a/n I turn 19 in 8 minutes.
Shuffle shuffle.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Shuffle shuffle
Just lay still and go to sleep. It's not that hard.
He glared at the sleeping bag next to him with pure unadulterated annoyance. They'd spent all day on the road travelling through thick rain and mud, trying to reach a destination three days away with only two days to spare, only to end up halfway to their intended rest stop. He could feel his eyes burning with the fatigue he was feeling. Just holding his eyes open for longer than a few seconds made them twitch. They'd both ended up drenched to the bone; boots full of water and travelling cloaks weighing them down. They had been lucky to find the cave they were now nestled in.
He rubbed his hands together inside his sleeping bag trying to generate some heat. They had set up a small fire in the cave and had been forced to lay their travelling clothes out by the fire, stripping down to just their underwear, so that come tomorrow they at least had dry clothes again. He tried not to let his thoughts linger too long on the way she seemed to not care at all, being in her underwear in front of him. She had some nerve being so nonchalant even when it had caused his long since sealed heart to beat a little faster.
He looked over at the small girl next to him. How could someone so weak thrive into someone so strong? Not for the first time in his life, he felt inadequate in comparison to his childhood teammates. It was like they were always improving for the better, and he was stuck in the past; unfeeling and cold and more importantly unchanged. More than anything, everyone loved her whereas all hated him. She'd walk into a room and immediately brighten and improve the mood and he was the exact opposite. She was light and he was dark.
Shuffle, shuffle.
Everyone thought she was some type of prodigal doctor extraordinaire but he couldn't get past the image of the child she used to be. He could admit that she was a pretty little thing even if it made him feel stupid. It was so easy for everyone to compliment her and treat her with kindness. Why couldn't he? He'd hardly said three things to her the whole day. When they were younger she'd talk to him all-day, prattling on and on about every little thing. Then, it had annoyed him. Now, her silence annoyed him.
Shuffle, shuffle.
Not as much as her sleeping habits though. She was a restless sleeper. He'd been with her on so many missions in this past month he felt as if he hadn't slept the whole time. He just couldn't sleep with her rustling about next to him. There was no light in the cave, the fire having died out hours ago. He couldn't see her, but the image of her face scrunched up uncomfortably in her sleep, had long since burned in his memory. She could never just lay still and sleep. He wondered if she suffered from nightmares, like he did. The war had left their scars on her, as much as she tried to hide it. He could always see straight through her.
Shuffle, shuffle.
They had laid their sleeping bags out close to one another, trying to gather heat from one another. Unfortunately, it wasn't working at all. This was probably the reason why Sakura was rolling around more than usual. The darkness of the cave was disorientating and she provided the only anchor for him. Little by little she had wriggled closer and closer to him, buffeting him with her fidgeting. He rolled his eyes in exasperation as she nudged him hard with her elbow. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn she did this to him on purpose, as some type of special revenge for trying to kill her so many times.
He was not a good person. How on earth could she even look him in the eye without wanting to snap his neck? He had trouble looking at himself in the mirror everyday. His life had been so bundled up in secrets he didn't think he could ever be able to find freedom from them. He wasn't the crazy psychopath he had been all those years ago. He was slowly beginning to heal but he didn't think he'd ever be on her level. He could feel the familiar feeling of guilt and regret stir inside him. When he was young he had taken her feelings for granted. He should have known better. He could only imagine how it felt to behold the love of her.
She nudged him harder this time. He could feel something snap inside him as he rolled onto her form and using his full weight to press her down. Even in the dark he could tell her eyes had snapped open in surprise.
"Sasuke?" She questioned him her voice low and meek. "What are you doing?"
"Stop." He put his face close to hers. "Moving.
"W-what?" She stuttered confused by his sudden actions.
"You think I can sleep whilst you're so selfishly rolling around, creating the biggest noise in the world." His hot breath caught her face.
"I'm sorry." She tried to wriggle out from underneath him. He put his arms either side her face ignoring the stinging cold. "I'm just freezing. I can't get warm."
He couldn't ignore the coldness of the cave any longer either. They both knew a fire was too noticeable and out of the question, but what could they do? Surely two woefully rested ninjas were useless. And they had so far to travel the next day. They needed to do something; otherwise they wouldn't get any sleep.
"We can't have a fire going but we need to do something to keep warm." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance not believing that he had to say the next few words. "You're going to have to get in my sleeping bag."
"Okay, we can share body heat." She agreed, he blinked; once again he was thrown off by how blasé she was in his presence.
He rolled off her, letting her climb out of her sleeping bag into his. She sat up and unzipped her discarded sleeping bag making it into a blanket and stuffing it inside his, insulating them against the harsh weather.
"Do you want to be big spoon or little spoon?" She asked as she settled down next to him. She giggled as she could feel his glare through the darkness. "Sorry, couldn't resist." She rolled onto her side ignoring him completely; content with how uncomfortable she could make him.
He revelled in the heat her semi naked body and her extra blanket had added to his sleeping bag. She felt so soft and lithe against his form he felt as if he couldn't breathe. When he finally managed to take in a pained breath he was engulfed by the smell of her, musky and sweet. There wasn't enough room for him to lay flat with her taking up half the room. He rolled his body on his side and moulded his form to match hers; the warmth increasing around him was like plunging into a hot spring back in Konoha. She sighed happily at his added warmth as he awkwardly wrapped his arm around her. She could feel his quickening heartbeat against her back. She laughed to herself. He could try and be as cold as he could but there was no denying that underneath that icy exterior hid a hot blooded male.
He was completely at a loss for what to do. He was wide-awake now. There was no way he could close his eyes and sleep now. He shouldn't have been this excited, but he was? What was wrong with him? Was he that repressed and desperate that even laying next to another member of the human race caused his heart to almost explode out of his chest. At least her fidgeting had stop-
Shuffle, shuffle.
What! Are you actually fucking serious. Despite sharing sleeping bags to escape the cold she was still fidgeting. He tried tightening the arm around her to get her to stop wiggling to no avail. He was just holding her closer.
"Stop it." He grunted at her, annoyed. "Stop moving."
"Shut up." She hissed back at him. "I'm trying to sleep."
"How can you sleep when you're moving around so much?"
He didn't know it, but she was doing it on purpose to annoy him. For all the years she'd known him she'd never had the chance to humiliate him so thoroughly. She'd waited years for a moment like this and she wasn't about to let it slip by. All she had to do was 'fidget' around half nude in his arms and that would surely be enough to make him blush.
She wiggled her chest so that his arm was flush against the skin underneath her breasts, affording him an ample arm full of her supple flesh. She bent further inwards into a curled position so that her behind was completely nestled in his groin. Take that you cold bastard. She tried her hardest to keep her composure. She wished she could see his reaction; unfortunately the dark cave had destroyed that opportunity. She drank in the warmth he created, taking a deep full breathe and feeling comfortable for the first time all evening. He'd spent the whole day with his mouth clamped shut, pretending to ignore her. She was no fool she'd seen the way he looked at her. His eyes leering at her, undressing her, like she was none the wiser.
What the hell are you doing?! His eyes went wide as her tight ass rubbed against his groin. What the hell was she thinking? Was she doing this on purpose? He shut his eyes tight and tried to cast his mind away elsewhere but the heat she was creating was too inviting. He had no idea what to do. What if she was coming onto him in her own safe way? In a way that could be completely dismissible and mistaken for something innocent. What if she was coming onto him? What the hell was he supposed to do? He was beginning to feel a feeling he'd not experienced for a long time. Stupid.
"What are you doing?" She swore she heard his voice break.
"Huh?" She whispered innocently.
She undulated her hips against his groin again. He shut his eyes as he tried to ignore the feeling it created through the thin material of their undergarments. He couldn't deny the way his member twitched. If things continued on like this he was in danger of embarrassing himself so far beyond repair.
"You know what I mean." He growled lowly at her. "Stop it and go to sleep."
Sakura had a distinct feeling that he was trying to intimidate her to get her to submit to his will and save his own skin. Not likely, asshole. She breathed in loudly and sighed contently trying to sound aloof and devil may care-ish, before humming in comfort and settling deeper into the blankets. Sasuke was as solid as stone, not daring to move an inch. He couldn't ignore her. He couldn't lie there like he wasn't a living breathing human being, when she was so obviously inviting him to do elsewise. He had to do something, he had to roll over and face the other way, regardless of the loss of warmth and things that could have been.
Sakura felt the blanket around them start to shift. Uh oh. Had she instigated something she hadn't necessarily meant to instigate? She'd only intended on teasing him for a bit, before drifting happily off to sleep. She supposed she wouldn't mind terribly if he rolled on top of her and started making passionate love to her. Surely worse things had happened to her in her lifetime. She supressed a smirk and she felt a blush reach her cheeks, as she waited for the pressure of his body on hers…
But it never came. Instead he had rolled on his side, completely ignoring her. What? Sakura snapped her head to look behind her. She blinked dumbfound at his back. What on earth? Sakura knew she should have felt silly, rejected if anything, but she didn't. She felt offended. When did a member of the opposite sex last proposition him? Actually, when had a member of the opposite sex ever even approach him? Everyone was afraid to go near him, so afraid that they rarely even put him on missions with anyone but members of Team 7. That is it! Sakura felt a strong resolve come over her. Someone has to teach this idiot a lesson.
It was strange to think that making sexual advances on someone could actually prove to make them less standoffish, right? To Sakura it just made pure sense. He was ice cold and in need of melting. To the best of her knowledge he'd never been with anyone before. Clearly that fuelled his obvious anger, whether he realised it or not. As a trained medic she knew the human body better than most, including the benefits relieving sexual tension could offer. She could feel her brow furrowed had furrowed in anger as her thoughts spurred her motive on.
She placed her arm on his shoulder and moved her body so that she was now spooning him. He continued to ignore her. A thought struck Sakura. How was she supposed to initiate this without embarrassing herself in the process? She'd never be able to live it down if he blatantly rejected her to her face. Before a second thought could rationally plant its seed of doubt in her mind, she snaked her arm around Sasuke's lean middle pressing her palm against his abdominals. She took a calming breath before pressing her warm cheek against his broad back. She felt him almost jolt in surprise at the contact, when she felt him relax in her arms she moulded the rest of her body against his.
"Sasuke-kun, you're so warm." She said trying to think of something to grab a response from her sullen partner.
"Hn." He grunted in response under his breath. She couldn't see him but she knew his face was a mask of pretend sleep. She slowly, bravely ran her hand up and down his well-formed physique, trying to calm her own heartbeat.
"I know you're not asleep." She blurted out. When she heard no reply she propped herself up and leaned over his face. She couldn't see in the dark so she moved her hand, which had been resting on his stomach, to his face. She tried the skin around his eyes and found that they were clenched shut. "You can't fool me."
Without warning Sasuke grabbed her risk hard and pulled it away from his face.
"What do you want?" He hissed at her, losing his patience. He was just trying to sleep. He didn't need her tormenting him any further. He readied himself for an onslaught of justifications from the kunoichi but they never came. Instead she issued a small girlish giggle. Great. He rolled his eyes. Now she was laughing at him, that's just what he needed.
"Don't be such a grouch, Sasuke." Sakura dismissed his brashness, easily. "Can't you tell I'm just trying to warm you up."
"Your idea of warming me up involves rubbing your ass in my groin."
She could have face-palmed if she had a spare hand. Seriously. He had to be playing along. Playing along and pretending not to notice her advances so that he could humbly decline. Either that or he was completely and hopelessly out of touch with women, to the point where he couldn't recognise and accept her expression of interest. What did she have to do? Get on all fours and present to him like an animal?
"How dumb are you?" She whispered more to herself than anyone.
"Beg your pardon?" Sasuke eyed her dangerously in the dark. "Are you calling me dumb? Because I don't want to play along with your traps and have you humiliate me?" He rolled to face her now, hand still clutched firmly around her wrist. Sakura wasn't scared of him even though she could feel the irritation radiate off him in waves. Maybe, perhaps she had pushed him a little too far?
"Please, I don't need to try to humiliate you." She scoffed. "You do a fantastic job of that yourself Mr Too-Cool-For-Anyone-Ice-Cube."
"Are you so disengaged with human emotion when you can't even recognise someone trying to…" She stopped. What was she trying to do?
"Trying to what?" His hand softened around her wrist. She panicked now. She had started out trying to tease him and catch him off guard. She hadn't realised how quickly she'd become wonton and lustful. "Trying to what? Sakura?"
"Never mind." She sighed exasperated, rolling away from him in a pathetic show of retreat. Well, that's that he won and he wasn't even trying to play the game. If it wasn't for the fact that they were already in a dark cave, she felt like she'd want to go find one to hide in. She thanked the darkness of the cave for concealing her blush.
Sasuke had a sinking feeling in his chest that felt like he'd just done something he'd later come to regret. If he wasn't mistaken wasn't she offering something to him that he'd not ever been offered before? Well, not offered by someone he'd actually consider accepting. If he was right then he'd just said no to her. The girl he'd been begrudgingly thinking about all day because she was no longer interested in him? She was right he was dumb and cold. He couldn't fool himself anymore. Sure, he hadn't had many experiences with the emotions behind attraction, lust and affection, but he knew the fact that she'd been occupying his mind more and more of lately meant something. Call it instinctual or call it whatever, but he knew he was developing his first crush.
You blew it. You'll never have an opportunity like that again. These feelings will only get stronger and it will only become harder to tell her how you feel.
Throwing caution to the wind he wrapped his arm around her again. He felt her tighten in his arms, probably shocked to find her self in this position again; nestled against him. He let himself nuzzle his head into the crook of her neck engulfing him in her sweet nectar like odour. He felt a wave of emotions hit him as his stomach came alive with flutters. So far she hadn't moved or said anything to tell him to get off so he took that as a good sign. Taking a bated breath he bravely rocked his hips into her behind so that she was flushed against him.
"Is that warm enough?" He murmured in her ear, soft and low.
"Mm." She squeaked not knowing what to say. He could feel her heartbeat starting to rise. Taking the hand wrapped around her waist he ran it up the length of her abdomen, stopping at the hard wire of her bra. He could hear her breaths become deeper, unsure. He clenched his fist making sure that his hand was warm, before slipping in gently beneath the material of her bra, cupping her breast with his large hands.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked her again hoping this time to gain a full worded response. He found her nipple and rolled the hard flesh of it between his thumb and index finger. He heard her soft gasp and let his body react to the feeling of touching her in such a private place. "Cause if you're not comfortable I could do something else." He slipped his hand away from her breast and ran it down to the hem of her underwear, revelling in the feeling of her smooth skin against his calloused hand.
"Sakura?" He nudged her ear with the tip of his nose.
"Huh?" She whispered dazedly.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked again, anxious for her response.
She grabbed his hand with hers and brought it back to her breast.
"Goodnight Sasuke." She said with an air of finality in her voice. He grabbed her pert breast in his palm again and settled into the sleeping bag. He wasn't one hundred per cent sure, but he had a feeling missions with Sakura were about to become a lot more interesting.
"Goodnight Sakura."