Horrible Apologies for the wait! Please enjoy!

Oh, and for the patients ones: the fluff is for you.

Chapter 11.

Sasuke found himself strangely susceptible today, especially to those green eyes, ridiculously bright because of the tears Sakura had shed. It couldn't be helped. He'd found her alone, on her knees, one hand placed on a tile wall, the other clutched to her chest as she sat and cried, panting heavily and obviously terrified.

He'd been struck with a fear so palpable that he almost broke down himself, but some force other than his own willpower told him to remain calm. He'd rushed to her, grabbing her, and it was then that he'd seen the sheer panic in her face and eyes. Her breathing was rushed, but not overly, and the tears were a good sign. Other parts of her body were functioning normally.

Sasuke had ascertained eventually that she was having a panic attack and nothing more, probably brought on by whatever Karin had done to her. Sasuke noted with a black rage that Sakura's face and hair were much messier than what he'd remembered earlier that day.

It was those eyes though. Those horrid green eyes, that darted back and forth, clouded at times with fear then brightened with determination and reason, typical of a girl who was used to fighting against her own body. He'd been forced to look away from them before his body sprouted a mind of its own, independent of Sasuke's will, and did something to the girl.

Now they were standing, her heart calmed, her face dry and clear as it had been before. But those eyes remained to be wretchedly intriguing. Sasuke couldn't understand what on earth they were doing to his chest, but the feeling was something in between adrenaline and agony that only subsided when his arms were around her. Consequently, he chose to remain touching her, his fingers feverish from her body heat.

He felt like he needed something out of this situation. After so long of living with such conflict, Sasuke felt positively bothered by everything that concerned the ever illusive girl. She had punched him, she was stubborn, and she was often hospitalized. But when she fell down, she burst into laughter rather than into tears, she could quote Hamlet and turn a play about revenge into a story about self-realization in less than a few minutes. And she could somehow make Sasuke pursue her, forcing him to step outside of his dark and comfortable home on a Sunday in an attempt to speak with her. Until this moment, though, Sasuke had had no idea what he would do once he'd finally gotten her alone, alone like how they were now, with her locked in his arms.

This was it. This was the moment that something had to be done. Sasuke's mind drew a blank on what to do, but his body seemed drunk off the idea of touching her, whispering to her, being gentle. When Sasuke spoke, he didn't recognize the voice. When he touched Sakura, he could hardly believe it was his own fingers, especially when he put a hand over her mouth, savoring the touch of her lips.

Lips... Pink, full, parted lips, whispering questions. They were almost as attractive as her eyes, and Sasuke's body could take no more. He let himself go, using the excuse of the girls outside the room to keep Sakura quiet, make her unable to refuse. He savored the feeling of her neck and jaw-line, finally digging his fingers into her soft hair, tangling himself in it just so he could feel her, smell her.

"Sa-"

No, she couldn't speak now. He'd moved without even realizing it, sealing her lips with his so tightly that he found he couldn't breathe. Sasuke had always said he didn't like sweet things, but the flavor in her mouth was so mind-numbingly tasty he didn't care it was laced with sugar and strawberries. In fact, he'd go as far as to say he loved it.

And he wanted more.

Pulling her closer, he let his eyes close tight just so he could feel her better. The texture of her hair, the smoothness of her face, her hot breath leaking into his mouth like a long sigh as he moved, very slowly, his mouth over hers once more. Another rush sped up his spine when her small hands clutched tightly in his shirt as they pushed and pulled each other with only their mouths.

Sasuke's eyes cracked open only slightly, the first image to catch his narrowed eye being his own reflection in the bathroom mirror that spanned the entire opposite wall, a sight that frightened as much as it aroused him. He didn't know his face could bear such an expression, open and devoid of his usual sour scowl, his slitted eyes and slightly open mouth reading blatantly of pleasure. The girl wrapped in his embrace was even better, the curve of her back and hips sensually showing around his hands, how her hair was slightly messed in between his fingers, and how her neck almost gleamed in the florescent lights as she curved upward into him.

He couldn't help himself with such a sight, deepening the kiss with a long sigh, unable to control his tongue in his mouth which hesitantly licked the lower seam of Sakura's parted lips. The girl let out a surprised gasp that only excited him further as he craned his neck down, pulling her up and crushing her.

This... was spectacular.

Naruto allowed himself a very bright smile when he received a brief text message from Sasuke about half an hour after his friend had left.

Don't wait for me. I'm taking Sakura home.

And Hinata, seeing his grin grow wider and wider, asked softly, "Naruto? What is it?"

He looked next to him at the table to Hinata's glowing gray eyes and felt his heart thump slightly in his chest, his face reddening instantly. Whenever he had a chance to get a good look at the Hyuga girl, he couldn't help but feel a fluttering feeling. But he quickly blinked it away, turning his attention back to his phone.

"Nothing. Sasuke's taking Sakura home."

Ino, who had been arguing with Shikamaru with her arms folded over her chest, turned abruptly toward Naruto. "Ehhhhh? Sakura and Sasuke? H-how-"

Naruto shrugged, that smirk still hovering around his mouth. "I don't know, guess they ran into each other."

Ino let out another cry of disdain, yer mouth moving a mile a minute, both asking questions and making very loud statements about how "it's so unfair!" but Naruto paid no notice, closing his phone and looking back over to Hinata. She had her head lowered slightly a deep, thoughtful look on her face. Naruto wondered briefly what she was thinking that caused such an expression.

"Oh, whatever!" Ino finally said with a huff. "I'm tired of sweets! Hinata, let's go shopping! I want to buy some new earrings!"

Hinata raised her head and said very quietly, "But Ino, I have a curfew... I can't go shopping..."

Ino let out a groan of despair. "Well, fine, I'll just have to take Shikamaru with me."

"And just who agreed to that?" the boy in question bit out.

Ino leaned over in her chair so she was very forcefully invading the boy's space. "Oh, come on, are you really going to say no, Nara?" She fluttered her long eyelashes and his face colored slightly.

"It's settled then!" Ino said with a clap of her hands.

"Oh... well..." Hirata rose from her seat. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

The shy girl bowed slightly, her long hair falling down her cheeks in a light wave that sent a chill down Naruto's spine. He jolted to his feet, surprising everyone with the abrupt sound of his metal chair skidding over the concrete floor. "I'll walk you," he offered hastily, speeding ahead of Hinata and out of the doors to hide his embarrassment.

Hinata jogged slightly to catch up with him, her mouth hanging a little bit open to draw in more air, but Naruto couldn't hear the sound of her breathing, it was so light. It reminded him of her almost eerily silent nature, as if she was frightened to remind those around her that she existed. Naruto was the exact opposite, eager to assert the validity in his existence, but he often found himself wondering why he struggled so desperately to be noticed. Hinata made him think it was okay to be ignored sometimes, as long as the ones you love the most keep loving you. It was a calming thought. It warmed Naruto's heart. Hinata had that effect on him. That's what he liked about her...

Liked about her? Liked Hinata?

Naruto allowed himself a smile. Yes, that sounded good... He liked Hinata. She was sweet, beautiful, calming, caring, and very driven when she put her mind to it. He admired her tenacity to stand up for herself when she had to but also admired her ability to let things slide. Yes, he confessed he liked Hinata very much...

"Naruto?"

Her light voice brought him out of his silent conversation with himself.

"Oh... sorry, Hinata... What?" He grimaced at his own thoughts which, although positively engaged toward the girl, had caused him to ignore her during their walk. Already they were boarding a train heading toward the northern sector of the city.

"Is... Is Sakura sick?"

Naruto stopped walking entirely. Around him a sea of people parted to walk around him and Hinata, none of them bumping into him, as if there were some sort of force field around him. Naruto's eyes read horror so completely that Hinata couldn't bear to look at him.

"I-I mean, it's because she sometimes seems tired, and she's been missing a lot of school lately. She never comes on school field trips and always seems to go strait home sometimes... You've-You've known her l-longer than I have so I... So I..."

"I can't say anything more than this," Naruto cut her off in a very soft voice. "I'm her best friend, and no matter what I'll never be too far away from her... That's it." He lowered his head and stared at his shoes. He stood in silence and tried not to let the horror that had suddenly overtaken him portray on his face. Being with Sasuke was one thing, but Naruto didn't want to cry in front of Hinata. He clenched his jaw and tried to suppress it. A tiny hand on his arm, Hinata's hand, brought him back to the present.

He looked down to the girl, at her soft gray eyes and how wide and full of emotion they were. He could hardly bear to look at them but with her hand sliding slowly over his, he couldn't help it. He lowered his head slightly, the fear and pain over Sakura easing as Hinata's fingers made soothing circular motions over his hands. She didn't break eye contact.

But he did. The train came, squealing and shaking down the tracks, and his eyes broke with hers in order to look at the arriving vehicle. He helped her onto the train but couldn't look at her strait in the eye again throughout the entire ride. He couldn't help it. His face was too red.

Sakura lowered her head and continued to walk despite the fact that she felt like collapsing to her knees. Sasuke walked beside her and said nothing, impassive once more. It had been ridiculous, that whole situation... that kiss...

He'd kissed her. Deeply. There had been no prior explanation nor anything of the kind following it. Sasuke had grabbed her, kissed her, released her, and now they were walking again. She was practically shuddering under the repercussions of such an event, the heat left by his hands still marking her body, like tattoos only she could see and feel. And his lips, so forceful, had crashed so violently with hers until she felt like her heart might explode...

Sakura felt heat rise into her face so violently that she had to cough into her hand to give herself an excuse to lower her head further. Unfortunately she realized that as she coughed, she was coughing into Sasuke's black jacket, which he had silently bestowed upon her as they left the bathroom, and she felt absolutely mortified from it. But chose to say nothing for the sake of saving face.

Her mind was in a swirl anyway. A happy swirl of course. He liked her. She realized that now. And of course, she liked him. She'd always liked him... If he liked her too, what was stopping them from being together?

Nothing of course...

"Hey," she said quietly, just to get his attention. He craned his neck downward so he could hear her. He was very close, easily violating the distance he normally placed between himself and others.

"Hmm?"

"How... How did you know it was a panic attack?"

She watched as his eyes widened a mere fraction in surprise before lowering back to normal. He didn't say anything for a moment or two, and Sakura wondered if maybe she had said something wrong...

"I used to have them."

"I'm sorry?"

"Panic attacks," he said. "When I was a kid, I used to have them all the time. When I slept they would come on the worst." He closed his mouth and his eyes simultaneously.

She didn't know quite what to say. It looked like from the pain in his face that it somehow was a tender subject. She didn't want to dwell on something that disturbed him that greatly. "I've... never had one before..." She lightened her tone. "Which is weird, right? You think that I'd have had at least one!"

He smirked, that same Sasuke smirk that put her at ease. "You do seem like the type who would panic."

She laughed and gave him a light punch in the arm. "Hey, you should have seen me when I was a kid. One of my old teachers came up and surprised me one day, and I fainted right on the spot. The school even called my parents..." She winced.

"Not surprising," he agreed, his smirk widening.

She waggled her eyebrows at him, letting a lop-sided grin stretch over her face "You don't have to be such a prick about it," she teased.

Sasuke stopped walking and so did Sakura, surprised. "Sasuke?"

"You know," he said quietly, a hand drifting up her face to move a stray strand of pink hair from her eyes, "you're really a lot like Naruto."

Sakura didn't know what her blush came from, her excitement at having Sasuke touch her or the fact that he said she was like Naruto, someone she truly looked up to as something of a hero. She suddenly had to fight off the urge to cry. "You... you say that so easily, but you have no idea what that means to me," she said in a whisper.

"Idiot," he murmured, lowering his head to give her a long, soft kiss on the lips. She closed her eyes and felt him: his lips, his heat, his hands over her face. She savored the taste of his mouth, clean and hot and unbelievable. He pulled away to whisper huskily, "If it weren't for Naruto, I'd be dead. He saved me. I think that if it weren't for you, though, I might live my whole life like a bastard."

She opened her eyes slowly, staring up at him. He didn't move to kiss her again, much to her displeasure, but he did move his hands to the bottom of his jacket, zipping it up to protect her against the chill of the night air. He then made to move onward, nearing the train station, but Sakura did not budge. When Sasuke noticed, he turned to look back at her, inquisitive.

She swallowed and met his eyes. "Your hand."

Very slowly, he raised his hand from his side and held it out to her. She took it into hers, lacing her fingers with his. "I've never done this before," she said. Then she smiled. "You're really warm."

She saw the surprise glimmer across his face for a moment before he softened slightly. "Right." And he squeezed her fingers.

"Which train?" Sasuke asked at length as they neared the station, and Sakura noticed how his voice had changed slightly, holding a warmth that made her heart flutter.

She blushed and hurriedly pushed him out of the way and slid her card through the slot, continuing on so quickly that Sasuke had to jog to catch up. "T-this way," she said sheepishly. "My house is pretty far actually. My parents thought it would be better if the house was away from the city... too busy and stressful... my heart..."

My heart.

Sakura stopped walking. The world changed in an instant. She lifted her head to the clouds above. Oh, naturally. How could she forget? She was dying. It didn't matter if Sasuke liked her. He couldn't save her. He couldn't stop destiny, no matter how smart or strong or good-looking he was. Sakura was a realist. She could fully see where this would all go, and she wouldn't be selfish. She wouldn't let this continue. It didn't matter if a relationship with Sasuke lasted two weeks or twenty years: her heart wouldn't. For all she knew she was going to die in two weeks. And if she didn't, that was almost worse.

Sakura had seen her parents dissolve from healthy, happy people in the prime of their lives into walking skeletons. Sakura rarely saw her mother without tears in her eyes, and sometimes Sakura didn't dare even look at her father, knowing that she would see the exhaustion haunting his once bright eyes. If Sasuke was near her, he'd be susceptible to the same type of agony Sakura's parents had succumbed to. She wouldn't let it happen.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, his voice a deep timber. He pulled her gently inside the train that had arrived while Sakura was busy thinking. She did not stumble despite being pulled so unexpectedly. She held her head up for the first time since he'd kissed her and met his eyes while the doors closed behind them. She could tell he was surprised, but she was determined. Without saying anything, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. It was nothing more than the gentle brush of her mouth against his, but the rip that creased her heart at the moment their lips touched made her shudder. Sasuke must have felt it too because in an instant he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and didn't let her retreat, deepening the kiss.

"Sa-" she tried with a gasp, attempting to push herself away, but he'd have none of it. He circled one arm around her waist while the other held her hands. They were not alone in the train car, and Sakura could feel a few eyes watching them, which increased her nervousness. But Sasuke seemed lost in his own world, not caring, not stopping, not letting her go. His intensity was powerful enough to sweep her away into a world where she could have him. She could have him if only for a few minutes.

She could feel the train slow and with it so did Sasuke's mouth, from a rushing hurricane into a slow rumbling in his chest that she could feel with her lips. With a final lick to the top of her lip, he finally allowed them to separate.

"Where's your house?" he whispered, his hot breath mingling teasingly with hers.

She smiled softly. "Follow me."

They walked in silence, a comfortable silence that didn't break until Sakura began to slow in front of a large, two-story building. The place was indeed a country home, shrouded under the arms of two large trees. The walls were a light cream and the windows were a charming green that almost matched the trees, and though it was hard to tell in the darkness, a tire swing and a running sprinkler could almost be made out in the distance.

She stopped in front of the white gate and moved a strand of her hand away from her face. "This is it," she said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're rich?"

She shrugged. "If I wasn't, I doubt my parents could pay the hospital bills." Instead of wincing, she smirked.

A gust of wind blew past them, another long strand of Sakura's unkempt hair sweeping away from behind her ear and into her face. Sasuke moved a hand up to smooth it away, but she stopped him, a hand over his. When she spoke it was barely over a whisper. "I know what I want. But this isn't simple. I can't, no matter what, get what I want. Even if it means I have to hurt you too." She raised her eyes. "I know you think you can handle this, that you can take care of me, but you can't. I had to watch my parents lose themselves taking care of me. I won't watch it again..."

She slowly took off his jacket and placed it in his empty palm.

He looked at the black cloth then back up at her, his expression guarded. "Sakura..."

"From now on," she said quietly, "stay away from me."

Chapter 11 end.

Aw, sad face, right? This chapter was very hard for me, telling it from Sakura's perspective. Sasuke comes easier to me!

Speaking of which, how will the sullen Uchiha boy react to his second rejection from Sakura? Review, subscribe etc! Maybe I'll give out a few hints.