Hello, everyone! Here is the fifth chapter of Healing Demons. Please review and enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto only.
SUMMARY: Sakura was a diligent medical student with dreams and aspirations of greatness. Sasuke's dreams had been crushed by a dark past, leaving him broke and depressed. What happened when these two crossed paths and their lives got interwoven together? Modern world AU
Sasuke had absolutely no idea how he got dragged into such an undesirable predicament. He found himself soaking in the heat of the sun's rays and the light reflecting off the crystal blue water of the lake in front of him. He supposed it would be considered an ideal scene to many, but his thoughts always seemed to gravitate their way back to his inviting bed and the enticing darkness of his apartment. It was a stark contrast to what he let himself get into in that moment.
Naruto's incessant convincing had finally resulted in Sasuke caving in and agreeing to a day out on the lake. He persistently and enthusiastically reminded Sasuke that he knew a secret spot that hardly anyone was aware of, and they would enjoy at least a couple of hours there. The sunlight would be good for his lack of serotonin, anyway. At least that's what Sasuke kept on repeating like a mantra inside his mind in an attempt to believe himself.
It was times like these that Sasuke's soft spot for his friend was bared for all the world to see.
Naruto was splayed out on his obnoxiously orange beach towel to Sasuke's right, sighing left and right as if his happiness could spread out and infect everyone around him. Sasuke was inadvertently immune to his charm, though. Naruto let his golden skin bake under the relentless shine of the sun.
There was little humidity hanging in the air and a slight breeze graced the pair with its presence every few moments, hanging in the trees surrounding them like a welcomed whisper. The scent of wildflowers and freshly bloomed blossoms were softly carried through the air and the birds that lounged all around the surrounding area chirped their own melodic songs.
Sasuke was unsure what unnerved him more: the fact that such a seemingly beautiful moment in time seemed to churn nauseousness in his gut or that he had grown so detached, so accustomed to the darkness within his shell that the outside world caused him such distress. He was Sasuke Uchiha. He never got scared. Anxiety didn't consume him or dictate his emotions. But, the negative feelings that washed over him seemed to overtake his being. There was no stabilizing force to grab a hold of as this internal struggle gripped him and his racing thoughts.
Squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to block out these unwelcome feelings, Sasuke laid his barely muscular body down on his jet black beach towel and tossed his white shirt over his strained face, creating a barrier between himself and the light the daytime sun so fervently provided. Going out and socializing be damned; the others hadn't even arrived yet, though Sasuke and Naruto had been in that hell hole for a whole twenty minutes by that point. It wasn't worth it to Sasuke to suffer in silence when he could sleep in the security of his own bed and turn the whole world off around him.
The thought of that alone was much more appealing to Sasuke.
Rather than dwelling on something he could no longer change in that moment, Sasuke willed his heartbeat to slow its erratic pace and attempted to rest his eyes. Naruto always tried his best to remind him to think positively, look on the good side of things. But, optimism was like second nature to the outgoing blond. If anything were to go even remotely wrong or askew, Naruto reflexively generated a positive spin to the situation. If Sasuke were to even remotely look on the bright side, it would go against every fiber of his being. There were too many things that had gone wrong for him the past, too much negativity that there was hardly any convincing him that it could ever be otherwise.
"Ahhh…today was the perfect day to come here, wasn't it, Sasuke?" Naruto chimed through the crisp spring air. He remained sprawled out, soaking in the sun like a solar panel. A bright, wide smile broke across his face as his cerulean eyes closed in satisfaction and toned arms folded behind his head as a cushion. His blissful contentment was nearly palpable, entwining with the sweet air encircling them. "No work today, almost everyone's done with their exams…there are hardly any worries right now." Naruto briefly paused, then added, "No necessary worries, that is."
Sasuke didn't move or respond to his friend. He supposed Naruto was right; there really shouldn't be any worries to the average person on such a nice day. But, he didn't consider himself an average person. He unfortunately considered him lesser, much more undeserving than the ordinary individual. Maybe that was why he subconsciously couldn't bring himself to enjoy this day out on the lake. Maybe it was because he felt his happiness wouldn't be justified.
Sasuke also couldn't bring himself to feel like his harsh judgment of himself was unfair. That was one thing he felt deserving of.
In response to Naruto, Sasuke merely grunted from under his white shirt and nothing more. He focused on his breathing, thinking that if he fell asleep before the other invited guests finally arrived, this recreational day would be monumentally less painful. The less interaction with others, the better. His social skills needed honing and Sasuke knew that excruciatingly awkward encounters would only make him feel so much worse. He was agonizingly aware of that.
But, as always, the universe didn't seem to grant mercy upon his weary soul. He heard a loudly cheerful voice break through the fresh breeze and cause his muscles to tense. Sasuke may have spent the last twenty minutes waging a war within himself, but now he had to multitask. His responsibilities increased to combating his unruly thoughts while also interacting with people he would rather not get to know. It was a recipe for disaster in his darkened eyes.
"Narutooooo…..we're here!" the voice rang, breaking through Sasuke's self-depraving reverie. In reality, he supposed he should be thankful, but he really just sank more into his cloudy sulkiness. The vociferous voice went on, getting closer and closer to where Sasuke and Naruto situated themselves directly in front of the entrance to the water. He could tell by the amount of footsteps echoing behind him that there were three people who had just arrived. He internally groaned. "You were right when you said this place was remote. I'm surprised you actually know of a place that no one else knows of. I guess that means this will really be an amazing day out on the water!"
The owner of the voice came so close to Sasuke that he could tell that she had finally come right up to the pair. He resisted the urge to remove the shirt from his pale face and see who was attached to it. He didn't really care anyway. He didn't seem to care about much nowadays.
"I'm happy you found this spot, Ino," Naruto responded, his smile bleeding through his voice and infecting each word he spoke, "It's super remote and I was afraid it would take you forever just to find it. We all know I'm not the best with directions." Naruto ended his proclamation with a nervous chuckle, scratching his head with his right hand.
"Well, duh, Naruto. That's why we're late. You're so directionally challenged that your instructions sent us in the totally wrong direction!" the girl, Ino, exasperatedly replied. Sasuke could practically imagine her dramatically waving her arms in the air for emphasis. If this interaction was anything to go off of, he could already tell that he wouldn't get along with her high-strung personality. But, as soon as her temper seemed to flare, it simmered down and she continued happily. "Well, we're here. We'll settle in and then we'll hit the water. We brought spritzers along with us since I knew you'd bring some gross beer I knew I wouldn't like. Hinata told us she didn't want to drink, so she also offered to be DD. So, let's go at it and have an awesome day."
With that proclamation, Sasuke could hear the girl toss her beach bag on the sand and other lighter footsteps come up behind them. A moment later, he felt the vibration of something large hitting the sand near him to his right, which he could only assume from the previous conversation was cooler containing the spritzers. To each their own, but he knew immediately he would not touch such a dainty drink. He would happily stick to his lagers and IPAs.
"Do you mind if I settle down next to you? There's not much room anywhere else," a sweet voice resonated through the small amount of air between them. At the vague recognition that spread through Sasuke, his eyes uncharacteristically sprang open, though this was disguised by the white shirt draped over them. In that split second, his mind went a million miles an hour, sifting through memories he sheltered, recent and past. The only thing that came to mind was the remembrance of the girl he met the day before at the coffee shop. The thought alone made his mind freeze up along with his limbs. It was a heartbeat later when remembered that the owner of the voice asked a question, and a question required an answer.
Sasuke did all that he could think to do in that moment, and grunted in approval. He could only hope that the girl understood that it was no rejection. By the sound of a towel being gently laid down to his left and a body situating itself next to his, he could only assume that his message came across loud and clear. Sasuke took this as an opportunity to lightly lift the white shirt up over his face and sneak a peek at the welcomed intruder.
Instantly, his eyes connected with fierce greens and a spark of recognition ran through Sasuke's nerves. He knew this girl was coming; Naruto mentioned it in passing whilst begging him to come along to the lake. In his attempt to act unbothered and unaffected by their brief interaction the day before, Sasuke resolved to basically outright ignore her and all the others. Less interaction meant less of chance to make a complete fool out of himself for no reason at all.
Sasuke watched the girl briefly situate herself and set her things on each end of her white beach towel in an attempt to anchor it down. She tugged at the cover up draped across her body and lifted it up over her head, revealing a very flattering white swimsuit that hugged her curves in all the right places. He could only imagine what she would look like when she got up and made her way to the water.
The view of Sakura walking away from him would be a very favorable image, indeed. The thought of it alone sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine and caused his muscles to tense even more. Just her presence alone awakened a fever inside him that he felt was killed off long ago. How did she ignite such desire within his bones with no effort or awareness at all?
Tsk'ing and shaking these unwelcome but very human thoughts from his mind, Sasuke dropped his shirt back over his eyes. Letting himself succumb to his imagination wouldn't be a good idea, especially considering there was no chance of his fantasies coming to fruition.
Nothing ever worked out for him. Why would this be an exception?
"Hey, Sakura! Hinata and Naruto are heading out to the water with me for a swim," Sasuke heard Ino's voice chirp, becoming an ironic relief for him. Being alone is just what he needed at that moment. "Come with us! Drag Sasuke along too." She mentioned Sasuke as a side note as if he couldn't respond for himself. Maybe people truly thought he was a mute who couldn't speak for himself, considering he never felt like most conversations were worth the effort.
In all honesty, Sasuke didn't see a problem with that. Less nuisances for him.
"I'll join you in a little bit, Ino," Sakura replied, followed by the scent of sunscreen lingering in the air. "I have to get ready. My skin soaks up sun block like nobody's business."
"Fine, but you better come eventually. I plan to swim until the sun goes down."
"Of course you do, Miss Mermaid. Go have fun with the others. I'll watch you from here for now."
At that, Sasuke heard a pair of feet run swiftly through the sand toward the lake, followed by a large splash and a squeal emanating from Ino. One could only assume Naruto welcomed her to the water with a face full of water. Especially since it was succeeded by a war roar from Ino and a cut-off yelp from Naruto. She definitely dunked him underwater and Hinata was the devil's advocate, attempting to calm the two down. But, anyone with half a brain knew that was a lost cause.
Sasuke was glad that he declined to join them; he knew he wanted no part in their boisterous antics.
"They sure have a lot of energy, don't they?" Sakura chuckled, and it took Sasuke a moment to register that she was talking to him. They were the only ones left lounging on the beach, and realizing this would certainly make things awkward rapidly for him. He had to make one of two choices: either engage in a conversation with the very person he felt compelled to avoid or come across as an asshole that ignored someone who was only trying to hold a friendly conversation. He usually chose the latter and felt compelled to go to his comfort zone once more. But, remembering going against his better judgment the day before, Sasuke chose to do so once more.
He lifted the shirt from over his eyes, flinching as the sun hit his irises and taking a moment to adjust to the sudden onslaught of light. Placing the shirt to his right and shifting onto his left arm to turn and look Sakura in the eyes, Sasuke replied with the only thing that came to mind in that moment.
"Naruto has an endless amount of energy, and it's exhausting just to watch."
Sakura loosed a melodic laugh in reply, and such a splendid sound reluctantly wrenched a smile from Sasuke's round lips. He made a mental note that Sakura seemed to enjoy his dry commentary, though she may have only reacted in such a way to be polite. Sasuke had to remind himself that not everybody had his best interest in mind, and that included acting in a pleasing way in order to gain something.
Sakura may not have had anything to gain by being nice to him, but Sasuke never wanted to let his guard down lest it blow up directly in his face.
"You're right, you know," Sakura began, her bright smile laced in each word. Sakura's attention was fixed on Sasuke's face, but the young man couldn't help but watch her mouth as she spoke to him. "For as long as I've known Naruto, he's always been a ray of sunshine. I don't know how he can keep that up all day long. Some days it's contagious; some days it's downright infuriating."
It was Sasuke's turn to chuckle at her comment about his best friend, though it came across as more of a grunt. He didn't laugh much, so the fact that this girl charmed one out of him within the first five minutes of their second short conversation was a feat in itself. It made her more mysterious to him; how was she so capable of drawing these reactions from him?
It was both scary and mesmerizing.
To cover his unsteady musing, Sasuke rubbed his stubbly chin and huffed. He could hear Naruto and his friends playing with a beach ball in the water and getting extremely competitive. It was too stimulating for him; the amount of energy that Naruto and Ino had put together was off-putting for the introvert that he was. His mind was distracted by the chirping of the birds and an airplane that was flying overhead far, far away. He had no idea why he was disassociating from the conversation at hand. Instead of grasping what he should say in response, thoughts branched out to focus on anything but.
It wasn't fair. He was shutting down in his first real conversation with someone other than Naruto in a long, long time. And it was with someone truly wanted to get to know. Before any more time passed and he came across as more of an ass than he probably already did, Sasuke blurted out a menial response.
"You get used to it," he replied, dropping down onto his back and staring up at the sky, spotting the airplane his ears picked up on just moments ago. There was a brief silence, as if Sakura expected Sasuke to say more, but he was done. It wasn't as if he didn't want to continue the conversation; he just didn't have the energy or ability to drag it on.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Sakura acknowledged, shifting on her towel so that her legs were crossed in front of her and pulled up to her chest. Another brief pause, and Sakura continued, "I'm not sure how you met him, but I don't know what I would have done if he never insisted on being my friend when he became my lab partner in middle school. He and Ino have been my anchors all these years. Maybe that's another reason it never gets old to me."
Sasuke was unsure if she intended on continuing, but he remained silent. He turned his head over in her direction, looking at her delicate features as she looked on to her friends enjoying themselves. They were laughing, smiling, and just plainly enjoying each other's presence. It was a normal occurrence for Naruto, but it was almost a foreign concept to Sasuke. He understood why Naruto insisted that he join in on the fun, but it was so tiring to even think about. Maybe he could let himself enjoy the leisure someday, but unfortunately, that wasn't the day for him.
Sakura stole a glance at Sasuke and the moment their onyx and emerald eyes connected, Sasuke's breath escaped him. Sakura seemed unaffected, and merely took that brief moment as an invitation to continue speaking to him.
"Everyone's saying it's such a good day to come outside and enjoy ourselves, and maybe it is," Sakura continued, "but I can't really bring myself to appreciate it. I'm so used to working for hours on end, and recreational time was unheard of for me. I mean, it's only been one day since I finished my exams, and I feel like I'm forgetting something important. Was my life really so sad that when I enjoy myself, it feels unfamiliar?"
Sasuke remained quiet as Sakura's meaningful words poured out of her. It was like she heard his desire to know more about her and granted his request with enthusiasm. It was slightly unnerving, but he let her go on.
"I really have no idea why I feel like opening up to you right now," Sakura bitterly laughed, turning her gaze up to the sky, "Maybe it's because it seems like you're actually listening to what I'm saying. Not many people do. I'm sorry if this is a little too much for someone who I haven't even properly introduced myself to."
Sakura's green eyes shifted back over to Sasuke's, which never stopped looking at her. She expectantly and invitingly chewed on her pink lips, lightly coated with a minimal amount of lip stain. He found, unsurprisingly, that he had few words for her. He understood what she confessed to him, but he was not one to open up himself. If he provided even a grain of himself to anyone, too many questions would be asked, which would lead to anger, frustration, and resentment. Sasuke would do everything in his power to make sure those negative feelings never came to fruition.
Sasuke merely reached into the cooler that Naruto brought along with them and grabbed two beers. Opening both of them with the bottle opener attached to the set of keys in his backpack, he kept one for himself and silently handed the other to Sakura. It was a gesture of understanding; it was non-verbal way of Sasuke saying "Shit sucks, I know."
Sakura gently took the drink from Sasuke's long fingers, and it seemed her hand deliberately lingered for a moment longer than necessary. Maybe it was Sasuke's increasingly overactive imagination, but as the pair sat side by side sipping on beer and looking on to the friends enjoying themselves in the water, Sasuke swore that though he suffered through inner turmoil and said very few words, he may have forged the beginning of a bond with a girl that didn't seem to be interested in vacating his mind.
And though he was so adamantly against these attachments, Sasuke surprisingly didn't mind that she barged in without knocking.
The sun was finally settling down behind the trees, signaling the entrance of the awaiting evening. For hours on end, Sakura came and went from the inviting water, resting on the bank every once in a while with a beer in hand. While she tended to prefer the spritzers that Ino didn't dare forget to bring for their day out, once Sakura silently plopped down on her towel to rest, there was one awaiting her in Sasuke's hand.
She thought it was sweet. Though there was little conversation that took place between the two, Sakura was enjoying her time spent split between the exuberance of her friends and the quiet companionship Sasuke provided. She tried several times to drag him out to get in all the action, but Sasuke repeatedly declined. Sakura was unsure why he secluded himself; it could be any number of reasons. He could possibly be having a crappy day, week, or month. Or he could be a hermit that was repulsed by any sort of human interaction.
Judging by their civil, and dare she say it, enjoyable semi-interactions, Sakura hoped and chose to believe it was the former. Bad days could usually be mended by a metaphorical band-aid, but the sour petulance of someone who refuses to do anything about it would take an astronomical amount of patience.
Sakura was not known for her patience or stable temper.
Not long after Sakura retreated back to where Sasuke was stationed and reached for another beer beckoning for her, Naruto, Ino, and Hinata finally made their way back to the sandy bank. How they were able to spend so much time out in the sun and water was beyond her. Hinata was a trooper; Sakura knew she was out in the water for such a long time so she could spend time with Naruto. It truly had been a tremendous amount of time since they had been together.
It was times like that that made Sakura wished that Naruto was more empathetic towards other people's actions and emotions.
It wasn't that he was insensitive; Naruto was just a straightforward, simple male and occasionally forgot that not all people around him were inclined to be the same. He had a heart of gold and intentions of the most sparkling diamond. He would go to hell and back for someone, and go back many times more if need be. Hinata was one of the first people to see how admirable of a man this sometimes-mindless goofball truly was, and they worked well in that respect.
The three of her friends situated themselves on their respective towels; Hinata delicately sat down, Ino slid directly onto her toned stomach, and Naruto rolled onto his back dramatically. Cracking a smile at Naruto's loud antics, Sakura snuck a quick glance at Sasuke to find that he was already looking at her with a mysterious look on his handsome face while sipping on his drink. Painting a questioning look on her face, Sakura quickly spoke to him.
"What's wrong?" she quietly inquired, lowering her voice so the conversation could be shared between the two alone. Her eyes studied his face as she watched him finish his sip and set the drink down beside him, placing his elbows on his bent knees.
"Hn, nothing," Sasuke replied, turning to face the lake. It was reflecting beginning hues of orange, yellow, and red hanging in the evening sky. It was probably time to start heading back, but no one made a move to leave. In fact, Naruto could be heard grabbing a beer and Ino, a spritzer. The day seemed to still be young. Not wanting to let Sakura's concern to go unrecognized, he turned his gaze back over to hers and added, "It was a nice day. With you, I mean."
The proclamation hung in the air and Sakura let it sink into her mind. They spent the day exchanging minimal words and merely enjoying each other's company. It was one of her better days off that she'd had and she'd savor it for a long while to come. Her heart thumped and could feel her face heat in the increasingly chilly evening air. Not trusting her tongue to speak coherently in that moment, Sakura instead let her bright smile spread across her face and raked a nervous hand through her matted tresses. Maybe the sun made her delirious, or maybe it was the increasing attraction she felt towards Sasuke, but she could have sworn she spotted the remnants of a bright blush finding their place on his turned face.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Sakura chirped, her smile never wavering as she ignored everyone around them and focused solely on the male in front of her, "I had a great time, too. Maybe we...well, maybe you'll be around with Naruto more often?"
Sakura watched Sasuke steal another glance over at her and away. He took a large swig of his remaining beer, slightly concerning her. Maybe her question was too much? Did it make her sound too desperate to spend more time with him? This small amount of time left her craving much more; it was like a small appetizer in a five course meal that left her desiring the rest of the feast. She wanted to delve in and get to know the enigma that was Sasuke.
If he was close enough to Naruto, that meant he was a good guy. Sakura knew that for sure.
But his delayed responses and essential silence was both cathartic and nerve wracking at the same time. Each time Sasuke took more than a moment to respond to Sakura, it both added to his mysteriousness and her anxiety.
"Yeah," Sasuke said, yanking Sakura from her spiraling thoughts and letting the blood run their course once more through her veins, "It seems I will be."
"I'm glad," Sakura said, licking her lips and ignoring Naruto and Ino's playful bickering behind Sasuke, choosing to focus on that small moment shared between the pair. "It'll be refreshing to have a new face around here. And to have someone I can decompress with."
Sakura's breath hitched and she bit her sun-dried lip. She added the last part in hopes that Sasuke would latch onto the invitation laced between the words, but was afraid it came off as pushy and needy. Her lack of experience in the dating and flirtation department didn't help either; she was so stale when it came to the pursuit of another human being that she felt almost robotic. If she didn't push Sasuke away now, she felt she most definitely would eventually.
Sakura waited with baited breath for Sasuke's response, but they were interrupted by Naruto who stuck his cheerful face between them to grab their attention.
"Hey guys!" Naruto exclaimed, much too loud for the pair who were previously speaking with lowered voices, "Ino decided we're all going to her fashion show! That means you too, Sasuke!"
Sakura, who was already planning on going to support her best friend, looked over to her new acquaintance with stunned eyes to examine his reaction. Or, by further inspection, lack thereof. The only sign that Sasuke heard the blonde essentially dangling in front of his face was his pursed lips.
Those beautifully sculpted lips. She had been spying them wrapped around the beers he had been drinking and refused to acknowledge the wicked imagery her imagination enticed her with. It was not the time or place to fantasize about such things.
Forcing herself back to the present, Sakura spotted Ino and Hinata coming up behind Sasuke, Ino with a spritzer in hand and Hinata with a water bottle. They both wrapped white shawls over their bathing suits, perfectly accenting the color the sun granted their skin that day. Hinata wore a straw hat to block out the remainder of the sun from her porcelain eyes. Once the entire group was once again congregated, Naruto egged Sasuke on for an answer.
"Well?" Naruto insisted, straightening his back to stand and wrapping his right arm around Hinata's shoulders, whom wrapped both of her arms around his muscular torso in return. "We would love for you to come, Sasuke. It'll be fun, just like today. You don't have to socialize with anyone you don't want to."
Heaving a sigh and letting his head hang for a brief moment, Sasuke raised it once more, stealing a glance over at Sakura, and put in the effort to look up and back at Naruto. Wincing from the minuscule amount of sun left hanging in the air, Sasuke replied.
"Fine," he began, "But I am not speaking to those I do not intend to. Is that clear?"
Ignoring his adamant and seemingly strange demand, Naruto enthusiastically hurrahed and Ino squealed and cheered in excitement. Hinata was the only one who let her concern emanate through her features as if she knew what was so concerning about the seemingly innocent request. She did not speak up, leading Sakura to believe she would speak to her boyfriend once they all went home for the day.
Hinata may hold her tongue when necessary, but she had grown to be no pushover.
Naruto led Hinata back over to their towels as Ino sent a knowing smirk over in Sakura's direction. Playing coy, Sakura shot her playful tongue out at her best friend and finished the beer she had been nursing. Turning on her heel, attracting Sakura's eyes to her delicately manicured toes dressed in silver toe rings, Ino went back over to her towel to relax until it was time to go. It seemed that Ino had spied Sasuke and Sakura bonding through the day and decided to let them remain unperturbed. She was best friend and wing-woman material.
She would demand to hear all the juicy details later that night, for sure.
Sakura turned her head back over to face Sasuke only to find him with his face between his legs, as if to block out the world around him. Debating whether or not to disturb him, Sakura let her concern take over and placed a soothing on his left shoulder and spoke the only words that came to mind to placate whatever negativity seemed to eat him up.
"If you want, you can stick by my side at the show," Sakura spoke quietly into Sasuke's ear, causing him to tense under her hand. She was surprised he didn't jerk away. "I won't ask you to speak to me unless you want to. I'm sorry if that sounds ridiculous. I'm just trying to help in any way I can."
It took quite a few breaths for Sasuke's muscles to loosen and him to lift his eyes to hers. When they connected, it was as if they were the only two at the lake. It was unlike before; there was an obvious attraction laced within each stolen glance that day. But it was completely dissimilar because Sakura had knowingly reached out to him in his moment of distress and tried to pinpoint the cause of it. She may not have been completely accurate, but it was further than anyone other than Naruto had been willing to do for him.
It was as if Sasuke saw Sakura in a completely new, much more captivating light.
Swallowing hard and willing his words to come out, Sasuke replied, struggling to maintain eye contact with Sakura. Not due to any sort of distaste, rather the uneasiness of the warm feeling bubbling inside of his cold chest. It was nearly foreign to him and it threatened to consume him.
"Thanks," Sasuke said, trying with all his might to melt coolness into his tone and not let the embarrassment of letting such a vulnerable moment be seen by another overwhelm him. He unnoticeably swallowed one more time.
Sakura gave Sasuke a small, reassuring smile, and before she found her spot back on her towel on his side, she attempted to hearten him once more.
"No worries, Sasuke," she softly said to him, "We may not know each other well, but I'd like to think I'll have your back from here on out."
Hello everyone! This was chapter five. I hope you enjoyed it! I am trying to pace their interactions well while also depicting why each Sasuke and Sakura are reacting the way they do. Please review. :)
As always, please like/subscribe/review and let me know what you think! Have a great week :)