Chapter Text
Naruto Uzumaki had a collection of guilty pleasures. Things he wouldn't admit, not even to his closest friend Sakura. She would mock him. That he knew with certainty. It didn't take a genius (which Naruto certainly was not) to realize that she was judgmental. She made that known with her frequent eye rolls and pointed comments. While a large amount of them were directed towards strangers or people that both she and Naruto knew, a fair share came his way too.
Some things were better kept to himself. He didn't mind watching shitty reality TV and eating ramen until the late hours of the morning or dancing alone to some bubblegum pop song. To some, those weren't even guilty pleasures. They were just normal things enjoyed without shame.
Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't like those people. There was a sort of pressure on him from his friends to like the things they liked. While it was fine for the most part, Naruto didn't always have interests that aligned with theirs. He wasn't that fond of dogs like Kiba. He didn't like playing chess and strategy games like Shikamaru. He didn't like intense wrestling matches and fighting like Rock Lee. He didn't like... whatever Sakura's interest of the month was. Right now, it was French films.
Out of all of Naruto's guilty pleasures, the most significant was ballet. Not doing ballet himself but going to watch various shows around town. He sat far back in the audience in case someone there possibly recognized him. It would be an easy escape, duck out of the dim theater and out into the hall. He evaded eye contact with those around him and focused solely on the performers on stage. Even if the shows were repeats, he would go again.
He never got tired of it. No matter how many times he saw a certain show, it was always an enjoyable time. He found things he didn't notice the first or second time around. Sometimes it was the subtle shift in rhythm or an extra movement. He watched each show with a careful eye. At the end, he would always be the one clapping the loudest.
Thinking about his devotion in more depth, Naruto wasn't sure what drew him to ballet as opposed to other interests. There were plenty of other things he liked, but this one resonated the strongest with him. Whether it was the airy music, the variety of the shows, the immense talent it took, or the embellished costumes, one thing was for certain. Naruto loved ballet. A lot.
It felt bad to hide such a big part of himself from his friends, but he knew it was better this way. He would rather keep it a secret than deal with the scrutiny.
"I can't hang out with you tonight."
Naruto and Sakura were walking on the sidewalk. There was a slight breeze in the crisp autumn air, making the hairs on Naruto's neck stand up. He wished he had worn a coat like Sakura told him to do. She was comfortable in her wool jacket while Naruto froze his ass off. Hearing Naruto say this, she frowned.
"Why not? We've been planning to hang out since Monday."
"I'm-" Naruto ravaged his brain for a plausible excuse. "Not feeling well. Making it through today was hard enough. I think I caught the virus going around." For good measure, he forced a dry cough.
Sakura brushed her pink hair out of her face to get a better look at Naruto. Narrowing her eyes, she inspected his face. "You don't look sick."
"It's more an internal thing. It doesn't show on your face until a couple days in," Naruto said. "I'll look like death next time you see me, I'm sure."
Sakura, still not convinced, rolled her eyes in typical Sakura fashion. "What about our movie night at Shikamaru's house? Rock Lee is really excited to show us Karate Kid. It's his choice for the movie. He hasn't shut up about it since it became his turn."
"Let me know how it was. We have phones, y'know." Naruto waved his phone in Sakura's face. She slapped his hand, the phone almost falling onto the pavement which was rife with fractures and loose stones.
"It's not the same, but I'll let them know you can't make it," Sakura said. "Make sure you get rest and try to eat more than just ramen."
"No promises." Naruto laughed. Though he wouldn't be staying home swaddled in blankets with a thermometer lodged in his throat, ramen sounded pretty good. His stomach growled in agreement. Not a single morsel of food had entered his system in a good eight hours. Satiating his hunger before heading out tonight was a must.
"I'm gonna head home now. Have a good time tonight. Remember, I'm just a text away."
Sakura playfully shoved Naruto. "Yeah, yeah. Go rest, sick boy."
"Will do." Naruto diverged from the path he and Sakura were on and headed towards his house. With no pink best friend, the only sounds were the falling leaves and a singular set of footsteps.
He unlocked the door and made his way to the kitchen to make himself the dinner his stomach was intently demanding. Lucky for his appetite, there was plenty of ramen in his household. He might not have had a ton of vegetables or fruits, but there was enough ramen to feed an entire village. Since there were a couple of hours until nightfall and Naruto had to leave, he had time to make actual ramen instead of instant ramen which he usually settled for.
Naruto wasn't the best cook, but the one thing he mastered was ramen. Tonight he was making it with chicken, mushrooms, eggs, and scallions. The final product looked enticing (if he did say so himself). That combined the smell wafting from the bowl made him nearly drool. He poured the ramen into a smaller bowl and took a seat at the counter.
While eating, he opened his laptop and searched up the show. According to the internet, Aida was an opera taking place in Ancient Egypt that involved forbidden love. Dancers in white robes that wrapped across their bodies posed against large pillars inscribed with hieroglyphics on them. He was so intrigued that he dropped part of his meal on the keyboard.
It took him a few seconds to notice the mess. He moved to type something else into the search bar and instead of landing on the smooth keys, his fingers met a damp piece of chicken. He recoiled, wincing, and went to fetch a paper towel.
Naruto divided the next couple of hours between looking at more photos, showering, and picking out what he was going to wear. For productions like this, he liked to dress up. Not too much, for fear of being spotted, but enough to where he looked like he belonged.
Keeping in mind it would be even colder now that the sky was pitch black, he settled on wearing a black long sleeve button up and ivy green pants. A thick belt spanned the middle of the outfit. Before heading outside for good, Naruto slipped on a long, black coat. Immediately glad he did as the air bit at his cheeks and hands with a vengeance.
By car, it took ten minutes to arrive at the venue. Naruto found a parking spot miraculously in the cramped lot. Although in the back, it was a spot nonetheless. He maneuvered around rows of parked cars and people walking around. Most of the people were in couplings or small groups. Naruto felt a bit vulnerable at the fact that he was alone. It was disheartening to see people sharing the experience together while he was all by himself.
When Naruto reached the front of the theater, he grabbed his ticket from the back pocket of his pants. He recognized the person taking tickets right away. He was the one usually in charge of the task. As Naruto approached with his ticket, the guy smiled at him.
"Hey Naruto! Coming to see the show tonight?"
Naruto handed the ticket over. "Yeah."
"You're in luck. It's the first performance of this show here." He stamped the ticket and handed it back. "There's rumor that Sasuke Uchiha has a part in the ballet."
"Sasuke Uchiha?" Naruto's confusion was palatable. Quite involved in ballet, there weren't many names he hadn't heard of at least vaguely. "Who's that?"
"You don't know Sasuke?! For a ballet enthusiast I'm surprised you don't. He's quickly becoming one of the best male ballet dancers in the area. He hasn’t had many roles though, so I guess it makes sense you haven’t heard of him."
Naruto couldn't hide his intrigue. His eyes widened as he listened to the guy give some details about whoever this 'Sasuke' was. Apparently, not a lot was known about his personal life. Most of the knowledge on him was his rising stardom within ballet circles. He was about to ask another question when he felt a nudge on his back.
"The show is going to start soon. Hurry up!" a disgruntled voice rang out.
Naruto shoved the ticket back down into his pocket, nodded thanks to the guy, and walked through the large theater doors. Inside was even more crowded than the outside, and that was saying something. Women in elaborate dresses and men in classy suits roamed the tiled floor. Naruto felt underdressed. He wasn't wearing an expensive suit. The ticket alone was pricey enough. This was one of the fancier ballets Naruto attended and it was safe to say he was a bit intimidated.
"Oh! It's so nice to see you. I'm glad you could make it."
"I'm glad you could too! This is supposed to be a very good show."
"It is. My friend saw a version of it performed in her hometown and she said it was lovely. There are a different set of dancers for this one though. Did you know Sasuke Uchiha is said to have a part in it?"
Naruto listened, angling his head towards the voices. Sasuke's name surfacing for a second time in one night couldn't be coincidence.
"No way. I think you heard that wrong."
"Maybe. It's always possible I misheard something. If it's true though, that would be amazing."
"I haven't seen much of his work, but I know it's good."
"That's an understatement. It's-" The one voice was cut off and replaced with a squeal of delight. "Hey! You're finally here. We should go find our seats."
Naruto snapped out of his trance-like state and went to find his seat as well. The show started in ten minutes and he didn't want to miss a single second. The theater itself was stunning; high ceilings, maroon draping, and gold everywhere. Naruto's seat was in one of the back rows as usual. He sat down quietly. Anticipation began to fill his stomach like a nozzle of a helium pump into a balloon. Waiting for the show to start, he stared up at the paintings on the walls. Many of them depicted cherubs with chubby bellies and small wings protruding from their backs.
"Excuse me. My seat is next to yours."
Naruto glanced up. A woman with brown hair put up into two buns on the side of her head looked down at him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, standing up and back against his seat so she could get through. She waved her hand and sat down in the seat next to Naruto's.
"It's fine. You looked preoccupied anyways."
When Naruto went to shows, he kept to himself. He bothered no one and no one bothered him. He found it strange to actually have a conversation with someone. "The theater is beautiful."
"First time at this theater?"
"Yeah. The performances I see are usually at less upscale places." Naruto was surprised how at ease he felt. The girl seemed to be nonthreatening.
"How about you?"
"I've been here before. My friend is actually in the show." The girl tapped her painted nails on the pamphlet.
"Really? That's so cool. Good luck to your friend," Naruto said, letting his body relax. The lights dimmed.
"Looks like the show is about to start. Enjoy." She smiled. Her gaze moved from meeting Naruto's to the stage, where the curtains ascended to the ceiling.
Naruto watched as a man in a headdress and robe walked out on stage and began bellowing, his voice deep and rich. It didn't take long for him to get fully absorbed into the world of Aida. He paid no attention to what was around him and focused on the performers.
As Act 2 scene 2 approached something caught Naruto's eye: a flash of black hair the color of the wingspan of a raven. The shade stood out among the sea of sandy blonde and mousy brown. Naruto was drawn to it instantly, looking to see more of the dancer. He had a serious expression on his face. His lips were pressed shut, almost tugging downwards into a frown. Dark eyeliner around his eyes matched the shade of his irises, which were so dark they appeared black themselves. All the black was a striking contrast to his skin; a pale white that didn't appear to have a single blemish.
He was wearing a white and gold chiton, tied with a thin rope in the middle that accentuated the man's slender form. The garment was cut in a way Naruto could see his sharp collarbones peeking out of the top. He moved so gracefully around the stage that he looked weightless. Not a single misstep. Every move he made was calculated and done with purpose. His long arms stretched out as if they were beckoning Naruto to join him on the stage. Naruto knew it was stupid, but his body didn't think so. His heart thrummed faster in his chest, despite Naruto being seated.
For part of the scene, the women and men came together in small pairs of two and danced together. The man was paired with a woman with ice blue eyes and thick, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. They moved in sync. The man, although thin, clearly had strength. He lifted the girl into the air as she kicked her leg up high. He moved her around his body and back to the ground as they faced each other. Both of them had the same intense look on their faces.
During the scene, there were a good number of people on stage. By Naruto's estimate thirty, and yet Naruto couldn't take his eyes off the black-haired man. He tried to look to some of the other performers, but it was a useless affair muddled by misdirected desire. His eyes always found their way back to the man and his lithe body. He was captivated. Even when the number ended, he found himself wanting more.
Unfortunately, his time on stage was brief. For the rest of the show, Naruto didn't see him appear again. He was holding out that maybe he would be in another scene but was left hanging as the show came to a close. Even during the bows of the cast, there was no sight of the man.
"How did you like it?" the woman asked once the lights came back on.
"It was good. Really great show," he hid his disappointment and stood up. "Tell your friend they did a good job."
"Will do." She rose from her seat. "Will I be seeing you at the next performance?"
Naruto nodded. "Probably. Maybe we'll end up sitting next to each other again."
"I'd like that. Well, I should probably go meet my friend backstage. Have a good night-"
"Naruto," he answered, filling in the blank where his name was supposed to be.
"Naruto," she repeated. "I'm Tenten. It's nice to meet you, Naruto." She walked out of the row and through the back doors.
The thought crossed Naruto's mind to follow her and see if he could find the man backstage and at least learn his name or something about him, but it was already getting late. Naruto slipped his coat on, walked out of the theater, and got into his car. Images of the man spinning and twirling played in his mind over and over the entire drive home.