I hope you've all been enjoying the lemons and fluff because shit's about to go down. No regrets. Read, Review, Enjoy Xo
My orgasm shatters me, but I can't bring myself to shut my eyes to the sight before me. Sasuke's slick hair sticks to his determined face. His eyes are bottomless and dark with a palpable carnal desire. I've never felt so vulnerable, so coveted, so wanton with a single gaze. I don't let go of him even though this awful, nagging thought circles my brain. We can't be in here any longer, we can't raise suspicion. If Naruto and Kakashi found us out, the guards can't be far behind.
"I know," Sasuke says and I realize I must have had a look on my face because he pulls away from me to shut off the water. We have to be careful. As I think it, I realize I've forgotten that we have to keep up other appearances, too.
"Sasuke, I have to manage your chakra levels," I extend a hand to him. He scowls and I try to rationalize it, fearing I've pushed him away, "Just in case Tsunade drops by."
"I'm sure that's an excuse to keep my clothes off," his lips turn up in a smirk and I find myself sighing in relief. Whatever friendship we've rebuilt still feels tenuous.
"You caught me," I grin and he takes my hand. It strikes me how normal this feels to be conversing with him and doing something so benign as draining his chakra while we're both stark naked. I feel comfortable with him, "Okay, all done."
Sasuke doesn't move, but he tightens his fingers around my wrist. With a soft tug we're chest to chest once more. His other hand moves up to my jawline to bring my lips to his. It's tame and sweet. I lean into him, resting my hands against his biceps.
"I'm starting to think you enjoy kissing me," I can't help but tease him. He pulls back a little further to look at me, his thumb stroking my cheek.
"I enjoy doing a lot of things with you."
My heart stutters at his words because I can tell from the tone in his voice and see in his eyes that he's not just being lewd. I force myself away from him, because if I give in to the urge to kiss him again, we'll never get out of here. Still, I notice him watching me dress and the only reason I notice is because I'm watching him, too.
Kakashi and Sasuke prepare food in the kitchen while I sit on the sidelines, conversing idly with them when a guard walks up to me.
"Tsunade-sama is waiting outside for you," she says. I spare a glance at Sasuke who appears speculative and a little worried, I think.
"Alright," I step away from the kitchen and follow the guard outside. Tsunade stands in a very familiar stance with her arms crossed over her chest and a hardened look on her face. I can't help but ask with some spite, "Did I do something wrong?"
"If you did, now's the chance to tell me," she waits a beat and I realize she genuinely expects me to have fucked up in some way, "I need to talk to you about Sasuke's trial."
"What about it?" my heart beats an anxious cadence in my chest and her somber tone does nothing but exacerbate my apprehension.
"We need him to talk. He needs to tell us everything that happened, anything he knows, whatever he might have learned while he was away."
"He's not going to," I say obstinately.
"I know, that's why I'm here for you," she says with a smirk, but it disappears in a second. Silence stretches between us until she's forced to get to the root of the reason she's here, "So far it's not looking good for him. We've been in contact with every village, near and far, that's gathered information on Sasuke Uchiha and the other wanted nins he's travelled with. Does he know where they are? We might be able to make a deal with him in exchange for information."
"I don't know," I shake my head as this horrible, sinking feeling ruptures any opposition I had towards her.
"What do you know?" she presses.
"Nothing," I protest.
"Sakura, any information you have can only help him because all we have to go on are accusations from third parties."
"What do they say?" I ask desperately, but Tsunade just shakes her head.
"You wouldn't want to know."
I feel my throat tighten at the frightening suggestions her words cultivate. What has he done? How many atrocities has he committed?
"Tsunade-sama surely there's a way to convince your council that he's eligible for some form of rehabilitation? He was just a boy when he left," all the strength is gone from my voice.
"So you've said," she gives me a cold look, "He's had years to come back and try to redeem himself. At this point, we hold him fully responsible for his actions. If he has any hope of staying in this village, alive, one of you needs to come forward and tell us what happened."
"Let me speak with them. I can show the council he's changed," as broken as I might sound, I can feel a flash of hope that maybe, just maybe I can change their minds.
"They won't be interested in propaganda fueled by your own personal feelings. They want facts, Sakura. They want to know whether Orochimaru is still alive and wanted. What about Sasuke's followers, Karin and Suigetsu? What happened to them? Where are they?"
There was no sign of anyone else when I found him. He was completely alone and I don't know if that means he abandoned them or if it was the other way around.
"I can't help you, Tsunade-sama. I can't force him to tell me anything he doesn't want to," and even if he did decide to open up and tell me everything, how can I trust her with that information? Everything Sasuke's told me so far does little to exonerate him. Sasuke still deserted his village, fought against his old teammates, and killed in his pursuit of Itachi.
"Something tells me you don't need to force him," she heaves a heavy, tired sigh and looks me squarely in the eye, "I'm offering you a chance to help him. If you can get him to talk, at least to you, then he might have a possibility of living out the rest of his days in peace here. If you don't," she gives an irreverent shrug, "Then it's exile, at best, or execution. It doesn't matter to me, but I know it does to you. And you matter to me, Sakura, so I hope you'll cooperate. If not for yourself, do it for Sasuke."
I don't speak, letting her words sink in, ringing alarmingly through me. My immediate response is to spill forth everything that I do know, which is not much, to protect Sasuke from incurring the same fate I tried to save him from in the first place. But this delicate trust that's been built between us is still so fragile and new. He'll hate me if he learns I'm digging for information to give to Tsunade. I don't want to hurt him, but really, what choice do I have? As Tsunade implores me, I realize I already have my answer.
I know Tsunade said something to upset Sakura because she travels listlessly throughout the house the rest of the day. Instead of eating, she pushes the food around her plate and stares into space. When I ask her what's wrong she simply smiles at me and says she's just tired. I suspect it has something to do with me, otherwise she would tell me, right?
By the time we've prepared dinner, Sakura is already bidding us goodnight without having eaten a single thing. Kakashi senses something is off as well, but doesn't say anything. He assures me that she'll work through it on her own, as she's done many times before. But that knowledge does nothing to assuage my urge to comfort her. I prepare two bowls of rice and stew, ready to head upstairs before I double back to the cabinet. I take her bar of chocolate with me, too, just in case.
"Sakura," I nudge the door shut behind me and fumble in the dim lighting to find her. Only the glow of the moon illuminates the quiet space.
"Hm?" she turns, blinking her eyes to adjust. She's back in Kakashi's clothing and I really wish she had something else to wear. I sit on the bed beside her as she pulls herself up.
"You have to eat something," I shove one of the bowls at her, but she doesn't take it.
"Sasuke, it's okay, I'm not hungry," again she smiles, but I've seen her smile enough to know that this one isn't real. I set the food down on the bedside table and pull the bar out of my pocket.
"If you won't eat real food, at least have some of this," I snap a sizable piece off for her. Again, she doesn't take it but this time when she looks at me and grins, I can tell she means it. She laughs and I find myself smiling at the sound; I'm relieved. Sakura leans over to kiss my cheek in gratitude.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," the slight incline of her brows alerts me to the fact that she's well aware of what that does to me. She slouches against me and takes the chocolate from between my fingers where it's begun to melt. She notices and takes my hand in hers, bringing it to her lips. Her smooth tongue glides up my thumb, clearing off the residue, looking particularly sinful as she does. Sakura then takes my index finger into her mouth to suck the chocolate off before releasing it with a soft pop. Her eroticism is astounding. She's so bold, not that I'm complaining, but it is such a contrast to the girl I used to know. Sakura keeps her weight against mine while she adeptly finishes off the piece of chocolate.
"Will you tell me what's bothering you now?" she shifts her head to look up at me and seems to resign herself to the fact that she can't hide her discomfort.
"No," Sakura admits with some reservation. It takes a moment for the initial shock to wear off in me, becoming replaced with worry. Why won't she tell me? "It doesn't matter, Sasuke."
"It does," I affirm, adjusting my position so that she has to look at me. But I can't bring myself to utter the words, to me. It matters to me. She observes me for a moment before taking my face in her small, strong hands and bringing me in to kiss her. Her insistence is conveyed through the heavy press of her tongue against mine and the sharp nip of her teeth on my lips. I think she's trying to distract me. Half of me wants to let her, but that isn't surprising. What is, is the quiet, gentle prompting that tries to persuade me to be persistent with her troubles. It wants me to help her face whatever's going on, just like we did when she was reeling from Kuro-san's death.
"Sakura, if you don't want to tell me, I understand," believe me, I understand what that feels like, "But you don't have to be in pain just because you're afraid of how I'll react to something."
"Sasuke," she seems a little in awe of my words. I am, too. I didn't think I was capable of such compassion and I find myself questioning my motives after I've said it. Is that really coming from me? What does it mean? Am I being selfish? Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with me and I'm merely projecting my own insecurities on her. It all confuses and scares me so much that when she presses her full lips against mine once more, I don't hesitate to follow her into oblivion.
My heart feels like it's going to burst and the second I feel Sasuke thrust inside of me, I come so dangerously close to articulating my love for him. I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't. I won't. It could only end in tragedy.
I shut these thoughts out and let only the feel of Sasuke's turgid cock fucking me into the mattress fill my mind. He leans back and grabs my leg swinging it over his shoulder then thrusts forward, shoving his member so deep I can feel it hit my cervix and suddenly pleasure is radiating everywhere. I'm so caught off guard by the sensation that I involuntarily arch off the bed, gripping the sheets so hard I fear I may tear them. Each plunge, each brush of the tip of his dick sends pulses of ecstasy throughout my body. My voice comes out in broken whimpers that escalate as Sasuke's pace becomes rougher, faster.
"Sasuke-kun," I cry, tossing my head back and reaching blindly for my pillow. Bringing it to my mouth, I bite down to stifle any other incriminating sounds that might come out. Sasuke's brows furrow as his grip on my thigh tightens.
"One day," his voice is rough and hoarse, enigmatic eyes locked with mine, "One day, I'm going to make you scream. And I don't care who hears it. I'm going to fuck you until you can't think straight."
His pace falters as I clamp down on him, pushed over the edge by his filthy words. My back bows off the bed and my heel digs into his shoulder as his remaining thrusts sends waves of white heat through me before he ultimately finds his own release. My leg lowers back to his waist and I shove my pillow aside as I pull Sasuke down to lay on top of me.
He's so much bigger than me, so much stronger than when he left. His body is truly that of a warrior with his broad shoulders, sculpted muscles and littered scars from long gone battles. He's heavy, but I don't mind. The weight of him on me is a welcome distraction to everything else. He lifts his head and starts to suck on a specific spot just at my collarbone. I hiss as I feel a dull soreness there. Sasuke pulls away, looking a little guilty but at the same time a little pleased with himself. I look down and see a large maroon colored mark adorning my skin. He couldn't have done that just now -
The shower. He was so focused on this one spot. . .
I glare at him and he smirks, clearly self-satisfied as he rolls off of me. I turn on my side so that we're facing each other.
"Good thing Kakashi's shirt comes up high enough to cover it," I say, just to get a rise out of him. It works as I see his eyes narrow and a scowl forms. I don't know why, but I like him like this. His possessiveness is the closest thing I've felt to affection from him. Kami, that sounds so fucked up. Naruto should be concerned about me. For a moment we sit in silence, staring at each other as we right our breathing. As the remnants of my arousal slip away, I can feel sleep pulling me in one direction and the disquieting thoughts stemming from my talk with Tsunade in another. I reach for Sasuke and he doesn't flinch, he doesn't turn away, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
His absence of an answer means nothing when his arm reaches behind me to grab the comforter and sheets, spreading them over us. Without invitation, I slide along the mattress until I'm curved against him. The ceaseless press of my unease almost blinds me to the feel of Sasuke's arms wrapping around me. His legs tangle with mine and I can feel his breath, soft, at the nape of my neck. We are bare, flush against each other and yet I can feel a barrier between us as if it were tangible.
No, this will only end in tragedy.