AN: Enjoy bitches! xD
A pinkish orange spilled across the sky as the sun made its way slowly but surely up into the sky. Thin clusters of clouds lined themselves up like a cosine curve, the adjacent ones occasionally snaking rebelliously into the other squiggly formation.
The air was cool enough to put anyone in a pleasant mood, but not enough to raise goosebumps when the wind blew. The fresh clean scent of the breeze soothed the silent Uchiha, who took in discreet whiffs of the wide expanse of grass that surrounded him.
Anytime now, his dobe would be running along an unseen path flanked by flora, bringing with him the only light that could reach out to a soul like his with only forbidding darkness within its depth.
With his hands in his pockets, he waited, head angled towards the sky. A serene expression crept over his face as the slightly frantic patter of feet drew near, and he closed his eyes, the corners of his lips pulling up into a smile.
"Sasuke!" a breathy voice called out, clearly, distinctly, and unbearably loudly- just how he liked it. Secretly at least.
"You're going to make us all late, dobe," he greeted, making sure to sound imperious enough for the blond to throw a fit.
A disgruntled growl came from behind him, and he smirked victoriously.
"Don't get all prissy in the morning! To think I woke up early on such a fine day just to see your ungrateful ass off!" Even if he couldn't see it, Sasuke could definitely hear the cute scowl the blond was wearing, which brightened up his morning even more. Today was starting out oh-so perfectly.
"You wouldn't have been able to see how fine a day it is if you hadn't woken up to see me off," the Uchiha retorted with a teasing lilt in his voice, his back still facing the irascible blond.
"Smartass! Turn around and face me, damn it!" Any more and Sasuke was tempted to believe that Naruto would start stomping his feet like a petulant child. Not like he wasn't already one.
"Like the view now?" he asked shamelessly after turning around to face the significantly shorter Jounin, feeling a surge of satisfaction when a blush crept up the whiskered cheeks of the stupefied blond.
"Hmph!" the blond harrumphed, crossing his arms whilst jerking his head to the side.
"I'll be back in a week or so," he announced, taking a step towards a silently pouting Naruto.
They shared a quiet moment as another draft drew by, rustling the leaves and tousling their equally untameable hair.
"Be safe," Naruto whispered almost inaudibly, a sincere expression on his face as he looked up at the Uchiha who was closing in on him. The moment's coffin was nailed when Naruto continued with an authoritative exclamation, "And communicate with your teammates! Contrary to your warped and misguided beliefs, not everybody develops mind-reading capabilities. It won't kill you to speak up once in a while!"
Sasuke gave a lazy smirk before swooping down to claim a kiss from the blond, who responded eagerly before giving an almost girly squeak when his hands wandered down south from the blond's back to goose him playfully.
"I'll try," he whispered huskily before pulling back, albeit reluctantly. Already his fingers were craving the feel of fine strands of soft blond hair.
"I'll be going now," he declared, turning to leave before Naruto's arm shot out and spun him around again.
"Wait," Naruto murmured, his cheeks bright scarlet as he reached for the katana secured at Sasuke's left hip.
Pulling out a blue trinklet from his pocket, the blond attached the knick knack to the hilt of his sword, mumbling indiscernibly as he did so.
"There!" he declared smugly after securing the knot, "now go terrorize your missing nins."
At Sasuke's questioning arch of the left brow, Naruto huffed embarrassedly and avoided the raven's gaze.
"An omamori?" he questioned, an affectionate smile now blossoming across a normally stoic face.
The blond nodded his head stiffly, eyes still desperately avoiding looking at the raven.
Silence ensued, before a calloused hand reached out to lift his chin, and a chaste kiss was pressed against his forehead… his nose… his cheeks… and then his thoroughly ravished lips.
Naruto's eyes fluttered close at the sheer amount of affection lavished upon him, and fought the urge to demand that Sasuke take him along for the mission.
Without any further exchange of words, Naruto was suddenly left with a gust of cold wind bellowing at his cheeks, causing the fine hair on his arms to stand.
He could have sworn that Sasuke had whispered the three loving words before disappearing in a flare of chakra…
I love you.
