Chapter 9
For several long minutes, Sakura feared the worst upon waking. She sincerely believed that it had all been a brutally convincing dream.
The overpowering scent that was all theirs grounded her back down to reality, however, and Sakura smiled widely while burying her face further into the pillows, the movement prompting the arm hanging lax around her waist to drag her closer and stealing her breath away at the lazy pressing of their hips.
She was seriously in Uchiha Shisui's bed.
He'd really asked her to be his girlfriend only a few hours ago.
Try as she might there was no hiding how pleased the recollection made her.
It was so much more than she ever could have imagined it being and Sakura was fairly certain that she was in a permanent state of utter bliss. The sensation only doubled at Shisui's shuffling closer so that he could fit his body around hers, breathing out a pleased sigh when she teasingly pushed back against him.
Uchiha Shisui – Uchiha fucking Shisui who she worked with – had quite literally fucked her senseless.
How was any of this even real?
Realising that Shisui was possibly still sleeping when the arm around her grew lax once again, Sakura slipped out from beneath him and nabbed her toothbrush and body wash. Luckily, it was the first couple of items in her bag and rather than wasting time, she left the whole thing unzipped so that once she was done cleaning herself up in the bathroom five minutes later, she managed to toss them back inside carelessly.
Sakura shuffled back onto the bed feeling clean and refreshed, though took a moment to appreciate the fine specimen of a man before her. Clearly well sated from their rounds earlier that day, Shisui slept like a baby with his face now nestled into the pillows without her there, body completely relaxed. And speaking of body… Sakura sighed appreciatively and was unable to deny the longing stirring within her.
At work and in uniform, she'd always known that Shisui was muscular. He was a buff guy who could easily handle or manoeuvre their residents but seeing him utterly bare before her now put all her fantasies to shame, for nothing could compare.
The cold reminder of their final shift of the week being a few hours away had Sakura's gaze sweeping around the room until she finally spotted her jacket laying carelessly on the ground. As quietly as possible, she searched through the pockets until she had her phone, comforting herself massively while climbing back into bed at the realisation that they had four more hours until work. Just the thought of being able to lay in Shisui's arms a little while longer brought a wide and happy grin to her face, completely unperturbed by the task of setting four alarms in two hours' time (just to be on the safe side).
Muscles flexed around her enticingly once she was settled, lulling her back into relaxation with their warm embrace. Sadly, sleep refused to return to her and she speculated it was down to the invitingly naked body curled around hers – not even speculation, for just feeling his skin on hers had Sakura heating up dramatically.
Ten minutes worth of fidgeting eventually caused the arm beneath her head to be gently retracted, though Sakura pretended to simply be a restless sleeper to give Shisui the chance to use the bathroom, just in case he was similar to herself and self-conscious about morning breath or not feeling fresh in general. And she was glad to be proven right when he eventually returned smelling like toothpaste and fruity shower gel and almost completely dried.
"I know you're awake," he accused in a sinful voice she totally wasn't prepared to hear, and that shock of arousal to the system only doubled when strong arms came around her without a second of hesitation.
Well, Sakura supposed she hadn't really been all that sneaky, though was grateful that Shisui hadn't shown any annoyance to her fidgeting and using her phone.
Deciding to tease him for a little while longer and see how riled up she could make him, Sakura bit her lip and remained floppy, playing up being asleep.
"Sakura-chan~" Shisui murmured lowly against her neck, dragging his lips across the sensitive skin in the same moment as he cupped her breast in one hand, the other busy drifting down her stomach. "You can't wake me up in such a way only to pretend to be asleep."
Of course, only an idiot would buy that shitty acting.
"Or what?" she quietly teased in return, smirking.
A mischievous hum had her shuddering from the vibrations close to her ear, and she felt his smirk stretching against her neck, his minty breath moistening the sensitive skin. "I'd have to teach you a lesson," he whispered in such a wicked way that it had her thighs pressing together tellingly.
Before she even realised what she was doing, Sakura was turning in his arms and meeting Shisui's lips hungrily, body undulating against his at the sensation of his nakedness pressing up on hers. A thigh was instantly caught and lifted over his hip, both their breathing growing shaky and sounding more like pants for breath due to their unhurried grinding.
"How do you want your punishment for teasing me?" asked Shisui, the whisper into her ear sending pleasurable shivers down her spine. "So gentle you lose your mind needing more? So rough you can't even walk later?"
Could she really say one of her fantasies? Could she open herself up to his laughing at her? Who was to say that he would even laugh at her? Sakura cursed herself for such paranoid thoughts and struggled ferociously to banish them before they tainted the moment.
Swallowing hard, she replied with one of the tamer ones, "I want you to ruin me."
His smirk was downright sinful. "It would be an honour."
It didn't take him long to have her ready for him, fingers tireless in their pumping and leaving her a soaked mess on his bed while he kicked away the covers impatiently. The string of condoms they'd snatched from her bag only a few hours before lay on the nightstand, begging that they put them to use once more and Shisui wasted no time in sliding one on, eyes locked on hers hungrily.
"You wanted doggy style earlier, right?" he goaded as he effortlessly manoeuvred her into said position.
Shit, she thought weakly, hips restless at the heat that blanketed over her back, at the prodding of his blunt tip.
"I'll show you why this position drives me crazy," he whispered into her ear, hand smoothing down her spine to bend it to his will.
Insanity. It was downright insanity how he felt even deeper than their previous rounds and she instantly arched her back further, eager to feel every thick inch she was gifted with as Shisui slowly pressed inside of her, breathing out a relieved groan once he reached the base of his already throbbing cock.
"You ready?" he murmured, voiced laced with barely contained lust.
It turned out she wasn't ready. In the slightest. And Sakura quickly found herself crying out into the mattress as her body naturally responded to the rough jerking of his hips, arms giving out and callously dropping her upper half until it was flat to his bed, allowing Shisui to hit deeper. And just when Sakura thought it couldn't get any more intense, he reached for her weak arms and held them behind her back, using them to increase the strength behind his thrusts.
Both arms were easily scooped up into a single hand and Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, mouth open but unable to voice just how much she was loving the rough treatment.
Sex was amazing before, but now… Holy shit, he had the best momentum and was, for lack of better word, slamming into her with such a raw passion. Squirming beneath him was impossible, for he angled her hips in such a way that allowed him to keep hitting that same spot deep inside of her. It was a constant assault that was already making Sakura see stars, her body tingling brilliantly.
"Please d-don't stop," she begged in an almost sob just as one arm slipped from his grasp to allow her to hold onto the headboard for stability, uncaring that her constant regripping of it and pulling on it made the pillow slip from behind it. The repeated banging on the wall didn't even register in her mind, couldn't when her nipples were dragging along the bed and creating a magnificent friction that complemented Shisui's thrusts perfectly. "Please, Shisui. I'm so, so close. Please…!"
"Fuck, keep begging," he growled.
She couldn't find it in herself to be embarrassed by the order. Instead, she did exactly as he demanded by begging shamelessly that he brought her to completion and was rewarded by a hand slipping up to her hair, dragging her backwards into a smooth arch. But then that other hand shocked the hell out of her by releasing her arm to come down harshly on her ass, causing Sakura to jolt as she heard the resounding smack long before she even felt it. Even then, it wasn't unpleasant. Somehow, it added to the building orgasm, giving it that extra something that she hadn't realised was missing.
With her hair still wound around his fist, Shisui once more covered her back with his body, other hand instantly seeking out her clitoris to grant it some of his unforgiving treatment. She was crying out helplessly in moments, incredibly thankful for the unyielding grip that kept her head back until Shisui decided to yank her head to the side so that he could kiss her deeply, tongue eagerly exploring and appreciating hers.
Gods, she barely even lasted half a minute. All senses were beautifully overwhelmed by everything that was Shisui – her drowning in his scent, the electric feel of his skin on hers, tasting him, seeing the intense concentration in his pleasured grimace, hearing him.
Fuck, she loved hearing him!
His moan cut off midway with a harsh exhale, hands twitching as he brought her to him a final time and keeping them pressed tightly together. Even if she wanted to, Sakura couldn't move, the tremors that wracked her legs too powerful to be overcome. Not even Shisui could subdue them and he choked on a gasp as she continuously shifted on his way too sensitive length.
Sex was never like that for her. Ever. The dirtiest doggy style ever got for her was… Actually, it didn't. In the past it was a rare position to happen.
Sakura's forehead dropped to the mattress weakly when Shisui eventually pulled out of her, ears damn near ringing because of the blood rushing and pulsating behind them and effectively drowning his movements out. It wasn't until he returned to her that she even realised he'd disposed of the condom and although knowing he was there, she flinched at his tender caress, tingling skin still too sensitive.
"We still have over three hours to kill before work," Shisui pointed out, pressing a kiss to her shoulder before giving her the space her recovering body needed. It wasn't until she was dropping to her side with a relieved groan and stretching out her legs that he asked, "Want to go for dinner? My treat."
"Both times we've gone out have been your treat," mumbled Sakura with a playful accusation.
More than anything, she didn't want to be a taker in their relationship – she wanted to treat him too, to make it equal between them and make him happy.
"You want to pay?" he questioned, amused.
Sakura hummed and raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze warmly. "Why not?"
"In every past relationship of mine, not once did the girl offer to pay for anything," came his chuckled response. Leaning back against the headboard that was no longer protected from the wall (she supposed that should really be the other way around), Shisui admired her body unashamedly and she couldn't deny that she liked his attention. Shrugging suddenly, he added, "Granted, it never came up in conversation, but-"
"But why should you be put on the spot of bringing it up?" she asked. "Why should one person be the sole giver?"
Like Shisui could sense the building annoyance that possessed the potential of powering up an epic rant, his hand came to the top of her head to give her already messy hair an affectionate ruffle, effectively dragging Sakura out of the souring mood.
"I'd love for you to buy me dinner," he told her playfully.
Satisfied, she smiled and snuggled further into the messy bedding, giving her legs a few extra restless shifts before they gradually started to feel normal once more.
Then, quietly and with raging cheeks, Sakura told him, "…I can see why that position drives you crazy."
Shisui chuckled at that and settled himself down beside her, reading her cues before deciding it was okay to touch her again. To confirm that it was okay, Sakura shifted closer and even dared to ease a thigh over his hip, shyly meeting his tender gaze.
"I don't know why it does it to me," he said, chuckling again. "Although I have to say, it's never affected me that much before."
Really? "You're not just saying that to appease me, right?"
Shaking his head and gliding a hand down her thigh, Shisui admired her curves without a shred of shame, and she thrived under his appreciative stare, unable to look away from him.
"I've never really cared for begging during sex or talking in general," Shisui admitted, sounding more sheepish than before. That was until he met her gaze once more with his own growing lidded as he recalled, "But hearing you moan like that was insane."
Sakura could feel the blush reach all the way down to her chest, much to his evident amusement.
"So, dinner?" she questioned shyly, willing away the blush.
"Give me ten," requested Shisui, warm eyes sliding shut happily. "I don't want to move."
Those ten minutes stretched into forty-five minutes, though neither of them particularly minded as they remained there. Limbs tangled and lethargic, they shared chaste kisses and tender caresses that had Sakura melting into him, hands running through his wild curls fondly. Much to her happiness, that didn't stop even as they dragged themselves into the bathroom to replace dried sweat and their shared musk with fruity soap and freshness.
She still couldn't believe that any of it was real.
The only time they allowed themselves to separate was to dress for work, and she sighed happily when Shisui swiped a hairdryer out of Itachi's bathroom to dry her hair with. "As long as I put it back in its exact place, there won't be an issue," he'd chuckled while handing it over.
It was as she was just about finished with drying it that she heard his snort of amusement after reading something on his phone, and Sakura spared a glance over at Shisui, eyebrow raising curiously.
"Turns out Itachi was home an hour ago," he told her with a faint blush dusting his cheeks that worked to lower her own embarrassment somewhat. "I think hearing me rail the most beautiful woman in Konoha made him a little uncomfortable."
Numbly, she allowed Shisui to take the hairdryer and watched quietly as he carefully wound up the wire without any overlaps or twists. Had she not been as embarrassed as she was, Sakura would have questioned why. Alas, she was blushing way too hard – her entire body feeling red hot. Swallowing, she tried to push it aside and said, "Then maybe you should–"
"Deal."
"Deal? You didn't even let me finish."
"Ah but I know you can't wait for more, Sakura-Chan," he murmured with a wink, carefully placing down the hairdryer so the wire wasn't disturbed.
"How the hell could you possibly know that?" she demanded with a furious blush.
Leaning closer and causing a shiver when his fingers ran across her thighs, spreading them, he whispered, "I'm the only one who's made you cum during sex."
"The only…" Chuckling, she caught his head as it lowered, meeting his mischievous stare with a mock scowl. "I've only been with two people including you, y'know!"
Shisui grinned at that and took advantage of her hold to press his lips to hers, murmuring fondly, "Aa. I know."
Fortunately for her sake (because she sincerely didn't think she could handle seeing him after he'd heard her getting screwed senseless), Itachi had made himself scarce long before they left for work and saved them from the awkward small talk that would have no doubt killed her.
They stashed their bags in his car as they left and set out with barely two hours to go until work. Similar to the night before, they were in their ordinary clothes and she mentally thanked her best friend and roommate for packing something comfortable yet stylish. Although Shisui was now her boyfriend, she knew he wouldn't be ready to see her in the optimum level of comfort. She was talking sweats, hair unwashed and shoved up with one of those unflattering headbands, not face masks but odd patches of cream on troublesome areas, surrounded by crumbs and snacks and generally being an all-round slob. He definitely wasn't ready for that.
It was relatively empty at the bar when they arrived and while the place that she chose for dinner was hardly up to the level of where they ate the night before, the food was just as great – the most important factor, Sakura believed, although that could have just been Choji's influence on her.
A local band played as they ate, soon bringing more custom to the bar and she found that she wasn't the only one to be reluctant when they had to leave, smiling widely in thanks when Shisui made sure to grab the band's name. Her go to was usually pop or hip-hop mainly because it was what she grew up with and continued to dance to, but Sakura liked to believe she was open to new sounds.
"So you're into this kind of music?" she asked curiously when they pulled up outside of work, lowering her phone from browsing through the album. He'd given her full control of the aux lead during the drive.
Like the night before, the area was bathed in darkness and she relished in the comfort the privacy gifted them with. It allowed her to accept the hand that reached for hers without fear of being caught, though she found those nervous butterflies making a swift reappearance now that they'd returned to reality.
They were in a relationship.
"Mostly," came his softened reply. "I usually prefer any kind of faster paced music."
"For motivation while working out?" she guessed.
He grinned. "That predictable?"
"I'd like to say it's just me getting to know you," Sakura said with a chuckle, eyes creasing. Then, to tease him just a little, she added, "I really like that you keep me on my toes."
Catching on instantly, he hummed warmly, "Oh?" The hand she was holding flipped hers to expose her wrist, and Sakura was entranced by the gentleness of Shisui's touch as he grazed his fingertips up the shockingly sensitive area of skin. She'd never found such a place ticklish before. "I'd say you're the one keeping me on my toes, Sakura-chan. I never would've pegged you as the type to enjoy rough sex."
Holy shit–
She ducked her head to hide the blush, thankful for the darkness they'd chosen to sit in to keep their privacy for a short while longer. How could he be so open with such subjects? Gods, she wished she had just a fraction of his confidence!
"What did you think my type was?" she questioned, biting the inside of her cheek at the meeting of their gazes once more.
The tickling continued languidly up and down her wrist, repeatedly threatening to steal her attention away from whatever his reply was about to be, and Sakura swallowed at the belated realisation that somehow (she didn't even understand how) his ministrations were turning her on. Or was that the conversation? Would she ever figure it out? She highly doubted it, especially upon noticing his impish smirk.
"Sensitive," Shisui murmured knowingly in a considerably lower tone and leaned closer, fingers drifting higher until they met the crook of her elbow, effectively breaking her skin out in goosebumps. "Accepting." Unable to look away from the heat in his eyes, she felt her lips part purely out of instinct, her mind only catching up with what her body wanted several moments later. "Gentle. You're a hopeless romantic, after all."
It wasn't a shock to discover he knew that about her already. When working twelve hour night shifts with just one other person (who was of course open to a friendship also), it was impossible not to learn a great deal about them. From her reactions to hearing about the residents' pasts and stories to the movies they often played in the background between checks, it was perhaps one of the easiest parts of her personality to pin down.
"Are you disappointed?" she asked, clearly teasing.
"Hell no," Shisui said with a low chuckle. "You're still sensitive, accepting and gentle, but I enjoyed finding out it didn't stop there." Smirk widening, he stole all the air from her lungs by leaning down without warning and pressing his lips to her wrist, teeth grazing the skin he'd made overly sensitive with his touch moments before. "I really enjoyed it, actually."
"…That so?" she asked in a breathless whisper, heart beat unsteady.
But then he had her pouting by pulling away with that maddening smirk, telling her, "Ah, but we'll have to continue this later. Our shift starts in twenty and we still have to change."
Sakura hid the reluctance with bright smiles while greeting the residents when they entered the communal lounge of the end of life unit, pausing in their walk to the staffroom so that they could each talk to those who were still awake. Everyone seemed to be in mostly good spirits, although she noticed several with distant or heavy eyes, movements sluggish and signifying their exhaustion – another reason for their hanging around the lounge when first arriving. It gave them the chance to come up with a plan for the evening before their shift started.
That smile was promptly ripped from her face when she turned towards the television only to find a distinctly new armchair situated to its right, but that had nothing on the sight that had her jaw dropping in utter disbelief, because seated in that brand new chair was a clearly furious Uchiha Madara. His scowl was unmissable as he sat there, glare boring into whatever was across from him – she simply couldn't look away from the novelty of him being with everyone else, only able to tug at Shisui's arm weakly and distractedly as he backed away from someone and returned to her side.
His voice trailed off at her insistence and he looked to her in what she assumed to be concern, but like herself, everything was blown away when Shisui followed her line of sight and spotted his uncle.
"What the hell is he doing out here?"
It wasn't happiness or excitement laced in his words and finally, Sakura managed to look away from Madara's scowl, eyebrows raising fractionally at the rare frustration that had Shisui's furrowing deeply.
Without another word and losing the previous languid, leisurely pace they'd entered in, he made his way over to Madara and immediately crouched by his side to get a real look at him, and Sakura's heart stuttered with concern when his hands faltered in coming to rest on the arms of the chair, because even from her position she could tell where Shisui's attention was directed – his seat.
Stomach sinking, she spared a glance over at the other healthcare assistants who were currently placing another resident into a wheelchair with the assistance of a hoist. Considering there were only two on the floor, she deduced the others were already busy with assisting others to bed – which she totally understood. What pissed Sakura off, however, was the senior who was aimlessly flipping through the folder she knew held their rotas on the other side of the room.
Not good enough, she thought angrily.
However, Sakura hid that anger and approached Madara calmly, gauging his overall mood before interacting with him. Since she could smell him before actually getting a read of him, she knew instantly that his mood for that evening was going to border on unbearable for even Shisui (not that he ever showed his struggles with Madara's bad moods). Who could really blame him, though?
"Uncle Madara," Shisui said with a heavy sigh, and she knew it wasn't the first time he'd tried getting his attention.
"Quiet, boy," he muttered darkly, eyes narrowing a fraction. "That man has been staring at me for the past three hours. If I look away now, he has won."
Wait, what? His condition wasn't what was pissing him off? Frowning in confusion, Sakura finally looked across the room to the space he was glowering at, only to suddenly clamp a hand over her mouth to try and cover the laughter that sprang from her.
"Uncle," Shisui sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. It was obvious that he wasn't feeling that same light-heartedness that usually endeared the residents to him, and her laughter faded as quickly as it sprung upon her, heart aching for the pair of them. "Hashirama-san is sleeping – he's not staring at you."
"Hashirama?" he demanded, outraged. "I thought I recognised him. That bastard can't even leave me to waste away in peace?"
Deciding to take the plunge and use that as her opening to let him know she would also be providing his care that night (since he forgot quite a lot nowadays), she chuckled and told him, "Considering what I saw of Hashi-san this morning–"
"Hashi-san?" came his loud, disbelieving demand and finally, she saw the senior raise her head from the folder, eyes widening a fraction in what she knew – oh she just knew – to be horrified realisation, because like hell was she going to let Madara's day go if it wasn't his choice to join the other residents. "Do you know who that man is, you strange child?"
Sakura's jaw clenched as she held the senior's gaze even while knowing it was wrong to stand up to her superior, before promptly dropping the disapproval and anger in her gaze as it returned to Madara. Instead, she offered him a pretty smile and said teasingly, "I keep telling you, Madara-san! You're the only one who doesn't fall for my charm. Hashi-san told me to call him Hashi-san."
She really had taken him by surprise it seemed, and Sakura grinned at the way he blinked up at her. For the first time ever (possibly the only time ever), he seemingly had no snarky reply for her.
Patience wearing thin as his concern grew too much, Shisui lowered his voice considerably and asked, "Is this what you wanted, Uncle? Did you want to sit out here?"
The reluctance to meet either of their eyes told them all that they needed to know and she desperately hid how upset she was getting. "What's the plan, Shisui?" she asked softly to try and respect Madara's privacy. "Want me to help with moving Madara-san, or do we have to wait until handover?"
"Please get me a wheelchair," he requested without looking her way, though she knew not to take it to heart. She could see that Shisui didn't want her to see his anger and when she returned with the wheelchair, pointedly ignoring the others who half-heartedly tried to tell her they were about to assist Madara to bed, he told her, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm going to take him myself."
No, she understood completely, though knew she had to contest simply because he was marked as a double, meaning they could both get into trouble for not following health and safety regulations (mostly Shisui, however). "He's a double," she said without any real fight.
"I know," Shisui sighed and stood. Noticing Madara's tensing and resistance (she couldn't really blame him for not wanting to expose the mess on his chair), Sakura made a point of covering him from the view of others, heart breaking as he snapped at his nephew about how shameful it all was and that he hated them all for the situation they put him in. "But it's in his best interests. Please understand."
"I do," she murmured, ensuring to meet his eye and offering a small smile at his relief and gratefulness. "I'll make sure we don't start handover without you."
That relief doubled, but was hardened by the return of his anger as he muttered, "Good."
Nobody dared to meet her eye as Sakura entered the handover with the cleaning supplies in hand. After covering Madara's soaked seat to make sure nobody else sat there in her absence, she'd quickly changed into her uniform and got straight to cleaning the new chair to the best of her ability, ignoring the others when they asked her to join them in the staffroom to get started.
She dropped the supplies noisily to the table the day staff normally ate at, jaw clenching and letting them all know she was ready to battle.
"What's this?" one of them tried, smiling placatingly.
But Sakura wasn't given the chance to reply due to Shizune starting her shift, completely oblivious to Madara's situation but effortlessly picking up on the room's vibe. She faltered in the doorway, blinking in surprise at the standoffish position Sakura had taken up before releasing a weary sigh, no doubt putting two and two together without any further clues.
"I'm sorry to overstep, but we should really wait for Shisui," she told her superior with a knowing dip of her chin, one that had the dark haired woman's expression hardening. "He's currently assisting Madara-san."
"Of course," she agreed without issue, much to her relief, because while she'd stood up to Etsuko briefly, Sakura absolutely did not want to get on Shizune's wrong side.
"I really need to get going–"
"Thanks for waiting," came Shisui's cold voice as he entered the room, still in his own clothes that were visibly distressed from tugging, telling Sakura Madara had gotten physical to a degree. While incredibly rare, they couldn't say it never happened and each time, she knew it broke Shisui a little witnessing such a side of his uncle. "Please excuse my lack of uniform."
"Not at all," Shizune excused him. "Sakura-chan explained."
Merely nodding and refusing to acknowledge the others (which she believed was a good thing, considering his tensed muscles), he came to stand by her side, unintentionally bringing her attention to several scratches littering his arms and another poking out from beneath the stretched collar of his shirt.
She didn't necessarily blame Madara for growing violent, although a part of her was disappointed considering he was aware of his actions unlike those on the dementia units. It wasn't fair that his frustration and shame was taken out on Shisui – she certainly wouldn't excuse the behaviour either, just as she knew (or hoped, at least) Shisui wouldn't either. However, after what she presumed to be a whole day of having his choices and freedom stripped from him, after being forced to sit around in the presence of his oldest friend and business partner in such a humiliating state, it made sense. Sakura knew she sure as hell would lash out too, and she wasn't half as proud as Madara was.
The silence was loud and telling, and she felt herself growing angrier the longer it dragged out and while it was rare for the other senior to be present, she was infuriated when Etsuko didn't show her sour face. When pairing it with the knowledge of Shizune's obliviousness to the situation, it made it blaringly obvious that she'd skipped out without sharing any details.
Fucking coward.
Breathing in deeply and somehow retaining her composure, Shizune stated simply, "Somebody fill me in on what has happened."
"Madara-san was in the lounge when we arrived," Sakura spoke up before the others could try and come up with any excuses. "We asked him if he wanted to be there, and he said he didn't."
Frustration had the dark haired woman's eyebrow ticking warningly.
"I haven't seen his chart yet to confirm, but the fact that I've just spent the past ten minutes scrubbing his new chair tells me he's been there a while," she continued unprompted.
"This is getting ridiculous," Shizune snapped and the sudden rise in volume had several flinching. "Uchiha-san has explicitly shared his distaste of leaving his bedroom now that he is less mobile."
They had the audacity to wear such seemingly earnest, caring expressions that only served to piss her off, because like hell they cared about his best interests. Leaving anyone in such a state was unforgivable and she hated that she'd been so blind to it previously, only just staying calm due to the knowledge that she rarely ever worked with those she was standing opposite of in that moment. A great majority of the others did care deeply for their residents and treated them with the utmost respect, however, that didn't mean those who were simply working a job didn't exist and finally, after two months of being there, her eyes were being opened.
"We thought it would be best–"
"Who are you to dictate how he lives his life?" demanded Shisui suddenly, flooring Sakura with the level of resentment in his tone but honestly, she got it. "My uncle has expressed time and time again that he doesn't want to leave his bedroom. What don't you get about that? How hard is it to read a person's body language and see how uncomfortable they are?"
Somebody else intervened at the abrupt shutting down of the first healthcare assistant and she immediately recognised that person as the same backtalker from the day before: Kana. "You–"
He shut her down with hesitation, accusing, "You humiliated him!"
She hadn't meant to, but Sakura flinched at the sudden shout from the man by her side, honest to God startled by the loudness and lose of composure.
But that was where she drew the line. She knew how badly it was hurting him seeing his uncle being treated in such a way and his anger and helplessness was valid, however raising his voice and snapping when there were residents on the other side of the wall capable of hearing their happy-go-lucky Shisui losing his shit, was wrong. They deserved better too.
Rounding on Shisui just as his mouth opened to continue the tirade and demanding that all attention be on her despite the incredulous stares that she received from those behind her, Sakura squared her shoulders and set her jaw.
"Go cool off," she warned him, eyes imploring that he took notice of her intentions.
She wasn't invalidating his feelings or brushing off Madara's unforgivable day. With everything she had, she would fight both their cases and make damn sure it didn't go unpunished, since the lot behind her had already been given a warning just the day before. However, the residents and their well-being were top priority. Shisui's ability to work with a relative despite it not really being allowed was also top priority.
His eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, nostrils flaring and jaw clenching.
She used that brief spark of helplessness in his eyes to strengthen herself for the battle ahead but remained firm in her standing up to him.
And then her shoulders fell as he stormed out of the room, hoping and praying that he didn't think of her as interfering or brushing him off.
"Did you see that?" she demanded quietly once the door was shut, glaring over at the others. "Did you see the state of his clothes and arms?"
"Uchiha-san has been difficult with us all day," Kana argued. "Shisui-san isn't the first to be on the receiving end of a physical or verbal attack."
While that was most probably true (considering his disliking of the other staff and his refusal to cooperate most of the time), she wasn't about to let them glide over that fact and knew Shizune wasn't either as she allowed Sakura to let everything off her chest. "They're the marks of a person who's reached his limit of having his freedom taken away from him," she snapped. "It shouldn't be getting to the point where Madara-san is lashing out at anyone like that, never mind his own nephew."
Oh, she knew just from the anger and disdain in their expressions that they hated that she, their junior in a sense, talking down to them, but she didn't care. She didn't care if it made them hate her or ostracise her or whatever else they could think of.
"We all agreed this morning that it'd be good for him," another argued resolutely. "His friend's here, after all."
"We agreed to go at Uchiha-san's pace," Shizune interjected.
Sakura was relieved to notice her senior's seriousness, and her refusal to grant leniency after hearing their explanation on why they pushed Madara so far. No matter what their intentions were, they'd still gone against his wishes and humiliated Madara in a lounge full of people – in front of his oldest friend. How far back would that send him? Would he ever want to step foot back in the lounge? How much would he hate seeing Hashirama after being in such a state in front of him?
"When his nephews brought the chair and mattress in, we thought it was the best opportunity," Kana tried once more, and Sakura once more felt herself bristling at how earnest she appeared. Either she was a damn good liar, or she really was deluded.
"Did you ask Itachi-san or Sasuke-kun about it?" she demanded, inwardly damning herself for dropping formalities but being way too annoyed to really care to fix the mistake. "Did you share your intentions with them?"
"Well, no–"
"I know you didn't, because they both would have shot the idea down," Sakura cut in, heart palpitating as the frustration continued to spike. How dense could people be to another's well-being? "They'd never do anything or allow anything to happen that could cause Madara-san distress."
Just thinking of the state Shisui was in lashed at her heart. How was he feeling? How was Madara feeling? Did the latter feel remorse at all for hurting his nephew, or was their relationship going to take a swift crack? Most importantly: did he still trust them?
Stiffening her lip just as it threatened to give away how upset she really was, Sakura remained silent during Shizune's tirade as she reprimanded them all. But even then, merely being scolded didn't feel like enough – not nearly enough. Not when she kept picturing the humiliation and hate and helplessness.
So, she caught Shizune as the rest filtered out, waiting until they shut the door before saying firmly, "I want to make official reports against them."
She didn't hesitate – looked impressed and proud, actually. "We'll report them together. Multiple complaints will get the ball moving faster."
"I want to make a complaint about Etsuko-senpai too."
"Where was she when you arrived?"
"Sitting in the lounge and looking through her shifts," Sakura just barely kept from snapping, since none of this was Shizune's fault. Then, she sadly added, "He has pressure sores, Shizune-senpai."
It both relieved and upset her to see such a pained look in the older woman's eyes. "I know, Sakura-chan. I'm going to head down to Uchiha-san's room before anything else. Chances are, Shisui-san is already there." Sighing suddenly, she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and offered a small, only half-proud smile. She seemed too weary to let it out fully. "I just want to commend you for sending him out. I know it's not easy stepping up to a friend, especially not when it involves the care of their relative."
"This sounds bad, but I wasn't concerned about him going off on the others," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "I just couldn't stand the thought of the residents seeing or hearing that side of him. Shisui tries really hard to make sure they're all comfortable and happy around him. I know it's going to be weighing down on him that he's not only lost his temper, but that they've probably heard it too."
Apparently that was a cause of concern for Shizune too, for that saddened look in her eyes increased as she nodded in agreement, attention drifting to the door that separated them from the communal lounge. Shisui was nowhere to be seen and she hoped her superior was right about him being with Madara, though Sakura wasn't sure if that was such a good idea considering his hostile mood. They both needed to cool off.
"Go and find him, Sakura-chan. Make sure he's okay. I will watch the lounge for a few minutes."
Gratefulness shot through her as well as apprehension, because how was Shisui feeling about her in that moment for interfering? For essentially telling him to go away while they were talking about his uncle's care? Really, she had absolutely no right in doing such a thing and she would understand if he was pissed, but…
Nodding in thanks, she turned to leave, but was stopped by Shizune calling her name again. She hummed curiously and looked over her shoulder at her senior, asking, "What is it, Shizune-senpai?"
She smiled more genuinely and placed a hand to her tense shoulder once more like she knew exactly what was upsetting her, giving a comforting squeeze. "You're doing an amazing job – we're lucky to have you here with us. Keep up the good work."
It was the encouragement she needed most in that moment and Sakura's shoulders sagged. "Thank you."
A/N - I'm sorry for the delays in updating! Both my mental and physical health are both going through the ringer at the minute. On top of caring for my son, it's knocking me back a little haha. But I do have some good news! He got his official diagnosis for autism! I'm honestly so relieved and happy for him that it's not being dragged out, especially since I've heard it can take years to get a diagnosis. It's barely even been a year since he was first referred!
Thank you all for your patience!