Curled against a source of warmth Sakura never felt as rested as she did. Curling closer her cheek hit a solid hard surface and she groaned a little before opening her eyes to find amused black eyes staring back at her. "Good morning." his deep sleepy voice murmured against her hair as he pressed a small kiss to her head.
It was then when Sakura realized who she was curled up next to and where she was at. Sitting up quickly she put a hand on her head as she got dizzy. "Uhm?" She mumbled looking at him nervously.
"Relax." He said as he saw her eyes trail to his injured side before looking back up at his face. He felt a better than he had felt in days maybe even months as he replayed the nights events.
Sakura blushed as she also thought of the night before and smiled slightly as she fingered her lips in remembrance of his on hers. It wasn't before long that they both heard the loud sound of several feet running down the hall probably towards his quarters.
"SASUKE! SASUKE! SASUKE!" Naurto's shouts from outside the door came before he barged it. "SAKURA-CHAN HAS GONE MISSING WE COULDN'T FIND HER ANYWHE- Oh, Hi, Sakura-chan..." Naruto shouted until he saw the pinklette sitting on Sasuke's bed staring at him wide-eyed. "GUYS, I FOUND HER" He shouted into the hall.
"Wait... What are you doing in here so early Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as his face twisted up into a grin similar to the one he gave Sakura weeks ago when she had been placed in his care.
"Idiot, She's checking on my injuries." Sasuke snapped rubbing his forehead. He glanced at Sakura and saw a small hint of hurt flash through her eyes before she nodded and prodded at the stitches on his side.
"Oh... Well... You guys should join us for breakfast once your done... I heard from Itachi that Sakura really laid it on Clubby and he's pretty much not left his room since then."
Sasuke heard a muttered "Good." From Sakura as the blond left with a slam of the door.
"Sakura..." He said quietly placing a hand over hers. "Sakura." He said again as she pulled away and continued to prod the injury. "Sakura!" He snapped before grabbing both hands into a tight hold.
"Let go..."
"No." He said softly before pulling her towards him again. Letting go of one of her hands he lifted his to her face and kissed her softly. "I'm sorry if what I said hurt you but we haven't exactly figured out what this is..." He murmured
"It was the first thing that came to mind when he barged in." He added after pressing another soft kiss to her unresponsive lips. He sighed quietly as he pulled away and let go of her hands. "Very well..." He murmured sitting back into the bed.
"Where's Teme?" Naruto asked once Sakura appeared in the dining hall twenty minutes later. She wouldn't meet his eye or anyone else's for that matter as she sat down.
"Sasuke-san said he wasn't feeling up for breakfast..." Sakura murmured quietly as her plate was filled with food by a maid. Normally Sakura would have told the maid off and fixed her own food but this morning she seemed lost in thought and didn't bother to snap at the maid who somewhat expected the outburst.
"Uhm, Is this enough, Milady?" The maid asked quietly as she set the plate down.
"Huh? Oh yes, thank you." Sakura said waving the maid away. Looking at her food Sakura sighed and nibbled at it before someone finally said something.
"Alright, what happened between you two?" Naruto's voice echoed around the room. It startled her a little as she looked up with a confused look. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about Sakura-chan. When I found you in Teme's room you looked happy until he mentioned something about checking his wounds..."
"It's nothing Naruto-san. I just don't feel well today..."
"Milady! Milady! It's King Sasuke! He... He's..." Kurou shouted as he ran into the room. Unable to breath properly he gasped for air before he could manage to speak again. "He's not in his sleeping quarters. I was going to bring him breakfast and he wasn't there." Kurou wheezed as he stood straight again.
Forgetting about her breakfast Sakura stood and tripped over her skirt but continued out the door. "What do you mean he wasn't there?" She said worried as she headed for his room.
"He just wasn't there. We couldn't find him anywhere. Should I send for the March Hare?"
"The who?" Sakura asked as she reached Sasuke's quarters.
Slamming the door open Sakura noted the window pane laying broken on the floor and what seemed to be a few drops of blood laying on the near the broken glass.
Gasping in surprise she stepped towards it and looked out the window. A trail of blood led from the side of the palace wall and across the path to where she could now see a several men carrying a sack that seemed to be tumbling and thrashing around.
Glaring as she spied the carriage is was being placed into she turned on her heel and quickly made a mad dash for Naruto. "Club's carriage. Sasuke-kun, Save him!" Sakura shouted as she ran past him and towards the King of Club's quarters.
Smashing her fist into the door she waited until they opened. "Your Highness!" one of the Club's guards said shocked as she pushed her way past him.
"Release him at once." She snapped glaring at the half-dressed man.
"What?"
"Release Sasuke at once or else you'll be stripped of your title and exiled to... to... to Earth!" She yelled angrily. Watching the man sigh he raised his hand and beckoned a guard forward.
"Go stop the carriage..." He said looking at Sakura in half fear and half in amusement. "I'll be fine. Go!"
Sakura glared as the guards left. She kept her eyes trained of the King of Clubs as he circled the room looking at her as if she'd come to him. Frowning she watched as the man finally came to a stop in behind her.
She spun around on her heels just in time to dodge his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Do not touch me!" She snapped. Her glare never lifting as he took a step back.
"Oh. But your Highness... Surely you'd understand I was just trying to keep your Kingdom from the commoners coming to rule." The King of Clubs said with a snicker.
It took everything in her power not to slap the man. "Why... don't you know? Sasuke-san is only a mere commoner trying to fill big shoes set out by his father."
"Stop."
"Why... His father really isn't even his father."
"I said stop!" Sakura shouted.
"Your Highness?" The man said looking at her in surprise after she yelled.
"You have no right to judge who belongs on the throne and you have no right to say those things regarding Sasuke-san." Sakura said calmly. "You also have no right in staying here. Seeing how you are now just a mere commoner yourself." She added before turning to walk out of the room. But as she started to walk she heard the sound of his sword being drawn and she closed her eyes. "Do not raise a sword at me." She said boldly.
She had lost patience with the King of Clubs back in a meeting where all he did was make disgusting and dirty jokes and when he cornered her she was just about ready knee him to get away before Itachi arrived and now she was just flat-out angry.
"You have no right in renouncing my throne. You are not my mother. You're just a woman from Earth tr-" His words where cut short as he was suddenly sprawled on the floor. His eyes opened in surprise as Sakura stood over top of him holding his sword against his neck.
"I'd suggest you leave at once. I may have been away for a very long time but I am back now and have no problem sentencing you to exile or worse execution." Sakura said in a voice almost not her own. Throwing the sword away from her she stepped away from the now cowering King and looked him in the eye. "You have until sundown to leave. If you are not gone by then there will be guards knocking on your door one hour after sundown." Sakura said before leaving.
As she left the room she made her way back into the Heart Kingdom's chambers and let out a shaky breath as she crouched down again the wall and took some deep breaths. She almost went into a melt down until the guards came in with an agitated and very annoyed King of Hearts.
Hearing them enter the hall Sakura stood up straight and wiped away tears the had formed over her meltdown. She watched carefully as the first couple sets of guards walked past her. Spotting the King in the next group of troops she took off for him.
Suddenly having the urge to hug him tightly Sakura slammed into Sasuke and let out a strangled cry of happiness. "I'm sorry." She murmured over and over as she clung to him.
The guards stopped and stood amused at the awkward display of affection coming from the King of Hearts. His arms wrapped tightly against her and his hand occasionally stroking her sides, whispering soft nothings to calm her down.
Finally after getting herself together Sakura turned her face into Sasuke's slightly bloodied shirt and gasped. Pulling away at the smell of blood she quickly scanned over him for injuries and let out a small sigh of relief as she realized there were no major ones.
A few small scratches and several long but shallow cut along his ribs. Sakura glanced up staring up into the emotionless eyes of the King he let his eyes flicker to the guards for a second before coming to rest back on her.
"Right..." Sakura murmured before grasping his hand in hers and pulled him with her. "You're room is a mess..." She added as they walked down the hallways. By the third week of staying in the palace Sakura had gotten use to finding her way through halls and sometimes as she walked down ones she hadn't she felt as if they were familiar and she knew where she was going.
Taking a breath she lead him to her quarters. "We... uh... can share until your side is taken care of?" She said more like a question that an offer. It caused Sasuke to chuckle softly before pulling her to him. He pressed his lips to her hairline and smiled again it.
"That's fine." He whispered before letting her lead him in. Not about to walk through her quarters as if they were his own. It amused Sasuke as she blushed while he surveyed the room. A large arrangement of flowers caught his attention.
"Uhm... I hope you don't mind... They... they were pretty and made the room seem much more lively..." Sakura said meekly as the passive face of her something glance around. Sakura wasn't entirely sure what to call the man but silently hoped he'd be willing to court her.
Just shy of 2,000 words that makes chapter 9 the longest chapter in KoH so far... I'm way to excited to write this now just because I've hit a sudden plot bunny and ran with plot bunny...
And who saw Sakura being all BAM! You're not messing with me. I like when Sakura is like that... Make her feel like she isn't a weakling. :3
Any who... Since it is Thursday morning where I live I'm putting this one up cause I promised I would. :p I think this is to make up for the long wait in between chapters for a while and probably the long wait that will come in between the chapters in the future... Cause knowing me I'll get writers block again. :/
Reviews please? I love reading them they usually inspire me to write more...
Edit: Caught a few mistakes and took a page break out cause it looked funky. :3