A C C E P T A N C E

Q U E S T I O N S

The sound of dirt crunching quietly under awkward footsteps greeted the chilly morning air as the sun began painting the sky into dawn. A light dusting of orange emerged over the dark indigo of night, and I sighed while admiring its beauty.

It was almost bitter sweet, leaving the Mist Village behind so suddenly.

But, I suppose its worth it.

My eyes floated up to Sasuke's silhouette, slightly obstructed by my visible breath on the air. He was leading us, walking a few paces ahead of Suigetsu and I with an aura of confidence that reminded me more of the Sasuke Uchiha that I used to know. I bit my lip at the thought, feeling as though I should have been more wary of his offer to accompany us. He was Sasuke after all; a master manipulator, selfishly foregoing others' emotions for the sake of his own goals. Who was to say that teaming up wasn't just a plot to aid his own needs? Was I still so smitten with him that I couldn't see through his ruse?

Feeling my obvious stare, he glanced back in my direction. A subtle smirk danced on his perfect features as his black cloak fanned out behind him, and I tore my eyes away as the sun caught his hair, illuminating it in a blueish glow.

My cheeks felt warm.

How unfair this was, that a single look in my direction could still send my heart into a frenzy. I felt betrayed by my own body, not wanting him to be able to affect me so noticeably, especially as unsure as I felt about him. I couldn't deny that there was a part of me that was still untrusting of him, still not allowing myself to feel truly happy about his sudden reappearance. But there was another part of me... another, more prominent part of me that had my head filling with helium at the mere thought of him, whether I liked it or not.

With a sigh, I glanced to my right at Suigetsu. His shoulders were shaking as if he had just been told the funniest joke in the world, and as he met my eye with a cheeky grin, my gaze hardened into a glare.

Go ahead. Laugh it up, you jerk.

Turning away, I folded my arms in front of myself and pouted at the trees, feeling as though even mother nature must be mocking me at this point. A breeze blew through the foliage overhead, knocking a few leaves loose and scattering them on the misty ground at my feet.

Okay. I get it.

I stomped on the leaves as we continued, hearing Suigetsu clear his throat and yawn loudly. It was the first sound to break our awkward silence, or rather, maybe it was a normal silence and only I was feeling the awkward weight of our situation.

"So, Sasuke," Suigetsu spoke, wiping the remnants of sleep from his eyes. "How'd you get that pretty eye of yours anyway? Care to enlighten us on that?"

Sasuke stiffened slightly upon hearing his question, and turned to glance back at him blankly.

"Pretty?" He seemed skeptical, but even skepticism sounded velvety smooth as it rode his voice from those lips. Blushing, I shook my head at my thoughts, choosing to stare at the ground as I listened to their encounter.

"Yeah," Suigetsu sounded amused as he raised his arms behind his head nonchalantly. "I never knew pink was your style."

"It's not pink," Sasuke replied angrily, turning away again. "And at any rate, it's a long story."

Suigetsu leaned forward, hoping for an elaboration as a sweat drop rolled down the back of his head.

"That's it? Just, It's a long story?" He huffed and crossed his arms in aggravation. "That's so like you Sasuke, you never tell anyone anything!"