his attention on him.
Sasuke stepped up to walk properly by Naruto's side – a signal to hurry up a little and get home.
Naruto glanced at him and smiled before quickening his steps a little – showing he had gotten the hint.
Sasuke didn't talk much but Naruto had learnt to understand a lot of his silent language a long time ago.
Naruto often talked too much but Sasuke had learnt to understand what he was really saying under all those words a long time ago.
Their communication was far from flawless but that deeper understanding of each other they had already had as children had evolved into something you couldn't put into words after Sasuke had followed Naruto home to Konoha at last.
They finally reached Naruto's apartment and the rest of the evening was spent in companionable silence – both studying scrolls for a couple of hours.
That was something Sasuke really enjoyed. When it was just the two of them like this Naruto seemed to relax in a way Sasuke never saw him do otherwise.
Naruto was naturally bright and had a happy-go-lucky way of going about most things. He constantly gave of himself – which was something that obviously brought him enjoyment but also something Sasuke could see wore him down. The problem was that he had a tendency to give too much, and had another tendency to bottle up any feeling that didn't seem good or happy enough. Sasuke was pretty sure Naruto wasn't aware of it – but he sucked at talking about his true feelings even more than Sasuke did. And that was pretty bad.
When it was just the two of them Naruto could show annoyance he otherwise would stubbornly have covered up – he could show frustration and even sadness that he normally hid behind a smile or any other emotion that he found more acceptable to the situation.
Sasuke figured it was because he was so constant. Sasuke was there at all times – so since Naruto never really got away from him he had grown so used to his presence that his subconscious no longer reacted on Sasuke's presence but instead figured he was as good as alone.
Sasuke didn't know what to do with Naruto's bottled feelings though, so he just stayed put and observed quietly when they showed through the cracks.
Sasuke knew a wall when he saw one. He had worked so many years on his own.
He also knew that his own was cracking in a similar way around Naruto. His subconscious obviously couldn't handle the constant presence of Naruto any other way either.
Naruto rolled up his scroll before Sasuke and started to get himself ready for bed. Sasuke finished up what he was doing and followed soon after. Their routines around each other in Naruto's cramped bathroom wasn't really a problem anymore. They moved fluidly around each other with an ease that came from a long time living together in this space.
Naruto got in bed first but didn't lie down properly until Sasuke joined him. Because even though Sasuke always was the one waking up first in the morning and had to climb over Naruto to get out of the bed Naruto liked to have Sasuke confined between his own body and the wall.
Sasuke was sure that in the beginning it had been to make sure Sasuke didn't leave without Naruto noticing. Now it was simply habit.
It wasn't awkward even though Naruto's bed was small. It hadn't even been awkward the first time. Since Sasuke had nowhere to go and Naruto was watching over him it had been obvious somehow that Sasuke should stay in Naruto's apartment. Naruto's apartment only had one place to sleep – the one bed. And so they had shared already that first night without ever commenting on it. It was just how things were.
Sasuke was on his side – facing the wall – and corrected the blanket over himself. He soon felt Naruto scooting over so their backs were touching each other – a sleeping position Naruto seemed to favour, and Sasuke didn't mind. Naruto's back was always warm against his own in a way Sasuke had never experienced before sleeping in this particular bed that simply was not made for two people.
It made it easy to drift into sleep.
Too bad it didn't last.
Sasuke didn't know how long the dreams had been gripping him harshly – not letting him escape the slumber he desperately wanted to shake off his mind, but finally he heard a voice in the distance calling for him and he felt Naruto's hand shake him slightly – which made sleep fumble with its hold and finally drop him.
He knew his eyes were red with swirling tomoes when he opened them and saw Naruto's worried expression. They quickly faded to black though.
"You okay?" Naruto asked him quietly.
Naruto was always quiet when he was waking Sasuke from bad dreams. And he was always there to wake Sasuke from the dreams that Sasuke would never be able to escape on his own.
Epiphanies usually don't come quietly. Some of them hit you with a bat right between your eyes and leave you disoriented enough to make your mind focus on one truth only.
Naruto was always there.
It didn't matter whom he was talking to or what he was doing – if Sasuke made the slightest gesture to draw his attention Naruto was all his – listening and watching him with clear blue eyes.
Naruto was always there to spar with Sasuke, to talk to Sasuke, to study with Sasuke, to eat with Sasuke, to sleep with Sasuke.
He never seemed to mind to have a Sasuke-shaped shadow following him everywhere. He never forced Sasuke to talk when Sasuke didn't feel like talking. If Sasuke wanted to stay home Naruto stayed with him.
Naruto never made Sasuke tell him about the nightmares that haunted him – he just worried silently and waited for Sasuke to open up to him.
Sasuke didn't have anything left but Naruto. Naruto was the very centre of Sasuke's world.
Feelings he didn't have names for – that he didn't know how to handle – welled up in Sasuke's chest while he stared at that all too familiar face.
Overwhelmed he gripped the front of Naruto's shirt harshly – but stilled. He had no idea how to express the words that wanted to well up from his throat.
Naruto looked surprised for half a second when Sasuke grabbed him but his expression softened when he searched Sasuke's face.
"Sasuke." He breathed simply.
"I don't… I can't…" Sasuke choked – feelings and words stuck in a mess behind his tongue – taking up the space all the way down into his chest that was hurting from all the emotion.
"Sch." Naruto said gently and smiled in a way that was new to Sasuke. "You don't have to make things so difficult. I already know."
"You do?" Sasuke whispered – his throat thick from the lump of the words and feelings that crowded him so badly he was almost afraid he was going to throw up.
How could Naruto know when Sasuke wasn't sure he did?
"Yes, and it's easier to express than you make it." Naruto said, his eyes glimmering. "I'll show you."
And he kissed Sasuke.
Thank you for reading.