This is the longest chapter I've written for anything. I hope you guys will be pleased when you are finished reading. This is quite a dark piece if you haven't figured from the summary. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: One of these I must do for every story. Kishimoto-sensei, thank you for bringing Naruto to this world.

Enervis - Chapter 1

Are you…watching me?

Tick.

Dull green eyes glanced at the time and fluttered close.

Tick.

Schlick.

Tick.

She briefly started from the abysmal dark of her semi-consciousness as a warm, sticky substance bloomed on her wrist. She moved slightly and gave a soft gasp at the tearing but thrilling pain that tore through her. Her eyes remained closed at the pleasure it brought forth, her mouth widening in a small 'o'.

Tick.

Ringggg! Ringggg! Ringggg! Ringggg!

Her hands promptly glided through the soft blankets to hold her ears, willing the intruding sound to end. She waited for the shrill noise to stop, waiting, waiting, but the person on the other side did not concur with her silent wishes. Languidly, she sat up in the middle of her bed, her arms falling listlessly to her side, one of them leaving a vibrant red streak in her pink hair as it loosely fell onto the stained sheets.

A pale hand went to grasp the phone and held it up to a messy head.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded weak in the empty room.

"Sakura? I'm sorry to interrupt you on your day off, but do you think you can come in today? We're lacking a few." Tsunade's affirmative voice echoed piercingly into the receiver, forcing her to flinch visibly at the silence-shattering tone.

The pinkette nodded, but remembered that Tsunade couldn't see from the other end. "Okay, Shishou. I'll be there in an hour, is that all right?"

"That's fine. Thank you. You can have the next three days off after today." Relief was tangible in Tsunade's tone at her approval.

"See you soon." She dropped the phone on her darkened bed, and ran her clean hand through her pink tresses.

The smell of iron and salt flooded the room, the contents of which caused such a scent lay encrusted in the mass of duvets on the queen bed. The dried blood looked black in the bright backdrop and seemed to poison it.

The trickling blood had stemmed from her wound while she had been talking to Tsunade, and she could not help but look regretful that not more had flowed out. Looking at it, she healed the few fresh gashes by drawing a single finger across it, the dried blood caked on her skin already flaking off onto the dirtied bedcovers. She gingerly placed a bare foot onto the icy hardwood, inwardly cringing at the less than comfortable sensation that shot through her. Her other foot soon followed suit.

The bathroom door closed with a quiet click.

Rushing water could be heard moments later, the relaxing and thunderous rivulet of water draining away the salty tears and red traces of a broken spirit.

X-i-o-n

Can you…see me?

"Okay, Hinata, you may leave once the nurses have finished up with discharging you. I hope not to see you here again with the same condition as the past two times." She sighed as her pen leisurely flew across the clipboard. "I'd rather not see you back here at all."

"I just went a little overboard, that's all." The Hyuuga heiress softly looked at her. "Sakura-chan doesn't want to see me here?"

Sakura looked up from the clipboard with all seriousness. "I rather not see you in here for medical reasons, but if you were to come by for a chat or anything while it's not very busy, I'd be more than happy to oblige, Hinata. I like my classmates and my fellow friends; I just don't like seeing them incapacitated."

"It's so– unbearable." She clutched her hands to her chest, her hereditary pupiless orbs gazing sadly at the pristine tiles. "You know it too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura froze.

"I am right, aren't I? The way you write…you write very carefully, as if you're afraid that…every touch will bring you unspeakable pain and pleasure." Hinata got off the bed and approached her, her own bandaged arm reaching out for her soft, unblemished ones.

Sakura let her take the pen and clipboard out of her hands and watched, almost mesmerized as she placed them on the sliding tray beside the patient's bed. Her hand turned hers over so that her palm was facing up. Hinata traced a finger over what seemed like an invisible line on her skin to the rest, but Sakura knew that she knew. That was the first time she'd ever cut. The deepest she'd ever done to herself. She had healed it to perfection, even blending the skin back to its original pallor, but she had left herself a scar as a reminder. In place of her once perfect skin, Sakura had allowed a thin imprint to remain. It was there only if you felt for it carefully: it was only the width of the finest thread and spanned her wrist.

She shivered involuntarily as Hinata lightly outlined the first sin she had committed on herself. The pain, the pleasure, the exhilaration, what could go wrong every time?

"The pain was relieving, wasn't it? The initial stroke of the blade across your skin…it hurt a little, but it felt good…didn't it? The feeling of bliss and...that wanted forgetfulness." Her voice softened near the end, as if reminiscing a very breathtaking memory.

Any other doctor would have sent Hinata into rehab the moment the words left her lips. No, Sakura wasn't planning on sending her there, because, truthfully, what she had said had just correctly tackled every single thought of what she felt about self mutilation. It didn't bode well that the Hyuuga heiress –quite accurately – seemed to be reading her mind.

Sakura wrenched her hand from her patient and stretched her hands to grab the clipboard and pen. Her hands trembled visibly and she hoped Hinata did not notice or would take it that she had had too much caffeine for the day. Thank goodness the moment her fingers grazed the two items, they stopped quivering and quickly resumed their earlier work.

"Hinata, I will finish writing your discharge note, so that you may leave now instead of later. The nurses need not tend to you." Sakura focused professionally on the tiny print and hurriedly scribbled a letter, her eyes avoiding her fellow kunoichi who stood in close proximity to her.

"You're avoiding the subject, Sakura. Every time I see you, it seems as though you are suffering more and more." Hinata's tone darkened. "You want to stop abusing yourself, the sins, bleeding, hurting, and everything. It's not a sin to love, but...Sasuke-kun won't look at you."

"Hinata! Please watch what you say!"

"You should at least tell him." The dark-haired girl shook her covered wrist. "I told Naruto-kun, but he can't accept it, Sakura-chan. You know why he can't accept it, right?" Her eyes crinkled sadly at the edges, her serene smile nothing short of sorrow and kindness.

Hinata looked Sakura in the eye and in a quiet voice, said, "Do you want to regret not being able to tell him that you like him, care for him, and love him? I can see the way you look at him, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette's lower lip trembled as she looked back at Hinata, her will crumbling beneath the pressure her patient was forcing on her. Eyes of a dismal spirit looked at her, her tired features lightening as she sensed the medic's weakening resolve.

"If you do, then I don't blame you for doing this to yourself. But why do this when you have received no answer? It is useless to wound yourself in such a manner so soon." Once again, she motioned to her own injuries. "Do what you must, Sakura-chan. I wish you the best, and…I'll see you around."

Hinata reached for her bag from under the bed and left the room, leaving a shaken Sakura in her wake. The moment the sliding door smoothly slid shut, the nurse dropped the items in her hands, a rather obtrusive sound of the articles clattering onto the floor rousing her from the heart to heart chat. She quickly drew the door open and stepped out into the corridor, cursing as her fingertips contacted the metal handle bruisingly.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone." Sakura murmured, tears slipping down her cheeks as she watched the retreating back of her ex-classmate. "I've told him that he should let me go. I really did."

To her surprise, the violet-haired girl not too far down the hallway turned to face her. "There is no need for apologies, Sakura-chan. You are suffering just as much, bearing meaningless grudges against yourself. Grudges that you should never have in the first place if not for him. We want to end them, but we can't. If only we were people more suited to each our own, right?"

"I—"

"There is no room for hate toward others in our place, Sakura-chan." The elevator reached their floor, and the Hyuuga heiress gracefully departed as the pinkette numbly stood in the deserted vicinity, her legs folding out beneath her as she sunk to the floor in disbelief.

How could a person she rarely talked with know what she herself couldn't even admit?

X-i-o-n

Am I…of any importance to you?

Sakura left the hospital a little after ten. The inky horizon let a few drops of what felt like water gently whip onto her face, the wind picking up with every step she walked towards home. The thought of bringing an umbrella had not struck her, even though the sky was already an ominous shade of grey when she had left the house earlier.

What Hinata had said earlier echoed memorably in her mind. Did she really want to spend day after day moping, keeping the secret of cutting to herself and only herself for a reason that others found nonsensical and even shameful with her role as a medic?

Splish.

Lightning flashed across the sky, and with it, a more torrential downpour than before began pounding on the darkened streets. Her clothes adhered to her body, the light fabric barely protecting her from any of the invasive weather. She did nothing to shield herself from the awful conditions.

Splish.

Regret.

Splish.

Remorse.

Splish.

Salvation.

She stopped.

Turning, Sakura ran in the opposite direction of her home, her woes, and her made-believe sanctuary.

X-i-o-n

I've been selfless all my life, but...is it too much to ask for you to be selfless for once, too?

"Mend me." She panted.

Sasuke stood in the open doorway, one arm leaning against the higher part of the vertical frame, immovable, his gaze hard and unfaltering over her soaked figure.

"Please." Sakura pleaded, her voice cracking.

The only thing she wanted – needed – merely stood inches away from her. The man – demon – who had haunted her for so many years commencing from their academy days, their Team Seven, his departure to Orochimaru, and then his return. The irreproachable person, comrade, friend, who had meant so much to her had so easily casted her away, and even gone so far to the point to attempt killing her and Naruto.

But, it was that indestructible and isolated barrier surrounding him that urged her to edge closer, closer to danger and…insanity.

Hard, impenetrable eyes stared coldly at her.

Green orbs looked back into them, the blank look in his finally breaking her. Her legs folded underneath her, not so gently but still gracefully letting her fall onto the wet and cold pavement of his front door. Her hands rested on the unbearably icy and damp surface at her sides, water traveling from her soaked figure and onto the ground, wetting the floor even more so.

Her eyes left his, her gaze dropping to the floor with the tilt of her chin.

"Sasuke-kun…" Her eyes squeezed shut, fast tears dripping additional dark spots onto the moist and darkened grey stone.

Maybe he wanted to torture her, just persecute her by being silent as she spilled her deepest desires all to him. Wasn't it enough already? After so many years, wasn't it time to at least give her the slightest bit of attention? She had tried – really tried – with upfront confessions, subtle glances, and finally the quiet suffering and the separation she had initiated. If he didn't take notice of her being around him, maybe he would have finally noted her missing presence…

"Doushite mite kurenai no yo, Sasuke-kun?" Her quivering voice was soft but steady.

The rain shower pounded noisily in the silent that ensued. The loud drumming of the miniature drops echoed as a cacophony of sound in the empty open-aired corridor.

"What more must I do for you to see me?" She screamed out, her hands twisting into hard fists, the concrete scraping white marks into her soft flesh, a small cut allowing red to bloom on the ground.

One.

Two.

Three.

"I'll take everything you have." His voice came out cool and indifferent.

Her breath hitched, her tears stopping momentarily as she slowly lifted her head to regard him. Sasuke bent to grip her arms in his with surprising force, hauling her up and causing her to stumble into him and through the doorway. His hair tickled her forehead in a pleasantly tingly way. The door shut behind her with an alarmingly quiet click, the deadbolt swiftly sliding into place. She lay in his arms for an instant before he callously shoved her to the wall, her shoulders pinned with his hands. His lips abruptly closed over hers in a rough caress, hot and demanding, but distant. She returned his empty passion with a moan and arched into him, her hips thrusting into his, earning a groan from the stoic man.

He all at once pulled back from their embrace, cold air striking Sakura's wet clothes from where Sasuke had warmed them with his body. She took in a muffled gasp when he suddenly pulled away, but her panting silenced the indistinct sound. The quickened beating of her heart thundered in her chest, the increased blood flow reverberating perceptibly in her ears. She could only be certain her cheeks were flushed red from the raw kiss; her features turned a deeper shade of red at the realization.

It was then that she became conscious of his calculating eyes, avaricious onyx-black orbs freely roaming over her soaked and translucent clothes. A slight breeze made her shiver and close her eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself pressed up the wall with his wanton figure.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Sakura?" His voice was a mix of restraint and mischievousness. It ghosted huskily into her ear, his breath trailing gently down her neck made sensitive by the rain.

Sakura shuddered in pleasure, anticipating what was to come, her hands trembling as they slipped around his bare torso in an embrace. She rested her head at the base of his collarbone, her wet clothes adhering to him similar to a second skin, luscious curves pushed innocently against his lean muscles.

"No, Sasuke-kun." Her half-lidded eyes were casted to the floor, her voice a mere whisper. "You are the one who has…allured me."

She lightly blew into his ear and felt the rippling of his body as the muscles tightened. His hands flew to grasp her hips in a bruising fashion, eliciting a soft gasp from the daring woman. He pushed his hips onto hers, his clothed arousal pressed to her core, a furious blush spreading across her pale complexion.

"I won't hold back." He breathed.

X-i-o-n

Even if it's only now, it's enough.

He cast her onto the bed like a rag, her wet hair whipping her cheeks painfully as she glided through the air, leaving thin and pink raw blemishes on her pale skin. The mattress descended as he brought his legs onto the soft bedding, his hands making quick work of his simple shirt, and abandoning it somewhere in the inky labyrinth of his room. In the pitch-dark suite, his steely obsidian eyes were slowly lightening to a scarlet-red stained with flecks of black, the crimson orbs moving brazenly over her curves made evident by her soaked clothes.

It hit her then that he had stopped his hands to relieve him or herself of their clothes, sitting on his haunches with his arms crossed over his well-sculpted chest, waiting, or rather anticipating her to initiate her own striptease. He stirred impatiently on the bed as seconds passed, muscles shifting visibly in his toned abdomen with each restless movement. Her hands trembled as she tightly grasped the hem of her shirt, the rain having seeped into her skin so thoroughly that she thought she would soon faint from the chill it gave her. Perhaps that was just a sorry excuse for her worrying in displeasing the man she'd always desired.

This would be her first time engaging in such an intimate act; she would hate to deny her body of what she needed when he was right in front of her. His sexual exploits were not unheard of when he returned to Konoha. Outside of the country, barely a smidgen of information could be unearthed, however, the moment he returned, the town flared up with gossip of the surreptitious Uchiha. Women on the streets would boast how they had the fortune to be enraptured in the pleasure the skilled man bestowed them, but it seemed unfathomable how he could have bedded twenty women every night, and the same whores at that, too. However, it seemed justified that what all of them would claim was true, and that although he was knowledgeable in the area of sex, he lacked what all women wanted: compassion.

The article of clothing she began to so hesitantly lift was quickly jerked – torn – off of her as he pinned her to the bed, one hand deftly removing the flimsy piece of cloth. Cold air pricked at her bared skin, Sakura quickly inhaling a sharp gasp as her breath rushed out, greatly depriving her of what she needed. He pressed his mouth against her chest, his lips leaving burning and wet trails on her skin wherever he touched, her back arching involuntarily into him as he licked a delicate spot beneath the swell of her breast. He moved up, grazing the peak of her nipple lightly with his teeth before taking the mound in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the areola as his hand gave the twin mound the attention it yearned for.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." She gasped as she dug her hands into his hair, breathless at the touch of his rough and wet appendage gliding smoothly over her creamy breasts.

He growled into her, the low rumbling shaking her softly as he switched to the other, the suckled nipple pink and puckered from his ministrations. As he began to work on the neglected mound, the other did not receive the fair attention that he had previously given, but Sakura almost kneed him in the groin from pleasure as a hand lightly brushed over her clothed core, the pinkette embarrassed at the fact that she was already wet from such simple actions. Sasuke paused and looked up from his work, a trail of saliva connecting the hardened peak to his tongue, his eyes scarlet with arousal as he regarded her flushed cheeks.

Sasuke brazenly flipped her over onto her front as he removed her bottoms – panties and all – in one fluid motion. Sakura found her head buried in the mess of pillows as she felt his arousal pressing heatedly against her skin through the fabric of his sweats. She flushed darker at how hard he was, knowing that he was more than ready, and that thought made the friction between her legs that much more unbearable than before. Her hand swept up the side of the bed close to the pillows in hopes she could push herself off the bed a little to turn to see her aficionado, but his hand – warm and... comforting – came to close over hers in a possessive manner, his head lying beside hers as he pressed a hot kiss to her bare shoulder, gently suckling on the soft skin, his bare chest hot against her skin. Startled at the increasing intimacy, Sakura went rigid as she heard an almost inaudible sigh escape from the avenger's lips.

As she peered at the mass of blue-black locks splayed on the pillow beside her, a cry ripped from her throat as he unexpectedly thrust two fingers into her, his thumb playing none too gently with her clit, his free hand in the middle of her back forcing her down onto the bed, driving her wild with desire as she futilely thrashed on the bed – restrained – to attempt to meet his thrusts. She managed to jerk her hips back at their intrusion from twisted pleasure with difficulty, letting his digits slide deeper into her, gently stroking her softly convulsing walls. A low moan escaped her plump lips as his finger lightly glanced the sensitive bundle of nerves within her.

The bed sheet rubbed against her skin roughly at his violent ministrations, the pain and the heightening pleasure making her trembling fingers curl into one of his many pillows, brutally twisting the cushion as she threw her head back with closed eyes, pink hair cascading to the middle of her back and onto the top of her seducer's hands. Her mouth once more opened in a silent 'o', her eyes tightly closed shut as her skin crawled with fire, her lower abdomen tightening unbearably like a fixed spring. He spread his fingers inside her for the first time, slowly dragging them along her walls as he pulled out, and then swiftly dipped back in further than before, her core throbbing heatedly around his slick appendages, eliciting a shrill cry from the pinkette.

"Sasu...ke..." She breathlessly let out as spasms wracked violently through her body as he repeated, the ring of muscles clamping convulsively around his fingers, her hips pushing up towards him as euphoria washed over her temporarily, blinding her from everything but from the sensations he gave her.

He thought she was beautiful, her smooth and unscarred back glistening in the small slivers of moonlight that peeked in through his curtains, her eyes tightly closed at the pleasure, her delectable lips open in a silenced voice. Strands of her exotic pink hair plastered itself onto her moist skin, almost like they were teasing him that they could feel more of her than he ever could.

Sakura felt strangely empty as he withdrew from within her, feeling ticklish as her fluids began to stain her thighs as she languidly pulled herself to sit on her calves, scooting closer to the pillows and cringing away from his boring watch, her legs weak from her orgasm. Her mid-length pink tresses fell attractively in small waves in front of her eyes, the pinkette allowing herself a shy and small peek at her beloved as her chest heaved up and down from the high. She furtively looked away as she noticed him still openly regarding her, licking his fingers murky with her essence delicately, his tongue catching every runaway drop, the apparent smirk present seemingly telling that he relished her taste. Her throat uttered a strangled intake of breath, her heartbeat climbing erratically again after the high of her orgasm had started wearing down at the erotic sight.

"Why are you embarrassed, hm?" His voice was deadly quiet, soft as it caressed ears that yearned to hear him. "You've held out longer than other women have. You should be proud."

There was no breathlessness on his part, no reddened cheeks, no perturbed demeanour, no trembling from the foreplay he had so simply participated in; there was just his usual composed self, icy cold and calculating.

"I—" She started in a bare whisper.

"First time?" The smirk only widened a smidgen as he answered in her stead, sitting leisurely on his haunches at the lower end of the bed. "Do you truly intend to give me the gift of your virginity, hmm, Sakura?"

"I—" Sakura stalled at his sudden movement.

Sasuke closed the distance between them as he spoke, calmly placing his palms on the mattress damp with her sweat from earlier to slowly pull himself nearer her on his knees. The bed shifted under his weight as he advanced on her, his crimson orbs taking in how she shied away at his close proximity. He casually loosened the ties of his sweats, the custom-made lightweight material rubbing silkily over the comforters, a small rustling announcing where he moved on the messy plane. Why she found the headboard so much more interesting than him intrigued him. Most would be unable to turn away by such a point, pouncing on him like a predator to her prey.

His fingers grazed the tips of her pink tresses that hung to the middle of her back, secretly revelling in the fine texture of her hair, surprisingly well-looked after for a kunoichi of her calibre. He felt her shudder at the lightest touch, noticing that a moment ago, she had been determined in getting what she wanted, but now, the lightest touch he gave her sent her into a nervous fritz.

"I told you earlier that there was no turning back once we've started, chérie." His low tone was betraying as he slammed a hand into the headboard in front of Sakura, causing her to jerk back and right into the front of her terrorist.

"I don't want to be your whore, Sasuke." She whispered with strained tranquillity, his muscles rippling into her back as he retracted his arm, her hands fidgeting by themselves on her stained thighs, her being oddly comforted by the mass of more than warm flesh against her back.

"What do you think you are to me, someone special?" He snarled and angrily grabbed her shoulders, brusquely shoving her to the headboard, the cold wooden headboard seeming even warm to her at his caustic tone.

Sakura winced at the pain and bit her lip to restrain herself from crying out, her eyes closed; she was certain she would have bruises to show for it tomorrow. The metallic, coppery taste of blood filled her senses, a thin trail of it flowing past her lips and down her chin, poisoning her smooth and pale complexion. His grip on her lessened just a touch, so insignificantly that she could have just imagined it if he had not loomed closer, his weight pressing down on her, his lips grazing hers ever so lightly. She opened her eyes halfway, eyelashes dusting the shadows beneath her eyes as she saw him regarding her with such intensity in his alluring black orbs.

Her heart skipped a beat, her attention instantly snatched away from those bewitching eyes as he leaned in and licked her slightly swollen lip. She responded a little too vigorously than she would have liked, would have preferred to be more subtle, more defensive, but her breath hitched visibly at the mere contact, her body jerking in those big, warm hands of his. Sasuke softly sealed her lips with his, tugging her down from the headboard and onto the more comfortable top of the bed. He let go of her shoulders and propped himself on the bed with his elbows, their bare chests rubbing frictionally over one another as he suckled on her injured lip, earning a low moan from the woman beneath him. He wasted no time in slipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting the fresh blood in her cavern, adding an exquisite bitterness to her sweet taste as he caressed her tongue. She shyly touched his wet appendage as he licked the wound, daringly inviting him to give his attention elsewhere, a smirk appearing on those occupied lips of his.

If only she knew how dangerous her innocence and naïveté was. It was his perfect drug.

A free hand travelled to her breast, kneading, and pinching ever so lightly as he grabbed her thick tresses to angle her head back for better access, earning a lusty moan from her. She was talented, he admitted, already catching on to his tricks. Sakura traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, at which he reacted by rolling the tip of her breast roughly than before, and caused her to arch up into him, those plentiful mounds so tightly pressed to him that it caught his breath. He broke off the kiss, her chest heaving up and down as he tackled her neck with feverish kisses, nipping and sucking here and there, dark red marks appearing wherever he touched her.

"Ahhhh...!" Her hands tangled themselves in his mess of spiky locks, her fingers scraping his scalp sensationally, making the painful heat in his groin rise to even higher levels.

Sasuke dragged his leg up the bed and briefly touched her naked core with his knee and pulled away, a sticky and glistening moisture already seeping through the material. She gave a disappointed cry at the teasing touch, wanting more, but he pushed his knee to her core once more, grinding against her weeping slit, her eyes squeezed tight at the immeasurable pleasure it brought forth. He went lower, his mouth closing wetly over her abandoned breast, suckling none too gently on it as he rocked into her, her harsh pants and shrill cries music to his ears.

Her grasp on his hair tightened considerably, making Sasuke growl at the pain, the low reverberations prickling her skin in another wave of pleasure. Sakura thrashed on the bed, her hair flying left and right at his arousing affection, her legs clamped tight around his to heighten the friction, desire oozing out from her. Sasuke abruptly stopped his ministrations and straightened, his raven locks tickling her sweat-soaked skin as he did so. She looked at him in confusion as she watched his hands travel to the waistline of his pants, hooking his thumbs into the waistband and leaving him exposed with one sure flick of his wrist.

Sakura didn't breathe as she let dark, hazy green orbs descend from his mildly scarred chest to his loins, admiring his figure until she saw how aroused he was, quickly averting her eyes to the side in timidity. Sasuke bent over her and held her chin with rough hands, turning her to meet his gaze. His twin coal black eyes regarded her with a fierce look, but with a touch of – she would dare say – gentleness. He released her from his grip and gathered her in his arms, aligning his hips with hers as he settled in between her legs, the tip of his manhood just teasing her slick opening. She instinctively arched into him, her hands gripping his arms, letting him slide into her just a little more, her nerve endings already wild with the briefest touch.

His head lay beside hers, just on her shoulder as earlier, but his lips were pressed to the shell of her ear, their positions seeming almost like they were cuddling. Sakura felt him twitch as he slid into her from her eagerness, but he recomposed himself as she fell back onto the soft mattress from their combined weight. A quick mumbling of a few words, and then Sasuke jerked his hips forward into her, catching her by complete surprise, an anguished cry ripping from her bruised and swollen lips. Her fingers dug into him, her nails leaving crescent-shaped blemishes on his previously unmarred skin. He hissed at the pain, but did nothing to abate it.

"This will hurt," was what he had said.

Sakura felt as though she was being clawed from the inside, the stinging and the stretching in an all too unfamiliar part of her. She wanted to curl up into a ball and wait for the pain to go away, but hers and Sasuke's interlocked bodies did not give her much freedom. It was only when she found his lips sweeping across her cheeks did she realize she was crying, his lips murmuring almost inaudible and apologetic shh-ing sounds. He shuffled her in his arms to readjust his weight on her, and she gave a sharp gasp at the slight tear, but mostly pleasure that shot down her spine. A throaty moan betrayed her pain, her hips responsively rolling into him, another breathy sigh filling the room.

She felt him stall at her voice, his form rigid for only the slightest second before he slowly pulled out of her, an empty feeling filling her as he completely drew out. The soft padding of his fingertips on her thighs drove her crazy with desire, a small whimper slipping past her lips. She was tingling – burning – wherever he touched her. It seemed that their already intimate relationship wasn't enough to stem the heat; it only fuelled it all the more. Wherever his skin touched hers or even lightly grazed her, she was on fire. He eased back in a moment later, the same stretching, but void of any pain as a wave of pleasure overtook her senses.

"Ahh…!" She gasped out, her body gracefully arching off the bed.

Again, and again, he pulled out, then back in, his touches always gentle. He buried his face into her neck as he continued to sink into her heat, one hand always on her thigh, the other gliding smoothly across her body, fluttering here and there, his hands cool but searing to the touch, leaving invisible scars wherever he brushed. His lips lightly caressed her neck, the erratic thrum of her pulse a small vibration against his mouth. He travelled lower, his breaths cold against her sweaty skin, his tongue licking the tip of a peak with the smallest stroke. She thrashed her head on the pillow as he simultaneously entered her, shuddering into him as he pulled away ever so slightly to look at her.

"Look at me." His voice was quiet, but strong in the dark room.

He had stopped his ministrations, making her feel confused as she turned to look at him with glazed, dark green eyes. She couldn't even focus on his features before he suddenly dipped down to kiss her, ramming into her as he did so, her cry of pleasure swallowed by the raven. He lifted her legs to his shoulders as he lifted himself off of her, her back rubbing almost painfully against the bed sheets, but the new friction that was between them in this position was driving her insane. The heat, the intimacy, the friction, the ball of fire in her abdomen – were all so vivid, so real that it brought tears to her eyes.

Her arms daringly reached out to surround him, holding him to her as he pounded into her, every thrust hitting a spot deep within her that made her see stars. He let her hold him, let her have his wish. She convulsed around him, his breath – like hers too – coming out in heavy pants as he increased his pace, intent on reaching bliss. Her eyes closed briefly, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she was done, but a particularly deep thrust made her open her eyes in slight surprise.

"Don't close your eyes." He looked at her still with crimson orbs, the mesmerizing hue so familiar yet so foreign to her.

Then he put his head to her shoulder, and bit into it, the unexpected pain the spark to set her off. She groaned as she came, he too, spilling his essence into her as her ring of muscles tightened around him, an odd but not uncomfortable feeling as he gave her himself. He held himself up with his arms after his climax, his muscles rippling with every movement, his spiky locks falling beautifully to frame his face as he recollected himself. She found him too perfect, too perfect even after such a derogatory activity. Her chest heaved up and down to regain her breath, her lower half too numb too feel when he pulled out. He rolled over on the bed to not crush her and threw a blanket over her lithe form, his attitude already cold so soon after their "love-making."

Sakura willingly took the sheet and pulled it over her, covering herself from him and rolling to face the wall, tears gathering in her eyes squeezed shut from discontent. This was what she wanted, what she asked of him, and he had given it to her with her consent. Why did she feel so horribly empty?

A small rustling on the bedside table beside her made her look up; he stood there in his sweatpants and t-shirt, already having placed a stack of bills beside her on the table. He did not meet her gaze, but turned to walk back to the other side of the bed, the bed sinking to his side as he sat down with his back facing her.

"Take it." He emotionlessly said. "You can leave when morning comes."

An immediate sob involuntarily ripped from her throat, a hand quickly coming up to suppress it. "I don't want it."

"That's your choice."

Sakura threw the covers aside and quickly threw on her clothes, uncaring if she was sloppily dressed: no one would care about one's state of dress in the rain without an umbrella. It would be better to move now than later when the pain between her legs would make itself more apparent. It would be easier to run now than later. Tears dripped from eyes as she looked for her shirt, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from eliciting another pained cry. She headed towards the bedroom door, Sasuke already there to open it for her, his gaze as cold as ever. Sakura stalked out into the living room and strode towards the front door, angrily throwing aside the chain before turning back to look at him as he leisurely headed her way.

"You're selfish, Sasuke!" She cried out at him, knowing that it would fall upon deaf ears.

He didn't respond and leaned against the wall, looking bored.

His front door made a huge racket as she wrenched it open and stormed out, the pounding rain already too much of a diversion for anyone to notice a door loudly slamming into a wall at this time of night. Sasuke walked to the open door and leaned against the frame, his eyes following the slumped and quickly retreating back of his disappearing one-night aficionado.

He remained standing against the door frame even after she had left the vicinity. "You say I'm selfish, but have you ever thought that I was doing you good by staying away? Che."

X-i-o-n

It's better to be loved than to love.

"Oi, Sakura-chan. Where've you been? You're all soaked, dattebayo." The blond straightened from the wall, uncrossing his arms from his chest as he did so, concern written plainly on his whiskered features even in the darkened night.

He walked towards her listless self, his arms reaching out to guide her to the door of her apartment block, his embrace warm and yielding. Although he, too, was drenched, it seemed not to matter to him as he worriedly regarded her with dark azure orbs. It seemed he had been waiting for her for the entirety of the storm, but instead of waiting inside like she had given him permission to every time he decided to come visit, he had patiently stayed in the horrible weather to watch for her. To see her when she first rounded the corner instead of only seeing her when she entered.

She found herself subconsciously leaning into him as they ascended the stairs with the bruises all over her body. Even though his clothes were dripping, his skin was warm – hot, comforting – regardless of the chill of the storm. He did not question why she suddenly depended on him so much than usual, but it seemed as though he did not mind as he used the keys from her pocket to open her front door instead of the set she had given him. As they stood in the entryway shaking off most of the water they had collected on themselves, Sakura removed her shoes in a messy puddle and stepped up to let her feet fall onto the hardwood of her house. She tripped as she did so, too tired to even stretch her arms to prevent from falling too recklessly. A pair of strong arms gripped her in an urgent manner, twisting her body gently around.

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" The sun-kissed blond's expression was worried as she didn't respond, only mumbling a feeble thanks as she somewhat gracefully retrieved herself and planted herself firmly onto the main floor of her abode.

"Were you at Teme's house?" Incredulity filled his voice, anger waiting behind bars for her permission to be set free.

"Please don't ask, Naruto. Please." Her voice sounded strangely tearful and jerkier than she'd have liked. Sakura wrapped frail arms around her frame as she stared downwards and sideways close to Naruto's feet.

'You smell like him, Sakura-chan...'

He closed the distance between them in two strides, enveloping her in a tight embrace, his expression of grave sorrow. He heard her take in a small gasp of air, her form rigid in his. Every time he would do so, she would resist within seconds at his intimacy, refusing the help from the only person who could help her – her best friend.

"Naruto." Sakura softly whispered.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Make love to me, Naruto." Her voice diminished even further in volume at the request, almost a minute tickle in the blond's shoulder. "Make love to me."

He yanked her away from him, holding her at arm's length, disbelief clear in startled cerulean blue depths, his complexion of utter astonishment.

"Please, Naruto." Sakura placed a hand lightly, so ever lightly, on his prominent cheekbone, the soft pads of her fingertips grazing his supple skin in a tingly fashion. She noticed the long lashes that swept a thin line of shadows as his eyes fluttered closed momentarily, revelling in her fleeting touch. He loved her, she knew, but she couldn't reciprocate just now. Not yet.

"I love you, Sakura-chan." Just like other times she'd heard him in her sleep as he watched over her from the chair beside her bed when she was sick, he had never directly told her that he did. But she always knew. "I don't want to take advantage of you." He grasped her shoulders painfully.

"You're not, Naruto." She placed a hand gently on one of his, hesitation flickering briefly in the dark sapphire depths. "I want you to show me."

The blond looked slightly perplexed.

"I want you to show me your love."

His breath caught, his grip lightening considerably at her words. It seemed fair that she should give him a chance after so long. She had enough of sitting, waiting, loving, and hurting. Perhaps it was enough if someone could give her what she sought after, or a paradigm of what she needed. A someone who would love her from the bottom of his heart and would give her everything that she didn't know she ever wanted. Instead of the endless torture she endured to hope to gain the acknowledgement of another team member, she could learn to love the one who had always been there for her. In the end, it just wasn't fair to not give him a chance. He would know that he would be a substitute until she could truly see him for who he is.

She suddenly jerked forward into his arms once more, his muscled chest and strong heartbeat giving her more comfort than she had previously thought.

"I don't want you to hate me, Sakura-chan."

Tears danced down her damp cheeks as she grasped fistfuls of his t-shirt in her hands. "I believe I never will, Naruto."

His arms tightened around her frame almost painfully. "Te amo, Sakura. Te amo."

Please review. This is my first time writing such a dark story, so I would really appreciate some feedback, comments, just anything. Please and thank you!

- Kanryu 16/04/11 4:55pm