The Ardor of Every Day

8.

They got out of the car and started walking towards the sand. Naruto was leading the way and Sasuke was following him. They both took off their shoes and socks and folded their pants up to their mid-shin beforehand. They started walking slowly along the water, just barely soaking their feet and them digging in the wet sand. The sun was still bright but slowly nearing the horizon and the sky was bright orange with chemtrails and clouds that looked neon. The air was even more forgiving near the water and there was also a light breeze. The water reflected the sky, it appeared darker with warm highlights and little waves shining like liquid diamonds. It was a beautiful evening. Sasuke kept a two feet distance from Naruto while walking behind him, keeping his head down looking at their footprints. Naruto came to an abrupt stop and so did Sasuke. Naruto turned and looked to the horizon, a big smile escaped his lips. Sasuke looked at him for a couple of seconds before turning towards the beautiful ocean and taking the view in.

"Have you ever tried surfing?" Naruto asked.

"No, I've never lived near the ocean before." They were both still looking at the gradual sunset.

"I can try teaching you if you want."

"But I'm not very athletic."

"That's ok. I'm not a pro or anything like that. You don't need to be athletic to do the basics."

"Ok, I'd like to try it then."

"Yeah, we can start whenever you have the time."

"Ok."

After just standing like that for a few minutes, Sasuke rolled up his pants more and started taking a few steps in the water. The water was warm and comfortable. Even though he had rolled up his pants further, they were still drowning a bit because of the inconsistent waves. After a few seconds, Naruto did the same and stood beside Sasuke. As the sun began setting, the tides slowly got more violent. Sasuke started feeling cold and backed up towards the sand, leaving Naruto being the only one with his legs still in the water. He picked a spot with dry sand and sat down lightly with knees to his chest, hugging them. He was looking towards the horizon and occasionally glancing at Naruto's back. He could tell how pleased Naruto was, just to be there. Naruto had his eyes closed and his body was swaying and adjusting with the water. His skin was a little tan and was glistening in the sun. This is when Naruto was caught off guard and water from a tiny wave splashed on his face and torso. Sasuke's eyes went wide at this as he was observing Naruto and then he started to giggle a bit, trying to cover his face with his palm, and a laugh escaped his mouth. Naruto turned back at the sound of someone's laughter, water dripping from his partly wet t-shirt. He was amazed that it was Sasuke. This was the first time Naruto had seen Sasuke genuinely smile, and not just that, but laugh. He just stared at him when something fluttered in his stomach. Sasuke opened his eyes and saw Naruto looking at him and immediately tried to stop his light giggle. Naruto then realized that he was staring and changed his expression quickly into a light chuckle. Sasuke was embarrassed and ducked his head down between his arms. Naruto walked over to where Sasuke was sitting and took a seat beside him with his legs crossed.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said with his face still hidden.

"What for?" Asked Naruto, looking over his head.

"For laughing, you seemed like you were having the best time and then that wave just caught you off guard."

"No, I thought it was funny too. You don't have to say sorry for laughing." Naruto smiled.

Sasuke raised his head back up, looking in Naruto's direction, unaware that Naruto was still looking at him. As soon as he realized that Naruto was looking at him as well, he turned his head towards the beautiful sunset. Naruto looked away too. Naruto put his hands on the sand behind his back and leaned back a bit. He looked up at the sky, wondering what he was feeling and then looked back down and observed Sasuke's actions. He was hugging his knees tightly and appeared lost in thought as he wasn't blinking much. His toes were lightly making digging movements in the sand.