Here are the results from our very first 3 Artists, 1 Writer challenge!
Writers spun a wheel for a random ship and a random prompt, then a wheel-assigned artist sketched up fanart of the finished fic, which then got a random lineartist and color artist to complete the art!
Writers: @belledaynight915-blog, @caipher, @candy-floss-consumer, @konekotaichou, @olivychuu, @princessxgarbage, @tifarhapsodos, and @frostmarris
Artists: @ionahazuki, @eggqty, @hallous, @artofmintea, @mayskalih, @arichii98, and @frostmarris
Well, happy valentines day everyone! (yay or being a day ahead of everyone else!~)
Pairing: Juugo X Sakura
Prompt: --
Word count: 1894
I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! And a big thank you to the lovely person who commissioned this- I hope you’re having a wonderful day :D
Assignment:
If Orochimaru thought this would help him, he couldn’t just say no, it was the entire reason he stayed here after all.
But…he honestly didn’t understand that mans train of thought- putting him of all people in charge of a prisoner? That was a death wish waiting to happen, and he wouldn’t even be able to reason it away afterwards.
First meeting:
Juugo understood the second he lay eyes on her-withdrawn and beaten yet oh so alive as she stared at him intently.
He knew- knew this was some sick experiment on Orochimaru’s part, like always…
Because as he looked over the battered, chained up form struggling to prop herself up on shaking arms, he felt…
Peaceful.
She made the rage-the anger- stop.
Day 5:
No matter how gentle he tried to be, no matter how kind, she always shrunk away- always refused whatever he’d bring in an attempt to cheer her up even a little.
It hurt, oh god did it hurt to see the reason for his peace shield away in concealed fear. But…on the other hand he understood.
Here he was- so tall and large and intimidating…and there she was, a captive- small and chained, chakra unusable and unable to defend herself.
That was the main reason he always tried to smile whenever he was in her room.
Day 10:
Ten days into watching over her and she’d made her first ‘improvement’… in his opinion anyway.
She’d…she’d actually spoken to him, and he was still embarrassed to admit that he’d dropped her food tray when her scratchy and underused –yet still so light- voice touched his ears.
He’d never remembered feeling so…odd.
“Why…why are you so nice to me?”
He didn’t have time to answer before Kabuto strolled into the room, an unsettling gleam in his eye as he observed the pair.
Day 20:
By the 20th day of knowing her, Juugo could safely admit to never having felt so calm- so in control of himself.
It wasn’t magic, or a jutsu or anything of the like really…it’s just that…well, she made him feel so confident in himself- like he could do anything if he wanted it enough (though he usually could anyway- if it involved violence and killing people…)
When she spoke, he felt the need to listen- he didn’t want to shut her up like everyone else he heard. Her voice didn’t grate on his ears, and he often found himself wishing she’d speak more.
And when he managed to get her to smile- even for a moment? He felt…different, light even.
But he couldn’t let her leave, no matter how much she asked (at least once a day lately), because if she left? Got away? She’d leave him…and he’d be alone again, with nothing but that all too familiar rage digging at the back of his mind, clawing until he couldn’t think straight.
No, he didn’t help her.
And he hated himself for it.
Escape:
He didn’t recall the day the attack happened all too well, and only vague parts came to the surface when he tried-
Like the image of her empty cell, taunting him as he heaved in as much air as he could get having battled his way through half of the compound in a fury before recalling the defenceless young woman.
And after that? Well, the fury wasn’t just because of the attack.
Why didn’t she wait for him?
Found:
It didn’t take him very long to find her after that- a day or two at most, and for the majority of that he’d just been walking.
“You…” She started while flaring what little chakra she had, staring up at him- defiance and unease clear in her eyes. “You can’t make me go back- I don’t care if I have to fight you or not. I won’t get captured again!”
He didn’t speak at first, just watched her silently for what seemed like hours before managing to find his voice, a small smile gracing his lips as he did so.
“I’m…glad you’re okay.”
Her confusion was clear, but she didn’t move to attack him.
Tag along:
He could tell she was uneasy with his giant form trailing her every step, but he refused to leave her alone.
It wasn’t safe out here right now, the attack had scattered too many dangerous and unstable nin- experiments and enemies alike (himself included)- and she could barely defend herself in the state she was currently in.
More than likely something Kabuto did, because she should have regained much more of her chakra by now.
So he stayed despite her looks and attempts to leave him behind- because while he was sure she needed him right now, he needed her just as much.
Orochimaru was nowhere to be found, and without him, this girl was the only one who could keep him in control of himself…
Warming up:
“Sakura.” He was startled out of his thoughts by her voice on the fifth day of travelling together- her green eyes looking straight forward as walked side by side, her form much more relaxed now that she seemed to know he wasn’t planning on dragging her back.
“Huh?” Yes, he was very eloquent today…
“My name, it’s Sakura. I never got the chance to tell you …back there.”
“…Juugo.” Sakura? It…it did seem to fit her well.
“Juugo…I just wanted to thank you, you know, for being so kind to me back there. You…you didn’t have to be, but you were so thank you…”
“I’d never hurt you.” And he knew he wouldn’t. No matter how worked up he may get, no matter how unstable he knew he was- he could never hurt her.
Defending:
Travelling was no easy feat, especially when one was escorting and protecting a chakra stunted medic who seemed to believe she could take on the world if needed.
It was also the reason for his first breakdown in her presence.
They’d been ambushed, and he was ashamed to admit that he’d lost control of himself when she was separated from him and snatched up by one of the other nin- leaving behind a berserker like orange haired giant intent of getting her back no matter who had to die.
He’d chopped and ripped and fought and crushed until there was no one else to kill anymore- and then…then he’d felt those small arms wrap around his middle, her soft voice slowly easing him back to sanity as she softly spoke, assuring him that everything was fine- that they were safe now.
Afterwards when he’d washed the blood and gore from his body, he’d found himself sitting across from her, their makeshift fire warming the area between them.
Then?
Then she’d looked up and smiled, despite seeing him at his worst. She’d smiled, looked at him with such a soft expression, and whispered three little words that sent his hear racing- his cheeks flushing as he replayed them over and over in his mind the next day.
“Thank you Juugo.”
Longing:
It was hard to tell when it had started, but sometime after meeting her and before now, he’d…he’d apparently fallen for her- or that’s what he assumed these feelings meant anyway.
Her smile made his cheeks flush, her voice made his heart race, and her mere presence gave him peace he’d never known before now.
He was…in love with her. He was in love his (previous) prisoner, his friend, his peace and comfort.
And he had no idea how to deal with that, leading to more than enough awkward moments and silences- and more than a few glares and near slips of control in the small towns the passed through on the journey to fire country.
“Sakura, how do you feel about animals?”
Talks:
Their travels were filled with many conversations- some important, some just to fill the silence, and others just for the sake of getting to know each other.
“Where did you grow up?”
“Who were your teammates?”
“What did you want to be when you were younger?”
“Were you always tall?”
“…how did you get captured?”
“…why were you with Orochimaru?”
“Have you ever had to make a really hard decision? One that you never thought you’d have to make?”
Strange:
It was strange really, how one little sentence could change things so drastically.
“We’ll be nearing Fire country soon- from there it’s only a few days until we hit an outpost that’ll send an escort to take me back to the village.”
She’d leave soon, part from him if necessary, and he hated the world for that.
Hated it for giving him such peace, then threatening to rip it away at a moments notice.
Anger:
He’d never truly seen her angry before now, but the fear in the other Konoha nin’s eyes as they were forced away from him made him rethink his previous description of her.
“If I see any of you so much as look at him wrong, I’ll kick you all the way back to Konoha myself and heal your bones crooked! He’s coming with me, and don’t you DARE say otherwise.”
He’d…he’d honestly though this would be it- and he’d even been prepared to put up a fight for her if necessary…
Now though, as the tiny woman dragged him into the small outpost by his hand, glaring at everyone who seemed to shield away from her, he knew she wasn’t going to let him leave and go back to his previous lifestyle.
Plea:
Standing there before the Hokage alone, the pinkette having been whisked away from his side, Juugo felt…vulnerable.
Scared.
Angry.
Lost.
She the blond woman sitting before him seemed to know it as well, as she made no move to speak after a simple “Why should I let you stay?”, just waiting for his response, her eyes talking in his ever reaction.
“Because…I…I don’t want to go back to that.”
“And why should I let you stay here. You don’t have to return to Orochimaru- you could go anywhere. Why here?”
“…”
“…”
“I…I need her.” He whispered softly, going on to explain his situation to the Kage before him, her gaze sharpening slightly as he began to work himself up.
“So you’re using her?”
“NO! No, I’d never- I‘d never do that! She’s- she’s so-so I-I can’t leave her. I won’t.”
“You love her.” It wasn’t even a question, yet that one statement brought him back from the edge of an episode- bright pink hair and a soft smile flashing across his mind as he smiled despite the situation.
He did.
Love:
Yes, it was love.
Love was what he felt as she smiled up at him her hands grasping his new Konoha headband.
Love was what he felt when she let him stay with her (as no one else would rent to the ex-sound nin)
And love was what he felt when he tentatively made to hold her hand, his own dwarfing hers as she looked back at him in surprise, her cheeks dusted a light red as she shot him a shy smile.
Love…yes, he did love her, and if what Tsunade hinted at was true…
Then she loved him as well- yet was too scared of losing him to admit it.
He’d just have to show her that he wasn’t planning on going anywhere she wouldn’t want to follow, and that it’d take more than one rogue teammate to make him leave her side.
