Well, HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL! Not really in the best of moods today so I've got nothing to ramble about, sorry guys. But, READ AND ENJOY! ^.^

Title:Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)

Standard Disclaimer Applied

I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.

[Chapter Twenty Nine]

Sasuke stood beyond the glass wall and watched as the nurses dealt with Sakura. He couldn't understand how she didn't have a problem with this at all. He'd never seen them test her before until this moment and it was taking a hell of a long time. They had already done the x-rays, tested her blood pressure, weight, temperature, the normal thing. Now she was in a hospital bed, a needle in the back of one hand and another in the wrist of the other. There were three nurses working with her. One was filling different colored test tube like things, of different sizes with Sakura's blood and labeling them. Sasuke could smell it from here, just like he always could and his mouth watered, just like it always did. Even when she would vomit blood, the urge to wipe his fingers through it, to feel the texture and smear it onto his devilish tongue was intense.

The other monitored all the beeping things hooked up to Sakura and scribbled notes on a clip board while the other nurse kept touching things that were hooked up her, changing things…creating all types of annoying beeping sounds. Sakura was conscious and what Tsunade told him was that she couldn't go anywhere but home after this.

Tsunade had asked curiously about what he had done to Sakura's knee to have it back in perfect shape. He hadn't answered her and that had seemed to have greatly bothered her. She had also conceded that Sakura was healing twice as fast as she had expected but Sasuke knew that was only because he had asked Krystal for some help and she'd deemed that one of Kamalpa's own vitamin would do her some good without having any side effects.

Sasuke sighed and turned away from what was happening and went into the waiting room where Ino and Tenten were seated along with Neji and Naruto and Shikamaru. Tenten hadn't wanted to come. Sasuke took a seat next to Naruto. They hadn't heard from him or Sakura in a while. They were worried.

"So dude, it's like I have news that's not going to make you happy."

"Go ahead and talk."

Naruto took a deep breath. "You know how…uh… Keiako-"

"Hell no." Sasuke said his voice a little loud. He looked at Naruto. "Don't tell me she's here. I cannot deal with that."

"She's not but word's going around that they're planning to take a visit here soon; that they'll be here for the banquet. You know we don't mind if Karin comes but Keiako will be a problem if she does come here." he said.

Sasuke looked around. "She's not coming here, Karin wouldn't bring her."

"Do you think that's going to stop her?"

"I don't even want to revisit that tragedy." He groaned.

Keiako was this succubus he'd gotten a thing for that had taken a liking to draining the life out of the other girls that liked him. She was obsessive on a whole new level. She had tried to kill Minie and almost everyone woman that looked at him. She had tried to kill Naruto because she didn't like how close they were. That was without mentioning all the other tragic, sick, sadistic and nonsensical things that happened between them. It was the best worst relationship he'd ever been in. The bitch was crazy and he was insane for having a thing for her. It was his fault, he loved girls who came unhinged, they were the most fun.

He tapped Naruto's arm twice and rose from his chair. He started walking down the hall, Naruto behind him. He paused in front of Ino. He fished into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and wrote a check for $15000, handing it to her. She looked at him wide eyed.

"Sakura could use some clothes and I suppose that you're the best person to come to regarding that."

Ino brows furred and she looked at him quizzically. "Is something…is something bothering you? Are you…feeling alright?" she asked randomly.

Are you referring to me having sex with a woman while Sakura was in my house, then yes, something is deeply bothering me. He blinked. "No." he said.

"Huh," she said and looked back at the money in her hands. "Sasuke, this is too much money, what am going to buy her, an entire wardrobe or something? She's more than likely going to give everything I buy her to the Red Cross or something." Ino said.

"Just do it." he said. "She needs clothes and you're the one who told me Atona says she hardly has any. I want her to have her own things." He reasoned.

Ino nodded and pushed the check in her purse. "I guess you're right. I guess you two are really in something serious if this is going on." She mumbled. "Don't understand why you're doing that though,"

"What?" Sasuke asked his glare intense.

She met his gaze head on. He knew Ino Yamanaka was the kind of girl who didn't back down. "I said I don't understand why you're doing that to her."

"What I am I doing?"

"Fucking her over, it's pretty obvious." Ino said rolling her eyes. "Well I didn't mean it like that. I don't doubt you have feelings for her but it's like, if you really did care about her and want her to have her own things why doesn't she have you for her own? Why are you with still with some other chick who tries to hurt her? It just makes you a hypocrite." She said matter-of-factly.

"I know that."

"And?" Ino prompted. "What are you going to do about it?"

"If you must know my business Ino-"

"I believe I must." She interrupted.

His glare intensified. "By the time I get back in here I will not be with Tami." He said. "Don't worry about her."

"I'm worried about you." she said. "I just don't know why. I feel almost guilty for you." she grumbled pulling something out of her purse and handing it to Tenten.

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and headed out of the hospital around to where they had the play ground for the children. It was bare, no one really around there and lonely. Swing sets moved stubbly with the wind and Sasuke took a seat under a tree. Naruto plopped down rather ungracefully next to him.

"What's going on?"

"This really shouldn't be a big deal." He muttered more to himself than to his friend. "It shouldn't be bothering me."

"But?"

"I fucked Minie this morning."

Naruto jumped up and looked at Sasuke like he'd lost his damn mind. "You what?" he asked incredulously. "Tell me you're playing with me dude." Sasuke just stared. "You fucked her!? With Sakura there!? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. "It just happened."

"And you feel like shit right? You fucking should you damn bastard! How could you play Sakura-chan like that? Sasuke she's in your damn clothes sleeping in your bed with you and you fuck your maid while she's there?" Naruto asked. "I want to punch you so fucking bad in the face you have no idea. Have you no shame." Naruto growled.

"I'm not with her?" he asked wondering if that was even a right enough answer.

"That's where you're wrong." Naruto argued. "You are with her Sasuke and you know it. You're with her in a way you can't be with anyone else. Couldn't you respect her just a little bit?"

"I do respect her Dobe."

"Yeah, enough to fuck your maid while she's there right?" Naruto laughed sadly. "I was just waiting for something like this to happen."

"Really now?" Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Yes I was." he said, his tone getting serious. "Dude, we all know that Sakura has like no sexual experience at all and we've done every possible thing you can think of. I know that the urge to fuck is there and I know it's hard, I get that dude, it would be unfair if I didn't. I hate to admit it but I get that you were tempted….I know that…I was wondering how you were going to deal with that."

"I can deal."

Naruto looked at him with clear doubt. "Dude, you didn't even last a week." He said.

"I will do it once I'm with her." he reasoned. "I don't plan to rush her or anything. That was the last time. I can handle it."

"You do know you're like going to abstain right?"

"Always pointing out the obvious,"

"I know you want to treat her right Sasuke and I know it seems wrong to be with Tami with this going on between the both you of you but don't make promises you can't keep. You can't just give up animal instincts like that. It's not easy. Don't do it if you know you're going to hurt her. It's best to keep Tami on the side."

"I can't get any closer to her Naruto. Sakura won't let me because she feels like she is the girl on the side. I feel like I'm not showing her how much she's worth. Clearly, but I had chosen the lesser of evils by having sex with Minie, trust me on that."

"No more sex?"

Sasuke blew out a deep breath and started texting on his phone. "My dick is going to hate me for this. Fuck if it doesn't shrink just to piss me off." He grumbled.

"What are you doing?"

"Breaking up with Tami," he said nonchalantly.

"Right now?"

"Mhm."

"Through a text?"

"That's right."

"That's cold."

"I have no soul remember? Cold is what I do." he smirked.

"And what's going to happen with Sakura?"

"I'm going to try talking to her about this again. Make her my girlfriend or something, I can do it." He said more to himself that to Naruto.

"And Minie?"

"There is nothing about Minie Dobe." Sasuke said. "I fucked her and I feel pretty shitty about it. It's not like I can un-fuck her or something."

Naruto glared. "And you're not going to tell sakura?"

"And have this entire thing go down the drain, Again? No." he said. "That was my mistake and she doesn't need to be weighed down with the betrayal of it all."

"You're such an asshole."

Sasuke's phone rang and he answered after the third ring. "Hn?"

"WHAT!? Sasuke you are not breaking up with me! Are you insane!?"

He held the phone from his ears and chuckled as Naruto erupted in laughter. Sasuke smirked. "She definitely got it." he mused hanging up without a word.

He could not change what happened, no matter how much a part of him wanted to. People out there would deny the fact that they too would fall into this trap. They refuse to admit that if it was them, they wouldn't have the strength to even deny Minie the first time. He was no worse than many men and women out there. They acted like lust was so smooth and easy to deny. It was raw and carnal, rough and it sank into a person's flesh like claws. Lust had no emotion attached to it; it was made only of flesh. There were no ties to it unless a person put them there. He refused to take advantage of Sakura and doing what he did, even if people couldn't see it, was him showing his highest respect for her. What he did to Minie he could have never done to it her, that would have been the ultimate form of disrespect.

How easy could you give up sex? How long could you give up lust and desire? How strong would you be when it sat right in your lap, running its tongue over you? How easily could you deny the hunger? He knew that if he told Sakura, she would be hurt but he knew she would never ask him to give it up for her. People couldn't see from his side and that was fine.

He felt guilty yes, very much so and he wished he didn't give into temptation. He wasn't saying that what he did was 100% right but it wasn't truly 100% wrong either. Yes, he wished he didn't do it but he knew if he didn't get the release now, somewhere down the line when she was too close to him, he would go out a find it. It would be much worse then.

People would be unfair in their judgment if he told anyone else. They wouldn't understand, because clearly they'd never experience a fuck before and the crave and obsessions it bred inside of you. They were liars. They would claim they would never have done what he did, never have gotten into that situation, they would resist but temptation… temptation didn't act on your heart and feelings; it acted on your flesh. And the flesh was hard to deny. What he did, did not mean Sakura meant any less to him, that he saw her any less, wanted her any less, felt for her any less. It meant none of those things because he'd only fucked with his body…he could not do it with his soul, that was left only for her.

He sighed in his mind. He understood Naruto's reaction but he knew Naruto understood. Pleasure and lust –real pleasure and lust-… if you have never experienced it you too would say you would never have done that to her but if you have, you were no position to judge him.

"What'd you say?"

"We're over. I'm tired of you."

"Shit dude." Naruto laughed. "This guilt thing is fucking with you."

"Tell me about it." he said in misery. He rose. "That's all I wanted to say I just couldn't risk Ino hearing. Is something wrong with her?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"She seems…more sympathetic." He mused.

"Maybe we should talk to Shikamaru." He mused. "She has been really moody lately I can tell you that." he said as they headed back inside.

Sasuke held his phone up to Ino as if to give evidence. "Consider her officially, dumped." He said triumphantly.

Ino glanced at Naruto who bobbed his head. "I was there for the whole thing. It was heartless, he didn't even say sorry. Two sentences and it was over. Just six words." He said.

Ino grinned as she looked down the hall. "And here she comes now."

Sasuke turned and there she was. She was pale and she looked tired as she walked towards them. He met her half way and pulled her into his embrace. He could do this. He would do this. No one could own him like Sakura could. She was worth more than Minie and any other girl out there. She was the ultimate temptation and if he yielded to others he could never truly have her. He understood that.

"I don't want you to think that I haven't been thinking about this because I have. I don't want you to feel like I'm using you or that I'm a hypocrite and that I lie to you. I want you Sakura, no one else." He whispered in her ears so no one could hear. "How about you be my only?"

She pulled away and laughed. "What?" her cheeks flushing back to life.

"Do you need me to get on one knee for you right here in this hall to get what I'm really saying?" he asked. "I'm asking you to be my girlfriend."

"W-what about Tami?"

"There is no Tami." He said.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Now she looked completely horrified. "But I'm…we're not…I mean I'm not. You-"

"Yes or no, that's all I'm asking. If you're not ready just say so, be honest."

She gapped at him as everyone stared at them in the hospital hall. He sighed. "Fine I'll get on my knee. Just this once, I'm going to be over dramatic." He said holding her hand and going down on one knee.

Sakura's had flew to her mouth. What in the world was going on in this hospital? Was she dreaming or something? Was he being serious right now? He left her already? Did she miss something seriously important while she was gone? Why would he do something like that? She looked around to see nurses and people in the waiting room looking at them with curious eyes.

"Haruno Sakura will you do me the most poetic honor of becoming my girlfriend?" he asked smoothly and like a magician pulled a Tuscany Superb. She gasped.

"People might think you're proposing to her!" Naruto called.

Sasuke smirked charmingly. "Maybe I am. So what'd you say? Going to give me a chance pretty lady?"

She laughed and took the flower and slipping it into the side of her hair. She nodded laughing. This was so stupid. Could have even said no? Of course not. He stood and smirked. This was weird. It was the first time in a long time he displayed public affection but right there he took her face in his hands and kissed her. This would work. He would make it work. They'd make it. There was literally no other option for them.

There you have it! keep the reviews coming, we're so close to 200….sooooo close lol The new years is underway! I hope you guys are ready for it, hope y'all spending the time with the family and reflecting on all the mistakes you made this year that you vow not to make next year! Hope you finally decided that the asshole you've been with doesn't deserve you and that slut you've been seeing really isn't worth your money anymore and get free and get happy. In the times we're living in, the struggles we go through, take my advice: Happiness Matters. You deserve it no matter what people tell you.

Endless love,

D.V