Chapter 19 – Happy Birthday

"You know…"

Sakura blushed at the look in his eyes and hesitantly, she shifted her hips. There was no pain like she had been expecting there to be. Sure, it was a little sore, but it wasn't agonising or something that would hinder her ability to do…

Well…

"They're going to leave us alone for most of the day now," Sasuke murmured against her lips. "And we have a few hours before we need to go shopping."

The idea of Mikoto buying her a new outfit was pleasant, but still kind of uncomfortable. How could she expect her boyfriend's mother to buy her an entire outfit? Didn't that make her seem a bit… Sakura couldn't even think of the word and as she realised that, she realised that she was worrying about how others viewed her again. That needed to stop.

"Okay," she whispered in return.

It felt like only moments later that she was ready and Sasuke was reaching for the condoms, impatiently ripping the packet open and slipping it on. Before he entered her, however, he sat up and pulled Sakura onto his lap, making her breath catch in her throat as she wrapped her legs around him. It was intimate, but it also meant that she was on top. What if she was no good at it? What if she couldn't please him?

But then he was entering her and those thoughts slowly slipped away, leaving Sakura to cling to him as Sasuke guided her into a steady rock.

"Can I be a little rougher?" he breathed against her lips and at her dizzy nod of consent, he tightened his hold on her hips.

He grunted as he met her halfway in a thrust that left her gasping out a shaky, quiet moan, her sound of pleasure drowned out by the crude, wet slapping sound. It made both of their blushes deepen and when Sasuke tilted his head back, Sakura immediately crushed her lips to his, going along with the new pace he set by moving her hips more harshly against his.

It definitely brought her pleasure. Already, her legs were beginning to tremble and her insides were clenching tightly, a clear sign that Sakura was close and Sasuke couldn't help but moan into the kiss at the thought of it. He was determined to bring her to orgasm this time, even though his own pleasure was spiking and it was taking everything to keep just the smallest amount of control.

One of Sakura's hands buried itself into his hair and her back arched, head tilting backwards, allowing Sasuke to litter kisses along her neck and collarbone, nipping lightly at her jaw. And then, much to her surprise, words she hadn't been expecting in the slightest left Sasuke's lips as his hips moved faster against hers and his voice was strained, almost desperate.

"I love you. I love you." A deep groan and he brought her down harder on him. "I love you." Another groan. Another thrust. "I'm in love with you."

He didn't give her the chance to reply and neither did her body because she suddenly snapped and orgasm claimed her, taking away her sight and hearing. All Sakura could do was feel and repeat those words in her mind, over and over and over until her heart was pounding loudly and beating so fast that she was certain it was about to shoot straight out of her chest.

Sasuke loved her.

"Don't hold back," he groaned into her throat when he felt Sakura's hold loosening. "Cling to me tighter."

Only vaguely registering those words, Sakura leaned forward and rested against him, her nails digging harshly into his back as cry after cry of pleasure left her. Her orgasm felt so very different than it had last night. Was it because he was inside of her this time? Was it because he had told her that he loved her? Honestly, Sakura had always believed that she would be the one to first say those three words.

Her orgasm brought forth his own and when they finally collapsed against each other, just about able to hold themselves up in their sitting position, Sakura whispered those three words back to him.

"I love you."

It was well into the morning when they woke up again. Sasuke offered her his usual arrogant smirk, making her blush and look away in an almost shy gesture. The sight was so very endearing to him and Sasuke was extremely glad that he was in Suna, despite the blistering heat.

But as they shopped to find outfits for that night, he found that he was disliking Suna more by the minute. Many of the men watched his girlfriend, eyeing her up since she stood out like a sore thumb and it made his possessive side continuously growl in anger, though that side almost began purring whenever Sakura held his hand, or sent him discreet glances or smiled up at him. They were smiles she saved only for him. They were looks she saved only for him.

Last night was… He held back the urge to shake his head as they entered the hotel room once more. Earlier that morning was just as great, too.

It seemed that, while they were gone, somebody had cleaned up for them. There were clean sheets on the bed and the bin not too far from it had been emptied. The air also smelled more fresh but it was obvious no windows had been opened due to the fact there was no sand blown across his hotel room.

But that didn't matter at that moment in time.

He had had sex with Sakura.

Twice.

Sasuke watched as she placed her bags down onto the sofa and stretched, his eyes moving over her body hungrily, greedily taking in each and every detail about her. His girlfriend, in his opinion, was amazing. There was no comparing to her. Sakura was somebody Sasuke knew he would never grow tired of because so many things about her kept her unpredictable. It kept him guessing.

Just as she turned and smiled, Sasuke grabbed her wrist and yanked her against him, barely giving Sakura the time to react before he was kissing her. It was not the kiss she had been expecting, however. Sakura had been expecting a raw, passionate kiss, one that had her toes curling and left her whimpering with pleasure and wanting more. This kiss was soft and tender, it was gentle and affectionate and with every slow brush of his lips, Sakura found herself very much preferring this kiss to the other.

"Say it again."

She smiled, blushing ever so slightly. "I love you."

Releasing her lip after nibbling on it, he whispered, "Again."

"I love you."

Smiling, he backed her up to the bed, watching her with a softened expression.

Sakura's smile widened and she couldn't help but giggle when Sasuke lowered her onto the bed, never letting go of her for a second. "I love you, Uchiha Sasuke."

"It seems dinner is cancelled."

Sakura bit her lip and glanced down at the ground, not daring to look at the angered expression on Fugaku's features.

Why?

Outdoors, lightning flashed and a loud crack of thunder suddenly boomed through the air.

Thunderstorms weren't unusual in the desert due to the low water vapour in the air. In fact, there were quite a few thunderstorms so Sakura was no longer frightened by them. The only times they frightened her was if the storm cut the power, which meant being left in the dark. That had only happened once and already knowing of her fear, Gaara had immediately made his way to her room with a couple of torches, staying with her until the power was back on.

"We could always get a table downstairs," Mikoto offered. "It would be a shame to waste our efforts."

Fugaku sighed and it was safe to say that he was unhappy about the mere thought of sitting in the restaurant belonging to the hotel they were staying in. It was mainly because of where he had originally booked Sasuke's birthday dinner (a completely over the top restaurant where only the rich and famous dined), but also because of his pride. He disliked the thought of lowering himself so much.

It was only when his mother looked to him that Sasuke spoke up, holding back his own sigh, "I don't mind, Father."

"Nonsense," he muttered, turning around. "We will go to the restaurant I have already booked a table at."

Even though she knew it was incredibly rude, the second Fugaku made a step towards the door, Sakura spoke up. "We can't do that, Fugaku-san. It's too dangerous to go out during a storm in Suna. The storm picks up all of the sand, making it more or less impossible to travel safely. Many have blindly wandered out into the desert and not all of them made it back."

Mikoto agreed wholeheartedly, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder to gain his attention. "Please, Fugaku. Sakura-chan has been here for well over a month now, so she will be used to these storms. We, on the other hand, are not used to them in the slightest. The storms in Konoha are nothing compared to this."

And at her words, there was another flash of lightning followed by more booming thunder. Not for the first time, Fugaku sighed and something in Mikoto's eyes softened at his expression and words. Since his back was to them, however, she and Sasuke couldn't see the expression on his face.

"It is our youngest son's eighteenth birthday, Mikoto. We should be celebrating properly."

"Yes, but think of what Sasuke wants," she murmured quietly in return. "All our son really wants is to spend time with his family, friends and Sakura-chan. Where we dine doesn't matter to him. Right, Sasuke?"

He nodded once when his father glanced over at him. "It's true, Father."

"I suppose we can always go somewhere else once we are back in Konoha. That way, Itachi and Shisui can join us," Fugaku muttered thoughtfully before he nodded once. "I will go and inform the staff that we will be eating here."

Of course there would be no asking if there were any tables available. Nope, not with Uchiha Fugaku. Instead he would demand to be given the best table in the restaurant, even if it meant throwing out whoever was already sat there. That was simply the kind of guy that he was.

"You both look very mature." Mikoto smiled when Fugaku left. "And that colour really suits you, Sakura-chan."

She blushed at the compliment and glanced down at her dress. Knowing that they would be going somewhere fancy, Sakura had asked Sasuke to help her pick out a dress that wouldn't make her stand out amongst all the rich and famous people. It was reluctantly that he helped her, but she noticed that Sasuke kept her style in mind. Even though they went to an expensive store (with a name she couldn't even pronounce), Sasuke still managed to find something that fit with her personality, something that wouldn't look odd in her wardrobe.

The crimson dress was knee length and clung to her body, making her curves more obvious and Sakura knew she looked good because Sasuke hadn't been able to keep his hands off her. Sure, he'd been like that before she put the dress on, but now he refused to let go of her. At that moment in time, his arm was around her waist, keeping her close. The gesture was comforting and soothing so she didn't complain. Also, the dress was sleeveless and because of that, they'd had to find a suitable bra, one that would help her keep the dress up. Due to being properly fitted, it wasn't entirely necessary. However, Sakura liked that it actually looked as though she had breasts.

As for Sasuke, much to her surprise and delight, he was wearing a navy tuxedo. Had Sakura ever mentioned how beautiful her boyfriend looked in a tux? No? Well he did. It had just the right amount of tightness that it made his slightly broad shoulders and chest obvious, yet not overly so. Oh and then there was his arms. When he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up or removed the jacket, they looked large and inviting and it made Sakura want to throw herself at him.

What he had done with his hair had her melting on the inside, too. It also made her wonder just why the hell she was getting so worked up over his appearance all of a sudden. She'd always known that her boyfriend was beautiful, hadn't she? So why was she kicking up such a big fuss? But… His hair! Instead of leaving it as he usually did, he combed it back, giving it a slightly wet look. It should have looked ridiculous, but it didn't. It suited him.

Her own hair was left down and due to it having grown, it now reached her breasts and was slightly thicker than she usually liked, which was why she had pinned a few strands back into a clip that matched her dress.

If Sakura was being completely honest, she would say that she enjoyed being pampered the way she had been today. However, part of her still knew not to get used to such treatment. It would be wrong to do so. Not only would it be wrong to accept the Uchiha family's money so easily, but it would also be an insult to her own mother who couldn't give her all of those fancy things. Accepting them from somebody else's parents? It definitely didn't look good.

"Our table will most likely be ready shortly," the woman suddenly told them both. "Make sure you are downstairs in five minutes."

They nodded and watched as Mikoto followed after her husband. It was probably to make sure he didn't cause any trouble more than anything, but still. Sakura appreciated the privacy it gave to them, even if it was only for five minutes.

Tomorrow afternoon, Sasuke would be going home and it pained her. It meant that it would be time to go back to the real world. The hospital. The loneliness. Homesickness. It would all come creeping back on her. Sure, Sakura knew that she had Gaara, Temari and Kankuro to help out with the loneliness, but none of them were Sasuke or her mother. She loved them all, but they were completely different people and none of them could be compared.

Apparently Sasuke was thinking the same thing as she was because he suddenly reached out for her and pulled Sakura against him, kissing the top of her head. It was no longer rare for him to show any affection towards her and she was grateful for that. As out of character for him as it probably seemed, it made Sakura feel special. She was the only one he acted that way with.

"We will stay awake all night." It wasn't a question or an offer. Sasuke was stating it. "And I'll order as much room service as possible to keep us going all night."

Sakura sighed and shut her eyes. "It's not just about sex, Sasuke."

"I meant to stay awake." He smirked against her hair. "But it's nice to know you immediately think of having sex with me."

"Sasuke…"

Hearing the serious tone in her voice made his smirk widen. "I can have all the food we need to keep us awake brought to the room. And if it helps with keeping your mind clean, then we can sit in front of television all night. We can watch whatever you want."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully and her own smirk pulled at her lips. "Anything I want?"

"Within reason, of course."

"What's off limits?"

"That romance bullshit."

"Please, Sasuke?" Her voice had a slight lilt to it. "This new movie just came out and I–"

"If it's the one I'm thinking of, then your mind won't stay clean for long." Sasuke leaned in closer, slowly backing her up until she was against the wall. "It's supposed to be nothing but sex."

Instead of reacting in the way she knew he was expecting her to, Sakura instead raised a challenging eyebrow. "I won't be able to keep my mind clean, or you won't?"

It had him pausing, watching her with a new intensity. "Shall we find out?"

She bit her lip, knowing that it would make him want to kiss her and just as Sasuke leaned in to do so, Sakura turned her head to the side, smirking when his lips brushed against her cheek. His huff of amusement only made her feel even more amused.

"It's been five minutes, Sasuke."

"I suppose it has," he murmured and reluctantly pulled away.

Even Fugaku couldn't complain about the quality of their meals. Of course, he still believed that they shouldn't be eating where they were staying (which Sakura still couldn't understand and Sasuke simply didn't have the patience or the energy to explain it to her), but the way Mikoto smirked as she asked him how he was finding his dinner made it clear that he was enjoying the food.

And apparently Sasuke was trying to get her back for teasing him because halfway through the dinner, he did something that she'd seen only a thousand times in movies: grabbed her thigh underneath the table.

Okay, so 'grabbed' sounded pretty aggressive, but Sakura couldn't think of any better word to use. It was kind of like he held onto it, though every now and then he tightened his hold – almost like a massage, actually. Oh, it was great entertainment hearing and seeing his reactions when Sasuke realised he wasn't really affecting her. It wasn't that he didn't affect her, it was more like she refused to show it just to wind her boyfriend up. And later that night, once they returned to his hotel room, Sakura decided it was her turn to do a little more teasing.

So far, she'd been getting changed in the bathroom. Sasuke had commented on it once, saying he'd seen her completely naked already so there was no need to change in another room, but it felt strange getting changed in front of him. It was hard to explain. There was a difference between him undressing her before they had sex and then changing in front of him.

Anyway! Back to the teasing part. Just for tonight, Sakura decided to ignore the strange fluttering in her stomach and got changed in front of him, pretending that she didn't notice him in the slightest and when Sakura was clad in only her underwear, she suddenly turned to glance over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke?"

Inwardly, she smirked when he could only shake his head. As much as he tried to hide it, her dear Sasuke was practically overrun with hormones. Already, she could see that he had an erection. It never really took much to get him going, though, so Sakura didn't count it as a victory.

Turning back around, she slowly inched her underwear down her hips and shook them slightly until the piece of clothing fell to the ground, where it was then kicked under her pile of clothing.

"Sakura…"

There wasn't even the time to feel surprised as Sasuke appeared behind her and gripped her hips, pulling her back against him.

"Stop teasing me."

For a brief second one of his hands disappeared, reaching into his pocket and when Sakura heard the rustling of a packet, she knew exactly what it was. Just that morning they had decided that he should carry one in his pocket as a just in case. Since their first time, it was like they couldn't get enough of each other. Everything that was said or done, was arousing in some way or another.

Nervousness was eating away at her, however, making Sakura glance over her shoulder with anxious eyes. "F-From…?"

He nodded and kissed the back of her neck. "Please, Sakura," Sasuke whispered, kissing her once more. "Can I?"

So far they had only had sex in two positions: the ordinary missionary position and while sitting up. The thought of trying something different was both exciting and a little scary, if you asked her. If they did it in the position Sasuke was wordlessly asking for them to have sex in, then–

Then nothing.

Stop worrying about what others think, damn it!

After her nod of consent, Sasuke unbuttoned his pants, allowing them to drop to the ground and as soon as they (and his underwear) were out of the way, he was ripping open the packet and slipping the condom on. The entire time it felt like both of them were on fire, almost desperate to be connected. It was like since having sex the first time, they couldn't get enough of it. They couldn't get enough of the feeling of being joined in such a way.

Slowly, ever so tortuously slowly, Sasuke pushed himself inside of her, pushing Sakura against the sofa at the same time. He felt deeper than before, she realised with a gasp of pleasure. Was that because of their position? Sakura didn't have long to think about it because Sasuke was suddenly moving, gripping hold of her tightly and slamming his hips against hers, quickly building up speed. She barely had the chance to grab hold of something, to try and steady herself before he was groaning and tensing, a clear indication that he was close.

It didn't bother her. Part of Sakura had known that she wouldn't reach orgasm in such a position. If the sensations were all heightened for her, how boosted were they for Sasuke? They were still new to this, after all. He had yet to build up stamina.

Sasuke leaned over her, grunting into her ear as he thrust into her a final time, making Sakura's knees grow weak and her eyes slip shut when he began to grind his hips upwards into hers. The friction it created was unbelievable.

"Sorry," he breathed into her neck once he was done.

Sakura couldn't help but smile as Sasuke held onto her gently, pressing kiss after kiss along her neck. The kisses didn't stop there, however. They continued down her spine and as they did, Sasuke's hands stroked their way up and down her sides, softly caressing her.

And Sakura's breath caught, her entire body tensing, when she felt his lips pressing to the very bottom of her spine.

"Sasuke–"

"I want to make it up to you," Sasuke whispered as he knelt, his hands keeping her hips against the sofa. "I've been told that this always makes a girl orgasm."

Who the hell told him that? Naruto, probably, since he was a pervert and lived with an even bigger one. Sakura's breathing was shaky, her hands gripping the sofa in an unyielding, fierce hold and her eyes were much wider than usual. "Let me shower first, I–"

"You don't need to."

"We just had sex! It's not clean–"

"I'll be the judge of that."

And then his lips were pressing against her most intimate area and Sakura felt all arguments leaving her. No, it wasn't extremely pleasurable and no, it didn't make her orgasm on the spot, but it was definitely a new sensation. Something about it… Something about it had her wanting more, wanting to experience more of the unusual pleasure.

At Sasuke's silent order, she leaned further over the back of the sofa, hands pressing down into the cushions as her stomach rested on the back of it. It wasn't entirely comfortable, but it was easy to ignore, especially as Sasuke added more pressure.

Soon, though, even with his ministrations, Sakura found it impossible to ignore the now painful feeling in her stomach. "Can we move to the bed?"

Reluctantly he pulled away, but surprised his girlfriend greatly by making his way around the sofa and pulling her down onto it, lowering her until she was laying on her back with her legs spread wide.

"Are you comfortable now?"

All Sakura had to do was nod.

It was definitely better when she was laying down, she decided as her head tilted back and her hand found its way into Sasuke's hair. Now that the pressure against her stomach was gone, she was able to focus more on the movements being made and it also seemed Sasuke was finding it easier, too.

There was no more hesitancy. He moved without uncertainty, with more confidence and when he did, Sakura was unable to even think straight. He added his tongue to the mix, slowly teasing her with it until his fingers filled her and made her sight blur, made her quietly cry out as her back arched up off the sofa. There was no longer the ability to focus on the weird feeling of his tongue pressing against her – not anymore. It was much too… distracting.

The hand that wasn't doing much began to stroke her thigh, drawing small patterns and it took Sakura a few moments to notice that Sasuke was making the same patterns with his tongue.

"S-Sasuke…" her voice came out as nothing more than a breathy whisper.

He knew what was happening. She could feel his smirk.

And as her body relaxed and tensed all at the same time, as wave after wave of delicious pleasure slammed into her, taking her away from reality, Sakura tried her best to stay quiet, biting her lip and tightening her hold on Sasuke's hair. Her other arm was thrown over her face until his free hand reached up and tugged it down, wanting to see her expression. Sakura was too focused on the pleasure to care, however.

When he pulled away and shifted over her, Sasuke's smirk remained and daringly, despite the fact she was still fighting for breath, he kissed her softly, affectionately and paused in stroking his tongue along hers, allowing Sakura to taste herself on his tongue. Apparently she wasn't complaining because she tugged him closer, kissing her boyfriend more heatedly.

"Wait…" he groaned against her lips. "The condoms are by the bed."

It was too risky to have sex without them and even though Sakura wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her once more, she was not so lost in the moment to forget about protection.

Fortunately, Sasuke was quick as he hopped over the sofa and grabbed the box of condoms, bringing the sheet covering their bed with him on his way back. It was just in case they did actually fall asleep and his parents walked in again like they had earlier that day.

It wasn't long until the collapsed against each other, panting hard and trying their best to calm their racing hearts and trembling bodies.

They were still determined to stay awake all night, even if it meant being completely exhausted the following day.

So for the rest of the night, Sakura remained laying in Sasuke's arms as they lazily watched the horror channel together and she couldn't help but smile when he ran his fingers up and down her spine, sending shiver after shiver through her body. In return, she pressed the occasional kiss against his collarbone or neck, each time going just a little bit higher until she was kissing him chastely, enjoying how he responded with the same tenderness.

Earlier that day they'd made a silent agreement not to talk about his leaving until Sasuke was actually leaving, mainly because they both knew how much it would upset Sakura. As hard as she tried to act and seem tough, they knew that that wasn't always the case. In fact, Sasuke had never met anybody who was as emotional as Sakura, but he definitely wasn't complaining. It made him feel a strange sense of achievement simply knowing that he'd cracked that hard, seemingly impenetrable shell of hers. It brought forward a fierce emotion within him, one that demanded he protected and cherished her.

She would be returning to Konoha in over a month and Sakura was counting down the days. Funny how, this time last summer, she'd been unable to contain her excitement about going to Suna and spending the entire summer there, but now wished for anything but. Suna just wasn't the place for her. It was as simple as that, really. Not just because of the inescapable heat (because Sakura liked to think she was growing used to it), but because of that overwhelming homesickness that made her want to crawl into a corner and cry all the freaking time.

There was no getting used to that feeling and honestly, she didn't want to. Being in Suna – or anywhere at all – was fine, but only for a short while. Not for such a long period of time like she currently was. It was unbearable being away from the people she loved. They were so precious to her and it was like a sickening weight would settle in her stomach when she was away from them.

"Have you decided yet?"

His chest expanded with the deep breath Sasuke took and when he breathed out, her scalp tickled. "Yes."

Sakura couldn't even deny that her heart began to pound and slowly, almost hesitantly, she lifted herself onto her elbows, staring down at him with a wary expression. "And?"

"Kumo is a good college."

Her heart shattered.

"But it's not the place for me."

And then she slapped his arm, glaring at him angrily. "You did that dramatic pause on purpose, you jerk!"

Sasuke chuckled and grabbed her wrist just as Sakura went to hit him again, watching her with amusement. "It's nice to know you were so worried about my decision."

"Of course I was! I just…" She frowned and lowered herself onto him again, closing her eyes. "My choice didn't influence yours, did it? The last thing I want is for you to decline opportunities because of me."

He sighed this time and wrapped his arms around her, holding her comfortingly. "It didn't. Sure, it was a small push in my decision making, but it wasn't what made my mind up." A pause and during it, Sasuke ran one of his hands through her hair. "I don't like the thought of being hundreds, possibly even thousands, of miles away from everyone. Not only that, but I've seen the college in Konoha. Kumo can't compare, even though it is a good college."

This was the side of Sasuke that Sakura loved the most. With her, he was so open and caring. It probably seemed so out of character for him but when they were alone, it so wasn't. And Sakura loved it. She loved him.

"We're going to be in Konoha together," Sakura whispered after a few moments and a damn near impossible to ignore excited feeling bubbled within her. "No long distance."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at her. Seeing such happiness on her face… It made him feel so light, like there was nothing at all that he had to worry about or focus on. "I know."

"You live quite far from the college, though," she commented lightly. "You'd have to set off pretty early to avoid traffic."

He nodded, seeming unconcerned. "For his first year in college, Itachi attended the one in Konoha before transferring when he found he disliked the college." At Sakura's frown and realising she had no idea where he was going with the turn of conversation, he gave her a small smile and continued, "To avoid the traffic and having to drive every day, he got an apartment not too far from the college. Our parents paid for it, believing it would be a good thing that he would be taking care of himself."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "Which means they'd do the same for you."

"Yeah."

"Won't that be lonely, though?" She frowned, taking his hand in hers and holding it gently. "Living by yourself?" There was a pause as he stared at her, one that lasted long enough to make her uncomfortable and one of Sakura's hands released his, rubbing her face self consciously. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Sasuke murmured and grabbed the hand rubbing her face, pulling it down to his chest so that he could see her eyes. "I was thinking about what you just said."

"…And?"

Another pause. Another intense look. "How would you feel about moving in with me? If I get the apartment, that is."

This time, it was Sakura who took a long pause before replying. She kind of felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Was Sasuke really asking that she moved in with him? Her own home wasn't too far from the college since it was fairly close to the town centre, but since Sasuke lived in one of those huge mansions that had hardly any neighbours, his home was miles from the college. Moving in with Sasuke would be…

Crazy, maybe?

Would they be able to handle being around each other so much? They'd only been together for eight months. Were they moving too fast? They were both eighteen years old now, so Sakura believed they were old enough to make such a choice, but would their parents accept it? What about her own mother? Would she feel abandoned if she moved out?

Back in Konoha, while in school, it was safe to say that they spent a great deal of their time together, so it wouldn't be too much of a change, but living together? Sharing a bed every night. Eating together. Taking turns in the bathroom. Taking turns with the cleaning, or doing it together. His side of the bed and hers. Her wardrobe and his. Their own cups to hold their toothbrushes and their own–

"Yes."

The answer slipped out without her even realising but Sakura did not regret it.

"I want that."

She wanted all of that with Sasuke.

"You called him again?"

Sasuke nodded silently, keeping her close to him. "You said you wanted to watch the plane leave. I can't let you travel all the way back to his place alone."

"I'm not completely defenceless, you know." Sakura sighed but there was no annoyance or anger in her voice or tone. There was just quiet acceptance of what her boyfriend had done. "But thank you."

Knowing Sakura the way he did, Sasuke knew that it was a good thing to contact Sabaku Gaara. That way, there would be somebody there to comfort her when he left. She had told him a lot about her best friend, so Sasuke knew not to feel possessive or paranoid around the redhead. Like Naruto was Sasuke's best friend, it just so happened that Gaara was hers. Gender didn't really matter to them.

Standing a few feet away from them to give the couple privacy, Gaara picked up Sakura's weekend bag and placed it over his shoulder, keeping an eye on his surroundings. The bag looked fairly expensive and it was common knowledge that thieves thrived in busy crowds.

"I'm really glad you came here," Sakura told him quietly with a smile. "Even though I know I'm going to miss you even more now."

So soppy. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. "You're only going to miss the sex."

"Don't say it here!" she hissed and slapped his arm. "What if somebody heard you? What if your parents heard you?"

"They already know we're having sex." His smirk remained in place even though Sasuke was currently holding back the urge to rub his now throbbing arm. The blush on her cheeks made it worth it. "They walked in on us the morning after, remember?"

"Don't remind me," she groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I'm still embarrassed about it."

"Don't be," Sasuke murmured and grabbed her hands to pull them away from her face. "As long as we're being safe then they don't care. We're both eighteen, after all. It's legal."

That was true, but it was still uncomfortable having his parents aware of the fact they were having sex. Not only that, but they walked in on them. "I suppose…"

"The flight to Konoha is now boarding."

Tuning out the speaker, Sakura looked up at her boyfriend sadly. Her words hadn't been an exaggeration. After their weekend, she was going to miss him so much more than before. It already hurt to say goodbye to him. But Sakura had promised Sasuke that she wouldn't let their distance distract her from making a good impression at the hospital. No, she was going to work twice as hard and count down the days until she returned to Konoha.

And then Sasuke surprised her greatly by cupping her face and kissing her. Softly at first, just a tender brush of his lips until the kiss became more desperate, more heated. It turned into a kiss that had her panting for breath, that had her head swimming from lack of oxygen and her hands shaking with the urge to run them through his hair. It felt like Sasuke was everywhere all at once as he held onto her tightly, his lips moving against hers with such intensity that it made Sakura feel weak.

So this was a goodbye kiss.

It was beautifully painful.

They only separated when they heard somebody clearing their throat but even then, Sasuke paid them no attention to his father and instead pressed his forehead to hers, breathing against her lips, "I'll speak to them on the plane."

She nodded, understanding clearly. "I love you."

Sasuke kissed her one last time, his lips lingering on hers. "I love you."

"Come on," Gaara sighed and put his arm over her shoulders, pulling Sakura into his side as he guided her out of the airport. "It won't be long until you're home."

She smiled sadly, trying her best to hold back the need to cry. Why were goodbyes so painful? "Until we're home, you mean."

He glanced down at her, uncaring of the strange looks he was receiving due to carrying a woman's bag, and smiled at her softened expression. This weekend had been good for Sakura, much to his happiness. Already the stress he had seen growing in her eyes had lessened considerably and there was more colour to her cheeks. It no longer looked as though she was about to snap with–

Gaara's eyes widened at the large love bite he could spot sticking out beneath the collar of her shirt.

"That–"

Quickly, Sakura tugged on her shirt, already knowing what was there. It was a little gift from her boyfriend. Sure, he understood that nothing would ever happen between her and Gaara, but he still liked to make it known that she was his.

Strangely enough, the thought made her stomach flutter.

"Don't say a word!" she warned him with narrowed eyes and kept her arm around Gaara's waist. The last thing she needed was for her best friend, her support, to leave her to walk alone. "What happened this weekend–"

"What happened this weekend?"

There was one thing that should always be kept in mind when dealing with Sabaku Gaara:

He was extremely protective of his best friend.

A/N - So sorry I didn't update last week! I've been really busy helping out at this charity shop and today is the only day I'll be able to update. So, even though it's my birthday and quite early in the morning, I decided to post for you all!

Oh and more good news...

I GOT INTO THE COLLEGE!

Bit of bad news, though! Once again, my files on my laptop have been damaged and I've lost quite a lot of my stories. I've tried rewriting this chapter, but I honestly don't think it's as good as the original one. Also, the next few chapters are also missing so it may take me a while to post them!