Thank you guys so much for all the pleasant feedback. I'm extremely excited that everyone has shown such a liking to my story and loves it just as much as I do and shares my passion for all things SasuSaku. Keep the reviews/DM's coming, they keep me going! Sorry this is so late I'll try to start updating once a week!
"Your hands can heal, your hands can bruise. I don't have a choice, but I'd still choose you." Poison and Wine, The Civil Wars
The cool autumn night brought a light misting rain that caught in Sakura's fluffy lashes and made her blink rapidly. Sasuke was now just a dark figure slightly ahead of her, her vision blurred by the light rain. She shivered, her uniform was her only cover and it wasn't doing much covering. Sasuke's head tilted slightly in her direction, sizing up her frozen form. Swiftly, he dropped his heavy poncho over her head and onto her shoulders. The sudden movement caught Sakura off guard, and she let out a small yelp as her threw her the warm protection. She couldn't help but hold herself under the warm blanket that reached down passed her knees in a laughable manner. It smelled just like him. Even the rain couldn't wash away his scent. Fresh pine, a slight manly musk and the smell you get right before a thunderstorm. It was intoxicating. She almost tripped over her own feet while inhaling so deeply.
"We're here." Sasuke had stopped infront of a small comfortable inn just down the road from the bar they reunited outside of. An inn..as in..a room..together.. Sakura's blush was embarrassingly obvious, even through the grey fog of the mist. Luckily, Sasuke hadn't noticed. He simply walked casually into the warm bright inn without a second thought. If he was nervous, or even a little embarrassed, he wasn't showing it.
He opened the grand glass door to the pleasant hotel and held it open for her. The sudden act of chivalry took her aback. She grinned "Thanks, Sasuke"
He averted his eyes, "Come on, you're getting soaked."
Dripping all over the elegant deep maroon carpet, the awkward couple waited to be approached by the bubbly inn assistant.
"Welcome! Welcome weary travelers! Come! Please, make yourselves at home." The woman was young, and beyond beautiful. it made Sakura's stomach quench in knots. She had long black hair and lips painted up red, with lashes longer than should be possible. She was like a female Sasuke; the kind of beauty you can't look away from. Sasuke seemed not to notice, he spoke almost rudely.
"We'll need a room."
The young woman's eyes brightened even more as she took him in "Y-yes of course! Would you like a king or queen?"
"We'll need a two bedroom" "King"
The twosome had spoken at the same time, the woman took Sasuke's generous offer of paying for a room with a KING sized mattress. Sakura's surprise was audaciously plastered all over her face.
"WHAT"
Sasuke paid her no mind. He simply paid the woman and accepted the small key she gave him in return. She read the embarrassment on Sakura's face and blushed for them as she called down the hall, "Have a good evening! Hehehe"
Sakura's stomach twisted and turned as they approached the room they will now share. 67 steps down the hall and 14 steps up the stair case later and she had found herself without any more footsteps to count. When they found the door, No. 213, Sakura got brave. "Sasuke..why-"
"You're going to freeze to death in a room by yourself."
Huh? What king of an excuse is that?!
Before she could protest, he had unlocked their door and stepped inside to take off his shoes and put down his katana. She watched him as he effortlessly was so comfortable. How could he be this way? She started shaking, and this time it wasn't from the rain.
"Are you going to shut the door?"
"Oh! Sorry.." Sakura hurriedly shut and locked the door and approached the soft bed. She plopped down on it soaking wet and took in the new warmth. "Aahh"
Sasuke did something she hadn't heard in years, he laughed. Not a huge laugh, not one like Naruto would burst into. But a laugh all the same. It made her heart squeeze.
She sat up, "What is it?"
"I guess you want to sleep in wet sheets."
At the realization, Sakura blushed furiously and quickly stood. "I'm sorry! I wasn't even thinking I was just so gla-"
As she was stuttering to find the words, Sasuke pulled his poncho off her shoulders.
"I'll put all the clothes out to dry on the balcony, the rain has stopped."
Sakura smiled at the thought of warm clothes. Warm clothes..clothes she didn't have. In her hurry to hunt Sasuke down, she hadn't even packed a toothbrush. She instantly shrieked. "Sasuke! I don't have anything! Not even a change of clothes!"
"It's not a big deal. We'll buy you everything you need tomorrow." He retorted.
"I guess I'll sit out on the balcony for a while until my clothes dry..that should be alright." As she was speaking, Sasuke handed her a dark purple sleevless shirt with the symbol of the Uchiha sewn into the back.
"But..Sasuke"
"Like I said, no big deal."
What did he expect her to do? Wear nothing BUT that shirt? no way. But she had no choice.
The inn was nice, but cheap. A lot more cheapily made than she had previously thought. The bathrooms were communal and down the hall, not in each room. She guessed they spent all their money on their famous hot springs.
"Tu-turn around.." Sakura averted her eyes from him when he returned from the balcony.
"Why?"
"I'm about to change that's why!"
He sighed "Whatever" ever so casually, he turned towards the glass door exiting out onto the small cheap balcony.
Sasuke was never the perverted type. He left that trait up to his orange counterpart. Naruto was always the pervy one, the girl-crazy one. Sasuke thought himself too higher up to be concerned with such things. But with sakura..with sakura it was different. Much different.
She checked a few times to make sure he wasn't facing her or peaking whatsoever. When she saw the coast was clear, she slowly raised her top. She flung her top over the small rocking chair in the corner of the room, then her skirt, then her boots. Finally, she slipped on his sleevless shirt. He underestimated the vast opening in the front and how open it would fit on her. It showed far more of her cleavage than he could bear. Fortunately for her, she hadn't noticed him staring through the reflection in the glass. Quickly, she slipped under the sheets and pulled all the covers up to her chin.
"Okay, you can turn around now."
Sasuke decided he'd rather change outside instead of anywhere near her. He returned in a shirt mimicking her own, only his was white. She couldn't help herself staring at him. He was just so unbelievingly beautiful, in every way a person could be.
She couldn't believe how he didn't share her discomfort. He casually entered the bed and rolled on his side, back faced her. She stared at the Uchiha fan on his back. He had kissed her. He had kissed her twice now, and they were even sleeping in the same bed. He could at least face her. Couldn't he? She reached out to him, slowly, silently. Before her fingers could graze his back, she retreated. No. if he wanted to be close to her, he would be. Sasuke was a pure person. If he wanted to do something, he would.
She sighed and turned on her side as well. If this is what their journey was going to be like, she didn't think she could stomach it.
Sasuke felt her sudden intrusion, he felt her fingers rub across the sheets and attempt to touch him. Why had she stopped? Was he acting too harsh?
He turned slowly. Her deep breathing signaled to him she was fast asleep, rolled on her side. He noted the Uchiha fan on her back. No one outside of the clan ever should wear the fan. No one. And yet he let her without a second thought. an odd feeling swam over him as he noted this, and his fingertips grazed over the symbol on her back as he drowned in his thoughts. A small moan and movement made him freeze. Sakura tossed in her sleep and turned to face him, eyes squeezed shut. She was breathtaking, he could admit to that. She always was, there was no denying that.
He found his fingers tracing her jaw and moving her soft pink pastel hair behind her left ear.
Sakura woke to sheets soaked in something extremely wet. She heard moans and someone gritting their teeth. After she snapped out of her sleepy daze she noticed the water soaking the sheets was sweat. Sasuke's sweat. His eyes were squeezed shut painfully, and his hands clutched into fists on the sheets pulling with every groan. His mouth was curled in what looked like a growl. A nightmare. Sasuke was having a nightmare. Sakura sat up and reached of him.
"Sasuke? Sasuke it's okay! Wake up!"
His eyes snapped open, and his hand curled around her wrist so hard she cried out in pain.
"Sasuke it's me! Please you're alright, it's just a nightmare." She fought through the pain throbbing in her wrist. His grip didn't losen and his snarl didn't soften.
"I don't need your help, Karin. Get off of me."
"No, Sasuke! It's me, Sakura!"
At the sound of her name, his eyes instantly softened and his grip loosened completely. He dropped her wrist.
"Sakura…" it came back to him now. She was with him, she was going to be with him from now on. Relief flooded him before he could fight it back.
He sat up and brought her in with his lone arm into a tight embrace.
"Sasuke..I'm so glad you're okay."
"I'm sorry…that you had to see that. I forgot you were here, with me."
Sakura smiled into his chest.
"I'll always be here with you, if you'll let me."
He suddenly pushed her back out of the embrace with a little too much force. Sakura felt the hurt of the immediate rejection, "Sasuke wha-"
Sasuke used his lone arm to pin her backwards onto the mattress and brought his face down dangerously close to hers.
"Thank you."
She felt his breath on her face and it blurred her vision for a moment. Before she could reply, his mouth found her own. He'd never kissed her like this before. This wasn't sweet or sad or forgiving, this was passion. This was far more sexual than she could have ever imagined. She decided to dwell in this as long as she could, so she took advantage and attempted to creep her hands down his torso. One strong large hand beat her to it, and pinned both of her own above her head almost painfully. His lips found her jaw and then her neck and her strong collar bone. She almost exploded from the need for him to touch her in a more sensitive area. She was almost about to scream for it. Slowly, he found his way to the cleavage shown clearing through the opening in his shirt she wore. He brushed the shirt away just far enough to show him everything. He stopped, and pulled his head back to look at what he unveiled. Sakura blushed uncontrollably at her nudity and his unreadable stare.
"Sasuke.."
His eyes found hers, and his hand finally let her wrists free as his lips found hers. His large palm lightly grazed her left breast, hesitantly. She let out a soft moan in his mouth at the slight touch. He could only imagine what would happen if he did anything more. He wanted to find out. He caressed it, and let his mouth caress the other. Sakura was letting out noises he thought he would never hear her do. They were making something well up in his stomach, and he loved it.
Suddenly, sakura reached down to pull off the shirt he wore.
"Sasuke..please.."
He pulled his face up to meet hers, "What are you asking Sakura?"
She attempted to pull his shirt up again, he grabbed her wrist.
"I asked you to wait for me, just wait a little while longer."
Sakura retreated, defeat written all over her face. As well as depression. Her slight pout was almost laughable.
He smirked and leaned towards her ear, his mouth grazing it with every word "Trust me, it'll be worth the wait."
….
Sasuke couldn't give in to things as trivial as that so easily. He couldn't do that to Sakura. After everything he had done..he had to find his retribution. Settle all his debts. Then he'd make her his. But not until. He had hurt her physically, emotionally..she didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve her love. But she gave it to him anyway, willingly. Sakura had fallen back asleep in his arms soon after their incident, and he wished he could join her. His mind was reeling, and sleep just wasn't in the cards for him. He sat quietly in the small rocking chair in the corner of the room, watching her sleep soundly. When did she get under his skin? He saw her as a nuisance when they were in the academy, and then a trusted comrade as Team 7. When along the line did she become more? He knew the answer. She had always been more. He had always been in love with her.
