Chapter Text
Blonde espresso was the best smell in the world. Sasuke had decided that after working at a coffee shop for most of his college career. The scent had seemed to stick to every piece of him after his shifts, and even long after. He had grown quite fond of it, and even though It had been a year since he quit, the scent followed him to his new job every single morning. He certainly was a sucker for blonde espresso.
Sasuke took a slow sip of his Americano, the warmth settling deep in his chest, and exhaled quietly, already preparing himself for the long day ahead. A stack of cases waited for him in his office, along with a few client meetings he’d have to get through. It was going to be one of those days. He made sure to pull an extra shot that morning—he’d need it.
His mind was already clouded with the day’s agenda as he grabbed his bag and stepped through the front door of the firm. The usual hum of early-morning conversations hit him immediately—except today, it was louder. Way louder. The chatter of his coworkers filled the air at a startling decibel for 7:30 AM on a Tuesday. How annoying.
He barely spared them a glance. Whatever had them buzzing this early had nothing to do with him. He’d just put in his headphones and move on with his day.
As Sasuke settled into his office, the sharp crack of a raspy laugh cut through the low hum of morning conversations like nails on a chalkboard. His body tensed instinctively, a strange tightness settling in his chest before his brain could even catch up.
The laugh was followed by some too-loud, too-enthusiastic comment—he didn’t catch the words, didn’t need to. He already knew. The voice was familiar. Suffocating, even.
Maybe the extra shot wasn’t going to be enough today.
Against his better judgment, Sasuke found himself peeking around the doorframe, scanning the break room from afar.
And sure enough—there stood Naruto Uzumaki.
Naruto had been somewhat of a friend to Sasuke in high school. They were almost friendly between fistfights and shouting matches in the hallways. If this were still eight years ago, Sasuke wouldn’t have used any “F” word on Naruto that wasn’t utterly indecent.
Maybe this was an exaggeration of the true events. They fought a lot, sure, but slowly their rivalry changed into something else, something nicer. They had a lot in common, Naruto seemed to understand Sasuke in a way he'd never admit. Not even now.
But somewhere in the growing distance between his high school years and now, he had accepted that Naruto Uzumaki had been his friend.
Had been.
Their communication ended the day they graduated. Itachi pushed Sasuke to reach out, but his pride was far too great. He wasn’t going to be the one groveling on his hands and knees, begging for a little attention from the boy who was everyone’s friend. Sasuke didn’t need friends, and Naruto clearly had plenty already. It was simple.
That didn’t stop him from lying awake at night, scrolling through Naruto’s social media, wondering if Naruto ever thought of him like this too.
They lived in completely different worlds now. Naruto was the personification of the sun, and Sasuke refused to be just another body reflecting his light. He would be his own person. Without Naruto.
And so time passed. Things changed. Sasuke grew. He was comfortable. His life didn’t fall apart just because he didn’t have Naruto. The world kept spinning, and Sasuke was successful.
That was the truth.
Sasuke reeled himself in and processed the sight of Naruto, all grown up and standing right in front of him. He hadn’t stalked his posts in years—school had kept him busy, and at some point, he just… forgot.
Naruto’s hair had grown out, framing his face just enough, blonde bangs falling effortlessly over his eyebrows. The ends curled slightly all over his head, something Sasuke would typically find unprofessional, but on Naruto, it was—annoyingly—endearing.
His smile hadn’t changed. Still wide. Still obnoxious. But now, paired with his matured features, it was somehow even brighter.
It’s not like this was out of the ordinary. He worked with a few people from highschool—of course he did. That’s just what happens when you never leave your hometown. But something about this made Sasuke’s head spin. This wasn’t just anyone from school. This was the one person he had a connection with.
His stomach twisted. The thought of Naruto talking to him made something tighten in his chest. But somehow, the thought of being ignored felt just as soul-crushing.
“You know, the normal-person thing to do would be to go say hi to him.”
Sakura leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, gaze fixed on Naruto as well.
“No, thank you,” Sasuke replied flatly, turning back to his computer.
“So you’re just gonna sit here glaring at him, then?” She tilted her head, still watching.
“Not what I was doing. I’m busy.”
Sasuke didn’t look at her again. He made sure she knew the conversation was over.
——
The day seemed to drag on forever, Sasuke couldn't finish his work fast enough. If he wanted, any paperwork could be done at home, allowing him to leave early, if not for the scattered meetings that required him to be present.
Sasuke shut his laptop with a little more force than necessary, the conversation with his particularly chatty client having drained every last drop of his patience. His temples throbbed—too many words, too much noise. The shuffle of people in the hall, the distant ringing of phones, the low hum of an office running at full capacity—it all blurred together into an unbearable static. And there were still a few hours left in the day.
Coffee. He needed more coffee.
Sasuke stood, giving the bare minimum of a nod to his client before stepping out of his office. His mind was already elsewhere, lost in the promise of caffeine, when—
“No way.”
The words were spoken quietly, but Sasuke caught them.
Nope.
He almost turned on his heel right then and there. Almost. But this was bound to happen sooner or later. He exhaled through his nose, already steeling himself.
Sasuke’s gaze flicked up, and there he was—Naruto Uzumaki.
For a second, the air felt thicker, heavier in a way that irritated him. Naruto was standing by the coffee pot, still as obnoxiously golden as ever, wide-eyed like he had just seen a ghost.
Sasuke forced himself to move forward. He wasn’t going to stand here and let Naruto look at him like that.
“Ah. Uzumaki.”
His voice was cool, indifferent, as if Naruto were just another coworker he barely remembered from orientation. He brushed past him without another glance, stepping up to the coffee pot and pouring himself a fresh cup.
“Didn’t know we needed a new receptionist.”
Naruto took the bait immediately.
“What? No! I mean—nothing wrong with that, but no. I’m a lawyer.”
His voice had the same defensive edge it always had whenever Sasuke said something vaguely condescending. Some things never changed. Sasuke smirked into his coffee cup.
“What about you, Big-City-Dreams Sasuke? Why are you back in Konoha?”
Sasuke finally glanced at him, just long enough to catch the flicker of something in Naruto’s eyes—curiosity, maybe, or disbelief. Like he was still trying to process the fact that Sasuke was standing in front of him at all.
He could answer. Could give Naruto something, anything, even if it was just a snide remark. But he didn’t.
Instead, he took a slow sip of his coffee, let the silence hang just long enough to be uncomfortable, and walked right past him.
“Not much.”
And just like that, he was gone, leaving Naruto behind in stunned silence. He didn’t follow.