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"It's nice" said Naruto, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Mn?" was Sasuke's eloquent response, who did not understand what the comment was about.
"Being here with you is nice"
They were in a small bar in some corner of Konoha, a small and worn out place, like everything that Naruto liked, the barista and owner of the place a retired shinobi, the clientele being mainly composed of others of the same profession eager to drown their problems in alcohol, forget the woes of their line of work in the company of comrades or enjoy the favorite shinobi pastime: gossip
Naruto and Sasuke for their part had not come for any of those in particular, Naruto prefering to go to Ichiraku for good ramen to ignore any problem or spend time with his friends or to anything, really, Sasuke usually prefering not to go out and not to have company
They meet in a bar because Naruto wanted to spend some time with Sasuke "To catch up" the blonde had said, however anyone with a working memory and who knew a thing or two about said blonde would know that if he wanted to find him he would be very probably they would do it in Ichiraku, making the risk of being interrupted too high, besides, a few drinks are never too much for two friends who spent so much time apart, right?
The place was Sakura's recommendation, when Naruto had shared his problems with privacy, or the presumable lack of thereof, apparently she often came to get dru– relax for a while and sometimes with Ino to gossip, as the place was far from the central area of the village there was little to no risk of anyone they knew accidentally running into them, Shino being the only other known person she had seen from time to time.
And unlike civilian bars that sometimes won't serve you unless you're 20, ninja bars will serve anyone with a hitai-ate.
So there they were, Naruto was leaning on the bar, his artificial hand holding his cheek, as he looked at Sasuke, a light blush probably from the alcohol he had already drunk, they were mostly alone there, the only other people being two chunin at a corner booth and the barista at the other extreme bar
"Hm, you're probably the only person who finds my presence pleasant dobe," he says with his typical arrogant smirk on his stupidly pretty lips.
"That's because you're a bastard, you bastard." Naruto also lets out a laugh and takes a drink from the jug in his hands.
"Well you're the one who enjoys this bastard's company, doesn't that make you a fool?" Sasuke counterattacks, making Naruto laugh again.
"Maybe," the blonde mutters between his teeth, Sasuke takes a drink from his own mug.
Everything remains silent for a while, simply enjoying the tranquility and presence of the other, from time to time taking sips of their drinks, the other people in the place seem to disappear, being only murmurs.
Then the peace is fractured
"Sasuke, are you seriously leaving again?" Naruto asks, almost hesitating as he speaks, almost, because Naruto probably hasn't hesitated much in his life.
"Dobe," Sasuke begins, his tone of voice soothing, looking the other in the eyes, "you know I can't stay."
Naruto sits up straight in his seat, his eyes practically liting up "The truth is, no, Sasuke, I don't know and I don't understand," he doesn't exactly raise his voice, but it's no longer the almost whispers with which he had spoken until now
"Naruto, don't be irrational" the black-haired man also abandons the appeasing tone for a firmer one, trying to make the other understand.
"Am I being irrational?!"
"You are, Naruto we've already talked about this!"
Each word has more volume than the previous one and the earlier relaxed postures are
Naruto slams his mug against the counter, his anger written all over his face still trying to control himself and not get carried away.
"We did, didn't we? The only thing I heard all the time was excuses"
"Excuses?! I've already told you several times that I can't stay! Do you think I can after all I've done?!" Sasuke tries to reason, getting the opposite effect when Naruto seems to get more upset.
"Damn excuses! That's all I hear, just another excuse to be a coward!" Naruto stands up, Sasuke also as if he were a reflection
It's clear from his face that he's not happy about being called a coward.
"Coward?!"
"A damn coward!" he shouts, grabbing the other by the shoulders "Stop running away from me Sasuke, sometimes it seems like that's the only thing you do! Run away! I've been chasing you all my life, without stopping, behind you and every time I feel I catch up with you, you're running away again!"
Naruto's anger level was comparable to the last time they faced each other, at least his screams reached the same volume.
But Sasuke is not one to be left behind.
"And who asked you, huh?!" He abruptly pushes away the hands that were shaking him. "Did I ever tell you to follow me?! If you were chasing me it was because you wanted to! And I don't even understand why! Why are you so dead set on chasing after me?!"
"IT'S OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU YOU BIG IDIOT!" Naruto shouts in his face, breathing hard and leaving Sasuke in shock.
"Eh?" Like a spell, Naruto's words left the place silent, nothing could be heard and nothing moved.
The others in the bar had their eyes on them but it's not like either of them cared.
Sasuke's face was like a poem and he seemed to not know how to decide if he had heard correctly or if was just hallucinating.
"You're so stupid Sasuke," Naruto's anger had disappeared, leaving only the soft, defeated expression of someone in love.
Sasuke didn't even process what should have been an insult, his brain stuck on something else.
"Naruto you... in love?... with me?" He had never been one for many words but apparently today they alluded to him like never before and he felt a strange heat on his cheeks.
"Seriously so stupid" on his face there was a smile now, not one of his usual sunny ones, it was a smaller one, tender
Taking Sasuke's hands in his he asks looking him in the eyes "Sasuke please stay" .
"B-but W-what about that Hyuuga girl?!" He asks and Naruto's face turns blank with confusion.
"Hyuuga girl? Hinata?" He questions, tilting his head "What's with her?"
"Weren't you guys dating?"
"No?" He says he, more confused if possible.
Sasuke looks stunned, opening his mouth and closingit, looking as he wanted to say something but stopping shaking his head with a sigh.
"Fuck it" he mutters more to him than to anyone
Grabbing Naruto's shirt, he pulls him towards him and places a kiss right on the blonde's lips.
Blonde who remains frozen for a moment, his eyes widen comically, but he recovers quickly, closing his eyes and deepening the kiss, bringing his hands to the other's back.
They could hear the chunin in the corner whistling and cheering as if they had witnessed a play and the owner laughing, muttering something about youth and passion, but nor Naruto nor Sasuke were paying attention to them
When their breathing became scarce they separated, looking into each other's eyes.
"Fine Idiot, I'll stay with you" he says between pants and Naruto's smile could light up the room by itself.
(They both failing to see another patron in the bar, his presence often overlooked, said patron told his teammates, who told a certain colleague who worked in a flowershop
By the other day all Konoha knew, histories passing from one to other been wilder every time
Later plays and films about the 7th Hokage never failed to portray the "bar scene")