Chapter 24

-XXX-

SASUKE

Since we exchanged marriage vows, we've sort of come to a quiet truce. The things that had always annoyed me, no longer bothered me. Maybe because I understood their causes. Maybe I was more patient because she understood me.

Between our conversations, visits to Tsunade, yoga classes, color samples, and between dinners and game nights with friends, we became... allies. Maybe even friends. We had a common goal and instead of arguing and tug-of-war, we actually bonded.

I felt my tongue wasn't as sharp as it used to be. What had been my nasty and heartless remarks had now become mere teasing. It was only because I liked hearing her laugh. I always looked forward to telling her how my day had been in the evening too.

When she was sad because Tsunade was in a bad mood, I would try to cheer her up. A couple of times I took her out to dinner at a restaurant just so she could dress nicely and enjoy herself.

I found myself wishing I was closer to her. It felt natural to hold her hand, sometimes even kiss her on the forehead or stroke her hair when we were in people's sight. I did it without thinking, it was just part of our present life together.

Maybe I'll surprise her today. I'll offer to go out if she wants. We can stop by Tsunade's and bring her a fancy treats or have a quick card game with her. Then we can order some food at home. I'll be resting while she can watch her favorite show or movie. Hopefully, a quiet evening like this will help me with my headache.

I'll ask her what she'd like. I loved watching the look of excitement on her face when I gave her the opportunity to choose whatever her heart desires.

...

I was finally home. I parked the car and opened the front door, behind which I could hear voices echoing from the living room. I recognized them both and grinned. Hinata was visiting us. I closed the door behind me and took off my coat on the coat rack, while fast footsteps approached me.

Sakura appeared from around the corner, looking like she was about to break down. I was used to her usually being cheerful, so I was surprised when she threw her arms around my neck and clung to me. "What's wrong?" I asked her with concern and she shook her head, though she was obviously upset.

"Hinata is here... probably worried about the storm that's coming. And Naruto's away on his business trip." She whispered in my ear as if she was afraid Hinata might hear her. I knew right away what was going on. "She asked if she could stay here until the storm passes." She continued and I confirmed my theory. Looks like my rest will have to wait.

I took a deep breath. "In your room?"

"Yes." She answered immediately and I pulled away from her so I could see her face, which she had hidden in the hollow of my neck until now. "Is it...?" She nodded without me having to finish the sentence. "Completely painted and ready, yes."

Okay, we'd have a room for Hinata then.

"That's good." I responded with complete calm and a slight look of relief glimmered in her eyes. "I... I didn't..." Sakura hesitated on how to explain this situation. It seemed to be weighing on her mind that she had allowed Hinata to stay the night without telling me beforehand.

"It's okay." I assured her, taking her hand. She looked at our joined hands in a little surprise, but by then I had already gone ahead to the living room, leading her behind me.

"Hinata." I greeted the girl nervously perched on our couch. The woman I was used to seeing at work, calm, collected, composed and with a warm little smile, was now huddled in the corner of the couch, certainly not looking calm. She was pale and looked scared out of her wits.

"I... I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun..." She began cautiously.

"Storms scare me so much..." There was a silent pause before she continued. "My parents... They... they went abroad with my younger sister to the gymnastics competition... and Naruto's away on work-related trip." In a weak, barely audible voice, she slowly stammered out her explanation as to why she's in our house, and we both listened patiently, giving her space.

"And so I didn't know what to do. The house seems awfully big with everyone gone..." She added at last, a little more firmly, but in turn with her eyes watering with tears ready to fall.

I let go of Sakura's hand and went to sit across from Hinata. "It's okay. I'm glad you came." I said, maybe a little too stiffly. "Sakura-chan said you didn't have any plans for tonight, so I hope I'm not interrupting..." She glanced at us in turns and then dug her gaze into the ground, not knowing who to apologize to first.

Sakura took a breath with a prepared response, but I beat her to it. "No." I shook my head with a small sigh. "Because I have a migraine, I was looking forward to going home for a quiet evening. So, we'll survive here together." Hinata finally stopped hypnotizing the floor and looked up at me. "Thank you so much, Sasuke-kun... "

From the side, I saw Sakura smiling at me, though I didn't know why, so I stood up. "It's no problem. I'm going to go change and take a shower." Without further delay, I made my way to the staircase. "I'll get you a painkiller for your migraine." Sakura offered, taking a few steps behind me.

"You're looking all pale, Sasuke-kun. Are you sure you're okay?" I turned around and saw her worried expression. "It'll pass. I think I'll sleep for a while." She smiled in agreement and added: "I'll get you a cold compress, too." I was touched by her concern for me.

"Thank you, Sakura." We exchanged one last look and I went upstairs.

Upstairs, I looked around Sakura's newly painted room. I didn't go in while she was redecorating because she didn't want me to. She wanted me to see the final result when it was done. The furniture she had ordered had some delays, so the work had taken longer than she had planned. That's why Sakura had finished all of the renovations in her room only this week.

There was a bag on the floor that I hadn't seen here before, apparently belonging to Hinata. The finished room looked like a guest room should. Empty. None of Sakura's personal belongings lay around. She'd only added a bookcase and unpacked a few boxes to fill the shelves with books and some other little things. In the corner was a new chair, a small table and a lamp.

Out of curiosity, I opened the dresser drawer, then the closet and I found both empty except for a few boxes she had stored in the closet. On the bed were the new sheets Sakura had bought. It was well arranged. She was quick.

I went to my room and had to stop for a moment. Sakura had her stuff just all over my room. Her robe was thrown at the foot of the bed, its deep red silk shimmering in the lamplight. Here and there she spread out pictures of herself with Tsunade.

On the formerly vacant bedside table was a pile of books and a half-empty glass of water. The dresser was littered with cosmetics and bottles of her favorite perfume. I didn't even have to look, and it was clear that she had filled the bottom drawers with her clothes.

The closet was still stacked with her clothes, which she intended to move back to her room this week. In the bathroom, I discovered her toothbrush next to mine, and skin creams and lotions sitting on the counter by the sink. She must have whizzed around like a tornado to make it look like it was her room too. Then when I came out of the shower, she was waiting for me at the little table with a cold compress and painkiller.

She closed the door to give us some privacy. "How much time did you have to do all this?" I asked in a low voice because I could hear movement in the hallway. Hinata had probably gone to the guest room to unpack her stuff. "About fifty minutes. I still have some things in boxes that I didn't have time to unpack. When she called and cried if she could come in here, I hurriedly started spreading things all over the place." Sakura began to explaining to me.

With a deep sigh, she added: "Luckily she called me before she got here. I told her I was out and that I'd be home in about an hour. I didn't know how to turn her down." She shrugged and slumped her shoulders. "I know..." I agreed and walked closer to her.

"Are you okay with that?" She looked up at me with those green eyes. I heaved a sigh and reached for the pill. "It's fine. At least you'll enjoy my snoozing up close." I looked at my huge bed teasingly and Sakura watched my gaze uncomprehendingly.

I had to smirk at the way she instantly turned as red as a tomato and her eyes widened. She was so busy preparing the scene that she hadn't thought about what would happen next. I popped the pill in my mouth and reached for the bottle of water she'd brought me too.

I smiled as she pulled herself together after a moment and encouraged me to lie down on the bed. I collapsed onto the bed and groaned in relief when she placed a cold compress on my forehead. "Better?" She asked with a slight chuckle on her lips. "Hn..." A sound of absolute satisfaction escaped my lips. The room was filled with a quiet yet comfortable atmosphere.

"Get some rest and I'll call you when dinner is ready." As if by reflex, I grabbed her hand when she tried to pull away from my forehead and gently kissed the front of her hand. "Sasuke-kun..." She whispered in startlement, then smiled again.

"Somehow you've gone soft." She scolded me and ran her hand over my aching forehead. I closed my eyes and gave in to her gentle touch. "It's your fault..." I muttered. "I know." She replied tenderly, closing the door behind her as she left.

...

It turns out that spending an evening with two nervous, stressed-out women is annoying, but at least interesting. Hinata was naturally quiet, so her absolute silence wasn't so disturbing by itself. But it was Sakura that surprised me more. I was used to her being calm, but today she was unstoppable. All evening.

She was showing Hinata her plans for painting and decorating the living room and "our room". She kept asking questions about the history of yoga, the history and members of the Hyuga family... and generally asked about anything that popped into her head. And she talked nonstop.

She also never sat down for a moment. She was running here and there, waving her hands to emphasize her ideas. Every object in the room she picked up, moved, straightened and adjusted at least twice. She patted Hinata's shoulder constantly, to make sure she was okay. She was also constantly feeding her and preparing snacks for her.

After dinner, I went to lie down in the living room. Sakura changed the cold compress on my forehead every twenty minutes, so it probably never reached room temperature. I have to admit, it was nice when she stood behind me and talked while massaging my temples with her fingers. Such care did me good and the migraine began to subside despite Sakura's constant chatter.

Still, her behavior seemed more than a little odd. Even Hinata gave me a questioning look now and then when Sakura was out of earshot. I shrugged my shoulders and I thought of the first thing that came to my mind, even though I was confused myself.

"She's afraid of the storm, too."

Hinata blinked in surprise, but after a moment she seemed content with my explanation. Around 10:00 p.m., the storm began to subside. The thunder had diminished to an occasional rumble, but the rain continued to fall on the glass windows.

Hinata got up from the table in the kitchen a little after 10:30 p.m., where she was sipping the hot cocoa Sakura had prepared for her. "Thank you for all your care, both of you. I'm going to go to bed now. Maybe I can get some sleep before the next storm comes." Sakura looked over her shoulder from the sink, where she was washing dishes for the third time. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I can sleep next to you in the chair so I can be close to you."

Hinata shook her head and cleaned up after herself. "I don't want to bother you anymore, Sakura-chan. I'll be okay... It's enough that I know you're just across the hall. Thank you." Hinata finished speaking and turned towards the couch in the living room, from where I was watching the two girls. "I know it's completely enough for you to see me at work, Sasuke-kun, but... But I really appreciate it." Hinata, all embarrased, lowered her gaze to her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"That was no problem." After a moment, she looked at me again and smiled shyly. "If you need me, just come see me anytime." Sakura offered immediately. "I'll try not to come." Hinata said with a small joke on her lips, and we were both relieved that Hinata was a little calmer.

Hinata then went upstairs, leaving us alone. I studied Sakura's body language and to say she was unsettled was still an understatement. If she was any more tense, I'm sure she'd end up with a migraine too in no time.

"Hey."

Sakura looked at me with startled eyes. Obviously lost in her thoughts, it hadn't even occurred to her that I was still around and could be talking to her.

"What's wrong?" I sat down on the couch and looked at her intently.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You're like a cat on a hot tin roof all night." She would run back and forth, picking up the already flattened paperwork, folding the unread newspaper I was trying to read, and taking the glasses to the kitchen where she washed them over and over again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke-kun. Aren't you hungry?"

"No."

"I could make you a sandwich."

"No."

"Or would you like some coffee? I bought decaf. Or would you like some toast or something? You didn't eat much at dinner."

"Sakura..." I uttered warningly, because I was starting to lose my patience. She put down the glass she was currently holding in the sink. But the only words I got out of her at the moment did nothing to calm me down. "I think I'm going to bed, I'm really tired..." She said without looking at my face. She turned off the lights in the kitchen and headed up the stairs, leaving me even more confused than ever.

...

I followed her not long after. I left a few lights on in the hallway in case Hinata needed to go somewhere at night. I also left the light outside my bedroom, which was right by the stairs, turned on.

Calling Naruto to tell him that his girlfriend had fallen down the stairs right outside my bedroom at night and that I had to take her to the hospital was the last thing I needed. Minato and Kushina probably wouldn't be too happy either.

The rain outside had thickened again, and the storm was gathering strength before the next blow. I figured that none of us were likely to get a good night's sleep on this strange night. As I entered my room and closed the door behind me, the sight of the little ball in my bed reminded me that I would not be sleeping alone tonight.

Sakura was curled up under the covers at the edge of my bed as close as she could get without falling off the bed. I finally realized why she had been acting so unusual all night. We were supposed to sleep in the same bed tonight and she was nervous about it. A strange feeling came over me, something like tenderness.

As I watched her during the evening, I realized how gentle her soul was. She had lost both her parents and had undoubtedly a difficult time after their deaths, although she did not give me much information about them. She never wanted to talk about her time in the orphanage and then on the run, living on the streets, which must have been awful.

She carried all the burdens on her own shoulders, putting up with me and taking care of Tsunade, so she didn't make a big deal out of helping her friend, even though she had to turn everything upside down to do it. And yet she still managed to smile warmly at everyone. She was just amazing.

I found a T-shirt and some sleep pants. Usually I preferred to sleep only in my boxers, but I didn't want to upset Sakura any more than she obviously already was. When I was fully dressed, I climbed into bed next to her and waited for her to say something. It was quiet, though.

I lifted myself up on one elbow, peered over her shoulder and brushed the heavy veil of hair from her face. She didn't say anything, didn't move. She remained silent and kept her eyes firmly closed. But her chest was heaving too fast for her to really fell asleep. I leaned closer to her ear and whispered. "Cheater."

She shivered and buried her face deeper into her pillow. I gently lifted the covers and pulled them up to her chin. "Don't worry... I'll be a perfect gentleman." I rolled onto my other side and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. I just lay there, listening to her rapid, nervous breathing. Having her in bed felt strange, but not unpleasant. I could feel her warmth and breathe in her light scent.

But for some reason the bed seemed uncomfortable. It took me a while to realize why. It was the constant vibration. So strong that the mattress was shaking underneath me. I looked closely at the small huddled ball next to me. The vibrations were caused by Sakura, who was shaking. Is she that scared of me?

I rolled over to the other side, facing Sakura's back. Carefully, under the covers, I reached my arm across her waist and pulled her into my embrace. She let out a startled squeak and remained frozen. Her whole body was constantly shaking and her hands gripping my arm felt like a block of ice.

"Sakura, stop it." I grunted at her. "I said I won't do anything to you." I don't know what feeling took over for me at first. Was I angry that she was so afraid of me? Or was it more that I was feeling sad about it? Maybe a mix of both.

"It's not because of you..." She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her. "Well, not just because of you..." She added and trailed off. I wondered if she was as afraid of the storm as Hinata was, so I tried asking. "Is it because of the storm?"

I waited patiently for her answer, without a single further movement. "It's because... it's the wind." She finally admitted to me. It turned out that my guess was almost right. "I hate the way it whines, shannaro..." It was only now that I dared to gently pull her closer to my chest, feeling her shiver all over again.

"Why?" I wanted her to expand on that and at the same time not be so stressed about my touch. "There was a storm the night my parents died, too. Just like today. Terrible..." Her words were slowly getting louder. "The wind pushed our car around like it was a feather. Dad lost control of the steering wheel and the car flipped over."

My heart began to beat faster as she told me about the night that changed her life. "You were with your parents when it happened?" I asked warily. "I was sitting in the back seat. When it happened, the windows blew out and the wind roared horribly. I was terrified..." I could tell the words were coming hard from her throat, but it didn't matter. I didn't rush her.

"I was losing consciousness, I was so cold, and I kept hearing the wind whining... It wouldn't stop." Her voice faded away completely for a moment and silence enveloped the room except for the wind outside before she decided to break it again. "I knew they were dead. I was trapped in there, alone."

My throat tightened at the pain in her voice. She didn't say anything to me about it until today. "Were you hurt?" Without a word, she grabbed my hand and pulled it to the left side of her lower abdomen. I could feel the scar under the thin fabric of her nightgown.

"I had a concussion and a piece of glass from a broken window left me this..." She cleared her throat to give vent to the next words in her parched throat. "Sometimes I get a little prick in that spot, like when the weather changes or I make a sudden move. That's why I sometimes trip or lose my balance."

All the situations where I rolled my eyes and watched her struggle to stay on her feet went through my head. Shame washed over me, hot and burning. Embarrassment made me grip her tighter in my arms and bury my face in her neck. I'm sorry. I'm ashamed of myself. Forgive me. Those were the words I wanted to say to her.

"Sakura... I'm sorry." I said into the skin of her neck with a feeling of shame I've never felt before. However, my apology made her unexpectedly startled. "Wait, why? It's not your fault." I could hear the confusion in her voice.

After a moment, she gasped. "Oh..." She understood exactly what I was apologizing for. "I don't blame you, you didn't know." I just never bothered to ask. I may not have known, but that was no excuse.

What I said next shocked even myself. "Forgive me... For everything." I felt her belly lift with a small laugh and drop again. "It was a long time ago, Sasuke-kun..." She replied in such a kind voice that a strange feeling spread through my body. I guess I really had gone soft, like she said today.

Without further thoughts or questions, I gently grabbed her shoulder with my free hand and rolled her over, so she was lying on her back. I leaned over her and looked into her face in the darkness. The lightning from outside illuminated her delicate face, and I could see tears in her eyes. Before I could say another word, Sakura already knew what I wanted to say. "Yes, I mean it. I've already forgiven you, you idiot..."

"How can you do that?" I whispered in disbelief, staring into the bright emerald eyes from which I couldn't take my gaze off. "What do you mean?" I could feel the warmth of her breath on my skin. "How do you even tolerate me next to you?" A small smile conjured at the corners of her lips. "Because you're trying."

I furrowed my brow and frowned. "A little effort on my part and you'll forgive me right away?" My question may have sounded harsher than it was intended. But that was only because I was staring in amazement at the girl below me, who was incredible in every way. "I had to forgive you to be here with you."

I thought about it, and after a moment, edited her answer. "You had to forgive me so you could take care of Tsunade." Hesitantly, she reached out and placed her palm on my cheek. Her fingers stroked my face gently, as if testing the surface of my skin. "That was just one reason." Curiosity instantly ignited in me. "And what was the other?"

"I saw something..." She looked at me sweetly. "The day you told me about meeting Minato. I saw a different side of you. I thought..." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment. "What did you think?" I asked when she fell silent mid-sentence.

"I thought that if I could help you get away from the toxic atmosphere at ROOT Inc., you might be able to find the true Sasuke in yourself." She said with a slight smile on her lips.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, there's more inside of you than you let people see. Even more than you see in yourself, Sasuke-kun..." She caressed my cheek gently and finished her thought. "I can see your true self coming out more and more everyday." I gave in to her touch and let her words affect me.

Sakura had just confessed her honest thoughts to me, and I knew that this time I was receiving them more than I ever had before. The moment was overwhelming yet intimate.

I curled a strand of her hair on my finger and ran it over its silky softness. "What do you think is the real me?" I asked after a moment, quietly, almost pleadingly. I wanted to know her feelings for me. I wanted to find out what she really thought of me.

"The real you?" She gave me a look as if she was thinking hard about it. If it weren't for the seriousness of the situation, I'd have to smile. But I knew she was doing it to lighten the air between us.

Her silence was killing me until she finally opened her mouth and spoke. "The real you is kind, strong, caring, capable, talented." She paused, and added another word in a soft voice. "Pure." I sighed and shook my head in disagreement at her words. "You see things in me that aren't there."

"Yes, they are!" She exclaimed with determination, and I fixed my gaze on her again. "You're just not able to see them yourself yet. But you will see them, don't worry." She assured me as no one had ever done before. I noticed that her tears were almost gone. I also noticed that her trembling was almost gone as well. As always, Sakura put her close ones first.

To say Sakura was a gentle soul didn't do her justice. Far from it. I didn't know what word would be appropriate. Angelic, perhaps? Whatever the word was, whatever she herself was, I didn't deserve her forgiveness or the high opinion she had of me. And I certainly didn't deserve her.

I was speechless. There were a hundred thoughts running through my head and a hundred feelings running through my body, but they all pointed and screamed the same thing over and over again. They all begged and pleaded in me not to resist them, but instead to give in to them.

A strong gust of wind suddenly shook the large windows, and then a fierce rain attacked them again. The storm has apparently returned. Sakura froze at the horrible sound of the storm and turned her gaze towards the windows after that terrifying sound echoed.

Then when she turned her head back to look at me, without hesitation... I leaned down and kissed her on her lips as I had imagined I would several times before. It was a tender kiss, no more than a fleeting touch of our lips.

Her lips were quivering like the rest of her body, but they pressed gently against mine. There was a small gap between our lips then, until Sakura brought them back together with a small lift of her head. I kissed her again with the tenderness and appreciation I should have shown her sooner. Our lips and tongues danced together in a rhythm that fit together perfectly

I felt passion, lust, desire and harmony between the two of us, a mutual resonance. And I knew she felt the same feeling. "Sasuke-kun..." She breathed out a pleading gasp with my nemae between our lips, and a heat flooded my full body. Suddenly I wanted more. I wanted her more than anything else in the world.

But even though every cell in my body craved more, even though Sakura's eyes burned with the same longing as mine, and even though it cost me all my self-control, I wanted to keep my promise to her that today I would be the perfect gentleman she could feel safe with.

I wanted her to understand me. I wanted her to see that I deserved her trust. So I moved away from her and lay back on my half of the bed. I pressed her back against my chest and I held her waist as tightly as if she would disappear or slip away from me. "Let's go to sleep, you're safe here." I whispered into her hair where I placed a small kiss for goodnight. "I promise."

"But you know..." She began uncertainly. "I've never slept with anyone like this before, Sasuke..." She admitted nervously, but I found it lovely. I kissed the only visible spot on her neck that wasn't covered by her hair, and this time it was me who reassured her. "Don't worry, me neither." I said in a muffled voice. "You're the first woman I've had in this bed."

"What?! Are you serious?" Although I couldn't see her face, I could tell her eyes were wide with shock and confusion was written on her forehead. I smirked into her soft skin. "I've never let a woman in here. This is my safe place." I clutched her tighter to me. "And now it'll be yours, too."

I closed my eyes and I surrendered to her warmth that radiated from her entire existence. We touched from chest to hips as our bodies sought and found comfort and safety with each other.

-XXX-

End of Chapter 24