Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Sasuke would be back already and making love to Sakura all freakin' night long...ALRIGHT! On with the drabble!

Odds and Ends

Chapter Five: Massage

Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura

Sasuke let out a blissful sigh, his eyelids sliding closed against his will. Not even the stoic Uchiha Sasuke could convincingly pretend that he wasn't enjoying this. He had never felt more relaxed in his life. A sound resembling dangerously to a purr escaped his lips, but he was too put at ease to bother masking it. Whether he liked it or not, she had him under a spell.

Sakura smiled as she continued to knead Sasuke's shoulders, rubbing circles into his shoulder blades with her thumbs. She had to admit it, she was thoroughly enjoying seeing Sasuke in this state. It was very rare to see the moody boy smile, let alone purr. But then again, who didn't love a back rub? Especially since she knew very well that she was an exceptional back massager, having studied back rubs as part of her training to become a mednin. It was definitely all worth it now to see Sasuke looking so happy, if only for the duration of a back rub (not to mention the fact that Inner Sakura, her considerably dirtier half, was having a grand old time being able to touch his back so freely...).

Sakura was brought out of her musing when Sasuke suddenly spoke.

"You don't have to do this, you know," he said dazedly, entirely unconvincing as his words were quickly followed by an involuntary sigh of contentment.

Sakura smiled warmly, chuckling at his efforts to maintain some form of pride, despite his almost drunken state. Who would have thought that a simple back rub would have so much of an affect on the cold Uchiha Sasuke?

"It's no trouble, Sasuke-kun. It's nice to see you sitting still for once instead of obsessing over training," she answered truthfully, placing one hand on his left shoulder blade and using her other hand to help apply pressure, succeeding in loosening relaxing the muscle, "Besides, you're always too tense. It's a good idea to relax every now and then," she moved her hands and applied pressure to his other shoulder, "And you've got to stop slouching so much, it's bad for your posture," she lightly chided him.

Sasuke was silent, and Sakura wondered suddenly if she was annoying him by talking so much. Despite the fact that he may have been more relaxed at the present moment, Uchiha Sasuke was still Uchiha Sasuke, and he was never one to take part in pleasant conversation.

"Sasuke-kun-" Sakura began her apology, but Sasuke cut her off.

"Sakura..." he said sluggishly. Sakura blinked, confused. Sasuke didn't show any sign of finishing his sentence.

"Ne? Sasuke-kun?"

A lazy smile spread across Sasuke's lips.

"I love you," he said quietly.

Sakura's hands froze, jaw dropping, a bright red blush staining the pink haired kunoichi's face. She wasn't sure if she had just heard what she thought she had heard. She had only ever dreamt that Sasuke would say such a thing to her. Her hand subconsciously moved from Sasuke's shoulder to her mouth. She felt tears well up in her eyes. It was all too surreal.

"Sasuke-kun..." she whispered.

Silence.

Sakura blinked.

"Sasuke-kun...?"

She leaned down and took a closer look at the Uchiha boy. Every muscle in his body seemed limp, his breathing deep and calm. It was then that Sakura realized that Sasuke was asleep.

She cocked an eyebrow, straightening up. So he was on the verge of sleep when he said that...?

"Sasuke-kun," she said in amusement to the sleeping boy, "I hope that's not the massage I gave you talking."