The Masquerade by Desi

The Masquerade

by Desi

After all these years, I was home. The only one who knew was my brother, and I knew Itachi wouldn't tell a soul. It was time I told him how even though he annoyed the the hell out of me. My heart and soul had always been captivated by those expressive blue eyes.

Growing up with him was so annoying, he constantly challenged me in the most mundane. Usually losing, rarely won. Yet he always smiled. Always came back wanting to compete, to hang out, to be my friend.

I watched him in high school, going to all his games, and all his meets just to watch. I pretended to be there for Suigetsu, or Jugo. Yet, my eyes never left his form. I pretended not to care when he ran through the gauntlet of girls, breaking my heart. Knowing I would never have him see me the way I saw him.

In college I came home one spring break to see him at the mall with some of our mutual friends, there he was laughing and joking. Women surrounded him, he was like the sun and those were his planets. Everyone orbited him.

That's when I was him, Shocking eyes of green, hair as red as lava sitting with all of them. No one noticed me, but I noticed them. The pull from the smaller man Naruto, their lips softly pressing together crushed me.

Now I was ready, I needed to let him know before it killed me. Even if his feelings never were returned I couldn't keep hiding from my hometown and my family because of a ten-year crush.

The party was tonight and I was more than ready to say my peace.

The air hung thick with the scent of expensive perfume and anticipation. It was Naruto's 24th birthday, a masquerade ball thrown at his family's sprawling estate. I hadn't seen Naruto in three years, not since I left for college. Three years without the stolen glances across the crowded cafeteria, of watching him run the ball down the field, study sessions fueled by unspoken longing, of the silent ache in my chest that only intensified with distance.

Tonight, however, the air crackled with something different – tangible electricity that hummed between us beneath the swirling silks and feathery masks. He looked stunning, even more so than I remembered, his usually boisterous energy tempered by a quiet intensity that mirrored my own. As I navigated the throng, searching for him amidst the swirling sea of masked faces, I felt a familiar flutter in my stomach, a nervous excitement that bordered on panic. Then I saw him, a flash of vibrant blonde peeking from beneath a black domino mask. My heart hammered against my ribs.

He turned, a slow, deliberate movement, and our eyes met across the crowded room. The mask did little to hide the familiar glint in his eyes, the mischievous spark that had always drawn me in. A nervous laugh escaped my lips, a sound lost in the music.

He approached, his steps confident yet hesitant, his gaze unwavering. As he drew closer, I noticed a small, almost imperceptible tremble in his hands, a vulnerability that only amplified his charm. He removed his mask, revealing a shy smile that sent a wave of warmth through me.

"Sasuke," he whispered, his voice a low rumble that resonated deep within my soul. He reached out, his fingers brushing against mine, a spark igniting between us. "I… I've missed you," he confessed, his voice barely above a breath. At that moment, surrounded by the revelry and anonymity of the masked ball, he confessed his feelings for me, echoing the sentiments that had silently haunted me for years.

The confession hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions, finally acknowledged and released. His words weren't just a revelation, but a validation; a confirmation of all the silent hopes and dreams I'd nurtured during those long years apart. Years of wondering, of doubting, of fearing the rejection that had suddenly vanished. I removed my mask, revealing the vulnerability I had been carefully concealing.

"I've missed you too, Naruto," I whispered back, the words falling short of expressing the depth of my feelings. He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear, and kissed me, a soft, tender kiss that spoke volumes of unspoken love and shared longing. Amid a masquerade ball, under the cover of anonymity, we finally found each other, a love story as unexpected and as thrilling as the night itself.

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