Two and a half years ago:

"Stay put. They're still here." The tall dark man leaned over her whispering with something she could describe as angst and pain, since he decided to take those unspeakably powerful hits from the numerous opponents, that were actually directed for her.

"Sasuke, you're hurt." She stated flatly observing his back and shoulders: scarred. "Let me heal you…"

"This is not the moment, Sakura. And lower your voice, they'll hear us sooner or later." He demanded in a low murmur as he started walking towards the end of the cliff calculating the distance. He could jump over it, of course, the problem was Sakura couldn't. She was still hurt after the last fight with those fierce ninjas and her chakra wasn't enough to treat her wounds perfectly or his at the time speaking. She was hurting a lot, but she didn't show it, which surprised Sasuke in quite a measure, although he would never admit it.

He continued to gaze towards the cliff behind the great stone they were keeping low in order to keep the distance between themselves and the foes. Too bad the distance was getting shorter and shorter with every passing second: those guys had speed. They also had a track-ninja among them.

"Sasuke, what do we do?" she dared to ask trying to meet his gaze but without succeeding. "We can't fight them. They are too many. We have nowhere to hide…"

"Shut up already!" he grunted irritated. "Stop being annoying, Sakura!"

"I'm fed up with it! I've had enough of this mission! Enough of your stupid choices! If it wasn't you we wouldn't be here!" she almost screamed.

"You're assuming this is my fault?!"

"Yes, I am!"

"If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead by now!"

"I was doing just fine!"

"Not from where I was standing! What was in your head, Sakura, a dozen guys once? Not even I have such a high opinion of myself!"

"You called me weak; I had every right to prove myself!"

"By putting your life on the line? That's just selfish!"

"As if you'd care!"

"You're right, I don't! It's all 'bout the mission!"

"It's always about your rang, huh, Sasuke? Now who's the selfish one?"

"Selfish? I saved your fucking life!"

"I never asked you to!"

A loud sound brought them back to reality. The enemies were approaching, and at a high speed, for that matter.

"Great, now what do we do?" she questioned more to herself.

"Just shut up." He murmured as he got up and did the one thing she last expected. Slowly, but surely, he was transforming to his most feared appearances: the second form of his curse mark. Massive wings grew out of his wounded back while his tone skin changed remarkably. His once handsome features vanished being replaced with rough yet extraordinary and manly characteristics. He groaned painfully since he already used too much energy for just a day but he did not turn back. After several protests, he managed to take his petite teammate in his lean and muscled arms as she tensed surprisingly at the contact. He felt the enemies getting even closer than before but he didn't hesitate to take a long breath before jumping over (and maybe flying) to the other side, the landing not being as smooth as he would have wished for.

He landed… violently. They smashed against the moist earth going numb as they both felt pain. He started to change his form back to normal, his arms still around her smaller frame, her face against his bloody chest, eyes closed. When he was fully human again, he decided to move only to be stopped by a quivering hand.

Her hands were already sending a light green vibration throughout his body, trying to heal him with what she had left of her chakra.

"Don't move. Please." She whispered in an uneven voice.

They didn't speak or move while she was doing her best to stop his bleeding and repair his broken bones, which were impressive by number. Her hands trembled over his chest as they moved up and down trying to heal as much as possible. She treated his shoulder and arms, his scars and broken bones. The silence was almost murderous. When she was done, her breath was irregular; her whole body was trembling due to the energy overload. The only thing that was assuring her was the fact that the enemies had absolutely no way to get them. They were safe, for now.

She took a deep breath before closing her emerald eyes; the wish to rest was purely overwhelming. Sasuke continued to watch her impressed as he cold feel her hot breath against his bare skin. He felt energized; most of his chakra was miraculously recovered.

"We have to get back." He stated sending his gaze towards the cloudy sky.

"Mmm, yes…" she whispered nonchalantly, steadying her head at the crock of his lean neck. She fit perfectly, but she didn't realize the close contact they were in since the only thing she wanted to do was to close her eyes for good and sleep for a whole week. He trembled at her touch, her hair tickling him and sending shivers down his spine; of course he would never admit it. He never shivered at somebody's touch especially hers. His fingers were digging into the damp earth, his heart secretly beating a beat faster.

He got up to his feet, the young woman settled peacefully in his arms. He began to move, destination home, but he almost stopped dead when he heard her peaceful voice calling him.

"Thank you, Sasuke. For saving me… again…"

"Hn." He replied. She smiled. She knew what his famous guttural word was meant to indicate: 'Me too.'

18 moths ago:

She was tired. Exhausted. Her hands shaky and her eyes dull, lifeless, something not very characteristic of her. Her chakra was running lower and lower with each passing second and her fears were only turning out to be more than just true.

"Does it still hurt?" she whispered closely to him, a green light shivering above her hands and over his bare chest.

"Hn…" he tried to murmur without showing any signs of weakness. Until now, he was doing quite fine.

"I don't understand." She admitted defeated. "The wound is closed, everything looks just fine, and I just can't seem to understand why it's still bothering you… I hate to admit it, Sasuke-kun, but it looks like you have some severe internal injury…"

Her hands continued to work like magic over his chest, a smug wanting so badly to form in his perfectly curved lips but like the great Uchiha Prodigy he was, he happened to have the authority to control it. He was always in charge of himself in front of everybody; it just seemed harder to be motivated in front of her, that's all. After all, the pain stopped ten minutes ago. It was just funny, either way you would look at it.

One year and three moths ago:

"Gosh, Sasuke-kun, would you please stop?"

"What?" he replied annoyed.

"What you're doing right now… it bugs the hell out of me!" she admitted.

"Like what?" he teased.

"You know what I mean, Sasuke, please cut it out."

"Cut what out?" he played the game.

"Jeez, Sasuke, I swear that stick up your ass is getting bigger with each passing day…"

"Just like your ego is, right?" he smirked.

"Look who's talking, Mr. Altruist!"

"Didn't Tsunade teach you manners during the last 4 years?"

"Didn't Orochimaru go trough the basic gay-lessons with you? 'Cause to be real honest, you seem to have some lapses here and there…"

"Take. That. Back. Now." He threatened

"Wow, His Highness getting pissed. Now, now, your Majesty, nerves ugly your pretty face and we don't want that to happen, do we?" she grinned devilishly.

"I said take that back. NOW." He threatened.

"Or what? You're going to pull out your Barbie doll?"

Silence. 'Wow, that was a good one, Sakura.'

"Make me." she teased cutely moving her long lashes seductively.

"Hn." He leaned back against the wall. She had him. Twice.

"That's your answer to everything, huh, Sasuke?" She asked rhetorically. "Now please, have the decency to give me my frigging scroll back." Because, if you haven't guessed yet, they were fighting over a scroll.

He only watched her curiously as he tossed her mission roll from one hand to another.

"Dammit, Uchiha. Give. It. Back." She murmured trough gritted teeth.

"Since when do you call me by my last name, Haruno?" he questioned irritated.

"Since your wise ass decided to fuck my brains out!" she yelled.

"I'd be willing to fuck more than just your brains, Haruno." A pleasant smirk made its way on his porcelain face.

Her face fell. Literally. As in utter shock and insanity. God, wasn't he something. One-two, for now.

"I'm not taking that seriously." She stated after regaining her calm and temper.

"You weren't supposed to take that serious. How far more do you think I'm gonna lower myself?" he questioned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Genius, much, Sakura? I'm already talking to you. You should feel honored, 'cause I feel sick."

"Asshole."

"Klutz."

"Good for nothing gay-snake."

"Pink-haired bitch."

"Selfish, arrogant, stubborn bastard."

"Weak, pathetic fan-girl."

"Hey, don't push it!" she warned.

'Dude, you so hit the spot!'

"Truth hurts, doesn't it Sakura?" he almost smiled.

"My point exactly." She grinned.

"Why you…" he barked.

"Anyhow, Sasuke, since I'm way more mature than you are, you can have the scroll. Fine by me. Take the mission, for all that I'd care." She sounded rather defeated.

Her sudden change in attitude surprised him more than he would have wished for. He, basically, won. She admitted defeat. White flag above her land. Wasn't he just simply stunning?

He passed besides her in silence, body directed towards the exit door only to be stopped by her soft voice:
"And Sasuke, about you lowering yourself, I'm sure Oro-kun has managed to lower you several times, if you know what I mean…"

Wasn't she a good runner?

Wasn't he utterly shocked? Damn that girl. She just got away with her life. And his scroll.

10 months ago:

"Hey, Sasuke-kun…"

"What?" he groaned exasperated digging his chopsticks into his fresh noodles.

"I figured something out." She stated sweetly.

"Gr…" he murmured bringing some food towards his mouth.

"I figured out why you never ever smile or laugh."

He raised an eye brow, his mouth still chewing on his food irritated.

"You're afraid of wrinkles, aren't you?"

Six moths ago:

"Sasuke, how come you don't like sweets?"

"I just don't."

"Why?"

"I don't."
"How come? Everybody loves sweets!" she shouted outraged.

"Stop being annoying, Sakura." He muttered under his breath.

"But I've never ever meet somebody who hasn't have a sugar tooth, really. Are you sick or something?" she asked worriedly as she brought the palm of her hand towards his forehead only to be pushed away.

"Goddammit, Sakura, what the fuck's wrong with you?" he shouted angrily.

"I'm just worried for you, that's all…" she said bitterly, her voice filled with pain which seemed to impress him since his own tone immediately became softer.

"I just don't like sweets."

"Oh, okay. But Sasuke-kun… Can I ask you something?"

"You already did."

"Pretty please! With sugar on top!"

He only gave a severe death glare.

"Oh, right, no sweets. Sorry."

He sighed exasperated.

"So I was wondering, since you don't like sweets and you seem really bitter, actually you've always been but heck, you can always change… I though about enlightening your life just a bit by giving you a nickname."

He only raised an eyebrow.

"Sasucakes."

Oh, no, she didn't.

Run, Sakura, run, a furious chocolate flavored muffin with blackberries, coffee beans and whip cream on top is after you!
Did I mention the muffin just dropped his jaw?

Two moths ago:

Hadn't he just told her already? Like… it was the 7th time by now and she still seemed unconscious of what could happen to her if she wasn't careful enough. And God, he hated when he was right but her ego seemed to care less. (Who does that remind you of?)

So he though… what the heck… who gives a shit about her anyway. Fine. She can suicide perfectly without anybody interrupting her. Fine. And she could do this all on her own. He couldn't care less, he had more important stuff to do… like training and… um… being annoyed (by her, exclusively) by some random people or he could… watch clouds. Yeah, that's it. He could watch clouds. See? He had so many things to do. Besides being pissed off when her presence seemed to intimidate him more than he would ever admit to a living soul, or a dead one for that matter.

Great. Take a deep breath. Count to 10. No, make that 50. Hm, maybe 75, and that was final. Shit. Not working. At all. Fuck that girl. Fuck her foolish attempts to try to melt down the ice walls covering his heart, which just so you'd know, were starting to break, fuck all her sweet smiles and her fruity smell, her lemongrass essence and her cherry flavored pastel hair. Fuck those days he wanted to yell at her for making him weak, fuck those days he felt too weak and to drowned in new feelings to even yell. Fuck those times he wished to never have met her, fuck the times he told her she had never been his friend. Fuck those times he gave in to her, the times he felt secure and loved, times he nearly smiled, times so filled with light it blinded him. He hated it all. Everything. From her adoring bright green eyes to the times he had to hold her when she cried, because of him. And he hated her tears. More than he hated anything in the world. Her goddamn sorrowful tears. Tears that were spilled against her hot cheeks each time he lost his temper, each time he said something wrong, did something inappropriate or better said did nothing at all.

The glass was filling, his nerves were dying to escape their prison, his hands trembling with anger. And his eyes. Crimson red.

He watched her turn her back towards him, her emotions closing in on her, her face, looking for the first time, impassive compared to his.

She said she didn't care anymore. Her life was no longer something she would price. Not after what he had informed her a long time ago. She told him she would die to save him, Naruto. She said it was up to her, as his friend, to risk her life for the future Hokage. Dying for somebody she loved was something she though worthy of. Especially if that somebody was no one other than Naruto.

He argued. She would get hurt. She was strong, but her enemies were numerous, they were prepared and fearless.

"I'm fearless, too." She said determined.

'I know.' He felt like saying. 'I'm not. I'm scared. For him. For you.'

He opened his mouth, closed it again.

Seeing that her statement would not receive an argument back, she walked towards the forest and she disappeared quickly after.

There was no use to follow. He would only get in her way. Not that he cared. Hell no. Not about her at least. She could get killed for all that mattered. He knew he would be better of without her. No more annoying statements, no more friendly hugs and warms smiled, no more caring.

'I don't give a fuck…' he told himself.

But, he knew, better than anyone else that he did. He did care.

So he ran after her. Fast.