Title: found you
Summary: Finally, he meets her in this lifetime.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: soulmates au
Rating: K+
A/N: based on the soulmates au of "one remembers nothing from their previous lives, while the other remembers everything."
She's even more radiant in this life, he realizes, once he finally meets Sakura Haruno again. Dressed in a flowing little green sundress, and lips adorned with that same beautiful smile he once treasured just as much in another time, she looks truly free in that way their previous lives had never fully allowed her to be.
He remembers well from his dreams the constant efforts she would make to shine in a world of blood and sweat and vicious violence, where every aspect of her days demanded her to fight: for her village, for her friends, for her family, for herself; he remembers well how very hard she always tried to push herself up, to carry on even when she was tired. The ninja life brought with it too many hardships and grimy realities—ones he can safely say now he wishes she never went through at all.
(or either of them, really. some nights, the dark memories of his past self haunt him vividly, imprisoning him in a world of pain and loneliness and misery and so much anger that always never fails to bring him to trembling tears, struggling to grasp at a happiness he always believes to be slipping out of reach—until he wakes)
Eyes softening, Sasuke feels the tension in his shoulders lessen, gaze ever-fixed on her sun-bright smile. She is the very picture of hope itself in this universe, he finds himself thinking.
He almost smiles.
"Oi, bastard, stop staring at Sakura-chan and introduce yourself already!" his best friend of every new existence calls, catching everyone's attention—including Sakura's.
Her eyes meet his with surprise, and Sasuke stiffens, dumbstruck for a split moment. But it doesn't take long before he recovers, swiftly throwing Naruto a dangerous look before he turns back to the lovely little enchanting girl who's already long stolen his heart a lifetime ago.
"Hi," she speaks, then, a bit breathlessly. Her cheeks are flushed, big pretty green eyes wide in a transparent daze, leaving a picture strikingly similar to the one he has just come to relive a few nights ago.
("I'll see you soon… and thank you.")
"Hey," he replies evenly, mouth tugging a little to the side. He extends his hand to hers. "I'm Sasuke."
The gesture only seems to make her blush harder—but she accepts it all the same, ducking her head shyly. "Nice to meet you, Sasuke," she says. "I'm Sakura."
Her touch, he finds, is still as warm as he remembers.