There's some light SasuNaru tossed in towards the end, because … dammit… I just can't keep it out of my stories! It's a sickness. And you should respect that! Ok… enough references to Master Shake. Read and hopefully enjoy.
I don't own Naruto.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday. He has all his closest friends gathered. He receives presents. Today is Naruto's first birthday party.
He is turning nineteen.
Naruto is the most cheerful boy in the Hidden Village of Leaf, and yet, despite the wide smiles and the loud laugh, Naruto is the most feared and hated person in Konoha. This has much to do with circumstances beyond his control (and to a lesser extent his role as a prankster in an attempt to gain acknowledgement of any kind). He contains the feared and hated Kyuubi, and the only thing keeping the fox from breaking out is the seal on his stomach. He has been alone from a young age.
His first friends were his ninja team, who he met at the age of twelve. Before then he had no friends. Naruto has never had a birthday party in all nineteen years he's been alive. It's a surprise party, so he is not expecting the eleven or so people packed into his tiny apartment.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he is approximately seven minutes old. His mother died during childbirth and the only person to watch over him at the moment is an old nurse of fifty-three years. She has white hair and tiny glasses perched upon her nose. She does not look like the most caring of nurses.
He is three weeks premature and so it is abnormal that he has so much hair on his head, and even that he is so big. But then, the nurse had seen his father and mother, and both were very tall. Naruto, being a preterm baby, won't grow so big, but he could have if he had been born on time. Currently, Naruto's father is out on the battlefield and has not received notice of the mother's death during childbirth. Someone had been sent out an hour ago to find the father.
Yondaime rushes into the room at that moment and pauses to stare at the baby Naruto. He opens his mouth hesitantly and the nurse has to inform him of the mother's death. It's never easy to do. The man seems broken for a minute until he makes up his mind. "The baby will be safe, but I need to bring him with me for now." If that's what Yondaime wants, that's what Yondaime will get and so the man takes the baby, wrapped up in his soft blanket, out of the room, out of the hospital, and onto the battlefield.
Later the nurse hears that Yondaime gave his life to seal Kyuubi into the baby. Now the child has no parents. This is of no concern to the nurse because she also hears that the remaining Hokage has the baby Naruto in his custody.
Naruto lost both parents on his day of birth.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he is turning four years old. Outside everyone is celebrating because of the festival out on the streets. They aren't celebrating in one area, the party just spilled out of the houses and onto the streets. This excites Naruto because the people are all so happy and having so much fun. The only thing concerning Naruto is the lack of presents on his birthday again this year. He had overheard Haruno Sakura mentioning the many presents she had received on her birthday and he found it odd because he had never been given any.
He tugs on the sleeve of his caregiver. For some reason she won't let him go outside and celebrate, but it is obvious that she yearns to go out. "Are they celebrating my birthday? Is this my party?" he asks naïvely.
She lets out a choked cry. "Monster!" she cries delivering a harsh slap to his face. This is the first physical pain Naruto has ever felt and he bursts into tears. His caregiver doesn't seem to worry and instead leaves his house without a word. It is the loneliest birthday Naruto ever had.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday. He is turning seven years old. It is Naruto's second year attending the academy and he still has no friends despite what Sandaime had promised. As with every year Naruto wakes up excited enough for all the people who absolutely do not care about him. He seriously thinks about going to school before he remembers that no one is going to wish him a happy birthday there and none of the other children probably even know it's today.
He thinks about how everyone will be so excited for the festival that will begin later and barely any of them will be able to sit still in class. Today all the classes are let out early.
After deciding that he isn't going to spend his birthday failing to learn anything at school Naruto needs to figure out what to do other than sit home alone eating his instant ramen and the cupcake Sandaime had brought over the previous night.
There aren't many restaurants that will be open today. Even fewer will want him to be there.
There aren't many people that will put up with him on a normal day. He's noticed that people are less kind to him today of all days.
Sometimes he curses that his birthday was on the same day Kyuubi had been defeated. Other times it makes him feel special. Like there was a reason for it. Like it was fated.
But so far it has just made his birthdays lonely.
No one cares for Naruto anymore, so he doesn't even have a disgruntled caretaker to look forward to coming over.
The only people then who know Naruto's birthday are his teacher Iruka and Sandaime. Neither will be showing up today. Iruka impatiently puts up with Naruto, but even he won't willingly go out of his way to find the boy. And Sandaime will be expected at the festivities. And Naruto won't be wanted there.
So Naruto is infinitely surprised when there is a knock at his door while he is sitting at his kitchen table debating whether or not he should just stay in, or if he should disappear to the forest.
"Happy Birthday," Iruka wishes as the door is opened. He doesn't have any presents but he's smiling, and that can't be all bad. "I was wondering if you were interested in a birthday lunch. At Ichiraku's."
Naruto gulps because this doesn't seem real. "Ichiraku's has the best ramen."
"So I've heard," Iruka laughs. "But… if you're not interested, I can always sit by myself."
"I want some!" Naruto calls out childishly.
Iruka steps into the small apartment. "Then put some shoes on! They close early for the festivities."
As they sit in the booth together and Iruka pays for five bowls without complaint Naruto realizes that this is the nicest man he's ever met.
After he finishes Naruto thanks Iruka profusely as he knows this probably won't come up again.
"Don't worry about it. And you'd better be home the same time next year, because I plan on taking you out then too."
Naruto thinks this is the best birthday ever and that he is the luckiest boy in the world.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and Uchiha Sasuke has managed to ruin is. He is turning nine and Sasuke is being his usual self. He's being too cool and he's being aloof and he's being a showoff.
Naruto still can't pull off the simple task of hitting the target at three specific points by throwing three shuriken simultaneously. A task which even Shikamaru has found easy enough to pull himself out of his light slumber to lazily do. He doesn't do it perfectly, but at least he's hit the ring around the target points proving he's at least competent. And even though Kiba only hit two of the targets at all, Naruto missed all three.
Uchiha Sasuke was next in line however and he didn't even pause to get ready before throwing his shuriken and hitting dead center. In fact he barely waited for Naruto to move out of the way.
All the girls are cheering and clapping and some are even laughing at how pitiful Naruto looks right now, which must be about the same as he feels.
His only consolation is that Shikamaru is muttering hateful things about stuck-up, self-involved princes when Naruto gets over to his friend. Later in the day Sasuke even shows off the fireball he learned the previous year. Naruto knows that he wouldn't even be able to light a candle.
When the academy lets out at noon for the children to go home and get ready for the festival Iruka takes Naruto out for ramen at Ichiraku's. And this time Iruka has a present for Naruto to open.
"And you're still buying me ramen?" Naruto asks. He had always thought that the ramen itself was a present.
"Of course I am. Open it up."
The box isn't even small and Naruto wonders what could be in it. He rips open the paper as the sit at the counter at Ichiraku's and throws the top off. There, folded among the tissue is a pair of goggles.
"They look so cool!"
Iruka laughs happily. "You needed something to be on your forehead until you receive your hitai-ite. Next year you can try to pass the test you know. Usually students attempt it after they've been in the academy for four years."
Naruto smiles proudly as he snaps the goggles into place. "Of course I'll pass! I'm going to be the greatest! And then I'll become Hokage."
The day turns out to be so great that Naruto forgets all about Uchiha Sasuke ruining the morning.
Today is Naruto's birthday and he is turning thirteen. This is his first birthday while on his genin team and he's desperately hoping Kakashi won't make any mention of it to his teammates.
Naruto wakes up not quite ready to face the day but prepared to pretend like he is. He rushes through his morning ritual because he's going to be late (even if Kakashi doesn't show for another two hours). He doesn't have the stomach to eat because he's so nervous how today could play out.
He arrives at the bridge and Sasuke is already there. Sakura arrives a few short minutes later. The two boys prepare themselves for a long quiet wait, but Sakura has a different idea. She wants to talk about the festival beginning in the afternoon.
"I really hope Kakashi-sensei doesn't make us do some long and complicated mission. I had plans to attend the festival. Were you going Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke gives a little 'hn' of acknowledgement.
"Alright! I'll keep an eye out for you. Maybe you can try and win me some prizes?" Sakura offers.
This is normally where Naruto should offer to win Sakura prizes in place of Sasuke, but he misses his line. His two teammates turn to him in anticipation that quickly turns into suspicion when they realize Naruto hasn't been paying any attention at all to Sakura.
"And what about you, Naruto?" Sakura asks grabbing his attention. "Will you be attending the festival?"
"No."
"…" They are both left speechless. "But… I would think this would be the perfect time for you to pull pranks!" Sakura exclaims.
It's not that Naruto hadn't thought of that in the past. But he's never done so and wouldn't do it this year after he finally knows just why everyone hates him so much. "Even I have some respect for what today means and what Yondaime did," he snaps moodily.
"Good to know," Kakashi says appearing on the bridge. "Sorry I'm late. I followed Konohamaru's shortcut to find out he didn't know what he was talking about."
"LIAR!" Sakura yells.
"… that's believable," Naruto says meekly.
"Today there is one mission. Go home, get dressed up, and return back here in three hours. We'll be attending the festival as a team, as will Kurenai's and Asuma's teams."
"What about Gai-sensei's team?" Sakura asks politely.
Kakashi shrugs nonchalant. "I don't know. Or care…" he adds in a low voice.
Sakura and Sasuke begin to leave and Naruto hangs around, "I don't think I'll be participating today, Kakashi-sensei." He can feel his two teammates stop and turn to pin him with their gazes. "I… I don't think it will be … appreciated … if I show up."
Even though Kakashi understands Naruto's reasons he isn't going to let this slide. "Naruto, you have to face the villagers. You can't hide away every year. You should be out there celebrating too."
Inside he's cursing Kakashi to the high heavens but the only outward sign of distaste is the slight twist of his lips. Sakura and Sasuke were edging back now. "I'm not wanted there," he blurts out.
"I want you there," Kakashi refuses to back down. "Sakura and Sasuke want you there." Naruto could see the slight glance Kakashi sent over to the two daring them to even speak. "Shikamaru and Kiba want you there. Lee and Neji want you there. Hinata wants you there."
"Naruto, it will be fun as a team," Sakura encourages.
Sasuke wisely stays quiet. He knows that if he speaks the truth Naruto would be pushed further away, but if he lies, Naruto would know and wouldn't appreciate it.
He realizes he probably looks like a caged animal, and that's precisely why Naruto keeps his back to Sakura and Sasuke. "Fine," he spits out. "But the blame is on you if the night takes a turn for the worst!" Naruto yells and sprints off.
"Meet back here," Kakashi says before leaving as well.
Iruka is waiting at Naruto's apartment. "Happy Birthday. I hear you'll be attending the festival this year," he says.
"Not by free will."
"… I think it's good," Iruka finally says. "I'll be joining you. I have to leave now to start preparing, but I'll be meeting up with your team when you get ready to leave for the festival later." Iruka gives Naruto a hug and starts to leave. "Your birthday present is on your bed."
Naruto waits until the front door closes before rushing off to find what it was. A yukata. His first one. He doesn't know if he can accept this because it obviously cost Iruka a decent amount. It's a simple blue with orange trim and a light decoration on the back (including the red spiral found on Naruto's everyday clothing), but the material feels wonderful and Naruto is afraid to wear it. What if tonight doesn't end as nicely as Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei hope it will? What if something happens to this beautiful present?
But he can't not wear it. Iruka is obviously expecting Naruto to wear it, and he probably bought this gift just for tonight. Naruto decides to clean up properly to make up for rushing out in the morning and he doesn't change into the yukata until just before heading out the door to ensure nothing happens to it.
He's the last to arrive at the bridge (not including the ever late Kakashi) and it isn't just team seven waiting there. The other three genin teams and their jounin instructors, plus Iruka, are waiting.
Iruka attacks Naruto as he arrives at the bridge. "I'm so glad the yukata fits so well!"
"Don't squeeze so tight, you'll mess it up!" Naruto cries out in a panic. Iruka and a few others laugh as Naruto tries to fix the yukata again.
He joins his friends on the bridge and tries to ignore the fact that Sasuke and Sakura are eyeing him to see if he's ready to run or not. They both seem overcome by curiosity as to why Naruto had been so adamantly against attending tonight. However Sakura is quickly drawn into a fight with Ino over Sasuke and Sasuke is engrossed in a glaring contest with Neji.
Naruto stands among the boys he used to get in trouble with at the Academy and Iruka stares fondly at Naruto with Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru. Akamaru is perched atop of Kiba's head.
"Yo!" Kakashi arrives. "I'm late because I spotted a lady having difficulties with her yukata that kept untying…"
"LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura yell. After a hesitation Sakura registers just what Kakashi had said and follows the accusation with another. "PERVERT!"
The bridge is filled with laughter.
Naruto has high hopes for the night.
Until he entered the bustling streets of the festival. Immediately he feels glares and whispers. A laugh breaks off. A gasp interrupts a conversation. Children are called away to different areas.
Thankfully the only people who noticed these occurrences other than Naruto are the adults with the group.
"Kyuubi," he heard whispered. A few heads in the group turned that way. Shikamaru's among them. Surely the genius would figure it out by the end of the night.
The lazy boy drifts away from Chouji and next to Naruto. "They'll ignore you if we put in the center of the group," Shikamaru whispers and begins to push Naruto in so that he is surrounded by Kiba, Chouji, Neji, and Sasuke. The other boys have no clue that they have taken up a guard duty, but the protection is still there. "Don't let them ruin your birthday," Shikamaru manages to say for only Naruto's ears to hear.
Unexpectedly Naruto feels better. He rewards Shikamaru with a genuine smile. "Thanks!"
Iruka relaxes at the back of the group where he is discussing Naruto with Kakashi.
The girls all want to try their luck at winning prizes. Ino demands that Shikamaru and Chouji attempt to win something for her and both bow down to the overbearing girl much to everyone's amusement. But Shikamaru does everything half-assed and Chouji isn't that good so in the end she gets nothing.
Kiba, trying to impress Hinata, attempts a number of times, but ends up empty-handed as well. Shino on the other hand, always looking for ways to make Kiba feel dumb, easily wins a prize for his female teammate.
Tenten wins her own prize completely ignoring Lee's boasting.
Then there was Sakura. She also tries to win one on her own, but it's clear she'd rather have Sasuke win one for her. However the Uchiha is currently focusing all his attention away from the game and Sakura. So Naruto offers.
"I'll win one for you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiles widely. "I'll win a better one than even Sasuke ever could."
Sasuke takes this as a challenge and joins Naruto at the game booth. Sasuke is allowed to play, but as Naruto approaches the owner pushes the blond away.
"You shouldn't even be here," the man hisses. "I can't do anything about it, but I won't allow you here at my booth."
This is a new kind of humiliation for Naruto.
Sasuke is looking expectantly at Naruto, waiting for the boy to fight back. But there is no way Naruto can do that. If he fights back the man will let 'slip' the truth of Naruto. This is a painful embarrassment that's made worse as Naruto ducks his head and apologizes before quietly backing away. No fight. Sasuke looks disappointed at his teammate's passive manner, and Naruto's shame feels to grow tenfold.
"I think…" he says quietly, "that I've had enough fun for one night."
He leaves the protection of the group and he realizes later that this was the mistake he made. For not three steps away from the group a rock hits his side and scraps along his new yukata and someone else throws a pastry of some kind, smearing the sweet and sticky frosting on the fabric.
Iruka moves faster than any of the jounin and protects Naruto from the next rock. "I don't want Iruka-sensei getting hurt for my sake," Naruto says refusing to degrade himself any more that night by bowing his head to these people. He won't allow them to see they are winning this fight.
It's funny, because Naruto hasn't realized any of the boys moved until Kiba is emerging from the crowd a little dirtier and wiping off his hands with Akamaru yapping excitedly at his master's feet. Shikamaru follows shortly after, as well as Neji. Sasuke returns without any signs of fight showing on him, but he is dragging a culprit by the leg.
"What do we do with him?"
The rest of the crowd wisely disperses.
"I'll bring him to Hokage," Kakashi offers and leaves with the young man.
"I think I'll take Naruto home," Iruka says quietly to the group. "You should all stay and enjoy yourselves."
Naruto nods his head. "I don't like these crappy festivals anyway," he says putting on a front. "But I know Sakura-chan has been waiting for this night, so you better win something for her, Sasuke!"
Naruto turns to Iruka when he's sure they're far enough away from the festivities. His voice hitches and this makes him more upset than anything. "I ruined your present!" Naruto wails.
It isn't until the next day that Naruto hears everyone left right after them. Sakura refused Sasuke's offer to win a prize, insisting that she just wanted to go home.
The next morning there is a warm breakfast waiting on Naruto's table that Iruka didn't make. There is no note or any indication of who made it. But there was a scent in the air that Naruto finds familiar, but he just can't place.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday. He spends his day out in the woods training. He's alone except for Jiraiya.
"You know you can rest on your birthday. It's not everyday a boy turns fifteen."
Naruto just laughs a little. "Yeah, but most fifteen year olds don't have to train in order to fight his best friend to the death and drag the bastard back home."
"I thought you wanted to keep him alive?" Jiraiya asks amused.
"Well, some days I don't know. I'm still deciding what to do with him."
"As long as you don't settle on anything X-rated, I don't mind."
Naruto shudders a little, but it's mostly for show. He doesn't mention the X-rated dream he'd had the night before. The one where Sakura was conspicuously absent and Sasuke was there way too much.
After a while Jiraiya leaves and Naruto is left alone again.
It's been a little over two years since Sasuke left and Naruto can't seem to think about anything else. He's constantly reliving their last fight, trying to pick out where he went wrong, how the bastard beat him. This determination is all that drives him these days and he's noticed he can tap into the Kyuubi's chakra easier when he's angry and determined, but it's focused, not wild and out of control. Sometimes, Naruto is scared by the power in him, and he knows Jiraiya gets wary every once in a while. But Naruto thinks this is a small price to pay to get Sasuke back.
The sannin returns balancing three large containers of ramen in one hand and a tiny birthday cake in the other. He lights the candles and calls Naruto away from his training. "You won't have the technique down by the end of the night, so you may as well stop for the remainder of your birthday."
They sit in silence eating ramen and ice cream cake.
Both notice the strange parallels in their lives that center around their relationships with their teammates. Both hope things turn out better for this set.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he spends the day celebrating turning seventeen in a hospital room. He's perfectly healthy, but he's sitting by Sasuke's bedside, waiting for the other to wake up.
Sakura is the first to find him and berates him for hiding away here on his birthday. When it becomes apparent that he isn't going to leave she spreads the word to their friends where he is. A surprising number of people stop by to spend time with him.
It's hard to celebrate when Sasuke is lying so still on a hospital bed.
Shikamaru stays the longest besides Sakura because he can stand the quiet the most. They play some shougi and Naruto loses horribly.
For the most part his presents are food varying from ramen to pocky. Hinata presents him with a pair of well-made shinobi gloves. Jiraiya gives him the next in the Icha Icha series even though Naruto already knows what's in it. Ero-sennin just loves listening to himself speak and the only thing currently on his mind is his perverted books.
Iruka has bought Naruto a new set of clothing. The jacket is red on the top half and the sleeves with orange stripes down the arms, and the bottom of the body is black. The pants are also black.
The clothes are nice and Naruto appreciates having a set of clothing he can wear as practical mission clothing.
Gai's team has all pitched in to buy him top of the line weapons to replace his thrift store ones.
Sakura happily presents him with a bracelet that Naruto raises a skeptical eyebrow at.
"I kind of invented this with Tsunade. While your chakra levels are at full the bracelet will absorb some so that when you're in a fight and all your chakra is low you can tap into this to heal yourself. Perhaps you won't have to rely as much on Kyuubi's chakra."
That is easily the most useful gift.
By ten o'clock at night the room is empty again except for Naruto and the still unmoving Sasuke. Naruto must have drifted off at some point he doesn't remember because he is jolted awake when he hears a groan.
He doesn't move from his chair and his eyes are fixed greedily on the bed as the previously comatose boy begins to stir.
"Figures you'd wake up late at night."
Sasuke's head turns towards Naruto. "What… How…?" He can't seem to finish his sentences.
"You've been unconscious for four days," Naruto supplies giving Sasuke the information that he himself always likes knowing when he wakes up in the hospital. "It's October 10th."
The glint of Sasuke's teeth is the only way Naruto can tell he's smiling. "Happy Birthday, Naruto."
"Yeah, well, it was wasted here. And I don't even get a present from you. Ungrateful bastard."
"I'm home aren't I?" Sasuke seems to get the strength to sit up. "Get my shorts."
Naruto raises an eyebrow but actually complies and tosses the clothing onto Sasuke's head. He smirks at the curses.
"Maybe you don't deserve this," Sasuke snaps childishly as he throws something he fished out of a pocket at Naruto.
It's a knife of some sort. He pulls it from its sheath. The blade is sharp and shiny in the dark. There is something in scripted on the blade by the hilt. It reads 'Dobe.'
"Asshole."
Sasuke snorts a bit. "Flip it over."
The other side reads 'Strength.'
"Asshole," Naruto repeats, but this time it's softer and sounds fond. "Thanks."
There is a pause and Sasuke mumbles quietly, "I'm not leaving again. I promise that."
That is easily Naruto's favorite gift.
The next morning there is a warm breakfast waiting on Naruto's table. There is no note or any indication of who made it. But there was a scent in the air that Naruto finds familiar and now he knows why.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he is turning nineteen.
All his important people are there. He feels like crying and it's not from sadness this time. But even these tears he won't let fall because no matter how grateful he is, he won't show that weakness. He won't let them pity him.
"Naruto."
He turns to look at the familiar voice at his side. And there is Sasuke. There's a slight twitch of the lips that Naruto knows is a tiny smile. He can see Sasuke is swallowing his pride in one big gulp that slides down like a tiny razor hidden in his morning cereal. And yet, despite how painful it is, Sasuke does swallow it.
"Happy Birthday," he finally manages and, before he can back out of it, grabs Naruto in a tight hug making it manly by a slight thump on the shoulder.
And then Naruto cries a little. Only three tears at the most, but they slip through.
"I thought you said it's okay to cry if you're happy," Sasuke reminds Naruto of the advice given to Inari all those years ago.
And then Naruto cries a lot. Sasuke doesn't let go and lets Naruto cry happy tears into the blue clan shirt.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he celebrates age twenty-one by drinking a lot more than he should. Not that it affects him for any long amount of time as Kyuubi deals with any alcohol quickly.
There are so many people crowded into Lee's house and Naruto feels bad about the mess Sakura will have to clean up tomorrow.
It makes him smile to see Sasuke and Neji talking quietly in the corner. They are so much alike that for many, many years they loathed each other. It was also good to see that Sasuke had thrown caution to the wind and was allowing himself to get horribly drunk tonight.
Kakashi and Jiraiya were conversing with their heads bent in and Naruto had a clue what they were discussing.
All his friends were here and the number had grown from the small modest number of fifteen for his first party to forty-five. Naruto had never felt more loved.
There was a huge stack of presents that were so far untouched because someone had decided to crack open the alcohol a bit too early.
However as the night winds down Naruto realizes that Sakura and Lee are giving each other looks that makes Naruto really not want to be in the same house as them. And his house is too far away for him to walk, because while he's not drunk, he's still buzzed, and there are still plenty of people who hate him.
At first Iruka offers his small apartment which is infinitely closer, but then Sasuke offers too, and everyone knows that the choice has already been made before Naruto even realizes he's made a decision.
Iruka just smiles kindly before Naruto even opens his mouth to decline. "I'll see you tomorrow. Happy Birthday," he wishes once more before leaving the house remarkably sober.
Sasuke is very drunk right now, and he's hiding it well, but Naruto can smell the alcohol heavily on the normally aloof boy.
The two help each other along the streets to the spacious apartment where Sasuke now lives and by the time they get there even Naruto's buzz is gone. Sometimes he wishes Kyuubi would just let him stay drunk because the rest of the night would have been so much easier on him.
Sasuke's apartment consists of a sitting room, the kitchen, and Sasuke's room that only has one bed. Naruto, now completely sober, sits on the couch, ready to fall asleep there, but Sasuke drunkenly protests.
"We can't let the birthday boy sleep on a couch."
We? Does someone else live here, or is Sasuke referring to his normal self and his strangely affectionate self that shows up with liberal amounts of alcohol?
Naruto is too tired to argue so he follows Sasuke and the two boys strip down to their boxers and climb in to the bed.
That is when Naruto really wishes he was still drunk, because then he wouldn't have noticed quite so clearly that the two of them were practically naked and in bed with one another. And that Sasuke was snuggling up waaaay to close.
If only Naruto was just as drunk, then he could stop feeling so guilty about feeling so happy.
The next morning Naruto thankfully wakes up alone. Even the apartment is empty. Sasuke comes back sometime while Naruto is in the shower. The pale man blushes slightly and Naruto has a feeling they woke up in some interesting position that he was infinitely glad he slept through.
When he goes home there is breakfast waiting for him.
-
Today is Naruto's birthday and he's turning twenty-two.
He wakes up alert to the presence of someone in his kitchen but relaxes when he realizes who it is. Naruto won't go in to say good morning to the person who is trying to move silently but can't help the noise from cooking. Naruto knows that in ten minutes the person will be gone and when he goes into the kitchen a warm breakfast will be waiting on the table with no note as to who made it. But Naruto knows who now. It's the same person back when he turned thirteen. These little meals have a tendency of showing up on Naruto's table when he's had a bad day or it's a special occasion.
Ten minutes later Naruto enters his empty kitchen. There is no trace that anyone had been there except for the meal. But Naruto's nose has evolved to about the level of an Inuzuka's. He knows that Sasuke was here.
A little later when Sakura and Sasuke visit to give presents and spend the day with Naruto rather than go to the festival, the meal is still sitting on the table.
"Wow," Sakura mentions. "That looks like a delicious breakfast. Did Iruka come to make it?"
Naruto smiles and shakes his head. "The person made it while I was asleep and left again."
"How romantic!" Sakura cries. "She must really love you. There's a lot of love that went into making this."
Sasuke has turned his face away to stare at the nearest wall.
"I bet she's a real babe," Naruto smirks trying to get a rise out of Sasuke. "She must be, because she left a girly smell of lavender all over the kitchen. She smells like she has pale skin and dark hair, like a porcelain doll."
Sasuke's face is slightly pink.
Sakura is a smart girl so she recognizes the teasing tone in Naruto's voice. Then she makes note of the flush on Sasuke's cheeks. Sasuke always was a good cook. He sometimes would complain (and he was not worrying) about Naruto's unhealthy eating habits.
"How pretty! You're such a lucky person to have a girl who loves you so much and is so perfect. It looks like she'll be a good wife one day," Sakura plays along reveling in the color that threatens to burn Sasuke's face up. She looks around for a moment. "I can't stand how messy your apartment is, Naruto. I think I'm gonna head out to meet the others as they arrive."
She leaves. Naruto knows very well that his apartment was cleaned two days ago and the mess-factor is at minimum to non-existent.
"Fuck you," Sasuke mutters.
"What? I like the smell of lavender," Naruto teases. He suddenly becomes self-conscious and hesitant. He hates it when he gets like this and acts vulnerable. "And... I like your cooking. I'm glad you do this for me."
"I knew I should have gone with my instincts this morning. I thought you had woken up, but then it felt like you went back to sleep." Sasuke mutters then, "Porcelain doll!"
"I've known you were the one for a while," Naruto says. "I just… didn't want you to stop cooking for me. But, I suppose you can now. It's not like you're my keeper."
Sasuke sighs and manages to sound like he's martyring himself, or like he's Shikamaru. "I'll keep cooking for you. Just, instead of making me come here from now on, you have to eat at my place."
"Wow, Sasuke, this is all moving so fast. Should I move in as well?"
"Do you want food or not," Sasuke demands to know.
"Yes!"
"Thought so." He reaches into his pocket and tosses Naruto a box. "Happy Birthday."
Naruto is very desperate to tear into the present and find out what's inside. He still has the bad habit of acting like he's a six year old on his birthday. But something makes him lay the box on the table, because that's not the important gift, just the fact that Sasuke buys him something, just the fact that Sasuke's there, and just the fact that he has Sasuke, makes his birthday perfect. He sits down at the table and eats the food.
"You know I love you," Naruto says with a kind of seriousness that lets Sasuke know he isn't just saying it because of the good food.
Sasuke sighs again and sits down at the table as well. "Yeah," he says, but his tone tells Naruto a thousand things ranging from, 'I love you too,' to 'how did I get so unlucky.' And really this is what makes birthdays perfect.
A/N I admit I based the style of the birthdays and stuff off of Five People You Meet in Heaven.