Summary: She is afraid. He is lost. The future is uncertain, but it is theirs. AU.
Standard disclaimer applies here
Yuanfen
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(n.) A relationship by fate or destiny; the binding force between two people
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She is wary.
The buzzing and pounding of music blaring from excessive speakers makes her feel lightheaded, and she struggles to catch her breath. It's only a few days into the new school year but the students are Konoha University are more hyped up than ever— while the prestigious university is known worldwide for its academic excellence, the parties that its students host are rumoured and proven to be notoriously rowdy. The amount of keg event invites on her social media timeline is astonishing, even to her; a strong indication of the local 'study hard, party harder' motto uttered in the halls of the university.
She'd made a promise to herself the past summer that she would never attend one of these wild events again; her previous breakdowns the year before have shown her she cannot waste time on such things. She is not much of a drinker, anyhow— raised under the iron fist of two demanding parents have not allowed her to explore the freedoms of teenage rebellion. However, she'd found herself with little to no protests when Ino burst into her room hours ago, with Karin and Hinata and Tenten in tow, dressed in yet another skimpy, glittery dress and demanding just what the hell are you doing, still looking like that?
After much nagging on Ino's part (and Karin and Tenten, but mostly Ino because best friends don't go to parties without best friends, the loud blonde had claimed), she'd reluctantly changed out of her comfy boy shorts and baggy KU t-shirt into a striped crop top and high waist shorts, tying her long pink hair into a bun atop her head and applying makeup— just a little— for a night out. It took a lot less convincing on her friends' part than she'd assumed it would; but then again, she had her reasons.
Anything is better than being left alone with her thoughts on a Friday night, she'd decided. Because if everyone is out then the house they are renting will be dark and she will be all alone if she does not go.
Yes. Having company to distract her will be good, she'd convinced herself. She needs something to keep her mind afloat— something to prevent her mind from plunging into the dark disaster zone that threatens to crumble her very being.
So she'd forced a smile she hopes looks and eventually will feel genuine onto her porcelain face, linking arms with her excited friends that had promised her that she would be in for a wild night full of fun and music and distractions.
None of her friends know of just how dark her demons are, lurking inside her, aching and clawing and ready to rip out of her carefully constructed self— and she wants to keep it that way.
That had been two hours ago. Now, she stands alone in a crowded kitchen that smells too much like booze and lust, a red Solo cup (filled with alcohol she has barely touched) clenched in her hand and a steadily growing headache. Her friends have scattered all over the party house— Ino is latched onto some random upperclassman who she recognizes is enrolled in software engineering; Karin is giggling with a humanities student from their year, Suigetsu; Hinata is displaying a rare moment of bravery (definitely courtesy of the liquid courage she'd chugged), talking with a popular linebacker from their year, Naruto; and Tenten stands amongst a circle of too-drunk boys, challenging each of them to a hand wrestling match in a voice that is much too loud.
The overwhelming smell of spilt vodka and cheap beer evades her senses and the body heat of the students, all flushed together in the barely spacious kitchen, feels suffocating. There are boys looking at her, their eyes hazy from smoking too much and drinking too much, and she feels her skin crawl. She did not come for this.
She flinches outwardly when Zaku, a boy she knows was in her physics class last year, breaks out of the group and reaches for her. His whole body reeks of beer and marijuana and the look he is giving her makes her take a step back.
"Hey, pretty lady," he slurs, trying to grab her. "Come here and let's dance."
She can barely hide her revulsion as she slaps his hand away in irritation, suddenly angry and exhausted at ever having to come. This is not the distraction she needs; this is not going to make things better. She has her limits, and she has reached it. Slamming down her filled cup onto a random table and ignoring the dirty look a nearby couple playing tongue twister shoots at her, she pushes her way through the overbearing swarm of university students and storms up to the roof of the party house.
Fresh air. That's what she needs right now.
To her relief, the roof is empty and quieter, the blaring of music fainter. She takes a deep breath to calm herself down, rubbing her hands over her face. Her anger slowly dissipates with every breath she takes until there is none left; nothing but her and the night sky and the regrets she adds to her collection of bottled up emotions.
She finds the pitch-black sky soothing; the splash of a million dazzling stars over the wide expansion almost makes her feel invincible, infinite. Perching herself up against the edge of the roof, she takes in the beautiful view of Konoha and all its sparkling lights. It's a city that never sleeps, a city she yearns to explore. Unlike Suna, there are cars still running and shops still open at this late hour. She wonders why she is in a place like this when she could be anywhere else. She could be free, wind in her hair and stars in her eyes. She could do anything.
But like so many of the thoughts she's had, these spiral and twist and turn into something malicious, and she remembers, a jolt rushing through her body and startling her to reality. Her peaceful smile is frozen and she feels the blood drain from her face. Wake up, it demands. You foolish girl, wasting time dwelling on useless fantasies. Useless, just like you.
Stop, she mutters to herself, telling herself to stop before it's too late. Stop it. Stop. The ground feels as if it's moving, shifting under her feet, and she clutches her head and shut her eyes because it is not true. Her breaths are coming out in shallow pants, a flash of purple appearing in her mind. Stop.
Stop stop stop stop sto—
Her train of thought is interrupted when she hears the door of the roof opening, a tall, shadowy figure appearing, muttering incoherent words under their breath. Under the starry sky, she faintly recognizes this figure; this boy, specifically. She opens her mouth to say something, but her mind is still whirling and she cannot speak. She pushes herself to get it under control; after all, she's had so much practice.
He must've felt her eyes on him, because the next minute he glances up, noticing her for the first time, and for a minute she catches his eyes— dark, dark like the midnight sky, a pool of obsidian that pierces right through her. Suddenly, her mind halts, and a sense of calm floods her body. She is baffled by her body's reaction. She feels almost drugged, sluggish, despite not having anything to drink.
"Sorry," the boy finally mutters, voice low. He's holding a cup in his hand, his body stiff —almost guarded— and he turns to leave the roof when she feels her mouth move, formulating words before she can stop them.
"It's alright," she says, in a voice that is all too cheery, giving away nothing of the episode she'd just had. Her façade goes up and she's surprised at how easily she can lie. "There's lots of room up here." Giving a small shrug she adds, "Trying to escape the madness down there?" She gestures towards the door leading down, and as if on command she hears the crowd chanting, 'Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!'
"Hn," the boy replies, glaring at the door in annoyance and walking over to where she is standing. Coming closer, recognition hits her like a ton of bricks; it is him. The same boy that Ino and Karin and even Tenten had fretted on about all of their freshman year last year, the handsome boy with alabaster skin and beautiful dark eyes and jet black hair; the perfect boy.
Sasuke Uchiha.
He is standing before her, the scent of soap and something clean igniting her senses and she wonders how he'd managed to smell so decent after being caught in the crowd downstairs. He looks as graceful and poised as ever; however, in the place of his normally stoic expression is an annoyed scowl.
They'd lived in the same dorm building last year, just across the hall from one another. They'd never talked, though, but she knows enough about him from her friends to determine that he is one of the popular, untouchable ones. She tries to wrap her mind around this, at what are the chances and wait til Ino hears about this and before she can say anything he asks, in a deep baritone voice,
"Were you in Provenance Hall last year?" She is surprised that he is the one breaking the silence because she'd hardly ever heard him speak before; she vaguely remembers how loud Sasuke's roommate had been, but never him. Her mind feels blank in his presence and she can't seem to find any words, her brain scrambling to decipher this very moment, to secure it in her memory. She doesn't want to seem rude so she merely nods in response. He continues with, "Sakura, right?"
She's shocked that he remembers her face and even more shocked that he knows her name.
"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you," she says, sticking out her hand and cursing herself for her awkward stupidity when Sasuke look at it pointedly. She cringes and goes to retract it when he reaches forward and grasps her hand in a firm shake.
"Sasuke Uchiha," he says.
There is something nagging her brain, as if reminding her of how in this very moment her life has been forever changed, but she casually brushes it off as embarrassment for finally meeting possibly the most popular boy on campus (and her ex-neighbour) in such a random way.
"Hi, Sasuke." The smile she gives him is the most genuine one she's given all night.
note: ...guilty for starting a new story, I know. But this has been on my chest for a while, and it's kinda personal and so relevant to what has happened to me the past year so I thought it'd be cathartic to get it all down on paper (or in this case, a doc.x). hope you like it! this chapter's kinda fast (I apologize) bc I wanted to post it today. i'm going to be switching POVs so it's both Sasuke and Sakura, so stay tuned. :)
xoxo
-A