We ate in silence, I sat as far away from him as I could but still close enough to the dying fire to remain mosquito free. The dry heat felt better than the heavy humidity that hung around the wetlands during the summer. And I didn't have to look at Sasuke in the meantime so it was a win-win.
I doubted that he realized that I was still upset. Silence to him was the de facto human emotion. I was glaring at my food when I shot him a look, mouth full of roasted hare, I looked like I was grimacing at the tough meat.
Okay, so I would wait for a better moment for bitchy passive aggressive behavior. Once full, I felt the exhaustion from the day settle over her. But I already felt infinitely better than when I had been lying in that compound in a layer of my own blood.
I let my heavy eyelids fall as I leaned on one hand and listened to the soft hum from the crickets.
Sasuke was staring at me. His black eyes stark against his pale white face. The dancing shadows shifting across his sharp features were hypnotic.
Was it me? Did I crawl towards him, or did he move towards me?
Either way, I found myself sitting next to him. Practically in his lap.
Dammit! Why does he still do this to me?
"How do you feel?" He asked. He pushed my choppy bangs out of my face and ran his fingers through my hair. It was getting long again. He tugged at it.
"I'm fine." I said through a yawn and lowered my eyes. His breath was against my face. He put his hand under my chin and pulled my mouth to his.
I closed my lips as I shut my eyes. My shoulders tensed as he wrapped himself around me.
All it took was one little quiver of my lips, my hand grabbed onto him to steady my weight, and he shoved my mouth open, even held the back of my head in place. I was disgusted more at myself by how weak he could still make me feel, how easily he could influence my agency.
But damn, did he taste good.
He crept forward a bit on his knees as I was pushed up against the side of the tree. I leaned into him slightly, grinding my tongue against his.
Despite the warm summer night and the dying embers, I let out a shiver. His hands were always gentle at first, the tips of his fingers nimble and able to get through the layers under my top.
I had been mad at him.
Wait, I was still mad at him.
So how did I end up under him?
I let out a gasp when he suddenly pulled me by my waist towards him.
That bastard, I thought as I squirmed against his thighs. But he entered me so easily and it just felt so good in the moment.
And really, it had been so long since the last time.
He liked to hold me down and would leave bruises when he did. Around my wrists, the fatty part of the upper thigh, just above the pelvis, the thin line between my neck and jaw. Even when he was being gentle, he liked to watch me wince.
I remembered when I used to pine for this attention as a teenager. Would stay up all night imagining what it would be like, patiently waiting and hoping to be noticed. If only I had known, I would have told myself to calm down. Because it isn't going to be what you think, what you will learn oh too well, it's exactly what you would expect from him.
It had been such a long time since I slept in the dirt on the forest floor. Sasuke put down his travelling cloak to keep somewhat clean but it provided little comfort.
So I woke up the next morning, body aching from head to toe from lying in such a stiff position.
In his sleep, Sasuke had the audacity to roll right up next to me, wrap one arm around my waist, and rest his forehead against the dip of my neck.
My instant grouchy reaction wanted to throw him off of me. But I had to move slow, the internal injuries from yesterday were still a little fragile. Plus I did not want to wake him up and have to deal with his mixed signals that ranged from quiet disinterest to my attention, to upset pouting if there was none.
I slithered out from under his grip and crept into the swampy under brush. I searched for a few minutes for a respectable place to take care of my business. Popping a squat I tried to imagine I was in a much more luxurious place, and not hunched over a mound of dirt.
Perks of the job, I thought, as I caught an uncomfortable whiff of my body odor.
Glad I took to traveling with tissues, I made my way back to the small camp as the morning sun began to penetrate the tall tree tops.
"Are you okay for long distance traveling unassisted?" Sasuke asked me first thing as I came stepping into the small clearing. Since I was already annoyed and still sore in more ways than one, the lack of a good morning or hello really irritated me.
"I'll be fine. Everything will be completely healed by tomorrow." I replied swiftly.
"It will take you longer than that to get back to the Leaf. I know you are very capable but I am going to accompany you back." He said as if it should have been obvious.
"That's okay. I can make the journey myself." I said matter of factly as I picked up my gear and began to organize everything. Sasuke just stood there, unmoving and expressionless. I guess he did not believe me because he didn't come running after me when I took off into the woods. At first.
He caught me a few miles ahead, literally he caught me in mid leap with his one arm and tumbled with me through the tree tops, and spilled us out onto the valley of grass below.
"Ah-!" I let out a cry as I rolled out of his reach, painfully clutching my sides.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked with an alarming amount of concern. I almost did a double take as I sat up on one fluid motion.
"I'm fine." I said with an obnoxious snort and took a few steps away from him.
"Sakura, what is the matter with you!? Will you stop being so annoying-!"
I rounded on him and clenched my fists together. Even he must have realized the nerve he hit, for once, and paused halfway to his feet in a defensive position. We just looked at each other as I visibly deflated.
"Did you come here, to the Mist, to that village, because of me? Or were you already in the area?" I babbled quickly and foolishly. I couldn't even look at him or keep eye contact in the slightest. His posture relaxed and he shifted his weight to one foot, turned slightly away from me.
"I was on my way the moment I felt you were in danger."
"None of them were supposed to be there, or at least, not that many." I said, arms crossed, tears welling in the corner of my eyes. Because now I was filled with selfish guilt at worrying him, on top of being upset, and being upset that I was upset.
"Why didn't you level them with one hit? You've done it plenty of times, you are far stronger than that." He responded with hostility. I had to take a deep breath before I could respond.
"Maybe because I knew that's the only way I can get you to even acknowledge me."
a/n: I debated going half smut or full smut, and decided to go with hopefully, tasteful smut. took me a while to post this and i took out some of the more graphic language (deleted and reposted this also) b/c it made me uncomfortable (lol) let me know if i should put a notice at the top ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)