His usual expression of calm indifference was replaced with something more difficult to read. His dark eyes were soft, but there was a weight in them, a heaviness that matched her own. He didn't say anything at first—just watched her for a moment, his gaze steady but intense.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but the words were caught in her throat. She didn't want to face him like this, not when she was so vulnerable, but she couldn't stop him from seeing her in this moment.

He took a step forward, his movements slow, purposeful. She didn't look away, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"You look terrible," the man in front of her stated as she never left his eyes.

Sakura closed her eyes, allowing her tears to fall again. He frustrated her so fucking much. Coming here and telling her she looks terrible. What the hell is that?

Sasuke on the other hand didn't want to make it sound so bad, but apparently he did make her feel bad again, thing that made him curse himself for adding more pain onto her plate.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" she finally heard herself ask, and opened her eyes looking into his with vengeance.

Sasuke stepped closer and didn't say a word. Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close, into a tight hug.

Sakura tensed at first, the sudden closeness sending a shock through her body. Her breath hitched, caught between the overwhelming anger and confusion she felt. She didn't want to be vulnerable with him—not like this. Not when everything felt so broken inside of her.

But Sasuke didn't let go. His arms were firm but not harsh, the way he held her felt steady, like he wasn't going to let her fall apart in this moment, even if she felt like she was. He wasn't saying anything, just holding her there, his body pressed against hers in a way that made her feel both fragile and strangely protected.

Sakura's fists clenched at her sides for a second before she let out a shaky breath. She could feel his heart beating against hers, and it reminded her of everything that had happened—everything she had been trying to ignore. She swallowed hard, pushing the words down that threatened to spill from her mouth. She couldn't let herself fall apart even more, not in front of him.

"Why are you here? What gives you the right to come here and hug me, Uchiha? Isn't it enough that you fucked with my feelings so much that I don't even know what to do anymore? Isn't it enough that you pushed away every good thing that happened in my life?"

"For fuck's sake, Sakura, it's not like that!" Sasuke snaps, as he's been pushed into her arms by her own force. "Yes, alright, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be hugging you, I shouldn't have played with your feelings back in high school, but damn it, give me a chance to show you why I did all that!"

"You don't need to yell at me!"

"I'm not yelling at you," he growls, voice still tight with frustration. "This is so damn frustrating, I can't control myself anymore, Sakura. I'm losing my mind!"

Sakura stares at him in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing as her heart pounds. "What? What are you even saying, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's hands ball into fists at his sides as he takes a step closer to her, his eyes burning with intensity. "How the fuck did you expect me to react when I heard that asshole tried to get you in bed just to fuck off afterward? Yes, I fucked him up. Yes, my actions probably pushed you away, but damn it, you should've let me explain!"

Sakura's chest tightens, fury mixing with confusion as she pushes back. "You shouldn't have done anything in the first place! It's not your right to do that! You can't just decide what's best for me!"

Without thinking, Sasuke reaches for her, pulling her in closer. Before she can protest, he presses his lips to hers, the kiss rough at first, as if he's trying to make up for all the words he couldn't say.

Sakura's breath catches in her throat, her heart racing as her mind spins. She should pull away, tell him to stop, but the warmth of his lips against hers, the desperation in the way he holds her, all of it makes her body freeze, unable to do anything but feel. For the first time in so long, she feels him—really feels him—and for a split second, it's like everything between them slips away.

Sasuke pulls back just enough to look her in the eyes, his forehead resting against hers, breath uneven. "I'm sorry," he whispers, voice barely audible.

"What are you sorry for?" Sakura whispers.

"For everything."

Sakura blinks, her chest tight, unsure of what to say or even what to feel. She wants to yell at him, to cry, to push him away and tell him to leave. But as she looks at him, standing so close, looking as if he's lost in his own storm of emotions, she feels the walls around her heart start to crumble.

Sasuke pulls away slightly, just enough to give her space to breathe, though his arms remain wrapped around her for a moment longer. The silence between them stretches, thick and unspoken, but slowly, the intensity in the room begins to fade, the tension easing.

He looks at her, his dark eyes softening slightly as he notices the subtle change in her expression, the way her body relaxes just a little. Taking a step back, he runs a hand through his hair, exhaling a long, frustrated breath.

"Well, I guess I'm not great at making first impressions, huh?" he says, his voice a little rough but lighter now. The sarcasm is there, a slight edge to his tone, as if he's trying to lighten the air, to shift the moment into something less heavy. "I thought I was supposed to be the mysterious, brooding type, not the emotional wreck who hugs people in gym rooms."

Sakura's lips twitch at the attempt, her brows furrowing in mild amusement. She looks up at him, still a little taken aback by the kiss, but something about the sarcasm seems to ease the last of the lingering anger.

"Please," she mutters, rolling her eyes and taking a step back from him. "You're not mysterious, Uchiha. You're just… well, you."

Sasuke smirks, a small, crooked grin tugging at his lips. "I'll take that as a compliment," he quips. "And here I thought I was supposed to be some kind of hopeless romantic."

"Romantic? Hardly," Sakura shoots back with a small laugh, though it's still tinged with the lingering emotion from earlier. "You're more like a walking, talking disaster."

Sasuke's smirk widens as he leans against the nearby punching bag, crossing his arms casually. "Well, at least I'm not the one throwing punches and crying at the same time."

Sakura's eyes widen, the playful jab pulling a small laugh from her. She feels her tension release, the atmosphere beginning to shift back to something familiar, even if it's still charged with remnants of everything they've just gone through.

"Seriously though," Sasuke says, his voice softening, but with that same undercurrent of humor, "I'm sorry for everything. I don't know what else I can say."

Sakura, now feeling the warmth of the moment return, nods slowly, her face softening as she lets out a deep breath. "You don't have to say anything else," she responds, a faint smile on her lips. "Just… maybe next time, don't kiss me before explaining things."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, his smirk turning into something more genuine. "Noted. But in my defense… I figured it was a good way to shut you up."

"Really?" she raises an eyebrow back, teasing. "That's your excuse?"

"Well," Sasuke shrugs, his tone light now, "it seemed like the only way you were gonna stop yelling at me."

Sakura laughs, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

Sasuke drove in silence as he decided to take her home. She seemed exhausted and didn't want to have her frozen to death. The hum of the engine was the only sound between them as the streets passed by in the dim glow of streetlights. Sakura stared out the window, her thoughts on everything that had happened, everything Sasuke had said, and the strange, comforting calmness she felt now in his presence.

Sasuke's eyes flickered to her for a moment, catching the way she was staring out the window. He felt the weight of her thoughts, even if she didn't say a word. He glanced at her again, his gaze lingering for just a second longer than necessary. Without a word, he turned the car into her street, the destination close now. His hand hovered near the gearshift, the motion of driving the only thing keeping him occupied.

"What's with the tattoos?" Sasuke asked softly, breaking the quiet.

As the car came to a stop in front of her house, the engine idling, the silence between them deepened. The world outside faded, leaving only the charged space between them.

"Which one?" Sakura asked, glancing at him.

"All of them," Sasuke said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as his gaze flicked over her, the tattoos he'd never noticed before standing out like pieces of a story.

Such a masterpiece.

She hesitated, caught off guard by his question. Before she could answer, he added in a low voice, "You're like an art gallery."

Sakura looked over at him, catching his dark eyes, and for a moment, it was like nothing else mattered. She didn't need him to explain anything more. She didn't need to hear him apologize again. There was just this moment, the quiet understanding of two people who had always been tangled in each other's lives, no matter how much they fought it.

Sasuke finally broke the silence with a quiet exhale. "I'll make sure to pick you up again next time."

Sakura's lips curved into a soft smile, something tender there that she hadn't even realized she was holding onto. He was planning to do it again. She didn't respond at first, her thoughts drifting in that peaceful stillness before the noise of the world crept back in.

Then, without thinking too much about it, she leaned forward, closing the space between them. Sasuke's breath hitched slightly as she moved, but he didn't pull away. He met her halfway, his lips pressing softly against hers in the quiet of the car. The kiss was exactly as it should be: it was gentle, a quiet promise that everything's getting better, a way of letting everything settle without needing words.

Sakura pulled back first, her forehead resting against his for a moment, her breath shaky as she met his eyes.

"Thanks," she whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with a sincerity that neither of them had expected.

Sasuke nodded, his hand reaching out to lightly touch her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin.

"Anytime."

With one last soft touch to her neck, he let her go, watching her walk inside before driving off, he couldn't deny it, kissing her might become his favorite addiction.