Ink and Pastels:
IV. Turkey.
Tears trickled down his cheeks, his quivering hands curled into fists against her sides. "There is so much sorrow carved into your heart." Her fingertips smudged away the dirt, tears, and pastel residue.
'
'
'
The scent of salt and marsh was strong.
Wind billowed swiftly from all directions - east, west, north, south.
There was a harsh cacophony of bells and other ringing trinkets in the distance. A low rumble of vehicle exhausts, and screeching of unidentifiable birds.
Fingertips drummed lightly against the wooded boards beneath her fingertips.
A dull, fiery, crimson color affixed to her nails.
Pale sunlight filtered through the cracks in the clouds.
Fluffy white clouds floating lazily across the welkin.
Scintillating flashes. Hints of light blue from the early morning sky.
Shimmering verdant eyes dragged raggedly across the ocean that was spread before her.
Sandaled feet dangling sharply over the edge of the dock she was perched upon.
Exhaling sharply, her gaze flickered to the spot beside her where the residue of her coffee mug had detailed a rim of water. Faint flecks of sugar that had missed the inside of the cup.
It had been a long, very long, morning.
Tucking short pink strands of hair behind her ears, she pushed up the sleeves of her thin red heathered blouse.
Readjusted the tight fix of the belt around her stonewashed jean covered hips.
The bottoms of which were turned up just a bit like a cuff link sleeve being rolled.
A long morning indeed.
"Tell me again why I had to come with you, Forehead? I miss my bed. My pillows. My sanctuary away from this malicious sun."
"Because Ino-pig, I need to clear my head, express my thoughts. And this is an act of revenge for dragging me out last night against my will."
"You know I love it and will continue to do so."
"Duly noted."
She reached to cup the coffee mug in her hands, watching as Ino hung melodramatically against the railing of the dock, moaning about sleep depravity and hangovers.
She had gotten up early that morning due to Kiba having a hard time getting Ino inside.
Ino had been passed out.
He had been struggling with trying not to drop her whilst carrying coats and an extra bag that she must have come back for before spending the night at Kiba's.
Kiba had looked exhausted; wearily wiping a hand over his disheveled face before helping drag Ino into her bedroom and tucking her into her bed.
Sakura had offered to make him some breakfast considering she was already awake, but he refused - uttering that he needed to sleep and return to work soon.
She had thanked him profusely for always looking after Ino.
To which he smiled and said it was what he enjoyed about her - she had this tough exterior but deep down she needed someone to look after her from time to time.
After Sakura had given Ino a few hours to rest, she had dragged her out to the docks to get some fresh air.
Ino kept groaning.
She was an utter mess.
Bedraggled blonde locks scraped up into a messy bun, loose pieces framing the sides of her neck and cheeks. Make-up smeared beneath her eyelids. She was merely angry that Sakura had dragged her out looking so unkempt.
Ino lived to appear pretty.
She ignored Ino's threats to set fire to everything she held dear as she sat there, watching the water ripple beneath her feet.
Infiltrating thoughts of Sasuke kept flickering through her mind. Causing her cheeks to flush just slightly at random intervals.
She had certainly been surprised at the amount of information he had shared with her.
How he had been drawing since the age of thirteen.
The intricacies behind his family life. His overbearing father. His doting mother. His reckless brother.
Over-thinking everything he had relayed to her last night, made her come to the conclusion that Itachi perhaps had realized that maybe if he ran away that his fiancee could have a better life. And he knew that getting away from everything would make their father lessen his authoritative grasp on his children; especially Sasuke.
Itachi had forsaken everything so that his little brother could have a better life.
At least that was what she surmised about the whole situation.
She swallowed down a gulp of hot coffee.
She couldn't imagine the extent of suffering Sasuke had gone through.
Sure, she could argue that her suffering was grand - she had lost both of her parents devastatingly. But. Sasuke still had to live every day knowing his parents were probably slowly falling apart inside at the loss of their eldest son. That Sasuke was chipping apart every moment not knowing where his brother really was. Not even precisely knowing if he was doing alright.
She couldn't explain what it was about Sasuke that had her so captivated.
His hair maybe.
The slightly long locks that looked somewhat short but he always managed to style them in this way that made her really urge to run her fingers through it. Made her ponder if it was as soft as she imagined.
Or maybe it was his smile.
That smirk that never quite lifted into a full smile - a set of full, white teeth.
Or perhaps the fact that he was irresistibly attractive.
With that smooth skill of his - his pretending that he didn't notice how he was gawked at all the time.
Nonetheless.
She couldn't deny it.
That she was growing attracted to this man who had come into her life so unexpectedly.
The silence dragged on as she sat there, pondering over her many thoughts.
Besides Ino moaning about Sakura being the spawn of the devil.
'
'
'
It had been a few days since that night she had spent listening to Sasuke's voice on the phone relay details of his past. She had been preoccupied herself with trying to wrangle a bit of the work that had piled up for her hospital internship.
Ino had been working excessively. They hadn't even had the opportunity to talk much.
Nor had she spoken to Sasuke much.
Her phone was always out of reach - her mind tainted with thoughts of him and thoughts of how to properly diagnose symptoms of a patient with no obvious illnesses or wounds.
She was tired.
And she wondered if he was thinking about her as much as she was thinking about him.
She wondered if she would even see him soon - it would be a lot more complicated too when her internship started again and she had those long nights at the hospital.
That all changed however when Ino came home one morning - breathless, cheeks flushed from the brisk autumn cold and excitement brimming in the depths of her cornflower blue eyes.
"Sakura, my lovely flower!" She screeched from downstairs.
Sakura sighed softly. She swiveled from her desk chair. A pen hung loosely from a corner of her mouth.
Hair disheveled. Pink locks hastily knotted into a bun atop her head. Gray sweatpants that were a size too big. Oversized band tee shirt.
It was cloudy out.
The sun trying to peek through the clouds but failing.
A faint drizzle coming down every so often and taking random intervals of pauses.
Drizzle. Dissipate. Drizzle. Dissipate.
"Yes?" She called out in response.
"Anko and 'Kashi want us to come over later today for Thanksgiving dinner. I told them this was very inconvenient considering their apartment is about an hour and a half drive away, crazy loons. But I accepted. And invited Sasuke. Kiba can't come because he's working. So yeah. Get ready. Naow."
"You invited Sasuke to our family Thanksgiving dinner?" She meekly questioned.
"Yep." Ino yelled, placing emphasis on the 'p'.
Sakura sighed softly.
Tossing the pen on her desk, filled with the clutter of two empty coffee mugs, and her laptop with the screen displaying page four of a fifteen page report. A textbook was cracked open, post-it notes of a variety of neon colors affixed to pages and poking out of the inner spine.
She cracked her knuckles and fixed her gaze on her closet.
She needed to shower.
And then decide what she was going to do.
Dinner.
At Anko and Kakashi's.
And Ino had invited Sasuke.
'
'
'
"Do we have everything?"
Ino craned her neck from the drivers seat to glance in the backseat where Sakura was curled up against the right side of the cars window.
Sasuke was on the left.
And crammed between them was a plethora of casserole dishes.
Ino tended to forget that Anko and Kakashi loved making tremendous feasts and insisted on bringing dishes that she and Sakura specialized in when they held their own special holiday dinners.
Sweet potatoes covered in toasted marshmallow cream.
Gooey brownies with extra chocolate chips.
Sakura's homemade strawberry and chocolate swirl cake with chocolate icing.
Ino's homemade gravy and mashed potatoes with garlic butter.
Sasuke had even brought a dish of his mother's famous cranberry sauce and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
"Well we certainly have enough to feed us for a few weeks if the apocalypse occurs on our way over there." Sasuke glanced over in her direction at her response to Ino's probing.
Sakura snorted at the amused raising of his eyebrows.
His black coat was tossed over the backseat.
A dark blue sweater stuck to his torso, the sleeves rolled up, exposing the view of his heavily detailed tattoos and toned arms.
Dark jeans led to nice black boots which were tapping ever so slightly on the floor of Ino's sleek black Audi.
One of his hands was pressed against his thighs, the other pushing back his mess of hair. The dark strands were straight today. Though she could tell he had styled them to push towards the back of his head in a nice wave. His eyebrows were now knitted in heavy thought as his gaze moved to stare outside the window.
She had noticed before they shoved themselves into Ino's vehicle, with enough food to feed the neighborhood, that the dark circles beneath his eyes had vanished just a tad.
At least, they weren't as pronounced at they were the night she had seen him prior. She noticed a scratch above his right eyebrow, a thin line that looked like it had been caused by his fingernail or maybe something scratching against his forehead.
There was a narrowed scar above his right ear.
His lips were thin. His bottom though, just a little bit fuller.
A faint trace of stubble lined his chin.
She swallowed thickly when she felt his eyes flicker towards her for a millisecond before he looked back out the window.
She didn't understand why Ino couldn't have let her sit in the passengers seat. Or at least have put all the irritating dishes in the seat with her up there.
But Ino was busy humming along to some ear grating song to pay any mind to her assault of questions that wouldn't get any real answers.
Sakura busied herself with twisting the fabric of her gold pullover sweater that exposed her shoulders. Small holes were in the pattern and flecks in the fabric that shimmered like glitter.
Dark stonewashed jeans that hugged her skin tightly led down to light laced up tan boots with white lace on the sides.
After her shower she had painstakingly taken the time to curl the ends of her pink strands. Her pink bangs ran across the right side of her forehead and seemed to unnecessarily swoop.
Dangling brown feather earrings. Thin black eyeliner on her upper eyelids just above the line of her eyelashes. Her light eyelashes coated with dark mascara. Faint glittering gold eye shadow on her eyelids.
Ino had on a dark blue cocktail dress.
She was always dressed to impress.
Sakura leaned her head against the window as Ino's voice escalated in volume.
Her attention however was stolen when Sasuke's hand had appeared to create a gap in the mass of food.
So he could rest his right palm on her upper thigh.
His thumb rubbed small and quick circles in the fabric of her jeans.
She tried to ignore the way it sent shivers down her spine.
And she refused to glance in his direction.
Refused. No. Nada. Abso-lute-ly not.
She ignored the small smirk that showed on the corner of his lips in her peripheral vision.
He was an idiot.
A stupid, attractive, idiot.
She wasn't sure she was going to survive the night.
'
'
'
She was right.
Dinner hadn't even started and it was already off to a horrendous start.
Introductions had gone well.
Sasuke had been very polite.
Shaking Anko and Kakashi's hands - offering to carry in all the stupid dishes Ino had packed up in the car.
He made idle conversation, asking polite questions, keeping a reasonable distance from her, but still cutting his gaze to her every once in awhile and offering a deep and imploring stare.
However.
Ino was on her fifth glass of wine. Lounging all over a mint green sofa in the living room of Anko and Kakashi's four bedroom apartment in the heart of Oto.
They had this tradition every year where the four of them got together, sometimes Kiba joined, to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Although Sakura had her aunt Tsunade, whom she considered her real mother, Tsunade was generally busy and didn't mind that Sakura spent her time with them as she didn't have much free time lately.
Anko and Kakashi lived an hour and a half away in the outskirts of the city of Oto. Had been engaged for a few years. Kakashi said Anko was the one afraid to take the final step and get married - and Anko said Kakashi was just a wuss and wouldn't ask her father for permission. Anko was like the crazy aunt and Kakashi was her mellowed back uncle that read to much pornographic novels and taught middle school students.
Anko worked tirelessly at the dance studio and bar she owned.
And she was already drunk and slurring her words and going off about how she loved everyone and wasn't Sasuke just so puuurrrttyyy?
Kakashi just watched it all with amusement dancing in the depths of his eyes as he chopped tomatoes for the fresh salad that Anko had forgotten that she had started preparing.
Sasuke was quietly sitting at the island counter on a tan bar stool cushion. His dark eyes were contemplating, and he seemed lost in his thoughts once again, as he sorted through the various dishes they had brought with them.
Sakura was standing behind Sasuke, working on side dishes and adding finishing touches to the turkey before they had to put it back in the oven for just one more hour before it could be eaten.
"So. Sasuke. Glad to have you join us. Was surprised to hear that Sakura had finally found herself a friend." Sakura's cheeks turned a bit crimson as she tried to bite back the retorts on the tip of her tongue.
Kakashi was usually a laid back guy. But over the years he had grown protective of her and Ino - and she understood that he was just making sure that Sasuke was a decent person.
"Glad to be here," Sasuke chuckled just barely under his breath, "Well I can certainly say that it was more of a surprise to me to meet someone like her."
"Is that so?" Kakashi's eyes gleaned from beneath the mask he always wore. To this day, Sakura didn't know why he hid the bottom half of his face and his left eye.
Anko had said it was from a traumatic incident in his past that he didn't enjoy reliving.
"Yes. She's captivating." Kakashi turned in her direction to wink at her. She instead turned in the direction of Sasuke.
The dark depths of his eyes were upon her. His gaze was intoxicating. She inhaled shakily and watched as his eyes trailed down from her eyes, lingering on her lips and down to her throat where she had swallowed down that lungful of air.
One of his dark eyebrows was quirked upwards almost as if daring her to disagree with his statement. She instead sucked in a corner of her bottom lip and noticed as his hand twitched - almost as though he wanted to halt her in the process.
Before she could dare to do something else - such as teasing him by licking her bottom lip - she was pulled away from his smoldering gaze at Kakashi's poking.
He had began to jab her in the side multiple times to get her attention, "Sak. Hello, Sakura, Sak. Sakura. Sakura. Hello there, anyone home?"
"Yes?" She said through gritted teeth. Kakashi smirked and gestured to the turkey.
"You've yet to put in Henry the turkey. Might as well ask Sasuke to help you finish the rest of this. I need to go pick up some more things from the store that your lovely aunt forgot to purchase in her inebriated state." He saluted her, winking once more - an action that got her blood boiling - and headed towards the front door.
Where he swiftly kissed his drunk fiancee on the forehead, picked up his car keys and slammed the door behind him.
Sakura's sigh filled the now silent apartment sans the other room where Ino and Anko had started to sing wrong lyrics in their drunken states.
"It's gotta be moo-ooo-ooo," Ino drawled.
Sasuke glanced at her from beneath his lashes.
Sakura swore her heart almost leap out of her throat.
His lip parted as he spoke, his fingertips probing a casserole dish filled with sweet potatoes - his nails digging slightly in the thin plastic wrap that was hanging off the edges protectively, "Aren't you going to ask for my assistance in finishing the turkey? It seems dire we get to it."
His hand moved to touch something else - a container of flour. He started to mess with the metal handle that clasped and unclasped the lid.
"Onlyy fuu-uuu-uuuu," Anko continued.
"Waaaait. Wait. Isn't...it...you? Gots to be you?" Ino burped.
Her eyes swiveled in the direction of the ceiling as she tried to ignore his taunt.
Her mind started to go elsewhere.
Wondering what else she needed to add to the turkey.
Wondering why Ino and Anko were having trouble singing a One Direction song.
Wondering why Kakashi was such a turd.
She didn't notice it coming towards her until she coughed from the impact and a puff of white escaped from her lips, "What the - "
Sasuke's small snort pulled her back to reality.
Had he really just thrown flour into her face?
Why the hell was he playing with the flour anyway?
"Did you just throw flour into my face? Are you kidding me?" She watched his eyes widen a smidgen as he tried not to laugh - his mouth staying clamped shut.
His shoulders were shaking just slightly, and he slipped off the stool.
His only reply was a brief shake of his head.
Right.
Like the flour had just flown across from where he was sitting, from where it was contained , into her mouth. Right? Right. Sure.
She placed her hands palms down on the counter.
Her eyebrows inclined down, eyes narrowing in concentration as she reached for something to retaliate back.
To only find nothing.
Her fingertips curled against her palms, her nails scratching against the inner skin as she tried to think quickly.
He was poised closer to her now.
A stupid, brave move.
His smoldering eyes watching her every action.
Just as she was about to dash across to grab the container of flour, he rushed towards her. His arms enclosed around either side of her, trapping her against the counter.
An empty pan was digging into the exposed parts of her sweater, indenting into her skin.
He towered over her, his lips curved into a hesitant barely there smile. Pieces of his hair were hanging over his forehead, sticking down towards his cheeks.
Her breath froze.
One of his hands pressed ever so lightly against her waist.
His other hand moved to lightly cup her cheek. His thumb rubbing against her lip where flour residue was still left against her lips. Apparently she hadn't spit all of it away.
"You." He bellowed in the thickness of quiet that had coated the atmosphere around them.
Even Ino and Anko's drunk squabbling over the lyrics was a dull thrum.
"You is a term that you could use to gain my attention, yes."
Sasuke expelled a rough chuckle from his throat, his breath fanning across the bridge of her nose. His eyes closed a little as he shook his head.
Sakura wanted to closer her eyes - she felt a bit awkward with her eyes open and staring at this too handsome of a man. He was so close in her personal space.
Whiffs of his cologne mixed with the aroma of the food surrounded them, clouded her senses.
She could see small freckles on the bridge of Sasuke's nose. Barely noticeable.
Little beads of sweat were fixed to his dark, almost perfectly arched eyebrows.
Dark stubble still lined his chin.
His voice dragged her from admiring the features of his face, "We have to finish the turkey." Whatever he had been about to say had died on the tip of his tongue. He pulled away from her.
Her viridescent eyes watched him silently as he wrung his hand around one of his wrists nervously and then started adding seasoning to the turkey that had been the witness to his attack.
His back was leaning over the counter just a bit.
His sweater bunching up, exposing parts of his bare stomach. The black and dark blue striped lining of his underwear. Air breezed into her nostrils and flew harshly out. He didn't seem to notice the way he made her want to bash her head through a wall.
His hands started to busy themselves. He added a dash of salt. Some pepper. A bit of garlic before he was bending down to place the turkey in the oven to finish baking for another hour.
When he stood back up and turned in her direction - he almost stumbled over his own feet at the pace Sakura had suddenly propelled in his direction. Her boots pressed against the toes of his dark boots.
His dark eyes were wide in surprise.
Her hands reached upwards to cup his face. Her fingertips pressing against the stubble along his jawline.
She stood on her tiptoes so she could be slightly eye level with him.
His hands were limp at his sides. Confusion drew across his features.
"Are you scared to kiss me?" His eyebrows were still downwards, his nose scrunched in complexity as he tried to grasp an understanding of her actions and line of questioning.
"What?" He choked out.
"I said, is there something holding you back from kissing me? First it was the lip gloss. Then the teasing. Then the excuse of fixing the turkey. Are you scared to keep opening yourself up to me?"
His expression became faintly guarded as he rested a hand on her waist to steady her. "I'd hardly say I'm not opening up to you, Sakura. Nor am I scared to kiss you."
"I said you seem as though you're becoming more scared to open up. And if so, then why don't you?"
"Where ever did you come to that conclusion? And I'm not going to kiss you in some meaningless way." He grunted, his other hand rising to tousle the hair at the back of his head.
"It's just something I've been thinking about." She placed her booted feet flat on the ground and lowered her hands from his face. "Opening up enclosed details about yourself is hard. And you spoke a lot that night on the phone. And now I fear that you're going to just go away. Disappear like the rain."
"Is this all because I won't kiss you?" His eyes were so alluringly dark. She felt as though they were going to consume her whole.
"No. I was just pestering you with that. I have just been thinking over everything - I've barely given up much about myself. What if you ask questions and I'm afraid to answer? What if I don't reveal details about myself to you? What if you stop? You aren't a sharing guy, I've gathered."
He looked like he had just gotten punched in the face. Disbelief clouded his face.
"That's idiotic. There are times people aren't inclined to share parts of their life. It takes time. I understand I may never fully know you, I'll accept that. And I shared that monologue with you because you listen so well, Sakura. No need to beat yourself up over dumb thoughts," He reached out to take hold of one of her hands. He lifted it up to his face and his lips brushed small kisses across her knuckles, "Stop being so stupid."
Sakura gave a breathy laugh.
Sasuke ran his other hand along her jawline, resting it on her shoulder.
"I don't need to know everything about you, Sakura. I already am captivated by you. If it so happens I learn more, then so be it."
"That doesn't sound very pleasing."
"Hn."
"Don't hn me."
"Hn."
"I said don't 'hn' me."
"Hn."
"There will be no Henry the turkey for you."
'
'
'
The night was halfway done.
She still wasn't positive she was going to survive the rest.
Her outburst left her wary of speaking any more long sentences towards Sasuke.
So she busied herself until Kakashi's return with finishing up the side dishes and humming to herself.
She made sure Sasuke was preoccupied with watching the turkey in the oven, washing fruits and vegetables, and peeling the skin off potatoes that she didn't really need but was nice to know she had backups of.
The large dining room table was all set up.
Wine glasses and water glasses.
Plates in each chair section.
Dishes all lined up in the center.
Their dining room had a large bay window that overlooked the city of Oto. It was a nice sight of the town lights. The crisp golden and brown leaves intermixing against the dirt and the asphalt.
Trickles of sunlight dancing across the speckled ground through gaps in the trees.
Of their backyard courtyard. Small ivy tracing the stone walled fence.
Little candle enclosed lanterns placed atop the corner ledges of the walls.
A rotted picnic table. The teal tablecloth all patched with striped gray swatches.
Sasuke came up behind her, to where she had moved to stare out the window - her hand on the glass.
"Would you like to go for a stroll after dinner?" He asked softly, one of his hands she could feel hesitating to rest on the small of her back.
She turned slightly in his direction.
A small smile played at the corner of her lips, "Sure."
Dinner slowly came to.
Ino was sighing now, her head hanging loosely over her plate.
Anko was still slurring song lyrics, occasionally patting Kakashi on the cheek while shoveling food into the crevices of her mouth.
Sakura was sitting across from Sasuke.
His eyes would briefly flicker towards hers, meeting every so often before he'd return his attention to Kakashi who was asking him small, common questions like what he was doing with his life. Where he worked. What his intentions were with her.
She paused.
"Do you intend to do anything with your feelings for Sakura?"
"Oh shittttt," Anko crooned.
"Aa." Was Sasuke's short reply.
Kakashi smirked, "Words that speak volume."
Sasuke's lips pulled into a hesitant smile.
Sakura sighed.
It was apparent now that the two men had this bond where they understood each other.
She still felt utterly out of the loop.
Sasuke had feelings for her?
Perhaps.
But it wasn't like it was really known per say.
Her outburst hadn't helped either.
But she couldn't deny it.
There were scary thoughts floating in the depths of her mind.
Dark thoughts.
Of moments that wouldn't go well.
She feared her affections for him would grow - that they'd both want to know as much as possible and she'd fail to deliver. Or his opening up to her was only brief and he would close up.
Or maybe he would leave because he'd come to the conclusion that he wasn't interested.
But she wasn't that idiotic.
She knew she was just being silly.
But Sasuke had a lot of burdens on his shoulders.
She wondered if he would let her carry some of that burden.
She knew there was more to his suffering than his father's disapproval and his brother's disappearance.
Kakashi munched on his piece of dark meat turkey, his eyes flickering between the people sitting at his dining room table.
Ino - drunk and starting to mumble about wanting to see Kiba.
Anko - drunk and muttering about wanting to have her way with Kakashi.
Sasuke - chewing quietly and seeming like he wanted more than anything to take that stroll with her.
And then there was her.
Chewing on bits and pieces of everything, wondering how her life came to be the way it was.
But not regretting.
'
'
'
After Sasuke had insisted on cleaning up when dinner was finished, Sakura had bundled herself up in a gray peacoat.
Sasuke was in his own black coat, his hands shoved into the depths of his pants pockets.
They were walking along the sidewalk.
Night had fallen.
The stars were spread across the sky above them - a slight drizzle falling down upon them.
Leaves danced across the asphalt.
Wind whistled through the trees.
Lights were twinkling.
Streetlamps.
Little lights in apartment windows.
Sakura sighed, blowing air into her cupped hands that created a tunnel around her mouth.
Sasuke walked slowly beside her.
His head was inclined slightly upwards. His dark eyes obscured a bit by his dark, long, eyelashes.
They had been walking for a good while.
The city was starting to disappear behind them.
The outer forest expanding before them.
Dark trees, covered in strands of white Christmas lights.
Apartments becoming specks.
It was cold.
The autumn night carrying a strong breeze and blowing unwanted strands of hair into her face.
She sighed as pieces of hair stuck to her lips and eyelashes.
His chuckled pulled her attention towards him.
She scowled in his direction.
He glanced down at her and smirked.
"Stupid."
"Princess."
"Idiot."
"Aa."
"You're aa. Ha, get it? AHHH!"
"You're insane."
"Insanely pretty."
"Hn. Perhaps."
"Awh. You think I'm pretty?"
"Breathtaking."
"Ha. Spewing lies."
Sakura had continued to walk, completely oblivious to the fact that Sasuke had stopped walking.
He was standing next to an iron wicker bench, his hands sliding out of his pockets.
He was staring at her so sharply.
She turned when she noticed that he hadn't spoken in a while.
"Sasuke?" She asked softly.
He reached a hand out to her.
She hesitated only briefly before taking it.
He yanked her against his chest.
Her cheek pressed against the fabric of his jacket. A button digging into the skin of her cheek. One of his arms enclosed around her waist. The other pressed against the back of her head.
They stood there together in the impending darkness save for the few twinkling lights.
His grip on her tight, almost as if he feared the moment he'd let go.
He released her only briefly - to grasp her cheeks in the palms of his hands.
His nose pressed against hers.
He tilted his head slightly in the other direction.
His warm lips pressed down on her own, parting just slightly.
Sakura swore her heart stopped beating.
That or it was fluttering so hard against her insides that it was disturbing the dark swarm of moths in the pit of her stomach.
One of his thumbs traced her cheek. The other running down along her jaw as he kissed her.
His breath was harsh against her mouth as he took a deep breath before sweeping her up in another passionate kiss.
He kissed her.
His mouth was so warm.
His tongue just lightly tracing along her bottom lip.
Stubble rubbing across her chin, irritating her skin.
One of her hands slid up the back of his neck, threading through the small hairs.
Her other hand gripping the fabric of his jacket along his chest so tightly, pulling him against her.
They stood beneath the illumination of a tree. Beside that wicker bench.
Kissing between the whispers of the wind.
Sakura never wanted to let go of him.
For as she lost herself in his embrace, she swore she could feel the hand tracing down her jaw to cup her neck trembling slightly.
As if he was breaking.
Holy cheese.
I apologize immensely for the stall on the update.
Life has been hectic.
A crazy whirlwind.
I've been swept up in the chaos and lost my writing muse along the way.
I hope this incredibly terrible chapter slightly made up for my absence?
I hope you enjoyed!
I don't own Naruto.
Excuse any typos. I've been working hard the last few days to get this posted as soon as possible.
I hope you all haven't given up on this!