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(closed) everything you feel, and everything you think
WHO: Uchiha Sasuke & others.
WHERE: Around Stygia.
WHEN: Month of October.
WHAT: Catch-call for event prompts / other scenarios.
WARNINGS: None atm, will updated if needed.
[ ooc — plotting comment for the event here, comment for the general CR meme here. flexible to do things outside of the event as well!]
WHERE: Around Stygia.
WHEN: Month of October.
WHAT: Catch-call for event prompts / other scenarios.
WARNINGS: None atm, will updated if needed.
[ ooc — plotting comment for the event here, comment for the general CR meme here. flexible to do things outside of the event as well!]
𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 | feast
Yet he is cold. Sasuke shivers against the invisible chill, finding his path turned toward the outer edges of Mirth, where the streets are less populous, less brightly lit, where festival-goers have built small, contained campfires where the road leads to the corn mazes and distant farmland. And where he can sense Naruto's chakra through the tether of dual resonance — a torch that draws him easily, effortlessly, in this altered state. An unconscious comfort luring him out of the chill of his surroundings, his own mind. The hot immensity of that presence is at the center of attention; there's no way he could turn anywhere else.
And still, amid his dreamy contentment, a part of Sasuke remembers their last conversation. It's what makes his approach now feel significant. He doesn't disguise himself, and he's been tracking Naruto's whereabouts for most of the night — it seems only natural they would come together in the end.
He sees his friend near one of the campfires, smiling, watching a group of children chase each other in weaving circles around bales of hay. His voice rises high enough to be heard.]
Naruto.
no subject
ʜɪs ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʜᴇʟʟʜᴏʟᴇ ʙʏ ɴᴏᴡ. ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ʜᴀʟғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴋᴀɢᴇ ᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴏ ᴡᴀs. ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏᴏɴ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀᴄᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴜsᴇғᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴛᴏᴘs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴜᴇ...
Crack.
Blinking, Naruto glances downward. The outer shell of the grablenut that he had been holding split under the pressure of his tightening grip. Well, he supposes now is as good a time as any to start picking at it. With a mental shrug, the young man banishes the bleak thoughts from his mind and begins to eat absently. Meanwhile, his gaze searches the crowds. In doing so, he catches the eye of more than one passerby. Though he offers an amicable smile each time, only a few Restless return the expression. Still, it’s a better reception than the kind he received as a boy back in Konohagakure; Naruto remains in high spirits.
A group of children begin playing nearby, drawing his attention. But even as he watches them in vague amusement, the jinchūriki’s focus homes in on the chakra signature making a beeline for his position. Sasuke. The simple fact his best friend has sought him out comes as a sharp relief, manifesting in an exhale that seems to relieve some of the invisible weight clinging to his heart. Their last conversation had not ended on a pleasant note—and it was unusual for them to leave tension hanging by a thread without culminating into a physical fight. Naruto almost messaged Sasuke a dozen times in the interim, hoping to smooth things over. Words had failed him every time. “I’m sorry” was not a phrase common to their shared vocabulary.]
Hey, [he greets his friend, and despite an anticipation for the moment to be awkward, Naruto finds himself only capable of a pleased, sincere smile as soon as his eyes land on Sasuke.] Surprised you’re here. Didn’t think you were much of a partier.
[Naruto startles. His hand, completely without conscious thought, has spanned the gap separating them to fasten securely around Sasuke’s wrist. The action, for all that he’s surprised by it, still feels natural. So the blond doesn’t resist the prickling urge demanding he tug Sasuke closer—shoulder to shoulder, warmth radiating along their seams like they were two halves of one former whole.]
no subject
And if it was anyone else, Sasuke wouldn't have allowed himself to be reeled in uncomplaining, compliant despite the permanent tension that he tends to hold in his body always. For a moment, a fraction of that washes away — physicality isn't a new phenomenon between them but rarely is it gentle like this. Companionable, still, but more purposeful. He accepts the close press between their sides, grateful for the heat that radiates from Naruto's body. He nudges at that shoulder with his own.]
Do I look to you as though I'm partying? [The remark is dry, not sharp or actually defensive.] If anything, I would have expected you to be in the crowd, yet you're all the way over here.
[There's a huff behind the observation, like he's exasperated by having to go and search for Naruto, but it's not real sentiment. They weren't lost from one another. They can find each other easily. Mismatched eyes lower to the remnants of food from before, recognizing the brown shell of the Grablenuts.]
Did you like it?
no subject
ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇᴛ ʜᴇ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ sᴀsᴜᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ—ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴋᴏɴᴏʜᴀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ᴛᴏᴏ. ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ sʜɪɴᴏʙɪ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇ sᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇᴀʀs. ɪғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴏɴ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴀᴛʜs ɪɴ ʟɪғᴇ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡᴀs ɪᴛ? ғᴏʀ sᴀsᴜᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ, ғᴏʀ ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴀɪɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴋᴀɢᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ... ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ. ᴀʟʟ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ. ALL WRONG.
Naruto tunes out the inner voice trying to sow the seeds of chaos and strife. With a companionable squeeze in parting, he releases Sasuke’s wrist and then takes a seat on a log set before the fire. The heat generated by the crackling flames feels good on his skin, even as some of the fading bruising at his collarbones shies from the light.]
Like it…? [he echoes after a time, distracted. Something within him aggressively answers very much so, but Naruto can’t be sure what it’s in reaction to. Eventually, his gaze follows the mismatched pair to his hand.] Oh, ha! It’s good. Spicer than it looks. Want some?
[Unaware that his friend has already partook in the fruit, he offers up the remains now.]
C’monnn, try it! Betcha you’ll like it too. Or are my germs too much for ya?
no subject
I've already had some. [Then, why is he reaching for the remnants of the Grablenut all the same? Sasuke scoops the peeled, flaky outer shell into his right hand and lifts it up, making quick work of the soft, gooey center in efficient licks before he crunches on the shell. He speaks after he's swallowed the remainder and wiped his hand clean on a knee.] ... It isn't bad. I don't mind the spice, but there's some sweetness I don't like as much. At least it isn't that strong.
[And it feels good, a fact that in Naruto's reassuring presence isn't half as alarming as it should be. It hits him immediately — a heady rush that leaves him looser, less concerned with the voice of his own thoughts, less preoccupied by problems and questions and obstacles. A delirious sort of distraction that causes him to nudge in to reinstate physical contact between their shoulders.]
What are you doing out here alone?
cw: stupid oblivious gays
Sasuke slides in, their bodies now touching casually from shoulder to shoulder. It’s both overwhelming and too little all at once. Blissfully unaware of the intoxicating effect that the Grablenut has had on him, Naruto turns and wordlessly hauls his best friend into his lap—single arm locked tight around Sasuke’s middle to hold him in place. This is better, he decides happily, pressing his forehead to the patch of bare nape afforded by the shirt Sasuke wears. Much better.]
Heh. I’m never alone. [A remark that should be in reference to Kurama; the tightening hug of his arm indicates someone else entirely.] Not anymore.
[The press of Sasuke’s bony spine against his chest aggravates some of the bruising, but the blond hardly registers the dull throb of pain. Warmth and contentment spread throughout his limbs like a drug, reminding him of the best moments in his life—meeting his parents, traveling with Jiraiya, sharing food with Iruka… If only it could always be like this.]
Hey, a friend of mine told me about a game called football. It’s all about kicking a ball into a net or…something. [Well, Jonas had meant soccer, but it’s understandable how Naruto confused the sports.] We gotta get him to teach us. Then I can kick your ass a whole new way.
that's a content highlight not a content warning
Naruto doesn't wrestle him to the ground. Instead he holds on, arm like an iron bar around his hips, and presses his head against the bare nape of a neck. He's glad that Naruto can't see his face — for the rush of blood turns his cheeks uncharacteristically red, and his mouth twists into an unhappy scowl that's less about what Naruto has done than his own reaction to it. It's not unusual for Naruto to be physically affectionate, but there has always been some invisible line between them, in part because they're both men and this isn't how men touch each other. Not in any world he's known; it was rare for even Itachi to hug him, let alone his father, leaving only his mother to satisfy many of his childish needs for affection up until they were all gone. This is not a hug, which on its own Sasuke may have understood and accepted — this is Naruto holding him as though he's something precious to keep close, an extended amount of physical contact beyond anything he's accustomed or equipped to handle.
What is going on.
Naruto doesn't mean anything by it, he knows. He's expressing attachment to their bond, of course, and he's further uninhibited due to the food they've both consumed, so that expression is magnified. Logically, Sasuke recognizes this fact. It does nothing to stop his heart from sticking in his throat, or his whole body from stiffening, or his thoughts from crashing into disarray. He's aware of nothing else but where their bodies are touching. Naruto is too warm; his chakra is too immense, like a burning shroud wrapped around him, and every breath makes it worse because he can also smell his friend's familiar scent, natural and clean beneath campfire smoke.]
What are you talking about? [He did not hear a word of what Naruto said.] What 'whole new way'? [Excuse me he is?? In your lap??? This isn't normal???]
content highlight: stupid oblivious gays
I can’t see nothin’, [comes the predictable complaint, like he hasn’t created this unique problem for himself.] Bastard…get a haircut!
[The length of Sasuke’s hair is not, in fact, an issue. It’s just an easy target in the moment.]
Hold on…
[That’s the only warning given. Naruto raises one leg on the outside of Sasuke’s, pushing inward knee to knee in an effort to force his friend’s body sidewise. When the other boy doesn’t immediately pick up on what Naruto is hoping to accomplish, an arm of chakra bursts out of the blond’s back to reach out, seize Sasuke by the ankles, and reposition the Uchiha. Though the chakra-arm dissipates quickly—to a smattering of whispers from nearby onlookers—Naruto maintains his hold on his best friend firmly with his physical arm. Now that Sasuke is seated sidewise in his lap, the jinchūriki can gaze past him at the fire more easily.]
That’s better. [Eyes half-mast, he rests a cheek against the meat of Sasuke’s shoulder.] Don’t even think ‘bout complaining…you can deal with this for a little while.
[That arm contests the idea of “a little while,” fingers splaying possessively over the brunet’s stomach. The tension there is obvious to Naruto, but just as obvious should be the thrumming anticipation hot in the blond—prepared to fight viciously at a second’s notice to keep Sasuke with him. Whether their separation has been temporary or not, Naruto has always struggled letting go.]
no subject
[The familiar, tetchy reply trips off his tongue as soon as he notices Naruto attempting to rearrange their positions. His heart races a little faster; he can feel it in his throat, and he's worried Naruto will feel it too, the smallest physical tell of the impact this situation has on him. Before he can open his mouth to protest — what does Naruto need to see? — the limb of chakra materializes and yanks him by the ankles into a sideways sling of legs over his friend's lap. At once, Naruto's face looms unexpectedly close as he tucks in at a shoulder. The other boy's cheek is warm even through the collar of his shirt. Then there is the hand on his stomach, worse than before; he preferred the arm around his waist to this. He can't ignore this.
Sasuke turns his head away, so at least he can stare at the campfire and surrounding festivities without the distraction of their proximity. Part of it is to hide his own face, which still blooms with color that the flickering shadow of the fire should partially conceal. However, this change means he can see passing strangers — and he can't help but wonder what they think when a few glance over at him and Naruto. He can't even entertain the idea of what they do probably think, knowing it's a betrayal of the simple, innocent camaraderie his friend is surely demonstrating.
Only the drowsy, relaxed state of his own body and mind keeps him from struggling out of Naruto's hold. Only the effect of the food and drink he's consumed has him contentedly idle in that firm, overly warm grasp.] What are you doing... [It's a grumble, but it doesn't come laced with serious grief. Instead...
He feels good. It starts as a vague, staticky tingle across his skin; stiff muscles ease until he's completely slack on Naruto's lap, eyes half-lidded, docile and pliant. Then it settles in the back of his mind, still hazy. He doesn't think much of it. Later, he'll wonder — the wisp of energy is nothing like chakra, and he can't recognize it at all. But in the moment he's content to be held.]
The food we ate was drugged. [This comes at length, in a sleepy and noncommittal voice.] Don't you feel it too? We never do anything like this. It's weird.
no subject
[Firelight dances over them, though Naruto remains largely enveloped within the pocket of deep, grasping shadow cast by his friend’s figure. He doesn’t mind. There’s a space for him here, he thinks—if only Sasuke would let him stay. He’s reminded of his offer to room together in the Netherworld, and the brunet’s careful refusal. “It wouldn’t be a good idea,” Sasuke had said, gaze avoidant.
So what? thinks Naruto.]
I’ve been called lotsa stuff. “Weird” doesn’t bother me. Not when it’s with you.
[Despite everything that’s happened between them, Sasuke still doesn’t understand. No, that isn’t quite right. Despite everything that’s happened between them, Sasuke is still so afraid—afraid to believe that he doesn’t need to be alone anymore, to believe that the strength of their bond is ineffable, that Naruto will always be there for him. Even now in this foreign dimension, Sasuke continues to hold him at arm’s length. Some of it stems from wary self-preservation. Some of it stems from a heavy sense of guilt. Knowing this, Naruto told his best friend that overcast day on the shoreline he would wait. Wait until Sasuke was ready to believe. But the prospect of standing idly by until then while the young man suffers in silence is intolerable.]
No one else gets to decide what’s weird for us. Just you and me. And me? I say this is fine. Better than fine. It’s good. I feel good. [Blue eyes slide upward toward a pale profile, searching.] You’re allowed to feel good too, Sasuke. The future we’re working on…it’s not just for everybody else, ya know. You’re included. [Something dark—soft like velvet, forbidden yet honest—steals into the timber of his dry voice.] If you aren’t? I don’t want it.
[And Naruto burrows his face into Sasuke’s shoulder, breathing in the sharp musk of electrified metal and dusky smoke that belongs purely to his friend. It settles a voracious hunger inside him, one that he barely recognizes as human. But it doesn’t scare Naruto. How could anything he feels toward Sasuke scare him? Regardless of how undefined or amorphous or “weird” those feelings may be—Naruto accepts them without question. Where Sasuke is concerned, nothing is unnatural.]
no subject
But not all of it.
Naruto cradles him in his lap, nuzzles into his shoulder, speaks to him in that low, scratchy voice promising him a future together — that if he isn't there, "I don't want it." He recalls the vow Naruto had made to follow him into death if it meant they could restart anew. And now, telling him that he deserves to feel good, with the pressure of Naruto's cheek on his shoulder and the ticklish suggestion of hair and breath... It's not normal. Confusion is a wellspring inside of him. It flows, at first a trickle then a fast rush, in time with the pace of his heart. He keeps his head turned away, unwilling to bear that closeness on top of everything else.]
I don't know why you say those things. [Of everyone important in his friend's life, Sasuke surely deserves them the least.] ... It wasn't a future I imagined for myself. Even after I lost to you, I could only see how you wanted to change the world as someone outside of it. I've committed too much wrong.
Don't you see? I can't exist there and ignore everything that has happened to me, everything that I've done. I can't return to the way it was. [The words are slippery off his tongue; the confession seems to ache.] So I don't know what's going to happen now. If we truly are dead, but there's still a way to amend it, I'll do all that is within my power to return you home where you're supposed to be. I care less about myself than that. You're the reason I have any future at all.
no subject
Can he? Right now, Sasuke thrusts him into the direct path of one such decision.]
You’re such an idiot.
[Except, for Naruto, the choice has already been made.]
Sasuke. Listen, would you? [His voice is sharpened to a point of polished steel, prepared for a duel to the death on the subject.] There is no future for me without you. You return me home? I’m gonna tear open the heavens to get you back where you belong.
[ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ.]
You better start caring. ‘Cuz we’re a package deal. And that ain’t changing. We can figure out the rest as we go. So if you can’t return to how things were, we’ll make a place for you. Got it?
/fin
The future Naruto is talking about... He can't begin to imagine it. He sees himself outside the village in amelioration of his wrongdoings, and Naruto within it, with all of Konoha's precious people to fill the space.
𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. He can't tell whether the thought means himself or Naruto.
He lets out a deep breath, falling to silence, feeling the fire on his turned cheek. Selfishly, for however long this lasts, he'll enjoy it.]