Flowers, tattoos and I love you's

5. gladiolus*

It was 11 a.m. and the boys were already wide awake, their energy buzzing in the air, Sasuke reclined on the couch, his legs folded and a book resting on his thighs, while Naruto occupied himself with Mario Kart on the TV screen.

The room was filled with the sounds of cheerful music and the occasional whoops of excitement from the blond.

"Hey, Sas play with me!" Naruto called out, his eyes fixated on the racing game.

The Uchiha glanced at Naruto, his gaze piercing and unaffected. "No," he answered bluntly, not willing to indulge in a game at the moment.

The blond grinned mischievously, his competitive spirit igniting at that very moment. "Is it because I'm better than you, and you're scared? It's okay, Sasuke. I didn't know you were such a chicken," he teased, hoping to goad him into joining the game.

"Tsk, fine!" Sasuke snapped, a flicker of determination gleaming in his eyes. "We'll see who's the chicken when I kick your ass!" With a surge of competitive fire, he accepted the proffered controller from Naruto and prepared himself for the challenge.

As the race commenced, Naruto took an early lead, skillfully maneuvering his kart through the colorful tracks. However, just as victory seemed within Naruto's grasp, a knock on the door interrupted the game. Naruto paused the game, a mix of frustration and curiosity etched on his face. "I'll be back in a minute," he assured Sasuke before leaving the room to attend to the visitor.

Seizing the opportunity, Sasuke unpaused the game and skillfully navigated his way to victory. Satisfied with his triumph, he rose from the couch and made his way to the hallway, peering through the open door to observe who had knocked on Naruto's door.

"Naruto!" A familiar voice called out.

"Sakura?" His voice held a touch of surprise as he recognized the visitor.

"Naruto, you idiot! Why didn't you answer any of my texts?!" Sakura's pouting expression showcased her irritation.

Sasuke deduced that Sakura and Naruto were classmates, based on their familiarity with each other. He had seen Sakura a few times before, usually in the company of Ino, engaging in some... compromising situations.

While it was never explicitly confirmed that Sakura and Ino were dating, Sasuke could sense a certain connection between them. Not to mention the fact that he had stumbled upon them making out in the janitor's closet, an ironic twist of fate.

"I've been busy, you know, with school and stuff," Naruto explained, his tone laced with a hint of defensiveness.

Sakura playfully slapped the back of Naruto's neck, her irritation melting into a teasing demeanor. "Idiot! Look, my friends and I are organizing a party at my house next Friday. You have to come! Ino will be there, of course, as will Lee, Neji, and Hinata. Oh, Hinata will be so happy to see you!"

Sasuke felt his heart sink. Of course Hinata was gonna be there too.

"Hinata?" Naruto queried, a flicker of confusion crossing his face as if the name didn't ring a bell.

"Yes, Hinata! Don't be an idiot!" Sakura chided, her impatience surfacing.

Naruto shrugged, a hint of curiosity lighting up his features. "Hum sure. Can I bring a friend?"

"Of course! The more, the merrier! But who is it? Is it Kiba?" Sakura inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha? The emo one?" Sakura's remark brimmed with a hint of judgment.

Sasuke groaned inwardly, frustrated by the stereotypical assumptions people made about him. Why does everyone think I'm emo? Just because he owned ONE My Chemical Romance T-shirt didn't mean he was emo.