Something short, based on the song

Listen (VI)

"Listen to me Sakura, you're not listening."

"I am listening Sasuke! I've heard everything you said just fine, so if you're done breaking my heart you can get the hell out!"

He could feel his brows pull together in frustration. Tears began to fall down her face and he knew she had misinterpreted his words; she wasn't listening.

"You're not listening at all Sakura, I've never said I want to break up."

"You said you don't want commitment anymore Sasuke, it's the same thing."

He felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. Those were words he had listened to before, but ones he never wanted to hear from her.

"Sakura…"

"Get out Sasuke! Get the hell out! I already told you I'm not one of those girls you can throw out when you're done with them. We're either together or we're not and it's obvious you've chosen."

The tears were streaming down her face now. This was certainly not what he wanted the outcome of this conversation to be, but he wasn't sure how to fix it now. Hell he was a terrible communicator, which was now obvious, he just couldn't find the right words to fix things in this moment.

Seeing you got ritualistic (I)

Here he was again, laying on her bed while he waited for her to finish her assignments. They were supposed to be casually dating, and he was sure that entailed picking her up at her apartment, going to a movie, then taking her back to his place. But here he was again; she had invited him in and he was waiting for her to touch up her assignment before they went out. He was pretty sure it wasn't even due until tomorrow, but they both knew she wouldn't be working on it later that night…

He found himself thinking about the toothbrush she left at his sink last time she was over, and the towel he washed for her because he knew it was her favourite one to use after a shower.

They were just casually dating, or at least that's what he told himself.

Cleansing my soul of addiction for now (VIII)

As soon as he was home he changed the screen saver on his phone. Better to start the cleanse now than draw it out and make it more painful later.

It wasn't the first time Sasuke had done this, as he had been in a few relationships before but they had all been the same. Get close for a few months, have someone to share a bed with, and as the addiction wore off and his true colours were revealed, a break-up would ensue. But that was way back when and things with Sakura were now. He was broken back then and after a long time he thought he was healed, he thought things with Sakura were different.

Maybe that's why he felt every part of his soul resist when he removed his photo of her, as opposed to the feeling of quickly pulling off a bandaid like he had every other time before.

I'm falling apart (VII)

Sasuke was able to switch his flight to the next one home, but it would still be over a dozen hours until he was back in his apartment. What was he supposed to do until then? He wasn't in the same situation as Sakura where she could fall apart as soon as he left.

A sharp prick irritated the corner of his eye and he knew he had to stop thinking about it. The last thing he wanted was to fall apart in public.

The flight to see Sakura had seemed to take a long time, but he knew the flight away from her would feel even longer.

Tension between us just like picket fences (XI)

Sasuke had been in such a rush to see Sakura he didn't think about how awkward it would be between them.

He had gotten a phone call from Sakura that she was in town out of the blue, and she wanted to talk; in person. She would be over in five minutes, and he had to use that five minutes to change out of his sweats, clean off the kitchen table, and throw out the takeout containers on the table.

That was five minutes ago and now here she was, at his front door, tension in the air like a picket fence.

You got issues that I won't mention (XII)

She let herself into his apartment and made the familiar path to sit down on the couch. Sasuke followed but decided to keep his distance by sitting on the other smaller couch. He still had no idea why she was here, but he knew he was about to find out.

We're falling apart (III)

He missed her so bad. It had only been two days since he saw her off at the airport and he almost wished he hadn't. Sasuke knew Sakura had put up a strong front at the airport. There were no tears when they parted, they had had their big send off together the night before. He dropped her off at the airport, grabbed her suitcase from the trunk for her, and kissed her goodbye as she walked herself into the airport. He felt like he was falling apart and he knew she would have been feeling the same thing.

He would have to wait the three months until his vacation to visit her.

Passionate from miles away (IV)

"I miss you Sasuke. I know I'm supposed to be working hard over here but all I can think about is you."

They were simple words but hearing them from Sakura's voice over the phone meant everything to him.

"I told you not to leave silly."

His tone was a teasing one but the words were serious. Of course he had told her not to go. Maybe not as clearly as he should have, but she should know he didn't want her to go, right?

"You know I had to Sasuke, this is the kind of opportunity people dream of. I mean I still can't believe I'm apprenticing under the great Tsunade! I'm learning so much here."

Sakura began to ramble on about the new medical techniques she was learning, but Sasuke never understood any of them. He just listened patiently, enjoying the soothing sound of her voice.

She was passionate about medicine and he was passionate about her.

Passive with the things you say (II)

He was being passive and he knew it.

Every time she brought up the overseas internship he acted like he didn't care about it. They had been dating for about eight months and he just wasn't sure if it was long enough to tell her to stay. To beg her to stay. To tell her that everything for the first 20 years of his life had been shit, then to work hard for a few years to work on himself, and to now finally feel like everything was alright when he was with her.

She had asked him if he wanted her to stay and he played it off like he didn't mind her gone for a year. Because of course he didn't want his lover to leave, but he also didn't want to be the reason she didn't pursue her dreams or this amazing opportunity she kept telling him about.

A year was too long to be apart from Sakura but he couldn't be selfish, so he was passive instead.

Passing up my old ways (IX)

Sure he hadn't been broken up with by someone in years, but that didn't mean Sasuke had forgotten what worked in the past. But for some reason getting really drunk and finding a random girl to hook up with didn't feel right this time. It actually felt dirty the more he thought about it. No, Sasuke wanted nothing to do with alcohol or women for a the time being, and so he had spent his days off the last two months just vegging on the couch and ordering takeout.

Oh, and thinking of Sakura. It had been 68 days since he heard her voice. Not that he was counting or anything.

Harder building trust from a distance (X)

His phone started ringing obnoxiously on his nightstand.

Sasuke grabbed the phone in irritation and looked to see who was calling him at such an ungodly hour.

Sakura Haruno.

He quickly answered the call before it went to his voicemail. Sasuke hadn't heard from her in over a month and he didn't want to waste this opportunity.

"Sakura."

He was met with silence on the other end for what felt like an eternity until finally:

"I'm just calling to say you broke my heart, I haven't stopped crying for a month."

He already knew that.

"You're the biggest asshole I've ever met Sasuke. We were supposed to be a team yet you always made assumptions about me and decisions for yourself."

He knew that too.

"I'm back home, are you free for me to come see you?

Well that was something he didn't know, he thought she was overseas for several more months.

"Yeah of course."

"I'll be there soon Sasuke."

I think we should rule out commitment for now (V)

The first few months apart had been grueling to say the least. Sasuke knew it would be hard, but the three months until his visit had taken forever and been very painful. But he was here to visit now and the past three months seemed like nothing but a bad dream.

It didn't take many days before he inevitably said something stupid and poorly thought out.

"Sakura don't you think it would be easier on both of us if we ruled out commitment for now, this is obviously extremely hard on both of us."

Seeing the shock in her eyes hurt more than mustering up the bravery to say the words, and he instantly regretted saying them.

"Why would you say that Sasuke? You don't want to see me anymore?"

No, that's not what he wanted. He wanted her to come home with him. He wanted the remaining nine months with her overseas to be done. He wanted this to be easier for them, for her. He knew she felt guilty about leaving, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she had to take it. Sasuke knew this was difficult and he was just trying to make the situation easier for them.

Don't pick up the pieces just leave them for now (XIII)

"I'm here to visit my family. I had this trip planned before I even left in the first place, I just wanted this to be a surprise visit. I mean I guess it still is, it's just not what I imagined when I planned it for us."

He looked at her from his place on the opposite couch.

"I miss you so much Sasuke. I think about you more now than when we were actually together. I know you're not the best communicator in the world, and I know I said I would be patient but it's the way you said what you said. You've really got to work on that Sasuke."

He nodded.

"We've obviously both had a lot of time to think about things Sasuke, but every day when I came home I realized the only person I wanted to talk to was you. So I know you suck at putting words together Sasuke but I need you to try harder. And I'm going to try harder to understand what you're saying because I think what you meant to say when you were visiting was that long distance is really, really hard and you wanted to make it easier for both of us, right?

He nodded again. She sighed in return.

"Move back with me. Come with me this time."

We're fallin apart (XIV)

Sasuke's eyes looked up from his lap to meet her beaming emerald ones. She was giving him another chance.

He watched as she got up and walked towards the small couch he was sitting on, before sitting on his lap, bringing her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for a hug. His arms instantly went around her waist and across her back towards her neck. He grabbed her like she was about to fall apart.

"Of course I'll go back with you Sakura, I missed you so much. When do you go back?"

She pulled away from his neck to give him a lopsided grin.

"Tomorrow, guess you better get packing."

Tell me what you think?
I've always wanted to try this style of story, where everything is somewhat out of order. I put number beside the song lines to try and put them in order.