A/N: Okay, since I'll be swamped with exams for the whole week, and this'll be the only time I'll have, I'll update early. :) Leave a note! ヽ(' ∇' )ノ


Chapter 2: A Thank You Kiss


"Wait here. We have to clean your wound or else it'll get infected."

Sakura said, leaving the stranger seated at the dining room to boil water on the stove and fetch the medical kit.

'What were you thinking bringing him into your house? People were looking for him! He might be a criminal or something! You saw the blood on his arm! It means he just got into a fight!'

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed at her inner self. "How can I leave him? Have you seen the guy? He's lost a lot of blood!"

'I don't care. That man's dangerous and you know it!'

"Well clearly I cant send him back out because he's already here." She started murmuring.

'If you get yourself killed, don't blame me for saying I told you so.' Her inner self deadpanned.

"Whatever. Shut up."

Shutting her inner self down, and taking the stuff she needed, Sakura reappeared in front of him, and placed the kit on the table as well as a basin of lukewarm water and a wash cloth.

"Uh, we have to take off your clothes." She announced but the man did't move.

Internal panic suddenly boiled from within her because she thought that the man was dead, but then he spoke.

"You should've left when you had the chance. You should've escaped."

Sakura felt chills run down her spine, not because of his words like what her inner self had been warning her, but because of his voice.

It was deep and cool, and it was as though it sent little tremors in the air surrounding them, intensifying the mystery surrounding the man.

"When a person needs help, I do what I can to help." She vaguely answered, and the man smirked.

"I'm a very dangerous person, woman."

The man uttered in that deep and cool voice he had, but Sakura only snorted. A shallow laughter escaping her lips.

"Please. You can't even walk straight." Sakura said, giving him two tablets of pain killers which he gladly washed down with the glass of water she placed beside him.

"And If I left you there, there's a huge possibility that you might be swimming in your own pool of blood by now—now, let's remove your shirt. I can lend you another one later."

Sakura helped the man take off his shirt, tugging at the neckline over his head and pulling the material off his arms after so as not to put further stress on his wound.

When she peeled the material away and inspected the gash on his arm, Sakura saw that the wound was quite deep, and that it might require stitches.

Oh god, I've only seen videos of this on the internet. And did a knife do this to him? It's quite deep! She mentally panicked, but her nervousness reached a whole new level when she caught a glimpse of his bare upper body the moment she started wiping the blood off his arms.

The man was lean built, and it was obvious even when he was slouched before her. He had wide shoulders and well-defined abs, and his skin—it was like velvet under her fingertips—so smooth and warm, and she could feel the ripple of his muscles under her touch.

Sakura hadn't realized that she was holding her breath when her thoughts were interrupted by his words.

"You've got such a small place." He said, looking around from where he was seated.

It's true that the house was small, having only two small rooms and one bathroom. The kitchen was also the dining area, and there was little to no space left for a decent living room, so yes, the house was small. But she didn't care, this was where she grew up, this was her home, and she wasn't going to tolerate anyone saying mean things about her home—though it's true.

"Well I'm sorry for having such a small place—at least I have a house!" She exclaimed, dabbing a little too hard on his wound, drying it, and splashing a generous amount of alcohol on it.

"Shit! Fuck!" The man hissed.

"Ha! That's what you get for insulting the home of the girl who was considerate enough to take you in before you were eaten by stray dogs." She nagged.

"For a pink-haired woman, you've got such a morbid imagination, don't you? But it's true. My place is a thousand times wider than this. No. Wait. A million times wider, I should say."

What?! What?! A m-million times?! Who is this guy?!

"Million times wider? Who are you?! A prince?" She asked, eyes widening by the second.

"No, but I'm close."

Sakura's mind was trying so hard to comprehend what the man was saying. Was it true? Is it possible that she's taken in a royalty under her roof? If so, what was he doing running around wounded? Will she be able to get...like a monetary compensation for helping him? Wait...if what he's saying was true, then he should be famous, right? She should've seen such a face in the television before, or papers, magazines...

'Ask him his name, moron. Don't just go assuming stuff.' Her inner self suddenly supplied.

"Uhm..." Sakura cleared her throat. "Come to think of it, I still don't know your name. I also would like to know how you got your wound, and why people were chasing you...but I guess that's too much, huh?"

"You're right. It is too much because there are just some things better left unknown." The man vaguely answered.

Well, ain't that deep. Sakura thought as she finished doing his stitches. It wasn't perfect but it was passable—just a few more and it'll be done...

"Fine. Then at least let me know the name of the person who almost cost me my dinner." She blurted out.

Gods, I'm still thankful that Teuchi oji-san sealed the bowl tight. She thought, when the man spoke.

"Sasuke. My name is Sasuke."

Sakura was a bit taken a back. She didn't think that the man would actually tell her his name. Or is it an alias?

Sasuke. Hmm. Do I know a Sasuke? I dont think I've ever heard of that name before. Her thoughts started running again as she busied herself on the first aid she was doing.

"There, you're done." She eventually announced, setting the needle and the scissors down on the table after wrapping her work with a gauze.

"Just make sure to not put unnecessary stress on it, and to clean it diligently. If you can do that, then you'll be fine." She instructed, smiling at him while she said all those.

"Oh, and my name's Sakura."

Sakura watched Sasuke flex his arm, probably testing if he could handle the pain.

"How is it? I can give you additional pain killers if you want." She started to get up when Sasuke's hand suddenly shot up to pull her back down.

In the blink of an eye, his lips were on hers and it took her a few seconds to gather her suddenly scattered thoughts.

"Waaaaah!"

Sakura pushed Sasuke off her, almost tipping herself back from her chair.

"W-w-why would you do that?!" She asked as she felt her blood rush to the root of her scalp. Sasuke chuckled.

"That's what you call a thank you kiss."

"A t-thank you kiss?! Gods! If you wanted to say thank you, then just say thank you! You do not kiss peopl-mmph!"

Sasuke kissed her again, purposely putting an end to her protests. At first she wanted to fight it, she really did, but the more he kissed her, the more she wanted it to last longer.

Sakura had been kissed before, but never like this. Never this intense, never so titillating.

She heard him whisper words...instructions, and she did her best to follow.

"Yes, like that...use your tongue...go deeper...wrap your tongue around mine."

Sakura loved it. She loved the feeling of it. The warmth of his lips, the way his tongue stroked hers...the way...

Wait. What's this? Why do I feel like...

Suddenly, she felt herself slowly losing consciousness, eyes growing heavy by the second until Sasuke broke the kiss.

"W-what have you done? What did I just swallow?" She tried asking as her head started to loll, landing on the table with a soft thud.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, and thank you." He whispered. And behind heavy lids, Sakura watched Sasuke grab his shirt, put it on and walked away. Not even sparing her a glance as he disappeared from her small home.


TBC