minutes and days and seasons and years
"Oi! Teme! Open up!"
The boy continued to enthusiastically pound at the door. A few minutes later, it slammed open.
"What?"
Naruto blinked innocently, all wide blue eyes and wide white grin.
"C'mon, you're missing the party!"
"No."
"Too bad!" Naruto waltzed into Sasuke's apartment, oblivious to the indignant sputtering coming from the boy. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the living room.
"You fell asleep, didn't you? That settles it. You have five minutes to wash up and get your ass out here before I get in there and start beautifying you."
Aloof (and not at all frightened, honestly), Sasuke stalked into his bathroom. Exactly 4 minutes and 59 seconds later, he was standing next to Naruto, hands shoved in his pockets, scowl firmly on his face.
"Right then! Off we go." Naruto skipped off down the hall as Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed.
Once outside, Naruto paused for Sasuke to catch up.
"God, you walk slower than a turtle."
"Shut up, dobe. I just have enough self-respect to not bounce around like a toddler."
"What did you just call me, you fag?"
Sasuke smirked. Really, it was just too easy to annoy Naruto.
"You heard me. A toddler."
"Well, at least I'm not emotionally constipated. At least I don't have a stick shoved up my ass. And at least I don't pretend to be straight. You know Sasuke, I've seen you eyeing me. It's a little creepy."
Sasuke listened patiently to his friend's tirade, then promptly shoved him into the mud.
"What the hell, teme? We're going to a party!"
"Hn."
They approached the restaurant, Sasuke ambling stoically beside Naruto, who was sopping wet and muddy.
Sakura came out, a smile ready for her boys.
"Naruto, you're here. And I see you dragged the grouch."
"No kidding, Sakura-chan. I had to threaten him to get him out of his apartment."
"I'm not surprised. Anti-social grump."
Sasuke cleared his throat, tired of being ignored.
"You know you love us, Sasuke." Sakura grinned and struck a pose with Naruto.
"Morons."
"All right, all right, let's go in. I'm hungry!" And taking them both by the arm, Naruto pulled his friends inside.
Hours passed. Food was consumed, and more and more sake was drunk. Naruto became so inebriated that he tottered off to ask for a dance.
"He does know that's a guy, right?"
"Hn. Doubt it."
Sakura shrugged, and turned back to her sake.
"Mm, Sasuke."
"What?"
"We should do this more often."
"Are you kidding? And deal with..."
They paused to look at Naruto, who was busily trying to take off the vest of a young man. With his teeth.
"I'm just saying. We could theoretically tie him up and then... hey, stop raising your eyebrow. It's really not as scandalous as it sounds."
"You get to walk him home."
"Touché."
"Sakura, you need to learn a new phrase to express yourself with."
"Touché."
"Seriously."
Sakura tilted her head back and laughed. Draining her cup, she leaned forward and ruffled Sasuke's hair.
"You should worry about my vocabulary and I a little less."
"Dammit, 'me', not 'I'. I told you-"
"Objective case, yeah, yeah. Nerd."
Sasuke sniffed. He was not a nerd. He just appreciated good grammar.
"Do you have a rubber band by any chance?"
Sasuke wordlessly handed her the one around his wrist.
"Thanks." Sakura sat back and began to braid her hair. As she wove the pink strands, she almost scrutinized Sasuke. He shifted in his seat, beginning to feel like a specimen on display.
"You know, you have pretty hair. It's very shiny and soft, I'll bet. And your skin is gorgeous too. It's really not fair. Why is a boy prettier than all of the girls I know? Well, except Ino. But that's just because if she weren't prettier she'd commit suicide."
Sasuke leaned back amusedly and let Sakura ramble.
"...and really, it isn't fair. Why should I have to examine feces? It's med school, not... ew."
His attention had wandered. Oh god. Was that Naruto? Making out? With... was that one of their former teachers? One of the female ones, but really? Ah well. It wasn't any of his business. Sasuke snapped back to attention when Sakura called his name.
"-uke? Sasuke?"
"Yeah?"
"How long have we known each other again?" She peered at him, hair once again out of its braid.
Sasuke counted quickly. "Twelve years."
"Shit. That's a long time. We were seven, weren't we?"
"Hn."
She exhaled contentedly. "We were young then, ne, Sasuke-kun?"
Something caught in Sasuke's throat when he heard what she'd used to call him. Before they grew up.
"Anyway, I better get home. Good luck prying Naruto off... good Lord, is that Iruka-sensei?"
And just like that, she was gone again. Sasuke stared blankly after her for a few seconds, then directed his attention to his sexually frustrated friend.
"Oi. Dobe. Stop sucking face. Time to get out of here."
