Chapter 15 – Our Last Night Together
Spring was definitely still her favourite time of the year, but summer was just as great.
Sighing with happiness, Sakura continued to lounge beside the large pool, her sunglasses protecting her eyes from the harsh sun as it glared down at them all. By her side, Hinata was doing more or less the same thing until she sat up and reached for the sunblock, carefully applying a little bit more to her shoulders. They always burnt more than the rest of her body for some odd reason.
"Would you like some more, Sakura-san?"
She lifted her sunglasses and rested them on the top of her head, reluctantly sitting up. It would be best if she did put more on since it was a lot hotter than the weatherman predicted it would be. Accepting the sunblock, Sakura quickly yet thoroughly applied more to her arms and chest. Like Hinata's shoulders, they were the only parts of her that really burned. The rest of her body already had a layer of sunblock on.
"Oi!"
The two girls sighed and leaned back in an attempt to dodge the water that suddenly splashed everywhere, but it was a wasted attempt. It was too hot to care much about it.
"If it's this hot here, I don't think I'm going to cope being in Suna." Sakura chuckled and turned onto her stomach, exposing her back to the sun. "I'm too hot to get mad at Naruto."
Somebody dropped down beside her on the large towel she was on, leaning back on his elbows. "I'm not."
She smirked at Sasuke, not surprised in the least that he wasn't too hot to get mad at Naruto. It didn't take much for the blond to anger him. "Is that why you got out of the pool?"
He nodded and turned to lean on his side, his eyes lazily taking in the beautiful sight his girlfriend made. Since they were at the pool at his home, they were all in swimsuits and Sasuke found that he was incredibly grateful to his mother for having a pool put in. If they had gone to the public swimming baths, then he knew he would have been extremely possessive of her.
The image of her in a green bikini would be forever burned into his mind.
"Your back is going to burn."
There was another smirk on her lips as Sakura turned her head to the side, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. It was difficult keeping up the expression when she caught sight of him and saw that he was fresh out of the water. "You just want to touch me."
It wasn't the sun that suddenly had Hinata turning red and in response, she quickly got up, rushing over to the pool and diving in to try and cool off.
Sasuke chuckled at the Hyuuga's reaction. "You did that on purpose."
"I enjoy toying with her." She laughed. "Plus, Naruto still hasn't made a move yet. I was hoping he'd see her in her bikini and fall head over heels. I mean, look at her. He'd be crazy not to."
Turning onto his stomach like Sakura had, he copied her position of resting his head in his arms, keeping his head turned in her direction. "He might have been distracted by you."
Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Nice try, Uchiha. But I already know Hinata's a lot curvier than I am. Guys prefer girls with curves, right?"
"Not all guys," he argued quietly and closed his eyes, the warmth making him feel sleepy. "I prefer subtle curves rather than the ones that are in your face."
"Really?"
He nodded lazily.
"So you don't think I've got the figure of a boy?"
His eyes finally opened, narrowing on her features. They were serious from what he could tell and it made him frown. Why would Sakura say something like that? She'd always seemed comfortable with her body. "What boy has breasts, except for Choji?"
"You can't say that!" she laughed loudly, burying her face in her arms to smother the laughter. "That's so harsh!"
He shrugged. It was the truth. "You have curves, Sakura." Sasuke sighed and sat up, grabbing the sunblock. "And I like them."
Much to her surprise, a blob of cold sunblock dropped onto her back, making her jump ever so slightly until two large hands were on her back. She tried to look behind her, her eyes widening a fraction when she saw that Sasuke was straddling her hips (though not resting his weight against her).
"Sasuke–"
"I told you already: your back is going to burn."
Sakura didn't argue and instead rested her head back into her arms, her cheeks burning as she felt his warm hands massaging the sunblock into her back. It was incredibly relaxing and she could feel herself melting into the towel beneath her, but Sakura made an obvious effort not to let it affect her too greatly. They were still at the Uchiha home and even though Sasuke's parents weren't in, she knew that Itachi was.
Her body tensed when Sasuke lowered his weight against her, almost sitting on top of her as he continued to massage her back. Sakura was certain that there was no more sunblock left, but she didn't say anything. It felt great having him straddling her hips, having him massaging her back. It relieved the tension that had been building because of the exams. Despite school now being over for them, the tension was still there.
She sighed and Sasuke watched as green eyes slid shut, as she completely relaxed beneath him. He didn't know what the hell he was doing (with their friends in the pool and his brother in the house, no less) but it felt good. Feeling her skin, having her beneath him…
She moaned quietly.
He froze and his eyes widened a fraction.
Keeping her eyes shut and her face pressed into her arms so that he couldn't see her, Sakura shifted beneath him, trying to get Sasuke to continue massaging her. Why did he stop? Yes, her moan probably sounded stupid but–
No, not stupid, she realised after a moment.
Warily, hesitantly, Sakura shifted once more, purposely arching her back and much to her surprise, Sasuke tightened his hold on her and she heard him grit his teeth. Oh Gods.
Of course, over the past six or seven months, he'd been turned on whenever they made out, but she never actually felt the results of their make out sessions. Not only that, but their friends were never mere feet away. Did they sense that something was up? Sakura quickly lifted her head in the direction of the pool and was happy to see that Hinata and Naruto were too busy sitting on the edge of the pool, talking with their backs to them to notice anything.
Was it weird that they'd been together for seven months and hadn't taken it any further than a make out session?
There was a strong urge within herself, telling Sakura to arch her back again, but she didn't. It would already be embarrassing for Sasuke if the others noticed their position or his erection. Well, maybe not their position but if they commented on it, he would have to move, therefore revealing that he was turned on. Damn it. What did they do? If he moved now, he would gain the attention of Naruto and Hinata but if he didn't move, he'd gain their attention anyway.
"Lay down on your front," Sakura whispered.
That was his only option, wasn't it? Inwardly cursing for allowing himself to get so carried away, Sasuke slipped off her hips, making sure to keep his back to the two sat at the pool and did as she said, laying down on his front. Not even a moment later and Sakura turned her head to the side, offering him an apologetic smile. He needed to think about things that would turn him off, but nothing would come to mind.
"My mom booked my flights last night."
Well, that certainly worked. Sasuke frowned at her. "When do you leave?"
"The hospital wants me there as soon as possible since I've finished school now," she told him quietly, her eyes staying glued to the towel they were sharing. "The longer I'm there, the more I'll learn and the more experience I'll gain."
Which would be even better for her scholarships. He sighed. "When?"
There was a pause and much to his surprise, her lips turned downwards and a small dimple appeared on her chin. "Tomorrow night."
That soon? It was only May. They had only just finished school two weeks ago! If she left now, then Sakura would be gone for over three months. Previously, it would have been only two.
"I don't know if I want to go anymore," Sakura admitted quietly. "I'll be there without friends, without family or you, for three months and–"
It stunned him when tears filled her eyes. The last time he saw her crying had been many months ago. He didn't like seeing her tears back then and he definitely didn't like seeing them now. But it had to be scary for her, didn't it? Going away for three months and not having anybody she knew around her. She still hadn't spoken to Gaara either and as far as she was aware of, they still weren't friends.
"Why have you only just told me this?"
"I only found out this morning that my mom booked the tickets. She's always wanted me to do my best and thought she was doing the right thing. You can't just turn an opportunity like this down, Sasuke."
He knew that but he wished he'd had more time with her before she left. He–
"You're leaving tomorrow night." Sakura nodded slowly. "Meaning you will be spending all day tomorrow with your mother and packing." Again, another nod. "Stay the night with me tonight. I'll drop you off tomorrow morning and–"
"That won't be allowed, Sasuke."
The new voice had them both jumping in surprise, wondering just what the hell was going through Itachi's mind to sneak up on them like that. And when the hell had he even sat down near them? Had he been there the entire time? Sasuke felt the back of his neck burning at just the thought. Itachi wasn't looking at them, simply reclined on one of the loungers in his own trunks and sunglasses, but it was obvious that he could hear them.
"You know Father will not allow for you to have somebody stay over."
Sakura looked over at the older Uchiha, leaning up onto her elbows. "What if it was the other way around? What if Sasuke stayed at my place?"
He tilted his head in their direction, raising a single eyebrow. "Will your mother allow that?"
"It's worth a try." Sakura shrugged and climbed to her feet, leaning over for a moment to grab her phone before she jogged over to the house for some privacy.
It only rang a few times.
"Sakura? Is something wrong?"
"I just told Sasuke about the flights."
There was a sigh and when she spoke, Mebuki sounded sad, "I'm really sorry about that, Sakura. I honestly thought that it would be what you wanted, since you've been talking so much about Suna. What did he say?"
Sakura also sighed and leaned back against the counter in the large kitchen. "He's upset, you know? But since I'll be spending tomorrow with you before I leave, I was wondering if Sasuke could possibly stay over tonight?"
A pause. It lasted for a few moments. "I don't know, Sakura. I'm working the night shift tonight and I'm not completely comfortable with it just being the two of you at home."
"I'm eighteen, Mom," she responded quietly. "And nothing like that's going to happen. I'm… not ready for any of that yet and he understands that."
Another pause. Another sigh. Sakura could imagine that her mother was rubbing her forehead tiredly, or possibly pacing with deep thought like she had been a moment ago. "Will you both be okay by yourselves? There isn't much food in–"
"We'll figure something out." Sakura smiled. "Thank you, Mom!"
The other woman chuckled. "Like you said: you're eighteen now. I just want you to be certain and to make sure that you're okay with something like this." Just as Sakura went to speak, Mebuki interrupted her, saying, "I know you said nothing will happen, but things change in the heat of the moment, Sakura. If it does, I'd rather you be at home or somewhere safe rather than outdoors or some other place like that. And I know that Sasuke-kun cares for you. Just… If anything like that happens, please be careful."
Even after agreeing and saying her goodbyes, even as Sakura returned to her friends, Sasuke and Itachi, she was still blushing at her mother's words. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Itachi raised his sunglasses so that he could see her properly.
"She said yes." At the narrowing of Sasuke's eyes, she sighed. "I got 'the talk'."
Biting back his smirk, Itachi put his sunglasses back on and continued to lay in the sun. "Do you need 'the talk' also, Sasuke?"
His eyes went wide. "No!"
He shook his head with mock sadness. "Mother will be so disappointed. She has been wondering when to give you that talk herself."
Oh God. Sasuke would rather it come from Itachi than her. Knowing his mother the way he did, he knew for a fact that Mikoto would go out and buy a load of unnecessary items before showing him how to use them by using them on fruit.
Sakura exhaled nervously, her stomach doing strange flips. She didn't dare to mention that her mother was working.
"Are we expected–"
Cutting him off with a smile, Sakura shook her head. "I kind of want to spend more time with Hinata and Naruto, if that's okay?"
"Of course it is." It wasn't like he was the only person who cared about Sakura, after all. Those two would also miss her terribly, just like she would miss them. Besides, thanks to Mebuki, he could spend the entire night with her as well as tomorrow morning. That made up for it. "Do we have any plans?"
Again, she shook her head, laying down on the towel once more. "I just want to relax."
It was difficult ignoring the tight sensation in her throat as she watched her friends, knowing that she wouldn't be seeing them for quite a few months. How was she going to tell them that today was their last day together for the summer? Sakura had a feeling Hinata already knew as that girl's eyes never missed a thing, but there was still a possibility that she didn't. As for Naruto…
Sakura put her sunglasses back on and turned onto her stomach once more, resting her head in her arms. It was only noon. There was still plenty of time to tell them about tomorrow.
"That's…"
"Sudden," Hinata finished for Naruto, frowning in confusion. "Why the rush, Sakura-san?"
It had only been an hour and during that time, Sasuke had talked her into telling the other two. It wouldn't be fair to keep it from them because they both probably had so much planned for the short break they believed they would share with her.
Repeating what she had told Sasuke only an hour or so ago, Sakura reluctantly watched as their expressions fell. Hinata tried to hide her upset, her displeasure, but she'd never had a good poker face. As for Naruto, he felt emotions so intensely that it was impossible for him to try and hide them. They just wouldn't stay hidden.
"Why have you only just told us now?" Naruto questioned, his eyebrows mashing together. "Were you just going to disappear and expect not to hear from us? What–"
"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke snapped. "Do you think Sakura wants to leave so suddenly?"
Watching her friend's expression for a moment, Hinata gave her an understanding look. "It's what is best for your education. The longer you work there, the more experience you gain. It will look good when you apply for jobs."
All she answered with was a silent nod. Looking down at the food in her hands, Sakura picked at it, trying her best to not focus on the other three. Like earlier, her throat was uncomfortably tight and she knew that if she looked up, if she saw their expressions, then her eyes would begin to water. That couldn't happen. Not on her last day with them.
Sasuke sighed as he watched his girlfriend and leaned back on his elbows so that he was partly reclined. They were all still in their bathing suits and still sitting on the towels that were laid out on the grass, completely ignoring the loungers that were beside the pool. At some point, Itachi had disappeared inside at the calling of his name, only to reappear once more with a tray filled with sandwiches, salads and other snacks and drinks, made by Mikoto (who had returned during that time). Soon after, he left the home completely after dressing. No surprise, really. If Sasuke was remembering correctly (and he had a good memory) then Itachi had a shift at the station that afternoon.
Naruto also sighed. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to snap at you."
She shook her head.
It only took him a moment to see the trembling of her bottom lip and as soon as he did, his eyes were wide and he was moving forward, quickly and clumsily hugging her.
"Don't be sad, Sakura-chan. I'm really, really sorry!"
Feeling warm tears dripping onto his shoulder pained him greatly. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "You haven't done anything wrong."
"I should have told you all sooner, but I only found out this morning a-and…"
Sasuke sat up and forced Naruto to let go of her, instantly pulling Sakura against him once she was free. And instead of weakly returning the hold like she had with Naruto, Sakura clung to him tightly, pulling him against her until it was difficult to even breathe and he had to focus hard on ignoring the feeling of her soft and warm body against his.
Pressing his cheek to the to of his head, he murmured, "Naruto's right for once. You shouldn't be sorry."
Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to calm down in his arms. "I wanted to spend more time with you all before I left, just in case I decide to study in Suna."
"We know, Sakura-san," Hinata replied quietly, her eyes sad.
Naruto punched the palm of his hand, quickly shooting to his feet and looking determined. "Then we'll just have to spend all of today, tonight and tomorrow together!"
It was hesitantly that Sakura pulled back and met Sasuke's eyes.
He sighed.
"Tomorrow Sakura will be with her mother."
The Uzumaki frowned, but didn't let it deter him. "Fine. Then all day today and tonight–"
"Sakura is spending tonight with me." His eyes met Naruto's, narrowing a fraction. "And only me."
Sighing with defeat, for he knew there was no use in arguing with a possessive Sasuke, Naruto dropped to the ground once more and pouted. "Then what can we do? It's already the afternoon."
Sakura turned in Sasuke's arms, though didn't move too far as she leaned back against his chest, resting against him. "I kind just want to relax, if that's okay with you guys? I'm going to be rushed off my feet all summer…"
Hinata smiled. "Of course. Today has been very pleasant and relaxing."
Even though it wasn't the exciting, action packed adventure he'd been planning in his mind, Naruto also nodded. "And when you get back, we're going to do all kinds of crazy things. Got it?"
She smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah."
"Will you both be okay?"
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she once more entered the living room, Sakura threw herself down onto the sofa beside Sasuke, looking up at her mother with a smile. "You just heard us order dinner – which was unnecessary, by the way, since we have food in the kitchen – and if anything happens, I have your number and the diner's on speed dial."
It was only after a few extra moments of regarding the pair that Mebuki nodded and grabbed her bag, leaving for work with a "Goodbye".
Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, watching him as he leaned further back into the sofa and watched the television. It was so strange that he was staying over. Sure, Sakura had had a guy friend stay over before, but Hinata had been there at the same time. This felt – no, this was different. Uchiha Sasuke was sitting on her sofa, relaxing. He was going to be staying over. Sleeping in her bed. With her.
Her heart began to pound and Sakura was so thankful for the distraction when the buzzer sounded, telling them that their food was there. In her rush to get to the buzzer, she failed to see Sasuke's knowing smirk or his watchful eyes as she disappeared down the hallway.
"I'll be back in a moment, Sasuke," Sakura informed him as she grabbed the money left on the side. "The takeout guy isn't allowed to enter the building."
That was strange, Sasuke thought as she shut the door before he could even think of a reply. The takeout guy couldn't get into the building? Why? Everyone else – who were buzzed in – could. In fact, Itachi was pretty much a stranger and had still been able to get into the apartment building. Maybe Sakura simply needed some air to clear her head? She had been blushing right before the buzzer went off. It wasn't just the warmth of the apartment, though. Sasuke knew that for a fact.
Instead of confirming his thoughts one way or another, he got up and entered the kitchen, grabbing two glasses as well as two pairs of chopsticks. There was still a few minutes to wait when he sat back down and placed the items onto the coffee table but it didn't bother him too greatly. She didn't take too long, much to his gratefulness and as soon as she was sat down, they were pouring their drinks into the glasses and digging into their meals, watching a movie that was being played on television as they did so.
It made him inwardly smirk how she kept to one end of the sofa even after they finished eating, like she was wary of being too close to him. And their interaction earlier that day resurfaced into his mind, replaying everything that had happened.
All he kept hearing was her quiet moan.
But… Sasuke knew that Sakura wasn't ready for that. Well, she wasn't ready for sex. What about other things? She was fine with making out just as long as it was in private, where nobody would catch them and look down on them for it. Would she be okay with a bit of petting? What about foreplay? Sasuke forced the thoughts out of his mind and after a few minutes, he was successful.
"My favourite movie is about to come on," Sakura told him as she stood up, confusing him by switching off the television. "We can watch it in bed."
The thoughts came flooding back, like somebody had suddenly released a dam. There was no getting rid of them this time, he realised not even a second later and Sasuke held back a sigh as he stood up and followed Sakura into her bedroom, glancing around at the way it was set out. He'd already taken a look at it earlier, when he dumped his bag beside her bed. It suited her rather well, in all honesty. A little too girly for his liking, but it was definitely comfortable.
It had gone eleven, he noticed belatedly thanks to the clock beside her bed and seeing that she was shuffling through her dresser, looking for pyjamas, he swiftly removed his shirt. Scooting around her to get to his bag, he put a hand on her back to make sure Sakura wouldn't back up into him, though wasn't prepared for her to jump at the touch and whirl around, her eyes widening at his half nakedness.
"Sorry." She grimaced and turned back around quickly, but not before he saw the blush on her cheeks. "I didn't know you were getting changed."
Her nervousness was back, he realised with a smirk. "It's fine."
It seemed she found her pyjamas because she suddenly clutched them to her chest, scooting sideways out of the room. "I'll… go and get changed in the bathroom."
Watching her go was rather amusing, in his opinion. It took a lot to make a girl like Haruno Sakura nervous and he was enjoying every minute of it.
While she was gone, he removed his pants and folded them neatly along with his shirt, putting them inside of the bag. Usually, he slept without clothes and his family knew not to walk into his bedroom without knocking. It simply got too hot in his bedroom. Since he was in Sakura's home, however, he would have to sleep in his underwear. They weren't too bad, he supposed as Sasuke stole a glance at himself in her body-length mirror. They were the baggy type, yet not so baggy that they looked ridiculous on him. Hopefully she wouldn't mind him sleeping like this.
He waited until she was back in the bedroom to go to the bathroom and Sasuke didn't even bother to hide his appreciative glance when she entered the bedroom once more. He was quick to go about his business and brush his teeth, anxious to get back to the bedroom and by the time he had, the television was switched on and Sakura was throwing her extra cushions to the ground. There were also two drinks on the bedside table, though they hadn't been there when he left.
"You're sleeping in those?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her question. "Your sleeping in those?"
She blushed again, much to his amusement. In all honesty, Sasuke couldn't see what her problem was. His boxers covered more than her pyjama shorts did. The shirt was… Okay, so it wasn't too bad, but it certainly didn't hide anything from him. He could also tell that she was no longer wearing a bra.
He bit back a smirk.
"I locked the front door, right?"
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke left to check and because no, she hadn't locked the door, he did so for her, setting her keys down in the bedroom once he had. The lights were off when he returned and seeing that she wanted him to get in first, he slid into her bed, surprised when he seemed to sink into the mattress. Memory foam, if he wasn't mistaken.
"I don't like being squashed against the wall." She smiled at him.
He simply nodded and held the covers up for her, waiting for Sakura to get in, too. And Sasuke wasn't going to lie. Even he was beginning to feel nervous now. It was like her nervousness was contagious and as she slid into the bed (a single bed, might he add), the feeling of her skin brushing against his as they got comfortable excited him. It made his heart begin to pound and he had to control his thoughts viciously to stop them from becoming obvious.
Halfway through the movie, Sasuke lost interest. It was predictable. Classic horror, sure, but completely predictable. It still managed to make Sakura jump every now and then, but Sasuke thought her reactions to the jump scares were better than the movie. She looked beautiful, he thought when she jumped once more, bringing the covers up to her chin.
It was with that thought that he leaned up onto one of his elbows, causing Sakura to look up at him, though soon dismiss him when she guessed that he was merely reaching for his drink. He surprised her by laying down half on top of her, making her eyes widen and snap to his. They only continued to widen when Sasuke leaned forward and brushed his lips to hers.
"Sasuke…"
"Trust me," he murmured against her lips.
"I told my mom nothing would happen," she whispered.
His eyes seemed so intense despite the lack of light. "Do you want anything to happen?"
What sort of question was that? It was obvious Sakura wanted something, anything, to happen. Her body was already heating up. The blush on her cheeks was obvious even in the dimly lit room.
When she didn't answer, Sasuke leaned against her more fully, his lips ghosting over hers. "Tell me to stop and I will."
"I don't want to have sex yet."
He nodded, nuzzling his nose against hers. "We don't have to have sex to pleasure each other."
Her eyes glazed at that and Sasuke knew that she was thinking back on their video chats, just like he was. Already, he had a semi and when she nodded, he couldn't stop himself from kissing her instantly, crushing his lips to hers. Much to his liking, Sakura responded immediately by shifting the covers over them, helping him with moving over her more easily. She also surprised him by hesitantly parting her thighs, allowing him to rest between them. He did so after only the shortest of pauses and they both released breathy groans when he did.
They had never done anything more than kissing, so Sasuke was wary not to push her too far, but he was also eager to do more, to try more with her.
Again, Sakura surprised him.
Just as she slowly moved her hands over his back, sighing into their kiss at the feeling of his soft skin, she shifted her hips ever so slightly, sending a sharp stab of pleasure shooting up and down his spine. And Sasuke couldn't help but follow his instincts as he responded with his hips rolling forward in a slow grind, one that resulted in them both moaning into the kiss. She was panting only a few seconds into the grinding and Sasuke had to stop kissing her at one point because it became difficult breathe. Well, that and he wanted to watch her expression. She did not disappoint. Her eyes were shut, the blush on her cheeks had deepened and her mouth was open, releasing quiet sighs and whimpers of pleasure.
The hand he wasn't using to lean on fell to her hip and Sasuke looked down between them, his eyes feeling heavy as he watched his hips pushing up to Sakura's. His erection was throbbing in his boxers and even though they didn't cling to him, they felt much too tight, they felt way too restricting, at that moment in time. Her clothes were a nuisance, also.
His hand squeezed her hip for a moment before moving upwards, slipping beneath her vest top and stroking her stomach, causing Sakura to tense for just a fraction of a second when he cupped her breast. Her answering moan made him ache.
"Sakura…"
At the tugging of her vest top, her eyes widened. "I…"
He stopped trying to remove it and instead kissed her again. If she didn't want to take it off, then that was her choice and Sakura seemed grateful that he didn't push her any further. She relaxed into their kiss, her hands running through his hair and tugging on it when his hand once more cupped her breast, squeezing it for a moment. At her slight wince, he eased up and watched her expression.
Her skin was so soft. It felt like he couldn't be rough with her even if he wanted to be, because if he did, then Sasuke was certain she would break. Sakura looked so small and fragile beneath him, like a porcelain doll. Being rough with her just wasn't an option. Sure, she always appeared as tough and Sasuke knew she could handle herself, but… There was simply something about her at that moment in time that… made him want to keep her safe. Something about her made him want to protect her.
Sakura bit her lip at the softened look in Sasuke's eyes and she couldn't help but smile when he kissed he gently. At first it had started out as a rushed, heated make out session but now it felt more like he was taking his time. Not that Sakura was really complaining because either way, it was enjoyable. She just found it more pleasurable now that he was taking his time. It made her feel more appreciated and like he wasn't only in it for his own pleasure.
She tilted her head back, panting loudly, when Sasuke moved his kisses to her neck and the hand massaging her breast slipped downwards, tracing the waistband of her shorts. When all Sakura did was bite her lip, when she made no move to stop him, Sasuke took it as a sign to continue and slowly, his hand slid under her shorts, pausing for just a split second when he felt that she wasn't wearing any underwear. It made sense, really. They were in bed and she was wearing pyjamas – there was no need for her to wear underwear, too. It was probably more comfortable not wearing them.
Like he had told Fall–of–the–Blossom quite a while ago: Sasuke didn't enjoy porn. He found it fake and pointless. However, that didn't mean that he'd never seen at least one porn video. After all, you couldn't knock something until you tried it, right? Well, that was what Sakura once told him.
Unlike the woman in the video he had seen, Sakura was not hairless, though it wasn't untidy. It didn't feel untidy, anyway. Wait… It was only the top part that was hairy, he found out as his hand kept moving and as the hair disappeared and he reached her outer lips, he could feel that it felt just as soft as the rest of her body. She also didn't feel dramatically and unbelievably wet like the woman in the porn video had looked, either.
That didn't mean Sakura wasn't wet at all, because she definitely wasn't dry. She just wasn't soaked. That was normal, right? Considering they'd only just started making out, then yeah, Sasuke supposed it was normal. He just had to do more to turn her on. As though sensing his uncertainty, Sakura's hand followed his into her shorts, raising it a little higher and guiding him into a steady circular movement. It was enough to turn her breathing shaky, to make her hips shift more restlessly beneath him and Sasuke enjoyed the pleasured expression on her face.
Only when he thought she was ready did he slip a finger between her folds, unable to hold back the thought of how she would feel wrapped around a different part of his body. Time seemed to pass by so slowly in his mind and Sasuke was too caught up in his movements, in kissing her, to notice that time was actually going by quite quickly. And her reaction to him adding another finger was one Sasuke hoped he never forgot. The moan she had released…
It made him swallow hard, trying to ignore his now painful erection.
His fingers moved slowly within her, gently withdrawing before just as gentle entering her again. It left her panting into their kiss, her eyebrows knitting together with pleasure and her hands holding onto him tightly. That was until they began stroking his back when Sakura was used to the intrusion, one of her hands stroking its way around him and between them, taking a few seconds before cupping him through his underwear.
Sasuke froze and bit back a groan.
The pained expression on his face had her freezing too and Sakura quickly pulled back her hand, only to have his shoot out and grab it, bringing it back to his erection. Unlike before, however, her hand went beneath the waistband of his underwear and hesitantly, gently, she grasped his length, keeping her eyes on Sasuke as he gritted his teeth. Why did he want her to continue when it looked like he was in pain? Well, not exactly pain, but it looked so close to it and she felt so bad for thinking it made him look even hotter than usual.
Holding back her confused frown, Sakura thought back to how his hand had moved during their video chats and slowly, she start a gentle rhythm.
"Harder."
Her eyes snapped to his, widening a fraction and the blush that was already on her cheeks deepened, but she complied and tightened her grip ever so slightly, wary of hurting him. It was her first time holding a penis and it was a lot softer than she had thought it would be. Well, maybe not soft because Sasuke was anything but. Sakura had no idea how to describe the sensation.
Sasuke buried his face into her neck, kissing the skin there heatedly and barely holding back his groan as she quickened her pace, dragging her hand up and down his length. His vision was blurring, breathing coming rapidly and his hips bucked up to meet her hand. It seemed she liked his reaction, or what he was doing to her at the same time, because Sakura's also bucked occasionally, like they were seeking out his.
Just the thought made him impossibly harder.
His forehead pressed against her shoulder and his head tilted downwards, watching the movements beneath the sheet. It was only thanks to his eyes adjusting to the darkness that he could see the rhythmic movement of her hand, that he could see his own disappearing inside of her shorts. He was already close. Lifting his face once more, he kissed her.
"S-Stop," he groaned against her lips, "I'm going to…"
The second the word left his lips, the hand gripping his back disappeared, blindly reaching out to her bedside table and grabbing a sheet out of a box of makeup wipes. It was only when he realised what she was doing that Sasuke's free hand tugged his underwear down over his hips, making sure they were out of the way.
He was stunned, however, when Sakura lifted her shirt up to her breasts and also pulled her shorts down as much as she possibly could in their current position.
"You–"
"It's fine," she breathed, head tilting back and eyes shutting in pleasure at his ministrations. The makeup wipes weren't sensitive and she would rather he released himself onto her stomach than caused himself any kind of pain. "Just… Just clean up… after."
He nearly lost it there and then.
His lips immediately crushed against hers, kissing Sakura almost desperately and with such an intensity that it had her shivering against him, had her hips bucking out of time. And his thumb was quick to fumble around, searching for the button that would have her writhing and Sasuke could tell when he found it, because Sakura suddenly broke away from the kiss, a broken moan leaving her lips and her hold tightening on him, the reaction enough to make his breathing stop as orgasm took him without another warning.
She helped him ride it out and as she did, Sasuke did his best to continue with returning the favour, holding off on collapsing so that he made sure she also reached orgasm.
It only took a minute.
Breathing heavily, he grabbed the makeup wipe in her hand and wiped her stomach clean, tossing the soiled wipe into the bin once he had. It took a few moments until he found the strength to lazily pull his underwear back up and seeing that Sakura had no strength at all left in her, he fixed her clothing, too, collapsing on top of her as soon as he was done.
It made him smile into her chest when Sakura kissed the top of his head sweetly.
"We should do that more often."
Sasuke chuckled and looked up at her, smirking at the tired look in her eyes. "You kept saying it would be improper."
She rolled her eyes in response, though couldn't stop the smile on her lips. "Who cares what anyone else thinks?"
He kissed her softly and chastely, enjoying how she immediately responded to his kiss.
When they pulled away, she was panting again. "Damn… We missed the movie."
He didn't even look at the television as Sasuke moved from on top of her, laying on his side and bringing her body closer to his. There was some kind of animated programme on now, one with a talking dog, a talking baby and a huge man as the father. He'd heard about the show from Naruto, but at that moment, he couldn't recall the name. The voices annoyed him but Sasuke couldn't find the energy to reach for the remote and it seemed Sakura felt the same as she allowed him to roll her over so that he could spoon her.
"Goodnight, Sasuke," she whispered, holding onto the arms wrapped around her waist.
It made her smile when he kissed the back of her head. "Goodnight, Sakura."
Saying goodbye to not only Sasuke, but also to her mother, had been so hard and for the first hour of the flight, she had kept her head turned in the direction of the window, trying her best to stop the tears. The old woman sat by her side had repeatedly asked her if she was okay and whether or not she needed a cuddle. It had made Sakura smile and feel incredibly grateful that she had that woman sitting beside her and not some grumpy old fart or bratty kid.
She and Sasuke had said their goodbyes the night before, when they had been holding each other. Even after saying goodnight it had taken a few hours for them to actually fall asleep and in the end, they had stayed up most of the night, talking – going into the early hours of the morning, in fact.
The journey wasn't so bad, just a little nerve-racking considering the fact that Sakura had never travelled alone before. Altogether, the flight was around fourteen hours and departure had been somewhere around eleven in the evening, so she would be due in Suna about mid-morning. Konoha was behind Suna by a few hours, she was sure of it. Or were they ahead? Damn it. She should have checked it out properly.
Oh wait, no. No, Konoha was behind Suna. Sakura could remember the difficulty with trying to get in touch with Gaara, so she knew that Konoha was definitely behind them.
Gaara.
Sakura sighed as she finally made it through security, smiling gratefully when they pointed her in the direction her luggage would be in.
Many months had gone by and not once had she heard anything from Gaara. No emails, no instant messages, no phone calls or texts… Nothing. Sasuke had managed to find her his address however, so she was hoping to go to his home before she started at the hospital. That way she could speak to him in person and try to fix their friendship.
It was easy spotting her suitcases and Sakura was grateful that they were together and hadn't been separated, as it meant much less time standing around. Already she was getting incredibly warm and she was glad to have worn something that wouldn't make her overheat. Or, more grossly, show if she was sweating or not.
Once Sakura had all three suitcases (wondering just how the hell she was going to get them to a cab), she heard somebody calling her name and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
"Sakura."
She whirled around, eyes going wide at the sight before her until she shot forward and ran straight into the person who had called her name, smiling brightly and forcing back her tears. Her smile only grew when her embrace was returned, feet coming off the ground for a few moments.
"Gaara!" Sakura breathed, pulling back slightly so she could look at him. He hadn't changed at all! "How did you know I was landing today? And I thought you weren't…" She grimaced, looking down at the ground. "I thought you weren't my friend anymore? We haven't spoken in months."
In response, Gaara sighed and yanked her forward once more. "I could never hate you, Sakura. You just make bad choices that I don't agree with and sometimes, it is best to let things cool off. You know better than anyone that I often say things I don't mean when I get angry." She nodded, closing her eyes and dropping her forehead to his shoulder. "As for your question… Uchiha contacted me. He told me about what happened in the elevator, Sakura. I'm sorry for upsetting you the way I did."
"Don't be," Sakura whispered, making a mental note to thank Sasuke properly when she returned. "I'm just so glad that you don't hate me."
He rolled his eyes and finally released her, feeling uncomfortable with so many people walking by and watching them. "Come, Sakura."
Nodding, she looped her arm through his, grinning when he glanced down at her. "My hotel is–"
"You're not staying in a hotel." Gaara rolled his eyes once more and grabbed two of her suitcases, walking her in the direction of the exit. "You can stay with me."
"Are you–"
"Don't argue."
She grinned up at him and grabbed the final suitcase, unable to wipe the smile from her face. Who knew that Sasuke could do such a nice thing? Yes, the past several months had been nice, but this… This was something that truly meant a lot to her. Sakura bit her lip to hide her smile as they entered the blistering heat of the desert, no longer being shaded by the airport.
He really was proving her wrong and for the first time ever, Sakura was enjoying being wrong.