CHAPTER 13: Serendipity

A/N: Hello all~ So this is just a reminder that the art I use is not made by me. Please give credits to the respective artists. (　＾▽＾)

4 DAYS LATER AT SASUKE'S STUDIO IN SUIGETSU'S JUNKYARD ~

Sasuke was carrying a palette in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts with an apron, which was the only layer of clothing covering his torso.The evening sun bathed the room in its orange hue as he stood before the large canvas, which called out to the artist within him.

He was there, in his most secret space, to express his emotions through colors. He wanted to create an everlasting masterpiece that depicted the surge of emotions he had experienced earlier today.

'It's been a while since I've had the urge to paint something this badly,'

Sasuke thought with a smile. His heart was racing a mile a minute, and he was extremely overjoyed at the thought of decorating the blank surface.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down as he prepared to apply the first stroke of paint onto the cloth. He played "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak on loop, letting himself drown in the chaos of his multiple emotions and following their lead.

He dipped his brush in water before mixing black and white paint together, forming a subtle gray. Remembering how he had debated continuously with himself on whether he should go or not earlier today, he laid his first stroke on the empty surface.

FLASHBACK

'I probably should just drop the idea. What will I say to father? He won't buy any excuses I make, come what may.'

Sasuke was contemplating canceling his plans with the blond for today. However, upon imagining the look of disappointment on Naruto's face, Sasuke shook the thought out of his head.

'No... I can't do this to him again. Plus, I've already thought of an excuse. Why waste the effort?'

Sasuke took a deep breath before heading outside his school building, as the last bell for the day had already rung. He quickly packed up his stuff, as he had to go to his house, get changed, and meet the group by the school gates within an hour.

As he stepped outside, he saw the familiar tuft of blonde hair in the distance. He scuttled over to him and stood facing him. He was feeling unsure about his decision once again.

'Fuck it. I'm not going.'

Sasuke was about to voice his thoughts when Naruto interrupted him.

"Ne, Sasuke. Thank-"

"Have a good day, sensei."

Sasuke interrupted Naruto, indirectly reminding him that they were still inside the school premises.

Naruto realized what Sasuke was hinting at and said the same words back to him. They both walked out of the school's gates together. As soon as they stepped outside the boundary, Sasuke spoke up.

"What is it, dobe?"

Naruto was still not used to this sudden change in treatment. Just a minute ago, he was the ideal student and now he was just a teme?!

'Is he bipolar?'

Naruto thought before continuing his sentence from earlier with a huge grin.

"O-Oh, well, thanks for coming with us. I really thought you would refuse at the last minute, dattebayo."

And that was all it took to throw Sasuke's uncertainty out the window.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Sasuke stopped his hand and looked up at the canvas, his mind fully in the present this time, only to find it covered in gray.

He washed his brush clean before deciding on another color, relying on his instincts. He picked up his paints and emptied a set of different colors onto his palette. Once again, he delved into the memories he had made today and began stroking his canvas with orange.

FLASHBACK

Naruto snaked his hands over Sasuke's arms reaching out to his hands which were grabbing onto the gun. Their cheeks softly brushed against each other as Naruto leaned forward and rested his chin on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke could feel the warmth spreading across his back, which was pressed against Naruto's chest, as a musky scent filled his nostrils.

'It feels... so safe...'

Naruto aimed at the zombies displayed on the screen in front of them and expertly defeated them within minutes.

"And that's how you win this game, Sas."

Naruto spoke in his low and husky voice. Sasuke blushed at the nickname Naruto had given him.

"N-Naruto, there are people here."

Of course, there were people. After all, they had come to the best arcade in Konoha.

"I know..."

Was all Naruto said before backing away with a smirk. Sasuke almost whimpered at the loss of contact but was luckily able to keep it in.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Sasuke returned to reality and, upon inspecting his work, he decided to switch to yellow. The color reminded him of how genuinely happy he had been just a while ago. That was something he didn't expect. He was gradually welcoming the spark of hope he felt deep in his heart. He was giving himself a chance at happiness.

'I can be happy too...'

FLASHBACK

"Yo, bud, what's going on between you and the blonde?"

Suigetsu asked, interrupting Sasuke's admiration of Naruto's flexing biceps while playing air hockey with Kiba.

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke snapped in an annoyed tone.

'Why did I bring him along with me again?'

Sasuke wondered. He had thought Suigetsu would be easy to deal with, but he was clearly mistaken.

"Well, you've never let me, your best friend, touch you the way he does every now and then. So, what's the deal?"

Suigetsu inquired.

"It's because you smell like fish oil,"

Sasuke insulted. He returned to admiring the blonde who had shown him what being carefree felt like. Naruto had made Sasuke realize the importance of friendship and had made his gloomy world seem brighter, even if only for a few hours.

'Thank you, Naruto.'

Sasuke was smiling to himself which did not go unnoticed by his best friend.

"Sasuke, bud, you're in love."

FLASHBACK ENDS

Sasuke paused abruptly once again. His face was red under the moonlight that had replaced the sun in the sky, as he remembered what Suigetsu had stated.

He renewed the color on his brush, and with all the events in his mind, he continuously stroked his brush over the cloth. He added a sober yet eye-catching shade of blue onto the canvas, as his mind flooded with another set of memories.

FLASHBACK

Naruto was standing in front of Sasuke, shielding him from a bunch of extras who were accusing him of cheating his way through one of the games.

"Have you guys got ramen for brains? How can he cheat while spinning the wheel?!"

Sasuke was not afraid of dealing with such people. In fact, all he had to do was ignore them, and they would leave him alone after spewing nonsense for a few minutes. However, that wasn't the case with Naruto. He wouldn't let anybody accuse his friends of something they didn't do.

"Ask that to your friend! Look at him! Even his looks are cunning!"

Shouted an old man from the group in a gruff voice, irritating the hell out if Sasuke.

"Say that again, you dipshit!"

Naruto was now furious. Sasuke wanted to be done with it already, so he glanced over at Kiba, Shikamaru, and Suigetsu, pleading for help. However, they were too busy enjoying the show.

"I said, look at him! Even his looks are cunning!"

'I was trying to be nice to you since you are elderly, but now you've done it. *inhales deeply* What about you, huh? You look like a rotten egg that not even the pigs want to eat. What do you know about looks, you dirty impotent hag!!'

Naruto wanted to say it all out loud. Instead, he handled the situation rather calmly, like an adult.

"Sir, the machine is supposed to work this way. Nobody can control the spin of this wheel. Follow me, I'll show you a demo."

Seeing Naruto defend him and not abandon him till the end took a different toll on Sasuke. He was mesmerized by the blonde's social skills and the control he had over his temperament.

Their eyes met when Naruto had completely won over the senior citizen. He gave him his signature grin as he walked towards Sasuke, his gait oozing dominance.

'He was clearly outraged earlier, yet he managed to talk it out with manners... How dependable...'

Sasuke let out a small giggle that he quickly masked with a cough.

'I hope nobody saw.'

FLASHBACK ENDS

Sasuke was almost finished with his artwork. He added a few slim white strokes and dots as finishing touches, then marked the canvas with his signature before stepping away to take a good look.

"I didn't even realize what I was making..."

He murmured before admiring the art he had created once again, deciding on a name for it.

'Holding the vastness of the sky, radiating the warmth of the sun, the ultimate ray of hope that resolves every conflict, are your beautiful eyes, Naruto. I'll call this piece 'Serendipity'.'

A/N: Hey there! ( ≧∀≦)ノSo this was it! I hope you liked this one as well. Aldo, just in case I wasn't ear enough, here are the colors and what they symbolize:Gray - uncertainty Orange - warmthYellow - happiness and hopeBlue - reliability Yeah... Also, I have so many ideas for other books as well. Please help me decide if I should write for Todobakudeku or another Narusasu. 🙇🏻‍♀️So, see you all in the next chapter!! Author sound out ~ ✌🏻