Chapter Four: if misery loves company I must be head over heels for you

One day Sasuke announces that we're finally finally leaving Orochimaru's bases behind once and for all.

But he has this almost-almost apologetic expression on his face while saying something utterly preposterous as;

'I'm sorry, I know you don't like the outside world'

I was thoroughly floored.

Who said I didn't like being outside?

A slight widening of the pupils was all I managed to take notice of until I was immediately pressed against the wall with all four of Sasuke's long limbs caging me in.

"You just talked." he states, neither fast nor slow.

Oh. oh.

"What did you just say? It was all...some gibberish."

I was speaking english it seemed.

I turned my face away from his and let my long silky hair serve as a curtain between us.

He clicked his tongue and before I knew it, my chin was grasped and turned to face him once more then only to be kissed senselessly.

I didn't struggle, remaining ever as pliant in his arms since the beginning of our exchange-but that didn't mean I responded either.

With his other hand he stroked the side of my face and then tucked a large strand of loose hair behind my ear.

Eventually he did pull apart and there was a bruising feeling on my lips that had already came and went, fading more into a numbness by now.

Right. This was the real Sasuke. Reckless and violent in everything he does; so that expression that I thought to have seen on him before...was just a mistake.

In the end there was no way this boy, with the sharp gaze but an even sharper blade-an avenger-looked a semblance like Itachi. The real-

Well, you get it.

"Are you really ignoring me? In this position?" he asked with a half-lidded gaze, face centimeters away from my own in an ambiguous sort of way.

I didn't blush easily. I was one of those naturally-born-poker-face types. But if I could, I might've.

It was always unfair how, despite my seniority in age, life experience-he always gained the upper hand in our interactions...somehow.

I wasn't younger but dammit, I felt younger whenever he teases me like this.

Was this really the typical behaviours of an antisocial genius?

And then there are days where it gets better I think.

We're on the road and I've relinquished my position of being carried around like a lofty potato sack by Sasuke to walk by myself.

I'm going a little ways ahead of Suigetsu and Sasuke while humming some songs from my old world that I didn't even realize I still knew the tunes of. And for once, something that reminded me of my old world and old life didn't send my mood spiraling down into a pit of depression.

Probably because I was too focused on the scenery outside. (even despite the fact that it was precisely in a forest like this where those human traffickers killed them)

But maybe I was just in a damn good mood where the worst just ended up lingering at the back of my thoughts.

And I realize with a startlement that, what if this was the closest thing to happiness I'll ever experience from now on?

What if every single beautiful memory is tainted with the reminder of her own...unworthiness? And those memories of pain and humiliation that crippled not only her pride but her sense of self attached to that pride into dust?

Was this what Sasuke felt when his family was destroyed by Itachi? Do those memories plague him so from morning to midnight making him seek revenge that desperately?

For some reason, that thought warmed her on the inside and she turned back and rushed to Sasuke with a jubilant laugh.

I slid my own hand within Sasuke's and he gave a questioning side glance, brow arched in a silent question. I find he hasn't talked as much since our company was joined by Suigetsu at all times.

Unable to explain my bizarre change of emotions in words, I just beamed at him to let him know that I was just really really happy right now.

He turned away after that.

Unbeknownst to everyone's notice, Sasuke's ears were flushed red.