Title: #2 Breath
Word Count: 232 words
Summary: the only sound in the world
Every night he closes his eyes, he is immediately transported back to the night when he is seven, where his world is consumed by the burning hot fire that crackles and mocks at his helplessness. Bodies are strewn everywhere and blood spills over the floor like rain puddles. Sasuke usually wakes up in cold sweat.
This is a curse that he is going to live with for the rest of his life. It doesn't matter if he learned the truth. It doesn't matter if he decided to live up to Itachi's honour and protect the village. It doesn't matter, because he has relived the nightmare for the past fifteen years and will continue to do so.
Because of it, he feels regretful of what his wife has to go through. There are nights where he thrashes. Other nights, he grips her arms tightly, to the point that it leaves bruises-Sakura smiles understandingly and heals her arms the following morning. He is glad that the frequent ones are of him waking up in cold sweat.
Usually, Sakura is still deep in slumber, so Sasuke lays in bed, listening to the world around him. Nothing shifts in quiet of the night except for the rhythm of her chest rising and falling, which puts him at ease. And then he closes his eyes, knowing that this time, he is able to sleep in peace.
A/N: Drabbles are definitely a lot easier to write and less time-consuming. I have one scene left for chapter 8 of Maelstrom. Thanks for waiting!