The pop and crackle of the fire at the soles of their feet tickled the bare skin of her ankles. Bright medallion flames lick at the midnight sky, dust and smoke intertwining under her nose. Her thoughts mingled with one another, blending into a medley of intricacies webbed together by single strings of ideas, all as maddening as they were inane. A single shift of movement brought her attention to a screeching halt, to which she gladly jumped off of the train she had been held captive, eyes narrowing to real time and focusing on the pools of onyx before her. They were strikingly other-worldly, the flames reflected and glowing golden hues warming the rather cool hues of his ivory skin. Surely he had noticed her gaze by now, but he made no move to mention it; for that would break this beautiful bubble of silence between them. This wonderfully serene moment between them was only stolen by a flare of pain traveling up her wrist. With a short hiss, KImiko gripped her arm and dipped her head. Ebony locks fell forward and shrouded her face with a thin veil of hair. With a click of the tongue, Sasuke stood and moved himself to the small self-made shelter they had set up for the night. With a single gesture to her, Sasuke beckoned her forward. Her stubborn pride told her to stay put and turn her nose up at the man, but something longing in her chest made her get to her feet. Holding her bandaged wrist close to her torso, Kimiko flicked her hair from her eyes and peered up at him. He held his hand out expectantly, an offer to which she complied with little to no hesitation, much to her own surprise. The man let a soft, short hum escape his throat, as he noted the darkening patch of blood starting to spread over the bandage. It clearly needed more attention than she had let be known earlier, and he was going to make sure the wound got properly dressed this time. Now that he had the time to be doting with her. Slowly, he unraveled the dressing, keeping a careful eye on her facial expression. After re-dressing the wound with great care, his arm slowly slid around her waist. Marigold hues flitted up to meet his sideways gaze, while an open palm resting on her lower back guided her to a wide berth below an oak tree where he had propped himself up. Together, they leaned back, using eachother as mutual support. “Rest,” Was the one word that broke the silence, his voice all but a low hum from parted lips. She knew it was less of a suggestion and more of an unspoken demand, as were many of his one-word utterances. This time, however, she would comply gratefully. However, if it had not been for the troubles they had encountered throughout their day, she would have spit fire back at the man for trying to dictate her decisions. Even if they were in her best interest. Leaning her head back against the unforgiving bark of the tree, Kimiko shuffled her body in order to gain some comfort for the night. It didn’t take much for Sasuke to maneuver his arm to encapsulate her. He’d most likely dote on it later, to ensure her that it was simply all for the sake of warmth. Even if he knew that she didn’t need to hear such petty lies from his mouth. They knew eachother’s truth. His cloak settled over her shoulder, to which she thankfully tucked herself into his shoulder, her injured arm hidden away against her stomach. Watching the flames of the fire flicker against the backdrop of tangled underbrush, listening to the lulling sounds of wilderness in the thick of night, it was almost all too easy to melt away into a peaceful slumber. Sasuke noticed the very moment she was out, for her body seemed to give in to the demands of a true rest, the weight of her inner beast melting into his side. Regarding her for what he had hoped to be just a moment, the vagabond found his gaze lingering over her features. Normally rigid and feral, they were amazingly soft and seemingly innocent under the lull of sleep. In this state, she looked curiously at peace; with the world, and with herself. It panged his heart, oddly so. Perhaps, he pondered, that peace was something the two of them felt was unattainable; at least, with the life they were currently leading. However, he realized that it was something he so desperately wanted for the two of them. A long, heavy sigh released itself from his chest; the kind of exhale that alerted him to a breath he had no intention of holding on to. A stray piece of hair fell over her face, and before he had a second to stop his own hand, it was reaching out to tuck it back behind her ear, fingers lingering on the surprisingly soft line of her jaw. His eyes searched her face for just a few long seconds after, until he pulled his hand back and rested back against the tree trunk, his eyes resting on the horizon ahead. Usually, he’d last much longer. Tonight was different, however. His heavy heart taunted his eyelids to lull, and soon, his head drifted to the side, resting his cheekbone against the crown of her head before he dozed off.
