Bitter Taste
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Category: M/M Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga)
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Umino Iruka, Hyuuga Neji, Tsunade (Naruto)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Valentine's Day, Jealous Uchiha Sasuke, Oblivious Uzumaki Naruto, Insecurity, Japanese High School, Japanese Culture Language: English
Summary
"Don't you want to eat them?" Naruto asks, even though he knows Sasuke hates sweet things and hates Valentine's Day almost as much as he loves calling Naruto stupid.
"You know I hate them," says Sasuke.
"The people or the sweets?" says Naruto, "You don't even know what's in the box,"
"Do you want to eat them?" Sasuke raises a brow at him. "I can take the gifts, reject them, then give you the chocolate if you want,"
Naruto flushes. The thought of Sasuke giving him gifts laced with intent Sasuke doesn't mean makes his stomach hurt and his chest constrict. It's never going to happen, he tells himself, get it through your stupid head. "N-no,"
BITTER TASTE
"You put a lot of effort into that," says his grandma, commenting on the box of green tea fudge squares he made several times over the last few weeks, giving away to the neighbors the ones he thought were too sweet. Even she got some and they were pretty good. "You didn't give it to your crush?"
Naruto stares at the two white boxes secured closed and decorated by an olive-green ribbon with gold lining, sitting on the counter. He shakes his head. "No,"
"Why not?" Tsunade frowns. She gave him extra lunch money on top of his usual allowance so he could make it. She didn't realize green tea was so expensive.
The blond boy shrugs. "I don't think… it would be welcome," he takes the boxes and deposits it into a safe space in the fridge.
It's Valentine's Day on Friday, and but the school allows its students to observe it for a week so that there's a week of activities and fun, teachers snickering and sympathizing as they watch students get lovers and get dumped and rejected, or just enjoy seeing them exchange chocolates.
It's different for Naruto's year, the junior year. Naruto is classmates with Uchiha Sasuke, his best friend, and undoubtedly the most popular boy in school, and has a reputation even outside their own high school. He's tall, handsome, smart, and captain of the varsity baseball team despite being a junior when captains are required to be seniors. And he's got his own school approved fan club and Naruto gets a lot of shit from his fangirls, but Sasuke is always there to defend him.
Today is the first day of V-Week, and Naruto was right next to Sasuke the whole time he rejected every Valentine gift offered to him and threw away the love letters left in his getabako, his shoe locker, without reading a single one. The more people he turned down, the more Naruto's resolve crumbled. The boxes of homemade green tea fudge stayed in his bag. (1)
Besides, Naruto knows he's not going to receive anything. He's never received any Valentines gift from anyone the entire time he's studied in this school. Nobody ever bothers with him since his parents are teachers at their school, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei, and his grandma is a prominent town figure, their top doctor.
All the girls hate him because he's close to Sasuke, and they've pointed out once or twice that his cheeks are weird; he has whiskers. They're scars. From the glass cutting his cheeks in the car accident that claimed his parents' lives when he was young. And boys don't really like him either because they don't like Sasuke. Except maybe Gaara, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji, who don't get on Sasuke's nerves that much and tolerates them because Naruto likes them.
Naruto ends up giving the one fudge box to Iruka, Kakashi, and his grandma Tsunade the next day, and they turn it into a frappe when they blended it with ice cream and milk since it was too bitter for their tastes. It was a nice dessert after dinner, especially when Iruka dumped some more vanilla ice cream on top of Naruto's glass and stuck in some wafers and matcha Pocky.
"Tou-chan!" Naruto's eyes widens and his smile grows ear to ear as Iruka shoves the vanilla wafers and green tea Pocky into the scoop of ice cream. "It looks like it's from a café!"
He almost forgets the fudge was for Sasuke.
"I know that was supposed to be for someone special to you," says Iruka when he tucks him to bed. Naruto always lets Iruka do it because he doesn't want to ever let Iruka feel he doesn't appreciate having him as a dad. "Whoever it is, he's lucky to be loved by you. He's missing out on a lot of the best love around,"
Iruka is only saying that because he's his dad and he's supposed to make him feel better. He nods, lets Iruka ruffle his hair and kiss his forehead, and turns out the lights, leaving Naruto with his bothersome feelings in the dark.
He doesn't wish the feelings away, though. He can love Sasuke in other ways, like walking home with him, giving him hugs he tolerates, saying yes when Sasuke invites him to a move night and sleepover, when he plays with Sasuke's hair during said sleepover or experiment on and bother him skincare he doesn't need because he's already effortlessly handsome (Naruto uses them to help minimize the appearance of his scars; they never work but he's got good skin though), exchanging bento with him, picking out the best tomatoes for him when he's out at the market with Iruka-sensei, or bringing him cold tea and snacks during baseball practice. (Other people have tried bringing Sasuke tea and snacks on the field, but it's like he never sees them and always takes Naruto's instead.)
But loving him right now hurts. Naruto doesn't like how this… commercial holiday is making things difficult. Next week, he promises to himself and Sasuke, these feelings will never ever get in the way of their friendship, even if he must choke on and drown in this love and breathe with just one lung for the rest of his life.
By Thursday, Sasuke has probably turned down half the school.
"Don't you want to eat them?" Naruto asks, even though he knows Sasuke hates sweet things and hates Valentine's Day almost as much as he loves calling Naruto stupid.
Another crying girl, Sakura who Sasuke's rejected for the third year in a row, leaves their classroom, Ino and Hinata running after her. Most of the gifts the girls and boys just leave with the gifts they intend to give him. Poor Sakura, though. She's trying every year, and Sasuke, like every year, rejects her and the entire school.
Sakura has even tried giving Sasuke tomato juice once after seeing Naruto give him one. He rejected even that, then received, opened, and drank the can of tomato juice from Naruto in front of her.
"You know I hate them," says Sasuke, popping open his bento, then making a pleased hum when he sees his favorite food, onigiri filled with shredded salmon with the rice tossed in furikake and shredded seaweed.
"The people or the sweets?" says Naruto. "You don't even know what's in the box,"
"Do you want to eat them?" Sasuke raises a brow at him. "I can take the gifts, reject them, then give you the chocolate if you want,"
Naruto flushes. The thought of Sasuke giving him gifts laced with intent Sasuke doesn't mean makes his stomach hurt and his chest constrict. It's never going to happen, he tells himself, get it through your stupid head. "N-no,"
Sasuke shrugs and continues eating the onigiri his mom packed him for lunch.
"I gotta go," he tells Sasuke when lunch barely started.
"What?" Sasuke says, watching Naruto pack up his things. "Why? You didn't even eat,"
"I'm not hungry," Naruto shoves the notebooks he's been drawing in, into his bag.
"You're never not hungry," Sasuke points out.
"I have to meet Neji-senpai and Hinata-chan for the flower arrangements for tomorrow," he zips up the bag. "If I'm ten minutes late after dismissal by the gate, don't wait for me, okay? Neji-senpai's probably gonna run us until the evening," he slings the bag over his shoulder and leaves their classroom.
Next Monday, he'll be able to look Sasuke in the eye.
Neji does in fact, keep him late, but not as late as Naruto expects. They're done by five thirty and he's putting his shoes and coat on by five forty-five when Neji, already dressed for the cold weather, approaches him at the shoe lockers.
"Neji-senpai," says Naruto, wrapping his scarf around his neck, bringing up the thick, warm material to his nose to keep himself extra warm and to hide the scars on his cheeks. "Are you on your way home, too?"
"Yes. I was wondering if you'd let me walk you to the gate," says the senior student.
"Sure!" Naruto grins at him. Neji-senpai is so cool. He's tall, nice to Naruto, smart, and his eyes are so pretty.
Neji accompanies him to the building exit, then notices a button undone on Naruto's coat. "Let me," he says, reaching for the button to fix it. "There; wouldn't want you to get sick,"
"Thank you," says Naruto gratefully as they walk to the gate. "Has Hinata-chan gone home?"
"Yes," answers Neji, "She went on ahead of us,"
"Thanks to you, the Valentines celebration has lot of pretty flowers, Neji-senpai,"
"You and Hinata, too. I wouldn't be able to do this all by myself,"
"Then, let's do our best for the next festival!"
They stop at the gate. "By the way, I have something for you," Neji reaches into his bag, pulls out a bar of chocolate decorated with an orange ribbon, and offers it to Naruto.
Naruto stares at the chocolate bar. "Wh-why?"
"Because I want to give you one," says Neji simply.
With shaking gloved hands, Naruto takes it. It doesn't mean anything. Neji is from a rich family. He probably gives everyone chocolate just because. "Do you… give everyone chocolate during V-Week?"
"Of course not,"
Naruto manages to look up at his senpai.
"Don't Valentine chocolates mean something?" he says, his smile crinkles his gentle eyes. "It doesn't have to change anything between us, Naruto, nor mean anything too deep. I simply want to give you something because I like you,"
The words make blood rush to Naruto's face, and he feels heat in his ears despite the frigid temperatures.
"Thank you," says Naruto, too stunned to say anything else. It's the first time he's receiving anything for Valentines.
"Have a safe walk home, Naruto,"
"Y-yes, you too, Neji-senpai," he watches as his upperclassman walks away.
He almost bumps into a pole while walking home, staring at the chocolate he just received.
"I'm home!" Naruto calls when he gets home.
"Welcome ho—!" Iruka gasps, seeing the chocolate bar decorated with the orange bow. "Did someone give you chocolate?" (10)
"Really?" Kakashi pokes his head out from the receiving room. "Who's it from?"
Naruto stares at his parents. "It's from Neji-senpai,"
"Oh, how cute!" Iruka comes over to him and removes his scarf and pinches his cold-reddened cheeks. "Naruto-kun, don't grow up too fast and leave your tou-chan-tachi and elope with your boyfriend, okay?" (7)
The boy flushes red to his neck and ears. "Tou-chan, it's not like that!" he sputters, but lets his dad smother him in his love and excitement. "I don't have a boyfriend!"
Kakashi joins them at the genkan. "You sure?" he says, taking the chocolate from the high schooler's hand and inspecting it. "Maa, Naruto-kun, this is the expensive kind,"
Naruto lets out a shocked sound. "It is?!"
"You have no choice but to accept Hyuuga-kun's proposal,"
The boy gasps. "I do?!"
"Kakashi!" Iruka pinches his husband's shoulder.
"Ow!"
"Don't believe a word Papa says, Naruto, he's just being mean because he wants your candy," Iruka glares at Kakashi as he guides Naruto into the house. "Now go on freshen up and let's have dinner, okay? I promise your candy will be here when you come back," he nudges Naruto up the stairs to dress down.
When Naruto disappears into his room, Iruka hits Kakashi in the arm.
"You know he's touchy about that!" he frowns at his husband.
"Bad joke, I know, I'm sorry," says Kakashi, "Just thought that if he's pushed in that direction, well, maybe he'd really go for Hyuuga-kun. He's a good kid, isn't he?"
"Well, Naruto's not subtle and we know who it is he likes, and it's not Hyuuga-kun, so stop playing cupid and let him sort this out on his own,"
Naruto doesn't end up eating the chocolate. It stays on his desk, unopened, the bow a little creased but he tries straightening it out.
Sasuke waits in the café across the street from the school's gate, still in his uniform, to treat Naruto to a drink and cake since he'd been feeling down this week, and to walk him home like usual. This is as lowkey as he'll be able to get.
He sees Naruto emerge from the school gates, and he's about to get up from his seat by the window when he sees their upperclassman, Hyuuga, give Naruto chocolate.
Naruto accepts the chocolate and that puts Sasuke into a boiling rage. He wants to punch Hyuuga in the face and drag Naruto away from him.
Naruto feels awkward coming to school the next day. The walk to school with Sasuke is tense, so he tries not to chatter. During class hours and events, he avoids Neji and tries to stick to Sasuke, but Sasuke skips classes and makes himself scarce. Naruto can't afford to skip classes—Iruka will kick his ass. So he hangs out with Gaara and Shikamaru, while Kiba and Choji are out loitering through the festivities.
The chocolates are given, there are stalls and activities, music, laughter, and red and pink hearts and streamers everywhere. He feels nice when he sees the other students take pictures in front of the flower arrangements he, Neji, and Hinata did, and gush about how pretty they are.
After the afternoon classes, Naruto grabs some tomato juice from the vending machine and heads for the baseball field to bring Sasuke some juice and his jacket since their practice is almost over, and it's freezing.
When he gets to the baseball field, it's filled with girls waiting at the fences with their cans of tomato juice, watching Sasuke, as usual.
Naruto goes over to the gates as the players file out.
"Sasuke," he says, following Sasuke out to the locker rooms. "I got you some juice and your jacket,"
Sasuke snatches the jacket from him and puts it on since it's cold. "You aren't with Hyuuga with the Valentines nonsense?"
Naruto flinches. "I don't have any activities with him or my clubs today,"
"Is that so,"
Naruto tries to hand the can of juice over. "Here,"
"Not in the mood for it,"
A girl at the end of the hall audibly gasps and runs off. Probably to gossip.
"Oh, then there's that new movie about the samurais, and Tou-chan will probably ask me to make more curry than necessary. Would you like to come over for dinner and watch it with me tonight?"
"No, I'm going with Nii-san somewhere, so I'm not walking home with you," Sasuke stops by the locker room entrance. "Did you need anything else?"
"I see," Naruto feels stupid standing there with the can of juice while the rest of the team file into the locker room to fresh up and change before going home. Sasuke's never turned down snacks he brings him during or after practice, or a movie night, nor answer him with such detachment before. "Then, um, take care,"
He lets Sasuke go on into the locker room. He knows the combination to Sasuke's shoe locker, just like how Sasuke knows the combination to his, and leaves the can of juice there before locking it.
Naruto walks home alone.
"I thought you said Sasuke-kun was coming over?" Iruka says when he and Kakashi arrive home much later when the sun has set, after they're done with their teacher responsibilities.
Naruto drops the curry cubes into the pot of boiling beef. "He's busy,"
"Busy?" Iruka repeats, watching Naruto dissolve the curry block in the pot as he removes his watch from his wrist while Kakashi rummages around the fridge for a can of beer. "When is Sasuke-kun ever busy enough to turn you down?"
Naruto shrugs as he minds the pot. Maybe Sasuke decided to stop lowering his standards when it comes to friends.
Sasuke opens his locker and sees the tomato juice in it. Naruto must've left it there after he turned it and the movie night invite down like the stupid and jealous fuck he is. He sighs, grabs the can, and takes a good long look at it.
It's like an unspoken thing between them, that Naruto would bring him a drink or snacks during or after practice. And then Sasuke would hang around him at lunch and teach him whatever it is he can't absorb, then scare girls away, or watch him water plants and talk to them like an adorable kitten.
The thing is he likes it when Naruto brings him his drink and snacks. He likes it when girls frown and puff red in their cheeks and faces in anger when he opens the drink and snack in front of them. But he also likes it when Naruto is happy that he accepts and eats the snacks. He likes it that Naruto knows exactly what he likes, or what he would like to eat. He likes Naruto's attention.
He only pretends to not listen whenever Naruto rambles on about some new movie, or the new plant he's trying to grow, or a new frog trinket he found, or God forbid another new flavor of those awful ramen cups he loves. Or pretends to be annoyed when Naruto is clingy and all over him, or when he tries to braid his hair.
He shoves the can of juice in his bag, pushes down the urge to punch the door to his locker, closes it, then walks home. He doesn't actually have anywhere to go with Itachi.
Naruto still makes extra curry and sets it aside into a bento because he wants to bring lunch for Sasuke tomorrow, then probably give him the green tea squares too and pretend it hadn't been made for Valentine's and make excuses about how he saw it on YouTube and thought he'd like it. Maybe Sasuke will go with him to the park and eat the curry with him.
He watches the movie alone, then texts Sasuke.
The movie was nice! You would've liked it.
Naruto doesn't get a reply. He lets Kakashi have the chocolate.
Sasuke isn't at home on Saturday when he visits at midmorning.
Naruto put the bento, green tea squares, and a can of tomato juice into a neatly folded red furoshiki dotted with a pattern of white sensu (Japanese folding fans), and hands it over to Mikoto-basan, so she can fridge it and it can stay fresh until Sasuke comes home. He stuck a note on the box of green tea squares. (2)
He wants to loiter around downtown and pass the time and maybe look for something to do but ends up at his small greenhouse anyway like usual and waters the plants as he munches on a cream bun for dessert. Sasuke is usually eating his own lunch or reading ahead of the class during lunch with him at school, or if either of them are over at one another's house, they're watching TV, playing games, hanging out downtown, or Sasuke will tutor Naruto if he needs something done.
Naruto smiles to himself as he weeds a pot. He really hopes Sasuke likes the squares, or if it doesn't, he hopes Sasuke will ask him to make something else. If not, then it's okay. He'll just have to keep on giving him canned juice.
Naruto-kun is a kind, gentle, and sensitive soul, and Itachi just knows he's hurting from this silent treatment Sasuke is giving him. How dare his Otouto hurt adorable Naruto-kun, who's never been anything else but a comforting presence to all of them.
Itachi grabs the bento from the counter and brings it up to Sasuke's room. He's fed up with his little brother and his cowardice. The elder Uchiha barges in without knocking and sets the bento down on the chabudai Sasuke is at, working on his laptop. (3)
"Aniki, don't you know how to knock?" Sasuke snaps at him.
"Open it," says the older brother. "Now, Otouto," he adds when Sasuke doesn't do as told.
Sasuke glares back up at Itachi before huffing and unfurling the furoshiki.
The first thing Sasuke notices is the bright orange sticky note on the white box. He knows immediately this is from Naruto. He plucks the note off and opens the box to find green tea squares.
Saw it on YouTube and thought you might like it and made you some! I promise they're not sweet. I hope you like them. If you don't, let me know so I can make you something else. Also, I found this cute furoshiki online for you. But they're sensu instead of uchiwa. – Naruto. ?
"You better have something for Naruto-kun on White Day, or I will lock you in a closet and rat you out to him. Eat the damn chocolate and bento, Sasuke,"
Itachi leaves the room and Sasuke is staring at the open box of green tea squares, the bento of still-warm beef and potato curry with rice, and the can of tomato juice Naruto always got him.
It's not that he's… mad at Naruto. He's mad at himself, that he let someone else express their interest... their… feelings… for Naruto first.
"Oh, hi, Sasuke-kun," says Iruka when he opens the door. Sasuke is holding the furoshiki bento Naruto left for him that morning. "Come in and get warm,"
"Good afternoon, sensei," replies Sasuke, "Is Naruto home?"
"He is, but he's taking a nap right now," he opens the door further to let Sasuke into the genkan. "I think tending to his plants tired him out this morning," (4)
"Sorry to disturb," (8)
"I'll go wake him for you,"
Sasuke leaves his shoes and hangs his coat at the genkan and follows Iruka up the stairs.
He waits outside of Naruto's room and when Iruka beckons him to enter, Naruto is rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and smiles at him blearily then yawns.
"Sasuke," Naruto grins sleepily. "Hi,"
"I'll get you two something warm to drink," says Iruka and leaves Sasuke with Naruto.
"Thank you," Naruto mumbles as Iruka leaves.
Sasuke sits on the floor and sets the bento down on Naruto's chabudai.
"Oh," Naruto's heart drops to the floor right next to Sasuke.
He didn't think Sasuke would return it. Eat it and not mention anything, maybe. But return it? Naruto's heart aches. It's breaking into a thousand pieces and he's not sure if he can ever piece it back together. Sasuke has always had his whole heart.
And Sasuke's crushing it himself.
He knew it. He just knew it. He shouldn't have given it to Sasuke at all. He should've just thrown it in the trash. He should've just shut the fuck up. Should've just not made it. He should've just saved up the money Baa-chan gave him and got himself and his dads some fancy ramen or ice cream.
Should've just sucked it up and drowned in it like he said he would. He'll do anything to take it all back. To repair this ruined friendship if his heart can take it.
"Sorry for bothering you about it," says the blond as his shoulders drop and he tries to hold the tears back, but they fall anyway. "I won't do it again. Please don't hate me,"
Naruto isn't a crier, per say, but he doesn't hold back tears if something moves him. So him crying right now for no reason, to Sasuke, is alarming. "What? Why are you crying?" he climbs to the bed next to his best friend. "Why would I hate you?"
"Because you hate all the people who give you chocolate," Naruto sobs, "You hate people who like you,"
It's like a stake, right through Sasuke's heart. Is this what he made Naruto feel like all these years?
"Please, don't hate me, please," his best friend begs in between sobs, "Don't send me away,"
Sasuke grabs Naruto by the shirt and pulls him into a tight hug. "I don't hate you. I'd never. I have never hated you, Naruto,"
Naruto clings onto him and cries into his neck. "I'm sorry!"
It breaks Sasuke's heart, how personal Naruto's apology is. They've never apologized like this to each other before. Their apologies are always casual, never personal. "Hey, hey, there's no need to be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for," (5)
"There's not?" Naruto hiccups.
"Yeah, so don't cry anymore, okay?"
"Okay," Naruto pulls away to sit properly on the bed, wiping the tears away with the neck hole of his shirt. "Just forget about it. I don't… you don't have to return my feelings. Or accept them. Just… please don't reject them, or me,"
Because if Sasuke decides he doesn't want Naruto's icky feelings near him, Naruto doesn't think he'd be able to go to the same school as him anymore. It'd be too much, to be rejected like this, by the person he's loved since they first met.
"Why would I wanna do that?" Sasuke guides Naruto onto the floor, to sit at the chabudai, then gives Naruto his handkerchief from his pocket.
"I don't know," says Naruto, his cries reduced to sniffles as he makes proper use of Sasuke's handkerchief, embroidered with their crest. "I promise nothing will change. I'll take this back now," he moves to reach the bento, but Sasuke snatches it from the table.
"No way am I giving this back to you,"
"Huh? What…" Naruto doesn't dare let hope bloom in his cracked chest.
"It's for me, isn't it?" Sasuke grins at him.
"Wait, don't—" Naruto tries to reach for the bento, but Sasuke doesn't let him. "You don't even like me back!"
"Who said I didn't like you back?"
Naruto gasps, then his shoulders drop and he turns his gaze away from Sasuke. "But you… didn't want the tomato juice, and you… didn't want to watch the movie with me,"
"Uh…" Sasuke sets the bento down on the chabudai. "I'm sorry about that," he sighs, flustered as he avoids Naruto's eyes. "I just… I saw you accepting Hyuuga-senpai's chocolate. I got jealous," (6)
Naruto stares at him. "Jealous?"
"I waited for you at the café across the street. I saw you accept the chocolate,"
"Oh. Um. Neji-senpai said it didn't have to mean anything," Naruto explains shyly. "Kakashi-tou-chan teased me about it so I gave it to him. It was bitter and had candied cranberries in it. He liked it a lot,"
Sasuke doesn't like hearing about the chocolate bar Hyuuga gave him. "You think I'd accept just anybody getting me juice? Or snacks?"
"Um, well, I don't know. I mean, everybody knows you like tomato juice and curry bread since they see me give it to you all the time—"
"Haruno tried; did you see me taking the juice? Do you see me taking tea and snacks from people who leave them at the baseball field?"
"Oh," a pause. "Ohhhh,"
Sasuke gives him a fond smile. "Of course I like you back, dumbass,"
Naruto pouts, but a deep blush forms on his cheeks. "Okay, now you're just being mean,"
Sasuke undoes the knot on the furoshiki, opens the box, and eats a green tea square. "Mm,"
"Do you like it?"
"It's not as sweet as I expected," he says as he continues to chew on the fudgy treat. "And I like the extra matcha powder on top, cuts the sweetness just a touch more. Still not my thing but pretty good,"
Naruto smiles, swollen eyes and all. "I'm glad,"
"If you want to make it again, I'll eat it,"
"I'll make you other things!"
"I'm looking forward to it," Sasuke then opens the bento, revealing the slightly warm about to go down to room temperature curry and rice.
"Do you want me to heat it up?" Naruto asks.
"Nah," Sasuke takes the bento, digs in with the spoon, sure to get one of everything in the spoon: the rice, beef, carrots, and potatoes, and takes the big spoonful into his mouth. "Mhmm," he nods, showing Naruto his approval. "You could go toe to toe with my mom," he says, "Don't tell her I told you that,"
Hearing praise for his cooking makes Naruto smile ear to ear and fill his chest with a warmth and lightness. "Next time, let's cook together,"
Sasuke sets the bento down and wipes his mouth over with the furoshiki, then pops open the can of tomato juice and takes a swig. "Let's hope we don't blow up the kitchen,"
"Hey!" Naruto pouts again, playfully swatting at Sasuke's shoulder. "I'll have you know I cook a lot for my tou-chan-tachi! I made an entire pot of curry by myself. You're eating it!" (7)
The youngest Uchiha chuckles. "I know, I know! It was pretty good!" he takes Naruto's hand and entwine their fingers.
Naruto stares at their hands, then grins at Sasuke.
"Guess I owe you some chocolates on White Day, huh?" says Sasuke.
"Yeah! Then we'll eat it together!"
Sasuke plans to give it to Naruto in front of Sakura. Maybe then she and the rest of the school will get a hint.
"Do you want to nap some more, or do you want to do something else?" asks Sasuke.
"Can we nap? Then we can get snacks when we wake up. Like a milkshake,"
"Naruto, it's two degrees outside,"
"Yeah, but it's warm in the café!" Naruto pulls Sasuke onto his bed and under the covers. "And we can get you some green tea cake and I'll get strawberry shortcake!"
"Tou-chan-tachi! We're gonna go get cake!" Iruka hears Naruto yell from the genkan.
"Be back before dark, okay?"
"Okay!"
"Sorry to have disturbed," says Sasuke. (8)
"We're going now!"
Iruka comes out from the kitchen where he's prepping for dinner, and sees both boys, dressed warmly, holding hands as they exit the front door. How cute. They're going on their first date. "Come back safe!" (9)
"Cake? I want cake, too," Kakashi pops out from the living room, where he's grading papers on the kotatsu, and invades Iruka's space. (11)
"Keep your hands to yourself," Iruka warns playfully, stopping Kakashi from getting any closer by holding up the ladle he's using.
"Maa, what's wrong with wanting cake?"
"Nothing, but I told you they'd figure it out. They're going out on their first date,"
"Really? Our Naruto-kun?"
"Really. With Sasuke-kun,"
"Naruto-kun had it in him, huh?"
"I told you,"
Kakashi sighs. "He's growing up,"
"Yeah,"
After a moment, Iruka sets the ladle down, reaches for his phone in the apron pocket.
"Who are you texting?"
"His grandma,"
Naruto gets a hot chocolate and the strawberry short cake.
Sasuke gets a hot green tea latte and a croissant. Naruto is happily pressed to his side, much to his delight.
And when they're back at Naruto's home, in his room, Sasuke gets a shy kiss to his cheek.
End Notes
(1) Getabako 「下駄箱・げたばこ」is the shoe locker students leave their shoes in at the genkan/entryway of the school.
(2) Furoshiki 「風呂敷・ふろしき」 are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths traditionally used to wrap and/or to transport goods; can be used to wrap bento/lunches. Sensu 「扇子・せんす」 are folding fans, and uchiwa 「団扇・うちわ」are the flat, round fans.
(3) Chabudai 「卓袱台 ・ 茶袱台 ・ 茶部台・ちゃぶだい」 is a short-legged table used in traditional Japanese homes. The original chabudai ranged in height from just 15 cm to a maximum height of 30 cm. People seated at a chabudai may sit on zabuton or tatami rather than on chairs.
(4) Genkan 「玄関」 are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building, a combination of a porch and a doormat. It is usually located inside the building directly in front of the door. The primary function of genkan is for the removal of shoes before entering the main part of the house or building.
(5) There are different kinds of "sorry" in Japanese. Naruto uses gomen nasai 「ごめんなさい」.
(5a) Gomen nasai 「ごめんなさい」is more personal and expresses regret for doing something inappropriate. Informally it can be shortened to gomen 「ごめん」 or gomen ne「ごめんね」or gomen na「ごめんな」.
(5b) Warui na「悪いな」or warui warui 「悪い悪い」which is a casual way of saying sorry to friends, which literally can mean "my bad," since warui means bad. Can be used with close friends or people closest to you. Can't be used for serious situations. It is a casual apology for minor things. May sound disrespectful to some such as older people. This is what Sasuke meant when their apologies are casual.
(5c) Sumimasen 「すみません」, which literally means excuse me and can be used for more formal situations. Informally it can be shortened to suman「すまん」 or sumanai「すまない」. Can also be what Sasuke meant when their apologies are casual.
(5d) Mou shiwake gozaimasen 「申し訳ございません」is used when someone does something wrong in a formal setting such as work or school.
(5e) There are many other kinds of sorry in Japanese depending on the situation and the severity of the wrongdoing, or if asking for forgiveness, or acknowledging a mistake that may or may not have consequences.
(6) Sasuke also uses gomen nasai, but he might have used gomen na, which is a more casual or close-friend informal way. He said, "Sore wa gomen na." 「それはごめんな」
(7) -tachi 「―たち・達」is a suffix to make pronouns plural or a person together with a group of people. By tou-chan-tachi Naruto means his dads, plural. Tou-chan, single. Tou-chan-tachi, plural.
(8) Ojamashimasu 「お邪魔します」is a polite greeting used when entering someone's house, not used for your own house. It means "I will disturb you," or "I will get in your way" from the word jama, meaning to disturb or interrupt. Ojamashimashita 「お邪魔しました」 is the past tense, said when leaving someone's house.
(9) Ittekimasu 「いってきます」said when leaving the house, expresses that "I will be going now but do not worry, I will safely return" and itterasshai 「いってらっしゃい」said by the one left behind, indicates that "You will be leaving soon but please do come back safely."
(10) Okaeri/okaerinasai/okaerinasaimase 「おかえり・おかえりなさい・おかえいりなさえいませ」and tadaima 「ただいま」are expressions said when someone comes back home. Tadaima (I'm home) said by the one arriving, okaeri (welcome home) said by the one welcoming the arrival.
(11) A kotatsu 「炬燵 ・こたつ」is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a tabletop sits. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier but now electric, often built into the table itself. During the winter months in Japan, the kotatsu often is the center of domestic life. In the evening family members gather around the kotatsu to enjoy food, television, games, and conversation while keeping the lower half of their bodies warm. But it can also be used without the blanket and the heat source, and used as a regular table.
Others:
aniki 「兄貴・あにき」- big brother
otouto 「弟・おとうと」- little brother
tou-chan 「父ちゃん・とうちゃん」- dad
basan 「叔母さん・おばさん」- aunt/older woman; not to be confused with
baa-san 「ばあさん」 (or baa-chan「ばあちゃん」 for naruto) - grandma
senpai 「先輩・せんぱい」- an upperclassman at school or a senior at work.
White Day is celebrated annually on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day, when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts on Valentine's Day.
I actually wanted Naruto to give Sasuke that kiss in the café, to the horror of all the girls (and also boys) there who obviously all crush on Sasuke, but I remembered PDA isn't a thing in Japan. Though it may be a little relaxed and open now. I thought it'd be cute if they're both shy about it since they're young and new to this.