d-6 #SSRetsudenCountdown prompt: standing next to her, my only wish— blank period au
"last time you were here, you looked different."
distracted by the look on sakura's face beside him as she converses with the herbal plants' seller, sasuke almost didn't hear the old woman from the mochi stall across it. he turned around to look at her and the elderly smiled, wrinkles making her eyes look even tinier.
sparing sakura a look that she didn't notice since she was still absorbed with her curiosity about everything, sasuke made his way towards the old lady behind them.
"you remember me?" he asked warily knowing he visited this land around two years ago from his journeys. he recalled buying a few of her mochis even if he didn't have a sweet tooth.
his brother had it, he remembered with a pang in his heart, as well as his mother. and of course, his girl—
sasuke halted his thoughts before they could even materialize in a form of a blush around his cheeks. it has been 4 months since their journey together, and his heart still beats like crazy whenever he hears, let alone thinks, of that word.
girlfriend— so foreign in his mouth, yet so right in his chest. it was sakura, after all.
the old lady chuckled, "of course, i remember you. how could i not when you saved the world?"
pride would always be there inside him, dormant but alive in his veins, just simmering under his legendary name. but this feeling was a different pride altogether. it made his heart swell with emotions he couldn't fully fathom but sasuke knew deep down it was something good.
"aa," he murmured. "that was a long time ago."
"indeed, but we will never forget." she paused for a while as if pondering her next words, and then asked, "have you found your wish yet, dear?"
sasuke had to take a moment before his mind recalled the last time he was here. and then he remembered—
"everybody wants something, child. especially you who lost a lot of things in the past."
"i can't afford to want anything anymore. i don't know if i can make it if i lose them in the future."
"then start with a simple wish. watch it grow and become something you want… and need… and then you'll see yourself hope for it. hope is a wonderful thing, dear. maybe the best of things."
sasuke felt her approach before he could hear her beside him, "oh, sasuke-kun! mochis! they look so tasty!"
sakura's smile dazzled him, and the crowd that observed her the second she walked in. her pink hair danced along with the wind and he smelled mint and peaches and hope, everything good in this world, and suddenly his heart thudded in his chest with a sudden realization.
compliments were shared, mochis were sold, a soft beacon of spring was within his grasp— and sasuke felt so warm knowing she was with him and he was with her. he watched as she approached another stall and started another conversation with the owner, and he couldn't help but wish and want and hope.
by the time he turned to respond to the old lady's inquiry, it seemed like she already knew the answer from the look on his face. nonetheless, sasuke genuinely answered.
"standing next to her. that's my only wish."
always, and my only hope.
a/n: hi i'm back just to post my entries for the twitter event #SSRetsudenCountdown because the manga will be out on oct 23rd! 3 DAYS AWAY UNTIL OUR FAVE COUPLE IS BACK OMGGGGGGGGGGG SCREAM WITH ME
also,, taylor swift is once again ruining my life bc her midnights album is out tomorrow. it's another SS and TS month, indeed (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
