Title: be brave, my love
Summary: He's always running away, always pushing them back. Sakura encourages him to change.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Bravery
Rating: K+
Warning(s): Lots of angst. UNEDITED.
Comments: Inspired from another fanart. :)

Every month, Sakura spares a visit to the Uchiha cemetery grounds. Every month, she pays her respects to Sasuke's family, and speaks to Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha's tombstones softly about the progress of their still-healing boy, her voice amicable and gentle, like she is speaking to treasured friends.

(and she likes to think that they are, after three years and a half of this routine meeting)

But it doesn't end there. She likes to talk about Itachi's ever-growing recognition, and about her work at the hospital. She likes to ask about Sasuke's past a child, if he was always this serious, and if he still craved for tomatoes in the same way, and oh, was he always this much of a pompous jerk? Then she shakes her head and smiles, apologizing for her rude behavior, whispering to them that he is a good man, with a good heart, and she should not be speaking so carelessly when he is trying so hard to better himself.

"Loving him is hard," she thinks, she speaks. "But you both know that, don't you? Up there, where you are, I know you're watching over him. I know that you can relate. He's trying his best, and I'm trying too, but sometimes Sasuke-kun can be so distant and, well, scared I suppose. "

And then she smiles again, and moves to her knees, gently offering the arrangement of pretty, pink roses—

("Love, grace, appreciation and gentility," Ino had said to her once, all those years ago. "I know people usually take white lilies but… these suits you better, I think. Because you're not really mourning them, you just—you want to thank them, yeah? So take these.")

—before she bows down humbly, offering an almost silent prayer of parting, the like of which usually consisted of, "Thank you Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san. I hope that wherever you are, you are both happy, in the way that you should have been allowed to be. And I hope that you will continue to watch over Sasuke-kun, and help me understand him better. I will never be grateful enough."

And then she leaves, feeling lighter, better. Less mad about the world, less horrible about the tragedy. The flame in her heart renewed and warm, shining high and bright, keeping her happy and hopeful in her bond with Sasuke and with the rest of the world.

It's almost therapeutic, in a sense.

But on June 9th, two years and a half since Sasuke's been back, she walks to the cemetery grounds and finds her routine is broken.

Because there he is, the love of her life, practically collapsed against a tombstone that she has never seen before—a new one, it seems. His forehead is leaning against the top, and he's gripping the edges tightly, blunt nails digging into the stone and scratching his skin, and—

(he is angry and broken and scared, looking for answers that he will never be able to give him, always running to his past and never living in the present, trying so hard to escape his pain and—)

—and he is crying.

.

.

"Go away," he whispers harshly, once he finally senses her, wiping at his eyes, and adamant on refusing to face her. He can't let her see him like this, so vulnerable and weak. He can't fathom her of all people pitying him. Not Sakura.

(because he is supposed to be her hero, her strong and brave warrior, who stands proud and tall in the face of everything, who would never display such disgusting weakness in the face of something so ridiculous and whywhywhy does it matter so much—)

"Sasuke-kun are you—what's wrong?" she asks worriedly, her voice strong and protective, but careful all the same, like she is talking to someone fragile. It strikes a nerve with him, and he grits his teeth.

"Did something happen?" she goes on, approaching him hesitantly. "Do you need—"

"I said go away," he repeats in a low growl, gripping the stone tighter. He really doesn't feel like he can deal with her kind words right now, because the pain in his heart is too heavy and his emotions are already brimming and he just—he doesn't think he can handle any more.

And because he doesn't want to look at her, he can't see the way she reacts, but he can hear the hurt in her voice as she whispers, "No, Sasuke-kun, don't—don't say that—"

And he can't handle it. He loses it, then, his tone dropping his controlled edge and sounding both vicious and terrified—like a wounded animal desperately seeking the safety that it was so used to—as he yells, "Go away!"

He's shaking, at this point, and doesn't quite understand if it's from his ever-present fear of getting hurt and feeling too much, or if it's because of the anger he feels in her presence and persistence in helping him and appearing to him while he is as his worst, at his weakest. Briefly, he thinks that it might be both.

"Don't do that," he hears her whisper, touching him softly. He instantly recoils away from her touch, too surprised by the gesture.

"Sasuke-kun," she murmured, reaching to touch his cheek again. "Don't refuse me, please. Stop pushing me away, stop running away from your fear of getting hurt again." He starts to pull away from her again, unable to hear her plead him so much, unable to hear so much pain leaking through her words, her voice. He grows angry at the way she makes the guilt in him rise, and almost wants to slap away her hands, before she desperately presses, "You need to start being brave and let me help!"

It feels like a cold slap to reality, and he jerks his head to look at her, jaw tightening at the sight of her quivering lip, and watery eyes.

"You need to let me help, Sasuke-kun," she says, "or else you're never gonna get better."

He closes his eyes and bows his head a little, gritting his teeth as his fingers dig within the dewy blades of the long grass beside the tombstone. He doesn't think that he can fight against her anymore.

"I love you. I love you so much," she breathes, as a last resort, a last attempt. "I hate to see you like this. And it hurts me so much that you can't stop running away you're your problems. So please… let me in."

He knows he's lost, then, as he expels a deep, shaky breath and reaches to grasp the edges of her skirt, seeking the comfort she's been silently promising him, inviting her to embrace his pain and take it all away.

"It's Itachi's birthday," he whispers quietly, tone brimming with the most silent of agonies. He's shaking, trembling—scared. But he has to be brave. He has to let her in. Swallowing tightly, he goes on, "It's Itachi's birthday and I—I miss him." His voice shakes. "I miss him so much."

She hugs him then, with everything she has, with everything she feels, and he can't help but to respond in a moment's breath, wrapping his own arms around her and burying his face in her stomach as he finally, finally lets his tears escape. He relishes in the warmth of her body, the gentle threading of her fingers through his hair, stroking soothingly while she pressed her lips to the crown of his hair and whispered soft confessions of love and support. He feels strangely happy, strangely connected, as he hears her stifled sobs, and realizes that she is crying for him, with him.

He doesn't feel so alone anymore.

A/N: This is such crap and im sorry. i just needed this out. I'll rewrite someday, maybe. If not it'll just go in my list of crappy things that I hate lmao.

I had forgotten to upload this yesterday! I apologize for running late, been busy with work :/ Look forward to smut for the next prompt! hopefully i can put it up tonight, if not tomorrow :)

DeepPoeticGirl