Sakura loves early evenings in the summers, the skies a warm orange and yellow, the sun setting as she looks to a blurry horizon. It's just before she can see the stars, count them in the sky if she wants to as the day turns to a purple and navy dusk, dusted silver with twinkling lights. Today was a scorcher, the floor of the cement deck still warm against her bare feet, she wiggles her toes to keep them from blistering. She pads over to the grass in Karin's backyard, it licks and tickles the soles of her feet, but it's much cooler.

Sakura takes a long sip of her drink, a sweet sangria that Karin made that isn't so offensive, and finishes her third, or fourth glass. The world is becoming dizzier around her, the rising moon is a little foggy, and her hands are a little fuzzy as she holds one up toward the sky. Sakura trashes her drink, and starts stumbling toward the cooler to find another one.

The area surrounding the drinks is blissfully empty, and Sakura pours herself another glass of the sweet wine that she takes a long sip from. She knows she should stop, that she should pace herself like her friends taught her, that she should lay off, take a breath, and maybe take an uber home to her room where it's safe, but instead she drinks more.

"Hey, Sakura?"

Sakura looks up from her drink with a raised eyebrow. It's one of Karin's college friends, Kiba, she remembers, and his cheeks are dusted a soft pink that she can see even in the deepening moonlight. His hair is a mess on his head, and he's in board shorts and a deep red t-shirt that's been obviously pressed before tonight. He cares about his appearance, clearly, with the way his teeth sparkle and the artful messiness of his chocolate brown hair.

"Hey, Kiba." She smiles. "What's up?"

"I just saw you over here…" he motions his drink toward her. "All alone, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm… fine," she says, and takes another long sip of her drink to emphasize that. Kiba only laughs at her eagerness.

"I've never seen you drink this much."

"I don't really like the taste of alcohol," Sakura admits. "But this isn't so bad."

"So I guess you won't take a shot with me, then?" he asks with a smirk. His hand itches for the bottle of vodka, and Sakura eyes it carefully.

"I didn't say that…" Sakura grabs two solo cups, and Kiba pours the clear liquor up to the shot line. Sakura begins to bounce on her heels, a ball of nervous energy. "I've never taken a shot before."

Kiba's smirk widens. "And you're sure you want to take one with me?"

"Probably not." She laughs. "But let's do it anyway."

Sakura grabs her cup, watches Kiba take his first, and then downs her shot. It burns down her throat, a searing stripe into her stomach that leaves her gagging and coughing. Past the gathering tears in her eyes, she can see Kiba laughing, and that only makes her lips twist into a smile. He grabs her shoulder to level her, and before Sakura knows it, she's standing up straight, and the world is even hazier.

"Nasty," Sakura says, but she's grinning. "Never again."

"Never say, never."

Sakura is about to say something, hopefully, witty in response when she feels somebody wrap an arm around her. For a moment, she pretends it's him, that she's pressed into his chest, strong and broad, and that she can smell his scent, like a raging summer bonfire, like the woodsy cologne she bought him for his birthday. Instead, she turns into Karin's chest, and she smells like weed.

"Kiba, what are you doing?" Karin asks, and she's glaring.

Kiba's hands shoot up in innocence. "Just checking on our girl."

"She's fine," Karin spits, her eyes turning into slits as she glares right through Kiba. "Why don't you go play beer pong or something?"

He rolls his eyes, but steps away nonetheless. "Whatever. Sakura, come find me when you want to play doubles."

Sakura nods her head with a smile. "I will!"

Kiba runs off toward the beer pong table, hands deep in his pockets, and Karin wraps another arm around Sakura, bringing her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Sak, he's like, the grossest."

"What?" Sakura asks, thoroughly confused. She found him kind, mostly.

"He was obviously hitting on you. A soulmated person. Really. How taboo could you get?" Karin removes her arms from around Sakura just to throw them up in the air in frustration. Then she turns toward Sakura with a tight smile. "Stay away from him, okay? He has, like, no boundaries."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if he'll hit on you, I can't imagine what else he'll do." Karin sighs, and sifts her fingers through Sakura's hair, smoothing out the curls. "Come on, let's go smoke or something."

"I'll catch up with you in a little," Sakura says, and smiles. She squeezes Karin's hand before the girl runs off, likely to find Ino and light up. Her smile turns into a drawn sigh as she sits down on the grass, pulling her phone out of her bra and checking her texts.

There's one from her brother, reminding her that if she's too drunk and needs a ride, she should call him, and that he'll sneak her in past mom no sweat.

Sometimes she's reminded how much she loves her brother.

And there's one from Sasuke, telling her to have a good night. Like he always says. Sakura frowns. She'd be having a better night if he were here, with her, or at least, she'd be having a better night if he paid any attention to her, at all. It's so unfair. If she were unsoulmated, at least she could date other unsoulmated people, but because she's soulmated, and her soulmate doesn't want her, she's going to be alone forever.

She just loathes Sasuke.

Okay, that's not true. It's the opposite, actually, she just doesn't understand Sasuke. Maybe.

Sakura opens up her texts.

Sasuke: Goodnight

Her frown deepens, and she texts him back.

Sakura: i AM having a gopd night

Sakura: goof

Sakura: good

Sakura sticks her phone back in her bra. She finishes her drink, quicker than she should, and decides she'll just have to find Ino, Karin, and that joint. She stands up, deposits her cup in the garbage, and spots them across the grass. With a big wave, she runs toward them.

She decidedly ignores her phone vibrating in her bra.

Sakura decides it's time to call her brother a little after midnight. She pulls her phone out, and frowns when she sees two texts, and two missed calls from Sasuke.

Sasuke: Are you drunk?

Sasuke: Where are you?

Sakura snorts under her breath. How like him, she thinks, to get all worked up because she's had a few drinks. He has no concern in the world when she's sad, and wants his attention, but when she's having fun? Of course Sasuke needs to ruin it.

He's more like a guardian than a boyfriend, she thinks. And he's made it very clear that he's not her boyfriend.

Sakura ignores him. She calls her brother instead. She whines his name into the receiver when he picks up and he's already laughing.

"A little too much to drink, Sakura?"

She frowns. "Please come get me. You promised."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a few." He laughs again. "Try to stay awake until then."

"I'm wide awake," she claims, but she knows her head is lolling, and her eyes are beginning to droop. "Just get here fast."

The music is still playing, softer now in the night, and she can see Kiba playing beer pong with a few of the other boys. He isn't very good, but he's laughing and his perfect, white teeth make Sakura want to get up and play with him.

Then she thinks about what Karin said, and how Kiba clearly had no shame, and how she thinks Kiba is hitting on her. She should stay away from Kiba, Karin doesn't think he has good intentions and, worse, he could take advantage of her.

Still, the idea of playing with Kiba has its merits. Maybe if Sasuke were here he'd be jealous.

She doubts it.

While she thinks about whether or not she should head over the Kiba, Naruto makes the decision for her by pulling his obnoxious orange Jeep around the corner and parking in front of Karin's house.

Sakura gathers her things off the ground where she's sitting in the middle of the grass, and decides it's time to go find her shoes which she's pretty sure she left by the door, but they could be anywhere. Maybe she'll go barefoot and pray Karin finds her shoes in the morning.

Deciding that barefoot is the way to go, Sakura jogs over to her brother's car, her dress fluttering behind her. It's a short dress, one she borrowed from Ino and she's sure her mother and father would make a comment about, but they're both asleep thank god and no one but her brother will have to see her dressed like this.

Until she runs up to the car and realizes that Naruto has a friend with him.

Her soulmate.

Sakura stops in her tracks when she realizes Sasuke is staring right at her, dark eyes penetrating and eyebrows furrowed in concern. He looks more hurt than angry, to her confusion, and when she makes eye contact with him, his concern morphs into relief.

He doesn't say a word when she enters the car, keeps his thoughts to himself while Naruto rattles on about something he saw on CNN and how there are much better ways to get your news. Sakura doesn't care. Sasuke doesn't seem to, either.

Sakura uses the ride home to check her messages and keep her mouth decidedly shut so she doesn't say anything too embarrassing about how much she loves—

She stops that thought in its tracks.

Naruto continues to talk to her about anything and everything she couldn't care less about, and Sasuke continues to sit in absolute silence, and she can't tell whether he's seething or maybe even sleeping. She hopes he's sleeping.

He clears his throat, and that idea goes out the window.

"... but enough about that," Naruto finally finishes, "how was the party?"

Sakura shrugs, until she realizes nobody can see her in the back, so she says, "fine."

"Lots of older kids there," he muses. "You're way cooler than we were at your age, Sakura, right, bastard?"

Sasuke snorts. "Whatever."

Sakura feels herself shrinking back into her chair, a little fuzzy from the drinks, a little confused because Sasuke is upset, apparently, and a little hurt because here he is, the man of her dreams, ignoring her when she's clearly distraught.

Is it clear? She's trying to make it clear.

"You're awful quiet back there. Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," she whispers, and when Naruto doesn't hear her the first time she repeats, far more indignantly, "I'm fine!"

"Alright, alright—sheesh, we won't talk, then. Just close your eyes, we're almost home." He mumbles something about both of them being "hormonal," and "no fun," before turning up the music and turning down their street.

When Naruto pulls into his spot on the driveway, he hops out of the car quickly, slamming his door shut and leaving the both of them alone, in his car, in the dark, nothing but the moon as their only source of light.

Sakura sits quietly, allowing them both to gather their thoughts. A minute passes, and Sakura chews on her lip. After another minute, the tears build up, and she begins unbuckling her seatbelt when Sasuke doesn't say anything, sighing loudly and opening the door. She slams it shut, walks toward the front door and slams that, too.

She hears her brother say something, something like you're an asshole, but she's too blinded by the tears in her eyes to really love her brother any bit more than she already does given the situation that she's in.

Sakura rushes up the stairs, shuts her door quietly, and cries herself to sleep.

Sakura is woken up from a knock on her door around five AM. She knows it must be around five AM, because the sun isn't up yet, and her ears are ringing with the bells only a person who has had six cups of sangria the night before can hear.

She rolls over, and covers her head with the pillow. She has literally know idea who could be waking her up this early in the morning. Her mother leaves at two AM for the hospital, and her father sleeps in until ten, and it's definitely not Naruto who doesn't see the light of day until the late afternoon.

Someone knocks again, just gentle enough that it doesn't hurt her brain, and Sakura, against her better judgement, mumbles, "come in."

She doesn't even look up to see who opened the door. She keeps herself hidden under the thick blankets and the pillow, covering her messy hair that was once in beautiful curls, now sticking to her cheeks with old hairspray. She's sure if she looked in the mirror her eyes would be black and her pink lipstick would be gone. She'd rather die than even let her mother see her like this.

Before she can even think about a shower, a voice—the voice—interrupts her. "I, uh, brought some Advil."

Despite herself, Sakura immediately groans. The last person she wants to see her like this is right here, in the flesh, probably staring at her lump of a body under the covers and offering her a cure for her biggest problem right now. She can do two things: completely ignore him, which she is wont to do, or kindly accept his help and allow him to see her like this.

She settles for a middle ground. "Sasuke, can you, uh," she peeks at him through the covers, and he's staring at his feet, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of pills in the other. "Step outside for like, a second?"

"Oh, uh, right, yeah, of course." He shuffles for a moment, the door opens, shuts, and the room is blissfully empty again.

Sakura sits up from under the covers, blankets falling to her waist, and immediately pulls her hair back, and out of her face. She reaches for the compact mirror on her side table, and checks her eyes and frowns when she sees what a racoon she looks like. She reaches for a makeup wipe on her side table, something her mother taught her to always leave nearby, and cleans her face. When she feels like she looks acceptable, she says, "you can come in," and he does.

Sasuke is in his pajamas, his hair a mess. He looks like there's literally nowhere else he'd rather be than in a bed.

Except, maybe, he'd rather be right here, she thinks, because he actually is. She nearly shakes her head, though, because that isn't possible. If that were true, Sasuke would spend more time with her, and Sasuke would take good care of her, and Sasuke would talk to her, and ask her how she's doing, and learn what she likes.

Instead, he ignores her. And brings her Advil when her head hurts.

"Do you want this?" he asks. He's looking directly at her now, gesturing toward her with the glass of water and hangover cure-all. She takes it gladly, opening up the bottle and taking maybe one-too-many Advils, and downing the glass of water with the gusto of a person who hasn't had a sip in weeks.

He snorts under his breath. "Thirsty?"

When she finishes up, she has the decency to look a little embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he says. "I'm sure you feel sorry enough with that headache."

Sakura sighs, loudly, and then scoots over in her bed when she watches him shift from foot to foot. "Sit," she says, gesturing toward the side of her queen sized bed she made for him.

It could be his side, one day.

He looks hesitant, but he sits anyway. "Thanks," he says. He looks a little awkward, feet hanging over the edge, arms crossed. "Sakura, I…"

She looks up at him from under her dark lashes, stained still with mascara that will take a little more than a makeup wipe to get off, and she can see him swallow. "What is it, Sasuke?"

"You know…" he trails off, and then runs a hand through his hair, a nervous habit she adores, but would never tell him. "You know, you can call me if you're in trouble."

Sakura raises an eyebrow. "Um… what?"

"When… When you're drinking, or… When you're with friends, and not drinking, or… Whatever." He makes a weird gesture with his hand, as if to say anything, anything at all, "You can call me, and I'll come get you."

"Sasuke…" Sakura frowns. It's a sweet thought, she thinks, Sasuke offering to get her if she's drunk, or needs help, and it's not that she doesn't think he would. She knows Sasuke would come to her rescue if he needed her. "I know that." But that's not the problem.

She wants Sasuke when she doesn't need him, too, and Sasuke doesn't want her.

"Thanks, Sasuke," Sakura says with a small smile, a smile that betrays her eyes. "And thanks for the Advil. I'm just going to head to bed, okay?"

He frowns. "Sakura—"

"I'm tired," she insists. She starts shooing him off the bed, and he stands. He frowns even deeper. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"You don't have to kick me out, Sakura—"

"I'm not!" she swears. "I'm just tired. It's been a long night."

Sasuke hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she says. To emphasize her point, she lays down, and gets under the covers. "Goodnight, Sasuke."

Sasuke sighs, and doesn't respond. Instead, he takes a step closer, and Sakura can see him in the dark. He puts a hand on her head, first, and then runs his fingers through her hair, next, gently.

Sakura freezes, her breath caught in her throat. Sasuke pulls his hand away.

"Goodnight, Sakura."

The door shuts, and Sakura breathes.