A/N: I apologize for the very long wait, guys. It's just that I've been pretty busy lately, and this chapter has been particularly hard to write. To make up for it, however, it's gigantic (way over 12k words) and there's a lemon at the end.
Thank you all for reviewing! It means the world to me to know that you guys are reading this and that you're being patient with me.
I'll stop rambling and just let you read. Enjoy the chapter!
* Due to the fact that FFn seems to be threatening to remove stories with content over M-rating, I have felt obligated to remove the lemon at the end :(
Incomplete
By The Terrorist
Chapter twenty-one
Just Be With Me
The following week passed fairly quickly.
Now that he and his wife had finally made it past the 'Karin issue', Sasuke could happily state that his life had returned to normal. Or…well, as normal as it could get, given all the changes that were bound to take place between them once Sakura came back from New York and gave him the chance to explain himself.
For the first time ever, though, he found that he quite welcomed them – these and the ones that had yet to happen.
Although he and Sakura still didn't act like a married couple in many, many aspects, their house was much quieter now that they didn't get into a fight every time they saw each other; the atmosphere was calmer, more relaxed. Believe it or not, he now felt like he actually had something to come back home to, a thing that could easily be noticed by whoever was interested in looking. He left for work later and came back home earlier, choosing to spend his time with Sakura, instead of locked up in an office, in front of the computer.
His pink-haired wife seemed to have the same preferences, seeing as she was now always home, both when he left in the morning and when he came back in the evening. As strange as it might sound, he appreciated that – he appreciated the fact that she was keeping her promise of giving their relationship another chance, accepting, in the process, everything that entailed.
Including no more going out with her friends at night.
Don't get me wrong, Sasuke knew that she was young and full of life, and he knew that she had lost a considerable amount of time trying to make him open his eyes, time she could have spent on something far more…productive, but still. None of those changed the fact that she was a married woman and that she must act like one. Especially now, when he was playing his part and acting like a married man.
(Or…well, at least trying to, for he wasn't entirely sure how a married man was supposed to act. He decided he would start with getting home early every night and not cheating on her anymore; the rest, he would figure out in time).
Going back to the matter at hand, it wasn't like Sasuke didn't want her to have friends. No way, he wasn't the same selfish bastard of a month ago. He wanted her to make friends and have fun with them and be happy; he just preferred to have her meet up with them during daytime, while he was at work. The rest of the time, from 8pm to 9am, she was his.
Why did they do in this time, you wonder? Kiss. Touch. Make out on the couch like two horny teenagers. They very rarely talked; words weren't needed much, since they seemed to understand each other so well through body language. Also, aside from that one time when they accidentally fell asleep on the couch, they didn't go to bed together. They would kiss and say goodnight, but then go separate ways.
Sasuke had wondered, many times, whether that was because she was waiting for him to make the first move, but he'd always brushed the thought off. There was a reason why he had yet to take her to his room, to his bed, and it had very much to do with the fact that Sakura always stopped and pulled away before things could go too far.
At first, he'd found that particularly annoying, but then he slowly began to get used to it. Some women were like this – they played hard to get, and Sakura seemed to be one of them. Unlike others, though, he believed she actually had a right to be that way. She deserved to be courted and waited after because she was special, she was something else, something rare and precious. Something he'd had the luck to stumble across and own. And he would wait for her for as long as he had to.
Because, even though there were times when this whole charade became frustrating and made him want to yell at her for getting him all worked up and then leaving him to take care of things by himself, Sasuke found himself becoming strangely accommodated to this new routine of theirs. It was easy and didn't provide him with many responsibilities or obligations; and God knew that, at this point, his life was complicated enough – he didn't need Sakura to make things difficult for him, as well.
In the future, things would have to change, he knew. As clueless as he might be when it came to relationships, Sasuke was smart enough to realize that a marriage meant more than just a few kisses shared in the evening and a person to come back home to. For now, however, it seemed to work for the both of them, and since things hadn't been this good between them in forever, he decided that everything could remain like this for a while more.
~•~
On Thursday, Sasuke's brother came to visit him at the company. Well, 'visit' is probably improper said, since he had been sent there by their father, who had apparently ordered him to look over some contracts. Sasuke wasn't sure why exactly he'd done that; having graduated from law school, Itachi had always taken care of all the legal issues their company was involved in, the presidency of the company having belonged to Sasuke from the very beginning. He wasn't about to stop and think about it, though.
As long as his brother didn't bother him, (because he seemed to have a special interest in that), he couldn't care less about his presence.
The day passed fairly quickly; nothing out of the ordinary happened – he read documents, sent e-mails, signed papers, held meetings with his clients and associates, and tried to ignore the sly glances his secretary sent his way (and her cleavage, for that matter). All in all, it was just another normal day. Until it wasn't.
He was in his office, looking over a file when his brother made his appearance and promptly asked him, in a rather impolite manner, what in the world he was still doing there.
Sasuke frowned at that, unsure of how to answer him – and thinking that a 'you're in my fucking office and you're asking me what the fuck I'm doing here?' would have been too harsh, considering the fact that they hadn't really seen each other for five months. Confused, he spared a glance at the clock that hung on the wall – 6:48pm.
What the fuck was his problem, huh?
Sasuke had always gotten along with his brother. When they were younger, Itachi used to be the typical big brother – annoying, protective, and at times, slightly condescending; he took care of him and taught him things, helped him with his homework and got him out of trouble when needed. Over the years, their bond was weakened by a multitude of factors – like this arranged marriage, or the fact that Itachi flew off to live in Tokyo – but even so, they remained friends (Uchiha style, of course).
That might have had something to do with the fact that, no matter what, Itachi was still the only human being on this planet who could knock some sense into him in regards where not even Mikoto had been successful. And, really, there was no denying the fact that times when Sasuke needed something like that were quite many.
"I asked you a question, Sasuke," he reminded him as he crossed the room, taking a seat on a chair, in front of his desk. "It's almost seven, and you've been here since six in the morning. Is there a particular reason for which you are not home yet?"
"I'm working, as you can – hopefully – see," Sasuke replied, only sparing him a quick glance, before looking back down at the files in his hands, hoping that his brother would take the hint and leave him alone.
There was only one reason why Itachi would willingly start a conversation, and that was, most of the times, the fact that he had something (very) important to say. In his case, he only did this when he was in the mood to play his big brother role and had decided that he needed to have his ass kicked – verbally, of course, for their mother would probably send both of them in the hospital by herself, before they could even touch each other – and some sense knock into him.
In other words, Itachi came here, all wrapped up in his air of superiority, to tell Sasuke that he was stupid – why, he didn't know yet, but he had a feeling he was about to find out.
"Yes, I can see you're working," he replied, rolling his eyes. He didn't add anything else, and while that might have seemed like a sign of defeat to anybody else, Sasuke knew better than to fall for that.
With a sigh that did nothing to hide his irritation, the young Uchiha threw the files on the desk and leaned back into his chair, action which told his brother that would once again listen to everything he had to say. (And that his words would get in on one ear, and then out on the other, but that's beside the point). "What do you want?" he asked slowly, clearly exasperated.
Itachi wasted no time in speaking, getting straight to the point, like he always did. "I want to know the reason why, the time you should spend with your wife, you spend in your office. That's what I want to know. Do you think you can answer that question?"
"I can try," Sasuke answered through gritted teeth, annoyed that he, too, had felt the need to bring up the subject of his marriage. Everybody seemed to do that lately, and while it had never bothered him before, it was starting to do so now. He believed it was because things between him and Sakura were finally starting to work. He didn't need people to tell him how incredibly stupid he was and how incredibly fucked up their marriage was – not anymore.
What he needed – and he would never admit it to anybody – was people to tell him what to do next, how to handle this, how to ensure that he wouldn't fuck things up again. He knew so damn little about relationships that he was truly afraid he would soon screw up without even realizing it.
He suspected that was the reason why his brother was here right now. Which annoyed him even more, because he couldn't quite comprehend what it was about Itachi that made him any better at handling women. He wasn't much more sociable than him, mind you.
'Probably not,' a witty voice from within him told him, its tone slightly condescending, making him clench his jaw in frustration. 'But he's much more open-minded than you.'
That voce was right, without a doubt. And he wanted to change, really, but opening up at this point in his life was much, much harder than he had thought it would be. With all the new things that assaulted his being, he felt like he had been living under a damn rock, and it made him want to go back to his brooding self, to his little world where he could be all superior and almighty, where there was nothing else he could learn and nothing that was worth the effort of opening up. (Hence his rather strange mood-swings from the past few weeks).
"I am working, Itachi," he eventually answered, sighing quietly and bringing a hand up to rub his forehead. "I will spend some time with Sakura later. Satisfied?"
"No," he told him. "No, I am not satisfied. And I'm pretty sure she isn't, either. Do you have any idea how excited, how happy she is with the prospect of starting over, of giving your sorry ass another chance?"
"How the fuck would you know, Itachi?" he snapped, his temper flaring again at the mention of his wife.
"I do. Believe me, I do. You want to know why? Because I was the one who brought her home to you. I was the one who convinced her to answer your phone-calls, to give you a sign that she was alive and well. I was the one who dragged her here with me, so that she could give you the chance to explain yourself – which I highly doubt you did."
"And what do you want me to do now, huh? Fucking thank you? Worship you?" Sasuke asked, his tone more angered than sarcastic.
He hadn't known that Itachi had met up with Sakura in New York, but that really didn't change a thing. There was only one reason for which Itachi interfered regularly in his relationship with Sakura, and that was because he felt guilty for what he did. He never said and never showed it, but Sasuke knew him better than anyone, and had always been able to tell.
"No." Itachi shook his head. "I don't need any of that. But you know, Sakura's a great girl. And I could have married her. I could have made her happy; I could have let her make me happy. I wouldn't have acted like a total asshole; I wouldn't have made her life a living hell. But even so, I let you have her. I let you marry her, hoping that, one day, you'd realize that she's the right girl for you.
"And what did you do? You hurt her, treated her like trash. And when, by some miracle, she decides to give you another chance, when everybody is doing their best to get you two together, what do you do? You close your eyes and pretend you don't see any of it." He paused for a moment, waiting for his little brother to react somehow; as expected from him, he didn't, and he sighed at his stubbornness, shaking his head once more. "When are you going to wake up, Sasuke? When are you going to fucking mature, to open your eyes and see what's right in front of you?"
"You know, I don't get what your fucking problem is," Sasuke snapped, annoyed. "I'm trying, okay? But I'm not going to quit my job just to spend some time with her."
His brother shook his head. "I'm not saying that you should," he told him. "But she deserves more than the few hours you give her when you return from work. Why don't you go home early today? Why don't you take her out? Just do something – anything – that will show her she's not just a part of a new routine, but actually your wife, and that you care for her, regardless of the fact that you don't show it openly."
To be honest, the young Uchiha wasn't surprised that Itachi had managed to hit the mark so right – he had always seemed like he was able to read his mind.
"I know it's not easy," he continued. "But you know what? It's not supposed to."
And, just like that, all the arguments and comebacks he had prepared died in his throat, forcing him to stay silent and look away. His brother was right, and there was no denying it.
Although he had known all along that 'marriage' wasn't the same as 'routine', Sasuke had been at a total loss of what to do in order to change that in his life. He still was, to a certain degree. But he'd initially thought that he had time to figure it all out. Now…now he realized that, in reality, he didn't – at least, not anymore.
He'd had time until now; he'd had two long years to reflect upon his life and to reach a conclusion, to figure out what he wanted to do with it. It was painfully obvious that he hadn't done any of that, and now, after he had heard his brother's words, he was starting to get the same sensation he felt when he left things for the last minute. Because, in a sense, that was what this whole thing was – the last minute.
Sakura had agreed to give him one more chance, and up until now, he had done with it exactly what he had done with the others: thrown it back into her face.
He had been a fool to believe that things between them were any different now, just because they didn't fight anymore and because they spent the evenings in a constant lip-lock. They weren't. Because he still wasn't there for her when she needed him, she still didn't call him when she had a problem, and they still didn't talk about anything. It was all physical, and had they taken it to the next level, their relationship would have probably resembled one of fuck-buddies, rather than one of a married couple.
As that realization hit him, Sasuke began to panic. What if she felt the same thing? What if she had kept her mouth shut in hopes that he would finally catch on and change? What if she hadn't complained about anything because she wanted to give him time? What if…what if his time was over?
"I don't think you're aware of this, Sasuke, but your wife really is amazing. I highly doubt there is any other person out there that can forgive and forget this much. After everything you've done to her, I'm surprised she hasn't run off screaming until now. Instead, she keeps giving you chance after chance to redeem yourself. Do you even realize how rare such an occurrence is? There are couples who can't forgive each other once, who can't give each other a second chance. And how many has she given you? Can you even count them?"
Once again, he stopped, waiting for an answer; and once again, Sasuke remained quiet.
"I thought as much." He nodded, seeming to have gotten his answer from his little brother's silence. "You know," he continued with a sigh, "I'm not going to ask you to love her, because I'm not sure you're even capable of something like that. I am, however, going to ask you not to hurt her again.
"Sakura has been through a lot, and I am well aware of the fact that most of it was my fault. So if you dare to make her cry again, I swear to God, I will beat the crap out of you."
It was not his threat that scared him. It was the possibility of his words to come true.
~•~
"So," TenTen started through the phone, the excitement obvious in her voice, "what are you going to wear?"
They had been talking for at least an hour now, time in which the brunette had happily taken it upon herself to tell Sakura everything that had happened in New York after she had left. And now that the subject was thoroughly exhausted, she moved on to other matters, which the pinkette seemed to have no idea about.
"Huh?" she asked with a frown, not quite able to understand what she was talking about.
"The dinner, Sakura," TenTen said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Sakura could easily imagine her rolling her eyes. "What are you going to wear?" she repeated.
Sakura's frown deepened. "What dinner?" she asked, confused.
The brunette was quiet for a few moments, before she spoke in a hesitant voice, "Sasuke didn't tell you?"
"No," she replied. "Sasuke didn't tell me anything. He's not even home yet. What are you talking about?"
"Well, Sasuke and Neji will have dinner with a client tonight," TenTen explained, "and it seems like the client will bring his wife along. Neji told me I'd have to go, so it's only normal for you to come, as well, don't you think?"
Sakura rolled her eyes at the conclusion her friend had reached, her lips twisting into a small, sad smile. "Oh, please," she scoffed quietly. "I've been his wife for two years and he's never taken me anywhere. Business or not…it doesn't truly matter."
"Yeah, but you do realize that, in these two years, you two were never actually together, right?" her friend pointed out. "But now that you're on the right track, he has no reason not to take you to this dinner."
"I think," the pinkette started, shaking her head sadly, "that he has no reason to take me to this dinner." She paused for a moment, a quiet sigh escaping her lips, before continuing, "Look, I know it's been only a few days since we've 'gotten together', but…TenTen, things are not as I imagined them. It's easy to assume that he doesn't know how a marriage works and, in that case, I'd gladly take the lead and try to teach him, but it's like…he doesn't even want to learn. All he ever does is kiss me. And then watch with annoyance written all over his features as I pull away from him," she told her, trying hard to hold back her tears. She'd gotten better at this, she noted; her voice didn't even shake once this time.
"Sakura," TenTen sighed, clearly at a loss of words. "I hate to say this, but there's only one thing you can do at this point: give him time."
"I will," she agreed in a heartbeat, nodding even though her friend couldn't see her. "I'll give him all the time he needs. I was just…" she trailed off for a moment, shrugging lightly. "I was just trying to make a point. Trying to explain to you why the two of us can't be like Neji and you. At least not yet."
There was an odd sort of silence after she said this, and when TenTen broke it, her voice was soft and almost fearful.
"You think you've made a mistake by giving him another chance, don't you?"
"No!" Sakura replied in an instant, without even thinking about it. "No, of course not," she continued, her voice calmer. "It's just that…I guess I've never taken into account all the things that could happen…all the things that could so easily hurt me…" she trailed off, getting lost into her thoughts for a moment, before quickly snapping out of them. "Look, I have to go. Now that you've mentioned dinner, I realized I'm actually kind of hungry." She attempted to laugh and lighten the mood a little, but she wasn't so sure it worked. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay," the brunette replied with a sigh, sounding somewhat resigned. "Bye, Sakura."
After saying her own, faint goodbye, Sakura ended the call and placed her phone back on the nightstand. Things weren't as she had imagined them, true, but she refused to dwell too much on that matter; thinking about it was doing nothing good to her, so she decided to busy herself with something else. Like eating, for example.
With a small sigh, she stood up, stretching with her hands above her head, and then began to move towards the door. However, it opened way before she had even reached it, and even though, in the back of her mind, she knew perfectly well who it was, she couldn't help but gasp and jump slightly, not having expected something like that to happen. Placing her hand over her erratically beating heart, she shot her husband a light glare, and was surprised – more like shocked, really – upon realizing that he actually looked guilty.
She was unable to stop a frown from appearing on her features, but she did manage to keep herself from voicing her confusion out loud. Fortunately. Because, really, he was trying – she could see that clearly. How would it look if she questioned it? Not good, that was for sure.
Forcing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she let a small smile grace her features and closed the distance between them, standing on her tiptoes so that she could press her lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss.
"You're home early," she remarked as she pulled back, dropping to her original height. She kept her hands at the base of his neck, though, buried in his soft, raven hair.
Sasuke's only answer was a grunt, and despite the sour mood she had been in only moments ago, she couldn't help but giggle lightly. As annoying as she had once found them, she now believed that his grunts – and other noncommittal noises – were actually kind of cute. They were a part of him – a part of this complex man she couldn't wait to get to know better.
"You and your super-advanced verbal skills, Sasuke," she teased and rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement.
To her surprise, however, he didn't respond in any way, like he usually did. He just tucked a lock of pink hair behind her ear and watched her with an odd sort of wonder, as if he was seeing her for the very first time and wanted to memorize every inch of her features. The realization would have probably been rather pleasant (at least for her ego), had it not been for the fact that his gaze was so damn intense. Because of that, it wasn't long until she found herself squirming uncomfortably, at a total loss of what to do.
"I'm going to fix myself something to eat," she blurted out when she finally couldn't take it anymore, pulling away from him and forcing him to drop his hand. That seemed to have snapped him out of his thoughts, but there was still something about him that didn't quite represent the Sasuke she knew.
She pushed past him then, fully intending on walking away, but she stopped as a thought hit her. She turned to face him again, burying her hands into the back pockets of her jeans in an effort to keep from nervously playing with them. "Are you hungry? I can make you something," she offered, hopeful at the prospect of doing something – anything – that might possibly bring them closer, something other than making out. "I mean, I'm not that good in the kitchen, but I could…" she trailed off, shrugging lightly.
Although she had babbled – and thus made a food of herself – she was pretty sure he'd understood what she had been trying to tell him.
He did, but he didn't seem to agree with her. "Don't," he said, shaking his head.
Sakura tried to push away the unreasonable disappointment she felt upon hearing his words. In her mind, she knew perfectly well that he wasn't rejecting her; he was merely answering a question. But her heart took it the wrong way and made it seem like, once again, he had denied her attempt at getting to know each other better.
She hid that reaction carefully, though, not wanting her husband to see it. "Okay," she answered quietly, raising and lowering one shoulder in a half-shrug, before turning and walking away.
However, she had barely reached the top of the stairs, when a hand shot up and grabbed her upper arm, halting her movements. The pinkette gasped at the suddenness of it all and turned to face him, a questioning look in her eyes.
Sasuke didn't take long in explaining himself. "Don't eat," he told her, clarifying his earlier command.
"Why not?" his wife asked, blinking in confusion. The air around them was thick, charged with an odd type of electricity; the atmosphere was tense like it hadn't been in weeks, and she couldn't help but wonder what she had done to set him off this time. "Weren't you the one who told me to take care of myself?" she teased and smiled, attempting to lighten the mood.
It didn't work. "Hn," he grunted, seemingly unfazed. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it back after a moment, swallowing heavily.
It was the very first time Sakura had seen her husband unable to find his words, and she was surprised by how unsettling it was. He always seemed so tough and cold…whatever had happened must have been pretty bad, if it had managed to rend him speechless.
"Sasuke – " she started in an effort to comfort him somehow, even though she wasn't so sure what she would say, but she was cut off.
"There is a dinner…with a client," he said. "Tonight. And I want you to come with me."
Time stopped. Her lungs stopped. Her heart stopped. Everything stalled.
After a moment, her breath caught in her throat and she gasped, her heart starting to beat frantically once more. Shocked, she closed her eyes and shook her head lightly, deciding that the I-must-pinch-my-arm-cause-I-think-I'm-dreaming cliché was getting old by now.
But when she reopened them, she found that nothing had changed. Sasuke was still there, still in front of her, still gripping her arm as if his life depended on it, still watching her with an expectant look in his black eyes.
She blinked upon realizing that this was actually happening. "Are you…are you serious?" she asked after what seemed like an eternity, her voice unreasonably soft and quiet.
"I don't joke, Sakura," he answered. His tone was monotonous, as per usual, but his eyes immediately clued her in on what must have happened. He'd heard her conversation with TenTen; there was no other explanation as to why he suddenly seemed to understand that she wanted – needed – more than he had already given her.
But that was not the way she wanted things to happen. She wanted him to make the next step because he felt like it, not because he'd heard her complain and wanted to shut her up. Don't get me wrong, what she had told TenTen was true: she wanted to help him; but there were certain things that he had to figure out on his own.
Besides, Sasuke didn't even seem like the type of guy that enjoyed going on romantic dates and all that. So perhaps it was her who needed to come to terms with the fact that he might never be everything she wanted. And forcing him to pretend to be someone he was not, just because she wanted certain things he couldn't give her, was definitely not an option.
With that thought in mind, Sakura shook her head. "I don't want you to do this because – "
"I'm doing this because I want to, Sakura," he cut her off, his voice firm. "Because I've been – unfair to you. Because I want to make things better. Not because I accidentally heard a conversation between you and your friend, in which you told her all the things you should have told me," he said, confirming her earlier suspicions.
"Sasuke – " Once again, she tried to speak, to defend herself against the sudden accusations he was throwing at her, and once again, he interrupted her.
"I'm not going to fight with you over this matter, Sakura," he told her. "I know I haven't really given you a chance to talk to me."
It was the second time that day that she found herself shocked beyond words. Blinking, she asked in a somewhat breathy voice, "Who are you and what have you done to my husband?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This isn't funny," he said dryly. "I may not get it right all the time, but I try."
"I know you do," the pinkette replied, her eyes softening at his words. Taking a step forward, she placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to bend down slightly so that she could press her lips to his in an apologetic kiss. "I'm sorry. I was just…taken aback." She pulled away, looking at him in the eye as a smile bloomed on her face. "But I'd love to accompany you to this dinner."
~•~
He was finding it hard to believe that such a simple action could make her so damn happy. He had only invited her for dinner, and they wouldn't even be alone there; it would be all about business, and he was certain she knew that the only reason for which she got to be invited was because their client was bringing his wife along.
And still, despite all that, Sakura was practically beaming for the rest of the evening.
He wasn't quite sure why it was only now that he realized just how beautiful she was when she smiled. She was glowing, totally radiant, and he soon found out that he kind of missed her presence, when she excused herself in order to start getting ready.
Like most women, she took an atrocious amount of time getting dressed and putting on make-up. He knocked on her door about an hour and a half after she had left him by himself, knowing perfectly well that if he didn't get to see her anytime soon, he would go crazy. As easy as living without her had once been, Sasuke was surprisingly not surprised to realize that she was quickly becoming addicting.
His breath caught in his throat when he finally laid his eyes on her. She was wearing a colorful print dress, tied at the waist and flowing down to her mid thigh, paired with a pair of tall, beige heels. It really wasn't the sexiest outfit he'd seen her in, nor was it the most elegant, but there was just something about the way it complemented her creamy skin and flushed cheeks, something about the radiant smile she wore, something about that glint in her eyes…something that made him painfully aware of the fact that, to him, she had never looked more beautiful.
She left the door open for him to enter the room, and turned back to the mirror, assuring him that she only needed five more minutes. He watched, with an almost rapt fascination in his eyes, how she applied a pale pink lip-gloss to her lips and put on a pair of long, diamond earrings.
When she turned back around, she fixed him with her apple green eyes, darkened by make-up and framed by thick, black lashes. Non-verbally, her hopeful smile asked for approval; he didn't voice it, but the hungry way he eyed her surely gave her the answer.
And, just like that, the happy smile was back on her face, forcing him to make an almost inhuman effort in order to keep himself from throwing her on the bed and taking her right then and there.
As much as it pained to admit this, Sasuke could now finally say that he understood what Itachi – and everybody else, for that matter – had been trying to tell him: the pinkette really was special. Making her happy was so damn easy…it only took one small gesture, one meaningful action, one stare heavy with emotion, one caring word.
This wasn't it; this was only the beginning. The simple fact that he was taking her out to dinner tonight didn't mean that they were all set, that their relationship had suddenly become perfect. He knew that. Marriages weren't easy to manage; he would have to put a lot more effort into getting to know her, into changing and opening up. Regardless, though, this…this was a good start. Seeing her so happy made the effort worth it, really.
Pride filled his system when he realized that he had never seen her smile look so genuine, so brilliant. Around him, it had always been sad, sarcastic, or small and soft, lacking confidence. The latter was the only one she'd been giving him lately. Ever since she came back, she'd been so insecure – nothing like the woman who had disappeared without a trace for a whole week, just because he had annoyed her and because she suddenly decided she'd had enough. That had changed now, true, and she seemed to be back to the confident, independent woman he had grown to like, but that didn't make it any less unsettling.
Her mood swings (if they can be called that) reminded him that this was unfamiliar territory for her, as well, and showed him just how much effort she put into lowering her defenses in his presence. The responsibility that knowledge brought was unbelievable. Only a few hours ago, he'd thought that their routine was simple and convenient; it had probably been necessary to fall out of it, in order for him to realize that he had been fooling himself all along.
The trust she unconditionally placed in him? That was more responsibility than he'd ever had; especially now, when letting her down was just not an option anymore.
Itachi's words rang in his head: "I know it's not easy. But you know what? It isn't supposed to."
Why was it that his brother seemed to be always right? Sasuke didn't know. One thing was for sure, though: Itachi was always right, and aside from that, he always knew exactly what to say in order to knock some sense into him. Somehow, it worked every single little time – and this one was no exception.
He wasn't sure why he'd had trouble seeing it before, but Sakura really was the right woman for him. And that wasn't because of that stupid, 'opposites attract' cliché. Or maybe it was, to a certain degree, but the connection he could now feel was far more complex than just that. He could feel it – whatever 'it' was.
When she smiled, his heart skipped a beat. When she laughed, he felt this strange urge to smile. When she spoke, her voice instantly soothed him. When she kissed him, his heart sent a funny jolt through his entire body, and when she touched him, everything suddenly came to life.
Not to mention that, whenever she was around him, he was so acutely aware of her presence, that all her could hear, all he could feel, all he could touch, smell, see…everything was her. Nothing else mattered, and having his entire attention focused solely on one thing wasn't as unsettling as he had initially thought it would be.
He kept his hand on her leg throughout the entire dinner. He didn't speak much – he never did. This time, however, instead of thinking of business and contracts, he dedicated himself to observing her. She chatted easily with TenTen and the client's wife (whose name he couldn't remember for the life of him), and he soon began to feel strangely fascinated to this side of her, this calm and relaxed Sakura.
When he wasn't listening to her, he was quietly watching the others' reactions to her presence, trying to tell if he was the only one who saw the change in her, who enjoyed every second in which she laughed or smiled. He felt a jolt of pride – and also jealousy – upon realizing that no, he was not alone in this.
The client seemed to be totally taken with her, and so was his wife, for that matter. Neji, who hadn't really spent much time with her, seemed surprised at how much she had changed, but also pleased, in a way. Sasuke didn't need to be a genius to realize that, despite the limited amount of contact they'd had, she had managed to grow on him, as well.
The waiter that had served them throughout the course of the evening had tried to flirt with her more than once, blatantly ignoring the murderous glares he kept sending his way. Sakura didn't pay him much attention, so he obviously had no reason to grow hopeful, but Sasuke found himself sympathizing with him. Why, some would ask? Because he now knew perfectly well what that smile of hers could do to people.
That didn't stop him from growling lowly under his breath every time he came around and looked at his wife the wrong way. Once, his anger reached so high that it clouded his judgment, causing his hand to involuntary tighten on Sakura's thigh. She didn't seem surprised, and although he'd found that confusing, he couldn't say he hadn't enjoyed the way she tried to get him to relax. She'd placed her hand over his and squeezed it lightly, before leaning comfortably into his side.
That, combined with Sasuke's glare, would have probably been enough to chase the young waiter away. But she took things even further and titled her head up, softly kissing the corner of his mouth.
He had been surprised at her sudden display of affection, especially since she hadn't made a move to touch him ever since they had entered the restaurant, but it seemed like that was only because she had somehow guessed he wasn't a big fan of PDA. That realization almost made him want to punch himself. After everything he'd done to her, just how far was this woman willing to go in order to make him comfortable, to make him happy? Really, how far? Sasuke couldn't believe he'd had the luck to come across such a specimen.
By the time the dinner ended, he was reduced to a trembling little ball of impatience. He wasn't entirely sure what it was that he wanted from Sakura. Perhaps he needed a reassurance that she was actually there, that this was actually real. Perhaps he wanted to show her, in the only way he knew, that he saw her now, that he understood how lucky he was to have her, and that words couldn't even express how much he appreciated the fact that she had remained by his side for so long, even after all the hurtful things he'd thrown at her. Or maybe he was simply tired to wait, tired to resume at only kissing her.
He'd lost enough time, and Itachi's words made him realize that he truly couldn't know how much more he had left. He wanted more; he wanted all of her. And he wanted it now.
After they had said their goodbyes, he led her to the car, his hand pressed lightly against her lower back. She was quiet until they reached their destination; turning to face him, she leaned back against the car and hesitantly smiled up at him, her entire confidence seeming to disappear in a second.
"Thank you," she told him, her voice soft and quiet, coated in absolute sincerity.
That should have worried him, he knew. It should have made him wonder what had happened that made her turn back into the insecure woman he'd been living with for the past few days. Or, at the very least, it should have annoyed him, for he had made it very clear earlier that day that he was taking her to this dinner because he wanted to; she needn't have thanked him.
However, none of those happened. Because, for some reason or another, all he could focus on at this point were her lips. They looked pink and soft and so damn inviting, and he suddenly couldn't contain his desire to kiss her again.
He leaned in, placing his hands on the hood behind her, trapping him between his arms. Her breath hitched at his action, and she instinctively leaned back, trying to catch his eye, but not quite managing to. She soon noticed that they were fixed on her lips, staring intensely at him; almost too suddenly, she knew exactly what he had in mind, which caused nervous butterflies to explode in her stomach.
Sasuke had wanted to do this for what seemed like a really long time, but she had always stopped before they could get carried away. It just didn't feel right, and since she had waited so long to give herself to somebody, she figured she might as well ensure that it would be special. Don't get me wrong, she didn't want candles all around the room and rose petals on the bed; she just wanted to be able to feel that the man who was touching her cared about her. For her, that was special, not some cliché seen in all romantic movies.
She had initially wanted to wait until their relationship was a little more defined than just this, but not anymore. Not after what he'd done for her tonight.
With an almost painful slowness, Sasuke leaned in until his forehead was pressed against hers. He raised one of his hands and gently stroked her cheek, coaxing her to open her eyes. Funny, how she hadn't even realized she had closed them, probably in anticipation to the kiss. She met his gaze, and was a little taken aback by all the emotions swirling in his onyx eyes, but she was forced to close her eyes again, when he suddenly pressed her lips to hers, his hand still cupping her cheek, his fingers partially buried in her curly pink hair.
The kiss was surprisingly soft and gentle, nothing like the way he usually attacked her when he came back from work. Before she could get totally lost into it, Sakura realized that he was actually trying to tell her something by kissing her in such a manner – he was asking for permission to take things further. She couldn't help but smile against his lips at the realization.
She answered him in the same way he had asked – by deepening the kiss, snaking her arms around his neck, and pressing her lithe body against his.
As per usual, she couldn't tell how long it lasted, but it seemed like an eternity to her. It was just Sasuke who had this strange power over her – every time he touched her, she forgot all about the world around them and she suddenly couldn't care less if the damn apocalypse was happening right then and there.
This time was no different, which was probably the only reason why she had allowed him to take things further, to turn the kiss into a full make-out session, right there in the parking lot of an expensive restaurant, where somebody could come at any moment and catch him with his lips attached to her neck.
She barely noticed when he bent down slightly, wrapping his arms around her thighs and easily lifting her onto the hood of his shiny SUV. She was slightly taller than him in this position and she used this to her advantage, burying her hand into his hair and tugging hard on it, wanting him to kiss her again. He complied in an instant, smashing his lips against hers, their tongues sweeping over each other as one of his hands disappeared from her thigh and wove through her hair, cradling the back of her head as he continued to kiss her.
The sound of a car door closing into the distance forced them apart, and Sakura had to remove her hands from Sasuke's hair and place them back on the hood in an effort to stabilize herself. At that point, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to growl in frustration at being interrupted, or blush at the realization of what she had been doing only moments ago – or rather, where she had been doing it. She probably did both, which seemed to amuse her husband to a considerable extent, since he was smirking when she looked up at him.
It was obvious that neither of them was happy with the interruption, but the mood was lost now, and there was nothing they could do about it. Helping her hop off the hood, he led her to her side of the car and opened the door for her. Because, despite popular belief, his mother had taught him manners; the problem was, he only used them with a very select group of people. And it seemed like Sakura had earned her right to become a part of that group, like she should have done from a very long time ago.
The drive home was crazy. If his excitement hadn't been obvious before, now it definitely couldn't be denied, because he drove like a complete maniac. He went way beyond speed limits, ran the red light twice, and barely managed to avoid scratching his car once. It was a miracle that no police cruised had managed to pick up on his trail.
Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have been scared or at least worried. The accident in which she had lost her brother had made her aware of the fact that a few minutes of fun just weren't worth risking your life for, and although she couldn't deny that she still liked the speed, she always forced herself to behave, to respect the law and be aware of other drivers who didn't do the same.
For some reason or another, though, she felt completely safe with Sasuke, even as he drove at almost one hundred miles per hour within city boundaries. Actually, she felt more amused than anything else. Of course, that might have had something to do with all the emotions that were swirling inside of her, clouding her mind and, along with that, her judgment. Which was probably also the reason why, at some point during their small journey, she found herself leaning over the center console, one of her hands squeezing his thigh, the other slowly unbuttoning his shirt, and her lips sucking on his neck.
Whether it was the adrenaline or the lust that made her so bold, she didn't know. Whatever it was, Sasuke didn't seem to mind.
Thanks to the fact that she was preoccupied with other things, Sakura had managed to keep her amusement at bay on their way home, but she eventually snapped, as he pulled into the driveway of their house, braking so quickly that the tired screeched; she believed they might have left some marks on the pavement, as well, but that was something she would have to check the following day. Before she could even tell what was going on, Sasuke was out of the car and at her door, pulling her into his arms.
She laughed as he did this, her head falling back for a moment. "God, you're such a man," she teased, smiling widely at him.
"Can you blame me?" he growled back in a playful manner, before swiftly picking her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. She squealed in surprise, not having expected him to do something like that, and instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly for fear of losing her equilibrium and falling over.
"You're crazy!" she exclaimed, laughing.
It occurred to her then that it had been a very long time since she'd had so much fun, since she'd felt so complete, so happy. She'd felt good with the girls in New York, but this…this was pure bliss.
Smiling down at him, she leaned in and kissed him again, her hands waving through his silky hair. Even after all this time, she was still amazed at how incredibly soft it was; how it managed to stick up and defy gravity like that was beyond her. But then again, it was also very sexy, so she wasn't about to complain.
She wasn't sure how they made it upstairs. Everything was fuzzy; she could only remember parts of it, like when he slammed her against a wall, or when he hastily opened the door of her room with his foot, his lips never parting from hers.
Things began to come into focus when they entered the bedroom, the butterflies in her stomach returning. She wanted this more than ever; everything felt right – the moment, the place, the connection between them. But even so, she couldn't find a way to chase the nervousness away. She briefly wondered if she was supposed to feel like this, or if that was only because Sasuke didn't know about her lack of experience in this domain. Whatever the cause, one thing was for sure: she wasn't about to ruin the moment by telling him.
Besides, with the way he was acting, she found it hard to believe that he would hurt her any more than necessary, regardless of whether he was aware of the fact that he had to be gentle or not.
Kicking off his shoes and toeing his socks, Sasuke walked towards the bed and kneeled on the mattress, setting her down carefully, as if she were his most prized possession. He didn't know why, but there was a voice inside his head that told him to go slow, to be gentle. It reminded him that she was not just any other woman – she was Sakura and she was precious. He couldn't hurt her.
Leaning back on his heels, he took a moment to admire her, all flushed cheeks and eyes darkened with lust. Her pink hair was spread all over the white pillow and her creamy shoulders, glowing in the moonlight; her dress, although covering her cleavage, rose slightly as she shifted, revealing more of her long, luscious legs.
Earlier that day, he had thought she was incredibly beautiful, but the truth was, that didn't even come close to how beautiful she looked right now.
Without a second thought, he slipped his half-unbuttoned (courtesy of Sakura's wandering hands in the car) shirt over his head and leaned over her, resting his elbows on either side of her face as he pressed his body flush against hers. His hands reached out and brushed the hair from her forehead, the gentle action causing her eyes to open, green clashing with onyx.
He had to admit, he was rather taken aback by the emotions he saw glimmering in them – she was nervous and…and scared? Why would she be scared? She wanted this, didn't she?
More than a little confused, the Uchiha did the only thing he could have done at that point in order not to ruin the moment, but still let her know – somehow – that she had a choice. He bent down and kissed her – slowly, gently, lovingly, as if afraid that she would break if he moved any harsher.
That kiss seemed to be the reassurance she unknowingly craved for, because, as soon as his lips touched hers, Sakura let out a soft sigh and her small frame relaxed underneath him. Slowly, she lifted her arms and snaked them around his neck, responding to the kiss.
"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," he murmured after they broke apart, his lips kissing a path from her cheek, to her ear, and down her neck, licking, nipping, and sucking occasionally at the sensitive skin.
It took Sakura a while to answer, as she was too busy focusing on the incredible sensations he was awakening inside of her. "No," she eventually whispered as his words sunk into her mind, frantically shaking her head. Burying her hands into his hair, she pulled lightly on it, forcing his head up. "I want this," she said as she locked eyes with him, pure confidence dripping from her words.
* Due to the fact that FFn seems to be threatening to remove stories with content rated over M, I have felt obligated to remove the lemon at the end :(
A/N: I know Itachi might have seemed a little OOC, but hey, that's why this story is marked as AU. The characters have different life styles and different life stories, so they behave differently. Try as I might to keep them in character, there are times when I need to put my imagination to work so that the plot won't be affected. And a quiet, broody, grunt-y Itachi couldn't have knocked some sense into his little brother, now could he?
As usual, you can find pictures of Sakura's outfit on my profile. (And don't forget to check my blog for teasers!)
Now, please review! I've really missed you guys and I really want to know your opinion on this chapter. Besides, I have tons of cookies waiting to be eaten!