Author's Note: No words can express how happy I am to know that there are so many loyal readers out there. Thank you so much for everyone's constant support! I appreciate it a whole lot. I wouldn't reach chapter 10 without everyone's encouragement. I hope you'll enjoy this story until the end!

Chapter 10: Warmth of the Night

Sakura's POV

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

I could hear my heartbeat as I sat on the couch of the living room with Sasuke beside me. We were watching the television normally and there was simply nothing for me to be so worked up about.

But my stupid heart was racing crazily like a complete idiot.

Bearing in mind the fact that Sasuke and I lived under the same roof for the longest of time, it was honestly sort of weird for me to feel nervous about this sudden sleepover. But then again, being completely alone with Sasuke in an apartment was sort of different from living our lives back in the Uchiha household.

A huge part of me was happy Sasuke chose to stay though. My heart just needed some time to calm down and not ended up making a fool out of itself.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke's voice snapped me out of my thoughts in a rather shocking way, almost to the point of making me yelp. Fortunately, I managed to save myself from that embarrassment. However, it didn't cross out the fact that Sasuke noticed that I was acting weird.

"It's nothing." I managed a smile which only served to make myself seemed even more suspicious. Sasuke, being the genius he was, appeared to have figured out what was wrong with me. And judging from the handsome smirk on his face, he wasn't planning to let matters go without making fun of me.

"Is someone feeling nervous?" Sasuke's face inched closer to mine and I felt like I had stopped breathing when the smell of Sasuke's expensive cologne became even more apparent. A shiver ran through my heated body when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and traced my face gently with his finger.

"N-No." And of course, my stuttering voice was far from convincing. It only made Sasuke wanting to tease me more and his slightest actions made me blush furiously.

"Your face is so red, Sakura." The way he called my name sent a ticklish feeling in my stomach and I couldn't stop another shiver from taking over me. Sasuke's lips got even closer to my ears and I could feel his breath on my skin. "What's in your mind?"

"Nothing." My mind was in a mess and my heart was beating even more furiously than ever. But somewhere inside of me, I could sense a strong anticipation which only served to confuse me even further. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was expecting but I knew I was looking forward to see what the night had in stored for us.

I was too embarrassed and nervous to say anything more though.

The next thing that I heard caught me completely off guard.

It was Sasuke's laughter. Sasuke Uchiha, the most stoic person I had ever met, actually laughed.

I sat still as I stared with pure shock at the sight in front of me. It wasn't like one of those crazy laughter I usually had but it was something I had never seen from Sasuke.

Seeing that I had been staring too much, Sasuke poked my forehead to snap me out of my shock, all the while having the most charming smile on his face.

"You looked like you had just seen a ghost." Sasuke teased further as he continued rubbing my cheek. Shock was soon replaced by amusement and I couldn't help but laughed at the situation. Sasuke must have thought it was ridiculous of me to be nervous around him.

"I have never seen you laugh like that so it was natural for me to be surprised!" I defended myself for the stupid face I made earlier and nuzzled onto Sasuke's chest to hide my blushing face from him. He wrapped an arm around me, bringing me even closer to him than I already was.

I laid comfortably on Sasuke as I listened to his heartbeat. I wasn't sure if it was just me but it somehow felt like his heart was racing as well.

Knowing very well he would be mad if I teased him about it, I kept it to myself and tried to suppress my laughter.

"There's no need for you to be so nervous, Sakura. I won't do anything you do not wish to do." Sasuke's voice was reassuring and gentle, making me hold onto him even tighter. Sasuke's considerate side made me love him even more.

"Thank you." My voice was so soft that I was worried Sasuke wouldn't be able to hear me. But judging from the kiss he gave me on the forehead, I assumed my gratitude reached him.

Sasuke's POV

If I managed to get through the night without losing my self-control, I would be immensely proud of myself.

A few minutes after I decided to stay over at Sakura's place, I knew it was a bad idea. It wasn't because she was a bad company because she was total opposite of that.

Just that, I wasn't sure if I could keep my promise of not doing anything she wouldn't wish to do. After all, her very being wasn't exactly helping in that sense.

I was glad that Sakura managed to calm down and was back to her usual comfortable self in front of me though. The problem was the fact that she was getting so comfortable that my mind wandered to places it shouldn't.

Sakura's head was on my chest as she watched the television and her arms were wrapped around me. Her legs were lifted from the floor and were placed on the couch. And from where I was sitting, I had the perfect view of her creamy long legs.

And yes, it wasn't assisting in my quest to keep my urges under control.

Every time she moved, shivers would be on the verge of spreading throughout my body. And every time she innocently rubbed my leg with hers, I could feel the heat surfacing from the spot where we made contact. And every time she spoke, I would stare at her lips and wanted nothing more than to put mine on hers.

"Staying over is definitely a horrible idea." I unconsciously let go of a sigh I had been holding onto and unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed by Sakura.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura placed a hand on my cheek as she looked into my eyes. Not knowing what to say, I simply shook my head and looked away from Sakura's round green eyes. There was something about the sparkle in those green orbs that seemed to be pulling me into her.

And yes, again, it wasn't helping me out of the situation I was in.

Sakura definitely noticed that I wasn't telling the truth because she was shifting herself to get a closer look at my face. Her action made her body pressed onto mine and her sweet fragrance was clouding my already messed up mind.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a small smirk forming on Sakura's pretty face and it gave me a bad feeling. Something told me Sakura was going to have her little revenge for the teasing I gave her earlier on.

And I could already imagine being pushed dangerously close to my limit.

"For someone who's usually expressionless, I can read you pretty well right now, Sasuke." I knew I was defeated when Sakura spoke in that enticing sweet voice of hers. And I knew I was done for when I felt her on top of me lap.

"And for someone who was freaking out just a while ago, you have gained quite a lot of courage, Sakura." I decided to give up the cool act and play along with Sakura's little game. As I stared into her eyes, she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her forehead on mine.

"You're too cute when you're actually showing some nervous expressions. I can't help but to tease you about it." Sakura's giggles filled the room beautifully as I wrapped my arms around her waist, leaving no space between the two of us.

"I didn't know you have the guts to be such a tease." I placed butterfly kisses from her jaws, cheeks and landed a final one at the corner of her lips. When I felt her whimper slightly under me, it left me wanting more.

With no prior warning, Sakura pulled me into a kiss. Her lips were so soft and they seemed to fit onto mine perfectly. The surprise was forgotten soon enough and I was totally pulled into the kiss.

Rubbing Sakura's sides earned me a gasp from her, which gave me the opportunity to deepen the kiss. I used my tongue to explore the insides of Sakura's mouth, making hear moan through the kiss.

When we broke the kiss for air, I started kissing her slender neck and sucked gently on her sensitive spots. The reactions I received from Sakura were beginning to drive me insane.

"S-Sasuke." Sakura's husky voice was pushing me towards the edge of the cliff and I knew I was losing strength. I knew it was impossible for me to turn back.

I was completely drawn towards Sakura and I didn't want to escape.

I pulled away even though I knew I didn't want to. I looked straight into Sakura's eyes for answers, wanting to know what she actually wanted.

When I saw the resolved look on her face and the sweet smile she had, I knew there was nothing for me to fear anymore.

Because Sakura had decided to make that night a moment neither of us were going to ever forget.

Sakura's POV

Waking up in the embrace of the man you loved definitely felt better than I imagined it to be.

Thinking back to the night before, I remembered thinking that I wasn't ready to take the next step in our relationship. But when I saw that love had replaced the coldness in Sasuke's eyes, I knew I wasn't going to regret this.

And so far, I definitely had no regrets.

The morning sunlight shone right towards the bed, making it difficult for me to keep my eyes closed. There was an indescribable kind of happiness inside me when Sasuke's sleeping face was the first thing I laid my eyes on when I just woke up.

His dark hair appeared to be glowing under the sunlight and his face looked absolutely at peace. His arm wrapped my body, giving me a feeling of security that effortlessly warmed my heart. I unconsciously brought my hand to Sasuke's face, as if checking if everything was for real and not some dream that was too good to be true.

My feathery touches had unexpectedly woken Sasuke up. I didn't bother trying not to laugh as I watched Sasuke struggling to open his eyes. And when he finally did so, he gave me one of his rare smiles which would always melt my heart.

"Good morning." Sasuke's sleepy voice was something I would want to hear more in the future. I giggled when he shifted on the bed to place a kiss on my forehead.

"Good morning to you too." I returned the kiss on his cheek before getting out of bed. As much as I loved staying comfortable with Sasuke, I needed to prepare and get to work.

"What are your plans for today, Sasuke?" I asked as I take my clothes from the wardrobe. I looked back towards Sasuke as I waited for a response and caught sight of him sitting up as he ran his fingers through his hair. The sight of his chiseled chest reminded me of how naked I was as well.

I blushed deeply as I tried to cover myself with the towel in my hand without making Sasuke noticed my embarrassment. If he knew what was in my mind, he would definitely tease me about it.

"I'm going home first before heading over to the company with Itachi." Sasuke answered as he walked towards me, appearing as if he wasn't bothered by his nakedness at all. He embraced me from behind and sleepily rested his head on my shoulder. The feeling of his muscled body behind me was enticing the warmth from last night.

I knew that staying a second longer with Sasuke would mean increasing the probability of being late. So, as much as I hated it, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before dashing towards the bathroom.

I heard Sasuke grunting in annoyance as I walked away and it brought a smile onto my face.

At that very moment, I wished that there would come a day when all my mornings would just be like that day.

But I knew that Sasuke and I had to go through a tough battle before that day could be realized. We weren't afraid though, because neither of us was planning to give up without a fight.

Author's Note: I apologize if some of you were expecting me to write a certain scene (insert a wink). I wanted to keep this fanfic T-rated so had to cut out that scene. Anyways, please leave a review on your way out! I would love to read your opinions and thoughts on this story. Merry Christmas and thank you for reading, everyone!