not a love song

Naruto wasn’t one for taking his time and just enjoying the hustle and bustle of the nightlife in Konoha. He’d always had too much on—training, missions, fights against the Akatsuki, looking for Sasuke—that he’d never had the chance to just wander without urgency or a purpose. Now that things had calmed, he had the time to do exactly that.

With the village still under reconstruction, there was a lot that was yet to be rebuilt—homes and businesses. However, watching the nightlife you wouldn’t believe there had been any devastation if it wasn’t for the physical signs as the people weren’t fazed in the slightest. There was a street vendor offering taiyaki to a long queue of customers, there were a bunch of kids playing handball, and there was even a little crowd of people surrounding a busking musician. Naruto was curious about the latter, so he joined the crowd.

The musician was playing a slow song, strumming his guitar. His soft voice seemed to have the crowd in a spell. There was one couple listening, who were holding hands, gazing at one another like nothing or no one else existed in the world. Naruto had to turn away, feeling like he was intruding on their moment. He wished he could be that happy.

Unfortunately, the person his heart yearned for was definitely never going to return those feelings.

“Should’ve guessed you liked love songs,” came a familiar voice in Naruto’s ear. He jumped initially—he hadn’t detected Sasuke’s chakra, but the man always had a tendency to conceal it—and then punched Sasuke in the shoulder. Sasuke looked as good as always, a black cloak covering his clothes, his black hair slightly longer than Naruto remembered, and face as beautiful as it had always been. Naruto forced an awkward laugh, aware that he had been staring a fraction too long. He recalled what Sasuke had said.

“It’s not a love a song, asshole,” Naruto said, only for the next lyrics the musician sang to be You’re my lover, you always will be.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow while Naruto’s face heated up. “What are you even here for?” he said, deflecting the topic away from love songs.

“Should I not be?” Sasuke said.

Only then did Naruto realise his own tone. He hadn’t meant to sound so abrupt but Sasuke was a professional in flustering him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I mean, I’m just surprised. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

“Me either,” was all Sasuke offered.

The couple that Naruto had been admiring earlier now were wrapped up in each other, swaying together to the music. Naruto could feel Sasuke’s gaze on him.

“So,” Naruto said, tearing his eyes away from the captivating couple. “Should we get some food?”

Sasuke gave him a look. “Is it going to be ramen?”

“Maybe…”

— —

It was ramen. But it was at Ichiraku, so Naruto figured it was more than good enough. Teuchi always did the best and fortunately (for Naruto’s sake) his business was one of the few that had managed to recover somewhat swiftly.

Naruto and Sasuke made light chatter while they waited for their ramen and remained mostly quiet while eating. It was when Naruto was just about done with his first bowl that Sasuke made him nearly choke.

“I’m thinking of settling down,” Sasuke said.

Naruto had to hit his own chest to clear his airways from nearly choking. He took a long drink of water once he could breathe again. “You mean settling down like… getting married and building a home?”

Sasuke wore a deadpan expression. “Is there an alternative meaning I should know of?”

“No. I mean, not that I’m aware of. I just… didn’t know you were interested in that… well, a relationship,” Naruto said, trying to prolong the inevitable mental breakdown he would have over this. “Do you like someone?”

“Yeah.”

Naruto’s eyes widened as faces flew through his mind. Sakura? Karin? Ino? Who else? “Oh. Uh. Do I know her?”

Sasuke placed down his chopsticks and handed over some cash to Teuchi. “Let’s walk.” And walked out of the shelter of the ramen stall before Teuchi could even hand him his change.

Naruto placed his chopsticks down and attempted to pay but Teuchi refused his cash and simply handed him Sasuke’s change to give back to Sasuke. Not having a moment to spare, Naruto made a mental note to discuss the much too generous hospitality with Teuchi another time and thanked him before he rushed to follow Sasuke out. The topic of conversation had made him lose his appetite anyway.

Sasuke was a few metres away and Naruto swiftly caught up and handed him back his change. Sasuke looked like he wasn’t going to accept it back but eventually (and begrudgingly) did. Naruto’s persistence was a hard thing to beat, after all. The years of him chasing Sasuke were proof of that.

“So. Do I know this mystery lady?” Naruto asked as they started walking. He tried to play it cool but he didn’t feel very cool at all.

“Let’s go back to yours. It’s getting cold,” Sasuke said, deflecting. Naruto wondered why he kept doing that, especially since Sasuke was the one who brought this topic up. But he was right about one thing: it was getting cold.

“Alright.”

They walked back in silence. Well, silence on Sasuke’s part. Naruto kept making observations as they passed certain things and Sasuke just hummed in acknowledgement.

When they arrived at Naruto’s apartment, they kicked their shoes off and went inside. “Tea?” Naruto offered. But instead of answering, Sasuke inspected the place.

“They still make you live here?” Sasuke eventually said.

“Yes, asshole. It’s not much but it’s mine.” Naruto sighed. He knew his place wasn’t fancy and it was tight but it was all he had ever known. At least it was his. “Anyway, stop changing the topic. You wanted to come here and now we’re here.”

“You deserve more.”

Naruto wasn’t sure what to do with that. He didn’t really hear comments of that nature, less so from Sasuke. He settled for, “It’s more than a fair number of people have right now. But okay, I’m guessing you don’t want to tell me about your lady? We can talk about something else.” It did sting a little, Naruto had to admit, that Sasuke didn’t want to confide in him, even now. But that was Sasuke, he supposed.

Sasuke merely sat on the barstool while Naruto prepared two cups of tea. Sasuke had never said whether he wanted one, but he was getting one, like it or not.

“Why do you keep assuming they’re a woman?” Sasuke said.

Naruto was mid-pouring the hot water from the kettle into the teacups when Sasuke had spoken. He almost dropped it.

Um. Er. What?

Did Naruto hear correctly? Or did Sasuke just imply it might not be a girl? Was he messing with Naruto?

“Oh,” Naruto said, downplaying his reaction. “They’re a guy then?”

“Yeah.”

Okay. Yeah. Fine. This was cool. Cool cool. Naruto could handle this: learning that the guy he loved wasn’t so straight, but still wouldn’t be likely to return Naruto’s feelings. And because he loved to suffer he rephrased his earlier question. “Do I know him?”

That got a small sigh out of Sasuke. “Naruto. You can not be this dense.”

Naruto pushed a cup of tea over to Sasuke and then took his own over to the barstool next to him. “What do you mean?”

Sasuke put his hand on the kitchen counter, flexing his fingers, and stared straight across at the fridge. Was Sasuke nervous? A slight dusting of red rose onto his cheeks. This was new.

“I want to settle down with you,” he said, still scrunching his fingers into a fist.

Naruto was glad he’d put his teacup down because this was not on his list of things he ever expected Sasuke Uchiha to say to him.

With wide eyes, Naruto opened and shut his mouth a few times and then pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Is there someone else in the room?” Sasuke said, dryly. He was still uncharacteristically fidgety. Clearly nervous about Naruto’s response.

Which. Well. That was a lot to take in. When your childhood rival, best friend and seemingly unrequited crush not only comes out as not straight but admits he wants to settle down with you. Well. Just… What? Don’t get Naruto wrong, this was beyond his happiest emotions, but also he didn’t want to trust that it was real. Because what if it was some elaborate joke? No. Sasuke wouldn’t do that. But still… he had his doubts.

Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Pinch me.”

“Why…?” Sasuke asked.

“Because this is either some elaborate genjutsu to prank me or I must be dreaming. And while I suck at breaking out genjutsu, Kurama doesn’t and we’re buds now so he keeps me right. So I’m assuming it’s the latter: I’m dreaming.”

When Sasuke didn’t immediately reply, Naruto opened his eyes, only to see said man staring at him with a slight furrow to his brows. Tentatively, he reached across and pinched Naruto’s arm.

Naruto tracked the movement as if reality was in slow motion. Sasuke’s touch was warm but Naruto barely registered the actual pinch, too distracted by the absurdity of this whole situation.

Switching his gaze, Naruto looked directly at Sasuke and bit his lip nervously. “You seriously like me?”

“For some reason, yes.”

“Oi! Asshole,” Naruto said but laughed anyway. “I uh.. I like you too. A lot. Unless this is a prank. Then I’m probably gonna hate you.”

Sasuke flicked him in the ear but his brows were no longer furrowed and his fidgeting stopped. Had he been in such a state over Naruto’s response? “Idiot. Pranks are meant to be funny. Do you think I’d be so cruel? Wait—don’t answer that,” he said.

Naruto snorted but placed his hand on top of Sasuke’s. He was warm and not nearly as tense as he had been. “No, you wouldn’t be. But your confession is a surprise nonetheless.”

Sasuke huffed. “I don’t know why. You’re the only person I make concessions for. The only one I listen to.”

“You listen to Sakura and Kakashi,” Naruto pointed out.

“Sometimes. But I don’t like it.”

Naruto grinned. “That’s going on my gravestone. ‘Uzumaki Naruto: a man that Sasuke liked listening to’.”

“Idiot,” Sasuke said, but the fondness couldn’t escape his tone.

The tea had cooled down enough to be drinkable, so Naruto took a sip and then realised exactly what Sasuke had said. He’d wanted to settle down with Naruto. That was another whole level of liking, surely? That was love.

Or at least, it was to Naruto. Naruto loved Sasuke, this wasn’t new. But he’d long come to terms with the belief that it wouldn’t be reciprocated. But apparently, that wasn’t so true. Now he felt permitted to imagine a life together with him.

“So you came back to tell me you want to settle down with me?” Naruto asked.

“No. That part was unplanned. Kakashi sent Pakkun for me. But when I got here I saw you watching that couple by the musician, so I watched them too.”

Naruto nodded for Sasuke to continue.

“I could see that being us one day. Minus the PDA.”

Naruto felt his cheeks heat up and he smiled. “You’re a bigger sap than I thought. I never imagined anything like that being an option, to be honest.”

“Likewise, until last year.”

“Oh?”

Sasuke paused to take a sip of his tea. “After our fight. I had an epiphany… That’s all.”

Naruto knew that was Sasuke’s way of shutting this topic down. He wouldn’t push, for now; he’d gotten more out of Sasuke tonight than he ever had. He reconnected their hands.

“Does that mean I can do this?” Naruto asked and brought Sasuke’s hand to his lips to press a kiss to his knuckles.

The expression on Sasuke’s face was priceless. His eyes were wide and cheeks redder than the tomatoes he so liked. But even in his moment of shock, he never once tried to take his hand back.

Naruto grinned. “Hope you know what you’re in for, Sasuke.”

Sasuke recovered quickly, though his signature stoic expression that he was trying to fall back on wasn’t so intimidating when his face was flushed red. Naruto wanted to kiss him.

“I’m going to regret this,” Sasuke said.

Naruto laughed. “Too late for take backs!”

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes, but the slight upturn of his lips was all the validation Naruto needed.

Never in his 18 years of life, did Naruto envision he could have this with Sasuke. A man he thought was so solitary and distant. But he did. He would. And maybe it was too premature to say they were settling down, but for Naruto, there was no other and Naruto had the slight inkling that feeling might be reciprocated.

He couldn’t wait to start this new chapter with Sasuke, hand in hand.

And who would’ve thought that a couple dancing by a busking musician would’ve been part of the catalyst for change. Naruto wished many blessings upon them.