For three, four, five years he continued to bring her food, continued to watch the Awakening every week, and continued to suppress his own, the one stirring in his loins.

For years he just watched her hair grow longer, her body grow curvier, and her breasts grow fuller. He watched as her limbs grew longer, and had more shape.

He never touched her.

Until the eve of the waning moon. It was another Awakening, and curiously, Master Apprentice was nowhere to be seen. It was only Master Elder and him, the former chanting his unknown words. Sasuke couldn't keep his hands from tightly clutching the robe that he held in his hands—he had been instructed by Master Elder to pick it up from where the Lady had dropped it, before the platform where the ceremony was always held. And he knew that he was going to be Master Apprentice's substitute for this ceremony—he was to be the one to put her cloak around her. His hands were shaking at the thought, and he hid them underneath the folds of the massive cloak. The ceremony ended, and the lady's feet touched the ground soundlessly, and there was a split second hesitation before he walked forward, calm, his façade belying his inward state of nervousness, and wrapped the cloak around her. He didn't touch any inch of her skin, and he was thankful for that, for he knew not how he would react if he had touched her, but at the last moment, when he was fastening the lone clasp to its pair, a pale forefinger reached out from beneath the folds, placed it on his own forefinger that was struggling with the clasp, pushed, and clicked it together.

The touch was quick and fleeting but even after her hand withdrew into the cloak, he was still frozen.

.

.

[tbc]