Damaged Pieces (SasuSaku AU)

XXXII. Afflictions

DAMAGED PIECES : Afflictions

Affliction equips the suffering to empathize with others in anguish and not only does it strengthen them, it enables them to be consoling comforters in a world full of hurt.

Donna Lynn Hope
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He watched her as Sakura splashed water on her face repeatedly, wetting her obsessively ironed shirt in the process. She didn't lift her lashes to meet his eyes even once. Sasuke didn't think she had anything to be ashamed of though. Most people in an atypical situation such as hers would have lost their marbles long back. It was a miracle in itself that Sakura was still standing strong.

But, a selfish man as he was, he couldn't stand to see her so utterly dependent on him. Sasuke had long ago deduced of her need for him. He knew she was using their lovemaking as a chariot to ride out the storms of her afflictions. But, he was never going to let her sacrifice her dignity by taking her in the washroom of a courthouse.

Sasuke had her in his life, finally, as he'd always sought her since his admittance of his feelings. She was his to love, his to hold and his to mend. But, mending came hard and if he was going to be of any use to her, he would have to endure hurting her by denying her the drug she was seeking for evasion. It would only ever mess her up more if he kept giving her what she thought she needed instead of what she actually needed.

Sasuke knew it was a great risk on the new skin of their relationship but, he'd have to make her see that she could breathe without him too. He could only hope that his previous bond with Sakura would be enough to make her stay. He wasn't trying to bind her to himself. Sasuke was trying to set her free from herself.

Sakura fished in her handbag for a handtowel. Why she was carrying a handtowel in her purse at all was a question in itself. She probably already contemplated such a situation arising. Guilt doubled in his gut because he knew she was counting on him to fix her. Instead, he told her to reflect on how she was acting. Really, Sasuke's timing could not be worse.

But, he knew Sakura was much stronger than the girl who needs sex or drugs to distract her from an unpleasant past. 'Unpleasant' was the most understated word of the century for what she had endured, he bitterly thought.

Going into this relationship, Sasuke had known it was not going to be rainbows and smilies but, he chose to be with her. It wasn't an actual option. He loved her too much to not accept her no matter how broken she was. Besides, he didn't believe she was actually broken. Sakura was a victim to life's tragedies and for once, he was going to be a hero though, maybe not like she expected.

He glanced at the trashcan in which the syringe and the small vessel lay discarded. He could give her his body to no end however, the drugs would just not do. He scrunched his nose in distaste and tore a few tissues from the lot simply to throw over the unwanted items.

"Did you hate it that much?" she quietly questioned, eyeing the fresh tissues wasted on his aversion to the idea of her taking that drug.

Sasuke replied with nothing but, he couldn't resist layering her with his  affection. At first he thought she'd pull away but, she didn't. She hugged him back.

"I sound desperate, don't I?"

"That's not what I-"

"I know I do."

"Not really."

"Sasuke, truth."

"You don't," he confirmed with no trace of a doubt. Taking her face in his palms, he bore his eyes into her tear rimmed ones. "I love you, Sakura."