R E S I S T A N C E

G I V I N G I N

Ayuka's POV

A comfortable silence fell over us as we downed the final remnants in our small sake cups at the same time, and I could feel the numbness returning. I lifted my head forward once the initial shock of the alcohol subsided, and my slightly hazy eyes were captured by Sasuke's--already staring at me. They were half-lidded due to the alcohol and a small amount of pink dusted his cheeks. Honestly, the sight was almost too much for my drunken mind to handle.

After our not-so-comfortable conversation, Sasuke suggested that we finish the rest of the sake. At first, the request startled me since I never expected those words to come from him in a million years. This was his first time drinking, at least as far as I could tell, and to have him give in to the effects so quickly took me off guard. After seeing my reaction though, he admitted slowly that he was actually enjoying himself. He shrugged and gave me yet another embarrassed look, and I began to realize that perhaps this was a side of him that even he, himself had never experienced before. Maybe the sake was a welcomed change to all of the responsibility and hate that he surrounded himself with so often.

I allowed myself an accomplished smile, knowing that I was probably the only person in the shinobi world to ever see the young Uchiha like this. And if I was really honest with myself, intoxicated Sasuke was definitely becoming my new favorite.

As we continued to sit in silence, his rich black eyes studied me without faltering. They seemed to be like wells, stretching deeper and deeper, never truly able to see the bottom. They were captivating, causing me to watch as they slowly flickered back and forth between each of my own. He was obviously looking for something inside of me, searching the inner most part of my being with his powerful gaze. I silently wondered if he found what he was seeking.

We sat there staring at each other for what seemed like forever before I let my eyes wander and take in the rest of his appearance. His head leaned against the wall behind him lazily as he watched me. His right arm rested on his bent knee precariously, while his other leg stretched out in front of him barely a couple centimeters away from my own.

The empty sake bottle sat between us as a reminder of how we found ourselves like this.

After a few more moments, I forced myself to take my eyes from him all together. My hands had begun to sweat, either due to the alcohol or my close proximity to the flushed Sasuke, and my brain wanted me to remove the bandages covering them. I began fumbling with the wraps on my fingers, trying to peel the cloth away and let my skin breathe, but I couldn't manage to get a grip on my own.

I looked up at Sasuke and gave him a confused look, too drunk to notice the amused smile on his face.

"Can you, um...?"

I let my words become air, not really sure how to communicate what I wanted. He smirked at me and shook his head, seemly confident that he was reading my mind. I raised an eyebrow at him as he lifted himself up off the ground. He took the two steps over to my spot and sat on the floor beside me, letting his body weight drop with a low thud.

Without prompting, he took my left hand in his and slowly tore a section of the bandages. He began unwrapping each of my fingers at a leisurely pace, stumbling slightly but making more progress than I would have. As my hand was slowly exposed, he touched my skin with an incredible softness as he continued unwinding the gauze around my arm. My mind began to race, not fully prepared for him to be so willing to help, let alone for him to be so gentle. I found myself silently wondering when the last time was that I had allowed myself to be close to someone. 

Once he got to my elbow, his job was done and he quickly moved over to my right hand, replicating his movements from before.

"Better?" He asked once he was finished, folding the bandages and setting them on the floor.