Epilogue

The next day is so similar to the many ones before it, yet it's like nothing Sasuke's experienced before.

Sasuke wakes up not only to the alarm screaming the time of day, but to Sasori whispering scandalous, heartfelt things in his not-quite sleep. Sasuke lets the alarm cry for a minute before pacifying it with the snooze button. The redhead next to him snuggles into his side in more-of-an-unwilling-awakeness-than-actual sleepiness. Sasuke turns away from Sasori, embarrassed that he relishes the contact so much. In a period of time that doesn't feel like ten minutes but is apparently supposed to be, the alarm screeches again and, finally, Sasuke steps away from the warmth of Sasori's body and into the warmth of the Suna desert.

There are two cigarettes and a sticky note on the counter when he marches into being, to the thermostat, and then to the kitchen. The sticky note has a frowny face on it. It says, in Sasori's obsessively neat handwriting, "Smoking cause lung cancer. If I try & quit, will you?"

Sasuke sighs. It takes him a minute, but eventually he crumples the note and the cigarettes. The trash bin shakes with the force he uses to throw them away. (It's hard to give them up.) Then he goes into the cupboard by the sink and fishes out the matches, tosses them into the sink and runs the faucet. He makes himself a sandwich instead of smoking, and by the time he's finished eating the matches are soaked enough to trash, and Sasori has risen out of bed and into the shower.

Sasori doesn't take long to shower, of course. It barely takes five minutes for him to be done, yet by that time Sasuke has already made another sandwich and set it on the counter for his roommate. They bump shoulders as they pass in the hallway; Sasori's hair is heavy with water and the thanks he gives Sasuke upon reaching the kitchen is rushed but nonetheless appreciated.

After Sasuke showers and fucks around with his hair and readies himself for life, he gets his books and papers and a smile from Sasori, who has finished the sandwich and is cleaning the kitchen counter. When Sasori hesitates for a millisecond, their eyes lock and something in Sasuke feels validated. It's a weird feeling because he's not even sure what that feels like.

"My hair's messy today," he murmurs, tucking the math book under his arm.

"Messy is good," Sasori replies. "Messy means you're bad ass and you can kill with just a mechanical pencil." To emphasize, he reaches across the counter to a cup of pencils and adds one to the stack of books in Sasuke's arms. It's a corny joke, but it makes Sasuke smile. Sasori doesn't usually make corny jokes.

"Yes, well," he says, "messy also means add hair gel to the list."

"Messy means I'll do that and clean your room, too," Sasori says, smirking.

An objection, an indignant "Hey," dies in his throat, and Sasuke smiles.

(Their lips touch when Sasuke dares to stray too close.)

Sasori doesn't wait for the afternoon; the sticky note he presses discreetly into Sasuke's hand says, "I love you."

That's the end! :) Concrit would be really awesome, everyone, and I hope you liked!