Author's Ramble: The first bit's just really me being indulgent to my muses, but it also helps to set up the relationship I think Sasuke and Naruto have in this story. They're an established couple who have already had their trials. What's left is a comfortable, strong relationship where they can be who they are, and one that doesn't need a lot of showy affection to show its strength or how much they care. It's the little things that mean the most; a touch on the arm, laughing at a bad joke, standing by with a glass of water and washrag when the other's being sick, eating a badly cooked meal just because. Mind you, they're both very physically active people. I'm sure they have a very healthy sex life. It's just not a major focal point. Just another show of affection or a way to have fun, not necessarily a driving force. Especially since they're mostly likely having it quite regularly. In fun, creative ways. Let your imagination soar! i.e., I'm making excuses for not wanting to write sex scenes. They're also adults who never really got to enjoy what childhood's supposed to be about. I imagine that now that the drama's over, they take the opportunities to enjoy the silly things in life that they couldn't do because there was no one to do them with, or there were other, more 'important', things to do, or, in Sasuke's case, because he was expected to be more mature than anyone their age had any real ability to be.
And wow, that was another long note. I hope you didn't mind me rambling on what's goin' on in my head. :sheepish: And Naruto's world is confusing, tech and economy wise. It was very very very very very very hard to wrap my mind around the concept of any of the characters pushing around a grocery cart.
Actually, I think I'm going to like their shopping trips.
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Chapter Two
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"Hammer."
"Get it yourself."
"But it's right by your hand!"
"I'm using this hand!"
"To scratch your ass!"
"What? It itches!"
"Hammer."
"Get it yourself."
Sasuke grumbled as he reached over to get his hammer, and, calm as anything, tipped Naruto off the roof. Naruto landed with a clunk and a splash, followed, predictably, by a bunch of garbled cursing, most of which consisted of the words "Sasuke", "bastard", and "kill".
Confused by the splash, Sasuke peeked over the edge of the roof and saw that Naruto had managed knock over the rain barrel on his way down. Laughter bubbled out of him as Naruto, sprawled dripping on ground that was already muddy from yesterday's rain, shook his fist at him.
"Oh, so now you're gonna laugh at me! Be a man and come down here to laugh so I can hit you!"
Feeling indulgent, Sasuke jumped down and landed lightly next to Naruto, exerting his chakra a little in order to not sink down into the mud. He was fully expecting the handful of mud that smacked him in the chest. Sasuke was not, however, expecting Naruto to grab his foot and trip him down into the mud with him.
"Ha!" Naruto wrestled Sasuke onto his back and squished mud into his hair. "Take that, you bastard. Pushing me off the roof. I'll show you!"
Sasuke twisted and, after a short scuffle, sat himself on Naruto's chest facing his feet. Naruto only had a couple of seconds to wonder why Sasuke would do something so dumb when a glob of cold, wet, and slimy was shoved down his pants.
Naruto screeched.
Mud flew everywhere and very soon both of them were so plastered with it they were indistinguishable. Shouts and laughter echoed off the empty buildings.
When they'd finally exhausted themselves they just collapsed where they were, sprawled over and around eachother in the manner of puppies. Now and then Naruto would add an extra drip of mud to Sasuke's hair, or Sasuke would reach over and lazily poke between Naruto's ribs. Once, with gentle hands, Sasuke brushed Naruto's mud-drenched hair from his eyes.
They did not know how long they rested there. The slowly drying mud made their skin itch fiercely, but they were too content in their slice of time to move. It was peaceful lying there as the clouds drifted past the sun. A breeze carried the sweet smell of new blossoms around them.
A cough broke the spell and their eyes snapped open to look above them. Mitsu was standing there in a red-flowered sundress, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. She was bruised and battered from a hard day of training at the Academy and on her shoulder was a pack with some cloth poking out of it, enough fresh clothing to last the week's trial.
"Um," Naruto blushed under the mud, "we were fixing roofs?"
"So I see." She walked past them to go inside their house, probably to unpack in the room they'd given her to stay in.
Sasuke gave Naruto an amused look. "Were you just intimidated by a nine-year-old?"
Naruto steadfastly ignored the accusation and stretched. "We need to shower." He stood up and looked in disgust at the both of them.
Sasuke sat up and brushed some mud flakes from his hair, not that it did any good. "Yeah."
Naruto offered a hand to help Sasuke up, and, fingers locked, they followed the path Mitsu had taken towards their house.
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Sasuke, still damp from their shower, found Mitsu studying at the kitchen table. "I need to buy food. Want to come?"
"Okay."
They walked in silence to the grocer. Sasuke ignored the mixed looks of contempt for a man who had chosen self gain over the village and pity for a man broken. Today the looks also had touches of confusion and curiosity. There was no reason whatsoever that Sasuke would be walking alone with a child.
The air inside the grocer was cold, a sharp contrast to Konoha's balmy spring. Sasuke grabbed a basket and headed towards the vegetables. He was checking potatoes for rotten spots when he saw that Mitsu kept glancing towards the carrots. He reached over and grabbed five of them.
"Get what you want."
Mitsu stared at him for a minute and then turned to start collecting different fruits and vegetables, placing them carefully into the basket. It was soon overflowing with apples, oranges, squash, tomatoes, cucumber, sugar cane (Sasuke gave her an odd look. "What?" she replied. "It's good."), and at least three different types of lettuce. Sasuke went back for a cart.
They traveled around the rest of the store, and Sasuke stocked up on milk and cereal, and grabbed some Cookies'n'Cream ice cream for Naruto.
It wasn't long before they headed to the check out lanes.
They were silent the way back to the Uchiha grounds.
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Sasuke found Naruto in their bedroom, studying a taijutsu scroll on their bed, and handed him a bowl of ice cream. "I'm already lost."
"Hmm?" Naruto sat up and began spooning the ice cream into his mouth, making a noise of approval for Sasuke's choice of flavor.
"I can't talk to her. I tried, but nothing came out."
"What did you want to say?"
"I don't know." Sasuke sat down heavily by him. "Something like you did. Something to make her more comfortable here. All I could do was tell her to get food she wanted."
"Did she?"
"Yeah."
Naruto grinned and offered Sasuke a spoonful of ice cream. "Then I think you did fine."
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Mitsu was jolted, gasping, from her sleep by a piercing, wailing scream. She sat straight up in bed, eyes wide.
It was coming from their room.
She slipped out of bed and, feet barely making a sound on the wood floor, padded to her door. Mitsu was trying to open the door quietly when the screams cut off hoarsely. Her eyebrows furrowed. She slipped into the hallway, pressed her back to the wall, and inched towards their room. Mitsu pressed her ear against the door and heard strange gasping sounds.
"Shhh, you're here, you're here. It's okay, it's over."
"You're real?"
"I'm always real."
"You weren't."
Mitsu edged open the door and peaked inside. Silhouetted perfectly by the window, it was impossible to see them as individuals. They were merely a quivering, entangled black shape against the faintly glowing night sky.
She closed the door and went back to bed.
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A/N: And now for the porno omake!
:in the shower:
Naruto:points down: You made it dirty, so you have to clean it.
Bah this chapter is choppy….
