FLASHBACK

Sasuke sat at their usual table in the corner of the coffee shop, sipping on a black coffee as the conversation filled the space. Across from him, Naruto was busy inhaling his latest sugar-filled brew, the whipped cream smeared across his upper lip. Sasuke ignored the nonsense spilling from Naruto's mouth, his eyes lazily scanning the shop—until a familiar voice caught his attention.

At the counter, Jenji stood with a friend, laughing softly as they waited for their drinks. The sound grated on Sasuke's nerves, though he couldn't quite explain why—until Jenji's words drifted over.

"Yeah, man, Sakura's cute and all, but she's way too into the serious stuff," Jenji said, smirking as he leaned against the counter. "I'm just hanging in there until, you know…" He trailed off, shrugging with a knowing grin. "Once I've gotten her into bed, I'll bounce. She's just another notch, you know?"

Sasuke's hand stilled around his cup. His jaw tightened, and the smirk he wore wasn't out of amusement but barely-contained fury. He shifted slightly in his seat, his sharp gaze fixed on the back of Jenji's head. Across the table, Naruto caught the change in Sasuke's demeanor immediately.

"What did he say?" Naruto mumbled rhetorically through a mouthful of pastry, glancing over his shoulder. When he saw Jenji, his face darkened, and he straightened up, gripping his phone. A moment later, Sasuke felt the buzz of a text in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he read the message on the screen:

Naruto dumb shit: I will kill this bitch and throw him in a dumpster.

Sasuke's lips twitched into a humorless smile as he put his phone away, his expression hardening further. Naruto was practically vibrating with anger, but Sasuke shook his head slightly.

Now wasn't the time.

END OF FLASHBACK

After the movie, the group dispersed briefly. Karin left to grab some drinks, Sakura excused herself to the restroom, and Jenji, left alone for the moment, leaned casually against the theater wall, scrolling through his phone. Sasuke, lingering nearby under the pretense of waiting for Karin, watched him.

Jenji noticed after a moment and raised an eyebrow, smirking as he put his phone away. "If it isn't the almighty Uchiha. What's the deal?"

Sasuke didn't respond immediately. He stepped closer, his hands in his jacket pockets, his expression calm but icy. He didn't like him at all, and not because he was Sakura's boyfriend now, not because he knew Jenji was close to her everyday, feeling her presence whenever he wanted, feeling her perfume and not because he just kissed her. But because he was so fucking unworthy of her, because she did not deserve what she will go through - and he needs to stop this, even though she will hate him for it.

She already hates me for everything.

"You're bold," Sasuke said quietly, his voice low enough to be almost drowned out by the background noise of the theater.

"Bold?" Jenji laughed, straightening up to his full height. He looked Sasuke up and down as if sizing him up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means," Sasuke replied, his tone sharpening. His dark eyes bore into Jenji's, a dangerous glint flickering within them.

Jenji smirked, feigning nonchalance as he crossed his arms. "Oh, I see what this is about. You're jealous, huh? Don't worry, man. Sakura's great, but she's not the type you'd stick around for, right? Too much drama."

Sasuke's jaw flexed, but he didn't let his expression change.

"Let me make one thing clear," he said, stepping closer, hands in his pockets, until there was only a foot of space between them. "If you do shit wrong, I'll make sure you will regret being alive."

Jenji blinked, his smirk faltering for a fraction of a second before he recovered. "Wow, protective much? Relax, man. I know how to treat a girl. She'll be fine."

Sasuke tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. "Treat her? Like you treated her at the coffee shop the other day?"

Jenji stiffened, his confidence wavering as he realized Sasuke had overheard more than he'd anticipated. And he heard about Sasuke Uchiha, he heard about his fights and fierce attitude, he heard about past incidents, he knows how dangerous he can be. Before he could respond, Sasuke leaned in just slightly, his voice dropping to a near growl.

"If you're so into her," Jenji continued, trying to keep his confidence intact, "why don't you have her already?" He shrugged, leaning lazily against the wall again. "Maybe you're not as good at this as you think, Uchiha."

"Maybe I'm not," Sasuke said quietly, his voice calm but razor-sharp. "But if I ever decide to 'step up,' as you put it, you won't even be a memory to her."

"You can glare all you want, Uchiha, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm the one she's with."

Sasuke's fists clenched, but his expression remained stoic. "You don't deserve her."

"Big words," Jenji taunted. "But you haven't done anything about it. Meanwhile, I'm the one she's holding hands with, the one she kisses in the morning and soon goodnight. So tell me, Sasuke—if you're so sure I don't deserve her, why are you just standing there?"

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his patience thinning with every word. He tried to remind himself that getting into a fight wouldn't solve anything, that Sakura deserved better than this kind of scene. But when Jenji leaned in with a smug grin and muttered, "Face it, you're just scared she'll never want you again" something inside Sasuke snapped.

Without thinking, he threw the first punch. Jenji staggered back, stunned, but quickly retaliated, swinging wildly. Sasuke dodged easily, landing another blow that sent Jenji crashing to the ground.

"You better watch that damn mouth of yours" Sasuke warned, his voice low and dangerous.

"Sasuke.."

He froze, his fist still clenched, and turned to see Sakura standing a few feet away. Her clothes were slightly wrinkled from sitting in the cinema, and her bag hung loosely from her arm. Her wide, teary eyes darted between him and Jenji, who was now sitting up, wincing.

"You're such a bad person," Sakura whispered, her voice trembling as she stared at him.

The weather outside seemed to match her mood perfectly, because she felt everything falling apart and collapsing around her. She expected anything, absolutely anything from Sasuke, but not this. She didn't expect him to be able to hurt a person to stand out, she didn't expect him to be able to hurt a man just to get what he wanted. She had really started to accept him as he was, arrogant and rude, with that superior I know everything attitude, she didn't even mind the fact that he always stepped on her feet and picked on her for any reason, precisely because she realized that he had no way of changing. And apparently, he really wasn't going to change.

Sasuke straightens up and decides to turn to face whatever the woman might say, because maybe she was right. Maybe he really was a bad man. Maybe he shouldn't have gotten involved, maybe he should have left things like that and acted later, or maybe he shouldn't have acted at all. Maybe he should have given up and gotten on with his life, maybe he should have stopped thinking about "what ifs" and just not done it.

Fuck you, Sasuke!

He turns to face her, and feels the sky falling on his head, and all the boulders and stones are attracted to his shoulders like a magnet. The woman in front of him was no longer slender and harmonious, the smile was not on her face, and her eyes were no longer bright. Instead, her shoulders were sagging, she was trembling, she was cold and it was visible. The light in her eyes was replaced by a reddish color and tears. And all because of him.

"Why?" Sakura asks suddenly. "Why did you do this?" she continues.

Sasuke remains silent, but when he tries to get closer to her, she takes a big step back, wanting to keep her distance from him. He feels a pain pierce his chest and electrify his skin, but he doesn't dare to take another step, nor say a word.

What have I done?

"Why do you always feel the need to intervene and why can't you let me be happy? Why does it seem like destroying my happiness is your only priority, Sasuke? Damn it, why can't you leave me the fuck alone?!"

"Sakura-"

"No! That's enough!" said the pink haired woman, looking him in the eyes. "I don't want to hear you. I don't want to hear your excuses and explanations anymore, I don't want to hear anything anymore!"

Sasuke takes a step towards her, saying:

"Still, you have to let me explain why I did this", but he is interrupted by Sakura.

"Do me a favor, Uchiha", she looks into his eyes with one last hope, "leave me the fuck alone."

The words hit him harder than any physical blow could. For a moment, all he could do was stare at her, the anger and hurt in her eyes cutting through him like shards of glass. She turned and walked away, her shoulders tense as she quickly left. Sasuke watched her go, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Such a fucking idiot you are," he muttered to himself, though he wasn't sure if he was talking about Jenji, or himself, or both.