Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• summer mornings

Months passed, spent in domestic bliss.

Akashi spent most of his time either at home or at the academy, trying to pass the special exams Kakashi had given him. Sasuke was in the same boat. They wanted to be reinstated as shinobi, and they wanted to rise the ranks as quickly as possible. Even though they helped with the war, passing the exams was needed, as much as Akashi disliked that.

The written part was what Akashi disliked even more. He wasn’t dumb, per say, but he never really cared to learn about the full shinobi history, so that was where Sasuke had the upper hand.

He was perfect at everything, after all.

Akashi knew he was being petty, but still! Sasuke never passed up the opportunity to tease him about it, saying how Sasuke was going to become a jounin before Akashi even became a chuunin.

How unfair.

_

Today was their day off, so what better way to spend it than to go out with Yahan?

Their precious little angel had already started moving around, even as he was barely five months old at that point. It seemed that he had an insatiable thirst for exploring.

The outside was warm, as the sun was shining down on everything, and Akashi had put on a simple shirt and shorts, before he dressed Yahan. He put him in a cute, blue, little one-piece. When he was done, he moved back to look at his masterpiece and internally cooed at the cuteness before him. Yahan just giggled in reply, already reaching towards him, wanting to be held.

What a clingy baby, but Akashi could never say no.

He took him and immediately called out to Sasuke, wanting to show off Yahan to him.

_

When the said man arrived, he was met with the sight of Akashi pressing kisses against Yahan’s squishy cheeks. Somehow, Akashi didn’t notice he arrived, and continued with what he was doing. Sasuke watched as Yahan giggled and couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Seeing his two most important people happy like that does tend to end up with him smiling, “You’re having fun.” He alerted them of his presence.

“Yes! Look at him!” Akashi turned to face him and lightly moved his arm so that Sasuke could see Yahan’s outfit, “Isn’t he cute?”

Sasuke stepped towards them, and stopped mere inches away from them, “Yes, the cutest.” He reached his hand towards Yahan, which resulted in it being grabbed by chubby fingers. His heart skipped a beat at that. Glancing back at Akashi, he leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss against his temple.

“Oho, is that you telling me I’m also cute~?” Akashi grinned, mirth shining in his brilliant, violet eyes.

Choosing not to give out a direct answer, Sasuke looked back at Yahan, “Who knows.” He could practically see Akashi’s grin widening.

“Such a sap~” He had no time to react, before he found himself in a not-so-brief kiss.

A hand curled around his waist and he was pulled close enough for their shoulders to be pressing together. His lips were pried apart, and he almost let out a sound, that is, until he saw Yahan looking up at them. Hastily, he pulled away, “Not in front of Yahan.” He scolded the other man, lightly furrowing his brows.

Akashi raised his own brows, “Says the one who almost moaned into my mouth.”

Sasuke clicked his tongue at him, “Shameless.”

“As if you mind.” Came the expected response.

Seriously…

They stared at one another, one with a rather happy expression and the other with the complete opposite, until a light sound left the baby in Akashi’s arms, “Pa,” They froze up, slowly looking down at Yahan, “Pa.” He repeated.

“Did he just…?” Akashi trailed off.

“I think so…” Sasuke agreed.

Slowly, the redhead shifted Yahan, so that they could look at him better, “Pa?” He questioned.

As if understanding, Yahan replied, “Pa!” Although it was a much more excited kind of ‘pa’ than before.

They glanced at one another, before Sasuke pointed at Akashi, “Pa?” He then pointed at himself, “Pa?”

It was then, that Yahan broke out into a giggle.

Oh.

“I guess we’re both a ‘Pa’ now, whatever that means.” Akashi mumbled out, staring at the baby in his arms.

Sasuke almost laughed at his expression, “Papa has two ‘pa’ in it.” He confidently explained.

It took a moment for the realisation to kick in for Akashi, “Oh! So that’s what it is!” A full-blown grin curled his lips, “You’re such a smart boy!” He wiggled in place, pressing a kiss against the top of Yahan’s head.

“What did you call me for?” Sasuke remembered that Akashi had called out for him.

That question stopped Akashi from further attacks with his kisses, “I wanted to show you Yahan’s outfit!” He exclaimed and stepped back, “How is it?”

Sasuke glanced at the baby in his arms and noticed that it was in a blue one-piece. Yahan was… positively adorable, “Blue looks cute on him.” He said, glancing back at Akashi.

It was as if he lit up in that moment, “Right, right?!” He looked like an excited puppy, “I wanna go out with him today, wanna join us?”

Go out? They hadn’t done that in a while, since they were too busy with trying to rise up the ranks. Well… going out didn’t sound like a bad idea, “Sure. Did you have any place in mind?” He shifted, resting his weight on his right leg.

“There’s a small meadow not far from here. I went by it once, but I never visited it,” Akashi looked up, as if in thought, “I can pack some food and bring it with us… Hmm… It would be good to bring the wolves along, right?” His violet eyes zeroed in on Sasuke.

He liked the sound of that. It was morning so it wasn’t as hot as it would be later, there’s a possibility that a breeze would make things even better if they’re out in the open, “That sounds good. I’ll alert Karin about our plans as to not worry her if we’re gone for too long.”

“Alright, although I think she’s too preoccupied with Sakura to worry.” Akashi grinned, slyly.

He was probably right about that, “I’ll leave her a note, then.”

Karin and Sakura were still dancing around one another, even though it was obvious they had a mutual attraction towards each other. Hmm… He wondered why that was so. Well, he wasn’t one to butt in people’s business if he didn’t have a need to do so. He just hoped they hurried it up a little.

_

Akashi had gone into the kitchen with Yahan, and Sasuke took a piece of paper and a pen to write Karin a note.

We’re went out with Yahan,
We won’t be long, unless we get side-tracked—you know how Akashi is.
– Sasuke

Putting the pen back, he took the note and walked out into the hallway. Briefly looking for the most visible place to put it, he settled on the small table on the side. It was darkly coloured, so the white paper was going to be the first thing she saw when she came in.

Deciding to check on Akashi and Yahan, Sasuke reached the kitchen just in time to see the redhead bouncing around from place to place. Yahan was on the side, sitting in his baby chair and watching Akashi. Finding the sight amusing, he leaned on the door side and continued observing. Once again, it seemed like Akashi didn’t even notice he was there, until their eyes met across the room.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then a bright smile overtook Akashi’s features. There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment, but that was to be expected of him—he only got embarrassed by a few things. Like when Sasuke hugs him a bit longer than usual or when he’s being treated very gently. It made Sasuke’s heart ache when that happened.

Akashi wasn’t used to being doted on and Sasuke planned to change that.

_

Sasuke carried Yahan while Akashi carried the basket.

The wolves were walking around them, surrounding them in a, possibly, protective circle. It didn’t take him long to get used to them when they came back to Konoha, mostly because of Akashi. He was insistent in them getting to know each other, since he wanted them to get along. They did, they truly did. Sasuke trusted them, he trusted them at such a scale that he would leave Yahan in their… paws.

True to Akashi’s words, they soon reached a meadow, although it wasn’t quite small, “You find this small?” He asked the redhead, briefly glancing at him.

“What? You don’t like it?” There was a small pout on Akashi’s lips.

Hmm… It was quite the opposite, “I love it.” He breathed out, feeling his bangs be pushed back by the wind.

The pout on Akashi’s lips shifted and soon a grin was in its place, “I’m glad.” His hair wasn’t so long that it could be tangled by the wind, but that little strand that always hung across his forehead was, probably for the first time ever, joined in with the rest of his hair.

Sasuke found himself preferring it to be hanging down, as it always did.

“Let’s go, there’s a small stream there. We can sit by it.” Akashi turned around and started walking away.

Yahan shifted in Sasuke’s arms, not taking his eyes off the redhead ahead.

He truly was Sasuke’s son, wasn’t he? He, too, couldn’t look away.

_

Just as Akashi said, there was a small stream ahead, surrounded by rocks.

Besides it was a space covered with flat grass, on which Akashi had spread a blanket they could sit on. He settled the basket besides it, before he made his way towards Sasuke and Yahan, “Are you hungry?” He asked, peering at Sasuke.

“Maybe in a little while. When did Yahan last eat?” He propped the baby up, only to be met with eyes identical to his own.

Akashi let out a small hum, “I fed him baby food a little before we went out, so he should be fine for a few hours.”

As if knowing they were talking about him, Yahan reached his arms towards the redhead, demanding to be carried by him, “Seems like he wants you now.” Sasuke gently handed him over and watched as he immediately settled in Akashi’s arms.

“He missed me!” Akashi wiggled in place, again, and bumped noses with Yahan, “I’ll take him to the stream, I’m wondering how he’ll react to it!” He glanced in that direction.

Take him to… the stream? Wasn’t that a bit…?

Akashi quickly turned back to him, “Don’t worry, it’s really shallow—barely over my ankles,” he assured Sasuke, “I’m careful, you know.” He huffed, but did not sound offended by Sasuke’s brief worry.

“I didn’t mean for it to seem like that.” He found himself immediately saying.

Yahan’s baby sounds broke apart the momentary tension that appeared, and Akashi nodded his head at him, “Yes, yes~ So demanding, aren’t we?” He propped him up and looked at Sasuke, “I’ll be careful.”

Sasuke trusted that he would, so he replied with a simple nod.

As the two of them made their way to the stream, Sasuke decided to sit down atop the blanket and relax a bit. The sun wasn’t as strong as he though, so it was perfect.

The wolves all settled near them, with most of them following after Akashi.

But, the one who sat besides Sasuke was none other than Chrono, “You really love him.” The wolf spoke, its golden irises piercing straight through Sasuke.

“I do.” He replied without a second thought.

It was normal for the wolves to be like that, and it wasn’t the first time such a subject was brought up. They looked at Akashi like he was one of their own—a part of their pack. A distant giggle got his attention. From where he was, he could see Akashi crouching in the stream, the water barely even over his ankles—as he had said. Yahan was in his arms, his little hands swiping at the flowing water. He’d giggle each time a stray drop would find its way onto his face.

Unconsciously, a light smile curled his lips, “I really love him—them.”

The wind blew and he threaded his fingers through his hair in an attempt to stop it from whipping around. In times like these, he envied Akashi for his spiky hair. Maybe he should cut his own… Never mind, he’d rather not.

“We know,” Chrono spoke up again—he spoke in the name of the whole pack, “And we love you for it.”

For a moment, Sasuke froze up, heavily surprised by those words, “What?” He dumbly replied.

The wolf shifted, turning to look at where Akashi was, “Even though you left him years ago, you still ended up finding your way back to him,” That line made Sasuke do the same—he turned to where Akashi was. The man was laughing along with Yahan’s childish giggles, splashing water everywhere, “In our dimension, Mount Gekko, we have something called a ‘fated pair.’ Each wolf has a fated pair, and they meet them during their lifetime. There never was a wolf who died without meeting theirs. Wolves bond for life, and losing their mate near-always ends up with the mate-less wolf dying soon after.”

Sasuke wasn’t quite sure where all of that was heading, “What does that have to do with Akashi and I?”

For a moment, he wasn’t sure if Chrono was going to answer, “You are Akashi’s lover, which directly makes you a part of our pack. Even though something like a fated pair doesn’t exist in your world, we do think of you as Akashi’s fated pair,” Somehow, those piercing, golden eyes had softened when they looked at him, “As such, we value your life as much as we value Akashi’s.”

So that was what he meant… “I see…”

“A wolf who survives the loss of their mate is no longer capable of living properly and, in all such cases, they end up causing destruction to everything and everyone around them, until they are forcefully put down,” Chrono got up and lowered himself, stretching his back, “I’m telling you this not only for the sake of you knowing it, but also as a light warning.”

Sasuke furrowed his brows, shifting all of his attention on the wolf, “A warning?”

Why would he need a warning?

“If there ever is a moment in which you know you won’t be able to stay by his side,” The air around them instantly tensed up, and Sasuke could see that the other wolves around them had turned in their direction, “If there ever is a moment in which you are sure you’re going to leave him alone-”

Before Chrono could continue, Sasuke interrupted him, “Even if I am no longer by his side, he’ll still have Yahan.”

In a moment’s time, Chrono barred his fangs at him, “Listen before you speak,” He growled the words out and Sasuke nodded, although he did so reluctantly, “If you’re ever to leave him, it’d be best for you—and everyone else—that you make sure he is dead.”

Sasuke locked up—he couldn’t move a muscle. He could only stare at the wolf before him in disbelief.

“I told you, didn’t I? We wolves love for a lifetime. Akashi might not be one, but he loves like one. If anything ever happened to you, that would mean that there wouldn’t be anything holding him back,” The more he spoke, the more could Sasuke feel the importance of his words, “Your son is important to him, yes, but he is not his fated one—you are. The loss of a mate is more excruciating that anything you could possibly imagine, and the loss of you is sure to break everything inside him. Not even his son could stop him from wanting world destruction.”

That didn’t seem right. Akashi loved Yahan—he absolutely adored him—and yet…

Chrono let out a light sigh, “We both know the range of his destructive capabilities, and we both know that not even Naruto could be a match for him—he’s too soft to try and kill his own brother,” He was right about that. Naruto, indeed, would never be able to hurt Akashi, “This is just a warning, Sasuke. I am telling you this for your own good, and for the good of others. My only wish is to watch him grow old with someone he cherishes, and my only request for you is to stay alive,” Once again, the wolf turned in Akashi’s direction, “I don’t want to watch him drown in grief ever again.”

In that moment, Sasuke found himself vowing once again, “I have no plans on dying before him, because I very well know that my death would be too much for him to take. I promised him that I would never leave him, and that I would always be by his side. Even if there ever comes a time where our love withers away, he will always be the one person I will never leave.”

“And we’re thankful for that.” Chrono’s reply came a few moments later.

In the distance, Sasuke heard his beloved call out his name, “Sasuke! Come join us!” His red hair shone brilliantly under the sunlight as he waved at him, and even from afar, Sasuke could see the brightness of his eyes.

Those beautiful, violet eyes.

“I’m no longer in a position to leave him—our souls are bound together.” He pushed himself up and walked past Chrono and the other wolves.

Even in their next life, he and Akashi will find their way back to one another.