The trio of birds in mid flight is all she can see as the pieces fall into place.

Every strange occurrence in her life replays with the knowledge that Shisui has been looking after her this entire time.

There was a time she was eight and somehow got separated from her mother in a busy store, only for a man to gently coax her to take his hand and reunite them.

A circumstance in which she wrecked her first car and someone had pulled her out and called an ambulance.

The time Sasuke's big cousin had chaperoned her prom and slow danced with her because she was so painfully by herself.

And lastly, when she was in college. Staggering home after drinking too much and her friends having left with hookups and soulmates. She'd almost been attacked by a group of men until someone vaguely familiar had swooped in and taken her home. She couldn't remember anything about him, but she'd woken up in the clothes she was wearing the night before and a note letting her know where all of her things were.

Goose pimples appear in the wake of her fingers trailing over the tattoo they share. She almost can't fathom how everything is tenuously connected.

This entire time, he'd been hiding in plain sight. Right in front of her while suffering in silence and letting her believe that she just hadn't met her other half yet.

She looks up at him and parses the guilt and shame on his face. The anxiety of rejection or, perhaps, anger.

And she is angry at him. She replays all of their conversations about how lonely she's felt and how much it hurt to see everyone happy while she got years and years and years of silence.

But, at the same time, she wants to understand him. She wants to know, "Why?"

His exhale trembles and he runs his free hand through thick, glossy curls. He's so pretty it almost pains her to gaze upon him. Of course he'd have to hide from her to balance out all of his good traits.

"I'm sorry," He splutters. "I know I am your match, but we're ten years apart and I didn't want to be one of those weirdos. One of those guys who get too eager and start grooming their match. I'd hoped the universe would bring you someone else if I waited long enough."

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"Could you have just," Her eyes shift back and forth as she tries to say exactly what she means, "introduced yourself when I turned eighteen?"

"Everything about it just felt wrong," He rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."

She bites her lip, pulling away from him to process the information given and turning towards the railing of the bridge to watch the fish glide underneath the water. How easy their lives must be to look pretty in a pond, eating bugs and never worrying about mates or predators.

Shisui's hand is soft on her shoulder. "The last thing I would ever want is to harm you."

Could she forgive him for this? Would the universe bring her a new match if she gave up on this one?

"You knew how much I ached to find you," Sakura argues. "How wounding it is to be without the one person you're destined for. You were going to make me grow old and grey all alone."

At first, she'd opted to be inquisitive, processing the information slowly. But now, as things connect and snap together, her throat feels tight and tears spring to her eyes. Her hands shake as it really hits her that he was withholding completeness from her over something so stupid.

Gently, he spins her to face him, hands on her upper arms. "I would always be here. Just not as a romantic partner."

"But I didn't know that!" She reminds him, sniffling. "I didn't know. I didn't know! I--" Her breath hitches and she shivers. She still longs for him. She can still see a future with him where they desperately make up for lost time, but she's afraid he'll hide from her again.

She can't bear it. She'd been so happy to receive his response at the tender age of six, envisioning an attractive prince a little older than her who would appear on a white horse and pledge eternal love and loyalty. Who would give her big, tight hugs and keep her out of the rain with a fancy umbrella. Who'd get along with her parents and they'd have a happy white wedding.

Someone who would sing his adoration of her at their very first meeting.

His brows furrow, lips bowing softly in empathy as she cries into his shirt in a maelstrom of emotions. She's still tipsy and everything is too much.

"I'm sorry," He whispers as he holds her. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Please don't ever disappear again," She whispers between sobs. "I can't take it."

"I promise," He replies. "I'll stay by your side from here on."

Sakura takes his face in her hands and meets his gaze again. "Forever?"

"Forever," Shisui agrees softly, his sweet breath ghosts along her lips. "I will be here forever. When we reincarnate, I will find you every single time."

Their mouths brush and the connection she feels is unmistakable. As if coming home after the worst day of her life and enjoying a warm blanket and her favorite comfort food. Or looking out from a cliff at the red and gold autumn foliage below and being overtaken by the forest's humble glory.

Her arms wrap around his neck and she's lost in the depths of emotion. A wave that sweeps her off her feet and makes it difficult to know which way is up when he hugs her waist, pressing her, breast to chest, against him.

Shisui pulls away to touch their foreheads together and she runs her fingers through his hair. It's just as soft as she'd expected.

She can't forgive him right away.

But as long as he tries to bridge the canyon between them, she'll hang on by the single thread that tangles them together.