“Hey, can I tell you something?” Sasuke whispered to his friend, Shikamaru, who was sitting across from him in the library.
Shikamaru looked up from his computer, taking off his headphones. “Yeah, go ahead,” he answered.
Sasuke froze for a moment, contemplating whether telling Shikamaru was a good idea or not. The long pause made Shikamaru slightly more interested yet annoyed at the same time. Shikamaru shifted in his seat, causing Sasuke to look up at him, take a deep breath, and murmur out.
“I like Naruto.” Not only did Sasuke say it quietly because they were in a library, he mumbled so much that Shikamura had to practically shove his ear in front of Sasuke's face with a puzzled look to get him to repeat what he had just said.
“I said…I like Naruto,” the dark-haired boy once again mumbled the first two words, but he very clearly said the last words, turning his face to face the wall.
“That long ass pause to tell me something I already know?” Shikamaru responded, frowning and reaching out to pick up his headphones again.
Sasuke sat there with a dumbfounded look, thinking silently for a few seconds, then gesturing for his friend to take off his headphones again so he could say something. “How did you know?”
"Well, I didn't think you were trying to hide it? It was pretty obvious; I honestly thought you knew that I knew.” Shikamaru was very observant, so even if it wasn't that obvious to others, it was obvious to him. And he did genuinely think Sasuke knew that he knew, which is why he didn't really care about sugarcoating it, but if it was something like Sasuke coming out, even if he knew, he'd still be considerate.
Sasuke put his head between his hands and groaned. “This is so embarrassing; do you think he knows?” Thankfully, the library was practically empty because he was so close to yelling.
“You could tell him you like him straight to his face, leaning in for a kiss, and he'd say he thinks you're a great friend too.” It might seem like he's exaggerating Naruto's cluelessness, but he's really not that far off.
Sasuke smiled and let out a soft chuckle.
“So are you going to tell him?” Shikamaru asked, resting his head on his fist and looking at the other.
“You know…I was honestly thinking about it. I had this dumb idea of maybe saying something at graduation since we were supposed to be sitting next to each other in the back, but because I'm top of the class, I have to sit at the front, and I'm scared that this could be the last time we’re ever this close, and I’d hate to ruin it by telling him how I feel.” Sasuke was obviously troubled by this, but his face stayed pretty neutral the whole time.
“You guys have been friends since you were kids; there's no way you'll stop being friends now. I think you should tell him; obviously I won't force you, but knowing you, you'll probably regret it if you don't say something.”
Sasuke spent the rest of the day thinking about that conversation. It's crazy how the first person he told about his feelings for his best friend was the guy he only became friends with because he was friends with said best friend.
“How should I tell him? Shikamaru is right. Knowing that idiot, he won't get it unless I'm specific,” Sasuke mumbled, rolling around in his bed. Graduation is in two days; there's no way he can muster up the courage to confess to his lifelong friend in two days.
And almost as if Naruto could sense when people were thinking of him, he sent Sasuke a message at that exact same moment, causing him to stop moving and pick up his phone.
“Hey, you wanna help me look for a gift tomorrow?”
“What for?” Sasuke responded, already assuming it was a graduation gift for a friend.
“Hinata confessed to me, so I'm going to get her something.” Okay, well, that wasn't what Sasuke thought he would say.
“Oh ok. Stop by my house and we can walk together,” Sasuke sent after a minute of just staring at the message. Naruto simply responded with a sticker that had sunglasses and a thumbs up with its tongue out.
Silence filled the room as all Sasuke could do was stare at the wall in front of him. His eyes were beginning to sting and his throat was starting to swell, the lump feeling almost painful and his vision going blurry. He's lucky dying of heartbreak is unlikely because otherwise, this might be the most painful death anyone has ever experienced.
As his hands rapidly tried to wipe the tears rushing down his face, he realized he didn't actually know what Naruto's response to Hinata's confession was. Yes, he's buying her a gift, but that could mean anything, right? There's no point in crying, at least not until he's one hundred percent sure that Naruto and Hinata are dating. Sasuke felt so ashamed at his sudden rush of emotions that he pinched his cheek so hard, it left a mark, hoping that he would snap out of it. Sasuke was too tired to do anything else that night; he just went to sleep early, curling up with his blanket.
Sasuke had woken up to the sound of banging on his door; if he didn't know any better, he would have thought he was in trouble. He got up from his bed and made his way to the door, wobbling at every step before opening the door and seeing Naruto.
“What took you so long?” the blond questioned before looking up and slightly shrieking. “What happened to you?” his face contorted into a mix of disgust and questioning.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sasuke had not had the chance to look in the mirror yet, but when he did, he was met with messy hair sticking out in every direction, puffy eyes, and a flushed face. He was embarrassed to have opened the door like that, but it's not like Naruto hadn't seen him look worse.
He quickly freshened up in his bathroom before walking out to his room and looking for a change of clothes. Naruto was lying on his bed, reading one of his manga. Sasuke needed to change but was weirdly embarrassed despite all the countless times they've changed in front of each other, even when he realized he had a crush on Naruto. He gathered his clothes and began to head out of the room.
“Where are you going?” Naruto's voice made Sasuke stop. He turned to look at him with a confused face. “To the bathroom to change?” Sasuke responded in a clearly questioning tone.
“Why? You always change here? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to; you just always do, you know?” The blond was starting to ramble, a nervous smile appearing on his face as his eyes formed crescents.
Sasuke nervously smiled in return before walking over, setting his clothes down, and beginning to change. It's not like Naruto was staring at him changing or anything; in fact, he actually just went right back to reading his manga. Naruto just seemed to have some weird fear of change, or was it of people leaving? Sasuke wasn't quite sure, but he knew that this happened often.
Sasuke had finished getting ready, and they were about to head out the door before Naruto noticed a mark on Sasuke's face. “What happened?” The blond questioned, using one hand to grab onto Sasuke's chin and guide him towards his face so he could see better and the other to point at the mark left from when Sasuke pinched himself.
“It's nothing; don't worry about it.” Sasuke was too embarrassed to even think about the previous night, and he hadn't even noticed just how hard he pinched himself. The closeness was starting to make his face flush; he tried looking at anything other than the very pretty face that was staring at him very intently.
The taller boy let go and went off to go look in the other medicine cabinet. He walked back with a scar cream in his hand, squeezing a bit on his finger, and before Sasuke could even question, he placed his finger on the mark and softly spread it. It stung a bit, but Sasuke barely noticed as he was too busy trying not to freak out.
“All done!” the blond exclaimed, smiling ear to ear before walking off to go put the cream back.
Sasuke's face flushed before he yelled at the other to hurry up. They walked down to a shopping center together, which was nearby, and with all the talking, Sasuke almost forgot why they were there in the first place until Naruto reminded him almost on cue.
“What do you think? Think she’ll like it?” The blond said, holding up a keychain with a chibi figure on it.
“Yeah..? It's cute, so maybe?” Sasuke didn't really know Hinata, so he wasn't quite sure of what she would like.
Sasuke hesitated before asking his question. “So are you guys dating now?” He was trying not to show a reaction, but his eyebrows couldn't help but furrow.
“Hm? Of course not! I turned her down, but I feel bad, so I'm going to get her a small gift to apologize tomorrow." Naruto responded, looking up at Sasuke.
A sudden wave of relief filled Sasuke's body; it felt like, for the first time since last night, he could actually breathe.
"Well, I guess that's kind of you,” the dark-haired boy answered, sounding sarcastic, but he really meant it.
“I just don't want her to think we can't keep in contact anymore just because she confessed, you know? I don't like her back, but she was a good friend.” The blond continued while picking up some other stuff and talking about how he should get the others something too; at least that's what Sasuke thinks he said; he was still focused on the first part. Is that what Naruto’s going to think if he confesses? No, it would be different because he's not a girl. Not that Naruto is prejudiced or anything; in fact, he was completely supportive when Sasuke came out, but he knows it would be different if he said he liked him.
Sasuke was so spaced out, Naruto had completely finished buying all of the gifts when he walked over and shook the shorters shoulder to get his attention. They walked out of the store and started heading back in the direction of Sasuke's apartment. The whole time they talked about graduation, mostly about how they couldn't believe it was happening so soon and how they didn't really know what to do now that they really aren't children anymore.
As they reached Sasuke's steps, the dark-haired boy was about to say his goodbyes and close the door before Naruto spoke.
“You know..I always pictured us sitting together at graduation? Why'd you have to go and be so smart?” the blond said, a nervous chuckle escaping his mouth. His right hand left his pants pocket and creeped up on his neck.
Before Sasuke could even respond, Naruto was already waving goodbye and walking off; all Sasuke could do was smile and close the door. He walked to his room, slumping down onto his bed. His face felt hot, like it could melt off had they spoken any longer. His heart was beating so loud, he worried the neighbors could hear it. “You really know how to make a guy fall for you even more, huh?” he mumbled, gripping at the part of his shirt directly above his heart, almost as if it hurt him.
Sasuke struggled to sleep that night; the anguish of deciding whether or not telling Naruto how he felt was a good idea was weighing on his heart. Up until a few days ago, the thing he was dreading the most was having to give a speech; now all he's worried about is the outcome of revealing how he truly feels.
He reluctantly got up to get ready; their graduation was in two hours, but he needed to be at the school in an hour. He did his hair almost identical to his everyday look, but it felt unusually irritating and hard that morning. His uniform felt suffocating, like it was abnormally pressing on his skin. Before he knew it, he had to head over to the school or he'd be late. He ran out, shutting the door on an apartment that felt emptier than usual.
By the time he got to the school, all his classmates were already there. Almost like it was instinct, he scanned the room for the familiar view of blond hair. His heart was beating faster as he was met with a huge smile and gesture to come closer.
They took pictures together, ones with just the two of them, some with their friend group, and then a few class photos. Although Sasuke didn't know it, he was looking at Naruto in almost every single picture.
Before everyone knew it, the time had come. Everyone lined up in their respective spots and got ready to walk in the gymnasium. What was once a room filled with laughter seemed to transition into a feeling that no one could describe; it was almost unbearable.
The ceremony went by almost like a blur to Sasuke; the only part he remembers is the feeling he got when he was on stage looking for something to ground him and then seeing Naruto smiling at him.
Students filed out of the gym, and once those doors slammed behind them, a burst of cheers surrounded them. All the students were looking for their friends and family to hug and take pictures with, and with all the chaos, the world seemed to move slowly as Naruto and Sasuke's eyes met.
They pushed through the crowd, quickly making their way to each other. Their bodies collided, Sasuke's arms around Naruto's neck. The blond's arms around the shorter waist, lifting him up ever so slightly.
“I saved my first hug for you,” whispered the taller, squeezing slightly tighter than he already was.
Sasuke's heart burned, and the lump he felt the other night slowly crept up. “Come on,” he muttered, interlocking hands with the blond and pulling him away from the crowd into their school. Naruto was visibly confused, but he went along with it.
As they made their way through the halls, they couldn't help but reminisce. Talking and laughing as they pointed to places and things that reminded them of their past encounters. But as they stepped foot into their classroom, the laughter was no longer there. Instead, a heavy silence filled the old classroom, the echoes of their past laughter and arguments hanging in the air. Sasuke's eyes met Naruto's, the gravity of his unspoken words weighing heavily between them. The familiar surroundings brought a sense of comfort, yet the moment was charged with an intensity neither of them could ignore.
“I hope you know your parents would be proud of you,” Naruto said, his voice barely a whisper, but they hit Sasuke like a truck. His eyes began to sting, and his heart started racing. The lump in his throat that was only ever growing made it hard for him to muster up the words. The need to say something forcing a tear out of his eyes.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry,” Naruto said, rushing to hug the other, running his shaking hands through the others hair.
"No, no, thank you. Thank you, Naruto. Your parents would be very proud too; I know they would,” the dark-haired boy said, bringing his arms up to Naruto's back and clinging to the other's shirt. They stayed like that for a while. They gave each other comfort that nobody else they knew could because nobody else they knew felt what they felt.
Eventually Sasuke pulled away first, releasing his grip on Naruto's shirt. He said, “I need to tell you something.” Naruto nodded his head, gesturing for him to continue. Sasuke took a deep breath, contemplating everything.
“I like you a lot, and I think I always kind of have. And no, not like a friend,” he stopped, reaching for the second button on his uniform, trembling slightly as he took it off. He extended his hands out with the button in the middle. “I like you like this,” he continued, looking down because, as soon as he realized what he was doing, he instantly felt embarrassed.
“I get it if you don't feel the same, though I don't expect you to. I wasn't even planning on saying all this, but you're really dense, so I gotta over explain, you know?” Sasuke said, relying on rambling and insults to cope with the possibility of getting rejected by his lifelong best friend.
“Hey!! I didn't even say anything, and you're already insulting me? You never change, Sasuke,” Naruto responded, sighing but having the brightest smile any eyes could ever see for themselves.
Sasuke looked up when he felt the button leave his hands to see Naruto replace it with his own.
“You look confused? I like you too,” Naruto said. He laughed, but they could both finally breathe freely.
“You idiot, don't laugh; don't you see how nervous I was?” The dark-haired boy said, punching the blond's arm with a smile creeping up on his face.
“Since you beat me by confessing first, can I be the one to kiss you first?” The blond said, with a grin on his face but his eyes showing he was sincere. Sasuke's face flushed in return, lifting a hand up to threaten him with another punch.
He looked to the side. “Stop playing around,” a small pout resting on his flushed face.
“Im serious,” the blond said, suddenly guiding the others face back to him and planting a kiss. It started slow and soft but quickly became more passionate, previous longing being the driving force. Their bodies that were once separated, inching closer together. Their tongues that were scared to even enter the others mouths now wish they could do more.
They both pulled away, small gasps filling the air. Both of their faces were flushed, and Naruto's hair was messier than when they started.
“This means we're dating now, right?” Naruto said, perking up.
"Well, I hope so,” Sasuke said, still thinking about the kiss.
“Great! Let's go tell Kakashi and Iruka,” Naruto said excitedly, swinging his arm around the shorter's shoulder and guiding him out of the classroom with Sasuke just rolling his eyes and smiling, following along.
"Oh, great job on the speech, by the way! I can't believe you never thanked me for helping you become top of the class. Not a single thank you for all those times I let you copy my work,” he sighed, jokingly shaking his head.
"Yeah, cause you definitely helped me with your class rank of 14,” they both laughed. What just happened wasn't normal for them, yet it felt natural. “I mean, what can I say?” Naruto replied, throwing his hands up.
"Oh, hey, let's tell Shikamaru too.” Sasuke said.
“Really? I honestly didn't think you'd be open to letting our friends know,'' Naruto replied curiously.
“I just think he deserves to know,” Sasuke smiled as they both stepped back outside.