Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Please keep in mind this is rated M for mature which may include alcohol, drugs, violence, and/or intimate scenarios.

**BANG BANG BANG!** It lasted only a moment. Their eyes shooting open in surprise. Sakura turned her eyes down, red as a tomato, and Sasuke looking to the side as they pulled away from each other. Both obviously embarrassed and unsure what just happened. **BANG BANG BANG!** Went the door again.

Sasuke was the first to get up. Irritated about the interruption but also quite thankful to be brought out of his trance. He didn't want Sakura hurt and he felt his presence may be doing just that…**BANG BANG...!** Sasuke, clearly annoyed, open the door with a less than pleased glare at the person behind it. "Sasuke! Just the guy I was looking for." Naruto began. "I was wondering if you wanted to go get ramen now, as you know, you owe me." Sakura, now pulled out of her own trance, got up. "Sakura, didn't see you there. Want to come with us? Sasuke's treat!" Sakura, irritation clear on her face started walking towards Naruto with her fists clenched. Recognizing this approach Naruto backed up immediately with his hands waving in front of him. "Whoa whoa whoa, Sakura, what's wrong, whatever I did I'm sorry, I mean…" Realization from the fact both looked super angry at his sudden appearance, he thought out loud… "Wait, you two weren't doing anything inappropriate were you." There were people walking by at this point and Naruto, not being known for his quiet voice, was completely unaware of the whispers that began to happen. Sasuke's face shielded by his hair, face paling at the insinuation, but obvious irritation showing with Sakura turning red, shaking with anger, she charged him "Naruto you IDIOT!"

Naruto went flying against the wall behind him, slight bloody nose from the punch. Sasuke sighed, it was nice for a change having Sakura beat the idiot up, for if she hadn't done it, he would have. She slammed the door to her home. Sasuke glanced at her, hearing Naruto's pleas of apology on the other side. Sakura went upstairs and came down seconds later with a quick wardrobe change into civilian wear. "Can't leave him there all night wailing outside my home. Let's go get ramen." He agreed and they all left together.

A few days passed and the "reunion" that Naruto put together was in play. Sasuke had left ahead of Sakura as she was still getting ready. He wore civilian wear he hadn't worn in a long time. Of course he had to buy new clothes as he had outgrown his. He had decided on a pair of pants that were not baggy but well-fitted to allow for running, should ever the need arise (a ninja must always be prepared), and a black t-shirt bearing the Uchiha logo. It suited him, different but he didn't mind it. In all honesty, Sakura actually bought him the clothing one day. He wasn't much for shopping so was appreciative.

Arriving early to a new tavern that had just opened up, he took a seat closest to the bar. He must not have been as early as he thought because not 2 seconds later, an arm was thrown around him. Turning to the left he saw his bright companion smirking at him. "You're remarkably early loser." Naruto rubbed his nose with his finger backing off Sasuke and going to stand beside his wife saying, "Heh, yeah, Hinata is good about keeping on time for things." Sasuke and Hinata both acknowledged each other, her with a smile and him nodding with his usual stoic expression that nobody misunderstood since they all grew up together as kids.

Shortly after more and more of the original group showed up. Conversations were light with laughs, drinks, and reminiscing. Finally the last of the group arrived which included Sakura and Ino. Sasuke sensed Sakura's presence immediately, it was like he could smell flowers the moment she was near. She was wearing a fall off the shoulder summer blouse with a skirt and heals that could possibly make her tall enough to look him in the eyes. She had put on a little makeup and her hair was wavy. It was definitely getting longer as it graced her shoulders lightly.

Everyone cheered and the festivities began. The boys began drinking games for which Sasuke was forced to play while the girls decided to dance. There was live music, good friends, and laughs to be had all around. Even Sasuke smirked at comments his old companions would say. It was surprisingly pleasant but at the same time, guilt built in the pit of his gut. Good people and he betrayed them all. He also missed so much and didn't feel he really knew them anymore. Naruto knew Sasuke felt guilty and hoped this would allow him to forgive himself seeing how nobody held it against him. But it seemed Sasuke needed a little push to understand how the guys felt.

Naruto got an evil grin and, out of nowhere, held a flashlight under his face to cast a shadow. "Now it is time Sasuke!" Naruto said loud enough for the boys to hear and to get their attention. "It's time for your punishment! You put us all through hell and now it is time to pay the price." Naruto began pouring several shots of alcohol on the table. Shikamaru knew where this was going and smirked to himself. "Yeah! Seriously man, dragging us all around the country to find you, you have some balls. It's time you own up." Kiba stated slamming his hand against the table with a huge grin on his face. Akamaru barked and wagged his tail while sitting on the floor next to Kiba. Sasuke was surprised by this and unsure what they were intending to make him do to make up for his prior transgressions. "*Ahem* It is my duty as your future Hokage to set an example of you. You will now be forced to accept our challenges of strength whenever we ask. We will begin by taking shots and you must out-drink all of us to be forgiven. Should you fail, you will be challenged to another battle! Knowing you and your wanderings, you probably didn't have time to build an alcohol tolerance so be prepared for we will not go easy on you!" Naruto exclaimed with the boys cheering on in the background. Sasuke now realized that this was their way of forgiving him, they have moved on but if he truly wanted to punish himself, he must accept their challenges and play along. Thinking about this, Sasuke smirked and began wondering how long will he have to play these silly games to make up for his past….Kaguya was probably easier to deal with than this lot. But he was happy that they really didn't need to talk about it, they just knew. And so the games continued.

At one point the girls were getting really tipsy and their dances seem to become more seductive. This attracted the guys' attention. Most of the men would comment on their girl or a girl they were interested in. Needless to say, Sasuke was not going to participate and went back to the bar to get another drink. "Wow, Sakura is beautiful isn't she?" Naruto said as he joined his friend at the bar. "Hn." Sasuke acknowledged without being too obvious. "Oh come on, I'm married and I even acknowledge how attractive Sakura is and always has been." Not getting any sort of reaction from Sasuke, Naruto decided to dare a little further to instigate a reaction… "If I were you, I'd make a move fast, no telling who will pick her up tonight. I mean, she did dance with that one guy earlier, grinding on him pretty hard, and even winking at him." Even though it was obvious Naruto was lying and just trying to get a reaction from Sasuke, Sasuke did place his new drink he had just received on the counter harder than he had really wanted to. He was irritated and in his altered state of mind, his imagination was a little out of control as he began imagining her grinding with another guy.

As the night went on the band slowly stopped playing and folks started going home. Sasuke glanced over at Sakura who was almost passed out in the chair near him and decided it was time to go. It had been a rough night of constant drinking challenges from Naruto. He couldn't very well let the loser get the best of him but he had to admit, regardless of the childlike behavior, he did enjoy himself. Unfortunately, so did the woman he was assisting home. She apparently enjoyed herself a little too much. She was nearly passed out drunk. He, himself, was not far off but, being the Uchiha he was, it would be unacceptable if he would lose his composure in front of others.

The smell of flowers filled the air again. What was it with this damn wind and the scent of flowers he thought. At this point Sakura happened to glance up at him as they walked. She had been holding on to his arm to help keep her stabilized. He would never admit it but her hold also assisted him as his balance was slightly altered. Her eyes shined with the moon and stars reflected in them. Her cheeks and nose were a little red from the alcohol. He wasn't sure why he was staring but he could not look away. She tightened her grip on his arm and she moistened her lips with her tongue slightly biting her bottom lip like she had done a few nights ago. He was not thinking clearly. He tried to reason with himself that the wind was causing her lips to dry out and that was all. Forcing himself to look forward again and continue their walk, his heart began to race. He began to wonder if the alcohol was having more of an affect on him than he originally thought.

Once they got back Sakura had regained some composure. She grabbed a glass of water to drink and rehydrate and went to take a shower. He proceeded to sit on the couch, awaiting his turn for the shower. That walk seemed to be unusually long and what bothered him the most is he did not understand why. Was it the alcohol? He obviously was no fool, he did understand he had a connection with Sakura and was attracted to her but what did that mean? Why was focusing so hard for him on their walk home. He recalled looking into her eyes, her lips glistening in the moonlight after she had moistened them with her tongue, her soft skin pressed up against his as they balanced each other on their way home. He took his hand gripping his hair above his eyes and leaned back resting his head over the top of the couch looking toward the ceiling before he released his hold and ran his hand through his hair picking up his head and looking forward. Eventually, in his altered state, he decided worrying about it now would not solve anything and resided himself to wait for his turn in the shower. Figuring Sakura would shower and go straight to bed, this would allow him time to assure she wouldn't wander out of the house in her state of mind...However, a knock at the door jolted him from his thoughts.

The pounding was continuous, loud, and….well…annoying. Who would be banging on a woman's door at this time of night, he thought to himself. He pushed himself off the couch and slowly made his way to the door. However, before he could reach the door, he felt a rush go by. Sakura, apparently having also heard the door, had gotten out of the shower and without really thinking, just placed a towel around her body and ran downstairs to see who was knocking. Obviously the shower did not help sober her up as he would have hoped she would never attempt to answer a door late at night in just a towel.

Before he could react to stop her, she opened the door to reveal a shinobi, a man, on the other end. If he remembered correctly, this man was from the hospital, a patient by the name of Taku who visited Sakura frequently as a regular. Taku immediately blushed. Sakura inquired with why he was there, if he was alright, did he need medical assistance, and other questions that seemed irrelevant compared to how Taku had a legitimate questioning thought of why she was dressed like this when answering her door. Taku began stuttering saying things like how he wondered if she got home okay and wanted to make sure the man she was with treated her like a gentleman. Taku had only met Sasuke the one time at the hospital but that was enough for him to recognize Taku and know that he was not at the party. Sasuke began to wonder how he knew she was out and escorted home by another person. It also appeared Taku didn't notice Sasuke standing on the other side of the door….this shinobi's skills were hugely lacking. Sakura would never go for someone as incapable as this person….Sasuke stopped and blushed slightly, wondering why he was thinking of who Sakura could and could not be with.

Sakura explained she was fine and regardless of her altered state, tried to remind Taku of who Sasuke Uchiha was. By this point both men had taken full notice to the clinging towel that outlined her curves ever so nicely, her chest more noticeable without her bindings, her wet hair messily clinging to her neck and shoulders with water droplets dripping down her skin. At this point, even Sasuke, who had been trying to avoid such thoughts, noticed how obvious it was becoming that he was a man and she was an attractive woman. Sasuke took his cape from the post nearby and flung it on top of Sakura's head startling both Sakura and Taku. Taku, who had gotten close enough to Sakura by this point and had an arm on her shoulder released her and stumbled backwards landing on the ground. "Sasuke?" She asked. "She got home fine." Sasuke had stated in his monotone voice and shut the door on the bewildered shinobi's face.

Sakura proceeded to tell Sasuke how that was rude but before she could open the door again Sasuke stopped it with his hand. "Sakura, please be more aware of your surroundings and how you present yourself to others." He said bringing his hand from the door and pinching the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes. Not only was he annoyed with her being oblivious to her appearance but he was also having difficulty trying to calm himself down, which seemed to be taking more concentration than normal. Taking notice to her attire, she began to turn redder than she had previously been, a tomato would not be able to rival her in color at this point. To make up for this she tried to come off as knowing what she was doing, how she can handle herself and that she was stronger than even Sasuke himself. Though she was correct that she was physically stronger due to her chakra control, this, to him, did not make it okay. Now regretting wearing fitted pants, his manhood was beginning to ache from the obvious attraction he had of her in her current state: passionate, beautiful, smart, skilled, and determined….but this still annoyed him that she would present herself to some other man in such attire. Not that he considered himself special or them to be in a relationship to which this would be okay but he did not think of that at that moment. All thought went out the window.

"Strong" he said, eyes shielded by his hair and the shadows of the low lit residence. He began to approach her in such a manner that caused her to back up. In a swift motion, his remaining intact arm suddenly and miraculously grabbed and held both wrists above her head with great speed, placing a leg between hers and pressing his pelvis against her, pinning her against the wall instantly. "You are far from weak, I give you that, but don't think for a minute that you cannot be caught off guard." Sasuke leaned closer, cheek to cheek, his breath grazing her ear, his mouth just barely touching her neck. Her face was hot, her core tingling with desire and warmth, the unknown thrill of what was happening….He had her in a hold that was not rough or painful but rather gentle. But she didn't feel she could escape his grasp and wasn't sure if she even wanted to. She couldn't think, she only felt desire. His lips began to make contact with her neck, just enough to leave a small kiss as if testing the waters. She reacted with a sigh and slightly squirmed, rubbing against his manhood as if asking for more. Desire within himself growing as he intensified in pressing, nibbling, and sucking on her neck. Sakura's mind was going blank, all she could feel were her legs going weak and….pleasure. He began to release her wrists and place his hand upon her waist pulling her close against him. He brought up his eyes to meet hers. Both looking at each other with half-lidded eyes, hazy from what was happening and intoxicated by desire and the alcohol they had consumed that night. She laid her hands around his neck and as she slightly moved her fingers through his hair, slightly nudging him towards her face, he didn't hesitate and pressed hard against her mouth with his. Both eyes closing and giving in to desire. A flow of heat, like warm water flowing to the pit of her belly. She could feel his manhood press against her which made her desire increase. Sasuke, as well, could feel her desire by the pulling of his hair lightly begging him to continue. He really could not think and was acting on pure instinct. His lone hand, started trailing up her side and as it made its way to her chest, he began to massage the soft swell beneath his grasp when suddenly she gasped with pleasure. Sasuke opened his eyes and came back to reality, so lost in the moment he forgot where he was and what he was doing.

He released her and quickly turned his back, eyes again covered by his hair. She slid to the floor, slightly disheveled and sad by their separation, yet starting to come back to reality herself. "Sasuke?" She managed to say in a soft whisper. "I'm sorry." Was all he said before disappearing out the door. She sat there not moving, just thinking of what just occurred.

I may update my stories periodically to include better descriptions but just trying to get things out of my head. Thanks for your patience and understanding!