Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief as the last bell rang throughout the school. The day had been uneventful. The only exception being lunch when Sakura brought over some female friends to sit with the rest of the guys at lunch. Poor Kiba hadn't known what to do with himself. It was rather entertaining to watch Kiba make an ass of himself three times within the span of twenty minutes.
That aside, even with Sakura in his school, Sasuke was able to move around like nothing was wrong or out of place. Pushing back his chair and ignoring the scraping sound, Sasuke hauled himself up and out of the chair. Naruto was shoving in book after book into this backpack next to Sasuke. He tilted his head as Naruto hurried to zip the zipper.
"Where are you going? You've never tried to leave this fast," Sasuke said to the rushing Naruto. The classroom was empty as Naruto picked up his book bag and walked to the door with Sasuke on his heels.
"I'm going to met Sakura. We're going to go to a café in town and catch up. Maybe eat some ramen after that," Naruto said as he walked out the door and into the hallway. He wasn't speeding down the hallway as fast as he could have, but Sasuke had to make the effort to keep up with him.
"Nice date," was his only comment. Sasuke didn't feel like talking to Naruto about a date with Sakura. It just put him in a bad mood.
"It's not a date, Teme. It's me and Sakura catching up on six years that we haven't seen each other," Naruto said. He paused at his locker and started turning the combination.
"Sure, whatever," Sasuke said, leaning against the lockers beside Naruto's locker. He was in no hurry to leave since he had detention after school from the most evil teacher to ever walk the Earth. The conversation stopped and Sasuke, who had been looking across the hall and out the window, felt a change in atmosphere. Slowly, Sasuke turned his head toward his friend. Naruto had the grin of sin plastered on his tan face and was starting to chuckle quietly. Startled, Sasuke took a quick step back.
"You sound just like a jealous boyfriend, Teme. And here I thought you were asexual," Naruto chuckled quietly, menacingly. Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in discomfort. He took Naruto's locker door and slammed it shut.
"Shove it, you Dobe," Sasuke said. Naruto's laugh just became louder and louder as they walked down the hall to the main entrance of the school. As the door came into view, so did Sakura and then Naruto started running to her.
Over his shoulder, Naruto called, "See you later!" His hand was waving and when he caught up to Sakura, they exchanged a few words and left the school. Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned right down a hall and went into the detention room to suffer his own thoughts for the next hour.
Sitting in the chair closest to the door and in the back he put down his book bag and slumped in the seat. The other kids in detention he didn't know and didn't really feel like making conversation even if it did save him from this thoughts. Thoughts about her. Sasuke heavily put his head on the table with a thump. His forehead hurt now, and he was still thinking about Sakura.
At least he had been right. Sakura being in his life now made it perfect. He didn't want anything now that she was here, talking to him, smiling at him. Their conversation flowed as easily today as it did yesterday when he met her again after so long. The topics may have been generic but they flowed through them all easily until Kiba had interrupted. Damn Kiba.
But maybe Kiba's distraction had been a good thing. If Sasuke kept getting close to her like he wanted to, there was a definite chance that she could recognize him before he was ready. Last night he had resolved to tell Sakura after he turned eighteen, as well. It seemed like the only possible solution and it was the fairest thing he could come up with. They were in the middle of summer term and graduation would happen until next spring in March, but he turned eighteen in a little less than a month.
It was June twenty eighth and he would turn eighteen on July twenty third. Just thinking about it had his pulse speed up. He would be releasing all the lies on his eighteenth birthday. Sasuke rubbed his sweating palms on his uniform pants. Did he have the balls to own up to everything? To Kakashi, who had saved him and now was like a father/brother to him? To Naruto and his friends, who got him in trouble but had his back? And to Sakura, who was the reason he had this life?
It would be so much easier to never say anything. So much easier to not stop the flow where his life was going. But he couldn't do it. He owed them all the truth. It wouldn't be easy and they might have a hard time with it, but Sasuke refused to graduation with his lies still intact. Yes, he had the balls to own up to his lies and he would as the day to his eighteenth birthday crept ever closer.
Naruto dug into his bagel with strawberry cream cheese as Sakura sipped her iced tea. They had been here since school at let out at three this afternoon and Naruto was on his sixth bagel. They had talked about where her family had moved. They spoke about the places they'd been since they last saw each other. They spoke about how Sakura's letter had been sent back because Naruto had moved. They talked about nearly everything As Naruto finished the bagel and licked his finger of the access cream cheese, Sakura felt as if they had never been separated for six years.
It felt just like yesterday that Naruto was saving her from getting picked on or helping her skip class. In the noisy café, Sakura smiled a smile to herself as she sipped her tea through a straw. Naruto chugged the rest of his water and put in on the dark brown table top. They were in a private booth, near the back and was kept away from most of the noise up front by the register.
"I can't believe how much it feels like just yesterday that I was kicking kids' asses because they were picking on your forehead," Naruto laughed as he leaned back against the cushioned booth.
Sakura chuckled a little as well. "Yes, and then you would get suspended." She put her condensating glass on the coaster.
"It was worth it. I hope I won't have to do that. They won't suspend me at this school. They'll make me do community service," Naruto said with a shudder and recoiled facial expression.
"Heh, don't worry, Naruto. I had a black belt in karate now, so I can kick ass all on my own," she told him, no boasting or bragging necessary. Naruto leaned forward, shocked.
"You're serious?" he said, awe in his tone.
"Yep. I took my test last month and passed," Sakura said. She picked up her tea and ignoring the straw, drank it from the glass.
"Wow, I never would have thought you'd get trained in self defense," Naruto said. Sakura put down her glass and swallowed the tea.
"Dad made me, it wasn't my choice. So what about you? You and Sasuke kick ass around here on a regular basis?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrows.
Naruto laughed. "Nah, unless we're kicking each other's ass. After I met Sasuke, I haven't really gotten into fights with anyone except him."
"How'd you meet him?" Sakura asked, spinning her straw in her glass. Naruto's face, which had been so animated before, now fell into a blank stare. Sakura began to feel uncomfortable with the stare.
"Don't tell me you like the Teme," Naruto said, monotone. Understanding, Sakura smiled and shook her head.
"Naruto, I just met him yesterday. I can't like him if I don't know him," she reasoned. Not that she didn't find Sasuke attractive. He was, and they had easy flowing conversation, but it's not like she was in love with the guy.
"No, you've met him before. Don't you remember?" Naruto said, head tilted to the side. Someone's got their thinking cap on, Sakura thought with a laugh.
"I've never met him, trust me. I'd remember someone who can be that intense," Sakura assured him.
"No, the Teme told me that he met you when he was eight," Naruto muttered. Sasuke Uchiha's face flashed through her mind. Dead. He's dead.
"Well, I don't remember meeting him. He probably has me mistaken with someone else," Sakura said, drinking more of her tea. She downed the glass as Naruto stared her down with a "No way" expression.
"What?"
"He doesn't have you mistaken. How many girls with pink hair can he come across?" Naruto asked, sarcastically.
"Fair enough. But I still don't remember a Sasuke Aoshi," Sakura replied, trying to think back to when she was eight. The conversation died as the waitress came over and refilled Sakura's tea and Naruto's water. She left and Naruto took a drink.
"But did you meet a Sasuke?" Naruto asked eagerly. It bothered Sasuke that Sakura didn't remember him, Naruto just knew it did. Being friends with him for so long, Naruto could just tell without Sasuke having to say anything. So if Sakura did remember him then maybe Sasuke wouldn't act so weird.
"Yes, I did meet a Sasuke when I was eight," Sakura said. Naruto opened his mouth to reply but Sakura cut him off with, "But his name was Sasuke Uchiha. And he's dead now." Sakura looked into her glass and saw her liquid-y reflection. Naruto sensed the sadness in Sakura but didn't know how to respond.
"You were fond of Sasuke….Uchiha?" Naruto asked carefully. He didn't want to push Sakura, but he did want to know. Naruto reached for her hand but Sakura withdrew it from the table. Naruto refused to admit that it hurt. She wasn't letting him comfort her like she used to. Why?
"I'd only met him one time before he…died. But I was kind of fond of him after that meeting,"
Sakura confessed. There. It was out in the open. Now someone knew besides her. She felt her chest feel suddenly lighter now that she didn't have to keep Sasuke Uchiha to herself.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't know," Naruto said, looking at the top of the table. He felt Sakura encircle his hand with her own. He looked up and saw her smiling at him. His muscles made him smile back.
"It's okay. It's not your fault, Naruto," she told him. Naruto felt strange. He had meant to comfort her, but instead, she had ended up comforting him. She had never talked about Sasuke Uchiha six years ago. Maybe she was still upset from it back then. The café suddenly darkened and Naruto and Sakura looked simultaneously out the windows. Storm clouds rolled in and a sudden crack of thunder could be heard in the distance.
"I hate to cut this short, but I think we should go before it starts to rain," Naruto said, getting up. He pulled out his wallet just as Sakura did. They laid a few bills down and walked out of the shop. Under the awning of the café, Naruto and Sakura hugged their goodbye and took off in different directions.
Sakura walked down the sidewalk and looked up at the sky. The clouds were almost black and she could smell the rain in the air. She was a few blocks from home and if the rain would hold out until she got inside today would be her lucky day. But the funny thing about luck was that it didn't like her. She wasn't two blocks from her house and lightning stuck. Then came the rain. It was pouring in sheets and she ran, getting drenched by the cold rain and running through the steam as the rain connected with hot asphalt.
She turned a corner at a run and ran into something really solid. And hard. She fell back but a hand caught her wrist and put her up right. She opened her eyes against the rain and saw Sasuke Aoshi looking down at her, rain water dripping off his gravity defying hair and into his face. Hell it was even dripping off his eye lashes. His really, really long, dark eyelashes. She blinked to get a hold of herself. Sasuke tugged on her arm and they were suddenly under an awning. He was staring at her with those intense eyes and she didn't know what to do… or say.
Sakura suddenly had an image of Sasuke Uchiha in her mind. She shook the image. Long lost people don't come back from the dead. And even though Sakura was a firm believer in that, this Sasuke was shaking her resolve and rocking her world. He looked so much like Sasuke Uchiha that they could probably pass for twins if he had still been alive.
"We have to stop meeting like this," Sakura laughed. Sasuke blinked, and cracked a smirk. It was just yesterday that they met by literally running into each other.
"Just can't help ourselves, I guess," was his response. Then Sasuke looked out to the storm. The storm that didn't seem to be going anywhere or lightening up anytime soon. It was hard to hear with the rain pouring around them. Sakura shivered. It caught Sasuke's eye.
"Look, let's get out of this rain. My house is down the street and to the right. If we run, it shouldn't take that long," Sakura suggested. She watched Sasuke in silence. He seemed to be having a hard time talking. Like he was battling himself for some reason. He looked ready to say no, but then just clenched his jaw and nodded with out looking at her.
Sakura nodded as well. "Follow me on three." She prepared to run. "One, two, three," She shouted and sprinted down the street. Sakura couldn't hear Sasuke behind her as the rain pummeled her, but knew he had to be. She crossed the road without looking and took a side street on the right. Passing two houses, a bakery, and a ramen shop, she finally slowed down and landed on her porch.
She turned around, shivering, and saw Sasuke with his hair plastered to his forehead, water droplets rolling down his jaw, and his clothes plasters to a very broad, hard body. He was what, seventeen? So why did he have to have such a good body? Sakura shivered again. He was looking at her with those dark eyes again and she felt compelled to stand there and stare into the depths forever. He was breathing hard, and his chest was rising and falling, his shirt sticking to his body so much that he might as well not have had it on at all. He was just so damn familiar.
The door suddenly opened and warmth surrounded Sakura's left side. Both her and Sasuke's head turned in the direction of the door and the woman standing just inside it. Sakura's mother had long pink hair and blue eyes. She was wearing an apron and had a smug of flour on her cheek as she looked from her daughter to the stranger. She smiled sweetly at them both, in welcome.
"Mom, this is Sasuke Aoshi. A classmate of mine. We're starting to become friends," Sakura made introductions. Sasuke looked uncomfortable for a second before he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"Hello," was all he said. Sakura didn't know if he was being reserved or if he just didn't know what else to say. Her mother stepped out on the porch and shook Sasuke's hand.
"Hello, I'm Sakuya. I'm glad my daughter could make friends so easily," her mother said with a smile on her face. Sasuke seemed to relax a little. "Oh, well you two are soaked, come in and I'll get some towels."
Sasuke sort of looked like he wanted to back out now and just go home. Sakura tugged on his wet sleeve. He looked down at her and their eyes met. She stepped over the threshold, breaking eye contact, and Sasuke followed her through the door. They stood in the foyer on linoleum while their clothes and hair dripped on the floor. Sakura was glad that she put a black undershirt over her white uniform shirt. Before Sakura or Sasuke could make any kind of conversation, Sakuya came back with towels and some clothes.
She handed Sakura a towel and gave Sasuke some of her father's clothes along with a towel. They toweled off on the linoleum and when they were dry enough to walk on the carpet, Sakura went up to her room to change clothes and heard her mother give directions to the bathroom for Sasuke to do the same. She tried not to think about him getting nearly naked in her house, but failed. Miserably.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
What the hell was he doing here? This day just went from bad to worse to crap in the span of two hours. First detention, where as his bored increased so did his bad attitude that earned him a second detention, then Kakashi called and told him to get bread from the store. After that the freak storm hit and he never even made it to the store. Finally, while running home in the freak storm, he bumped into Sakura. A very wet, pretty Sakura. But that was only worse. Crap came when he actually accepted the invitation to her house.
So he was in her bathroom, discarding his soaking wet clothes and putting on what looked to be her father's clothes. He should have bolted when they reached her porch. Come to think of it, he probably would have if Sakura hadn't tugged on his sleeve. And like a moron, he followed her without thinking. Pulling a white shirt over his head, Sasuke felt himself get more nervous as the time to exit the bathroom came down on him.
Damn it, what's your problem? It's just nice hospitality. Cool it.
It didn't help. His throat was dry as he exited the bathroom. The dining room didn't lose it's appeal as he walked into it a second time from the bathroom. Sasuke didn't know what to do, which was a very rare occurrence, when he heard voices in across the dining room and in the kitchen. Subtly, he took a deep breath to calm down and slow the rampaging heartbeat that didn't seem to want to quit. He carried his wet clothes with him because he didn't want to be rude and just leave them in the bathroom.
Sakura's mother came out of the kitchen and saw him standing in the dining room. She smiled at him and came closer. "I was wondering if you were done. Give me your wet clothes and I'll put them in with Sakura's in the dryer. Do you want to call your parents and tell them where you are? You can stay the night here. The wind is blowing so hard outside, I'd rather not have you walk home," she told him, taking his clothes and looking at him with motherly concern.
"Yeah, I should call Kakashi. And thanks for the offer, I don't want to intrude," Sasuke said politely. And have Sakura recognize me and screw up the plan.
"Kakashi as in Kakashi-sensei?" a voice came from the left. Sakura stood in the French doors that opened into the dining room. She was regularly dressed. Sasuke had seen her without a uniform before, but she had be eight at the time. Now, it was much more of a shock to see her in loose shorts and a fitting black t-shirt with a band name he didn't recognize.
"Yeah, that Kakashi. He's my guardian," Sasuke said. Sakura's eyebrows raised, but her mother caught his attention again before anything else could be said between them.
"The phone is in the kitchen, feel free. But I'd still rather not have you go out in this weather. It looks like it's getting worse," Sakuya said. She turned and went into the kitchen. Sasuke followed and he heard soft foot falls behind him so he assumed Sakura was following him too. In the corner of the kitchen, Sakuya threw his clothes in the dryer and started it while Sasuke looked around for a phone.
"It's on the wall, Sasuke," Sakura said behind him. He tried not to get annoyed that she was at his back and searched the wall. The sleek, silver phone was on the wall next to the stove. Sasuke made a beeline for it and listened hard to hear any movement Sakura could make.
Sasuke was never a fan of having someone at his back. Even if it was a girl. The only person he could stand at his back was Naruto. Nine years of looking over your shoulder and hiding a secret will do that do you. Also nine years of fear that he could be sent back to his father. That was hell in and of itself. A hell he didn't want to return to. Sasuke shook off the unease he was feeling and picked up the phone. It was a cordless and he didn't want to be on long in case the lightning gave him bad luck.
With the number dialed, Sasuke waited for Kakashi to answer. On the third ring he heard Kakashi say hello.
"It's me," Sasuke said shortly.
"Where are you?" Kakashi asked.
"I was caught in the storm. I'm at a classmate's house. She invited me over. I'll be home once the storm dies down," he said. Sasuke did not want to be stuck here all night.
"Well, that just might be all night. If you look at the weather channel it doesn't look like it'll give until early tomorrow morning," Kakashi said. Sasuke heard a weatherman in the background. Damn it.
"They invited me to stay the night," Sasuke reluctantly volunteered. Kakashi jumped on it.
"You should take them up on it. I don't want you running all over town in a storm when you don't have to be," Kakashi told him. It was the few times that Kakashi had played parent for him recently. When he was younger, Kakashi was awkward with the parenting and as he grew up Kakashi became more relieved that he didn't need to parent so much. This was clearly not one of those times.
"No chance I can go home?" Sasuke asked. It was a cry of desperation on Sasuke's part. A part of him knew he wouldn't be going home tonight, but he could hope.
"No. Tell the family that I said thank you. And don't forget to be gracious," Kakashi warned, like he wasn't always gracious.
"Yeah, stop bugging me about it. I get it," Sasuke said. He knew manners, he didn't needed to be treated like a child.
"Hey, Sasuke, we're going to cook dinner, what do you like to eat?" Sakura said. Sasuke turned around and saw Sakura juggling a few cans while her mother looked in the oven. It was the first time Sasuke could smell brownies. They seemed to fill the air.
"Is that a girl's voice? Wait, you said the classmate was a she," Kakashi's tone was near astonishment. Near, but not quite. Sasuke knew how this was going to end. He'd been living with the pervert too long to not know.
"Bye, Kakashi," Sasuke said quickly.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't," Kakashi said just as quickly. Sasuke felt outrage over his facial expression as Kakashi chuckled.
"Bye, Kakashi," Sasuke said more firmly and hung up the phone before something half obscene could come from his guardian's mouth. Like he hadn't already thought about something obscene with Sakura. This idea was going to hell in a hand basket. While trying to keep Sakura from recognizing the truth, he was lusting after her like a teenage boy with no brains.
Not. Good.
"I don't have a preference, Sakura," Sasuke said as he hung the phone on the wall and turned to look fully at her. She had set the cans on the counter by the stove and was look at each one, then picked up one and put it back on the shelf.
"Sakura, could you show Sasuke to the guest room?" Sakuya asked as she got out a huge pot from a bottom cabinet. Sakura nodded and gestured for Sasuke to follow her. He did and she led him through the French doors and up the stairs that were on his right. Once on the top landing, right and left were both directions you could go. Sakura went left and Sasuke passed an open door. With the small glimpse he got of it, it was unmistakably Sakura's room. But she led him down the hall further and opened a door to a plain room that didn't look like it was being occupied by anyone.
"We just moved in about a week ago and didn't have to time make it up," Sakura apologized. She let him in the room first and followed him. There was a bed up against the far wall and a nightstand next to it. A vanity with a mirror attached was on the right wall. Other than that, there was no other furniture.
"This is fine," Sasuke said shortly. Childhood acquaintance. Childhood acquaintance. The mantra wasn't working like it should have.
"This is kind of sudden, since we only met yesterday. I'm sorry if this is awkward," Sakura said. Sasuke, who had been looking at the room, turned to look at her.
"Is this awkward for you?" he asked. He really wanted to know. He may be feeling awkward, but he was damn good at not showing it. A blush came to Sakura's face and Sasuke didn't know if that meant it was awkward or he was just really blunt.
She's really cute like that.
"It's a little awkward for me. I know this is going to sound stupid, but you look like someone I used to know," Sakura confided. Sasuke didn't think he could breath properly. She remembered him. She remembered Sasuke Uchiha. Part of him was elated and happy by her recognition. But another, more dominant, part of him was wary. Of course he reminded her of who he was nine years ago. Was he so naïve to think that she wouldn't connect the dots? But on the other hand she wouldn't accuse him of being a dead guy. But Sasuke never took chances, on anything, so he would stay wary until he turned eighteen.
"Is that who were you thinking of when you asked me if we've met before?" Sasuke said. Wow, he really could breath after all. He could even sound completely unaffected. But he was treading a dangerous edge, he knew, but he had to act normal and get her off this subject. He needed to find a safer subject. Though, he did feel curiosity about what she thought of him as Sasuke Uchiha.
"Yeah, I know it's kinda stupid. Anyway, sorry that we couldn't put on new sheets. Most of the stuff isn't unpacked yet unless it's from downstairs," Sakura apologized. Sasuke walked to stand in front of her, but he kept a polite talking distance. As if he needed any more temptation.
"It's fine. There's no problem. Thanks for letting me stay," Sasuke replied. Well, the subject change was easy. It was the curiosity part he needed to deal with now. Deal with as in extinguish and put it in the fiery flames of hell.
"It's fine. I'd be kinda worried about you if you were going home in the rain. Looking outside, it's kinda scary," Sakura said, motioning to the window. Sasuke turned and looked at the sheets of rain falling and a tree that wouldn't stop blowing in the wind. Any more wind and the tree wouldn't be standing.
"Are you scared of storms like this?" Sasuke asked. He could image an eight year old Sakura being scared of a big, bad storm. When Sasuke turned back to look at said girl, he saw her grin.
"Only at night," she said. Sasuke wasn't sure if she was joking or if she was actually being serious. Did it even matter?
Sasuke pictured Sakura huddling under the covers while lightning exploded out her window during the night. The image felt distasteful, so the answer was yes. Yes, it did matter that Sakura might be scared of a storm. But why did it matter? Sasuke couldn't come up with any reason why it should matter to him. Maybe it's his past connection with her.
Perhaps because she helped him and had been a catalyst to an event that changed his life, he was protective. It was possible. But did his feelings extend beyond protection? He was lusting after her, big whoop. But was he starting to feel more for her than gratitude and friendship? Sasuke couldn't breath with that thought. His emotions were taking him around some vomit worthy loops. He couldn't deal with this all at once.
"Hello! Earth to Sasuke," Sakura said, knocking on his forehead. Sasuke finally came up from drowning in his thoughts to see Sakura on her tip toes with her hand next to his face. He blinked and backed away from her on principal.
"Sorry," he said.
"I've been trying to get you're attention. Mom just yelled up and said dinner was almost ready," Sakura informed him. Sasuke swallowed and found his mouth suddenly dry. "Come on, let's go wash up."
At least he was saved the pressure of having to respond. Grateful, Sasuke followed her down the hall to the bathroom, where they washed up and headed downstairs.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Sakura headed down the stairs and tried to glance back at Sasuke without him noticing. It wasn't working. However, he was starting to worry her. Sasuke didn't seem like the type to space off, like Naruto. He seemed like he was always in control, but upstairs he seemed to be in his own little shocked world. He came out of it looking like he had a revelation. What could he be thinking about?
Maybe it was something she said. Actually, it probably didn't even pertain to her at all. Sakura couldn't begin to go through the possibilities as she sat down at the dinner table and noticed that one person was missing. Sakura looked around and just saw Sasuke sitting on her left and her mom in front of her.
"Where's Dad?" Sakura asked. Her mother put the salad dressing back on the table.
"He said he was stuck in the storm and wasn't going to be home tonight. He's at a hotel. I'm sure he's just fine," Sakuya said, smiling. Sakuya was worried. Sakura could see it in her eyes. However, she let it go. The dinner was pleasant, the conversation was normal, and she learned more about Sasuke than she ever thought she would. She was surprised to know he was an orphan and Kakashi took him in. Sasuke's personality seemed to have a foundation, now.
After dinner, they ate brownies in the living while watching some mundane show on TV that her mother loved. The storm was kind of interfering but they managed. Sakura took a quick glance at Sasuke, who was politely listening to her mother talk about her favorite show. He looked….uncomfortable. Maybe it was the fact that this place was new and he hadn't been here before. But since she knew some of his past now, she didn't think that was the case.
She was going to guess that it was the family setting which he was in. He had Kakashi, but Kakashi didn't strike her as the family type of guy. If her father had been here, he probably would have called Sasuke on it and made him even more uncomfortable. Silently, she thanked God that her dad wasn't here to badger Sasuke. Interrupting her thoughts, Sasuke took a quick glance at her and held her gaze. Sakura felt her face light up like the fourth of July.
She was just caught staring at him. Her face felt hot enough to melt snow. Sasuke turned away and looked back to the TV with a slight smug look on his face that made her flush with anger, rather than embarrassment. How dare he get a smug look after he caught her staring at him? It wasn't like she was picturing him naked or anything. Well, she hadn't been before. Sakura felt her face heat even more than she thought possible.
Lightning crashed outside and Sakura flinched, forgetting her anger and embarrassment. Her heart started to pound. Thunder rolled in seconds after the lightning and she swallowed a squeak. She had been able to control her fear at the dinner table, but now she was starting to get shaky. Her mother turned off the TV and the only light was from a lamp that was on dim.
Sakuya declared that she was going to bed and left with a goodnight as she went up stairs. Sakura swallowed the nervousness and it went right into her stomach. Butterflies fluttered around there, and they refused to leave. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke's profile bathed in a partial warm glow of the lamp.
"Your mom is…nice," Sasuke said, breaking the silence. Sakura had figured that he'd be the type to enjoy the silence.
"She is. She's always been really chipper," Sakura said. Sasuke nodded. She figured he didn't have anything else to say. So they sat in silence for a minute when the electricity went out and the lamp, that had been keeping Sakura's fears at bay, diminished. She gasped out loud.
"Don't worry, it's just an electric outage. It'll be on in a few hours," Sasuke reasoned. He sounded so calm, so sure of himself. Sakura was shaking in her nonexistent shoes. As they were sitting on the couch and her mother had been between them, they weren't that far from each other.
Sakura's eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness. She could see that Sasuke had thrown an arm on the back of the couch. Lightning flashed again and thunder followed. Sakura clamped her hands over her ears. She willed her fear to go away but it didn't. Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.
"Sakura?" Sasuke asked. She could see Sasuke's silhouette looking for her. Sakura unclamped her hands over her ears, just for the sake of saving face. She had to leave now before Sasuke realized that she hadn't been joking when she said she was afraid of storms. However, her feet couldn't move, her legs couldn't push her body off the couch.
"Yeah?" Sakura said. It sounded shaky even to her. She swallowed and tried again. "What?" It was still shaky. She just couldn't get control of her voice.
"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked. Sakura could see him leaning forward. But the lightning exploded just then, momentarily lighting up Sasuke's calm face. Sakura squeaked and scooted across the couch towards Sasuke as the thunder shook the house and some glass rattled.
Sakura hid her face in Sasuke's chest and gripped the front of his shirt. The lightning came faster this time and the thunder was just as hard. She pressed against Sasuke even more, as if she wanted to melt into him. Sakura swallowed. Sasuke was warm. His chest radiated with it. His body was hard as well, but it was a smooth hard that she didn't mind. It was nice to be holding him. He felt so familiar and smelled so dark and dangerous.
Sakura backpedaled and realized what she was thinking. She had met this man yesterday, now she curling up against his chest. Sakura swallowed her fear and was about to push away from him when his arms came around her. His palms were settled on her upper and middle back. Their warmth was seeping into her shirt. Thunder rolled as the same time lightning hit and all thought of backing away from him ceased. He was her shelter for the night.
In the darkness, Sasuke held Sakura on the couch. She was gripping his shirt so hard that felt her nails dig into his chest. But if Sakura would have looked up and there had been a source of light besides the fleeting lightning, Sakura would have seen a small pink dusting across Sasuke's cheeks.
A/N: I had originally planned for this chapter to go in to the morning, but it became too long, so I'm splitting it in two. Remember, should there be any OOC-ness, please let me know. Sasuke's still a hard one to write.