It's a strange feeling, to stand in the village he'd abandoned and not get arrested on sight.
Sasuke is free. Or as free as he can be, with the memories he carries on his back. When he remembers how it was Konoha—this damn village—how put him through that hell to begin with.
He looks at the Hokage Monuments looming over the village. Someone is hanging there, carving Kakashi's likeness to the rock.
The Sixth Hokage's inauguration would be tomorrow, and Sasuke is planning on skipping it. He shouldn't even be in Konoha anymore. He'd planned on leaving, to see the world for himself.
But…
"Sasukeeee! Our food is ready, let's go!"
Sasuke turns and sees Naruto stepping out from Ichiraku, a plastic bag hanging on his bandaged arm. Naruto hasn't had that for long, and he's still getting used to it.
The wind catches on the empty left sleeve of Sasuke's jacket, and he tries not to wince because of the unexpected stab of pain in his stump. Tsunade warned him about that—she warned him that the phantom pains would be his nuisance for a while, since he refused the artificial arm Naruto took without hesitation.
Sasuke would be fine without an arm. He sure as hell wouldn't take anything foreign into his body anymore, be that an artificially grown arm or not. Suffering from the curse mark had been an ordeal enough.
"It took forever," Sasuke grumbles and walks over to Naruto.
"Uncle Teuchi was really busy," Naruto chirps, brushing his blond hair away from his face. During the past two months since the war's ending, his hair had grown in length—and somehow it suits him. It had been surprising to notice that these days Naruto is actually really damn popular, and people flock around him every time they're running errands.
Sasuke thinks Naruto's secondary gender has also something to do with it. Somehow it wasn't surprising at all when Sasuke had heard that Naruto is an alpha. He's just charismatic in that alpha-like way, and with the way he wants to protect everyone.
Even now, as they walk through the village to the quiet neighborhood where Naruto lives, they get a lot of looks and some stop by to chat with Naruto for a while.
He brushes them all off, saying they need to get home before their food cools too much.
Sasuke knows Naruto uses it as an excuse, to get the people away from them. For Sasuke's sake.
It annoys him, but he doesn't have the strength to start arguing about it. They're still often butting heads, even after reconciling, and Sasuke had forgotten just how annoyingly stubborn Naruto is sometimes. He can't even gouge Naruto's feelings through his scent, because Sasuke's sense of smell is still very much undeveloped—usually, everyone presented by the time they turned fifteen, but Sasuke is seventeen now and he still hasn't.
Not that it's his fault, exactly. Apparently, thanks to all the trauma and stress he's gone through since losing his clan, the manifestation of his secondary gender is late. But now that things are relatively peaceful, it can happen at any moment.
It's nerve-wracking, to keep thinking when it will happen. Or will it happen at all—if nothing happens, he would be a beta.
Considering Sasuke still doesn't smell any new scents and he doesn't feel any different from normal, it does seem fairly certain he won't be an omega or an alpha. He doesn't know if he's happy for that or not. He does dream of reviving his clan, but that would also require a mate—and he doesn't do romance.
Not that there are people lining up to mate with him anymore. People still don't trust him, and he was extremely happy to notice that Sakura had mated with Ino; it would mean she would leave him finally alone.
Naruto isn't dating yet either, even though people do pressure him to find a mate and settle down. All of it feels weird to Sasuke, considering how young they are—but it has always been like that, especially since the emergence of the secondary genders. Shinobi lives are short and dangerous, and people mated and had families early to continue their line, just in case they would get killed in battle. Sasuke's own clan had done that too.
Itachi hadn't, of course, yet presented when he'd wiped out the clan, but Sasuke had learned a few years later that he had been an omega. And very damn sick from overusing the suppressants. That, combined with continuous use of the Mangekyo Sharingan, had pretty much wrecked Itachi's body by the time he'd turned twenty-one.
They're almost at Naruto's home street when he turns to look at Sasuke. "Are you okay?" he asks carefully.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?" he counters, his stomach lurching.
"I dunno, it's just…" Naruto frowns. "You've always had a certain scent, y'know? I smelled even before I presented, but it's even stronger now. And lately, it's been getting even stronger."
"Oh," Sasuke mutters. "I see. I do feel fine, though."
"It might be that you're about to present, or you might just be getting sick," Naruto says and laughs awkwardly. "There is something different with your scent, but I can't pinpoint what it is."
"It's probably just a cold, then," Sasuke says with a shrug. "I don't think I'll be presenting anytime soon, if at all."
Naruto is quiet for a moment, but Sasuke can tell he is curious from the way he keeps chewing his lower lip.
"Out with it," Sasuke sighs. "You're dying to ask something, right, dumbass?"
"That obvious, huh?" Naruto chuckles. "I just… do you ever think about it? What your secondary gender will be? Or if you'll stay a beta?"
"Sometimes," Sasuke admits. "It's… all the same to me, really. I'll be fine if I end up being a beta. But I wouldn't complain if I'd present as an omega or an alpha either."
"How did the Uchiha Clan view them? I know some clans are really old-fashioned with them—like the Hyuga," Naruto says and rolls his eyes. "The second Hinata presented as an omega, she was pretty much disowned and now she just waits for an alpha mate her father will choose for her. He's been bugging me too, but I won't mate with someone out of duty."
"Looking for the true love, then?" Sasuke jabs, a small smile tugging at his lips. "My clan was… this might surprise you, but my clan cherished both omegas and alphas. My dad was an alpha and my mom was an omega—and I later found out that Itachi was an omega too."
"I remember, I smelled that from him," Naruto says, his eyes widening. "That's… amazing. I would've thought a clan like the Uchiha would think a lot like the Hyuga."
Sasuke hesitates. He hasn't told Naruto about the things he learned from the Second Hokage, and what he has learned himself after returning and being allowed to the few books and scrolls remaining from his clan. "It's…" he starts. "Obito probably talked to you about how the Uchiha suffered from the Curse of Hatred, right?"
"I do remember something like that, yes," Naruto says, but he looks uncertain. They reach Naruto's small house, nestled among the trees and off the main road, and Naruto starts fumbling with his keys. They slip between his fingers and almost fall to the snow, but Sasuke catches them before that.
"Dumbass," Sasuke chides him, using the key to the lock and sliding the door open.
"So—about the Curse of Hatred?" Naruto prompts as they step inside the genkan and start to peel off their winter clothes. Funnily enough, Sasuke has never been good with cold, even with his affinity to fire.
"I… learned that the Uchiha Clan is actually defined by love," Sasuke mutters. "It's what truly powers the Sharingan—the desire to protect your loved ones. Itachi taught me that I have to kill my closest friend in order to awaken the Mangekyo, when the truth was completely different—it awakens when you lose someone dear to you."
"And you awakened after Itachi died, right?" Naruto says tentatively.
Sasuke cards his hand through his hair and nods. "Yeah."
They're almost in the kitchen when Naruto suddenly makes a noise. "Wait a minute—Sasuke! You awakened Sharingan when we were fighting Haku, right? So you awakened it in order to protect me, right?"
Sasuke's eyes go wide and he can feel himself blushing so fast that there is no way Naruto wouldn't notice it. "That's—" he sputters. "I was trying to find a way to beat him!"
"Yeah, but you saved my life! With the Sharingan!" Naruto's blue eyes are sparkling, his cheeks are dusted with pink and for some goddamn reason, he looks elated. "So you did care all along!"
Sasuke groans. "It took you this long to figure out?" he says incredulously. "You are my best friend, idiot. Of course I cared."
They haven't talked much about the things that happened between them—in their childhood and during the past year after their reunion—but Sasuke is pretty sure he's made it clear by now. He has no one else left, and Naruto has always been there for him, to support him.
Naruto never gave up on him, and that's a gift Sasuke will always treasure.
"You really should talk about your feelings more," Naruto whines. "I mean I do sense some things from you but…"
"But what?" Sasuke asks. Naruto sits down at the kitchen table and takes their bowls out from the bag while Sasuke fills a pitcher of water and brings it to the table along with two glasses.
"I just… want you to talk to me," Naruto mutters and his blush deepens. "I tried so hard to get you back, and—now you're here. I want to… get to know you. Properly, now that we finally can."
Sasuke sinks to the other chair, guilt gnawing in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry," he whispers.
Naruto's head snaps up and he squints. "Why in the hell are you apologizing?" he demands, a surprisingly sharp edge to his voice. "None of it was your fault, Sasuke. None. It was out of your control."
"It was still my own decision to kill you," Sasuke says stubbornly. "And I would have, if you'd slipped even for a second."
"We're not going to argue about this again," Naruto informs him. "You went through hell, were used by multiple people and you did what you could in those circumstances."
They glare at each other. Sasuke scoffs and moves his eyes away, but his mouth feels dry and he doesn't really have an appetite anymore.
Of course, Sasuke does understand Naruto's point. He does understand he got manipulated by Itachi, by Orochimaru, and later, by Obito. In retrospect, he understands just how easily moldable he had been, thanks to the hatred he'd grown up with.
And yet… Naruto had always been there, to dampen the sharpest edge of that hatred, in the back of Sasuke's mind.
Sasuke almost apologizes again, but he stops himself just in time. He really should stop doing that. He doesn't owe anything to anyone, least of all to Konoha.
Or, well, he does owe everything to Naruto, but he's not going to say it aloud—it would only lead to another argument. But he wouldn't be here without his blond dumbass, he wouldn't be free to live his life without him.
Naruto saved him, and Sasuke is never going to forget that.
***
Kakashi's inauguration starts at noon, and while Sasuke already made it clear he won't be attending, he can feel Naruto's disapproval as the blond gets ready to leave.
"Just don't even bother," Sasuke says angrily. "It's not mandatory and I'm not going to be among that many people. Especially not with this headache." He has been having a terrible headache ever since he woke up, so he would not go among other people to make it worse.
"You have a headache?" Naruto says and then he's there, his palm on Sasuke's forehead before Sasuke realizes it's happening. "Actually, you might have a small fever—you feel warmer than usual."
"It's winter, I'm always like this when it's cold," Sasuke says and rolls his eyes. He swats Naruto's hand away. "Just leave me to rest and go celebrate."
Naruto straightens but he doesn't make a move to leave.
"What?" Sasuke says, getting more and more frustrated.
"You'll be all alone here," Naruto mutters.
Sasuke opens his mouth and then he closes it. Of course. Of course Naruto would think about him first. His throat feels tight when he says, "I'll be fine, Naruto. Bring us ramen when you get home?"
That's enough to make Naruto grin brightly, and after saying frantic goodbyes, he's out of the door.
Sasuke sighs and lays down, but his headache doesn't get any better. Instead, he slips in and out of sleep, sees dreams he can't comprehend, and even his blanket feels wrong. For some reason Naruto's scent is suddenly strong, almost too strong, for his nose—the scent of bergamot, cinnamon and coffee (Naruto drinks too much coffee, and no matter what Sasuke says, Naruto doesn't stop it).
The scents have always been there, but Sasuke has never smelled them in this detail, to be actually able to name them. There's a funny tug in the pit of his stomach.
Is he actually getting sick, or is this something else? Sasuke has his doubts, but he pushes them aside and tries to sleep, only to be interrupted by Naruto a few hours later. Again Naruto's scent hits him like a paper bomb, and he barely manages to control his expression.
They eat ramen in the living room, and Naruto babbles a lot about Kakashi's inauguration, which had been just as boring as Sasuke had expected.
***
Later in the evening, as Sasuke is preparing for bath, he starts to shiver. His skin feels oddly sensitive and the lights in the bathroom are too bright.
Then there's an unmistakable twinge of pain in his lower stomach.
Sasuke makes sure the door is shut and locked before he strips out of his pants. He shivers even more, but at the same time, he feels hot and sweaty. He has an uncomfortable feeling of something trickling down his thigh, and as he brushes it with his finger, he can see it's translucent.
He knows exactly what it is. It will only be a matter of time before Naruto will catch his scent.
Sasuke takes a bath, but even the hot water doesn't really help. He shivers anyway, the pain getting even worse. He feels feverish and uncomfortable. He soaks long enough for the water to cool, then he climbs out and gets dressed. He doesn't own many clothes, since he's only living with Naruto temporarily—he's still not that sure what he wants to do next.
As he emerges from the bathroom, Naruto glances at him from the sofa, but he says nothing. The sofa is convertible, and at night, it works as Sasuke's bed. It's been spread now, since it's pretty late, and Sasuke is suddenly exhausted.
"I think I might be getting sick," Sasuke says avoidingly to Naruto. "I don't feel too good."
He lays down to his end of the sofa and pulls the blanket up to his chin.
"Do you need anything, Sasuke?" Naruto asks quietly.
"Maybe just… turn the lights off," Sasuke mutters drowsily. "I'll just… sleep. I'll feel better in the morning."
Naruto gets up from the sofa to turn off the lights, but he sits back down to watch TV. Sasuke shivers more, and it's accompanied by waves of heat that lance through his body.
Eventually, Sasuke falls asleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night to terrible cramps, even more shivers and obvious wetness in his boxers. He understands perfectly well what it is.
He's in heat. Naruto jerks awake, and for a moment, he doesn't understand why.
Then the scent hits his nose and goes straight to his groin, and his alpha is roaring.
The entire house smells of Sasuke—lightning, fire and something sweet. Sasuke's heat scent is all over, and it's damn close to triggering Naruto's rut prematurely. He's already had his annual rut, but he knows that an alpha can get more than one rut in a year.
Usually, the mated pairs have their cycles synced, so the alpha goes into a rut at the same time their omega partner goes into heat.
But this is Sasuke's first heat, and the strength of it takes Naruto completely by surprise.
I think you should check on him, Kurama says. Newly awakened omegas need care. You know that.
Naruto does, but he also fears he'll pop a fucking knot just by going close to his friend. He's not a feral alpha, so he can control himself, but he's never been with a newly presented omega (or an alpha), so he has no idea how his body will react.
Still, Sasuke needs him, and he isn't going to ignore that. He gets up, pulls on one of his hoodies, and pads over to the living room.
There Sasuke's scent is even richer. Naruto still smells lightning and fire, but also the familiar tang of an omega in heat and something sweet, like flowers. He's not sure if that's part of the heat scent or Sasuke's own.
"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto whispers.
During the night, Sasuke has—probably without even realizing it—made himself a nest, and he's now wrapped in there, trying to make himself small. Naruto can't see his expression properly in the dimness, but he does see how much Sasuke is trembling.
"Go back to sleep," Sasuke groans. "Your scent almost knocked me out, it's—ugh—way too strong—"
"You're one to talk," Naruto huffs. "I almost popped my knot when I woke up and smelled you."
"Too much information!" Sasuke complains. "Go away!"
Naruto rolls his eyes. "I live here, bastard. And besides, you know as well as I do that an omega shouldn't spend their heat alone."
"I'm not going to fuck you!"
"You know I didn't mean it like that," Naruto says patiently. He knows Sasuke is irritable because he's so miserable—and quite frankly, it doesn't differ that much from what he'd been as a kid. "I'm not gonna leave you to suffer on your own. It's not like you can do anything to stop that anyway—your chakra is completely out of whack."
"Fuck you," Sasuke snaps.
Naruto bites back his response, goes to the kitchen and to his medicine cabinet. He has his own selection of alpha suppressants, but he also has an unopened package of heat meds—similar to painkillers, but they make the heat a bit more tolerable rather than just suppressing it altogether. Naruto bought it after the war, just in case Sasuke would end up presenting as an omega.
And now Sasuke is in heat, and he needs to let it run its course without suppressing it.
Naruto fills a glass with water, and takes that and the meds to the living room.
"I'm getting us a bit of light," he says and turns on one of the table lamps. It's not as bright as the overhead lamp, but at least he can see what he's doing.
Sasuke looks terrible. His face is flushed, red and sweaty, his right eye is Sharingan-red and the Rinnegan glows purple like it always does. In his current state, Sasuke looks almost demonic.
"Don't come any closer!" Sasuke yells. "I told you—your scent—"
"Take this," Naruto says, leaving the medicine and water on the coffee table. "I'll put on some scent blockers, it'll make it a bit easier for you."
He goes to the bathroom and applies the scent blocker lotion on his shoulder to his scent gland. There are various ways to use scent blockers—lotions, perfumes and patches—and usually, if Naruto goes on a mission, he uses patches. But off-duty like this, the lotion is enough. He uses it generously and hopes it'll be a bit easier for Sasuke's heightened sense of smell.
Naruto returns to the living room, and he sees that Sasuke is now sitting, and actually took the medicine.
"It will take a moment until it starts to work," Naruto says. "Is my scent more tolerable now?"
Sasuke sniffs, uncertainly, and nods. "It's… a lot better, now," he mumbles. "Sorry I snapped at you."
"It's fine, I get it," Naruto says easily. "Do you want to eat something? Should I make tea?"
Sasuke wraps his blanket tighter around him and leans back against the sofa. "Tea would be great. And… if there's any onigiri left…"
Naruto returns to the kitchen to prepare the tea, and he takes out the leftover onigiri from the evening before. A while later he carries the plate and the mug of tea to Sasuke.
For a moment, Sasuke says nothing as he eats and drinks. Naruto turns back to his bedroom, but Sasuke's eyes are on him instantly, wide and pleading. "Where are you—" he starts and blushes. "Uh. Please. Don't… go."
"I was just planning on getting my pillow and blanket," Naruto reassures him. "I'm not leaving you. I'll be back just in a moment, okay?"
Sasuke looks desperate, but he nods anyway. "Just—be quick."
Naruto gets his pillow and blanket, and is back in the living room within the same minute. "See? I didn't take long at all." He climbs to the bed on the other side, leaving enough space between them. "How are you feeling?"
"Horrible," Sasuke says and sighs. "I feel like I'm burning up all over and the lower part of my back is cramping like hell. I didn't expect the pain to be so bad. And, well—" He grimaces and closes his mouth.
Naruto doesn't know much about omega physiology, but the pain is probably related to Sasuke's womb and how it's arranging itself, and then there's the leaking. Naruto can smell the slick on Sasuke, and makes a mental note to himself to mention the package he has secured already. The only things he hasn't bought are suppressants and birth control, since they can only be prescribed by a doctor.
"I'll check in with Granny Tsunade tomorrow and ask her what we have to do," Naruto says. "You, obviously, need to stay home until the heat breaks, or otherwise every damn alpha will try to jump on you. Probably betas too."
Sasuke groans. "How come you're not affected?" he asks casually. Naruto does still catch the undertone of that question—it's as if Sasuke is doubting his self-control.
"Of course I smell you and my alpha reacts to you, but I would never force myself on you. Who do take me for?" Naruto says, and he doesn't even try to hide the offense from his voice. "Do I seem like someone who would knot and mate you without you wanting to?" He is turned on and hard as hell, but it's a natural reaction to an omega's heat scent. "I did get counseled on how to be a proper alpha. It was a bit different from usual, yeah—I was still traveling with Pervy Sage when I presented—but I did get enough guidance to learn to be a good one."
"I didn't—I do trust you. Sorry." Sasuke cradles his tea mug in his hands and shifts. "Did you—were you alone, when you got your first rut?" he asks quietly.
"I was," Naruto nods grimly. "Pervy Sage didn't want to share the room with me—apparently my scent was too strong—but… I spent three days jerking off and willing to fuck anything that moved. It was horrible. Then I realized I could use my clones to take the edge off, and while that sounds crazy, it actually helped me through it."
Still, his first rut hadn't been a pleasant experience. He'd been hard almost constantly, and his knot had swelled even when he hadn't been fucking anyone. No matter how much he'd pleasured himself, it hadn't been enough—once he'd gotten desperate enough, he'd knotted his clone, and only then it had started to get better. And still, his dick had been sore for like a week afterwards.
Naruto has had two ruts since his first one, and he's never spent them alone. He can't even imagine spending it alone. But he always goes to the club for that, hooking up with a random omega or a beta, and usually he also changes his appearance (or travels to another village to spend his rut). Everyone knows he's an alpha, but he hates the expectations placed on him, and it's uncomfortable when the entire village knows who he is.
Sometimes he also helped a few omegas outside of his own rut, but even in those times, he didn't do it as himself.
Now, though, he is very aware of Sasuke's scent, how laden with arousal it is, and he knows his friend is probably going crazy with it. It's not advisable to jump into bed with someone during one's first rut or heat, and Naruto is already preparing himself to deny doing that. He knew he'd gotten off thanks to his clones, but Sasuke had to take care of it himself or ask Naruto to do it.
And Naruto knows for certain that Sasuke definitely shouldn't ask him for help.
Sure enough, Sasuke's scent spikes even more a while later, as he settles the tea mug onto a side table. "I have never—do you always feel like this… whatever this is, when you're in a rut?"
"You're horny, Sasuke, and yes, it's completely normal," Naruto says with a laugh. "Why do you think alphas and omegas are said to have the fiercest possible sex during a heat or a rut?"
"I hate it," Sasuke groans. "I'm too sensitive all over."
"I have… slick pads in the bathroom cabinet," Naruto says. "So if you want to freshen up…"
Sasuke freezes and turns to look at Naruto. "But you're an alpha," he says, frowning.
"What an astute observation," Naruto says, not sure if he has messed up or not.
"Why do you have—heat meds and slick pads here?" Sasuke presses. He's staring at Naruto properly now, and it's really effective with his mismatched eyes.
"I bought them for you," Naruto admits and avoids his gaze. "Just in case if you would… y'know… end up presenting as an omega."
Sasuke doesn't say anything, but he leaves the sofa and disappears to the bathroom after rummaging his pack for clean boxers. He still doesn't own many things, only the things he can carry easily, some storage scrolls along with his new sword.
Naruto has noticed that Sasuke is taking great care not to leave traces about himself in the house. But he's not that successful in it—even if there aren't any physical reminders, Naruto doesn't forget. Sasuke has always had a scent, even before presenting, and it lingers in Naruto's house. Even after Naruto washes the sheets Sasuke uses, the scent remains in them.
When Sasuke emerges from the bathroom again, his scent is mellowed, but Naruto sees a new kind of glow in his eyes and knows that Sasuke listened to his body and what it wanted.
"I hate slick pads already," Sasuke mumbles as he burrows under the blankets again. "It doesn't feel uncomfortable, but… it's annoying."
"I don't know a lot about omegas, but I've heard that it's worst during the first heat," Naruto says helpfully. "Then it'll even out. You won't get completely rid of it—it'll react, uh, if you get excited or when you go into heat."
"Why do you know so much about it?" Sasuke asks suspiciously.
"Sakura-chan complained a lot," Naruto laughs. "But it's not the entire truth. When I presented, I read about omegas too—I always spend my rut with one, so I needed to know what I can do, what I have to be careful of and how I can make them feel good when they're in heat. Sometimes I offer as a heat partner to an omega too."
Sasuke looks at him from his nest. "How do you… make them feel good?"
"It depends a lot on the omega," Naruto says slowly. "Some want to get knotted right away, to get the worst out of the way. Others need the closeness of an alpha. Some require touches or cuddles."
He watches how Sasuke closes his eyes. "Would… you be close?" Sasuke asks, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "It's… hard to describe, but… with the way I feel now…"
Naruto kind of understands what Sasuke means. He's been alone most of his life, and now his omega is probably desperate for a connection with someone.
"I'm right here, Sasuke," Naruto says softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sasuke smiles and it doesn't take long until he falls asleep.
Naruto turns off the table lamp and then settles down as well. It takes less than ten minutes for Sasuke to move closer, so that his face is buried against Naruto's side. He feels hot and soft, and he smells so nice now that the heat scent isn't so overpowering.
Like the good alpha he is, Naruto cocoons Sasuke in his blanket and caresses his hair. He dozes off soon after.
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