-1They met in the twilight, for what they both knew would be the last time. Both had changed past the telling, yet still thought themselves the same. They seemed like perfect opposites, in the dying golden light-- one dark haired and pale skinned, poised still as though waiting for danger, the other golden in constant fluid motion. As different as day and night, they faced each other over the border between the two. The golden figure was the first to speak.
"You know why I hated you?" It was a rhetorical question, and the other treated as such. The sunny man smiled faintly, and answered his own question. "It wasn't really that I was envious. I was, of course. It wasn't just your skill, but how everyone seemed to love you, even though you never did a thing for them. That bothered me, but I knew you didn't seek it. The reason I hated you was that you had the same eyes as me." The darker figure shifted slightly--an amazing concession from the strongly controlled man.
"What do you mean by that?" His voice was rough in the falling darkness. The sunny figure laughed.
"You had that same expression. The exact same loneliness that made me want to break down and give up. But it never seemed to bother you, and I hated you for that." The shadow for the first time showed emotion. Surprised, he glanced up at the other man, then looked at the ground.
"It wasn't as easy as you seem to think." The shadow's voice was gruff with some unnamable emotion. The golden man looked surprised, but recovered quickly.
"Why did you hate me, then?" For the first time, the shadow man's eyes met his squarely, and he was struck by how red they were now, like drop of blood. Or, perhaps, like the spring flowers on the mountainside…
"I don't know. It wasn't personal. Perhaps I only needed someone I could hate, someone I could fight." The dark-haired figure turned away, and the last words were uttered almost to himself. "Perhaps I never hated you at all." The blond opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a look from the other. "Don't. Whatever you were to me, whatever I was to you… this is still goodbye." The golden figure smiled sadly, and nodded. Both turned and walked away from each other, stealing glances back that never quite crossed.
In his tiny shabby apartment, Naruto woke with a jolt. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then resolved to think about it in the morning. Some things were too complicated for the middle of the night. Just the same, it was a long time before he slept again.
Halfway across town, Sasuke opened his eyes to the familiar sight of blue satin curtains. He rose and walked to the window, and sat down on the ledge. When morning came, it found him still sitting there, lost in thought.
Perhaps later the two would meet, and make some half-hearted attempt to reconcile, now when things were easy.
Perhaps not.