Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You haven’t taken me on a date in a long time, you know,” Sakura says, her tone casual but Sasuke can hear every bit of underlying malice in her statement. She’s leaning against the kitchen counter as she eats a pre-packaged salad, frowning as if it tastes like shit. It probably does.

Sasuke, sitting at the dining table, steadily grazing at his plain white rice—they’ve never been the type of couple to make elaborate dinners, never had the time or energy—resists the urge to roll his eyes and sigh. It’s day one of their overlapping paid time off, something that happens incredibly rarely, and all he wants to do is sit in silence without having to think about a single thing.

He’s surprised that Sakura doesn’t want the same—he’d consider her job a lot more stressful than his, and his is extremely stressful.

“And you know we’re both busy,” he says. “It’s not intentional.”

“Oh, please, we finally both have some time off and you haven’t made a single effort. We both know that if you wanted to, you would.”

Sasuke purses his lips, suddenly really interested in his rice. She’s right, if he really wanted to, he most certainly would, but unfortunately, he just doesn’t want to.

He’s far too exhausted from his work as a lawyer to even consider doing anything for pleasure if it isn’t lying in his bed until he no longer feels the persistent tension in his back.

He doesn’t want to talk, doesn’t want to catch up when he knows the conversation will be the same superficial conversation they’ve been having the past seven years.

“How’s work?”

“The same. What about you?”

“Oh, you know, busy, exhausting. We’re constantly understaffed, nurses keep quitting, insurance companies keep denying certain treatments, I rarely get sleep. Fulfilling stuff.”

“Yeah.”

Sasuke wants to pull his hair out at the very thought.

It doesn’t help that he admittedly just isn’t used to spending a whole lot of time with his wife anymore. In the beginning of their relationship—twelve whole years ago, two juniors in undergrad at a prestigious university—they primarily had study dates, or casual lunches whenever they found the time. She was on the pre-med track, and Sasuke’s father thought a doctor wife was an excellent match for his pre-law son, so Sasuke married her the summer after they finished undergrad.

With him being in law school, and her in med school, they had little time together even back then, and once they fully launched into their careers, it just dwindled even more. Sakura is a trauma surgeon, on call, thus it isn’t an exaggeration to say that she is constantly busy, but when she does get her rare off time, she wants to use it to its fullest. If Sasuke wasn’t the one who had to go along with it, he’d admire the trait to be so high-energy even as a surgeon.

In Sasuke’s eyes, they’re more akin to roommates, friends, but the issue is the fact that Sasuke has felt that way even when they were twenty. It’s not fair to her; he’s known that the entire time. But his parents adore her, and she adores him, and he cares about her, and he also cares about not being a disappointment to his family.

It’s pathetic that even now he has feelings of vast inadequacy, despite being thirty-two with a successful law career, but it’s difficult not to when his parents ask about grandchildren or family vacations or inheritances. He notices the look of sympathetic disappointment on his mother’s face when she sees how Sakura clings to Sasuke, but he doesn’t cling back. He notices the disapproving expression on his father’s tense face when Sasuke says they don’t have time for children.

They don’t have time for children, but he knows for a fact that Sakura would drop everything and make time. And she isn’t shy about alluding to it in front of his family. But she’d never tell them that she and Sasuke haven’t had sex in well over two years. Sasuke’s favorite excuse is time and exhaustion—and he feels bad that Sakura can definitely tell that he simply has no desire to.

“So?” Sakura says, roughly impaling a crouton on her fork. “We have a few days. Take me on a date.”

Sasuke doesn’t mean to sigh; it just happens. “Fine, then, where do you want to go?”

Sakura incredulously laughs, throwing her hands up. “And of course, I have to plan it.”

“Do you want to go or not?”

She frowns, a familiar sort of sadness flashing in her bright green eyes—the kind where she’s gotten what she wants, but not in the way she wanted it. Sasuke is used to that look; he tends to be the culprit. He doesn’t do it on purpose. Sakura then rolls her eyes, throwing her fork in the sink and tossing the rest of the salad in the garbage.

“One of the nurses—Ino—was telling me about a nice new upscale ramen place her husband took her to,” she starts, and Sasuke is starting to see what brought all this on. “She made it sound really good. Tomorrow night, we should go.”

Sasuke isn’t particularly keen on ramen, but if he’s being told directly where and when to conduct this date, then he’ll suck it up. “What’s it called? I’ll try to make a reservation.”

“Uzushio.”

“Okay. We’ll go.”

“Love the enthusiasm,” she says sarcastically. “I’m gonna take a nap.”

Sasuke doesn’t say anything, watching her as she makes her way to her own bedroom—when choosing this massive house a few years ago, it was actually Sakura who suggested separate bedrooms. She figured she’d be less depressed after work if she could have her own personal sanctuary that she could make as pink as she wanted.

Sasuke thought it was a fantastic idea.

—

They really haven’t been on a date in a long time; as Sasuke gets dressed in a sleek black button-up and matching slacks, he finds that he is dreading the dinner severely. He doesn’t want ramen, he doesn’t want forced conversation, and he doesn’t want to worry about how he’s being perceived. He guesses it’s the least he can do.

When he told his friend group—something he is incredibly shocked that he still has—that he was going to Uzushio tonight, they all expressed how jealous they were because it’s supposedly really fucking good. It had three fucking dollar signs when he looked it up which is outrageous for a ramen place; it better be good.

He ties his hair back and puts on an expensive cologne since it isn’t often he goes somewhere that isn’t work. Once he’s ready, he hangs out in the living room, waiting for Sakura to emerge from her room. Twenty minutes later, she does, dressed in a short red dress with a black shawl, her lips tinted a dark pink. She looks objectively nice, and it would probably boost Sasuke’s standing if he said it out loud, but he doesn’t.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

They don’t talk much in the car, the radio droning on at a low volume, but Sakura tries to make small conversation here and there, little things about how she hasn’t had ramen in a long time, or how she’s been yearning to get her nails done for a while. Sasuke only hums in response, affirming that he heard her.

Uzushio is downtown, in a trendy little district that seems hellbent on sucking pockets dry; everything about the modern architecture screams overpriced. Finding parking is damn near impossible, and Sasuke only curses under his breath once when a truck almost hits them in the parking garage.

This ramen better be the best thing he’s ever tasted in his life.

It’s Tuesday night, but that doesn’t mean shit—the restaurant is packed. They’re in line for about five minutes before the hostess even gets to them, and Sasuke is eternally grateful he managed to get a quick reservation or else they would’ve been waiting for a good thirty minutes. Sakura would’ve gotten antsy and agitated, and then he’d have to ensure she doesn’t take it out on the staff.

They’re sat in a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, away from the bulk of the chaos but still not immune to the endless chatter of the place. The hostess promises that their server will tend to them shortly, flashing a polite smile before hastily walking off.

Sasuke hardly has his menu open before Sakura is complaining. “I don’t like the way she smiled at you.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, she totally was eyeing you.”

Eyeing the wrinkle in his forehead, probably. “Most management teams usually tell their staff to smile at customers.”

She shakes her head, totally convinced. “You don’t get it.”

He really doesn’t. He occupies himself with the menu, half-listening to her rant about something that happened at the hospital, something about incompetent med students, as he tries to find something that sounds decent enough to spend thirty dollars on. He’s coming up short, accepting that he’ll just order the cheapest ramen on the menu, when another voice cuts through Sakura’s.

It makes every muscle in his body tense before he even looks up.

“Hi, how are you guys tonight? Welcome to Uzushio! I’m Naruto, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you two started with anything other than—”

Sasuke makes eye-contact with the server looming over their table, and both of their jaws drop at the same exact time. His heart speeds up and his hands immediately go clammy—and what the fuck is even that. It’s been fourteen whole years; there is zero reason for his body to react in such a way.

“Sasuke?” Naruto exclaims, his vibrant blue eyes widening in a shockingly pleasant surprise. His slack jaw turns into a blinding grin, lighting up his entire handsome face that has matured wondrously, his jawline sharp and his baby fat gone. Sasuke’s chest aches, and he inwardly berates the fuck out of himself for it. Fourteen years. They’re both thirty-two and haven’t seen each other since they were eighteen. And Sasuke’s chest still aches.

“Naruto,” Sasuke says, so shocked to see him here so suddenly that he can’t think of anything else to say.

“Holy shit, it is you!” Naruto laughs delightedly. “I had given up on ever seeing you again. Never thought you’d come to my ramen restaurant!”

“Your ramen restaurant?”

“Yeah, I own this place; my pride and joy, really. I don’t usually serve but they were understaffed. Least I could do is help out. I’m glad I did, though, man, I’m so happy to see you!”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” Sasuke says honestly, getting a grip on himself.

“Who’s this?” Naruto nods to Sakura, smiling at her; she returns his smile.

“This is my wife, Sakura.”

Naruto raises an eyebrow that’s so fucking incredulous it makes Sasuke extremely self-conscious before he quickly fixes his expression, saying to Sakura, “It’s nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too. He used to talk about you all the time in college, so I’m glad I can finally put a face to the name,” she says with a laugh.

Naruto chuckles, scratching the back of his head nervously, like he used to do all the time when they were younger. It’s insane for Sasuke to see him like this, so grown up, so matured, yet still so overwhelmingly Naruto Uzumaki that it’s almost like they never spent over a decade apart. He filled out, the fabric of his white button-up clinging to his muscle, and his hair shorter than it’s ever been, cropped close to his scalp.

Sasuke is devastated to realize that he still finds him incredibly hot, astoundingly gorgeous, even more so with his age. Sasuke was supposed to be over this childhood crush, he had moved on from Naruto, accepted that it would never happen, that he would never see him again. But of course, he waltzed right into his fucking ramen restaurant.

“Thirty-two looks good on you, Sasuke,” Naruto says casually, like it’s an appropriate thing to say to a patron, like Sasuke isn’t sternly willing his blood not to crawl up his neck and bleed into his face.

Still, Sasuke doesn’t let it be known that he’s flustered. He smirks. “You’re not too bad yourself, idiot. We should catch up. It’s been a while.”

“We should! A lot has happened,” he laughs. “But it’s really busy right now. Would you guys like anything besides water?”

Sasuke sticks with water. Sakura gets a strong cocktail. Sasuke watches Naruto walk away, drawn to the way his back muscles flex underneath that thin white shirt, and the way his round ass bounces ever so slightly with each step he takes. He resists the urge to sigh dejectedly when he’s out of sight.

He hasn’t thought about Naruto in…to say years would be a lie. To say months would be a lie as well. He thinks about Naruto in a nostalgic, retrospective way, when he thinks about his childhood and what shaped the bulk of his memories. His thoughts hadn’t been the painful yearning type for many, many years. At a certain point, he decided it was embarrassing to feel that way and simply stopped.

Piling on the coursework and concerning himself with his father’s approval certainly helped distract himself.

“What a coincidence your childhood friend owns this place,” Sakura says, fiddling with the crane shaped chopstick holder.

“Yeah,” he says, thinking about how childhood friend doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what Naruto was for him during that time. They were rivals, always competing at even the dumbest shit; they were friends, always able to count on each other for anything, understanding each other like no one else ever could. And most of all, Sasuke was painfully in love with him the entire time.

“So, tell me about how work has been lately. I want some details,” Sakura says.

“There’s really nothing interesting to talk about. It’s all boring and monotonous.”

Sakura sighs. “No lawyer drama? Hysterical clients?”

“You know I try not to gossip about my clients.”

Sakura hums, and Sasuke can tell she’s starting to accept defeat, concerning herself with the menu. What a shoddy marriage this is; Sasuke can’t bring himself to talk more than necessary, and Sakura is growing exhausted of trying to pull it out of him, yet still not exhausted enough to facilitate a divorce. He doesn’t think the average married couple is like this; and yet still, he can’t force his feelings of indifference to miraculously turn into romantic love.

He knows on paper that it should be him who files for divorce. He’s not in love, he doesn’t want children while she does, and above all, he’s gay. He’s known since he was a child, since the annoying and loud Uzumaki boy kept forcing himself into Sasuke’s life, appearing at his door to race and then pouting when Sasuke smoked him. One time they were fighting—they did that a lot—and Naruto managed to pin him down, his face hovering above Sasuke’s, blotting the sun out of the sky.

Simply put, it made Sasuke feel weird.

However, despite knowing this, despite being very sure about his orientation, one thing Sasuke had always hated was being second best to his older brother in his father’s eyes. His father is a very traditional man who had seldom praised Sasuke in his childhood. It made him feel awful, inadequate, no matter how hard he tried to excel in school and sports; all he wanted was his father’s validation.

Sasuke knew from a very young age that liking boys was out of the question for him if he wanted his father to still love and accept him. Though suppressing that part of himself wasn’t just for love and acceptance; it was also for financial stability. His parents supported him financially all through college; it would’ve been hell on earth to be without it. If his father knew he was gay, he would have certainly been cut off—no tuition, no car, no monthly allowance, no staying at home over breaks.

He had no doubt that his mother would fight for him, that Itachi wouldn’t dare leave him behind, but everyone tends to be powerless against his father. Sasuke couldn’t risk it; there were so few people he loved, he just couldn’t fathom losing them for the sake of something as miniscule in the grand scheme of things as romance. Toward the end of college, his parents started pushing for him to marry—he relented because why not. Sakura was ideal in their eyes.

She seemed happy enough, eager to parade Sasuke around like a trophy. It’s what he’s been telling himself all these years—it’s fine, she’s happy, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, it’s not like I’m unfaithful.

All in all, he should’ve asked for a divorce ages ago. Neither of them gain anything from being together, and even if Sakura doesn’t want to admit it, he can tell in her face and the way she talks about Ino and her husband that clearly conveys her jealousy—she can no longer pretend to be happy either. There is no rekindling this; there’s nothing to rekindle.

The reason he hasn’t asked is because he is pathetically afraid of appearing as a failure to his parents. Itachi doesn’t have children, but his illness gives him a pass—and even while sick, he still manages to flawlessly run the Uchiha family’s private investigation agency. His parents want grandchildren, and Sasuke doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to give them any.

Sasuke doesn’t want to disappoint his family by divorcing their beloved daughter in law, and he doesn’t want to disappoint Sakura who’s stressed enough as it is—but the funny part is that they’re all disappointed in him, anyway. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t have moments of resentment. Why bother upholding this elaborate lie if he’s incredibly financially successful on his own? Why keep performing for people who aren’t pleased by the real him?

He never does anything about it. He’s in too deep. Uprooting this entire situation would simply be an exhausting hassle that Sasuke doesn’t have the energy for.

“Here are those waters, and here is your cocktail.” Naruto has appeared again, and there goes Sasuke’s chest constricting as he looks up at him, so painfully taken by how radiant he is. He notices his hands; large and rough, undoubtedly warm, tiny blond strands at his knuckles that are barely visible. No ring. “Can I get you guys started with any appetizers?”

Sasuke locks eyes with him. Sasuke smiles, Naruto beams.

“I think I’m ready to order, actually,” Sakura says.

“I’m all ears!”

“Can I get the daikon ramen?”

“Ah, that’s a great choice,” Naruto says, turning his gaze to Sasuke, not bothering to write anything down. “And you?”

“You tell me, ramen expert. I’m sure I can trust you.”

“Glad to see you haven’t changed. And hell yeah, you can trust me. I’ll get that put in for you two.” Naruto winks at him, then walks off, nearly colliding with another server. Sasuke is about to ogle his ass again but Sakura interrupts him.

“You’re really comfortable with him,” she comments with a small laugh. “It’s kind of insane to see.”

“It’s been years but at the same time, it feels like it hasn’t. I guess eighteen years together is something you can’t shake so easily.”

“Is twelve?”

“What?”

“Nevermind.” She shakes her head. “I wonder what he’s putting in for you.”

“We’ll find out,” he says, taking a small sip of his water while Sakura takes a big gulp of her cocktail. He won’t be shocked if she orders another one. Hell, if he wasn’t driving, he’d order one too if it meant his heart might get some reprieve. It hasn’t been put through this much nervous energy in years. Despite the shock of the evening, there’s a tiny part of him that’s budding with hope—he can’t remedy his past mistake, but if he can have his friend back, then that’s more than enough for him.

It takes about twenty minutes of Sasuke humming along to whatever Sakura says, his eyes tracking Naruto down whenever he can, able to spot that blond head from afar, before Naruto is at their table with two large bowls on a serving tray, flashing that beautiful smile that Sasuke didn’t realize he still missed so dearly.

He sets down Sakura’s bowl in front of her and then Sasuke’s.

“Yeah, go ahead and be shocked that even now I still know you so well,” Naruto says, patting his shoulder in a friendly gesture that makes electricity zap through Sasuke.

In the nice, sturdy bowl isn’t a steaming serving of whatever exotic ramen Naruto is trying to sell. It’s a poke bowl; cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, avocado, and raw tuna diced over a heaping mound of rice. Sasuke is suddenly very fucking hungry.

“…This isn’t on the menu,” he says stupidly, honestly very, very flattered and flustered that Naruto does still know him incredibly well, that even after all this time, he hasn’t filed away all Sasuke-related information in the depths of his forgotten memories.

“It’s not—not yet maybe—but it’s my restaurant, I can make things happen, you know.”

Sasuke smiles a little wider, unable to stop it even if he wanted to. “Thank you, Naruto, I’ll give your restaurant a five-star rating. Excellent service, I must say.”

“I live to make my precious customers, such as yourself, happy. I’m pleased to hear I’m doing a good job,” Naruto says with exaggerated pompousness. “Let me know if I can get anything else for you.”

“We’re good for now,” Sasuke says, even if he hates that Naruto is now walking away, efficiently tending to his tables that it’s hard to believe he doesn’t serve often. Sasuke wants to talk to him more, to catch up, to find out what he’s been doing all this time, how he isn’t married when he’s still so perfect. Sasuke yearns to be back in his orbit now that the opportunity has somehow miraculously been given to him.

“Can’t believe you guys ever lost touch,” Sakura says, swirling her chopsticks around in the noodles. “Quite the charmer you are, getting secret menu items.”

Sasuke doesn’t respond, opting to take a bite of his food instead. He can’t believe they ever lost touch, either. Their senior year of high school, Naruto committed to the local university, wanting to stay close to his parents—even if they definitely could’ve pulled a few underhanded financial strings to get him admitted into somewhere prestigious. He would’ve hated the crowd, anyway.

Sasuke committed to an elite university in a different region, an eighteen-hour drive away from home. Separating from Naruto was painful, but during the first semester, they kept in touch through email. At some point, one of them never responded, Sasuke doesn’t remember who, and when Sasuke came home for break, Naruto’s family had moved. It stung horribly. But life kept going.

He never stopped regretting not confessing; he was too afraid, afraid of getting rejected, afraid that even if Naruto somehow reciprocated, they wouldn’t have been able to maintain a fulfilling relationship with Sasuke having to keep it a secret from everyone. He didn’t want to have to hide Naruto, not when he would’ve loved nothing more to flaunt him around.

The hyperactive star athlete, obnoxious and loud and still so kind and popular, acquiring friends like it was nothing, a far cry from the dorky boy he was in elementary school when Sasuke was his only friend—Sasuke wanted nothing more than for that boy to be his and to make sure everyone knew that.

It just wasn’t in the cards for Sasuke.

Sasuke and Sakura silently eat their food, not even attempting to make more conversation. Sasuke’s too caught up in his head, anyway, the elation from seeing Naruto again having turned into distant sadness at what his life has become. He never thought he’d be one to just go through life passively, and yet it’s all he does.

Naruto checks on them once, and by the next time he comes around, they’re ready for the check. As promised by his friends and Sakura’s coworker, they both demolished their food.

Naruto grins, saying, “Nah, don’t worry about it, old friend. This one’s on me,” when Sasuke tries to hand him his card.

“Naruto, let me pay you.”

“No, you don’t have to. I’m serious, Sasuke.”

“I want to support your restaurant.”

“You coming here is support enough! Moral support, especially. I’ve really missed you.”

God, Naruto, in front of my wife? Sasuke quickly remembers that it’s actually common for friends to miss each other and be alright with expressing such. There’s no way there’s any sort of underlying intent, no sort of attraction on Naruto’s end—why would there be? His ears burn anyway.

“I missed you too. I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Naruto laughs loudly, a bright sound that makes Sasuke’s chest all warm. “You know I can’t go down so easily.”

“I don’t know, with how reckless you were in high school, I was just sure something insane was bound to happen.”

“There’s still time,” Naruto assures.

Sasuke laughs, feeling the most pleasant he has in years. He wants more of this feeling, it’s as if he’s finally seeing a glimmer of light after being shrouded in gripping darkness for so long that he didn’t even realize it was dark. He can’t believe he let Naruto slip through his fingers. He won’t let it happen again.

“Well, I ought to let you guys get going, unless you wanna hang out here, incoming business is dwindling down a little. It was really nice seeing you again, Sasuke! Come back again. You’ll never have to pay.”

“Ah, so I’m a charity case now,” Sasuke jokes, waving his hand.

“You got that right. You look like you haven’t slept in years. I’ll keep you nourished, no charge.”

“I feel like I haven’t slept in years,” Sasuke says, despite regularly getting decent sleep, then adds, “I actually did end up going to law school, by the way.” There was a time before high school graduation where Sasuke couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do; join the family company or become a lawyer. He chose the harder option. Naruto’s advice back then was to choose what would make him happy. Sasuke didn’t tell him that he’d be happy doing literally anything if Naruto was right there next to him.

“Uchiha, J.D., huh? I knew you’d do it,” Naruto says, holding his fist out. Sasuke fist bumps him. “Bet you aced every course, too.”

“You know it,” Sasuke says with a smirk.

“I wanna keep chatting, but I really should go do my job before they go on strike or something.”

“Go do your job, we enjoyed our food, we’ll swing by again.”

“You better,” Naruto says, taking a step backwards. Before he launches into a full walk, he glances at Sakura and then he looks at Sasuke, seemingly trying to convey something, then he turns fully. Sasuke thinks he understands; as he stands up, he lets his phone slip out of his pocket onto the booth, leaving it there as he walks out of the restaurant with Sakura.

“It’s nice seeing you be chatty, didn’t think you had it in you, anymore,” Sakura says as they head to the parking garage.

“Naruto’s the kind of guy who forces you to talk.”

“And yet trying to get you to have a real conversation with me is like pulling teeth.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, not bothering to hide how this is starting to irritate him. “I see you often, there’s nothing new, you know this. I haven’t seen him in fourteen years.”

“Funny thing is we actually don’t see each other often! Even if we are somehow home at the same time, you’re holed up in your room all the time.”

“It was your idea to get separate bedrooms.”

“Sasuke, seriously? It doesn’t mean you can’t come in mine, or I can’t hang out in yours. Hell, we have a massive living room and a theater. You don’t even try to make time for me.”

“I took you on a date like you asked and now you’re trying to pick a fight?”

“Emphasis on like you asked. Why do I have to ask? It’s been twelve years, Sasuke, and I can say with confidence that the number of real dates we’ve been on doesn’t exceed twenty. Sometimes I feel like I’m not even married to you.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Anything! Say anything of actual substance! Let me know what’s going on with you, what’s on your mind, what happens in your daily life. I’m your wife and after all this time I still feel like there’s a brick wall between us.”

“I just am this way. Ask anyone.”

Sakura glares at him. “Should I ask Naruto? Actually, I don’t even have to ask him, because I witnessed it.”

“Once again—”

“Yeah, yeah, you haven’t seen him in a long time. Whatever. Take me home.”

Well, that was the plan, he thinks. Sasuke sighs, starting the car’s engine with the key fob as they approach it, and when he goes to open the passenger door for Sakura, she shoves his arm away and goes to open it herself. He shrugs and walks over to the driver’s side, and when he opens the door, he makes a show of patting his pockets.

He’ll admit he does feel a bit ridiculous.

“Fuck,” he says.

“What?”

“I think I left my phone in the restaurant.”

“Well, hurry up and go get it. I have a headache.”

Sasuke shuts the door and speed walks out of the parking garage, across the street and down the sidewalk and into Uzushio, bypassing the entire line as he makes his way toward their booth. Except a big hand grabs his bicep and yanks him into a dark corner. Sasuke hardly has time to be alarmed before he’s pulled into a rib-crushing hug, arms tight around his waist. The contact makes Sasuke surge with emotion, his arms wrapping around Naruto’s torso, hands resting on his shoulder blades.

He’s so sturdy and solid in Sasuke’s arms, and he can’t help but melt as Naruto rocks him, making no move to pull away. Sasuke doesn’t want him to. Sasuke wants this embrace to last forever, feeling so warm and delighted in a way he no longer thought possible for him. He also can’t help but notice how he’s still taller than Naruto—slightly but still.

Sasuke misses the embrace when Naruto pulls away; he seldom has physical touch, never wants it, abhors it in most cases, but this awakens a dormant craving deep within him.

“I missed you so fucking much, fuck, Sasuke, I never once forgot about you. Even my parents still ask about you. I can’t believe this is how I meet you again.” Naruto talks quickly like he’s out of breath, low on time, and maybe they are. Naruto’s working, and Sasuke has a petulant wife waiting for him.

“I know, I missed you, too. You have no idea. I really am glad you’re alright, more than alright, it seems. Looks like you’re doing really well, actually. I’m not surprised about this place at all. It’s right on brand for you.”

Naruto laughs. “Yeah, it’s been a dream. I worked a corporate job for a while, got it pretty easily because of my dad, but that shit was so mind-numbingly boring I was always on the verge of climbing the walls. I taught middle school for a little bit after that, and that was fulfilling, but I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.” He looks Sasuke up and down, a quick scan that’s nearly imperceptible. He grins. “Look what I got out of it.”

If Sasuke were ten years younger, that’d make him weak in the knees.

“They let you be a teacher?”

Naruto playfully scoffs. “The kids loved me. I taught history. Won teacher of the year once.”

“I believe you,” Sasuke says, confident that he really was a great teacher; he’s unbelievably kind and understanding. “I wanna hear more about it. Do you have my phone?”

“Yeah, here,” Naruto says, handing it over. “I already added my number.”

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. “How’d you get in my phone?”

“0609. Still so predictable.” Naruto sticks his tongue out at him.

How the hell did he guess Sasuke’s brother’s birthday? “It’s kinda scary how much you still know me.”

“You haven’t changed much.”

“What a guy loves to hear.”

“Oh, please, you were perfect then and you’re perfect now.”

“Your idea of perfection is really skewed.”

Naruto’s eyes scan over his face, and Sasuke doesn’t think he’s being delusional when he thinks that his gaze is nothing short of heated. And he shouldn’t like it as much as he does. He isn’t used to this kind of attention.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Naruto says. “Anyway, text me when you get home. Let’s get a drink or something.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke agrees. “I’d like that a lot.”

Naruto holds out his arms in invitation, and Sasuke follows without an ounce of hesitation, pulled into another embrace. He shivers when Naruto says in his ear, “You smell really good.”

Sasuke bites his lip, pointedly ignoring the warmth in his abdomen. Nothing about this situation is appropriate, absolutely nothing, but fuck, he doesn’t want this to end.

“You smell like miso,” Sasuke returns, smoothing his hands down the planes of Naruto’s muscular back before forcing himself to step away.

“Wish I could say it’s a part of the job but I think I just sweat broth at this point.”

Sasuke laughs; tonight is the most he’s laughed in a long while. “Hey, I’ll see you soon, okay? Don’t lose touch again.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Parting from Naruto again is hard, but now that he has his number and a promise to meet again, he is exceedingly delighted. He apparently can’t keep it off his face, because Sakura makes a snide comment about him smiling when he gets in the car.

—

As they step into their foyer, carefully taking their shoes off, Sakura cuddles up to his arm, asking, “You wanna watch a movie tonight?”

“No?”

“Why not?”

“You were literally picking a fight with me earlier.”

“For a valid reason! And look, all you’re doing is proving me right.”

“What happened to your headache? You should go to bed.”

“Fine, can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Not tonight.” Sasuke isn’t proud of it, knowing it’s incredibly shameful to even fathom doing this as a married man, even worse when it’s a result of reencountering an old friend after over a decade, but he has full intention to masturbate tonight. He hasn’t done it in months, rarely ever getting the urge, even if he has an accidental erection.

Right now, he’s one wrong thought away from getting a boner.

“That’s your answer every night.”

“Sakura, can we have this discussion tomorrow?” he pleads. “I just wanna get some sleep. You should do the same.”

She angrily sighs and storms off to her room, slamming her door. Sasuke would feel bad if he didn’t get a conveniently timed text message from ‘Naruto [orange heart] [spiral emoji]’. The culprit of this display name is clearly Naruto himself, and Sasuke is starting to wonder if Naruto is actively trying to get his wife to murder him in his sleep. A heart? Come on.

Naruto: Hope you got home safe! I know I keep saying it but I’m overjoyed to have seen you tonight. Excited to have you back in my life.

Instant boner.

As he walks to his room on the opposite side of the house, he shakes his head to himself, astonished by how pent up he must really be if warmth is roiling in his abdomen like this, anticipation prickling under his skin. In his room, he locks the door and strips himself of his outside clothes, remaining in nothing but his briefs that are already starting to tent.

He gets comfortable underneath his comforter and doesn’t immediately go for it. He doesn’t want to touch it until it’s throbbing.

He responds to Naruto with: Yeah, I’m home. And don’t worry, I relate. Can’t believe it’s been so long.

Naruto doesn’t respond right away, and Sasuke figures he’s still running around the restaurant, considering it doesn’t close for another hour. That’s fine with Sasuke, he’ll simply occupy himself with his brain in the meantime, never needing to outsource material.

He sets his phone down and rests on his back, dragging his hands up the length of his abdomen, his breath hitching when his palms glide over his nipples. It’s hardly a conscious decision to imagine Naruto’s hands, his big palms languidly caressing his skin, Sasuke arching into the warmth of his touch.

He bites his lip as his hips twitch, his blood churning as his cock grows more erect. He teases one of his nipples, thinking of how it felt to be in Naruto’s arms, inhaling the scent of him, encased by his strength and solidity. He had always loved hugging Naruto as a teenager, but now that Naruto is taller, thicker, it’s a different type of thrill.

Sasuke can place the thrill that thrums through his body as he caresses his own skin, imagining it’s Naruto’s hands all over him. It’s the pleasure of not having seen him in a long time, the pleasure of getting proven wrong when he believed he’d never see him again, the pleasure of wanting something that he cannot have because of the constraints he willingly placed himself in, the pleasure of being absolutely sure that Naruto was flirting with him.

That fucking bastard. Always so selfish, thinking he can do whatever he wants with Sasuke, his wife there or not.

Sasuke won’t try anything; it isn’t worth the drama, the effort, the pain he’d cause everyone around him. But his marriage had been dead before they even planned the wedding, he can’t find it within him to feel all that bad about getting off to the sheer thought of Naruto. He wants to be underneath that solid wall of muscle, his own hands caressing warm tan skin, mouthing at the length of his throat, trapping Naruto between his thighs.

Sasuke shudders, his cock jumping, as he subconsciously spreads his legs as if Naruto would ease between them any moment. His breathing picks up as his hand slides lower down his abdomen, playing with the hairs along his navel and brushing against his waistband. It isn’t fair that after all this time, Naruto still has such an effect on him. He knows Naruto can give him the sort of sex he’s never been able to experience. Hell, not even just sex, but proper romantic companionship he’s never been able to experience.

He was so good to him when they were teens; even in the midst of all the fighting and competing, they were always so in tune with each other, always had each other’s backs like no one else did to the point Sasuke resents himself for even allowing them to lose touch. It isn’t like he didn’t feel this unwavering lust back then—it was hard not to with how much contact they regularly engaged in.

Fighting, wrestling, hugging, sleeping on their respective side of the bed during sleepovers that somehow resulted in them being tangled together when they woke up. One time Sasuke woke up to Naruto plastered against his back, an unmistakable erection pressed against his ass, warm breath wafting against his nape. Naruto was knocked out, snoring lightly, and there was no way Sasuke was going to wake him up.

The fact that he grinded back, palming his own erection, is a secret he’s still taking to the grave.

Sasuke wishes he could relive it, honestly, wishes the current Naruto could hold him tight and show him just how much bigger he’s gotten since they last saw each other. He’s fully hard now, already starting to leak as his fingers dip underneath his waistband, gently dragging against the start of his pubic hair before retreating. He opts to drag his fingers over his erection through the fabric, feeling the way it twitches immediately.

He teases himself, dragging the process out even though he wants nothing more than for Naruto to act on the fantasy that’s been forcefully dormant and unapologetically ravish him. Left hand on his cock, the right one still tweaking his nipple, until his phone goes off with a text. He sucks in a shaky breath and checks, not taking his left hand off himself.

Naruto: Finally off. It’s been a long night. Thank god they didn’t need help closing. So tell me what’s been up with you all this time! I can’t wait to hear it.

He texts again before Sasuke can respond.

Naruto: Actually, can I call you? Totally fine if not, I know it’s getting pretty late.

Sasuke stares dumbly at his phone, unsure how to respond. He actually really would like a phone call—which is rare for Sasuke, calls are usually exhausting to him—but he would also really like to finish getting off, considering he hasn’t really started. And Sasuke has enough decorum not to jerk off while another person is on the line, unknowing.

He tries really hard to ignore the scorching hot wave of arousal that just ripped through him at the thought.

He can think. He just has to not act. Sasuke is a master of it.

Sasuke: You can call me

I want to hear your voice is left unsaid.

Naruto doesn’t waste a minute; Sasuke wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t even taken off his work clothes yet. Sasuke answers immediately, pulling his hand away from his erection. He guesses that’ll have to wait.

“Hello?” Sasuke greets; he cringes when he realizes how breathy his voice is.

“Hey,” comes Naruto’s raspy voice through the receiver. “What’s up?”

Sasuke snorts at the casualness. “What’s up, huh? What a loaded question.”

It makes Naruto chuckle, a pleasant sound that sends a warm thrill down his spine, doing no favors for making Sasuke forget what he was doing with his time just a moment ago.

“I know, where do we even start?” Naruto says. “How about you tell me what you’re up to right now?”

“Should I tell you what I’m wearing as well?” is Sasuke’s crude joke that he surprises even himself with. Now that the initial shock has worn off, it seems his body hasn’t forgotten the instant comfortability that comes with being in Naruto’s presence.

Naruto whistles. “I’m all ears.”

“Yeah, I bet you are. I’m in bed right now.” Like hell is he telling Naruto he’s in nothing but his underwear that’s bulging with his erection.

“This phone call isn’t bothering your wife?”

Sasuke hesitates. No one knows that they have separate bedrooms, even if the initial reasoning wasn’t anything inherently bad. But both Sasuke and Sakura know how that would look to outsiders, such as both of their parents and nosey coworkers. It’s Naruto, though.

“We have separate bedrooms. She’s a surgeon, she needs her space.”

“Ah, I see. So how was your day?”

“Normally, I’d say I had a long day but I guess that would be a lie since I didn’t go into the office.” Funny enough, even his off days feel long. “Went to the gym, looked at some cases, cleaned up a bit around the house, went to your restaurant. Only one of those things was eventful.”

“Yeah, those gym sessions get really intense, I bet.”

“For sure. You never know what may go down at the squat racks.”

Naruto laughs, the summery sound tapering into a sigh. “Man, I’ve missed you. I feel like even if I said it a thousand times, it still wouldn’t encompass just how much I fucking missed you. Feel like my life would’ve gone completely differently had you still been by my side.”

Sasuke is pent up, deprived, starving, hungry, desperate. Had you been by my side. His hand aches to find purchase between his thighs, and to combat the need, he turns onto his stomach, letting his hips give a good twitch against the bed before trying to reel the lust in. He puts the phone on speaker, placing it on the pillow next to his head.

“I feel the exact same way,” Sasuke admits. “There would’ve been a lot more happy days between now and then.” A lot less loneliness. Even with his few friends and his wife, there’s a deep-rooted loneliness that he can’t shake, but he always forgot about it when he was with Naruto.

“We’ll just make up for lost time,” Naruto promises. “In the past decade, I’ve been to many wonderful restaurants all over the country that I want to take you to. I’ll take you to the horrible ones, too, just to see your reaction.”

“I can’t wait,” he says sarcastically, but he means it. He’ll follow Naruto everywhere this time. “You travel a lot?”

“I did for a while, yeah. Mainly after I got divorced, it was around the time I quit my corporate job. Ah, guess I never mentioned I’m a divorced guy.”

Divorced. This pleases Sasuke inexplicably, even if it changes nothing. “Bachelor on the market, huh? Why’d she divorce you? Snore too loud? Toenails too long?”

Naruto snorts. “We just weren’t compatible. We’re still really good friends, which works better for us. We were young, fresh out of college, eager to get married and pretend like we knew what we were doing. We learned our lesson.”

Sasuke can relate, although he isn’t sure if he and his wife have learned their lesson well enough.

“What about you?” Naruto asks. “Lawyer married to a surgeon. I’m not surprised. How’d you two meet?”

“College.”

“…”

“A literature class we were both required to take.”

“…”

“She asked me to study and I said yes. Now here we are twelve years later.”

“Nothing else?”

“Not really. We’re both so busy and have been since undergrad that both of our brains are mush at home.”

“Yeah, I get that. Congrats on twelve years, though.”

Sasuke doesn’t want to hear that. “Yeah.”

“No kids?”

“As if we have time. You? Involved in any lengthy custody battles?”

“Bastard,” Naruto admonishes with a small laugh.

“Not me, but your hypothetical kid.”

“If that hypothetical kid was real, I’d be a great dad. Ma would kill me if I wasn’t. Hell, Pa would kill me. We were young and stupid, but not that stupid. We were gonna wait, regardless.”

“When’d you get so smart?”

“When Ma dug her knuckles into my skull and told me if I rushed having children, I’d regret it.”

Sasuke laughs, fond memories of Naruto’s mother bubbling up from the recesses of his mind. They’re mainly memories of her scolding the both of them and pulling at their ears whenever they got into too much trouble, but she always had snacks prepared, always had ample hugs to give, too. Sasuke, a stubborn child, grumbled whenever he got one, but he never pulled away.

He sure missed it when he got to college.

“I miss your family. Where are they?”

“They got a condo out by the beach. Not a terrible drive. They would be overjoyed to have you, we gotta make our way out there someday.”

“I’d love that. You said you traveled a lot. I’ve traveled a bit, mostly for my job, with a few vacations in between. I always forget how much I love doing it until I’m actually there. A few months ago, actually, I went on a business trip to this beautiful village with snowy mountains—”

“What kind of business is a lawyer doing in a mountain village?”

“Meeting with a client, idiot. Some rich assholes like to buy an egregiously luxurious cabin out in areas like that. And I’ll take any chance to change my scenery. As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted,” Sasuke says.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“It was beautiful; the sun hardly went down enough for it to be completely dark. It was cold as shit, but the villagers had given me a tea blend I’d never tried and I still think about it. I got to sit on the porch of my lodging, bundled up with an herbal tea, listening to nothing but the wind whip by as I watched the sun attempt to set. I’ve wanted to go back ever since. Have that feeling once more. It’d be even nicer if you were there with me.”

Nice is an understatement. It’d be a luxury and a privilege to have Naruto take that trip with him; it’d be utterly indulgent that Sasuke almost feels ashamed for wanting it. He can’t think of anything better. Him and Naruto, holding each other’s hands as they trudge through the snow, their cheeks red from the cold.

Sasuke always ran warmer, so he’d hold Naruto until he warmed up, and then they’d make a piping hot soup—with Naruto begging to add ramen to it—and enjoy watching the sky dance with the color he associates most with his lover.

“Don’t say that, Sasuke, I’d drop literally everything. That sounds fucking amazing.”

“Don’t get too excited. I only have five more days off before it’s back to spending my entire life in the firm. Getting vacation time is like pulling teeth.”

“You’re Sasuke Uchiha; I know you’d find a way. I want you to travel more, I know so many spots you’d love.”

“I’ll have to be the judge of that. I’m sure I can find time somewhere.”

Naruto laughs again. Sasuke is so embarrassed by how much he’s already so desperate for him even though they’ve been back in each other’s lives for all of three hours.

“I’m excited, now. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a good vacation. In the meantime, though, we have to take advantage of those five days off you got.”

Sasuke goes for it. “Well, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“I have an admin shift in the morning. I’m off at three. I can be all yours after that. We can go get a drink at a bar, or you could come over and I cook dinner.”

Sasuke is about to make a little quip about his cooking skills—or lack thereof—before remembering he owns a restaurant now. Naruto wasn’t particularly known for his prowess in the kitchen, but he guesses a lot can change in fourteen years. Besides, Sasuke’s tastes aren’t all that eccentric. It’d be hard for Naruto to fuck up a bowl of rice.

But now that he’s moved on from his quick evaluation of Naruto’s cooking skills, his mind latches onto coming over. He’d be spending time with Naruto alone in his house that he undoubtedly lives in by himself. Sasuke wouldn’t dare make a move for obvious reasons, but it doesn’t stop his mind from reeling with possibilities. Alone with Naruto—in Naruto’s kitchen, on Naruto’s couch, in Naruto’s bed.

Sasuke can’t stop his little sharp intake of breath as his hips move on their own, grinding into the bed, his cock starting to soak his briefs. He hopes Naruto didn’t hear it. He should probably choose the bar.

“I could come over. You said you’d nourish me, after all.”

“I did say that. And you know I’m a man of my word. Come over at six?”

“Works for me.” Only he’ll have to spend the entire night and day feeling restless and antsy until six finally comes.

“Awesome, I can’t wait to see you. Get some sleep, lawyer boy. I’ll talk your ear off tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Sasuke says. He doesn’t want to get off the phone, he wants to keep hearing Naruto talk, but he needs to touch himself before he abandons all morals and goes straight for it while Naruto is on the line. “Goodnight, Naruto.”

“Hey, Sasuke…”

“Yeah?”

“When you think of me tonight, just know I’m thinking of you too,” he says, his voice low like he’s telling a secret, as if the sparks of arousal deep within Sasuke’s abdomen were the intended effect. “Goodnight, Sasuke.”

Naruto hangs up, leaving Sasuke to blink at his pillow case, incredibly horny and immensely confused. When you think of me tonight. What the hell is that supposed to mean? His stomach does a violent swoop downwards when it occurs to him—did Naruto think he was jerking off or had plans to? Granted, he wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but it’s not like he was actively doing it while on the phone.

There’s no fucking way. I’m thinking of you too. Naruto wouldn’t just say that so blatantly if that was the conclusion he came up with. That would insinuate something that is far too good to be true. And if he did mean what Sasuke fears he meant—Sasuke burns, he burns and burns, and he wants to scream. One fucking date with his wife he agreed to and now his entire heart has been turned upside down, all because he can’t let go.

But he doesn’t want to let go. He’s never letting go again.

Sasuke decides there’s no point in drawing this out further. He slicks his hand with the barely touched lube he keeps in the nightstand, takes hold of his cock, and languidly strokes himself to the memory of Naruto’s voice and his touch. He purses his lips to contain what little sound tries to spill out, and imagines Naruto holding him, kissing him, fucking him. And when he comes hard with a gasp he can’t contain, making a sticky mess of his stomach and hand, he knows Naruto is thinking of him.

—

When five-thirty rolls around the next day, Sasuke makes his way past the living room on the way out. Except Sakura is on the couch, playing a movie on the giant TV with a face mask and a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Seems like she’s having a good night. She ought to go find someone to hang out with—maybe that coworker she keeps bringing up. Granted, sometimes Sasuke can’t tell whether she hates her or not.

“Where are you going?” she says.

“Out.”

She raises a petulant eyebrow. “To where?”

“Naruto’s place. We’re gonna catch up.”

“Well, guess I’ll just eat this entire bowl of popcorn by myself.”

Sasuke is only mildly confused by her irritation; it isn’t like she asked him to watch the movie with her prior to starting it. “What’s stopping you from inviting a friend over?”

“You think I have time to make friends? And even if I did, I’m sure their schedules would conflict with mine.”

“I see. I’m heading out.”

She only levels him with one last glare before turning back to the TV without a word. Sasuke pays it no more mind than he has to. He’s been anticipating the dinner with Naruto all day, finding ways to keep his mind off it until ultimately giving up and deciding to take a nice, long shower to remedy the potent, lingering arousal by pushing his fingers into himself. It isn’t a pleasure he grants himself often, and the rarity of it always makes him orgasm so intensely that he can hardly collect himself.

The most he only ever does is three fingers, never having experienced a proper stretching; in the rare awakenings of his libido, he considers buying a toy, but never follows through. It always slips his mind. Maybe this time he’ll actually buy one, if it can satisfy a craving that he’s worried he could only get from Naruto—a satisfaction that he can’t have.

But god, would he fucking love if he could get it from Naruto, if it could be Naruto fingering him open and spearing him with his cock that Sasuke knows is thick, if it could be Naruto’s hands on his hips while he uses his body and stretches him like he’s never been stretched before.

Sasuke was right to get it out of his system earlier. Last thing he needs is embarrassing himself tonight.

—

“Can you calm the hell down?” Shikamaru says, lounging at the dining table like he lives here. Although, he does live right next door in their apartment complex.

“No, I can’t calm down!” Naruto says, aggressively washing the rice in the strainer. “This is Sasuke.”

“You’re acting like it’s a date. He’s just a friend, right?”

“We’ve been over this. Not just any friend, but my best friend from childhood who I haven’t seen in a million years. The friend that I had a fat crush on the entire time.”

“Yeah, but that was a million years ago. There’s no way you can still feel the same.”

Naruto purses his lips, pausing the assault on the rice for a quick second before getting back to it, now frustrated the water doesn’t seem to want to run clear. He also thought there was no way he could feel the same as he did all those years ago, genuinely believing he had moved past it, even if he still ached for his company up until last night. Now he isn’t so sure anymore. Seeing Sasuke again opened up feelings that had been buried for the sake of protecting himself.

But now that Sasuke is so within reach, he can’t help but want to pounce and stake his claim so that he’s never let out of his sight again. Even when they were young, he had always secretly been so possessive over Sasuke, never wanting to let him go too far, despising when his many admirers made their moves on him. Sasuke was always his.

It’s why he hasn’t been able to forgive himself for allowing losing touch to even happen. It should’ve been unfathomable. He should’ve tried harder to track him down. The only way he could cope was to bury the feeling.

Yet one extremely lucky interaction in the restaurant he worked so hard to start from the ground up, and a pleasant phone-call where Sasuke sounded so breathy and pretty that Naruto couldn’t help but get ideas that had his cock throbbing, and now here he is, plagued with a desire that’s vast in strength but incredibly familiar.

To want Sasuke is as natural for Naruto as breathing.

The day he married Hinata, twenty-two and eager to have something his parents did, he could only think about Sasuke. At that point, it had been four years since they last saw each other, but the time didn’t stop Naruto from mourning what could have been with him.

Naruto thought of how Sasuke would’ve looked in his wedding robes, how he would’ve hated an extravagant wedding and insisted on something simple and private, what he would’ve said in his vows, how he would’ve sounded when Naruto kissed every inch of his body on their honeymoon, wringing orgasms out of him like it was his very last mission on earth.

He never stopped regretting not confessing to Sasuke when they graduated high school.

“You’d think,” Naruto replies to Shikamaru, officially deeming the rice clean enough.

He’s eternally grateful that he’s been given a chance to make up for lost time, but he’s trying his hardest to let go of the idea that clings relentlessly to his brain that this is some sort of date, that he now has a chance to officially make Sasuke his own. Sasuke is married. Naruto literally met his wife. There is no chance for Naruto.

…And who is Naruto kidding? He can’t make himself believe it no matter how much he repeats it in his head. With the way Sasuke hugged him back in the restaurant, shuddering in his arms when Naruto whispered in his ear, the way he was trying and failing to hide his panting on the phone, suggesting that he was doing something Naruto would’ve never expected from Sasuke, Naruto just can’t subscribe to the idea that Sasuke is not still his.

Naruto had always prided himself on how well he knew Sasuke; it never once explicitly came up in conversation, but Naruto had no doubt in his mind that Sasuke was gay. Naruto wasn’t prideful enough to let himself believe that Sasuke was in love with him—it would’ve been way too good to be true—but him being gay was a no brainer.

It’s not like Sasuke is helping his case, not with the way Naruto couldn’t get any information from him about his marriage, or the overall tense vibes he felt when he was waiting their table. Naruto wants to be the morality saint, and wants to promise himself that he’d never pursue Sasuke out of a desire to do the right thing, but he can’t. He couldn’t swear on it if a gun was to his head.

Sasuke is so obviously deeply repressed, and what’s a great way to make up for lost time than to pull him out of his shell, show him how good he could make him feel. It’d be a crime to pass up the chance to help him, really.

Shikamaru sighs. “It’s probably just the excitement of meeting again. Once you guys start hanging out more, you’ll probably realize that you’ve naturally grown apart.”

“I think once we start hanging out more, I’ll fall in love with him all over again.”

“Well, aren’t you dramatic.”

“You don’t get it. It’s Sasuke. He’s perfect.”

“You a school girl?”

Shit, Naruto might as well be. Last night at the restaurant, he definitely was inwardly fawning over how cool Sasuke still was with his silky black hair pulled back to show off his gorgeous face that has only gotten better with age, and the black outfit that showcased how lean he is, accentuating his long limbs. He was beyond flustered on the inside. He wished Sasuke had come alone; he wanted more time to admire him without the scrutinizing eyes of his wife.

Naruto would say he isn’t entirely sure why Sasuke has a wife to begin with, but he isn’t that shocked about it. He knows how Sasuke’s father is. He was a dick to both of them back then.

Naruto snorts. “Honestly, yeah. I’m not far off from all the girls who were obsessed with him back then.” Only difference was that he was the one Sasuke was closest to.

“You’re hopeless, man. Fine, then, what is stopping this from being a date?”

“…Did I not mention he’s married?”

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. “You’re freaking out over a married man? Come on, Naruto, let’s have a little decorum.”

“I know, I know,” Naruto says, drying his hands. “I didn’t say I was going to try to fuck him.” He wouldn’t be opposed. “I’m just a little stressed, I want to impress him.”

“And you’re certain his husband won’t want to kill you?”

“That’s the funny part. He has a wife.”

“You’re losing me.”

“I know how this all sounds.” Naruto chuckles in a faux nervousness.

“Whatever, it’s your life.”

That’s what Naruto likes most about Shikamaru; he’ll give his two cents but not much beyond it. It’s what makes Naruto enjoy telling him all his business, no matter how ridiculous. As much as Shikamaru likes to complain, Naruto knows that the next time they see each other, he won’t hesitate to ask how his ‘date’ went.

Naruto cooks the rice, grills fish, prepares miso soup and a tomato salad that he knows Sasuke likes, and Shikamaru complains about the fact that his manager at the fancy tech company he works at wants to promote him and that he can’t be bothered because it’s way too much work.

Naruto admittedly is only half-listening, a major part of his brain concentrating on the meal, another buzzing with excitement at the fact that Sasuke is coming over. They have been sporadically texting throughout the day, and when Naruto sent him a picture of himself doing boring admin work, Sasuke blessed him with a picture of him at the gym.

In the picture, Sasuke was slightly flushed and a little sweaty, strands of hair falling in his eyes. Naruto had to turn off his phone to quit staring at it.

All Naruto can think about is holding him, kissing him, and finding out everything new about him. He’d yank that fucking ring off his finger himself, then interlace their fingers together as he fucks him, sucking the evidence into his pretty pale skin.

At five-thirty, he kicks out Shikamaru who sarcastically wishes him good luck. He’s out the door before Naruto can remind him that the walls aren’t that thick; if Naruto does get lucky, it’s Shikamaru and his wife who suffers.

Sasuke texts him that he’s on his way, and Naruto has to resist the urge to pace relentlessly around the kitchen. Instead, he plates the little dishes and sets his table. He prepares a glass of water for Sasuke and sets an expensive wine bottle in the middle of the table to let him know the option is there.

And then he paces. The man he’s yearned over for nearly his entire life is coming to his apartment after ages of separation. He isn’t necessarily nervous; he’s still so comfortable around Sasuke. But the excitement is nearly too much to bear, his heart feels like it’s going to leap out of his chest.

Naruto startles when there’s a knock at his door and then nearly breaks his ankle and shatters a vase while trying to get there. Trying his best to play it cool, he opens the door, beholding an absurdly beautiful Sasuke. He’s dressed in a maroon sweater and a pair of dark jeans, and his hair is down—Naruto so badly wants to brush it out of his face.

Except Naruto is now made aware of his own attire—ratty sweatpants and an old hoodie from his university. So much for impressing Sasuke.

Sasuke scans down the length of him. “I might have overdressed.”

“Nah, you look good. I should’ve worn something nicer.”

“You just got off work and cooked a whole meal, you get to dress comfortably,” Sasuke says, inviting himself in, neatly toeing off his shoes in the foyer. Naruto closes the door behind him and finds himself smiling at the sight of Sasuke’s boots next to his shoes; they don’t feel out of place at all.

“Someone as elegant as you should only have me at my best.”

Sasuke snorts. “Like I haven’t seen you in all sorts of compromising and embarrassing conditions.”

“We were teenagers, everything was embarrassing and gross.”

“Yeah, it’s been that long, huh?” Sasuke says wistfully, glancing back at Naruto.

“But we found each other again,” Naruto says, unable to stop himself from pulling Sasuke into his arms. His heart soars when Sasuke immediately follows, one of his hands snaking into Naruto’s hair—it’s an intimate hold, nearly a possessive one, and Naruto can’t get enough of it. It takes everything within Naruto not to bury his nose in Sasuke’s neck and inhale the scent of his expensive cologne and clean skin. “I know it was meant to be.”

“Have you always been this sappy?” Sasuke asks, making no move to remove himself.

“Have you seen my parents? Hard not to be, especially with you.”

Sasuke hums in response, and they stay like that for a long moment that certainly would raise eyebrows if they weren’t alone. Naruto loves it. He’s never forgotten the feel of Sasuke in his arms, but now he here he is, thirty-two and leaner, taller—still taller than Naruto much to his mild annoyance—and Naruto wants to memorize the feel of this Sasuke in his arms.

“I’m starving,” Sasuke mumbles.

“I bet,” Naruto says, smoothing his hand up Sasuke’s back, the material of his sweater soft against his palm, before reluctantly releasing him. “Let’s go eat. I made you something simple.”

At the dining table, Sasuke glances around the apartment, no doubt assessing Naruto’s work around the place. He moved into this place after his divorce with the intent to eventually move somewhere smaller and cozier, but with his decorations—a bunch of plants, some paintings that were gifted to him, drawings from the kids he taught, the ramen poster he refuses to part ways with even though it’s on its last legs—he’s gotten attached to the place.

“You can cook and clean; are you really Naruto?”

Naruto playfully kicks his foot under the table. “Still a dickhead, huh? You’re certainly Sasuke.”

Sasuke laughs, a small chuckle under his breath that makes Naruto’s chest tighten affectionately. He doesn’t think there’s anything more beautiful than Sasuke’s smile. He wants to wake up to it every morning.

“This place is really nice, everything about it is so you,” Sasuke says.

And Sasuke fits in perfectly. The sight of him sitting at Naruto’s dining table, about to eat a meal Naruto prepared, feels so natural that it genuinely hurts that Sasuke will leave at some point tonight, instead of going to bed with him.

“Thanks. I was gonna move because I think it’s way too big for just me, but I’ve gotten comfortable here.”

“I think it works. It’s in a quiet area and you could probably fit a lot more plants in here,” Sasuke says, gesturing vaguely at the space, no doubt insinuating that there’s already a shit ton.

“Are you encouraging my addiction?”

“You could be addicted to worse things,” Sasuke says, picking up his chopsticks. Naruto follows the action, so taken by looking at Sasuke that he nearly forgot what they’re actually here to do. “Thank you for the food, Naruto. God knows I rarely cook.”

“So busy, huh? Come over any time. I got you.”

Sasuke smiles as he takes a bite of rice, and Naruto swears he sees a faint hint of red on his cheekbones. Naruto means every word. He’d gladly cook for Sasuke after he’s had a long day at work; he’d do anything for that smile, that beautiful look of gratitude.

It takes them longer than it should to eat since they insist on chatting. Naruto asks him about his job and Sasuke complains about how dealing with business people decreases his life span and about how they get freaks at their firm constantly. Sasuke asks him about his time as a teacher and Naruto goes on and on about how much he loved the middle schoolers he taught and how it was surprisingly easy and how he cried his eyes out when he finally decided to quit.

“Uzushio was my ultimate goal after I attended a few ramen making classes; a good ramen restaurant makes me happy, so I want to make others happy. But if it ever goes under, I totally wouldn’t mind teaching again.”

“From what it looks like, Uzushio is working out for you just fine. It was fucking packed.”

Naruto grins. “What can I say? My team and I are good at what we do.”

“I’m really happy for you, Naruto,” Sasuke says so earnestly it makes Naruto blush. “I’ve spent all this time worrying for nothing. You’re doing amazing for yourself.”

“You were worried I’d be a failure or something?” is Naruto’s incorrect response. He can’t help it; being flustered is embarrassing.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “You have rich parents. I knew you’d be fine. But you used to talk so much about how you didn’t know what you wanted to do after school. I’m glad you’ve found something that works really well for you.”

“Aw, thanks, Sasuke,” Naruto says, hiding half his face behind a hand.

Sasuke averts his gaze and shoves a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

When they finally finish eating, Sasuke insists on washing the dishes, and after assuring him that he’s the guest and he certainly doesn’t have to, Naruto relents. It’s one less task for him to do and Naruto gets to watch Sasuke do a domestic task and continue to pretend that this is just another normal evening for the two of them.

Naruto leans against the counter and watches Sasuke work at the sink, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He’s drawn to the curve of his tight ass, and his hand itches to touch.

“Stop staring at me.” Sasuke doesn’t even look at him.

“I’m not staring.” He totally is.

“You are.”

“I am,” he admits. “You’re pretty. I can’t help myself.”

“You’re flirting with a married man, you know.”

Naruto resists the urge to roll his eyes, even if he knows Sasuke is just being cheeky. “I almost forgot, considering you haven’t mentioned her all night.”

“You haven’t asked.”

“I’ve gathered that there’s no point in asking.”

“And you’re right.”

Sasuke leaves it at that, but there’s a level of tension that falls over the two of them that Naruto thinks is absolutely ridiculous. He wants Sasuke, and if he’s reading his behavior correctly, Sasuke wants him as well. Nothing about tonight, or even last night, has been purely about friendship. There is clear, mutual desire, the unavoidable pull between them that’s still this potent after all this time. They finally have a chance to fix what should’ve happened when they were eighteen.

But they don’t have to rush it, even if Naruto wants nothing more than to grab him and kiss him breathless until his dark, captivating eyes are filled with tears right now. He can understand what apprehension Sasuke might have. It’s fine. Naruto will be here.

“You wanna watch a movie tonight?” Naruto offers. It’s an obvious plea for Sasuke to stay a little longer.

“Yeah. Let’s open that bottle while we’re at it.”

—

Sasuke wakes up to a vague recollection of Naruto kissing him in his dream. His half-hard cock backs it up.

He groans, sweaty and unreasonably disappointed that he’s in his own bed. Naruto didn’t kiss him last night; he gave him another lengthy hug, caressed his back in a display of intimacy that he isn’t used to, and whispered in his ear that he had a good time, his lips gently brushing against Sasuke’s skin. But no kiss.

Not that Sasuke was expecting it. Not that Sasuke had any intention of being unfaithful.

He resists the urge to get himself off considering he already did last night when he got home, and three times in two days is starting to feel a little ridiculous. He isn’t used to feeling this overwrought with desire anymore; it’s overwhelming and utterly consuming. He’s glad he’s off work for the next few days because he wouldn’t be able to get anything done at work with the way his mind is now constantly Naruto, Naruto, Naruto.

Sasuke goes to text him, only to see that he’s gotten a bunch of texts from people who aren’t Naruto.

Sakura: Would you want to get breakfast this morning?

Then in his friends’ group chat that was named Taka eight whole years ago:

Suigetsu: lets get coffee this morning guys

Karin: your treat?

Suigetsu: hell no

Karin: cheap ass

Suigetsu: says you

Karin: get coffee by yourself brokey

Juugo: I’ll get coffee with you, Suigetsu

Suigetsu: YES who needs karin anyway

Karin thumbs downed his message.

Suigetsu: sasuke i know you have the day off, come or youre lame

These were all twenty minutes ago.

Sasuke: Where and when

Suigetsu: that overpriced place by the lab and im thinking 9

Sasuke: I’ll come

What a productive week off he’s having. His intention was to do absolutely nothing for seven whole days until it was time to get back in the office, but in total uncharacteristic fashion, now that there is an update on his normally stagnant life, he wants to give it to them.

Maybe talking to them about Naruto, without revealing too much about himself and the fragility of his marriage, will help him steer clear from doing something he might regret.

He doubts it. They’re rarely ever helpful. Nor are they entirely morally sound.

Sasuke has enough sense to be aware that he really just wants to talk about Naruto for the sake of talking about Naruto.

They all heart his message; Karin included, who will no doubt be there, Sasuke or no Sasuke.

He then texts Sakura: Sorry, I have plans already.

He only feels mildly bad.

And then he texts Naruto: Good morning, idiot. Did you sleep alright?

Sakura texts back: With Naruto?

Sasuke fucking wishes. He already misses him. They haven’t planned anything yet, but he’s looking forward to seeing him again, whenever that may be. Hopefully tonight. There’s pleasure in wanting, pleasure that Sasuke hasn’t felt in an awful amount of time.

He should feel pathetic to have fallen in one day like he’s never gotten up the first time. He doesn’t care. He feels alive for once.

Sasuke: No. With Suigetsu and the others.

Sakura: How come you never invite me to things?

Sasuke: These are their plans, not mine. You’ve also met them several times and each time you complain about how annoying they are.

Sakura: Still

Sakura: What’s the point of having time off together if we don’t spend it together? You know I only have tomorrow left.

Sasuke sighs, not responding right away. It’s too early for this. He took the time off before his chance expired and Sakura decided to do the same when he told her about it. He got a week, but she could only get five days. Having lined up time off was not a part of his original plan.

Sasuke: You’re in the hospital all day, don’t you want to take some time to yourself?

Sakura: I can’t want to spend time with the man I married?

Sasuke is about to respond before it occurs to him that he’s about to start arguing with his wife through text when they live in the same house. He snorts. He’s not dealing with this. He sets his phone down and gets dressed, planning to leave immediately even if it means aimlessly driving until it gets closer to nine.

He doesn’t want to argue, nor does he want to include her in something that’ll result in an awkward outing. She thinks his friends are freaks, and she’s right, and they think she’s uptight, which she is. It’s best to keep them separated.

Sasuke is halfway out of his bedroom door when Naruto texts him back.

Naruto: Good morning to you, too, bastard. I slept great, helped that I had a great time last night. Miss you already.

Sasuke: I miss you, too. Drinks tonight?

Naruto: I have to help them close and I doubt you want to be at the bars at 1am

Sasuke only considers getting in the car and driving off a bridge for half a second.

Naruto: You could come over after I’m off if you don’t mind being out late. Otherwise, I’m free until noon.

Sasuke: Really making me work for time with you, huh?

Naruto: Shut up or I’ll literally call out

Sasuke: Don’t ditch your responsibilities for me. I don’t want to have to console you when the business immediately collapses and your career’s over. I’ll come over tonight. I’ll bring you food.

Naruto: If that happens, I’ll just leech off a certain lawyer I know.

Naruto: But sounds good!! Can’t wait to see you again! I’ll be thinking about tonight all day

Any normal person would call the sound Sasuke makes a giggle. But he’s Sasuke. He doesn’t giggle. Although, he is outrageously flustered, his ears growing warm and his lips pulling into a smile he can’t contain. He wonders if the ticklish warmth in his abdomen is how it’s supposed to feel when he agrees to a date, as opposed to exasperated indifference.

He doesn’t bother reminding himself that it’s not a date.

—

“Look who actually showed up!”

The aforementioned overpriced coffee shop by the neuroscience lab everyone works at save for Sasuke is massive; another trendy spot with decent espresso and supposedly aesthetic tables and absurdly on the nose wallpaper. There are people everywhere with laptops and headphones, all sorts of school materials spread out on the tables, but Suigetsu’s loud ass voice makes it very easy for Sasuke to spot the round table they snagged.

He sits in between Suigetsu and Karin and across from Juugo, a preventative measure he subconsciously started doing ages ago.

“You caught me at a good time, what can I say?” Sasuke says. “Did you guys order yet?”

“No, we were waiting for you,” Karin says.

“You say it as if I’m late.”

She shrugs. “We were getting bored.”

They collectively get up, heading to the line that’s annoyingly long. Suigetsu nudges him with an elbow and smirks. “You don’t look like you’re on the verge of mass murder. Got laid?”

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. “Got laid?” he says incredulously.

“I would imagine getting laid is a regular occurrence for him,” Karin says. “Considering he’s married.”

Sasuke doesn’t mean to. He laughs. He laughs and they all look at him like he’s crazy. Even Juugo.

“I wasn’t going to mention it, but I’m curious now. Something happened?” Juugo says.

“I think he’s on drugs,” Suigetsu says with exaggerated concern. “Look at his pupils.”

“You can’t even discern his pupils from his irises,” is Karin’s smart response. “I think that firm has finally cracked him. It was only a matter of time.”

“I’m not on drugs,” Sasuke says, still smiling. His cheeks are starting to hurt from doing the rare action so much lately. “I’ll explain when we sit.”

Sasuke sacrifices eight whole dollars for an iced americano. He fucking hates this coffee shop. While they wait at the end of the bar for their drinks and Suigetsu and Karin’s pastries, Juugo asks him, “So how was Uzushio?”

Sasuke doesn’t even get to respond before Suigetsu is exclaiming, “He’s smiling again! Guys, I’m getting really concerned!”

He’s usually better at controlling his face than this.

“Shut up, Suigetsu,” Sasuke says.

“Come on, tell us, you got laid, didn’t you?”

“Quit making me laugh.”

Sasuke is saved by the barista calling his name; he grabs his drink and doesn’t bother waiting for his friends as he goes to sit down, practicing his stoic face since apparently thinking about Naruto is enough to fuck it up. He honestly wishes the day could go faster just so he can see him already. He’d be happy just sitting in his presence.

His friends soon follow.

“Spill,” Karin says, nearly slamming her hazelnut latte on the table.

They’re all looking at him.

“The food at Uzushio was good.”

“Okay, and?” Suigetsu says.

Sasuke smiles. He can’t help it. Their eyes all widen. “Can you guys relax? Our server happened to be the owner who also happened to be a good friend from childhood whom I hadn't seen in many, many years.”

“So what I’m hearing is you can hook us up with free ramen?” Karin asks.

Suigetsu juts a thumb toward her. “This chick’s always trying to get free shit.” Karin glares daggers into his head. Suigetsu continues. “Anyway, that’s enough to change your entire demeanor?”

“Is getting laid by the person I’ve been married to for years supposed to change my entire demeanor?”

Suigetsu rolls his eyes. “Tell us what actually happened.”

“You don’t think seeing an old friend would make a person happy?” Juugo asks, and Karin hums her agreement.

“You guys aren’t skeptical enough! Or curious. But I am.”

“You know Sasuke doesn’t like for people to pry.”

“Don’t care. Tell me, Sasuke.”

“I went over to his place last night to catch up over dinner. It was nice. I’m going over again tonight, actually.” Sasuke takes a sip of his eight dollar drink. Mediocre espresso.

“Going out to eat, going to someone’s house for dinner, getting coffee with us and then going to someone’s house again? That’s a lot of action. Are you really Sasuke?” Karin asks.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “I don’t know what the hell you guys are so shocked about. I have a week off, which is very rare. And like I said, it’s my best friend from childhood who I haven’t seen since high school. Of course I’m pleased to see him again. Have I really never told you guys about Naruto?”

“Not that I recall,” Suigetsu says, narrowing his eyes at him. “Tell us about this guy.”

“Hmm.” Sasuke tries to choose his words carefully. “He was loud and obnoxious back then, and he’s honestly not too far off even now. He’s still the Naruto I knew, just more mature, as one would imagine.” And way fucking hotter. And still so incredibly sweet and endearing.

“So he’s like Suigetsu, minus the mature,” Karin says.

Suigetsu retaliates by reaching over to take a sip of her latte, to which Karin reacts by reaching over Sasuke to smack him upside the head. Year after year, and they still don’t change. Sasuke acts like it annoys him outwardly, but everyone knows that if it really did, he wouldn’t be here.

“Don’t compare Naruto to Suigetsu,” Sasuke says.

“Yeah! I’m way better than this Naruto guy.”

“Not even close.”

Suigetsu scoffs, and Juugo raises an eyebrow at Sasuke.

“So what’s Naruto to you?” Juugo asks.

“I just said—”

“Look at you!” Suigetsu says loudly, making heads turn towards them. “You’re smirking—”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are! You want to fuck him so bad, don’t you?”

And why is Sasuke’s jaw the only one that drops? His ears feel hot. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Suigetsu laughs like he’s cracked the fucking code. “Ah, I see, I see. So show me a picture of this ramen guy. Let me see if he’s up to par.”

“What fucking par?”

“Suigetsu, what are you talking about, dumbass? Do I have to mention again that Sasuke’s married?” Karin says, looking to Juugo to back her up. He does not back her up. If Juugo isn’t telling Suigetsu that he sounds ridiculous, then Sasuke really is making it too damn obvious.

“Sasuke doesn’t even remind people he’s married. You’re just mad because you owe me twenty dollars.”

“I don’t owe you shit based on your dumb assumptions!”

Meanwhile Sasuke is trying his hardest to keep his composure even if he’s inwardly freaking the hell out. He casually sips his americano, as casually as he can with his ears burning so hotly they might actually fall off. It’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal that Suigetsu is confident about the belief that Sasuke likes men, even if Sasuke has never told anyone, not even Naruto. These are his ridiculous friends he met at his graduate school’s library; so what if they know.

Sasuke’s heart can’t get the memo that it’s not a big deal.

“See and now you made him go quiet,” Karin says, gesturing towards Sasuke.

“So?” Suigetsu presses. “I’m sure you have a picture. Show me.”

“We can just drop the subject,” Juugo says, and Sasuke is grateful for him. So much for talking about Naruto while not revealing too much about himself. He wishes he was more shocked that twenty dollars were on the line.

And really, so what if they know? They have no connections to his wife or his family. Worst case scenario they tell him that he’s in the wrong in this entire situation that has lasted way too long. Sasuke doesn’t mean to be cocky when he says he can’t imagine them dropping him in any scenario.

Sasuke takes a sip of his coffee and sighs dramatically. He takes out his phone to pull up the picture Naruto sent him the other day, only to see that Naruto sent him another selfie. A better one. In addition to pictures of various flower bushes.

The text reads: On a walk and came across these beautiful flowers!! Love my apartment but I’d kill for a real garden

Sasuke’s chest tightens with overwhelming fondness. He really adores him.

The picture of himself is gorgeous; the sun is beating down on his tan skin beautifully, making him glow and his blue eyes glimmer, the sheen of sweat on his forehead only adding to the allure of it all. And he’s smiling a gentle smile.

Sasuke sends back without thinking: You’re so handsome

“Fuck,” he curses under his breath, wishing he could unsend it immediately.

To play it off, he quickly adds: The flowers are really pretty, I’m glad it’s finally Spring. And you’d thrive with a garden. Our yard is depressing, you’d have a field day transforming it.

“Hey, Earth to Sasuke?” Karin asks, waving her hand in his face.

“Sorry,” he says. He taps on the glowy picture of Naruto and puts his phone in the middle of the table. “...Maybe I do want to fuck him.”

They all flock to the phone like vultures. Suigetsu whistles obnoxiously.

“Damn, he’s hot,” Karin says.

“He is. No wonder Sasuke can’t stop smiling like a schoolgirl,” Suigetsu says.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, feeling oddly calmer, that is until Suigetsu ruins it again.

“Now before I press Karin for my money, one final question, Sasuke. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be.”

“Are you gay or bisexual?”

“Gay.”

Suigetsu holds his hand out across the table. Karin smacks his hand away. He puts it out again. She aggressively digs out her wallet then puts a twenty in his palm. He cackles triumphantly.

“So what are you going to do?” Juugo asks.

“Nothing at all.”

“No man sends pics like that if he also doesn’t wanna fuck you,” Suigetsu says. “I say go for it.”

“There’s no doubt he wants to fuck me,” Sasuke says, and wow does it feel fucking insane to be saying any of this out loud. He never planned to do so, ever. But it’s a little freeing, being able to talk about this so casually without heavy disappointment or a violent argument. “But like I said, I’m not going to do anything. It isn’t right.”

“What’s not right?” Suigetsu asks.

“Karin, do you want to remind him again?”

“His wife, fool,” she says.

“Why are you even married to her?”

“You’re really amazing at social cues, did you know that?” Karin says.

Suigetsu rolls his eyes. “It’s Sasuke; who cares?”

“It’s way too much to get into, but I’m not sure divorce is an option,” Sasuke says.

“Why not?” asks Juugo.

“Simply put, backlash from the family.”

“Dude, you’re pushing forty and rich,” Suigetsu points out, not kindly.

“Shut up, Suigetsu!” Karin says.

“Pushing forty?” Sasuke asks.

“Yeah, you heard me. You’re gonna be on your deathbed when you’re eighty and your last thought will be: I really should’ve fucked that sexy blonde guy. And then you’re gonna die a loser.”

“I’m going to die a loser because I didn’t fuck that sexy blonde guy?”

“Precisely.”

“Well,” Sasuke starts, knowing his next question is about to be a mistake. “What would you guys do in this situation?”

“I wouldn’t be in this situation,” Karin says.

“Me neither,” Juugo says.

“Wow.”

“But,” Karin starts. “He is pretty hot. I also say go for it.”

“You guys can’t be serious.”

“Just divorce your wife, dude. You’re wasting her time and yours and this sexy blonde guy’s. Unless you want to give ramen boy’s number to me and I’ll fuck—”

“Suigetsu, I would literally murder you.”

Suigetsu laughs, once again like he won.

—

Once he got home from the rather stressful outing with his loud ass friends, having left with less secrets and no substantial boost to his morality, he had to try his hardest to dodge a useless argument with Sakura, insisting that no, he’s not interested in Karin, admitting that yes, he is seeing Naruto tonight, and sure, he’ll do something with her tomorrow night.

Suigetsu’s words rang in his head the entire time. Just divorce your wife, dude. A tiny part of him considered bringing it up, but not only would it have caused hysterics and a headache, but that would also be him initiating a major life change based on the advice of Suigetsu of all people. It’s great advice; it’s hardly advice, it’s just the right answer. But still, it’s Suigetsu. And he needs to think more about it.

Asking for a divorce right now coincides too closely with meeting Naruto again. Anyone could connect the dots. There’s also the aspect of immediately getting a divorce after having been in contact with Naruto again for only three days; it’s not like a proper relationship—which is something Sasuke has been trying his hardest to not imagine—would immediately come of it.

However, Naruto or no Naruto, the divorce needs to happen.

Whatever. He’ll think deeper about that later.

Right now, he’s standing in front of Naruto’s door with a giant margherita pizza, dressed more appropriately this time—a long sleeve sleep shirt and sweatshorts. Normally, Sasuke wouldn’t be caught dead wearing an outfit like this outside the house, but it’s nearly eleven at night and like hell is he wearing jeans.

All of his self-inflicted woes are momentarily forgotten when Naruto opens the door, smiling that dazzling smile at Sasuke like he hung the stars in the sky.

“Hey,” he says before yawning and stretching as he steps aside to let Sasuke in, except it makes his shirt rise a little bit, exposing his lower abdomen and thick happy trail to Sasuke. It’s unbearably hot.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Sasuke says.

Naruto chuckles, taking the pizza box out of his hands so Sasuke can take his shoes off and close the door. Sasuke follows him, not to the kitchen, or even his living room, but to his bedroom. With the pizza box. Total bachelor, he is.

“I’m surprised you agreed to come hang out with me so late,” Naruto says, placing the pizza on the dresser. “You’ve always had the sleeping patterns of an old man.”

“It’s served me this long,” Sasuke says, glancing around Naruto’s bedroom since he didn’t get a peek yesterday. It’s spacious with a king sized bed in the middle of the room with a navy blue comforter but garishly orange pillow cases. Classic Naruto. There’s a mounted television, a hefty dose of plants littering every surface and hanging from one corner, a few paintings, and two big windows on either side of the bed that show off the city‘s skyline.

It’s pretty clean, save for the pile of clothes in another corner. A major upgrade from how messy his childhood bedroom constantly was.

“Had a long day?” Sasuke asks as Naruto adjusts the blanket on the bed, seemingly opening up space for both of them to lay in it. They never had any qualms about sleeping together when they were teenagers, and they always lounged in each others’ beds, but now that they’re older and Sasuke is married, there is a heavy implication that he doesn’t want to be the one to bring up.

If Naruto is fine with it, and if he’s not going to mention anything about it, then Sasuke won’t, either. He’s also mildly sleepy, and the bed looks very comfortable, and after the day he’s had—objectively, it wasn’t a long day, but the interactions today have him craving comfort in a way he normally doesn’t—he’d kill to be close to Naruto.

And if he accidentally sleeps overnight, he doubts Sakura will notice.

“Yeah,” Naruto says, sighing. “Extremely busy, tonight, and we weren’t even understaffed this time. Lots of assholes. Lots of fuckups.”

Sasuke feels mildly bad for taking up his time so late right after he got off work, but if Naruto didn’t want to, he wouldn’t have given the option. He learned that about Naruto very early on.

He touches Naruto’s shoulder blade to get him to turn around, and then he snakes his arms around his waist, internally preening when Naruto returns his embrace enthusiastically. He soaks in Naruto’s warmth, and inhales his scent of clean laundry and freshly washed skin. With one hand, he soothingly caresses Naruto’s back, and with the other, he gently scratches his scalp.

He can physically feel Naruto relax in his arms, and it makes Sasuke inexplicably happy. All these years, and only a few days of knowing each other again, yet Sasuke still gets to be a source of comfort for him.

“It’s the price of success,” Sasuke says. “Everyone can’t help flocking to you, even in your restaurant.”

Naruto laughs, and the movement shakes Sasuke along with him. “I knew it would be stressful, but holy shit, does it get really fucking exhausting sometimes. But I could never do what you do.”

“You’d hate the people and the monotony of it. You’d go fucking crazy.” Sasuke pulls back only slightly to see his face, only for his heart to flip when their eyes meet. They’re so close to the point Sasuke can feel his breath, and he so badly wants to kiss him. He doesn’t think he’d reject it if Naruto kissed him.

But he doesn’t want to make the first move. Sasuke doesn’t want to make any move. He can’t let his morals be the same if not worse than Karin and Suigetsu’s.

But Naruto is really gorgeous, and really warm, and his full lips look really soft.

“How was your day, Sasuke?”

Sasuke loves the way Naruto says his name; it’s like silk in his mouth. And they’re still holding each other. He’s never felt so much comfort.

“It was alright. Got coffee with my friends. Went a little stir crazy at home having to wait to see you.”

Naruto grins. Sasuke aches to kiss him.

“Stay the night with me?” Naruto proposes.

“Yeah,” Sasuke answers with zero hesitation. And to combat the extremely strong urge to kiss him, Sasuke says, “Come on, let’s eat then we’ll get you to bed, old man.”

—

For what it’s worth, after killing four slices, Naruto does try his best to entertain Sasuke but the exhaustion is so apparent on his face and in his raspy voice that Sasuke takes mercy on him. He turns off the movie they were only half paying attention to, leaving them in near-perfect darkness, ruined only by the glittering lights of the city.

There’s plenty of space in Naruto’s bed to where they could each comfortably be on their own side without risk of touching, but somehow, they’re still so close, only about a foot apart.

“Go to sleep, Naruto,” Sasuke says, fixing the blanket so that it’s properly over the both of them. He faces Naruto whose eyes are closed.

“I’m not sleepy,” he mumbles sleepily.

Sasuke chuckles. “Who are you trying to impress? I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, idiot.”

Naruto gently smiles, and then he’s out, snoring lightly while Sasuke admires his peaceful face. Sasuke lets himself pretend. He pretends that the wedding band on his finger is an indication of his union with Naruto, and that sleeping with and waking up to Naruto is a luxury he’s used to. He pretends that he has the right to reach out and run his fingers through his hair as he sleeps.

His heart aches. What different his life could have been.

How did he ever part with Naruto the first time? How was he able to just keep living his life passively, having given up on Naruto completely? He doesn’t want to lose him again. He couldn’t handle the pain of having this ripped away from him again. He wouldn’t take it so passively this time.

He knows it’s wrong. He can’t help it. He leans over and presses a kiss to Naruto’s warm cheek, his lips brushing over his whisker-shaped birthmarks.

Sasuke knows he’s getting ahead of himself. He knows it’s only been three days. There’s probably new aspects of Naruto that he doesn’t know about that would be less than ideal—although he can’t really imagine any. But he can see a life with Naruto.

When he was twenty-two, imagining his life a decade from then in a positive light was impossible. He was just going with the flow, following things for the sake of convenience and financial success and appeasing others, the opposite of his stubbornness in high school.

Now, however, when he imagines an ideal future, he sees Naruto, he sees this apartment, this bed. He sees waking up for work, and being kissed goodbye; he sees kissing Naruto goodbye. He wants to prepare dinner together, go on dates, hold and kiss each other, savor each other’s company like they used to.

And he absolutely wants to get fucked regularly.

Sasuke’s happiness plummeted the moment his life was no longer centered around Naruto. It’s taken him years to realize it. And maybe he should find it pitiful that it takes another man to breathe life into him, especially with all his success. But he doesn’t mind it. Not when the man is someone as bright as Naruto Uzumaki. He ought to feel guilt for his betrayal to his family, even if it's only within his heart, but the forgotten yearning is too vast. His throat aches with his longing.

So long as he lets him, Sasuke will gladly remain in Naruto's orbit forever.