SasuSaku Month 2013

(because we all know that it will be canon by the end of the year)

Title: Healing Touch
Summary: Ever since he left, those hands have touched thousands (and none were his).
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Day One: Holding Hands
Rating: K+
Warning(s): none
Comments: first sasusaku month I've participated in! (:

The war was over, the tyrants killed, and the 10-tails sealed. However, instead of celebrating alongside his ex-teammates, reveling in the impossible victory, Sasuke Uchiha sat (alone) behind the flimsy fabric walls of the Konoha medical tent.

All around him he could hear tired groans and sighs of pain escaping from the lips of those utterly beneath him. The only solace he had was that somehow Karin and Suigetsu had given up on trying to find him.

Through the walls, he could hear her voice.

"Aburame-san, I'll need you to keep still!" she urged in a professional tone, though it was muffled and distorted by the tent. For the past two hours, she had stayed with the sick, diminishing her chakra over dozens of shinobi, most of whom she would never even see again.

The man she was hovering over was lucky indeed, to be under the care of the best (living) medical ninja in the entire nation. Even as Sasuke closed his eyes in yet another futile attempt of sleep, he could not remove her image from his weary mind.

The second he saw her on the battlefield…so fiery and passionate and alive…he knew that the old Sakura, the one who would cry over his wounds and squeeze his sweaty hands with her own, was gone. (perhaps forever)

Eyes still closed, a sharp frown marred his handsome features.

Why would I care if she changed? She'll be more tolerable now. She won't come begging for my company or hovering over me all the time.

The diamond on her forehead, contrasting with her (soft) hair and her (bright) eyes, a physical manifestation of her training with Tsunade.

The triumphant grin that flew across her face when she landed a punch. (He couldn't help but smirk)

The way her hair billowed in wind, still as short as it was his last night in Konoha.

She's annoying as ever, he frowned.

His eyes snapped open at sound of footsteps at his "door," the sharingan blazing (and the stinging pain that would result).

"Sasuke?" a smooth voice called out, and he didn't have to bother moving his head to know who it was.

"Why aren't you celebrating with the rest? Shouldn't you be drinking sake with Naruto or something?" he asked, a cynical twinge in his words.

"It's more important to save the ones that are too injured to celebrate."

He could practically hear the smile that followed.

"Don't waste your time."

The steps came closer, until he could feel the heat of her body next to him. Nevertheless, he refused to show any indication that he noticed her physical presence.

"You are too injured to celebrate," she continued. She raised a hand to his upper arm, and he almost flinched before realizing that it was because his bicep was torn. It only took a few seconds for her chakra to seal up the wound, the distinct glow surrounding her hands.

Though he didn't want to admit it, he slowly relaxed under her touch as she moved on to a gash on his shoulder and his bloody shins. However, as she reached his right hand, he stiffened immediately, violently rising up to a sitting position. She gasped lightly, but her touch stayed.

"Don't," he practically hissed, narrowing his eyes. Though any other ninja would flinch in fear, her expression remained still.

"Your hand is injured," she said simply. "You've used the chidori too many times in such a short amount of time. Do you want the tendons to tear off?"

"Move on to someone else."

She froze, and suddenly he realized how his words could have been interpreted.

"Move on to healing someone else."

"Sasuke, no matter how much you protest, I'll need to heal you eventually. You are one of our top shinobi. To ignore you would be pointless."

He didn't speak after that, which she took as surrender. Thus, she started her chakra flow once more…before his sharingan went spinning in agitation. She fought the urge to sigh in frustration.

"What is it now, Sasuke? You can't stand for me to touch you? Well just try to get over your obvious disgust for me so I can finish your healing and just leave!" she yelled, her words stemming from all the bitter, self-hating thoughts that had plagued her mind ever since that day three years ago, when he dismissed her heartfelt confession with only a few quiet words.

"Do you treat all your patients like this?" he commented simply. In fact, his disposition looked so serious in that moment that Sakura couldn't help but compare him to Sai. In any other situation, she would have laughed at how his statement could be his attempt of joking.

"No. You're just special," she said slowly through gritted teeth. She started her chakra again, before he stopped her for the third time.

"How many people have you healed?"

She sighed. "I don't know…thousands? I did get help from Katsuyu…"

"How many hands have you touched?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Why does it matter?"

"When we were younger, you swore that I was the only one you would touch."

"I never said that," she frowned, trying not to linger too much on her old self.

"You implied it."

"Why does it matter?" she asked again.

"You broke your promise."

"Of course I did! I work as a konoichi and a medic-nin, in case you haven't realized yet!" she growled out, most likely terrifying the rest of the occupants of the tent.

"Have you broken any other promises?"

Of course not, Sasuke! No matter how hard I try to forget you, I've loved you for all this time. I can't count the number of times I've refused to cry, or the amount of my own blood I've spilled on the training grounds in attempts of someday being good enough to impress you!

"Maybe."

Sasuke didn't seem to like that answer, for his interested expression turned into a displeased frown.

"Are you sure?"

"What are you even asking at this point?!" she asked exasperatedly.

"Have you done anything else with a man?"

"W-what? I….what are you-"

"Have you kissed another man since I left?" he asked suddenly.

There was a heavy silence.

"…no," she admitted.

"Good."

She gave him a weird look.

"Then you can still keep your promise."

"Sasuke, what are you even sayi-"

He cut her off with his lips for the briefest of seconds before he pulled away immediately. Her mouth almost dropped open in shock, and her cheeks were stained a very noticeable shade of pink.

A little unsure of her feelings, he tried to turn his head to this side in attempts of hiding an uncharacteristically embarrassed expression. However, she used her other hand (the one not still grasping his own) to turn his head back.

"Don't think that I'm going to be some submissive lover or anything-" he started, before she put a finger to his lips.

"Shut up, Sasuke-kun," she sighed out softly, before pulling him into a fervent kiss that reminded him of passionate flames and what it meant like to be loved.

(They would make a compromise: she could heal others, as long as he was the man she always came back to)

I need to write for my other fics now. Mwah. (;