Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of its associated characters!

Summary: A second series of ficlet requests - details are on my tumblr. All SNS, only modern AU so far. I'll give a summary and any warnings in the first note above each ficlet!

A/N: Onto the fourth! I'm (hopefully) keeping pace? It's cool to try to write this much while also trying out new things I wouldn't normally think of. So thank you all! If you'd like to place a ficlet request, please read through the details linked on ao3.

This ficlet was requested by velvetnautilus, who wanted anything SNS as long as it didn't end on a sad note. You and me both, friend! I hope you like it.

Ficlet summary: Modern AU, references to being sick from drinking alcohol in excess. Takes place the morning after a night where Sasuke was so busy being distracted by a beautiful stranger than he completely forgot he has a terrible alcohol tolerance.

Ficlet Series 2

4 - Morning After Meeting (Modern AU)

It was a bright morning.

Well, morning for Sasuke. Afternoon for the rest of the city. Sasuke leaned back against the couch that wasn't his, and debated whether it would be more or less humiliating to stay here and live with the consequences of his actions, or try and most definitely fail to make it home.

(Again.)

"Hey! You're up!" said a familiar voice. Sasuke cracked an eye open to glance at the cause of this mess—blonde, beautiful, and far beyond a lost cause at this point.

Damn it.

"Sorry, I just—I was just in the shower," he said, scrubbing at his glistening wet, still-shirtless self, because life hadn't apparently made it clear enough that it hated Sasuke— "How're you holding up?"

Sasuke breathed out.

Naruto's sympathetic grin widened.

"That bad, huh?" he asked, running his teeth over his lip. "Um—I'll get you more water. I put painkillers beside you yesterday, but—did you—"

"I took them," Sasuke said softly, "thank you."

"Oh—good. Uh—"

He shuffled around, and Sasuke closed his eyes again. He just needed a minute. Just another minute. As soon as he got his head on straight, he'd be dragging the tattered remains of his shredded pride out the door, but until then…

He breathed out.

What a way to shoot himself in the foot. Two minutes into meeting Naruto, and Sasuke's head had been out the window. He'd never met anyone so—so—distracting. Sasuke couldn't focus on anything else. He hadn't even thought to keep track of the people around him or how long they'd been there or how many drinks he'd had—

And he'd paid for it.

...He was still paying for it.

"Here," came Naruto's soft voice, and Sasuke blinked blearily at his face. "I brought a—uh. I dunno if you still have a headache, but I've got a cool towel you can put…"

Sasuke took it gratefully. The water dripped down into his hair, but the cold soothed the pounding in his head ever so slightly...just enough to let him keep his eyes open.

The man he hadn't even known for 24 hours gave him another sympathetic smile.

"Better?" he asked, his voice quiet and kind. Too kind. What kind of person let a stranger be sick all over their apartment and didn't even kick them out the next day?

Sasuke must look absolutely pathetic.

"Yes," he said softly. "I can be on my way, if you…"

If he wanted. Of course he'd want—Sasuke could hardly think of anything less attractive than the spectacle he'd become last night, no matter how well they'd gotten along the rest of the night. No matter how quickly they'd clicked. No matter how much of his life he'd spilled to Naruto and how much Naruto had spilled in return—no matter the warm feeling in Sasuke's stomach as one of his offhand comments caught Naruto so off guard he'd laughed himself to tears—

"Sasuke," Naruto said, and it sounded like a laugh, "you look worse than you did yesterday."

Ugh.

"Fantastic," he muttered, sinking into this feeling of utter shit.

Naruto laughed again.

"I—c'mon. I'm not gonna kick you out. You can stay today if you need to. No point in me taking care of you yesterday if you're still gonna be all miserable when you go—right?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean—um. Don't—don't feel pressured to stay, though, of course you can go if you want to. If you—um."

Sasuke stared at him. Naruto very firmly didn't meet his eye.

...Huh.

"I think I'd collapse on the sidewalk," he muttered, and Naruto's face immediately brightened.

"Yeah! Or—uh—yeah, I mean—uh. Anyway!" he said, shaking himself a little. "I was gonna ask—d'you have a thing you do?"

"...A thing I do," Sasuke repeated.

"Like a—like a hangover thing. Some people eat lots of greasy food, or mix like a weird drink with raw eggs or whatever…?"

Sasuke let out a small snort.

"I have no idea," he replied softly. "That was not a...common occurrence for me. Not that I've given you much of a reason to believe me, but..."

Naruto laughed.

"No, no, you—well, uh. I did get the sense that you don't drink, um, too often."

Sasuke unfolded the towel and slapped it over his face.

It made Naruto laugh again though. That was something.

"Tell you what," Naruto said. "I'll make some coffee. What's your stomach saying about food?"

"...No," Sasuke said, feeling it churn—

"Okay, okay. Uh. Just coffee then? You said you liked it black—"

"I do," he said.

"Okay, coffee—gimmie a sec!"

He heard Naruto wander off, and Sasuke put his hands over his face to press the towel to it. At least Naruto was too kind to hold this against him. It was in keeping with everything else Sasuke had learned, but it was still...unexpected. Naruto was such a strange person—honest and genuine and like kindness with a loud mouth. Sasuke had never had his heart flutter in his chest when he'd looked at someone before…

Well. That ship was far, far in the distance at this point.

Sasuke sighed, and folded the towel back to rest over his forehead.

"It'll be done in a sec," Naruto said, bouncing around the side of his couch again. "Um. Anything else I can get you?"

"I think you've already done too much," Sasuke muttered, and Naruto let out a nervous laugh.

"It's—um. I dunno, sorry. I like helping people, but I—uh. I know it can get a little annoying, so if I'm being like that you can just say—"

"You're not," Sasuke said, tilting to look at him. "And I promised last night, didn't I?"

Naruto let out a small laugh.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you did. I didn't know if you'd remember."

Sasuke sighed.

"I remember everything," he said, forlorn, "unfortunately."

Naruto laughed again and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs.

"Aw, c'mon," he said, "it's good to look a little stupid now and then. Keeps you humble."

Sasuke's lips twitched.

"Is that your excuse?"

"Hey!" Naruto laughed. "Asshole. You're just as much of a dick in the mornings."

"I think you'll find I'm more of one," Sasuke replied, and Naruto grinned at him.

And then the room went...quiet. It should have been a blessed silence. Sasuke had always liked the peace. And especially now, with a pounding head and uneasy stomach, Sasuke should have just closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, but…

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, scanning his eyes.

Naruto shook his head.

"It's fine. And I'm not just saying that," he insisted. "Besides, I haven't been hit on in like five years, you did wonders for my ego. I needed that."

Sasuke turned away to hide his smile, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Idiot," he muttered, face hot and flushed.

"Ass," Naruto responded without missing a beat. "But—uh. I should probably—y'know, for the record, the reason I turned you down and all that was just 'cause you were drunk. Like—that drunk. Um."

Sasuke pulled his hand away.

"I—uh. I probably shouldn't be saying that while you still feel like shit, huh?" Naruto said, shuffling in place. "Ignore me. I'll—"

"No, no," Sasuke said, rolling over and telling his head to shut up and wait a minute— "Keep talking."

"Uh," Naruto said, ducking his head, "y'know. If it wasn't—if it wasn't just the, um, alcohol talking on your end…"

He looked up to meet Sasuke's eye.

"You're telling me I didn't royally fuck up my chances?"

Naruto's mouth stretched into a smile.

"Not even a little bit."

"Oh thank god," Sasuke sighed, collapsing back onto the couch. "You have the lowest standards in the world."

"You—hey!"

A/N: And there it is! A little morning after sort of ficlet - I hope you all liked it. Thank you all for all the love! I feel super busy but very good, I'm happy to be able to do something like this.

All my love to you all, I hope you're doing well!

See you soon,

- Kinomi