"Kakashi, this is ridiculous. Has your old age made you senile?"

"Yea, old man. Sasuke's right. No disrespect to you, but do you really wanna add to our problems?" Naruto chimes in.

Kakashi sighs, almost in resignation as he rubs his temples. He knows where the boys are coming from. Infiltrating a building in a warzone with an unnecessary strap - one who had no field experience – is stupid. "Sorry boys, brass' orders. Morino Ibiki, head of Konoha's Torture and Investigation Force and Sarutobi Asuma, son of the man who supplies our weapons. Abducted seven months ago, and now that we finally have a solid lead? No way can we afford to fail this op."

"And we won't," Sasuke says, "If you let us do our damn job. A strap will only slow us down, and Naruto's more than enough to ensure they won't die on field. We don't need the best military doctor."

"Look boys, I did my best with brass, but at the end of the day, the two hostages you're extracting are extremely important to Konoha. I need you to stop being shitbirds, and start doing your job."

"Tch." Sasuke knows Kakashi is right. Knows that if he wants to get his boys prepared and succeed with zero casualties, they need to move forward. Knows that Kakashi didn't get to where he is now – with all that chest candy that decorates his uniform – for being an idiot. He had played a big part in shaping Sasuke as a Tier One Operator, and Sasuke trusts him implicitly. Knows that Kakashi would've fought for their safety above all else.

"So where's our strap, then? Ain't he supposed to be here with us?"

"Ah, yes. Dr Haruno should be here any minute now."

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. He's never heard of a Dr Haruno, and it's been a month into their deployment in a small village on the outskirts of Oto. Did they fly him in just for this op?

"Late already? Looks like he ain't prepared to commit."

Sasuke scowls as the boys around the room snicker. Where he can, Sasuke likes to blend in with the rest of his boys; he doesn't like pulling rank, doesn't like when the boys treat him like he's above them. But at the end of the day, he is their captain, and the lives of Konoha's best ANBU Black Ops Team do rest in his hands. While death is inevitable, he'll be damned if he allows his boys to die under his watch. So he needs to make sure his boys get their shit together, regardless of the donkey shit they've been put in. "Shut it, Suigetsu. While we wait, let's go over the plans again."

It is another thirty minutes when the door finally swings open, and Sasuke inwardly thanks all the harsh and brutal training he's been put through over the years (it is the only reason he is able to hold in an undignified snort) as the prettiest little thing he has ever laid eyes on rushes in.

"God, sorry I'm late, Kakashi. There was no one waiting for me at the tarmac, can you believe it? And you wouldn't believe how hard it was for me to find this bloody building – "

Sasuke drowns out the rest of her mumbling, mind still trying to process the fact that this is their strap. The relaxation that had just formed on his face melts off and a scowl is quickly forming as he reconsiders their situation. Sasuke had been expecting a doctor at least capable handling himself on the field and keeping a level head if the situation turned to shit – but this – he thinks, is ridiculous. Dr Haruno, he thinks with distaste, is petite with a body to die for, and looks like a fucking movie star. She has the greenest eyes he has ever seen, and they shine with an innocence and naiveté it shouldn't have. Her pastel pink hair hangs down her back in loose tendrils, and he doesn't want to imagine how she runs around the medic tents in her tight skirt and pretty lace top. Did she really expect to be taken seriously, dressed up like a doll in a place like this? Where men were depraved of a woman's company and being eye candy meant unwanted advances? – the fact that she's a doctor be damned.

This time, Sasuke does snort, drawing her attention. She gives him a long, hard, calculating look – was she really admonishing him? – before turning her attention back to Kakashi, and next to him, Naruto snickers as if reading his mind. She introduces herself as Dr Haruno Sakura before taking a seat across from him, and Sasuke wants to roll his eyes at the irony of her name.

Sakura.

Really?

Sasuke looks around the room, and his scowl deepens. Kiba is practically salivating, and Suigetsu is already undressing her with his eyes – this op is quickly becoming a bag of dicks. He needs his boys focused if they want to make it out of Oto alive. Sasuke can appreciate that their strap is a knockout, but he has also been taught to respect women, and just as he's about to reprimand them, she speaks, and her words have the corners of his lips lifting into an amused smirk.

"Undress me with your eyes one more time, officer," she says, voice sickeningly sweet, "And I'll severe your spinal cord in your sleep." Then, she adds under her breath, "And to think they say you're the best of the best."

So she's a spitfire. The other boys laugh and hoot at Suigetsu's expense, but she is quick to shut them up with an irritated glance around the room. Sasuke begins to think that she might not be so bad after all.

…

"Since we're the only ones going tandem, we'll go first," Sasuke says, checking and pulling on Sakura's harness straps to make sure everything's right. "We'll shuffle forward like this, and once we're ready to jump, I'll tap your shoulder twice. Then you lean back into me, and let gravity do its job."

"Just umm…how high, are we jumping from again?"

He smirks. "Only 28000 feet."

The way her face pales instantly is amusing. "O-okay. How long before the parachute's deployed?"

"We need to get in undetected, so we'll be doing a HALO jump. That means the chute doesn't open until it has to."

"Right."

"Hey, Angelface? Don't worry too much. If it all goes tits up, you and teme will be unconscious before you feel anything."

She narrows her eyes. "Not helping, Naruto," she says with clenched teeth.

There is a loud, deafening buzzing, and the red light turns green as one of the crew reaches for the handle, and the door at the back of the plane opens. Sasuke directs her to the opening in a slow shuffle, and soon enough her feet are dangling in the air and its pitch black and she feels her heart begin to race, her heartbeat in her ears.

"Time to hit the silk, bitches," Kiba yells, voice filled with glee.

"Oh my God – God – oh my God. I'm gonna die. I can't breathe already and I – God there's so much adrenaline and serotonin and dopamine flowing through me – Kami I'm too young to die and – "

"Doll, just breathe. I've got you." She feels Sasuke rub her arm with his free hand in an attempt to calm her, and swallows back her tears. It's the first time he's called her something other than Dr Haruno, and if the situation was any different, she'd be secretly pleased. Then, he taps her shoulder. "We've gotta jump, Doll. I'll be with you the whole time. I've got you."

Somewhere between Sasuke tapping her shoulder and leaping off the plane, the logic of what she's about to do hits her like a ton of bricks. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Holy f-

And then she is screaming, all of Sasuke's previous instructions on keeping form forgotten.

For a full two minutes, Sakura can barely breathe – the speed so constricting she feels like she might suffocate before they make it to the ground. Fear and adrenaline rush through her veins as it dawns on her that this isn't even the most dangerous aspect of their operation.

…

Show time.

They enter the seemingly abandoned building quietly, slickly, like they had planned. Some of the windows are smashed, the curtains are ripped and bullet holes litter the walls. There are dark stains on the wooden floor, and the smell of dried blood is overwhelming. Sakura's heart is in her throat and all her senses are heightened as she stays behind Sasuke, mimicking his moves like she's been told to. The boys don't look at all fazed, eyes hard and lips tight. They easily dispose of the seven men guarding the house and she wonders how many times they've done this. How many times have they taken a life, how many times have they seen dead women and children, how many times have they responded to the call of duty, knowing they'd have to kill – how many times, have they lived through terror like this – for them not to be affected?

It is eerily quiet, for a warzone in the dead of night, and she forces herself to swallow her fears. She is here to do a job, and in a time and place like this, there is no room for fear. No room for second thoughts or self-doubt. So she tightens her grip on her medic pouch, and does as she's told. She doesn't leave Sasuke's side, even as the boys split up. She stays with Naruto and Sasuke, while Kiba and Suigetsu move on. Shikamaru is already setting up his gun at the window on the top floor, in what used to be a child's bedroom and Neji is keeping watch by the front door downstairs.

Her heart pounds in her chest as they weave through the small, three storey house, looking for the hostages. They find a bedroom – its bedsheets are blood-stained – they find another child's bedroom – scattered toys and dolls litter the floor, old drawings soaked in blood – and Sakura's lips are trembling and her fingers are shaking and Sasuke thinks she might be hyperventilating, when Suigetsu's voice flits through his earpiece.

"Found 'em, boss. In the basement. Get the strap down ASAP."

…

"Fuck, we've got company, maybe sixty or seventy," Shikamaru's warning in his headpiece is urgent, and Sasuke immediately knows they've been stitched up. Fucking mole, he thinks.

"I'm going to skin that asshole alive when we get our hands on him," Neji says.

"How long?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes tops."

Sasuke turns to their two hostages. Ibiki is still in good spirits considering he's lost use of both his arms, cursing as Naruto pours alcohol over the gash on his temple. Asuma, on the other hand, isn't faring so well. He's unconscious and barely alive, and Doll's arms are elbow deep in his guts. Sasuke curses their luck.

"Haruno – how long do you need to patch him up quick?"

"Ten minutes, captain."

"You've got five. Suigetsu, I want you upstairs with Neji and Shikamaru. Kiba. Naruto. We've got to move up one level. We've got a whole fucking army on the way, and we're sitting ducks down here."

"Yes boss." They disperse, leaving Sakura and Asuma downstairs while Sasuke paces.

She's busy stitching up Asuma's abdomen when it happens. An explosion strong enough to shake the building is quickly followed by war cries, and then she can hear nothing but gunshots ringing through the air. It doesn't matter that she is a whole floor underneath the chaos – Sakura has never felt more vulnerable and exposed. She forces her hands steady as she continues to stitch Asuma's wound.

"You should go, captain. I'm nearly done, and I – "

"I'm not leaving you alone, Haruno. Hurry up."

"If you want him to live, you'll listen to me. I need to make sure his guts won't fall out when we're moving him."

"How long?"

"Another minute, two max. You're needed up there right now, so trust me and let me do my job. I can carry him up when I'm done. I know where to go."

Sasuke knows it is sheer stupidity listening to her – the basement isn't completely blocked off from the outside – there is a small window above where Doll is working, but big enough for someone to crawl through – and there's no telling the way to Naruto and Ibiki will be clear for her to make it there alive in two minutes – but he doesn't have much of a choice right now. It's either waste two minutes down here where she might not need him, or use the two minutes wisely to help take out as many Oto soldiers as he can. It's a no-brainer, really. His boys need him, and if they want to make it out of here alive, he knows leaving Doll behind is the most logical choice. "You've got two minutes, Haruno. Haul ass," he barks, and then he's gone.

For a brief second, Sakura stops, allowing her makeshift table to support her shaky hands, and she takes in three big breaths.

In, out. In, out. In, out.

She can feel beads of sweat trickling down her temple – can feel the adrenaline buzzing in her veins – can feel the anxiety rolling off her in waves. Her knees are shaking and her heart is pounding in her chest. She knows that Bravo Team are the best of the best, knows that right now, she couldn't be with anyone better to keep her alive – but fuck her if she doesn't admit it now – she's scared shitless, more than she has ever been her entire life. Asuma groans, snapping her from her thoughts. Immediately, she resumes her job, carefully stitching up his wound. The sooner she finishes this, the sooner she'll be able to join the boys.

She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she's finally done. It's been just over a minute, and as she prepares to support Asuma's unconscious body for the move, a bullet shatters through the window right above her head, sending shards of glass everywhere. Her heart is racing and her hands are shaking and her first instinct is to stay low and run, but she then she remembers that she has a duty, and she scrambles to arrange Asuma's body in a heap on the floor and prays that he will pass as nothing more than a dead man.

It happens too quickly for her to comprehend – one second, she's searching for something, anything, that she can use as a weapon, and the next she's face to face with an Oto soldier. There is something in the way he immediately lowers his gun at the sight of her that sparks a fire within her. His lips lift into a sickening smile, and he eyes her up and down as he slowly advances.

"What's a pretty girl like you doin all alone?"

Sakura resists the primal impulse to take a step backwards as fear bubbles up in her chest. To show her fear now would be to show weakness, so she forces her face to remain indifferent even though she's so terrified she wants to cry. Her fingers are curled into tight fists, nails digging into her palm, knuckles bleeding white.

"Fuck off, asshole," she snarls, and the way his eyes gleam with amusement sends a shiver through her spine. Panic seeps through her façade as he all but pounces on her, and she tries to focus on the fact that he hasn't yet noticed Asuma. He has her tackled to the ground in a second, hands around her throat as he holds her down with his weight. She is gasping and choking against the suffocating pressure and her hands and legs are moving on their own accord, kicking and clawing and scratching, but she barely registers the struggle – every movement feels slow and sluggish and futile, until she manages to spot her scalpel. If she reaches out, she might just be able to reach for it.

He hits her in the face – hard enough to drown out the gunshots upstairs and for her vision to swim and already she can feel the blood trickling down from the cut above her left eyebrow – but she extends her arm as far as it will go, tears threatening to fall and fingers grasping desperately, and then she has the scalpel in her hands and she plunges it into his side as deep as it will go. His reaction is instantaneous – he lets out a howl, removing his hands from her throat to inspect the damage she's done.

Sakura manages to push him off her, crawling away on her knees as she takes big breaths, gasping for air. She is hyperventilating and every bone in her body feels like its on fire, and all her fears are tumbling out unchecked, and the only thing she can focus on now is the need to survive. She doesn't make it very far when he buries his hand in her hair, tugging harshly, and she yelps.

"You fucking bitch," he says, fingers scraping her scalp hard enough to draw blood as he continues to tug her backwards. "You're gonna wanna die after I'm done with you," he growls, the edge of his voice sharper than her scalpel.

His words renew her desire to live, and through her jumble of thoughts, she manages to focus on the scalpel still clutched tightly in her hand. Desperately, she wishes she hadn't sent Sasuke away. This was the very reason he was reluctant to leave, and she was so stupid, stupid, stupid, to think that she could hold her own for two minutes in a warzone. But wishful thinking isn't going to get her anywhere, and right now, she can only think of one thing that might save her, and she's got to do it.

She's got to do what she can to save herself, because Sakura's eyes are finally opened. This is fucking war.

So she swings her hand in an upwards arc, feeling the scalpel slice through her long, pink locks. The Oto soldier falls backwards from the sudden action, and she takes this opportunity to plunge the scalpel into his chest. She doesn't waste any time when she spots his gun, and neither does she feel the tears that stream down her face when her fingers pull the trigger. She's just killed someone – murderer, her mind supplies – she doesn't know what prompts her to do it, but her shaking fingers pull the trigger again, just in case, because she doesn't want to die, and morality has no place here.

This is how Sasuke finds her and he is instantly cursing himself and resenting his decision with all his heart. Her long, pink hair is a mess on the floor, and she is staring wide-eyed at the gun in her hand. It only takes Sasuke a second to put two and two together, and instantly he has her enveloped in his arms.

"You're okay, Doll. You're okay."

…

Everything else goes off without a hitch – Sasuke and his boys made sure of that – except for Kiba getting caught up in a hand grenade. He's unconscious now, and will need shrapnel removed from his back, but he'll make a speedy recovery. Communications and a report on the sitrep with Kakashi's confirmed that their helo exfill will happen just before dawn; it's too risky to bring the bird in as planned. This means they've got to hunker down for another three hours, and Sasuke ain't pleased. They've used up most of their ammo, and they're only lucky the Oto bastards carry around good guns.

They're finally getting a moment's respite, resting in the old living room upstairs – Naruto and Kiba are now on sniper duty – and Sasuke watches as Doll quietly removes herself from Asuma's side.

Sakura shivers from head to toe, stumbling through Kiba's unconscious body to the back of the room, barely making it to the corner before she vomits. Bile burns in her throat as she allows her boneless body to slump against the cool, damp wall, and she bursts into tears. She's exhausted and feels like she might collapse any minute now and she's so, incredibly scared, and Sakura hates herself for feeling this way.

She's been a doctor for the military for a year now – scouted by Hatake Kakashi himself – has seen death and injuries she's never imagined she would, has heard screams and cries and anguished tears, has had to treat soldiers without the use of anaesthesia. She has always been good under pressure, but nothing – nothing – has prepared her for this. Her shoulders heave as she tries to take big, calming breaths. Tears continue to stream down her face as she wipes her mouth with trembling hands. Then, her fingers subconsciously comb through her shorn locks, and she cringes. Already, she doesn't feel like herself. Sakura is proud of who she is and where she's come from – proud that she's made it this far when she was told otherwise – but the woman in her also takes pride in her appearance. She loves dressing up because she knows she looks good – loves being able to show the world that she is a woman and that she's the best of the best. And her long, pink hair's what's made her Dr Haruno Sakura – it's what's set her apart from all the others – and now…

But she's always wanted to be one of the boys, always wanted to be taken seriously, and this is it, Sakura, get your shit together, she tells herself harshly, because in war, nobody gives a fuck about her hair.

"Hey, Doll. You alright?"

Sasuke's sudden presence startles her, and Sakura hastily wipes away the last of her tears. "Fine, Captain. You should be resting while you can," she scolds him, but her voice is lacking its usual authority.

"How you holding up?" She looks fragile – like she might break any second, with her tear-streaked face and trembling hands, and Sasuke tells himself he's only asking because she's one of them, now. He doesn't want to admit that maybe, she's had him the second she burst into that meeting.

He watches as she releases a shaky breath, arms wrapping around herself in a feeble attempt to comfort herself. "I…I'm scared. I don't want to die – not yet, not here." Her voice cracks then, and she looks away as tears start to fall again. "I'm pathetic, aren't I, Captain? The worst strap you've had."

Despite himself, he smirks. Dr Haruno Sakura isn't as bad as she thinks she is – in fact, Sasuke's impressed. For someone with no training whatsoever, she's quick on her feet, and can haul ass when she needs to. She didn't lose her mind like he thought she would when it was raining bullets, and she still tries to put on a tough face in front of the boys. It doesn't hurt that she ain't bad to look at either, even when dressed in standard ANBU gear with her tear-streaked face and terribly cut hair. "We've had better," he says, and is pleased with himself when the corners of her lips tug upwards. "But you're not so bad, Doll."

She turns to face him then, emerald eyes glistening from unshed tears, and Sasuke can't help but think that like this, she is the most beautiful woman on earth.

Sasuke's life has always been monochromatic. Has always been right or wrong and yes or no and has always, always, always, been black and white – never in-betweens, never maybes, never filled with colour. There are no dreams – only targets and goals – only reality. This is how he's done so well, how he's managed to stay alive in a world filled with death and blood, in a world where it's kill or be killed. This is how Sasuke made captain of Bravo Team, Konoha's elite; the best of the best. And goddamnit, it's not even been thirty six hours since Doll waltzed into his life, but she's starting to taint his monochromatic world. Lines are beginning to blur and yes' and no's are turning into maybes, right and wrongs turning into I don't knows. And against his better judgement, Sasuke wonders what it'd be like to have a dream. What would it be like to want something more, after his job here is done? What'd it be like to have something – someone – to go home to?

He grits his teeth. This is no time for silly daydreams, no time to entertain stupid and naïve thoughts. Focus, idiot, he chastises himself.

Somehow, Sasuke's presence relaxes the iron band that has been constricting her lungs and dissipates the anxiety of anticipating a next attack. Maybe it's the stress and the pressure and maybe it's the want and need to feel safe – or maybe it's because she's been drawn to him since the moment he studied her in that meeting – she doesn't know, but she feels herself slowly giving in to him anyway. And then she is leaning against him, gingerly, as if unsure, and every muscle in his body stiffens.

Sasuke has never been one for close contact, has always preferred his own space where possible, but Doll's weight against his is firm and reassuring. It is almost pleasant, Sasuke thinks, and the heat radiating off her is enough to make him relax. He knows there will be teasing when they get back to base, but he cannot find it in himself to care as his body acts on its own accord, arm draping across her shoulders loosely, pulling her closer to him. She almost instantly snuggles into him, tucking her head into the crook of his neck before sighing contentedly, and his brain short-circuits. She fits – fills every nook and cranny perfectly, as if they were made for each other.

"You'll make it out of here, Doll. I'll make sure of it."

Sakura believes him, because she doesn't know what she'll do if she doesn't. "You promise, Captain?"

"Aa. And it's Sasuke."

"Okay, Sasuke-kun," she says, and instantly he decides that he loves the way his name rolls off her tongue. As he glances down at her mop of pink hair, he thinks that there is something about this – something about her, that he wants to protect.

…

Twelve hours later and they're back at base.

She visits him the next night, manoeuvring herself timidly through the boys' rooms. Her uncertainty is strong enough to crack the earth and she straightens her shoulders just a little bit more as she ignores the catcalls and wolf whistles. She has never stepped foot into the men's living quarters before, and she knows if she is caught tonight, there will be consequences – and since when has she become one to break the rules? But most of them are gone – Friday nights are wild and rowdy and better spent at the pub – and her heart hammers in her chest as she follows the directions Naruto's given her.

"You look a little lost, missy."

Her eyes narrow as they settle on the soldier in front of her. He's smirking, like he finds something about her amusing, as his eyes rake across her body.

"I'm not, but thank you for your concern, soldier." She tells herself to control her temper – this is not the time to pick a fight with an intoxicated man, especially when she's the one breaking the rules – and makes an attempt to sidestep him, only for him to drape a heavy arm around her shoulder. Her nose wrinkles as the smell of alcohol and sweat invades her space, and her stomach churns in revulsion.

"I think you need to come with me, sweetheart."

Sakura counts to three, then forces the sweetest smile she can manage. "Don't call me sweetheart," she says, voice sickly sweet, "And I think you should remove your arm before you regret it." This only makes him chuckle, and she cringes as he leans into her, lips brushing her ear. "I'll pretend you didn't just threaten a soldier, and you're gonna come with me right now, sweetheart."

"I don't think – "

"When a lady says hands off, Hidan, she means hands off."

Sakura's eyes widen and her heart flips, and Hidan's arm immediately withdraws when he sees Sasuke.

"Uchiha – I didn't know you had claims on this juicy girl. Sorry man," he says, arms up in a show of defeat.

"If you disrespect Dr Haruno again, I'm gonna jack you up real good, you hear me? Now scram."

Sasuke grabs her hand and leads her to his room, grip unrelenting and angry. When they reach the safety of his room, he lets her go, eyes wild and angry, and he's glaring at her with all the strength he can muster. But it's hard. Doll's dressed down tonight, in skin tight jeans and a little red cropped sweater. Her hair, now sitting just above her shoulders, is lightly curled, and Sasuke thinks he likes it more like this. It frames her face prettily, and her eyes are lined black, and the way they stand out even more is almost enough to distract him from the cut above her eyebrow. His fingers twitch. He wants to tuck her hair behind her ear, wants to have her tight little body pressed up against his, wants to hear her say his name again. But he can't – shouldn't – so he hisses at her instead. "What the hell were you thinking, coming here at this hour? And alone? Do I need to remind you of your status?"

If he were any other man, she'd be seething. Because here's another chauvinistic man thinking she can't handle herself because she's a woman. But this is Captain Uchiha Sasuke, who's looking at her with an intensity that makes her stomach flutter and her skin tingle. She can't quite explain it, because she's never felt this way before, but she wonders if this is what love feels like. Because she's certain she's lost her heart in sidelong looks and subtle moves – lost it pressed up against him in that dirty living room, covered in blood – she's fallen in love with little things, because in a life like theirs, it's what you have to do. She's fallen in love with his scintillating smirk – with his dark, hungry eyes – with the strong angles of his jaw and the chiselled definition of his cheekbones. She's scattered parts of her heart in his strong hands and kind heart. It's ridiculous, she knows. She's seen a lot of good looking men since she's been serving the army, but something about him is different.

She drinks in his entire six feet of lean muscle, arrogant and cocky, and the irritation in his face only makes her smile.

He had been worried for her.

"And what exactly is my status, Captain?" she asks breathlessly.

"Don't pretend like you don't know, Doll," he growls, voice a low rumble in his chest. He's never met anyone like Doll. She's been on his mind ever since he laid eyes on her, and he finds that he wants to be around her more often than not. He doesn't know how quickly it takes for someone to fall in love – but her company is sweet and her smile is dreamy, and its only been a total of five days since he met Doll, but he feels like he's known her for a lifetime. Secretly, he's pleased she's sought him out tonight.

Sakura's stomach flips in anticipation as she bites her lip coyly, moving towards him until they are nearly toe to toe.

"I think you need to enlighten me, Captain. I'm a doctor, not a mind reader," she tells him coolly, emerald eyes bravely meeting his dark ones. There is something in her eyes that ignite a spark within him. Something that makes his stomach pool with warmth. The sudden surge of warmth and affection he feels for this woman he barely knows is so intense he feels it in every bone and every sinew of his body. It is threatening to envelope him completely, from his toes to the last strand of hair on his head, and Sasuke's world tips on its axis at this realisation. He wants her.

Her breath hitches in her throat as he leans forward, and her heart feels like it might explode as he murmurs in her ear. "Yes ma'am."

But it's Doll who makes the first move. She presses her lips against his sweetly, and she tastes like strawberries and dreams and everything he realises he's been missing. Her hands come up to cup his cheeks, fingers trailing down the strong line of his jaw, before finding purchase in his hair. It feels too soon when they part, and Sasuke grazes his nose against hers affectionately.

"You're mine, Doll. You hear me?"

His breath is warm and hot against her lips, and in an instant, he has her pressed flush against the door. He feels her shudder as he nuzzles her neck, placing soft, warm kisses there.

"Mine," he repeats, and nearly groans when she pulls him back up for a searing kiss. A gasp leaves her lips when his rough fingers greedily roam over her figure, and Sasuke presses himself harder against her. Doll's body is warm and pliable under his touch and he presses his rough fingers harder into her soft skin. Little moans and gasps escape her lips and he doesn't hesitate to hook a hand underneath her thigh, lifting her off the floor and higher up against the door. He groans when she wraps her legs around his hips and squeezes, fingers tugging and pulling at his hair as she continues to kiss him with a need and ferocity that matches his own. His lips leave hers to trail down her neck, and he stops to nip at her collarbone. She moans, unrestrained, and rolls her hips against his.

"Sasuke-kun."

His name tumbles from her lips as she moans breathlessly in delight, and he stiffens. As much as he wants to take her right here and right now, Sasuke knows it's wrong. It feels like he's in another lifetime. Like this is an alternate universe, because he's never ever done this before. Never felt the need to. But with Doll…everything feels different. But they can't do this, not like this. Sasuke respects her too much, hell, maybe even loves her – to drag her into something she might regret. He wants to do this right, because hell – if he was to marry someone, it'd have to be her.

For a moment, there is nothing but the sound of their heavy breathings. His whole body is trembling with need, and he buries his face in her neck as her hands run through his hair languidly.

"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Doll. I don't know what went through my mind," Sasuke tells her as he slowly lowers her to the ground, instantly regretting as her legs unhook themselves from his hips.

"Oh…sorry, I – "

She can't hide her disappointment, and Sasuke's eyes soften and his heart swells with affection when she looks away dejectedly. And here he was, thinking Doll was the smartest girl he'd ever met. He gently grasps her chin, lifting her head so their eyes meet.

"I didn't mean it like that, Doll," he says, resting his forehead against hers. "I respect you too much to do this to you." He traces her swollen lips lightly, wanting nothing more than to kiss her again. "But it doesn't change the fact that you're mine, you hear me?" Doll's eyes glimmer and she lets out a coy giggle.

"You're adorable, Captain. You know that?"

Sasuke's eyes harden instantly at her words, and his hands move to grip her hips in an almost bruising manner. "I'm not adorable." She hums then, kissing his nose cutely.

"Alright, Captain. What happens now?"

There are only two days before Doll's flown out, and Sasuke doesn't know if he'll ever see her again, but he's determined to make the best out of the next two days.

"I'll walk you back to your room. And I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."

…

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Hi guys, hope you enjoyed this little piece! I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it like this, or turn it into a little two shot. Let me know what you think! xx