HELLP

Sasuke realizes that Naruto is trying to be careful around him, not to press too hard. Well, not “press” in the sense of Naruto himself, but rather — not crowding face and not bombarding him with endless questions. He approaches only from a meter away, and questions stop at five.

But, honestly, Sasuke values even that. He appreciates being given the choice, the right to take the initiative himself, to refuse or, conversely, to take a step closer. What once felt restrictive now doesn’t bind him. Yes, a month ago he had to apologize to Naruto, despite not being eager to work together again. And a week ago, an unpleasant incident triggered a panic attack. Yet… Sasuke sees how Naruto is trying to find the right keys to him.

He would be lying if he said it had been in vain. And though he had sworn not to let Naruto get too close, he just…

“Maybe I should walk you?"

Sasuke lifts gaze, realizing he’s been lost in thought for too long. The laptop clock already reads half past nine.

He tries to hide surprise. His eyebrows don’t twitch, and eyes slowly shift to Uzumaki. Sasuke notices the goosebumps running down arms.

He feels the urge to smirk.

"I'm a grown boy; I can get there on my own." Sasuke's voice sounds as calm and cold as usual. He closes laptop and begins packing things back into backpack, noticing out of the corner of eye how few people remain in the café just before closing.

"Maybe then you'll walk me?"

This time, Sasuke can't hide surprise, and a triumphant smile spreads across tanned face.

He… What?

Sasuke parts lips in surprise. Suddenly, realization hits him like a blow to the head.

"I'm not gay," Sasuke warns curtly, making Naruto flush all the way to the tips of his ears and bristle.

"I'm not flirting with you, teme!" he threatens with a fist.

"As you say," Sasuke looks away disinterestedly and rises from seat, swinging backpack strap over shoulder.

After leaving the café, Naruto broods almost all the way to the metro about how arrogantly self-absorbed Sasuke is. He strides ahead, often leaving Sasuke behind, who has no intention of hurrying or matching someone else’s pace. At one point, Naruto stops and waits for Sasuke to catch up, then resumes grumbling, this time about how unapproachable Uchiha is.

At first, it seems amusing, but over time Sasuke stops quietly smirking and frowns.

"If you don’t like me that much, then why did you offer to walk me?" Sasuke keeps walking, but Naruto, taken aback, stops in tracks.

Sasuke slows pace and turns around, gripping bag strap tightly. They look at each other for a few seconds before Sasuke raises an eyebrow questioningly, and Naruto unexpectedly averts gaze, embarrassed, scratching at cheek.

Cars rush past them one after another, and people move along the wide street, sometimes bringing noise, sometimes carrying it away. It seems Sasuke only now notices that, for the first time in weeks, the sun is finally peeking out over Tokyo, and the sky glows with a breathtaking sunset, as if countless colors are spilling here and there. Sasuke wants to believe that Naruto’s flushed cheeks are only a trick of the fading sunlight.

This is ridiculous. Naruto shouldn’t have trouble talking to people, shouldn’t get flustered by a simple question, shouldn’t shyly avert gaze. Sasuke has never seen him behave like this around others. To be fair, Naruto was often the one whose carefree boldness made the people around him blush and fidget.

"Should I wait for an answer, or can I go home?" Sasuke finally looks away, unable to bear seeing Naruto so silent and flustered. In doing so, he doesn’t notice Naruto stepping closer.

Sasuke flinches when he catches a glimpse of a golden mop of hair out of the corner of eye.

"You can go home anytime you want," Naruto says softly, but Sasuke hears him perfectly, so close they are.

Startled, Sasuke takes a step back and grips backpack strap tighter, staring at Naruto with wide eyes.

I have RETURNED

I was working retail in Xmas, then started a new job, then was working three jobs at one stage. And I’ve been working on my own top secret sns fic and comic that may or may not ever get finished…But I want to stick to my resolution of making regular rec posts!!! 😤

TLDR I read some AMAZING new fics and had to make a rec post 🥹

Plz tag if you know the author! In no particular order:

Borrow by peachpal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62184085

Chapters: 1/1

Rating: Mature

Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto

Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto

Additional Tags: weirdo behavior, like... not for them!! this is completely normal of them, confusing sexually-charged introspection, Masturbation, Clothing swap, gross boy behavior

Summary: “Naruto finds something of Sasuke's, and Sasuke takes something of Naruto's.

The end result is the same.”

Me wanting to tell our boy Narto:

It is hot when naur and sass swap/steal clothes, what can I say 🤷🏻‍♀️

The mutual pining 👌🏽 i really hope the author does a part two! 🤞🏽😈

I absolutely see myself in my own, younger bi denial (binial? Bi-nial?) in Naruto trying to make himself/police himself into being a hetero but he just can’t help it!

Love how the author thought about hey what’s some attractive qualities of other boys in the Naruto universe (like Choji’s hands I love that yes he does have big hands you know what they say about big hands 👀 and yes Shikamaru would smell like a sexy ashtray & a trap begging me to get addicted to nicotine, so very true).

Also the author’s headcanon for why Sasuke loves camping 🥹 and onsen 😈

Thanks to @librauzumaki for their debut sns story and a very warm welcome to them!!

The First and Last Domestic Policy of Uchiha Itachi, Godaime Hokage by boo_cool_robot

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62060383

Chapters: 1/1

Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto

Characters: Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi, Umino Iruka, Sasuke and Naruto are discussed in this but do not actually appear. As you may expect from Itachi.

Additional Tags: Humor, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hokage Uchiha Itachi, Arranged Marriage, canon-typical ableist language, Crack, Crack treated 25 percent seriously, A tiny bit of Uchiha Massacre, Canon-typical controlling asshole Itachi, Kakashi also is not doing such a great job here, it's basically just a long riff on a single joke in here

Summary: “It is critical that Konoha institutes homosexual marriage,” Itachi gravely intones. “I’ve had a dream ever since childhood.”

“Of…of social equality?” Iruka fumbles.

“Equality?” Itachi drops the syllables from his mouth with the manner of someone who’s never heard of the concept before.

“That's not relevant. My lifelong dream has been to arrange Sasuke’s marriage.”

Short and sweet, rated G

Listen this was very cute ok

And so funny! Kakashi’s pov was brilliant, as was the spot on characterisation of Iruka and the others

Plus big brother Itachi is an icon

Who knows best obviously

Love a different take on canon where Nart and Sas are of course still OTP. I’m excited to read this author’s other Naruto fics!

Five Star Hotels by trashygivenchy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/

Chapters: 1/1

Rating: Explicit

Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto

Characters: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke

Additional Tags: Blank Period (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke is in Love with Uzumaki Naruto, Angst, Pining Uchiha Sasuke, Minor Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Cheating, Emotional Infidelity, sorry to hinata, Wet Dream, Top Uzumaki Naruto, Bottom Uchiha Sasuke, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Porn with Feelings, Rimming, Crying, Jealousy, Uzumaki Naruto is in Love with Uchiha Sasuke, you knew that tho, Hand Jobs, Love Confessions, Jealous Uchiha Sasuke

Summary: “But Sasuke stopped lying to himself a long time ago, when Naruto uppercut the shit out of him and softly insisted for the millionth time that they were friends with a claim on each other’s pain, despite the missing arms, especially with the missing arms.

The arrangement was nice because of Naruto. He came back to Konoha each time for Naruto and Naruto alone.

Then Naruto went and got a girlfriend”

Thank you for this sustenance 🙏🏽 phenomenal depiction of sns intimacy, psychological realism of the characters and how they would talk things through

Like the author, I also love “pathetic yearning sasuke”

Naruto will always take care of Sasuke 😉

There’s cheating (on Hinata) but yanno -