She looked up at him, unimpressed. "Something on your mind?"
He smirked. "Yeah."
Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the futon with him. Pakura let out a small gasp, landing beneath him as his body pressed her into the sheets. Her arms were trapped against the bed, pinned beneath his.
Her cheeks flushed. "Souta—"
He leaned down, close enough that their breaths mixed. His voice was teasing. "Something wrong?"
Pakura swallowed, but her gaze didn't waver. "You're in a mood."
"Maybe." His fingers traced along her waist, his grip firm but slow.
Pakura exhaled softly, then—out of nowhere—her voice turned serious. "Souta…"
"Hmm?"
She hesitated, then met his gaze. "Can't we go somewhere else?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Somewhere quiet," she murmured. "Away from all this. The world already thinks I'm dead. If you disappeared too, no one would care."
Souta stared at her. He hadn't expected this.
Then, it clicked.
"This again?" His smirk faded slightly. "That's the second time you've brought this up."
Pakura looked away, just slightly. "Wouldn't it be nice? A life where we don't have to hide, or fight, or watch our backs every second?" Her voice softened. "Where we could just… be?"
He watched her for a moment before chuckling. "And what would we do in this quiet place, huh?" His voice was teasing.
Pakura turned red. She hesitated, then finally whispered, "Have kids… live a normal life."
Souta's smirk faltered. Just for a second.
Then, he leaned closer, lips almost brushing her ear. "That so?"
Pakura didn't answer right away. She just looked at him, waiting.
"Not now."
Pakura blinked. "What?"
He leaned back slightly, easing some of his weight off her, though he didn't release her wrists. "Maybe in the future. Right now? We can't afford to think like that."
She frowned, her expression shifting from soft to slightly annoyed. "You make it sound like it's impossible."
"It's not impossible." He tilted his head. "Just not the right time."
Pakura let out a slow breath, her lips pressing into a thin line. "That's convenient."
Souta raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you'll keep saying 'not now' until there's no time left," she muttered, looking away.
Souta opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, she twisted her wrists in his grip. He let her go, more out of surprise than anything, and the moment she was free, she shoved at his chest—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to push him back slightly.
"Pakura—"
"No," she cut in, rolling onto her side and turning her back to him. "Forget it. Do whatever you want."
Souta blinked. "Are you actually mad?"
No response.
He reached out, placing a hand on her waist, but she shifted away from him.
"Pakura."
Still nothing.
Souta sighed. "So, because I didn't say yes, you're just gonna ignore me now?"
Pakura pulled the blanket over herself. "Goodnight."
Souta stared at her for a long moment before letting out a quiet chuckle. She was really pouting. He hadn't expected that.
Shaking his head, he lay back beside her, watching the way her shoulders rose and fell with her steady breathing. He could tell she wasn't actually asleep.
He thought about teasing her, maybe saying something to provoke a reaction, but instead, he just stared at the ceiling.
"Maybe someday," he murmured.
Pakura didn't answer. But after a few seconds, he felt her shift slightly, just enough that her back pressed against his chest.
Souta smirked. So she's not that mad after all.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She didn't stop him.
"Goodnight, Pakura," he murmured against her ear.
This time, she didn't ignore him.
"Goodnight, Souta."
...
The Uchiha compound was quiet at this hour. The soft glow of lanterns flickered through the paper windows, casting long shadows along the wooden floors. Mikoto sat at the low table in her room, her fingers resting against the edge of a folded piece of paper.
Taking a slow breath, she unfolded the note, her eyes tracing the familiar handwriting.
"Hey Mikoto,
I'm heading out of the village for a couple of days. Just a simple errand, nothing dangerous, so don't worry about me. I should be back in two or three days, maybe sooner if things go smoothly.
I figured I'd leave you this note since I know you'll come looking for me when you don't see me around. Hate to disappoint you, y'know?
Anyway, take care of yourself while I'm gone. Don't miss me too much.
…Actually, go ahead and miss me a little.
Love you.
— Souta"
Mikoto exhaled softly, her lips pressing together.
Idiot.
She ran her fingers over the ink. Even though he tried to make it sound casual, she knew him well enough to sense something beneath the surface. Souta was careful with his words, but she could still read between the lines.
A simple errand? Maybe. But why not tell her in person?
Mikoto closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the faint scent of the ink. Then, with a quiet sigh, she folded the note neatly and set it aside.
Her gaze shifted toward the window, where the village lights twinkled in the distance.
...
The golden hue of morning seeped through the thin paper windows, casting a soft warmth over the small inn room. Souta stirred, blinking groggily as he adjusted to the light.
Something warm and soft pressed against him.
He glanced down.
Pakura was sprawled on top of him, her face nestled against his chest, her breath slow and steady. One of her legs was hooked over his, keeping him locked beneath her.
Souta let out a quiet sigh.
///
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