Chapter 16
A faint light seeped through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. The air smelled faintly of something warm—food? Sasuke stirred, his body feeling unnaturally heavy. His head still throbbed slightly, but it wasn’t as bad as before.
He blinked his eyes open slowly. This... wasn’t his room.
The ceiling was different. The scent was different. And the bed—way too comfortable.
Where the hell—
Then it hit him.
His fingers curled into the blankets as memories from last night flooded in. The rain. The cold. The fever. He vaguely remembered Naruto’s voice, his warmth... but everything was too foggy to piece together properly.
Before he could process it further, the door creaked open.
Naruto stepped in, balancing a tray with a bowl of steaming miso soup, rice, and some sliced fruit. In his other hand, he held a packet of medicine.
Sasuke froze.
Naruto grinned. “Oh, you’re finally up.”
Sasuke’s gaze flickered to the tray. “...What is this?” His voice was hoarse.
Naruto walked over, setting the food down on the nightstand. “Breakfast. You should eat before taking this.” He waved the medicine lightly before placing it next to the bowl.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “You’re feeding me now?”
Naruto sighed dramatically, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Well, yeah. You passed out with a fever last night. I carried you here.”
Sasuke’s entire body tensed. “...You carried me?”
Naruto smirked. “Bridal style.”
Sasuke’s eye twitched.
“Don’t worry,” Naruto added, patting his arm. “You barely woke up the whole time. Just kinda mumbled some stuff against me.”
Sasuke immediately stiffened. “...What did I say?”
Naruto tilted his head, pretending to think. “Hmm… something like ‘Naruto, you’re so warm~’ or ‘Naruto, don’t leave me~.’”
Sasuke’s face darkened. “I didn’t say that.”
Naruto grinned. “You were all over me, y’know. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were being kinda clingy.”
Sasuke grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his face.
Naruto caught it effortlessly, laughing. “Relax, I’m kidding! …Mostly.”
Sasuke was done. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up his neck. “Tch. Whatever.”
Naruto leaned in and pressed the back of his hand to Sasuke’s forehead. “Huh. Looks like your fever’s down.”
Sasuke stilled at the contact.
Naruto pulled back and picked up the bowl. “Alright, eat. Then take the medicine.”
Sasuke eyed him, suspicious.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You’re being… weirdly nice.”
Naruto scoffed. “I take care of my boyfriend, duh.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue, snatching the bowl. “...Annoying.” But he still took a bite.
Naruto just smiled .
A Day Off—Naruto’s Surprise Date Plan
After making sure Sasuke had eaten and taken his medicine, Naruto leaned back on his hands and studied him with a small smirk.
“You’re looking a lot better,” he noted.
Sasuke, who was still sitting up in bed, rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”
Naruto chuckled. “Good. Because I’m taking the day off.”
That got Sasuke’s attention. He glanced at Naruto, raising an eyebrow. “You? Taking a day off? From gang work?”
Naruto shrugged, stretching lazily. “Yeah. I told Kakashi and Shikamaru to handle things for today. It’s fine.”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “You don’t just take a day off for no reason. What are you planning?”
Naruto grinned. “Well, since I am free today… I thought I’d take you on a date.”
Sasuke choked on his tea. “What?”
Naruto snickered at his reaction. “A date. Y’know, like normal couples do? Or did you think I was just gonna let you sit around all day?”
Sasuke wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, scowling slightly. “You didn’t even ask if I wanted to go.”
“I just did,” Naruto said smoothly. “And I know you’ll say yes.”
Sasuke glared. “Tch. You’re so sure of yourself.”
Naruto gave him a playful nudge. “C’mon, don’t act like you don’t wanna spend time with me.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue but didn’t argue. He looked at Naruto for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. But if this turns out to be stupid, I’m going back.”
Naruto grinned. “Oh, it won’t be. Trust me.”
---
The Date—First Stop: A Ride Through the City
After getting dressed, the two left Naruto’s apartment. Instead of walking, Naruto led Sasuke straight to his motorcycle.
Sasuke eyed the bike, then Naruto. “You never mentioned we were riding this.”
Naruto smirked, tossing him a helmet. “Scared?”
Sasuke scoffed. “Hardly.” He took the helmet and put it on without hesitation.
Naruto got on first, revving the engine, and gestured for Sasuke to sit behind him. “Hop on.”
Sasuke hesitated only for a second before swinging his leg over and settling behind Naruto. His hands hovered slightly, unsure where to hold on.
Naruto glanced back with a teasing grin. “What, too shy to hold me?”
Sasuke clicked his tongue in irritation but wrapped his arms around Naruto’s waist, loosely.
Naruto shook his head. “That won’t do.”
Before Sasuke could protest, Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s arms and pulled them tighter around himself.
“There,” Naruto said with a smirk. “Nice and secure.”
Sasuke muttered something under his breath but didn’t move away.
With a chuckle, Naruto sped off, weaving through the city streets. The wind rushed past them, cool against their skin, and despite himself, Sasuke felt his body relax. He wasn’t used to this—just riding, feeling free—but with Naruto, it didn’t feel so bad.
---
Naruto pulled into a parking lot near a lively district, and Sasuke removed his helmet, shaking out his hair.
“Where are we?” he asked.
Naruto grinned and pointed to a neon-lit arcade. “Figured we could have some fun.”
Sasuke gave him an unimpressed look. “An arcade?”
Naruto grabbed his hand and started pulling him inside. “Don’t act like you won’t enjoy it last time we came here . ”
The place was bustling with people, flashing lights, and the sounds of games beeping and clattering. Naruto went straight to a claw machine and smirked at Sasuke.
“I’ll win you something,” he declared.
Sasuke crossed his arms. “Doubt it.”
Naruto gasped, feigning offense. “Oh? Is that a challenge?”
Sasuke smirked. “Yeah. Let’s see how many tries it takes before you fail.”
Naruto huffed. “Watch and learn, teme.”
A few tries later… Naruto was cursing under his breath.
Sasuke snickered, watching as Naruto failed repeatedly to grab a plush fox from the machine.
“Damn thing’s rigged,” Naruto muttered.
Sasuke, rolling his eyes, stepped up, inserted a coin, and with perfect precision, won the plush in one try.
Naruto’s jaw dropped. “No way—”
Sasuke smirked and held out the fox. “Here. For you.”
Naruto pouted. “You stole my moment.”
“Too bad,” Sasuke said smugly. “Maybe next time, try not to suck.”
Naruto huffed but took the plush anyway. “Fine. Next game, I’m winning.”
---
After spending hours at the arcade (with Naruto winning a few games only barely), the two wandered into a street lined with food stalls. The scent of grilled meat and spices filled the air.
Naruto practically dragged Sasuke to a ramen stall.
“You’re getting ramen,” Naruto stated.
Sasuke gave him a look. “You just had ramen yesterday.”
Naruto pouted. “Yeah, and? It’s ramen, Sasuke.”
Sasuke sighed, but there was no real annoyance in his expression. He let Naruto order for both of them, and soon, they were sitting side by side, eating under the glow of streetlights.
As they ate, Naruto leaned in slightly. “Hey.”
Sasuke glanced at him. “What?”
Naruto grinned. “You’re having fun, right?”
Sasuke paused. He wanted to deny it out of habit, but...
He looked at Naruto, saw the way his eyes shined with excitement, how carefree he seemed—how much effort he put into today just for him.
“…Yeah,” Sasuke admitted, voice softer than usual. “I am.”
Naruto’s grin widened, and he nudged Sasuke’s shoulder. “Good.”
They finished their meal, and as they walked back to Naruto’s bike, Sasuke felt strangely light.
Maybe... dates weren’t so bad after all.
---
After returning to Naruto’s apartment, both feeling pleasantly full from the street food, Sasuke tossed his jacket onto the couch and sat down. Naruto stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh before flopping down beside him.
“You’re staying the night,” Naruto declared.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Since when do you decide that?”
Naruto grinned. “Since you look too comfortable to leave.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue but didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back against the couch and watched as Naruto grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
“What do you wanna watch?” Naruto asked.
Sasuke shrugged. “Something quiet.”
Naruto pouted. “Boring.”
Sasuke shot him a look. “Then why’d you ask?”
Naruto laughed and started flipping through channels until he landed on something decent—a random action movie. It wasn’t too loud, so Sasuke didn’t complain.
As the movie played, Naruto gradually shifted closer. Sasuke didn’t notice at first, but at some point, Naruto’s arm draped over the back of the couch, his fingers brushing against Sasuke’s shoulder.
Sasuke felt the warmth of Naruto’s presence, and despite himself, he found it… nice.
A comfortable silence settled between them. The movie played on, but neither was really paying attention anymore.
Naruto yawned and leaned his head against Sasuke’s shoulder. “Mm… this is nice,” he mumbled.
Sasuke tensed slightly at first but then relaxed. He glanced at Naruto, who looked peaceful—his eyelids drooping, his breathing slow.
Without thinking, Sasuke shifted, allowing Naruto to settle against him fully.
Naruto hummed in approval, wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s waist, pulling him closer.
“You’re warm,” Naruto murmured sleepily.
Sasuke felt heat rise to his cheeks. “Shut up and watch the movie.”
But Naruto was barely awake at this point. His grip around Sasuke tightened slightly, and Sasuke found himself sinking into the warmth, letting his head rest against Naruto’s.
---
By the time the movie ended, Sasuke had fallen asleep against Naruto.
Naruto blinked down at him, a lazy smile forming on his lips. “He really knocked out, huh?” he whispered to himself.
He carefully untangled himself from Sasuke, trying not to wake him, and stood up. Stretching, he glanced back at Sasuke, who looked so peaceful, his face soft in sleep.
Naruto chuckled. “You’re really trusting, huh?”
Carefully, he bent down, scooping Sasuke up into his arms. Bridal style.
Sasuke stirred slightly but didn’t wake. His head naturally rested against Naruto’s chest, his breath warm against Naruto’s skin.
Naruto carried him to the bedroom, gently laying him down on the bed. He pulled the covers over Sasuke before slipping in beside him.
As Naruto settled in, he felt Sasuke instinctively shift closer in his sleep, their bodies brushing.
Naruto let out a small chuckle and closed his eyes. “Guess you really like me, huh?” he murmured softly.
Sasuke, still asleep, grumbled something unintelligible and buried his face into Naruto’s chest.
Naruto’s heart skipped a beat, but he just smiled, wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s waist.
Within minutes, he too drifted off, holding Sasuke close as they fell asleep together for the first time.