a/n: hello! i'm a bunny out of the rabbit hole, chasing down alternate possibilities and endings you might've once dreamt of.

this fic's for SweetBone who requested that I write another fic for ssmonth. it took me days to brew this one but as usual, heaps of thanks to fanofthisfiction for helping me sort things out!

a response to ssmonth16's prompt "tag"; inspired by a ryosaku fic titled "Tag"

game over

The thinnest branches crackle under her nimble steps as she sweeps through the wounds of leaves in a wild rush, determined to win this race along the tree-roads. He's not within eyeshot, but slowing down isn't an option. She then shoots up straight into the air, balancing herself on treetops, expecting to see him within a short radius. But the coast is clear, and so she dives back into the clutter of green, ignoring the wayward branches lashing across her skin.

She can almost see the end, and she's sure this isn't some kind of an illusion he's cast because she's set a rule, and he's old enough to be defiant about it.

She springs forward, preparing to land gracefully when the branch finally snaps, and she loses the momentum to bounce off and save herself. Still, she manages to regain her footing on a muddy patch of earth with the aid of a steadfast hand on her shoulder.

"That was a sloppy fall."

Even without looking, she can picture him shaking his head, his lips twitching into a playful smirk.

In response, she twirls and lets out a chuckle of pride.

"But I won."

"A first for you," he intones, shuffling away.

Sakura glares lightly at his back. "But we haven't done this in ages!"

Sasuke casually throws a look over his shoulder. "We're no longer genins."

Sakura shrugs before taking quick steps towards him. Yes, decades may have passed, but it doesn't hurt to relive the old times – she reasons the first time she's challenged Sasuke to a race. They both know their responsibilities as full-fledged Konoha-nins, and she believes they're not shirking any by simply running about in the forest for a short while. As Konoha's strongest medic-nin, she's mastered by heart the harmful effects of undue stress and has reiterated this piece of knowledge to her companion for a couple of times before he's agreed to joining her brand of training-slash-chilling.

She falls into step beside him, smiling cheekily at his never-changing nonchalant expression. She then stretches her arms up, humming briefly.

"Naruto and Hina-chan's having their first child. It's wonderful."

"Aa. Everyone else is getting married."

She perks up at his unexpected reaction and cheerfully chatters about the juiciest bits of news in the village.

"Yup! First, we have Ino-pig and Sai – god, it must've started that time when he called her beautiful after calling me ugly! Then we have Shika-kun and Temari-chan. Such an interesting, adorable couple they are! Oh, and I've also heard news about Chouji-kun proposing to a woman from Kumogakure . . . Ugh! Everyone's getting old! Makes me wonder when Kakashi-sensei will stop his Icha-Icha addiction . . ."

Sasuke grunts. "That's what he's marrying."

She erupts into a fit of uncontrollable mirth. "You can be funny sometimes, Sasuke-kun."

Suddenly, Sasuke halts in his steps and faces her. "What about you?"

She reins in another roll of laugh. She thinks it really funny that Sasuke's suddenly asking her about it with that all-serious, non-smiling face when she's pretty sure he knows her answer before she even offers.

"Do I look like I've got someone to settle down with?" she asks in return, rather amused.

He regards her for a moment before he resumes walking. "You've always been annoying."

"Exactly. I still am!"

Sasuke finds a spot to lie on, and she mimics the gesture, feeling the sharp tickling of little blades of grass underneath. She then turns her head to him who is now busy looking at the peaceful sky.

"How about you?"

"I won't bother."

His voice is too flat, too convincing for Sakura.

"That's just like you. But god, I do wanna get married. I think I'd be a great wife, an awesome mom – "

"An annoying one."

She sees him smile briefly, and deciding to tease him, she permits some reminiscent words to fly out her mouth.

"Yup. And I would consider it a compliment if you were my husband."

"Sakura," he utters in a deathly low voice, sending a stolid look her way.

His counter is too quick, too sharp, too exact, and Sakura doesn't expect anything less. They haven't really talked about it, but somehow the boundaries have been naturally drawn throughout the years, and she's learned to not overstep, not anymore.

"Hai, hai. No hard feelings here, Sasuke-kun. But just to get this out in the open, I actually thought that things would change once you've returned – "

"They have – "

"Between us."

The resulting silence weighs heavily between them, but Sakura's over it – she's learned to raise her head from beneath the waters. She grins at him.

"Of course, they have, Sasuke-kun! We're friends, as in real friends now, aren't we?"

Sasuke shifts, resting his arm over his eyes as if to block out the feeble sunrays.

"You're an important person."

She knows very well what it means and what it does not, and she smiles without a simmer of pain.

"I know."

They lie in comfortable silence, and Sakura wishes she could live out her remaining days like this. The long-cold space between them has now been filled with small delights, and it no longer matters even if they only amount to nothing beyond friendship.

After a while, she expels a breath of half-hearted agony. "I probably won't get married."

"I won't either."

She feels happy, unselfishly happy.

"I'll just volunteer to babysit their kids – or ask to get paid for it. You should help me out."

"Never," he snorts.

Then, to round off this honest conversation that she knows they won't be having again in the years to come, she shoots him a final question.

"Do you know the game Tag?"

"A children's game," he says, still not looking at her.

"A children's game that can take years to end, Sasuke."

Sasuke then finally tilts his head to her direction, putting down his arm.

"What about it?"

"I tagged you, you know, hoping you'll chase after me . . ." she trails off, avoiding his gaze for an instant.

"I failed," he mutters, and she hears it laced with regret.

Sakura shakes her head with a contented smile. "Nah. You're here beside me now, aren't you?"

They simply stare at each other, neither of them expecting for anything.

"Come to think of it," she starts again rather sheepishly, "It was actually me who had always been chasing you. But I never caught up with you, did I?"

Sasuke holds her gaze, and she'll never know if that means anything, but it's okay. She'll forget about it because now she can.

"You're here beside me."

She doesn't know what that means either but somehow, she understands.

"It's game over then," she says, the smile not leaving her face.

"And we're no longer children," he agrees, his lips curling into a small smile.

She then lies on her back and observes the clouds slowly scudding across the sky. Her eyes cannot seem to fathom them into shapes, but they're moving, and she feels her spirit soar with them.

"But it's still the same sky," she remarks brightly.

"Aa. It will always be."

...

Fin.

(this is how I imagine them being underneath the same sky

producing this fic has been quite liberating)