On
the Sun
By: Clever Audrey
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Warnings: Implied SasuNaru. A bit sappy, I suppose.
AN: Drabble. Neji loves his metaphors...
Sasuke hugged Naruto closely, accepted a brief but thorough kiss, then let his ANBU lover head into the Hokage Tower. He hated it when their missions fell out this way – that they could only see each other for a moment in passing. They hadn't been together all that long, scarcely half a year, and that just made it worse.
Sighing, not looking forward to returning to an empty apartment, he stood a moment longer in the growing dusk. Slow, confident footsteps reached his ears, and Sasuke turned to find Hyuuga Neji standing a few feet away from him, pale eyes fixed on the stars overhead.
Warily, Sasuke waited. He didn't know the Hyuuga well, and Neji didn't really like him. The Byakugan user had been one of the worst hurt when he had run away, and Sasuke had since gotten the impression that the older shinobi was extremely protective of Naruto, for whatever reason.
Which is probably what he's here to talk about, Sasuke realized. "Hyuuga," he acknowledged quietly.
"Uchiha." Neji's strange eyes did not leave the sky. He was silent for so long that Sasuke thought he must have been mistaken, and was about to leave when Neji's deep, quiet voice stopped him.
"The sun is essential for all life, you know."
Frowning at the apparent non-sequitur, Sasuke stayed still, wondering where this was going.
"Many, many things have need of the sun's light. Without it, flowers would not bloom. Birds and insects would not fly free. Animals and people would not live. The rivers and deserts could not exist. Without the sun, there would be no shadows; no turning of the seasons.
"All of these things, and many others, would be lost if the sun did not exist, did not rise every day in the east to shine, strong and golden, into our world. All these things need the sun…and yet, the sun does not need them. Indeed, the sun needs very little, and still it will sail across the sky, its light never dimming.
"But if there were one thing that the sun did need, then I would have to name the moon. There is a balance in life, and this particular one is perhaps the most fundamental; light and dark, night and day, sun and moon.
"Without the sun, the moon would be forever lost in darkness. Without the moon, the sun would have no calm of night to give it rest, and would burn and burn until it burnt itself into nothing."
Sasuke stared wide-eyed at Neji. He…he means…
Finally, Neji took his pale gaze off the sky and turned to look directly at the Uchiha. "Be good to him, Uchiha Sasuke. He is an important part of many lives, even those who do not realize it."
Sasuke shook himself, and returned the older ninja's gaze with equal seriousness. "I will. You have my word."
Neji nodded shortly, before turning and walking away as quietly as he had come.
Smiling, Sasuke also turned and walked home. Behind him, the moon rose to its place in the night sky, to wait with eternal patience for the sun's return.
Owari
AN: Since I have received over 50 reviews for both Crash and Burn and The Epilogues (thank you all!) you get the very last Crash and Burn related thing I have written. It's been good, and I hope you enjoyed the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. I do have another SasuNaruSasu story in the works, though it will be some time before it's ready to post. 'Til then...ja ne!
-Clever Audrey
