A/N: So it begins. Happy SasuSaku Month fellow shipmates! (oh, and I'm currently trying to finish chapter 16 of ctlos; take note - trying).

Edit: I decided to delete my latest two entries in order to organize them here. Gomenasai uwu

- Standard Disclaimer Applied to All Chapters -

Paint isn't an adhesive to broken bonds. It's better.

Day 01: The Smell of Fresh Paint

The news promised a thunderstorm later tonight. That is why Uchiha Sasuke is frantically going around the streets of Konoha trying to find a decent hardware store that sells paint. It was not more than three months ago when he was released from his probation. But he might as well be in another one with the way he's locked himself up in the Uchiha manor. This was the most time he spent outside of it mainly because no matter how grand his parents' house looked, it was not immune to decay.

Inwardly relieved, he found what he was looking for – and also who he was unconsciously longing for.

"Whoa." Sakura's mouth formed an 'o' as she stared blankly at Sasuke.

"What." He didn't mean to spit the word at her. Actually, there were a lot of things he didn't mean to do.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "It's still unusual seeing you here." Sakura hoped he didn't see the effect he still has on her. He decided to stay after the war, and they rarely spoke after that – only on the occasions she was the assigned as his medic, and it was never even personal then. Her feelings never changed, but she, as an individual, did. She didn't want to shove her feelings to him like she did back then. It drove him away, and she can't bear being any further from him than where she is now.

Sasuke grunted at her response and continued inside the small shop. Sakura watched him from the corner of her eye, all the while looking for some hinges for her again broken door. Monstrous strength had its price. She smirked to herself as she remembered the look of horror on Naruto's face when she threw her door out of its hinges. That'll teach him not to wake her up after a 24-hour shift.

"Tch. Nevermind." Sasuke's voice snapped Sakura out of her reverie. Did he say something just now?

"I'm sorry?" She asked but he only glared at her. "Well then." She muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you could've just said no." He snapped, bringing his attention back to the gallons of paint cans.

She turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

"I asked you a favor and you damn right smirk at me. Giving me a taste of my own medicine? Fine."

Oh. Sakura struggled not to laugh, instead adorning her face with a smile."Slow down, I wasn't making fun of you. I was – I was thinking."

Sasuke turned his face away from her, but she saw that his ears were bright shade of pink. Maybe things could change for the both of them.

He grunted once more, and almost chokingly, he asked, "You – and Naruto, uh – help paint my house."

That was enough for her.

"Damn, Teme. When you said you needed a paint job, I thought maybe it was for your kitchen or your living room or maybe even your attitude. But your whole fucking mansion? Nah, man. I have a date with Hinata-chan tonight. I might have to pa –"

"No!" Both boys slightly jumped at Sakura's sudden outburst. "Eh, I mean, uh – we really need your help. We'll let you off early so you can catch up with that date." She laughed a little too nervously, and Naruto got the message. She didn't want to be left alone with Sasuke.

"Ya know what – what was I even saying? This is my ninja way. Let's do this thing, 'ttebayo!"

Sakura gave Naruto a grateful smile, thinking it went unnoticed by Sasuke.

It wasn't.

It was a little after three when they finished painting a fourth of the manor. The tension between his two best friends that Naruto was sure it was what was suffocating him and not the stingy smell of paint. He noticed that every accidental brush between the two of them added electricity to the atmosphere. Sakura would be apologizing. Sasuke grunted. Naruto tried striking up a lighthearted conversation, but all his efforts were in vain. He needed to prepare for his date with Hinata, but he can't afford to leave his friends in this state of extreme awkwardness. Why can't they just suck it up and tell each other how they feel? Well, okay, maybe he wasn't sure how Sasuke felt, but with the way he's acting, Naruto was certain Sakura had an effect on him. He needed to do something.

It was in that moment that Sakura decided she needed a good glass of ice cold water pronto. "I'm going to get something to drink. You guys want anything?" They both shook their head. Naruto waited until she was out of earshot before he instigated his master plan.

Naruto whistled. "So Teme, since Sakura-chan isn't here right now, do you wanna know a secret?

"Hn."

"I saw Sakura-chan buying some lady stuff." Sasuke's hand stopped moving for a second as Naruto's words sunk in. Gotcha.

"That's hardly any of my business, Dobe."

"Well, I know, but as teammates, aren't we supposed to be concerned? She might be seeing some good-for-nothing guy behind our backs." Naruto feigned shock and gasped. "What if they're fricking the frack."

"What?" Sasuke spat.

"Or maybe she's just lonely so she decided to, I dunno, do herself or anything like that." Naruto apologized to Sakura in his head for talking about her that way. But this was for her own good. He hoped.

Meanwhile, Sasuke struggled in keeping his blood from rushing to his groin. Talking about Sakura that way brought upon inappropriate images in his head. The tension between them was enough to make him lose his mind. He didn't need any more reasons to be stiff around her.

Oh Kami. Of all the words he could've thought of. Now that part was getting stiff.

Sasuke dropped the brush he was holding. Naruto watched in amusement as Sasuke struggled to be calm. When he started walking out of the room, he called to him. "Yo teme! Where are you going?"

His response was as rigid as his movements. "Water."

Naruto sighed like the happy man he is. He was such a good friend.

Sakura was sure she smelled a hundred percent like paint. It was not on her to-do list to paint a manor on her day off, but it was a good start for the old Team 7. Well, if she wasn't so tense around Sasuke, that is. A sigh escaped her lips.

After rinsing the glass she used, she noticed a paint stain on her left foot. Clicking her tongue, she grabbed some paper towels, dabbed them on some paint thinner Sasuke had in his kitchen, and bent down to start ridding away the stain.

"Holy shi –"

The intruding voice caused Sakura to jump and stand up almost immediately to face this person who she was almost sure saw her underwear through her denim shorts.

And just her luck, it happened to be Sasuke.

He had his back turned to her now. "What are you doing?" He managed to choke out.

"Um, I had paint on my feet, and well, yeah. I used some of your thinner. I, uh, hope you don't mind."

"Hn." Sasuke approached her, not missing the way her breath hitched as he did so. This fueled him. Maybe she wouldn't mind getting ravished in a dusty old kitchen of a decaying manor.

There was only one way to find out.

He stared her down and marveled at the way her cheeks were dusted with pink. He wished this wasn't caused by embarrassment alone. This was all the dobe's fault. If things don't work out, he's going to chase him around Konoha until he got a taste of his chidori.

Despite his shock, he was delighted to see her matching his stare – challenging him as her lids got heavy, and her green eyes clouded. She took in a more comfortable, awaiting stance and he smirked. She loved this new fire within her.

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. The knots in her stomach were getting too painful as Sasuke's scent drowned out the smell of paint. Her eyes dropped to his lips.

He was a foot away when she broke the silence. "Sasuke-kun," she breathed and it was all it took.

"Fuck," was his last word before crashing his lips to hers. He backed her up in the kitchen sink and lifted her so they were leveled. She wrapped her legs around his torso as her hands went up in his hair.

Meanwhile, Sasuke took pleasure in exploring the skin beneath her shirt. She gasped when he found a good spot and he took this as his chance to dip his tongue into her mouth. When the need for air became overwhelming, Sasuke broke the kiss and proceeded to devour the creamy skin of her neck. Her delicate paint-stained hands roamed his abdomen, as his more calloused ones caressed the underside of her breasts.

Getting impatient, she cupped both his cheeks and brought his lips upon her again. Sasuke smiled into the kiss at her demanding claim.

He reminded himself to treat Naruto to some ramen.

xx