SasuSaku Month 2015
(Late) Day 16 – Even the Darkest Night will End and the Sun will Rise Again.
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Title: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Tears
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Summary: Sasuke starts his treatment at the children’s mental healthcare clinic but, one night, he simply loses control. It’s up to his doctor to help him getting rid of that pain.
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A/N: Okay… For you guys who like to cry while reading fanfics, get ready… This is the most emotional one of the themes for me and my intentions here are no other than making at least one of you cry… Who’s gonna be the first? Muwahahaha I hope you enjoy it!
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“Sakura, I am not one of the patients from your clinic…”
“oh! Come on Sasuke-kun! Just give it a try! If you do it, then I will give you the pills…”
“….“
“pretty please??”
“…”
A defeated sigh escaped his lips. There was no way of ignoring her, indeed. His girlfriend was a really stubborn person. A really stubborn and cute person who was the only medic in Konoha who had the sleeping pills he had been wanting for some time. Strong sleeping pills that could even knock down an elephant if used correctly. He knew there was no way Sakura would simply give him some samples of that drug out of nothing and without knowing his true hidden reasons. Without knowing his real reasons for not being able to sleep normally in the last few months. He knew she wouldn’t simply give him the medication and help him solving that problem in the easiest way possible. He knew she would say no. Unless he accepted her cruel condition:
Becoming a patient of the Children’s mental health clinic.
Such idea felt like an insult at first. He, the almighty war hero, Uchiha Sasuke, being constantly evaluated and having to spend time with kids? There was no way he would accept that, he thought. The other ninjas would make fun of him and his whole man pride would simply be destroyed if he accepted her offer. He was not going to accept it. But, since his actual condition was desperately asking for that medicine, the boy had no choice. He would agree with her terms. Stubborn girlfriend, indeed.
“Okay… but I won’t joy any group therapy.”
“ No group therapy, don’t worry. Just with me.”
“…and I won’t talk to any other doctor that not you, got it?”
“Of course!” She clapped her hands in front of her face, as a smile played on her lips. “ I’ll take really good care of you, Sasuke-kun! I will… get rid of any bad thing that might still be bugging you, I promise.”
“Hn.”
Her words echoed around his head and, deep inside, he hoped she was right and that she could really help him. The truth was that his nightmares seemed to be returning and, even more than in the past, they were constantly showing him the image of a burning village and of blood and of a satisfied and sadist smirk on his lips. He could see himself enjoying the blazing spectacle as all of those people died right under his feet. He could see himself watching everything from afar and with his arms proudly crossed as if he had been the responsible for all of that. He could see himself watching as she died among all of his friends and all of his new ideals that he had decided to pursue after the war. It was a horrible scene, for sure. A horrible scene that would wake him up screaming in the middle of the night and that would return to haunt him every time he closed those dark eyes of his. He wanted them to stop. He wanted them to leave him alone. And since he couldn’t make them go away by any natural means, Uchiha Sasuke was decided to shut them down by force. He was not going to lose more nights because of his past. He was not going to let them win. He was not going to keep watching as she died every night. He was not going to kill her every night. Not anymore.
When the idea of using the clinic as an excuse for getting the pills crossed his mind, Sasuke was sure it was going to work. He remembered how the girl insisted on taking him to make some tests and bugged him about how he and Naruto had been her biggest inspirations to help the children in need. Sakura didn’t stop trying for months and, after a long time, he finally gave up and decided to join. It was not like he wouldn’t be doing it for himself but, while he was there, he figured that listening to her and putting up some effort on whatever she wanted him to do; wouldn’t be that much of a sacrifice. The Uchiha was really willing to try at that time to see with his own eyes if he wasn’t a lost cause anymore. He was going to help her helping him and, for much of his surprise, the effects of the treatment were quite impressive.
The raven haired boy would be submitted to three sections of figurative tests a week and, every night, right after taking his so wished pills, the pinkette would make sure to make him talk to her for at least 30 minutes before they could actually sleep. During the treatment, the Haruno medic invited herself to move in to his apartment so her emerald eyes could always be watching him during the so problematic time of his night. She was going to sleep next to him and on the same bed so she would know if anything happened. Her intentions were purely professional. However, remaining professional wasn’t a decisions that was totally up to her alone. The one with whom she would share the bed also had a saying and of course Sasuke wouldn’t keep their nights extremely professional. How could he, when his pink haired girlfriend was there and sharing a bed with him and wearing those short summer pajamas? How could he control himself knowing she would be there for the whole night and also in the morning and for the rest of his life? It was impossible for him. It was impossible for him to control himself and it was also impossible for her to resist him forever. He was the love of her life and seeing him being so cute and so passionate was too much for her. Those two certainly didn’t know how to separate their intimacy from work. Still, just because they couldn’t say no to their hormones, it didn’t mean they were ignoring the treatment.
It was not a secret that Sakura’s true intentions were to make her stoic boyfriend open up to her. She didn’t want him to repress his feelings inside his heart and bare all the pain and the regrets of his past all by himself anymore. She wanted him to lean on her and share the good and the bad things that were on his head after the end of every day. She wanted to be a part of his whole life. And she definitely wasn’t afraid of how big this definition could be. The Godaime’s apprentice was ready to face all of his fears and all of his torments. She was ready to stand by his side and hold his hand, not only for the person he had become but also for the person he once was. The person she once fell in love with. That was the person she was going to help. That was the person she wanted by her side. That was the person she would always love. And that person was Uchiha Sasuke. The whole Uchiha Sasuke.
And so, his treatment went on for about two months with nothing but good results. Sasuke was visibly calmer and his mood was almost as high as Naruto’s. The Uchiha would even act nice near the children. Even if he would still take a pill per night, deep inside he could feel like his good dreams were finally returning and, instead of avoiding the nighttime, he longed for it. He longed for his dreams where they would all be there by his side. His parents, his brother, his friends and the love of his life. They would all be there and they would be smiling and he would also be smiling until his dark eyes opened once again to welcome a new day. A new and nostalgic day that, even if his family wouldn’t be there, Sasuke wouldn’t feel lonely. He wouldn’t feel lonely for the first thing he would see every morning was that pink coloration of her hair. She was there by his side on that new day and, even if she was just one girl, Sakura was the one girl who filled his lonely existence. As long as she was by his side, he knew things would be okay. They had to be okay after so much suffering. Unfortunately, not even the pinkette, with that monstrous strength of hers, could break the curse of the Uchiha clan.
It all happened in a night where everything seemed to be perfect. The couple had enjoyed a romantic night all for themselves and, for the first time, the idea of proposing to the Haruno girl came to his mind. It was not like he still had doubts about Sakura being THE one and it was not like they weren’t mature enough to be engaged. Having her around everyday certainly left him anxious for a future by her side. A future where she would have a ring decorating her finger and a beautifully round belly with their baby inside. He could no longer imagine living in a house without her anymore. He could no longer admit living in a house where her voice wouldn’t simply be the one voice welcoming him. He was anxious for the future and, for the first time, his dark eyes stopped looking for his past. They were too busy looking at her own emerald eyes already and at the future they would share. However, a past like his can’t be ignored. A past like his must always be remembered and respected by any means. And, on that single time he forgot to look back, it came back to hit him straight forward. His past returned to teach him a lesson. It returned to haunt the soul of a boy who just wanted to dream and to love.
On that summer night, when the clock was about to hit 3 am, his sleep was interrupted by images he had never even dared to imagine. Images so grotesque and so traumatizing that he would never dare to describe. And most of them involved the one girl he would love and protect for the rest of his life.
Sakura was standing right in front of him. Her eyes were dull and cold and there was blood staining her soft pink lips. There were tears streaming down her face and her hair was threatening to fall forward to hide her facial expression. It seemed as if her soul had been removed from her body and all of her joy and all of her emotions had simply disappeared. It seemed as if all of her life had disappeared. Yet, he could feel something warm enveloping his own hand. He could feel a certain beat in between his fingers and he could feel it quickly slowing its pace. It started as a rhythm he knew really well and then, suddenly, he felt it disappearing. He felt it stopping.
As soon as his dark pearls were brave enough to look at where his hand was resting, his shock was immediate. His eyes widened and his throat went dry and his heart was in his mouth. He could not say a single word. As soon as he saw his hand, his whole world feel apart. Such thing could not be happening.
His hand was there, trespassing the left side of her chest and her heart was literally being held by him. Her whole body was stained in blood and her clothes were ripped and her whole self wasn’t expressing any sign of life. Haruno Sakura was dead. He had personally killed her again and, once he returned his attention to her face, he felt all that was left of him being crushed. She was smiling at him. She was smiling and it was certainly the prettiest of the smiles he had ever seen on her lips. Even if there was blood corrupting such pure and unique smile, it was still beautiful. She was still beautiful.
The shock of seeing her dead expression of happiness made the boy abruptly remove his hand from her chest, making her lifeless body fall behind on the cold ground, leaving her shy beating heart on his hands for him to do as he pleased. Until the end, Sasuke would have her heart for himself.
“Sasuke-kun!”
Until the end he would be the one to decide the destine of that organ that no longer could pump blood, yet, was still able to love him.
“Sasuke-kun!”
Until the end he would be the one to make her smile.
“Sasuke-kun!”
Until the end, they would be together. Both of them and the dark figure that was also lying next to her. He would carry their deaths until the end. And the end had, finally, arrived.
When his eyes suddenly opened to release him from that real nightmare, Sasuke abruptly sat up, throwing the covers aside. His body was sweating cold and his lungs were desperately searching for air as if he had been drowning for years. His hands were shaking uncontrollably and his senses were so bewildered that it took him some good two minutes to listen to Sakura’s voice calling for his name and to feel her warm hands holding his chest and preventing him from falling forward. Her hand was warm and it certainly had no traces of blood. He noticed after finally turning to face her that her whole body was clean and there was certainly no hole in her chest. And how glad he was for that.
“Sasuke-kun, say something!”
His eyes scanned her whole expression and he realized how nervous she was. Her lips were parted and her emerald eyes were widened and there were wrinkles deforming the seal of her forehead. The Uchiha concluded that he had probably lost control again and she was the one left worried in the end. Those anxiety crises of his were certainly too violent and not even a competent medic as her knew exactly what to do. Not even she could tame his inner beast. And, for him, such thing was the irrefutable proof that, no matter how things seemed to be getting better, he would never change. He was just a lost cause in the end and, even if she didn’t agree, Sasuke knew he couldn’t keep her close any longer. He could not risk hurting her anymore. He could not let her unprotected against him.
“pills…”
"what?”
“my pills… “ He said, stretching his hand towards the nightstand. “I need them.”
“t-talk to me!”
She said, holding his arms and bringing it to her chest. At that moment he could feel her heart almost exploding inside her chest and, after that terrible nightmare, the boy felt happy to know that her heart was still on its natural place. Inside of her body.
“S-Sakura… Talking won’t help now. I need those pills.”
“No! Remember that you’ve promised me to follow the treatment and now it’s important that you tell me what happened! What did you see in that dream?!”
“…”
The boy bit his lower lip and his tormented eyes didn’t even dare to look at her. Sasuke could never tell her what he had just seen. He just wouldn’t be strong enough to do so. The images of that nightmare were still on his head and, at that moment, he doubted they would ever leave. He doubted that he would ever be free.
“Sasuke-kun…”
“just give me the pills, Sakura.”
“ I don’t-“
“ Fuck!” he freed his arms from her grip. “ You’re a medic! Can’t you understand that this whole talking thing won’t help!? My problems won’t be solved unless I dope myself with those pills! So give them to me now or get the hell out of my way!”
Sakura’s green emeralds widened and she felt the fear taking over her body. For the first time ever since the Forest of Death, the pinkette was afraid of him. She was afraid of that rude version of him that wouldn’t care about anyone in order to achieve his objectives, being it becoming stronger or getting some stupid pills from a nightstand. That was not the Sasuke she knew. And the proof of that was clearly visible in those bloody eyes of his.
“… Are you gonna trap me in a genjutsu again?” She said, allowing her head to succumb to its weight.
“what?”
“your sharingan… They are activated.”
The Uchiha’s heart skipped a beat as soon as he realized what the girl had just said. His bloody heritage was, indeed, activated and the only one that could suffer from it was the pink haired girl that was standing in front of him. She was the only possible aim and, at that moment, he really hated himself. How could he even consider doing something like that to Sakura? How could he lose his control so easily and simply let all of his anger out on her? How could he even aim those cursed eyes at her? Sasuke certainly didn’t know the answers to these questions but, if there was one thing he knew was that he was still a weak boy. A weak boy who couldn’t even control his own impulses and would even hurt the girl he loves in a moment of rage. He was really pathetic, he thought. And, more than ever, he knew that he had to take her away from him. It would be for her own safety.
After finally returning his eyes to its original darkness, the Uchiha finally stood up and went to take the bottle where his sleeping pills could be found. Before opening it, the boy took one last look at the girl who was still kneeled on the bed and still had her head lowered. Sasuke figured that leaving her like that would be the best to be done for the moment. He figured that, if he wanted to push her away again, he would have to break their connection before really doing anything. He would have to hurt her one more time. And doing so was almost unbearable for him.
Sasuke took one last breath before opening the bottle and swallowing more than just enough to knock a horse out. It had been irresponsible and it had been a stupid decision, he knew. But, by doing so, the raven haired boy was expecting to fall unconscious and wake up just after things had settled down and the pinkette had moved on. He would never be able to see her walking away. He would never be able to let her go. So, if he wasn’t really there to see, then he figured things would be better. Things would be less painful. However, the Uchiha had forgotten one simple detail: dealing with pain was Haruno Sakura’s specialty. And she was not going to depend on pills to do so.
“they won’t help you…”
Her voice came out as a dramatic whisper but, unlikely he was expecting, her eyes did not turn to face him. Her eyes remained focused on the same place: her knees. Her knees, where her clenched hands were impatiently resting. It was time for the pinkette to unleash her own beasts.
“ what?”
“ the pills…” She took one deep breath and, soon, her burning emeralds eyes were set on him. Eyes so full of passion and of determination and ferocity that, for a moment, the Uchiha felt his whole body trembling. “ the pills won’t have any effect on you. They never had.”
“uh? What are you saying? These pills are-“
“ fake… I’ve manipulated them since the beginning… basically all that you’ve ingested was just flour and water.“
His eyes widened as they examined the bottle in his hands. Her words couldn’t be true, he knew. It was clear that something had changed ever since he started taking those pills and that stubborn brain of his refused to believe that those changes hadn’t been the consequences of the medication. He refused to believe he had actually spent two months with no torments because of the rest of the treatment. Because of his own power. His girlfriend had to be lying, he thought. But she wasn’t. And those clashing green eyes of hers were the ones telling him so.
“ so, what you’re saying is…-“
“ what I am saying “ She stood up and walked up to him, stopping only when they were both facing each other. “ is that you have done it all by yourself… No help from any drug or any special method. It was all you.”
Her eyes seemed to be condemning him at that moment. They seemed to be forcing the truth inside of him and trying to show him how strong he really was. They were trying to show him that, just by allowing himself to have a normal life, his real strength would show up and the Uchiha would certainly be able to scare his nightmares away. She was trying to prove him that he could do it. That he could get better. However, his definition of better, after what had just happened, did not match the reality his dark eyes were showing him.
“done what, Sakura? Losing control? Being rude to you? Or almost trapping you in a genjutsu again? Honestly, those are the only things that I have actually done by myself.”
“you’re wrong!” Her voice came louder than expected and, as she clenched her teeth, the boy could do nothing but watch. “ these last few months… you were okay. You were cured!”
“And what about now?! Am I still cured?!”
“Today was just an exception! You’ve had a breakdown, just that! Don’t throw all your work away because of one day!”
“just an exception?! Do you even know what could have happened if this ‘breakdown’ had been worse?! Do you know what could have happened to you!? You could have-“
A silence stood in between them as his hand slowly made the bottle crack due to his strength. At that moment, with all of those images still around his head and his heart, there was just no way Sasuke could complete that sentence. There was no way he could say that one last verb without breaking his whole heart. He could not say that word. Not in front of her. Not for her and certainly not about her. However, the girl was not him and, at that exact moment of hesitation, Sakura wasted no time to finish what he had once started.
“… Dead?”
“….”
“ Do you really think you could have… killed me?”
“…”His eyes drifted away from her owns as his answer became more than just clear for her. So that was the main problem, she thought. He was afraid of hurting her and he was afraid of being the responsible for taking her life away. He was afraid of losing another one of the ones that were left and he was afraid of being left alone again. He was afraid of losing control. But she was going to make sure that didn’t happen again.
“Don’t be an idiot, Sasuke. You’re not gonna kill me.”
“How can you be so sure…? How can you be so sure I won’t lose control and burn the whole village down?! How can’t you be afraid of having my chidori trespassing your chest?”
His dark pearls turned melancholic and Sakura knew he was on the verge of exploding. She knew that, if she could only force him a little more, all of his colors would be revealed to her and then- only then- she would be able to know what to do to truly help him. The Haruno girl just needed and explosion. And what a beautiful explosion it was going to be.
Not daring to take her emeralds away from him, the pinkette thought about something that would certainly shake his insides. With one of her hands, she went to search for his own and, after taking the bottle away from it, Sakura placed his palm exactly over her heart. Her determined expression caused the boy to feel all kinds of feelings inside of his body and despair was one of them.
How could she be so idiot?
Holding that weapon of his so close to her heart and making it seem as the most stupid thing in the world.
How could she be so reckless?
Showing him the way and giving him full access to her own heart.
Sakura was certainly a lost cause as well and were at times like that that the boy couldn’t really believe she was a serious medic nin. Yet, also in times like that, Uchiha Sasuke could see how much of herself she would sacrifice for her patients. How much of herself she would risk for him.
Even if the Uchiha tried to pull away, the pinkeet did not let him move his arm. Sakura was decided not to let go of his hand on that time. Not until he heard what she had to say. Not until he told her what she wanted to know. And what she wanted to know was nothing other than the truth that was hidden in the depths of his heart.
“ I can’t be 100% sure of anything, Sasuke… But, whenever I am by your side, I feel like it’s the safest place in the world. I am not afraid of you. I am not afraid of who you once were.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Yes I do!”
“No you don’t! You don’t know what was happening to me back then! You don’t know how I used to act, to think or to feel! You don’t know any-“
“Then tell me.”
“What?”
“tell me everything… Tell me what happened to you back then and tell me about how you used to think or act or feel back then… I want to know… I need to know.”
“need? Why would you even need to know about this part of my past?!”
“because it hurts you and…” she held his hand tighter. “and because I don’t want you to be the only one carrying it around.”
For the first time ever since they had started their discussion, Sasuke realized a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. He saw how empty they were and how guilty they were. He saw her whole self trying her best to help him yet there was nothing she could do. Nothing that would actually make him forget about his memories and about the things that were haunting him inside. There was nothing she could do to get rid of his nightmares for him. Or at least that was what he though.
“what?”
“ I want to know it all so you can forget it… I want to know it all to share the pain with you! I don’t want you to carry it all by yourself anymore, Sasuke-kun! I also want to help in the best way that I can! So… please…” She softened her grip on his hands, adjusting their position so she could finally intertwine their fingers. His were still shaken, she thought. “ please, tell me about what made you scream tonight…”
“ …”
“were you dreaming about me?”
Yes.
“…”
“were you dreaming about trespassing my heart with your chidori?”
Yes.
“…”
“ were you dreaming about avenging your brother.”
Yes. She was correct again and, at that moment, the girl suddenly softened the grip on his hand, setting it free so he could do as he pleased. Sakura knew she no longer needed to hold him back for he wasn’t definitely going to leave her anymore. It was not like he could hide anything anymore. It was not like she already didn’t know the truth. The real truth behind his nightmares.
It was already clear for him that the most disturbing part of his nightmares was the moment when his pink haired girlfriend fell dead on the floor. That was the one part that would traumatize him the most and the one scene that would get forever stuck in his mind for days. That was the most heartbreaking moment of his dreams. Yet, hidden behind those actions and those images, there was also another thing that was making the whole nightmare seem even more real than it already was. It was making him afraid of actually seeing that whole scene happening in the real life and it made him afraid of thinking and remembering about the happy moments with his family. It made him afraid of remembering about his beloved brother. It made him afraid because, deep in his heart, Sasuke could identify, for the smallest that they could be, traces of his wishes for killing. Not for killing the girl specifically but for killing all of those who plotted against his brother and his whole family.
He could feel his avenger side still alive inside of him and he was afraid of being dominated by it. He was afraid of losing control and ending up hurting everyone and destroying every single one of the bonds that he had once again formed. And the image of a dead Sakura in his dreams meant exactly that part of his rupture with the whole village and with all of the people who lived there. Killing her would be the final test for him. Killing her would mean that nothing- precisely nothing- would hold him back when the time came for him to avenge his family. If he could kill her, he would kill just anyone and he didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be that avenger anymore. He didn’t want to waste all of his brother’s efforts. He didn’t want to kill her. Not her.
“Sasuke-kun… Just let me try… tell me-“
“ I don’t want to hurt you…”
“uh?”
“I don’t want you to get hurt because of me…”
“But I won’t-“
“Sakura!” His dark eyes finally locked on her emerald ones and his hand went to rest on her shoulder, griping it tighter so she could see how troubled he was inside. The explosion she had been waiting for was, finally, going to come. “ I don’t want to risk hurting you if I lose control! I don’t want to destroy the whole village! I don’t want.. to feel like this anymore!”
“But, Sasuke-kun, you won’t do any of that! You’ve changed! You’ve given up on that revenge for your brother! You have-“
“I haven’t forgiven him….”
“what?”
Her eyes were shocked and it was not only because of what he was really telling her but, mainly, because of the fact that, for the first time in her life, the Haruno girl could see the one side of him that he had never showed anyone. She could see his real self finally coming out and the tears in his eyes were the proof of that. Sasuke was crying. He was crying right in front of her and he was crying because he simply could not forgive his brother. No matter what, no matter how long it had already been, Uchiha Sasuke could still not forgive his brother for killing their entire family.
“I-I haven’t… I haven’t forgiven him…”
“Sasuke-kun…”
His grip on her shoulder softened and slowly Sakura felt his whole body succumbing to the weight of his head. Sasuke was about to fall but, before his tall body could literally crash on the floor, the pinkette softly welcomed him on hers, leaning his head on her chest as she carefully led both of their bodies to rest on the floor, where all of her strength could be focused on healing his heart instead of supporting his body. At last, she felt like finally being able to do something really meaningful for him.
Both of them were kneeled and, as the boy was still resting his head on her chest, Sakura could clearly see how his face looked like when bathed in tears. His cheeks were red and his teeth were clenched and she could feel his hand sliding down to the hem of her shirt and holding it really tight as if he was afraid of letting go. The pinkette could feel his tears making contact with her own skin and if not for those minimal details, Sakura would never really be able to tell that he was crying. It was just too silent and too discreet and certainly the most delicate tears she had ever seen in her life. Those were lonely tears. Those were hidden tears and, at that time, all she wanted to do was to cry her own tears to make sure his were not alone. She wanted to cry too but, at that moment, she knew she had to be strong. She had to be strong for him and crying wouldn’t help him at all.
In between soaked sobs and regretful tears, the Uchiha then managed to keep going on what Sakura had told him to do. During a single moment of impulse, the boy simply decided to follow her words to see if something would change. He decided to follow her to see if the pain would go away. He decided to keep talking even if everything was just too scary and too unknown at that moment. Never before he had dared to share his curse to anyone and sharing with her was never really something he had planned before. He was going to save her from his past and from all of his damaged parts. He was going to protect her mind from the horrible images of his past. He was going to protect her from himself. However, at that moment, Sasuke couldn’t protect anyone. He wasn’t strong enough. And that was why, on that moment of weakness, she was going to rescue him. She was the one who would save him from the memories and from the guilt that had invaded his life and blamed him for being alive. He was going to trust her and, even if it hurt, he was going to tell her the whole truth.
“ I-I couldn’t forgive him… I know he has done it all to protect the village and to protect me but… Fuck! those were my parents!… My Father… My mother… They were my parents! How can I forgive him for taking them away from me!?”
Sakura said nothing. She was just waiting for everything to be out. She was just waiting for the right time. And, for sure, it was about to arrive.
“ And then… I think of what the elders forced him to do.” He tightened the grip on her shirt and she brought him even closer to her heart. “ I remember and… I just feel like killing them all… I feel like avenging my brother but… but then I see you.”
Her heart clenched and her whole body froze as the raven haired boy slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers and lifted his hand to caress her cheeks. For he was leaning down with his forehead almost resting on hers, the tears that came out from his eyes made all the way from his porcelain skin to her own apple colored cheeks. For the first time, not only she had a privileged view of his tears but she was also crying them for him. She could feel his sorrow in each salty drop that streamed down her face and disappeared in her lips. She could feel them all in the most intimous way and, at that exact moment, the pinkette broke the promise she had made for herself. She could not hold back her own tears anymore. Her eyes also succumbed to the sadness and her own salty and regretful tears started to stream down her face and mix with his own. Their tears were united for the first time. Their feelings were connected more than ever and, at that moment, both of them felt stronger. Both of them felt human. Both of them felt hopeful.
“ I look at you… And I see the most important person in my life… I see the love that I’ve lost… I see everything I was looking for ever since I lost it all… So, tell me, how can I avenge them if, for doing so, I would have to lose you? I would have to lose it all again and I would be left alone… I would be… Alone.”
“Sasuke-kun…”
She brought him closer again and buried his head on her chest. She was hugging him tightly and, after all of the words he had just said, The girl knew that the right time had arrived. She knew it was time for her to do something. It was time for her to save him.
“ y-you don’t have to worry about being alone… I won’t ever leave you, okay?”
“But what if I-“
“This won’t happen! This won’t…”She emptied her lungs in one deep and painful sigh. “I won’t let anything like that happen… I will take all your anger on me so you won’t ever lose control. I will be strong enough to hold it all with you and soon these thoughts will go away… You don’t have to feel guilty for not forgiving your brother… It’s not something easy and you can’t choose the way you feel… But you can choose what to do about it and.. And you won’t hurt anyone… You won’t hurt me… You’re stronger than just an anger breakdown. You’re stronger than all of these thoughts and… And I know you will take the right decisions. You’re a hero, Sasuke-kun. You are my hero and your heart would never be corrupted by your revenge.”
His heart skipped a beat after hearing her words and he felt all of his body getting warmer. So she had done it again… Just like in the forest of Death, the annoying girl with pink hair was able to tame all his worries and all of his monsters and all of his nightmares. She was able to bring the best of him back and, with all of her feelings and all of her tears being simply thrown at him, Haruno Sakura had killed his demons for once and for all.
Sasuke could feel his body getting lighter and all the weight he had carried for years simply flowing away. He could feel his heart being filled with her love and all of his happy memories were also returning. Memories of his family. Memories of his brother. Memories of his friends and, doubtlessly, memories of her that he would forever cherish. That girl had saved his life. That girl had made him happy and, once he realized so, a bright smile came to play on his lips. He was not a lost cause anymore. He was, definitely, cured. And it was all thanks to her.
“… Sakura… I love you…”
“I-I love you too, Sasuke-kun…”
And so, as he kept his head resting on her chest and as he kept listening to her sobs and to the beat of her heart, the Uchiha felt as if he was on the clouds. He felt tired and sleepy and he certainly couldn’t wait to dream again for he knew that, by her side, he would be safe. He wouldn’t be alone. And, in her arms, he would have the best dreams in the whole world. Dreams that, once the darkest of the nights ended to welcome the rising sun; would certainly come true.
