Water was dripping and blocking his line of view. Sasuke brushed his wet hair backwards.

He had been watching over someone who was slouching soundly on the narrow bar's table. Rain was still pouring hard outside. He should have brought a blanket.

"If you don't mind, please, let her sleep for a bit. I think she was having a rough times," Gaara asked him before he left.
Gaara's words kept gnawing inside him.

All she ever faced throughout her life must have been a rough times. Of all people, Sasuke knew about it—her broken childhood, her one and only home which no longer exist, her lover died on her, the scar on her left wrist inwhich a truce of her suicide attempt—at least that much.

Sasuke took a step back, he needed time to clear his own mind before she awake from her slumber.

/

h E R e • a F t e R

14.

/

Tokyo, 2021
Summer. At Sasuke's Penthouse

Sakura was dreaming.

She dreamt about sleeping soundly on the middle of a deserted street at the verge of dawn. Her eyes were closed, her body was limply laying oblique upon the concrete; yet she knew exactly about her surrounding, as if it was familiar to her.

She knew there were cherry blossom trees alongside the long road, an old bus stop at the end of the road, and a sharp turning point which was heading toward the small hill at the far east. She pictured it pretty clearly inside her head.
Sakura somehow did not have the intention to get up, nor she capable to felt anything beside the numbness. Her left face was againts the cold asphalt.

"Am I going to far?" She felt as if she had been there yesterday, and now facing the sun which about to shone upon the foggy realm of her dream.

But, then she started to hear a sound.

The soft pitter-patter of the rain out of nowhere. Her sense of alertness picking up real quick, it was not happening there. The odd feeling of wanted not to leave her place urged her instead that it was time to opened her eyes.

/

Sakura's body jolted off of the tall stool. She was fast enough to stuck out her right hand and swept it to the bar counter—trying her best to hold onto something—before the gravity brought her down.

Such a futile attempt.

The bottle of red wine from before and her own glass were the only thing she could reach. It got swept off of the bar and coming to her direction as well.

/

Right after he closed the glass bathroom door, Sasuke heard a loud shattering sound. The lightheaded effect of the boozes inside his bloodstream, made him halted slightly to just properly think.

It came from downstairs, he told himself.

He was dashing out of the bedroom when he finally came to his sense. From the second floor he was leaping two stairs at once.

Sasuke was in the dining area in no time. From his point of view at the top of the bar counter, he could not find the presence which obviously was there before.

"Sakura!?"

There was no answer.

Sasuke could smell the sweet-scented of his red wine emerged from behind the counter. So, he took a hasty walk inside the bar. There he finally found her.

Sakura was sitting on the floor, both hands down, hair covered up her face. The messy scene was unbearable. Sasuke looked in horror.

He thought it was her blood all over the place, but thank Kami it just red wine, "Are you hurt? Are you—"

Sakura tried to get herself up from the floor.

"—No, stop! Not there!" Sasuke avoided the sharp shards which scattered around them; he was moving slowly toward her to take her arms.

He noticed she was wincing in pain when she straighten her wobbly legs. They halted their moves to catch a quick breath. He looked at the pale face in front of him. The used to flowy skirt now all wet and stuck to her thighs, with splattered of red wine making it awfully messy.

In a swift move, Sasuke swept her legs up and took her without so much effort. He did not have the time to worry about the fact that he was only in one piece of clothing, which was his black towel hanging—very luckily—firm onto his hips.

Sakura felt her left face was againts another cold concrete. And it was beating rapidly. "Don't move, Sakura," it vibrated too when Sasuke was speaking.

"Hn," She made a shaky noise, complied to his order by keeping both of her numb hands on her own chest.

Sakura was gently seated on the top of kitchen island, where Sasuke made his way to examined her. "Do you hurt yourself?"

She touched the sole of her left feet, " I think it's just scratch."

A drip of blood came out inches away below her little toe. A shard as big as her little toe nail poking out of her flesh. She watched as Sasuke knelt in front of her. The tone of his broad back were served finely beneath her. She literally had to shook her head to get a better grip of her blurry consciousness.

"Sasuke-kun, it's fine! I'm fine, it just scratch."

Sasuke was focusing on his finger pulling out the shard, "It's not, please, stay still," as slowly as possible; trying not to widen the cuts.

She had to bit her bottom lip. It was not hurt as much, yet it kind of like burned her from the inside.

"Where else?" Sasuke let go of his grip on her ankle and stood up.

She quickly shook her head. Her legs shivered from his touch.

"Okay, I'll get you something to change. Can you walk?"

/

Sakura was looking at her messy skirt, "I'm so messed up."

Her thigh and her left feet were stinging when she washed herself. And it compared nothing to how tremendous amount of shame she had to bear. She wanted to bury herself into the closet.

"Sakura," Sasuke's voice came through the door. "You alright?"

She had forced herself to threw up the liquid that filled up her stomach. "Y-yes, I'm okay," she felt much better after her nausea had subsided.

"I left you a few clothes for you to choose here by the door."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she quickly got herself up to grab a towel.

"Your skirt, let me help with it."

She took a deep breath, covered her face with the towel out of embarassment. "You don't have to, I'll do it myself. I'm out in a minute, Sasuke-kun."

"Okay, I'll be at the bar if you need anything."

So, she waited for couple of minutes before she heard him leaving and slipped her hand out through the door to pick up the clothings.

It was one pair of oversize white tee and grey sweatpant, and one long blouson dress. She had no idea how to wear a dress without a panty, so actually she had no choice.

/

Sasuke skillfully cut a ginger on the cutting board while waiting the water in front of him to boil. His usual ginger rosemary tea with a lemon to cure a nasty hangover, it definitely could alleviate nausea, metabolize the alcohol, also add warm into the body.

After everything was added and well mixed, he poured it into the antics handcrafted mugs. He walked himself toward the cherry blossom hair who was calmly stay on the sofa alone.

Sakura had been staring at the window since she came out of the bathroom awhile ago. She sat there unmoving the whole time, her back was facing him.

As Sasuke was walking closer, Sakura's blurry reflection on the window became clear to him. Her eyes was actually looking into nothing. She looked peaceful yet those green ocullars reflected the deep and heavy thought she probably always tries hard to hide.

"Sakura."

A long pause.

She sat still, eventhough he was right beside her. Sasuke's grip on the both mugs gradually tighten.

"You okay, Sakura?" he moved closer.

She finally shifted her attention.

He gave her the mug on his right hand, while his attention still lingered on her eyes. As it was looked obviously wet.

"I'm sorry," she said to the mug in front of her, too ashamed to look at him, "for making such mess."

"It's nothing. I've done worse."

She lifted her eyes, "At someone else's house?"

Tilting his head, "At somewhere I don't even wanna mention," he jokingly answered.

She smirked at him; reaching out her hand to the mug. "Thank you."

"Hn."

Sasuke took a step back and sat himself on the opposite armchair. He let the sound of the rain filling up the room while they both sipping slowly the warm drinks.

/

The air between them felt awkward and heavy. Sakura, for the most part, feeling as if she was on the verge of her panic attack. Yet, it had not happen fortunately.

It was ever since she knew what was going on inside her dream before. She realized she was dreaming about the place where Neji had slipped and crushed his motorbike. The sound of the rain added nothing but misery for the vivid image of her dream.

She shutted her eyes to the memory which hanging on the tip of her subconciousnes, asking for an attention. Shut up, Sakura, you can't do this here.

"It still raining hard, I'll light on the fireplace. Do you mind?"

Sakura opened up her eyes quickly. "No, don't mind me. I think I'll better get going after I finish this."

"It's past midnight already, Sakura," Sasuke calmly reminded her.

"I'll be fine, Sasuke-kun, not my first time."

He took down his mug to the table. "No, I'll drive you home."

"A-aren't you drunk yourself before?"

He halted himself before stood up. "We can order a taxi or uber, and I'll go with you either way."

They stared into each other for a moment or two. She frown at how serious he was looking at her right there.

This looked on Sasuke's face was something she used to see years ago. Sasuke whom she had yearned for a very long time. She knew that it probably meant nothing but pure sense of responsibility for him.

/

Should I tell him what happened? He looked worried. Sakura bit her bottom lip.

It would not going to be easy for her to tell her story, moreover she did not know where to start. The mere thought of how miserable her life she had to desperately covered from the Uchiha was making her sick.

I won't whining over it, she shook her head, it just the effect of the alcohol from before and the rain—oh, how I hate the rain.

Although, in reality she was very fond of the rain. The hatred never got as big as her willing to seek redemption from it.
The warm tears dampen her cheeks already. She snaked her right arm to her stomach, feeling the need to not let her body quivered.

Then she heard his footstep coming back from his room on the second floor; she was rushing to turned her head and wiped her face before Sasuke was coming near. Fast enough to ensured he could not notice the trail of her tears.

The gesture itself had shown Sasuke enough nevertheless. "You sure you okay?"

She nodded turning her head toward him. "You still want to go?"

"You looked," he halted to find the right word, "lost... would you tell me—"

She almost snap at him, "—I know, but I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun... "

The saddening face passed fleetingly accros her face—as though she was about to crumbled any moment—before she once again turned away from him. It troubled Sasuke in a hurtful way.

Unbeknownst to her, he had watched her the whole time. And as selfish as he tried to turn a blind eye over the unspoken truth he had been holding, the more he brought damage into himself.

Sasuke clenched his hands tightly to a cardigan he brought with him for Sakura to wear. Before it fell to the carpeted floor eventually, as he was stretching out his long arm toward her fragile frame.

They bumped their body together. The motion made Sakura's eyes widen; tears blurring her eyesight.

"Sas—" the broad chest pressed firmly upon her back.

"—Could you just stop?" He spoke to her ear.

Sakura was bitting her lips, she wished he could not hear when she started sobbing inside his arms. Inwhich was an impossible thing to ask.

Sasuke took her by the shoulder and turned her around, "How do you think I would feel seeing you like this?"

They finally staring face to face. There was nothing to hide anymore.

"I wish I could make it stop... " she whimpered, "Sasuke-kun," as though asking for a help.

He pulled her closer than before, her head stuck between his chest and arms, "I'll make it stop."

Sakura was indeed tried to reach out for help. She cried her eyes out; sobbing to his chest like a child while hugging his firm and broad torso thightly.

/

This kind of affection she did not know she was needed for a very long time. Without saying a word, he was caressing her head gently.

Sakura had to gone through dozen sessions of therapies for months to controlled her panic attack disorder and depression. And yet, here Sasuke's touch felt more therapeutic than any other therapy she ever had.

The pitter-patter of the rain sounded different now to her ear. Instead, she had her focus on the shoothing sound of Sasuke's breathing and the steady beating of his heart. She calmly inhaled—trying to steadied her nerves—right into Sasuke's well defined chest. It blessed her tired and mess up mind with the soothing scent of an oud mixed little bit of whiskey fragrance.

His embrace had successfully made her cries subsided. She felt half of the weight which had been suffocating her the whole time finally lifted off of her chest.

"Look at me," Sasuke breathed through her hair, "Sakura."

Sakura's swollen eyes obeyed his words.

As he looked into the glossy emerald eyes, almost in whisper he said, "Forgive me."

She bit her lower lips, prevented it from trembling out of control. She shutted her eyes tight.

Sasuke let his words sinked in slowly into her. For he eventually retrived his answer.

"You've been long forgiven, Sasuke-kun."

They were lost into each other's eyes now. It took Sakura long enough to searched the subtle hints of reason for his apology, until she found nothing but contentment only.

To Sasuke's eyes she looked just like her 5 years old self back when he met her for the first time at her parents funeral. Her face redden, the puffy cheeks, and her glistening eyes; such an innocent look, she was just a mere helpless little girl.

"I... " she was bitting her lips again, it had turned as red as a cherry, "I think I should stay for the night."

Sasuke's eyes went slightly wide for split second. "Hn."

To her surprise, never in her wildest dream, that she got to taste another first kiss. The cold and unexpectedly soft lips of his—on that twilight magical moment at her home she thought she had forgotten—once again met with hers.

Although, this one rather felt more burning to her entire being than before.