A Walk in the Park-

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto!

Chapter Twenty-

New Problems

Since our weekend vacation, two weeks had passed by. In that time not much had happened. Sasuke and I were now closer than we'd ever been, but each day was similar to how all our days were. We went to the park every day. We spent a lot of time with Luna. We went and had dinner with my parents again. I stayed with Sasuke at his place on some of my days off, and he stayed some nights with me.

Our relationship, though still early on, was always blissful. We were happy and totally in love. We couldn't get enough of each other, and each day that passed only proved to be more difficult to stay away from one another, even for the briefest of moments. I was always sad when he left me, and he always had a hard time leaving. But, leaving him was impossible. Which is why he stayed with me most of the time.

Today had been a busy day for me. I had to work a double shift and while it was now nearing time for me to go home, I had been at the hospital for twenty-two hours. Honestly the worst part about it was how angry Sasuke was about the ordeal. He'd chewed me out for agreeing to pull an entire day of work. He'd brought me breakfast. Met me for lunch. He even asked me a dozen times to let him pick me up from work.

I refused each time. I wouldn't admit how tired I was to him, but I knew if he took me home it would lead to me being up for several more hours… and I really needed to sleep. Now he was mad at me though, because I couldn't give him a good reason. I knew he'd want me to rest, even insist upon it if he did take me home and stay with me… but, I knew myself. I missed him. We hadn't had a night together in several days now… so, if he came over I would definitely not let myself sleep.

Oh… the dilemmas of life…

It was late at night, and even though I would have normally opted for walking home, Sasuke would have my ass on a silver platter for that and I was tired enough, my feet aching more than enough, to call a taxi. I'd get home quicker, have me a nice hot bath and sleep like a baby. I would call Sasuke at least though. I wanted to hear his voice… truthfully, I wanted much more than that, but tonight I had to settle for a simple phone call.

That's all I was hoping for really, but I was in for a rude awakening when I got home. After paying the cab driver, I tiredly made my way into my apartment. At first, I paid no attention to the fact that the lamp was on inside. I walked on in, dropping my purse on the couch and kicking my shoes off not a second too soon. The relief of being barefoot made me groan and I stretched for a moment before walking down the hallway towards my bedroom.

When I found my bedroom light on though, I knew something was odd. I never left that many lights on… especially knowing I'd be out all day. What was even more peculiar was my bathroom door was open, the light also on and was quite sure I heard water running.

Had my mind been enough of a mess this morning that I actually left the shower running? Cursing myself for always being so easily distracted, I ran into the bathroom, heart pounding with worry only to scream when I found Sasuke there, kicked back in the tub with a glass of wine. The water was still running, though the tub was almost halfway full.

"Sasuke! What the-" Struggling to keep myself on my feet, a clutched my shirt at my chest, fearing a heart attack.

"I know you didn't want me to come, you said you were tired. But that was all the more reason for me to come anyway. I want to make sure you get an appropriate amount of sleep tonight. Now, take your clothes off and join me."

The nerve… the audacity… the consideration… oh the loveliness of this guy. I wanted to strangle him with adoration. He was impossible, probably always would be, but I certainly wasn't going to argue now that he was here. I rolled my eyes when he averted his eyes from me the moment I started undressing. Even if I wanted him, he probably wouldn't let me have him. But how could I sleep when just looking at him made me melt.

I got in the tub across from him, sighing softly at the feel of the hot water on my aching body. Sasuke handed me a glass of wine for myself. I didn't have time to thank him before he started telling me about the dinner he had waiting for me. It was just last week that I'd given him my spare key… and I was glad he was making good use of it. Who needed sleep anyway when you could have a fun time with the love of your life?

Not me…

"I'm glad you're here." I told him with a sly grin. I sipped my wine and set my glass aside so I could go over to him, but he held a hand up, halting me.

"Not tonight." He said, cutting all my hopes short.

I rolled my eyes and settled back in place and snatched up my glass of wine. Of course he would do me like this. He knew how needy I could be…

"Don't worry, love… there's always tomorrow morning."

I could only finish off my wine and ignore him. At least until he put his own empty glass aside and pulled my feet into his lap. I glanced at him as he was lathering a wash cloth with soap. I cocked a brow as he gave me that conniving smirk of his just before he started washing my right foot. Not only was he washing it, but massaging it as well.

He had no idea how much my feet were aching, neither did I until his expert hands got a hold of them. My head fell back and I couldn't stop groaning. "Oh my God…"

"Sakura, even your feet are tense . . . I should drive you from now on."

"Ugh. I called a cab Sasuke… I didn't walk home." I gripped the sides of the tub, eyes closed tight as I surrendered to those knowing hands of his.

"You called a cab this once. Your feet can't lie." He said and rubbed harder to emphasize his point.

I groaned and glared at him, but couldn't hold the look for long. How could I ever be mad at him, really? He rubbed my foot so expertly it felt brand new by the time he released it to take hold of the other. His hands felt so relieving to me that I just wanted to cry. I'd been on my feet so much today, I really did push it.

"If it's ever late… I'll call a cab… if you can't pick me up."

He scoffed at me, offended. "I'll always pick you up. And on the slim, very slim, possibility I can't, I'll have Naruto or Itachi do it."

"I know you will, silly. I meant on nights like tonight… when I don't want you to pick me up." I told him honestly, because he knew well enough that I had my reasons for telling him I couldn't see him tonight… and he just had to torture me.

"Tsk. Stubborn." He stated but smiled. "If I decide to do it, you can't really stop me."

I laughed then. "Don't I know it."

We finished our bath and I got straight into bed, per Sasuke's orders. He brought dinner to me, which I was surprised to find was a full course meal prepared by Itachi. I was rather touched. It was nice having Sasuke bring me dinner at all, but just knowing he would bring me a home cooked meal made me so, so happy.

"Thank you very much for this. It's very good." I told him with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

He tried to hide a chuckle behind his hand, but failed, the sound rumbling in his chest. "I'd glad you think so."

"You're gonna laugh at me, really?" I frowned as I stuffed my face with a piece of juicy steak. Ugh, so good.

"I can't help it, you look like a chipmunk." He explained. "Simply adorable."

"A chipmunk?" I gaped at him, affronted. How could he even consider such a thing? I guess an adorable chipmunk isn't so bad… but still…

"Most definitely." He assured. "Small, energetic and innocent."

I grinned at this while continuing to eat without another comment. Small, though only compared to him. Innocent… well, not so much anymore. Though at times, I suppose. And energetic… Hm. I was definitely feeling a burst of energy that I wished I could unleash on him.

Unfortunately, I knew how difficult Sasuke could be, but only because of his concern for me. I understood, but that didn't mean it was any easier to deal with when I wanted to pounce his sweet ass like never before.

I managed to finish the entire plate, having been hungrier than I thought. Sasuke seemed impressed and amused, but at least he didn't laugh at me anymore. I still feigned annoyance, refusing to let him get the plate for me. Instead I got up myself and took it and my empty water bottle into my kitchen, giggling quietly to myself when I heard Sasuke mumbling behind me.

Soon as I rinsed the plate and left it in the sink, I went back to my room and got straight into bed, not even thinking about making eye contact with Sasuke. A chill swept over me as I heard him start stripping, as he always would before bed. Seriously… he was going to be the death of me.

I yelped in surprise when he rolled me all the way on my front, his hands sliding softly down from my shoulders to my ass. His touch always felt so heavenly, I craved it more and more through time. I sighed as his hands went into my gown, lifting it as his thumbs rubbed into my lower back.

"Oh… no." I gasped, taken aback by how tense I actually was.

"Here too?" He chuckled and I groaned.

"Don't start." I said before moaning loudly as his hands continued to work their way up my back. Right in the middle it was really stiff, and he spent a long time there, his thumbs and palms like pure magic against my abused muscles.

I never expected this. First my feet and now my back, my shoulders, even my arms and legs. The more he rubbed me, the looser I got. My moans got louder, my mind giving into exhaustion at the pleasuring sensation his soothing hands were giving me.

"Mm… Sasuke… It feels so good."

He only hummed in response to my words, seemingly entranced in his work. I'd never been more relaxed, in fact… this was the first time I'd ever had a full body massage. It was almost as good as sex. His hands always had a way of making me feel so good, I knew now that it didn't have to be in a sexual way. Now my whole body was relaxed, a zin like sensation taking over me. His hands hadn't stopped, but I was drifting.

It felt too good, too peaceful. Sasuke was definitely the best boyfriend ever. He came to my house, ran me a bath, poured me a glass of wine… brought dinner for me, massaged my entire body. I loved him with all my heart, more and more with every minute I spent with him. He was perfection, sending me into a deep slumber without asking for a single thing in return.

…

Sasuke always had a way of giving me the best sleep. I woke up well rested and full of energy, a stupid grin on my face as I rolled on my side to admire his sleeping face next to me. He was so adorable when he slept, face completely relaxed, eyes closed so softly, those dark lashes so thick, contrasting so nicely against his flawlessly pale skin, just like his long ebony locks.

He never kept the covers higher than his waist, so I had time and opportunity to admire his naked torso, his shoulders and arms thick with muscle. His body was beautiful, I especially loved his chest. So hard, but so comfy. My hand reached out and laid across it. His skin was always so warm, so inviting. I couldn't keep from touching him, from feeling him all over. My hand moved lightly across his chest, down his abdomen, then to his arm and up to his shoulder.

My touch had him shifting slightly in his sleep. He looked and felt so good that I couldn't keep myself from sliding closer, eager to wake him up even though he was sleeping so well. I'd wanted him for too long, and I owed him for being so sweet and generous last night. He could always take a nap after we had a little morning fun.

Letting my touch get a little firmer, I moved my hand up to his face and caressed his cheek. His brows furrowed, my touch slowly bringing him out of the deep slumber he was in. I took advantage of this, snuggling my face against his neck and pressing a soft kiss there.

Feeling a little more brazen, I let my hand brush back down his body until I reached his boxers. Slowly, I reached down to lay my hand over his member. I was surprised to find it firm even in his sleep. Wrapping my hand around it, I sighed against his neck as arousal consumed me. I wanted him badly. Maybe this was wrong of me… but then, why would it feel so right?

A quiet growl rumbled in his chest as my hand moved around him through his boxers while I kissed his neck once more, my tongue following my lips. He was waking now, his hips squirming, his head turning as if to give me better access to his neck. I lightly nipped his skin there before suckling the same spot while maneuvering my leg across him.

Now mounted and knowing he was half awake I grinded my hips, my sex rubbing perfectly across his erection while I continued to tease his neck with my mouth. He wasn't awake enough for me though, so I gripped tight to his arms, my mouth moving to his shoulder while peppering hot wet kisses along the way. I rocked my hips more firmly against him.

"Saku-oh fuck!" He was wide awake now and hard as he could have been, his hands moving to grip at my hips with bruising force.

Nothing turned me on more than him reacting so strongly to me. I was so ready to reward him for being so amazing… the fact that I would be rewarded as well was merely a sweet bonus. Unfortunately, before I could even get started, he flipped us over, taking control in an instant. His lips were all over mine, his hips thrusting forward, allowing me to feel how much he wanted me, and I wanted him just as bad.

For the rest of the morning, all we knew was each other.

…

"Why the hell would you agree to go into work today… on your day off, and after pulling a double yesterday?"

I sighed, understanding Sasuke's anger, but needing him to understand. "Because this is my job, Sasuke. There are only so many nurses. Someone called out and we have a new surgeon starting today who needs someone reliable by his side. I have no choice. I'm well rested, I promise."

Sasuke's jaw tensed as he fought to keep his rage contained. "What about you, huh?" He just shook his head, but I could still get why he was so mad.

"Look," I stopped getting dressed and walked over to wrap my arms around his waist. "I get why you're mad… I do. But, you know I have like the best boyfriend ever. I had a very relaxing night last night, I slept better than I ever have… and I had a lazy day. The most I did was sit on our bench at the park for an hour.

"I'm really sorry to have to cut our day short, but my work is important to me and you know that. Now please, understand…" I got on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek meaningfully before releasing him and getting back to dressing in my scrubs.

"Impossible." I heard him grumble, obviously still annoyed but not as much.

"I promise I'll make it up to you." I told him as Luna came to my feet, rubbing her nose against my leg. "And you too girl, I'm really sorry."

Just my luck to get the call while the three of us were enjoying our time at the park. I'd upset both of them now. I had no idea how I would make it up to them, but somehow, I would. Now that I was fully dressed and ready for work, I went back over to Sasuke and grabbed his hand.

"Now please stop pouting… I'd like you to drive me to work. If you're willing to."

Sasuke drove me to work, Luna panting excitedly the whole ride. It was obvious she liked riding in Sasuke's car as much as I did. I gave her ear a scratch once we arrived to the hospital before giving Sasuke a soft smile.

"Thanks for the ride." I leaned close to him, eager for a kiss. He still wasn't happy, but he kissed me gently, lovingly even so. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I'll text you… and if you're not busy you could pick me up tonight." I touched his cheek softly before getting out of the car and hurrying into the hospital without looking back.

…

The shift I was covering had already started half an hour ago. I was called in so last minute that there was nothing I could do to but get here as soon as I could. Things seemed calm enough in the surgical ward as I made my entrance, but I soon realized things weren't calm at all when one of my usual aids hurried up to me, handing over a chart before it was even within my reach.

"Dr. Akasuna is prepping for surgery in room six as we speak. Hinata is here but she's in room four with Dr. Tsunade… and inpatient medications are past due. The floor is a mess, we can't even keep up with the patient's calls."

This was not good news… it was rather disturbing and stressful to even think about. How long would I be in surgery? How much longer would Hinata be held up? Medication had to be given within a timely manner. Failing to do so could be fatal for all of us.

"Listen, I need you to go to Dr. Akasuna and inform him that I've arrived but have to distribute medications before I join him. Follow his orders and do anything he needs you to do until I can take over."

"Ah… Yes ma'am."

I sighed as I hurried to my office, to go through my records. Though I was just here last night, I had to pay attention to even the slightest detail that could have changed in the short amount of time that I'd been gone. I met with another aid, had her brief me as I started my rounds, moving as quickly as possible.

Luckily, the patients were all kind. They took their medicine gladly and didn't keep me any longer than necessary. I was done in less than ten minutes, but that was a long time when it came to surgical procedures needing to be done. I left any other patient needs to be cared for by my aid as I hurried into surgery.

"I'm here." I announced, giving the aid a dismissive nod. She'd get right to work with the other aids, and now I could help this new surgeon.

I wasn't late. The anesthesiologists were just getting the patient to sleep. I had time to walk to the doctor's side and introduce myself. He was tall and fit, with red hair and gray eyes. He appeared young, only a few years older than myself.

"Sorry I'm late, Dr. Akasuna… I'm Sakura Haruno."

The doctor gave me a smile, his eyes not showing any type of emotion. "Don't worry, you're right on time."

Surgery went exceedingly well. I was overjoyed to have such a skilled doctor as a new addition to our staff. He was confident and more than capable. The procedure itself took a couple hours, but everything went smoothly. Once it was over we started washing up. It was only then that I got slightly uneasy by the feel of his eyes on me.

"Nice work, Miss Haruno." He told me.

"Thank you, Dr. Akasuna." I replied simply, eyes on my hands as I thoroughly scrubbed.

"Please, call me Sasori."

I glanced at him then, unable to keep myself from frowning when I noticed the smug smirk on his lips. What was that look for? What was he thinking exactly? And why did he make me feel so uncomfortable? At the time I had no idea, but meeting this man was about to unravel a whole world of stress that I wasn't ready for.

A/N:

Oh myyy. How can you already know something and yet still be so anxious about what's to come?

Hehehe.

So we didn't get to post as soon as we hoped, but it's here now so enjoy!

Questions of this update:

Will we see the smut fest come back around soon?:

Kana: I can't block all the smut, sometimes the scene demands it. I may speak as if I'm against it but in all honesty, I'm just as bad as Tyy. Haha.

Tyy: Oh, there shall be more smut. I can't stay away from it. Lol.

How many chapter have you planned to write in this fic?:

Kana: Ehhhh, as it looks now, about thirty five give or take a few.

Tyy: Roughly around thirty five.

(Not a question but-) For some reason, I hate the word boner.:

Kana: I knew I should have typed erection instead. Lol.

Tyy: Lol. It is just one of those words isn't it. Don't worry, I'm sure we can avoid using it!

Thanks for reading and reviewing! We're looking at around 15 more chapters and I'm excited. Though I will be sad to see it go... so putting a number on it was hard!

Til next time...

-Kanatyy