What You Want

by drawingdownthemoon

A better job, bigger apartment, more money, truer love, hotter sex - there are so many things you dream of having, but always twice as many things standing in the way. So when opportunity presents itself in the form of another person with dreams of their own, what do you say? You have to ask them - and yourself - what it is that you want. Sasusaku AU

8. Chapter 8

Welcome one, welcome all to the eighth chapter of WYW. I ended up writing this in 3 or 4 bursts and after reading through those parts too many times I decided to say fuck it, and just publish instead of giving it a full once-over. Risky and reckless, I KNOW - but I think you'll find a way to forgive me if there is a blip or two. Anyway, thanks for taking part in this journey and please enjoy!

---

What You Want

CH 8

Her pen tapped at her bottom lip rhythmically as she devoured the article propped up on her knees. It was part of her last assignment of the week and she was determined to finish it as quickly as she could so they could get to watching the new movie that just came out that day.

"Do you need anything from the kitchen?" Neji asked, shifting to stand from her side on the couch.

She looked up and smiled before shaking her head. "No thanks, but I'm almost done, I swear."

He smirked and rested a hand on his hip. "You said that an hour ago."

Sakura tried to feign some form of innocence. He was right, she had, but she really wanted to get everything done. After that, she'd give him her full attention.

It had been a few weeks since they had met that fateful day in the library when he was simply meeting up with Hinata she had her study date with Sakura. His stoic demeanor was familiar enough to Sakura to be almost comforting, but his formal sensibilities were unusual enough to make her feel like she had plenty to learn about the man.

On their first date, Neji took Sakura to one of his favorite restaurants in the West Village. They sat at a beautiful table next to a trellis of lush blooming flowers that she could hardly believe were real.

Neji proved to be quite smooth with his words. "They're just trying their hardest to compete with you."

After their second date to a candlelit Italian spot, he proved his words weren't the only smooth product of that mouth of his.

She had gripped his hair so hard while he was eating her out in his bed that when she eventually let go, there were crimps where her fingers were hanging on for dear life. He enjoyed making her squirm and moan while he ate her out and then liked to climb on top and pump into her until he came.

Outside the bedroom, he was very kind to her and also incredibly smart. A lawyer by trade, he found it entertaining to engage her in moral and ethical debates, especially after a few drinks. Sometimes she could get him to concede, but most of the time he'd stump her. She'd pout when he'd counter her ultimate argument, but he always smoothed it over with a soft kiss after.

The one thing about him that she was still trying to make sense of was his constant formalism. Neji was very particular about his routines and settings. He liked to relax with a nice beverage and proper book before bed, occasionally some light music in the background while draped in his clean cotton robe and donning his house slippers she was always tempted to make fun of. Everything in his apartment had a proper place and was sparkling clean. Even his throw pillows looked as though they'd never been thrown in their entire existence - all crisp and perfectly situated. She couldn't help but sit with some degree of stiffness in her back. If she were to relax too much, she'd leave a sign of life in the apartment - and that was against the aesthetic she felt Neji was going for.

She didn't let this bother her too much, though. Sometimes she stayed the night, other times she went home to finish her coursework or simply unwind with her bun up and tattered pyjamas on.

Bzzt, bzzt!

Her phone blinked to life with a new incoming text just as Neji came back into the living room with his tea in hand.

"Who's that?" He asked with the most even tone.

"Just a friend," Sakura told him dismissively, flipping the phone over without responding to it.

"Ah."

The truth was, it wasn't just a friend. 'Just a friend' would have been Ino or Hinata. The person texting her was Sasuke - and they both knew it.

Ever since that messy night involving the yacht happy hour, Sakura had intentionally put some distance between her and Sasuke. She knew she was reaching her threshold with him and needed a break to reset her mind and body. She had pushed off their usual dinner together back a few times while getting to know Neji. After a few days passed, Sasuke asked her to call him. She had hoped she could have had at least another week before having the conversation.

"You're avoiding me," he said as more of a statement of fact versus an accusation.

"I've had a lot going on," she tried to explain. But even as the words left her mouth, she knew she was only setting herself up for a headache trying to lie to him.

"Have you taken on another class?"

"No-"

"Is the cafe asking you to cover more hours?"

"No, but-"

"Are you upset at me for the other night?"

"Sasuke, you know I'm not."

She could hear him take a deep breath as he caught himself losing his temper. She sat with her face in her hand and the phone pressed hard on her ear. It was time to rip the bandaid.

"I started seeing someone," she explained, her voice tinged with nerves. "So I wanted to give him a proper chance while I manage the rest of my schedule and everything."

He didn't answer right away and she wondered if he was simply processing or possibly pacing.

"I don't see why you were keeping this from me," was his stiff response. "We're friends, Sakura."

His words hit her like a cold slap to the face. They were just friends, he wasn't wrong - but it still stung.

"Right," she tried replying with some semblance of upbeat energy. "I'm just still figuring him out, so that's all. No secrets or anything."

She couldn't help but feel the sinking weight of guilt upon her. The last time they saw each other she was faced with the sobering reality of the limitations on their relationship, but not until he opened up to her about his family's passing. To up and leave him right after that would be cruel.

"Can we maybe get coffee or lunch next week?" She asked, hoping he would understand her delicate situation.

"Hn. Text me what day you're thinking and I'll see."

They landed on a day in the middle of the week when she had a few hours to kill in between work and her night class. Much to Sakura's relief, it wasn't anywhere near as awkward or tense as she had anticipated. If anything, it felt as though nothing had changed. And maybe nothing had changed, she considered. They were both single and not going to date each other, so it didn't make a difference that Sakura was now starting to see someone. Everything was fitting together seamlessly, so why did she feel so weird about it?

"Can we do this again next week?" She asked as Sasuke signed the check. Even though he was looking down, she could see the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Am I being demoted from dinner?" All that guilt from before came back with avengence. She must have been wearing her emotions clear across her face, judging by the sigh Sasuke let out then. "I'll keep my afternoon open."

Some weeks were fine, but others Sasuke had to cancel when work got a little too crazy. This added up to much less frequent time together and Sakura could tell the schedule was starting to put a strain on her hedge fund friend. All that said, he never complained. He also never asked about her new boyfriend.

But he did text.

"Is that your friend again?" Neji asked with a forced calmness.

"Yeah, sorry. We were talking about this restaurant that just closed we went to once," Sakura explained as she quickly sent a response back. "I think you would have liked it. They made a really nice truffle and squid ink pasta."

"We'll have to find you a new restaurant to think about about then," he declared.

"I'd like that." Her phone buzzed again with a new text, but she quickly pocketed it to focus on Neji and the dinner he made for them in front of her. "Why don't we do a little investigating after we're done eating?"

The quiet man across from her gave a slight nod, a subtle hint that she needed to get her priorities in order. Things with Neji were still very new. It was fun and exciting to learn new things about each other everyday, but she was very conscious of both the good and the bad he was possibly taking in. Having a nondescript friend texting her on the side all the time was probably not in the 'good' column.

"So this weekend," Neji started off saying as they cleared their plates. "I'd like for you to keep Saturday night open for me."

"Oh yeah?" She perked up.

He was an excellent date planner. The week before he had asked what her favorite flowers were and told her to wear something comfortable. He ended up surprising her with a trip to the botanical gardens and picked up a bouquet of those favorite flowers he ordered on their way out nearby so she'd have them to remember their date in her apartment. She could only imagine what he had in store this time.

Her ivory arms wrapped around his waist after he put the last of the dishes in the washer. "Are you going to tell me what you have in mind or just give me another outfit suggestion?"

"Unfortunately this one will be less of a mystery than the last," he smiled down at her, turning to hold her against his chest. "I was thinking we could get dinner and then join Hinata and her boyfriend for a comedy show or something."

Sakura didn't want him to read too much into her wide-eyed expression, so she gave him a squeeze and pressed her cheek into his chest. "That sounds like a lot of fun, I'd love that."

It was a complete mess waiting to crash down around her then, all by her own doing. Neji didn't know yet about Naruto being Sasuke's friend, and that Sasuke was the friend she was texting more often than what he probably wanted the girl he was seeing texting another man. She needed to take the wheel and put it all out in the open before Neji learned all this on his own.

"Fun fact, actually," she said as she found a comfortable spot beside him on the sofa. "Hinata met her boyfriend through me in a way a while back."

"Is that so?" She had Neji's full attention. He was about to turn on the tv but instead shifted to face her more as he waited to hear the rest of her story. His bright eyes were as sharp as the rest of his aristocratic features and she was suddenly overcome by a fear of disappointing him. When working with clients, did he have the same effect on them when trying to get the full story ahead of going to court?

"He's best friends with my friend, who had us all tag along on a quick trip to Beacon. Naruto and Hinata hit it off immediately."

She was done talking, but he was still watching her as though waiting for the next part of her story. When she reached for his hand, he took hold of hers and brought it to his face to kiss. She couldn't help but melt at the gesture, his tenderness was something she'd never get tired of.

"And what became of this friend of yours?"

There it was - the real question.

"His name's Sasuke, the friend I text sometimes."

Her hand was still in his and resting on his knee. His thumb absently stroked at the back of her hand like a cat's tail swaying while it watches the world outside.

"Can I be honest with you, Sakura?"

She swallowed hard and nodded vigorously.

"It concerns me how much you talk to this Sasuke friend of yours." He gave a small shrug and smile. "I realize I sound jealous saying this, but I want to be honest with you."

"I don't want you to feel that way," she responded as she squeezed his hand.

He seemed to be negotiating his next words in his head before he moved to sit closer to her. Green eyes darted across his face, not sure what to anticipate.

"It would mean a lot to me if you could find a way to create some space between you and Sasuke. It's just very odd that you seem to talk to him all the time and yet I never hear anything about him." Neji then looked her directly in the eye. "I can't help but feel like you're not telling me something."

Her eyes widened at the accusation. She wasn't hiding anything! Sure, he texted her throughout the day, but she also texted Ino a bunch...who sometimes went out of her way to dig around Sasuke's old tagged Instagram photos for shirtless beach pictures to send Sakura... Neji also didn't know about her weekly meetups with the reserved hedge fund analyst, but he never asked, so…

"Sakura," his deep voice shook her from her thoughts. "As we've gotten to know each other these past few weeks, I've grown to really like you. A lot."

She smiled and put both her hands in his. "I feel the same way."

"I don't know if I'm being too quick to jump the gun here, but I would like to ask that we take the next step and become exclusive. What do you think?"

It blew her mind that she didn't see that question coming, but that in no way diminished how flattered she was by his intentions. The truth was that she hadn't thought about the concept of intentional exclusivity simply because dating wasn't something she was actively doing or prioritizing. Between school and work, she was busy enough - the idea of finding another man to squeeze into her packed schedule was out of the question. Onyx eyes and a devilish smile flashed through her mind for a second, but she quickly turned her attention back to the young lawyer staring expectantly back at her.

"I'd like that a lot," Sakura giggled. "So much, Neji."

He smiled back at her and leaned forward to cradle the back of her neck in his hand before kissing her sweetly. She smiled into the kiss as she returned the enthusiasm, her arms sliding around his neck. He was a very good kisser, she had grown to learn about him. His lips were always so soft against hers and she relished in the affection he put into every touch.

It wasn't long until those sweet touches heated into needy strokes. Sakura shifted up to her knees and climbed onto Neji's lap while his hands splayed across her back and her ass.

"You have such a wonderful body, Sakura," he whispered against her lips.

She blushed, hands gripping his strong shoulders. "I should say the same about you."

He grinned before pulling her face back to him again to continue kissing her. Once she started grinding into him with growing fervor, he moved them around so he was laying almost entirely on top of her on the couch. His hand bunched her dress up at her hip so his long fingers could stroke her wet slit and she shuddered under him.

It was essentially a talent of his, this ability to navigate her pleasure zones so efficiently. In seconds he had his fingers curled inside her and was already stroking that particular patch of flesh that wound her up on the way to orgasming. She clung to the front of his shirt with a vice grip as he brought her to the edge.

"You're so beautiful when you're about to come," he whispered, his porcelain face inches away.

Hazy green eyes screwed shut as his thumb swiped at her swollen clit, the final sensation to send her crumbling under him. The only sounds after that were her short pants and some light humming from Neji as he proudly admired her flushed and unraveled form.

"So beautiful," he repeated as he got up off the couch. She looked up with confusion, but quickly relaxed when she saw he had gone to retrieve a condom.

He removed his pants in a few swift motions and rolled the condom onto his hard erection. A moan tumbled from her lips as he slid into her soaking and swollen opening, still freshly sensitive from her orgasm. He thrust into her with an even rocking of his hips, one hand groping her breast while the other was pressed into the cushions beneath them.

"I'm going to come," he eventually grunted. His movements stuttered a moment later and were then followed by his soft collapse on top of her.

After resting for a minute, the pair slowly got up. Sakura went to the bathroom to freshen up while Neji straightened out the pillows and throw blanket that were disturbed in the process. She was excited about this, she confirmed to herself in the mirror.

"We should watch a movie," he suggested when she came back out.

It was an easy decision to agree with, as Sakura was pretty drained and enticed by the idea of cuddling on the couch. She didn't really care what they watched, so Neji went with a new action flick without thinking it over too much.

"I'm very happy about this," he said after the movie had been playing for a bit of time.

Sakura looked up at his face and felt her heart swell at the sight of his genuine smile. She knew he wasn't talking about the movie and that she felt the same. He leaned down to kiss her again and stroked the soft skin of her cheek.

"I'm relieved we're on the same page," he confessed. "I know we'll make each other happy." A beat passed before he added, "For now at least, I'll tell Hinata we need to take a raincheck on that double date."

The next day she had a rare morning to herself to get some apartment chores done like laundry and cleaning before class that night. She had some extra energy coursing through her from the unexpected turn of events at Neji's the night before and was happily riding that high as she sprayed down her countertops.

He was only a few years older than her but already making a name for himself at the law firm he worked at. They kept him busy most days, but Sakura didn't mind since she was so focused on school and ensuring she secured a solid paycheck. The fact that he was smitten with her enough to ask that they make their relationship exclusive was immensely flattering and something she was happy to do, but she still couldn't help but be irked by the fact that she hadn't considered it before he had suggested it.

The only other men she had dated seriously never seemed to be the first to ask about taking their relationship to the next level. She didn't want to convince herself it was a bad thing that Neji was first to bring it up - but she had to wonder why the thought didn't cross her mind sooner.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

She put a pin in that thought to check her phone. As soon as she did, a small smile formed. Speaking of the devil, it was Neji texting her.

'I have been thinking about you all morning, hope you have a great day.'

Sakura did a small twirl in the privacy of her apartment as she sent him a cute reply back. He was truly swoon-worthy - she was just overthinking things.

What she wasn't thinking enough about, however, was how her friendship with Sasuke was affecting her relationship with Neji. She knew per the conversation they had the night before she needed to make a decision. Sasuke was always just going to be a friend, but the amount of time she ended up putting in their relationship, whether via text or their coffee dates, was more than she could afford with Neji asking for more at the same time. The idea of cutting him out entirely was too painful and also probably unnecessary, so she landed on the decision to wean him off and try texting him less. That way, she could still see him on occasion, but wouldn't stress Neji when Sasuke was inevitably texting her at whatever hour at night. That would fix things right up, she thought. It was absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, without a hesitation exactly what she wanted.

Or at least, close enough.

---

The following week they met up for an afternoon coffee after Sakura finished the morning shift and Sasuke had Rock Lee working with the others like a well oiled machine. Even so, Sasuke was keeping an eye on his phone for messages from the office while he sipped his red eye. Sakura fidgeted across from him, her fingers drumming on the sides of her latte.

"How was work this morning?" Sasuke asked, partially occupied with responding back to a message.

"Busy but good," she decided as her eyes flickered between his face and his phone he was fixated on. It was unusual for him to be distracted by the device as he was then, a clear sign that he was straining to make time for her during the work day. "I'm guessing things are more busy than good for you right now?"

Sasuke flipped his phone over. She watched him adjust his cufflinks as he smirked at her with what could only be described as excitement. "Busy is always good. Busy means money in my business."

"That's so great," she smiled, genuinely happy for him.

His unrelenting confidence and ambition were two things she deeply admired about Sasuke. She knew some of his success, or at least initial success, had to be attributed to his curse, but she knew it was also who he was as a person. Failure was not an option. Knowing she was about to dampen the mood with some less than stellar news to him about Neji made her stomach churn.

"I have some good news, too," she started off saying.

His sharp eyes locked onto hers as he gave her his full attention. In that moment she realized if he had still been half focused on his phone this discussion would have been easier. Distracted or not, she needed to rip the bandaid.

"Things have been going well with Neji, so he asked me to officially be exclusive with him."

She could see the fire in his eyes snuff out the second she finished her sentence. His face locked up behind his usual mask and his shoulders straightened with a rigidness that made her feel as though she was sitting across from a stranger instead of this man she had grown so close with.

"Congratulations," he offered with a flatness she knew was reserved for his darker moods. She hated knowing she was the reason behind it.

"Thanks," she responded with a forced brightness. "So, I mean, since work has been extra crazy for you lately and I'm still juggling my workload on top of this new relationship, I figured it was probably best we slow down on our coffees and lunches together until things calm down more."

She swallowed over the lump in her throat as she waited for him to respond. Was he angry with her? Sad? Or annoyed by all the trouble and time wasted up until then? He still had his neutral mask in place and simply raised a brow for a moment as he considered the 'suggestion.'

"I can tell you've put a good amount of thought into this," he stated. "So there's no point in arguing with you."

She opened her mouth to say something, anything to make the situation better, but Sasuke was already standing and buttoning his suit jacket.

"Work is 'extra crazy' as you put it, so I'm going to head back now to catch up with my day. I'll text you when things slow down, please give my best to Neji."

He was already turned and headed for the door before she could process what had just happened. She knew he wasn't going to be happy with what she had to say, but she didn't expect him to outright walk away from her like that. The telltale warmth was heating behind her eyes, so she looked down to prevent anyone around her from seeing her shame.

When she finally collected herself well enough to leave the shop, she couldn't help but relive the brief but crushing exchange over and over in her head. Sasuke wasn't a relationship guy, but couldn't he understand where she was coming from? It was so unfair of him to react the way he did, to make it seem as though she had told him she never wanted to see him again. If anything, it was the opposite! She cherished their friendship so much, she was willing to try this strategy to preserve what they had in the long run. If he had just given her literally just another minute she could have explained that to him.

As she sat down for class that evening, she pulled out her phone and stared down at the blank screen. She wanted to text him, to ask if she could call later - but she knew she shouldn't. He asked for space. She needed to respect that. So she did.

But that didn't mean it wasn't killing her.

Every day for the following few weeks were peppered with anxious glances at her phone, impulsively turning the thing on and off in between thoughts and chores to see if Sasuke reached out. He never did.

The only reprieve she got from her indefinite freeze out was from Neji when she saw him. She was very conscious of how she was behaving when he was around so as to not raise any concerns, but all that extra emotional exertion took a toll. On the off nights when she was by herself, she played her music, opened her notebooks and dedicated every waking minute before bed to studying even more than usual. She was afraid of her wandering thoughts and this was the only way she knew to keep them at bay.

"You've been really grinding away lately," Neji commented over a late Saturday breakfast. He had made them both omelettes, extra cheese like he knew Sakura liked.

She looked up from her plate wide-eyed despite only just having started on her coffee. Had she slipped up at all those last few days when she was with him? Was he worried? What could she say?

"Yeah, I'm really trying to make sure I end this semester on a high note since I'll only have one more after this."

He didn't seem bothered, she observed. If anything, maybe a little excited?

"If you think you could muster up the energy for it, I'd really like to take you out on a special date tonight."

"Oh?" She always had such a nice time with Neji when they went out for dinner or a movie, so the idea of a notably special date perked her interest. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'd rather it be a surprise." He winked and brushed his long hair back behind him. "Wear something black and sexy for me."

She cocked her head to the side. That was far from anything she was expecting and a little familiar. Her thoughts ran to that unforgettable night Sasuke introduced her to his secret members-only club, but she quickly buried the memory.

"Will you be wearing the same?" She joked, taking a hearty bite of her food.

"Something like that," he smiled.

---

The inevitable yet always shocking blare of the alarm assaulted him in the dark, forcing Sasuke's irritated eyes to bolt open and his dream to shred itself to bits the second the real world made itself known. He wasted little time in silencing the siren on his bedside table, but gave himself another minute to fully emerge from his dream.

It was a recurring one, the one he had been plagued by for the last year or so every once in a while. Over the course of the more recent months, he noticed it was showing up on more than the rare occasion and during that last week or so, almost every night. It was affecting his sleep, which affected his mood, which affected his colleagues and even worse, his ability to get laid.

"I think I'm going to go check out what those two are up to," the bodacious female at the club had told him just the night before. She had been attempting some small talk after he approached her, but he wasn't in the mood for those kinds of games - and she wasn't in the mood for a cold, monosyllabic asshole.

It certainly wasn't the end of the world, but it was something he hadn't experienced before - rejection. He was usually so good at compartmentalizing and throwing together some easy lip service to get what he needed, but his exhaustion was making it difficult to do just that. He knew the longer he went on like that, the worse it would get, so after a half-hearted lap through his usual elite stomping grounds, he decided to go home. It had been a long week in the office and with his limited tolerance of people already beyond spent, going out that night was not his best decision to date. He had a day or two left in him before there would be a problem, so he could at least embrace his grumbling hermit inclinations for the night. There was always tomorrow.

When Saturday rolled in, he was hardly any better rested and certainly not any more inclined to socialize for sex if he could help it. Hell, he didn't want to socialize with anyone for anything. Naruto had hit him up a few times, but Sasuke either didn't respond or simply told him to fuck off. He just wasn't in the mood to deal with such high energy. If he weren't in such a rotten mood he would have found the irony to be funny, that he as a cursed man sentenced to a life of draining energy was the one avoiding others to preserve his own. Sakura probably wouldn't have found it funny.

Sakura.

His face soured at the thought of the young woman he had mistakenly become so comfortable with. It should have come at no surprise to him that they would eventually have hit that crossroad, her searching for love while he continued on his damned path elsewhere. Anywhere but there.

He sighed as he opened the door to grab the newspaper from the hallway, absently pulling out the business section to scan over while the hot water kettle started rumbling awake. He afforded himself a very comfortable life, all things considered. He had a great apartment by Central Park, a high-earning job he was good at, a secret membership to one of the most exclusive sex clubs in New York, and didn't really have anyone to answer to but himself. So what if he didn't have his weekly dinners with Sakura anymore? She had already demoted him to lunches over a month ago, so it wasn't as though he didn't see the end in sight. Regardless, he knew it just wasn't meant to be. They wanted different things. They were incompatible.

Right?

The coffee grounds bubbled under the stream of hot water. He enjoyed making a good pour over on the weekends when he wasn't rushing to get to the gym or an early morning meeting at work. He would have liked to show Sakura that she wasn't the only one who could make some strong coffee. He would have liked to show her so much more.

But that wasn't an option anymore. It was enough.

He could feel the tingling behind his eyes and knew the scarlet hue was starting to show. With another heavy sigh, he picked up his phone to send a text. It was only a matter of time until he needed to get back to what he knew.

'I need to come by,' he wrote.

A minute later, as expected, he got a response back from Karin.

'I'm working today and the bf is taking me out later.'

Sasuke cursed to himself. He didn't have time for this shit.

'I'll come over before you go out.'

Another minute went by, every second more irritating than the last. He stared down at his messages until the next one appeared.

'Fine, come at 6:30 I need to leave by 7.'

'Fine.'

With his plan in place, he should have felt some form of relief, but that wasn't the case. If anything, he felt even more irritated. For the first time in a long time, his curse was proving to be an inconvenience. He didn't want to spend his Saturday waiting on this woman he tolerated at best on a good day so he could live to see another week of...whatever it was he wanted.

What did he want anymore?

The hours crawled by in a slow, grey blur. With his eyes glowing and temper on the rise, he had no choice but to stay inside until he could see Karin. He tried reorganizing his filing cabinet, but that was just a torturous task he realized was only upsetting him further. Next he decided to blow off some steam with a workout, but that just amped his testosterone and the urgency of his needs. He tried masturbating, which miraculously helped a bit at least for a few minutes - but getting himself off wasn't part of the curse. He needed to do that for someone else.

It was getting close to the time he needed to leave, so all that was left was a cold shower. He could see the steam coming off his skin after he got out.

'On my way,' he texted Karin as he walked out the door with his black sunglasses on. He'd be there in less than a half hour and could probably get her off in ten minutes after that - then he'd finally be satisfied. Until the next week.

When Sasuke was first learning to navigate his newly established incubus condition, he took to the web to find sexual partners to satisfy for survival. It was more of a struggle than he anticipated, having to spend so much time chatting with women to get them to trust he was real enough to fuck. Some even wanted to video chat before meeting, and that almost always drove him over the edge of abandoning that lead. He didn't want to chat. He just wanted a fuck.

Karin understood that.

She understood exactly what she needed to, and didn't ask any questions about the rest.

It was about forty past six when he got to her building. A neighbor or some other had just been on their way out, so he slipped right in around them. He would have thanked them, but he was too focused on getting upstairs and feeding the dark hunger inside of him so he could go back to minding his own business.

His shoes thudded up the scuffed stairs of the walk-up he had the misfortune of knowing so well. He wondered how long Karin had lived in the place and then for a fleeting moment wondered how he had managed after so long to have not asked. It wasn't as though they asked each other very many questions - she kept him on a need-to-know basis as well.

As Sasuke reached her floor, he noticed the hall light was out again. This wasn't a big deal, but he still had his sunglasses on to hide his bright red eyes, so his sight was a bit impaired. He lifted his hand to remove the frames, but the sound of a door opening caused him to quickly drop his hand back to his side. The man leaving the apartment he was just passing gave him a quick glance, but didn't say anything before continuing on his way.

It was a close one, Sasuke knew. He really just needed to get inside and get it over with.

His fist clenched before it knocked a few times on Karin's door. After almost a minute had passed and she hadn't answered, he knocked again. Waiting again, he became hyper-aware of the burning in his eyes.

"Karin," he called out as he knocked once more. "Come on."

When the door swung open, he didn't need more than a split second to realize why Karin hadn't answered the door. Kabuto was there.

"I fucking knew it," the unexpected guest seethed. Sasuke spotted Karin standing with her arms crossed at her chest inside the apartment. "I knew you two were still fucking around!"

Karin groaned. "Well maybe if you were better at it, we wouldn't be!"

It was clear right then and there that Sasuke wasn't going to get what he so desperately needed there that night, so he took a quick step back and started for the stairs. He needed to figure out a back-up plan for what normally was his back-up plan, and fast.

"You can't run from me, Uchiha!" The grey-haired drug dealer yelled from the doorway.

Sasuke hardly caught Kabuto's rage, his own internal fury owning his complete attention. He pulled out his phone as he stepped back out onto the street to call a car. He needed a body. He needed to get it off. He needed it right away.

The impulsive memory of pink hair and the softest smile interrupted his racing thoughts.

He wanted her.

But he couldn't have her. He never would.

The black car didn't even have the chance to make a full stop before Sasuke was pulling the door open to get inside. As much as he didn't want to, he could only think of one other solution to his problem. It was his original plan, only a little different.

---

"Neji, this is crazy!" Sakura laughed beside him. "Is this blindfold really necessary?"

She could feel his hand on her thigh give a light squeeze by the knee. "I wouldn't want you to know what streets we were going down, it might give the surprise away."

There was no point in arguing with him, so she settled back in her seat and rested her cheek on his jacket shoulder. She could use a few minutes of rest after such a good meal.

As always, Neji had taken Sakura out on a very promising date. They shared the most lovely meal, a few drinks, and even a small dessert to top it off. When it was time to leave, Neji revealed the night wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot. He asked her to put a simple blindfold on that he had stashed in his inner breast pocket.

"You're going to love this," he assured her.

When he was finally leading her out of the car and inside some sort of cavernous building, her stomach dropped to her knees in an instant. If the echoing clacks of her heels on the concrete didn't give it away, the heady smell in the elevator did.

She followed his guiding arm down the plush hall she never thought she'd walk again as he brought her to his side. Before they rounded the corner, he stopped her to take the silk from her eyes.

"Surprise," he whispered in her ear from behind. "Do you know where you are?"

She couldn't even nod, her brain going into overdrive to make sense of what was happening - what to say. Of all the places in the goddamn world to bring her, he had to bring her to the one fucking sex club Sasuke had brought her to.

"I'm not sure," she decided to say. If her stars really did just align as poorly as she thought they had, she didn't want to let on that she had already been there. Even though she knew it was wrong, she didn't want Neji to think she was someone who somehow found her way there on the regular. At best, she simply didn't want to spoil the surprise he was so excited to share with her.

But...why did he want to bring her in the first place?

"Put this on," he told her, handing over a simple black silk mask for her eyes. He had put on one as well. "And follow me."

He walked her to the coat check and concierge she remembered from the last time and took advantage of the time it took signing consent forms to steady her breath. She'd continue to play it off as though she had never been there, she decided, and focus on finding out why the hell her new buttoned-up boyfriend had a membership.

"I don't understand," she said to him before he opened the double doors. "You're...part of a sex club?"

"Well, that might be a little misleading to say." He strolled into the saturated red room and was bathed in the all-consuming red lights. "I'm actually a board member."

Sakura stopped in her tracks the second the words left his mouth. "What?"

Neji turned and shrugged. "It was a gamble of an investment back in my college days between friends, but look what a few thousand dollars turned into."

Sakura was caught in a daze as her well-mannered boyfriend navigated them around the dozens of lithe bodies strewn about in strange dances and atop exquisite furniture all around them.

"Let's get a drink and I can tell you more," Neji suggested once they reached one of the parlor-like rooms.

As they made their way to the bar, Sakura did her best to not make it obvious as she looked about the room with paranoia. Hopefully he assumed she was simply taking it all in, which she was. While the chances weren't all that favorable, there was still more than possible that Sasuke could have been there that night at that exact time. What would happen if they ran into each other? Would he approach her? Would he be angry? Hurt?

She looked over at Neji just as he was handing her one of the two martinis in his possession.

"To a wonderful night enjoying the most wonderful things," he toasted proudly as he clinked his glass with hers. After a slow sip of their drinks, Neji offered his arm to Sakura. "Would you like to take a little stroll with me?"

She nodded, not sure if she'd feel better staying by the bar or moving about. She decided it made no difference and indulged Neji in a walk around the gaudy place she never imagined she'd see again.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me," he started off saying. "I don't ever engage with anyone here."

She cocked her head to the side while walking along the walls of glass to the terrace. "What do you mean?"

"Like I said before, this was simply a gamble with some money I had inherited from my family years ago when my friends were starting this business up. That said, I do admit I get a thrill from enjoying the show from the sidelines."

They had entered a beautifully decorated room Sakura hadn't seen last time that was decorated entirely in the deepest of purples. From the damask wallpaper to the lacy lampshades, even the books on the shelves - it was the most sultry setting imaginable, something you'd expect in a boudoir photoshoot but not in real life. There was a velvet loveseat to one side that they took a seat in while a few women were running their hands over one another atop a mini grand piano across the room as a masked man played at the keys.

Sensing they had a new audience, the women began swiveling their hips more and let their open-mouthed kisses travel farther from each other's mouths and down their necks. Neji looked right at home beside Sakura where he sat with his drink in hand, a smile on his lips. Sakura was still in disbelief over how surprised she truly was.

"Is this alright for you?" He asked softly, his voice softer than the velvet of the furniture they were sitting on as he wrapped an arm around her.

"It is," she smiled, leaning into him. And that wasn't a lie. She had a genuine curiosity that kept her eyes wide and alert but also a sexuality she knew had room to be explored more as well.

Still, she eventually grew a little too restless in the room, even as the women began disrobing one another of some of their silk negligees. Was she enjoying the show? Sure. Was she still trying to shake the paranoia that followed her in? Absolutely. Sakura decided she needed a refill.

"I'm going to get another one," she let Neji know, causing him to break his focus from the exhibitionists in front of them for a moment.

"Do you want me to go with you?" It was obvious he was quite fixated with what was going on in front of him and had been happily stroking Sakura's arm and thigh the entire time, so Sakura knew she'd be doing him a favor by going alone.

"I remember where the bar was," she teased him as she kissed his cheek. "I'll bring you another, too."

He smiled at her with adoration and a healthy dose of lust before letting her get up. "Just don't take too long."

Her shoulders fell from where they were locked up at her ears the second she was out of the room and in the hall. To her surprise and relief, it was fairly vacant aside from a couple that seemed to be engaged in a conversation. Given where they were, it almost seemed novel to see people in conversation and not some lewd act.

Looking back on that night, she would never be able to fully explain what exactly went through her mind in that moment, but whatever it was convinced her to delay the trip to the bar and wander a bit first. Neji was plenty entertained where he was, so she figured a few extra minutes to center herself would do no harm.

After a few twists and turns through the maze of rooms and halls, Sakura found herself in front of a familiar grand staircase lined with candles and closed off at the top by a heavy velvet curtain.

"Where are we going?" She asked as a grand staircase lined with oversized candles came into sight.

"The playrooms." She stopped in her tracks before he could start ascending the stairs with her in tow. He looked back with a mixed expression of confusion and impatience. "Something wrong?"

She let her hand slip from his hold and took a half-step back to let another couple pass her. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

He nodded his head as he considered this and stepped back towards her. Standing more than a head taller over her, he slid his free hand around her waist to her back. His eyes half-hidden by thick lashes looked down at her. "Let's go find somewhere comfortable to hang out until you are."

Her heart threw itself against the front of her ribs, pulling her from her thoughts and became too loud in her head for any further consideration. Black heels slowly ascended the stairs then, cementing her decision informed by raw curiosity. She was by herself with no one to judge or pull her one way or the other. She wanted to know what was behind those curtains and she was going to find out.

By the time she reached the upper landing, her heart was thrumming in her ears almost as loud as the music down below. When she lifted her hands to pull the velvet aside, she could see the tremor in them and could only think to take a deep breath as she braced for the unknown just out of sight.

It was pitch black inside. Until her eyes adjusted, she considered the possibility this wasn't a space meant for guests to wander. She could smell a warm amber fragrance, possibly some sort of candle burning nearby and grew only more curious. Once she could see again, it became clear that this was in fact a place for guests, but maybe not all of them - just a very particular type of guest that would be looking for something else other than a lavish show and cocktail.

The pounding in her ears picked up as she started walking again down the narrow, candlelit hall. Each mounted flame danced against the stony walls that were raw and bare, unlike any other polished and papered wall throughout the rest of the club.

Was she the type that was meant to be there?

There were three doors along the wall, she noticed. Each had a small window with an eerie light coming from inside. Careful not to step too loudly against the black marble tiles, she crept up on the first one and dared to peer in.

She could see a giant cage in the middle of the bare, concrete room. It reminded her of something you'd see large animals transported in, like tigers or bears. Inside, however, was not an animal, but a man in a latex mask and underwear with his arms outstretched and chained to opposite sides of the cage. Even more surprising, there was a leggy woman in a full latex bodysuit brandishing a whip while an equally beautiful yet masked woman stood in front with a long feather duster. Sakura watched for almost a full minute as they took turns tickling and whipping him, his moans and yelps muffled by the door.

Having seen enough of that trio, Sakura continued down to the next door. She slowly took to her toes to be able to see in and was instantly confused. In this room was a woman lying completely nude on a bed dressed in silken sheets. This would have been completely mundane by comparison to everything else she witnessed that night, but that wasn't the entire picture. There were three other people in the room with her, also completely nude, with the exception of the harnesses on their heads equipped with lit candelabras. As they danced around the horizontal beauty, they tilted their heads inward to drip splashes of wax across her otherwise flawless skin.

Sakura shook her head, completely caught off guard by the unexpected and peculiar. At this point she knew she was long past due to return to Neji, but she was dying to see what was in the last room. Another minute and she'd be done. Just one last peek and she'd go right back to him and say she took a wrong turn after all.

When she reached the last door, she noticed this one didn't have much light at all coming through the window like the others.

She stood on her toes as she did before and squinted to see better. It was a little hard to make sense of it, but there appeared to be a threesome of sorts in the early stages of engagement. There were two women half undressed in their bustiers and heels with a broad-shouldered man standing between him in slacks and a dress shirt. He had a striking body, but even more notable than that was the headpiece he had on - the bejeweled face and overexaggerated horns of a bull.

Unlike the much more common half-face masks guests were wearing, this one was an easy standout. The horns were long and black, the eyes comprised of bright, glittering stones. The man was flexing his hands at his side with obvious anticipation while the women took to unbuttoning his shirt and unzipping his pants. When the starched white fabric fluttered open and his sculpted torso came into sight, Sakura suddenly choked on her own breath.

Get out of there, her mind demanded, but her body was trapped in the vice grip of shock.

Her eyes widened and her fingernails clamped onto the window's ledge for dear life. She knew she needed to go, but she couldn't remember how to move. The sound of her heart banging in her head was deafening and her eyes remained unblinking as she took in all those little tattoos burned into her memory from that one night in her apartment and then that later one after the yacht happy hour.

She wished she hadn't let her curiosity get the better of her. She wanted to rewind time. She needed to go home.

A sliver of light shot towards her from the far end of the hall followed by a familiar voice. "There you are."

Hearing Neji's voice both relieved and terrified her. She quickly moved away from the door like a little kid caught stealing from the pantry and tried her best to put a bashful smile on to cover her panic.

"What are you doing all the way up here?" He seemed sincerely surprised but she couldn't help but sense a hint of irritation mixed in. Her palms started to sweat. She knew she should have just gone back instead of up the stairs.

"I-I just got curious and a little lost," she explained, her damp hands going to his chest in an effort to move them both back towards the velvet curtains.

Despite her effort, Neji remained cemented in place. His face was the very image of calm and it brought her anything but peace in that moment.

"Let me see what got you so curious," he answered, stepping around her.

She reached out to grab his arm, but knew there was no point. With her thoughts freshly sobered by adrenhaline, she reminded herself it made no difference if he saw in the playroom or not. Seeing that threesome wouldn't reveal the unexplainable heartache she was tormented by with only a trained smile in play to cover it up. She just really wanted to get out of there.

"You must be fucking kidding me, Sakura."

Her face snapped up in his direction when she heard his unexpected anger seeping out. Was watching others suddenly not okay? In her defense, she was far from expecting what she ended up seeing and -

"Were you looking for him this whole time?"

She felt her brain stall out. Did Neji recognize him, too? He knew Sasuke..? "What..?"

"Don't play dumb with me now, alright?" He turned to face her with anger raging in his pale eyes. "Of all the places to wander and get lost, you just so happened to find the playrooms where he was?"

"Neji, I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura defended, actually confused with what he was insinuating. Did Neji know Sasuke? Could he have recognized him by the tattoos as well? Worse, did he also know Sasuke knew her?

She took a step back just as Neji stood in front of her steaming.

"Look, here's the truth," Neji bit out with a huff. She braced herself for whatever he was about to tell her and was more certain than anything it wasn't going to be good.

"When we met back in that library, I recognized you by your pink hair and eyes immediately. I remembered you from a night a while back that we were both here at the club. I was just wandering around and you were with that guy who I know to be a regular."

Sakura shook her head, so many questions filling it to the brim. "I don't understand," she started out saying. "Why did you ask me out if you knew me from here? Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?"

He began to pace in front of her, his temper still fueling him in a way she hadn't seen before that night.

"I didn't want to scare you off," he offered as justification. "I figured it would be unsettling if I came right out and told you I knew you had been here when so much of the appeal is the anonymity."

Her arms crossed over her chest as she digested this. "Were you planning on ever telling me? Or was this all a ploy?"

"I liked you a lot, Sakura," he answered, dodging her question. "At first I thought we might have a short-lived thing, but the more I got to know you the more I saw this going somewhere… But here you are chasing down this guy, and I don't have time for this - I should have known better."

As he started to back away from her, Sakura couldn't believe what was happening.

"Are you leaving me?" She yelled at him as he made his way to the exit. He didn't respond. "Neji, answer me!"

He turned on his heel, a glare carved into his marblesque face. "I thought you were better than this."

Tears splattered onto the marble tiles beneath her as the curtain closed behind Neji. He had really walked out on he and wasn't coming back. All because she had gotten curious.

She sobbed into her hand alone in that dark hallway, her heart screaming in pain. Standing there in her silk dress and aching heels, she forced her tears to end their parade, because you know what? She knew Neji was right - she was better than that.

She shouldn't be crying over a man who had lied to her from the beginning and she shouldn't feel bad for simply looking around. All her life she was so disciplined and repressed by all the fucking rules and restraints put on her by her schooling, parents, society, and dumb boyfriends...but the worst offender was herself. She let herself get so chained down to a life others expected of her, a way of living she felt a world of pressure to maintain.

If she wandered off the prescribed path of living her life, would the rest of her world walk out on her, too?

She let out a final shuddered breath and wiped her runny nose with her arm.

She didn't care.

She was done doing what others expected of her, and more importantly, she wanted to let herself do what wasn't expected, which was exactly what she wanted.

---

Hands, nails, lips and tongues stroked his exposed skin, turning every patch into a pleasure center ready to erupt. The deep bass from the speakers set up in the room vibrated the air around them, only adding to the rush. He tried to enjoy the experience, every sensuous act the two women were performing for him, but he was growing impatient.

He was hungry.

Starving.

He just wanted to fuck.

He needed them to come.

When a hand clawed at the waistband of his underwear, he was practically salivating behind the mask. It was just about time for him to get to work. The more eager of the women opened her mouth and stuck out a long, pink tongue, her head dipping down to take him in when -

SLAM!

The door to the playroom swung open out of nowhere, completely stunning the two women and even Sasuke himself. He usually locked it to avoid any outside distractions, but in his impatient state must have forgotten that time.

He was so close to getting what he needed, murder was not entirely out of the question for whoever was to blame for the unwelcome disturbance. But once he caught sight of a familiar pink head of hair and fiery green eyes, he could only stare in disbelief.

"What the fuck, we're busy!" One of the women snapped.

Sakura seemed unphased, her face framing an angered glare.

"Get out," she ordered.

"Excuse me?" The other woman, the one who was about to suck off Sasuke countered. "Who the fuck do you -"

"GET. OUT..!"

Her yell boomed in an echo around the room. It was completely unexpected by the two ladies, and even less so by Sasuke. They looked at each other as though to weigh their joint decision and ultimately decided it wasn't worth fighting over. He didn't move an inch as the pair collected their scattered clothes and brushed past Sakura to leave. His blood boiled under the surface and he could feel himself trembling with rage. Who did she think she was? Why was she there? How was she there? As these questions surfaced, he quickly brushed them aside, since knowing any of that wouldn't change the fact that she just ruined his chance at quieting his curse.

Un-fucking-believable.

Sasuke felt his self-control cracking, his ability to maintain any sort of order within himself crumbling. He practically flew to Sakura's side and pinned her to the nearest wall with a trembling hand at her throat.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" He hissed, his voice muffled behind the mask but his anger clear as day.

"Do you know what you've done?" She responded, practically spitting. "I just got fucking dumped because of you!"

Sakura was still glaring at him, but up close Sasuke could see the gloss on her eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks. If it were any other circumstance, he would have asked what had happened, but right then he was only seeing red.

He released her throat to shove off and move to the other side of the room to create some distance between them before he did anything he'd later regret. His hands tore at the headpiece and ripped it off, sending it flying against the farthest wall. When he looked over at her, he could tell by the quick shift in her expression that she wasn't expecting to see his eyes as bright and red as he knew they were. She looked afraid.

"I've done nothing but mind my own business, Sakura. Don't blame me for whatever bullshit you got yourself into."

She looked away for a moment in what looked to be an effort to compose herself before turning back to face him again. He expected to see the old Sakura, emotional but not irrational, but that was not at all what he got. That fire was still in her eyes, and it was spreading.

He didn't know what to make of her then as she marched up to him with a palpable combination of both resentment and fear. His spine straightened and jaw locked. She was so close and his senses were so heightened, he could almost taste the heat coming off of her in waves.

Why was she there? What did she want?

As though to read his mind, she answered.

"I want you to fuck me."

Red eyes widened as he looked down at this woman he had secretly grown so fond of yet had to push away to protect them both for a fair share of reasons, and didn't know what to do. He knew what he needed to do before he succumbed to a grim fate, but was it right to use Sakura to do so, knowing how against it she was? This was an emotional whim he was witnessing, wasn't it?

But she was there, right there in front of him, asking for it. For him.

She said she wanted it, so shouldn't he believe her?

His body wanted more than anything to, but he couldn't help but question this sudden shift.

A hand fisted in the top half of his unbuttoned shirt pulled his attention back to reality. He could sense Sakura had no intention of being deterred and he himself was fighting an uphill battle with his curse.

"Sasuke, come on," she groaned, tugging on the fabric again.

He reached up to clasp a hand on hers, his glowing eyes locking onto her green ones.

"Is this really what you want?" Even as he asked this, he could feel every inch of his body stand at attention for a response.

Her chest heaved as she got ready to speak again, the weight of the consequences clearly heavy in her mind.

"Yes," she eventually breathed. "I want this."

His heart rate picked up, his entire body engaged.

She asked for him to fuck her and he knew he was going to do just that.

Without another word, Sasuke took a few long strides to the door and closed it on them, remembering this time to lock it as well. He was burning all over, the anticipation raging after not only having to wait so long to satisfy his needs, but also the chance he thought he'd never have to touch Sakura again. His legs couldn't move fast enough to get back to her, afraid if he missed his chance, he'd wake up only to realize it was all just a cruel dream.

But when he stood there once again with her just inches away and pulled her face to his, he knew there was no way he was sleeping. It was real.

It was actually happening.

If it weren't for the parasitic need threatening to drive him to madness, he would have taken the time to savor her soft lips and the way her small hands gripped his biceps to steady herself. He didn't have that luxury, though. He was starving, every cell screaming for her sexual energy. He was ready to gorge himself until she was unable to even stand straight.

Sakura moaned against him as he continued to mesh his lips to hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth to taste her again after so long. She was already so wound up and exuding such strong aroused energy he felt as though he had stumbled across a cool spring after trekking through miles of an endless desert - and they were only kissing.

He couldn't help but groan as she moved her hands to his chest, running them up and down his pectorals with her nails leaving ghostly lines on his skin. As addictive as it felt, he couldn't feed off his own pleasure. He needed her to feel it in order to satisfy his demons. Lacing his fingers through her soft hair, he tilted her head back to gain even deeper access to her mouth while his other hand slid to her hip and then gripped her ass with an open palm.

"S-Sasuke," she breathed as he moved his mouth to her throat, her balance almost entirely dependent on his hold on her. He could feel her pulse quickening under his tongue and bit the delicate flesh to elicit a yelp. His reward for the impulsive bite was a small burst of delicious energy, a welcome surprise.

"You like a little bit of pain with your pleasure?" He whispered in her ear before running his tongue up the shell of it and delivering another nip.

Her hands were back on his open shirt, fisting it once again. He grinned as he peered over at her face, her features scrunched up as he started to get to work exploring her pleasure hot spots. Getting such a strong reaction from such a small act as that made him almost salivate.

Her grip tightened as he leaned her back further so he could run his nose and the tip of his tongue down her neck and chest. His hands were splayed across her back and ass, but she still adjusted her stance to steady herself just as he had anticipated. He grinned against her collarbone as he felt her straddling his thigh that slipped right into place.

"You seem so sensitive, Sakura," he teased, lifting his scarlet gaze to meet hers. With a shift of his weight, he pressed his thigh straight into her crotch, the heat instantly burning through her silk dress and onto his skin. Her lips formed an 'o' as he started to rock against her to create some friction. "How long have you been repressing this desire?"

"A little while," she admitted, her assertive fire from before knocked aside by his expert targeting of her senses. His haunting grin only deepened.

"Hn," Sasuke watched her closely as he moved again under her heat. "This feels like more than a little."

While she stumbled over her words to explain herself, he let go of her ass to hike up her dress to her waist and then fit his leg back into place.

"I want you to show me how long you've been wanting this."

Her face flooded with color and he basked in her flustered state, fully amused. He held his burning gaze steady on her face as she struggled to decide how to respond to his request. Even though that anxiousness was not feeding him, he still took pleasure in making her blush.

Sakura was clearly struggling between her ego and desires, but when she eventually looked her incubus friend in the eye again, he could see she was ready to indulge the latter.

She was a vision as her eyes fluttered closed when the pleasure started to heat up between them. Her hips lowered down on his thigh and her hands continued to crumple his shirt in her hold. At first she was timid, but the second she felt the shudder-inducing waves of pleasure brought on by the friction in her control, she couldn't stop.

"Good girl," he purred in her ear, drinking in her pleasure as her juices soaked through to his leg. "Now tell me again what it is you want now."

Aside from the deep beats of the music playing around them, it was quiet. She was biting her lip and averting her eyes to his chest while she receded into her mind. Sasuke didn't say anything, simply opting to wait. He enjoyed the little tasting of the energy she offered him and was absolutely not about to spoil the opportunity to devour the full feast he was more than ready to get his fill from.

"I want you in me, Sasuke," she confessed, her voice not much louder than before, but entirely clear.

He felt a shiver roll down his spine and let his grin curl again at his lips. "Then that's exactly what you're going to get."

Sakura gasped as he lifted her up against his chest with his hand under the back of her thigh so he could walk her to the bed freshly made for his use that night. As he tossed the young woman back onto the black sheets, he couldn't help but wonder if he would have preferred their first time together to be any different - possibly at his apartment after a nice dinner, maybe hers. Would there even be a second time?

He shook the thoughts from his head as he drank in the image of her fair-skinned form splayed out before him, her shoulder-length pink hair like a pastel halo and her face and chest rivaling the hue with a strong blush glowing.

Not wasting a second more, he stalked closer so he could place his hands on her ankles and run them up her shins, her knees, slipping under the bunched hem of her dress to her thighs and finally her underwear.

She winced as he ripped them from her hips with a swift jerk of his hands. He could see her riling up to complain, but stopped her with a quick slip of his two fingers inside her slick opening. Her eyes glazed over instantly.

"You're dripping wet, Sakura, did you know that?" He asked, curling and twisting his fingers inside her. Her pungent arousal struck him as he kneeled at the end of the bed to get a closer look at her dripping opening. He inhaled deeply and felt his cock strain against the fabric of his underwear.

"Stop, Sasuke," she pleased, her arm shooting up to shield her eyes. "You're embarrassing me, just give it to me already."

The trickling stream of arousal slowed. His smirk faded and he reached over her to grab the blocking arm.

"Don't be embarrassed. I can't consume shame."

She blinked up at him and watched him slowly return to her hips, his fingers still hooked inside of her. He continued stroking her inner walls then and judging just by the hitch in her breath, he knew he found the right patch of flesh that would bring her to the edge.

"S-Saah!" She cried out, the sensations building and pleasure flowing freely again. He brought his thumb to her swollen clit and began circling it like a shark around its prey. He licked his lips, the buildup inside her possibly exciting him more than her.

"That's it, baby, good girl," he praised, pleased to find it was only bringing her closer to her climax. He kept his gaze locked on hers, watching the storm of emotions raging. When she was teetering on the edge, he felt his heart pounding waiting for her to take the plunge.

"Come for me, Sakura."

Her inner muscles clamped on his digits with a vice grip as her orgasm flooded her entire body. The resulting pleasure then saturated every cell in Sasuke's body, causing him to gasp in response to the bathing energy nourishing him.

"Mmm," he hummed, careful as he retracted his drenched fingers from her. Feeling a little smug, he made sure she was watching him again as he sucked her juices off his hand.

"Sasuke..!" She whined. "Was that really necessary?"

He really got too much of a kick out of her reactions.

That said, her reactions didn't fill him up like her orgasm did.

And he still needed more.

He stood between her knees bent over the edge of the bed and began to pull his confining underwear down his legs until he could kick them off to the side. Finally free of the fabric, his erection stood hard as steel between them.

Still coming down from her orgasm, Sasuke knew she was not only fairly drained from him consuming her energy, but as drained as anyone would be from as powerful of an orgasm as the one Sasuke conjured from within her.

"I would be hard-pressed to believe that when you said you wanted me in you that you meant my fingers," he smirked, a lazy hand stroking his thick length.

Sakura couldn't seem to take her eyes off his newly revealed cock and he wondered with a sliver of concern what was going through her head. He was fairly average in the length department, but his girth tended to require some light stretching from anyone who hoped to engage with him. Overall, he knew he was working with some heavy-duty equipment.

Allowing her a moment to collect herself, Sasuke strolled over to the nearby credenza against the wall and plucked a condom from the bronze bowl on top of it.

"Ready for me?" He asked, rolling the rubber down.

She looked nervous and had closed her legs. "I'm not sure," she admitted.

"Not sure?" He echoed.

He just finger-fucked her to oblivion, so he was at loss as to what her issue was, on top of he himself being just straight up horny.

"I know, I know," she quickly answered, sitting up suddenly. "I just…I don't do this often."

"Do what often?" He picked up his underwear up off the floor and held them loosely in front of his stubborn erection as he got closer. "Barge in on a threesome and demand to be fucked?"

She looked away immediately. "I mean have casual sex with friends. And I'm not even sure if we're friends anymore."

Sasuke took a breath and summoned his patience as he reached for her chin to bring her face back into view. "We can go back to being whatever you want after this."

After the words left his mouth, he was suddenly questioning how much of that he meant. Judging by her expression, Sakura was as well.

"I'd like for us to be friends again," she answered. There was a strange cadence to how she said it, but he decided that wasn't important to dwell on in that moment.

"Friends, it is," he confirmed. His thumb moved up to her bottom lip and stroked the pillowy flesh. "But for right now, I want to be two people who want to fuck."

She blushed and nodded, bringing a devilish smirk back to his face. He leaned over to kiss her again, his lips no less hungry than the first time, but she was more assertive this time around.

Their torsos were quickly flush together as Sasuke stepped back in between Sakura's legs. She reached up to cup one of his cheeks and thread her other hand through his midnight locks. Pleased with her forward behavior, he grinned against her lips and guided her back down and farther onto the bed.

He tossed his underwear back to the floor and wasted no time in climbing up on top of her. She was panting, the pleasured energy starting to trickle out of her again. His fingers gently stroked her slick entrance a few times, checking to make sure she was still plenty wet to help him enter her.

"Ready?" He asked, his heavy cock in hand at her entrance.

When she nodded, he pressed his tip in between her wet folds and began to sink in.

---

Sakura was no stranger to penetration. Her bedside table had not one, but three sex toys she turned to on those occasional nights when she was simply too pent up with stress or frisky from some wine and needed an easy release.

Most of the time, she opted for a handheld suction toy that was the next best thing to having oral performed by an angel (or devil), but every so often she craved to feel something deeper. That's where her dildo came in. It was a respectable seven inches in length, more than she needed, but curved to perfection. That paired with her bullet vibrator worked like a dream.

Despite her private experiences, when she caught sight of what Sasuke was working with under his boxer briefs, she suddenly grew lightheaded. He was easily about the size of her dildo, but almost twice as thick. All her confidence and excitement stalled like a dog on a chain, the unexpected surprise creating an opportunity for her to overthink the situation.

Was she wet enough for him to enter comfortably? Would she be able to stretch enough to fit him without tearing? Did other women manage to take him without issue or did he learn to ease in at the right pace?

She thought back to a few past after-hour horror stories involving human jack hammers and self-proclaimed sex gods whose only claim to fame should have been a wall of shame. Sure, Sasuke proved to be beyond talented with those damned fingers of his, but did he have a comparable technique for his fat friend?

As he hovered over her, his eyes swirling like red lava, she couldn't help but find ironic comfort in the fact that he was cursed to be an incubus - something she never imagined she'd find herself saying. Being such that he was, he was tuned into her pleasure in a way no other partner could be. Taking this into consideration, she knew this would be different. Or at least...she really hoped it would be.

When he started pressing against her, her breath caught. The euphoric sensation of him entering her made it impossible not to moan, her voice cracking as she felt her walls stretching, quivering, inviting Sasuke farther in. He rocked into her with the rhythm of the unstoppable ocean, both powerful and hypnotic.

"How does that fat cock feel in you?"

She shivered and blushed in response to the crude question. The dirtiest thing Kiba had ever said to her while they were together was something about how hot her ass looked from behind, and Neji was more of a 'sweet nothings' type of guy. Beyond that, no one except for the predictable porn stars she'd hear during a solo session of her own had prepared her for Sasuke's affinity for making dirty talk such a signature element in the bedroom...or playroom.

And no, she wasn't mad about it.

"It feels so good, Sasuke," she admitted as her body bounced with every thrust.

"Hn," he grunted, not sounding all happy with her answer for some reason. Her brow furrowed as she looked at his face next to hers. "I'll have to do better, then."

Before she could even ask what he had in mind, he thrusted once more before pushing himself onto his knees and almost immediately after threw her calves up against his shoulders and re-entered her.

She looked up at him with surprise as he went right back to work, only now he was rubbing directly against that same bundle of nerves he found with his fingers moments earlier. She bit her lip in an attempt to control her face as he worked his magic inside her again and was quickly distracted by her perfect view of his gorgeous body against hers.

"You've got such a greedy little pussy," he commented, his face smug and eyes still aflame. "It keeps sucking me back in every time I pull out."

For someone who was generally a man of few words, he really did have a lot to say as he was fucking her.

As her pleasure started to build inside, his hand reached down to her wet folds and found her engorged clit with ease. Sakura's eyes rolled back in her head as he started drawing circles around and on it while he continued to push his hips into her over and over again. She felt herself slacken against the bed and let him hold her legs up with seemingly little effort.

"Oh my god, Sasuke," she breathed. "You're getting me close again!"

"I can tell, you're getting even wetter down here, nice and messy for me."

She could feel her skin heating again at the comment, but her body was also responding in another way. She was getting even more turned on, much to her surprise.

"Does your pussy ever get this excited for anyone else?"

The question was unexpected, but so was mostly everything else that night. She shook her head, finding it hard to form words while she was approaching her second climax of the evening. He started angling his hips a little differently and she felt her mouth fall open as the sensations intensified. Hardly a minute later, her vision faded to white as her orgasm hijacked all her senses and left her pulsing and practically shaking. She thought they were done, but Sasuke only quickened his pace, amplifying her sensations until he grunted, and she could tell he had climaxed as well. Gradually his movements slowed to a stop and the only sounds left were the beats of the music and their breathing.

"Good girl," she could hear Sasuke whispering to her, his soft lips kissing her legs as he gently lowered them on either side of himself.

"What was that?" She asked after she was able to speak moments later, Sasuke a few feet away pulling his underwear back on. She wanted to sit up, but her body felt like a sack of lead.

"A really satisfying couple of orgasms, I'd hope."

She watched him make his way back to the credenza and slide it open, revealing rows of waters and sports drinks. He plucked out a few of the latter and returned to her side.

"Do you need help sitting up?"

When she realized she actually did need help, she struggled to fight the panic stirring up inside. He had brought her to orgasm. Twice. He absorbed her energy - her precious life force. Energy she couldn't get back.

Before she could dive deeper into her mental rabbithole, a pair of hands were sliding under her shoulders and pushing her up into a sitting position. Sasuke then moved up onto the bed in his wrinkled shirt and underwear to crack open one of the drinks for her.

"You'll feel a lot better after you get some electrolytes in you."

"Thanks."

They spent the next minute hydrating, one basking in their newfound energy and the other trying to find the strength to stand. Sakura looked over at the man who was just inside her moments earlier and felt an unexpected pang in her heart. She could never deny how incredible it was to have Sasuke bring her that euphoria not just once but twice, but that was now in the past.

As was her relationship with Neji.

She felt a wave of sadness crash over her and was disappointed in herself for feeling blindsided by it. Having just been dumped by the man she truly thought was a sincere, wonderful man and then harboring the knowledge that she royally fucked up any chance of rebuilding a friendship with Sasuke - it was a lot.

Sure, he said they could be friends again after the sex, but she knew that was a rookie mistake. Either you fuck or you don't, and if you do, you keep fucking as friends with benefits - until that falls apart. She wasn't thinking with her head when she barged into the playroom, but there was nothing she could do about that. All she could do was welcome the consequences and lie in them.

She tore her eyes away from Sasuke, the bright scarlet notably dimmed to an onyx black. It was hurting her just to look at him. What was even supposed to happen next? Would he invite her back out to the main space for a drink? Offer to get her a car home? The idea of dragging out her internal torment with her clear head now back in control made her sick. She just needed to go home.

Her legs trembled at first when her feet hit the ground, but she eventually found her balance and was able to somewhat smooth out her dress.

"I'm going to head out," she announced, reaching down to check on her heel straps.

Sasuke stood up as she started heading for the door. "Wait a minute," he called to her. His hand clasped onto her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "You can't just walk out like that."

Sakura held her breath, afraid if she exhaled a new batch of tears would escape as well.

"I want to go home now," she managed to say, still facing the door.

She could feel his grip tighten on her.

"You're upset," he said definitively. "You're upset we had sex."

"It's been a really long night, Sasuke," she explained, her free hand dabbing at her eyes before she turned to face him. "I just really need to go home."

His fingers eventually slackened and she took the opportunity to slip her wrist from his hold. Black heels clacked against concrete floors as she made her way to the door and fiddled with the lock. Just as she pushed the door open, Sasuke called to her one last time.

"Sakura," his voice echoed. "I just want you to know I wasn't just using you. We're friends."

She could only nod at the use of the term. Friends.

As she walked out, that word she knew would inevitably need to be forsaken echoed in her mind. It followed her down the elevator, sat next to her in the cab, and haunted her apartment as soon as she opened the door. She wanted it to stop, to exorcise this demonic dilemma from her life. But she couldn't. Not while the tangled heartache had her in its clutches.

At least before that night, Sasuke was out in a grey space between being friends and not while she was dating Neji. There wasn't a definitive end to their friendship, but instead an unclear pause. But now that she had crossed the line between friends and fuck buddies, she felt farther from what they had together than she had while with Neji.

But was that even what she wanted, to go back to that friendship?

Or something more?

She pulled her sheets up to her neck and flipped off her bedside lamp.

It really didn't matter. She had taken a bite from the forbidden fruit and now had to face the consequences. She now had a taste for what it was like to be with Sasuke in such an intimate manner and couldn't give it back.

She had that damned bite from the fruit and now had to face the reality that she couldn't bask in her ignorance in Eden. She had banned herself and now had to go back to the world.

Alone.

---

Okay, give it to me straight - did you see that big old turn of events coming this chapter? I'm dying to get some feedback and really hope you enjoyed it, I had fun writing it and hope that came through. I tried out a switch in POV as well, so also wanna know if that was a hit or miss... Thanks once again for reading and looking forward to chatting with you all in the PMs soon! xoxo