Drabble #4: Sasuke's "Purposal"

It'd been around noon when Sasuke bounded into the flat that she lived in just on the outskirts of the Uchiha Compound, begging her to take him riding with her, since his Nii-san lied to him about teaching him some shuriken techniques. Since Akio couldn't possibly deny Sasuke anything, she gladly obliged him.

Once he'd changed into the riding boots and breeches that he kept at her flat, they headed down to the barn to saddle Spook, and Maple Syrup (Sasuke had named the little *Shetland pony).

"Teach me how to *canter today, Onee-san," Sasuke asked, once he'd settled himself onto Maple Syrup's back.

"Sure thing," Akio replied, mounting Spook, grinning down at him before they settled into a walk though the treeline.

Once they came to a clearing, they halted so she could give Sasuke instructions. "Make sure you loosen the reins a little so that Maple can have his head, and remember to always keep your heels down, and your shoulders back. Just gently let the feeling of Maple's stride rock you back at forth. Understand?"

He nodded, eager to get started. He'd watched his Onee ride so many times.

Nudging their horses into a canter, she kept Spook at a slower stride so that Maple could keep up with the bigger horse, watching Sasuke closely. He bounced in the saddle the first few strides, but caught on quickly, rocking back and forth to the motion of the gait, grinning and giggling happily.

They finished they rest of the trail cantering. Once they'd reached the end of the trail, they slowed the horses to a walk, walking them on the way back to cool them out.

The next thing Sasuke said nearly made Akio tumble right off of her horse.

"Onee-san, has Nii-san asked you to marry him yet?"

Akio burst into a coughing fit. "What?" Her voice cracked slightly, looking at Sasuke like he had two heads.

Yet, her heart was pounding.

"Because if he hasn't," Sasuke continued proudly, "I'm going to be beat him to it one day."


*The canter is a three-beat gait, meaning that there are three footfalls heard per stride.

*The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. They range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches (10.2 hands, 107 cm) at the withers.