Hello, hello! Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. This is just a little thing I decided to type up over the course of a couple of days to try and get the gears turning a little bit to work on some other stuff. Pure Sasu/Saku goodness ahead!

Even after the rain began to fall in peals and obscure everything a few feet beyond the view through the hazy window, Sakura stood to watch. It was dark, she was tired, and her hopefulness that he would come was quickly waning, but it was 11:54, and she was determined to give him until 'today' was over before she'd give up and go to bed.

There was always excitement for these particular days, no matter how frequent they were. Whenever she heard the call of a hawk outside her balcony doors and read the note that it was carrying, typically a simple date in simple penmanship and nothing more, the anticipation would boil and bubble in her core. She would become frantic, whether the date was a week away or a day away, and would commit her (and usually her daughter's) entire existence to any housework that had yet to be done, with the intent of making her home as spotless and presentable as possible.

She was a good wife, and she knew he thought so, even though he never said it. He didn't have to. For that matter, since their relationship began, the words 'I love you,' never left his lips, and she was certain they never would. He never complimented her, and only called her by her name, 'Sakura'. Never 'sweetie' or 'dear' or any pet names. Romantic words and playful little gestures were Naruto's thing. Sasuke was never one for trifling words. Actions speak much louder, after all.

Without fail, he'd always arrive on the day he said he would, stay for a week, and leave without a goodbye. He's never been late, which is what made Sakura so nervous as she stood at the window, thin brows furrowed, green eyes glowing with intense concern…

She'd be lying if she said she lived in total peace and comfort. Even more than a decade later, there were still quite a few people who hated Sasuke and the fact that he'd been pardoned. She heard the whispers about him, a 'self-righteous nomad', a 'traitor' and a 'turncoat'. With any number of malevolent pursuers, there was always some faint amount of tension and worry for Sasuke, a silly notion, given his status as one of the most powerful shinobi in the ninja world, but a worry nonetheless.

Normally, she kept her worry far away from the rest of her thoughts. Sasuke could take care of himself, and he always got here on time and always protected them. Always. Except… this time. They waited all day. Nine-year-old Sarada was so excited to be able to see her father again, and Sakura shared all her daughter's excitement and enthusiasm. But as morning passed quickly into evening, most of the excitement had melted into disappointment. And as evening faded to a dreary, rainy midnight, with Sarada in bed sad and asleep, only Sakura was left up in the quiet house, and her disappointed had frozen over into concern.

He'd been ambushed before. Could something have happened this time? Could Sasuke be hurt somewhere? Did he write the wrong date? Did she misread it? Sakura stared hard at the simple '3/30' on the slip she kept in her hand. She hadn't misread. And as her eyes turned from the sheet of paper to the clock, she sighed softly. It was ten seconds to midnight. Sakura spared one last longing glance at the rain-soaked window before pulling the curtains in and turning away.

Part of her wished she'd just gone to bed at the same time her daughter had. She'd sloppily gotten halfway ready for bed, too, foregoing her usual nightgown or slip, and just wearing one of Sasuke's larger black shirts with the Uchiha crest on the back, that he'd left for her his last visit. Since it only came down to her thighs and left her legs completely bare, it might as well have just been a makeshift slip... At least if she'd gone to bed then, she would've been able to sleep somewhat well and save all her worry and concern for the morning. Now she was uncertain if she'd even be able to sleep, thinking and weighing in her mind whether or not something could have gone badly for Sasuke that prevented him from coming this time…

The darkness and silence of her large estate, minus the pattering rain, bothered Sakura a tad more than it usually did as her bare feet made their way silently across the floor, starting up the slightly-creaky steps. Her home was too large and too quiet at night. Although that made it far easier to detect intruders, it put her more than a little on edge as well. Sometimes, like now, it gave her the impression that she was being watched, or… waited for.

She shivered, deciding not to head straight to her room and instead peek into her daughter's room. She opened the door as slowly as she could to prevent creaking, and stared for a long few warm moments at the back of Sarada's head as she shifted about slightly in her sleep. She turned over, and when Sakura looked at her daughters face, she saw him in her. She saw herself as well, of course, but whenever she looked at Sarada, she felt that no matter how long Sasuke would leave for, he never truly left.

This brought a little smile to her face. Before she closed the door again, she briefly noted the fact that Sarada had tucked herself in surprisingly well. A little better than her mother usually did. She didn't think too much about it, and as she continued toward the master bedroom, her thoughts drifted back toward her concern. With a sigh, she shook her head and tried to clear her mind, just so that there was a chance that she'd be able to get some sleep…

…But as she opened her door and took a step in, her mind emptied of thoughts of sleep entirely, and all her thoughts and concerns and worries up and melted away without a trace. Sakura froze solid, her eyes opening wide and her jaw dropping a tad.

There he stood, his cloak and shirt draped over one of their armoire doors, his blade resting against the wall beside the balcony doors, and his shirtless form casually beginning to put away the couple of sets of clothing he'd bring with him every time. His hair was soaking wet, messy, and clinging all over his head, and every inch and ridge of his slim, muscular torso glistened in the candlelight with dampness from the rain. He didn't seem to take notice of Sakura until the last of his belongings were fit into the large dresser.

When he looked at his wife, she shuddered with renewed excitement, and neither of them spoke for a long few moments, letting the hissing patter of the rain outside fill the silence.

Finally, Sakura moved first, putting her hands on her hips and feigning a disappointed glare.

"You're late," she told him softly and firmly, frowning poutily for the full effect.

She made him smile, and that's all she could have asked for. Sasuke shook his head, closing the armoire and walking toward her. He reached out… and his hand moved past her to slowly shut their bedroom door. His eyes never left hers, and when the click of security sounded, he finally spoke.

"You're late," is his response, to which Sakura merely blinked before he elaborated. "I've been waiting for you to come upstairs for almost six minutes now."

The fake sternness faded from Sakura's face, and only her pouting was left as she continued to speak quietly. "Sarada was disappointed. She was really looking forward to seeing you today."

"She did. I woke her up and sent her back off to sleep."

He tucked her in. The realization melted that pout right off of her lips, and Sakura just couldn't help but break into a smile. And unable to hold herself back any longer, she threw her arms around his waist and threw her face against his cold, wet chest. He smelled like a lake, and it slightly frustrated Sakura that there was nothing else she could glean about his travels. Usually, there were some slight hints on his person and his scent about where he'd been to: a hint of sand, a tiny whiff of ozone, some faint traces of mud on his cloak… The rain had washed him clean. She'd have to ask him another time.

His hands started at her hips and took their time roaming up the curves of her body over the thin black shirt. He took her waist and pulled her even closer against him, then moved his hands to her bare arms, his cool touch making her shiver. Slowly, his hands rose from her arms to her shoulders, to her slender neck, through her soft hair, across her soft cheeks, and he gently pulled her face from his chest, tilting her head for her to look up at him.

They stared at each other, and though he didn't say a word, the deepness of his onyx eyes told Sakura everything she'd ever need to hear. He leaned down toward her, and she lifted herself onto the balls of her feet, and their parted lips met softly and easily. She closed her eyes and sighed gently, and he accepted the invitation to slip his tongue into her mouth to reunite with hers.

They danced between each other's mouths, Sakura moving with desperate joy and relief, while Sasuke kept as calm and strong and steady as he typically did. His hands move to her shoulders, and he gently guided her backwards and pinned her against the door. As Sasuke pulled his lips briefly away from hers, Sakura gently muttered to him.

"I missed you…"

The next kiss was hers, and Sasuke's eyes closed as he allowed her to expend as much of her eagerness as she wished. His touch rested idly on her shoulders, while hers roamed quickly up and down his slick flesh, over his shoulders, down his back, through his sopping hair, and tugging fitfully at the loops in his rain-dampened black pants. He nipped gently at her lower lip, and it was enough for her to know it wasn't time just yet. As needy and impatient as she was, she heeded him, and kept her hands above his waist for the most part.

Sakura wanted to embrace him and touch him and kiss him forever, almost comically eager to be close to her husband, especially after being downcast and worried for so many hours. But she only had so much energy she could put into kissing and touching, and when her motions began to wane, he calmly took the lead, bringing his steady hands once again to her slender hips.

Gently, Sasuke squeezed her hips and drew himself closer to her, breaking their heated kiss and bringing his lips to her neck instead. Sakura's trembling palms found his back again, and a warm little sigh left her lips. The rosy blush that had already begun to cloud her cheeks spread further through her face as Sasuke's hands started rising once more. Only this time, his gentle grip began to draw her shirt up as well, until his grip is at her waist, the shirt's rumpled hem is above her navel, and the cottony innocence of her pink-trimmed white panty briefs is in his full view.

"This storm is worse in other places than it is here," Sasuke murmured softly, prompting Sakura to tilt her head curiously which gave him more of her soft flesh to kiss in the process. "It's a bit more difficult to travel very far in the wind and rain."

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "You don't have to explain, Sasuke. I'm just glad you're here."

"Mm. I'm sure you would've asked eventually. Arms up."

Sakura reluctantly uncoiled her arms from around her husband and raised them toward the ceiling. It was less than a moment's huff, because as soon as she did so, Sasuke gripped the hem of her shirt, sliding it completely over her head and letting it drop, leaving the both of them topless. Her hands dropped to his shoulders, and his return to her waist, slowly drifting just a bit higher, enough for him to move his thumbs across her soft flesh just under her perked little buds.

Every touch excited her, and every kiss and occasional nip at her neck made her crave more. The way he treated everything slowly and patiently drove her mad, and though she whined, she loved it all the same. She wished sometimes that there was something she could do to get him to pick up the pace a bit, but every time she tried to urge him on, he teased her even more slowly, and took that much longer to actually get her into bed. So she lived with the excitement of torment.

By the time his hands rose high enough to actually cup and squeeze at either breast, Sakura found herself squirming against the door, and sighed shakily and arched her back with relief once his firm touch begin to send tiny ticklish sparks of pleasure through her form. He began to nip and suckle at one spot in particular on her neck until she was sore, pulling his lips back to reveal the rosy little mark he left behind.

Sakura moaned out, furrowing her brows and opening her heated emerald eyes to give Sasuke a pleading, needy stare, hoping that just this once, he'd show her mercy. He answered by slipping his fingers down the front of her panties.

Sakura had always thought figuratively in her head that her husband's touch electrified her, but at times, she had to wonder if he really was electrifying her sometimes. The amount of stimulation she'd gain from a single intimate touch like that, let alone when he let his fingers dance against her, was unreal, and with Sasuke's affinity with lightning, she wouldn't be surprised if this was his own sexual version of the Chidori.

Whether just pure skill or clever use of chakra, his touch set Sakura on thin air, and nothing could stop the ecstatic gasp from leaving her lips, or her thighs from closing tightly and trembling, or her toes from curling into themselves. Minutes would pass without Sakura even realizing, far too busy squirming against Sasuke's strong grasp on one breast pinning her to the bedroom door while his other hand tortured her in the best way possible.

"S-Sasuke…"

Her breath grew warmer by the moment as her core began to simmer, and he didn't stop until he could smell her arousal on the air. Sasuke withdrew damp fingers and held them to her lips for her to clean. It was the little things she did that would stoke Sasuke's own well-hidden lust, and as he watched her lap her tongue all over and between his digits, lashing at his fingertips with her tongue-tip and giving his knuckle a brief suckle, he knew he needed to bring her to bed soon, for both their sakes.

Once Sakura was satisfied with her own flavor, Sasuke took her by the hand and pulled her away from the door, guiding her with a small push toward the bed. She couldn't have moved faster if she tried, and basically lunged across their large bedroom to jump and lay across the bed and stare at him, waiting for him to join her.

Sasuke shook his head again and sighed, another small half-smile warming his face. As with everything else, he took his time walking toward the bed, idly undoing his pants as he went, and when he finally came to sit down on the edge of the bed, he gazed at her prone form with her legs kicking playfully up and down as he slid out of his pants and set them aside.

"Calm down," he said, pushing lightly on her shoulder and rolling her over onto her back before tugging her toward him by the ankle.

The dampness of her panties was proof enough he hadn't lost his touch, but his attention fell first upon her waiting lips. He rested one elbow beside her head as he climbed up to loom over her, using his other hand to take a gentle grip of her hair as he leaned in and pressed his lips strongly and coolly against her own before drifting toward her neck and allowing her to speak.

"You don't want me to be calm, Sasuke… If you did, you wouldn't tease me like you do…" she murmured hotly as he pecked at her collarbone and continued southbound. His adventurous lips explored her plush mounds and his tongue lashed at her stiffened little peaks. Further still he descended, kissing every pectoral and sealing his lips for several agonizing moments against her navel before releasing her with a pop and descending even lower… His lips brushed the pink rim of her panties…

Then he raised himself up, tugging her by the hip and turning her onto her belly again. His lips rose and found her shoulder, starting the descent all over again.

"Dammit, Sasuke…" Sakura whined with frustration, her shoulders rising as he ran his tongue down the rim of her shoulder blade to kiss at the center of her back.

A soft trail of teasing kisses traced its way down to the small of her back, and when Sasuke stopped again, Sakura gave him a pouty glare over her shoulder.

"You're so difficult."

"That makes one of us," came the smug reply, and Sakura rolled her eyes before looking forward again, tilting her chin up and attempting to seem blasé and unaffected by the feeling of her panties sliding down to the middle of her thigh. She didn't squirm or moan against the caress of his fingers against the round, supple arc of her rear, nor the tickle of his talented lips against her flesh. In her pouting state of faux disinterest, she missed the rare gleam of genuine amusement in Sasuke's eyes.

Her teeth dug gently into her bottom lip once that last garment was taken away and tossed over her head onto the pillows in front of her. Her own aroused scent on her panties aroused her even further, and it was breaking her down. She had to give up once he turned her over again to stare at her face. As always, she couldn't hold her excitement down for long. Every nerve tingled with anticipation, which grew stronger and more electric with each short inch of distance closed between her waiting lips and his. When Sasuke's face finally disappeared between her legs, the tormented orgasm that had been boiling in her core finally found its trigger.

All in one moment, pure heat washed over her like a flood, boiled to perfection and stinging her every nerve with much-needed bliss. Her eyes closed, her toes curled again, and her hands found themselves fisted into the sheets beneath them as Sasuke drew her out relentlessly. The urge to scream almost overpowered her reluctance to potentially disturb Sarada. The last thing she wanted was their daughter walking in on them wondering what was going on… A hissed groan filled with all the same emotion would have to do.

Even though he knew her body best, it still amazed Sakura how perfect Sasuke was at making love to her. Every move seemed to be planned and calculated toward her reactions and her eventual peaks. His torture was unbearable, but the release that came from it was unimaginable. And he knew just how to draw that release out for as long as possible.

By the time she came down from her heated high, she was panting and shivering and sensitive all over, and he lifted his head, looking right into her eyes as he crawled forward enough to loom above her again. His lips came down upon hers, he readied himself as she savored her own flavor as well as his. Thankfully for Sarada, the scream that fell from Sakura's lips as he slid inside of her was muffled by his stifling lips.

He let out his own little groan as he pulled back slightly, both their chests rising and falling as Sasuke grabs the sheets, pulling them up over their heads and hiding their love from the dimming candlelight. There was comfort in the darkness, and a greater sense of feeling in the absence of sight. The writhing sheets and the sensual moans and groans and gasps did not go still until the candles went dark, the rain went quiet, and the realization finally hit the sweat-slicked housewife.

He was home again.

Thanks again for reading, guys. I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I planned for this to just be a one-shot, but if you'd like for me to keep going with this, let me know in a review! I cherish feedback in all forms, so don't be afraid to leave me a few kind words! Or criticism, if you didn't like it! I'm always trying to get better at writing stuff like this, and I think this might be the best work I've written in a while. :P I can always improve, though, so if there's something you see I may need to work on, tell me!

~M.H.C~

May all your

Hearts beat with

Calamity!