VANILLA

"Go home, Sakura," Tsunade urges. "It's been a long shift."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura removes her blood-soaked gloves and throws them in the biohazard bin. She sighs.

It really has been a long shift.

A group of travelers had been caught in a mudslide just outside the village. Several were critically injured and required immediate surgery. In fact, she was almost out of chakra.

I don't think Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san, and I have all worked the same shift since the war ended.

On the walk home, Sakura catches her reflection in a store's window. She notices just how awful she looks. She has bags under her eyes and dried blood in her hair. She can't wait to draw a warm bath and just relax. A warm breeze blows as she walks up to her apartment complex. The sun shines down happily on the civilians milling about Konoha's streets. Sakura smiles tiredly and closes the front door behind her.

"Sasuke-kun's sandals are still here? I thought he would have left by now." Sakura tip-toes back to her bedroom where a passed out Sasuke is still lying. She giggles, covering him back up with the blankets he had tossed off during the night. Afterwards, the kunoichi picks out a fresh pair of pajamas and makes her way to the bathroom.

Sakura peels off her uniform as the tub fills with water.

She slumps down in the water, making bubbles with her mouth. Out of the blue, a stinging pain between her shoulder blades causes her to wince.

"Ow… what on…" She clumsily grabs a mirror from one of the messy sink drawers. "I don't remember getting a cut there." The medical ninja stretches her arms back as far as they can go, emitting green chakra in hopes of reaching it.

It's no use. It'll be fine.

She washes the blood out of her shoulder-length hair. "That's better."

She drains the water and stands, reaching for her towel in the place she always sets it, but nothing's there.

"Damn. I forgot to get a towel. I'll have to sneak into my room. That shouldn't be a problem, right? I am a jounin after all." Sakura eyes her bare body in the steamy mirror before quietly stepping out of the bathroom. As she grabs a towel, Sasuke stirs, mumbling something incoherent. She quickly wraps the cloth around herself.

"Sakura? What are…" Sasuke sits up, rubbing his eyes which immediately widen upon seeing Sakura half-naked. Sakura freezes, a familiar blush painting her cheeks. She turns around, not wanting to see Sasuke's expression. "Oh, uh sorry…I didn't…" Sasuke's gaze lingers a moment longer before turning away. "I didn't know you were getting dressed." Sakura remains silent while he gets out of bed and walks over, eyes still trained on the hardwood floor. "You have a cut on your back," he adds, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I couldn't reach my back to heal it. It should be okay."

"Do you want me to? I mean… I can put some healing ointment on it."

"You don't have to."

Sasuke looks back at Sakura, "I want to."

The kunoichi turns around to see Sasuke, bare chested, looking back at her. His eyes are focused on her own, never wandering elsewhere. Sasuke finds her jade irises the most enchanting after all.

"Sit on the bed," Sasuke urges. "I'll get the medicine."

Sasuke returns, container in hand, and sits next to Sakura. The Uchiha notices her visibly tense shoulders. He sets the ointment on his knee and skillfully extracts a small amount onto his fingers. The shinobi inhales her vanilla shampoo, the scent bewitching him again. He swallows, ignoring the deviant thoughts occupying the back of his head. He gently rubs the cream onto her wound. Sakura gasps when he first touches her skin.

"Sorry," Sasuke says. Then, as if reading the girl's mind, adds, "You should relax your shoulders. There's no need to be nervous around me. I'm not going to try anything." At this, her shoulders drop slightly.

"Thank you. I'm not used to having someone else treat me." Sakura knew Sasuke would never be disrespectful but being so close to him made her more anxious than ever. After he finishes, Sasuke leaves so she can get dressed. He heads to the bathroom to change into his own clothes and get himself ready before meeting Naruto. He promised his best friend they would spar.

"I'm leaving now to go meet Naruto. I'll see you later," the Uchiha says. "Thanks again." He offers a smile and walks out the door.

xxx

"You bastard! Where have you been?" Naruto yells, a fierce look on his bloodied face. The jinchūriki stands back up, gathering a ball of chakra in his right hand. He charges at Sasuke, who has a chidori emitting lightning bolts from his palm. The pair's jutsu collide, creating a huge blast that sends them both violently flying back into trees.

"Admit it. You'll never beat me," Sasuke replies cheekily, ignoring the question.

"Never! I won't let you win just because it's your birthday. Believe it!"

"Tch," Sasuke grins, happy to be back fighting with Naruto.

Thank you to everyone who is reading this story! I appreciate the likes/follows/reviews. :-) I know the chapters are fairly short, however I plan on updating at least 2-3x a week so hopefully that makes up for it! Feel free to message me with any comments or questions. Enjoy!