CHAPTER 8.
In every relationship someone is falling deeper than the other.
Dayne Flores
She didn't know how much time had passed since she had been in that place, all she knew was that she had told Sasuke that she would stay there as he wished, so nothing bad would happen to her. He had brought her two cats several days ago, and they stayed with her in her room most of the time. Even though Naruto and Sai were indoor cats in Sakura's apartment, they had more freedom in the castle now, but they still always came back and spent very few hours outside the castle. At first, she was scared by the idea that they could get out and get lost, but it seemed as if they knew the place, as if they had already been there, even as if they belonged there. At first both felines seemed uneasy, it was normal, the cats didn't take the changes very well, but after a few days they settled in.
During those days Sasuke didn't visit her again, but Karin went every day and made sure that the wound had healed well and asked her how she was feeling, showing concern about whether she had eaten well or slept well. Despite having lied to her the first time they met, Sakura was starting to feel affection for the woman, she was the only female figure she had there, she and Ayame, but Ayame never left the kitchen, so she only had Karin.
She also missed her friends, especially Ino. She would like to ask Sasuke if he would let her at least spend a day with her family, but she thought that their last argument was still very recent, so she let things transpire.
Sometimes she wondered what Sasuke does during his day to day, if he was indeed the Lord of Dreams, would he be constantly checking dreams? Would he personally go to see people if they slept well? What exactly was his job? Sakura had many questions now that she was beginning to accept her destiny, to accept that she was going to stay there with Sasuke in the realm of dreams. Even when Sakura thought about it mentally, she rolled her eyes because of how stupid it sounded. Sometimes she felt the impulse to go look for him, talk to him, confront him, but she thought that maybe it was stupid. Every time she had an interaction with him, they ended up yelling at each other, for what?
On the one hand, she remembered at the beginning, when he appeared in her dreams, it seemed that he showed a certain interest in her. He told her that some creatures in that world felt an attraction that was sometimes confused with lust, would it happen to him the same? Sometimes she felt an attraction between them, with a tension so strong that it could be cut with a knife. On the other hand, that attraction was mutual. She had also felt that way, she felt very confused with Sasuke. Although she did not blame herself, since he was probably the most attractive and striking man she had ever seen. After all, he was a god, what did she expect, Sakura thought. She realized that she had been thinking about him, about what his body would be like under that clothing, what it would be like to feel his lips, his hands running all over her body… She stood still and tried to get all those thoughts out of her mind. I have too much free time, she thought, ignoring the sensation that had begun to appear between her thighs.
She left the room with the intention of clearing her mind, she went straight to the library that she had discovered a few days before and both Karin and Suigetsu had told her that she could take as many books as she wanted. The library room was so large that there were several study tables and even some sofas to sit and read comfortably. So, she used the library as an alternative place to take refuge, as not to always be locked in her room.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Sasuke continued to deal with queries, problems, and sometimes even disputes between creatures in his realm. All of this bored Sasuke. He was still worried about what was happening in the fantasy realm, hoping to soon have news of Itachi and his father. Jugo interrupted his thoughts when he suddenly entered announcing the arrival of his mother. When he heard the words of this Sasuke tensed, what would my mother do here? His mother rarely, like his father, visited their children. Since they were entrusted with the world of Dreams, they were given total independence to govern the place. His mother, who was one of the Graces, was of extraordinary beauty. Sasuke was practically the male version of his mother, so it was clear where his beauty came from. His mother had long dark hair, just like his brother Itachi and him, and almond-shaped black eyes that highlighted her delicate cheekbones. Her figure was small and thin, but she was a strong woman with character. Sasuke was her favorite son, although she would never say it, but his other brothers always made fun of him by calling him "mama's boy" making him cry in anger when he was a kid.
When Jugo left the room, the slender figure of a small woman entered, wearing a silky gray dress, her hair half up with a braid behind, and loose down her back until it reached her waist.
"Mother…" Sasuke stood up to greet her. She approached her son's throne, and Sasuke took her hand to receive her greeting.
"Sasuke, my son, you look tired," she said as she moved a little closer to him and placed one of her hands on his cheek. "Have you been eating and resting well?" she asked worriedly. His mother was the Pasithea Grace, the personification of relaxation, meditation, and even hallucinations. So, she could have her child rest peacefully without being disturbed.
"Mother, with all the Obito business and my kingdom affairs, I have barely had time," he replied. The truth was that he was afraid of being induced to dream again without his permission, the first time was a pleasant dream, but who knows what it could be the next time.
"It is true, Itachi was talking to your father yesterday, I think you will soon receive news from both of them." She answered as if she was not concerned about the matter of her firstborn.
"Mother, have you come for that or for something else?" Sasuke doubted that his mother had come to talk about Obito, since normally those matters were more taken care of by his father than by her.
"The truth is that no, my child. I have come to see the young woman you have held here and to find out why my son, the most precious, is doing such a thing," she said, staring at him angrily. "I have not raised you to kidnap girls and take advantage of them," she said angrily. His mother had been raised among all her sisters, the other Graces, and had a very strong sense of sisterhood. When she joined Hypnos, the father of the Somnia, she only gave birth pure men, so she tried to instill in each of them respect and equal treatment towards women. She was disappointed to have a son who was doing such a thing. It was known that other gods had done such acts, kidnapping girls, daughters of gods, and kept them in their realms, and Pasithea did not expect one of her sons to dare to do such an atrocity. Sasuke observed his mother's disappointment and anger, at such an obvious state of his mother Sasuke tensed.
"Mother, I do not know what they have told you or what has reached your ears, but I am not taking advantage of any young girl nor have I kidnapped her. She belongs to this world, rather I have brought her to where her home is," he answered in a calm tone, trying to contain his anger. He did not want to argue with his mother.
"From your perspective it may seem like that, but it is still a simple whim, Sasuke," she answered with total and absolute disappointment. "I know I can't do anything; this is your kingdom and you can do whatever you want, but I am your mother, and I have come here explicitly to show you my discontent with your actions,"
"Really, mother, Sakura is fine. She herself has decided to stay here because she has experienced, unfortunately, firsthand the risks that there are if she leaves the castle. She is here only so that I can protect her," he answered frustrated while pinching his nose.
"Where is she?" she asked without listening to him, she wanted to see with her own eyes that she was really fine.
"In her room most likely, I haven't seen her for days," he said pretending that he didn't care where she was. But instead, he knew at every moment what she was doing and where she was, thanks to his subjects. His mother turned around leaving the room where her son was and shouted:
"Jugo! Take me to Sakura," as she left the room regardless of whether her son wanted her to talk to the young woman or not. It was true that his mother had no power there, because once she was in the realm of Dreams she had to obey her son. But Pasithea was still his mother, and even though her son was the god Morpheus, she would always have power over her son as a mother. Sasuke sighed resignedly at such a reaction from his mother. He didn't care that she knew Sakura, in fact he liked the idea, but he didn't like that his mother thought that about him.
.
.
.
Sakura was still in the library, absorbed in reading. In her life in the mortal world, she had never had as much time to reading as she would have liked. She was always so busy with work and research that she barely had any free time for herself. She always tried to read before going to bed. Now that she had all the time in the world, she wanted to take advantage of it to read as many books as possible.
A voice she recognized took her out of the fantasy world she was in. She jumped a little, since normally she was not interrupted in her reading, and when she looked up, she saw Karin's red hair.
"Sakura… there is someone who wants to see you," she told her. Sakura was surprised, who could it be? Since Sasuke always entered her room without permission whenever he wanted, why would he ask for permission now? "Come with me," she said. And Sakura got up from the comfortable sofa, leaving the book on the table at the side and left the room following the figure of the redhead woman.
They arrived to a room where Sakura had been before, but didn't frequent. It was like a living room, there were several sofas around a table, and to one side a large fireplace that was currently turned off. Sakura sat down on one of the sofas when Karin told her to wait there and left the room. The anticipation was making her nervous, she wondered who could be the mysterious person that wanted to talk to her was. Apart from Sasuke she hadn't met anyone else.
When she heard the door open, she quickly turned towards the door, interrupting her anxious thoughts. She saw a female figure enter, it was an elegant woman, with dark hair, someone she had already seen. The woman in the painting, Sakura remembered. In person she was much more beautiful than in the painting, she thought. She sat there as she watched approaching to her, she didn't know what to expect or what to do, she didn't even know the woman's name. The woman's expression conveyed tranquility; she had a smile on her face that reassured her that everything was going to be okay. The atmosphere she carried with her was relaxed.
Seconds later Ayame came in with a tray and two cups of tea, and placed both cups on the table in front of the two women. Pasithea thanked her for the gesture and asked her to leave them alone.
"Hello, Sakura," the woman greeted as if she had known her all her life. Sakura could only manage a simple "hello" as if it were a whisper. "I am Mikoto, Sasuke's mother," she introduced herself. Sakura had already assumed that, but now she knew for certain that that woman in the painting was Sasuke's mother, and most likely the man at her side was his father, and the other young men were his brothers. Sasuke had not named his family, although Sakura wondered why he should. They had only shared shouts and grudges.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mikoto," Sakura said this time, making sure her voice was heard.
"First of all, I wanted to apologize for my son's bad manners. I want you to know that I have not raised a capricious boy. I hope he has not done anything against your will,"
Sakura was surprised, as she did not expect Sasuke's mother to personally apologize for being kidnapped by her son. The truth is that all this was very strange. Was this how family problems between gods worked? Sakura wondered, oblivious to how that world worked.
"Eh... well, I don't know what Sasuke told you," she hesitated for a moment remembering that no one called him by his name "Lord Morpheus," she said correcting herself and continued "but I am here a little against my will, I would like to return to my world, with my family and friends," she said hoping that the woman could help her.
"I understand what you mean Sakura, dear. But, one of the things my son has done well is to bring you here. You don't belong in the mortal world, your place is here," she said with a calm smile, that woman transmitted such tranquility that Sakura was relaxed, without a hint of anxiety.
"I'm afraid it's something I still have to assimilate," Sakura said sadly, she missed her parents and her friends.
"My son told me that you have voluntarily decided to stay in the castle, is that so?" the woman asked.
"That's right, ma'am. I have understood that outside of here there are beings and creatures that I still don't understand, so I have decided to be here with Sasuke," she answered with a tone of resignation, what else could she do?
"And does my son treat you well?" she asked, frowning, the question worried Mikoto personally. Sakura stared at her, wondering what the woman expected her to answer.
"Yes, your son treats me well." She answered, her hands nervously playing with the skin on the sides of her nails. Even though the woman was pure calm, those questions were starting to make her nervous. Was that woman genuinely worried about her?
"I'm glad to hear that," she replied with a reassuring smile as she took a sip from the teacup. Sakura imitated her by taking the teacup that she hadn't dared touch until now out of manners, so she waited for her to drink first. But before she took a sip, Sasuke interrupted the room, her heart skipped a beat, she hadn't expected his presence.
"Sasuke," she whispered in surprise, noticing a sensation that ran through her stomach. She swallowed, remembering her last thoughts about him, and took a sip to clear her throat. Sasuke stared at Sakura, and her legs began to tremble. His presence was suffocating her. He approached her, and sat a few inches beside her, looking at his mother who was in front of them. Mikoto watched that interaction with a smile, realizing her son's intentions and the feelings of both.
"Sakura, this is my mother, one of the Graces, Pasithea. She is in charge and responsible for all altered states of consciousness. You are probably feeling a strange calm right now. It is the effect of being in my mother's presence," he explained as he formally introduced his mother. Sakura looked at both of them in absorption. Why would he worry about making such an introduction? She swallowed, understanding why she felt so strangely calm, but without saying a word.
"We have already introduced ourselves," Mikoto said. "I am glad Sasuke that you have found such a pretty girl. Be good and take care of her," she said to her son as she stood up. Sakura did not understand what she was saying. Found a girl? What did she mean by that? Sasuke did not answer, he simply nodded to his mother. "Sakura, I know it is difficult to understand my youngest son, and sometimes he is very stubborn. But he is the sweetest and with the purest heart of all my children. I know that you will be in good hands," she said this time looking at Sakura, maintaining the same calm smile that she wore all the time. Sakura did not say anything either, she let the woman speak, without understanding anything. Why did she assume that the two were together? As if there was some romantic relationship between the two? She watched as she left the room, leaving the two alone.
Sakura's eyes looked everywhere, avoiding looking to her left, where Sasuke's imposing figure was. She kept playing with her nails nervously, until she noticed Sasuke's hand in hers, and raised her gaze to meet his dark eyes.
"You don't have to worry about anything, I'm not going to do anything to you," he said, wanting to reassure her. But Sasuke was anything but reassuring, his very presence made all the cells in her body go into overdrive, and her neurons became stupid, clouding her mind.
"What did your mother mean by that?" she asked, a little embarrassed, but she wanted to know why his mother said that.
"Do you mean that I found a pretty girl?" he said smiling. Sasuke was amused by that, although he noticed that Sakura wasn't at all amused. All of this was new to her. Sasuke was probably used to having whatever he wanted, but Sakura wasn't at all used to being anyone's trophy.
"What is your aim, Sasuke? What do you want from me?" she said, getting up while fixing him with her green eyes, shining with anger. Sakura was furious again, Sasuke felt something running through him. He loved seeing her angry.
"I already told you, to protect you," he answered as if it was obvious, he remained seated and settled on the couch, leaning his back against the backrest to look at her better since she was standing in front of him with a frown and her arms crossed on her chest.
"Are you sure? Because your mother has insinuated something else," she said, questioning Sasuke's words. Again, she questioned him, contradicted him.
"And what do you think she has insinuated?" he asked keeping her gaze, as if urging her to look away, but she didn't. She was so angry, that she was not going to let him win.
"That I'm your romantic interest, or something like that," she answered bluntly, and Sasuke smiled amused.
"So, what if it is like that?" he challenged her. He leaned his neck on the backrest resting his arms on it. He looked at her more intently from below, he wanted to see how far this conversation would go, he wanted to know how much Sakura was capable of enduring.
"Is that so?" Sasuke was probably challenging her, but two could play this game, and Sakura wasn't going to back down. At Sakura's question, Sasuke laughed out loud. He was beginning to love this woman; she was a breath of fresh air in his life.
"Maybe," he answered as he moved away from the back of the couch, and stretched out one of his hands to touch one of her legs. Sakura froze, not expecting him to dare to even touch her. Seeing that she didn't respond physically or verbally, he dared this time to put his right hand on Sakura's thigh. Holding her firmly, he pulled her closer to him. Sasuke continued to look at her from below, but even so Sakura felt like he was the one who had absolute control and dominance of the situation, at that moment Sakura felt small and stupid again. How could she let him have that effect on her? "Sakura…" he spoke again as he slowly lowered his hand to her calf "you can't deny that you don't feel the same as me, I can feel it," he said as he watched Sakura's breathing, evidently nervous. Sakura took a step back, afraid of where all this could lead. Sasuke stood up when his hand was no longer touching Sakura's body. Sasuke's possessive and dominant instinct and impulse made him approach her again, and this time he caressed her shoulder "You can deny it, but the attraction is there, don't fight it, let carry yourself in," he said as he searched her gaze and left caresses on her skin.
"A-and how don't you know that what you feel is just the same as the other creatures feel?" she dared to speak while clearing her throat, finding her voice. Sasuke chuckled.
"So, what if it is?" he asked simply. He didn't care. All he knew was how he felt when he was next to her, and he wanted more. He felt something he had never experienced before, it was new, and he liked it. "Do you feel the same attraction for the other creatures of this world?" that question made Sakura think, what he said made sense. It was true that, according to Sasuke, the creatures of the Dream World had an attraction towards her, not very natural, but on the other hand, her attraction was only with him. This time Sakura came across the darkness of Sasuke's eyes, and she felt as if her breath was taken away. Having him so close was too overwhelming. And yet she didn't want to move away from him. His touch was addictive. "Likewise, I'm not going to do anything you don't want," he said this time taking a step back and removing his hand from her shoulder. Sakura noticed how she missed his touch, as if it were a coat in winter. When Sasuke noticed that Sakura didn't respond, he simply passed by her side without barely touching her and left the room, leaving her alone, with a feeling of emptiness. For some reason, every time she was with him, she felt more dependent on him and when he left her alone, she felt more alone and abandoned.
A/N: Please check again the first page where i put some Trigger Warning, because i added some new stuff. I am currently writing the story so, some things that i originally didin't know were going to happen eventually will happen, as i am writing the story it is shaping. Hope you understand, and thank you for reading.