a/n: So it's Sasusaku month, and I'm finally participating! Whoohoo!

Title: In His Hands

Prompt: Holding Hands

Summary: Every time she tried to hold his hand, he refused. Until that one time when he refused to let go of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Rating: K

He refused to hold hands.

It was simple. Sasuke Uchiha just wasn't a 'holding hands' type of guy. He didn't joke, he didn't smile, and he didn't hold hands. It was just who he was. Plain and simple.

At first, she was disappointed. They were boyfriend and girlfriend now, weren't they? In fact, they'd been going out for a couple of months now. They'd even kissed! They were together now, so she couldn't see why he refused to hold her hand. But every time she'd inch her hand closer to his on a date, in the movies, or just sitting together on the couch, he'd move his own hand away. And she'd sigh in disappointment and resignation, because she knew that no matter what, she would never get him to hold hands with her.

So she resigned herself to that fact and accepted it. Sasuke Uchiha would never hold her hand.

Until that one time he did.

It was a simple mission. Sakura and Sasuke were tasked to infiltrate a mansion, steal a scroll, and deliver it to the Hokage. That was it. Sounded easy enough. They were counting on an easy infiltration, a quick escape and safe trip home.

What they weren't counting on were some S-rank ninja that were also after the scroll, being trapped on the edge of a cliff with a raging river 50 feet down and facing ten very skilled and very angry ninja in a wide open area on the way home.

One look into each other's eyes and they knew what to do. They had grown so close that one look was all it took to send volumes of words to each other. They were at each other's side, punching and kicking and attacking and defending until it was all a blur and all Sasuke could see was arms and legs and a head of pink hair beside him.

And suddenly, it disappeared. It vanished. The pink head of hair was gone.

That was when he panicked. The Uchiha attacked with a new vigor, slicing up every enemy with his Kusanagi and burning them with his black flames. He could vaguely hear himself screaming Sakura's name, but it seemed so surreal. He could hardly believe it was the stone cold stoic Uchiha screaming so desperately for her. And once they had all been defeated, once they'd all scurried back to the cover of the trees, he whipped his head around…

…just in time to see the rock underneath Sakura's feet crumble, and she plunged into the roaring waters.

Then he screamed. A scream so heartbreaking and so desperate and it felt like he was seeing his family massacred once again.

He didn't realize his feet had moved until he threw himself on the edge of the cliff and just managed to grab her hand in the nick of time. He lay on his stomach, her hand in his as she dangled above a chasm that would certainly lead to her death.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, as he struggled to hold on. "Let me go."

"No." he growled, gripping her hand more tightly than ever. "Never."

"You can't hold on forever. Let go."

"No."

"Sasuke…" she looked up at him, her green eyes filled with calm and acceptance. "You'll die with me if you do this."

"No!" he yelled, as his arm began to ache. "You're not dying, and I'm not letting you go!"

"Please! I don't want you to die with me!"

"NO!" he shouted, so loudly that her green eyes widened in shock. "I'm. Not. Letting. You. GO!"

And with that, he grasped her hand and pulled. He pulled with all his strength, as if his life depended on it. And it did. Because without her, his life was over.

And they collapsed on the edge panting in exhaustion as he held her in his arms and refused to let go.

As they trudged back home, he held her hand. And he refused to let go ever since.