Awkward Accidents

Sasuke Uchiha, ever the unflappable force of nature in the face of absolutely any kind of danger, is faced with a completely new enemy. It is proving tougher to battle than he's ever imagined. Sasuke can handle multi-dimensional goddesses, entire samurai fleets, any military leader of any nation he could ever imagine. However, this isn't Sasuke's standard opponent. No, this enemy is far more intimate, far more terrifying, and far more... revealing. It's his new traveling partner: nineteen-year-old Sakura Haruno in various states of undress.

He has faced many challenges in his life. Sasuke has had every member of his family ripped away from him. Sasuke has shattered himself down to grains of sand to forge himself into the strongest glass. He's baptized himself in Orochimaru's most desecrated waters, transforming himself in ways a natural puberty never could. But handling the sight of Haruno Sakura, his new girlfriend, frequently half-naked? It is burning in a personal hell that he himself set on fire. And his usually dependable Sharingan simply multiplies the embarrassment tenfold.

The first "incident" happens just three days into their travels together. Sasuke accidentally walks in on Sakura while she's changing her outfit, having misjudged the layout of their makeshift tent. His cheeks burn hotter than the surface of the sun – Sasuke is absolutely sure of it. His embarrassment overwhelms him like a tidal wave that Sasuke keeps trying to stifle.

Sasuke, being Sasuke, decides to deal with it in the only way he knows how. He adopts his classic Uchiha stoicism, a farce as effective as his most intricate sleight of hand, burying his embarrassment under layers upon layers of practiced nonchalance. Yet his mind spins out of control under his social mask, replaying the images of Sakura's curves, the gentle dip of her hipbones, the smooth expanse of her belly. All of it, repeating over and over and over again, captured by a Sharingan Sasuke doesn't remember activating.

Incident two, three, and four all follow a similar pattern. It's almost as if the universe has set them on a collision course with awkward situations. Each time, Sasuke's self-control teeters on the edge of breaking apart before he falls back together.

Sakura, on the other hand, seems to be handling the situations with an unnerving level of calm. She doesn't care. Incredulously, she's been encouraging the lovers to explore their physical intimacy further. But Sasuke… Sasuke, whose later childhood was spent hyperfocusing on his hatred… Sasuke, whose emotional development needed to take a pause… Sasuke, who never grew up with girls… Sasuke struggles to keep his ship steady, wrestling with his embarrassment while fighting off the tsunami of feelings that threaten to wash him overboard.

With each "incident," Sasuke feels the walls of his control cracking like a dam about to burst… and he's just a lil guy trying to plug the leaks. He doesn't want to scare Sakura away, doesn't want to ruin the fragile bond they've nurtured. This isn't a battlefield where he can charge ahead; it's a dance, and he's still learning the steps. He's usually a fast learner, but Sasuke doesn't want to charge ahead, doesn't want his throw-punches-first-and-ask-questions-later nature to break his apart. It's all still so fragile; this love. And that's just it: Sasuke is scared – so fucking scared – in a way he hasn't allowed himself to feel in years. The fear that there is something inborne of Sasuke that is meant to have him living alone, that any little thing he does can break something as delicate as his relationship with Sakura.

Despite the repeated incidents, Sasuke is determined to stay the course, to keep his reactions under wraps, to not shatter whatever longevity he is forging. A cycle of embarrassment and restraint integrates itself into Sasuke's daily schedule once Sakura joins him in his travels. It's a song he didn't expect to learn, a path he never saw himself striding along. But romantic love isn't about all the grand gestures and the passionate coolness Sasuke knows he can't perform. For Sasuke and Sakura, their way forward is about sharing all the stumbling, the blushing, and the fumbling together, even if one of them (it's him) is too stubborn to admit it.

Despite his best intentions, incident number five douses him like a splash of cold water when Sasuke is least prepared. It's early morning, and they're at a creek to wash up before today's portion of traveling. Sasuke has finished first and steps away to give Sakura her privacy, settling under a tree to focus on meditation.

He is in the middle of churning his chakra, awakening corners of his internal paths when a wild and unpredictable whirl of air blows through the forest they have been traveling through, scattering Sakura's clothes right towards him. Her clothes land on his body, littering his figure with all the intimate pieces of cloth and mesh and lace that Sakura wears during their travels. He freezes, caught between shock and abject embarrassment. Sasuke can feel the flames at his cheeks explode up to his ears, his embarrassment reaching new heights. It's like he's trapped in the first genjutsu he can't get out of.

While his Sharingan dissects any situation in milliseconds and records every movement despite its speed, it's now as good as dirt. Sasuke, ever the master of hiding emotions, pulls the clothes off his head and folds them neatly, all while planning his quickest escape.

Sakura's laughter fills the air, floating towards him like mischievous wind chimes. She appears from behind the tree, draped in possibly the shortest towel either of them owns, her laughter lacking any type of malice. The sight of her so carefree and radiant in the early morning sun sends his heart somersaulting throughout his whole body, charging all the nerves in his body with wild electricity.

Sakura gazes at Sasuke, her jade eyes alight with sincerity and understanding. Her lips curve into a small smile, her thumb tracing an idle path over the back of his single hand. She knows the weight he carries, the self-imposed walls he's built around himself, the wariness stemming from years of turmoil. Her voice, a calm cadence in the dancing air, soothes his instinct to run and hide.

"Sasuke," she begins.

His flustered state has him ready with an apology on his tongue and a plan to excuse himself. However, Sakura's green eyes reflect simple understanding. She draws a soothing circle on the back of his hand. Her warmth seeps into his skin, reminding Sasuke that she is real, she is here, and she can choose what happens between the two of them.

"You can look at me," she reassures him. "It's okay. I'm a lot tougher than you think."

She patiently waits for his reaction, allowing her words to filter through his layers of defense. Her grip on his hand tightens just a fraction, her touch a steady anchor in the ocean of his chaotic thoughts. Sakura knows Sasuke better than anyone; she recognizes instincts that stir behind those obsidian eyes, the internal struggle he endures between his desire and his habit to run away.

"There's nothing to worry about," Sakura assures, her thumb brushing against his knuckles now. Her smile never falters, a beacon of unwavering trust and affection. "I don't break easy, Sasuke. You won't hurt me." Her voice, coupled with the earnest look in her eyes, forms a shield of reassurance, promising him a safe space within her embrace. Her message is clear: she is strong, she is ready, and she is his to hold.

THE END.