a/n: a SasuSaku drabble inspired by a scene in sasuke retsuden (heard that it would have a manga adaptation soon yay!). This is also my contribution for ssmonth22 prompt: for you alone, i will be weak.

Happy SasuSaku Month! Started shipping SasuSaku in high school and a decade later, they're still my OTP. When did you start shipping them/reading fanfics about them? Hope you can drop some reviews/comments!

His partner

Hovering between life and death, Sasuke couldn't believe his senses. It was her — her warmth, he would always recognize, especially in this prison, in this seemingly unending cold he had to endure in order to fulfill the mission.

But she couldn't be here, not in this rotten place, far from the comforts of Konoha and from their daughter's side. And yet, she called his name, and as he fell into her arms, slipping out of consciousness, he wished it were all real.

…

It was real.

"Sakura."

And now he wished it weren't.

"Oh, you're awake! Hold on. Let me just give you another dose of the antidote…" she grabbed his arm, administering the shot. "For that poison to lay you up, it must've been something new, unique to this place, I wonder —"

"Why are you here?"

She flashed him a smile. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

That wasn't the point, he thought. His expression unchanged, he continued.

"You didn't answer my question."

She sighed. "There has been a change in the mission. And I'm here to deliver you the news."

He glanced around the room, surprised that for something as grim as this place, they actually had prepared a pretty decent clinic furnished with medical supplies for the prisoners.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He refocused his gaze on her.

"Tell me about it and then you can leave."

She folded her arms. "No. I'm now working as a doctor here. I have patients to take care of."

"They can just hire a new one."

She threw her arms up. "Sasuke-kun, there are more important things to talk about. We have to figure out how to get —"

He stood up from the bed, inching closer to her, his gaze more steely than before. "You're not supposed to be here, Sakura."

"Why shouldn't I?" she backed away.

He regarded her for a moment, noting an equally serious and defiant look on her face. He hesitated, unsure whether to say what he was about to say next because he knew she would misunderstand.

But he continued, replying in a low whisper.

"It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Are you underestimating me?"

She reacted as he expected, a flash of anger in her eyes. It seemed like she wanted to say more but just then, they heard a soft knock on the door.

"Sakura-sensei, are you there?"

It was Jiji, and Sasuke could only wonder why he would be out this late at night. Sakura darted him a meaningful glance, and he nodded, catching what it meant. He shuffled back to the hospital bed and pulled the curtains around him before Sakura opened the door.

Sasuke had to sit still as he watched his cellmate complain about his stomach. But it didn't take too long to notice the obvious. Jiji was lying. And Sasuke could clearly see how Jiji was eyeing Sakura up. It felt so uncomfortable, so antagonizing that Sasuke wanted to do something about it. But he had to stay hidden for the sake of the mission.

Jiji happily chatted away with Sakura until finally, she finished giving him packets of medicine and convinced him to rest for the night. Sasuke could hear the reluctance in Jiji's voice as Sakura escorted him out the door, promising he'd be back again tomorrow. She bade him good night.

Sasuke was already gritting his teeth when he pulled back the curtains.

"And then there's that guy. It's dangerous here, Sakura."

"I, too, know of danger, Sasuke, and I've lived most of my life fighting with you and Naruto, haven't I?"

She held his gaze. "You know I can help you here…just like now."

It was true that if not for her, he probably would have difficulty surviving the life-threatening effects of the poison that he was dealt with. But again, that was beside the point. She shouldn't be here.

"But I would've been fine either way. This is just one of those missions."

Sasuke was used to fighting and surviving alone. He preferred it that way. Doing everything on his own was a lot easier, and what happened next was always a lot more predictable, controllable. But with another person in the equation, with Sakura here…

She sat beside him, seeming to choose her words carefully. "If you're saying it's dangerous, then don't you think that's reason enough for you to have me here as a partner?"

She was his partner, but…

She touched his hand, and despite the years, it never waned — the effect she had on him. "You don't have to worry about me, Sasuke-kun. I can take care of myself just fine. I'm not going to get in your way."

This wasn't about pride, he scolded himself. But at the same time, he was just never good at putting his emotions into words, especially when it came to Sakura.

"You don't understand."

She stood back up, recoiling from him. "Well, it's you who don't understand. I don't know why we're even fighting about this. I told you I'll be okay and we can support each other. You know it's for Naru—"

"I would've been enough for this mission."

She scoffed. "So you are underestimating me."

He jerked his head up. "I didn't say that."

"Or you just don't want me here," she continued, her breath, shaky.

"That's not —"

She began towards the door. "I'm going out. Just let me know when you're ready to talk about the mission," she intoned.

He followed and grabbed her arm. He knew he could have and should have just said it sooner instead of deliberately skirting around his feelings and hurting her in the process.

After a pause, he sighed, letting it out.

"I missed you."

She looked at him for a moment as if waiting for him to take it back. But he meant what he said, so he looked back at her with such intensity he hoped she would understand.

After a while, she snorted. "You should've just said so, you dummy."

And then he felt her arms around him. She was so, so warm, and this was real.

"Don't worry. I'll be okay, Sasuke-kun."

"I know you'll be. I will never underestimate you, Sakura. But I —"

She pulled back to give him a quick kiss.

"You have nothing to worry about."

"I can't lose you," he mumbled in her hair, tightening his embrace, finally admitting to himself his greatest fear.

"And you won't, silly."

…

Fin.