Prompt: Ex-Dailling

Notes: I'm obvs feeling some type of way. The next chapter will probably be much, much less depressing. And, if this wine is right, be uploaded in the same 24 hours. Maybe - no promises.

Fuck, please don't be asleep.

Please pick up.

But also, a part of him hoped she would ignore it.

No, an accepting click bombarded his ear right away, and a hesitant "Hello," echoed. The song in her voice was watery. She was very much aware of what he'd done.

"Hey…" He didn't owe her an explanation, his blood still boiled at the sound of her name. "Let me explain."

What there was to explain; he wasn't sure how to word. But she wasn't hanging up. She'd figured it out on her own, and he didn't know why he felt guilty, because he shouldn't, not really. He wasn't quite sure what she wanted, but she still took in ragged breaths over the phone waiting for his apologies and preparing herself to apologise as well. But they weren't a couple.

"But what are we?" God, did he feel that vodka now. His bed pulled him deeper into the covers, and if he couldn't still hear her crying on the other end he would've immediately given in to sleep.

She sniffed for a while longer, probably contemplating. "I don't know…"

"It hurt when we were over."

Indignant, Hinata sniffed hard and inhaled for preparation for an explanation, "…Sasuke, you didn't even breathe before moving on – or trying to –"

"Jesus fucking Christ Hinata, I wasn't trying to move on, you said it was over, not me,"

"Why the fuck are you calling me then?" She huffed, he could tell a fresh batch of tears fell and the curse sounded odd on her mouth. He wondered if she could hear his inebriation.

Now they were both angry, and he was tipsy and also the only one that fucked Karin, so somehow she remained innocent.

The pause remained heavy on both of their systems until the air cleared and dissolved into a soft depression that bit at his patience.

"I didn't just stop loving you." He listened to her take a breath before replying. "I'm sorry, Hinata."

"I just…I don't understand how you could even want to be with someone else in that way so soon."

Sasuke processed this, focusing on her breathing. "I was mad, Hinata. You left me, and it hurt, and shit was I supposed to lie down and feel sorry for myself?"

"You didn't have to sleep with someone else!"

"Why? Did that shit hurt?" Sasuke bit out savagely, "You hurt me first."

"It's like…you act as if I broke up with you for nothing." Her voice was soft again, but it still cracked, "And I didn't, we fought, and you hurt me too." He didn't remember the details of this fight, it was month – or two – ago.

"It didn't feel like any other break-up…"

"I know."

Sasuke's pride boiled inside of him, and his explanation doubled over and did cartwheels in his head. "I missed you, and Karin – she was my friend, but she also felt more for me, so I guess while comforting me she had ulterior motives because…she felt like she it would help, I dunno. It didn't."

"...Sasuke, I don't know-"

"In that moment, I could only think 'fuck it' or 'fuck you' because you left me." Not the other way around, in that moment his sex life was none of her business. He jumped of his bed, pressing the phone desperately to his ear as he opened his drawer and a pack of cigarettes were in his sights. As he lit the tip he sat back on his bed and Hinata still had no response.

Until, softly, her voice hummed, "I don't want to fight,"

Sasuke drew a long breath from the cigarette and his sarcasm flared in his imagination, but he bit his tongue. He looked at the shot glass on his bedside table.

"I don't want to fight either."

"I don't even remember what our fight was about, initially…I'm sorry, Sasuke. For hurting you." She sighed. They were now even in their pain, and one in that they needed each other. Why was it never that simple until they lost each other? Until one of them would tear themselves away and both would be left with a gaping wound? It never seemed to heal. It burned - seared - and even afterwards they found ways to pour salt on the gash.

She rubbed it in.

Then she would cry.

Sasuke? He didn't cry. He became reckless, attempted to sever the emotions he had by making new ones. Chasing cheap thrill.

Cheap thrill was nothing. It was temporary. It was a snake that gave him the urge to try when he was most weak. Like Karin.

He wondered if love made them weak, because he didn't have any strength to want to fight, and he knew she was lying when she forgave him. He just wanted to get back together. It was draining; being away from her.

He was going to get such a terrible hangover.

God he wanted to see her, though. It had been a month, or two, of being completely broken up. It felt permanently damaged, eventually. Their relationship was under the knife starting that night. He'd fix it.

"Can I come over?"

Over the humdrum of the background, Sasuke could already hear her thoughts.

"…Yeah."

They placed a band-aid on an acid burn.