a/n-written for sasusaku month and sauce's birthday! prompt was 'birthday' :)

also, i'm taking requests! go go go!

disclaimer-i do not own naruto, or the song 'harbor' by vienna teng. gorgeous song, really.

Antebellum

It's his birthday when he leaves, and Sakura's eyes are anything but dry as they stand in the doorway, choking on farewell.

She knew this was coming, the minute she heard of the war. She knew he was still viewed as expendable, and the he would be shipped off to fight in a battle he wasn't sure he believed in, for a village he wasn't sure he had forgiven yet. She wasn't ready to lose him again, not after she had just gotten him back.

"Sakura.." He murmurs as he drinks her in, drowning in her sorrow and the soft caress of goodbye.

Suddenly, the crown of her head is in the crook of his neck, and he can feel how tiny she is, how small and precious she is. This girl can break mountains and crush kings but she is so fragile and she is lost in his arms.

"Sasuke..." He can hear her silent pleas, her fury at being left behind, but she is a smart girl and she knows he is needed. There's a war, and he is a fighter worth a thousand men. So many people need him, the village, the people, and she cannot be selfish. She's needed too, her compassion and the way she heals not only the body but the soul, and Konoha cannot spare her.

They're entwined in silence, but their words do not go unheard.

I'm scared, he doesn't say but she hears it anyway.

I know, she reassures and he feels it deep in his bones, I am, too.

I'll miss you, their eyes say.

He can feel her tears, damp against his neck and he knows he can't leave her like this. Pulling back a little, he presses his forehead to hers, eyes deep and unyielding.

"For every moment you think of me," He begins, voice aching. "I will have thought of you sevenfold."

She smiles then, albeit watery, and she feels guilty. She gets to stay, and he is off to a brave new world, so noble and scared and determined. She knows he still thinks he has so much to make better, so much to atone for. He will fight with his life, but she hopes he remembers the little bit that he's leaving behind with her.

She knows he has to leave soon, and desperation courses through her. She holds tight to his hands, kissing the palms. "Sasuke, I love you." she says it once, but he hears it a thousand times. "You've got this, you've got this journey, Sasuke, and I know I'm selfish and scared but please, please, come home. I can't-" she chokes on her breath and she knows her words are mangled, but she hopes he understands.

He is solemn and noble as he looks at her, forgetting about the war that is so much bigger than the two of them because all he can see is the weeping girl in front of him, offering her heart as he is about to leave. The familiarity is like a slap to the face, and he vows that things will be different this time around. He is fighting for her, with her. No matter how far apart, their battle is the same.

With the palms that she has blessed on either side of her face, he struggles to find the words that do not come easily to him, and makes a promise. "I'll come home, and..you'll be here, too."

She hears everything unsaid because she is Sakura and she has a heart made for listening. Their noses are almost touching and he can feel her whisper on his lips.

"No matter the distance, Sasuke." their breaths mingle. "We're under the same sky, always. And, I'm.. I'm your harbor." she flushes at his smirk. "You know what I mean."

He does know, and the weight of her words rests into his soul, not a burden but a promise. The light that will guide him home.

Sakura presses her lips to the corner of his mouth, and it is bittersweet. "Sail your seas," she murmurs into his ear, poetic and aching. "Chase your horizon."

He leans into her, his lips seeking hers. They meet in the middle, and he can taste her hope as they kiss, and time seemingly stops. It's just Sasuke, a boy still trying to grow and redeem himself, and Sakura, a girl who loves with everything she has, recklessly so. She can feel his regret and his resolve, and she knows he has to leave.

Sakura breaks the kiss, but they stay entwined, neither of them wanting to part.

Behind them, the sun is rising.

Sakura, suddenly feeling so young and so vulnerable, unwinds herself from him and straightens his uniform, smiling back tears.

Sasuke gently smirks at her actions, and caresses her face, memorizing the satin softness. She leans into the touch, knowing she is dragging this out more than they can afford.

Steeling herself, she presses her lips to his once more and holds him, before moving away.

Sasuke catches her hand and her gaze, just as unwilling as she is. But with a quick glance at the rising sun, he knows what must be done.

He sighs, and is about to leave, but first, his eyes meet hers, intensely so, and he speaks.

"When I come home, I'll marry you."

(he hopes she hears the I love you and the please don't forget about me and you're the best thing about this place and you're my light and my reason and please be safe and--)

And with that, he is leaving. He walks with the pieces of her in his heart and leaves some of his behind to make up for the loss. He thinks of her and the long journey arriving to meet him, and breaks into a run. He knows that if he stops, he won't be able to start again.

And with those bits of Sakura held in each breath he takes, Sasuke sets off to fight for their home.