When Naruto said he wishes he was brave enough to confess his feelings to Sasuke, these were not the circumstances he was talking about.
He always imagined that it would happen in a romantic, loving way, resulting in them living happily ever after. Perhaps, he would take Sasuke sailing and then he would proclaim his love while they were slowly drifting on the surface of Itako Lake, the one they often visited as children.
As usual, reality had to hit him in a cruel way. Instead, he found himself sitting beside him on his rooftop as the life they came to know, was coming to an inevitable end. Rain was drizzling while the moonlight shone on them, adding to the solemn atmosphere.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Sasuke nervously fiddling with his fingers while staring into the distance. Despite knowing him for so long, Naruto still found himself having trouble with deciphering his friend's true feelings. Everytime he thought that the Uchiha was finally letting him see beyond the walls he had built around himself, he would prove him differently.
Nevertheless, Naruto learned to love him as a whole, quirks and all that came with it.
"Who would have thought that this would be how it ends, huh? I always thought that If I died young, it would die by your hand" Naruto chuckled humourlessly, but was met with silence.
They could see the meteor coming towards them from the distance, illuminating the sky on it's path. Despite knowing that it would result in their death and Konoha's destruction, Naruto still found himself fascinated by it's glory. It served as a depressing reminder, that in a few minutes, Sasuke will become just a distant memory for him and that their life together will come to an end. That is if life after death existed, which Naruto believed in firmly.
One phenomenon that always caught his attention was reincarnation. While laying in his bed late at night, when all the noise from outside world disappeared and all he could hear was his clock ticking by his head, he would allow his thoughts to drift away and let his imagination take over.
He liked to think that he would find Sasuke in every lifetime and that his heart would always find it's way to his. Oddly enough, he found comfort in the fact that maybe in next lifetime, he would not allow himself to waste any time.
It's said that he would only come to his senses because the end was approaching slowly, but steadily. He never felt as helpless as he did in this moment.
"You know, Sasuke, I was not always fair to you." he looked at me puzzled, silently urging me to continue. Fuck this was so hard.
Taking few breaths to calm myself down, I hesitantnly continued.
"I'm sorry that this is so sudden, it's just that I really need to get this off my chest. For years, I feel like a fraud for deceiving you into beliving that all I wanted form you was only a friendship all these years. The truth is that it was never enough, at least to me that is. No matter hom much I tried to supress my true feelings, they always seemed to creep their was back up" I glanced at him for a moment, catching a glimpse of, now wide-open, onyx eyes staring back at me in disbelief. Not being able to come to terms with the fact that he could hate me after this, I clenched my eyes tightly before continuing.
"Do you remember when you asked me why I never took interest in dating anyone, claiming that it was unusual for me and I couldn't answer you properly? Well, know you know. Everytime I pictured myself with anyone other than you, it felt unnatural. Everytime I let myself be dragged into another meaningless relationship, I felt incomplete, like I was cheating on you."
"Naruto" a voice croaked beside me.
"Let me finish, please. I can't- I'm so sorry for being unable to this earlier. You don't have to feel obligated to say it back, just because we're dying but the truth is that I love you, Sasuke. I always have and I always will." It's finished. There's no turning back now.
"I- I love you too" he whispered.
A million emotions surged through my body in a second.
There was no way. There was no fucking way that this was reality.
In a matter of a few hours, I found out that I would die and that my once seemingly unrequited feelings, had actually been reciprocated all along.
I felt overcame with the intensity of my emotions as angry tears streamed down my face. Feeling angry at the world for not allowing me more time with Sasuke, and mostly at myself, for being such a coward and not confessing earlier, I let all the years of pining and frustration manifest themselves in the form of my tears.
"Say that again" I whispered, unable to wrap my head around the fact that this wasn't a figment of my imagination, that Sasuke loved me too.
"I love you too. Fuck, I love you so much that I that I can't function properly, when you're not by my side. You occupy my thoughts. Fuck Naruto, how could you not know how hopelessly in love with you I have been since the moment I met you?! We wasted so much time and now-" he angrily wiped his tears, pulling at his hair in frustration. My heart broke at the sight. I never wanted to see Sasuke this distressed, especially not if I was the reasion behind it.
"It's not fucking fair!" he yelled, slamming his fists down on roof tiles repeatedly, "I just got you and now I'm going to lose you again" his voice cracked by the end of his rant, quieting down to a whisper.
"I know baby, but you aren't the only to blame. Let's not waste any more time I'm begging you. We've wasted enough already."
I cupped his face gently, aware of the fact that the meteor was approaching us rapidly, and sealed our lips in a raw kiss, full of emotions.