Sakura laughed to herself the whole way up to her bedroom, the look on Sasuke's face imbedded into her brain. She had always been the type of person to do random spontaneous things when the situation either called for them, or the person did. She always felt like people needed to express themselves more if they have the chance. Sure, she was pretty hidden of herself in certain situations, but she never hid how she felt about anything.

Sakura pushed her bedroom door open, dropping her shoes off right next to the door and turning around to lock it. She assumed Rikana was working since the house was empty once again, but you never knew when someone was going to just barge into your room.

She walked over to her mirror and laughed at how soaked she was. She was drenched from her head down to her socks, but it was worth the look on Sasuke's face. The moment she walked into the bathroom, she knew something was up. Then when sitting on his toilet, she realized what was happening, thanks to the shadow from inside the shower.

She couldn't completely blame him though, it wasn't his fault her vest came undone while she was passed out drunk. "I should really wear underwear more often…" Sakura thought to herself, realizing none of it would have happened if she didn't loathe the pretty much useless pieces of clothing.

Sakura tore the wet clothes from her body, tossing them to the floor, walking to her bathroom. She left the door half open for extra light in the dim bathroom. She plugged the tub, turning the taps on for the hottest water her body could stand. She added bubbles, waiting to relax in her soak after the week at school. She put her iPod into a player and turned the speakers on, humming along to the song as she lowered her body into the water.

As Sakura relaxed, humming the song softly, she lowered her body further into the water, letting it encompass her body. She sat in that same position for the greater majority of the song, enjoying herself. She ducked her head deep into the water, wetting her hair. She came up, listening to the long intro to the new song playing on her iPod , washing herself in the bubble bath. She unplugged the bathtub, standing up and grabbing a towel from the rack next to the tub, wrapping it around herself.

Sakura walked out of the bathroom door, past the open window giving her bedroom a wonderful breeze and stopped dead in her tracks, smiling.

"Repaying the visit?" She addressed her question to Sasuke, promptly sitting on her bed the way she had the previous evening.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He stood, walking towards the dripping wet girl only covered with a small towel.

"What the fuck is wrong with me? There's lots of stuff wrong with me. But you're going to have to narrow it down for me to give you a definite answer." He didn't look as uncomfortable as she had hoped he would when she informed him he'd have to speak of what she already knew he was questioning.

"You know what," His eyes glared into her.

"Like I said, be more specific," She walked past his standing figure to her dresser drawer, grabbing clothing from two separate drawers, sitting it on her bed, turning back towards Sasuke, who had yet to answer her. "I'm waiting."

"What makes you think you can just waltz into my bathroom while I'm showering and then jump in with me?" Sakura could have sworn for a few seconds she saw a light blush come to his face, but it was gone already.

"Well you never really said I couldn't," She paused, making a loose gesture, "You might wanna turn around."

"What?" His eyes bore into hers, angry she was trying to distract him from the subject at hand.

"Turn around, I'm getting dressed," She turned back to her bed, grabbing one of the articles of clothing.

"You're not serious." There was no way she would even think about changing in the same room, was there?

"I am serious. It's my bedroom, my body. I really could give two fucks less. I've had to share rooms with 4 other people before and it really doesn't bother me. But seeing the blush you got when I got in the shower with you, and the one I'm almost 100% positive you go when I flashed you while I was drunk, I think you're more uncomfortable that I would ever be. So you're decision. You have about two seconds before I drop this towel."

Sasuke promptly turned around and he heard the towel drop. Apparently she really was serious. This girl was really something else. He felt her walk past him as she walked to her mirror, grabbing a hair brush to tame her wet hair. He took in the sight in front of him. Sakura was wearing the most normal outfit he had seen her in thus far. Plain black shorts and a red cami. He was shocked to see her covering her stomach for once.

"You never actually answered me," He stated as he saw her put stuff from her normal side bag into a mini backpack.

"I just felt like it. I dunno. Don't think too much into it, Chicken Butt," she walked past him, bag in tow, to her bed. She sat down and put on socks and converse.

"No boots today?" Sasuke had let the words slip before he realized he was admitting to acknowledging what she wore.

Sakura smirked, "These dry easier if I fall in."

"Fall in where?" Without trying, he was starting a conversation with Sakura, genuinely curious what she was talking about.

"If you wanna know, follow me." With that she stood, mini bag still in tow, slightly shutting her window, then walking out her bedroom door.

"Isn't Rikana going to ask why I'm walking out of your bedroom?"

"She's not here. She works way too much to even take notice. She'd probably think you were just a figment of her sleep deprived brain." Now down on the first floor, Sakura stopped at the refrigerator, removing two reuseable water bottles. She tossed one at the unsuspecting Sasuke, who caught it with ease. "Shouldn't you like, double check with your parents or something so they don't freak out?"

"They're out."

"Leave a note?" She still remembered his poem. Understood his words. She didn't want him to get in trouble just for coming out with her. Sakura watched as Sasuke shook his head, and she shrugged off the feeling, he knew what was best for himself.

As Sasuke walked next to Sakura, going wherever the fuck she was taking them, he couldn't help but notice how weird it was to see her looking, well… normal. He had grown accustomed to her unusual style of clothing and he actually kind of enjoyed it. She wasn't like everyone else. She knew who she was. He appreciated that, mainly because it was something he himself couldn't accomplish and didn't think he ever could.

"So are you ever going to tell me anymore about your brother that you seem to resent so much?" She didn't move her face to look at him, just incase he was glaring, she wasn't particularly in the mood to feel like a child about to be punished.

"It's not that I resent him. I resent what my parents make him out to be." They walked in silence for a few minutes before he continued. "We were really close when I was younger."

"What happened?"

"He went to law school. My parents wanted him in business. Now I have to," Sasuke really didn't know why he was giving this information to this girl he barely knew. Why did it feel so right to tell her?

"You don't have to, you know. You don't have to stay under their bind forever. You can get away, and I for one, wouldn't blame you. You have the skills to do what you want, indulge yourself. Do what you want," At the beginning of her speech, Sakura had stopped, staring Sasuke dead in the eyes. When she told him to do what he wanted, she poked the middle of his chest, and hard.

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"I'll never be able to get into a college without their money," If it was one thing his parents were useful for, it was their money.

Sakura cut down an alleyway he knew led closer to the outskirts of town. Where was she taking him? Better yet, why did he seriously decide to go along? After a few minutes, Sakura cut the silence, "A smart kid like you must have good grades."

"They're up there…"

"So good grades, extracurriculars, I'm assuming a sparkling record, both criminal and at school. Apply for a scholarship. Fuck your parents. I'm telling you, you don't need them to get where you want. But anyway, we're soon going to be going through some brush, so watch where I step so you don't get poison ivy."

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes at Sasuke's response and trekked on through the bushes.

"Seriously, where are we going?"

"You'll see in a minute," Her voice left off that of being annoyed, but he pushed that to the back of his mind.

After walking a few more steps, Sakura stopped. Sasuke would have ran into her if he didn't notice her feet stop. He had been intently following them to avoid the poison ivy. He had the stuff once when he was younger and he never wanted to experience that again.

Sasuke looked up and was in awe. He had lived here his whole life and never had he seen this. In front of them there was a gorgeous creek, the water flowing loudly. There were rocks to the left and right and the trees let in a lattice of sunlight to fall over the gorgeous landscape.

Sakura looked at him, smiling, "Nice, isn't it?"

"Mm."

She ignored his half hearted answer, "I found it on my first night here. It's pretty secluded. I love the way it sounds."

"But why are did you come here?"

"Enjoy the scenery?"

Sasuke snorted, "Really?"

Sakura laughed, "Nah. It's just a nice place away from people to smoke some reefer."

She walked over to a decent sized rock, sitting down and removing her bag from her back. She pulled out a small baggie which pre-rolled joints inside. She looked up at Sasuke, who was visibly shocked, patting the spot next to her. He reluctantly joined her.

"Ever smoke before?" She asked, lighting the joint between her lips, inhaling deeply. Sasuke shook his head, "Wanna try?"

Sasuke pondered it for a moment. He did wanna try it, but he was slightly afraid of the consequences of smoking the herb.

"Seriously, I won't let you get high enough that your parents will notice. I'll keep an eye on you," She raised three fingers, "Scouts honor."

"My parents aren't even home to care," Sasuke said as he snatched the joint from her.

"Then go for it," Sakura watched as he put it up to his lips, "Okay, you wanna take your first hit easy since it's your first time. Inhale lightly, move the joint and inhale again to get the smoke in your mouth into your lungs. And then hold it as long as you can."

She watched him do what she said, remembering her first time smoking. As Sasuke exhaled he coughed loudly.
"Why do you do that! It kinda hurts," He said, handing the joint back to her.

"Oh you'll see in a few minutes," She smiled at him, taking another hit for herself, "Just hopefully you don't get a paranoid high."

Sasuke could feel the shift as his muscles relaxed and he felt calmer. He didn't think it was bad at all. He reached over and took the joint right from Sakura's mouth, inhaling like he had the first time. She laughed loudly, watching him hit it.

"I knew you would like it. Better relax than drinking," She pulled out a cigarette, lighting it, letting it add to her high. She always felt like the nicotine helped her high. It was probably in her head, but she didn't care.

"This isn't too bad," Sasuke felt himself relaxing more and more by the second, realizing this was actually enjoyable. He and Sakura passed the joint back and forth in an amiable silence until the end of the joint. She pulled a bag of chips out of her bag, opening them and offering some to Sasuke.

"I dunno if I actually get the munchies anymore, I'm just so used to having a snack when I smoke weed that I just do it now."

Sasuke took the bag, nibbling on some chips. Sakura took her iPod out, letting the music play from the speakers on shuffle. She untied her high tops and took off her socks, walking down to the water, splashing some over her face.

"I don't think I've felt this relaxed in years," Sasuke thought out loud, slightly shocked the words came out of his mouth.

"It's nice to be relaxed, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"Take your shoes off. This water feels amazing," Sakura turned around, walking up stream, bending down and splashing water around. "I'm so glad I found this spot. I feel like a worry free child."

Sasuke started to untie his shoes, the song changing. He never expected to hear Sakura listen to a band like this from the previous songs he had heard her listen to it seemed a little too light for her taste. But then again, this girl was always doing something he didn't suspect. He walked down to the water, listening to the music lift a little, Sakura joining in to the lyrics.

Hurtful words,
From my enemies of the last five years,
What's it like to die alone?
And how does it feel when tears freeze,
When you cry?
The blood in your veins is twenty below.
Sitting in this room playing Russian roulette,
Finger on the trigger to my dear Juliet,
Out from the window see her back drop silhouette,
This blood on my hands is something I cannot forget,
Sitting in this room playing Russian roulette,
Finger on the trigger to my dear Juliet,
Out from the window see her back drop silhouette,
This blood on my hands is something I cannot forget,
Something I cannot forget.

Sasuke wished he had his guitar to join her in the song. He loved this band.

So for now, take this down a notch,
Crash my car through your window,
Make sure you're still alive,
Just in time to kill you,
Sitting in this room playing Russian roulette,
Finger on the trigger to my dear Juliet,
Out from the window see her back drop silhouette,
This blood on my hands is something I cannot forget,
Sitting in this room playing Russian roulette,
Finger on the trigger to my dear Juliet,
Out from the window see her back drop silhouette,
This blood on my hands is something I cannot forget,
Something I cannot forget.

"You've got a really beautiful voice," Sasuke was almost shocked at his honesty.

"Thanks. Perfect pitch." She turned around, smiling softly and in that moment Sasuke could do nothing but admire her beauty. She didn't have makeup on, her hair was still damp, and she was wearing a casual outfit. "I've already told you what I think of your playing."

"Mm. I never expected you to listen to Escape the Fate, they seem different from your taste of Nightwish."

"I love Nightwish. My favorite band. A few years ago another girl I was in foster with listened to a lot of Escape and I got used to them. When my ex saw them on my iPod he took me to see a concert of theirs. Then I got hooked. They're great live as well," She kicked at the water, "I just really love music. Pretty much if it's got good lyrics, and actual instruments, I listen to it."

"Nightwish is my favorite band too. The intricate rhythm and melodies from the first song I heard of theirs had me hooked."

"I should give you weed more often, Chicken Butt. You speak more. I like it."

A slight blush crept onto Sasuke's face. He felt out of character discussing these things with her, but it felt right at the same time. "If it's this calming, I might take you up on that offer."

Sakura walked out of the water, grabbing another joint out of her bag, then back to the small creek. After she inhaled and exhaled she passed it to Sasuke, "Want a really good hit?"

He cocked his head to the side, questioning her.

She took the joint from his hands before he could hit it once, "Open your mouth."

"What?" His eyes narrowed.

"Just trust me."

He sighed, opening his mouth, feeling like a complete imbecile. Sakura took a large hit, holding it, and walked up to him. She placed a soft hand on Sasuke's cheek, her mouth coming close to his like a kiss. He could feel his cheeks burning as she exhaled the smoke into his mouth.

"Inhale it."

Sasuke did as he was told. The smoke tasted different, sweeter somehow, and it went into his airways smooth. He knew his cheeks were still red as Sakura watched him exhale.

"Was it a good one?" He nodded. "Why do you blush so much when I get near you?"

Her honest question was pretty shocking, and Sasuke was almost entirely positive that his face lit up again, "I don't know."

"You're not used to close encounters with girls, cute." The way she said it as a matter of fact pissed him off.

"I never said that."

"I can tell. You remind me of myself before my ex. I was so awkward, I mean, I still am, but in a different way. Everything he said made me blush. That was until the mere thought of him made me want to stab him in the eye," She was spinning around in the water, kicking it up, splashing around, all while smoking the rolled herb in her hand. "I contribute most of my current issues to his nasty ass."

Sasuke couldn't help the curiosity that was building inside of him, "Why?"

"Honestly?" Sakura stopped spinning and looked him dead in the eyes, passing him the joint while he nodded, "To make a long story short, before I met him, yeah I drank and smoked weed here and there, but he introduced me to other things that were hard for me to break, or I still haven't. He tricked me into believing he actually gave a rats ass about me, only to find out for the majority of the year we were together he was fucking my one and only friend." Sakura continued on her rant, like she was reciting a memorized poem. "After I caught them, mind you- on our anniversary, someone told me that they heard that she had begged him to date me, I guess, to help me get out of my shell. Obviously it didn't work. She was fucking him before he even met me. Shows you how fucked in the head she was. I mean, I guess it's my fault for befriending and dating extreme addicts anyway. The wires don't fully connect in their brains. They don't realize the repercussions of their actions. The weed dulls the pain and relaxes me. Takes away the memories."

"What else do you do?" Something inside of Sasuke pulled at him to ask. He didn't know what made him feel like he had to protect this girl he barely knew, but he knew he had to help.

"Nothing really hard, anymore. I did coke once or twice, the drip was too awful for me, so I just didn't. LSD, a few times. That was the worst to break, never touch the stuff. But now I pretty much just stick with my weed and occasionally ecstasy. It brings me up, lightens my mood. Plus it makes everything just feel great. Although it's been a few days since I've had any." The girl was playing in the water as they kept passing the marijuana cigarette back and forth.

"Why?"

"The only guy I know who sells it lives in my old town. I had a stash I brought with me, but I went through it. I know I don't need it though, it just helps when the memories of him come back."

"Is he why you got kicked out of your last foster home?"

"Kinda...mostly," Their eyes met again and she stopped moving, putting her hands on her hips, "When I caught them, I smashed a bunch of shit in his crappy apartment on the way out, mainly the stuff I knew he kept because he could sell it to buy more drugs. And then while walking back, I saw her car and I fucked it up. About 3 months after that, I had a bad day, I ran into the bitch and I got a little crazy with some E. I took a little too much, got rushed to the hospital and got sent to rehab. They found traces of other stuff I had done, weed, some LSD and prescription pills, so I got shipped off. After I went through the program my previous foster family didn't want me anymore so they shipped me off here. They didn't care that I had taken drugs, they caught me before, just the rehab is what bothered them."

"Hn." Sasuke replied with his short, somewhat understandable, response without really thinking about it.

"Weed is non-addictive. It's just fun to relax. The only thing I still do that I was treated for was the E. But like I said, I'm out, so it's not really an issue."

They walked back to the rock, just listening to the music from Sakura's iPod for a few minutes.

"Honestly," She leaned closer to Sasuke, her emerald eyes piercing into his obsidian ones, "Being around you helps."

Sakura blushed slightly, something she hadn't done in over a year and a half. She touched her soft hand to his cheek and he didn't move away. She closed the gap between the two, her lips touching his.


Yup, totally doing that do you. :) So just so you guys know, most of the time I have a chapter written a few days before I post it, and I try to keep to a 3 time a week schedule. I do this because it gives me time to work through any block I might have and keep the suspense low for you guys.

The next chapter will probably contain adult themes...just so you know.