The End of Us

By ShinobiSpirit

Note: This is, what I guess would be considered a "lemon." If you're not old enough or mature enough to handle it, don't read it.

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He was dead.

Standing before the memorial, rain soaking me to my bones, I reach out and touch the name of the man who had died for his legacy—or rather, his revenge.

It happened so fast I hardly knew how to react the day they dragged his body back from the pits of what I would assume as the closest thing to hell any of them had ever seen. His body wasn't in the best of shape, but it was the mental wounds of his brother's fatal genjutsu that ended Uchiha Sasuke's life that day.

I couldn't watch him be buried, even when Kakashi had insisted I be there as a member of his team. In a strange way the whole ordeal reminded me of the day Haku and Zabuza had died, but unfortunately, there was no one for me to take my anger out on. Sasuke hadn't died uselessly. It cost him his own life, but in the end, Itachi had suffered the same fate.

My fingers traced the intricate letters like caressing a lover's cheek. Two years later and I still found myself coming back here, reminiscing of old times and going down the list of "what ifs." To me it was all just one big blur of pain and hate; pain because I had lost someone precious to me. Hate because his death reminded me just how powerless I really am.

With all my training, all the blood and sweat and tears shed, I couldn't save one of the most important people in my life. I couldn't save him.

So where did that leave me? I'm a Jounin, I passed all the tests relatively well, and I'm still one of the brightest in all of Konoha. I'm independent and successful in almost every mission bestowed upon me and I live each day as if it might be my last. I wasn't a little girl who hid behind her teammates anymore.

And yet, his death brought that little girl back to the surface. A weakened soul with no hope and no confidence that eventually tore me apart, and for a while I excused myself from all of my duties as a ninja in an attempt to piece myself back together. Six months later, I returned with myself in tact, but I was still running on empty. I knew after much thought that I would just have to accept that and live on. I owed it to everyone—especially the Hokage, Kakashi, and Naruto—to stay alive for as long as I could stand to.

A troubled sigh left my parted lips and I finally tore myself away from the stone memorial. I knew I needed to get home, take a warm shower, and change into some dry clothes before I came down with the flu. As evident as that thought was, I took my time trekking through the woods. There were too many things on my mind that were of more importance than a lousy cold.

When I reached my apartment, I pulled out my keys and began to unlock the door. To my surprise, I found it already unlocked—perhaps I had been so lost in thought that I had forgotten to lock up?

Shrugging my assumptions aside I stepped in and closed the door behind me, making sure to lock it before kicking my shoes off and heading down the hall to my room. I snagged a towel from the linen closet on my way to the bathroom, tossing my wet clothes in the basket in the corner adjacent from the toilet.

After a brief moment of consideration I decided that a bath was best, and now that I was soaking in the warm water, I couldn't have been more right. I took a deep breath, held it, and dunked my head under the water. When I came back up and exhaled, I felt the cold draft of air and opened my eyes to discover that my bathroom door was wide open. The front door had been unlocked, and I had passed it off as my own mistake. But now the bathroom door was open, and I was positive I had closed it before I got in the bath.

Apparently I wasn't the only one home.

Carefully I pulled myself up out of the bath. I grabbed the towel I had retrieved earlier and dried off, wrapping it securely around my body after I was finished. Silently I made a mental note to always bring a change of clothing from this day forward. That is, if I lived long enough for another bath.

Before I did anything I made sure to check out all angles and views of the outside to avoid getting ambushed from above, below, or from all sides. From my analysis I managed to rule out that worry and took a few cautious steps out into the hallway. A quick look around told me that if anyone had been here moments ago, they weren't now. I was so sure of it that I moved casually into the living room, the dining room, and I even sifted through the kitchen. There was no sign of an intruder.

I chuckled at my behavior and traveled back down the hallway to my bedroom. As I reached out to touch the door knob, however, another hand shot out and stopped mine. A gasp caught in my throat and a million alarm bells went off inside my head—was this it? Was this my chance to finally be freed from my own personal hell? Something in the way the intruder grasped my hand and breathed warmth against my neck told me otherwise.

My first thought strayed to Naruto. He had snuck up on me countless times before, pretending—or not pretending—to be a panty thief. I had never felt so satisfied after beating him senseless before that day.

The next person I thought of was Lee. Now, it was my understanding that he was after Ino these days, and he had never actually snuck into my home before, but it was a possibility that I still wanted to consider. Length of consideration: 5 seconds.

Through process of elimination and a few choice guesses, I came up empty handed. It could be any number of the people that came to my mind, but as I finally willed myself to turn around, there was one person I realized I had left out.

At that moment I would have given anything to be able to see the expression on my own face. My jaw dropped and I suddenly had a hard time thinking of something to say. At least, something other than, "You're supposed to be dead." Or "Naruto, that's really not funny." But after careful consideration and a mental kick I reminded myself that even though Naruto and Sasuke were rivals to the end, neither one would ever disgrace each other in such a way.

He was just as I remembered. Almost a head taller than I, with the same unruly black hair, piercing onyx eyes, and those straight, thin lips. I knew I had to be dreaming. I saw his dead body lying there for all the villagers to witness the end of the genius Uchiha clan. Closing my eyes tightly I realized I was all too aware of how dead he really was.

So how was it that I could feel his breath, smell his familiar scent, and clutch his hand in mine? Why did it feel so real? I had no answers and for the time being I decided I didn't care. What mattered was that it did feel real, even if it wasn't, and I wasn't going to be the one to ruin it.

His hand never left mine, even as the other gently tugged at the edge of my towel. I knew what his intentions were. It was so evident that like his hand, his eyes never left mine either. I could see so clearly into his soul at that moment that for a brief second I had forgotten how to breathe.

My towel removed, his mouth found mine and I melted into his embrace despite doubting my own sanity. I moved my hands underneath his shirt and across his warm, solid chest, caressing each and every scar—including the new ones I didn't recall him having before his death, until I pulled away and forced his shirt above his head.

Sasuke stood before me with that same desirable smirk that had drawn me to him years before. For a brief moment all I could do was stare at his beauty, memorize his features, and savor the memory of his taste still in my mouth. Because something told me after this, he would be gone forever, but like everything else I shoved that thought aside for later consideration.

I reached out and cupped his face with my hands (which were shaking to my disgust) and looked into his eyes for the longest time. What I found there mended the wounds in my heart and I pulled his lips to mine. I didn't care what happened; I was given another chance to be with him and I wasn't going to waste it for the world.

Arms and mouths entwined, we maneuvered to my bedroom step by step until finally I felt the softness of my comforter at my back and his weight on top of me. Sasuke broke the kiss and looked at me briefly before pressing his lips to my forehead. He lingered there a moment, and I closed my eyes to keep the tears I knew were there from falling. He must have sensed it too, because he planted a gentle kiss on both of my eyelids and continued down to nuzzle the nape of my neck.

I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could manage without crushing him. The night was quiet with the exception of the silent pitter-patter of the rain outside and I could feel his heart beating against mine, as if to reassure me that he was truly alive and I wasn't just having an episode. I sighed and ran my hands over his fevered back, turning my face and kissing the spot just above his ear. He whispered my name and breathed in my scent before I felt his teeth nipping at my skin. I gasped and tilted my head back to allow him better access. As accurate as always, he didn't move from my neck until every nook and cranny had been marked by him.

The lower he got, the slower he seemed to be, and it drove me crazy with each passing minute. Sasuke was everywhere and nowhere all at once, his hands and lips never leaving my body. He kissed each finger on both hands, each elbow, every unfamiliar area of me he could find and claim, he did, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I sat up when he reached my stomach and he looked at me with a start. I just smiled and grabbed him by the shoulders. Pulling him forward, I twisted around and had him straddled beneath me, my hands on either side of his head as I leaned over to repeat what he had done to me.

Each of my movements was slow and precise, which added to the satisfaction of seeing my once stoic, unemotional statue grunt and squirm whenever I did something he liked. After a while, it apparently became too much, and he somehow reclaimed his position above me without me noticing his intentions at all. Something was different, however; the smirk that had been on his face was now replaced by something more serious—more sad—and I couldn't help but adorn the same expression.

It was his way of saying, "This is it."

A wave of sadness and sorrow washed over me. I clutched his hand to my heart and looked deep into his eyes, as if searching for another way to keep him here with me. I realized then that even after this night, I'd never be able to forget him and I had been stupid for trying.

Sasuke sat back on his heels and pulled me up into his arms. I trembled against the warmth of his body pressed against my own—would this truly be the last time I would ever be held by him like this? All I could do not to cry was bury my face in his neck and inhale the scent that would eventually fade away.

"Sakura…" He whispered in my ear.

I pulled back and flashed him a smile. Words weren't needed; I knew what was to come. One day maybe I'd be strong enough to handle the pain that this would surely bring me, but I'd manage somehow.

My back met with the bed once again and he lay positioned between my legs, his hands in my hair. Our eyes met and he slowly pushed inside me, breaking the barrier only he had been allowed to pass and filling me completely. A small wave of pain followed an enormous amount of pleasure as he rocked me to his will. My back arched and I breathed his name over and over as we found our rhythm, but our gazes never broke.

"Faster…" I managed to gasp out. He was moving so slowly, so carefully, I felt like I was going to go insane. He complied, shifting his weight so that he came harder with each thrust, also managing to move me further underneath him so that he plunged deeper each time. I moaned and dug my nails into his flesh. It was so much and not enough all at once and I couldn't decide what was more evident; pleasure or pain.

As we reached our climax, our eyes met again and Sasuke leaned down to capture my lips in an overwhelmingly sensual kiss, my scream echoing in his throat. I was worn out, to say the least, but I continued to hold onto him long after our orgasm faded. Dread settled in my stomach and suddenly I felt like I was about to lose him all over again. So his body wasn't mangled and there was no funeral or casket. But somehow this felt far, far worse.

Minutes ticked by in my mind and Sasuke gently pulled from my embrace enough to look into my eyes. Our breaths mingled together and his hand caressed my cheek as his eyes spoke the words his voice couldn't carry. There was no expression on his face and in truth I was sure mine looked the same.

"Don't go…" Was what I wanted to say, but I knew that would only make things harder on the both of us. He was making a sacrifice. He was letting me go. I had to do the same for him. If I didn't, we'd both be miserable.

With a heavy heart and even heavier eyes, I kissed him one final time and allowed sleep to take me. The image of his face remained imprinted in my mind long after I had fallen asleep—whenever that had been—and his voice echoed in my ears the following morning a message that brought tears to my eyes.

"Be strong."

That morning, I laid in bed for what seemed like an eternity. His scent was still on my skin, as well as on my sheets, which I never washed. They now reside in a small box in my closet, never to be touched by anyone but me. It was silly and obsessive, I know, but some habits die hard, and this was one of them.

Now, I know what you're thinking. 'She got pregnant and lived happily ever after with Sasuke Jr., the Uchiha clan restored.' Well, I won't lie to you. I did end up pregnant, much to everyone's confusion and surprise. Quite frankly I suppose we both had forgotten about the outcome of our actions—or perhaps he had done so on purpose, but I'll never know. The only thing I do know for sure is this:

It may have been the end of us, but it was the beginnings of something much more important. A new life, a new legacy, and a new chance to be apart of the future of a Village that never stops growing.

"We will be.."

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A/N: My attempt at a physical relationship between Sasuke and Sakura. I think this may be my first R rated fic that didn't have to do with violence. And I know this particular 'morning after' thing has been done before but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Another tally for insanity, please.

SS