Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of its associated characters!
Summary: Sasuke has spent three years trying to figure out how to live on his own. Maybe it's time to try something different. WIP. Future SNS, updates once a month. Canonverse. Rating may change!
A/N: Well, an idea has hit me - we'll see if I regret it! These updates won't be anything too big - just as much as I can do to get the point across, so they'll feel like bits of insight into Naruto & Sasuke's life, hopefully. I have lots planned throughout the month, but life may hit me at some point, so the chapters might come later than the actual day. But I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen. At any rate, here's your premise! Happy SNS month!
Day 1 prompt - cuddling!
sunflowers for the skeptical
Chapter 1: a mattress on the floor
Naruto cuddles in his sleep.
It's not particularly surprising. It's not even particularly uncomfortable. They're three weeks into this new house and it's still barren. Still beige. Still neutral and empty—but they have a mattress, now, and Naruto is delighted. Sasuke is less so. Sasuke could use some sheets, as opposed to old travelling cloaks tossed on something worth more than Sasuke can ever remember spending in his life.
Maybe if he added up all of his weapon repair.
But furniture is expensive, too, and Naruto sold his old place without bothering to bring them anything but plants and pictures. They may as well live in the forest. They may as well live in their memories. It's warm and sunny and Naruto has the windows open all the time. The other villagers do, too—three of them are from Konoha. Ninjas who had long retired.
Sasuke doesn't speak to them, but they catch each other's eye, and something in him understands.
They still live in the Land of Fire. Not in Konoha—although close enough for Naruto to make the run, the days when he needs to. He's a part-time Hokage now, as if that's something that's existed. Sasuke doesn't know the details. All Sasuke knows is that Naruto spends more time here than he does there, and he doesn't have the voice to question it. The will to, either. He's been quiet since he was beckoned back by a trail of letters, when Naruto had told him to meet him here—
He declared it was theirs, and that was that.
Like it could be that simple.
Like this could be their lives.
Naruto rolls over with a small noise, and his head is on Sasuke's chest. His body is where Sasuke's arm used to be, and his hair is long enough to drape along the shirt with an empty sleeve. Sasuke stares at the ceiling and isn't sure they need sheets at all anymore. Not with this warmth.
The breeze comes in through the open window, and Sasuke is grateful for the air. Grateful for the cold. This is still too new. Still too mundane. There's a normality to his life that should be impossible, and Sasuke thinks that three weeks ought to be enough. Three weeks ought to be when it all breaks down. It'll all break down, won't it? Everything else in Sasuke's life has.
No comfort has ever been permanent.
Naruto's snore hitches, and Sasuke debates throwing the bomb in the air and letting it detonate on its own. Waking Naruto up. Letting him know how close they come at night. How Sasuke has let him. How Sasuke hasn't actually left the cabin since he'd come, how he stares at the door when Naruto leaves and counts the hours until he's back. How he's noticed that they're shorter. Fewer. Naruto is working less and less, and Sasuke ought to bring up why. How. This isn't how the position works. This isn't how Konoha works.
This isn't how Naruto works.
Sasuke stares up at the ceiling, and the moonlight looks back down at him.
Naruto is sleeping on his chest.
Sasuke wonders when he'll wake.
A/N: small little chapters! But I hope they'll give you something to smile about when I can get them up. See you tomorrow with more!
- Kinomi