It doesn't happen at the "perfect" moment. It dawns on him like someone pulling a string- abruptly. The realization was almost enough to stop him in his tracks. It amazements him and yet it doesn't. The facts have always been there, as easy to see as the sun itself. He feels less heavy somehow, as if it was a burden constantly at the back of his and it finally released itself.

He loves her.

No, that's not it; he's known that since he was twelve and she managed to convince him not to leave for Orochimaru. Let's rephrase.

Sasuke Uchiha is in love with Sakura Haruno.

It's so obvious and always has been. As he walks home, groceries in hand, the Uchiha ponders his options. It's been years since Sakura's made her last confession of love. Does she still love him? How will he express the full meaning of his feelings toward her? And how does life go on if she doesn't return his affections? After all, he's never exactly been a poet with his thoughts or words.

The groceries are put away slowly; he's so lost in thought the noodles are dropped three times on their way to the cabinet. The black haired man isn't the type who daydreams often, but when he does, boy, he becomes so absent-minded. He makes his way to his favorite thinking spot once the food's put into its proper place; on top of the Hokage monuments.

A few days pass as they normally would, but Sasuke still doesn't have a plan of action. His list of ideas included: a love letter (too cheesy), taking her on a date (that'll take too damn long), and telling her (that just screams awkward). Of course there were other options he thought of, all to be rejected; they always had a flaw to them.

It's not a simple task figuring out how to express one's love, especially for a man of few words.

Going through the village gates after a mission, the Uchiha decided to take a different route back home. The sun is giving way for the moon, flushing the world in muted colors of reds and oranges, yellows and pinks.

Pink. He sees her seated on the swing set at the park. The sakura colored hair that is so recognizably hers is painted orange with the setting sun. Gaze was turned downward, she looks thoughtful, whimsical, but as he draws closer to her, he notices the sad tilt to her usually smiling lips and the extra moisture shinning in her eyes. His seat creaked when he sits down next to her.

"Hello, Sasuke," Sakura said in a gentle voice without looking up at him.

"Is there something on your mind, Sakura?" He said in a voice equally as soft as hers. Her emerald green eyes looked at him then.

She turns her head to look at him, their eyes lock as she responds, "There's always a lot on my mind." The pinkette smiles then, it's lonely and screams of melancholy. Sasuke stays silent, as he often does when not knowing what to say. The silence lasts until the light fades and it's the stars' turn to dance in the sky.

When it's dark enough, the Sharingan wielder says, "Let me walk you home." Their walk is filled with comfortable silence; crickets chirp in the distance, street lamps and the moon illuminate the path. It doesn't take long before they've reached the door to the medic's apartment.

Her key turns the lock and she moves to go in. How could he leave her in such a gloomy state? Surely there's something he could do to help ease her thoughts. He didn't think as his fingertips brushed her arm in the lightest of touches, but she felt it. There was a slight pause, and then she turned to face him. Those expressive eyes were fully turned upon him, flowing in their green depths was some kind of unnamable sorrow.

Wanting in some way to help stifle the ordinarily fierce woman's pain, Sasuke allowed himself to take a step closer to her. His long arms wrapped around her slight frame; for a moment she was stiff with surprise, but she quickly sagged into him. The hold he has on her is tight, it warms them both.

They stay embraced for a while, then Sasuke states, "We all have tough days."

The small arms surrounding his waist tighten, "Thank you."

The next evening, as the sun starts to make its journey towards the horizon, he goes to the park again. It's empty of orange painted hair, and he's glad because it means she's not in pain.

The usually stoic man still wants to check up on her though. That's how he found himself perched on a tree outside her window, watching as she read a novel. No longer did her lips have a downward tilt, nor were there tears lurking in her eyes.

The moon's made its appearance in the nighttime sky before the young man's made a move to exit the tree. There's an almost invisible smile on his face when he decides to leave, but as he turns to go his sharp senses pick up the sound of a door opening.

A "Sasuke?" is uttered.

The Uchiha leaps from his hiding spot in the branches, landing s short distance from a Sakura who wears an amused look on her face. "Would you like to come in for some tea?" A nod is the silent answer she receives.

Her place is cozy and a little messy, there are medical books along with bills scattered about. Even with the mess and slight cluttering, it feels clean, it feels like Sakura.

Sasuke takes a seat at her kitchen island, waiting patiently for the offered tea. He takes this time to look at her more closely. Her movements are flowing and graceful; the light reflects off her hair making it shine like polished steel; she's small yet strong, the muscles that make up her arms and back are defined, powerful.

She's exquisite.

His train of thought is interrupted as she turns around to set a steaming cup before him. She stays silent for a beat, then boldly looks into his eyes, "Thank you for last night, it-" a faint sigh, "it meant a lot."

He took a moment round up his stray thoughts. Never being a man of much patience, this was the perfect time to tell her the extent of his feelings in more or less words. Peering deeply into her never-ending green eyes, when he speaks it sounds throaty and hushed, "You are important." Tension filled the air as the significant words hit with full force.

Knowing he's not the type of man to waste words, Sakura's eyes widened almost immediately. "S-Sasuke, I don't know what to say."

"Then don't speak."

His hand speedily extended out pulling her closer from where she was leaning against the island. Still in shock, she was easily persuaded into the meeting his lips with her own. Two sets of lips collided. Unwilling to scare her off, Sasuke gently tried coaxing her soft lips into moving with his own. Inhaling deeply, Sakura started responding as the situation settled in.

Feeling it okay to use less caution, the raven haired man began moving his lips more vigorously and uses the hand still clutching pink hair to tilt her head to a better angle. Sakura releases a breathy sigh and Sasuke took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. It transforms into something full of passion, heat, and a dash of desperation.

Unable to stand the island isolating the two, Sasuke breaks the contact, only to quickly reestablish it. Swiftly he moves around the island, his arms bring her body closer and the kiss continues. Her arms wrap around his shoulder, one dives into his hair and pulls, sending heat throughout his being. Delicate hands roam over his chest and back, the Uchiha shudders. Her nails scrape his back through his shirt.

If she wants to play like that, he'll bring it. He easily lifts her onto the counter and moves his lips' focus to her neck; sucking, licking and biting, nipping, then sucking again. She's moaning steadily now, but it's not enough, he's gotten a taste and doesn't think this'll ever be enough to sate his desires.

He's mouth reaches her collar bone where he harshly nips, sending her hips forward crashing into his. A groan escapes his mouth at the heat surrounding his groin. He let his head fall to her shoulder with a growl, he needed his body to calm down but it refused. Her warmth slipped out to cover him entirely and he was lost in a sea of yearning.

Small hands planted on either side of his face, she raises his head back up and says in a way that shows her burning need for him, "Please, Sasuke, keep going." Thoughts of stopping or even slowing down are obliterated from his mind.

The feverous kissing resumes as if the pause didn't happen. Sasuke feels a jerk at the bottom of his shirt, quicker than lightning the fabric is hitting the floor. It's not long before her shirt follows a trail to the floor. She wasn't wearing anything underneath; he realizes when bare skin hits the heated skin of his chest.

Sliding his hands under her full bottom, he draws her in his arms intent on continuing this in the behind the privacy of a closed door, certainly not on a countertop.

He makes love to her. Sasuke wants the pinkette to know how much he loves her with smoldering touches and raw passion; pure emotion driving his every action. And when she climaxes twice he feels nothing short of manly pride. His own peak hits like a freight train; it's blindingly intense like nothing he's ever felt.

They're both out of breath when he collapses next to her on the bed sheets. Sakura shows no hesitancy when she moves closer to the raven hair man, her arm is thrown over her chest and her head rests on his shoulder. They're sweaty and kind of gross, but he finds himself not caring in the least as he allows his fingers to comb through her silky locks of pink.

In the end, Sasuke felt he learned a valuable lesson. Love doesn't happen seamlessly, there's no correct way to love another. You have to do what comes naturally, or else you might stumble and stutter.

Nothing's perfect, but as his mind drifts off to sleep, he thinks it's moments like this that make people strive for it.

Greetings to anyone reading this! This is my first attempt at a lemony fic, so I do apologize if it's terrible! None the less, I really hope you enjoyed my writing!