[ alright, so the morning might've been a bit of a mess. they have to utilize some pretty underhanded means to get sakura aboard their whole idea of a summer vacation (aboard being used in the broadest sense), but what matters is that it works, in the end, regardless of wherever her temperament takes her. she's never not forgiven them (him) before, and while the two-hour plane ride from tokyo is riddled with tension and awkward, furtive glances the first half, the second half is cushioned when naruto works up the courage to incessantly babble about how so many of their classmates will be joining them and this will be her most memorable summer, he swears!
for naruto, time passes by quickly; he's in the middle of recounting the time sasuke thought he'd get eaten by a shark (a lovingly concocted plot by itachi and kisame) when they start to land, story promptly cut short. ]
We're here!! O—ki—na—wa—! [ one moment he's pressed up against glass, hot breath fogging up the airplane's window— the next he whips around 180, hands clasped against each other to look at sakura imploringly. ] Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, what d'you wanna do first?
[ whether or not she's feeling particularly excited, apparently naruto's taken it upon himself to feel it for her anyway. somewhere in the background, sasuke scoffs at him not to get ahead of himself because they'd, almost literally, plucked sakura out of her house before she had the chance to have breakfast and light mid-air snacks don't quite compensate for a proper meal— what a killjoy. ]
[ sure, this morning's abduction may not have left her super pleased with either of her friends, but when they land she's definitely craning her neck from behind naruto's head, straining to see what's out there with him. of course, by the time he's turned in a rush to see her reaction, sakura's managed to straighten back up in her seat and look suspiciously nonchalant. ]
Oh, uh, yeah! Sasuke-kun's right. [ a glance in his direction. he's only got one earbud in, so he's probably listening in. ] We should eat something.
[ uh huh. except, she doesn't even look that mad anymore if at all— and that's how he knows he's won, swelling in the gratification of it.
(the fact that she's been unwillingly dragged across the country with no other way out than through them? that's an unnecessary detail.) ]
Pancakes! There's a good place nearby and a mall right next to it. We didn't give you much time to pack, [ taps his finger on his chin, ] so we could probably take care of that too?
[ just because she doesn't look mad, doesn't mean you still aren't walking a fine, fiiine line, naruto. sakura narrows her eyes at him. ]
Pancakes are—alright. Fine. [ she's probably carrying enough money to cover her own portion, anyway. ] But if we're really staying as long as you say we are, isn't buying a whole suitcase's worth of clothes kind of... expensive? I could probably borrow something from one of our classmates.
[ right, and when you wear that line as much as she has, it starts to lose its potency— she loves them too much to do anything truly drastic. ]
The purpose of a vacation is not to sweat it! [ he huffs. ] Would'ya prefer if we left it up to Ino? She seemed pretty up for it when I mentioned it in passing, just sayin'.
[ he understands her reservations— really, he does. it's one of the reasons why they've never abducted her before despite wanting to over the years; she's always working hard, worrying more than the average adult despite being in her teenage years— if there's anyone who deserves a good time before they set out on their final year before adulthood, it's her, beyond his own selfishness of wanting to keep her close.
It's fine, it's fine! [ unless pig makes a completely unwarranted comment about sakura's chest, something she's done before without a single shred of remorse... in which case, the two of them will be having Issues™. ]
Oinker stills owes me for giving her my English notes during our last midterm, so. Don't worry about it.
[ that's always been the thing with her: if the reward feels well-deserved, or else transactional, she has no qualms about taking what she's given. something as big as an impromptu vacation, though? gift or no, it just doesn't sit right with her that she's taking handouts from her closest friends. ]
[ is it fine? sasuke snorts and interjects that she's the one doing them a favour for being here, otherwise naruto would be infinitely more of a pain in the ass than usual. uchiha law dictates that he has the last word in everything and anything so he slips off shortly after— unfortunately, it doesn't stop naruto from yelling at the top of his lungs to contest that. ]
We wouldn't be having this problem if you weren't such a jerk most of the time! [ look at what he'd have to deal with alone if sakura weren't here? he sighs dramatically. ]
But he's right. [ eye roll, ] Not about the us us part, but the us part. [ …everyone outside of sasuke?? ]
You're the one that shouldn't worry 'bout anything while we're here. [ reaches over for a hair ruffle!! then urges her forward gently with a push. ] Think of it as thanks for everything over the years!
[ there's not enough space in their row to dodge his hand, so she endures the ruffling, shooting him a disgruntled look as she scoots through the narrow aisle of the jet. sakura still doesn't quite understand his reasoning, but... they're already there. nothing she can really do but play tourist with them for a while.
once they've descended down the stairs, carry-on luggage all in tow (which, for her, is just a red sling bag), sakura squeezes her eyes shut and stretches her arms skyward as far as she can until her back pops. ]
Aaaah, it feels so nice to be standing again...! [ one eye opens to look at them. sasuke's standing apart from them, on the phone with what she can only presume to be one of his many, many relatives. she turns to naruto, ] So what's the next move? Are we walking? Calling a cab?
[ can't do what someone tells you not to if you don't remember what it is to begin with! he retaliates with a grin, practically hopping out of his seat. and, despite their bout of hostility literally seconds ago, he and sasuke seem to have no problems exchanging a wordless conversation— where he eventually turns around with a snort moments later, presumably having his own business to attend to.
naruto mutters as much under his breath, before wrinkling his nose to focus on the pressing matter. ]
It's close enough that we can walk! [ in complete agreement that they don't need to be sitting around until it comes time to eat, already brimming with excitable energy. ] Since you've never been, I thought you might like looking around on the way too?
[ any of his personnel that tries to insist on them getting chauffeured is promptly silenced with a sour glare, reminding him that sasuke sometimes has his moments where he's okay. sometimes. not that he'll ever tell it to anyone or the guy himself, but at least he could take a hint. ]
[ having missed the entirety of their silent exchange, too awestruck by the glimmering waters neighboring the landing strip, sakura looks just in time to catch sasuke dispersing along with their personnel and security detail. she'd call out to him if he weren't already so far away, which leaves sakura to pull out her answers from a nearer source—naruto. her eyes narrow at him. ]
...I wouldn't mind taking the scenic route, [ she confesses with some reluctance, ] but where is Sasuke-kun going? He doesn't like pancakes?
[ it's a familiar sight: sakura's skepticism to naruto's boundless enthusiasm— justifiably so, considering it frequently comes hand-in-hand with mischief. he'd be lying if he weren't a little worried at first, but with those fears now assuaged and his plan a remarkable success, he's back to having that glint in his eye, where the only word that could be used to describe it is unpredictable. ]
And if you get tired, [ he begins, finding it increasingly difficult to moderate his grin, ] I can carry you! Like old times! You probably still weigh nothing.
[ no, his gaze hadn't just flickered over to the expanse of water metres away or anything, of course not! nor is he snickering over what old times entails. though at the mention of he who shall not be named, he's brought back to reality. ]
Does it matter? [ somewhat petulantly, ] We'll be seeing the bastard a lot over the next few weeks.
[ she saw that flicker, naruto. she's onto you. 🔪 ]
You aren't going anywhere near me, buddy.
[ ironically, sakura's the one who moves toward him, roughly shoving his shoulder in a show of her customary brand of slapstick violence. ] I won't get tired, so don't even think about it! Don't even suggest it!
[ throwing one last glance over her shoulder to make sure that sasuke was really gone, and that naruto wasn't just scheming to ditch him as he was futzing around in the restroom, sakura sighs. then, she slants naruto with a you better not having anything up your sleeve look. ]
[ and because their comedic routine wouldn't be complete without naruto doubling over in some way (in this case, before sakura even lands her hit because there'd been a part of him highly, highly doubtful she would've let that one slide), he yelps as if caught by surprise. ]
H-Hey!! Is that what I get for trying to be nice? [ dunking her in the ocean has its… reasons. good-intentioned reasons, assuredly.
he whimpers pitifully for several seconds longer, as narutos tend to do— once that quota's fulfilled, he sprouts back up as if the skit had never occurred to begin with. ]
Hehe. But it's good to see that you've finally loosened up. Felt like it was taking forever!
[ one last arm rub for effect, then he sets off in a direction, extending his hand to somewhere beyond the coastline. ]
We'll be staying somewhere over there, [ sounding every part the wise and knowledgeable tour guide he… is not. he's never navigated this area alone; this will probably be a trend— him pulling out an absolute confidence from his ass in attempt to impress her.
they amble along almost aimlessly. naruto seeks to distract her from precisely that. ] The Ino-Shika-Chou trio aren't far off, either. What do you normally do with your summers, Sakura-chan?
[ naruto isn't wrong; whether it's the spray of sea salt pervading her senses with each breeze or his little performance earlier, sakura doesn't feel nearly as ill at ease as she did first boarding their private jet. if she were truly angry, she'd kick up more of a fuss, threaten more bodily harm, instead of unquestioningly fall into step with him. ]
Volunteer. Study. Eat watermelon. [ she wonders if maybe she'll still get to do that last bit, just with everyone else. that'd be fun. ] Let me guess: you and Sasuke-kun would hideaway out here with your families every summer, though?
Study? [ the word has and will always be a personal affront, more so that it infringes on naruto's perception on what a typical summer vacation should be like; immature as he is, he likes to think he's making the most of his youth— they won't be young forever. he makes a note to tell yamato to prepare the biggest, juiciest watermelons and a couple of bats for later. ]
Kinda. Sometimes we end up in other places. [ his mind wanders to last year's excursion involving disney and country fairs, how sakura's voice had haunted him alongside sasuke's whenever he'd decided to have things like deep fried ice cream and oreos. naruto had missed her a lot more than usual, that summer. ] Sasuke doesn't get to spend much time with his family otherwise.
[ he doesn't add in how it's the same for him, lightly kicking at concrete then stretching his arms out wide. ]
S'been a while for the crew to be in one place too. [ they couldn't not bring sakura this time, is the follow-up that lingers in the air instead of being said. and since he doesn't want to give sakura the opportunity to process his earlier comment about their families for any longer than necessary, ]
…wait. When you asked for five minutes to grab something, it wasn't a textbook, right? [ eyeing her pack warily!! ]
[ the hold she has on the strap of her bag tightens, almost protective. don't mind her as she moves farther away from him, pointedly making sure that there's a substantial amount of room between them. ]
No. [ a different kind of book, actually. she'd painstakingly cut and glued and assembled a stupid scrapbook the night before, filled with silly photos and stickers from the past school year, intending to hand it off to the boys before their next trip. kinda as a sendoff present. little did she know. ] Don't worry about it.
[ other places, though. that's—honestly hard for her to imagine, really. she and her peers had always been well aware of sasuke's lineage and wealth, but naruto? he'd never so much as mentioned a single peep about coming from any wellspring of money. not until a couple of hours ago, as they'd been boarding the plane, and he'd oh-so casually mentioned that it belonged to him. ]
But what sort of places? [ sakura presses, squinting slightly into the distance as a vague memory of that particular summer resurfaces. although it'd felt lonelier than usual without him to yell up at her bedroom window to wake up every morning, the picspam of him on her timeline—and her personal line messages from him, of course—were a small comfort. ] I always thought you were just vacationing with Sasuke-kun's family. I had no clue that you... [ her shoulders raise slightly, shrugging. ] you know.
[ shouldn't she know better by now? that those words will only serve to incite his curiosity even further!! pretending to be placated but otherwise thinking about how he'll get his grimy hands on it, it's another point to add onto his exponentially growing list of things he needs to accomplish this summer.
which, he'll probably forget half of… details. ]
I get that a lot. [ the brief flash of a memory of his relatives calling him unbecoming for an uzumaki much like this mother; there's an incoming child on a bike that he swerves away from the last second, appeasing their worrying parent that there was never any danger and not to worry with a laugh. ] Mom and dad tell me it's better this way, but… I dunno.
[ what is it with these un-summerlike tangents? ] Better than turning out like the jerk I guess! [ he returns a shrug. ] The 'rents think we should experience as much of the world while we can. So, wherever. [ purposefully vague… it's weird, sometimes, not feeling like he particularly belongs in one camp or another. ] There a place you wanna go?
[ normally sakura might take this opportunity to inquire further about his parents, his upbringing, how he'd met sasuke in the first place... but normally they're surrounded by other people, different distractions that probably would have caused her to miss that rueful pull to his smile earlier, before the kid had driven an edge too close to either of them. actually glad for the interference, if only to keep that darkened look out of his eyes, she lets the subject slip, wise enough to recognize that the timing wasn't quite right to pry. naruto's always been strangely tight-lipped about his family, and maybe there's a reason for it.
trying to do her part in keeping out any uncomfortable lulls out of their conversation, sakura breaks into a smile and, inexplicably, hops up onto the divider between the sidewalk and the beach. ]
Oh, I've actually always wanted to visit Kyoto! There was a school-wide field trip back in middle school I couldn't make—I was out sick with a fever, so... Had to miss all the good, touristy stuff.
[ her arms are spread out at her sides, wobbling as she tries to keep her balance. ]
I remember feeling sad seeing everyone come back with their souvenirs and gossip about who sneaked into whose room. It was a little silly of me, though.
What? No way! I'd be super upset if that were me! [ perhaps not the greatest measure of maturity or a standard anyone wants to uphold; it doesn't stop him from being scandalized on her behalf, coming to a complete stop to wave his arms wildly in protest.
missing out on one of the quintessential aspects of early education? inconceivable! they're what makes going to class worth it. ]
That's it! We're gonna make our senior year trip twice as memorable! [ … concerning in of itself, his flapping rising in fervour as he gets more and more incensed about the topic. ] As nice as it is being away from our teachers, there's nothing like breaking as many rules as you—
[ …and with both their arms as extended as they are, it's only a matter of time before naruto accidentally whacks hers with his, potentially sending her toppling. instinctively reaching for her wrist to pull her into him, his balance precarious as is— it wouldn't be surprising if he fell over in the process. ] —woah!
[ naruto's got her by the wrist when she begins to lose her footing, but it's far too late, it's not enough to balance her, and she's on a trajectory straight down— ]
[ and to no one's surprised, especially the simps orchestrating this entire thread, they wipe out right there on the sidewalk. the only other people in their vicinity had been the passing family, and they're long gone now, so there's luckily no one else there to witness—and potentially judge—the way she's sprawled out on top of him, or the way her nose is reddening from the impact of ramming directly into his collar.
sakura hisses, eyes squeezed shut as she brings both hands up to her face. ignoring the taste of copper in her mouth from when she'd bitten her tongue in the collision, she focuses on her nose, gingerly patting its tip and... oh, that shit hurts, but it's probably not broken or anything. nothing seems to be on the brink of bleeding, at least.
what about naruto? her eyes slowly reopen; the first thing she does is try and give him a once-over, gauge him for any serious injuries, but that objective quickly soars out the window the moment she realizes that, uh, his face is much closer than she's ever seen it before. it takes her a couple of blinks and a stretching silence to will the necessary composure to ask him: ] ...Are you okay?
[ the pavement scrapes his elbows as he breaks their plunge, eliciting a sharp hiss under his breath— and who knows what really happens next, because even if asked, naruto couldn't tell you.
he blinks. his thought processes skid to halt. were sakura's eyes always this… green? ? ? ??? ]
No. [ …wait. that… is his answer to different sort of 'are you okay,' which she probably hadn't meant, smacking himself mentally. obviously he's always known what shade they were— emerald— but there's something else in there too; it's the first time he's had the luxury of observing them from so close that he can see himself in the reflection of and—
he's digressing again. he's also skirting the edges of propriety with all his staring; if she calls him out on it he's blaming the fall. ] … Yes?!
[ naruto.exe has crashed and is currently rebooting. … 3… 2… 1. and, as soon as his systems are back up and running, he immediately regrets it. she… certainly is pressing against a sensitive area, and between being able to feel the weight of her on top of him and seeing all the minute changes in her expression (as well as her lips— stop looking, goddamnit), he's a humble, hormonal teenager and his threshold for stimuli has been broached.
dignity!! he needs to preserve his dignity!! ]
F-Forget about me! [ rushing to stand even with her on top of him, ] What about yo— [ he ends up headbutting her while throwing himself forward.
[ yeah, no one's dignity is coming out of this unscathed.
the headbutt is... okay, it's not her preferred distraction from all the intrusive thoughts flashing through her mind at the moment, especially the ones going wow, his eyes look exactly like the sea and what cologne is he wearing, but it's still technically a distraction. even if could have done without the potential concussion.
at any rate, the pain is instant and acute, the force of it sending sakura spilling backward, off of him, and landing harshly on her tailbone with a piercing cry. ]
Naruto... [ forehead cradled in her hands now, his name crawls out of sakura's mouth in the form of a low, deeply pained groan. if she were in better spirits, it might have come out as more of a growl instead. he's in danger either way. ] What the hell...
Edited (no thoughting this) 2020-08-29 05:23 (UTC)
[ no he does not want to acknowledge the last ten seconds, even if that what the hell might be (is) rhetoric. ]
… Guess no pancakes, huh? [ holds out his elbows, assessing the damage. specks of dirt and sand line the scrapes, blood beginning to clot shallow wounds. one quick look at sakura to check if she's fine (mostly), and instead of calling for his driver right away or doing anything, really, to fix this, he—
[ her lips part, seemingly all too ready to lay into him, the particularly biting lines pretty much committed to memory by now—but then he laughs, big and buoyant and carefree in only the way he can be, and that's somehow all it takes to cleanly pierce through the rising tide of her agitation, to send it washing back. slowly, her hand slides down from her forehead to her mouth, uselessly trying to cork her own giggles threatening to bubble out. ]
Of course no pancakes. We have to clean you up, stu-pid!
[ it's as they say, laughter is the best medicine, distracting him from the brunt of the pain. like every other drug though, it doesn't last forever— the wind in his sails is taken out as soon as he needs to catch his breath and he sprawls on the ground, flat. not even sakura's laughter can tide away grim reminders of their reality. ]
Aw, man. We're gonna get an earful when we get back… [ that's his priority? and because he's already whining, ] I'm hungry.
[ still, he manages to eke out a message to yamato somewhere between that and acting as if his world's ended, lamenting the loss of a reasonably houred brunch. ]
If you're done complaining, take my hand already. We can get pancakes some other time, or probably even later if it's a 24-hour breakfast place.
[ apparently in the time it'd taken naruto to succumb to the Futility of Their Grim Reality (and also to text his butler), sakura's managed to dust her backside off, drag herself back onto her feet. she's got an open-palmed hand stretch out toward him, casting a shadow over his eyes, while her other one pulls out a water bottle from the side pocket of her bag. ] So long as you're laying down, you're running the risk of getting more dirt on your elbows. C'mon.
[ at least by playing medic for however long it takes someone to send a driver to come pick them up, she won't have to dwell on what her face might look like in a few hours, after the bruising's set in. ]
[ as much as naruto would like to roll over and ferment on the sidewalk, everything sakura says is perfectly sensible; rather than stemming from the actual fall, his disappointment arises from the fact that he'd been hyping this up for weeks— arriving at okinawa, taking sakura to a nice café. redeem his past-self's overall terribleness, and hopefully starting the trip off on the right foot.
still, this amount of ridiculousness has always been them— and he had gotten a laugh out of her, hadn't he? it isn't over until it's over. ]
Yeah, yeah. [ he sits up, cross-legged, outstretching both arms. now that he can actually see the damage, he winces, between that and his sensitive tailbone. unlike hunger though, they apparently don't warrant verbal complaints. ]
Sorry 'bout that. [ he groans, the sound soul-deep, ] I'll ask Sasuke to pick something up for us, wherever he is. Yamato says he'll be here in ten.
[ as soon as naruto extends his arms, sakura's hands are squeezing around his forearms, firmly pulling him up and back to standing. ]
Yeah, yeah, [ she echoes with no small measure of amusement. ] Worry about that later. Turn around real quick. [ and before he can even rotate an ankle, she circles around him, brushing off the dots of sand and dirt spangling his back with a few good pats. it's only once she's made a full revolution that she stops. ]
There we go! Alright then, [ with a quick flick of her thumb and index finger, she unscrews the cap from her bottle. ] hold out your elbow. This hopefully won't sting too badly.
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for naruto, time passes by quickly; he's in the middle of recounting the time sasuke thought he'd get eaten by a shark (a lovingly concocted plot by itachi and kisame) when they start to land, story promptly cut short. ]
We're here!! O—ki—na—wa—! [ one moment he's pressed up against glass, hot breath fogging up the airplane's window— the next he whips around 180, hands clasped against each other to look at sakura imploringly. ] Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, what d'you wanna do first?
[ whether or not she's feeling particularly excited, apparently naruto's taken it upon himself to feel it for her anyway. somewhere in the background, sasuke scoffs at him not to get ahead of himself because they'd, almost literally, plucked sakura out of her house before she had the chance to have breakfast and light mid-air snacks don't quite compensate for a proper meal— what a killjoy. ]
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Oh, uh, yeah! Sasuke-kun's right. [ a glance in his direction. he's only got one earbud in, so he's probably listening in. ] We should eat something.
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(the fact that she's been unwillingly dragged across the country with no other way out than through them? that's an unnecessary detail.) ]
Pancakes! There's a good place nearby and a mall right next to it. We didn't give you much time to pack, [ taps his finger on his chin, ] so we could probably take care of that too?
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Pancakes are—alright. Fine. [ she's probably carrying enough money to cover her own portion, anyway. ] But if we're really staying as long as you say we are, isn't buying a whole suitcase's worth of clothes kind of... expensive? I could probably borrow something from one of our classmates.
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The purpose of a vacation is not to sweat it! [ he huffs. ] Would'ya prefer if we left it up to Ino? She seemed pretty up for it when I mentioned it in passing, just sayin'.
[ he understands her reservations— really, he does. it's one of the reasons why they've never abducted her before despite wanting to over the years; she's always working hard, worrying more than the average adult despite being in her teenage years— if there's anyone who deserves a good time before they set out on their final year before adulthood, it's her, beyond his own selfishness of wanting to keep her close.
totally not above dirty tactics here and there. ]
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Oinker stills owes me for giving her my English notes during our last midterm, so. Don't worry about it.
[ that's always been the thing with her: if the reward feels well-deserved, or else transactional, she has no qualms about taking what she's given. something as big as an impromptu vacation, though? gift or no, it just doesn't sit right with her that she's taking handouts from her closest friends. ]
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We wouldn't be having this problem if you weren't such a jerk most of the time! [ look at what he'd have to deal with alone if sakura weren't here? he sighs dramatically. ]
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You're the one that shouldn't worry 'bout anything while we're here. [ reaches over for a hair ruffle!! then urges her forward gently with a push. ] Think of it as thanks for everything over the years!
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[ there's not enough space in their row to dodge his hand, so she endures the ruffling, shooting him a disgruntled look as she scoots through the narrow aisle of the jet. sakura still doesn't quite understand his reasoning, but... they're already there. nothing she can really do but play tourist with them for a while.
once they've descended down the stairs, carry-on luggage all in tow (which, for her, is just a red sling bag), sakura squeezes her eyes shut and stretches her arms skyward as far as she can until her back pops. ]
Aaaah, it feels so nice to be standing again...! [ one eye opens to look at them. sasuke's standing apart from them, on the phone with what she can only presume to be one of his many, many relatives. she turns to naruto, ] So what's the next move? Are we walking? Calling a cab?
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naruto mutters as much under his breath, before wrinkling his nose to focus on the pressing matter. ]
It's close enough that we can walk! [ in complete agreement that they don't need to be sitting around until it comes time to eat, already brimming with excitable energy. ] Since you've never been, I thought you might like looking around on the way too?
[ any of his personnel that tries to insist on them getting chauffeured is promptly silenced with a sour glare, reminding him that sasuke sometimes has his moments where he's okay. sometimes. not that he'll ever tell it to anyone or the guy himself, but at least he could take a hint. ]
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[ having missed the entirety of their silent exchange, too awestruck by the glimmering waters neighboring the landing strip, sakura looks just in time to catch sasuke dispersing along with their personnel and security detail. she'd call out to him if he weren't already so far away, which leaves sakura to pull out her answers from a nearer source—naruto. her eyes narrow at him. ]
...I wouldn't mind taking the scenic route, [ she confesses with some reluctance, ] but where is Sasuke-kun going? He doesn't like pancakes?
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And if you get tired, [ he begins, finding it increasingly difficult to moderate his grin, ] I can carry you! Like old times! You probably still weigh nothing.
[ no, his gaze hadn't just flickered over to the expanse of water metres away or anything, of course not! nor is he snickering over what old times entails. though at the mention of he who shall not be named, he's brought back to reality. ]
Does it matter? [ somewhat petulantly, ] We'll be seeing the bastard a lot over the next few weeks.
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You aren't going anywhere near me, buddy.
[ ironically, sakura's the one who moves toward him, roughly shoving his shoulder in a show of her customary brand of slapstick violence. ] I won't get tired, so don't even think about it! Don't even suggest it!
[ throwing one last glance over her shoulder to make sure that sasuke was really gone, and that naruto wasn't just scheming to ditch him as he was futzing around in the restroom, sakura sighs. then, she slants naruto with a you better not having anything up your sleeve look. ]
Alright, let's go then.
1/2
H-Hey!! Is that what I get for trying to be nice? [ dunking her in the ocean has its… reasons. good-intentioned reasons, assuredly.
he whimpers pitifully for several seconds longer, as narutos tend to do— once that quota's fulfilled, he sprouts back up as if the skit had never occurred to begin with. ]
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[ one last arm rub for effect, then he sets off in a direction, extending his hand to somewhere beyond the coastline. ]
We'll be staying somewhere over there, [ sounding every part the wise and knowledgeable tour guide he… is not. he's never navigated this area alone; this will probably be a trend— him pulling out an absolute confidence from his ass in attempt to impress her.
they amble along almost aimlessly. naruto seeks to distract her from precisely that. ] The Ino-Shika-Chou trio aren't far off, either. What do you normally do with your summers, Sakura-chan?
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Volunteer. Study. Eat watermelon. [ she wonders if maybe she'll still get to do that last bit, just with everyone else. that'd be fun. ] Let me guess: you and Sasuke-kun would hideaway out here with your families every summer, though?
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Kinda. Sometimes we end up in other places. [ his mind wanders to last year's excursion involving disney and country fairs, how sakura's voice had haunted him alongside sasuke's whenever he'd decided to have things like deep fried ice cream and oreos. naruto had missed her a lot more than usual, that summer. ] Sasuke doesn't get to spend much time with his family otherwise.
[ he doesn't add in how it's the same for him, lightly kicking at concrete then stretching his arms out wide. ]
S'been a while for the crew to be in one place too. [ they couldn't not bring sakura this time, is the follow-up that lingers in the air instead of being said. and since he doesn't want to give sakura the opportunity to process his earlier comment about their families for any longer than necessary, ]
…wait. When you asked for five minutes to grab something, it wasn't a textbook, right? [ eyeing her pack warily!! ]
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No. [ a different kind of book, actually. she'd painstakingly cut and glued and assembled a stupid scrapbook the night before, filled with silly photos and stickers from the past school year, intending to hand it off to the boys before their next trip. kinda as a sendoff present. little did she know. ] Don't worry about it.
[ other places, though. that's—honestly hard for her to imagine, really. she and her peers had always been well aware of sasuke's lineage and wealth, but naruto? he'd never so much as mentioned a single peep about coming from any wellspring of money. not until a couple of hours ago, as they'd been boarding the plane, and he'd oh-so casually mentioned that it belonged to him. ]
But what sort of places? [ sakura presses, squinting slightly into the distance as a vague memory of that particular summer resurfaces. although it'd felt lonelier than usual without him to yell up at her bedroom window to wake up every morning, the picspam of him on her timeline—and her personal line messages from him, of course—were a small comfort. ] I always thought you were just vacationing with Sasuke-kun's family. I had no clue that you... [ her shoulders raise slightly, shrugging. ] you know.
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which, he'll probably forget half of… details. ]
I get that a lot. [ the brief flash of a memory of his relatives calling him unbecoming for an uzumaki much like this mother; there's an incoming child on a bike that he swerves away from the last second, appeasing their worrying parent that there was never any danger and not to worry with a laugh. ] Mom and dad tell me it's better this way, but… I dunno.
[ what is it with these un-summerlike tangents? ] Better than turning out like the jerk I guess! [ he returns a shrug. ] The 'rents think we should experience as much of the world while we can. So, wherever. [ purposefully vague… it's weird, sometimes, not feeling like he particularly belongs in one camp or another. ] There a place you wanna go?
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trying to do her part in keeping out any uncomfortable lulls out of their conversation, sakura breaks into a smile and, inexplicably, hops up onto the divider between the sidewalk and the beach. ]
Oh, I've actually always wanted to visit Kyoto! There was a school-wide field trip back in middle school I couldn't make—I was out sick with a fever, so... Had to miss all the good, touristy stuff.
[ her arms are spread out at her sides, wobbling as she tries to keep her balance. ]
I remember feeling sad seeing everyone come back with their souvenirs and gossip about who sneaked into whose room. It was a little silly of me, though.
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missing out on one of the quintessential aspects of early education? inconceivable! they're what makes going to class worth it. ]
That's it! We're gonna make our senior year trip twice as memorable! [ … concerning in of itself, his flapping rising in fervour as he gets more and more incensed about the topic. ] As nice as it is being away from our teachers, there's nothing like breaking as many rules as you—
[ …and with both their arms as extended as they are, it's only a matter of time before naruto accidentally whacks hers with his, potentially sending her toppling. instinctively reaching for her wrist to pull her into him, his balance precarious as is— it wouldn't be surprising if he fell over in the process. ] —woah!
1/2 are u happy
[ naruto's got her by the wrist when she begins to lose her footing, but it's far too late, it's not enough to balance her, and she's on a trajectory straight down— ]
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sakura hisses, eyes squeezed shut as she brings both hands up to her face. ignoring the taste of copper in her mouth from when she'd bitten her tongue in the collision, she focuses on her nose, gingerly patting its tip and... oh, that shit hurts, but it's probably not broken or anything. nothing seems to be on the brink of bleeding, at least.
what about naruto? her eyes slowly reopen; the first thing she does is try and give him a once-over, gauge him for any serious injuries, but that objective quickly soars out the window the moment she realizes that, uh, his face is much closer than she's ever seen it before. it takes her a couple of blinks and a stretching silence to will the necessary composure to ask him: ] ...Are you okay?
you always make me happy??
he blinks. his thought processes skid to halt. were sakura's eyes always this… green? ? ? ??? ]
No. [ …wait. that… is his answer to different sort of 'are you okay,' which she probably hadn't meant, smacking himself mentally. obviously he's always known what shade they were— emerald— but there's something else in there too; it's the first time he's had the luxury of observing them from so close that he can see himself in the reflection of and—
he's digressing again. he's also skirting the edges of propriety with all his staring; if she calls him out on it he's blaming the fall. ] … Yes?!
[ naruto.exe has crashed and is currently rebooting. … 3… 2… 1. and, as soon as his systems are back up and running, he immediately regrets it. she… certainly is pressing against a sensitive area, and between being able to feel the weight of her on top of him and seeing all the minute changes in her expression (as well as her lips— stop looking, goddamnit), he's a humble, hormonal teenager and his threshold for stimuli has been broached.
dignity!! he needs to preserve his dignity!! ]
F-Forget about me! [ rushing to stand even with her on top of him, ] What about yo— [ he ends up headbutting her while throwing himself forward.
well. if she were fine before.................. ]
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the headbutt is... okay, it's not her preferred distraction from all the intrusive thoughts flashing through her mind at the moment, especially the ones going wow, his eyes look exactly like the sea and what cologne is he wearing, but it's still technically a distraction. even if could have done without the potential concussion.
at any rate, the pain is instant and acute, the force of it sending sakura spilling backward, off of him, and landing harshly on her tailbone with a piercing cry. ]
Naruto... [ forehead cradled in her hands now, his name crawls out of sakura's mouth in the form of a low, deeply pained groan. if she were in better spirits, it might have come out as more of a growl instead. he's in danger either way. ] What the hell...
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… Guess no pancakes, huh? [ holds out his elbows, assessing the damage. specks of dirt and sand line the scrapes, blood beginning to clot shallow wounds. one quick look at sakura to check if she's fine (mostly), and instead of calling for his driver right away or doing anything, really, to fix this, he—
starts laughing. loud. ]
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Of course no pancakes. We have to clean you up, stu-pid!
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Aw, man. We're gonna get an earful when we get back… [ that's his priority? and because he's already whining, ] I'm hungry.
[ still, he manages to eke out a message to yamato somewhere between that and acting as if his world's ended, lamenting the loss of a reasonably houred brunch. ]
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[ apparently in the time it'd taken naruto to succumb to the Futility of Their Grim Reality (and also to text his butler), sakura's managed to dust her backside off, drag herself back onto her feet. she's got an open-palmed hand stretch out toward him, casting a shadow over his eyes, while her other one pulls out a water bottle from the side pocket of her bag. ] So long as you're laying down, you're running the risk of getting more dirt on your elbows. C'mon.
[ at least by playing medic for however long it takes someone to send a driver to come pick them up, she won't have to dwell on what her face might look like in a few hours, after the bruising's set in. ]
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still, this amount of ridiculousness has always been them— and he had gotten a laugh out of her, hadn't he? it isn't over until it's over. ]
Yeah, yeah. [ he sits up, cross-legged, outstretching both arms. now that he can actually see the damage, he winces, between that and his sensitive tailbone. unlike hunger though, they apparently don't warrant verbal complaints. ]
Sorry 'bout that. [ he groans, the sound soul-deep, ] I'll ask Sasuke to pick something up for us, wherever he is. Yamato says he'll be here in ten.
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Yeah, yeah, [ she echoes with no small measure of amusement. ] Worry about that later. Turn around real quick. [ and before he can even rotate an ankle, she circles around him, brushing off the dots of sand and dirt spangling his back with a few good pats. it's only once she's made a full revolution that she stops. ]
There we go! Alright then, [ with a quick flick of her thumb and index finger, she unscrews the cap from her bottle. ] hold out your elbow. This hopefully won't sting too badly.