Taking Time

Writing

Naruto woke up to the smell of bacon being fried in the kitchen. He sat up from his slouched sleeping position and rubbed the back of his neck. He must've passed out on the couch—the pain throbbing in his stiff backside clued him in on that. He did have every intention of making it to the bedroom the night before, but he had wanted to properly cool down before he did, which, unfortunately, never happened. Once Sasuke had left for the bedroom after their argument, Naruto had been boiling with anger. He felt at a loss for it too. He didn't know where or at who he could direct the anger because he couldn't discern with whether he was angry at Sasuke for being a complete narcissist, or himself for just putting up with it for too long now. He had made himself think of the reasons why he loved the Uchiha—and there were many: He loved his drive, he loved his bluntness, he loved his flirtatious behavior, he loved how open he was with Naruto versus everybody else, he loved his wood sage/lavender cologne, he loved how attractive he was—how dark his eyes were... But even with all of these loves, he kept thinking of reasons why it wasn't good enough. Naruto admired Sasuke. He had ever since they met. There was something about how cool and strong he was that Naruto felt it balanced his outgoing and laid-back self. They fit together like a glove, or at least they used to. Now, Naruto was unsure if he could say they were perfect for each other. Yes, they'd been through their ups and downs, had always supported the other, and stuck it out through the toughest of times, but it felt as though their relationship had plateaued. He wanted that lifestyle that was once filled with unabashed, fearless passion to return, but maybe it was all wishful thinking. He knew that—once you were with someone long enough—life wouldn't be in those honeymoon stages anymore. Reality was harsh and Naruto tended to aspire to live in a dream-like world, while Sasuke stuck to logic.

Naruto fell back a bit on the couch. He didn't know if what he was longing for made sense. From the outside, their relationship was like any other. They might've been engaged a bit too long, but everyone had struggles every now and then. Other than that, Naruto and Sasuke went to events together, had dinner together, talked with their peers about the other, were open in their communication most of the time... What else could Naruto ask for?

He sighed. Maybe Sasuke had been right. Maybe Sasuke was giving and Naruto wasn't giving back. He didn't remember the last time he'd said he loved Sasuke, while Sasuke tended to express that emotion to him frequently. Sasuke seemed more ready to get married than the blonde did as well. Maybe he needed to compromise... He still did love Sasuke... Right?

"Of course I do..." Naruto mumbled to himself, but loud enough for Sasuke to hear him. The dark haired man poked his head around the side of the kitchen door frame to look at Naruto.

"'Morning." Sasuke said, his morning voice still rough. That was another thing Naruto loved about him...

Naruto smiled, briefly, tilting his head to look over at Sasuke who was holding eye contact with him. Neither knew what to say right now and, for some odd reason, it made Naruto want to cry. Sasuke was well aware that Naruto hadn't joined him in bed the night before. It was written on his face—the hurt, the fear. He probably thought the blonde was still mad, which he was, but it's not like he wanted to be.

"Sorry, I—" Naruto began, but was cut off.

"Don't worry about it." Sasuke disappeared back into the kitchen. "I made breakfast." He called out. Naruto felt his breath hitch as he stared at the space that Sasuke had just vacated. A tingling sensation reached the inner corners of his eyes and his nose. Was he actually going to cry?

"I can smell it." Naruto called back, inhaling deeply. Naruto wanted to talk about their argument—to resolve it— but he also didn't have the energy. He didn't enjoy the emptiness that came with "giving up." He didn't like saying, "giving up" either. It didn't sound right when it left his mouth or invaded his thoughts. Was that what he felt? What about Sasuke? He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the negativity. So, he stood up and made his way to the kitchen. He leaned against the frame to watch as Sasuke, wearing a loosely tied apron, scooped some eggs and bacon onto two separate plates. He looked at peace. He must've slept soundly. But there was tension between them. It made Naruto's insides twist. He clutched the sides of his pants in an effort to refrain from releasing the emotions he'd bottled up.