Chapter 32 – Retrace My Lips, Erase Your Touch
She wasn't going to let her anxiety ruin it.
They were going to have fun.
It would be a good night.
Setting down her makeup brush, Sakura assessed her made up features with great scrutiny to ensure nothing was amiss or incorrectly blended (the task had taken longer than anticipated, though still hadn't managed to break the first time of applying such detailed makeup's record). Only once she deemed it suitable did she throw the basic top up makeup into her clutch, including the extra eyelash glue just in case, as Ino always–
Don't think about her, she warned herself upon feeling her mood threatening to take a swift nosedive.
Music played quietly in the background while Sakura prepared herself for the night ahead, working to boost her mood when she hummed along to her favourite songs. Although she wasn't sure where they would be going specifically, she found herself hoping childishly that there'd be a karaoke since singing with Naruto and making complete fools of themselves was the best way to get herself to unwind. The Gods knew that she needed it.
Her major concern for their night out was being a downer (since Kakashi pointed out that she couldn't agonise over others' triggers). More than anything, Sakura didn't want to be the dull girl sat in the corner, meekly bopping her head in time to the music or swaying awkwardly in her seat. She wanted to be out on the dancefloor with her friends, laughing and having a good time like she used to be able to.
But what if she couldn't do that? What if her anxiety became too much and she became a burden for everyone else or worse, ruined their night?
Meeting her gaze via the reflection was a mistake, however she was unable to look away from the tragic sight of herself that she was slowly growing to despise.
She wasn't in her usual room at the Uchiha manor. Instead, Mikoto had prepared a guest room she'd crashed in the night before while Sakura was at her session with Kakashi, adding personal touches to the space like that was enough to make her forget about the state her room was in.
Damn it, she shouldn't even have her own room there.
The one she was in now was smaller, but not by much and despite Mikoto's unnecessary apologies, the difference in size wasn't even that noticeable to her (mainly due to the large window seat more than anything, which now boasted fluffy, brand new pastel cushions for her to relax into, their shades perfectly matching the bedspread the older woman had also picked out). Sakura had long since given up trying to dissuade Mikoto from spoiling her with such gifts, for every time she tried, they always ended up in the same deadlock of her assuring Sakura that she loved every minute of it, as she'd longed to have a daughter once upon a time.
Morbidly, she wondered what changed that want.
Makeup done, hair straightened, outfit chosen and spread out across the foot of the bed, she was pleased to realise that for once, she was ready with plenty of time to spare. All Sakura really had to do at that point was choose her shoes and jewellery, then she was done.
After five years of hanging around and waiting for her to say "ready", Sasuke had learned to get on with his own thing during the process. She suspected he was working out again, even though he was supposed to be taking it easy with his hand being in the condition it was. He'd needed fourteen stitches altogether, yet Sasuke stood by not being able to feel the pain.
Sakura shook her head in disbelief and approached her outfit, fingertips trailing down the soft material.
Knowing that it was a nightclub they were going to, she'd turned her back on her beloved playsuits (nobody wanted to drunkenly fight with their clothes just to go to the bathroom) and perused the dressier section of her wardrobe. But anxiety was a bitch and every outfit she picked out felt wrong. Either it was too dressy or too casual and because she was sticking mainly with guys and no longer had Ino to bounce ideas off, Sakura found herself agonising over the choices. Previously, she'd always based her ideas off Ino's outfit, for the blonde was ridiculously stylish and–
No, it didn't matter.
She needed to be her own person.
Could that class as going out of her comfort zone, or was it too safe for Kakashi's liking? Did he want a more dramatic display of putting herself out there?
A knock on her door had her flinching, and Sakura damned herself for such a jumpy reaction, offering Mikoto the same smile she sent her as the older woman entered at her consent. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, spinning her wedding band around her thin finger expertly.
"You look wonderful, Sakura-chan," she complimented, even as her gaze drifted to the outfit on the bed and her shoulders tightened a little, making Sakura's heart sink. Was she about to be reprimanded for the choice of outfit? "How are you feeling now?"
Mentally drained, but relieved also. Like she'd managed to slip out from under a humongous weight that'd been slowly crushing her, and now she was in that aching phase during those first few moments of freedom. As questionable as his personality may be, Kakashi was… He was a remarkable listener, and even with how heavy it'd gotten, she couldn't believe how much better she felt for just that single session of talking with him.
"Okay," came the soft response, and she gave the woman another, more genuine smile. "I think… No, I feel like things are finally starting to look up."
Dark eyes warmed considerably at the words before she quietly slipped further into the room and shut the door behind herself, briefly hesitating in releasing the handle. She couldn't deny it made her the tiniest bit more anxious.
"Mikoto-san?"
Inhaling deeply like she was steeling her own nerves, Mikoto returned the genuine smile, albeit shakily. Then, utterly stunning Sakura, the woman approached her dresser and instantly picked out the charm bracelet Sasuke had gifted her, the tenderness in her expression informing Sakura it was a big moment for her and to not interrupt.
"Sasuke always spent the longest time choosing these charms," she informed Sakura gently, unknowingly melting her heart since she'd believed it to be his mother who bought all her presents on his behalf. Chuckling, she murmured more quietly, "They had to perfect for his Sakura."
His Sakura.
Blinking through the memory and stunning her with the glassiness of her eyes, Mikoto turned and approached her, but the surprises didn't stop there. They continued as she told her, "This will match your outfit wonderfully."
She…
She approved of it?
Numbly, Sakura held out her wrist to the other woman, unable to look away from the delicacy of Mikoto's touch as she fastened the bracelet, fingers lingering on the charms. But when she finally met her eye, she found herself completely unprepared for the gentle hope building there, the one that was steadily being strengthened by determination.
Lowering her voice considerably for fear of being overhead, she told her, "I have never seen him try this hard before, including with his studies. Fugaku has never thought highly of therapy, and his opinion has always mattered to Sasuke more than anyone's. I worried he would hold back or lose hope."
"The therapist Sasuke-kun's seeing is great," she assured quietly. "It's like he knows exactly how to approach difficult subjects and…" Shaking her head when words failed her, she dropped her gaze, smiling. "He's so good at getting Sasuke-kun to talk."
"Willingly?"
That had to be the most important part, in her eyes. Getting Sasuke to talk was one thing, but anybody would talk under the right circumstances or after a certain amount of pressure. No, when a person willingly talked, they left nothing out because they wanted that change. They wanted everything out there in the open so that they could learn to combat those intrusive thoughts or to conquer their fears or triggers.
He was trying to change.
Sakura nodded. "He really wants to change, Mikoto-san."
Swallowing hard suddenly, the dark-haired woman glanced over her shoulder towards the door. Witnessing such cautiousness in those dark eyes filled Sakura with a deep desperation, one she hoped more than anything was hidden when the attention was back on her.
"Your room…" Mikoto visibly struggled voicing how she felt about it all, although Sakura was absolutely floored by the guilt that had her averting her gaze yet again. "It will be fixed up by tomorrow afternoon–"
But she couldn't go back to it. Like with the gaming room, just the thought made her skin crawl. "C-Can I stay in here instead?" Awkwardly, she dropped her arms and began fidgeting with the charm bracelet, somewhat comforted by the knowledge of how hard Sasuke had worked on finding the right charms for it. "Please?"
She couldn't say why she wanted to. The words that had the potential of damning her relationship with Sasuke were trapped in her throat, refusing to see the light of day because she just wasn't ready for that yet. To admit to being afraid of returning to the scene of the crime, to where she'd watched Sasuke lose it on a scale nobody had ever witnessed before… She couldn't do it. Just thinking about it had her shaking.
The need to apologise profusely was damn near overwhelming until Sakura looked up and saw the understanding in Mikoto's weary gaze. Seeing it put her mind and nerves at ease for a brief few moments, allowing her to take that deep, much needed breath of fresh air that told her how close she'd been coming to freaking out all over again.
"Of course you can," she softly replied.
There were several selfish reasons for preferring the smaller guest room to the one Mikoto had spent hours – days, even – designing specifically with Sakura in mind. The first being that Itachi was just a couple of doors down now, rather than at the other side of the hall (not that she was ever that far away from them all or in any way isolated, but Mikoto had wanted to give her the biggest spare room they had to offer, as well as the one closest to the family bathroom). It made her feel a little safer knowing that he was close by.
Smiling in thanks as Mikoto left her to get dressed, she assessed the outfit once more, all but rushing into putting it on just as nerves threatened to get the best of her and rule it out.
The next selfish reason was that there were no memories with Sasuke in her new room – good or bad. Like a fresh start, almost. As badly as she longed to cherish all memories with him, the bad were slowly starting to outweigh the good and Sakura knew that she needed to take a step back before they completely took over.
Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she tried to rein in the apprehension and replace it with the confidence she'd learned to fake over the past couple of months – the confidence that had slowly been growing into the real thing after her talk with Konan. Standing at Ino's side when the blonde demanded all attention be on her meant that she was oftentimes overlooked and obviously after a while, it did more than merely sting her ego. However, to show that she felt jilted or intimidated by Ino (back then, at least) was the worst thing to do. So, as Konan suggested she should, she faked it.
It was looking as though she would have to fake it that night too.
The high-waisted striped shorts consisted of shades of black, white and yellow, and Sakura tugged on the belt, pinching in her waist just that little bit further the way Ino had taught her to. The shorts weren't really the issue though, not really. It was the strapless crop top. It fit – perfectly, actually and now that she'd found the right strapless bra that didn't drag everything down, her breasts looked damn near phenomenal too – but it was worryingly revealing. Knowing that Fugaku was home and would no doubt see her in it–
No. He didn't matter. Couldn't.
But Gods, he did. As much as she hated herself for fearing his reaction, she did and Sakura no longer had the strength needed to make such bold statements with her clothes.
No, she needed to get changed–
Almost jumping out of her skin at the knock on her door, anxiety plaguing her with images of Fugaku's furious glare on the other side, Sakura debated ignoring it. However, the soft knock repeated a moment later, followed by a ping on her phone that told her she had a message.
Already knowing who it would be with that sort of knock, she said while wondering if he had some kind of radar that told him she needed comfort or encouragement, "Come in."
Would she receive a visit from everyone in the house before she left? Shit, she hoped not.
Itachi was dressed somewhat casually for the evening in dark jeans and a fitted button up shirt that clung to him so well that it had her mind drifting away from her concerns about Fugaku. Then when he leaned back against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest, she just about died, gaze lingering on the muscles she knew to be there.
It took her a few moments too long to realise he'd left the door open and seemingly carefully maintained a physical distance between them. Only physical because she could read in the way his lips curved and eyes warmed with longing that the sight of her appealed to him.
Was that why he purposely left the door open? To avoid their getting carried away?
"How did yesterday go?" he enquired.
Although certainly not embarrassed or concerned about others knowing that she was in therapy, Sakura was worried about them finding out Itachi was funding the sessions. There was no telling how his family would react to the news, especially as she remembered how viciously Sasuke had reacted to Itachi letting himself into her bedroom to intervene during his episode of rage.
Pointedly lowering her voice to a hush that unfortunately had Itachi focusing way too intently on her lips to read what she had to say, Sakura murmured, "Great, actually. I feel lighter for it."
Just shut the door already, she wanted to plead. The only reason why she didn't was for the sole reason that Sakura knew it wouldn't look good if Sasuke found them in her bedroom with the door shut. Open, it appeared less impure and could easily be explained or brushed off. Closed looked suspicious as hell.
"I'm glad," Itachi replied earnestly and her shoulders sagged somewhat at the gentleness that entered his expression. "Attend for as long as you feel you need or want to. I left my details with Kakashi-san."
Part of Sakura felt the urge to promise she would pay him back in full one day, as she knew someone like Kakashi, who worked in a fancy building and had an entire wall decorated with his certificates and license (not to mention the fact she'd completely skipped any waiting lists he potentially had), would probably charge a fortune. But to do so almost felt wrong. It was clear from the way he looked so relieved that Itachi didn't want anything in return – no, he just wanted to help.
That was all he'd ever wanted to do, although admittedly, lines grew blurred and were repeatedly crossed during that time.
"He set me homework," Sakura stated instead, eliciting an amused chuckle when she sent a wry smile Itachi's way. "I have to do something that takes me out of my comfort zone before our next session."
Intrigued, Itachi settled back more comfortably against the doorframe, asking, "Do you have anything in mind?"
It was with a snort that she gestured towards her outfit, though rolled her eyes at herself while saying, "Well, right now this feels out of my comfort zone."
"Why is that?"
"Knowing Fugaku-san is downstairs and dislikes my outfits–"
It was Itachi's turn to snort, and Sakura promptly looked back to him in surprise at the annoyance in the sound. "Please let me know if there is ever a day where my father actually likes something."
Forcing a chuckle, because she sure as hell didn't want Fugaku overhearing if she happened to agree or talked trash about him, Sakura returned to her dresser and busied herself with finding a set of earrings. Since the majority of her jewellery was still at home, however, it didn't last long and she was forced to refocus on the man who meant too much to her.
While certainly finding him attractive, she knew that it wasn't his appearance that drew her in – had that been the case, then surely she would have liked him from a younger age, or at the very least since his return? No, it was without a doubt his actions and how deeply he appeared to care that left a lasting mark on Sakura, though she couldn't help but wonder if she was perhaps romanticising his kind gestures, or if they were genuine emotions.
Damn it, since her session with Kakashi, it was a reoccurring concern of hers.
Was it possible to trick herself into believing she had feelings for Itachi? Could that be the case? Didn't that make her a shitty fucking person if it happened to be true?
Was she leading him on?
"What is it?" asked Itachi.
Being the coward that she was, Sakura couldn't share her new causes for anxiety with him, instead smiling widely and plucking up her chunky platform heels by their thin ankle straps.
"Just fretting over the outfit again," she lied, despite it making it her feel queasy doing so.
"Don't," came his softly spoken murmur. Lips twitching with a smile that showed more in his gaze, Itachi assured her gently, "You're wonderfully overwhelming."
Overwhelming…?
Why did that sound almost as good as being called beautiful by him?
Shyly ducking her head with a smile, she tried to hide the furious blush, but it was a losing battle that she quickly gave up on.
"We should go and wait downstairs for Sasuke," Itachi suggested after a long pause.
Rather than answering vocally, Sakura took the lead after gathering the rest of her belongings she would need that night, trying and failing to ignore the presence behind her.
It would be a good night.
"Is this really such a good idea?"
He was working up her anxiety. Not purposely, of course. But it was more like his apprehension for their night out was bouncing off hers, creating a whole new thing that was determined on taking them both down.
Damn it, where was Naruto when they needed him? The blond was positive enough for them all and knew exactly what to say to get them out of their heads.
"Being around friends and enjoying ourselves is a good idea," Sakura promised him, forcing a smile that she hoped had the same effect as Naruto's. Placing a hand to Sasuke's tense arm, she sighed, saying, "I need some normalcy."
"Your panic attacks–"
"I'll be okay." The smile became less forced as it gentled, eyes warming at his genuine concern. "I promise, Sasuke-kun."
Besides, she was all dressed up and fully prepared for a night of dancing and drinking (and if she'd managed to sneak under Fugaku's intense radar and leave the manor unscathed, she sure as hell wasn't risking facing his disapproval by returning early or before he went to bed), not to mention everyone was getting together thanks to both Yahiko's and Naruto's determination. Nobody was allowed to say no. If they suddenly cancelled last minute then Sakura had no doubts in her mind that Naruto would turn up and drag their sorry asses to the club, ranting about how cruel they were for ditching him. "How could you do this to me?" she could already hear him whining repeatedly.
A small smile played on her lips at the thought of spending more time with him and their other friends.
"Don't keep quiet if it's too much," he muttered, keeping his voice lowered when they heard someone approaching. "Tell me."
Since the Uchiha family lived so far out of the way of everyone else, she and Sasuke had made the decision to go to Naruto's before meeting up with everyone at the club. Selfishly, she'd pushed her boyfriend into the decision so that she could soak up some of the blond's overflowing confidence in the hopes it'd help boost her own by the time they made it to the club, but Sasuke didn't have to know she was feeling a little deflated.
The front door swinging open had Sakura returning the grin that they were greeted with, the genuine happiness in Naruto's eyes at the sight of them both never failing to warm her heart, but also fill her with concern.
He loved Sasuke just as much as he loved her, and it was partially why she feared Naruto ever finding out about the darker sides of their relationship. While he already knew how bad it could get for Sasuke and how emotional he could be, he didn't know how fast everything was spiralling out of control for them all. Knowing Naruto as well as she did, Sakura knew it would weigh him down, agonising him in more ways than one. He would undoubtedly feel obligated to pick sides, which would take away yet another important pillar in Sasuke's life.
Just as badly as she didn't want to lose either of them, she didn't want them to lose each other. They'd been friends for as long as she and Ino were, and Sakura knew all too well how painful losing such a friendship was (especially in such a dark way).
"Shit," Naruto muttered with a grimace directed down at Sasuke's hand. "What the hell happened to you?"
Sakura couldn't look at her boyfriend's hand, even while knowing it was completely bandaged so that they couldn't see how badly he'd mangled it. It reminded her too much of how badly he'd lost himself to the rage festering within, and how they'd yet to talk about it.
She really didn't want to go there again.
"I was working on Mother's car and it got caught," came Sasuke's disgruntled and unsettlingly believable lie.
And because they all knew how much he worked on his own car, Naruto didn't question the response, merely grimaced once more and invited the pair of them inside.
Like Sasuke's home, his was equally impressive, though certainly not as large as the former's. Oh, it absolutely screamed wealth, but Sakura couldn't deny feeling more at home in the place Minato and Kushina had created for their family.
Still, she waited by the door so that she wouldn't have to remove her heels, thankful that Sasuke stayed with her.
"Oi, Mom," called out the blond while making his way to the dish at the side of the hallway. The clinking of keys caught Sakura's attention and she noticed him slipping his wallet into his back pocket. "We're going!"
"Wait!"
She couldn't help but giggle at Naruto's pained grimace, though he'd already learned the hard way not to fight his strong-willed mother. Instead he remained exactly where he was and greeted the redhead with a pout, one that only grew more pronounced at the sight of her camera.
"You don't have to take our picture, y'know. We're just going out–"
"To your first nightclub!" she shot back, making Sakura avert her gaze guiltily since that wasn't actually true. They'd gone to several despite having been underage. "I want to document the moment and call it 'The Night Before It All Went Down the Drain. Literally'."
What would their parents think if they knew the truth? Not just the clubbing before they were of age (they already knew they'd drank thanks to Sasuke's birthday party), but everything else too. Sakura knew hers would absolutely blow a gasket – her mother in particular. But what could they really expect? For her to sit around an empty home diligently, awaiting their eventual return from their busy schedules?
She wasn't ungrateful for their hard work. Truly, she wasn't. However, she was disheartened that they had to work that hard just to get them in view of the wealthier side of Konoha. So caught up in wanting to join that side and keep up appearances, she felt like they dismissed her. All she really got out of them were breakfasts and the occasional day off. What made it so much worse was that even while working themselves to the bone, collectively they didn't earn even a fraction of what Fugaku raked in, in just a week.
Pretending not to hear Naruto's demands to give them a break and let them go already, Sakura blushed madly at the compliments that were rained down on her from the proud mother. She and Sasuke approached even with their shoes on at her insistence, coming to stand by Naruto's (playfully) grumpy side to pose for pictures.
No, she was not ungrateful. While her basically living with the Uchiha family at that moment stated otherwise, she just wanted her family to spend more time together (without arguing, of course, since that was what drove her away).
Maybe it was time to return home?
"All right!" cheered Naruto over the music, fist pumping the air at the sight of their group and the promise of drinks he didn't have to queue up for, thanks to Sasuke's unusual generosity (she suspected he just wanted to get away from Naruto's questions about his hand). "Tonight's gonna be the best!"
The club was one she'd never been to before, but Sakura tried not to seem like a child by staring at her surroundings in awe. Everything about it screamed that the place was new or at least recently refurbished, but she knew from photos posted online that Ino had frequented the place a few times in the past. Somehow, despite how popular it was, it didn't look worse for wear or have that permanent odour of old beer and sweat.
It consisted of two levels (that she knew of, anyway), the lower one being one huge dancefloor with small tables and stools pushed well out of the way of dancers, whereas the top floor was filled with luxurious booths and platforms that overlooked the dancefloor. Sakura suspected only two at a time were capable of dancing on them, and her heart palpitated nervously at the thought of dancing on one, even with all the safety precautions in place.
Their group was on the top floor, claiming one of the biggest booths that lined the furthest wall. Much to her happiness, it was the one closest to the balcony, meaning she could look out and see everyone dancing.
Everyone was out that night – she'd known from the group chat that they would be, however it wasn't really unusual for one or two out of any friendship group to cancel last minute, so she found herself amazed by the size of their group. It was easily the largest there.
Trying hard not to allow Itachi's gaze be the first one she met (he'd left earlier than them, choosing to meet up with Kisame beforehand), Sakura greeted the group cheerfully. However, she knew in a heartbeat that Naruto outshone her in that department by ditching her so he could swiftly snatch up Itachi's shot glass and down it with the others on his behalf, much to the older man's amusement.
"Looking hot," Deidara complimented and as per their new routine, had her spinning for him as he stood up so that he could view the whole outfit, making her smile bashfully while doing so. The approval came in the form of a question of, "What are your plans for modelling? Is it something you want to keep doing?"
There was no way Deidara didn't know about how badly shit had hit the fan with Kurotsuchi – the look in his eyes told her he knew all about it, but she appreciated how he didn't call her out directly by mentioning Kurotsuchi by name. As far as her boyfriend was aware, she and Kurotsuchi merely drifted after the photoshoot and she had absolutely no idea whether she was still seeing his brother, or how it played out.
"I'm not sure," Sakura admitted sheepishly.
It surprised her when his arm fell around her shoulders, steering her towards the booth their group had hired, though it made perfect sense why when he turned his head into hers, masking the words he was forced to shout over the pounding music so only she would hear him say, "Drama or not, Kurotsuchi is an idiot for dropping you, yeah. But it's her loss. If you want to pursue it, I'd gladly photograph you."
Ah, something told her Sasuke would just about have an aneurism if Deidara was the one photographing her, especially if it got as intimate as the photoshoots with Itachi.
"What's this?"
And there he was, always returning at the worst possible moments.
The tension in her muscles must have been obvious, because Deidara didn't hesitate in speaking up and telling him, "I was just saying I have an opening for a new model and Sakura would be a perfect fit, yeah."
"Model for you?"
"Oi, oi, oi," came Naruto's light-hearted laugh and already knowing what was about to happen, Sakura didn't fight her best friend as he stole her from Deidara's hold, his familiar scent and the comfort of his embrace easing the anxiety threatening to take hold after witnessing the possessiveness in Sasuke's agitated eyes. "It was bad enough seeing your friend all over her – you're a guy, y'know!"
Kicking forward to sit up from his place in the corner of the booth, Hidan snickered at them and only filled them in after Deidara's disbelieving chuckle. "This guy wouldn't know what to do with a pussy even if he had an instruction manual," came his loud, extremely embarrassing announcement, laughter erupting throughout the booth. "He's gay, you fucking morons."
"If anything, you are safer with Deidara than his friend," Sasori added, smirking.
"Gay? Really?" demanded Sasuke with an incredulous roll of his eyes, placing the tray carrying their drinks onto the table.
Snorting, the redhead pulled down the collar of his shirt, totally stunning her with the number of love bites that blatantly continued to travel downwards and muttered, "Here's your proof."
"Put that shit away, show off," came Hidan's mocking laugh. "You're gonna make virgin boy over there jealous."
Itachi rubbed at his temple and belatedly, Sakura realised Hidan meant him, leaving the trio to stare in wide eyed shock. "Hidan-san, we have discussed this before–"
"You're a virgin?" demanded Naruto, shocked.
Was he…?
"No," he replied with a sigh. "Hidan-san simply likes to try and embarrass his friends." Shooting the purple eyed man a dry look, he added, "Keyword being try."
Weirdly enough she felt relieved by his answer, even though in the back of her mind Sakura had already suspected that Itachi wasn't a virgin. No, he couldn't have been. He was way too skilled and knew exactly how to drive her crazy–
Thankful for the drink being pressed into her hand, she tried to distract herself from the unforgivable thoughts by taking a long sip from her straw, sparing a glance towards the balcony that overlooked the dancefloor more to avoid eye contact with anyone else than to admire the view.
There had to be hundreds of people down there, Sakura thought in astonishment as she approached the glass barriers and steel banisters of the balcony. It was hard to pinpoint how any one person was feeling, but she liked to believe the overall vibe of the lower level was positive. At least, she couldn't see any fights or disagreements, despite how absurdly busy it was. They were dancing together beneath the flashing lights, voices lost to the pounding bass that pulsated throughout her body.
"Oi," came the amused voice of her best friend, his arm carelessly coming to her shoulders to drag Sakura back to the group. "We can go dance later, but right now we're doing shots!"
The shots were a great way for her to unwind, she realised after the fourth one. They allowed her to momentarily forget about her troubles as she leaned into photographs and laughed at jokes that she only heard half of. It even granted her the courage to shoot back at the rambunctious Hidan with equal levels of banter that had him in near hysterics, declaring that she no longer appeared a "snobby fuck" and he may even be in love. Hell, despite the insulted reactions of those who cared deeply for her, Sakura hadn't been the slightest bit offended by Hidan's backhanded compliment, too exhilarated that she wasn't being the downer she'd feared she would be.
For once, she wasn't fretting over how she appeared to others or what they thought of her. Although she could feel the heavy stares of both Uchiha men, Sakura didn't try to get a read on them or how they were feeling, knowing without even thinking it over that it was the quickest way to snatch her back down to the reality Naruto had plucked her out of.
Grinning down on the dancefloor, she ran a hand through her hair and copied Naruto's wacky movements that made others give them a wide berth for fear of being taken out. Gods, she knew she could always rely on him to yank her straight out of the box she'd been shoved into – not just pull her out of it, but fiercely stomp on it until it no longer existed (at least, until the night was over and it was replaced with an improved version).
The blond jerked her closer before spinning Sakura out, catching her at the very last second just as she nearly crashed into another. He was all sheepish smiles and apologies until Naruto realised she found it equally hilarious, soon whooping when he spotted their being summoned back up to the balcony.
"I'm gonna be dead by morning," he slurred happily, scooting Sakura in front of himself when they reached the stairs. "You'll be deader than dead!"
"It's okay if I die," she assured him unnecessarily and spun on the step she was on, grinning down at him as his hands hovered worriedly over her. Her next words had him laughing at her, though she certainly didn't take any offence. "I'm unemployed now!"
Somehow, they made their way back to the booth and she was pleasantly surprised to find her boyfriend's relaxed slouch in his seat, the smile in his eyes unmissable as he spoke with Itachi and Kisame. Luckily for them, they weren't the last ones to return, though she highly doubted she would have had difficulty finding a seat. No, apparently, she didn't need one as she was sandwiched into the small space between Sasuke and Itachi at Naruto's insistence (claiming Hidan was starting to love her too much and he was growing jealous), heart stuttering and dragging her out of the drunken haze briefly.
"Ha, clearly she's the virgin here," Hidan laughed at her expense, prompting Sakura to cover her raging cheeks.
Before there were any chances of her boyfriend losing his temper, she gripped at his sleeve and offered him a sharp smile that took Sasuke by surprise. "Clearly he's overcompensating," she alerted him, much to Hidan's horror as he snapped at her to take it back. "You're too obsessed with other peoples' virginities, virgin boy!"
It was a good night, Sakura thought to herself happily, drunkenly taking in the sight of her group of friends. What's more, she was out of her comfort zone – homework complete!
Part of her was wary to think about her, but as the night wore on, Sakura couldn't help but wonder: was that why Ino drank in the beginning? The alcohol in her system had undeniably lowered her anxiety levels, and she felt like she was floating when Deidara and Konan dragged her over to the platforms on the balcony, encouraging Sakura to dance with them. Had she been sober, there wasn't a chance in hell that she would have joined them – hell, she'd turned them down the first time when she already had four shots in her system.
"You're driving them crazy," came the startling words of Deidara, low enough so Konan couldn't hear them as she chose to yell out over the crowd of dancers on the ground below them. Pulling her closer, he continued impishly, "Neither of them can take their eyes off you, yeah."
Disbelievingly, Sakura glanced back at the booth only to blush heavily at the stares focused entirely on her. While lust certainly played a factor in their lidded gazes (alcohol being the main contributor), she could tell effortlessly from the lightness of their expressions that they were mostly happy to see her having so much fun for the first time in a long time.
And honestly? She was too.
"Stop trying to be a bad influence," she shot back. "I love Sasuke-kun."
"Doesn't mean you don't love Itachi too," Deidara replied without missing a beat, leaning closer to shout the words down her ear.
Frowning, she pulled back to look up at him and shook her head faintly, like she was refusing to let the words sink in. No, she was enjoying the night too much to focus on how selfish she was being by trying to have it all.
Rather than answer Deidara or give him any reason to push the conversation further, Sakura grinned widely and accepted Konan's distraction as the woman spun on her heel, forcing the other two to catch her before she fell out of the platform they'd nabbed. The space wasn't all that big – having all three of them there was a definite push of the limits – but none of them cared as they burst into laughter, making do with what little room they had to dance.
…Still, Sakura couldn't help but spare glances back to the table as she danced with them, swallowing hard whenever she caught sight of the intensity of each of their lidded stares. Each time she spotted it, Sakura once more returned to trying to block them both out, allowing Konan to coax her into copying her style of dancing.
"I love this song," yelled Konan, raising their hands for them.
Part of her expected Sasuke to intervene or demand her attention like he usually did whenever someone was a little too close to her for his liking. But even as Deidara had them all moving in unison in their cramped space with fingers entwined, body parts bumping and having to shout directly down ears to hear what was being said, he didn't move from his spot. And as ridiculous as she was for feeling such a way, Sakura couldn't help but shoot him a wide, grateful smile for his seeming growth in maturity.
She felt free.
She was out of her comfort zone but wasn't hating a single moment of it, like Sakura had originally thought she would.
For the first time in a long time, she was stunned by the lightness of her shoulders and heart, that the ever-present anxiety eased even if only for one night, allowing her to move more effortlessly in time with the beat and the other two's dancing, not feeling a shred of what used to hold her back as she copied their more risqué moves that she previously would have baulked at. The heat created by the three of them had her sweating lightly, but Sakura was relieved to find she wasn't the only one, laughing freely when Konan fanned herself, the flashing lights highlighting the sheen covering them.
"More shots," Deidara told them both, indicating to the mischievous Naruto who passed them with a horrifyingly large tray of shot glasses.
"Is he trying to kill us?" came Konan's startled response, but contradicted herself by being the first to follow after him, finding her spot beside Yahiko with a shockingly flirty smile.
Thanking Deidara for his assistance in climbing down from the platform in her heels, Sakura wasn't surprised in the least when a different group lunged at the opportunity to take it from them, for it was exactly what they'd done to get it in the first place.
"Don't worry, we'll send Hidan or Kisame to take it back after, yeah," he assured her with a smirk at her disappointment, guiding her with a pushy hand to move towards the table. "C'mon, or they'll drink ours too."
Probably for the best if they did, Sakura thought numbly as she took in the sheer number of glasses put before each person. It was absurd and like Konan said: it seemed like Naruto was trying to kill them all off. If they continued to knock them back that heavily, then Sakura knew a good fraction of their group would be out of commission within the next hour and yes, that definitely included her also.
Still, she didn't argue when he guided her into what she now knew to be her spot between Sasuke and Itachi, eyes widening at her four shots. She spotted Kisame already arranging his into an easier to grab position out of the corner of her eye, the sight making Itachi smirk with amusement, but what really captured her attention was Hidan's shout of "fucking pussy" and snatching Kakuzu's shots from him, dividing them between himself and Naruto with a challenging smile.
She loved Itachi's friends, Sakura realised while looking around the table (even the weird, quiet ones), eyes soon settling on Sasuke's and warming as she noticed he was also enjoying himself.
"Go!" ordered Naruto and Hidan simultaneously, eyes gleaming with their self-made challenge.
Somehow, Hidan's roll of the tongue noise of excitement was heard over the music with great ease, as was the slamming of his six shot glasses as he took one after another with no issues, leaving Naruto in the dust (not that he seemed to mind all that much).
"I fucking love this guy," declared Naruto with a toothy grin, encouraged by Hidan's not so inner party animal to release his own. Knocking back his drinks with shaking shoulders that gave away how horribly they affected him, he paused on the third one and accused them thickly, "Oi, why aren't you drinking? Hurry up!"
Who was she to say no when someone else was buying the rounds?
Unlike the others, Sakura had to pause after the second, one hand coming to cover her mouth while the other hesitated in grabbing the next shot. They weren't as strong as the other ones, she easily noticed (and was secretly grateful for), but where they lacked in that department, they overcompensated for with a horrid, sweet taste that clung to the back of her throat, thickening up her saliva.
She and Sasuke were the last to finish their shots, with her last glass clattering back to the table a handful of seconds after his. Honestly, she knew they were both worse for wear, looking the most effected out of them all, but Sakura also knew that they didn't drink half as much as the rest.
"I need some air," announced Sasuke.
"Want me to come with?" questioned Naruto from his position of slowly swaying to the music, hiccupping.
Shaking his head, he grabbed his phone and stood from the table only to hesitate in his leaving, looking back down at her. Then, making her cheeks burn horrendously (and opening her up to more of Hidan's relentless teasing that Naruto now joined in on), Sasuke asked, "You coming?"
Thankful when Itachi assured her she could leave her bag and drink with him, Sakura accepted the hand awaiting hers, cheeks warming in response to Sasuke entwining their fingers and guiding her out of the club.
From his deep inhale once they left the club, she could tell that Sasuke was grateful for the fresh air, though at the obnoxious voices coming from inside and outside the club, he guided her around the corner. It was considerably darker there, essentially an alleyway Sakura realised belatedly and she frowned when Sasuke leaned back against the brick wall, head falling back against it after a moment.
She smiled shyly at the insistent tug of her hand, though there was no hiding her blush as that hand released hers to fall to her waist, keeping her close. Being so close fought off the summer night's chill, which she appreciated greatly.
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
Sakura nodded, smiling drunkenly. "Loads."
Chuckling at the severely lacking response, Sasuke looked down at her until he shut his eyes with a sigh, the hold on her hip tightening briefly.
"Are you?" she asked after a much too long pause. Worry wrapped around her heart at the lethargy in his movements and Sakura stepped closer, hands cradling Sasuke's face to tilt his head downwards. "Sasuke-kun?"
"Yeah," he reassured her, confirming his words with a slow kiss that had her yearning for more. "Seeing you like this is good."
Unable to resist the pull between them, Sakura leaned up for another kiss with a hand that found its way to the nape of his neck, keeping Sasuke close – not that she really needed to. Based solely off the way he groaned quietly at the nibbling of his lower lip and how he dragged her so much closer to his body, he didn't want the moment to end either and she found herself smiling into the kiss.
Going out had been a good idea, she decided with much more confidence than earlier that evening. They were all loosening up.
The thumping bass that felt like it was bouncing off the walls of the club covered her sound of surprise when Sasuke switched up their positions, leaning over her with his forearm pressed to the wall and sending a shock of arousal to her system.
Sasuke was always attractive to her, even with all the shit they'd gone through, but looking at him now through her drunken haze and with her inhibitions lowered, she couldn't help but marvel at how maddeningly sexy he was. It prompted her to run her hands along his chest and waist, tugging at him until Sasuke was breathing out a single chuckle and pressing his body up against hers.
"Is this okay?" he asked, voice lowering an octave and telling her that he wasn't immune to the exact same pull as herself.
At least one of them was thinking relatively normally, part of her snorted. However, the rational side of herself was passed out and left the reins solely to the irrational side, who was now fuelled by the very same dangerous substance that put the other half on her ass.
To prove that it was so okay, Sakura closed the scant few inches of distance between them and sealed her lips over his, then giggled drunkenly when a few obnoxious club goers interrupted them by stumbling away from the building, already going home. That giggling turned into full blown laughter at the buckling of a guy's leg just as he tried to step over a curb, and she quickly buried her face into Sasuke's chest to mask it.
At the insistence of a hand to her cheek, she looked up at her boyfriend, smiling at the surprising tenderness in his gaze.
"You should get out more," he murmured, then apparently realised how it sounded because he shook his head suddenly, huffing. "I mean with friends."
"I know what you meant," she assured him, giggling again.
Nodding gratefully, Sasuke pressed a kiss to her lips. "You look happy."
"I am." But just as she went to say more, Sakura heard the change in beat and recognising it to be one of her favourite dance songs, she tugged insistently on Sasuke's shirt and attempted to pull away, grinning. "C'mon, Sasuke-kun. Naruto'll be lookin' for us!"
They even had their own little routine to the song, although admittedly, it'd never been seen by anyone outside of their trio. Of course, Sasuke never involved himself in the dance and thought that they were ridiculous, but it never took away from the fun – at least, it never used to. Would it now?
Slowly grasping that she was sobering up now that the fresh air had hit her senses (or was it because of Sasuke's intensity in that moment?), she glanced up at her boyfriend, taking a great interest in the contemplative expression that only just kicked the need for her down to second place. Still, second place or not, lust was lust and witnessing that was how he was feeling caused her throat to dry out. The only issue was that thanks to the alcohol, she couldn't tell if she felt anything negative towards it.
"I love you," he told her in a sigh.
Pouting, she teased, "Try not to sound too happy about it."
He smirked at that and leaned forward, surprising her with another kiss, then another and another until she was breathing out a quiet moan that was muffled by his tongue, hands disappearing beneath his shirt and in his hair.
She wasn't the only one going out of her comfort zone, Sakura quickly came to realise, eyes opening blearily despite the fact she couldn't focus on his features while they kissed. Always one to be so against public displays of affection, he had her head spinning with the way he caged her in, hands hungrily exploring the bare skin between her shorts and crop top until he stole her breath away entirely by cautiously tugging on the waistband like he was asking permission.
Sakura's heart thundered away in her chest in time to the beat coming from the club behind her, palpitating nervously whenever there was a change in the volume that signified someone entering or leaving the premises – but it was a good kind of nervous, she believed.
The loosening of her belt had Sakura breaking the kiss briefly to glance downwards, watching in a daze as Sasuke's hand toyed with the material, silently telling her that he was hesitant to push any further. Though, that was before her silence and lack of rejection came to his attention and she bit her lip at the slipping of his hand beneath the waistband, exhaling shakily.
"Sasuke-kun…"
Much to her gratefulness, Sasuke took away her only reservation by angling his body so that his back was facing the mouth of the alleyway, blocking their actions from outsiders.
"Tell me to stop and I will," he assured her in a low murmur, hand continuing its exploration.
…No. She didn't want him to stop, not when it felt so good.
Her eyes slid shut at the gentle probing, hands grasping at his body when Sasuke fumbled trying to find her clitoris (making her secretly hope it wasn't only because of the alcohol, but due to his inexperience shining through). At the first real shock of pleasure, Sakura stumbled heavily into the wall, almost losing her balance in her heels and making Sasuke snicker at her expense, eyes warm while drinking in the sight of her.
"Klutz," he whispered playfully.
Why couldn't it be this way between them all the time?
Groaning at the feeling of his fingers spreading slickening lips, Sakura pressed herself against her boyfriend, mewling softly into his neck. There wasn't one place that she wanted to touch – she wanted it all and it showed in her restless exploration of his body above his clothes, her needs only intensifying when Sasuke teased her opening.
Was she really about to do this? Could she seriously let him…?
It wasn't even stepping out of her comfort zone at that point. No, they were running out of it at full speed until it was a meagre dot on the horizon.
"I've missed touching you," he confessed, clearly more confident thanks to the alcohol.
The words he wanted to add – of missing how effortless touching used to be for them – hung in the air between them until Sakura gently tugged Sasuke down for another kiss, hissing in a mixture of discomfort and pleasure when he used that moment to slide a finger inside, thumb awkwardly manoeuvring to try and find her clitoris once more. However, the fumbling increased the discomfort more than pleasured her and so she caught his arm and stopped all movements.
As selfish as she seemed for finding comfort in his embarrassment of doing it wrong, she couldn't deny that his shining inexperience helped unwind the nerves threatening to get the best of her. Like herself, he didn't know what the hell he was doing, which only made sense considering all they knew was each other.
She sealed her lips over his to silence the apology, using her actions to show him she was okay and wanted to continue. They would figure it out together, her touches promised him. They had so much time to familiarise themselves with the other's body, her kisses vowed.
Sakura rolled her hips into his hand to test out what rhythm she best preferred, sighing at the sensation of Sasuke swiftly taking control after reading her cues. That was the best part about having a long-term boyfriend, she liked to believe. Having them know her so intimately (even without the sexual part of the relationship) to know such things, to be able to read her so effortlessly and know where her head was at.
That was why she was completely ready for his adding a second finger, legs spreading wider to better accommodate the steady thrusting that was gradually working her up, the pace increasing whenever their tongues tangled messily, leaving her breathless and desperate.
Gods, she couldn't believe she was actually doing something so crazy and reckless.
Yes, it was with her boyfriend and yes, there was the excuse of how much they'd had to drink, but–
Panting harshly when the curling of his fingers had her momentarily dazed, she clutched at Sasuke's arms tightly, head falling back to the wall and leaving herself open for another passionate kiss that had her moaning and clamping around his pumping fingers.
Refusing to be the one receiving all the pleasure and feeling an intense yearning to touch him too, Sakura ran her fingers up his arms, grasping at the back of his neck and hair until she dragged her hands down his body. As always, his physique appealed to her massively and she showed her appreciation in teasing caresses until she decided to move on, hand slipping to the bulge in his jeans and–
Pain shot through Sakura when Sasuke abruptly yanked himself backwards and she only just heard his muttered curse and apology. Already, he was back on her, hands hesitant until they settled on her hips, almost like he couldn't bring himself to return to his previous ministrations.
"Sakura, I'm–"
Breathing deeply through her nose to try and ignore the stinging sensation between her thighs, she could just about bring herself to meet Sasuke's gaze, heart going out to him at the minute panic that lingered in his eyes. Both their chests were heaving, both startled by his reaction.
"W-Was that…" Swallowing hard since she knew how he felt about the whole situation, she asked softly, "Are you okay?"
"Me?" he demanded with equal softness, but Sakura knew to steal a quick glance at his hands when he wasn't watching her and could tell by the minute shake that he was losing control. It was the first time since the night out started that she felt anxiety returning at full force, smashing its way through the drunken haze easily. "You're the one who just got hurt–"
"Because I crossed a line," Sakura pointed out warily, knowing how he reacted to her making excuses for him. "I…" Averting her gaze at the frustration in his features, she murmured weakly, "…After what happened, I struggled being touched too."
Frustration made way for pain and Sasuke frowned deeply. "I'm sorry–"
But she shook her head, not listening to the apology because she knew she'd crossed a line – granted, one she didn't know existed, but that was beside the point.
"We're both new to this," she added gently and caught Sasuke's arm, bringing him back to her with little resistance on his part. It warmed her heart and gave her hope to see that it didn't take much to calm his mind and emotions, when previously, nothing got through to him. "Maybe once we've sobered up properly, we should talk about boundaries?"
She knew that his looking away meant he was reluctant to do it, though no doubt it was only because he didn't want to admit to needing those boundaries. There was nothing wrong with needing more time to heal, or more patience from a partner to learn to move past what had happened – that was what she wanted to tell him. However, she knew from the tension in his muscles that it would come across as nothing more than a lecture.
"Are you hurt?" he asked lowly, unable to meet her eye.
Sakura's heart sunk. Even an idiot would be quick to catch onto the mood being well and truly destroyed. Still, to try and salvage as much of the evening as she could, Sakura lied with shocking ease, "No."
They covered their absence by making a beeline for the dancefloor, pretending like they'd been down there the whole time as they blended into the crowds, dancing until Sakura caught the eye of Nagato and Naruto up on the balcony. She put on a show of being tipsy, waving cheerily up at them until the latter was gesturing exaggeratively for them to return to the booth.
That was when Sasuke excused himself however, knowing that she could make it back to the booth alone from the bottom of the stairs. She'd been able to read in his body language that he'd needed to take a step back, to have a moment alone to process, but she was proud of him for fighting the building anger and itch to get away, at least to make sure their briefly steamy getaway seemed less scandalous.
Pausing to watch her boyfriend disappear in the direction of the exit, Sakura sighed heavily and traipsed up the stairs, deciding on sneaking off to the bathroom while she had a moment alone. She was glad to find that it was considerably quieter back there, allowing her a few moments to think while assessing her makeup in one of the large mirrors.
Luckily for her, said makeup was passable. While it was evident that they'd been making out, it was just as conceivable that she was merely sweating it off or had long lost her lip gloss to the many drinks she'd been guzzling. It had to be okay, Sakura thought to herself with a knot of anxiety. She'd left her bag with Itachi–
Itachi.
Holy fuck, Itachi.
Guilt bloomed viciously in her chest, confirming that the effects of the alcohol were burning off.
How could she…?
No. Sasuke was her boyfriend. There was no 'how could she' about it, seeing as he wasn't the one who she promised herself to, or owed loyalty and faithfulness to.
But still…
"Hey, are you okay?" came a concerned voice from behind her.
Glancing up via the reflection, Sakura offered a polite smile to the stranger behind her, heart warming somewhat at the genuine worry in the woman's expression.
"Yeah, I'm good," she assured her, smiling more reassuringly. "Just the alcohol leaving my system."
"The come downs are the worst part," she replied with a chuckle. Stepping around Sakura, the other woman leaned over the sink to look closer at her reflection, quickly swiping on more lip gloss and puckering up. After deeming the application perfect, she looked to her and encouraged with a tap to her nose, "You should get back out there and have more fun. There's plenty going around."
Plenty going around…?
Realising she must have meant fun, she thanked the woman and ducked out the bathroom feeling surprisingly reassured, though took a few moments extra in the somewhat quieter hallway before she returned to the madness that was their booth. Maybe if she waited long enough, she would intercept Sasuke in his own return, making it seem less weird than their returning separately. Would it look weird? Was she reading into it too much?
Just as Sakura decided to hell with it and was ready to go back alone to brave the questions that she would no doubt be dogpiled with, she was immobilised by the sounds of raising, familiar voices arguing not too far from her. She was prompted to listen in by her anxiety that whispered harshly that it had to be about her, since she was one of two women in their group.
"–about her. What you're doing is stupid."
That was definitely someone from the group, she realised and swallowed hard. If she was to hazard a guess, then Sakura would have presumed that it was Sasori, for his drawl was so lazy and dispassionate that it was difficult to replicate. But why was he arguing with someone? Who was he arguing with? More importantly, were they actually discussing her like her head was screaming they were?
"Can't you read the cues?"
"It's none of our business–"
"That she looks like such a fucking victim? Don't be an ass, man."
A… A victim?
Sakura recoiled at the words, stomach growing more unsettled by the moment as her gut screamed that they were talking about her, for who else in their group looked like a victim? The only other woman was Konan.
Leaning back heavily against the wall, she glanced down at her trembling fingers and took several long moments to convince herself to pinch each tip to ground herself.
One, two–
"Kurotsuchi told me all about the vibe–"
Three, four–
"Again, not our concern–"
Five–
"Know what? Fuck your attitude."
One, two–
"Deidara–"
"No, fuck you."
Three, four, five.
One, two, three, four, five. One, two–
"Sakura-chan?"
Pitifully, she looked to her best friend as he paused in leaving the men's bathroom, squinting eyes instantly drawn to the trembling finger counting that evidently was not working in easing her nerves as they wound ever tighter. Even in his blatantly drunk state and the humorous way he approached, stumbling along the way and having to steady himself against the wall, the concern shone through everything else.
"Wassup?" mumbled Naruto curiously, continuing to watch as she pinched each fingertip harshly. "Where's Sasuke?"
The potent stench of the shots he'd knocked back since arriving several hours ago was damn near overwhelming, however she had no choice but to face it head on. Clumsy, sweaty hands worked their way between hers, separating them so that he could hold onto them. Inwardly, she despaired at having the counting disturbed.
"Sakura-chan?" he tried again. Dipping his head closer to meet her eye, he squinted harder like he was struggling to focus, no doubt seeing several of her by that point in the night. "Talk to me?"
She wouldn't know where to even start with it all, but Gods, did she want to tell him everything. Absolutely everything. And Sakura could tell that it showed in her expression, because for several long moments Naruto agonised over the silence, his own face falling with helplessness. But what could she do? To tell him everything meant that Sasuke could potentially lose his best friend – that was assuming Naruto took her side. Would he even believe her?
"Don't cry," he stammered and reached up, wiping away tears she hadn't even realised were there. Well, she thought he had, until Naruto damn near poked her eye out in his attempts, finally bringing forth a burst of laughter that had his eyes softening. "There ya go!"
Sighing heavily, Sakura yanked him to her just as the blond stumbled once more, partly to steady him but more so… just because, and much to her relief, Naruto seemed to understand that she just needed comfort. No more questions were asked, no more concerned glances (for now, at least). He simply held her.
When the spinning world became too much for him to handle, he threw his side into the wall, though warmed her heart by refusing to let go for even a second. A clammy hand ran over the top and back of her head, causing her to snicker at his attempt of soothing however the gesture wasn't lost on her. That was until she grew concerned about the state her hair was going to be in once they separated, especially as strands got tangled somehow in his heavy hand and threatened to ruin the moment.
"C'mon, let's go back to the guys," he suggested cheerily.
Honestly, while she was certainly still tipsy, her pleasant buzz was more or less gone. Sticking around after hearing what she had, after that painful moment with Sasuke and not even knowing what the hell was going on or what she'd be returning to, made her feel physically sick.
How was she supposed to sit there or dance with them after hearing…?
That she looks like such a fucking victim?
"N-Naruto?" Unsteadily, he tried to lean back though was forced to catch himself against the wall once more, chin dipping and horrifying her at the sound of him swallowing down what she sincerely hoped was just a burp. "Am I…"
Seeing how hard he was trying to focus on her had Sakura reluctantly smiling, gaze dropping to his jellified legs. "Hmm?"
Asking now when he was clearly passed the point of being wasted meant the chances of him remembering their conversation were slim to none, especially since the music held the potential to drown everything else out for her. Playing it all off if he did remember would be easy, right?
"Do I… look like a victim?" she forced herself to ask, grimacing when nothing more than a whisper came out.
He leaned closer with a scowl, head turning so that his ear was closer to her mouth. "What d'ya say?"
Fresh tears pricked at her eyes as she found it was even harder asking the question the second time round, stomach twisting uneasily at Naruto's reaction. She almost wished he hadn't heard it once again so that it gave her the chance to back out or pretend that she wanted to say something different. But he quickly pulled back to look down at her despite how evidently disorientating it all was, the troubled frown breaking through his cheery drunkenness.
"…Sakura-chan?" he mumbled worriedly, exhaling sharply like she'd punched him in the gut rather than asked a seemingly simple question. "Why would you ask–"
"What the fuck is going on here?"
A/N - I'll be coming back to this chapter at some point to edit it fully, but for now this will do.
I've started drawing fanart again - you can find all my uncensored art on my Twitter (RiseOTBlossom) but please be aware that I also post NSFW fanart!