R E S I S T A N C E

B R U I S E S

Ayuka's POV

When I awoke the next morning, the first thing that registered in my mind was the splitting headache I felt right between my eyes. It felt as if someone had implanted a kunai in my skull that was scraping against my brain. I scrunched up my face at the pain and buried myself further into my pillow, hoping that I could somehow disappear into the linens and run from the migraine.

Unfortunately, I was having no such luck.

Refusing to open my eyes for fear of making the ache in my head worse, I tried my best to figure out where I was from memory. I thought back to the events of yesterday and frowned to myself. 

My clan... 

No, I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought. Tears threatened to emerge from behind my eyes and I subtly shook my head, dispelling anything further on the matter. It was too painful a memory to dredge up now.

C'mon Ayuka. Don't get distracted. What else do you remember?

I strained my mind for a moment, trying desperately to remember the details and not the emotions. Slowly, I began remembering Jugo's grip on my arm and Sasuke's unfaltering orders to refrain from helping the survivors. I ran from them, ran from the horrible feeling building in my chest, and found myself at a bar. 

Yeah, that's what happened. 

The doorman let me in to the slightly run-down building, caring only about my looks and not my age. It was the only place open and I immediately took advantage of it, ignoring his greedy stares that probably would have bothered me on any other night. I remembered taking a seat at the bar, paying in advance with a lump of cash that I didn't bother sorting. After that, the bartender seemed all too thrilled to give me anything I requested.

Judging from my headache and the slightly sour taste in my mouth, I drank quite a bit of sake... 

I didn't know how long I remained in that seat, but I remembered Sasuke showing up and dragging me out of the establishment... and...

My thoughts paused.

That was it. That was all I remembered.

That can't be right.

Just then, I felt the bed shift slightly behind me. Forgetting about my headache, my eyes shot open at the movement. The first thing they focused on was an empty sake bottle, open and toppled over on the floor. Next to it were two small sake cups and what appeared to be my weapons pouch, all of which seemed a bit haphazardly placed. As I continued to scan the room in front of me, my mouth fell open silently as I noticed something that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Sasuke's sword, along with his waist wrap and obi, were resting in the corner of the room.

No, it couldn't be.

I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, not believing what my mind was telling me.

This is just a dream. A very weird, messed up dream.

I willed myself to wake up, doing everything I could to dispel the anxiety that was filling every inch of my being. There was no way this was real, it was just too unbelievable. I'd never allow something like this to happen... He would never allow something like this to happen...

Unless...

I bit down on my lip hard, hoping that my eyes would shoot open and I'd wake to an empty room, but instead they were met with the same image. I felt the bed shift behind me once more, and I gulped as nervousness consumed me. Deciding that I couldn't ignore it any longer, I slowly turned my head to glance over my shoulder. As soon as I glimpsed the black hair splayed out on the pillow next to mine, I froze.