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Karin curled into herself, pressing her back against the cold wall of the darkened room. Outside, the storm raged, lightning streaking through the sky like a jagged blade. The moment she saw it—just for a split second—her chest tightened, and she swore she could feel it again. The piercing heat, the searing pain of Chidori tearing through her flesh. His arm, steady. His eyes, impassive. His voice, cold.
"You’re in the way."
Her breath hitched, fingers curling into the thin sheets wrapped around her legs. She knew she was safe. She knew he wasn’t here. She had spent so long telling herself she didn’t care anymore, that she was over it, that she was better off without him. But when the storm came, logic didn’t matter.
Karin could hear it—Chidori’s crackling hum twisting into the natural roar of the thunder outside. She squeezed her eyes shut, but that only made it worse. She could still see the look on his face, the way he hadn’t hesitated, the way she had barely been a second’s thought before he ran her through like she was nothing.
She let out a sharp exhale, trying to steady herself, but her body wasn’t listening. Her fingers trembled where they clutched at the sheets, and a sick sort of cold sweat clung to her skin. It made her feel disgusting, weak, pathetic. She hated this—hated that, even now, even after all this time, Sasuke could still reach into her chest and rip her apart without even being here.
Another strike of lightning. Another crack of thunder. The room flashed white, and it was like she was there again—standing in that temple, watching as he turned on her. The sensation of his blade ripping through her was so real that she flinched before she could stop herself, a barely restrained whimper catching in her throat.
Her breath came fast, shallow. She couldn’t sit here. She couldn’t be alone.
Before she even thought about it, she shoved her sheets aside and all but ran out of her room, her bare feet padding down the dark hall. She hated this, too. She hated that she needed someone right now, but if she stayed by herself, she’d go crazy.
Suigetsu’s room wasn’t far.
Karin’s breath was uneven as she made it down the hallway, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like she could physically hold herself together. She was shivering, but not from the cold. Every flash of lightning made her stomach twist, her mind dragging her back, back to that moment—when Sasuke had looked her in the eyes and still ran her through.
She reached Suigetsu’s door before she could talk herself out of it. She didn’t knock. Didn’t announce herself. Just pushed the door open, stepped inside, and let the darkness swallow her whole.
The room smelled like damp metal and something unplaceable, and Suigetsu’s slow, steady breathing was the only sound apart from the storm outside. For a second, she thought she’d just stand there, keep her distance—but then the thunder cracked loud and her whole body flinched before she could stop herself.
The bed creaked. "Karin?" His voice was low, groggy but alert.
She hated that she was here. Hated that she needed this. But if she went back to her room, she’d be trapped in it again—trapped in that moment, with lightning burning through her body and the sick feeling of being nothing to the only person she ever—
"Karin."
She realized too late that she was shaking. She heard the sheets shift, and suddenly, Suigetsu was sitting up, his eyes barely visible in the dim light. She expected him to be a smartass. To tease her, to roll over and ignore her, to make this worse. But he didn’t. He just stared for a second—then exhaled, long and slow, rubbing a hand down his face like he already knew what this was.
"Storm's bad, huh?"
It was a way out. An excuse. She could take it. Could let him think it was just the weather. But her throat was too tight, and she couldn’t force a lie past it. So she just swallowed hard, standing stiffly in the doorway, fists clenched at her sides.
Suigetsu sighed again, then scooted over, nodding toward the empty space beside him. "C’mere."
Karin hesitated. Not because she didn’t want to, but because this was humiliating. Because she wasn’t supposed to be this person. But her legs were weak and her body was betraying her, so she moved, carefully, like she thought the floor might give out under her.
She sat on the edge first, keeping herself rigid, but Suigetsu just grumbled, "You’re making this weird," and tugged her down properly. It wasn’t some warm, comforting embrace—he was loose, half-asleep, like he wasn’t sure how to handle this either. But he didn’t push her away.
Karin hated herself for how quickly she latched onto the warmth.
They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the storm and the way her breathing still hadn’t evened out. Suigetsu didn’t say anything about that, either. Just stared at the ceiling, like he knew there was nothing he could say to make it better.
Then, after a long pause, he muttered, "Y’know… I’ve had worse roommates."
It was a stupid, meaningless thing, but Karin still let out a short, breathless sound—almost a laugh.
"Shut up," she whispered. But she didn’t move. Neither did he.
The thunder rolled again. She barely flinched this time.