AN: It has been a long, long time my darlings. My life has changed unimaginably since the last chapter of this fic - and hasn't all of ours, really? - but I'm happy to finally bring this to you all. Please enjoy!

Hand still pressed against her bedroom door, Sasuke watched the beating of Sakura's pulse in her neck as she watched him in turn, pausing for a moment as their hot breaths coalesced in the space between their bodies. He'd made a mess of her braids but he wasn't sorry for it. The crushed white petals of her hairstyle had released a fragrance that was intoxicating in its simple sensuality, dizzying him with every inhale. Her gaze was unfocused with desire, lips reddened from their kiss.

Sasuke wondered if the road to madness was always so strewn with flowers.

He walked it willingly, tracing the outside of her ear with the faintest brush of his lips for naught but the way it made her breathing hitch. Sakura's festival obi - balanced precariously on her hips - slid to the ground, another boundary disappearing like smoke as the fabric of her yukata whispered open. It was all he could do not to stare as bare skin was revealed, the fold of cloth at her neck unravelling until the secrets of her chest were bared to the sternum. The curves of her breasts drew devastatingly close to the parting hem of the robe.

He wanted to touch them. Taste them.

Kissing her deeply, Sasuke wondered how she would react if he let his hand map her body the way it wanted to. There was nothing stopping him and he thought Sakura would even welcome it, but he kept his palm flat against the cool wood of her door frame, anchoring himself against the lust that threatened to overwhelm him. And he was grateful for the door and its solid sensibility when she kissed him back with the sweet fierceness of her desire.

It would be so terribly easy to give into pleasure. To slip the summer fabric from her body and learn how she tasted. How she sounded. But he was a shinobi with years of training in self control, and he had spent years in self-contemplation; it was not the time, nor the place, nor the right situation for them to be swept away. Not yet. Even if he wanted nothing more than to lift Sakura up and hold her against the door with his body. Pin himself between her legs and never let go. Nevertheless, as her hands traced a scorching path along the collar of his yukata to his neck Sasuke wondered how long the tenuous hold on his emotions would last.

He was a firebrand, but Sakura was gunpowder, and the heat in the room was palpable as she moaned into his mouth. Digging his nails into the wood until it hurt, he allowed himself to lean into her more, until there was nothing between them but the barest whisper of clothing. She wound one hand into his hair, nails scraping against his scalp and Sasuke thought the roaring in his ears would deafen him forever. His blood was pounding in his head, the Sharingan almost desperate in its eagerness to record, remember, revel in the strong tide roiling inside of him. For it loved the uncontrollable feelings most of all; and he was certainly losing the battle as Sakura's mouth left his own to kiss him like a brand on his jaw.

She nipped his pulse, catlike until he had smarting teeth marks on his neck. It was so assertive - even though it was he who had her pinned against the door - that Sasuke almost, almost did not stop her as she moved down to his collarbone. She would mark him as her own, he thought.

But continuing on would lead to something he knew they weren't ready for. With difficulty he moved away, sinking to his knees before her; a safe distance from the siren song of her mouth. His hand came to rest around the back of her leg as he knelt. He'd moved slowly, not thinking: Sakura's robe was still covering her from the waist down, yet he could see the outline of her legs as she leaned against the door, could see the way her strong thighs stiffened as he settled.

She gasped, one knee so close to the thudding of his heart that Sasuke thought her leg would shake with it.

"Sasuke," she began, hesitation and desire tangled though her voice like her hand in his hair. "I, I'm not sure-"

He blinked, not understanding, until a muscle in her leg jumped in nervous excitement and he realised the proximity of his face to the top of her thighs.

"Ah-"

He hadn't expected the enormous physical effort it would take to rock back on his heels - it certainly felt like pushing a mountain with a fingertip - but Sasuke managed, angling himself so that he was more clearly kneeling away from her. To make it obvious that he was not about to embark on a journey of exploration through all her body's secret places. His Sharingan, helpfully, supplied a memory of the soft dimples at the base of her spine.

"I wasn't… I had to sit down," Sasuke explained, surprising himself with the scratchy rip of his voice. "I didn't quite consider how that would…" look? feel? He wasn't sure which had been more evocative, but if the way her green eyes sharpened on his kneeling pose were any indication he thought it might be the former.

"Oh," she murmured, and by all he held sacred- Sakura sounded disappointed. "Of course. I, ah-"

There was a brief moment where he worried she'd squirm away from him, but to Sasuke's relief Sakura instead slid down the solid bastion of wood, dropping with far more grace to her cool stone floor. The movement bared one of her breasts entirely; she followed his gaze and flushed to the roots of her hair, arranging the dishevelled yukata until the dip of her chest was all he could see. Of course, the image was already inked permanently in Sasuke's memory.

They were still close together, and Sasuke remained motionless as a careful hand snaked towards him, Sakura's fingers drumming the anxious beating of her heart on his knee. Silence reigned in the room, their shuttered breathing an undercurrent to the festival crowds outside.

"Well-" Sakura began.

At the same time, Sasuke uttered- "that was…"

He clacked his teeth together with enough force to set the pulse in his head ringing, but Sakura had also stopped short, still blushing. Wordlessly she gestured for the sake, abandoned on the low table next to where they were crouched. Passing it to her (though not before he took a healthy taste) Sasuke watched as she emptied the liquor in a single swallow, a gesture most definitely picked up from her mentor when under duress.

"Please, continue," Sakura said, placing the bottle on the floor. And though he knew she was referring to whatever he'd been about to say, their intimate position on the floor, flushed cheeks and the slightly tense atmosphere brought to mind what they had been doing before they'd come to their senses. What they were still doing, in truth, for Sakura's hand on his knee was aught but platonic.

Her eyes followed the way his focus dipped to her chest once again, colour high on his cheeks until he looked away and coughed into his hand. "S-Sasuke-kun…"

"I'm sorry," Sasuke apologised. "I know this isn't fair, nor what we agreed on, but I- you…"

Sakura blew a rogue strand of blossom hair from her face, a reminder of just how thoroughly he'd devastated her beautiful festival style. He thought she'd direct her careful anger towards his fickleness, but instead she only smiled, a touch ruefully.

"Sasuke, I truly don't believe we can draw the line at friends."

He agreed. They'd tried and failed in record time, and if each moment spent alone together was going to end up heated, then perhaps it was time to accept that they were something… else.

Something more.

"You're right," Sasuke said thoughtfully, though he did not miss Sakura's brief smile of pleasure at the acknowledgement. "We aren't just friends."

A pause. And then-

"So what are we?"

As soon as she'd uttered the words Sakura wanted to cram them back into her traitorous mouth. Sasuke looked, if not stunned, then certainly taken aback at her abruptness. His cheeks were still piqued with colour, and while he'd finally removed his hand from its rest on her leg he was now toying with her own fingers, which was infinitely worse in its careless affection.

In truth it didn't matter to her what they were, not immediately; and Sakura knew that if she applied too much pressure then Sasuke was likely to pull back completely. And she'd only just gotten him back. They'd taken a twisted path to this point through the summer's heat, but Sakura wanted Sasuke to stay with her through all the seasons, from now until the future far ahead. Speed was what had ignited them to this point. Expecting too much after a moment of pleasure would do neither of them good. She could be slow. She could.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Sakura told him as much.

And unlike what Sakura feared, Sasuke did not pull away. Not this time.

"Ah. I can also go slow, I think," he agreed in that soft manner of his, long fingers tracing an unknowable pattern on the back of her hand. "The labels are maybe… the thing that's confusing us most."

Sakura nodded, because it was an immutable fact that they could pretend to be simply friends all they liked. In reality they'd proven several (steamy) times by now that there was more to their relationship than pure companionship.

"I… we should- work things out, but together."

His hesitation was as sweet as her own was consuming.

"Somewhat slowly," she added, enjoying the slight curve of Sasuke's lips as he stopped the maddening swirl of fingers on her skin.

He didn't lean back, instead placing his hand on the smooth fabric of her yukata, which she now noticed was hopelessly wrinkled. There was no mirror she could see from this angle, but with her hair, her reddened face and her mussed clothing Sakura was quite sure she wasn't fit for going out in public. Naruto, she thought, hoping he'd feel her contriteness, we'll make it up to you.

"We're going to miss the festival."

It came out more like a rebuke than she'd meant, but Sasuke clearly didn't take it in the wrong way, for he simply shrugged in that laconic manner he'd picked up over the years and looked anything but apologetic.

"And we'd never get a good spot for the fireworks at this point," Sakura continued, knowing that with no sign of them their teammate had probably sought out Hinata instead. "So we might as well stay here."

She glanced at Sasuke to gauge his reaction, but his face was unreadable with the moonlight behind him, his bright eyes too much of a focal point to shed meaning on his other features. He truly was beautiful, she thought, and he suited the traditional clothing very much, for all she'd sensed he disliked it.

"What should we do instead?" she asked, realising immediately that her innocent question could very easily be taken the wrong way. Especially after the contents of their conversation, never mind their current intimate predicament.

Sasuke merely raised his eyebrows at her, causing her to cover her face with a blush.

"Shall we have another drink?" Sakura asked hurriedly, finally picking herself up from the floor. She extended a hand unthinking to Sasuke, but was gratified when he took it without insult, hauling him nimbly to his feet.

"I can't keep up with you," he said, refusing with a slight grimace. "Though if you've any of your lemonade…?"

His plaintive request was sweeter than the dango she'd snacked on earlier.

"I'm sure I can find some."

Sasuke levelled her with his rare true smile. And it was hard not to laugh, not to let the delight and the apprehension she was feeling mix into nervous giggles, so instead Sakura simply slipped out of the room and down to her kitchen, hands on her cheeks to quell the intense blushing of her cheeks.

We can do this, she thought, preparing two drinks and some more dango on a tray. Sweet for her, sour for him; so alike their own personalities that it made her smile all over again. Halfway up the stairs and with her hands full Sakura realised that she'd neither fixed her yukata or thought to invite him into a less seductive space: so she had to open the door back into temptation looking just as she'd left, her robe whispering against the floor with every step.

I didn't even look in the mirror. That was a sobering thought, for Sakura was sure her state of disarray was more dishevelled than desirable, though she now knew with certainty that her companion harboured at least a healthy amount of attraction for how she looked. Well, it's his fault.

With that to give her strength, Sakura reentered.

Sasuke was too busy fidgeting with the various trinkets and decor on her dresser to notice the state of her arrival. Casting a quick glance to see there was nothing incriminating - a girl had to have her secrets - Sakura placed the lemonade in front of him with a jovial flourish, enjoying the way his face lit up in simple pleasure at her offering.

"Thank you," he said feelingly, and now they weren't so caught up in a whirlwind of lust she noticed the warmth of the summer evening air.

Her house may be cooler than some of the others in Konoha, excepting of course Sasuke's air conditioned abode, but the night had been hot even before they revelled in one another.

Drinking in companionable silence, they sat once again on Sakura's cosy balcony, this time sitting closer than before. And though Sasuke was not shirtless, and Sakura technically had more clothes on too, there was a sweet frisson of tension that ran between them that had nothing to do with the fireworks. No, the gunpowder of their feelings was enough, and though they managed to keep a facade of calm while the vibrant display burst over the village sky, when Sasuke turned to her Sakura was already on the edge of her seat with poorly contained anticipation.

"Can I… kiss you again?"

She had guessed that might be his question, for it was almost her own. Sasuke was asking so earnestly that Sakura almost grinned, but she knew his pride was sharp, and it was better to know when to joke and when to be serious. Rather than speaking, Sakura leaned forward until their foreheads almost touched. But as she always had, she let Sasuke take that final step.

And he did, more confidently this time than all the kisses before. Neither as frenzied nor as passionate as earlier, Sakura relished the way his lips brushed against hers like they knew them, the way his breath puffed across her cheeks as his hand came to rest on the curve of her jaw. It was a tender kiss, a lover's kiss; it fanned the flames of her longing just as surely as his teeth and tongue had against her neck.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Her murmur was swallowed by his mouth, though he did not move to deepen the press of their lips. Holding her lightly, kissing her slowly but sensuously, Sasuke proved that he was a fast learner with this as with all of his endeavours. When his fingers traced a featherlight path down her neck, to the place where her yukata still parted temptingly open, Sakura simply leaned into the cool touch of his hand against her breast, motionless against the way he explored the hidden skin. It was nice, and when his mouth joined it was nicer still.

Her head fell back to her shoulders as he kissed a line across the tops of her breasts, his roughened fingers a delight against her nipples as he learned the shape of her with torturous slowness. Sakura had never thought much of stimulating herself like that, but now she knew it was the anticipation; not knowing where Sasuke's breath, or lips, or fingers would reach next. Tensing the muscles in her thighs with the sudden realisation that she was getting wet, Sakura gave in to the noises that were bubbling at the back of her throat.

There was something utterly untamed about feeling Sasuke smile against her naked skin. His sharp canine grazed her tight nipple as he did, and she bucked so hard that she fell back, Sasuke's chin falling to rest abruptly on her breastbone as his mismatched eyes watched her seriously.

"I- uh, I'm sorry," she managed, tipping her head forward to meet his gaze.

"Don't be," he replied.

His voice was hoarse with the same feelings that buzzed insistently around her skull. When he moved back to give her space to right her position, Sakura saw the dull wetness of kisses on her chest and thought she was headed straight for insanity, festival chatter from the street below filling the space between them with noise.

"Should we move inside?" she asked, conscious of the hot summer air on her bare breasts.

Sasuke looked to the open doorway of her bedroom then out to the rooftops of Konoha, before dropping his gaze to his hand, which still rested squarely on her hip bone.

"I want to, but-"

"Right," Sakura interrupted, remembering. "Slow and steady."

He nodded, and she fell a little more in love with the coy smile on his features as he met her gaze again. When she sat up straight and fixed her yukata he followed suit, though he didn't move back to his previous perch on the other chair, content to crowd her on the large lounger she normally enjoyed during her quiet morning snack. Sakura was quite sure she'd never look at it so complacently again, especially when Sasuke began to tentatively thread his fingers through the strands of her hair that had fallen loose.

"Would you like me to untangle your hair?" he asked, plucking an errant flower from behind her ear as the first firework burst triumphantly overhead.

Her hair was a lost cause - never mind the glorious thought of his long fingers questing carefully across her scalp - so she simply nodded and let him get to work, content to be silent while he focused.

Then his lips were at her ear once more, and the lightshow overhead had nothing on the fire that spread through her veins when Sasuke whispered;

"Should I braid it?"

And Sakura grinned, for he'd copied the husky tinge that she had used when she'd asked him the same, right down to the way his voice sounded so temptingly close to the delicate skin of her neck.

"Sasuke-kun," she half-laughed, half-murmured, turning to meet lips that were already seeking her own.

She'd never known such unhurried joy.

"Mah, it's not like you to be late, Sasuke."

The Rokudaime sounded particularly smug and expectant, so Sasuke did not humour him with a response, merely sliding behind his desk with his usual morning shrug. Half the village was likely to be late to their posts the day after a festival; and besides, Sasuke had no official hours to be scolded about, for Kakashi was more sensible than to try and tie him down in such a way.

Thus, he was fishing, and the curious-but-not-really faces of his colleagues suggested they shared their boss's nosiness. Unfortunately for them Sasuke was particularly practised in the art of remaining aloof and he simply sat in silence, sifting through the never ending paperwork of a ninja village before Kakashi gave a disappointed grunt and turned back to his own tasks.

Since the Hokage was one of the only people brave enough to needle the (not quite so) infamous Uchiha, the rest of the staff quickly gave up their own investigation, returning to the dull work of the everyday after yesterday's holiday excitement. The atmosphere was muted rather than sour, and Sasuke smiled to himself at the ease of it all, so many months after his return.

I might never fit in completely, but I'm welcome in these halls at least. A surprise, after the events of his youth.

It was peaceful for long enough that Sasuke lowered his guard. But Kakashi had been in ANBU for a long time, and his hunting instincts were amongst the sharpest in the land. For Sasuke had barely begun to think that he'd get away with disappearing during a festival when his mentor casually asked-

"How's Sakura-chan?"

Taking a moment to reply - a trick purloined from the man in front of him - Sasuke rested his chin on his hand and smiled slightly.

"Fine," he replied. Noncommittal. "She didn't drink as much as usual, I think."

"I wonder why," Kakashi mused. Sasuke could tell he wasn't wondering about anything, rather, he'd made a conclusion, and was determined to see whether it was on the mark.

"Hn… it was warm last night."

Kakashi directed him a look that could only be described as mischievous. He'd waited until they were alone in the room, but Sasuke knew it was more likely for Sakura's benefit than his own, even though there was a less than zero chance Sasuke would say anything that would set the rumour mill afire about the medic. His- well, they'd decided against putting words to whatever they were for now. His teammate, always.

"I'll bet," Kakashi replied, his eyes creased in that false smile he gave when he was settling into a thorough session of teasing.

"Shall we eat lunch out today?" Sasuke asked. Not to distract, but rather to defer, for the Rokudaime was as tenacious as a bloodhound once he caught the scent of something interesting, and there was no doubt he'd found that with his two charges. A neutral (secure) location would give him time to figure out what to say, and what to keep in the darkness of Sakura's bedroom.

"Hmm, let's go now instead." Kakashi made to stand, gesturing for Sasuke to follow. "We can get tea."

"You're that hungry?" Sasuke was a touch surprised; the Hokage was nosy, but-

"No," Kakashi laughed, although he ruined it with a wink, "but I was planning to summon the rest of Team 7 for lunch this afternoon, and I thought we should talk first."

"Ah."

Following him out of the office - much to the dismay of the aide about to deposit a pile of documents on their desks - Sasuke followed obediently as they made their way to Kakashi's favourite teahouse. It was Sakura's too, he realised, recognising the place as the scene of many of his teacher and teammate's gossipy meet-ups. To find himself in that position now was almost funny.

"I figured we should get our stories straight, no?"

"...about?"

He was once more on edge, especially with the salacious expression on the visible half of Kakashi's face.

"Your disappearance," the Hokage replied, holding up a finger for Sasuke and one for Sakura, "and how we can blame it on me."

It wasn't often Sasuke was taken by surprise - in fact, it was likely a feat that only Kakashi and Sakura were capable of - but he was at that moment, mismatched eyes openly displaying it as they ordered their respective drinks, he in a daze. Kakashi was clearly enjoying his discomfiture by refusing to elaborate until their tea was served, managing as usual to take a sip while keeping his face hidden. Sasuke could catch a glimpse if he wanted for not much escaped the Uchiha eyes, but all shinobi had their secrets, and his teacher had always respected his own… including that of last night, apparently.

"Well?" Kakashi continued, looking smug. "Don't say I never do anything for my favourite student."

"You say that to all your students."

"I do," Kakashi agreed shamelessly. "But I mean it when I say it to you."

"You say that to all of us, too."

Sakura had bitten her lip until it was reddened, shifting from foot to foot like a genin caught in mischief. She'd been called to the Hokage Tower almost as soon as she'd taken a bite from her bento - it was currently being wasted on her desk - and upon arriving to see Sasuke and Kakashi in the middle of a secretive conversation her mind had started to worry about what could be happening. Finding the other members of Team 7 in the room had her thinking that she was about to be upbraided for last night, though that was ridiculous. She hoped.

When Kakashi gave her an easily misinterpreted wink, Sakura almost yelped out loud.

"What's this about?" she asked instead, trying and failing to sound normal.

There was no reply. Sai was as indolent as ever and Naruto was occupied in expressing his huff with her using the whole of his body, sitting slouched in the chair furthest from them all in the foyer. When she asked again a few minutes later, he only sniffed loudly and looked away, his pout fierce enough to rival even Ino's that morning.

"Alright," she said eventually, giving up with him for the time being. It had been hard enough to fend off one nosy blonde - she'd need more food before the next round. Folding her arms in an attempt to calm her nervous energy, Sakura couldn't help but feel a touch anxious as Sasuke reappeared, and even moreso when he didn't quite make eye contact with her.

"Here we are, then," Kakashi said as they filed in dutifully, sitting behind his desk with his usual disregard for dignity, robes askew and hat tossed carelessly on a hook.

"And Sakura-chan," he continued, seeming to ignore her small start, "I'm sorry for calling on you again so soon after last night."

What?

This time, Sasuke met her gaze, his expression calm as usual. But there - he inclined his head a fraction. In encouragement? She wasn't certain, but made sure to school her own expression as Naruto glanced at her, giving a decent impression of a disaffected shrug lifted straight from Sasuke's own body language.

"Of course," she said smoothly. Quick to gauge a situation as ever, Sakura realised that her… that Sasuke and the Hokage had clearly had a discussion, though the extent of it she couldn't guess. Only that Kakashi had decided to throw them a figurative bone, an excuse to remove the suspicion of their absence from the biggest festival in the Konoha calendar.

She'd make him some miso-simmered mackerel if it would get Ino and Naruto off her back. At least for long enough to give this nascent thing between her and Sasuke time to flourish, without the inevitable pressures of Konoha society breathing down their necks.

"It's time we moved on to the next phase of our discussions with Tea Country," Kakashi said, drawing her out of her reverie. "I'm of a mind to send you four… especially since the Daimyo was happy with you last time. Would you be inclined?"

She'd always liked the way that the Rokudaime couched his orders as something which each ninja had valuable input towards. But that damn place again; Sakura was still mortified about bathing in the ornamental fountain. Even if it had helped her understand Sasuke better. Still, it was an easy mission and a break from the hospital, so she nodded her agreement while avoiding Kakashi's too-perceptive gaze. Each of them answered in typical fashion - Sasuke with a nonverbal shrug, Naruto excitedly and Sai with blunt acceptance - and the Hokage clapped his hands together decisively, mission scrolls appearing with a flourish on the desktop.

"Great," he said, waiting until each of them had secured their own copy of the mission particulars. "This time, I'm thinking of covering all the bases-"

The words drifted over Sakura's head as she quickly scanned the scroll, focusing on the summarised details at the top before coming to an abrupt halt. Sasuke and Sakura. She read their names again, unable to stop the squeak that slipped past her lips. Mission pairings: Sai and Naruto, and Sasuke and Sakura. They were to split almost as soon as they crossed the border, checking in via summon as they delivered and discussed paperwork with the country's lords.

In other words, she'd be alone with Sasuke almost the entire time, undisturbed.

Finally looking up towards her former teacher, Sakura was greeted with an extremely obvious wink, which of course Sai and Naruto missed. Even Sasuke looked pleased with himself, his smirk sending a frisson of excitement down her spine in memory of the night before. Of how that smirk looked against her hipbone.

Oh no, she thought, although from Sasuke's expression it seemed he wasn't too put out. Kakashi-sensei definitely knows.

And he was definitely in support; she might even have to steal some of Tsunade's stash of saucy literature.

But first, Sakura had to get through several weeks alone with the love of her life, who had just agreed to a slow and steady exploration of what it meant to be more than friends. She could do it, she thought, half-listening as the rest of them hashed out the preparations. Thinking of the heat of Sasuke's body as he crowded her in her bedroom. As he slipped his hands beneath her clothes.

She could.

AN: I hope you enjoyed and it was worth the wait. Please do let me know your thoughts!