talk to you (n. uzumaki)

3.

"Am I any good at Music History?" you repeat the question, the corners of your lips quirking up into a slight smile.

"Well... guess so. I wasn't ever a music major, but it's always been an interest of mine. Why, is it giving you a hard time?" you ask with a dash of smugness in your voice, already knowing the answer. 

Naruto rolls his eyes at you, then sheepishly look down and mutter something you can't quite make out. 

"What was that? It's hard to hear you when you speak into your mug, y'know." 

He huffs.

"I said... so what if it's giving me a hard time? I shouldn't even have to take it... I just signed up for it to fulfill the stupid fine art credit requirement I need, and my friends all told me it was easy. It's just music. How is me knowing what Rachmaglioff wrote for a piano two centuries ago?" he rambles, somewhat childishly crossing his arms and sinking into his seat.. 

You quirk an eyebrow at his speech. 

"You mean Rachmaninoff? He would've written music in the twentieth century, actually."

He squints at you as his cheeks get slightly rosier in embarrassment, practically challenging you to continue correcting him.

"Alright, but... really, what would the world be like without music? I know you don't listen to Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Liszt, or likely even Mozart, but without those guys you wouldn't have anything we have today. Everything from the pop music you get tired of after hearing it all summer, to the music your parents played in the car on a road trip growing up. None of it would be there if we hadn't had someone that made it the art form it is today. And just like whatever you're majoring in, music is something that has a million different specialties, forms, societal effects, not to mention the-" 

"You lost me after you started listing off a buncha guys I've never heard of. Sorry." he interjects, smiling a bit at the way you clearly were infatuated with the subject. 

You feel your cheeks turn a little pink. 

"Yeah, sorry. Guess it's obvious I that I'm a history major, huh? My bad." you sheepishly mutter, gaze momentarily flitting away from his own.

He chuckles and shakes his head dismissively, seeming to enjoy the hint of embarrassment painted on your features. 

"Eh, don't worry about it. You're telling me you're able to actually stomach all this knowledge and  you can make a damn good drink? I mean, jeez... there's gotta be something you're bad at. Are you bad at math? Maybe you have horrible handwriting? Gimme something to work with here." 

Now, this early in the morning it's generally pretty hard to get you to even chuckle. But something about the way he said all of that genuinely just tickled your sense of humor, and you can't help but laugh. 

Though you try not to notice, the playful grin that seems to constantly be on his lips seems to widen slightly at the sound of your laughter, reminding you yet again about the somewhat sharp-looking canines that make up his thousand-watt smile. 

"In all honesty... I have a whole laundry list of things that I'm bad at. Can't stand math, not the best at picking up after myself at home... but why should I tell you any of it? I hardly know anything about you..." you trail off, trying to remember the name he'd told you for his order.

"Naruto." you finish your sentence, not noticing the way the name seems natural in the cadence of your voice.

At the realization and the way you say his name, a light dust of blush appears on his cheeks, just enough for you to notice behind the strange faint whisker-like markings on his cheeks.