Title: In Transit
Summary: Sometimes you just go with the flow.
He's on a train in a relatively empty carriage that's heading away from the bustling city center and closer to the mild outer suburbs. It's no longer rush hour, but it's not quite night time-it's still rather light outside, with feathery clouds scattered through a blue sky dyed with streaks of purples and reds and oranges.
Kakashi's sitting opposite him, right at the edge of his seat. He's slouched to the side with his head resting against the window, pressing silvery strands into the clear glass. Jagged hair curtains over his eyes and a thick, large muffler's wound around the lower half of his face.
His eyes are closed, and he might be sleeping. It's difficult to tell when his breathing is so silent and the rise and falls of his chest are always barely noticeable. His legs are stretched out in front of him, one underneath the chair where Sasuke's sitting directly across from him, the other angled a little towards the one next to it.
Sasuke has his legs on either side of Kakashi's left leg. His right knee's touching Kakashi's thigh, while the other mirror's Kakashi's own perfectly, stretched out between Kakashi's legs and underneath Kakashi's chair like Kakashi's is his. Sasuke's not sitting at the edge of his seat, but he's not up right at the base either, all straight-backed and stiff like Kakashi usually pokes fun at. He's slouching, just a bit, with his hands deep in his pockets.
He's watching Kakashi sleep.
They've drawn a lot more looks than would be comfortable, but Sasuke could care less, and Kakashi's too busy sleeping to notice-not that he'd care, either way. It's not a very crowded train-no crying babies, no chatty teenagers, no obnoxious blaring of headphoned music-so Sasuke easily dismisses the lack of privacy.
The ride is slightly rocky, slightly jarring, but not distractingly so. It's not steady, instead lulling, relaxing even, like sitting in a hammock that's swinging lazily from side to side.
Sasuke nudges the leg between his, and then he crosses his feet around them, ankles locking behind Kakashi's calf. He tilts his head backwards, resting it on the back of his seat, and stares up at the brightly lit ceiling. Three stops later, and he drops his head back down to watch Kakashi again, the whispered brush of hair and clothes betraying his movements.
Light's spilling onto Kakashi's hair, turning the soft strands translucent, molten, golden light flickering too fast between buildings and trees to permanently stain the silver. It's calming, peaceful, the way the shades change so erratically, and Sasuke thinks it's something he'll never tire of.
Then he frowns.
Sasuke can't see Kakashi's mouth, or much of his face; just a patch of skin, the quarter around the right eye that's closed. Kakashi's wearing a large scarf that's ridiculously long and wide and woolen, wound around his neck so many times that his mouth is muffled with more than enough layers. Sasuke grabs easily onto one of the tail ends hanging down Kakashi's front. He tugs at it, just a bit, and that makes it slip down, but not as much as he'd like. He tugs again; it slips, just enough to reveal the tip of Kakashi's nose.
Sasuke scoffs softly, amused. "Hey," he says quietly.
Kakashi doesn't so much as stir.
"Hey," he says again, this time tugging just that little bit harder at one end of the scarf.
The visible brow furrows down.
"Kakashi," Sasuke says a little louder, and the brow creases a little more.
Sasuke lets out a breath that's a mix of a huff and a sigh, and then he's reaching for the other tail end. He tugs again, like on the reigns of a reindeer.
This time Kakashi stirs, making a tiny sound of protest when Sasuke's action tightens the scarf even more. The lack of protection leaves his nose cold.
Sasuke rolls his eyes, and nudges Kakashi with his knees, pressing together against the leg between his a little tightly, with enough pressure to break through the fog of sleep.
Kakashi makes another sound, low, not unlike a groan. Sasuke stares at him dryly and gives a vicious yank on the ends of the scarf, dragging Kakashi forward and his eyes open.
Kakashi looks at him, a little disgruntled, a pout on now visible lips.
"It's our stop," Sasuke says just as the train slows to a grinding halt and the voice overhead finishes announcing their destination.
Kakashi watches him with one eye, the other closed and barely visible behind the ever ruffled mess of silver. Then his eye flicks up towards the display with the station's name.
Kakashi blinks, hums, and then he's flopping back into his earlier position, making himself comfortable and adjusting the scarf back over his face as his eye falls shut. He tries to go back to sleep.
Sasuke tugs again at the one tail end he's still holding onto, not as forcefully as the previous one, but enough for Kakashi to feel it. He doesn't say anything when the train starts to move again.
They stay on the train even as it's heading towards the end of the line. Sasuke doesn't miss the way the corner of Kakashi's eye is elevated just a tiny fraction of a margin, crinkled up just so, and he knows without a doubt that there's a a smile on Kakashi's lips.
Sasuke scoffs almost affectionately, and lets his head fall back against the seat. He slouches down a little more, one knee against Kakashi's thigh, leg stretching out between Kakashi's, and he smiles.
He closes his eyes.