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“This is ridiculous!”
Naruto glares at the squishy leaves of his plant. They have gone from a soft green to sluggishly brown over the last weeks, but he refuses to let it go. The succulent shakes a little as Naruto walks up the stone path to the plant nursery his colleague recommended.
“Yes, I’m talking ‘bout you! Mom said I had to keep you alive, so what am I supposed to do when she visits next month?”
No answer. Of course not. What did he expect? Naruto scoffs and shakes his head. He’s talking to a plant, what the heck? Next, he knows, he’ll be best friends with the tree in front of his bedroom window, the one obscuring the sunlight. Which, to be fair, would be nice. You know, a best friend, that’s looking out for him, letting him sleep in. Naruto snorts at the imagery of twigs shaking in front of him because of a joke he just made, fist-bumping the knobbly trunk. He doesn’t even know what kind of tree it is! How’s he supposed to make friends with it? And why is he thinking about having plants as friends? He’s got many friends, human ones at that.
Naruto’s eyes zero in on the soggy plant he’s carrying, the gravel crunching under his feet.
“Your fault. Entirely your fault I - Oh fuck!”
The impact has him stumbling back.
It takes a moment for Naruto to register what happened. All he’s able to see are the shattered pot, his sad-looking plant amidst muddy dirt and pieces of broken ceramic. Oh, and two muscular legs in awfully fitting pants. Wait, what?
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you, I was-”
Attempting to sort his limbs, Naruto doesn’t look up. He’s haphazardly shoving together the mess he made on the floor, trying to get all the soil and shards back into his hands while not damaging the plant any further and it proves to be impossible as a snort interrupts his profuse apology and Naruto falls silent. It’s rude. That’s the only thought his brain supplies for a moment until he stands up to look at the stranger he just bumped into in the eyes and let them have a piece of his mind and the thought is immediately replaced.
Fuck, it should be illegal to look like that.
That means insanely handsome. Means smug as hell and sexy on top because how is that guy able to glare at him and smirk at the same time? It’s confusing!
Naruto furrows his brow, scrunching his nose up a little, any words he might have had for the stranger gone from his mind. He’s drawing a blank for just a second but that’s enough. Enough for the guy’s mouth to fall and his arms to cross in front of his chest.
“You’re not here to save...that, right?”
What?
Naruto’s brain doesn’t follow. What is he talking about? What does he want to save here? He’s at a plant nursery and - Oh. Yeah.
Clearing his throat, Naruto laughs sheepishly. Yes, the man in front of him is incredibly rude and he doesn’t like him, he really doesn’t but he’s also too close to being pretty to chalk up as an asshole completely.
“Well”, he chuckles, reflexively reaching one hand to the back of his head, stopping short as he remembers it’s full of stickily wet soil and hovering it awkwardly in the air instead, “Yeah. I don’t want to give up on that poor little thing and I don’t know what I did wrong, so now I’m here.”
A sleek black eyebrow lifts unimpressed, then the man in front of Naruto loosens his stance, tilting his chin up and Naruto’s blood is starting to boil.
“That poor little thing, as you put it, isn’t worth the effort anymore. Save yourself some time and leave it alone.”
Alright, maybe pretty doesn’t cut it anymore. This here is a perfect example of a total jerk and Naruto’s fingers tighten painfully around the sharp edges of what used to be his succulent’s pot.
“Excuse me, how’d you even know that? It’s not like you-”
“It’s dead.”
His voice is dry and monotonous. All that’s left is for him to inspect his fingernails while Naruto’s raging right in front of him. And he interrupted him again!
“What?!”
Naruto is no patient man, not by a long shot, and standing in the doorway of a plant nursery with a stranger who’s continuously insulting and belittling him is not his idea of helpful. Or fun. Or anything a positively connotated word could describe.
“It’s dead”, the man says again and his voice is deep, calm, uninterested, “You waterboarded it until it died.”
And now he’s comparing Naruto’s admittedly not existing gardening skills to torture methods instead of answering his question? Wow. That guy can be as handsome and pretty as they come, Naruto is so going to kick his ass. How dare he? He was only trying his best!
“That is an Echeveria Painted Lady you have right there. They don’t like being watered too much. You can see its leaves losing their strength and going darker in colour. I guess the pot didn’t have any way for excess water to drain properly, either.”
It’s embarrassing. As much as Naruto wants to protest and prove him wrong, Mr Asshole right here is hitting the nail on the head in a very uncomfortable manner. Naruto doesn’t know shit about plants, which is why he’s here. He doesn’t even know why his mother decided it a good idea to gift him something living, he’s barely able to keep himself kicking. But he’s not about to back down, not now, not with jerkface grinning like this and yes that twinkling in his far too dark eyes is a grin. A gleeful one.
“What do you suggest then, huh?”, he asks, drawing his apparently dead beyond salvation plant, may it rest in peace, against his chest in a sudden surge of protectiveness.
The guy shrugs, black hair moving graciously to the side as he shifts his stance. Naruto is mesmerised a second too long to not be considered staring but there’s nothing he can do about it. How is he supposed not to look when the sunlight catches in these shiny locks, when it makes them break out of their neat arrangement, only to bounce back immediately and…
Oh. Oh. Mr know-it-all is talking. Oops.
“...think you’ll be able to manage that?”
“Huh?”
Yeah, he deserves that exasperated sigh, but still. Still.
“Have you heard anything of what I just said?”
Naruto’s not quick enough to realise his own movement this time, so grimy fingers scratch at his nape and he cringes.
“Honestly, no. Care to repeat?”
He knows he’s far too smug about this, knows he shouldn’t be because it’s entirely his fault and jerkface is right to be annoyed, but Naruto doesn’t care. It’s justified, okay? It is!
The man pinches the bridge of his nose with two long, elegant fingers, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before letting go of a lungful of air. The noise is sending a shiver down Naruto’s spine.
“Alright, one last time,” the dark voice promises, “Pothos. There’s basically nothing you can do wrong. Since watering too much seems to be your problem, pothos will be your best friend. You cannot drown them, even if you tried. Avoid direct sunlight and don’t let it go dry for too long. Even you should be able to do that.”
Naruto’s jaw drops, mouth falling open, ready to give contra, to defend himself against the condescending tone that feels like it’s attacking him. It probably is, but the nuances are so layered. Underneath the stiff politeness, there’s sarcasm and disdain and Naruto can feel it. Especially in that last sentence.
And he hesitates. Because yes, he wants to just shove past that asshole, not grace him with anything more that could be considered attention. He wants to move away and be done. This encounter did not go as expected--it’s not like running into an aloof stranger looking like a model can be anticipated. But he also wants to stay, to talk his way out of the situation, to ask for a name, a number, anything.
No. No, he won’t ask. There’s no need to humiliate himself any further.
Naruto huffs out a breath, the air stinging between them as he cradles the drowned succulent against his chest, now with both hands, knuckles going white in the process.
“Thanks, I guess.”
The air shifts into an icy breeze as Naruto moves, shoving past the guy, forbidding himself from looking back. He doesn’t need to see him against the light, doesn’t need to see him soften around the edges. All he needs is that godforsaken plant and to get home to figure out how to explain what happened to his mom.
It’s barely a week later and Naruto‘s bouncing on the balls of his feet. There‘s a quivering plant in his hands, the pot painted garishly green, tiny dots of children‘s fingerprints lining the edges. It’s honestly not the prettiest thing on earth, but knowing that it was done by his best friend‘s three-year-old son makes it less of an eyesore. If you ask Naruto, that is.
No one‘s asking him, though.
Instead, people keep glaring at him for an unfathomable reason. Who knows? Maybe there‘s still glue in his hair from trying to fix the handle of the toy pan the boy managed to smack against the wall hard enough for it to break?
Anyways.
Naruto is on his way back to the plant nursery, barely a week after getting his new best friend, Paul the pothos. And it’s not that he smacked the sad-looking plant in question right out of Kiba‘s hands because the man came over, saw his thriving greenery and asked how he did that. And it’s definitely not that he didn’t tell his best friend, instead promising to visit him, see his godson, and try to help with the man‘s plant problem.
And no. No, it’s not that he saw Kiba holding out the patient for all but two seconds before he shook his head and concluded he needed to take the plant with him.
No.
It’s a little ridiculous because Kiba could’ve brought the plant himself. It’s not like the plant nursery is only open for Naruto, but the snarky guy with black hair that looked incredibly soft and these sharp eyes, this infuriating smirk - he wore a shirt with the name of the nursery last time.
Naruto‘s leg is happily bouncing up and down, jerkily moving the plant pot in his lap around.
But he‘s not here to see that guy again, of course not, no way. Why would he want to see an asshole like that again, even look for him? Never. Never ever.
The bus stops and Naruto makes his way down the street and up the gravel path into the green hell that is the plant nursery of his nightmares. Or something like that.
“Oh boy, that’s a spider plant, right?”
Naruto’s looking down into the pot. There’s nothing to go off of to tell him what kind of plant he’s looking at. Everything that might’ve been anything else but green has fallen off, no petals, no specks of colour giving away the nature of the dying thing in his hands. All he sees is tired green and brown, so…
“Yeah?”
He’s not sure, but the woman seems confident enough, so maybe she’s right? He doesn’t have any grounds to argue, so he nods hesitantly and shrugs.
“You say there’s nothing I can do?”
The woman nods eagerly, her nose scrunching up and mouth thin and pressed. She looks like she’s in pain.
“No, darling. This one is ready for the compost.”
Naruto heaves a heavy sigh, about to admit defeat and find a replacement to bring back home to his best friend, but that’s not what happens. Not at all.
The moment Naruto turns around, mentally going over the explanation he will present Kiba with, there’s a hand. Elegant pale fingers reaching for him. They belong to the strong hand, obviously, veins greenish-blue beneath the skin, tightening and shifting with movement.
“What?”
“Another one?”
He’s trapped between two emotions. There’s excitement inexplicably bubbling and hissing in his chest, thumping against his ribcage because that’s him, it’s the guy. The jerkface he totally didn’t want to see today. And there’s dread chasing the weird heat in his stomach away, filling it with idly moving ice, moving around, the friction burning a hole in his guts.
Naruto wants to vomit.
He feels the movement behind him, hears the woman speak up but can’t make out the words. Waves of blood are lapping at his senses and it takes a moment, a far too long one, until he looks up and straight into dark eyes, sleek eyebrows raised - and is that eyeliner?
“...you hear me? Hello? Do you need help?”
Is that concern that’s bunching up the smooth skin of his forehead? It’s handsome, emotions make so much sense on this face and…
Naruto clutches the pot reflexively closer to his chest as he feels it move, sliding through his fingers. He really doesn’t need another incident like last time.
“Will you let me have a look, now?” the man starts up again, the wrinkle around his eyes looks different now, more forced.
Naruto snaps back into reality with a start.
“I’m sorry, what?”
The stranger, because he sadly still is one, snorts.
“Welcome back to the land of the living. I hope your trip to La La land was eventful. Can I see your plant now, I don’t have all day…”
Without further discussion, Naruto holds out the pot with the plant, watching as skilled fingers lift the leaves, prod the soil and rub the green between them. Whatever that’s supposed to do.
“Your verdict, doctor?”
Dark eyes flick up from the patient for a brief moment, only to focus back on the plant immediately.
“I wonder how you’re keeping yourself alive.”
Okay, that doesn’t sound too good.
“Excuse me?”
Naruto’s sure he doesn’t hallucinate that smirk.
“Luckily for you, this one isn’t deceased yet. You were right on time.”
He fluffs up the soil with two fingers.
“But you need to change a lot for this to work. Follow me.”
And he does. As if in trance, Naruto wanders through the aisles, listening to the man talk about the plant he’s still holding protectively but doesn’t remember the name to already. The deep baritone is soothing, vibrating through his skull. Naruto wants to bask in this for a while and yes, he does listen to the explanations, mentally taking notes.
It’s almost enough to ignore the sarcastic undertones, almost. But then the jerkface stops abruptly, causing Naruto to bump into a very firm, very warm back. He grunts, taking a step back.
“Sorry, I…”
“Seems to be a habit, huh?”
It’s uncanny. How is this guy able to get his blood boiling with one sentence. One question and all Naruto wants to do is throttle him, jump him, fight him. In that order, probably.
Or he could…
“Well, it’s custom to introduce oneself after bumping into each other where I come from. If that doesn’t happen, you repeat the process until communication has been established.”
Yes, he’s proud of that sentence. Even more so when it seems to shock the man in front of him into silence. Naruto’s fingers dance nervously along the edge of the pot.
And then there’s laughter. Melodic, clear laughter. The tension dissipates with an outstretched hand.
“Fair enough. Uchiha Sasuke, the owner of this plant nursery.”
Naruto can’t help the grin splitting his face wide enough his cheeks hurt.
“Uzumaki Naruto, certified plant murderer on his journey to improvement.”
Naruto smiles as Sasuke’s pleasant voice rolls over his senses. The words barely register; something-something water stress, something-something rootbound... Naruto is too busy enjoying the timbre, the rhythm of rising and falling tones that is like fingertips ghosting over his skin, raising the hairs…
“...near radiators or air conditioners? Hello? Are you even listening?”
Naruto blinks. Sasuke is arching his brow and smiling wryly at him.
“Uh, sorry. Could you repeat that last part?” he stammers. He feels he has lost the territory he gained with his earlier riposte.
“I said, do you keep the plant near a radiator or an air conditioner?” Sasuke repeats with exaggerated slowness.
Naruto shrugs. “I dunno.”
Sasuke’s brow furrows. “You don’t know. About your own plant. In your own house.”
Naruto laughs nervously. “It’s not mine. Erm. I saw it at a friend’s house and it looked sick, so...I brought it to you?”
Sasuke rolls his eyes, but he smiles, really smiles, and if Naruto thought he was gorgeous before…
“This is what we’re going to do,” Sasuke says, his smile morphing into his trademark smirk. “I’m going to repot this plant, because its roots are so compacted that they’re now shaped like the pot. I’m going to write your friend very detailed instructions on how to avoid killing this and any future plants doomed to cross their threshold.“
Sasuke just continues to smirk at him. “Let’s get your friend’s plant taken care of,” he says in that sinful voice that absolutely does not inspire all kinds of prurient thoughts in Naruto’s head.
Nope. No prurient thoughts. Absolutely none.
Naruto follows Sasuke to the back of the shop to a work area. He leans against a high bench and watches as Sasuke lifts Kiba’s moribund spider plant from its decorated pot. His finely boned hands work methodically and gracefully, teasing the roots apart and cutting away those that are dead and rotting.
He looks in his element, Naruto thinks, his features radiating focus but also contentment. Naruto’s stomach flip-flops as he watches his elegant profile.
Soon, the spider plant is nestled in a more graciously-sized pot with fresh potting soil. Sasuke lifts the childishly-painted pot it came in and smiles. “This looks important,” he says.
“I’m pretty sure my friend’s son painted that for him,” Naruto says with a chuckle.
“Then let’s send it home with something nice,” Sasuke says. He fills the pot about three-quarters full with soil, then reaches for another pothos. He settles it into the pot and fills it with more soil. His hands are gentle, his expression soft, and Naruto is immediately reminded of a parent tucking a child into bed.
Naruto coughs. That image most definitely does not give him inconvenient feelings.
“This one should be harder for your friend to kill,” Sasuke says flatly.
Naruto laughs at that, and Sasuke shoots him another knee-weakening smile.
Sasuke carefully sets the plants into Naruto’s arms. His fingers brush against Naruto’s, and his heart does hyperactive somersaults.
“How much do I owe you?” he asks.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sasuke says brusquely.
“Hey,” Naruto protests. “I’m leaving with a whole, new plant, plus soil and a pot for the old one.”
“I said, don’t worry about it,” Sasuke reiterates firmly. He pivots and strides out through a set of double doors, leaving Naruto to gape awkwardly.
Naruto doesn’t mind carrying two unwieldy plants home on the bus. If anyone shoots him dirty looks, he doesn’t notice. He’s too busy grinning.
Not about that jerk at the nursery. No, it has nothing to do with Sasuke, not a thing.
Even if he’s not quite as much of an asshole as Naruto initially thought. Even if his voice is like black velvet brushing along Naruto’s skin...
Paul the Pothos thrives. Tendrils begin to reach beyond the pot. Naruto is careful to water him just enough, but not too much. He looks incredibly lonely to Naruto, though, in his little corner. Loneliness can’t be good for a plant, can it? So, a week after saving Kiba’s plant, Naruto finds himself back at the nursery.
He scans the aisles carefully. Not for a shock of blue-black hair, of course. Naruto isn’t there to look for the asshole, and he certainly hasn’t thought about his smile all the way over to the nursery, and he really and truly is there just to get Paul the Pothos a friend…
A discreet cough snaps him out of his daydreams. Daydreams about plants, strictly plants…
Naruto turns and catches Sasuke staring at him, arms folded across his chest, the familiar smirk in place.
“Killed your pothos already?” he asks. His eyes glimmer in amusement.
“No,” Naruto huffs. “Paul’s just fine, thank you very much.”
Sasuke’s lips quirk upwards. “Paul. Do you name all your victims?”
Naruto affects a peevish tone. “I’m here because I want to get some company for him.”
This seems to please Sasuke. He looks over the rows of potted plants until he finds what he is looking for. “Snake plant,” he says, picking out a plant with several spiky, upright leaves. “It’s almost as hard to kill as pothos.”
Naruto rolls his eyes, but he can’t help smiling back at the jerk. “Thanks.”
Sasuke directs him to the correctly-sized pot for the plant and goes over basic care with him. Naruto might possibly ask more questions than he really needs to, but you can never be too careful. A houseplant is an investment, after all, if you really think about it. From a certain angle.
Sasuke ushers the cashier aside and rings Naruto’s purchases up. The sense of loss he feels as he leaves the store is certainly because he hates leaving all the pretty plants behind. No, Sasuke is definitely hot , and he’s not as much of a jerk as Naruto thought at first, really, but it has nothing to do with him whatsoever.
Sally the snake plant really does look nice next to Paul the pothos.
Naruto comes to enjoy his plants--plus Kiba’s, because there is no way that he’s going to allow all that effort to go to waste. He faithfully monitors their water intake. He watches for signs that they’re rootbound. He frets over whether they’ve had too many overcast days.
If two plants are good, three plants would definitely be better, he decides. He’s soon back at the nursery.
He’s not disappointed when a matronly middle-aged employee greets him, no, why would he be disappointed? It’s just he really doesn’t know what to tell her when she asks what kind of plant he’s looking for, and when she asks him what kind of exposure he has, he stammers.
He might possibly feel a little bit of something when a smooth, rich voice interrupts.
“Naruto’s a special case. I’ll handle this,” he tells the woman, and if his voice destroyed Naruto before, then hearing it form the syllables of his name resurrects him just to destroy him all over.
Sasuke teases him about his ineptitude with plants, but Naruto has the ocular proof on his phone.
Sasuke arches one brow and pronounces him “capable of following basic instructions.”
It takes just over an hour for Sasuke to send him home with an inchplant--”Slightly easier to kill than a pothos.”
Naruto’s apartment soon comes to resemble a miniature rainforest. Every window is crowded with greenery. Each plant has a name, and Naruto greets them one by one every morning and again when he comes home from work in the evening.
Sasuke always taunts him when he shows up for another plant, but he never fails to assist him. Naruto has decided he’s not really an asshole. Well, yeah, he’s definitely an asshole. But not as much of an asshole as Naruto initially thought. And yeah, he’s gorgeous, but staring at his poreless skin and perfect symmetry and striking coloring is just a bonus. Naruto’s there for the plants. Really.
It’s a Friday night when Naruto realizes that a) his mother’s birthday is tomorrow and b) he has no gift for her. He’d planned a gift for her, but in typical fashion, the day has sneaked up on him. Her dinner is scheduled immediately after he gets off work tomorrow; he won’t have time to pick up what he’d wanted to buy for her.
The bus driver has just closed the door when Naruto knocks on it frantically. The beleaguered driver opens it once more, and Naruto climbs aboard breathlessly. He fidgets uncontrollably as the bus trundles and belches along.
He bursts through the doors of the nursery breathlessly.
“Sir, I’m sorry, we’re getting ready to close,” the employee tells him.
“Please wait! I just need to get one thing!” Naruto pleads. “It’s for my mother’s birthday!”
“I’m really sorry.” The employee says in exasperation. “It’s two minutes to eight. We’re closing. We open tomorrow... “
“I’ve got it,” comes the familiar voice. Naruto’s breath hitches. His heartbeat thuds in his ears.
The employee gives Naruto a disgruntled look and lopes off to finish her evening chores.
“Another emergency?” Sasuke asks. “What’s the body count, these days?”
“Shut it, wise ass,” Naruto mutters, but he doesn’t really mean it. Sasuke’s eyes twinkle with mirth. “My mom’s birthday is tomorrow. I wanted to get her an orchid. They’re her favorites. But I’m not gonna have time to get one tomorrow before her party.”
Sasuke rolls his eyes and shakes his head. His mouth curves upwards. “Come on, then.”
He shows Naruto the selection of orchids the nursery sells. Naruto listens, his heart in his throat, as Sasuke explains each variety to him. He decides upon a beautiful dendrobium with white and lavender petals. Sasuke wraps the tendrils at its base in moist sphagnum moss and mounts it to a length of driftwood.
“This isn’t a plant that enjoys too much or too little water,” Sasuke warns. “It doesn’t need to dry out, but if you overwater it, it will rot. Make sure the moss around the base is damp but not soaking.”
Sasuke’s employee has now left, and all nonessential lights have been turned off. Naruto is suddenly aware that he and Sasuke are alone. He swallows down the lump in his throat and watches Sasuke’s graceful hands as he works.
Sasuke delicately settles the orchid into a shopping bag and tucks a paper with care instructions in alongside it. When he is finished, he looks up with a rakish grin. “Really, Naruto?” he asks.
“What?” Naruto is bemused by the question.
“You just have to have an orchid for your mother at 8 pm on a Friday night, hm?” Sasuke taunts. His deep, black eyes dance.
“Yeah?” he says defensively. “Orchids are my mom’s favorite. I just forgot.”
“Uh-huh,” Sasuke teases. His eyes continue to pin Naruto, holding him hostage and challenging him.
Naruto scoffs. “Get over yourself, asshole. Not everything is about you.”
Sasuke’s brow arches. “I suppose that means I’m drinking alone tonight.”
Naruto blinks, unsure if he’s understood Sasuke correctly. “Huh?”
“I’m asking you out, space cadet.” Sasuke looks intolerably smug. He also looks unbearably hot.
Naruto’s face heats up “Not a nice way to ask somebody out, bastard,” he grumbles.
“Too bad. I’ve been waiting for you to get to the point for over a month, so here we are.”
Sasuke is still smiling, and it makes his handsome features even more handsome.
Naruto sighs dramatically. “Fine. I owe you one, anyway. Can’t leave you to drink alone.”
Sasuke snorts and finishes shutting down the nursery. Naruto tries and fails to control his nerves as they walk to the bar Sasuke suggested. Fortunately, it’s not far. The bartender beams and bounces on the balls of her feet excitedly when they walk in.
“Sasuke!” she shouts. “Where have you been?”
“Busy,” Sasuke says gruffly, and Naruto is caught between laughing at his brusque demeanor and pity for the clearly smitten bartender.
Naruto insists on buying their drinks--a stout for Sasuke and a domestic lager for Naruto--and they take their seats.
“You saved my life tonight,” Naruto says, raising his glass. “Thanks. I really mean it. Mom’s gonna love the orchid.”
Sasuke smiles at him. “I’m still not sold on that story. But keep trying.”
“Pfft,” Naruto huffs. “Somebody’s got a big head.”
A grin spreads across Sasuke’s face. “I thought you’d have got the nerve up before now. I’d have given you my number.”
Naruto’s mouth falls open. Sasuke shakes his head.
“Have you ever seen me helping another customer?” he asks.
“I thought…it’s because I was so bad with plants,” Naruto sputters.
Sasuke shrugs. “Most people are bad with plants. You don’t see me helping most people, though, do you?”
The warmth in Naruto’s belly becomes an all-encompassing fever. He knows his face is red, but he can’t control it.
They drink and talk; Naruto learns that Sasuke has a degree in horticulture. He learns the difference between horticulture and botany. He learns that he’s not originally from this town. Naruto tells Sasuke about his job as a personal trainer. He talks about the importance of training both in strength and flexibility.
With this, Sasuke smirks infuriatingly, as if he knows that Naruto’s thoughts have veered right off course and landed squarely in the gutter. He isn’t wrong.
Sasuke insists on buying the next round of drinks. They argue about the merits of American football and whether Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal was legitimate (“It totally was!” Naruto claims. “I suppose the Easter Bunny still visits you every year, too,” Sasuke argues).
As they’re finishing their third round, Sasuke leans back in his seat and looks at Naruto tauntingly. “You know I don’t believe you’ve really kept all those plants alive,” he says matter-of-factly.
“You are such a bastard,” Naruto snaps. “You saw the photos! How can you say you don’t believe me?”
Sasuke shifted his eyes upwards and gestured lazily. “Yes, you’ve managed to keep both yourself and numerous plants alive for several weeks. While we’re at it, Maradona’s Hand of God was legit, and yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus.”
Naruto laughs. “You still don’t believe. I guess you’ll just have to see for yourself.”
Sasuke’s cheeks are faintly tinged with pink, but he holds Naruto’s gaze. “I guess I will.”
Naruto rises from his seat and stretches out his hand. Sasuke looks at it for a moment before taking it. He lifts the bag containing the orchid. “Don’t forget your whole excuse for coming out tonight,” Sasuke says.
Naruto laughs and takes it from him, then he pulls him out towards the door.
He doesn’t let go of Sasuke’s hand as they walk to the bus stop. Under the glow of the streetlights, Sasuke looks even more ethereal, even more beautiful. Naruto is grateful that the bus arrives quickly, because he suddenly has lost the ability to speak.
The bright lighting on the bus breaks the tenuous spell. They banter back and forth the entire ride, and Naruto thinks he could get used to this.
Naruto struggles to conceal the tremor in his hands as he unlocks his apartment door. He flips the light switch, and Sasuke chuckles.
“It looks like you managed to keep them alive, after all,” he says. His eyes crinkle at the corners with his smile. He walks around and inspects each one thoughtfully. “I suppose these all have names?”
“Of course, they do!” Naruto says, as if it would be preposterous to think otherwise. He grows impatient. “So who’s stalling now, huh?”
Sasuke looks up at him in astonishment.
“You were ragging on me about making excuses before, but you’re the one making excuses, now,” Naruto continues, emboldened.
Sasuke smiles and hums thoughtfully. “Am I?” He asks.
The movement Naruto makes towards him is completely involuntary. “Yeah,” he says.
Sasuke is close, so close, and Naruto realizes he’s been thinking about this moment since he first ran into him. The first kiss is tentative, Sasuke’s lips soft and pliant against his own.
The next kiss is scorching. It’s feverish and hungry; both men have dispensed thoroughly with the delicate dance they’ve been doing. Sasuke’s fingers thread through Naruto’s hair and pull gently. Naruto cups the back of his neck and brings him even closer.
Sasuke kisses and bites just beneath Naruto’s ear, dragging a surprised gasp out of him. He chuckles as he nuzzles against his neck. “Sensitive,” he says against the skin he has just kissed.
Naruto retorts by grasping Sasuke’s hips and pulling him against him roughly. Their clothed erections brush against each other, and it’s Sasuke’s turn to gasp.
The long, graceful fingers that Naruto has been admiring all these weeks work magic over his skin. They brush along the nape of Naruto’s neck and dip down beneath his collar. Hungry for more contact, his own hands explore Sasuke’s back and sides. They slide up under his tee shirt, and Naruto marvels at how toned the muscles are.
The pads of his thumbs brush over Sasuke’s nipples, and he thrusts against Naruto mindlessly.
Naruto bites Sasuke’s neck playfully. “Sensitive,” he says, imitating Sasuke’s voice.
“So mouthy,” Sasuke says with a chuckle. He tilts Naruto’s face up for another sensual kiss. They break apart as Naruto tugs Sasuke’s shirt up over his head and tosses it aside. Sasuke returns the favor.
If Sasuke’s skin felt amazing under Naruto’s fingertips, it’s nothing compared to the way it feels pressed against his torso. He shudders and pulls Sasuke towards his bedroom.
“Condoms,” Sasuke murmurs against Naruto’s shoulder. He bites and sucks, and Naruto nearly comes undone.
Sasuke’s silken hair is unusually messy when they pull apart, and his eyes are glassy.
Naruto hurriedly retrieves the requisite items from the bathroom. There is a brief moment, when he returns, where he and Sasuke look at each other questioningly. Naruto has no doubts about what he wants. Sasuke’s eyes tell him that he is equally certain. They kiss as they strip the last of their clothes away.
Skin-on-skin, Naruto presses Sasuke against the wall. He places the foil square into the palm of Sasuke’s hand. “Hurry up,” he growls.
“Bossy,” Sasuke responds, tweaking Naruto’s nipple for good measure.
“You don’t know the half,” Naruto cheekily replies. He tugs Sasuke towards the bed and pushes him back upon it. Sasuke is inhumanly gorgeous, with his hair splayed over the mattress and his taunting lips so plump and pink.
Naruto teases Sasuke’s nipples with his tongue. Sasuke’s hands are everywhere: stroking through his hair, ghosting down his sides, feathering over Naruto’s balls.
“Condom,” Naruto says impatiently.
Sasuke sheaths his dripping cock in the condom, and Naruto straddles his lap. Sasuke’s hands grip his ass.
He takes Sasuke’s cock into his hand and aims it at his entrance. He lowers himself until Sasuke is completely ensconced by him, filling Naruto up deliciously.
He moves slowly at first, teasing Sasuke and allowing the tension to build between them. It feels too good, though, and Naruto doesn’t really care to draw it out just to taunt him.
Sasuke is soon slamming Naruto down on his cock over and over. Naruto grips his own throbbing penis and strokes in time with their thrusts. Ecstasy washes over him as he comes, Sasuke’s orgasm following closely behind. Naruto’s body slumps as he catches his breath.
Naruto groans as he forces himself up. He stumbles into the bathroom and grabs a box of tissues, which he throws at Sasuke unceremoniously. They clean themselves up, both of them too fucked out to make conversation.
“We took the last bus that runs tonight,” Naruto says with a yawn. Sasuke looks over at him quizzically.
“Is that Uzumaki-speak for ‘you can stay the night?’” he quips.
“Is that asshole-speak for ‘yeah, sure?’” Naruto says. He grins, suddenly bashful. “But yeah? You can stay the night. If you want.”
Sasuke answers with a kiss.
They go two more rounds before they are both too exhausted to move, much less fuck. Naruto gets an hour and a half to sleep. He brews a strong pot of coffee for the two of them in the morning and dresses for work.
Sasuke kisses him goodbye at the door. “Don’t forget the orchid for your “mother,”” he says mockingly.
Naruto claps his hand over his forehead. “I almost forgot. Again!” He retrieves the orchid, cradling it carefully in his arms, then joins Sasuke at the front door again.
Sasuke shakes his head and smiles, and they go their separate ways.
Naruto is glad that he’s generally an excellent employee, because he is drowsy and preoccupied the entire day. He is on his last legs when he stumbles into the restaurant for his mother’s birthday dinner after work.
Kushina opens her gifts after dessert, saving Naruto’s for last. Her mouth falls open as she lifts the orchid out of the wrapping Sasuke so meticulously placed around it. “Naruto, this is beautiful!” she murmurs. She pulls the care instructions out of the bag and reads them aloud. She pauses and smiles at the end.
“Naruto, honey, I think this last part was intended for you,” she says. She passes the paper to him. At the bottom, in sloping, angular script, is Sasuke’s name and a phone number.
Sunflower 🌻
You coming over today? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
Moon cactus 🌵
Why?
Sunflower 🌻
Yes or no? (◕︵◕)
Moon cactus 🌵
No.
Sunflower 🌻
(┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻
Moon cactus 🌵
;)
He didn’t. Right?
Naruto stares at his phone and the blinking notification that shows Sasuke sent him a text. And normally that’s exactly what the jerkface does. Sending texts, common letters, words, simple and plain. But now…
He doesn’t even need to open the message because the preview displays it perfectly. Two characters. Nothing complicated, but still.
Naruto’s fingers fly.
Sunflower 🌻
Did you just wink at me??? (◕△◕✿)
The phone stays silent.
Naruto clutches the device closer to his chest, waiting for the familiar vibration, the unmistakable sign that Sasuke answered to confirm that no, it was a mistake. It has to be a mistake.
What the hell does it mean that his heart is pounding like this because of a simple text, a winking face like any other?
Ridiculous!
Shaking his head, Naruto huffs out a breath, shoving his phone to the side and grabbing the watering can he was about to fill up when Sasuke first answered his query. He still doesn’t know if that was a ruse or not.
They have been talking for a few months now. Some weeks they go out, do casual things like watching a movie, taking a walk in the park and eat ice cream. Some they only text, sending each other updates on their days, Naruto in bold characters and goofy quips. Sasuke in short sentences and brusque words. They softened over time, coincidentally around the same time Naruto started to send selfies to brighten the stoic man’s days. But they still don’t know what they are. And it’s not like he really needs to know, it’s perfectly fine the way it is. With Sasuke coming over and them having the best sex Naruto’s had in his entire life. With them talking and laughing and going on dates that aren’t always explicitly declared dates but feel like they are and…
He’s thinking again.
Closing the tap, Naruto decides he won’t be thinking about Sasuke anymore. There’s no use in trying to figure out anything they might or might not be to each other anyway. And it’s not like Naruto has a name to the clenching of his heart every time Sasuke steps through his door and greets him with a kiss anyway.
So.
No thoughts about soft blue-black strands splayed out on his pillow allowed. Nope. No pale hands caressing his skin, making him shiver with the contrast of their complexions. No, nope. No.
Naruto resolutely tilts the watering can so that Fiona, the Flaming Sword, one of his most recent acquisitions, gets her water right where she loves it the most. Not near the soil or the stem but in between the leaves, trickling into the funnel they form. It’s beautiful to watch her fill herself up with liquid, going a little more swollen and Naruto smiles gently, caressing the dark green of her leaves.
“Yeah, I know. I love you, too, baby.”
It is nice to talk to someone, to irrationally feel like someone’s listening to him. It’s stupid and he doesn’t care.
Naruto starts whistling, watering his personal jungle and talking to the patient creatures all the while. He almost forgets about the exchange he had with Sasuke - until there’s a knock on his door and he knows it can’t be anyone else but Sasuke because that man is the only human being unable to use a doorbell, hell knows why.
He takes his time, emptying the can, drying his hands. By the time he is back at his front door, the knock has sounded three times, getting incessantly more urgent. It’s close to desperation by now and yes, he’s gleefully innocent, grinning widely as he opens his door.
“Hey, Sas-”
“What is it?”
Naruto furrows his brow, opening the door a tad wider, so Sasuke can step in. The man looks tired, tense, something is wrong and when he turns around Naruto can see the storm brewing in his dark eyes.
He closes the door and leans against it, tilting his head to the side.
“What?”
It’s sharp, cracking like a whip but Naruto doesn’t flinch. He’s been close enough to Sasuke to know there’s no need. All of his bravado is nothing but a mask for concern, that’s something Naruto learned a few weeks ago when Sasuke yelled at him because he tried to clean his windows, ass up, balancing on his knees on the windowsill, half hanging out of the building.
It’s fine.
So Naruto shrugs, moving past Sasuke, right into his living room and waiting for the man to join him. He’s got his arms crossed in front of his chest, scowl firmly in place and Naruto knows he wants to scold him, but…
“Tada!”
His arms are swinging wide, encompassing the whole room. It took him two days to rearrange the sofa, moving it into the corner, so that an arch of hanging plants is lining the way deeper into the room, giving him more space, more light and the space on his white wall to start something he’s always wanted to do.
“It’s your living room. Congratulations. Is this why I had to come over?”
Naruto nods, shoving Sasuke forwards.
“And you couldn’t have sent a picture? What am I supposed to see here, that…?”
The moment his jaw clicks shut audibly, Naruto stops moving him towards the wall, instead choosing to wrap his arms around Sasuke’s waist from behind, narrowly avoiding their skulls crushing together as Sasuke whips around.
“You weren’t lying?”
Naruto’s grin is far too wide to be anything less than painful.
“You…”
Sasuke stares at him for a second, suspended in time, his fingers twitching, arms moving up, undecided where to go.
“Fuck.”
And then there are lips on his, Naruto catching Sasuke’s laugh between his teeth.
“Moron.”
The picture Naruto took on his mother’s birthday, the day after hooking up with Sasuke for the first time, stands out against the white and green of the living room. Their laughs are bright and real.
Bonus scene:
It’s far too early to be awake. Birds are chirping outside, a soft breeze billows the curtains and soft light filters in through the half-open window.
There’s no alarm going off, no shrieking phone telling him he’s late to anything. It’s silent apart from nature making sure Naruto knows everyone else but he is proudly awake.
A yawn cracks his jaw and Naruto trembles for a second as he stretches out, his muscles the good kind of sore from last night.
Speaking of.
Naruto’s fingers walk along the mattress, bunching the sheet between them, searching for warm skin over firm muscles but all he’s meeting is cold. His head turns on autopilot, finding an abandoned pillow in the shape of Sasuke’s head but nothing else. No soft breaths, no cutely twitching nose. Sasuke’s gone and Naruto feels...empty.
The sigh that leaves him feels as if it came out of his belly. Deep and long, carrying all the weight of his unnamed feelings. Still, he gets up, wincing when his feet meet the cold hardwood floor, powering through because what else is he supposed to do?
Now that he’s up, there’s no way he can go back to sleep, so he might as well start on his morning ritual.
Yawning again, Naruto shivers, taking his favourite cardigan from the hook on the front door of his closet, wrapping himself in the fabric to get a little warmer as he scuffles through his apartment.
First things first, greeting his plants.
“Good morning Paul. I know, it’s just me, but you know, let’s keep him asleep for a little longer, hm? He’s been working a lot lately.”
What? Naruto perks up, inching closer to the door leading into the living room, the centre of his greenery.
“Hey yes, don’t yell at me, Sally! He’ll be with you soon enough. Don’t you want him to be happy, huh?”
That’s...that’s Sasuke, right? What the heck is Sasuke doing in his living room? And who is he talking to? There’s no one in here but him and his plants and…
“See? Karl understands me. Behave, Sally, will you? Thanks. Yes, I know, I know. I’m only second best.”
No. No way.
“Tracy! Stop tickling me!”
Never ever is this real. He’s dreaming.
The door swings open silently and Naruto’s jaw drops.
There he is. Not in his bed anymore, sure, but here. Amidst Naruto’s treasured babies, greeting them by their names, talking to them, treating them as the living creatures they are, something he’s always made fun of Naruto for doing and…
“I’m here, Oliver. Stop shaking, it’s alright. Shh, yes. That’s right. Nothing bad is happening, just testing the soil. That’s a good boy.”
Just like that, Naruto knows he is in love.
And here he is, Uzumaki Naruto, protector of dying plants:
