He was right where she thought he would be today, sitting alone in a place that was filled with ghosts. While the village was graced with the privilege of enjoying a day of sunshine, he was followed by a cloud of gray.
Silently, she sat beside him on the crumbling steps, startling a little when he jumped at her presence. It was rare that Sasuke Uchiha could be caught off guard but with the maelstrom brewing within him, reality seemed to disappear beneath the flood.
He expected her to pity him, to mirror the stares he received everyday that made him want to scream. But she only sat quietly, eyes trained on some unknown object in the distance as the warmth of her body slowly radiated into his side.
"Sakura, what are you doing here?" He sounded exasperated against his best wishes. For a second, he was worried the venom in his voice would scare her away but when she turned to him, a gentle smile painted across her supple lips, he knew she wasn't going anywhere.
"Being here for you, like I said I would," she replied matter-of-factly.
A comfortable silence settled between them despite the whirlwind of emotions that swirled in his chest. At her presence, he could feel his inner turmoil seep between the seams of his body and encroach onto her air of tranquility.
It terrified him. The darkness within him threatened to bring her into its clutches. But like a tornado on a sunny day, it simply didn't belong. He simply didn't belong beside her.
Feeling the turbulence erupting in him, Sakura only moved closer until their arms were pressed against each other. She half expected him to run away but to her surprised, he remained still and allowed her to offer the comfort only she could provide.
His heart beat rapidly at her proximity. He wanted to hide but his body refused to obey. Instead, every inch of him yearned to be closer, to be held in her arms that were so strong yet so tender.
Like she always could, Sakura read each emotion that flashed across his face. She linked their arms and rested her head in his shoulder, pink tresses tickling the side of his neck.
Her warmth was burning him now, setting flames crawling on his skin at every point of contact. Panic rose in his chest but he couldn't move. No, he didn't want to move.
"It's been 12 years," he whispered, surprising even himself that he was able to put his thoughts into words. It seemed she just had that effect on him, coaxing to the surface the things he fought to hide.
She snuggled closer, still silent, and waited for him to continue. What he said next surprised him even more.
"I miss them." His voice was soft, broken. As the words escaped between the gaps of his teeth, he yearned to pull them back. But once the dam was broken, he could no longer stop the surge.
"There's nothing left for me here, Sakura. This place, it's filled with nothing but monsters."
She pulled away and turned to face him, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Gently and with all the tenderness she could muster, she cupped his cheeks and pulled him close until their foreheads touched.
"Then run away with me, Sasuke. We'll go far from here, where you'll be safe and warm. Somewhere away from all the monsters."
He shut his eyes and relaxed into her touch. She felt his body weight fall into her arms as a shaky breath seeped past his tired lips. Shivering when their shared air mingled, she only tightened her hold on him, afraid that she had broken a boundary she could never return from.
It seemed like hours passed until he finally found his voice.
"Okay," he breathed. "Let's run away."