a/n Rating has changed from T to M! I'm on uni holidays until February now so I think I may be spending quite some time on this story if it gets any attention. I have to do something to ward of the intense boredom and to resist the temptation of day time television. Please let me know what you think of the direction the story is going in. Oh, and a warning there is some lemony content in this chapter and apparently some people don't know that an M rating is an M rating for A REASON! (unless you fully clicked on this story when it was T I'm so sorry.) Enjoy!
"What an ass." Sakura whimpered out of almost insane exhaustion. Her whole posture drooped as she sadly clomped her way towards her locked apartment. "Doesn't offer any help at all. Standing there like an idiot hoping I'd hurry up and leave. He's a stupid man, stupid good looking man." She was almost around the corner from her house when she stopped to readjust her foot in her shoe when she saw Kiba walking along the road towards her smiling that devilish grin of his.
"Evening Sakura! I smelt you a mile away, you always smell like forest berries it makes my mouth water." Realising that what he had said was embarrassing Kiba turned his head to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. Sakura had always thought of Kiba as cute. He like all the boys had shot up and filled out becoming quite handsome in the process. She smiled sweetly at him.
"Hey Kiba, where's Akamaru this evening?" she enquired about his huge dog that followed him everywhere.
"Akamaru has to stay at the Inuzuka compound now. He's become a little too big for apartment living." Kiba lived with Shino in an apartment near her house as well but in the other direction from Sasuke's. "Are you walking home? Would you like me to walk with you?"
"Sure I- I've just locked myself out so I have to smash the window to let myself in-"
"You what? You can't just go smashing the window because the doors locked. Where's your spare?"
"Naruto has it and he's on a mission at the moment" she smiled at the concern Kiba showed her. It was refreshing after the human ice cube hadn't moved an inch to help her.
"Well you're not smashing the window Sakura that's just silly."
"Well what do I do Kiba? I haven't got anything and I'm dead tired I worked the double shift at the hospital and it's so hot and the air conditioning wasn't working today and some boy who dislocated his shoulder whacked me in the head hard when I popped it back in and all I wanted to do was go home climb into my bathtub or my bottle of wine whichever came first." She repeated the same thing that she had just earlier said to Sasuke. Kiba laughed and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder.
"I haven't got any wine but I have beer. I also don't have a bathtub, just a shower but what I do have is a comfy couch and a shirt for you to borrow to sleep in if you want it" He looked at her smiling and added. "- And food...you look like you could use a nice meal."
Sakura smiled was she wrong in thinking that this is all she had wanted Sasuke to say? Kiba had suddenly become a lot more attractive in her eyes.
"That would be really nice Kiba, thank you." Sakura could feel her nose stinging a tell tale sign that if she wasn't careful she'd be in danger of letting her pure frustration with how her day had turned out boil over into tears.
"Come on then." Kiba said as he shot her another kind smile.
"How far did that damn woman walk?" Sasuke mumbled under his breath. The sun had finally begun to set and with it the air had not started to cool. The day had been uncomfortable and Sasuke begun to understand how working all day in a hospital with a faulty air condition could make someone even more fatigued than normal. Sasuke had never worked a full day in his life as something other than a ninja. Sure he had worked hard and risked his life, sustained many life threatening injuries but he'd never had to work twelve hours in a hospital mending peoples ailments and with Sakura's medical nin-jutsu not only would she have depleted energy but chakra as well.
To have to endure a long horrible day in the heat to then find out you're locked out of your apartment without an easy accessible spare key. Sasuke soon realized after Sakura had left that the weird feeling in his stomach was guilt. He felt disgusted in himself and he had preformed some pretty morally abhorred acts in his time. Being a part of a Team meant more than just carrying out missions with a group of people. It was a support system. Hadn't Sakura gone out of her way to look after him at any time he needed it? If the situation had have been in reverse wouldn't she have catered to his every need. Yes, she would have. He was going to find her, take her home, and give her something to eat and a change of clothes, set her up on his couch and find that bottle of wine he'd received from Hinata for his birthday back in July.
Sasuke turned around the corner he was very close to Sakura's house now. He hoped he wasn't too late and that she hadn't already foolishly smashed her window in. Sasuke looked down the road and saw two figures walking together. As he got closer he could see pink hair. Sakura of course, her hair was her most distinguishing feature he thought; followed closely by her behind he added reluctantly to himself. He then noticed the other figure she was walking with, a man in a leather jacket. As the man turned to laugh at something, probably something Sakura said, he caught a look at his face; red face markings and fangs.
"Inuzuka." Sasuke hissed under his breath. Another feeling bubbled up in Sasuke's stomach this time but he knew this one well. It was hatred. He'd come all this way to get her back to do the right thing and she goes and shacks up with him. Sasuke let his anger boil up inside him abandoning rational thought.
He walked faster and soon was behind the couple.
"Oy." Sasuke let out a sharp sound as a greeting. Sakura turned and was immediately bewildered by the expression on his face as was Kiba.
"Hey, Sasuke." Kiba quickly quipped obviously scared by the cold hard stare that he was giving him.
"Come on, Sakura." Sasuke said as he grabbed her arm and roughly pulled towards his direction. Sakura let out a cry of pain as she stumbled with the force he used.
"Sasuke, what the hell do you think you're doing? What's wrong?" Sasuke looked at her and felt instantly guilty for getting so angry. But why was he angry? What did he care if she went and stayed at Kiba's? It's not like they'd do anything...and if they did it wasn't any of his concern or business. They were both consenting adults who was he to interfere. Especially seeing as Sakura didn't owe him anything. A thought occurred to Sasuke. What if Sakura exercised her right of not owing him anything? Meaning what if Sakura often went home with men? Sasuke let go of her arm. He could see the cream soft skin where he had grabbed her was already turning a reddish-purple. Sasuke was suddenly hyper aware of the situation and he knew only one thing. He had to flee.
"I'll see you later." And with that he turned on his heel and left the scene.
"What was that all about?" Kiba asked whilst he jostled with the keys to his apartment. "Why did he grab your arm so hard? And he looked like he wanted to kill Me."
"I have no idea, Kiba. I'm as confused as you are." Sakura said massaging the tender skin on her arm.
"Did you two have a fight earlier?"
"Well I had gone to his house to see if he had a spare key to Naruto's but other than that nothing. I left as soon as he said he didn't have the key." Sakura left out the part where she had barged unannounced into his home and then continued to invade his bathroom whilst he was occupying the facilities. She didn't think Kiba would understand that it was completely innocent.
"Well that's really weird then. Oh well, it's his problem and we've just about had enough of those." Kiba swung the door open and ushered Sakura in. He directed her to the bathroom and even gave her a shirt of his that she could wear but added that unfortunately he didn't have any spare woman's skirts or alike that she could borrow.
Sakura closed the bathroom door and turned the shower on whilst she waited for the water to heat up she thought a little deeper about the situation in the street. Could it be that Sasuke was angry at her for not staying? He hadn't exactly expressed a desire for her to be there? But, then again he hadn't exactly asked her to leave. Sakura had a habit of always leaving Sasuke before he had a chance to ask her to leave. It was sometimes childish the way she did this but she couldn't stand the thought of him abruptly leaving her again.
Sakura stepped into the shower immediately sighing in pleasure at the feeling of the lukewarm water on her smooth skin. Every muscle in her body slowly relaxed underneath the waters pressure. She brought water up to her face and slowly washed her face and massaged her temple. There was a knock at the door.
"Sakura? I'm just making some dinner. I'll make some for you." Kiba called out behind the door.
"O-Okay, Kiba!" Sakura yelled back to be heard over the water.
Sakura wondered if she had remembered to lock the door. Kiba wouldn't be the type of person to barge in on her whilst she was in the shower? Probably not she decided. She felt a cheeky grin grace her face as she wondered if she'd really mind. Kiba was pretty handsome after all. The grin faded as she remembered Sasuke not an hour ago in his shower.
"Think clean thoughts." She muttered to herself as she turned the water off and stepped out grabbing a nearby towel. Kiba's apartment was surprisingly clean for a 'bachelor pad.' He lived here with Shino Aburame a man notorious for saying fewer words than Sasuke and a tendency for awkward silences.
Sakura emerged from the bathroom clad in her skirt and Kiba's shirt. The white shirt reached down to just above her mid thigh and the skirt extended further to make the outfit modest. The apartment had been filled with the aroma of cooking food that led her nose to the kitchen. She took in her surroundings. The apartment was quite nice and large with a big comfortable looking couch centred in the living room. Although the sun had set outside now the temperature in the apartment hadn't cooled down and she noticed that the place wasn't very well ventilated and it was already becoming stuffy. Sleeping on the couch in Kiba's apartment was going to prove very uncomfortable.
Sakura sat on Kiba's couch watching the program he had chosen on the television. He had made a huge amount of pasta for dinner which she had only made a small dent in before her stomach had reached full capacity. As she already predicted the apartment was hot and stuffy. There was no fan in the living room and Sakura had no idea how she was going to survive the night. She really wished she could have stayed at Sasuke's. He had full air conditioning throughout the entire apartment as did she in hers. If she was at Sasuke's right now she could be sprawled out on the couch hogging the television completely comfortable in her surroundings. Kiba was really nice but she had never spent this much time alone with the boy and for the last hour there had been an awkwardness stubbornly hanging in the air.
He had since changed out of his leather jacket and long pants and was sprawled leisurely at the other end of the couch wearing a t-shirt like hers and just his white and blue striped boxers. Sakura did have to admit there was a strong aura of manliness that hung around him. She let her mind wander and decided that this is what it would be like to have someone to spend the nights with, albeit less awkward of course. It was at this moment that Kiba turned to look at her and smiled. Sakura took in his appearance again. Brown hair askew that looked soft and inviting. The red markings on his cheeks contrasted with his long eyelashes and those lips, he had really nice lips. Sakura locked eyes with Kiba and instantly snapped her eyes back to the television feeling a slight blush tinge her cheeks as a mysterious feeling started pooling in her stomach.
It suddenly hit her she was alone with a man in an apartment and an attractive one at that. From the looks that Kiba had been shooting her all night he had arrived at this thought as well. It suddenly felt like every nerve ending in her body was aware of how close he was sitting like his body was sending out its on waves of static electricity. She dared another look at him this time taking in the rest of his body. She knew from the thousands of times she had treated him at the local hospital that underneath that white shirt was a set of very impressive abdominal muscles. Her eyes scoured the length of him resting on his eyes again which had turned to face her catching her in the act.
"What are you doing?" he said oblivious to what she was up to and thankfully what she was thinking.
"I- uh- what? Nothing?" She spluttered anxiously.
"You must be tired. Maybe I should let you get some rest." He said rising from the couch.
"Oh, you know what? I think I might just wait for it to cool down a bit. It's still really hot and I know I won't be able to sleep yet." She finished looking anywhere but at him. Kiba stood for awhile unsure of himself like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it.
"Look, Sakura, don't take this the wrong way I'm not trying to be forward or anything." He started also trying to look anywhere but at her. "It does get really hot out here in summer and I have an air conditioner in my room and if you wanted to sleep in there with me I wouldn't mind. That is of course if you don't mind."
Sakura smiled at Kiba now. He really was so sweet and he had gone out of his way to save her from what was a terrible chain of events. She couldn't possibly steal his bed from him too. She stood facing him unsure of how what she was about to say would sound aloud.
"I will as long as you don't try to sleep on the floor. You've done more than enough for me and I have no problem sharing your bed with you" She looked at the floor now slightly embarrassed by how it had sounded. "That is unless you don't want me too. I'll sleep on the floor." Kiba looked at her and smiled widely.
"I wouldn't dream of making you sleep on the floor. Who would pass up the chance of getting to sleep next to a pretty girl like you?"
Sakura felt the pool in her stomach start to swirl again. All previous thoughts of Sasuke standing nude in the shower early that day banished from her head. She was experiencing a fresh barrage of knew feelings for Kiba. It was hard not to after all he had done for her paired with the way he was looking at her now. She didn't feel for him at all like the way she had for Sasuke when they were all young but the thought of feeling his presence beside her as she was sleeping was both exciting and relaxing. Finally after months of months of loneliness she would finally have one night of companionship even if it just was sleeping in a bed with a living, breathing man.
Kiba led the way to the bedroom trying to act cool and not let his own thoughts spill out onto his face. He had entertained the idea of throwing Sakura passionately onto his bed and having his way with her but that was just how his mind worked, never far away from carnal thoughts. Now he felt he stood a chance with her. He had always admired her appearance from a far never really feeling anything other than attraction to her but now...
He sat down on what was Sakura guessed his preferred side of the. He reached for a remote on the side table and clicked the air conditioner on. A wave of cold air spilled out and washed over Sakura and she - no-longer feeling awkward in front of Kiba - let out a sound of approval.
She closed the door behind her and moved to the side of the bed Kiba had left for her. She motioned him to look away so she could remove her skirt and unclasp her bra. She folded these articles of clothing and put them on the floor beside the bed. She then climbed underneath the light covers of Kiba's bed. His bed was absurdly comfortable and she felt her body melt into the mattress she let out another sigh of content.
"I knew spending a lot of money on an expensive mattress wasn't wasteful." Kiba said.
"Here here." Sakura agreed as he settled himself in the bed to be more comfortable.
Kiba's arm lightly touched hers and her body responded with light goose bumps. She rolled on her side to face him propping her head up with her arm.
"Thanks again Kiba." She said lamely as he faced her.
"No problem Sakura. You can come and sleep in my bed anytime-"
But Kiba didn't get to finish his sentence as Sakura had thrown her lips against his giving him a quick and determined kiss. His whole body froze as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. She looked him in his eyes to gauge his reaction. He looked confused. Kiba had obviously thought about this happening but it hadn't equipped him with a response.
"Kiba." She said softly. All the lonely nights had suddenly caught up with her; all the rejection and quiet nights spent reading a book with a bottle of wine opened on the kitchen bench. "Would you kiss me?"
Kiba didn't pause to let his brain catch up with him deciding instead to gently lay Sakura against the mattress and press his lips against hers slowly at first then surely enough more passionately. It didn't take long for Sakura to react wrapping her arms around him and bringing him closer to her. She didn't know where this would lead but she was too engrossed in the way his body felt against her; how heat radiated from him in the warmest and most inviting way, the way he gently licked his tongue against her lips begging for entry.
After what seemed an eternity the two parted from one another both breathing heavily. Kiba rested his forehead against hers keeping his eyes shut revelling in the closeness between him and her.
"Thank you." She whispered to him. She rolled onto to her other side facing away from him but he stayed close by.
"Don't mention it." He said as he nuzzled his face into her pink hair, that smelt like wild forest berries, wrapping an arm around her. She almost instantly fell asleep. Protected from the harsh heat outside and the by Kiba's genuine acts of kindness. She hadn't known why she asked had asked him to kiss her but she didn't regret it at all.
Across town Sasuke had brought home yet another nameless female citizen of Konoha to his small lonely apartment. He had gone home after the incident in the street with Sakura and that Inuzuka loser but had failed to shake the thought of Sakura from his head. He had wanted her out of his head. He had wanted the guilt he felt to be replaced by something else; something deeper and more consuming. That want, had brought him to the local Konoha dive where woman without morals tended to inhabit and where he had more than once before inhabited as well.
He looked at the woman now nude, sprawled out invitingly on the bed in front of him. She had auburn hair and soft skin and an expression on her face that told Sasuke that she had done this before. He pulled his shirt off and dumped on the floor before joining her on the bed, his knees between her legs.
"I've often seen you at the bar." She cooed in a soft voice she thought sounded seductive. "Never saying much and leaving with a lucky woman."
He silently unbuckled his pants and discarded them too releasing his member from its restraints whilst watching her abundant chest as it moved with every breath she took.
"Now I'm the lucky one." She smiled devilishly at muscle that Sasuke unsheathed. "Very lucky."
"Shut up." Sasuke said bluntly as he lined himself up with her moist entrance. He took one of her pink nipples into his mouth and bit firmly as he thrusted sharply into her. The nameless woman moaned theatrically as Sasuke started to move quickly inside her. His mind started to fog as he concentrated on the woman's breasts trailing harsh kisses over them before settling on the crevice of her neck, revelling in the feeling of her bare chest against his. He didn't slow down to focus on her wants or needs. She was nothing to him, just another sad bar woman who wanted nothing more than his attention.
The woman brought her hips up to meet his every thrust loudly announcing that Sasuke was hitting her sweet spot. She dug her nails into his back and reclined her head backwards. Sasuke took this chance to kiss her exposed neck an act that was received well.
The woman beneath him started to pant and moan louder her body quivering. Sasuke sped up his thrusts and as the woman let out a final moan of pleasure he felt her body tense as she clenched tightly around him. With a final thrust Sasuke let himself succumb to his orgasm with a grunt. His legs numb from his release he waited to recover his breath before pulling out of the woman and lying in the sweaty sheets beside her.
The woman rolled on her side running her hand up and down his chest he could hear her begin to mutter something in his ear but Sasuke's mind that had been clouded with lust a moment again was becoming cleared again. He clenched his eyes tight to drown out the annoying sound of the woman's voice. His mind instead wandered to an image of a certain pink haired woman laying in the same position the woman beside him had been in only the man wasn't him it was Inuzuka.
"Sasuke!?" The woman's shrill voice got his attention. "Are you listening?"
"Get out." He said calmly giving her a look of intense hatred.
"O-okay." The woman stuttered as she climbed out of the bed quickly stepping into her dress and grabbing her effects. The look of fear and hurt on her face as she showed herself out did not affect the brooding Uchiha. He massaged his temple and folded his arms. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Sakura? Before today he hadn't spared a single thought for her now he couldn't get her out of his mind. He decided that tomorrow he would find her and invite her to stay at his apartment for the last night of her lock out. That is, he feared, if she even wanted to stay with him. The thought of what she and the Inuzuka boy would be getting up to haunted his thoughts for the rest of the evening.
