I haven't written in so long, forgive me in advance. I don't own Naruto, I merely use him on a nightly basis.
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Wakefulness was threatening the comfortable numbness of sleep, making her slowly aware of the warmth that engulfed her. With a content sigh she resettled seeking the peace again. However, even in the fog of sleep this highly skilled ninja's strong sense of self-preservation disallowed her satisfaction of sleep.
Her senses flared about her seeking any immediate danger to her comfortable resting place. First she registered the dull roar of rain outside, then a pleasantly familiar smell teasing her nose and finally the source of her comfort. A decidedly warm male body pressed against her back enveloping her in a warm cocoon underneath her covers.
Hmm…
She snapped awake and fought her body's natural inclination to stiffen lest she wake her bed mate. She controlled her breathing to simulate sleep as she reached with her chakra to further exam her surroundings.
Okay, I'm in my own apartment, in my own bed. Partially clothed. With a guy.
What the fuck happened last night?
He woke as soon as he felt her chakra move over him like a warm hand cautiously examining him and her surroundings. He fought the smile that threatened to give him away. Even in her sleep she was ever cautious.
I have to get up she thought.
With as much finesse as she could muster, she moved her leg experimentally and earned a sleepy grunt from her bedmate. If anything the embrace tightened as he readjusted their position succeeding in further tangling their bodies.
"Crap." She muttered softly. She was wide awake now and her mind was identifying the person behind her as a threat and what was pressing insistently now into her back an even larger threat.
It's natural, don't panic. Men wake up in this condition all the time. Just don't think about it… aaahhh! He's moving again.
As if he could sense her distress in his sleep, he nuzzled her neck gently and slacked his hold.
She succeeded in detangling their bodies and advanced towards the edge of the bed.
He turned onto his stomach and reached over to pat the now empty spot she used to occupy and a frown marred his face.
Her eyes flew in his direction when she felt his movements and she stifled a gasp. First, it was still dark, second, his eyes were open and suspiciously absent of the disorientation that comes with first waking up.
"Good morning beautiful." He said huskily grinning devilishly at her.
This highly skilled, highly trained ninja capable of unimaginable feats stumbled off the edge of the bed and landed in a graceless heap on the floor. Next came a tattle tale pop signaling the disappearance of the flustered konoichi.
She paced in her living room as memories from the night before rushed back into her stream of consciousness.
An ordinary dinner after his long mission; a short walk down memory lane and sake.
Lots and lots of sake.
After the sake, unwitting admissions and drunken kisses.
Lots and lots of kisses.
Only then she noticed the jackhammer that had taken residence in her pounding head. She ran an absent hand through her hair to ease the pain.
"Damn it" she muttered still pacing. She shrugged into the shirt she found strewn across the floor in the bedroom. She frowned when it dwarfed her.
This isn't mine.
She buried her nose in the neck and took a cautious sniff.
Sakura was assailed by flashes of bodies writhing and heated whispers demanding submission. She flushed crimson and renewed her pacing.
Kami-sama what did I do?
They had grown closer and closer over the years and her stubbornness facilitated the denial that their friendship had evolved into something not quite friendship, but more. As of last night much much more.
It seemed as though nature herself was conspiring against her pairing them up in every way possible, be it in ANBU missions or futile errands for Tsunade. They found that even though their trio was broken, the dynamic between the two made them successful.
Her hands were already reaching for the nonexistent kunai when she felt the shift that signaled his arrival into the living room.
Years of grueling training did him good as he stood half naked in front of her save for a her black bed sheets wrapped haphazardly about his hips.
Sakura studied him as he leaned casually against the frame of her door watching her with half lidded eyes and crossed arms. Her breath caught as she trailed her eyes down his body taking in his broad shoulders, capable arms, and solid chest and… his toned stomach and the thatch of blond that trailed down lower eventually disappearing into—
She snapped her jaw shut when she heard a soft chuckle. She noted fading bruises on chest and arms. The medic in her berated her self for not properly attending to him the night before.
He watched her wear a hole in her carpet and sighed softly.
"You can't take it back you know." He reminded her gently. That won him a lethal glare.
At least she stopped pacing
"You know… Ero-Sennin didn't just teach me new jutsus. A few months into training I became terribly home sick and he complained it broke my concentration. So he asked me one night what I missed the most about Konoha. I listed my top three things. Ramen, my own bed and you." He sheepishly confessed. He leaned away from the door and started towards her.
She took two cautious steps back as he approached but stopped short and scolded herself for being intimidated by this obnoxious ninja.
Who had grown up to be the great ninja he vowed to be… and so damn sexy. Kami, I'm loosing my mind!
"Naruto—" she interrupted blushing slightly.
"For a pervert he was surprisingly easy to talk to. I told him how many times you turned me down and he laughed. He said he'd teach me the secret to win any girls heart. He called it an art that was equally as important as being a great ninja."
He paused deliberately keeping her in suspense, knowing her inquisitive nature will prompt him to continue.
"S-so what did he teach you?" she asked impatiently
He had become amazingly perceptive to the annoyance of his friends. He capitalized on her distraction and stalked slowly towards her closing the gap between them. When he was mere inches from her he replied,
"He told me the way to a woman's heart is through saturation. Tag along whenever you can and compliment her on little things. When you spar with her, let her win sometimes, but not all the time or she'll know what you are about. Listen to her and offer whatever comfort you can by being her friend first. Don't push her and be patient."
He reached out and wrapped his arms about her tall frame.
"'Accidentally' bump into her as much as possible. Be kind to her, buy her little gifts and respectfully offer to pay for half of everything." He said caressing her arm gently.
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized he was following the teachings of his sensei on how to woo a girl.
He had been very considerate seeming to appear in times of need. He had been a great friend and companion to her lately.
That ass! She thought suddenly furious with him.
Her quick temper flared and she lashed out as she normally did.
Naruto sprawled on the floor clutching his head and stomach moaning piteously.
As always her anger vanished as soon as it came and she was immediately contrite.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." She cried kneeling on the floor to cradle him in her arms. She ran a chakra charged palm over his head and another over his stomach soothing the pain she inflicted on him only moments ago.
"Ero-senin also said to allow her to hit you whenever she saw fit because her apology would be worth it." he said smirking devilishly at her.
A reluctant smile began to form on her face as she listened. She even pulled him closer into a hug.
"And if you ever get the chance to be in her arms, look at her with an unguarded expression and hope she understands how you feel about her." He said softly against her neck.
He pulled back slightly watching her with soulful eyes. She gasped softly at the intensity of his gaze. He was no longer the Naruto who clamored for her attention by being obnoxious, he was a man, baring his soul to the woman he loved…the man who had wormed himself into her heart.
Yea, with underhanded tactics.
"Then he said, if all else fails, ply her with sake and have your way with her."
She shrieked in outrage and drew her hand back for another well deserved punch.
He dove quickly and used the momentum from her punch to lift her bodily back into her small bedroom.
To her credit, she put up a struggle when she was gently deposited back into bed.
She sullenly admitted defeat after he effectively pinned her down beneath him.
"You suck." She huffed breathing hard from her struggle.
He merely grinned and arranged her limbs as he saw fit. She found herself in the same position she was when she awoke. His inquisitive fingers were running down her sides and she struggled not to squirm when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. She found her eyes drooping from his rhythmic motions a while later.
As she succumbed to sleep, she asked mildly curious
"How did you get those bruises?"
"Don't you remember…?"
His reply was a gently snore. He smiled and shifted her closer and promptly went to sleep.