[ That little bubble of hope builds in her chest again and she nods.
She can't see him, but she can sense him moving around. She goes to take off her own clothes. At least for this part she's familiar enough with her outfit that she can undo the ties and buttons.
She knows no one else is around, but as she slides her pants off and feels the cold air against her skin, she feels vulnerable, like she's being watched. ]
[ Sasuke reaches out for her hand almost instinctively to steady her, though he doesn't know where that instinct comes from. It makes him stare at their interlocked fingers for a moment, forehead creased.
He'd taken off his pants by now and the September weather is downright frigid. He decides to shove any thoughts he's having to the side, tugging her towards the water. ]
[ Despite the warmth that spreads through her at the feeling of his fingers weaving through hers, she's definitely still cold. She gives a nod and follows his lead into the water.
Each step in feels soothing in a way that she can't fully describe, because it feels like the water itself is healing her. She continues to hold onto him for as long as he'll allow it. ]
[ There's something in his voice that makes her ache to see his face. She's always known the man she loves and married has been underneath all that anger and aggression. She knows the trauma that drives it all even better now that they've spent endless hours discussing it. This is the first time she's felt like maybe his edges are softening since his memory regression. ]
Mmm. You have. You have a lot to give you know...
[ She lets out a sigh and turns her head towards the sky, wanting to give him permission to change that subject. ]
[ He doesn't think he has much to give at all, but he doesn't say that out loud. Instead he gives a soft hum of acknowledgement at the words, looking away from her even if he knows she can't see him. Somehow, being without his memories, makes it even harder to believe. Knowing this future version of himself had impacted people's lives has been... painful, in some way. A reminder of how little he's actually accomplished in what he can remember.
He glances up at the sky at her question, latching on to the distraction. ]
[ Sakura gives a little hum of acknowledgement to his comment about the moon. She takes a step closer in the water, definitely getting into his personal space.
Deep in thought, she closes her eyes, pretending it's simply having her eyes shut that prevents her from seeing it all. ]
A red moon. That makes me think of you. Red always makes me think of you. And black of course. But a red moon suits you.
[ He stared up at the moon for a little longer, the shadows from the craters causing it to remind him of the sharingan itself. He could see why red would make her think of him because of it. ]
Mm.
[ He looks away from it finally, finding it almost unsettling the longer he looks, and finds himself looking at her face again. ]
... I lost my sight once. Did I tell you that already?
[ That new piece of information surprises her, as they hadn't talked about that. Her eyes opened, and she'd been so shocked that she'd momentarily forgotten she couldn't see. A fresh wave of anxiety fills her, but she shakes it off to focus on him. ]
[ He gives a snort at her question, finding it ironic since he can't align it with her own timeline. ]
It's one of the last things I remember. It started right after Itachi, when I got the Mangekyo Sharingan. [ He doesn't now why he's telling her, why he's being so open, like he cares about her struggles. Or maybe it's more that he doesn't quite understand how he came to actually care. ] When I saw you at the bridge, after... After Danzo... I was starting to lose it then. Everything was so blurry. But it started to get dark not long after and take longer to come back. There's only one way to cure it. I ... guess I must have done that, hn?
[ He hadn't thought about that until now. Another proof that he really was older than he remembered and another bit of evidence that everything Sakura had told him so far was true. ]
[ She blushes at that snort, feeling awkward for her question. It's a preferable feeling to the one that gnaws at her when he mentions the bridge. The feeling has her pulling a little bit closer to him, to the point where she can feel the heat from his body. ]
So those are some of your last memories...
[ She trails off, changing the focus.
I had no idea you were going through that then. Another thing you were struggling with then. I didn't know you'd cured anything, but you must have since your eyesight is fine now.
[ His breath stops for a second when he feels how close she is and he swallows roughly to try and remind himself that this is something that was apparently normal for him at one point. There's something in his gut that makes him think that's actually true, too, one that wants to reach out and touch her. But he holds himself back from it, ducking his head instead. ]
I know it's not easy. But remember your sight will come back. It makes it less painful, knowing there's an end.
[ She finds the words reassuring because Sasuke would never say anything like that unless he really meant it. He's trying to reassure her and that means he cares. Seeing him care for her even when he couldn't recall their romantic history made it that much more special in some ways.
She takes a step closer, her hand reaching out to brush against his chest. ]
Thank you Sasuke-kun. I know you're right. I can manage this, after all, I've managed far worse.
[ He startles slightly when she touches his chest, his eyes widening for a moment. He's glad she can't see the embarrassment on his face from the reaction. ]
Mm.
Should we head... back? Or did you want to stay in the water?
[ She isn't sure if he was trying to say that he didn't want to stay in, or if he was simply being pessimistic again. She tried not to think too much about it so that it didn't ruin the moment. ]
Maybe not, but the water has a calming affect, so it heals others things.
[ Her fingers were aching to touch him, feel the familiar expanse of his chest. Since he hasn't pulled away, she dares to move her fingers just a little bit, testing a couple levels of pressure to see how he'd react. ]
[ He feels like the places she's pressing in have been shocked by electricity and the first time it makes his muscles flinch slightly. The next time, he's a little more prepared, but still doesn't know how to react to the way the pressure makes him feel.
Not calm. That's for sure. Nervous? Overwhelmed. ]
[ That slight flinch of his muscles is proof that his body still responds to her that way she's come to love. It's a reaction that makes her press her palms more solidly against his chest. ]
No. I mean...not physically. It's more of a healing of the soul kind of thing. Very good when dealing with stress.
[ And she'd certainly been dealing with a lot of that. ]
[ Well. They both had plenty of that on their shoulders. Sasuke takes in the heat of the water, trying to ignore the response his body is having to her own. It's difficult, but he's doing his damnedest.
[ Her breath catches at his approval, but she takes it as a sign to continue. ]
Definitely.
[ She's quiet after that for a moment, tracing over scars that she's become familiar with and their little inconsistencies on his skin. She'd laid awake at night, her head pressed gently against his chest as she listened to his heart. She'd traced the scars then, asked him about some of them and memorized what stories he'd told her. ]
I guess it's true what they say about our senses remembering things that our eyes might miss.
[ Sasuke's breath audibly catches when she runs her fingers over one of his scars, one he doesn't recognize and was therefor not expecting. His hand comes up to grip her arm, his eyes shutting for a moment.
She said something. What did she say? He has to think of a safe, neutral response. ]
[ She's becoming accustomed to the various meanings of that simple response, knowing it's not as neutral as he thought it was.
She dares to move closer, right into his personal space, so that her body is pressed against his. At worst, he'll pull back, and then they'll just be in the same position they've been since he lost his memories. So she waits to see if she'll be pushed away, heart pounding at the thought of what might happen if he doesn't. ]
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She can't see him, but she can sense him moving around. She goes to take off her own clothes. At least for this part she's familiar enough with her outfit that she can undo the ties and buttons.
She knows no one else is around, but as she slides her pants off and feels the cold air against her skin, she feels vulnerable, like she's being watched. ]
Sasuke-kun.
[ She reaches out her hand towards him. ]
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He'd taken off his pants by now and the September weather is downright frigid. He decides to shove any thoughts he's having to the side, tugging her towards the water. ]
Come on. It's fucking freezing out here.
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Each step in feels soothing in a way that she can't fully describe, because it feels like the water itself is healing her. She continues to hold onto him for as long as he'll allow it. ]
I knew this would be a good idea.
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Besides, the water does feel good. It soothes the aches in his muscles that have grown from all the fighting he's been doing down at the shoreline. ]
Mm. Too bad it'll feel twice as cold getting out.
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[ She laughs softly. Since he isn't pulling away from her, or letting her go, she moves in closer. ]
You found this place for me you know. Helped me build it.
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Seems like I've done a lot of things for people.
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Mmm. You have. You have a lot to give you know...
[ She lets out a sigh and turns her head towards the sky, wanting to give him permission to change that subject. ]
Sasuke-kun, is the moon out tonight?
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He glances up at the sky at her question, latching on to the distraction. ]
Yes. It's not full, but it's close. And ... red.
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Deep in thought, she closes her eyes, pretending it's simply having her eyes shut that prevents her from seeing it all. ]
A red moon. That makes me think of you. Red always makes me think of you. And black of course. But a red moon suits you.
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Mm.
[ He looks away from it finally, finding it almost unsettling the longer he looks, and finds himself looking at her face again. ]
... I lost my sight once. Did I tell you that already?
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No, you hadn't. When was this?
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It's one of the last things I remember. It started right after Itachi, when I got the Mangekyo Sharingan. [ He doesn't now why he's telling her, why he's being so open, like he cares about her struggles. Or maybe it's more that he doesn't quite understand how he came to actually care. ] When I saw you at the bridge, after... After Danzo... I was starting to lose it then. Everything was so blurry. But it started to get dark not long after and take longer to come back. There's only one way to cure it. I ... guess I must have done that, hn?
[ He hadn't thought about that until now. Another proof that he really was older than he remembered and another bit of evidence that everything Sakura had told him so far was true. ]
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So those are some of your last memories...
[ She trails off, changing the focus.
I had no idea you were going through that then. Another thing you were struggling with then. I didn't know you'd cured anything, but you must have since your eyesight is fine now.
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I know it's not easy. But remember your sight will come back. It makes it less painful, knowing there's an end.
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She takes a step closer, her hand reaching out to brush against his chest. ]
Thank you Sasuke-kun. I know you're right. I can manage this, after all, I've managed far worse.
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Mm.
Should we head... back? Or did you want to stay in the water?
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She lets her palm rest more firmly against his chest, willing herself to push just a little bit. ]
I'd like to stay in, if you don't mind. The water is supposed to have healing properties you know.
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He swallows, staring down at the place her palm is resting. ]
It won't heal your eyes, if that's what you're hoping for.
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Maybe not, but the water has a calming affect, so it heals others things.
[ Her fingers were aching to touch him, feel the familiar expanse of his chest. Since he hasn't pulled away, she dares to move her fingers just a little bit, testing a couple levels of pressure to see how he'd react. ]
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Not calm. That's for sure. Nervous? Overwhelmed. ]
Are you... injured elsewhere...?
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No. I mean...not physically. It's more of a healing of the soul kind of thing. Very good when dealing with stress.
[ And she'd certainly been dealing with a lot of that. ]
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[ Well. They both had plenty of that on their shoulders. Sasuke takes in the heat of the water, trying to ignore the response his body is having to her own. It's difficult, but he's doing his damnedest.
Speaking of stress. ]
I guess maybe we should stay in then.
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Definitely.
[ She's quiet after that for a moment, tracing over scars that she's become familiar with and their little inconsistencies on his skin. She'd laid awake at night, her head pressed gently against his chest as she listened to his heart. She'd traced the scars then, asked him about some of them and memorized what stories he'd told her. ]
I guess it's true what they say about our senses remembering things that our eyes might miss.
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She said something. What did she say? He has to think of a safe, neutral response. ]
... Mm.
[ Nailed it. ]
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She dares to move closer, right into his personal space, so that her body is pressed against his. At worst, he'll pull back, and then they'll just be in the same position they've been since he lost his memories. So she waits to see if she'll be pushed away, heart pounding at the thought of what might happen if he doesn't. ]
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