#sasusakumonth 2018

[roraewrites]

sasusaku month // day 3: restless

The room smells of must, her wrists raw and hands bleeding as her eyes open and she realizes this isn’t my home. Her head throbs with a pain unlike anything she’s felt, and as she tries to push herself away from whatever wall she leans on, it hits her that all the strength in her body is gone.

Chakra vibrates in her core, only she can’t concentrate it to whatever part she focuses on and just when she feels like she may be able to apply some to her arms, her body fails to comply.

A grunt falls from her lips as her face collides with the cool, damp floor and when her eyelids close over green eyes, she feels her breaths calm and her body decompress as she breathes out.

This won’t end well, she comments to herself. When Sakura begins to open her eyes once more, it’s then that she feels the pulse of chakra around her. The aura is dark, unwelcoming and when her visitor arrives, she feels the anger bubbling in her veins. It takes more energy to try and control it, but when a face as familiar as his appears before her, she scowls.

“Enjoying your stay, Sakura?”

She refuses to answer, only her lip moves and her teeth show before she looks away from him. His silver hair frames his face before he smirks and it’s then that she feels nausea roll in her stomach. She remembers now facing off with the other medic nin in a hand to hand battle; taijutsu, while he used his scalpels and the moment she felt his blazing chakra dig into her forearm, she felt completely drained of any and all energy.

Kabuto wasted no time explaining what he just did to her, but Sakura doesn’t back down. She continued to throw chakra infused fists, aiming to break whatever bone in his body and just as he backflipped away, she flash steps towards him and catches him in midair.

She feels her body throbbing with courage, a smile pulling at her lips and just as she throws the winning punch, he’s already weaving a handful of signs and that’s when she feels her body fall to the ground. Nothing is working, only the feeling of the searing hot pain that throbs from where Kabuto got his only hit on her. Sakura screams out in pain finally, all while Kabuto smiles from above her.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” He mocks with that shit eating grin and Sakura feels herself losing consciousness, her chakra leaving her body before she’s finally blacks out.

Now she eyes him again with a heated glare, shooting daggers through his chest before a growl reverberates in her chest. She doesn’t owe him anything, not a single word but the fact that he had best her in their hand to hand combat pisses her off.

“Oh sweet, sweet Sakura. Please don’t give me that glare. You wouldn’t want to piss your host off, would you?”

His mocking smirk continues to grow on her nerves but there’s not much she can do. Just as she’s about to spit in his face, an overwhelming presence makes her still. Her shoulders are as tense as they’ve ever been while chills crawl down her spine; her breath catches in her chest as she tries to tone out the buzzing in her ears, but the closer the presence, the louder it grows.

She can hardly adjust to the pressure in the room but when Kabuto glances back, he finds their visitor in the room. Sakura’s eyes are wide, her body trembles when she finds the source of the chakra presence and it’s as strong and overpowering as it was when he left the village.

“Enough.” He states, his voice deep and face stoic as ever. He’s pale, yet built and Sakura only fears what he’s capable of after training under the snake Sannin.

He has an aura that’s both frightening and inviting, even the way his eyes look at Kabuto is defying and Sakura finds herself looking away; his presence is too much.

“I figured you would find your way here, Sasuke,” Kabuto rolls the Uchiha’s name off his tongue with the same mocking voice he spoke to Sakura with and she only flinches when Sasuke’s left sandal taps against the ground.

She can feel his annoyance from where she lies and when a soft tch sounds from him, nostalgic pain courses through her veins. Sakura wants to scream, wants to yell and throw punch after punch to the wall just to get away from him because the fact that she’s here and he’s standing before her, is putting her mind through so much pain that she can hardly stand it. Her bottom lip is stuck between her teeth now as she looks back to Kabuto, who now stands with crossed arms and that same cocky smirk. She swallows hard before another rush of chakra slams against her chest.

“Leave.” Sasuke orders, but this time Sakura can feel the unfamiliarity that seeps from him and it pains her to feel that.

He’s different, she tells herself and it’s a shot to her heart. She can’t convince her heart of what her mind knows, and her heart only tenses in her chest before that familiar sound of a thousand chirping birds stills her entire being. That same blinding light emits from his hand, lighting the entire room and Sakura catches scent of scorched clothing and she knows this isn’t going to end well.

“Enough with the attitude, child.” Kabuto orders, but Sasuke refuses to listen; his eyes are already pinwheels of red, solely focused on the white haired nin and Sakura knows this isn’t going to end well.

Before Sasuke lunges, Kabuto chuckles before taking his leave. Sakura lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and now it’s only her and Sasuke left alone in her holding chamber. Eventually the light dies down, as well as the chirping birds but the scorched smell is etched into her nostrils before his eyes fade to onyx pools.

“Annoying,” he remarks and Sakura feels her entire being crunch under the pressure of his chakra and words. She feels herself falling apart under his presence now; he’s no longer warm and comforting, but strong and overwhelming and it’s too much for her to handle.

Her heart aches while she lies on the ground still, her hair splayed across her face as her forehead glistens with sweat. When Sasuke finally turns his back to her, she feels that same cold loneliness that is both familiar and welcoming as she’s left to her thoughts in her dark room. Finally, a single tear escapes and runs down her face.

He’s no longer the same Sasuke. He’s no longer her Sasuke.

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His blood boils the more he walks these damned halls; his mind in a fury, blood racing as his heart hammers against his ribcage. Sasuke knows there’s a reason why she’s here, but her of all people? It absolutely pisses him off. The moment she was brought here, he instantly picked up on the small flicker of chakra that beat steadily in her body; when he arrived at her holding chamber, anger bubbled just underneath his skin and it was more than he could’ve expected.

Sasuke curses himself for even caring in the slightest, but he’d be damned to admit it. Sakura Haruno is a thing of the past, something he no longer wants anything to do with, but since she’s here, he figures he can severe the last of their bond.

She’s nothing more than a mere tickle in the back of his mind now, but the more Sasuke walks throughout the night, the more irritated he grows with himself. Chakra bites at his palm, a chidori begs to be released but Sasuke continues to keep his composure. His skin crawls, eyes glance from one wall to the next as he rounds yet another corner. The musty smell is something he considers familiar, every corridor, entryway, brick in this damned hideout is engraved in his mind and he can taste the venom in his hate for this place — it’s only a stepping stone in order to get stronger, he reminds himself.

As he turns yet another corner, he finds himself facing the same room he was in earlier. He knows he shouldn’t be here, but pinks and greens blind his angry thoughts and he finds himself perched outside of her door. Sasuke holds his chakra in, concealing himself and it burns his insides; pissed off and anxious, it bites at his muscles and scratches at his bones, but nothing hurts more than the restless feeling that clutches at his heart.

The muscle in his chest beats slowly, each beat hitting against his chest as though it’s a drum and when he reaches to push the door open, it grows louder and beats harder.

Darkness envelopes him as he enters, sensing Sakura’s sleeping form on the ground and he stands over her now. His eyes mock the color of blood as he looks down at her, peaceful yet tense, and it’s when her eyes stirs that his heart skips a beat. His palms feel clammy, knees locked in place as goosebumps paint his skin. Sakura doesn’t speak, she only feels his presence above her but as she moves, he can feel the spike in her energy.

Panic.

Fear coats her eyes now, wide and afraid as she looks at him and this only makes him grow angry. Angry with himself for coming to her this late at night, angry with her for looking at him with something other than love and adoration. A snarl presses through his lips before his posture slouches and Sakura flinches; she has chakra restraints, making her body feel weak and heavy and Sasuke smirks at this. He’s heard stories from Orochimaru of her training and how she accels underneath Tsunade’s training, but the fact that she’s ended up here leaves him annoyed with the kunoichi.

“I see nothings changed,” he mocks and Sakura’s eyes harden. She looks almost determined, but the dark colors under her eyes is enough for Sasuke to know that she holds no power for a fight; what a pity, he’d love to see her new abilities and exactly what she’s capable of.

It’s not until she sits up that he can really see how much she’s changed. Her face is skinnier, high cheekbones structuring a pretty face as pink strands frame it. She still wears Konoha’s hiate-ate with pride, as he can see it written on her face — she’s loyal to the village that tore his family apart and Sasuke feels annoyed with this girl all over again. Meanwhile, his eyes continue to look at the girl before him; she’s taller than before, her body mature and legs slender and long. She shows more skin now and there’s something within Sasuke’s core that emits an unfamiliar heat.

He has to bite back to the urge to touch her skin, place his fingertips to her revealed thighs and wander up that short skirt of hers. Whenever his mind would pace back to Sakura, he only remembers her shattered screams and tear filled eyes; now he’s presented with a fierce kunoichi that would probably break his jaw if he allowed it. A smirk pulls at his lips as his mind continues to wonder just how soft her skin is.

Sakura still has yet to speak but Sasuke senses the fear that continues to emit from her body. She’s easy to read as he continues to look at her. He’s crouching down in front of her now, his face mere inches from hers as he inspects her face further. She’s bruised underneath her eye while her bottom lip is busted and chapped. She’s dirty from her fight with Kabuto but it stirs the heat in Sasuke’s core even more.

“Or maybe I’m wrong,” he comments with ease, his voice raspy and low. His hand reaches for her tresses of pink, fingers finding the silk strands as he twirls the ends of her straight locks. Sakura pulls away from Sasuke, but not completely. He catches her hair in his hair before giving her a soft push; her back hits the wall and he holds her in place before inching closer.

That’s when the familiar scent hits him: she smells of jade and it envelopes him like she did when he nearly died in the Land of Waves. He’s instantly hit with nostalgia before he finds her eyes with his. His mind is racing at the close proximity and it pains him to see her looking at him with eyes coated in fear.

“Do you still love me, Sakura?”

She remains silent and it claws at his chest. He’s lost everything in his life and it kills him to know there’s nothing left for him. Sasuke squeezes her hair tighter in his fist before pressing his nose to her jawline and inhaling her sweet, nostalgic scent. He can feel the way she tenses under his touch, his warm breath fanning across her neck as he pulls her closer towards him.

Darkness encases his entire being when she lets out a muffled whimper, and just when he thinks she’s going to try and hit him, he’s struck with something worse.

“You’re not the Sasuke I know.”

He’s simply grinning at her with a maniacal laugh pushing through his lips. He releases her hair at that before taking a step back. There’s nothing left for him in Konoha, not even Sakura, the girl who claims she loves him and once promised him a happy life.

Pitiful.

He has nothing more to say to her. His mind slips as he leaves her alone, all while he walks those familiar halls with a burning anger that’s more than he can handle. Sasuke wants to scream, he wants to yell and end the one that ruined his life; his mind is in a panic, his heart in a fury as he slams his fist into the wall.

He’s lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, anxiety convincing him that he’s never been enough; he’s nothing more than darkness, the avenger he was meant to be. He’s a loner in this lifetime and that’s all there is to it.

[sakurauchiha2018]

@kairi-chan I’m so excited!!!

SASUSAKU MONTH 2018 // PROMPTS

Hey everyone! It’s that time of the year again, us mods finally have the pleasure of unveiling the prompts of Sasusaku Month 2018! Thank you to all the participants in the discord server for your input and votes. Usual rules will apply, don’t forget to tag #ssm18 and we hope to see your entries this coming July!

— Thanks, @xinpaii, @saradacchi & @pain-somnia

[southsidestory]

Homecoming

Rating: Teen

Pairing: SasuSaku

Summary: Their first kiss was on Homecoming night. The briefest touch, his lips to hers, before Sakura pulled away, blushing. Then again, a kiss not so fleeting, followed by one after another until the sun rose above them.

Notes: I’ve been in a mood for SS lately (blame @xxlovendreamsxx), and it seemed like the perfect time to write this little high school fic. @jjibbless sent me a request for “high school popular kid / nerd AU” awhile back, which ties into the Day 9 prompt pretty well in my opinion! Thank you jjibbless for the request and @sasusakumonths for hosting this awesome event. 

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prelude

It isn’t that Sasuke Uchiha is a misfit, exactly. He’s too good-looking—and high schoolers are too shallow—for him to be an utter outcast. But he’s the kind of boy who spends more time alone than with their classmates, and if he has any friends besides Naruto, who’s friends with everyone, then he’s keeping them well hidden. Sasuke’s GPA is tied with Sakura’s for the highest in the Class of 2018, but she’s sure that if he’d socialize, people would stop dismissing him as a nerd. Instead, he blows off every dance, football game, and party he’s invited to.

Until homecoming. It’s the kind of warm October evening that you can only find in southern California, late enough in the year that autumn’s edge has calmed the weather from suffocating to balmy. Sakura is crowned homecoming queen, the San Junipero Sharks kick the Gardena Wolfhounds’ asses, and Sasuke Uchiha shows up to a school event. All in all, it’s a beautiful night.

watch the queen

Only a loser would lurk around the corner, pretending not to spy on a pretty girl, and Sasuke is not a loser. He isn’t lurking either. Just standing around, keeping himself busy with people-watching—well, person-watching.

Sakura is sitting with the other girls from the homecoming court, all of them trussed up in ridiculous fluffy gowns and torturous-looking shoes. Ino seems pissed that Sakura took the crown, but in that strangely fond way that characterizes their relationship. Maybe Sasuke is too distant from Sakura’s circle to understand how that odd friendship functions, but he thinks it might be every bit as confusing to witness up close.

Seven months. He has seven months until graduation. He needs to either ask Sakura out or get his head on straight and forget about her.

Moving on would be better. He heard that Sakura is applying to Ivy League schools all over the country, and God knows she’s accomplished enough to be accepted into most of them. Sasuke keeps pace with her academically, but foster kids don’t have the financial backing for Yale. He’s about to age out of the system, and it’s going to take all of his time and energy just to get by. Even if Sakura wants him back—and sometimes, when he catches her looking at him across the library, he thinks she might—Sasuke knows that it’s not enough. She’s beautiful, brilliant, privileged, and loved. Her future is too bright to risk dimming, and she deserves better than anything he could provide.

But then he thinks, What’s one date? It’s not like watching a movie together and grabbing dinner (maybe kissing on her doorstep, if he’s lucky) would turn into something committed. Sasuke can’t hope for any of that, much less more, so why not at least try?

laid bare

Ino steals Sakura’s crown and puts it on her own head. “You should just give this to me,” she says.

“Oh really?” Sakura asks. “Why’s that?”

Ino sticks out her tongue, adjusts the tiara, and says, ��Because all anyone will look at when you wear it is the big billboard brow it’s sitting on.”

Sakura pinches Ino’s shoulder. “I guess the majority of the student body disagrees, Pig.”

She pulls a handful of pins out of her hair, kicks off her shoes, and props her feet up on the bleacher seats. Ino gossips about the torrid affair that she’s certain Mr. Sarutobi and Ms. Yuhi are having.

“That’s ridiculous. They barely talk.”

“Well, duh, that’s because they’re trying not to be obvious,” Ino says, rolling her eyes. “Because when they are in the same room, the way they look at each other is practically pornographic. Mark my words, Forehead: they’re doing the nasty.”

Ten-Ten says, “Please shut up. I don’t want to think about Ms. Yuhi getting busy while I’m trying to learn calculus.”

“Seconded,” Hinata says gently.

Ino shrugs. “Why not? She’s hot as hell, and sex is way more interesting than differential equations...”

Sakura thinks Ino might still be talking, but she can’t focus on the conversation because Sasuke Uchiha is walking up the bleacher steps, and it looks like he might be walking toward her. They’re friendly enough that her silly coronation merits some kind of congratulations, right?

“Sakura,” he says.

The other girls fall quiet around her, and Sakura could kick them all for staring.

“Hi,” she says. “It’s, uh, really nice to see you here.”

“And surprising,” Ino adds.

Sasuke doesn’t seem offended, although he’d have every right to be.

Sakura jumps up, straightens her dress, and asks, “Wanna take a walk? I’d invite you to sit down, but this bunch probably wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise.”

There’s the briefest flash of unbridled emotion on Sasuke’s face, a slight expression of surprise, maybe even excitement. But he reins it in before Sakura can be certain, and he only says, “Yeah, sure.”

Sakura is so elated to have a moment alone with Sasuke that she runs off without her heels. By the time she notices, it would be embarrassing to go back to fetch them, so she just walks on the dewy ground barefoot, too happy to even care that she’s getting grass stains on her snow white dress.

until sunrise

Their school is dark, empty, and locked at this time of night, but there are still places to linger. They take seats at a picnic table outside the cafeteria doors, splitting a funnel cake. Sasuke bought it when they passed the concession stand, but he didn’t think about the intimacy of sharing food. They have to sit close, and their hands keeping brushing as they eat. It tugs at something in his chest when Sakura steals the choicest pieces of cake, her smile teasing and bright.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be so greedy,” Sasuke says.

Sakura ducks her head, then looks up at him through her lashes. “Well, maybe we should get to know each other better.”

“So I won’t be surprised when you steal my food?”

“Our food,” Sakura corrects. “You bought it for both of us. It’s not my fault if you can’t defend your territory.”

She swipes the last chunk of cake and eats it. Sasuke doesn’t think she means to be seductive, but he still has to look away as she licks the snowy sugar off her fingers.

Silence falls between them once the funnel cake is gone, and just to break it, Sasuke asks, “How’s your English paper going?”

“Oh, no,” Sakura says, laughing. “I’m not giving you an update on your competition.”

“Hn. You’re not my competition,” Sasuke says. He pokes her side, purely for the sake of making her jump. “Valedictorian is mine. We’ll just have to wait a few more months to confirm it.”

“Is that so?” Sakura asks, suddenly serious, except for the brightness of her gaze. “What makes you so certain?”

“I need it more,” Sasuke says, without thinking.

Sakura’s teasing expression slips away, replaced by something softer. She doesn’t say anything—which is good, because if she pitied him right now, it would ruin everything.

Then she reaches for his hand and grasps it in her own. They stay this way, linked by a singular touch, for a long while.

the valedictorian

Sakura can’t be upset when Sasuke takes the number one spot. His GPA barely edges hers out because of an A- she made in English IV, and if anyone else had ranked above her, she would have been furious. But Sasuke hadn’t lied four months ago at Homecoming, when he said he needed this more than she did. She hopes that maybe, with a little luck, he’ll get a financial package from Stanford that will allow him to accept the place they offered him. With her.

She takes Sasuke to a little Italian restaurant by the shore to celebrate their accomplishments. While they eat their appetizers, Sakura lifts her glass of water and says, “To my amazing boyfriend, the Class of 2018’s valedictorian.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but his smile is happy, if small. Sakura counts that as more of a victory than class rank could ever be.

coda

Their first kiss was on Homecoming night. The briefest touch, his lips to hers, before Sakura pulled away, blushing. Then again, a kiss not so fleeting, followed by one after another until the sun rose above them.

On graduation day, in the wake of his speech, Sasuke thinks of that night. It was a beginning, the start of something he could never have anticipated. Maybe today is an ending, the closing chapter of their simple school days, but what he and Sakura have together, it’s the kind of love that can be counted on.

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[roraewrites]

sasusaku month // day 1: heroes

[roraewrites]

sasusaku month // day 2: side by side