As Sakura walked into her home, she saw both her parents standing in the kitchen, clearly involved in a conversation. Rice was boiling on the stove. They both turned to look at the younger pinkette. Her father's eyes widened.
"Sakura...! You came back..." he said breathlessly.
Sakura smiled nervously at him.
"Hi, dad," she replied.
The man walked up to her and slowly pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry..."
Sakura chuckled as she returned the embrace.
"Haha... Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, dad. I was just acting crazy..."
Kizashi pulled back and held her by the shoulders, giving her a serious stare.
"I'm sorry anyway! You're my daughter. It's your right to act crazy whenever you want."
Sakura laughed again. His conviction reminded her of Naruto. Mebuki was observing the exchange with a smile.
"Haha, I'm glad... Since I can't seem to keep it together anymore... It's a good thing I'm at least allowed..."
Her mother took a step closer to them and stood up while Kizashi lowered his hands.
"You'll always be our child, Sakura dear. We'll never judge you. If you're upset, we know you have a good reason. I hope you still feel like you can talk to us, even though you're so grown up now," the older pinkette said.
Sakura's eyes were starting to water a little.
"Of course... I love you guys..."
It wasn't long until all three Harunos were a bit misty-eyed.
"Well, I made extra food for you. I have my doubts that Naruto-kun knows how to cook anything."
Sakura smiled and nodded. Her mother wasn't wrong.
"That sounds great."
The three had dinner at the table. Sakura had eaten quite ravenously by her standards. They had avoided talking about her and Naruto, knowing that the subject was sensitive for her and that she'd talk about it when she was ready.
The pinkette wasn't sure how to bring it up. She decided that it would be best to try to explain how she felt. She cleared her throat and both parents turned to look at her. The expression on her face was quite unsure.
"Well, I feel like I should explain myself..." the pinkette said cautiously.
Kizashi's eyebrows raised in alarm.
"No, Sakura, you don't have to. If it's going to upset you, then I don't need to hear it. It's not that important that I know," her father said imploringly.
Sakura shook her head, her expression serious.
"But I need to. I need you to understand how I feel, because so few people do, and I feel alone. I need the people I love to understand."
Her father's face fell. He finally gave her a sympathetic gaze.
"Okay... I know I haven't always been great at that... I promise to do my best."
The younger pinkette smiled awkwardly at him.
Mebuki watched carefully. In many ways, Sakura was so much like her.
"Thank you... Well, I've always been really close to Naruto. It hasn't always been romantic, but we were each other's most important person. I would have done anything to protect Naruto from being hurt, even if it meant I would be hurt instead. And Naruto felt the same way about me," Sakura looked down at the crumbs on her plate. "Some time after the war ended, Naruto said that he was in love with me. That was a crisis for me, because I knew he would be hurt terribly if I didn't return his feelings. So I told him that I would. But Naruto wouldn't accept that. He thought I would have rather been with Sasuke-kun. So we left Konoha to find Sasuke-kun. He wanted me to see him again to make sure that I wouldn't rather be with him. That was what Naruto always did. He always tried to make sure I would be happy."
Sakura smiled at the happy memory.
"The more time we travelled together, the more I loved him. We reminisced, and I really think that in a way, I always loved him. Because even just a few months after we became a team, I was already at the point where I couldn't bear to let him be hurt. I've always felt that way. I would rather die than hurt Naruto," she continued.
Mebuki smiled while Kizashi watched his daughter tentatively.
"So when we came back, we were together. And we were so happy. We weren't in any rush to get closer. I was happy when I would see him, and when we were apart, I'd smile thinking about him. We were just happy spending time together. But that changed," Sakura's pained eyes shifted to one side. "The second time I slept over at his apartment, it was hot, so I made him take his shirt off. He had a scar. That scar was from a wound that should have killed him. A wound that would have killed him, if he wasn't the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Sasuke-kun gave him that wound in a fight years ago. A fight which took place because Naruto was trying to bring Sasuke-kun back to the village when he didn't want to come back. And... I asked him to do that for me."
She raised her head to look at her parents. They flinched at how dark her expression was.
"So I learned that I was a hypocrite. Because I'm in love with him. I'd give my own life to save his, but I nearly got him killed. I wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't a part of my life anymore, and he very nearly wasn't because of my childish selfishness. And now, I don't feel like I can be away from him. I need to see him smiling at me. If he's not there, I get a sinking feeling. I become afraid that he'll realize how horrible I am and never want to see me again. And I'll lose my most precious person," Sakura finished.
Kizashi just gaped at her. After a moment, Mebuki gave her a tender look.
"But, Sakura dear, I'm sure Naruto-kun doesn't hold it against you," she said.
Sakura looked at her mother sadly.
"I know he doesn't, and that makes me feel even worse. Because I'll never be able to make it up to him, no matter what I do..."
Kizashi finally spoke up calmly.
"Well, I understand why you were upset before. I can see why, after that happened, you don't feel like you can worry about your own feelings when it comes to him. But I'm still worried about them, Sakura. Even if Naruto loves you, I still feel like you're being hurt over this. It's not right that you're putting yourself through so much suffering over this mistake you made when you were barely a teenager," he stated.
Sakura turned to look at him nervously.
"I know. Naruto feels the same way. But I don't know what I can do about it other than spending as much time around Naruto as I can."
The Haruno man raised an eyebrow.
"You don't mean...?"
Sakura nodded, her expression very cautious.
"Yes... I was planning on moving in with him."
Her father's eyes widened in shock. Mebuki was entirely unsurprised, but not indifferent. She watched her husband carefully.
"But... Sakura... I know I can't tell you what to do, you're grown up. But I don't think that's a good idea. Isn't it way too soon? Couldn't this make your problems worse?"
Sakura sighed deeply. Her visage grew serious.
"Dad, I'm willing to try anything. I can't deal with this stress and pain anymore. I know that if I'm with him, I'll be able to be at peace. I'll be happy. I know you're going to hate it, but I have to do this for myself. I feel like I'm falling apart. Please don't make me choose between you and him, because I would choose him. I'm sorry."
Kizashi sighed as well. Mebuki had told him trying to convince her would be useless. He realized that by the time this had become a serious issue, it was already too late for him to do anything about it. He wondered if he failed somehow as her father.
He returned her serious gaze.
"I won't... I still think it's too soon... But I can't stop you, and I don't even think I want to. Just, please, make absolutely sure that you don't get hurt even more. That's all I ask."
Sakura's expression softened at the care that her father had for her.
"I'm sure that this will make me happy, dad. Naruto always cares for me. He won't let me be hurt as long as he's around. Hopefully one day, I won't feel like this anymore. But for now, this is all I can do."
Kizashi smiled nostalgically.
"It's going to be strange not having you living here anymore. I hope you'll come to visit us. This will always be your home."
Sakura nodded, smiling widely.
"Of course. I'll come visit all the time. Is it okay if I bring Naruto?"
Kizashi frowned before he could stop himself. Mebuki smiled amusedly at this. He sighed after a moment.
"I guess. There are things I have to tell him if he's going to be our son in law. He is going to be our son in law, right?"
Sakura's eyes widened a little, shifting up and to the left. They met her father's again and she grinned nervously.
"Uh, we haven't really talked about it that much... He's said that he always wanted to marry me, though."
Kizashi's eyes narrowed.
"I'll have to ask him about that myself..."
Mebuki turned to him with a glare.
"You'd better not intimidate Naruto-kun. He's such a sweet boy, always taking care of our Sakura," she said. She turned to look at Sakura. "Sakura dear, you tell him he can come over whenever he wants."
Sakura nodded.
"Okay... I might have him come over to help me move my things. He can carry an almost unlimited amount of things with his jutsu," she replied.
Kizashi crossed his arms and pouted a little.
"I know he's an amazing ninja... That along with everything else you've told me means that playing the protective father is useless... But I wanted to do it anyway... Is that so wrong?"
Both Haruno women stared blankly at him. After a moment, they started giggling.
/
Sakura had been lying in her bed for about an hour, tossing and turning as she tried to get to sleep. She couldn't stop wondering why Naruto had been so hesitant. She knew he might not need her as much as she needed him, but she knew for a fact that he loved being around her. No matter what they did, he was always happy to spend time with her. So she couldn't understand why he didn't want to increase the amount of time they spent together.
She thought perhaps she had been too forward with him in the shower. It was possible that he wasn't comfortable being that intimate with her yet. But she was willing to be patient if that was what he wanted. All she wanted was to be able to hold him as she fell asleep. She sorely missed being able to do that now.
The pinkette wrapped the pillow around her head in frustration, keeping her eyes shut. Eventually, her mind stopped racing, but it was a long while until she drifted off to sleep.
The next thing she knew, she was lying in the bed in Naruto's room. The other half of the bed was empty. She sat up and looked around, seeing a dressed Naruto pulling his jacket on as he was walking out.
"Naruto, where are you going?" the pinkette asked.
He turned to look at her dismissively.
"Out," he replied.
Sakura frowned.
"Well, wait a second. I'll come with you."
The blonde shook his head.
"No, you shouldn't. People might get the idea that we're actually together."
She gaped at him.
"What are you talking about, Naruto...? We are."
Naruto smirked cruelly at her. It was a look she had never seen on his face before.
"You actually thought I wanted to be with someone like you? After everything you did to me? Think again."
Her vision started to blur.
"But... You said it didn't matter to you... You said you loved me..."
He looked at her with disdain.
"I don't think I could ever love someone like you. But I've always lusted after you. I wanted to know what it would be like. It was good, but I'm getting tired of you now. Don't make a mess of the place on your way out, Haruno."
Naruto walked out of the room. Sakura was in shock. She couldn't believe that he could be so cruel. He wouldn't act like this, even if he really didn't want to be with her anymore. Something had to be wrong with him.
She quickly stood up off the bed.
"Naruto... Wait!"
She ran out into the living room, but found that Naruto was already gone. She heard laughter.
"Don't try to follow me, Haruno. You're not worthy of being in my presence. You're just trash."
The pinkette rushed outside. Sasuke was standing in the middle of the street flanked by Hinata and Ino. Ino was hanging off his left arm.
"Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura whispered disbelievingly.
The three of them turned to look at her. Ino had a vicious smile on her face.
"Oh, Forehead... You'd better not think you can have Sasuke-kun now that Naruto doesn't want you anymore. There's no chance of that. Sasuke-kun doesn't want anyone's leftovers. He's perfectly happy with me," Ino said.
Sasuke remained impassive. Hinata gave her a harsh glare.
"Naruto-kun told me what you did to him. How could you make him risk his life? You're sick, Sakura-san. You'd better stay away from him from now on. I'll take good care of him, since you clearly never did," she spat.
Sakura fell to her knees and screamed.
The next thing she knew, she was lying on her bed in her parents' home again. Light was streaming in through the window. She couldn't believe it'd gotten to the point where she was having nightmares. She couldn't wait until she could move in with Naruto.
She shook her head quickly before getting up out of bed. She had to get ready for work.
/
At work, the pinkette had been very distracted as she carried out her duties. That dream had been disturbing, and she couldn't stop wondering what Naruto's misgivings could be. When her lunch break arrived, she was incredibly relieved to see Ino already sitting at one of the tables. She desperately needed to talk to someone.
The blonde waved at Sakura and she waved back. She hurriedly arranged a tray of food and sat down.
"Ino-pig... Thank God you're here..." Sakura said almost breathlessly.
Ino smiled warmly.
"Well, I'm glad you're happy to see me. What's up, Forehead?" she asked.
Leaving her food where it was, Sakura leaned in closer to Ino.
"I asked Naruto if I could move in with him... He said yes, but he seemed hesitant for some reason that he wouldn't tell me. He said he would tell me later today."
Ino's eyes widened.
"Wow, really...? You didn't pressure him into it, right?"
Sakura looked away pensively.
"No... Well, I don't think I did..." She thought about how she had told Naruto how important it was to her and realized he might have felt obligated. "Maybe I did...? I just really wanted to know what was wrong... I would have accepted it if he didn't want me moving in, but I wanted him to at least tell me why."
Ino hummed thoughtfully.
"Hmm... It's one thing if the reason has nothing to do with your moving in with him, but if you got him to agree as a way of getting out of telling you what it was, then you probably pressured him a little."
Sakura frowned.
"Oh... Did I screw up?"
Ino looked up with a smile.
"Not really... As long as your moving in is really what he wants. You should make sure of that."
Sakura nodded quickly. She started eating her food.
"Okay... Thanks, Ino."
"Anytime, Forehead," Ino reached over and took a piece of fruit off of Sakura's tray. "I'll take this as compensation."
Sakura chuckled but continued to eat without looking up from her meal.
"Haha... I just feel so much worse when he's not around. I need to know that he still loves me. It scares me how much I need that, but the thought of being away from him scares me even more. And it's so difficult to make other people understand that."
Ino munched on the fruit, audibly swallowing it before speaking up.
"It just sounds like you don't fully trust him yet... Or maybe you don't believe that you deserve to be happy? Either way, I don't think anything that I could tell you would help. All you can do is hope that it goes away in time."
The pinkette looked up with a curious expression.
"Is that your professional opinion?"
Ino laughed melodically.
"Do you want it to be? If you want therapy, Forehead, I could set you up with someone from my clan. But you're always going to be somewhat neurotic and insecure. You wouldn't be Forehead if you weren't."
Sakura looked back down at her food thoughtfully. She was silent for a while. Ino watched her with a raised eyebrow.
"I think I'll be fine... But..."
Sakura trailed off. Ino leaned in with arms crossed over the table.
"Listen, if it was anyone other than Naruto, I would be worried. Anyone else could really hurt you if you were so attached to them. But I know he's harmless. So I'm not worried. Trust me, you would know if I was."
Sakura looked up. After a moment, she simply nodded.
"Yeah... I had a dream that he left me, and I remember thinking in the dream that there had to be something wrong with him, because he would never act that way."
Ino's eyes widened.
"Really? What else happened in the dream?"
Sakura smiled awkwardly.
"Well, Hinata scolded me for not being good enough for him. You were also there, and you were with Sasuke-kun. You mocked me because you had finally won."
Ino grinned.
"Wow, I hope at least that part of it comes true. Even though you don't care anymore, it would still be my victory."
Sakura sighed.
"I'd be happy to admit defeat on that one. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. We would have to get Sasuke-kun to at least look at you first."
The blonde leaned back in her chair and pouted.
"I'm never going to give up, Forehead. I really think I could understand him now. He just needs to give me a chance."
Sakura rolled her eyes before resuming her meal. Ino was a great confidant, but when it came to certain matters, she was always going to be hopeless.
/
When Sakura arrived back at her home, she saw her mother reading a book at the table. Mebuki smiled at her as she approached.
"Hi, mom. I'm home. I'm going to go change and visit Naruto so that we can plan things out," Sakura said.
Mebuki nodded.
"Okay, dear. Tell him I said hello. Kizashi went out to buy groceries, but I'm sure he would wish you the best as well. We both just want you to be happy," she replied.
The pinkette smiled warmly.
"Thank you... I hope I will be."
Sakura went upstairs to her room. Looking at the clothes in her closet, she saw the pair of dark green pants that she wore on that terrible day. She decided it would be appropriate to wear the same outfit again. She took off her work clothes and put on the pants as well as the close-fitting white top that she had worn back then. She decided she might as well bring her pajamas as well in case she decided to stay with Naruto again, so she packed them into her bag. She hadn't planned on spending the night, but after how miserable last night had been, she thought she might change her mind.
She headed back downstairs with her bag and waved goodbye to her mother before departing.
/
On her way to Naruto's apartment, the pinkette happened to pass by Ichiraku. She decided to surprise him by bringing him a few bowls of miso ramen. She went inside and saw the white-garbed Teuchi behind the counter. There were only a few other people there, so she didn't have to wait. She walked up to the counter and smiled politely at the man without sitting down.
"Hello... I'd like to order four bowls of miso to go, please," Sakura said.
Teuchi nodded.
"Okay. That'll be... Wait, aren't you Haruno Sakura-san? Naruto-kun's teammate? I remember seeing you here with him sometimes."
Sakura smiled nervously.
"Uh, yeah, that's me. I'm actually buying them for him. I don't eat that much ramen myself."
The man gave her a friendly smile.
"Really? What's the occasion?"
She blushed lightly.
"There really isn't much of one... I just wanted to surprise him. He's my boyfriend."
Teuchi's eyes widened.
"Oh! I heard he was dating someone, but I didn't realize it was you. That's great. In that case, they're on the house."
Sakura frowned and blushed more deeply.
"Really, you don't have to. I could pay for them."
The ramen chef shook his head.
"No way. Naruto-kun kept this business afloat for years. I won't hear of it. Here you go, Sakura-san. Be sure to hold the bag upright."
He handed her the stacked bowls in a large paper bag. She carefully took it by the bottom.
"Okay, I guess. Thank you..."
"No problem. Tell him I said hello."
Sakura nodded at him before turning and walking out. She found it surprising how many people were so close to Naruto. Out of all of them, she somehow managed to stand out for all these years, even though she hadn't always been kind to him. It was humbling.
She made her way to his apartment, holding the ramen with both hands with her bag over her shoulder.
/
Sakura arrived at the apartment complex and tentatively knocked on the door, shifting the bag of ramen to hold it under one arm. After a few moments, Naruto opened the door and smiled nervously at her. He had already changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants.
"Hi, Sakura-chan. I'm glad you came. Come on in," he said.
The pinkette smiled and walked in, setting the ramen and her bag on the kitchen counter.
"I brought you some ramen, Naruto. Teuchi-san let me have it for free. He says hello," she replied.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Wow, that's great. Now I'm even more glad you came."
Sakura laughed.
"Haha... Want to eat it now?"
"Of course."
They sat down at the table, Naruto taking three bowls and Sakura taking one. It was a light meal for Naruto and a heavy meal for Sakura. Naruto ate quickly in his nervousness and finished his bowls before Sakura finished her single bowl. She looked up to see Naruto watching her with a strange expression.
"You want the rest of mine, Naruto? I'm almost full."
Naruto shook his head.
"Nah, that's okay. So what did your parents say?"
Sakura smiled.
"They said they were fine with it. My dad still thinks it's too soon, but he just wants me to be happy. That's what I want, too."
The blonde grinned sheepishly.
"I always wanted that as well. I'd be happy to have you live here if it would make you happy, Sakura-chan."
Sakura frowned lightly.
"Naruto, I was thinking about it more, and I'm concerned now. I don't want to move in if you don't want me to. I realize that you probably don't need me as much as I need you. So you don't have to tell me the reason if you don't want to, Naruto. It's up to you. Just please tell me what you want."
Naruto gulped. He idly moved the stacked bowls of ramen off to one side.
"Well... When you first brought it up, my first thought was that I would love for you to move in. And I still would love it. It would make me so happy too. But I'm worried about you. I feel like it's not fair to you that you're so attached to me."
The pinkette raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, it's not fair?"
Naruto looked away uncomfortably.
"I still don't know how to tell you. I want to, but I don't know how. I'm really ashamed."
Sakura smiled softly. She stood up and took Naruto's hand, pulling him to his feet.
"Come on, let's sit down on the couch."
Abandoning the empty bowls, she took him over to the couch and beckoned for him to sit down. She sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close to her. Naruto let out a long breath. Sakura watched him with the same soft smile.
"Naruto, don't you understand how I feel? I love and accept everything about you. You never have to be ashamed of anything. I just want you to be happy, because that's what you do for me. You make me so happy. Nothing you could say would ever change the way I feel about you," she continued.
Sakura moved her hand to run her fingers through his hair soothingly as she liked to do. Naruto felt himself relax.
"So... Feel free to tell me whenever you're ready, because there's no way it can change anything. Or if you want, we can just stay like this, Naruto. Don't you like being like this with me?"
The blonde smiled.
"Yeah, I do... You're so amazing, Sakura-chan. I'm really lucky."
Sakura smiled more widely and wrapped her arm around him again, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm the lucky one, Naruto."
Naruto finally sighed.
"Well... The problem is... I'm really attracted to you."
Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, and...? Isn't that a good thing?"
He turned his head to look at her with a pained expression.
"Sakura-chan, you don't get it. I'm so attracted to you that I don't know if I can control it if we're always sleeping in the same bed."
The pinkette stared at him blankly.
"Naruto, you're right. I don't get it. How is that a problem?"
Naruto blinked a few times. For a second, he wondered why he had thought it was a problem to begin with. Then he remembered.
"It's a problem because you said you wouldn't deny me that, because you want to make me happy. And I'm not comfortable with that... I only want to do that if it's something you want to do."
She looked down in thought.
"Oh... Hmm... What made you think about that being a problem?"
He frowned.
"Well, the night before last. I woke up in the middle of the night. I saw you sleeping beside me, and I thought about doing that with you. I was really aroused again. I thought about waking you up just to get you to do that with me. And it made me feel really bad that I wanted to."
Sakura nodded slowly.
"I see... Why didn't you?"
"What do you mean?"
She looked up at him.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
Naruto gaped at her.
"Because... That would be a horrible thing to do. It would be so selfish. You were sleeping soundly. How could I disturb that just to get something I wanted?"
Sakura smiled softly again.
"Naruto, it's true that I enjoyed sleeping in your arms, and that was what I wanted to do. But... The one time that we've done that, I practically had to force you. I would have liked to have a chance to be there for you when you really needed me. It would have been special. And I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more now that it wouldn't hurt. If I had known, I would've chosen that over a few more hours of sleep."
The blonde's eyes narrowed in understanding.
"Oh... But how do I know that you're doing it because you want to, and not just to make me happy?"
Sakura's smile grew wider.
"Because you're the one who always worries about making me happy, Naruto. If I was uncomfortable, you would stop. I know you would, because I know you'll never hurt me. And I don't mind doing that with you. I like being close to you, and there's no way to get any closer than that. So it won't just make you happy, it'll make me happy too. You don't have to worry about it, Naruto."
Naruto blinked. He couldn't believe it was really that simple. She really trusted him and just wanted to be close to him in whatever way made both of them the happiest. He finally returned her smile.
"I see. Well, okay. I'll do my best to make you happy as long as you're living here, Sakura-chan."
She leaned in and pecked his cheek.
"I know you will, Naruto."
Sakura rested her head against his. They were both silent for a while. Eventually, Naruto spoke up quietly.
"Did you want to sleep here tonight?"
The pinkette hummed quietly.
"Hmm... If I do, can you come help me move my things tomorrow morning?"
His eyes widened a little.
"Sure... But how come you're in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
Sakura leaned her head away to look in his eyes. He watched her with concern.
"I had a lot of difficulty sleeping without you. I really think living with you would get rid of this stress I'm feeling. Then we'd both be happier, because I'd be relaxed, and you wouldn't have to deal with me being so clingy. So I want to do it as soon as possible."
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah, that makes sense, Sakura-chan. I'll help you. I'll always help you."
She got up and stood in front of him with a wide grin.
"Thanks for always being there for me, Naruto."
The blonde also stood, facing her from about half a foot away.
"Of course, Sakura-chan. I'll be there as long as you need me."
Sakura stepped closer to him, but Naruto didn't flinch.
"You know, Naruto... I meant what I said before. And I even wore these clothes for you. I really want to be everything for you. I love you, so you don't have to feel guilty."
He gulped.
"Well... I love you too, Sakura-chan. But I don't think we should force it. Let's just see what happens."
She stared at him for a moment. Then she nodded with a bright smile. The tension disappeared.
"Okay, Naruto."
/
After cleaning up after the ramen they ate, they talked casually for a while about what it would be like to live together. They went into the bedroom and planned out some rules and arrangements so that they could both be comfortable. Eventually, Sakura yawned from her seat on the bed.
"We can talk about this more tomorrow, Naruto. I need to change for bed," she said.
Naruto watched her as she stood up.
"Okay. Do you want me to go-"
"No, you don't have to. I think we're both used to this by now, Naruto."
He gave her a strange look. That reply didn't make any sense given what he was going to say. He was about to tell her that, but the words died in his throat as she pulled her top off to reveal a pink, rose-patterned bra. She turned to face him and smiled at his wide-eyed expression.
"Is that the same...?"
Sakura only nodded. She folded the shirt and placed it on top of the dresser before sitting down on the bed next to him again and unbuttoning her pants. She looked over at Naruto. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle as he watched her.
"Are you okay, Naruto?"
"Yeah, I'm fine..."
She smiled playfully.
"It's just that you're staring at me. I'm feeling a little self-conscious."
Naruto quickly looked away. After a few moments, he felt a hand on his cheek turn his head back towards her. She had removed the pants, leaving only her bra and a simple pair of white underwear. She still had the same playful smile.
"It's okay, Naruto... I want you to look at me," Sakura said.
Any response he was going to give was stopped by the impact of her lips against his. She put her arms around him and pulled both of them to their feet as they continued to kiss. She pressed closer against him, trying to absorb his warmth. She felt his hardness rise up between the two of them. After some time, she managed to tear herself away so that she could lock eyes with him. He was watching her with intensity.
"What are you thinking about, Naruto...?"
He struggled to untie the string on his pajama pants.
"I..."
Sakura looked down and saw both the shape of his arousal and his difficulty. She took hold of his hands.
"Calm down... We have plenty of time, Naruto. I'll get it."
Releasing them, she knelt down and untied the string easily. She pulled down his pants, but left his undershorts in place. She was about to stand up when Naruto spoke.
"Can you take them off too...? I'm not in a hurry... It's just not very comfortable..."
She obliged, carefully removing his underwear as well before standing up, looking into his eyes with a smile.
"There, you're free... I bet that feels good."
The blonde was still watching her intently.
"Yeah, it does..."
She carefully grasped his length in her hand. Her eyes widened a little, but she enjoyed how warm and hard he felt.
"Ah... You get so hard for me, Naruto. Sometimes I feel a bit intimidated."
A heat began to build up inside of her as well. Naruto saw a hint of a smile on her face, the nostalgic one she reserved for him.
"Don't..." Naruto started to say. The pinkette had eagerly begun to move her hand along him, causing him to shudder. "... Don't be. But don't do that too much... I might not be able to stand it."
She stopped moving her hand but maintained her solid grip while she leaned in and kissed him deeply. She reached up with her other hand and gently ran her fingers through his thick hair. He still seemed a bit too tense. She wanted him to feel completely at ease with her.
"Sorry... It just feels really nice," Sakura whispered.
She let him go, pulling away a little so that she could reach around her back to unclasp her bra. Without taking her eyes off him, she moved the straps over her shoulders. He stared back at her, transfixed, as the garment fell to the ground.
"Tell me what you want, Naruto..." she asked breathily.
Naruto reached out and put his hands gently on her hips, pulling her close to him. His arousal rubbed roughly against her core, stopped only by the thin fabric. They both gasped.
"Please, I want to hear you say it," the pinkette implored.
With a deep breath, he finally broke the contact and met her emerald gaze.
"I... I really want to be inside of you... Sakura," he replied.
The pinkette smiled at him reassuringly.
"It's okay, Naruto. I'm excited, too. It won't hurt me at all this time."
She sat down on the bed and extended her legs, motioning for him to remove her white panties. He reached down and took hold of the straps and slowly pulled them off, letting them drop off the side of the bed.
He glanced down at the narrow lips of her entrance and back up to her eyes. He took his shirt off and tossed it aside before making a move forward, his knees against the side of the bed that was between her legs.
"Wait, Naruto..." Sakura said quietly, but without much urgency.
She put her hand between her legs and inserted a finger to verify that she could accommodate him. It went in easily. She moved it in and out a few times.
Naruto watched her with concern. It had been difficult to stop himself. He really wanted to fall on top of her right away, but he'd hate it if he caused her pain.
"It's okay, right?" he asked.
She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yep... Everything's ready for you," She laid down with her head on top of the pillow and extended both arms in a welcoming gesture. "C'mon, Naruto. Come here to me," she gently ordered, beaming at him.
This was not a prospect he could have ever walked away from. So he slowly positioned himself over her, elevated by his forearms and knees.
Sakura giggled and wrapped her arms gently around his back. He at last gripped her shoulder blades with his hands and slowly entered her. She took a sharp intake of breath. The blonde didn't move right away.
"Just to let you know, I'm not exactly made of glass," she said in a playful tone.
But Naruto hadn't been worried about hurting her for once. He was just very happy to be back within that familiar warm place. It made him feel like everything in the world was perfect and nothing in it could harm him. He met her eyes and smiled genuinely. She grinned back at him and lifted her head to kiss him while pulling him in with her arms, beckoning him deeper inside of her and eliciting gasps from them both.
As the blonde was drawn in, conscious of the pinkette wrapped around him and the sound of her airy breaths, he felt the familiar sensation building and quickly chose to pursue it. He heard her breathing grow more rapid as he did. When he slammed into her as far as he could, she cried out and wrapped her legs around him securely, her fingernails scratching at his back. The unexpected stimuli took him out of his rhythm for a moment, though it was now impossible for him to slip out of her even if he wanted to.
"Don't stop... You're doing so well..."
He was more than happy to oblige. It was his favorite thing to do anyway. Every time he felt himself buried up to the hilt, the adrenaline rushing through him was so great that it felt like it might be the last. Something inside him would give and that would be it for him. Sasuke would definitely find it amusing that Sakura managed to kill him after all those times that he himself failed.
But nothing could dissuade him from pounding into her. He knew for sure that a different type of death awaited him and it wasn't far off. He doubted he could last much longer, but he couldn't bear to disappoint her. Just as he felt himself about to break, she met eyes with him breathlessly.
"Mnn... Naruto, I can feel it... You're gonna..." She broke her urgent gaze, her head lolling back into the pillow. "Aaagh...! Naruto, I'm... Naruto...!"
She cried out louder than he had ever heard her, her eyes rolling back into her head. Her walls constricted and she began to writhe violently under him, her back arching while she took quick and shallow breaths. He felt her walls release and he slammed into her again, meeting his own end. His head collapsed next to hers on the pillow. He was shaken by waves of euphoria as she squeezed him dry of everything he had.
As he grew still, he knew he was completely drenched in a mixture of their warm fluids inside her. He wanted to pull out of her to see how much of a mess they made of the sheets, but he felt her legs still resting gently against his back. He lifted his head and shyly met her eyes. She smiled at him as he did.
"I hope you understand now."
He wasn't sure how to put it into words, but he was pretty sure that he did understand - Sakura just loved being close to him.
To be the one who was most precious to him brought her happiness, but being the one who brought him happiness gave her nothing less than ecstasy.
He simply nodded and smiled back at her.
"I'm glad..."
Sakura raised her head to kiss him softly as she unwrapped her legs from him. When she released his lips, he rolled away to one side and laid on his back. Their activity had left a prominent aroma.
"Naruto... Let's take another shower together."
Naruto looked over at her and nodded again. Then his eyes widened as he remembered something.
"You left your bag in the kitchen... Earlier, I was going to ask if you wanted me to get it for you," he said.
The pinkette grinned.
"Duh... I knew that."
He raised an eyebrow. After a moment, he grinned back at her.
"Haha... You're great, Sakura-chan."
Sakura reached over and ruffled his hair playfully.
"Anything for you, my Naruto."
