Sunlight trickled in through the slit in the curtains, illuminating a slim path of light that reached across the room of this small, foreign inn and crossing the closed red and lavender eyes of one Sasuke Uchiha.

As the light touched his closed eyelids, giving him visions of orange and deep yellow, Sasuke began to wake up. His vision was blurred momentarily from a mixture of sleep and the blinding morning light, but he sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefingers simultaneously. He peered around the small room: their bags sat on the seat of a side chair in the corner near the bathroom door, and their clothes laid strewn across the floor.

The previous night popped into his head. They had stopped in this village to gather intel for Sasuke's mission; they were looking for traces of Kaguya and her army of white zetsu. When they received the information for which they had been looking, Sasuke suggested staying in the town overnight. It was unlike him to suggest such things, and Sakura initially protested (her fear of being burdensome to him and his journey still plagued her). However, they both could tell that the weather was going to take a turn for the worse that evening and, not wanting to get caught up in a rainstorm, she acquiesced.

Before heading to the inn, they stopped at a local izakaya; they had been traveling for weeks to reach this village, and they both could do with a drink. In the establishment, Sasuke listened as Sakura told him another story about some stupid think the dobe did on a mission while Sasuke was "away." They used that term instead of acknowledging what "away" meant; the past was behind them and they had already exhausted that conversation enough. Sasuke and Sakura were trying to look towards the future.

Their relationship had progressed dramatically since she had joined him on his journey. Sure, they had shared kisses and embraced when Sasuke initially returned to the village after the first leg of his redemption journey, but being alone together allowed for the flame growing between them to truly flourish. They had not had sex yet, though.

They slightly stumbled out of the bar (they were not drunk but had drunk enough to give them the courage needed for what was about to come). Sasuke had been thinking about Sakura more in these ways these days. The kisses and other forms of affection they shared in the privacy of wooded glens or around a quiet campfire were exhilarating, but he could feel their movements gradually leading to something more. He wanted that "more;" he wanted it with her.

Finally reaching their room for the evening, Sasuke spun Sakura around and began to kiss her with such passion and fervor. Her eyes wide and cheeks flushed, Sakura leaned into his strong chest and returned his kiss with the same intensity. She knew what he wanted; she had been wanting the same thing for weeks.

In the present, Sasuke turned over and looked at Sakura, still laying asleep next to him. Her naked back to him and her body facing the doorway. Though she's sleeping on her right side, he can still see the rise and fall of her backside, keeping in time with the deep breaths she took. Sakura was clearly fast asleep. Her short hair was tousled on her pillowcase and lightly matted from the sweat she had exerted the previous night. Seeing this, he thought back again to last night. But instead of sake and storytelling, he thought of what they had done. He thought of how as soon as they had gotten to their room, they had quickly relieved each other of their clothing and laid down on the bed. How good it had felt to kiss her, to pull her naked chest flush against his own. How beautiful she was, panting and moaning lightly under his delicate touch. How that matted hair had splayed out in a halo of heavenly pink around her head as he looked down at her and thrusted into her heat.

There were some awkward moments and some fumblings as they situated themselves into this new form of intimacy, but those moments were outshone by the closeness they felt.

Sasuke shook his head and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He thanked whatever gods existed for his eye's ability to remember things so vividly, like a photographic memory. The bits and pieces he did memorize from last night would be something he would cherish. But now was not the time to think about that; he wanted to be present in the moment he was sharing with Sakura, in their first morning after.

He scanned Sakura's form, half covered by the same sheets that covered his own manhood. The dip of her curves were visible, and he could see a few love bites that he did not remember leaving. Must have happened in the heat of the moment, he thought.

He really was lucky to have Sakura. These days, he often thought often of how damn lucky he was for her forgiving and loving nature. For her forgiveness and continued love and support.

Sakura had been naive in her early professions of love; it was not until much later and after so much had happened that she truly knew what it was like to love and, specifically, to love Sasuke. She risked her life for him. Put her time and energy into trying to help him. She tried to reach out to him and pull him out of the dark shadows that plagued his life.

And he always resisted.

He rejected her confessions, found ways to hurt her time and time again, and pushed her light away. For his desires lied in darkness, and no amount of light could save him. Or so he thought.

It took Naruto's light to banish the darkness that clouded his heart and mind, but it was Sakura that kept it at bay. Her daily presence in his life, her love being offered up to him at all times are what keep him from slipping back into madness at times. He does not deserve her.

No, stop that, Sasuke thinks to himself. Sakura had told him numerous times that he does not need to feel unworthy of her love. That she chooses him every single day.

They have grown so much since their days as genin.

Hovering his right hand over her backside, Sasuke traced the symbol of his clan in the air above her skin. She began to stir in her sleep and accidentally poked his middle finger as it drew the handle of the uchiwa. Turning to him with groggy eyes and blinking to adjust to the light, Sakura said, "Good morning."

She closed her eyes again, for the light was streaming in at a greater intensity and was blinding her sleep-worn eyes.

Sasuke hmmm'ed in response and brought his right hand up to her left cheek, coming between her skin and the soft, white pillow on which it laid. He leaned in to leave a chaste kiss on her forehead before trailing his lips down to hers. Sakura sighed into his kiss.

Parting, Sakura asked, "What would you like to eat this morning, Sasuke-kun?"

"Let's worry about that in a bit; let's stay in bed for right now," Sasuke said in his low morning voice, hoarse from sleep and grunting and moaning the night before.

Sakura began to protest. They had plans to travel north today, and Sakura did not want to hinder them. Turning back towards the door, Sakura swung her legs over the side of the bed. Though, she only got one foot on the floor before Sasuke yanked her arm back and pulled him into his embrace. She settled into the crook of his right shoulder and his arm came to rest around her waist.

Sakura laughed lightly. "Who would've thought?"

"Hnnn?" Sasuke cocked his left eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"That you're a morning cuddler," Sakura said with a slight giggle.

Sasuke tchhhh'd but still pulled her closer to his chest. He was not ready to face the day quite yet. Feeling so close to her, so vulnerable, he wanted to bask in this morning with her. They would likely need to talk about how this changes things between them, but that could wait. Sasuke was at peace and wanted to remain that way for a while.