Standard disclaimer applied.


Her soft, even breathing indicated that she was asleep.

He got up sluggishly, tired from the previous acts, and had gotten dressed without disturbing her peace. The air around him was cold, but comfortable. He knew, though, that moment he stepped out of the room, it would just be cold, and empty, even.

He would escape his empty residence every night to find solace in her presence, but he would never allow himself to stay longer than a few hours, and so he left as soon as she was deep into slumber.

How she felt in the morning never occurred to him. Though, during those rare moments where he let his mind wander, he would think, and he would push that reflection back, berating himself for having such irrelevant thoughts.

He was selfish. He made that clear to her.

He never promised her anything, save the stolen moments they spent together at night.

"This isn't what you think it is," He clarified, the first night he had come, "I have no desire to have a relationship with you, Sakura."

He could feel her breaking as he said the words, but she said nothing. He could feel her sadness, and all that hope that had resided in the back of her mind slowly seeping from her body. He could feel the destruction; the what could have been.

Despite his cold validation, she never once denied him. She would have her window opened at night for him. On colder, nights, however, she would keep them shut, but leave the door unlocked.

He would walk in, make his presence known, and bring her down with shaking need. Each night, he would take her. The clawing of her hands and mewls of pleasure fed his insatiable hunger. Never gentle was he, as she was left with marks on her body. When she was finally sated, he would move to leave.

"Why do you do this?" She asked one night, waking up while he was getting his clothes on. A frown marred her face, clearly unhappy with their arrangement.

He said nothing, and pulled on his shirt.

"Stay, please," She said, sadness evident in her voice, "just for tonight, please."

Regardless of her pleas, he ignored her.

She would ask him for the same thing every night, and he would leave her wordlessly.

Tonight, it was easy. She was asleep for once. He could leave without having to hesitate.

---

Crystalline tears fled her eyes.

She would never have him, she concluded. 'At least, not the way I want him,' she thought.

The warmth of her bed had quickly dissipated, even though unmentionable acts had recently occurred on them. The thought of Sasuke ravaging her once brought a red tint to her face, but now it only brought shame.

She was idiotic enough to believe that maybe this could bring them together.

She was desperate enough to settle for sex, rather than love.

She was stupid, stupidstupidstupidstupid…

Sobs racked her body, and once in a while, a hiccup interrupted her crying. She couldn't bring herself to end it. She just couldn't. Whatever that had built between the two of them was something she couldn't let go.

'Even if it's just meaningless sex,' she thought.