Sakura woke up on the floor of a cave, with a numb body and a slight headache. Confused, she tried to recall. They had finished a mission and the last thing she remembered was getting separated from Naruto, Kakashi and Sai in the middle of the snowstorm. She was almost out of chakra and then...then...

She sat up quickly and looked around. The cave wasn't very big or particularly deep, but it offered a good shelter. In front of it was a small fire and on the other side, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, was he.

"So it wasn't my imagination," she said, staring at him warily. "It was really you who had taken me through the forest... Sasuke."

Yes, she remembered now. She had ended up on the ground, barely able to move from exhaustion, and was about to fall asleep when Sasuke had appeared in her peripheral field. He had looked at her for a few seconds in silence and Sakura had wondered for a moment if that was real or if she was imagining it, in her fervent desire to see him once again. But before she had been able to say or do anything, he had taken her in his arms, placed himself on her back and started running through the forest, from tree to tree.

She had wrapped her arms around his neck, almost naturally, before she fell unconscious.

"Why did you help me?" she insisted, seeing that he said nothing.

Sasuke looked up from the fire and fixed his unperturbed black eyes on her, without much interest. He just looked... tired. Like he was sick of everything.

"Would you have preferred that if I'd left you there?"

"No, but-" she replied quickly. 'I thought you didn't care,' she thought, without saying it. "Well, I guess it's a nice change after trying to kill me."

He didn't answer, but Sakura was already expecting it. She doubted he was sorry, and even on the unlikely assumption that he was, he was too proud to admit it and apologize. Despite the time that had passed, that side of him hadn't changed and she knew that too well.

Besides, to be fair she had approached him first with the intention of killing him. It was safe to say they were even.

"Thank you very much for everything," she began to say as she stood up. "But I'm going now. I guess my team is looking for me."

She didn't wait for his response and headed for the cave entrance, ignoring how her tired and cold body begged her to stay there a little longer. Not only was she worried about her team -to some extent she knew they would have made it to some safe place- but she was also finding it tremendously uncomfortable to be cooped up there with Sasuke after everything that had happened.

But the snowstorm was raging harder than before, impeding visibility and making mobility difficult, and it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. She hesitated. She knew that if she went out like that, with what little energy she had regained, she wouldn't get very far, and she wasn't sure if there was anywhere else nearby to take shelter, since she didn't know the area.

"It'll be like this at least until dawn." She heard Sasuke's voice from the back of the cave.

He was right, of course. And the fact that he was in the cave with her and hadn't left before she woke up proved her theory that there was nowhere nearby to go.

With a sigh, she took one last look outside and turned away, resigned. She would just have to endure it.

She sat down in front of the fire, as close as she could get, and curled into a ball, trying to slowly regain the warmth she had lost. She glanced sideways at Sasuke, who was still motionless, in the same posture.

He looked at her in turn. "You seem very anxious to leave. Four years ago you loved being alone with me."

Sakura frowned, assaulted by the memory of her foolish, lovesick self. But mostly by the memory of better times, times that deep down she missed.

"Four years ago things were very different," she merely said. "And I was a stupid girl."

Without waiting for him to say anything else, she fell silent again with her eyes fixed on the fire, trying not to think about those times.

"Would you like to go back?" Sasuke suddenly said, in a voice so low it almost sounded like he was talking to himself. "To those years?"

She looked up at him, surprised that he had spoken and at the question itself. She wondered what she should answer, if it wasn't some kind of mind game to make her lower her guard. But he wasn't even looking at her. He was still staring at the fire, but far away from there at the same time.

"Sometimes," she confessed, hugging herself. "Sometimes I miss those moments so much they hurt. Other times I just think they're a nice memory. The rest of the time I try not to think about it," she shrugged, ignoring the pressure in her chest. "You?"

He took so long to answer that Sakura thought he wouldn't have heard her, or maybe he was just ignoring her. But after a while he finally answered.

"I... At this point, I'm not sure anymore. I thought I had my goal clear, but... Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to remain ignorant. To stay with you two." He sketched a small sarcastic smile. "I guess he was right all along. I'm still weak."

Sakura fell silent, trying to process what she had just heard. This was the time Sasuke had been most honest with her, even in all their time of teaming. Why he had decided to do it now, in front of her, she wasn't sure at all. But that didn't change the fact that he had opened up to her.

And then she realized. Sasuke was grieving. He had probably been since he was a child and the massacre had taken place. And now with the death of his brother he was also hurt and confused. He was like a child who had not learned to manage his emotions in a healthy way.

She cursed herself for realizing it after so long. Years ago she had been blind, so obsessed with him that she had only noticed his cold and mysterious side, not realizing how much he was suffering.

And now it was too late.

She felt a shiver run through her body so she wrapped herself tighter in her cloak, but it was no use. Even as she stood close to the fire, her body felt cold. She looked up shyly at Sasuke, but he seemed lost in thought and didn't look at her.

She stood up decisively, walked around the small fire and dropped down next to him, managing to startle him.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

She took off her cloak and clung to him.

"I'm cold," she told him, pulling the cloak back over herself as a blanket. "It's easier to keep warm this way. Come on, I bet you're a little cold too dressed like that."

"God, Sakura, you're still so-"

"Yeah, yeah, annoying, I know. Glad to see some things don't change over the years." She rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the fact that it was the first time he'd said her name since they'd been there. "It is you who has helped me, anyway. So let's call a little truce just for tonight, shall we?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment, but in the end he agreed. "All right. In that case, take off your clothes."

She immediately turned to him, wondering if she had heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

"Your clothes are wet. If you keep them on, it won't do any good," he explained, his voice hard as ever. "So, if you want to sit next to me, take them off."

Instinctively, Sakura reached out and touched the corner of her shirt, which, as Sasuke had said, was slightly damp. It made sense. She had been on the ground covered by snow and it was normal for her clothes to have gotten wet, but she had been so distracted by Sasuke's presence that she hadn't noticed.

"Don't look," she ordered him, turning around. "And no sharingan."

A little embarrassed, she began to carefully remove her clothes, leaving them spread out close to the fire to dry. When she was done she quickly grabbed the cloak again and covered herself as best she could, regretting that it wasn't longer. She turned to Sasuke again, who at the sight of her nodded.

"Good. Now, come here," he ordered her, gesturing to the gap between his legs.

"What?"

He gave her a tired look, and for a moment Sakura saw her former teammate and not the criminal. "Don't make me repeat myself. Sit here."

She obeyed him, unable to think clearly because of how nervous she was. She sat where he had indicated with her back to him, her body rigid and very careful not to touch him. But Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh, grabbed her waist and pulled her close, drawing her to him.

"Come closer," he growled, pressing her to his chest. He pushed her cloak away so that the skin in her back was in contact with him. "If you're going to give me warmth, do it right."

Sakura gasped, searching for something to say, but the sudden contact had left her speechless. If being naked so close to him wasn't enough, now they were glued together. She felt his chest against her back, hard and firm, and she felt his warm breath bump against the nape of her neck. He had removed one of his hands from her waist but the other remained there, sending little shocks that ran through her body.

She must be dreaming, she told herself. Yes, that had to be it. Surely she had fallen asleep under the snow, outside, and the cold was making her hallucinate. Not only was highly unlikely that Sasuke had helped her; the fact that she was now naked, clinging to him, was a fantasy only her head could have created.

But then again, his heat felt so real. There was no way Sakura was imagining that.

She hugged her legs, pressing them tightly to her chest in an attempt to make herself smaller and cover herself. She closed her eyes, thinking that maybe this would get her to sleep, but it was a mistake. With nothing to fix her eyes on to distract her, her other senses focused especially on Sasuke: on his scent, on the rhythm of his breathing, on the spots where their bodies touched. She opened her eyes again with a groan, cursing herself that everything was affecting her so much, after so many time trying to forget him.

"Sakura."

His voice calling her name startled her, forcing her to wake up and focus again on her surroundings.

"Y-yes?"

"You were serious about the truce?"

"Yes," she replied immediately. If she didn't mean it, how could they be like that at that moment, so close yet not trying to kill each other, like they were supposed to be?

"Then stand still."

Contrary to his command, Sakura wanted to turn and ask him what he meant, but before she could she felt something on her neck that made her tense up. "Ahh, Sasuke, what are you..." She couldn't continue, as he gave her another little nibble that made her jump, this time on her earlobe.

"There are other, more efficient ways to get warm," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "And your body is still cold."

Was it? Because at that moment, Sakura felt her body burning so hot that it could spontaneously combust. It wasn't a good time to discover that her ears were extremely sensitive, she thought as she bit her lips to stop the sounds trying to escape her mouth. But when Sasuke circled her waist and began to wander his tongue along her ear, down her neck and to her shoulder, she couldn't help but let out a moan of pleasure.

"If you don't want this, pull me away now," he said against her neck, softly. "Because if you don't, I'm not going to stop."

But Sakura wanted to. Even if she came to hate herself for it, her body was asking for more. She couldn't deny what she felt, for it was like denying herself. She turned to him and looked into his eyes, hoping he could read the desire in them.

"Please, don't... Don't stop."

As if he had expected that answer, Sasuke leaned into her and kissed her greedily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung onto him, responding to the kiss with the same intensity. She had fantasized so many times about kissing him when they were younger, she recalled. But it wasn't at all like she had imagined. His kisses were harder and more desperate. Perhaps because the relationship between them was not the same anymore.

Without separating from him or breaking the contact of their mouths, Sakura began to remove his clothes, running her hands all over the skin that was made available to her, as if trying to memorize every pore. Sasuke seemed to like this, for he increased the intensity of the kisses with a hungry growl. She undid his obi knot nimbly, and the next thing she knew she was lying on the ground, with Sasuke on top of her.

"Is this your first time?" He asked her, looking into her eyes.

Sakura frowned, hoping her face wouldn't give her away.

"It's none of your business."

"I'm not going to be gentle," he warned her.

"I don't want you to."

It was true. She hadn't expected Sasuke to put special care into being tender. There was no love or gentleness in that encounter, only passion and desire. There were no feelings, just their bodies and mutual heat. Even if she had been in love with him years ago, even if there might still be a little bit of that left, Sakura knew this for a fact. And she didn't care.

And as he had told her, he wasn't gentle. Instead, the eagerness with which he had kissed her at the beginning grew, to the point of becoming practically desperation. He wouldn't give her a break, kissing, licking and biting her all over her body. There came a moment when Sakura didn't know where she ended and where he began, in that whirlwind of pleasure that seemed to suck her.

"God, Sasuke," she moaned when she cum for the third time.

She still wanted more. Closer, faster, more intense. More Sasuke. It was as if he had awakened a hunger in her that she didn't know she had, and that she didn't know if anyone else would ever get to fill.

And in that moment, with him beneath her this time, it crossed her mind that she could kill him. She didn't even need a weapon, she could shape her chakra in a way that would cut him, and she knew all the spots on the body where wounds were lethal. Even if he noticed, no matter how fast he acted, it wouldn't be enough. She knew for sure that she could pull it off.

But even with all that she was not able to do it. Even if he was a criminal, even if he had already tried to kill her, she still had feelings for him. She felt her eyes burn with helplessness, realizing that as much as she thought she had grown up, she was still that silly little girl.

"I know you're not capable of it." Sasuke smiled bitterly at her, catching her off guard. "You're still an open book, Sakura. You're very easy to read," he told her, before she could ask how he had known. "But don't worry." He sat up a little to bite her lip and pulled her down, laying her down beside him. "Is okay. Let's comfort each other, just for tonight."

Hearing those words, Sakura decided to let herself go. This time she didn't stop the tears, nor did she stop Sasuke when he licked them away. She hugged him and put all her attention on him, letting him fill her and bury all her worries. She wished time would stop on that moment.

Morning surprised them in each other's arms, he still inside her. They had fallen asleep only a couple of hours ago, when they had no more energy left.

"The storm has passed," observed Sakura, but didn't move. She knew that as soon as they got out of there, everything from that night would be behind them, so she wanted to make it as long as she could.

However, Sasuke separated from her and began to dress silently, not even giving her a glance. So she got up and did the same, resigned. Sooner or later, she had to return to reality.

They left the cave and Sakura stretched, letting the fresh morning air finish waking her up. She turned to Sasuke, who was just finishing getting his katana properly positioned.

"I guess this is where we part ways," she muttered. She didn't even know if she would see him again, nor when. "Can I ask you something before you go?"

"Hn."

"Why did you help me?"

It was what she had asked him as soon as she had woken up in the cave, but he hadn't answered her then.

"I'm not sure myself," Sasuke admitted, turning his back on her and starting to walk away. "Goodbye, Sakura. And... thank you."

She watched him disappear and stood there for a while longer, alone in the middle of the forest. She finally gave a hint of a small smile and decided to look for her friends.

Luckily for her, her team was closer than she thought and they were looking for her too, so half an hour after she started running she recognized Naruto's chakra, and just a few seconds later he was hugging her.

"Sakura-chan! Thank god you're okay! When we lost you in the storm I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Naruto," she assured him, returning his hug. She was glad to see him again. He always felt like home.

"Naruto, she just got here, let her breathe," Kakashi asked him, appearing behind them. He looked at his student affectionately. "Glad to see you're okay, Saku- Oh." He fell silent for a moment when he reached her side. "...I see."

Sakura looked at him blankly, but then it hit her. She probably had Sasuke's scent all over her body, and Kakashi had the nose of a dog. It wouldn't take much for him to guess what had happened.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" he asked, looking into her eyes. He seemed genuinely worried, as if he was afraid that at any moment she was going to break. "Are you hurt?"

Sakura smiled reassuringly at him. She knew he didn't mean the visible wounds on the body, but deeper ones.

"I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei, really. Everything is fine."

Hi! Please keep in mind english is not my first language so some things may sound weird.

This is supposed to be just an one-shot inspired by the fanart in the cover and I don't plan to continue it. However, I'm currently working on another sasusaku fic, more longer, so if you liked this please stay tuned!

See you soon!