Chapter 2 - Bam

The plan was to get to the basketball court at 6:00 PM sharp, but Sasuke overslept.

He intended to take a quick nap as the clock showed there was a couple of hours until the thing took place. So, ever the confident and chronological as he had always been, the raven did not think of setting the alarm clock.

Therefore, he startled awake at around 8:15, cursing and going to freshen up. He left his room and raced down the stairs as the elevator was overloaded at that moment. Then he made it to the internal bus station (One of the key reasons why he did not bother to discover the place was because it was too damn big!), but apparently he was too slow as there was a long line ahead of him; whether they decided to pass the game for the party or overslept as he did, Sasuke was not concerned enough to find out. Against his better judgement, the brunet skipped the bus and opted for walking instead.

He reached the playground when the game was already over, judging by the sea of audiences pouring out. Cheers and hollers erupted in every corner. Sasuke guessed that hosting team won the match tonight.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" A familiar face appeared in the crowd. Sasuke was not sure if he should feel relieved.

Ino reached out and hugged him. What's wrong with these girls and hugging? Thought the raven yet he did not do anything about it except for his signature roll of eyes. The platinum blonde released him and immediately pulled out her phone. "I lost Sakura in the mass. Man, these people were crazy! Oh - hey, where are you? We're out in the yard. Sasuke and me." Nearly screamed Ino through the phone.

No more than a minute later, they both saw a neon pink head heading up to them. Sakura's eyes found his and she sprinted over, nearly tackling him to the ground. Seriously, these girls have no personal boundaries at all.

"Hey, what're you doing here? I thought you had a dinner appointment with your brother?" Asked Sakura breathlessly.

"He has some emergencies coming up."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Hey, maybe you can spend your birthday with us. I heard there's a great party at Lawless' tonight. Free drinks on the first round." Ino's eyeliner curled up prettily. Her choice of eyeshadow complemented her well.

"Yeah! Ooh, maybe you can see the hottie." That maniac gleam was on his pink-haired girl again, styled in cat's eye by a sheer shade which made her features even more pronounced.

"Would you drop it? I'm only here to see what all the fuss is about?" Of course he was here to see Naruto, but he was not gonna give them the satisfaction of knowing that.

Even though they did know.

The glint was back on full force. Two pairs of shiny eyes winked; their owners made a grab at him and pulled the raven along. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, pretty boy."

They giggled the whole way from the campus, through the train, to the bar.

He thought the school ground was crowded before, but only when they got there did he know it would be pure luck if they were able to squeeze in. Several packed lines were in front of the bar entrance, not to mention guests with VIP passes.

"We're never gonna get in!" cried Ino.

"Damn it! Why did I put on these?!" whined Sakura. Sasuke may not know much about women's boots, but her feet would definitely get swollen by tomorrow.

"If it's too much, I'll carry you, alright?" offered Sasuke. Yes, he was not a cold-hearted asshole; he may look like one, though.

Sakura had that grateful look in her eyes, and given her jutted glossy lips, he knew he was gonna get one hell of a hug. He instantly turned to Ino for help but was met with her partner's reflection. God take me.

A car pulled up and stopped by their little group, effectively halting any cheesy moment about to transpire. The doors all opened up, revealing the people inside. Standing by one of the rear doors was… Naruto.

Messy blond blocks were combed flat on his head; he probably just took a shower or put on hair gel for once. The guy donned on a simple white Tee with ripped Jeans, a jade necklace gently swaying with every movement. He was talking with his friends, presumably teammates as most of them had their team's jackets on. He was the only one not wearing one.

The blond glanced to where they were standing, and his blue eyes caught his own dark ones.

His tanned face broke out into a brilliant grin.

Sasuke's heart felt like it stopped working.

"Hey, you made it!" The blond sauntered over to their group, his gang following behind. The cologne reached them before he did. It smelled of woods and fresh grass.

Sasuke thought it suited him.

"Yeah. Change of plan." His smile was not as vibrant, but it was still there, small yet genuine.

As if he were glad that Sasuke could be here.

Stop. Don't get your hopes up, reminded Sasuke, to himself.

"So I take it this is your company?" The blond asked, "You probably know my name better than myself, but hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."

The girls shook his hand and introduced themselves, then bombarded him with how great he and his team did. The blond scratched his neck; his smile turned shy all of a sudden.

"It's mostly good teamwork. Our coach made sure we sat down and learnt it first thing before letting any of us go into the field. And we were pretty lucky, I guess. Oh, this is my team," Naruto pointed to each of his gang. "Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino. Guys, these are Sasuke, Ino and Sakura." They politely greeted each other. "Oops, my bad. You must have been here for a long while. Follow me."

"Ladies first." Said the guy with red tattoos on his face, Kiba? They followed them to the bar entrance. The bouncer fist-bumped with Kiba and complemented them on their performance, then he removed the rope and let everyone in.

Sasuke gave his thanks along with everyone else. He did not fail to notice the blond had lingered behind the group. Music boomed through the opened doors; each blast of the bass mirrored Sasuke's heartbeat as he went right into Sasuke's personal space and spoke directly into his ear.

"So since we're not in your workplace now, will you call me by my name?"

The blue sky in his eyes turned blue steel under the neon lights. Sasuke could recognize the gleam on them as he had seen it countlessly on Ino and Sakura lately: mischievous.

"Lead the way, Naruto."

They found a booth on the second floor, given the nice seating and high profile it appeared, Sasuke deduced that this was the best seat in the house. He felt like starring an episode in Elite. There were new faces among the group.

"Hey you're here. Everyone, this is Sasuke." Sakura got up and waved him in.

New and mostly new faces turned to look at him, which made him feel like his 6 year old self's first day of school.

"Hi." Great, voiced inner Sasuke, sarcastically.

New and mostly new faces chorused 'Hi Sasuke,' and 'Hello'. Okay, this was turning real awkward.

"Alright, did anyone order anything? No? I'll take your order. So what do the ladies want?" Naruto turned to Ino and Sakura, full charm and all.

"I'll have a gin and tonic, Sakura a martini. And you, Sasuke?"

"Just water is fine."

"What? Come on, we're having fun. Plus, it's your birthday."

Curse Sakura and her big mouth. Now everyone and their mothers knew.

"Today is your birthday?" Asked Naruto, undoubtedly surprised.

"Yeah." Naruto looked like he just received an epiphany, but about what? Sasuke could not guess.

"Water it is," The gentle curl of his lips was on. "Anything for our birthday boy." The words were uttered so soft that Sasuke almost felt like they were reserved to him only. It was such a dangerous thought. He did not know much about this man and here he was, having illusions?

"'Kay, I'll be on my way. Later, folks." Naruto got up and disappeared down the sea of party-goers, receiving greetings along the way, probably congratulations on the team's victory. Jock who understood art was a rare combination. Sasuke was not sure what he should do with that knowledge.

"So," Ino's voice pulled him out of his musing. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Here we go again.

"Was that a moment we just saw?" He knew they seemed suspicious right now, huddling close like this. Why was he friends with them again?

"No. He just went to get my water, unlike some people, questioning and sprouting unnecessary things."

"Ouch." Sakura got the nerve to look sheepish. "But what does this mean? Do you think he, you know, swings that way, or both?" Ino just blinked.

"Okay, let's not dive into that." Sasuke stated coolly. "As you said, it's my birthday. I'm here to 'have fun'," Quoting marks added. "I do not wish for anything beyond that, so let it slide, okay?" His eyes hardened to better deliver the message.

They both nodded. Good.

A woman who had been standing by Shikamaru jogged over and held out her hand. "Hi, my name's Temari, from S. U. I'm sorry I didn't quite catch yours."

They made a clearer introduction this time. Like Sakura, who was from another college – H. Medical C., some of Naruto's friends were also studying in another school. S. U. was the one Naruto's opponents went to.

The conversation started on a neutral ground, like others' departments. It was then that Sasuke learnt all of them would be seniors after this summer. Naruto would be a certified photographer in a year. Sasuke was sure with such talent he possessed, it would be soon before he could land a job. He could join big agencies in big cities and made his name. He himself still got three years more…

The sound of clinking glasses stirred him out of his thoughts. "Here you go." Naruto finished putting the tray down and everyone grabbed for their chosen drinks. Sasuke gingerly took his cup of water and a sip, momentally paused as the blond took a seat next to him.

Kind of close.

Next to him.

"So blondie, you've never told us about this coffee place you've been frequent lately." A woman with two dark styled buns spoke; she had on a Cheongsam-inspired crop top with traditional Asian patterns. It was a bold and controversial to some extent clash between modern and conventional concepts, yet that was what Sasuke enjoyed most about art: No boundaries.

"And these amazing friends you got." Added Temari as she was perched on Shikamaru's lap. High fishnet stockings disappeared inside her black body dress. She looked confident with her smile, but Sasuke thought she was more than that.

"Sorry, guess I forgot." The cologne was evading his senses. It made Sasuke feel dizzy.

Dizzy of him.

"Hey baby!" The guy with the red tattoos stood up to greet newcomers, a duo with the palest shade of eyes he had ever seen. The girl looked timid while the man looked intimidating. Their pale complexion was even more pronounced by pristine white clothing.

"Watch it, dog. She's not a piece of meat." The Kiba guy was not fazed. He strutted forth and gave her a deep kiss which made the girl hide her face into his shirt. Urgh, PDA alert.

The silent guy, Shino, stepped out to let pale guy in, who dived in for a chaste kiss with the brunette with two buns, next to them was a red head guy who had been staring at Sasuke.

"What's his problem?" Asked Sasuke; his own dark eyes were on him, cool and collected.

"Who, Gaara? Don't mind him. He looks like a creep but is actually a decent man." Naruto cheerfully answered. "It's just his way of being precautious."

Sasuke turned to the blond with a raised eyebrow. "Why? It's not like we're terrorists or anything."

"Well, Gaara and Temari's father is a politician, so he probably had them trained on reading people and stuffs, like how to be on alert all the time. Our man Gaara always thought it's all bull, but he could not shake it off of him. Out of the three siblings, he's the one outside of the box. He fought his way to be at S. U. you know? Not every kid could do what he did with a background like that."

It was an interesting take. Sasuke thought their gang was full of spoiled snobs, but these people seemed to have a deeper history.

"'Sup, bitches! Let's paaartyyy!" A man with his whole face tattooed barged into the group, carrying two bottles of liquor as he did. The smell of booze and alcohol speared right through him. It's not even midnight yet, thought Sasuke as he glanced at his watch.

"And that's Kankuro, Temari and Gaara's brother. That guy's also a blast. He painted his face sometimes just to piss his father off, but I think he already had it branded. The previous two are cousins, Neji and Hinata Hyuuga. She's a sophomore like you three, also in Creative Writing."

His casual words did not go unnoticed by Sasuke. How did Naruto know he was on second year and majored in Creative Writing? His dangerous thoughts twisted and turned for miles.

Before Sasuke could confront the blond, he was dragged by others to the dance floor. Sasuke looked to the right and saw his companions about to make a grab at him.

His 'No' was out at the same time as their 'Yes'. They kept on blabbering about 'having fun', and dear God, the kitty eyes were on. A giant yet last sigh was heaved out of Sasuke as he let himself be pulled along.

Mass of people wriggled around the dance floor; their bodies swaying in sync with thrumming music. Sakura and Ino, each on his side, were moving seductively. He looked like an old man standing there, stiff as a stick as the girls threw themselves in hammering beats. Then someone grabbed him.

"HI! NICE TO MEET YOU. I'M ROCK LEE! I'M NARUTO'S FRIEND!" God, those were the bushiest eyebrows he had ever seen. Dude was wearing a green spandex bodysuit with knee-high socks and a pair of old-school shoes. And was that a bowl cut? The fuck he's trying to pull? Bruce Lee?

"Hey hey. Calm down, Lee. Remember what we talked about?" Naruto appeared right beside him, steering the spandex dude away from them. "He's a little enthusiastic. Sorry if that bugs you." The blond was nearly yelling over the thunder music.

"It's fine." The spandex dude was hitting on the girls at the moment, and Sasuke must admit, it was hilarious to watch. Sakura looked embarrassed with him animatedly dancing and showing them his 'moves' while Ino was laughing her ass off.

"Hey, do you wanna get out of here?" Asked Naruto. Their bodies were almost touching, considering how jammed the club was.

"No. Why?" Yeah. Why?

"'Cause you don't seem comfortable all night. Clubbing with strangers sucks, huh?"

Well, he got that one right.

"I'm just gonna stay at the bar." He honestly did not want to leave the girls. Sasuke knew they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, and this was a safe neighborhood, but still.

Naruto followed his brief glance at the girls. "Oh, don't worry about it. SAI!" The blond waved someone over. It was a guy with dark hair in a simple black outfit. He got the most absurd blank stare that Sasuke had ever witnessed on a person. The guy smiled but it did not quite reach his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Sai. Nice to meet you." He shook hands with Sai.

"Sasuke. Likewise."

"Sai, can you take care of Lee for me? Make sure he doesn't have too much booze." Now both of the girls were dancing with spandex dude. Guess the Bruce Lee works.

"Sure. Have fun, but not too much." Sai winked at Naruto and found his way to the trio. He blended in right away.

Ino was having her appreciative once-over, so he guessed it was okay.

"Come on." Naruto led him out of the squirming crowd. At some point, he grabbed his hand to make sure he did not get lost. The heat in the air made the pressure on his hand hotter than usual. Sasuke was relieved that no one was paying attention to them, else they were gonna see how hot his face could get.

They got out of the place and headed to the front area where fresh and cool air lied. Sasuke took a deep breath. The waiting lines have reduced to one, and it was not as crowded as earlier, some must have got fed up and left.

"Wanna get something to eat?" The mention of food reminded Sasuke that he had not had anything for dinner yet, and his stomach chose that moment to release a loud grumble. Naruto barked out a laugh. It was a nice sound. "I know a great place, just a few blocks away."

They walked their way there; footsteps syncing. It was peacefully silent until his companion broke it.

"So, did your plan for birthday not work out?" He did not look at Sasuke when he asked. His stare was focused on pebbles on the ground.

"Yeah, I had plans with my brother, but he got last minute emergency," Naruto turned to him. "He's a doctor." He made an 'Ah' sound.

"I wish I had a brother or sister." Stated Naruto, he seemed lost in thought. "I'm not sure I'm gonna be a good brother to have, but it must feel nice for me."

The raven did not find a response for that, but he did know that he could never live without Itachi. His older brother had been a home for him to return to, a shoulder to lean on, and a tremendous emotional support throughout upbringing. A life of no Itachi was a terrified notion that he did not dare to think of.

"I cannot fathom your perspective but I will tell you one thing: if you have a sibling, you will learn what pain is if you lose them." Sasuke held his stare as he said. Both had stopped walking.

They looked at each other for what felt like an eternity. Orange-ish street lights shined down on them, drawing on melancholy ambience. Background noises failed to disturb the concentration they had on each other.

"So what do you write?" Naruto was the first to break the silence. Their journey continued on.

Sasuke was glad for the change of subject. He did not know what came over him like that. "Just things I perceive. Sometimes a good movie, or book, a great dish. Normal things." Then he remembered, "How did you know I'm a sophomore and what I study? I never told you any of that."

A striking shade of red overtook the tan on Naruto's face. He nervously laughed and scratched his head; blond mane moved freely along with his movements. "I may have asked around."

"Who?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He thought he saw Naruto gulp.

"Well…"

"Who?"

"… Ino."

Goddamn it.

"Oh look! We're here." Naruto bounced forward. He got there in just a few long strides. The blond turned back and waved at him like a kid. Idiot.

"We're not done yet." Sasuke glowered at him and peered up at the place, slightly gasping.

It was a ramen restaurant around the corner. The flaps were swept aside to reveal a small yet homey establishment. Low tables were immaculately placed in order, interior was minimal yet each of the decorations suggested fine craftsmanship. Only a few customers were inside, quietly enjoying their meals with occasional remarks. A man stepped out of what appeared to be the kitchen area.

"Naruto! Come on in. Ah, I see you brought a new friend!" His smile crinkled the lines on his face.

"Good evening, Uncle Ichiraku." Naruto chose a spot and pulled out seating pads under the table. He slid one to Sasuke who settled in.

"Here is the menu. Ayame will be right with you." He made a little bow to them which they both reciprocated and went back to where he left. Sasuke looked over the menu; they had lots of dishes and their noodles were all handmade. He found what he wanted.

"What do you want?" Naruto did not look at the menu. It was not difficult to see that he was a regular here.

"I'll have tonkotsu ramen."

A woman came by at that moment, smiling and slightly bowing at them. "Good evening, everyone. Are we ready to order?"

"Hi, Ayame. I'll have a miso and Sasuke here a tonkotsu ramen."

"One miso and tonkotsu coming right up! May I ask what level of firmness you would like for your noodles, sir?"

"Medium is fine."

"Noted. Please allow us 10 minutes to prepare your order. Thank you." She bowed again, took the menu and went to the kitchen.

Sasuke glanced back to find Naruto staring at him, an easy smile on his face. "What?"

"Nothing." He looked down and back up in a bit. "So did you enjoy the game?"

Uh oh. "I did not see it."

"Oh. Got a firsthand solo celebration?" Yeah, right, inner Sasuke smirked.

"… I overnapped."

Naruto's face looked blank for three seconds, and then he bursted out laughing the next. The basketball player clutched his stomach and tilted his head to one side. He even got tears in his eyes. Then the blond recovered and wiped away any tears, still shaking and finding Sasuke glaring at him.

"I'm sorry. It just sounds super silly – I mean funny!" He raised his arms before Sasuke's glowered expression. "Hey, we're on the same boat. I slept over practice many times. Then coach had me run 10 rounds with no break in running field. Damn, I thought I broke my lungs that day." Winced Naruto.

"Well, you clearly deserved it." He intertwined his hands and positioned them under his chin, expression smug. Opposite to him, Naruto's casual smile was in full force; he folded his arms on the table and leaned forward, humor in oh so blue eyes.

"What do you do besides writing, and brewing coffee?"

"Is this 20 questions?" Mocked Sasuke, enjoying himself.

"If you want it to be. So, you game?" One blond eyebrow arched.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Not much. Assignments and study take most of my remaining time." He paused to think, "Sometimes, if I'm too bored, I'll text or call Itachi." At Naruto's questioning gaze, he added. "My brother."

After a break of silence, Naruto broke it. "Oh you're done. You're supposed to ask me a question you know?" The smile turned cheeky.

Sasuke rolled his eyes so hard they might as well stick in his eyeballs. "Okay, Mr. Captain, do you do things besides throwing balls and being irritating?"

The blond laughed, his head tilted up for added effect. "Well, I do regularly drink coffee at this fantastic shop. The staffs there are really nice except for one moody one who refuses to call me by my name." He grinned at Sasuke's cloudy face. "And I also run a little account, mostly just posting photos I took."

"Oh?" Oh.

"Yeah, I major in Graphic Design, my projects revolve around abstract pieces. Most people think I do everything on computer but I usually take a photo first and add digital effects later. Everything must have a basic form and then you start from there."

"It's easier for you as well as creates an impression of a medium channel between real and abstract." Concluded Sasuke.

Naruto looked at him when he said it, eyes as bright as stars. "Yeah." He said. "I tried to aim for that. You know, aside from posting them and receiving side gigs, I mostly enjoy reading comments. I mean, some of my followers come up with the most creative theory and interpretation I've seen. It's also what I like about this: people voicing their own ideas based on their perspective and experience. It's delightful to see. I've learnt a lot from them."

The raven was quietly contemplating. It was another aspect of Naruto that he had a chance to observe, and the more he did, the more he fell.

Hard.

"There're also silent followers, they don't interact much, some don't at all. There's this one that has never liked or commented on any of my posts. They've followed me for a few months." His words sounded casual, too casual. "But somehow, they've always topped my story stats and search engine, which means they looked for my account on a daily basis. Not just Instagram but other platforms, too."

Sasuke had no idea what to make of that. This was treading close to home. What did he mean by telling him that? He could not have known… could he?

"Here you go! Enjoy." Two bowls of ramen were placed on the table, interrupting their staring match. Each gave their thanks and began to eat their portion. It smelled good, rich with pork stew and other toppings. Sasuke took a first sip of the broth, his eyes widened.

It's good, he thought, and started to have a real bite. The noodles were made at the right firmness; it was chewy just how he liked it and went well with the toppings. The flavour was attributed to these factors which made it a perfect dish to have on a late night. Sasuke would say this was better than those restaurants that Itachi took him to.

"That good, huh?" Naruto smiled at him on the other end. "You're welcome." His grin was wider.

Slurping followed by chewing sounds ceased Sasuke from his quiet indulgence. He looked up to find Naruto practically inhaling the bowl. After a few minutes, the content was completely gone under the raven's bewildered look.

"Ayame! One more miso ramen, please!" A cheerful 'Got it' echoed back. Naruto laughed at him. "I eat a lot." He said it as if it was a fact, which Sasuke totally had no response to.

By the time the brunet was finished with his dinner, the blond had devoured a total of three ramen bowls. They ordered two cups of tea and while drinking, Sasuke understood why the staffs here welcomed Naruto with open arms; the guy could eat like his life depended on it.

"Check, please." The blond pulled out his. Sasuke hurriedly catched up with him. "It's fine, I got it. It's your birthday, after all."

"Oh, it's your birthday? Happy birthday, sir." The waitress, Ayame, gave him a genuine smile. She professionally took Naruto's card and proceeded with their payment. They made to leave.

"Please wait!" Ayame ran up to them with something in her hands. "It's a small gift from our restaurant. Hope you can enjoy it." Her smile was polite yet her eyes were earnest.

To decline such a genuine offer would be more troublesome than receiving it, so Sasuke took it with a bow, "Thank you. I will appreciate it." Ayame bowed back and returned to where she left.

"Maybe it's a matcha cake. They make awesome treats!" Provided Naruto. He would know.

It was indeed a little matcha cake, carefully packed in a plastic container with brown ribbon formed into a bow. Simple yet sophisticated.

"Let's get you back. We should get that in a fridge." Naruto opened his phone and ordered an Uber car that arrived shortly. They got on and the driver drove them to Sasuke's dorm.

He's also sophisticated, provided inner Sasuke, smirk still in place.

Shut up.

They reached their destination and Sasuke paid for the ride with a threat that if Naruto insisted this time, he would not get a single matcha bite. The driver gave his thanks with a snicker and bid them goodnight to Naruto's sputters. They walked through looming trees, passing stragglers on the way and came by the lake.

"We can sit here." Stated Sasuke. No one spoke a single word but they seemed to head to the same conclusion that their time together was not over yet.

Freshly cut grasses were soft underneath his perching position; the blond was not too far away, in fact, the cake was the only thing between them.

Sasuke opened the bag and pulled out two spoons to which he raised a dark brow. Was this a freaking coincidence or everyone just loved to play cupid lately? He was afraid to find out. Sasuke gave the blond one and at his refusal, stating that he was quite full, the raven inisted, smirking. "Come on, you know you want it."

Naruto stared at him for a while. Sasuke consciously asked, "What?"

"This is the first time you've ever smiled." His eyes were a color of blue sky but his gaze was warm, too warm that it turned hot. His dangerous thought was back, vivid than ever.

The raven blushed and pushed the spoon into his hand. The blond chuckled. "Hurry up or it'll melt." They tasted the first bite and shared the same expression, though Sasuke's was less expressive.

"Um! This is good!" Happily proclaimed Naruto, scooping another spoonful. The raven watched him under his lashes; this man was full of charisma and life; he had what Sasuke lacked, or to put it frankly, Sasuke and he were on two sides of a spectrum. Did it explain why the raven was attracted to him in the first place? He had not found an answer to that yet, but one thing he knew: Personal appearance was not important any longer.

He was horrified by such a realization, that this was greater than a mere crush.

The idea scared him.

"Oops, sorry for being a pig. Here you go." Oblivious to Sasuke's internal struggle, Naruto handed him a less than half eaten cake. He kept on saying how good it tasted and he should have bought another one. Sasuke just looked at him.

"You-you can have the rest." The raven got up and walked away, rubbing his face as he did so. Going to the club was a bad idea. He should have never listened to his stupid heart. Curse his feelings. Curse Naruto for asking. Curse everything!

"I'm sorry I almost ate everything. I'll buy you another cake. Don't be mad!" The blond sprinted to catch up to him. Sasuke imagined his face would look stupidly apologetic, all for a fucking cake. He dared a glance at the blond and cursed again.

He looked stupidly handsome.

And he was worried.

Worried about him.

Sasuke was doomed.

"It's not the cake. Just forget it." The raven turned around and nearly ran from the lake, from him. Just a few minutes more and he could get out of here, to go and hide under his sheets where there was no stupid good-looking blond with sky-blue eyes and charming smile, where no feelings and colors could be seen, just Sasuke and his gray blank nest.

Strong footsteps followed behind, and judging by the sound of it, they were getting closer. Shortly afterward, the blond was right in front of him; he did not even break a sweat. Goddamn it, how much fucking perfect could he get?

"I think I might know what's going on." His face was serious when he said it. Sasuke took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He would not let it happen.

"Listen – "

"Sasuke. Let me talk."

That shut him up.

"Have you ever wondered what it feels to be drawn to someone but had no idea how to talk to them?"

Sasuke could not find his voice.

"Let me tell you a story. So, there is this guy who owns a social platform account where he uploads his work. It's good that he gets recognition and small projects that help pay rents and textbooks. And one day, he meets a person.

"This person works as a barista who is moody, grumpy and worse, he never smiles! He's like a program that does what is coded and looks out of place among his cheery co-workers. The guy wants to ask what his deal is so many times but never has the nerve to ask. Time goes by, many caramels bought, not even a 'hey' out. The guy still waits for an opportunity.

"Then, oh so coincidentally, he looks through his stats and finds a familiar thing. Among the top records is a follower with a coffee cup on their profile picture. The cup is a limited event merch released last Christmas and why does the guy know? Because there's one exact thing on his cabinet at home. So, with his oh so smart brain, he concludes that the follower is the one who sells coffee to him, but which one?

"Is it the pink hair one? Nope. Blonde? Nope. 'Cause they don't follow the guy. In fact, not a single staff there follows the guy except one. But hey, it can mean an employee from another branch follows him, too. But you know what? What differentiates that coffee cup merch from other branches' is that underneath the cup are the names of each employee from the branch that sells the cups. The names are-"

"Hand-written." Sasuke finished for him.

"Yes." Naruto said. He reached for one of the raven's hands and took the spoon which he had been holding on for dear life to put into the bag. The cake was long forgotten.

"I've tried to come up with an excuse to talk to you but never found one, until today." He continued. The moonlight was specifically bright tonight; it cast silvery glow on his hair. "What about you? Why not talk to me?"

No barriers between them now; all of them had been shattered the moment Naruto ran after him. "I guess I was embarrassed." He began. "I've never been fond of starting conversations." I was intimidated by it.

"Oh. Well then, I'll be glad to start. Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. I'm a senior in Graphic Design and play basketball. Plus, I post my projects on social media for fun and side gigs. I absolutely think you're very attractive and would like to get to know you."

He casually extended his hand out, and Sasuke's face was red as a tomato, but there was no back down now.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm a sophomore in Creative Writing and I work as a barista. I have a brother who brings in movie references as if his life depends on it. I know about your work and I like them very much." He shook his hand, it was warm and left him with goosebumps. "And I would love to."

Naruto threw a brilliant smile at him. He hid his own under dark lashes.

The blond walked him to the dorm and waited for him to go in after exchanging phone numbers, and making Sasuke promise to not call him 'Sir' in the coffee shop. It was nearly 2:00 AM by the time the raven got ready for bed, heart lighter than ever. He thought to check his phone for the last time, and was bombarded by messages from the girls.

They seem fine, thought Sasuke as he scrolled through messages after messages about whether he was home yet and he must tell them everything. Then the conversation moved to Naruto's friends. Guess they did have fun.

A new message came under the name 'Naruto'. Sasuke opened the chatbox.

hi

hope you had a great time

Sasuke thought he would tease him for a bit.

I would, but some blond ate my cake.

The bubbles appeared seconds later.

too bad

how about we go for a movie and dinner after? i promise each would have their own cakes

Oh? Are you asking me out on a date?

The bubbles were right on.

didn't we just have one?

Sasuke's lips curled up.

Aren't you too full of yourself?

if you're not interested, guess i gotta ask coffee boy about it

He sure had his wits. Sasuke was typing his answer when another message popped up; this one was from Instagram.

nine_tails: would you go on a date with me? it read.

He opened Instagram and started to type.

Depends, if I get to call you 'sir'.

Bubbles were on, and off, and on, and off. No message came up.

A call appeared on his screen, and Sasuke took it.

"That's cheating," Said the caller on the other end; his voice sounded like he was pouting.

"I'm just messing with you. But don't you have to wait three days before you make a move? Isn't that an unspoken rule or something?"

A quiet laugh could be heard from him. "Normally, yes. But for you, I just can't wait." There was scratching sound. "So, what do you say? Because I would love to have you on a date."

No one could say no to that, chimed in inner Sasuke.

"Yes," He felt shy all of a sudden, not Uchiha-like at all, but he did not give a shit.

"Yes it is. It should be around 6 or 7. Just text me when you're done with your shift, okay?" Naruto was definitely smiling.

"Okay." The raven hid his face under his long sleeve as if people could see it.

"Okay. Happy birthday, Sasuke, and goodnight." His voice had gone soft.

"Thanks. Goodnight, Naruto." Said Sasuke, then he hung up.

The blond dropped those goodnight stickers in his message. After re-reading them again for good measure, Sasuke locked his phone and called it a night. He hid under the sheets but it was not a gray blank nest any longer, it was dyed with colors.

Colors of Naruto.

The phone vibrated against his nightstand and the raven picked it up, thinking maybe Naruto sent another text, but it was not Naruto, it was Itachi.

Kisame was in charge of the scene tonight, and he told me you left with a blond. Is there something you didn't tell me, Otouto?

"Goddamn it!"

Next weekend would be HELL.

*** Tonkotsu ramen: is a ramen dish that originated in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, and it is a speciality dish in both Fukuoka and Kyushu. The soup broth is based on pork bones and other ingredients, which are typically boiled for several hours, and the dish is traditionally topped with sliced pork belly and served with ramen noodles that are hard in the center. In Fukuoka Japan, tonkotsu ramen is referred to as Hakata ramen. (Cited in Wikipedia)

Hi all. I'm back with a birthday gift for our beloved duck head baby! As you may have noticed, all of the events happen within 24 hours only.

So this was supposed to be released on the exact day, but writer's block caught up to me and you know the rest. This story is the longest story I've ever written in a long time. I'm very glad that you spent your valuable time on this fanfic. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and critiques.

Thank you for reading!