She felt something against her forhead.

A soft voice was whispering in her ear, and she moaned; she didn't want to wake up right now.

She was warm, and sleepy. This was by far the most relaxed sleep she had ever had; and then she remembered why.

Her eyes snapped open, and she intinctively looked up.

"Well hello there." Shikamaru murmered, his face shadowed in the dark.

She hummed in response, and boldly lay her head back against his chest; snuggling closer.

"Five more minutes." She sighed contentedly.

"Its 3 oclock in the morning, Kakashi has already been by." Shikamaru grumbled.

She shot up at the mention of her teacher, until she realized she was still in her bathing suit, and it was freezing without Shikamaru's warmth.

"KAKA-SENSEI SAW US CUDDLING? WHAT DID HE SAY?!" She demanded, embarassed.

Shikamaru winked at her, before standing up and wrapping his arms around her shivering body. He pulled her close, and the pulled her up so her legs would wrap around his waste, his arms holding her to his warm body as he started to walk.

She protested for a minute, she could stand the cold! She was a shinobi...

"Sakura, there are going to be a number of rare instances where I'll indulge you to let me be a man and treat you like a damsel in distress." His voice was husky, and she noticed that the way she was pressed against him was very provocative.

"B-b-ut..."

"Im still a man, though I am a gentleman, you can't blame me for wanting to feel you Sakura. Though I wont blame you if you hit me either, I've seen what you do to Naruto when he's being perverted." He murmered, chuckling lowly.

She turned beat red and hid her face in his shoulder, and she heard him stifle a moan.

"Please don't encourage me Sakura; here I am with an overly tempting, beautiful woman in my arms. Not to mention wrapped around me in a way that makes my imagination run wild, and when I tell her I want to touch her... Her will power suddenly recedes? I must have been a saint in a past life."

She lifted her head, and stared at him, causing him to stop walking. He looked down at her and smiled slightly.

"C-can I... try something?" Sakura whispered.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, and he looked at her quizically.

"You need to put me down first." She ordered.

He did as was told, but made no move to step away from her. She placed her hand on his chest, before looking up at him sadly.

"Every kiss I have ever had.. has been taken, and never softly. I-I... just once I want to know how it feels to have someone care for me ... to treat me gently... Like you have done... B-"

Before she could finish, his hand was cupping her face, she let the words die on her lips, staring at him expectantly. He hushed her, and let his other hand trail up her arm.

Shivers assaulted her body, but none from the temperature. She leaned into his touch...

Shikamaru POV

The way she melted into his caress, the way she asked him to love her gently... this poor woman, she was so caring... and yet she had never been cared for.

He wanted to remember this, he wanted this to be a time she would not forget, her first kiss; he would be her last kiss, when the time came.

He cupped her cheek in his right hand, marvelling at how soft her skin was, while moving his left up her arm. He had never been a slow lover, Temari had prefered to be rough and intense... But the look in Sakura's eyes was worth his patience.

He could see her shivering, could see her eyes glaze over as his left hand left her arm to move across her waste, trailing along to her back; she sighed softly as he splayed his fangers across her shoulder blades, his large hand encasing the middle of her back.

He leant forward, allowing his right hand to move back into her silky rosette tresses, once again marvelling at the softness that was Sakura; how aptly named.

He inhaled her scent, of Sakura blossoms, honey and a hint of burnt sage. She always smelled so delectable to him; when he had slept on his pillow, after allowing her to rest in his bed upon finding her atop the Hokage monument... he had been unable to sleep peacefully, his boy reacting to the enticing scent of this woman almost painfully.

She tilted her head up, as his hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers woven through her lucious hair.

He languidly kissed her forhead, inhaling as he pressed his nose into her hairline; he moved to kiss each eyelid, earning gasps from the enthralled kunoichi is his grasp. His lips cascaded down her face, touching each cheek, the tip of her nose, her chin... before he gave a slight tug on her hair.

Her eyes flew open at the sensation, and he caught the emerald orbs in his own, before solemly, yet gently, lowering his lips onto her soft mouth.

She moaned as they made contact, and he groaned at the wanton sound. Her lips were soft, welcoming his instantly, parting automatically. His grip on her tightened, and he kissed her deeper, allowing his tongule to envade her moist cavern.

He felt her arms come up around his neck, and he reached down and scooped her bottom up with his left arm. Her legs wrapped around him once again, they were molded together.

She moaned again as he kissed her with more passion than he was aware he held; something in him was burning, more alive than it every had been.

The hair on his neck stood up as he continued his assault on her pretty little mouth, hearing her whimper and moan underneath his touch was driving him mad. He could already feel himself stiffening; her hips were sinfully pressed against his.

But he knew better than to push this too far, he reluctantly started to withdraw, removing his lips from hers, but not before pressing them against her's once, twice, and a third time. Being thorough as he sucked on her bottom lip gently before releasing her fully.

It was the best kiss he had ever had.

Sakura POV.

He had made love to her lips. Or so she thought. She had never, ever experienced anything like the fire that was warping its way through her system at that moment. Her mouth felt hot, and a tad sore, but her body felt alive. She felt a burning in the pit of her stomach, making her subconsciously grind her hips into the man above her.

"Sakura, if we don't stop now, Im afraid we'll regret this in the morning... We have all the time in the world." His whisper caressed her ear.

She listened to his words echo around in her head, and she was sure he was right. This revelation brought out a mountain of emotion inside of her, and she was sure that she was reacting to her euphoria. But she wondered if he felt the same...

"Shikamaru?" She asked hesitantly, holding herself closer to him as he started to walk forward once again.

"Yes?" His husky voice answered at once, before he paused and kissed the top of her hair.

"Did... did you enjoy it?" She mumbled, her nerves making her unable to ask the question bluntly.

His walking suddenly stopped, and there was a hand tilting her head up; she was staring into his beautiful amber eyes.

"What you gave me was worth more than any gift I could have ever received Sakura." He murmered.

She blushed and them smiled at him, and for once it was a genuine smile. She wasn't shy, she wasn't embarassed. She believed him when he said those words.

"And I'll be doing it again and again, if you'll let me." He suddenly said, chuckling.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, and laughed at his devious expression. This all started over a few innocent drinks and tipsy confessions. She couldn't believe her luck.

She snuggled against his chest, letting the rocking motion of his body lull her to sleep once again. She felt so safe, so loved... so herself.

An uneasy thought suddenly penetrated her hazy mind.

"Shikamaru?" She whispered hesitantly.

"Yes?" He answered, his deep voice rumbling in his chest under her ear.

"What happens now? I mean... when we go back to the village? Are we inclined to go public? Or would you prefer to keep this elusive..."

He paused for a moment, before kissing the top of her head.

"Sakura, if I had things my way I would scream from atop the Hokage monument that I have somehow managed to secure Haruno Sakura." His chuckle vibrated pleasently.

"B-but Naruto... Kakashi..."

"Ino, Chouji. Sakura we have to tell them. We have 2 options here, scenerio one goes; we neglect to inform our team mates, who just happen to be our best friends, and sooner or later they deduce from the amount of time spent together that we are more than just friends which would them lead them to do a wide scale investigation as to when and how this happened, and with Kakashi as one lose end we cannot hope to survive when they find out we have kept this secret from them for so long. Scenario two goes something like; we tell them when we get back, keeping in mind that this whole vacation was our 'testing' phase, or so we tell them. And deal with any and all flak they throw at us for dating. Though I assume there will be little considering that Ino is your best friend and will probably be estatic that there is another couple who could stand going on a double date with her and Chouji. He on the other hand is my very best friend so he will be nothing short of thrilled for me that I've found myself an amazing woman. Naruto is your other best friend, also a good friend of mine. He has been set on Sasuke and yourself being an item but seeing as he was there when the Uchiha made you cry, he will threaten me within an inch of my life to never ever hurt you or else. To which I will comply and assure him that you are the very essence of my being etc. Kakashi already knows, via our public cuddle session to which he had first glimpse of. So, all thats left is the Uchiha. Which I know will put you in an awkward position, your not the kind of girl to rebound so fast. The solution, is that if and when that bastard makes a scene about you being off the market, I in all my manly glory, will step in and inform him that I have had you in my sights for quite some time, and it was his loss that such an amazing woman would fall into the hands of the likes of me. Seeing as I do not share well at all."

She was laughing histarically by the end of his rant, trying not to hiccup as she gasped for breath. He was always so serious, even giving his little speal, he didn't realize that his voice changed with each new character, his expression turning into one they would wear. He didnt realize the effect he had on her, which made her laugh even harder at his perplexed expression.

"Please Shika, no more, its too much!" She giggled, trying to smother her laughter into his chest.

He sighed and chuckled once. "Women."

She smiled to herself. Men, what a obtuse breed. But she got lucky, she got the one man who could think for himself further than the bed or the battlefeild. She got an equal, a rival, a lover, and a friend in one package. How lucky was she?