I just recently got back into watching Naruto Shippuden and I couldn't but help notice (along with a billion other people) how much Sakura and Sai spend an awful lot of time with each other. Naturally, that inspired me (along with a billion other people) to write a one-shot story about them. I tried my best to keep them in character but sometimes, imagination just runs away from you and you let the story take its' own course.

This is my first attempt at writing a story like this. So please be kind to read and then review. Thank you. :D

._._.

HIS MUSE

Sakura was sprawled comfortably across the long burgundy sofa in Sai's living room. She had her elbows propped up, with her hands holding up her head as she watched Sai across the room. Sai was seated in front of an easel with a large piece of canvas clipped to it. In one hand, he had a palette with different color blobs of paint on it and in the other hand, he held a paintbrush with which he made a long brushstroke against the canvas. Sai looked up for one quick second at Sakura and then went back to working on his painting.

Sai had met up with Sakura the day before, telling her to show up at his apartment early afternoon the next day. He told her that he was working on a special project and needed her help with it. Sakura had no inkling of what he meant by "special project" but said yes to him anyway because after being together with Sai for eight months, she knew that Sai would never make her do anything tedious, at least not on purpose.

So Sakura showed up at Sai's apartment today just like she had promised. Sai let her in with a quick kiss on the lips and then stepped back to let her have a look at the living room. At first, Sakura was confused because the room looked the same as it always had since she had gotten to know him. There were paintings artfully tacked onto all the walls, now with titles under them. There were books upon books piled up on every available flat surface there was in Sai's home, books that ranged from talking about restaurant etiquette to - Wait! Isn't that orange book one of the Icha Icha novels written by Jiraiya? What the hell is he doing with that? Before she could further investigate, Sai coughed and directed her attention to the center of the room.

Sai had moved the burgundy couch away from the usual location of being near the wall and brought to the center of the room, sitting in a wide shaft of sunlight that came in through the window. He had taken all the books that usually occupied the sofa and set them on either side of the sofa. And across from the sofa stood all of Sai's art supplies.

"So this is your special project. You want to paint me?" Sakura asked quietly.

"If you would let me, that is." Sai replied back, just as quietly.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I would be honored."

Sai took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. "Now, I don't want you to do any special pose or anything. Just be natural and situate yourself in a way that is most comfortable for you."

"Gotcha." And Sakura decided to simply lie across the sofa because she had seen Sai paint before and how he took hours trying to get everything down paper in as much detail as possible. Therefore, she knew she was going to be on that sofa for a long time. So she might as well be comfortable.

Sai looked at her and smiled. "Perfect." He walked to the easel and seated himself in front of it. He dabbed his paintbrush into a glob of brown paint, brought the brush to the canvas and lost himself in his art, looking up for only the briefest of seconds before turning his attention back to his painting.

But Sakura didn't mind. She loved watching him work. Watching Sai work was hypnotizing and that was what drew Sakura to him in the first place. It was one the things through which Sai showed the most emotion, his passion. Even when she first met him and he claimed that he felt nothing, Sakura knew he was lying. Sai might not have showed emotion while engaging in conversation but when he was painting, it was a whole other story. His art was his emotion but he just didn't understand. Even now, after reading up books on socializing and relationships, Sai showed the most emotion when painting. Art was where he was most comfortable.

After an hour or so, Sakura's elbows began to go numb. Sure, they were resting on a soft cushion but that didn't mean her elbows would be immune to fatigue. She tried to move her elbows slowly as to not mess up her current position, but her elbows had another plan. Instead of moving slowly, her elbows slipped completely off the cushion and her head went straight for the arm rest, where it made a nice thwack noise and Sakura groaned from the pain.

Sai heard this and immediately got up, setting aside his palette and brush. He quickly appeared before Sakura, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up into a sitting position against him.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling faint, dizzy? Should I take you to Tsunade-sama?" Sai frantically asked.

Sakura lightly chuckled. "Relax Sai. I am a Medic, remember? I can heal the bump on my head like nothing." She focused her chakra to her hand and began to heal the bump on her head. In about thirty seconds, Sakura's head felt fine. She looked up at Sai and laughed at his still concerned expression. Sai's face cleared and he pulled Sakura close to him. That's when Sakura groaned again.

Sai pulled back. "What's wrong? You only hurt your head, right?" Sai asked, worry tingeing his tone.

"Yeah, I didn't hurt anything else. I just groaned because –" Sakura stopped speaking as a blush colored her face.

"You groaned because?" Sai continued. Sakura knew she would have to tell him. He wouldn't let go, figuratively and literally, until she answered him.

Sakura took a deep breath and in a rush said,"'resoresoithurt."

"I'm sorry, what?" Sai asked, confused but clearly amused at the fact that his girlfriend was becoming flustered around him. It was very rare of Sakura to do that and when it happened, Sai loved taking advantage of the fact.

Sakura sighed and repeated slowly, "When you hugged me really close just earlier, you pressed my boobs hard. And well, they're kind of sore right now, so it hurt." Her face flamed red and she looked away, embarrassed, to stare outside the window.

Sakura usually didn't go telling Sai of her "womanly" issues because life was already complicated enough for him without trying to teach him about the anatomy and the physiology of women. Not to mention, it made Sakura just really, really uncomfortable talking about stuff like that. Sure, Sai and Sakura had been together for eight months so they should be comfortable with telling each other everything. But some things just couldn't be said, at least not by Sakura. She wasn't going to just come out and talk about how her boobs get sore before her period every month and no amount of healing chakra could ease the discomfort because it isn't an injury. It would take Sakura a long time before she could just bluntly come out and say stuff like that. But today the outburst was a one-time thing, something that wouldn't happen again.

"Oh."

Sakura turned back to face Sai. His face was completely blank. There was no emotion what so ever and for a second, Sakura panicked. Was that too much information to give him? She mentally cringed.

And then Sai's face suddenly lit up. "Maybe I can help with that." Sai looked at her and smiled.

"Wait—what? How exactly can you help? I'm a Medic Nin and I can't even do anything about it. So how are you going to help me?"

"A massage."

A light bulb went off in Sakura's mind. Her internal thoughts came to a halt. A..A..massage? Sakura's eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to reply but Sai cut her off.

"You see, I read in a book that when a area of the body is sore or tense, a massage is a good way to loosen up the area and get the blood flowing to get rid of the soreness. A massage would greatly help you," Sai said confidently.

Sakura stuttered. "I g-get what yo-you're saying b-but I d-don't think y-you understood it clearly."

"What's not to get? Your breasts are sore. A massage will be soothing."

"R-right. But there is a d-difference between massaging a person's b-back and massaging a woman's boobs."

Sai just looked at her and Sakura opened her mouth to explain further when she felt his hands cup her breasts and lightly squeeze. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. Sai gently pushed Sakura back onto the couch and continued his massage. He cupped her breasts and kneaded them with enough pressure as to not cause Sakura more pain. He flicked his fingers over her nipples through the fabric of her shirt and bra. As he continued with massaging her breasts, Sakura moaned and twitched beneath his hands.

"And I get what you're trying to say Sakura. What I am doing would be considered an 'erotic' massage, but in the end, it all serves the same purpose…technically."

Normally, Sakura would have a nice argument against that but her brain had turned to mush. All she could think of was Sai, his hands, and what he was doing with them.

"Oh God. Don't stop" she sighed as a another moan fought past her mouth.

Sai smirked. "It's helping, isn't it?" Sakura mumbled something that sounded like a 'yes'.

Sai decided that he would have to get more skin on skin contact with her because he had read in the book that skin on skin contact massage had more effect on the sore area. Sai slowly unzipped her red shirt and pushed it away. He was just going to unhook her bra when Sakura stopped him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I also read in the book that skin on skin contact would be more effective in a massage."

Sakura looked at him suspiciously. "What kind of book have you been reading?" An image of Icha Icha Paradise came to her mind.

Sai just laughed, unhooked her bra, and pushed it aside. "Don't worry. You will feel much better after this." He cupped Sakura's breasts in his hands and squeezed. He again began to knead them just like the book had instructed. At one particular knead, Sakura arched off her back and moaned loudly. Sai looked down at her and what he saw nearly took her breath away. The sight of her would forever he ingrained in his mind. With her flushed face, her bright jade eyes, her mussed up hair, her plump mouth parted in order to let out another moan. All accentuated with the pale sunlight coming in through his window.

Sakura couldn't believe what Sai was doing and what she was letting him do to her. His hands were magic, putting just the right amount of pressure on her breasts and the skin on skin contact was driving her crazy. As he continued with his kneading, Sakura's body started to get heated, with the most heat was pooling in her abdomen. But she didn't want Sai to stop what he was doing to her. She was far too gone.

Sakura pulled Sai down to her and kissed him strongly on the mouth. Sai was caught by surprise, so for a second he froze with everything he was doing. But then he deepened the kiss and continued with his torturous massage. Sakura arched her back off the sofa and pressed her boobs more firmly into Sai's hand and she grinded herself against his lithe frame. At the same time, Sai lightly bit on Sakura's lower lip, silently asking for permission. Sakura parted her mouth and Sai let his tongue slide in, slowly rubbing against Sakura's own tongue.

Sai slowly pulled Sakura back into an upright position on the couch, with their knees digging into the cushions and their lips still on each other. Sai's hands left her breasts and moved to push her shirt and bra off her shoulders. Sai pulled back long enough to look at her, with her flushed face, toned upper body, and round breasts with their rosy nipples before moving back forward and capturing her nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. Sakura's hands tightened their hold in Sai's ebony colored hair and she cried out loud in pleasure. Sai flicked his tongue around her nipple, while his other hand played with the other breast. Sakura arched her back and pressed her breast more into Sai's mouth. Sai then switched his mouth to the other breast and continued. Sai pulled away and rested his hands at her waist. He moved back up to capture Sakura's lips once more.

"Is all this part of the massage?" Sakura asked between their kisses.

"I suppose not." Sai chuckled, as he continued to kiss her.

"What about the painting?"

"What painting?"

Sakura pulled away from the kiss to pull Sai's shirt over his head.

"You know, the one you were painting before all this happened."

Sai pulled her back toward him roughly and kissed her deeply. Between the kiss, Sai murmured, "That's not important right now. What matters now is this."

Sai pushed her back onto the sofa, so that her back was pressed against the back of the sofa. He began to leave a trail of kisses from her jaw to her stomach, all the while kneading and squeezing her muscles.

Amidst the lust-filled haze, a thought went through Sakura's mind. How does he know all this? He is a virgin, just like me. So how does he know to do just the right things?

Sai's fingers reached the waistband of her shorts and he looked up at her questioningly.

"Sakura…do you want me to continue?"

His voice reached her through her thoughts and they scattered. She saw him with the tips of his fingers beneath the elastic, waiting to continue.

She nodded.

He slid her shorts and panties of both together and flung them somewhere over his shoulders. He gasped at the sight of Sakura sitting spread-eagled in front of him. Her hair all mussed up, her eyes dazed by lust, her pink mouth slightly open and swollen from their kisses. Her chest heaving from the lack of oxygen. Her long creamy legs enticingly spread out in front of him, with her womanhood hidden beneath the pink curls. The sight of her was breathtaking. Sai was one lucky man to have someone like Sakura in his life.

Sai spread Sakura's legs out a bit more and positioned himself in between. Sai looked up at Sakura once more, giving her a chance to stop him. But she just nodded. Sakura was lucky to have a man like Sai in his life who didn't think of women as conquest in life. He knew that she was a virgin and he would never do anything to force her. The moment he began to massage her boobs, they had reached a point of no return, with one event just leading to the next.

Sai slowly brought the tip of his thumb forward and rested it on her clit. Sakura breath hitched at the sensation. Sai then slowly began to rotate his thumb. Sakura moaned and tried to bring her hips closer, but Sai had one hand on her hips to restrain her. He quickened his pace and Sakura's moans began to get louder and longer. He brought his mouth to her opening and began to lick her.

"Sai! Don't stop!" Sakura moaned, with her eyes squeezed shut.

Just when she was reaching his peak, Sai pulled away.

"Why did you stop?" Sakura asked, slightly irritated.

"Because I didn't want you to come just yet."

Sai understood how Sakura felt, her frustration in not getting her release. He understood that clearly as he was currently nursing a hard-on from listening to all the moans and groans Sakura was making and it was painfully constricted within the confines his pants. But he didn't want all this to end just yet. This was both Sakura's and Sai's first time. Sure, it was unplanned but that didn't mean he would just have a ten-minute quickie. He wanted this to be a memorable first time and he wanted it to be the most pleasurable experience for Sakura.

Before Sakura could protest though, Sai inserted his finger into her depth and began to pump. Sakura bucked off the sofa and moaned. Sai smirked. As he pumped, Sakura began to thrust her hips in time with his pumps. As Sakura thrusted, Sai added in another finger, stretching her.

Sakura cried out at the intrusion. But the discomfort slowly turned to pleasure. Sai kept pumping and the he added a third finger, stretching her further. Sakura cried out again and tried to pull away, but Sai had his hand on her hips and kept her in place. He pressed his thumb to her clit and began to massage it again. He would then switch it up by massaging the clit with his tongue and then going back and forth.

"I know it hurts but I'm just trying to prepare you. That's what it said to do in the book."

The book? Sakura thought through the haze she was in. What book? He's been reading up on se-OH GOD! I'm so CLOSE! He better not pull away this time!

Sakura's moans began to grow and she began to thrust harder and just as she reached her peak, Sai pulled out his fingers.

"What the hell, Sai? I was so close!"

"I know that. But I couldn't let you come. I read in the book that if you pleasure the female to the point of orgasm but don't let her actually get to it, the orgasm at the conclusion of intercourse will be much more powerful."

"Seriously, Sai? You're going to get all scientific on me right now?" Sakura responded out-of-breath and exasperated.

"I'm just trying to make it more pleasurable for you. If I keep bringing you to the edge over and over again but not let you go over it, your concluding orgasm will be like ecstasy."

Sakura sat back up and smiled innocently. "The edge, huh?" And if Sai had blinked, he would have missed her expression completely. Her expression went from being innocent to mischievous in a flash as she pulled him to her by the waistband of his pants and pulled them and his boxers down just as fast. Sai's erection burst free. "Kind of like this?"

And before he could react, Sakura grabbed him by his length and began to pump. First slowly and then faster. Sai closed his eyes and groaned at the sheer pleasure Sakura was bringing him. As Sakura pumped with one hand, the other hand traced all of Sai's feature. The sharp cut of his jaw. The smooth expanse of his well defined chest. The muscular roundness of his shoulders. The definition of his abs. The curve of his back. The jutting of his hip bone. She nibbled kisses from his jaw to his neck to his collarbone. There she sucked hard and marked him. She kissed her way down to his stomach and just when he thought it couldn't get better, Sakura took him into his mouth and sucked. Sai felt sure that right then, he had died and went to heaven. Sakura continued sucking him, while playing with his balls, slowly massaging them.

Sai brought his hand to her head and threaded his fingers in through her hair. He urged her on by pushing her head closer. She obliged and kept sucking him. Sai kept on groaning and was totally lost in the feel of her mouth on him. He was so close to getting the release that he wanted and he was so lost in the feeling of Sakura that it took him a minute before he realized that her mouth wasn't on him anymore. He looked down and saw Sakura with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Now you got the taste of your own medicine," Sakura said triumphantly and sat herself down onto the sofa, her hand slowly inching its way down to her pink curls. Sakura touched herself and moaned. His erection twitched at the sight of that.

"Oh, no you don't," Sai growled, as his hunger for Sakura took over him. He pushed her back onto the cushions and spread her legs around him. He inserted his fingers in her opening once more to stretch her up again and then he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Are you ready?" Sai asked in a husky voice.

"…Yes... Take me."

With those two words, Sai slowly eased his way in, letting her slowly get used to his size. Sakura cried out and tried to push him off. Tears sparkled at the corners of the eyes. Sai wiped the tears from her eyes and lightly kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry. Just relax. The pain will go away soon, I promise."

Sai slowly eased himself completely in and Sakura took in a intake of breath and bit back a cry. Sai leaned down and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss eagerly. Sai wanted to move but he let Sakura get used to it first.

"O-okay. You can move."

Sai looked down at her once more and she smiled back in reassurance. He began to slowly thrust it and a look of grimace crossed her face. As Sai continued, the grimace changed slowly to a look of pleasure. He began to increase his speed and Sakura began to meet his thrusts with her own.

A slight sheen of sweat coated their bodies and the room was filled with the sounds of their moans and the smell of sex. Sai leaned down and kissed her neck, leaving behind a hickey. As they both reached closer to their orgasm, their speed grew and they thrust harder.

Sakura began to moan louder as she reached her climax.

"I'm so close Sai. So close," she said while gasping for air.

"I know," Sai said through clenched teeth.

Just as she was about to reach her climax, Sai reached down and began to massage her clit. He kept up the pace and Sai felt Sakura's walls squeeze around his erection and she came while screaming his name.

Sai thrust a couple more times and he too reached his climax and spilled his seed inside her. Sai still lazily circled Sakura's clit to bring her down from her orgasm and then he pulled himself out. They both lay next to each other, their skin sticking as they tried to catch their breath. Sai gently wrapped his arms around Sakura.

"So.." Sai began asking. "How do your breasts feel now?"

Sakura simply laughed. "Wonderful. However, I still don't get how you knew all this. Like how to touch me in just the right way…And what was that book you kept referring back to? It doesn't happen to be one of the Icha Icha novels does it because I think I saw one lying around."

Sai laughed out loud and it was a while before he was able to compose himself and answer Sakura. "God no. I would never read that filth. It's crass and degrading towards women. Everything I did to you today, all that knowledge is from a book that I found a couple of months ago written by a man who loved and worshipped the one woman in his life. And since I love you, I figured I should do everything in my power to bring you happiness in every area in life."

Sakura just stared at Sai, speechless. She looked at the man before him with his pale flawless skin and the matching dark hair and eyes. He was someone who had literally changed before her eyes, going from being heartless to someone who had so much to give to the world.

She snuggled close to him and whispered, "I love you too. And thank you, for this."

Sai lightly kissed her forehead and smiled. He slowly got up and went to his bedroom. He came back out with a blanket and covered Sakura with it. She patted the space beside her, silent invitation for him to join her. Sai smiled and shook his head.

"There is something I need to do."

He picked up his boxers from off the floor and put them on. He went back to the painting that he had abandoned. He took off the old canvas and put up a new one.

"What are you doing?" Sakura's voice came from across the room.

"Finishing the painting."

Sakura wrapped herself up in the blanket and laid where she was on the couch, her body now encased in fatigue.

Sai picked up his palette and brush and began to paint anew.

After an hour and a half, Sai stepped back from his canvas and smiled, satisfied. The painting was perfect. He looked up and was about to call Sakura, but she was already asleep. He chuckled. He got off his stool and went to sleep next to Sakura. The moment he lay down, Sakura wrapped her arm around him.

Sleepily, she murmured, "Finished?"

Sai smiled, "Yes."

He pulled her close and went to sleep.

._._.

Sakura woke up the next day, the sunlight blinding her. She felt a presence next to her and she turned to look. It was Sai, sleeping peacefully next to her, his arm around her waist. She smiled as she remembered the events that took place yesterday. She lightly kissed his lips before she got up. She stood with the blanket around her, taking a minute to adjust herself. That's when she saw the easel across the room. She half-remembered Sai saying that he had finished the painting. She made her way toward the easel and seated herself in front of it. When she saw the painting, she gasped.

It was a portrait of her, depicting her moments after they had finished making love. She was lying across the sofa, wrapped up in the light blue blanket, with her long legs peeking out from beneath the blanket. But that wasn't what shocked her. What shocked her was the way her face was captured on the canvas. She knew she wasn't ugly, but the way Sai had painted her, it didn't look anything like her. Her hair was a nice, soft pink, all mussed up from having Sai rake his fingers through it. Her eyes were a bright, sea green color, framed by long thick eyelashes. Her lips were a light red, all plumped up from Sai's kisses, curving up into a shy smile.

But that wasn't all. The Sakura in the painting simply glowed with happiness. She was completely encased in the glow. As if the moment she was in could not get any better and how she wouldn't like to have it any other way. That glow took her breath away.

"Do you like it?"

She looked up to see Sai awake and studying her.

Sakura smiled.

"I love it."