Chapter Eight

Naruto had always been a subscriber to one particular theory when it came to decision making.

'Oh God, yes!'

If you had a serious decision to consider, it was always best to sleep on it before you settled on an answer.

'Unngh.'

And he'd always made sure to do exactly that. He'd done it when choosing whether to attend Konoha University or not, on what car he wanted to buy when he passed his driving test, and picking which most recent generation of console he wanted to buy.

'More!'

So last night, when he and Sakura had been taking a break to eat and catch their breath somewhere between the second and third time they'd had sex … Naruto had made the conscious decision to see how he felt about Sakura's suggestion of them being friends with benefits after he'd had a night's sleep.

'Faster, please … oh fuck, Naruto!'

Though if he was honest, he hadn't needed to sleep on that decision. The second he'd woken up he'd known that yes, damn right he was happy with the decision he'd made last night. That he'd honestly never been happier about any decision he'd made in his entire life.

Especially because he'd woken up with Sakura already offering yet another stunning benefit to their arrangement. By waking him up with head.

Best way to wake up ever by the way. Second only to being ridden awake.

Don't look at him like that, Tayuya had been an exceptionally impatient lover and he'd woken up more than once to find the woman straddling him. Or flat out riding him until he woke up and joined in.

Though Sakura was definitely much better at 'wake-up calls' than Tayuya was. Stars were already exploding across his vision when he'd finally realised what his new friend was up to.

He'd only been awake a few minutes before Sakura had made him … ahem, finish. So when she'd looked up to see the effects of her handiwork she was all but wrenched up into his arms and returned the fiery kiss he gave her hungrily.

If he'd been a little more alert he might have been able to stop her nose poking him in the eye.

But they were both too horny to give that much of a passing giggle and before Sakura had time to recover she'd been turned round, pulled right up so her bare ass was rubbing against his still spent member and treated to her own morning greeting.

Because be damned if now he had the opportunity again, he wasn't going to give Sakura the treatment he'd wanted to that morning last week.

Which was what had led to where they were now.

'It burns baby,' Sakura hissed delightedly as Naruto's fingers rubbed up and down her clit slowly, painstakingly slowly. Her hips bucking wildly as Naruto took his time guiding her to her climax. 'I'm gonna …'

'Cum Sakura,' Naruto murmured into her neck, planting purposeful kisses against her pulse as his fingers kept up their devious pace. Sakura's bucking hips begging him to go faster even if she couldn't say it.

Her body splayed back against him, the small of her back and ass rubbing at his still recovering tip in glorious torture. Her fingers meshed up into his hair, pulling harder than she meant and giving him an awe-inspiring view of her naked body as he languished more attention on her.

As her breathing got shallower and faster, her orgasm racing forward despite his pace, Sakura's breasts rose and fell rapidly, bouncing intoxicatingly, he couldn't and refused to look away. The feel of her rock hard nipple grazing his squeezing palm spurring him back to readiness with each groan of need his lover let loose.

'Ohhhhhhhhh,' Sakura moaned, her hips and chest lurching forward against his hands, her back arching as her toes curled and her head threw back against his shoulder.

He continued to play with her clit as she rode out her orgasm, rocking her body against him in pleasure ridden spasms rather than a deliberate action. Anything to keep his fingers on her skin, to keep the pleasure going and not let it stop.

She flopped against him entirely as it came to an end, an endlessly pleased grin plastered across her face as she nestled into his chest. Her fingers not scratching his scalp seeking out his hand moving north from her core and entwined with his fingers instinctively.

Nuzzling her neck, Naruto chuckled against her heated flesh. 'Best way to start a morning huh Sakura?'

'Mmhmm,' Sakura hummed back. She kissed his cheek and lowered their hands to rest over her stomach. 'I'm all tingly.'

She guided his lips to hers and they kissed gently in delighted laziness. Savouring the taste of each other as their heartbeats started to go back to normal. Naruto rested his forehead against Sakura's and sighed happily, wrapping his arms around her middle.

'Not to push my luck or anything,' Naruto murmured into her ear. 'But you haven't got any plans today right?'

Sakura giggled, stroking his cheek with her free hand. 'Nope, free as a bird. I'm totally able to spend all day hanging out with my new best friend.'

As if to emphasise the point, Sakura wiggled her hips making him have to bury his face in her neck again to muffle his groan.

'Oh my God,' Sakura muttered as he slowly composed himself. He saw her lip caught between her teeth as she wriggled back against him again. Pleasure shooting up his more than eager cock to his brain. Her tone somewhere between incredulous and giddy when she spoke again. 'Seriously Naruto?'

'What?' Naruto grunted, doing his best not to crush Sakura's fingers as she continue to wriggle against him.

She turned her head to look at him, his lips moving on their own to capture hers. Like the mere sight of them demanded he kiss her.

'You're hard again,' Sakura murmured against his lips, the smile there hungrier than the slow kiss would make you think. 'I thought guys needed like … half an hour to recover or something?'

Naruto chuckled and stroked his fingers over Sakura's waist, making her eyelids flicker slightly when his hand found the sweet spot he'd discovered last night just over the hip bone.

'Depends on the guy,' Naruto said. Then he smirked and rubbed a circle over Sakura's hip again. 'And how hot the girl looks naked.'

The pinkette wriggled her ass some more at the compliment, smiling at him before easing back into his chest again. 'You don't have to butter me up Naruto, I've already taken my clothes off. Now give me a minute to recover, my clit's so sensitive right now it'd hurt more than please if I put this glorious thing to more work.'

Naruto laughed as Sakura wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed playfully, Sakura joining in shortly after and his palm rested over her hip.

'So,' Naruto said, Sakura's hand slipping away from him to rest over both his hands. 'I gotta ask you something.'

'Hm?' Sakura replied, the steady rise and fall of her body against his implying she'd actually started to doze. 'About what?'

'You were going for full on seduction last night right?' Naruto wrapped his arms round her and rested his head on her shoulder. 'Like you knew from the second you saw me at the induction that this was going to happen yeah?'

'Oh, yeah pretty much.' Sakura shrugged in his arms and he could feel the pleased smile on her lips. 'I wasn't going full tilt though. Otherwise I'd have waited for you to find your way up to my place and been waiting for you naked with beer or something.'

The blond laughed. 'Not gonna lie, you'd have made your intentions clear if you'd done that.'

'Well I didn't want to come on too strong,' Sakura giggled. Leaning her head back so she could peck his jaw. Giving yet another perfect view of her naked body. 'But I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure you'd be up for this arrangement so I went as seductive as I could without going to extremes. If you weren't up for it I wanted to … well, give myself enough leg room to walk back with some dignity.'

'Makes sense,' Naruto said. 'But gotta tell you Sakura, you were totally bending over more and flashing more cleavage than you would if you weren't into me. You were being kind of obvious.'

'Maybe I like bending over and showing off my breasts?' Sakura ribbed him, reaching round to poke him in the side with a mock superior gaze at him. 'Maybe I wasn't doing it just to make you stare at me like I was food and you were a starving man.'

Sakura had started rocking her hips back against him and he had to swallow a groan as she somehow managed to get his shaft right in the middle of her glorious ass. She wanted to play that game? He could play that game.

'And the sexy underwear?' Naruto whispered into her ear, his hand gliding up her stomach, causing a little giggle as his fingers brushed her side, he noted that away for later, until his fingers were running along the underside of her breast. 'You wear lace every time you have a guy friend over?'

Sakura bit her lip and sped up the rolls of her hips. 'It's laundry day and I only had lace bras and panties left, completely irrelevant.' Her hand snaked up his neck to scratch at the back of his scalp.

'So how do you explain the boxes of condoms you have in your drawer?'

He cupped her breast, massaging it with his whole hand, his thumb already worrying Sakura's nipple enough to make her pant lightly.

'I like making balloon animals out of them,' Sakura fired back through a groan, Naruto's other hand having come up to play with her other breast too. 'They're, mmm, sturdier than normal balloons.'

'Course,' Naruto mumbled into her ear. He was trying to think of something else to tease her with to keep the game going but honestly all he could think of right now was how perfect her ass felt rubbing against his dick and how he'd never loved holding something more than her breasts.

'Naruto?' She murmured dreamily after they'd done nothing but tease each other's bodies for a few minutes.

'Yeah?' Naruto kissed behind her ear, revelling in the shiver than ran down Sakura's spine.

She moved in his grasp, so she was kneeling before him, her breasts at his eye level. He caught one between his lips, sucking on her nipple lovingly. Sakura groaned and ruffled her fingers through his hair.

His fingers trailed down her tummy, tickling lightly to more shivers and a giggle Sakura muffled with his hair, until he was back at her clit.

'Ohhh,' Sakura moaned as his fingers worked the bundle in a circle.

He dragged more moans out of her, lips on her nipple and his fingers gliding over her wetness. His thumb taking up the circling of her clit as his other hand reached over to her nightstand where the condoms had been splayed out all over. They'd not really been careful about opening things nicely after all.

'Okay,' Sakura said, oblivious to where his other hand had gone. Her eyes opened halfway and the need in them was palpable. 'I love the teasing stuff, I do, but right now-'

Naruto pulled on the back of her thighs and Sakura made an 'eep' like sound as she fell on her back on her bed and glared at Naruto.

But before she could chastise him, Naruto was on her, his body melding against hers. His shaft rubbed against her exposed sex and Sakura moaned as their tongues met in equal need. Her legs wrapped around his waist as they ground together on the bed.

Hands went to his hair and neck, fingers scratching and gripping at him as his thrusting against Sakura sped up, her moans picking up the pace to match. Her hips rocking in tandem with his as she hissed his name in his ear.

The slickness of his shaft begged him to slip inside her now, to feel the ecstasy that would be fucking Sakura without a condom. She'd probably be more than willing, the way she was nibbling his ear when it came close enough damn near convinced him, but he couldn't. Unless Sakura said it was okay, he wasn't even going to try and bring up the topic.

Besides, there was still some of a box of condoms left. Which would definitely would be more than enough, it wasn't like he was some kind of sex god. Though she did make him feel like one.

Naruto pulled back from the kisses and the heaven that was Sakura's warm and welcoming body pressed against his, to moans of protest from the woman beneath him.

Though she quickly stopped when he returned to rubbing her clit with his thumb.

'God,' Sakura groaned, biting her lip as her body arched up to him. 'Naruto.'

The throb of her pussy against his shaft fluffed his ego almost as much as the effect he had on Sakura.

Her hand reached down to cover his, guiding his thumb over her clit quicker and quicker, groaning louder when her fingertips brushed his tip and trying to push it into her weakly, pleasure robbing her of any actual control as her hand slipped back up to her breast soon after.

Fuck, he wanted to savour this image. Along with all the other images that belonged in porn and wet dreams that Naruto never thought he'd get to see himself.

Sakura's hips rocked as she mewled needily, causing him to stroke up and down her sex without even having to move. She was so goddamn hot.

'Naruto,' Sakura pleaded, her eyes opening slightly as she continued to coax him to move. 'Need you.'

Something in the back of his head purred, letting his eyes rove over every inch of her naked, wanting body. Her hips getting more desperate, her breasts bouncing so delectably he almost went back down to suck the stiff nipples and make her moan.

Because fuck did Sakura just love that. The wonderful side effect of them literally spending what had to be an entire day having sex meant they'd learned more than just a little of what the other liked most.

Speaking of …

'Shhh,' Naruto whispered huskily, pushing his tip up and down her silken lips, Sakura's head flying back as her hand stilled on her breast. 'You're still paying me back remember?'

A whole body shiver ran through Sakura's nubile form and her nipples got just that little bit stiffer.

One of the things Naruto had learned about Sakura for instance … she got off on being dominated when she'd done something 'wrong'. Whether he actually agreed or not, he wasn't going to turn down the chance to play into Sakura's fetish if it meant he got to fuck her more.

Naruto ran his palm up Sakura's tummy, over her ribs and cupped her free breast, still not sinking into her just yet. Her breathing hitched and she whined under his grasp, a shuddering smile flooding her face when he flicked her nipple over and over with the pad of his index finger.

As far as Naruto was concerned, she'd long since made up for ducking out on him. Not that she'd had to make up for it in the first place … but, if it kept turning her on, he was going to keep using it.

Plus, taking his time by teasing and dominating her gave him a much needed chance to catch his breath. Though he didn't think he was really dominating her all that much … he'd never done it before today after all.

But he was picking it up fast.

'I'm sorry,' Sakura murmured breathlessly. An absolute lack of remorse clear as the cloudless blue sky outside her window. 'I was a bad girl.'

Fuck, if she talked any more like that his resolve was going to evaporate.

'Please,' she said, her brilliant green eyes opening and fixing him with a lusty stare. 'Use me however you want.'

…

What was that about resolve?

…

No seriously, what was he meant to be doing?

Because suddenly he was almost convinced he was in a dream and not actually in Sakura's bed.

Sakura sighed happily, lifting herself up onto her elbows as he knelt there frozen and grinned coyly. His hand slipping from her breast as she moved up so she was sat directly before him, her legs wrapped around his thighs as her lips found his toned chest.

'Aww,' she teased as loud kisses made their way up to his neck. 'Did I fluster you Naruto?'

Her body flush against his, Naruto was vaguely aware of her hands going to his ass and back as she rubbed herself against his cock.

'Mmm,' she hummed into his neck. Her hands doing something around his cock that felt kinda weird and at the same time amazing. 'Come on Naruto. Did you really freeze cos I told you to use me?'

'Um,' Naruto said articulately. His hands reaching out to caress and squeeze Sakura on automatic pilot. They had to, his brain was still processing what he'd just had happen to him. And how damn drastically he needed her to say it again.

'Poor baby,' Sakura whispered devilishly, lifting up so her breasts pressed against his chest hard and she could reach his ear. 'What would have happened if I'd called you … Master?'

Another thing he'd learnt, his foggy brain reminded him as it was jolted back to life by Sakura's hot breath on his neck, was that Sakura loved teasing just as much as she loved being teased.

And he really, really looked forward to learning just how much fun they could have with that as they spent more time together. Friends with benefits indeed.

Best benefits ever.

'Okay,' Sakura said through a giggle. She tugged on his cock, waggling it around a little bit to get him to pay attention and squeezed it playfully when he looked down. 'Enough of the frozen statue Naruto. We'll work on that stuff later, right now I just need you in me.'

When had she gotten a condom on him?

Naruto had just enough time to be relieved she'd managed it though before Sakura pulled him down on top of her, her legs firmly around his waist and her hands locked on his neck as she let out an ear piercing yell of delight as he slipped into her suddenly and base deep.

'Fuck Sakura,' he growled into her ear. His hands coming up to grip her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and letting him impale her more.

'Ya!' she gasped. 'Do.'

He didn't need telling twice, his hips moving like pistons as he pounded into her. Her thighs squeezing him tightly as she screamed her approval into his ear. Her screaming louder than the banging of her bed frame against the wall, the squealing of the springs of her mattress and the smack of wet skin on wet skin.

Time drifted away, the noise they were making did too, everything slowly faded from his consciousness except for Sakura and how damn good it felt to be in her.

She squeezed his cock inside her as he went deep, almost insisting on his climax but never quite managing it, even as her walls shuddered and shimmered around his covered member, the condom doing the herculean task of improving his longevity admirably.

Even as Sakura's orgasm flowed through her and he throbbed to near painful levels of need, he didn't release, he kept going even as Sakura's body splayed out beneath him, unable to hang on as pleasure wrought her joints weak.

Which suit Naruto just fine.

Pulling out to meek protests, Naruto flipped Sakura onto her tummy and with as much help Sakura could give him, lifted her ass into the air and slipped back into her still thrumming heat.

Her fingers curled into the duvet as her long hair fell down her arching back. She glanced around at him, mouth open in ecstasy before she had to crumble back down onto the bed. His fingers finding her clit turning her knees to absolute jelly with the rapid strokes he was giving the abused bundle of nerves.

'Oh God,' she hissed as he returned to his previous pace, her hips sloppy in their shots back against his thrusting ones. 'Oh God, oh God, ohmygod! Naruto!'

Naruto could feel the pressure building at his base, each deep, hard thrust into Sakura dialling it up one extra notch until his fingers had to stop as he clung onto her hips for dear life. As with one final, pounding thrust, Naruto came inside of her, Sakura tumbling down to join him in his giddy little pit of pleasure a second time shortly after.

They collapsed onto the bed, Naruto still in her, the quivering of her loins making his head spin. Sakura breathed quickly into the duvet she was still gripping white knuckle tight and when he moved to kiss her cheek clumsily he grimaced at the last shot of pleasure through his spent cock.

'Mmm,' Sakura mumbled, nuzzling into her duvet with a beaming, close lipped smile. She looked a bit like a cat really. It was adorable. 'I feel yummy.'

Naruto laughed, stretching his arm out for Sakura to roll onto if she wanted, but mostly just to stretch out the stiffness building there. He had to agree though, his tip was still singing … well throbbing … you know what he meant.

Sometime during Naruto catching his breath, Sakura had rolled onto his arm and buried her face in the crook of his neck. 'I like being your friend Naruto,' she said sleepily. 'It's really fun.'

'Snap,' Naruto chuckled back, wrapping his arm around Sakura and pulling her in. 'Best friend ever.'

The beautiful woman snorted and smiled serenely, eyes still closed as she wordlessly drifted into sleep, using him as a makeshift pillow.

Which was even more adorable than the whole rubbing her cheek against the duvet thing.

Naruto didn't have long to contemplate just how cute Sakura was though, he could already feel the beckoning warmth of sleep calling to him.

He had just enough wherewithal left in him to press a kiss against Sakura's forehead before he drifted off to join her.

'Okay,' Naruto said as the credits started to roll over the latest movie Sakura had put on the giant TV in the living room. 'Explain something to me?'

Sakura hummed expectantly, leaning forward on the sofa to pick up a spring roll from the takeout order the two had lain out across the expansive coffee table. 'Shoot.'

'You've seen every Marvel movie,' he said, holding out his hand and ticking off a finger.

'Yup.'

'You've seen every DC movie.' He ticked off another finger.

'Even the really obscure ones yeah.'

Naruto nodded. 'You've even seen the Matrix Trilogy, all the Terminator movies, all the geeky movies anyone could possibly name.'

'Yuh-huh,' Sakura said with a wry smile. Like she knew what was coming.

'How the hell is your favourite movie a rom-com?' Naruto asked, his arms spread wide in bemusement as Sakura rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 'Like seriously Sakura, it's not even a good rom-com!'

Sakura huffed out a breath. 'What and your favourite movie is so unimpeachably spectacular? It's got ninjas in the snow Naruto, come on, tell me how that's any less stupid than a million rom-coms with their meet cutes.'

She jabbed chopsticks at his chest lightly and he rubbed the spot on reflex. 'It's not it's just … I dunno, a surprise.'

Sakura watched him imperiously as Naruto chowed down on some food, taking a hearty swig of Coke when he'd realised he'd put too much in his mouth at once.

'You didn't mind the movie last night …' Sakura gave him that same wry smile. 'You seemed to think it rose to the occasion. Or at least something rose hm?'

Naruto blushed slightly, Sakura beaming in victory, and looked away from the beautiful woman. 'There were other factors at play. And behave, you're the one who said we had to take a break.'

The pinkette rolled her eyes again and threw the controller at him. 'Only because Sasuke's coming back soon and he'll already be pissy about not coming back to an empty apartment. If he'd come back to us going at it … he'd be worse than some old fuddy duddy. He really needs to get laid, I swear.'

Naruto fumbled with the PlayStation controller before placing it down on the coffee table and smiled.

He'd initially been a bit unsure about how he felt about Sasuke and Sakura's friendship. Especially when they'd put a stop to their renewed … activities after their quick nap in the early afternoon, simply because Sasuke had texted that he was coming home in the early evening.

Sakura had broken a rather heated kiss which was leading to some truly yummy places already and immediately groaned. And not in the way he liked hearing her do that.

His uncertainty had doubled and been joined by a healthy dose of concern when Sakura had immediately started pulling on a dressing gown and with a quick apology in the form of a smile and a kiss, she'd ducked out the bedroom to make a call.

He'd heard a hurried conversation outside the room and some of his uncertainty waned, especially when he caught the words 'the most fun I've had in months you asshole' hissed down the phone.

But he had to admit to still being a bit uneasy. While Sakura swore she and Sasuke were just friends and he had absolutely no problems with believing her … he wasn't sure that was all Sasuke saw her as.

Sakura was awesome, funny, kind, beautiful and sexy as all hell and he wouldn't blame her best friend for having a huge thing for her. And then having a truly gigantic problem that Naruto and she had spent the last night and most of the day boinking like rabbits in the same apartment he slept in.

However, he forgot all of those concerns when Sakura came back in with an apologetic smile and explained what the situation was.

Sasuke just wanted to come back so he could get ready for a date of his own. And the phone call had just been to see if it was safe to come home or if he'd see more than he wanted to of his best friend and the clumsy oaf from the bar.

Which apparently had been when Sakura had hissed about all the fun and so on. Something that had only fuelled his ego and helped to dash the last bit of trepidation he had about Sasuke Uchiha.

That and the look of absolute horror on Sakura's face when they couldn't have a quickie before they started cleaning up because they'd finally run out of condoms.

The pinkette had looked so crestfallen. He'd almost gone rushing out to the nearest shop just to bulk buy some. But instead they'd resolved to clean the apartment, order something to eat and then go out for a drink … and grab condoms on the way back.

Sakura had been quite adamant on that last part. He had to swallow a smile when he'd heard her grumbling about how she should have got the coil put in while they were cleaning. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant but he had a pretty good idea.

But they'd made quick work of clearing the apartment of any clear sign that sex had happened all over the place … Naruto having to take some flirty jokes about how it was typical he'd been the one to find her bra hidden under a chair.

'Given how quick you were to get me back out of it …' she'd teased, giving his ass a playful squeeze when he'd presented her with it.

It wasn't his fault they'd gotten dressed to eat the pizza last night only for Sakura's clothes to need to be off again really quickly.

Then once everywhere that wasn't Sakura's room was spotless, they'd grabbed a quick shower, resisted the urge to get carried away … Sakura being the one who had to be reminded they didn't have protection, not him … before towelling off and heading back to the living room.

To order takeout and actually watch some Netflix for real this time.

'Well hopefully he will tonight,' Naruto shrugged as he tapped through until he found something. He wasn't having much luck sadly, Disney+ had damn near ruined all the easy background stuff they could put on. 'Anything jumping out at you here Sakura?'

The pinkette shook her head, moving to rest against Naruto's side and grumbled. 'He better. Boy had a longer dry spell than I did. It's definitely what's made him so cranky lately.'

Naruto just laughed and wrapped Sakura up in a one armed hug. 'Come on, let's put something on, to kill time if nothing else.'

Sakura frowned a little more, prompting Naruto to tickle her side. Sakura led out a quick yelp and clutched at his fingers before glaring daggers at him. But it quickly melted into a smile when Naruto fixed her with unapologetically raised eyebrow.

'Cheap trick,' she said. Nudging him with her elbow and taking the controller off of him. 'But fine, Friends, let's watch that.'

Naruto just smiled, settling down into the sofa as Sakura rested back against him, a very tight grip still on his fingers around her side.

They were through their fourth continuous episode of Friends, Sakura having relaxed enough to let go of his fingers, which was a relief because he was beginning to lose feeling in them, when the front door's lock rattled.

Then, without there being enough time to even pause the episode, Sasuke strode into the apartment, his dark eyes darting around the room impassively.

'Hi Sasuke,' Sakura said with a quick wave, her hand looping back round Naruto afterwards. 'You remember Naruto?'

Sasuke appeared to sneer at Naruto, something that automatically got Naruto's hackles up. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

The other man looked Naruto up and down, his height causing him to look down on Naruto and the effect did nothing to lessen Naruto's annoyance.

'The bar guy who couldn't dodge a large man falling over.' Sasuke smirked and made his way towards the spiral staircase. 'Sure. Well I'll be quick. Let you two get back to whatever you were doing.'

Oh fuck this guy. He was stood behind the goddamn bar, it wasn't like he was stepping in when some douche was bothering his best friend.

'Sasuke,' Sakura admonished, patting Naruto's chest soothingly. Like she knew he was getting pissed off. Then again, she was literally pressed right against him. 'Naruto was about to step in, he was too close to get away from that perv. Don't be a dick.'

Naruto felt his temper die down, helped in no small measure by Sakura still hugging him around the middle and she was literally draped over him.

'Hm,' Sasuke grunted and started up the steps without another look at them. 'Whatever.'

Sakura shook her head and settled back down on Naruto's chest. 'Don't let him get to you, he's always like that.'

Naruto shrugged, wrapping his arm round Sakura's shoulder and only sparing another glare up the stairs before letting the momentary anger wash away and relaxed into Sakura's very pleasant grasp.

Who gave a fuck what Sakura's douchebag roommate thought of him? Sakura liked him a lot anyway and that's all that mattered really. He nearly had a whole twenty-four hours of proof for just how much she liked him. With that total looking to get bigger and bigger with each passing minute.

Remembering that kinda made the frustration with Sasuke seem so insignificant it was hard to even remain mildly annoyed with him. He suspected it was all the sex keeping him nice and mellow.

They'd gone through another two episodes before Sasuke reappeared at the top of the spiral staircase dressed for his date.

'Whoa,' Sakura said. Smiling up at her best friend as he came down the stairs and went to the mirror hanging against the wall. 'Don't you look nice?'

Sasuke smirked again and allowed himself a moment to preen in the mirror. Naruto did have to admit the guy cleaned up good. Though he had to swallow the immediate 'douchebag' thought when he saw his shirt was undone by two buttons too much.

No man needed to show off that much chest, honestly. At that point why even wear a shirt? Just parade around shirtless like you clearly want to and have done with it.

'So who's this date Sasuke?' Sakura asked, leaning over Naruto to give her roommate a once over. 'You must really like them if you're trying this hard.'

Sasuke shrugged and moving his hair about quite deliberately while somehow managing to keep his expression no more interested than mildly. 'Guy I met at the law library. He's called Juugo, big and quiet type. We're meeting at the Snake Pit.'

Naruto frowned, he'd heard of that place. It was a bar on the edge of the city, kind of out of the way and the owner had a bit of dodgy reputation. His dad had actually raided the place a couple times under some seriously creepy accusations about underage drinking and even more than a few gropey bouncers.

'Really?' Sakura asked, voicing Naruto's thoughts by her tone alone. Good to know he wasn't the only one who knew about that place's bad reputation. 'Isn't that where that Michael Jackson wannabe tried to lure you off to a cult?'

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Sakura in the mirror, that doing little to stop Sakura looking rightfully concerned. 'It's been under new management for a couple years. I'll be fine Mom.'

The pinkette growled at him, like actually growled, and stood up from the sofa. She crossed the small distance to stand behind Sasuke and jabbed him in the small of the back.

Sasuke jolted slightly and glowered through the mirror at the woman. 'Hey!'

'I told you not to call me that,' Sakura said sharply. The set of her shoulders telling Naruto this conversation had definitely happened more than once. 'Now stop glaring at me like a teenager and tell me you'll be careful. I don't want this to be another Kimimaro set up.'

The dark haired man grumbled something, shooting a glance back at Naruto. Naruto had the nous to not be looking over while the two friends had a very quick hushed argument that Naruto just knew he wasn't meant to overhear.

'I'll be careful,' Sasuke said finally, his tone a lot less harsh than before and he slumped his shoulders. 'We're only meeting there because he's one of the new bouncers. We'll be going into the city straight after. Will you stop worrying now?'

Sakura crossed her arms and stared her friend down but when he didn't return the stare, instead focusing on his clothes and hair some more, she shrugged and shoved him lightly.

'Text me when you get there? And then when you meet him?' Sakura instructed, stepping back from Sasuke as he turned to face her. 'You know I only worry because I care.'

'I know and I will,' Sasuke said, a little bit of fondness in his expression. He looked back over at Naruto, who was still not looking at them. He gestured at Naruto with a nod. 'And you better not drag him out to spy on me. I like this guy, I don't need my best friend scaring him off.'

'I wasn't going to do that!' Sakura said, a healthy blush filling her cheeks to contradict her immediately. 'We're going out anyway, right Naruto?'

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, earning a disbelieving smirk from Sasuke.

'Sure,' the other man said knowingly. 'Well anyway, I'm going.'

'Be safe,' Sakura said, chewing her lip lightly. She watched Sasuke stroll towards the door without a backwards look to them.

'Sure,' Sasuke waved back dismissively. He opened the door and left just as quickly as he'd arrived. 'Bye.'

Sakura watched the door briefly before turning back around to Naruto and settling back down on the sofa next to him.

Naruto waited for a beat, Sakura noticeably distracted and still looking over at the door occasionally.

He leant forwards, gripping Sakura's knee lightly. 'Hey Sakura?'

'Hm?' Sakura said, looking at him like she'd forgotten he was there. 'Oh, sorry Naruto. It's just –'

Naruto squeezed her knee again, earning a smile from Sakura. 'It's okay Sakura, I've heard about that place. I'd be worried too. He is right though,' Naruto said calmingly.

'About what?'

'It's under new management,' Naruto said. He smiled at her uncertain expression. 'My dad's a cop and they raided it a few years ago. The creepy guy you were talking about? He's locked up and the new guy who's taken over is much more respectable.'

Sakura visibly relaxed, her hand going over his and she rested back against him with a sigh. 'Thanks Naruto, Sasuke's never really been very good at looking out for himself. I've been watching over him since we were kids. It's just kinda become habit to worry about him now.'

The blond pressed a soft kiss against Sakura's temple, a small smile slipping onto her face as she closed her eyes and reclined into him.

'Want to go out and check on him anyway?' Naruto asked.

'No,' Sakura said with a little laugh. 'Thank you for offering but he really won't appreciate it. I'll be fine, he's a big boy and besides I'd rather hang out with you.'

'Flirt,' Naruto said with a grin. He caught her lips in a soft, slow kiss.

She returned it hungrily, wrapping her arms around his neck. A delighted sigh escaping her lips as they broke for air, her foot rubbing up and down his thigh.

He was just lowering Sakura down onto the sofa when she put her hands on his chest.

'Wait, wait,' Sakura groaned reluctantly. 'We don't have condoms remember?'

'Ugh,' Naruto groaned, resting his head down on her chest, her fingers playing idly with it as she giggled. 'Right, and that means we have to go outside huh?'

'Fraid so,' Sakura said, muffling herself by putting her face in his blond mop. 'So go find your shoes and we'll go get that drink yeah?'

Naruto sighed, his breath across her bare skin earning another giggle, and then he pushed himself up off of her. 'Do you remember where I lost them last night?'

'Um,' Sakura said with a blush and a sly smile. 'No?'

'Yeah, me neither.' He kissed her again quickly. 'Help me look?'

'Sure.'

They were just getting up off the sofa, Naruto heading up the stairs. He thought he'd last seen them somewhere in her bedroom.

He glanced back down and allowed himself a stare when he spotted Sakura bent over looking under the sofa. The temptation to go down and spank or squeeze her ass was overwhelming but if he did that, they'd only have to stop again to go get condoms anyway. And it would only be harder to stop if it went past kissing.

Shaking his head, mostly just to clear the image that was determined to brand itself onto his brain, Naruto made a beeline for Sakura's bedroom.

Stepping into the much tidier room than it was last night, Naruto immediately started looking around the room for his shoes. Now he was back in the room, he remembered picking them up from behind Sakura's dresser and putting them somewhere.

'Ah,' he said victoriously, as he spotted them tucked to the side. He scooped them up smoothly. 'Sakura? Found them, you ready to head out?'

But when he'd turned to shout Sakura he saw something in a brown paper bag set on Sakura's bedside table, with a sticky note on it with Sakura's name on it.

What the hell? That wasn't there before. He was absolutely certain of it. Maybe Sasuke had left it. Yeah, he must have.

Well whatever, if it was something Sasuke thought needed to be left in her room, it probably wasn't something he was supposed to see.

He heard Sakura's phone go off downstairs and was about to head back down to join her when Sakura called up to him.

'Naruto?'

'Yeah?' he asked, just pulling the door closed behind him.

'Was there a brown bag on my bedside table?' She replied, her voice sounding closer, like she was stood on the steps now.

'Oh. Yeah, want me to bring it down for you?'

'Please,' Sakura said. 'Sasuke said it's for both of us.'

Well, guess he'd be finding out what was in the bag after all. He ducked back in, picking up the bag and jogging down the stairs with his shoes in his other hand.

Sakura already had her coat on when he reached the bottom of the stairs and held out her hand for the bag.

He passed it to her, Sakura giving him a quick smile, and then sat down to put his shoes on. 'Any preference on where we go for a drink?'

'I don't really mind,' Sakura said non-committally over rustling paper and tearing tape. 'We can go wherever you want – oh that asshole!'

Sakura's tone had skyrocketed in volume and when Naruto looked up suddenly her face was bright red.

'What? What he do?'

Sakura passed him the bag, her cheeks burning furiously. 'I'm gonna kick his ass so hard,' she mumbled.

Naruto frowned, taking the bag as Sakura's face fell into her hands.

The hell had he left for them?

He opened the bag and his face went equally red as Sakura's. 'Oh.'

'Yeah,' Sakura grumbled. 'Smug bastard.'

Turning the bag over, a box of condoms landed on the coffee table with a soft thud.

'Why smug?' Naruto asked, confusion ripping through the bit of embarrassment that Sakura's best friend had clearly known exactly what they'd been up to for the past day and night. And assumed it would be continuing through this night too.

'Well he kinda called the fact that we'd … run out. Because as he put it, I've had a serious dry spell lately. He basically said I was going to jump you the second you walked through the door.' Sakura blushed more and crossed her arms over her chest. She shot dirty looks at the condoms. 'Like he can talk.'

Naruto was gonna kick Sasuke ass. He really was.

But first, he wanted to try and calm Sakura down. He could kick Sasuke's ass later.

'So … shall we just go back up to your room or?'

Sakura gave him a quick glare.

Naruto held his hands up in front of him placatingly. 'Sorry, thought it would make you laugh, my bad.'

He was really regretting that joke. Probably shouldn't have made it now he thought about it. Suggesting that they not only acknowledge Sasuke was right about how quickly Sakura had got him into bed was not a smart thing. Besides, he supposed it was kinda creepy that Sasuke had done that in the first place.

Not a good joke to make.

'You're lucky you're hot,' Sakura said with a sigh. Then she peered at the box and a slow smirk crossed her face. 'Well, unfortunately Naruto, we can't use these.'

Yeah, he definitely shouldn't have made that joke. He had a sneaking feeling he wouldn't be using any condoms with Sakura after that.

Damn his stupid mouth. He was never talking again, that was decided.

But she was looking at him expectantly and Naruto knew he had to say something. And despite the fact that her smirk was getting slier and slier the longer she pointed at the condoms … Naruto felt best to play stupid.

'Why not?'

Sakura shook her head, scoffing before she leant down to tap his chin lightly and cupping his face. She kissed him gently and suddenly Naruto wasn't so convinced he was utterly fucked.

'The reason we're going to still have to go get more condoms,' she started, after pausing the slow, promising kiss. Her hand ducked down to his groin, giving Naruto a great view down her top. 'Is because they're not big enough.'

Naruto blushed again, grinning bashfully as she squeezed him. 'Oh, guess I'd best finish tying my shoelaces then huh?'

'Mhmm,' Sakura whispered against his lips. 'And we should hurry, the supermarket will close soon.'

'What about getting a drink?' Naruto said, kinda hopeful that pretence wasn't needed anymore.

'Not thirsty anymore,' Sakura murmured after another quick peck. 'Now come on. Before I decide you're too delicious to wait for, risks or no risks.'

She pulled him up by the wrist and dragged him towards the door.

Naruto's face was still red by the time the night air hit his hot skin.