dedicated: to james—for trusting me with your story.

"Oh, you know each other?"

.

.

.

"We dated before," one of them finally says.

.

.

.

.

.

Here we go
Again

.

.

The smile on her face would've fooled him had he not been given a heads up, had he known nothing about her, but he had and that made all the difference.

"Hi, I'm Sakura. Sakura Haruno."

—I'm bringing a friend with me this summer.

"Naruto has told me so much about you I feel like I've known you my whole life!"

—she needed an escape, Teme. High school drama, you know?

"Pleased to finally meet you."

—just. Just be nice to her, okay? She's been through so much already and...

He took the outstretched hand in front of him and shook it. Her hand was soft and small against his own. And he wondered if the texture of her hand reflects who she was. Maybe she did, otherwise she wouldn't be running off to a state so far away from home, away from all the drama of her life.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Welcome to Oto."

—she needs a distraction.

Everyone does.

.

.

t'was the summer they met
that the fire was lit

.

tbc.