An entire week had passed, and… nothing. Nothing more had happened between them. To say Sakura was disappointed would be an understatement. Of course, she wanted there to be nothing happening in terms of them being found, but since their near experience before Karin's arrival, Sasuke seemed to have withdrawn from her. That particular day she hadn't been interested in anything, especially with the arrival of Karin throwing her off, not to mention reality sinking in, but… He'd yet to make another move on her.
Sure, they kissed. Oh, did they ever. He kissed her so thoroughly she felt like she was going to faint half the time. And to say they weren't close would be an understatement; they spent most if not all of their time watching movies or reading books while curled up under blankets. They'd ventured out into the snow for a hike a few times, Sasuke making extra sure that Sakura was more than dressed for the cold, even fretting over her if she wasn't dressed to his standards. There was nothing quite like a large, sometimes intimidating detective grumbling and shoving extra layers in her hands and demanding she put them on, but she couldn't blame him.
Sasuke, on the other hand… He was struggling. He wanted to make a move, but he felt he wasn't sure how after Karin's sudden interruption. How did one initiate that kind of thing? Their first attempt had felt natural, but now he wondered if this was even the time. They'd been interrupted in the middle of it once; who was to say that danger wouldn't come around the corner again? Who was to say someone wouldn't sneak up while they were distracted, ready to take them out while they were at their most vulnerable? He kept telling himself that he couldn't put Sakura in that position, that he couldn't risk putting her in that kind of danger. He'd spent the whole week fighting with himself to find the right moment, but he'd yet to come across it.
The sound of an engine caught Sasuke's attention again, and upon peering out the window, he could see that it was Karin waiting outside, much to his relief. She let herself in with a wave from the detective; he was just about to step outside and chop some more firewood as she arrived with more groceries. Sakura came out to greet her, helping carry some of them over to the kitchen to start putting things away.
Karin, noticing Sakura appeared to be quiet, tilted her head curiously at the girl. "Hey, everything okay, girl?" Her words snapped Sakura out of her stupor, eyes widening. Was her glum mood that noticeable?
"Oh, yeah, just… Yeah, everything's fine," she lied, clamping her mouth shut. No, it wasn't. Nothing was fine right now. Everything sucked right now. She couldn't help the thoughts that were coming through her head, even if she knew they weren't true; hell, even if Sasuke had told her otherwise, they were still there.
"No, it's not," Karin replied, her tone flat. "Not with that face you're making. You look like someone kicked a puppy, except that puppy is you." Sakura cringed at that thought. Maybe she was more evident than she thought.
"Well, it's just…" She let out a heavy sigh, glancing out the window where she could see Sasuke chopping wood, none the wiser to the conversation going on inside. Karin saw the way her face changed and reached forward, taking the vegetables Sakura held and setting them on the counter. She took both of her hands and led her to the couch, sitting her down before taking a seat beside her.
"He hasn't made another move, has he." It wasn't a question; it was a blunt statement from the redhead. Sakura was surprised by her sudden boldness but nodded in response. Karin let out a heavy sigh, slapping a hand to her forehead. "Goodness, he's hopeless." Karin knew what Sakura must have been thinking, and as usual, it went right over Sasuke's head. "Idiot detective."
"He's not-" Sakura tried to defend him7 but was silenced by Karin holding up a hand.
"Oh no, sweetie, he's an idiot. He might be one of the smartest guys you know, but trust me. I know. He's an idiot. And he'll always be an idiot. And unless you've got someone who's fluent in idiot to smack him upside the head, he's never going to figure it out." Karin threw her hands up in exasperation, then gestured to Sakura's entire form. "And even when he's got all of this sitting in front of him! Ugh, he makes me want to strangle him sometimes."
"What do you mean?" Sakura looked down at herself, not sure what Karin was getting at.
"Uh, hello? Have you looked in a mirror lately? Look, Sasuke and I… we go way back. Back to high school, actually. He was usually just a sour-faced lemon, but he never… really looked at girls. Or guys, for that matter. Jeez, I swore he was interested in nothing half the time. I just about lost it when he said you were his girlfriend. Like, damn, a sour-faced grump like him has a girlfriend? Hell, that's news to me." Karin still struggled to believe it on some level.
"But you know, it became pretty obvious the way he looked at you. There's something special in it, you know? And I just… I knew it when I saw it. Sweetie, he's obsessed with you, and I don't mean in a bad way. You know that vibe you get when you watch silly romance movies and the guy looks at the girl, and you just… you get butterflies? That's what he looks like." Sakura had never thought of it like that before. She'd noticed that he looked at her, but he seemed always to look away when she caught him. Did he stare at her that much when she wasn't noticing?
"Yeah, I… I guess I know what you mean." She let out a heavy sigh. "It's just… When you showed up last time, we had something, and now he just… I don't know. He hasn't done… anything, and I'm beginning to wonder-"
"Wonder what?" Karin interrupted. "That you're not pretty enough? Not what he wants? That he's not interested? Let me tell you. He's interested. He's more interested than a magpie that's seen a diamond glittering in the grass. He's also more awkward than a turtle that's been laid on its back. And Sakura, trust me, you're gorgeous. Trust me, if he wouldn't date you, I certainly would." And she wouldn't hesitate to move in on his territory if he screwed up.
"So… what do I do, then?" Sakura still felt like she was at a loss.
"Nothing. Just don't do anything. Leave the dumbass to me. I'll kick him in the pants, so he stops being an idiot. You, honey, get to sit, relax, and read a book in front of the fire for now." Karin stood and strolled toward the back door, leaving a very confused Sakura looking around in confusion.
Karin exited the back door toward Sasuke, seeing he finished up with the last piece of wood. She waited until he'd set the axe aside and was piling the wood before she walked up and unceremoniously cuffed him on the back of the head with an open palm. Sasuke felt the impact, hands instinctively reaching up to cover it.
"Gah! Karin- What the hell was that for?!" She hadn't done that to him in years, and he certainly hadn't expected that.
"Because you're a dumbass." Sasuke glowered at her response, his dark eyes like daggers. "What? I'm being honest. You're a fucking dumbass. There. That sound better? What the fuck are you doing?" Karin pointed inside to where Sakura sat before the fire, looking… angrier than he'd expected. "Are you seriously going to sit there and fuck up what you've got, or are you going to grow a pair?"
"Karin now's not the ti-"
"No, now is the time, stupid. You're stuck in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, where nobody is going to find you unless they know how to get here in the first frickin' place. So, you know, me, Jugo, and Suigetsu, basically. And you know I'm never going to forgive you if you break that pretty girl's heart. She's the only girl I've ever seen you go all gooey over. You think I'm gonna let you sit here and screw that up?" Sasuke winced at every one of her lashing comments, wishing she wasn't so right. He felt like a screw-up once again, making decisions that only hurt their bond in the long run.
"...I hate you," he mumbled, picking up an armful of wood.
"No, you love me," Karin teased, picking up the rest of the wood. "Listen. Go talk to her, and go show her how much you love her. I'll hang around and make sure you're not interrupted. Because I can tell you this much… A girl like her might wait forever for you. Are you gonna keep breaking her heart over and over again in the process?"
Sasuke let out a sigh. "No… She's been through enough." Damn Karin, always knowing the right thing to say. "Thanks, Karin. Do me one favour, though," he added.
"Yeah? What kind of favour?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Punch Suigetsu for me." He still had yet to get revenge on Suigetsu for his screwing around the last time.
Karin raised a hand and gave him a salute. "Roger Dodger, my sullen friend. I'll punch that fish out of water so hard he dries up." She chuckled dangerously and helped finish carrying the wood inside, letting Sasuke talk to Sakura alone by ducking out the front door after putting the groceries away. Sasuke approached the couch and tapped Sakura on the shoulder, beckoning for her to follow. She tilted her head curiously at him, following his lead as he led her to the bedroom they'd been sleeping in. The blackout curtains were already drawn, and once he closed the door, they were left in nothing but dim light.
"Sakura." Sasuke's voice was quiet as he towered over her, staring down with a warm expression. Karin was right. Now was the time. If nothing else, he ought to give in to at least some of the things he wanted. Their attempts thus far had been ruined or interrupted, and it had pushed him away from continuing to try.
Sakura could feel the heat rushing to her face. Just the way he looked down at her, she knew what he was thinking. She knew what he wanted. She wanted it, too. She'd wanted it for a long time, and right now, they could take advantage of it. Who knew when they'd finally have a moment like this to spare? They might be stuck on the run, looking over their shoulder, never able to take a moment.
Sasuke met Sakura's lips with his own, palms resting on her cheeks as her hands rested on his chest. He slipped one hand around the back of her head, keeping her locked in a kiss as his eagerness increased. With the slightest pressure, he pushed her back up against the wall in the hallway, hands reaching for the blouse she wore. They broke long enough for him to slip it over her head, quickly returning to their passionate lip-locking. Hands went under Sakura's rear and hoisted her up, alleviating the height difference between them as he held her against him. Her hips pressed against his, using his body for support as she balanced herself against the wall.
"Sasuke," Sakura whispered between kisses, her breathing ragged. "Are you… are you sure? I don't… I don't want to push you." She knew how he was; he was so self-conscious about his scars, enough that he felt the need to hide them.
Seeing the warmth and concern in her eyes, Sasuke reached up and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "I'm sure. You can stop me any time, too. This is… new for both of us, isn't it?" With her, he didn't feel that mounting self-consciousness to the same degree. Deep down, he knew she'd never judge him. Her heart was warm and kind, too kind for such behaviour.
Sakura nodded in response, prompting Sasuke's lips to entangle with hers once more, soft moans of appreciation escaping involuntarily from her as his hands kept her balanced. With careful movements, the detective lifted the doctor into his arms, never so much as breaking their passionate kiss as he carried her to one of the bedrooms. Strong arms carefully laid her back before he was hovering over her, breaking away long enough to tug at the collar of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side.
He felt that brief flash of nervousness overcome him, though this time, it wasn't causing him to freeze as it might have in the past. Sakura's eyes wandered up his figure, her gaze both appreciative and sympathetic. Her small hands tenderly ran over the scarred ridges, seeing parts where the skin was tauter than others, where surgical scars from grafts remained, and yet among them, she managed to find the definition in his torso muscles. He let her take a moment to examine it, her touch gradually calming him the more she investigated.
Sakura felt a myriad of emotions the more she looked. A part of her felt a hot flash of anger toward whoever had been responsible for the fire that caused him so much pain. Another part of her felt sadness toward his suffering; she believed no one, least of all a child, should have suffered as he did. The rest of her was deeply appreciative of his figure; though she could tell some of it through his clothing, it was very different from being met with the sight of his toned figure without a shirt.
"Kiss me," she whispered, staring up at him as heat flooded her face. She met his gaze, seeing how hungry and determined he was; he wasn't going to back down, and neither was she. Leaning one elbow beside her head while his other hand skimmed down the curves of her side Sasuke did just as she requested. It was a kiss so intensely passionate that Sakura knew that even if she had another kiss to compare it to, nothing could have lived up to this.
Soon, they removed more layers and engaged one another in a world of bliss. Sakura had never felt such love and adoration before; she'd thought she felt everything with Sasuke already, but this took it one step further. It wasn't just the sharing of sensual pleasures; it was an experience that shared a deep bond that could never be severed. It released layers of physical and emotional tension that held them back from genuinely bonding as they deserved.
It was two souls sharing naught but love, affection, and adoration through passion and lovemaking. It was each of them showing one another wordlessly how deep their bond went; in Sasuke's case, it was the only way to show how he truly felt about Sakura without words. He was never good with words; he struggled to say the right thing at times, and lately, he'd felt like telling her that he loved her wasn't enough. This was the best way to do that; to give her the one missing connection between them that would solidify their bond and make them one.
Sakura collapsed against him afterward, her breathing heavy and laboured as she tried to find her ability to think again. Damn… no wonder Ino was so obsessed. If this was what it felt like every time, Sakura completely understood. Then again… she also suspected that there were certain elements Ino was often missing. The way Sasuke looked at her… Sakura couldn't describe it. He looked at her like she was immaculate, like he'd never seen anything like her in the world before. It was a look that made her blush ten shades of red, made her heart thump in her chest, and elicited butterflies in her stomach all at the same time. Exhausted from their motions, Sakura leaned against him, forehead resting on his shoulder as she fought to catch her breath. She could feel his arms wrapped around her, one hand stroking her back while the other stroked her hair.
In that one look of his, she knew. Sasuke wasn't just her lover. He wasn't just her life partner. He was her other half. He was her everything, her world.
Her soulmate.
A/N: Hey readers! I'm sure a lot of you were looking forward to a little more intimate details in this chapter. While I'm aware other authors choose to post this content to FFN, I have chosen instead to adhere to their policies & have posted a modified version of this chapter for my FFN readers. If you would like to read the full version of the chapter, you can find it on my AO3 or Wattpad accounts. I will not be posting the full version here in order to adhere to FFN's rules for story content.
In addition, I've noticed many of my readers have fallen off the wagon when it comes to commenting on my stories. Please know that I do read all of your comments, and I appreciate all of them, and comments are what motivate me to continue writing my story until it is completed. This is a gripe I've seen from other FFN authors as well, so this is a reminder to all readers: leave wonderful, positive comments as often as you can for us writers. We publish our content free of charge for you to consume, and put hours of work into our content. Don't be a silent reader!
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