DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

AN:

Yes, I know I said I was taking the month off, but obviously not! lol. I thought I would give you all an early Christmas gift - a new chapter. Thanks to one of my favorite reviewers, Logan Locke, who inspired me to keep writing by just being the good friend he is. Thanks Logan!

Chapter Eighteen:
Perfect Days

See my shadow changing,
Stretching up and over me
Soften this old armor
Hoping I can clear the way
By stepping through my shadow
~Tool~

Sakura's face pulled into a pout as cool air wafted across her. Outside, the wind was really starting to pick up, rattling the window. It seemed like the wind was finding every little crack in the Firefly Inn and making its way inside. She shivered and started to sit up, but couldn't move. When what held her down sunk in, her eyes flew open and the air rushed out of her lungs.

Naruto's arm was curled around her waist, but more than that, his entire body was snug against hers. Every deep, steady breath he took moved through her. His warm breath danced along the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. There was no way she could sleep next to him when he was spooning her.

And yet, a languid peace invaded her body as she lay there cocooned in his arms. There was a part of her that didn't want to fall back asleep, because she didn't want to miss a second of his soft, even breathing. She pulled the covers snug over the both of them. The fire the Naruto had built in the fireplace late last night was now nothing but embers causing the outside chill to seep into the room. She burrowed deeper into the covers, snuggling up against a warm chest. A warm, very naked chest.

They had already been here a full week and he never did stay the night in his own room. Not one. Every day he took her someplace new and showed her a different side of himself. She thought she knew every side of him, but she had been proved wrong. They finally had their perfect date as well. Sakura smiled as she thought about the past week...

~o~O~o~

The first day there went well, all things considering. Naruto washed their clothes in the bathtub so that the pollen from the flowers wouldn't set her allergies off again. And then they sat around and talked while they waited for their clothes to dry.

He was extremely mysterious as he led her to the edge of the village to a very upscale neighborhood late that night. Somehow he talked her into sneaking into a huge house that was being built. None of the missions she had ever been in ever involved any sort of breaking and entering so it was kind of exciting knowing that they could get in trouble if they got caught. Naruto took her hand and led her around and made up stories about the house as if it was their home: picking out imaginary tile and discussing imaginary furniture layouts.

There was just something so unexpected and enduring about it all. Especially when they got to the master bedroom. There was a small room attached to it which Sakura supposed was to become a dressing room.

"If this was my house, I would make it a nursery," he said with a hint of wistfulness.

"You want children someday to carry on your name?"

"Eh, carrying on my name is good and all, I guess." He shrugged as though it didn't matter all that much, but Sakura saw the look in his eyes. It did matter.

"You would probably want a wife that would stay home and take care of them, huh?"

His blue eyes were unusually intense as he turned to her and replied, "It takes two people to make a child, Sakura-chan. It should also take two to raise them. If I have kids someday, I want to be there every step of the way."

Sakura ran her finger down the paneling as she looked around the room. Pretending an indifference she didn't feel, she asked, "And how would you do that if you were the Hokage? That's a pretty important position."

"So is being a father. I would never be too busy to be there. I can make shadow clones, you know. There is a tiny room that is used for storage in the Hokage's office. It would be a great place for a baby to sleep while his or her mother is at work in, oh I don't know… maybe a hospital."

Sakura's heart fluttered in her chest. "A hospital, you say. So you think it'll be alright with you if she wants to continue her work."

Naruto silently moved behind her and whispered in her ear, "I think she should do whatever makes her happy." He took her hand and kissed it. "I couldn't be happy unless she was, even if it meant that she didn't want kids at all."

Well, what do you say to that? Sakura had no clue, but she knew that her heart was pounding in an almost painful way. When his hand reached to cup the nape of her neck, Sakura struggled to breathe, fought not to let her eyes flutter shut. The man's touch was like pure warm electricity burning a through her blood.

And when his blue eyes darkened to a color so dark they were almost black, smoldering with molten heat, she knew he was going kiss her. His scent grew thick and luscious; it was male, sex, and something uniquely him all rolled together. Her breaths came quicker and her nipples puckered against his chest. She licked her lips and looked up at him. His lips were pulled into a hard line. He looked like a man on edge. A man ready to explode.

So, she did the only thing she thought of in that chaotic moment and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned into his strong body, and kissed him.

The world spun, the Earth moved, shattering under her feet. He froze for half a second, and then slanted his head and took over the kiss with such skill, such force, that she had no choice but to give in to it.

His lips were full, warm, and pliant against hers. His tongue slid into her mouth searching, plundering. She clung to him like a leaf to a tree in a storm. His hands stroked her back and then reached down pull her tighter against him. Never had she felt this strong flush of desire.

He took advantage of her situation and dove down to clasp onto her hard nipple through her shirt. His clever lips tugged and pulled on her, creating an answering lick of heat between her legs.

A loud banging shattered her lust like an explosion. She pulled back so quickly from him, she nearly fell down. She frantically looking down at her shirt where a wet spot formed over her nipple. She looked at him, leaning disheveled and sexy as against the wall - his cock tenting his pants, his cheeks flushed with pleasure - back to the door in a double-take. "I think it's the night watchman," she hissed, "We need to get out of here before we're caught."

"Relax, Sakura. We're shinobi, remember?" He grinned, showing a flash of white before clasping her hand and silently jumping out the window

It was a good thing that clouds covered the moonlight - it prevented it from exposing her burning cheeks as they disappeared into the night.

~o~O~o~

Sakura blushed again, thinking of that night. She couldn't believe she lost her head that easily. She softly snorted as she replayed his words, "We're shinobi, remember?"

Ah yes… there's nothing like the feeling of extreme embarrassment to kill the mood. They didn't go any further that night, but still insisted he stay, 'Just in case she had another allergic reaction or something.' He was so earnest and sweet about it that she couldn't say no. To be perfectly honest with herself, she didn't want him to leave anyway.

Naruto suddenly started mumbling in his sleep and then let out a loud snort in her ear, bringing Sakura to the present. She giggled a little and then tried wriggling a little further away, gaining a couple of inches between them, before the arm around her waist clamped down.

She held her breath. Naruto dragged her to him, fitting her back to his front and—holy crap - he was aroused. Like, really aroused… She could feel him through their pajamas, long and thick, pressing against her rear.

Heat blossomed low in her stomach, rushing through her veins. She licked her lips and then bit down as a hand skimmed her hip before settling on her stomach. He murmured in his sleep again, and even though she couldn't make it out, she was pretty sure he just uttered her name. Sakura laid there for quite a while just listening to his heartbeat until she began to drift off to sleep. She dreamed about that day…

~o~O~o~

Early the next morning of their mission, Naruto was up and moving around excitedly. She groaned and asked, "What has you so happy this early? The sun isn't even up yet."

"Look, Sakura-chan." Naruto moved to the window and pulled the curtain back. It was still dark outside, but Sakura could clearly see the fluffy, white mounds that piled up on the ledge. "It snowed last night." She jumped out of bed and ran beside him to look out.

The skies were glistening with the bright twinkling stars which looked down on the frostbitten trees. They stood together as a pack, sheltering in the cold wind while the mountains in the back loomed above the forest, leaning threateningly over the chilly trees.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered. "I love the snow."

"Yeah, me too."

"You know, when I was a kid I always wanted to have a snowball fight with someone."

His jaw dropped and he staggered. "What? No snowball fights?"

Sakura shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. "I didn't have friends for a long time. Well, not until I met Ino. She wasn't into that type of play."

Naruto marched over to the bed and looked down at her. "We're fixing that," he stated firmly. "Right now."

"Now?" Sakura made a show of looking down her blanket. "But it's warm and dry in here."

"Come on." He took the blanket gripped tightly in her hands and hauled her out of the bed. "Get dressed. We're doing this. Then we can drink hot chocolate and thaw out by the fire."

Before she had a chance to protest—not that she really tried—he had her in the bedroom and piled clothing in her hands. Sakura laughed as she got dressed, buoyed by his enthusiasm. "This is ridiculous."

"Most parts of being a kid are." He pulled his shirt over his head. "The trick to being an adult is keeping your sense of fun and adventure while still managing to do soul-killing things like paying bills and being responsible."

"That's good to know." He tied his boots and then took her hand and practically dragged her through the room and out the door. The cold slapped her, nearly making her change her mind about this being a good idea, but Naruto raised his face to the sky and laughed. "It's been a while since I've done anything like this. I've been too busy learning Hokage duties, training, or on a mission to just do something simply for the fun of it." He gave her a wink and said, "I need to put fun on my to-do list!"

The reminder that they would leaving in such a short time was almost enough to make her rethink the wisdom of indulging in any of this, but then he grabbed her hand again and led her out past the inn to the edge of the woods. As she walked, she could hear the dry snow crunching beneath her feet. Except for the whispering of the wind through the trees, sound was muffled and absorbed to the point she could scarcely hear herself breathe. When was the last time she'd done something silly like this? Unlike Naruto, Sakura couldn't remember. She wasn't sure she ever had.

The sun began to rise on the horizon. They could see the sunlight coming through the hills. The light allowed the snow capped trees' snow to shimmer like tiny diamonds. The air was crisp and the tip of her nose was as cold as it can be. She felt so alive in that moment, surrounded by quiet, pure beauty.

"This is how you make a snowball." Naruto crouched down, demonstrating the packing of the snow.

It didn't take a genius to do it, so she hurriedly followed suit. Then, when he stood up and turned toward her, she hit him in the face with it.

"That's cheating!" His expression made her laugh, even as she scrambled backward. He wiped snow from his eyes and shook his head like a dog. "You're a natural. You would have been an asset in the Great Snowball Fight in the year of the rat. I staked out the market with the biggest pile of snowballs you'd ever seen on." He grinned. "The plan would have gone off without a hitch if Old Masahiko hadn't been walking by. You know he's retired Anbu?"

"He may have mentioned it once or twice." She packed another snowball. "You're lucky Captain Tadao wasn't there." The retired chunin was a weapon's master who taught the students at the school the fine art of kunai and shuriken throwing. He had quite an arm on him.

Naruto sighed. "No, I wasn't. He came out of the market right in time to catch a face full of snow. It was all over after that."

"Do you know the older academy students still camp out around the main street by the market on snow days and try to ambush people?" She winked and added with a loud laugh, "I think Old Masahiko watches for them, because he always seems to show up in the nick of time to save the innocent bystanders."

As her laughter carried on the wind to him, Naruto smiled softly. He had a feeling he'd never forget the sound of it.

"No, I didn't know that," he replied quietly.

Before she could ask what he was thinking about, his snowball hit her in the shoulder, but by that point she already had another in hand and sent it flying. Things got chaotic from there, her laughing so hard she could barely breathe, let alone focus on dodging his attacks and launching her own. As she peeked out from behind the tree she'd taken cover behind, Naruto swooped in and grabbed her around the waist, taking them both to the ground. They rolled several times before stopping. She had to gasp for breath, she was laughing so hard.

Naruto looked down at her. Tiny snowflakes covered her head, glimmering in the early morning light. It came upon him in waves so quickly, the heat, the weakness, a tempest set loose inside him. He stared into her dancing, green eyes.

Cold snow crept under her clothing, but she barely felt it. She was on fire; burning up from the inside, her senses were all over the place, and it was the best feeling she'd ever had. Sakura reached up, letting her fingers thread through his soft hair. His reaction seemed to be on instinct. He closed his eyes and tilted his cheek into the palm of her hand. Warmth blossomed in her chest.

The kiss was so unexpected, it took her a few moments to realize that it was his lips that were warming hers. Her arms slipped about his shoulders. If she had felt the cold before, she certainly didn't now with Naruto's large body on top of hers. Steam from their mingled breath warmed the rest of her face, making her realize his lips were quite hot as they moved seductively over hers. Her breasts tightened, tingling. Her toes curled in her boots. Heat seemed to be spreading all over her as her blood began to raise swiftly through her limbs.

How much time passed she'd never know, but gradually Sakura became aware of what was happening. Naruto Uzumaki was kissing her with all the passion a man could put into a kiss, and she was kissing him back as if her very life depended on it. It felt so right. The kiss might have continued indefinitely if he hadn't got carried away and slipped his icy fingers along her neck. The shock of the sudden cold had her shrieking in surprise.

A little intimidated by the intensity of the moment, Sakura flipped him over so that she was on top and then she grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down his shirt. He laughed and grabbed for her, but she was already up and running. Grinning, she spun around unexpectedly when he was almost upon her and took a leap, bouncing up in his arms. The momentum had him skidding. She squealed, as much with laughter as alarm as he tipped backward. He flopped; she landed face first.

Breathless, she dug in, got two handfuls of snow to mash into his face before she tried to roll away. He caught her at the waist, dragged her back while she screamed with helpless laughter.

"I'm the champion snow wrestler," he warned her. "You're out of your league, Pinkie. So…"

She managed to get a hand between his legs for a nice, firm stroke. Then taking advantage of the sudden and dramatic dip of his IQ, shoved a messy ball of snow down the back of his neck.

"Those moves are against the rules!" he shouted in mock indignation.

"Check the book, buddy. This is intergender play."

She tried to scramble up, fell, then whooshed out a breath when his weight pinned her. "And still champion," he announced, lowering his mouth to hers for another kiss. She clung to him as his mouth seared her neck to her ear. When his tongue swirled her earlobe, she shivered in pleasure.

It was only after her clothes were completely soaked through and she had began shivering that had made them both realize how cold they were. With a look of chagrin, Naruto pulled her to her feet and walked her back to the inn to dry off.

~o~O~o~

Their days together had only gotten better after that. As a surprise, he made an appointment for them at one of the private spas that the Firefly Inn was famous for. Sakura remembered how strange it was when the woman working there greeted her as if they were old friends.

The women did nothing but gush about him the whole time. It seemed that when he made the appointment, he did nothing but go on and on about her. The women thought it so sweet that it was all she could talk about.

"Oh my gosh, it's really you!"

"Excuse me? Have we met before? My name is Sakura Haruno."

"I knew it," she crowed delightedly. "You're just as pretty as he said."

"He?"

"That handsome young man, Naruto. He really is right, you know."

"About what?" asked Sakura in curiosity.

"He was so accurate in describing the way the beautiful shade of your hair complements your skin. Such a sweet boy…" She looked wistfully at Sakura for a moment before adding, "You're so lucky to have such a handsome and virile young man in love with you. Cherish these times, miss."

She heaved a dreamy sigh and continued on and on and for a while Sakura patiently listened, but as nice as the woman was, it was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. Yes, she knew that Naruto was handsome. Yes, she knew that Naruto was smart. Yes, she knew that Naruto was kind and sweet and funny. Yes, she knew that Naruto had the most amazing biceps that made her itch to run her fingers across… wait… what?

The woman was truly beautiful even though she was easily forty years old. Did Naruto have this effect on every woman he met? Barely controlling her rising temper, Sakura delicately extricated herself from the proprietor and made her way towards the changing room

As she undressed and placed her belongings in the dedicated basket she made her way to the showers. While she washed her body and hair, she kept running the woman's words through her head. It was obvious that the woman was attracted to Naruto. Sakura was positive that she tried to interest him too, but apparently he not responded at all. Sakura smiled to herself as she put on a tiny bikini and wrapped a towel around herself.

All he could talk about was her.

Generally bathing suits were frowned upon at the baths, but she hadn't been brave enough to go in naked. Her breasts were the one thing that had always made her feel inadequate. Hell, she lost count of every idiot who commented on her lack of bust size… well, until she learned how to use chakra to punch... Someone once said more than a mouthful was a waste, but Sakura sincerely believed that saying was made up by girls with small breasts like her just to make themselves feel…

Oh, just shut up brain! I can do this…

Sakura took a deep fortifying breath and stepped onto the path that led into the open-air bath where Naruto waited. As she slowly walked, she argued with herself.

He's going to laugh…

No he won't. You can do this, Haruno.

This isn't dim lighting. He's going to see just how pathetic they really are. You saw all those other girls - their breasts were huge.

So what? You know there is more to him than that.

But what if he's disappointed?

So what? You know there is more to you than that.

I'm smart.

And strong and brave.

And strong and brave. I can do this.

Sakura rounded a corner and gasped. There was the waterfall above her with the springs surrounded by a thick blanket of snow glistening beside her. The heat from the springs clashed with the chill of the winter air creating thick steam to rise up. The pools cascaded one into the other, like a series of infinity pools carved by nature, with a vibrant blue color that made her long to jump in. It was a piece of paradise with a mountain vista.

She could see across the valley, the expanse of the mountain range peeking through the trees. The roar of the waterfall took away any type of human noise that might have drifted up from the town of Hotaru far below. The water was extraordinarily clear, and the grotto where the pool was situated prevented any sort of wind or breeze from blowing in and giving her a chill.

But that wasn't what she noticed.

Hard passion smoldered in his glittering blue eyes. The towel she had lowered and the cold air made her nipples harden, which were clearly visible through the thin scrap of material that covered her breasts. His eyes were hungrily moving over her body as though he were starved.

"You shouldn't wear such flimsy little things, Sakura-chan," he practically growled, "I could rip that thing off you in a second."

Now she felt as though she hadn't worn anything. But that was okay, her self-confidence soared. He liked her body. He really did. She could see it in every rigid line in his body. Her checks grew hot. A guy actually liked her body! She felt silly for doubting herself. She was made of stronger stuff than that.

Sakura determinedly stepped into the water and boldly challenged, "What would you prefer that I wear?"

Naruto stared at her. She was standing waist deep in the small pool, the mist swirling around her head. What little rays of sunlight that were able to pierce through the thick haze lit her pink strands ablaze. She looked like a fairy, a sprite, unreal and yet real. He was mesmerized by her beauty. All sense fled him and the only thing he could say was, "Me."

With slow, deliberate motion, he moved in and branded her lips with a scorching kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes.

And then the kiss deepened as one of his hands moved up to cover her breast. He pulled down the swim suit and kneaded, he plumped, he squeezed, and her breast came alive, swelling, the nipple puckering and the sensations it caused elsewhere… She had known lovemaking with this man would be incredible, but knowing was not experiencing. That this was only the beginning gave her an added thrill in anticipating the rest.

She desperately hoped he wouldn't stop this time like he had all the other times they started to get too intimate. She was tired of him pulling back and reminding her that he made a promise.

Screw the promise.

It was inconceivable how he could fight something so wonderful when, unlike her, he knew exactly what to expect. Naruto had proven himself over and over to her in the past week. He was not a man who pursued a life of pleasure without responsibility or attachments. At least not with her. She finally admitted to herself that she wanted him. God, she wanted him so bad.

Sakura's fingers dug into his shoulders as he pulled her higher, catching the hardened nipple between his teeth. She gave a soft cry as he tugged and suckled her, her head thrown backward at the insistent pleasure crashing through her. He turned his attention to the other breast, relentlessly driving her need to a fever pitch.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered right before he brought her down, bringing her on top of him so he could reach her bottom. With both hands gripping her to control her movements, he pressed her down against his erection, then guided her in slow undulations, against which her thin bathing suit was no barrier.

They were in a private hot spring, but it was still too public. Sakura knew it was a bad idea but she didn't care in the least. His movements were driving her wild and she began to moan. Her fingers locked in his golden hair. She kissed his jaw, his neck, nipped at his ear, while he kept thrusting and sliding her against him, causing a searing friction on a pulse point she hadn't realized existed.

Sakura let out a loud groan which seemed to snap Naruto out of it. His eyes widened and he gasped hoarsely, "We shouldn't be doing this here."

"The bulge in your shorts didn't get the memo," whispered Sakura.

"No," he gritted as if it was the hardest thing he'd ever done and said. "I made a promise Sakura-chan. We can't do this, especially here. You deserve better."

He gently fixed her top and then took her hand, helped her out of the hot spring and wrapped her towel around her. Sakura stumbled alongside him, confusion eating away at her as they walked toward the changing rooms.

She didn't understand. He was attracted to her. He'd said she was beautiful and that he'd always thought she was beautiful, and she'd felt him. She felt just how strongly attracted he was against her when they practically just had sex, but he'd rejected her.

Naruto rejected me.

And he didn't reject any female.

Sakura wanted to cry—to sit down in the snow and cry. No, she wanted to punch something. Something with blond hair and blue eyes.

Humiliated, confused, and still more than a little aroused, she forced herself to stay quiet and to keep walking. Both were equally hard. The urge to mete out some serious violence was building in her body. No good could come from that. She knew he was just trying to keep his promise to her, but she was ready…

UGH, his stupid promise… So how do I let him know that I'm ready?

Duh, just tell him.

What, just blurt it out like a fool?

Well, you did tell him you would let him know when you were ready. So let him know.

How?

They stepped up to the doors leading to the changing rooms. Naruto released her hand and was about to walk into the men's room when Sakura spoke. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I think it's time we take things further."

"Further?"

"Tonight, Naruto."

"Tonight?!"

She opened the door and walked into the changing room, leaving him standing there with a stunned look upon his face. There was no mistaking the joy in his eyes though.

Tonight she was going to let Naruto Uzumaki seduce her.

AN:

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

And now for the recommendations (from my good friend, Logan Locke):

Without Sasuke, by Yethri. Basically as the title implies, Team 7 is formed without the Uchiha. It's a great NaruSaku story, though it's not a friendly one for Sasuke just so you know...

Trepidation and Detestation, by Shinobi Kisses. Naruto completes his promise, yet Sakura is infuriated with him doing it without her. It is a superb one-shot with a excellent lemon.

Bloodlusting for You, by chelsea-chee. After a tiring battle in demon form, it was then Naruto realized that he didn't change back! Now, along with newly formed fox instincts, he goes off in search of the girl that he loves, to mate with. Whether he wants to or not.

Ja Ne,

AZFAERYDUST