VII.
He actually does make it instagram official, after the fact, because they're millennials and that's what millennials do.
He almost swallows his own tongue when he sees that it got over half a million likes in less than an hour.
Is this what power feels like? Because, if so, it feels good.
"People are really rooting for us, huh?" He remarks casually, laying over Sasuke's legs on their (their!) couch on their first lazy Sunday together. "I mean, don't get me wrong, a lot of your fangirls wish me dead and curse my name but i've seen so many crying emojis and hearts today that its not even funny."
Sasuke rolls his eyes at him, petting absently at a preening Demon as he sits on his new favorite perch: the genuine leather armrest.
Naruto's surprised that Sasuke lets him sit up there because this couch must have cost more than Naruto's entire life but the other man seems content to let both him and cat have free reign of this space. He's not complaining, except he is a little because Sasuke's a clean freak (no way, right!?) and Naruto's um, not, so he gets picked on for leaving his shoes anywhere but up against the wall while the shed-happy cat with claws gets to do whatever he wants and gets a belly rub for his troubles.
Can you tell he's really happy? Because he is.
It's gross.
And worrisome, because it took him another two weeks to decide if they should live together or not because he was concerned about this very thing happening.
Two weeks is too fast, you say? Oh well, get over it. This isn't the iliad, or some shit. You gotta be able to keep up!
Anyway, he's so caught up, floaty,and in love but it's not always going to be like this, right? They're two very different people and aren't the most mature guys around so they're bound to have to friction, right? He doesn't know if he can handle this all going to shit again. But he caved and things are so, so good and he's just waiting for the other shoe to drop because what if Sasuke just decides they're too different? That he really wants to live the rockstar life and go hoe about like a madman? This all seems too good to be true. What if he wakes up and he doesn't want to live with him anymore? What if tomorrow he doesn't want to be with him anymo—?
Sasuke pokes him in the forehead, forcing him to look up and dispel his thoughts.
"Stop overthinking it." He says sternly, and Naruto hates when he does the freaky mind-reading thing. "I don't care if the whole world's against us. You're mine, i'm yours, end of story."
"Aww, how cute." He says playfully, even though he feels like he can breathe again and that was more reassuring than it should have been.
Sasuke drops a kiss on his forehead and swipes Naruto's phone.
"Hey!"
"You've really got to stop looking at the comments, Naruto. Never look at the comments."
Naruto reaches weakly to get his phone back, but he doesn't want to sit up from Sasuke's comfortable lap and the other man's arms are too long, anyway.
"What? I'm curious by nature."
"You're going to get your feelings hurt again. Did I tell you yesterday when you went through Twitter? Teenagers are cruel."
"I know, I need help." He replies mournfully, momentarily triggered by the memory of what he read on there.
But Sasuke's not paying attention, too busy narrowing his eyes at the screen and moving it closer to get a better look. He's quiet for a moment, considering, before he turns the screen back to Naruto.
"I can't tell if that's passive aggressive or not." Sasuke says carefully, pointing to the comment Neji just made underneath their picture together. It's a simple :), nothing more, and Naruto bursts into laughter.
"I think that's just his way of saying he's happy for us, Sasuke." He giggles. "And he's also telling me I told you so without having to say it. I'll explain later." He says after Sasuke looks confused.
"I guess."
"What happened between you guys, anyway? I think you owe me that story now."
Sasuke looks like he'd rather die than have to explain and it makes Naruto laugh even more.
"Please? C'mon! What could have possibly been so bad that you guys basically have a blood feud now?" He pleads, batting his eyelashes.
Sasuke huffs, but acquiesces. "Fine, fine. I hate you."
"A blatant lie."
Sasuke snorts. "Obviously."
For once, he doesn't feel the need to stomp down the warm-tingly that rises up at that.
"Tell me, tell me!" He begs, poking at Sasuke's stomach.
"I'm going to! Jeez!" He slaps his hand away. "Alright, so, when we on set—"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Naruto encourages. Sasuke stares daggers at him for interrupting, before angrily going on an epic rant.
"We were just, you know, talking, hanging around while we were taking breaks and I asked him what other directors inspired him. So he lists a lot of old names from like, a few decades ago and talks about how a lot of things he does are pretty old fashioned anyway. So, I made a joke—a joke, Naruto—that it makes sense because he dresses like a old monk with the robes and all that, which, hearing it now sounds rude but it was a joke! He gets offended and tells me that the could "hook me up" with some of his "monks friends" that know some good remedies for hair repair and skincare because my hair apparently looks and feels like parchment paper and I was like what the hell? I was joking and he went and took it too far! There's nothing wrong with my hair! So I told him that he needed to keep studying his idols because this movie was shaping up to be a college freshmen final and he told me that my baritone sounded like a ship horn and so I—"
"So...what I'm hearing is that you started it?" Naruto cuts in, too gleeful for words.
Sasuke's stops abruptly and he's at a loss for words for a moment, mouth opening and closing like fish.
"Okay, maybe I fucking did but—" he starts again and Naruto's completely and utterly unsure about what the future will bring or how this will turn out. They still have a lot of growing to do and a lot more to work out between them, and it's never going to be perfect, but watching him right now, so passionate and expressive and goddamn cute for fuck's sake over possibly the dumbest thing he's ever heard, all Naruto can think is:
Yeah, they're gonna be alright.
End.
Hello, everyone! I forgot to put a note at the start of the story so sorry about that! This was supposed to be a short little exercise to get me into writing again and I'm happy to say that it worked! It still ended up being a little longer than I wanted but that's okay. I hoped you all enjoyed this ridiculous drama as much as I did! Tell me what you think if you haven't already!
TheWonderYears.