In the Ceaseless Snow

🌸Chapter 15🌸

Slamming down a glass of whiskey, Sasuke wiped his mouth and chuckled to himself incoherently as he slid the empty cup to a crowd of finished alcoholic drinks, topping his usual five-limit.

He was up to ten glasses of filled-to-the-brim whiskey.

Awaiting the after taste that he so loved to hit, he looked to his surroundings. This was a place of comfort, a place to let his worries out about Itachi, school, and whatever else that was giving him trouble. The soft lighting didn't hurt his eyes, instead, welcoming him to sit down, take a break and unwind, and the gentleness of it danced around the whole room.

Posters of rock bands were tacked among the wooden walls of the small bar, especially one being his favorite of Menma and Charasuke, who were arm and arm, grinning at each other. It made Sasuke remember back to when times were simple, and he stared at it fondly as he leaned against the smooth ebony oak wall, the bustle and talk of the bar surrounding him as he closed his eyes and drank it in.

The hint of citrus attacked him again in the back of his throat, giving him a small burn that he enjoyed vehemently after a drink. His tongue danced around his mouth, cleansing itself of the harsh liquid as he opened his eyes and before slamming his hand down to alert the bartender, who looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"One more! Gotta taste the next one you got, bartender! Come on, gimme some!" He shouted. Sasuke's whole face was a sight to see, and customers next to him shivered as they scooted away from his chair. Bloodshot, hazy eyes, reddened skin and the slightness of rocking back and forth was what he portrayed.

"Sasuke, I ain't giving ya nothin' more, son. You had ten whiskeys! You're way above ya limit. It's time for you to get on out and take a good ol' shut-eye. Come on, let's get ya outta here, kid." The bartender replied in a thick voice and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Usually, he'd argue to the bartender in a fun fashion, mimicking the New York accent he often spoke in.

Instead, his eyes turned dark and he stood up, his stool tipping over with a crash. The bar silenced and turned their heads to the corner of the bar, where the black haired man began to growl.

"Mike, I just want one more. Just a taste more. Come on, don't make me do this." Sasuke said quietly, and the said bartender crossed his arms over the counter, a rag thrown over the right side of his blue t-shirt, a frown evident on his face.

"Son, you need'a leave."

"And I don't wanna go."

A heated tension began to rise, and Sasuke felt his hand curl into a fist, and he shook as he went to throw a punch, to which Mike was ready to block when suddenly, another hand intervened.

"What are you doing, Sasuke? This isn't like you, picking fights. Come on, we're going. Mike told you to get out, -ttebayo." A man spoke in a stern voice, his hand grasping Sasuke clenched fist, and his body blocking Mike from Sasuke. It seemed as the young man remembered something, and he fished for his wallet, slamming down two hundred bills.

"Naruto, I ain't taking that much, his bill was only seventy-five!"

Naruto tilted his head slightly as he held his intoxicated friend around his arm, talking in the dead silent bar. "Take it, Mike. You deserve it after taking this asshole's attitude and drinks in a polite manner, -ttebayo. Later!" Naruto shouted, then he and Sasuke stepped out onto the crisp air, snow immediately dusting the black haired mans black light jacket, and he stumbled into the sidewalk before the blonde caught him, and then shoved him into the backseat of a car parked on the curb, in front of the bar, then closed the door shut.

Naruto then walked over to the driver's seat, and slipped in, closing the door as he eased out of the curb parking, and began to drive down the main street, full of people and talk on either side of the road. Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled as he spoke.

"And I thought you were the responsible one. Sasuke, you can't just pick a fight in a ba-,"

"SHUT UP!"

Naruto rolled his eyes at how childish Sasuke got when he was drunk and continued talking as he made a left. "You can't pick a fight in a bar like that. It's Mike, for Menma's sake! He's our friend, idiot."

"You don't know anything. You don't know nothing." Sasuke mumbled, rambling.

"I know. Hinata came to my house, telling me the news with Karin."

"No, you don't!"

"Sasuke, stop being such a kid, of course I'm gonna know that-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW!" Sasuke suddenly screamed, his eyes alert. Naruto drove up the driveway to his house, and turned around, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah, I do. I was just to-,"

"YOU DON'T KNOW, HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE THE PERSON YOU LOVE WITH ALL YOUR FUCKING HEART, AND WATCH THEM FUCKIN DIE. YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT HOW MUCH IT HURTS TO SEE HER CRY, SEE HER FEEL PAIN, SEE HER SHREDS OF LOST HOPE. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I SEE HER GETTING WEAKER BY THE DAY, GRINNING TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER! ME! WHEN SHE'S THE ONE SUFFERING!" Sasuke yelled and Naruto stared in silence, blinking at the heavy-breathing man, who had tears streaming down his cheeks.

Getting the two of them out of the car, Naruto engulfed Sasuke into a hug, letting the man cry. It had been years since Sasuke cried in front of someone fervently. Patting his back, Naruto listened to the drunken man's garrulous speech of the times he spent with Sakura. His heart threatened to tighten his chest as he sobbed.

He hated how weak and vulnerable he felt in the setting sun sky, being comforted by his closest friend, standing the middle of a snowy driveway.

But just the image of Sakura, her ashy face and lifeless hair, her sunken eyes and raspy breathing sent him into another shock, and he broke down.

Just one memory.

Just one flash.

Just one thought.

It was enough to make him scream and break his spirit, shattering his heart and crushing his soul.

~~~ 

Written by alicarox13