Takes a surprising forward turn, but it's nowhere near over. Take a guess on whether it's damaging. Enjoy.

"Haruno-sama,¹ would you do me a favour?"
"Anything, Sasuke-kun."

Uchiha swallowed his breath thickly, not knowing exactly how to begin.

"Tell Uzumaki-san that... in the Uchiha residence, the trees are shivering due to their old age. They'll soon fall if given a push." Pressing his lips together, he didn't know why he was speaking in metaphors. "Ask Uzumaki-san that, if he doesn't mind, would he come over to help me replant the trees.²"

It took a moment for Haruno to understand; This statement had nothing to do with trees.

"You want to be friends with Naruto-kun again, don't you?"

Perhaps he was just this predictable. After all, Haruno had read him quite well.

When he saw Uzumaki in front of him, he had been all but surprised. He hadn't quite expected to see the other in front of him, especially after their previous meeting. Uchiha couldn't help but to smile slightly in amusement: Uzumaki was wearing his oldest clothing, sleeves rolled up to shoulders.

Uzumaki had actually taken his statement in a literal sense.

"We're not replanting the trees." He mentioned to him, feeling a bit sorry for mentioning hard labor when speaking of mending friendships.

Uzumaki cocked his head to the side for a moment, puzzled. Uchiha was a strange man; What sort of man goes around asking others to aid them in chores, then decides suddenly not to do them. Slowly, the confusion morphed into rage. "What the hell, Uchiha! I wake up just for you, and now you come telling me that we're not doing anything? You're insane."

Uchiha hadn't exactly heard the words that followed 'just for you'. The words made his stomach tighten.

'Not now...' It was too soon.

"We're replanting the flowers instead."

Was it the heat, or was it the presence?
Swallowing with difficulty, he pressed his hands against the dirt,...

Closed his fists and thought.

As he tended the daisies, he felt like he wanted to cry. To just tear up and cry, roll on the ground, drown out screams. Throw a tantrum, the way a child would.

And men should never be near flowers.

Attempting to clean his face of tears with his dirty forearm, Uzumaki laid his head onto the ground, the dirt cooling his cheeks considerably. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Uchiha wash his hands on an outside sink.³ Oh, he was having a drink now. A drink sounded good to Uzumaki as well.

Sauntering over to the other, he felt anxious watching Uchiha's lips, somehow. And even more anxious as he realized Uchiha was watching him carefully from the side. Uchiha's stomach tightened for the second time of the day. Did he have something on his face?

Men should never be near flowers.

For Uzumaki carefully leant over with eyes shut, tongue sliding between his lips, touching Uchiha's with curiosity.

Both never knew how sweet water could taste from another man's tongue.

'No... no.'

¹/ Sasuke respects Sakura intensely, a great difference to how he used to think of her.

²/ Tree is being used as the metaphor for their relationship.

³/ They exist in some gardens, by the way.