Chapter 2

AN: You know what I love in stories like this? CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!

Ol' Sasu can't be a great guy right off the bat, or else things would be boring, right?

Right, guys?

…Guys?

Anyway, please keep that in mind for the first half of this story.

ALSO, I'll switch back and forth from Sasuke and Sakura's POV, so we can experience BOTH sides of the story.

Don't like that?

I wanna say tough titties because I should be confident and strong, but I want people to like me and this fic, so….uh….Please give it a chance? Ha!

Thanks for reading! :D

~

Sakura's spirits were lower than low as she allowed Ino to pull her toward the bar at some club one week after being fired from Oasis. She wasn't successful in procuring a job, even after her self-imposed deadline. So, after explaining the situation to her new friend, the woman was convinced to come out drinking before she left.

The bus ticket to Konoha was for next week, Monday, eight days away. All her belongings were packed and ready to go except her clothes.

"The drinks are on me tonight, Bestie! Let's get shit-faced!" Karin, who'd also tagged along, shared an excited grin with Ino as they flagged down the bartender and submitted a drink order.

She stood there, feeling uncomfortable and depressed in the otherwise lively environment. Music was playing so loudly that they had to almost yell to hear one another, and the bass vibrated her ribcage each time it hit.

It was like she saw herself in a third-person point of view as the trio of women took shots of tequila, following them up with the classic dash of salt and lime.

"Geez, you didn't even flinch, Saku. Lighten up a little. It'll be alright. We'll keep in touch, right Karin?"

It was apparent the two Otogakure women were trying to cheer her up by any means necessary, and if the situation wasn't as bleak as it was, Sakura might've teared up at that kindness.

"Sorry. I'm just going to miss you guys, is all."

"Well, if you mean that, let's make this the best night ever!"

Feeling guilty for not being completely honest about why she was so upset about returning home to Konoha, Sakura allowed them to pressure her into taking many more shots. Two hours later, just after midnight, all three women were thoroughly inebriated.

Karin was the first to abandon the group, having recognized a boy she'd gone to high school with who apparently had the glow-up of the century. She excused herself with a determination to seduce him. With a body and face akin to that of a lingerie model, Sakura didn't doubt the redhead would succeed, especially judging by the pink on the white-haired man's face when he noticed her approaching.

Ino and the pinkette danced and drank for half an hour before a familiar-looking man with black hair and pale skin approached, asking if the blonde would like to dance.

'Oh! I think that's the guy she was flirting with at Oasis! He was there on my first day and the Friday after that. Ino said he's hot. I should make sure she knows it's okay. I'd hate to ruin her chances,' Sakura covertly grinned with a slight nod when her drinking partner glanced uncertainly her way.

She mouthed, "Thank you," before allowing the man to take her hand and lead her back to the dance floor.

So, the Haruno woman was on her own, sipping some sort of mixed drink that burned the back of her throat, though she'd grown numb to the sensation since she was drunk. She turned to lean her back against the bar, searching the crowd for her two friends to see how they were fairing.

A knowing grin tugged at her lips when she saw Karin pulling her target through the crowd toward the exit with a triumphant expression. They were obviously going home together.

Ino was beaming as she danced excitedly with her crush, who looked at her like she was the most exciting thing on the planet. Either he was just as drunk as her or liked the blonde a lot. Maybe it was both reasons.

Sighing blissfully, Sakura turned back toward the counter and tossed back the rest of her drink. Her friends were right. The negative emotions weren't nearly as overwhelming in her inebriated state. She didn't feel as awkward as usual sitting alone at the bar in a packed dance club. Instead, she felt warm and happy.

"What's a beautiful woman like you doing alone up here?" Sakura's spine straightened when a low, attractive voice came behind her.

Turning in her seat, the breath in her throat became stuck when dark, expressive eyes locked onto hers. The rest of the man was just as stunning. His black hair had that naturally tousled look that came off as attractive rather than messy, his jawline was so sharp it could likely cut diamonds, and his lips looked soft as they turned up into a small, flirty grin. His high-end, dark clothing suited him to a tee, too.

On any other day, Sakura would've been terrified to be in the presence of a strange man, especially one this tall and fit, but she threw caution to the wind because she was determined to have a good night no matter what, "I was waiting for a handsome guy like you to come change that."

'Oh my God, Sakura Haruno. You totally just flirted, and it wasn't a complete failure! Maybe you've still got it after all these years!'

The man lifted a sleek eyebrow, placing a hand on the counter's edge and leaning in so she could hear him better, "Is that right? Allow me to end your suffering. Let's go."

A small smile met the woman's lips as he offered a hand, and she paused only for a moment to think about it before accepting and allowing him to guide her out to the floor. Once in a spot that he found appropriate, the pair danced.

Drunk and carefree, a song or two later, Sakura turned around, a wave of satisfaction and arousal rolling up her insides when his hands found her hips and guided her back against him, where they moved sensually to the beat.

That tantalizing voice met her right ear as his lips appeared beside it, his breath tickling her skin, "I didn't expect you to be so good at this."

Bravely, she ran a hand up into his hair on the back of his head, turning her neck slightly so he could lean further where his ear was toward her, "Really? Did you only ask me to dance because you pitied me sitting up there all alone?"

An attractive chuckle vibrated through his chest against her back, "You're not here alone, Baby. I saw you with your friends earlier. I just waited for the right time to come over."

Sakura's breath hitched when his hands moved slowly up from her hips to her waist, long fingers squeezing slightly as though trying to memorize the curves. Her eyes closed, head falling back slightly to rest against his shoulder with a knowing smirk, "What a stalker! Should I run?"

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing it once before wooing into her damp skin, "If so, I'll chase you."

Not knowing what to say to such blatant flirting, Sakura just laughed, arching her neck a little so he'd have better access to it. Taking the hint, he kissed her again, lips brushing her skin as he moved them up to her ear, where he whispered, "Tell me your name. Mine is-"

Sakura sat up with a gasp, looking around in a panic only to realize she was in bed at her apartment. A swift breath sucked in past her lips when a throbbing headache suddenly hit. She lifted a hand to her temple, groaning. 'What happened last night? I was dancing with some guy, and then everything just goes blank.'

Green eyes widened, and the woman dropped her hand, lifting the blanket to verify she wasn't naked and becoming dizzy upon realizing she was wearing a man's dark blue button-up shirt and her undergarments, nothing else. Instantly, tears were rolling heavily down her cheeks.

'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I slept with that guy, didn't I? How could I be so stupid?' Pausing in her anxiety attack, she looked at the empty spot on the other side of the bed, 'Wait a minute…Where is he? Did he really leave without taking his shirt back? And did we use protection? I don't have enough money for emergency contraceptives right now!'

Her hectic thoughts went blank when she noticed a small piece of paper on her nightstand. Picking it up with trembling fingers, her pulse heightened further. It said, "Call me when you wake up. -Sasuke," followed by a phone number.

Sakura immediately grabbed her phone and dialed "Sasuke's" number. When she realized she should probably take a moment to calm down and gather herself, it was too late because a familiar voice came from the device, "Hello?"

"U-Um, hi. Is this Sasuke?" The girl covered her face with one hand, cursing herself for sounding so obviously upset and lame.

"Oh, hey. You're the girl from last night, right? Did you really call me the moment you woke up? I'm flattered."

She moved the device away to look at the screen and realized it wasn't even nine in the morning yet, which was very early after the night of partying the pair had done. Mortified, she stammered, deciding to get the information she needed and get off the phone because it wasn't like she'd ever see him again anyway, "Yes, I…. I want to ask you something. Did we, um…. Were we careful last night, or…?" Her voice betrayed her, wavering and cracking as she fell into tears again.

'I can't believe I let something like this happen. I've only ever slept with one other person in my life. This was too reckless.'

There was a long pause, "Careful? What're you talking about?"

Sniffling, Sakura squeezed her eyes closed and forced out, "Did you use a condom or not? Please just answer the question so if you didn't, I can…. You know…." A chuckle met her ears, making her frown deepen, "I-Is something funny?"

Sasuke sobered up, sighing amusedly before finally easing her gutwrenching worry, "We didn't fuck, you idiot. Stop crying."

The woman stammered, baffled, "But you were in my apartment, right? Your shirt…."

"Listen, I would've gone through with it if you hadn't passed out. I'm still offended, you know."

For some reason, the pinkette giggled, trying to muffle it with her hand before wiping at her slowing tears, "I fell asleep? How embarrassing…."

"You're embarrassed? How do you think I feel?"

"Sorry! I-I don't remember anything at all, but, um, thank you for making sure I got home safe."

Sakura's eyes widened when she realized she was smiling. Sasuke's unserious, casual responses comforted her somehow. It'd been a long time, four years to be exact since it was this easy to talk to a male.

He chuckled again, "I tell you what. Get dinner with me tonight, and I'll consider forgiving you."

The woman's grin fell. 'Does he want to meet up because we didn't sleep together last night, and he wants to try his luck again?'

"It'd be cool if we hooked up after; I know that's probably what you're worried about, and I won't say no if you offer, but I actually just want my shirt back. It was a gift from my brother; otherwise, I'd let you keep it. I just figured we could grab a bite while we're out."

Reassured, Sakura hesitantly agreed, "Um, okay then. Where should I meet you?"

'What's the harm in getting dinner with him? I'll be on a bus to Konoha next week anyway, and I won't have anything to eat today if I don't accept.'

So, she cleaned the shirt carefully, following the instructions on its tag, showered, dressed, and killed time until the afternoon when it was time to meet Sasuke.

Sakura was a few minutes late when arriving at the address she'd been given but received a text while approaching the restaurant building, saying he was also running behind. So, rather than awkwardly sit at a table by herself inside, she leaned against the side of the building and scrolled through apps on her phone while waiting. She also texted her date to let him know so he'd approach her when he arrived.

'I can't remember what his face looks like, but I do know he was handsome. Will I even recognize him when he gets here? Knowing me, I'm going to make a fool out of myself. I haven't gone on a date in years, after all. What kind of twenty-one-year-old am I?'

She knew why she was the way she was but refused to dwell on the reason, for it'd ruin her mood and make her want to abandon their plans.

"Hey, I'm here. Let's go in. It's freezing."

Sakura stood straight, gaze lifting from her phone to the familiar voice at her side, only to lay eyes on the dark-haired asshole that'd gotten her fired from Oasis. Fear flooded her entire body, the small bag containing the man's shirt falling to the ground as she shakily took a few steps away.

Sasuke lifted a brow, "What's wrong with you?"

'...He doesn't recognize me. Do I tell him? If I do, he might hurt me. He was pissed the last time I saw him, after all. Should I try to run? What if he chases me? I should just make an excuse and get out of here before he figures it out.'

"I-I….Something came up, so I can't stay. Goodbye!"

She turned and began walking quickly down the alleyway from the intimidating man, only for him to jog up and grab her wrist, "What's your problem?"

Terror locked the woman's limbs, and she tugged weakly at her wrist, remembering how tightly he'd squeezed it at the bar that night. She couldn't even turn to face him. "P-Please let go. I really need to get out of here."

"You might be the worst liar I've ever met. At least look me in the eye. Don't be fuckin' rude."

When she didn't obey his command, he grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn, lightly shoving her against the alleyway wall and leering down at her with that dreadful glare. The act triggered memories of her ex-boyfriend doing the same thing, which brought tears to Sakura's eyes as she looked helplessly up at Sasuke.

It was like a rabbit staring a wolf in the mouth.

He didn't appear to care that she was scared and growled, "Tell me what your problem is. It can't be that you aren't attracted to me, so what is it?"

If she wasn't trembling like a leaf and fearing for her life, Sakura would've scoffed at his egotistical statement. 'He won't let me go until I tell him the truth. I just hope he doesn't cause too much damage. I can't afford to go to the hospital.'

"You really don't remember me?"

His glare faltered only slightly, "What?"

Sakura tried to shove his hand off her shoulder, failing, "We met before last night, about a week ago at Oasis. I-I, um, I poured-" "The new girl! Fuck, I knew you looked familiar! There aren't a lot of people walking around with pink hair."

His nonchalant attitude briefly triggered the woman's anger from that day, and she muttered, "Well, I got fired because of you, so if you'll kindly let go. I don't want to see your face for another second."

Sasuke scoffed, his grip tightening rather than releasing as he leered at her with a similar aura as when she'd freshly poured wine on his head, "You think I'm going to let you go after what you did? I told you I'd make you regret it, didn't I?"

"What did you expect? I repeatedly told you to stop, but you kept on! You're so-!" Sakura's statement was cut off when the man's other hand suddenly lifted to wrap around her neck, making the blood drain from her face.

He hissed, "Woman or not, this won't do. Should I teach you a lesson? Not only did you disrespect me, but you did it in front of others."

"Hey, yo, is that you, Sasuke? What's up, man!"

The pair looked toward the alleyway entrance where the restaurant entrance was. It was Hidan, the silver-haired man at the bar that night, too. A gorgeous woman with blueish-purple hair and a tall man with orange hair were beside him.

Without wasting a moment, Sakura took advantage of the distraction and slipped out of Sasuke's grasp, taking off in a sprint and not looking back, even when the man yelled, "Hey, wait!"

She ran until her legs felt like jelly and her lungs were on fire. Thankfully, when she looked around, it was clear they hadn't followed her this far. 'What should I do? He knows where I live!' With no choice, the woman dialed up Ino, panickedly speaking, when the blonde answered, "Can I stay at your place for a few nights?"

~

"Holy shit! It's packed!" Hidan exclaimed as the group of men entered Rainism, the only respectable club on the east side of Otogakure.

Sasuke was in a foul mood, not bothering to respond as they headed to the bar.

A few guys there appeared to recognize them and vacated the area, leaving just the right amount of space for them to sit and order drinks. The Uchiha man was pissed because his crazy ex-girlfriend, one of many, had slit the tires on his car. Not only that, but the replacements had to be ordered, so he couldn't drive it for a few days.

"It's just a car, Bro. Get yourself some action tonight, and get over it," Akatsuki's resident loudmouth barked.

He bit back, "She's lucky she's with Kimimaru, or I'd kill that bitch."

'If I piss him off, he'll go to his boss and start shit between the families.'

"Yeah, that's fucked up. Tayuya has a new dude but still tries to mess around with you. What a slut," Sasori mused, fingering a strand of his boyfriend's long hair.

"That's rich, coming from you. Didn't you do something similar to Kankuro after you guys broke up? You're even the one who dumped him! Psychopath," Hidan laughed, pinkish-purple eyes surveying the establishment.

Deidara snickered, "That was my idea. Don't give him all the credit, hm."

"Ugh, whatever. Shut up so I can focus."

Sasuke sipped the bitter-tasting whisky in his glass, absently gazing around the large room since there was nothing else to do. He didn't even want to come here tonight, but the other three wouldn't leave him the hell alone until he agreed.

'I'm pretty sure, between Hidan and me, we've fucked every woman in this building. We might've even done a few together,' the man guessed, not feeling as amused as he normally would.

What could he say? Akatsuki members aren't shy about sex. Hell, he couldn't count on his fingers the number of times he'd walked into the kitchen or living room back home to see people shamelessly hooking up for any and all to watch.

"Yo, Sasuke. Look, three o'clock."

Snapped out of his daze, the man looked across the bar to his right to see a group of three women in the dimly lit club: one redhead and two blondes. If his mind served, they weren't in his little black book. His dark eyes trailed over each of them before smirking, "Dibs on the skinny one."

Hidan laughed, "Why her? I'll take the blonde with bigger tits."

As confidently as always, Sasuke lifted his glass and gestured toward the woman in question, "Look at her, Dumbass. It's the shy ones that're the craziest in bed." Though that's true, he added, thinking, 'Not to mention she's fucking sexy. Who gives a damn if she has small tits? Boobs are boobs.'

He was self-aware, so he knew how much of a douchebag he was most of the time. The thing is, he was also attractive and rich enough to get away with it, so why change? Either women like being talked down to and degraded, or they get angry by it, which makes the sex that much better. It's a win-win situation. To this day, he'd never once been rejected, even if they didn't like his personality.

So, Sasuke watched and waited. The redhead was the first to leave the group. When Hidan began making his way over to make a move on the one with bigger tits, another guy got there first, making Sasuke, Deidara, and Sasori laugh.

When the silver-haired man returned, he was pissed, "Laugh it up, shitheads. Let's see you do better."

Never one to turn down a challenge, he rose, "Watch and learn."

When he approached, he took in the curve of her turned back, feeling satisfied when he realized that she made up for what she lacked in bust in other places. "What's a beautiful woman like you doing alone up here?"

The woman turned, only to pause with wide eyes when she saw him. At first, Sasuke smirked knowingly because it was obvious she found him attractive, but then he was the one taken aback. Upon taking a closer look, the girl was even more gorgeous. The deep, emotional twinkle in her green eyes, the way the lights ever-so-slightly reflected off the lipgloss on her plump lips, and even the soft flush of her skin was attractive.

"Waiting for a handsome guy like you to come change that."

'And her voice isn't all high-pitched and nasally like most women try to make it when speaking to guys. Thank fuckin' God.'

Sasuke came closer, barely able to contain his pride, when it was apparent he made her nervous, "Is that so? Allow me to end your suffering. Let's go."

Now, Sasuke's notion that the woman was shy didn't change, but he was still completely taken aback by how naturally she moved with and against him. It made him think it was correct to assume she'd be an interesting lay, which upped his attraction. He said and did his usual thing, and she responded as expected.

After taking a cab to her place, the Uchiha man allowed her to pull him up the steps and into an unbelievably small apartment.

The moment the door was shut behind them, he grabbed her keys, phone, and purse, tossing them onto the counter before pulling her into a deep kiss, to which she responded smoothly. A soft sigh came from the woman when he slid his tongue past her lips.

'That's pretty. I wonder what other sounds she makes.'

The pair slowly made their way to the bed, where he reached around to unzip her dress while she unbuttoned his shirt with unsteady fingers. To his surprise, once she was in her bra and underwear, she slid his shirt off and expertly slid it onto her arms, gasping out between kisses, "You smell amazing."

He hadn't expected her to be so bold, at least not yet.

Chuckling, he picked her up and moved them further onto the bed until her hair fell messily about the pillows. She unbuckled his belt, moving to unbutton and unzip his pants as he tasted the skin of her neck and shoulder, small sounds of appreciation meeting the air that seemed as sweet as honey to Sasuke's ears.

Her body was as nice as he expected, her skin soft to the touch, and whatever shampoo or perfume she used was floral and pleasant. There wasn't anything the man hadn't encountered before. There was still something a little different about her, though. He couldn't put his finger on it and didn't intend to let her sleep tonight until he figured out what it was.

Her abdomen's firm, feminine muscles flexed under his fingers as she pressed up against him, her voice airy and sensual, "Your hands…."

He cooed into her skin, becoming more anxious to continue with each passing moment, "You like my hands, do you?"

She gasped when he pressed against her, between her legs, "They're scary."

Sasuke's eyes opened, and he slowed what he was doing, 'Scary? Why'd she say that right now? …Must be the alcohol.'

Suddenly, he realized she'd stopped responding to his stimulations and pulled back, only for his mouth to open slightly in disbelief, "Are you asleep?" One of her small hands was cupping his against her waist, the other falling from his shoulder to rest against the pillow.

'She is! What the fuck! Who just falls asleep in the middle of hooking up?'

He sat back on his knees, dark eyes taking in the incredibly sensual sight of her lying there in his open shirt, the dark color contrasting beautifully with her milky skin. Glancing down, his brow furrowed as he took in how her legs bent over his hips and how his dick begged to be released from his clothes.

For just a moment, he thought about it but shook his head, sighing defeatedly and climbing off the bed, 'That's a line even I won't cross.'

Turning the lamp atop the nightstand on, he studied the unconscious girl while fixing his pants and buckling his belt.

"...Pink…." She wasn't blonde. The lights in the club had masked the pastel hue of her long hair.

'Now that I'm really looking at her, she seems familiar. Have I met her somewhere before?' Sasuke pondered for a moment before giving up, sitting on the edge of the bed while writing a note on the small pad of paper beside the lamp, glancing at her defenseless face occasionally.

'She must play some kind of sport since she has a lot of scars. I didn't take her for the type.'

Finally, he gave up and summoned a cab. Shutting and locking the apartment door before stepping out, running a stressed hand through his messy hair. The driver gave him an odd look when he climbed, shirtless, into the backseat but didn't mention it.

'I'll use it as an excuse to see her again.'