Title: I'll wait

Prompt: the song Little Do You Know by Alex & Sierra

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Rating: T

A/N: I found this perfect sasusaku song for their travels where they are still healing and couldn't really help myself from writing a fic out of it. Took me forever but… glad it's out!

It happens more often than she likes to admit–dreaming about their past. Ever since the war, she's lost count of how many nights she's woken up to her heart pounding and her skin slicked with sweat, green eyes struck open wide with fear.

In all these months, Sakura has found that it is easy to forgive the one you love, but so very hard to forget about the bad things that they have done; the memories haunt her still, having yet to recover from the feeling of Sasuke's fingers around her throat, of his chidori lunging for her brain, of his hand shredding her heart to pieces.

She is still trying to heal, after all this time.

And all while he sleeps right next to her.

"Sakura?" she hears, breaking her from trance with a gasp. The touch that follows seconds after has her recoiling on pure instinct, gaze snatching to the warm body sitting up as well.

Her mouth parts as she meets the sight of mismatched eyes stilled on her with clear concern, lips pulled into a frown. It makes her swallow.

"S-Sorry," she utters, breath a bit choppy. Shakily, she reaches to tuck back a lock of hair. "I didn't mean to wake you…"

This only seems to make his frown deepen.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice a pure contrast to the roughness of her dreams.

The thought seems to trigger flashes of more vivid memories, but she quickly shakes them off, blinking her eyes into focus. "It's—It's nothing. I'm fine. It was just… a nightmare."

Of what exactly, he doesn't need to know, she reasons, fiddling with the sheets.

His gaze softens then, if just slightly. Sakura doesn't question why—if anyone knows how troubling nightmares can be, it is certainly Sasuke.

But still, as he reaches to touch her again, the urge to flinch is stronger than herself. She feels a pang of thick shame as he pauses, observant as he has always been, brows furrowing and lips tightening slightly. She hates to hurt him like this.

Then, he pulls his hand back, and looks away from her, features contorting with what could only be guilt. A short, weighted silence settles between them; Sakura can hardly bear it with the way his head bows, lips thinning in a straight line.

Sasuke is not an idiot.

"It was about that time, right?" he asks, voice unbearably quiet.

Her throat grows tight at the sound of him. Why does he always have to notice everything? she thinks wistfully. Although lying is something she seldom ever does to him, she simply does not wish for him to worry about this—because it is not his fault that her nightmares persist, or that they exist at all. It is not as if she hasn't forgiven him for everything he's done.

She just needs a little more time.

So, Sakura settles on trying to stray him from the truth one last time.

(because she knows what he will think if she affirms this truth, knows that he will drown a little more in the shame of his mistakes, that he will think she has not truly pardoned his actions against her)

"I—I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke-kun, it was just a—"

"I'm talking about that time on the bridge when I tried to kill you," he cuts in, traces of anger seeping in.

He sees right through her, and it makes her breath hitch. She swallows tightly once more, and lets her gaze fall to the bed sheets in her lap. "…That was so long ago," she says, weak and defeated at last.

Sasuke sighs. The anger is long gone.

"So what?" he replies, so very softly. "I still dream about what Itachi did to our clan."

But it's not the same, her mind whispers, fist clenching in the thin sheets. That betrayals runs deeper—so much deeper. He was your brother, and I… back then, I was only ever your…

(…friend? no, not really. they'd never really been friends until after the war.

…comrade, then.)

A small, pained smile painting her lips, Sakura looks up at him with her green, green eyes. She can feel the tears starting to well up. "But… It was never that bad with you and I, Sasuke-kun…"

Something flickers in his gaze. "Don't," he says, shaking his head. "Don't do that." She sees his hand reach up tentatively, moving to cup her cheek. "Don't compare your pain to mine."

She can't stop herself from bursting into tears then, leaning away from his touch so she can bury her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she whimpers, shoulders shaking terribly. "I'm sorry—I'm so sorry, I just… It's just so…"

Her heartache swells in intensity, and she trails out for this, breaking out into sobs instead. She can't bear feeling like this, angry and ashamed that she can forgive but not forget, instilling dark thoughts in the mind of the love of her life who is already trying so, so hard to forgive himself; to make things better for the two of them. Piece by piece, always in small steps.

It is not fair of her to put a halt to their progress—to regress it.

"I love you."

The words fall so softly within the small rented room, causing her heart to stop for what seems like forever. She can't seem to take in the reality of their situation.

"…W-What?" she whispers, so small and hoarse, and thickened from crying. She tries to look up at him, but a large hand closes around her shoulder and pulls her into his warm chest, tucking her face there. A thunderous heartbeat pounds beneath her ear.

"I love you," he repeats more strongly, wrapping his lone arm around her. He tucks his chin to the crown of her hair, and swallows. "Whatever happens—I know I should have said it a long time ago, but I…"

He trails out, but she doesn't need him to finish. Her heart expands, twists and folds; she feels tears spilling down her cheeks once more, urging her to throw her arms around him, burying her face deeper into his chest.

"Sasuke-kun…"

His arm pulls her closer. "I love you," he whispers.

.

.

(they would be okay.)

.

It feels like I haven't written in 84 years. I don't even want to reveal how long it took me to write this tiny ass thing. Who knew fostering three month old kittens and their mama would throw me off so much? Well, that and tumblr being unappreciative as fuck when it comes to my fics. Ya'll on here are the only reason I keep posting tbh. I'll probs stop on tumblr but I'll keep going here.

Miss you! I'll try to finish that other half of the next chapter for home is where the heart is ASAP!

Love you all and take care,

DeepPoeticGirl