title Shelter
summary Shelter by Porter Robinson. Google it, son.
pairing itasaku
This was an oldie I wrote for Uchisaku week on tumblr for moor and company. It was also written when I was SUPER into Porter Robinson, which explains a lot, I think...
Dust rose in a great cloud as he yanked at the tarp. They both coughed. Deidara waved his hand in front of his face. He staggered back a big step. But Itachi, determined to press on, pulled harder at the plastic sheeting. It snagged. With a little more persuasion, it fluttered off, landing in a quiet heap in the sand.
"Holy shit, Itachi. How old is this thing?" Deidara said, still coughing. He took a step closer, squinting at the machine in the dark.
Itachi flicked on the lights in the shed. The bare bulbs flickered to life, illuminated the dusty thing. He pulled down the cloth covering his mouth and nose. It hung at his throat, a faded strip of blue fabric.
"Not sure. Our old man used to ride this around when he was my age, I think," replied Itachi. Deidara let out a long whistle. Tapping the side of his glasses, he cycled through the settings so he could zoom in closer. He examined the rusted parts and the dirt-clogged gears.
"Heh. This thing looks like it was built when his old man was your age too," Deidara remarked. Itachi shoved him a little before he walked past him to the workbench pushed up against the wall.
"So what's the sudden hurry to fix up this dinosaur? You short on money or something?" Deidara probed. He sat down on an old bucket in the corner, out of the way as Itachi got to work. Itachi wrestled with the hatch on the side of the machine for a moment. But it stuck. He dealt it a sharp kick and it opened with a dull snap.
"No. Sasuke was...hold on..." Itachi grunted as he reached deep inside the motor. His arm emerged, smeared with synthetic lubricant. The gauge in his hand blinked with a green light. At least the engine was still working, under all those years of dust filling it.
"Sasuke was saying that some group of celebrity sky-surfers were coming on tour here. He wants to go out to the flats to see them," explained Itachi. He walked back to the workbench, searching for just the right tool. His fingers skimmed over the lines of wrenches. Seemingly at random, he picked one out of the line and hefted it in his palm.
"Sky-surfers on Mars? And not even up by Olympus Mons but in the valley? Are you sure the squirt didn't misread or something?" Deidara scoffed. Itachi shook his head, looking up at his friend.
"No, I read it too. They're coming in 40 sols. Maybe just enough time to get this thing working," Itachi said, kicking at the old machine, "so he can ride out and go see them himself. I won't have time to take him."
Deidara looked at him like he was crazy. Then again, he always did when it came to doing things for Sasuke. But Deidara hadn't grown up with a little brother. He never understood when it came to things like that. Still, he hung around for the rest of the afternoon while Itachi tried to work his magic on the old bucket of dust and rust. This thing had once traveled across the red sands with no problem. It could probably weather a few more trips.
Sasuke was a nuisance. He asked about the bike every day after school. He pestered Itachi, poking his head in the shack to ask how things were going.
"What's so good about these sky-surfers anyway? Even you know how to surf a little," Itachi asked one afternoon. He accepted the cold drink Sasuke had fetched from the fridge. Sitting on top of the workbench, Sasuke shook his head.
"No way. You have to watch their videos. They do...crazy things. Apparently Terran gravity makes their training really hard. So when they get here, it's like..." Sasuke trailed off, struggling to explain. His eyes sparkled wildly as he fumbled for a video on his phone. Chuckling, Itachi mussed his younger brother's hair.
"I'll take your word for it. Now get out. I've got some soldering to do. I don't want you to get hurt," he ordered.
By the time the visitors were descending on the space elevator, the bike was somehow working.
Itachi pointed at the dashboard.
"This blue button is for hydrogen thrust. If you ever get stuck in sand or something, you can use it to get you out. It's also good to pump it a little after you're done riding, just to clean out the vents a little," he explained. But Sasuke was already fastening his helmet. He grabbed the handlebars, pushing the vehicle outside. Itachi squinted up at the sky. It was another hot, dry day in the valley.
"Be back in time for dinner. Don't make mom worry, okay?" Itachi said. Sasuke nodded.
"Thanks, bro!" he yelled as he fired up the engine. It was an old thing. But it ran on oxygen and solar cells, which meant that it would never run out of power. The newer models ran on tiny crystals that ran on nuclear decay. They were also incredibly expensive. They were only manufactured Ganymede, where all the companies were outsourcing their production these days.
Itachi shaded his eyes as he watched Sasuke disappear into the distance. Clouds of dirt and steam exhaust trailed behind him.
Itachi finished his coffee before he caught the shuttle to work. The workshop was as busy as always. There were a few lightweight bikes waiting to be serviced. Likely problems with their power cells. He suspected that this line might be recalled soon. These were too new to be breaking down like this.
There was also by some miracle of science, a Terran car in the garage too. Every part of it was clogged with sand. The engine didn't even make a feeble attempt to start when they pressed the button.
"Probably left it out during a sandstorm. Moron," muttered Genma. Biting a pencil between his teeth, he watched someone open up the hood. A puff of dust rose to greet him. The other workers roared with laughter.
"These things weren't built for weather like this. This thing's probably clogged with sand from the engine to the tailpipe. What does it even run on?" Kisame grumbled.
"Looks like it's an old hybrid. Probably gasoline and electricity," said Itachi, pointing at the combustion engine. Kisame scowled.
"It's a relic. That's what it is," he retorted. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled at the mechanic suctioning dirt out of the engine.
"Leave that thing alone for now. The owner's not coming back for it until next month. Get to work on that truck in the back," ordered Kisame. They quickly abandoned the car in favor of the indicated vehicle. When the boss gave orders, they moved.
"Where's your mini-me? Isn't it a weekend? He's usually causing trouble in here by now," Genma asked, nudging Itachi with his elbow. Itachi didn't reply as he shoved his bag into his locker. When he shut the door, it sealed with a small click. It wouldn't open again until he typed in a code. The dual number and fingerprint lock had been a nice addition last year. It stopped people from stealing each other's deodorant when they ran out.
"Went to go see the sky-surfers from Earth. They're on a tour of all the big colonies," he replied. He reached back to tighten his hair tie.
"Heh, guess we're getting old. I can't keep up with that trending stuff anymore," sighed Genma. Chuckling, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
When Itachi got home from work, his mom was already cooking dinner. It bubbled away on the stove, filling the house with a spicy smell. He pulled off his coat and mask off in the outer room. Sand and tiny rocks scattered across the floor. Automated vacuums sucked up the debris. He dropped his clothes in the laundry chute. The washing machine would do a load once enough clothes had accumulated.
"Mom, I'm home," he called as he walked into the house. The doors sealed behind him with a beep.
"Welcome back, dear," she said from the kitchen. He paused in the hallway to check the big panel there. He flicked through the notifications left for him. There were a couple of notices for upcoming bills. Someone had sent an invitation to a get-together. He archived them for later.
A notification popped up, alerting him of an incoming package. He pressed the green accept button. The chute in the hallway lit up. Something whooshed through, landing in his waiting hand.
"Oh. Finally," he remarked as he peeled back the packaging. He placed it back in the chute and watched it get sucked back up. It would be recycled to be used for another package somewhere else.
Itachi held up the clear disk in the light. It glimmered faintly blue as he rotated it. He popped it into his wristband. The interface glowed yellow for an instant as the software installed. It flickered for a moment before it rebooted.
"Memory capacity increased. Would you like to install an additional upgrade for the low price-"
"Decline," he sighed. He tapped the receiver in his ear once before he popped it out.
"I'm going to take a shower. Is Sasuke back yet?" Itachi said as he headed further down the hall. He paused at the foot of the stairs. His mother turned to look at him, knife held in one hand and a carrot in another.
"Not yet. He texted me about an hour ago saying he was on his way back. He should be here soon," she answered. Nodding, Itachi walked upstairs to wash the grime off his body. Shedding the rest of his clothes, he cycled through his closet interface until he found the right outfit. When he pushed the select button, a drawer opened up in front of him with the fresh set of clothes. With another push of a button, he started the shower in the room over. He fiddled with the temperature a bit before he stepped in to wash.
As he rubbed shampoo into his hair, a series and vibrations on his wrist caught his attention. He waved his arm once and a screen lit up the shower wall. It was Sasuke, waving from inside an unfamiliar car.
"Hey, big bro. Sorry I interrupted your shower," said Sasuke, grinning far too widely. Itachi rinsed the rest of his shampoo out as he spoke.
"Where are you? Dinner's almost ready."
Sasuke pursed his lips. He lifted his arm and angled it behind him. It was the old bike he had ridden out on. Sasuke tilted the camera back toward his face.
"It broke down. Guess I messed up something in it," he explained. Itachi's eyes snapped open. He dragged his hands over his face, wiping away water so he could see better.
"What? Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?" Itachi demanded, already shutting off the water and grabbing a clean towel. Sasuke shook his free hand.
"Nah, nah, don't worry. I'm getting a ride now. I'll be there in a bit. Just tell Mom not to worry," Sasuke said before he disconnected.
Itachi stood in the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. He considered calling his brother back and demanding a more concrete explanation. But then he sighed. There was no point in scolding Sasuke before he was even home. That could wait.
He pressed a button on the shower wall. A gust of warm air swept over him, drying most of his body and hair. He dressed quickly, still pulling his shirt over his head as he walked downstairs.
"Mom, Sasuke just called. The bike broke down so he's getting a ride back. Doesn't seem like he's hurt," he told her, leaning into the kitchen. Mikoto turned to him, eyes widening.
"Oh no. Are you sure?" she asked. But before he could reply, the doorbell rang. They both left the kitchen. The hallway panel lit up with Sasuke's face. He was still smiling way too much.
"Where are your keys?" questioned Itachi. Sasuke shrugged.
"Forgot them. Come outside for a sec," he said. Itachi folded his arms over his chest.
"Oh, come on. Seriously. Just for a second. I've got to show you something," insisted Sasuke before the screen went blank. Itachi looked over at his mother. Mikoto simply smiled, shrugging.
"I guess it's important. Go take a look. I'll set the table," she urged, giving him a gentle push toward the door. Grumbling, Itachi shoved his feet into shoes and walked out into the sun again. He immediately regretted stepping into the heat.
But to his astonishment, there was a strange van parked in front of their house. Sasuke ran up to greet him, his eyes almost manic in their excitement. He pointed to the side of the van, as if Itachi couldn't read on his own.
"They drove me all the way here. Isn't that amazing?" he babbled. The driver stuck his head out the window. He had shaggy orange hair, sunglasses, and the beginnings of sunburn on his nose.
"It was no problem, kid," he assured him. A second head poked out on the passenger's side.
"Seriously. We're not going to leave a guy stuck out there by himself," he added.
"Thank you for bringing my brother home. This must be out of your way," Itachi apologized. There was a blast of air rushing out through something. They looked in the direction of the shed in the back. Someone shut the door before gliding over to them.
It was a woman, pink hair tied up in a short ponytail. She rode over on her red board, hovering just a few inches off the ground. Grinning, she bumped her fist against Sasuke's.
"Left the bike where you said. If your brother's as smart as you say he is, I'm sure he'll fix it up for you," she said. Sasuke nodded. But then the woman pulled her sunglasses off to look at Itachi standing beside him. She stepped off the board, putting weight on the edge until it stood vertically.
She extended her hand. Itachi shook it.
"I'm Sakura. This is Juugo and Suigetsu," she said, pointing at the other two in the van. They waved.
"Itachi. Thanks again."
She flashed him another smile before she put her sunglasses back on.
"Alright. We've got to get going. It was nice meeting you two," she greeted them. And then, kicking her board flat, she turned to look at her companions. She jerked her head toward the road. The van rumbled forward, wide treads leaving marks in the sand.
Itachi watched, slack-jawed as she launched straight up into the air. Her board left white trails in its wake as she dove back down. She spun once before she followed after the van. She moved in loops as easily as if she were following a track. She weaved ahead of and over the van without hesitation. Her companions laughed as they merged onto the road.
"Now do you get it?" Sasuke piped up, a little smugly.
Itachi didn't say anything. Closing his mouth, he put his hand on his little brother's shoulder.
"Let's go eat dinner," he said.
Sasuke was ecstatic about his encounter for the better part of the next week. All his friends from school gushed about the chance to spend time with the Terran sky-surfers.
"The TAS, big brother. Terran Astro Surfers. That's what everyone calls them," Sasuke corrected rather snootily one morning. Itachi looked at him for a long moment. He pinched his nose in retaliation before he got up to leave for work.
At night, Sasuke's room was aglow with instant messages and video chats as his friends grilled him.
"So, you got to TOUCH Sakura's hand? What was that like?" Naruto gushed. His face drifted in the interface, bouncing around with his movements. Another screen showed Kiba's face.
"Is Juugo really as tall as everyone says?" he asked.
Itachi shut the door to Sasuke's room as he passed. He supposed being excited about something like that made sense.
Gradually, as the days passed, the excitement began to fade. Sasuke focused more on his schoolwork instead. And Itachi went to work, like always.
The following weekend, Itachi sat on the hood of the same ridiculous car that had been brought in last week. He rapped the hood with his knuckles.
"It's going to be crazy expensive to fix this thing. They're honestly better off selling this to a museum," he pointed out. Kisame shrugged.
"True. We don't even carry half the parts we need. I had to call in a favor to my cousin Hayate up by the ice cap," Genma affirmed. The screen on the nearby wall lit up to notify them of a new customer. Kisame started to get up before Itachi stopped him.
Wiping his hands clean on a rag, Itachi walked out of the garage and into the adjoining office. In the lobby stood a pink-haired woman, her crimson board tucked under her arm. Her face lit up when she recognized him.
"Hey! I didn't know this was your place," she greeted him.
"I only co-own this place. How can I help you?" he corrected her. Sakura pointed at her board, standing it upright. Instead of staying, it teetered to one side.
"I think the gravity here is messing with my board's calibration. Do you think you could take a look? I heard good things about this place," Sakura said. When Itachi held out his hands, she nudged the board over to him. He flipped it over a few times, testing the weight. He ran his fingers over the shiny surface. There were some dents and scratches. But it was polished and obviously cared-for.
After some searching, he found the interface slot on the underside of it. Pressing his wristband to it, he listened to the beeping and whirring as it unlocked. He raised his wrist to his eyes, reading off the data.
"Hm. Something does look off. Let me take it out back and open it up."
"Can I come with you?" she immediately asked. He hesitated before he motioned her to follow.
He led her down the hall and into the workshop. It was particularly noisy on one end as a team attempted to-
What were they doing?
Itachi nudged Genma with his elbow.
"They're trying to install a watermelon with hovertech. To see if they can fly a melon," he explained. Itachi opened his mouth to ask another question. But then he simply shook his head and continued on to his workbench.
He laid a clean sheet on top of the table before he placed the board on top. Itachi scowled when he noticed Deidara hunched at the table over.
"Deidara, get out. What are you even doing here?" he sighed. Deidara looked up, pointing at his iScope. He noticed Sakura and waved with his screwdriver.
"Just replacing some parts. The battery life on this thing is shit," answered Deidara. Itachi shook his head.
"Then go to the Genius Bar and have them fix it. This is where I work," he scolded. Deidara made a face, tongue sticking out.
"Ugh. They don't cover this kind of stuff. I'll be done in a minute, grumpy," Deidara retorted.
Sakura leaned against the side of the workbench. She tucked her sunglasses into the front of her shirt. There was a tattoo of a bird on her collarbone, as if taking flight from her heart. She watched as he unscrewed the flat panel at the bottom of the board.
Itachi stared at the chips and wires inside. It was beautiful, like all machines were. There was a perfect harmony in the way that the cables and lights worked inside. And yet, there was something slightly asymmetrical about the this one. Maybe it was the positioning of some of the circuits. Or the shape of the valve that regulated the flow of oxygen in through the vents.
"Did you make this?" Itachi asked. He scanned the inside of the board with his wristband. The specs popped up. But instead of the name of a big manufacturer, he found her name in block letters. When he looked over at her, she was smiling, just a little proudly.
"I had to look up some videos and ask around, but I figured it out. It's not bad, right?" replied Sakura. Itachi laughed a little as he looked back at the board. A the precise shape of it, like it had been tailored for her height and weight. He had thought that it seemed a little lighter than normal. She had even customized the the sounds it made as it powered on and off.
"Yes...if 'not bad' means incredible on Earth," he answered. Sakura laughed too, throwing her head back.
"Okay. So you caught my humble-brag. But you're one to talk," Sakura continued. She pointed at him. There was a tattoo of another bird on her pointer finger. He stared at it for a second.
"Because I took a look at that bike your brother came on. That bucket of bolts shouldn't have even gotten him halfway to us. What witchcraft did you use there?" she accused. But there was a glimmer in his eye that he recognized. It wasn't just a polite question for the sake of making small talk. Itachi glanced down at her board before he looked at her again. She waited, eyebrows raised.
"Have you ever taken apart an ionizer before?" he asked.
It turned out that Sakura's board needed a very special part that the shop didn't carry. Itachi ordered it from their supplier, paying a little extra for it to be expedited. Luckily, a cargo ship had arrived from Ganymede a few days ago. It would arrive through the chutes sometime the following morning.
Sakura beamed.
"Thank goodness. I was worried that my baby was broken. I carried it through customs because I was afraid they would throw it around in the cargo hold. I seriously love that thing, you know?" she sighed. Itachi walked her back to the lobby, nodding.
"Anyway, thanks... for everything. I never even considered crossing the wires that way. I might try that with the next one I build," Sakura added. She extended her wrist, flashing her credit card for him to scan. Itachi pushed her hand back.
"Pay when you come back tomorrow afternoon," he said. And then Itachi glanced outside through the windows.
It was another hot summer day. He couldn't wait until autumn came. Summers on Mars always seemed to last forever. Winter was the best- when snow fell, covering the red sands so it wouldn't blow everywhere. Maybe people in the greener plains felt differently. Sakura turned to follow his gaze.
"It looks pretty brutal outside. Do you want to wait around? I could give you a ride back once we close up," Itachi offered.
Sakura hesitated, glancing down at her wrist for the time.
"There's a cafe next door. They make some of the best coffee this side of the valley," he then said. Sakura looked up at him, head tilting slightly.
"Uh... would you mind if I stuck around here? As long as I'm not in the way," she replied.
Itachi blinked too many times. He swallowed thickly.
"Of course not."
In a couple hours, the sun began to set and all the employees gathered their things to go home for the night. Itachi grabbed his bag and then clapped Kisame on the shoulder.
"I'll do final checks and lock-up. See you in the morning, boys," Genma said, heading to the lobby to lock the doors and set timers for the security system. Sakura waved at Genma and Kisame before she hurried to follow Itachi. He looped around behind the garage and pulled a tarp off a shiny bike. Sakura squinted over her sunglasses as she took a few steps closer.
And then, straightening, hands slipping into the pockets of her bomber jacket, she let out a low whistle. Itachi took a step back, gesturing for her to approach.
"That... is a babe," she slowly said. She ran her hand along the top of the seat, over the handlebars.
This was nothing like the rusted fossil that had stranded Sasuke. This purred under her hand. The interface lit up when she just looked at it. She looked back at Itachi again and he nodded.
Sakura climbed on top of the bike, easing into the curve of the seat. Her hands curled around the handlebars. She jolted a little when she heard Itachi's voice so close. He reached over her shoulder to point out the glowing shapes on the interface. Her eyes narrowed as she listened to him.
"So why was baby brother driving the dinosaur when you have this monster?" she interrupted his explanation. She tilted her head over her shoulder to look at it. Itachi chuckled. his arm touching hers.
"He crashed this bike the first time I let him use it. I had to half-rebuild it. So he's...on probation," explained Itachi. Sakura's eyes went wide at the horror. She stroked the metal body like it was a wounded creature. Laughing, he pushed her back so he could get on the bike too.
"Before you ask, you're not allowed to drive it either. Where to?" he asked. Arms tightening around his waist, she laughed as she recited the address of her hotel.
As he had promised, the part for Sakura's board came the following day. She showed up just after lunch, sunglasses dark and her lipstick bright red. It wasn't that she had been unnoticeable the day before. But she was clearly one of the bosses' guests and so no one approached her. One of the mechanics tapped Itachi on the knee. It took a moment, but he slid out from underneath the truck. He spotted Sakura, a spot of pink against the sweaty men. She smiled, revealing her white teeth.
"Is my baby ready?" she asked. With a grunt, Itachi got to his feet. He handed over his wrench to one of the employees. He directed Sakura to his bench, his hand just barely resting on her back to guide her.
A squeal left Sakura as she spotted her board. She activated it with her wristband. The white lights on the side lit up in the order that she had programmed. It rose above the workbench. And when she tilted it upright, it stood perfectly still, just the hum of the engines working. Absolute glee lit up Sakura's face. Throwing her arms around Itachi, she dangled from his neck.
"Thank you!" she laughed.
Like a whirlwind, she paid Itachi and then she was gone, riding directly out of the garage on her board. She looped around the building once and did a corkscrew before she flew off into the distance.
Itachi stood staring, not quite processing what had happened. Genma and Kisame exchanged looks before they approached their friend.
"Uh...at least she hugged you," Kisame offered. Genma nodded.
"Yeah. She was cute but she wasn't...that cute... right?" Genma tried to comfort him. They took a long look at Itachi's expression before they sighed in unison.
Work slowly resumed in the garage. Employees went back to their tasks, awkwardly avoiding looking at Itachi. Mashing his lips together, Itachi took a step back toward the truck to resume fixing the tailpipe. He stopped when the high-pitched whir of a small engine grew closer. Everyone else looked up too.
It didn't take long for Sakura to swoosh back into the garage through one of the open doors. She did a tight swerve around the big truck before she stopped directly in front of Itachi. She pulled her sunglasses off and stuffed them into her jacket pocket. Hair tousled, she grabbed Itachi's forearm.
"It feels too smooth. Did you do something?" she asked. Itachi looked down at her feet. How was she flying that thing while wearing heels?
"I just calibrated the gyroscope," he admitted.
Squealing with laughter, she grasped his arm with her other hand too. She spun them in a circle. Itachi's feet scrambled to follow her movement.
"She's never flown better. You've seriously got to feel this. Get on!" urged Sakura. Before he could protest, she was yanking at him. When he dug his heels in, Kisame took action. Grabbing his around the waist, the larger man hoisted him on the board. Itachi had time to whirl to fix Kisame with a glower of utmost betrayal for precisely one second before Sakura took off.
He grabbed hold of her waist as they jolted forward.
The world blurred past far too quickly. Objects came directly at him. Signs, roofs, even cars. Sakura swirled and weaved past these things without the slightest bit of hesitation. She spun the board a few times and even did flips. Each time she did, Itachi was 1000% certain that he would slip, leaving a bloody spatter on the red soil.
By far the most insane thing she did was shift her weight back as she approached a building. Instead of dodging, she drove them straight up the side before flipping backwards.
Itachi was certain that he peed just a little.
His ears were still ringing when she dropped him back off at the garage. His feet touched solid ground and he breathed a silent prayer. Hands on her hips, she circled around him once, like some bird of prey.
"Hm. Not bad for a first-timer. Didn't scream even once," she remarked. Kisame took one look at Itachi's dazed expression.
"Nah. Pretty sure he was screaming on the inside the entire time," he guessed too accurately. Itachi still had the energy to glare at him.
"Still. Not shabby. Later, Itachi," Sakura said. She leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose. And then she glided away on her board, throwing him one last cheeky smile as she went.
"That woman is like...a natural disaster in a human body," Genma remarked in a low voice.
It took Itachi a full minute to find words.
"I'm...going home for the day," he finally announced. The other employees exchanged grimaces.
"Don't die, boss," one called after him as he walked away, stiff-legged.
She showed up again a few days later. The same red lipstick, the same devilish smile. For some reason, everyone flushed as she floated in. Stepping off her board, she snuck up behind Itachi. Wiggling under his arm, she peeked at his workbench.
"When do you get off work?" she asked without greeting. Itachi looked down at her with almost exasperation before he answered.
"The same time as last time."
"Hm..." she said, eyes narrowing. She straightened and Itachi resumed his work. He jolted when she leaned in close to his ear to whisper.
"I'll see you then."
"You've only got so many brain cells, Itachi. I'd save them," remarked Genma as he watched Itachi smack his head repeatedly against the tabletop.
Despite himself, Itachi locked up the garage for the night and then hung around the back, waiting. She showed up a few minutes later. She stopped on the roof of the store next door, her silhouette black against the dark blue sky. She looked around for a second. And when she saw him, she floated down quite gracefully.
"Do you think your bike can keep up with me?" Sakura challenged.
Itachi bristled.
They raced out of the valley, over dunes and past the city limits. She took him far from the cluster of cars and buildings. Slowly, cacti and palms began to dot the edges of the road. And when she coasted to a stop, it was at the top of a huge cliff. Below sat his city, lights blinking on as the sun sank deeper toward the horizon. Itachi glanced further out toward the right. He knew that further toward the west, the desert eventually met a large sea. He used to take Sasuke there on weekends to tan on the beaches made black by volcanic sand.
Sakura stood on the edge of the cliff, suddenly quiet. Itachi walked over to join her. Out further north, Olympus Mons draped its shadow across a huge section of the valley. Distant cities glittered on the horizon, casting a faint white glow up toward the sky.
He felt her hand slip into his.
"I've seen pictures of the colonies out here all the time. It's just...I never knew how pretty they could be," she commented. She turned to look at him, red mouth smiling.
His hand tightened around hers.
"Very pretty," he agreed.
She was gone two weeks later. On the next shuttle headed for Jupiter. They were headed for Europa, Ganymede, and Titan before slingshotting back to Earth. The rest of the tour would take roughly a year, even with the fastest shuttles.
Finger pressing to her lips, she infrared-beamed him her number.
"This is my private line. I'll pick up as long as I'm not in the middle of a performance," she promised. Her numbers glowed on his wristband before recording into his contacts.
She left him with one last kiss, her hands slipping into the pockets of his jacket. She had taken a liking to doing that. Then she was in the space elevator and she was gone.
Sasuke had no idea what had gotten into his older brother over the next several weeks. He was so sulky that Sasuke began to wonder if teenage hormones were contagious. When he asked his mother, she simply laughed without saying anything.
All his questions were answered when TAS arrived on Europa. The internet flooded with videos of their performances and interviews. For some reason, Sasuke found several notifications from his friends. They urged him to watch one interview in particular, in all capital letters. He swiped across the interface to select the video.
"So, all three of you have done a lot of traveling these last several months. Is there anything you miss in particular about Earth?" the woman asked. Juugo laughed.
"Terran pizza. Sorry, Mars. You may export all the tomatoes to Earth. You've got nothing on greasy New York style pizza," he replied.
"I probably miss my family the most. I talk to my brother almost every day, but I never realized how much I appreciated his bad fart jokes," Suigetsu said.
"Way to talk about family and make Juugo look shallow," Sakura scolded. They all laughed together.
"What about your romantic lives? Any partners you've left behind?" the interviewer continued. Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Nope. Maybe I'll start looking once we stop touring. It's hard to find a real connection when we're always on the move," Suigetsu replied. Juugo nodded. But when all eyes turned to Sakura, she gave a mischievous smile.
"I might have left my heart with some dorky guy in a little desert town. Who knows," she said with a shrug.
"Woah! Seriously? Who is it? Is it another surfer?" the interviewer probed.
Sakura shrugged again. And then she looked directly into the camera.
"Let's just say he's the only guy who's ever seduced me by talking about an ionizer," she stated with a wink.
Sasuke let out a screech. Grabbing the video, he shoved it into his wristband. He stumbled into his brother's room. Itachi sat at his desk, flicking through his emails for the day. Sasuke shoved the emails aside and threw the video onto the screen.
"You're not going to believe this."