The Weight of a Ring

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/49955995.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Naruto
Relationship: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto
Additional Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Sasuke is Better at Showing
Than Telling
Language: English
Series: Part 8 of Where The Sun Meets the Moon Naruto Server Prompts
Collections: Where The Sun Meets The Moon (SNS Lovers) Discord Fics by
Members
Stats: Published: 2023-09-08 Words: 925 Chapters: 1/1
 The Weight of a Ring
by AngelSelene

Summary

All symbols have weight, and Sasuke decides if he wants to carry a new one.

Notes

Okay, so this one wasn't technically a prompt but it def came out of the server, so close
enough. Inspired when this was shared in the server.

See the end of the work for more notes

Sasuke thinks he understands symbols more than most. Having worn the Uchiha crest his
whole life, he thinks he knows their weight, how much meaning they can pack, how much
they can drag the one branded with them down or lift them up.

To him, the Uchiha crest means family. It means duty. It means history. It is equal parts
adornment and anchor.

But while he loves Naruto— and he does, deeply, intensely, almost all-consumingly—he
doesn’t want Naruto to bear the weight of that symbol. Not because he doesn’t love Naruto,
but because he does.

So when Naruto asks him, “Do you ever think about symbols of commitment?” Sasuke pays
attention.

Folding his hands over Naruto’s chest, he props his chin on them, trying not to fall asleep as
Naruto strokes a hand through his hair. “How do you mean?” he asks.

“There was just an envoy today… He had a… noticeable ring on his hand, but on the fourth
finger.” Naruto’s brow furrows. “I asked him about it, and he said in his land, people wear the
rings as a sign of their marriage.”

Marriage is an odd concept to Sasuke. When he was a child, he thought he’d get married to
have a family, because that’s what marriage was for, in his experience. Even then, it was
always an abstract concept. His parents had never been affectionate that he could remember.
Marriage was about family, not about loving each other.

He didn’t need a marriage for that.

But Naruto has a more romantic streak in him, and he’s tried time and time again to convince
Sasuke that things would be so much better if they could get married. Naruto strokes a finger
over one of Sasuke’s fingers.

“Rings aren’t exactly shinobi-friendly,” Sasuke points out mildly.

Naruto sighs and puts his hands behind his head. “You’re right. It’s stupid.”

Frowning, Sasuke considers telling Naruto that hadn’t been what he meant, but he can
already tell that Naruto’s not listening. He lays his head back down and settles in to sleep.

The idea of the ring—a symbol of marriage, yes, but also a symbol, he thinks, of commitment
— lingers with Sasuke, though he’s not sure why.

Maybe because circles are symbols of infinity, with no beginning or end. Maybe because the
Uzumaki swirl and the Uchiha fan both echo the shape—though the spiral more perfectly. In
the end, it doesn’t really matter, the idea stays with him and refuses to let go.
So a ring? Something to visibly mark Sasuke as his—and Naruto as Sasuke’s. He likes the
idea, even if it’s a bit impractical for shinobi.

Sasuke doesn’t care about marriage, but he does care about commitments, and if Naruto
would like a tangible reminder of Sasuke’s commitment to him, well, he can understand that,
can’t he? A tangible reminder.

But not just any ring will do. No—he needs it to mean something.

There really is only one thing he can think of that will carry all that they are, all that they
have been, and all that he hopes they will be with it.

Their first night in Hokage Tower seems like a really good time to make promises and
commitments.

Naruto looks handsome in his custom Hokage robes, and Sasuke looks forward to peeling
him out of them, but first…

“I’ve got something for you,” he says, pulling the box out of his sleeve where it’s been a
weight all day.

Sasuke knows he doesn’t do enough small things for Naruto when he sees the surprise on
Naruto’s face at the box, but maybe… maybe this is a good first step to rectifying that.

“What is it?” Naruto asks, practically vibrating with the need to touch.

“It’s yours, idiot,” Sasuke says. “You open it.”

With near reverence, Naruto takes the box, shooting Sasuke curious and almost nervous
looks, then opens the box as if he expects something to jump out at him. When nothing does,
he looks closer and his face goes slack with shock.

“This is…”

Sasuke takes the box out of his hand, picks out the ring, then grabs Naruto’s hand to slide it
onto the fourth finger—the ring finger, some places call it—before meeting Naruto’s eyes.
“You wanted a ring.”

Staring down at the inelegant wrought silver band, Naruto says, “But you thought it was
stupid.”

“I never said that,” Sasuke says softly, popping the bottom of the box lining up to pull out the
match to the one Naruto is wearing. “You wanted a symbol of a promise, right?” He turns
over Naruto’s hand and puts the ring in his palm. “These are made from my forehead
protector.” Naruto inhales audibly. “A promise to you, a symbol of our commitment.”

Naruto’s hand trembles as he picks the ring out of his palm, then reaches for Sasuke’s hand,
sliding it on to Sasuke’s fourth finger.
“But it’ll be dangerous,” Naruto says, pausing with the ring halfway down Sasuke’s finger,
but it’s a weak protest. How much he wants this practically radiates from him.

Sasuke pushes his hand forward, pushing the ring the rest of the way on, then lacing his
fingers with Naruto’s.

“So is loving you,” Sasuke says. “When have I ever flinched from either of those things?”

Naruto yanks him forward and kisses him like it’s the only thing he can imagine doing, and
Sasuke opens to him, clinging as tightly.

The ring is a small, simple thing, but symbols can carry profound weight. Sasuke bears this
one with joy.
End Notes

Kudos and comments are never required but always appreciated.

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!