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No Strings Attached

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Sakura stretched her arms above her head as morning light pooled in through the small tavern window. This was where she always stayed on her trips to Suna, because 1. It was out on the edge of the town and barely saw any business and 2. It was the home of the sleeping figure that now lay next to her, snoring softly.

If you had told Sakura three years ago that she would be sharing a bed with the notorious Sasori Akasuna, she would've replied with something like "Da fuck?" "That ho be dead." Or, possibly, "HAHAHAHAHAHA. No."

But here she was, eighteen, and doing things with the ex-missing nin that would make her shisuo cringe.

Really, how had this happened?

Oh, right.

About a year ago, team seven (now fully reformed thanks to a returned Sasuke) had ventured a little check in with their good buddy Gaara. Sakura's heart nearly stopped when she spotted Sasori Akasuna, who she could've swore was killed a year prior in the attack on Konoha, fully intact and fully human chillin at the town gates. And he even had the nerve to smirk when he saw her.

Naturally, Sakura was a bit surprised.

Gaara had explained that Sasori had his human body as a back-up plan if he died. He still looked twenty, oddly enough. Sasori had agreed to renouce his criminal ways and serve Suna if they let him off the charges.

And they had agreed.

"What are you staring at?" Sasori mumbled, cracking an eye open to glare at the (wide awake) pinkette.

Sakura leveled her stare to match his. "Somethin' ugly."

"Very mature, brat."

"You really need to stop calling me that...it makes me feel like your little sister."

Sasori blanched and glowered at Sakura. Then something seemed to occer to him; his eyes lit up and an arm snaked around Sakura's waitst, pulling her closer to the ginger man.

[Teehee. That sounds like a superhero neam. GINGER MAN.]

"Does this make you feel like my sister?" He whispered against Sakura's throat. Sasori placed a light kiss there, trickling it all the way down to her collarbone. Unconciously, she threw her head back to give him easier access. Sasori lightly pushed her shoulders back onto the mattress.

Then Sakura realized what time it probably was. "Aw, shit! Get off, I'm gonna be late!" Naruto and Sasuke were probably wondering where she was, too...the last thing she needed was for them to find out about her, ahem, lover?

Oh god. Shudder.

We'll just it our, like, 'hobby.'

But not too many people used their free time to fool-around with ex missing-nin that were supposedly killed...

Sasori was staring at her. AGAIN.

"What?" Sakura asked defensively.

"I thought you said you were going to be late?"

SHIT.

Sakura all but jumped out of the bed, not even registering the fact that she was butt naked. They'd been in this situation so many times before, it didn't even bother her anymore. The first time, Sakura had had a mini freak-out and left before he even woke up, but the next time he got her back by not even sleeping...

Yeah. Sasori didn't like it when she skipped o nthe goodbye kiss.

Currently, Sakura was pulling on the mid-thigh length kimono she had worn for the festival last night. It was held in honor of Gaara's birthday, and was the only reason her team had popped into Suna in the first place. They were supposed to be leaving this morning, but Sakura wasn't even at the inn.

God. She could only hope that Sasuke, the only early riser in the group, had decided to sleep in after last night's fiasco...

Sakura didn't remember much, though, since she had snuck off with Sasori at around midnight. She told her teammates that she was spending the night with Temari.

Sasori's voice brought Sakura out of her reverie. "So when am I going to see you again?"

What he was really thinking: "So when am I going to see you naked again?"

"Good question." Sakura was just finishing tying her obi when he asked that. Come to think of it, Tsunade had informed her that she would be their medic for the chunin exams, which were being held in Suna this year. "Wait...how fair away are the chunin exams?"

Sasori didn't waste any time in his answer. He was an instructor this year, after all. "Next week."

Sakura was already halfway to the door, slipping her sandals on at the door. "I'll see you next week, then."

She didn't bother explaining; Sasori was smart enough to put it together.

"Good." Was his only comment.

Sasori was met with the slam of the door, signaling Sakura's exit. It was better this way, he tried to tell himself. No pain, no heartbreak, no strings attached. She couldn't hurt him and he couldn't make her cry.

But a small part of him, the part that also said he shouldn't take advantage of her like this, whispered that he had already grown attached to the little brat.

Sighing, Sasori flopped back on the bed. It was going to be one long week, and it was only fucking monday.

-bad choices make good stories-

"You promise you won't get emotional?"

"Sakura, please. I'm in it for the sex, just like you."

She had just gotten over a nasty breakup with Sasuke. As much as she wanted them to work, they both knew it was a hopeless cause after all they had been through, and had chosen to just be friends instead.

But it still hurt. Sakura had spend half her life chasing after this boy. She'd never been physical with anyone else, and the most they had shared was a chaste kiss.

Really, she just wanted a distraction.

And there was Sasori. She had bumped into him at a bar in Suna, after a solo mission. Sakura had drank a little too much, and Sasori was his usual arrogant, prickish self. They'd flirted, he paid for her drinks, and led her back to his small tavern.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing.

But then after two weeks of no contact, Sakura was sent back to Suna for another mission. This one she had to work with Sasori for, since it involved sealing and they both had near perfect chakra control.

After a week of fighting their sexual attraction, the two (mainly Sakura) finally gave in on the last night they spent together.

Then it just became a...thing. She came to Suna, to the tavern, and they did their business. After making sure neither wanted anything serious, of course.

If Sakura was being honest, she kept going back because Sasori was damn good at what they did. And he looked damn sexy while doing it, too.

He looks damn sexy while doing everything...damn ginger, why can't I be that pretty?

"Sakura-chan, what are you scowling about?" Naruto asked, waving a hand in front of his teammates face. She'd been acting weird the entire first half of the journey home, expressio n changing from angry to confused in less than a second. It was obvious she had something on her mind.

"I was thinking about how Kakuzu kept bugging me to dance with him last night." Sakura lied smoothly. She had gotten pretty good at it, given the circumstances.

Naruto bought it easily. "That's my Sakura-chan! Don't let any man touch you till you're thirty, okay? Wait...no...DON'T LET ANY MAN TOUCH YOU! Unless it's me, of course-"

"Because dickless is not a man." Sai cut in with a fake smile.

WOAH! When did Sai get here?

I didn't know he was a part of this fanfiction!

"I AM SO A MAN! A MANLY MAN WITH A DICK AND..."

Sakura tuned them out, instead thinking of next week and the chunin exams and her redheaded lover.

...Jesus. 'Lover' just sounded so...so...wrong. There had to be another word for him.

-push me up against a wall and do dirty things to me-

"You know," Sakura commented idly, while Sasori led her by the wrist (rather insistantly, if you were to ask Sakura) to the nearest alleyway. The tavern just wasn't close enough. "I have no idea what you are to me."

Sasori, finally reaching their destination, busied himself with slamming Sakura against the back wall and unbuttoning her blouse. "Why are you wearing a blouse? Why not a normal shirt? Do you realize this will take forever to put on and off?"

"Stop complained, lover." Sakura tried. Nomatter what she did, lover just make her think of dim rooms and rose petals and vampires and romance. If there was one thing between her and Sasori, it was not romance.

More like charged, raw, sexual desire.

Ew. That sounded even weirder than lover.

Sasori glanced up at her momentarily, rolling his eyes. "Lover?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to call you?"

"Sex toy? Fuck-buddy? Pinocchio? Ginger? Sasori? I don't know, but I'm about to rip this fucking blouse off."

It really isnt' that hard, Sakura mused, to undo a couple of buttons. Then again, Sasori never was the patient type.

She smirked, "I like to make it hard for you."

He scowled. "So I noticed."

A kunai magically appeared at the collar of her shirt. "What are you-" Sakura's question was cut off by the sound of tearing fabric. Sasori looked down at his work, grinning.

"Dammit! That was my favorite blouse, you jackass!" Sakura fumed, glaring at her manbitch. Oh, she like the sound of that one. Yes, Sasori shall be her manbitch.

Said manbitch was now smirking a smirky smirk. "Not anymore."

And then he kissed her, fast and hard, and Sakura had no chance to argue because she was lost in his kiss and his hands were all over her body and under her camisol and unbuttoning her jeans and-

Dear god, what were his fingers doing?

"Was that a moan, Sakura?"

"Take off your pants. Now."

-does me wanting to fuck you make this awkward?-

Dammit. He was right fucking there.

Smirking at her.

THE NERVE!

Who does he think he is?

WE are the fucking Hokage's apprentice. HOW DARE HE STARE AT US LIKE THAT?

Especially whil she was TRYING to heal a boy from the chunin exams. He had a broken arm, dammit, SHE CAN NOT BE EYE FUCKING WHILST HEALING.

"Sasori-san?" Sakura asked politely, playing strangers so that the broken arm boy's mother wouldn't get suspicious. She was teary-eyed, sitting by her son's hospital bed.

Why was Sasori there, anyway? All he had to do was call and inform the boy's parents, which he had. THERE WAS NO NEED TO STICK AROUND AND GIVE RHE BEDROOM EYES.

"Hai?" He asked (OH MY GOD, IS HE SMILING? MAKE IT STOP, MAKE. IT. STOP!), acting all innocent and dropping the holier than thou pretense he normall had around her.

"Could you please leave? I'm sure you have duties to attend to." Smile.

Creepy smile-like smirk. "Not at all, Haruno-san. And besides, I'd love to see Ai-kun's face when I tell him he make it to the next round."

The boy's mom nearly fainted at this information.

Heh. Civilians.

-seriously, why aren't you in my bed right now?-

"What are you doing?" Sasori had walked out of his bedroom, intend on heading to the market, when he was met with a very surprising sight. Sakura Haruno was chillin in his kitchen, munching on one of his apples, acting like she fuckin' owned the place.

"Grabbing a bite to eat." She deadpanned, watching at him innocently.

Um, no. He only allowed her in his ginger man cave for sex. The bitch got his virginity, she wasn't getting his food, too.

"No," Sasori started, glowering at his intruder. "I mean what are you doing in Suna. The chunin exams ended yesterday."

"Oh, about that," Sakura grinned now, and Sasori could've sworn his heart skipped a beat. "Tsunade gave me an extra day off, said I could use-" She wasn't even finished with her sentence when Sasori pinned her against the kitchen table, apple rolling to the ground.

Sakura furrowed her brow. "I wasn't finished with that. And on the table, really? Classy, Sasori."

Said ginger just smirked, pressing his lips to her throat. "I hope you know I expect payment for the food."

"I got money in my bag." Sakura grinned, her heart pounding madly in her chest. She loved it when they bantered like this. It made her think that Sasori might actually feel something other than sexual attraction towards her.

It made her think they could fall in love.

But that was an insane notion. When they'd first started this, he really had hated her. Sakura thought Sasori was after some sort of sick payment, but got no such luck. As time pasted, they honestly grew fonder of each other, despite their obvious differences. They had become friends.

Which was all they ever would be, Sakura told herself firmly. Friends with benefits, of course.

Sasori reminded her of this as his hand pressed insistantly in her inner thigh. His lips were doing insane things to her throat, no dount leaving a hickey. How was she going to explain that away?

"Sakura..." Sasori murmured. God, how he wished they could keep this thing going on forever. "What would you do..."

"Hmm?"

"...If I were in love with you?"

Sakura gasped, bracing her hands on his shoulders. She added some chakra and pushed Sasori away, staring at him incrediously.

"What are you trying to say?" Her words were sharp, insistant. They make Sasori flinch, but no visably. He held her gaze.

"I didn't mean anything," He said, calculating and cold as per usual. "I was just askign you an honest question."

Sakura's breath was in her throat. "We weren't supposed to get attached." She reminded him.

"Weren't?" Surprised at her choice of words, Sasori stared at Sakura in shock.

Could it be? The thought ran though their heads at the same time.

"I-I've..." His gaze was too hard, his eyes to tempting. Sakura could've take it she. She had to get out. "I've got to go."

And suddenly Sasori was landing ass-first on his kitchen floor, the unmistakable sound of a door slamming revirbitrating throughout the small tavern.

"...Dammit." He cursed.

Only Sakura Haruno could leave him sitting on his cold kitchen floor with a broken ego and a hard on.

-I'm going to cut your dick off-

Okay, so Sakura could admit that leaving him hanging on his kitchen floor wasn't the best way to end things, but really karma? REALLY?

"Sakura, I'm sure you're familiar with Sasori-san."

She glared at the smug figure that was casually leaning on her shisou's desk.

"Yeah. I know him."

"I need you two to perform a highly dangerous assasination mission together. Do you think you can handle that?"

Every fiber of her being wanted to say no, please, don't make me do this. But Sakura knew she couldn't do that. She could refuse that Hokage, for fuck's sake!

"I can."

And with that, both figures were prompty kicked out of Tsunade's office with a mission scroll and orders to 'get their asses to Waterfall, now.'

Sometimes, Sakura hated being the Hokage's apprentice.

-I like it when you're naked-

The entire mission could be summed up in one word; Awkward.

Neither Sakura nor Sasori wanted to say what was on their mind, and by the end of the mission barely three words had been spoken between them. All three of them happened to be from Sakura, as well.

"GO TO HELL!"

Finally, after what seemed like a decade, Sakura returned to Sunawith Sasori, hoping to get a good night's sleep and then head back to Konoha.

She was, however, not excpecting this.

"SAKURA-CHAN! I MUST SAY WHAT A PLEASENT SURPRISE IT IS TO SEE SUCH A LOVELY CHERRY-BLOSSOM SUCH AS YOURSELF PRANCING ABOUT IN SUNA! WHY, YOU ARE A SIGHT BEHOLD IN YOUR-"

Sakura started tuning Lee out before her ears began to bleed. He had bombarded her at the town entrance, being here on a solo mission. Before she could tell him to go away, Sasori had already grabbed her by the waist and was glaring maliciously at Lee.

Lord, please have mercy on his soul...

"Can you please step away form my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Lee gasped.

"Girlfriend?" Sakura gasped.

"Yes, girlfirend." Sasori's eyes were narrowing more with each passing second. Soon he wouldn't even be able to see. "Now Get. Lost."

Lee, taking the hint, bid his lovely cherry blossom farewell and (not without a curious glance at Sasori) pranced back to his hotel in all his Green Beast of Konoha glory.

Sakura looked at Sasori. "Since when am I your girlfriend?"

"Since now." And then he kissed her, just like last time, only now she could feel the love.

Sakura grinned against his lips, because that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

"But we're still doing it." Sasori pulled away and said, ruining the moment.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Not much of a romantic, are you?"

"Shut up."

And Sakura, once again, found her voice muffled by Sasori's lips.

...Fuck. Guess that meant he couldn't be her manbitch anymore.

-fin-

Reviews make my life, and also make me wanna write a sequal.