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Title: Finding His Way
Prompt: Shelter from the Rain (Winter/Hail Edition)
Note: I was having a rough day so I wrote this fluff thing here.

It comes down from seemingly out of nowhere and there's no other option than to rush to the nearest building for shelter. The hail pours with no remorse sending shivers underneath her coat and down to her skin. The chilled air seeks to make her breath but a puff in the air.

"Sakura?"

She's registering her name called and she'd know that voice anywhere—it's always deep within it's drawl and it's always smooth. Viridian look behind her catching him within the door of the tea shop she's sought to hide against the raining hail, "Ah, Sasuke-kun?"

"I thought that was you." there's a twitch of his mouth before he lets his obsidian flicker toward the seemingly never ending hail, "You coming?"

"Ah! Yes!" she's following after and trailing behind curious to who he's spending time with at the tea shop.

There's the silliest feeling upon her in seeing him sitting by himself within the corner with his tea still hot with steam coming from the cup. Why she had even considered he would be with another is beyond her—he liked his time to himself, and she just couldn't see the blonde joining him at the tea shop. She's taking her seat across and placing her bag upon the floor. Never would she had guessed she'd run into him by accident in seeking shelter from the weather. The drag of his cup to his lips has her eyeing him with these all to normal movements. He seems relaxed—she's thankful for that.

He hasn't been home long, and he won't be staying long. There's hope he's feeling accomplished in his journey, and what he's done. She's heard the rumors from those in passing, and there's no missing the joy that washes from her being in knowing that he was truly seeing the world with clearer eyes. They fall into pace with one another. The waitress takes her order, and they're falling into this pace they seemed so easily taken with. It's entirely casual—she's musing over how far they've come since the war. It's only been two years, and yet they had fallen in sync just as she had hoped they would.

He's describing the terrain and describing the places he's seen—she wonders what he felt as he traveled. She wonders if he's accepting atonement as he should. Fingers curl around her cup, and then she's blowing softly upon it. The hail has stopped showering upon the roof but in it's place snow had taken shape. She lets her curiosity shine through in the hope for a white Rinne Matsuri.

"Ah." he's joining her with gazing out the window.

There's no denying what she's been told. She knows he won't be here for the festivities. There had been acceptance so easily acquired in hearing it straight from the blonde. She knows this is what he needs. He needs this journey, and he needs to find himself. He needs to go confidently forward, and he needs to see this world and how it looks no longer drenched in darkness.

It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but one day he'll come home, and he'll stay with them. He'll have gained the understanding he needed. No one blamed him now—he just needed to forgive himself. There's the smallest smile at that notion.

She wants him to gain that forgiveness, and she can only hope that when he does he'll bask within the happiness he deserves. They'll be here waiting, and they'll be here to hold his hand through it all. Team seven would always welcome him—it's just what they do.

"When do you leave?" she's whispering out with the smallest of smiles taking a sip of her white tea.

"In a few days… there's something I have to do before I go." he's yet to remove his eyes from the snow that seems to wish to keep them here in the tea house.

"Oh? Make sure to tell me when you're preparing to leave. I'll see you off." she's curious but never pressing knowing he'd give the details he'd want when he wants.

The silence that comes from him makes her wonder if he's heard her, but there's the shift of those obsidian, and the distinct feeling that he's holding himself back from answering—he's definitely heard her. This was him though, and she had accepted this too so long ago.

There's no need to rush though—he'll speak when he's ready. It's that drag of the tea to her lips. She knows he's watching her and in an effort to easy this sudden silence she's letting out a hum, "Ah I bought some stuff for the children's clinic."

She's catching each nod of his head, and there's no missing an almost expectant look upon his face. He's listening but there's no doubt those gears are turning. He's debating something internally while she attempts to keep things light between them. There's the spread of a grin across his lips as she tells him about a child who's just as loud as their blonde teammate. Cupping her face she's daring a glance at the frosted world that sits just beyond the window, "He's hyper I tell you, but it's kinda cute you know?"

"Sakura."

His voice has her giving back her viridian upon him—it never took much. She loved this boy now a man with all of her heart. It never took much to make her give him her attention. There's the most innocent of curiosity if he's got something to remark about this child being so much like their teammate, but it's the next words that drop that have her parting her lips.

About me leaving—I…

She wonders if she's given him the wrong impression with how he's started his sentence. There's immediate regret in whatever she's done—she thinks this is the start of him trying to explain himself to her. Immediately her hands are coming up waving in front of her, "Oh, no, no. Sasuke-kun, I know. I understand you have much more you want to do—"

There's no missing the firm press of his lips, and the way that jaw tightens as he responds with a shake of his head. Fingers set upon the table as he takes a notable deep breath. She wonders if she's frustrated him with her response, and there's more regret that lingers within her.

"I don't want you to see me off."

Her stomach plummets at his words regretting whatever she's done to upset this balance they've always shared since his return. The twitch of her fingers cannot be stopped, and she's desperate to remove the flash of her she's sure decorates her face. Swallowing thickly spreads the smile across her face—it's cheap in quality there's no doubt, but the last thing she wishes to do is cause another misunderstanding.

The silence that lingers between them now is thick—it seeks to make her uncomfortable within his presence. Viridian come upon the table they linger upon his fingers still upon the table and then move to find comfort in staring within her tea no longer hot, but warm with time.

"Sa—"

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, I should get going. I have some paperwork to go ov—" he's cut her off with the flex of those fingers, and the drawl of his voice effectively silencing her before she can even continue to attempt to raise from her seat.

"I want you to go with me." there's no missing the frustration lingering within his words. She's not sure how wide her viridian have become—she's too busy questioning if he can hear how her heart drums against her chest, "I was trying to figure out how to ask you—if I could ask you." he's removed his eyes from her seeing that window chilled with snow finally clinging upon it.

"S-Sasuke-kun." she's dropping his name before her minds figure out if she's heard him correctly—she had asked to travel with him when he had started this journey, but never would she have foreseen him coming to ask her such a thing.

He had said his sins had nothing to do with her—

She's slowly taking her place once again unwrapping her fingers from the bag, "You want me to go with you?"

He's flickering his eyes back to her and then dropping them down to the table with a dip of his head, "… You don't have to—"

She's speaking far to quickly over top of him, "I'd love too." her fingers trail across the table on top of his own with a squeeze.

There's hope that he hasn't taken her question the wrong way, and with each time he dares to drag his eyes to hers she thinks he hasn't. She can't help but appreciate this look decorating his face—he may be a man sitting across from her right this minute but there's no denying that look so much from their childhood. He's absolutely boyish—it's far too cute for a boy who had once been set on breaking the bonds he held within team seven.

"I'll be sure to tell Naru—"

"I've told him." he's biting his lip—they seem to be in a contest of who can cut the other off more, and that's what has her retracting her hand to come over her mouth that dares to let out soft giggles fall.

He's not sure what he's said that's so funny. It's obvious within his features as he stuffs his hands within his pockets leaning back within the chair. He seems to be trying to gauge her but she can't help but think it should be obvious.

He's everything he should be and all the things he ever was. She can see he's easing into his own forgiveness towards himself. There's no doubt within her mind that he had gone to their blonde friend for direction on how to ask—he'd never admit it—and seeking out an almost unspoken request to do so.

"I'll get my things situated in the day to come." the reassuring look she gives him is to let him know she has no intention of keeping him waiting.

There's a nod of his head and then finally the settle of obsidian to her viridian. They're kept within this tea house so in sync with one another. She can only hope that she can continue to watch him slowly but surely find happiness in the days to come and the future ahead.

It's that shared look between them—yeah, she's certain he'll continue to find his way.