"What are you waiting for?"
Dark eyes rose to meet blue and for a moment time stood still.
Sasuke was lost within the orbs that glistened like a turquoise sitting under a spring waterfall, reflecting the nature and pool of water around it. The deeper he dove into the depths of the stranger's eyes, Sasuke noticed they weren't just one solid color- darker and lighter shades intertwined like an endless whirlpool.
Maybe it was the alcohol, the slight buzz that warmed his body even as the snow fell silently outside. Perhaps it was the jetlag; the fight had been almost ten hours long.
Whatever the reason, he couldn't pull himself away from the deep glittering ocean before him.
"You alright there, soldier?"
Blue eyes sparkled in amusement, shining brightly- almost glowing in the dimly lit bar.
Sasuke cleared his throat, face passive as he fought the blush that threatened to color his cheeks. He would just blame it on the alcohol if he was vocally accused of staring. Which he was, of course.
"What?" he asked, disappointed as his voice squeaked slightly at the end of such a simple word.
The blond standing across from him, a simple wooden bar separating the two men, tilted his head in the direction of the two giggling women standing a distance away. His eyes never broke contact.
Sasuke followed the movement. The blonde and pink-haired women were sitting next to each other, colorful cocktails sitting on the bar in front of them as they spoke in hushed voices, seductive smiles on their faces as they looked over at him, before turning back to each other, giggling like teenagers.
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at their obvious antics, receiving the most beautiful sound from the bartender in the song of a light chuckle.
"They've been trying to get your attention for the past half an hour," said the bartender, his voice low and husky as he leaned closer to Sasuke.
The intoxicating scent of spices and lavender enveloped him and he couldn't help but breathe it in, passing it off as a deep sigh as distracted himself by picking up his beer, only then noticing how warm the bottle felt and how empty it was.
He hadn't a chance to request another, the bartender had already grabbed another from the fridge behind him. Twirling the bottle opener around his fingers before popping the top off the beer in a single fluid movement.
Placing the bottle on the bar between them, he threw the empty bottle into a bin beneath where he stood. A cloth hanging over his shoulder which he removed with one hand, the other placing the bottle opener into the back pocket of his jeans. Sasuke moved to pay for the drink only to receive a wordless shake of his head from the other man, and that same smile that was turning his mind into a train wreck.
Wiping the condensation that had gathered from the chilled beverages, the bartender spoke again. "Penny for your thoughts, soldier."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the nickname, receiving a small smile and shrug in response.
"Never seen you here before," the bartender added before he had the chance to reply. The whispers from the aged teenagers at the other end of the bar was the only other noise in the otherwise muted bar.
"I'm here on business." Luckily, his voice had resumed its characteristic monotone. Taking a deep drink of his beer, Sasuke couldn't help but notice how moist his palms had become. He must have had more to drink than he initially thought.
Standing straight, the bartender narrowed his eyes, a small smile curving his lips. "Let me guess," he said after a second of silence, "lawyer?"
Sasuke was unable to hide his surprise. The bartender laughed deeply, answering the silent question; "expensive business suit, briefcase on the chair beside you. The way you can sit there, staring at nothing with a complete void expression." A tanned hand rose to run through devilish pale blond locks, "and you're aura." He finished with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes.
"Aura?" Sasuke asked, taking another swig of his beer.
"Yeah." The bartender gave no further explanation and Sasuke was never one to dig deeper into the mind frame. "What's your name anyway? Unless you don't mind being called soldier."
If Sasuke was being honest with himself, he didn't mind; especially the way it rolled off the blond man's tongue.
Instead, he simply spoke his name, "Sasuke Uchiha"
It was the bartender's turn to look surprised, "An Uchiha?" he asked in amazement. The look vanished as quickly as it arrived, replaced by the small smile he had worn throughout most of their interaction. Stepping back he bowed deeply in a friendly, mocking way, blue oceans connected with onyx stones. "It's a pleasure. Not every day we get someone with such a high status in our wee establishment."
The way the bartender spoke caused Sasuke to shuffle subtly in his seat. "And yourself?" he asked, painfully obvious that he didn't know the name of the bartender.
His grin grew wider, Sasuke noticed pale scars donning his cheeks as they caught the soft glow of the overhead lights.
"Naruto, your friendly neighborhood bartender."
Winking, Naruto held out his hand, which Sasuke shook, taken aback by the firmness of the handshake, although he didn't show it.
Before another word could be spoken, the sing-song voice of the candy floss haired woman requested Naruto's attention.
Sasuke watched as he walked over to the only other customers in the small bar. Another swig of his cold beer let him know that it was almost empty, again, as he tried to recall what time he arrived and how many drinks he had finished.
His head spun ever so slightly as he studied the bartender from afar. He had been so enchanted by those blue eyes, like the cloudless sky on the hottest day of summer, that he finally looked at the bartender. He noticed the way he stood tall, his toned arms leaning on the bar as the woman spoke in lowered voices.
Simple black t-shirt hugging his defined muscles, the dark lines of a tattoo peeking through the ends of the sleeves.
The heat rose to his cheeks for the second time as he averted his eyes, opting to stare longingly at the tinted bottle he had resting within his hands.
A shot glass filled with burgundy liquid appeared next to his bottle. He was surprised he didn't hear him return. He met those eyes that seemed to be able to see inside him, looking directly into his soul. Stripping the expensive clothes from his back as he sat there, naked as the day he was born.
Naruto held an identical shot glass, filled with the same liquid. Sculpted jaw nodded down. Sasuke, understanding the hint, raised his own shot, clicking his glass with Naruto's before downing the shot.
Rumbling a deep chuckle at the grimace Sasuke couldn't stop from appearing on his face, Naruto placed the empty glasses upside down on the drip tray. Sitting a freshly opened beer next to the nearly empty one he spoke, the amusement evident; "You're going to need that."
Questioning eyes looked at the calm blond who once again nodded in the direction of the women who were gathering their newly made cocktails and purses as they began moving towards the raven-haired man.
"What are you waiting for?"
It was the same question. The first thing the captivating man ever spoke to him, in the deep rumbling voice he used so well. Only now, he realized what it meant.
"They'll look after you," he added, a knowing grin on his face, "trust me, I know them well."
The wink didn't go unnoticed, he wanted to tell the mysterious bartender that those women aren't the ones he was interested in. However, before he could reply the women appeared, one on either side of him. The scent that was previously intoxicating his thoughts was replaced by cherry blossoms and freshly cut grass.
"Hi! I'm Ino," the blond one spoke leaning in closer than Sasuke was comfortable with, "and this is Sakura."
Sakura smiled at him, the look of lust and desire clear on both their faces.
Sasuke looked up, a pleading expression on his face. But all he met was that damn cocky grin. He was grateful to still be sitting, his knees although they bore no weight were beginning to feel weak.
He had to admit; the women were attractive. One had delicate features and the other more stern, yet they both wouldn't have any problem convincing any guy, or girl to go home with them. In any other situation, he wouldn't have had a problem inviting them back to his luxury hotel room.
He introduced himself briefly, watching as a different bartender appeared behind the blond. Brown hair, longer than Narutos but equally scruffy. Strange red tattoos contrasting beneath his narrow eyes. Sasuke recognized him vaguely as the man who served him when he first arrived. The shorter leaned over and whispered something into Naruto's ear.
The women beside him were talking to him about... something. He wasn't sure. His eyes, ears, and mind were all locked within the cage that the bartender he just met held moments ago held the key to.
Naruto disappeared momentarily. Reappearing soon after, a jacket covering the tanned arms that Sasuke wanted to reach out and touch. "Smoko time, team. Ino, Sakura- take good care of our little soldier."
At their names they flashed a toothy smile, shuffling even closer to Sasuke. He watched as Naruto left through one of the doors to the side of the bar. Longing dark orbs following his departure.
The snow had stopped falling, the mid-afternoon sky a pale grey above, whilst the ground was a blanket of white.
Naruto stood with his back to the cold brick wall of the small bar. A narrow set of stairs before him and at the top of the stairs; he could hear the chatter and movement of people from all walks of life, busy in their rush to reach their destinations.
It was only Tuesday after all.
Raising the burning cigarette to his lips, he inhaled deeply, the smoke lingering like a ghost.
Naruto heard the door behind him open and close, a knowing smile on his lips. He turned playful eyes towards the raven who stood next to him, and much to the blond's amusement, Sasuke kept his crisp and tailored suit jacket off the dirty brick wall, hovering inches away from it.
"I needed some fresh air."
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he took another deep drag on the cigarette. Waiting until his lungs were empty before replying. "You don't need to give me a reason. I meant what I said though; Ino and Sakura are... great. Live your life."
Sasuke frowned at the taller of the two, wondering if the blond bartender thought he was nothing more than a sheep. As much as he wanted to defend himself, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't just blurt out that Naruto was the one his body and mind was craving, so instead he kept silent.
"Are you waiting for an excuse, soldier?" Naruto's wasn't looking at him, instead watching an invisible scene at the foot of the stairs. "You're only living once so tell me; what are you waiting for?"
He couldn't, this was unfamiliar territory. Women, he has had plenty of them, more than his fair share. But men- what was another world altogether. Especially a man like the one that stood beside him. Sasuke had never met someone who held such an intense, confident vibe yet didn't come off as cocky or stuck-up like most others he had experienced. So carefree and relaxed. A polar opposite to himself. They were yin and yang, day and night.
And as much as he fought himself, there was something there that he just couldn't ignore. Something about this blond haired, blue-eyed man was knocking on the door in his mind. Blending his thoughts and reason into a slushy. He felt like a lovesick teenager, and it scared him.
He was knee-deep into unknown territory, the comforts and control he lived his life by growing fainter behind his back.
As much as he hated it, he loved it at the same time. The excitement of losing control. Breaking the mold and cutting the cord.
"Are you afraid? Are you waiting for the perfect moment?"
"Of what? For what?"
Rather than answering his question, Naruto continued; "Take the wheel, soldier. Don't be afraid to fall."
Naruto was speaking in riddles. He didn't know what it meant, but at the same time, he did.
"I... uh-"
"What are you waiting for?"
Sasuke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. The sky opened up as snow began to fall, slowly drifting down around them.
Dark eyes rose to meet blue and for a moment, time stood still.
"You."