This is a one shot that got way out of hand. What started as a sexy little plot bunny was suddenly 69 pages and obviously way to long not to be broken apart. I would like to thank Cynchick for putting this idea in my head, letting me bounce ideas off her, for editing this monstrosity and helping me brainstorm a title for this thing. If she weren't around, you would be seeing a lot less of my writing.
This story will be major M rated with graphic sex and various kinks. Read ahead if you dare.
Evanescent Perfection
Sakura knew he was there before his feet ever touched the broad sill of her open window. She always detected him before he appeared, even if she was sound asleep, her shinobi senses too sharply honed to let him slip into her room unnoticed.
She had hoped he would come to her tonight, for she had missed his touch, his voice, his scent. It had been too long since he held her last but now he was here, even though it meant putting both of their lives on the line for a single night together.
She rolled over beneath the pale sheets that seemed to glow in the moonlight, ethereal rays streaming in through her open window, and looked up at the tall figure who cast an elongated shadow over her bed as he balanced lightly on the window sill. He regarded her with piercing blue eyes, and though they were usually cold and malevolent, they were burning hotly for her now. His intense stare sent a thrill of anticipation through her and she sat up in bed, hugging the sheets to her chest as he stepped down from her window and made his way across the room without a sound, his gaze never wavering.
He was dressed as he always was; black cloak with red clouds pulled around him, his pale hair pulled away from his face save for the strands veiling his left eye. He finally let his eyes drift over her slender form, noting the way she was clutching the sheets to her chest and observing the bare expanse of her shoulders underneath, interrupted only by thin straps of black satin. He doubted she wore clothing like that to bed every night.
"Have you been waiting for me kunoichi?" he rasped softly into the silence, his lips curling into a smirk as he spoke.
She found herself wearing a similar expression at his words. He seldom addressed her by her name unless he was calling it out in the throes passion, but the once offensive designation that was only a small step up from "hey you" had become something of a pet name for her and she let him get away with it, an unusual and noteworthy event considering a kunoichi of her caliber let very few people get away with anything.
"I've been waiting for you ever since the last time you left me alone in my bed the next morning."
Her voice was low and teasing but the undertones of desire in it were unmistakable and her visitor picked up on it immediately.
"If I had my way, I wouldn't leave your bed for a week," he chuckled, his voice quiet and velvety. "But it's hard enough sneaking in and out of the village during the night. I don't think I could do it in broad daylight, yeah. Especially not with Konoha on high alert due to the war. I'm surprised you left your window open like that," he said, motioning to the curtains that were blowing softly in the night breeze. "You're lucky I'm the only one that decided to pay you a visit."
She knew his point was valid. The conflict between Konoha and the Akatsuki had finally come to a head when all other plans to capture the Kyuubi had failed. Although the front lines were about two days travel from the village gates, everyone within the Leaf Village was on edge, knowing it was only a matter of time before the carnage was at their front door. Outnumbered or not, The Akatsuki were vicious opponents and taking out even one of them was proving difficult. Now that the entire organization was against them, the outcome seemed quite uncertain.
That's why what they were doing was so risky; the fact that he was even in the village let alone her bedroom was a betrayal to both sides. Yet somehow, it was a sin they couldn't seem to stop committing, for this was not the first time he had crept to her in the night, nor would it be the last unless death should meet one or both of them on the battlefield.
She watched him now as a long-fingered hand reached for the first snap of the cloak at his neck, pulling it apart with a soft pop and letting the garment fall open and slide off his shoulders to pool on the floor. His sinewy upper torso was revealed, covered in the black mesh shirt he always wore beneath the cloak that should have made them enemies.
Should have…but didn't.
It should have stopped her back then too. Just the sight of that red and black cloak and the ring on his right index finger should have sent her either running for the hills or readying a chakra infused punch, but she had done neither. She had simply sat on her barstool and watched him even when all her instincts were screaming at her to do otherwise.
She supposed exhaustion and a number of other things had led her to that particular dingy inn that night, but she couldn't help but wonder if the cruel hand of fate with a twisted sense of humor had brought her there to laugh at the sheer irony of her situation.
She didn't particularly relish solo missions, especially not ones that required long distance travel. Without anyone to talk to she easily became bored, making the long walks even less pleasant. There were still four more days before she would reach home again after traveling to a distant village to treat someone in need of her elite medical skills. The son of a wealthy merchant had been diagnosed with an illness that all other doctors had deemed terminal. With nowhere to turn the merchant had sent a letter to Konoha, pleading for assistance and offering a paycheck large enough to make nearly a week of walking worthwhile.
She walked slowly, not exactly in a hurry to get back to Konoha and what awaited her there. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for her slight sense of dread at seeing his face again but she couldn't help that he made her feel that way.
Kiba Inuzuka was nothing if not persistent, not to mention horny and not at all subtle about it, especially now that Sakura's body had developed womanly curves. The dog shinobi had taken notice of her when they were fifteen and pursued her aggressively for months, determined to see more of the pale skin hidden beneath her medic uniform. She wasn't sure why she'd eventually given in to his tactless and too-forward propositioning. She had grown so tired of the frequent invitations to his bed that she'd punched him hard enough to break his nose and then refused to heal it afterwards, leaving the bloody mess for Shizune to take care of. However, she had finally conceded in the end, maybe because she had finally giving up all hope for Sasuke, not only of bringing him home, but also of ever receiving his love. She had returned from that mission devastated; her former teammate's cold words and indifferent attitude had cut through her heart as cleanly as if he'd run her through with his sword. She'd realized then that she needed to move on, and Kiba was the only one offering and it had seemed like an easy way to dull the pain.
Her first time could have been worse she supposed, but at the time she'd had nothing to compare it to. His hands were grabby and rough, his kisses hurried and he had finished before she'd even gotten accustomed to the feeling of him inside her. The next time hadn't been much better. He was an inexperienced and selfish lover with no concern for her satisfaction, but she was lonely, and so for the past three years they had been on-again-off-again friends-with-benefits. She could count the number of times she'd reached orgasm with the dog shinobi on two hands, and their relationship was nothing special or permanent, but anything was better than being alone.
He had offered her another round when she got back from her mission but Sakura couldn't exactly say she was thrilled. The thought of his rough groping and pounding did nothing to make her want to hurry her steps as she trudged towards home again, so she plodded wearily until nightfall, stopping at the first inn she saw.
The inn's bar was nothing special. It was dirty, dark and seedy, just like the rest of the town, but it beat sleeping out in the cold where street thugs and petty thieves would make rest impossible. She could feel the eyes of nearly every man in the room burning into her skin but she pointedly ignored them. If they were stupid enough to try and start something she would put them in their place with her fist but she still didn't want to draw unwelcome attention. The pink hair that she tried to hide under the hood of a long, gray traveling cloak made her conspicuous enough without her losing her cool and beating the drooling apes to a pulp.
Yet despite the many men in the room, one had immediately caught her attention, and for all the wrong reasons.
She had first sensed him as she was sitting on the hard wooden bar stool, the seat's cushion long since deteriorated, sipping whatever the bartender had passed to her when she'd asked for something hard. The stuff burned and tasted like shit but she could feel her body finally begin to relax and some of the exhaustion ebbed away as the alcohol entered her bloodstream.
That's when she had felt it; the flicker of vaguely familiar chakra, and though it was well disguised, she could tell in that split second that it belonged to someone tremendously powerful.
She tried to be nonchalant as she turned on her stool and let her emerald eyes scan the ugly faces of the men in the crowd, but the chakra signature had disappeared, either carried away when its owner made an exit or too well disguised for her to sense.
Sakura expected it was the latter.
As if on cue, a man took up the stool next to her, red clouds on black fabric filling her peripheral vision. Now she knew where she knew this chakra from. His blond hair told her that this was the very same man who had desecrated Gaara's body after they killed him, the man that had tried to capture and kill Naruto as well.
Deidara.
He had seemed as unstable as the explosions he caused and she could tell he was just as dangerous now, even if he was keeping his power carefully hidden. Had he noticed her yet? Perhaps she could make a clean getaway if she left now. Her body was filled with tension and she tried to force herself to relax as she finished her drink so as not to look suspicious before getting the hell out of there.
She had just drained the contents of her glass and stood to go when she heard him speak, soft and low and meant only for her ears.
"There's no need to panic, yeah. My current mission isn't to kill Leaf nins."
He already knew who she was? But she had kept her chakra carefully disguised and the hood of her traveling cloak still covered her tell tale pink hair…
"Do you really think I'd forget the face of the little girl who killed my partner? Have a seat kunoichi. I don't intend to fight you, I'm just curious about you, yeah."
Reluctantly, she sank back onto her stool and stared into her empty glass as he flagged down the bartender and ordered himself a whiskey.
Was she crazy? Was she really going to sit here and have a conversation with an S-ranked criminal? And wasn't he supposed to be dead? Last time she saw him, he had been missing both arms and had inflated himself into a grotesque human bomb before exploding in an attempt to take her and her friends to the grave with him. However, it was apparent the grave was not where he had ended up. So why the hell was he here?
"What are you drinking?"
She risked shifting her eyes sideways and for the first time got a good look at him. His blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail except for long bangs that obscured one eye. The visible one that was fixed on her was a startlingly clear shade of blue and it seemed to hold no malice or ill intent. The rest of his features seemed just as relaxed, as if they weren't mortal enemies who would probably be intent on killing each other if they had met in another setting.
Well, that proved it. He was insane.
"Uh, I don't really know," Sakura said in answer to his question, "something that burns like hell."
The Akatsuki member's lips curled into an amused smirk. He seemed so cocky and confident and not at all worried about sitting next to an enemy nin. Surely he didn't think she was weak. She had killed his partner after all, but his posture was relaxed and he seemed honest about having to intention of fighting her.
He turned to the bartender and ordered something she had never heard of. The burly man behind the counter raised an eyebrow and looked like he was going to say something but apparently thought better of it. Perhaps he knew what the red and black cloak signified as well.
"So, what brings a little girl like you to a place like this?" he asked casually before taking a swig of the amber liquid in his glass.
Was he seriously going to make small talk with her? Everything about how he was acting was conflicting with her perception of him. He was a cold blooded killer, a monster. Yet here he was chatting idly with her as if he hadn't killed one of her friends.
"A mission," she said as coolly as she could. "Believe me, I don't frequent places like this for fun."
"I didn't think so," he said before taking another swallow of whiskey. "But a solo mission? A girl like you should be careful in a place like this. Plenty of men would love to take advantage of someone like you, yeah."
Sakura threw him an indignant look. She hardly needed advice from the likes of him and if he thought he could get her to drop her guard with this whole buddy routine, he was sadly mistaken.
"The person I'm most worried about is you," Sakura said disdainfully. "And how do you know I'm on a solo mission? My partner or teammates could be elsewhere at the moment."
Deidara chuckled and set down his glass before meeting those clear emerald eyes of hers.
"I was behind you for most of the day as you walked to this town. Believe me, I know you're alone."
He what?
Sakura's jaw went slack as she stared at him dumbfounded. She hadn't even sensed his presence. How thehell had he managed to sneak around all day when she'd been on alert for possible enemies?
She was about to ask when the bartender returned with the missing-nin's order and set it down in front of him. The blond promptly slid it in front of her and she found a new reason to be speechless. The drink was a frothy concoction that smelled fruity and sweet. It was also obnoxiously pink.
"What the hell is this?" she asked, looking at the man next to her suspiciously.
"Something that probably tastes a whole lot better than whatever you were drinking," he chuckled before returning to his own glass.
Her day just kept getting weirder and weirder. Now the madman was ordering her drinks.
Cautiously, she raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. The liquid tasted as sweet and fruity as it smelled but it was followed by an alcoholic burn even more intense than what she had been drinking before and she couldn't help but grimace.
Deidara laughed quietly at her response. "Better than the other stuff?"
"Well, it kicks harder," she said before risking another sip. "But why did it have to be pink?"
"Because it suits you, yeah," he said with a smile and Sakura couldn't help but notice the dimple that formed in his cheek. That didn't fit the profile at all. S-ranked criminals should not have dimples.
Yet, criminal or not, the kunoichi couldn't deny that he was actually rather handsome without the strange-looking scope over his eye or the wild look of dementia he'd had in his supposedly final moments.
"Why are you alive?" she asked pointedly after a moment of silence had passed between them. "I saw you explode with my own eyes."
"Another member in the organization but me back together again," he said casually, as if there nothing at all strange about it.
"How the hell did he do that?" Sakura asked, trying to keep her voice low so as not to draw attention when really she wanted to scream it. Put back together? Did that make him an undead zombie now? Things were getting way too weird.
"He and his partner will be meeting me here soon. I suppose you could wait and ask him yourself. Speaking of partners, I wonder what mine is up to," he said, and chuckled when Sakura's eyes immediately began to dart around the room in search for the second Akatsuki.
"Relax. He's probably upstairs," the blond assured.
"Oh," Sakura said, even more on edge now that she knew there were two of them around. If she stood a fighting chance against the enemy before, it was gone now, for she would be up against not one, but two elite ninja. Her only chance was to hope that Deidara's remark about not wanting to fight her was true.
"So, how was my explosion? Beautiful wasn't it? It's no doubt one of my greatest works."
Sakura wasn't sure what the hell he was talking about and apparently her blank expression communicated it.
"Don't tell me you don't remember! The explosion in the forest that would have wiped out everything for miles…my farewell gift to the world that was initiated even without use of my arms! It would have been truly beautiful if it wasn't for Kakashi, opening up another dimension and spoiling my wonderful art.
Oh yes, definitely crazy.
"Pardon me for saying this, but I don't consider explosions art. In your case, I consider them deadly weapons."
"Is that so?" Deidara said with a chuckle. "So what do you think art is?
Sakura pondered the question a moment before answering.
"Well, there's art in the traditional sense like the timeless statues and paintings in a museum, but art doesn't have to be tangible. I believe our skills as ninja are art, our special techniques and even taijutsu can be art. Fighting can be like a dance and that dance is a work of art."
He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before his lips split into a smile.
"Even if you are a little girl, you're a smart one, yeah. Sasori and I always argued about this and I could never make him see the light. He thought art was something that lasted forever, like all his stupid puppets. He couldn't realize that art's beauty comes from the fact that it's fleeting and temporary."
"Hey, I'm not a little girl. I'm nineteen," she said indignantly. "And art is subjective. Everyone's view is going to be a little different."
"Well, it just so happens that my view is the right one," he stated, cocky smile in place once more.
Sakura rolled her eyes. Apparently the word "subjective" was lost on him.
For a moment, neither of them said anything and the silence began to stretch to the point of being a little awkward.
"So, what now?"
She couldn't help but blurt out the question. Now that they knew the other was staying in the very same inn, possibly just down the hall or even next door, sleep was going to be very difficult, at least for the kunoichi.
The blond shrugged indifferently, tapping his ringed index finger against his now empty glass and listening to the hollow clink it produced.
"We part ways I suppose. I told you I had no intention of engaging in battle here. As fascinating as you are, I have other things I have to attend to, yeah."
He shot her a smirk, slightly arrogant and full of confidence and in that moment, he emitted a sort of charm she wouldn't have imagined from him. If things had been different, if he weren't a wanted killer, Sakura might have actually found him a little…attractive.
"All right then," she said quietly, shifting her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at that piecing blue gaze or smirking smile. "I guess this is it, then. Thanks for the drink."
Sakura rose from her stool but was stopped when his hand wrapped around her forearm. She had to suppress a gasp when she felt something on his palm shift against her skin and suddenly, the image of him chewing that weird clay of his with the mouths of his hands came to her. She had totally forgotten about the two extra orifices and right now one was pressed against the skin of her wrist.
"But you haven't finished it yet," he chuckled, his amused look intact as his other hand gestured towards the half empty glass of pink liquid. "Besides, I have one more question: how exactly did you kill my partner? I was quite surprised to discover a little girl like you managed to defeat one of Suna's legendary puppet masters."
Sakura regarded him a moment, wondering whether she should stay and answer his question or twist free of his grip and leave the bar. She was tired and wanted to go to bed but she knew if she left like this and did anything that might anger the former Rock shinobi, sleep would be a long time in coming as she lay in bed waiting for an attack that could come at any moment.
With a sigh, she sat back down and picked up her drink.
"Well, it wasn't just me. I would have been dead in seconds if Chiyo-baa-sama wasn't fighting with me. She knew how to counter his attacks, considering he was her grandson and all. I just used the openings she made for me to attack. We worked well as a team, but it still wasn't easy to defeat him. He was really a ruthless opponent."
"And you even avoided his poison attacks?"
Now it was Sakura's turn to smirk. "I guess a being a medic has its uses. I was able to make an antidote back in Suna from the poison I extracted from Kankuro."
For the first time, the man next to her looked genuinely surprised. "You were able to save the Kazikage's brother?"
"Well, I amTsunade's apprentice after all," she smiled, and couldn't help the pride that crept into her voice.
Deidara seemed to consider her words for a moment before saying, "Your looks are quite deceiving kunoichi. With that pink hair and innocent face, one would almost think you were harmless, yeah."
"Most people who make that mistake end up in the hospital," Sakura said dryly before picking up her glass and downing more of its equally deceptive contents. She never would have guessed it could pack such a punch and she supposed that's why he had ordered it for her. He was right; it really did suit her.
Deidara chuckled and watched her drink and Sakura was suddenly very aware that he had not yet let go of her arm, especially when he began to brush his thumb lightly back and forth over her wrist.
She tried to pull away gently but it seemed he had no intention of letting her go and she turned to face him, her expression stern as she tugged a little harder.
His only response was an arrogant smirk as he continued the surprisingly intimate gesture.
"Am I making you uncomfortable kunoichi?" he said so softly that Sakura barley heard it over the surrounding din of the bar, his eyes full of mischief and delight at her squeamishness.
"Let go of me Deidara," she said as evenly as she could. She knew he could probably snap her bones in an instant and didn't want to give him the option, but at the same time, her heart rate was rising for another reason. The soft touches on her wrist were feeling surprisingly…good. Maybe the alcohol was getting to her head, although she didn't remember being such a lightweight.
"Oh, so you do remember my name," the blond chuckled without heeding her demand. "I'm flattered. But I'm afraid I don't remember yours."
"Sakura," she said tightly, tempted to use all of her strength to pull free but not wanting to draw attention to herself.
"Sakura? Really?" the man sounded almost incredulous and his amused smirk only widened into a grin.
"Something wrong with my name?" she hissed angrily.
"No," he replied, calming down and giving her a smile…a real smile that just might have melted the hearts of women who didn't know his true nature. "It's just that there couldn't be a name more perfect for you. It's a pleasure to actually meet you, Sakura."
The pink haired woman's eyes widened as she felt the lips on the hand around her arm purse and place a kiss on the skin of her wrist, and she jerked her arm away as if she had been burned. This time, he released her.
"What the hell was that?" she gasped, wide eyed. She sure hadn't expected a kiss from this man, but then, she hadn't expected him to buy her a drink and make small talk either.
The missing-nin misunderstood her question and thought she was talking about the mouths on his hand and not the actual kiss itself.
"You wanna see it?" he smirked, holding his palm up under the bar so as not to attract attention from anyone who might witness such an unusual sight.
Her better sense told her to brush him off and get the hell out of there but curiosity got the best of her. Hesitantly, she let her gaze shift from his smirking face to the lowered hand between them and found the mouth in his palm was grinning toothily at her. She couldn't deny that it was a fascinating, it not completely creepy spectacle and she gingerly reached out her finger to touch it but then drew back, thinking better of it.
"Go ahead, it's not going to hurt you, yeah." The blond prompted, noting how she bit her lower lip nervously as she reached out hand again.
The mouth had stopped grinning and she gently let a finger trail over the lips, amazed at how soft they were, how they felt just like the ones on her face. The strange lips parted under her touch and the tongue within snaked out to brush over her fingertip. While she should have pulled away, she was utterly fascinated by the odd bloodline limit and could only stare as her finger was drawn into the warm wetness of his mouth. However, when his lips closed around her digit and she could feel him apply gentle suction, she knew she had let things go too far. This was way too intimate, and the way his tongue slid along her finger was sending funny sensations to the pit of her stomach, making her feel hot and restless and her skin was breaking out in gooseflesh which didn't seem quite right considering she felt like she was burning up.
This was definitely not ok
The ninja must have sensed her anxiety for he released her from his palmar lips, but never stopped that infernal smirk. "Something the matter? You're blushing."
Sakura's hand moved to her own cheek which indeed felt hot and flushed. Damn him. He must know exactly what he was doing to her. And yet, now that she had felt his touch, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be liked to be touched other places, to have all three of his mouths working her body at once…
She shook her head to clear the perverted thoughts away. What the hell was he doing to her? Perhaps there was more than just alcohol in that drink he'd ordered. If he had drugged her, she needed to get out of here fast.
"Nothing is wrong. I'm fine. I just…need to go," she said, sounding not at all convincing.
"Don't tell me I scared you away," Deidara chuckled arrogantly, making her anger flare.
"I'm not scared it's just…we shouldn't be talking where people can overhear," she finished lamely, draining the last of her drink and standing to go.
"We can talk other places if that's what you're worried about," Deidara said, standing with her and throwing down some bills that covered not only his drink and the one he had ordered her but her previous one as well. "Or are you just trying to run away?"
"I'm not afraid of you," she hissed, but her venom was lost on him.
"Oh no? I think maybe you should be, even if I intend to do you no harm. I did defeat the Kazekage after all."
"Why do you even want to talk anyways? Aren't you at least a little concerned that I'm a Leaf ninja and you're my enemy?"
"I respect your strength and abilities kunoichi but, I'm not afraid of you. However, I do find you rather…interesting, yeah."
Interesting? Well, she could say the same for him considering he had a functional mouth on each palm. Perhaps it was her medical training, but she found herself inexplicably drawn to the strange orifices. Just when had she developed such a morbid sense of curiosity?
"Fine, whatever," she sighed. "I'm going to my room and we can talk there, but let's not stand here like idiots in the middle of the bar ok?"
The missing-nin arched a pale eyebrow but merely shrugged and followed her out of the dirty, smoke filled room, noticing that several of the male patron's eyes followed her hungrily as well.
He couldn't help but smirk as she breezed by a burly-looking man who winked at her suggestively. The look she threw him over her shoulder was enough to wipe the lecherous grin right off the big brute's face. He was lucky she let him off with just a glare because even though the man was three times her size, Sakura could have downed him with a single blow.
They didn't talk as they made their way up the narrow stairwell to the third floor and down the equally narrow hall. Suddenly, a door on their left opened and another cloaked figured stepped out into the passageway. Sakura immediately recognized the red clouds and figured that this must be Deidara's partner. The figure was taller than the blond and wore a peculiar orange mask that appeared to only have one eye hole. Were all Akatsuki complete freaks of nature? It seemed every member she met was stranger than the last. First Sasuke's brother and his amphibious partner, then the boy who had turned himself into a puppet, the man beside her with way too many mouths, and now this? She didn't even want to guess what might lay beneath that one-eyed mask.
"Tobi has been looking for you, Deidara-sempai," the new arrival said, his voice taking on the inflection of a child who had lost its mother.
"Well you didn't look very hard. I was downstairs at the bar," the explosives expert answered roughly, apparently not as happy to see his partner as his partner was to see him.
"Oh Tobi didn't want to go in there. There were too many people." His head titled in Sakura's direction and the kunoichi sensed that he was scrutinizing her from behind the odd swirling pattern covering his face. "Who is this?"
"Oh, just an old acquaintance I happened to run into downstairs. We have a lot to catch up on so don't wait up for me, yeah?"
Without another word, Deidara placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and moved her down the hall, steering her away from his comrade until the hall forked and she moved to the right towards her room.
She fished a key out from beneath her traveling cloak and eyed the man next to her quizzically as she unlocked the door. "What was that all about?"
"Well, when you killed Sasori, Leader saw fit to partner me up with the guy you saw back there. Unfortunately, I feel more like a baby-sitter than a shinobi with him around, yeah. He has a bad habit of getting on my last nerve really quickly."
"I see," Sakura mumbled as she opened the door and walked inside with Deidara following behind. "Why does he wear that mask?"
The missing-nin shrugged.
"Well, haven't you ever asked him?" Sakura asked in exasperation.
"Sakura, most shinobi who leave their village have pasts they would prefer not to talk about. If you're smart, you learn not to ask questions."
"Oh," Sakura said, feeling a little naïve for not taking that into consideration.
Both ninja took a moment to look around the room. Sakura hadn't even had a chance to enter the room beforehand, having headed down to the bar right after paying for her room in search of a drink to help her unwind.
The bed was small but the sheets looked clean, a small miracle in a place like this. The small lamp hanging from the ceiling didn't cast much light and even when it was switched on the room was bathed in shadows. The bathroom was little more than a cubbyhole with a toilet and a shower barely small enough for single person use. However, humble as the accommodations may be, Sakura was grateful for them. A roof over her head was better than sleeping in the dirt another night.
Deidara unsnapped his cloak and tossed it over the chair crammed in the corner and Sakura couldn't help herself as her eye wandered his torso that was now covered only by a black mesh shirt that clung to him like a second skin. He certainly had the body of a shinobi; all sinewy muscle and hard planes. Sakura wasn't even aware of the fact that her tongue escaped her mouth to run over suddenly parched lips at the sight of him, but the action did not go unnoticed by her visitor.
His lucid blue eyes were fixed on her now and he seemed to be waiting for something, and the thought made Sakura slightly uncomfortable. What exactly was he expecting from her?
"So…now what?" she asked hesitantly, shedding her own traveling cloak and tossing it over the same chair, revealing her standard zipped top and pale pink skirt with black shorts underneath. She noticed that the blond seemed to be staring at her legs appreciatively and the knowledge made her even more self conscious.
"You tell me kunoichi. You're the one that invited me to your room, yeah."
The missing-nin took in the sight of strawberry locks, now free of their hood. Her hair was longer since he'd seen her last, the longest strands brushing her collarbone as she moved. It was understandable why she had kept them covered while they were downstairs. A hair color like that was hard to forget.
Sakura swallowed hard as she looked at the Akatsuki member that had been intent on killing people very dear to her not so long ago. How exactly had this happened? One moment she was telling herself she should leave him in the bar without a backwards glance and the next she was alone in her room with him. She was suddenly very uncomfortable with her current situation and despite his promise not to hurt her, she could feel her pulse begin to race. However, maybe it wasn't so much the fact that he was an S-class criminal that was making her heart beat out of her chest as it was the fact that this particular shinobi had two extra mouths, and judging from how he had sucked on her finger earlier, he knew how to use them.
"Well…didn't you want to talk?" she asked, her voice annoyingly meek when she wanted him to think she was still in control.
"Talk?" Deidara said with a smirk that made muscles deep in her core clench without her consent. "I thought you brought me here to try and seduce me."
That cocky, arrogant bastard. Just what made him think she was interested in him at all in that way? Maybe other women fell all over themselves at the sight of those extra mouths, but not Sakura Haruno. She ought to throw him out on his ass for what he just said.
So why was she still standing there, all wide-eyed and immobile?
"Well, you were mistaken," she managed to say without stuttering or sounding too much like an idiot. However, his confident smirk only deepened and it was obvious she wasn't convincing him. She wasn't even sure she was convincing herself.
The explosions expert was no fool. Despite living the life of a rogue ninja, he'd had his fair share of women, most of them captivated by the thought of three mouths pleasing them. Some were repulsed by his bloodline limit but never had he seen a girl clearly interested in them yet claiming she wanted nothing to do with him. Indeed, this little Leaf kunoichi was growing more fascinating by the minute.
"Is that so?" he said, his pale eyes boring into hers as he took a step toward her, and then another.
Sakura tried to maintain her personal bubble by backing away from him. This was all happening so fast. When had things turned from casual conversation to seduction attempt? The sensuous look in his eyes could only mean one thing and the self-confident smirk on his lips was enough to make her feel all warm and wet in places that…well, she didn't really want to feel warm and wet in. They were enemies, members of two different worlds that would never peacefully coexist. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she just gave in and let him have his way. She was feeling hotter from one touch than she had felt with Kiba's hands all over her body. If one suck on her finger had felt like that, what would it feel like if he…?
Sakura's back abruptly hit the wall and she suddenly found herself caged in as his hands planted themselves on the smooth stone on either side of her head. She had nowhere to go now. He had her right where he wanted her.
"You know what I think?" the blond whispered, tilting his head down to look into wide emerald orbs. "I think perhaps it's you that wants to be seduced, yeah."
Sakura's breath caught in her throat as he leaned in closer, the heat of his body enveloping her.
"We can't," she managed to pant out, trying desperately to get a hold on herself.
"And why not?" he murmured, his breath ghosting over her neck causing her to shiver slightly.
"We're enemies Deidara. It would be a betrayal to both our sides. As a Leaf shinobi, it's my duty to at least report your whereabouts to the Hokage since it's obvious I can't beat you in a fight."
"By the time you get back to Konoha, I'll be long gone, kunoichi," he chuckled, his lips hovering dangerously close over the skin of her neck. "You should enjoy this while you can, because I know the life of a shinobi can be lonely."
God, he was right about that. It was what had sent her desperately seeking the warmth of a lover and kept her coming back for more, even when those same touches often left her feeling used and unfulfilled.
He let his lips press to the pulse point of her throat in a chaste kiss that still managed to send the blood boiling in her veins He was only using one mouth, just like any other man and already she was falling apart. No matter how good it felt, she needed to get it together. He was still an enemy after all and she was lucky he hadn't already stuck a kunai in her skull. Summoning all the willpower she had, she planted her palms firmly on his chest and pushed him away.
"Stop it Deidara."
Her voice was firm and sounded sincere, betraying none of the uncertainty she felt. The shinobi backed off just enough so their bodies were no longer pressed together but he still didn't lower his arms from the wall. She was dismayed to see he was still wearing a sly smirk, one that said 'I know you're only acting like you don't want it and you're not fooling anyone.' That look was doing funny things to her resolve and she hated it and was confused by it all at once. No look from Kiba had ever made her feel like this.
"Why do you deny your body what it obviously craves, kunoichi?" he asked, his voice lower and huskier than it had been a moment before.
She met his eyes defiantly, searching his own blue orbs for the truth behind all his actions. She was still waiting for an attack from him but he seemed devoid of all killing intent.
"My body is not craving you," she growled defensively.
"No? Then why did you shiver and break out in goose bumps when I touched you in the bar?" he said with a quirk of one pale eyebrow.
Damn it, so he had noticed.
"It felt weird, that's all. It's not every day some freak licks me with a hand that's on his mouth!" Sakura answered, wishing she could put some more space between them. He was just too damn close.
"It felt weird because it felt good," Deidara said with an annoyingly large amount of confidence. "And I'm guessing you've never been touched like that before."
Was he taunting her now? Making fun of her inexperienced state?
"I'm not a virgin if that's what you mean," she hissed irritably at him, but he remained unmoved by her angry expression.
"I didn't think so, but that doesn't mean you've never been touched in the way you deserve to be touched, yeah. I can tell you're lonely."
Shit. It was just her luck that he happened to be either incredibly perceptive or a fucking mind-reader.
"We can't," she said simply. "I'm Leaf. You're Akatsuki. It would be wrong."
The missing-nin chuckled softly, closing his eyes and shaking his head at her statement. His actions confused her even further because if she had wanted to, she could have taken the moment to break out of his grasp and put a kunai through his heart. Why had he given her that chance? And why hadn't she taken it?
"Sakura, this is not about sides. Right now, villages and affiliations don't matter. In this room, you are just a woman, and I am just a man. We are not shinobi, we are people, just people."
To emphasize his point, he pulled his band from his forehead that bore the Rock village's insignia with the slash through it and let it drop heavily to the floor. When he reached for her own forehead protector, she did nothing to stop him as he gently pulled it from her strawberry locks and let it join his on the carpet.
Just people.
When was the last time she allowed herself to be just a person? She couldn't even remember. The title of shinobi came with so many responsibilities that she had been weighed down ever since the day she entered the academy. Those burdens had only increased when she graduated, when she had started taking missions, when she became Tsunade's apprentice and when she moved up to Chuunin. The weights never stopped stacking up on her shoulders and she hadn't realized how weary she'd been until now. She realized that just for now, just for tonight, she very much wanted to be just a woman.
"But…" she whispered softly, shrinking back against the wall when he bent down to lean in close again.
"Shh. Forget about Konoha for tonight, yeah? Let me create beautiful works of art with you. It's been a while since I've found someone I think I could make into a masterpiece."
"Art?" Sakura gaped, stiffening. She knew what the explosion expert's idea of art was and didn't relish the thought of being a human bomb.
"Yeah," Deidara said with a devious smile. "Beautiful, breath taking art. When a woman reaches her peak and comes to the point of no return, there's a wondrous explosion that happens within her, something that shakes her down to her very core and in that brief moment, perfect art is made. I can just imagine the art I'll be able to make with you."
She hadn't noticed his hand move, a sure sign that she had already dropped her guard, and with a flick of his wrist, the clasps on her pink skirt were undone and the garment was falling down her legs and pooling at her feet.
Sakura was rigid as a board, every muscle taunt, but inside she was a mess. Why was he asking this of her, to give in, to throw away everything she had been taught? He was asking her to trust him when he had done nothing but give her reasons to hate him. And yet, deep down inside herself, she knew she wanted to do what he asked. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and let him touch her in ways Kiba had never been able to.
What he offered was an amazing experience, one she may never have the chance to have again and she wanted it. Was it so wrong to want to know what all the hype was about? So many people chased after sex but her experiences had taught her to avoid it. She knew she was missing something and she wanted to find out what, but was she ready to risk it all with an S-ranked criminal? Even as she asked herself the question, she already knew the answer.
Yes.
Nobody had to know. This night would be a dark and glorious secret she kept locked away in her heart. She was always the good girl, always played by the rules. But not tonight. She wanted this man even after all he had done and the fact that he was such a dangerous shinobi made it all the more exhilarating.
She chewed her bottom lip nervously as his hand slid under her shirt and skimmed along her waist and she fought not to lean into his touch. She managed to retain her composure even when a wet heat joined the sensation of his fingers and she knew the tongue of his palm was trailing over her, tasting her sweat and skin.
"Let me show you what I mean Sakura," he whispered against her ear, his body molding against hers once more, forcing her back against the wall's cool surface. "Let me show you my art."
This was it. She could push him off her and demand he leave and then proceed to forget this night ever happened, or she could welcome the unknown and the dangerous, the lustful and wrong, all the things that Sakura Haruno usually didn't jump headlong into. However her mouth answered for her before her logical and sensible could talk her out of it.
"Ok."