Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Fall Colors ❯ Fall Colors ( One-Shot )
[ A - All Readers ]
By: Magical_Reality 
Naruto gets ready for another lonely birthday. SasuNaru!
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 10.04.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 842 | Status: Completed
Naruto gets ready for another lonely birthday. SasuNaru!
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 10.04.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 842 | Status: Completed
Title: Fall Colors
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto. ><
Summary: Naruto gets ready for another lonely birthday. Slight SasuNaru fluff!
A/N: Yay! It's finally Naru-chan's birthday, October Tenth! Whee! Okay, so this is dedicated to Naru-chan (obviously) and my bestie, Magical Angel, 'cause I love her with all my heart. <3 And, take this little story as your late-late birthday present. 'Cause I'm poor. ^^ So all of you people out there that read this HAVE TO REVIEW! Ja!
P.S. I posted a little early because I won’t be able to post it on the actual day. But please review!
"Loser."
"Bastard." Naruto growled, as he wiped the blood off his lip. Around them, the leaves whipped around, the smell of autumn wind wafting to their noses. Naruto breathed harshly out of his mouth, glaring daggers at the dark haired boy across from him. He clenched his fists at his sides before forming a hand sign. "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" A thousand Naruto clones appeared in the small clearing, some hanging upside down from some of the trees lining the edges of the training ground.
"You idiot. We agreed that we'd only use taijutsu." Sasuke growled at the blond boy.
"Would your enemy ask you that in the heat of battle?" The blond asked, his smirk widening as all one thousand Narutos pulled shuriken from their pouches. As they went sailing through the air, Sasuke's hands flashed through a series of signs.
"Fire style! Phoenix flower jutsu!" He yelled, fire rushing at Naruto's shuriken, metal clanging with metal. Putting on a burst of speed, the Uchiha rushed at the whiskered boy, sending his fist into the kyuubi-vessels stomach. Naruto doubled over, spitting blood onto the ground as Sasuke sent his elbow into the blond's back. "Hn. Looks like I win, loser."
"You haven't won yet, bastard! You'll see!" Naruto pushed himself off the ground, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He had lost again to that smug bastard! What was going on with him this week?
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura came running into the small clearing, a small, brightly wrapped package in her small hands. That was when something very important occurred to Naruto. Tomorrow was his birthday, as well as the day kyuubi was "defeated". "Kakashi-sensei told me tomorrow was your birthday, so I got you a little present."
"What is it? What is it?" Naruto exclaimed, all signs of his and Sasuke's battle gone as he pulled the small package from the pink haired girl's hands. He put it close to his ear and shook it, wanting to know what was inside.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Sakura smacked her forehead with her palm then turned to Sasuke, a sudden, pink tinge to her cheeks. "Um, tomorrow for the-the festival...will you come with me as my date?" Ever since the Uchiha had returned to Konoha, Sakura felt as though they were growing closer. She really hoped he'd think it over before turning her down. "Well, I know you don't like festivals and stuff, but we're all going in a group and you should come and hang out with us."
Sasuke stared at her, half of him wanting to strangle the girl standing in front of him, and the other half wondering how someone could be so stupid. Then a pair of blue eyes popped into his head. He sighed and shook his head, then shoved his hands into his pants' pockets.
"Nah, I'll pass."
"O-Okay..." Sakura watched as Sasuke turned away, and walked off in the direction of his house. She sighed as she turned back towards her blond teammate, who was staring after the Uchiha with a strange glint in his eyes. "H-Hey, Naruto?"
"Hm?"
"You haven't opened your present." Sakura said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Just a couple of minutes ago the blond had been excited about opening his present. "Is something wrong?" She put a finger to her chin, and tilted her head even further. "So, are you coming to the festival? I know everybody would like to see you there."
"I don't know yet." The blond answered truthfully as his eyes drifted to the side. The truth was, he wasn't looking forward to the festival at all. It just meant he would be alone for the entire night, because everyone was going to be at the festival. Why would he go to an event celebrating kyuubi's "defeat" if the demon itself was still alive, and sealed inside him? Naruto realized that Sakura was watching him still. "Heh heh, sorry about that, Sakura. So, what did you get me?"
"Open it and see, moron." The pink haired girl smiled.
"I'm not a moron!" Naruto protested, as he started to tear at the wrapping on his present. Sakura smiled fondly at him, knowing the real reason why her blond teammate was so spacey. It was no secret that kyuubi was sealed inside of the whiskered boy, and she didn't think any differently of him-he was still loud and obnoxious-when she found out. It was kind of said, actually, when she realized the reason why the village people treated or looked at him in a different way.
"Say, Naruto?"
"Yeah?" The blond boy stopped in his unwrapping to look at his teammate with his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. She had a soft smile on her face that he'd never seen directed at him. "What's up, Sakura?"
"The festival. You're not going because...of kyuubi, right?" Sakura winced, as the usually hyper blond seemed to close up as he looked at the ground, fingers clenched in the wrapping paper he had managed to get free. She reached out a hand to him, regretting everything she had just said. "I'm sorry! It's just, you look so...sad."
The blond nodded his head curtly, then looked off in the distance at something only he could see.
"It's not so much kyuubi as it is being alone. It happens every year." Naruto looked back at her, the smile on his face not quite reaching his eyes. "I'll be fine. Trust me." He started to rip off the rest of the wrapping paper in silence, his eyes straying to the pink haired girl every few seconds. She still looked worried. But then his attention was drawn to the small pieces of paper in the small box. He picked one up and read the kanji written on it. "Sweet! Free ramen coupons!"
"A whole month's worth." The kunoichi smiled.
"Thank you, Sakura!" The blond exclaimed, barely restraining the urge to jump the poor girl. It was, by far, the best birthday he had ever gotten. He almost wanted to cry. "This is the best present ever!"
"I'm glad you like it, Naruto." Sakura reached out to ruffled the blond's hair, thinking that he looked a lot happier than he had been minutes before. It was amazing how fast the boy could switch moods. "Well, I have to go meet up with Ino in a couple of minutes. We're picking out yukatas for the festival tomorrow. Happy birthday."
"Thanks." Naruto grinned. He clutched his free ramen coupons to his chest as he watched the pink haired girl walk away, his thoughts completely derailed from what he had been thinking earlier. With one last sigh he headed out of the training grounds and towards a little ramen stand called Ichiraku, where he planned on having his first bowl of free ramen.
XxX
"Hey, kid."
"Hey, pervy sage." A gray haired man took a seat next to the blond, ordering a bowl of miso ramen for himself.
"So tomorrow's your birthday. Turning eighteen, eh?"
"Yup." Naruto said, ignoring the sudden twist in his stomach. He didn't need to be reminded of what tomorrow was. "So why are you here, pervy sage? Are you doing more "research"?" The blond watched as the older man poured himself a cup of sake and drank it before pouring himself another cup.
"You know it. It's getting colder, which means less and less girls swimming." The sannin's cheeks turned pink as he drank another cup of sake, obviously thinking dirty things. It was his job, after all. "So...this festival tomorrow? I don't suppose you're going with a nice, pretty girl, are you? Maybe that Sakura girl you like so much?"
Naruto blushed, "Um, no. She asked Sasuke-bastard."
"Hm. What do the ladies see in that boy, anyway? You're a much better man."
"Uh, thanks." Naruto looked away, his blush a lot darker than it had been. What do the ladies see in Sasuke? I should be asking myself that question. After draining his bowl of ramen, Naruto thanked the old man behind the counter, then said good bye to Jiraiya. The sun was beginning to sink below the skyline, and he was tired. Not physically, of course, but mentally. He was going to be alone for the better part of tomorrow, and there was no one that he wanted to bother with such depressing thoughts.
As he made his way into his lonely, dark apartment, thoughts began swirling around in his head. Every day it's the same thing. Go home alone. Sleep alone. And wake up alone. I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. When will I meet someone that wants to be with me, as much as Sakura wants to be with Sasuke? The blond clenched his eyes shut as something pulled at his heartstrings.
"As much as I want to be with Sasuke." When the empty apartment didn't help to quell the equal emptiness in his chest, Naruto crawled underneath his blankets and fell into a restless sleep, dreams filled with dark eyes and demon foxes.
XxX
Birds were chirping just outside his window, seeming to mock the dark cloud hovering over his head. He didn't want to get up; didn't want to face the coming day. His eyes drifted over to the calendar on the wall, where he had circled his birthday in magic marker and decorated it with swirls and stars. It made his stomach churn to think back eighteen years when the Fourth Hokage had sealed kyuubi inside of the small infant, saving Konoha. But he couldn't make himself hate the man.
Just as Naruto was debating on whether or not to go back to sleep, there was pounding at his apartment door. Sighing heavily, the blond pulled himself from the safety of his bed and padded over to the door. The knocking grew louder, impatient, and he was grumbling curses as he reached out and grasped the door. On the other side...
...was Sasuke.
"Um, good morning?" Naruto said awkwardly as he stood there in his pajamas, that silly sleeping cap on top of his head. The Uchiha just stared at it, one of his dark eyebrows raised in silent question. "So...what brings you here, bastard?" The blond leaned against the door, ignoring the smirk tugging at the corners of his teammate's mouth.
"Get dressed, loser."
"...why?" Naruto asked suspiciously.
"Just get dressed." Sasuke shoved his way into the small apartment, and made himself comfortable on the blond's bed. Naruto watched him the whole time, pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Hey, stop staring at me like that and get dressed. Unless you don't want to know where I'm taking you."
"Where are you taking me?" Naruto asked quickly, his suspicion of the dark haired boy tripling.
"Just get dressed and you'll see, idiot."
The blond stared at his teammate as though the other boy had grown another head. The dark haired boy was acting odd for a prickly bastard, and it made the blond suspicious. Still watching the smirking teen warily, Naruto made his way over to his closet, where he pulled out his usual attire and went into the bathroom to change.
Sasuke looked around the tiny apartment while the blond changed, examining the pictures next to the boy's bed, which contained mostly Iruka and the blond boy himself. He reached out and picked up a specific picture, the corners of his mouth twitching into a tiny smile. It was a picture of team seven, before his defection to sound, with the two boys glaring at each other. The Uchiha ran the tips of his fingers over the image of the blond boy, his thoughts shifting to a time he'd rather not remember.
"All right, bastard, I'm dressed. Where are you taking me?" Sasuke jumped and hastily put the picture down, schooling his face into what he hoped was an annoyed glare. But the blond didn't seem to notice it as he put his pajamas on the kitchen table, then turned towards his beloved free ramen stash. "Hey, Sasuke, do you mind if we stop at Ichiraku first?"
"Actually, that's where I was going to take you. Since today's your-"
"-Yeah, yeah. My birthday, I know." The blond pulled on his jacket then tied his hitai-ate around his head, checking himself in the mirror to make sure it wasn't crooked. He was actually trying to distract himself from the fluttery feeling in his stomach, as the dark haired boy looked him over. Sometimes it felt like Sasuke could see through the smile he pasted over his pain. "All right!" Naruto exclaimed, slapping his hands together to break whatever spell his teammate was under. "Ichiraku, here we come!"
"Hn." Sasuke followed the blond out of the apartment, hands shoved into his pockets as his brain went through the events of the last two days. Naruto was acting odd, that was for sure, and it was obvious why. The festival today was for the "defeat" of the kyuubi, which just so happened to be sealed inside the hyper blond next to him. It was the same day as his birthday and the Uchiha could understand why his best friend/rival would want to stay inside the whole day.
"-and Sakura gave me a month's worth of free ramen! But I bet you Kakashi-sensei won't be too happy about that. He keeps telling me I need to eat something else besides ramen!"
"Maybe you should listen to him, idiot."
"But vegetables are gross, unless they're in ramen!" The blond babbled on about ingredients that they put in ramen, hands moving wildly as he talked. There was a certain twinkle in his eyes that he only got when he was talking about something he loved, like ramen. Sasuke felt his heart flutter as the blond turned his head and smiled at him.
What the...? The Uchiha put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat through the material of his shirt. He felt dazed and excited all at the same time. God, I must be sick today.
XxX
"That was the best ramen ever!" Naruto exclaimed, as he rubbed his full stomach. His teammate walked silently next to him, hands shoved into his pockets. The blond boy had talked the whole time they were at Ichiraku, and every time he turned his eyes on Sasuke, the raven would tense up and look the other way. Sasuke didn't know if he was sick, or if it was something else tugging at his heart. "I'm so full! Now all I have to do is go home and sleep it all off!"
"Do you really want to be alone tonight?"
"I'll be fine. No point in going to the festival with no date, right?" The blond laughed, his grin not quite reaching his eyes. He didn't want to stress the issue any further that that. Sasuke didn't need to know what was really going through his mind. "But what about you, bastard? Are you sure you should be alone tonight?"
"I don't like festivals." The dark haired teen shrugged. They stopped at the stairs leading to the blond's apartment and stood in silence. Naruto shifted his weight awkwardly, not sure how to thank the other boy for treating him to ramen. It wasn't like this was a normal occurrence.
"Um..." Naruto looked up the stairs, then back at the Uchiha with his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm gonna go. Th-Thanks for the ramen. Guess you aren't such a big bastard after all." The whiskered boy stood there for a moment, staring at the ground, as the two of them just stood there silently. Finally he turned around and went up the stairs.
"You're welcome, moron." Sasuke whispered, once the blond was out of earshot. He took one more look at the blond's retreating back before turning around and heading towards the compound.
XxX
The window was shut tightly so the sounds of the festival didn't leak through, but the bright lights filtered in through the crack in the blinds. Naruto pulled his blanket over his head and grumbled curses into the dark space. It was past eight already and the festival was getting started. They would be shooting off fireworks in a while.
Then I'll never get my peace and quiet. The blond moaned, tightening his grip on the blanket in his fists. Was it too much to ask for a day where he was allowed to mope and sulk? I wonder what Sasuke's doing. He wasn't acting like himself. Naruto shoved the blanket off of him and stared up at the ceiling with glassy eyes. If he had asked me to the festival, then I would've gone no matter what. Who cares if people glared at me as long as I had him to keep me distracted the whole night.
"Damn it." Naruto muttered, rubbing at his eyes to keep the tears from coming down. He felt like an idiot thinking Sasuke would ever do something so out of character. He was a cold bastard that didn't show any interest in anything but fighting. But he bought you ramen today, idiot, his brain supplied. Some part of him cares about you. "What do you know? The whiskered boy swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet touching the cold, hardwood floor. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. I hate my birthday.
An hour later he found himself on his roof, waiting for the spectacular display of Konoha's fireworks. Although he told himself every year he wouldn't watch them, he always ended up on his roof, alone. The fireworks got better with each passing year, but somehow he felt it would be a lot better if he shared the night with someone close to him. But everybody was at the festival, enjoying the show with each other. He was all alone in his apartment, drowning in his own depression. I wish someone was here to watch the fireworks with me.
"Hey." The blond jumped a mile high and spun his head around towards the voice. Sasuke stood on the edge of the roof, hands shoved into his sleeves and looking out of place in his dark blue yukata. Naruto had to admit, though, he looked really good. "Somehow I let Sakura talk me into going to the festival." He explained. "But I ditched her because I wanted to watch the fireworks with you."
"Um, sure." Naruto watched the other boy carefully as the Uchiha took a seat next to him, stretching his legs out. He was acting weird again, but the blond ignored that because he was too happy to care. "So how was the festival?"
"Boring. The whole time we were there I wanted to run away. Sakura caught me every time, though." Sasuke managed a small smirk as he leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the star-studded sky. The front of his yukata was opened partially, giving the blond boy next to him a glimpse of the pale skin underneath. It made Naruto flush uncomfortably. "Next year, you're coming with us."
"What?"
"Next year you're coming with us." Sasuke repeated, tilting his head to the side as Naruto looked at him with an eyebrow raised. The other boy sighed and held back the urge to smack him. "I mean, you're coming with me. It's about time Sakura got the hint."
"What hint?" Naruto asked, even more confused than before. He scratched the back of his head and tried to figure out what Sasuke was talking about. Does he mean I'm going to be his date?! The blond turned away abruptly, cheeks flooding with heat. "Do-Do you mean as your date? And what does Sakura need to know?"
Sasuke sighed heavily before grabbing the blond's chin and twisting his head around. "She needs to know that I like you." And with a small squeak from Naruto, Sasuke sealed his lips over the blond's mouth and tangled his fingers in soft, blond hair.
Above their heads, the fireworks had started.
"Happy birthday, moron."
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto. ><
Summary: Naruto gets ready for another lonely birthday. Slight SasuNaru fluff!
A/N: Yay! It's finally Naru-chan's birthday, October Tenth! Whee! Okay, so this is dedicated to Naru-chan (obviously) and my bestie, Magical Angel, 'cause I love her with all my heart. <3 And, take this little story as your late-late birthday present. 'Cause I'm poor. ^^ So all of you people out there that read this HAVE TO REVIEW! Ja!
P.S. I posted a little early because I won’t be able to post it on the actual day. But please review!
"Loser."
"Bastard." Naruto growled, as he wiped the blood off his lip. Around them, the leaves whipped around, the smell of autumn wind wafting to their noses. Naruto breathed harshly out of his mouth, glaring daggers at the dark haired boy across from him. He clenched his fists at his sides before forming a hand sign. "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" A thousand Naruto clones appeared in the small clearing, some hanging upside down from some of the trees lining the edges of the training ground.
"You idiot. We agreed that we'd only use taijutsu." Sasuke growled at the blond boy.
"Would your enemy ask you that in the heat of battle?" The blond asked, his smirk widening as all one thousand Narutos pulled shuriken from their pouches. As they went sailing through the air, Sasuke's hands flashed through a series of signs.
"Fire style! Phoenix flower jutsu!" He yelled, fire rushing at Naruto's shuriken, metal clanging with metal. Putting on a burst of speed, the Uchiha rushed at the whiskered boy, sending his fist into the kyuubi-vessels stomach. Naruto doubled over, spitting blood onto the ground as Sasuke sent his elbow into the blond's back. "Hn. Looks like I win, loser."
"You haven't won yet, bastard! You'll see!" Naruto pushed himself off the ground, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He had lost again to that smug bastard! What was going on with him this week?
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura came running into the small clearing, a small, brightly wrapped package in her small hands. That was when something very important occurred to Naruto. Tomorrow was his birthday, as well as the day kyuubi was "defeated". "Kakashi-sensei told me tomorrow was your birthday, so I got you a little present."
"What is it? What is it?" Naruto exclaimed, all signs of his and Sasuke's battle gone as he pulled the small package from the pink haired girl's hands. He put it close to his ear and shook it, wanting to know what was inside.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Sakura smacked her forehead with her palm then turned to Sasuke, a sudden, pink tinge to her cheeks. "Um, tomorrow for the-the festival...will you come with me as my date?" Ever since the Uchiha had returned to Konoha, Sakura felt as though they were growing closer. She really hoped he'd think it over before turning her down. "Well, I know you don't like festivals and stuff, but we're all going in a group and you should come and hang out with us."
Sasuke stared at her, half of him wanting to strangle the girl standing in front of him, and the other half wondering how someone could be so stupid. Then a pair of blue eyes popped into his head. He sighed and shook his head, then shoved his hands into his pants' pockets.
"Nah, I'll pass."
"O-Okay..." Sakura watched as Sasuke turned away, and walked off in the direction of his house. She sighed as she turned back towards her blond teammate, who was staring after the Uchiha with a strange glint in his eyes. "H-Hey, Naruto?"
"Hm?"
"You haven't opened your present." Sakura said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Just a couple of minutes ago the blond had been excited about opening his present. "Is something wrong?" She put a finger to her chin, and tilted her head even further. "So, are you coming to the festival? I know everybody would like to see you there."
"I don't know yet." The blond answered truthfully as his eyes drifted to the side. The truth was, he wasn't looking forward to the festival at all. It just meant he would be alone for the entire night, because everyone was going to be at the festival. Why would he go to an event celebrating kyuubi's "defeat" if the demon itself was still alive, and sealed inside him? Naruto realized that Sakura was watching him still. "Heh heh, sorry about that, Sakura. So, what did you get me?"
"Open it and see, moron." The pink haired girl smiled.
"I'm not a moron!" Naruto protested, as he started to tear at the wrapping on his present. Sakura smiled fondly at him, knowing the real reason why her blond teammate was so spacey. It was no secret that kyuubi was sealed inside of the whiskered boy, and she didn't think any differently of him-he was still loud and obnoxious-when she found out. It was kind of said, actually, when she realized the reason why the village people treated or looked at him in a different way.
"Say, Naruto?"
"Yeah?" The blond boy stopped in his unwrapping to look at his teammate with his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. She had a soft smile on her face that he'd never seen directed at him. "What's up, Sakura?"
"The festival. You're not going because...of kyuubi, right?" Sakura winced, as the usually hyper blond seemed to close up as he looked at the ground, fingers clenched in the wrapping paper he had managed to get free. She reached out a hand to him, regretting everything she had just said. "I'm sorry! It's just, you look so...sad."
The blond nodded his head curtly, then looked off in the distance at something only he could see.
"It's not so much kyuubi as it is being alone. It happens every year." Naruto looked back at her, the smile on his face not quite reaching his eyes. "I'll be fine. Trust me." He started to rip off the rest of the wrapping paper in silence, his eyes straying to the pink haired girl every few seconds. She still looked worried. But then his attention was drawn to the small pieces of paper in the small box. He picked one up and read the kanji written on it. "Sweet! Free ramen coupons!"
"A whole month's worth." The kunoichi smiled.
"Thank you, Sakura!" The blond exclaimed, barely restraining the urge to jump the poor girl. It was, by far, the best birthday he had ever gotten. He almost wanted to cry. "This is the best present ever!"
"I'm glad you like it, Naruto." Sakura reached out to ruffled the blond's hair, thinking that he looked a lot happier than he had been minutes before. It was amazing how fast the boy could switch moods. "Well, I have to go meet up with Ino in a couple of minutes. We're picking out yukatas for the festival tomorrow. Happy birthday."
"Thanks." Naruto grinned. He clutched his free ramen coupons to his chest as he watched the pink haired girl walk away, his thoughts completely derailed from what he had been thinking earlier. With one last sigh he headed out of the training grounds and towards a little ramen stand called Ichiraku, where he planned on having his first bowl of free ramen.
XxX
"Hey, kid."
"Hey, pervy sage." A gray haired man took a seat next to the blond, ordering a bowl of miso ramen for himself.
"So tomorrow's your birthday. Turning eighteen, eh?"
"Yup." Naruto said, ignoring the sudden twist in his stomach. He didn't need to be reminded of what tomorrow was. "So why are you here, pervy sage? Are you doing more "research"?" The blond watched as the older man poured himself a cup of sake and drank it before pouring himself another cup.
"You know it. It's getting colder, which means less and less girls swimming." The sannin's cheeks turned pink as he drank another cup of sake, obviously thinking dirty things. It was his job, after all. "So...this festival tomorrow? I don't suppose you're going with a nice, pretty girl, are you? Maybe that Sakura girl you like so much?"
Naruto blushed, "Um, no. She asked Sasuke-bastard."
"Hm. What do the ladies see in that boy, anyway? You're a much better man."
"Uh, thanks." Naruto looked away, his blush a lot darker than it had been. What do the ladies see in Sasuke? I should be asking myself that question. After draining his bowl of ramen, Naruto thanked the old man behind the counter, then said good bye to Jiraiya. The sun was beginning to sink below the skyline, and he was tired. Not physically, of course, but mentally. He was going to be alone for the better part of tomorrow, and there was no one that he wanted to bother with such depressing thoughts.
As he made his way into his lonely, dark apartment, thoughts began swirling around in his head. Every day it's the same thing. Go home alone. Sleep alone. And wake up alone. I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. When will I meet someone that wants to be with me, as much as Sakura wants to be with Sasuke? The blond clenched his eyes shut as something pulled at his heartstrings.
"As much as I want to be with Sasuke." When the empty apartment didn't help to quell the equal emptiness in his chest, Naruto crawled underneath his blankets and fell into a restless sleep, dreams filled with dark eyes and demon foxes.
XxX
Birds were chirping just outside his window, seeming to mock the dark cloud hovering over his head. He didn't want to get up; didn't want to face the coming day. His eyes drifted over to the calendar on the wall, where he had circled his birthday in magic marker and decorated it with swirls and stars. It made his stomach churn to think back eighteen years when the Fourth Hokage had sealed kyuubi inside of the small infant, saving Konoha. But he couldn't make himself hate the man.
Just as Naruto was debating on whether or not to go back to sleep, there was pounding at his apartment door. Sighing heavily, the blond pulled himself from the safety of his bed and padded over to the door. The knocking grew louder, impatient, and he was grumbling curses as he reached out and grasped the door. On the other side...
...was Sasuke.
"Um, good morning?" Naruto said awkwardly as he stood there in his pajamas, that silly sleeping cap on top of his head. The Uchiha just stared at it, one of his dark eyebrows raised in silent question. "So...what brings you here, bastard?" The blond leaned against the door, ignoring the smirk tugging at the corners of his teammate's mouth.
"Get dressed, loser."
"...why?" Naruto asked suspiciously.
"Just get dressed." Sasuke shoved his way into the small apartment, and made himself comfortable on the blond's bed. Naruto watched him the whole time, pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Hey, stop staring at me like that and get dressed. Unless you don't want to know where I'm taking you."
"Where are you taking me?" Naruto asked quickly, his suspicion of the dark haired boy tripling.
"Just get dressed and you'll see, idiot."
The blond stared at his teammate as though the other boy had grown another head. The dark haired boy was acting odd for a prickly bastard, and it made the blond suspicious. Still watching the smirking teen warily, Naruto made his way over to his closet, where he pulled out his usual attire and went into the bathroom to change.
Sasuke looked around the tiny apartment while the blond changed, examining the pictures next to the boy's bed, which contained mostly Iruka and the blond boy himself. He reached out and picked up a specific picture, the corners of his mouth twitching into a tiny smile. It was a picture of team seven, before his defection to sound, with the two boys glaring at each other. The Uchiha ran the tips of his fingers over the image of the blond boy, his thoughts shifting to a time he'd rather not remember.
"All right, bastard, I'm dressed. Where are you taking me?" Sasuke jumped and hastily put the picture down, schooling his face into what he hoped was an annoyed glare. But the blond didn't seem to notice it as he put his pajamas on the kitchen table, then turned towards his beloved free ramen stash. "Hey, Sasuke, do you mind if we stop at Ichiraku first?"
"Actually, that's where I was going to take you. Since today's your-"
"-Yeah, yeah. My birthday, I know." The blond pulled on his jacket then tied his hitai-ate around his head, checking himself in the mirror to make sure it wasn't crooked. He was actually trying to distract himself from the fluttery feeling in his stomach, as the dark haired boy looked him over. Sometimes it felt like Sasuke could see through the smile he pasted over his pain. "All right!" Naruto exclaimed, slapping his hands together to break whatever spell his teammate was under. "Ichiraku, here we come!"
"Hn." Sasuke followed the blond out of the apartment, hands shoved into his pockets as his brain went through the events of the last two days. Naruto was acting odd, that was for sure, and it was obvious why. The festival today was for the "defeat" of the kyuubi, which just so happened to be sealed inside the hyper blond next to him. It was the same day as his birthday and the Uchiha could understand why his best friend/rival would want to stay inside the whole day.
"-and Sakura gave me a month's worth of free ramen! But I bet you Kakashi-sensei won't be too happy about that. He keeps telling me I need to eat something else besides ramen!"
"Maybe you should listen to him, idiot."
"But vegetables are gross, unless they're in ramen!" The blond babbled on about ingredients that they put in ramen, hands moving wildly as he talked. There was a certain twinkle in his eyes that he only got when he was talking about something he loved, like ramen. Sasuke felt his heart flutter as the blond turned his head and smiled at him.
What the...? The Uchiha put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat through the material of his shirt. He felt dazed and excited all at the same time. God, I must be sick today.
XxX
"That was the best ramen ever!" Naruto exclaimed, as he rubbed his full stomach. His teammate walked silently next to him, hands shoved into his pockets. The blond boy had talked the whole time they were at Ichiraku, and every time he turned his eyes on Sasuke, the raven would tense up and look the other way. Sasuke didn't know if he was sick, or if it was something else tugging at his heart. "I'm so full! Now all I have to do is go home and sleep it all off!"
"Do you really want to be alone tonight?"
"I'll be fine. No point in going to the festival with no date, right?" The blond laughed, his grin not quite reaching his eyes. He didn't want to stress the issue any further that that. Sasuke didn't need to know what was really going through his mind. "But what about you, bastard? Are you sure you should be alone tonight?"
"I don't like festivals." The dark haired teen shrugged. They stopped at the stairs leading to the blond's apartment and stood in silence. Naruto shifted his weight awkwardly, not sure how to thank the other boy for treating him to ramen. It wasn't like this was a normal occurrence.
"Um..." Naruto looked up the stairs, then back at the Uchiha with his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm gonna go. Th-Thanks for the ramen. Guess you aren't such a big bastard after all." The whiskered boy stood there for a moment, staring at the ground, as the two of them just stood there silently. Finally he turned around and went up the stairs.
"You're welcome, moron." Sasuke whispered, once the blond was out of earshot. He took one more look at the blond's retreating back before turning around and heading towards the compound.
XxX
The window was shut tightly so the sounds of the festival didn't leak through, but the bright lights filtered in through the crack in the blinds. Naruto pulled his blanket over his head and grumbled curses into the dark space. It was past eight already and the festival was getting started. They would be shooting off fireworks in a while.
Then I'll never get my peace and quiet. The blond moaned, tightening his grip on the blanket in his fists. Was it too much to ask for a day where he was allowed to mope and sulk? I wonder what Sasuke's doing. He wasn't acting like himself. Naruto shoved the blanket off of him and stared up at the ceiling with glassy eyes. If he had asked me to the festival, then I would've gone no matter what. Who cares if people glared at me as long as I had him to keep me distracted the whole night.
"Damn it." Naruto muttered, rubbing at his eyes to keep the tears from coming down. He felt like an idiot thinking Sasuke would ever do something so out of character. He was a cold bastard that didn't show any interest in anything but fighting. But he bought you ramen today, idiot, his brain supplied. Some part of him cares about you. "What do you know? The whiskered boy swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet touching the cold, hardwood floor. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. I hate my birthday.
An hour later he found himself on his roof, waiting for the spectacular display of Konoha's fireworks. Although he told himself every year he wouldn't watch them, he always ended up on his roof, alone. The fireworks got better with each passing year, but somehow he felt it would be a lot better if he shared the night with someone close to him. But everybody was at the festival, enjoying the show with each other. He was all alone in his apartment, drowning in his own depression. I wish someone was here to watch the fireworks with me.
"Hey." The blond jumped a mile high and spun his head around towards the voice. Sasuke stood on the edge of the roof, hands shoved into his sleeves and looking out of place in his dark blue yukata. Naruto had to admit, though, he looked really good. "Somehow I let Sakura talk me into going to the festival." He explained. "But I ditched her because I wanted to watch the fireworks with you."
"Um, sure." Naruto watched the other boy carefully as the Uchiha took a seat next to him, stretching his legs out. He was acting weird again, but the blond ignored that because he was too happy to care. "So how was the festival?"
"Boring. The whole time we were there I wanted to run away. Sakura caught me every time, though." Sasuke managed a small smirk as he leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the star-studded sky. The front of his yukata was opened partially, giving the blond boy next to him a glimpse of the pale skin underneath. It made Naruto flush uncomfortably. "Next year, you're coming with us."
"What?"
"Next year you're coming with us." Sasuke repeated, tilting his head to the side as Naruto looked at him with an eyebrow raised. The other boy sighed and held back the urge to smack him. "I mean, you're coming with me. It's about time Sakura got the hint."
"What hint?" Naruto asked, even more confused than before. He scratched the back of his head and tried to figure out what Sasuke was talking about. Does he mean I'm going to be his date?! The blond turned away abruptly, cheeks flooding with heat. "Do-Do you mean as your date? And what does Sakura need to know?"
Sasuke sighed heavily before grabbing the blond's chin and twisting his head around. "She needs to know that I like you." And with a small squeak from Naruto, Sasuke sealed his lips over the blond's mouth and tangled his fingers in soft, blond hair.
Above their heads, the fireworks had started.
"Happy birthday, moron."
~Owari~